𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕.

                 now it’s his turn to be as equally caught off guard, a subtle blink of the eyes, accompanied by ruffling the back of his head, uncanny mimicry, also an old time habit of his. ❛ really? huh. that’s … not what i expected to hear. ❜ a sword in the woods? he wasn’t under the impression she’s being dishonest, stranger things have happened. though, truth be told he is still a bit skeptical – but he lets his suspicions rest for now.  his mouth falls into a calm smile, attention shifted from the mythical weapon, to the young lady before him.  ❛ well, i’m sad that i can’t meet the blacksmith, but i suppose it’s not a total lost. the name’s claude, and you are? ❜

   if for just a moment, she’d avoid eye contact. perhaps it’s a bit of anxiety that gets her ... gaze brief as she looks to her sword,   —- well aware of how odd her story is. but such doesn’t last long ; the stranger’s kindness and a sense of goodwill that radiated from him providing her with ease. thus does a small grin manage to tug at her lips, shifting to offer a hand to the man.  

               opposites attract , or so they say ; adora   &   catra shared little similarities ,   &   the feline oftentimes found herself questioning adora’s sprightly attitude towards a promotion   —   if it wasn’t force captain , it didn’t matter   —   nonetheless , there was always something so stimulating in seeing her bestfriend happy . it was selfish , she thought , but it bolstered her ego enough to claw from the depths of her own swirling thoughts .

               brunette crown shifted , peering over shoulder at the other , a sluggish blink followed ; a moment to process just what adora had said , just what adora had done . if she were anyone else , she would scold the soon - to - be senior cadet , but this was catra   —   the very person who taught adora how to steal .                nimble motions brought feline from the bar she was seated `pon , slinking over to her comrade . grin stretched wide , fangs prodding lower lip .   ❝   i didn’t think you had it in ya , adora .   ❞   slender arm wrapped tight around adora’s shoulders , a raspy chuckle slithering between teeth .   ❝   still can’t steal as many as me , though .   ❞

   there’s a sense of pride that spreads onto her face,  a smug grin tugging at her lips before placing the stolen ration bars beside them. of course, she couldn’t help but pull onto the string of pride that grew within ... a ‘ people please ’ of sorts, some would argue —— teachers pet, and one to always follow the rules. yet ... willing to toss all of that side for the sake of some fun with the person closest to her.  

‘ what ?     i’m telling you ... i’m not some goody-goody. ’ there’s a laugh that breaks through her lips, ‘ ——no way !  this has to be some sort of record ! ’ which was a lie, clearly. her meager stack equaling to be about four.  

thinking a lot about how desperately adora wanted / wants an explanation for why she was ripped away from her life and family and just. being able to confront the person responsible, and not given an answer just. 

   she’d wear her toughest face ... a scowl as fists clenched at her sides ; teeth gritted and she’d have to restrain herself from transforming in an attempt to appear a bit more intimidating. 

     & again, she laughs. she laughs like the roar of a lion as it sprints unhindered across the tundra, like the cackle of a hyena as it goes mad from hunger, baking beneath the blazing sun. her eyes are wild, pupils mere specs of black amidst a sea of yellow & blue & tears. ‘ you think that hasn’t been my plan all along ? ‘ she asks, sucking in a breath so quickly it squeaks down her throat. ‘ that’s the whole point, adora. to take them down & take their power for myself. ‘

     that flimsy. little. thread. it’s never been more than nuisance to her, as she looks back now. her connection to adora was always what brought out the inadequacies in her form, in her studies, in the way she spoke when authority claimed she could not. her claws would strum at that pretty little thread every now & again, playing the tune of her infatuation with the idea that someone seemed to care for her like she meant something.

     her claw hooks around the threat & snaps it clean in two.

