Author's Note: What's this? A fanfic from me that isn't RWBY? Yes, it's true. This story was written in celebration of hitting one hundred followers on tumblr. A modest number to be sure, but I'll take it. This story was supposed to be just a single chapter, but…. Well let's just say that Adora and Catra's relationship is a little too complex to properly capture with such a small number of words. So you're getting four chapters for the price of one.

This story is set an ambiguous amount of time after the end of Season 2. However, it's not meant to be a prediction about how Season 3 will go at all. And that's good, since said season comes out in, what, three days? That's got to be some kind of record for how fast one of my stories got trampled over by canon. Oh well. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Whispers in the Shadows

A rumbling sound echoed in the depths of the Whispering Woods, causing the trees to tremble and shake. A slab of stone slid away from the base of a pyramid that was as old as the world itself, revealing a path down into the depths below. Adora emerged from that ancient passageway and stepped out into the gloom of the night. The First Ones' ruin sealed itself up behind her, and suddenly the woods were quiet again.

Adora let out a tired breath. Light Hope had not been going easy on her in their recent training sessions, and tonight had been no exception. However, she had a good reason for pushing Adora to her limit. The Horde's attacks had been growing in frequency and intensity as of late. If felt like something big was about to happen, and Adora intended to be ready for whatever was coming. As She-Ra, she didn't have the luxury of being anything less than perfect.

Adora took a moment to get her bearings. Then she started walking in the direction of home. Despite the ever-shifting nature of the Whispering Woods, the trails between the First Ones' ruin, the Crystal Castle as Light Hoped called it, and Bright Moon were growing familiar to Adora. Yet something about the woods tonight was putting her on edge. There was an uneasiness hanging in the air, and the weight of the Sword of Protection felt unusually heavy as it hung off of Adora's back. Maybe tonight's training had taken more out of her than she'd thought, although she doubted that was the problem. She was tired, but her entire childhood growing up in the Horde had been nothing but intense training without end. If anything she should have been feeling nostalgic.

As Adora continued to walk, her mind started to wander. Despite her best efforts to focus herself on the here and now, thoughts of the past began drifting into her head. So many of her most cherished memories were forever tainted now that she understood the purpose behind her training in the Horde, and those that weren't inevitably reminded her of Catra.

Adora sighed. It had been months since she'd last seen Catra. It had been at the Northern Reach. She'd just been coming out of her virus-induced stupor, but she'd still gotten a clear look at the indignant expression on Catra's face as Scorpia had carried her away to safety. Catra's long absence since then had begun to make Adora fear that something horrible had happened to her. She knew that she shouldn't concern herself with the wellbeing of one of the Rebellion's worst enemies, but even in the face of everything that Catra had done, Adora couldn't help but care for her.

Adora hung her head. She told herself there was no point in worrying. Catra of all people was more than capable of taking care of herself. Adora refocused her attention on making her way back to Bright Moon. Bow and Glimmer would be expecting her soon. And hopefully they would be enough of a distraction to chase away any thoughts about her former best friend.

Suddenly, a soft rustling sound disturbed the silence of the woods. It was hardly louder than a whisper, but it pricked at Adora's ears all the same, setting her nerves on edge. Adora stopped, reflexively bringing her hand up and grabbing the hilt of her sword. "Hello?" she called out. "Is someone out there?"

The only reply was a short-lived gust of wind that flitted its way through the trees.

Adora's eyes narrowed. She wasn't sure what she'd heard, but it definitely hadn't been the wind. Something was out there. Adora supposed it could have been an animal of some sort, but she doubted that.

Adora took a few cautious steps forward, keeping her hand on her sword. Adrenaline had chased away her weariness. She was fully alert now and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Another sound came from nearby, the slight creaking of a tree branch as it bent. It was no louder than the rustling from before, but as far as Adora was concerned it might as well have been the roar of a charging beast. However, no monsters came crashing through the trees. The forest stood perfectly still. Adora felt the tension ratcheting up inside of her all the same.

