Chapter 2: Fireside Chat
Author's Note: Hi folks! I hope you're enjoying my story so far. I wanted to say a few things before things really start rolling. First, These Violent Delights is also available on AO3 if you prefer that platform. Here's a link: /works/34943449/chapters/87019414
Second, my tagging on AO3 is complete (thus far). Here are the tags that I used:
Rated For Violence, Implied Sexual Content, Swearing, POV Adora (She-Ra), Adora has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (She-Ra), Abusive Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra), Past Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Action & Romance, Humor, Kid Fic, Established Relationship, Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Fluff and Angst, Military, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Bike Short Bashing.
Please read through them and make sure you are okay with this content. Everything mentioned will feature heavily in the story. If you feel like an additional warning needs to happen on any chapter, please comment or DM about it.
Third, I don't often do author's notes. Additional information about me and my story is available in my profile. Take a look if you're interested!
Fourth, this is planned to be a long-fic, a very long-fic. I'm currently writing Chapter 14 and all chapters are at least 10k words. As of right now, the plan is to update every Thursday (probably night). Finally, and perhaps most importantly, thank you for reading! I always appreciate every kudos and comment that I get, including any constructive criticism. I hope you enjoy!
...
"I do not remember you being this fast," Adora said between puffs. She leaned against the back porch's sliding-glass door, fighting to catch her breath. One arm looped loosely around Reyna's shoulders, who periodically bumped into Adora's hip as she bounced around. Despite her best efforts, she only caught Reyna once during this morning's rounds of tag.
"Really? Is that because I always beat you and your memory conveniently forgot that?" Catra asked. She stood a few feet away in the open door, arms crossed and one eyebrow arched. The sound of crackling grease and the smell of cooking eggs wafted from the kitchen.
"Probably. But now we can finally prove once and for all who's the fastest," Adora said before putting her other arm around Catra's waist. She led them both across the porch and down the steps until all three were side-by-side on the grass. Reyna looked up with sharp, excited eyes. She was never one to miss out on an athletic contest.
"I'll race you to that tree stump. Ready, set, go!" Adora yelled before taking off. Predictably, Catra and Reyna shot out ahead of her as they raced along on all fours. Must be nice.
Catra was way too much of a softie to ever beat Reyna but she probably couldn't even if she wanted to. Which was the case now. Reyna steadily pulled away from Catra and only lengthened her lead with every second. No way Catra would lose by that much on purpose. Adora, embarrassingly, ran as fast as her legs could take her and she still lagged far behind the pair. It would be cheating to use magic to go faster but damn if it wasn't tempting.
Reyna reached the tree stump first, climbing on top of it and then whooping in triumph. Catra came in second, laughing and smiling at Reyna's boisterous antics. Adora came in last, a fact that earned a cheeky little, "You lose mommy!" comment.
"Hey, that wasn't bad for an old lady," Adora said.
"Old lady?" Catra said, "You're making me feel old."
"That's because you are old."
"You're both old!" Reyna helpfully supplied. She launched through the air and into Adora's waiting arms. She liked to think of herself as a pretty sturdy person but fifty pounds of rowdy magicat jumping into her arms was enough to send her staggering backwards. Luckily, Catra caught Adora's shoulders from behind and steadied her.
"Always there to catch me when I fall," Adora said, adjusting so one hand secured Reyna while the other came up to her forehead dramatically. She leaned into Catra's hold and allowed herself to be dipped backwards.
Catra shook her head but her eyes shone with affection. "And you say Finn gets their dramatic flair from me." Before Adora could respond, Catra leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
"Ewww," Reyna said before scrambling out of Adora's grip. She bounded away while Catra pulled Adora back upright.
She slid an arm across Catra's shoulders and whispered in her ear, "I changed my mind about having another kid."
"Such a sore loser," Catra whispered back with a laugh. Adora grinned and pulled her a bit closer before scanning the open field for Reyna. But she was nowhere to be found. Look away for one second.
"Reyna!" Adora yelled. She didn't even care that her voice was tinged with panic.
"Over there." Catra pointed to a place on the edges of the Whispering Woods. Reyna was running and didn't seem to be stopping despite the fact she was heading into the woods. Without another thought, Adora sprinted after her. Catra wasn't far behind but this time Adora let the ever present magic wrap around her and she stayed ahead of her wife.
She reached Reyna about a hundred feet before she entered the woods and swept her up into her arms. She wiggled around a bit and giggled, apparently oblivious to her and Catra's rising panic. Her tail lashed back and forth excitedly as she looked up into Adora's face. Of course she thought this was gonna be another game.
After shoving the need to yell down, Adora said, "Reyns, you know better than to go into the woods alone."
She felt Catra walk up beside her. All her attention was focused on Reyna, her face mirroring how Adora felt-like someone was gripping her heart and squeezing. One of her hands brushed some wild strands of hair from Reyna's face while the other clenched at Adora's shirt.
"I know but I thought we could play hide-and-go-seek. And the woods are the best place to do that so-"
"No, Reyna," Adora interrupted. "The woods are dangerous and you need an adult with you. We aren't joking about that, okay? Promise us that you'll never go in the woods alone."
"But Finn gets to go into the woods alone!"
"Well Finn's older and knows what areas are off limits," Adora said, "When you get to be their age, you can explore a bit more. But for now, get me or Mom if you want to go, okay?"
Reyna looked over at Catra, as if she was expecting her to completely contradict Adora. "Mommy's right, Reyns. You can't be alone out there. Pinky promise me," Catra said while extending her pinky finger.
Reyna looked between them for a second before clasping her tiny pinky with Catra's. "Okay, I promise."
"Good," Adora said. She hugged her close and savored the feeling of her little hands thrown around her neck. Catra joined in, pulling them both into her. She lay her forehead against Adora's as they both looked down on Reyna. A surge of warmth spread through her chest at the sight. She wished she could stay here forever. But Reyna was already pulling back and fixing to leap out of Adora's arms. "Alright, who's ready for some of Mom's world-famous eggs?"
"Me!"
"And you know that Mommy and I love you-aaaaand she's gone," Catra said, shaking her head as she watched Reyna jump out of Adora's grip and race towards the house. "She gets that from you."
"What?" Adora asked before intertwining their fingers, "Her raw athleticism? Her brilliant wit?" She swung their hands back and forth as they followed behind Reyna back to the house.
"I was thinking more about your three-second attention span."
"Well, that too," Adora said with a laugh. They watched Reyna run through the open sliding glass door and disappear inside.
They walked in comfortable silence for a couple hundred feet before Catra bumped against her shoulder. "You seem tense."
"You think so?" Adora said, "I haven't really noticed but now that you say it...I guess I have been feeling a bit keyed up."
"Do you know why?"
"No, I don't. Maybe all the negotiations and meetings these past couple days?"
"That makes sense. At least we're wrapping up now." She could feel Catra's gaze on her face, looking for what she didn't know. "Do you want me to come with you guys today?"
"Nah, we'll be okay," Adora said, "I mean, of course you can come if you want but don't feel like you have to."
"Well, if you're sure."
...
"Heels down," Adora said. Reyna looked up at her from atop her pony, Marshmello, before adjusting her feet in the stirrups. Satisfied with the adjustment, she said, "We'll make an equestrian of you yet."
Reyna grinned a huge, toothy smile and said, "But I already am. I've won seven blue ribbons, you know."
