Had this idea on the brain for a while. There will be four short chapters, updated once a week! (And yes, they've all been written ahead of time. No this will not be unfinished. 😅) Enjoy!
I respond, thoughts dropping away, like pebbles plopping one by one in water, sinking down, down into dark oblivion.
-Sophie Jordan
As Catra stands on the ledge of the green pool, she shrinks. Any semblance of bravery had long-vanished, and every instinct tells her to run. But she isn't able to. Not this time. Two clones stand behind her, preventing her immediate escape, and about a hundred more fill the room, lest she even think about trying.
The odd thing is, she doesn't want to try. Catra knows it's futile. More than that, she's accepted her fate, however terrible it may be. A voice in her head tells her that she deserves this. All those lives she ruined, all the people she hurt. This punishment is her divine justice.
Another voice, a louder one, reminds her that she made the right decision. Her sacrifice saved Glimmer, and by extension, Adora. Prime will never get his hands on her. She'll be safe. And really, that's all that matters. Despite her fear, and the way she trembles, the reminder brings her peace.
Prime begins speaking. The blood pounds in her ears just loud enough to tone him out. Instead, she turns her attention to the pool that holds her fate. The green water is still, eerily so. It beckons her, whispering her name in a tone so sinister it sends shivers down her spine and makes her fur stand straight.
"Catra, come on, jump in!"
She sees Adora, young again, beckoning from the pool. The water has turned from green to a murky brown, and Horde Prime's ship gives way to Catra's memory of the Horde. Lonnie, Rogelio and Kyle appear beside Adora, all looking at Catra expectantly.
"I promise, the water's fine. It's not gonna hurt you," Adora tries again, giggling when Lonnie splashes her.
"Don't bother, Adora," Lonnie sneers, in her all-knowing tone. "She's a chicken, remember?"
Catra pouts. "I'm not a chicken," she spits back.
"Oh yeah? Prove it."
Catra stares at the small pool. They'd snuck out after lunch one day and found it, not too far from the barracks. Nothing about it seemed safe, but Adora was the first to jump in, seeking refuge from the oppressive summer heat. Their friends all followed her example, until only Catra was left behind.
Adora holds her hand out, reaching out to Catra with a smile. "It's okay. I promise."
"Are you ready to be cleansed of your impurities, Little Sister?"
Adora, and her smile, vanishes. The pool turns back to green. Catra is the only one of the group left standing. Alone. Horde Prime stands before the pool, his mouth stretched into a cold smile, waiting for her answer.
Fear keeps her jaw locked shut, and if she so much as even tries to speak, she knows her voice will tremble. She won't give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear. So instead, she smirks and lifts her head defiantly.
The closest Prime will ever get to Adora is her memories. In reality, Adora is safe, and far away. That's all she needs to know to be okay.
Before the clones have a chance to step forward and push her in, Catra takes a deep breath and lets herself fall into the pool. One more act of defiance; it might be her last. That gives her a little bit of comfort.
Catra has never been a fan of water. She hates how it surrounds her, makes her sluggish. It soaks her fur and leaves her feeling vulnerable, unprepared for attack. The pool is no different. She struggles against its hold, breathing hard. It feels deeper, much deeper than when Hordak had entered it. Electric currents ripple against her skin, innocent for the moment, but she knows what will come.
"Prime casts out all shadows. All beings must suffer to become pure."
The chanting begins. Despite her struggling, she's unable to stay afloat. The water sucks her down, and she slips under the surface and loses the ability to breathe. No matter how hard she flails and tries to return to the top, she sinks down further.
Her mask slips away. She still hears the chanting, dull and hollow beneath the water. Catra chokes on the water, and it burns like fire in her throat. Everything feels like fire. Her lungs seethe with pain, longing for air, but she is unable to give it.
Catra hopes that Adora forgives her. She doesn't deserve forgiveness, but she hopes anyway.
The current in the water starts to hum, blocking out the chanting. Catra barely processes the change before it rips through her body, shocking her with a type of pain she hadn't yet experienced. She screams, muffled by the water, thrashing about and clawing at nothing. It knocks out any air left inside of her.
The shock stops. Any resolve, any thoughts she once had are now gone. She finally gives up, sinking to the bottom of the pool.
Everything goes black.