Influence

Adora’s pov

It was two week since Adora had seen Catra. She hadn’t told Glimmer or Bow what had happened even though they asked about a hundred times. She felt guilty about it but at the same time Adora was so ashamed that she had no idea how to tell them. After all how does one tell their best friends that they almost… that they kissed their ex-best-friend turned enemy which said best friends are also fighting. And on top of that how did one tell them that they are now heartbroken over said enemy because they have been in love with her this whole time even though they were fighting and that it was her that just let them go and said that she would never love them? Answer - it's impossible.

In those two weeks Adora had spent the majority of her time alone in her room, crying and screaming and trying to deal with the ache in her chest that wouldn’t fade no matter how many things she hit or broke. There had no new Horde attack so Adora was left to do as she pleased. Glimmer still came to check in on her every day but Bow stay away after she had throw something at him in the first few days. Adora still felt guilty about this. She had so much to feel guilty about, she pushed everyone she loved away. Maybe all of this was all Adora’s fault…

“Adora?” Glimmer’s called carefully. Adora hated that Glimmer had to tread on eggshells around her. Old Glimmer would have just teleported into her room but now Glimmer was too scared for that. Adora did that, made her friends scared, scared of her.

“Glimmer I…” Adora pulled the blankets off her head and wiped her eyes. She needed to make amends with so many people, but the longer she left it the more difficult it would be. So she better start soon.

“Sorry, Adora. As much as I would love to chat, we don’t have time. We need you in the council room.” Glimmer hurried over, grabbing Adora’s hand. Her eyes pleading Adora. “I know you are not feeling great but we need you. The rebellion needs you.”

“Let’s go.” Adora nodded but she felt like her stomach had dropped. She was needed which most likely meant more attacks, it wasn’t unsurprising given the two weeks of quiet but Adora wanted to vomit at the idea of seeing Catra again. But Adora couldn’t exactly let her friends die because she had a broken heart.

“Great.” Glimmer smiled, it was the first time Adora had seen Glimmer look happy in a while. Since Adora had got captured in fact.

Glimmer teleported them into the council room, which was already full of the other members of the princess alliance and the queen. Glimmer hurried over to take a seat beside her mother and Adora sat between Bow and Glimmer, Bow gave her a shy smile and Adora was thankful, it had been terrible thinking that Bow was angry at her, even if he had every to be.

“Right, now that everyone is here we better get down to business.” The Queen said, she stood up and looked around the map laid on the table depicting all of Etheria’s kingdoms. “The Horde have sent bots into the towns of Asan, Silono and Flitne. The towns have already been evacuated but Glimmer suggested sending teams of Princesses and Rebellion soldiers to each town to recapture it from the Horde. Commander Glimmer.”

Queen Angella nodded to her daughter with a smile to let Glimmer explain her battle plan. Adora cracked a smile, Angella and Glimmer had been going back and forth to no avail about the matter of Angella allowing Glimmer any power or allowance as Commander and after a heartfelt conversation right after Glimmer got captured by the Horde Angella finally gave in and now their relationship was better than ever. Adora loved seeing the two of them so happy, they deserved the best.

“Okay, so I think that we need to team up and send a battalion to each town as our intel has suggested that the Horde’s newest technique for gaining new ground is sending in the bots then their soldiers come to stake claim on the towns afterwards. So the plan is to arrive their before the Horde and take down the bots then the soldiers and send them back to the Fright Zone.” Glimmer explained clearly and concisely, Glimmer was in her element and despite the headstrong stubborn girl Glimmer tended to be in battle, she was a brilliant strategist.

“General, can you ready three battalions of soldiers to send with each team of Princesses?” Angella ordered the General, who saluted the Queen and excused herself to ready her troops.

“What will the teams be?” Frosta asked, the twelve year old princess already gearing up for battle.

