A/N: I think I can summarize this episode as my least favorite episode of the first 13. Not that it's genuine bad or anything, but honestly when it gets down to it, it's literally a whole lot of walking and talking. Which I don't have a problem with either (especially since my fic's been nothing but that half the time since I have a lot of separate chapters per episode XP), but because of that it's kinda hard to find a good spot to leave a potential ending/cliffhangar on XP.
Anyway, enjoy!
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...
"Ha!"
*swiff*
"Grrr!"
*swiff*
"Haha!" Catra cheered as she swung her sword again for nearly the hundredth time.
It was a rather momentous occasion for the young magicat, and why wouldn't it be? After the last several weeks to months since her last transformation in Salineas, the infamous She-Ra, the one Catra could never get transformed into, was finally back! She was the amazing and hopeful symbol of the Rebellion again after all of this time!
Sure, she didn't bother trying to transform after her last attempts. Having met Adora at the edge of Salenias, she tried to transform. She tried so hard to return to the heroic figure when she needed it most, when she needed to show Adora that she was telling her the truth about everything she said. Yet, no matter how much she tried, no matter how many times she repeated the sacred phrase, she could never transform. The form never came to her and she lost the only chance she had to bring Adora over to their side.
Since that day, she's refrained from ever using the sword's power, save for a natural weapon that could cut into things. It was barely any better than her claws at this point, except she didn't need to worry about breaking it against most of the stuff she struck against, and it was the second closest thing she had to proof that she was, indeed, She-Ra. Regardless of whatever spite she had for the stupid blade that never answered her call, carrying it alone proved to have its advantages.
She almost forgot how good it felt when she transformed into She-Ra too! Whenever she donned the incredible form her state of being improved in a variety of ways! She could run faster, lift objects almost five times greater than what she currently could, and jumping around had never been so much fun! With her already-heightened agility giving her a greater boost than most people, she could leap a good ten to twenty feet in the air!
Considering all she's had to put up with up to this point, she found it all the more reasonable that this sword should gift her with amazing abilities as such.
"Okay, we've seen you swing around the sword for the last ten minutes." Glimmer said, continuing to stand in the same spot patiently for awhile now.. "Any chance you could get on to the healing?"
"Uh...Yeah, of course." Catra's reply didn't come without a nervous tone behind it.
Outside of her incredible might, she's heard of the many whimsical and fantastical tales of what She-Ra's been able to do. From staring down the mighty Whiteback with her sheer strength of will, to healing the environment with the stroke of her hand, She-Ra was renowned for preforming miracles across the world over!
Which is extremely unfortunate for Catra's case because, outside of the few times she's managed to transform it into a shield, thanks to the events of Mystacor at that, she hasn't been able to preform any of said feats! She hasn't even mastered transforming into She-Ra yet, what were her chances of preforming some sort of miracle to heal Glimmer on her first try?
"I just got to um..." Catra examined the sword from every angle, tapping on the jewel embedded in the center of the hilt. "Maybe... it's... voice activated." Raising the sword flatly against the top of Glimmer's head, she gave it a soft tap as she tried to get it to work. "Heal! ...Uh... Restore! ...Maybe I have to use the edge instead?"
"Heh, uhhh who's ready to stop messing around with sharp objects?" Bow chuckled nervously as he sat at bench near the window. It might be crazy to some people, but for some reason, he was having a nervous panic attack at the idea of hitting Glimmer with anything as sharp as a sword. "Hey, look, I am!" He announced raising his hand.
"Maybe if you point it at me?" Glimmer suggested.
"Or, unpopular opinion," Bow added, running between the friends, "we don't point the dangerous sword Catra doesn't know how to work yet?"
"It's fine, relax." Catra grinned, easily brushing off Bow's nervousness. "For all we know, anything I try isn't going to work."
"Annnnd for all we know, you could end up blasting a perfectly symmetrical hole into our dear friend's stomach?"
"Maybe it's like a motion." Glimmer guessed with a shrug. "Like a jabbing motion? Or a strike?"
"Like a stab!"
"Yeah!"
"Do you want to get hit with a sword?!" The archer stammered, having the only bit of common sense around here.
"Would you relax already?I told you I got this!" Catra assured confidently.
"You also said you wouldn't be able to transform a minute ago."