          ‘ was i not innocent once ? ‘ she growls, pulling on the collar of adora’s jacket before slamming her weight into the ground below. ‘ did anyone have to hurt me to get where they’re at ?? where was that mercy when i needed it ? in case you haven’t noticed; the world doesn’t play fair. it never has. it never will. ‘

     through the frustration & the blurring of tears across her vision, catra doesn’t realize she’s given adora an opening to turn the tides. suddenly her back thuds hard against the floor & she hisses out in pain, in fury as she finds herself unable to push back. her heels begin kicking & scuffing against the floor beneath her, breath quickening as it feels like oxygen is beginning to escape from her lungs. catra’s hands grasp around adora’s forearms & her claws sink deep into the skin as she finds herself unable to think clearly. ‘ get —- get off of me ! get off me !! ‘

     the more catra tugs, the more she finds herself spiraling down through an abyss, watching the light above grow fainter & fainter with each passing second. the lack of freedom is suffocating. when has she ever had freedom to begin with ?

          ‘ I DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO ! ‘ she screams, tears streaming faster & collecting in the tufts of fur beside her ears. everything inside her burns & hurts & just wants to give up. her claws, cloaked in the shade of adora’s blood, suddenly retract from her arms. ‘ i don’t – i don’t know … let go. let go ! adora, please, please – ‘

   she’d wince through the pain as catra’s claws dug into her skin, tears heavier as they streamed down her cheeks ; the warmth of blood that ran down her skin as catra dug into her. she was there ... but not, her grip tight as she struggled to keep catra pinned against the ground. her screaming echoing through adora’s mind as she could do nothing but allow not only regret, but pain to fight against what attachment she held for catra. a friendship so dear to her heart that she struggled to let go — — demands of a hologram that claimed to know the best for her ... a destiny that she was nothing but a slave to. one that tore her from a life she still desperately clung to ; hoping that a dream she once followed could still, somehow, prove to suit a child’s fantasy.

but such fantasy proved to be nothing but a blood soaked lie : children stolen for the sake of a pointless war. a war fueled by evil ... and one responsible for what managed to poison the person once closest to her.  

‘ not until you listen to me ! ’ she’s screaming through tears, words choked as they break past hesitance.  ‘ please, just ... give me a chance. ’ her grip tightening as catra’s claws dug deeper, and deeper — — until, finally ... they’re retracted ; adora following suit as she loosens her grip. moments pass, moments that feel to be years ; regret sinking within the blonde as it coiled around her, stealing what little air she managed to gasp for. a pain she was all too familiar with, and one she would desperately attempt to wish away each, and every night.

a similar pain to what catra was experiencing, she’d assume, watching as tears rushed down the other’s face. catra’s words leaving adora in a pool of what guilt had attempted to drown her the moment she deserted the horde. those moments would prove more painful than any physical pain catra could inflict ; adora’s own body proving weak in this moment as she releases her grip entirely, removing herself from atop catra, and kneeling beside her.  

she’d place a hand closest catra’s, wishing to hold onto her, and drag her to safety.

‘ i don’t want to leave you again. ’ her fists would grip the ground beneath her, filling themselves with dirt as she trembled beside catra. ‘ please, catra. ’ and she’d ask for nothing more than to keep catra safe from the horde.  ‘ why do you want to hurt people ?     this can’t be what you really want ... ’ an empty promise it’d seem — — a promise protecting them from what fears plagued them in their youth, but one adora would hope salvageable despite what blood stained the ground beneath them. perhaps their thread itself was stained with blood ... a thread that tore into the palm of adora’s hand as she clung so desperately to it.

          ‘ well – you know how the saying goes: these things run in the family !! right ? ‘ ruby looks back over her shoulder with a smile, a beacon of light almost brighter than the midday sun. as the gust of wind flow past her hands & into the respective bells, she can’t help but feel the need to show off a bit of flourish with her powers for the fun of it. as the doors part at the center to reveal a somewhat darker interior, ruby commands another stronger gust of wind to blow from within, against their forms to make the fabric of her cloak billow in dramatic fashion.

     exactly what a princess of etheria would do when expecting guests in her kingdom.

