You're Such An Idiot

Chapter Six-Catra

I'm back to Prime's ship. His clones are holding me down, forcing me to step inside the green liquid tub. I try so hard not to show him I'm scared as hell, but I am. This is it, it's over. I'll never have the chance to see Adora again. I'll never have the chance to make it up to her. There's no way she would come back for me... Why would she? All I did was hurt her and her friends. She must hate me. The only person I care about in the entire universe hates me. How could I let that happen? How could I be so stupid? Will she forgive me someday? Will she even think of me? Will I... remember her when this is over?

"Cast out the shadows! Cast out the shadows! Cast out the shadows!"

Prime looks down on me, sneering. "It's time to cleanse your soul, child. Are you ready?"

I have to cling on to a memory, otherwise I'll break down. So I close my eyes, tears warming up my cheeks, and I think about the promise we made. Me and Adora. We promised we'd look out for each other. I remember her dumb toothless smile when she said that. Last time I saw this memory I literally left her hanging on a cliff, knowing she would have probably died. And still... she always refused to hurt me. She would hesitate, hold back her strength when she was She-Ra. And I called her weak for that, when all she was actually doing was... keeping her promise.

"Cast out the shadows! Cast out the shadows! Cast out the shadows!"

It's too late now. Too late for me. But maybe... just maybe... she could come back for me. That's just how she is. She's... she's such an idiot.

A broken smile lifts the corners of my mouth. Prime's clones' voices grow louder.

"Do not worry" says Prime. "There will be no more suffering. I shall make you pure"

It takes all the courage I have left to face Prime and speak up. "She will stop you, you know? She will kick your ass. There is no way you win this" My chest fills up with pride as I talk about her. She's strong, Adora. She won't lose. She's gonna win in the end. That's all that matters.

"We'll see about that" replies Prime, confident. "But for now, it's time to say goodbye to your Adora"

The clones drag me further into the liquid, I don't have the strength to fight them anymore. A powerful electric discharge suddenly runs through my body, causing me to fall on my knees, screaming with pain.

"Aaaaaaargh!"

I open my eyes wide and I wake up in the middle of the night, the sheets soaking wet.

"Catra!" Adora wakes up immediately, her voice full of anguish. She puts her arms around me, trying to stop me from shaking. "Catra it's okay, I'm here"

My heart beats wildly fast, the thin layer of fur all over my body is puffed up. I'm panting, shuddering. I reach for the scar behind my neck, terrified. There is no chip. It was just a dream. Just a nightmare...

Adora holds me tighter and starts caressing my hair, whispering: "It's okay, it's okay". I try to calm down, focusing only on her scent. It hasn't changed at all, this whole time. Even when we were fighting, hitting each other... even then, her scent was just the same. It never really left the Fright Zone. It never left me. I inhale, deeply, and it feels like home.

"I... had a nightmare" I whisper, exhaling. "I'm sorry I woke you up"

"You don't have to be sorry" she replies, with a soft smile. "I'm here for you, Catra"

I know you are. You always have.

"I keep dreaming about the chip" I confess, flattening my ears. "I can't get it out of my head"

"It's totally normal, Catra. I can't even imagine what you've been through, I..." she stops and looks away, sad. "I wish I could have stopped that"

"You're not responsible for what happened to me, Adora" I reply, firmly. "You were never responsible for my actions"

"I should have come and rescue you as soon as you sent Glimmer" she insists. "I might have⸺"

"Adora, listen to me" I touch her cheek, lightly. "You came back for me. You saved me. I thought it was over and I thought you didn't even care! But then you... You were there, and I could see you, I could hear you, even when I was chipped. I could feel my body hitting you, and I hated it. And I could feel you holding me. You held me and didn't let go, not even when I clawed your back. You never stopped protecting me, Adora. No matter how much I hurt you, you just wouldn't let me go. So don't you ever, ever dare think you haven't done enough for me"

Her grey-blue eyes brighten, her face softens into a warm smile. "You're getting pretty good at that"

"At what?"

"Words"

I snort, playfully. "It's a side effect of spending so much time with a princess, I guess"

She holds me closer, causing me to purr instinctively. "I hope we'll get to spend much more time together, then"

I close my eyes, my head resting on her chest. Her heart beats right against my cheek. "We will, princess. I'm not going anywhere"