A/N: Final Word Count: An exact 8,999 Words Pre-A/N's.
Hooooof boy. Not gonna lie people, not my best work- halfway through this chapter i had like a complete brainfart to the point where i forgot everything i intended for the 2nd half of the chapter. Kind of becomes obvious a ways down the middle. So if the chapter is wonky and out of place and confusing at times, i apologize X/
But with that said, we are now at episode 4! We are so close to the finale that I can already taste it ^^... strangely, it tastes like caramel... huh... Well anyway, yes! We're at the direness of the season now, which honestly still feels like a part of season 2. Even with time constraints, i can't understand why they would separate the seasons like that, feels like it makes more sense to keep season 2 and 3 as a whole, it's weird...
Oh well. Anyway, apologies again, still don't understand what happened halfway through and hope its not too distracting.
With that said, on to episode 4!
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The Leader of the Horde carried the several ton pile of scrap heap in his bare hands as he carried it across the room. setting it down with a slight tremor as machine and gravity connected. He felt proud of himself and his new exosuit, the new high-quality armor empowering his body and his strength tenfold from what his original armor used to be.
It was thanks to Entrapta and her genius, a genius he respected as she continued to work alongside him. With her help, her dedication, the portal was only a short ways away from nearing completion. All that remained was the power source that he continued to wait on, for anything of the sort.
*bzzzt*
"Ghhhh!" He grumbled, feeling a small tingle through his arm as electricity danced across it. Just when he thought his new suit was wonderful, it had to immediately go along and suit out a small volt of electricity through his right arm. "Grrrr!"
"No reason to get in a tizzy." Entrapta said, patting him on the shoulder with her hair as she approached.
"I have never been in a tizzy." Hordak responded, waving his arm away for her to fix and feeling awkward over having said it.
"You can't expect everything to work perfectly overnight." She commented as she began working and rewiring all the little wires and knobs in his exo's arm, fixing it with a multitude of tiny tools. The leader of the Horde just grumbled quietly to himself, refusing to bark to the likes of her. "Like our machine. We still haven't figured out the missing piece that'll let us cut through the planetary interference. If we try now, the portal might not be stable long enough to get anyone through."
The leader turned to her with a small sigh. All of his vastness, all of his hatem anger, and discord, he refused to show in front of this girl. She was the only reason that he had a new and improved, powered up exoskeleton to begin with. She was the one who pushed him to continue when he was down, refusing to give up after over a hundred and thirty tries of getting the portal to work. She was too innocent to his liking, to sincere to be yelled upon.
She didn't deserve his strife.
"We only need to open a portal for a short time." He calmly explained, raising his fist. He observed around himself at the various clones in the vitrines still in incubation. "Long enough to send a signal through to Horde Prime. Once he receives it, he should have no trouble opening a portal from his side."
"And then you'll have to go with them..." Entrapta remarked, growing a small frown. Though the leader obviously didn't respond to this, there was a small hiccup in his brow. "... But there's still so much data to collect. What's the rush? We'll just keep working on it until it's perfect." She offered, raising up to his level as she stood on her hair. At the proposition, Hordak smiled a little.
The idea did sound rather pleasing to him. After all, they needed to make sure that everything was right with the portal before everything could begin. With all the time and effort it would take, it could take weeks or months before the two could ever accomplish such a detail.
And even after they did, they would still need to run a few test runs back and forth. They'd have to work up to it, finely tuning and adjusting the levels of power and output they gave off, they would have to make sure everything was steady and that no possible side effects could occur like possible gamma radiation leaks and such, and there were so many other things to prepare for.
So, if it meant he would be forced to work with Entrapta for a few more days or so, he couldn't see the harm in that.
*Creeeeak*
It was with the sound of the large doors opening up that their attention was drawn to the darkened hallways, where they heard the sound of several footsteps and grunts approaching. From the darkness, they saw a strange light, a familiar light, as several figures appeared through the darkness. For a split second, Hordak thought they were about to be attacked as he saw a small shimmer from a familiar blade approaching him.
It was then than the figures made their appearance known.
Stepping out from the darkness, they saw them. Adora, without her jacket, wielding the Sword of Protection in her right hand, Scorpia, her faithful friend, walking behind her to her left. On her right were two individuals the leader was unfamiliar with, ones he was sure would be explained in her report. And it was with the sight of the wriggling mass over her shoulder, the one bundled up in a large tendril of shadows, that he realized a fifth individual was among them.
"Mmmh! Mmhh!" The figure screamed, refusing to stop the vainful struggle, even as Adora finally threw her to the ground. The figure rolled over as she was tossed in front of the duo, landing with a harsh thud until she finally came to a halt. Here, Catra winced, slowly blinking her eyes open as she looked up, fearing the worst as she saw the familiar glowing red pair of eyes staring down at her.
She couldn't believe it. She refused to believe it. But she was here, back, in the Fright Zone again after so much time. It was the one place she always feared returning to, never wishing to return, save for the time she rescued her friends, and only if she ever launched a final assault on the Fright Zone with the Rebellion at her back.
