A/N: Hiyo! Not much to say this time around, just thanks for all the feedback and all that! Loving the feedback and comments i'm getting, they really help motivate me ^^ Also I'm trying to focus on not writing so much as of late cause, *shockingly*, i tend to write a lot of details about simple things, so some scenes might seem shorted or something compared to others. Hopefully it still makes scenes make sense and isn't too distracting.
With that said, enjoy!
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Gruel!
One of the most important meals of the day!
Sure, it may have just consisted of your standard boiled milk mixed with cereal, but to the kids amongst the Horde, it was a blessing! Especially on Mondays at the beginning of each month when the cafeteria added an assortment of muffins for the children. It was during these wonderful days they found themselves blessed to be raised amongst the Horde under Lord Hordak's rule, and couldn't wait for the day they got to repay the favor by joining his army!
At least for those who weren't under constant harassment like other unfortunate souls. Those who were picked on on a constant basis knew to keep their head down. They couldn't get the help of the guards, nor the staff who ran these children facilities since half of them were just as likely to pick on the unfortunate souls as well.
One particular unfortunate soul found herself eating at a corner table of the cafeteria by herself. It didn't really matter, she preferred it this way. If she was over here, no one would want to walk all this way just to bother the freak and then back to the table. Aside from being a waste of energy, they didn't want to take the chance of the guards noticing them as they watched over the lunchroom.
*squish*
*squish*
"..." The young five-year-old Catra continued to frown as she poked her gruel with her fork. She preferred her meals this way. Quiet, peaceful, and away from anyone else-
*clak*
"There you are!" Adora's chipper voice nearly startled her as she placed her lunch tray right next to Catra. "I was looking all over for you."
"..." The quiet girl looked all around her, wondering if there was anyone else watching her, then back to the girl. "What are you doing here?" She asked quietly.
"What do you mean? I wanted to have breakfast with you!" There was no end to the positive energy coming off of Adora.
It was kinda scary.
"No, I mean... Why are you sitting near me?" She clarified.
Adora tilted her head like she had no idea what she was saying. "Why do you think? We're friends now!" She reminded. "Friends stick together!"
"They... do?"
"Well yeah. Don't you hang out with your other-" She stopped before she could say something regretful. It took Catra's saddening gaze to remind her of what her previous state of being was. Friendless. "Err I mean... Well friends just stick together is all. I don't care if those other bullies make fun of me or not."
"..." She waited for a response from the human cat girl who went back to poking her food. It was at that time Adora noticed something missing from her tray, something no child should ever be without!
"Where's your muffin?" The timid girl paused briefly at this with her lip trembling.
"..."
"...Did those bullies steal it from you?" Her hopes that not answering Adora's question would prevent her from finding out proved futile. There was already anger building in her eyes as she looked back several tables away from her, hearing Lonnie and her lackies laughing.
"It's fine..." She meeped.
"No it's not!" Adora retorted. "Muffin day only comes once a month! Do you want to wait an entire month before having another muffin?" As she waited for a response, a possible thought suddenly dawned on her. "Have you... ever had a muffin?" Like before, the shorter girl paused as she looked away. She didn't want to show her lip quivering again, unaware her current action was already confirming what Adora wanted to know.
This was terrible! Nobody should be without a muffin on Muffin Monday! There were several flavors to choose from between plain, chocolate chip, and the delicious blueberry that Adora rarely every got to enjoy herself! In fact, she's only ever had it three times in her life, and each one of those moments were unforgettable! And now she was before little girl, her new friend, who has never had the sweet taste of a delicious muffin!
Someone needs to report to Lord Hordak about he injustices of Muffin Monday!
She was brought out of her thoughts as she heard the faint sniffling of the sad girl next to her. To be living this kind of lifestyle, to just be ok with everything that happened to her, even when she was trying to do what was right, was incredibly hard and sad to live with. And as her new best friend, she wasn't about to let her continue suffering by herself!
"Here." She chirped happily as she placed her own muffin on Catra's tray. Humorously enough she watched with a smile as the young girl looked back and forth between Adora and the muffin in shock. "You can have it."
"Wah-? N-No, it's yours." She stuttered. "I can't have it-"
"It's fine, really!" Adora insisted. "I've had plenty of muffins in the past. I don't mind missing one."
"Mmmh but... but... " Catra wanted to argue against it. She really wanted to argue against it! But she struggled to summon the will speak her mind.
