The night sky that reflected on Felinia's eyes was filled with countless stars and planets.
She laid in a small field on the outskirts of Bright Moon, feeling the tufts of grass against her skin and the cold wind blow gently. But none of these feelings were stronger than Felinia's love for the stars.
Catra had been looking for her for the last ten minutes before she spotted the familiar figure laying on the grass in the dark night. She exited Bright Moon and approached her older sister, taking a few deep breaths to calm whatever anxiety was in her body.
"It's pretty late. What are you still doing up?" Felinia asked as she heard Catra approaching and turned her head to face her sister. Catra looked down at Felinia, and took a few seconds to think, before lowering herself and sitting next to Felinia, crossing her legs.
"I don't sleep well. Besides that, I just wanted to talk to you," Catra said as she looked up at the stars alongside Felinia.
"What about?" Felinia asked.
"Just… to talk. I don't know. These past few days have been… so weird," Catra sighed.
"No thanks to me."
"I've gotten used to blaming you for a bit now. But… I've had a lot of time to think," Catra spoke as she laid down next to Felinia. "I'm not sure if blaming you fully is the right thing to do here."
Felinia remained silent at Catra's words as they looked up at the night sky. Their eyes scanned all across the gorgeous stars, moons and planets that filled the horizon. It was an awkward silence, but one where they could simply take in the sights and the world.
"So… you like stars, right?" Catra asked, trying to fill the silence with something.
"Yeah. Ever since they came to the sky, I always looked at them. I've dreamt of reaching out to the sky and grabbing a few for myself… Just to keep them as a memento, you know?" Felinia said, reaching a hand outward towards the sky.
"A memento for what?" Catra asked.
"Being alive," Felinia laid her arm back down, "surviving these last two decades going from place to place. I've had situations where I've had to fight to the bone to survive. Situations where I was sure I would die and never see you again. And yet, I lived. I lived for the chance to see you again."
"To see me again…" Catra spoke quietly to herself. If Felinia had come to see her even a year back, she would've found a monster instead of her sister. The guilt was what weighed most on Catra's shoulders through all of this. Her family had given everything for her, and she spat in their faces.
"Before I had the stars… I had books. Children's books, actually. I've never really grown out of them. Those stories about superheroes… They're always my favorite. I read them whenever I had a chance to find a place to stay and relax," Felinia laughed softly. "I probably sound like a little kid."
"Just a bit," Catra teased, and the two sisters joined in gentle laughter as they stared up at the sky. Felinia took a joyful sigh.
"When the stars appeared, I looked at them every night before I slept. I always thought of you before I closed my eyes. The reason I fought so hard… You were what kept me going," Felinia admitted. Catra couldn't bring herself to look at Felinia as she looked sadly at the sky. She wondered if she should apologize. Would that fix anything?
"… I'm sorry," Felinia suddenly spoke, almost stealing the words from Catra's mouth.
"What for?" Catra asked.
"Just… these last few days. I never meant for my curse to do all of this, but… I should've seen it coming. I'm meant to be smarter than this," Felinia sighed. Catra looked over to her sister, and saw that she was no longer looking at the sky. She saw the misery on Felinia's face, and knew she had to do something about it.
"Felinia… I… I don't think you need to apologize for that," Catra spoke. "It's not like you can control this curse, right? Plus… I spoke to Adora earlier and she said she had been talking to Mara all day. She seemed so happy, too. I think they really got along together. She wouldn't have ever been able to speak to her without this curse so…"
"Oh… I didn't know about that. I figured she wouldn't want to see Mara at all," Felinia replied. "I'm… glad Adora was happy to speak to Mara today. But…"
"… But what?" Catra asked.
Felinia hesitated for a few seconds, before shaking her head. "Nevermind. Who am I to judge someone else's happiness? I'm glad they're getting along despite all this."
"Is this the first time your curse has ever made someone happy?" Catra asked. Felinia looked at the sky for a few moments, before shaking her head.
"It made me happy for a bit to see mom again," Felinia responded quietly.
"What was she like? I don't remember much about her," Catra asked.
"She really loved us. I could tell it was stressful having to raise two kids by herself, but she worked her hardest for us. She was tough, but fair. We were never allowed outside the house, but she did that to protect us. And…" Felinia choked up for a bit, before speaking quietly. "She hated the Horde. She hated everything Hordak stood for. And… she died standing up to them."
