A/N: Once again, a verily fun chapter to write towards the end ^^! As always, not much to say, so allow me to prove myself wrong by writing whatever crap I usually do after saying that XP.
Not much to say to the fic itself, side from how it's been awhile so might be a bit wonky in some parts i had to come back and forth to throughout the last few days, thanks to everyone for their continued support, and a huge shoutout to Nightmaster003 on Ao3 for their hard work and assistance in providing me with an awesome Intro for this series! Huge shout out of thanks to him! It was thanks to his main portion of it that i managed to get an idea for the theme, editing a few bits here and there myself. After initial editing, I say it's about 70% of his work that isn't changed, 30% I added details to.
So remember, if it's bad, it's completely his idea and I had no input in it, unless it turns out to be incredibly awesome, in which case I came up with everything despite what I just said about his involvement...
Lol, joking aside really am thankful to the guy for his help. Also, weird question, but is anyone interested if i did a bonus episode for a Christmas special? It's an episode so it would take a couple chapters but it would be a christmas special during Catra's time in Bright Moon. While i don't know about when it would specifically take place, the fun thing about non-canons is that you can write anything you want there and no one would question it related to the plot XP just for a bit of fun.
Anyway, onto the episode, and hope you all enjoy!
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...
...
Without opening her eyes, Glimmer could already feel the nice, gentle, warmth of the morning sun touching her face. It would always make her wanna lie there for a few extra minutes as she soaked in the sun's beautiful rays. She smiled to herself as the new day greeted her.
Each and every day was pleasant to wake up to, no matter what troubles loomed over her or her friends. Everyday would start the same morning routine. First, she would feel the sun touching down on her.
Good morning Mr. Sun. She'd think to herself.
*tweet-tweet-tweet*
This would be followed by the sounds of the beautiful birds chirping. No matter how far they were, she would always hear their beautiful songs through the wind early morning.
Good morning birdies.
It was such a pleasant way to wake up every day. By this time, the rest of the castle's inhabitants would find themselves waking up, starting their routine manner. The maids and servants would be sweeping the halls, the guards would be changing shifts for the day, and everyone would have a morning smile on their face.
*puuurrr*
Good morning, kitty. Ah yes, how could she forget her beloved kitten? If everything else wasn't enough, then there was always her favorite animal, laying on her bed-
Glimmer's eyes shot open. Wait a minute, I don't have a cat. Almost instantly, Glimmer leaned up from her bed, donned in her sky blue Pajama top and pants with a few starry lights patterned across them, staring at the sight that made her eyes widen.
At the foot of her bed, a bed she had hanging from the ceiling for that matter that only she and a select few could access to without her steps, was her new friend and ally, Catra, purring and sleeping peacefully as if the bed was hers.
It was only yesterday that she officially joined the Rebellion after a harrowing day of trying to turn into She-Ra. At first nobody knew how the meeting was going to go. Catra risked everything on an entire gamble that she would transform into She-Ra at all. And to her misfortune, she didn't do it right away. It was thanks to Glimmer's and Bow's sudden appearance that she received the motivation and drive to push herself one last time, finally obtaining the form of She-Ra before the entire Throne Room.
Needless to say, everyone was impressed and shocked at the show they bore witness to. They witnessed history in the making, the change of tide that would determine the very outcome of this war. Everything they saw showed them, the Queen included, that anyone was willing to stand alongside the Rebellion and fight against the Horde, including one of their own.
Even though it was for the selfish desire of her very own kingdom, followed by some pleading from her daughter who assured her she trusted Catra with her life, Queen Angella welcomed Catra with somewhat-untrusting arms.
And for some reason she decided to sleep on Glimmer's bed, still dressed in the outfit she donned yesterday evening.
"Ahhhhh!"
"Ack-!"
The sound of Glimmer's screaming was like a blow horn going off in Catra's ear this early in the morning. The loudness of it alone sent shivers down her spine to the point her entire body shook violently, finding herself getting the claws from her feet stuck to the bedsheets before falling off the hanging bed itself. Glimmer frantically pulled back on the covers, barely managing to keep Catra suspended halfway through the air to the ground. Sighing to herself in relief at the quick rescue, Glimmer looked over the bed to see the dangling cat girl herself.
Strangely enough, nothing seemed out of place with her in terms of attitude. She still seemed as moody as ever, glaring a little at the rude awakener above her.
"Sheesh, will you keep it down?" She growled. "People are trying to sleep!"
Welcome to Day One of the Rebellion.
...
The intro starts with Shadow Weaver in the Black Garnet chamber spying and glaring at a image of Catra. Than the image dives into the water of her scrying spell.
~ We're on the edge of greatness ~
Where we have Catra at Bright Moon looking both determined and forlorn out into the distance.
~ turning darkness into light ~
A scene of kid Catra and kid Adora training together in the fright zone under Shadow Weaver. Before being replaced with a image of Adora glaring at a heart broken looking Catra who's on her knees across a battlefield.
~ We're right beside you ~
But than Glimmer and Bow teleport to Catra side raising her spirit back up, as shown with her surprise blinking when Gimmer offers her a hand, than she smirks accepting the help as she takes the lead ahead of them.
~ Ready to Fight! ~
Catra raises her sword, transforming into She-Ra in a glorious flash of light
~ (fight, fight, fight fight) ~
Then She-Ra rushes off into battle with Glimmer and Bow following right behind her.
~ We're gonna win in the end! ~
Mermista rises out of a tide, blasting Horde soldiers with water.
~ We must be strong, And we must be brave ~
Perfuma burst from the ground, capturing and tying up Horde soldiers with vines.
~(we must be brave) ~
Frosta rides an entire wave of frozen water, freezing Horde tanks in their tracks.
~ We're gonna find every bit of strength that we have ~
The scene shifts to Hordaks throne room where the evil shadowy figure sits upon his throne, his red glowing eyes being the only noticeable part of him, surrounded by notable members of the Horde, consisting of Adora and Catra's squadron, Shadow Weaver, Adora, Scropia, and even Entrapta.
~ and never let go ~
The scene shifts to an epic clash between Catra and Adora, the She-Ra gritting her teeth as she presses her sword against Adora's electrical baton, as the Force Captain herself grins with chaotic excitement as the red jewel from her headband shines.
