Chapter Text
"Catra are you sure this is a good idea?" A young Adora said as she started picking at her nails, a nervous habit she developed at the ripe age of 6 years old.
"Shhh!! You have to keep your voice down." Catra says in a hushed whisper
"Seriously Catra," Adora said much quieter, "it's way past curfew I don't want us getting into trouble."
"You mean me to get into trouble you'd probably get a slap on the wrist at most," Catra said with a huff.
"Catra you know that's not- mmmp!" Adora was cut off by Catra putting her hand over her mouth and pulling Adora into a darkened hallway. Adora looked at Catra about to lick her hand until she heard voices.
"Shit I'm tired. Why do we always get night shift?" The first guard complained.
"Well maybe if you weren't always falling on your ass during training you would get onto the field. But honestly from what I've heard the woods have been crazy whole squads are going missing..."
their voices began to trail off. Catra and Adora let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Okay quick before we miss it." Then Catra began to drag Adora along.
"Where are we going?" Catra turned to face Adora as they ran.
"I can't tell you or it'll ruin the surprise dummy." Her smile was so bright that it just made Adora smile.
'I think I would follow you anywhere if you asked.' Was Adora's only thought.
Adora soon realized where they were going the second she saw Catra beginning to climb up the side of their perch.
"Honestly Catra we could've come up here earlier without having to sneak around," Adora said despite already beginning her accent up after Catra.
"Well obviously but..." Catra helped pull Adora up and pointed towards the horizon "then we would've missed this."
Adora stood in awe as she saw the night sky clear of the smog that loomed over the fright zone. "Cool right?" Adora looked over and saw Catra staring at the sky with a small smile her eyes shining from the moons.
"Pretty."
After a while, Catra and Adora sat on their ledge still mesmerized by the night sky. "Thanks, Catra this is amazing." Catra smirks
"So amazing it's worth missing an hour of sleep?" Adora chuckled a bit followed by a yawn.
"Definitely." Adora couldn't tell you why but she scooted closer to Catra and leaned her head on her shoulder a content smile on her face.
"What are you doing?" Catra said a bit rushed. Adora snapped back
"Sorry I just was- umm I didn't-" Catra then started laughing her cute squeaky laugh.
"Dummy I was trying to tell you it would be better to lay your head here." She patted her lap. Adora looked up at her with bright eyes.
"Hey don't look at me like that! Shadow weaver would kill me if you got a neck cramp or something. It's not because I like you or anything." Catra said smiling. Adora didn't have to be told twice and rested her head on Catra's lap while pulling up her legs to curl under herself.
"Thanks, but just for a few minutes we have to go back soon," She said as her eyes drifted closed being lulled to sleep by the soft purrs coming from the other girl. Catra found herself staring at Adora more than the sky and subconsciously began to rake her claws through her hair. Catra slowly began to get a little sleepy herself and leaned back to rest a little convinced she'll just close her eyes for a short minute.
That short minute was cut even shorter when Catra caught a whiff of an oh-so-familiar smell of charcoal and electricity. Before Catra could even react she was dragged up by her hair coming face to face with Shadow Weaver. The scream she let out was enough to alert Adora who after blinking for a second began trying to plead with Shadow Weaver.
"Shadow Weaver it was my idea! Please she just wanted to make sure I didn't get hurt!"
She wasn't listening and mid-Adora's rant Shadow Weaver without breaking the unwavering eye contact with Catra said in her cold voice,
"Adora go back to your room this instant."
"Shadow weaver please-"
"Now."
Adora looked over at Catra and began to slowly walk away mouthing a quick "sorry" to Catra. After who knows how long Shadow weaver began dragging Catra by her hair down the staircase leading up to their perch then down an adjacent hallway.
It wasn't by the black garnet chamber but for some reason that just made Catra even more scared. At least with the black garnet, she knew what to expect. Suddenly they were at a big iron door and Shadow weaver opened it and flung Catra inside.
"You forget your place! How dare you try to manipulate my Adora after I saved your life! I should've left you to rot like the filthy parasite you are!"
Suddenly a jolt of electricity went through Catra. "Ahh!" Shadow weaver then grabbed her chin.
"Silence!" Catra clamped her mouth shut and swallowed trying to blink back tears.
"You are to remain here until you learn you are nothing but a pet to Adora that I can and will take away when I see it becoming a hindrance, am I understood?" Catra nodded her head weakly against Shadow Weaver's icy cold grip. Another wave of shocks went through her.
Catra didn't dare make a sound.
"I said am I understood?"
"Y-yes Shadow weaver!"