"Yeah, well... S-Shut up!" Catra's vein twitched with annoyance. "I just need to focus entirely on healing, that's all." With that frame of mind, Catra focused her breathing as she raised the sword above Glimmer's head. "Ok, just concentrate... Concentrate... Concentrate..." Catra muttered to herself.
"Am I the only one who cares about sword safety around here?" Bow asked covering his hand over his eyes, opening his fingertips to grab a nervous peek.
"Shhh!" She-Ra shushed, maintaining her stance. "Okay, come on... concentrate..." She truly had no idea what she was doing at this point. As much as she didn't want to agree with him, Bow was right. She barely had a clue on how to get this sword to work when she wanted, and she's never preformed a magnificent feat such as this. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes again as she prepared for whatever miracle was about to be preformed.
Come ooon... heeeal... There was any number of ways this could've turned out.
It could end up the way Glimmer prayed for at this point in which she was fully healed, nobody got hurt, and her mother would never have to find out in time for the dinner she had planned tonight. It could also end up the way Catra wanted in which she preformed whatever miracle she could and it meant she could do anything with the sword once she preformed this simple healing magic. And it could possibly end up the way Bow expected in which he'd have one less friend, another one in jail forever, and he would get executed for no apparent reason.
He'd much rather stick with either of the two others in the room than his own.
As she concentrated, Glimmer started to notice a faint blue glow emanating from the sword, one that caused her to speak out in excitement. "It's working!"
"Huh?" Catra popped one eye opened, trying to maintain her concentration while looking at the blade itself. Much to her surprise, as Glimmer had stated, the sword was indeed glowing, giving off a vibrant sky-colored blue as it sparked with energy. "Hey, it is!"
"Yup! Told ya you could do it." Glimmer nodded with enthusiasm. "I'm pretty sure I feel something-"
*rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrttttttttttttt*
"Ahhhhhhhh!" It was with the cry of agony that everyone finally realized what that something was. It wasn't a miracle being preformed or a magical spell of healing washing over her. It was an aura of pain and misery, a red aura that swept across the Princess of Bright Moon without mercy. The princess's experience with this aura of dark energy continued to torment her with an increasingly painful detail each and every time these flashes of pain were brought up. A part of her wondered if she would've been dead by now if she wasn't half-immortal like her mother.
Collapsing onto the cushion behind her, Glimmer gasped for breath when the aura finally dissipated, leaving a worn out face on the princess and a worried look shared with her close friend, Bow. At the same time, it left a look of defeat, uncertainty, and disappointment on the one known as Catra, who almost looked sickened with regret.
"It... It didn't work..."
...
...
*clunk*
"Phew." Adora sighed in relief, wiping the last drain of sweat from her forehead as she backed up.
*rrrrrrrrrt*
Adora watched as the bot's laser fired in-between the crevices of the last stone block she placed, sealing the wall in place at long last. It was nice knowing they had a bot to help them with repairs, even if it was the same bot who ripped a hole in the wall to begin with.
"So... sorry again about the wall." Entrapta apologized, scratching the back of her head with her own hair. Adora gave her a natural smile at this all the same.
"Hey, don't worry about it." She replied.
Twenty minutes ago might've been a grand, momentous, occasion for the Horde, as well as one of the most stressful mornings in Adora's life leading to it. The girl was in an emotional wreck after everything that's happened between the Princess's escape and Catra reclaiming her sword. Out of her contributions to the Horde and her efforts, Lord Hordak decided to take leniency on the girl for allowing them to escape and gave her one week to contribute something as good or greater than what she lost.
Almost immediately after that she was given a sly suggestion from Shadow Weaver how if someone were to replace Hordak that nobody would have anything to worry about, and Adora could spare Catra's life given the policy regarding defectors and traitors within the Horde. She didn't have much care for her own life if her actions lead to the downfall of the Horde itself, but there was still a geyser of care that the Force Captain had for Catra herself.
Naturally, it also left her with an overwhelming sense of worry and fear, finding herself stuck between two situations that she had to tell Scorpia about. It didn't matter to Scorpia what she picked, knowing Adora's good-nature heart, as she promised to stick by her side whichever path she decided to go with.
That was when they happened upon a purple-haired scientist, the Princess of Dryl, known as Entrapta.
