Summary: The cavalry arrives, although they might find themselves biting off a bit more than they can chew.
Notes: *walks in three weeks late with starbucks* I swear I did not mean to take another monthlong hiatus, it just sort of... happened
Glimmer's fingers twisted in Swift Wind's mane. It was surprisingly cold, flying. She never fell long enough to realize it while teleporting, but now it was all she could feel-the cool mist that lived far above the trees, the constant rush of wind that made her eyes water and sent a chill straight to her bones. The only warmth came from Swift Wind and Bow's familiar, anchoring presence just behind her.
She hadn't realized she'd been shivering until Bow's hand gently rubbed her arm.
"She'll be okay," he said, loud enough to be heard over the rushing wind.
Glimmer took a frigid breath, blinking away the moisture in her eyes, and nodded. She looked forward and sat a little straighter, speaking in a voice that carried easily to Swift Wind's ears.
"Tell me again what you felt."
"Again?" His voice was a petulant whine, and Glimmer suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Was this what her mother felt like when she talked back?
"Yes, again."
Swift Wind sighed. "There just isn't much to tell. Like I said, it was… weird. Since Adora and I began forging our sacred bond as She-Ra and her majestic steed—" Glimmer forced back another eyeroll—"I've been able to feel her presence if I try, but I was so… busy that I didn't check in for a while."
"You were off breaking into barns and stealing horses. We know."
"Liberating," he corrected. "Anyway, right as I was liberating another stable, I felt this horrible zap of energy-like a weird, messed up version of our normal connection. I can usually feel how she's feeling, and this… it wasn't good."
As it had with each time Swift Wind got to this point in his story, Glimmer's heart sank like a stone.
"But she was—is—alive." If she said them with enough certainty, maybe the words would finally reassure her.
"Yeah. But she was hurting. A lot. More… more than I think I've ever felt."
She closed her eyes. Bow's hand landed on her arm again and squeezed softly.
"And you're sure she's at the Crystal Castle?" he asked.
"Yeah! One hundred percent sure. Well, ninety-nine. Ninety? I mean, it's a pretty vague connection even when it isn't broken, but I'm pretty sure I saw a purple hologram. How many of those can there be, right?" Swift Wind ended with a nervous chuckle.
"It's the castle. She's there," Glimmer said confidently. Then, a little quieter: "She has to be."
The spire of the castle loomed into the distance, a glistening purple that barely broke the treeline. They'd made this flight many times before, and she knew it wasn't a long trip—but today, it felt interminable. Glimmer's fingers tightened in his mane again.
"I still don't understand why you didn't realize something was off sooner. You're She-Ra's 'magnificent steed' and all."
Swift Wind seemed to droop slightly, and Glimmer felt the barest pang of guilt. He really did care for Adora, she knew that. But still… he should have been there.
"I—yeah, I should have. It's just.. until a few hours ago, it was only the absence of a connection, you know? And I was just so distracted, I guess it was easy to miss. I didn't even realize it was gone until after that zappy thing happened."
"You were distracted," Glimmer repeated, deadpan.
"Well, yeah. Those horses weren't going to free themselves!"
"Yes. Because they were perfectly content where they were."
Swift Wind tossed his mane in what he probably thought was a majestic gesture. "Content to languish in slavery? Not on my watch!"
"Swift Wind." Glimmer could almost hear her own teeth grinding. "If you do not stop talking about your horsey revolution right now, I will personally set fire to every apple tree from here to Plumeria."
His head whipped back to stare at her, and she resisted the urge to shove it forward. At least they weren't low enough to risk flying into any trees.
"Y-you wouldn't."
"Do not test me."
"Glimmer." Bow sighed from behind her, and she felt him shift to the side to give Swift Wind a comforting pat. "Don't worry, buddy. She's just a little stressed. The apples are safe."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure." She felt a nudge from behind her. "Right, Glimmer?"
Ugh. "Right." She gave a heavy sigh, feeling herself deflate. "Sorry, Swiftie. I'm just worried."
He made a comforting whickering noise. "I know." His wings continued their steady beat. "Me too."
When they finally reached the clearing just outside the Crystal Castle, Glimmer slid off almost before Swift Wind's hooves touched the ground.