Adora was rapidly becoming fed up with whatever game was being played. She drew her sword and thrust it into the sky. "For the honor of Grayskull!" she shouted, her voice echoing off into the distance.

Adora felt her sword thrum with power. Its energy radiated outward, cascading over her. Glimmer and Bow had repeatedly insisted that her transformation into She-Ra was nearly instantaneous, but it had never felt that way to her. It didn't always seem to take the same length of time, but Adora could always feel the sword's magic weaving its way through her body bit by bit. Adora didn't have the words to describe the sensation. It was an experience beyond compare.

There was a flash. Then a bright glow began radiating off of Adora's body, casting aside the darkness permeating the Whispering Woods. Adora held her sword ready. There was no hiding from whatever was out there now, but that was exactly what Adora wanted.

Seconds passed, and still nothing happened. A scowl crossed Adora's face. She slowly turned this way and that, scanning for any sign of threat, but the woods seemed to be empty.

Growing ever more impatient, Adora closed her eyes. Ordinarily it would've been a poor choice considering that she was anticipating an attack, but she knew what she was doing. Strength was far from She-Ra's only power, and thanks to Light Hope's tutelage, Adora had finally begun to tap into her true potential. She started to concentrate. If she did it just right, she'd be able to sense the emotions of anybody who might happen to be nearby. Light Hope had described it as "reading other beings' auras". Adora didn't quite understand what that meant, but that hadn't prevented her from learning the technique.

Adora's senses swept outward, touching the empty spaces around her. An instant later she found what she was looking for. There was a person up in the treetops, and their aura was blazing away like wildfire. The stronger the emotions, the easier they were for Adora to sense, and whoever was out there was positively awash in a maelstrom of feelings. There was anger, longing, regret, and other things that Adora couldn't quite name. However, there was something unusual about this particular aura, something that Adora had never experienced before. Despite its fierceness, the aura was familiar, inviting even, and Adora felt herself being inextricably drawn toward it. It was only the sudden pang of fear when she realized what was happening that sent her metaphysically retreating back to her own self at top speed.

Adora's eyes flew open. Her expanded senses came slingshotting back to her, making her head spin like she'd been slapped across the cheek. She blinked a few times, regaining her composure as quickly as she could. She knew better than to show weakness in the face of the enemy.

"I know you're out there!" Adora said. "Show yourself!"

Again, there was no reply.

Undaunted, Adora drew her sword arm back. She stepped forward, and then she hurled the Sword of Protection toward the aura she'd sensed. Just before her sword left her hand, it transformed into a boomerang.

Adora's weapon whizzed toward its target. It vanished from sight amongst the leaves of a nearby tree, and an instant later, there was a sharp crack, followed by a yelp of pain. A figure fell from the tree and landed on the ground below.

The boomerang spun back around toward Adora. She plucked it effortlessly out of the air, letting it transform back into a sword.

"I don't know what you think you're doing out here," Adora said as she marched toward the figure. "But you're…."

Adora trailed off and stopped in her tracks. She recognized the person lying on the ground. "Catra!" she gasped, although in hindsight, she had no idea why she was surprised. How could it have been anyone else?

"Hey Adora," Catra said, managing to look smug despite having just been ungracefully knocked loose from her hiding spot. "Still playing dress-up with the princesses I see."

Adora gritted her teeth. There was something deeply cutting about the tone of Catra's voice. There Adora had been, worry about Catra as if they were still friends, and all she had to show for it was Catra's disdain.

Adora's feet dug into the ground as a bitter rage filled her. She immediately charged for Catra without giving it a second thought.

Catra sprung to her feet and snatched a metal rod off of her belt. It unfolded into the shape of a quarterstaff. An instant before Adora brought the Sword of Protection slamming down, Catra raised her staff to block. The impact sent waves of energy rippling through the air as an earsplitting crash rocked the forest.

