CARCASS OF PRIDE.

          “ if you don’t shut up they’ll be on our trail any second.  i thought you were good at stealth? ”  ilia bolts as fast as her tiny legs will carry her, simultaneously hauling an injured catra in her arms.  she can’t afford to be careful with the feline, unfortunately — if she gives herself any slack, the SDC guards will have caught up.  she knows she can’t keep this up forever, holding an entire other person and running ahead, before the cars, armed security, and helicopters with spotlights will find them in the thickness of the black forest beneath the train tracks that ilia had jumped into blindly to escape the imploding runaway train.  

          “ i’m serious catra! ”  amitola’s gloved hand covers the felid’s mouth as she leaps into a bush with vines and oversizes leaves.  the chameleon uses her body to cover catra’s, figure curling around her, and her camouflage goes to work as her entire frame dims into a shade of deep, forest green.  “ if you say another goddamn word, i will knock you unconscious.  now be quiet until they’ve passed. ”

          ‘ maybe it’s news to you, but stealth only works when you’re not being thrown like a rag-doll -- ‘ catra hisses, injured leg catching in a dip underfoot & straining the already agitated muscles in her calf, the string-taut tendons in her knee. she tries to haul herself higher onto ilia’s shoulder but finds herself slipping without proper purchase. before she can tell what’s up & down, what’s ground & what’s open air beneath her feet, catra feels ilia’s weight thrown against her.

     thankfully their impact is partially muffled by thick branches & leaves, but that doesn’t keep catra from coughing when sudden pressure is applied against her chest. silenced by ilia’s hand, encompassed by the camouflage her partner provides, catra bites her tongue between pointed teeth & listens for the sound of footfalls to become distant. her ears twitch in annoyance before flattening against her head. with the threat now passing, she growls against the gloved hand at her mouth.

for  lack  of  a  better  plan,  rose  states  the  obvious:     “ you’re  hurt. ”

she  stands  beneath  a  large  pine,  bathing  in  the  baroque  of  its  shade  and  watching  as  the  sun  sinks  lower  behind  the  roaming  hills  overhead.   clouds  make  luminous  misshapes  across  the  darkening  sky,  paving  the  way  for  a  brightening  moon.     “ I  can  help,  but  only  if  you'll  let  me. ”     she  moves  forward  then,  angel-footed  and  slow.     “ You  were  very  fast,  you  know. ”     and,  offering  her  hand,     “ I'll  bet  even  shadows  have  trouble  getting  behind  you. ”

     what a useless, pathetic little wreck she’s become. reduced to a quivering mass of raw, vulnerable emotion at the mere sound of a voice from nearby.

          ‘ get away from me, ‘ she bleats, staggering into the towering trunk of a tree, a fruitless attempt to put distance between herself & the perceived threat. catra doesn’t even bother to look -- too focused on how much each breath stung, an endless agony of throbbing discomfort to remind her of mortality, a thrumming warmth pooling in the palm of her hand as it presses against her flank. ‘ i don’t want your help. ‘

❝WOAH– !❞ Feelings are forgotten with a harsh tug backwards. Adora falls, reduced to loose, flailing limbs until Catra cushions her landing. Everything stops. For a moment they’re together and it’s warm. And familiar. And it almost makes her cry again… but Catra told her to stop. ( keeping her safe– still doesn’t like her– so confusing! ) The moment ends when Adora’s feet slide out from under her. She slumps down into the snow, as though all the energy she had before was just drained from her. It’d be nice to take a nap right now. 

❝Catra, I’m too tired to walk.❞ She whines, ignoring the pins and needles feeling of ice on her skin as she curls up to make herself comfortable on the ground. ❝Where are we going again?❞

     catra considers, for a brief moment, letting adora fall face first into the snow, thinking such a shock of cold might snap her out of this infected she-ra stupor she’s currently lost in. instead, she succumbs to the distant affection still alive & fluttering in her chest, lets adora collide with her to feel the fleeting warmth of what could only vaguely be considered affection. she promptly pushes adora off. into the snow, coincidentally, & catra groans loudly into the graying skies.

