"No! No! No!, Abso-lutely NOT!, i am not getting on that thing!", Catra protested as she stood in front of a black mare outside the gates of Brightmoon, Kywa poked her head around from other side as she attached the reins, "Catra, it's just a horse",
"What am i supposed to do when it grows wings and takes off!",
"Grows wings and takes off?…..Catra, what are you talking about?, It's. Just. A. Horse!", Kywa takes Catra's wrist and pulls her closer, "Look at this face, how could you be scared of a face like that?"
Kywa had pulled her uncomfortably close to the horses nostrils, the horse suddenly neighed into Catra's face, she hissed and fell backwards,"Nooooope!", Catra exclaimed as she got up, "I'd rather walk, thank you!", As she starts to storm off, Adora grabs her around the waist, picks her up and hoists her onto her own grey horse, "I'm familiar with the flying type of horses m'lady, travel with me and I shall protect you", Adora said trying to give her best impression of a royal accent.
Catra folds her arms blushing, "yeah but your flying demon horse isn't here",
Adora climbs on behind Catra,"One. It is not a demon horse. Two. We're trying to keep, you know, the secret location, secret. Can't do that with a talking horse"
Kywa brings up the rear with Tao riding in front, "Alright follow me, try and stay close this side of the woods can be a little disorientating". They rode silently for some time. Tao was still ahead of the others. Eventually Kywa rode up besides Adora and they travelled side by side. Catra had finally stopped pouting and almost seemed to be enjoying the ride through the whispering woods.
"What's she like, our mother?", Catra asked with hesitation in her voice.
Kywa looks over to Catra, "You don't remember?",
Catra shakes her head, "not really I only get tiny bits and pieces now and then, in most of them though she was using magic",
Kywa smiles,"magic is one word for it",
"Why do you say it like that? Doesn't she have the same magic as us?",
Kywa gives a surprised whistle,"Our magic pales in comparison to hers",
"I thought illusionist magic was pretty strong?",
"It can be, the difference is our mother is an only child which means she bore the responsibility of both crystals when she was born, which made her pretty powerful growing up, rumour has it she even got into a massive fight with one of her teachers at Mystacor",
"Who was her teacher?", Adora asks as she moves a branch out of the way.
Kywa thinks for a moment,"Light...something",
Adora frowns,"Light Spinner?", Her and Catra exchange a silent glance. Adora felt Catra tense up, Adora moved closer and put one arm around her waist reassuringly.
"That's it!, how'd you know?",
"Oh...we've been to Mystacor, We had heard stories about Light Spinner, she used to teach Glimmer's dad too", Adora answered quickly.
Kywa thought about that for a moment, "huh, I wonder if she knew him?".
The conversation slowly died down and they travelled in silence for some time, Kywa notices that Catra has fallen asleep.
"Have you two always been close Adora?",
"Ever since we were kids",
"Did she ever talk about how she ended up in the fright zone?",
"After we met she didn't talk much about where she was from, then again we were only kids so i doubt she remember a whole lot, Why do you ask?",
"No reason, just curious is all", Kywa answered as she rode up towards Tao. Adora raised an eyebrow, the answer felt off to her, she pushed the thought to the back of her mind as they arrive at a clearing outside the whispering woods which was split by a stream into two contrasting sides, the purple and pink of the trees in the whispering woods and the muted yellow and green trees and shrubs on the other side.
Tao had already stopped at the stream, allowing his horse to have a drink. Adora got off her horse and helped Catra down, they both had a stretch. Adora walked over and put her hand in the stream and then wiped the back of her neck.
Kywa approached Tao, got off her horse and walked it over to the stream, bending down to give herself a handful of water, she stood up and had a stretch looking over to Tao,"Everything ok? You seem distracted?",
Tao shook his head,"Kywa… Before we cross i need to tell you something-"
Before Tao could finish, a deep crimson rune circle appeared on the other side of the stream. The outline of a robed magicat appeared. The light slowly dissipated and they could see Percival standing on the other side of the stream.
"What did you want to tell me?"
Tao shakes his head,"It's too late now", he pulled on the reins and walked his horse across the stream to greet Tao. Kywa stood there confused.
"What was that about?", Adora asked.
Kywa wipes her hands on her pants and gets back on her horse ,"I haven't the faintest idea, guess we'll find out".
"Welcome to halfmoon, this way", Percival turns and heads into the woods, they didn't walk very far before they came into a clearing, "Whoa", Adora says, looking around there are mounds of grey marble rubble everywhere, marble columns barely standing, something that resembles a marble staircase, "What was this place?", Catra asks inquisitively
"This used to be the castle of halfmoon", Percival says, "Do be careful it's quite easy to cut your feet open on these jagged stones", Percival and the others traverse of the rubble easily, Catra had to stay back and help Adora who almost fell a couple of times. Eventually they got to a cave entrance hidden by weeds and vines. Percival pulled back the vines and motioned them to go inside, as they entered the walls were covered in ghost mushrooms that give the entrance an eerie green glow.
Walking down to the end of the cave they come to a small nondescript circular door, Percival steps forward and places his hands on the door, a pale yellow light makes an outline around his hands and the sound of stones grinding against each other echoes through the cave, the door slides slowly to the right they waited for the door to fully open before going in, they then encounter a disorganised set of stairs. Percival touches the wall the same pale yellow light radiating from his hands and running along the wall and the stairs, the stairs start to rearrange themselves, rotating, revolving and slotting together perfectly to make a descending spiral staircase.
After descending the stairs, they come to a final set of large stone doors, Percival waves a hand in front of them and the doors grind in protest as they slide open. As they walk Kywa notices the majority of the magicats are living in small tents as if they've been displaced. The mood feels very somber. This doesn't feel right, she thinks to herself. They keep walking and some of the magicats they pass look at Kywa and bow their heads.
