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flowersandskeletons526 · 4 years

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“Broken Noses and Bad Ideas” - Glitradora Fanfic, Part 4

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

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Adora stayed at the apartment even after Bow had left. She paced around Glimmer’s bedroom while Glimmer sat on the edge of her bed. She rubbed her eyes and prodded the bruises and abrasions on her torso, her mind stuck on the sly woman that rescued her from the fight. She swore she had seen blood on Catra’s boots before they got in the car.

“When did you start talking to Catra?” Adora asked, stopping beside her.

“She came into the shop a few days ago and we talked a little bit,” Glimmer answered.

“You know she’s a punk, right? She’s nothing but a dangerous bad idea.”

“Wait, Adora, how do you even know her? Why are you freaking out so much after she just saved me from getting my ass kicked?”

Adora looked down at Glimmer, eyes tracing the cuts and bruises all over her. Glimmer turned away. Adora sat next to her, her body angled in as she leaned close. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind Glimmer’s ear. Glimmer glanced up, and Adora smiled gently. Adora was always gentle.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“You’re changing the subject,” Glimmer huffed.

“You’d know,” Adora said.

“Adora!”

“I’m just worried about you!”

“You’re always worried about me!”

“Can you blame me?” Adora tilted her chin up, brushing a thumb across a scrape on Glimmer’s jaw. “You give me a lot to be worried about, Glim. Especially when things like this keep happening.”

“I got into a fight.”

“You got beat up!” Adora said. Glimmer bowed her head. Adora sighed and rubbed Glimmer’s back, holding her close as Glimmer leaned into her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want this to turn into a fight.”

“I know,” Glimmer mumbled.

“Do you feel alright? I know you already went to the hospital but, well, you know.”

Glimmer cringed internally. She shouldn’t have lied to Adora, but she was already losing her mind. If she knew that Glimmer had passed out and woken up in a dangerous stranger’s house, especially this stranger it seemed, it would just make her more overbearing than usual. She couldn’t deal with that tonight.

In reality, everything hurt like hell, but Adora didn’t need to know that. Knowing her, she could already tell, anyway. Glimmer kept her mouth shut and closed her eyes as she nuzzled against Adora.

“You don’t have class tomorrow, right?” she asked.

“No, nothing on the weekends,” Adora replied.

“Do you want to stay over? You still have some clothes here from the last time you spent the night.”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll go get changed.”

Glimmer pinched the bridge of her nose after Adora stepped into the bathroom. She could hardly keep her eyes open. Her body was covered in tender bruises, and she knew it would only hurt worse when she woke up tomorrow. She pulled on a clean shirt that covered her torso and most of her arms, hiding the majority of the marks just so Adora wouldn’t freak out more than she already was.

She sat on the windowsill and lit a cigarette. Adora came back just as she was finishing it, frowning as she let her blond hair out of its ponytail.

“I thought you stopped that?” she asked.

“I don’t even smoke one every day,” Glimmer lied. “It’s fine.”

“Glimmer-”

“Adora, please, not tonight.”

“I… okay.”

They slipped under the covers, lying on their sides and facing each other. Glimmer shifted close and held Adora’s hand between them, closing her eyes. Adora touched her cheek.

“You’re really okay?” she whispered.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Adora squeezed her hand. She smiled. Just before she fell asleep, she swore she felt Adora kiss her forehead, but it was forgotten by morning.

---

The Crystal Castle was loud and crowded as usual. Adora and Bow had their own plans, but they were under the impression that she had none. She knew it was probably a bad idea to be out when no one knew where she was, especially considering last week’s events. She knew she should care. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to give a damn. She heard Adora’s voice in the back of her head, telling her to be more concerned about her own safety, but she pushed it away.

Glimmer went straight to the bar. She shouldn’t have been drinking. She shouldn’t have been smoking, either, but “shouldn’t” never stopped her.

Entrapta grinned when she approached. “Bow’s friend!” she exclaimed. “Whiskey on the rocks, coming up.”

“Uh, thanks,” Glimmer said. “How did you remember that?”

“Well you came in with Bow last time so I-”

“I mean the drink.”

“Your hair is distinct. I remember distinct people,” Entrapta explained. Glimmer nodded and took the glass. “Is Bow here with you?”

“No, not tonight.”

“That’s too bad. I wanted to run a project idea by him. Tell him to email me if you see him.”

“Sure.”

Glimmer found a spot by the wall as the band came onstage. Her grip on her drink tightened when Catra stood in front, bringing another round of screaming applause. There was something about her, a presence that commanded the room the moment she walked through the door and opened her arms. Glimmer was not immune to that.

She knew it was strange. Some outrageous musician shows up in her store and then saves her from getting killed in the same week, seemingly for nothing, and now she was here to see her again for a reason she couldn’t find. She wondered if that could be a part of it; trying to figure out exactly why Glimmer couldn’t get Catra and her smirk and her confidence and her bloody boots out of her head. She was convinced that she would go insane if she left the mystery in her thoughts to rot.

Adora’s hostility and subsequent refusal to talk only made the longing for answers worse.