The power behind Adora's blow made Catra's feet slid backward a few inches, but she didn't yield. Sparks flew as the magic in Adora's sword vied against the Horde tech powering Catra's staff. The light show cast long shadows over Catra's face, making her look even more sinister than usual.

"Aww," Catra said. She was trying to sound flippant, but Adora could hear the strain in her voice. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"You're not my friend!" Adora shouted, although the words hurt to say. She suspected that was exactly why Catra had provoked her into saying them. But much to Adora's surprise, Catra's lips curled back into a sneer.

"Oh yeah?" Catra shouted back. "And whose fault is that, princess!?"

Adora felt her blood really begin to boil. Coming from anyone else it wouldn't have mattered. But for Catra to call her "princess" was a step too far. A savage yell escaped Adora's lips, and she surged forward, plowing into Catra with all of her considerable strength.

Catra was unable to hold Adora back. She tried to spin out of the way, but she didn't make as clean of an escape as she undoubtedly would have liked. Her shoulder got caught by Adora's bull rush, and she was knocked down to one knee.

Adora turned, her eyes glowing with anger. Catra was already back on her feet and scrambling to put some distance between the two of them. Unfortunately for her, Adora wasn't about to let her get away. She took a few bounding steps toward Catra. Then she leaped up high into the air, thrusting the Sword of Protection downward as she plunged directly for her opponent.

An alarmed look crossed Catra's face. She dove out of the way just in the nick of time. Adora's sword sliced the air, missing Catra by a hair's breadth, and sunk deep into the ground.

"What are you trying to do?! Kill me?!" Catra exclaimed.

Adora effortlessly pulled her sword free from the ground. She leveled a look at Catra. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Isn't this what you want?"

Catra's lips pressed together. "Maybe it is," she said.

Adora twirled her sword in her hand. There was a shimmer, and it transformed into a staff. Adora lunged forward and swung for Catra's head. Catra blocked with her own staff, and the two of them began trading blows, making the woods reverberate with sound and fury.

Strike by strike, inch by inch, Adora fought Catra back, and she seemed to be gaining the upper hand. As great of a fighter as Catra was, even she wasn't a match for She-Ra's power when they were both on an even playing field. Adora lifted her staff to strike again, but all of a sudden, a disquieting thought made her pause.

Catra had raised her own staff to block an attack that wasn't coming. A perplexed look crossed her face. "Come on, princess!" she shouted at Adora. "Don't quit now!"

Adora slowly lowered her staff. Now that she thought about it, it was obvious that Catra wasn't fighting with her usual fervor. And the fact that she was resorting to blocking Adora's blows rather than just dodging out of the way was as sure a sign as any that she wasn't giving the fight her all.

"What are you up to, Catra?" Adora asked.

There was a noticeable delay before Catra responded. "You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" she asked. "You always were slow."

For once, Adora didn't rise to the bait. "Are you trying to distract me?" she asked. "Is the Horde about to attack Bright Moon?"

Catra frowned. "How would I know?" she asked.

Adora spent a moment trying to figure out if Catra's question had been a rhetorical one. It sure hadn't sounded like it. "Because you're a force captain?" she said.

Catra's frown deepened. A growl started rumbling in the back of her throat, and it quickly turned into a roar. She lunged for Adora, swinging her staff wildly.

Adora suddenly found herself on the defensive. She blocked Catra's attack with her own staff, causing the two weapons to noisily collide against one another.

"No! I'm not a force captain!" Catra shouted. "Not anymore!"

"What?!" Adora exclaimed. Experience told her that Catra had to be lying, but her gut said otherwise. And when she looked, she noticed that Catra's force captain badge was missing from its usual spot on her chest.

Suddenly, Catra's staff swung around, and Adora realized too late that she'd let herself become distracted. Before she even had time to chide herself for her lapse in concentration, her weapon had been knocked out of her hands. Then, in the blink of an eye, the other end of Catra's staff struck Adora in the back of her leg.