"Oh, I know and that's very impressive. But there's always improvements to be made."
Reyna nodded seriously and then asked, "Did you win seven ribbons when you were six?"
"No, definitely nothing as cool as that. I actually didn't even see a horse until I was eighteen."
"Really?" Reyna said, "But you know so much about them!"
"And guess what majestic creature she had the pleasure of meeting first!" Swift Wind interrupted. He danced a little under Adora, making Reyna laugh.
"You?"
"Me! And good thing because your mom sucked at riding. Her arms were always flapping around like a chicken. No other horse would've put up with that."
"That's sooo embarrassing," Reyna said.
"It really is," Finn chimed in.
"You too?" Adora said. "And plenty of horses would have put up with me, okay? It's not like I was always kicking at your sides or anything like that."
"You and I have very different memories of you learning to ride," Swift Wind said.
"Yes, thank you, Swift Wind, for your undying patience and infinite wisdom."
"You're welcome!"
She sighed and began to say something before the sight in front of them caught her attention. How they'd already made it to the creek was a mystery. She must've been way too engrossed in conversation to notice their progress.
"We're here," Adora announced with a dramatic sweep of the hand. She turned her head to watch Sarah's reaction, which pretty much mirrored everyone's reaction when they first saw the meadow.
"Woah," Sarah said, eyes huge and her mouth agape.
The Whispering Woods were gorgeous and unapologetically alive. There was no place in the woods that lacked the melodies of song-birds, the calming whistle of wind through the trees, or the slight humm of magic that thrummed deep in Adora's chest. And this place was even grander than the usual woodland area. The rush of the creek cutting across the small clearing provided soothing background noise. The grass waved in the slight breeze, its hues of blue, green, and yellow shimmering in the afternoon sun. Even the trees around the clearing seemed special with their wide trunks and ancient grace.
She loved it here and sharing it with her children was an unexpected but warmly welcomed treat. There were so many things like that when it came to their kids. A hug, a sentence, or a moment that probably passed fleetingly for Reyna and Finn often remained and restored something in her. She and Catra discussed this before, both agreeing that their kids brought a fulfillment to their lives they'd never imagined possible. They took care of their kids, no doubt, but the reverse was also true.
She dismounted and gave Swift Wind a pat. Then she walked over to Reyna and helped her get down from Marshmallow. "Let's put their tack under that tree over there," Adora said while pointing to a shady spot under a towering tree.
"Will do," Finn said before helping Sarah dismount and then unsaddling their horse, Percival.
Adora followed suit, helping Reyna unsaddle and unbriddle Marshmallow. After they were done, she said, "I'll give you a call when we're ready to leave. Let me know if you need anything."
"You got it," Swift Wind said. He trotted away while the other horses followed.
"So what do you wanna do first, Little Lion?" Adora asked once she'd set down Reyna's saddle. "Looks like Sarah and Finn are gonna go for a swim."
"I wanna swim too," Reyna said, "Please."
"We can do that. We should continue your lessons anyways."
"So, what do you think?" Finn said from a few feet behind her. Adora turned to find Finn blushing, scratching the back of their head, and looking at anything except for Sarah.
"I'd say the suit suits you," Sarah said with a smile. Finn recently got new plaid swimming shorts and shirt, and all the confidence they first showed when trying them on had apparently disappeared.
"I agree," Adora said, "It looks very fashionable."
"Thanks but I don't know if I can trust the opinion of a person who wears Mom jeans with confidence," Finn said with a smirk.
"What are mom jeans? The way you said that makes me think they're not a good thing."
"They're, like, what you're wearing now."
"Aren't all jeans that moms wear technically mom jeans?"
Finn stared at her for a second before shaking their head. Hopefully affectionately rather than in annoyance. "You're impossible."
"Love you too," Adora said, "Reyna and I are just gonna be in the shallow section so holler if you need anything. You too, Sarah."
"Can do," Finn said before turning away.
"Thank you, Princess Adora," Sarah said.
"You're welcome." She knelt by Reyna and ruffled her hair. "Okay, so now that you're used to having your head underwater and you've practiced kicking a little, I thought that you might like to actually try and swim. How does that sound?" Reyna looked down at her feet and swayed around a little. One arm held the other against her chest and she flexed her claws in and out.
"Hey, what's wrong? We don't have to go swimming if you don't want," Adora said. She tilted Reyna's chin up so they could make eye contact. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"
"I know. It's just that…," Reyna trailed off.
Suddenly understanding, Adora said, "You're a little scared?"
She gave a slight nod but remained silent.
"That's okay. In fact, it's perfectly natural to be scared sometimes. Especially when it comes to stuff like this. Swimming is serious and can be dangerous. Being scared is our minds telling us to be extra careful. And that's not a bad thing."
"But you're never scared," Reyna said.
"That's not true. I'm scared all the time. I'm scared when I have to leave you or Finn somewhere without me. I'm scared when I have to go catch a criminal. And I'm especially scared of Mom's meatloaf," Adora said. Reyna let out a cute giggle and finally made eye contact. "But don't tell her I said that."
"I won't."
"When you're scared, that just means you have the opportunity to be brave. Being scared to do something and still doing it is what bravery's all about."
"So if I go swimming today even though I'm scared, I'll be brave?"
"Absolutely," Adora said, "You'll be brave and lionhearted." Since Reyna delighted in any comparison between herself and lions, Adora tried to throw in lion-centric references when she could.
Reyna looked up at her, back at the creek, and finally back to Adora. Adora could practically see the wheels turning in her head. "Why didn't Mom come with us today?"
"Oh, uhh," Adora said, momentarily thrown by the change in topic, "She doesn't really like water so this kinda outing isn't her thing. And she wanted to go visit Auntie Scorpia and Auntie Perfuma. But don't worry, we'll see her tonight for dinner."
"Why doesn't she like water?"
"You'll have to ask her for more details but I think it's because she doesn't like the way it makes her fur feel. And she doesn't like grooming it back."
"So it isn't because she isn't brave?"
"No," Adora said, "Mom is incredibly brave. Trust me. She just doesn't like water and life's too short to do things you dislike."
Reyna tapped a finger against her chin and glanced back over at the creek. Seemingly convinced, she grabbed Adora's hand and started to race towards the shallow section. Adora lurched forward on her feet, caught her balance, and tried to keep up as best she could.
After getting situated in the water, she explained, "Swimming is just basically kicking your legs like we practiced and then moving your arms like this." She demonstrated a breaststroke. "I'll hold you up while you do both of those things, okay?"
"And you won't let me go?"
"Absolutely not."
Still looking a bit hesitant, Reyna added, "And I won't get hurt?"
"I'll be here to protect you, Reyna. I won't let anything happen to you. Ever."
"You promise?"
"I promise," Adora said. She never meant something more in her life. "As long as I live, no child of mine ever has to worry about getting hurt."
Reyna nodded, said, "Okay," and waded into the water until it was up to her neck.
"Push yourself off the bottom and I'll put my arms under you." As soon as Reyna did what she asked, Adora placed her arms under Reyna's torso to steady her. "Alright, so now do the kicks we practiced and the arm movements I showed you earlier." And off they went around the shallow section.
