Where Do We Go From Here?

Kitatanya

Chapter 31

A/N: Thank you so much for your support! You guys are awesome!

NOTE: This chapter is also from Catra's POV, because of a miscalculation on my part which I will explain further at the end.

Read on, loves!

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Catra knew she and her mate probably looked like an utter fools right now, grinning the way they were, but it seemed the entire town was in a similar good mood, so she didn't quite care at all. Her fur was groomed to a lustrous sheen that she hadn't had time to do in far too long. It made her feel just a tiny bit giddy and she flashed a pert smile at Adora, who let out a happy sigh, eyes sparkling with love and her own giddiness and refreshment at being truly clean for the first time in almost a week. She had used the time in which her mate was indulging in a long soak to finally give Melog a much deserved and thorough grooming as well. For all that Melog could and did groom themselves in both forms at times, she had missed it, just like their play and knew that Melog had missed it too. Now they were stalking at her side, glossy-furred and full of love and pride that made her smile all the harder.

The town had still been mostly sleeping when they'd walked through before but now the place was bustling with all manner of activity in a way they hadn't truly taken the time to notice until now. Almost all of the townspeople and soldiers they passed, were smiling too, laughing amongst themselves in idle conversation as they completed tasks or strolled among the other people, even engaging in games and play here and there, just enjoying the fine morning. It was strange to think there could be so much comradery and peace, when at any moment, their enemies could strike. But just like the peace they'd begun to enjoy in each other, this was their people's righ, to enjoy their own times of peace and happiness amidst the chaos. More than a few offered smiles and nods of greeting to the three of them which Catra returned with only the slightest of hesitations at first.

As comfortable as she now was and as happy as she felt, this sort of thing was still new enough that it balked her. She knew though, even without her mate's reassuring smile, the only cure for that lingering trepidation was to face it head on like she was doing. She was She-Ra now and she loved her people and this was a token of that new station in which she found herself. And being able to be beside her mate, open and happy and loving, made any amount of nervousness worth almost less than nothing in that balance.

They'd parted from the bond, to let each other indulge freely in their grooming, without risking another storm-this one of hunger and teasing- because they really did need to at least see if there was more information before they indulged again in one another. That tug, that pull, that dark cloud still hung over both of them. And as much as they both of them so, very much enjoyed this time they were being allowed to spend together, they wanted to do their duty and both of them were hoping that there was at least something they could do.

As they neared the building that had become their impromptu meeting hall for their stay here, it seemed they'd gotten their wish, because Catra suddenly made out muffled voices raised in alarm from inside. She was tensing in an instant, but she locked her expression into place so that it wouldn't show and kept walking. "Somethings up." She whispered quickly to Adora, wanting to alert her without disrupting the happy mood of the people surrounding them.

Adora looked to her, suddenly alarmed too, but she controlled her reaction in an instant upon seeing the fake smile still plastered on her face and Melog where they were fighting not to bristle beside her. She hitched her smile back into place, but like her own, it didn't reach her eyes. They sped their pace just a little, still trying to be subtle in their alarm, but needing to act. She looked to her mate and Adora nodded sharply, before knocking on the door. The moment the voices inside went silent, Adora was entering and she and Melog darted in so she could shut it immediately behind them, again feeling the need to prevent a panic outside before they knew the reason for the alarm of their friends.

"What's wrong?" Adora's demanding voice was low and almost cutting with her tension.

Scorpia, Netossa, Spinnerella, Perfuma, Mermista, and a mage they didn't recognize, had all been staring at them with alarm at their sudden entrance, but upon hearing their words, all of them were once again focused. Spinnerella gestured to the crystal on the mantle of the fireplace and they saw a frantic man gazing into the room from the polished, glowing surface. "We were just about to call Melog" She gestured at the mage, who was holding a tiny blue crystal in his hand and she saw now the fading lines of an unfinished rune there on the wall he faced. "It's bad." She told them. "Really bad. Nerol is one of the scouts we had watching that grouping of clones. They captured a young boy, probably a message runner, along the road." Their pack fell to the floor from her suddenly limp fingers as Catra felt like the world had just lurched beneath her feet and she barely caught Adora as she stumbled a little in shock beside her. Spinnerella's eyes went a little desperate at their reaction, but she didn't stop. "They've got him in their camp right now and he's reporting what they're seeing." She looked back to his image in a desperate manner. "Nerol, keep going."

