Time Of Dying

The Fright Zone, Night.

The battle rages on. Normally, it was The Horde to strike first, using their militant forces to invade even the most sacred of Etheria's homelands in their unending crusade for total conquest. Today, it was the Rebellion to strike first. They knew where the heart of the problem was, and after long, heated arguments between all of the Princesses on Queen Angella's council, they finally reached the consensus that their best course of action was to take preemptive matters into their own hands.

It led them here to the Fright Zone, where one final, winner-takes-all battle could be waged to determine the fate of all Etheria. One army led by the finest the Rebellion had to offer in the warrior princess She-Ra, and another led by the infamous force commander Catra.

She's not tired, just winded. And with everything happening all at once, it was only wise to strategically create some distance between herself and the most powerful princess in the alliance. That's why she runs fast into the fortress, that's why she doesn't look back. That was something she just learned to do well.

She-Ra barges through the door of the compound, smashing it with only a fraction of her full strength. "Catra!" she menacingly cries, the pangs of adrenaline echoing from her voice. Her methodical steps lead her further into the dark, leery halls of a place she called home long ago. Her eyes remain vigilantly alert and focused in all directions. There was a time she knew Catra better than she knows herself, and while many things have changed since their going separate ways, she has faith that she can stay one step ahead of her friend turned foe.

The feline-femme stalks her prey from the rafters above, listening carefully for her to take the next predictable step into her line of sight. Like a poor, helpless fly, she hopes to catch her in her wicked spider's web, her unforgiving trap where she can strike at just the right moment. Almost like Adora did, luring her into that sense of security, only to cut loose when she felt like it.

It still hurt. But not as much as she could dig her claws deep into her. Figuratively. Literally…

She sinisterly grins thinking of that, biding her time from her spot safe above. That smile wanes though as the sound of heavy footsteps seems to disappear. Savory seconds turn into slow burning minutes, precious time that could be spent gaining further leverage. Then again, they could also be used to make mistakes.

Suddenly, a clanking sound makes itself heard by the villainess, whose ears perk up upon its manifestation. She wants to smile, and she even does a little with the thought that she'll soon have Adora all to herself again for more playtime. It disappears from her face soon with the lingering doubt that this could be fowl play though. She could be baiting her, just as she's done to her former friend by retreating into this hollow place.

Her intuition tells her the right thing to do is to step down from her lurking place, that she needs to make herself a little vulnerable if she's to catch Adora off guard first. So, with some hesitation, she creeps her way from the rafters to the floor, scanning every inch of every surface for even the slightest deviations knowing who else walks among these corridors.

Curiosity killed the cat.

Just as she senses her opponent's presence, she realizes that it's already too late, and she just barely catches sight of her as she turns to face the oncoming force of nature that is known throughout the kingdoms as She-Ra.

"RAHHHHH!" the golden warrior cries out as she charges in Catra's direction, connecting with a spear to her torso and tackling her to the ground. Now mounted on top of her, She-Ra attempts to connect with a heavy blow to her furry face, but Catra is able to dodge it. The fist hits the floor, and she's able to roll herself out of She-Ra's clutches before getting back to her feet.

She-Ra raises her haymaking arm from the ground, rising back to a fighting stance of her own, locking eyes with the woman she's sparred and fought with more than anyone else in her life. It always bothered her to think that all those years training to fight side by side would lead to this, but some good came from it. At least she's become familiar with what Catra is capable of.

Subsequently, she knows her Adora better than anyone.

After measuring each other up for few more seconds, it's Catra too strike again, growing tired of the pretenses and wasting time. Something has to give this round. If it's the last time they fight, one of them has to actually win this one. No matter the cost. So she throws herself in She-Ra's direction with a swift overhand claw swipe, hoping to take her out of commission early with her razor sharp treachery. But She-Ra moves quick for a woman her size, swiftly evading the attack and connecting with a blow to her ribs.

It doesn't take long for either of them to realize just how serious this fight is. Neither one of them holds back, pulling out all of the stops in an effort to get the best of their rival. For Catra, she draws blood with not only her claws (from both her hands and feet), but also her teeth as she desperately bites Adora's collar. The princess is just as desperate though, using her muscle to connect with elbows, forearms, knees, kicks, and even choking to get leverage. It gets to the point where she clutches the fabric of Catra's undershirt, and just starts slamming her into the canvas below. She's able to do this twice before the nimble vixen counters with more scratching and clawing, drawing more blood and screams from the powerhouse. "AHHH!"

That's when she has to create some space. It's one thing to be hurt, it's another to be injured. At this rate, endorphins make it difficult to recognize either, but experience has been a noble teacher. There isn't room for error here. Not when the Rebellion is so close to victory. She backs away, momentarily recovering all while keeping her eyes glued on Catra, who takes her own time in making it back to her feet.

She wipes the blood from her lip, her heavy breaths evident. "Is that all you've got… princess?"

She-Ra scoffs, spitting her own blood onto the floor of a place she once considered sacred. Rather than give into her obvious baiting though, she stands firm in her place, cocking her neck to work out the kinks before fixing her fighting stance. "It's better than anything you've got, pussycat."

It works like she hoped, inciting the ire of a woman who has even said herself she hated being second best. "RAAAH!" she screeches, charging at She-Ra with her claws retracted and ready. But She-Ra doesn't move, she doesn't get excited. If she times this just right, she can use the feline's momentum against her.

In the nick of time, she's able to catch the force commander mid-strike, countering with a spinning toss right into the nearby… glass.

Catra is sure to dig her claws deep into She-Ra's stupid white leotard as she feels herself being flung out into the summer air. If she's going down, she's taking her with.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" they scream in unison as they're sent falling down through the sky to the earth below, crashing and landing and rolling through the cold grass and dirt until… everything just fades to black.

It's Adora to wake first, opening her eyes to find the miserable hues of green, yellow, and grey permeating the sky of the Fright Zone just as they always have. It takes her some time to fully convalesce from her dreamless unconsciousness, and it doesn't help that she's in a lot of pain. But soon enough, she's able to raise her groggy head, despite the pounding, and take a good look at her surroundings. First, she notices Catra, who also seems to be slowly waking from her numbness. If she knows her the way she thinks (and in this case, hopes) she does, she'll be too weak to do any more fighting either. So she doesn't mind her so much as she peers for her Sword of Protection.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be in this… chasm. An almost room like hole in the ground bored deep into the earth, likely a trap of sorts for hostile parties or even some of the creatures that lurk the wilderness of the Fright Zone. It's cold, it's damp, it lacks any sort of liveliness to it at all. And worse yet, it's very deep. Very deep.

A sinking feeling comes over Adora with the thought that, she could be here for a while. While her friends and fellow princesses like Bow and Glimmer will be spearheading the Rebellion into their greatest battle ever, putting themselves into the crosshairs of unparalleled danger, she'll be stuck here, hoping, waiting, and praying for someone to stumble by and offer some assistance.

And again, she really hopes Catra isn't in the mood to fight anymore.

The force commander finally sits herself up just as Adora has, rubbing her tender head with a likely sore paw as she lets out a moan of discomfort. "You hit hard," is the first thing she says to her old friend.

She amusedly scoffs. "Yeah, well, I was trying to hurt you."

And now's the part where she'll notice just where they are as well. She does the double take, looking around before frantically crawling around and studying every wall of the trench in hopes that it isn't really what it seems to be, that they aren't really stuck here. Alone, together.

"You have got to be kidding me," she cusses as she comes to the same realization as Adora. And all the human can do is softly sigh as she sits up along one of the cold muddy walls of the chasm, too composed- and weak, truthfully- to get any more excited. That annoys her of course, and like always, she isn't shy about addressing it. "Seriously? You're just gonna sit there?"

"I'm kind of trying to rest after getting my butt kicked all over the compound. But yes. I realize that-"

"Don't say it. Please don't say it."

Adora pragmatically says it anyway. "We're stuck."

The weight of her words dips heavily on Catra's shoulders, making her deflate as she stares skyward at the world alluding her. In an almost instantaneous wind of emotions, she feels the anger, the depression, the denial, and acceptance in a single moment. It all makes her slouch down to the ground level again, where she simply takes a seat and even laughs at the cruelty of it all. "Aheh, ahehehe… You know, I shouldn't even be surprised," she begins. "Of course. It figures that the one time you all would get serious about putting an end to the war, I'd end up stuck here missing out on all the fireworks. With you of all people…"

Adora tries to work out some of the soreness in her body as she hears this, but relaxes to focus on replying to her curt words. "I don't see anything funny about it. But then again, I never really understood the things that make you laugh. Or a lot of the things you do, really."

"Pffft, I guess all that time training didn't happen. Which makes sense I suppose. Considering I'm a force commander now and you're She-Ra! Princess of Power!" she mockingly retorts.

In the short time that her words linger in the air, something else catches her attention. Something far more disturbing than putting up with Adora's platitudinous comebacks. The harsh reality becomes too real when she actually witnesses it with her own eyes though, and Adora sees the seldom shown terror in her face because of it. That's what makes her follow Catra's gaze to the sky, as well as the sound of a loud, disturbingly drawn out siren blaring.

A red light then shines from the tower of the compound, illuminating the night sky with its insidious glow. Adora doesn't recognize it, she didn't even know such a thing was capable of happening here with The Horde. But all she needs to see is Catra's alarmingly still reaction, something akin to the way she froze as a child when Shadow Weaver would belittle her.

"Catra?"

It takes a moment for the villainess to come to, but when she does, she doesn't ebb on the panic. This is real. "Oh my god… Oh my god!" she curses.

"What? What is it?" Adora worriedly asks.

"They're doing it. I can't believe they're actually going through with it!"

"Doing what, Catra?"

She finally looks to Adora, her eyes as wide as saucers, her pupils as narrow as pins. "They're going to blow the place up…" she answers, trailing off with obvious, hopeless dread in her voice.

It concerns Adora to hear it, especially with how vague she's being. She would normally keep some level headedness, but with the current situation, and with this being Catra, she doesn't relent in pressing further. "What are you talking about? What's happening?!" she excitedly demands to know.

Catra shakes herself of some of the shock, filling the void with an angry impatience all too familiar. "They're going to destroy the compound, you idiot! Hordak had Entrapta create a self-destruct mechanism for the base in case anything like this would ever happen, and they just activated it!" she explains. Her frustration gets the better of her in more ways than one as the fear returns to her shaky voice with more exposition. "We're in the blast radius. Everything, all of us…"

The sinking feeling Adora felt before pales in comparison to the one she feels now. If what she's being told is true, so much is at stake. Bow, Glimmer, Sea Hawk, The Rebellion, her old friends with The Horde… Herself… Catra…

All she can do is stop and stare, motionless however. Not like Catra, who frantically begins squallering around and trying to find an escape. "There has to be some way out of here. There's just gotta!" she cries before attempting to climb up the walls. It's no use though. Every time she tries to dig her hands inside the dirt, she just pulls out clods of mud, failing to get any sturdy grip on the terrain. "Ahhh!" she screams as she concedes. "Adora! Help me out here!"