To be here, to be back to the land of nightmares, was horrifying to her. She wasn't scared of the people themselves, the scariest of people to her locked up back in Bright Moon. What she feared was the unknown, the fear of what would happen to her. Traitors were looked down upon within the Horde, as well as those who abandoned their line of duty, those who lost the will to fight.
When those people were captured and returned, death was made out to be a mercy to them compared to all else.
Lord Hordak... She fretted, struggling further to undo her bonds with all her might. Without the sword, it would prove useless.
Adora left nothing up to chance since they took her captive. She had her wrists restrained behind her with the metallic cuffs, along with her the cuffs just above her ankles. She refused to let Catra speak with the cloth over her face, and refused to let the girl anywhere more than three feet away from her. Every precaution was necessary when dealing with someone like her, like Catra, like the person who continued to rip her heart out at every instance.
"Lord Hordak." Adora greeted with an emotionless, respectful, bow, one that was repeated by those behind her in recognition as she raised her sword.
At the simple motion, the machines and circuitry around them roared with a wave of energy, flicking and flashing off and on. It made Adora almost proud to have the sword in her possession as she looked at it, remembering the feeling she had when everything came together.
She had won. She had finally won for the first time in what felt like ages against She-Ra and her stupid friends. She tracked her all the way down in the Crimson Waste, crossed thugs, bandits, outlaws, and anything else that would've stood in her path and she brushed them aside with ease with her shadows. Then came the moment that truly mattered, the moment she managed to capture Catra and the sword. Sure, having her friends getting away with a bit annoying, but when she heard from the hologram she listened to how this thing was a key to the whole planet, she knew she hit the jackpot.
And, honestly, she actually considered forgetting everything else. At Scorpia's insistence, she actually considered staying in the Crimson Waste to live out her life. Since coming here, she didn't have to hold anything back, not one ounce of her power. She could act how she wanted, she could beat up someone as much as she wanted, and no one would think differently of her. She could truly express herself around here, she could do whatever she wanted, and she could finally be happy!
On top of that, after all the events of the day, she discovered something thanks to Scorpia. She discovered her shadows no longer manifested within her skin, not when she was honest with herself. Holding herself back, mentally, physically, and emotionally, that was the driving force that made her sick this whole time, and she wouldn't have to do that anymore in the Crimson Waste if she stayed. Nothing would stand in her way from acting how she chose, and with the revelation, she was willing to settle down and start a new life all over.
Then, Catra came along, and reminded her of why she couldn't.
She didn't know how much she hated Catra at that moment, only that she loathed her now. She hadn't considered executing the cat, and to clean up her past, she even contemplated letting her go, knowing the Rebellion would've bothered them for days to come if she remained captive there. What then, pray tell, was the reason for it? How did she manage to change Adora's mind on everything? Because of Shadow Weaver, that's why.
It was through her mouth that she found out, through her discovery that her hatred was renewed. To find out on her end, from her own assumptions, that Shadow Weaver left her for Catra, CATRA, the person she always hated, over someone she loved, it tore away Adora. Painfully. Emotionally. The resounding spectacle of the revelation left the girl in an endless pool of tears of hatred for nearly an hour as her shadows were drawn in by her emotions, going so far as to almost choking Catra to death, pulling away at the last minute.
It was then she knew once and for all, as half her face deformed from her resistance, her refusal to end Catra's life on the spot. She realized she would never be happy, never know happiness again, as long as Catra, and her friends, and the Rebellion were still around. As long as they existed, Adora's happiness would never return to her. They would insist in getting in her way for as long as she lived. They had to be put to a stopped before she could truly start to live again.
And she was willing to go to any means necessary.
"I've returned with the First Ones Tech, as you requested." Adora stated, tossing over the sword towards him, sliding it and landing it just a few feet away behind Catra, enough for the magicat to turn her head to see it. "And I brought a few friends, and a certain She-Ra as a bonus."
"Ooooooh..." Entrapta oohed, feeling her hair around the right half of Adora's face with wonder. "What happened to your face?" She didn't pick up on the subtle clues, as in waving their heads and hands back and forth, that the people behind Adora were trying to warn her about. They didn't want her to end up like the last three people who asked Adora that question who were flung into the air by her shadows.
"Focus." Adora spat, slapping the hair away. "I got what you requested. That sword happens to be the key to this whole planet."
As they spoke, Catra narrowed her eyes at the sword, one that was just within an arm's reach of her. While her arms themselves were too bound up to be of any assistance, she still had her tail. She knew that if she could just get close enough to her sword, pull it to her side, and get the stupid cloth off of her face, she could summon She-Ra's strength, bust out of these cuffs, and get herself out of-!
*WHOMP!*
"MMMMHHHHHHHH!" Catra screamed into her gag, ears twitching in pain at the crushing force.
She knew it was a long shot, but so what? It definitely beat being held captive here for the rest of her days. And yet it was a fool's endeavor to think nobody would keep an eye on her throughout all the proceedings. With just a simple glance from where he stood, Hordak swiftly and painfully stomped on the middle of the magicat's tail, mere inches away from the blade to freedom.
Keeping the pressure on it, one that intensified a little as he kneeled down, adding on to more weight as he kneeled down, picking up the sword as he kept his eyes on the girl, and handed it to Entrapta. "Mhh! Mmmhhhhh!" The magicat continued to struggle further at the futile attempts at freedom, seeing it placed within the one girl's hand capable of making a portal out of it.
