The stars had filled the sky that surrounded Darla and its crew as it flew back to Bright Moon.
Not many words had been exchanged amongst everyone in the ship after what happened on Beast Island. The horror stories told about it did nothing to justify the true terror of the island, and combine that with the screams of Angella and Mara still ringing in everyone's ears, it created an experience that everyone would rather forget.
Adora sat near a window of the ship, Catra laying her head on Adora's shoulder as they rested. Endless amounts of trees and fields filled the lands of Etheria, and it truly reminded Adora just how wonderful this world was after everything that had happened.
Eventually, Adora spotted a small town on the ground. It had a few people and fewer buildings, but it came to Adora's mind that after everything that had happened today, a small break in a new place might be exactly what they needed.
"Hey Mara?" Adora spoke up to the pilot. "Think we can land here?"
"Outside this town? It should be easy enough, but why?" Mara asked.
"I figured it might have a place to get some food from. Besides," Adora gestured to everyone else on the ship, "I think we could all use a break after everything that has happened today."
"Fair enough," Mara nodded, and slowly, she began to lower the ship into a nearby open field. Glimmer had been resting her head on Bow's lap, recovering from the sickness brought about by the signal. Angella had been keeping a close eye on her in the meantime.
The only person who wasn't tired and down was Felinia. She had kept to herself in the corner, glancing at everyone else with mildly panicked eyes. Adora had looked at her a few times and noticed her frightened look, and made a note to ask her about it when they got back to Bright Moon. Maybe Beast Island terrified her?
The ship slowly rested on the grassy field as Catra stretched her arms above her head, yawning loudly. "I'm starving. This place better be good."
"I tend to find that the best food comes from places you randomly stumble upon in the middle of nowhere," Bow commented as Glimmer woke up as well, some color returning to her skin as she felt less tired and drowsy.
"Mara, Angella, you should probably stay here. For… obvious reasons," Adora chuckled. Mara nodded, leaning back in her chair and letting out a sigh of relaxation, finally taking a break from piloting.
"I suppose making conversation with the previous She-Ra isn't a bad way to pass the time," Angella smiled.
Everyone else, including Felinia, left the ship as the door opened and headed for the nearby town. The warm breeze that hit their skin was a stark contrast to the cold wind of Beast Island, and it instantly filled their souls with the joy they needed.
The town was filled with small huts and buildings that emanated light and laughter. Villagers noticed the new guests entering their abode, and especially took note of Adora. Kids came up to meet 'the She-Ra', and a few even bowed before Glimmer, though she was quick to tell them there was no need.
"There's two Catra's!" A young voice suddenly sounded as a small child approached Felinia and Catra, pointing between the two of them. Felinia's eyes shot wide and she looked at any other direction apart from the child, but Catra simply laughed.
"Nah, this is my sister. Her name is Felinia," Catra explained, placing a hand on Felinia's shoulder. "You going to say hi?"
"I'm, uh…" Felinia coughed, "I'm not good with kids," she explained to Catra.
"Oh, come on. Kids are easy. Just say stuff in simple words," Catra said. Felinia hesitated, but soon enough, she looked down at the child and gave a small wave, putting on an awkward smile.
"H… Hello…" Felinia spoke. The child looked at her, cocking her head to the side in slight confusion as they looked up at her and Catra. Soon enough, the child pointed to Felinia.
"You're Catra," they said to Felinia. Catra scoffed.
"No, I'm Catra. That's Felinia," Catra spoke slowly to the child. The child pondered for a few more seconds, before pointing to Felinia again.
"That's Catra. Catra has long hair. Your hair is short," the child said. They frowned at Catra. "It's not good to lie. You're not Catra."
Catra tensed up a bit at these words, but decided to keep her mouth shut as she simply walked away from the kid. Felinia watched Catra walk away, and looked down to the child, before giving the same wave again. "Uh… goodbye…"
"Bye-bye, Catra!" The child waved gleefully as Felinia walked alongside Catra, looking at her expression. If anything, Catra looked mildly annoyed. Her eye twitched slightly as the child called Felinia 'Catra' yet again.
"Sorry about that…" Felinia whispered to Catra, but she simply shook her head.
"It's cool. Kids are dumb anyway," Catra scoffed. However, she felt uncomfortable at Felinia being confused for herself. Felinia always drove home the image of Catra when she was in the Horde. She reminded Catra of her past and her regrets, and no matter how hard she tried to push those memories away when she looked at her sister, it was always itching in the back of her mind.
The food they received was hot and wholesome, and the village people insisted that She-Ra should not have to pay for her meals. Despite protests from Adora, they eventually were outnumbered and the food the group received was 'on the house'.