~ (Oh ah Oh) ~
Adora and Catra push each other off as they back up into their friends- Entrapta and Scorpia for Adora, and for Catra Bow and Glimmer.
~ We must be STRONG! ~
The scene ends with a final shot of both sides looking across the field, a transparent image of Catra and Adora's faces filling the sky as the colors are split between them;
A majestic darkness shining into light upon Catra's side, and a horrid light seeping into darkness on Adora's half.
...
"Awwwwhhhhn." Catra yawned as she leaned in the chair.
"How about these?" Glimmer asked holding another pair of shoes.
"Nope."
"Ok... these two?"
"Nada."
"Mhh how about these?"
"Not happening."
"Catra come on..." Glimmer moaned looking through another dozen boxes. It was around that time Bow finally appeared through the doorway, entering the verily large Dressing Room. It housed an assortment of different clothing, anywhere between undergarments, pants, shirts, coats, gloves, and so forth. All of this was divided into nearly a dozen different colored sections of the room, each of them divided for their individual clothing.
At present, Bow found the two within a yellow-colored section of the room designated for footwear.
"Hey guys, I was wondering where... You're still in your She-Ra form?" Bow asked, surprised as Glimmer had been by the appearance.
"Not by choice, I can't get this stupid thing to turn off." Catra snarled rubbing her left eye sleepily. "I've been wearing these clothes all night."
"What? It's like actually stuck to you or something?"
"No, but I don't really have a spare change of clothes around here."
"I already said you could borrow some of ours you know." Glimmer reminded, sorting through another pile of boxes.
"I'm not wearing any stupid sparkly dresses or whatever." She eyed her own outfit with an irritated look. "I already got this ridiculous outfit going on, I don't need more."
"Oh." He had to admit, she had a small point. Up till now the two of them thought Catra was joking about "turning off" this She-Ra form of hers, not realizing how literal the magicat was being about it. Taking a glance around the room and the near one-hundred boxes tossed to the side, he turned his attention back to Glimmer. "What exactly are you guys doing in here anyway?"
"Well apparently, Pinky thinks I should be wearing shoes around here for some reason no matter how many times I tell her otherwise." There was a sense of annoyance coming from the She-Ra-in-training, hinting at just how long they've been at this. It was then Bow finally noticed the shoe-less ex-Horde wiggling her toes.
"Hey, I'm the one who's been sorting through boxes for the last hour, all you've been doing is sitting there and watching." Glimmer grumbled. With such a specific list of preferences, Glimmer found herself tossing out over half the boxes before Catra even had a chance to look at them or try them on. "The least you could do is help you know."
"I'm not the one who wants to wear shoes, Pinky!" Catra replied as Bow kneeled over to Glimmer's side to help. "I don't get what the big deal is, either. I keep my feet clean you know."
"Ok first of all, you lick your feet your feet clean." Glimmer shivered a little at the gross thought. "That alone is disgusting!"
"I don't lick my feet! ...I lick my hands and wipe my feet clean." She corrected nonchalant.
"That doesn't make it any better! Besides, even if you scrubbed and washed your feet clean like a normal person, that doesn't help with everything your claws are scratching up while you're walking or climbing. Remember how long it took to get your claws out of my blankets?"
"Well maybe if everything on your bed wasn't so frilly, I could've gotten untangled sooner!"
"Why were you on her bed to begin with?" Bow asked curiously.
"I was just trying to sleep." The proof was evident in Catra's tired eyes. "I'm not used to sleeping by myself, okay? I always shared a room with half a dozen people."
"Well if you wanted to sleep with me, you could've just asked last night you know." Glimmer commented, walking over to the end of the shelves.
"I would've if your mother didn't have it out for me."
Glimmer poked her head around the corner of the shelves at the comment. "She doesn't have it out for you, Catra."
"Hmm, what were her exact words?" She put on an irritating face and an exaggerated tone as she tried to mimic Glimmer's mother. "If you do anything to my angel, I'm gonna skin your fur and boil you in lava." While the voice was blatantly terrible, Glimmer did smirk at the impression itself.
"As intense as my mother can be sometimes, I'm pretty sure she would never say 'skin your fur and boil you in lava'."
"Well she said she'd make my nightmares look decent in comparison to whatever she has planned so I can't imagine anything worse than that." It was the furthest thing from the truth, but Catra was against giving Glimmer potential ideas. "And do I really need to wear these things? I mean they're just shoes! I'd rather walk on my hands around here than have to wear these things."
"Look, either you need shoes around here or you need to clean your feet and trim your claws. My mom's not gonna want to have to deal with torn up carpeting and whatever else you decide to climb, and the maids aren't going to want to clean the floors wherever you walk each day. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being well-equipped for everything."
"Oh yeah, these boots are gonna save my life!" Catra said sarcastically with the roll of her eyes. "I'd pay good money to see that-"
"Ah ha!" Bow called out triumphantly. "I found the perfect shoes!"
He displayed them proudly as Glimmer and Catra walked over to him. The shoes themselves were more along the lines of boots that stretched up the heels a foot long. Any laces the boots would have were instead replaced with thick bronze buckles, two on each boot, with a set of string to tie the boots up against the heel. Interestingly enough, to Catra's taste, they did have a nice color of red and black to them, with a black coating around the sides of the boots and an inner red running down the middle.
They had a bit of a Horde-ish look to them, which would match the rest of Catra's outfit if it ever changed back to normal.
"Ummm Bow? Those are boots." Glimmer pointed out.
"Combat boots!" He corrected with a toothy smile. "Great for long travels, mountain climbing, trudging through the snow, annnnnd, best of all, they don't track mud!"
"Seem kinda hefty if you ask me." Catra commented, smelling the boots as she examined them.
"Will you just try them on before you hate them?" Glimmer said with a groan.
"Fine, fine, your high-and-mightiness." It was clear Catra had no interest in the shoes despite the admittedly-interesting design. Taking the boots in each hand, she took a small bit of time to give them a thorough inspection. The texture, the smoothness, the hardened letter. If there was a few things she was grateful to the Horde for it was determining how well or how efficient simple everyday items could be.