Aside from all the uncertainties, Glimmer knew one thing: she loved Catra’s voice. There was a raspy, raw quality to the notes she sang, a growl in her lower register that set heat blossoming in Glimmer’s chest and raised goosebumps over her arms. She poured indescribable emotion into her voice and the lyrics of her song as the other musicians supported her with haunting, unbridled vocals. It sent the entire club into a roaring frenzy.

Glimmer was no exception. Catra finished a song and pushed her hair out of her face, baring her sharp teeth with a manic smile. When Glimmer met her intense mismatched eyes, it drew a genuine grin from her for the first time in months.

Catra laughed over the cheers after the set ended. “You guys are amazing as always!” she said. “Thank you and goodnight!”

Glimmer waited for Catra by the bar. The taller woman slipped through the crowd, smiling as she stood before Glimmer. Entrapta passed Catra a drink as Glimmer sat on a stool, facing the crowd. Catra leaned against the bar beside her.

“You were awesome,” she said as Catra sipped her drink.

Catra smirked. “Thanks. Are you here alone or are your friends lurking around somewhere?”

“Not that I know of.”

Catra hummed, sipping her drink. “I wasn’t quite sure if you’d come. You seemed a little spooked the last time we saw each other.”

“We weren’t exactly in the best circumstances last time we saw each other.”

“Very true. Your face looks a lot better.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Catra laughed. “You’ve got a sarcastic streak, don’t you, Sparkles?”

“I try.”

“I like it.”

Glimmer smiled, but it disappeared in a moment. “I’ve got a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“How do you know Adora? You two seemed to really hate each other.”

Catra raised an eyebrow. “I thought she would have told you. No wonder you came back.”

“What?”

Catra laughed once, sharp and quick, and turned back to her drink. “Bad joke. Adora and I knew each other a long time ago. We grew up together in a private group home a long way from here but had a bit of a falling out when she bolted.”

“When I met Adora, she said she was a homeless drifter that came from nowhere.”

“Yeah, well that was her own choice and her own fault,” Catra spat. Glimmer frowned, watching the sudden violence in her expression, but within a moment Catra’s face had smoothed back into its typical sly smirk. She lifted her drink. “How about this. You buy me a few more of these and once I start slurring my speech, I will talk about Adora. Or, better yet, we talk about anything else.”

“Alright.”

“Great. Also, she hates me.”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk about her?”

Catra leaned in quickly, but Glimmer didn’t move. Catra chuckled. “Sarcastic and a smartass. You’re direct, I’ll give you that.”

“Thanks?”

Grinning behind her glass, Catra threw back the rest of her drink and slammed the cup down on the bar. “Take a walk with me.”

“Where?”

“Through the city. The past several places I’ve been were a lot smaller than Etheria and I like the way big cities are at night when all the lights come on.” Catra smiled, eyes glinting. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

Glimmer returned the smile. “Yeah, it is.” Glimmer hopped off the stool. “Okay, let’s go.”

Catra followed Glimmer out of the bar. “You’re not really all that careful, are you?”

“Who cares about being careful?”

Shoving her hands into her pockets, Catra grinned. “Famous last words.”

Glimmer learned a lot about Catra as they strolled through the glowing city together. Catra and all the other band members grew up in a ghost town called Scorpion Crater, which they lovingly dubbed “the Fright Zone.” Catra always loved to sing and taught herself to play guitar with a broken instrument she pulled out of a trash heap. Catra hated mice. Catra’s favorite color was red. Catra would listen to anything as long as she liked the lyrics and could sing along.

Over everything, Glimmer learned that Catra was incomprehensibly cynical.

“Sometimes shit happens and it just makes you worse,” she said as they walked, kicking a pebble into the gutter. “Kelly Clarkson got it wrong. It fucking sucks and you can’t change it and people suck and you can’t change them either.”

“Yeah,” Glimmer agreed. She pulled her jacket collar higher around her neck as her smile faded. “I get where you’re coming from.”

“You, Sparkles?”

“Yeah, me. My, uh, my mom. She’s the woman whose portrait is hanging up in my store.”

Catra nodded. “I saw that. That’s your mother?”

Glimmer hummed. “She died about a year ago. Some junkie shot her during a mugging.”

“Did they catch him?”

“Yeah, and then they let him go. They didn’t have enough evidence.” Glimmer’s hands trembled as they curled into fists, tears stinging her eyes. She didn’t know why she was telling Catra about this; she barely knew this woman. But still, something about her seemed to drag all of Glimmer’s troubles out of her.

Glimmer startled at Catra’s fingertips against her cheek. She glanced up, eyes wide as Catra brushed her hair out of her eyes. Catra’s expression was calm and thoughtful as her sharp nails traced Glimmer’s jawline.

“I’ve seen that,” she said quietly. “People not getting what they deserve. Sometimes it’s better to take things into your own hands.” Glimmer didn’t respond, watching Catra’s eyes flicker with the ghost of something hidden and dark. She smiled just enough to flash one of her unusually sharp teeth. “You look a little scared, Sparkles.”

Glimmer pushed Catra’s hand away as she returned to reality. “I’m not scared of anyone, especially not you.”