"Hmm, I suppose it makes sense." Entrapta assumed as she rubbed her chin, waving the sword a little and ignoring the muffling, struggling, cat. "She-Ra's sword is First Ones tech, maybe the most powerful I've ever seen. All this time, this was the key that we needed." Entrapta gazed at the mysterious sword with amazement.
Just thinking about the potential, the possibilities that could be unlocked from its studies, proved inspiring! Who knows what this sword could show them, what secrets were locked away within?
They could tell more about the history of the world than anything ever previously discovered. It could unlock the secrets to not just this planet, but multiple planets, entire worlds, if she knew how to get it working right. With the power to transform one into a powerful warrior, there was a chance it could unlock the mysteries of the human body, delve into channels of history that could provide medicine and growth to the human body!
She had never seen a weapon, a First Ones tech, more capable, more advanced, more capable than this one. To think, she finally had the very key, Entrapta mentally laughing at her own pun, to unlock the mysteries of the First Ones themselves. And it was all thanks to her.
Though, it did come with it's own spot of trouble as she tapped it against her head. "I guess I should figure out how it works." Her frown quickly subsided as it was replaced with a cheery demeanor, smiling back to her blond half-faced friend. "Thanks, Adora!" At this, the scientist turned her eyes towards the leader of the Horde, giving him a small nudge forward with the back of her hair as a small hint.
Grimacing a little to the scientist, Hordak cleared his throat. Giving Adora his undivided attention, and growing her curiosity, he held his hands behind his back with the regal authority he always gave off. "Y-Yes, Ado... Force Captain. You have done... well." Adora stared at the announcement, surprised at how genuine and peaceful it sounded compared to normal.
"I have reviewed your... contributions, to the Horde in more detail after you left. And I have come to the conclusion," Adora mentally rolled her eyes, knowing it was going to be more "praise" of how disappointed he was than impressed, "that your contributions to the Horde have been... admirable." See? Right as she assumed! The minute it sounded too good, he was going to shoot her down by saying-
Adora blinked, her heart going stiff for a moment at the thought. "It... It's what?"
"I'm saying, you have done well, Adora." It actually did pain him a little to force himself like this. If it was for the greater evil, though, in this case, keeping to the young scientist's respect, then he knew he had to do this. Besides, it not like he actually wasn't a little impressed. "A commendable job." He gave the girl a clear nod. "You have my respect, and thanks, for these results."
"O-OH... Th... Thank you, Lord Hordak." Adora smiled a little, kneeling down a little, an action that was, once again, repeated by those behind her before they all stood up.
It actually felt a little... nice, for a change, to hear that from him. She had learned from her first mistake the last time he acted so kindly towards her, which resulted in her spilling the beans and her involvement towards releasing Shadow Weaver, and she wasn't going to say anything that could jeopardize her moment, like a certain detail that Shadow Weaver is now in Bright Moon of all places.
Besides, personally, it felt great to hear it from him. With all the trauma inflicting the girl, all the hate, all the despair, it felt a little good to hear something positive from the person she originally admired so much, however much she did at this point.
"I promise to continue exceeding your expectations." She promised, striking a fist to her chest as she closed her eyes, lowering her head out of respect.
"Yes, well. I will be holding you to that." His gaze narrowed a bit. "But don't expect me to be so lenient the next time you strike me in front of my army, Adora. Even my patience has its limits."
"Heh, y-yeah." She pulled at her long flowing hair as she stroked it soothingly. "I-I apologize for that. It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't." He softly warned, the threat of it all still real enough to be felt along the room.
"I would advise starting up the portal as soon as possible, sir." Adora continued, giving a firm look. "With She-Ra captive, it's only a matter of time before they mount an operation to save her, and secure the sword."
Entrapta and Hordak gave each other a look at this. They knew if a rescue operation was to commence, however hasty or however subtle, that it was only a matter of time before they came to Catra's rescue. With a nod, the leader of the Horde and Entrapta made their way back into the lab, preparing to put the finishing touches to their machine that would spell out doom for the rest of Etheria.
"Mmmmhhh! Mmh! Mmmmhhhh!" As he did, he took a small glance to the girl still bound on the floor to his side, giving a small scowl to the girl as he passed her.
"And Adora, would you please give our dear guest a proper welcoming." He requested, turning his back to the group as he went about his business. Adora smirked at this as she looked back to her former friend, the cat staring at the leaving leader with concern over the portal and her sword.
"Hmm? Mmhhh!" Catra yelped as she was suddenly dragged away, feeling the familiar large shadowy tendril pulling at her feet, dragging her all the way back to Adora as she picked her dear enemy up.
At this, she could see the hate, the disgust, raging behind Adora's eyes as she grinned to her. No amount of deformity across her face would make her presence any less threatening than it was now. She was with the Fright Zone again, possibly for good.
And as Adora pulled back a shadowy fist, she knew this was the first in a long line of things she was in for.
"Welcome home, Traitor!"
*WHAM!*
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...
