Crimson Blood

Chapter 35

No One's POV:

Adora looked at Horde Prime's empire inching closer towards her every second as she narrowed her eyes.

"No turning back now," she said as she surged forward.

Her feet glided across the cold, blank metal surface as she could see a silhouette of a tall guy with broad shoulders. His eyes were cold and his fingers were tapping on the arm rest of a throne. 

He turned around suddenly, locking his eye's with Adora's, a thin smirk spreading across his face. 

"Where are my friends?" Adora asked. Horde Prime stepped back to reveal two shorter figures standing behind him. Both looked normal and completely unharmed to Adora's shock. 

Horde Prime just chucked, "They're fine, I don't like to resort to violence."

"So we can go freely...?" Adora asked, trying to mimic Bow's positive aroma.

"You can take the princess, this one..." Horde Prime pointed at Catra, "...is required to stay here a little longer." 

"I'm not leaving unless I have both of them," Adora snarled, getting ready to lunge at Horde Prime. Horde Prime put his right hand up in peace to stop Adora. 

"This is a place of purity, we don't like violence here," Horde Prime stated, approaching Adora with a sickly smile on his face.

Horde Prime gently pushed Glimmer forward, "Didn't you say you wanted your friend back?" he asked, allowing Glimmer to make her way to Adora's side.

"Give me Ca- the other one," Adora said firmly, trying not to cry when she saw the wince Catra gave in response.

"What is she to you? Do you care about her? or is she just another person, someone disposable?" Horde Prime asked, burning his stare into Adora's eyes. 

"She-" Adora thought for a moment, different words jumbling around her head, a few of them she wished she hadn't thought of.

"She's my friend," Adora stated firmly, "and I'm not leaving without her."

"Pity..." Before anyone could react, Horde Prime's arm flashed out, punching Catra square in the gut before dragging her up, his hands curled around her neck.

"Catra!" Adora screamed. 

Catra winced in Horde Prime's grip, "It's fine Adora," she rasped out. Adora reached out but a green forcefield stopped her, sending her flying back, smashing into the floor. Adora and Glimmer could only look in horror as Catra's body dropped to the floor, her hands curling around her arms, trying to stop the agonizing scream threatening to slip out. 

Before anyone could say anything, footsteps echoed through the hallway as a pair of brown eyes glanced towards them in worry. 

"Bow! You made it!" Adora said wrapping her arms around him in a hug. 

"Glimmer!" Bow exclaimed, nearly tackling her over in relief. 

Their excitement was short lived when they saw Catra trembling on the floor.

"We need to get out of here, you two get back to the ship and make sure Glimmer gets some real food." Adora said.

"Not without you," Bow replied, standing next to her, smiling.

"This is touching but I think Adora is right," Horde Prime said, a slight smile creeping across his face as two clones surged forward and grasped Glimmer and Bow. 

"Throw them out in space somewhere, they have both already been quite useful." Horde Prime said, as the clones obeyed, dragging them off to a room with a hatch. 

"Glimmer! Bow!" Adora yelled.

A green barrier made it's way around Adora, Catra, and Horde Prime, trapping them in. 

Catra slowly got up, still shaking but the pain had eased. 

"It's funny, how love truly is the most popular weakness across the galaxies." Horde Prime said, no hint of a smile anywhere on his face. 

"Leave her alone," Catra scowled, protectively making her way in front of Adora. 

"So this is the mighty She-Ra," Horde Prime stepped closer to Adora, looking at her messy blonde locks sticking out of her ponytail. 

"What is she to you?" This time the question was directed at Catra. 

"She's nothing to me," Catra lied, flashing a look at Adora to hope she'd get the message. 

"Is that so? Is love truly not your weakness?" Horde Prime looked at Catra, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.

"Throw her in the acid," Horde Prime ordered, pointing at Adora. The clones grasped Adora's arms and started shoving her. She swerved around and grabbed onto one of the clones in hopes of not falling in.

"Adora!" Catra shrieked, she sprinted faster than she ever had as she smashed her body into the clones. Two of them toppled into the ground as the three of them body slammed into the ground, rolling over from the hit. Adora punched the one grabbing her left wrist square in the gut before pulling her grasp out of the other three holding her back. Catra ran over, hitting one in the back of their neck as they collapsed and fell into the pit. About 10 more made their way over towards them, surrounding them as they attempted to make their way out.

"Adora! Get out of here! We told you not to come get us!" Catra yelled, pushing Adora out of the pile of clones. 

"Did you really think I would listen? I would have come back even if it were just you! Catra- I l- eek!" Adora screamed when she felt a clone's nails drag down her arm. 

Catra scratched her nails down the green barrier, making enough space for Adora to slip through.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Catra beckoned as Adora ran over, the clones inches behind them. 

"Are you coming too?" Adora asked as Catra nodded her head. She smiled as she slipped through the hole in the barrier. Catra attempted to make her way through but she felt hands grab her before they pushed her the ground and started dragging her foot.

"Catra!" 

They dragged her body towards the edge of the acid pool, as her hands scrambled to find something to grab but she lost that fight when a clone forcefully pried off her fingertips. her body succumbed to the undeniable fall as she felt a strange liquid overwhelming her. 

It burned.

Everything hurt. 

The only thing she could hear was Adora's desperate screams and pounding against the barrier. 

She felt weak. 

Her limbs were on fire, her mask prying off of her forehead, gone. 

Pieces of her hair floating off before she gave in. 

Taking her nails, and slashing it through her wet acid hair. 

"All beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure..." 

There was a hand, her trail of thought was gone. Nothing clouded her mind, only blankness and purity. She reached up to grab it, revealing a pure figure, an emperor. She smiled, he was pure and trustworthy. She was pure.