"What did I tell you? Villages you find in the middle of nowhere are always the best places," Bow smiled as Adora carried piles and piles of meat, vegetables, soups and other array of foods.
"I still feel bad about not paying in some way… I'll have to go back there one day and see if there's any way I can do a favor for them," Adora grunted as she carried the food towards Darla, where Mara and Angella awaited them.
"That is… a lot," Mara commented as she spotted Adora's pile of food in her arms.
"It was a generous village," Glimmer smirked as Adora was finally able to put the food down on a clean floor.
"One of the kids mistook Felinia for me," Catra chuckled. "It was a little annoying, but I think it was a cute."
"She does look similar to how you used to look," Adora replied as she grabbed some of the food for herself, "you were always the one who cared least about your hair in the Horde. I always had bits of your hair on my sheets when we slept in the same bed."
"Well you never told me you didn't like my long hair," Catra frowned.
"I didn't say that. I thought you looked cute with long hair," Adora smirked.
"Oh, so I don't look cute now with short hair?"
Adora grinned and leaned towards Catra. "I think you're trying to start an argument for the sake of starting an argument. You always looked cute and you always will look cute. I don't care how long your hair is. I'll always love it."
Catra tried to hide her blush by looking at the floor, but she simply gave Adora a small shove as she grabbed her own food. "Well, your hair is dumb," she scoffed, trying to get her blush to go away. But Adora's grin only grew wider.
"Is that why you run your fingers through it every time we cuddle in bed?" Adora asked, and that direct attack was enough to make Catra's whole face go red.
"S… Shut up!" She seethed, but it was no match for Adora's laughter. Catra could only frown with an intense blush as she sat down on the field with Mara, Angella, Bow, Glimmer and Felinia. Adora's flirts were always too powerful for her.
As Adora sat with Mara, Bow quietly shushed them. Adora raised an eyebrow, but then realized the reason everyone was being quiet: Felinia was looking at the stars with wide eyes and her mouth hung open in awe.
It was a cute sight for most of them. They were so used to seeing Felinia nervous all the time, so it was an interesting change of pace to see her so, quite literally, starstruck. But soon enough, Felinia realized how quiet everything was and immediately looked around to see that everyone was staring at her. "Did… Did I do something wrong?" Felinia asked.
"No, no! You just looked really cute when you were staring up at the stars like that," Adora explained to Felinia, causing the other sister to now blush as she scratched the back of her head.
"Sorry about that…" Felinia whimpered.
"Hey, no need to apologize. You really like the stars, right?" Bow asked as he dug into his meal. Felinia frantically nodded.
"I think they're amazing… I used to always look at them every night before I slept. Either that, or I dug into a story about superheroes… They were my ways of passing time for a while," Felinia said as everyone listened to her. Well, mostly everyone. Catra had barely picked at her food as she looked at the ground.
"Is there any reason you love stars so much?" Glimmer asked. Felinia's ears perked up. She wasn't used to Glimmer being so nice to her.
"Uh…" Felinia took a second to compose herself. "I guess the stars just… represent hope to me. A reason to live and fight on. Each of them tell a story. Each of them hold an answer. It's… hard to describe. Have you ever developed an obsession with something so great that you forgot why you were obsessed in the first place?"
"That's kind of like me with my tech," Bow replied. "I don't know how I got into it in the first place, but I don't even want to stop now. I love crafting things and trying out all new forms of creations."
"I'm glad I'm not just crazy," Felinia chuckled.
"You know, the stars look just as beautiful as back in my time," Mara smiled up to the sky. "They used to be a form of communication or signs for us. The First Ones used stars for all sorts of things, but I just always thought they looked pretty."
"I think that's the good thing about them," Felinia replied, "stars are just beautiful. Whether or not they hold some form of meaning is neat, but you can't deny how pretty they are. I love linking them up like little dot-to-dot's."
"That's actually pretty cute," Glimmer chuckled, and Felinia blushed a bit more. Suddenly, Glimmer tensed up as she spoke again. "I, uh… I've been wanting to ask you all something for a while now. It's not really on topic but…"
"We're all ears, Glimmer," Bow put a hand on her shoulder, comforting her. Glimmer took a small breath and closed her eyes.
"Do you all… think I'm a good Queen? Even if I could never compare to mom?" Glimmer asked. Angella blinked a few times at this statement, almost immediately wanting to say something. But she held her tongue, and let others answer first.
"I think my answer is pretty obvious," Bow said, "you're an amazing Queen. But it goes beyond that. You're just flat-out an amazing person. I can't imagine living a life without you. You inspire me in so many ways, and you're one of the most important people in my life. Being a good Queen is just a bonus, in my eyes."
