Author's Note: Hey ya'll! I will be taking two weeks off from posting just to make sure that I continue to have a healthy distance between posted chapters, and chapters I'm still writing. So, I'll see you back on January 20th. Have a happy New Year!
Chapter 9: Portal
G.E.M.,Global Emergency Management, G.E.M, Global Emergency Management. A person could only read the inscription on a shuttle so many times before losing it. And Adora was no exception. The dire warning of her death, or the vision of her killing an innocent man, or even the stress of the incoming Eternians wasn't about to crack her like an egg. It was this awful wait. Time ticked onwards and still they sat in the dark forest, waiting and watching.
The Registration tent was set-up and ready to capture biometrics and information from the Eternians, the Placement Tent sat ready to put people in specific cots and tents, the Medical Tent was ready to do medical evaluations, and the Supplies Tent stood waiting to handout food, clothing, blankets, toiletries, anything that they'd need on a short-term basis. All the tents were ready. The Eternians just needed to come.
"Do you think portals turn the opposite way down in the Southern Hemisphere?" Adora asked.
"I don't see why they would," Glimmer answered, "Why do you ask?"
"Well, you see, the toilets–"
A black dot the size of a dinner plate popped into existence with a loud bang at the exact spot Mara predicted. It swirled slowly, lazily, generating a faint hum. Behind it, the Crystal Castle's beam thickened and twisted upwards until the area gleamed like it was bathed in the midday sun.
"Okay, places everyone!" Glimmer called, "This is what we've been waiting for." The soldiers, diplomats, social workers, doctors, nurses, everyone they'd brought snapped to attention and hurried to their stations. Adora coaxed Percival forward a few steps, but he'd go no further. They'd planned to downplay Adora's role at first. And since Swift Wind was anything but subtle, she'd borrowed Finn's trusty steed for the night.
Entrapta laughed all the way to the portal as she streaked by. She carried a datapad in one hand, and an antenna-like object in her hair. "Entrapta, be careful," Bow said.
"I'll try, Bow, but I can't get readings from farther back," Entrapta said, "And I'm not letting this opportunity go to waste. Who knows what kind of technology the First Ones are using to open this portal? I wonder if it'll be compatible with the technology they left a thousand years ago. Or will it be compatible with our technology? Or both? Or neither? The possibilities are endless." With one hair tendril, she hoisted the antenna to the same height as the portal's top. "Hmmm...interesting."
"What is it?" Adora asked.
"Not sure yet. But these energy readings are very low. I've never seen a portal with so little energy." Entrapta paused before adding, "Fascinating!"
"Are they gonna be able to come through?" Catra said.
"They should. Generating a portal is by far the most difficult part of this process. If they can do that, they should be able to give it more energy." As if on cue, the portal grew a few feet in diameter and the swirling began to pick up speed. And then it stayed that way. And they waited and then waited some more.
"Shouldn't this thing have grown a little by now?" Glimmer said, "Is there some sort of problem?"
"Patience, my dear, patience," Bow counseled. He rested both arms on his saddle and looked perfectly content to stand back and observe some more.
"I'm with Sparkles on this one," Catra said, "I think something's wrong. It's taking way too long."
"I'll try–" Entrapta began.
"Hold on, everyone," Adora said. Mara told her she'd be able to control the portal, and hopefully she'd been right.
Shifting into her She-Ra form wasn't an option because their plan involved keeping her identity a secret. So, she had to do this without She-Ra. When she'd opened and closed portals previously, they often had their own kind of forms she could grasp onto, however loose and ephemeral. This portal shouldn't be any different. Adora closed her eyes and tried to reach out. Indistinct voices started to talk urgently and then more and more people began talking. All of it, unintelligible. All of it frantic. A prickle of energy at the center of the voices tapped at her, wanting more. And she was happy to give.
It latched onto her the instant she rescinded some control over her power. Bordering on painful, magic leached off her and the energy source grew and the voices got louder. She opened her eyes to find the portal expanding and picking up speed. "It's working," Adora said through clenched teeth. Now, the portal was less asking for more energy and magic and more taking it, which wasn't great. But if she wanted to, she could cut it off and close it. She still possessed enough control to do that. But she couldn't stop now, not when they were so close.
"Hey, are you doing? okay?" Catra asked.
"Just...fine." A dull throb, hammering in time with her pulse, radiated through her head. The slither of wet down her face meant her nose had started to bleed, and the portal's desperate feeding frenzy caused her to slump forward in the saddle as it picked away at her.
"How the fuck do we turn this thing off?" Catra yelled above the portal's roar.
"No, no," Adora said, her forehead against Percival's neck. She closed her eyes and tried concentrating on his natural, sweet, sweaty scent. Anything to distract from feeling like her cells were dislodging one at a time. "It just needs a little more–"
The portal collapsed in on itself, leaving Etheria with a pop. Really? All that and it decided to close? The castle's beam also dulled into a thin, barely visible stream of light. Well, now what? She raised her head as the pain evaporated alongside the beam.
With a burst of light, the portal slammed back into existence and blinded her with its shine. The flash lasted only seconds, and she opened her eyes in time to watch it grow into a massive churning beast large enough to fit a tank through.
Percival reared and lightly bucked under her until she placed a calming hand on his neck. She infused a little magic in her touch, trying to communicate that everything was okay. "Adora," Catra said, the urgency in her voice unmistakable. Adora looked at her and she pointed to Entrapta, who laid on her back and tried to crawl backwards. She urged Percival forward and pulled up alongside Entrapta.
"Give me your hand," Adora said. Without replying, Entrapta raised one arm and Adora dragged her up and into the saddle. She placed a steadying arm around her and said, "We're getting too old for this, aren't we?"
"Never."
"You okay?"
"I'm good, great in fact," Entrapta said, "The readings I'm getting from it are incredible. They'll help us understand their technology better. And hopefully we can learn more about their earlier tech…"
A stab of pain sliced through her head, ricocheting off the sides of her skull. An exhaustion, so complete it thrummed in her bones, trickled through her until she couldn't keep her eyes open. Unable to keep herself upright, Adora sank against Entrapta's back, her forehead resting on one shoulder. "Take the reins," she mumbled.
