CHAPTER XXVI: FOR THE HONOR OF GRAYSKULL
"Please… can you do me o-one last f-favor?"
"Anything!" Glimmer reached for Adora's hand and held it tight between her own.
"All of you… stay… stay until I… I don't want to be alone…" Adora's voice trembled.
"Of course we'll stay!" The young queen quickly replied.
"We won't leave you." Bow came closer.
"Don't be afraid Adora, we're here." Perfuma whispered, as everyone came around the small bed.
They're here…
They're here… with me…
My family's here…
Can I go now?
…
…
…
No…
I… promised…
I promised her…
But… I'm so tired…
Adora's eyes started to close…
And it was right in that moment… that her bedroom's door swung open.
"My Queen!" A soldier cried, clearly in panic.
"What happened?!" Glimmer asked.
"The Horde is here!"
Everyone began to exchange panicked glances, but not Glimmer.
"Are the black ships back?" She asked.
"N-no, my Queen. The sentinels have reported several transport vehicles and a few dozens of tanks emerging from the Whispering Woods' borders! They're headed-" The guard explained frantically, but before he could finish, Glimmer raised a hand.
"She's here." The young queen murmured in amazement as she realized that the ones who were coming were not Prime's troops.
Somehow… Catra had managed to guide her people through the woods… but there was no time to think about how she had done it. Glimmer quickly knelt down next to Adora.
"Adora? Catra is coming… she's very near… I'm going to go and get her, okay?"
"Catra? What is she doing outside at this hour? S-she's way past the curfew… Shadow Weaver is going to get mad at her…" Adora whispered, her eyes half closed.
Glimmer's face paled at the blonde's words.
She was starting to slip away.
"We need to hurry." Glimmer declared as she stood up.
She followed the guard outside the bedroom and travelled through the palace's corridors as fast as she could. When they finally reached the castle's exit, the guard pointed in the direction of the woods. Glimmer's eyes widened. She hadn't expected so many to follow Catra.
The feline's intentions were good… but the Horde wasn't… or at least… that's what the young queen had always thought. Maybe it had always been the one leading them the only one who was truly evil. Maybe… maybe the Horde thought that what they were doing were right. Maybe… many more of them were just like Adora.
"A-as you see my Queen, they are heading towards-"
Glimmer didn't let the guard finish, she simply disappeared into a cloud of sparkles, leaving him speechless. When she reappeared, the young queen found herself around fifty feet away from the incoming army… and despite being alone… the ones who looked truly scared… were the Horde's soldiers.
"I-It's Bright Moon's queen!"
"T-the leader of the rebellion…"
"I heard she's a witch!"
"Don't try anything stupid! She'll vaporize us!"
Glimmer found herself chuckling at the last one.
That's when Catra emerged from the large group of people. She looked scared too… but Glimmer knew that it wasn't because of her. The feline quickly reached her, putting a hand on her waist, asking a silent question that Glimmer immediately understood.
"She's… she's still alive… but we have to hurry…" The young queen explained swiftly, the panic in her voice not going unnoticed.
"Okay…" Catra replied.
Before Glimmer could teleport them, she took a step towards the Horde's people.
"You have nothing to fear… the Rebellion welcomes you to Bright Moon. We'll provide anything you need, food, shelter… don't be afraid to ask. I know our history is not the best one… we were once enemies, but right now we're allies. You will be treated as such." The young queen spoke with strength and determination, before turning towards Catra and extending a hand towards her. "Let's go."
Catra turned for a moment towards the Whispering Woods, her gaze falling upon Lonnie.
"Start planting the tents, I'll… I'll come back as soon as I can." The feline told her, doing her best to sound secure.
"Don't worry, I got this… take all the time you need." Lonnie answered, giving the feline a small yet encouraging smile.
Catra turned around, took Glimmer's hand and disappeared into thin air alongside the young queen.
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"We're here." Glimmer announced, as she led Catra into the room.
The cat girl couldn't refrain herself from letting out a ragged breath. Adora's face was colorless, her hair disheveled, and her eyes… her beautiful blue eyes… they looked as if they had lost that particular light that only Adora had.