Catra laughed. It bounced off the buildings of the desolate city. She opened her mouth to speak, but her phone chimed and cut her off. All the humor in her expression disappeared as she read the text message.

“Son of a bitch,” she growled. She returned her phone to her pocket and stood in front of Glimmer. “I think your place is nearby, right? I would get heading home considering how late it is.”

“Do you have to go?”

“Yeah. I, uh… Scorpia needs me.” Catra paused, smiling as a thought occurred to her. “Here, give me your phone for a second.” Glimmer handed Catra her phone. Catra typed in her number and smiled as she handed it back to Glimmer, eyes glinting. “Call me sometime and we’ll meet up.”

Glimmer smiled. “Sounds good.”

Catra grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before they parted ways. Glimmer hurried home, grinning the whole time.

The next day, Glimmer found herself smiling as she went about business in the store. Adora stood behind the counter, sorting a new delivery while business was slow. She noticed the happiness on Glimmer’s face as Glimmer stepped around her to grab something under the counter.

“You look happy,” Adora remarked.

“Hm? Oh, yeah.” Glimmer rubbed the back of her neck. “One of the good days, I guess.”

“I’m glad.” Adora put an arm around her and held her close. Glimmer wrapped her arms around Adora’s waist. “It’s good to see you smiling again.”

“Yeah,” Glimmer mumbled. You would hate the reason why, though, she thought. “Probably because it’s getting closer to summer.”

“Do you need any extra help around the store? I know once business picks back up it can get a little overwhelming.”

“I’m fine.” Glimmer let go of Adora and returned to her work. “You and Bow are already doing a bunch of extra stuff.”

“Well, yeah, but we’re always here to help.”

“I know.”

“Glim, really. I’m always here for you.”

Glimmer paused and turned back to her, offering a reassuring smile. “I’m okay, Adora. I know I’ve been a little weird lately but I’m fine.”

“I know,” Adora said, following after her, “I just get worried about you. I still really wish you would see someone.”

“I don’t need a therapist.”

“I’m not saying you need one, I’m just saying that it can be good to vent to someone and work through things.”

Glimmer’s smile disappeared. “Adora, I’m not going back to that stupid doctor.”

Adora stopped, taking a step back and holding her hands up. “Okay.”

Kicking herself, Glimmer pursed her lips and turned away from the sadness in Adora’s eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. I’m sorry I pushed it.” Adora touched her shoulder. When she didn’t pull away, she put her arms around the smaller girl. “Just forget I said anything. Today is a good day, right? Let’s hold onto that.”

Glimmer sighed. “Okay.”

She leaned back into the embrace. Adora held her tighter.

---

Glimmer and Catra sat in the back of the band’s van on a hill overlooking the city. Five meetings had already passed them by, two at the club and three hanging around the city, their discussions growing less restrained as they spent hours with each other. It weighed down on Glimmer that she hadn’t told Adora about any of it.

In that time, Glimmer learned that Catra was an ass as well as a cynic. The vast majority of their conversations consisted of teasing and underhanded jabs, where Catra learned that Glimmer had as sharp a tongue as she did. There were times where an outsider would have thought they were being downright malicious, but every insult was met with laughter in the end.

Looking over the city, they shared a joint and a couple of beers, joking with each other as they tossed rocks down into the sand pit below. Finishing a drink, Catra grabbed a weathered acoustic guitar and leaned against the doorway of the van, facing Glimmer.

“Hey, tell me a song,” she said, eyes half closed from the drugs. “I’ll see if I know it.”

“Is that your first guitar?” Glimmer asked as she gestured to the scraped wood.

“Nah, that fell about years ago. This is the first real one I ever got, though. Now come on, give me a song.”

“Okay! Uh… damn, I can’t think of anything.”

“Tell me a band.”

“Do you know anything by The Crane Wives?”

Catra raised an eyebrow as she grinned. “You like The Crane Wives?”

“Yeah, they’re amazing.”

“I fucking love them! Okay, okay, what’s a good song from them?” Catra picked out a few notes, and her grin softened into a thoughtful smirk. She shifted closer to Glimmer. “Got it.”

The guitar in the song was fast and light, minor chords cutting through as Catra leaned into the music. Her rough voice carried the notes with harsh emotion, stirring heat and longing in Glimmer’s chest, dragging all her buried emotions to the surface. Catra closed her eyes as she sang. The lyrics lilted over her tongue, lips curling to flash her fangs as emotion poured from her. The toiling storm in her eyes clung to every verse, every refrain, growing from a pit in her heart as it pulled Glimmer into the fray. Within moments, Glimmer found herself drowning.

As her voice faded and the final notes left the guitar, the girls found themselves so close they were nearly touching. Catra set the instrument aside. Glimmer swallowed hard and finally found her words.

“That was beautiful,” she said.

Catra chuckled, but her eyes didn’t smile. “It’s not meant to be beautiful. It’s a warning, if anything. Did you listen to the lyrics?”

“I listened to your voice. That’s what’s beautiful to me.”

Catra shifted the hand she was leaning on so her arm was behind Glimmer, their shoulders pressing together as mismatched eyes met a lilac gaze. Glimmer felt butterflies in her stomach, but Catra, on the other hand, felt her chest tighten.

