A/N: Final Word Count: 10.1k Pre-A/N's. Hooftah, what a tiring night people! Monokub here with another exciting and fun-filled chapter for y'all. Gonna be honest, about the 7k mark hit a snag somewhere. Idky or how ever- I had the whole bar/tavern scene thought out from start to finish but i just couldn't put words to paper for some reason (Or computer but you get the idea). So if its a bit jumbled up there, or down there i guess, I apologize.
Aside from that though, everything should still be flowing smoothly and whatnot and overall enjoyable as we get some old and new scenes fun for the whole family ^^~
And with that said, enjoy!
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The path before them was pretty straight forward compared to the rest of the Crimson Waste. Then again, it usually helped when there was a solid set of tracks to lead them as the four heroes traversed down the sandy trail.
Thus far, the trip had been... about as well as any of them could expect. Given a mission by the new Queen Glimmer, the four allies were tasked with traveling across the Crimson Waste in order to procure Mara's ship, a ship left behind by the First Ones technology, and a technological advancement that even the Horde didn't have. There was no telling what sort of capabilities it could perform from them! Anything from flight, reaching top speed within seconds across Etheria, and possible weaponry, it could be the greatest Rebellion finding in Rebellion history! And after Glimmer's first official order as Queen!
It was absolutely perfect!... And then it wasn't.
Much like the previous missions the self-proclaimed-by-Bow "Best Friend Squad" had to endure, this one came with several hiccups. Some personal, some eventful, and usually negative. In the matter of this mission, it was the fact that the First One's ship had completely disappeared, with no signs of it ever being there save for the massive crater left behind. Luckily, whoever carried it out also left a massive trail behind them with cuts into the desert sand, but it was still the least of their worries.
The biggest worries they had to deal with, or more specifically Bow?
It was dealing with all his friends at once without Glimmer's help. As useful and supportive as his friends were, they were also probably the last group of people Glimmer and Bow probably should've brought into a desert together.
For starters, there was Perfuma, who was the least problematic of the three to deal with. She had her supportive optimism and her "zen" to her as she always did that lead her through her troubles. With her positive outlook and constantly cheery demeanor, there was nothing wrong with her. The only personal trouble she had was her control over cacti, a plant that continued to hound her efforts to claim that she could control every plant in Etheria.
The next problematic person came from the ex-Horde soldier who wasn't a princess by the name of Huntara. She was probably split evenly between being helpful to troubling. The helpful side came from her tracking skills as she lead the group across the desert as they searched for the missing ship. The troubling side of her was her constant banter with Catra as she kept teasing the girl about her going "soft" over the course of their trek. In itself, it didn't appear to be anything more than playful teasing, not that Bow could understand exactly what was said, but that's where the most troubling person came in.
Catra. Warrior Princess and She-Ra, wielder of the Sword of Protection, was grumbling to herself constantly throughout the last ten minutes of walking. Of all the things to call her, of all the irritating insults and put-downs she's had to deal with in her life, none of them were as terrible, as horrendous, as hurtful, as being called soft! She was a proud, headstrong, warrior of Bright Moon, she was the infamous She-Ra! to be called something as delicate as soft was an insult to her standing.
Not to mention the part of her that wondered if it was true.
Throughout her time in Bright Moon, she was known as many things. A prankster, snide, manipulative, did a lot of things for herself, and always put other people's concerns after her own, though the latter could easily be seen as a facade. To call someone like her soft was a blemish on everything that made her Catra, a disgrace to the proud warrior that she was.
Also, more importantly, what if she was growing soft? Being tough, reckless, uncaring was what made her such a menace on the field of battle, a terror on the streets. Without that tough exterior edge, what was she? Was she the person who was stupid enough to believe everyone from now on when they trick her into falling into a hole like Huntara did to her? What if she started acting... thought alone wanted to make her hurl... considerate like Glimmer said?
Oh dear First Ones, what if she actually did start to act like one of the princesses?!
She couldn't allow it! She wouldn't! As long as she was soft, she was weak. That was the only likely conclusion she could come to given her predisposition. She needed some way to remind the others that she wasn't some soft "kitty" that should be taken care of at all times!
And fortunately for her, she had an entire day to do so as she grinned at the sight of Bow's quiver as the archer fiddled with his tracker pad.
"Hm, hm, hm... Hey, Bow." Catra casually greeted as she walked to his side, at the device he was messing with. "What'cha working on?"
"Oh, not much." Bow shrugged, too focused on his data to pay attention to his surroundings. "I'm just trying to see if I can get a reading on the ship's location. It'll save us a lot of time if-"
*swiff*
"-it's still -
"Yawwwwwn." Catra moaned, purposely interrupting the quizzical archer as she walked off ahead without a care. "By the way," she glanced back, pointing to the very spot behind the archer with her extended claw, "I think you dropped something there."
"Huh?" Stopping in place, the archer looked back in surprise, almost gasping at the sight of his quiver almost two yards behind him with the string connecting to it completely cut through. It didn't take a genius like him to know who was responsible for the damage, or why the magicat was suddenly chuckling. "Hey! Catra!" He groaned, running back to collect his items and the arrows that fell out.
"Loser. Hah!" She felt ecstatic again as she ran off ahead, passing a focused Huntara who continued to follow the trail. She felt so good again knowing she didn't change, taking the annoyance she caused to the mumbling archer with a sense of pride.
"What was that about?" Perfuma asked as she assisted the archer, helping him to collect the arrows before rebinding the broken string to the quiver.
"I don't know, it was just random." Bow replied, still trying to process the random act of mischief. "She used to do it before just for fun, but that was usually when I was doing target practice. It's never been on a mission before."
"Hey!" Catra called out from afar. "Would you slowpokes hurry up or something? We got a job to do!"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was acting like her old self, back when we first met her."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Perfuma wondered as she helped the archer to his feet.
