Hello, welcome back for a second chapter, I again apologise for any spelling mistakes that may be found, though keep in mind, I do have mild autism, so if you find any mistakes, please point them out and i'll be sure to fix them. On another note, I feel the need to point out that in this story, Catra won't be her usual violent and 'evil' self we've become accustomed to in the show, but rather the broken and regretful once we saw at the end of S4. I feel like thats how S5 will start, so thats how i'm gonna right her.
"King Micah asked you to be regent!?" Bow was overflowing with joy, after Adora had just told him about her new position, his face alight with amazement.
"Yeah, King Micah asked me to be regent, and I said yes" Adora had looked away at the floor before answering, her voice stale and rueing what she had said. Bow quickly noticed Adora's regret in her decision.
"Adora, are you alright. I thought you'd be excited for something like this, I mean your practically leader of Brightmoon now" Bows response came quicker than Adora had hoped, leaving her stumbling for her words.
"I.. uh… yeah, i'm alright, I just.. I'm not a leader Bow, I don't know how to command an army, especially with the current state of things." Adora hands cupped her face as she dragged her cheeks down in stress "ugh, how did Glimmer do this"
"Oh come on Adora, it can't be that bad, I mean, weren't you a force captain before you left the Horde, you gotta have some leadership to do that right?"
"Well yeah, but I was a force captain for like 3 days, I hadn't commanded anything serious, plus, Catra was always the strategist in our squad" Adora thought back to her time in the Horde when her promotion was brought up, and of course that immediately made her think of Catra. Though she hasn't really stopped thinking about her since Bow said she's been missing.
Adora had spent the last couple days stressing over her new position, deciding on when to tell Bow and the others. All she could think about was, where was Catra, what to do next, how to rescue Glimmer, and why Horde Prime hadn't destroyed them yet? Adora had come to realise the burden on Glimmers shoulders, but before her train of thought could get any longer she was brought back to reality by Bows calming voice.
"Well maybe, but I think you'll make a great leader" Bow quickly added before pulling Adora into a trademarked Bow hug, immediately easing her raging her mind.
Before they could get too comfortable however, a guard came bursting into the room out of breath, huffing after every word. "Princess Adora,… Bow,…. Horde Prime is mounting an attack on the front gates,.. come quick"
Before the guard had even finished his sentence Adora had grabbed sword she had taken from the armoury earlier in the day and was readying to leave, Bow following just after. They had practically sprinted past the guard and were at the front gates by the time they could blink or say a word to each other.
Adora had gone first with Bow behind her and stood fast at bright moons entrance, ready for a fight. Within moments all the other princesses had joined alongside them, along with a few guards.
Together they stood as an impenetrable wall, ready to fight for what they believed, and ready as they were, no one was prepared for what came over the ridge line.
The small army stood just before the gate, ready for the fight of their lives. The sun began to set just behind mounds and Etheria's many moons began to rise. The sky lit up with what could only be described as a wave of fire, illuminating its once blue screen with gorgeous orange. All eyes sat on the ridge line, awaiting Horde Primes forces, and they were soon met with a shadowed silhouette of 4 figures walking in a tight formation toward them, not showing any sign of hostility.
Just four clones walked as casual as a pedestrian at the markets, though in a two by two formation, keeping something hidden in the middle. Four clones may be small, but Horde Prime was an enemy no-one was sure of, and so the princesses kept themselves readied for anything.
A heavy silence fell as the clones came to a stop not ten feet from the princesses. Each with a blank stare, not looking at them, but not behind them either, simply staring, at what no-one was sure. Neither the clones nor the princesses dared to speak until one of the clones dropped a small device onto the floor.
The device oriented itself into an upright position before becoming giving or a cool blue glow accompanied with a small hum, and began to display a hologram of Horde Prime.
