A/N: Hoooooooofgolly almighty, it's been awhile folks! Hope you guys all had a great Easter, mine was fun on my end (aside from working during it but besides that P_P...)
I gotta tell ya, this one was a little hard to write. Why? Idk. Every time i kept coming to it I kept getting some annoying stall that was going on. Idk, maybe it was because I was subconsciously afraid of what I knew was coming or something else. All I know is that I already watched the first scene of tragedy involving Catra and that ripped my heart to shreds so I'm not looking forward to watching the rest of it... which I actually won't have to! Cause it'll be changed heavily, at least up until the very last minute.
Overall, a huge shoutout to those who were worried and wondering where I am! No worries folks, I'm perfectly fine, minus the perfectly, and the show must go on ^^...ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE TO FORCE MYSELF NOT TO WATCH IT WHEN SEASON 2 COMES OUT FRIDAY X(! stupid writers block... I am hoping to get the next part out by today too, and if that is the case, don't expect much, as there's basically 3-4 minutes left of the show. As always i'll try to keep it nice and long like you guys like it (presumably), but overall wish me luck!
Enjoy!
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"Mhmhmmmmmmh!" Catra let out a muffled scream as she shouted through the sticky webbing that enclosed her. She was helpless to stop herself as she was being dragged away by the giant spider-like machine, struggling to tear life as her body was practically covered from head to toe in the green webs. Ankles, knees, thighs, her arms pinned to her side by the elbows where she could get any slack, and her hands wrapped tightly against her own throat.
After all her adventures and time in the woods on multiple occasions, usually whenever she's crossing them with Bow and Glimmer to wherever their next adventure took them, she's surprised it took her this long to find herself about to be eaten by a giant spider, or whatever this monstrosity had in store for her. And somehow it still wasn't the weirdest part of her day so far.
Ever since she arrived to this place, this supposed Beacon of the First Ones, everything has either been a confusing nightmare, an emotional roller coaster, or, most of the time, usually both. She thought her problems were going to be limited by the fact Adora found her way to this sacred place. Then she thought the bad luck that usually ensued from thinking those positive thoughts would leave her to deal with the giant mechanical spiders that hunted the two since then.
But nope. It got worse.
After escaping the monstrous creatures the first time around, she and Adora found themselves haunted by their past life as they began to relive realistic simulations of their memories. Why was it doing this in the first place? Neither of them could understand that. All they knew was that whenever they found themselves within these simulations, they lost touch with all train of reality, and never realized it until after the simulation had ended.
It was a rather nice cutaway for the two friends who continued to chat throughout their journey through this place. There were plenty of emotions going between the two girls as they chatted back and forth, arguing about their past mistakes and what lead them to what they were doing now. Suffice to say, things were going... actually pretty well, all things considered. The two eventually found themselves playing with each other for a solid minute as they made their way through the massive complex in search of a way out. It also gave rise to a new list of concerns and wonders neither of the two truly thought about until recently.
For Catra, it was the mystery of her own actions. Since accepting Bow and Glimmer's friendship, she's been swarmed with a new flux of different emotions she wasn't used to, ones she tried to repress for the sake of keeping people away. She felt burdened with guilt, regret, confusion, sorrow, frustration, so many negative thoughts and feelings behind the actions she committed in the past.
Why didn't she go back for Adora after all this time? Why did she leave her behind when she needed her that one time after they crashed a skiff? Was that what she was really like anymore? She could hardly recognize the self she used to be, not after all the positive emotions and feedback she was given by her two new friends. She almost felt like a complete stranger to herself here and there, seeing the way she used to treat Adora, along with the way she never went back for her in the Fright Zone.
Maybe that's why Karma decided to pick on her now of all times, because no sooner had the last simulation ended did Catra hear screaming, running to the source of Adora's voice in the hopes of rescuing her. Instead of finding herself in any sort of peril, she found herself falling into a malevolent trap as her back was turned, finding herself tied up and dragged through a mirror-like opening that closed off almost immediately after Catra was pulled through, leaving Adora to the unknown.
Which is what Catra would've preferred being in at this point since it seemed more likely Adora would survive on her side of things. She continued to grumble and moan for dear life as she tried pulling herself out of the incredibly nightmarish wrappings, finding all of her limbs encased in the strong substance she couldn't break herself out from. I gotta be able to move something, come on! Catra screamed to herself, knowing an untimely fate would await her if she was dragged into the darkness.
I can't move my feet, my arms, or my stupid tail... There's gotta be something... All her appendages were thoroughly secure, ensuring the prey wouldn't escape its trap until the spider decided to let her go itself, and the chances of that happening were getting slimmer with each toss and turn. trying to find any piece of her that was loose enough to no avail. She couldn't pull anything away and she couldn't push anything apart. Come on, think! Something has to be loose enough to...! And then it struck her. The sword!
The Sword of Protection, the one item that made Catra She-Ra in this world. Shifting her eyes over to it, she sighed in relief as she saw it was still in it's sheathe. Being covered by the sticky substance itself, that meant the blade could be pried from its casing with a single pull, one strong enough to slice the top half of her webbing away and free her arms. She just needed to get her hands a little closer to the hilt so she could pull it.
Come on... come on...! Up ahead she could see the darkness getting closer, knowing once she reached it, it could spell the end of her. With a mighty growl, trying to give herself enough slack to stretch her fingers closer to the hilt, she used all the strength she could manage to pull her torso upwards in one grand tug, allowing the spider-like creature to loosen it's webbing long enough for her to reach the hilt.
*swiff!*
"AaaahhHHH!" Catra roared at the top of her lunged as she managed to slice away at the sticky bondages as she pulled the sword right out of her sheathe, cutting the top layer surrounding her torso away as well as cutting the webbing the spider was dragging her by. From there, Catra wasted no time scratching away at the greenish web until she was finally free, screaming angrily and ferociously as she got the last of the substance pried from her person.
*Skkreeeeeeee!*
"Ghhhhhh!" Catra growled angrily as the creature let out a menacing howl, failing to intimidate the enraged magicat with its screams. "Come on!" Catra shouted almost tauntingly. With that, the creature attempted to catch its prey again as it spat another large glob of the sticky webbing, only for Catra to dodge swiftly through the air and out of its line of of sight. It didn't get a chance to possibly back up and fire again as Catra, with a single thrust, stabbed through the creature's metallic head as she continued to growl.
She wasn't going to be the helpless victim here that Adora always had to save or provide for, she was going to prove her worth for once. With the sword stabbed through it's head, the creature continued to screech as Catra began clawing at all of its metal casing surrounding its large skull. From the mechanical red eyes, she pulled out a handful of wires. From the metal plates she ripped off from it's skull, she jammed it back inside of the arachnoid and slammed it's severed plating back into it's skull.
Releasing another wave of mechanical growls to the magicat, Catra leapt right off of the dangerous creature as it attempted to impale her with its own frontal appendage, striking itself in the process as a result. Catra grinned smugly as she watched the stupid insectoid flail about its other appendages as it started to collapse, unable to keep itself balanced as it struggled to remove its own legs from its skull. With a solid slam, the creature topped itself over as it let out a roar, its red eyes still glowing with life as Catra prepared to deal the final attack.
