A/N: Final Word Count: 7.2k Pre-A/N's. Ah, it feels good to do a short chapter again ^^ Hahaha, how's it goin folks? Monokub here, naturallay~
For those wondering why I decided to continue, it's well, 2 reasons: 1, I'm too excited not to continue before i watch the rest of season 4, and I really wanna show those awesome pictures of Catra's and Adora's new look before I start the rest of the season, which requires finishing the episode naturally XP But on top of that, it's also because of hype!
Idk how long i'll be writing before I crash again, and with everything going on, there's a good chance if I stopped writing for more than two or 3 days, I'll be back on my year-long hiatus X/ And before that, I wanna at least get everyone hyped for what's to come next. There'll be something at the end of this episode that I guarantee everyone has been waiting to see, and I promise to deliver it in all it's splendor X) Plus, with the new intros, you'll get a small glimpse of the excitement that is to come X)
So, with that said, let's begin with our fabulously new (and still unwatched except for the first episode XP) season 4!
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...
...
Bright Moon. A perfect kingdom with a perfect view of the perfect world surrounding its doorsteps at every angle. Within the walls of its glorious castle stood a regal figure who was touching up on her hair, finalizing her appearance as she brushed some strokes to the side. She represented the best and brightest of Bright Moon and everything it had to offer, from its citizens, to its soldiers, to the proud history that stood behind it all. This individual was known as none other than Princess Glimmer.
... Actually, that was a lie. All of it was a lie. The Kingdom was not so perfect, despite the elegant view of the scenery which was beautiful to behold. Glimmer did not feel as much as a Princess figure as she once did, nor the Queen figure she was going to become, as she gazed solemnly at the stranger in the mirror. She was not the best and brightest of Castle Bright Moon, but she felt like she was all they had left. Because there would never be a figure that could compare to the one who came before her.
Queen Angella of Bright Moon. Wife of the great sorcerer and late King Micah, and mother to Princess Glimmer. She was everything that a person could hope to be and then some as she lead the Rebellion and her kingdom in Etheria's fight against the Horde. She was the person Glimmer always aspired to be, even when they argued more often than not.
And there was nothing that Glimmer wanted more than to argue with her mother, one last time.
The righteous noble Queen made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of Etheria, for the sake of She-Ra, on the day that the Horde's portal technology had been completed. Waking up to a new world with no memories of the world before, the Queen came to realize what was happening as the world crumbled around her, and discovered Catra's struggle as she saved her from falling into the void that slowly consumed the rest of the world, including her daughter.
There, the Queen gave up her own immortal life as she sacrificed herself, sacrificed her existence as she pulled the sword, the gateway to the portal, and ended the terrible destruction that was plaguing all of Etheria. With it, with the sword's deliverance to its current She-Ra, the magicat known as Catra called forth its legendary power as she escaped from the twisted world, returning to the reality she once knew and destroying the terrible machine once and for all.
It was a moment of celebration as everyone returned, having saved Catra and the sword from the Horde's evil clutches, and everyone appeared to be safe and sound. That was except for the lone Queen who didn't come back, the one Catra was distraught to inform Glimmer of her mother's disappearance. The celebration ended faster than it began, and it left nothing but tears for the rest of the evening.
Following the next several days, it felt like empty silence all throughout the proceedings that followed. More than enough tears were shed for a funeral with no casket, paper work and decrees were established as leadership of the Rebellion was transferred to the rightful heir, and everybody, well, almost everybody, went about their day as if it was normal.
And now it was the day. The day of Glimmer's own coronation. It was a momentous occasion for the new queen as she sighed, setting aside her brush on the table as she gazed into the mirror.
A new look. A new hairstyle. A new her. It was all supposed to represent the strong leader that Glimmer was to become, and the new heir that was to ascend the throne. With a white glistening earing on her left ear, a cape that sparkled with nearly twice the shine as its feather-like pads hung from her shoulder, Glimmer knew this was supposed to be a day of smiles and wonder.
So why didn't she feel like it?
*thud*
"Glimmer," Aunt Casta nearly gave the poor soon-to-be-Queen a heart attack as the door burst open, reflecting in the mirror, "come at once. We need you in the War Room right away!" Panic filled Glimmer's mind as her aunt left, quickly following the woman right behind her. If it was as terrible as she expected, then she knew that time was of the essence!