His expression was still desperate as he signaled behind him, letting out the lowest of whistles. A barely discernable and heavily accented woman's voice murmured a frantic reply. Upon registering whatever she said, a fire went out of his eyes and Catra quickly felt a bolt of dread cut through her staticky shock at his suddenly grim expression. "They've sat him down now by their fire." His strong accent was a mirror to the woman's. "He's totally surrounded and it seems like they've all gathered. The numbers we'd guessed at were wrong. These clones are at least fifty strong." Her voice came again, another frantic murmur. "They've started demanding him to tell them something. All of them are reacting as if they're ready for a fight." Fire returned to his eyes and there was now a desperate plea there. "Your majesties, let us move to try to save the lad. Please!" He begged. "We can at least try to give him a fighting chance!" That plea sent another part of her reeling as she saw in his flashing eyes that he knew for certain that their lives would be lost in the attempt, but he was still willing to try anyway.

Suddenly, there was a fire burning in her own heart, blasting away the shock and the dread in an instant. There was no time for her to be shocked or afraid. If they didn't act and now that boy would be slain by those clones. She looked to Adora and saw her straightening too, looking at her with a desperate determination to match her own. They could not sit idly by without even trying to save him.

Her mate stepped forward and snatched the map from the table, scattering papers and figures in every direction. She was pointing to the place on the map where that camp had been sighted as she looked to Melog. "How fast can we be there?"

Melog growled and spun for the door. 'Let us find out.' Adora dropped the map and they were following them at once.

"Wait!" Perfuma and Netossa cried at almost exactly the same time. Neither of them paused, and Adora was already opening the door.

"Where are you going?" Scorpia cried, sounding frantic.

Adora gestured for her to go first and Melog was already waiting at the bottom of the steps, swelling to their larger size in an instant. "To save him." Adora snapped. Catra was already leaping onto Melog's back as she heard the door slam shut with an echo of finality.

Within seconds, her mate was leaping up behind her. Her hands had only barely grasped about her waist, before Melog started running. People, soldier and citizen alike, were leaping out of the way with cries of shock and alarm, even as Melog was leaping over them so as not to barrel through them. By the time they neared the gates, the way had cleared of people almost entirely and a few soldiers near them had noticed their rapid approach. They were already pushing them open as quickly as they could. Melog could have cleared the barrier, but upon seeing their efforts, they continued barreling straight onwards so as not to lose speed, and Catra felt the brush of wood along her knees as they cleared the barely open gates with millimeters to spare.

Finally free of the town and on the open road with nothing to delay them, Melog lengthened their bounding stride, all but rocketing themselves forward so quickly that the world was now zipping by them in a blur. Catra was forced to close her eyes, leaning into Melog's body with the force of the air flying around her. Adora was curling over her as she did so, reducing the air resistance on her too as much as she could. Even blind and being subjected to this force, did nothing to still her frantic determination and the plea in her heart to reach that boy in time. She trusted Melog with her life and even without touching the soul-bond, she knew Adora was feeling that selfsame, surging mix of emotions too.

After a tense amount of time that could have been seconds or minutes, she could not tell which, Melog changed direction, but lost almost none of their speed. The scents and sounds of the air rushing by her, told her they were now among the trees of the forest, but she was still unable to open her eyes to see where they were going. She did not care, only clinging to them even more tightly as they weaved and dodged around obstacles and felt Adora locking her body into place above her too. Again, Melog would never allow them to come to harm if they could help it and they wanted to stop this atrocity from happening as much as they themselves.

Then suddenly, after another immeasurable amount of time, Melog all but stopped short with a half-choked chuff of utter surprise. Catra was lifting to sit up in the same instant that Adora moved and the both of them were immediately stunned into stillness too, upon seeing what had drawn Melog up short. The scout in the crystal, Nerol, was frozen with a crossbow pointed their way and behind him, was a strange woman, clinging protectively to a sobbing young and reedy boy, who could not have been older that ten.

Upon registering their faces, Nerol instantly lowered his weapon and was gazing at them with something akin to awe. "By the first ones! When you three move, you move!" He cried.

She was too stunned to reply, but only a second later, she felt Adora shaking her head, obviously trying to clear it enough to reply. "How did you save him?" She asked frantically, sounding a little amazed herself.

Nerol was shaking his head now too, but in denial. "We didn't. They… they let him go." He sounded shaken as he said it, his eyes going distant as if even having seen it for himself he couldn't quite believe it.