Catra was silent. Her heart felt like it had been torn in half, but she was almost used to this feeling by now. It ripped at her insides and tightened her throat, this guilt. Felinia could almost instantly tell from Catra's pained expression what these words meant to her. "I know she'd be proud of you today, Catra. She loved you so much. I wish she was still here."
"Well… She came back as a clone, didn't she?" Catra asked. Felinia nodded slowly.
"She did. She was the one that stayed the longest. I needed her guidance and company for so long. But ultimately, I had to come to terms with the fact that she was just a clone. She wasn't real. And it was dangerous to have her reflect my extreme emotions when I was so young. So… I had to…" Felinia trailed off as she spoke. Her voice became a hoarse whisper until it was no more, and Catra stopped her before she could go any further.
"I think she'd be proud of you too, Felinia. You've had to struggle a lot to become who you are," Catra spoke, returning Felinia's words from earlier. Her sister looked at Catra and gave a small smile, but it quickly faded.
"I don't know… I gave you to the Horde, Catra. I've caused so much pain," Felinia spoke.
"I've caused a lot of pain too. All of my friends here used to think of me as their enemy. Glimmer thought about killing me before, in fact. I know I caused Adora a lot of pain…" Catra returned. "So if you think mom would still be proud of me after all of my horrible deeds… Then the same has to go for you. I can't take all the credit here. You're at least trying to do some good despite everything."
"So I cause everyone pain through my curse and you apparently caused them pain by being in the Horde. Maybe we just suck?" Felinia shrugged, and Catra scoffed.
"Yeah. Maybe we can be the suckiest siblings of all time. I'll take that title with pride," Catra smirked, looking back up at the sky.
More silence followed as they looked at each star and planet. Each having their own individual story and maybe even their own people. Catra had never felt smaller as she thought about how huge everything truly was. She really was just a small speck in the grand scheme of things.
"I don't think I'm ever going to find a cause behind this curse," Felinia suddenly spoke, "or a cure."
"Why do you say that?" Catra asked.
"I've been reading a lot of books from the library in Bright Moon. I've actually been doing that at every library or archive I can go to. I've read everything from books about magic to old fairy tales," Felinia turned to Catra, "and I haven't found a single thing about a curse like this. I don't think I ever will."
"You don't have, like… a theory?" Catra asked.
"The most I can think of is when mom told me that our species is rare on Etheria. Maybe some place out there has the answers," Felinia reached out to the stars. "One of these planets might have exactly what I'm looking for. Maybe our species comes from another one of these planets. I don't know. I guess part of the reason I want to see these stars and planets is so I can maybe find an answer behind all this."
"Well… Wherever you go out there, I'll come with you. We can find answers together," Catra smiled. "I do have a promise to keep with you, after all. We're meant to go to space together, just the two of us."
Felinia smiled back at Catra. "I'm looking forward to it."
Their eyes gazed back to the stars, and eventually, Catra could see out of the corner of her eyes Felinia placing her arms on the grass besides her, her palm facing up. Felinia's eyes were still locked with the stars, but Catra took that opportunity to reach out and place a hand over Felinia's.
Felinia let out a small gasp as she felt Catra take her hand. Eventually, shock was replaced with a warm smile as Felinia squeezed Catra's hand. The sisters held hands and looked up to the sky, taking in the wind, grass and moons. This beautiful galaxy that they were in.
"Hey Catra?" Felinia spoke up.
"Yeah?"
"Would you say that you're happy here in Bright Moon? That everyone here makes you happy?"
"Of course," Catra responded without a second of hesitation. "We might have some struggles… And I know some of them still see me and remember my past. But I wouldn't trade this life for anything. I love this place and I love the people I have around me. It's got its ups and downs… But I'm happy here."
Catra smiled up at the sky as she thought of all her friends. Some of them were in distant lands, but the connection was still there. It was a tough road to reach this place, but Catra was glad to have ended up with the woman she loved more than anything. She was glad to have true friends.
Felinia stared blankly at Catra as she gave her answer. Her face was calm, without a single expression. She simply looked at Catra and gave a few seconds of silence after her joyful response. And then, Felinia only had two words to say as she held her sister's hand tighter.
