A/N: And we're back folks! With a brand spanking new chapter as we draw closer towards our final confrontation ^^! I gotta say, I'm loving the feedback I got for this one, especially with Ao3! I hit an all new record last night with getting 8 Full Kudos over one chapter, the newest and biggest record I've had over one chapter ^^! Huzzah!
I gotta say, I'm having a lot of fun with this as we draw closer to our, for lack of a better name, rematch versus "Shadow Adora vs Cat-Ra" ^^!...god that name sucks XP Lol, Anyway, huge thanks to all the fans and public who've supported this till now! Can't wait to see you guys again soon!
With that all said, enjoy!
...
...
...
"Catra, what do you mean you're leaving?" Glimmer couldn't believe what she was hearing, especially under these circumstances. "You're not going to help?"
They had finally reunited after long last! After what felt like weeks apart, even though it was just a few days, they were all finally back together! Glimmer and Bow found Catra, the magicat accepted her destiny as now-current She-Ra, and after a little heart to heart, she finally decided to come back! The worse they were supposed to face was the incredible storm that kept pushing a frozen tundra to their direction, followed by the reality that the Horde would be attacking soon.
Arriving home, they were informed how the Runestone was the only source of magical energy that could protect them from the incoming dark storm that was created by the Black Garnet. It was the results of one of the Horde's new experiments after Adora had returned from the Beacon with a valuable Data Crystal from the First Ones. It housed records of never before seen technology and sciences behind the First Ones original designs, ones nobody within this day and age had ever come across before.
Being all too eager, after betraying Shadow Weaver to Lord Hordak and earning his forgiveness for his past judgement, Adora, Scorpia, and Entrapta, mostly Entrapta, worked tirelessly to see their new plan come to fruition, creating an advanced machine that could siphon the Black Garnet's power and use it as a form of weapon, one which continued to siphon the energies out of the remaining elemental Runestones across Etheria, drawing a little power from the Elemental Princesses with each passing second.
It's polar opposite, the Moonstone of Bright Moon, was the only source magic that could perfectly counter the dark magic, shielding them from the oncoming storm with as much power as it could draw forth, one that was losing its power the quickest compared to the rest of the Runestones. Because of this, Adora found it to be the best opportunity for an attack, and was leading a strike team of the Horde's army to attack Bright Moon at its most vulnerable.
That was supposed to be the worst of it. There was no way in knowing how this war was going to end, seeing how the Princess Alliance had disbanded and there were no signs of the other princesses coming to help, and they were going to be prepared for any occasion. As long as they had each other to support them, there was nothing they couldn't accomplish, no matter how bleak or perilous the journey might seem.
At least, that was the original train of thought before Catra dropped this sudden ball on them.
"I already told you guys, I can't." It hurt Catra the more than anything else she's said in the past before. These two were the last remaining friends she had in the world, and despite everything they've been through and helped her with, she was turning their backs on them.
"What do you mean you can't? Do I have to slap you again?" Glimmer asked raising her hand threateningly. "Because I'll do it no matter how many times I have to knock some sense into you."
"Wait, shouldn't it be my turn?" Bow chuckled a little, trying to break the ice. "You already got to slap her the first time, so shouldn't it be my turn?"
"Hey, there's no line for it, but you don't get to until you have a heart to heart conversation like we did."
"Well let me talk to her now, and then I will."
"Can we stop talking about who gets to slap me here?!" Catra yelled. "I really mean it, you guys. Everything that's happened till now is because of me." Frowning, she walked her way over to the ledge of the bridge, overlooking the freezing forest below. "I never realized how terrible I was to her until I went to the Beacon, all right? She's going to be the head of the charge, and she's not going to care about who she hurts to make me suffer."
"And that's why we need you, Catra." For once, Glimmer wasn't sure how to get through to her this time, not with the short amount of time they had to think about it. "If she's as strong as you said she is, then we need She-Ra, we need you!"
"I don't even know if I can go She-Ra, Glimmer. I barely know how this sword works, and I got more questions as well as answers when I spoke to Light Hope." She still couldn't figure out how she was supposed to process any of what she told her. To go from a soldier of the Horde, to becoming a servant of She-Ra, never realizing she wasn't She-Ra at the time, and then finding out she was made She-Ra simply out of circumstances? There was too much stress to take in, and not enough time right now to get through it all. "Even if I could, it wouldn't matter."
"Why wouldn't it matter, Catra?" Bow asked, walking to her right. "Even if you couldn't turn She-Ra, you're still a strong warrior. I've seen you take on robots and soldiers without She-Ra. I'd say you're more than capable of fighting in our war."
"I didn't say I wasn't capable of it... sort of... But I wouldn't be able to." At that, she had the most painful reminder of Light Hope's declaration as she hugged herself. "Light Hope said that... unless I can let go of the past, I'll never be able to win. How am I supposed to let go of the one person who's been with me all my life? I... I wouldn't be able to." Now Glimmer and Bow could see what the problem was.
This wasn't a case of her being unwilling to fight Adora or unable to. They knew she considered them friends even if she hasn't verbally acknowledged it yet, and that she wouldn't abandon them if this was a normal fight they were about to prepare for. They were there for each other through thick and thin, and would continue to after all they've experienced together. Catra was a lot of things, some of which she couldn't see herself, and a coward wasn't entirely one of them.
What she couldn't handle is being a problem for the Rebellion when they needed her most. They were about to enter a war with little knowledge of how it would turn out. Throughout their journey, Catra's been requiring their aid to save them in the midst of a grand battle or a harrowing adventure, and despite being the one to usually save the day in the end anyway, that amount of stress and guilt it's put on her has become a burden among all else.
Now, they needed her most. They needed her at the front lines of their defense and they needed her to lead the charge against the Evil Horde army that was about to invade. She would be charging headfirst into the most dangerous part of the battlefield surrounded by soldiers and machines who were bent on her and the Rebellion's destruction, and she would be exposing herself to the most danger.
After all they've been through, she couldn't see it ending in any way positive. To her, the moment she stepped on the front lines, she would either be captured or pinned down, and requiring someone to save her. With everyone else preoccupied, they couldn't afford to reach her in time, not with their own battles to contend with. It would force someone else to slip up, to rush over and save her, and leave themselves or someone else exposed to an attack.
And that didn't even include Adora in all of this.