"Adora?" she called as she sprinted to the door, banging on it with one fist. "Adora! Are you in there?"
"Hey, uh..." Bow said beside her, staring at the door with worried eyes. "Has it always… looked like that?"
"Decrepit" was a kind word for the crumbling ruins of the castle's exterior, but the entry had always been pristine-a smooth, impenetrable surface. Even the climbing vines of the Whispering Woods didn't dare touch it. But now, a hole gaped at the seam of the door, large enough to stick her arm through clear to her shoulder. Massive cracks spidered from the gap, and fresh marks were carved deep into the crystal.
Claw marks.
She traced her fingers across one of the impressions, a chill settling deep in her stomach. No. No, this was good , she told herself. The claw marks were on the outside of the door. Adora had gotten in, and the beasts had stayed out. Glimmer peered through the gap, but the interior was dark. Well, she wouldn't be teleporting blind, so it was fine.
She summoned the magic to her and disappeared in a flurry of sparkles, only to reappear in the exact same place.
What?
She tried again, with the same result.
"Uh, Glimmer? What are you doing?"
A growl of frustration rose in her throat. "I think the castle has some kind of—" a third attempt, a third failure— "Agh! Stupid protection magic!" She kicked the door in frustration as Bow groaned behind her.
"Adora?" she called again through the gap. "Adora, please—if you're in there, just say something. We're here to take you home."
Silence.
"Come on, please," she whispered.
More silence.
Just let us know you're okay.
Glimmer's fist slammed against the door, followed by her head coming to rest with a solid thunk against the cool crystal.
"Hey," Bow said, softly. "We'll figure it out. What was the word Adora said to open it?"
"Eternia," Glimmer recited automatically. "But it doesn't work for us." She punctuated her words with another slam of her fist against the immobile door.
"We'll figure it out," he repeated, moving his other hand to trace the outline of the damaged door. "That crack is pretty big. Worst case, I might be able to widen it enough to get through."
"Uh, guys?" Swift Wind's nervous voice broke in.
"What's up, buddy?" Bow asked, already distracted as he rummaged through his quiver for an appropriate arrow.
"Guys."
Okay, that was definitely fear. Glimmer's gaze snapped up to see Swift Wind backing away slowly, casting nervous glances toward the treeline.
"Swiftie?"
His head turned toward her voice, but his eyes kept darting around the trees in near-panic.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"It's the woods," he said. "Something's not right."
Glimmer listened intently for a moment. "Everything seems quiet. You sure you aren't just jumpy?"
"No, he's right," Bow interrupted, arrow forgotten. Worry was etched deep in his face. "It's too quiet. No birds, no animals—these are the Whispering Woods, and I can't even hear the trees."
Glimmer strained to listen, fear tightening in her chest. There was the distant, barely audible sound of a breeze stirring the forest, but little else. She closed her eyes for a moment to concentrate, hearing nothing but the soft rustle of underbrush as Swift Wind moved a few steps closer.
"You're right," she said, unnerved. "All I can hear is Swift Wind walking around."
"Glimmer." She opened her eyes to see Bow staring at her, suddenly pale. He glanced to Swift Wind, who was standing in the exact same position he'd been before she closed her eyes.
But if he hadn't moved—
"Guys!"
They turned just in time to see a faint shimmer of something dart across the forest floor toward them, not invisible, but not visible either—a shapeless distortion, like waves of heat above hot metal on a summer day.
But it was moving fast.
Too fast.
It struck before any of them could fully process; Swift Wind reared on his hind legs with a shocked, pained whinny. A slash of red stained the white coat of his hind leg.
Bow managed to loose an arrow toward it, responding with the combination of Swift Wind's panicked warning and his own lighting quick reflexes. The arrow whizzed past, pinging harmlessly off the something before somersaulting into the underbrush.
An unearthly cry echoed as whatever it was dove back into the treeline, leaving the forest as silent as it had been seconds before.
"Swift Wind!" Glimmer's cry mixed with a panicked "Are you okay?" from Bow, and Swift Wind took a confused, limping step backward.
"Yeah—I—I think so? It just nicked me." He took another step and made a pained sound.