Kywa looked around, "what happened here?"
Tao took a deep breath,"This is part of what i wanted to tell you-",
Before he could finish his sentence, an older magicat woman came up to Kywa and held tightly to her hands,"Oh i am so sorry about Neara my child", then gently kissed them letting them go and walking away.
Kywa stared wide eyed at her hands,"What is she talking about?!"
Tao doesn't say anything. Kywa growls in frustration and pushes her way through the crowd. In the center of the tents is a statue of Neara, there are magicats leaving offerings and lighting candles. Tao tries to touch Kywa on the shoulder, a deep growl radiates from her as she moves from his touch.
"What is this?!", Kywa said, her voice low and primal.
Tao tries to get closer to her again, "I wanted desperately to tell you this before, but with you coming back as well as Catra, i just didn't know how to start that conversation"
Kywa puts her hands up, "Don't touch me! , how could you keep this from us! , from ME!",
Tao hung his head, "I know you're upset, but please try to understand"
Kywa ignored Tao,"What Happened to her?"
Tao takes a deep breath and sits down, wrapping his arms around his knees. He stares up the statue,"Neara, give me strength". He closes his eyes.
"Neara!", Tao frantically called out, both his bright blue eyes scanning the crowd that had accumulated in the centre of halfmoon. Most of the magicats were huddled together as the ground shook and dirt began to fall from the ceiling.
"Neara! Are you here?!", he continues walking through the crowd.
"Over here!",
Tao runs over and finds Neara kneeling down, wrapping the arm of an injured magicat.
"How many more?", Tao asks,
Neara stands up, brushing herself off, "There shouldn't be anyone left over there, i need to go back though", Neara turns to leave. Tao grabs her hand,
"I'm coming with you", Neara nods. They run back towards the portal as it starts to grow in size. Neara puts out both her hands using her magic to try and bend the portal back on itself, for a short time it works, then from inside the portal Neara hears a familiar voice cry out,
"ADORA!",
Neara eyes widen and she stops closing the portal, "Angella?!", Tao comes over to her,"What happened, why did you stop?!",
"I heard Angella, She's in there", Tao concentrates on Neara's face, he starts shaking his head frantically,
"No, no i won't let you do this Neara",
"Tao, I have to, my friend is in there!",
"Angella can look after herself!",
Neara shook her head, "She can't sustain a portal by herself", She starts to walk towards the portal. Tao grabs her hand tightly.
"Please don't do this, let me go instead",
"And what can you do? I won't leave you there to die with Angella, at least with me there's a small chance…", her voice trails off.
Tao comes closer to her and she cups his face in her hands, resting her forehead against his. "I love you", they both start crying. She kisses him lingering there for a moment before pushing him away and heading into the portal, she turns to look at him as she is slowly engulfed by a white light. Tao shouts Neara's name through his tears and tries to run in after her but as the portal begins to close fragments of it break off into his eye.
Tao rubs his leather eye patch, "That's everything, the whole story", his voice cracks as he begins to cry.
Catra's blood runs cold, she watches Adora holding her jacket in front of her face crying, Kywa has dropped to her knees in front of Neara's statue. Why don't I feel anything? Catra wondered, I caused this, i caused this, she kept repeating the phrase to herself, nothing she felt nothing. Catra's thoughts are broken by Kywa shouting, "YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO KEEP THIS FROM ME, NO RIGHT!"Kywa tries to walk away, Tao grabs her wrist, "Kywa wait! Please!"
Kywa looks at Tao's eye her body tense, she creates a pointy icicle and throws it at Tao stopping inches from his face, "Unless you want to lose the other eye, DON'T COME NEAR ME!", Kywa throws his hand away and storms off. Tao backs off, shocked and hurt by her anger. He turns to Catra,"Do you hate me as well?"
"Not as much as i hate myself",
"Catra don't-", Adora says as she stands up, wiping her eyes.
"Don't you dare tell me not to blame myself!",
"I wasn't going to say that!, I'm as much to blame as you are!"
"Oh so what were you going to say? What amazing words of wisdom were you going to impart that would make me feel better about killing my own mother!"
Catra caught on to what she said and her eyes widened, her ears drooped. Tao gasped and covered his mouth. Adora was about to say something
"You. Did. What?!", Kywa said her voice deep and emotionless
Catra turned to face Kywa, she had hatred in her eyes. This wasn't the same look she got from She-ra after she closed the portal. This was darker, the hurt was written all over Kywa's face. Kywa she steps closer to Catra,"Run that by me again, how is our mother's death YOUR fault"
Catra steps back genuinely scared, "I was the one that opened the portal"
Kywa growled and punched Catra, she wasn't expecting it and lost her footing landing on the hard stone ground.
Kywa stood over her, "Now i don't feel bad about leaving you in that box!", her words were dripping with venom. Catra's head was reeling from the punch she tried to focus on Kywa, her image now shifted into the outline of Shadow Weaver, "See i always told you nobody wanted you"
Catra let her anger get the better of her and launched herself at Kywa. Adora gets ready to intervene until Tao puts out his arm to stop her,
"You can't let them fight like this!",
"Adora i understand you care about Catra, but this is….this is something even you can't fix, seems that both my girls have things to atone for",
"And if they can't?",
Tao shakes his head,"That's not something we can afford to think about right now".
* * *The voices and sounds of the fighting echo down through the halls leading to the runestone room, the two orbiting runestones begin to glow brightly and vibrate violently, as they circle the central runestone, a single crack begins to form at the peak.