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The end of the war had given Adora a lot of free time on her hands. After the initial rebuilding of Etheria was complete, Catra and the other princesses decided to take a more leading role in protecting their world, to not put all of the pressure of defending Etheria on Adora’s shoulders.
But of course, that meant Adora needed something to do… and well, a lot of her hobbies growing up, if one could call them, were all about training and preparing for battle. Relaxing… was still hard for Adora. She needed something to focus her mind on, something to organise that wouldn’t also be something related to her work as She-Ra.
It was not long after the Crystal Castle had been repaired and Queen Angella had been rescued did Adora finally discover that hobby… and today, she was finally going to share it with Catra. As she waited outside the ancient structure one afternoon, she watched as Catra arrived, riding on Melog’s back through the woods.
Adora was practically buzzing with excitement. She had been waiting for ages to finally share this all with Catra. Catra would, of course, love it regardless of what Adora was showing her. Because Adora rambling on about her special interests was one of her favourite things about her… which was already a very long list.
“Catra, you’re here!” Adora declared.
Catra grinned, climbing off Melog, who then magically shrank down to a smaller size. “Wouldn’t miss this for the world!... whatever it is.”
Adora made a happy little hum. “You’re going to love it!”
“Adora, you could show me Swift Wind’s poop and you could make that interesting to me,” Catra said teasingly.
“Oh… Oh, you actually don’t wanna know what that looks like,” Adora admitted, feeling embarrassed. “But anyway, follow me!” She said, grabbing Catra’s hand and leading her down the castle’s ancient hallways.
Catra just let Adora lead her along, smiling all the way as they made their way to wherever Adora was leading them. The last time they’d been here together… well, it was technically when Adora had brought the failsafe to the Heart… and they’d almost died. It was also where Shadow Weaver had died too. But it was also where Catra had finally told Adora she had loved her. It brought back… some very mixed feelings to Catra to say the least.
Finally, Adora had brought Catra to where she had wanted, a large room at the Heart of the Castle. Catra recognised as the room where Light Hope had once resided. All around the room were holographic display screens, showing various images. When Catra looked closer at one of the images… her eyes widened.
The hologram in question was displaying what appeared to be footage of herself, running away from laser fire. She was wearing what appeared to be her old outfit from near the end of the war, with its darker colours reflecting her mental state at the time. Yet if this was some old footage of the war… why didn’t Catra remember this?
“What… what is this?” Catra asked. “Is this some old footage of me? Because I sure as hell don’t remember a fight like this happening.”
“Oh! It’s not you… well, not you as in you , but another you!”
“Huh?”
“Right sorry, I probably need to explain it a bit clearer,” Adora said, before she looked at the screen again. “Oh wait, maybe not, keep watching!”
Catra did… and moments later, she saw the other version of herself on the screen stop in her tracks… when she came face to face with what looked like Adora in her She-Ra form… only it wasn’t the She-Ra form Adora had back during the war, but her current one, the one that had defeated Horde Prime.
“ Okayyyyy , this is getting weird because I had to literally die in order for you to turn into that She-Ra.”
“Well, in that world, you didn’t!” Adora chirped. “See… this is an alternate dimension! This is what I brought you here to see.” She walked over to another pair of hologram screens and Catra saw they also depicted versions of themselves. One showed Catra wearing an outfit resembling Hordak’s old armour, commanding an army of giant armoured Horde robots and another showed Adora as She-Ra with some kind of wings battling a giant skull-faced dragon creature.
“I get it now!” Catra realised. “Pretty sure Entrapta explained the concept to me a few times while I was building the thingy we used to rescue Sparkles’ mom. Basically, they’re versions of our universe where we made different choices or something right?”
“Pretty much!” Adora confirmed. “Or something else happened and that changed how that universe went.”
“And… what exactly have you been doing with them?”
“Well, cataloguing them!” Adora stated. “See, after we rescued Angella, that whole adventure got me thinking about other dimensions and what they were like. Turns out the whole reason Etheria was able to be moved into Despondos was because apparently, our planet formed around some kind of… interdimensional nexus. We’re at the crossing point of multiple dimensions.”
“Huh, that is pretty cool,” Catra admitted. “So can we actually like visit these places? I kinda wanna see that version of you with wings.”
