Cat-Ra

by Monokub

"If" is such a powerful word. What if the reasonings for our duo were different? What if the personalities of our two favorite females were altered ever-so slightly? And most of all, what if Catra became She-Ra? Currently Season: 4

122. S4 Episode 1: The Coronation Finale

A/N: Final Word Count: 17.7K Pre-A/N's

HOOFTAH! After another rousing day, not only did I just finish another chapter, I managed to finish this within 24 hours since this morning X)! As you could guess, I had a lot of fun with this one XD

As expected, as we draw to a close, we will be meeting a lot of things here. Changes (not major plot things or anything but i mean like in this world and all, you get my meaning XP), laughs, tears, and feels all around as everyone finally draws to a close for this episode.

Seeing how this is my last chapter before im fully caught up (so to speak) with the show, I think its fitting i leave it on a massive chapter such as this, one that I'm sure will leave people on the edge of their seats, ESPECIALLY when you get to the VERY very end XD! I wont go into spoils much, but it will concern a curious question I've come to time to time. So, hopefully, i leave you guys with a satisfying cliffhanger before I go on my long break.

And with that being said, please, enjoy the last chapter i'll post... possibly within the next week XP

Enjoy!

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*CRASH!*

"Whoooa!" Catra screamed as she flew threw the air again, the creature's massive girth creating a shockwave capable of throwing everyone across the room upon impact.

This was just something in the average day of Catra's life now, and given all that was happening, she was starting to find it more and more annoying with each passing day. It was becoming so repetitive to the point where Catra could start to make a list of everything that was going to happen in order. First something annoying happened to start her day off, which was more along the lines of a week-long endeavor in this case, then some big important event or mission was going to come up to overlap, and, finally, something was going to bring the whole thing crashing down to kingdom come.

There were only two parts of it she could never tell or see coming, the first being what was going to bring their whole day crashing down upon them, in this case being a giant worm-like snake monster trying to devour them as they completed the Ritual Quest, and the second being how it would all end. No matter how many times they kept coming out on top in the end, it always left a twinge of worry and doubt in the young magicat's mind to the point where she could never tell if they would survive or not.

Which made things even more obnoxious to deal with since Catra thought the day was progressing so well too, or at least to the point where she could get over her survivor's guilt.

Ever since the Queen's sacrifice, not a day had gone by where Catra wasn't plagued by the Queen's haunting memory, overwhelmed with a sense of unknown guilt and belief that Glimmer was mad at her for something the princess was completely unaware of. She tried everything to make up for it throughout the last day, ranging from cleaning duties, party planning, and so forth, all for the sake of hopefully making things "even" between the two so that Glimmer could forgive her. Instead, she made the party, based on Glimmer's last reaction, more of a nightmare than ever.

The princess was beside herself with anger and grief over her mother's loss still, wishing to do nothing more than to get over this sorrow-filled day of dread and misery. Everyone was smiling, everyone was acting like nothing was a big deal despite the fact it was a Coronation Day. Why was she seeming to be the only one who was worked up about everything around her? Then there was Catra, the girl who went out of her way to avoid Glimmer for nearly a week, then came back to acting like nothing was out of the ordinary just to see if Glimmer was happy already? What was her deal?!

After all that's happened throughout today's proceedings, it made the giant monster trying to devour them seem like the least of their worries! ... Actually, looking back on it, it sort of was, because thanks to the grief and loss she's been suffering throughout the last week, Glimmer hasn't been recharging her powers even once, leaving the group stranded in the cave until the monster was dealt with or the Ritual Quest was complete.

Regaining her balance midair, the magicat scanned the room around her, spotting where her two friends wound up amidst the chaos as the one-eyed leviathan continued to hunt its prey. With the chaos that was ensuing and the monster running rampant, Catra found it as good a time as any as she unsheathed her sacred sword.

"I am really getting tired of this day..." She commented to herself before raising the blade before her. "For the Honor of-!"

*Wham!*

"Ah!" Catra let out a small cry of pain as she was based away with ease by the creature's massive tail, knocking her senselessly across the other side of the room. The impact and force behind it didn't get Catra so worked up as she jumped back to her feet. What she did find problematic was the very sword itself getting knocked out of her own two hands when the creature struck her, which was still, unfortunately, on the opposite side of the room. "No!" Catra hissed, barely getting two steps ahead before the creature slammed its massive tail in front of her. "You're still mad about the whole "trying to blind you" thing, aren't you?"

"Haaakkkkkk!" The creature roared angrily at the eye-scratching menace, barely seeming phased or disoriented by the red scratches left over to the corner of its ten-foot long eye.

*Thwack!*

As if adding on to the creature's irritation, along came a familiar archer who struck the side of its massive eye with a boxing glove arrow, hitting the creature square in the in the center of the left side of its massive one eye.

"Hey! Over here!" Bow shouted, waving its arms to distract the beast as Glimmer ran around it. As planned the creature took the bait as Bow fled from the terrifying menace, all the while the princess of Bright Moon managed to circle around its left side, reaching the majestic sword before the creature could notice her.

"Catra!" Glimmer yelled, throwing the sword with all her might across the room, the cat girl leaping against onto the wall before pushing off of it, nabbing the sword in her hands in midair.

That one moment of relief quickly came to an abrupt end as she felt a small tug around her feet, looking down in horror as she saw the coil of the large beast wrapped around her leg and encircling her further. Panic rushed into the young warriors mind as she felt the massive wrapping around her limbs, all the way up to her thighs, and pinning her arms to her side all the way up to her elbows. Surprisingly, the monster was more clever than she gave it credit for, because it was almost as if it pretended to be distract just to draw Catra out in the open.

Or it was really determined to crush the person who tried to blind it two minutes ago.

"No!" Catra grumbled, trying to free her hand enough to pull out her sword. There was barely any wiggle room with the beast's large size wrapped around her on all sides, the sheer mass of it alone making it nothing more than a miracle that it wasn't currently crushing her in place.

"Haaaaaaoooooo!" Her attempts came to a frightening halt as she slowly turned her head again, realizing she was currently suspended in midair, staring face to face against the monster who practically glared at the young cat girl who clawed its eye, opening its massive jaw slowly as Catra watched a waterfall of saliva dripping from its teeth.

"Catra!" Glimmer cried out worriedly. In an attempt to stop the creature, the archer fired several more of his explosive arrows at the creature, only for it to be proven ineffective as he kept hitting the back of its head where it shrugged it off. With the limited time he had, he didn't have a chance to run around to the other side in time in order to line up a shot, knowing that the young warrior was going to be swallowed whole in seconds.

There was nothing anyone could do.

*Chomp!*

"Nooo!" Glimmer cried out in horror as she screamed. Without any regard for its own body, the massive jaws clamped down over the magicat and its own tail, slowly pulling it out as if it was a finger as it consumed its meal. Neither of the two could comprehend the terror they had witnessed as their hearts felt empty, the sheer sight of the event being more than either of them could handle.

Catra, one of the strongest fighters they had ever known, was go-

*Chnk*

"HAAAAKKKKKKK!" The creature cried out in pain as it threw its head back in forth. As it did so, to both her friends' surprise, they could see the young magicat still within its mouth, apparently holding onto something along with her sword still. It took a few moments of thrusting back and forth before the creature had enough, coming to a pause as it blinked to itself.

Pulling its head back again, attempting to get rid of the vile vermin lodged in its mouth, the gave a firm push of its head forward, spewing Catra out of its mouth at long last as it continued to shake its head a little in pain. As for Catra herself, she had never been more relieved and mortified to be alive than she was now.

From head to toe, the girl was covered in a gooey saliva that slung to her hair, the girl doing whatever she could to shake the disgusting ooze off of her body, especially her mane. Strangely enough, that didn't appear to be the most disturbing part of the magicat's saving grace. No, for whatever reason, she was yelling in disgust of herself as she tried licking any part of her body that wasn't covered in slime, apparently trying to get something off her tongue or off her taste buds.

At least this time the warrior managed to maintain her grip on the sword as Glimmer came running to her side.

"Bleeeegh!" Catra garbled, going as far as to lick the ground for a few licks to get the disgusting taste out of her mouth. "That was so disgusting!"

"Catra, did you-?"

"I BIT ITS TONGUE, ALRIGHT!" Catra shouted angrily as she interrupted the archer. Of all the ways to save herself, taking a mouthful of a giant creature's tongue was definitely the most disgusting method she had ever come up with. Even now, she didn't know what was worse- surviving to be covered in spit she was finally shaking off, or living with the fact she took a mouthful of a monster's tongue just to survive.

All in all, she was still contemplating letting the monster eat her again just so she didn't have to live with such misery.

"Are you okay?" Glimmer asked worriedly as she reached for her. Like clockwork, the very instant she came within three feet of the girl with a gentle hand, the same haunting visions came to plague the girl once more.

"Take good care of each other."

"Ah-!" The cat jumped to her feet as she stepped back back, rubbing her head again as she backed away a few feet. "Y-Yeah, I'm perfect. It's fine." She lied, turning to the archer as he ran for the duo, trailed by the massive worm creature slithering directly behind.

"We need to take cover!" He yelled, pointing over to the small entrance at the right side of the room. "Over there!"

"But what about the lantern-!" Glimmer tried to argue, only to be pulled away by her two friends as they took a head start of the conversation.

"What about us!" Catra retorted, leaving no room for discussion as the three finally ran together. She already got eaten once, and she was NOT biting a monster's tongue again twice within the same day, preferably ever!

There wouldn't have been any use for a lantern if everyone died trying to get it in the first place, and without Glimmer's powers, they needed a plan. Fortunately, the small entrance the three ran for was large enough for the three to run through, leading them to a dead end that dug a short way back into the cave, while remaining small enough to keep the raging monster from getting in.

That didn't keep it from repeatedly slamming against the entrance trying to get in, growling with anger as it shook the entire room and the crystal-lit cave the trio were currently trapped in.