          ‘ how this thing turned you into such a hopeless mess, i’ll never know. i don’t even think i want to know. ‘ with one last groan of displeasure, catra leans down beside the blonde. her left hand splays out, & then wraps ‘round the circumference of adora’s ponytail before yanking. hard. ‘ i told you ---- we’re going back to base, & then we’re going back to the fright zone before i lose my tail in this giant, no-good freezer of a wasteland ! ‘

❝AW, LOOK at us–❞ Teary blue eyes are too busy watching Catra’s fingers, which are wrapped tightly around her wrist, to notice that she’s teetering on a cliffs edge. A step away from certain death and Adora’s heart only flutters because of her proximity to her ex-best friend. Emotions are hazy when she’s like this, erratic and hard to define, but if she knows anything– anything at all– it’s that she misses her. ❝We’re holding hands!❞

❝Heh. And I thought you didn’t like me.❞

          ‘ we’re not ---- ‘ oh, this was infuriating !! first, it was having to deal with a supercharged she-ra ready to sucker-punch her lights out. now, it’s keeping adora from throwing herself over the edge of a cliff to chase snowflakes in the sky with her tongue. catra’s grip is a deadly vice ‘round the princess’ wrist as they both teeter on the edge of collapse. ‘ we are not holding hands, adora. & i don’t like you. ‘

        how very arrogant this one is, to think that everything that exists within her presence is a lauding or a mockery. that’s not to say that neo hadn’t been staring, and she certainly would be the first to admit it. there’s little shame to be had in honesty, and honestly? the only war lost here is the bet neo placed with herself of how long it would take for catra to say something. the silence had lasted longer than expected, even if the result had ultimately been exactly as predicted. like a curious puppy, neo tilts her head, and presses an innocent hand to her chest as though the only crime she had ever committed in her whole life was sheer existence. that’s all catra gets in response. that, and a wink, of course. 

          ‘ yeah, you, ‘ catra growls. should the quirk of her brow not suffice enough to portray her annoyance, the deepening of her frown surely would. this was a colorful one, to say the very least -- a lot more quiet than catra would have expected from a human partnering with the white fang. they’re often louder with their defiance towards their own kind; like that redheaded nuisance ordering troops around lately. she most definitely doesn’t trust the pseudo innocence in neo’s smile, just as she doesn’t trust their claims of partnering for the good of faunuskind. ‘ don’t you have something better to do than stare at the one doing all your heavy lifting ? like rushing to sign up for the next toddler beauty pageant in vale ? those spots fill up pretty fast. ‘

      there’s  nothing  a  little  bit  of  perseverance  and  a  can - do  attitude  can’t  fix.  or,  at  least,  that’s  what  glimmer  chooses  to  believe,  but  it’s  a  belief  that’s  slowly  waning  the  longer  she’s  locked  up  in  this  dingy  cell.  the  only  thing  keeping  her  sane  is  the  cathartic  mental  image  of  delivering  a  fistful  of  sparkles  right  to  her  captor’s  face.  it  gives  her  something  to  focus  her  energy  on  rather  than  acknowledge  the  fear  festering  in  her  stomach  like  a  pit  of  vipers  or  the  ever - growing  panic  over  the  total  loss  of  access  to  her  powers. 

      but  no  matter  how  afraid  or  powerless  she  might  feel,  she’s  not  about  to  just  sit  around  and  wait  for  adora  and  bow  to  rescue  her.  it’s  her  own  fault  she  ended  up  in  this  mess,  after  all,  so  in  the  very  least  she’s  going  to  try  and  get  herself  out  of  it.

    ❛  okay…  you  can  do  this.  sure,  they’ve  made  a  few  upgrades  since  the  last  time,  but  you’ve  done  this  before.  just  focus.  ❜  glimmer  whispers  sternly  to  herself,  her  fingers  twitching  in  anticipation.  she  can  feel  what  little  magic  she  has  left  straining  to  come  to  her  aid,  battering  against  the  foreign  power  blocking  its  path  like  an  invisible  wall,  keeping  it  frustratingly  just  out  of  reach.  whatever  these  shackles  are,  they’re  different  from  the  twisted  magic  shadow  weaver  used  on  her  last  time,  and  they’re  sapping  at  her  energy  faster  than  she’d  care  to  admit.  if  she  doesn’t  do  something  soon,  she  won’t  have  enough  magic  left  to  stage  an  escape,  and  that’s  certainly  a  sobering  thought.  glimmer  breathes  in  deeply  and  allows  her  eyes  to  fall  shut,  recentring  her  attention.