“Great question, Frosta. You will be with Mermista. You three will be going to Flinte, it’s right on the river Flie so your powers will both be more powerful there.” Glimmer pointed to the town and Mermista and Frosta high five across the table both grinning. Adora glanced over at Bow who was also smiling, eyes on Glimmer as she commanded the Princesses with ease. “Next, Silono, Perfuma, Spinnerella and Netossa you three will be going there. It’s near to Perfuma’s kingdom so I thought it best that she have this one.”

Perfuma smiled, glancing at Spinnerella and Netossa who were already betting on who would take down the most Horde bots and soldiers. Adora tried to continue smiling but she knew where that left her with. Asan… The biggest town, very close to Bright Moon. A town that the Horde had been trying to get for ages which meant that Catra would definitely be leading the attack.

Adora felt her chest tightening, she would have to see Catra. She had known this was coming for ages. She was surprised that she had gotten this much time without seeing her but it doesn’t mean that Adora wasn’t breaking apart at the thought. How was she supposed to face Catra? How was she supposed to even try and fight Catra?

“… Me, Bow and Adora will be going. Adora, are you okay?” Glimmer asked as Bow put a worried hand on Adora’s shoulder.

“I’m fine.” Adora shook off their concern, she wasn’t about the let her friends down. Her personal problems, her heartbreak were not their fault and this was war, they had no time for Adora to be weak.

“If you say so…” Glimmer trailed off. As much as Adora knew her best friend squad wanted to dive into what was bugging Adora, they also knew the same thing as Adora. There was just no time to be sentimental. “We leave in an hour, get ready what you need and meet your battalion. Bow, Adora, I’ll teleport us.”

Bow and Adora nodded and stood in unison following Glimmer out of the room. The other princess, chatted excitedly by the up coming battle as they also filed out of the room. Adora wished she felt the excitement too, she usually would have before Catra turned her whole world upside down. Adora felt sick to her stomach as she left the room full of happiness and friendship, both of which she had trouble feeling at the moment. Catra had truly broken her world and not just her heart.

Bow and Adora met Glimmer in the hall and Glimmer grabbed their hands ready to teleport. Glimmer met both her and Bow’s eyes letting them both give her a little nod, the trio’s agreed upon signal for come what may we are in this together. Adora nodded although she felt less sure about it’s meaning than she ever had. Glimmer repeated the signal before teleporting them to Asan.

Adora took a deep breath and closed her eyes, teleporting always made her a bit queasy and her current predicament made Adora feel sick to the stomach as is. Breathe Adora, it is possible that Catra isn’t there. And even if she is, just fight. This is what She-Ra is made for. Just breathe. Adora squeezed Glimmer’s hand and opened her eyes. They were in Asan, now…

Adora had never been here before but Bow and Glimmer must have as they seemed fairly familiar with the way around, plus Glimmer had teleported them there meaning she knew it reasonably well. Adora followed Glimmer and Bow to the centre of the town. It was a pretty town, slate roofs, pastel coloured houses, cute little windows with decorative doors, something about them reminded Adora of cakes. The roads they walked down were made of large green coloured pebbles and an array of beautiful flowering weeds grew amongst the cracks near the houses. Wind chimes, washing, hanging lights and flower baskets hung from windows and balconies above them. Little shops were scattered between the adorable houses. There was a bakery which boasted iced bun, cakes, cookies and many delectable baked goods as well as the smells that wafted through it’s open window. There was a post office, a bank, a clothes shop and a market, millions of little things that showed that people lived here. People living and going about their normal lives. Animals too, crows sitting along clothes lines, a cat lazily walked down a alleyway breaking off of the main path, even a dog barking off in the distance. The town seemed like a idyllic, peaceful paradise yet…

Despite never having visited the town in her life, it felt eerily familiar to Adora. Most of the villages in Bright Moon were similar but it was something more than a sense of deja-vu. Adora couldn’t figure out what about Asan rubbed Adora the wrong way. The beautiful idyllic empty town shouldn’t have made the hairs on the Adora’s neck stand up but it did and Adora swore she would find out why exactly.