*Wham!*

*Wham!*

*Wham!*

Catra and Bow covered their arms as small bits of rubble fell from the ceiling. They needed to come up with a plan fast before the creature either broke into the room itself or the small cave itself came crashing in on top of them.

"Didn't your scrolls mention anything about a giant worm monster living in the tunnels under Bright Moon?" Catra shouted over the ramming, nearly falling to her feet as the monster's constant bashing became more violent.

Bow braced himself against the interior of the cave as the tremors continued. "Come to think of it, I might remember some mention of a Bright Moon guardian that we'd have to subdue." He said with a slightly guilty smile.

"You didn't think to mention that earlier?!"

"It was confusingly worded!" He apologized back.

"And why can't you teleport?" Catra shot back to Glimmer. "Did you lose your powers or something?"

"B-Because, I..." The Princess trembled a bit as she backed against the corner of the cave.

"Because why?"

"BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN RECHARGING MY POWERS, OKAY!" She finally broke down collapsing against the ground as she sat, wrapping her arms around her knees as she teared up.

"What?!" Bow and Catra yelled in disbelief at the same time. If her powers weren't working because of something involving the portal world, Catra could partly understand that. A whole bunch of crazy stuff was happening within the portal, there was no telling what effect it might have on everyone else.

But to willingly ignore and go without using her powers of her own free will? That was insane!

"Recharging my powers would mean taking the Moonstone's full power for myself." Glimmer explained as the tears began to roll down her eyes, her friends approaching her with silence. "It would mean... It would mean admitting that she's really gone." Catra's ears lowered at this as she felt a twinge in the corner of her eye, her teeth unknowingly grinding against themselves as she felt a pain through her heart.

"Everyone's already acting like she doesn't matter. It's like no one remembers her. No one cares..." The princess choked up a little as she hugged the large glowing crystal next to her. "We're having a coronation because she's gone, and everyone is acting like its a fun party and its not. They're acting like they never cared about my mother to begin with, like nothing she did ever mattered! At the end of the day, nobody cares about what happened to her. They just expect me to fill in the gap she left behind and replace her-!"

"Shut up..." Catra hissed quietly through her teeth. Shocked by the quiet outburst and choice of words, Glimmer and Bow lifted their heads to see a sight that neither of the two expected throughout her ordeal in this Quest.

Catra glaring angrily at the soon-to-be-Queen of Bright Moon, gritting her teeth before her as she glared down at the young princess... as tears pooled from her eyes.

"Nobody else cares about her? You think you're the only one who cared for her?" Catra grumbled through her teeth, squeezing her fists at her side as the memory played through her mind for one final time.

"Take good care of each other."

She was willing to put up with a lot of things. She was willing to put up with this day turning out to be a disaster. She was willing to put up with everyone driving her insane while the memories of the Queen's last words continued to haunt her. She was willing to put up with all the misgivings between herself and Shadow Weaver, working every waking hour of the day like she never had before, and was going out of her way to be as friendly and helpful as possible just for the hopes that Glimmer could forgive her.

But this was the one thing she would never put up with. She would never put up with anyone claiming that nobody cared for the Queen's passing, especially Glimmer.

"I hate to disappoint you, Pinky, but you're not! Got that?" The girl kneeled in front of her as the tears dripped through her own eyes. Tears of anger, tears of sorrow, and tears of regret. "Not a second has gone by where I don't miss her, alright? Every time I see your face I keep seeing her. I keep hating myself over the fact that she gave her life for me when I should've been the one who disappeared. And knowing that nothing I can do can ever make you forgive me!"

"For... give you?" Glimmer questioned with a sniff, the tears still dripping from her eyes without end, Bow's own eyes beginning to tear as he kneeled to the side of his torn friends.

"She was one of the few people that showed me any decency, that treated me like I belonged here. Not just for me, either, but for all of us. All of us are missing her, Glimmer, and nobody is going to be able to replace her! And you think we don't care about her? That's not you being insincere, that's just selfish! Selfish in thinking that you're the only one who cared out of all of us!" Maybe it wasn't the word she was looking for, but as it stood, Catra wasn't speaking from her mind anymore. She was speaking through her heart.

Perhaps that's why she embraced Glimmer in a small hug again, the Queen's words finally beginning to fade while they remained forever ingrained in her heart.

"She asked me to take care of you, Glimmer. To take care of everyone." Glimmer's eyes shriveled with sadness before she closed her eyes, squeezing herself into Catra's shoulder as the feline stared off ahead, still maintaining the same glare in her eyes despite the tears. "She didn't even give me a choice! She forced me to survive, she made me live on for the Rebellion's sake, for everyone's. And I can't... tch... I can't do that until everyone moves on. Until you can... until I can... forgive me..."

"Forgive...?" Still dripping with tears, the princess finally pulled away a little from the tear-ridden cat. "Catra, what are you talking about? I don't," she sniffled again, "I don't hate you."

"How can you not? Angella gave her life for mine when she still had a family to think of, when she still had a daughter to think about. I still wish I could go back and turn things around, to stop her from sacrificing herself."

"Catra, don't you get it? It doesn't matter how many times you went back to fix things, because in the end, she would've sacrificed herself every time!" Glimmer explained as Catra's rage finally began to subside, her ears tilting to her side.

"But... why?" It was a question she felt like she should've known, one that should've been obvious to her from the very beginning. With all the tears, with all the stress finally reaching her breaking point, perhaps it wasn't a matter that she had forgotten for herself.

Maybe she just needed someone, even herself, to confirm it.

"Because you're her family, too. We all are." Bow smiled tearfully as he wiped his eyes cleared. "She considered you just as important as her actual family, she would've given up her life for your sake regardless, for any of our sakes."

"And she wouldn't want you to survive with grief and despair, Catra." Glimmer continued as her tears finally began to slow. "She would've wanted you to-..." And, all at once, it finally dawned on Glimmer's own mind as she slowly looked at her own hand. "... She would've wanted you to move on with your life... for your sake as much as everyone else's." At this, the hero known as Catra finally lowered her head as her tears had finally diminished.

All of them cared for Angella, including the rest of the Princess Alliance. She was the mother most of them never had, the one who was always looking out for each of them from the moment they joined the Princess Alliance and the Rebellion itself. As a Queen, she directed them through their missions and their tasks, but as a mother, she guided each and every one of them into who they were today. For some, the changes were minor, and others, they were changed completely. She was the best part of the Rebellion, the part that no one wanted to see taken away.

And they were all going to miss her deeply.

*Wham!*

*Wham!*

"Okay, that thing is really starting to irritate me." Catra growled looking back for a moment.

"So... what do we do now?" Glimmer asked, wiping her eyes one more time.

"Beats me, but..." There was a small smile in Catra's eyes as she finally lifted her head up. "We're not going to do it alone. You're supposed to be in charge of this, so just point in the right direction, and I'll break whatever's standing there." For the first time in a week, Catra's heart finally felt alleviated from the turmoil and despair that had been haunting her. For once, she was finally able to look into Glimmer's eyes for a change without Angella's memory coming back to haunt her.

She was finally ready to move on.

"Even if that path leads to a giant crystal monster?" The princess wondered, the tears finally coming to an end between the three of them.

"Hey, we came into this cave for a reason, didn't we? And I don't want to be known as the warrior who was scared off by some worm." She joked a little, back to her old self at long last.

"Nothing we can't handle." Bow smiled standing up. "We're great with quests, no matter how disastrous the day gets."

"Then come on. Let's do this." With a confident grin on her face, the princess stood before them, ready to take charge of the quest that had yet to be fulfilled. All of them were ready with a nod to each other. All of them were prepared to move on for the sake of Etheria.

And none of them were about to let anything stand in their way.

This time when Catra pulled out her sword, she knew nothing was going to stop her.

"For the Honor of Grayskull!"

Surrounded by a seas of beautiful stars and a bluish galaxy, Catra rose herself from her as her body glowed with a beautiful blue light, one that had seen the cosmos since the dawn of time, and had met with the night's sky on a regular basis. With her eyes close and a calmness in her expression, Catra continued to float in place as a gargantuan sword, one that made her look like the size of an ant in comparison, rose behind her.

With the energy that gathered, the sword slowly started to pass through Catra, all while an array of flashing lights started to pull towards the girl, enveloping her in a glorious display of light and beauty. Catra could feel the wondrous energy fill her entire body as the sword slowly pushed into her, eventually phasing passed her as the rest of her glorious creation had come to be.

Starting with the back, a serene crimson-colored cape started to flow forth, gliding along her back in a fluid motion as the rest of her body followed in her transformation. The cape sparkled in a dazzling array of light as the small anchors of light finally pulled from it, allowing the cape to stretch across half of her back, connected to the armor that continued to materialize around her.

Both her shoulder-pads and her tiara that had transformed in her previous She-Ra state were nothing in comparison to the beauty that they were now. Her shoulders were cover in a pristine golden orange that jetted from the tips of her shoulder, nearly a foot in length, as they spiked across them to offer her shoulders maximum protection. Along with that, her tiara shimmered like never before as it grew, the tips along her cheek growing until they reached her jaw, and protruded inward an inch along her cheek where they curved.

The top of her tiara grew the most amazing pair of, what appeared to be, golden wings, one that extended right in front of her cat ears as they rose from the tiara's new shape. Within the center of this wonderful transformation, two small brow-like slits could be seen on both ends of the tiara above her eyes, while a lone, red, jewel was adorned within the center of this fascinating spectacle, one that sparkled like the light that grew from her.

As the sword passed halfway through her, Catra began to hug herself as the rest of her body continued to take shape. From her wrist, passed halfway up her elbows, grew the most formidable pair of bracers one could ever ask for, one that shined with a radiance like the protective anklets that formed along the sides of her legs, also stretched halfway up to her knees, though lowered on the inner sides of them. And despite the lack of shoes, the sword continued to offer its protection to her as it grew a shining force of gold sandals across her feet, thin enough for her to use her feet's claws and as sturdy enough as a tank's armor, despite how thin it was.