Hands took the reins from her, and a voice asked, "Are you okay?"
"Mmmm fine. Why?"
"You're bleeding from your ears."
"Oh?"
A hand came to rest on her back and hot breath tickled her apparently bleeding ear. "Adora?" Catra. She'd recognize her voice anywhere. "We have to abort! Something's wrong with Adora."
"No, absolutely not," Adora said while attempting to raise her head, "If we stop, we kill thousands. This is it for them. We just need to...the portal. It's the portal. It needs more energy and it's taking it from me."
"Just turn into She-Ra," Catra said. Two arms wrapped around her as she still slouched against Entrapta.
"But the plan-"
"Fuck the plan," Catra said, "We just need you to be okay."
"I think I can stabilize it and then it won't need so much energy." Entrapta leapt away and out of reach causing her to slowly roll forward and start slipping off Percival's shoulder. Hands and then pinpricks of claws digging in ever so slightly kept her aboard but hunched forward.
"Adora, listen to me. Just change into…"
Catra's voice grew fainter while another voice grew in volume and strength. "If we can't get this portal working, what will we do? What will we do?" She tried to open her eyes to look at the speaker, but she couldn't power through the impossible weight of her eyelids.
"I don't know, okay? We're fucked. It's over. What do you want me to say?" Another voice answered.
"I want you to–I want you to lead. Tell us it'll be okay. You're the King, dammit, so be a king."
"Don't you ever fucking talk to me like that again. Do you understand me?"
In an instant, the burying exhaustion lifted completely, the pain disappeared entirely, and the voices stopped. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes. The Crystal Castle's green beam caught her attention first, then the portal, then Catra. One of her hands gripped the side of Adora's breastplate while the other clung to her back plate. Being sandwiched between Catra's two arms kept her more or less in the saddle.
"Adora, say something," Catra pleaded.
"Something."
Catra's face went through about a thousand different emotions before settling on relief. "You're such an idiot." She shook her head and ran the back of her hand over Adora's cheek.
"I got it," Entrapta called while giving a thumbs-up. She stood next to the portal, various tools being held with her hair. "It should be stable now. They could come through at any moment."
"Specialist," Adora said to a young man standing guard nearby. "Please give me your helmet."
Without hesitation, he took off his helmet and handed it over. "Ma'am," he said before taking up his post once more.
"Are you alright?" Catra asked, "Is your head okay?"
"Just some minor brain damage, no biggie." Adora put the helmet on and secured it with its chinstraps.
"Don't make me laugh right now." Melog meowed from under Catra, and at least someone thought she was funny.
"Fine, fine," Adora said, holding a hand up in surrender.
"What do you need the helmet for anyways?"
"I need this helmet for the plan to work. It's not exactly inconspicuous to have blood coming out of your ears."
"This fucking plan. Why did I ever suggest it?"
"Hey, I think it's a pretty good one."
"Someone has to, I guess," Catra muttered. She straightened one of Adora's pauldrons and looked her up and down. "Are you gonna be okay?"
"With my head? I think so. I hope so. If I'm not, I'll signal you by bleeding out of my ears."
"I don't think I like that signal. Can't you just do a bird noise or a cough?"
"How about I sneeze and cough at the same time?" Adora suggested.
Catra laughed and dropped her hand to lightly grasp one of Adora's. "That's the one. If I hear that, all bets are off."
"My hero," Adora said while squeezing her fingers, "My constant defender."
"Are you sure the world's big enough for two heroes? How many heroes can your hero complex manage?"
"Normally, I'd agree that giving up control isn't exactly my, uhhh, strong suit, shall we say. But it's easy when it's you. You say, 'Jump,' and I ask, 'How high?'"
"Really?" Catra asked, arching an eyebrow, "I'm the exception to the rule?"
"Always are, always have been, Director General, ma'am. This is your territory and I'm just along for the ride. I trust you on this and I believe in your plan. I've said it once, but I'll say it again, it's easy to defer to your judgement."
"You're such a sap." Catra gave her shoulder a light shove. Melog meowed and their mane turned into a lighter blue. Good. That was good.
"And, ummm." Adora took a breath before saying as fast as possible, "And my therapist said I need to trust other people to be competent."
Catra laughed, light and raspy. "I knew there was an ulterior motive."
"Nah, I'm–"
"You guys are very cute and everything but maybe we should be focusing on the, I don't know, portal that made Adora bleed from her ears," Bow said.
"You know," Catra said as she steered Melog over to Bow and Glimmer, "Sometimes I forget how much of a killjoy you are with all your rules and regulations and insistences on sword safety."
"Catra, don't make me throw you in the dungeon," Glimmer said, the corners of her mouth quirking upwards.
"Just move her to the War Department. That'll have the same–"
"Not one more word, Adora, or your three windows are gone," Glimmer said, glancing at Adora and then lingering, "Are you okay, though? That didn't look good. If we have to abort, we have to abort. I'm not risking you."
"That is much appreciated but I'm okay. Since Entrapta stabilized the portal, I'm feeling a lot better."
"What happened?" Bow asked, "And do you know how we can prevent it? You shouldn't have to suffer for this. We can figure something out without putting you in harm's way."
"I'm not sure how to prevent it besides Entrapta doing whatever she did," Adora said, "The portal needed energy and I-"
"Look!" Entrapta said as she pointed towards the portal. Small ripples began to form right below the center of the portal, pushing back against its natural swirl. All four straightened out their various steeds and formed a line parallel to the portal. Whatever happened, the Best Friend Squad could handle it. The surrounding soldiers wouldn't hurt the situation either.
A human man stepped from its whirling maw and into Etheria. She recognized him as the King from her previous vision–tall and graying. A human woman, a twenty-something brunette with long straight hair, followed. While both wore tattered clothing, they lacked the same gauntness present in the other Eternians.
