Escaping Corruption (Seasons 1-3)

9 - Time and Comfort

Catra was getting bored to say the least.

Soon, their two week holiday had passed, and they had r returned to Halfmoon.

Catra was glad to be home, but she would miss the sunny coast of Mystacor.

She trained her magic with C'yra, while Amato taught her other skills, like music and gymnastics.

She started ribbon dancing as her first step into the culture of Halfmoon, and she was learning quickly. She began to join in the dancers that danced from sunset to twilight, and Adora quickly left her mind.

A month had passed since their return, and the king and queen called her to their room.

When she entered, they were sitting side by side on the bed.

'Catra!' Said Amato in his typical sing-song tone.

'Hey cub' C'yra flicked her tongue.

'Cut to the chase. Why am I here?' Catra folded her arms and glared down at them.

'You see how we live in the capital of Purrsia? Which is from Beast Island, to an island right between here and Sealinius, which is the furthest from the main point?' C'yra the newfound geographe explained.

Catra nodded, remembering listening to Aeris complain about an assignment on this fact.

'So what?'

'We're having a ball in your honor next week on the island near Sealinius' Amato replied, strumming his ukelele absent mindedly.

'Really?' Catra blurted out.

'Yup.' Amato nodded.

'Whats the island called anyway?!'

'Pantherna. It has a huge arabian style palace right in the middle, its extravagant. You, Dior and Aurelie can do your ribbon dancing thingy on the podium for entertainment.' C'yra replied.

'Dibs on music!'

'Ato, as much as I love you. No. You can not sit there on your ukulele humming and calling it music, sorry sweetheart '

He frowns and gaves a melodramatic sigh.

'What if him, Ezra, Nick and Mina could together be in charge of the music?' Catra suggested.

'Hey! she got my brain!' C'yras face brightened.

'S'cuse you. I'm totally smarter!'

'Nuh uh!'

'Uh yeah!'

Catra sidestepped out of the room and away from her squabbling parents.

Was this what having a family felt like? she snickered quietly to herself.

She looked out on of the massive windows, to see Lyric and Naeva talking.

She raised an eyebrow at how close they seemed, but walked on. Her sisters relationship with the busiest guard here was non of her business.

She entered her room and smiled to herself, feeling more tranquil then ever.

She summoned a ball of magic the size of a rugby ball, and just left it floating in mid air above her.

Her duvet was pulled up to her stomach and her chestnut hair feathered around her like a halo. Her ink coloured eyelashes fluttered as she watched the magical orb before her eyes.

She was beginning to fall asleep, this fact was made obvious by her eyelids drooping over her eyes as the room flickered.

She yawned, and leaned back against the satin pillows. The rest of today had to wait, I need a damn nap.

So she extinguished the magical orb, and pulled of the simple white frock she was wearing.

She flipped the duvet to the cold side, and began kneading the sheets.

She recalled Lonnie straight up bullying her for this in the past, but stopping as she grew older. Maturing. She hadn't said anything particularly hurtful to her until Adora left.

She drew back from where she had been kneading the sheets, and pulled the duvet back over her shivering body.

She yawned again, and swallowed.

After a few moments, she had fallen asleep. Her chest heaved up and down faintly as she breathed. Small, scared noises escaped her lips.

C'yra stopped outside the door, hearing the faint whimpers coming from her daughter.

She knocked, and when she got no reply, she entered.

Catra was clearly having a nightmare.

She sat on the stool beside her bed and took her hand. 'Cub, its me, you're safe, you're in Halfmoon' she whispered softly, squeezing her hand in a comforting manner, and stroking her hair gently.

Catras tail curled around C'yras wrist.

It stayed like that for a while. C'yra comforting the sleeping girl, whom had a furry appendage wrapped around her wrist.

When Catra was finally consoled, and let go of C'yra, the magicat queen went in search of her husband.

She found him by the fountain, staring at the enchanted statue of a swan.

'Ato?'

'Yes, my darling wife?'

'Have you noticed Catras nightmares, triggers, the "secret" panic attacks in the forest, so much has happened to that poor girl' C'yra slumps beside him.

He put his arm around her and pulled her closer.

'Shes still hurting, theres not much we can do, but be there for her when she needs us. Even when she claims she doesn't, shes feeling afraid, hurt and betrayed. When things like that happen, its not a quick fix. Healing takes time. You do not just wake up one morning and become the butterfly. It takes time. Time and comfort is what she needs.' Amato replies in a calmer tone.

C'yra rests her head on Amatos shoulder and stares up at the moon, thats glaring down at them like a one big eye.

'Then thats what we'll give her'