From within the center of her chest, the spirals of light began to gather as they spread across her body as a whole, creating a bright, shining, vine of energy that formed along her outfit as it sprouted in all directions and corners around her, creating a golden flower-like design in the middle as the petals were painted around her stomach, with the only golden lines that connected the collar of her chest-piece running down the middle of her outfit, connecting to the bottom of her spiked white skirt that grew around her waist, with a serene blue coloring on the inside.

Her legs weren't barren anymore as a simple weave of white covered them like it had her chest, a few slits along the knees to allow her the maximum mobility that she needed to preform her mighty leaps and agile reflexes that she was used to. They stretched all across her legs to the tips of her ankle where they were mostly transparent, allowing one to see the golden ankles that protected her legs.

As the incredible transformation slowly came to an end, the last of her magnificent appearance didn't end with another piece of clothing, but her hair. Her hair flashed in a sea of warmth as it grew along her back, nearly doubling in size, as its color changed to that of one of a blazing fire, lighter along her head and stretching out into a slightly darker orange. It was as if she had the fires of the morning sun blazing from behind her head.

With the last of her transformation finally coming to an end, the sword that phased through her shrank to a decent size as it spun around her, spiraling as if it was happy at the new transformation she had finally came to. With her form now fully completed, Catra threw her right hand behind her back, grabbing the sword's hilt, the same sword that appeared to gave grown an additional foot, as it was aimed across her left.

Opening her eyes, her transformation had finally been complete, the look of pride crossing her expression and amusement at what she had become.

The true She-Ra had been formed.

With the heroes finally prepared, inside and out, they charged, with She-Ra taking the lead as they ran from the small seclusion of safety and into the sight of the one-eyed guardian itself. Catra had never been happier to deliver a pounding to a giant monster's face more than now.

Specifically, against its eye as she jumped.

*WHAM!*

With massive force, the creature threw its head back with a cry of pain as Catra grinned.

One of the few good things to have come about in the last week was the fact that Catra had finally achieved her full bond as She-Ra, including the large amount of power that had come with it. She was stronger, faster, even if only by another 15-20%, and most of all, she was finally the hero she always needed to be for the Rebellion's sake.

True to her own thoughts several days prior to the journey through the Crimson Waste, guilt had been the ultimate factor holding her back. The guilt she had over a lifetime of regrets, the guilt she had over her past mistakes, and the guilt she held over Adora, had always kept her from accepting her role in full, kept her from pushing herself as far as she could to fight against her former friend for the sake of Etheria.

After a harrowing journey that nearly brought about the end of the world, there was nothing seemingly close to regret remaining in the young girl's heart. She knew who her enemies were, she knew what she had to do. She wouldn't hold back any longer against any of her enemies, be they past friends or new foes.

Including Adora.

And including the massive beast that continued to roar as Glimmer ran for the lantern, picking it up as she ran for the Altar of Queens.

*Boom!*

"HAAAAKKKKKK!" Now the arrows were finding their usefulness again as one of them exploded against the side of the creature's eye, the irritation causing it enough distress to be drawn to the racing archer.

Bow fired several shots one after the other as he kept ahead of the creature, firing off each of his explosive arrows as to keep the creature's attention for good this time. Attempting to stop the irritating nuisance, the guardian lunged head first straight at the archer, getting shot in the eye again by another explosive as it curved from its trajectory. This just might have been the small boost Bow needed to distance himself from the horrifying creature as he rolled out of the way in time, being blasted away by the shockwave that followed from the creature's ramming.

With the creature momentarily dazed from the impact, the archer took the opportunity to fire another arrow at it, launching a Goo-filled sap-like arrow straight at the creature's maw. Halfway through the flight the ammo burst, flinging itself over every corner of the beast's mouth as it stuck together, forcing it closed as it thrashed from side to side.

With the state it found itself in, Catra rushed. Running up to the archer, the duo worked in tandem as Bow grabbed onto her hands, rolling over to his back before giving Catra the extra jump she needed to launch herself into the air.

Still struggling to remove the sticky substance covering its lips, the magicat found the perfect opportunity to hold the creature at bay as she transformed her sword, morphing into a massive golden lasso that she managed to wrap around the creature's head from upside down, still flying over the massive worm as she flipped through the air. Securing the large rope over it with a firm tug, She-Ra ran her way across the edge of the room as she landed on the floor.

Thanks to her She-Ra strength, she managed to pull the creature's head back with all her might as she ran around one of the massive support columns of the chamber, securing its head between the narrow space that not even its tongue could worm through. There, she grumbled to herself as she continued to pull, the creature thrashing from left to right as it roared with bloody vengeance.

It was from here that the two managed to secure the creature as Bow ran around it, trying to dodge around it as it swung its tail from side to side across the room.

And it was from here that their hard work started to become undone.

Nearly reaching the top of the stairs, Glimmer looked back in time to see how their work started to crumble before them. The creature becoming enraged from its minor captivity, it began to muffle another roaring cry as it lurched further, attempting to pull against Catra's grip from the lasso that bound it. While ineffective, it did manage to distract the cat long enough from its tail until it was too late, with the transformed warrior slamming into its tail fin as it flung the warrior across the ground, crashing into Bow in the process as she came charging in like a bullet.

Finally losing the grip on the golden lasso, the beast managed to pull away, growling angrily and fiercely as it finally managed to pry the sticky sap away from its mouth, all while the sword returned to its original state, separated far away from She-Ra as it was. By the time the two managed to pick themselves off the ground, both rubbing their heads respectively, they saw the giant creature standing over them, angrier than ever as it roared to the heavens.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Hey, over here!" Glimmer shouted, drawing the creature's anger again to a new location. Without thought or reason, the beast ignored its two attackers as it charged for the pink-haired girl, one who was defenseless without her magic.

"Glimmer!" Bow cried out worriedly as Catra jumped to her feet.

"No!" She-Ra yelled as she ran as fast as she could, hoping to stop the fearful creature before it was too late.

As for Glimmer herself, she didn't waver. "No." She didn't show any signs of fear or worry as she glared at the creature's singular eye, the very beast that tried to harm her friends countless times throughout their quest. "I'm Queen Glimmer of Bright Moon, and you will leave my friends alone!" And with the strength and conviction that only a Queen could carry, Glimmer finally inserted the lantern at long last, ready to bring an end to this day of sorrow once and for all!

In a flash, the room illuminated into a bright shining light, one that encapsulated the entirety of the room as a brightness flooded every corner. The effects of this miraculous light extended to the far reaches of the kingdom as outside of the room, beyond the castle itself, the Moonstone itself admitted an aura, one that captivated and caught the eyes of everyone still waiting for them in the outside world. Many hearts and mind were filled with a great happiness at the sight of the miracle shine, watching in awe as the possibility of what it meant.

"They did it!" Perfuma was among one of the many happy denizens cheering from outside the waterfall, with Frosta laughing with joy with her fists in the air, and a smirking Mermista who was legitimately proud of her friends.

Within the chamber itself, everyone began to watch as hundreds upon thousands of beautiful pink orbs of energy began to flow about the room, the creature itself seeming entranced by the dazzling display. At the center of it all, a lone princess named Glimmer watched in wonder as a dozen pieces of the sacred pink lights were absorbed into her, filling her with an energy like never before. It was with this energy that she began to ascend, her eyes turning white as her body glowed with a pinkness, and a swirling blue aura enshrouding her very being.

Then, it happened.

The blue shrouds that had circled the young girl had attached to her back as the radiating aura of magic filled her in its entirety. Here, her body shined with a solid pink light as the shrouds formed along with the wings she had yet to carry, wings that she would be leading the Rebellion with from this day forward. The magnificent shine of the light forced everybody to shield their eyes as it blinded them, still leaving them with enough sight to awe at the great marvel taking place in front of them.

Finally, she accepted. She accepted that she was destined to be Queen, one day or another, and this was nothing more than history hasting itself. It was a destiny she was always meant to fulfill one day of her own volition, of her own choosing. Closing her eyes peacefully, Glimmer descended to the floor, accepting her new responsibilities, her new title, and her new position. She was no longer a mere Princess.

She was Glimmer, Queen of Bright Moon.

Opening her eyes again, the creature stared at her in wonder, as of amazed by the presence standing before it. It also knew its role as guardian of Bright Moon as it recognized the new Queen. Almost with a solemn bow to it, it slowly lowered itself to the ground before slithering away, leaving the three heroes to themselves.

Or so they thought.

"Glimmer?" The voice made the heroes hearts skip a beat as they gazed back at the altar, the warrior and archer rushing up to her side as fast as they could. Turning around herself, Glimmer was shocked at the presence of what appeared to be her mother, standing over the altar colored in a transparent pink.

"M-Mom?" Her eyes watered again as she stepped towards the altar, wondering if she was dreaming all of this or if this was still the cruel reality she had to accept.

"Glimmer," the projection of Angella spoke as it observed the many tranquil lights, "you are walking in the footsteps of all those who have come before us. And now my darling, it's your turn." Examining it for herself, Glimmer tried to grasp the hand of her beloved mother, only to swipe through the empty air as she realized what this was.

A simple recording, and the last time she would hear her mother's beautiful voice.

"I wish I didn't have to leave you." The recording continued as Glimmer closed her eyes, doing nothing to prevent the tears rolling down her face. "But I know you will be alright. Because you are Glimmer, and you are so, so, strong." The projection smiled as it looked on ahead, almost as if it was her mother's own voice speaking back to her. Glimmer ignored the small light from behind as Catra returned to her original state behind her, the two having reached her after a brief teary walk up the stairs.

It went on to remind Glimmer that she was alone. She wasn't going to see her mother or hear of her voice again as she listened to the recording. Throughout all her ups and downs, nothing would return the greatest gift a mother could have, one of simply being there for someone at their time of need.

It was a sorrow that filled Catra's eyes almost as much as Glimmer's, frowning with remorse over a fate she couldn't prevent, and a reality she couldn't change as she turned her head away. She barely had a mother for over a day and her heart was still torn from the memories of the other world.