The intro starts with Shadow Weaver in the Black Garnet chamber spying and glaring at a image of Catra. Than the image dives into the water of her scrying spell.
~ We're on the edge of greatness ~
Where we have Catra at Bright Moon looking both determined and forlorn out into the distance.
~ turning darkness into light ~
A scene of kid Catra and kid Adora training together in the fright zone under Shadow Weaver. Before being replaced with a image of Adora glaring at a heart broken looking Catra who's on her knees across a battlefield.
~ We're right beside you ~
But than Glimmer and Bow teleport to Catra side raising her spirit back up, as shown with her surprise blinking when Gimmer offers her a hand, than she smirks accepting the help as she takes the lead ahead of them.
~ Ready to Fight! ~
Catra raises her sword, transforming into She-Ra in a glorious flash of light
~ (fight, fight, fight fight) ~
Then She-Ra rushes off into battle with Glimmer and Bow following right behind her.
~ We're gonna win in the end! ~
Mermista rises out of a tide, blasting Horde soldiers with water.
~ We must be strong, And we must be brave ~
Perfuma burst from the ground, capturing and tying up Horde soldiers with vines.
~(we must be brave) ~
Frosta rides an entire wave of frozen water, freezing Horde tanks in their tracks.
~ We're gonna find every bit of strength that we have ~
The scene shifts to Hordaks throne room where the evil shadowy figure sits upon his throne, his red glowing eyes being the only noticeable part of him, surrounded by notable members of the Horde, consisting of Adora and Catra's squadron, Shadow Weaver, Adora, Scropia, and even Entrapta.
~ and never let go ~
The scene shifts to an epic clash between Catra and Adora, the She-Ra gritting her teeth as she presses her sword against Adora's electrical baton, as the Force Captain herself grins with chaotic excitement as the red jewel from her headband shines.
~ (Oh ah Oh) ~
Adora and Catra push each other off as they back up into their friends- Entrapta and Scorpia for Adora, and for Catra Bow and Glimmer.
~ We must be STRONG! ~
The scene ends with a final shot of both sides looking across the field, a transparent image of Catra and Adora's faces filling the sky as the colors are split between them;
A majestic darkness shining into light upon Catra's side, and a horrid light seeping into darkness on Adora's half.
...
...
The Meeting Room was as busy as ever as Queen Angella examined the holographic map up closely in her chair, Perfuma to her right and Swift Wind to her left as the trio pondered their options. Off to the side, Frosta could be seen with Spinnerella and Netossa at her back, the young princess standing on a chair in order to reach as she planted a paper with a firm depiction of the environment and the resources, with a small dagger of ice, in the center of the board on the wall.
Everyone, everywhere, were doing their best to discuss future strategies, plans of actions, and courses to take in order to secure the best route to victory. A day in the life of the Rebellion was never an easy one when they came about their options. From deciding how best to use resources against the Horde without spending too much to deciding which strategic locations would prove the most advantageous to capture. Nothing was ever set in stone, and when something unexpected came up, they were forced to begin their planning anew.
Out of the large group of planners, the only one taking this with any sense of relaxation was Mermista, the Princess of Salineas as she leaned back in her chair with a simple smile and her feet on the holographic map. They didn't need everyone to come up with the same idea over and over again, to her, and with Catra off on her mission with Bow and Glimmer to who-knew-where, it was the perfect time she had to relax around here.
*SWISH*
"Ahh!"
*THUD!*
For about three seconds. No sooner did she take a relaxing breath through the nose was she greeted by the familiar swish of her friends popping up right next to her, startling the girl enough to fall back with her chair. It was with this surprise pop-up that everyone's attention was diverted to the three individuals on the other side of the table.
"Oh. You're already here. Perfect." Glimmer said, relieved they didn't have to wait for everyone to show up.
"Yeah, we are. Where have you been?" Mermista mumbled as she pulled herself up to the table. Her attention was drawn to the large pink woman moving away from the group as she went to examine everything around her. "Is that some sort of new She-Ra form?"
"No. This is Huntara. She's the leader of the Crimson Waste. Or was." Glimmer explained as everyone saw the new ally among them. Leaning over the table, the ex-leader of the Waste waved her hand over the holographic map of the environment, growing curious as it buzzed and reformed in seconds.
Swift Wind took it upon himself to abruptly stop the woman's playing with the map as he casually pushed her away with his head.
"Uh, we don't have time to get into more details. We need to get to the Fright Zone. Now!" Glimmer stated.
"The world doesn't stop just because you're not here." Her mother commented, displaying the outline of the map before them. In the center of it, the new arrivals could see depictions of themselves including Catra as She-Ra as Horde tanks surrounded them. "We have been planning an our attack on the Horde." As she spoke, her attention was drawn to the one absentee vacant from the two she usually stuck around with. "Say, where's Catra? I haven't seen her in awhile."
"And I don't have an early headache like I usually do when I get here." Mermista commented as she leaned back in the chair again. "Rather refreshing not having to sit down on a woopiecusion out of nowhere because of her pranks." The small smile of the joke she gave off was met with concern as she stared back to the look on Bow's face. "...What?"