This was much different from how she'd learned to swim in the Horde. She must've been around six as well and-
No. No way was she gonna let Shadow Weaver invade this moment. Years ago, Catra told her about one particular therapy session that had stuck with her. Her therapist said that the best revenge was a life well lived. At the time, Adora hadn't particularly absorbed that lesson like Catra had but it gained power for her over the years. And right now it seemed important to remember. A life well lived meant enjoying moments with her kids without Shadow Weaver's memory looming over her. If Adora let her poison her thoughts, Shadow Weaver won. She would control Adora's past, present, and future. And that just wasn't gonna happen. So she refocused her attention on Reyna and vowed to relish this moment untainted.
After a while of assisting Reyna and also letting her swim short bursts alone, it was time to pack it in and do something else. "You're really starting to get it," Adora said while drying her face with a towel. "I think you'll be ready to go in the deep end pretty soon."
"You think so?"
"I think so," Adora confirmed.
Reyna crouched down on all fours and shook side-to-side, sending water droplets all over Adora. "I'm gonna go climb that tree." Reyna ran off to a tall, tangled mess of a tree and started climbing. Adora sighed and restarted the process of toweling off.
She and Catra were warned but still weren't prepared when the kids reflected the best and worst parts of them both. So many times it felt like she was talking with herself or a copy of Catra or some chaotic mix of them both. It was hilarious and scary all at the same time. Reyna sometimes drove her nuts by bulldozing over everyone to get her way. And she wasn't being malicious either, she was just unaware of how she was affecting others. It was disturbing to see one of her worst traits coming from her own daughter. Finn was funny but their sarcasm was often biting and misplaced. Luckily, Catra had all the blame for that one.
In a way, it was comforting to know how much she and Catra influenced them. All the things they did and words they said were being absorbed and internalized by two impressionable people. Adora carried an obvious legacy-the sword, the warrior's spirit, the connection with Etheria. And she'd pass that legacy on to the next She-Ra and the next. But there was another legacy she cultivated without even realizing at first. Hopefully it would be lasting and loving.
After she finished drying off for a second time, Adora jogged towards Reyna's tree. "Mom," Finn called while waving her over to where the two swam. Reyna seemed secure and happy enough so she made a slight detour towards Sarah and Finn.
"Everything alright?" She asked while walking up.
Finn's hair was slicked back and their fur stuck up in some interesting angles. Sarah looked disheveled as well, her own light brown fur a bit of a mess. In her hand she held what looked like a small, red bird. They were both holding onto the grassy creekside to anchor themselves to the shore.
"I think this bird has a broken wing," Sarah said, holding her hand up so Adora could get a better look.
"Can you help it?" Finn asked.
"Let me take a look," Adora said. With extreme care, Sarah transferred the bird to Adora. It twitched around and chirped at the exchange but calmed once it was secure on Adora's palm. One wing was stretched out and waved around during the transfer. The other sat unmoving and pulled tight to its body. "I think you're right about its wing being broken. But it's nothing a little magic can't solve." She closed her eyes and welcomed in the powerful yet happily understated healing magic that thrummed alongside her heart. A bit of warmth left her fingertips and she opened her eyes to find the bird inspecting its formerly broken wing. It flapped once in her hand and then took off.
"Holy crap," Sarah said, her head craned around to watch the bird fly away. She was so engrossed in the sight that her horns almost hit Finn. "Can you do that?"
Finn picked at the dirt with one nail and refused to look at either Sarah or Adora. "No, I don't have any magic," they mumbled.
"Hey, we don't know that for sure. I wasn't magical until I turned eighteen," Adora said, "And besides, there's nothing wrong with not having any. Mom isn't magical either."
"Ya, I guess."
"No beating up on yourself, Finny. It's nothing that can be controlled and not having magic certainly isn't a moral failing. Think of all the people you know that aren't magical. Like Mom, Bow, Mr. Nelson. Do you think less of them because they're not magical? And wouldn't the world be boring if we all had the same talents and abilities? Chin up," Adora said while putting her hand under Finn's chin and tilting their head up, "You have plenty to offer the world without magic."
Finn nodded and pulled away from her. "Thanks for healing the bird," they said over their shoulder.
"Ya, thanks, Princess Adora," Sarah said. "But I thought some magic could be learned?"
Adora almost slapped her forehead. Duh, of course some magic could be learned. "You can just call me Adora, Sarah. And you're right about magic. I sometimes forget about sorcerers because my magic is more elemental, more innate, than their magic. They do spell casting, which anyone can learn. If you're interested, I can ask a few people about getting started."
Sarah beamed and said, "If you wouldn't mind, that'd be awesome."
"You got it. Now you kids keep having fun. I'll just be over in that tree with Reyna if you need anything." With that, she left to go and supervise/compete with Reyna.
As soon as she was at the base of Reyna's tree, she called up, "You okay up there?" She was about halfway up and still climbing. Adora could see her nails sunk deep into the tree's bark as she used them rather than the branches to haul herself upwards.
"I'm fine," she panted, "I'll race you to the top!"
Adora jumped up and grabbed the lowest branch she could reach. Reyna might have claw-like nails but she didn't have decades of tree climbing experience. With that, Adora started her ascent with practiced agility, reaching out to branches and natural handholds in the tree. She was gaining on Reyna but her daughter still had a healthy lead. Catra might be nice enough to let the kids win but Adora was perfectly fine with beating them. If she could. And that was sometimes a big if.
Reyna let out a little yelp and Adora looked up in time to see her twisting through the air as she fell towards the ground. Heart in her throat, Adora watched her soar through the air and snatched her by the front of her shirt as soon as she got close enough. She lifted Reyna by the shirt until she could put her arms around Adora's neck and shoulders. She wrapped her free arm around Reyna's back and hugged her tight. "Are you okay?" Adora said. Whether she or Reyna or both were trembling was a mystery. All she knew was that someone was shaking like a leaf.
Reyna shook her head against Adora's neck and let out a little whimper. Adora felt tears forming in her eyes but she used up the last of her willpower to shove them back down. Reyna needed comfort, not her Mom crying.
She maneuvered slowly and carefully, one arm still around Reyna, until they were seated on a weathered but sturdy branch. Adora rubbed her back and said, "Hey, you're okay. I caught you. Everything's alright." Reyna sniffled against her and she could feel moisture gather in the crook of her neck as she cried. What would Catra do? She'd say the perfect thing and make Reyna feel all better. But what was the perfect thing to say? Unsure, she kept quiet and continued holding Reyna. It was probably better to say nothing at all than attempt some trainwreck pep talk.
So she let Reyna sob against her neck and chest while whispering the occasional encouragement. As she waited for Reyna to calm down, Adora surveyed the blossoming forest. Bright Moon was transitioning into Spring and the woods were practically bursting with color and life. One of her favorite flowers, the fox fieldcress, was blooming into a dusky orange causing the forest floor to glow like a fire. Or it usually looked like that. Right now, the woods were dark for mid-afternoon. Was there supposed to be a storm moving in? She looked up to the sky and sure enough dark clouds were rolling in. Which was odd considering that she checked the weather forecast specifically for this outing and the weatherwoman said to expect nothing but a clear sky all day. But meteorologists weren't always right and Bright Moon weather was notoriously difficult to predict. She'd just have to keep on eye on things and leave early if it seemed like a storm was coming.
She turned her attention back to Reyna, hoping she'd recovered somewhat. And it seemed like she had. Reyna's sobs were turning into silent shaking which eventually turned into even breathing. She dug her face out of Adora's neck and looked up at her with watery eyes. The fur on her cheeks was stiff and smoothed down from her tears. Adora wiped her cheeks with her thumbs and said, "You know how I was talking about bravery earlier?"