Adora heard sound from behind her and she turned around but nothing was there. That was odd for sure. There must be something up about this town, what if they were falling into another trap?

“Does something feel off to…” Adora trailed off. Bow and Glimmer had disappeared, they had been right in front of Adora one second ago. Something was definitely wrong.

“Bow, Glimmer!” Adora’s voice pitched higher in fear. Her hand reflexively found her sword at her hip. Adora spun around her eyes searching for her friends.

Adora walked forward hoping that she had just fallen behind and Bow and Glimmer just forgot to wait for her. Adora felt more like this whole town was a trap as time went on. All she had to do was find Bow and Glimmer and get out. Glimmer could teleport them out and they could regroup.

“Bow, Glimmer.” Adora whisper yelled, they quietness of her surrounding making her afraid to disturb the quiet of the town.

Eventually after following the path they had been walking for a while Adora made it to the centre of the town. There was a fountain in the middle of the town square and four roads conjoined from each compass direction. Bow and Glimmer were no where to be scene but there was one person standing in front of the fountain. They were facing the fountain and Adora couldn’t see who they were.

“Hello?” Adora walked towards the person cautiously. Everyone should have been evacuated but maybe this person had been left behind. Hopefully they knew where Glimmer and Bow were. Adora could always help this person after she found Bow and Glimmer.

“I’m looking for my friends, have you seen…” Adora reached the person and they finally turned around, lifting the cloak from their face. Catra…

“Hey Adora.” Catra knocked her to the ground in a flash, throwing Adora’s sword out of her reach and pining Adora to the ground with her body.

Adora should have known. She shouldn’t have let Catra get in side her head, again and again. It was no different than when they were kids. Catra was always too influential when it came to Adora. And now the very same girl was using it against her.

“Where are Bow and Glimmer?” Adora screamed at Catra. Adora needed to stay on task here. This wasn’t the same as last time. This was a fight, not between two best friends, not between two lovers, but between two people on opposite sides of the war. Catra was her enemy and she had her friends. Adora needed to remember that.

“Straight to business, huh, Princess?” Catra tutted like she was disappointed by Adora’s question. “Don’t worry about your friends they aren’t hurt. Scorpia is taking good care of them.”

“Catra, let them go.” Adora demand trying to move her weight to gain the advantage over Catra but Catra moved easily to pin Adora’s arms over her head no matter how hard she struggled against her.

“Careful Princess. It doesn’t look like you are in any position to be making demands right now?” Catra warned, backing up her words with the gentle pressure of her claws against Adora’s face.

“What do you want Catra?” Adora spat out. This wasn’t a game, not this time. There was no winning this, Adora had left the foolishness of last time now. Adora wasn’t play anything with Catra, because she wasn’t anything to Catra, Catra had made that much clear.

“What a tricky question. You see, technically I’ve got what I came to get. I came to get little Glimmer so we can barter with the Queen. So I’ve got what Hordak wanted.” Catra said thoughtfully brushing a hand down Adora’s cheek.

“So… why haven’t you left then?” Adora’s voice cracked as Catra’s gentle touch.

This didn’t add up. Catra said she had done this to capture Glimmer, she wasn’t here for Adora yet… she was still here. She had got Glimmer and Bow. Did she want to capture Adora as well? But that didn’t make sense either, if that is what she wanted she could have called the soldiers in the second she knocked Adora over. Why draw it out?

“I…” Catra looked thoughtful like she was confused about this herself. Like she did this without considering what her motivations actually were.“I wanted to see you.”

Adora’s heart ached. Catra wanted to see her, went to all this effort for her and her tone was so soft, so sweet, but Adora couldn’t trust this sweetness. Not when it was coming from someone who had just kidnapped her friends. Not when last time… it had all been fake.

“I don’t want to hear it, Catra.” Adora glared back. “I am not here for you.”

“I don’t believe you.” Catra’s multicoloured eyes met hers and Adora felt like Catra could see her very heart through her eyes. They pierced through her and Catra displayed Adora’s secret hidden desires out in the open for the world to see.