Her best friend, practically sister, from the Fright Zone. The one who's always been there for her when she needed her most, and almost never the other way around. She wanted Catra for herself in this fight, to cause her as much pain as she caused her, to remind her of all the horrible things she's done and put Adora through during their childhood. She wanted her to feel how much pain she was in when Adora realized she only saw her as a tool, someone who's innocence she could exploit for her own personal gain.
With all that in mind, there was no way Catra could fight back with a clear conscious. If she fought, she would be confirming everything Adora thought about her, proving to her how little their friendship meant to Catra. And if she didn't fight, Adora wouldn't care. She would be relentless on her assault and attack her, forcing the above to kick in and ruin their chances of victory.
There was no simple outcome of this war if Catra participated. She would be inflicted in a world of pain no matter how it ended, and she would suffer the most out of it.
"But, Catra-"
"Glimmer," Bow interrupted, grabbing her shoulder, "I think we should talk." From one pained expression to the next, Glimmer glanced between the two, being met with a distraught Catra who looked away to a worried Bow who didn't look any easier. She felt exactly the same way he did, knew what he wanted to say! But she wasn't brave enough to let this all go without trying some form of communication with her troubled friend, not like the other times.
This was going to be a conversation that would all go one way.
The end of everything.
...
"How can she think of-"
"I know that but-
"-secure out defenses for-"
"-flank our position-"
Catra drowned in and out of the conversation as she sat outside the room, next to the doorway with her knees curled up.
She wouldn't blame them no matter what they thought of her. She was abandoning them when they needed her most, them being upset about it is the least she expected out of this. It wouldn't surprise her if the Queen locked her up for this for the rest of her life, even if they won the battle in the end. What she was doing was considered desertion, almost treasonous by her standards, as she was leaving the Rebellion when war was finally upon them.
Within the room, she heard Glimmer and Bow talking with the Queen, Her Highness caught off guard by the announcement of what Catra was planning on doing, and taking it a lot better than Catra originally anticipated. She thought she would've immediately ordered her beheading or something the very moment she announced she was leaving, nearly baffling her that she was still sitting in the outside hallway for as long as she was now.
Whatever they were talking about, Catra faded in and out from, the guilt and consciousness weighing on her mind heavier than it's ever been before. Her thoughts turned endlessly from the betrayal she felt like she was committing to the realization that the First Ones were right. She wasn't She-Ra material if she fled from the first sign of war and danger. She argued with Light Hope that she was, scorned her for never thinking Catra could do it in the first place.
Now, she realized, she was right. Catra wasn't worthy of being She-Ra. She was selfish, greedy, all the things Adora now loathed her for and more. She wasn't the hero that they needed, she wasn't anything people wanted in an ally. She was just Catra, the worst possible thing a person could be at this point.
*creeeak*
At the sound of the door opening, Catra sprang to her feet. Anxiously, the first set of eyes she met was that of the Queen's, a lump forming in her throat as the Queen just stared at her with the Captain of the guard glaring at her side. With a righteous ruler such as her, there was no telling what she was thinking of at that moment. All she knew was that her thoughts would remain a mystery as she began walking away, not mentioning a word to the ex-Hrode soldier with as much grace and decency as she could.
"That went better than I expected." Glimmer commented as she and Bow walked out of the room.
"So..." Catra awkwardly began. How was she supposed to know what to say with her conscious weighing down her mind. "What happened."
"Ah, you know. Queen's upset, guards are out of order, Netossa and Spinnerella had little to say. The usual." His attempts at humor fell on deaf ears, neither of Glimmer's or Catra's moods brightening so much as a speck. "Heh, eh... sorry."
"I don't blame her." Catra admitted, crossing her arms. "I'm surprised she didn't have the guards execute me at this moment."
"She understands your dilemma, Catra." Looking down the hallway, Glimmer continued to speak as her mother vanished down another corridor. "Actually, she doesn't blame you at all given all you've been through in the last few days."
"Really?"
"Yup. In fact, she spent the better part of it arguing with the guard in defending your actions so you wouldn't be punished." That was... unbelievable. Catra was almost convinced it was a bold-faced lie if the circumstances gave her better time to doubt it. It also went on to add to Catra's guilty conscious as she re-examined all that she was doing.
"Eh... L-Look, maybe I don't exactly have to leave." She offered, trying to provide some source of leniency. "M-Maybe... Maybe I can... I don't know... defend the castle on the inside or somethi-"
"Catra," Glimmer's frown alone was enough to stop her in her place, "you can't stay here. We... We don't know what's going to happen after this is over, and, well..."
"We think it's better if you don't come back." Bow finished for her.
"You... Don't want me to come back?" It did go without saying, to an extent, though she wasn't planning on leaving entirely. She wanted to stick with the Rebellion and help them with their cause, that went without saying. It just wasn't easy knowing that Adora would be at the center of all this, knowing how impractical it would be to fight her. "Guys, I understand if you don't want me in the Castle and all. Heck, I would've kicked myself out too for that matter. It's not like I don't want to help the Rebellion or anythi-"
"That's not it, Catra. We just... We don't know how the rest of the Rebellion would take it if you left us when we needed you most. If we did win, everyone would be angry at you about leaving us. We wouldn't be able to keep the guards or staff from gossiping, and they would inform any allies we tried to make about it."
"The alliance already fell apart after what happened to Entrapta, not that it's your fault." Glimmer wanted to make sure Catra knew whatever happened was never her fault, that she shouldn't be riddled with guilt about it alone. "If we let you leave and come back, it would make the Rebellion look like an army of cowards, and... and everyone would doubt our cause if She-Ra was known as the one who ran away before the fighting began."
This was... understandable... and hurtful to know. The cold reality out of this was that Catra was abandoning them, regardless of her excuse. If anyone ever heard how the Symbol of the Rebellion, the essence of Hope itself, She-Ra, was known for being a coward when their allies needed her most, nobody would ever want to be associated with their cause. For all they knew, having such stories running around the castle could instigate a mutiny or betrayal, and that was the last thing they could afford with the Rebellion being as short as it was.
"So, I'm... supposed to leave and never come back?" Catra assumed, unsurprised by the revelation. "To never be She-Ra again, or anything?"