There was no telling how much pain her friend was in at this very moment.

*tug*

Opening her eyes again, Glimmer examined the small pull she felt around her wrist. To her surprise, and her warmth, she saw Catra's tail wrapped around her wrist a little tightly, and remembered once more that she wasn't , nor would she ever be. Unsurprisingly, the girl herself had a small blush on her face as she looked away. It was always Catra's way to be one way with people and not the other. But she always made sure to be there for them at the hardest of times.

And she was here for her, too.

So was Bow as she looked back, seeing a comforting smile as he rested a soft hand on her shoulder. They were in this together from the moment they met. And nothing would break them apart.

"I have done my best to prepare you to rule, but you were always ready to lead." Angella continued as Glimmer smiled tearfully. "I am so proud of you, Glimmer. I love you." And with a final reminder of what Glimmer could never forget, the image dissipated as it came to an end. The image shrank down to the size of the many pink orbs before it as it flew to the air, giving Glimmer her last, tearful, goodbye as she, and the rest of her friends, watched the lights vanish into the crystal above.

"I love you too, mom." It was the final farewell she truly needed. Looking back at her wrist as the light within the room returned to normal, the prin- the Queen gave off a small chuckle as she looked back to the magicat, one who was brushing a tear out of her own eye as she continued to look away. "Heh, you can let go now, Catra."

"Huh?" Catra mumbled back before looking down. "Oh, yeah..." She had never felt as embarrassed as she has now, and for the first time, she didn't mind it... too much. "Say anything of this to Frosta and Mermista and you're dead." She threatened, which was a welcoming sight to the Queen who chuckled again, rejoicing over the long week of silence from the girl coming to an end.

Personally, she would always prefer the sound of Catra's constant threats and jokes over never hearing from her again.

Without another word, she pulled the two over to her, wrapping an arm around both their necks as she let out a final tear. "Thank you, both of you." She said softly one last time. As Bow was more than eager to throw his arms around the two of them, Catra was a little more hesitant at the gesture, but slowly finding her arms around them all the same.

In a weird way, Catra realized her other wish had come true, one that she made back in the other world before everything fell apart. Between Glimmer, Bow, and the rest of the Princess Alliance, she had what she truly wanted after never having one to begin with.

In the end, she still had a family to come home to.

"So, are you ready, Your Majesty?" Bow cheekily grinned as the three pulled apart.

"As long as you two are with me, I am." She replied, keeping her hold over both their shoulders. "Now come on, let's get out of here." With another small hug, the three friends smiled to themselves as they finally teleported safely to the comfort of their own home, leaving the Chamber of Queens and the quest behind after all this time.

...

It was at the steps of the waterfall that those closest to them were still waiting. Following the bright miraculous light, the Princess Alliance, and her Aunt Castaspella, waited patiently for their triumphant return.

Personally, many of them were nervous as a few other people stayed behind, the vast majority returning to the festivities as they awaited the new Queen. What could have happened within the Queen's chamber, the place none of them had ventured forth into, and one where none of them ever would until they came of age? What sort of challenge or quest would they possibly have to partake in their own respective Kingdoms?

There was never any knowing, never any info. The sacred ritual was forbidden from going into detail with others pertaining to the task itself, not that it would have helped them regardless since their own rites of passage could have been completely different. All they knew from here was that she must place a lantern at the end of the cave. For all they knew, Mermista might have had to swim to the bottom of the ocean, or Perfuma could've needed to grow a plant that scales the size of Etheria!

Whatever the cases, they were still a year or two away from their worries as they continued to wait. It was a wait they didn't have to ponder for much longer as, much to their delight, a familiar hum of energy began to emanate from the front of the waterfall, where three miraculous friends appeared at long last during the busy afternoon.

*swish*

"You're back!" Frosta cheered, running up to the group. Perfuma was the first among them to hug her returning friends after the aunt, one who threw her arms around her niece with a newfound sense of pride that she's never experienced before.

"I am so proud of you." She acknowledged, smiling to the young girl who became a woman, one who changed so much over the course of knowing her, of raising her on the side as much as an Aunt could.

"Looks like I owe Sea Hawk a twenty." Mermista commented, greeting her returning friends as well.

"You made a bet on whether or not we'd survive?" Bow questioned rather surprised.

"No, but be wanted to bet you'd be done faster before I had the chance." She chuckled back, along with the same archer who was touched by his friend's belief in them.

This was the perfect family one could ask for to a young princess, or a magicat for that matter. Quirky, bizarre, annoying, and one that could never be traded for. It was also the same group of people that Catra thought of as she looked at her attire again.

While it wasn't too worn or damaged from her battle with the Guardian, it did make her think of what Shadow Weaver had to say to her, a thought she came to as she looked back at a socializing Glimmer. This was her big day, and she wanted to help it as much as possible. If not for herself, then for one of the few friends who meant something to her still.

With a silent sigh to herself, resigning herself to her fate, the cat made her way over to a excitable aunt that was still talking to her niece. "Oh, and just wait until you see the surprise we have waiting for you. It's almost done-!" The aunt was cut off as she felt a tug on the arm, surprised as Glimmer was to see her staring at the aunt for a change.

"Could I, uh, talk with you for a minute?" Catra asked.

"What's wrong, Catra?" Glimmer asked curiously, wondering what else could be on her friend's mind.

"Nothing, I just need to borrow her for a bit." She didn't really give the aunt to vocalize a response as she was dragged away from the group, all of whom were looking at each other with confusion, as she dragged the aunt all the way back to the inside of the castle across from them.

"Well this is a surprise," the aunt commented as they finally came to a stop, "and here I thought you didn't like me."

You're making this too easy for me... Catra thought to herself before shaking her head. "Hey, is there, uh, any chance you could sew something? Like, maybe my old pants, or whatever?" She asked with a small blush, scratching the back of her mane.

"Sew your... pants?" The aunt wonder, looking at the girl's leg wear.

"Not these ones, the ones I normally wear." She clarified.

"You... don't want to dress nicely for the ceremony?"

"No, it's not that, I just..." The cat tilted her ears a bit as she tried to find the right words. "I... wanna freshen up a bit, you know? Show the guests I don't dress like a slob or whatever... for Glimmer's sake." With the rising blush on her face as she turned her eyes away again, Casta slowly came to realize what the girl was getting at as her eyes widened a little.

"Oh... Oooooooh! I see here." She smiled warmly as she rubbed her chin. "It's so sweet that you want to freshen up for Glimmer's sake-"

"Don't make a fuss over it-"

"-but, um..." Catra turned back as she noticed the strange pause in her demeanor.

"What?"

Blinking to herself, the aunt gazed over Catra from head to toe as she pictured her with what she usually wore. "Are you sure you don't wish to change anything else?"

"Like what?"

"Well, I always figured you would look a little more dashing with a new color, not to mention entirely new pants completely-"

"What? Whoah, no, no, no, I just want the pants fixed up, that's all." Catra replied assertively, waving her hands back and forth.

"And I think a brief rinse in a tub would bring your hair out nicely."

"Okay, absolutely not." Anything touched by the evils of water would not touch her. "Besides, I already soaped myself up before we went on the Ritual Quest."

"With water?" The aunt ask, raising a semi-knowing brow.

"Why is it always something with you people?!" Seriously, she used soap before she left. Wasn't that enough for these tyrants?!

"You know what? You're right," Aunt Casta said as she took the girl's wrist, "you should get your mane combed, too."

"That's not at all what I said!" Catra screeched, struggling for a few moments before pulling her wrist away.

"Catra-!" The Aunt complained as Catra started to back away.

"Y-You know what? On second thought I think I'll just stick to what I have. I mean, I already have the suit, and I smell better, so I think I'm goo-"

*thump*

It was by the small bump behind her that she realized they were no longer alone. She could see Shadow Weaver standing in front of her as she turned around, never finding a moment in her life where she had actually been as happy to see her as she was now.

"What is going on here?" The witch asked, raising a brow of her own from behind the mask.

"Oh thank goodness, I can't believe this, but I'm actually happy to see you." She admitted as she gestured to the smiling sorceress. "Would you mind telling her I just need my pants sewn up or nothing at all? She wants to give me like a complete makeover or something."

"And why would I do that?" She questioned, glancing between the two individuals.

"Because I asked her for some help after... you..." Slowly, the small alarm clock in Catra's mind chipped away as her suspicions drew closer to the siren's inevitable warning system telling her something was wrong. "Wait... What are you doing here?"

"I told you she would make a fuss of things." Shadow Weaver said, not to the girl between them, but to the head sorceress herself.

"I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt." Aunt Casta replied back, crossing her arms with a small smile.

"Make a fuss of..." And that's when the entire world blew up in Catra's face as reality fell around her. "You mean..." The girl's eyes widened as she peered into the witch's evil eyes. "You were in on it the whole time?!" She couldn't believe it!... No, actually, she could. To think that Shadow Weaver would manipulate her into getting herself cleaned up of all things!

"Who do you think gave me the idea?" She insisted, the young girl looking back in horror to a waving aunt.

"This is... Okay, no, nice try, you almost had me there." Catra chuckled lightheartedly at the old crone. "Like you actually care about how I present myself."

"And I didn't... until Casta made a convincing argument that your appearance would reflect on my own personal standing of how I raised you, as well." Shadow Weaver did have to admit, for a sorceress that hated her guts, she knew how to convince the shadowy witch in her favor. Maybe she taught her more than she remembered. "While I could care less about how you present yourself, I refuse to be thought of as a blemish by the other royals."

Annnnd there it was. The surefire way to know that Shadow Weaver was being serious about all of this.

By admitting how it benefits her in the end.

Never had Catra been more terrified of the two women than she was now. For once, they were willing to put aside their differences if only to help themselves in the end, with Shadow Weaver improving her possible standing and appearance within Bright Moon, and aunt Casta making one of Glimmer's friends look a little more presentable in public.