"There's no time to waste. You must make a decision." She ran a little behind her aunt, passing the familiar guards who gave her an unfamiliar feeling of authority as she was to become Queen, and all who saluted her as they always did as she passed the doors to the War Room. There, she was greeted by a troubled-looking Perfuma and Bow, who stood by her side as Glimmer ran between them, overlooking the chaos that had filled the War Table.
"We're here for you." Perfuma smiled supportively as Glimmer focused.
It was a hard decision to make. Every second she wasted, another second was descending into madness. With every decision she made, she was going to impact the lives of everyone she came into contact with. As one of her newly appointed duties, she was charged with making the tough choices, the hardest decisions, and would be forced to live with those blood-curdling dilemmas for the rest of her days!
"Mmmh... That one!" With a rigorous voice, the soon-to-be-Queen decided as she pointed with authority.
The decision had been made. Silence and shock filled the air as Bow gasped, Perfuma nodded, and her aunt nodded with approval. It was a hard decision to make, one that nobody could make on a whim, but she did it. Her niece had made one of the toughest decisions of her entire life. Now, they were all going to be forced to live with it, whether they liked it or not.
"The Future Queen has spoken." Castaspella announced with an approving nod. "At Glimmer's coronation, we will be serving... Ice Cream Cake!" Her eyes lit up with sparkles as she took in the sight of the magnificent choice she had chosen. The guards all saluted simultaneously in respect for the decision, as they would for every decision she would make from hence onward.
Upon the table stood a variety of baked goods, given to them by the best chefs from all around Etheria. With a coronation as large and important as this, not one detail could be blemished. Everything needed to be perfect, from the lines that were to be spoken, the readings that must be detailed, and, most importantly, the food that was to be provided. And Glimmer couldn't have chosen a more appropriate choice than the one she did now!
The end of the table housed a mighty cake, one that symbolized everything that the Rebellion stood for. Atop of it, two small figurines stood, one representing a proud and majestic Princess Glimmer with her arms raised in the air, prepared to fight, and the other representing a lowly leader of the Horde, one who knew better as he kneeled in surrender before the powerful girl that had, and would eventually, defeat him.
The cake itself was to dine for as it represented the tranquility and peacefulness of Bright Moon, as well as the fullness of what it had to offer. With pink glazing around every edge of the cakes, a wonderful ice cream filling addressed to the sides, and vanilla swirls along every edge and layer of the legendary food, it truly represented the best that Bright Moon had to offer, as well as the deliciousness that would eventually be consumed.
At this, her two friends laughed alongside, as well as her aunt, as they patted her back. Obviously not all of her decisions would be as *dire* as this one, or delicious for that matter, but it was times like these that they needed to enjoy themselves, to remind themselves that everything else was alright in the world. Glimmer did admit, the situation called for a few smiles as she chuckled, relishing the sense of joy she could feel growing from her heart.
Yet all the same, the reality of the situation irked her expression a little as a small crease formed along the corner of her eyes. This was going to be the most glorious day in all of Bright Moon for many.
And the most painful to accept for her.
Glimmer's Coronation Day had officially begun.
...
...
The intro starts with a mysterious pair of gauntleted hands holding a communicator pad, showing a still image of Catra on it. The hands shake as their grip tightens on the pad, and the image dives into the screen.
~ We're on the edge of greatness ~
Where we have Catra staring off with anger into the distance of the Fright Zone to the left. With a turn to the right, the scene transitions to a view of her new home of Bright Moon, with Catra's new outfit and an unsure look upon her face.
~ turning darkness into light ~
From behind in the valley, the two she's come to know as friends teleport behind her, running up to her side with a small hug each, and turning the uncertainty of doubt into a small smile of her own.
~ We're right beside you ~
Compared to before, Catra accepts this with a soft pat on their shoulders as the three begin running towards the cliffs. Bow readied at the arrow, Glimmer donning her new Queenly attire, and Catra drawing her sword for battle.
~ Ready to Fight! ~
With a jump through the air, Catra descends forth as She-Ra, prepared for battle as she draws her weapon to the Horde army below.
~ (fight, fight, fight fight) ~
And following right beside her are her two friends, weapons drawn, and magic blasted as the three storm the battlefield.
~ We're gonna win in the end! ~
Mermista rises out of a tide, smirking to herself against the colorful warm background with trident at the ready.