      after  a  drawn - out  pause,  glimmer  slowly  releases  the  breath  she’d  been  holding  and  allows  her  body  to  sag  until  the  only  thing  keeping  her  upright  is  the  shackles  clamped  around  her  wrists.  it’s  uncomfortable,  sure,  but  the  less  tension  lining  her  limbs,  the  easier  it  should  be  to call  on  her  magic.  and  yet,  despite  her  best  efforts,  not  even  the  smallest  flicker  of  light  dances  across  her  palms.  her  powers  remain  out  of  her  reach  as  if  an  insurmountable  distance  has  opened  up  between  them.

     ❛  come  on!  ❜  she  shouts  in  a  fit  of  frustration,  yanking  harshly  at  her  restraints.  she  grits  her  teeth,  struggling  to  calm  her  laboured  breathing  as  she  silently  goes  over  her  options.  as  things  stand,  there’s  little  she  can  do  without  access  to  her  magic,  and  as  she’s  had  no  visitors  since  she  was  dumped  in  this  cell  (  no  matter  how  loudly  she’s  yelled  ),  taking  on  a  guard  is  out  of  the  question.

      as  if  in  direct  response  to  her  thoughts,  the  forcefield  of  her  cell  suddenly  deactivates.  glimmer’s  head  whips  up,  her  surprise  swiftly  morphing  into  annoyance  as  she  lays  eyes  on  her  unexpected  and  unwanted  visitor.  with  the  confidence  of  someone  certain  of  their  own  victory,  catra  strides  languidly  into  the  tiny  space  and  settles  herself  comfortably  against  one  of  the  grimy  walls,  barbed  words  rolling  off  her  tongue.  irritation  immediately  spikes  behind  glimmer’s  ribs,  her  fingers  curling  into  fists.  catra  is  the  last  person  she  wants  to  see  right  now.

      glimmer’s  eyes  narrow,  her  gaze  never  once  leaving  catra’s  form  as  she  pushes  away  from  the  wall  and  slinks  purposefully  into  her  personal  space.  the  force  captain  crouches  before  her,  snatching  her  chin  between  thumb  and  forefinger.  glimmer’s  glare  deepens,  her  jaw  clenching  at  the  unwanted  contact.  what  she  wouldn’t  give  to  wipe  that  infuriatingly  self - satisfied  smile  off  her  face! 

     ❛  i  am  so  not  in  the  mood  to  deal  with  you  and  your  mind  games.  ❜  glimmer  groans,  jerking  her  chin  out  of  catra’s  sharp - nailed  grip.  ❛  seriously,  don’t  you  have  anything  better  to  be  doing  right  now  than  trying  to  antagonize  your  prisoner?  ❜

      she  leans  back  as  far  as  her  restraints  will  allow,  her  neck  straining  as  she  scowls  defiantly  up  at  catra.  ❛  clearly,  you  don’t  know  adora  as  well  as  you  think  you  do.  and  that’s  why  she’ll  always  beat  you.  ❜  unflinching,  she  adds  with  finality,  ❛  adora  doesn’t  abandon  people,  and  she  won’t  abandon  me.  ❜

     these rebel princesses always had the same ensemble; they wore a tough face on the outside, used all their energy to fight against restraints until there was nothing left to carry them through the interrogations & torture methods hordak had at his disposal. the princesses were a lot like porcelain figures -- small, pretty to look at, & incredibly easy to break with the right amount of pressure. catra would like nothing more than to snap this little one like a twig in her hand, the thought alone making her tail curl, a rush of rewarding adrenaline coursing through her body as she waltzes into the holding cell.