Rustling in the trees. Louder, this time. Bigger. Glimmer gave a panicked glance toward the forest, then tore off the edge of her cape and dashed toward Swift Wind. A sweeping glance did nothing to reassure her; blood was welling too deep and fast from the cut for her to tell if tendon or bone had been damaged. The simple fact that he was still standing was a good sign, but shock could mask a lot.
"Can you put weight on it?" She asked, clipped.
He tried, then immediately shifted back with a whine and a shake of his head.
That was bad. If he hadn't managed to pull away from the beast as fast he did—
No point thinking about it now. She wrapped the cloth around his injured leg and tied it off tight and fast.
Not fast enough.
Something was coming out of the trees.
"Get out of here, Swiftie," Bow called, readying an arrow. "You can't do any good down here. Come down for us when it's safe, okay?"
Swift Wind opened his mouth to argue, then shut it when Glimmer gave him a nod. He bobbed his head in response, more serious than she'd seen him before, and took to the sky with a sudden rush of wings and wind.
Glimmer turned to see a massive shape emerging from the trees, a sapling bending under its weight, snapping under the unyielding pressure of its enormous paw. Claws dug deep into the soil, carving fresh lines in the grass. Teeth as long as her forearm glistened with saliva in the afternoon light. A growl echoed, low and deep as the roll of distant thunder.
It was the beast. The same enormous, terrifying beast they'd seen in the woods for a brief second before Glimmer teleported them to safety. Except now… she glanced toward the Castle and its mangled door. Now, she couldn't run.
"What do we do?" There was a panicked edge to Bow's voice.
The beast had halted at the edge of the clearing, holding a position that was somehow tense but also relaxed. The stance of a predator waiting for its prey to make their first false move.
Glimmer's expression hardened into a determined glare as she stepped into a battle stance. Brilliant spheres of magic surrounded her clenched fists.
"Whatever we have to."
Adora awoke to the feeling that something wasn't right.
A sound was hammering its way into her head, a single, unchanging tone that blared loud, then silent, then loud again.
An alarm?
It shouldn't have taken her that long to realize. Her head was still fuzzy, still aching. Had she ever heard an alarm inside the Crystal Castle before?
It took her a moment to recognize her surroundings. Sitting, in a way, slumped against the cold hard crystal of the castle walls and... something much warmer. Catra's shoulder, she realized. Her friend's whole body was tense, ears flicking at the tone of the alarm.
Right, the alarm. Adora pushed herself further upright, failing to hold back a wince and a quiet whimper as the motion disturbed her side. Catra immediately turned toward her.
"What's going on?" Adora managed. Her mouth tasted unpleasant. How long had she been asleep?
"Don't know. The castle's been making that noise for the past minute or so."
"Light Hope?"
"Hasn't shown up" Catra broke off with a subtle flinch as the hologram flickered to life right before them. "Ah," she deadpanned. "Of course."
"What's..." Adora trailed off, swallowing against the dryness of her mouth. "What's happening?"
"It appears that some combat is occurring near the castle doors," Light Hope stated. "That, paired with the damage to the door, has triggered a warning. It can be disabled, if you wish."
The blaring of the alarm felt like it was hammering its way through Adora's skull.
"I definitely wish."
The alarm cut off mid-tone, leaving the castle in blessed silence. Catra gave an almost imperceptible sigh of relief, and Adora felt herself slowly waking up.
"What do you mean, 'combat'?" Adora demanded.
"It appears the beasts you fled have been engaged by two members of the Rebellion."
Adora felt her heartbeat quicken. Rebellion? Could it be—but if they were fighting the beasts, alone, they were in danger-
"Can you tell us what they look like?"
"It would be far more efficient to simply show you," Light Hope said with a disinterested wave of her hand. A section of smooth crystal on the wall opposing them flickered to life, displaying an image of the clearing just outside the doors, and Adora's eyes widened. That image: bright bursts of pink magical energy. The light glinting off the golden trim of Bow's armor.
They were here. They'd found her.
Then the massive image of the beast lunged toward them, and Adora inhaled sharply as Glimmer just barely teleported away in time.
They might be here, but unless she did something, they were going to die.