"I-It's not like that." Glimmer shook her head. "It doesn't mean you don't have to be She-Ra or a hero, Catra. You could go off saving villages and towns, helping kingdoms on your own time. It could actually help in the run long if you acquire enough allies in the process."
"W-Well... Y-You guys know I don't have to go alone, right?" Instantly, they knew where she was headed with this as she looked back and forth between the uneasy friends. "We could all go together, you know? If we all did, I doubt the guards would call it cowardice. They might think the Queen ordered it for our own safety, we could salvage the Rebellion's reputation that way-!"
"Catra, this is our home." Bow boldly retorted. "There's no way we can abandon it after all the time we've spent here."
"Y-Yeah, well..." She hoped they would understand and be more than eager to accept her offer. It did seem like a genuine idea, all things considered, and if they did, the Princess of Bright Moon would still be alive, someone of royalty that held sway within the world of kingdoms. She's already suffered the loss of one dear friend, she didn't need two more to add within a day's count. "We can find a new place to call home. I mean I did, and look... how..."
Catra's heart felt like it was just impaled on a spike as she realized what she said. She abandoned her home in the past, a place she never felt like she belonged, and this is what happened. She was aiding the side she used to consider the enemy, she was about to take part in a war that she wasn't prepared for, and worst of all, she ruined the best friendship she could ever hope to obtain.
And here she was repeating the same process again, the same mistakes. She was leaving her home again when things looked tough, and deserting the two people she considered friends. They needed her now more than ever, and she was going to leave their side to save her own skin.
Despite all the pain she felt with it, she couldn't draw any strength from her heart to turn away from it, feeling like it was her only option. On top of that, she was instigating Bow and Glimmer to do the same as her, to abandon the place they called home for their own benefit.
She was practically asking them to become like her, and even she would never want someone to turn out the way she did.
"Catra?" With a little smile, holding her shoulder, Catra turned to see Glimmer giving her a gentle look. "It's okay. We don't blame you for any of this. We could never force you to fight your friend against your will. If I was in your, heh," the princess paused looking at Catra's feet, "well, boots, I don't think I could do it either."
"But-"
"There's nothing we have to forgive you for, Catra." Bow weighed in, touching her other shoulder. "You've already helped the Rebellion more than anyone ever has before. We've accomplished much more than we thought possible, and it's thanks to you."
"You guys..." Was this how friendship was supposed to be? When someone was abandoning the others, were they supposed to smile and nod as they left them behind? Is this how Adora was before slowly becoming the person she is today? Would they turn into some sort of monster on the inside with a disdain for Catra never coming back for them? A part of her wanted to know, and the other four-fifths of her really didn't want to know.
"We should get ready, Bow. The Horde's going to be here soon."
"Right."
"Get ready?" Catra wondered, remembering how her mother forbade her earlier. "How?" Whenever the princess smiled to her at a question, it usually meant she had a plan.
A fun one, at that.
"Did you think I wouldn't be prepared for something as simple as an invasion?"
...
...
*clak*
"Welcome to the Bright Moon armory!" Out of all the secrets Catra has seen or exposed of Glimmer's over the months, this was, by far, the coolest thing she's ever done. "Well, not really, but I've been stashing weapons in here for months."
All around her, she bore witness to a small room that was filled to the brim with weaponry and armor. Arrows, swords, bows, shields, grenades of some sort. Everything that an armory could have need for was present within this room, all that was filling it shined with a miraculous glow as it was kept in pristine condition.
Exactly how long has she been preparing for this? Catra questioned as the three took a step forward. If Catra knew that she had anything this cool, they probably would've become friends a very long time ago! To see any princess deck out one of their rooms with an arsenal of supplies like this, to be ready to declare war on a moment's notice, Catra couldn't be anything short of impressed. This is exactly what an armory would need, and it would be impossible not to find one form of weapon in this room that wasn't listed.
"Huh! DIBS ON ARROWS!" Bow squealed, practically bashing Glimmer out of the way as he ran to the walls, with Catra and Swift Wind examining closer.
"You've been keeping these from me all this time and you never told me?" Catra asked as she examined one of the knives against the walls, touching one of the sacred-looking daggers to see if they were as real as they appeared.
"Well, you've never really wanted to hang out with me, so..." Glimmer reminded, in a slightly joking manner.
"Fair enough..." Catra almost wished she decided to stay after seeing the amount of weapons that filled the room. From chain maces to massive spears, this room was decked with nearly anything one could ask for in a war. "How have you been keeping all this stuff from-
"Huh! Catra"! Swift Wind sputtered, nudging her from behind with his snout. "Catra! Catra! Catra! Catra! Catra!"
"What?!" She growled back, irritated by the constant pushing until she finally gave him her attention. Without saying a word, the horse gestured his eyes towards the other side of the wall. There, she saw one of the largest maces she had ever seen, attached to a chain as it hung on the walls. The horse's mouth was practically drooling at the thought of having such a beautifully crafted weapon, imagining all the monsters and robots he could slay just by carrying it in his mouth! There would be no end to the amount of joy it would bring him! "Keep dreaming."
"Awwww..." The horse moaned as Catra pushed him away. He was well aware of Catra's plan to leave the Rebellion, and being her noble steed, he wasn't in any position to argue with her. But the least she could do is allow them to have some sort of souvenir to remember this place by.
As she was examining one of the mighty spears in the room, Glimmer heard the last voice she wanted to at that moment. "Glimmer?" Her mother said from the armory's doorway. All eyes turned to her, some with anxiety, others regret, and one still crying silently at the lack of maces he would be bringing. The Queen's stern expression didn't make their feelings any easier, her presence alone giving them enough chills to last a lifetime of grounding.
"M-Mom!" She stuttered as Bow quickly panicked, trying to hide the incredible golden arrow behind his back as Catra turned away. "How'd you know we'd be in here?"
"Did you really think I wouldn't notice you hoarding weapons?" Her mother replied casually, her years of experience as a Queen proving their worth.
"I'm sorry, mom." There was no point in trying to feign ignorance in her present, not with the situation at hand. "I can't just stand by while my friends and my home are in danger. I have to do this."
"...I know."
"Mom, I... wait, what?" She must've misheard that, because for a second there, it almost sounded like she acknowledged what Glimmer was doing, and accepted it.
