"Adora!"

Adora barely had time to process the overjoyed shout of her name before a burst of pink sparkles filled her vision and Glimmer catapulted into her. The wind left her lungs with a soft grunt, and when she regained her balance, Glimmer had wrapped her arms around her in a vise-like embrace. Her face was buried in She-Ra's white shirt, and damp spots soaked through Adora's shirt.

"I can't believe you're okay—you're okay, right?" Glimmer's words came fast, slightly muffled by She-Ra's shirt, but she didn't wait for a response before continuing. "We found all that blood, and—and Bow was worried we might not find you at all, and I was starting to think that maybe we wouldn't either but you're here and you're fine and I'm so glad we found you—"

Glimmer cut off with a choked sound and tightening the hug. Adora winced slightly, expecting a flash of familiar pain in her stomach. It… never came. The faint sense of instability to her connection to She-Ra lingered, and the phantom pain of the dagger sinking into her stomach flickered on the edge of her understanding, but… she was fine.

As long as she was She-Ra.

"Adora!" She looked up to see Bow frantically waving at her, a massive grin splitting his face. Adora returned the wave, smiling back almost as widely. Etheria, she'd missed them. Just seeing them again, seeing them safe, stirred a familiar feeling of comfortable warmth within her—like sipping a cup of Glimmer's favorite hot chocolate at the end of a cold day.

Adora tightened the hug for a moment, then relaxed. Glimmer still hadn't let go.

"Uh, Glimmer? She asked, looking down. Glimmer reluctantly detached herself from the hug and stepped backward—almost stumbling as she did so. Adora shot out a hand to steady her.

"Whoa, are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah," Glimmer said, sheepishly. Adora could see familiar lines of exhaustion on her pale face.

"You used too much magic."

"No," Glimmer shot back. "I used just enough magic so we wouldn't get eaten. You know, big scary beast, and all?"

Adora winced. "Yeah."

The defensiveness evaporated from Glimmer's face and she elbowed Adora playfully. "You really know how to make friends, huh?"

Friends. That was one way to put it. "I'm sorry," Adora said. "I never wanted to put you guys in danger."

"C'mon, Adora! This is a war, we're in danger all the time. Give us a chance to protect you for once. Now c'mon," she said, grabbing She-Ra's arm and tugging her forward. "Let's get Bow before he combusts."

Adora stumbled after her, met half-way by Bow jogging toward them and another welcome—if bone-crushing—hug. It wasn't until after she had reassured a teary-eyed Bow at least three times that he was not a bad friend for worrying they might not find her and thanked him twice for not giving up looking that she noticed Catra standing just behind him, leaning casually against a boulder.

Well, "casual" might not have been the word for it. In reality, she was leaning against the rock because she'd fall down if she didn't. It might have fooled anyone else, after years of seeing her friend fight to maintain a confident front in the aftermath of a day being battered in simulation, punished by Shadow Weaver, or bullied by senior cadets, Adora could see straight through the facade.

Regardless, Adora was so happy to see her that she stepped forward, arms lifting as if to hug her—and then hesitated. Catra braced one arm stiffly over her ribs, and fresh blood flowed from a concerning set of deep scratches on her leg, but… something about her stance communicated an unease that didn't come from physical discomfort. A lingering tension to her muscles. The hint of a crease between her brows as she stared up at She-Ra's form.

A form that was not only Adora, but also the person who tore Catra's best and only friend away from her.

Adora pulled short as Catra swept the tension from her expression.

Adora wondered how many times that had happened before.

"Hey, Adora." The words were weaker, more strained than usual. Catra raised an eyebrow and nodded toward the small crater She-Ra had left in the dirt near the Castle's crumbling entrance. "Dramatic much?"

"Oh, you know," Adora said with a casual shrug. "Had to make an entrance."

Catra snorted. "Good job. I guess Octavia won't be bothering us anymore."

"I don't think she'll be bothering anyone anymore."

"Good," Catra said, forcefully. She shifted and winced, and Adora's gaze traveled to the gashes on Catra's leg.