Reyna nodded and her bottom lip quivered but she kept her gaze on Adora's face.
"Before I tell you my idea, I want you to know that it's okay if you don't want to do it. So if you don't like it, let me know."
"Okay."
"You know how I said that bravery is all about doing something when you're scared? Well, I think we should climb the tree some more. I know that was scary. Really scary. But I'm worried that if you don't try to climb again, you'll be too scared to ever do it again. So I think we should be brave and do a little climbing. It doesn't have to be far. What do you think?"
Reyna seemed to consider for a moment, looking above Adora at the branches and trunk left to conquer. "Let's do it."
"You got it. I'll be just behind you so if something happens, I'll catch you again," Adora said, "Sound good?"
"Ya." Reyna crawled out of her grip and crept along the branch on all fours until she reached the trunk. Adora followed right behind, watching for any signs of unsteadiness. There were none.
As soon as Reyna reached the trunk, she stopped and looked around. Sensing she was unsure, Adora said, "You were using your nails to climb last time. Which isn't a bad idea but try using them along with the natural handholds. You see that little nub right there?" She pointed to a newly forming branch that was about two inches long. "Grab onto it and then dig your nails in. Then look for the next thing like that and then the next. I think you'll find climbing easier when you do that. Whenever you're ready, give it a try."
Reyna reached up to the nub with one hand and gripped it. The sunlight glinted off her black nails as she flexed and dug them into the bark. Before long, she reached for the next handhold and one foot balanced on the branch. She went slowly, probably more concerned with not falling, but the slow speed was fine. As promised, Adora stayed right behind her and her deliberate pace made it easy to keep up.
Eventually Reyna side-stepped and made her way to another large branch that extended over the forest floor. It wasn't too much higher from the branch Adora originally took them but that didn't matter. Adora followed and sat down next to Reyna, who'd made herself comfortable on the branch's flat middle.
"How'd that feel?" Adora asked. She put an arm around Reyna's shoulders and looked out over the lush forest floor. Her daughter scooted closer until she was snuggled into Adora's side. If Reyna was gonna be anything like Finn, she would be snuggle adverse as she aged. So Adora had to make the most of these things.
"Pretty good. I was scared at first but you were right about the handhold thingies. Then I kinda got the hang of it."
"I'd say you got more than 'kinda the hang of it.' You did amazing."
"Really?" Reyna turned to face Adora, ears pointed towards her and tail flicking against Adora's back.
"Without a doubt. And the most important thing is that you gave it another go," Adora said, "You didn't give up and you were brave. That's what matters. I'm really proud of you. And I hope you're proud of yourself. It's not easy facing our fears and, yet, you did."
"I am proud of myself."
"Good," Adora said before adding, "And maybe don't tell Mom about this?"
Reyna smirked, which looked so much like Catra's it was crazy. "I think that if you were my age, we'd always be getting in trouble."
"We are always getting in trouble," Adora pointed out before kissing the top of Reyna's head, "But thank you, Little Lion. That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."
"You're welcome," Reyna said while standing, "Now, come on. Let's play tag."
After helping Reyna climb down the tree and checking on Finn, Adora played round after round of tag and then helped her daughter practice soccer drills. When it seemed like Reyna was rapidly running out of energy, she decided to stretch out under a shady tree and wait for her to come over. It didn't take long. She walked over to Adora while rubbing at her eyes and yawning. "Mommy, I'm tired."
"Me too, kiddo." She patted the spot next to her, which had been carefully selected for comfort and lack of bugs. Reyna wordlessly settled down in the grass before curling into a loose ball. Her dark blue eyes blinked up at Adora, like she was expecting something. Adora turned on her side to better face her and carded her hands through her wild tangle of hair. Both of Reyna's hands were pressed into Adora's stomach, kneading away. It didn't particularly hurt, not like when she was really little and completely oblivious to how sharp her nails were. In fact, it was kinda soothing.
"How about I tell you the story of how the Whispering Woods came to be," Adora said.
"Yes, please."
Seeing as how Reyna was still learning her manners and politeness, she felt a surge of pride at her unprompted 'please.' Even more impressive was that she remembered her manners despite how excited she got when hearing about the woods. "A long, long, long time ago, when the Etherians were still learning about the magic of Etheria and the leaders of the separate factions were becoming more attuned with the planet's Runestones, something strange happened. One of these factions had a leader named Sabina, who Glimmer is actually descended from. She was a great and noble leader who always put her people first and did the right thing no matter what. One day she was walking around the area we now know as Brightmoon and she noticed smoke rising in the distance."
At this point, Reyna was fighting to keep her eyes open but obviously trying to pay close attention. "And then what happened?" She asked before yawning.
"She ran towards the smoke and the danger, determined to see what was happening and if she could help. When she got there, she found a huge blazing fire that was spreading across the prairie. There was no way that any one person could have done much but that didn't stop her. She ran to a nearby river and started carrying buckets of water to and from the fire. She kept going until she was exhausted and then kept going some more."
"But despite her best efforts, the fire was still spreading and consuming more and more of the prairie. Then, all of a sudden, she felt the faint prickle of connection. She latched onto that feeling until it grew and grew."
"What was the feeling?" Reyna said.
"Great question. It was her connection to Etheria and its magic. Pretty soon the feeling overwhelmed her and she became one with the planet. She could sense every animal, every plant, every rock, and everything about them that made them special. She called on the skies and the clouds for rain, and they answered. A thunderstorm like no one had ever seen before swept through the area and doused out the fire. With the help of magic, she'd saved the prairie. And that was the beginning of the connection not only between the Princesses and Etheria, but also between all Etherians and the planet."
"Many years after that, Sabina had a daughter named Silverina. On a day much like today, Silverina was out and about playing in a field, kinda like the fields around our house. One of the rival factions saw her and decided they'd kidnap her for ransom. She saw them coming and started to run for help but they were too fast. Just when it seemed like they were gonna reach her, the ground started shaking and rumbling. Trees and bushes and every kind of plant that you can imagine came out of the ground and stopped them from reaching her. It grew and grew until it completely surrounded Brightmoon."
"Etheria hadn't forgotten what her mother had done for it all those years earlier. It came to her daughter's rescue when she needed it the most. And that's how the Whispering Woods came to be. Pretty cool, right?"
When she got no answer, she looked for the rise and fall of Reyna's chest. Satisfied that she was still breathing and just asleep, Adora took a deep breath. Probably she should've outgrown her fear that the kids would randomly stop breathing in their sleep but she still found herself checking on them.
She turned on her back and placed an arm around her sleeping daughter. While most days were pleasant, there was something about today that seemed special. Far from the earlier rolling black sky, the afternoon clouds were now drifting across the sky as if they were in no particular hurry. Birds were chirping, filling the forest with a light melody. Finn and Sarah's voices carried through the air, their excited and playful tones further adding to the magic.
She shut her eyes and allowed the sun to soak in. The heat warmed her and she felt the gentle tug of sleep. Finn would wake her if something happened so she allowed herself to drift off into sleep.