"Haaahhhhh!" The sudden battlecry came in the form of a blonde-haired Force Captain that went by the name of Adora. From behind the giant creature that she climbed, she let out a mighty yell as she struck the creature's skull with her stun baton, its setting's set to max, as she delivered every single possible volt into the machine. The robotic creature gave off one last deathly cry as it short-circuited, sparks flying off the tip of it's head as electricity danced all across its body. Pulling the stun baton out of its face,
The creature finally met its end, its eyes fading from life like the rest of it was.
With a proud grin to herself, Adora jumped off from the beast's broken head, making her way over to her previously-captured friend. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, scraping a bit of the webbing out of Catra's hair and shoulder.
"...I'm fine..." She mumbled, brushing off her hand.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong! You got to be the hero again, whoopdeedoo! Can we just go already?" She didn't bat an eye as she casually sheathed her sword again, wanting to get over with this day like every day.
"Catra, what's wrong now?" She's never seen her, much less anyone, acting so grouchy after being rescued like she was.
"Nothing, I'm fine! You just took my kill, that's all."
"Oh, really?" The blonde smirked, hoping to get some reaction out of the magicat. When nothing came, a look of concern crossed her face as Catra slowed down for her. "Catra? Come on, what's going on here?"
"I already told you, I'm fine! I can handle things on my own, okay?" She paused as she stood in place, turning her head a little in Adora's direction. "I don't need people to save me all the time, all right? Now let's go."
"A...All right..." Adora didn't want to agitate her friend anymore than she appeared to be, not without knowing what was going on. Giving her a simple passing glance as she passed by, Adora took the lead of the two as Catra contemplated her own thoughts.
Why was she here again? Oh, right, to become a better hero like the Rebellion needed. How well was that going? About as well as a magicat can say after spending a few hours in this unknown facility and a giant mechanical spider ties her up and abducts her when her back is turned. Which is to say, absolutely terrible and nothing was being gained from all of this.
She was tired of being the victim all the time. She was tired of everyone else having to save her, tired of being this supposed "Symbol of the Rebellion" only to mess up or cause the issues to begin with. She was possibly being a bigger burden on the Rebellion than she could ever think of. It's a miracle at this point that the Rebellion still kept her around, Catra was feeling so sorry for herself. She wasn't a hero in any sense of the word.
She was a girl named Catra, who couldn't even fend for herself when the time was needed.
So what if she escaped her bonds? She got kidnapped in the first place because she wanted to make sure Adora was the one who was okay. How could she let her guard down like that while she was checking on her best friend's condition? What if the next time someone's in danger she completely drops her guard and endangers everyone around here?!
She was no different here than she was in the Horde. Second rate, nowhere near the best, and always relying on Adora to rescue her.
And she was getting tired of it.
"I... I used to hate that about you."
At the sound of her voice, Adora quickly turned around, mildly confused and shocked at the sudden announcement. Seeing the pain drawing near Catra's eyes, the sense of sorrow that's built up around the edges of her bags, there could be no doubt. Whatever painful thing she was saying, she was telling the truth. "The way you always stuck your nose into other peoples problems... and managed to fix them so easily... it was annoying to watch for me."
"Catra?" Was she truly saying this? She stepped closer to the girl as Catra rubbed her own shoulder, staring off to the side with the same level of pain as her guilt.
"You were always so annoying, okay? Everyone looked up to you because you had talent, you were always Shadow Weaver's favorite, and you were still normal in every way." She was getting tired of keeping this all in to someone like her. With the memories still plaguing her mind, seeing the way she treated Adora before her recent capture, it was... sickening. "You could never mess up with anything you did, and it... it got really annoying always being the runner-up next to you. I'm tired of always being your sidekick, Adora."
"...Catra, what are you talking about?" The magicat gave her attention to the Force Captain as she held her shoulder. "Being runner-up? My sidekick? Catra, you have never been my sidekick, only my friend. I help people because it's the right thing to do, not because I always want to. Do you think I even wanted to be the one everyone looked up to or Shadow Weaver's favorite? I had to work harder every day of my life because of those expectations, because everyone looked up to me, because Shadow Weaver expected *better* of me! It wasn't anything fun or anything I wanted, it was exhausting!"
"And you still pulled it off without any faults!" Catra grumbled as she walked over to the mechanical remains of the spider, stomping her foot against its head with each passing line. "You always got to be praised!"
*crash!*
"You always got to be the one who could get away with your faults!"
*crash!*
Catra's foot sunk deeper and deeper as she continued crushing into the monstrous machine. "You're the one everyone wanted to be with!"
*Crash!*
"The one who everybody would never stop talking about!"
*Crash!*
"The one who could NEVER MESS UP!"
*CRASH!*
"Enough!" Adora yelled pulling Catra away from the wreckage.
There was an unusual fire in her eyes, like the one a person would assimilate with rage. Her's, however, appeared to be different. It wasn't a fire burning with rage or anger, it was one that was filled with anguish, sorrow. The two took a brief moment to glance down at the leg Catra was stomping away the robot's head with, seeing it covered in scrapes and scratches along her leg from the constant pounding and the forcefully shoving between its broken metal. Only her foot was protected thanks to the boots protecting her feet to halfway up to her knees. Everything else above it between the boots and her knee were completely scratched at.
Catra didn't even realize how sore her legs was from the constant stomping until Adora pulled her out of it. Once again, Adora had to come in to be the hero around here. "Catra, is this... is this why you defected to the Horde? Because you were mad at me?"
Like always, Catra turned her head away at this. "No. I know I wasn't mad at you the day I left. I just couldn't stand being around the Horde anymore. And then finding out you were being made Force Captain and were going to go away? It... It didn't feel fair to me."
"Catra..." It almost frightened her how open Catra was being at this rate. All these emotions she was revealing, all these sparks of self-doubt. It wasn't anything like the Catra she remembered. She remembered how casual and easygoing she was from time to time, only getting serious when the situation called for it. It's not like she didn't mind seeing a new side of Catra or anything, she just wished it was one easier to understand. "Why are you telling me all of this?"
"Because I don't know what to do anymore, Adora." She admitted. "Everytime I keep trying to help the Rebellion, I keep making things worse. I'm always reckless, someone else is always having to save me, and..." She couldn't bring herself to mention Entrapta's death, what she assumed to be, at least. "And people keep paying the price for it. I need your help right now, Adora. What am I supposed to do?"
"I..." That was a lot to take in for the moment. Catra as displaying a whole new side of herself that she had never seen before, and she was actually asking Adora for her advice? Not once in Catra's life did she ever ask for this kind go advice to Adora personally, and it gave her a new feeling she wasn't used to. It wasn't a mater that Catra was asking for help that bothered her, it was the fact she was on the completely opposite side of the war that worried her. "I don't know, Catra. What do you want me to say? To keep being yourself, to try and be someone different? I don't even know if I should tell you anything while you're with the Rebellion."
