Promise

Adora was sitting in the cafeteria with Lonnie, Kyle and Rogelio. Todays lunch was bland as usual, grey mush that nobody really liked but they had no choice other than to eat. They were in deep conversation, debating what they thought a princess actually looked like. Lonnie was set on the idea princesses weren’t real, and that they were a myth made up to scare them, Rogelio theorized they looked like Shadow Weaver, smokey and shrouded in disguises with glowing eyes. Kyle, who was the only one of them to have ever seen a simulation (completely by accident, he was trying to find the bathroom) claimed they were big and had fangs and sharp horns, but of course nobody believed him.

Adora was about to give her opinion on how she through the princesses were ghosts when something caught her eyes. Shadow Weaver was gliding along the edge of the room with a large cardboard box in her hands. Adora places her palms on the table and pushes herself to her feet, craning her neck to see better.

“Dora?” Lonnie asks “Whats up?”

They all turn to look where Adora was looking.

“Wonder what she’s got in there,” Kyle says though a mouthful of mush

Rogelio grumbles and everyone laughs

“Yeah, knowing her,” Lonnie giggles, leaning across the table to push Rogelios shoulder.

Adora swings her legs over the bench and hurries after Shadow Weaver as she slips out the door.

The trio behind her all look at each other before standing and scrambling after her. They catch up as she crouches at a corner, peering around the edge. She looks back at them briefly and grins before focusing her attention back on Shadow Weaver and that box.

The four children hurried after her, keeping their distance to avoid being caught. Shadow Weaver disappears into her chambers and the four hurry in after her, hiding behind a large crate.

They watch as Shadow Weaver opens the box and peers inside, only to jump back when a small arm shoots out, clawing wildly at her and striking her in the face. A sharp hiss comes from within the cardboard box.

Shadow weaver narrows her eyes and shuts the box, stalking away and out of the room, holding her cheek in her hand.

Adora runs over to the box and attempts to lift it down. She manages to shift it across the table but knows she wont be able to get it to the floor without dropping it. She really didn’t want to break whatever was inside. Suddenly Lonnie was at her side, helping her lower the box to the floor,

“Shes coming back!” Kyle warns “and she looks mad!”

“We’ll distract her,” Lonnie says “See whats in there,”

She rejoins the boys and together the hurry into the hall to hopefully buy Adora some time.

Adora turns back to the box, slowly peeling back the flaps to see what was inside.

A small girl was curled on the far side of the box. She had warm brown skin with small dark stripes on her biceps and forearms, a smattering of freckles covering her face. She had wild dark hair that stuck off in all directions and wickedly sharp long nails on her fingers and toes. Adora noticed she was around the same age as the girl, nearly five, she also noticed the girl looked terrified. Adora locked eyes with her, a small ‘woah’ escaping her mouth when she saw the girl had two different coloured eyes, one blue and one yellow.

Then she noticed what she should have noticed first. The girl had ears, not human ears, but large furry black cat ears which lay flat in her hair. She also had a long black tail to match, which was puffed up defensively. Her whole body, or what Adora could see of it, was covered in a thin layer of fur that looked so soft Adora just wanted to run her fingers though it.

“Hi…” She said instead “I’m Adora, whats your name?”

The girl shied away and Adora frowned.

“Im not gonna hurt you, promise,”

She sticks out a hand, pinky towards her. The other girl pulls back, looking at her hand reproachfully.

“Its a pinky promise,” Adora says “It means I can’t break my promise no matter what,”

The girl eyes her for another moment before reaching out and hooking her pinky around Adoras, muttering something under her breath

“What?” Adora asks, pulling her hand back and resting it on the edge of the box

“Catra,” The girl says “Thats my name,”

Adora grins broadly “I like your ears, Catra,”

Catra smiles sheepishly, the ears rising up out of her hair.

“Can I- can I touch them?”

Catra giggles “Okay,”

She tilts her head towards Adora, her body relaxing. Adora reaches out and curls her hand around the back of Catras ear, fingers threading though the soft fur and thick hair that resided there. A quiet rumbling sound hits Adoras ears and she gasps lightly

“Are you.. purring?”

“Feels nice,” Catra responds, pulling back with a blush. Adoras momentarily disappointed at the loss of contact but she drops her hand into her lap and grins

“Do you wanna be my friend?”

“Your friend?” Catra asks

“Yeah! We can play together and have sleepovers and play pranks!”

Catra grins broadly, her canines peaking out “That sounds fun,”

Adora stands, extending a hand out to her new friend “Come on, lets get you out of here before Shadow Weaver comes back”

Catra takes her hand and allows the blonde to help her to her feet, holding her steady as she climbs out of the box. Just as her foot hits the concrete the door slides open and Adora gasps, turning to the sound to find she had been caught.

“Adora. What do you think you are doing,” Shadow Weaver says in a slow, threatening voice

“I made a friend!” Adora beams, still holding onto Catras hand

“Let go of it now and get out,” Shadow Weaver seethed

“Why?” Adora asks confused. She feels Catras nails digging into her hand in fear and she winces slightly but doesn’t let go. She grips her hand harder and moves to stand in front of her protectively.

“Because, I said so,” Shadow Weaver continues “Now, Run. Along.”

“What are you going to do with her?” Adora asks, eyebrows furrowing beneath her bangs

“Its none of your concern,”

“Im not leaving unless she comes with me,”

For a four year old blue eyed blonde with a pixie cut, Adora managed to look somewhat intimidating. Her determination was strong, she was stubborn, and unlike the others, Shadow Weaver didn’t scare her.

She felt Catra come up closer behind her, a small hand coming to rest on her shoulder. She placed her free hand over it gently. Catra was shaking.

“Adora…” Shadow Weaver warns

“Shadow Weaver,” Adora says.

The two stand in silence, at an impasse. Adora wasn’t backing down, and Shadow Weaver could tell it by her expression. Rosy cheeks, mouth set in a frown, her eyes defiant. There was no winning this fight without damaging her relationship with Adora, and thus angering Hordak. Besides, now it wouldn’t be her problem anymore.

“Just get out,”

At that, Adora stalks past Shadow Weaver, Catras hand clasped tightly in hers. Once the door slid shut behind her she let out a sigh, turning to Catra. Catra pulls her into a big hug, burying her face in Adoras shoulder, still trembling.

“Thank you,”

“Thats what friends are for,” Adora smiles “Come on, I want you to meet the others,”