She had run into Adora earlier in the week walking through the city. They barely spoke a word, only cold greetings of each other’s names spat onto the pavement. If Adora told Glimmer about it, Glimmer hadn’t said anything. If Glimmer told Adora about any of their meetings, Catra knew she would have probably been dead within an hour of Adora finding out.

A part of Catra wanted Adora to know, anything to piss her off. Another part felt like she was getting away with something with Adora not knowing. But above it all, every part of her wanted to be near Glimmer.

She took a deep breath as Glimmer’s hand brushed her leg. “You know you’ve only known me for a month, right?” she asked. “I don’t trust people that fast, especially not when their friends want me dead.”

“Adora doesn’t want you dead.”

“Sparkles.”

“Okay maybe a little but who cares? She doesn’t even know you and I are friends.”

Catra shifted closer. “We’re friends?”

“Are we?”

Raising her eyebrows, Catra tilted Glimmer’s chin up. “It’s your call.”

Glimmer pressed her face against Catra’s and kissed her.

#glitradora #glitra #glimmadora #glimmer #adora #catra #bow #scorpia #hordak #She Ra #she ra reboot #bow she ra #spop

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theoriginaljock · 4 years

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And Another day in this place. Catra had been working there for a month now, she wasn't complaining too much, she did earn some money and it was rather a fun job. She just wasn't doing good with kids , and she wasn't good at being very nice with people. That may be the reason why she usually would do the night shifts , working at the bar sometimes , or watch the pool and growl at some teenagers.

Actually , it was pretty great, considering she had free meals and a place to sleep, she was in good terms with her roommate , Scorpia. And this Afternoon, she had to give a tour to the New group who arrived. She knew the procedure by Heart now. She was waiting at the reception room near the Gate for them to arrive. It Wasn't a Big campsite , so it was easy to give a tour to each residents without being saturated. When she Saw a car approach the Gate , she pressed the Burton and let it go in She took a deep breathe and walked over the car which slowed down and lowered the window to talk. Catra could see they were three. Yeah, that matched the number she was told about. She leaned over the window and started to talk " Hey, I Hope you didn't have too much trouble finding this place . " The usual manners " I just need to check your identity Real Quick and then I'll tell you where to Park and show you around. " She finished , giving a slight smile and looking at the three faces , and Her eyes landed on one of them. That girl was pretty.

@rp-blog-uh

“Come on, Adora…it’s gonna be fun. Y’know? nature, campsites, bonfires…” Bow tossed another bag towards the bunk of her best friend’s Jeep, trying to take into consideration Adora’s never ending pout. Not that she wasn’t keen on going to camps and enjoy nature in its wildest yet safest form, still… a campsite?!, they could’ve gone anywhere else in the whole country but nope…

Adora moved to the driver’s seat, plugging her music on the truck’s own audio bass system. Browsing through her phone to some tunes that would make her feel more at ease and…to just skip the several non-stopping “dings” of her IM’s. Maybe…. she needed some time to cool off her own flirtatious ways.

“…So, ‘Dora, are we going to hang just the three of us or any of your flings gonna come by?” Glimmer moved to the back seat, closing the door behind her. She stole a lingering glance towards her friend’s phone, earning a faint blush from her “Tsk Don’t pry Glimmer...That’s rude!”.

After a last double check on their baggage, Bow moved to the co-driver’s seat, scowling at Glimmer’s antics and Adora’s fuck boy behavior. He knew she was heartbroken for a couple years now, not wanting to dwell with any girl for more than a couple night if the fun was guaranteed but besides that, Adora kept everything to herself, not really wanting to date anybody...

After a 3-hour drive, some hitch stops along the way to buy snacks and Adora almost dozing off to Bow’s music choice, they finally arrived at the camp. It was late at night, almost hitting midnight. Although driving was one of her favorite activities, she needed some rest and maybe stretch her legs a bit. She strummed her fingers on the wheel, humming to the lyrics of the song that now was playing

Adora slid the window down as soon as she glanced towards the figure that came closer. Her eyes scanned this woman, from tip to toe, side to side. She was rather hot for a camper and that cute smile of hers, made a number on her heart. She needed to get in her pants.

“..You can check me out anytime you like” Perfect cheeky smile and wriggling eyebrow game. Cheesy but it was one of her signature movements. Glimmer chipped in before their “charming” friend blew off their entire vacation, pulling out her ID and a QR Code from her phone, almost shoving it towards Adora’s face.

“..Yes!...Here’s our ID and reservation number” a daring, angry look was shot towards the blonde’s direction “..behave, idiot”

#rp-blog-uh #//Adora- Modern #//Camp AU

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echosautisticcorner · 5 years

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Nothing Sweeter Than Your Voice

Glitra Week2 - Day 6: Rock Band AU

(Read on AO3)

Your soulmate's voice is the first thing you know about them. After all, you can hear them whenever they sing. If you're lucky, they're a good singer. If not, well, you're still stuck with them and your best bet is hoping they'll get better.