We must be strong, and we must be brave ~
Perfuma burst from the bud of a sunny flower, captivated by the tranquility of nature surrounding her with glee.
~ (we must be brave) ~
Frosta skates her way across the scenery, morphing large chunks of ice into weapons over both her hands with a silent laugh.
~ We're gonna find every bit of strength that we have ~
The scene shifts to Hordak's throne room. Where once Hordak sat, now Adora lounges with her new outfit in his place with the former standing at her side in contempt, a cruel smile on her lips, surrounded by her old squadron, and Double Trouble, glancing aside at Adora with a grin. Scorpia stands to the side, eyes closed and sad. And throughout it, the camera zooms in on Adora's right eye as it changes from blue to red, all while a sinister dark spectre of Horde Prime appears in her pupils with a black outline and glowing green eyes.
~ 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 crossed blades, as the Force Captain herself grins with chaotic excitement as the electricity of her twin swords lights up her face.
~ (Oh ah Oh) ~
Adora and Catra push each other off as they back up into their friends: Double Trouble and Scorpia for Adora with the Horde standing behind them, Bow and Glimmer for Catra at her sides as the Princess Alliance stands bravely behind them.
~ 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 sound of birds singing in the air was always a refreshing way to start everyday of Bright Moon. As the soon-to-be-Queen gazed at the scenery, a large smile was brought to her face as she peered out the window. Along the pathway leading up to the runestone's pillar, she saw a parade of nobles and royalty arriving in a straight line, all ready and eager to meet the young new princess that was soon to become Queen.
"People are starting to arrive." Glimmer chirped with a smile. "I can't believe this is really my coronation day." Like every moment she's felt a small sliver of happiness, it was soon brought to a close as she remembered why it was happening to begin with. "Me... Queen Glimmer... Ugh, it sounds so weird."
"Queen... Glimmer..." Bow pondered as he rubbed his chin. He tried to find a good ring to it as he said it in different tones. "Queen Glimmer... QUEEN Glimmer! ... Yeah, that's going to take some getting used to." He chuckled along with the princess of plants as she gave him a small pat on the arm.
"I just... never thought it would actually happen." She slouched her arms staring back out the window. To say she never expected to be Queen would be an understatement. When your mother was an immortal, one who couldn't die under normal biological circumstances, how could you ever expect to inherit the throne? Yet, it was actually happening. She was going to be the new Queen of Bright Moon, and next Leader of the Rebellion.
It was as heartwarming as it was dreadful.
"You'll be fine." Perfuma assured with a warm smile, patting her shoulder as she rose from the chair. "You have me and Bow, and all the other princesses. And Ca-" She came to a stop as she saw the look on Glimmer's face when she turned around. With all that was said and done, she had almost forgotten everything going on with Catra's end of the situation. "I mean, uh... O-Oh, hey! I think I hear your aunt calling me!" She obviously lied before bursting out the door, nearly spinning Bow in a whirlwind as she did.
Glancing at the direction of the escaping princess, there was a small frown on Bow's face as it reached the same levels as Glimmer's. "Has she... said anything to you since we got back?"
"No," she shook her head in dismay as she leaned out the window, "nothing. I've barely seen her for that matter. Whenever I do see her, she just bolts away from me before I even have a chance to say something. I think she might be mad at me."
"Mad at you? What would she have to be mad at you over?"
"I don't know. She hasn't told us anything else about what happened after the portal incident, and..." She stared up into thought as she tried to make heads or tails of this magicat fiasco. "What if something happened she didn't tell us about? Like, maybe I said or did something before in that world that made her feel worse? Ugh, it'd be easier to know if she could just tell me."
"Glimmer..." What was Bow supposed to say at a time like this?
As stated, ever since the friends and allies returned to the Kingdom of Bright Moon, Catra had gone nearly silent in regards to Angella or Glimmer herself. She hasn't spoken to her about anything, she's barely given her a passing glance. She never even attended the funeral for Queen Angella, for that matter! Swift Wind tried his best to coax the girl to to attend to it, but in the end, he said he couldn't get her to budge from her room.
The strange part about it all was that it wasn't like last time when she went silent following the Battle of Bright Moon. To everyone else, she's been completely normal. She chatted, she hung out, she gossiped occasionally. She was still eating normally too, so there wasn't any concern over her physical health or anything.