"It's a Catra-thing." That was all Bow could summarize it as as the two continued on to catch up with Huntara. There really wasn't any way to describe Catra's behavior as either good or bad since she joined the Rebellion. Everything she did, she did for an ulterior motive.
When she was causing pranks, it was just to spruce up the place and have a little fun around the castle. When she decided to help people, it was usually to get a favor out of them in return, such as having them help her with a chore or something or to spar with them. Whatever the reason was, it usually came with a good and bad intention behind it, but never one-sided.
At least, not before she started to better herself over their time together.
The rest of the trip through the wasteland continued in small talk between the company as they followed the trail ahead. Throughout the travel, Bow and Perfuma were keeping a watchful eye over the warrior princess as she drew near and off from time to time, as if purposely toying with them with her mere presence. Given everything that had gone on in the last fifteen minutes of travel, it probably was.
That was when Huntara noticed something up ahead, something out of the simple view that went unnoticed to the rest of her friends. "Oh, of course." It felt so obvious to her given where they were. "I should have known."
"Uh... should you, though?" Bow asked, taking in the same view as her without any revelation. "Because I don't see anything."
"Oh, well, we tried!" Perfuma dramatically stated, wishing to give up on the impossible mission.
"Don't give up yet, flower girl." Huntara smiled back in confidence before taking off ahead of the group. Racing past the warrior and archer, she came to the very cliffside she knew would house all the answers to her problems. "The Valley Of the Lost. It's a smuggler's haven, and my home." One by one, the three allies took in the scenery below them, and, eventually, around them.
The Valley Of The Lost was filled to the brim with thieves and cutthroats alike as they descended the mighty valley. Bridges connected a vast majority of the terrain from one cliffside to the next as they accessed every corner of the hidden town. Drapes and leathers were hung over many of the rooftops and portions over the great town, leaving it rather cool and almost breezy compared to the rest of the canyon.
The town itself was about as much as the gang could expect from somewhere where Huntara grew up in. All around them they saw all manners of outlaws running back and forth, conducting business in some form or other as they went about their day. From people pouching others' pockets to people exchanging items with one another through trade- and immediately tazing the other person to steal back what they gave.
And somehow, it was still the least troubling aspect of this whole place.
Out of the many denizens the group came across, the one they truly had to keep an eye out for were the Horde soldiers and guards patrolling the place. From the tall cliff towers above they had to sneak through to enter, to the hidden canyon to the checkpoints Huntara barely managed to intimidate her way through, the canyon was crawling with soldiers from head to toe.
Even now, there were nerves being raised on all sides of the fellow allies and friends, particularly Bow, who had to keep an even more watchful eye on his surroundings and the people he traveled with. Between the people outside of his group that were gambling, betting insects who were fighting one another, and causing trouble for the Horde, and his friends who could be set off by some single other thing he was unaware of, he didn't know which he should be more cautious over.
All he knew was that his fear would never end.
At least with Huntara's help, navigating the Valley Of The Lost was easier to handle. With the hunter's knowledge of every nook and alleyway of this place, she managed to lead them through the least occupied paths of the valley while covering the most ground at the same time. Eventually, the hunter came across several tan sheet the others managed to cloak themselves under. With Huntara being new to the Rebellion, the outsiders were more likely to be drawn out by the citizens rather than the Horde themselves.
"You mind telling us how we're supposed to find anything covered up like this?" Catra questioned, wrapping her tail around herself under the cloak.
"This has been my gang's base since I arrived here." Huntara replied, grinning as she looked outside of the alley they were in. "Nothing can hide from me in this valley."
"Oh joy..." Catra mumbled, rolling her eyes as Huntara lead the way. Even something like this went on to confuse Bow and Perfuma as they glanced at one another, finding Catra's sarcasm a little more forceful than usual.
Much like their arrival here, nothing really stood out all too different as the group navigated through the streets. People were still conducting their illegal businesses and marketing back and forth, others were being questioned by the local Horde guards.
The only thing that truly stood out through this small walk through the village, something that they were completely unaware of, was the mysterious green-skinned figure watching them from above an alleyway, one who sensed a strange enjoyment at the sight of these people. Even with Catra's own instincts telling her something was amiss, by the time she lifted her head up, the figure was already gone.
*thud*
And she was walking into Bow's back. who was walking into Huntara's back without noticing. Hearing the small growl emanating from the hunter's throat, the feline took the chance to examine the scene for herself, discovering a familiar sight that made her own blood burn a little with rage.
Within the near-empty street ahead of them, the group could see three particular figures, two of which stood out the most to them as the third in-between them remained a mystery. To the left and right of the small frog-like humanoid was a certain four-armed lizard with the same brownish cloak she wore before, and the familiar pink satyr known as Daisy to her right. Both proud members of the Horde and Adora's newest allies since she last visited the Crimson Waste.
And Huntara's old henchmen.
"Ngghhhh!" The hunter's anger surged as she stepped forward, ready to charge into the small threesome of people in order to remind them of who they really work for.
"No!" And was immediately stopped by a panicking Bow as he pulled her arm back, ducking back behind the alleyway.
"What's wrong?" Perfuma asked, bing the only one who had yet to see the street ahead.
"Adora's allies are here." Bow replied, still holding onto the hunter's arm until she finally turned back.
"They're not her allies, they're MY goons!" Huntara felt cheated that they would betray her like that. Just thinking of how easily those two nitwits switched sides to the Horde was enough to make her muscles tighten as she squeezed her fists angrily.
"Maybe it's best to avoid confrontation?" Perfuma suggested, trying to cool her friend's temper. Hearing this for herself, Catra's ears twitched a little as she peered back into the street, seeing whatever business was being conducted between the three laughing figures, narrowing her own eyes at the sight of them.