"Can't someone… can't someone…" Catra tried to ask, her eyes roaming the people inside the chamber.
However, as the feline noticed how everyone's gazes were set on the floor… how some people were trying to bite back quiet sobs and others were doing their best to comfort them… she realized…
No one had managed to cure Adora…
No one would have been able to save her…
And that meant that…
That meant that…
"Didn't you hate her?"
The question made Catra's eyes widen.
"Mermista…" Glimmer's tone became warningly grave.
"What? First she leaves Adora to die in that temple, then she almost destroys Bright Moon, she kills your mom, she sends a shape shifter to destroy us from the inside, destroys Sealineas and only now she cares? Now that Adora's dying, you cry?!" Mermista shouts angrily, surprising everyone in the room.
They had rarely seen the princess break her indifferent façade. Catra wiped a few tears she hadn't realized she had been crying.
"What do you want me to say, huh?! That I'm sorry?!" The feline yelled back.
"Oh you wish… you wish you could get off the hook so easily, don't you?! Oh, but wait! You already did! You brought us your little army, you care about Adora for five minutes and-"
Catra doesn't let Mermista finish. She quickly steps up to her and grabs her by the hem of her shirt.
"Don't you dare… don't you dare! You know nothing about me and Adora! You hear me?! Nothing!" She screams.
The way Catra talked… cried… how her voice dripped with anger, hate and desperation… the tears that started to pool in her eyes… that's what left Mermista speechless. The one she was talking to, could she really be the same Catra that smiled down on the destruction she brought upon Selineas?
"C-Catra?"
The feeble voice immediately caught the cat girl's attention. Catra looked over Mermista's shoulder and her expression immediately changed. All the anger vanished in an instant as her gaze fell upon Adora. The blonde was looking at her, a weak smile on her lips. Catra let go of the mermaid princess' shirt and quickly knelt down in front of Adora.
"I'm here Adora… I'm here…"
"Shadow Weaver is going to get mad… it's dark outside… we… need… to get back to the barracks…" Adora spoke in a hushed tone of voice.
Catra looked stunned for a moment.
"Adora? We're in Bright Moon, do you remember?"
"Remember… I… I remember…" Adora muttered.
And then… suddenly… the blonde's eyes widened…
"A-Adora?" Catra said, as she noticed the blonde's eyes starting to water.
"I left the Horde… I left you…" The blonde quietly sobbed.
"Shhh… it doesn't matter… it doesn't matter, okay?" Catra's voice started to crack.
"I'm so sorry Catra… I'm so sorry."
"Adora… I…" The feline muttered, unable to refrain her tears any longer.
Suddenly, Adora's breathing became ragged… uneven…
"Adora? Adora?!" Catra called her, grasping her hand and holding it tightly.
"I'm so sorry… it took me so long… to see that the Horde was evil… despite what they've always been doing… to you…"
Catra felt the blonde's hand go limp. Adora gave her one last smile… and then… her eyes closed.
"Adora? Adora?! Don't you dare! You hear me?! Don't you dare! Don't you dare go away!" Catra yelled furiously…
But Adora's eyes remained closed.
"Oh… Adora…" Glimmer sobbed, hugging Bow as tightly as she could.
"Adora… don't leave me again… please… I… I need you…" Catra cried, pressing her forehead against Adora's hand.
Everyone fell silent inside the small chamber… it was as if hope had just died alongside Adora… the hope for a better world… for a free world… completely dashed.
"Oh… Adora, deary…"
But it seemed like hope wouldn't have perished that day.
Everyone turned around as they heard the new voice. Bow immediately recognized the person who had just spoken.
"Madame Razz? W-what are you doing here?" Bow asked her, wiping away a few tears.
"Madame Razz has come to help Adora, of course!" Razz explained as she walked towards the bed where Adora was lying.
"It's too late… you can't help her." Catra growled at the old woman.
"Oh, Katrina… always so snappy! But don't worry… Madame Razz isn't late."