Giving in to the curiosity, Catra tried them on one boot at a time, undoing and redoing the clasps and buckles until they had a suitable tightness around her feet. It felt a bit strange having something this weird pressing against her toe's claws, but if it got Glimmer off her back, and presumably her mother, then she was willing to put up with it.
"It looks like a perfect fit!" Glimmer commented.
"They still feel kinda weird if you ask me." This would've been one of the few times Catra found herself trying on a pair of anything on her feet since she was little. She took a glance around her feet on all sides, giving it a small kick against the wooden shelves to check how sturdy it was. "But I guess it's ok."
"Great, then we can head the Rebellion meeting!" Bow announced.
"Oh shoot, I completely forgot about that!" Glimmer said as her face flashed. "We hold one every week with the other Rebellion Generals. This is your chance to meet everyone!"
"I'm... invited?" There was a skeptical look on Catra's face. She did just become She-Ra not even twelve hours ago, so hearing the possibility she was already invited to some sort of important meeting with the other leaders of the Rebellion left her in doubt.
"Of course! My mom invited you herself! Come on, this is your chance to meet everyone before the meeting starts!" Glimmer said as she ran to the door with Bow following behind her. "If we make it fast enough, we might be able to get a few snacks too while we're at it-
*thud*
The two friends looked back as they heard the sound of something weird shuffling across the boxes and hitting the shelves. Over on the other end of their gaze, they saw a somewhat trembling Catra who was slumped over one of the shelves, her legs wobbling from the waist down as she held onto the middle row of the shelf for stability.
"Are you ok?" Bow asked, watching the magicat trying to get back to her feet.
"I-I'm fine!" Her assurance left them questionable as they saw her shakily pull herself back up until she was standing straight. "I just need to get my footing is all." Catra looked to her boots again as she contemplated her next step, literally in this case. She's never worn something so strange before or so hard on her feet. In addition to the hard inner and outer exterior, they left a good half an inch from the ground, which, while some might adjust to on the fly, left a strange imbalance under Catra's feet. She was used to keeping her balance on opposite ends of her feet, not on her foot as a whole, as it allowed her to react and leap to great distances on a moment's notice.
"Do you... need some help?" While there was amusement in seeing Catra trembling in such a state, Glimmer couldn't help feel a little sorry for her. The girl wasn't even wearing high-heeled shoes yet she still walked around with as much coordination as a two-year-old trying to walk.
"N-Nope, I got it!" Catra said trying to contain a bit of her embarrassment as she took a slow step. "It's just one foot over the othER-!"
*crash!*
Glimmer and Bow closed their eyes briefly to avoid seeing the aftermath of the ensuing crash. If there was any karma from Catra lazily watching as the other two did the hard work of finding her a pair of shoes, it was the sight that greeted them.
Here she was, hope of the Rebellion, the proud and mighty She-Ra, displayed before them collapsed over her front with various boxes toppled over her and a dozen pair of shoes thrown around her entire body. While the boxes themselves weren't that surprising, what did catch them off guard was the sight of the large white shelf that toppled over her too, pinning her to the ground and covering over half her body, leaving only her torso, arms, and head sticking out from the massive pile.
Apparently her second attempt of walking while holding onto the shelf backfired as she refused to let go of the shelf even as she fell. While normally one wouldn't bring an entire shelf down upon them, she didn't know just how strong her She-Ra state had left her, allowing her to easily pull the entire seven foot tall, twenty-feet wide shelf down with her. To her, it hold no more weight than the average book. Sadly it came with all the pain of a full shelf pinning her stomach to the ground.
It took all of Glimmer and Bow's willpower to keep from making a face at the admittedly hilarious state Catra found herself in, Catra herself twitching a vein angrily, all because she wasn't used to wearing a simple pair of shoes.
"Not... a... word..."
...
...
*Clack!*
"Keep your guard up on your left Kyle, always defend your most vulnerable position immediately after an attack." Adora instructed as she watched several of the cadets training with batons.
Yesterday proved to be a stressful day for the newly promoted Force Captain. There were too many things she came across that would've driven anyone in her mad from insanity.
First and foremost, her best friend defected. The friend she knew for as long as she remembered, a fellow member of the Horde, and the very last person she ever thought would betray them, defected to the enemy's side. It wasn't just the fact she defected at all that bothered her, it was the fact she couldn't tell if she was in control of herself or if she was being manipulated and brainwashed by the Princesses of Etheria. All things considered, she was hoping that was the case.
Secondly, she discovered just ten minutes into her very first mission just how horrific the war was. Their mission wasn't to some secret facility or some stronghold that she wanted to save Catra from, it was just a simple village full of innocent townspeople! She couldn't believe what she was doing, comprehend that this was what the Horde had always been doing since the war started. Attacking an innocent village that appeared to be no threat to the Horde? That sounded like something the princesses would do, and she refused to believe they were as evil as they were! She needed proof, she demanded proof!
Unfortunately, that proof came in the form of Shadow-Weaver, the closest thing Adora had to a mother around here and the only person Adora found herself able to trust at this time. Shadow-Weaver wasted no time preparing for every eventuality, including this. She showed Adora various details and data revolving around the mission to Thaymor, including a dozen caches of weaponry and documents detailing various research and developments the Rebellion was working on. None of it was forged, none of it was faked. Adora made certain everything was as Shadow-Weaver described it.
She just didn't know all of it had been smuggled into the city before her arrival by Shadow-Weaver's hand, whether or not directly.
Since then, she's been doing everything in her power to keep herself distracted, waiting for Shadow-Weaver's promise of proof that everything they were forced to do was necessary. She didn't want to think of everything she's been through in the last day, all the lies or half truths she's been told all her life. And she found the best way of keeping herself distracted was training the other cadets and friends she's known through her life.
She watched diligently as the cadets fought against each other with batons in the training room, specifically Lonnie, Rogelio and Kyle themselves. Just standing here, watching them train and have fun while they were doing it, it reminded her of the good times she used to have when they were all together, Catra included. At least in those times, she believed in everything without an ounce of doubt in her mind. Here, she was lucky enough to find something to take her mind off such thoughts.