To everyone else, she's been just her.
So why wasn't she towards Glimmer?
The fact of the matter, for now, was that Catra was practically missing from Glmmer's life since she returned to Bright Moon. It was almost like she didn't exist at some moments, and in others, she didn't want Glimmer or herself to exist. It would've been so much easier to understand what was wrong with her if she just said one little thing to her.
The one constant line of reasoning Glimmer could believe in was that it had something to do over her own mother's death. Nobody knows what transpired between the two during their final moments together. The only tricky part behind all of this was finding out exactly what, and what about it was bothering Catra so much that she was purposely avoiding Glimmer?
Right now, Glimmer needed as much support as Catra did. So, with as confident of a smile as he could muster, he stood over by her side, staring out the window with her. "Look, whatever is going on with Catra, I promise you she'll be back to her old self in time to see the coronation take place."
"Do you really think so?" Glimmer wondered with a little less enthusiasm than she would've hoped.
"Trust me, I know so. For all we know, maybe she's planning to pull some giant prank at the coronation. You know how much she loves to make a scene with that stuff, right?" He chuckled, getting a small grin out of Glimmer as he nudged her shoulder.
"Heh, yeah. Maybe she plans on some whoopee cushion thing or something." It actually did sound a little refreshing to hear. Even on a momentous and large day as this where royalties from all over would be attending, if Catra could just provide a little bit of communication on her end to Glimmer, it would have been worth it.
... Mostly.
All the same, it still only brought a bitter smile to the young soon-to-be-Queen's face. "I just wish I knew what she was doing after all this time..."
...
"No, no no, these apples are all wrong." Swift Wind shook his head as he observed the basket. "They should all be red and in various sizes from big to large."
"... Um... aren't those the same sizes though?" The purple-dressed caterer asked as she examined the basket she was carrying. She was already carrying thirty pounds worth of apples in a wicker basket, so the least he could do is simplify some of the details.
"Look, I don't know what to tell you, but these are She-Ra's orders herself, and if there's one thing she made clear, its that there must be enough refreshments for even a horse to eat."
"But... You'll most likely be the only horse... pegasus... thing, attending."
"Well perhaps we should fix that, too!" He stated, thrusting up a wingtip like a finger. "Make sure the room is spacious enough so that every noble horse within the stables can be free to roam about! This is what I want- I mean, what I want... according to She-Ra's exact words."
"... Are these really her words, or are you just pretending she said them?"
"Ah! I can't believe you could ask me something like that! I'm so appalled by it that I'm not going to dignify that with a response-"
"Pssst."
"Hmm?" It was at the sound of the familiar whispering noise that Swift Wind lifted his head from the increasingly frustrated caterer. Scanning against the ballroom where the coronation would be celebrated, his head came across the two large doors at the entrance, seeing a familiar magicat's head poking out as she gestured for him to follow. Immediately, worry washed over his mind as he feared the possibility that he was found out. "Oh, uh, um, you know what, never mind, the apples are fine!" He pranced a bit in panic, tapping his hooves against the floor before making his escape.
For about two seconds before he pushed his head up to her again. "You know what, on second thought, make those apples green- Ow!" Anything he had to add after was cut off by the bizarre magicat who grabbed his ear, pulling it with haste as she dragged him out of the room behind her.
Leaving a bewildered and confused caterer behind as she stared at the basket.
"But we don't have any green apples...?"
...
*clunk*
"Phew." Catra sighed in relief as she closed her bedroom door behind her, thankful that she didn't have any unexpected, or wanted, run-ins with a certain pink-haired princess. Already, as she turned around, she saw Swift Wind making himself at home as he lied on her better, smiling to her expectantly as he waited.
"Hey, Catra." He greeted with a winged wave. "So, have you come up with an apology yet?"
"Yeah, I think so..." Catra muttered, scratching the back of her mane with a nervous look in her eye. The comfort of her own room didn't make the situation any easier for the girl as she stepped into the center of the room, staring at the floor. "Alright... Um... H-How should I start this?"
"I don't know, just be yourself, I guess." He suggested casually, eager to hear the progress of her new development. "Like, here, pretend I'm Glimmer for a minute and apologize to me."