"Are you okay? We really should wrap those—"

Adora didn't get to finish that sentence, since she was interrupted by a sudden whoosh of air and swirl of color as Swift Wind landed nearly on top of them.

"Adora!"

"Swifty!" Adora leapt forward, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug—and then pulled back when he stumbled slightly. "Whoa buddy, what's wrong?" She glanced over him, noting the torn fragment of Glimmer's cape wrapped around one of his legs, now stained red. Her brow knit in concern. "You okay?"

Swift Wind gave a dismissive shake of his head. "I'm fine. Adora. We need to get you back to Bright Moon so they can take care of you!"

Adora stiffened. How did he…? "What?"

"Please. I'm your noble steed," he said, giving his colorful mane a majestic toss before leveling her with a more serious look, gently nosing toward her abdomen. "I know you're hurt."

"What?" Glimmer's voice joined in, edged with fresh concern. "What's wrong with her? Adora, didn't you heal after transforming?"

"Nothing! Nothing's wrong, I'm fine—"

"No, you're not," Swift Wind insisted.

"I'm—" she broke off, wincing slightly at being the center of concern. Clearly they weren't going to be satisfied with a brush-off. She heaved a sigh.

"Okay, the runestone in the sword got cracked when we fell into the canyon, and it really messed with She-Ra's magic." She paused a moment, considering how much to tell them. None of them knew what had happened between her and Octavia in the castle. And none of them—not even Adora—knew what would happen when She-Ra's form finally dropped. Maybe she'd be healed.

The solid line of her connection to She-Ra fuzzed, briefly, and an echo of pain flickered through her abdomen.

Or maybe she wouldn't.

But she didn't know. So why stress anyone out?

Adora swallowed past the rapidly rising lump in her throat. She'd always been terrible at lying. Not that this was lying, of course, just… leaving a bit out. "I got injured in the explosion that knocked us down there, and Catra's been taking care of me since I couldn't turn back into She-Ra until the sword was repaired. Well, mostly repaired," she amended, turing the sword over to look at the hairline crack still visible in the runestone.

Glimmer shot a suspicious, but grudgingly appreciative, glance toward where Catra leaned unsteadily against the rock.

Catra returned the look with a dismissive half-shrug.

"How badly were you hurt?" Bow demanded. "There was a lot of blood…"

"I'm fine," Adora said, automatically. Now that was one lie she might be able to pull off, given how many years of practice she'd had.

Except, of course, Catra was there.

A scoff came from her direction. "Don't listen to her. She has an infected shrapnel wound in her side, broken ribs, and a huge concussion. I'd be worried about brain damage…" Catra paused, offering Adora a wicked smile. "If there was anything left in there to get damaged, that is."

Adora sputtered. "Well, you have cracked ribs too—and you got ripped up by beasts, and have a dislocated shoulder, and you almost drowned !"

Bow gave a sympathetic grimace, and Glimmer's expression slowly morphed from mild annoyance to concern. Whether it was concern for Catra's condition or concern for how she was going to get two injured people back to Bright Moon, Adora wasn't entirely sure.

"Eh." Catra waved her words away, then winced at the motion. "Actually, pretty sure those ribs are broken by this point."

"Okay," Glimmer broke in, pinching her brow. "You're both very strong. And stupid. But I can only teleport one of you to Bright Moon, so who's it going to be?"

"Adora," Catra said, definitively.

"No way," Adora shot back. "Look at your leg, you're bleeding all over!"

"And you've been doing what, exactly, for the past two days?"

"I'm She-Ra now."

Catra gave a gasp of surprise. "Really? And here I thought you were just doing something different with your hair."

Bow glanced between them, an expression somewhere between vague discomfort and amusement at their bickering written across his face.

"Catra, please, just go with Glimmer. I'll catch up with Swifty."

"If you think I'm going anywhere alone with Bright Moon Rebels, you're nuts," Catra hissed. She glanced toward Glimmer. "No offense, Sparkles, but I trust you about as much as a broken stun baton."

"The feeling's mutual, Furball."

"What did you just call me?"

