Chapter 12: Brick

It took her nearly a year to get Catra pregnant with Finn. After it became clear that things weren't taking, they went to doctor appointment after doctor appointment and Catra had the same question: 'What's wrong with me?' And peculiarly, no one thought to ask Adora the same thing. Perhaps more peculiarly, she didn't ask herself. But maybe she didn't need to. Because, in her heart of hearts, she already knew that the blame for this particular failure fell squarely on her own shoulders. She knew because right after they'd both agreed to having kids, someone said, "Did you know that traumatized people are more likely to abuse their kids?"

At every opportunity, it started up again, the same semi-disinterested voice parroting back the findings in some article. 'Did you know–'

So it was true. Nothing was wrong with Catra, and everything was wrong with Adora. She'd been the delay, the concerned party, the lone holdout. In hindsight, it was likely she'd unconsciously sabotaged their efforts. Afterall, at the end of the day, the whole process relied on her magical abilities. Abilities that no one thought to question at the time. Of course she'd been doing everything right. It had to have been Catra or fate or the universe getting it wrong. Because things didn't go wrong for Adora, she didn't mess up. She didn't let the Horde or Shadow Weaver get to her like that. She didn't let one off-handed comment almost ruin their chance at having children. The same way she wasn't looking at Finn right now and hearing that damn voice. 'Did you know….?'

Catra left them temporarily to go find Reyna's cohort amongst the evacuees in the underbelly of the castle. After coming back from their forest excursion, they'd given the all clear and the civilians began to come back up. During the process of hunkering down, Reyna asked Finn if she could stand with her class and they'd let her. After giving a brief lecture on why Finn could never let Reyna out of their sight during an evacuation, Catra went to find their daughter. Leaving Finn and Adora alone.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, umm, I was just thinking that you're getting so tall," Adora said while putting her hands on their shoulders, "You're gonna be taller than Mom any minute now."

"That's not hard to do."

"No, I suppose not," Adora said with a grin, "And then, one day, you might be taller than me. Then you really won't be my little kitten anymore. But I'll always see you that way, you know."

Finn halfheartedly swatted at her and rolled their eyes. "You're so sentimental, uuugh."

"Ya," Adora admitted. She hated to ask, probably shouldn't, but she'd drive herself crazy the rest of the night if she didn't. "Finny, I, ummm, wanted to ask you something."

"Sure," they said with a shrug.

"Are you having a good childhood? It's fun and you know Mom and I support you one hundred percent? That sort of thing."

They knit their eyebrows together and stroked the fur on their chin. With each passing second, she could feel her unfreezing nerves melting even more. What if they said no? Then what? Could she fix it? Turn it into something magical and wonderful? Save it before it slipped through Finn's fingers?

"Ya, I would say so," Finn said, "Barring the boar troubles, I think I've enjoyed it. But I haven't really thought about it, I guess."

That seemed good. People with bad childhoods knew it was bad, right? Maybe not. It'd been a while, but she sorta remembered her early days in the Rebellion and how her blindfold came loose. How she'd watched Angella with Glimmer, and George and Lance with Bow and thought she'd never been a part of something like that. So...maybe things really sucked for Finn but they had no idea because they had no context and she'd actually been ruining their life because she–

"Etheria to Mom? Mom come-in," Finn said, snapping their fingers.

"Sorry, sorry." She held up her hands in surrender. "I hope it's been good. Really, truly. With all my heart." Another question, equally as anxiety ridden, flittered through her mind. "And you're happy?"

"I will be if I get a part in this damn play."

"Language," Adora said while raising an eyebrow.

"Look who I found," Catra said from behind her. She turned around to find Catra leading a very sleepy Reyna over. She yawned and Adora scooped her up, eliciting a weak giggle.

"Tired, Lion?" Reyna tried to look at her through droopy eyes and gave a slight nod. "Well, I think it's time for us to head home and then we can all sleep in tomorrow." Cradling Reyna in one arm, she put the other on Finn's back. "Sound good?"

Finn let out a tremendous yawn of their own before saying, "Ya, lead the way."

After everyone was safe and secure and sleeping, Adora closed her eyes and like some cruel joke, she re-entered the world of the Horde. Another dream but that made it no less damaging, no less dangerous. That felt more and more true as she stared at the almost empty barracks. She stood at the entrance, and could just make out a form in a bunk at the far end of the room. Technically her bunk but really she shared it with Catra. Most of the time. Not right now. Right now, only little Adora occupied it.

And she remembered why she'd been left alone. Everyone else thought she'd been training with Shadow Weaver while they went through their own regimen. But that wasn't exactly true. She'd gone with Shadow Weaver and been turned loose when the older woman got what she wanted. Not knowing what else to do, little Adora wandered back into the barracks and tried to find comfort in doing nothing. She never found it.

Before she knew what she was doing, she smashed her hand into the concrete wall. Then her other connected with it and she kept going until her hands were shattered and bloody and broken.

Thirty fucking years ago this all happened and she remembered details like she'd never even left. The dent in Rogelio's bunk from when Lonnie poorly executed a backflip, the bright burn of the lights, the silly pieces of artwork strewn about. All insignificant and important and so crystal clear right now, laid to bare, that it suddenly felt like she couldn't breath. Because she was supposed to be a hero, a protector, but how could she be any of those things when she couldn't even save herself? She'd been led away and used and abused and it was all so easy for Shadow Weaver to do it. She had never been, would never be, the hero she needed herself to be. She'd never quite get it right and she'd never-

"-You don't have to relive this again. Not tonight at least." A quiet voice said from behind her. Adora turned, half expecting Catra, but there stood the woman from her previous dreams. Even in the harsh lighting, she looked beautiful. In her white robes, she carefully stepped towards Adora and reached both arms out. She took both of Adora's hands in hers, and searched her face. "Let's go somewhere else."