“Believe whatever you want.” Adora put on a front but she knew that Catra could see straight through her. Adora was losing, she wasn’t able to pretend anymore. She had showed Catra her cards last time. Catra had all the power. Adora had nothing, nothing to barter with, no power at all.

“Fine! I do want something.” Catra sighed exasperated like Adora was the one pressuring her. Like Adora was the one who didn’t want her, like Adora had kidnapped Catra’s friends.

Catra sighed and sat up on Adora’s stomach idylly flicking her hair out of her face. Catra and her stupid mane and her stupid crown thingy. Everything about her was so stupid, her eyes and her claws and her tail and her ears. Adora didn’t understand how she loved all of it. But she did.

“I want you to run away with me. Leave it all behind Adora, the power the pressure, the princesses all of it.”

Catra looked at her, her mane dancing in the light breeze. It was surreal to see Catra out of the greeny light and metallic background of the Fright Zone or the haze of the battle field. Catra was here, alone with her in this perfect idyllic town. Adora almost saw a future for the two of them. They could run away, live here among the locals, they could be free together. They wouldn’t be enemies, they wouldn’t be Commander Catra and She-Ra, they wouldn’t be a Horde solider and a princess. Here they could be Adora and Catra side by side, them against the world like they had always planed.

“I want… Shadow Weaver, from what I understand she is residing in Bright Moon and I want her back.” Catra stumbled over her words like she wanted to say something else but changed her mid at the last minute. But maybe Adora was just wishing she said what Adora wanted her to say. But no, their abusive foster mother of sorts was more important to Catra than her, even after all she did.

“Will you let go of my friends if I do it?” Adora said quietly. She had to try. Adora didn’t really care what Catra was planning to do with Shadow Weaver but she needed to get Glimmer and Bow back, she would give anything to get her friends back.

“Hell no, Princess. I don’t think you understand our situation.” Catra’s claws were at her throat but Adora wasn’t afraid. If Catra was here to kill her or even hurt her she would have done it already. Adora had something she wanted for once and so at least Adora was worth something to her, if not nearly in the way Adora wanted to be.

“No. I don’t think I do Catra. Explain it to me. Explain to me why you are doing any of this.” Adora needed explanations, why was Catra doing any of this? Why was she acting like this? Why was she leading Adora on a strange twisted wild goose chase around her feelings? It was so confusing and it hurt so much when Catra’s eyes told her of a future together and Catra’s words told her than Adora was worth less than the rock in her boot. Everythng was confusing and it had been from the day she left, but anything worth a damn wasn’t simple so she had to try. She had to ask, because Catra was worth it. Always had been, always would be.

“I…” Catra’s voice broke and she leapt off Adora and up onto the wall surrounding the fountain in an instant. “You. All of this, it’s because of you. You left me Adora. None of this would have happened if you stayed with me.”

Catra’s tone had taken on a defensive edge, she was showing her weakness to Adora, but Adora didn’t think for a second of taking advantage of them. Adora just wanted Catra back, that was all she had ever wanted. But nothing could ever be like it once was. No matter how much the pair wished it could be.

“Catra, I…”

All of the sudden, guilt, coiling around in her stomach like a snake, a boa constrictor curling around her lungs and throat until Adora couldn’t breath. Catra was right, it was all her fault. Adora did this, she caused all of this, her and her sword and the power she had never wanted to have. Adora turned Catra into who she was. Adora was destructive, she destroyed everyone and everything she loved and cared about. She was the catalyst to everything wrong that was happening in Etheria. It was all her fault…

“No, Adora leave it. Have your stupid Sparkles and Arrows back. Your best friends…”Catra leapt down from the ledge straightening up from her crouch and walking away from Adora. She turned around to deliver the final blow. “Because that is obviously not me anymore.”

Adora saw one last image of the girl that ran her heart, mane waving in the wind, tears verging on falling out of her multicoloured eyes before she walked off into the distance.

“Catra!” She was gone. And Adora was alone again.