Broken Promises

The Battle of Faymore

A/N: SPOILERS, DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER SEASON ONE YET. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED. Now, on with the story!

"Hey, Adora..." Catra said, a menacing smile on her face as she crouched on a tree branch, watching her enemy walk down the ramp. She gasped as it began to close, and she instinctively leaped through the air, hands extended, disappearing inside just as the crystal opening closed with a thud. Catra trailed Adora, admiring the crystalline walls around her and they came to a large room, the crystal ceiling soaring high above them. Catra crouched, leaping behind a pillar with feline grace. She stood behind a pillar, peeking out at her former friend. Because that's all she is, Catra told herself, pain piercing her heart as she thought about that fateful day.

She remembered the air thick with smoke, sparks dancing in the air. The charred remains of Faymore's buildings at the source. Bots clanked, their metal clamps digging into the ground, marching steadily forward as their red target system glowed and fired constantly, the sound of lasers blasting drowning out the screams of the peaceful civilians as they fled, huge tanks shaking the ground.

Catra sat in one, her hand poised on the firing mechanism. "Stop!" Someone cried, and Catra froze, recognizing the familiar voice. Adora...? Catra slammed the tank to a halt, seeing a blonde girl, her hair up in a ponytail with a flower in it, holding out her hands.

"What're you doing!?" Catra screeched as her friend stood directly in the path of the huge war machine. Catra finally managed to pull the tank to a halt, climbing out, a grin on her face disguising the mixed emotions she had. She imagined what she'd say to Adora in her head. Shadow Weaver was so worried about you! I'm a horde Capitan now! I- I missed you. Let's go back home. Catra took a deep breath, shoving her emotions down, burying them deep within her. I can't show weakness. I have to be strong.

"Can you believe they let me drive a tank!" Catra said excitedly, popping out of the hatch. Adora's eyes widened with shock and horror. "Did you just immediately get captured by the rebellion!? Shadow Weaver was about to lose her mind!" She grinned, but her smile quickly faded, her eyes drawn to the flower tucked in her friend's hair. "What're you wearing?" Catra said incredulously, making a face.

Adora blushed, quickly grabbing the red flower, crushing its soft fragile petals in one hand. "It-it's nothing," she muttered, staring at the ground.

Catra grabbed her friend's arm, turning back towards her tank. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Catra, I can't."

"What!? Why!?"

"Look at this, Catra. This isn't right! I can't leave. Not now."

Catra rolled her eyes. "C'mon, enough with your little identity crisis." Catra grabbed Adora's hand, but Adora pulled away. Catra stared, shocked at her friend.

"Catra, this has to stop! This is wrong! These are innocent people, not the rebellion! Don't you care?" Adora cried, her hair waving in the wind. "They've been manipulating us. Shadow Weaver, Hordak, they all lied!"

Catra yanked her hand away, staring at her childhood friend, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe it. How stupid are you, Adora? Catra wondered. How can she still not know after all this time!? Catra's heart filled with pity for her friend, whose eyes were wide and lost. I have to be strong. I need to stay strong. I can't comfort her. I have to let her do it alone. "DUH!" Catra exploded, gesturing with her hands. "That's Shadow Weaver's and Hordak's thing, don't you get it? They've been messing with our heads since we were little!"

Adora had backed away, staring horrified at her friend. "And you're just okay with that? They've lied to us our whole lives, Catra!"

Catra pulled her hand away, pulling out a baton. She flicked the switch and the metal sparked with green electricity. She shocked her friend, who collapsed in a heap, her hair messy, falling down her shoulders. Adora's face turned hurt. "Catra, no-" she began, trying to stand up again.

Catra's eyes widened. She can't leave. I won't let her. Her hand lashed out, shocking Adora again, who fell and didn't get up. "Sorry!" Catra yelped. "Reflex!"

Glimmer teleported in, kicking Catra in the face, who let out a cry, falling to the ground. "Oh no, you don't!" She shouted, crouching on her feet and doing a flip, but with a shimmer of sparkles, Glimmer disappeared into thin air, Catra's unsheathed claws swiping at empty air.

And then Adora had changed into She-ra. Into the enemy. And now, here she was again. Standing in front of a hologram, demanding answers on how to help Glimmer. Adora's new friends. No one wants me. Not Shadow Weaver, and not Adora. She traded me out for new friends. She didn't even come back.

Adora felt herself becoming increasingly frustrated with the hologram. "When can I meet Lighthope!" She shouted, her eyes glinting with determination.

"Not until you're ready," the hologram responded unhelpfully. "Not until you let go."

"Let go of what!?" Adora cried.

Catra crept towards a pedestal with a First One's data crystal inside, careful not to make a sound. But the crystals lining the walls turned red, giving off menacing light. "Intruder detected," a disembodied voice said, and Catra let out a yelp as She-ra whirled around, her sword pointed right at her heart. A blast of energy ripped out of the blade, and it raced towards Catra, who stood there in shock.

A/N: Hi guys! Thought I'd try my hand at this, see where this goes. Is this copyright or not...? Please let me know, I don't want to get sued, haha! I'm definitely a major fan of Catra, she's one of my favorite characters ever. This might just be a retelling in story form, or I could turn it into something more, I don't know. Let me know what you think!

Thanks, a geek.