Adora blinked and they were outside, in the Whispering Woods. A pleasant breeze swept through the trees and tousled both women's hair. A creek ran only a few feet away which lent the whole scene the peaceful sound of running water. The woman gently led her to the creek and knelt down beside it. Adora followed her but kept her eyes on her face. What was she doing? With impossible softness, she lowered Adora's hands into the water. She watched the red rinse off her hands and seep into the water. As it flowed away from her, it faded and dissipated until the water ran clear and blue and decidedly not bloody.

The warmth of magic flitted across her skin before dipping deeper and spreading out in her muscles. Her hands stopped bleeding first, and then her bones rearranged themselves under her skin and she was fixed. It was magic alright, but it wasn't hers. She looked over at the other woman. Her eyes were closed and eyebrows knit downwards as she faintly glowed with golden light. Only high caliber sorcerers and healers could've put her back together so quickly. Who was this woman?

She wanted to ask. But what came out was much different and entirely unexpected. "I wish it hadn't happened."

The other woman opened her eyes and a faint smile painted her face. "Me too."

For a long time they didn't move. Her hands, despite being healed, were still being held under water by the woman's soft grip. A bird tweeted nearby, its call sounding more like a question than anything else. She thought idly of jumping in.

"You ever feel like your brain's been lit on fire?"

"Yes," Adora said, "Like I'm burning and burning and all I can do is watch. It's been like that recently. Like someone took my brain out, set it in a jar, lit it on fire, and shook it around like a, like a-"

"-Fire globe?" The woman grinned at her own turn of phrase.

"A fire globe, yes. I like that. It's like an awful cousin of the snow globe." This earned her a laugh from the woman, and she released Adora's hands from the water. "Why'd it happen, do you think?"

She realized she'd hopped from one subject to the next with no explanation. She opened her mouth to roll it all back but the woman beat her to it. "There's not a lot of whys when it comes down to it. Really, there's just one. People want power, want control. And we're powerful and we were vulnerable. Controlling us is the ultimate form of power. That's it. Maybe she told you she loved you or it was just what people do or some other bullshit like that. Whatever excuse you got, Adora, it was a lie. She just wanted to control you."

"And she did," Adora said, "She pretty much got what she wanted."

"Revenge is an underrated act of self-care. She doesn't have to get what she wants anymore."

Adora scratched at the dirt with a fingernail. How did she even begin to explain she was thirty years too late?

"Mommy!" A weight slammed into her, and she fell out of her dream into the real world. The same world in which Reyna stood over her with a wide grin and puffed out chest. Where she'd learned such cocky displays did not escape Adora's mind.

"Reyns, sweetheart," Catra said from beside the bed. She stood with a black tray in both hands and a smiling Finn by her side. "Mommy is delicate when she's asleep. We can't just body slam her when she's sleeping."

"I'm actually quite delicate throughout the day, awake or not. Just for everyone's future reference."

Reyna jumped off her and onto the bed, wildly bouncing into Adora's side and sending their blankets into a tangle. "We brought you breakfast in bed," she announced with a flick of her tail.

Adora wracked her brain trying to figure out why. It couldn't be her birthday and Mother's Day was still a month or two away. "Not that I don't appreciate it and everything but may I ask why?"

"Because you deserve it," Catra said while setting the tray over her. Adora scooted up the bed and every single part of her protested the movement. Right. She'd been blown up last night. She only barely managed not to grunt in pain.

"Mom said that you've been working really hard recently by shutting and opening portals and that what you really need is a good pancake."

"I do need a good pancake," Adora mused, "And if this is the reception I get, maybe I should shut portals more often."

"Absolutely not," Catra said. She settled on the edge of the bed, side by side with Adora. Reyna laid on her belly and propped her head up with her hands, ears perked. Finn crawled over the bed, and sat cross legged next to Reyna.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Adora asked. She reached out and began pouring syrup over her much needed pancakes. Finn plucked a piece of toast from her plate, followed by Reyna taking a few slices of apple. And, just like that, her breakfast dwindled.

"I had a dream that you fought a unicorn," Finn said, "Not sure why but it was pretty entertaining. Maybe we should do that today."

"That seems awfully rude. What did a unicorn ever do to me? I mean, Swift Wind is a unicorn. How could I do that to his people?"

"Swifty is not a unicorn," Reyna said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "He's an alicorn."

"Does everyone know that but me?"

"Yes," all three said at once.

"Huh." She stuffed some pancake in her mouth and scratched her chin. She thought she knew pretty much everything about the local animals. Not so, apparently.

"I picked this flower for you," Reyna said. She took a flower from the tiny vase at the top of the tray, and brought it close to Adora for inspection.

"I love these." Adora took an exaggerated sniff and nodded approvingly. This was one of the flowers she remembered Catra telling her about. "Do you know what kind this is?"

"A gold one?"

Adora laughed and put the flower back in the vase. "It definitely is. But it's also a persea hybrida. That means 'blooming sun.' Right?" She looked over at Catra who nodded in confirmation. Before she could say anything else, Finn started laughing, which caused her to briefly pause her pancake intake. "What?"