"Aah, you must be the princesses, I have heard so much about you from my disgraceful brother, who I must apologise for. His actions are a stain on the Horde empire. However I am not here to discuss him, but am here for more.. diplomatic reason, a true perhaps?" Horde Prime leaned back on his chair, sharing a warm smile that brought nothing but a venomous taste to the princesses mouths.
Adora was the first to speak up, holding her sword still at the ready. "What you mean trade, what do you want from us?"
"Oh well you see, it has come to my attention that you are in possession of a weapon of great power, and seeing as you nearly destroyed yourselves with it, I thought it best to put it in safe keeping" Horde Primes attitude remained diplomatic, showing only that poisonous smile.
Adora didn't like the idea of Horde Prime getting the Heart of Etheria, but she knew it might be the only way to get Glimmer back. After all rescuing her from the Fright Zone was hard enough, how would they rescue her from Horde Primes ship.
"If you want the Heart then we want Glimmer back, where is she" Adora spoke sternly with ferocious determination, and had taken a rooted stance, trying to look as intimidating as possible.
"Aah, yes, the Queen, don't you worry she is safe here. She is being given the treatment royalty deserves, the finest room and lavishing meals. I am willing give her to you in exchange for the Heart"
"How do we know you wont double cross us!" Frosta practically yelled from behind Adora, demanding an answer, as it was the questioning everyone was asking themselves.
"Oh well little one, I am nothing if not a man of my word, but if my word is not enough for you, than please take this as a token of good faith"
As if on queue, the clones separated and pushed a badly injured Catra out in front. She took a few stumbling steps forward before falling to her knees. It wasn't difficult to see her injuries as her left arm wore a sleeve of dried blood, and her once golden eye was closed shut, blackened with bruises and sealed with more dried blood. Her right arm was wrapped around her torso clutching her side and she was visibly shaking. Every breath she took looked looked painful and fresh drips of blood could be seen slipping down her left arm which supported her up as she struggled on her knees.
Adora couldn't hide her gasp or look of absolute terror from the sight before her. As much as she claimed to be Catra's enemy now, nothing could have prepared her for this. They may be enemies now, but Adora never wanted to see this, Catra on her knee's looking mere moments from death. Adora knew she need medical attention, and so let out the first coherent thought that came to her mind.
"We accept your offering, but we'll need time to think about the trade" Adora tried to keep her voice calm and diplomatic, but there was no hiding the anger she felt towards Horde Prime, an anger caught by everyone around her, even Catra, who had looked up to see the fury hiding behind Adora's eyes.
"Very well, I will leave to your ways, but I will return in a week and I ask that you have an answer ready, I don't like to be kept waiting" Horde Prime disappeared as the small device shut off, his clones picking it up before turning in unison, leaving in much the same formation that they had arrived, disappearing over the ridge line, as the sun set completely, hiding any more movements.
The princesses had broken into an uproar about what to do with the trade, practically forgetting Catra, who now tried to stand only to fall completely, ramming her shoulder into the ground with a pained hiss. Adora grabbed the closest guard she could and told them to prep the infirmary, a command which the guard promptly followed.
Before anyone had noticed Adora was by Catra's side readying to lift to her, and carry her to the infirmary. "You're not gonna like this, but I don't care" Adora spoke sternly without looking Catra in the eye, and began to lift Catra with both arms bridal style, earning a hiss of pain from her.
Catra hated the idea of being carried by Adora, but right now, she was too injured to care, or to even look at her for that matter. She just laid there with head facing away from Adora and her eyes shut, hoping to get some rest soon, which was quickly granted as she fell unconscious.
Adora began carrying Catra to the infirmary but was quickly cut off by the other princesses, who were practically scolding her about Catra.
"What are you doing Adora, she's the enemy, we should just leave her"
"Don't you remember everything she's done!?"
"She needs to pay for what she did at princess prom!"
Before Adora could take any more, she quickly blurted out, "She is dying, and we don't leave people to die. We can talk about punishment later but right now she needs medical attention"
Everyone stood silent for a brief moment before a collective agreement was heard, albeit with a bit of murmuring amongst the guards.