I doubt the old Catra would listen to orders...
"You're afraid to fight, flower girl?" It was almost adorable the way she held her arm nervous as she stared up at the big hulking huntress that looked down on her.
"Huntara, Perfuma's right." Bow butted in, trying to calm down both sides. "We can't afford to be spotted by the Horde forces. If they see us, they'll swarm all over the place including the ship."
"Uh, Bow?"
"I don't like not fighting." Huntara stated with pride. It wasn't in her nature or her blood to back down from any challenge, especially when it was against traitors like those two.
"Huntara?"
"I get that, but there's too many of them. Even if we managed to fight them all off, they could run off with the ship by the time we fought through them all." Bow tried to explain in a way that Huntara would agree with.
"So, what? We're supposed to turn tail and run from every corner? What if every way we come to has a Horde patrol around it? Are we supposed to run from that?!"
"You guys!" Perfuma finally yelled, blushing as she realized she lost some of her composure.
"What!"
"Where's Catra?"
"..." There were a few words that the Princess Alliance, much less the Rebellion, never wished to hear. "The Queen's been captured", "The Horde is Winning", and "Where is Catra", because of the three, the last one almost always resulted in a bad situation going worse.
*CRASH!*
Much worse.
"Ahh!" From the brief throw the mysterious frogman suffered after crashing into the wooden crates before sprinting past the fellow heroes, it didn't too long to find Catra's location as they peered back into the street ahead.
In it, they could already see the magicat causing trouble as she held the blue lizard girl's brown robe tightly within her grips, barring her teeth to the irritating menace as Daisy stared at her in shock and surprise.
"Listen lizard breath, if you want to keep three of your four arms after this, you're going to tell me where Mara's ship is, and you're going to tell me now!" Catra threatened, glaring furiously into the lizard's eyes. All this prompted was a returning hiss of anger as the blue lizard grabbed her wrists back with a pair of arms wrapping around each.
"Hey, I know you!" Daisy shouted, just figuring out the mysteriously blue-clad girl's identity. "You're that tiger girl who's with the Rebellion!"
"My name is- Ngh!" Before the girl could give a more proper introduction, specifically one that came with a name, the vengeful magicat was rudely interrupted by the several projectiles she saw shooting straight at her, the familiar paralyzing darts that could take down Catra with a single strike.
Noticing the surprisingly strong grip the lizard had over her wrists still, the feline quickly jumped into the air as she leapt over the blue lizard's head as it held onto her, raising its arms into the air before being pelted by the several tranquilizers itself. Effectively paralyzing the lizard in place as Catra jumped behind its back, the warrior followed it up with a heavy kick against its spine as it shot straight at the pink satyr, crashing the two of them scaffolding that surrounded them and burying them under a blanket of cloth.
Filling the air with a small cloud of dust, the satyr rubbed her bruised head for a bit trying to alleviate the pain in her skull. Such attempts to soothe any pain from her body would be pulled away from her graces as she felt another grip over her white tank top, pulling her upwards a bit as Catra gave the same menacing glare into her eyes.
"Like I said before. Tell me where Mara's ship is. NOW!" Catra growled, pulling back one of her clawed hands threatening. She was going to prove she wasn't the soft kitty that everyone felt she was, that she was still the same arrogant stubborn fighter that continued to be a menace to the might of the Horde. Just because she was wearing still dull clothing didn't make her any less of the great warrior she was!
Unfortunately, her stance on the matter didn't hold any water to the desert outlaw who grinned back to her, casually squeezing a hand around the girl's wrist as she held her. "You think I'm gonna talk just because you asked nicely?" She sneered. "Even Huntara was more intimidating than you without being angry." And with two fingers brought to her mouth, Catra failed to realize one thing.
She should've shut her up first and then asked questions.
*Tweeeeet!*
"Hey! The Rebellion's over here-!"
*Wham!*
"Ugh..." The consolation of beating Daisy's head soon after did nothing to cheer the magicat up as her ears twitched to the sound of several patrolling guards coming down from the alleyway she exited from. Letting out a small hiss, wishing Daisy was still conscious so she could get another punch out of her, Catra relented in her assault as she ran down the other pathway just as the soldiers made their appearance.
"She went down this way!" One of the female guards shouted, sporting a green lizard tail as the three gave chase. As they did, the head of the trio pressed the side of her helmet as she gave chase into the same alley. "This is Unit-7 reporting in. We have confirmation that the Rebellion is within the Valley. I repeat, the Rebellion is here..."
The coast became silent as the remaining members of the Rebellion revealed themselves from behind the large crates and vases within the alley they were still hiding in. Lifting their heads from cover one at a time, Huntara, Bow, and Perfuma waited for the chasing Horde soldiers to clear the area before finally revealing themselves in full.
"Catra!" Perfuma cried out as she tried to run in the girl's direction. Not two steps into her attempted rescue was she blocked off by the large muscly arm of Huntara, the huntress giving no signs of attention to the girl's worry as she peered into the street ahead.
"Leave her, flower girl." Huntara said, though without a sense of coldness behind it. "If we give chase after her, we'll just be running into the soldiers already chasing her and drawing more to us along the way. Catra can handle herself on her own."
"But Catra's-"
"Perfuma, I hate to say it, but Huntara's right." Bow regretfully agreed.
"Why do you hate the fact I was right?"
"The Valley is crawling with Horde soldiers. And we still don't know where Mara's ship is. If we focus solely on rescuing Catra, the Horde's going to get away with the ship. We need to work on finding the ship and Catra at the same time."
Perfuma tried to find some line of argument against her friends' judgements, but she just couldn't. With the plants of the valley already proving problematic for her, there was no way she could use her powers to their fullest to help in the search for Catra, even if she wanted to. She'd be putting her in more danger if she got herself or the others captured and Catra had to go back to save them. "Then how are we supposed to find the ship and Catra at the same time?"