Immediately, worry crossed Glimmer and Bow's faces as they stared at each other, the archer being the bravest of the two to begin the announcement of what was to follow. "Um, yeah, so, it's great to know that we're already planning a strategy meeting here... because Adora kidnapped Catra, they took the sword, and she's now likely a prisoner in the Fright Zone." Bow exhaled loudly, holding in his breath till now.
"Huh?!" Gasps and shocks were felt throughout the room at the newest detail as all eyes turned to the duo, the three princesses off to the side included.
The Queen herself actually looked a little devastated at the newest revelation, at a loss for words. "The Horde... has Catra?"
"Which also means they can open a portal now because they have the sword." Glimmer added with a determined look in her eyes, one shared with Bow as he nodded.
"What? I don't understand."
"There's no time to explain."
"Glimmer, slow down-"
"We need to go to the Fright Zone now!"
"We?" The Queen's eyes hardened with confusion behind the wall of anger as she rose from her seat. To be told so many details and information after a few seconds of arrival, on the spot, and to learn that one of their own was likely in mortal danger? It was infuriating to hear! "You are not going anywhere until you explain yourselves, now!" The Queen yelled, raising her wings in anger to each side. "Glimmer, outside, now."
All the other princesses looked among themselves with the same feeling of worry and despair that was left around the room, even more as the Queen and Princess of Bright Moon made their ways out to the hallways.
Catra, the Catra, the Rebellion's Catra, and the hero known as She-Ra, was kidnapped. All throughout them knowing her, she talked constantly about the horrors of the Fright Zone, some of which were true based on Frosta's personal tour, and some which might've been exaggerated. The worry wasn't so much on how much Frosta had seen for herself. Rather, it was the stories Catra told them that she didn't see when it involved defectors.
There were no loss of details to Catra's stories, the many reasons she always feared going back to the Fright Zone. From something as simple as torture to experimentation, there was no telling what was happening to their friend right this second, if she was even alive by this point. Based on her stories and gruesome detailing, life imprisonment was considered the best possible scenario when Catra returned to the Fright Zone. And the worries among them were varied yet shared equally in measure.
Perfuma frowned greatly upon the revelation, unable to bare what could happen to the glorious She-Ra. For Frosta, it was the continued guilt of her past betrayal, a means she was still trying to make up for with everybody, especially Catra. When it came to Mermista, it was more of an awkwardness of the small joke she made about the seriousness of Catra's absence. As the noble steed, Swift Wind was already pacing along the end of the room as Netossa and Spinnerella tried to calm him down, the flying unicorn already contemplating an immediate rush to the Fright Zone in order to save her.
No matter how foolhardy of a plan it was.
Then, there was guilt felt between Bow and Glimmer, the latter still dealing with her mother's anger and confusion along with her own feelings. Upon awakening a short ways out of the Fright Zone thanks to Huntara's assistance, the two were distraught at the news about Catra. The girl sacrificed herself to save them despite all the anger and confliction she was feeling about, what she felt like was, a failed mission.
Going to the Crimson Waste to find Mara's message, trying to discover more about the portal, Adora, and the sword, was almost all for nothing. The only information they came upon was news about the portal, about what could occur if it was ever opened within Etheria. The rest of the information, as far as Catra was concerned, was utterly pointless.
Nothing about Adora or her origin. Nothing about how she could finish her bond with the sword before it was too late, a feeling she had grieved with since Frosta's betrayal. Nothing that could help her become a true hero like She-Ra like she was trying to be. Even worse was when she found out that Mara was trying to save everybody instead of running rampant as Light Hope had deemed. She was so lost about that revelation, loss about who she wanted to become, and she couldn't think straight throughout the ordeal.
It felt like it was all for nothing.
And then to hear about their rescue, how Catra sacrificed themselves after all she's been through, was dreadful. Bow knew they should've been more prepared, Glimmer believed she should've tried harder to convince Catra to wait before going to the Crimson Waste. Everything that had happened up to this point was just as much their fault as Catra felt like it was her own.
Now, they had to wait. Wait for an excruciating amount of time that seemed to go on forever as everyone awaited Glimmer and Angella to be done with their brief chat. One minute seemed to feel like an hour. Five minutes felt like they were waiting an entire afternoon. Ten minutes felt like a week had gone by as the worry and dread continued to occupy everyone's minds. The only ones absent from the room were Netossa and Spinnerella as they gave Huntara a small tour while trying to keep Swift Wind under control.
Finally, by the twelfth minute, everyone's curiosity got the better of them. Between Bow, Perfuma, Mermista, and Frosta, the main members of the Princess Alliance looked to one another, as if understanding and mentally speaking the same idea with each other. Giving each other a nod, the four slowly crept to the doorways, nudging the door with a gentle push as they peered into the conversation.
"We're wasting too much time." Glimmer continued to argue with her mother as she paced around the hall. All throughout it, the Queen retained her royal demeanor as she stood a short way down the hall, keeping herself in check even with all the tragedy and terror that her daughter and friends have been through. "We need to act. The Horde has Catra and the sword."
"And then what?" Her mother questioned with a firm tone, shooting straight to the point. "How are you going to get in? You have no plan. We are not rushing in. I won't lose anyone else." She stated, walking up to her daughter with authority.
