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Chapter Text

Catra sighed after the latest meeting with her detectives. She had been trying to track Shadow Weaver for over a year and a half but it seemed as if she just disappeared in thin air. No seething, no traces, nothing at all. She could’ve opted for just letting the matter go and live her life forgetting about the woman to tutored her in the past, but Catra couldn’t live peacefully until she knew what had happened to that monster exactly.  

“I’m taking it that it didn’t go well.” Adora said as soon as she saw her face when she got out of the room. 

“She’s just… invisible or something. She’s probably living underground in my opinion, there’s no other explanation. Maybe I should hire earthbender detectives for this job.” Catra sighed again, defeated as she welcomed the warm embrace offered by her partner.  

“That wouldn’t be a bad idea. Let’s ask Bow for some help, I’m sure he knows someone who can help you.” 

“That’d be good, thank you.” Catra expressed her gratitude with a soft -and quick- kiss on Adora’s cheek.  

Their relationship wasn’t open to the public, just known among their friends and no one else. They couldn’t risk rumors about Adora always agreeing with Catra because they were a couple -she was the Avatar, a being known for its neutrality.  

Such scandal would’ve probably caused riots all over the world, especially in the Fire Nation, where half of the citizens still believed in Prime’s empire. 

Catra was… very unpopular to the public eye; her own people didn’t want her to ascend to the throne because of the decolonization politics she applied, impoverishing the State with the loss of raw materials necessary. Aside from that, everyone outside the Fire Nation feared that she could turn out to be like her father.  

To be honest, Catra couldn’t really blame neither party. With all the violent protests happening inside the Fire Nation she had to take some security manners, which included hiring guards to guarantee security for everyone. Unfortunately, some of the soldiers abused their power one day and attacked civilians, which concluded in a riot full of victims. Catra fired the responsible and reformed the training program for the new troops, but the damage was already done; the rampages became even worse and the other nations looked at her as if she ordered for such thing to happen, painting her as a Prime 2.0. 

She had been so stressed lately, her father absolutely did not prepare her on how to rule a country, and she ruled over one in the verge of a civil war.  

But Adora was there, offering her the support she needed so badly. And right in that moment, with her hands rested reassuringly on her tense shoulders, Catra swore she had fallen in love all over again. 

Seeing no one in sight, the Firelord held her hand and guided her in their room, the only safe place where they could be their true selves.  

“Would you like some tea? Scorpia taught me how to make the jasmine kind. I know it’s your favorite.” Adora softly spoke her proposition, not really waiting for an answer before heating up the kettle on her own. All those years spent travelling with a tea enthusiast definitely rubbed on Catra. She always drank it whenever she felt nervous or stressed –so, multiple times a day. Adora was always happy to help her in any way possible, whether that’d be preparing a warm bath, cooking for her, or simply cuddle her in bed at night.  

Catra painfully groaned as she sat on a rocking chair. Inside the palace there was peace, no yelling, no riots, everything was silent. But outside... outside was hell. How was she supposed to fix all that mess in the most peaceful way possible? Perhaps maybe she wasn’t fit to be the Firelord. She was supposed to be the one to bring peace in the nation and yet things had only gone south ever since she took the power.  

What was she meant to do? 

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“Leave us alone.” Catra ordered the guards, who hurriedly closed the door behind her. The room was extremely cold and the metal bars allowed for her to see her father sitting on the floor, murmuring nonsense to the decomposing body of his brother.  

She wasn’t joking when she declared his sentence. It was cruel and heartless, but she doubted if it was even enough for someone as someone as inhuman as that chained beast.  

Prime turned his head to look at her, his cloudy eyes lit up at the sight and smirked. He was used to his daughter’s constant visits. Sometimes she just sat in front of him and looked at his eyes for hours until she rushed out, other times she yelled at him for all the things he had done in the past. He had always stayed silent. 

This time though, it was different, they both knew it. Instead of standing proud, she slumped down until her knees touched the metallic floor. 

“I need your help.” She timidly announced, eyes stuck to the ground. 

“I think we are about to enter a civil war. Your soldiers keep attacking civilians and people fight amongst each other because part of them still wants you to rule them. Tell me how to fix the mess you created.”  

The man who was supposed to be weak had the nerve to scoff at her, turning his attention to Hordak’s body. The stench would’ve been unbearable for anyone, but he had grown used to it, almost fond of it. 

“Can you believe this, little brother? Our little girl has come to talk to us. Isn’t that hilarious?” 

Catra swallowed the lump in her throat, ignoring the sensation of fear and disgust rising in her stomach. “Cut the bullshit. I’m the only one fit to rule over your precious empire, I just have to erase what you’ve done in the most diplomatic way possible.” 

Prime’s audacity had no limits as he burst out in one of his controlled laughs. “My child, you can’t. You’d have to get rid of all the population to achieve order, but I doubt you’d be able to do that, you’re too weak-minded. You say you’re trying to have a peaceful transition from what I’ve built and your silly fantasies, but you can’t do that in such short amount of time. Not even centuries will be enough to destroy what I have created. You can’t achieve harmony, you never will.”  

Catra growled as she angrily threw herself against the bars, her hands gripping the railing with so much contained heat that it turned red, ready to melt. 
Prime did not move, though. He didn’t even flinch. Such vulgar scenes coming from his seed were not unusual, especially in the past year and half, almost two. 

“You are a pathetic man, destined to grow old and die in a rusty cell while I’m gonna dissolve your empire. We have entered a new era, my era!” Fire exited her nostrils as she hurriedly went out of the lonely room, but the man’s laughter started again, this time louder. 

“The throne comes with a pressure that is meant to change you, but if you can stand the heat, you’ll become something more. Of all the people in the world, I have the wisdom you need, the wisdom of experience! Do you really think you can handle it all on your own? You’ll be back, and I’ll be waiting for you. My dear daughter.” 

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“With the removing of the last colonies our plan will be over.” Bow announced happily as she showed the map to the leaders of the nations and the Avatar; the only exception was Frosta, she found herself there since her parents were letting her take more of a serious role in politics –although young, the princess had a natural affinity for leadership. 

“Five in the earth kingdom, one in the southern tribe and two up north. Seahawk should have enough boats to take them all over to the Fire Nation, at home.”  

Catra listened to him talking and looked at everyone else: they were smiling, happy to send the enemy away, but was it really like that? The real villain was Prime, he got defeated, so why did civilians have to pay? The colonies had been there for over a century, those people were born and grew up surrounded by the culture of the tribes and kingdoms they found themselves in, so why take them back to somewhere they had never lived in? Just because they were Fire Nation citizens didn’t mean that they had to live in the Fire Nation, not when their ancestors contributed in building the colonies on their own blood and sweat. They had the right to be there just as anyone else.  

She couldn’t allow it anymore. 

“I don’t have any more housing.” Catra found herself saying, but didn’t stop there. 

“I’m not taking any more people in.” She declared harshly. The air in the room suddenly shifted into something heavier until Adora laughed nervously. 

“What do you mean by that? We literally opened two housing buildings last Friday, don’t you remember?” 

“I can’t have more people against me. There have been already five attempts on my life since I took the throne, endless riots and even more victims because of this! My people are not moving out the colonies, end of story.” 

“Catra, you’re exhausted.” Glimmer simply stated, maintaining a poker face. Her hands though were curled in tight fists as she tried to contain her anger. 

“We’ll talk about this in the morning when you all will be well rested. Maybe having a meeting just as you came here in Ba Sing Se was a bad idea. You’re tired and irritable. If you’re worried about your security, I can send you some Kyoshi warriors outside of your room, I’m sure Lonnie won’t mind taking a night shift.” The new monarch stood up from her seat and walked out without saying another word, quickly followed by a pleading Bow. If Catra was breaking under the pressure of keeping a nation afloat, Glimmer was shattered into pieces under her parents' expectations for her. Angella and Micah retired from their roles and went on to live on Kyoshi island to make up for all the lost time, leaving their daughter in charge of the Earth Kingdom in a post-war scenario.  

Frosta looked around, sensing the tension growing. Without saying anything, she yawned and left the room as well, quickly followed by Perfuma, leaving Catra, Mermista and Adora alone. 

“Dude, you’re joking. Right? This is simply stupid. Do you have any idea of the damage your people did to mine? They are stealing our resources.” The leader of the Southern Tribe crossed her arms over the chest, looking more annoyed than usual. 

“I know it’s not perfect, but everyone is better off today than they were a hundred years ago, including your people.” 

“I don’t care. If you retire from this, you’ll start another war. We defeated the Fire Nation once; we can do it again if it comes to it.” Her tone was menacing as she walked away as well. 

Once in their assigned room, Adora opened her mouth. 

“Please tell me you weren’t being serious.” 

“You don’t agree with me?” Catra scoffed as she stripped herself from her royal armor. How could Adora not be on her side? She had always been in the last year and a half. 

“Of course not. Harmony requires four separate nations to balance each other out. You can’t have balance if one nation occupies another.” 

“Light Hope told you that separation is an illusion. All nations are really one and same.”  She countered back, growing more frustrated with each passing second. How could no one understand the situation? Were they blind, or had she gone mad? 

“It’s not the same. You know that our people are better off than people from the earth kingdom, or the tribes they’re in. You saw it: whenever two nations come together, the stronger one can’t help but hurt the weaker one. They’ll conquer, or burn or, at the very least, make a joke of the weaker nation.” Adora said softly, trying to be reasonable. Her hands rested on Catra’s waist and she nuzzled her face into her brown curls. Catra though, did not want to hear another word coming out of her mouth.  

“Just please, rest. I think Glimmer is right; you do need to sleep.” Angered, Catra pulled her away from the embrace and sat on the bed, bouncing her leg. 

“It’s like Mermista said: you have defeated the Fire Nation, that’s for sure, but... my people still deserve respect. It’d be disrespectful to take from them a life they spent generations on building.” 

“She’s wrong, okay? Catra, look at me.” And so, she did. Adora stared at her with so much worry that it scared her. Perhaps she was the one in the wrong here... but no, no she wasn’t. Her arguments did make sense. It was a logical choice, she was right. 

“I defeated the Fire Lord , not the Fire Nation . You have to understand, separation is necessary to achieve pea-” 

“We will never achieve peace! You’re just- Agh!” Catra’s hands were enlightened by blue light and smoke. The angrier she got, the more difficult it was to restrain herself. 

“Why can’t you get it?! You are the Avatar; you’re supposed to know what’s the right thing to do... but no! You’re just useless, worthless! So stupid. Why can’t you understand that I’m right?!” 

The blonde’s eyes widened in sadness, then disappointment. She looked down, a tear streaming down her face. The Firelord groaned in exasperation as she understood that she had crossed the line. 

“You know what? I’m not sleeping here tonight. I need to relax a bit.”  

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best.” Adora whispered, exhausted from the exchange. Only when Catra heard her sob did she calm down. She should’ve said sorry for snapping at her like that, comforted her. Except, she found herself shutting down her emotions completely, excluding Adora out of her life again. 

“Very well. I hope you come to your senses soon. Sleep tight, Avatar.”  

Catra could not bring herself to ask for a new room, especially not after the scene in the meeting room with Glimmer. Instead, she opted for walking around the halls of the enormous palace for hours until her rage boiled down, allowing for her to think with more clarity. 

She was still convinced about leaving her citizens live in the colonies, that was something she was sure of. However, the way she snapped at Adora was completely unacceptable, especially after all that she had done for her. She just had to talk to her calmly to make her understand her point of view, Adora would’ve definitely made up her mind then.  

But first, she had to apologize. 

Feeling defeated, Catra dragged herself until her feet took her to the front door that led to their room. Outside of it was Lonnie, whom had to blink a couple of times before recognizing the familiar face in the dark. 

“Catra? Aren’t you supposed to be inside?” She asked incredulously as the other woman yawned. 

“Move. I have to talk to blondie.”  

“ Hi Lonnie, how are you? I haven’t seen you in a while. Oh, I’m doing great, thanks for asking. How are you, Catra?” 

“I don’t have time for this, just let me in.” The Fire Lord complained. Although she was happy to see her old… something? Flame? It didn’t matter. There were more urgent things to do. 

“I can let you in if you sleep . It’s late at night, do you really wanna wake up your girlfriend from her beauty sleep to talk?” 

Catra stayed silent. It was partially true: she had to apologize to Adora, but maybe it was better to let her sleep for now. She would’ve talked to her in the morning, though.  

“Listen, whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait until morning. Just because you’re a bit sleep deprived doesn’t mean that everyone else should be too.” 

Defeated, Catra looked around the hall until she spotted an armchair and decided to sit there. 

“By the way, it’s good to see you.” She mumbled to Lonnie before closing her eyes.  

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Adora couldn’t sleep, not after that argument. Her eyelids remained sealed, but she couldn’t bring herself to doze off. There were so many footsteps in the hallway and then she heard some voices, probably guards talking. Irritated, she covered her head with a pillow in hope to eliminate the sound, but it only muffled it a little bit. Still, it was enough to calm her down until Swift Wind decided to chirp uncontrollably. Feeling angered again, Adora sat up and tiredly threw the pillow at him, only to notice that there were people staring at her right outside of the large window.  

Four people. Four people observed her with wide eyes as they realized they had been noticed.  

One of them kept his focus on her while the others started running towards her. Feeling the danger coming, Adora hurriedly stood up, ready to fight. Her body however, decided to not move accordingly. She couldn’t move freely anymore. Her limbs twisted and painfully stiffened as she forced herself to the ground.  

Adora couldn’t look up, but heard the sounds of the balcony door being forced open until heavy footsteps made their way inside. 

“Adora, you okay in there?” Lonnie’s worried voice asked as she knocked on the door that Adora closed after her argument with Catra. Fuck , how much had she regretted the decision in that moment. 

“Help!” She managed to shout against the pain endured by that strange force that had been hurting her.  

Then, she felt a needle on her leg and the world fell black. 

Catra didn’t waste any time at all. As soon as she heard her partner’s cry, she pushed Lonnie aside and kicked to door open, finding Adora being held by a boy with black hair while his two other friends assumed a fighting stance, ready for the inevitable.  

“Let her go!” She demanded furiously as she threw fire blasts at them that were quickly extinguished by one of the girls, who used her staff to airbend the flames away from them. Catra remained shocked for a quick second, it was extremely unusual for air nomads to be outside of their temples, let alone participate in a kidnapping. She didn’t have tattoos and actually sported long, brown hair instead of the usual baldness, typical of the monks. She looked like she was in her early twenties, very tall, extremely lean figure. 

Then, the other woman raised a wall between the two parties, but Lonnie took it down again with a small bomb she carried around. She had dark hair and amber eyes. Her pupils were so shrunk that she looked borderline crazy with that wide smile on her face. 

Okay, one airbender and one earthbender. The only one missing was the boy, who had all of Catra’s attention since he held an unconscious Adora on his shoulder. 

“I called for backup; they’re coming soon!” Lonnie explained as she charged at the older woman, but a gust of air threw her against the wall. 

Catra took advantage of the distraction to run towards the boy that was getting further away from reach, but her feet got stuck to the ground as she slowly sunk down, much like it happened when they traveled over Fong’s Fortress.  

With an unconscious Lonnie and an immobile Catra all hopes were lost if only it weren’t for the many guards that showed up, accompanied by the earth queen and their other friends.  

Glimmer tore the ceiling down to the ground, closing their only escape by confining them in the large room.  

It all seemed over for them, they were surrounded with no escape, that was until every soldier started falling senseless, as if they had all fainted or worse.  

The earthbender then positioned her hands to the ground, which started to melt before turning red. It looked like lava, but how could that have been possible? 

The created pool managed to put distance among them, but Catra wouldn’t give up. With Glimmer’s aid, she got propelled in the air to reach the trio’s safe place. While in mid-jump, her fists lit on fire, ready to strike again, but just as she was about to pounce, the boy moved a bamboo stem onto his mouth and shot a sleeping dart on her right shoulder. She dived in to the ground with a loud thud of her body slamming against the floor.  

She couldn’t stay awake anymore. The desperate voices of her friends got weaker with every passing instant while her heavy lids were about to close. Just as she was about to give up, she looked at Adora, whom seemed to be starting to wake up, but still too dazed to understand the situation.  

She had to save her. She had to save Adora. 

She didn’t know how much time passed, but she figured it couldn’t be much since she could see that they still hadn’t left by counting the feet, in fact, a new pair of shoes appeared before her eyes as all the voices and screams stopped. Against every odd, Catra slowly stood back up, her movements lazy and heavy. She still couldn’t hear and her right arm felt paralyzed, but she was ready to keep on fighting. 

“You’re not taking her from me!” She yelled impulsively. With newfound rage, she created a thin blade of fire that resembled a dagger on her left hand, and prepared to stab the boy with dark hair and green eyes. 

The group looked astonished as the scene unfolded before their very own eyes.  

Just as she was about to hit his throat, the same thing that happened previously to Adora and the guards, also happened to her. 

Catra reluctantly knelt to the ground, her body aching even more. Another man walked up to her with a cold expression. His icy blue eyes indicated boredom towards her, but his polite smile said otherwise. 

Why was all of the attention shifted towards her? Weren’t the others fighting? 

“I put your friends to sleep, not permanently though. They have just passed out.” His calm voice informed, as if he had read her thoughts. And then everything clicked inside Catra’s mind: he was a blood bender, a psychic one to be more precise. That explained why she felt prisoner of her own body and why his eyes were so focused on her.  

“You know, I’d be easy for us to take you all out right now, but your time has yet to come. Everything must be done according to our plans, although, you are making it a whole lot easier.” He stopped to think for a moment, then resumed talking. 

“Still, I’m very surprised that you are still awake. Perhaps we should’ve paid more attention to that old woman’s warnings, you truly are an underdog. Born weak and yet look at you know, still conscious after all the damage you have taken. Truly impressing.” 

Despite following someone else’s desires over her own body, Catra brought her left hand up to the chest, pointing her middle and index finger at him. She had been training on how to generate lightning for the past year and a half, and intended to use the technique right there. During her training the move worked most of the times, and that was when she had full control over herself. But in that situation, she had to concentrate even more in order to not create a full-on explosion.  

“Who… Who are you?” She asked so that her movement wouldn’t seem too suspicious. The man stared right into her soul before giving her a subtle smile. 

“We are the Red Lotus. We believe in true freedom, which can’t happen in a word where the Avatar lives. Not to mention all the unjust monarchs, including you, your highness.” Catra’s blood froze as she understood the implications of that sentence; they didn’t want to kidnap Adora, but wanted to kill her. Not only her, but also Glimmer, Frosta and potentially Mermista and Perfuma.  

She couldn’t allow for that to happen.  

With all the talking that the man had made, she had enough time to recharge. With an aching grunt, she positioned herself straighter as the lightning bolt exited the tip of her fingers and right into the man’s body. Even though he suffered the pains of electricity, his bloodbending only got crueler.  

Catra couldn’t even breathe anymore, but the more he persisted, the more power she released in a desperate attempt to make it out alive. 

But then her arm bent elsewhere, causing greater pain to shoot across her body. Already at her limit, she couldn’t control herself anymore: the bolt exploded in a powerful explosion that sent everyone flying away.  

As Catra laid on the ground, she spotted Adora on the floor, slowly sitting up. Rotating her head, she also noticed that the group had suddenly disappeared, meaning they were gone. 

Catra finally closed her eyes. 

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Adora was sitting on a chair right next to the bed she was lying on when she dizzily woke up again. Her brown eyebrows were knitted together in worry as her hands ran through her curls lovingly.  

“You’re awake.”  

Catra realized she didn’t deserve Adora in that moment. How could she worry for her even though she was the one being kidnapped? But Adora was like that; selfless, kind and loving. Simply perfect. 

Ignoring the pain, Catra launched herself towards her girlfriend and hugged her tightly, pulling her down towards the bed with the weight of her body. Her lips desperately kissed every inch of her face: her cheeks, temple, nose, forehead, lips –especially the lips. 

“I’m so sorry.” The Firelord begged time and time again as the embrace turned tighter to prevent Adora from pulling away from her. She trembled in fear of rejection as tears streamed down her crying face. Adora didn’t say anything back at first, but reciprocated the hug in order to soothe her.  

They didn’t know how much they had stayed like this, but an uncomfortable cough was enough to pull them away, making Catra notice that Glimmer and Bow were also in the room. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I hate interrupting your reunion but we need to know what happened exactly.” Glimmer explained, clearly in distress.  

“We all fainted and you were the last one standing. Did they tell you anything? And how did they get away?” 

“Glimmer, she literally just woke up. Let her have a drink of water at the very least.” Catra gave Adora one last kiss before letting her break off the clutch between them. 

“It’s okay Bow, I understand the gravity of the situation. But can you get me that water?” The man nodded and left the room. Catra waited until the door closed before starting to speak. 

“They are part of some organization; it was something like... like the Red Lotus, yeah. One of them was a bloodbender, that’s why everyone fainted. He probably stopped the blood circulation.” 

“That explains why I couldn’t even defend myself when they attacked me.” Adora thought out loud. For a quick moment she imagined that she had gone crazy from the fear. 

“Why did they try to take Adora?” 

“They said that they are trying to free the world, which they can’t do with the Avatar alive.” For a quick moment, the words got stuck in her throat. Just thinking of an existence without Adora made her choke up. Somehow, though, she believed that they were not only going to kill Adora, but wanted to break the Avatar cycle for good.  

“Then they’ll try to kill each one of us: Frosta, you and I. At least we are on the top of their list. Perfuma is not really a princess per se and neither is Mermista, but they want to get rid of the main world leaders, that’s for sure.”  

Glimmer gasped in worry for her parents. They weren’t king and queen officially anymore, but their lives were still at stake. Their location however, was hidden from the public and kept on having a low profile. Maybe it was for the best for them to not know anything about this or they would’ve come back. Glimmer couldn’t allow for that to happen; she could handle it on her own without risking them. 

“I won’t let that happen. I’ll protect all of you.”  

“No.” Catra decided for everyone in that moment. Her glare turned harsh as she looked at Adora. She was talking to her as the Firelord in that moment, not as her girlfriend. 

“You are not a bodyguard, but a human being. Plus, all of us live in opposite parts of the world, how could you possibly do that? Not to mention that you’re their main target right now. We have to protect you instead.” 

“Catra, this is my job. I am meant to-” 

“You’re not meant to die!” Glimmer reproached angrily, stunning the couple with the sudden outburst. 

“You’re the Avatar, not a fucking human sacrifice. If something happened to you, we’d have to wait more than a decade before another person takes your place and actively helps maintaining peace. Right now we need you the most, but what you have to do is to find somewhere safe so that we can protect you .” 

Catra nodded in agreement. She couldn’t have said it better.  

“She can stay with me for the time being. With all the riots at the capital and the amount of guards in my palace it’d be impossible for them to make it in. Not to mention I’ll be there if anything happens. I gave them a tough fight.” Catra joked to ease the atmosphere. She agonizingly flexed her right arm, showing off her muscles. The jest however did not seem to have had any positive effects. She received death stares from both women. 

“The same applies to you, y’know. You don’t have any heirs to the throne in case you... you die.” Catra looked down, concealing her growing blush at the thought of forming a real family, hopefully with Adora. 

“Neither do you, Sparkles.” She spat back, but the queen smirked. 

“My mentally stable parents can take my place in case anything happens to me.” 

“Still no excuse to put your life in danger.” Adora warned, but her friend shrugged it off. 

“Hey, I’m just saying. After all I’m not the one who just yelled: I’ll protect all of you because I am the Avatar and that is my duty!”  

Adora rolled her eyes, growing annoyed at the both of them. It was her job to maintain balance among the four nations, even if it meant sacrificing herself. She was born to do that. 

She looked over at her partner and wondered a million of question about the past twenty-four hours, starting from why the hell she didn’t want to remove the colonies anymore to how was it possible for her to be the last one standing the previous night. 

“How did they get away? The last thing I remember was seeing you kneeling on the ground before I actually woke up.” She asked as she slowly caressed her cheek affectionately. The other woman nuzzled at the touch and sighed in relief at the sweetness of it. 

“Believe it or not, I threw a lightning at that bloodbender until it literally exploded. I don’t think he died, otherwise we would’ve found his body. I think the blast hit them too. The guy carrying you probably lost his balance and that’s why you were scattered on the floor.” 

“With one of them down, they had to retire.” Glimmer analyzed carefully the situation. With such powerful enemies she had to hire more guards for protection, and not only that. 

“From now on all of us aren’t allowed to be in the same place or we’ll be an easy target. All of our diplomatic meetings will be made through letters. Hopefully someone won’t make things more complicated than they already are.” 

Catra didn’t reply, only smiled proudly. 

In your dreams.  

Notes:

Welcome back! I'm so excited for this sequel and I have been writing it for months now! As some of you might've already guessed, this arc is insipired by the Promise comics and season 3 of the legend of Korra. Don't worry, though, this will be much more chaotic. You have no idea on what's coming next ;)

Let me know if you liked it and comment theories/what do you think it's gonna happen on the next chapter and follow my twitter here for sneak peeks and Q&A's

Chapter Text

Catra looked at her girlfriend as she slept on their bed and sighed affectionately at the sight. She wondered how it was possible for her to sleep so peacefully after the failed kidnap attempt on her while the all mighty Firelord couldn’t close eye in case something happened. It had been more than a month prior and she still couldn’t relax knowing that there were such powerful people trying to end the world as they know it.  

Adora deserved to rest like that, especially after having spent years and years trying to stop Prime and put an end to the most brutal war in history. Right in that moment, as a smile had spread across her untroubled face, Catra placed a soft kiss on her cheek, silently wishing for her not to wake up when she’d leave the room. 

Carefully, she slipped out of the gentle embrace and stood up from the soft bed. Silently putting a robe on, she got out of the chamber, being careful not to open the door too wide as to not let any of the light stain the darkness.  

“Make sure that no one gets in.” She harshly ordered her guards once out.  

She hurriedly walked over to the prison’s tower, making sure that no living soul could see her. When she reached the desired location, she sat on the cold floor as her father smiled almost affectionately at her.  

The nausea caused by the smell of Hordak’s decaying body became worse the more time it passed, causing for her to hold back her gagging reflexes. She thought she’d come to tolerate it at the very least, but no.  

She regretted killing him, even after all he’d done to her. She had only taken out one life before Hordak. 