Glimmer threw her hands up in the air. "Ugh! Okay, I am sick of being treated like a magical taxi. I'll settle this: Adora, I'm taking you. If she has to come back to Bright Moon, she's doing it with Bow and and the horse."

"Excuse me, I am more than just 'the horse,' thank you very much—"

"No," Adora said, obstinately. "I'm not going if she isn't."

"For the love of Etheria, Adora, I can't teleport all three of us!"

"Then take Bow. Catra and I will take Swift Wind back. It's not far, we'll be fine. You good with that, Swifty?" She turned as she finished the sentence, addressing him.

Swift Wind glanced between Adora and Catra, distaste clear in his expression when his gaze landed on the other girl. "Do I have a choice?"

"Not really," Adora said, cheerfully.

Swift Wind blew out an aggravated, horsey sigh. "Then yes. I'm 'good' with it."

"Great. Wonderful. Glad we sorted that out." Catra pushed off the rock, taking a shaky step forward. "Now can we—" her sentence broke off when her injured leg buckled beneath her. Bow's hand shot out, barely catching her arm before she hit the ground, but she couldn't stifle a yelp of pain when the sudden shift in momentum pulled against her ribs.

"Shoot!" Bow said, adjusting his hold to around her shoulders and settling her into a sitting position leaning against the rock. Adora was kneeling at her side in an instant, and Bow pulled his hand away. "I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

Catra ignored him, wincing as Adora carefully started to peel some of Catra's shredded, blood-soaked trouser leg away from the wound. The beast's claws didn't seem to have hit an artery, but the amount of blood was still… concerning.

"Okay, we are definitely dealing with this first," Adora said, half to herself.

Catra's breath was coming short and fast, sweat stood out on her brow, but she hissed at Bow anyway.

"Touch me again and I'll claw your face off."

Bow pulled back further, hands raised. "Sorry!" He continued to hover nearby, though, a friendly and faintly awed look on his face. "I saw what you did, that was amazing. And kind of gross. But mostly amazing. Thank you, by the way."

Catra blinked confused, slightly unfocused eyes. "What?"

"For pushing me out of the way." He grinned. "Never thought I'd say this, but… I owe you."

"Oh. Yeah. Well."

Catra shifted, pulling something from her belt with a grunt, and then extended the arrow she'd borrowed to kill the beast. It was a different color now, covered in a dark, slightly tacky coating of the beast's blood.

"Want this back?"

Bow turned faintly green. "You know, you can hang on to that one, actually," he squeaked.

"Catra, stop harassing him," Adora said, apparently satisfied with the cloth and debris she'd managed to pick out of the scratches. She glanced around. "Do we have anything to wrap this with?" Her gaze dropped to the odd half-skirt of She-Ra's uniform, and she started to reach for her sword.

"Here," Glimmer interrupted, shoving the torn remains of her sparkly cape into view. "It's already ruined anyway."

Adora shot her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Glimmer."

It was easy enough to cut the cape into strips, shifting the sword into a pair of scissors to help. Scissors. Not a dagger. She shuddered almost imperceptibly. Never a dagger again.

Catra's eyes were on her—half-closed, but sharp. Perceptive. Adora shook off the fuzzy feeling of dread and focused her attention on the cloth in her hand.

"I can't believe you guys were stuck down there for two days," Bow mused, staring past the trees in the direction of the canyon. Catra rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, time flies when you're having fun," she said, dryly.

"It must have been terrible." He shuddered. "Bet you can't wait to get far, far away from that pit."

"It's a canyon," both Catra and Adora corrected in perfect, irritated unison.

Bow and Glimmer shared a confused glance.

"Okay then," Bow said, drawing out the word in confused agreement. "'Canyon.'"

"Didn't know you were such sticklers for geographical terminology," Glimmer added, arms folded.

"Oh, neither did I," came Catra's airy reply. "You learn a lot about a person's priorities when you're stuck with their stubborn ass for days." Then, under her breath to Adora: "Nerd."

"No one made you stay," Adora shot back, a smile pulling at her lips. "Sap."

