Hero (english version)

Epilogue

I can feel the magic growing in every corning of Etheria. I let myself fall on the grass, spreading my arms. She copies my posture, but lying down on the other side, so that way our faces are at the same height, but our bodies lie in opposite ways. I open my mouth to say that she should just lay next to me, but when I turn my face to look at her, I'm speechless. She's so beautiful. Then she directs her gaze towards me, looking away in a quick motion when she notices me staring.

"Don't look at me like that," she says while she blushes.

I smile. I never thought this day would come. And finally, we're here. A strong desire to wrap her in my arms and never let go takes over my mind.

"I love you," I say, feeling a funny tingle in my stomach.

"And I love you too," she lays on her side, laying the palm of her hand on my cheek, and giving me the most beautiful smile. "I've always loved you."

Uncontrollable tears spring from my big blue eyes. How long have I been waiting for this? I didn't even understand my feelings a few weeks ago, but since she saved Glimmer... Since she apologised... I never though that a simple "I'm sorry, for everything" would be able to fade even the last of my doubts. I just wanted to go back, get her back and hold on to her so tightly that nothing and no one could ever separate us again.

"I love you," I repeat, longing for those two words to be engraved with fire on her soul.

Suddenly she puts her face above mine, just a few inches, but still lying the other way. I slightly caress her cheek. As I do this, she cocks her head, rejoicing in that caress, as if that simple gesture completely fills her. One of her tears lands on my face.

"Why don't you lie here next to me?" I tell her, gently gathering her tears.

And she kisses me. I close my eyes, wishing for this moment to be infinite.

In one quick movement, I get up and sit in front of her. Catra copies my posture again, getting as close to me as she can. And we kiss again. I wrap my fingers in her short hair. She's beautiful in every single way. Her lips are warm and soft.

"I love you," I say, as I kiss her again.

I feel how her face floods with tears. I step back a few inches, dropping my forehead onto hers. I place my hands on her cheeks and, with the help of my thumbs, gently erase each of her tears.

"I didn't know one could cry of happiness," she confesses.

Now, it's me who gets emotional, and I hug her as hard as I can. "I wish we could merge into one," I murmur in her ear.

I can feel her smile, but as I separate and look at her, I glimpse a certain sadness in her expression. I gently caress her face, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"It's not the first time you've said that to me," she sadly says.

My expression reveals my confusion. "What?" I ask myself. I don't remember it. I don't remember having... Suddenly, all doubt vanishes, as I whisper this. "Shadow weaver?"

She nods. I get even closer to her, wrapping my legs around her hips and placing my hands on her waist.

"What is it that I don't remember?" I ask, puzzled.

There is a slight pause. Her eyes shine in the darkness of the night, illuminated only by the millions of stars that surround us. Catra takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "You've already kissed me," she smiles, a tear running down her cheek. "We were trying to find out what we were feeling, to give this a name," she points to both of us. "I was going to leave with you."

Those words hit me. What would have happened if we had left together from the beginning, as we planned?

"But Lonnie..." she shrugs and, after a brief pause, she keeps talking. "You started to get lost in the training. You cared more about me than about the mission and ... She saw how we looked at each other."

I give her another fleeting kiss, at which she can't help but smile. I couldn't resist any longer, I had to erase the sadness her expression radiated.

I look at her. Her ears down, her sweet smile, the colour of her eyes, the warmth of her hands on my waist... All that she makes me feel is really capable of being seen from the outside, just with a simple glance?

"I tried to save you, but it was too late. Some soldiers held me while she erased your memory, just a few meters from me... And I couldn't do anything," she says, with heavy regret in her voice.

"You've already saved me," I say, without hesitation. "You told me you loved me, and I... I gave up. I thought it was all lost but you fought for me, you got me out of there, you... saved me. You are my hero, Catra." I say, placing, once again, my forehead against hers.

I look at her as she smiles. I place my right hand on her face, and she rests hers on mine. We both look at each other before kissing again. What was once just a tingle, now it's quite an earthquake. I feel that there's a feeling so strong inside of me, that it even appears tangible in my mind.

"Hey..." she whispers. "You don't remember anything, don't you?"

I shake my head. She sighs. "I'm sorry," is the only thing I can say.

"Don't worry," she assures me. "It's just... You said something. When I was trying to get to you, while she was erasing your memory, you... you said something to me and I've always wondered-"

"I'm in love with you," I interrupt her.

I don't even know why I said that. It's as if my lips have uttered those words unconsciously, as if they were a mere reflection of all that. There's a long silence. She just looks at me, without saying anything. Her hands cling even more to me. Catra looks down, smiling. Her tears soak me. I gently lift her face, placing my index and middle fingers on her chin. She looks at me.

"A lifetime wanting to hear those words, and it turns out I've heard them before," she smiles.

Her gaze rips a smile off my face.

"You'll listen to them for the rest of your life," I tell her, knowing I fully intend to remind her every day.

Catra cocks her head. She smiles, but she's still crying. Her fangs peek out from behind her lips. I can't take my eyes off her eyes. I've never seen anything so impressive. So, when she asks me the following question, I can't resist my desire to kiss her with all my might.

"Promise?"

Catra's expression starts as a huge smile, and it ends up becoming a sweet laugh. "You've transformed into She-Ra while you were kissing me! You're such an idiot."

And it's true. By the time I notice it, I'm wearing a shiny golden tiara and I'm a few inches taller than her. That thing I felt... that feeling that surpassed me... I laugh.

"You wake up the magic in me," I whisper.

She kisses me again, before standing up and pulling me to follow in her footsteps. I don't know where she's taking me, but before I let myself go, I hold her hand again, interlacing our fingers, and I call out for her.

"Hey, Catra!"

She turns to look at me. She looks like an angel. Our eyes meet, as if with only that gesture we already knew everything we feel for each other. It is then, when I reply.

"I promise."