Shadow weaver then let her go making Catra slump to the ground. And without another word the giant door was slammed shut and locked tight putting the room into complete darkness.
Catra's hand twitched with pain as she tried to move.
Adora's POV
I laid on my bunk my back to the door keeping my eyes on the floor the room was painted in a dark green hue from the dim emergency lights. The only sound was Rogelio's snoring. It's been over fifteen minutes since I left. It usually never lasts this long.
Is Catra okay? I know Shadow weaver always threatened to get rid of Catra but that was just her way of motivating her she wouldn't do it... Right? I then hear the door squeak open and I instantly sit up and turn around
"Cat-" I lose all the breath in my body when I saw Shadow weaver in the doorway her hands held in front of her. She looked calm. And Catra was nowhere to be seen.
"Adora. Come" Shadow weaver said and began to walk out not even checking to see if I was following. We walked together and we came to a stop at the training simulation control area. Shadow weaver then pulled up a recording of one of the other squads.
"Adora." I instantly stood straighter,
"Yes ma'am?"
"Describe what you see here." She said as she pointed to a young girl with white hair and claws? She didn't look too good, to be honest even with the below-average camera quality I could see the exhaustion on her face, and if that didn't give it away the way she moved certainly did.
"Um, she looks tired...and-"
"Adora, what have I said about mumbling? Speak with confidence or not at all."
"She looks tired," I said more firm
Shadow Weaver began fast-forwarding the tape.
"Correct and look what is the result of one tired cadet." She said as she started the tape again, "can do."
Sure enough, it was bad. The girl got startled by her team member trying to get her attention and accidentally stung them with her tail which caused the person to pass out which in turn made her other team member get distracted to yell at her then get knocked down by a bot. Shadow weaver paused the tape.
"Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you, Adora?" I bit my lip a bit.
"Yes, ma'am" Shadow weaver then placed her hand on my cheek.
"Adora, I do wish you would just let me help you could you imagine how much damage you could cause if you are not at your best? Imagine if because of you Lonnie got hurt, kyle or even Rogelio wouldn't that be awful?" Why didn't she mention Catra? Is she alright?
"It won't happen again, I couldn't imagine my squad getting hurt because of me...especially Catra." Shadow weaver straightened and I felt her looking down at me for a long while with silence hanging in the air.
"Go off to bed Adora, and I expect the best scores from you tomorrow...for Catra's sake." And with a wave of her hand, I was dismissed I walk silently to my bunk and felt tears come out as I notice Catra still wasn't back.
Catra's POV
I think I always hated the dark long before Shadow weaver even though I don't remember much from before but I like to dream about it. Life with a loving family and nice house like the ones I read about in stories that were stolen from the outside by older cadets. But it never ends well when I try to make a connection to a loving family to how I got here I just end up mad.
Why didn't they want me?
I already hate this room. Despite the lack of sunlight in the fright zone, there are very few spaces where it's completely dark the only place that's been this dark is when Shadow weaver wraps her shadows around me but at least there was the sound of the hissing shadows, and the belittling comments from Shadow weaver but now it was just...
Silence.
I slowly back up to the wall and curl up on the cold floor. I might as well sleep in case Shadow weaver decides to take me to train. Besides the quiet should hypothetically make sleeping easier...
It didn't. I miss Adora. I eventually force myself to sleep trying to ignore the weird smell hanging in the air of the room.
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"Come on you can do it just concentrate and envision the energy flowing to your hands"
The young kit tries closing her eyes and doing as the woman said but nothing happened and she let out a huff.
"Sweetheart I love you but there's no way she'll learn if you teach her like that." Another woman says as she comes into the room.
"Well maybe if a certain someone wasn't so late I wouldn't have to be the one to teach her." The woman who walked in raised her hands in defense.
"I know I know but I was held up at Mystacor." She came over and gave the other woman a quick kiss on her cheek.
"Forgive me?" She pleaded with big eyes the first woman huffed a bit.
"I'm not the who you promised to teach therefore your apology is miss directed." The woman said with a smirk. For the first time, the second woman acknowledged the kit sitting at the table causing her to spring up and run to hug her.
"Hey missed me already?" The young kit nodded
"You said you'd be back 2 hours ago." The kit whined as she rubbed her face into the woman's pant leg the woman chuckled slightly and lifted the kit into her arms.
"Sorry some work stuff came up can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" The kit giggled then smiled.
"Only if you teach me, mom sucks at it." The first woman gives an exaggerated gasp causing the woman to smile then sit down leaving the kit on her lap.
"Alright, I want you to cup your hands like your scooping up some water." The kit did as told and then the woman began to run her claw lightly from the kit's elbow to her palm.