They were relatively surprised to find her in the vents of all places. As opposed to anyone else who would've locked her up immediately or interrogated her harshly, Adora took sincere pity on the girl. To her, she found Entrapta to be another victim of circumstance, seeing how Entrapta was left behind by her allies who came here to rescue Glimmer and Bow in the first place.
She also saw the potential she had to offer to the Horde with her scientific ingenuity and her technical capabilities, such as the bot she named Emily, who was capable of blasting a three foot hole into the walls of the interrogation room. Even if she didn't want to join the Horde, she couldn't let Entrapta be harmed by her fellow allies, knowing what she was going through after being abandoned by the people she thought were her friends.
Fortunately, convincing her to join their side didn't seem that much of a stress either since she was infatuated by the Horde's technologies and sciences she's seen since coming to the Fright Zone. To her, it was like a toy factory, finding each and every little thing to be an absolute dream to play with.
"You're not mad?" Entrapta was rather surprised by the lack of anger emanating from the girl.
"I already told you no one's going to judge you on your faults around here." That was Adora's philosophy with the Horde and the one she was sticking to. "Honestly, I'm actually amazed. You built an entire bot on your own while living in the vents for the past two days!" Adora squatted in front of the robot as she examined it's sensors, patting the bot like Entrapta had done earlier.
"Sure did! Not only that, but she's better than ever!"
"I'll say." Scorpia tested the durability as she tapped the last stone block placed before leaning against it. "I don't think we've had anyone whose managed to make a hole in the wall of this size before."
*crash!*
The hole in the wall that was repaired came tumbling down soon after as Scorpia accidentally pushed right through it, coating the room with a small bit of dust and debris that the other two girls shielded their eyes from. When it finally settled, they saw the aftermath of Scorpia's accident as half the wall was in pieces again, the girl slowly pulling herself out of the rubble a little sore from the debris. "...I can fix that."
"Not only is she stronger, she also has increased weapons capabilities and she's affectionate, too." Entrapta added, patting the bot's head again which gave off a joyful hum. "Who knows how much more powerful she could be if I just had access to the First Ones' tech. I don't suppose you have any here, do you?"
"The... First Ones?" Adora rubbed her chin at the question.
"The First Ones! You know, advanced technology left behind by a lost civilization? Makes modern innovations look like children's toys? I've been attempting to integrate First Ones tech into my experiments for years, but my understanding of their code is still rudimentary." The scientist explained as she pulled out a data pad. Her hair hastily clicked away at the research and details of everything she's found and how little of it. "If I could just find the key to their language, there's no telling what I could build!"
"You mean... if you found something like that you could make machines more powerful than this?"
"Are you kidding?! Such a find could yield almost unlimited power!" Entrapta squealed, shaking Adora by her shoulders with excitement.
So if I could find something to bring back to her... I could atone to Lord Hordak for what I've done, and I wouldn't have to think of overthrowing him! Adora already had a dozen thoughts forming in the edges of her mind, thinking of the possibilities this could mean.
"Do you know where I can find any of this First Ones' tech?"
"It's buried all over the planet." Entrapta replied as Scorpia continued trying to repair the stacks of blocks she knocked over. Despite her best efforts, she was having trouble trying to reinsert the blocks in the same fashion as Adora did, the smoothed edges making it harder to stay in place. "It gives off a signal that can be traced. Lately, I've been tracking the strongest signal I've ever seen. It must be a massive stash!"
"Where?
*rumble*
The two were caught by the sound of the blocks coming apart again, looking back to see a struggling Scorpia trying to grab the many pieces that started to fall again. "Huh..." After failing to catch five out of the seven blocks she could, she quickly decided to back herself up to the wall as a means to hide it, hoping nobody else would notice.
"...Anyway, Entrapta," Adora continued, "if I found any of this stuff, do you think you'd be willing to help the Horde then?"
"Are you kidding? I'd be eternally grateful!" She was a scientist above all else after all! How could she possibly pass up the hundreds upon hundreds of inventions she could make if she ended up with a single piece of First Ones' technology?!
Without hesitation, the scientist quickly plucked out another data pad from her hair, calculating and inputting the various codes and details one would need with finding the First Ones' tech. "I've triangulated the signal to somewhere in the Whispering Woods. The whole shifting landscape thing makes for complicated variables, but I've created a map that's accurate within two quadrants."
"And where would I go to find this map?" Adora was trying to contain her own excitement, trying not to seem overeager for what could potentially be a treasure trove of resources.