It would've been of little importance if Catra was just donning whatever appearance they wanted to give her for just one night, but no. That wasn't the case here. She knew, from the evil look in their eyes that only Catra could see for herself, that whatever she ended up looking like would be on a more permanent basis.

Naturally, her own response was invalid against the proceedings. This was going to be done whether she hated it or despised it herself. There was no liking to it.

"... You know, maybe it wouldn't be so bad actually if-" Hoping to catch the two off guard, however brief, the feline quickly dashed away past Shadow Weaver and the Sorceress who matched Shadow Weaver's evilness in this one hour they had as she made a break for the door down the hall to the outside, knowing they wouldn't risk her putting up a fuss outside as much as she would.

"Annnnnd she's running." Aunt Casta commented with a gentle sigh.

"I keep telling you, you're never prepared." With a flick of her hand, the shadowy witch conjured up a small shadowy bump in the road, one directly over the running girl's right foot where she tripped herself. Her head was dazed for a short moment as she slammed into the ground, reaching out towards the door that was just ten yards ahead of her before feeling a tight grip around her left ankle, and then the other.

She gazed back in horror and disbelief as her two mortal enemies, one of whom just recently became her enemy, were working together as they talked amongst one another.

"You know this doesn't make up for anything you did to Mystacor or my family." Casta reminded, paying no heed to the girl who's foot she was still holding.

"We each have our own reasons for doing this." Shadow Weaver casually pointed out. "That should be enough for one bath."

"WHAT!?" Catra's shout was completely ignored as she began to be dragged away by the two wicked spellcasters of the world, struggling endlessly and fervently as she tried to claw away at the ground, scratching at the rug to no avail. "Someone help me! HELP MEEE!"

The next half hour would go down in history as the worst of Catra's life. There, no one would be there to help her through her life of misery as her two torturers forced her to clean up from top to bottom, scrubbed the filth and grime out of her system, and prepared a new world of attire for the young magicat that she would be forever forced to partake in.

Her overall fear of water was what really turned the tipping point in all of this as she continued to shout, hating the realization that everyone, save for the guards who were aware of this, was outside and going to remain outside until the coronation ended itself.

Never has she wished to be back awaiting Hordak's execution of her until this very moment.

Growing annoyed over the magicat's obsessive whining, the shadowy witch turned her head back as she continued to drag the magicat to what felt like her grave. "Do you want to help your Queen's big night, or don't you?"

To Catra's own grief, that was just enough to surrender any resistance she had as she moaned, allowing the two to continue dragging her as her fingers ran smoothly across the surface. She was ready to take on any army or challenge the day had to bring with it, except for matters involving the coldness of water against her skin, regardless of almost any temperature.

But for Glimmer, the person who was once her sister, who was always her best friend, she was willing to make a sacrifice for as her mood drooped, along with her ears as her chin skimmed across the carpeting.

If just for one day.

"Let's just get this over with..."

...

"Come on, come on!" Frosta ushered Glimmer in as the friends finally traveled to the Throne Room.

An hour after their return, the new Queen had been lying in wait for the chance to inspect the Throne Room, knowing where the rest of the Coronation Ceremony was going to take place upon their return. They kept telling her that she had to wait a little longer, spending the time socializing with her as each of her friends had left for brief periods of a time to attend something important before returning later.

By the time they had given their new Queen the okay, the sun had died down as a warmly lit night sky filled up the entire evening air, presenting a majestic color of violet across the edge of the world. Needless to say, the new Queen was curious and more excited to see her new throne room that her friends had constantly been hinting at. Especially after Bow caught a brief glimpse of it and came back with a massive smile on his face, all while refusing to tell her why.

Upon reaching the room at long last, she could finally see why as she let out a small gasp.

It was beautiful.

The entire Throne Room had been decorated and expanded upon with arrangements the likes of which she never expected, finding herself dazzled by one miraculous display after the other. The floral arrangements were beautiful as streams of colorful pink flowers and wreathes stretched across the pillars of the magnificent hall. But what really caught her attention was the sight of a beloved pair of sculptures that brought tears to her eyes as she entered the magnificent room.

To the Left and Right, standing in front of the throne, were a massive pair of icicles that brought sorrow and happiness to the new Queen's eyes without end. It displayed a depiction of Glimmer, as the Queen she was now, and her mother to the right of her, as the Queen she was then, standing side to side as they held each other's hand.

The sculptures weren't anything like the ones that Frosta made before it. They were beautiful, marvelous. They captured the very image of her mother's beauty, of her smile when she was proud, and of the joy she had in her eye every time she saw her little Glimmer again.

It was almost like she was standing right in front of her, like she was there for her even now. The peaceful smile in her expression, the calm breeze of the warm air, and the birds that flew pass it peacefully. And it was at the sight of the statues that she realized she was already there.

Her mother would always be watching over her, from this day hence.

"This place looks amazing!" She exclaimed, wiping a tear away as she smiled back.

"We wanted it to be perfect for you." Frosta said, smiling with pride over her handiwork, which she KNEW was the best thing about it.

"So we worked together to finish it." Perfuma added sweetly, wearing the same dress from the Princess Prom like the rest of them were wearing.

"That was my idea." Mermista nodded, crossing her arms.

"Glimmer," and with the soft voice of her aunt calling her from behind, she remembered that the coronation wasn't over just yet, "it's time." Smiling with tears of pride, her aunt made way as she gestured for the Throne, Glimmer's Throne, from this day forward.

Right as the girl was about to take her first step, something had caught her eye that she had noticed, or rather, didn't notice within the room as she looked around. "Wait, where's Catra?" The Queen asked, looking around as her friends turned their heads with the same level of confusion.

"Oh yeah... I thought it was too peaceful in here..." Mermista commented, trying to see what all the non-fuss was about.

"Did she get too nervous?" Perfuma wondered, concerned over the missing She-Ra's presence.

"She didn't leave, did she?" Frosta casually asked, unaware of the worry it sent to her two closest friends.

"She wouldn't do that... I'm sure of it..." Bow said quietly as he scanned the room. The same look of worry started to cross over the young Queen's eye as she looked.

This was a big day. Not just for her, but for all the Rebellion, including Catra! She was her best friend who has been with her through thick and thin, bad times and, somewhat, worse times. But she was always there for her and her friends in the end, and she deserved to be a part of this too. A part of Glimmer worried if she would be forced to go through the proceedings if Catra never showed up.

That was when she was drawn to the small grin on Castaspella's face, the proud aunt still looking at her with little concern out of the group.

"You don't need to be concerned, sweetheart." Her aunt assured before calling out to the end of the room, specifically the entrance. "You can come in now."

There was a silence as all heads shifted to the entrance of the room, the Princess Alliance gazing at one another with curious looks as they waited for whatever surprise, a surprise from Catra apparently, that the magicat had waiting for them.

At first, there was nothing short of the small breeze as the time felt still around them. It was almost as if it was frozen altogether, with the only indication it was still running being the turning heads and eyes of the many guests that attended. It wasn't until the group of friends caught a glimpse of a faraway head peeking briefly into the room for an instant second that they knew Catra had finally arrived. The magicat herself was sighing to calm herself on the other side before finally making her appearance.

An appearance that spread a lot of surprised words as gasps to one another among the aisles as Catra made her way over.

The broken silence wasn't just limited to those of the aisle, either. One by one, the people who came to know her as their ally and friend, each gazed at the young magicat as she started to walk down the aisle.

"Whoa..." Mermista blinked with surprised eyes, trying to tell if she was seeing things.

"Is that really Catra?" Frosta asked, scratching at her own head.

"Oooh, she looks wonderful!" Perfuma beamed, as she naturally did whenever She-Ra was usually involved.

Even Bow and Glimmer were amazed by the recent transformation as Catra finally approached. Throughout the small walk, the cat showed an obvious sign of discomfort and personal embarrassment as she shifted her eyes to each side, listening to the words and mumbles that nobody else knew she could hear.

She didn't know what embarrassed her more: the fact that they had something to say about the young warrior, or the fact that none of it sounded bad to her.

Finally, at long last the warrior known as Catra had stood before the young Queen, leaving Glimmer near-speechless as she took in Catra's attire. "C... Catra? Is that really you?"

"Don't ask..." She muttered quietly, if only for the two of them to hear it.

Nothing of the friend they knew stood before them, save for the few freckles across the face, the heterochromic eyes of yellow and blue, and the attitude that would never change. Oh, and let's not forget the sword, obviously. As for everything else?

Well, that had all but changed.

For starters, the red violent shirt she always wore was no longer red with the color of hate or blood that would usually instill fear into her enemies. Instead, it wore a similar design scheme of an overlapping mix of colors, blue in this case, that gave off a tranquil warmness to any that would gaze upon it. It represented a color of purity, one that gave way to reason and order.

Her old pants were completely thrown out from this equation. Instead, the girl was now sporting a new white-colored long silk jeans that tucked away into the boots of her character, the very boots that had been redesigned and stretched a little further up the girl's leg, almost touching her black coloring of the boots actually clashed brilliantly with the white pants that tucked into the boots, giving a semblance of balance and equilibrium between them. All while giving way to an interior red within the boot's inner leather, reminding them of who she once was on the inside.

And there wasn't a tear or a scratch in sight of the pants whatsoever!

But by far, the most surprising part of her appearance would have to be her hair. For one of the few times the group has come to know her, it didn't stick out of place. It wasn't sticking up all over the place, it wasn't sticking up at whichever end drew it to the world, it wasn't anything of the sort.

Instead, it was smooth, peaceful looking for the first time. The hair was combed and brushed evenly as her new hairstyle now had a sense of elegance to it, one captured by Catra's usual performance when addressing people outside of Bright Moon to the best of her ability. The only parts that were sticking out were the two large strands hanging over her shoulder by just an inch, almost keeping the hair in place from any occasion save for a strong wind.