An angry fire lit in Catra's eyes, and her gaze darted self-consciously to Bow, then Glimmer, then back on Adora. A low growl came from her throat, but it sounded too much like a purr for Adora to take it as the warning it was intended to be.

"I will claw you," Catra hissed.

"Try it," Adora challenged. Catra inhaled, heaving her exhausted muscles up to give a half-hearted swipe in Adora's direction before her arm dropped back to the ground, trembling slightly. After two days, she was running on empty. Adora knew the feeling.

"You're not worth the effort," Catra grumbled.

"Mm-hm."

"Ugh," Catra said, weakly, wrinkling her nose as Adora tied the cloth around her leg. A gust of wind stirred the trees and Adora tensed, glancing over her shoulder. The beasts probably weren't interested in coming back. She started moving a little faster anyway.

"Smells like princess magic."

Adora snorted. "Better get used to it. I'm sure I smell like princess magic too."

"No. You just smell like—you." Catra blinked, then quickly continued. "Well, except when you're She-Ra. Or you've been training. Or you haven't changed your shirt in three days. Speaking of which, how long were we in that canyon, again?"

"Okay, okay."

"What I'm trying to say here, Adora," Catra said, lifting a bloodstained hand to Adora's shoulder and staring into her eyes as if about to impart some heavy truth, "…is that you stink."

"Yeah. Somehow, I got that."

"Are you sure? I can go over it again, maybe a little slower—agh." Catra's words cut off abruptly when Adora tightened the blue cape over the wounds marking Catra's thigh. Dark blood was already starting to seep into the fabric, and Adora's stomach clenched. Despite her stream of levity, Catra was pale, a thin layer of sweat glistening on her forehead.

They needed to get back to Bright Moon.

Behind them, Bow and Glimmer were involved in a quiet, tense conversation with occasional glances toward Catra. Adora met Catra's eyes, raising her eyebrows slightly and glancing between her and Swift Wind. Can you walk?

Catra shifted slightly, pulling her uninjured leg toward her in preparation to rise, then pulled short with a soft, frustrated groan. Her eyes closed briefly before she met Adora's gaze again and gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head.

"Right," Adora said, loudly. She rose from the ground and turned to address Bow and Glimmer. "I think we're ready. When you get back, tell the infirmary to get ready for someone with injuries."

"Make sure they're ready for two people," Catra groused from behind her. Adora cleared her throat.

"Yeah, uh, two people. Doesn't hurt to be on the safe side." She gave what she hoped was a reassuring grin.

"We will." Glimmer put her hand on Bow's arm in preparation to teleport, then suddenly covered the short distance between them to wrap Adora in another hug. "See you soon."

She pulled back, shot Adora an encouraging smile, then took Bow's hand and disappeared in a cloud of pink sparkles.

There was silence for a moment.

"Them? Really?"

"Shush. They're nice."

"Oh, yeah. I especially liked the part where Sparkles almost singed my—" Catra cut off, wincing, as Adora pulled her to her feet and draped Catra's arm across her shoulders. "—face off," Catra finished weakly, face a little green.

"Sorry," Adora offered, but the corner of her mouth twitched.

"Yeah, I can tell."

They took a halting step toward Swift Wind, who hobbled a bit closer before spreading his wings out low to allow them easier access to his back. It was a strange reversal of their roles up until this point, Adora thought to herself, wrapping one arm around Catra's back to try and keep more weight off her injured leg.

On their next step, she almost fell.

For the barest moment, the sure strength of She-Ra faded away, like a wave pulling back from the shoreline to uncover the darkened sands below. Searing pain flashed through her stomach—but distant, still, deadened from its true intensity—before She-Ra's strength flooded back and swept the pain away. Adora stumbled, and Catra inhaled sharply as the motion pulled her forward.

"S-sorry," Adora gasped.

Catra caught her breath, then gave her a piercing glance. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just the sword, it's not repaired all the way." Adora pulled them another step closer to Swift Wind, but she could feel Catra still staring at her.

"And?"

"And what?"