"And do what?!"

"I don't know! Turn into… She-Ra or whatever! Toss me out so I can get us some help!"

Adora feels so many conflicting emotions with those words. "Would you really help me out of here?" she asks, a piteous mug on her face.

Flustered, Catra only groans in response. Regardless, Adora can't feel any true pleasure. Not with the situation looking so grim. "It doesn't matter anyway. I can't transform into She-Ra without my sword."

Frustrated with her willingness to simply do nothing, Catra paces over to her, and kneels down to grab her by her sleeves, coercing her into meeting her blue and yellow eyes. In them, there's desperation Adora's never seen before. Not the kind that begged her to come home after turning against the Horde. Not the kind that she saw a fateful night back in their room months ago… No, this is one that derives from genuine fear.

"Maybe that tiara squeezes your head too tight and you don't understand what I'm telling you. If we don't get out of here, we will die, Adora. That explosion will kill us both, and there's nothing we'll be able to do to stop it!"

She takes time to consider what's happening, to really let it all sink in. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" she starts by asking. "What if this is just a way to make me let my guard down?"

Truth be told, she isn't even sure she believes Catra could be so deceitful. Not after seeing that look in her eyes. But with just how horrible the idea is that this could actually be the beginning of the end, her mind makes it easy to wander to such places.

It even surprises Catra. "What?! Are you serious?! Why would I lie about this?! You think I want to be stuck in here waiting for… Boom! Skash! 'AHHHH!'?" she sounds.

Adora takes a moment to further contemplate it. But she knows Catra, and unfortunately, she becomes convinced that her words are likely true. Even so, she has to ask again. "You're absolutely sure about this?"

Catra sighs, ebbing on all of her aggravation. "I wish I wasn't."

Yes, it's grim to think that the Horde could be capable of such an atrocity. It certainly doesn't bode well for Adora and those she cares the most about. But, even with her heart beginning to race with the helplessness of a scared child, she tries her hardest to think of solutions. Something, anything to make this an easier pill to swallow.

"Well… there's still time, right? Someone could stop it from happening? Or maybe they're just bluffing?"

"Get real for a second Adora. You were part of this once!" Catra blurts out. "You of all people should know that when the Horde says they're going to do something, they do it!"

"I'm just trying to be reasonable here! Can you blame me for wanting to think of some way out of this?!" Adora argues. And while part of her remains in a fighting spirit after all the gnashing, gashing, and slashing Catra had to offer her, there's also an overwhelming sense of fatigue. Partly from the physical exertion, partly because the dreadful news about the seemingly impending doom. That dread niggles hard in the back of her mind, and she has to act on it. What does she have to lose if the news is true, after all? "How long do we have?" she asks.

Catra thinks it over for a moment, using her claw to pick and scratch at a dead root in the ground. "I'm not sure. All I know is that before long the fortress will go kablooey, and everything and everyone in or around the thing will… well…"

Hearing those words creates an image of this unforgivable catastrophe actually happening in her mind's eye, and for a moment, it makes her freeze with chills. Just the thought of everything she's fought for, everything she's come to love and hold dearly all coming to such a terrible end…

Quickly, she shakes herself of it. Maybe it's instinct from years training under the very same branch that would be held accountable, maybe it's something to do with the Sword of Protection's influence on her. Either way, she feels the urge to fight. Even if there's nothing she can do directly to stop the bomb from ticking, she'll fight for hope.

"There's still hope. Just because it looks bad doesn't mean it is," she starts, earning her a scoff from Catra. Before she can even interfere with more cynicism though, Adora is quick to cut her off and keep preaching. "If I know my friends like I think I do, then Bow and Glimmer will find a way to stop the self-destruct from happening. They can do it, I know they can."

"Shyeah, you put way too much faith in those two goons," Catra tartly retorts.

Adora frowns. "Those goons are my best friends. And they've done more to fight off the Horde and strengthen the Rebellion than anyone else. I wouldn't be surprised if they're finding a way to stop all of this right now."

Catra shakes her head, an almost spiteful little sneer curving on her lips. "I'm going to selfishly hope that's true just so we can make it out of this in one piece. Believe it or not, I don't want you to die any time soon," she claims. "But face it, Adora. This is the Horde's home terf. It's just like the battle on Bright Moon. You think you can just waltz in here and take the upper hand, but take it from me, darlin'; homefield advantage is a very real thing."

"You really think the only reason we defeated you was because of 'homefield advantage?'" Adora replies.

Catra snarls. "Whatever it was, the fact of the matter is that The Horde is stronger now than it's ever been. And you'd be foolish to think your precious Princess Alliance can actually stop it. Especially without… She-Ra!" she mockingly states.

Even with their world seemingly closing in, she still manages to get into Adora's skin like nothing else. "I'm not giving up on them. I might not be able to do anything myself, but I won't sit here and let you tell me that my friends, the strongest people I've ever met, can't save us. I just won't," she defiantly closes before crossing her arms and looking away.

Seeing that she's said what she's needed to say, Catra snarls once more before doing the same. "Well, I'm happy you have your friends to cling onto. I hope for my sake that you're right."

"It wasn't always like this. We used to actually like each other," Adora said with a smile.

It was almost a year ago now. There was a time when she knew nothing of the Princesses and their rebellion aside from what she'd learned in orientations and lessons from Shadow Weaver. To her, they were the bad guys, the villains in the story that needed to be stopped from a reign of tyranny. They were uncontrollable savages that couldn't keep their powers in check, not that they would if they could anyway. And she was meant to defeat them. She was the chosen one, and everyone knew it. One day, she'd be the force captain. Then force commander. Then… whatever Shadow Weaver was.

Most of her teammates, like Lonnie and Kyle, respected it. They were content letting Adora become their leader if it meant they would be led to be victory by someone worthy of the mantle. It didn't stop them from trying to challenge her or even one-up her during combat simulations, but they were content nevertheless.

Catra… only pretended to be. And she wasn't very good at it.

"You can't be talking about me, surely. I've never liked you," she said, interrupting Adora's conversation with fellow cadet Grizzlor. The blonde turned away from her hairy compatriot to acknowledge her best friend, a smile encroached on her bubbly face.

"Gee, tell me how you really feel," she quipped in response, earning her a loving little jab against the bicep from Catra.

Seeing that he'd just be a third wheel for the two, like anyone who tried to tag along with them, Grizzlor shrugged and turned away to engage in conversation with some of the others. Which was fine for Catra. She didn't really like sharing anyway. Adora knew that, and while she sometimes liked being part of the entire crowd, it was mostly with a sense of obligation. If she was to be force captain, she needed to be there for all of her teammates, not just one. Of course, during Friday night recesses such as this… that sense of obligation was a little easier to forget.

So… with nothing better to do, because it didn't get much better than being around her best friend, she decided not to worry about anything else.

"Ahehehe, we were talking about that obstacle course we had to do earlier," she laughed, making Catra grow wide eyed with chagrin.

"Stop it already! It's not funny anymore!" she whined.

But Adora kept laughing it up. "Hahaha! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just… I know you're a cat, but you would have won if you would have just-"

"We're supposed to eat mice! It's what we do!" she bellyached. "Shadow Weaver always told me to!"

Ebbing on her laughter a bit, Adora met her with an incredulous glare. "Since when do you actually listen to Shadow Weaver?'

Catra folded her arms and scowled. "Don't let her hear you see that. You wouldn't want to spoil this perfect image she has of you!"

"Oh, settle down. I'm just messing with you!" Adora assured her with a reassuring hand on her shoulder. And while she half expected the feline to swat it away, she allowed her to keep her hand their for as long as she wanted to, glancing at her conspicuously from the corner of her eye while petulantly keeping her chin held high.

"Hmph. Well, you're just making fun of me because you know I would have kicked your butt had that little rodent not showed up," she firmly stated before a little indigestion forced her to let out a little belch.

Adora just smiled and rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'll let you have this one. But only because you've been so supportive and encouraging with my latest victory," she joked as she paced a little circle around the other girl, teasing her with her eyes.

Sometimes, Catra wanted to punch her in her perfect teeth. And while part of her wanted to do that in this moment, she mostly wanted to just smile with her. "You're so conceited!" she ribbed back, playfully grabbing her by her forearms to wrestle a little. Adora just laughed along with her as they engaged in their quick horseplay, shortly giving up afterwards to ease up on… well, everything.

Their laughter filled the room for a moment before they each contently sighed, and that's when it got a little quiet, and just a teeny bit awkward. But not for too long though. They weren't the type to stay quiet, at least not when they had each other.

So, after a few little glances at one another, and some jostling from Catra to Adora, the aspiring cadet broke the silence once more. "So, whatcha getting into tonight?" she asked.

Catra laughed. "Oh ho? What is this? You gonna laugh it up with Fuzzball and then try and come on to me? Please… I'm not so easy."

Adora smirked. "Oh? That's not what Kyle was saying."

She glowered at her friend over the joke, despite her laughing at it. "Okay, not funny. You think I'd ever stoop as low as Kyle?" she asserts.

"Kyle's nice!" Adora defends.

"And you know what they say about nice guys. They finish laaaaast," Catra haughtily retorts.

Adora just shook her head with amusement. "Okay, since you're apparently not going to be playing solitaire with Kyle, maybe we could head into the sparring room and try some one on one? I've been thinking of some new moves, and I could use someone to try them out on," she charmingly offers with a smile and affectionate elbow nudge.

To her surprise, Catra didn't smile back. In fact, she only seemed to grow tense at the thought as her face deflated. "Actually… I think I'm done training for one night. I kind of strained my leg earlier chasing that mouse," she explained.

Putting the jokes aside, Adora looked to comfort her. "Are you okay? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

Catra stubbornly looked forward as she brushed her off. "It's fine. Just something I gotta walk off. I'll be good."

Adora winced with some disappointment, but didn't let it deter her from spending time with this girl. After all, she loved their alone time just as much as she did, even if she wouldn't admit it. So, she pepped a step forward to walk alongside her, putting another smile back on her face. "Hey! I know! Maybe we can go listen to that song you keep bugging me about!" she suggested. "I think Shadow Weaver's gonna be busy talking with Hordak about some gem or something, so maybe we can crank the volume up to eleven and just jam out with our-"

Before she could finish her rhyme, Catra lethargically threw a hand up to halt her. "Adora…" she started, the exhaustion obvious in her voice. She finally turned to face the human now, only meeting her eyes for a moment before guiltily hanging her head low to look to the side. "I think- I think I'm just gonna go to bed early. I'm pretty bushed after today," she told her with a reluctant, shameful, forced half smile. And while it saddened her to realize that she wouldn't get to spend as much time with her as she would like to this night, she was able to put that disappointment aside to show her the support she apparently needed. So, she put on a smile of her own before addressing her.