“We technically could but,” Adora said. “I’ve made a choice not to interfere with those other worlds. After all, we’d be no better than the First Ones doing what they did to Etheria. It’s better to just observe them.”
“Good point,” Catra acknowledged. “So are you making a map of the multiverse?”
“Yup!” Adora confirmed, pulling up a gigantic holographic map showing various universes represented by planets for each alternate Etheria that Adora had catalogued, each labelled with its own name and what differences it had from the universe they were from. It was quite an extensive map.
“I’m impressed Adora!” Catra complimented. “How come you didn’t tell me about any of this sooner?”
“To be honest… I kinda wanted this to be my own special thing for a bit,” Adora replied, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I was going to show you this eventually, but just… it felt better being my own little secret for a while.”
“I get that,” Catra acknowledged. “Besides, the last thing we need is knowledge of this stuff getting out there. Who knows who would want to take advantage of this?”
“Also a good point.”
“Soooo….” Catra then said. “Any highlights? Like, there’s gotta be a few really cool alternate versions of us out there!”
“Oh, I have a few!” Adora chirped, reaching around her holograms for a moment, before bringing up footage from another reality. This one depicted a version of Adora where she had seemingly never left the Horde. She was commanding an army of Horde soldiers wearing some kind of Hordak-inspired armour, armed with twin swords. Currently, she was brawling with some kind of large muscular man with a sword.
Catra had to blush at the sight of this evil Adora with her short haircut. “Damn, evil you is hotter than regular you!”
“She is not!” Adora complained, before rolling her eyes. “Anyway, in this universe, I never left the Horde and apparently, Hordak raised me directly as his own daughter. And I’m not called Adora, but Despara.”
“And the big buff blonde guy?”
“I’m… not sure who he is,” Adora admitted. “I haven’t looked into this reality a whole lot. But I have to admit… it’s interesting to think about what I would have been like if I hadn’t left the Horde… if I hadn’t found the sword.”
“Any others like this?”
“There’s one,” Adora said, bringing up another universe. This one was of her and Catra ruling the Horde together, Adora wearing a very regal-looking armour over a long black dress, her sword a blood red. Catra was likewise in a similarly evil-looking garb, the two of them looking out of the Fright Zone at a massive army.
“Huh… so there is one where we’re ruling the world together,” Catra admitted. “I love your outfit in that one. How come you get the best alternate looks?”
“Hey, we’ve barely started going through these!” Adora remarked. “Okay, here’s one I really like.”
The next image again made Catra blush. It depicted her and Adora embracing in Brightmoon, but their outfits looked very different. Catra looked as though she was in some royal garb fitting of a princess, a red and gold dress with a long cape and a tiara, with Adora similarly in a very princessy outfit with golden trim
“This is one where you’re a Princess!” Adora cheered. “You lead a kingdom called Halfmoon and everyone there is a cat person like you. Apparently, they’re called Magicats! There’s no Horde here I don’t think, but I was adopted by Angella.”
“You know if you show her that she’s going to want to be even more of a mom to you,” Catra teased, before smiling. “But I dunno… I guess being a Princess would be kinda cool and it would be kinda fun having a lot more people to hang out with who were like me but… I dunno, I feel like I’m more like Arrow Boy, being a regular person compared to all you princesses.”
“Awww, but Princess Catra has a nice ring to it.” Adora’s eyes widened. “Say, since I’m a princess technically… you’d become one if you married me!”
“Don’t push it, dummy!” Catra snarled, blushing a furious shade of red, but Adora just giggled mischievously.
Adora brought up another of the alternate realities, one that was a particular favourite of hers. Catra’s jaw dropped when she saw it. What this reality showed… was Catra as She-Ra, looking resplendent in the heroine’s white and gold armour. Catra had to watch in awe as her other self battled Adora’s counterpart in this world, how swift and agile she was.
“Woah! I’m She-Ra in that one!”
“And you look pretty damn good as her!” Adora cheered. “Like, damn you look even better than I do.”
“Puh-lease!” Catra teased. “There is only one person who pulls off being She-Ra better than you and that's you. That’s a fact in every one of these universes.”
Adora giggled.
“YOU’RE RIGHT AND YOU SHOULD SAY IT!” A voice then called out.