"Go ahead, it's all right." She encouraged patting her back. It was fun seeing Catra growing happier at the sentiment. She might not have noticed but her tail was wagging more and more at the prospect of a sacred chocolate chip muffin.
"Mmh..." Her lips became wet as she slurped with anticipation, grabbing the muffin. "Thank y-"
*SQUASH*
"Ah!" Everything just seemed to slow down around the two of them as they processed what just happened.
Here Catra was, about to take her first glorious bite of one of the delicious muffins created by the Horde. Every hair on her body was raising with excitement as she imagined all the wonderful tastes and wonders she was about to experience in her very first bite! And what happens next?
Gruel happens. From out of nowhere, from out of their view, someone threw a large chunk of gruel at the poor girl, splatting across the left half of her face. Regardless of how hot, cold, hard, or soft the substance was, that barely mattered in comparison to the aftermath.
The muffin. The great, glorious muffin, was dropped from her hands, falling into the slush that was gruel. The muffin was quickly absorbed into the meal, drowning the entire muffin from head to toe. Nobody wanted a soggy muffin, and nobody wanted a muffin covered in gruel.
"Freak! Hahahaha!" Adora grumbled to herself as she glared back at the thrower. Just like she thought, there was Lonnie, raising her fist proudly as the other kids near her cheered for her fantastic throw. Maybe she didn't see the muffin she was holding and maybe she did, it didn't matter. All this left was a very distraught Adora.
And a very sad Catra.
"Mmmmhmhmhhmhmmmm." She cried silently, forcefully keeping her mouth close as she sniffled to avoid more unwanted attention. She didn't care about the stinging gruel in her eyes as much as the act itself. It stung. It hurt. It reminded her of every reason she was unwanted by everyone.
"Grrrr that was terrible!" Adora grumbled squeezing her fist. "I'll show them-!"
"No!" Catra pleaded grabbing her other arm. "Don't leave... please..." Adora was surprised as she looked back to the tearful looking new friend. Even after all they just did to her, she still preferred to let it go, opting to cry as gruel continued to drip from the left side of her face. "I don't want to... to..." She sniffled. Strangely, her following words were inaudible, yet Adora acknowledged it like she heard what she said.
"Mmh." It made her feel worse thinking those bullies would get away with what they did. People like that should always get punished, just like Shadow-Weaver always taught her! Yet, she couldn't bring herself to leave her friend as she was. She was in need, in fear. She couldn't leave her side in this state. "It'll be okay, Catra. Hold still, I can get this off." She gave her a warm smile as she grabbed one of her napkins. At least gruel was easy to wipe off. She wished all of their troubles could be solved so easily.
At the very least, Catra found comfort in someone else. She found someone who cared for her, wanted to protect her.
For the first time, she found herself wanted...
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...
"Mmmh..." Why did her head feel so heavy? In fact, her whole body felt like it was made of lead, a numbness tingling from her fingertips and toes. "Ah..." She felt like she was on the border between consciousness and sleep.
Perhaps a better question would be why she was having another one of her memories resurface? What was the purpose? What was causing it? She hated these memories of her, she detested them! She's gone through most of her life trying to repress these stupid memories that caused her nothing but turmoil and grief.
"Ah good, you finally woke up from your nap, Mara!" A strange voice spoke. It took a great amount of exertion just to open her eyelids partway.
While her vision was still hazy and nearsighted, she saw a mysterious old woman come into focus. She was verily old looking to Catra, having a grand hag-like appearance to her with the sloppily messy grey hear and dozens of missing teeth. If the added fashion sense of weird bracelets she wore that looked like they were made of stone wasn't enough, the several butterflies and the shaggy purple gown that draped over her whole body did show just how ancient she was.
She couldn't get a feel on this woman either. She looked every bit of crazy as you'd expect for an old lady yet there was something peaceful about her too. Then again, seeing how half her body was still numb, maybe it was just Catra herself?
"M...Mara?" Did she mean her? "M... My name's... name's not... mmh..." She still felt the paralysis spread across her body in waves with each breath. Just trying to say a few words risked her passing out again.
"Oooh now no more fussing, Mara." The woman hummed to herself as she began pouring several liquids into a small bowl. "It's just like you to take your nap in the middle of the woods. Always sleeping, always tired, always lazing about." With one more bottle of strange liquid added to the bowl, Catra almost thought she saw a strange puff of smoke puff up from the concoction, as she came over to the tired girl's side. "Now, be a good girl and drink up, Mara. We have a busy day today."