She had just escaped with Scorpia and Entrapta; they were near the coast, ready to leave their old lives behind when a young man had tried to rob them. He had hit Scorpia so hard she passed out whilst Entrapta was helplessly paralyzed in fear –Catra just had to do something. She lost control over herself and blindly attacked him. Getting closer to him each time she struck with her firebending until her hands came in touch with his face and burned him until his skin melted. The look of pure terror remained instilled in Catra’s memory, just like his desperate shrieks. When he fell to the ground, the trio started running without checking if he was actually alive. What confirmed his death were the wretched screams of one of his partners when they had found him.  

Catra never spoke about it again. 

“You did the right thing by killing him.” Prime simply stated before throwing his leftovers over his brother’s face. 

“How so?” She asked incredulously. He was talking about his own brother; they were on the same side. Hordak had always uselessly tried to please him, so why was it that Prime told her she made the correct choice? 

“You are the Firelord . What you choose, by definition, is right. There is no right or wrong apart from what you decide.” 

Catra’s pupils shrunk to the size of a pin as she finally got to hear how his mind actually worked. Selfishly, she hoped that what he said were true, but it was not.  

“Right and wrong are bigger than the Firelord. If it were then our last colonies would be left alone instead of having the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes against my plan!” She let the last part slip out of her lips in a sudden burst of expressed frustration that she regretted immediately. 

Her father, however, kept his sympathetic smile, so wide that such display of emotion scared her.  

“I’ve heard rumors about your little problem.” 

“How did you-?!” 

“Guards. They talk a lot sometimes, way too much.” He sing-sung, his fingers tapping each one of the bars with fervor.  

Catra sighed, defeated. The situation only worsened with the colonies; everyone refused to keep Fire Nation citizens in their territory. At one point Glimmer even threatened to remove them by force in a stupid attempt to seem authoritarian. It took a letter from Adora to convince not to act upon her menaces (Catra still didn’t know that). 

“Tell me what you think.” 

“None of your precious friends are going to treat our colonials fairly after being humiliated for years by me. They’ll try to salvage their dignity by crushing them. If you are the Firelord, you will defend them ferociously!” 

“I will. I am already doing that.” 

“You shouldn’t do it only because they’re our people, but because they are an expression of your will. Remember who you truly are. The fierce warrior I raised is still inside of you.” His expression turning dark with his smile falling as he stood up, meanwhile Catra remained on the floor, waiting for his next move. 

“But until you keep on behaving like a spineless whim with an affinity for the weak, I want you out of sight. You sicken me.” Although he wore a ruined and dirty loose robe and his hair was untamed and greasy, without any volume, he still stood proud before her. His now fragile physique didn’t make him look as weak; no, his chest was puffed out as his shoulders seemed to grow in width as he looked more menacing than ever. 

The Firelord’s mind was brought back to when she was just a child and had disappointed him. Catra tried to conceal the tremble of her knees as she stood up. 

“I-I’m s-” 

“Leave my presence!” He shouted furiously as he pushed and pulled against the railing of his cell with his hands. Catra didn’t say anything else, just hurried out of there and into the yard. 

The moon was still high, shining brightly in contrast to the dark sky. She stopped for a quick second to catch her breath, admiring the beautiful glow reflecting against the water of the small pond.  

It took a minute for her to realize what had just happened and hated herself for not reacting properly. His demands were only a test to see if she actually had what it takes for her role and she had failed. She shouldn’t have left when he told her to, but when she wanted to. He wanted her to show him her real strength and instead she left with her tail between her legs. 

It was humiliating.  

“I take it as daddy wasn’t kind to you.”  

Catra jumped in surprise at the sudden sound. She had been so lost in her mind she didn’t notice her best spy sneaking up on her. 

“Double Trouble.” She greeted them coldly with newfound composure. She stood upright, but they still towered over her. 

“Got any news, or are you here just to annoy me? Do not forget, one snap of my fingers and-” 

“Yeah yeah, I know. You’re dead . Always so serious with you. Remember: this is supposed to be fun.” 

“This is supposed to prevent a civil war.” Catra bit back with irritation. 

“No reason it can’t be both.” Catra only flicked her ear in response, lips pursed and eyes narrowing at their words. 

“All business. No fun.” They sadly sighed in defeat before continuing. 

“Very well. You wanted to know why they tried to kidnap Adora instead of killing her on the spot if they wanted her dead.” The Firelord nodded vigorously at the affirmation.  

“Well, they first need her to open the portal to the spirit world to restore balance to the world. You see, before the Avatar era, there were spirits roaming among humans. Then, a man severed Raava and Vaatu. Do you know who they are?” 

“Yes, the spirit of light and peace and the other is the spirit of chaos and darkness. Why is this relevant?” 

“That man later fused with Raava, becoming the first Avatar: Wan. By doing that, he disrupted that balance forever by closing the portals.” Catra had already heard about the legend of the first ever Avatar; he was a rule breaker with a kind heart. He used to steal food for his friends and constantly deceived people, getting to trick even the lion turtle by keeping the ability to bend fire for himself.  

To this day, Catra still struggles to believe that he was one of Adora’s past lives, considering how much of a goody two shoes she had always been.  

But before Wan unlocked his abilities as the Avatar, he'd gotten caught and brought before the lion turtle. They allowed Wan to keep his firebending, though he was banished to the Spirit Wilds where he wandered upon his meeting with Raava and Vaatu. 

Disrupting the constant flow of thoughts, Double Trouble resumed talking. 

“Bringing the spirits back is only the start of their mission.”  

“Yeah, I know. They’ll kill me next.” 

“You are so much smarter than people give you credit for!” The spy said with way too much enthusiasm. 

“To them, the idea of having nations and governments is as foolish as keeping the human and spirit realms separate. True freedom can only be achieved when oppressive governments are torn down. Just think about what daddy Prime did.”  

Catra made a grimace of pure disgust at the horrendous nickname used to describe the man that had put an end to a countless number of lives for his own vanity project. 

“But that won’t bring balance. It will throw the world into chaos.” 

“Exactly, kitten. The natural order is disorder .” 

Catra took a step back, her legs feeling numb. She held herself to a nearby tree at that revelation. Those people had gone fully crazy if they thought their plan would work. 

“They are the ones responsible for most of the riots in the Fire Nation.” Double Trouble went on. 

“Huh?” Catra blinked rapidly, making sure that she was actually awake and not just having a bad dream. 

“If you’d take a step outside of this horrible palace you’d know. At every protest they keep yelling about freedom and all that stuff. You may not be their first target, but they’re making sure to have the upper hand when the moment will come. They already have the public’s approval; all they need now is to get rid of the Avatar to make the job a bit easier for them.” 

─────────────────────────── 

Catra sat on a wooden chair in front of her bureau, reading all the letters that had entered the walls of her mansion, feeling more paranoid with every passing day. Maybe there was a spy among her people, people who had betrayed her. She asked her scribe to rewrite all the notes and reports of the month just so she could check for any giveaways.  

So far nothing had come up. 

Until... 

She spotted Adora’s name in a letter as the sender and Glimmer’s as the addressee. She could not read it. It was her partner and she trusted her. Maybe she just wanted to talk to Glimmer to catch up a little.  

But a good Firelord treated all citizens equally, no exceptions made, even if it was the Avatar. 

But she trusted her. 

More than you trust yourself?  

Catra didn’t know the answer to that question, but it didn’t matter either since she started reading it. 

Glimmer,   

I’ve read your letters about the colony's controversy. I beg of you to not send any troops over and remove people by force. Everything will be solved soon with a peaceful solution; you just have to be patient. Catra has been on the edge lately with all the commotions in the country. I’m afraid that Prime and Shadow Weaver’s upbringing are the cause of such behavior -after all it’s hard to grow out of old habits. She’s stressed and paranoid for now, but as soon as she figures out how to resolve this situation, I’m sure she’ll happily remove all the colonies! Just give her time to figure things out. If you intervene right now, I’m afraid of what she could do. I fear that she might be getting too lost in her psychotic episode to think clearly. Just wait a little longer and leave the rest to me; after all I’m the Avatar, I’m meant to resolve conflicts.   

Tell Bow I said hi.  

-Adora  

Catra read it over and over again, not believing what she had just read. Adora had literally sold her out like nothing. Apparently deeming her incapable of running her own nation by saying she had gone crazy basically. It wasn’t true; she was scared and wanted to take precautions such as this to protect the people she loved. 

Maybe she did the right thing by reading that letter, she didn’t know. All she knew in that moment is that Adora stood behind her, having just noticed what she held in her hands. 

“Catra-” 

“ You . Do you have any idea on how this makes me look?!” She angrily stood up and crumpled the piece of paper to then burn it with blue flames that immediately turned white by how fast it took for the mail to disappear. 

“Just let me explain-” Adora tried to chime in. 

“Paranoid? A psychotic episode? Seriously!” Catra cried, a sarcastic laugh forcing its way through the mouth, all whilst looking into her girlfriend’s worried eyes.  

“What the fuck am I supposed to think about this?! You- you... why?! Why did you do this?” 

“I… I did my job as the Avatar!” Adora finally snapped.  

- 

She couldn’t handle another one of Catra’s tantrums anymore. If things didn’t go her way it was because of other’s people faults, not hers. No, because Catra was always convinced to be right all the time. Adora had just avoided another potential war where the Fire Nation would’ve definitely lost, so she didn’t understand her reaction at all. 

“You were about to start another war with your stupid plan! I saved the situation. You should be thanking me instead of being mad.” 

Catra sighed, her will to fight now gone. She turned to look outside the window. 

“Stupid plan, huh?” 

Adora’s shoulders slumped down as she understood that more yelling wasn’t going to take the discussion anywhere.  

“Come on, that’s not what I meant. It was in the heat of the moment.”  

She took a step forward, but Catra growled at her, signaling to stop right there. 

“You know I was never on board with your idea.” Adora continued. 

“Doesn’t mean you can just make decisions for me, saying that I’m crazy and easily manipulated by Prime’s antics. Who do you think you are?” 

“You gave me no other choice. You already have your own people against you. Do you really want the rest of the world to turn their backs on you as well?” 

“I could’ve found a way! I am going to find a way to fix this!” Catra raised her voice again, sounding more frustrated the more Adora talked her nonsense.  

She looked at the Avatar’s face again with fury written all over her brown face. But Adora wasn’t going to back down either. 

“You can’t, Catra.” The blonde rested her hands on her partner’s shoulders, squeezing them slightly as if to wake her up from this bad dream.  

“Why can’t you just trust me?”  

“Be-because you lied to me! How am I supposed to trust you after this?!”  

“Oh, don’t be a hypocrite.” 

“A hypocrite? How dare you speak to me like that?!”  

Adora laughed incredulously at her. Heavy steps could be heard in the room as she paced back and forth, trying to maintain control over herself. 

“I know you’ve been visiting Prime in the middle of the night when you think I’m asleep, that’s for sure.” Adora watched as Catra seemed to be taken aback for a moment. Her pupils shrunk as her tone shifted to a lower register. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  

“Just- just look at how you’re behaving and treating people! You’re talking to me as if I were one of your subjects. How dare you speak to me like that , seriously?” 

“You are one of my subjects! Regardless if you’re the Ava-” 

“I am your girlfriend ! You’ve known me ever since I was little and we’ve been together for almost two years!”  

Adora got closer to her, her forehead resting against Catra’s in a silent prayer. 

“His words are poisoning you. You… you are very vulnerable right now and he’s using it against you. He knows how to get under your skin. Don’t you remember how-” Stopping as Catra pulled back, shoving the warmth of the embrace somewhere far away from her. 

“Of course I remember, Adora! But I have no other choice! Believe it or not, he’s helping me. There have been less riots across the nations ever since-” Apparently, the argument became a race on who got to interrupt the other more because an angered Adora pulled away from the created hold and talked.  

“Your men have been abusing their power to make people shut up! You’re getting rid of their freedom by doing so.”  

As Adora took a step back, she looked into her partner’s eyes. They were cold and distant. The light that once was there was replaced by something unreadable; it was as if she had raised a wall between them. 

“Either way. The decision regarding the colonies was made by me, without needing any consultation from my father. It was my choice and I will stand by it.” Catra continued, ignoring Adora's pleas. 

“Do you even hear yourself? Father , are you for real? Last time I checked you wanted nothing to do with him. You wished for his death!”  

- 

The Firelord narrowed her eyes in debated confusion until she released a grunt. 

“You can’t understand.” She stated dully. “You will never understand, will you?” It wasn't a question for Adora to answer, more like a moment of self-realization for Catra 

“Then make me understand! You just keep pushing me away a-and… and I don’t know what to do. I’m worried about you.”  

But Catra didn’t listen, just laughed sadly.  

“Yeah, that letter makes it real pretty fucking clear on what you think about me.”  

“I avoided a war. A war that you are still willing to fight if it means having things done your way.”  

“I don’t know why it’s so hard for you to understand my point. This is not only because they’re my people; I truly think that we can start something new. Your idea of balance is outdated, Adora. We live in a world that is constantly changing. A fusion among nations is inevitable, it has already started. We can’t do anything to stop it.”  

Adora wished to argue back so badly, but she knew that there was nothing that could’ve made Catra change her mind. She was stubborn like that. 

“I suggest that we take time apart. We need to cool off a little.” Catra said diplomatically. 

- 

 Adora wanted nothing more than to cry. Cry because the woman standing in front of her was not the one she fell in love with. In fact, she was like a stranger to her. 

“You sleep here. It’s the most secure chamber of the palace. I’ll be sleeping in the room down the hall so that I can be close if anything happens.” 

The Firelord declared monotonously and then grabbed the very essentials before leaving. Adora couldn’t do anything but watch as she opened the door. 

“Sleep tight.” Catra slowly whispered as she exited the chamber.  

“Yeah, you too.” Adora muttered under her breath in response. Perhaps she wasn’t heard, because she didn’t even look at her in the eyes prior to disappearing elsewhere.  

─────────────────────────── 

The next days were torturous, Adora couldn’t do anything, literally. She was fine with not being allowed to leave the palace for security reasons, but now that Catra wasn’t by her side because of work, multiple guards followed her every step to make sure she was okay. 

She knew the Firelord had sent them to protect her, but they wouldn’t have been efficient in battle: the Red Lotus had more prepared fighters from all nations, she highly doubted that a few selected firebenders were enough to battle against them. Hell, even she herself –the Avatar –couldn't do anything the first time she came in contact with them.  

Adora felt trapped walking down the hallways that shaped most of her childhood.  

She remembered running away from Catra after having accidentally soaked her with waterbending -that she still hadn't learned to control. The little prince was fast and almost caught up to her, but got picked up by an anxious Kamare that immediately dried her off, afraid that she could get sick. At the time, Adora thought she was scared because if something happened to Catra then she’d have to pay the consequences as her caretaker, but now understood that it was simply motherly instinct. 

As she kept on walking, another memory popped up. One where the both of them snuck in the library’s most hidden corners to escape from Shadow Weaver’s boring history lessons.  

She always found them nonetheless and always blamed Catra for Adora’s lack of self-discipline, deeming her as a bad influence. 

Thinking of the history lessons, Adora got reminded of the time she first entered the Avatar state. She was around ten years old when both her and Catra had been in Shadow Weavers class. At one point Catra didn’t remember the name of the first colony that had been settled in the Earth kingdom and Shadow Weaver started insulting her. 

For once, Catra snapped back at her, unleashing the inferno inside their tutor. She kept on yelling obscenities at the child and roughly picked her up by the scruff on the back of her neck, making her cry in pain. 

That was the first time that Adora realized that if she couldn’t even protect her friend, she was useless as an Avatar. The thought of it deeply angered her, so much so that it brought her to the point of no return. Her mind went black for a few minutes, but it took months for the palace’s right wing to be reconstructed. 

Adora stopped her tracks as she recognized the courtyard in which she met Catra for the first time when they were seven.  

Prior to them meeting she had lived in the streets. She hadn't known her parents and had grown up surrounded by other orphan children. She quickly learned that she had to steal in order to survive.   

The first time she’d bent an element was when Adora had been only four years old. She had thrown a rock at a kid with an annoying voice. 

At first, they had hidden her, afraid of what people might think of an earthbender living in the Fire Nation. 

And then she also started bending air. It wasn’t voluntary, just happening every now and then, mainly when she sneezed.  

None of the children knew about the legend of the Avatar, growing up in the streets didn’t allow for them to hear bedtime stories about an immortal legend. So, they didn’t think too much of it, but they did start using her to steal money from people.  

Back then she had been small and cute, of course people wouldn’t dare deem her capable of any crimes. What they didn’t know of course, was that she was skilled enough to rob them without them even noticing it. 

That was, until one day at the fair a royal guard caught her red-handed as she was stealing some food from one of the many stands spread around.    

She’d tried to run, but the man easily caught up to her and picked her up by the back of her shirt. Adora didn’t think twice before her instincts kicked in. Throwing rocks at his face before sending the guard backwards with a blast of wind. 

Still, he hadn’t been the only guard and eventually she’d gotten held down by a group of them, all struggling against a very slippery seven-year-old. 

After that, things had moved quickly. Being brought before Lord Prime’s presence. Adora had naïvely expected to be sentenced to death for her sins, instead she’d gotten a warm smile from the man who told her to wait in the courtyard as the staff prepared her new room and a warm bath.    

Being a child, Adora had done as told and sat on the comfortable grass, lost in her thoughts.  

That was, until Catra had walked up in front of her, her posture so perfectly straight that it looked like it hurt. 

─────────────────────────── 

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” She'd asked with hidden curiosity.   

All Adora could do was look at her soft face.  

“Your eyes are weird.” She replied instead, standing up. Catra, displeased by the comment, took a step back and hissed at the intruder.  

“They are not!”  

“They are pretty, though. I like them.” Not knowing what personal space was, Adora cupped her face, analyzing the different colors.   

Surprised by the display of touch, Catra stayed frozen in fear until she saw the missing teeth in the blonde’s crooked smile and her heart softened a little bit at the cheerful sight.  

“They are so cool!” Adora beamed, finally letting her go. The young prince took the opportunity to break the space barrier once again and sniffed her, this time Adora standing still as result of the unusual behavior.   

Growing up in the streets and scavenging trash in order to find sustenance didn't exactly grace her with a gracious smell, so, of course, the prince took a few steps back.  

“Dude, you stink.” Catra pinched her nose, making the other child pout.  

“That’s not very nice, y’know?”  

“Did my father bring you here to be my friend?”   

Adora didn’t know what to reply at that question. She had been brought there for stealing, but got rewarded for it instead. And now this had kid appeared out of nowhere.   

“I-I guess?” She answered with an unknowing shrug.  

“I’m Adora.”   

The heir to the throne smiled. She liked the sound of that name, she found it very pleasing to her ears. Perhaps being too excited to have made a new friend, she bowed to her.    

“I’m Catra! It’s nice to meet you.”  

It was only then that she’d noticed her mistake. Adora was supposed to bow to her, not the other way around. Quickly, she straightened herself, already irritated at herself for having forgotten the royal protocol.  

She stared at Adora expectantly, but the girl did nothing.  

“What is it?” She asked, weirded out by the sudden change of behavior.   

The blonde’s lack of etiquette impressed Catra, who suppressed a chuckle at the unintentional disrespect.  

“Hello? You have to bow. I am your princess. You are a peasant.” Adora scoffed at that, crossing her arms over her chest.  

“You, a princess? Impossible. You’d have to be the Firelord’s daughter.”  

“Exactly. I am.” She assured, making Adora gasp in delight.  

“You are? That is so amazing!”  

“Now, I am still waiting on that bow.” Catra sang teasingly, but Adora still wouldn’t budge.   

“Or maybe are you someone more important than me? However, I highly doubt it with those ugly clothes you’re wearing.”  

“Hey, not cool!”  

“Who are you meant to be, Adora?” Her tail bopped that massive forehead of the new girl. Flicking the very tip of her tail against her, the blonde only giggling at that.  

“Avatar Adora, your room is ready. Please, follow me.”   

The child turned to look at the young prince and smirked once she saw her eyes widening in wonder before running over to the guard who had just called her.  

─────────────────────────── 

Catra had always treated her the same from that moment on. Their status didn’t matter; Adora would always be the funny dork that she’d found in the courtyard all those years ago.  

That was of course until Adora got sent away to learn earthbending and Catra ran away from the oppressive climate of the royal family. A war later and they were dating.   

Now, they were a mess. 

- 

They had always had their small bickering and arguments, but nothing compared to the words shared in their room a few nights prior.  

Adora felt like normality in their relationship wasn’t achievable anymore. Something had been broken that night, and neither of them could go back in time and change it.  

But maybe she could still try to make amends. 

Adora changed her trajectory and walked over to the throne room where Catra was supposed to end a meeting - if she’d remembered her schedule correctly. 

Barging inside, she found Catra alone on her throne, boringly reading a scroll. Her eyebrows knit together at the sudden intrusion, but then softened as soon as she recognized who it was. 

“How may I help you? And be quick, I don't have all day to waste on you.” She questioned with a hint of arrogance to hide her confusion. 

“I don’t want guards following me everywhere.” 

“It’s for your protection. If anything happens-” 

“I’d rather have you by my side, then.” She interrupted with resolution at the confession.  

It was a poor excuse she realized, but Adora really did want to be left alone whilst she also craved Catra’s presence next to her. 

“You had my back last time. They couldn’t get to me because of your courage and strength. I only feel safe around you, Catra. Please.” 

The Firelord stayed silent, her face creased in deep thought. 

With the throne’s height she towered over Adora. The blonde could see her feeling in charge by the way those ocean and golden eyes excitedly shimmered in the dimly lit room. 

“You’d have to follow me through the day. No wandering alone.” Catra finally replied. 

“Deal.” 

“We also have to figure out the bedding. Do not think I’m not mad at you anymore.” 

“I’ll take the couch.” 

“Sit next to me.” Catra instructed softly. 

Adora obliged, climbing the stairs before taking her place at the Firelord’s right side. The same place where Catra used to sit in her younger years.  

Adora had never liked the idea of staying still, listening to old people complain about economic matters that she couldn’t understand. She also didn’t like the idea of sleeping on that uncomfortable couch in their room, but she was trying to take a step forward. 

She was going to fix this. 

Notes:

Do I enjoy making catradora suffer? No. Do I enjoy making YOU (the reader) suffer? Absolutely yes, no doubts about it.

Let me know if you liked it and comment theories/what do you think it's gonna happen on the next chapter and follow my twitter here for sneak peeks and Q&A's

Chapter Text

Catra was signing documents when a servant made their way into their room. 

“Your highness, you have visitors.” They announced with a nervous squeak in their voice after noticing the cold glare given by the firelord.  

“Who do you think you are, barging into my room without notice? I should have you arr-” 

“Catra, relax. I’m sure they’ll be more careful next time.” Adora scolded anxiously at the menace.  

It seemed as if the more time Catra spent in power the more she behaved like a tyrant. 

But Catra had always had a soft spot for Adora. She still refused to talk to her, but did acknowledge her presence. 

“Whoever they are, send them away. Can’t you see I’m busy?” She ordered, this time her tone much calmer and collected. 

And then the door opened again. As another figure came inside, the servant basically ran away, fearing for their life. 

“Is this how you welcome your own mother?” 

And that was enough to make Catra drop all of her work to run up to her, and hug her mother tightly. 

“You’re here!” 

“I was supposed to arrive a week ago, but Seahawk set the boat on fire… again.” Kamare explained with a gentle smile that soon turned into a frown. 

“I came as soon as I heard what happened in Ba Sing Se. Are you two girls okay?” Adora stood up from the bed she was lying on and walked up to the adult. 

“We’re fine. They just caught us off guard.” 

“They have a bloodbender, mom. He’s so powerful that he only needs his mind.” The warrior’s pupils shrank in terror at the mention of the dark skill. Her grip on Catra’s arms tightened, holding onto her for support.  

“A psychic bloodbender? That’s… I-I thought I was the only one able to perform the technique. This is a very dangerous situation.” She muttered under her breath. 

“I’m staying here.” She quivered out instinctively. She hated the idea of staying in the same palace that brought her so much suffering, but her will to protect her daughter was much stronger. 

“With all due respect, Kamare: it’s not safe.” Adora chimed in. It was weird referring in such formal way to someone she had known for most of her life, but even after all this time she still couldn’t figure out their dynamic. As a child, Adora used to fall asleep to Kamare’s bedtime stories and get warm baths prepared by her in her early childhood only to not see her anymore for almost a decade and then found out she was her girlfriend’s mother.  

Almost two years later, she still couldn’t figure out if she was liked by the living legend or just tolerated enough to be civil towards her. 

“I hate to admit it, but she’s right.” Adora almost gasped at Catra’s support. That was the first time that she had agreed with her ever since their argument. 

“It’s barely safe enough for us to stay at the capital.”  

“Then what are you doing here?” 

“I have to rule a country.” 

“I have to watch over her.” 

“And I have to protect this dumbass in case anything happens.” The Firelord spat out sourly. She was not the one that had to be guarded at all times. Sure, she was in constant risk of being assassinated, but Adora was the Red Lotus’ primary objective. 

“Then I’ll watch over you two as well.” 

“Mother-” 

“My decision is final. I am not leaving. Deal with it.” 

And so, it went. Kamare requested for all her stuff to be moved over to the palace and got her own room at the end of the same hallway that the couple’s chamber was. Catra was not thrilled about the moving, but could not do anything about it. Kamare was stubborn like that. 

But Catra was the daughter of two obstinate beings, making her completely mulish. Although Adora had requested to not be followed by guards anymore, her girlfriend still sent them whenever she couldn’t be by her side.  

It was just to be safe.  

And she still persevered on visiting Prime in the middle of the night, sometimes just to check up on him.  

“Please, don’t. I beg of you. Don’t go to him.” Adora once sobbed out with the full moon on display, seeing Catra standing in front of the door. 

The Firelord stopped in her tracks, hesitating. 

“Go back to sleep, Adora.” She suggests softly before leaving her alone once again.  

The visits had gotten more frequent now that Adora knew what she was up to. After all, she didn’t have to hide it anymore.  

─────────────────────────── 

Adora was off training and for once, Catra decided to take a break and went off to visit her mother, who was currently searching through the wooden chest positioned in front of the queen-sized bed in the middle of the room. 

“By the way, now that all of my stuff is in here…” Kamare started off carefully as she pulled out a round stone with blue undertones on one side and red on the other half. 

“I found the rock that you wanted. It wasn’t easy, but I think you’ll like it.” 

 Catra’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of it. The shades were simply perfect: the blue was as dark as the bottom of the ocean and the scarlet red beautifully contrasted it with its calm brightness.  

During her long stay in the South Pole, Catra learned a lot from the culture of the natives. Eventually, she found out the meaning behind the chokers worn by women in the water tribe and immediately knew she wanted to fabricate one for Adora. That was how much she loved her, so much that she’d take an art and crafts class in secret to make her a betrothal necklace. 