"Before I started "rushing in"," Glimmer replied snidely, "the Rebellion hadn't made a move in years. You need me. You need Catra!"
"I need you to be a leader, and that means not running off whenever you feel like it." The Queen tempered her anger as best she could, trying to get Glimmer to see the bigger picture here.
Hearing this from her mother, Glimmer turned away. "What's the point? You'll always be around, telling me what I can't do." She huffed crossing her arms.
"Because you never listen. I try and try to reach you, to trust you-
"Hahaha, you wanna talk about trust?" Glimmer chuckled with a sarcastic tone, brushing her mother's hand off her shoulder. "How come you never told me that Shadow Weaver was dad's old teacher?"
"I..." For the first time in the conversation, the Queen appeared to be in her own loss as she backed up against the wall, the very same which held a mural of Glimmer's father battling for Bright Moon with his staff. "It was a long time ago." Although she was still angered over the mistrust and confusion behind it, Glimmer softened her expression a little at her mother's face of sorrow.
"You know what? We should be talking to her. She knows the Horde."
"She can't be trusted." And just as quickly as it came, it was left with more sternness from her mother.
"We have to do something! You would see that if you weren't totally paralyzed with fear." Everything felt stiff, solid, frozen around Glimmer as her mother's expression changed for the last time. It held no animosity, no anger, no sternness, nothing. All it held was an expression filled with authority, absolution. She wouldn't let anyone talk down to her from this point on as she stepped out of the shadows.
And it terrified Glimmer as she backed away.
"I am your Queen, and I say we cannot afford to lose anyone else." She approached her daughter with the same regalness as she ignored the look of fear in her eyes. "Either come up with a reasonable plan, Commander Glimmer, or stay out of the way." With that, the Queen left her daughter's side as she walked away from her, unable to continue the conversation without bursting into anger.
Glimmer was at an impasse, she didn't know what to say. To continue the conversation would lead to her being grounded for the rest of her life, which was the least of her worries for the first time. To see her mother so determined to keep her here, to keep anyone from acting out to save Catra, the same way she saved her, was almost baffling to her.
As scared as she was, she felt an anger in her saddened heart as she squeezed her fist. Her mother insisted she was going to be a Queen one day, right? That she was to determine the fate of everyone's future? Well, as she often remarked, a Queen mustn't back down to figures who towered them, who frightened them. Her mother scared her tremendously at this moment, never seeing the look of severity in her eyes as much as this.
And she couldn't allow it to hold her back. For Catra's sake.
"... So we have to lose Catra just to satisfy you?" Her mother stopped as her eyes stared off, unable to believe what she just heard as Glimmer looked back. "You'd rather have Catra spend the rest of her life as their prisoner, possibly being tortured like I was for the rest of her days?"
"... Glimmer-"
"No, I'm not going to stop mom, because it's true, isn't it?" Her daughter cut her off as she stepped closer. "Did you forget it's thanks to Catra that I was saved? That I was being tortured, too, until she came to my rescue? She rescued me mom, she's been saving us constantly!"
"And did you forget how you lost one of your own in the process?" Her mother retorted. "How not only did they get left behind, presumed dead, but also joined the Horde? Entrapta's loss was terrible to deal with, Glimmer, but I will not share the same loss I did with your father by losing you."
"So that's just it then. You'd rather lose anyone else in the Rebellion instead of losing me!"
"You watch your tone young lady-" Her mother tried to warn as she pointed a finger to her, only to grow surprised as Glimmer brushed it away.
"I won't! I get why you're scared, mom, we all get why you're scared! I'm terrified of going back to the Fright Zone, too! But I can't just abandon Catra like this, and we don't have much time!"
"I understand that, which is why-"
"Which is why we need to rescue her immediately! Doesn't she at least deserve that enough after all she's been through? All she's done for us? Or do you still hate her as much as the day you two first met-"
*Whoosh*
That was the last line Glimmer had crossed, a line she had crossed to far, as her mother opened her wings in a furious manner. In her eyes she could see her mother trying to repress her anger, her hatred, for those very lines she uttered. By the time Glimmer had realized she was getting ahead of herself, that she was feeling so empowered for a moment that she could say what she wanted to, that she had said the unthinkable to the likes of her, it was already too late.
The damage was done, and couldn't be salvaged.
With nothing else than an agitated look in her eyes, with a pain of hearing those words uttered when Glimmer could not comprehend how Angella truly felt about Catra, she pointed across the hall, to a location she was too familiar with. "Go. To. Your. Room." Her directions were blunt, swift, and heavy, all at the same time as she folded her wings once more.
She didn't bother waiting until she finally did, she knew Glimmer knew better than not to disobey. With nothing else to say to her daughter without possibly lashing out in anger, verbally speaking, the Queen turned around and headed for the door, but not before Glimmer could catch the small appearance of a tear forming in the corner of her mother's eye.
She pushed her mother too far, likely breaking a piece of her heart. She knew she's grown fond of Catra over the months since they first met and she still pushed her mother too far. She wanted her mother to see things more clearly, to understand better about why she felt it was so important to save Catra now, why she cared so much about rescuing her.
And it was from her anger she realized.