There wasn't much room for Catra to argue. She couldn't even bring herself to decline the offer as the woman helped raise her head slightly to drink the strange bowl of liquid. She didn't know if it was poison, she didn't know if it was just a simple bowl of soup based off the smell, all she knew was that this woman had total control over her for the time being. At least it didn't taste that ba-
"HAAAAAAWWWWW!" Catra drly screeched as she shot up. She grabbed her throat with both her hands as tears and sweat uncontrollably dripped from her sweat.
What in the sweet name of the First Ones was this horrible thing?! Her entire throat felt like someone lit a fire on it from the inside! Her tongue itself felt like it was swelling like crazy, blocking off her airwaves slightly enough to make the burning sensation even more unbearable! She couldn't help as she heaved dryly, waving her hands over her face as she tried getting anything resembling a small breeze on her.
"Wawew! Wawew!" She panted loudly, trying to utter a single word desperately.
"Hmm maybe I used too many Ravenberries." The strange woman shrugged as she pulled out a small bottle. "Here, try some of this-"
*gulp!*
*gulp!*
*gulp!*
She didn't bother seeing what it was she was drinking. As long as it was a liquid and offered to her, it had to be better than this!
At least it was before the taste got her.
"MMMMMHHHHHHH!" Her face scrunched up like she swallowed the world's most sour lemon. It was official, she died after passing out from whatever those soldiers threw at her earlier, and this was her evil tormentor for all eternity. What else was she supposed to conclude out of this? She almost wished she was dead after what she's gone through for the last several seconds! It was almost a blessing that it only lasted ten more seconds before her face felt normal. "Huff... Huff.. you trying to kill me you crazy hag?!"
"Ah, good morning sunshine." The replied completely oblivious to Catra's insult. "It's nice to see you finally up and ready for the day."
"Don't change the subject you-" She paused as she looked at her hands again. It finally dawned on her that she had feeling all throughout her body again. She could move her fingers fluidly and her body felt almost as light as a feather! "I... I can move?" Did she purposely feed her those strange liquids just to help her?
"Of course you can move, Mara." The woman replied again as she shuffled around the room to collect some belongings. "Madame Razz always has the solution to your problems."
"Mara? Uhh my name's Catra, lady." She tried to correct. She couldn't tell if anything was registering to this woman given the far-off look she displayed. "Anyway, thanks for helping me out... I think..."
"No need for thanks, dearie. I'm just glad your nightmares are gone."
"My nightmares?" Did this woman see into her dream or something just now?
"Yes, you were fussing and moaning about some door or something." She explained. "I don't know what it was but you seemed pretty upset about it."
Did she force me to drink that awful stuff not even knowing I couldn't move? Catra wondered to herself.
"You wouldn't even let Madame Razz hold your sword for you." Catra's eyes nearly shot out as she quickly looked around herself. Thankfully she saw the sword resting peacefully on her right, untouched and undamaged.
It was at this time she managed to get a closer look at her surroundings. She appeared to be in a shack-like room within the base of a withered old tree, seeing numerous small roots on the outside of the walls surrounding her and a withered dusty curtain over the entrance like a door. All around her were various pots and trinkets of varying quality. Some looked ancient, others looked like simple nicknacks you could find lying around the ground, and so on.
Whoever the strange woman was she was also decent enough to try to make Catra's sleep as comfortable as possible. While there weren't any beds around her, she did at least provide a small blanket over her legs and several bundled rags to form a makeshift pillow. Overall she knew whoever this strange hag was, she wasn't with the Rebellion or didn't care about the Horde.
As long as she didn't have to worry about the soldiers finding her she was relieved.
"That's nice, Mara." It didn't register. "Anyway, you're just in time for our outing, dearie. Those berries won't pick themselves after all."
"Uhh... Ok..." She stretched her arms briefly before rising to her feet and taking the sword. "Anyway... soooo thanks I guess for the help lady, but I got to get going." She announced as she walked over to the door.
"Are you going to take another nap, dearie?" Catra ignored the rambling hag as she pulled open the curtain from the entrance. "But you just got here. You always seem to be such a hurry, always visiting Madame Razz one moment and leaving her again the next moment with that sword."