Adora and Catra turned… seeing Glimmer and Bow right behind them. Adora blinked, shocked to see them. “WHAT?! How… How long have you two been standing there? How did you even get here?!”
“Oh come on Adora!” Glimmer remarked, smirking. “Did you really think we weren’t going to be speculating on your big secret? We found the note you left for Catra to come here and followed her.”
“For the record, Glim was using an invisibility spell to hide us, we’ve been here the whole time,” Bow excused. “Sorry.”
Adora sighed. “Well, I did want to keep this place a secret but… I suppose it’s okay to let you two in on it. But no one else, okay? I want this to be a Best Friend Squad promise!”
“No worries, I’ll gladly keep that!” Glimmer reassured her. “Soooo, any cool alternate versions of me and Bow?”
“Is there one where I have a moustache?” Bow wondered. “Or maybe a mullet? Ooooh, maybe there’s one where I’m secretly a Horde spy sent to infiltrate Brightmoon yet I fall for Glimmer’s irresistible charms in what is clearly a romance for the ages!”
“Oh, that sounds like my jam!” Glimmer exclaimed, beaming.
“Uhhhh, I kinda haven’t looked through the alternate universes of you a whole lot, Bow,” Adora admitted. “Sorry.”
“Nah, it’s okay… but have you seen any of me and Glimmer?”
“Oh, I think I have a few!” Adora chirped. “Hang on, let me pull it up…” She pulled up another hologram… displaying Bow and Catra together in the library in the middle of the Whispering Woods, playing together. Bow’s eyes widened when he saw it while Catra blushed in embarrassment.
“This one, Catra got adopted by your dads!” Adora explained. “Apparently, you were her wingman when she asked me out when you both joined the rebellion.”
“Oh, oh, oh, I love this!” Bow squealed. “Adora, can I trade places with my alternate self here?”
“I don’t think that would be fair to that universe’s Bow,” Adora admitted.
“Yeah but… I dunno, I’d have loved to have had Catra as my sister growing up!”
“I wouldn’t want you as a brother!” Catra complained.
“Come ooooonnnn! You’d have loved it!”
Catra just muttered under her breath.
Adora then pulled up another reality about Bow. This one showed him… using magic. Specifically Glimmer’s magic, as he was currently blasting Horde bots alongside another She-Ra version of Catra… and an archer version of Glimmer with black hair, similar to Micah’s.
“Oh, I get magic in this one!” Bow responded.
“And I surprisingly look kinda cool with black hair,” Glimmer admitted. “Any other cool versions of me?”
“There’s a few, hang on,” Adora stated, pulling up another screen. This one showed Glimmer as She-Ra, wearing a slightly more pink-coloured version of the She-Ra armour with the gold. She was battling what appeared to be another pair of evil versions of Adora and Catra in what looked like the Fright Zone.
“OOOOOOOHHHHH!” Glimmer’s eyes widened. “Bow, remind me to ask the royal blacksmith to make me that She-Ra armour when we get home.”
“Do you really need it?” he wondered.
“No, but I’d look amazing in it!” Glimmer insisted. “Adora, show me more!”
“Uhhhh, thing is, the few versions of you I have found, Glimmer,” Adora stated. “They’re kinda… well…” She brought up a few displays at once, Glimmer looking at the alternate selves depicted in them.
One was a version of herself in a Horde-coloured version of her outfit, wielding magic alongside Adora and Catra as they invaded a version of Brightmoon. Another was of her in a similarly dark-coloured black and gold attire as she sat on Brightmoon’s throne, Shadow Weaver looming behind. And the last was of a truly monstrous version of Glimmer with massive dragon wings, ruling over all of Etheria with an iron fist.
“They’re kinda…” Adora began. “All evil.”
Glimmer blinked and to Adora’s surprise, she didn’t seem depressed by these at all. No… she was delighted.
“THAT’S AWESOME!” Glimmer let out.
“What?!” Catra exclaimed. “Sparkles, they’re all evil versions of you! Aren’t you at the least bit shocked at that.”
“I mean… a bit, but you can’t deny how well I pull off the evil Queen look. Plus, one of them has giant dragon wings! That’s way cooler than having the same wings my mom does!”