"'Blooming sun?' Really? That's a bit cheesy, don't you think?"

"It's a metaphor, Finny. You know because it looks like the sun. A sun that's...a sun that's blooming? Okay, now I hear it."

Finn snapped off a finger gun, clearly pleased with Adora's admission. "Who names this stuff anyways? Professor Head Up Their Bum?" They reached out and took another piece of toast while everyone else cracked up. Somehow, her breakfast in bed had turned into a feast for all.

"Ahhh, yes, Professor Head Up Their Bum," Catra said, "With a name like that, they'd fit right in with many of our colleagues."

Adora nodded while she chewed. Hard to disagree there. "Well, regardless of who names what, that's the flower's actual name. But I do agree that it seems a bit strange. So maybe it deserves another name? A better name. How about a Finn Flower? A golden flower for a golden child. Golden, like honey, for our sweet Finny." Adora held up the flower next to Finn's face and looked between the two. "Uh-huh, I see it. It's got the same color as your fur. It's all checking out. So I officially declare this to be a Finn Flower."

Adora handed them the flower and watched as they twirled it between two fingers. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." She didn't miss the smile on their face.

"Hmmm, I don't think so," Adora said.

"Me neither," Catra added, "I like it."

"What about me? Do I get a flower?" Reyna asked, bumping her head into Adora's shoulder.

"Oh, yes." Adora lightly combed through her hair with one hand. "I have one in mind actually. It's fiery red for a fiery kitten. We can go find one today, if you like."

"Let's do that! Hurry up and finish and then we can go." Reyna got another piece of fruit off the tray, not wasting any time in helping clear her plate.

"Hang on, hang on," Catra said, "Let Mommy eat in peace...Well, in relative peace. She needs her strength for flower hunting and also talking to Glimmer and Bow about yesterday." Adora made direct eye contact with Catra and received an apologetic look. "They caught us in the kitchen and want to see you ASAP. I've held them off for as long as I could, but they have a lot of questions."

"I suppose that's fair enough. I'll go speak with them and then we can look at flowers and maybe practice sword fighting and whatever else you guys wanna do."

…

After Adora caught up with Bow, Glimmer, Brick, and Sunny, she reminded them that the woods were safer, not safe, and they'd left to get their armour on for a forest excursion. Then the group headed to the stables before riding out to the Whispering Woods. They exchanged a few words with the troops still deployed at the forest's edge and then rode in deeper.

"Alright, Adora, we've got our armour on and we've got our hot shit capes on," Glimmer said, "Now can you please tell us what the ever loving fuck has been going on around here?"

Adora adjusted her white cape and redraped it over Swift Wind's back before diving into the story. The story of waking up and heading to the forest with Melog, but not the story of seeing the mysterious woman and the Horde and the stream. How she'd watched herself cut a man in half in Mara's vision while failing to mention Mara's prediction regarding her death. How'd she'd kept that vision to herself and that was why Mara appeared on the balcony. She got out everything she could manage and only felt worse. Here was another opportunity to come clean about everything; here was another opportunity she didn't take.

"I guess what I'm confused about is why Mara said all that shit about choices and you being a protector or whatever. And that some things are more than you can handle. And all those accusations about what you've done and now the path is set. You know what I mean? It doesn't quite seem to line up."

She was right, it didn't. On the fly, Adora changed tactics. "Ya, I guess I sorta missed an important thing she said. The night of the first portal, when I saw myself...hurt that guy. She said that if I opened the portal, that was my future."

"Killing that man was your future, you mean?" Bow asked.

"Exactly."

"She was right, then," Glimmer said, "You should've discussed that with us. If we knew that was gonna happen with the portal, maybe we would've made a different decision."

"That's why I didn't tell you. I knew you guys would be reluctant to open it after hearing that, and I wasn't just gonna let the Eternians get killed."

"Oh, man," Glimmer said while rubbing her temples, "I am trying so, so hard not to be pissed off at you right now. Like every fucking ounce of self-control is getting used. By holy shit did you assume a lot about our reactions. You assumed a lot about everything actually. How do you know we wouldn't have figured out something else that would've saved the Eternians while also not dooming you to a future of cutting people in half?"

"I guess...I guess I couldn't know for sure."

"No, you couldn't. You can't control everyone all the time, Adora. And it's not fair to assume what our reactions are gonna be without any input from us. We have agency, you know. And we might surprise you by being competent."

Adora sighed and focused on the passing trees. She recognized them, they'd be at the place where she'd bowled over trees and bled into the ground soon enough. "You're right. Of course, you're right. I should have talked to you guys. I should've been truthful from the start. And I'm sorry I wasn't. That's on me and I'll try to be better." Should she try to explain or would that seem like she was reaching for an excuse? "I guess I didn't say anything because it didn't exactly feel like a committee decision. It was my kin on the line, my blood that was spilled, my sword that cut. Not that any of that's an excuse."

As if to illustrate her point, the group turned and found themselves in an area that could only be described as obliterated. Ten to fifteen trees laid on their side, their roots upturned and branches snapped off in jagged points. The whole place stunk like blood, and she could taste the stale metallic in the air. Her dried blood, more black than red at this point, showered almost everything. Droplets spattered against the trees and the dirt clung together, bonded by her seeping hot blood now turned cold.

Without talking, they all dismounted and took in the sights and smells. "Adora, there's so much blood." Brick's voice was barely above a whisper as he shifted around in a circle, surveying the damage.