And finally, the one part that stuck out to them most of all was the obvious. The one part that gave Catra's look her own. It was almost a centerpiece to the magicat since first joining the Rebellion, letting one spot the magicat from afar to even a mile away. The once crystalline jewel of her character, the feature that made her appearance constantly threatening to new faces, had been taken away from her character.

Catra, ex-soldier and defector of the Horde, was no longer wearing her tiara.

Catra had been transformed.

"Catra, what..." The young Queen was speechless as she still processed Catra's new look. "What happened to you?"

"I said don't ask..." She muttered again, rubbing the back of her neck as she raised her sword to the air. "For the Honor of Grayskull!"

*shiiiiiim*

With a beautiful white light, the room briefly lit up as the hero known as She-Ra, one who still retained the same features and character as always, stood ahead of the aisle again. With a heavy, embarrassed, heart, the young warrior let out a silent sigh before kneeling to the ground in front of her, raising her sword to the air perfectly ahead of her face. It was a sight that bewildered the new Queen and her friends as murmurs and gasps alike filled the audience

She-Ra, the legendary hero, was kneeling before the young Queen. While unaware of it for herself at the time, it was a sign of allegiance, of unity, as Catra was pledging her very life to the young Queen and those who fought with her. Whether it meant anything to Catra herself or otherwise, it meant that from this day forth, Catra pledged herself, and She-Ra's strength, to the Rebellion.

It was an honor that any lord or king would be proud of to have. To have an actual living legend, a symbol of peace and unity, kneeling before one's reign before it even began, was the highest sign of respect any one person could ever be given at a time like this.

And Catra, Glimmer, and the rest of their friends still didn't understand the importance as much as the kings and queens of the Throne Room.

"... What are you doing?" Glimmer finally asked.

"I'm kneeling." Catra muttered, opening her left eye as she continued.

"Why?"

"Because it's part of the ceremony."

"... Nnnno it's not." Glimmer muttered as Catra blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, Catra, you didn't need to kneel or anything for this." Bow said with a small chuckle.

"What? But your aunt said-!" And all at once, it made too much sense as Catra twitched irritably at the treasured aunt who was smiling with an innocent wave to the girl. As another method of improving Glimmer's standing, to help her stand above the rest of the nobles, she wanted to make sure everything was absolutely perfect, which included a performance of the great She-Ra herself, The Princess of Power, kneeling in respect to the young Queen.

And leaving Catra wracked with a new hatred for the evil aunt as she jumped to her feet.

"ARE YOU KI-!"

*tug*

She was cut off by the pull. Knowing it was going to cause a scene, her aunt seeming unaware of just how far Catra's own anger can sink, the new Queen of Bright Moon threw her arms around the tall figure as she embraced her in a hug, cutting her off from the small scene she would've made for all of their sakes.

And because she's never been touched as she was now by one of her two best friends.

Catra.

THE Catra.

The one who hated near-everything in the world, who was stuck up, bitter, cynical, a prankster, and proud of herself beyond reason, had did something Glimmer could never expect her friend to do. She threw away all of her dignity, all of her self-worth, for one night, just to make Glimmer's night especially memorable, if only for her friends sake. For the first time to Glimmer's teary smiling eyes as she rubbed the side of her head into She-Ra's stomach, Catra showed her just what their friendship truly meant to her.

It was spectacular.

"Thank you so much, for everything," Glimmer muttered quietly, knowing nobody from the aisle would hear them, save for her friends and aunt, "Catra."

"..." Catra lowered her ears at the sight as she gave a quick annoyed glance to the cheerful aunt before sighing internally. With her free hand, she threw her arm around the girl again, giving a small look as she shifted her eyes away. "Happy Coronation Day... Pinky." There was a small chuckle from the Queen as she heard this, glad to see her friend truly was still standing in front of her.

"Thanks," she replied, wiping her tear away again before making her way to the throne, "sis."

"...?" Catra's eyelids dashed rapidly for a second as she tilted her head for a bit. "What did you just say?"

"Huh?" Glimmer asked looking back, seeming confused by Catra's own confusion. It's like she didn't know what she just said, if she even said it to begin with.

"I... heh, never mind." Catra shook her head in acceptance as she made her way to the side of the throne, across from where Bow stood as they both took their place at the head of the small series of steps leading up to the very throne itself. Catra didn't know if she was just hearing things or not, and personally, she didn't care.

She already knew she was a part of the family regardless.

As such, the young Glimmer made her way to the Throne, passing by familiar and new faces who smiled to her with the same proud as her fellow guards and soldiers. The captain of the guard herself saluted to the young Queen with the same level of respect she always showed the Queen, an would continue to show the Queen standing in front of her even now. She wished her own mother was here to see the beautiful Queen her daughter turned out to be.

The captain swore to herself that she would protect Angella's legacy until her dying breath.

Finally, she arrived. Standing ahead of her were the very steps that lead to her throne. Was it normal for one's heart to race even now after everything they've been through today? It must be because either Glimmer's heart was pounding to the thought of her future, or she was unknowingly having a heart attack at this very moment.

Thankfully, it appeared to be the former as the young Queen took a deep breath, stepping atop the many stones one after the other as she ascended the royal throne. Reaching the top of the amazing throne for herself, she let out a second sigh before turning around. Standing before her were all her friends, all the people she cared about, and the future that would be on her shoulders from this day forward. And since Angella's passing, for the first time, she knew.

She could do this.

"I'm here today... because Queen Angella, my mother, sacrificed herself to save Etheria." Glimmer began, giving the speech she's prepared for endlessly within her own head. The eyes and faces of the people greeted her watched in wonder, taking in the information with heavy hearts and tearless faces as Glimmer said her piece.

"We can't let her bravery be in vain. But there's so much we still need to do. Hordak is still in power, and we know there's an even larger Horde army out there somewhere." Many heads nodded, many people agreed, with the dark reality of their future. But none of them showed fear. "We can't let them win. It's time for us to take back our home. Together, we will push out the Horde once and for all! For Etheria!"

"For Etheria!" Catra cheered with pride, raising her sword.

"For Etheria!" Bow added immediately after with his trusty bow and arrow.

"For Etheria!" Came the words of the Princess Alliance behind them, lifting their fists into the air in unity.

"For Etheria!" And with a final bellowing chant, the rest of the room roared in unison, before cheers and outbursts alike filled the room.

Everyone was smiling, everyone was cheering, everyone made Glimmer so proud to be their Queen as a final tear for the day rolled down her eye. It barely phased Catra as Bow threw himself at her in a hug, deciding to just roll with it this one last time.

And just for a moment, as if some sign from the heavens themselves, a single liquid of frozen water dripped from the eye of the sculpture known as Angella. Perhaps she was smiling somewhere herself, or it could have just as easily been the icicle melting as all ice does.

It didn't matter. Not even a little.

Together, they knew they were going to win.

Together, they would stand side by side knowing they had each others backs.

Nothing was going to break them apart. Not Hordak, not Adora, not the massive Horde army that was slowly approaching them by the day.

This would be the memory they had, the reminder of their salvation, and what once was. Because they knew from here on out, it was only going to become more dangerous, more painful, for all to bare witness.

But as long as they kept this memory within their heart, they knew they would not break.

"By the way, Catra," Glimmer called over as the cheers continued, "what happened with your old outfit?"

"Eh, I got rid of them." Catra shrugged, much to Glimmer and Bow's surprise.

"You got rid of your whole outfit?" Bow questioned, still unable to believe Catra's new look. "But, why?"

"Well it's not like I had a choice." She said with a light grumble "Aunty Castaway over there told Shadow Weaver to get rid of them. And by that, she apparently burned them."

"Ohhh, I'm sorry." Glimmer said with a small frown, regretting the girl's apparently forced clothing.

"Eh, don't worry about it. I was getting sick of that stuff anyway." She chuckled. In truth, she would've preferred finding clothing matching her own particular tastes, but with the aunt's insistence that it would help Glimmer tremendously, she finally gave in.

"But what about your tiara?" Bow asked, raising an eye. "I can't imagine that burned away, too."

"No, actually, I was allowed to keep it, but I wasn't allowed to wear it for the ceremony so I decided to keep it somewhere else from now on."

"Really? Where?"

Catra grinned.

The waterfall that lead to the Chamber of Queens wasn't just for show or appearance. Above the great entrance, along a floating pathway traversable only by foot, stood a small mass of land where something had been built upon it. The small landmass's size was noticeable all the way from Bright Moon, though, it would've been hard to make out from afar or below what exactly was atop of the great mass of land.

What was actually on top of it held great significance to anyone and everyone who had once acknowledged the Queen's existence, the old one who sacrificed her life to save those precious to her.

It was a small altar dedicated to Queen Angella herself, a grave of sorts for a Queen with no body to return to the earth. The statue was beautifully handcrafted and decorated with flowers along all angles, as well as a stone casket at least five foot in height, and seven in length. Over the casket itself was a small memorial of sorts of various items from those who knew of the old Queen, who sent their best wishes and love every day with their offerings.

The trio that had known Angella the closest had left their own small offerings. Among them was something shared among the three, a small picture frame depicting a picture of a loveable daughter, an active archer, and a moody magicat crossing her arms as she stood away, apparently forced to partake in the picture against her own free will, seeing as she stared away from the camera. That didn't do anything to keep the young girl out of Angella's reach as the tip of her wing just managed to graze against her shoulder, an action Catra didn't know of or mind until the picture was taken.

And personally, they each left their own belongings with the memorial as well. For Glimmer, it was her old boots, the very boots she used to wear on her constant adventures and missions throughout Etheria. It gave new meaning to the term "big shoes to fill" as Glimmer finally had a new pair of boots, one she would be filling from this day forward as Queen of Bright Moon.

For Bow, it was several of his old arrows, each of them stacked atop one another as they all pointed in the same direction at varying angles. It meant so much to him that Angella took a liking to Bow at such a young age, even before she knew anything about him. It would never feel the same without her presence again, but he swore that as long as he lived, he was going to help protect the Rebellion with his own two hands and his brilliant mind, no matter what.