Adora giggled. “Okay, there’s a couple more I have to show you.” She then pulled up another image… of Glimmer being snuggled in Adora and Catra’s arms. Notably, all three of them had rings on their fingers. Glimmer and Catra both blushed and looked at one another, Bow’s eyes widening in adoration.
“Here’s a world where uh… you’re married to me and Catra, Glimmer,” Adora said, her cheeks rosy.
“Oh, that’s just precious!” Bow squealed. “Hey… what about me? If Glimmer’s with you two… what happened to me?”
“Oh, she’s still with you too!” Adora quickly assured him. “She’s just with all three of us.”
“Oh thank goodness,” Bow sighed in relief.
Adora then pulled up the last universe she had to show her friends… well, technically it wasn’t a universe. As Catra, Bow and Glimmer saw, the image showed older versions of Glimmer and Catra running into a room where Adora was waiting, wearing a gorgeous white dress.
“Stop it, she’s gonna tourture me!” The Catra in the video cried out as she laughed, her attire looking very princely.
“Stop being so dramatic and let me brush your hair!” the older Glimmer insisted, looking much more Queenly in her long flowing dress and cape.
The older Catra ducked for cover behind Adora, before a very dashing older version of Bow entered the room, walking to the older Glimmer’s side and embracing her. From the matching silver rings on both his and the other Glimmer’s fingers, the two were clearly married.
This made the present Glimmer flush pink again.
“Come on guys, we don’t wanna be late for Scorpia’s first ball,” he clearly reminded them.
“Fine, you’re off the hook this time, Horde scum,” Glimmer said, resting on Bow’s arm.
The older Catra stuck out her tongue at Glimmer as she and Bow left before walking forward and raising her hand for Adora to take. The two of them had matching gold rings on their fingers, showing that they too were married in this world. Adora nervously reached out her hand to take Catra’s.
“You coming?” the older Catra asked.
Before Adora could respond and take Catra’s hand, a small shape rushed into the room and tackled Adora’s legs. The future Adora chuckled, as at the base of her feet was a small child with blonde hair, blue eyes and feline features. They didn’t look much older than five or six and we wearing a rather adorable little suit.
“You ready to go too, Finn?” the older Catra asked.
“Yeah, thanks for covering for me! Aunt Glimmer threatened to brush my hair too.”
“Don’t worry, kiddo,” older Catra replied. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let your Aunt Sparkles ruin your awesome little hair.”
Future Adora scooped her child into her arms. “Come on, let’s go,” she said, taking Catra’s hand and walking out of the room with her. And then the video finally came to an end, the present Bow, Glimmer and Catra all stunned by what they had seen, a scene that had only been previously described to them.
“Was… that… what I thought it was?” Catra asked.
Adora nodded, blushing. “Yeah… I figured out that the vision I saw in the Heart wasn’t a vision. It was actually me seeing the future. I figured out how to see that too. Though… I didn’t know we had a child together. It stopped before I saw Finn.”
“Their name is Finn!” Bow teared up. “Oh, they look so cute!”
“And I’m an aunt!” Glimmer added, similarly crying.
Giggling, Adora walked over to them. “Now you guys have to really promise not to tell anyone about that one. I don’t think the future will come true if everyone knows what’s gonna happen.”
“Oh, my lips are definitely sealed!” Glimmer reassured Adora.
“Future, I barely knew her!” Bow joked, Glimmer just rolling her eyes at her boyfriend’s terrible joke before smiling at him.
Catra then hugged Adora tightly, genuinely crying. Though these were tears of joy. “We’re… gonna be moms one day. You’re gonna be my wife… and we’re gonna… have an adorable little kitten together.” She buried her head into Adora’s neck as she sobbed. “Oh… Adora, that’s beautiful.”
Adora was starting to cry too. “Yeah… I’m kinda surprised they have my eyes.”
“Well, duh, your eyes are gorgeous,” Catra said, trying to joke through her tears.
Before Adora was about to reply with a remark about Catra’s eyes being also pretty, her felid girlfriend grabbed her by the cheeks and kissed her hard, Glimmer and Bow just watching their best friends in their tender moment. One thing had been clear through all of what Adora had shown Catra that day.
That in all the various universes, in even their own future, they would always love one another. No matter when or where they’d be, Adora would love Catra and Catra would love Adora. Nothing in the universe or any universe was going to change that… and that filled Catra’s heart with so much joy.