Her mother truly cared more than she could let on.
Seeing the queen returning to the Meeting Room, the princesses and Bow panicked, each of them walking off nonchalantly as best they could without seeming suspicious. Of the four, Bow was the odd one out who could only hop his feet in place as he looked around, struggling to find something as inconspicuous as the rest of them.
Fortunately, or otherwise, the Queen made her way through the door and ignored him as she returned to the meeting at hand. Sighing a bit with relief as she passed him, he peered back into the hallway to see an equally pained and teary Glimmer looking back to him, one who lowered her head as she made her way to her designated room.
She cared about Catra greatly as a friend, as much as Bow, Perfuma, Frosta, and the rest of the Rebellion did, and the Queen was no different. They all wanted to save her, to bring her back to her true home, but the Queen couldn't allow it. She wasn't strong enough to face another casualty like her father, the devastation of it still haunting her to this day.
There was nothing else she could do, Glimmer realized. Not when it came to convincing her mother. With time running out, and Catra's life on the line, as well as the rest of theirs, she knew there was only one person within all of Bright Moon with the capacity to help them, to save them. She just never thought she would be turning to her for help of all people.
Or that she would disobey her mother as much as this.
...
...
"Mmmh..." Catra's ears twitched a little as she slowly came to. Her vision was a bit hazy as she saw a figure standing across from her, one who had the same look of contempt in her eyes as they did when she was first knocked out. Barely ten feet across from her, still without her usual jacket and crossing her arm, Adora glared at her, spitefully, carrying the same shadowy veins under her face, having yet to recharge. "Mhmhhm-?"
*clank*
"Hmm?" Catra was cut off as she turned around, feeling something restricting her movements. Turning her head, the magicat became away of the large metallic pillar-like machine behind her that her wrists were bound between. She tried to struggle further to get a better look at her predicament and of herself. As she did, she became aware of two other official bindings to her.
The first were the cuffs around her ankles. Like her wrists with the cuffs connected to the glowing green chain-like instrument around them, her ankles were also connected by a larger green cord, one that looped aroudn the large base of the pole her cuffs were stuck behind. With them, they barely gave her feet so much as an inch to budge forward, practically keeping her legs stuck to each side.
And that wasn't the most annoying piece of her restraints as she came to realize.
Oh gimme a break! She grumbled to herself, just seeing the last of the annoying restraints through the corner of her eyes.
The reveal came to her as she tried to move her waist around, feeling something a bit restrictive to her rear in particular. Looking around, she became irritated as she saw a single cuff, the same size as any particular ring, wrapped around a few inches away from the middle of her tail. It was connected as an additional cord to the cords connecting her wrists together.
"Hope you like it." Adora commented in a smug grin. "I had Entrapta take extra precautions when it came to restraining you. I know how much trouble you can get into if so much as your tail was free." She wasn't wrong in her line of thinking when it came to so much as her tail.
She remembers numerous experiences of their past when Catra would often lift something off a person's being without their noticing, using nothing more than a small tug of her tail to relieve themselves of their trinkets and valuable. It was one of the methods she used to lift a pair of keys off of someone when the two wanted to fly a skiff for the first time as children.
She wouldn't put it past her if Catra managed to somehow wrangle a tool near her using her tail and managed to escape once she got it in her hands that way.
"Mmmmh!" Catra grumbled to herself, trying as best she could to break herself free. With her tail wrapped around the pole in a single loop and connected to the cord restraints to her wrists, and with her ankles pinned tightly with the larger base of the pole touching the floor, there was little to no room for the magicat to struggle from the legs down. She wouldn't be able to do anything as crazy as climb to the stop of this thing, she was secured so tightly.
At the thought of it, the girl turned her attention to the opening doorway, Adora keeping her eyes only on Catra the entire time, as she saw Lord Hordak and Entrapta making their way in.
"Told you she was here." Entrapta mentioned with a usual smile, carrying herself over to Adora's side.
"You are relieved of your duties for the time being, Force Captain." Hordak stated, looking off to the magicat who glared back. "I understand you haven't recovered yourself since returning from the Crimson Waste."
"Sorry, Hordak, but I refuse to take my eyes off of Catra until the portal is finished." Adora replied, ignoring the small flush of a fever spread across her face, no matter how heavy her head felt. "You don't know her as well as I do."
"Aw, come on, Adora, she's not going anywhere." Entrapta assured, patting her shoulder with her hair as she felt a hand against her head. "Besides, you really look like you could use a recharge. Your head is burning up."
"Beyond that, I wish to speak with the prisoner alone, Adora." He said as he turned. "Or do you think me incapable of watching a mere prisoner alone for five minutes?" It was bothersome for him to continue this tedious "politeness" to this girl for Entrapta's sake, but he would much rather put up with it if it meant maintaining a professional... workmanship with the scientist than otherwise.
Adora looked crossed as she continued to glare at Catra. She didn't want to take any further chances with the girl than she already had, regretting many of her decisions in the past for being too soft. At the same time, she didn't want to infuriate the commander again when she had a fraction of his respect.