"Right in front of you!" Entrapta revealed, handing over the fully functional data pad she spent three seconds processing. "Like any good scientist, I carry everything I need on my person." Thankfully for her, the data pad was already prepped and ready for Adora's use as it displayed a map with the First Ones' energy signature coming off of it. She grinned to herself as she walked around the room a bit, getting a feel for how the data pad tracked the energy's signature.
"This is amazing... We could save so many lives with this technology! We could defend ourselves better with this kind of stuff!" It brightened Entrapta's mood to see Adora's ideals with the technology. As an old saying goes that she once heard, a weapon doesn't have to be meant to take lives- it can also be used to save them.
And technology was no exception to this rule!
Finally having a feel for the data pad, she made her way over to her friend as she continued her numerous failed attempts at rebuilding the wall. "Scorpia, this could be it!" She whispered softly. "I could give Hordak more than he ever asked for with this stuff! I might even get a free pass if I messed anything else up in the future!"
"Oh boy!" Scorpia chirped, rubbing her eager claws with excitement. "He'll be so happy, I bet he'll even promote you to... to..." Pausing, she poked her chin as she tried to think. "What comes up Force Captain?"
"I don't know, but that could work too!" Adora realized, thankful for Scorpia's additional comment. "If he promoted me to a rank as high as Shadow Weaver's, I wouldn't have to betray Hordak, I wouldn't be forced to obey Shadow Weaver's orders to do it, and Hordak would never have to know! It's perfect!"
"I hope it's perfect!" Entrapta said, poking her head into the conversation. "I wanna build something biiiiiiiiig!" The girl's excitement was evident by the large stretch of hair she exaggerated with, her face beaming with joy and wonder.
"And you'll get to." Adora nodded assuring. "Scorpia, why don't you keep Entrapta some company while you get the..." Adora checked the status of the crumbling wall, watching as another stone slid out after a few seconds of waiting. "...wall... repaired. I'll check out this First Ones' stuff."
"Are you sure you don't want some help?" There was an ounce of concern in her voice as she asked. "It might be dangerous."
"Thanks, but I'll be fine. I got my headband, remember? Besides, I think I need to do it alone, anyway. If I got anyone else involved, I might only get half the credit for this." That was the one underlying concern Adora did have throughout all of this.
Exactly to what extend did she have to provide a significant contribution to the Horde, and how much credit would she get if she did it by herself or not? With this in mind, she decided to go about it on her own, waving to the two as she set out to make preparations for her journey, leaving Entrapta and Scorpia to tend to their own agenda.
"So..." Entrapta began, looking up to the over-sized princess. "...What's the policy on what I can and can't dissect around here?"
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...
"C-Catra, put the dresser down!" Glimmer pleaded, trying to push her arm away as she held it above her head.
"I will as soon as you get out of the way!" Catra, still in her She-Ra form, yelled angrily, holding the three-hundred pound purple dresser above her head.
"We mean on something other than your sword!" Bow restated, trying to block the drop zone as he stood over the sword.
"I've had it with this stupid sword!" She continued to yell.
This was the final straw! Every single day, if it wasn't one thing with this sword it was another! She could never get the stupid sword to work when she wanted to, she's barely used the sword other than for it's intended stabbing uses, and she hasn't preformed one act of magic with the sword except using it as a glow stick by this point.
This sword has continued to be an everlasting nuisance for the magicat ever since she got it! It never let her transform when she wanted to, it never answered her call more than ninety percent of the time she's called on it, and she couldn't even get the stupid thing to heal somebody when they really needed it. At this point it was like the sword was practically trolling her by pretending to do something one moment and then fail to do so the very next!
Thus, she's had it. She couldn't tolerate this stupid sword and all it did to screw up her life since day one. With this in mind, she did the most sensible thing an angry person like her could think, and looked around for the heaviest object she could find to finally smash the sword once and for all. She didn't care anymore if she could never transform into She-Ra. With it's track record of working and not working, a smashed sword seemed a lot more meaningful than a sword that never worked!
*knock*
*knock*
*knock*
"Huh!" All eyes were turned to the door as Glimmer let out a small gasp. With the day she's been having since coming home, she knew there was only one person who could be at the door. "Okay, everybody, act normal. And Catra, please put the dresser down!" Unwilling to give her a chance, Bow quickly picked up the sword itself, knowing it would prevent Catra from smashing the sword as long as one of them held it. With a small glare in her eyes, Catra let out a low grumble as she set the dresser back in the corner of the room, giving off a small tremor as she did.