Catra all but reeled with another wave of shock, but she spoke in the same instance as her mate. "What?" They cried together.

Nerol only shook his head again and looked back to the woman behind him, still clinging to the sobbing boy at her side. "The lad's in no state to tell us, but he's alive, even as he's shaken, and that's what matters most." His voice was full of a mix of relief and regret.

"And he'll not be talking now! We're taking him back to the town straight off!" The woman's voice was almost cutting, facing them down with a fury they recognized all too well burning in her emerald eyes.

It almost made her smile to see that motherly side in this stranger towards a boy she'd never met, but there was no time for affection right now and her mate's next words echoed the sentiment. "What are the clones doing now?" She demanded.

Nerol nodded sharply, his face growing serious once more. "As soon as they let the lad go, they started packing up. We didn't stick around to see which direction they were headed. Barely took the time to send the other majesties a message to let them know he was safe." He flicked another glance back at the woman and boy, but she already knew why and so did her mate.

"We're going after them." Adora's tone was now almost more imperial than Catra had ever heard it. "Stick to the forest near the road on your way back. There might be a grouping of soldiers following us, but there's no telling how far behind they'll be. They'll probably be on horseback if they are. If you see them, flag them down and tell them She-Ra is ordering them to get the three of you back to town as quickly as possible. However you reach the town, go to the main building and you'll find at least one of the other Princesses there. They'll debrief you and know what to do next."

Catra was already urging Melog into motion before Nerol even nodded his acquiescence and they sprang forward at once, charging through the trees after the now possibly mobile group of clones, but not at so desperate a speed as they'd been moving. There was still a ruthless fire burning in Catra's heart for the fact that the clones had taken the boy in the first place, but at the same time, a part of her was still reeling with the fact that they'd let him go. It made no sense!

She reached for the soul-bond, not pulling, but needing to communicate freely with her mate in a way the still rushing wind would not allow. Adora was touching it too in an instant. Catra sensed her thoughts were already an echo of her own even before they tumbled together.

How did they approach this situation? If the clones had let the boy go, did that mean they weren't a part of Blood's forces? If they weren't, why had they kidnapped the boy from the road and taken him back to their camp in the first place? What had they been asking of him? What had been the message he'd carried?

They cut off the questions with an almost simultaneous, sharp thought. Those questions could be answered later. For now, they needed a plan. If they charged into the mix of clones atop Melog, even without She-Ra's power blazing, they could find themselves in the middle of a battle within moments. They already knew the clones were unarmed and even if they had been, they knew that they and Melog could handle even that amount. It would be dangerous, but not impossible. But… if the clones truly weren't in allegiance with Blood anymore, was risking a battle really the best option?

No. The thought was instant in both of them and Ramel's face swam between their minds. These clones might not be the same as him, but if they had let the boy go, badly shaken, but still unharmed, then they had to at least give them a chance to speak. Again came the question of how they would approach this situation. Neither of them could really see a safe option and neither of them wanted to risk the other by simply appearing in their midst and trying to speak to them openly. Even if they hadn't harmed the boy, there was no way they could expect any people, especially clones, not to react in immediate alarm and defense to two women astride a great magical being bearing down on them out of nowhere. Should they stop and approach on foot to seem like less of a threat?

'We approach in stealth.' Melog spoke then, slowing to a stop so they could whisper. Now that the wind was no longer soaring in her ears, Catra could distantly hear voices, many voices, raised in alarm and activity and through her, Adora could hear them too.

At once, they realized their panic and indecision had made them idiots and were in agreement with Melog. They would sneak up upon them and try to glean more information and then decide how to best approach the situation. With a desperate, almost fearful surge of their promise between them, hoping with everything they were that they could emerge from this situation whole and unscathed, they dropped the bond.

Catra turned and slid from Melog's back at once, landing on her toes on the soft leaflitter of the forest floor to muffle her descent, just in case. She reached up for her mate, even as Adora was already sliding down to meet her and the moment her toes hit the ground too, Melog disappeared in a flicker of magic and they felt it wash over them. Under that cloak of Melog's magic, they exchanged one last look, echoing their promise once more, evident even through the veil of it, and began stalking forward.