"Um... okay." She shook the nerves out of her arms and mane as she prepared herself, giving a small cough as she cleared her throat. Swift Wind waited patiently and calmly as the magicat prepared herself. After all, this was what she wanted to do for her friends. "Hoof. Alright, ahem..." She paused briefly as she stared at the rainbow-winged horse. "So, um... Hey, Pink-"
"Aaang!" Immediately, the warrior was cut off as Swift Wind interrupted, holding up a firm hoof. "First Rule: Always address someone by their real name when apologizing, not nicknames."
"Ah! Right, right, sorry." She already felt stupid enough for doing this as she pinched between her eyes, the least he could do is not provide so many rules about how to "Apologize" to someone. Then again, she was the one who wanted to get this done right. "Okay. Huff.. So, hey... Glimmer-"
"Yeeees?" It almost startled Catra at how disturbing Swift Wind sounded as he tried horribly to mimic Glimmer's voice, flashing his eyelashes like a girl.
"Ehh.. Mhhm. Okay, so I..." It was so distracting looking at Swift Wind like that as he flashed his eyebrows so dramatically. "I, uh..."
"Yeeeeeees...?"
"Want to say that..."
"Yeeeeeeeeees...?"
"I'm sorry your mother threw her life away and is trapped in another dimension for all eternity."
"..." Swifty just blinked dumbfounded as he stared at the magicat, looking almost devastated beyond words.
"Well? How was it?"
Swift Wind didn't know where to begin with everything related to that one line of dialogue as he swallowed a lump in his throat. "Oh my go- er... I mean... Oh my... good?" He pretended with a smile despite his ears giving it away. "That was really... something..."
"You hated it." Catra gruffed, rubbing her forehead in irritation.
"What? N-No, no, of course not! It was good, really-"
"So if I walked out of this room right now and said that to her, you'd be okay with it?"
"... Um... Are you going to say the whole thing, or just the sorry part?" His worry overshadowed the false sense of security as Catra groaned.
"Ugghhhh! This is so annoying!"
The noble steed frowned at the sight of its dear friend fumbling about. It didn't matter if he could or couldn't read her emotions on a constant basis thanks to their bond. The sight of her struggling and arguing with herself over a matter she shouldn't be worried about in the first place was hard to watch.
"Catra, I don't understand." The horse went on as he rose from the bed. "Why do you feel like you need to apologize to Glimmer in the first place? It's not like she's mad at you."
"I know that, and that's the problem!"
"You... want her to be mad at you?"
"What? No, I mean... ugh..." Never has Catra found herself so bothered by such a simple task, one that barely required any effort! "I need to apologize to her for myself, not just for her."
"But why do you need to do it?" The horse tried to understand as he approached her, only for Catra to turn her back to him with her arms crossed.
"Because I-!" And, like every time before, Catra froze. A look of fear filled her eyes as she pictured it. Pictured Glimmer standing there in front of her, pictured her smiling or looking at her curiously. The way she felt comfortable to be around like Bow, the fact that Catra knew she could trust her.
All of it went on to plague her with the same haunting vision in her head again as she recalled.
"Take good care of each other."
It practically made the magicat shiver at the thought as she hugged herself, ears instantly dropping to the sides of her head, and a flux of emotions emanating from the girl's heart that Swift Wind could sense with worry.
"Catra?" He spoke calmly, brushing the girl's shoulder with the tip of his wing. Shaking her head, scratching at her own mane in frustration, the feline anger-wielding She-Ra took a deep breath for herself.
"I'm... I'm fine..." She sighed, closing her eyes as she took several deep yet shallow breaths. "Look, I just... I just need to apologize to her. That's why I asked you to help me to begin with, remember?"
"Well... yeah..." He looked regretful as he shifted his eyes away. "I kind of wish I didn't have to lie to them about the funeral though..."
"It's fine, don't worry about it. I'll tell them it was my fault, too. I just need your help to apologize to her. That's all."
"Catra, why don't you just try talking to her for once, then?" The horse suggested, trying to find any means to reason with her. "You're never going to be able to apologize to her unless you actually talk to her first, and practicing won't feel the same way when you're addressing Glimmer herself."
"I know that, but..." How was she supposed to explain a situation like this without sounding terrible? She was already conscious enough to know how it looked to be avoiding her throughout this whole time, at least, somewhat did, and whatever she had to say she knew she wouldn't get out right. "I just..."