"Ahh!" Kyle yelped as he was tackled by Lonnie, the older and tougher girl tackling him off his feet from the side. The girl just grinned to herself as she raised her baton again, seeing her moment to strike while Kyle remained disoriented.
"Heads up!" She warned, raising the baton above her head. A simple tap on their combat vests was all she needed to claim victory, having beaten Rogelio a minute ago, yet the punky teen seemed more insistent on bringing pain to her enemies than victory to her allies. Right before she could land the finishing blow however, she found herself stalled as something grabbed on to her baton from behind. Turning, she found an annoyed Adora looking at her with a slightly stern look on her face.
"That's enough." She deemed, walking over and helping Kyle over to his feet. "You don't have to go overboard here, Lonnie. It's just a training exercise, not a real fight." She took note of the fact Lonnie's tackle was technically illegal for a sparring match as she spoke.
"Oh come on, I barely hit the pipsqueak!" Lonnie grumbled. "Besides, do you think the princesses are going to show restraint? We need to use any and all means to help us if we're going to win this war."
"Just because the princesses fight unfairly doesn't mean we have to." Adora insisted. "We need to show Etheria that we're better than them, that we're all allies here."
"Tch, that's a laugh." Lonnie mumbled rolling her eyes. It was at that time Rogelion made his way over to the group, still silent as ever.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What do you think it means? Have you noticed a certain feline missing around us lately?" Kyle and Rogelio shot each other an uneasy look. Not out of what she said, but who she was saying it to. "Where is the little furball anyway?"
"Catra's..." She turned away a little as she spoke. "Catra's been brainwashed by the princesses, all right? I don't know what they did to her but I know we'll get her back."
"Oh really? Cause that's not what I heard."
"L-Lonnie, maybe you shouldn't-" Kyle tried to warn.
"What? Tell her the truth?" She interrupted as she shot him a look. "That little kitty cat here never wanted anything to do with the Horde to begin with?"
"What do you mean?" A small weight began forming in Adora's chest.
"What do I think I mean, little miss Captain?" She sneered. "I'm saying Catra betrayed us because she wanted to! She didn't care about anything, she's always been in it for herself!"
"T-That's not true!" Adora tried to argue, though her voice wavered.
"Oh yeah? Did she care when she decided to leave in the first place? Did she insist on bringing you with her when she left us?"
"Yes!... I... I mean..." It was painful to recall everything after the previous day's events.
...
"Then I'll come with you." It was moments like these Catra really hated. Her friend always insisting on doing whatever it took to help without realizing how much trouble it would cause the both of them eventually.
"Absolutely not! If Shadow Weaver finds out you left because of me, she'll skin me alive!" She stammered.
"But Catra-"
"Look, if I go to the forest and don't find anything, I promise to come all the way back and we can go to the infirmary together. If I do find something, I'll bring it back and that'll be my proof about everything. Okay?" That was the only agreement Catra could think of at that moment, the increasing ringing becoming harder and harder to concentrate and plan out with each passing seconds.
Sadly, Adora was still having a problem processing this. It was her fault in the first place that any of this happened after borrowing a skiff. If she hadn't done that in the first place, they never would've gone on a wild ride through the Fright Zone, entered the Whispering Woods, get Catra knocked out of it from a hundred feet in the air, and finally end up with what appeared to be brain damage. There was too much of a guilt factor on her end of things. "I don't know... Do you absolutely promise to come back if you don't find anything?"
"Just give me two hours, three tops." Catra smiled, relieved that she was finally reaching some common ground with her only friend.
Perhaps a little too relieved as she didn't bother waiting for Adora to finish her reply. "Well... I don't-"
"Great, knew you'd understand. Gotta go!" Catra quickly sputtered as she quickly and quietly rushed down the hallway.
"Catra? Catra! Ugh..." This day kept getting more worrying for the young girl.
...
"Your little friend never cared about any of us since day one." Lonnie continued to talk down as Adora lowered her head. "She didn't care about who she hurt, she didn't care about who was involved, and she didn't care about you. All that little freak ever wanted was whatever benefitted herself. End. Of. Story."
"..."
Kyle and Rogelio looked at one another nervously. They knew how Catra was a close friend to Adora compared to the rest of them, heck she was the only one Catra was friends with, and everyone else within the Horde knew it. They knew about the rebellious magicat and the blond friend who would get into all sorts of trouble together and all sorts of mischief. It wasn't always in good fun, but the two were inseparable.
"...push ups..." Adora muttered.
"What?" Lonnie nearly flinched as Adora grabbed the collar of her vest, pulling her closer so she could see the anger burning in Adora's eyes.
"I said push ups! One-Hundred of them! Now!" She ordered.
What little chance and resistance Lonnie planned to put up were immediately dashed as she saw past Adora's shoulder, towards the corridor of the training room. There, she spotted the floating mass that was one of Shadow-Weaver's shadows, the strange semi-living entity that could see all it needed to and show Shadow-Weaver in turn. It's presence alone was enough to keep Lonnie from asking questions or disobeying orders.
Adora's word was Shadow-Weaver's word. Her orders were Shadow-Weaver's. Cross Adora, and you would feel the unholy wrath that Shadow-Weaver would plague upon you.
Grumbling to herself at the situation, Lonnie swallowed her pride as she got down on all fours, keeping to herself as she counted.
Adora didn't like that.
"I want to hear you count!" She ordered, pressing her foot onto Lonnie's back. The girl grumbled louder at this but refused to bark back.
"One... Two... Three..." It took all of her energy to resist lashing out in anger at this. She was irritated with Adora, now more than ever, but she would never try to cross Shadow-Weaver and get on her bad side.
Not like Catra did.
"I want you two to resume training until she finishes counting. Ok?" Adora ordered in a somewhat softer tone. The two cadets nodded to this as they resumed fighting each other with the batons. "I didn't say to stop counting! Start over!" Adora shouted down to Lonnie, continuing to apply pressure to her back. It was becoming harder to bite back the urge to shout at the Force Captain.
Catra was her dear friend. Perhaps sister, perhaps something else. They played together, they lived together, they learned together, they cried together, they did everything together. Catra was one of the few people that made Adora genuinely smile and vice versa, neither of them tiring of each other's company. When one of them got sick, the other stayed by their side. When one of them were sad, the other wanted to know what was wrong. It was this pairing that helped each other get through the best of times and the worst of times, no matter how often they occurred.