Glimmer was very lucky. Whoever was on the other side of that cosmic bond had talent and not just a tad. Glimmer had been able to hear her since she could remember. As the years went by, nursery rhymes turned into well-known pop songs and later rock ballads. A few years ago, her soulmate started singing songs Glimmer didn't recognize and no matter how much of the lyrics she looked up, she couldn't find them.

So Glimmer came to the only logical conclusion: Her soulmate was writing her own songs.

Having a musically talented soulmate, of course, had its perks, but it also had its drawbacks. Late nights when she couldn't sleep because her soulmate was singing or humming, seemingly ignoring that some people wanted to sleep at night. Not being able to concentrate on anything because her soulmate's voice was distracting. And worst of all: getting a song stuck in her head and not being able to listen to it because it wasn't on record yet.

Right now, though, Glimmer wasn't thinking about any of that. Tonight she was with her best friends, cramped into a bar, awaiting a local band that would play in less than an hour.

Glimmer had given up on finding her soulmate at one of these events a while ago. Back then she had dragged Bow, and later Adora, to every single place a rockband could possibly play in their city.

This new band had gathered a rather impressive following in the short time they'd been around. The banner over the stage read "The Horde". Underneath it was what Glimmer assumed was the group's logo, a pair of green wings with a small diamond shape in between. They were set to play in half an hour.

Glimmer was about to order another drink when she heard her soulmate again. She wasn't actually singing a song but rather going through the musical scale repeatedly.

Glimmer sighed and ordered another coke, trying to ignore her soulmate. A part of her was hoping this meant, her soulmate was warming up for a concert and would walk on stage in "The Crimson".

She'd seen some of the band members, a tall woman with white hair who was built like a tank and a smaller one with a wild mane of dark curls and a leather jacket, talking to the owner of the place earlier. Bow had pointed them out to her, apparently, he knew one of them. According to Bow, the taller one was called Scorpia and she was the drummer. The smaller one was the lead singer whose name Bow couldn't remember but was positive started with a C.

Glimmer blamed Lead Singer's attractiveness that she imagined her face now and couldn't really concentrate on the conversation. It didn't help that her soulmate's voice fit basically perfectly with that girl's looks. A small sliver of hope crept into her thoughts that maybe, maybe this was it. She'd finally meet her soulmate. She could finally tell her to shut the fuck up in the middle of the night.

"-mer? Glimmer, hey!" Bow was looking at her, concern in his eyes. "You ok there? You kinda zoned out for a minute."

"Huh? Yeah, I'm... I'm good, just thinking," Glimmer replied.

Suddenly the lights dimmed and people quieted down. The sound of footsteps indicated the arrival of the band. And then-

"ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?!"

Glimmer knew in an instant that this was it. Her soulmate. She'd listened to that voice countless times in her head and now she'd finally know whom it belonged to.

The crowd roared. Spotlights turned on as the first chord was played.

From where she stood in the back, Glimmer struggled to see the band on stage, the curse of only being 5'3. She could make out a wild mane of hair but not much more but as soon as the singing started she could see her. She looked so close like Glimmer could touch her if she reached out.

Once the chorus started, she couldn't refrain herself from singing along any longer, screw the fact that her soulmate would hear her sing as well. She wanted her to know that she was there, here in this bar, tonight, and she was listening.

But just one line into her singing along, the singer on the stage stopped. For a moment it was silent, then the crowd parted. Glimmer heard a muffled "Catra?" from the back of the stage and then she stood in front of her.

"Hey, soulmate," she purred, "so we finally meet."

Glimmer stared at her, heterochromatic eyes stared back at her, one blue as the sky and the other golden like a sunset.

"So it seems."

"The name's Catra. And yours is?"

"Glimmer."

"Well then, Glimmer, looks like you're stuck with me from now on," Catra grinned, exposing sharp teeth and a smile more beautiful than anything Glimmer could have imagined.

Glimmer leaned into her, hands on Catra's shoulders. "Only if you stop keeping me up at night. Because if you don't shut the fuck up at three in the morning, I'mma have to kill you."

Catra laughed until someone upstage called out to her to "move your ass back up on stage or we're leaving".

Catra smirked down at Glimmer. "Guess I'll have to go. See you after the show?"

Without waiting for an answer, she climbed back up on stage and began playing a new song.

"Yeah, see you then."

#She-Ra #SPOP #glimmer #catra #glitra #glitra week #glitraweek2 #fanfiction #soulmate au #rock band au

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emperorsfoot · 5 years

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Entrapta in this chapter be like:

Hordak didn’t know where he was.

For half a moment, he wondered if another portal had opened up and inexplicably transported him to yet another alien planet. This did not look like any of the places on Etheria he’d ever seen.

He stepped through thick mists, swirling with color. Feeling lighter on his feet than he’d ever felt before in his life. Almost as if he were floating.

The pain in his face and in his neck was gone, not even the ghost of sensation there. As if he’d never been wounded by Catra in the first place. And when he reached a hand up to touch his face, he felt only healthy skin. Not dry and waxy as he had been for decades now, but soft and supple. Smooth. Without scars.