          ‘ you sound frustrated, ‘ she coos, sparing a moment to flick elongated claws against the tip of glimmer’s finger as she passes, watching a speck of glitter jump from the skin. catra laughs. ‘ not so peppy without that magic of yours, are you ? what a bummer -- but i guess i can still play with your feisty side while it lasts. ‘

     the farther glimmer leans from catra’s reach the farther catra pushes forward to compensate, until there’s no slack left in the shackles holding the princess aloft. a languid grin spreads across her face, gaze unyielding no matter how much it was ignored. ‘ it’s called an interrogation, princess. it’s not meant to be convenient for you, ‘ she retorts, grip tightening ever-so-slightly as the princess draws back, until glimmer’s chin is dislodged & catra’s nail grazes across the skin just enough to draw the faintest trace of blood. catra feigns a pained wince, her expression falling slack to show exaggerated surprise.

          ‘ ouch. careful there, princess, you got yourself scratched. ‘ catra attempts to caress glimmer’s cheek but meets only air as the princess denies her the pleasure. her hand instead falls from its position in front of glimmer while catra chuckles, rising from her crouched position. she’d much rather take a stroll around the cell, letting her words echoing back to glimmer as she paced the room’s perimeter. ‘ all this defiance & anger in such a tiny little princess. aren’t you supposed to be quieter ? sit pretty & make other people do the hard work for you while you sit on a cushy throne ? this rebellion’s turning you into an odd one out. ‘

     she reaches out with one hand to tap claws against the stonework, watching flecks of loose stone & age-old dust dislodging from her touch while the opposite hand rests at her hip, the elongated handle of a stun baton pressed into the junction between her thumb & forefinger.

     as always, adora is the common ground in their begrudgingly frequent conversations -- but this time glimmer jabs dangerously close to a vital point in catra, a weakness she can never manage to fully cover from harm. she visibly tenses as the accusation is thrown into the air, her claws audibly screeching to a halt across the stone wall, leaving deep scars which cross over countless others. catra closes her eyes, forces a breath into her lungs before her head turns to look over her shoulder.

          ‘ clearly, you’re the one who doesn’t know adora, ‘ she spits, a harsh tonality to match the grimace on her face, though that soon smooths over into a knowing smirk. ‘ i’ve been where you are now, sparkles. alone, afraid -- telling yourself over & over that adora will come back because that’s the only thought getting you through every second that she’s away. ‘ her feet once again begin to pad across the cell floor, her tail swaying back & forth as she continues to traverse the perimeter until she’s brought herself back to glimmer’s front again.

          ‘ adora always stays true to her word, ‘ catra singsongs, clasping her hands together tightly, tucking them beneath her chin like a child about to pray. ‘ adora will always come back for me. adora never breaks a promise. adora, adora, adora. ‘ her expression suddenly falls deadpan, & her right hand shifts to yank the stun baton from her belt, tossing it aloft for a short moment before it’s snatched from orbit. ‘ but what you don’t know about adora is that she’s selfish. she keeps people around while she needs them, & then tosses them aside when she finds newer, sparkly friends to play pretend with without even saying goodbye. ‘

     her thumb presses down on the baton’s button, causing sparks to flow & jump from the pointed end, the electricity’s eerie green glow making catra’s features look all the more sinister. 

𝐇𝐄   𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒   𝐓𝐇𝐄   𝐖𝐀𝐘   𝐓𝐇𝐄    food  gracelessly  falls  to  the  floor ,    a  cascade  of  slop  and  grime  mingling  with  the  near - ancient  air  of  the  castle .     he  did  not  wish  to  eat  it  ,   to  begin  with ,    but  the  current  situation  is  certainly  harming  his  natural  optimism .      will  this  state  of  mind  will  die ,    as  all  things  surely  do  in  here ?

odet’s  glasses  flash ,    just  as  his  eyes  do ,    with  a  sort  of  inquisitive  glare .    he  is  highlighted  in  red ,   from  the  glow  from  window ;   a  red  not  unlike  roses .          ❛     and  how  do  you  operate ,   catra  ?          ❜

     slightly reclined, she’s relaxed in a way one should find impossible to be in the middle of a demonic prison such as this. at the heart of danger, catra is content to watch as the destruction of all which exists occurs around her. she flicks her tail through the air, eyes looking away from the prisoner’s curious, pathetic form, disinterested.