"I agree," Adora added, picking at her food, "I mean, if you want the simple answer to if I think you're a good Queen or not, it is an easy yes. You helped save the world, Glimmer. You're incredible."
Glimmer looked from Adora to Angella. She looked to her mother, asking for a response from the one person she looked up to most. And she was met with a warm nod. "I am so proud of you, Glimmer," Angella spoke.
Instantly, Glimmer felt her throat tighten at these words. She knew that tears were building up and she had to hold them back as she looked up at her mother. "Thank you…" Glimmer spoke in a quaky voice as she wiped her eyes clean of oncoming tears. "And… Thank you, Felinia."
"M… Me?" Felinia asked, looking wide eyed at Glimmer.
"For bringing mom back. I know you couldn't control it, but… I really appreciate it," Glimmer smiled.
"Same here. Having Mara back and giving her a second chance at life really means a lot," Adora said. Felinia looked between the two of them and only brought her knees closer to her chest as she hid most of her face.
"You really don't have to thank me…" Felinia whimpered.
"I know. But I want to," Glimmer said. "Look… Maybe I was being a tad too harsh on you. I'm sorry for that. A lot of this stuff is out of your control. I figure… Maybe we can start over, okay?" Glimmer asked. Felinia looked at her for a few seconds, before hesitantly nodding.
"Okay…"
As Felinia talked to Glimmer, Adora turned to Catra. She hadn't been talking much and had barely been eating in the first place. Adora tapped her on the shoulder and raised her eyebrows, asking wordlessly if Catra wanted to talk in private.
Catra pondered the offer for a few seconds, before nodding and standing up. Adora followed her around Darla and to a few trees nearby, just away from everyone else. "You feeling okay?" Adora asked Catra.
"I… I don't know," Catra sighed, grabbing her own arm, "I know it sounds dumb, but what that kid said earlier… Confusing Felinia for me… It just sent a bunch of thoughts to my head. Felinia keeps reminding me of who I was. That hair used to be similar to mine… Back when all I did was hurt people…"
Adora listened closely. She knew Catra needed to vent.
"I'm trying so hard to just see Felinia as my sister, and it works sometimes… But there's just this itch. These memories… And combine that with the nightmares… Everything that happened on Beast Island… I…" Catra tried to force out more words, but none came, and she eventually hung her head. "I'm a wreck, Adora. A worthless wreck."
Adora silently reached out and placed a hand on Catra's, grabbing it gently and stroking Catra's palm. "I sometimes wonder…" Catra said, "what would've happened if Felinia never gave me to the Horde. If she tried to protect me alongside herself… I would've never met you. I would've been a different person. Maybe a better person."
"Maybe. And what if I was never brought to Etheria as a baby? What if I was raised as a First One?" Adora asked. "We can spend hours thinking about all this, but we'll never reach an accurate answer. It's not worth dreading on the past if we can't change it. You are who you are now, Catra. You're the woman I love more than anything in the entire galaxy."
"Meeting you was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I would never change that," Catra replied, resting a gentle hand on Adora's cheek. "Maybe you, me and Felinia could've lived as outcasts… Surviving from place to place…"
"But then we'd never have our friends here," Adora sighed. "What we have now is a future to look forward to. We've both made mistakes in the past. But we can change the future. And we… We have a bright future, Catra. With our friends. With Felinia."
"Do you think Mara and Angella will be there?" Catra asked.
"I hope so," Adora smiled. "Felinia has brought us a lot of happiness with those two, despite some speedbumps. It's the same with us. We've had our troubles. They've been really big troubles… But now, I'm happy. I'm happy I'm with you. I'm happy I'm with friends who love me as much as I love them. Are you happy?"
Catra looked to Adora, and then to Felinia. "Under these stars…" Catra sighed. "With you… With my sister… With these people… On this planet… Hearing their laughter…"
Catra pushed forehead against Adora's and smiled. "I've never been happier."
"Catra, can I talk to you in private?" Felinia asked.
The ship had landed outside of Bright Moon late at night, and the team entered the large castle ready for bed. Catra looked to her sister and shrugged. "Sure. But remember that we have to talk to everyone tomorrow, okay?"
"Tomorrow… Yeah. Okay," Felinia nodded, leading Catra away from everyone else.
"Hey Mara, does it get lonely in that room of yours?" Bow asked as he walked alongside Mara, Glimmer and Adora. Angella had gone off to her own bedroom for the night.
"Just a tad. But it's not a problem, really!" Mara chuckled, waving her hand in dismissal.