With trembling fingers and careful hands, she held the cold stone, turning it around as if to search for any imperfections. 

“Remember that you’ll have to carve it.  This is just the base; you need to refine it.” Kamare continued as the Firelord stared, mesmerized by the gift. 

“Thank you, mother.” Catra expressed her gratitude with a hug and streaming tears. Perhaps it was the joy of something good finally happening to her, or maybe the fear that she wasn’t good enough to deserve it, but she cried her heart out. 

Disoriented by the intense display of emotions, Kamare hugged her back and soothingly ran her hands through her brown curls. 

“It’s okay to be excited. This is a huge step after all.” But the kind phrase that was supposed to calm her down only worsened the turmoil happening inside her mind. 

Reluctantly, Catra wiped clean her wet cheeks, turning away from her own parent. 

Sensing that those weren’t tears of joy, Kamare spoke up. 

“I’ve noticed that things between you two have been pretty tense ever since I came here. Fighting is normal in a relationship, Catra. It’s not a bad thing at all. If anything, it’ll help you grow as a person.” 

“It wasn’t just one of those meaningless fights, mom! We are in disagreement about the possible future worldwide order a-and… other stuff. I don’t think we can come back to how things were after this.” She opened up, feeling a stinging pain in her heart.  

Catra had been trying so hard to forgive Adora for that letter, but couldn’t bring herself to actually do it. Every time the thought crossed her mind, a fit of nausea would just hit her out of nowhere, her stomach basically revolving nonstop.  

She also knew that she was pushing her away with every new interaction they shared. The more Adora talked, the more Catra would snap at her with impolite remarks, forcing her to shut up again. 

“Maybe you don’t have to?” Kamare offered gently, her hand squeezing Catra’s shoulder in comfort. 

“Instead of fixing the past, you should focus on building a better future.”  

“Yeah, you’re right.” Catra admitted absentmindedly. At that point she was tired. Tired of trying, tired of hiding. 

Tired of fighting. 

“If you’re having any second thoughts about this we can-” 

“No. I love Adora, I really do. The timing just isn’t good right now.”  

“What do you plan on doing?” 

─────────────────────────── 

Catra woke up on the couch, as usual. Her back started to hurt by how comfortless that piece of furniture was, but still refused to sleep with Adora on their bed. 

The all mighty Firelord was not going to crawl back with her tail between her legs, that would’ve been the equivalent to accepting defeat, and she never lost. 

Begrudgingly, she stood up and stretched a little to soothe the pain. The royal felt more tired than usual, her body screaming to go back to sleep, but she ignored those needs. It was raining outside, meaning that the streets were most probably empty, which meant no protests for the time being. 

Catra convinced herself that it was going to be a good day until she noticed Adora’s absence from the bed.  

“Adora?” She called out, hoping that she went to the bathroom, but no response came. 

“Adora.” Catra demanded her presence this time, worry overcoming her peaceful state of mind. She frantically put on a robe and exited the room, finding the usual guards standing right in front of the door.  

“Where is Adora?” She asked them, but they only looked confused at the question. 

“Pardon me, your majesty?” 

“The Avatar! Where is she? She can’t wander around without supervision. Have you seen her?!”  

“I-I uh… we started our shift ten minutes ago. We haven’t seen anybody come in or out of your chamber. My Lord-” 

But she didn’t have time to hear their pathetic excuses. She stormed off, peeking in every room she came across on her path. 

Panic surged through her as the worst thoughts came to mind. Catra would’ve noticed Adora leaving, she was a very light sleeper after all. Could it be that the Red Lotus broke in, gave her something in her sleep to make her loose completely consciousness and took advantage of the situation to finally kidnap Adora?  

Her breathing became heavier and her steps wobblier the more she walked. Her vision got blurred out, probably caused by either the panicked tears forming or the lack of oxygen, it didn’t matter. 

She roamed around until her unstable legs dragged her to the dining room, where she found two familiar figures sharing a conversation. 

─────────────────────────── 

Adora was already awake when Kamare knocked on the door. 

“Good morning!” She greeted cheerfully as soon as Adora let her in. One look back and she noticed Catra still sleeping soundly on the couch. Although Adora had to sleep there, according to their initial agreements, Catra flipped her off and insisted on doing it instead, claiming that she had a better view of the room from there.  

Even as she was getting some rest, the bags and dark circles kept on becoming more and more visible, which made Adora worry. In the last days she noticed how much paler the Firelord had looked, not to mention how her posture and movements had been lazy lately, almost sluggish.  

Not wanting to wake her up from the much-needed sleep, Adora shushed the other adult. 

“Hi, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a bit more if you want to talk to Catra, she’s sleeping.” She whispered lowly enough so that only she could hear. It was rare for her partner to not wake up at the slightest of sounds and she wanted to take advantage of the situation by letting her sleep in for once.  

“I actually wanted to talk to you.” Kamare ordered as she pointed at the blonde, gesturing for her to get out of the room. 

“I’m really not supposed to move around without any form of supervision.” 

“I am the supervision, Adora.” She spoke, sounding a bit annoyed, and if there was one thing the Avatar, most powerful being on earth, was afraid of; that was an angry Kamare. Without needing her to say anything more, she slipped out of the chamber, carefully closing the door behind her.  

Catra’s mother didn’t say anything else, just walked over the end of the long corridor and down to the dining room 

Adora followed her blindly.  

“So, what’s up?” She asked shyly, afraid of the possible conversation that was about to happen. 

“You tell me.” Kamare replied, her tone curious and yet sarcastic as they both sat down at the table one in front of the other.  

“Oh, okay. Well, I’m fine, all things considered. I’ve been training more since the kidnapping. Can you believe I stopped exercising after defeating Prime? I thought there wouldn’t be any more threats anymore, but here we are.”  

A couple of servants walked by with some tea, serving them both, after which they left the porcelain pot on the table. Adora could tell it was Ginseng from the smell, so she requested for a pot of jasmine as well for when Catra would wake up, seeing as it was her favorite. 

Adora anxiously brought the liquid up to her lips with a nervous chuckle, acting completely normal when she felt the boiling liquid melting the insides of her cheeks. She painfully swallowed it down and opened her mouth once again, not leaving Kamare the chance to express herself. 

“By the way, since you’re here, can you help me with my waterbending? It’s one of the most difficult elements for me and I wanna master it, so it’d be great if you-” Kamare cooled the tea using her bending, eyes closed as she grew impatient.  

“My daughter’s not doing well, Adora. I’d like to know what’s happening.”  

She didn’t have any other option. 

She told her the truth. 

“I have no idea.” Adora finally confessed. She knitted her brows together as she looked down, too afraid to meet angry eyes staring at her. 

“The stress was manageable up till a couple of months ago. She was tired, but she wasn’t like… like this .” She tried to explain without making it sound like an insult. 

Catra was unwell, it was no secret. 

“After the kidnapping she’s become more paranoid. I can’t even go to the bathroom without being escorted.” 

“She’s worried about-” Kamare tried to interject. 

Adora couldn’t take it any longer, tired of being told she was in the wrong.  

“She’s controlling. That’s what she is.” She interrupted, looking back at the woman, Kamare wasn’t angry at her like she imagined, rather worried. 

“She wants everything to go according to her plans and pretends that everyone obeys her, or at the very least that nobody gets in her way.” The blonde tapped her fingers against the wooden surface, uselessly trying to release her anxiety.  

“Have you heard about her plans for the remaining colonies?” Kamare nodded patiently with a heavy sigh. She had first heard of the situation from Mermista and came to know about the inevitable war if her daughter refused to collaborate. It was part of the reason why she had come to the Fire Nation in the first place.  

“She won’t listen to anyone. I’ve tried talking her out of it but it ended on us having two of the worst fights in years in less than a month.” 

Kamare remained silent and Adora knew she was debating on what to say from her own position. She was well aware of her motherly instincts; Catra was her daughter, and that definitely biased her opinions.  

“My daughter loves you dearly.” She started off carefully.  

“And I love her as well, I really do.” Kamare smiled for the first time that morning and reached out to hold Adora’s hands in solidarity. 

“You’re in a tough spot, I know that. On one hand, Catra needs her girlfriend, but the world needs the Avatar. On the other hand, you need your partner whilst the Fire Nation needs their leader. Having to uphold two important roles at the same time can be hard. I know—” Adora laughed incredulously at those words. Of course, it was hard, but they managed to do just fine up until recent events.  

“It seems like Catra is acting only as the Firelord right now, I can assure you that.” She shook her head, still not believing the absurd situation they were in.  

“All of her time is dedicated to her work. I understand it, ruling over a country is no joke, but she’s become desperate . I-I mean, she visits Prime nonstop, not listening to me when—”   

Kamare let the cup of tea slip out of her fingers and shatter down on the floor, not believing the words that had just traveled out of her lips. 

Adora suddenly shut up, not wanting to upset her further and to give her a moment to process the information. 

“She… why? Why would she do such thing?” The Avatar’s expression softened; her distressed attitude replaced by a comprehensive one. 

“He has the experience and wisdom she says she needs. Ever since her visits became more frequent though, she has been behaving more and more like a tyrant rather than a rightful ruler.” She explained slowly, still concerned for the woman’s possible reaction.  

If Kamare hadn’t already been sitting down, her legs would’ve given up under the great weight of the revelation. Her lungs feeling restricted even as she tried a forced and desperate attempt at control. 

It took her a moment to think clearly again and for the unshed tears to dry out before she spoke again. 

“I can’t-” Kamare stopped again as she saw the door sliding open, revealing her daughter behind it. She looked paler than usual and trembled uncontrollably. 

“Catra, you’re awake.” Kamare tried to greet the Firelord warmly despite her conflicting emotions, but Catra’s eyes stayed glued on Adora, filling again with tears. 

“You.” She choked out, pointing a finger at her. Adora raised an eyebrow, confused at the shown emotion. 

“You are supposed to be guarded at all times! You-you can’t just...” Catra’s whole body was visibly shaking, her knees barely holding her up as she tried to take a couple of decisive steps forward. 

“You have to always be under supervision! H-How dare you leave and-” Kamare ran up to her, holding her daughter up. Catra sobbed as she uselessly tried to push her away from her. 

“Sweetie, she was with me. Remember, I am here to keep an eye on the both of you.” 

“That’s even worse. I’m not allowing you to be in danger! I-I can’t...” Stopping mid-sentence as she gasped for air. Her quivering hands weakly grabbing onto Kamare’s shoulders as support. 

“Catra, calm down, okay? Your mom knocked at our door but you were simply out of it. We were talking a bit and decided to let you sleep. You need to rest.” Adora said, holding out a hand as a peace offering.  

But the crying woman couldn’t listen to her, panic guiding her actions. Instead, she took a leap of faith and let go of her mother’s grasp to be held by Adora’s gentle arms. The Avatar, although perplexed, hugged her tightly as Catra kept on sobbing in her arms. 

“You can’t... I can’t... I won’t- protect. Please, please... please.” Catra kept on rambling out, her legs slowly starting to give up. Adora picked her up bridal style with no effort. Kamare approached them with worry written all over her face as she posed a hand on Catra’s hot forehead. 

“She’s burning.” She observed abstinently, getting a disapproving frown from Adora. 

“That’s impossible. She’s never gotten sick. Never .” 

“Well, there’s a first for everything. Take her to her bed. I’ll get a doctor.” 

─────────────────────────── 

The Firelord remained bedridden for two days, almost three. Her body temperature was high enough to kill men twice her size.  

But Catra was no ordinary person, that much was known. 

Being a hybrid allowed for her to have a pristine autoimmune system. The same that protected her from any sickness for her entire life. 

 And the same one that was keeping her alive right now. 

During that time, Catra had endless dreams about endless things. From her early childhood, to the present, to the unknown future where her life had met multiple alternative endings; some good, some bad. 

Mostly bad. 

She always tried to escape or fight back, but it always ended up with her waking up moments before her fate got sealed by either Prime, Shadow Weaver, the Red Lotus, her friends…  

or even Adora. 

The last time they were standing one in front of the other. Catra dreamt of Adora going into the avatar state, angry at her for her erratic behavior. Catra’s girlfriend looked furious at her and proceeded to cast forth a thin, cutting edge of wind aimed right at her heart. Afraid, Catra stayed paralyzed by fear until she gathered up enough courage to actually move aside. She was not fast enough, though, and that was when she closed her eyes and started crying at the unbearable ache on her right leg.  

She screamed in pain as she sat up, reaching to hold tightly against her calf.  

She could feel it, it was still there. In fact, she was not in that dark place anymore, but rather in her room, laying on the bed.  

“Catra, it’s okay!”  

She could recall the sound being similar to Adora’s voice and the warmth of her hands rubbed soothing circles on her back. 

 Only then did the sting stop. Her grip on the limb came loose as she panted to recover her breath. Slowly scanning the room, her eyes seemed to realize that she’d finally woken up. 

It was all just a bad dream. 

Kamare was sitting on her right, worry written all over her face as Adora held her tightly in her arms. Catra felt like shit, looking like it as well. She was sticky with all the sweat her skin produced, although she felt cold. So cold that she kept on shaking violently in Adora’s embrace.  

She was tired and in so much pain all over her body. 

Although hungry, her stomach felt incredibly heavy and full.  

She had to empty it. 

 Before she could even say a word, vomit was what came out of her mouth. Loads of it, too. Adora had tried to grab a wooden bucket, but it was too late; she was all covered up in puke already.  

It was disgusting, but it wasn’t Catra’s fault.  

When the damage was concluded, Catra threw herself back on the mattress, lying completely down as she abstinently looked at the ceiling, her breath heavy.  

Sickened, Adora used her bending abilities to rid her own clothes of the spew, using a bucket to drop the toxic mix in. Even after her cleaning she still reeked, she was definitely going to need a shower after that.  

“How are you feeling?” Kamare asked with concern in her voice, even as a warm smile touched her lips.  

“Water.” Was the only thing Catra replied. It almost seemed a plea with how rough and groggy her voice sounded.  

Her mother carefully slipped a hand behind her head to slightly raise it so that she could drink out of the wooden bowl.  

Still too stubborn to admit she needed help with the most mundane tasks of all, Catra grabbed the bowl herself and raised it upwards so that more water could get in, not caring about how much it spilled on the bed.  

With her thirst finally satiated, she went back to her almost catatonic state.  

“How long was I out for?” She asked, already worrying about her duties. 

“Two days, maybe three. I’m not sure.” Groaning in frustration at Adora’s words, Catra’s hands moved to cover her face. 

“Fuck, I can’t believe I’ll have to catch up on all that work. Shit.” She cussed out angrily, already dreading the ruckus of the following days.  

“You won’t have a lot to worry about. Whilst you were sick, I took your place.” Kamare said, matter-of-factly. 

Catra stared at Kamare with newfound horror, worried about the damage she’d done. 

“Don’t look so horrified. I only took care of the simple stuff, like funding schools or things like that.” Her mother continued. “I do admit, Entrapta helped me as well.” 

“E—Entrapta?” 

“Yes, we figured we’d get someone truly impartial. Adora is the Avatar, but also your girlfriend, therefore she couldn’t take your place, and I have no idea on how to run a country.” 

“How did you…? She’s supposed to be traveling through the colonies.” Catra asked, perplexed. She recalled her friend leaving because she wanted to see if the children of people from different nations had more advanced bending abilities. Adora smiled gently before replying.  

“She was. We sent her a messenger hawk and she came right away. She also helped us take care of you.”  

“You didn’t let her take any samples of my blood, right? Who knows what she could do with that.” Catra questioned with a painful and nervous chuckle. She loved Entrapta but that woman could scare the shit out of her sometimes.  

“Well, she did try. She said something about cloning you in case anything happened...?” The Avatar remembered out loud, then shuddered. “Real creepy.”  

And then it hit Catra. 

“Does anyone else know I’m bedridden?” She then turned to her mother. “Have you made any public appearances?”  

The last thing the Firelord wanted was for her mom to become a target and for her to appear weak to the public eye. If that were the case, then the Red Lotus would have the perfect opportunity to strike. 

Catra could feel her heart racing until she got a response from Adora. She knew exactly how paranoid Catra could get and therefore acted upon it.  

“We said you’d continue your work from here. For all the servants know, you’ve been working diligently in your room, completing royal tasks. It’s all good.”  

Catra let out a sigh of relief. Things weren’t as bad as she had imagined. She could handle the situation easily if she wanted to.  

Right then, the door opened and Entrapta made her way into the room without announcing her presence. She scribbled something on the notepad she held before raising her gaze towards the patient. 

“The subject is awake!” She shouted excitedly pushing Adora away to take her place next to Catra.  

The Firelord smiled warmly at her friend after not having seen her for many months. After she took the nation’s lead, one of her firsts requests was to provide Entrapta of her own private laboratory where she could study and experiment as much as she desired, without any restrictions and on whatever subject she found interesting.  

During the years that she was held captive, Entrapta had been forced to use her intelligence solely to perfect and build new and more powerful weapons to use in the war. Now finally, she had all the freedom she wanted; her research varied from artillery to biology and everything in between. 

Catra did it in hopes to convince Entrapta to stay with her at the palace to keep her company, so she had been saddened when the scientist reported her departure for her studies just a few months prior. However, her friend was finally free, and she couldn’t restrain her liberty again, not after being reclused in a prison.  

But now she was here again, helping her recover. 

“Hi, Entrapta.” Catra greeted, stopping herself from hugging her –Perhaps her illness was contagious, she didn’t know exactly what she had yet. 

“How are you doing?” She asked with curiosity as she popped a thermometer in Catra’s mouth to measure the temperature. But she didn’t actually wait for an answer before pointing a flashlight at both her eyes, writing down on the notepad again. 

“She just puked. A lot.” Adora said with obvious annoyance at being the victim of Catra’s stomach acting out.  

“Interesting.” Was the only thing Entrapta said before retrieving the thermometer back and reading the temperature. It was still high, but not to a dangerous level anymore.  

“Do you know what happened? Can I take something to make it go away?” Entrapta seemed to think for a little while. During her period attending Catra and helping Kamare doing her royal tasks she also had the time to talk to Adora about her patient’s psychophysical state prior to the fainting and came to her own conclusions. 

“You’ve never gotten sick before, and your species is pretty known for your immune system. So, such event is a once in a lifetime chance to get to analyze you! I’ve run some blood tests,” Catra glared immediately at Adora at those words. The Avatar smiled at her apologetically. To be honest, she didn’t know when Entrapta could’ve taken a sample of her blood since she had always been by her side. “And they showed nothing out of the ordinary. After talking to Adora, your mom and some of the guards, my best conclusion is that you have been exposed to way too much stress and anxiety.” 

“What? How can this affect my body this much?”  

“You’d be surprised to know how much our minds can influence our overall health. I could write you a report on that if you want.” Catra buried her face behind her hands, groaning in pure frustration as memories flooded her mind. She remembered how she desperately cried when she couldn’t find Adora, and how panicked she was.  

She even struggled to breathe properly because of her fears of the Avatar being in danger.   

Pathetic . 

“You know, in my travels I’ve met many-” 

“Entrapta, I think we should let her rest.” Kamare kindly suggested when she noticed Catra’s obvious distress. 

Entrapta’s enthusiasm died down in an instant. She too, could recognize the shown frustration.  

Timidly, she asked “I’m sorry, was I talking too much again? I didn’t mean to.”  

Catra immediately felt guilty. She actually liked having conversations with Entrapta when she talked in a way that she could understand, but she was tired.  

“No, no. I just…” she sighed, feigning another smile. “How about we hang out one of these days? I’d love to hear all about your travels. Right now, I’m a bit tired. I’d like to take a little nap if you don’t mind.” She yawned for good measure.  

“Sure! You need to rest a lot if you want to recover.” Her friend said, attitude back to normal. 

“See you later, I’ll have to check up on you!” She reminded before leaving along with Kamare. 

Adora stayed.  

“What is it?” Her girlfriend asked. There wasn’t bitterness behind her knitted eyebrows, just genuine concern. It didn’t take long for her to notice how upset the blonde was. Her unusual silence and short sentences were more than enough. 

“I know you’ll start your duties as soon as you can, even though you need to relax. I understand that, you’re the Firelord.” Catra nodded carefully, not sure on where the conversation would’ve gone to.  

“Glad we’re on the same page.” 

“But I need you to promise me you’ll take it easy, okay?” Catra hesitated to reply. She wasn’t sure on what to say. She would’ve loved a few days of vacation, but her people needed her. 

“I-I know it’s hard, especially for you. But you need to heal. I want you to get better.” Adora looked at her with an emotion that could only be described as hopeful. Those expectations, though, went far beyond Catra’s health. They were ambitions that also belonged to them, to their relationship. 

The Firelord didn’t want to touch that subject, though.  

“I’ll see what I can do. No promises, but I will try my best.” She said honestly. Catra was willing to put in the effort if it meant not seeing Adora as sad and perturbed as she was in that moment.  

“I love you.” The Avatar confessed desperately, pushing the conversation further.  

Catra didn’t say it back. 

But she did phrase something. 

“One step at a time.”  

─────────────────────────── 

Kamare walked past all the guards and security with ease. They knew not to mess with her. Not only because she could easily take them down, but because she was the Firelord’s mother. In some ways, Catra was feared more of who once was considered as the biggest threat to the war. 

She walked into the dark room, nervous of what was about to happen and scared of the person she’d see. The stench in the air almost made her throw up, but she carried on with her stern glare.  

“Well, hello darling.” The former Firelord greeted from the floor on which he was sitting on. His clothes only involved a dirty robe that was teared up on multiple places because of the prolonged use. 

“Prime.” Kamare hissed out. Her posture straight, trying not to show any signs of fear. Her daughter’s father was meant to be in despair, miserable even, but even through the daily tortures he was exposed to, he still possessed his characteristic condescending and superior behavior.  

“Is that the way to refer to your husband?” 

“We never got married. The only thing we have in common is Catra.” 

“Ah, yes, my daughter.” He recalled with a content sigh before resuming his speech. The woman became furious at those words. He had never called Catra his daughter, always referring to her as a nuisance or weakling instead.  

But now? Now things had changed.  

Kamare got closer to the cell, gripping the iron bars with rage. 

“Catra will never follow your path! She’s kind and compassionate, qualities that she surely didn’t get from her father.” Prime laughed with sincerity, as if he had just heard the best joke in his whole lifetime, and stood up, confidently approaching her.  

His reaction was enough to make her take a few steps back, suddenly being transported to when she worked under him. He was sure he still held power over her. 

 “Do not act like you actually wanted her, darling. I was looking for an heir and you needed a lifeline. We both got what we wanted in the end. You are free again and Catra is a strong and determined Firelord, just like I designed her to become.”  

Although he felt like he had the high ground, Kamare was the one in advantage. Angered once again, she grabbed him by the hem of the robe and pulled him down so that he could look into her eyes, making his face slam against the bars.  

He did not react. 

“If I find out you say one more word to Catra I will make sure to kill you. The Avatar might’ve defeated you and Catra threw you in this rusty cell, but do not forget who took your main source of strength away.”  

Of course Prime remembered how that peasant took his bending away. She stripped him off his biggest asset.  

“And just as I made you power less, I can easily turn you life less.” 

Notes:

Work has been killing me lately but not posting this chapter hurt even more lol

Let me know if you liked it and comment theories/what do you think it's gonna happen on the next chapter and follow my twitter here for sneak peeks and Q&A's

Chapter Text

The next days went by extremely slowly for Catra; having to do little to no work at all bored her out of her mind. She got too used to the workaholic lifestyle to enjoy the rest she was forced in. Still, she made out the best of the situation by spending time catching up with Entrapta.

The Firelord learned all about her cultural research across all colonies and found them rather interesting. She also came across the knowledge of the growing tensions between colonizers and the colonized caused by the inequality of wealth between them.

Entrapta seemed to be enjoying their time together too from all the questions she excitedly asked her friend.

“Does your bending feel stronger at night, or day?”

“Have you ever tried bending during a solar eclipse?”

“Are you more of a nocturnal or a morning person?”

Those were the more common ones. Catra knew the scientist was studying her because of her Fire Nation and Water Tribe heritage but did not care. Entrapta had always been quite noisy ever since they were young, so she was used to the behavior.

Frankly enough, though, the magicat didn’t know the answer to any of those questions -except for the last one, she definitely didn’t like mornings.

She did feel weaker during eclipses, but never even tried to bend during one. The idea didn’t cross her mind even once in the past.

During the recovery, though, Catra also got to spend time with Adora. The dummy couldn’t stay away from her for more than half an hour before barging in the room to check up on her, always asking if she was feeling better.

It was curious how the most powerful being in the world, baring the knowledge and strength of all of the past lives and the literal bridge between the living world and the spirits was there, counting how many glasses of water got consumed daily by her ill girlfriend.

Catra found it quite endearing.

Neither of them mentioned their past argument, apparently now forgotten by both.

The pair made a silent agreement on ignoring the fight and its aftermath, both opting to act as if nothing happened instead.

But Catra couldn’t fully let go of the grudge yet. And yet Adora is there by her side now, holding her hand lovingly and telling her all about the day she had just had.

“It’s getting late.” Catra abruptly said, taking her hand away from the warmth of Adora’s.

She could feel it. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach again when their eyes met.

Even if Adora did notice the attempt of getting her to leave, she didn’t show it, opting for a lazy smile instead.

“Of course. I lost track of time. It’s getting late and you should get some sleep. Sorry.” Adora apologized and then kissed her partner’s forehead like she did every night before leaving for bed.

Catra could smell that minty breath of hers for the rest of her life and never get tired of it. There was something special about it; perhaps it was the slight hint of cinnamon or maybe the fact that it belonged to Adora and Adora only, but the brunette couldn’t resist it.

It had been hard, being mad at Adora. She still was, but she also missed being affectionate with her girlfriend.

The damn broke in that moment.

“I love you.” Catra blurted out in a whisper.

The blonde froze, seemingly unsure on what to do or say. Catra could see her uncertainty by the way her partner’s lips quivered, trying to get the words out.

Adora opened and closed her mouth multiple times, until she finally took a deep breath and gave a warm smile.

“I love you too.” She reassured with one last squeeze of the hand and then left without looking back or even waiting for an answer.

Catra was confused on what had just happened.

Did she cross the line with that love confession?

She couldn’t understand.

She couldn’t comprehend why even if she asked to be alone Adora would insist on staying with her.

Everything lead Catra to think that Adora had been incredibly nice because she cared about her and was trying to ask for forgiveness. Therefore, those three words weren’t supposed to scare her off like that.