Finally, there was one last addition, a new one that had recently been placed upon the memorial within the last hour. It wasn't much to the eye, to many it would've looked like part of a costume meant to scare people. It was a freshly wiped, shining red tiara that had once been worn by a proud warrior, one who still roamed the home she called Bright Moon.

To the one who left it, it was more than their acceptance of Angella's loss, it meant more to them than just a place to dump their stuff. To them, it was a symbol. A symbol of the person that she once was, of what she could've been, and what she would have been. If not for Angella's kind and gentle touch over their history together, she might not have become the person she was today. It didn't just represent the person she left behind.

It represented the person Catra had come to be, a person that never would've existed without a mother's touch.

And she would miss her with all her heart.

"I left it somewhere it means more to me."

...

...

The room was barren of sound, save for the lone Leader of the Horde as his steps echoed throughout the room. Everything was falling apart before him, from his soldiers, from his labs. Even the useless assistants he used to have were failing him. He began to wonder if it would be his legacy, if everything would be in ruins by the time Horde Prime arrived to begin with, or if he would deliver himself onto the planet just in time to see Hordak's moment of complete failure.

It didn't matter at this point. Barely anything mattered to him right now. All he could do was prepare for his master's return, to show him and hopefully appease him to some small degree of the progress he made, of the work that he had accomplished under his name. Perhaps he would still be left with his head attached by the time he got here.

That was when he noticed it. The small imp several steps up from the base of the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Hordak questioned, staring at the imp's strange behavior. The small blue figure turned its head to him in fear, its body still shriveling as it lied on its arms and knees. Usually, it would've been a sight that Hordak was used to, seeing the timid imp usually running off scared when his master appeared in a foul mood.

The problem here was, the imp was already shriveling before Hordak even arrived.

"Answer me!" He shouted, prompting the small imp to let out a squeal. Stretching its wings open, it took off like a mad bat, escaping from whatever terror would've been inflicted upon it from either end.

Hordak had never seen the unusual behavior as he watched the imp retreat, slowly realizing the way it looked as he stared back up ahead. Something was going on above the stairs that the imp knew about, something he would find either terrifying, or irritable. It wouldn't have been the first time the imp was scared off simply because a piece of machinery fell from the ceiling.

Grimacing to himself, the leader marched his way up the steps, shaking his head mentally to the possible annoyances that had come to plague him for the day. He could put up with another failure, or another failure of a soldier, but he could not put up with both. As he reached the final step, he finally bore witness to the very sight that made his imp terrified, a sight that left him more surprised than frightened.

In fact, there was nothing close to frightening about the presence in front of him. Just aggravation.

Upon his royal throne, a throne reserved only for the one true leader of the Horde, lied a girl who thought she owned the place. A girl that had proven herself to be a nuisance time and again throughout his many works, and this time, her little act was barely pushing past the tipping point.

It was his Second-in-Command, a Force Captain by the name of Adora, a girl who was lounging around the chair with both her legs other the side as she leaned over the arm of the other side, lying about with both her hands behind her head as she stared at the ceiling.

And she had been completely transformed.

She no longer wore the white uniform she always did that usually had the red jacket over it, or the woolen pants and boots she always wore from her day-to-day activities. Why, nothing even close to the outfit came to mind as he brought in all the details through his eyes.

For one thing, she had an exoskin under all the armor. However on Etheria she came to learn of it, she was wearing the very exoskin to a suit he had contemplated making for the girl for a mere month, a skin that covered every inch of the girl from the neck down, before he became fed up with her failures. It displayed the Horde symbol proudly as many of his finer works did. This time, it was displaying over something that was the most disappointing of his efforts.

Over the skin itself were the vast armaments that he had bent for it himself, as part of a backup set of pieces if the exosuit he would have worked on ever fell apart. Across the girl's waist was a metal skirt-like apparatus, one tied at the waist with a leather belt as metal clung to the sides of her hips, leaving the centers exposed. Below that, two pieces of titanium leggins were donned, ones that stretched from just over the girl's knees to the tip of her feet, each with a dark red interior that was just noticeable at the tip of the protective guards.

Like her legs, both her shoulders and arms had been encased in a similar titanium alloy, one that was twice as flexible as it allowed for greater reaction and reflex when the girl was fighting. The arms stopped just below her elbows as they stretched all across her hands, the metal against the fingers themselves being retractable in case the girl needed to grab something personally with her own two hands, or to better grip whatever she held. The shoulders themselves were edged several layers over stacked atop of one another, providing great protection as they connected to the small chest piece at the back of her neck.

That chest piece was thoroughly covered in itself by a piece that he never included in the armor's design. Wrapped across her neck, stretching at least a foot in width, and perhaps ten in length, given how it stretched to the floor behind her neck and then some, was a bright red scarf, one that had a familiar essence to it that he had almost forgotten from someone else.

Finally, she was armed. Perhaps not quite armed as she was now, but she had the very weapons that could turn the tide against anyone she fought against. Standing against the side of the thrown were two powerful prototype taser swords, ones serrated down the middle that turned each of the twin swords into two separate blades at once, along with the sheathes that were used to holster them. They provided great agility and swiftness over durability under normal circumstances.

Circumstances Hordak had rectified in the event they were needed.

All of this, in every detail, gave Adora the appearance of a dreaded knight, one who knew nothing of worry or concern over her environment, as she bobbed her foot playfully in the air, as if waiting for something this whole time.

Or in her case, some one.

"You know," Adora began as her bobbing came to a stop, "after awhile, it really does feel like you're sitting on a tin can all day long." With a sinister grin, the girl finally turned her head, revealing the final new addition to Adora's look. The first quarter of the right side of her hair had been dyed completely pitch black, representing, with the scarf, the image of someone who once meant something to Adora.

And all the wickedness she commonly displayed.

"Wouldn't you agree, partner?"

"You!" Hordak growled in bursts of anger at the sight of Adora's cockiness. Of all the people who have angered him thusly, he never thought it would be Adora. Or, at least, never to the point of sheer disgust. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Who, me?" She asked innocently, waving a hand through the air. "Oh, nothing. Just chillaxin' and all."

"And that armor... that exo-"

"You like it?" Adora didn't have a care in the world for his hisses and grunts as she interrupted. "Yeah, I have to admit, you really know how to catch a girl's size. This thing fits like a glove."

"How did you even find out about-!" Hordak stopped as he lowered his head to the size, realizing the only explanation. "The other world..." Of those who remembered their experience within the other world, none of them consisted of people who gave in to their desires or became part of someone else's. They were completely oblivious to the destruction the other world suffered, some of them returning to this Etheria without ever realizing of the events that transpired.

If not for Adora's report, he, too, would have been completely blinded by the reality that he briefly existed in.

"I have to say, I'm touched you went out of your way to make something like this for me." Adora commented as she finally sat up against the throne. "I guess it means you really DO consider me a partner, don't you? And here I thought we were just friends..."

"Grrrrrrrrr!" He was going to enjoy proving her wrong on so many levels as he stomped his way over, tightening his fist that he so wanted to use. "I should have gotten rid of you a long time ago, from the moment I brought you into the Horde!"

"Aww, now why would you do that?" Adora sneered as she stood upon the throne, raising an eye. "It's not like it would've made you any less of a failure~"

"GHHHHHHHHHHH!" That tears it! No more excuses, no more chances. Just violence and anger awaited this girl as he came rushing at her with all his mighty, ready to tear her limb from limb.

And walking right into her trap as Adora grabbed onto the wires dangling from the ceiling next to her.

*SNAP!*

*WoooooOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOoooo-!*

With the snap of the wires, the electricity died around the inner sanctum as the lights suddenly shut down all around them. For the next minute, the emergency lights would flicker on and off along with the alarm, all until the backup generator kicked in to relight the place. Glaring fire at the girl, knowing she had a plan, Hordak stood his ground, prepared to dispose of the pathetic soldier the moment the lights returned to them.

For just a moment, he saw Adora's grin grow more sinister as the lights flicked to reveal her. When they flicked off, all he saw next was a glowing pair of red eyes in the darkness. And finally, as the lights flicked once more, Adora, and her swords, were suddenly gone.

The leader of the Horde examined his surroundings carefully, taking in all that was happening as he listened for the smallest clue to Adora's presence. At least, he would have if the irritating sound of her voice didn't continue to drive him mad.

"You know, I actually can't believe I respected you for a time." It was right there, he was sure of it in the corner of his eye. Swinging his arms around, he attempted to strike the brief figure he saw in the flicker of the lights, only to see empty air as he turned around.

"I don't know what drew me to you anymore. Maybe it was all the stories I was told, really."

"Haaaahhhhh!" He attempted to strike the girl again as he missed. The girl's voice echoed throughout the entire sanctum, unable to pick up on the girl's sound as the noise of her swords dragging across the ground drew closer to him.

"Maybe it wasn't respect now that I think about it."

The girl was being nothing short of a nightmare, a stupid one he couldn't fear, as he tried to strike her for a third time. Somehow, some way, the girl managed to disappear once again, despite the trail of static that lead her up to him, the small light of her swords streaking in the darkness.

"Maybe it was just pity for you? Because I've never known a single person to be as wretched or vile as you are. And trust me, I've had experience with people like that~"

*flick*

Finally, the lights had returned, and the backup generator had kicked in. Searching around the throne at long last, he came to see nothing but empty air greeting him from all sides. The girl had vanished, this time without reappearing. There could only be so many places for her to appear from, what bothered him is why she didn't have so much as a crumb of her appearance in those places.

Until he finally discovered why.

"Aaaahhhhh!" With a battlecry, the blonde warrior with a strip of black to her hair, lunged at the master of the Horde from above, diving in swords first as she roared with anger. Adora's first mistake was assuming she could catch him off guard, even after the surprise attack from above.

The second mistake? Trying to attack him at all.