She was her dear friend. Adora would continue to fight to get her back and find out who she could trust. And she would NOT tolerate anyone trying to insult her or accuse her of treason as long as she was around...
...
...
"Ok, we're here!" Glimmer announced as they finally arrived to the meeting room.
"Finally!" Catra groaned walking past the two.
The walk to the Meeting Room had been... less than fun for a certain ex-Horde member of the Rebellion. After struggling and failing to walk so much as 5 feet through the Dressing Room, she found herself forced to rely on an all too eager Glimmer who was more than happy to help her new ally walk around the first minute.
Mostly because she wasted no time taunting and cooing at her like she was a one-year-old trying to learn to walk. "Take my hand" would be her first taunt, followed by others such as "look at you learning to walk". Not just the fact the Queen already has her on a tight leash but because they're now allies is the only reason Catra found to not scratch her face.
No matter how tempting it got.
After getting her bearings though she found herself adjusting to the new boots quite well. She still preferred her no-shoe policy, which Glimmer was fine with as long as they were outside the castle walls, but she did at least find them comfortable enough to walk around with. If it wasn't for the fact they reduced her ability to take great leaps or cling to surfaces, thanks to missing about half her claws with this, she would've considered using them everywhere.
Entering the room, she found the scenery quite nicely, for a meeting room anyway. All around them the walls were painted with vast, numerous, pale drawings depicting several kings and queens all across the room, each of them with a piece of a star's light illuminating over their hand. Along with this, there were moons on each of the walls, each with a shadow cast over a certain portion of it. From front to back, it casted a full moon, slowly darkening to one side of the room until it came back full circle.
Even the ceiling itself was was adorned with a giant majestic jewel that gazed over the giant round table in the middle. Just like the walls there was an array of moons over the ceiling, each casting it's own shadow over a portion of it as well as a different portion of the light.
This room had the perfect semblance of a Meeting Room for a Castle. Everything about it was elegant, proper, and beautiful.
And yet, strangely empty.
"Look's more like an art gallery than a meeting room." Catra commented looking over the walls.
"Is that She-ra?" Catra's ears perked up as she overheard the whispering from the only two other generals of the meeting. It didn't matter how quiet one was when they whispered near the girl. If someone was in the same room as Catra, she could pick up on almost everything within thirty feet.
"She looks so much more different than what I imagined." The purple one replied quietly.
"Come on, the meeting's about to start." Glimmer stated as she walked by Catra.
"Start?" Catra looked around the room, realizing out of the dozen or so chairs that occupied it, the only two other people aside from themselves and the two at the table were the guards. "Isn't it a little early to start? There's barely anyone here. Where are the others?"
"This is all the others." Glimmer replied solemnly as Catra followed her. "The Rebellion had a big defeat years ago, and most of the old princesses gave up. Now all the kingdoms keep to themselves. And the princesses do the same."
"Other than Spinnerella and Netossa." Bow added taking his seat. "Hey, guys!" He waved. The two gave him a simple smile as they waved back. "We're not really sure what they do." He whispered.
"Well this keeps looking more and more promising." Catra muttered taking a seat next to Bow. Finding it a little uncomfortable, she tried making the most of the seat as she leaned in as far as the chair would let her, relaxing her feet over the table. First she finds out the other princesses weren't even a part of their Rebellion anymore, and the supposed other leaders of the Rebellion only consisted of two other people. She couldn't wait to see the meeting take place and learn they were planning to surrender the very next day.
Right after she joined.
It was then that she noticed the panicked and worried expressions of the surrounding allies, half of them looking ready for a heart attack, and the other half prepared to jump out of their seats in a hurry. "What?" The She-Ra raised her brow before looking to her feet. "Oh come on, don't tell me you're too stuck up for manners. At least the shoes are clean."
"That's not your chair!" Bow whispered worriedly.
"Who's chair is it then?" Almost immediately she felt the familiar drop of temperature that she alone seemed able to feel. As expected, looking to her right, she found the leader of the Rebellion, Queen Angella, looking sternly at her.
"That's my husband's chair." Her tone was cold, angry, and firm. As opposed to anyone who would have the more logical sense to either vacate the chair immediately or apologize for taking the wrong spot, Catra just made herself more relaxed as she closed her eyes uncaringly.
"Oh yeah? Where is the old stiff?"
"Oh my god, she did not just say that..." Glimmer facepalmed.
"I haven't seen the guy since I got here." Opening her eyes again, confusion sank into her mind. All around her were dropped jaws, save for Glimmer who still had a hand over her face, shocked expressions, and silent gasps. Even the guards looked to themselves a little disturbed. All of them were acting like Catra just came to this meeting completely in Horde armor, never announced, and had never met any of these people before today. "What?" That was when she noticed the Queen again, her majesty seeming to do everything in her power to contain her anger in her squeezing fist.
"Ha ha ha, what a kidder, right mom?" Glimmer joked panicking, quickly teleporting to Catra's side and teleporting back to her chair with Catra sitting next to her. Still confused about everyone's behavior, Catra leaned over a little to the sparkler girl.
"I don't get it, what's everyone so worked up about?"
"My dad died a long time ago fighting in the war." Glimmer muttered back.
"...Oh..." She couldn't tell which dropped first. Her tail, her ears, her face, her dignity, her respect, her pride, or any chance of getting so much as an ounce towards the Queen's good side.
All at once the gravity of the situation hit Catra like a ton of bricks. She felt a small rain cloud of terror looming over her head. Looming over that was a cloud of sheer terror. Looming over that was her conscious telling her she had a good life. And looming over that was a guillotine, one specially designed by the Queen herself that would ensure Catra felt nothing but absolute pain and misery during those brief few seconds between life and Catra finding out her head was missing.
Knowing the Queen as she did up to now, that would be her being merciful too.
Taking a moment to herself, patting the back of the large chair that reminded her of her dearly beloved, the Queen released all her anger silently as she took her seat. "I've asked you here because I received a distress call from Princess Perfuma. The Horde is laying siege to her kingdom. She's asking Bright Moon for assistance. General?" She called over as a dark-skinned soldier took her place standing next to her.