They didn't seem to notice the shifting of the crowd, the restlessness of Adora's soldiers as they readied their weaponry. Maybe it was exhaustion or naivety, but they didn't look around at the shuttles mounted with laser guns or take stock of the soldiers lining the perimeter. Maybe they didn't care, too desperate to ask any questions.
They put their heads close together and spoke quietly enough that she couldn't make out what they said. Hopefully she'd be able to understand the Eternian language and speak it well enough. If not, they'd brought boards they could use to write to each other.
The King stepped forward and said, "Is this Etheria?" He clearly wasn't speaking Etherian but she understood nevertheless. Thank the Spirits.
Adora coaxed Percival forward and parked him closer to the portal. They stood off to the side allowing Bow, Glimmer, and Catra to take center stage. Adora translated what he said for the trio. "Tell him this is Etheria and say we've been eagerly waiting for their arrival," Glimmer said.
"This is Etheria," Adora said, "We've been-"
"Has anyone else come through a portal? Anyone at all? Anyone from Eternia?" He said it breathlessly, in one long sentence. Adora translated, causing Glimmer, Bow, and Catra to exchange confused looks with each other. Maybe he meant the other group she'd seen–the ones in the castle?
"Tell him the truth," Glimmer said, "That no one else has come through."
"No other portal from Eternia has opened on Etheria. You're the only ones." Unable to resist, Adora added, "Who were you expecting?"
"We've been racing Queen Evangeline and her Mullies to Etheria," the King said.
"Mullies?"
The young woman stepped forward and added, "Her army. They're actually called the Magic User Liberation Movement, but we call them Mullies."
"Bastards." The King spit on the ground, and another round of questioning looks passed between the Best Friends Squad.
Adora translated and Glimmer nodded slowly, seemingly absorbing this new information. Bow scratched at his goatee and Catra glanced over at Adora, grim faced and washed out in the portable lighting. Finally, Glimmer said, "Let's not focus on that right now. We can find out more about this Queen Evangeline tomorrow. For now, let's get the Eternians through and into the camp. Bow, what-?"
"We are from Eternia, and we need the help of our sister planet. We need shelter from our enemies. Will you help us?" The King asked.
The young woman added, "We have close to two thousand people. They need food, medicine, shelter. Anything you can offer. Please. We have children."
Adora relayed the message back and Glimmer said, "Tell them we'll help them and we have supplies waiting for them. The portal is stable, and they can start coming through when they're ready."
"We will help you," Adora said, "We've been expecting you so we have supplies ready and people able to help. We've stabilized the portal and you can start bringing your people through when you're ready."
The woman put a hand over her face and, even in the harsh lighting of the floodlights and the Crystal Castle's beam, Adora could see her eyes glistened with tears. The man, the King, nodded slowly and stroked his white beard. "I'm King Elric and this is my daughter, Princess Lavinia. Our family has ruled over Eternia for centuries. Thank you for your hospitality and welcoming us with open arms."
Adora translated for her friends and began relaying Glimmer's message, "This is Queen Glimmer and King Bow, the Queen and King of Etheria. This is Princess Catra, Director General of Etheria's Diplomatic Service. And I'm Adora, your translator."
Before the Eternians could answer, Entrapta came around the side of the portal and stopped dead when she saw King Elric and Princess Lavinia. She let out a little squeal and sped over to the Princess. "An honor to meet you both," Entrapta said, followed by Adora translating, "How did you open a portal? How did you know where to open it? How did you input Etheria's location? How-"
"Entrapta, maybe save the questions for tomorrow?" Glimmer said, "I'm sure the Eternians are exhausted."
"Right. Sorry. But tomorrow we'll talk and then you can tell me everything. Ooooh, and we can also work on a universal translator."
After listening to Adora's translation, the Princess laughed. "It's the least we owe you...," she looked over at Adora.
"This is Princess Entrapta, head of Etheria's Science and Research Department."
"It's the least we owe you and your people, Princess Entrapta," Lavinia said with a smile. Entrapta clapped her hands and went to stand off to the side. She whipped out some instruments and began inspecting the portal once more.
"If I may, Your Majesties, perhaps now is a good time to start bringing your people through," Catra said, "After they've gone through processing, we have a camp set-up that you can stay at. It's-"
"-What kind of camp?" King Elric asked while crossing his arms. Princess Lavinia shifted her weight from foot-to-foot and began to survey the whole clearing rather than just Glimmer, Bow, and Catra.
"It has clean beds, tents, showers, food halls, basically everything your people need for short-term housing. It's like, umm, camps that get set-up after a natural disaster. It's temporary until we can figure out something more permanent."
Elric and Lavinia looked at each other before the King said, "Very well, Princess Catra. We don't have many other options so we will go to this camp of yours. But our actions will be swift and retributions harsh if this camp is anything other than what you've just described."
Without skipping a beat, Catra answered, "I assure you, Your Majesty, you will find that it's exactly as I described. You have my personal assurances on this."
"I will keep you to your word," the King said, "Now, I'll go back and start sending people through." With that, both turned and went back through the portal.
Glimmer, Bow, and Catra joined Adora off to the side as the emergency managers stepped up to configure physical barriers that would direct people to correct services and control the flow of traffic. A quick look around told her that everything was going smoothly so far and the mix of various departments hadn't fallen apart. Everyone was ready and everyone wanted to help.
As discussed previously with her Generals, most of the soldiers pivoted from providing security services to helping get the tents ready. It didn't seem like these people were much of a threat. Still, some personnel remained at their positions, ready to intervene if necessary. The anxiety of Etheria regarding these people also kept Adora alert. Sure they didn't look like they were capable of initiating an attack, but Etheria had been bothered by something. And that something could be this group.
All four remained silent as the first Eternians came through the portal and were taken to the various tents for processing. Like her vision, the mix of people included humans, scorpioni, reptilian and avian species she'd never seen before, satyrs, and even a few magicats. And also like her vision, they stumbled forward on shaky legs, coughed, and pulled their torn clothing closer to their rail-thin bodies.