"Ya, I, ummm, I got pretty injured actually." She scratched the back of head and looked over at him. "You're not gonna faint, are you?"

"I'm thinking about it." He scratched at his beard before turning to look at her. "Did you almost die last night?"

"No," she said truthfully, "When I'm She-Ra, I have a lot more blood to lose. And it takes a lot, lot more than that to kill me. I did almost lose consciousness, but Razz got to me before that happened."

"It was reckless to come out here by yourself," Glimmer said, "You should've at least taken a guard or two."

"You sound like Catra."

"I sound like Catra because neither of us are dumbasses and wouldn't have taken the risk. Honestly, Adora, between this and the Mara situation, you've been a little careless lately. What's up with you?"

A second after Glimmer stopped talking, anger flashed red hot in Adora's chest and she felt a series of shouts building. What right did Glimmer have to accuse her of recklessness? So she wandered into the woods by herself occasionally, what was the big deal?

"I think what Glimmer is trying to say is that we've noticed that you haven't been yourself lately," Bow said, "And we're worried. Is everything okay?"

And just like that, the need to yell doused into embers. These were her friends. They wanted to help. The least she could do was try to make them understand. They'd never quite gotten the Horde and Shadow Weaver and their childhoods but they'd tried. That counted for something. She could try back. "You guys ever feel like–like your brain's on fire?"

"Huh?" Glimmer frowned a bit while seemingly assessing her.

"What does that even mean? How can your brain be on fire? Is your head also on fire?" Brick narrowed his eyes before continuing, "Are you trying to tell us that you accidently lit your hair on fire? Is that what happened last night?"

"Brick, son, I know you mean well but you've gotta let her speak," Bow said.

"What, can you blame me? She always tries to subtly hint about whatever catastrophe she's recently stumbled into. I'm just suspicious, that's all I'm saying."

"I do not do that."

"You do though," Sunny said, "One time you talked about crab migration habits for twenty minutes before casually dropping in that a crab pinched the tip of your finger off. And then you showed me your bloody finger."

"That was one time!" The unmistakable sound of a wrapper opening drew her attention away from Sunny. She turned to find Brick holding out a protein bar. "This is a terrible place for a picnic." Who wanted to try and relax with destruction as their background?

"It's not a picnic, it's a snack and a talk."

Despite the fact she loathed any kind of food bars, Adora took it and sat on a nearby rock. "Thanks." She took a bite and stopped herself from making any mean comments. Brick always did like the cheap crap. Now didn't seem like the time to call him on it.

Everyone else got a snack and they formed a semi-circle around her. "Have you ever seen so much blood?" The others shook their heads before all eyes fell on her. She bit into the bar and focused on some blood droplets on a tree that vaguely resembled a rabbit. "How about you, Adora?" Brick asked.

She chewed on her lip as a cigarette craving flicked at her. "I have, yes."

"Really?" Sunny said, "Where? When?"

"I've been in a lot of fights. The people, the places, the specifics. They all blend together. I couldn't give you any details." Not completely true. She did remember watching the color drain out of a young face, his eyes wide and mouth forever set on a question. Or the shock of being marched in the middle of the night towards laundry with an armful of blood soaked towels. Those she did remember. She tried not to but the smell lingered, never to be forgotten. "Got a cigarette?"

"Sure but you've either gotta fully commit to the habit or stop stealing them from me," Brick said as he shook one out from his pack and handed it over.

She took matches from her pocket and lit up. "I got a box of matches the other day without thinking so it looks like I'm committing." She took a drag and then another. The rush of nicotine set her brain buzzing. "I wonder if this'll bring the wolves over. Okeer's always keeping an eye on stuff like this." When no one said anything, she glanced over at Bow and Glimmer, who just looked at her. No chewing, no head nodding, just looking. "What?"

"You've never told us that before," Bow said, choosing every word carefully, "Do you wanna talk about it? Where it happened? Who it happened to?"

"Like I said, I don't really remember any of that. The Horde had training accidents and I saw some of them." She shrugged. "And I've fought in a lot of different conflicts. Sometimes these things happen." She brought the cigarette to her lips, and watched her friend's faces contort into barely suppressed horror. This was exactly why she'd never said anything. These were her best friends, but they'd never get it. It wasn't their fault, they'd never been exposed to anything remotely like the Horde. But still. They didn't get that that was just the way things were. Kids dying wasn't the rarity they wanted to believe.

"Adora…" Glimmer started and just like that she felt her skull heat up as the conversation slipped too far away from her grasp.

"Listen, you guys, I don't wanna talk about it. It all happened a long time ago and I'd rather not remember. It's behind me now. And I do appreciate the concern, I really do. You've always been great about making sure I'm okay and listening when I need an ear. So please don't think I'm being ungrateful. I just don't wanna think about it. Let's focus on the future."

Bow and Glimmer exchanged a look with each other and she braced herself for more questions she couldn't, wouldn't, answer. "Okay, well, we're here if you need us. For anything. You know that?" She waited for the prying but it never came.

"I do, thank you." She enjoyed her cigarette until it burned down to the filter. She snuffed it out against her boot and dropped the butt in an extra pouch on her side. After scanning the trees for movement, she repeated the process another two times to confirm her findings. No animals. She could hear them, which was good news. But no deer or boar strayed close. Perhaps the remnants of the portal combined with the scent of her blood drove them away. "I'm telling you guys, that portal felt evil. It was okay at first and then suddenly it wasn't. I'm not too sure what it wanted. Or what it's master wanted. But good Lord, do I understand why it set Etheria and Mara on edge. I mean, it hated me. I know it tried to hurt me, maybe kill me. And who knows what was waiting on the other side. If that was just the portal, I'd hate to meet the people running the show."