"Mom!" Finn's yell pierced through Adora's light sleep and she jumped to her feet in seconds, the Sword of Protection appearing in her right hand. Finn and Sarah were running towards her from the river, their eyes wide. Adora grabbed a still sleepy Reyna and ran a couple yards to meet them.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"Over there," Finn said while pointing to the opposite side of the river. There stood a white elk buck, at least ten feet tall at the shoulders. His antlers reached up to the sky like tangled branches from a sun bleached tree. His four eyes were pale blue and penetrating. Was he actually glowing or was he so white that the setting sun made it seem like that? Either way, he was absolutely radiant.
A tingling throughout her body was a telltale sign that he was magic. After years and years of tending to Etheria and interacting with a myriad of magical creatures, she could sense the overwhelming magical power that he possessed. But this magic had a pure quality, untainted by any dark magic. He meant them no harm.
All around him were smaller elk with white coats and blue antlers. Blunted horn-like growths the same color as their antlers stuck up along their backs. She'd seen these before in the forest, grazing and sometimes watching her cautiously as she travelled. They weren't new, but their numbers swelled after the magic of Etheria was released. While she loved and appreciated all creatures, she was particularly fond of these elk. They always seemed ethereal and benevolent. In hindsight, the buck probably lended them these qualities.
"Don't be scared," Adora said while letting the Sword of Protection disappear from her grasp. "This is Bulruk, Lord of the Whispering Woods. He won't hurt us."
"How do you know?" Finn asked, ears still swiveled towards Bulruk and tail poofy.
How did she know all this? She'd never personally met him and yet she could feel a tug of connection between them. They played similar roles on Etheria as protectors and defenders. They both possessed devastating power and magic but years of training for her, and perhaps centuries for him, allowed them to control these abilities.
"We met long ago, in other lifetimes. Like me, he's a steward of this planet. He's nothing to be afraid of. He's just like us today-enjoying the woods with his family," Adora said, "We should bow to him as he's deserving of great respect."
She bowed low and turned her head to make sure the other three did the same. Reyna and Sarah bowed immediately while Finn stayed standing. She was about to put an encouraging hand on their back but they ended up following a few seconds later.
After what seemed like an appropriately long bow, she straightened up again. She opened her mouth to ask what he was doing here but stopped when he placed one leg forward. He brought his head down in a bow so deep his antlers scraped the ground. They were equals in almost every way but his acknowledgement was far from what she expected to receive.
As soon as he rose, Adora called, "My Lord, it's been a long time. I hope you're well. Have you come to talk?"
Bulruk walked to the edge of the river embankment, the other elk parting as he moved. He stopped and stared at her, his eyes intelligent and warm. Despite his utter lack of aggression, his gaze caused a cascading prickle of pain through her head and down her back. A feeling flashed through her but left in an instant. She tried to latch onto it but every emotion evaporated out of her grasp. Everything except the feeling of her heart sinking into her stomach.
She opened her mouth but before she could say anything he raised his head and let out a piercing call that filled the whole forest with its thrumming reverberations. It reached deep into her core and her stomach knotted around a corrosive pit of fear.
Reyna grabbed Adora's leg and hid behind her, trembling slightly. Finn and Sarah backed up and worriedly looked up at her. Instead of turning and running, like every cell of her body was telling her to do, Adora stood her ground and placed her arms around the kids. No way he would hurt them but it was hard to deny that something was off. Hopefully he would tell her more or relay a feeling more clearly. But instead he lowered his head and again fixed her with a four-eyed, unblinking stare. It seemed like he wanted to tell her more. So why was unwilling or unable to do so?
They stayed like that for a few minutes-watching each other but neither making a move to open communication. One of his eyes blinked, then another, then the other two. A shiver ran through him, causing his neck and head to sway side-to-side. Once recovered, he gave her one last look before walking back into the forest, his family trailing behind.
They watched him go in silence before Adora cut the tension by saying, "It's getting pretty late and Mom's expecting us soon for dinner. We should probably get out of here." Last thing she wanted to do was linger.
When they made it back to the house, the sun had just set and Catra was already tending to a small but rapidly growing fire in their firepit. After taking care of and then putting away their respective horses, all four joined Catra by the fire.
"How was your day?" Adora asked while plopping down in the folding chair Catra set-up for her. Reyna dragged her small, pink chair closer to hers and Catra's before sitting down herself. Finn and Sarah sat on the opposite side of the fire, their armrests almost touching on one side. She exchanged the slightest look with Catra. A look that said they were on the same page with the Finn and Sarah situation.
"It was good. Really good. Scorpia, Perfuma, Flora, and Sunny say, 'Hi,' to everyone by the way. Things are pretty calm in Arachnidus right now. They've been helping with some of the treaties that've been coming in but I think we're getting the brunt of it at Bright Moon. They weren't pulling their hair out so I can only assume that's why. Flora came down this weekend to see them and she says that school's going well. She'll be off to study in Dryl next year. And let's see, what else? Sunny said that you said she's progressing well. Which I think pleased Scorpia and Perfuma. But I do get the sense they're a bit worried that she's chosen to be a soldier."
"And who can blame them?" Adora said.
"True. Though I think their overprotectiveness annoys her. Hopefully she'll be able to move closer to Bright Moon and become more independent," Catra said, "And honestly, that's all I can think of right now. It sounds boring but it truly wasn't."
"It doesn't sound boring, it sounds refreshing."
"It was. But enough about me. How about everyone else? It seems like you guys had quite the adventure today."
Adora started, "Ya, we-"
"Something really weird happened," Reyna interrupted. She sat on the edge of her seat and her ears perked forward. Clearly, she was dying to tell Catra all about the elk.
"Hey, remember what we said about interrupting people?" Catra said gently.
"That it's not polite," Reyna said, tail drooping, "Sorry, Mommy."
"It's okay, Lion. It's all part of growing up," Adora said, "And you're right. Something really weird did happen. Do you wanna tell Mom about it?"
She nodded her head vigorously before launching into the story. "First, Mommy and I were sleeping under a tree and then Finn and Sarah were yelling and then Mommy grabbed me and we started running. Then Finn pointed and there was this big, white elk across the river. It had enormous antlers." Adora was talking with Reyna about a week ago and described something as enormous so now the word was getting regularly sprinkled into conversation.
"Then Mommy told us to bow and we did and then the elk bowed back. His name is Lord Bulruk. Then he was just staring at Mommy and then he did this yell that sounded like this-" Reyna let out a call that was surprisingly close to Bulruk's earlier vocalization.
"That was actually pretty good," Finn said.
"Agreed," Adora said, "He did sound like that."
"And then the forest got really dark and I got a bad feeling in my stomach," Reyna continued, "Then Mommy said it was time to leave and we did. And then we came back here." She drew in a tremendous breath like she'd forgotten to breathe during the whole story.
"That's basically what happened," Adora said while giving her daughter an encouraging smile. She turned to Finn and Sarah. "Anything either of you want to add?"
"The whole thing just felt off," Finn said, "It's hard to explain. Because it was just a big deer and his weird kids making weird noises but it felt more...significant? I don't know. What do you think, Sarah?"
"Oh, um, I agree that it's hard to describe why it felt strange but it did. The way he kept looking at Princess Adora felt meaningful but I couldn't say why."
"Hmmm. But everyone's okay?" Catra said.
"We're okay," Adora confirmed, "Just a little shook up, I suppose."
"Honestly, this sounds like a She-Ra thing."