"There's something else."

"No. I just tripped. Don't be weird about it."

"Don't be—oh, that's rich coming from you."

They were at Swift Wind's white flank now, and Catra stared unhappily at the height of his back. Adora glanced at the bandage above his hoof. Normally, he would have knelt, but she couldn't ask it of him with the condition of his leg.

"Do you want me to pull you up, or…?"

Catra huffed and shook her head, so Adora laced her hands together to make a step. It took some fumbling and Catra digging her claws into Adora's shoulder so hard she winced, but soon she was up on his back, slumped forward and swaying slightly. Adora clambered on behind her.

"Did something happen in there?" Catra asked, once she was seated.

"Catra, please."

"Was it Octavia? I swear, if I'd known she would get in, I never would've—" her mouth clamped shut.

"I'm fine," Adora said, automatically.

"And I'm the queen of Bright Moon."

Adora sighed.

Don't lie. Catra can tell, and she's already hurt—she doesn't need to worry about me too.

"I wasn't fine before, alright? The sword was helping, but I'm not totally healed yet. That's all."

Catra was staring at her, clear-eyed and perceptive despite trembling of her muscles and the sweat on her brow.

"Did she hurt you?"

Yes.

And I'm terrified.

Adora took a deep breath.

"It's fine, Catra. Light Hope helped. I… got the sword, then I took care of her."

Swift Wind shook his mane and spread his wings, then cleared his throat loudly. "You ready back there?"

"Yeah," Adora said, quicky. "Sorry, bud, Let's go home."

Catra stiffened visibly at the words, and again when Adora looped an arm around her waist.

"It's a long way down if you pass out," she explained.

"I'm not gonna— oof!" Catra cut off as Swift Wind took off in a sudden rush of wings and wind, the tops of the trees already becoming distant below them. Icy wind cut through the cloth of She-Ra's uniform, but as always, she was more… aware of the sensation than truly experiencing it. Variations in temperature didn't seem to bother her magical form. Catra, however, would have no such benefit. Adora wrapped her other arm around her and realized the other girl was stiff as a board.

"First time flying?" she asked, nonchalantly.

She felt Catra force herself to relax, clawed fingers loosening their death grip in Swift Wind's mane. "Please. I've been in a skiff while you were flying—nothing scares me."

"I'm pretty sure things went worse after you took over."

Silence, and for a moment, Adora regretted her words. Images flashed through her mind: The vine, the fall, the sword… and everything after.

"Yeah."

Silence again. Adora could see Catra's head starting to nod, slipping down before jerking back up. She gave a worried glance to the side and saw a thin trickle of blood flowing from the soaked bandage on her leg, staining Swift Wind's side.

"Hey, Adora." The words were uncharacteristically quiet, and Adora's attention snapped to her.

"Hm?"

"When we get there… What do you think will happen?"

Adora took a breath, held it, and exhaled. "Well, they'll heal you, first of all."

"How magnanimous."

Adora narrowed her eyes at the back of Catra's head, but let the comment slide. "After that… I'm not sure," she said, honestly. "But they're not like the Horde, Catra. They're good people."

Catra snorted softly in response, but said nothing.

"Whatever happens, I'll be there too. I pro—"

"—don't," Catra cut her off. "Don't say that."

Something like guilt constricted in Adora's chest.

"I'll be there," she said, forcefully. Adora unconsciously tightened her hold, then loosened it when she felt Catra wince.

"Ribs."

"Sorry."

Silence again.

Maybe she couldn't promise, but she had to say something. "I will be there," Adora repeated, not as forceful as before, but firm; gentle.

There was no response until, finally, Catra's head dipped in a slight nod.

"Okay."

It wasn't until a few minutes later that Adora remembered she was in no position to be making promises.

The ebb and flow of She-Ra's strength wasn't something she could ignore anymore. She could feel the magic flickering in her mind, the once strong and steady connection now more akin to a guttering candle. The pain increased each time the connection faded. Sweat dampened her uniform and beaded on her skin, made frigid by the cold air rushing past.

Cold.