As they drew up closer, darting silently from tree to narrow tree for cover, just in case, Catra began to make out actual words among that surge of frantic chatter amongst the clones. She brushed a touch over her mate's hand, signaling her to follow and the two of them crouched behind a low bush. Feeling a burst of fierce happiness at the timeliness of their new discovery of the soul-bond between them, she touched it again. In an instant, Adora's mind was tumbling with hers and they listened to the voices she could hear with breathless silence and trembling with a mix of trepidation and anticipation.

They were razzing each other up, speaking of their assurance of victory over their enemies as they worked. They heard a name, Barkos, and were both almost certain that was the name of their destination now. Neither of them had heard the name before, but they knew it had to be a settlement of some kind. They had no idea where it could be located except for somewhere further along the road in the direction from which the boy had come. The chatter all but confirmed it. And then suddenly a sharp, almost metallic sound cut the chatter.

"Remember, leave behind anything not essential!" A clone cried and from booming and authoritative tone, they pegged him as the leader of this grouping at once. "We must move swiftly if we hope to strike our enemies' forces before they fully reach their destination and cannot afford any delays if we want the element of surprise!" His words sent a sense of dread spinning between them, but they pushed it down and away.

Adora suddenly wanted to see him and Catra agreed. They dropped the bond and Catra was already moving around the bush. Adora followed her and Catra felt a sudden burst of pride in her mate to wash away her dread. Adora was literally stepping where she stepped, following in her footsteps and trusting in her alertness to the ground beneath their feet to keep from making a sound as they drew right up on their enemies.

Through the trees, clones were swarming and they knew the clone they could see standing on a near rotted stump was the leader from his sharp gestures and clipped words as he directed the others. Tents were being felled and packed with more incredible speed than her ears had told them now. Packs were on backs and the fire was being extinguished with water from somewhere. The somehow pungent smelling smoke from that dying fire was almost overpowering and she was now essentially nose-blind to anything else. She fought a sudden sneeze and froze, flicking her tail over Adora's leg behind her as she glanced back. This was as close as she could go, but they could see their enemies now and moving closer might not be a good idea anyway.

Adora brushed a touch over her back, prompting her to look to the side. Another line of brush was just a few feet away from them. A perfect cover. Again, there was a note of pride for her mate as they moved quickly and silently to that cover. As soon as they were settled, they reached for the bond. Adora's thoughts had been far more grim than hers and her mate was almost electrically tense. Catra was tensing at her emotions and Adora was relaxing slightly upon feeling her intense pride in her. There was no time to steady the mixed storm and they pushed all of those emotions down and away to focus once more.

They peeked over the cover and saw with satisfaction they had almost an unobstructed view from here. That satisfaction faded as they saw now another clone standing near the fire and other clones, now finished with their tasks coming to line up before him. He had scooped up some of the pungent ashes from the fire and as they knelt before him, he was tracing a symbol on their foreheads with them. It was a crude, open eye, with three dots below and to the left that they realized represented tears.

"Do not forget to come forward and let yourselves be anointed with the mark of enlightenment!" He cried towards the still working clones, voice somehow more melodious than the one they'd pegged as leader. "We shall not be oppressed!" He cried.

"We stand free!" All of the already marked clones and the ones lining up replied in unison and the other clones slowly joined in the cry as it echoed.

"We fight as one!" The anointing clone cried.

"Once under darkness, but under darkness no more!" The others clones were stilling now entirely as they replied with their already still brothers. A fire was spreading in their eyes, as they stood tall with a fierce sort of pride.

"The shackles of Prime are gone and no longer do we submit!"

"We stand in enlightenment, freed of our sins!" The chanting response from the other clones was more in unison now, blending together into almost once booming voice. Now the anointing clone was gesturing his brothers forward and they knelt in twos and threes, drawing the marks on each other's foreheads as he continued to draw marks on more.

"Freed of liberation and the blood rule alike!" He cried, holding his free hand to the sky in a fist and the leader echoed him immediately.

"No longer we serve and now do we fight!" Boomed the clones and fists were raising even as they kept kneeling to draw the marks on each other before the ashes of the fire before standing tall and moving back to make room for the rest.

"We know the truth!" The anointing clone shook his fist now, like he was defying the entire universe and others were doing the same.

"We are the Enlightened!"

This time the chanted cry was shouted by the leader and that anointing clone too and as the booming words faded, every clone was cheering and celebrating in an almost maniacal manner. All of the clones that were wearing that mark now on their forehead were moving again, completing the tasks of their unmarked brothers interrupted by that anointing clone as they rest still continued to mark themselves. Catra was trembling as she sat back on her heels. Adora's actions mirrored her and their minds were almost blank. They looked into one another's eyes, both wide-eyed with lingering shock and no small amount of dread as those chanting words hit home.