"Now imagine the light is right below your fur in small pieces and you need to bring them together from your elbows down to your palms." The kit closed their eyes and focused on her mother's claw slowly going up and down her arm and then when she heard a small gasp she opened her eyes. In her palm was a small ball of light. The kit's face lit up as bright as the shining orb coming from her palm and she looked at both women who were smiling at her. The light flickered as both women simultaneously hugged her tight.
"I'm so proud of you sweetie!" The kit then began to feel a rumbling of purrs and warmth. The moment was cut short however when a man came in running past the door.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt but there's an emergency!"
Both women instantly stood on alert the kit still held in the second woman's arms.
"What is it?"
"It's the Horde."
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I woke up with a start my breathing quick and sweat clinging to my fur. What the heck was that? Maybe the silence is messing with me more than I thought. I sit in my spot for a while not having much to do. Maybe I should check the door just in case. I remember one time Shadow weaver shoved me into a supply closet for 3 hours only for her to come back and tell me the door was unlocked the whole time.
"Honestly what did I expect from some animal."
I slowly stood up and made my way to the back wall and walked along the edge to find the door. As I was making my way around I wondered if I had just opened the door Shadow weaver would've just yelled at me for not following orders. I feel the cold iron of the iron door and feel around for the knob or keypad only to realize it had a spinning knob like the ones I'd find on a safe. Weird I tried turning it and it didn't even budge.
Great
With nothing better to do, I decide to go around the rest of the room if only to see how big it is. As I walk I suddenly trip over something.
"Huh?" I lowered myself and felt around I only felt something skinny and long and then some fabric. I couldn't even begin to think what it was.
"Now imagine the light is right below your fur in small pieces and you need to bring them together from your elbows down to your palms."
I remember the dream, but there's no way. Despite me telling myself that I begin to cup my hands together and close my eyes imagining the soft scratch down my arm it feels so real and safe. I felt stupid. Honestly how desperate am I? Then when I see a light past my eyelids I open my eyes. Taking a second to adjust I then stare at the orb.
"Holy crap." Then I look to see what it was I touched and my body goes stiff the light flickers a bit but I refuse to let it go away completely. I then just stare at the rotting bones with their clothes in tatters. I try to keep my breathing even but as I look around I notice there's more. About 4 in total. This wasn't a test.
I'm not supposed to make it out of here.
Adora's POV
I woke up cold and alone as the wake-up call rang. I got up quickly and got dressed. I couldn't afford to make any mistakes today. For Catra's sake. As we all made our way to the breakfast hall I couldn't help but notice a certain white hair girl with claws and a tail. I remember her. I wonder what happened to her after that train wreck of a simulation course. It doesn't matter I tell myself, Catra might be in trouble. The last time she missed breakfast she wouldn't talk to me for weeks and she looked so tired. I remember trying so hard just to see her smile again. Or to even look at me for that matter.
It probably didn't help that she was still new to the Fright Zone.
She came here when she was 6 with no memory of where she came from. I remember how scared she was when I found her in that box shivering and alone.
"Jeez, I can't believe Catra is skipping again I swear she should just up and go away since she's never around." I was brought out of my thoughts by Lonnie's voice. Then after a moment when I registered what she said I got mad.
"Lonnie come on you can't say stuff like that she's our friend!" Lonnie just rolled her eyes.
"Yeah right maybe to you but we understand Catra's place."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
Lonnie let out a chuckle.
"Adora I know your dense but you are not blind Catra isn't like us she isn't even supposed to be around humans you're lucky you were able to train her but she starting to get out of control. You should watch out she might start thinking she can take you on." I found myself getting increasingly angry the longer Lonnie went on. She can't be serious right? There is no way.
"You can't believe that! Catra has shown multiple times that's she's just as capable as all of us!"
"Because she's not in the right place! She'll excel when doing things only humans are supposed to do."
"Then what about Rogelio? He's not human?"
"That's different-"
"How?!"
During this argument, Kyle was trying to keep the peace but neither of us spared him a glance. We also didn't notice the force captains working the cafeteria started to look over at us.
"You do realize Catra has wiped the floor with you multiple times right? So if Catra is lesser then what does that make you?!"
"Jeez, you're' so annoying. You know we used to be friends but you gave all of us up the second Catra came along you've just forgotten about us!" Then Lonnie just started laughing.
"Then again I guess you didn't want friends you just wanted a pet huh? Well lucky you, like always you get to have everything you want-"
I didn't even realize what I did before it was too late I just saw Lonnie knocked to the floor with blood running down her nose.
"Oh, crap."