Catra ran and kept running for as long as her legs would carry her. She ran in no particular direction with no destination in mind. All she knew was she had to get away. Adora's cries rang in her head and refused to leave.

Catra finally collapsed in a clearing as the sun started to rise. She realized she must have been running for over an hour. As she struggled to catch her breath, her thoughts once again turned to Adora and she began crying again. It was in that moment that it finally hit her - she had lost everything. The Horde was gone. Any power she once held was no longer hers. She had nowhere to go and no one cared what happened to her. Adora, the one person who might have cared, and the only reason she had fought for so long, was now a shadow of her former self – an emotional wreck who had conveniently forgotten all the pain of the last three years.

Catra envied Adora and hated that all this happened because of her stupid machine. Of course Adora would go to Beast Island to save Entrapta despite everything she had done for the Horde. Of course she would actually listen to Scorpia and agree to help her! Adora was a good friend – she was a good person. She had always been too good for the Horde – too good for Catra. And now she was a mess, just like Catra.

Catra angrily swept the hair away from her eyes, remembering her mask was no longer there as she did so. She growled angrily at its loss and wiped away her tears. She then tried to get up but quickly fell back down again. Everything hurt. Her legs ached from all the running and her chest felt like it might explode. She then remembered her fight with Hordak and all the injuries she had sustained. How had she managed to ignore the pain of running with broken ribs and an injured leg? How had she even been able to run? Upon realizing all this, Catra officially gave up, lay back down on the cool green grass and closed her eyes. She had nowhere to go and no one was chasing her.

Several hours passed and Catra woke up with a sharp pain in her chest and a complete loss of feeling in her bad leg. The sun was directly overhead and shining straight in her eyes. She cried out in pain as she tried to sit up. Deciding it was not worth the effort, Catra fell back down again. Everything that had happened came flooding back into her head – Double Trouble, the defeat of the Horde, Adora's near-death and memory loss…Catra groaned and covered her face with her hands. At least her arms were still working.

After a long moment wishing she was still asleep, Catra lowered her arms and stared at her surroundings with total disinterest. She was still in the clearing. She had no idea where Brightmoon was, or where the Fright Zone was, and she really did not care. If anyone came to find her, she would just surrender. She was in no condition to fight and had nothing left to fight for. She was completely broken.

As if on cue, Catra's ears suddenly perked up at the sound of footsteps nearby. She closed her eyes and sniffed the air. She did not smell the metal armour of the Horde soldiers, nor the sickening magic of the princesses…blueberries. She smelled blueberries. She then heard a bush rustle as someone walked into the clearing. An old lady's voice then croaked:

"Catra, dearie? Is that you?"

When Adora woke up from her sedation, she found she was still in her bed, and her arms and legs were tied down at the sides. She screamed and began pulling at her restraints. This was bringing back some bad memories from her training under Shadow Weaver, and she was not about to let the princesses use their magic on her as well. As she fought to escape, the princess from earlier, Glimmer, teleported into the room and rushed over to her. She leaned over Adora and put her hand on her cheek, saying:

"Hey! It's okay! You're safe! No one's going to hurt you!" Adora stopped moving and growled:

"Release me. Now." Glimmer gave her a sad look and said:

"I'm afraid we'll have to wait for the doctor before that can happen. But don't worry, Adora! You're not our prisoner! You're our friend - we won't hurt you!" Adora raised her eyebrow before scoffing:

"Yeah, right. You're a princess. Princesses hurt people." Before Glimmer could say anything, the boy who had revived Adora earlier came in. He seemed out of breath and looked very pale. He spluttered:

"Adora! Hey! Did you sleep well?" Adora frowned and asked:

"Was I given a choice?" Ignoring her, Bow looked over to Glimmer and said:

"I called for the doctor. He's on his way." Glimmer nodded and then, turning away from Adora, she left the room. The boy's shoulders slumped as he watched her leave. After a moment of awkward silence, he turned back to Adora, forced a smile and came over. He sat in the chair next to her bed and said:

"You've forgotten my name, haven't you?" Adora nodded. He smiled sadly and said:

"It's Bow. That was Glimmer, and we're your best friends. We're the Best Friend Squad." Adora visibly grimaced:

"I remember you saying that. It's a stupid name." Upon saying that, however, she was surprised to find herself smiling. She had no idea why. Was it the mere idea of her having friends? Real friends? That reminded her of a certain feline and her expression became grim once more. She stared hard at Bow and asked:

"Where is Catra? Is she also in your Best Friend Squad?" Bow gave a small chuckle before saying:

"I'm not sure she'd want to join, but she's welcome to!" He then looked away and muttered:

"Actually, she ran away. We don't know where she is."

Catra opened her eyes and turned to stare at the little old lady with the white hair, pink outfit and butterflies fluttering around her. She tried to hiss, but ended up howling in pain once more. The lady hobbled over and knelt down beside her. Catra was not sure who this person was or whose side they were on. The lady then gave her a reassuring smile and said:

"My, my, dearie! You've hurt yourself pretty badly! Well, no need to worry! Madame Razz will help you! Just stay there and don't move!" As the lady got up and rushed off, Catra whispered:

"Gladly." She then let herself fall asleep again, believing the entire interaction to have been nothing more than some bizarre fever dream. She was then woken up by someone lifting her head up and pouring a tasteless hot liquid down her throat. Catra almost choked on it, but managed to stop herself when she realized it was the lady from earlier who was giving it to her. She did not seem hostile and was saying:

"That's right, Catra, dearie! Drink up! This will make you all better!" Too weak to fight her, Catra let the lady pour the whole bowl of whatever it was down her throat. The lady then rested Catra's head back on the grass and looked away, muttering quietly to herself. Within seconds, Catra could feel her insides burning up. Convinced that she had just been poisoned, Catra tried to get up and fight the lady, but it still hurt too much to move. After several moments of excruciating pain, Catra passed out once more. As she did so, her mind played one of her worst memories:

"Come with me! You don't have to go back there - we can fix this!" That was the moment Adora chose the princesses over her. And the day Catra chose the Horde over Adora. She regretted that choice now. She really did.

"What do you mean she ran away? Where? Why? What did you do to her?!" Adora began to frantically pull on her restraints once more. The one around her right hand was beginning to weaken. Bow leaned forward and reached out his hand to hold hers. The movement surprised Adora, and she calmed down. Bow then said:

"Like I said, we don't know where she is. The princesses are out looking for her right now. As for why, I don't know that either. We did nothing to her, Adora. I promise." Adora narrowed her eyes before sighing and falling back on the bed. Bow's words reminded her of another promise – a promise Catra had said she had broken. But had she really broken it? How could she? Catra was her person. The two of them were inseparable. They loved each other. Or did they? Now she thought about it, Catra had never said it back to her – but she kept sacrificing herself for her, so she must like her, right?

Adora's thoughts were then interrupted by the arrival of the satyr from earlier. He walked over to the bed and told her to keep still while he did some tests. Adora was too tired to argue. Once the doctor finished examining her, he had silently left the room with Bow running after him. Adora could hear their muffled discussion through the door, but she honestly did not care what they were saying. Instead, she tried to process what little information she had been given.

She had been told that she was in Brightmoon and that four years had passed. Apparently, she was now friends with the princesses and no longer friends with Catra. Also, Catra had run away and no one knew where she was. She had been dressed in a Horde uniform, meaning that the Horde still existed. Did that mean Adora really had been fighting against the Horde? Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, Adora tried to focus once more. She remembered seeing a Force Captain's badge on Catra's belt, as well as the Force Commander's diamond on her shoulder. She gasped in realization. That was Shadow Weaver's diamond – not Catra's. Maybe she really had beaten Shadow Weaver. Maybe four years really had passed. Just then, the door opened once more and a man dressed in purple with a black beard came in. He was followed by a beautiful creature with a horn and two large white wings. Before Adora could do anything, it exclaimed:

"Hey Adora! It's so good to see you again!" Adora gasped in horror.