Catra blinked at this statement as she looked back. "Wait, you know about the sword?" Was it possible? If the woman knew about the sword did she know how it worked? Could she possibly help her transform into She-Ra? "What do you know about it?"
"All in good time, Mara." She watched as the old woman placed a basket over her sword as she went through the door. "Now come along, sweetie. The faster we get those berries the sooner Madame Razz can make your favorite stew."
"Mmmh..." Forced to comply, Catra resigned herself to following the old woman. She needed to know how to turn into She-Ra before she even thought about returning to the castle, and on top of that, she did kind of owe the woman for saving her from the soldiers in the first place. At least this way she could kill two birds with one stone.
Hopefully Glimmer and Bow were having a better time on their end.
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...
"What were you thinking?!" Queen Angella shouted from atop her throne. Her fury and anger were well placed.
Being a Queen was never an easy job. Day after day she had to deal with news in all forms of details ranging from good to bad. Sometimes it ranged from simple news like the details involving yearly harvests and food for the kingdom, at others it involved hearing of an incident that befell a town somewhere within her domain. It was a well-balanced scale of news that always kept her job productive and never boring.
In the midst of the war however, all news was considered bad. Week after week since the Horde Invasion, nothing good ever came out of it. People were lost, towns were destroyed, and lands were burned. The closest thing they ever got to good news was hearing that a town repelled a Horde invasion, and that was rarely ever done. Even when it was, eventually the Horde returned in greater numbers and firepower to retake the town with almost no survivors ever coming to recount the evasion.
The stress this built up day after day was clearly understandable.
On top of this she also had to deal with being a mother. Raising her daughter all alone in itself was a tiring task, and her daughter always had new and excitingly dangerous ways to make her mother's job harder. If she previously thought her disappearing while she was grounded was the worst news to discover, the information Glimmer and Bow came back with and what they were doing during their outing was far worse.
"Didn't you take a moment to think about what you were possibly doing? Bringing a Horde soldier here of all places?!"
"B-But mom, you don't understand!" Glimmer tried to plead her case. "She helped save me and Bow in the Whispering Woods, she became She-Ra!"
"I don't want to hear of it, Glimmer! You already left while being grounded, and on your way back you bring a member of the Horde with you? How could you be so irresponsible?"
"Y-Your Majesty, please," Bow tried to speak on Glimmer's behalf, "I know it sounds bad alone but you can trust her! I'm sure there was a good reason she attacked the training camp. Maybe it was self-defense or something!"
"Silence!" Angella ordered waving her hand. "Bow, I want you to leave us. I need to speak to my daughter alone. Now!" Bow and Glimmer looked at each other nervously before he marched out the door. If the Queen ordered something, it had to be done no matter what objections he had. Glimmer watched with a hint of dread as Bow walked out of the door, turning back to her mother like a dog guilty of eating something he shouldn't.
"Look, mom, I understand that you're angry, but you have to give her a chance! She truly wants to help!" She assured.
"Oh really?" Her mom looked doubtful as she leaned on her arm against the throne's armrest. "And did this Horde say she wanted to help out of the decency and kindness of her heart or something?"
"Yeah! Ehh... I mean... kind of... heh..." She poked her fingers with a nervous smile knowing there was no way around that detail. "I mean, she did kind of... ask for a bit of a... reward and all that..."
"And what possible kind of reward would that be?"
"Oh, nothing much. I mean she just kind of... ummm... maaaay have wanted something small like... a kingdom? Eh heh..."
"YOU PROMISED HER A KINGDOM?!" The entire room went so deathly silent that even a single strand of hair could be heard hitting the floor if it fell.
"I-I didn't say I'd give her a kingdom! Just that I might've... you know... talked to you about it?"
"Guards, clear the room. I wish to speak with my daughter in private." The guards nodded in turn as they began clearing out the rest of the same along with themselves, save for the two personal guards that were always at the Queen's side. With room bring cleared, the Queen let out great moan as she pinched the bridge between her eyes. "Ugh... Glimmer... What am I to do with you..."
"Look, mom, you can ground me for life for all I care after," she said stepping forward, "but at least give her a chance. I know she can help us win the war!"
"That's not the point, Glimmer. Don't you understand your actions will reflect your future?" Her mother still maintained a hint of concern behind her angry words. "I won't be here forever, Glimmer. One day you will be forced to make decisions that affect the future of not just you, but the entire kingdom. And you can't make hasty decisions like this just on an impulse."