"Perfuma's kingdom, Plumeria, is located near the front lines." Catra watched as the table itself came to life, displaying a pink holographic image of the land, while she spoke. "The Horde has set up camp in her territory, cutting off their main supply route." She directed with a small rod.
"Bright Moon will provide food and humanitarian aid." Angella announced.
"Ooh ooh ooh! I have a better idea!" Glimmer rose from her seat enthusiastically. "We-"
"Fight the Horde?" Her mother cut her off, hearing the suggestion a thousand times. "Glimmer, you propose the idea at every meeting."
"No," Glimmer tried thinking of a way to reword her suggestion with a nervous smile, "I was going to say let's use aggressive fist-to-face sparkles."
"As much as I hate to agree with her, she has a point." Glimmer was a little surprised to hear Catra taking her side. "It doesn't matter how much aid you send their way, the Horde's just going to keep coming."
"The answer is still no. Now sit down." The Queen stood assertively with her wings out. Any hope Glimmer had to raising an objection to the reply quickly dwindled with her mother's firm tone.
"...Your majesty, if I can make a suggestion," Bow spoke up as he stood, "why don't you have us lead the relief mission?" He said gesturing to the three of them. "We can provide food and aid to the kingdom, and Catra can provide aid if the Horde attacks."
The Queen looked at Catra warily at this, Catra herself looking away a little nervous. Withholding the fact she just insulted her husband and King before the meeting had even begun, there was still a trust value she was going to have to get over involving the ex-Horde member. Whether or not she could turn into She-Ra, there was only so much the Queen could end up losing within her life before her world shattered.
Like her daughter and her friend that she would be tasked with protecting.
"I actually think that's a great idea." Spinnerella replied supportively. "It would give the locals a chance to see the infamous She-Ra themselves and raise morale."
"Huff... Very well." Angella sighed in reluctance, much to Glimmer and Bow's joy. "You will deliver food and supplies to Plumeria. And under no circumstances will any of you engage the Horde." Catra could feel her piercing gaze as she spoke, feeling as if she was only telling her out of the three. "You will leave at dawn."
Glimmer and Bow looked at each other with excitement at the statement. It was rare that the Queen allowed the two of them to partake in any mission, often finding themselves in a mission once out of every five or so meetings, and now with a new ally in their midst! And while Catra herself was a little bummed about not being able to engage in any fun, aka fighting and beating the snot out of the Horde, she was at least looking forward to a chance to explore the world, and more importantly, get away from the Queen who continued to loathe her from a distance.
And starting tomorrow, her first mission as She-Ra would kick off!
...
"Achoo!" Catra sneezed wiping her nose again. "I hate this place already." The girl was groggy, tired, and finding herself sneezing rather frequently as the trio traversed Plumeria while pulling the cart of supplies behind them.
At first, she thought she was going to be in for a spot of fun! She would get to see the world, go on missions, and looked forward to any excuse to kick someone in the face she knew from the Horde. To top it off, she was still in her She-Ra form, the form strangely not having removed since the day prior, throughout the journey. It was weird but it felt like the longer she wore it, the more it was slowly draining her energy. Maybe it was, or maybe it was the fact every time she found herself asleep she kept having more unwanted visions of her past.
Sadly reality kicked in for Catra as she traveled through the new kingdom, finding out just how fun the mission was going to be. For the last several hours the trio had walked, each taking turns pulling the cart at hourly intervals to conserve strength. While it was far easier for Catra to given her new form, it was still just as taxing as the lack of sleep and recent runny nose kept her from preforming at her peak state.
"Did you get a cold last night?" Bow asked looking back as they walked.
"No, I was perfectly fine this morning!" She retorted. "My nose just got a little runny within the last half hour alone."
"Maybe you're not used to all the pollen around here?" Glimmer wondered aloud.
"Pollen?"
"Yeah, it usually spreads between the birds and bees around here. It helps them grow. Plumeria is known for it's beautiful and vast array of fauna, but you might not be used to it growing up in the Fright Zone." That made a bit of sense. Too much sense actually. Everyone in the Horde found it rare to find a single flower within the Fright Zone, save for potted plants that either the staff members had while teaching the children, or ones taught to them about the various poisonous ones that could be used against their enemies. And given Catra's enhanced senses, it made everything come together a little too perfectly for her taste.
"Is this pollen stuff deadly? Why aren't you guys sniffling or sn...sn... Achoo!" Catra's face momentarily fogged up as she let out another one. "Sneezing?"
"Well we're used to being surrounded by plants." Bow replied smiling back. "Heck I grew up in the woods myself, there was nothing but flowers and trees everywhere."
"If it makes you feel any better, it's a good sign that we're close." The violet princess said trying to raise her spirit. "We'll probably be at the village any minute now!"
"Good." She sniffled again. "I could use a break once we get there. I haven't slept in-"
...
...
"Mmmhhhmmm..."
"Catra?" The young five-year-old Adora rose from her bunk bed sleepily, wearing her grey woolen pants and shirt pajamas, as she rubbed her eyes. A child crying around the Fright Zone wasn't that uncommon. Usually if a kid got into trouble, got punished, or simply got scared, the latter usually being the most frequent case scenario, a kid would start crying for several minutes. It was another everyday part of life in the Horde the kids got used to, sometimes several kids throughout the day would cry, sometimes only one.
This time was a little different. Normally when one cried, it was throughout the day. This time, however, there was someone crying above her, in the middle of the night. While knowing it was Catra, her bunkmate, she didn't know what reason she had to cry or why she was doing it. Checking around to make sure everyone else was asleep, she quietly climbed the ladder at the foot of the bed, poking her head over the top to find the little bundle whimpering while her eyes were still closed.
"Catra?"
The other five-year-old quickly snapped her eyes open, turning over to find her little caller. "A-Adora?" Panic filled in her head as she did her best to wipe away the tears and snot flowing from her face. Another bit to living within the Horde was whether you were allowed to cry and when. If you were severely punished by the Horde, it was acceptable to cry. On the other and, if you found yourself crying because you were tired, crabby, or simply frightened of something, any of the children's staff members would make sure you had a real reason to cry. It was the Horde's way of toughening up the children quickly ,which, while cruel, proved effective. "W-What are you doing here?" She asked still sniffling.