"It's fine. You go on and get some rest. I'll probably come join you in a few after checking up on the others one last time."

Catra smiled a little more, this time with some conviction. "Alright. Thanks… Now give the sentimental crap a rest. You're gonna be force captain one day. Can't go around acting all sympathetic and all," she teased, earning a little giggle from her.

"So wishy washy," Adora teased back. "Come on now. Go to bed. Don't make me get the papers," she quipped, making a gesture as if she'd swat at her with a book.

Catra just stuck her tongue out in response, before playfully and dismissively waving her off. Sure, it wasn't how Adora wanted tonight to end, but at least it would end on a somewhat high note. So, she didn't harp any further on it, instead choosing to go convene with her other teammates. She didn't expect them to be doing much of anything spectacular, but she was somewhat surprised to see them laughing so hard at, well… something.

She made her own presence felt by the others by sort of joining in with her own weak little chuckles, as if to act like she actually knew what they were lollygagging over. It was only when the laughter died down some that she felt brave enough to actually ask what was so funny.

"Uh, what are we laughing at?" she began.

The others met her with some dubiousness, but only for a short moment before they burst into more hysterical laughter. It lasted for a few more seconds, much to the confusion of Adora, before Lonnie finally got the others to quiet down for a moment so she could speak. With a suspenseful pause, she rolled her eyes back and forth at everyone, and then finally said what she desired to speak.

"Look! A mouse!" she mocked before losing her cool again. And just like her, the others proceeded to lose their control. Nothing else could be heard over the sound of their collective laughter. And while Adora normally loved to have some fun with her fellow cadets, she was not at all amused that they were having so much fun at Catra's expense.

Her fists clenched, her teeth grit together…

And just as she was about to verbally tear into all of them (and physically if it deemed itself necessary), something got them all to stop laughing.

She noticed Kyle first, who looked to the direction behind her with a twinge of sickly discomfort. Then the others followed suit as they all clammed up, and soon enough, Adora would join them in seeing what was the matter.

Her heart sunk in her chest when she discovered Catra standing there, heavily inhaling and exhaling through her nostrils with clenched fists of her own. The tension in the air was palpable for a long lasting moment before she finally acted on her frustration, further surprising everyone else in the room.

"What? Don't stop!" she egged on. "It was hilarious! Oh ho, stupid Catra, running after a mouse and finishing in last! Duh huh huh!" she feignedly joked along.

Of course, the others could see right through her facade, especially considering the way her eyebrows arched and the curves of her lips remained downward the entire time.

Realizing that no one would have the gumption to say anything further, she let some of her true feelings boil over and frother out. "For God's sake. You're all a bunch of pussies!" she cursed before turning herself around to trudge out of the room, leaving them to think about what they had done.

For Adora, there was a genuine surge of remorse that courses through her veins. She saw the hurt in Catra's eyes, something she'd seen before with… with Shadow Weaver…

But for the others?...

Lonnie's dejected frown soon became another smile, one that she tried to fight and keep contained before uttering: "She called us pussies."

Her sophomoric comment proved to be a hit with the other cadets, who all started laughing up a storm once again like nothing even happened. And while it truly upset Adora, enough to send images of her systematically pounding each and every one of their stupid faces with her bare hands (or at the very least scolding them)... she didn't even bother acting on these feelings. She saw no point. They were apparently a lost cause, and she wasn't concerned with trying to correct their behavior. At least not yet.

What she decided to be more important and worthwhile though… was a certain girl that she just wanted to have to herself tonight to begin with.

Even if it had to be like this.

The sound of the siren blaring almost becomes white noise for the two as they sit and dwell on their crisis with no place else to go. It's a daunting reminder that, this is truly happening. It doesn't die down, it doesn't hiccup. The light disappears and reappears over and over again, almost teasing them with the prospect that soon… there may be no light left to see for either of them.

And all the while, nothing more is said between the two. They keep all of their focus on the vaguely familiar sounds of war sounding off in the distance; gunfire, explosions, screaming, all of the awful things they've heard too many times before in their fight for the fate of Etheria.

For Adora, there's the contemplation of whether or not any of it was actually worthwhile.

"Heh, I still can't believe you had the guts to come to the Fright Zone. I might have expected that from your little friend with the pink; what's her name, Twinkle? But you? You really surprised me this time, Ads," Catra says to finally break the silence.

Adora considers her snide remark, weighing the bother with the same sense of regret she can't help but feel in this moment. "I want the fighting to end. That's all I ever wanted."

"Ha! Is that so?" Catra laughs. "What about back in training, huh? Is that what you thought about? Bringing the fights to an end? I don't believe that for a second."

Adora thinks back to those days once again, deciding just how much truth there is to Catra's words. Regretfully, there is some. "I thought I wanted to be the force captain more than anything. I really did. I wanted to make Shadow Weaver proud. I wanted to make you and the others proud. Hell, I just wanted to be proud of myself," she admits. "But if you think my plan was to just… go looking for violence and bloodshed, then you're wrong. You've never been more wrong."

Catra's attitude changes with her declaration. She softly nods, letting out an almost convinced hum. "Hmm… Maybe so," she simply says before allowing some silence to perpetuate between them. It doesn't last long, however, not when she has so many pent up things to say. "So, tell me then; what did you have planned? Let's say you never found that stupid sword and you became force captain, commander, warlord, whatever. Then what?"

Adora can't answer right away because… it's a very good question. One she really needs some time to think over. A time where she couldn't transform into She-Ra, or didn't have a home with her friends in Bright Moon seems so long ago now. But it wasn't an eternity. And while many things have changed, some things have not.

Finally, she's able to compose a response she's satisfied with. "I'd like to think that, eventually, I would have discovered the truth. It was only a matter of time," she begins, making Catra's eyes roll. She doesn't let it stop her from continuing though. "But even if I didn't, even if I stayed with The Horde… I think I would have tried to do the right things. For all of Etheria."

Catra groans. "For god's sake it's annoying how self righteous you are," she insults.

"Call it whatever you want, but it's what I believe in," Adora simply argues.

"Okay, fine. I get it. You're trying to be the hero of your story," Catra starts again. "I guess I just can't figure out why. Like, seriously. I'm not even trying to be a jerk here. What's the point? Let's say you save the day and make everyone else happy. Then what?"

Again, there isn't a quickness on her part to answer. "I… I don't know where to begin," she confesses. "I mean, I'm always so busy. I never really have time to think too far ahead with how fast paced the war makes things."

Her answer doesn't impress. "Hmph. It sound to me like you're making excuses," Catra suggests.

Something about her tone, the way she darts her eyes and speaks so condescendingly, it gets a rise out of Adora in an all too familiar way. She doesn't even really think about what to say next, it just sort of comes out. "Okay then. What about you? Why are you with the Horde? Spite for me? Spite for Shadow Weaver? Do you really just want to watch people suffer under your control? What keeps you there?" she interrogates.

Seemingly taken off guard, Catra blinks a couple of times before putting on a stern poker face and crossing her arms. "I stayed because I know my role. You might have a hard time trying to figure out who you're supposed to be, but I know who I am."

Refusing to let her off the hook so easily, Adora perseveres. "Who then? Who is Catra? And don't try to tell me you think the Horde is right. Because I won't buy it. I know you, Catra," she trails off, her excitement ebbing in favor of an almost beseeching concern.

For a moment, Catra eyes her up and down, watching as her blue eyes stare at her with this… disgustingly pitiful look in them. "If you really know me, then why are you asking?" she rebuts, hoping to nip it in the bud before she has to explain herself any further. That's what she wants anyway. Until she sees those sad, blue eyes still staring back at her with that same sympathy in them… She sighs, annoyed that her trench-fellow is so Adora, and also annoyed that she herself can be swayed by her stupid puppy eyes.

"The reason I stay is because it's what I'm meant for. I know you can't wrap your head around it, but I'm not like you. There's a reason Shadow Weaver and Hordak always picked you as their favorite," she explains.

"Catra…" the other girl begins, but before she can get on a soapbox, Catra stops her.

"Look, don't try to turn this into a pep talk. I know Shadow Weaver sucks. Trust me, I do. But part of her was always right. I'm not like you. I'm not meant to be the hero. If I picked up that sword and shouted 'By the power of gay skull!' like you do-"

"For the honor of Grayskull," Adora murmurs.

"Whatever. The point is, I'm no hero," Catra insists. "I'm meant to be a fighter. I'm meant to do the dirty work no one else has the guts to. And… if you want some honesty here… I kind of like the idea of being in control," she admits. "I like the idea of putting things in order. The Horde isn't some chaotic evil like the Princesses make it out to be. It's about doing what we think will be best for Etheria."

In a strange way, it both disgusts and intrigues Adora to hear this explanation. "What do you think is best for Etheria?" she asks.

The feline takes time to digest what she's been asked, and just why she does. It's not like they're friends anymore. They haven't shared a bed in months. But it could be the last chance she ever gets to say these things. So she decides that, she may as well try to make sense of it all.

"I don't know. But I know one thing. My Horde and your Alliance aren't as different as you like to think. Of course you all think you're right about everything. You'd be stupid if you didn't. But the stuff you said? About never wanting to hurt anybody? Maybe that was me too," she thinks. Then, she puts on a smirk. "Well… I did have some fantasies about Shadow Weaver. And you, if I'm being totally honest."

Adora can't help but be a little charmed by her riposte, even with the circumstances. "You did a number on me. I don't think you've ever resorted to biting before."

"Yeah, well, I was trying to hurt you," Catra responds, that same charming attitude lingering from her voice… until it doesn't. That smirk soon becomes something somber, something almost remorseful. And when Adora sees it, what little joy she felt fades away too.

Adora was quick to haul back to the tracks, hoping to catch Catra before she could lock herself in their room and… well… be herself. Unfortunately, she was always faster when it counted, and she was able to make it there before her goody two shoes friend.

Seeing the only thing separating her from the cat girl in the form of a stupid metal door put strain on her shoulders, and she approached it with heavy footsteps before gently rapping on it. She didn't even bother trying to open it, she already knew it was sealed shut by the girl inside.

"Catra…"

There was no response, so she tried again.

"Catraaaaa…"

"You are so annoyingly predictable," she belatedly replied from the other side of the door, and Adora could have sworn she heard her sniffle after saying it.

"Great job Adora. You made her cry," she scolded to herself.

"I am not crying!" Catra hollered from the room.

Right, cats hear better than people. Adora remembered that before continuing to coax her. "Will you let me in? I have to pee!"

"No you don't! You're just saying that so I'll let you in here and you can start your gushy crap with me!"

"Okay, so I don't have to pee!" Adora admitted with a roll of the eyes. "Will you just let me in there? Please?"

No response.

Gah! She could be so stubborn! No matter. Adora could be just as headstrong, especially when it came to trying to do what she felt was just. And in that moment, she felt the best thing her friend needed was someone to talk to. Even if she would fight it.