At first, it seemed like the shock of going through the portal kept them quiet. Very little conversation happened between the Eternians, and only the bare minimum was being exchanged with the attending Etherians. But as time ticked by, talking didn't pick up. The Eternians who completed processing were loaded into shuttles and without a word they obeyed directions with blank faces and unfocused, sunken eyes.
With every passing minute, it became clearer and clearer that these people couldn't launch an attack. Even if they wanted to, not one of them could put up a meaningful fight. So what was Etheria so upset about? What had Okeer said? That a deep sickness was running through the planet? That it had seen into their hearts and become sickened? But these people were barely alive. What real risk did they pose to Etheria? The boar, the wolves, all of it, just didn't make any sense when paired with the reality of the Eternians. Had the planet been mistaken?
As she watched, something else nagged her, an absence caught her attention. She chewed on the almost realization until it dawned on her that she couldn't feel a familiar pull from any of the newcomers. No one reached out a healing hand, no eyes flashed blue. As she sat watching the Eternians, another revelation stirred: no one was magic.
"None of these people are magic," Adora whispered to Catra.
"Is that a problem?"
"No, but it is an interesting observation, don't you think?"
"Absolutely," Catra said, "Do you know what the population distribution for magic is on Etheria?"
"I believe around seventy-five percent of people have some type of magic."
"So, either Eternia has a very different distribution or it's some huge coincidence or they're together because of that. Which do you think it is?" Catra's head moved smoothly as she scanned the crowd, never once turning to look at Adora. Was she looking for someone?
"I'd hate to say for sure," Adora said, "But they said something about racing that magic user liberation group here. I bet that has something to do with it."
"I think that's a pretty good assumption." Catra opened her mouth, and then shut it as she leaned forward a bit. Melog's mane and tail flashed brighter blue and grew about two sizes.
"What's wrong?" Adora asked.
"They look a lot like you," Catra said as she nodded towards an older couple in line for the medical tent. The woman's long, flowing hair, caught between dirty blonde and gray, was the first thing she noticed. It wasn't hard to imagine her own hair looking the exact same way in a few years. The man's white curly hair didn't seem familiar, but his face did. Like herself, he had an angular jawline and thick eyebrows set over lightly colored eyes. Deep wrinkles set them both apart from the mostly younger looking Eternians. Those, along with smile lines, lended them both soft, kind faces. But they weren't smiling now.
"Ya, they do."
Now Catra turned to look at her. They made eye contact for a few seconds before Catra said, "Maybe it's time to get the kids and head for the castle. I mean, what else can we do here?"
"Well, I can translate for one thing. And you're in charge of...everything. I feel like we should stay in case someone needs us."
"Adora, we're going to Bright Moon Castle not fucking Krytis. If someone needs us, we're just a short call away."
"I don't know–"
"Glimmer? Bow?" Catra interrupted, "Do you two need us? Or can we go back to the castle and get some sleep?"
"Actually, we were just thinking about collecting Reed and Misty before heading to bed," Bow said, "There's not much any of us can do before the Eternians get settled. And it looks like G.E.M. and the area commanders have everything under control."
"I'm the only one who can speak Eternian," Adora pointed out, "I think I'm needed here."
"You are the only one who can speak Eternian which is exactly why we need you fresh and ready tomorrow. That's when the heavy-duty talks will begin, and we can't have our translator falling asleep in the middle of things," Glimmer said, "It seems like everyone is managing even with the language barrier. So let's all go home."
"But–"
"-That's an order," Glimmer said while raising a hand.
"Alright, alright. I can see that I won't win this one. I'll just tell my people and then I'll be ready. Meet back here in ten minutes?"
After the various arrangements were made and Adora had multiple assurances that she'd be called if even the slightest thing went wrong, the Best Friend Squad headed for the castle. All four agreed to get cleaned up before they headed for Warcester to get their kids, and recall Brick and the citizens back to the castle. After a short goodbye and plans to meet up later with Bow and Glimmer, Catra and Adora were back in their room.
"Catra," Adora said while unzipping her half chaps, "Can I ask you something?"
"Always." She sat down next to Adora and pulled one of her arms into her lap before beginning to undo the straps keeping Adora's forearm guard in place. With practiced ease, her deft fingers undid one strap and then moved to the next.
"What would you do if you knew your parents were alive and you could meet them? Asking for a friend."
Catra chuckled and placed the forearm guard behind them on the bed. Then she started in on Adora's elbow pad. "We've lived a lot of years without parents. Our whole lives, really, if you don't count–"
"-I don't count her."
"Neither do I, fuck that bitch."
"We don't say it enough," Adora said, getting to work on the other forearm guard.
"We don't," Catra agreed while lightly holding Adora's elbow. Her thumb stroked back and forth over Adora's skintight under armour shirt. "So, we've never had parents and now we are parents which I think is kind of a mindfuck. That would trip me up, at least. I know I'm already insecure about my parenting and knowing that my own parents are there and ready to meet me might make it worse. Something about being judged or evaluated by people who seem like they'd be the ultimate judges on this topic makes me a little uncomfortable.
"And of course, as I said, it's been a long time since we've hoped or expected parents. I know that I'd hoped and waited a long time for someone like that, and then when no one came, I sorta accepted that and moved on? Hmmm, that seems a little flippant, but I guess it's true. I've grieved over the fact that I'll probably never know who my parents were or what happened to them. And now I've accepted that fact and concentrated on what's ahead. Primarily, you and the kids." Catra tossed her bicep pads on the bed and squeezed Adora's upper arm. "I think you've put on muscle."
"Really?" Adora flexed her arm, earning her an approving nod. "Are you impressed?"
Catra smirked and dropped her hand. "No."
Adora stood and turned to face her. "You're not?" She flexed her arms upwards and then downwards. "How about now?"
"Nope."
"What if I bench pressed you?"
"What?" Catra said.
"Or–or I could pick you up." Before Catra could say anything, Adora scooped her up in her arms, adjusting so that one arm was under her legs and the other supported her lower back.
"I weigh like a hundred pounds."
"So, you're saying that you're not impressed by this?" Adora asked.