Adora shifted, struggling to pull her feet beneath her before a shock of pain shot through her abdomen. She fell back against the crystal wall, gasping. There was warm pressure on her shoulder: Catra's hand, pinning her in place.
Her friend hovered over her, glaring beyond the concerned set of her jaw. "What do you think you're doing?"
"They can't take that thing alone, Catra! I have to help them." The image of the battle outside continued overhead. She couldn't tear her eyes away. "I have to."
"The only thing you have to do is stay here and not get yourself killed like an idiot."
"They'll die if I don't—"
"You'll die if you do!" Catra shot back, then brought up a clawed hand to pinch her brow. "Adora, look at yourself. You can't even stand."
"I don't—I'll—" Adora wracked her sluggish mind. "She-Ra," she said, suddenly, confidently. "I can use She-Ra." The transformation had been terrible, true, but once she'd been in that form her injuries had been almost manageable. And if the sword had been further repaired, then maybe—
"That is extremely inadvisable," Light Hope's steady, emotionless voice said from behind Catra. "The sword is not yet fully repaired."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but listen to the hologram."
"Catra." Adora could hear the urgency in her own voice, her fear mounting as the images on the screen continued to flicker. "They're here for me. I can't just watch them die."
Catra's tail flicked behind her in agitation.
"They'll be fine."
"Catra—"
"They'll be fine," Catra bit out, "because I'm going to help them."
Adora blinked once, twice.
"You are?"
"Wow," she drawled, sarcastically. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Adora's eyes flicked down to the red-soaked bandage on Catra's arm, the faint streaks of mud on her clothing from Octavia's attempt to drown her. Recalled the stiff way she held her shoulder, and the way one arm kept kept coming up to cradle her ribs until she noticed Adora's gaze and forced it back down.
"I can't let you do that, Catra. You're injured."
Catra's ear flicked in irritation. "Right. Because you're the picture of health."
"No, but—"
Catra's finger pressed gently between Adora's eyes. "Adora."
"What?"
"Shut up."
"Catra, you don't even like them!"
"Yeah, obviously." Catra stood, wincing slightly. "But you—" she stopped, catching herself from saying… something. "They're our best shot out of here. And besides," she stretched her uninjured arm across her body, as if preparing for a casual workout, "I guess I kind of owe them."
She glanced at the screen behind her, then shot Adora a confident smirk.
"Back in a flash."
The feeling of helpless dread hit Adora like a brick wall. Every part of her wanted to yell at Catra to stay, to let Adora go in her place, but… she couldn't. Catra was right. And how could Adora stop her from leaving when her friends' lives hung in the balance?
A bolt of senseless anger shot through her, anger at her own weakness. It rapidly melted away into the pool of nameless fear.
Too slow. Catra was leaving. Without her permission, Adora's hand shot forward to catch her wrist as she passed by. Catra glanced down in surprise, then back up to Adora's face.
What was she doing? Adora hadn't quite figured it out herself. It was just-the thought of all her friends fighting for their lives beyond a set of crystal doors while she sat there, doing nothing, useless—
Her heart was pounding, she noticed, anxiety making her breath come short and fast. She closed her eyes, trying to slow it.
What could she even say? "Good luck?" Catra never needed it. "Don't die?" Pretty obvious.
How could she say: I finally got my best friend back and it might kill me to lose you again, so don't you dare do anything stupid?
"Adora?" Catra asked. That faint concern was written across her face again.
Adora drew a shaking breath.
"If you die out there, I'll kill you," Adora said, finally.
Her words were rewarded with a short, incredulous laugh, followed by Catra pulling her hand away. As she turned, the tip of her tail brushed lightly against Adora's arm in a familiar, unconscious sign of reassurance Adora hadn't felt in what seemed to be years. A touch that meant don't worry when they stood in line for cadet exams, backs straight, eyes forward, and Adora's anxiety threatening to overwhelm her. That meant I'm here when Adora woke, gasping, plastered in sweat from a nightmare. That meant I'm okay when Catra returned from a "disciplinary session" with halting steps, hissing breaths and red-rimmed eyes.
"Wouldn't dream of it," came the light response.
Then she was gone.