"Would you say no to a sleepover?" Bow asked with a wide grin. Mara instinctively shook her head, not wanting to waste anyone's time. But eventually, she slowly changed her mind as she nodded, a wide smile plastered onto her face.
"I would really like that," Mara answered. Bow cheered, looking to Adora and Glimmer.
"You two are joining us, right?" He asked them. Adora and Glimmer looked to each other and shrugged.
"It's not like we've got anything better to do," Glimmer replied.
"I'll see if I can get Catra and Felinia in too once they're done talking," Adora beamed.
"That sounds great!" Mara smiled. "Thank you all… It means a lot that you want to spend time with me."
"You're our friend, Mara. Of course we want to spend time with you. Plus, the more She-Ra's, the better!" Bow laughed.
The four of them walked through the long halls of Bright Moon towards Mara's bedroom. The hallway was rather long, but it gave enough time for Adora, Bow and Glimmer to talk amongst themselves about whatever topics came to mind. They were used to talking about pointless but fun things.
They had become so distracted in their conversation, they failed to notice Mara completely stopping in her tracks. She stood still as the other three walked ahead of her. Mara had an empty look in her eyes, and she felt her heart come to a stop as she watched everyone else walk ahead of her.
Adora, Bow and Glimmer. The Best Friends Squad. Mara watched them. She stood still and watched them. They were distracted. Vulnerable.
They didn't notice Mara summoning a sword in her hand.
Felinia had led Catra up to a high point in Bright Moon. It was a small room with a few books strewn about, almost like a study. "You come here often?" Catra asked Felinia.
"When I need to read and the library is too distracting," Felinia responded. "I just have a few questions for my sister."
"Sure. I'm feeling pretty okay," Catra shrugged, crossing her arms as she looked at Felinia. However, Felinia did not return eye contact as she kept her back turned to Catra.
"Are you… truly happy, Catra?" Felinia asked. The same question yet again. Catra almost wondered if Felinia had been listening in to her talk with Adora.
"Yeah. I have a wonderful girlfriend, amazing friends, and a pretty bright future. It's got its ups and downs, but I'm pretty happy here. I'm pretty sure I've told you this before," Catra shrugged. Felinia took a deep breath, still refusing to look at Catra.
"Are you happy… that I'm here?" Felinia asked. Catra raised an eyebrow, but decided to go along with it.
"I am. It was weird at first, but I'm glad to know I have a sister. You're pretty cool," Catra replied.
"So… if you're happy here… and you're happy with me… then what would you choose?"
Catra felt completely lost. "I don't understand?"
"If you had to choose between this place and your own sister, what would it be?" Felinia asked, raising her voice suddenly. It startled Catra slightly.
"Felinia, I don't get what you're trying to say…"
"Them or me?!" Felinia suddenly yelled, causing Catra to jump.
"Both! I don't know! Why do I have to choose between anything?!" Catra asked. Felinia didn't respond, instead taking a few more deep breaths. Still, she refused to look at Catra.
"… Come with me, Catra. I can get you out of here," Felinia suddenly offered.
"But… I don't want to get out of here. Why don't you just stay here with us? I already told you, I'm happy with my friends and I'm happy with you. There's no reason for me to pick anything. Felinia, you're… you're scaring me," Catra spoke honestly.
"So your friends won't even let you leave this place…" Felinia sighed.
"That's not what I said. If you want me to go somewhere with you for a bit, I'm more than happy. I'd have to let them know, but as long as I come back eventually, I think they'd be cool with it," Catra explained. Felinia's hands tightened into fists.
"As long as you come back…" Felinia growled. "So my theory is correct…"
"Your theory…?"
"You've changed, Catra. From a ruthless soldier in the Horde to… to this? It doesn't make sense. For the last few days, I keep hearing different stories about you. Some of them describe you as an evil monster, and others describe you as a hero. Nothing matches up," Felinia said. "But… then it just linked."
"What linked? Felinia, I… I used to do some bad stuff, yes. But I'm trying to be a better person now. Do you think I'm still a monster?" Catra asked.
"I don't know," Felinia said bluntly. "But that's not the point. I remember reading that Horde Prime chipped his enemies and made them work for him… He used mind control… And I never, ever thought anyone else could swoop so low to his level. But… now I realize that this alliance is willing to do anything to get you on their side."
"You're not saying…" Catra shook her head. "Felinia, I was chipped by Horde Prime and it scarred me. I have nightmares about that. But Adora, Entrapta, Glimmer… They saved me! They got the chip out of my body! I live under my own free will now!"