"Were you crying?" The innocent child asked.
"N-N-No!" She took another moment to wipe her face again quickly. "I was just... just..." It was hard to think of what to say while she was in the middle of crying. Taking another quick look around, Adora quietly climb up to the bed itself, crawling over to her friends side while patting her shoulder.
"Hey, it's okay. Everything's going to be alright. I won't tell anyone, I promise." She assured. She watched as Catra continued to sniffle, incapable of stopping the flow of tears coming down her face. "Did you have a bad dream?" Catra lifting her weeping and sniffling face was all she needed to get a yes out of her. "It's okay. Remember what Shadow-Weaver said? It's okay to have many bad dreams as possible because eventually you'll get used to them, and it'll make you stronger!"
"I-I know but... But I..." Adora felt extremely sorry for her littler friend. Bad dreams were another common occurrence around the Fright Zone, especially among young children. It was rare that anyone had a bad dream so horrific though that they would end up crying upon waking up. Whatever Catra just experienced must've been something truly horrifying, maybe something along the lines of the evil princesses eating her or something.
"Would it help if I slept with you?" Adora offered, catching the young girl by surprise.
"S-Slept with me?" She meeped. Adora nodded her head with excitement as she pumped her fist.
"Yeah! That way if you have any bad dreams, I can punch those bad dreams away!"
"Mmh..." She didn't know what to say.
There wasn't anything wrong with a child comforting another child within the Horde, in fact it was actually one of the few things that were encouraged around here. It helped build trust and support amongst allies who the kids would be fighting alongside one day. It helped build teamwork skills and so forth.
Curiously enough, it was actually shunned by many of the kids themselves, the older ones at that. They took the teachings from the great leader Hordak quite seriously, and wanted to prove their loyalty and awesomeness by upholding his traditions of strength and power. They didn't allow anyone to help anyone else who appeared weak unless that someone was a part of their "gang", which in and of itself made no sense, but none of the younger kids questioned it. Almost all the facilities across the Fright Zone that housed the children had at least one kid that would form a gang. In this case, that person just happened to be Lonnie, the very same girl that was part of their dorm living quarters.
What it really came down to for Catra was Adora's involvement in this. She didn't want to have to worry about the horrifying dream she just had, still struggling to forget about it, but Adora actually helping her to get through it. The gangs that harassed anyone who needed help like this didn't just target the kids who needed it. They targeted both, the one in need and the one willing to provide help. They considered softhearted kids almost worse than the ones who needed the help in the first place.
It was like a commandment amongst the children, one that all of them knew of. Yet, despite knowing all of this, Adora offered to help the young girl. She was brave enough to help the young girl and didn't care if it caused trouble for her or not. The only one that did care was Catra herself.
"I... I don't know..." The girl mumbled looking away. "Y-You'll get in trouble, won't you?"
"Who cares about that?" Adora passed off with a smile. "I don't mind if they pick on me too. Plus, there's no trouble if we just sleep together, they don't even have to know I'm doing it to help you." She helped wipe away one of Catra's tears with a thumb, trying to dry the girl's face. "Ok?"
"...Ok..." With that, Adora pulled the girl over to her as the two settled into the bed once again, side by side. Catra shuffled a little as Adora hugged her closely and pulling the blanket over them. It comforted and let her know she would always be by her side. It helped somewhat as a small smile grew on Catra's face, one Adora was happy to see as the two of them finally closed their eyes.
The nightmares would never cease, but as long as they had each other, there was nothing the two would have to fear.
...
...
"Catra!" A flash of light went off in Catra's eyes again as she came to, seeing Bow and Glimmer's worried expressions as they stared at her. Blinking to herself, she looked around in confusion as she examined her surroundings again. They were still in the woods of Plumeria, the two of them staring at her while Catra was still standing where she did with the cart still firmly in her hands.
"Huh?" The other two sighed in relief as she finally came back to reality. "What just happened?"
"You tell us!" Bow replied. "You just stopped walking all of a sudden and stared off into space."
"I was?" She didn't know if she should be doubtful or skeptical of the accusation.
"Well, it was only for like ten seconds or something but-"
"But that can't be right!" Catra quickly interrupted Glimmer, snapping a little. "I mean I was there, I was..." She paused as she realized what she said, seeing the curiosity growing on both their faces.
"Where to?" Glimmer asked. "Catra, what are you talking about?"
"Mmh..." What the heck was going on here? That's like the third time she had a vision and it continued to be one she preferred locking away in her heart. At first she thought she only had to worry about these things whenever she passed out or fell asleep, but now she had to worry about them happening in the middle of anything else? Who on Etheria was messing with her like this?! "Forget about it." She muttered. "Are we almost there?"
If there was any bit of good news after what she went through, it was seeing Glimmer giving a small nod. "Y-Yeah, we're here." She directed looking back. Which was almost perfectly timed as Catra finally realized the sneezing had subsided too.
Following her gaze, Catra's demeanor reverted to a previously calm state, at least compared to the anxiety and anger she just felt, as she looked on ahead. In front of her, she saw what appeared more to be a camp site than a village with the numerous tents along the ground and the various tree houses she saw in the surrounding place. It had something of a more tranquil appearance to it compared to Thaymor, noticing how happy everyone seemed and peaceful they were while living in something Catra would consider shacks, at best.
"Welcome to Plumeria, the heart of Princess Perfuma's king-"
"Finally!" Catra huffed ignoring Glimmer's welcome. Wasting no time to find an excuse to relax after the long morning, she quickly lifted the cart above her head, feeling no heavier than the average book in her She-Ra state, and walked on ahead again.
"Catra, wait!" Glimmer called out as she and Bow ran passed her. "You can't just rush into a village like this, you might spook someone lifting something like that."
"Oh! You're here!" A voice cried out happily from behind. Looking back, the trio saw a grown woman at the front of a small crowd of people, quickly racing to them with sheer delight. "You're finally here!"