"I think you're right about that. I'll have a look around the woods in the next few days and see what I can find out," Adora said, "But it's nothing to worry about. I bet a Runestone needs to be reconnected to a Kingdom or something like that."
"So you're really She-Ra? The She-Ra?" Sarah said.
"I sure am. I have the sword and everything."
"Can I see it?"
Adora held out her right arm and the sword instantly materialized in her hand. Even in the low light, it shined brightly enough that its entirety was visible.
"Woah," Sarah said, leaning forward in her chair. "I thought you carried around the Sword of Protection. I didn't realize you could pull it out of the air."
"I used to have to do that. When I first realized I was She-Ra, and up until I was around twenty, I had to carry around a sword that was much chunkier than this one and I had to say, 'For the Honor of Grayskull,' everytime I wanted to transform," Adora said, "But then I realized that my magic flowed from me into the sword rather than the other way around. And from then on I was able to summon the sword at will."
"I had no idea," Sarah said before adding, "So do you like it? Being She-Ra, I mean?"
Had anyone ever asked her that before? Catra had on at least two different occasions and Bow once but maybe that was it? "It certainly comes with its own set of challenges," Adora said. She had to be careful with this. She didn't want to lie to Sarah but she also didn't want to get into the adult details of her life with a thirteen-year-old. Too bad this wasn't a question Catra could field because she was much better at providing age-appropriate truths. "But I enjoy it a lot. It's very fulfilling. That was nice of you to ask by the way. Most people don't."
Sarah gave her a big smile and settled back into her chair. She was starting to see why Finn liked her so much. "I was just curious."
"And that's a good thing to be," Adora said before rubbing her hands together, "Now, who's ready for some dinner? Because I am starving."
"Me!" Reyna said before shooting one hand into the air. Catra, Finn, and Sarah also raised their hands.
"I put the beanie weenies right by the sink," Catra said, "And I brought everything else out already."
"Great. I'll be right back." Adora stood and trekked back into the house and then the kitchen. Melog followed alongside, no doubt hoping for a table scrap or six. She grabbed the handle for the cast iron pot and started to lift before movement outside the window caught the corner of her eye. But when she peered out at the same place, there was nothing to see. She watched for a few more moments but the darkness remained undisturbed.
She called Swift Wind through their sacred bond and asked, "Hey Swifty. Notice anything unusual by the barn or in the backyard?"
"Nope! We're all fine."
"Okay, sorry to disturb you," she replied, "Night."
"Goodnight!"
She ended the connection and then crouched down by Melog. "Can you please do me a favor and patrol the property's perimeter? I'll throw in some beanie weenies for your trouble."
They meowed, licked her hand, and padded out of the kitchen, presumably to do as she asked. Adora turned back around, grabbed the pot's handle, and made her way back outside to the fire. "Now you are all in for a real treat," she said as she placed the pot on the iron grill that partially covered the firepit, "Beanie weenies are a soldier's delicacy. After weeks in the field only living off ration bars, a hot meal of beanie weenies is a game changer."
Catra was helping everyone get their plates ready with sides and silverware, especially Reyna who was bouncing around so much that her plate was threatening to tip over at any given moment. "Now we can be just like you and your soldiers!" Reyna said, "Out scouting in the wilderness and making campfires and s'mores."
"Exactly like that." Adora stirred the beanie weenies before putting the lid back on. It seemed kind of odd that Melog wasn't back already. But maybe she was just being paranoid. Patrolling ten acres had to take some time after all.
"The Spring play is actually about soldiers," Finn said, "Mr. Nelson was just telling us this week that it was about a couple of soldiers fighting a band of evil sorcerers trying to destroy the Whispering Woods."
"Now you'll have to listen to my lectures about war and strategy," Adora said, "For practice."
"I love theatre but I don't love it that much," Finn said, earning a laugh from Catra.
"Ouch," she said while throwing Adora a sympathetic look.
"Alright, alright. I get it. But I do know a thing or two about the thëătre," Adora said. Everyone groaned at her exaggerated pronunciation except for Reyna, who just giggled. She always backed Adora up on these kinds of jokes. "Specifically stage fighting. And so does Mom actually. So if you ever want help with that, we are more than happy to oblige."
"How would you two know about stage fighting?"
"Once we got roped into helping Scorpia do a play about the origins of her kingdom," Catra said, "Things got out of hand and then both Mom and I ended up as main characters. For a Scorpia production, it was surprisingly violent and we had to do a lot of stage fighting. Now we're pretty much experts on the topic."
"I had no idea you were ever in a play," Finn said.
"Better believe it, kid," Catra said, "Your Mom and I were stars."
Adora jumped up from her seat and assumed her fighting position. No way was she letting this opportunity to bond with Finn go. "We can totally help you. When it comes to punching-" she punched the air a few times to demonstrate, "-and kicking-" she kicked her left leg out but her other leg slipped out from under her and she fell flat on her back, "-there's..no..one..better..to..ask," she wheezed out.
Everyone burst out laughing, including Catra who laughed the loudest out of everyone. Adora resigned to her fate as the butt of the joke and let her arms spread out limply beside her. "Ow, my everything," she groaned. Maybe her refusal to think of herself as old needed to be reevaluated considering it felt like her entire body had just shattered.
In an act of mercy, Catra came over to help her up. She extended both arms down to Adora but she was laughing so hard that it took a couple of tries before she was able to pull her off the ground. "Are you okay?" She asked once her laughter had subsided.
Adora limped back to her chair and clutched at her still aching back. "Oh ya. Spleens can't be that important." Catra looked down at her worriedly and Adora gave her hand a reassuring pat. "Joking. I'm fine. Really. Nothing that I can't heal." With that, she closed her eyes and reached for the magic always waiting for her. A flash of light enveloped her and she felt the pain wash away in the evening breeze.
"That was just like that bird you saved," Sarah said.
"Pretty much, ya. If I'm not saving one broken bird, it's another."
"What?" Finn said.
"You know how women are sometimes called birds?" Finn stared back blankly. "It was a lame joke. Nevermind. Let me see if the beanie weenies are done." Adora stood and checked on dinner. "It needs a little more time to heat up," she said before stirring the beans and closing the pot.
She looked around the circle at everyone. Everyone except Melog. Now that was a bit concerning. They certainly should've been back by now. "Reyna, why don't you tell us how your soldiers are organized in Horselandia. Maybe that'll give Finn and Sarah some ideas for their play."
Reyna's face lit up and she launched into explaining the socio-political factors that influenced her various factions and kingdoms of her fake world. Satisfied that the kids were preoccupied, Adora took her seat next to Catra and whispered in her ear, "Can you see anything in the trees?"
She scanned the night before whispering back, "No, nothing. Why?"
"I asked Melog to search the perimeter when I went to the kitchen and they're still not back. I was hoping you might be able to see them out there."
"Do you think they're okay?"
"Yes, you know how they sometimes get distracted when they're out and about. But I'll go have a look, as long as you're alright with holding down the fort?"
"I can manage," Catra said.
"Okay, I'll be back before you know it."
"Just be careful."
"Always am," Adora said with a wink. She stood and said to the kids, "I'm just gonna go check on something real quick but I'll be right back." As she headed off to the backyard, she listened to Reyna pick up right where she left off and explain the branching and often bickering royal family of Horselandia.
Adora went around the side of the house, careful not to expose herself to too much light as she wanted her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The moons were bright tonight but that wouldn't matter a whole lot if she ended up going into the woods. She could turn her sword into a flashlight or lantern but that could give her position away if she needed to hide.