Too bad for Catra that she knew how to fight back. "Don't make me start singing," she threatened. "I'm serious Catra. This whole camp will hear me serenade you if you don't open this door!"

Nothing.

Adora furrowed her brow and gritted her teeth before letting out a heavy sigh. "Alright. You asked for it. Here I go now! I'm gonna do it!"

…

"Dang it, I really have to this," she cussed to herself before hurrying to think of some lyrics to sing to the embarrassment out of her. "Uhh… Do you want to build a Snow Horder? Come on let's go and play… I didn't mean to make you cry-"

"I wasn't crying!"

"Just wanted to pass by, and tell you you're okay!" she continued singing. "We only have each other, it's just you and me… We don't need Kyle, boooooo!... Do you want to build a Snow Horder?"

For a moment, all was quiet. But only until she could hear faint footsteps coming from the room beyond the door, and then saw said door being opened by a reluctant Catra. She just glowered at her with steadily grumpy expression as Adora pussyfooted her way inside with her. "I hate you and your ability to come up with lyrics on a whim," she cursed as she locked the door behind them.

The blonde just stood there as she watched Catra ignore her gaze to go take her seat back on the bed, letting out a little "Humph," as she got cozy and cross legged for an exciting night of staring at a blank wall and hating everything. It sort of made her want to roll her eyes, but she also remembered just what let her to this room in the first place. She was part of what was wrong, and she looked to remedy it.

"I wasn't laughing with them," she was sure to begin with, sureness in her tone.

Belatedly, curtly, Catra offered this as a response: "I don't care."

Adora half expected such a blunt rebuttal, but she didn't let it sour her any as she proceeded to keep trying to get through to her. "Catra, I'm sorry. Those guys are jerks. You don't need to worry about what they think," she assured her as she took it upon herself to join the pouty pussy on the bed, earning her a little hiss.

Seeing that that wasn't enough to convince her to just leave, Catra conceded well enough to offer her a half hearted attempt at an actual answer. "I don't care what they think! They're morons!"

Adora deflated a bit, sensing that, if she pressed much further, she might be hurt even more by what she could hear. "If… If you don't care what they think… Then what's bothering you?"

She took her time considering how to respond, thinking of the best way to be honest while being vague. Being assertive while being just aggressive enough. She wanted to show Adora that she was pissed; she just didn't want to have to spell it out for her why. It was supposed to be her job to figure it out.

"Just forget it. Why don't you go back to your stupid get together with your stupid cadet buddies," she cussed with a dismissive wave.

It was time to change tactics, and Adora realized it. She always had a gift for knowing her enemy (especially since she was usually going against Catra), and with those words, her intuition began to tell her a different tale.

She was feeling left out.

Adora scoffed. "Catra… I was trying to get you to myself tonight!" she came out and said. "I don't care what those guys are up to! They aren't my best friend," she declared, using the BF word to really drive her point home and maybe sort of try to encourage her just a little bit into opening up some more.

Her ears perked up a little upon hearing that, but she tried as hard as she could to act like it didn't matter to her as she raised her knees to her chest and folded her arms over them to rest her head. "Whatever. It's not like you can have fun with me like those idiots anyway. Go back to laughing about my bust run with Grizzlor. He at least laughs at your stupid jokes."

Adora frowned. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make it some big, personal thing against you. I figured you would probably laugh at me a little too if I did something like that," she tried to justify before quickly regretting her choice of words. "But you know what? That doesn't matter. That's no excuse. And I'm sorry Catra," she said as she placed a comforting hand on the other girl's back. She almost assumed she would just swat it away or hiss at her again, but… she didn't. She allowed her to keep it there.

For a moment, she was quiet. "You really think I care about being laughed at? I'm used to the others not liking me," she claimed, earning her a raised eyebrow from the human girl.

"So, if it wasn't that, then what was it?"

Catra considered maybe just letting her have this one for a moment, but quickly shook herself of the thought to readjust herself on the bed. "Look, instead of trying to like, be my shoulder to cry on, why don't we just move on and forget it? I told you I'm tired. And I fully intend on kicking your butt twice as hard tomorrow after today's snafu," she said somewhat jokingly, not at all trying to act like she felt better just to get Adora to be quiet.

But she saw through it, and she wasn't giving up so easily. She learned a thing or two about stubbornness from the girl she was raised side by side with. She could have easily played along, and maybe had a halfassed, decent remainder of the evening. She preferred the idea of something more, though.

So, she sighed. "Alright. If you really want to let it go, I'll drop it," she began before fixing her eyes set on Catra, hoping she would look back into them. "But let me ask you one thing. Is this… is this about you losing? Or me winning?"

Almost like a complete 180, the feline went from ambivalent to agitated, turning to snarl at Adora. "Are you serious?" she barked. "My God, how full of yourself are you?"

With strong sympathy in her eyes, Adora refused to look away or back down. "I don't want to make you feel bad! And I don't know what else to say or how else to say it!" she blurted out, choosing to fail keeping her emotions in tact for once. "It seems like all I'm good for is pissing you off or hurting you, and that's the last thing I want! You bring me so much fun and happiness. And all I've done to repay that is… this…"

She hung her head low with a desire for penance. It was in that moment that she truly felt she had done something wrong, and she was ever ready to do what she could to make it right. And maybe Catra wasn't wholly convinced just yet by her display of desperation, but she had to admit to herself that her honesty was respectable.

It made it really suck when she felt herself tearing up just a tad. "You just won't give up will you?" she asked, more thinking out loud than really asking.

For a moment, their eyes met again, sharing an emotionally charged gaze with blurry, confusing colors. Part of them wanted to scream, part of them wanted to cry, and part of them wanted to just laugh it all away like they did as children. But for the sake of getting somewhere, they did none of those things. Instead, Catra took the initiative to retain a somewhat level head, then inhaled deeply before offering her an actual explanation.

"You know what's bothered me so much about this? Today I was actually trying. Shocker, I know," she started. And while feeling Adora's eyes fixate on her with this fascination almost tempted her to just turn away and give up then, she decided it was best for both of them to continue. "So when that stupid mouse scurried along, and I lost myself, it sucked because… I was just wanting to prove myself today. Like you do. All the time…"

The worst part of it all was how she had to take a pause to wipe away a tear from her eye while Adora watched on, but as expected, she didn't make her feel judged for it. She just sat quietly and attentively, offering the girl her moment to shine.

"So you know, I can handle the laughing. It would've made me laugh too if Kyle or Lonnie did the same thing. But, if you want me to be real for a second? I just wish I could keep up with you more. And I know it's my own fault that I can't…" she stopped to take a breath, realizing that she fell into Adora's stupid trap to make her talk about her stupid feelings. Part of her hated it, she really did. But… whatever. It wasn't the end of the world. "Heh, bet you thought you'd feel better making me pour my heart out, huh?" she teased, knowing full well her friend was too empathetic for her own good.

There was some cold comfort in at least knowing there was some transparency with the pretense, so Adora didn't beat herself up too hard. She just took a second to collect her thoughts before putting them into some (hopefully) substantial words. "You know, it's kind of funny. Here lately, I've been feeling the same way," she admitted, earning a somewhat surprised look from her bedfellow. "Sometimes… I feel like I'm going to push you away. Either by trying too hard to change, or trying too hard to stay the same. I don't know, it's just a weird feeling I've been having lately," she persisted, choosing not to overthink things and just let them free from her heart. If Catra of all people could do it, so could she. "Look. I know this isn't your style. I know you'd rather just look past these things and pretend they don't matter. Honestly, for you, I wish I could too. But that's not healthy. And with as much time as we spend together… we should be able to talk about these things, right?"

Catra tries to hear her out, simply offering, "I guess so," in response.

Adora actually smiled a little at that. "I tell you what. I know you think I'm annoying, so here's what I'm going to do," she said to shift the conversation. "I'm going to tell you that, you're an underachiever, and you totally could kick my butt every day if you tried hard enough," she bluntly stated, sort of confusing her friend. But then, she slowed down. "I'll also tell you that, nothing anyone else says or does matters to me like you do. I'd trade being a cadet for you any day."

She really was tired. Being a Horde cadet was tiring work, especially with the crud she had to deal with. So, Catra decided not to argue anymore. She decided that, because she knew in her heart that Adora had good intentions, she would try to relax.

And it was kind of nice to hear her say things like that…

She softly sighed, collecting her thoughts. "I wish you weren't so nice. Or I'd totally punch you in the boob right now," she quipped, earning her a smile from Adora.

"You said earlier that nice guys finish laaaaaast," she sardonically recalled.

Catra shrugged. "I said nice guys. I never mentioned nice girls."

She was guilty of favoring the female persuasion, and Adora knew it. She couldn't blame her, either. Guys in the Horde weren't like the princes and knights they read about (and wanted to be like) in the fairy tales they were told as children. Heck, Catra was more like a hero than Kyle or Grizzlor, and while they respected the name Lord Hordak, he was practically a fairy tale all the same to them. It made it easy to get along knowing they were on the same page though. And it made it easy to try and steer the conversation in a somewhat more pleasant direction.

"You wouldn't know nice girls if you saw one," Adora teased as she fell back on the bed to make herself comfortable. She then started bopping her fist up and down on Catra's thigh, sort of as a way to gauge whether or not things were really calming down between them. To her delight, she didn't fight it. In fact, she even smiled.

"You're wrong. I see one," she began to respond, her face churning with some devious thoughts. "She just makes them all look bad."

Adora stopped bouncing her fist, letting her hand just sort of stay on the other girl's lap now as she looked back up with a grin of her own. Sometimes, she liked busting her chops back just to keep the fun going. It was natural. They just had that type of relationship. But other times, like this moment, she considered throwing curveballs. The kind she knew got to Catra the most. The good kind.

"You know, I have a similar problem. I know this bad girl, but… she makes them all look so good."

One of the most perfect things she ever got to see in her life was the way Catra became speechless, her furry cheeks burning a little red with a saccharine blush. It was even better when she heard her start purring, something she almost never did.

Suffice to say, she had succeeded in cheering her up. And that cheered herself up just as well.

"What's it like in Bright Moon?"

The siren still blares. The red light still flashes. And now the feeling of cold rain trickles down on these women's skin. In a way, it offers some alleviation for their wounds. It cleans the cuts and bruises, seeping in and offering some cooling relief. It helps with a little bit of the dirt and grime, washing away some of the rot they've collected in their time here in the grovel.

It's just enough to be comfortable.

"What do you mean?" Adora asks in return, meeting Catra's somber gaze with one of her own.

She considers how to articulate her thoughts well enough. "Like… What do you do there? When you're not being the other chick," she elaborates, maintaining her level of snideness over She-Ra to a welcome degree.

It's a strange thing to ponder. These weren't the types of questions Adora expected from Catra, or anyone really. People didn't ask her what she wanted very often. They told her what was expected, they gave suggestions, they gave directions. It was that way with Shadow Weaver, and in a way that was at least more pleasant, it's that way now with Queen Angella.