"You're forgetting, this is my home." The fearless hunter reminded, comforting the plant girl a little with a gentle hand and a sly grin. "And I know who can help."
...
"Huff... huff..." Catra remained hidden behind the alleyway as she leaned her head slightly over the corner, seeing the passing patrol of soldiers scouring the alleyway she ran from. Listening intently with her raised ears, she waited for the sound of footsteps to to pass over her before letting out a final breath.
Okay, so some things had a slight hiccup to them around here. Charging headfirst into the enemies that knew her, demanding information from them without going She-Ra, and expecting them to take her seriously when she was dressed like this.
Man, did she miss her tiara!
But overall, with a satisfied grin, the alley-cat made her way around the corner again as she casually walked on, grabbing a passing purple curtain she draped over herself to provide some cover. With her tail wrapped around her waist and her ears covered, she stood out less than the last cover she used.
All that showboating and recklessness did was prove to her that she was the same bad cat she knew she was, smirking to herself as she eyed the many outlaws she passed. She showed she wasn't someone who was meant to be underestimated, that she was still the best of the best out there. Surrounded by other thieves and bandits, she knew her work was far from over.
She needed to prove that she was a cut above the rest of these crooks who fled to this Canyon as their home. Just because she proved it enough with the last few instances of her mission didn't mean anything to her. She needed to keep it up in order to ensure she wasn't going soft, that the last few instances weren't just flukes. In a town like this where people stole from one another about a hundred times a day and fights were picked up in the street left and right, she grinned to herself.
She was going to show all of them that she was the top cat before this day was over.
...
...
"Let's move it, people! I want this stuff ready to be shipped off within the next half-hour!" Adora barked as the soldiers scuttled about the ship.
"Heh, I get it." Scorpia chuckled, giving a playful nudge with her elbow to Adora's side a little roughly. "Shipped off? Cause we're in a ship? That's a good one, Adora! Haha..."
"..." The mostly-blonde friend said nothing to the chuckling sidekick at this point as she starred at her with an annoyed look. There wasn't a crack or a smile over her expression. Not so much as a pity laugh as Scorpia tried to brighten the commander's mood.
"Heh... heh heh... ehh..." Seeing the look over her eyes refusing to dull, the scorpion girl rubbed the back of her neck as the air began to chill around her. "Ehh... I-I'll get right on that." She assured, returning from her vain attempts at cracking a joke. Adora rolled her eyes at this as she continued to look over the assets and details listed over her device, sorting through the various tasks completed and still in progress.
Aside from Scorpia, things have gone relatively well with Adora's, or with her current title, "Despara's" operation so far. With a small contingent of Horde soldiers at her back, the unconfirmed leader of the Horde had managed to reach Mara's ship, the place where her life had reached its happiest and worst moment, and managed to enlist the locals' help in exchange for a few payments. It was a wonder they managed to move such a heavy piece of machinery like this. Then again, with the desolate wasteland surrounding them, they must've been used to dragging heavy resources or hunted creatures throughout the wastes.
Once she managed to acquire their help in dragging it halfway through the desert, the harder part was breaking down the ship enough until they could access every room within its metallic belly. The instruments and tech they found at their disposal was like a treasure trove underneath the deep blue sea as the soldiers went about collecting everything. Simple items that could power up entire tank engines if utilized properly, various gadgets and gizmos that could enhance weaponry, not that Adora would complain given her dual swords, and so forth. And it was all under the new persona Adora was shooting for, the one that gave orders instead of taking them all the time.
Life had become surprisingly easier for the girl since she adopted the new personality. Everywhere she went, she did exactly as her new appearance was supposed to do. Her enemies were intimidated by the mere sight of her, no one questioned her leadership or second-guessed it since she gained dominance. It was moments like this that made her truly wonder if Catra was onto something, something about manipulating individuals or forcing her way towards getting what she wanted.
And every time she had such a thought, she quickly shook it angrily out of her head, reminding herself of who she refused to compare herself to.
Catra left her home, her family, her friends. As long as Adora lived, she refused to turn her back on the Horde and everything it meant to her. She was going to crush the Rebellion once and for all no matter who stood in her way. And this time, she wasn't going to take silly jokes or playful gestures like some sort of fool.
"Commander Despara!" Two soldiers greeted with a salute as they ran up to her.
"What do you want?" Like Scorpia had seen many times before as she continued collecting her pile, Adora didn't give any sort of passing glance or acknowledgement as she remained focused on the data pad in her hand.
B-Because she was so busy, of course!
"Commander, we were wondering if a small break would be in order." The left soldier requested, peering back to the soldiers outside the ship. "A lot of the men are getting tired and one of them came down with heatstroke."
"Oh my. That sounds very-"
"Stupid." Adora spat, finally giving her attention to the two soldiers with stern red-colored eyes. "We're running an operation here and you think it's a good idea to waste my time on some pointless nonsense?"
"U-Uh..." The soldier on the right turned his head to his fellow questioning companion, getting the same look back in return. "We were just saying-"
"If you need a dumb break or something, then go sit in the shade for five minutes or grab a drink of water. Don't waste my time with useless questions that should be obvious. If you need a break, take a break. If you're thirsty, get a drink. Don't just rush to me at every obvious concern you have and just do it! That's an order!"
"Y-Yes, commander!" The Guards nervously apologized with another salute, making their way out of the ship again as fast as their tired legs could carry them. Adora narrowed her gaze in irritation as she watched the two morons leave her, and eventually grinned when they were out of sight.
This was among the many things she was annoyed about putting up with. When she was the same useless weak-boned commander she was previously, people ALWAYS came up to her with their concerns. From simple stuff like if they could catch a break or annoying stuff like how to deal with a soldier that was injured. These were among the many time wasters of Adora's previous personality, and one of the massive things she was proud to make a change over.