"… I see."
At this rate, Glimmer knew she would never be able to sleep.
She stared at the wall, trying to clear her mind of everything. She tried every relaxing technique she could think of, including counting the number of trees in the Whispering Woods. And yet, nothing came of it.
No matter what, her mind was filled with thoughts of Angella. The talk they had had today, and the feelings she felt all throughout it. It was confusing to describe in her mind. She felt so happy to have her mom back, but at the same time, she felt sick. This wasn't the real Angella.
And yet, she didn't want to let her go again. The idea of Angella vanishing almost brought tears to Glimmer's eyes. She struggled for so long with grief and sorrow, and this was an escape from it all. Why should she have to go back?
These thoughts never helped her sleep. And so, she spoke up to the only other person in the room. "Bow? Are you still up?"
A few second passed. "Yeah. Just barely though," Bow admitted.
"Sorry," Glimmer sighed. "Is it okay if I ask you for a favor?"
"Sure."
"Could you… come up here?"
A few more agonizing seconds passed as Glimmer felt her stomach twist into knots. It was almost an insane request. She realized there was no way he would join her in the same bed. They were just friends. Glimmer almost wanted to take back her words before Bow spoke up.
"Okay. If that's what you want," Bow responded.
Glimmer still felt the butterflies in her stomach, but the twist had come loose. She quickly teleported down to him. He had set up a small mattress in her room on her request. She had been struggling to sleep alone after everything that had been happening. She put a hand on Bow's arm and teleported him up to her bed alongside her.
And suddenly, they were laying side by side, facing each other.
Immediately, their faces flushed red as they attempted to avoid eye contact. This was the most intimate position they had ever been in, and neither of them was sure how to feel about it. They didn't hate it at the very least.
"Is… everything alright?" Bow asked.
Glimmer immediately wanted to reassure him that everything was okay, but she knew that wasn't the truth. She hadn't felt alright for a while now. Instead, she simply shook her head. "I don't know… I just need a friend right now."
Bow held a hand up besides his head on the pillow. Glimmer didn't hesitate to place her hand over his, holding it gently as she closed her eyes, sighing. "Sorry if this is bothering you," Glimmer apologized.
"You're not. Helping my friend is the best use of my time that I can think of," Bow spoke gently as Glimmer finally felt sleep overcome her body as she held Bow's hand and laid near him. She felt safe and warm with his presence so close by.
They had known each other for years. Bow was her oldest friend, and she knew she would want to be his friend for life. "Good night, Bow…" Glimmer trailed off, finally letting her muscles relax and her mind clear of stress. It was instead replaced with thoughts of the times she's had with Bow.
"Good night, Glimmer," Bow returned. He felt comfort at seeing Glimmer relax. He could tell these last few days had been hurting her. He was never sure if he was helping out all that much, but he knew he wanted to do his best for his best friend.
For a few hours, they could just simply forget everything and take in each other's company in their dreams.
It was early in the morning, once everyone had woken up, when Glimmer had called a meeting for everyone in Bright Moon. Catra almost looked like a zombie as she walked alongside Adora to the meeting room.
"Bad night?" Adora asked as Catra yawned for the sixth time.
"Wow, are you a psychic?" Catra asked in exaggerated shock, causing Adora to snicker.
"Is everything okay, for real though?" Adora asked with genuine concern as her laughter left her. Catra rubbed her eyes with her thumb and index finger and sighed.
"It's the same stupid nightmare. I'm in some dark place and I just get… surrounded by a bunch of dead bodies," Catra admitted with frustration in her voice as she frowned. "The worst part is… it always kind of scares me. It's basically the same thing every time but… Dammit, I'm a wimp."
"You're not," Adora put a hand on Catra's shoulder. "You're allowed to be afraid. But I keep telling you, if you're having trouble sleeping, I'm right here. I don't care what time it is. I love you and I want to be here for you, okay?"
"I know… I'm sorry I suck," Catra sighed.
"You don't suck. I get it. I'm just letting you know I'm here, okay?" Adora smiled. Catra nodded, and Adora gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as they entered the meeting room with everyone else. Glimmer, Bow, Angella, Mara and even Felinia were there. Though, it was easy to miss Felinia since she usually shrunk when sitting down.