But now, without the distractions of war, she's being given the chance to really think it over. "I mostly plan. Strategize. All the things they groomed us for back home."

"Back home. That's kind of a funny way to say it." Catra scoffed, only briefly letting a remark like this pester her. "So, when you're not being a tool; what do you do with yourself?"

Adora remained dumb for a moment. "I'm not- I'm not really sure how to answer that…" she confessed. And it was true. She really wasn't sure. She could ask several other questions to Catra all in the same vein.

Frustrated at her own inability to get her point across, and Adora's inability to understand, she tried again. "I'm not- ugh... I'm not trying to twist your arm or anything here, Ads. I'm just… These are things I think about sometimes. And I might never get another chance to find out."

There was genuine heart in her words, that much was certain. Even if she doesn't quite fully understand just what Catra is trying to gauge from this question, Adora at least makes an effort to respond honestly.

"Okay… Well, I usually just hang out with Bow and Glimmer," she finally answers.

"What kind of stuff do you do?" Catra follows with, her words stoic and to the point. Maybe she's trying to hide some resentment, maybe not. But either way, Adora figures it's important to let her know some important information about her two other best friends.

"I know you probably hate them. I get that. But they mean the world to me, Catra. They've done so much to make me feel loved, and appreciated, and…" She trails off, feeling herself get a little emotional. Not only because she knows where they are and what they're doing now, and what their current situation means for everyone… but because of the way things had to be to get here. "I was never trying to replace you, just so you know."

Catra reads between her lines, silently taking meaning from this response with a somewhat jaded view. While she expected her to bring up the dynamic duo of colorful dweebs, she didn't quite expect Adora to become so worked up. And frankly, she didn't expect herself to take it this way either.

"I do know, actually," she begins, slowly feeling her own endorphins aggravating. "See, I felt replaced for a while, I won't lie. And then I even thought I could do the same by making nice with Scorpia and Entrapta. But…"

"But what?" Adora belatedly asks, her blue eyes slightly welling now.

Just like Catra's. "Heh, you're really gonna make me say it, aren't you?"

Realizing that this conversation is heading in such a direction, Adora tries her best to swallow some of the anguish she's choking on. She'll need all the breathing room she can get. "Hey, you're not the only one who thinks about things. And it's like you said; this could be the last time before it's over."

Catra pulls the shades of her eyes down tight, but can't give a smile as the pain comes. Her tears will fall and crash, but this is long overdue. There's no reason to hold back anymore.

"Nothing ever stopped me from missing you. You… you promised we would always look out for each other."

Adora can only listen with tears falling from her own eyes as Catra opens her heart to her, finally letting go of the things she kept inside for so long.

"I wanted to do everything together. I didn't need to sit and dwell on the future and make plans for things that would never happen because I didn't need to. I didn't need dreams, I didn't have nightmares. I had you, and that's all that mattered," she powerfully tells her, fighting through the tears, fighting to keep going. "So yeah. I feel a little pissed off that you're doing so well with your new friends over in happy valley. Congratulations. I hope they give you whatever it is that I wasn't good enough for…"

Her heart had been broken for months. With the sword and the mantle came a great fall from grace. And nothing made it feel as real as this; Catra telling her everything that she felt to be true, everything that had been haunting her ever since her first time watching her walk away. Light Hope told her she needed to let go, and she tried. She really did. Just as some things were too painful to touch, some were too painful to release.

But some things need release.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Catra. I never wanted things to get this way between us. I never wanted to lose you," Adora let her know, everything she had left to muster burning bright with her words. "All those things you said to me back at Light Hope's temple, all the things you've said to me now… I play them over and over in my head. They won't leave me alone. Because I hate not having you by my side. I hate not knowing you're alright, or feeling like you're in pain. I never wanted to hurt you. I swear!"

The more she speaks, the more Catra has to seal her eyes, just to keep the tears at bay. There was just as much heartbreak for her. More, she would argue. But even in her time of dying, she can't say more. She can only say what she's wanted to say for the longest time, the thing she clung to with the most anger, the most sadness, the most pain.

"I love you Adora… I always loved you. We grew up together. We played together. I wanted to do everything with you. Everything..."

"What are you, five years old?" Catra laughed upon hearing Adora's suggestion.

The blonde didn't falter though, her smile staying true on her face. "Come on! It will be fun!" she egged on, using her palms to shake her friend's legs.

It made Catra roll her eyes, but in the good way. She thought it over for a moment in a way that made it obvious in her gait that she would soon cave in, and the sigh she let out after was the tell tale. Score for Adora!

"Alright, alright. Truth or dare?" she asked her stupidly and wonderfully childish best friend.

"No! I was supposed to go first!" Adora giddily chirped, hardly able to contain her enthusiasm over the fact she had somehow managed to convince Catra to play this silly game with her.

"I am letting you go first! Truth or dare?!" she repeated, unable to hide her own excitement.

It was amazing how in the course of a few minutes she could go from locking herself in a room to 'not cry' to laughing over truth or dare, but Adora wasn't going to let this remarkable experience pass her by. It took rain before a rainbow, but she finally got what she wanted. Catra to herself.

"No, I was supposed to you ask first!" she corrected. "But never mind. It's okay, it's okay!" she happily squealed. She then put on a visible thinking face, trying to decide whether or not she felt brave enough to take one of Catra's dares, or to risk being asked something she'd be afraid to answer truthfully. All the while, the feline girl smiled almost evilly, realizing she would soon get to make a fool out of her beloved Adora. Muah ha ha ha!

Finally, Adora straightened up, smirking as she came to a conclusion regarding what to accept first. "Dare…" she drew out dramatically, challengingly staring into Catra's blue and yellow eyes to show her she meant business.

She laughed at this, then nodded. "Alright, alright. I can see you're a bold one." She then cleared her throat and sat up straight, meeting her friend's defiance of sorts with the same pride. "Adora. I dare you… to…"

She sneered, knowing this really was a good one.

"Do your Shadow Weaver impression."

Adora deflated slightly upon hearing those words, but Catra refused to budge. She would use everything that led up to this moment to her advantage, all for the sake of one of goody two shoes people pleasing Adora stooping as low as to breaking out her treacherous old Shadow Weaver imitation. It wasn't something she was fond of doing, at least not when she was on the matriarch's good side, but it did get over between the two as something worth remembering and laughing over from time to time.

"Come on. Seriously?" Adora protested. Still, Catra wouldn't back down.

"Yup. That's the rules. You gotta do the dare," she haughtily reminded her.

Adora frowned, but didn't let it bother her enough to stop playing. After all, it was all in good fun. "I swear, she's going to hear me doing this one day, and we're both gonna get in trouble."

"Eh, she already hates me. It'll be worth it," Catra carelessly shrugged.

With that, Adora braced herself, taking a deep breath and finding concentration before acting on the sacred truth or dare dare.

"Adooora! Have you been caterwauling with that bilge rat Grizzlor again? You knoooow he'll only slow you down!" she started, channeling her inner comedian to match all of Shadow Weaver's tones and mannerisms to the best of her ability.

Not even a sentence into her deed, Catra already began laughing hard at it. "Oh my gosh! That's too rich!"

Part of her always felt bad for making jokes about the powerful woman who both raised her and had the ability to magically force her into having nightmares for the rest of her waking life, but she loved seeing Catra laugh more. So, she decided she would go a little bit further.

"Adooora! Do you know how important it is that you do four million squats a day? Force captains need to have the most concise bowel movements!"

"PFFFFT! Oh man! You're gonna kill me, I swear!" she got out as she laughed even harder, feeling her ribs begin to hurt, clutching them and rolling on her back.

That was okay stuff, Adora thought to herself. But she really wanted to show what she was made of. For all the times she was called a try-hard and a brown nose, she'd stick it to Catra with more finishing blow.

"Adoooora! Tripping over a bra is NOT a booby trap!"

Sudden death. Rest in peace, Catra. The girl was laughing so hard now that tears were welling from her eyes, and she couldn't speak any sensible words. All she could muster over and over again was, "I can't even! I can't even!"

It was no use. Adora had to join in. Together, they laughed their butts off for a few solid minutes before eventually regaining some composure. And even then, it was impossible for them to quit smiling. Their cheeks pinkened a little as their eyes narrowed at one another's, sharing a look that said more than any of their mushy words could even hope to. They were having a ball, and they were happy to get the best of one another.

Things got silent in a serene sort of way as they lost each other in their mutual gaze. It was times like these that they both remembered just why they were such good company in the first place, even when they royally pissed each other off the way they did. They were the best of friends first and foremost, and all the petty stuff came second. Always. But even so, they didn't want to make things awkward staring into each other like this, and they both quickly turned away so they couldn't see each other blushing.

In an unsurprising way, Adora took it upon herself to get things back on track. "Alright, well we're still playing, remember?"

"Oh right," Catra coyly responded. "What was so important that you just had to go first?"

Adora sat back up, and Catra motioned herself up to prepare for the worst. "Well, maybe you'll find out. Truth or dare?"

"You know me. Of course I'm gonna pick dare."

Adora deviously grinned at that. "Hmm… Alright. I dare you… to pick truth."

"What?! That's not fair!" Catra bemoaned with her mouth agape.

"Hey! The rules are the rules!" her sneaky jerk of a friend reminded her.

"Well that's cheating!" she argued.

"Mmm, not cheating."

"It is so cheating!" she argued once more before ebbing a bit to get pouty. "I swear, this better not be your lame way of making me get all lame and sentimental again."

Adora eased up a little on the snarkiness to get real with her for a moment. "I swear it's not. It's just something I really wanna know."

She quietly contemplated how to approach her question and what words to articulate it, knowing that, possibly making her upset or even ruining their fun was something to consider. However, seeing this hidden gem of childlike wonder glimmering from Catra's eyes, this loving mirth she used a petulant frown to conceal… it was enough to give her the courage to take a leap of faith.

"Are you a lesbian?"

Completely blindsided by Adora's question, she understandably blurted out: "What?"

And while she began to feel pretty nervous inside, Adora knew she had to save face. She feigned confidence as she badgered: "You heard me. Are you a lesbian? Do you like girls?"

Catra grew wide eyed and pink in the face for a new reason. How did a game of truth or dare turn into a sudden interrogation? Did she have this planned from the start? Why did she even want to know?

But… in a strange way, part of her wasn't so unhappy to be asked. Sure, Adora was the noisiest, sneakiest dumb face in the history of history; but something about this just… felt right. Like, she wasn't asking to use this for ammo. She was asking because there was legitimate care and desire for understanding. Typical Adora. "I mean… What does it even matter?" she finally asked in response, hoping to save a little face herself.

"I'm just being nosey," Adora casually said with a shrug.

"Sure. That's what you're calling it," Catra rebutted with a little bit of a sour sneer. But, keeping the fact that Adora was the way she was in mind, she decided to just make an attempt to answer. After all, what did she have to lose? "I uh, I don't know, actually. I haven't thought a lot about that sort of stuff."