"Look, we'll even go together to help start you off." He offered with a genuine smile as he stood behind her.
"It doesn't matter if you're there to help or not, I just-"
"Nonsense! Come on, I'm right behind you." Without waiting for a rebuttal or acceptance, the noble steed took it upon himself as he began pushing her towards the door. Knowing the stubbornness that was Catra, he knew that the best way to get her to do something was to help push her through it, sometimes literally in this case.
"What? No! Stop it! STOP IT!" She scrambled, trying to push back against the horse's strong head as her feet slid against the floor. "Stop pushing! I'll go She-Ra on you and you know I will!"
"I know you won't~"
"Hey!" She grumbled as she was pressed against the door, forcing her to find fumble with the door handle as she tried to unlock it. "What did I say about staying out of my head!"
"We've been over this, I'm not in your head."
"You know what I mean!"
*click*
"Come on, you'll be just fine. I believe in you!"
"That just makes it one for one." She continued to argue as the doors finally opened.
"Who's the other one?"
"Me!"
*thud*
"Ah-! ... Oh..."
"Hu... Uh..." Catra stared in silence as she gazed at the very person she was just arguing with over her horse for, meeting her along with her Aunt Castaspella and a just-as-surprised Bow by the sudden appearance.
"Um, hey... Catra." Glimmer greeted a little awkwardly with a wave, being the first time she's seen Catra in what felt like forever.
"Ghhh..." The warrior grumbled back with a stern look to her feathered companion, the very same steed who was smiling back nervously after causing the accidental run-in, before glancing back to the soon-to-be-Queen herself. "H... Hey... Gli-"
"Take good care of each other."
"Ngh!" Already, the vision was flashing in the middle of her eyes as she stuttered, her heart racing like a sports car driving at 300 mph. While Casta seemed more or less passive about the strange look on her face, having little interaction with the girl even after joining the Rebellion, her two friends showed a mix of worry and confusion as their friend stared off into space.
"Catra?" Glimmer called out again, reaching for her shaking hand.
Almost instantly, Catra snapped herself out of the situation as she backed up from the three, trying to put on her best forced smile as she finally managed to look at the three. "Oh... H-Hey... guys..." She twitched her eye a little, another process that didn't seem to faze Castaspella as much as her friends. "I-I'd love to stay and chat, but-"
"Oh, Catra! I was actually wondering where you were." Casta smiled as she grabbed the girl's shoulders. "I need to go over some things with you for tonight's coronation." Against the girl's wishes, Catra found herself forced ahead with her as Aunt Castaspella wrapped a comforting arm around her neck, dragging her away as Glimmer and Bow followed behind her.
"Wait- What?" Catra tried to force herself from her grasp without in any way harming her. She didn't want to ruin things for the coronation before they actually proceeded, after all. "N-No! No thanks! I'm good! I was just going to-"
"Oh nonsense, there's much to discuss for tonight's ceremony!" It was as if everything was flowing into one ear and out the other without reaching Casta's brain as she continued to drag the feline against her will. "Now, when you arrive tonight and transform into She-Ra-" Catra groaned internally as she lowered her ears, being dragged against her will as the two friends watched her.
Suffice to say, they were at a loss. On the one hand, they were glad that Catra was finally with them throughout all of this, although they wished it wasn't against her will, as it appeared. The girl looked like she was holding herself back more than ever before since the two had come to know her, and was straining every hair on her body not to get violent around the lovable aunt that was just trying to help run things around here.
On the one bright side, there was something Glimmer could at least admit.
This was the longest she's seen Catra in person in almost a week...
...
"So, the ceremony begins with the Ritual Quest," Casta continued as Glimmer listened intently at her side, "followed by your first speech as queen, and most importantly, the whole thing ends with a Grand Ball!" During their walk through the halls, passing various caterers and guards along the way who were setting up for the celebration, Glimmer was doing her best to refrain from looking at Catra behind her, the latter still seeming uncomfortable being within Glimmer's presence for some reason.
At least she seemed to be talking more as the walk continued, not that any of it was directed to Glimmer herself.
"What's the "Ritual Quest" thing?" Catra asked curiously, unaware as Glimmer smiled a little at the sound of her voice.