"What are you? Who are you? What's going on?!" The creature looked genuinely hurt at her reaction, making Adora instantly regret it. The man then gave her a smile and stepped closer, saying:

"This is Swift Wind. He's a talking horse. And he can fly. Don't worry, he won't hurt you." Adora could not help but smile back. This person seemed nice, at least. He then sat in the chair next to her bed and said:

"My name is Micah. I'm Glimmer's dad. I was trapped on Beast Island for the last ten years until yesterday, when you came and saved me." Adora gasped:

"Beast Island? It's real?!" Micah smiled and nodded:

"Yep. And, like I was saying, you went there to save me and got blasted by some kind of death ray while doing so. Swift Wind flew you back here and Glimmer got Catra to save you. It seems that, when she did, she may have accidentally erased your memory of the last few years. Not to worry though – the doctor says you'll remember everything soon! We just need to be patient!" Adora stared wide-eyed at Micah. She had to admit there was something familiar about him, but she could not figure out what it was. Had he been on one of the Horde propaganda posters? One of the really old ones from when she and Catra were kids? Swift Wind then stepped forward and nuzzled Adora's cheek. Her eyes grew even wider. She could not believe she was in close contact with this glorious creature. It then said:

"I'm really sorry, Adora! I should have protected you from the death ray, but I didn't make it in time! I failed you!" It said the last part really dramatically. Adora could not help but smile. She successfully broke her right hand free and hugged Swift Wind around his neck. Even if this was some kind of sick joke, there was no way she was not going to enjoy meeting this "horse". With a smile, she played along:

"It's okay, Swifty. I forgive you." Micah, surprised by Adora breaking free, suddenly got up and raised his hands – ready to attack. Adora raised her eyebrow at him – fully prepared to repel anything he hit her with. Swift Wind was blissfully unaware of the tension and pulled back, happily shaking his mane. He then looked at Adora and said:

"Good! Now the beloved bonds of our friendship have been re-sealed, it's time to discuss the elephant in the room." Adora stared at him in confusion.

"What's an elephant?" Micah sat back down in his chair and said:

"I have no idea. Maybe it's slang for something?" Ignoring both of them, Swift Wind continued:

"I mean it's time to talk about the topic we're all clearly avoiding!" Adora raised her eyebrow.

"You mean the fact I'm still tied to my bed and Micah looks ready to knock me out?" She then turned to Micah and glared at him.

"Do it – I dare you." Swift Wind then coughed and declared, rather loudly:

"NO! No hitting! No fighting! Adora, we need to talk about She-Ra!"

When Catra woke up, she had a terrific headache. There was no more pain, however, and she found she could move her legs. As she sat up, she quickly became aware that she was no longer in the clearing. She was now in what appeared to be a small hut, and was lying on a makeshift bed. She was about to get up and go when she saw the lady from earlier doing something in the kitchen – not far from where Catra was sitting. Running her hands through her mane to calm herself, Catra mustered the strength to speak:

"Okay, Crazy Lady. Who are you and what did you do to me?" The lady seemed startled and turned around instantly. When she saw that Catra was awake, she grinned and rushed over to her. She sat next to Catra and put her hands on her face, as if to check that everything was still in the right place.

"Catra, dearie! You woke up so fast! I can see why Adora likes you! You're strong, just like her!" Catra pushed away the lady's hands and gave a low growl.

"Okay, that's enough! How do you know my name? How do you know Adora?" The lady seemed totally unfazed and picked up the jug of water next to the bed, pouring a glass for Catra. She said:

"Adora is She-Ra. I'm friends with She-Ra. And you're her wife - of course I know you!" Catra went wide-eyed and then she burst out laughing. This continued for half an hour. The lady, who had now introduced herself as Madame Razz, not only claimed that Catra was Adora's wife, but that the two had a child named Finn, and that they lived together in Brightmoon. She had also said that Catra was the princess of Half-moon, and that she did not normally dress in "that horrid Horde uniform." Catra had raised her eyebrow at that. She thought her uniform looked pretty good, all things considered.