"So you don't think Etheria overreacted to this whole thing?" Glimmer said.

"No. I only closed it down because it reacted the way it did. I'd have kept it open otherwise. And like I said, it only acted nice when it thought I was gonna keep it open. Then it was like a switch flipped, and I could feel how much it hated me. I don't even wanna imagine what would've happened if I hadn't shut it down."

"Good thing you were here," Bow said.

"Good thing."

Brick stood up next to her and said, "Alright, well, we saw what we wanted. Shall we head back now?"

"You're just trying to get out of talking about your powers, mister." Glimmer folded her hands over her chest, and no force on Etheria could stop this conversation now. Brick sat back down, hunched and resigned. He clasped his hands in his lap and glanced over at Adora. She shrugged. She'd help where she could but this wasn't her fight. "How about you start when you first realized that blood makes you queasy?"

"Okay. I was like fourteen or fifteen and someone got hit in the face with a ball and blood just fuckin' poured out of their face. It was awful and I passed out. When I came to, the nurse made me call home, but I really called Adora. She came and got me and we just talked the whole afternoon. Honestly, I'm pretty sure that's when I decided I wanted to be her apprentice."

Glimmer turned her attention from Brick to her. "And you never told us? Why?"

"It wasn't my story to tell," Adora said.

Bow nodded but Glimmer's jaw set. Spirits help them. "Why did you call Adora instead of us? We would've understood. We would've helped you."

"I don't know." Brick scratched the back of his neck but didn't raise his eyes. "I just knew she'd get me. And she did. With you guys, I just–I just thought you'd be disappointed in me. That's why I never told you. I know I'm supposed to be the fuckin' Crown Prince and I have these shitty healing powers and I should be the best at what I do. And I'm just...I'm just fuckin' not."

"Oh, Brick, we could never be disappointed in you," Glimmer said while going over to sit next to him. She ran a hand through his hair before continuing, "Even if you always have this phobia, we'll still be so, so proud of you."

Bow came and sat on the other side of Brick, and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "We're sorry if we've been putting too much pressure on you. We were just trying to help you but we were really driving you away. We've been bad parents." Bow took a shaky breath in. "We have such high hopes for you, and we know you're gonna make a great king one day. That's why we push you. But that's no excuse. We can do better, we will do better."

"Thanks and I'll be better too." Brick put his arms around both of his parents and hugged them close. Watching the scene unfold made her really, really want to head back and see her family. They'd been separated for what? Two hours now? And yet her heart strained backwards, yearning for the castle far behind them.

"I cannot believe we're third wheelin' the Royal Family next to an explosion of your blood," Sunny said while plopping down next to Adora.

"Shhhh." Adora brought a finger to her own lips. "If we remain perfectly silent, Glimmer might forget I'm here and I won't get in trouble."

"I heard that." Glimmer glanced around Brick's massive shoulder and gave her a borderline lethal look. "And I'm still upset that you kept this, and everything else, from me." Her face softened slightly before she continued, "But I understand. You were just trying to be there for Brick and...thank you."

Adora didn't know what to say so she went with the truth. "Lucky for us, Brick's easy to love. And I got his back anytime."

"This is getting so sappy so damn quickly," Brick said before sniffling. Big softie.

"And now I'm third wheeling the Royal Family and She-Ra," Sunny muttered.

"Awww, you're not third wheeling," Brick said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "We need our little ray of sunshine." He craned his neck around, and lifted an eyebrow while openly assessing her all black clothing.

"I actually agree with that in a non-sarcastic way," Adora added, hoping to diffuse the oncoming war.

"Thanks." Sunny looked at the ground while a bit of pink colored her cheeks.

After a beat passed, Brick rose and said, "Alright, now are we good to go?"

"I don't see why not," Adora said, "We came, we saw, we had the world's worst picnic of energy bars and cigarettes. What else is there to do?"

"My thoughts exactly."

Everyone else nodded before standing and gathering their stuff. Adora grabbed a stray piece of wrapper from the ground and put it in her pocket. "Adora," Bow said as he mounted his horse, "What did you mean when you asked if we've ever felt like our brain's on fire?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

…

"Ahhh, yes, the Reyna flower," Adora said while holding up a crimson red blossom, "Named for a ferocious, lionhearted girl. Like her fiery and spirited mama Catra, she is always bold and brave. And that is why, folks, we here at Naming Flowers Incorporated have changed the name from the yucky…." She looked over at Catra for help.

"Gentian mollis."

"Oh, of course. The gentian mollis. That's why we've changed it from gentian mollis to the altogether better Reyna Flower."

"So this is my flower now? I own it?" Reyna took the flower from her hand and brought it up to her face.

"Well, not exactly. No one can own anything in nature. Nature owns itself. But you can sure show your appreciation for it."

Reyna looked over at her before turning to Catra. "Show my appreciation. So, like planting these in Mom's garden? Can we do that?"

Catra swept back Reyna's hair into a ponytail before releasing it. "Of course, sweetheart." Reyna cheered and ran over to Reed with the blossom raised above her head. While watching her lashing tail and animated movements, Catra leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "That's a weed, you know. And I just love that for my garden."

