Storms Under A Summer Moon
There weren’t many thunderstorms in Bright Moon, but when there were they raged on for ages. The skies lit up in jagged slashes only showing the smattering of stars for a few moments before being plunged into darkness; only the Runestone Moon shone in the distance. Catra had always loved storms; she’d found them calming at the Horde, but she’d never seen a storm there before. It was breathtakingly beautiful, just like everything was at Bright Moon.
Slowly slipping out of the bed where Adora and Melog slept, Catra walked through the winding hallways of bright Moon palace relieved when she only saw a few guards. She walked out onto the bridge overlooking the grounds and stopped to take in the lush green grass below and the cracks of lightning all around her. A drop of rain landed on her, bringing her back to her senses and she walked quickly towards the beaming Moonstone. Something about it had always fascinated her. She realised with delight that when she was under it the rain couldn’t get at her and she could just listen to the raging thunder and gazed at the skies which looked like an entrance to another world. Sitting on what used to be Glimmer’s charging station, Catra concentrated on her surroundings rather than her thoughts. It was a trick that Perfuma had taught her to do and it was actually helping. It distracted her from the guilt that consumed her whenever she about the last couple of years which at the moment there’s a lot. Catra had a long way to go, she knew that, but it scared her. She still needed to apologise to yet more people about what she had done to them and that prospect alone was too much to bear.
“You matter to me,” she whispered, “You matter to me.” Catra repeated the words that Adora had said to her and she felt loved. Adora had already forgiven her; this she knew, but did she deserve it? No.
Another thing that Perfuma had taught her at her sessions of therapy was using other senses to pull herself out of her unwanted thoughts. Closing her eyes, she sniffed the air and a whiff of vanilla sparkles wafted towards her.
“Catra?”
She jumped up and hissed at the sound of her name and instantly looked down in regret, “Sorry.”
“That’s okay. What are you doing up here?” Glimmer wondered.
“Oh! Do you want me to leave? I-I,” she smiled at her words and Catra found herself thinking how beautiful she was. She shook her head at herself and her mind turned to Adora.
“Catra, it’s okay. Don’t worry. I find this calming as well,” Glimmer came to sit beside her and her heart thumped. She was reminded of their time on Horde Prime’s ship.
“Thanks, Sparkles,” Catra mumbled, smiling slightly despite herself, mirroring Glimmer’s position as she pulled her knees up to her chest wrapping her arms around them and curled her tail.
“Couldn’t sleep either?” Glimmer asked, after a moment of silence, staring up at the glow of her runestone and the looming clouds that had drifted towards them.
“I was too busy thinking,” she tried to laugh, but the laughter felt as if it was mocking her as it stuck in her throat. Glimmer felt a pang in her chest and as she shifted slightly to look at Catra whose eyes had welled up with tears, she reached over and took her hand.
They stayed like that for a while, each of them thinking of the other; both confused and wondering what was happening.
“I sometimes come here alone to clear my thoughts. It helps, doesn’t it?” Catra glanced at her friend and couldn’t help noticing the glow surrounding the Queen of Bright Moon.
“It does,” Catra agreed, relieved that someone was with her. She didn’t actually want to be alone then and was grateful that Glimmer was by her side. Glimmer, noticing that Catra was shivering, suggested that they went back inside and she nodded.
She loved Adora and Glimmer loved Bow, so why was Catra thinking of both Glimmer and her girlfriend? Why did both of them cause butterflies to rage inside her like the thunder that rumbled and the pitter patter of rain that splashed on them as they walked back towards the palace? Why was it that both Adora and Glimmer made her heart leap and soar?
“Sleep well, Sparkles,” she whispered as they arrived outside the bedroom she shared with Adora.
“Sleep well Catra” she replied with a smile.
Slowly opening the door and sneaking into the room she was surprised to find Adora sitting up in bed reading.
“Hey, where were you?” Adora said with her most genuine ‘delighted to see you’ smile and Catra could feel her cheeks heating up as she glanced away.
“Hey, Adora,” she replied, climbing back to bed, laughing when Melog jumped on her. They licked her and meowed enthusiastically, overjoyed to have her back. Catra stroked their head as they laid on her lap. Adora put the book down on the bedside table and turned her full attention to her girlfriend.
“I couldn’t sleep so I went exploring,” she said simply, not elaborating. Adora rested her head on her shoulder and wrapped her arm around her. Catra shifted slightly, careful not to disturb an already sleeping Melog. “Missed me?”
Adora smiled at her teasing tone as she said, “you wish.” giving Catra a kiss on the cheek. She turned and kissed her lips in response, a warm feeling spreading through her as Adora kissed her back.
It was 5 am, the time when Catra would normally be up when she was a force captain in the Horde. Now though, as she snuggled up to her Adora, she drifted off to sleep with two certain princesses on her mind, the one next to her who’d always cared enough to protect and love her, and the one that sparkled.