Turning her attention back to the scorpion girl behind her, she shot her a small look as her grey-haired companion continued to blink at her. "What?"
"O-Oh! N-N-Nothing!" Scorpia sputtered, hastily grabbing at the remaining items around her as she stood from the ground, knees trembling as she did.
"Careful!" Adora almost hissed as she grabbed one of the cylinder-like objects with her shadow, placing it back at the top of Scorpia's pile. "We need this stuff in tact for Hordak to make new weapons. I don't want to see so much as a scratch on it when we get back."
"Y-Yup, no problem, Adora- I mean Despara- I me- Whoooa!"
*crash*
Adora rolled her eyes with a silent groan as she watched her klutzy companion falling over the ground from the loss of balance. This kind of thing was almost predictable to her at this point. "Oh, I am so sorry about that." Scorpia apologized, regathering the materials that fell out of the pile. "This isn't what I want to be happening right now. Sorry... sorry.." Adora waited until Scorpia made her way out the large bay doors before she got her hopes up again that she could do this simple job, returning to her data pad as she continued her examinations and readings.
Save for Scorpia, to an extent, this kind of foolishness wasn't tolerated around Adora's presence anymore, much like everything else that wasn't tolerable to her. The more she pressed on, the more diligently her soldiers worked and then some, making progress that was almost twice as constructive as it used to be, and turning usual hour-long tasks into mere minutes of work with half the time and twice the effort. She almost wished she was always like this. At least then, she probably would've had Hordak's respect like she rightfully deserved.
"Hey there~" Adora flinched to herself as she turned around again, seeing a sly smile over her friend's lips as she stared back to her.
"That was fast." She commented, wondering if her efforts were finally reaching Scorpia like everyone else.
"What, did you miss me already?"
"... Noooo... You were just here, like, ten seconds ago." Adora stated, walking a little further into the ship as Scorpia trailed behind her. "But, whatever. If you're looking for more work, why don't you help the soldiers collect more stuff? I'm sure they could use the extra muscle."
"Nah, they look like they know what they're doing." Scorpia shrugged back, eyeing the various soldiers hoarding crates at a time. "Besides, I'd rather use my extra muscle to help you~" Adora stopped as she heard this, shifting her eyes to the side as they flashed red for a brief moment. "Come on, what do you say? Need something lifted? Something piled? Or would you just prefer a massage?"
"... Heh, yeah, I guess I could use the extra help around here." Adora smiled back with a satisfied grin. "You know, it's funny. I didn't think you could scrub the engines outside as fast as you did earlier."
"What can I say? I'm a big tough girl." Scorpia flexed, showing off her big clawed muscles. "Scrubbing stuff is just what I do."
"Yeah, I'll say... except there's one thing that still bothers me about it. I'm just trying to remember what it is. Now what was it..." Adora continued, crossing her arm over her side as she rubbed between her eyes in thought.
"Ah, you're thinking too hard." Scorpia swooned, casually walking behind the Force Captain again as she began to massage her soldiers. "Take a seat off, relax, enjoy the sunshine for a little while."
"Yeah, I guess I could take a break. After all, I am your little "sunflower", like you keep telling me."
"You bet you are~"
"Yeah... I am..." And at this, the commander finally shot a glare back with glowing-red eyes. "Except Scorpia calls me a "shadow-rabbit" or whatever." Without giving it a second thought, summoning an armful of shadows over her right hand, the suspecting leader pushed her mysterious friend into the metal crates behind her, pulling out one of her two swords in her left hand. "And I never asked Scorpia to scrub the engines, it'd be pointless with the ship nonoperational." She added, showing off the sparks of her taser sword as Scorpia smirked. "Now, you're gonna tell me who you are, and why I shouldn't-"
"Again, I am just so sorry about-" The REAL Scorpia said looking around, scratching the back of her head before gasping at the sight of her best friend and the mysterious doppler. Her small shriek was enough to turn the heads of the wary captain and the identical double as she gasped in shock. "Okay. This is... This is a thing that I'm seeing." She breathed heavily, approaching the duo in complete and utter disbelief. Who was she? Where did she come from? Was she even real? "Are you also seeing two of me? Huuuuh!"
Of course.
It was so obvious!
Why didn't she see it before?!
"Oh, I have a twin! I always felt this emptiness like there was someone who would just understand! Oh, this is making so much sense to me!" The restrictive soldier and the fake Scorpia eyed each other briefly as the real Scorpia turned away. "Ugh. Who am I kidding? Hordak probably cloned me. I signed a lot of paperwork at some point." Whatever the case was, she was just so happy to have an identical copy of herself. Already, she was picturing the thousands of things they could both do together! Talk about Adora, have sleepover everyday, and-
Wait. Oh no. Could it be? Did she also share the same feelings for her best friend like she did?! That was too cruel to believe! Why in Etheria would the world bless her with an identical copy of herself that shared all the same ideas and thoughts and feelings as she did?! Oh, she should've seen this coming, it was obviously too good to be true. Already, the two were practically hugging each other as Adora pressed her against the wall. Huh! That must mean she was the evil twin!
Wait again. How did she know she was the evil twin? What if Scorpia herself was the evil twin?! Oh god, it was too much to think about! The words just kept flying out of her mouth with every thought, the madness consuming her mind making her speak without end! She-
*twitch*
*twitch*
Adora could only imagine the senseless dribble going on in Scorpia's mind and her mouth as Scorpia finally noticed the twitching glare coming off of her. "... Yeah, I'll stop talking now."
"... All right. Who are you and what exactly are you doing here?" Adora demanded from the smirking figure. She didn't care if she looked like her companion or not. Knowing who the real one was from that brief performance alone, she wasn't against imprisoning such an individual for trying to sleaze her way into Horde territory like she did.