Catra narrowed her eyes as she turned away. She wasn't mad at Adora for her reasoning or caution, she was mad at herself for thinking she could provide the answers. Why did she think she could provide the answers to something she had yet to see for herself in the first place? Adora hasn't even seen Catra in her She-Ra state yet, and she was under the impression up till recently that everything Catra was talking about was under the Princess's spell.
She barely gave notice to her friend as she felt her squeezing her shoulder gently from behind. "Catra, do you... Do you still hate me because of you thought I was showing off?"
"...No." Catra laid a hand on her's over the shoulder, still keeping her back to her. "I mean, it's still nagging at me, but I'm not as angry about it as I used to be."
"What brought up the sudden change, then? You're usually not one to let things go so easily."
"Yeah, well," she gently pulled away Adora's hand as she continued on ahead, "you can thank Glimmer and Bow for that, I guess."
Adora went silent at the detail as she followed behind her. Glimmer and Bow, the two who have been at Catra's side ever since Adora knew of their existence, ever since she saw the two standing by her side through the mystical waters of Shadow Weaver's scrying spell. What kind of people were they to her? Did she consider them people she was forced to work with? Actual friends that were on the same level to her as Adora was? Did she... consider them more than friends than she did Adora? It wasn't a feeling of jealousy that prompted Adora's worry, it was something else entirely.
If Catra made friends on her own then that was actually an accomplishment from Adora's point of view, amazing in fact! But what did that mean if she made friends so easily without her? What did she consider these people if she enjoyed their company and support more than she did from the people who raised them? And why was it still only the second-most worrying thing on her mind?
"Catra?" Adora spoke up, taking the lead as Catra slowed down at the sound of her questioning. "Why didn't you come back for me?"
"This again?" She mentally rolled her eyes at the repeated question. At this time, the two had come across another chasm at the center of a much smaller hallway, one whose hallways were only accessible by the floating rocky platforms strewn around the edges of the room. "I already told you, I would've come back for-"
"I don't mean when all this began, Catra." Adora watched her footing as she hopped across the small gap of the first platform, carefully climbing her way to the upper platform connecting to the hallway on her right. "I mean back then, in the Loading Bay, when we were kids." Her gaze showed pain as she turned back towards Catra, the girl herself looking questionably at this. "Why did you leave me behind when Octavia caught us?"
"O-Oh, that?" She wasn't able to hide the small hesitation in her voice as she climbed up the same platform. "I don't know, I guess I was just scared? I mean, we were nine back then, Adora, it was some time ago."
"But we promised to have each other's backs, remember?" It was a promise that meant everything to Adora, one she cherished since the day they made it themselves. "I would've gladly stayed for you if you were the one she caught first."
"Well, y-yeah, I'm sorry... But I know you would've been alright! You were Shadow Weaver's favorite, remember? There's no way she would've allowed anything to happen to you."
"It doesn't matter, though. She would've punished me if I never got away from her, and you left me to deal with her myself." The Force Captain was unaware as the ground near her footing along the edge began to crack as she watched Catra walk ahead of her. "Whenever I'm the one in trouble or you find anything cool or exciting, you always seem to be leaving me behind."
"I know that b-"
"But what? What's supposed to be any different now compared to back th-Ahhhhhhhh!" With a startled yelp, Adora screamed as the edge of the platform began to crumble, falling back into the chasm itself as her foot fell right through the floor. Right as her head passed the level of the platform's floor, she felt a powerful grip grabbing onto her hand, suspending her in the air and saving her life. To her surprise, and relief, the hero came in the form of Catra who was looking down on her, seeming steadfast and certain in her eyes.
"Because I'm not going to leave you this time." Catra replied, pulling Adora back to the platform and helping her across the gap to the other hallway.
"...Do you promise this time?"
She couldn't tell if the simple nod she smiled back with was assuring or not. "I promise. In fact, I don't have leave you now! You could come back with me to the Rebellion, Adora. You're always talking about helping people, and we could really use your help!" This was actually a much better idea now that Catra thought about it. Why bother trying to change herself into something she's not when she can add a whole new ally to the team to make up for it? Adora could have her back whenever she messed up for everyone else, especially with her amazing new shadow powers, and she wouldn't have to worry about ever fighting with Adora again on the battlefield! They could be fighting side by side, like they should've been at this point!
Yet, for reasons she couldn't understand, Adora frowned at this. "You think I can just turn my back on my friends like that, Catra? Do you think I can just agree with you without any care and ignore everybody I left behind?"
"Fine then, bring Scorpia or whoever you want, it doesn't matter! We should't have to be fighting each other like this, Adora. You could do so much good in the Rebellion! A lot more than you could with the Evil Horde."
"...Who calls us the 'Evil Horde'?" It was the strangest title she's ever heard given to the Horde.
"A lot of people, actually. I'm just saying you could do a lot of good on our side, Adora. And you would really get to know Glimmer and Bow a lot better if you did. They're not as bad as you think they are, if not a little annoying. And the Queen's sure to accept you if you gave us your full support."
"Catra..." She couldn't bring find it in herself to flat-out refuse Catra's offer, yet at the same time accept it as well.
She was basically asking her to instantly drop everything she was doing and everyone she cared for and join another side for possibly a better life, the very thing Catra did when all of this started. She also didn't want to deny the possibilities behind it either. She could escape Hordak's punishment if she did, she could bring Scorpia and Entrapta over to her side, and she wouldn't have to worry about fighting against Catra anymore. Every time she found herself on opposite ends of her, it was getting harder and harder to think of her as an ally on the wrong side, and she never wanted to bring herself to the edge of that line of thought.
At the same time, she couldn't even begin to think of dropping everything she's fought for to join sides with the enemy out of the blue. If she left with her right now there was a strong chance Hordak would punish her two close friends in her place, and given the severity of her crime, they would be lucky to get out of their punishment alive. It also meant leaving the likes of Lonnie and her goons behind. They were still the closest thing Adora had to a family around the Horde, and she would still be subjecting them to the same fate Catra subjected Adora to, even if she didn't mean to.
What choice would've caused the least amount of pain between the two sides?
"At least think about it, Adora." She suggested taking the lead again for their safety. "It would be nice to have you ba-"
*zzzzzzzzt*
The feline was cut off as the two noticed the environment around them changing again, groaning aloud as she saw the digital details sprout all around them. "Ugh... let's just get this over with." From the looks of it, the simulation appeared to be of a more recent memory. Very recently, in fact. Over by the bed Catra could see her past self lounging around on the bed trying to sleep. Off to the side of her, she could see Adora doing push-ups on the floor, the blonde friend looking determined as she counted off every pushup she managed to give.
