Future in the Stars | Catradora

29 - Things Will Get Better

TW: depressing thoughts

Catra's POV

Swift Wind took off in the direction of the boy standing at the edge of the building. He looked a little familiar; kind of short, really skinny, blonde hair...

Wait a second.

I knew this guy.

"Can't you go any faster?!" I asked Swift Wind.

"Unlike Glimmer, I don't have the ability to teleport!"

I groaned, wishing I thought of asking Sparkles earlier. Despite my arrogance, Swift Wind sped up his flight. We were almost to the building when the boy jumped.

"Kyle!" I shouted.

Swift Wind dove after him. I reached my hand out, and managed to grab Kyle's wrist. I tried to pull him up, but he wasn't making it easy for me.

"Quit playing around, Kyle!" I grunted. Why wasn't he moving? I was trying to save him!

I took a risk and tried to use my other hand to pull him up. I must have underestimated his weight, because without an arm holding onto Swift Wind's neck, I wasn't stable anymore. With a yelp, I tumbled off the horse's back.

"Dammit Kyle!" I shouted, then gasped as Glimmer appeared beside us in midair. She placed one hand on my arm and the other on Kyle's shoulder, then teleported away.

"What happened?" she asked once we were brought safely to the ground.

I didn't answer, but instead crawled over to Kyle, who was lying on his side.

"Come on, buddy, wake up," I muttered, shaking his arm. I gently turned him over, and, to my surprise, his eyes were open. I waved a hand in front of him, but he didn't show any signs that he had heard me. He just blinked and looked away.

"He's in shock," Glimmer said. "What was he doing up on that building, anyway?"

"Not sure," I lied. "Someone get Scorpia. Unlike me, she actually went to Force Captain Orientation so she's bound to know some first aid."

Glimmer nodded and teleported away. Before she returned with Scorpia and Adora, Kyle turned his head to me.

"You saved me," he whispered, as if it was the most unfathomable thing in the world.

"Well yeah... you... you're kind of my friend."

"I caused all this. You should have let me fall."

"What? Kyle, the buildings are collapsing because of the tecta-something plates underground. And even if it was your fault, killing yourself isn't the answer."

"How would you know?" he dully, sitting up. The usual mix of fear and optimism in his eyes had been replaced with emptiness.

"I nearly caused the end of the world, remember?" I said with a small shake of my head. "I can't make up for my mistakes if I'm dead."

"I should've done it ages ago anyway," he whispered, hugging his knees into his chest. "Everyone hates me."

"No, we don't," I said. "It's like you said back at the party; you were our punching bag. We wouldn't have made it through life at the Horde without you."

Kyle stared at me like I had just said the nicest thing he had ever heard. I felt a strange sense of sadness that he considered that to be kind. This guy was like my little brother, and yet I had been nothing but horrible to him, even when I knew he was suffering.

I wrapped my arms around him, which was a gesture I wasn't used to giving, and one that Kyle wasn't used to receiving. After a moment of surprise, he hugged me back.