And that's when the unthinkable happened.
She didn't give her an answer. Not a word, not a gesture, not anything. Instead, all she gave her was a performance of her unique trick as her body glowed with a bright darkness, one that changed everything about her character as she transformed, leaving only her eyes noticeable. It was over as soon as it began, taking no less than a single second before the figure changed in stature, shape, and size. What the mysterious individual was doing wasn't what got a rise out of the girl. What did was specifically who she ended up turning into.
Herself.
"Ahh!" Adora was at a loss as she screamed, backing away from the mysterious copy of herself who continued to display the same easygoing smile as before. Scorpia was at a loss as she looked back between the two. The copy had everything this Adora had. Her hair, her looks, her clothes. She even had a copy of her two sheathes behind her backs with the hilt of the swords sticking out. She was an exact double of Adora in every single way.
And that's what made her most troubling.
...
...
*thump*
"Hey, watch it!" The red lizard man hissed at the passerby as she bumped into him.
"Sorry, my bad. The cloaked figure apologized with a smirk, giving him a simple wave before moving on. The lizard rolled his eyes at this as he walked on ahead, trying to ignore the stupidity of the blind walker. Seriously, the nerve of some people! What kind of moron would just bump into someone like tha-
Hang on. Something was off. The lizard felt around himself as he noticed his pockets suddenly felt a little lighter. No, not his pockets, his belongings. He had at least several bags of gold on his person and he was only finding two of them. He looked around all over the ground, wondering if they fell off when he bumped into that stupid traveler from earlier. It took him two more seconds of searching before realizing the reality of the situation as he raised his head, turning back to the direction the mysterious individual disappeared to.
"That stupid brat robbed me!"
...
*jingle-jingle*
"Heh, fathead." Catra sneered with pride as she shook the pouch of money in front of her eyes. This was about her third or forth run-in in one of the outlaws and crooks, and her third or fourth successful pick-pocketing within the last ten minutes. She would've known for sure if it was her third or fourth one, but she was pretty sure she ended up picking the pockets of the same person twice at one point, which meant it was easy, so it didn't count.
All that she counted for were the outlaws and thieves she managed to pry from, the neanderthals that thought they were the cream of the crop, or whatever lame expression that was. Picking from anyone else's pockets would've been too easy for someone like her to do, whereas other thieves and wannabes knew how to keep their pockets to themselves better, making them more of a challenge. Not to mention the fact they couldn't report it to any of the Horde soldiers without raising suspicion for themselves, since they would've had to reveal the part where they stole whatever was taken in the first place.
I-It obviously wasn't because she didn't want to steal from those who didn't deserve it or anything like that! She didn't care who she stole from if it looked valuable enough. She'd gladly take the richest jewels straight off a child's necklace if she had the chance!
She just didn't want to be dealing with those whiny brats crying their eyes out left and right and ratting her out!
Besides, she was relishing the rewards she managed to pick off of the unsuspecting thieves. Thus far, aside from the small bag of coins she just nicked, she managed to collect several personal items, one of which proved how professional her pickpocketing skills were.
Despite the individual wearing it themselves, she managed to swipe a gold ruby-encrusted ring right off their person, something that should've been immediately noticed if it was stolen by any lower form of thief, a gold chain necklace, and a useless earring she decided to take home as a trophy. The ring was all she truly cared about.
To be able to pick off a ring like that out of the blue, kind of reminded her of her glory days, or the days she spent growing up in the Horde, to be precise. She could recall the numerous times she stole something from a Force Captain of Horde Officer here and there, often keys to the lunchroom's hidden stash of treats or whenever she needed to borrow an instructor's answer sheet for a test. It almost brought a smile to her face reminiscing how much of a demon she was back then.
There was just one more rite of passage she needed to push off, one more task to solidify her position as a the rough and tough tiger from the Horde that she was. Pickpocketing was okay, but she was going to start drawing attention if she stole anything more than she needed. She needed something to ensure it wasn't dumb luck or coincidence that she made it as far as she did. She needed to find an opportunity to prove she was tough, inside and out.
*wham!*
"Ahhhh!" And by the sight and sound of the wailing red-skinned horned guy that was just tossed outside the door in front of her, she knew she didn't have to look far.
Taking a peek past the crooked, rotting, and unhinged swivel doors, Catra grinned. It looked like another tavern like the one she came to the first time she and her dweebs crossed the Crimson Waste, just half the size and half the people. The stools were nothing more than wooden barrels, the tables made out of wooden fences or doors, and not a single person she recognized from her previous visit. Just a bunch of losers who thought they knew what being tough meant, about five excluding the tavern keeper.
All in all, it was her kind of place. What better way to get into trouble and show 'em whose boss than with a gentle knocking on the front door?
*Whack!*
Or a strong boot kicking in the front entrance without a care.
All eyes turned to the door assaulter as the rest of the patrons went about themselves, the goat-like keeper of the establishment keeping an eye on her as she wiped a rusty mug over her hands with a dirty white rag.
Not one of these people seemed the least bit threatening, not to a tough girl like Catra. The wolf barred his fang, one of the bizarre mantis-like customers gave her a weird look, or maybe that was just how he looked at everyone, and the large blue pig guy with the tusk and sporting a good three-hundred pounds over her looked ready to eat her on a notice.
Just the kind of people she wouldn't mind agitating as she swooned her way over to the counter-top.
"Hey there." She greeted casually, taking over one of the seats as she leaned over. "Got anything to drink?"
"Beat it kid," the goat huffed, adding a bit of spit to his polish as he rubbed hoarsely, "we don't serve brats."
"Oh, yeah?"
*jingle*
She smirked at the sight of the owner's surprised look, watching him stare intently at the small pouch of coins as one of the golden chips popped out. "How's that for service?"