But her reaction completely threw the Firelord off guard.

Catra scoffed in frustration. She couldn’t read Adora’s mind for fucks sake.

Maybe that was not the right moment to confess her love, after all they had been fighting for the past… weeks? Month even?

The magicat was about to scream into a pillow until she heard a very distinct voice just outside the room, cheering in joy and laughing.

Adora was humming happily as she clapped and walked away somewhere else.

Catra smiled to herself. Maybe things were getting better.

───────────────────────────

The next weeks went by without any major troubles. The two of them seemed to have rekindled their relationship in no time, but there was still something off.

Adora could not help but feel like she was tiptoeing whenever she was around her lover, afraid of the outburst that would potentially come if she brought up certain topics.

At least one of them seemed to be happy with how things were going. Catra had been a ray of sunshine ever since they made up, always trying to spend as much of her free time as possible with Adora, cuddling her, talking to her, or even just holding her.

However, today was different. It happened in the morning, when the Firelord asked her out for dinner in the dining room reserved only for extremely special occasions. By the way she basically whispered the proposal with a trembling voice and without looking at her in the eyes, Adora could tell it was something important that probably involved bad news.

Catra had avoided her all afternoon, claiming to be too busy with work. The perceived evasion only reinforced Adora’s thoughts, worrying her even more.

By 7pm, Adora was already all dressed up for dinner. Considering the peculiar location, she made sure to wear a formal outfit that included a loose red robe over wide black pants and hair tied in a top knot, exactly like noble tradition etiquette required for a high-ranking woman to dress.

When found herself in front of the locked golden door, the guards automatically opened it for her. She was basically an hour early, but couldn’t care less, the earlier they’d talk, the earlier she could figure out what the problem was. Once inside the dining room, she found Catra looking at her with a timid and yet genuine smile.

“I figured you’d show up early.” She said with a playful scoff, but Adora couldn’t bring herself to reply.

Her partner wore the black and deep red formal armor with gold trimmings, accentuated with gold flame ornaments in the hair topknot that left out a single strand of hair falling gracefully at the side of her face.

Catra hadn’t worn that armor in years, making Adora forget how good she looked in it until that very moment.

“You look stunning. Please, have a seat.” The brunette instructed, extending her hand to the empty seat in front of her.

Adora remained silent but followed the directive without any protest.

Right then, a servant placed plates of food in front of them and she nearly gasped at the sight of the roasted duck in front of her.

Catra, on the other hand, was already eating her grilled Komodo chicken. Unlike Adora, she loved the Fire Nation’s cuisine and its spiciness.

With all the years spent outside the Fire Nation, Adora had the opportunity to try new flavors and different recipes and among all of them the roasted duck was her absolute favorite.

She had told Catra about it in a couple of occasions in which she craved the dish but didn’t expect her to actually remember it.

But she couldn’t bring herself to eat, not when she knew that something big was going to happen.

Catra’s avoidance, the invitation to the elite dining room, the fact that she went out of her way so that she could eat her favorite dish. It all seemed too suspicious.

Adora observed as Catra slowly took small bites in her mouth, brows furrowed in what she recognized as worry, perhaps even overthinking what she was going to say next.

“Spill it out already.” The blonde finally ordered, hand holding the fork playing with the food to hide the shaking.

Their eyes met once again and held contact for more than a minute, then, Catra sighed and put down the silverware. Slowly, she grabbed the napkin laying beside her and cleaned her mouth. The movements were careful, maybe even practiced in advance.

“I forgot patience was never one of your virtues.” She sighed out, still maintaining composure. Adora, on the other hand, slightly fisted the tablecloth, ready to explode if she didn’t find out what the problem was as soon as possible.

“Catra, what’s all this? You’ve been off all day. Did… did something happen? I’m not gonna lie, I’m a bit worried. I-I mean, I can’t stand this act anymore!”

The brunette tilted her head, eyes slanted in what Adora knew as concern. Cautiously, she left her seat and approached her, tail swishing left and right.

“You were so nervous this morning and have been avoidant all day. And now you’re all composed and all mighty, acting like you’re in one of your meetings. You can’t fool me, though.” Adora could only watch as Catra stopped on her steps and laid her hand on top of hers.

Reluctantly, the Avatar decided to let go of her grip so that her hand could be guided underneath the metal armor and pressed against Catra’s chest, direct contact being prevented by the layer of cloth.

Still, she could feel her partner’s fast heartbeat.

“I’m nervous too, Adora. Scared even.”

Adora furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and looked up at Catra, question still hanging.

“What’s happening?”

Catra’s façade finally fell. Her ears slumped a bit, fear finally visible once again. Adora stood up as well, holding both her hands as a sign of support.

“I’ve managed to reach an accord for the colonies with Glimmer, Mermista and Frosta.” She blurted out. The blonde tensed at the words, eyes now wide in shock. Still, she didn’t dare to talk yet.

“We’ll leave them right where they are right now. No one will be expropriated from their home.”

Except for the fact that their home was in the Fire Nation. Those people belonged there, not somewhere else.

“But they will no longer be part of the Fire Nation.”

“So, you’re renouncing your power over the colonies?”

“Not completely. I think you’ll find it interesting that they won’t also be part of the Earth Kingdom, or one of the Water Tribes.”

Even though Catra tried to give her a reassuring smile, Adora left the hold she had on her hands, taking a few steps back, not believing the absurdities she had just heard.

“Each one of the remaining colonies will become a semi-independent state ruled by a council. There will be four counselors: one for each tribe, one from the earth kingdom and one from the Fire Nation. All of them will be chosen respectively by Mermista, Frosta, Glimmer and me.”

“Catra, you’re… you’re basically creating more nations. There are supposed to be four, separate ones. This will only bring more imbalance to the world.”

How was it possible for Glimmer and Mermista to have agreed on this? Frosta was still a teenager and couldn’t have known better, but the other two? They wanted to get rid of the colonies not too long ago. With that sort of agreement, not only did the colonizers had the right to stay there, but they also had to renounce parts of their territory.

The Firelord sighed, gently guiding Adora to sit back down, and she did, not knowing if her legs were about to give up under the weight of the new revelation.

“Adora, the effects of the war… they can’t be undone unfortunately. Some of these colonies are so old that the new generations haven’t even stepped foot in the actual Fire Nation. Entrapta told me that most of the population there are mixed. Asking them to leave or to renounce to their citizenship forever is absurd. It’d be like asking you to bend only one element for the rest of your life. It's part of you Adora, you can’t just give it up as if it were nothing. You can understand that, can’t you?”

The Avatar sighed in frustration, not knowing what to think anymore. It was her job to keep balance among the four nations, allowing for a reform like this to happen meant going against everything she believed in.

Still, there was a point to what her partner had just said. The effects of the war were undoubtedly meant to be long-lasting. Her mission to bring balance was going to take longer. With so many radical changes happening so soon the probabilities of failing were high.

She still didn’t completely trust Catra’s plan, but it was a good start if the reform was meant to be temporary.

“I think I can give it a chance. Yeah, I can do that.” The blonde whispered more to herself rather than to directly answer her girlfriend.

Catra gave a gentle smile before proceeding to straddle her, cradling her face in her hands, forcing eye contact. Adora automatically wrapped her arms around her waist, holding her closer.

“If it doesn’t work though, I’ll have to intervene. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Thank you for giving this a chance.”

Only then did she notice that Catra’s worry didn’t fade away, which made the dreading sensation in her stomach come back once again. Her partner’s ragged breathing did nothing but worsen the growing worry.

“Catra, what did you really want to say to me? I can tell there’s more.” Her tone was gentle, not wanting to frighten her any further. The other woman tried to hide her face in the crook of Adora’s neck, but then hesitated and stopped her movements, their lips only inches away.

“I love you, Adora.”

“And I love you too, but you’re really starting to scare me now, even more than before if I’m being honest. What’s wrong? What can I help you with?” Before replying, Catra moved her eyes away and stared outside the window, taking a deep breath. Adora followed her look and stared at the dark sky. It took her a while, but she finally saw a glimpse of the new moon. Even in the dark, the satellite still shun in Adora’s eyes, breathtaking as always.

The blonde felt slender fingers caressing her scalp with delicate care before the raspy voice could be heard again.

“Do you remember how we met? We were so young; you were an absolute dork from day one. So courageous even then, already defying my authority as princess.” Adora turned her gaze back to her girlfriend, eyebrows up.

“Well, you were very stuck up.” She responded, slightly irritated by the use of the dork word; Catra had always used it to describe her when they were kids, but now that they were adults it felt silly, almost degrading in a way. Especially now when they were trying to have a very important conversation. Catra looked down at her, her hand cupping Adora’s cheek lovingly.

“I needed that. I needed you. You… you rocked my world upside down. We grew up together.”

“We did.”

“You left and never came back.” Adora frowned, not knowing where she was truly getting at. She figured they were over that.

“I thought we’ve already talked about this, Catra. I-” The magicat placed a finger on her lips, gently shushing her. In the blonde’s eyes, she didn’t look upset talking about the touchy subject, instead, it seemed to be a certain fondness in her voice.

“Life in the palace was no fun without you in it. Kamare was with me, but she couldn’t treat me as her daughter, there was a barrier between us. I ran away to feel alive again, like I did when you were with me. But even with all those travels, I never felt truly at home, at least not until we met again five years later.”

When their eyes met, Adora couldn’t help but to kiss her passionately as if to show and reassure her of their love.

But Catra wasn’t having any of that. With a sad chuckle, she pushed Adora back, blush evident across her sharp features and even the tip of the ears.

“I’ve never been in touch with my feelings, but after all that time, I knew I felt different around you. When we were kids, you made me feel light-headed, giddy. As a teenager in her late teens, just the sight of you almost caused me to faint. I was so afraid of what those feelings were.”

The Avatar felt the exact same way, except for the fact that she started crushing on Catra since the princess’ thirteenth birthday. After she took off all that exaggerated makeup and ridiculous outfit and changed into her usual clothes, Adora got the chance to see the slight changes happening; curves that she had never seen before started forming on her body while her face became slimmer and her features more angular. That was the moment Adora realized she started crushing on her best friend.

When they met in the desert after all those years, her beauty only seemed to have enhanced, driving the blonde insane. She had always thought beauty was subjective for everyone but was sure that there was no one more beautiful than Catra herself, no one.

“We went through so many things in our lives, and all I know is that I want you in mine for as long as possible. I never want you to not be in my life, whatever form that may be. As a couple, as friends, even as acquaintances… I just want you to be there.”

“I will!” Adora promised immediately as a reflex, the tension killing her now. The reminiscing of old memories, Catra saying she was fine with having her as anything else than a partner, it all seemed to be leading to a breakup.

She desperately locked lips with Catra once again, whispering I love you repeatedly between kisses. She felt something wet on her cheeks, perhaps tears that she didn’t know if they came from her or Catra’s eyes, but it didn’t matter. All Adora wanted to do now was to prevent Catra from possibly breaking up with her by letting her speak.

Unfortunately, the other woman was not that gullible, and pushed her back for the second time that night. When the blonde tried chasing her lips again, she just got her mouth covered by her girlfriend’s hand.

“When I was off to the Southern Tribe, I found out that betrothed girls wear a necklace made by their partners and I just thought… it’s a nice thing to do, carving jewelry for your special one to wear forever.” Catra timidly explained, moving her hand from Adora’s lips to her back pocket and pulling out a black collar with dark red ornaments and a red and blue stone fastened to it.

Oh.

Oh.

Oh!

“I carved one for you. This doesn’t have to be a proposal if you don’t want to, and you could say no if you wished. Either way, I’d like for you to wear this.” Catra’s hands were shaking just as much as her voice was in that moment. And although the necklace looked simply stunning, Adora grabbed Catra’s wrists and gently kissed them to comfort her. Then, with a wide smile, she showed her neck, allowing for Catra to put it on her.

The fabric of the collar felt soft against her neck and the stone wasn’t as heavy as it looked. The brunette had tears in her eyes, but she assumed they were tears of joy.

“By the way, if it were a proposal, I’d say yes.” Adora whispered as she gave her another kiss. Catra couldn’t bring herself to kiss back because of the smile tugging at her lips, so she only whispered dork as a response.

This time Adora didn’t get offended, instead, she laughed and kissed everywhere her lips landed; Catra’s lips, cheeks, brows, forehead and every single one of her freckles.

The laughter coming out of the brunette’s mouth was music to Adora’s ears. She moved her hands to grasp the back of her thighs, then, with ease, she stood up, holding Catra up and never breaking the kiss until they reached the exit door.

“As much as I hate to interrupt this, you need to get off of me if you don’t want your guards to suspect anything.” The Avatar advised, but the magicat was already lost in bliss.

“Fuck them. I don’t care anymore.”

“Don’t be irrational. Just until we reach the bedroom, then, I’ll be all yours.” Adora could tell by the blown-out pupils that she was too caught up in the heat of the moment to think properly, but a squeeze at her thighs before letting her go was all it took for Catra to regain composure.

Adora finally opened the door for her, letting the Firelord out first as sign of respect. She always remained five steps behind her all the time, as royal protocol required. She was stunned by Catra’s ability to feign calmness in front of the guards and servants she saluted and dismissed on their way.

Only when they got inside the bedroom did that collectedness fade away; Catra basically jumped her as soon as the door was closed, making them both fall onto the soft mattress directly imported from the Earth Kingdom.

Adora wasn’t surprised by the eagerness at all, the only reason why she was still containing herself was to surprise her partner when she least expected it.

It was Catra’s turn to kiss all over her, hands roaming up and down Adora’s body, taking in all the curves and hard muscles until they stopped to playfully fondle the voluptuous breast.

The blonde groaned in delight, moving one hand to grip those soft curls that had been freed not too long ago, pressing Catra’s face against her lips and deepening the kiss.

It seemed that when their tongues met, Catra forgot to keep going with her movements since her hands stilled, now too focused on the languid kiss.

Adora knew just what she liked and how she liked it. Between every couple of kisses, she pulled away to tug at the brunette’s lips or gently bite her neck without leaving any visible bruises.

Catra whispered her name each time in what seemed to be a prayer, and how could she not oblige to such desire?

Adora kissed her neck one last time before gripping her waist and rolling them over. Now on top, the Avatar had the power to do as she pleased.

And so, the night went on, kissing, grabbing, touching, worshiping, pleasing one another until they finally fell asleep with Adora embraced in Catra’s slender arms.

-

It must’ve been late at night or early in the morning when an explosion ruined their rest. Catra, being the light sleeper, immediately jumped out of bed and looked out the window, where the sound came from.

The sky was starting to light up, but all the smoke and ashes coming from the royal prison turned the atmosphere gray. Catra’s guts immediately made her think about Prime’s escape by the hands of Shadow Weaver, like she had always suspected.

Adora woke up as well and immediately threw on a dressing gown to cover herself.

“What’s happening?!” She asked, and that was enough for Catra to exit her trance and put some clothing, including the armor.

“I-I don’t know! I think Shadow Weaver is here to free Prime. The guards have no chance against her, we must do something!” The Firelord ordered as she opened the door to the balcony to better examine the scene.

Adora quickly followed her but could not see anything aside from the smog in the air.

“If we’re together, we can easily take her out. I’m sure of it. Don’t worry Catra, we’ve got this.” Adora reassured with a hand on her shoulder and a cocky smile.

“Yeah, you’re…”

Catra’s eyes worked better than the average person, being a magicat meant having all her senses heightened, including sight. Amongst all the chaos, she distinguished six figures, but recognized only two of those: Shadow Weaver and Prime. Only when she saw how the other four fought against the guards did she recognize them as the members of the Red Lotus.

Their main target was Adora, Prime being the bait to lure her in, she was sure of it.

“Let’s do this!” The Avatar exclaimed, unaware of the real danger. Catra only nodded, waiting until her gaze locked away from her to finally strike.

Just as Adora was about to jump into action, Catra stealthily brought her hand up and hit her in the back of the neck with a knife-hand strike.

The blonde immediately fell unconscious. The smaller woman quickly locked her up in their closet, wanting to hide her.

Adora was safe, but she couldn’t let them get away. Full of anger, she jumped out of the balcony and propelled herself in the air by using a jet of fire from her feet until she reached the group, uncaring of the surprise element.

The first to notice her was Prime, who warmly smiled at her, seemingly proud of the technique and uncontrolled anger.

The Firelord landed right in front of them, creating a barrier of fire that surrounded all of them, not letting any way out to escape.

“I’ve been waiting for this day for the past two years. This is the day where I’ll finally get to kill you with my own hands.” Was the first thing Catra said, looking directly at her old instructor. Shadow Weaver had not changed at all, same height, same mask, same annoyed tone of voice.

“I’d like to see you try.” Catra scoffed before launching a fire blast at her, but got quickly extinguished by the waterbender man, his eyes as icy as ever.

Thanks to DT’s work, she came to knowledge of their identities: his name was Kaiton, from the southern water tribe. The earthbender girl is Naza, also the youngest of the group at the tender age of nineteen. Then there was Reha, the founder of the group, from the western air temple. At last, Yuko Gong, son of general Gong, sent to live in a colony up the north pole just before the birth of his first son.

“I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with us. It’s five against one, who do you think is going to win?” Kaiton warned with a calm voice. Catra didn’t have any of that, though. All she could think about was putting an end to this mess once and for all.

“It doesn’t matter who I must go through or how many of you I have to get rid of. I will rise above, I always win!”

“Bring it on, then.”

Catra didn’t hesitate for a second, immediately going after the swordsman since he was the least dangerous. She launched a long-ranged tracking fire mortar at the enemy. The boy would’ve been done for if it wasn’t for Naza blocking the attack with an earth wall. In the meantime, Reha got to work to put out the fire barrier surrounding them with airbending. Shadow Weaver took the opportunity and trapped Catra by turning the earth beneath her into quicksand, preventing her from moving.

Whatever, she didn’t need her feet to win the fight. Playing the defeated one, she stopped fighting, waiting for someone to get close to her.

That someone was the incautious Naza.

“Ha! Already giving up? I told you guys Shadow Weaver was overestimating her.” She exclaimed proudly to her companions before turning to Catra.

The look on her face was something she had never seen before; bloodshot green eyes opened wide, the pupils barely showing, eyebrows so lifted upwards that were threatening to reach the girl’s own hairline.

But the smile, that smile was what threw Catra off the most; it was a full-on smile that looked like it hurt to maintain, but remained stuck there, completely unmovable even as she spoke.

“I can’t believe you were the main strategist of the Rebellion during the war. You are actually dumb if you thought you could defeat us!”

The Firelord pretended to listen to that nonsense, but she was about to charge another attack. The other members could tell what she was up to, but the young girl was too stubborn to listen.

“Don’t get that close to her! She’s dangerous.” Reha uselessly ordered her.

“Dangerous?! Guys, we could end this! We should kill her right here, right now!”

“You know that’s not how the plan is supposed to go.” Yuko reminded, but Naza was already sure of their victory. She turned back to Catra, now face to face.

“Maybe we should take you with us, that way your girlfriend will come to us without the need of chasing her. That would solve every-”

Catra didn’t have any of that, she directed a punch that landed perfectly in her stomach. Just as her hand came to touch with the skin, she created a flame and then thrusted it down into an explosive burst that sent Naza flying against Shadow Weaver, finally freeing Catra of the quicksand.

Now able to move as she pleased, she went after Reha. Knowing her abilities as an airbender, she opted to create multiple whirling disks of flames that went after her. Even if she tried to escape, Catra was able to redirect the flames in different directions; just as Reha was about to get hit by one of them, Yuko tried to attack Catra with his sword, pointing directly at her head.

Not having the time necessary to dodge, or anything to protect herself with, the Firelord had to stop the blade with her bare hands, cutting the palms in the process.

Fortunately, the sword managed to only damage part of her right cheek, miraculously missing the eyes.

But he didn’t give up, trying to push the blade further down, cutting Catra’s palms deeper and deeper.

Groaning in agony, the girl started heating up the blade and then created a fire that expanded through the rest of the sword. Only when it reached the handle did Yuko finally let go of the hold, dropping the weapon away.

Finally free to take a breath, Catra lost no time and tried to cauterize her wounds to stop the bleeding.

Those cuts were definitely going to leave some deep scars.

The woman cried in pain as she kept going, but suddenly felt like the air was being pulled out of her lungs. She knew the airbender was the cause for the loss of oxygen. With few seconds left of consciousness, she located both the woman and the bloodbender. Desperate to try and solve two problems with one move, she launched two separate lightnings at the same time. With how unpredictable the move was, and how fast the speed of light is, neither of them had the time to dodge the attack, resulting in the main threats getting knocked out.

But the fight wasn’t over yet, Shadow Weaver took the opportunity and submerged Catra’s whole body underground, leaving only the head free, effectively preventing her from moving at all.

“Boy, get that sword and behead her! I know you want to!” She yelled at a conflicted looking Yuko.

“It’s not how we-”

“Just think about everything the Avatar took from you, don’t you think it’s time to give her some of her own medicine by getting rid of the thing she loves the most? Don’t you wanna see her suffer for the loss of this pathetic runt?” When Catra met his eyes, she could see how full of sorrow and resentment they were. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to think what Adora could’ve possibly done to him; she’s pretty sure those two didn’t even know one another.

“Do it.” Shadow Weaver ordered sternly at him. The swordsman nodded with newfound resolution and lifted the weapon, ready to strike.

But Catra had one more trick under the sleeve. Although physically drained and hurt, she managed to gather enough energy to spit a fire stream out of her mouth, sending him away with numerous burns.

The only fighter left was Shadow Weaver, but before she could do anything, Prime approached the younger woman.

“My my, you have exceeded my expectations by far. You are ruthless, powerful and never give up. You are exactly how I designed you to be. You have made me proud.”

He said it with so much sincerity that Catra found it hard to believe, but with all the tiredness and the knowledge that these were probably her last moments, she finally gave up as tears started streaming down her face.

“Father, how could you? I-I thought you were changing.”

“The only one who changed here is you, and for the better my child. Now, let this be my last lesson for you,” The man forcefully grabbed her face so that she could look at him in the eye.

“You can only trust yourself.”

At that point Catra completely broke down; no more tears were released, just sobs as she waited for her faith to be sealed.

“I told you not to speak to her again!” Kamare’s voiced yelled as she joined the action and attacked him with an ice punch.

Catra only saw glimpses of the fight as she uselessly tried to stay awake, but alas, the world turned into darkness at a certain point.

───────────────────────────

Adora spent the next twelve hours in anxiety mode, especially after learning that even if Catra had already woken up, she didn’t want any visitors. She was mad at her for knocking her out and locking her in a closet, but the wait of seeing her was more dreading than the disappointment she felt at that moment.

So, when the Firelord requested for her and Kamare’s presence, she did not waste any time and marched straight into their shared bedroom. Catra was sitting at her desk with glasses on, casually reading some documents. Almost as if she didn’t nearly get killed the previous night.

The new scar on her face was enough proof of the experience.

Fortunately, Kamare showed up in time; not so fortunately, Shadow Weaver managed to escape through her damned underground tunnels, bringing the others along with her.

When Adora learned the story, she didn't know if whether to be mad or worried, but judging by Catra’s casual attitude, it was turn to be angry.

Before she could say anything, though, the Firelord spoke up.

“I called you over because doom in the Fire Nation is inevitable. Prime is gone and working with the Red Lotus. Whatever their goal is, it will end up with me being dethroned and possibly killed, but you already knew that.” She explained calmly, now pacing around the room with nonchalance.

“We thought the Fire Nation was the best place to hide for Adora because of the high-level security in the palace, but I was proven wrong once again. So, in order to keep you safe, I’ll transfer you to live temporarily in the southern air temple.”

“No.” Adora refused immediately. She was not going to leave Catra, she was not going to run away, not again.

“It’s not a choice. It’s an order.”

“It’s my duty to bring balance. I must defeat them.”

“You’re falling into their trap. They are trying to lure you in to kidnap you, use you and then end you. It’s not only you we’re risking, but the entire Avatar cycle. We can’t allow for that to happen.”

“I think Catra is right, perhaps both of you should hide elsewhere, the Fire Nation is not secure anymore.” Kamare offered her point of view, but it didn’t get appreciated by either party.

“I’m not leaving the Fire Nation; I am their leader. You, on the other hand, are leaving as well. I don’t want anything to happen to you either.”

“No, I won’t abandon you.”

“Catra, don’t do this.” Adora begged, tears threatening to come out.

“It’s not up for debate. They’re already preparing a hot-air balloon for you with all your stuff. You’re leaving by dawn and that’s the end of it.”

The blonde couldn’t take it anymore. When she desperately reached for her lover’s hand and met her eyes she saw an iciness that had never been there before.

“Stop, just stop! You’re doing it again, Catra; you’re putting your duties before us. Remember what happened the last time? It took us so long to get back together. Don’t do it again, please!” Already hopeless, Adora got on her knees. Catra looked down at her for a quick moment before she moved her gaze away, not daring to look at her in the eyes again.

“I’m not… it’s for your own safety. I promise I know what I’m doing this time.” She sighed out softly, vulnerability finally showing through the hard façade.

“Catra, all I want is your love.” Was Adora’s tenth plea that got heartlessly ignored.

“Love won’t save us, Adora. Only a well thought out plan will do that.”

“Please, don’t do this!”

“I won’t lose you; I refuse to. I’m doing this for you, to protect you. I love you; I promise.” The brunette confessed with a sigh.

But Adora wasn’t having any of that anymore. She stood back up, pointing at the betrothal necklace.

“You just gave me this, Catra! How am I supposed to believe you love me if you’re sending me away again? You should- we should be together! I’m not leaving.”

“Yes, you are. I don’t care how you feel about it, this is necessary!” Catra snapped back with reciprocated anger.

Betrayed by those words, Adora took a step back.

“If you do this, I am not coming back. Not now, not ever. You cut me out now? You won’t see me for the rest of our lives, are we clear?” She asked, her tone now low and menacing although her heart was breaking in two.

Instead of fighting for their love, like Adora predicted she’d do, Catra didn’t seem fazed by one bit, only scoffing as she checked her claws out.

“Then I guess this will be our last encounter. Farewell, Avatar.” The Firelord bowed as sign of respect, but Adora had never felt so insulted before in her lifetime.

Slowly, she backed up, turning away from her partner.

“Catra-” Kamare tried to object, but quickly got silenced.

“Dismissed!” The woman shouted angrily.

Adora turned to look at her one last time, not recognizing the person standing in front of her. That was not the Catra she loved.