Something about this entire scenario seemed vaguely familiar to the young magicat. The scene itself didn't seem that old even. In fact, all things considered, it looked like something that could've taken place as early as two years ago, before Catra defected from the Horde. There she could see herself wearing her current outfit, something she was given to help better accommodate her qualities and agilities. A lot of human hybrids were given their own outfits to help better accommodate their animalistic capabilities when they reached an adolescent age. Adora was also wearing her traditional red jacket over her clothing, the very one she wore today. It was a little more loose on her by the looks of it, yet no one could deny it and her current one were one and the same.
There was something else about this scene that seemed familiar to Catra as well, something that made her heart beat with fear. When was this? She asked herself, examining the room. There were plenty of nights Catra would wake up in the middle of to find Adora training off to the side of their bed. She would be reading, doing pushups and other exercises, or, on most occasions, doing both at once. Something about this particular night, though, was getting to her. The lighting, the weight of the atmosphere. It almost felt as if...
"...No..." Catra took a step back in fear as her eyes shriveled in fear.
"Catra?" Adora the glint of fear in her eyes, that spark of dread that filled Catra's person. It was unlike anything she's ever seen. Any fear of Catra's she's ever seen in the past was nothing like this. It was like she was staring at death itself, a nightmare that only she could see. Looking back to the scene itself, she tried to think. It was hard to tell what night this was as she could recall many nights she trained late, often failing to fall asleep until it was nearly noon itself. With so many nights to choose from, given the clothing they were wearing and reaction on Catra's face, there was only one conclusion Adora could draw from this. "Catra, is this... this is the night it happened, isn't it?"
"Please, not this one!" Catra practically begged to all around her, running towards the closed door for salvation from this awful memory.
"Catra, it's okay." She knew exactly which memory this was now, and she was prepared to face it along with her friend. "I know what's going to happen, I don't mind." She had forgiven Catra's mistake a long time ago, a forgiveness she didn't feel necessary to give in the first place! What happened that day wasn't Catra's fault, and she was willing to help her friend through it however painful it might be to remember.
"You don't understand," Catra yelled as she pounded on the door, jiggling the handle for dear life, "I can not relive this memory! I can't!"
"Catra, it's okay, we'll get through this!" Any attempts to comfort her friend were met with deaf ears as the magicat shook away her calming hands from her shoulder.
"Adora, I have to get out of here! I can't relive-!" Anything left she had to say, any alternative forms of begging she could've perform were met with naught. By the time she had grabbed for the door again, it was already too late. She had found herself integrating with the memories once more, and was about to relive the worst experience of her life...
...
...
*"44... 45... 46..." This was the noise that Catra found herself waking up to as her ears twitched. Why did Adora have to do this annoying routine everyday? Training day in and day out, doing pushups, sit-ups, or whatever else she could come up with to exercise her every being. Keeping a lamp light on for her area of the bunk room, shaking the floor, no matter how little, with every push and any fall against the floor. It was a pain in her tail on some nights and a nuisance in general for her every night!
"Ugh... Do you have to do that every night?" Catra groaned, rubbing her sleepy yellow eye as she stretched.
"Sorry Catra," the younger Adora apologized, "I'm just getting ready for our Terrain Exams tomorrow. You know we have an entire course to go through tomorrow without touching the ground, right?"
"Yeah, and? I don't see how keeping yourself flexible is going to help with that."
"Well it usually helps when you need to keep yourself limber and able enough to maneuver fourty feet through the air on those pipes!" Adora reminded, moaning as she rubbed her head. "I don't get how you can be so comfortable up that high while moving at the same time, Catra. I take a look down from that high up, and I'm too afraid to move, and the instructor warn me that can get me killed in the battlefield."
"Heh, well when you're talented like me, climbing around high places just comes naturally." The magicat proudly gloated. She was part cat, climbing was in her nature.
With all the time she's spent running around the Fright Zone growing up, she discovered there was no end to the number of places she could climb to. From large steel pipes that went through the ceilings to the many archways and vents littered throughout the area, the Fright Zone in and of itself was one giant obstacle course for the magicat, and no end to the amount of fun she could have with it.
It was also a paradise when it came from hiding from her superiors. Usually as the result of pulling a prank or goofing off, there was never a week Catra could go by without causing trouble, whether intentionally or not. Because of that, captains, officers, and the likes were usually chasing her all throughout the Fright Zone, forcing her to adapt and eventually use her enhanced agility to her advantage by retreating to places they could neither find or reach.
As such, heights were a common fear she managed to get over rather quickly compared to everyone else. It didn't mean she wasn't afraid of those high places or anything, specifically falling from said heights, but she did manage to get passed the fear of heights at a relatively young age compared to most other children.
It was one of her many personal accomplishments she could feel proud of when she was little, knowing hundreds of other children had yet to accomplish it.
Noticing the silence of her mos-recent gloat, Catra glanced over to her troubled friend, who continued to do push-ups as if her life depended on it. "...You know you're never going to get used to climbing and heights the way you're training now, right?"
"What other choice do I have?" Adora replied, continuing to count off silently to herself. "The exam is in two days, and if I don't pass the course, I'll have to retake the entire lesson course all over again."
"Wait, you mean the entire enter lesson course?" A twinge of worry crossed Catra's eyes at the announcement. When a cadet failed in any of their courses, they weren't given a stern talking to or made to retake that one particular exam. They had to retake the ENTIRE lesson course all over again, as in everything the lesson covered from when it started to when it's finished. The Horde did not tolerate failure, and everyone who did fail something was forced to redo it until they got it done right.
No matter how many days or weeks it took.
"But the Terrain Studies take over a month to teach!" Catra commented with a small whine in her voice. "Doesn't that mean if you fail the Terrain Exam you'll be held back until you get it done right?"
"And if that happens, we won't be in the same training sessions anymore..." Adora knew the issue at hand here, though her reasonings were different than Catra's own. If she found herself held back, she wouldn't be able to hang out with Catra anymore during those classes, and on Catra's end, if Adora ended up getting held back, that meant losing the only friend she had to keep her company throughout this entire nightmare of a world. Not to mention someone who would have her back whenever she needed it.
"Aww, this sucks!" Catra groaned, leaning over the bed. "What about your written exams? Don't they carry over your scores to your physical ones? I thought you studied all night for those?"
"I did, but a certain someone needed a cramming session the night before, so I ended up re-studying everything I already knew, and only got a seventy-percent score on it."
"Well who's fault is that?" It took three seconds of Adora giving Catra a strange look for the girl to realize where she was going with this. "Oh, right... sorry..."
"Huff, it's fine, it's fine." She sighed. "At best I can probably cut the amount of time I'll be retaking the course by half since I already know most of the basics."
"But that still means being two weeks absent from the future exams and lessons we have! What if the next lesson only takes us a week to finish and you're suddenly three courses behind? We might not ever be in the same training sessions anymore if you fail this exam."
Neither of the two girls knew what to say about this. Being held back in a class or lesson was the least of their worries. What did worry them was how it was going to separate the two of them indefinitely if things continued the way they were. It didn't matter if they still got to eat together and sleep together in the same bed if they couldn't socialize or hangout with each other anymore.