"..." The goat took one of the coins for a personal inspection, eyeing it carefully before biting down on it. Counterfeits were commonplace around here, and the fact he didn't bite straight through it was enough to prove it's authenticity. "Ugh, fine, but we barely have anything to cover brats like you."
"That's fine. Just get me some sort of juice or something cool and-"
*tap*
The goat man himself looked a little fearful at the sight as he steadily inched away. From the magicat's back, she felt a firm strong grip on her shoulder and the shadows of three certain individuals looming over her. From the reflections off the various bottles across the counter, she could tell it was the giant pig guy and two of the others, the wolf guy she saw a second ago, and a cloaked lizard who hissed into her right ear.
"That's an awful lot of money for a scrub to be carrying around here." The pigman commented, giving Catra a chance to turn her head back to see the eye patch over his left eye and a blue mohawk over his head. "Where your parents, girly."
"Pffft, like I need those." Catra replied back, stretching out a hand as the owner slid a mug of cactus juice over to her. "I get around on my own just fine." Taking a sip of her mug, uncaring if it was the same mug the owner spat in or not earlier, she noticed the wolf to her left giving her a small growl, a greeting she returned with as politely as possible.
*Hissss!*
"Rgh..." There was a small whine from the very wolf she thought would've barked back. For such a rough-looking dog, he didn't seem to have as much bark as he did bite.
"You know, it's funny. I don't think I've seen your face around here, kitty." The pig-man rubbed one of his several chins as he examined the cat more closely through the hooded cloak. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were an outsider. And we-"
"Don't take kindly to outsiders, don't want them around, blah, blah, blah." She could make an endless list of stupid things people kept telling as she mouthed her hand in response. "I've heard it all before. Either give me something new or beat it because you're starting to bore me."
"Fine. How's this for new?" He sneered, grabbing the hem of the feline's cloak. "A couple of my boys have been talking about a furball walking back and forth and sneaking away with their pockets. Ring any bells?"
"Heard of a mint?" She gagged back. What little humor she meant to indulge apparently went on to earn a full-on bellow of laughter from the surrounding patrons who were easy to please. It took one menacing shot behind him to return the silence to the room, not that any of the damage to his pride had been undone.
"Heh, cute, girly. Now tell me where you got the money, and maybe I'll forget your little comment."
"Alright then... I found it." She shrugged, looking off to the side with a bored look in her eyes.
"... You found it?"
"Yeah, found it. I don't know how reliable your bozos are, but apparently they aren't good at keeping their money to themselves. I can't help it if they misplaced a thing or two."
"... Oh, is that so?"
"Hngh-!" The feline let out a small yelp through her throat as she felt a rough hand grab around it, pushing her a little further into the counter top.
"And what's to keep me and my boys from taking it from ya?" A grin to the left, and a grin to the right. Both his goons looked ready for a fight the moment Catra made the first move. Oh how much she missed this.
"Well for starters, I doubt the Horde would take it very well if they heard the screaming." She hinted, raising a brow and a grin.
"The Horde?"
"Yeah, you know? Horde? Wearing a helmet? Ridiculous symbol on their outfits? Invading the town? Ring any bells?"
"Tch, and what does that have to do with anything?" The lizard to her left asked, trying to show any ounce of intimidation he could.
"Use your head, lizard-breath. They see three grown idiots attacking an innocent girl, do you really think they're going to take your side over me?"
"Your side?" The pig-man looked to his companions with the same sense of confusion that they felt, snorting a puff of hair into them magicat's face as he demanded his answers. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"What do you think?" Putting on the most pathetic display she could, she put on her best performance as she tilted her ears down, trying to make her voice crack up as she looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Ngh... please, help me, soldiers. I was just minding my own business and these three horrible, ugly, stupid, fat, lazy thugs just started attacking me. I tried to fight them off, but... but..." She sniffed. "It was just horrible~" And she immediately dropped the persona with a smug grin.
"You're bluffing."
"Try me!" She threatened back as she pulled the pig's face closer to her own. "Three oversized thugs versus a girl half their size? Who do you think they're going to believe?" The second part of showing how tough she was held within her ability to bluff.
Anybody could lie. That was a basic fact. A true liar knew how to keep a straight face, hold all the cards on the table, and how to get away with it all at the same time. But someone who knew how to bluff their way out of a situation was even more dangerous.
They could persuade anyone to their side, convince one of two enemies to betray one another, and even rally a cause to their side by making themselves look like the victim. The ability to bluff came with a necessary courage one needed to throw themselves into any danger. Bluffing meant risking the chance of losing everything for yourself, with the only one coming out on top being the one who could keep a straight face the longest.
It was a matter of will power and sheer force of will, and Catra had yet to be defeated.
"...Ughhhh! Whatever..." And, judging by the immediate gruff the pig let out, she wasn't going to anytime soon. With another snort to his two cohorts, Catra smirked as she watched the three walk away, knowing they weren't going to be picking a fight with her anytime soon. This is the kind of thing she lived for, to prove how tough she was as she sat back in her seat and grabbed a drink. To show everyone she was the toughest around and she wasn't to be underestimated.
She just wished there was one more way she could prove herself as the tough cat she was...
"Hey, boss, are you sure you wanna let her walk away?" She heard the lizard hiss from behind.
"Yeah, I don't care. She's not worth the trouble if the brat is going to rat us out to the Horde like some freak."
"..." She grinned. Oh, and of course, there was the one final rite of passage she had left to prove how tough and indomitable she was. First there was stealing, then there was bluffing. And last but not least, there was the final rite she had to pass in order to assure herself of her own toughness.
A fight.
"Oh boooys..."
*2 Minutes Later*
*Crash!*
"Ahh! Beat it!" The lizard yelped as the wolf was thrown into him outside the alley. As if getting a wolf tossed on top of him wasn't bad enough, the worst part of it came from the oversized gang leader of the three that was toppled right on top of the two, nearly crushing the bones in the lizard's body as he squeaked.