"That's what I'm saying." Catra started to snake a hand around her neck, but Adora set her down on the bed before she could finish.
"What do you think the heaviest thing in this room is?" She looked around the room and then towards the kid's sectioned off areas. "That mini-fridge Finn found? I bet I could lift it." Adora set off towards their room, but Catra caught her wrist.
"Adora, wait. I think your muscles are very impressive, incredibly sexy, and I daydream about them constantly."
"Constantly, huh?"
"Constantly," Catra said while patting the bed, "Now sit your ass down so we can get the rest of your armour off and we can take a shower."
"We? I like the sound of that. I haven't picked up a cigarette in days."
"I know," Catra said as she worked at undoing her pauldron, "You've told me that like eighty times."
"Just saying." She wiggled her eyebrows and threw in her most charming smile.
Still concentrating on undoing a shoulder strap, Catra shook her head and said, "You're ridiculous."
"Admit it, you like me."
"Absolutely not."
"You think I'm charming." Adora flashed another grin and Catra seemed to fully engross herself with the straps on Adora's back plate.
"I do not."
"Maybe even beautiful?" Adora said, undoing the last strap on her bicep pad.
"Nope."
"Hmmm, tough crowd tonight. I'll have to deploy my best jokes."
Catra groaned and said, "Please don't."
"Ahh, never mind actually. I had a joke about construction but I'm still working on it." Adora tossed her bicep pad behind her while Catra wrapped her arms around Adora's stomach and leaned her head against her back.
"That was awful. Truly awful."
"It made Brick laugh," Adora said as she slipped out of her last pauldron.
"That's not the ringing endorsement you think it is."
Adora laughed and loosened the final straps of her breastplate and pauldron. "Ready?"
"On three," Catra said, "One, two, three." At the same time, they lifted the various pieces of interconnected armour up and over Adora's head. Catra stood, took one of Adora's hands, and started to pull her to the bathroom. "You're a sweaty, bloody mess, and you need to be cleaned up before we get Finn and Reyna."
"Yes, ma'am." Adora gave her a sloppy salute and allowed herself to get dragged to the shower.
"So back to the parents situation," Catra said while peeling her top off, "You know how I was talking about getting used to not having parents?"
"Ya." Adora tried to unzip her under armour uniform but couldn't quite reach. "Ummm, little help?"
Catra turned on the shower before reaching over and unzipping Adora's uniform. After getting the rest of their clothes off, both stepped under the stream of water. "I guess I'd find it difficult to reintegrate them back into my world. I have you, the kids, work, and our friends and I'm just not sure where I'd fit parents into it all. I know how to be a mom. I know how to be a wife–"
"Yes to both of those statements," Adora said.
"-But I don't really know how to be a daughter and fifty seems like a pretty late starting point. And I know this is sounding like I'd resent my parents or hate them or something. But I don't think I would. It's just not quite so easy to welcome strangers into a strange role in my life."
Adora nodded and bent down a little so Catra could massage shampoo into her hair. "You're saying everything I've been feeling, but in a way that's a thousand times more eloquent than I could ever piece together."
"Hey," Catra said while gently cupping her chin, "Don't sell yourself short. You're the smartest person I know."
"I'm sorry, what was that? I didn't quite hear you. Can you please repeat that, preferably really loudly and in front of everyone?" Adora stepped back and let the water wash the shampoo from her hair in long, frothy white streams
"Nope, sorry, no repeats. If you didn't hear me the first time, that's your problem."
"That's okay, I don't have anything to prove. Comprising one half of Bright Moon's best bar trivia team speaks for itself," Adora said while trading positions with Catra and working shampoo into her majestic mane.
"The same bar trivia team where you answer questions about sports and military history, and I do everything else?"
"The very same," Adora said, enjoying the way Catra's eyes were closed, and a slight purr rumbled through her. She loosely held Adora's hips while the tip of her tail occasionally twitched. "Catra?"
"Ya?"
"I think those people were my parents."
Catra stayed silent for a few moments before saying slowly, "They definitely look like you, but that could just be a coincidence."
"I know, I know," Adora said, "But it just felt...different. I felt it in my gut when you pointed them out. I just...I think they are."
"And what happens if they are?"
"I don't know," Adora said while watching Catra rinsing her hair out, "I don't know what to say or think. I don't even know what to worry about. Imagine that, me not knowing what to worry about."
"I gotta admit, that is a bit disturbing. How about we take a step back and start with how you're feeling?" Catra squirted some body wash in one hand and stepped closer. She began applying the body wash to Adora, her hands moving in small circles.
"I don't know if I'm feeling good about it. I mean, what if they don't like me or I'm not the person they wanted me to be?"
Catra paused her hands and said, "It is scientifically and physically impossible to dislike you. And if they do dislike you somehow, then fuck 'em and that's their loss. As for not being the person they wanted you to be, again if that's what they think then fuck 'em. But I think a far more likely scenario is that they'll love you and be happy with the person you turned out to be."
Catra turned her around and started to lather her back. "First of all, who wouldn't be proud of you? And secondly, think about Reyna and Finny. I know you've said that you hope Finn grows up to be an actor and that Reyna eventually joins us in government, but what if neither of those things happen?"
"I'd be happy with whatever they choose as long as they're happy," Adora said.
"Exactly, and doesn't that apply to more than just their jobs? Who their partners are, where they live, etcetera, etcetera?"
"Absolutely. And I see where you're going with this. Let's just hope my parents have the same attitude." Red streamed down her sides and arms once Catra started scrubbing her neck and shoulders. "I–Where did all this blood come from?"
"Your ears were pouring blood from the portal. From a couple of hours ago? It was siphoning energy from you?"
"Man, the fact I kinda forgot about that makes me think I really do have some brain damage," Adora said while turning to face her wife. Expecting a good-natured smile, she instead received a frown accompanied by teary eyes. Damnnit. "Catra, I'm sorry, I was just joking."
Catra closed the already miniscule gap between them and stroked her hands up and down Adora's face before whispering, "You scared the shit out of me today."