"Uhhh, we can add persistence to the list of good qualities shared by both Reyna and the flower?" Adora tried her most charming smile, but Catra still crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow. "I will weed your garden for the rest of my life?"

"Now, that's more like it."

Finn ran up beside her, breathless and smiling. Sarah and Reed were hot on their heels and came up behind them. "Since I won the tournament today, can I hold your sword?" Finn panted out.

Adora looked over at Catra, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod. With her blessing, she summoned the Sword of Protection. "Of course you can. But you have to be careful, okay? It's super blunt right now, but you could still hurt someone. So please don't wave it around or stab or strike. I mean, you get it, right?"

"Right."

Very carefully, she swung it backwards so the hilt pointed towards Finn. They grabbed it with one hand, clearly trying to impress Sarah. "Both hands. It's heavy." They wrapped both hands around it and Adora let go. Immediately, they almost dropped it and their arms shook with effort.

"Crap, you weren't joking," Finn grunted. They tried lifting it again but gave up, letting the end drag in the dirt. "For...the...Honor...of...Grayskull!" Predictably, nothing happened. Predictably, a wash of sadness and disappointment lapped at her chest. She wished their kids would know the honor of being She-Ra. But it didn't work that way.

"Sorry, Finny. That only works for me."

"But I want it to work for me."

"Me too. Unfortunately, neither you nor I get to choose who She-Ra is. That's Etheria's job."

Finn looked up, eyebrows furrowed. "So why'd it choose you?" She knew they meant no harm, and were genuinely curious, but the question still felt like getting slapped.

"I...I guess I don't know," Adora admitted, "I didn't exactly receive a checklist of what it wanted. I wish I did."

"Well, I do know," Catra said while sliding a hand across Adora's back, "There's no one in the entire galaxy more noble than Mom. She always does the right thing. Even when it seems impossible. And she has a heart of gold. I don't know anyone kinder or more generous. And lucky for us, she passed these same qualities onto you."

"It's a team effort." Adora bumped her shoulder against Catra's.

"Thanks," Finn said while scratching their neck and avoiding eye contact, "And for the record, I think Etheria chose the right person."

Even if she wanted to, she'd never be able to stop the tears sliding down her face. "That means more to me than you'll ever know."

"Awww, Mom, don't get emotional on me."

"I'm not, I'm not." She wiped a hand across her face. "So, what do you think? Do you like the sword?"

"I mean, it's alright I guess. Maybe I'd like it more if I could, you know, lift it."

"Well, you'll just have to build up a little muscle and then you'll be able to. When I first found it, I couldn't lift it either."

"Really?" Finn pricked their ears at that.

"Ya," she admitted, "That's my most embarrassing secret. So don't tell anyone."

"Hey, Sarah, Reed" Finn said while turning, "Did you know–"

"Okay, alright." Adora caught them in a headlock and dragged them closer. "Very funny...Very Finny?"

"Uuuuugh, please, no." They scrambled out of her grasp, still dragging the sword along.

"You know," she said while stroking her chin, "All of you have a real talent for sword fighting. I mean, I almost can't believe how well you did today." She looked between all three. "I'm serious about training you if that's something you're interested in."

"Yes!" They all said at once causing Finn and Sarah to exchange shy looks. Adora almost laughed, and Catra blew out a breath beside her. They were so cute.

"Good, good. I'll come up with a schedule and we'll keep to that. But in the meantime, we better get back to the armoury and put our stuff away."

When they got back to the castle's armoury, Bow and Glimmer greeted the group. The adults hung back while the kids very slowly put all their stuff back. And since Brick and Sunny accompanied them for a day of flower watching and then sword fighting, Adora was bound by the laws of nature into teasing them.

She swung her leg up and planted it on a nearby chair before leaning forward and smiling. "Guess who beat Brick today? Disarmed him and everything."

"You?" Glimmer guessed in a disinterested voice. She stood with her hands across her chest while Brick and Sunny leaned against a nearby wall. Bow and Catra were on either side of Glimmer, watching the kids more than paying attention to her.

"Me," Adora confirmed. "Since I won, do I get to be the Prince of Etheria now?"

"Nah, but I'll give it to you for free. In fact, maybe we can change jobs," Brick said, pushing himself off the wall with a grin. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Glimmer and Bow exchange a look. "I like the idea of fuckin' around all day in the basement while everyone else is doing actual work. And getting a free pass because I turn into a eight-foot tall lady and can hit things really hard."

"Hey, that's not fair. I can hit things really hard even when I'm not She-Ra." She flexed both arms and then kissed both biceps. "It's easy to do when you've got a set of guns like these."

Brick laughed and walked closer. "We get it, Adora. You're soooo amazing."

She let out a low whistle and shook her head. Now, she had both Catra's and Bow's attention. Though they didn't seem as amused as she'd hoped. "For that, I have to beat you up." She reached out and shoved him backwards. Hard enough to make him take a couple steps back, but light enough that it stayed firmly in the joking zone.

"Here's the thing about messing with your students. Eventually, they learn everything you know and they figure out what makes you tick." He looked pointedly behind her.

"Wha–?"

A flash of red streaked across her vision, and she was yanked backwards and off the chair. Her back hit the ground before she'd fully gotten a grip of the situation, and she looked up to find Brick and Sunny grinning over her. Damn, Sunny. She never noticed her leaving her position on the wall and sneaking up behind her. They exchanged a high five above Adora, which was surprisingly smooth considering the hand/pincher situation. "Remember what you said about teamwork and catching your enemy by surprise?"