"I understand mom, I really do. But she's already proven herself twice! She even helped save Thaymor from a Horde invasion!"
"So she drove off an entire force with her mere power?" Angella asked questionably.
"Y-Yeah... I mean... She forced a Horde Captain to call off the attack, but-"
"And you saw this happen yourself?" She quickly interrupted.
"Ye- I mean, sort of... The soldiers were surrounding us when they were called off. We would've been captured or worse if she didn't stop-"
"I mean you saw her make the Horde Captain call off the attack?"
Glimmer knew exactly what she was doing yet found struggled to maintain her optimistic composure. "Well... Not exactly but... but..."
"Then for all you know, this was their plan from the beginning just to infiltrate Bright Moon."
"I... I had that thought too but... but..." What could she say at this moment? Every time she came up with something her mother countered it perfectly. There was no hesitation in her voice and little room for any doubt in every word she spoke. It's as if she predicted this entire meeting and prepared for every possible thing she had to say.
That's the power of a true queen and a mother.
With the silence continuing to drift around the room, Angella sighed as she rose from her seat and walked to her daughter's front. "Glimmer, I know you're trying to help, but you can't make decisions without thinking of every possibility."
"I.. I know that mom... I just..." She went silent as her mother gently raised her chin so she could see her face-to-face.
"Glimmer, can you look me in the eye and say with absolute certainty, that you trust this soldier?"
"I... Y..." Her mother brought her to attention again as Glimmer tried to turn her face just a little.
"Don't look away. Look me in the eyes and tell me you trust her, one-hundred percent."
"..." The words wouldn't escape her throat no matter how hard she tried.
"...That's what I thought." She pulled her daughter's head gently as she embraced her in a comforting hug. She knew her daughter wasn't bad. She wasn't acting out for attention, she didn't cause trouble for the sake of having fun, she was just trying to help for the sake of being useful to her mother and their kingdom. Angella couldn't have asked for a better daughter. "Until this Horde soldier is found, I don't want you leaving the castle's grounds. Otherwise you are free to leave."
"...Yes mother..." She couldn't find an single fragment of strength to argue against her mother. All she could do was make her way to the door, ignoring a confused and curious Bow who wanted to know what they talked about.
How was she supposed to like this? Despite everything Catra had done for her, she couldn't deny the smallest, minimal, possibility that she was secretly still working for the Horde. Appearing just as they found the sword, the Horde attacking shortly after their arrival to Thaymor, and calling off an attack she didn't witness herself? How could she? She said it herself that she was just in all this for herself, and that was the way she intended to keep it.
...
"...Pffft...Tch, hahahaha! Oh gosh, that's what you think that was?" Catra cackled as she looked back. "You've got to be kidding me! If you thought for a second I cared about that stupid kid or her mother, you're sorely mistaken!"
"What do you-"
"I never liked that kid!" She continued to interrupt. "I was just with her because the whiny brat kept crying her eyes out whenever I didn't listen to her! You said it yourself I had to keep a low profile around here and that's all I was doing. Keeping a low profile. That's all it was. That's all it ever was! I was just mad about having to deal with a bossy mother, I didn't care about that little pipsqueak in the slightest! I don't care about anybody!"
...
Those words kept echoing in her head since the moment her mother asked her. She wanted to trust her plenty, a part of her did trust her enough. But until she could figure things out, she couldn't look into her mother's eyes, or stand up for her new ally.
She couldn't trust Catra...
...
...
"For the last time, what do you know about the sword?" Catra was just about ready to tear her ears off.
This woman was impossible to get information out of. Every minute she spent trying to get information out of the old hag she found her asking a completely different question in turn, having a completely random answer for her, or completely ignoring the question and answer all together and asking her other random things, like why Catra decided to grow a new tail or cat eats.
It was becoming harder and harder to believe she wasn't dead and was her eternal tormentor because every moment she spent with this woman made her believe she was!
The only reason she found herself around the hag at this point was to repay her for saving her. No matter how much she hated someone else she refused to give up her "eye for an eye" philosophy. She could be saved by some reptile that saved her from getting bitten by a poisonous insect and she would repay it however she could, like feeding it a piece of meat. No matter how miniscule her favor-in-return was, she always saw it through.