Katrina…
Katrina…
Catra knew that name…
She had already heard it…
In her dreams…
The feline remained speechless as the old woman knelt down beside her. She motioned for Catra to let go of Adora's hand and even if the feline didn't want to… she found herself doing it. Madam Razz took it in her own ones and as she began to speak… a low light began to engulf the both of them.
"Tell me Adora… why do you fight? Do you fight for Etheria?"
As soon as the old woman spoke those words, Adora's face started to gain color…
… and the blonde suddenly grunted.
Everyone gasped loudly.
"A-Adora?" Catra's voice trembled.
"Adora!" Glimmer cried.
"Do you fight for its people?" Razz continued.
The blonde's eyes started to open…
"Do you fight for the people you love? Will you fight for them?"
For Etheria…
For its people…
For the ones I love…
With or without the sword…
I'll always fight to protect them!
Adora felt her hand being raised in the air, cradled in Madam Razz's ones.
"Then call for the power to protect them Adora, it has always been inside of you."
"For the honor… of Grayskull!"
The light that came next… was so blinding that everyone had to cover their eyes. Catra could have sworn she had seen a sword appearing in Adora's hand… a sword that came out from nowhere… and when the light finally grew less bright and Catra was able to look at Adora… her eyes widened. The blonde's wound had completely healed, leaving behind nothing but a small, barely visible scar.
"Adora?" Catra called her name.
Adora however, did not respond. The sword in her hand had already vanished and her eyes were closed.
"W-what happened? Is she going to be all right?!" Glimmer asked, her voice laced with worry.
"She'll need to rest… but my dear Adora will be fine…" Razz said, gently running a hand through the blonde's hair.
"How… how could she… the sword…" Bow stuttered.
"She-Ra was never a sword, dear boy…" Razz smiled at the young archer.
She was about to turn around and leave the chamber when she felt a hand grasping the sleeve of her dress. When Madame Razz looked down, she found Catra staring back at her. The feline gulped and quickly wiped away her tears.
"T-thank you…" She muttered.
"Enjoy every moment you'll spend with her." Madame Razz spoke gently, and before Catra could add anything else, she turned around and reached for the chamber's door. Before leaving, she turned towards the feline one last time. "See you soon, Katrina!"
"W-wait! Who's…" Catra was going to ask, but as soon as she opened her mouth, the old woman was already gone.
And then… suddenly… Adora shifted slightly on her matress.
"Adora? Can you hear me?" The feline tightened her hold on the blonde's hand.
Noticing Catra's worried look, Glimmer took a step towards her.
"She's going to be alright Catra, Madam Razz said she'll only need to rest, right? So let's just go and-" The young queen began to speak, but stopped as soon as she felt Bow's hand touching her shoulder.
The young archer gave her a meaningful look before nodding towards Catra and Adora. Glimmer didn't understand immediately, but when she turned her gaze towards them and watched them silently for one moment, she finally did. The feline was drawing light circles on Adora's hand, and the blonde's expression seemed to be more and more relaxed. The look that Catra had in her eyes… the people inside the room knew that she would have never admitted it… but they knew what it meant.
"We should leave them alone." Bow suggested, a warm smile on his face.
"Yeah… yeah, I think you're right." Glimmer answered.
"Whatever…" Mermista muttered.
The small group of people slowly made their way out of the bedroom. The last one to go was Scorpia, but before the scorpion princess left, she turned one last time towards Catra.
"Are you going to be okay Wildcat?" Scorpia asked.
Catra turned her gaze towards her and nodded swiftly. The scorpion princess smiled at the feline before leaving the room. Finally, Adora and Catra were alone. The feline let her head rest on the pink mattress. It felt softer than anything she had ever slept on before, but the feeling didn't really bother her. She felt exhausted, and despite that, her mind kept screaming at her. It kept telling her that Prime was still alive, that he would have come back, to take everything she cared about from her, that the Rebellion would have never been able to stop him… that happy endings didn't exist in the real world…
It took one look at Adora's sleeping face to make her mind shut up, before Catra drifted off… lulled into a nightmare less sleep by the blonde's soft breathing.