Adora and Catra were silent. This princess they had never met, from a species they had never heard of, apparently knew a way to fix Glimmer's teleporting problems. It was understandable that after everything they had endured in the first one's ruins only to come up empty, to then have an answer to their problem just show up out of nowhere was quite a lot to take in.
"Come again?" Catra asked, her head tilted to the side as if not having understood the mouseling woman.
"I said.. . . ." the small woman reiterated slowly annunciating every syllable as if to annoy them.
"Yin don't troll my daughter please." Cyra shook her head and sighed.
"Oh very well.." Yin smirked. "Anyway for my plan to work Glimmer will need to be adjacent to her runestone. Once she is I can repair the damage."
*What are we waiting for, let's go!" Adora shouted and turned to go get her friends.
"Adora…" Catra groaned. "It is evening, the Whispering Woods are far more active at night, and I doubt the queen of Brightmoon will want us barging into the castle at midnight I think Glitter can wait one night to get her powers back"
"I have already given Glimmer a necklace that will nullify the "glitches'' as she put it." Yin continued. "She still will be unable to teleport but her pain has been so you may relax She-ra. Besides it will take until morning for me to have the ritual necessary to heal her ready so you are in no rush."
"Not to mention we already have important plans for this particular night." Cyra added with a smirk. "After all it is the first full moon since your arrival my daughter."
Catra's eyes lit up in recognition of what her mother ment. " Wait seriously we're doing that tonight?!" Once more the princess could not contain her excited purrs.
"Oh has she not gone through that yet Cyra? The horde did not teach her?" Yin asked, eyeing the instinct controlled Magicat.
"From what she has told me she was unaware of her species name until she returned.. so I would have to believe no." Cyra replied. "Go gather your sister and friends Catra this is an event that should be witnessed by loved ones."
Catra did not need to be asked twice, she was already scampering down the halls on all fours to go collect everyone leaving Adora as stunned in the throne room over what she just saw. The blonde turned to the queen and saw her cyan eyes boarring right into her soul.
"Now while she is busy we can discuss what you pulled tonight.." Cyra glared sternly. "What were you thinking running off into the Whispering Woods like that? If Catra had not noticed you leaving you would have caused a panic."
"I uh I was just.." Adora kept tripping over her words trying to find some way to excuse her clearly reckless behavior. "I needed to check on something to see if I could find a way to heal Glimmer.."
Cyra sighed in irritation. "And your reasoning for not telling us where you were going? Adora you are literally one of the first delegates to come to Halfmoon in over a decade, do you have any idea how much trouble it would have caused both my kingdom and Brightmoon if you just disappeared and no one knew what happened to you?!"
"I'm She-ra if someone is hurt I need to help them!" Adora shouted. "If I can't, what good am I…?" The ex-horde soldier looked down as if asking such a thing was worthy of punishment.
"Adora…" The queen's voice softened. "From what my daughter has told me of you, you are strong willed and will always do your best, however it is obvious you have trouble letting people help you. It may not be my place to scold you but rest assured, I WILL be informing Angela of your foolish endeavor tonight.
Adora let out a small whine in a mix of frustration and guilt. She knew full well Angela would not be pleased.
"What exactly is Cat so excited about for tonight anyway?" Adora asked, hoping to both sate her curiosity and change the subject. "You said something about a full moon?"
Cyra just smiled in a sweet moment of nostalgia and looked contently out into the distance.
"I believe it would be better for you to wait and see." Cyra snickered as Adora groaned and huffed. At that moment Cyra could easily see why her eldest had been so fond of this girl all through her life, she was a precious dork. "Now come with I am certain Catra has corralled everyone by the gate, we should not keep her waiting."
With that decree Queen Cyra walked out of the castle towards the city gate with Adora in tow. As they crossed into view of the gate Adora did indeed notice a fairly substantial party gathered around waiting for them. Unsurprisingly Adora saw Leondus Scorpia Entrapta, and Kaita all directly next to Catra. She was somewhat surprised to see Bow and Glimmer, but she figured that made enough sense Bow could be anyone's friend in a moment as for Glimmer she supposed learning they used to be friends before the Horde might have been a factor otherwise whatever this was Catra just wanted to rub it in Glimmer's face. Adora stifled a small laugh at the thought and continued to look over the crowd.
Among the crowd were a handful of magicats. A few of them Adora recognized but most she did not. There were the two attendant twins Misae and Saiya she guessed were her personal maids (she remembered Glimmer having some of those and it weirded her out for the first few days in Brightmoon that someone's job was to basically to do stuff for you). Next to them was a big Magicat in robes she had no recollection of seeing in the castle, and next to him was General Pumgatha and another Magicat her age with many features similar to the General.
"There you are!" Catra's voice yelled out over the crowd and it demanded Adora's full attention. "Guessing mom talked your ear off about being an idiot?" Catra laughed and approached Adora.
" Why is SHE invited…" Kaita hissed glaring (super cutely) at Adora. " This is only supposed to be people you can trust sis. And she-"
"Enough Kaita..!" Cyra. Interrupted the kit by grabbing her by the scruff. "Sorry about this She-ra I swear she normally is not this prickly."
"Moooom she hurt big sis!" The kitten whined paralyzed by the hold.