"I've been trying all these years to mold you into someone more like me. But you're too stubborn and hotheaded, and brave, like your father." It brought genuine warmth to the Queen's heart as she reminisced. If she didn't know any better, she swore she was still talking to her husband, back when they first met. Drawing magic to her hand, the four watched as the Queen materialized a crescent moon-shaped staff out of the palm of her hand. "This was your father's staff. I think it's time that you had it."
Glimmer didn't know what to say. She was disobedient, hotheaded, all that her mother described her as and then some. She still wanted her daughter to fulfill her own dreams, to choose her own destiny, the way she's been begging her mother to. She wasn't going to put up any resistance, she wasn't going to talk her out of anything, she was just going to let her daughter make her own way for the first time, and she had her blessing.
The moment brought tears to her eyes as Glimmer wiped them away. She flung herself into her mother's open arms as the two embraced, Catra watching as bow wiped a hollow tear from his own eyes, and for the first time, said and thought nothing of it.
At least, until the Queen turned her attention to Catra soon after.
"And Catra..." The Queen said as she walked to her. It was like deja' vu for the young warrior, only this time, she was a little less optimistic about any comfort or warmth as she stood over her. "I guess you haven't changed your mind, have you?"
"Mmh..." How was she supposed to talk to her? "Hey thanks for everything, now I'm going to bail on ya"? "I know you need me right now, but I'm leaving you anyway"? There wasn't a single thought that came to Catra's mind throughout all of this. Her mouth practically moved on its own with the words she was about to speak being automatic. "I-"
*tug*
And just like her Deja Vue moment, she was immediately interrupted as the Queen embraced her in a hug, holding her warmly like any mother should as her head pressed against her stomach. There was a small tickle she felt as the Queen scratched behind her ears playfully, assuring her that she held no ill will.
"I can't thank you enough for all you've done for us, Catra." The Queen's comment added fuel to Catra's fire of guilt that as already flaming. "This Rebellion owes you more than you could possibly know."
"Please don't..." She mumbled quietly.
"To be honest, I can't help but feel responsible for all of this." With a gentle smile, the Queen lowered herself to Catra's level, looking her in the eyes. "I never should have been harsh on you for your past mistakes, Catra. I should have been praising your successes instead of berating your faults. You were just trying to help us, and I was awful about it." The Queen admitted, stroking Catra's cheek.
"It's... It's okay. I'm used to it." Catra looked away from her, unable to meet her gaze.
"That doesn't make it right. If I had been more supportive, you might've had the confidence in yourself to do what needs doing, and I can't make up for the way I saw you before, Catra." With a gentle touch, the Queen directed Catra's chin to her calming grin. "All I can do is wish you luck for your future, tell you to never be afraid of whatever challenges you might come to face. And always remember, as long as She-Ra survives, there's hope for our future."
"...Sure... thanks, I guess..." Catra strode out of the room with an aura of guilt falling off of her, the others watching in dismay as she left with Swift Wind following behind her.
Why the heck were they acting like this? She was leaving them for crying out loud! They should be angry with her, yelling at her because of her weakness! This wasn't any way to treat someone who was deserting your side when you were about to be going to war! Even if they weren't the Horde, this was being way too forthcoming about what she was doing!
Were they trying to use some form of reverse psychology? Because it felt like it was definitely working! She's never felt such an overwhelming sense of guilt before, her mind reeling in from all her past mistakes and the amount of comfort and peace her friends and allies were sending her off with. There should have been more resistance on their end, they should have been forcing her to stay against her will!
Did she want them to do it? Of course not. She couldn't force herself to participate in all of this, she had nothing to convince her to stay through all of this, other than the people she came to know as friends. It didn't mean she wanted to leave anymore than she had to, either. Were they purposely trying to get rid of her? To send her off as soon as possible out of a lack of care for her? She would prefer it that way! At least then, she wouldn't have to deal with the guilt that's been plaguing her.
She had one more stop to make as she had to collect some stuff from her bedroom, and then she'd be out of here... forever.
...
...
*chug*
"That's the last of it." Catra muttered again as she tied on the last of her supplies to the satchel over Swift Wind.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Swift Wind asked, eyeing the large packs strapped to his side.
"Are you kidding me? Of course not." Catra replied, tying the last knot extra tightly. "I don't want to leave them behind like this, Swifty. I'd stay and help in an instant if I knew Adora wasn't coming."
"Why does one person determine if you should go or stay, Catra? Isn't she the same person who betrayed you?"
"She's also the same person I've been using all my life." Catra added. "I wouldn't want me alive either if I was in her shoes. How can I be expected to fight someone who has every reason to be mad at me, when I have nothing to blame them for?" With the silence that followed, Catra turned her attention back to the room that used to be her bedroom.
Her room had been cleared out of most-everything she would possibly need. Some blankets, soaps, a good supply of food, and a few knickknacks she had lying around from all her travels across Etheria. Anything that wasn't nailed down that she didn't bring would've been a waste of space, things she felt were better off here instead of pawning them off later for money.
It almost felt silly to her to think that, at one point in her life, she was ridiculous enough to have a pillow fight with Glimmer and Bow around here. Several, at that. Looking back on it, she wonder at what point in her life she actually did come to consider the two of them friends. Was it after reading Glimmer's diary a short while ago, or did she actually consider them friends before all of that?
It was something she wasn't ever going to find out as of now, and a question she would never get resolved after today. This was her farewell to everyone she's ever met. Goodbye to Bright Moon, goodbye to the Rebellion, and goodbye to-
"Wait!" Catra quickly turned around from Swift Wind as she saw the familiar callers running to her.
The two were now donning their own sets of armor, prepared for the war that was soon to Glimmer, she was wearing a silver breastplate with shoulder-pads, a chitin mail running along the length of her thigh for added protection. She was the spotting image of royalty that was about to prepare for battle, an ally that would defend her people to the end. A friend that would always be at your side... even if you weren't at hers.
As for Bow, for the first time since meeting him, he had the professional look of a real live soldier. Along with his yellow shirt that was still noticeable from the red heart in its center, he was wearing a golden breastplate of armor that covered down to his naval, his left wrist covered in a guard to protect himself from his own arrows and damage as long as he used his bow. An archer wasn't an archer without a functioning pair of arms, and she couldn't think of anyone better at archery than him.
As expected, the two were out of breath, clearly having ran all this way from the armory or wherever they were before.
"Huff... huff... w-wait..." Glimmer panted, trying to catch her breath.