Notes:

Let me know if you liked it and comment theories/what do you think it's gonna happen on the next chapter and follow my twitter here for sneak peeks and Q&A's

Chapter Text

Adora couldn’t bear this torture anymore; ever since she was forced to leave the Fire Nation to move to the southern air temple life felt boring and pointless. The first weeks spent meditating did nothing to her, absolutely nothing. She couldn’t get rid of the thought of Catra, wondering if she had been suffering just as much as herself. Even if the brunette was the one who decided to send her away, Adora knew deep down she still loved her. But even if those actions were guided by love, the Avatar’s rage was far greater than the care she felt for Catra. How she could break off their relationship with such ease was a mystery to her. 

Kamare didn’t seem to be well either, always gloomy looking. Adora could tell the older woman was trying her best not to show it though, constantly putting a smile on and trying to convince her to join her and do some training together. 

Still, the pain in her eyes was as clear as water, showing even through the polite smiles. 

But it turns out Catra wasn’t the only one who sent the people she was closest to the Southern Air Temple; Glimmer transferred Micah and Angella there as well from their stay at Kyoshi Island, fearful of the current world situation. 

None of them enjoyed their time there, that much was sure.

Adora had spent hours listening to Angella freak out about everything: from the new policy with the remaining colonies to the Red Lotus possible intentions to unalive World Leaders, possibly including herself and her husband. 

“I can’t believe she’d do this, sending her own parents away under the excuse of protecting us when she’s in the most danger right now! I tried to fight her, but you know how she is, that girl can be so infuriating sometimes!” She repeated again and again. Micah just sighed every time and looked at the horizon, always whispering a small prayer for their daughter. 

After the first month had passed, Adora stopped moping around and started training harder than ever, ready for the inevitable war that was about to happen. She hated the Air element, but knowing it was her weakest, she sucked it up and dedicated many hours a day to the discipline, determined to finally master it after years of procrastination. 

She still hated it, but at least had more control over the discipline. As a side quest, she also tried learning how to metalbend from Micah, but couldn’t fully grasp the concept, only being able to curve a spoon not thanks to her abilities as the Avatar, but because she got frustrated to the point of bending it with her bare hands.

After three months of hard work and boring meditation, Adora was finally awarded with the title of airbending master and the possibility to get the arrows tattoos. She initially agreed, but after learning that her skin had to be painfully penetrated by a needle many, many, times, she humbly stepped back. 

All those months, and they still didn’t have any news about what was happening in the outside world – or Catra. Adora could’ve taken her staff and flown back to the Fire Nation, she was dreadfully aware of that, but even with all the hurt between them, she trusted Catra’s judgement enough to respect it. 

When she and Kamare were brought here, Netossa and Spinnerella explained that they were to return home when the timing was right. She had no idea what that meant but knew them well enough to know they weren’t bluffing. Those two women weren’t like the other monks, they were more open to the outside world and went against traditions to be recognized as a couple. Of course, their actions were frowned upon, but that never stopped them.

Adora laid down on her bed, looking at the necklace that Catra had given her hours before she ended their relationship. Somehow it had lost its glow, now the colors looking as dull as ever in contrast to how shiny and fierce they once were. Even if they weren’t together anymore, and she was still mad at the Firelord, Adora never took it off unless she wanted to examine it.

 Like she was doing in that moment. 

The blonde sighed as she rested the jewelry against her chest, holding it tight with her hands. After a moment, the door opened, revealing an apologetic Kamare. Since neither of them liked to sleep in the lonely and cold rooms the monks offered, they opted for sharing one to keep each other’s some company.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up.” The elder whispered, but Adora tiredly smiled at her.

“It’s cool. I wasn’t sleeping anyway.” Adora knew the moment Kamare noticed the necklace she held because her face morphed into something sadder, almost mourning. 

“You’re looking at it again.” She affirmed simply, sitting on the mattress in front of Adora’s.

“I am.” She sighed out, the implications of that statement left unsaid but crystal clear. 

“Adora, I am her own mother and should be defending her no matter what, but… what she did to us -to you is wrong in so many ways. I just can’t understand her. I never did. She just… makes decisions without taking in consideration how they will affect people. She keeps on pushing people out of her life and running away ever since she turned fourteen and left the Fire Nation for the first time.” 

It’s true. Adora knew it perfectly. But she also knew why she acted the way she did. 

“She’s looking out for us. Catra thinks this is the best way to keep us safe, away from her and therefore away from all her problems.” She replied, her eyes squinting as she glared at Kamare. She didn’t like where the conversation was going. 

“We could’ve helped her!”

Enough. Adora had enough. She angrily sat up, facing directly Catra’s mother. 

“Don’t you think I know that?! That’s just who Catra was forced to turn into. Scorpia and Entrapta got kidnapped and tortured by Hordak because of her. Now history is repeating itself with the Red Lotus trying to hunt down all the world leaders. It’s pattern recognition. The guilt never left her, and now that she has a chance to protect the people she cares for she’s obviously going to take it! In some twisted way, sending us here is how she’s trying to protect us. Even if that meant breaking our engagement.”

“You are defending her quite a lot for someone who threatened to never see her again if she sent you away.” Adora gripped the bed sheets, her hands trembling with rage as tears welled up in her eyes. 

“That was not a threat, it’s a promise that I’m going to keep.”

“Oh, so I guess you weren’t debating if your breakup was going to be permanent or not when you were looking at the betrothal necklace just five minutes ago.” Adora’s vision blurred with tears as she saw Kamare’s mournful expression.

Like mother, like daughter, they both knew how to hit where it hurt the most.

“We will never get back together! Catra made her priorities clear when she deserted us here, and I am not among them.” 

“Would you get back with her if she asked you to?”

Quiet filled the room once again as Adora thought of the answer. 

The right answer. 

“I would never.” 

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“I never would’ve thought that your plan would work. I’m honestly impressed. Weirdly enough this is going well.” Glimmer said with a smile. Three months in the new colonies plan and there haven’t been any setbacks or alarm rings. And although Catra was happy to finally see some progress, she couldn’t help but want to leave as soon as possible from Ba Sing Se and go back home where she had royal duties to attend. Fortunately enough, she’d be back there by tomorrow night. 

They weren’t supposed to be all in the same room for safety reasons, which is why they kept the meeting as a secret.

“For the time being. This is still the beginning, Glimmer. Also, how can we fully trust Entrapta’s reports? She’s Fire Nation.” Mermista spat back but got an immediate answer by the purple-haired woman. 

“I’m a scientist, not a politician. I always go with the data, and data never lies.” 

“You heard the woman. Data never lies! Now, can we go please?”

“Why, is it past your curfew?” Frosta rolled her eyes at Glimmer’s tease, crossing her arms.

Catra was mesmerized by the young child. After Yue’s death, her parents fell into a deep depression and Frosta had to take charge of the tribe at the tender age of eleven. And although she never had a childhood, she still showed childlike behavior sometimes. 

“Well, I think we are done here. I insisted on meeting you in person just because I feel like we’ve drifted apart lately. I’m glad to have finally seen you all.”

“Except Adora, Perfuma, Scorpia and Bow?” Mermista asked tentatively. Catra’s tail lashed erratically at the mention of her ex-fiancé’s name, still heartbroken. 

“Perfuma and Scorpia live in a swamp, it’s kinda hard to track them down, y’know. Bow had to go over his dads’, looking for some information about the Red Lotus and Adora is safe in the western air temple, along with my parents.” Glimmer replied defensively. 

“Shouldn’t her presence be mandatory for these types of meetings? She’s the Avatar after all.”

“She couldn’t make it for safety reasons. We’ll send her a report of the meeting, though, so that she doesn’t miss anything that we said today.” Catra said curtly, calmly standing up, ready to flee to her assigned room. 

“Thank you again for your invitation Glimmer, but I’m afraid I must go to bed. Tomorrow I have to be up early if I want to get back home before night falls.” Glimmer returned Catra’s respectful bow as etiquette required for two monarchs to do. 

“Of course, my guard will accompany you to your room. I hope it’ll be of your liking, my Lord.”

Catra gave a genuine laugh for the first time in months, already heading to the door. 

“Okay, cut the shit Sparkles. That was way too much. My lord, seriously? Your royal highness, I didn’t know you were this uptight.”

“Shithead.”

“Asshole.” 

They both gave each other the middle finger and then Catra finally left, following the slim guard that had a way too big armor for their body type. 

Finally in front of the bed, Catra eagerly tossed the heavy royal armor to the floor and threw herself on the soft mattress.

Then, the door suddenly opened, revealing the same guard coming in. 

“Is this your first day on the job? You should knock. You can’t just barge in unannounced.” The brunette spat out with annoyance as her relaxing moment came to an end. 

She expected them to excuse themselves, not to take off the helmet and reveal their ugly green face.

“Double Trouble?”

“Sorry Kitten, but I have urgent news that couldn’t wait.” They said, looking as serious as ever. This worried Catra to unimaginable lengths.

Immediately, she stood up.

“Tell me what happened.” She ordered.

“The Red Lotus. They’re planning a march along with Prime. They’ll be inside the capital in less than a week. You don’t have much time left, they are planning on killing you once and for all this time.” The Firelord squinted her eyes at them, looking them up and down. The story didn’t sit right with her.

“Aren’t they anarchists? Why the hell did they team up with Prime, a literal dictator? It goes against everything they stand for.” She thought out loud. The group first freed him from the prison and then planned a march with him by their side. It was all too suspicious.

“You know what they say, a common enemy brings the other enemies together -You being the common enemy, obviously.”

“What do they gain by teaming up with him? He doesn’t have any power left.” 

“Kitten, you are just too naïve.” DT cooed, lifting their head to stroke Catra’s cheek. A simple growl was enough for them to take a step back. Their flirtatious advances had always been clear from the beginning, but Catra never had any of that, especially in a moment like this.

“Think for a second: Shadow Weaver is the common factor in all of this. She obviously helped them infiltrate the castle, how else would they have known where to find daddy Prime amongst all the other cells in that massive prison of yours, hm?” She frowned, now feeling more confused than ever.

“Are you saying she used the Red Lotus just to free him, knowing fully well that they’re looking forward to killing people like him? Is she planning to annihilate them after having gained their trust and then put Prime in power again? That sounds way too dumb.” DT sighed dramatically, impatience starting to show.

“Oh, you are way too oblivious. Let’s take a step back. Why did Shadow Weaver join the Fire Nation in the first place?” Catra raised her eyebrows at that. Shadow Weaver had been by Prime’s side before she was even born, but the story was certainly not kept a secret by the public eye. Everyone always knew what she had done. 

“She was a corrupted Dai Li agent that tried to kill King Micah through a military coup to have the power all by herself but failed and ran away. She came to Prime with all her knowledge and helped him win many battles against the Earth Kingdom.”

“What makes you think that she isn’t doing the same exact thing right now? Wake up, dear. She teamed up with the Red Lotus knowing fully well they’d be able to kill both you and Prime, leaving her free to take the power of your precious country all for herself.”

“She’d have to get through them as well.”

“She has their trust… At least that’s what she thinks.” They smiled at her, but Catra kept a poker face at the supposed revelation. Although DT was the best spy, they were known for their double-faced tactics. Even if she was their highest paying client, she couldn’t exclude the chance of them betraying her for a better offer. It was already worrying enough that they knew where to find her. 

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The sun was setting down, painting the sky of a beautiful orange color that Adora fell in love with. With the Air Temple being up in the sky and her laying down on top of the highest roof, the clouds couldn’t stain the scenery anymore. Slowly, she closed her eyes and filled her lungs with the fresh air. 

Until…

“Adora, the time has come.” She heard Spinnerella say as Netossa violently shook her awake. She was so relaxed she didn’t even hear them coming. Still not fully conscious and confused by the abrupt awakening, she slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

“What do you mean?”

And then she spotted Angella, Micah and Kamare standing behind them. More importantly, Bow was there too.

He looked nervous, eyes shifting left and right erratically, almost expecting something bad to happen for being there. 

Immediately, she ran up to him, hugging him tightly in hopes of calming down, ignoring her heart rate picking up.

“Bow, what’s happening?” She asked, voice trembling. He stepped back, staring right into her eyes with a frown. Finally, he seemed to have regained composure, his face now serious.

“I’m not supposed to be here. The Red Lotus, Prime and Shadow Weaver are marching towards the Royal Palace with an army. Catra, Glimmer, Frosta and Mermista sorted out a plan, but I don’t think they have any idea on how dangerous this situation truly is. I’ve called Perfuma and Scorpia for backup, but I’m here to ask for your help as the Avatar. We need to hurry up.” He explained, tugging at her hands in hopes of making her come with him. However, completely shocked by the news, Adora stepped back, legs trembling as she started sweating cold.

“I-I… what? What do you mean, you’re not supposed to be here? Wait, what are you...?”

“Glimmer doesn’t know I’m here. She didn’t even want me to join in the battle. I came in secret as soon as she left. Scorpia and Perfuma are on their way as well, nobody warned them either. They don’t want any of us to join for security reasons but… I can’t let anyone get hurt. We have strength in numbers.” He turned to the other adults. 

“Which is why I ask of you to come as well. Your daughters are both in danger, out to fight the very group that has been planning to kill them for years. I love them both and don’t want them to get hurt or even worse. I refuse to let that happen. So, come with me!” He begged with tears falling down his cheeks as he fell to his knees, eyes now red and puffy. 

Adora didn’t know what to do or say. Her friends were in great danger while she was there, about to have an anxiety attack.

The Red Lotus were going to try and kill Catra, the woman she still stupidly loved. And she was still determined to not call her for help? They were going to have a talk after all that. Wait, no. Adora promised herself not to talk to her ever again.
She’d just come, save the day, and then leave.

Yeah, that was her plan.

She watched as Micah approached him and got down to Bow’s height. Then, he helped the boy get back up with a gentle hold of his hand.

“Bow, of course, I’m coming. What kind of father would I be if I abandoned my little girl?” He assured before turning to his wife.

“Angella, you should-” The woman raised her head elegantly to appear taller and more menacing to the man that visibly recoiled at the intimidating Queen.

“Don’t you dare. I’m coming as well! I already lost you once. I’m not risking it again. Especially if our daughter’s life is in danger.” Everyone then looked at Kamare. She didn’t appear to be worried or scared to the others, but Adora learnt to read the warrior with ease and saw right through the lies. 

“I’m joining in as well. It’s been quite a while since my last fight. I’ll need the warmup.” She said jokingly to ease the atmosphere.

“Thank you, guys. Let’s go now. I’ll explain the plan to you as we head on.”

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“They are coming.” Double Trouble warned as they stood next to Catra’s throne.

“Let them in.” She said with a poker face. Then, she turned to them.

“I advise you to get out while you can, or to hide while possible. Thank you for your services.” For the first time, the humanoid creature seemed to be  worried, about what, Catra had no idea; she knew their loyalty was solely conditioned by the checks she wrote them weekly. DT turned to her with furrowed brows. 

“Regardless of our professional relationship, I wish you the best of luck. Even though I appreciate your pay, I am afraid of what might happen if the Red Lotus succeeds.” Intrigued by the sudden change in personality, she raised an eyebrow.

“And why is that?” She asked with curiosity, face still impassive.

“I… I’ll have no business if everyone turns poor because of them. It takes no genius to know they’re only gonna destroy the world as we know is as it is. I don’t want that. This is how is survive… how I thrive.” 

“But you’re still not gonna join me willingly.” For free, is what she truly meant, but they both understood the real meaning. Double Trouble chuckled as they shook their head in denial.

“Frankly, it’s very unlikely you’re gonna make it out alive today, Kitty. Perhaps I will join one of your princess friends, or even the Avatar if it truly comes to it. But for today, I’m just going to hide and watch what happens. If you do survive, contact me.” Catra broke character and let a smirk slip out. She had a plan in action -she always had a plan- and managed to hide it from Double Trouble successfully. Even if she did appreciate their intel, she knew better than to fully trust them. 

They kneeled before the Firelord before retreating, leaving Catra finally alone, surrounded only by the throne’s blue flames. 

Slowly, she breathed in and out repeatedly to calm her nerves. She was ready. She studied every single possibility and made backup plans for backup plans. Glimmer, Frosta and Mermista knew what they had to do and so did their generals and soldiers. All the steps, all the procedures, everything. They could not fail.

As soon as she found out about the Red Lotus and Prime’s march towards the capital, she and the others spent hours putting together an infallible strategy. 

The other nations’ armies were already residing in the palace and the capitol as undercover citizens, each one of their accommodations strategically placed. 

Catra ordered her guards to stand down when the Red Lotus came, knowing they wouldn’t stand a chance against them and their army. 

Finally, the main doors opened, revealing the organization’s main members, Prime and Shadow Weaver. 

“You knew about our arrival.” Reha stated, wandering around the room.

“How could I not? You weren’t exactly discreet when you decided to parade around my streets, shoving lies down the crowds’ throats… my citizens. My people.”

“What we preach is nothing but the truth, your royal highness.” The woman jokingly kneeled as she laughed, followed by her colleagues.

“I am Firelord, that is your Majesty for you, estranged airbender.” When Catra sent DT to research the leader, she came to know that Reha went rogue after being denied her air bender tattoos because of how opinionated she was in politics. 

The woman stopped her steps, expression now hard as she looked at Catra.

“Do not think you are worth more than me. Your life has no meaning, no value. You know why we’re here.” 

“You’re here because if it weren’t for the literal tyrant that you decided to ally yourselves to, you wouldn’t have any sort of influence on the crowds.” 

This time Prime turned to look at her with his sinister smirk. Catra immediately hissed at him in discomfort. Just looking at him made her feel sick. Trusting such beast was the worst decision she ever took. 

“Do not fear, child. I’m here to take back what’s mine.” Catra angrily stood up, the flames surrounding her now taller as well. 

“You are powerless! Kamare took your bending away for good! You are nothing! You can’t even defend yourself now. What kind of Firelord would you be now without any power, hm?” 

“The kind that restores peace in a nation that you are destroying.” He seemed indifferent by Catra’s presence, bored even.

Traitor. 

“You started this war.”

“We’re not here for family therapy. We’re here to bring you to justice.” Kaiton instructed firmly, signaling for Catra to get closer to him.

She knew she couldn’t fight them all and survive once again, there was no use. Without losing her composure, she went down the stairs, getting down to the enemy’s level. 

“You’re going to have a public execution. Our army and the folk are already gathered in the main courtyard, they’re just waiting for you.” Right then, she felt her body tense, but it wasn’t because of her fear, it was an external force.

“Is this really necessary? I’m giving up willingly.” 

“Just until we take the right precautions with you. You can’t blame us, after all.” 

Even through the pain, Catra laughed. It was true. Every single time they thought they had her, she always found a way to get out of the situation.

Naza proceeded to craft rock cuffs to Catra’s wrists, shackles for her feet and a mask over her mouth with a couple of holes breast wide enough to breathe through.

“Come on now.” It was difficult and uncomfortable to walk like that, especially when the swordsman was right behind her as she moved forward, the tip of the katana poking her purposefully from time to time.

Now placed on the courtyard’s stand, with all the people that came to watch her die, Catra started to feel a bit nervous. 

Once she was in the middle of the stage, Kaiton forced the Firelord to kneel with his bending as her restraints got replaced with a solid block of rock that covered her whole body except for the face, which was now free of the mask.

“Ladies and gentlemen! We are gathered here today to celebrate the start of a new era! We are the Red Lotus and we vouch for freedom. Freedom that was stolen from you by your newest Firelord. Do not fear, as Prime will come back as Phoenix King!” 

Some people cheered, some remained silent. None of them, though, had enough courage to protest against the current coup. 

It was beyond humiliating, but Catra endured it all. She knew she was going to be freed soon enough.

“Any last words?” Shadow Weaver inquired. Even through the mask, Catra knew there was a smirk on her scarred face. 

Nevertheless, the Firelord took a deep breath and opened her mouth. 

“For hundreds of years the world has suffered. People have been forgotten and enslaved, without voice, without hope… Now, I am their sword, and I do not forgive. I do not forget.” At that moment, Glimmer was supposed to intervene, but nothing happened yet. Trying to buy more time, the panicked woman continued her speech. 

“I let you in my castle, let you think you own me. Let me welcome you into my house so I might burn it down with you in it. If I’m going down, then I’ll take you with me. Only justice will bring peace.” That was supposed to be another signal, but again, nothing happened.

Everybody glared at her menace, until Naza started laughing hysterically, easing the atmosphere for the others, but not for the Firelord. The girl walked up to her with that creepy smile of hers, petting Catra’s head as if she were a fucking house cat.

“For being someone who’s about to die, you’re pretty funny. Actually, kind of the full package…” The earthbender eyed her face in a predatory way, sending shivers down the hostage’s spine.

“Strong, powerful, determined, pretty… too bad you’re on the wrong side, we could’ve made a jewel out of someone like you.” She sighed dramatically before walking away.

“I’ll leave her to you, Yuko. She’s all yours now.”

Fuck, where did her allies disappear to?

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With all the commotion going on, Adora managed to infiltrate the throne room pretty easily through the roof’s ventilation system. She saw how Catra willingly gave up to the Red Lotus through the tiny gaps. 

Even though only a few months had passed since their last meeting, Catra seemed to have aged years. She lost muscle and got incredibly thin -thinner than when she first saw her in the desert in their first reunion- resulting in her royal attire looking loose instead of well-adjusted.

The dark circles, pale complexion and caved in cheeks made her resemble Prime, their genetic connection now undeniable. 

Adora wanted to fight right then and there, but knew she had to be patient. Bow tapped her shoulder, signaling for her to follow him as they moved towards the room that led to the courtyard. There, they saw Glimmer and Mermista knocking out the guards and then finally jumped off the vents.

Glimmer’s immediate reaction was to throw a punch at Adora in fear. Luckily, her reflexes were fast enough to avoid the blow.

“What the fuck?! You’re not supposed to be here!” The Queen shrieked, but got quickly shushed by her boyfriend.

“I wasn’t going to let you alone through this mission. End of story. I called for some backup because we’re definitely going to need it.” Bow scowled angrily at her, his anger evident. 

From behind them, Kamare, Scorpia, Perfuma, Micah and Angella all appeared, ready for action.

“You called in my parents? Are you nuts?!” 

“You must be a genius,” Mermista chimed in sarcastically as she pointed at Adora.

“You brought them the Avatar, the being they want to use to open a portal to the spirit world and then cancel the cycle, dooming the world. Now we’re totally fucked.” 

“I’m not going to sit and meditate over the clouds when all of the people I care about are risking their lives. We have strength in numbers!” Adora pleaded angrily and then pointed at the infiltrated group.

“We have some of the strongest fighters here. King Micah, a warrior that invented metal bending. Your mom, a master of earthbending that led entire armies to victory. Kamare, a literal living legend. Scorpia: lightning bending, do I need to say more? Perfuma, nobody out there knows about plant bending, her attacks would take anyone off guard. And Bow was appointed as an honorary member of the Yuyan archers, a group formed only by elite archers, known for never missing.” She continued arguing angrily, forgetting what was happening outside of that room and the life at stake in that moment. 

“I should ask you guys why you didn’t bring us here willingly. Did you really think you could take on them all alone?! You know how powerful the Red Lotus and Shadow Weaver are. ”

“We have an army! In fact, multiple armies. Our soldiers are here, ready to fight.”

“Then what are we waiting for?!” Adora called with exasperation.

“We are waiting for Catra to give us the goddamn signal!” Glimmer froze.

“Shit, the signal.” Mermista peeked outside, quickly followed by everyone else. 

Adora saw as Catra’s body was trapped beneath a rock prison, only her head poking out of it. 

Her breathing stopped once she saw Yuko, the swordsman, raising his katana menacingly. Before she could intervene, though, the blade hit Prime’s skull, right in between his eyes. 

Chapter Text

Catra closed her eyes in fear, knowing she was about to get beheaded. It was hard to breathe, she tried to gasp for air but it was all useless. Her mind raced and raced until everything became quiet again.

The woman revisited all of her memories with friends and family and realized how much had changed over the years. Never could she have imagined to die like that. 

Catra had always been a piece of shit, always. Stubborn, hot-headed, rude… people got hurt because of her, got killed. She never had the chance to redeem herself until now. Today was supposed to mark the end of this anarchist revolution, not the end of her life.

Slowly, she opened her eyes again, ready to face destiny. However, as she looked down, she saw Prime’s lifeless body laying in front of her, skull now deformed and black blood pouring out of his forehead.

Yuko stepped closer to the body, only to extract his sword from the hole it created. 

Catra could do nothing, not even if she wanted to. Her stare remained anchored to the blood stain, not even on the corpse. She could not look at it. 

“Fools!” Kaiton spoke up to the crowd.

“The Red Lotus is against world leaders! We want freedom for all of you, and he was not going to give it to you. Many of you fail to realize that the natural order is ruled by chaos.”

“Well said.” Shadow Weaver added with a clap, sounding satisfied with the homicide that had just taken place. 

The man turned to the woman, harsh expression.

“Do not think we don’t know your true intentions. You are just like them all… you need to cease to exist.” 

As she heard those words, Catra managed to snap out of her trance, now looking as the man used his bloodbending skills to lift Shadow Weaver’s body in the air.

Then, she heard a crack. Then, another one. Then, two more…

On and on and on again for minutes until the last bone that was snapped belonged to her neck. 

The scariest thing was the silence; Shadow Weaver didn’t make a sound as she got murdered. No scream, no grunt, not even a gust of air could be heard from her. 

Catra then felt a blade subtly pressing against her neck. 

“Now it’s your turn, and I’ll enjoy every second of this… I’ll take from the Avatar the person she loves most, just like she once did to me.” He spat out bitterly. 

The magicat didn’t dare to move her head, but raised her eyes, looking at the boy. He seemed familiar, but couldn’t quite recall from where she recognized him from aside the multiple murder attempts. 

Just as he was about to strike her, the Firelord got rid of the rock prison, free at last. 

Glimmer finally caught on the fucking signal.

Swiftly, she rolled out the way, successfully avoiding the death penalty. 

And just like that, in less than ten seconds, chaos invaded the new battlefield. 

Catra, still too shocked by the recent murders, couldn’t quite pinpoint who was an ally and who was the enemy; she just attacked whoever dared to touch her. 

Dazed, but not weak, she pulled her weight in battle as she searched for her friends.

There was smoke and blood all around, making it impossible to recognize who was who. 

None of the plans predicted such outcome.

She was lost. 

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As soon as Glimmer freed Catra, Adora sprang into action, launching herself at the swordsman who threatened her ex-fiancée’s life. Yuko deftly dodged her tackle, disappearing into the chaos of the battlefield. Adora quickly regained her footing, scanning the throng of fighters for any sign of him. She recognized the faces of her allies and the soldiers she had fought alongside in countless battles.