These clones were indeed not aligned with Blood and his brothers, but they seemed just as against their people as well. Again, there was that confusion between them as to why then, these clones had let the boy go. And why were they now moving on Barkos? Did their enemies mean Blood's forces? If so, why Barkos and not the town Ramel had warned them was in danger?

At any rate, they now knew that that place and its people were now in this very moment at risk. Did they try to risk speaking to these clones to glean more information and risk being drawn into an unnecessary fight? Should they head back to the scouts and the boy and take them back to the town themselves to help debrief them and to discuss with their friends a plan of action? Or did they move themselves alone towards the town and try to prevent the disaster of being too late to save the people there? What was the right choice?

In a trickle of despair between them, they realized there was no right choice here. For the briefest of moments, they wished they'd thought to ask for one of the communication charms, or asked Nerol for the use of his, so that they could speak to their friends here and now. Then, Melog's magic pulsed in a burst of reassurance and prompting them back in the direction they'd came. Feeling it, they remembered that of course, Melog knew of runes that would allow them to do just that even without the charm.

Steadied by the knowledge, their dread and indecision was washed away in an instant, to be replaced by the fires of their determination and a deep and ringing gratitude for Melog. They let go their bond and started making their way back away from the bustling encampment of clones, even as they could hear them finishing their tasks and gathering to move out under the booming direction of their leader. Time was against them, but they could not risk being heard or seen. Catra could only barely make out the sounds of the raised voices of the clones, when Melog's magic directed them to the right. She saw their intended destination as Adora did too and was almost a relief when they rounded a large, mossy boulder and felt Melog's magic recede.

They reappeared in an instant, already shifted into their humanoid form. Without speaking, they turned to the boulder and swiped away a large section of the moss with a quick and deliberate stroke. Then, they began tracing the rune onto the smoothest portion of the stone they'd uncovered. As she watched them work, Catra felt the acute need for Adora's touch. She'd barely begun to reach out, when she felt her mate's fingers link with hers and the unspoken declaration of their mutual thoughts sent a burst of love to join the dread in her heart. She could not resist squeezing those fingers and sending her a quick smile, even as it was a tense one. Adora mirrored that selfsame smile back at her in a flash, before the both of them looked again to Melog.

They'd returned their attention just in time, as the rune sealed onto the stone with a flash of magic. Suddenly, she could see the faces of their friends all bunched up and staring at them from within its bounds. From the angle, she knew they were gazing at the crystal on the mantle and each of them seemed instantly relieved upon seeing them.

"Oh thank the first ones!" Perfuma cried, all but drooping into Scorpia's side with the strength of hers.

The loud echo of her voice had Catra flinching with terror in an instant and Adora's fingers spasmed in hers. "Shh!" She shushed before any of them could speak further.

Already, Catra was focusing only with her ears, scanning the forest around them, making sure none of the clones had by chance wandered their way and been alerted to their presence by the cry. A mix of relief and dread filled her when she realized even the faint sounds of the clones were now gone. As she relaxed, she nodded to Adora and to Melog in turn and the both of them relaxed visibly. Almost at once, Melog shifted back into their preferred form and she knew it was because they wanted the heightened senses it gave them now more than ever.

As they leaped up onto the top of the boulder, obviously ready to keep a lookout so that she could concentrate on only the discussion they needed to have, Adora was already stepping closer to the rune so that they could speak more softly. She was glad her mate still wanted to be quiet and that Melog was so very alert too, because even hearing the silence around them, she still somehow felt as if they were being watched. No matter how she tried, she could not make that nervous feeling go away. Their friends no longer looked relieved and were watching them with desperate concern and no small amount of fear. A part of Catra wanted to comfort them, just like she knew Adora wanted to too, but there wasn't time for soft words right now and the both of them knew it.

"Did you send anyone after us?" Adora asked, her tone again that almost imperial and demanding force, even as it was still soft enough not to carry.

Netossa's face flushed a little with a sudden anger. "You just bet we did!" She was gritting her teeth in an effort to remain quiet, when she obviously wanted to scream at them "What on earth were you thinking, just running off alone like that?"

Catra sent her a glare and knew Adora was glowering too. With a life in danger, their actions should have been perfectly obvious. Her mate pointedly ignored the question as she continued. "How many did you send and are they on horseback?"