When one of their lessons were over, the other one might still be taking a class. While one of them were taking a written exam on how to dismantle and rebuild a stun baton from scratch, the other one might be learning how to treat a severe plasma burn injury. This wasn't a mere instance of the two being in completely different levels of training or classes.
This was a matter of their friendship being on the line.
"...That settles it then." Catra declared getting to her feet, squeezing her fist with certainty. "We need to get you fully prepared for the Terrain Exam no matter what!"
"But how?" It was a nice gesture to see from her friend for a change, even if there wasn't a plan to do so. "The exam is in two days, not even that! And with the other training lessons we have tomorrow, there'll barely be any time to practice at all!" At this, Catra grinned.
"Trust me, I know a guy..."
...
"Mmh..." Kyle moaned as he continued to mop the exterior of the Training Area. "This is going to take all night..." Why did he have to get stuck with Janitorial duties at this time? Just because he was the one who accidentally discharged an electric baton against a supervisor didn't mean he was completely to blame. If anyone had listened to him earlier, they would've heeded his warning about the faulty wiring he noticed in the baton itself.
So what happens instead? The usual thing that happens when nobody gives the time to listen to him; something bad happens and for some unexplained reason it's his fault. From weapon exercises to mechanical repairs, no one ever takes the time to listen to him or his advice.
Why? Was it an unknown curse he had? Did he insult a wizard in a past life he didn't know about? Chances were likely with the track record he's had. He hasn't been able to get a single person to listen to him as far back as he can remember, save Rogelio from time to time as he had a one-sided conversation with the quiet guy. Just once he wished someone would listen to him!
"Hey Kyle." Catra casually greeted as she and Adora walked towards him.
"Catra? Adora?" He gave questionable looks to the both of them as they approached. "What are you guys doing here?"
"We need to use the Training Room for awhile. Adora needs a hand getting used to heights and moving around when she's high up." The magicat explained, casually swiping the key cards on a ring from Kyle's belt as she did. "This is the one for the Training Area, right?"
"You need the training area?"
"Please, Kyle?" Adora was one of the few people who ever spoke to him politely, and one of the few people that acknowledged he existed. "If I don't pass the Terrain Exam, they're going to make me repeat the same lesson for over a month!"
"But Adora- I mean, Catra... Who am I talking to here? Look, I'd love to help, but I can't let anyone in until I've inspected all of the equipment first, and that's not going to happen until morning at this rate."
"Well what the heck's taking so long?" Catra asked with an irritating tone in her voice. "Shouldn't you be done with this by now?"
"You were supposed to be helping me, Catra!" He retorted a little angrier. "Remember? You said you'd help me the next time I was stuck with janitorial duties if I gave you the answers to the papers we were tasked with a week ago."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll get right on it." The magicat casually ignored him as she came across one particular looking key card with a familiar design to it.
"And before that you said you'd help me with my training exercise when I did your chores last month!"
"Ah, here we go!"
"You never follow up on your promises, you know that?"
"Are you still talking?" She looked rather surprised at the detail, as if she had no actual clue that he had been talking up to this point. Without checking it, she casually stroke the key card over the door's scanner, waiting for it to give off a green light before the doors finally opened. "Look, I'll do your dumb cleaning garbage thing some other time, all right? For right now, I need to help Adora with her Terrain Exams coming up." She didn't bat an eyelash as she tossed the key cards over her shoulders, forcing Kyle to scramble about in order to collect them again.
"But Catra-!"
"I'm really sorry about her, Kyle. Thanks for the help." Adora apologized, giving a wave goodbye as she and Catra ran into the training area. Having collected all of the scattered cards, Kyle took notice of the one missing key card that he had yet to recover- the very one Catra took with her into the training area, to ensure they wouldn't be interrupted.
"Wait, Adora, you guys don't understand-!" Those were the very last words either of them managed to hear from the shriveling young teen as the doors closed behind them, blocking out the last warning he could shout at the top of his lungs.
"THE EQUIPMENT'S STILL FAULTY!"
...
"Haha!" Catra laughed as she hopped along from one metal pipe to the next. It didn't matter to her if she was fourty feet or higher in the air. With her claws helping her to keep a grip on each of the metal pipes she came across, and her agility giving her superb balance under these circumstances, she was the master of her own terrain!
This was the kind of training she wished she always came across in the Fright Zone. Why couldn't all lessons be centered around what she was best at and what she liked to do? Climbing impossible heights others couldn't reach, leaping over large distances her animalistic traits provided her with, and being able to scale the walls and surroundings with ease thanks to her feline claws? Everything about this sort of training was fun, easy, and exciting for her!
It's too bad Adora didn't seem to share in her enthusiasm.
Looking behind herself, she had to suppress the urge to laugh at the sight. About ten yards away from her, she could see Adora, acting nervously and frightened like Catra used to be as a small child, as she pulled herself around one of the thick pipes that stretched to the ceiling of the training area. It was almost adorable the way she was jumping cautiously around the terrain like a small child, watching her every step as she hopped between platform to platform.
Then again, she was her friend. If there was one person she was above poking fun of or putting down, it would be the one person that's always had her back.
It didn't mean she couldn't have some fun, though. "Aww, what's wong wittle giwl?" She had to cover her cheeky grin as Adora hugged the next pipe she leapt towards. "Afraid of falling down?"
"Afraid of falling down and to my death? Yes!" Adora stammered, trying to balance her footing on the next pipe she jumped towards. "How are you so easy with this? A better climber or not, I don't get how you aren't afraid of falling to your death!" The two were so distracted by Adora's lack of courage that neither of them noticed a small creaking noise coming from the pipe Catra was on.
"Eh, it's all skill when it comes down to it." Catra brushed her nails against herself as she leaned against the pipe she was on. "Some people have it, and some people don't." It was at that time she noticed a worried-looking Adora as she continued to make her way over the next pipe, looking timid as she did. As much fun as she had in teasing Adora at something she was worse than her at, she did have to admit it was a little depressing seeing the friend who had her back through most of her life struggling with something she found so easy. Scratching behind her ears, she decided to wait for her to catch up as she gave her some advice.
"You know, it's usually easier if you don't look down while you're doing it."
"Easy for you to say," Adora never took her focus off her footing as she jumped around, "you're used to rushing on ahead."
"And that's the way you need to do it." Catra replied as she dangled her legs over a pipe. "If you keep looking at each individual step as another platform, you're never going to pass the Terrain Exam with flying colors. You need to think of the platforms less like a separate platform and more like one long trail. Pretend the steps are just cracks in the ground you're stepping on or something."
"Like cracks in the ground?" That was... actually an interesting way to look at them, not to mention looking at the entire lineup of paths as one large trail.. Up till now she was trying to take each step one at a time as they came along. She hadn't thought about looking at them as one continuous path in front of her. With that mindset, she tried to visualize the pipes ahead of her as mere cracks in the ground. "Just cracks... They're just cracks..." With a deep breath, she took one step after the other as she made her way over to Catra.