          ‘ without random old men asking me how i operate, ‘ catra spits, the curve of her smirk twitching. a tick of annoyance. she drums her fingertips against the outside curve of her elbow in meticulous rhythm, index to pinkie finger. ‘ is this the part where you try to befriend me & we hatch a plan for your daring escape through the land of darkness ? oh, hold on -- i forgot to bring your digging spoon. sucks for you. ‘

          “ what?  catra, what are you saying? ”  the hurt in pyrrha’s voice is obvious in the way it trembles, and she backs away as well, eyes widened in the pit of anxiety that spread through her frame like a virus.  she holds herself inward, arms folding together out of fear.  “ i’m just trying to help.  i don’t know, you’re right, i just — power of friendship or not, i’m trying to tell you that— you don’t have to be alone! ”  catra’s laugh haunts her, rings and resounds in her head like a pinball, and nikos finds herself taking several steps backwards now.  but she stands her ground once she’s got her distance, and she finds herself balling her hands into fists ( though they shake in pyrrha’s uncertainty, stance defensive ).  the emptiness of the stadium makes their voices echo, and it only makes her heart thump faster in her chest.  her voice quiets, lowers in her lack of understanding.  “ what did i say?  why are you being so mean suddenly? ”

          ‘ everyone always says they’re trying, but trying only gets you so far. ‘ pyrrha folds inwards while catra begins to expand, her five-foot-three frame becoming a tower in the midst of their echoing voices. angrily, her tail flickers back & forth, hanging low towards her feet as catra begins to take ground, several steps forward following pyrrha’s retreat. ‘ people like you always tell others to rely on friends, but are those friends always gonna stick around to make sure you don’t slip ? or are they lying when they say they’ll always be by your side ? are you really dumb enough to trust that blindly ? ‘

          pyrrha’s heart swells in the confines of her torso, the sadness on display from catra entrancing her as intended.  green optics darken in response to her friend’s visibly pain, her now revealed agony.  it’s true, to some degree — pyrrha’s loneliness encapsulates her like a prison more often than not.  but the light inside her is too great to ignore, and she’s always able to escape the cage of that darkness.  brows lower, determined, and the champion reaches forward to take catra into her arms.  the embrace is brief and light, though it lingers.  “ catra … thank you.  i’m still learning, that— that i’m more than those things, ”  she says, breaking away from the hug.  “ you’re right.  that i’m more than the mental image people have painted of me. ”  the knight cautiously places her hand on the faunus’s cheek with the gentleness of a feather floating onto the ground, scared that she may shatter the moment like glass.  she breathes deeply, chest rising and falling.  “ but you’re wrong about something else. ”

          her thumb brushes against the apple of catra’s cheek and pyrrha lets it fall again, arms folding back up in front of her abdomen.  “ i’m not — alone. ”  she looks the brunette in the eyes head on.  “ i have my team.  and i know they wouldn’t leave me. ”  her hand moves forward to take catra’s hand in her own, long, gloved fingers squeezing softly.  “ and you aren’t alone, either. ”  pyrrha pauses to let her anxieties melt away momentarily and make certain that she has catra’s undivided attention.  “ you have me, for whatever that may be worth to you. ”  pyrrha frowns.  “ not everyone will leave you, catra, ” she says, the sad emerald in her eyes pleading with her.  “ i don’t know what— what you’ve been through to make you feel like this, but … there’s so much in you that’s worth staying for.  i know i see it. ”

     it’s so pitifully easy when the good of heart wear it on their sleeves. much easier to grasp, pinching nerves until something gives, comes loose beneath the razor point of her claws for her to play with. she expects the tears, to some degree, with how deep she went for such a shallow beginning to their conversation, but catra prides herself on her ambition first & foremost. she could almost conduct the orchestra of her woes with a pointed finger at this point.

     what she failed to foresee was the embrace she would be pulled into, drawing a surprised yelp from deep in her chest as the warrior squeezes the air from her lungs. catra’s arms remain stiff & unmoving at her sides, right ear perked beside pyrrha’s while the left falls flat.

     pyrrha’s hand ghosts over the skin of her cheek, lingers beneath the base of her ear where tufts of fur spring from a self-given undercut long ago & she remembers something distant. something long since buried beneath uneven layers of hatred, feelings of inadequacy & self-loathing. catra’s facade breaks in the moment as she feels compelled to slap the warrior’s hand from her face, taking a step backward. ‘ don’t ---- ‘

     brows furrowed, catra looks at pyrrha’s towering frame & envisions the ghost of a nightmare she’s lived before. ‘ you don’t know what i’ve been through. ‘