"Ah, Princess Perfuma." Glimmer greeted with an open hand. "I'm commander Glimmer. It's nice to finally meet-" Before she could finish her introductions, with a wave from Perfuma's hand, she found herself holding a bouquet of beautiful flowers, with a flower crown appearing over Bow's head several seconds later.
"Ooh, I get a hat!" He was loving this place already.
That was when Perfuma saw passed them, the one holy warrior that legend describes. All around the figure she saw a radiating aura of elegance, both literally and metaphorically. The same figure also shot her a look, albeit with more confusion, as the princess continued to stare at her with her mouth gaping open. This was followed by several more townspeople who started to gather by the dozens, all awing at amazement at the sight before them. It was like looking at the sight of a beautiful goddess, one stood for everything right and beautiful with the Universe. If anything, this person was the Universe, here to fulfill their wishes for peace across Etheria!
"Ooh!" Perfuma squealed. "Everyone, come quick! It's... it's..." She couldn't even finish her sentence as the excitement got to her. One after another, the townspeople ran past Glimmer and Bow, rushing to Catra's side as they all fawned over her with sparkles in their eyes. Catra folded her ears a little as she found herself a little questionable, unsure of what she should be feeling exactly. The townspeople looked over her from every angle, unable to comprehend who they were in the presence of, or the fact they lived to witness it themselves.
"The Universe had heard our pleas!" Perfuma continued in astonishment. "It's sent us the legendary She-Ra to save our home!" Looking past the crowd over to Glimmer and Bow, she decided to just roll with it as they gave her a small wave to go on.
"Umm... Yes, I uh..." It was hard to put on a serious face when this many people adored the sight of her. Wanting to catch her breath for a moment, she gently set the cart full of goods to her side, trying her best to be professional with the first group of people she's met since becoming She-Ra. "We have come here to...uhh... help with the assistance of this town...supplies and blockade and... and stuff..." What was this? Everything she said made her feel like an idiot yet the townspeople continued to gaze upon her, some of them actually tearing up with joy.
Like Perfuma herself. "Welcome to Plumeria, She-Ra!" With one proud welcome, Catra suddenly found herself completely surrounded now as the townspeople gathered around here. Somehow it got so bad she found a baby hugging onto her arms as if it wanted her too, just like the rest of the town did.
"Umm thanks... I think?" It was the most confusing predicament Catra found herself in as she handed the baby back to, hopefully, her mother, who was also hugging her. "Anyway, umm... thanks for the warm welcome... I guess, but we really should be getting back-"
"Oh no, you must stay!" Perfuma insisted running to cut her off again. "We need you here! We want you!" That was the first thing that made Catra legitimately curious.
"You... want me here?"
"Oh yes, yes!" It took all of her strength to keep from crying out in pure joy. "You're the one we've been waiting for for so long! We'd love to have you here! Everyone, let's welcome our beloved She-Ra!"
"She-Ra!"
"She-Ra!"
"She-Ra!"
Catra looked all around her as the townspeople cried out and cheered her name.
What... was this? It was weird. These people weren't fearful of her, they didn't question her odd looks, they just... welcomed her. They were actually happy to see her, not one of the pointing out her weird cat-like features or the fact she was some bizarre transforming cat who turned into a powerful warrior just by calling out some dumb phrase. It was weird, it was strange, it was...
Perfect!
This, this right here is everything Catra wanted when she finally had her own kingdom. She wanted to see the thousands, if not millions of townspeople who would cry out her name in glory whenever she passed by! She wanted to feel like they wanted her for herself, not just because of what she could do or what she was capable of! She could even see herself greeting her kingdom's capitol every morning. Stretching out of bed, walking over to the balcony, and a simple wave to the masses of townspeople that would applaud and cheer her name as they greeted her and the brand new day!
It was just too beautiful for words to describe to herself. Everything around here was perfect, everyone around her had the right idea to be blessed and welcoming of the great hero she was! And she was going to relish every second of it. With a grin, she wasted no time flexing before them, watching and enjoying the sight of them cheering even louder in applause.
"Well, if I'm going to be welcomed so warmly, who am I to say no?" She commented with a smug grin. "I can even tell you guys some of my heroics if you want..." It didn't matter what she would tell these guys as she walked past them. Knowing them as she did now, they would believe anything she had to say, the townspeople following right behind her as they continued their praises and cheers.
As they walked, a certain Princess found herself worried about the sudden turn of events. Their mission was solely to bring aid and assistance to the townspeople as needed. Sure, she wouldn't mind getting into some Horde action if the situation called for it, but now she just found herself in a new dilemma, one she curses for not thinking about earlier.
She just brought the princess of all egomaniacs in the world to a village that worshipped She-Ra as a goddess. Only difference was that they weren't worshipping a goddess.
They were worshipping Catra.
"Uhh Bow, do you think we should maybe pull her out of here?" Glimmer asked, waiting a few seconds for any response before turning to him. "Bow?"
"She-Ra! She-Ra! She-Ra!" Well that explained the lack of response. Finding himself getting in on the action and the fun, Bow couldn't help himself as he rallied in cheer along with everyone else, pumping his fist in the air along with them with every beat. Glimmer groaned to herself as she slumped, realizing how she was the only one taking any of this seriously.
"This day can only get worse from here..."
...
...
...
A/N: Hopefully the slightly larger size plus the new kick-butt intro to this made the wait worthwhile ^^ Again huge shout out and thanks to nightmaster003(000 on fanfiction) for his grand help in making the intro! Outta curiosity do you guys just want the intro for the first part of every episode, or all parts throughout the series, bonus episodes aside?
Also for those wondering: Yes, you have NOOOOOOO idea how badly i wanted to make the obvious "sleeping with someone/her" joke in the opening of this fic XP in fact I already wrote out several paragraphs at first before deleting them. Reason being? Simply for the fact that I hold true to my genre, demographic, rating, etc. in keeping this a K+ rated series, ages 7+, for the kiddies, and wasn't sure if that kind of joke would get me a T-rating or not.
Most likely yes XP.
Anyway not much else to say here aside from thanks. Now for my favorite portion of the day where I read my own chapter and groan every time I find one typo/error i correct, re-edit, re-post, then find more I missed, at least 30 times repeatedly XP.
Anyway, leave a like, fave, review if you enjoyed, and hope to see you soon!