"I know and I'm sorry." She wrapped her arms around Catra and pulled her against her. The press of her wet fur on her cheek felt silky smooth, and Adora indulged by burying her face in Catra's neck. The heat of the water and the closeness of their bodies felt like one big deep breath. The first one she'd had in days.
Water streamed over them in a way that was neither obtrusive nor lacking, once again endearing her to Bright Moon Castle's water pressure. She watched it glide down the fur on Catra's back in rivulets, accentuating her slight but lean body. Thirty years and she'd never gotten tired of this. She doubted she would in another thirty.
Adora raised her head and grabbed a bottle of conditioner behind Catra. "Here, why don't you close your eyes?"
"Well, if you insist," Catra turned around and Adora set on the important work of thoroughly and carefully conditioning her hair. She hadn't withstood countless lectures about curly hair and its proper maintenance just to mess up the all-important step of conditioning.
"I didn't mean to upset you. Truly."
"I know," Catra said with a sigh, "I know you want to help the Eternians and so do I. But please be careful. And not just for my sake." For Finn and Reyna. She didn't have to say it; Adora knew. The unspoken and unbreakable pact that bound herself and Catra to something much bigger than themselves. Every decision had to account for them, everything changing from an 'I' into a 'we.' Something similar happened when Catra joined the Rebellion and they'd gotten together. It wasn't just her anymore.
And yet she'd made the decision to let the Eternians through the portal without consulting a single soul.
Oh, Spirits, how did she ever think she could keep Mara's warning from Catra? If you let them come through the portal, Adora, you will die. And here they were, through the portal. Had she sealed her fate? Would her children grow up without her? Would she widow Catra? And perhaps worst of all, had she done it to herself?
She should've talked it out with Catra, Bow, and Glimmer, as Mara requested. Why hadn't she? They could've weighed the pros and cons, could've decided together. And she wouldn't have to hide the truth from them. She and Catra didn't have any secrets between them, something that'd been true for their whole relationship. When they threw a surprise party for Catra's thirty-fifth birthday, she spilled the beans after two minutes of interrogation because she couldn't stand lying to her wife. And this was about a trillion times worse than a birthday party.
"You okay back there? You haven't said anything."
Adora withdrew her hands and stepped back as Catra turned around. Now was the time to say something. It was now or never. "Catra, I…" Her mismatched eyes watched Adora and she cocked her head at Adora's fumbling words. Oh no. She couldn't tell her now and ruin the triumph of saving the Eternians. What could they do now anyways? If Mara was right, she'd already triggered her death and what good would it do to tell Catra?
"Catra, I wanna be here for everything. I want to see Finn wear clothes that I don't understand and listen to music that makes me shutter. I want to get to know their weird friends and who they grow up to be. I want to see Reyna become a better horsewoman than I am and tell stupid jokes that only I laugh at. I want to see them grow up and figure things out and enjoy their lives. And I want to see your gorgeous hair turn white and watch your wrinkles come in."
"Hmmm, not sure I'm looking forward to either of those things."
Undeterred, Adora continued, "I wanna make you laugh every single day, and I wanna be there for you every step of the way. I just–I want these things so badly."
Catra furrowed her eyebrows and ran a hand up and down Adora's arm. "I want those things for you too. So, so much. But where did this all come from? Are you sure you're okay? You're acting kinda weird."
Okay, now she could say something. The door was wide open. She could come clean, and they could figure it out together. She could explain the vision, her reasoning, everything. "I, umm, I think I'm just weirded out by this whole situation. My parents, the Eternians. I mean, they look really bad. Whatever happened to them wasn't good. And then on top of all that, I've been contemplating the portal and my bleeding ears and I guess it's got me thinking about what's important in life." All of that true, all of that false. Was adding to a lie as bad as the original lie or was it worse?
She waited with bated breath for Catra to catch her. To call out her lie. Instead, she stood on her tippy toes, put her hands on either side of Adora's face, and kissed her. Adora's sopping wet hair stuck to the sides of her face, tickling and irritating, as Catra's hands cradled her. Would she figure it out? Taste her guilt?
Catra nipped at her bottom lip and Adora opened her mouth, enjoying the unhurried slide of their tongues. They fit so perfectly together. Pretty much always had. They tempered each other's worst instincts and complimented the other's strengths. Managing to find each other was one of the universe's greatest gifts to Adora. Hopefully to Catra as well. And hopefully Adora hadn't ruined everything by allowing the portal to open.
As the seconds ticked by and the kissing continued, it became more and more apparent that Catra believed her. She would've said something by now, would've pulled back and fixed her with a wounded look that pierced Adora's heart every time. Her contented purr and wandering hands were not of someone who'd discovered a lie.
She almost wished Catra would notice.
"So, what's important in life, Adora?" Catra asked while she pulled back slightly. Her nose brushed Adora's as they remained in each other's orbit.
Without bothering to open her eyes, she murmured, "The kids. You. The family we built together. Our family. That still makes my head spin sometimes. Saying that."
"Why's that?"
"I guess I don't know exactly. Or maybe I do? I don't know. It just feels great to say it, to think it. I guess I never thought I'd get here."
"Well," Catra whispered against her skin, "Here we are."
"Here we are." She wanted to explain herself. Really, she did. Tell Catra all the reasons why their little family felt like a fantasy and how much gratitude she felt towards her and the kids for being a part of her life. But words fell flat. Or maybe she'd never quite figured out how to string together the perfect sentence to express her feelings. So instead of trying to explain, she poured her love into another kiss. And by the way Catra smiled against her lips, she must've felt the same way.
Beeping from the datapad sitting across from the shower caused both to jump, breaking the trance she'd been lulled into. "That would be Bow and Glimmer. Why are they so fucking good at predicting when an interruption is completely and utterly unwelcome?"
"Years and years of practice," Adora said before turning off the water and stepping out of the shower. "But we gotta go get Finn and Reyna anyways." She tossed a towel to Catra and began drying herself off.
"Ya, ya. Would another thirty seconds have killed anyone?"
...