Fueled by adrenaline and rage, Adora moved through the battlefield with precision, neutralizing anyone who dared cross her path. Her focus was singular: find Yuko. She ignored the chaos around her, the screams, and the blood splattering her once pristine white shirt.

Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat. It felt as if the air was being sucked out of her lungs. 

Reha.

Adora’s eyes darted around until she spotted the airbender perched atop a high flagpole. There was no way she could reach her in time. Slowly but surely, her sight started to fade out as she kneeled down, colors now becoming just a mere shadow of what they once were.

But then, she saw a lightning hit and burn down the pole, making the villain lose concentration. 

Finally free to breathe, Adora gasped, taking in all the air she could in one breath. Still coughing and crouched to the ground, she felt a pair of arms lifting her up with ease.

“Come on, buddy. I’ve got you! Don’t tap out just yet.” Scorpia’s voice said. 

───────────────────────────

Still dazed, the Firelord kept on fighting, looking for Glimmer and Mermista without any luck. Then, she saw a bolt in the middle of the field. Amazed by the rare technique that only a few benders could master, Catra looked for its’ origin, only now noticing the real danger.

Scorpia and Adora were there. Not far behind them, Perfuma, Glimmer’s parents and her own mother were fighting as well.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Too many valuable targets in one place, they were too vulnerable now. 

Worse even, the brunette noticed the core members of the Red Lotus circling the group.

Now truly desperate, Catra fought her way through the crowd, angrily slaughtering whoever dared to stand in her way.

Some people she burned, some others she slit with whatever weapon she found on the ground. Nobody stood a chance against her.

“Be careful! They’re here!” She screamed once she was close enough for them to hear. Adora turned towards her direction, but she didn’t look into her eyes.

Catra’s heart fluttered in anxiety, she expected anger from her, not worry. Adora looked leaner, but the muscle mass definitely improved since the last time they saw each other. Catra knew she had finally mastered airbending thanks to Spinnerella and Netossa’s weekly reports. 

The brunette desperately tried locking eyes with the Avatar, but it seemed as if she were looking behind Catra, not at her.

Soon enough, she found out why. 

Too distracted by the sight, she didn’t notice a soldier charging at her. Thankfully, Kamare saved her by sending him away with a strong wave of water from the now destroyed fountain that once stood in the middle of the yard.

“Get your act together!” The adult said sternly, waking Catra up from the trance.

It was already too late.

“Yeah, get your act together!” Naza’s voice mockingly repeated as a boulder got thrown at her direction. This time, it was Micah to stop the attack by stopping it midair before turning it into sand and letting it fall to the ground.

Catra angrily turned to the side, immediately squaring up the girl.

“Give up now and I’ll let you live to see tomorrow! You’ve lost already!” Then, Kaiton walked up to her side, chuckling.

The Firelord walked backwards until she joined her group; Mermista, Frosta, Glimmer and Bow now there, too. 

“I don’t think we’ve lost.” He rebutted calmly, only for Glimmer to shriek at him.

“Our armies destroyed all of your people! Look around, none of your followers is left standing. There’s only four of you and a bunch of us left. Stand down. It’s over.”

“Four is all we need.” Reha said as she joined them, Yuko next to her.

Just then, their remaining men fell to the floor one by one because of Kaiton.

Of course, bloodbending. 

───────────────────────────

Right after their soldiers, everyone else in the group got the same fate, only slower and more painful. They all tried to fight it, but eventually they all fell to the ground, unable to move but still conscious. 

Kamare looked at the man with pure horror in her eyes. 

“Where did you learn this?” She stuttered out between heavy breaths. Kaiton tilted his head and smiled.

“From you. You might not remember me, but I was a warrior from the North that came to your tribe to be trained by Razz. One night, I was wandering around when I saw you being swarmed by Fire Nation soldiers. You were terribly outnumbered and got beaten almost to death. By that point, you weren’t fighting to defend your tribe, you were fighting for your life. I was about to jump in, but then, you got up and performed something never seen before; something so scary and inhumane that only someone on the brink of death would ever imagine to try.” The man looked up to the sky with a smile, as if he were talking about a happy memory.

“I got inspired by you and your strength. I wanted to be as strong as the great Kamare, so I trained every full moon to try enforce my will over the others. It took many tries, I’m not as talented as you, unfortunately. I started with small animals, then moved to the big ones… eventually, I could do it whenever I wanted, without the help of the moon. And now…now I don’t even have to move in order to bend the blood in your body - Sorry, bodies.”

“I only did it to survive, and I was wrong! This technique… it’s not what our abilities are for. It’s not right!” Kamare lifted her head as she argued. 

“You talk like my old master. When I showed him the results of my training, he forbid me to use bloodbending. You say it’s wrong, I say we can do great things with it: we can heal the wounded, protect the ones we love… we can take people’s bending away, just like you did with Prime.” Kataon then showed anger.

“How is it that you can come up with such techniques with so much ease? Do you know how many years I’ve trained to just have a fraction of the talent that you possess by birthright?!” He angrily slammed Kamare’s face back to the ground with his bending, angering Catra with his violence. The woman fought against gravity and managed to lift her bust, using her elbows as lever.

“Do you know how powerful you could’ve been if you had embraced this power instead of rejecting it? It would’ve taken you mere weeks to master it instead of the years that it took me just to manage performing it without the help of the full moon. You sicken me: a powerful warrior turned to a mere servant, all because of the fear of getting your offspring hurt if you had fought for your freedom.” 

Before he could hurt Kamare again, Catra spoke up. 

“Coward, you couldn’t fight any of us without your fancy technique! I dare you to release me — I’m going to kill you with my bare hands!” 

The man chuckled, looking between Catra and Kamare.

“Of course, she’s your daughter… Prime, seriously, how did that happen? Wait, I don’t wanna know. All I know is…” He put his foot on top of the Firelord’s head, forcing her back to the ground.

“You’ve been a nuisance from the beginning. Always putting up a goddam fight, ruining our plans over and over again!” He kicked her straight on the nose, making it bleed. The force was enough to roll her over so she could face Adora. 

In Catra’s eyes there was no fear, only anger, but, as their eyes met, that fury quickly turned into distress. 

The blonde opened and closed her mouth multiple times. She had so many things to tell her, but none of them made their way through. It was physically impossible to put into words what she felt for Catra in those moments. 

As she saw the blood coming out of the magicat’s nose, she wanted nothing more but to nurture her back to health, to heal her wounds, to protect her from the upcoming danger, but she could not do that if trapped under Kaiton’s will.

Adora desperately tried to break free, but could barely dig her fingers to the ground. Even breathing felt hard to do.

“I’m tired of your little games. We needed you alive to lure everyone in, and now that you’ve served your purpose, you’re not really useful to us anymore.” Another kick, this time to her stomach, making the woman curl in pain.

“You really are the worst version of your parents: conceited and reckless.” He put his foot on her head again, smashing it further against the ground with greater pressure. 

“Unluckily for us, you also got their raw power and strength, making you one of our biggest threats till date. We underestimated you, but it won’t happen again.” Kaiton turned to his ally.

“Yuko, get here! It’s your moment.” 

As the boy approached, wielding his sword, Adora didn’t know what to do to stop him: she didn’t have enough oxygen to use for firebending or air bending. She tried, she really did, but only a mere flow of air or small flames got produced. 

Everyone started screaming as Kaiton forced Catra to lay on her back, body completely stiff as she faced Yuko raising his sword.

“You better hope your aim is good this time.” Catra laughed as she faced death, angering the boy.

“Don’t worry, just one cut and your head will roll away from your body.” 

Adora looked around and saw how Angella uselessly tried to reach for Glimmer to soothe her, the crying daughter attempted to extend her arm in order to grab her mom’s hand, but they were too far apart. 

Micah, having Frosta to his side, did his best to comfort her, but the teenager kept on squealing in both pain and fear. 

Mermista only had enough strength to call out for a missing Seahawk. 

Scorpia and Perfuma cried in unison at the scene. 

Then the Avatar’s eyes landed on Bow: he cried as he looked at her.

“I’m sorry, I was just trying to help. This is all my fault. Please, forgive me.” He sobbed out.

The blonde hadn’t fully mastered the Avatar state yet, but had to access it one way or another. She had way too much emotional turmoil to enter it through meditation, so she had no other choice but to gain access to it by letting go of control. It was dangerous, but that was the only option available. 

Adora got tired of it all. Tired of the games, the threats and the manipulations. 

She accomplished to access the Avatar state and easily freed herself of Kaiton’s will over hers, raising herself above ground with an air spout.

Just as Yuko’s sword was about to hit Catra’s neck, Adora conjured a crescent wave of compressed air that moved the brunette’s head away from the blade‘s trajectory just in time.

Having the Red Lotus’s full attention, the Avatar was ready to face them once and for all. 

The first one to attack was Reha by trying to suffocate her once again.

Unfortunately, Adora wasn’t herself anymore. She had now all of the previous Avatars knowledge and memories colliding with her angry state of mind, which completely erased her moral code out of existence. 

With a swift motion, she reversed Reha's attack, forming a sphere of air around the woman's head. Though, instead of depriving her of air, Adora forced it into her mouth with relentless power. Reha struggled, but it was futile. Naza and Kaiton tried to attack with their elemental assaults, but Adora neutralized them effortlessly with a mere flick of her hand. The air inside Reha expanded, stretching her insides until they ruptured. Her death would be slow and agonizing, lasting minutes before she eventually faded away.

With the little conscience she had left, Adora turned to her allies.

“Get out of here, while you still can.” She instructed, her voice a haunting blend of many, unrecognizable.

The now-trio stared at her in terror. 

Adora wasn’t Adora anymore; she was the combination of all of her previous lives merged with Raava. All of their memories, knowledge and emotions collided, using her body as the only vessel. Having accessed her current condition through pure hatred, she felt all of her past existence’s frustrations at once. 

She experienced the fury that got gathered through thousands of lives before hers. 

“You have devastated the balance of this world, and now, you shall pay the ultimate price.” 

───────────────────────────

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!” Mermista kept on repeating while Catra got dragged away from the stage and into the entrance hall. 

When Adora moved her aside, Yuko’s sword was already near to her head, but her body got moved enough so that she wouldn’t get beheahed.

Still, she lost a fucking foot. 

The cut wasn’t clean, the blade got stuck at the tibia. Yuko took advantage of Reha’s attack on Adora to retract the sword.

And then swung it again on the same exact spot, ending the job by breaking through the fibula.

“Alright then, let’s start with one limb, then we’ll get to the others.” He muttered, eyes scrunched as he looked at the mess he made. 

Catra could do nothing except scream in pain. She identified every single vessel, nerve and muscle getting torn apart. Worst part of it all, she felt her right foot throb, except it wasn’t there anymore. 

Glimmer launched a boulder at his direction, but he avoided it and then ran away towards his group again. 

The queen was ready to attack again, but got stopped by Adora’s intervention. 

Catra got picked up by Micah, her body starting to go limp as the adrenaline quickly worn off her system.

“No, no! Stay awake!” Kamare ordered her, but keeping her eyes open was turning out to be harder than expected. 

She got laid down on a sofa, blood squirting out of her leg.

“Mermista, can you do something about it?” Scorpia asked the girl, showing her the foot she was holding.

Just that sight was enough to send Catra on a spiral.

“Adora?” She asked through agony, her voice hoarse.

She noticed both Kamare and Mermista trying to somehow use their bending to try reattach it, but it only worsened the situation by increasing the blood flow towards the area, basically bleeding dry the Firelord.

“Adora’s… Adora’s going to protect us, I think.” Bow tried to reassure her, but then a heart quake happened.

“Okay, I hope there was nothing valuable in the right wing of the castle because now it’s destroyed.” Glimmer reported after looking through the curtain.

“Adora!” Catra demanded again, her mind only worried about the person she had been trying to protect all this time from the very enemy she was fighting against now.

Everybody blatantly ignored her wishes, which made the brunette panic even more.

She attempted to sit up, but was gently pushed down by Angella. 

“Catra, we need you to stay still, otherwise there is now way you’re going to make it out of this alive. You’re loosing too much blood.” 

Catra knew it was true, especially because her vision was starting to fade. Her eyes moved back and forth in the room, scanning everyone.

Glimmer and Bow kept on watching the fight outside unfold. Scorpia looked down to the floor, not even daring to set her eyes on the wound. Luckily Perfuma was comforting her.

Frosta stood alone in a corner, unlike Scorpia, her eyes were fully set on the injury and all the blood pouring out of it. Micah disappeared on Kamare’s order to fetch more water.

All while Angella kept on caressing her face soothingly. It felt so good and relaxing, opposite to the—

“Agh!” The woman shouted once again; the more they touched, the more pain she was in.

“Stop it, stop it! I can’t — Please!” She begged, tears running down her face. 

Just then, Adora barged in, immediately rushing to her side.

“Catra, Catra!” 

Adora was alive, and well… apparently at least. 

The brunette achingly moved her hand to touch the Avatar’s face. 

She was really there, it wasn’t an hallucination.

That was all Catra needed to know.

She could rest now. 

───────────────────────────

When Catra woke up again, she sensed that her body had been moved elsewhere, probably to her own bed. She tried to pry open her lids, but they were just too heavy, just like her breathing. 

The second sense that got activated was her hearing, which allowed for her to recognize the voices of the people in the room. The magicat couldn’t quite process the words they were muttering, but grasped her mother’s and Adora’s presence in the room by the timbre of their voices.

She moved her ears forward, trying to understand the conversation happening around her, but a creeping pain started to show up.

At first, it was only mild, but it turned unbearable in just a couple of seconds.

If she was too weak to open her eyes before, now Catra had found enough strength to sit up, arms automatically extended to hold tightly against her right calf. Not only did her foot hurt, but the entire leg, forcing her to let out a loud cry.

Immediately, her body got wrapped by mysterious but strong arms, not letting Catra the freedom to move further, agitating her to greater levels.

She didn’t even feel the syringe penetrate her arm, the solution entering her body quickly made the pain disappear.

At last, Catra dropped back to the mattress, eyes now open. 

The first pair of arms that engulfed her belonged to Scorpia. 

“You’re fine! Oh stars, we were so worried about you, Wildcat. We’ve missed you so much.”

The brunette grunted in discomfort, she was much too sickly for her best friend’s bear hugs. 

Getting the hint, she got let go, her mother’s hands caressing her hair as she laid her head back on the pillow.

“How long was I out for?” Was Catra’s first question, her mind already wondering about all the bureaucracy she had to catch up on. 

“Almost a week, dear. Glimmer, Frosta and Mermista had to leave a couple of days ago, after they learnt you were going to be fine. Scorpia, Perfuma and Bow are here though, ready to cheer you up.” Kamare explained with a smile plastered on her face, but all Catra could focus on was Adora’s grim eyes staring at her. 

She was sitting on a chair, right next to Kamare, and yet they still haven’t had a single interaction.

Then, it all clicked in Catra’s mind. 

The Red Lotus, Prime and Shadow Weaver’s death… Adora fighting alone against them. 

“The Red Lotus, what happened?!” She demanded to know. Adora scoffed angrily at her, then turned her head around to look elsewhere.

Catra noticed the tears flowing down the blonde’s cheek.

“Reha’s… gone. The rest of them escaped using Shadow Weaver’s tunnels. Micah tried to intercept them but — It’s a labyrinth under there, even for him.” Perfuma unfolded the story with poorly hidden rage. 

The only question left was: How—?

“I’m sorry. I- I didn’t have control over myself and lost focus. I was aiming for them but then it all got blurry I… I started destroying everything in my path, not caring about our main goal. I failed to neutralize all of them.”

Fuck. Okay. No, it was still a win; their army got zeroed and their leader dead. 

Pretty significant win. 

As much as she wanted to comfort Adora, Catra needed to find the Red Lotus’ new location, and in order to do that she needed Double Trouble.

Ready for action, she freed herself of the warm blankets over her and headed towards the bureau to fetch paper and pen. 

Only she fell face down to the ground as soon as she stepped out the bed. 

Okay, that was weird.

Immediately she got circled by everyone, followed by stupid questions like: are you okay?

Right in that moment, the door swung open, revealing Entrapta and Bow.

“How’s my patient feeling?” She asked enthusiastically, only to frown at the scene. 

“What are you doing on the floor?”

“I don’t know! I tried to get up and walk but it’s like my legs won’t listen!” Catra replied bitterly as she pointed down and…

Oh.

Oh.

She was missing almost half a leg. 

"No, no, no!" Catra's voice cracked as she tried to comprehend the reality before her.

"What happened? Why can't I feel my leg?"

“Oh, yeah… that.” The scientist pointed at it, which made Catra freak out even more because it meant it was actually real. 

Bow carefully lifted her up and back on the mattress. He held her as if she were made of glass. By the way his fingers trembled, he seemed scared. 

Catra’s eyes remained stuck at the missing limb, memories of the battle flooding her mind once again. 

The look in Yuko’s face while he cut her was almost sadistic, as if he were enjoying it. However, she remembered that when he looked at her in the eyes, his whole demeanor changed, seeming almost sorry for his actions before fleeing away. 

“The blade they used to cut you with was dirty, and although we tried our best to clean the lesion properly, it did cause a bit of an infection that spread rather quickly. I had to amputate further. Luckily we stopped below the knee.”

Everything was just so fucked up. How was she supposed to protect her Nation when she couldn’t even walk? How was she supposed to keep safe the people she loved most? 

“What do you mean -luckily-? I can’t fucking walk! Also, why do I feel pain on a limb that I no longer have?”

“Oh, that’s phantom pain. It’s very common. Sometimes it goes away in a couple of weeks, other times, it stays there for the rest of your life. Also, you should be grateful the infection didn’t spread further because otherwise you would be missing an entire leg, or worse, you could be dead right now.” 

It was official: Catra became a burden to everyone at last. 

Catra's mind was a whirlwind of fear and despair. She felt trapped, helpless, and vulnerable. The weight of her responsibilities pressed down on her, and the thought of being a burden to those she cared about was unbearable.

"I tried so hard to keep everyone safe, and now I can't even stand on my own. What kind of leader am I?"

“Catra, it’s okay—” Bow tried to comfort her, but it was no use.

“You don’t get to say that! We had a plan! If you had stuck with it then everything would’ve turned out the right way.” The brunette shouted with heavy breaths.

“I — I get it, you were panicked, but so were we! I was scared shitless, but I knew the project was solid. I kept composure, even on the brink of death, because we had a fucking great plan. Then, you just decided to mess it all up by bringing everybody else with you. All you had to do was trust us! You… I can’t walk anymore.” What started off as an angry rant ended up with an exhausted sigh. 

Bow looked away for a solid second, then, took in a deep breath as he rested his hand on her shoulder. His eyes didn’t have their usual sparkle, it seemed as if his joy for life were completely gone.

“You are right. I shouldn’t have gone behind your back, but desperate times call for desperate action.” The boy explained firmly, a single tear staining his face as he spoke.

“We failed… I know I can’t remedy what I did, but Entrapta and I have been working on a solution for your lost limb. It won’t make up for the mess I caused, but I hope it can better the situation soon.” 

The Firelord sighed as she looked away. She didn’t want to hurt Bow, but everything was under control; she had snipers with flails hidden all over the palace, ready to strike at her signal, but then it all got messed up with their arrival and Prime and Shadow Weaver’s deaths. 

“I require a moment with the Avatar, please.” Catra pleaded quietly, and the room emptied, leaving only two people in it. 

The Firelord absolutely dreaded this moment: she felt tired, in pain and betrayed by one of her closest friends. Worst part of all, she had to face the Avatar after their last argument.

Adora promised they’d never see each other again, but that wov got already broken when she stepped in front of her, squatting down so their eyes could meet. 

She looked absolutely exhausted; she had bloodshot eyes and dark circles. The results of the recent battle were still visible through the various cuts and bruises on her face, her left eye a bit swollen still.

It took all of Catra’s willpower to speak to her ex-partner with her courtesy tone. 

“Thank you, for not fleeing away and agreeing to talk to me. I know this must be hard for you—”

“Please, keep it brief, my Lord. How can I be of service?”

Ouch. 

Okay, that hurt quite a bit. She would have preferred losing another limb over hearing Adora’s cold tone.

“I—I can’t stay here. The palace is destroyed, inhabitable.”

“You want to flee?” The blonde asked incredulously, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“I don’t... I’m not. I’ll go for a while to Ember Island. It’s my secondary residence and it’s close enough to the Earth Kingdom.” The Avatar squinted her eyes with suspicion written all over her face. 

“And why would you want to go somewhere close to the Earth Kingdom?” she whispered, inching closer. The proximity made Catra uncomfortable, Adora’s intent to intimidate her clear. 

“I don’t think the Red Lotus is going to try attacking the Fire Nation again, that’d be too risky for them. The Earth Kingdom is wide and powerful; they might try to hide there and destroy it directly from the inside. I think Glimmer might be their next target.”

“Why not you anymore? Why not one of the Water Tribes?” She asked. 

“The travel from the Fire Nation to either the southern or northern tribe would’ve been too long and risky. They’d get easily recognized by my ships and soldiers. As for me… they were too aggressive with their strategy. They knew you were residing here, with me,  and used me as bait just to get to you.” Adora’s tough facade cracked for a moment, sadness flickering in her eyes at the mention of their past.

“Every time they tried to attack, though, either one or both of us went apeshit on them and forced them to retreat. They’ll take a more subtle approach now, moving to other targets, possibly leaving me as last after taking everyone else out.” The Avatar’s eyes squinted in what Catra easily recognized as annoyance. She stood on her feet again, towering over the injured woman.

“Don’t you dare ask me to avoid going to the Earth Kingdom because of the Red Lotus. I am going—!” Before she could continue, the Firelord interrupted her by just lifting her hand up. For a second, they just stared at one another, not uttering a single word.

The shorter woman then took notice of the betrothal necklace around her neck. 

Perhaps not all hope was lost for them.

Catra tried to swallow down the giddy feeling, but it resulted in her bursting into a coughing fit. She reached for the glass of water on her nightstand, but Adora was quicker, lifting the tumbler to her lips and supporting her head. It angered Catra that the only way to get Adora’s attention was by being weak. Stubbornly, she took a few gulps to calm down. When she was done, she turned her head away, unable to bear the worried look on Adora’s face. 

“You can do whatever you want, Adora. I’ve tried so hard to keep you safe, but it’s obvious I was wrong the whole time. You are the Avatar, therefore you should know better than me and I should’ve trusted your judgment instead of isolating you far away. If you do feel like going to the Earth Kingdom, or one of the tribes, or wherever you want, then go. I will not stop you.”

Adora seemed surprised, scrutinizing her.

“What do you want from me, Catra?”

“Nothing. I want absolutely nothing from you. The only thing is I ask you to be prudent with what you do— Yes, you are the Avatar, but you tend to punch first and think later. Just… think first now, this is a very delicate situation for you. So: go. I’m leaving for Ember Island until this place is habitable again.” 

Catra wanted to be done with the conversation. Clearly, Adora had no intention of it to be over.

“Who will you go with?”

“Alone.”

“You can’t even walk.” The brunette turned to look at her with furrowed brows after the obvious had been stated. Adora seemed to quickly catch on what she said, her face turning pale as she looked down, where Catra’s leg no longer was.

“I have servants.” She spat out bitterly, snapping her fingers so that the blonde could look at her in the eyes. 

“W-What if you need to escape?”

“I’ll find a way. I’ll probably ask Scorpia and Kamare to come. Entrapta too since she’s overseeing my recovery.”

“What about security, guards?”

“Lonnie. I’ll ask her to bring me two of her more trusted men.” The more Catra answered with solutions, the more Adora grew agitated. 

“It’s dangerous. The Red Lotus could still be here, hiding right under the palace as we speak.”

“We don’t know that yet, but we will soon.” Catra sighed as she pointed at her bureau.

“Please, fetch me paper and ink, I need to write to someone.” 

Chapter Text

Fresh air, rest, somewhere warm… perfect for her rehabilitation.

At least it’s what Entrapta said. 

The more the days passed, the more Catra got sick of it. Sick of the constant babying and phantom pain. Most of all, she got sick of those stupid crutches she had to use constantly.

Initially, she was put in a wheelchair, but she quickly switched to the other torture device, refusing to aknoledge the full extent of the new debilitating loss. Every movement was a reminder of her new limitations, and it was driving her mad.

Most of her days were spent in her room, facing the ocean as she observed Kamare train the Avatar with her water bending.

Although she was at a master’s level of fighting techniques, she lacked the true control of the art, resulting in her never getting granted the title.

It never bothered the blonde until Kamare referred to her as a “half-baked” Avatar for it, waking up the competitive nature within her. 

Adora's movements were fluid, her waterbending improving with each session. Catra couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. She used to be the one training. Now, she was stuck there, helpless and dependent on others.

She had tried so hard to protect everyone, but in the end, she couldn't even protect herself. The guilt gnawed at her, a constant reminder of her mistakes. Catra's mind raced with guilt. She remembered the look of betrayal in Adora's eyes when she sent her away. The words they had exchanged still echoed in her mind, each one a dagger to her heart. She had thought she was doing the right thing, but now she saw how wrong she had been.

And now she was alone.

She had been such a piece of shit to her, and yet, Adora refused to leave her side until she knew with certainty that the Red Lotus was elsewhere. Then, though, she’d go away to hunt them down. It was already decided, and this time Catra could do nothing to stop her. 

Knock.

The door’s sound disrupted her train of thoughts.

“Who is it?” She asked, still facing the window.

“Scorpia, your majesty.” A timid voice announced.

When Catra asked Lonnie for two of her best men, she surely did not expect a quiet Lizard folk and his twink trainee. However, if the captain of the Kyoshi warriors sent them -along with inviting herself-, then she had no other choice but to trust her judgment.

“Alright Kyle, let her in.” Catra pushed herself to stand, wincing as the crutches dug into her armpits. She refused to remain seated, even though she knew it would be easier. She needed to prove that she could handle things on her own.

Scorpia entered the room, her large frame almost filling the doorway. She gave Catra a shy smile, which was reciprocated with a nod.

“Hey, Wildcat, how are you feeling?” 

Even if Scorpia had rebuilt her life with Perfuma at the swamp, she did not hesitate for a single second to drop it to come with her in Ember Island. 

Scorpia had always been her most trusted and loyal friend.

“I’m good, Scorps.” Her friends’ eyes narrowed in what was easily recognizable as suspicion. 

“I can see how much pain you’re in… you’re still not taking the painkillers Entrapta gave you?” Catra shook her head, her grip tightening on the crutches.