"I don't recall that, no," Adora said.

Brick rolled his eyes. "You are such a sore ass loser."

She turned her head and found Catra's gaze. "A little help?" She pleaded.

She blew Adora a kiss before smiling sweetly. "No, you deserved that."

"Are you seri–?"

"Are we dogpiling on Mom?" Finn practically yelled across the room. She watched in wide eyed horror as Sarah, Reed, and Reyna bolted behind a sprinting Finn. Of course this was the one time Finn wanted to run.

"No! No we are–!" Finn landed on her, knocking the wind out of her, before Reyna, Reed, and Sarah also jumped on top of her. She wheezed out a laugh alongside their cackles. What else could she do? They splayed out over her and each other, kicking and pushing as they messed around. Reyna accidentally elbowed her in the side, and she kissed full kidney functionality goodbye.

"Dogpile!" Reyna yelled.

"Dogpile!" Finn, Reed, and Sarah repeated.

"You know what's funny?" Adora asked, her voice muffled from being under four people.

"What?"

"There's a bunch of cats in this dogpile so it's more like a...catpile."

Finn sighed from someplace above her and then, "You know, I don't even feel bad about tackling you anymore."

"Alright, alright, you gotta let Mommy breathe," Catra said. A moment later, she felt weight moving off her, and she sat up when the last child stopped crushing her. She took Catra's offered hand and clambered to her feet.

"And that," Brick said, "is what you get for being cocky."

"Ya, ya, lesson learned." Adora shook her hair loose from her destroyed ponytail and let it fall over her shoulders.

"What now?" Reyna asked while putting her hands on her hips.

"How about Sunny and I make you guys some smoothies?" Brick suggested. Thank the Spirits. She'd run out of energy and creativity to plan anything else.

"Yes!" Reed said, "First one to the kitchen gets the first smoothie!" He led the charge out of the room while the other three streaked after him. She'd never, not in her entire life, seen Reed so animated. Maybe Bow was onto something when he said that Finn brought him out of his shell.

Once she was positive the kids were long gone, she leaned into Catra and whispered, "Why did we want another one?"

"Because nothing makes my day like watching you get tackled by four children? I'm sure five would be even funnier."

…

Several Hours Later

"So, I was thinking we could go on a date tonight."

"Just the two of us?"

"I think that's what a date is, yes."

"But what about the kids?"

"Well, Finny wants to spend the night at Sarah's and June already said that Reyna's also welcome to stay if she wants."

"In that case, then ya, I wanna go on a date," Adora said with a smile, "What were you thinking?"

"How about dinner and dancing? I've been dying to let loose a little."

The door into the kitchen opened and in walked Brick, sporting a nice but not overly flashy outfit. As was tradition, his midriff was exposed. He grinned at Adora and Catra before sauntering over.

"Someone's the cock of the walk," Catra said, crossing her arms.

"Hello to you, too," he said, "Adora, I'm heading to Warcester. Can you please keep my parents off my ass?"

"I will. But remember-"

"I know, I know. Don't get anyone pregnant, don't catch a disease that a shot won't cure, and don't get into a fight I can't win."

"Exactly. And call me if anything comes up. Rain or shine, day or night, I'll come get you."

"Yep, yep," he said with a wave of his hand, "I know the drill."

"Alright then, have fun." They fist bumped before he gave Catra a little pat on the shoulder.

"Not too much fun," Catra added.

"No promises," he said, winking. With that, he turned and left the kitchen.

After the door swung shut, Catra turned towards her with her mouth wide open. "What?"

"You're the cool aunt? What the fuck?" Catra said, "I actually don't think I've ever been more shocked in my entire life."

"You don't think I have it in me to be cool? Because I can be cool. One time I turned a lizard into a flying lizard." Wait, was that cool? Lizards were cool, right? "...Okay, maybe I see your point."

"And you have a fun little saying with him that references sex and violence? And a departing fist bump? It's like I don't even know you."

"Wait, are you jealous right now? Jealous that I'm so in tune with the youth of Etheria?"

"Of course I'm jealous! I've always been the cool aunt. At least eighty percent of my self-esteem comes from that fact."

Adora turned and bracketed her arms on either side of Catra, essentially pinning her to the kitchen counter. "Catra, you are the coolest person I know. Every kid and teenager loves you, and your swaggering attitude. I have one single twenty-something that I keep out of trouble. Okay, maybe two if we're counting Sunny. Point is, we are not the same."

"Maybe I try too hard? Do I try too hard? Are you cool because no one thinks you're cool?"

"What? How does that make sense?" Adora asked.

"None of this makes any sense. I thought you were my sweet, dorky wife who doesn't possess even one cool bone in your body. And now I find out that you're the puppeteer for an underground ring of young troublemakers? That's so fucking cool."

Adora laughed and dragged a hand down her face. "First of all, I would never be caught dead with a puppet. You know that. Second–"

Catra's head rolled forward and she laughed against Adora's chest. "You're killing me right now." Adora wrapped her arms around Catra, and tucked her face against the top of her head. "And speaking of killing, if Glimmer and Bow ever found out that you help him sneak out? Spirits help you. No one in the galaxy could save you."

"I know, I know," Adora said, "But what else am I supposed to do? Keep him locked in the castle? He just wants to go out and be young and have fun. He just, you know, wants to be a person for once. Not the Crown Prince."