In a rare instance of an early morning being awful, Adora actively resented the rising sun and almost smashed their alarm clock to pieces. They'd been up late with the Eternians and even later on their mission to retrieve the kids. And now they were needed before even the songbirds woke up. No amount of caffeine could save her now.
Catra was worse off. She'd been angrily muttering to herself all morning and questioning why they needed to be up at 'the ass-crack of dawn.' Whose idea was this, she asked. What dumbass thought diplomacy was reserved for morning people, she moaned. In response, Adora retrieved her coffee after coffee without comment.
Catra left before she did, a to-go thermos in hand and frown firmly in place. Not even a goodbye hug and accompanying kiss seemed to lift her mood. But when the time came to pull it together, Catra wouldn't let anyone down.
After she got the kids ready and safely off to school, Adora joined the fray. And what a sight to see. People were everywhere, doing everything. The War Department was certainly no exception, but it acted as the brute force, the sheer numbers needed to get things done. The Generals, Admirals, and herself played the support role, leaving the high-level management to the diplomatic corps and G.E.M. When they needed nurses and doctors, the War Department supplied. When they needed additional structures built and supplies moved, her troops were called to action.
Things were hectic for her, yes, but it lacked the same heart-pounding, sweaty-palm, shaky hand symptoms reserved for the top leaders of this particular situation. For people like Catra, Bow, and Glimmer. She'd never quite settled into the backseat, but it was easier when they were in charge. Despite all her reservations, there was something undeniably soothing about not carrying that mental load. And for better or worse, it gave her more time to think about her possible parents.
Catra had been right, inviting strange people into a strange role formerly occupied by a strange woman didn't quite seem right. She'd love her parents, no doubt. She had, in fact, loved the idea of them for many years. But what was she supposed to do with them? What was she supposed to say? What did parents even want these days? Where did they fit into her life? It was like a missing piece of the puzzle had suddenly appeared, but the puzzle was already glued together and hanging on the wall.
"Mind if I come in?" Bow asked from the door of her office.
"Of course," Adora said, leaning back in her chair and giving him a big smile.
"Catra sent me down here to get you," he said while taking a seat, "But I thought we could talk a minute before heading up."
"Sure, Bow, what's on your mind?"
"So, I may have heard something about your parents arriving with the Eternians, and I wanted to see how you're feeling about that. I know things haven't been easy lately and I wanna make sure you're doing okay."
"That's really nice of you, thanks," she said while knitting her fingers together, "I, ummm, I guess I'm doing okay. I don't really know what to think, honestly. I know I should be jumping for joy and ecstatic about my parents and the Eternians. I mean, it's no secret that I've always wondered where I came from and who my family is. But the truth is, I don't really know how to feel. Catra said we've lived a lot of life without parents and now that they're here, it's hard to know what to make of it."
"I'm not gonna pretend and say I know what any of this feels like because I don't. But I imagine that if anyone knows what this must be like, it's Catra. So do you think she's right? About being confused?"
"Oh, ya, she's right. As usual. Don't get me wrong, I'm really excited to get to know them and feel...loved? But I don't really know what parents do I guess. Shadow Weaver loved me, in her own way. And ya...I don't know. What if I disappoint them?" Adora leaned forward and adjusted a slightly crooked paper. She kept her eyes on her desk.
"What do you mean you don't know what parents do? What are you doing with Finn and Reyna?"
"That might be the question of the century," Adora said with a sigh, "I've read all the books. Twice. And it still feels like I'm flying by the seat of my pants. I just wanna be a good mom, and I don't know if I'm accomplishing that."
"I think you are, my friend, I think you are. Reed is always talking about Finn and their escapades. Finn's good for him–they've brought him out of his shell. And they're always so polite and funny. Trust me on this, Finn's a kind soul. And Reyna seems like she's following the same path. And we've got you and Catra to thank for both of them."
"Really? You honestly think so?"
"Oh, ya. If your parents are even half the parents you guys are, I think you'll find them to be wonderful additions to the family," Bow said.
"You have no idea how much I needed to hear that." She leaned back as a bloom of pride swelled in her chest. Their kids were pretty great. She could picture Finn's devious smile after a particularly clever quip, and the wave of Reyna's tail seconds before she plunged recklessly into an activity.
"You know I'm always here with a pep talk," Bow said while standing. She followed suit, grabbed her shoulder bag, and linked their arms as they left her office. A short trip later and they were at Bow and Glimmer's Council Chamber. The War Room was great for actively planning and coordinating with dozens of moving parts but right now they needed a place where they could hash out strategy amongst their inner circle, without advisors and generals. The Council Chamber was the perfect spot.
"Fuck," Brick said while watching her, "Who ordered the beef?" He stood next to Catra with his arms crossed and trademark smirk firmly in place. Catra pawed through some papers before looking up and sending a smile her way.
"What?" Adora said, crossing the room with Bow still at her side. She came to stand next to her wife while Bow settled next to Glimmer.
"You're looking beefy as fuck these days. No doubt due to my superior knowledge about nutrition."
Adora flexed an arm, but it all seemed pretty normal. "You really think I've put on muscle?"
"Absolutely. And I've been thinking that we need to target the back more. You see-"
"For fuck's sake," Catra said while dragging a hand across her face, "We don't have time for this. Maybe when we're not trying to settle in two thousand First Ones, we can talk about picking up and putting down heavy things. But for now, can we please focus?"
For once, Brick didn't whip out a witty retort, instead falling silent and exchanging an uncharacteristically serious look with Adora. She knew what he wanted–the big guns. Without a word, Adora pulled a can of flavoured coffee from her bag, cracked it open, and set it in front of Catra. She froze for a second before reaching out a hand, grabbing the can, and taking a long drink from it. She closed her eyes and it seemed like something deeply personal was transpiring.
"Okay," Catra said after a minute, "I needed that. Thank you. I love you. And I'll never snap at you again."
"Does any of that include me?" Brick asked.
"No."
"Damn," Brick said while scratching at his beard.
"While I absolutely adore the banter, maybe we wanna talk about the plan?" Glimmer said.