Taking a deep breath as she tried to relax herself, she gave off her best smile as she greeted the door knocker. "Mom, we're busy."
"I won't be long." She greeted warmly in return. "I just wanted to remind you you're all requested for dinner tonight. Just the four of us."
"B-But mom!" Glimmer's worry did nothing to match Catra's own concern. The magicat was on good terms with the queen since the morning began and she wasn't about to let that go to waste! At the same time, however, she also couldn't bring herself to betray a friend like that when she needed her most. It was becoming hard to decide whether to confess to the queen or not, and every passing minute they waited went on to fuel the anger the queen would have if she found out on her own. "We're all really tired. Can't we just take the night off to rest?"
"Y-Yeah, your majesty!" Bow pitched in with an even more forceful smile as he held the sword, standing next to the dresser as he tried to ignore the pain. "We've had a busy time in the Fright Zone, it was a long trip back, you know how it is."
"...Bow, are you aware you have a dresser on your foot?" At the comment, Glimmer glanced back at the two who continued to lean against the dresser, with a pain-induced Bow trying to act casual to an annoyed Catra who didn't seem the least bit bothered at the moment.
"N-Nope... can't feel a thing..." He muttered through his teeth.
"O... kay..." Noticing the other friend standing adjacent to the dresser, the queen offered Catra a friendly smile. "Ah, Catra. Are you planning to join us as She-Ra for this evening?"
"Um... maybe, mam?" Catra tried her best to sound sincere as she gave a small pleasing look. There was no telling if she would be able to turn it off again or if it would turn off by itself. "Like she said, we're all very tired, yeah." As if to prove her point she demonstrated the best fake yawn she could.
She couldn't quite tell what they were up to, but she grew a small grin at the seeming game they were currently playing. "Okay, I'm sorry, I don't know why I said request. Allow me to rephrase all that. You are all required to have dinner with me tonight. And that's not a request, that is an order. I can make you go as leader of the Rebellion and as your Queen."
"Yikes, she's playing the queen card." Bow muttered to Catra as he painfully pulled his foot out.
"No need to answer. I'll see you all in an hour." With a final wave to Catra herself, the queen calmly walked away. With mother out of sight, Glimmer closed the door behind her, leaving the trio to contend with their own thoughts.
For about two seconds.
*rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrttttttttttttt*
"Agh!" The shrill cry came after another wave of torture as the red aura glowed around her again. This time around, her friends watched in horror as her body started to dissipate and dissolve by a little bit in addition to the onslaught of pain it left Glimmer in. The fact her body showed any distortions like this at all was all the proof that was needed to show it was getting worse. If there was any bright side to it, the aura of pain didn't last any longer than the previous time did, possibly being a few seconds shorter than before. "Huff... Huff..."
"Ok, I've had it!" Catra growled as she marched her way over to the door. "I'm telling your mother and that's final!"
"What?! No!" The Princess shrieked, placing herself between the door and Catra as if it would work.
"Get out of the way, Pinky. We should've told your mother from the beginning." Lowering her ears, she gave a regretful stare back to the other friend. "Bow was right. I don't know anything about this stupid sword. I'm terrible at using it!"
"I-I didn't say anything like that!" He tried to correct making his way over. "Or, at least... not exactly like that."
"It doesn't matter." The She-Ra-in-training looked seldom into her sword's reflection, the one face she was always greeted with staring back at her. "I don't know anything about this sword other than how to transform with it. It's barely any better than a giant paperweight as it is." Proving her point, not two seconds afterwards did she find herself transforming back to the regular old Catra, the girl's ears still lowered in grief. "I'm nothing..."
If she had her own glowing aura like Glimmer did, it would be glowing with a radiance of blue sadness. Why was she continuing to do all of this? She wasn't a hero, she wasn't a mighty being as She-Ra was. She was nothing more than a young teenager trying to play hero for the first time, one that didn't give her the chance to shine or prove herself towards the end of those tales.