She wasn't supposed to feel cold.

She took a few deep breaths, trying to center the connection. It felt like trying to sew a piece of cloth together while someone tore at the seams, but… it helped. The chill faded back from a feeling to an awareness.

Catra was asleep, now, or unconscious. She was tired enough and had lost enough blood for it to be either. Adora could feel the steady rise and fall of Catra's breathing against her chest, even if the breaths were slightly labored. She tried to let the motion comfort her.

"Adora." Swift Wind's voice cut through her wandering thoughts. From the tone, it wasn't the first time he'd called her name. He spoke again, softer, worried, just loud enough to be heard over the wind rushing past their ears. "During the fight, before you left the castle, I felt—" He stopped for a moment. "You're not okay, are you?"

The urge to laugh swelled in her chest, a wild mix of emotions swirling and tugging her mind a million different directions. Panic, fear, helplessness, dread—they all mixed into the tears she suddenly found in her eyes, the strange thickness in her throat.

"No." Swift Wind's worry mounted through their familiar, yet fuzzy mental connection. "But I—I will be. I think."

It was hard to say the words when she didn't believe them herself.

"—dora. Adora. "

Adora shook herself, forcing tired eyes to focus. For the past… minutes? Hours? Years? She had been concentrating so hard on holding on to both She-Ra's form, keeping both her and Catra upright on the horse, that she hadn't processed anything except the rush of frigid air past her face and arms, the warmth of Catra's body— still alive —and the waves of pain that coursed through her body each time she had to pull She-Ra's form back to her. The magic wanted so desperately to slip away.

Adora blinked, processing her surroundings. The familiar stonework towering above her—the runestone glowing gently in the distance—daylight glinting off the shining metal that adorned the walls—

Bright Moon.

She was finally, finally back.

At some point, Catra had sagged back against her, head resting limp just beneath Adora's chin. She didn't stir, even when jostled. Concern twisted Adora's stomach. She had to… a wave of hazy pain washed over her before she managed to drag She-Ra's magic back. It was draining away from her, slowly, like sand through her fingers…

Help.

Catra needed help.

Adora slid off Swift Wind's back, dimly aware that he was saying something. It didn't matter. No, that was rude. She'd… have to ask him later.

Catra came next, as Adora pulled her unnervingly still form off Swift Wind's back and into her arms, staggering under Catra's light weight before recovering. Her vision grayed again, the agony in her stomach becoming more real with each wave, but she forced herself to focus on Catra's pale face.

Breathing. Catra was still breathing. Shallow, raspy breaths, but there.

She should have made Glimmer take her back—

Adora took a staggering step toward the castle.

One of the doors burst open, and healers flooded toward them. Hands overlapped hers, gently trying to pry Catra from her grasp before she processed what was happening. She gently lay her onto a stretcher before stumbling backward.

She should follow—she needed to follow—she said she'd stay with her.

Pink and brown swam into her vision, and she realized Glimmer and Bow were trying to talk to her.

"...dora," Glimmer's concerned voice pierced the fog. "Are … okay?"

There was a hand on her shoulder, warm and steadying.

Pain.

She doubled over with it this time, taking deep, heaving breaths as the golden rope holding She-Ra's magic to her broken body frayed to a bare string. She straightened, somewhat, still hunched forward.

"Adora!" Both Glimmer and Bow were trying to support her now, panic etched in their faces as they frantically waved a healer over.

Moisture filled Adora's eyes and blurred her vision further.

If there had ever been any doubt, she now knew what would happen when She-Ra's form dropped away. She needed—she needed to make sure—

"Not her fault," she gasped out.

"What?"

"What happened… Catra doesn't know. She helped me. Octavia… did this." She braced herself against a fresh wave of pain. The connection hung by a gilded thread. It would break, and when it did—

—she was scared.

She was so scared.

The world was swirling away. She gulped in air, managing to force out one last sentence.

"I love you guys."

The thread snapped.

A/N: This is the last cliffhanger I PROMISE (It wasn't even supposed to be here, I'm just... so so bad at estimating chapter lengths)