"The Quest of Queens, in which Glimmer will forge her connection to the Moonstone." Casta explained, coming to a halt as she turned to the three. "The Moonstone's elemental power has been balanced between you and your mother since you were born, but now, with her..." She turned her eyes away as she tried to find the right words. "Her... absence..." It did nothing to prevent the frown that was still to come over Glimmer's face, or the small concern over Catra's as she saw her.
"So," Bow cheerfully interrupted as he stood between the thee, "about that quest! We're great at quests, right guys?"
"Yes, yes, it's all in the scroll." Casta happily continued, growing the same idea of moving on as she materialized a large scroll out of thin air for the three. "Secret ritual, witnesses, light, etcetera, etcetera." The archer took it upon himself glance over the scroll's contents, scanning and fretting over every little detail the three would need to address over the coronation. "Oh, and you'll need this." She quickly added, throwing a small glowing lamp into the archer's full arms.
No sooner did she explain herself were her eyes drawn to the assortment of colorful pink and red flowers brought to her side by one of Plumeria's caterers. "Ooh, are those the flower arrangements? Glimmer, what do you think?"
"Oh, uh, they're, uh, fine?" She replied unsuringly as the nervous caterer smiled.
"... You're right, they're awful! Burn them at once!" She yelled to the panicked caterer. "Also, you're fired." This brought nothing but tears to the lone caterer as he ran away crying, a sight that almost made the three feel sorry for him.
"Aunt Casta, you really don't-"
"Don't you worry about a thing." Casta smiled back, giving her a small boop to the noes. "In addition to being a powerful sorceress, I am also a legendary party-planner!" The lights faded and zoomed in with the wave of her magical hands, awing at the sight of the wonderful illusionary decorations and treats that would be presented by tonight, along with two kneeling, nervous, caterers at her side. "This will be a coronation for the ages! Glimmer, take us to the terrace!" She couldn't wait to get a head start on the ordeal the moment that Glimmer teleported them, eagerly holding her niece's shoulders as she waited.
Glimmer let out nothing more than a small sigh as she gently shoved the hands from her shoulder, a frown hanging over her look as she casually lead the way to the terrace itself. "O-Oh, we're- We're walking, are we?" Casta was a little surprised by the speculation, refraining from making a big deal over it given the circumstances. "Great! We can use the exercise."
Naturally, the most valid response out of all of this was the sound of Catra moaning as she rolled her eyes, preparing to turn tail and walk in the other direction as fast as she possibly could. That was, until she was made aware of a very curious and questionable archer who grabbed tail from two feet away.
"Uh, Catra, can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked, not entirely willing to let the cat run off regardless if it could be helped.
"Um, sure." She shrugged. "What's up?"
"What do you mean what's up? It's Glimmer's Coronation Day, and you've barely been around!" He stated, showing a small matter of annoyance at the friend's strange behavior. "What have you been doing all this time?"
"Oh, uh," the She-Ra turned her head away as she scratched her head, "you know, just... stuff..."
"Like what kind of stuff?"
"You know, just... stuff..."
This was the strangest that Bow's ever seen Catra, and that was saying a LOT. He's seen her depressed, moody, irritable, baffled, annoyed, confused, happy, laughing, silent, fuming, mostly nine times out of ten some negative emotion. And not once did he ever see her in a state such as this! She looked somewhere between uncomfortable and unsure of herself, or something else that was bothering her.
"Look, can we just talk about this some other time, or something?" She asked, crossing her arms as she leaned a shoulder against the wall. "I really don't want to make a big deal about anything today."
"Uh, Catra? I don't know if you noticed, but today kind of is a big deal." Bow reminded as he leaned against the wall next to her. "Glimmer's going to be counting on you to support her and get her through all of this. You know it hasn't been easy for her since... you know..."
"Yeah, I do know. It's just... egh..." She continued to keep her head down as she scratched at her left ear. "I... I need to talk to her about... something..."
"Something?" Finally, he felt like he was making progress! "What kind of "something"?"
"Just... something, okay? And I'm not entirely comfortable about it."
"Well, you could just tell me, couldn't you? I don't mind. I could tell it to her for you if you like?"
"That's the problem, I need to talk to her about it myself. It's been hanging over my head since we got back, and... Mmh, I don't know what to do right now, okay? Things have just been... crazy. All right?" There was a stirring silence in the air as the two looked off to the side.