Music drifted to his ears from somewhere beyond the mists. A familiar haunting melody, though it took Hordak a moment to place where he’d heard it before. He listened to so little music in his lifetime. Mostly just what he overheard on alien worlds, what his own Etharian troops sang or played, and… and what Hode insisted his Force Captains should hear to understand an enemy.

That was where Hordak had heard this song before.

From Hode.

He followed the sound. As he drew closer, words became discernable from the melody.

“…And salvation, uncertain. “Redemption to find worth in. “Have all I’ve slain deserved it?”

Lyrics to a song Hordak was sure he’d only heard once. But it was during a significant meeting. And as he drew closer, he began to recognize the voice that sang it.

“From ashes, resurgence “To cleanse this ‘verse or burn it-“

It was his own voice, only slightly different. To the untrained ear, all Horde clones spoke with the same voice. But this one, to any other Horde clone, would sound different. This voice had trained itself for pitch and octave, to carry a tune and make… art. The kind of auditory art called music.

“My Lord.” Hordak blinked as the swirling colors of the mist that surrounded them parted to reveal his old mentor.

Lord Hode. Whom was very, very dead. Wearing the uniform Hordak always remembered him wearing, a tight combat suit with vintage overpants, simple boots, and arm bracers. But the emblem of the Horde was missing from the chest. He was wearing his long dark cape, but the hood was down. Hordak could see Hode’s face. He saw his Lord with the hood down so rarely.

The fact that Hordak was meeting Hode again could only mean one thing. “Catra killed me.”

Hode placed his hand flat over the strings of the instrument he played, to silence the sound. He laid the neck of the alien instrument across his lap and regarded the younger clone –although, ‘young’ was not quite so accurate anymore. The age gap between them had narrowed since Hode’s death, while Hordak remained alive and continued to age.

“By the Host, Zero-Zero-Three, you’re even thinner than the last time I saw you!” Hode observed.

Hordak flushed. Or, rather, he felt the sensation in his face that usually meant the color was rising in his cheeks. Being dead and all, he didn’t know if he actually could flush self-consciously anymore. His blood did not flow, why should the blood rise in his cheeks? Instead of offering excuses for his waif-like frame, he instead decided to correct his former Lord on his designation. He wasn’t a number anymore. He had a name.

“Hordak.”

“’Hordak’.” He echoed. “Terrible name. But if it’s yours it’s yours. Who am I to tell a brother what he should or shouldn’t name himself.”

Not knowing what to say to that, Hordak decided to ignore the comment. Instead he looked around them. Mist, and clouds, undulating with color. This certainly resembled a metaphysical realm. But it was not what Hordak was expecting from a world for the dead. It was not what he was expecting for the world of their dead.

“Where are all our brothers?” He asked. “Where are the legions of the All High Host?”

“Ah, that.” Hode leaned back. Although, what he was leaning on was a bit unclear. Unless the mist around him suddenly gained more solid substance to support his weight. Did they even weigh anything anymore? Being dead and all. “We did not go to join the All High Host.” He said as if this explained everything. “Instead we came here. This is the place for waiting.”

“Waiting?” Echoed Hordak. “Waiting for what?”

Hode looked at him a little confused. As if he didn’t understand why Hordak wouldn’t understand why he was here and not with the Host. “You’re the one who came here, Zero-Zero-Three. You tell me.”

…

At first, she thought Catra was right. That she was too late. That he had bled out. That Hordak was dead.

But just as she was about to pull her hand away, Entrapta felt the slightest of pulses. One small ‘ba…bump’. It was faint. Perhaps just the last impotent beat. It wasn’t like there was much left in him to pump. But it gave the Princess hope. If she could just get some fresh blood in him from a compatible donor…

“Mother…?”

Entrapta looked up.

Dak, the clone she made of Hordak, had followed her into the ship.

She looked around. This was a vessel meant for travel between worlds. It had to have some kind of medical room. A highly advanced medical room, where she could find the kind of tech she would need to do a transfusion.

“Pick him up and follow me!” She commanded.

“Him?” The hybrid blinked at her for a moment, not understanding. “The body? But, its dead.”

“He’s not dead!” Entrapta snapped. He couldn’t be dead. She felt a beat. A single beat of his heart. If his heart could still beat then he wasn’t dead. Besides, even if the heart had stopped beating by this point, he would’ve still been alive recently enough for her to save him and bring him back. “Carry him for me while I look for this place’s infirmary.”

Entrapta dashed out of the bridge without even looking to see if Dak was following her orders.

She found the writing on the walls. The geometric shapes of the First Ones sigils intersecting with others. Entrapta couldn’t read all of it, but she understood enough to know which lines to follow down the corridors to find the Infirmary. She almost missed the Infirmary door, however, passing right by the seem in the wall where the door fit in the frame. In fact, she would have missed it entirely if the LUVD crystal in her hand hadn’t glowed as she passed. Entrapta doubled back, holding the crystal up.

Apparently, this First Ones ship recognized the crystal as belonging to an Administrator of sorts. A fact she would have found fascinating and in need of further examination and study. However, at the moment, her priority was not new discovery and knowledge. At the moment her priority was saving the life of the best –and only- Lab Partner she’d ever had.