"What are you guys doing here?" A part of Catra was hoping they came here to stop her.
"We... phew... we came to give you something." Glimmer replied, digging through her pockets as Bow dug through his.
"Wha- Ah, noooo." Catra groaned, shaking her hands and head. "No, no no, I'm not doing gifts guys, please."
"Well, don't think of them as gifts, Catra," Bow replied, pulling out his gift, "think of them as your reward."
"Reward?"
"Yeah, you know." Bow smiled to her as he pulled out his gift. "Like a consolation prize. It's not as good as a kingdom, but it's better than nothing, right?" Pulling out Catra's hand himself, he opened her palm enough to place a single arrow in it. "It's one of my explosive arrows. I know you always said you wanted one, and, since you're leaving the castle, we figure it'd be a little safer to leave you with it."
She does recall seeing his arrows in action, looking at the tip curiously. There were a few times in the past she asked him for one of his arrows to try it out for herself, and, while he was interested in the possibility to have a new archery buddy, he was a little less than reluctant to leave one of his trick arrows to a magicat who didn't seem to like them at the time.
Especially after the small hole she created in the outer walls as a result.
"You guys, you..." Her ears lowered in disgust with herself. "You guy's didn't-"
"And here." Glimmer offered her own gift, putting it in Catra's other hand. It was a small pink book, one that Catra recognized all too well.
"A... diary?"
"Your diary, now." Glimmer corrected with a sincere smile. "It used to be mine until recently. For some reason I can't seem to find my key around here?"
"Uhh..." She was thankful the three were too preoccupied with the incoming assault. Otherwise, she would've easily spotted the nervous look on Catra's face. "Y-Yeah, can't imagine where that went. But why are you giving this to me?"
"So you can keep a record for yourself."
"No, I mean... W-Why don't you keep it? You never know when you'll need to update it, right?" She offered it back with a questionable smile.
"Heh, Catra..." The princess turned her eyes away with her own small smile around her face. "You know I won't be needing it after this, right? Even if we did win, there wouldn't be much to write about it without the three of us, right?"
"Mmh..." Oh, great, more things to add on to her guilt! While she was at it, why doesn't she just add to the fact she needed a kidney transplant that Catra happened to be the only available donor for?! "I... I can't take thi-"
*tug-tug*
Catra blinked. They were the most insufferable people she had ever met. There wasn't one day in her life where they didn't do something to annoy her, whether good or bad. It usually ended up being the former, not that it mattered much to the magicat in question. They always had to go on about being nice to her, always trying to encourage her when she was feeling down, reminding her that they would always be by her side.
Hugging her with both their arms around her tightly for a final goodbye. What kind of horrible people were they?! Did they think this was any easier for her on her end? Do they think she needed all this encouragement to get out of this place? Were they trying to do everything in their power to push her away?
What good was she anymore if she was going to leave them? They had no reason to be friends with her, none that Catra could see. And yet... they continued to accept her, no matter how much of it was her fault. They just saw her as a friend, the way Adora used to see her, except when she abandoned them they didn't appear to be turned away or feel like they were abandoned.
They just smiled, and hugged her.
A hug she couldn't return with her arms pinned to her side.
"We're going to miss you, Catra." Glimmer said with a small sniffle. Catra was doing everything she could to maintain her composure, to pull in the tears forming in the corner of her eyes.
"It's gonna be hard to find another friend like you, Catra." Bow added, throwing her a smile as he and Glimmer pulled away. They didn't seem the least bit bothered at her pained expression, or call her out on it.
"...Why..." Catra squeezed her fist, hiding her anger. "Why aren't you guys trying to stop me?" She had a small growl behind her voice, the hairs on the end of her skin sticking up as she shook.
"Trying to stop you?"
"You know, stop me!" Catra yelled back, her sadness hidden behind a wall of anger. "You should be throwing me in chains, dragging me to the battlefield! This isn't even a time to be nice to me about all this! You should be angered with me, disgusted with me! If you guys were abandoning me instead, I'd never forgive you. So why... why can't you do the same?"
"Because it wouldn't be fair to you, Catra." Glimmer replied, her response catching her off guard. "You told us yourself. Since day one, you've been forced to do everything you didn't want to, that you've been tricked into doing someone else's work."
"So we figured, for once in your life, that we'd give you the choice this time around." Bow's addition to the news didn't bring her any more comfort, only pain. "We want you to be able to make a decision for yourself for a change, Catra. Whichever way it goes, we'll support it."
"To decide... for myself?" She... wasn't sure what that meant anymore. All her life, everyone, everything, has told her what to do, now that she thought about it. She was told to serve for the Honor of Grayskull, she was told how to best help the Rebellion during their missions, she was told what to do for training every day of her life, and now... she was given a gift she never realized she was without.
A choice.
"... You guys-"
*BOOM!*
The castle shook violently following the sound of an explosion. All heads turned to the ceiling as the castle shook all around them.
"The Horde's here!"
"We need to go." Glimmer directed to Bow, the archer nodding as he sprinted on ahead of the hallway. With a final look to her departing friend, Glimmer gave her a simple smile and a wave, silently wishing her the best of luck as she took off.
Catra didn't even have the time to raise her own hand up in farewell. All she could do was stare silently until Glimmer was out of view, and keep on staring.
So... this was how it was supposed to end, right? She'd get on the horse, she'd fly away, and that'd be the end of it. The Queen said it herself, as long as She-Ra was alive, there was hope. So... she'd be doing them a favor if she left... right? Leaving would've been the best thing she could've done for the group! She-Ra would survive, the world would keep on living, she could come back to fight another day after enough training, and everything would be better for it! It would be the best thing she could do, it was the only thing she could do, it was... it was all that she... she could...
"...Ngh..." Moaning, Catra dropped the diary to the ground as she backed herself up against a wall, slumping against it until she reached the ground. "What am I supposed to do...?"
If she helped the Rebellion, she'd lose any change to make amends with Adora.
If she left, she'd be turning her back on her current friends.
If she foolishly tried to assist Adora thinking that it would make up for everything, knowing that would never work, she'd be betraying the two greatest friends she's ever made since joining the Rebellion, the people who treated her more like family than any of her so-called "friends" ever did in the Horde!