"Oh yes, Mara, these are nice and fresh!" Madame Razz said with joy, picking the berries off another bush. "I can't wait to see Loo-Kee's face when he sees this harvest!"
"And dare I ask, who is Loo-Kee?" Catra forced herself to squeeze her claws into a fist, doing everything in her power to keep her sanity.
"Oh, he's my good friend who's always at my side! But he's invisible, so make sure you don't tell him!" She replied as she pressed on.
"..." Catra could feel her eye twitching from the stupidity of that statement as she followed her. "This woman's eaten people before, I just know it..."
"Ah, here we are!"
"That's what you said the last twenty places we went too... collect..." For the first time since meeting this lady she actually took Catra to an unbelievable place.
The Ruins of the First Ones. All around her were the same designs as the previous First Ones ruin she came across with Glimmer and Bow. this time with an impressive establishment standing before her that stretched above the trees. All around her numerous dark roots grew across the mighty obelisk, giving life to strange looking plants every several inches along the roots and glowing red flowers that grew from the ground the roots seeded into.
The surprising part about the roots were just how far they stretched along the ruins. They didn't just cover everything within a near-hundred feet of this place, they stretched up to the top of the obelisk itself, these ones covered in various thorns and bramble. It's as if these roots were specially grown just to protect whatever was inside the great ruins.
Or perhaps it was to keep whatever was hidden locked inside?
"I... I've seen this before..." Catra commented as she looked around. "I had visions of this place. They're First Ones ruins, aren't they?"
"And the best place to pick fresh berries!" In the short few seconds Catra wasn't watching the woman, she suddenly found her climbing the ancient ruins, already halfway to the top.
"What the-! What are you doing up there? You're going to get yourself hurt!"
"Relax, dearie, the butterflies will catch me." With every surprising leap the woman took and every root she grabbed, a piece of the ancient ruins lit up with life. It was as she neared the top of this mighty structure that she touched the last of these strange runes, bringing the entire ruin to life as it hummed with a eerie emerald glow.
*bzzzzzt!*
"Ahhhh!" Razz cried out as the ruin zapped her, blasting her off the top. Catra wasted no time as she dropped the sword, jumping onto the structure for a boost and pushing off of it as hard as she could. She dove head first as she caught the frail woman in her arms, several yards from the ground itself as the two of them fell through the air and onto the ground. While landing might've been a bit harsh for Catra herself, the woman managed to remain unscathed. "Hooftah, thank you butterflies for telling her to help!"
"Ugh..." Ok. She was done. This woman was driving her insane and she finally saved her life from a massive fall. "Consider us even for earlier. So if you don't mind, I'm going to take off now. Good luck with your berrypicking or whatever." She thanked her one more time as she picked up her sword.
"But you'll miss the stars, Mara." Razz stated as she looked to the sky.
"What stars-" Following the woman's gaze, she saw something she never had before.
Stars. Millions and millions of beautiful stars.
The ruins illuminated the sky with a strange display of tiny lights amongst the pink skylight it generated. Whether they were stars displayed simply from the ruins itself or the ruins cleared the sky to display the stars, it didn't matter. These mystical tiny specks of light were dazzling to Catra, being bundled up in an open display just for her and Razz to see. It was beautiful to witness. Beautiful and somehow familiar.
"These are... stars?" The term was unfamiliar to her.
"Oh. We used to come here all the time to look at stars." Razz awed in wonder. "Do you remember the stars, Mara? They were your favorite until they disappeared." Her voice became sorrowful as she said this. "What happened to the stars, dearie? Why did they all run away?"
"Why do I remember all this? Why is it all so familiar?" It was then that the visions returned to her, displaying several images and events like before.
For the first time in awhile, she saw Light Hope, the woman who started this mysterious adventure for her and turned her life upside down. This was followed by several flashes of scenery and wonder. For an instant, she could've sworn she saw Bright Moon Castle, recognizing the majestic scenery she had witnessed nearly an hour ago. It was like watching the screen of a security monitor, the image so clear that she could reach out and touch it.
But like all her previous visions, these ones started to distort and break apart. The images began to waver and pan around with several strange views displaying before in in a misty red hue. One of the scenes were of a strange deserted area with a bright sun looming over it. It was quickly followed by several flashes, each that became more distorted than the last.
She saw what might've been a shooting star crashing to the ground, a strange purple hole opened in the middle of the air before her sucking up anything that drew near, it could've been anything! The last flash was the only one she recognized as these strange ruins, looking incredibly younger and more newer than they did now.
