Escaping Corruption (Seasons 1-3)

S2 - Live Fast Die Young

Catra first thought she was in heaven when she woke.

She was lying uninjured, but tired and hungry, in a stunning garden surrounded by magnificent flowers. There was a crystal clear river coming from under a shimmering blue waterfall at one side, and clusters of different flowers at the other.

A tall, wooden throne stood before her. Crocus leaves were embedded within it. A woman with skin like bronze and two-coloured eyes sat poised on it. A picture of perfection.

The woman was dressed in flowing white robes held by a gold belt, a golden circle sat atop her ebony hair, some parts thinly braided with gold, others hanging loosely.

By the embroidered rue and poppies on the robes, and the hanging sign saying that they were in the celestial gardens, it was clear who they lay before.

'Lady Circe....' Catra whispered.

'You remember me, child, in all honesty I did not expect that.' Circe smiles, and suddenly allowed bad things in the world seemed to disappear.

Catra felt happy and brave enough to grab the branch that lay by the foot of Circes throne and beat Shadow Weaver over the head with it.

'What am I doing here? Where's Melog?! What are you blabbering about?!' Catra hissed, expecting to be berated for her thoughtless disrespect.

But Circe just smiled again, dismissing it.

'You're right to be worried. But Melog will be right in here in a moment, they are just floating around in a bubble outside space and time.' The goddess snapped her fingers, and a confused and disheveled looking Melog appeared with a pop like a balloon bursting.

'Melog!' Catra exclaimed and ran toward them, her arms open.

'Čalyria!!' They squealed, shape-shifting into a humanoid silhouette blob and hugging her tightly.

Melog spun her around a few times, the two laughing as they reunited.

They pulled apart after almost ten minutes of spinning, and remembered that Circe was there.

Quietly, the two sat down before her, Melog back in their cat form.

Circe smiled down at the two, her dimples showing.

'Catra, Melog, children of hope. Could I possibly mentor you to defeat my vile and ungodly cousin?'

The two were shocked.

The goddess of life, death, nothing and everything, wanted to mentor them? As in make them her apprentices?'

Catra blinked.

'Yes, I'm serious' Circe said, tilting her head to the side as a bird, a wren, perched on her shoulder.

'Well, I mean, I need to save C'yra, so I accept' Catra shrugged.

'Me too, I guess'  Melog grumbled.

'Great!' Circe exclaims excitedly, 'Come on, children! We shall eat and rest before we begin, shall we start reading about mana?'

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To say Adora was tired was an understatement.

She was exhausted.

Catra was supposed to come home the following evening, but hadn't even made any contact since she had left two and a half weeks ago. Adora was getting worried.

She had distracted herself by focusing on Naevas unsolvable problem, but her mind just kept coming back to the magicat in space.

She would attend meetings, not speak a word throughout the boring hour, and then confine herself to her room immediately afterwards.

She was concerned for Catra. Bow and Glimmer were concerned for her. Angella, Lance and George were worried about all four.

It was one big cycle.

But where was Catra? Adora thought to herself as she stared, mind near blank, at the sheet of paper before her.

She was supposed to be writing an analysis on She-ra, but so far she couldn't think of much.

Bow had suggested that she takes a shower, have a filling meal, have a nap, and then go back to the analysis.

Personally, she preferred the Horde method.

Fake your okay until your in the grave.

Bow said it wasn't okay to do that. She heavily disagreed.

Adoras fingers ghosted over the necklace Catra had gifted her that day three weeks minus two days ago.

She lept from her seat, when Glimmer appeared laying on her side with one hand providing support for her head, and the other on her hip.

'Come on, We're having a girls night. No Bows. No Catras.' Glimmer announced, gently taking Adoras hand and sparkling them into the twinkling princess' room.

'Make yourself comfortable, I'll get snacks and a selection of board games!' And Glimner was gone.

Adoras eyes fell on the trackerpad Glimmer had snatched from her earlier, as she had spent the entire meeting that day staring at it.

Suddenly,  just as Glimmer reappeared, something shocking came through.

It was Catras voice, mixed with static and a background of battle.

'A-adora! I'm sorry!  We banged into Horde Primes forces! We're outnumbered! I might not survive! I'm sorry! Tell Glimmer her fathers alive and well on beast island! He saved me! Tell Bow I'm glad I was friends with him! Tell Hordak that he's an idiot! And tell Entrapta and Scorpia that I (platonically) love them! And Adora..? I love you. Goodby-' She was cut off.

'Oh..Adora...I'm so sorry for that, but I need to get to Beast Island first thing tomorrow. I need to find my dad.' Glimmer had teared up, and her cheeks were tinged red.

'No, I'll go with you tomorrow. You deserve to have your family back. We better get Catras message around.' Adoras voice quakes as she speaks, but even that couldn't have prepared Glimmer for the sobs that escaped her friend immediately after.

The princess silently kneeled before the taller one, and pulled her into a hug.

'I'm sorry. There's absolutely nothing I can say or do to make you feel better. Would cake do the trick? Even just temporarily?'

Glimmer is relieved when Adora lets out a shaky laugh.

'What kind of cake?'

'Chocolate!'

'My favourite' Adora sighs.

The two friends eat the cake through jokes and laughs, and gossip as the play their board game.

Eventually, they curl up in Glimmers bed together. Giggling about something embarrassing Netossa had done during the earlier meeting.

'Ahh....Glimmer? You're a good friend.'

Glimmer smiles softly. 'So are you, Adora, my partner in driving Bow up the walls'. This time, they both grin.