          ‘ inside the castle, of course ! ‘ ruby says, her form nearly skipping in behind adora as her words become musical. the grand doors slowly shut behind them as ruby leads adora further inside. & the building itself is much more modestly decorated than the exterior may have suggested it would be. though ornate pillars do occasionally dot the hallways as they continue inward, the colors remain that of soft, neutral hues. creamy beige & light gray, most prominently, featuring white trim.

     portraits were a much larger facet of the castle’s interior than any pristine decoration. many featured ruby as a rambunctious child, along with a young golden haired girl no more than two years older than her. there was seldom a picture where the two weren’t together. some even featured what seemed to be a playful canine companion, along with a taller tan-skinned man somewhere nearby, either smiling fondly or laughing openly at the children’s exploits.

          ‘ so —- the rebellion, ‘ ruby says, unceremoniously cutting the silence short as the pair rounds a corner. ruby turns & begins to walk along with adora down the hall, but backwards in order to maintain eye contact. her hands hover in the air & begin to slowly encroach on each other, like two planets entering each other’s orbit, circling each other with curling fingers but never touching. ‘ allying ourselves with the other kingdoms around etheria ! it’s a great idea. honestly, i feel like we should’ve been doing that for a long time, but, uh … ‘

     ruby slows to a stop just as they approach the largest portrait of the castle by far. a woman in her mid-thirties, black & red hair half-pulled into an ornate bun, the rest of its length falling to her shoulders. kind silver eyes with the beginnings of crow’s feet appearing at the corners. it was strangely like looking at a vision of ruby in the coming future. ‘ well, things got a little busy since the last rebellion. but —- i’m sure we can get the ball rolling along again !! have you talked to any of the other kingdoms about joining, too ? i’m sure spring breezes isn’t the only kingdom having problems with the horde. ‘

   and it wouldn’t have been difficult to see that the blonde was easily distracted ; her curiosity proving to be the better of her as they walked the halls. but not just decorations that had struck adora’s interest ... but ruby’s magic was well —— what power she displayed in order to open a door. the blonde’s expression was nothing less of admiration for the newly befriended princess ; a spark of inspiration in fact, for maybe adora could still learn from her comrades. 

nonetheless her curiosity only grew was they continued their journey ; adora’s gaze clear as it studied the walls, her focus wavering as they moved. questions would arise, questions that she would not speak aloud ... but regardless questions that filled her mind ( who was that girl , was that here ? ). regardless of what answers she would not obtain, adora could not help but notice that they looked happy in those portraits ... a happiness that the horde wished to steal. 

and there’s a fire that burns within her with that thought —— a fire that raged protectively ; a desire to protect not just etheria, but those who called it home. newly proclaimed hero would lose her train of thought, ruby’s voice forcing her back to reality as adora’s gaze had, up until then, not strayed from what decorations painted the interior. 

‘ huh ?    oh, yeah — —  yes ! the rebellion. ’ smooth recovery, if she could say so herself ; arms crossing, if for a brief moment. her attention is drawn back to the pressing matter, the mission she was sent here for : recruiting ruby for their princess alliance, and gaining an ally in her kingdom. ruby’s interest in joining would cause a grin to tug at the blonde’s lips, lips parting to speak, but only pausing as ruby would seem to reflect. following suit, adora would stop alongside the other ... her curiosity, once more, proving strong as she couldn’t help but wonder who the women was.  

   it’s difficult for her to establish direct eye contact ; her gaze settled upon their feet, and there was a lump stuck in the back of her throat. some hero ... she thought ; mind vicious as it tore her down — — insecurities ravenous as it sunk it’s teeth into her, a blank drawn as she attempted to remember just what she was capable of.   

‘ i do have hope. ’ she’d manage, her grip tightening around the handle of her sword, hope flickering within her.  ‘ trust me,     please. ’ she’d straighten herself out, adora somehow managing confidence across her face as she choose to be brave in this moment.