She let out a long, low whistle that Melog would recognize as her. She stopped, waiting for them to come running over but nothing happened. They might be out of earshot so maybe she'd have better luck closer to the treeline.
She began her trek to the trees, whistling every so often. Her whistle echoed off the forest but it was the only sound she could hear. Which was not normal. Usually weird noises were always pouring out of the forest as animals moved around and hunted. But tonight there was nothing. Hopefully Melog hadn't noticed and decided to investigate.
When she made it to the edge of the Whispering Woods, she paused and peered as best she could into the trees. Her eyes were as adjusted as they were gonna get but she didn't see anything. She whistled again but there was no sign of Melog. Where else could they be if not in the woods?
There was really no reason not to transform her sword into a lantern. No reason that she could logically explain anyway. It was just a gut feeling that told her to stay in the dark and keep whistling for Melog instead of yelling their name. So she slipped into the woods and kept to the trees as much as she could.
She'd been in the Whispering Woods at night many times before, including during some missions to find criminals and wanna-be villains but never once did she feel unsafe. Sure, she was technically tracking down people that'd done harm and intended to do more but what chance did they really have against her? Besides, the woods were a dear friend and offered her nothing but protection. She and Catra built their house surrounded by the woods on three different sides because of the trust and connection she felt with the forest.
And it wasn't just the Whispering Woods that she had this relationship with. Adora was bound to all of Etheria in a way that few other beings could understand. Perhaps people understood consciously that the planet was alive but had they felt their own blood humm alongside the planet's natural ebb and flow? Had their very bones ached when the seasons changed and the tide went out? Etheria spoke and she listened. Except, of course, when it said nothing at all. Like right now. There were no snapping twigs as a predator stalked their prey, no calls between nesting pairs, no rustle of branches as an animal crawled into their nest. It was like the forest was holding its breath and waiting. But waiting for what?
She whistled again and crept along the shadows. If she were a big magical cat, where would she go? Maybe they'd tried to find Madame Razz? No, not in the middle of the night. Had Melog ever even ventured alone into the woods at night? Not that she could recall.
A warning cry from a sounded in the tree above her, sinking into the porous landscape. The surrounding trees, desperate for any noise, clung onto the call; there wasn't an echo. When had a bird let out a warning because of her? A flutter of wings a moment later meant the bird evacuated its post. She paused, listening for anything else, but the darkness kept to itself. Long after the bird stopped, she could feel the forest gnawing on the call's blaring tone.
Even though it was probably in her best interest to turn around, she continued forward. If Melog was in trouble, she'd be damned if she didn't do anything. There was no one else more qualified to find them, especially in the Whispering Woods.
A branch snapped behind her and she froze. It felt like eyes were boring into the back of her head, watching her next steps with keen interest. Carefully, she turned around and summoned her sword. It appeared in her hand, it's heavy yet balanced weight bolstering her fortitude. If it really came down to it, what animal could realistically beat her? She stood a bit straighter and pushed her chin down. Come what may, she was ready for a fight.
Another twig snapped and she gripped her sword until her hand ached. A rustling of branches at the edge of her vision caught her attention and she turned slightly to face it head on.
Out popped Melog, tail flicking slightly and their mane calm. They meowed in greeting and came up to her before rubbing against her legs, apparently oblivious to the fact they were almost mincemeat. She let the Sword of Protection disappear from her grip before kneeling down so she was eye-level with Melog. "What are you doing out here?" She asked while scratching their mane.
They meowed a few times but seemed generally pretty relaxed. Maybe she was being paranoid about the forest. As Catra pointed out, she had been pretty jumpy these past few days. It would make sense that she projected these feelings. "Come on, let's go back. Catra will come looking for us if we're much longer." Adora stood and the pair made their way back to the fire.
"Is everything okay?" Catra said as soon as they approached the fireside.
"Yep," Adora said while taking her seat next to her and Reyna, "Some might even say that it's puuurrrfect."
Everyone groaned and Finn let their head fall back against their chair in exasperation. The only one who didn't seem to mind was Melog, who curled up at the foot of Catra's chair without making a noise.
"Boo!" Reyna said while giving her a thumbs down.
"You didn't even like that one, Reyns?"
"You use it way too much," she explained, "You need new material."
"Wow, okay. Called out. I see how it is. But I think you'll like this one. What do you call beanie weenies that get all up in your face?"
Reyna put down her fork and tapped her chin. Her eyebrows furrowed as she contemplated. "Well, if they get up in your face, they're smoked! Smoked sausages."
Adora laughed and reached over to tussle her hair. "That might actually be funnier than what I was gonna say."
"What were you gonna say?"
"So what do you call beanie weenies that get in your face?" Adora paused for dramatic effect. "Too close for comfort food." For that, she received another round of groans. Reyna, to her credit, laughed.
"Alright, before we're subjected to another joke, please get some dinner," Catra said before adding, "I hope you don't mind that we started without you." Adora could finish any meal in under five minutes so she wasn't particularly concerned with catching up to everyone else.
"Not at all. You gotta eat while everything's still hot," Adora said while standing and getting a healthy serving of beanie weenies, macaroni salad, potato salad, and actual salad.
After she sat back down and took a bite, Finn said, "Jeez, think you got enough? That's enough to feed a whole army."
"Aye amm a amy," Adora said.
"What?"
Adora swallowed the rest of her mouthful before saying, "I said I am an army."
"Didn't anyone ever teach you to finish eating before you start talking?" Finn said with a smirk.
"Uh, actually no."
"Really?" Sarah asked.
"We didn't really have anyone who cared about that sort of thing when we were kids," Catra said. Thank the Spirits she took control of the situation. Adora hadn't meant to start a whole thing.
"Your parents didn't care?" Sarah said.
"We don't have parents," Catra said, "I mean, we have biological parents or else we wouldn't exist. But we're both orphans. You've heard of the Evil Horde?"
Sarah nodded.
"We grew up there. And the focus was less on good manners and more on military discipline. Which is why Adora is both Lord Commander of the Etherian military and unable to chew with her mouth closed."
Finn cracked up but Sarah pressed on. "You both grew up in the Evil Horde? Like together? Was it fun?"
Adora drained her glass of water to keep herself from choking at the last question. Catra, as always, remained unphased and genuine. "Ya, we grew up together. We were in the same squad, even the same team." She felt Catra's hand on her forearm before it moved up and she gently pawed at her hand. Complying instantly, Adora turned her hand over and Catra laced their fingers together. She squeezed Catra's hand three times, which meant 'I love you.' She gave Adora a quick little squeeze back before saying, "And it could be fun. Sometimes. But I basically only had fun when Adora was around."
"And I only had fun when Catra was around," Adora added.
"So the Evil Horde took you in from an orphanage or something?" Sarah said.
Finn said, "Sarah, I don't know if-"
"No, it's okay, Finn," Catra said, "We can talk about it."
Looking a bit guilty, Sarah said, "I'm sorry if this is too many questions. I was just curious."
"Don't even worry about it, Sarah. And to answer your last question, I was actually left outside of the Horde's main base in an applesauce box in what's now Arachnidus," Catra said, "Presumably by my parents but I suppose we'll never know for sure."
"Wow, I'm really sorry. I honestly can't imagine what it's like to not know your parents."