All three of them squirmed and squabbled amongst each other as they tried to pull themselves from the ground, turning tail in the nearest direction of the next open street before booking it. None of them wanted to mess with the psycho cat that just tore, scratched and beat the living snot out of the three single-handedly just for calling her a "freak". Not that the recent beatdown did anything to dissuade their judgement of her, they were just smart enough not to repeat it out loud this time.
Marching her way out the doorway, Catra sneered at the sight of the three retreating gangsters before smiling ear to ear. She felt unstoppable! Invincible! She still had it in her to be all of these things and then some! She was on her own for the last... who knew how long, and she didn't care! She was having a blast!
She was still the same Horde girl that knew how to make things come her way! She was the one who decided how tough she was, how strong she was. She wasn't going to let the likes of Huntara or Bow or even Glimmer tell her she was being "soft" or "considerate" or some other garbage. She was Catra, fearless ex-Horde soldier and defector, and most of all She-Ra!
*clink*
And by the looks of it, a rather lucky cat, too. Just off the corner from the end of the alley, she saw a single gold coin rolling down the street as if coming to greet her. She didn't know what chump possibly dropped it or who it belonged to, and she didn't care! Why should she? The old Catra never cared for anyone but herself, and that's the way she was going to keep it as she ran straight for the coin at full speed, only being careful enough to keep the robes on her and nothing more.
Drawing closer, she saw a small shadow of someone else who was approaching the very same coin, making the cat more eager to pry the coin from the floor before them. She was already thinking of the many things she could do to the thug. Maybe she could get into another small scuffle, or maybe she could threaten him for more money? No, wait! First she was going to intimidate him and THEN threaten him!
There was hardly any containing herself as she reached the end. She reached deep within herself as she kneeled towards the coin before pulling the most threatening face she could think of.
"GHHHHHHHHHHHH!-!"
"Ngh..."
Wait.
Something's wrong.
"Mmmhmhmmm..."
Catra blinked.
Why was the thug only about three feet in height? No, better question. Why was the thug about the size of a kid? No, even better question. Why did the kid look like a normal kid about one or two years older than Kim that had big sparkly eyes? Wait, this was the best question. Why did the kid dressed in rags who looked like one of the horned people around here look like they were innocent in all of this in a land full of thugs and thieves... and people who might've had families... and families they might've brought along... and people that... that...
Oh no.
"Wa... Wait..." Catra flinched from herself as she stood back up, her ears deepening with the guilt she felt. "I... I didn't mean to-"
*shuffle*
It was too late. Before Catra could deliver any form of an apology, the young six to seven-year-old girl was already running away, crying silently down the alley way before Catra could so much as raise an arm in her direction.
What just... What just happened? That didn't... That didn't go anywhere near as planned as Catra had hoped for. She backed up from the site for a bit as she replayed the events that were supposed to go off in her head. She was supposed to bump right into some lizard or giant bull or even another wolf like she has been till now, get right up into their face, and hiss angrily at them so they would growl right back. Then, after a brief rumble, she'd come out on top and prove how tough she was-
*thump*
"Ah-!" She was so lost in her own thoughts that she nearly jumped as she backed into a strange object behind her. To her surprise, it was just an ordinary round mirror, one that caught a perfect image of her face despite the large crack running down the middle. She probably would've been less jumpy about it if the person in the mirror didn't freak her out. Standing there with all that loose jewelry, looking ready to attack for no reason, the person who...
The person who... scared off a little kid over a stupid coin just now. The person who slowly looked at the jewels and belongings she swiped off of everyone else without any particular interest for them. The person who tried to pick a fight with three random strangers she just met simply because she could. The moron who's been stealing left and right for various kicks and giggles, all to prove a point to nobody but herself about how tough she was.
...What was she doing here? She wasn't supposed to be doing this. She was supposed to be out helping her friends with a mission, not proving a point to nobody that knew her to begin with. She spent all this time trying to make herself look tough when in reality she just felt like a jerk, a freak. A bully who made a kid cry all of a sudden over one lousy coin.
Taking a last look at herself, she examined all the goods she managed to swindle and steal from peoples' belts before sighing, pulling apart and dropping all the various jewels and pouches around her feet. This wasn't anything like who she was anymore, nobody that she used to be. Whatever Catra she was before,might've been tougher, but at least then she didn't feel as guilty as she did now. She didn't like the stuff she stole, she didn't like the fact she made an innocent kid cry. With a heavy heart and a regretful frown, Catra finally accepted the sad reality of the situation as she made her way down the street, intending to find her friends.
She really has gone soft...
...
...
...
A/N: Annnnd booyah, Ep 2 par 2 Year 2, Something 2, complete ^^ Strangely i really did just have a problem with that bar scene. I know i said this once before but there's a good chance some of these chapters might come down to being 3 parters people, since we're coming back into the full swing of seasons and whatnot :/ If you guys are alright with that, then I can move on ahead without having to add in some pointless filler here and there (even though I did want to hit this matter of the episode when Huntara mentioned "soft" because it was obviously too good to pass off XP). Otherwise i'll stick to the main story- we'll be relatively similar with some dramatic differences but overall it'll help me get through the story faster ^^
Oh yeah, and before i forget again like I JUST did just now and almost posted before remembering, for those of you who notice, we have a brand spanking new cover image designed by the infamous petie doon on instagram! The cover is hard to make out in full but trust me when I say the picture is freaking EPIC! Be sure to check it out for yourself on instagram, its an AWESOME SEASON 4 POSTER and one i just HAD to use for my new cover image, so thanks petie ^^!
With that said, hope you all enjoyed! Leave a like, fave, follow, and review, and hope to see you soon!