At this, Catra raised her head and their eyes met. "And you get that?"

"And I get that. Maybe more than anyone else." Catra remained silent so she forged ahead. "Don't get me wrong. I love being She-Ra. I love that people love She-Ra. But sometimes I just wanna be Adora. I wanna be seen for something other than being She-Ra. And honestly, I don't think that happens much. Maybe you and the kids see that but I don't think anyone else does. And no one sees Brick as just...Brick. They see royalty and the future king. They see his position and his birthright. But not him. But I'd like the kid even if he was an orphan or the son of a blacksmith or whatever. And he knows that. So that's why he comes to me and why he thinks I'm cool."

She expected, well, she didn't know what she expected but it certainly wasn't a kiss. Hands on either side of her face brought her down lower, deepening their kiss. When they broke apart, she rested her forehead against Catra's. "I do see you, Adora. Everything that makes you who you are. And if you were never She-Ra again, for whatever reason, my opinion of you would never change."

"I know, that's why I married you." Adora moved a hand loosely through Catra's hair and kissed her forehead. "But most people aren't like that." Catra didn't say anything because it was true. Like it or not. She stepped back while taking both of Catra's hands in her own. "So, what was that about food–?"

"-It wasn't She-Ra who protected me in the Horde. It wasn't She-Ra who kept the Princess Alliance together and led them. It wasn't She-Ra who brokered peace throughout the galaxy. It isn't She-Ra who runs the War Department and it isn't She-Ra who fights tirelessly for the people of Etheria. That is all one hundred percent Adora."

"You're sweet–"

"And right," Catra interrupted, "And if people can't see that, then fuck 'em."

"What matters to me is that you believe that." Adora gripped her hands a little tighter. "I don't value anyone's opinion of me more than yours."

"Good, because I'm the authoritative voice on this issue." Catra stopped and narrowed her eyes like she was contemplating. "And I'm glad you value my opinion so much but don't you think you should value your own opinion the most?"

"You know, I think so. That's probably healthy," Adora said, "But I don't. And I think that's just how it is at this point." She shrugged. "I'm a lot better about so much stuff. But some things haven't changed for me. Probably never will."

"Do you really believe that? Because I don't. I used to think people couldn't change but then I did. I really turned myself around, with lots of help, of course. But anything you want to change about yourself can be changed."

"I love your optimism." Her resolution hardened under Catra's words; she could change this about herself and she could be better.

"It's what I'm known for." Catra actually cracked herself up with that one.

"And you're right," Adora said, "I should work on that. I can work on that. I'll add it to the To-Do list. Somewhere between clearing the Whispering Woods of unfathomable evil and doing the dishes."

"The two worst chores," Catra said.

"Actually, I don't mind the unfathomable evil."

Catra nodded. "Is there anything worse than touching a piece of food in the sink? And it's like a little bit soggy? Just fuck that." She shivered under Adora's touch.

"I beg of you–no more. You're ruining my appetite."

"Hmmm, that's never happened before," Catra said before leaning in for another kiss. An ill-placed, ill-timed rumble of her stomach stopped Catra. She opened her mouth to apologize but Catra beat her to it. "Let's go to dinner before you implode."

...

"This place is so fancy," Adora said while handing her jacket off to one of the wait staff, "How'd you get us a seat on such short notice?"

"Being Princesses does have some benefits. Maybe not many, granted, but we do get to go to fancy shmancy restaurants now and again." They walked to their semi-secluded table while eyes followed their every step. Another perk, and occasional annoyance, was that pretty much everyone knew who they were.

"Princesses," their waiter showed them their table, handed them menus, and bowed while promising to be back soon. Adora slid into her side of the booth, and surprisingly Catra sat right beside her.

"Uhhh, what is going on?"

"See, I was talking to Scorpia and she told me that she and Perfuma always sit on the same side of the booth. It keeps things very romantic, she said."

"Well, sign me up." Adora patted her knee before looking at the menu.

After a while, Catra said, "If I was a flower, what would I be?"

"Huh?"

"The kids got a flower so now I want a flower."

"Hmmm," Adora said, setting her menu down and stroking her chin, "Something thorny."

"What?"

"Something prickly."

"Did you just call me a prick?" Catra said, hand coming up to clutch at her chest in mock anger.

"I did not. I called you prickly. There's an ocean of difference between the two."

"Oh, so now you're a linguist?"

Adora laughed and replied, "I believe the singular form is linguini."

Catra blinked once, twice. "It absolutely is not. Those two things aren't even remotely related."

"Oh?" Adora cocked her head. "Now who's the linguist?"

Catra dragged a hand down her face and groaned. "I cannot believe I'm stuck with you forever."

"Well, who's bad decision was that?" Adora pointed to her wedding ring and raised an eyebrow.

"Mine, I suppose. And after a long line of truly terrible decisions, you still happen to be my favorite one," Catra said.

"And they say romance is dead."

Catra laughed low and huskily. Her real laugh. After she was done, her purr kicked in and rumbled against Adora's side. They found each other at about the same time and intertwined their fingers. Adora squeezed her hand three times, and basked in the full attention of her wife. She always had a degree of Catra's attention but, between work and the kids, it diminished over the years. Understandably so but she took full advantage when all Catra's interest and intensity bore into her. "Now, to change the subject, what are you thinking of ordering?" They always shared meals at restaurants so this was perhaps a self-interested question on Catra's part.

"Honestly," Adora said slowly, deliberately, "I was thinking of going with linguini."