Every moment she stared at her reflection was another moment she was filled with sadness. There wasn't anything in this world that could cover her from the torrential rain of despair that rained over her, no towel to dry herself off with in order to try again. After everything she's witnessed, everything she's tried to do to help the Rebellion, she felt useless inside, almost feeling like she was nothing. Nothing but a letdown.
And with the added pressure that she now had two new people in her life she considered friends, that pain was spiked like never before.
"Catra, don't say that. You're not nothing." Glimmer tried to encourage. "You've helped the Rebellion more than you could imagine-"
"And I lost all that help after, didn't I?" She cut off with an irritated scowl. "I can't be She-Ra when I need it, I can't fend for myself without someone else needing to rescue me, and..." She made her way over to the window, looking out to the surrounding forest. "...And I'm responsible for Entrapta."
"No you're not-!"
"Just shut up, all right!" Catra snapped back. "If I was a better She-Ra we wouldn't be in this mess! I could've healed you hours ago, I probably could've stormed the Fright Zone by myself and saved the two of you, Entrapta might still be alive by now, and the Princess Alliance would never have broken up if I had so much as the slightest clue on how to use this stupid SWORD!"
The room fell silent at the last detail, the two friends processing everything Catra meant with everything she actually said. She wasn't dealing with the fact she couldn't get She-Ra to work when she wanted to or the fact she couldn't help Glimmer right now. She was still in her own depressing world of grief from the guilt of Entrapta's supposed death weighing down upon her, the responsibility she felt for the breakup of the Princess Alliance itself.
She was burdening herself with her own world of pain.
"Catra, you... You don't really think you're responsible for Entrapta's death, do you?" Glimmer approached with concern in her eyes. The cat barely winced as her tail flopped around without emotion.
"Unless you want to put the blame on the vent for roasting her, I don't see who else it could've been." She mumbled leaning against the window. "I'm the one who threw you guys in there, didn't give you the chance to make the decision for yourself, and I blamed it on them for going on the stupid mission in the first place. And then I took it out on Mermista and... now this..."
"There's nothing you could've done, Catra." She bother looking to Bow as approached on her left. "Say that you were with us. What then? The doors sealed way too fast for anyone to save her and we didn't realize she went back before it was too late."
"Then I at least could've noticed her sooner than the rest of you and could've done something!" She groaned. She's never felt like one to let herself out like this with all the drama and sorrow she was going through. Personally she prayed she didn't end up making a habit of this because she hated the way it was making her feel.
Empty.
"All my life growing up in the Horde, I didn't have any brute strength or quick wits to get by in my training. The only way I managed to survive was with my speed and my recklessness, nothing else. Adora was the only one I could rely on to bail me out of trouble whenever I screwed up. She was always the perfect cadet whenever it came to any training. She was smart, she was fast, strong. Usually she left everyone else in the dust, and I... I always hated her for it."
"But Catra, you're nothing like her!" Bow tried to argue.
"Oh, gee, thanks for that enlightening encouragement." Catra scoffed with the roll of her eyes.
"No, I mean, so what if you're reckless? It doesn't matter to us."
"Bow's right." Glimmer agreed, nodding. "Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. It doesn't matter how many or how little you have of either. We all make up for it by compensating each other."
"And what if someone has to pay for it?" She shot back. "What if someone dies because of one lousy weakness you have or an entire mission gets screwed up? You guys would've been better off if Adora was fighting for you guys. Knowing her, she would've gotten everyone in and out without a single casualty. We don't even have that many people anymore because of me."
"The Princess Alliance breaking up was outside of your control, Catra. Everyone was torn apart by what happened to Entrapta. What you did taking it out on Mermista might've been wrong but it wouldn't have changed much if you didn't. You need to stop blaming yourself on everything that went wrong and move on."
"..." This was the other reasons she hated having never learned when to shut up! They always got into your personal business, they always stuck their noses in places they weren't wanted or needed, and they never left you alone! She understood what they were getting at, she truly did, but it didn't make any difference to Catra if she was still the same person by the end of it.
"I think what you need most right now is to get your mind off of everything, Catra." Glimmer suggested with a calming smile.
"But I can't! I don't know how to use this sword and the last thing I want to do is swinging it around wildly cause some giant explosion over the castle. I already swung it wildly once and I turned your horse into a part-bird."