The final image that appeared to her though, it stayed with her for a bit. And it was the most terrifying.
She couldn't move, she couldn't make out what she was witnessing, she couldn't tell what was going on. All she could see was fire. Fire and smoke out in the distance as she looked out of a strange large hole. What was she looking through? A window? A basket? The horrifying addition to all of this was how real it felt to her. She could feel the intense heat of the fire, she could practically taste the smoke that filled her lungs. She could feel the tears flowing down her face!
Tears? Why were there tears? Above all, why did she hear... screaming? All she could make out through the haze was the sound of people screaming. Screams of fear, screams of agony, all echoed through the distance. And the last sound she could make out was that of a baby's cry. It wailed as it cried out for help. It was scared, was in danger, it was... lonely...
"Ahh!" Catra finally screamed as she collapsed to her knees. She was squeezing her head in pain as she breathed heavily, finally snapping back to reality. Her eyes were shot open as she inhaled in and out, unable to blink once.
The entire time she was zoned out, Madame Razz just stood there watching her. Unfazed, unnerved, unflinching. All she did was casually stare at her as she ate one berry after the other.
"What... what was that?" Catra struggled to get out. It was then that she noticed small droplets of water dripping down her face. Was she sweating through all of this? No, not sweat. Tears. Tears were flowing from her eyes. "I'm... I'm crying?"
"It would seem so, dearie." She didn't flinch as Catra grabbed both her arms tightly, tears slowly receding.
"Please, just tell me what's going on! I have to know!" This woman was driving her mad but now for all the wrong reasons. Why was she crying? What were with these images? What was up with this stupid godforsaken sword! All this pain was unbearable to her. "You have to know something about the sword, about me! Please, just tell me!"
"I will tell you what's going on." For the first time Catra was willing and happy to hear what she had to say! "Your basket is still empty, and there's plenty of berries that need picking." And just as quickly did she find herself annoyed again, slumping to the ground, not caring as her face flatted on it. "Now come along!" She didn't care. She didn't bother reacting as the woman began dragging her behind her by the tail.
She just wanted this day to be over.
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...
"Mmh..."
"Hey Glimmer, you doing okay?" Bow asked as he approached.
Ever since the last meeting with her mother she hadn't uttered a word. All she could do for herself and possibly everyone else was wait on the front steps of the castle for Catra's return. She didn't plan to disobey her mother this time, aside from the fact she was still grounded, in the hopes that Catra somehow made her way back to the castle. If she did, she knew she would be the only protection Catra had from any guards that could possibly attack her. It was also the last chance to try and convince her mother of Catra's assistance.
At least it would be if Glimmer could muster up the courage to face her again. It wasn't matter of bravery this time around, but trust. She needed to find every reason she could in order to trust Catra one-hundred percent and look her mother in the eyes with this conviction, but she couldn't! With every possibility and event that's happened today, no matter how much she did trust Catra, she couldn't say beyond reasonable doubt that she might still be working for the Horde.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I think at least." She said with a shrug. "Did you find her anywhere around the castle?"
"Unfortunately no." He shook his head with a frown. "I checked every room twice, even the backway. But I want to know how you're doing right now. Are you all right?"
"I don't know..." There wasn't an easy way to answer. "I don't know what my mother plans to do if she gets her hands on Catra first, and I can't vouch for Catra unless I can look my mother in the eyes and tell her I trust her."
"Well why are you having such a hard time with it?" He asked as he took a seat next to her. "I mean she did help us a lot you know. Thaymor probably would've burnt to a crisp without her."
"I know Bow, and I really want to trust her! But I just can't say without certainty that she's truly on our side. And it won't even matter if she can't turn into She-Ra in the first place! It's almost pointless to think about."
Bow tried to find the right words to say. He agreed with everything she was saying, he couldn't see a flaw with any word he mentioned about Catra. Yet he needed to find the right words that could convince her, no matter how impossible it might seem. "Well... maybe you should just have faith in her."
"Faith?" Why did he mention something like this in this situation? "What's faith got to do with trusting her?"
"Well, it's really no different in this scenario." He smiled standing up. "I know she can seem off-putting and kinda mean at times, but she's always came through for us in the end, right? Even if she's doing it for selfish reasons, there's got to be good in her."
"But how can you say you trust her beyond reasonable doubt?"