As much as she didn't care about the leader's respect like she used to, she still felt some semblance of joy from it after all that's inflicted her within the past several months, all the losses and betrayal she had suffered. All of them stemmed from a certain magicat by the name of Catra, a former friend, a serious enemy, and somebody Adora continued to hate as she drew together everything she had lost since Catra defected to the Rebellion.
Having something as minuscule as Hordak's respect was the only ounce of decency she felt out of all her troubles. It made her wonder if getting the tiniest of things, the tiniest of values out of her enjoyment were the only means she had of happiness anymore. Could the rest of her life be spent by accepting a pebble of joy at a time for the rest of her life? She couldn't say.
All she knew was that the same amount of respect wouldn't last as long as she started to argue. And given how her head was feeling rather warm, Adora knew she wouldn't be doing herself any personal favors.
"Fine." Adora finally agreed, leaning up from the machine behind her. "But I wish to keep an eye on her as soon as you allow it, Lord Hordak." Adora wobbled a little as she took her first step from the machine, rubbing the right side of her face, her deformed half, as she felt especially warm over it.
"Don't worry, Adora," Entrapta said as she helped her friend walk away, throwing a tuffle of hair around her neck, "we'll get you patched up, good as new." Hordak waited as he watched the two leave through the darkened halls until the door's closed, turning back to the glaring magicat with a refined resentment, seeing her continuing to grumble as she pulled at her wrist, trying in vain to break free.
"So, it is you." Hordak began as he approached the girl. He waited until the girl stopped struggling long enough to glare at him, giving him a clear view of her eyes. "The magicat." Forcefully gripping around her head, Catra powerless to shake his palm away from her eyes as he turned it around, he scoffed. "You look just as pathetic as the day I first met you, cat. But only now do you surpass the limits of my disappointment."
"Mmmmmh!" A Catra grumbled, still shaking her head as much as she could until he finally released her from his grip.
The commander turned back as he stepped away from her, Catra seeing the fist balled into his hand behind himself. "Millions of resources. Thousands of soldiers captured. Hundreds of droids wasted. All because of you, by your very hands and that of your Rebellion's forces." He seethed in anger as he turned his head to her. "And to think I thought you showed promise."
"Hmm?"
"I thought you showed potential. Potential to be among the greatest, potential to be one of my mightiest warriors within the Horde. You could not have imagined my surprise from the day I discovered you, upon hearing that you managed to pull off such a physical, aggressive feat at such a young age." He commented, reminding the girl of the day he meant.
It wasn't too hard for her to forget. After all, it was because of that day that her whole manner of being changed, her line of reasoning. It was when she was six and she started a fight within the lunchroom, a fight that ended up with her breaking three kids' noses, and scratching thirteen enough to be sent to the medical ward, all because she couldn't take being picked on anymore.
It was from there that she met Hordak, when she was forced to mop and clean up the lunchroom after starting the fight to begin with. When he offered her a chance to be with Adora in exchange for pushing her training regime up, to train alongside Adora, she thought she learned how the world worked. By being the toughest one a person could be, to take within reasoning and to show no signs of fear to those around her.
In a bizarre way, it was the day he made her into what she was before her defection. Or at least enough to start the change in her lifestyle.
"You would have been one of greatest warriors, my greatest accomplishments. And instead, you ended up being one of my greatest disgusts. Almost as much as Adora has been in recent events."
Tch, "sorry" to ruin your mood. Catra thought to herself sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. That small gesture of eye-rolling appeared to be too much for the leader of the Horde in itself, as the next thing she knew, he gripped a hand roughly around her covered mouth, squeezing it almost painfully. "Mmhmmmm!" She muffled, trying to shake his hand off again.
Fear began to creep along the edges of her shoulders as he lowered his head towards her, peering his glowing red eyes deeply into her skull. "But I tell you this now as a warning, as a promise, for your betrayal, Catra." Continuing his intimidation, he pushed her head harshly into the pole, standing in all his glory. "When that portal is finally opened, the sight of my army stepping through will be the last thing you ever see."
He leaned closer as the fire in his eyes nearly blinded her. "Because your existence will no longer be tolerated once our army is through." Catra's eyes widened a bit in fear as she understood what he was referring to.
He didn't take chances. He didn't allow the disappointments of individual to persist around him. Fear and intimidation were his best skills, because with this announcement, the time limit had officially been placed upon the clock.
He was warning her so she would fear the next several hours of her life, so she would regret everything she had done up to this point even more than she already had. He wanted her to stew in this fearfulness that he created, to learn the value of what it means to betray someone like him.
He wanted her to know the futility of trying to oppose him, and the dread that would befall her until the portal was complete.
Because once the portal was completed and operational, she would be immediately, and painfully, executed.
...
...
...
A/N: You wanna know how bad my brainfart is? I need to go back and re-read some episodes cause i can't remember what i did reveal and didn't reveal to certain characters throughout them X/ Unlike season 1 where everything was flowing smoothly, i had to make season 2 and 3 seperately with a conjoined plot that just made everythign feel weird... honestly my head is just fuzzy now, idk what to say.
Ahs well. Either way, i hope the chapter wasn't too obscure or something and i kept the focus on it just fine.
With that said, hope you all enjoyed! Leave a like, fave, follow, and review if you enjoyed and hope to see you soon!