"There's gotta be a way you can get training for it, Catra." The bowman peered out the window next to her. "She-Ra was a warrior too, and that meant she had to get properly trained, right? Nobody can just pick up a sword one day and decide they want to be the greatest hero ever, right?" Catra turned her head away at this, which didn't help as Glimmer was smiling on her right.
"She-Ra was a great warrior who did many things, Catra." She added. "She wasn't dragged down by all of her failures or inexperience, she pushed onward. You think a person with so many legends behind her did everything flawlessly? Do you think the First Ones' would've disappeared if she was such a great hero?"
"...What?" Glimmer grew a small grin as she saw Catra's curiosity piquing.
"Yeah, think about it. If She-Ra was supposed to be some great hero from ages ago-"
"No, no, back up!" She cut off waving her hand. "What did you say before that?"
"What? You mean about the First Ones?"
"First Ones...?" A thought formed in her mind as she examined her sword again. The fine intricate detail, the technologies used to make this sword, a creation of the First Ones' themselves. All of their ingenuity and advanced society had lead to the creation of this marvelous weapon, the last hope that the Rebellion had on their side. "Wait... That's it!"
"What's it?" Bow asked, surprised by the turnaround of Catra's mood.
"Don't you get it? The sword was made by the First Ones, which means all I have to do is find them so they can teach me how to use this sword!"
"But Catra, the First Ones disappeared over a thousand years ago." Glimmer reminded. "Even if one of them were still alive somehow, you wouldn't know where to look."
"I don't need to find First Ones themselves, just their technology!" She set her sights directed out into the forest ahead. "I remember coming to some strange Beacon or something when I was with Madame Razz."
"Who?"
"Crazy lady in the woods, long story. My point is, if there's any way to use the sword, it has to be in one of the ruins. Maybe they have some instruction sheet or training program on how to use the sword!"
"That... actually might work!" Glimmer's own optimism was raised a little as the thoughts and details started to pan together. "We'll run away so we don't have to go to dinner! I'll get my things!"
"Neither of you are coming." She clarified. "I'm not entirely sure I can find anything there in the first place, it's just a hunch at this point. And if I am wrong, you need to be here to tell your mother the truth in case she actually can heal you."
"But Catra, you barely know your way around the Whispering Woods." Bow pointed out. "It keeps shifting and changing so you never know where you are. How are you going to find it in the first place?"
"I don't know, I just... It's some feeling I have, all right? It's the same one I had when I found the sword the first time." Catra let down. "All I know is the faster I get some training or instructions, the sooner this whole mess will be behind us." Without a second thought or a single goodbye, the magicat jumped out the window, using her front claws to slide against the walls to slow herself down enough until she reached the ground level.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Glimmer wondered, worried more for her depressing friend than her own situation at the time.
"I'm sure she'll be fine." He nodded back. "She's a lot stronger than she gives herself credit for."
"Yeah... she will be." The two of them wondered some of what they said actually got to her. Catra has been a bigger help for the Rebellion than she realizes, and she needed to know that. She's helped so many people, saved plenty of homes, and made more friends than she bargained for. With the kind of luck she had, no matter how badly it got, she always found a way to bounce back from it.
"...Did she forget she was still wearing her boots before she left?"
...
...
"Stun Baton.. Headband... Map..." Adora listed off as she continued to pack her things on the bed.
The bunk room felt emptier than usual since Catra left the second time. Before, she always felt some small draft here and there telling her that Catra was still by her side, that she was always going to be by her side. Now she felt an emptiness filling the room. No draft, no breeze, and still no Catra.
This trip was going to provide her with insight on her future goals and contributions she could give to the Horde, she just knew it! Not to mention if she gave enough of a contribution, she might be able to work out some deal to ensure Catra's own safely from Hordak's judgement, some way to save her again after finding out she wasn't under a spell!
"Going somewhere?" She heard Shadow Weaver call out from behind her. Adora refused to give her any direct attention as she continued packing.
"I... I'm going to get some fresh air for awhile. It's been a long day, you know?" Adora replied as Shadow Weaver made her way over to the bunk. "I've been under a lot of stress with everything that's happened. Scorpia suggested I needed some time to myself."
"With a stun baton?" Her master pointed out.
"Hey, better safe than sorry, ri-" Adora froze as she saw the current state of her mother figure. She looked awful, with the scratched mask on or not! Her entire body was sluggish, her hair looked ragged. She looked like she might've ran or floated a hundred miles before coming here. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"Oh, nothing you should burden yourself with, my dear." She passed off, leaning against the other bunk. "Just a little lecture from Hordak. You know how he hates disappointments, or those involved with said disappointments."