"Kaita." Catra put her hand on her little sister's head and began to softly pet her mane earning a small purr from the younger princess. " Both Adora and I hurt each other a lot, she hurt me by leaving and I hurt her by choosing not to go with her."
Adora got closer to the kitten and raised out a hand to scratch under her ear. Kaita was ready to hiss or bite but the moment Adora's fingers began scratching all hostility immediately melted away.
"Really we are both at fault for what happened." Adora continued. "Talking out your feelings wasn't a thing in The Horde, we both ended up saying and doing things because we assumed we knew how the other felt. But we are trying to make up for it."
"And let's not forget Shadow Weaver's mind crap pitting us against each other." Catra added.
"She must have feared how powerful you two would be," Cyra said as she realized Kaita who had since calmed down. "I'd wager if the two of you were able grasp what she was doing she would have had no power over you and she knew you would defeat her."
"Honestly that sounds right.." Adora groaned. "Ugh how did you put up with me being such a moron?!" She looked at Catra for an answer.
"Woah finally admitted it on your own?" Catra laughed earning a playful shove. "Really it's because you were my friend." And because I love you Catra's mind shouted.
"..Fiiiiine she is allowed to join us." Kaita announced.
"Not really your call to make Kai." Catra stuck her tongue out and ruffled Kaitast hair, the latter letting out an adorable huff "But thanks for the vote of confidence."
Adora smiles and knelt down to be at eye level with the magikitten princess. " Thank you for giving me this chance, princess Kaita. I won't disappoint you."
"...Your welcome… so um.. more ear scratches?" Kaita asked meekly and the crowd stifled their laughter.
"Okay everyone settle down.." Leondus decreed with a loud tap of his sword on the ground. "The full moon rises , it is time to go topside." Murmurs of acknowledgement riand out and the party begin to march to the surface with an ecstatic Catra leading them all.
They were all led into a large open grove of the Whispering Woods. The full moon's light shone down across the vale and with the surrounding trees giving of the appearance of a circle it created a natural spotlight. Cyra pulled Catra aside and the queen began to mark the girl in tribal runes of a silver paint.
"I had long since accepted I would never get to do this with you Catra." Cyra smiled. " It is many years late but I am so happy I have the chance now.." Once Cyra was happy with her work and gave the princess a nod and allowed her to walk into the lunar spotlight her eyes brimming with pride.
Leondus took the stage and began to speak. " We are all blessed to witness this moment that not too long ago we believed would never come. Our eldest princess has returned and we join her today in her belated coming of age ceremony!"
Roars and cheers resounded through the onlookers as Catra was now directly in the center of the moonlight. The dazzling display was causing Adora to blush and her brain to stop working as Catra bathing in the pale moonlight was all she could manage to think about.
"Now Princess Catra. "Leondus shouted out. "Allow the moon's power to flow through you, take it in let it guide you and allow it to release the power you hold deep inside!"
Catra closed her eyes and focused. She felt it, this powerful primal energy flowing into her through the silver runes. It felt wild, free, happy, everything she was stripped of growing up. This power was raising and begging to be released. Catra took a moment to center herself and willed the power on.
Catra felt urges she had learned to repress start to bubble to the surface. Urges Shadow Weaver tried to beat out of her, but now there was no Shadow Weaver and she allowed the instincts to take hold.
The Magicat's body began to glow and morph hands changed to paws, the face elongated, and she grew in size to that of a mighty beast. She now resembled a large tan big cat, her stripes reminded visible and hugged her form in their proper places, and her fangs and claws felt stronger than ever.
In an instant Catra felt all her fears and inhibitions dissolve leaving only joyous wonder and freedom. She had never felt so alive in her entire life. She took in a deep breath and let out a mighty roar.
As if the roar was a signal all of the Magicat's began to shift as well rangeimg from cubs no bigger than house cats to large cats upwards of 9 feet tall. They all circled around thier newly shifted princess as if to fully welcome her into the pride.
The 5 non-magicats on the other hand were stunned in varying degrees of awe and shock. Entrapta just looked excited to see all the new data she could collect on the Magicat species. Bow and Scorpia we just gushing in unison over how magestic the scene was. Glimmer floored and was actually a little shake. By the roar but smiled with tears that her lost friend got to experience this. As for Adora her minds was lost long ago and was just gapeing in awe at Catra on her wild new form.
As the energy built up inside of Catra she felt instincts stronger then ever before and knew only one thing. She needed to run around. She rushed forward in a full sprint already understanding how to manuver in this new bulkier body. As she looked sides she noticed she was flanked by the beast modes of her friends and family, not trying to stop her, no, all of them were running with her, urgeing her to see the run through to the end.
She lept, pounced ran and spun all over the clearing until every last bit of her energy was expended. Once she was truly exhausted Catra found herself reverting back to normal with the biggest smile on her face and began to laugh. At that point Catra found herself being tackled into a hug.
"You were amazing! Why didn't you tell me you could do that!" Adora laughed holding her tightly.
"Eh only learned about it last week and your face was too good to as up." Catra teased.
It was not soon after before some one yelled catpile and Catra was pinned and hugged by everyone in attendence. It was wired, it was emberassing, but she had to admit it made her happy.