"Right, so, here's what I think. I think we should continue to downplay Adora's role as both She-Ra and Lord Commander. I think they're gonna be more forthcoming with us if we do that. Plus, I think it's always a good idea to not reveal all our advantages all at once. Especially because we don't know why they're here. I don't think any of those Eternians are planning anything nefarious, but we can't say for sure. Let's keep some cards close to our chests, at least while we're trying to get a read on them. What does everyone think about that?"
"Good with me. I'm happy to just translate."
"I don't like the idea of lying to them but, admittedly, I think it's wise to keep She-Ra to ourselves."
"I don't know, you guys," Bow said, "Lying doesn't seem right, especially when you consider what kind of shape they're in. None of those people are in any condition to fight."
"I hear you. I really do," Catra said, "But I truly believe that they'll be more willing to open up if She-Ra isn't in the picture. We have no idea what Adora was to them before she was stolen. What if she was really significant and they blame us for her disappearance? It just seems like an unnecessary risk at this point. We can always reveal She-Ra later, but we can't take that information back once it's out in the open."
"I agree," Adora said, "And I trust your judgment."
"Thank you."
"You have a lot of experience with these kinds of things so I'm inclined to go with your recommendations," Glimmer said, "But I see what you're saying, Bow. In addition to being a bit assholish, we might lose their trust when they find out we've been lying." Adora shifted her weight from foot to foot before glancing around. Luckily, no one paid any attention to her.
"Yes, lying is bad, we all know that," Catra said, "But it makes sense for this situation. And we're not even really lying, we're just not giving the whole truth."
"That's still lying."
"Okay, well, I've given my recommendations, Arrow Boy. If you want to be forthcoming about Adora, I'll back you all the way. A united front is important and the Eternians will never know I disagreed. But I stand by my position and I will complain behind closed doors. And that's a threat."
"One of these days, you're gonna have to start showing Dad a little respect," Brick cut-in, "Arrow Boy is hardly fitting for a King."
"Sorry, I meant Arrow King." Catra swept her hand dramatically around before dipping into a bow.
"If Catra is ever respectful to either one of us, something is deeply, deeply fucked," Glimmer said, "But getting back to the Eternians, what do you think?" She turned to look at Bow. "I don't wanna do something that you're uncomfortable with."
"Let's go with what Catra says. I don't like it, but I get it."
Glimmer and Bow maintained eye contact for a few seconds, seemingly having a private conversation, before she nodded and said, "We'll keep Adora a secret, at least at first. Catra, you'll lead the talks. Bow and I will chip in when necessary. Adora, just translate and look unimportant."
"Done and done," Adora said with a thumbs up.
"What about me?" Brick said.
"Sit there and try not to strain your brain with all the adult talk," Catra said, looking around the table.
"Hey, fuck you, man." Brick stuck out a middle finger and grinned at Catra.
"Actually, I do have a job for you." Catra heaved her mountains of papers and datapads into Brick's arms. She leaned back on one foot, surveying her handiwork. "After agonizing years, we've finally found a use for you."
"Ya, ya." He kicked at her half-heartedly causing Catra to dodge and let out a bark of laughter. As much as Brick could be a huge pain, his youthful energy kept everyone on their toes.
"So, are we ready to start the talks?" Glimmer asked, adjusting her crown.
"Yep," Catra said, "I'll meet you guys there in just a few minutes." She drummed her fingers against the table and took another long sip of her coffee.
"Sounds good." Bow, Glimmer, and Brick left for the conference room, but Adora stayed. If Catra asked her to leave, she would. But it seemed like she needed some words of encouragement or a well-meaning shoulder pat or something.
She went over to a window overlooking the castle grounds and folded her arms across her chest. Her tail wiggled occasionally and she remained silent. Adora walked towards her before stopping directly behind her. What was she supposed to do with her hands? Catra got nervous and tense before these kinds of things so maybe a shoulder and neck massage would help?
Adora smoothed out Catra's suit and got to work at loosening up the knots dotting her shoulders and neck. Her head fell forward and she let out a contented sigh. "That feels really good."
"That's what I like to hear. Nervous?" Adora asked.
"Ya. As you know, these things are always nerve wracking for me, but this one feels really stressful." Catra rolled one shoulder and said, "A little to the left." Adora obliged immediately and Catra let out an approving purr. "I mean, these are your people. I don't wanna mess it up. I know how much you've wanted to know more about where you came from and your parents. And here's your opportunity. I have to be on my A game and I'm feeling it."
"Catra, my love, that is honestly the sweetest thing I've ever heard. But you're being too hard on yourself."
"Maybe but I keep thinking about the kids. I want them to be connected to their heritage, to know about their family. I guess the pressure's getting to me a little."
"There's no one I'd rather have in charge," Adora said, moving her hands from Catra's shoulders to her neck. "You've done this for a long time. And you're so good at it. Seriously, I wouldn't want anyone else but you leading this whole operation. So go in there and kick so much ass."
"We don't really kick ass in the diplomatic corps."
"Negotiate...so...much...ass?" Even to her own ears, so much was wrong with that sentence. "Oh, oh no. That was absolutely terrible. Let's pretend–"
Catra's shoulders shook underneath her hands and she wheezed out several breaths in between silent fits of laughter. Well, at least she thought it was funny rather than horrific. Or maybe she thought it was horrific too. "I don't know why we have such a lame motto when we could have, 'Negotiate so much ass.' It has it all–inspiration, determination, and a hint of sexiness. All necessities for the diplomatic corps."
"I feel like I've created a monster," Adora said, dropping her hands to her sides when Catra turned around to face her.
"Oh, you have, Princess," Catra said while stepping away from her and gathering her bag, "You have. There's no fucking way we're keeping, 'Peace Unto All,' when we have the far superior, 'Negotiate so much ass.'"
Adora followed Catra to the door, unable to stop herself from scrubbing at her face. She knew, she just knew that her face was bright red. But maybe it calmed Catra down? "At the very least, are you feeling better about it now?"
"A thousand times, actually. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Now, let's go negotiate so much ass."