"Catra, just… stop," Felinia sighed. "I get it now. I know you won't confess because you can't. But I've figured it out. I know that the Princess Alliance are keeping you under their control. I know that they forced you to be with Adora."
"You're insane! Are you listening to yourself?!" Catra said, but Felinia ignored her.
"The real Catra would've understood why I lied to everyone… The real Catra would've remembered her own sister and mother… The real Catra wouldn't suddenly join an alliance she had been fighting for years. You're not the real Catra. But I know you're still there… trapped deep in your body…"
"Felinia, stop! None of this is true!" Catra cried.
"I know you're suffering, Catra! I know you desperately want to get out of here but you can't!" Felinia yelled, her voice shaking slightly. "But… you don't have to worry anymore… Because…"
Felinia took a breath. "Because I'm going to be your superhero. I'm going to keep my promise."
"What…?" Catra could barely comprehend these words.
"I always thought I'd have to save you from the Horde. But now… it's a different enemy… No matter. I still have to save you, one way or another," Felinia said as she finally turned around. Her cheeks were stained with tears, but she pushed through, holding a hand out to Catra. "Come with me. I'm your sister. I know you're still there, Catra. We can break their grip on you and free you from their mind control. I can save you, after all these years."
Catra looked at Felinia's hand, and only took a few steps back, shaking her head and looking at Felinia with wide eyes. "No… No, I'm not going anywhere with you. If anything, I should call for Adora or someone. You're… You're not right, Felinia. I don't know what's gotten into you…"
Felinia slowly lowered her hand, sighing sadly. "I see. Their grip on you is too strong. And I was really starting to like them too… They seemed like good people. But I know the truth. In order to save you… I have to take out those who hold a grip over you. I have to… get rid of them."
"Felinia." Catra spoke sternly. "Whatever you're thinking of doing… Don't do it. If you hurt any of them…"
"It's too late," Felinia spoke softly as looked to Catra with sadness in her eyes. A cold chill shot down Catra's spine as Felinia spoke her next words.
"I've already got one of them."
No one could've stopped Mara as she drove her sword straight through Bow's stomach.
It was like time had stopped. The tip of the sword was poking out the front of his stomach, covering in his fresh blood. Adora felt utterly paralyzed. This couldn't be real. This was some sick nightmare.
Glimmer felt horror in every single part of her body. She could only watch as Bow let out a grunt, his blood running down the sword as he felt his breath leave him. His eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and he lost consciousness as Mara pulled her sword out of his body.
"BOW!" Glimmer cried in a desperate voice, grabbing him as he fell to the ground. Instantly, her hands were coated with wet blood from his wound. He was still breathing, but she had no idea how long for. Mara looked down at them, and raised her sword again, bringing it down and aiming for Glimmer's neck.
Suddenly, Adora felt movement return to her body as she summoned her own sword, blocking Mara's just in time. A loud clang echoed through the hallway as blade met blade. Mara pushed against Adora, but the current She-Ra held still.
"Glimmer, get him out of here, fast! I can heal him, but we need a better spot!" Adora spoke. The words barely processed as Glimmer could only hear a high-pitched ringing. She could only look down at Bow in sorrow, pressing both hands over his wound in a fruitless attempt to stop the bleeding.
"Glimmer!" Adora yelled, snapping her out of a trance. Glimmer looked up to Adora, who was using all of her strength to hold back Mara. "Get out of here! We can still save him, but we need to be fast!"
"Adora…" Glimmer spoke quietly, but Adora was distracted as Mara suddenly kneed her in the stomach. Adora felt wind leave her lungs, but she barely brought her sword up in time to block Mara's swing.
Glimmer took that as her cue to wrap Bow's arm around her shoulder and carry him towards the exit of Bright Moon, away from the clashing She-Ra's. Adora defended her as she managed to get away with Bow's unconscious body, and when Glimmer and Bow were out of sight, Adora looked to Mara. "Why…?" Adora asked in horror.
This was the woman she had a heart-to-heart with a few days ago. The woman she grieved for. This was Mara, the previous She-Ra who sacrificed everything and deserved a better chance at life. And now she held a sword in her hands, coated in Bow's blood, and ready to spill Adora's too.
Mara gave no response. She held the sword tight and readied her body into a fighting stance. She was ready to kill Adora. It was then that Adora knew that this wasn't Mara. She was a hollow clone. "Felinia…" Adora whispered to herself. Was it her fault? Did she have any control over this?
There was no time to think. Adora knew she'd have to defend herself and the people around her. She gripped her sword tight. She looked at her opponent.
And that's when she saw that Mara had no light in her eyes anymore.