Hearing the lack of angst in her voice, seeing the way she skittishly looked down to the floor, Adora couldn't help but feel a little guilty (and stupid) for asking. She wasn't sure what she was expecting her to answer with, or even what she was hoping she would answer with. She just hoped it would be good. Or at least, that Catra would still be smiling. "Oh…" is all she managed to say back.

For a moment, they both pondered how to follow up. For Adora, she considered just changing the subject and letting it go, or even just stopping the game to do something else in an attempt to forget it even happened. Anything to keep the momentum of a good time going. And as for Catra, many conflicting and contrasting feelings coursed through her; but she ultimately decided the best thing she could possibly do in this predicament was simply ask in response:

"Have you?"

Belatedly, Adora answered: "Me? Like, boys and girls and stuff?"

Catra couldn't help herself. As evil and cunning as her friend was, she couldn't match her own level of sinister manipulation. "You're so flustered! It's so... Adora-ble," she joked with a burning sense of pride.

"Shut up!" the human girl laughed through a blush. And, like Catra before, she felt more perplexed than attacked. "Uhm… You know, I haven't really thought of that stuff much either. I guess I was just curious about you. That's all," she told Catra. And, to an extent, herself.

And like before, there was a bit of a moment in between the tomfoolery to consider whether or not things were going too far. They both looked to each other to see if their eyes told a different story, and while they both seemed a little timid, they also seemed… curious to keep engaging. Like they both knew exactly what to do, but neither one knew how to do it. Or perhaps they just didn't have the courage to make it happen instead of pussyfooting in circles.

"You're always so sneaky and dorky. I hate it," Catra halfheartedly quipped to press through the pretense. "Okay, so, it's my turn again, right?"

"Yes. I can only imagine what sort of clever, totally not juvenile things you'll come up with," Adora teased, eager herself to see what direction she would take the game next.

Not one to let her dear Adora be disappointed, Catra smirked an almost wicked smirk as she devised the perfect challenge for the girl to do next. It was brilliant! It was crazy, but it was brilliant! Oh, she could not wait for Adora to walk right into her crosshairs so she could fire away.

And all she could do is try not to make it obvious just how so many butterflies were fluttering in her chest with anticipation over what Catra would pull next.

"Truth or dare, Adora?"

Some part of the girl was able to see through her frisky feline friend's game. And, in a way that both surprised and disappointed her… she became nervous. She started to wonder if maybe she had stepped over a boundary that she shouldn't have by asking her previous question. It made it that much harder to come to decision that she did, especially with Catra almost hopefully watching on. Despite her near evil grin, of course.

"Truth," Adora chose, losing some of the vigor she had before. Which… had a similar effect on Catra. Where she had this dastardly yet charming exuberance in her eyes, it was then shadowed with an overcast of disappointment.

She tried to play it cool of course, only offering "Oh. Alright…" as a response while deflating. It was weird for both of them, knowing what they felt without really knowing what they felt, but they didn't quit. For each other, they were willing to work through the awkwardness. Part of that, for Catra anyway, was deciding how to improvise. "So… uhm… Okay, I think I have a question for you," she stammered. Her heart began to pound hard in her chest, and it didn't help that Adora seemed intent on keeping her gaze glued to her whiskered face.

But things were going well. And with a little luck, they could have gotten even better. "Did you know that I really wanted you to pick 'dare'?" she asked Adora, weakly looking back to her baby blues.

A rush of emotions flooded Adora's heart and mind, most of them good. Somehow, she knew this would be going somewhere new and exciting, but the very same prospect that excited her also subtly terrified her all the same. Especially considering she'd be taking whatever path Catra hoped to lead her on. "Did you really?"

Catra cocked half a smile as she couldn't help but look away. Partly out of anxiousness, partly because she hated (and loved) her own sense of humor. "Gee, Catra. It's almost like you're trying to sneak your way around getting what you want," she said, mocking Adora. "Huah! Adora! Have you been secretly using Shadow Weaver's weird looking pool thingy to find out all my secrets?"

She was making bad jokes, which could only mean one thing. She was trying to make it easier on herself, knowing full well that things were about to get serious. It wasn't a secret she tried to hide, and luckily enough, Adora was willing to dance this same dance.

She blushed. "Heh… Uhm… Okay…" she stammered, a thousand scenarios racing through her mind regarding where to take the game now. She knew Catra wanted to take the lead, and that was more than fine with her. She'd follow her to the end of the line if she needed to, if it meant they could fly and fall together. However, she had to let her know she could keep up just as well. "I know this is cheating, but… Can I change my pick to 'dare?'" she slyly suggested.

Catra faked a gasp in response. "Huaaah! Adora! That's vile!"

"And so is your breath. So we gonna do this thing or what?" Adora quipped, ready to get down to business.

Time for jokes was over, for now. And the thought intimidated Catra for more than she would have ever let on. But, even with the apprehension and fear for the worst, she couldn't lose herself completely. Somehow, even with everything she liked to do to make her seem like the worst jerk in all of Etheria, she was able to just trust Adora. To have faith in her to be supportive and encouraging, even when she knew she was wrong. Even in madness she knew she still believed, and that gave her all the strength she needed to actually go through with this crazy scheme.

"Alright. I dare you… to close your eyes…"

At first Adora had to think about it. It took a moment for the request to fully register in her mind, but once it did, once the words rang true and irrefutable in her mind… a strange sense of numbness came over her. Too many different feelings, some old, some new, were all whirling like a hurricane inside of her, ready to blow everything away. And yet, she was ready to face the storm without question. Some hesitation, maybe, but she wasn't even going to argue or nitpick. She simply did as Catra asked her, shutting her eyes and remaining still for whatever the other girl had hatching in the back of her mind.

"I'm trusting you, okay?"

Almost blissfully, Catra softly smiled before placing her hand to Adora's soft, warm cheek.

"Bad idea."

Slowly, she leaned forward, closing her own eyes and puckering her lips before carefully clashing them with Adora's. She didn't keep them there long, just enough to send a powerful surge of electricity tremoring through every fiber of her nubile body. It was everything she had hoped for, actually. Her lips tasted okay, she didn't freak out or fight it, it was nice. And the look on her face when she pulled away to look upon her beauty was the most priceless image she had ever been privileged to see. Her eyes were practically bugging out of her skull, and her face was crimson red with how hard she was blushing. Maybe she was speechless, maybe she'd start babbling like an idiot. She was certainly uncertain of so many things, but one thing was imperially true.

"You kissed me…"

Catra just kept smiling, offering a slight shrug before sitting herself back up like a coyly excited child. All the while, Adora was seemingly frozen. She had to blink the fluster off her face before actually managing to somehow find some comprehensible words. "W-Why did you do that?" she asked.

Which didn't sit too well with Catra. "I don't know?! I thought it'd be good? Sorry…" she retorted, ready to return to beating herself up over everything.

But Adora wouldn't let that happen. Not just for Catra's sake, but because, well… "No!" she gasped, reaching a loving hand out to her lap. "I liked it."

Her lips then curved with the shape of a soft smile, offering a warm reassurance that Catra really, really wanted to believe was sincere. And while she had her lingering doubts, in a way that she kind of always did, she decided to let them go and just stay in a fool's paradise this one time. If only because, kissing Adora and hearing she liked made her very happy.

She smiled back too, and for a little while, nothing was said between them with words. Their eyes did all the speaking as they gazed into one another's souls, exchanging a clear, coherent compassion the likes of which they never had before. They knew they loved each other, of course they did. They grew up together, played together, and were always there when they needed a friend. But nothing like this. This was something totally new and exciting for them, and they were glad to have experienced the new sensations.

It made all that much better that they did got together.

Eventually, the staring began to overstay its welcome, and they decided to make things less weird by attempting to speak up and break the silence at the same time. They laughed at talking over one another, then Catra playfully slapped Adora's leg. "You're trash," she simply joked, earning her a joyous laugh from the other girl.

"And your a pretty girl," Adora teased back, knowing the kind of reaction she'd get from her. But she was ready for it. She was ready.

Furrowing her brow, Catra readied herself as well. "That's it. You need your butt kicked," she told her before pouncing her so she could wrestle her into submission.

"You're the worst!" Adora cheerfully cried.

Everything. She really meant it. What she didn't account for then, Adora realizes now.

"I kissed you because I wanted us to have that. I wanted us to be able to give each other the world…" Catra continued, her anguish spewing through her lips just as it did her eyes. She has something left to fight for, even in this moment of darkness. And that's Adora. "And you spat in my face!"

Everything. That couldn't just be the good. That had to mean the bad as well. And the pain was only worthwhile with something to feel. For Adora, that was something she thought she knew then. But it was easy to push to the side when she didn't have her here, just a few feet away, boring a stare into her soul that cried for what she felt she deserved.

And Adora decides now that, while it may be too late, she'll never have the chance again to say what means the most.

"I love you too, Catra…" she tells her, her heartache bleeding on her sleeve.

It almost insults her. This is supposed to be her time to talk, and Adora's time to listen. "How?! How can you say that when you turned your back on me?! When you left- when you left all of it behind! And for what?! A sword?!" she shouts, choking up on her words.

With a moment to consider it all, everything, just a few seconds longer… Adora finds just what she needs to say in response. "You can't say you love me if you won't listen to what I have to say."

"Then say it. Please! Make it make sense for me! I have to know!" Catra cries.

She takes some more time to compose her explanation, thinking hard back to the days where she learned how to live life without the Horde, and the days before. The days where things were so much simpler, and yet, somehow less fulfilling. At least in the grand scheme of things.

"I was given a purpose," she begins, gradually ebbing on the tears. "I was given the chance to really make a difference in the world. To do something bigger and greater than anything I ever thought possible. I didn't ask for this! I didn't wish for the sword to fall in my lap and make me She-Ra!"

She takes pause to calm her nerves, and to be sure she wants to say what she really feels. That same variable takes precedence just as it has done so many times before though. This is it. There won't be any do-overs after tonight. Even if they somehow escape certain death, she may never see Catra again.

So she summons a power even greater than that she gets from her sword to tell the truth. "But I don't regret it. I don't regret feeling like I can be more than Shadow Weaver's puppet, or some dumb kid whose life means nothing."

"Nothing, huh? That's what you were?" Catra questions, the disappointment clear in her tone.

"You can't tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing. Because I know you would have," Adora argues with conviction. And judging from the way she says nothing, choosing to look away for nothingness, she can tell Catra can't lie to her. Even so, she has more to say, and she won't stop now. "My only regret, Catra… is that I had to push you away to do it. I think about you every day as I face the world, and every night before I go to sleep. So don't question my love for you. Don't you ever do that. I'm sorry I couldn't be everything you wanted, but I tried to bring you with me. You chose to stay behind."