"I can't." She couldn't tell if he was trying to help her or not at this point. "But all the same, how do you know I won't defect to the Horde?" He quickly continued before she could flip at the suggestion. "Just speaking, of course. After all every day they burn down another part of the woods or destroy another town. For all you know they might make me an offer I can't refuse."
"Heh, yeah, I bet." She chuckled with a small smile. "I know you wouldn't do it Bow, you're my best friend."
"Exactly. And Catra's our friend too. I'm not saying you have to trust her completely, all you need to do is stand up for her prove that you will trust her. I know everything seemed too perfect between us meeting her and the attack on Thaymor, but sometimes things just happen for a reason." She was beginning to see his point. He wasn't saying she had to lie to her mother and pretend she trusted Catra, just that she was willing to trust Catra no matter how she felt about her. It didn't matter if she even did trust Catra one-hundred percent, all she had to do was show that she could. "Anyway, I'm going to check the woods around here. Hopefully I'll bump into her somewhere."
"Good luck." She wished with a wave goodbye. Her happy expression flipped once more as he left her sight. Despite the little heartfelt talk they had, saying something and actually doing something were two different things. She wanted to trust Catra with all her might, but it was like there was a small roadblock keeping her from making that final leap! She needed something to prove to her that she could trust her, some assurance of kindness.
She needed something to put her faith in.
"Princess." Two guards greeted as they walked up to her. She gave them a brief smile as she saluted back to them before they walked around her on each side, continuing to the castle.
"So did you hear about the attack on Thaymor?" She overheard the guards speaking.
"Yeah, I almost had a heart attack when I heard about it. Thankfully the Horde retreated before they could do too much serious damage." The other guard spoke.
"Speaking of which, how's your family doing? Are they okay?"
"Thank the First Ones, yes. I got a letter from my wife not half an hour ago actually. My little girl was safe too, but the letter was so bizarre."
"What do you mean?"
"Well she just kept raving about some Horde soldier risking her life to save my little girl."
"Huh?" Glimmer's head perked up at hearing this.
"A Horde soldier? Really? Since when do they help people?"
"Honestly I don't even know if it was a Horde soldier. My wife just went on and on about how some cat or whatever saved her before the building fell on her. Personally I think she was just in shock."
"Yeah, I don't blame her either. If I was living a normal life and suddenly found my village burning down, I'd be hysterical too-"
"Wait!" Glimmer quickly sprang to her feet as she chased after the guards.
"Princess?" Both guards greeted curiously as they turned around.
"The letter thing, the attack on Thaymor?" She paused briefly as she attempted to speak clearly. "What were you saying about a cat?"
"Oh, it's alright Your Highness. It was just my wife raving about something that couldn't happen. It's a waste of time to-"
"No!" She yelled. "Tell me everything about it! I have to know!" The two guards looked at each other for a second and then back to the princess. It didn't matter if the story was crazy or irrational in the slightest. If a princess ordered them to so much as jump off a cliff, they would do it.
"O-Of course, Your Highness." The right guard nodded as he recounted the story.
For the first time Glimmer found something positive going on that was impractical. Everything else that happened up to this point was too impractical to occur, nearly all of it happening purely out of chance. Now, she was finding herself moping around, sitting on the front steps of a castle, just as two guards happen to pass by her while one of said guards, who just happened to be related to someone in Thaymore, had the answers to her dilemma.
It was too perfectly time, but it happened for a reason, and it gave her something she desperately needed.
Faith.
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A/N: Hopefully people still enjoy the episode and don't find it too short (I know, who's ever heard of someone not posting up to 8k words on a chapter P_P, *gasp*...) compared to my usual works.
Also i know I'm making some occasional scenes with Catra seem sillier than what they probably should be, but again, keep in mind her and adora switched roles, and there are some rather silly/humorous moments that Adora had to go through.
I also had my own fun writing out Catra's interesting flashback scene in the middle of this. While I don't know what her backstory in this reboot could be, I am pretty confident I can work it in in same way even after we (hopefully) get adora's and Catra's backstory.
As always leave a like, fave, and review! Just minor note, might be awhile before next post unless I get it posted tomorrow. I got school friday and i plan on focusing full time on work, and i got work early on saturday so I might not even get time to finish the next/possibly-last chapter for this episode till Saturday night, if not sunday evening. Anyway see ya folks later, and hope you enjoyed!