You're Such An Idiot

Chapter One-Catra

Everything just feels so... weird. I can't believe it's actually over. The war. The fear. This whole world was about to end just a moment ago and right now I'm standing next to Adora, looking up at Prime's ship, now covered in trees and plants and whatever. She-Ra's really outdone herself this time. Like, seriously? Trees? Into space? And Etheria... I look around and everything is bright and colorful and shiny and... we did this. I mean, it was She-Ra basically but I was the one who brought her back. I brought Adora back. I... I can't believe I actually told her that! And I can't even believe she said it back. Every time I think about it I can't help blushing like hell and I hate it. I'm gonna have to find a way to control this thing, otherwise her friends will go on and torture me with their "you're so cute!" and stuff for the rest of our lives. I'll figure that out, I can definitely control⸺

"Hey" Adora's soft voice makes its way into my tangled thoughts and shifts all my focus back to her. I turn around to meet her blue-grey eyes, her eyebrows slightly curved in an expression of pure fondness. I still can't get used to that and before I realize it I feel my cheeks turning red. Thank goodness Sparkles and Bow are not around to see it.

"Hey Adora" I reply with the softest tone possible. It's strange, how good it feels to say these two words now that we... Now that we're not enemies anymore. The shadow of those memories crosses my mind, the look on Adora's face when she faced me, when she fought me... She was hurt, I never got that. I thought she was doing just fine without me, but in the end she really cared, she never gave up on me, and all I did was...

"Are you okay?" Adora asks noticing I've stopped smiling.

"Yeah, it's just..." I shrug and hug my knees with my arms and tail, trying to make myself as small as I can. "I'm still struggling to forgive myself for what I've done, I guess"

"You mean, saving the world?" she smirks.

"No, dummy" I find myself smiling again. It's so easy when she's around. "I mean, when we were fighting each other"

Adora looks away and sighs deeply. "I think about that a lot" she murmurs. "About how different things could have been if only I had... stayed"

"You had no reason for staying, Adora. You were right the whole time, about the Horde and⸺"

"It doesn't matter, Catra. I shouldn't have left you. Not like that" She looks at me now, and I can see in her eyes that she's in pain. "I get it now. When we were at the Heart and you said..." I feel my heart pounding in my chest, literally. I hope she doesn't notice. "and you said you had always felt that way, I realized how lonely you must have felt when I said I wouldn't come back to the Fright Zone"

Only the memory of that moment is enough to give me chills. I suddenly feel my eyes kind of wet. "I should have come with you, it's my fault" I whisper, faintly. "You did what you had to do"

"No" The firm tone in her voice catches me by surprise. She looks... angry. "I could have gone home with you. We could have talked it through, I know I would have convinced you, eventually. There were so many other ways... But I just left, and you were right. You were so right to be angry with me, Catra" Her hands gently cup mine. "I'm so sorry for leaving. I never wanted to hurt you"

She had told me that so many times. That she was sorry, that she didn't mean to leave me behind. But I was so... stubborn, back then. And angry. And lonely. How could I be so stupid? She never wanted to hurt me and all I did in return was hurting her all along. And still she is the one who's apologizing! Seriously, what is wrong with this dumb head? How can she love me⸺because she said she does, right? I didn't imagine that⸺after all I've done?

"I will make it up to you, Adora" That's all I manage to say right now. I'll come up with the right words, eventually. "I promise"

She leans forward till our foreheads touch. This feels so good I start purring.

"And I promise I'll never leave you again"

The sun is now setting over Etheria, I can see the reflection of its red beams in Adora's watery eyes.

"You'd better keep your promise, dummy, because there's no way I'm letting you go this time"