Technically, the frame of mind wouldn't work in this situation. Despite thinking the way it did, it didn't make the platform and the pipes feel any differently. What did help was the lack of fear she was feeling when she hopped across each of the different pipes. Without the fear of falling weighing her down, she wasn't trying to plant her feet directly on any specific spot on the pipes, easing her footing and actually making the balancing a lot more manageable for her.
By the time she realized it, she was hopping between the pipes and the large gaps like a pro. Not as good as Catra, of course, but enough for Catra to see some noticeable improvement on her part. "Heh, now you're getting it." She grinned giving chase after her friend, closing the gap between them fairly quickly. Adora couldn't ignore the small chuckle building up in her throat at this, finding the breeze through her hair to be quite comforting.
Is this what Catra felt every time she was up this high? Did she get to enjoy the feeling of the wind in her hair as she scampered across the high ground? Did she also feel a sense of pride whenever she pictured everyone looking like ants below her? It was entertaining to her, almost addicting in some way.
"Tag!" Catra suddenly yelped as she passed Adora with ease, giving her a small slap on the back of her shoulder. The young cadet grinned at the challenge as she gave chase. Just because she was a better climber didn't mean she was any better. In fact, Adora was convinced she could catch up to the magicat before she knew what hit her.
"Heheheheh!" The two friends chuckled back and forth to each other as they played their rousing game of tag, increasing Adora's climbing ability with effort as she jumped from one pipe to the next. They had no doubt that with their fun game of tag, followed by the knowledge that they would always have each other's backs, that there was nothing they couldn't handle.
It's for these reasons that Catra was too distracted as she jumped further ahead, unaware of the small sink in her pipe as she smirked back to a more-attentive Adora who was a few yards away. "Come on, slowpoke, I'm just a helpless little kitty, remember?" She taunted as she stood against the main structure the pipe was connected to, the sound of Adora's jumping echoing throughout the complex, and disrupting her awareness that the pipe beneath her was creaking further.
"C-Catra, get off that pipe!" Adora warned, a look of panic filling her face as she rushed over.
"I will if you catch up to me." She continued to taunt. "I mean if I went any faster, you'd never be able to catch up."
"No, Catra, seriously, get off that pipe!" Her friend's arrogance was going to be her downfall. She was convinced that Adora was trying to get her to make a mistake that she called off her potential bluff.
"Oh, what? You think I'm going to fall for the oldest trick in the bo-"
*creeeak*
"Huh?" By the time Catra looked down, it was already too late. All at once, time seemed to slow down to an immense halt around her as the rickety pipe suddenly gave way, sliding right out from under Catra's feet before the magicat could so much as respond. Her entire field of gravity seemed to give way as she felt herself beginning to fall, from forty feet in the air to what could potentially be her death. She needed a miracle to save her!
And that miracle came in the form of a simple push.
With one mighty shove, Catra found herself being pushed away by a dear friend who went by the name Adora. The blonde girl was quick to react to Catra's slow response as she sped her way towards her dear friend, reaching her right as the pipe gave away. There wasn't any time to grab her, and no way in knowing if the faulty pipes they were using would've given out with their combined weight, so Adora did the only thing that made sense at the time.
She shoved her friend out of the way in time, Catra grabbing onto the nearby pipe she was thrown against, as Adora took the fall for her. The last thing either of them saw was the sight of Adora's shocked expression before the beloved friend found herself falling through the air.
"Ahhhhhhhh-!" Catra's eyes watered as she heard her friend's scream.
"Adoraaaaaaaa!" Catra cried out.
It was in no way a pleasant fall to go through. She wasn't punished for her heroic actions with a simple forty foot drop. She was given the worst repercussions imaginable for a hero like her. What started out as a simple fall ended up being a painful dilemma to settle through itself as she found herself slamming against several different pipes along the way down, each individual one breaking off immediately after due to the sheer force of her fall, as the girl continued her descent.
Forty feet became thirty. Thirty feet became twenty. With every ten feet she fell she ended up taking a handful of pipes along with her, Catra's unfortunately heightened hearing allowing her to hear every slam and crackle her friend went through as she continued falling towards the floor. By the time she reached the ground, nearly a dozen different pipes followed above her, as she finally ended her dark descent into misery.
*CRASH!*
"Adora!" Catra cried out again. All she could see as she climbed her way down were the various pipes that were toppled above her, Catra doing everything in her power to rush over to her friend's side as her mind filled with fear.
"Aggggghhhhhh!" She heard Adora cry out as she reached the pile. The pipes weren't consistent in size or length, with some of them being the size of an arm, and others being the thickness of a leg. All Catra could see was the immense pile of pipes over her friend as she continued to panic, pulling off each of the heavy pipes one after the other.
"Adora, I'm so sorry! I'm so, so, sorry!" Catra apologized as her eyes watered. "Somebody help me!" She shouted, praying that anyone would find them. She was so distraught with the recent accident that she forgot she took the training area key card to make sure they weren't interrupted, all the while Adora continued to moan and cry out in pain as her everything hurt.
Her back felt like it collided with a skiff, her stomach was in immense pain as she could practically feel the pipes squishing against her intestines, even after they were pulled from her. Thankfully none of them were stabbed into her or gorged her, not that it would've made the girl feel any better as she continued to cry out. The worst amount of her pain came from her right leg, more so after Catra finally managed to remove thee last pipe from it, giving her a view of something shocking enough to make her cover her mouth.
Her leg was broken.
"Oh... m..." Catra continued cry out for help kicked all the stupid pipes away that she felt were responsible for this disaster. "Please, anybody! We need help-!"
"There they are!" She heard Kyle's voice call out as several people ran over to her side.
"Adora!" Another voice cried out in terror. Catra didn't care if the voice belonged to Shadow Weaver or anyone else, knowing anyone who was in here with them would have to be pretty high ranking in order to bypass the electronic locks. She was so focused and apologetic to her agonizing friend that nothing else seemed to phase her in that moment.
Catra showed no worry or care for their teacher as she kneeled over Adora's side, gently and carefully leaning the girl up as Adora clutched her stomach in pain. It was one of the few instances of their lives anyone saw a softer, vulnerable, side from Shadow Weaver, seeing the sadness in her eyes before it was replaced with anger. "Someone grab her a stretcher, IMMEDIATELY!" She shouted. The soldiers gave their fair salute as Shadow Weaver turned back towards her beloved pupil.
"I-I told you they were in here!" Kyle shrieked, almost terrified at the mere sight of the pain Adora was in. "Catra, what have you done?!"
"Ahhhhhhhh!" Adora continued to cry out, gritting her teeth as she failed to fight back the tears. "I-I'm sorry!" Adora choked out. In the Horde, people weren't supposed to show emotions, especially sadness, in times of pain, whether it was emotional or physical pain. She did everything in her power to stop the flow of tears, but the pain was too much!
"No, no, you did nothing wrong, dear." Shadow Weaver cooed softly, stroking the hair and tears out of Adora's eyes. "How did this happen?"
"I-I told Catra I didn't check the equipment yet!" Kyle replied, doing everything in his power to keep himself from running away as his knees trembled. "I didn't get enough time to because she left me with the janitorial work! I tried to warn them, honest!"