"Whoa!" Adora said as one of her feet went flying out from under her. She crashed down to one knee.

"Hordak tried to kill me!" Catra screamed with rage. She lifted her staff high above her head.

As Catra swung her staff down, Adora crossed her arms to protect herself. Catra's staff began repeatedly slamming against Adora's bracers, punctuating Catra's furious shouting with blow after blow. "And it's! All! Your! Fault!"

Adora had never seen Catra so enraged before. Even as Catra continued to ineffectually try to pummel her into the ground, Adora's heart stirred with sympathy. However, her sympathy quickly soured. This had to be a trick. Everything was always a trick with Catra, and Adora decided that she'd finally reached her limit. She was tired of having her emotions toyed with, and she was tired of Catra always getting under her skin. This had to stop. She would make it stop.

Catra's staff came flying toward Adora yet again, but this time Adora caught it in her open hand. Catra jerked as she suddenly found her weapon trapped by Adora's unyielding grip.

Adora fixed her gaze on Catra as she rose to her full, towering height. There was fear reflecting in Catra's eyes. Adora didn't take any pleasure in it, but she did feel a grim sort of satisfaction.

Without any warning, Adora pulled on Catra's staff with a mighty tug. Catra yelped as she was yanked off her feet. Her hands slipped off her staff, and she went soaring helplessly through the air. She hit the ground a moment later and tumbled across the forest floor, finally coming to a stop several feet away.

Adora stomped forward with Catra's own staff still in her hand. It was time to set aside her feelings. It didn't matter how badly she wanted her best friend back; nothing would change the fact that she and Catra were enemies now.

Catra pushed herself up off the ground, but Adora had already closed the distance. Adora swung the staff in her hands. There wasn't any time for Catra to react. Adora's attack caught her on the side of her head. She was bowled off her feet again and went flying sideways. This time when she hit the ground she hit it hard and collapsed into a crumpled heap.

A smothering silence settled over the woods. Adora stood there, waiting for Catra's next move. She knew the blow she'd just delivered couldn't have been a serious as it had looked. She'd fought and sparred with Catra more times than she could count, and she'd never gotten that clean of a hit on her. Catra was just too fast. Yet she was just lying there, not moving at all.

Adora's hands squeezed a little tighter around Catra's staff. "I'm not buying it, Catra!" she said, fighting back an anxious feeling. "Get up!"

Catra didn't get up. She didn't do anything at all.

Adora's resolve began to falter. "Catra?" she said. She started cautiously inching her way forward.

When Adora got close enough, she poked Catra with the tip of the staff she was holding and then leaped back. Catra still didn't move.

A sickening sensation began to well up in the pit of Adora's stomach. Her growing sense of dread finally overrode her suspicion. She knelt down and placed a hand on Catra's shoulder. Then she rolled Catra onto her back.

Catra's face was a sickly, pale color.

"Catra!" Adora shouted. She dropped the staff in her hands, and in a flash, she transformed back into her ordinary self. "Catra! Get up!"

An angry bruise was already forming on Catra's left cheek and working its way up to her eye.

"I'm sorry, Catra!" Adora said. Tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes now. She shook Catra, desperately trying to wake her. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

No one answered Adora's frantic cries. There was no one there who could.

Author's Note: Well that could have gone better for Adora and Catra. Then again, maybe not. Don't worry too much. There are still three chapters to go. Things have to get better, right?

Did anyone else notice how in the actual show Adora seems to really love throwing her sword at things? I figure at some point she'll learn to at least throw it in a form that makes retrieving it easier. Hence her turning the sword into a boomerang in this chapter.

As always, I welcome constructive criticism. Please feel free to leave a review. And if you like what you've read, taking the time to favorite and/or follow really helps me out. You can also find me on tumblr (electronicyarn) if you want to send me a message or be notified of updates.