No choice was simple for her. They would all leave to pain. Her choices came down to what is good and bad, what is her interpretation of what made them good and bad, and which ones would leave her with the most and least amount of pain afterwards. And the greater the *good* choice seemed, the more painful she knew it was going to be for her.
*whomp*
She turned her head as she saw Swift Wind sitting to her right, not paying much care over the details of it or his reasoning. "Can I help you?"
"I don't know, but maybe you could help this friend of mine?" He teased. "She's about yay-height, has wonderful friends she can rely on, likes to lick her feet~"
"Heh heh heh, aren't you funny." She laughed in an obvious sarcastic tone, shaking her head to him as she curled up her legs.
"Catra, why is this so hard for you to decide? Just help your friends!" The horse tried to look the magicat in the face, only for her to turn away forcefully. "I know you care about them, don't forget we have a bond here."
"Well if we have such a bond as you describe, you should know why I can't!" There were too many things plaguing her at once, not enough time to confront them all.
"Actually, no, I can't know. Personally, the situation seems easy to figure out. I don't know why you can't, Catra."
"Because it's my fault this is happening to begin with!" How many times was she going to have to say this before it finally got through to someone?! "All of this is happening because I treated Adora horribly! I never went back for her and that caused her to get corrupted, I try exploring the First Ones ruins by myself and gave Adora access to what started all of this, and now she's going to wage war on our home just to get back at me!"
"I thought you said you accepted all of that though and were willing to continue being She-Ra?"
"I am! But I didn't think it would mean I would have to jump in headfirst and fight Adora within the same day!"
"So you'd prefer letting everyone else take the fall while we just run away?"
"No!... But..." She could feel the corner of her eye starting to tear up a little. "If I help one side, I lose a friend. If I help the other side, I lose a friend. And if I cut down the middle and don't help either of them, I lose everything. I'm... I'm scared, alright? I'm scared because I don't know what will happen after this, and I don't want to find out." It was one of the few times in Catra's life she was honest with her own emotions, and it didn't bring any sense of comfort to her like the previous times.
The world was literally falling apart around her, both, her own, and the actual world itself. Every side seemed to be playing against one another and she was caught in the middle of all of it. She was scared at the reality that she was facing, she was worried about how much pain she was going to be in when all of this was over.
For the first time she didn't know what to expect from the world... and she was frightened about it.
*Sllllllllurp*
Catra twitched an eyebrow in disgust before glaring twitchy at the horse who slobbered all over her, fresh drool dripping from her face. "Dont. EVER. Do that again!"
"Well it was the only way I could try your tears without hitting you with my wings or smacking you with my hooves. Now I need you to answer one of my questions, Catra. Why aren't you helping your friends?"
"I told you, I'm scared, okay? I don't know what to do, all I know is that it's going to hurt no matter what."
"Then why not just stick around so you would at least have somebody to have your back when it's over?"
"Because it makes me weak, all right? I was a weak little girl who always relied on Adora to fix her problems, and then I started taking advantage of all that, and now this is happening. All I'm doing is repeating the same mistakes all over again at this rate."
"So... Why not just accept it, and move on?"
"Are you kidding? Because it'll hurt!"
"And you have a whole bunch of friends that'll have your back this time around." If he wasn't getting through to her, he was definitely getting some sort of reaction out of her as she turned away at this, frowning as she lowered her head to her knees. As gently as he could, he wrapped an unfurled wing around her, pulling her closer as she did her best to ignore him. "Catra, I know it's going to hurt. You might be in more pain than you've ever been in, and it's not going to get any easier for you down the road."
Was this his idea of a pep talk, or was he purposely trying to talk her out of helping them? Telling her that it would get worse if she helped was, by no means, a useful, much less, good idea. If anything, telling someone all of their fears, suspicions, and doubts would come true was the last thing you should ever do!
"But if you leave now, that pain is just going to grow deeper and deeper." He continued. "You'll always be running from a past until you come across the day you can't run away anymore, and then you'll be forced to confront it." With a solemn look in her eye, she stared into his, the horse surprisingly smiling at this. "If you want to limit the pain now, you're going to have to confront your past head on while you still have people that'll have your back. Otherwise... you might lose everything you didn't even know you had, and there will be no one left to support you."
"..."
Pain.
More Pain.
Even more pain.
There wasn't a solution that came to her that didn't result in pain, only a way to relieve it.
For all that she's done, for all her past mistakes, this was her reality, a road that she created that was coming to a dead end. She was speeding out of control with little to no way out, and it was going to bring her to a grinding halt against her will. Only when she crashed did she have the question she needed to ask most of all.
Who was going to be there to help her out of her wreck?
...
...
From atop the stairs of Bright Moon's entrance, Glimmer and Bow watched. In rows at a time, they watched as dozens of tanks appeared through the trees, making their presence known at the shore. Each one of those tanks alone were enough to destroy the entirety of the castle, not to mention the pillar which housed the powerful Runestone.
This was the last line of defense for the Rebellion. With the guards protecting the castle from the sides, that left the front entrance completely wide open, save for the few members of royalty and soldier, namely Bow, who guarded from the front. If the Runestone fell, then that would be the end of them, even if they pushed the Horde out of their home. They would just come back, more powerful than ever, and there would be no way to defend themselves without the source of their magic.
The sky itself was an ill omen long before this war had began. For the two friends, they knew it was up to them now, as well as Netossa and Spinnerella, to defend the castle from its attackers. Despite how bleak and hopeless everything looked, the two found themselves hoping, that just maybe, this would all work out in the end.
"Well... this is it." Glimmer said, breathing deeply to herself as the two started to walk towards the steps.
"Hey, we'll be alright." Bow tried to encourage, patting her back. "Whatever happens, I promise you we'll make it through this."
"Hmhm, thanks Bow." His optimism was one of his most redeeming traits to Glimmer. No matter how bad something might have seemed or perilous, he was always the one who could smile through it at the worst of times. "I just wish that... you know..."
"Yeah, I know, but we gave her the choice, remember? It wouldn't be right to take that away from her."
"I know, I know. I just... I just wish she would've chose us, you know?" Glimmer remembered all the past times that they helped one another, from saving Catra from drowning, to Catra saving them from Shadow Weaver, and each other from Entrapta's computer virus. There were too many good memories mixed in with the bad, none of which Glimmer ever wanted to forget about. She was prepared to keep all the memories they had of their time together, no matter how saddening some of them were. "Just to... you know... finally hear her call us friends, you know?"