"It's not that bad," Catra said with a shrug, "It's hard to know what I'm missing so it doesn't feel like much of a loss. But you should ask Adora about her origins. It's much more interesting."
"So where did you come from, Adora?"
Adora was careful to chew and swallow before speaking, "I was pulled through a portal from another world. And when I came through the portal, I was taken in by the Horde. I was, am, a First One."
"What?" Sarah was on the edge of her seat, food forgotten and drink tipping perilously to the side. "You're an alien? And a First One? I thought the First Ones were all dead."
Adora laughed before saying, "Ya, I guess I am an alien. And as far as we know, us three are the last First Ones. But who knows? The universe is a big place. There could be whole worlds full of First Ones that we just haven't found yet."
"Wait, us three? What do you mean?"
"There's me, of course. And then there's Finn and Reyna. Since they're related to me by blood, they're part First One too."
Sarah sat back in her chair, mouth hanging open. She looked at Finn, seemingly rendered speechless by this new information. "You're a First One?" She asked in amazement.
Even in the firelight, she could see Finn's face turning bright red. "Well, yes. But-"
"-That is so cool," Sarah interrupted.
"Really?"
"Oh ya," Sarah said while nodding her head, "I've met plenty of aliens but never a First One. I mean, obviously I've met a First One since I know you but I just didn't realize it. How does it feel? Do you like being a First One? Do you have extra senses or anything like that?"
Finn let out a strange gulp/laugh which almost made Adora start laughing. Almost. Now was the time to keep it together. "I like it, I think? I don't know?" Finn said, "It doesn't seem all that different from being Etherian. It feels like being a magicat is more...significant? I mean, how many people have tails?"
"Plenty of people have tails," Sarah pointed out. "But you're one of the last people in a whole race. And the First Ones happened to have a huge impact on Etheria."
"I, uh, I guess I just never thought about it like that," Finn said.
Adora took the lull in conversation to really dig into dinner. She was indeed an almost fifty-year-old woman and she wholeheartedly believed beanie weenies were an absolute delicacy. Catra's macaroni salad was also top-tier so dinner turned out to be just what she needed after a long, strange day.
"Anything else happen on your trip?" Catra asked after a bit.
Before Adora could say anything, Reyna puffed her chest out and announced, "I fell out of an enormous tree!" So much for not telling Mom.
"I mean, it wasn't that big. Sure it was tall but there are bigger trees..." Adora trailed off when she met Catra's gaze.
"How interesting," Catra said with a slight flick of her tail.
"Ya, but I didn't get hurt. Mommy caught me and then we climbed the tree some more."
"See? All's well that ends well," Adora said, throwing in her most charming smile. But even that wasn't enough to assuage Catra who still radiated powerful, aggravated energy. She turned to Finn and Sarah and said, "So, what did you guys talk about today?"
Catra arched one eyebrow at her poor attempt to change the subject but leaned back in her chair and directed her attention to Finn and Sarah. So Adora's bad try at shifting the conversation actually worked? When did that ever happen? To celebrate, she went back to eating her army-sized dinner and listened to the details of theatre class.
A couple more hours passed and conversation, for the most part, was easy and light. But it was starting to get late, especially for Reyna, so they called it and cleaned up the area. While nothing unusual happened in the Whispering Woods the rest of the night, it was hard to shake the feeling that the forest was bothered. Or disturbed? It was difficult to say for sure but something wasn't right. She'd need to investigate more thoroughly over the next week to see what the woods needed or wanted. But for now, she needed to protect her house and family.
"You guys want to see some magic?" She asked the group as they were folding their chairs back-up. Catra's tail swept up and down Adora's back, no doubt curious as to what she was doing.
"Yes," Reyna said while she practically sprung to Adora's side.
"Sure," Finn said.
"Definitely," Sarah chimed in.
She took a capsule of magic dust from her pocket, something she carried everywhere in case she needed a little more magical versatility, and poured it into a cupped palm. "Who wants to try casting a spell?"
All three said, 'Me,' so she put a small amount into their waiting hands. Nothing happened when it hit Sarah's and Finn's skin but she felt a twinge run down her arm when she gave the dust to Reyna. It wasn't much but it wasn't nothing either. Did anyone else sense that? She looked around at the watching faces but they were concentrating on her, not Reyna.
It didn't seem right to make a big deal of it right now considering that Finn was down on themselves for lacking natural magical talent. But Reyna's possible magical abilities couldn't, shouldn't, be ignored either. Adora would have to take her to see Bright Moon's sorcerers sometime this week to be evaluated. Then they could celebrate with her.
"Okay, so I'm going to cast a protection spell. It's defensive in nature and defensive spells tend to be robust but simple. You use broad, strong strokes when you cast. For this spell, the first step is to draw a circle in the air with a closed fist," she said while demonstrating, "Then you make an X in the circle and then finally you kinda punch on either side of the X. And as with any spell, intention is key. Visualize what you want the spell to do. Think about what you want it to protect and the actual parameters of the area you wish to defend. Right now, I'm thinking about how I want protection extended from the log I use to split wood all the way to the fire pit. And then from east to west, I want protection from the edge of the woods to the bend in the path leading to the castle."
She drew the circle and the X all while keeping the wanted parameters in mind. The magic dust glowed dull purple and increased in brightness with every movement of her hand until it was hard to look directly at the spell forming in the air. While spell casting didn't strictly need her natural magic to work, this spell had to be ironclad and her house impenetrable. She poured some of her own magic into the spell, feeling it siphon off energy from her. It wasn't a greedy feeling at all. Instead, it felt like the spell was kindly asking for more power and she gave it up freely. The drawn shapes floated in front of her and she punched her fists on either side of the X.
The spell erupted outwards, lighting the whole clearing so brilliantly it looked like broad daylight for a second or two. It expanded up and out until its purple lines domed over their property and ended at the places she described to the kids. The purple lines blazed starkly against the night sky and slowly faded until they were no longer visible. Now nothing could enter the area without her permission.
"Woah." Reyna's eyes were like saucers as she stared upwards.
"Very cool," Sarah said with a grin.
Finn said nothing but Adora didn't miss them looking around in awe.
Catra wasn't looking at the spell at all, she was looking at Adora. It was hard to tell in the darkness but it seemed like she was smiling. Hopefully the tree fiasco was long forgotten.
"Now, it's your turn. Just try to copy the same thing I did."
Sarah's attempt sputtered out after a few feet but her enthusiasm never dwindled. If she kept up that attitude and wanted to learn magic, she could be quite the sorceress.
Next up was Finn and their spell didn't do much better. The purple lines managed to dome a bit as it wobbled through the air but it blew away before completing its purpose. They shrugged a little before wiping their hands on their jeans. If Adora had to guess, there was less sorcery and more stages in their future.
Reyna was the last one to go and her spell had the most power behind it. It didn't look much different than the others but Adora could feel energy humming from it. Reyna definitely possessed some innate magical ability. If Adora doubted it before, she didn't now. Six did seem early for magical development but it wasn't unheard of.
"All good tries I would say. It's taken years of practice to get to where I'm at today, so don't fret too much."
"And with that, I'd say it's time for us all to go to bed," Catra said. She stepped up beside Adora with her arms full of chairs. Wordlessly, Adora grabbed three off the pile and followed behind the kids as they walked to the house. Catra's tail curled around her waist and she squeezed three times.