"They are." Spinnerella answered immediately. "I can't state their number with accuracy because we didn't count, but for as many horses as we had, that's how many are headed your way." She said it like she expected them to be angry with her too.

"Good." Adora replied. "We told Nerol and his partner to stick near the road on their way back to town with the boy. He's under orders to direct at least a few of them back your way with them as quickly as possible. Actually… you might want to contact him and have him turn them all back." Then her mate paused for the briefest of moments and Catra knew she was trying to find the best way to tell their friends the alarming news they'd just received.

"We have a huge problem." She stated blatantly in her stead. "You need to contact Glimmer and tell her that clones are moving in force on the town of Barkos right now. Where the boy was running from." She tacked on quickly.

All of them gasped and their faces went grim. "I'll get one of the spare charms and tell her now." Mermista all but growled the words, eyes flashing as she withdrew from sight.

Spinnerella looked after her in brief thanks, before looking to them again with a mix of worry and determination. "Is that what you learned from the clones? Is that what Blood's forces have been doing? Gathering to strike there instead?"

At that, Catra winced a little and shared a frantic glance with her mate. "We don't know." Adora sighed the words in desperation. "This grouping wasn't part of Blood's forces. They-"

"So they were peaceful?" Perfuma cut in before Adora could speak further, her murmured voice full of hope.

"No." They spoke the word together, both of their tones sharp and almost angry at the interruption.

Perfuma looked more than a little hurt at their anger, but again, Catra knew there would be time to apologize later. "We have a new problem now. Maybe a bigger one." She hissed. "And if we don't act now, people could die!"

"These clones seem to be standing free of Blood and from us and they said they were moving to strike another force near the town. They've already packed up and are headed that way right now. There's no telling how many of clones from both forces might already there and the town could already be under attack or being caught in the crossfire!" She snapped, voice trembling with the effort to remain quiet.

"Glimmer wants your location now!" Mermista muffled voice cried. "You guys are near the where the camp was right?"

"Yes. About twenty yards to the east. We're behind a giant boulder." Adora answered immediately. "But for the love of Etheria tell her if she comes to be careful and to stay quiet!" She ordered frantically, her voice a desperate whisper.

"They're on their way." Mermista spoke quietly as her face reappeared a moment later. They didn't have time to ask who 'they' meant, before Mermista looked to the others. "She wants us to take half of our forces and transport to Barkos now to meet hers." She told them, pulling at Spinnerella to guide her and Netossa back towards the table. "She said she'd leave the division up to us, but she doesn't want this town unprotected entirely until we have more information. We need to decide and fast."

As she spoke the words, Catra heard a familiar, tinkling burst of magic somewhere in the direction of the now vacant camp on the other side of the boulder. Before she could do anything else, Melog let out a quiet, but resounding chuff. A moment later, Glimmer, Bow, and Frosta appeared beside them in another burst of magic.

"We're meeting our forces at Barkos. Now!" Glimmer snapped, eyes alight with fury.

At once, Bow and Frosta reached for their hands. Glimmer shot a look at Melog, but they were already descending. Before they joined them, they reached up with a paw and swiped it across the rune, destroying it in a burst of magic. Glimmer was gazing at the with no small amount of gratitudinous pride as Melog then darted to her and Adora, pressing against her side. Catra felt Glimmer's magic tingling over them and only had time to share a quick, determined glance with her mate, before she was falling in that space of magical transport. She knew none of them had any idea what awaited them on the other side.

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And there we go! Thank you for reading!

So, the reason I doubled up on Catra's POV is that a large chunk of this chapter was written weeks ago, around when I first started posting. The reason this chapter is so very late is because I was trying to rewrite it in Adora's POV so that I wouldn't break the chain. I miscalculated my plotline (and of course with this huge battle in my life going on and the delays of my sickness and computer problems were also a factor) and the events that needed to happen between the first few chapters and now.

It's not the first time this has happened as I drew up on prewritten scenes, but I was usually able to switch them around and rewrite the parts I needed to fit into the chain without too much difficulty. I just simply did not have the wherewithal to do it properly this time, but I did try. It may happen again at some point in the future, so apologies in advance. Anyway, now you know my brain is broken even more than it was (lol). I hope you continue to enjoy the imperfection of this journey and I hope to see you along as we forge on towards the future!

Until next time, loves! Stay safe and read on! Ja!