“They make me feel numb.”

“That’s the whole point.”

“I know! I just… the pain comes out of nowhere sometimes. Right now, it’s just these damn crutches. I hate them.” Catra's voice wavered with frustration.

“Then sit. We’ve never stood eye to eye. Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m pretty tall. Look, I’ll sit down, too.”

Catra hesitated but eventually lowered herself into the bed. She let out a sigh of relief as the pressure on her underarms eased. Scorpia sat down across from her, her large frame making the chair look almost comically small. 

“See? Now we’re even.”

“I need to ask you a favor.” Catra said, her voice softer now.

“Anything you want.”

“I know we’ve been distant, but you’re still my best friend. No matter where you reside. We’ve known each other for a very long time. Dare I say you know me better than anyone else, including Adora.” Scorpia scoffed as she released a genuine laugh. 

“That’s rich.”

“Well, you know that I never wanted to be Firelord. I still don’t, but my people need me right now. So, I took on the responsibility.”

One of the main reasons why she ran away at fourteen was because she wanted to avoid royal duties at all costs.

It was a role that was put upon her from the moment she was conceived. Her whole existence originated from Prime needing an heir to carry on his lineage of power.

Catra never wanted the responsibility. Hell, she wasn’t even interested in ending the war, she only wanted to rescue Scorpia and Entrapta from their prison cell.

She never had any plans for the future, just wanted to be happy with the people she loved. 

She had made her disdain for the role of the Firelord clear many times to her best friend, who nodded at her, her brown eyes filled with understanding.

“I know. What are you trying to tell me?”

Catra's gaze hardened. 

"I want to establish a democratic system within the Fire Nation. As soon as I stabilize the economy and ensure my people's safety, I will resign as Firelord."

Scorpia's eyes widened in surprise. "That’s amazing, Wildcat. But you sound too worried about it."

Catra exhaled, looking down at her hands. Once, they were elegant, with slim fingers and cared-for long nails. Now, they were deeply scarred, her claws completely darkened by the trauma they suffered from innumerable fights over the years. She had never been the type to worry much about appearances, but damn, these past years really took a toll on her body. 

Literally.

Before speaking, the brunette sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"We still don’t know where the Red Lotus is, or who will be their next target. If they manage to get rid of me, I want you to take my place as Firelord and carry on with my plans."

Scorpia's mouth opened in shock. "Me? But I don’t know if I can—"

Catra interrupted, her tone firm. "Your parents were governors of different colonies, and with the education you received, you have all the cards in your favor to rule effectively. I have no heirs, and you’re the only person I can trust with this mission."

Scorpia hesitated, her claws trembling slightly. 

"I-I don’t know, Catra. I have no idea what to do or say like you do. When you talk to the crowds, just your presence alone demands everyone’s attention and respect. You were born for this. It’s your destiny, not mine."

Catra reached out, placing a hand on Scorpia's arm. 

"I understand why you might be worried. Truth be told, most of the time I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m scared too, y’know. People don’t respect me; they are afraid of me. I am Prime’s daughter and I haven’t been a merciful leader lately. Hell, I’m not even fully Fire Nation. Technically, I would be a bastard.” The brunette explained with an exhausted chuckle. Even though she was born and grew up in the Fire Nation, after learning about Kamare, her citizens viewed her as a water tribe gal. The sad part was that she never had the opportunity to grow up with her mother’s culture during childhood. Catra enjoyed the tribe’s customs, but couldn’t feel a deep connection to them.

She had been deprived part of her identity until adulthood.

All while Scorpia came from an infinite line of Fire Nation’s nobility, her family belonging to the oldest aristocracy in society.

She was everything Catra could not be. 

“You, on the other hand, are the kindest person I’ve ever known. With your wisdom, I’m sure you’d do great as Firelord until you establish a democracy. Then, you’ll be free for the rest of your life.” Catra noticed the tears prickling in the corners of Scorpia’s eyes. Gently, she moved her hand to her cheek, rubbing it gently as comfort.

Physical touch had never been her cup of tea, but her friend needed reassurance. 

“Also, please remember that this is a -if I die- situation, nothing’s certain yet. So, what do you say, partner?” 

Scorpia took a deep breath, her eyes meeting Catra’s finally, eyes now dry and seemingly empty.

Dull.

“If this is your will, then I’ll do it for you, Wildcat.” Catra smiled at her with genuine warmth. 

“You’re the best, Scorpia.”

───────────────────────────

“You’ve gone too far.” Adora stated, her eyes glowing. Catra took a few steps back as the Avatar started levitating.

“You became the very thing you hated. You’re just like Prime and Shadow Weaver.” At that accusation, the magicat’s heart raced in both fear and anger.

“No, I’m not… Adora please, let me explain! I- I didn’t mean to hurt you. All I ever did was to protect everyone!”

“Look around, Catra! Does it seem like you’ve protected us? We are all paying for your error of judgement. I’ve been patient, but now, I’ll have to restore balance once again.”

As Adora levitated higher, her figure slowly disappeared, a white shadow with blue highlights casted behind it. It looked and moved like a comet.

“Raava.” Catra recognized with amazement. Adora’s fury didn’t belong to her, it belonged to the spirit.

Ironic how her life was about to be severed by the spirit of light and peace.

Defeated, the brunette fell to her knees, head tilted downwards as she accepted her fate.

As she looked down, though, she noticed the shadow her body casted on the black floor. It resembled Raava in appearance, except its colors were dark with subtle purple lights.

She observed how its dimensions faltered with each deep breath she took. Intrigued, she inched closer to it, only to find out that it reflected every movement she did.

“Vaatu?” She questioned out loud. She moved her eyes upwards, looking again at how Raava’s presence completely overtook Adora’s and then down again, seeing Vaatu’s shadows increased as well.

“No… no.” The brunette kept on denying. 

“I am not Vaatu! I do not represent him.”

“Except you do. You only bring chaos wherever you go. You make the people around you suffer.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone! I was only trying to make things better.” Catra shouted with rage, standing up once again, uselessly trying to get closer to the spirit.

“Except: you failed. You are a failure. You must be brought to justice.”

And before she could answer back, the woman felt every fiber of her body being crushed by what felt like an infinite weight laid on her chest. 

Catra sat up, screaming her lungs out. Immediately, her room got swarmed by Kyle and Rogelio, only for them to get pushed aside by Kamare, whose room was right next to hers.

───────────────────────────

Adora got instantly on her feet as soon as she heard that chilling and desperate scream. She clumsily managed to put on her robe as she ran down the stairs, her room being the furthest from the Firelord’s as per Her Majesty’s request.

As she got to Catra’s room, though, she saw how Kamare was already at her side, hugging her tightly. Scorpia and Bow stood next to the bed, watching with worry as Entrapta injected her arm with a sedative.

Adora stood by the door’s frame, not daring to take a step forward. The only movement she made was with her eyes, to peek at Catra’s crying face buried in her mother’s arms.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it. Please forgive me.” She kept on muttering again and again, her breaths irregular and heavy as she sobbed.

Eventually, she calmed down enough for her grip on Kamare to loosen up, giving Entrapta the opportunity to medicate her properly. 

As Catra laid on the bed, eyes barely open, everyone else stepped away with tears in their eyes.

Kamare choked up as she watched her daughter’s sufferings. Adora didn’t know what to do or say.

Ever since the battle, Catra’s pain and constant nightmares kept everyone up. Some days were better than others, but the progress made in these past three weeks was almost none. Entrapta did say this was going to be a slow recovery, but nobody expected for it to be this slow.

Magicat’s biology allowed for them to rarely get sick and recover rather quickly, however, it seemed as if Catra had no will left to fight, or live for that matter. She spent most of her days closed in her bedroom, rarely getting out to get a breath of fresh air under Entrapta’s strict orders.

When the scientist was done and Catra finally fell back asleep under sedatives, everyone left, except for Adora. 

The blonde paced back and forth the hallway for the remainder of the night, just in case  something real happened instead of another nightmare. She couldn’t sleep anyway, not after hearing that horrifying wail. 

“Ma’am— please: rest. Rogelio and I will guard the Firelord. It’s the third night in a row: you need sleep.” Kyle kindly suggested, his voice trembling as he spoke to an anxious and irritable Avatar.

Adora stopped her steps and sighed, defeated. He was right: Catra had valid security —even if Kyle was only an apprentice. The blonde once had a sparring session with the lizardfolk and he had amazing raw strength and very good resilience. 

Still, she refused to go back to her room, opting to just sit on a comfortable bench just across the hallway. 

Again, just in case. 

Within the past weeks neither of them spoke to one another. Catra couldn’t even look at Adora’s direction, her eyes seemed to be stuck to the floor most of the time, even when she was surrounded by her friends.

Even though she had already broken her vow to not see or speak to Catra again, Adora was still determined to limit as much as possible their interactions, selfishly hoping that the brunette would take the first step and apologize for sending her away and breaking off their engagement.

Still, the magicat had not shown any signs of repenting yet.

It infuriated Adora, especially because she was still in love with that fucking moron. 

Logically, though, she knew they couldn’t get back together. Their roles have proven they’re meant to be incompatible. 

Avatar Adora and Firelord Catra.

In spite of all that, though, Adora followed Catra’s every movement and progress like a hawk, not risking her life again.

At least until she discovered where the Red Lotus hid. Then, she’d go hunt them down one by one.

Adora remembered exactly all that happened during the fight, including Reha’s homicide under the Avatar state.

It had been brutal, leaving her nauseous for days to come as she felt the exact moment in which the air she bent in her body made her organs burst, not exiting the now-corpse. 

She had never been the sadistic type, but she was going to put an end to the Red Lotus’s members ' lives one way or another. 

Morality could go so far, now it was time for justice.

───────────────────────────

Catra breathed in the fresh and salty air of the ocean. It was refreshing to have the smell of the sea salt surrounding her instead of the usual smell of burnt and ashes of the Capitol. The calming sound of waves was also nice. This wasn’t the glooming silence she was used to, it was rather soothing. 

The company she decided to bring along was rather perfect for the peace she experienced.

Rogelio never emitted a single sound, ever. Catra couldn’t even hear his breathing using her advanced hearing.

She sighed contentedly as she watched the sun setting down, letting the warm light kiss her skin.

Entrapta’s sedative from last night was still in her system, causing her to be a bit dizzy, relaxed, but dizzy. 

As the light gradually got replaced with darkness, Catra looked at her guard.

“Crutches.” She signed to him. The man nodded, handing them to her.

Catra carefully stood up from the wheelchair and grimaced as soon as she felt the familiar pain on her underarms, skin already bruised from the prolonged use. 

“Dismissed for the night, soldier. I’ll make it back home alone. Do not follow me, that’s an order.” She signed again, this time with difficulty as she didn’t have full capability of movement.

The lizardfolk’s eyes widened in surprise, only to bow down in respect before retreating back to the mansion.

As soon as he disappeared inside, Catra made her way to the nearby woods.

It would’ve taken her barely a five-minute walk, but the fine sand didn’t provide her with the stability she needed, causing her to fall multiple times. It hurt, especially since the sand was still hot from the day’s heat, slightly burning her face every time she lost balance. 

The third time it happened, she got fed up with it, punching the useless piece of steel that was supposed to keep her upright, the rage enough to not make her feel the pain from the impact on her knuckles. 

It didn’t get easier once she finally made it to the forest, its thick vegetation threatening her balance even more than the sand. 

After twenty minutes, though, she finally made it to the spot. 

Exhausted, she sat down on a high tree root until she heard the long awaited presence.

“Kitten, congratulations. You made it out alive. Very good.” 

“Double Trouble.” She greeted courtly, standing up again. 

“I was surprised to receive your letter, truly. Hard to kill, I see. The Lord survivor has come—!”

“Let me stop you right there and remind you the reason for this encounter.” She interrupted their melodramatic speech, not wanting to play games anymore.

“I feel like we got off on the wrong foot, maybe we should try the other one…” They chuckled, eyes set on the missing limb.

That was a good one, Catra had to admit it. If the wound wasn’t so fresh, she would’ve found it funny. Instead, she found it unsettling at that moment.

“Do you know where the Red Lotus is, yes or no?” Double Trouble hummed, circling her suspiciously.

“Maybe I do know. However, I think we should ask your girlfriend first.” Catra knew exactly what they were talking about. She felt her presence long before they even showed up. Defeated, she sighed before talking again.

“Avatar Adora, please, come out. We know you’re here.” And just like that, Adora appeared from behind a tree nearby, cursing their hybrid abilities under her breath.

Of course, they both heard her cusses.

“Do you still want me to tell you? This is classified information after all. If your fiancé is here,” They explained, staring at Adora’s betrothal necklace with a subtle smirk. “Maybe someone else followed us.” 

Already frustrated enough by the situation, Catra took a decision that was against her better judgment.

“The Avatar is an ally. I trust her enough that she didn’t lead anyone else here. Whatever you say to me, you can also tell her.” She explained plainly, trying to maintain a neutral tone, as if she almost didn’t choke up when they referred to Adora as her fiancé.

It was also hard to preserve composure when Adora stared at her with those wide and shiny blue eyes, penetrating every wall Catra managed to raise up around her with ease.

“Very well. The Red Lotus is already inside Ba Sing Se, hiding as refugees. They don’t have a lot of supporters, after all, the monarchy is functional in the Earth Kingdom. Still, they killed Shadow Weaver, that’s a big yes from the folk.” 

Just as Catra predicted: they’re in the Earth Kingdom. She needed to write to Glimmer so they could figure out a plan together.

“How long do you think before they try to strike?” Adora asked, alarmed.

“They’re restarting again, slow and steady this time. I’d say they have a couple of months before they try to pull anything. Even then, I’m pretty sure they’ll be more subtle now, hiding in the shadows as they take over the strongest nation from inside the walls.”

“I gotta go there, I have to.” Adora admitted with urgency because, of course she had to go. Catra turned to her, eyes scrunched as she looked for any signs of the blonde being on the verge of a panic attack.

She was fine, just slightly agitated. 

“I only have one condition.” Catra requested calmly. Before Adora could counter, though, Double Trouble spoke up with yet another chuckle.

“Looks like you’ve got a couple.” 

“Dismissed! I pay you to give me information, not roast me. Go away now.” The brunette growled at them before following behind Adora, who already had her glider in hand.

“You can’t stop me.” Adora explained firmly as she kept her fast pace. 

Adora knew Catra could not keep up.

She did it on purpose.

Angered once again, the Firelord launched a blast at Adora’s feet, successfully stopping her for enough time for her to catch up.

“I won’t stop you. I thought I made myself clear last time we spoke. I want to help you.”

“You’ve never supported any of my decisions so far, what makes you think I believe what you’re saying to me?!” Taken aback by the sudden display of rage, Catra stumbled back a bit, but managed to not lose her footing.

“Because if I can’t stop you from doing something rash, then the only thing I can do is help you. If you leave now with just your staff and no food or water, it’ll take you two weeks to get to Ba Sing Se, at the very least!” The magicat snarled, hoping to reason with that mule.

“You’ll leave in the morning with Melog, I’ll tell my servants to prepare days worth of supplies that you can take with you. Also, you won’t be traveling alone. Bow is coming, too.”

At last, Adora turned around, finally facing her. 

“Who am I speaking to, right now? Catra or the Firelord?” She inquired in a terrifyingly calm tone. Slowly, but decisively, she rammed the tip of the wooden glider into the sand so that it could stand on its own and then angrily crossed her arms. 

“It’s not Catra asking you to do this.” The regent announced with a full chest and head raised high in a pathetic attempt to appear somewhat authoritative. 

“Oh, but my Firelord commands me?” Adora chuckled, seemingly not believing her. It felt humiliating, to be laughed at by the woman she loved, but Catra could not back down now. 

“Yes.” 

Irked by this absurdity, Adora approached her until they were finally face to face. Well, almost face to face — she was almost a foot taller than her counterpart. 

“You need to stop with this act. The Firelord role released an unattractive sense of authority and entitlement that I have never seen before.” She breathed out through gritted teeth. 

The royal did not feel threatened by her, she only felt even more offended by another futile attempt at intimidation. 

“And in you, it’s released a weakness and insecurity I’ve never seen before.” That was the last sentence Catra could utter with poise before her vision got blurry with angry, unshed tears.

“Over the past two years you have done nothing but defy my authority and choices. You’ve never truly supported me!” Adora raised her eyebrows, apparently in shock at the statement. As she took a few steps back, Catra wobbled forward, refusing to let her back away now. 

“What are you talking about?! I did support you!”

She couldn’t be serious, could she? 

“I don’t think you were supporting me when you told me to let go of my search for Shadow Weaver, multiple times. I knew she was up to something, and you wanted me to give that up so that I could focus on other problems!”

“You can’t push your problems aside to focus on finding a single fugitive!”

“You told me to stop visiting Prime-” 

“And I was right about that! He hurt you! If I could go back in time I would make sure that never happened, even if it meant physically restraining you from visiting him.” Angered, Adora uncrossed her arms, now pointing her finger accusingly at her face. Catra tried to bite her, forcing Adora to swiftly retreat her hand away.

Making use of her sense of balance, Catra poked at Adora’s right leg with her crutch, whining at the pain in her armpits. 

“He might’ve hurt me, and it’s not great, I know, but it’s not that big of a deal! Prime gave me solid advice on how to rule, advice that I couldn’t get anywhere else but from him. The biggest betrayal didn’t come from him, it came from you when you sent that letter to Glimmer, telling her I was going psycho when that was not the case at all!” 

“You were willing to let another war start!”

Adora, the self-proclaimed protector,  started circling Catra like a predator, not tearing her eyes off of the injured woman.

“You can’t— You don’t get to— dammit, Catra, listen to me!”

The only thing the magicat could do was follow her every movement with her head, slowly getting dizzier.

The crutch slipped in the damp grass. Catra caught herself with a grunt — stubbornly refusing to fall — even as her chest heaved from the effort of standing her ground.

“I found a plan for the colonies that is working magnificently, making all parties involved satisfied with its outcome, except for you!”

“Because you are destroying the balance!”

Stupid blonde. 

“Balance has been gone for quite a while, Adora. It’s impossible to erase the damage done by the war. This world needs new balance, I am creating that while you want to go on a reckless witch hunt!” Adora stopped on her tracks as soon as she noticed Catra’s tears of frustration.

“Wake up, Adora, this is exactly the type of behavior that led you to kill me!” The blonde suddenly stilled her movements, face shading from red to white in an instant as she tried to process the confession. 

“What are you talking about? You’re still pretty much alive, and I would never kill you!” The Avatar inquired with newfound worry instead of anger. 

Catra breathed heavily, trying to understand why she was so confused. Surely she’d remember killing her a couple—

No. That was just a dream.

Fuck. 

The sedatives, painkillers and tiredness were starting to catch up to her, altering her sense of reality.

Was even any of this real? 

The blonde’s troubled quivering lips looked real enough to her. 

She just had to breathe for a second. 

“I—I mean I’m… okay, I’m confused, but the point is: I’m not crazy, okay? You just don’t see… how can you not see what’s happening?!” Catra cried out, arms trembling from the prolonged use of the crutches.

Worried, the blonde decided to put an end to the argument, focusing on Catra’s well-being instead. 

“I see you, you’re not crazy, okay? Let’s just get inside now.” She whispered, slowly approaching her, as if the brunette were a feral beast she had to tame.

As Adora tried to get close to her, ready to hold her in case she fell, she got hissed at to step away. 

Catra was fine, for fuck’s sake.

“I beg of you, leave tomorrow morning. It’s just a couple of hours. Please.” 

Defeated, Adora slowly nodded.

“Fine… Why do you want Bow to come with me?” Catra scoffed, as if she had asked the stupidest question in existence. 

“Obviously he’s been avoiding Glimmer ever since the fight. He’s gotta face her sooner or later.” Still unsure, Adora paced back and forth, deciding on the right thing to do. 

And then: “Alright. I’ll do as you ask, for now.”

───────────────────────────

The next morning, Adora was already up and ready by sunrise. Bow must’ve been notified of his departure because he was already downstairs, drinking calming tea when the blonde got there.

“Are you ready?” She asked her friend, but the archer only shrugged unenthusiastically, eyes stuck on the almost empty cup. 

“Not really. I can’t help but feel like Catra is kicking me out. I can’t blame her though, her anger is justified.” Adora knew it wasn’t true. If the magicat were truly mad at Bow, she wouldn’t have allowed him to follow her recovery journey.

If she were actually mad, Bow would be six feet underground by now.

“Why?” She asked curiously, wanting to know her friend’s reasoning for his suspicions. He exhaled in frustration, brows furrowed in regret. 

“Because I’m the reason why the plan failed and we lost. She can’t even look at me.” The blonde squinted her eyes, she hated to see Bow suffer this way. He’s always been a brilliant mind and brave soldier. Most importantly, he had a pure heart, almost impossible to find when stuck in a 100-year-war.

“Bow, why… Why are you here in the first place? Why didn’t you come back with Glimmer?” She questioned, knowing he fully understood what she truly meant: no Catra excuses.

“She got angry at me, we’ve never fought like that ever before. It got ugly, I… she said she needed a break. What even is that, and how long does a break last?” Bow uttered in confusion as he rubbed his temples. 

Adora knew perfectly well how he felt when she was in the exact position in her current… relationship? No, that wasn’t the right term. 

Technically, they were broken up, no? She did tell Catra they would never see each other again. 

Still, now they lived under the same roof — but nothing romantic was involved.

Also, she was about to leave to hunt down the Red Lotus for the damage they’d done to the world.

To Catra.

Wait—

“Well, we’re about to find out.” Adora said, patting his back to comfort him, but he roughly shrugged her away, standing up from his chair and walking away.

“I’m going outside. I need to load the last supplies on Melog. Come out when you’re ready.”

Adora didn’t say anything, too stunned by his anger to utter a word. She’d never seen him so upset.

“I guess he didn’t take it well.” Catra’s voice pointed out as she made her way to the kitchen, using her wheelchair. It was a rare sight, so rare that when she noticed Adora’s silence, she spoke up first. 

“Entrapta said I need a couple days off the crutches since I’ve been using them so much that they’re literally digging my armpits. Can’t argue with the doctor.” She joked, but the blonde didn’t feel like laughing at the moment. Usually witty moments and pathetic jokes were followed by bad news. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask you a favor.”

Called it.

“If you ever see me turning into my father, I want you to… I want you to end me.” The blonde instantly shook her head left and right with newfound vigor, not believing the words coming out of Catra’s lips. 

“You can’t ask me to do that.”

She knew she was struggling, she didn’t know she was struggling to the point of actively asking to be murdered by her ex-fiance. 

Worst of all, Catra seemed genuinely surprised by her perfectly reasonable refusal.

“Why not? You’re supposed to do this type of thing. Bring balance and all of that Avatar stuff.”

“Why not? Are you seriously asking me to kill you, when we have history?” Adora begged for this to be a nightmare. Just the thought of ending her lover’s life caused her stomach to drop, some bile rising up to her mouth. She’s hurt Catra, sure, but it was never done on purpose.

She only wanted to save her.

But what if Catra needed saving from her own self?

“You are supposed to be impartial.” 

“I can’t be impartial. Not when it comes to you. Why— why are you asking me this?! Have you gone mad?”

Catra looked away from her, eyes again stuck on the ground.

She immediately missed the presence of those golden and blue tones on her.

“My family’s legacy will forever be a part of me. That’s why it’s my duty to heal the scars that Prime left on the world. Like you said yesterday, the throne came with lots of pressures that changed me, and if I’m honest with myself… I need a safety net. The world needs a safety net . That’s what I need you to be, Adora: a safety net.” 

So it was all tied to the previous night argument. Adora recalled it all, feeling ashamed of having followed her all the way to the woods, and not helping her get up every time she fell to the ground.

It wasn’t a true fight, at least not as intense as their previous ones. It was clear that Catra wasn’t in the right place of mind, but…

“Wait, is this about yesterday? When you said I killed you, what did you mean by that?”

“That… that was just a nightmare I had — a pretty revelatory one if I’m honest. Maybe it was a premonition, I don’t know. Point is—”

“I’m not going to kill you, alright? You’re not like Prime, nor will you ever be. He was pure evil.” Adora tried to reason, but couldn’t find the right words. “You are… you’re just going through a phase right now.” At that, Catra finally locked eyes with her again, only they were now filled with frustration.

“A phase, seriously?”

Fuck.

“Okay, that is not what I meant. I mean, partially, yes, but… wait,” Adora stopped herself from saying anything else that might’ve been misinterpreted. Then, took a deep breath.

“No, I don’t want to fight again. Let’s just pause this conversation for now, okay? We’ll talk when I'm back.” It wasn’t a request, but a statement: she was coming back.

“How do I know you’re coming back and not leaving forever, like you said you’d do?”

Fair.

Adora nervously scratched her eyebrow in thought, until her eyes landed on Swift Wind. She whistled at the flying lemur and he hurriedly flew on her shoulder. However, instead of keeping him, Adora gently nudged him towards Catra. He complied to her request, immediately snuggling in the crook of her neck.

“Well, I know that even if I don’t come back, you’ll come to find me because I have Melog. But, if you need more reassurance… Here, I’ll leave Swift Wind with you. He seems to like you better, anyways.”

Even with the tough-guy act, Catra could not resist petting the animal affectionately.

“I like him too…” The brunette muttered with a faint smile. For a second, Adora allowed herself to be in awe at the scene. 

She couldn’t understand how Catra could be so intimidating and adorable at the same time.

The duality terrified Adora, even after having known her for most of her life.

“Fine. We’ll talk when you’re back. You promise, right?”

That word held a strong meaning for both of them; when Adora first left the Fire Nation for her training, she promised Catra she’d be back in a couple of months.

She never did.

It was the only promise she could not keep, the promise that destroyed everything in their friendship. 

But not this time, Adora swore she’d see Catra again.

Respectfully, she bowed to the monarch, ready to leave for her mission.

“I promise. See you soon, my Lord.” The magicat gave a faint smile that made the dreadful conversation worth it.

“Farewell, Avatar.”

For one wild second, Catra almost called her back. Almost said wait, stay, please. But she clamped her mouth shut so hard she tasted blood.

She had to let her go.

Chapter Text

Strangely enough, life without Adora and Bow got incredibly boring incredibly fast. Catra didn’t know what to do with herself now that she didn’t have anyone to watch training with Kamare or hearing conspiring with Entrapta.

The only thing she could think about all day was Adora and Bow, traveling alone through the Earth Kingdom, facing dangers with her beloved Melog. Sure, the archer and the Avatar could defend themselves from any danger, but Catra couldn’t help but worry about them.