With watery eyes and a soft spoken voice, Catra is only able to counter with: "You can't ask me to walk this path with you. I've already explained why."

"Then don't! I won't ask you to anymore!" Adora tells her. "But if we make it out of this, if by some miracle my friends stop the explosion… I'm done fighting you. I'm done being your enemy. I can't keep risking my life and my friends' lives if it just means the people I love are going be burnt to ashes. I can't. I won't. And that includes you Catra. I can't… I can't lose you again."

A long silence follows. It reminds them of the pervading siren in the distance, the one the signals their closure. It isn't the way either of them wants it to end, and they fully realize that now. They never wanted to become enemies, they never wanted their lives to be spent doing anything less than unconditionally being there for one another. But it couldn't be, and it's too late to turn back now.

It's too late to stop the siren. Or the red light. And they never stood a chance against the cold rain. But with their time limited, and so many thoughts they'll never be able to get out of their heads… Adora knows now what really, truly matters to her. And if it's the very last thing she'll ever do, be it for the Rebellion, her friends, She-Ra, or just a girl who found a sword while discovering the world with her best friend, she'll do what she has to.

"I'm sorry…" she whimpers, allowing her head to fall low as she cries.

Ignoring the sound and light of creeping death once more, maybe her last time, Catra finally looks back over to her. And with an unrelenting, compassionate gaze, she offers her this in return.

"Why do you always apologize to me… when you know I should apologize to you?"

Adora looks to her eyes, and in them, she sees a new kind of defeat. Something see's only seen once before, those many months ago during a game of truth or dare. It gives her a beacon of hope, even in the darkest hour. "Because you kissed me, stupid."

Another calm silence. This time… it feels right. It finally feels like they're getting somewhere, somewhere close to where they used to be. Back before the battles, back before Light Hope, back when all that mattered was a promise to each other.

"I don't know what to do anymore. We might be dead soon, you know?" Catra thinks aloud.

"But we might not," Adora simply says back.

"You always did like to think on the bright side…" Catra halfheartedly jokes. But she's so tired. From the fighting, and the war, and everything it took just to finally make it to this juncture, there's only so much left she can give. But she chooses to give it to her, that same girl who made her promise. "If we make it out of this, I can't make promises I won't keep. And after everything, I sure as hell won't ask you to either. But I don't think we can afford to worry about that anymore. Not if this really is our last ride, you know?"

Despite the blaring siren serving to constantly let them know that all things will have to end, maybe even in seconds, Adora has to take her time. She has to think carefully on where to go from here. Getting this close after staying so far was the hardest thing she ever had to do, but somehow, she got here. And even if it's the worst place to have Catra to herself, she's fine with it. Because all that she needs… is her.

But she has something left to give. By some higher power, she's been privileged to say and hear the things she always really wanted to and from Catra. And while she knows she could have a much happier ending, she also decides that, this really isn't so bad. As long as she feels the same way.

So, with that left to give, she takes her chances one more time. Just to reach out instead of letting go. "What did you want from me, Catra? What could I have done to change things?"

The other girl turns back to her with that serene, mirthful look in her eyes from so long ago. In them, there's trust. There's a sense of pleading that somehow concocts perfectly with satisfaction, something between desire, happiness, and the willingness to finally rest easy.

With that, she answers truthfully. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just be you, Adora. That's all I ever wanted... You."

A soft smile stretches on her face upon hearing Catra's declaration, and all she can do is look upon her face, happy with the knowledge that, if she's the last person she gets to see… it would be just fine. After all, she has a promise to keep.

Catra can't help but smile back. Even through it all, the rise and the fall, she manages to find solace in her companionship. Nothing else ever mattered, and she's okay admitting that to herself, and to her now.

Everything that happened? Everything that they went through? It was somehow worth it now. As long as they have each other.

…

…

It almost makes it easy to ignore how things are now perfectly quiet. Not a single sound whispers in the air. The rain has stopped, the commotion of war…

The siren.

It's Adora to realize it first, and she breaks the emotionally charged mutual gaze to look up to the night sky. No red light beacons in the air now. Her heart skips a beat as her eyes widen, fixing them back on her friend with newly found vigor. "It stopped!" she states.

Catra studies the atmosphere just the same, but unlike Adora, she doesn't get excitable. While she should feel relieved that the siren and lights have disappeared, she still feels trapped in this sense of insecurity. There's still this dread from vulnerability and exposure brewing inside of her that just won't shake itself.

And when Adora sees it in her eyes, what brief excitement she had fades.

Unfortunately, it proves to be warranted.

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion makes itself heard, joined by the sight of fire and ashes erupting from the tall towers above.

Catra's panicked face looks to Adora once more, and they can both feel their chests pounding with fear and adrenaline as the smell of smoke begins to curse them. "Oh my god, it's happening!" she cries.

Not a moment too soon, a fiery rock of debris comes crashing down beside her, just inches away from actually hitting her. "Ah!"

With no more time to spare, everything else ceases to take precedence. Adora's raw instincts take control, and she finds herself reaching out to the other woman. "Catra!"

With no hesitation, she scurries over to join her, huddling close to her side to watch as the sky falls down on them. Fire, ash, smoke, rock, and time all seem to collapse in the blink of an eye.

Desperation takes over the two of them, and they hurry to wrap their arms around one another with all their life left.

"Adora!"

"I've got you. I won't let go. I won't let go!"

Then… blackness.

"Adora… Adora!"

"Huah!" she wakes with a heavy gasp, quickly sitting upright to take in the world around her. What she finds is her own bedroom back at Castle Bright Moon, where she lies safely and comfortable in her own bed. Her clothes are clean, her wounds are bandaged, and while she's very sore, she's… alive. Something that in a manner all too abrupt for her liking comes crashing with awareness into her mind.

"Ah," she moans with pain as she rests her hand on her head, and that's when she feels a familiarly gentle set of hands taking her by her arm. She looks to this person, and it fully registers to her now that she's been joined by her best friends Bow and Glimmer at her bedside. They're clean cut and well groomed, almost as if their most recent battle never happened. Worried expressions are encroached on their weary faces, that much is obvious to Adora as she fights to convalesce after a long, dreamless sleep.

"Easy, easy," Glimmer repeats as she watches her friend lie back down on the bed. She then exchanges a concerned glimpse with Bow, who takes it upon himself to ask the next logical question.

"How are you feeling, Adora?"

So many thoughts that she can't get out of her head… The trench, the way her life flashed before her eyes, images of fire and ash flooding her mind's eye…

"Catra!" she blurts out, jolting back up again. "Where's Catra? What happened to her?" she frantically asks.

There isn't a quick answer from either Bow or Glimmer as they again share a look of worry before shifting them to their troubled friend.

"There was an explosion," Bow begins, a seldom heard grimness in his voice. "The Horde destroyed their entire fortress with one huge blast."

Belatedly, Glimmer piggybacks off his start to continue the story. "We were lucky enough to get as far away from the blast as possible. But there's nothing left. The Fright Zone is… empty."

Adora sees the glumness in their irises, and it brings her a familiar sense of dread. "Did we… did everyone make it?"

"Yes, thank goodness," Glimmer answers. "No one was hurt."

"Well, you didn't look so good when we found you," Bow interjects.

There's a sense of relief for Adora upon hearing that no one was lost, but she doesn't feel entirely at ease just yet. Not without having a clear answer to her first question. "But what about Catra? You found her too, right?"

The boy lets out a heavy sigh, deciding to bear the burden of sharing the truth with her. "We didn't see her."

Adora wears the heartbreak on her sleeve as she deflates, slowly falling back on the bed with a thousand mile stare into the ceiling. That could mean so many things…

But like the news of the self destruct, she doesn't grow too frantic just yet. Maybe that was just years of Horde training. Or maybe she's just tired. But her mind goes to one question before all the others. And there are many others. "How long has it been?" she asks first..

"You've been asleep for a few hours. I was worried until I heard you snoring from the other room," Bow told her, trying to sprinkle in some good humor, much to Glimmer's chagrin.

"Bow!" she petulantly cried.

"Sorry, sorry…"

They disregard their kerfuffle to watch as Adora comes to grips with her current situation, physically keeping still, but mentally tossing and turning. They know her well enough to know she must be worried sick about, well, everything; so they nod with affirmation before Bow gets up to go collect something.

"We uh… We did find this, though," he says as he brings over the Sword of Protection, unsurprisingly left in one piece even after the explosion. Seeing it offers Adora a small bastion of hope that maybe it isn't the only thing that made it out okay, yet equally scaring her to think of the other drastically contrasting possibility.

It's a shame she can't have a clear answer, and she closes her eyes as images of Catra all come to her. Their life in the Horde, their dance at the Princesses' ball, their many battles, their kiss together, the promise made as children…

It's useless. All her heart and mind will let her focus on now is Catra. The same way she did when she was convinced they'd go down together.

She hadn't even considered the possibility that only one of then would have made it out alive. And that's the realization that makes her begin to cry.

Her friends see the way that her tears begin to fall, and they're quick to come to her aid. "Adora…" Glimmer says, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder just as Bow does for her other.

And while her heart aches for the woman she left in that trench such a short while ago, there's an almost epiphanic wave that comes over her upon their touch. She looks to Bow, seeing his golden brown eyes with their usual sense of compassion. Then there's Glimmer, whose sympathy she knows is as true as the shine in her soft smile.

And without any further thought, she reaches out to wrap her arms around them, pulling them tightly into her embrace. "Glimmer, Bow… I thought I lost you…" she cries. They're sure to return her gesture with loving hugs of their own, showing no hesitation. "It's okay now, Adora. We're here for you," the princess of Bright Moon assures her.

"We aren't going anywhere," Bow surely reaffirms.

They slowly break away from the hug, offering warm smiles to Adora to let her know they speak with conviction. She offers them one of her own, but can't wear it long with the discomfort she feels.

"Oh…" she moans as her back hits the mattress once again, her eyes almost glossing over.

"You need more rest," Bow tells her, lovingly yet firm. "I'm not kidding when I say you were in pretty bad shape when I found you."

Adora offers him a very weak laugh, her mind going back to the last things she can remember before waking here. "Yeah, Catra really did a number on me…"

Knowing her as well as she does, Glimmer is quick to act. "Uh, rest!," she repeats. "I think the best thing for you to do right now is to just get some more rest. Like Bow said!" she suggests.

Adora sighs. There will be those lingering thoughts for a while, and she accepts that. But unlike before, there's time now. Maybe she'll be more careful with how she uses it, but there's time. And right now, using it to rest does sound good. "I guess you're right. I mean, I guess I don't know what else to do," she tells them.

"You don't need to worry about anything else right now," Glimmer says to her, resting her hand over hers. "We'll be right here for you to make sure you're okay. Okay?"

Feeling the love her best friend has to offer her warms her heart, helping put her at ease for now. There will be many obstacles left to face now that she's back at Bright Moon, but they can wait. They won't go anywhere, just like her friends won't go anywhere. And for Adora, she'd much rather focus on them right now.