     ❝ you would think, but it throws them off when i’m using my shadows. ❞ blake runs her fingers through the length of the coat, the smooth fabric still relatively unscathed despite her plentiful encounters. black used to be her choice color due to its ability to blend in the dark well, but, it’s not as if she constantly finds the need to hide anymore. ❝ i think i’ve become fond of white, lately… ❞

     blake stops a feet before catra. to stand this close in proximity to her is considered a privilege compared to the rest who’ve tried to be on amiable terms with the feisty girl, at least in blake’s view. she takes what she gets from catra and keeps it— and speaking of taking.

     ❝ anyway, i don’t intend to stall you for long, ❞ says blake, her eyes hardening. the age old image of catra’s back when she curls into herself after a talk with the shadow weaver is ever vivid in her mind. ❝ i need to know adam’s whereabouts and what his next course of action is. do you have anything on that? ❞

     right. business, as usual. why else would she be up here past curfew risking her tail to smuggle out information ? no reason other than blake, surely.

     catra’s stare lingers on the glow of blake’s eyes in the dark, the crease of her brow growing as blake reaches for information. she wishes it wasn’t doomed to be a disappointment. her ears twitch, & then gradually flatten against her head. ‘ right, ‘ she murmurs, her eyes pulling away in a fashion reminiscent of their adolescence, times when catra hid her strife behind a wall of callous remarks & stiff conversation. ‘ i can’t say you’re gonna like what i’ve got to say. ‘

     catra chances another step forward as her eyes return with a softer, more concerned gleam, the fractured visage of the moon reflected in the yellow on her left. ‘ best we can tell, adam’s gone rogue. ‘ a gunshot’s echo would dull in comparison to the aftershock of her words.

          ‘ after the white fang returned from the battle at haven, cadets found adam’s squad all murdered in his sanctum. no survivors & no trace left of him. we’ve sent out search parties but they haven’t found any leads on where he’s gone. ‘

            ‘ —- i am calm! ’ she’s not entirely calm.  

      in actuality, she’s feeling just the tiniest bit cornered into the “training” session catra’s insisting that this will be, she can’t decide how much she trusts that it isn’t just a reason to fight. and although she’s never technically cornered anywhere due to her magic, it doesn’t mean that catra won’t find her again and begin the cycle over again. so, instead of running? the princess doesn’t argue with being practically pushed back into the room, quizzing eyes watching catra pull a staff off the wall and explain her exact reasoning for the training.

     and, okay—  the reasoning does make sense. it’s true that she doesn’t quite know how to fight without her magic, but it’s been more and more common— since starting to actually fight— that she doesn’t need to. her magic is stronger than ever.

     but, at the prompting to summon her own staff, her father comes to mind. he had been able to wield the weapon without relying solely on his magic to make it strong. she’d seen it, in her youngest years, albeit only on a rare occasion. and he’d want her to know how to wield it, just as well. so glimmer summons the staff in question, holding it closely, as she challenges the idea again, aloud this time.

          ‘ what do you mean my teleport is “predictable” ? it’s worked against you plenty! and… adora could teach me this, too. or a guard. you don’t have to. ’

          ‘ ‘worked’ as in you teleported me fifty feet in the air without realizing i was attached to you, sure. ‘ catra huffs, her eyes falling shut as the princess pulls up excuse after excuse.

     she doesn’t blame glimmer for the apprehension; really, she doesn’t, but it’s the frustration of their equally stubborn natures that’s grating on her last nerve. ( & even admitting that thought to herself makes catra feel perturbed, knowing that she shares qualities with a princess. ) catra smacks the end of her staff against the training floor before leaning half her weight against it, free hand pinching the bridge of her nose. ‘ look ---- you could wait for adora to teach you in the middle of working on whatever princess nonsense she’s handling out in the whispering woods. you could let an incompetent guard show you sloppy footwork & lousy technique. ‘

     her tail lashes through the air impatiently. ‘ or ---- you could shut up & pay attention to me. as much as you princesses don’t like to admit it, your power has a limit. & when you reach that limit, you can either give up or rely on something else to get you out of a bind. take it from someone who learned to make do. ‘