As Adora carried Catra through Brightmoon she came to face King Micah by a door.
"Oh no!, who's been hurt? I was told it was a diplomatic meeting?" King Micah rushed to Adora's aid before getting a glance at the injured girl. "Who's this?"
"This is Catra, i'll explain later, just… can you get the door for me" Adora quickly responded, realising she's gonna have to explain a lot to King Micah about her past, and that is not a conversation she's gonna enjoy.
King Micah opened the door and let Adora through, waiting only a few minutes while Brightmoon's doctors tended to Catra, though a bit stubbornly. Adora sat in a chair at the wall of the room, overseeing Catra's treatment, partly because she wanted to keep an eye on her, and partly because she didn't want to have to face the other princesses about any of this yet, mostly because she didn't know what she was doing yet.
After what felt like hours Adora had fallen asleep, awaking to a dimly lit room with only her, and Catra lying unconscious strapped to a hospital bed. Adora could have sworn she saw the shadows move but passed it off to post sleep haziness. She rubbed her eyes and came to realise that it wasn't just haziness, as the shadow now stood over Catra's bed.
"What the—, Get away from her!" Adora yelled grabbing the sword at her side, entering a battle stance.
"Please Adora, you mustn't let your anger control you like that" A sharp and sinister voice reached Adora's ears before the shadow turned its gaze to meet her own, enveloping her in a cold icy stare as white eyes pierced her mind.
"Shadow Weaver" Adora practically spat the words upon realising who the shadowed figure was. "Get away from her" Adora spoke with silent yet heavy tone, her eyes returning Shadow weavers stair with a powerful glare, her words seeming to sharpen her sword as she took a step forward.
"Oh Adora, isn't it strange how even after all this time, you still care for her, and it always seems to bring the two of you back together, like an invisible line drawing you both to a cliff face." Shadow Weaver spoke with a soft almost motherly tone, though ending her statement with only disgust , but Adora had come too familiar with it to let it affect her.
"So what if I still care for her, thats not a bad thing, but either way no-one deserves what you did to us as kids" Adora stared deadly knives at Shadow Weaver as she took another step forward, fearful of what might happen next.
Shadow Weaver let out a lowly sinister chuckle as she began to float to the door, " Oh Adora, you have forgotten your training so easily, affection is a weakness that will get you killed" A deathly silence fell as before she began for the door, closing it as silent as if it were never opened. Almost as if on queue, the lights in the room returned to a normal state.
Adora let out a shaky breath, glad to have that confrontation over. She walked to Catra's bedside and put a hand on its railing, letting out a deep sigh, looking onward at Catra's sleeping body, "I'm sorry Catra, for not stopping her when we were younger" Adora, sat for a moment longer, let the empty silence consume her before leaving the room, turning the lights off on her way out, though unknown to her, Catra's eyes still glowed open in the dark, staring to her side.
Catra didn't know what to think, didn't know what to do. A part of her wanted to try and escape, but another part wanted to stay, so she lay there, in the hospital bed, letting Adora's words play on repeat in her mind. She'd heard it a thousand times before, 'Im sorry', so why did it now feel so different, maybe because Adora had finally stood up to Shadow Weaver for her, maybe because deep down, she was looking for a reason to forgive Adora, she didn't know, and frankly, she was afraid of the answer. All she did know, was that tears had begun to fall from her eyes like a slow rainfall, making its way down her cheek, and she was too tired to wipe the drops away, show she let them flow, before succumbing to her fatigue, and letting her eyes close again, ready for sleep.
Well my friends, hope you enjoyed this chapter, i'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as I can, (its gonna be a good one) All reviews are greatly appreciated and I hope to hear what everyone thinks of my writing, as I am still hoping to better myself, so any form of feedback is helpful. Have a wonderful day (or night) :)