"Hgghhhh!" He seethed in return as he threw his hands up. With his surprising strength and technology superior to her own exo, the leader of the Horde grabbed the twin blades in both her hands, stopping them just inches away from his face as Adora's glare met him from barely a foot apart. She had cunning, he could recognize that. But she would never stand against his own genius, a genius whose suit was capable of conducting the electricity and ignore it.

"You decided, wretched, INGRATE!" Screaming, Hordak finally lowered the girl's sword and the wielder along with it as he placed her right in front of himself. With one solid kick, he smashed the base of his foot against the girl's chest, slamming her back into the very throne she desired to sit in not long ago.

*WHAM!*

"Ngh-!" She winced, rubbing the back of her head. As a personal future note, she'd need to remind herself to watch her head, being one of the few bits of her completely exposed.

From this, she watched as Hordak approached her with both blades in his hands, drawing closer to the girl as he prepared to cut her down. "You've made a mockery of this Horde for the last time!" He declared, ready to thrust the blades into the very commander who turned out to be his ultimate failure.

Surprisingly, the girl didn't show any fear at this as she leaned against the arm of the chair. "Oh, really?" She grinned. That was when something was pulled out of the scruff of her neck, from within the red scarf that raised a shadowy tendril as it held something. "Because I was just starting to have so much fuuuun." Hordak stared in complete shock as he looked down, dropping the swords as he felt against the collar of his exosuit.

She took the very gem that gave the suit its very power.

And his own life.

"Do you mind if I keep it?" Adora teased, looking at the beautiful gem as if gazing into the moonlight. "I have to say, it'll make a nice little memento."

"How DARE you-!"

*Bzzzzzzzt!*

"Arghhhh!" The master let out a sudden bout of pain as he screamed, dropping to his knees as the suit's missing power source reacted violently against him. His entire body was convulsed with a painful electricity, one that was siphoning his energy every second as he continued to collapse further and further.

Seeing the pathetic state of her once proud monster groveling in front of her almost brought a sense of shame to the girl's red eyes. At least, it would have if she had any care left for her former leader. She rose once again from her seat as she made her way over, watching as the fearless leader was brought down to a height that Adora found suitable for him- one where he was kissing the ground in front of her.

"Aww, what's wrong?" She cooed playfully, watching as the leader lifted his rage consumed eyes. "Big leader fall down and can't get up?"

"Why... y-you..."

Smiling, Adora finally placed a leg against the shoulder of the leader's suit. "Good."

*Wham!*

And kicked it over the edge of the stairs behind him.

*Crash!*

By the time he hit the bottom, his whole body convulsed with pain. Every blow siphoned off more of the suits energy which, in turn, siphoned off his. He felt his body aching on all sides as his head collided to the harsh ground repeatedly, his legs busted up against the edges of the stairs. And, throughout the proceedings, Adora watched with a curious amusement until he finally reached the bottom.

It hurt. Everywhere hurt. The leader struggled to ruse up however little against the ground, still contemplating all the harsh punishments and tortures he'll put this girl through for treating him like this! He was going to make her regret the day that she so much as looked at him weird, make her suffer for every day she served under his leadership before ending her.

And he wasn't referring to just the time spent working directly under him. He meant every year since the moment she was founded.

"W-When... I... finish with you..." He grunted, struggling to push anything else from the floor. Rolling her eyes, Adora gingerly made her way down the stairs as she took the swords along with her.

Her look of amusement was replaced with one of boredom as she descended the flight with a leisurely pace. "You'll do what? Burn me? Electrocute me? Make me spend every waking hour of my day in nothing but misery and despair? Hate to break it to you, but that's how you've been treating me since I started working with you." She flicked the gem in her hands absentmindedly as she stepped forth one after the other. "Which is why, we're going to change things up a bit. Unless you want big bad Horde Prime to see how much you failed."

The grin returned to the girl again as she saw the pained silence coming from the Horde leader, one that left him speechless as he lowered his head in shame. "Can you imagine how he'll react when he sees your line of failures? When he sees a planet unconquered in his glorious name? Why do I get the feeling he takes failure worse than you do?" The girl was clearly after something more than his own life. Otherwise, she would've ended him right there on the spot.

Because he knew he would have.

"What do you want..." He hissed, biting down on his own teeth.

Finally, Adora grinned to the sight of progress as she reached the final step.

"First things first. From now on, I'm running things here. Capiche?" She declared. "You can go about waving your hand in whatever direction you want, but from now on, you answer to me and me alone. Got it?" She waited for a sign, any sort of response, and when one wasn't given to him, her impatience grew like a wildfire. "GOT IT!?"

*BZZZZZZZZZT!*

"AGGGHHHHH!" For over five seconds, the leader felt as the electricity coursed through his back as Adora stuck the very tip of the blade right along the side of Hordak's suit. "Do you know what I'll do to you when-!"

*BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!*

"Auuughhhhhh!" It didn't penetrate the suit or anything, and it didn't need to. Just the slightest touch was enough to send several thousand volts through the clone's body. "FINE!" He shouted, shouting over the pain as Adora pulled the sword back.

"Good boy." It was such a rush. She has never felt so elevated before, pushing Hordak through the very pain he put her through every day he failed her or simply disgusted her. "Second, we're partners now. Which means every day, we'll be working alongside each other much more comfortably from now on." She knew he hated it. Without so much as looking at his face, she could feel the hate coming off of him. If he didn't reply as soon as he did, she would've been more than eager to deliver another reminder to him.

"Fine..." He hissed again.

"See? Isn't it so much easier when you listen to me instead of abusing me everyday?" She teased, squatting a little closer to the ground. "Third, we're going to conquer Etheria, and we're going to crush the Rebellion for good this time. No more personal projects, no more stupid inventions for your own ego, and no more wastes of time. We hit them hard, we hit them fast, and we do it as I see fit. Understood?"

"Crystal."

"Excellent. Now, tell me something, Hordy." Adora grinned ear to ear as she lowered herself closer. "Are you reliable, or a failure?"

Hordak grimaced at the question as he turned his head, knowing where she was headed with this. "I'm reliable-"

"NO!" Shouting enraged, the leader found himself being lifted up in anger by the Force Captain herself, grabbing him by the collar of his metal exosuit as she raised him to his head. "ANSWER THE QUESTION! ARE YOU RELIABLE, OR A FAILURE!?" Even now, the leader chose to grit his teeth at the present company.

He was willing to put up with a lot of things this girl did, and was willing to play along if it meant she had some sort of plan against the Rebellion. But mark his words, she was going to suffer for all of this if she continued to fail him, no matter what sort of contributions her new direction was taking her.

For all its worth, he had to shove away his personal pride as she glared her red eyes into his. "... I'm a failure." As expected, this brought a simple smirk from the girl as her eyes returned to normal.

"I thought so."

*thud!*

"Geh..." To add insult to injury, or just plain injury, the girl carelessly dropped him back to the floor, finally satisfied with her own little vendetta as he clattered against the floor. For all it was worth, it did come with the added benefit as Adora finally dropped the gem in front of him. She watched with glee as he scrambled to pick it up, quickly inserting it back into his suit as he could breathe easily again at long last.

Assured that he was aware of his new placement within her pecking order, the girl began to ascend the stairs at long last, leaving the figurehead of a leader to rise up to his knees weakly. "Dare I ask what our-" Just remembering his new placement brought fury to his mind, knowing what he had to say. "What your plan is, Adora." At this, Adora stopped. There was a brief silence that fell over the two before the girl finally turned around, giving a stern look into his eyes.

"You know, I'm starting to get tired of that name when I think about it." She commented in return. "It doesn't have the same ring or intimidation to it that tells people I mean business. It sounds just like a regular stupid name that people think they can push around 24/7. So, from now on, you will address me by a new name." She was never going to be used again.

She wasn't going to be abused. Manipulated. Played for a fool. She was going to crush everything that took away her happiness, that drove her to the brink of the world's end without a second thought. To those loyal, those trusting, she would gladly stand aside as their ally and friend. But to anyone desperate or foolish enough to turn her back on her, she would end with a merciful swiftness, a pain that was instant come pared to the pain their betrayal caused her.

Never again would she allow someone to break her heart without retribution.

"From now on, call me... Despara."

...

...

...

A/N: "And noooow, the end is neeea-" *gets sued* Oh come on, that wasn't even the first line of lyrics X(! Stupid copywriters!

Lol, ah man, I gotta tell you folks, this was a blast. I mean really. With this episode, I can finally stop for myself and take a much deserved rest because i NEEED to see the rest of the season before I continue, especially before season 5 comes out Friday XD Will I see it when it appears? Answer= no XP I wanna keep myself surprised and everything and have the same level of knowledge as anyone else did when they made their season 4 stuff so it feels more fair and genuine XP

Now with that said, as a reminder, I haven't seen anything past episode one. So from this point on, I'll be on a break watching the next season. Idk how long it'll take, maybe a week, maybe a day if I binge, or maybe a month (pray its not a year again XP). I just know I wont be posting for a few days minimum as i catch up on school work and whatnot until next friday. I got a lot of stuff to catch up on X/

But with that said, I have a surprise for you! You know that incredible amazing one of a kind author there's no replacing i keep talking about :D?!... Yeah, he died. So in stead, Petie will have to be the next best thing as he posts his work. (lol, jk Petie XD). No, seriously though, in recognition of this glorious new season with glorious new discoveries, Petie has made, count them, FOUR ENTIRE NEW PICS OVER ON INSTAGRAM, several of which will give you all a glorious glimpse at what Catra's and Adora's new attire look like. I will say, you will be 100% satisfied. So much so that only the blind would be unsatisfied upon seeing it, and not even them XP Lol

Sorry, im just so giddy to finally be done with this X) Like I said, idk when I'll be back, but I am not abandoning this fic any time soon. Im here with you guys to bring a glorious end to Cat-Ra as She-Ra will to, well, She-Ra.

So with that said, hope you all enjoyed! Leave a like, fave, follow, and review, and I hope to see you guys eventually. But until then, have a great For The Honor of Grayskull, and hope to see you soon X)