With the door open Entrapta disappeared into the Infirmary, only to stick her head back out again to see if her Intern had followed her directions and was bringing Hordak Sr. They were, Entrapta needn’t have worried. Dak was determined to please her –something she had been desperate to do for her own mother, something Hordak was desperate to do for his Big Brother, it seemed to be a unifying trait of the three of them. Dak supported the elder Hordak in their hair, the deceptively strong tendrils wrapping around the larger clone’s body, holding above Dak as they ran, trying to keep his back straight and head level. Entrapta noted that there was no blood dripping from Hordak’s body into Dak’s hair. His blood was not flowing anymore. His heart wasn’t beating.

At this exact moment, he was technically dead.

But that didn’t mean he was all the way dead. Just mostly dead!

If he was just ‘mostly’ dead, that meant he was still partly alive.

“Put him on the exam table!” Entrapta commanded. She swept her own hair over the table, knocking over packages of sterile wipes, and bottles of what smelled like antiseptic. “Wait a sec!” She held a hand up, a thought occurring to her. With her hair, she poured the antiseptic over the table and wiped the whole surface down with the sterile wipes. “Okay. Now, put him on the table.”

Dak complied. Laying the body down gentle. Lowing their hair, still trying to keep the body level so as not to strain the larger clone’s back, or wrench their neck. The spine was so delicate a part of the frame, yet so dramatically vital to constructing an erect robot. Dak imagined it could only be the same for an organic being like… this Hordak.

Entrapta looked around the Infirmary. There were machines all around them. Suspended from the ceiling above the exam table, standing independently and fitted on rollers to be moved around the room, fitted into the walls with display screens attached. But none of it was turned on, and Entrapta wasn’t sure how to activate them.

Every second was precious. The longer Hordak spent –dead- the less likely a chance for a meaningful recovery he had. The difference between ‘mostly dead’ and ‘all the way dead’ was only a few minutes.

“Entrapta, what are you-?” Adora had followed her as well.

The older woman all but pounced on her. “Adora! You can work First Ones tech faster than I can. Turn this stuff on! Help me save him!”

“Him?” Adora looked at the body on the exam table. “Hordak? But-“

She did not want to save Hordak. If he was dead, then all of Etheria’s problems were solved. Adora had nothing to lose from his death and everything to gain. Whatever feelings Entrapta had for him were not enough to earn him sympathy in her eyes. Not after what he did to her, both directly and indirectly simply by being on Etheria in the first place.

“I will not heal him with She-Ra’s sword.” She informed the older woman.

Entrapta blinked for a moment, her mind stumbling for a moment as it remembered that the Sword of Protection was ancient First Ones tech that the legends said possessed healing properties. She caught herself quickly, understanding the boundary the younger woman just set even if it just made her even hungrier to study She-Ra and the Sword of Protection. That was a matter for the future.

“Then don’t use the sword.” Entrpata tried to haggle. “Just turn on the equipment in this room. I’ll do everything else. Please.” She was begging now. “Help me save my- -my Lab Partner and I’ll…” she cast her brain around for something she could bargain with. What would Adora want from her? What did anyone ever want from her? The only thing anyone ever wanted from her. “Help me save Hordak and I’ll build weapons for you, and Brightmoon, and the Princess Alliance, for when Horde Prime comes. I imagine you’ll wanna fight him too.”

“W-what-?” Adora took a physical as well as metaphorical step back. “Horde Prime? The other Horde from outside Despondos?”

“What do you think Hordak was trying to do with his portal?” Entrapta raised herself up off the ground, the coils of her hair lifting her up higher than Adora, so that she was glaring down at the younger woman. “He couldn’t pass through, but he could get a message out to his Brother on the other side. Horde Prime will follow that message and open a portal from his side. Wouldn’t you rather be ready when he arrives?”

For half a second, the expression on Adora’s face was pure horror. Then she remembered. “You need a Sword to open a portal.”

In all honesty, Entrapta didn’t know if that was true or not. Certainly, you needed an Administrator Key –a Sword of Power- to open the portal from inside Despondos. But Hordak was also very certain that Horde Prime would be able to open a portal from his side. Entrapta mentally shrugged. She did not have enough data to offer a counter argument. Instead, she just held the younger woman’s gaze.

There must have been something in Entrapta’s face that convinced Adora that Horde Prime was a valid threat and her offer to help them prepare was a good bargain, because she relented. Ceding to the tech Princess. She uttered a command to the empty air and all the machinery in the Infirmary flared to life.

“Alien cadaver detected.” Announced a voice that seemed to emanate from the walls themselves. “Would you like to perform an autopsy?”

“No!” Entrapta snapped at the Infirmary celling. “Fix him! Bring him back!”

“Scanning for lifeform match.” Announced the voice. A beam came down from the machinery in the celling, spreading into a line of several as they reached the table. A single horizontal line of light. It scanned down Hordak’s body, then back up it again. “Scanning… scanning… scanning… Match found. Ninety-seven percent accuracy, Revenanti, of planet Revena, beta, fully mature adult, deceased. Would you like to preform an autopsy?”