"It was an accident I swear!" Catra apologized, her lack of focus keeping her from seeing the sullen look Shadow Weaver was giving her. "W-We were just playing- I-I mean training, and- and... t-th-the pipe! T-T-The pipe, it just-"
"You...?" For the first time, Shadow Weaver showed surprise by Catra's involvement in Adora's misery. "You... did this?" She was beside herself. She always told Catra to never harm or to bring harm to Adora, and this is what happens? Did Catra actually enjoy seeing her friend in pain like this? There were so many confusing thoughts and feelings swarming her mind at the time that she couldn't process the amount of anger and hatred burning in her heart.
"We're here!" The guards announced as they brought over a stretcher, a nurse being brought over for the emergency. Doing their best to ignore the cries of pain coming from Adora's mouth, Shadow Weaver did the best she could as she assisted the guards in placing Adora onto the stretcher itself, doing her best to make the transition from the ground as painlessly as possible.
"I want her brought to the Med Bay immediately!" She hissed, the ends of her hair spiraling with rage. "Use whatever you have to dull her pain! And make sure no one gives her any lip or trouble for her actions until I return for her myself!" As with everything else, the guards gave a respectful nod to the high-ranking member of the Horde as they carried off the tearful Adora, Kyle tagging along in case they needed help or an explanation, leaving Catra and Shadow Weaver alone in the room.
What had she done? She couldn't believe it, in any state of mind. She tried helping Adora, she stole the key cards right out of Kyle's pockets, the very person she promised to help with such a ridiculous task, she ignored his attempted warnings about the training area, and she goofed around in the last place they should've in the Fright Zone, all for the sake of keeping Adora from failing her Terrain Exam. All because she couldn't bear the idea that she would be separated from the only friend she had, the only one that helped her when she really needed it.
Adora suffered for her greed, for her inability to picture a life without someone to help her. This was all her fault, and Adora was paying the price for it. It was these constant swirls of thought that continued to spiral around in Catra's mind as she finally turned to the last person she wanted to be alone with. "S-Shadow Weaver, I'm... I'm sor-Mmph!" Without warning, she felt a crushing grip close tightly around her mouth, feeling a burning hatred coming from her palms as she was lifted a foot off the ground.
No amount of preparation would prepare her for the terror that as to come.
...
*crash!*
"Ahh!" Catra cried out as she was thrown across the Black Garnet chamber, crashing through a massive wooden table in the process. There was anger seething from the silent Shadow Weaver the entire way up here as she maintained her excruciating grip over Catra's mouth. She didn't want to hear a word from her, an excuse, an apology, anything that the girl had to say until she sealed the doors to the chamber tightly and locked it in place, keeping her back to the girl as she moaned. "S-Shadow Weaver, I'm sorry! I swear to you, I'm sorry-"
"Zip it." She spoke coldly. Catra watched in terror as a small wave of darkness started to grow from the witch herself, spreading across the room one inch at a time. "I gave you one simple rule and you defied me!?" The floating horror slowly turned herself around, approaching the frightened magicat who backed away slowly with tears still in her eyes. She wanted Catra to burn the memory of what she was about to do straight into her retinas, taking her time to approach, knowing she had no means of defending herself.
"I-I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She shrieked, backing up across the floor as she continued to cry out. "I-I didn't mean to, I swear I didn't mean to!"
"You think I care if you meant to or not?" Catra watched in horror as the sparks of lightning burst from the tips of Shadow Weaver's fingers. "All you had to do was to make sure you never harm Adora. A task even I thought you were capable of, and you let this happen?!"
At the sight of another burst of lightning, Catra jumped to her feet, attempting to outrun the shadowy master as fast as she could. It proved futile, though, as the minute she ran into the shadows itself, she felt her entire body being frozen in place, a red aura coming off of her person. Every inch of her body was shaking tremendously as fear overcame her, her skin standing on ends as she felt Shadow Weaver's cold hands cross her shoulder.
"I-I-It was an a-accident, I swear to you..." She muttered, the tears piling in the corner of her eyes.
"You think that makes it okay?" She heard from Shadow Weaver's seething mouth.
*WHAM!*
"Ahh!" Catra cried out as she was thrust against the cold interior walls of the room, her body practically slamming with full force against it before she was dropped to the ground. Despite the pain it caused, Catra tried getting back to her feet, knowing Shadow Weaver wouldn't dare to try punishing her outside of the room where eyes could wander. That hopeful optimism was pushed away, along with her body as she was sent crashing into the Black Garnet itself.
*crush!*
"Ngh!" Another crash was followed by a cry of pain as Catra slumped against the giant crystal. She could feel a few scratches give way as her body slammed against the jagged crystal. She wasn't given a single moment of reprieve as she felt her foot being lifted up by the dark forces that surrounded her, finding herself thrown into the air above before being slammed down into the cold, hard, floor beneath her once more. "Agh!"
Catra never felt this level of pain before from Shadow Weaver's abuse. The woman rarely laid a hand on her unless she truly screwed up, unless Adora was ever with her. Here, Catra committed the ultimate sin which almost resulted in an accident that could've ended in Adora's demise, all because she didn't return the favor to someone she owed, someone who could've checked the equipment like he was supposed to if he had the time for it.
It was entirely her fault.
She knew it.
Kyle knew it.
And Shadow Weaver knew it.
And she was going to make sure she never forgot.
"P-Pl-Please!" The younger Catra practically begged, groveling as she tried to pick herself up off the floor. "I-I'm sorry... I-I'll make up for it, I swear! Just please... Please stop it, it hurts!"
"It hurts?" Shadow Weaver barely raised a brow as she was overwhelmed with an all-consuming cackle of amusement. "You think I care if it hurts? I gave you what little ounce of trust I could give you, and you betrayed it. Your foolishness hurt Adora, it nearly cost her her life! And you think you're in pain now? I will show you what true pain is like for what you did to Adora!" Shadow-Weaver roared as shadows and streaks of red-colored lightning surged from her hands towards her.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-!"
...
...
"-Ahhhhh!" Catra screamed as she collapsed to the floor. Catra, the present Catra, panted with exhaustion and out of breath as she fell to her hands and knees. She couldn't resist the tears dripping from her own face as she gasped for air, feeling like her lungs were on fire like the days Shadow Weaver abused her.
Two. Two whole days straight. That was the amount of time she spent with Shadow Weaver. The amount of time it took Shadow Weaver to ensure Catra would never forget the most tragic and dreadful day of her life. All because she broke one little promise, despite how meaningless it seemed to her, that resulted in Adora's near-death experience.
Even when the simulation ended, Catra's mind flashed endlessly with everything she did to her during the next two days. All the pain, all the suffering. Everything Shadow Weaver did to make sure this day would never be forgotten, to make sure Catra would never disobey her ever again. She wanted Catra to always remember what happened on that day, and to make sure the memory of it was burned into the recesses of her mind to make sure the pain would always come back if she ever remembered.