Adora and Catra took a seat next to each other. They noticed Angella standing besides Glimmer as she sat, though they decided not to bring it up as Glimmer started. "I know we haven't had a meeting like this in a while, but I wanted to bring up something I've been thinking about for a while now."
Glimmer leaned forward. "Today, I want to tackle some uncharted territory: Beast Island."
Catra felt a cold chill go down her spine at the mere utterance of those words. She remembered how many horror stories she was told about that place by Shadow Weaver and others in the Horde, and Adora took notice of her slight shiver. She reached over and grabbed Catra's hand gently, stroking her thumb over Catra's palm.
"I was going to wait until the rest of the alliance was here, but given… recent circumstances," Glimmer cleared her throat, "we now have two incredibly powerful people on our side. With both Mara and Queen… I mean, Angella here, I'm confident we can take on any threats at Beast Island, if there are any. Our objective will simply be to check out the island, see if there are any threats, and see if we can repurpose it or destroy it."
Glimmer scanned everyone's faces for a few seconds. "Do we have any objections?"
"Just a question," Adora spoke up, "what about Felinia? Is she coming along?"
All eyes immediately went to the older sister in the room, who immediately shrunk when everyone stared at her. "You don't have to bring me along…" Felinia whimpered.
"You're right. We don't have to. But do you want to come along?" Catra asked. Felinia looked at her, and then at Glimmer. She opened her mouth and hesitated to bring out any words, but eventually, she quietly spoke.
"… Yes," Felinia spoke. "I… want to prove myself to you all."
Glimmer looked at Felinia for a few seconds, her eyes narrowing at the older sister. Felinia felt her heart racing a mile a minute as she felt the Queen's intense stare.
"If there are no more objections… We leave in three hours. Dismissed. Felinia, mom, you stay here," Glimmer spoke with a surprisingly authoritative voice. Everyone was almost scared to leave Felinia with Glimmer's death stare, but they knew they had no other choice in the matter.
Adora gave a look of empathy to Felinia as she left with Catra, and ultimately, Felinia was stuck in a room with both the current and former Queen of Bright Moon.
"So, I want you to convince me to bring you along," Glimmer spoke as she leaned back in her seat, "whilst I normally wouldn't have an issue with it… Your curse is what is making me hesitate. We don't know what Beast Island is like. We have no intel on it after the Horde's defeat. For all we know, it could be filled with the dead. That would cause a problem, wouldn't it?"
"I…" Felinia sighed. She knew there was no arguing back at what was essentially the truth. "I just… really want all of you to trust me in some way. After all the mistakes I've made… I want to make up for them."
"And you can," Glimmer nodded. "I'm just not sure if this is the appropriate time to do it. If we run into threats, can you even fight?"
"I've had to go from place to place for the last two decades, and I've gone to many dangerous locations. I had to teach myself to fight to survive… I probably won't be as good as any of you, but I can take care of myself," Felinia declared with a surprising amount of confidence. "I just… I don't want to let you down again."
"If I may," Angella suddenly spoke up, "I believe Felinia could be a useful asset to us. Having more people there may do us some good, and with her experience of travel and reading about multiple subjects, she may prove to be useful. I think we should give her a chance at the very least."
Glimmer almost immediately wanted to reject Angella, but the words caught in her throat. She looked at Angella, and then back to Felinia, pondering the pros and cons for a few moments. Felinia pleaded with a look, and Glimmer let out a low sigh. "Alright. You can come along, but under extreme supervision. You will stay in the far rear of the group. Take extreme caution in every action you do. You understand?"
Felinia instantly shot up and tried her hardest not to burst into a beaming smile as she nodded frantically. "I don't know how to thank you, Queen Glimmer. I…"
"Just do what you said you were going to do. Prove your usefulness to us," Glimmer advised. "You're dismissed."
Felinia stood and bowed slightly to Glimmer, before quickly leaving before she showed any more excitement. Glimmer sighed, running her hands over her face as she stood up. "I apologize if I spoke over you. I was just offering my thoughts on the matter," Angella said, but Glimmer shook her head.
"It's fine. I needed a second opinion anyway," Glimmer smiled up at her mother. She left to go get ready for the excursion.
"Still…" Glimmer spoke up before she left the room. She turned to face her mother. "I just hope she doesn't screw things up for everyone."