One of the many reasonings Bow and Glimmer came up with for Catra's mysterious behavior was just Catra's own way of dealing with the Queen's passing. The silent treatment she gave Glimmer, the inability to meet with her or talk about it with anyone, they were all the usual signs that Catra portrayed when something deeply emotional bothered her.
And they were just fine with it!
But the confusing portion behind it all was the fact she wasn't talking to Glimmer specifically. She was silent for a day or two like the rest of the Rebellion as they mourned Angella's leaving, but afterwards she was right back to talking to everyone else again like the good ol' days, save for Glimmer who she almost seemed too afraid of to approach. If he didn't know any better, he could've sworn she was actually scared of the girl for some reason, which is the last thing they needed while Glimmer was going through this tough time.
"Look, Catra," Bow spoke softly as he rested a hand on her shoulder, "I know what you're going through, all right?"
"You... You do?" She turned her head around curiously, earning a smile and a nod from the bowman.
"Yeah, of course I do. Everyone does."
"E-Everyone?" A small ounce of worry crossed Catra's mind at the sound of it.
"Yeah! And I'm telling you it's alright. We miss the Queen, too, so you don't have to be afraid of how you look."
"I... Mmmh..." Catra wanted to tell him how he was wrong about the situation, but what would be the point? Aside from the fact he possibly wouldn't believe her, there was no way she could explain herself to someone the matter wasn't related to. It was hard enough telling Swift Wind about everything, telling it to someone else would've been impossible. "I.. I don't-"
"Besides, I'm sure if you helped with the catering preparations, it'll help take your mind off things."
"Bow, I don't-" Catra stopped as a thought struck her. "Wait... what do you mean by that?"
"Well, you know, just help out with everything!" Bow smiled with pride as he felt he made a breakthrough with the magicat. "Help with the decorations, make sure everything's organized, all the little stuff. Then you'll be able to talk to Glimmer about everything later in peace."
"Helping the..." Slowly, the small wheels of Catra's mind began to speed up as a large smile finally filled the vacant void of Catra's face. "Bow, you're a genius!" She officially declared to the slightly blushful, smiling, archer.
"Heh, well, I don't wanna brag, but-"
"If I help her out with Coronation, then I won't even need to apologize to her!"
"Yeah, that's-... Wait, what?"
Of course! Why didn't she think of this before?! It was so obvious for crying out loud!
She couldn't bring herself to confront Glimmer because of her sense of guilt at the moment, and with a momentous day such as this, she was going to be forced to reconcile with her at some point against her will, and then she would be forced to talk to her regardless. She already failed miserably just trying to think of an apology, if the last near-week of thinking of one was any indication, and at the rate it was going, she was never going to be able to talk to her again!
BUT! But if she managed to do something that she felt could make them even, then she wouldn't have to worry about apologizing in the first place! Her guilt would go away, she would finally be able to approach the princess again without any of these horrific flashes going off constantly in her mind, and everything would go back to normal in a world ruled by magic and technology!
Best of all, she wouldn't have to explain herself anymore afterwards! She could just come up with the excuse that she was helping to plan for the Coronation or something. Something would come to her mind eventually, and until then, she just had to play the part of a "part-ee planner", whatever that was. And she wouldn't have to feel guilty over not apologizing for something she felt was absolutely necessary at the time!
"I need to go catch up with them, there's a lot of stuff to do today before the ceremony!" Catra announced, giving the archer a small playful punch to the shoulder before she ran off. "Thanks, Bow!"
"..."
"..."
"..." Bow had never been more confused or worried about what transpired before him.
"What did I just say?"
...
...
...
A/N: I said it once and I'll say it again, it feels good to take it easy for a change and post a shorter chapter. I know its a bit of a weird cut off point since this only covers about 3 1/2 minutes of the episode, but I found it to be a good cut off point since the following ones are far and few in-between, which means I'll have less opportunities to find an appropriate cutoff point on my own.
But with that said, hope you all enjoyed and got a small excitable taste of what's to come from the intro above X) Kudos and major thanks to Peyton Helix for his help and assistance with it, as well as leaving some of the best reviews I have to date X) if you guys wanna thank one of the few people in my life for keeping me going, its him, star, and petie from instagram, so send those guys your support and thanks when you have the time.
So with that all said-! Hope you all enjoyed ^^! Leave a like, fave, follow, and review, and hope to see you on the rest of the incredibly interesting episode VERY soon X)...