And it did.
Whenever she thought of Shadow Weaver, she felt pain. Whenever she was in her presence, she was always a little afraid. It was only thanks to Adora's presence that she managed to persevere around her more often than not, getting a quick lip in or a playful taunt whenever she could to bolster her own courage. Yet, all it resulted in doing was fueling the fire in Shadow Weaver's eyes, knowing she was one breath away from reinforcing that treacherous day all over again.
She couldn't help it as she hugged herself, feeling the pain of her memory as it reached her chest. That day she knew what Shadow Weaver was truly like, how cruel she could be when the reins were off of her. She could never afford to cross Shadow Weaver like that again, not in a way that affected Adora in the process. It didn't matter to her if Adora forgave her for the ordeal either. No amount of forgiveness could ever make the memory of that day disappear from her mind.
"I'm sorry..." Catra muttered to herself, shivering from the memory. "I'm so sorry... I..." Lifting her head up, she caught a glimpse of where she currently was.
All around her, darkness surrounded her as the simulation slowly came to an end. From one corner of her vision to the next, she watched as the simulation destabilized all around her. Where there should've been wall, she saw darkness, and where the metallic floors once were, she saw cold red concrete. It was then she realized that during her half of the simulation, she was brought to a completely different section of the citadel, somewhere further from where she started, somewhere away from-
"Adora!" Catra yelled getting to her feet, looking everywhere around her. It finally dawned on her that she was carried away by a stretcher in the simulation, which meant if she was carried off by Shadow Weaver, then Adora herself was carried over to another part of this dangerous place!
The last memory wasn't a mere tool to torment her. It intentionally delivered her life-scarring memory as a means to separate the two.
"Adora?!" Catra called out again. Without her headband, Adora stood little chance against these mechanical creations. It didn't matter if her years of training taught her how to fight mechanical creations like these. With their numbers seeming limitless, there was no telling how long Adora could last without her shadow magic.
*skreeeeee!*
"What?" Catra drew her sword as she turned back towards the darkness. It was then that she found her gaze being met by a group of glowing red eyes, one after the other, as she heard the mechanical screeches of the abominable robotic spiders. Each of them made their presence known as they stepped out of the darkness, their metal appendages stomping against the ground as they approached. Growling to herself, Catra lifted the sword in the air in a last attempt to call upon her sword's power. "For the Honor of-!"
*spak!*
"Ah-!" Her sword was knocked clear out of her hands and towards a cliff side as it was covered in the green sticky goo. No sooner had it did another spider climb out of the dark abyss, standing over it as it closed in on the magicat. She wasn't going to let the memory of the worst day of her life keep her from fighting back. She gave a small hiss as she extended her claws, ready to fight off the incoming swarm of robots no matter how long it took. She found it to be a useful way to vent the endless stress the most recent simulation caused her.
There was, however, one concern still on her mind.
Where the heck is Adora?!
...
...
"...Mmhh..." Adora moaned quietly as she slowly came to. Like with every simulation she pulled herself out of, she found the memories of the present coming back towards her, reminding her of everything that lead her to this place and what she came here for.
Rubbing her head a bit sorely, she realized she was fortunate that the events were a simulation of what happened, and not a full-fledged repeat of what she felt when it happened. She couldn't picture breaking her leg again, or bruising her ribs that she was diagnosed with on that day. She remembered how it hurt for weeks to eat anything as long as her stomach kept acting up, how she was bedridden for nearly three weeks after the incident, waking up a day after once the painkillers wore off for the first time.
What she couldn't figure out was why Catra wasn't around her at this point. With the medicine she had on that day, her mind was a little foggy, but she assumed Catra would've been by her side, keeping a close eye on her while she recovered each and every day. She knew she was burdened with guilt over the event, remembering the month-long silence she gave her unless Adora had a specific question or issue she needed help with during her time of recover.
So why wasn't she here? She should've headed down to the same location Adora was carried off to. Speaking of which, where was she? She found herself lying on a flat rock-like bedding surrounded by several white crystals. Did the simulation actually cause her pain and were these crystals healing her? She felt a strange warmth coming from the crystals but no pain to counteract with. The outer areas of where the walls should've been were surrounded by shadows, keeping her from so much as picking out where a door was.
*Catra? Where did you go?* She asked herself as she groggily rose from the stony bed.
*skreeeee*
"Huh!" Adora let out a small gasp as a single group of red eyes began to glow in the darkness. As much as she hopped against it, sure enough, she found a mechanical being stepping it's way out of the darkness, taking several steps forward until half of its body was present to her. Reacting quickly, Adora grabbed for her stun baton within her jacket, ready to defend herself the minute this thing made its first move. Wherever she was, she needed to play defensively, seeing how her only means of defense was the small baton she had left.
"Come on!" She threatened, unwilling to back down. There was no way she wasn't going to put up a fight, not as long as her friend was in danger! Even if she wasn't here by her side at this time! ...Or the last time! ...Or when she stole the sword from her...by betraying her trust... The way she showed little interest in ever coming back... "Ghh!" She shook the thoughts out of her head as she tried to concentrate.
Thinking back on it, this whole place has been messing with their head since the moment they got here, showing them memories of their past right in front of them without warning. It didn't matter if Catra betrayed her... several times... she wasn't going to abandon her friend here as long as she stood! She was ready for this stupid spider thing, and the two that approached from behind it. She was ready for anything they had to throw at her!
What she wasn't ready for was the small screech they gave out before retreating back into the darkness. It left Adora in a state of confusion as she lowered her guard at this, watching in confusion as the spiders drew away. "They're leaving?" Why would they do that? Adora had little idea of where she was or what kind of place this massive Beacon was. The spiders should've held the advantage in every possible way, right down from forming traps against her or by easily outnumbering her. It's like the spiders themselves didn't consider her a threat at all! It was almost like...
"Wait a minute..."
"You think if I knew I'd be running rather than fighting them?" Catra yelled back. "Far as I know, you messed something up when you were in the room! They probably think you're an intruder!"
"Then why are they chasing you?"
"I don't know! Did you mess with anything while you were in there?"
"I'm not the intruder... Catra is!" This would go on to be the last ounce of concern Adora ever had for her beloved friend.
Because by the next time they saw each other, their lives would change forever...
...
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...
A/N: All right people, this is it! This is where alllllllllllll the marbles come down to. I hope you all enjoyed that part because up next we have the scene that will either make or break this fanfic. I gotta be honest, extremely nervous. It'll either come out as something really great, or something completely horrendous, and the last time i felt this positive about a chapter in my rwby fic, it kiiiiinda blew up in my face Xo (in hindsight, I should've posted the entire thing as planned instead of 2 different parts but oh well...)
And yeah, I know i'm making a bit of too much drama. Hate to say it but it'll continue this way till we reach the very end of season 1 with some drama here and there, as well as some good ol' fashion fun ^^
Anyway! Hope you guys all enjoyed! Leave a like, fave, follow, and review if you all enjoyed and hope to see you soon!
And be prepaaaaared T_T...