Honestly, Catra now believed that she had been drugged and that this whole thing was some crazy hallucination. None of what this lady was saying was true, nor could it ever be true. But she really had nowhere else to go, and it was genuinely amusing listening to her. When Madame Razz stopped rambling about how terrible the Horde was (Catra was not going to disagree with her), Catra asked her about Half-moon. After a brief pause, Madame Razz explained:

"Half-moon was an ancient underground kingdom in the Whispering Woods. After the Horde arrived and took over the Scorpion kingdom, they attacked Half-moon. Your mother, the queen, sent for help, but it was too late. Half-moon was completely destroyed, along with all the magicats who lived there. It was long thought that the queen and her daughter had perished too, but then you were found in a box outside the Fright Zone. You told me that your mother, having lost faith in the princess alliance, and knowing what Hordak would do to the other kingdoms, left you outside the Fright Zone, hoping you would be safe there. She then went to live in exile in the Crimson Waste." Catra's face had gone pale and she was suddebly unable to speak. Madame Razz then turned to her and asked:

"But why are you asking me this, dearie? You're the one who told it all to me!" Catra finally wheezed:

"How dare you? You don't know anything about me! Stop doing this - all of this! Tell me the truth! Who are you? Who are you working for? What did you do to me?" While saying this, Catra unsheathed her claws, threatening Madame Razz. The lady simply raised an eyebrow and then bonked Catra on the head with her broom. She then smiled:

"Come now, Catra, dearie! You know who I am! But it seems you've forgotten who you are." Catra growled:

"I know perfectly well who I am. I'm the ex-leader of the Horde and the ex-ruler of Etheria. I'm the big bad villain whose heart's never been in it. I'm broken." She then sighed and lowered her eyes, muttering:

"Just let me go." Catra retracted her claws and slowly got up. Miraculously, she seemed to have been healed, but everything still ached. As she began to head for the door, Madame Razz grabbed her hand, stopping her:

"Wait, dearie! That's not true! You're the one who saves Etheria! You and Adora! You need each other! Go to her, she can help you!" Catra gave a small smile and said:

"How perceptive of you, Razz. If only I'd known that three years ago." She then pulled her hand free and made it to the door. She hesitated once she stepped outside.

"Thanks for helping me, Crazy Lady." Then, without another word, she headed back into the Whispering Woods.

Hordak groaned in frustration. He was in his sanctum, trying to fix the damage caused by his fight with Catra. None of his soldiers had returned. He had sent out a general alert to all his Force Captains, ordering them back to the Fright Zone, but so far none of them had even responded.

Hordak slammed his fist on the table. It was over. He had lost. He was not worthy to return to his brother's side. He had been bested by the princesses – and by Catra. He had underestimated her and resolved never to make that mistake again. As soon as he was healed from his injuries, he would fix his armour and go and kill her. It would probably be the last thing he ever did.

As he stood staring at his broken arm cannon, which lay forlornly on the countertop in front of him, the room suddenly echoed with what sounded like a thunderous explosion. It came from somewhere far above the sanctum. Hordak looked up, unsure of what he was expecting to find. Only seeing the ceiling above him, Hordak shrugged his shoulders, deciding it was just more of the Fright Zone collapsing. He then heard another bang. And then another. The bangs continued in rapid succession of one another, to the point that Hordak finally became concerned.

He limped out of his sanctum towards what was left of the Black Garnet chamber. There was no longer a ceiling there, so he would get a good look at whatever it was making the noise. Once he entered and looked up, he was astonished to see what looked like half a dozen space ships hovering over the Fright Zone. He was even more amazed when he was suddenly surrounded by green light and literally teleported to the deck of one of the ships. As he got his bearings and looked around, his attention was immediately drawn to the figure sitting in the throne in front of him:

"Is that you, little brother? I thought you had perished."