For the episode, type in Billibilli TV: She-Ra S5 E12

Adora was struggling. To keep it nice and simple. She was struggling. These last three years had arguably been the hardest of her life, and she'd served in the Horde for thirteen years before she defected. Ever since she found She-Ra on the crystal planet before they saved Catra, the magical being had been... temperamental at best. Despite Adora focusing her... well... everything... into summoning her, She-Ra just would not appear. Not like she used to. She couldn't tell anybody this, no. As several people had told her; the world needed She-Ra now. Not Adora.

They couldn't know Adora was struggling.

She hadn't even felt She-Ra since the battle at the Fright Zone when Scorpia blasted her into a wall. The pain radiating from her back didn't even come close to the pain of She-Ra dissipating. All she could muster out was a groan as she collapsed to the ground. She supposed she owed thanks to Shadow Weaver for forcing her to work through sicknesses and injuries as a kid. Had she not had the drive to just get on with it there was no doubt Scorpia would've killed her.

Perfuma could tell something was wrong; that was just who she was. Adora had to try especially hard to hide her anxiety and pain from her... something that proved to be harder and harder with each success.

As she stood in the tent, alone for the first time in a while, trying to summon her magical alter-ego.

Adora extended her right hand, willing the sword to appear. It flickered before her eyes like a glitch before stopping. It sent a wave of agony throughout her body as if she was playing with electricity.

She winced in pain, grabbing her wrist with her left hand to steady it. She forced all thoughts away and tried again. Her hand burned as she let it fall with a despondent sigh. Why was She-Ra doing this? Why was she causing Adora pain? Her eyes drifted to her chest, where the failsafe burned brightly. Was it the fail-safe? Would... would it stop her from being She-Ra?

Was the whole thing a ruse by Mara's rebels? Obviously, Adora was the only one strong enough to withstand the destructive energy, but... maybe it would obliterate She-Ra and the host? Maybe it needed two lives to be set free? Adora shook her head and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

"Come on She-Ra... I know you're in there," She mumbled, breathing deeply. Her hand still ached from the failed attempt at summoning the sword, but it was nice. She was used to pain; to it grounding her. If she was pain-free, then she wasn't doing a good job.

That's what Shadow Weaver had always said.
"If you're not hurting after a training session, you've not done a good enough job. Go again,"

So if she was hurting, that meant Adora was doing good. She rolled her shoulders and took a steadying breath. "Come on, girl..." The familiar burn began in her eyes, settling into her bones with a painful announcement. She breathed through it, opening her eyes.

Before her stared back two glowing ice-blue irises.

Adora took another deep breath, throwing her hand out and trying again.
The pain burned strong and hot throughout her nerves, sending each and every single one into overdrive.

The glow faded as the burn retreated.

Adora smiled softly in the mirror. She-Ra smiled back. Adora absently touched the failsafe with a soft sigh. Deep down, she knew she wasn't coming back from this. She-Ra certainly wasn't, and it was looking increasingly unlikely that she would either.

But that's OK.

Adora had always marched through the pain.