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I guess, where Catra comes from, you're just unable to, though. I promise you, you did the right thing, Glimmer." If there was anyone she would have at her side in these last possible moments, there was nobody better than Bow... and maybe-
"Glimmer!" Bow quickly interrupted, point out to the distance. Turning back, Glimmer's eyes widened in shock as she saw a familiar figure stepping out from behind the tanks, two as a matter of fact. The two walked into the water of the flat ravine, the tanks staying in their place as the leader of the assault seemed intent on either dealing with the matters herself, or wished to discuss something out in the open before everything blew up in all-out war.
It was the leader of the assault team, Horde Officer Adora, and her friend, Horde Officer Scorpia.
"What is she doing here?!"
"I don't know..." Glimmer replied, noticing how the Force Captain held up a single arm. She couldn't tell what she was doing with it, but based on how the tanks were waiting to attack, she could assume she was giving the order to halt, no doubt wishing to speak about something as she stared back up to them. "But we don't have a choice. We need to buy Catra as much time as she needs to escape from here." It was foolish bout of optimism to think they would be alright to meet her directly, yet it was all they had at this time.
Running across the bridge was the first thing the Queen could see as she walked from her castle. Examining her surroundings, figuring where the two were headed, the Queen bit her bottom lip as she allowed them. She knew her daughter wouldn't listen to anything she had to say if she thought she had to, and that also didn't mean she had to let them go unprotected as long as she stood.
Flapping her wings, the mother flew herself over to the Moonstone of Bright Moon, standing herself under the magnificent stone as she began to focus her energy. There was no telling how much time they would need for, if any, reinforcements to show up, or how long they could hold out on their own. All they knew was that whatever happened between her daughter and the one she went to meet, it would determine how the rest of this war would turn out, and their chances of survival.
With her magic gathered, the Queen of Bright Moon generated a sole barrier over the tower of the runestone, stretching straight to the watery floor below that her daughter and her friend finally reached as the barrier became whole. Reaching the bottom level, the two seeing a small bluish shimmer of the Moon Stone's magic, the two knew to stay perfectly within the confines of the protective magic for as long as this conversation took.
It was there that they were met with the disgusted looking face of a lone blonde girl named Adora, and her protective friend who stood at her side with her arms crossed. With the barrier spread a good twenty feet around them, the four slowly approached one another, Bow drawing his arrows as he and Glimmer remained within the shield as a precaution.
"Princess." Adora scowled, still donning the headband since she began her betrayal to Shadow Weaver.
"Adora." Glimmer retorted, giving her own look of irritation as well.
"..." She paused as she stared back at Bow. "...I'm sorry, who are you?"
"You should at least get to know the people you kidnap, you know!" Bow grumbled, feeling a little ashamed she didn't take the opportunity to know his name.
"Whatever. I'm going to ask you two this once, and then you're going to tell me the truth. Then, I decide if I let you live or not, got it! Tell me where Catra is. Now!"
"Oh, now you care?" Bow spat. "You didn't seem care much about her when you left her in the First Ones ruins."
"I know. I also know she's too stubborn to die off when you expect her to. So I'll ask you one more time. Where. Is. Catra!"
What exactly would happen if she told them the truth? Would she be willing to stall for several minutes thinking Catra could escape in that short amount of time? Would she press on the attack right away? Every second they had provided Catra another second to fly on out of here, assuming she didn't as they were running down the steps of the tower, and they had to take it. "Catra's-"
"Already gone." Bow lied, much to Adora's annoyance. "She left the moment we got to Bright Moon. Something about you tearing her heart apart, unable to cope with her feelings. Ring any bells?"
"Tch, heheheheh, you're seriously aren't you?" A smirk crossed Adora's lips as she let out a mad fit of giggling, not caring as she refused to keep her emotions repressed. "Hah! That's a good one! Catra has feelings?"
"Yeah, she does!" Glimmer snapped back. What did Catra ever see in this girl that was so friendly? "If you were such a great friend to her, like she always said you were, you'd notice!"
The look of amusement turned to a look of disdain as she stared back at the Princess of Bright Moon. Whenever trouble came about, Glimmer was there. Whenever something annoyed her, Glimmer was there. Glimmer was there at the best of times, and the worst of times, and always at the center of EVERY TIME that Catra was involved. Shrugging her emotions off, the two started to watch as Adora pointed back and forth between the two, silently muttering her lips to herself.
"...What are you doing?"
"Deciding which of you I get rid of first." Adora boldly stated. "I never liked you, but I feel like I could make it soooo much more painful for you if I got rid of your archer buddy here." At that, Bow tightened the grip on his arrow, prepared to release a shot at the slightest twitch.
"You can forget about getting either of us. You're not getting passed this barrier." Glimmer retorted, earning a mere grin from the Force Captain.
"Oh, that's adorable."
"What?"
"Heh heh... you think I'm on the outside of it." With a flash of her headband, raising her hand forward, Glimmer had a full second to understand what she was referring to as she gazed at her own feet. From the shallow water, never realizing it as a majority of the land was now covered in darkness, Glimmer realized there was one slightly darker line that connected from where Adora was standing, all the way over to where Glimmer was standing.
She had made her shadows directly under the barrier before it had formed.
*twang*
*splash!*
"Ahhhh!" Glimmer cried out in fear as she was suddenly pulled by her feet, knocking her off of them as she was reeled in hastily towards Adora herself. Bow was caught off guard at the realization as he heard Glimmer scream in terror, lowering his arrows as he watched Glimmer break through the barrier as she crossed it.
"Glimmer!" With a cry, Bow quickly returned his arrow to his bowstring, too little, too late.
"Gotcha!"
*splash!*
"Ugh!" Bow was helpless as he found herself tackled to the ground, the water reaching up to his ears, as Scorpia pinned him to the ground by his with her claws, raising her stinger above the two of them threateningly. Grinning, the scorpion princess thrust her stinger straight towards his head, planning to keep him nice and quiet for the remainder of the war as a nice cell was waiting for him to come back to the Fright Zone. All Bow could do was struggle as he grabbed around the tip of her stinger with his hands, attempting to push her off in vain as Glimmer remained in peril.