"Thank you," she simply tells them, offering them one more smile before closing her eyes once again to bask in a peaceful sleep.

The next night.

Adora sits on the balcony of the castle, admiring the starry night sky from the comfort of a cozy, safe chair. Much more comfortable than rock and dirt. Her day was mostly spent looking for answers to her questions, and finding new questions to ask based on those answers. What did the Horde's supposed defeat mean for the war? Were they truly beaten? And if not, when would they see them again?

It was all so tiring, especially with her wounds that just won't seem to heal. Not the cuts and bruises, either. No, there was one unturned stone that mattered most of all for her, and it was the only one that seemed to be too far out of reach. Which hurt her even more to think about considering what she does have.

The explosion could have been so much worse. What if she had made it out, but her friends hadn't? The idea of them being shuffled from this mortal coil was awful enough, but for her to have to bear with it for the rest of her waking life?... She shakes her head, trying to rid herself of such thoughts. "Come on, Adora. Stay strong. You're home now. Things will be okay," she tells herself.

Home. It's true to call it that. But that wasn't always the case. Yes, she loves Bow and Glimmer, and she loves being She-Ra, the warrior princess. But that doesn't stop her from pining to make new memories with the girl she loved long ago, the girl she fought with for their seemingly last moments just two nights ago.

"Catra…" she sighs.

At her side is the Sword of Protection. It serves as much more than her blade for battle, it is a talisman of what she wants for Etheria. This sword that changed her life forever, she resents it sometimes for taking the things she loves. She just does. But not enough to cast it aside. It's because of this sword that she has what she does now, and it's because of this sword that, in some strange cosmic way, she was able to tell Catra the things she needed to say.

All things considered, if it was their final time together, it really wasn't so bad. In an even stranger way, it was kind of good. "Not as good as that kiss," she thinks aloud, trying to make some light of this pitch black feeling. Like Catra would.

She picks up the sword, looking back to the girl she sees in its reflective glow. Her tired eyes and her battered face have looked better, that's for sure. But she's alive. She's alive, and she plans to make the most of it. Not for the honor of Grayskull. But for the honor of her lost friend.

As she closes her eyes and hangs her head low, she allows the sword to fall too. And when its weight dips down to the surface below, she can sense something else falling with it. She opens her eyes, and looks down to find a small, weathered scroll of paper on the ground. She blinks repeatedly to make sure she's actually seeing it, and when she's sure that it isn't some sort of mirage, she braves forward to pick it up.

When she unfolds it, her heart nearly freezes in her chest upon reading the first line in familiar handwriting.

Hey Adora.

The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes again was rock. A lot of it. Almost enough to bury her and Adora alive. Almost out of instinct, she then checked on the woman in her arms in a panic. Her eyes were shut, her head leaned to the side.

"No," Catra spoke from her anguish, using her fingers to check her pulse. Luckily enough, she could feel it, prompting her to sigh with relief.

Now sure that Adora was still alive, that she herself was somehow still alive, she looked all around to study her environment, which mostly consisted of rocks and rubble. However, there was daylight, the faintly grey kind that she hadn't seen in the Fright Zone… ever.

She was able to stand herself up after moving Adora (she was kind of heavy!), and paced around what actual ground she could before stepping over the rubble. From the looks of it, she would easily be able to climb out of the trench, thank god. Seeing all of this sent a strange numbness through her veins, though. Just hours ago, she was almost certain she would never wake again. She was truly convinced that her end would come at the hands of the Horde, with her own arms wrapped around Adora.

But now, she was alive. And she was left with many questions to answer, and some important decisions to make. The first question being, how did she survive?

She looked around to find any sort of indication as to what may have caused this miracle, and she wasn't even really surprised when she saw a certain blue and gold sword lying on the ground just inches away from Adora. Her casual curiosity got the better of her, and she picked it up by its handle.

"I don't know how you did it, but thank you," is all she told the weapon before resting it carefully at Adora's side. She took a moment to check on Adora once more, fixating her gaze on her face as she slept, completely in the dark over what was going on.

"Maybe you think you're in heaven right now. But I can definitely tell you that you're not," Catra joked before standing herself back up. A smile stretched on her face with the knowledge that they're both alive and well, and somehow, that made their experience last night seem worthwhile. The things they said, the confessions made…

She sighed. She knew what she had to do now, and the thought of it brought her sadness. Something she had become all to familiar with when deciding what to do for Adora. "Alright, come on fatty. Let's get you out of here," she wisecracked to Sleeping Beauty as she used her strength to raise her up bridal style, making sure to bring her sword with them.

She got them out of the trench and out into the open, where the overcasty sky graced them with its beauty in a way she could never truly appreciate until now. She'd be able to forget about this derelict in due time, but she'd never take the sky for granted again. Even if it was only the second most beautiful thing she was able to rest her eyes on this morning.

She only looked back once to her fallen kingdom before putting all of her focus on Adora. It was where they grew up, but it stopped being a home the minute after she defected. If it had to fall to ashes and rubble, she would quickly get over it.

What she had to do next was a different story.

She rested her best friend down on the ground, being sure that she would be safe and comfortable here with her sword in her reach. She could feel the tears welling up I'm her eyes with the thoughts that, this may be the very last she gets to see for beautiful face, but she won't let them fall today. Not when she has so much else to be thankful for, and so much else to do. No, she just took one very good look at her Adora, trying and failing to resist the urge to move a stray hair out of her face so she could rest her hand on her person.

With a heavy heart, she leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her forehead, keeping her lips there for what seemed to be an eternal second before removing them. "I'll miss you, Adora," she said to her before standing back up to her feet.

With a very deep breath, she closed and opened her eyes to take it all in. Things would soon be put into balance, and all she would have to do is take solace in that fact. Where her path would lead her, she wouldn't be sure. But if ever she'd get lost… she could think back to her.

With her fateful decision made, she took her first steps away from Adora, ready to let go of her past and start new with her future…

But something stopped her.

On a nearby tree, by some serendipitous fortune, a paper sign was pinned up. She inquisitively took it upon herself to examine it, discovering that it only offered a small drawing of the Rebellion's insignia. The back of the paper was perfectly clean though.

She couldn't help herself, her eyes went back to Adora…

She owed her this much.

Hey Adora.

You're heavy. I guess all that letting stuff get to your head put a few extra pounds on you, huh?

But you know something? I don't blame you anymore. Honestly, you deserve all the great things that have happened for you. I'm sorry I couldn't be a better friend when we had the time.

I guess I'm just lucky to even be writing this. I see why you keep your sword so close now.

Adora, I meant everything I said. I love you. I've always loved you. You were my everything. In a way you still are. If only things were different, I'd kidnap you in your sleep and force you to run away from all of this with me.

But that can't happen. We both know it can't. Maybe I can leave the Horde, but you can't leave the Rebellion. And I get that now. I just hope that whatever your friends give you, it's better than the things I did. You deserve the very best Adora. You really do.

I'm sorry. For everything.

...

She wipes a tear from her eye as she finishes reading those last words. "Catra…"

Her reverie is broken by the sound of someone gently rapping in the doorway to the outside, and she looks back to see her friend Glimmer.

"Adora?" she calls, a look of worry on her face. Adora says nothing in response as she folds the paper in half, preparing to give Glimmer a version of herself that isn't a mess to talk with. "What are you doing out here?" the princess asks as she comes to her side.

"I uh… I just needed some time to think," Adora quietly tells her, sniffling after she finishes.

Her friend's concerned expression only falters when she forces a little smile, and she wraps her arm around Adora's shoulder as she looks to her tired face. "I know this has been hard on you. And I'm sorry it has," she begins. Her smile wanes for a moment as she takes her arm back off of her friend, but it comes back to her as she finds the things to convey her faithfulness in their life together. "But just know that anything you need, I'll be here for you. And so will Bow and the others. We love you, Adora."

She can't help but smile also as her friend reminds her of her affection. It was something she sometimes overlooked or couldn't wholly believe in, but after everything that's happened, she won't fool herself into doubting it again. "Thank you," she simply says, resting a hand on Glimmer's.

And for a moment, they just take time to appreciate the fact that they have each other.

A thought returns to Glimmer's mind, and she breaks the comfortable silence to share it. "Hey, Bow and I were talking, and well… we should all take another vacation to Mystacor together. For real this time."

Adora thinks it over for only a moment, refusing to let potentially deterring ideas wander into her head. Anywhere she can go with her best friends, she'll gladly go. "I'd like that."

Glimmer warmly smiles. "Why don't you come inside? Maybe we can finally convince Frosta to let us do something with her hair," she suggests.

"That should be fun," Adora agrees with a similar train of thought. However, before she can go anywhere with anyone, she still has one more thing to take care of. "I'll be there. Just… Give me a minute to finish up something really quick, okay?"

"Sure thing," Glimmer says to her with a loving little tap on her lap, and then she stands up to make her way back into the castle, leaving Adora to attend to whatever business she has left out here under the starry sky.

She lets out a sigh as she focuses back on the paper in her hand, the letter from Catra that taught her all she needed to know about her purpose. Not as She-Ra, but as Adora. She'd never let it go, even if Light Hope or Queen Angella asked her to. Some things were just meant to be cherished forever, and her friendship with Catra was certainly one of them. Even if it wasn't always easy or fun, even if they seriously hurt one another a few times, she understands that now more than ever.

If only she could tell her...

Her eyes widen as she epiphanically comes up with an idea. "Oh wait! Glimmer!" she calls out to the princess, and she turns around to acknowledge her.

"Yeah?"

Adora darts over to her with newfound vigor, a complementing aura of intent now glowing from her. "You wouldn't happen to have a pen, would you?" she asks.

Glimmer meets her request with a hint of confusion, but after everything she's had to go through the past few days, she won't burst her bubble. And it just so happens that she does have a pen. It always helps to come prepared, her mother ingrained into her brain. "I… do, actually."

She reaches into her pocket to get the pen and hand it over to Adora, who considerately accepts it before looking deep into Glimmer's eyes. A strong sense of compassion burns brightly inside of them, and her smile shows this just as well. "Thank you. For everything."

Glimmer just smiles back, happy to hear it. "Just take your time. We aren't going anywhere."

With that, she once again turns around to make her way inside, and Adora hurries back over to her comfortable spot on the balcony with the pen in hand. She then takes the letter from Catra, and flips it over to the side with the Rebellion insignia, minding its sacred icon to write on the bottom of the sheet.

Glimmer's curiosity gets the better of her, and she can't help but turn back just one last time to check and see just what Adora is doing. She sees the way she focuses on the sheet of paper, and while she isn't entirely sure what she's writing, she has an idea of what it's for.

And that thought makes her happy.

...

Catra,

I know you won't see this. But if by some crazy chance you happen to find this, or I happen to find you, I just need you to know one thing. And that's that, I promise I will always love you. Always.

Your friend, Adora.

THE END