"He... did this to you because of me?" The blonde Force Captain questioned as she got to her feet. She already had enough on her mind to deal with, she didn't need to worry about what Lord Hordak to those to those around her if she messed up.
"He didn't touch me, if that's what you're concerned about. He simply refused to let me leave for a good while, and you both know why."
It wasn't uncommon from Adora, having witnessed her siphoning the Black Garnet's magic on hundreds of occasions. Whenever she went without any exposure or energy from the Black Garnet's power, it weakened her dramatically. The sight of her like this almost made Adora feel queasy, thinking about everything Lord Hordak had to say for the sake of making someone wait in a room to suffer like that. It was like being forced to starve yourself while standing in front of an entire lineup of food, waiting for someone to give you the okay to go on for hours on end.
"Well, hopefully, when I get back, we can all put this silliness behind us." She doesn't remember the last time she felt so certain like this when it didn't pertain to Catra. She still wasn't sure yet which side of the matter she should take or who she should help. All she knew was that she couldn't let others suffer around her while she stood by and watched it happen. "I'll be back in a day or two. I shouldn't take long-"
"Adora, wait." Shadow Weaver grabbed the girl by her elbow as she passed. "I know you have a lot of things on your mind right now. Who to trust, who is right and wrong. I'm not going to force you to take my offer if you don't want to. You know I would never force you to make a decision without your consent." It was hard to tell if she was being serious or not for a change, having gone this long with being lied to or mislead about Catra's past brainwashing that never happened. "All I want is to provide you with a brighter future than you could possibly know."
"But I need you to know this." She continued. " You keep struggling to protect everyone around you, even those who've turned their backs on you, and that has always been your most precious gift. But some day soon, you're going to have to pick a side and choose for yourself who you want to fight for. And when that day comes... make sure you don't regret your decision."
"T... Thanks... Shadow Weaver..." Adora said nothing else as she walked off into the halls. What was she supposed to say to all of that? Those cryptic meanings she always had, those subtle comments. None of them were present in anything she said and somehow given everywhere in the entire message. She couldn't tell if she should've listened to a single word of it either, having been hurt by the last time Shadow Weaver told her anything.
The only thing she picked up from that message was the fact she would need to make a decision for herself, one that she hoped she wouldn't regret.
As for Shadow Weaver, there was no telling what or how this would play out anymore. Anything and everything Adora did from this point was completely on her own now that all the cards have been thrown on the table. Molding her to the best of her ability, instilling her with a false sense of justice, honor, and emotion, these were all the cards Shadow Weaver had thrown into the pile by now, one that would pay off the biggest gamble of her life with fortune, or disaster.
The one card she did have left was knowing the truth behind all of this. She knew what her goal was with getting Adora on top of the seat of power, with all the lessons and teachings she's given her and all the tools she's needed to work with at this point. For the first time she smelt a small pebble of genuine concern for the girl for everything she was getting into.
Because no matter what choice she made in the end when this day was over, she knew she was going to live to regret it for the rest of her life...
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A/N: You know the strange thing about the melodrama in this one? It's actually warranted and in the show this time XP. Granted, I did it slightly out of order here as it was a scene AFTER where i ended today's chapter and not before, but I felt like it was more fitting there for a number of reasons (and hopefully didn't mess up the dialogue cause i force myself to write more because i originally had this at 6.9k words when i was done- i know, shocker i had less than 7k before XP) And i'll delete it after if it interferes/bothers anyone since it was thrown in, but I also felt like it was necessary.
The one thing I didn't see in the episode (til I got to that part which note to self- watch the entire freaking episode and not bits at a time XP) was any grieving or issues with Entrapta's loss. I mean i guess it would've been like slapping you in the face with your favorite food after being told you're not getting it- which in translation since that was the worst analogy i ever made, if they kept moping around about it despite us knowing Entrapta was still alive, it would've lost it's merit.
Anyway, like I said, if that mellow drama scene is too distracting up here, specifically the talk with Catra with bow and glimmer before the last scene, I'll get rid of it. It won't be that much of a problem and easy to do.
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed! Leave a like, fave, follow, and review if you enjoyed and hope to see you soon!