She was also jealous that they got to leave this place for a new adventure.

Weary of the monotony and too thoughtful to fall asleep, Catra decided to take a fresh breath once again.

Too tired to use those crutches, she opted for the wheelchair this time, even if it meant she could only go as far as the marble pavement allowed her to, directly avoiding the sand. Thankfully her property faced directly the sea, so she could hear the soothing waves and smell the freshness of the salty water up close.

As she enjoyed the peace and quiet of the night, though, her eyes caught on a skinny figure holding a staff and performing rather uncoordinated moves.

Squeezing her eyes, she recognized the figure to be Kyle. His lengthy legs refused to coordinate with his body, causing him to hit himself repeatedly as he trained.

At least that’s what Catra thought he was doing.

“Hey, Kyle!” She yelled at him, scaring the poor boy so much that he forgot to grab his staff mid-air, letting it fall right on top of his head.

It was a bit fun picking on him, sometimes.

“Y- Your majesty! Uh- no wait, is it… my lord? Sorry, was I being too loud?” He stuttered as he approached her, dramatically bowing down until his head touched sand.

“At ease, Kyle.” She commanded, not managing to take him seriously.

“What are you doing at this hour? It’s late at night on your day off, shouldn’t you be resting?” She inquired. The scrawny blonde rose up to his feet once again, giving her one more subtle bow.

“Forgive me, I was training.”

“Doesn’t Rogelio train you, along with Lonnie?”

“They did — They still do, my Lord. It’s just that ever since we’ve moved here our schedules rarely align, so I don’t get as much training as I once used to. Not— not that I’m complaining! It’s an honor to be here, guarding you. I just… I just want to train and learn as much as I can.”

“You don’t have the basics, kid. You need a stable mentor. Tell me: why do you want to become stronger?” She saw him hesitate once again, his eyes refusing to meet her cold ones. The question sent him in an emotional loop, that much was clear.

After almost a minute of pure silence, he revealed his motivations.

“My village got destroyed by the Fire Nation when I was little. I could do nothing then, and I always regretted it. Now that a new threat is resurfacing, I refuse to stand by and watch again as everything I love gets destroyed. I want to fight to protect the people I love.”

Catra could not help but feel guilty. It was still her father who attacked. Her nation. The army she directly inherited from Prime.

“You must feel conflicted about being here, protecting the Firelord, considering our history.” She tried to pry, now unsure about her own intentions.

“I was… initially. Lonnie had to drag me to come here, I didn’t want to. She told me you were a good person. I trust her enough to believe her.” Catra smiled at that. Of course Lonnie vouched for her and dragged this poor boy all the way to the other side of the world. Typical Lonnie.

“You are good. It’s your father that ordered that attack on my village, not you. Even if you are his daughter, you are not him. I see you actively working against the system that he set up, that takes bravery. Only a person of good heart would do what you’re doing.”

Catra hummed, leaning back in the wheelchair as she considered him and his words. For the first time in months, she felt a sense of relief. Usually, she ignored comments from strangers comparing her to Prime, but there was something about being told that she was not evil from a boy who suffered great loss because of her family that brought a little bit of inner peace within herself.

The breeze tousled her messy hair, and for a long beat, she said nothing. Kyle shifted awkwardly in the sand, probably worried he said too much. Or not enough.

Finally, she exhaled.

“Alright, then.”

Kyle blinked. “Alright?”

“If you’re serious about fighting,” she said, lazily pointing toward his staff, “you need more than flailing around in the dark hoping you’ll magically get better. You need technique. Precision. Strength.”

Kyle straightened up like a string had been yanked through his spine. “Yes, I— I completely agree! I’ve been reading scrolls, and practicing forms—”

“Yeah, and it shows.” She smirked. “You’ve got the enthusiasm of a fire ferret in a food bin —and half the coordination.”

He looked like he wanted to die on the spot. Catra chuckled, just a little.

“But that’s not a bad thing,” she added, more softly. “You’ve got guts. And a good reason. That’s something.”

She angled the wheelchair slightly to face him. “So, I’ll train you.”

Kyle’s eyes went wide. “Y-you will?!”

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” she muttered. “You want to protect people? Then you’re gonna learn how to hit hard, move smart, and survive. I learned how to firebend properly a few years ago thanks to the Avatar. Before, I had no discipline for the art. I couldn’t grasp its power, couldn’t control it. So, for half of my life I trained with mostly melee and ranged weapons. I might be stuck in a wheelchair, but I’m sure we could figure something out.”

He stood at attention, nodding furiously. “Understood, my lord— I mean, yes! I mean—thank you!”

“Lesson one,” she said, smirking, “stop bowing like I’m gonna strike you with lightning.”

Kyle nodded. Then bowed again.

Catra groaned, rubbing her temple. “This is gonna be a looong process.”

But the stars were clear, the air was cool, and for the first time in weeks, something like purpose stirred in her chest again.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

───────────────────────────

Adora sighed contentedly as they finally stood before the gates of Ba Sing Se’s palace, its towering walls bathed in late afternoon light. The sight should’ve felt triumphant. It didn’t.

Beside her, Bow looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here — eyes flicking nervously across the tiled floor, jaw clenched, shoulders hunched as if preparing for a blow.

Adora rested a hand on his shoulder, grounding. “Hey,” she said softly, “whatever happened between you two, you’ll get through it. You’ve known each other your whole lives. This is just a tough period. Everything will go back to how it was before.”

He didn’t answer right away. When he finally looked at her, his smile was small and tired.

“I don’t think it will,” he said. “Before, she was a princess. A commander. Now she’s a queen. Power changes people, Adora… and she won’t let me help her. Not anymore.”

Adora’s own smile faltered. She’d told herself Glimmer was just under pressure, that her clipped messages were just stress. But Bow was right, something had shifted.

Maybe Glimmer and Catra had more in common than they realized.

“Thank you, by the way,” Bow added after a pause. “I know I’ve been grumpy all week. I’m just scared. But I’m glad I have you.”

He pulled her into a hug. Adora squeezed him tightly — firmer than expected, like she could keep him from unraveling if she just held on hard enough.

Then, with a heavy creak, the palace gates opened, and they were finally inside.

The cool marble echoed beneath their boots. The throne room loomed: polished, vast, eerily quiet. Glimmer sat tall on the royal seat, draped in regal green and gold. Her parents flanked her like statues, serene.

But it was Glimmer’s stillness that unnerved Adora.

“Glimmer!” she called, bright and warm, stepping forward. “Hi!”

Glimmer blinked. Her eyes sharpened with recognition — but her face didn’t soften. She looked stunned, maybe even a little caught off guard. Still, after a beat, she stood and embraced Adora stiffly.

“Adora,” she said, voice even. “It’s good to see you.”

Only when Adora stepped back did she catch the faintest flicker in Glimmer’s expression. A tightening of the jaw. A subtle swallow. Her fingers curled once at her side — then relaxed.

Something was off.

Adora bowed to Angella and Micah automatically. They smiled politely.

“Avatar Adora. Bow,” Queen Angella said with her usual calm. “Welcome.”

Adora turned toward Bow, only to see his entire posture tense. He hadn’t moved. Glimmer hadn’t either.

The air between them crackled like a storm.

“What are you doing here?” Glimmer asked, cool and sharp.

“We came to deliver news,” Bow answered, voice flat. “The Red Lotus is hiding here — in this city. You’re their next target.”

The Queen’s faint smile vanished. The warmth drained from her eyes.

“Adora and I came to find them, we saw fit giving you a warning before we got to work. Now, with your permission…”

“No.” Glimmer ordered simply, causing Adora to frown.

“What do you mean, no?” Adora asked. Glimmer’s parents looked just as confused as her and Bow.

“You’re not going around, scaring my citizens,” she said coldly. “They can’t know the Red Lotus is here.”

Adora stepped forward, brows furrowed. “Glimmer, you’re in danger.”

“And I’ll handle it. I’m sending the Dai Li.” She raised her hand slightly, signaling finality. “You won’t be investigating. I need Ba Sing Se calm.”

Adora stared dumbfounded for a bit, then opened her mouth again.

“You can’t be serious. Your life and the entirety of the Earth Kingdom are in danger. You need to act now.”

“What I need to do is be subtle. I’ll investigate; I’m just not letting you two do it. You can be reckless at times.”

“Look who’s talking.” Bow muttered, calling the queen’s attention once again.

“I’ll admit it. I’ve been imprudent at times, but it was years ago, I have changed.”

“Clearly.” The boy scoffed under his breath, refusing to look at her in the eyes.

“Glimmer, I think we should let the Avatar deal with the criminals that brutally killed Shadow Weaver and Prime. I don’t think the Dai Lee is fit for this type of mission.” Angella intervened softly, but her daughter was too caught up to actually listen to those words.

“The Avatar and Bow can go back where they came from. If they want, they are welcome to stay the night, but they have to leave in the morning.”

“We won’t.”

“You’re defying my authority once again, Bow. Remember what happened last time?”

Her parents shifted, uneasy, but silent.

Glimmer’s eyes locked on Bow. Her voice dropped, brittle.

“We’re in this mess because of you… You swore that you would protect me… you swore!” Glimmer paced back and forth the room, eyes clouded with angry tears as she shouted, the dam now irrevocably broken.

“No loyalty, no loyalty… none! Not even from you!”

“Glimmer, get a hold of your—” Angella tried to fix the dispute once again, but was quickly interrupted.

“You want to side with them?” Glimmer cut in, voice trembling. “Then go ahead. But if you cross me…”

Micah’s voice broke the silence — quiet, warning. “You better not be threatening your own parents.”

The monarch stared at him, breathing hard, hands shaking just slightly.

“Then you better stay out of my way.”

───────────────────────────

It was late again.

The moon was a silver sliver over the ocean, and the waves whispered softly as they rolled against the sand. Ember Island was quiet tonight — too quiet. No guards. No scrolls. No firelight but the distant glow from the villa behind them.

Catra sat in her wheelchair near the edge of the marble. Not on the sand, not close enough to feel it between her toes — but just near enough to hear the sea, to remember what still moved even when she couldn’t.

She looked tired. Not from pain. Not from politics.

The kind of tiredness that lived deep in the bones.

Soul-tired.

Kamare stood beside her, arms crossed, the hem of her tunic fluttering gently in the wind.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice softer than usual.

Catra didn’t answer right away.

Finally: “How did you and Prime… under what circumstances was I conceived?”

The question hit the stone like a dropped blade.

“You want me to give you sex talk? Fine, but I think you’re old enough to know these things yourself.”

“You know very well what I mean. Did he… did he force himself on you? Were you charmed by him?” Catra asked, careful.

Kamare didn’t flinch. She only tilted her head slightly. “Do you want the truth?”

Catra didn’t look at her. “Always.”

Kamare nodded, slowly.

“I was captured,” she said. “Years before you were born. They put me in a cage — dark, dry, metal. I was alone. No water to bend. No escape. They kept it so dry, I couldn’t even pull moisture from the air. They chained my limbs every time they gave me to drink.”

Her voice stayed calm. Matter-of-fact. But her hands had curled into fists at her sides.

“It went on for months. Maybe years. I stopped counting.”

Catra’s mouth opened slightly, but she said nothing.

Kamare went on.

“He visited sometimes. Prime. At first, just to gloat. To remind me of my loss. That I was broken. That the resistance was gone.” She paused. “And then one night… he came in different. Drunk, I think. Rambling.”

Catra’s jaw clenched.

“He started talking about heirs. Legacy. ‘Genetics.’ He believed that if he combined the strongest firebender with the strongest waterbender, he’d create the perfect weapon. A child born of war.”

Kamare turned her gaze toward the sea, her eyes dark.

“I was starving. Sick. Done. I slept with him because I thought — maybe, if I gave him what he wanted, I could get out of that cell. Just for a while. And I did.”

Catra turned to look at her, at last. “You got pregnant.”

“On the first try.” Kamare’s voice was like steel. “And suddenly I was allowed out. I slept in a real bed. I ate three meals a day. I wasn’t free — not even close — but I could move. I could breathe.”

Catra’s face had gone still, but her tail twitched once beneath the blanket.

Kamare’s voice caught. “Then you were born.”

Catra looked over at her. Her voice was quiet. “Why didn’t you escape when you had the chance?”

“I believed him. He told me the Earth Kingdom was fragile with King Micah in prison. That the war was basically over with Mara gone and me as his guest. That there was nowhere to go. I wanted to stay safe. I wanted you to stay safe. Even if it meant raising you with him. And with her.”

───────────────────────────

The storm outside was mild — but the storm inside the nursery wasn’t.

Catra’s scream ripped through the stone halls like a thunderclap.

In the center of the playroom, she stood trembling, fists clenched, hair wild, tail lashing. Her tiny face was scrunched in rage, but the real terror was in the air — or rather, the heat.

Flames shot from her palms in an unsteady blast.

The toy shelf exploded into cinders.

A tea table shattered under the force of a fireball.

Pillows ignited. Curtains curled inwards, catching fire with a hiss.

The daytime nanny screeched and ran.

Kamare dropped the tray in her hands, water sloshing across the hallway floor as she ran toward the room, barefoot and wild-eyed.

“No, no, no—”

She burst into the nursery, just as Prime stepped in from the other end.

The air rippled around him. Heat did not touch his robes. Smoke parted as if afraid of his skin.

Catra stood in the center of the wreckage — untouched, unharmed, but trembling. Her golden and blue eyes were wide with something Kamare hadn’t seen before.

It wasn’t fear, rather panic.

“Make it stop,” Catra sobbed, her voice high and broken. “I didn’t…I didn’t mean to!”

“Catra,” Kamare whispered, stepping forward, but Prime moved faster.

He crossed the ruined room in two strides and knelt before her. For a moment — just a moment — there was tenderness in his eyes.

He cupped her cheeks.

Her breath caught.

Then he smiled. Not kindly. Not cruelly. Just satisfied.

“My daughter,” he murmured, stroking a soot-smudged cheek. “Do you know what this means?”

Catra shook her head, tears glistening. Smoke clung to her hair.

Prime turned his head toward Kamare, who had stopped, frozen mid-step.

“She lives.”

The words cut through the silence like a knife.

“Three years,” he said, not looking at her. “Three years I wondered if she would be worth the risk. If all this trouble would amount to anything.”

His hands cupped the girl’s shoulders. “And now I see. You’re not a mistake. You’re the culmination of a theory.”

Catra sniffled. “I broke the toys.”

Prime chuckled. “They’re replaceable, you’ll get new ones.”

Kamare’s heart clenched.

She should’ve been relieved. The moment her child firebent, her life was no longer in danger. Prime had made that clear — if the child had turned out water, or worse, non-bender… the outcome would’ve been different.

But looking at him now, smiling like he’d found a new weapon, and her daughter, her baby, still shivering, still too scared to look her in the eyes…

The relief twisted into dread. Catra would live.

But what kind of life?

Prime rose to his feet. “Have the servants rebuild the room,” he said idly, brushing ashes from his sleeves. “But leave the scorch marks. I want her to remember her beginning.”

He turned without another word, the scorched floor hissing under his steps.

Catra looked up at Kamare, arms twitching like she wanted to run to her, but didn’t dare.

Kamare moved forward at last. Dropped to her knees.

And gathered her trembling daughter into her arms.

“It’s okay,” she whispered into her hair, trying to ignore the burn in her throat. “You’re okay.”

But she didn’t believe it.

Not really.

Because the fire had come.

And now, nothing would ever be the same.

───────────────────────────

A muscle jumped in Catra’s jaw.

“When you were three, you showed signs of being a firebender,” Kamare said. “And I was so, so glad. For three years, he’d warned me that if I gave birth to a non-bender, or worse, a waterbender… he’d get rid of the child.”

She looked down.

“I guess he took pity on me. Let me stay near you. Not as your mother. As a nanny.”

“I always thought you were just another servant,” Catra said after a beat. “You didn’t feel different. You didn’t act different.”

“I couldn’t,” Kamare said. “If I had, he would’ve taken you away from me entirely.”

Silence.

“I didn’t know you cared,” Catra admitted. “I thought you stood by while Shadow Weaver—”

“I stood by because if I didn’t, I’d never see you again,” Kamare said firmly. “That was the deal. My silence for your presence.”

Catra looked away, eyes shimmering but hard. “I’m sorry.”

Kamare crouched beside her, carefully placing a hand over hers. “No. I’m not telling you this so you’ll feel sorry. I’m telling you because you were never a mistake. You were my survival. My hope.”

And this time, when she reached for her, Catra let her.

They didn’t speak again for a while.

The waves kept whispering.

Catra sat still, eyes on the sea, her jaw tight. The breeze moved her hair, the blanket around her legs. She didn’t look at Kamare.

Kamare waited.

She knew better than to try and fill the silence.

Finally, Catra spoke softly.

“So, you didn’t have me because you wanted a kid.”

It wasn’t an accusation. Just a fact laid bare in the space between them.

Kamare shifted, standing quietly beside her.

“I had you because I wanted to live,” she said. “And because I thought, if I could get out, maybe one day… maybe there would be more than just surviving.”

Catra nodded slowly, her face unreadable. “You had your reasons.”

Kamare watched her, quiet.

“I’m not… angry,” Catra added, but the word felt cautious. Not entirely true. Not entirely false, either. “I get it. You did what you had to do.”

She ran her finger along the edge of the wheelchair’s armrest.

“I was just hoping,” she continued, “that maybe someone, anyone, wanted me. Not for survival. Not for power. Just for me.”

Kamare’s lips twitched, but she didn’t interrupt.

“I’m not blaming you,” Catra said. “You were a prisoner. You were desperate. I understand that.”

She looked up finally, meeting her mother’s eyes.

“But it still stings.”

Kamare stepped forward slowly, crouching beside her. “You’re not wrong to feel that.”

A long pause.

Catra blinked fast. Her voice cracked as she asked, “Did you ever want me, after?”

Kamare’s reply was immediate. “Yes.”

“I don’t remember you being there. You were just one of many.”

“I was there as much as I was allowed to be. I never stopped watching. Never stopped hoping.”

Catra’s grip on the blanket loosened.

“I’m sorry I… I didn’t know you were my mom...?” Catra uselessly tried to voice her sympathy but couldn’t quite figure out the right words for it.

Not when her head was full of uncertainty and confusion.

Kamare exhaled softly and ran her fingers through her hair. “You do now.”

A beat passed.

“Why?” Kamare asked gently. “Why ask now?”

Catra’s voice was far away. “He’s dead. I kept him in that prison for a reason. I thought maybe hearing the truth would make me feel something. Something that would justify what I did to him. That would make it mean something.”

Kamare studied her daughter’s face.

“And?”

Catra shook her head. “Death was far too merciful. When I saw him in front of me, blood spilling from his head, I felt… empty. But also, free. He poisoned my head with lies and I knew it, and yet I kept going back to him for advice. I can’t repeat the same mistake now that he’s gone. It’s a relief, somehow.”

Kamare nodded once, quietly.

“It isn’t his death that upset you, right?” she said. “You’re awfully easy to read sometimes.” She added with a scoff, proud of her abilities to read the cold woman she birthed.

Catra huffed out something like a laugh. “I spent two years tracking down Shadow Weaver. Two years that are now gone and can’t get back.”

“What were you going to do if you found her?”

Catra hesitated for a few seconds.

“I guess… I just— I wanted to ask her why, why she treated me the way she did. She was my mentor; I spent most of my childhood with her. In some way, I saw her as my mother at the time. She… she always preferred Adora.”

Kamare said nothing. Just listened.

“She broke me in ways that even Prime didn’t. I was a child, a child, and she found it fitting to treat me like an animal, a criminal. I watched her die… the Red Lotus took that from me.”

Kamare finally asked, “You wanted to kill her yourself?”

Catra’s voice dropped low. Cold.

“Five minutes alone with her and I would’ve slaughtered her like an animal… I hate her! I hate them!”

Kamare didn’t flinch.

“Catra,” she said quietly, “anger can be cured by time, but hatred cannot. Just remember that hate leads to suffering and I think you’ve suffered enough. You have to let it go.” Catra shook her head repeatedly, brows scrunched in anger and thought.

“I can’t. Not when they stole the one thing I dreamed of for half my life. I’ll let it go when they're all gone.”

“You don't know that,” Kamare said.

“Every time I think I know something, I get the rug pulled out from under me and I end up on my ass,” Catra muttered. “Not this time. I won’t let it happen.”

───────────────────────────

Catra awoke early in the morning to the distant meows of Melog. Swift Wind, hearing them as well, immediately jumped on her head to persuade her to get out of bed. Knowing that Adora was already back from the Earth Kingdom alerted the monarch. Swiftly, she reached for her crutches and limped all the way to the property’s gates, hair messy and robe all disarranged. Scorpia and Kamare were already there, along with Lonnie, Rogelio and Kyle.

As she looked at Melog’s figure, though, she noticed two more shadows in the distance.

But one of them was missing.

That couldn’t be right… could it? Catra shook her head repeatedly, as if to wake up from a dream, but the number of people she saw in the distance remained the same.

Those drugs messed with her psyche way too much.

Just then, Adora landed right in front of her, putting her flying staff back to its sheath on her back.

“Did you kill them?” Catra asked with eagerness, but the Avatar looked too pensive, worried.

“Glimmer kicked us out.” She announced through gritted teeth.

“What?!” Scorpia shrieked out, but Adora kept looking at Catra.

“I’m sorry, I— things got more complicated.” She admitted timidly. Catra wanted to ask her what could’ve possibly happened, but Micah and Angella’s apparition gave her some of the answers.

So she wasn’t seeing double. Catra saw and lived through reality as it actually was. That was a bit of a relief.

“Your highness!” Lonnie exclaimed, immediately bowing to them. Micah smiled warmly at the girl, gesturing for her to get up. Angella, on the other hand, approached the past lovers.

“Firelord Catra, we require asylum.” Although taller and elegant, Angella looked emotionally wrecked, on the verge of tears.

“Glimmer banned us all from even stepping inside Ba Sing Se.”

Well, at least it wasn’t Catra who messed it all up this time. There was still hope.

She could fix it.

“Did you tell her you’re staying with me?”

“No.” Bow swore, eyes puffy from heartbreak.

“Okay, we can fix this. I am on talking terms with her. You just… you gotta lay low while I plan the next steps.” Catra explained, tail thrashing left and right. Without saying another word, she made her way to her studio, ready to plan a strategy.

“You can’t exclude us once again. I won’t let you.” Adora protested as she followed blindly the brunette. The magicat, though, did not stop to argue until she sat on the chair in front of the bureau, already taking out papers.

“I said nothing about excluding you. Hell, what I’m planning to do might even be considered treason —hiding all of you here without telling her. Glimmer is going down my same path, and I won’t stand by and let that happen. Just trust me this once, will you?!” Catra asked, exasperated.

When she looked at a worried Adora, though, all of her initial excitement about finally being the one to mend things instead of ruining them quickly vanished.

Silence fell upon them as Catra sighed, rubbing her temples.

Adora stood beside her, arms crossed.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice softer than she meant it to be.

Catra didn’t answer right away.

“I think I want to give it up.”

Adora blinked. “Give what up?”

“The crown. The Firelord thing. All of it.” Catra finally revealed. Scorpia already knew she didn’t want to become Firelord in the first place, but Adora met Catra at an age where she bragged about becoming the next Firelord. It was completely different.

Adora froze. “What?”

Catra shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, like her chest wasn’t tightening as she said it. “I don’t know. I’ve just been thinking about it a lot lately.”

More like… the past two years.

“But, why?”

Catra stared out at the sea through the window. “I’m tired.”

Adora sat down on the marble beside her, resting her arms on her knees. “You’ve been tired before.”

“Not like this.”

Adora didn’t know what to say. She wanted to reach out, to touch her, but didn’t. So instead, she fumbled for her words.

“I mean… if you don’t want to do it anymore, that’s okay. You’ve done more than anyone expected. You’ve rebuilt so much. If you want to step down, no one’s going to think less of you.”

Catra scoffed. “They will.”

“I won’t.”

That made her go quiet.

The breeze tugged at Catra’s curls. Adora glanced at her, at the way her jaw was tight, at the shimmer in her eyes that she’d never admit was almost tears.

And then, without meaning to, without thinking…

Adora reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.

Catra turned toward her.

Too close.

Too quiet.

Something shifted.

It wasn’t sudden. It was slow. Inevitable.

Their eyes met. Held.

And then they kissed.

It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t rough. It was overdue. Months of repression, grief, longing, love — all crammed into a moment where neither of them had the strength to resist anymore.

Catra’s hand tangled in Adora’s collar. Adora knelt up from the floor and tilted her head to deepen the kiss. They kissed like they were still afraid to speak — like their mouths knew what their words couldn’t say.

Catra pulled Adora closer by the back of her neck.

Adora let her.

They kissed until they couldn’t breathe, until Adora’s hands were on Catra’s waist and Catra was trembling beneath her and it felt like maybe this was it, maybe they could come back to each other—

But the Firelord knew it was not possible.

Catra’s fingers were still tangled in Adora’s shirt when they pulled apart.

Their mouths were swollen. Breathing heavy. Eyes wild.

For a moment, they just stared at each other — chests heaving, too close, too charged, too real.

Then, Catra turned her head, fast.

“Shit.”

Neither of them said anything else. The only sound was the wind rattling the windowpane and both of them trying to breathe.

Catra wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, like that would undo it. “That was stupid.”

Adora flinched away, jaw tightening. “Yeah.”

They didn’t look at each other.

Catra crossed her arms. “Residual emotions.”

“Stress,” Adora echoed.

“Proximity.”

They said it like a script.

Then silence.

Finally, Adora cleared her throat. “We should—um. Not do that again.”

Catra’s lips twisted into something like a smirk, only it didn’t reach her eyes. “Right.”

Adora adjusted the hem of her shirt, like her hands needed something to do. Her voice came out small, almost embarrassed. “We were just… caught up.”

“Exactly.”

Neither of them believed a word of it.

But neither of them said that, either.

Adora turned toward the door, every movement rigid, controlled. “I should go.”

Catra didn’t stop her. She just remained seated there, still breathless, still burning, still tasting her — and nodded.

“Yeah. That’s probably… smart.”

Adora’s hand hovered on the doorknob for a beat too long. Catra’s voice was low when she finally spoke again.

“You should take it off.”

Adora blinked, not turning around. “What?”

“The necklace,” Catra said, cruelly. “Could give people the wrong impression. I don’t think you’d want that.”

Adora didn’t respond, just opened the door and left. The only sound she caused was the door slamming close behind her.

Catra fucked it all up.

Again.