The same girl's heart was trembling as she was dragged through the barrier, one that was ripped apart long enough for Scorpia to pass through it after Glimmer's forceful dragging. Pulling the princess in front of her, Adora gave a wicked smile as she watched the princess being dragged in front of her, lifting her into the air when she finally reached her. It was a small effort as Adora continued to torment her, using her magic to flip the girl right side up again, this time wrapping a strong shadow over Glimmer's throat, listening to the princess struggle for breath as she pulled at the shadows for dear life.
It was time to get some much needed payback.
"I'll ask you for the last time, and I mean," Adora repeated, this time growing a large blade-like shadow in her right arm for emphasis, "the last time. Tell me where Catra is while I'm still in a good mood, and I might let the both of you rot in a cell for the rest of your life."
"Nghhhh!" Glimmer grumbled, trying to breathe. "Y-You know, back in the ru-ruins... for a s-sure friend who hates b-being abandoned... you sure don't s-seem... seem to mind doing i-it... to Catra!"
There was no amusement on Adora's face at this. No anger, no jealousy, no confusion, no care, no nothing. She just gave the most bored expression she has ever given in her entire life.
"...You know... I reeeeeally wish I did this when we first met." With a sinister smirk, the ends of Adora's skin twitching with goosebumps of excitement, Adora pulled back her blade as the princess closed her eyes fearfully, preparing to relieve all her troubles, and this princess from her head, all at the same time-!
"ADORRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" A single voice echoed throughout the valley as all eyes and ears lifted from whence they were. Dropping the princess to the ground instantly, Glimmer rubbing her sore throat as she panted heavily for breath, all heads slowly turned to back to the top of the archway across the bridge, the very spot they could see the one person each of them called out to.
"Catra!"
Catra stared at her sword as she brought it to her head. This was it. All that she's done, all that she's been fighting for, has lead to this moment. She didn't want to fight her friend with every fiber of her being. If surrendering to her would instantly make Adora forgive all her past transgressions, she would do it in a heartbeat. But the Adora standing before her wasn't showing any mercy to her allies, nor the people she came to consider friends.
She was going to hurt them unless she did something, here and now.
With a sigh, Catra followed her sword as she raised it to the heavens, prepared to recite the ancient incantation that have her her powers.
"For the Honor of-!"
*BOOOOOM!*
"Noooo!" Glimmer cried out in tears, unable to believe what she had witnessed.
It couldn't have happened. Someone had to tell her what she saw truly didn't happen. Before Catra could finish her verse, from what they could hear anyway, one of the many tanks saw this as an opportunity that was too good to pass up, one that couldn't be let to waste. Against any orders that may have come previously, one of the surrounding tanks fired heavily on the girl, landing a direct blast on where Catra stood.
"W-What happened?" Bow asked, unable to see from where he lied as he continued to push the tail away from his face.
"Catra..." Glimmer's eyes watered heavily as she saw the smoke slowly dissipate from the stairs. All that remained of the once obnoxious friend to the friend who was wrought with turmoil, nothing was left that remained of her. No sword, no hair, not even a simple tiara like she used to wear. All about Catra was gone.
Everything about her was gone.
"Catra..." It lasted for only an instant. For an instant, a small twinge entered Adora's heart, one that was unfamiliar in the large scope of things, and one that disappeared as she shook her head from the sight of the destroyed archway, grinning back to the princess who continued to cry over spilled milk. "Ah, well, that was faster than I expected." She ignored the tears that drained from the princess's eyes, and one of her own, as she created another large blade-like arm on her opposing side. "You shouldn't cry too much, princess, because pretty soon, you're going to meet her a-"
-aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
*CLANG!*
With a thunderous howl, having a sheer moment to block herself with both her arms, the shocked Adora stared up into the eyes of her former friend's enraged gaze, seeing the fire burning in her eyes as she held the sword in one hand.
She resembled nothing like the Catra she once new. Her tiara had more of a golden color to it and was slightly slanted upwards, her previously red outfit was replaced with something much whiter, and her wrist were covered in golden bracelets that protected her, all culminating to the form that she had donned.
For Catra, it was the same appearance she was used to. There wasn't anything special about it, and there wasn't anything new to it compared to her original She-Ra transformation. If anything, she might have felt a little bit stronger, though it was barely negligible compared to how strong she usually felt when she transformed into this 1/4th She-Ra form.
This was still a new form that Adora had yet to witness before, the infamous hero of the Rebellion that was known as She-Ra.
*WHAM!*
"Agh-!" Adora cried out as she was slammed away.
With her momentum caught off guard, dropping to the floor in front of her as she continued to stare at Catra in a state of confusion, the magicat took advantage of the opportunity as she continued her attack. With one fell swoop to the ground, Catra ducked under her as she flipped the sword in her hands over to its flat side, slamming against Adora's torso like a baseball against a bat as she bashed her a good thirty feet away through the air, the Force Captain growling as she failed to return to her footing as she kept rolling until she came to an end, a few bangs of her hair dangling in front of her growling eyes.
"What the-?"
*BASH!*
"Oof-!" Scorpia let out a sudden crying yelp as she was tackled out of the way sooner after, too distracted by her friend's sudden attack to notice the charging alicorn that crashed into her. In one solid strike, the horse let out a whinnying cry of honor as he slammed against the scorpion princess, knocking her far off Bow, flaring his nostrils angrily as he stood over his fallen comrade protectively.
The two Force Captains were now outnumbered up close, with the horse helping Bow off the ground with his wings, and Glimmer staring in awe at the holy figure that had just saved her. Her tears drying up, Glimmer had never been so happy before to see her friend safe and sound in front of her very eyes, especially after what she heard her say next.
"Stay away from my friends, Adora."
The Battle for Bright Moon had officially begun...
...
...
...
A/N: Yeah, I know, so the battle "officially" starts next chapter, but I'm all the more for it in my case ^^ I got loads of actions for you guys coming up as we near the LAST 2-3 chapters of season 1 :D! I only hope I can keep it as epic as you guys know and love it as we get our rematch and our grand finale! What will happen? NOBODY KNOWS! (except me XP lol)
Anyway, shoutout to everyone who's loved and supported this series and made it the highest reviewed She-Ra fic on this site ^^ You guys all do me the honors! With that said, hope you all enjoyed!
Leave a like, fave, follow, and review if you enjoyed, and hope to see you soon!