“No!” Entrapta snarled again, slamming her hair on the exam table. “He’s not dead! He can’t be! I won’t let him! We just need to jumpstart his heart!”

“Initiating defibrillation on Revenanti cadaver.” Announced the room. “Please clear all hands and limbs from the body and table.”

Two tentacle-like cables slithered down from the array in the ceiling above the table and shocked Hordak’s prone body. Shocked it hard enough to trigger involuntary muscle spasms that made it seem like the body were trying to get up.

…

“You know, this was never the initial plan.” Hode informed him.

Hordak blinked at him. “What plan?”

“My plan.” The other clone answered as if this explained everything. “Or, our plan, I should say. My partner’s and mine. This wasn’t even the first contingency.”

Taking a moment to –pointedly- glance around at where why were, some version of an afterlife, not the All High Host, but still a realm of the dead. Hordak paused just to make sure his old mentor understood when he stated dryly. “Dying generally is not part of one’s own plans.”

“No. It’s not.” Agreed Hode. “But one must also acknowledge the possibility of dying and make a plan for that as well. As I explained in the message I left for you in my deamon.”

Hordak frowned. “Imp has not played me any message from you.”

Hode looked confused. “I have been dead for many years. My deamon should have played it for you.”

“I only received Imp… recently.” ‘Recently’ being both a relative term, but also an inaccurate one. Hordak was only reunited with his late mentor’s deamon shortly before they were both pulled through a portal and propelled onto Etheria. But that event was thirty Etherian years ago. Approximately fifteen Standard Imperial Years –give or take. Not exactly ‘recently’ at all.

“He didn’t give you my deamon?” The other clone looked concerned. “My partner, I mean. He was supposed to make sure the deamon went to you upon the event of my death.”

“If you are referring to the blue alien in the hood, he started to give me Imp, but then quickly deemed me ‘not ready’.” Hordak said with a bit of a snit. “When I saw him again on Eternia, I’m fairly certain he still did not want to give me Imp. But then, Imp and I were pulled into a portal and he was not. So that ended any argument before it could start. But in all the time Imp and I have been on Etheria, he has not tried to play me any message.”

Whatever Hode was going to say died on his tongue. At the mention of the word ‘Etheria’ his mouth dropped open. Staring at the younger clone, disbelieving. “Etheria!? It’s real!? You’ve been to Etheria?”

“Yes.” Confirmed Hordak, confused by his mentor’s sudden fervor. He had certainly never even heard of any planet called ‘Etheria’ before being inexplicably transported to Despondos and crashing on it. “It’s where I died.”

Surprising them both, Hode surged forward, grabbing Hordak’s shoulders with both this hands. “And the other sword! Did you find the other sword!?”

It was all the younger clone could do to blink at his mentor.

“Other sword?” Hordak only knew about one sword. The Sword of Protection. The sword of She-Ra. The administrator key to the planet. It was actually a little terrifying to imagine there being another one. “There is more than one?”

Hode sighed, leaning back from the other clone. He placed the heel of his hand to his forehead and gave a self-deprecating laugh. “He was right. Of course, this does us no good now. Even if you were alive, you couldn’t wield the sword. Only a descendent of King Grayskull can wield a Sword.”

What could either of them do with this information now?

Nothing. That’s what. The dead could do nothing.

They lapsed into silence.

Hode picked his instrument back up and began plucking a tune.

The Horde had no instruments and sang no songs. But Hode did. He collected art from multiple races, played at least two instruments that Hordak knew of, and sang. Hode was different from an average Horde clone. Not different like Hordwing was different, or different like he himself was different. Hode was atypical.

“My Lord, may I ask a question?” He began.

Talons stilled over the strings, the last few notes fading into the mist around them. “What’s troubling you?”

Hordak actually had so many questions. He opened his mouth to ask one.

But was suddenly cut off when he felt something inexplicably jerk him. His whole body being pulled off his feet. Did he even still have a body? He was sort of floating in a world for the dead. The term ‘body’ was relative. It was like an electric shock, like being punched in the heart. Only instead of knocking him back, it was pulling him away.

…

“Initiating defibrillation on Revenanti cadaver.” Announced the room. “Please clear all hands and limbs from the body and table.”

“Insufficient erythrocytes.” Declared the voice.

“He needs blood!” Entrapta snarled. Erythrocytes were the cells in blood that carried oxygen –or, in the case of Hordak’s species, nitrogen. Hordak didn’t just need blood, he need blood from a member of his own species. She turned towards Dak. “He needs you.”

“M-me?” Dak blinked glowing eyes. Apart from the color, they were identical to Hordak’s own. Although they couldn’t know that since Hordak’s eyes were currently half-lidded, the nictitating membrane of his second eyelid covering most of it, and the color was muted and dark without the bioluminescent glow behind it.

“Entrapta! No!” Adora was horrified.

“What’s going on?” Bow and Scorpia pushed their way into the room.

Scorpia carrying an unconscious but still very much alive Catra in her arms.

Bow being the unwilling perch for Imp as the little deamon surveyed the scene.

“Mother wants to give my blood to this Hordak.” Dak announced.

“Wait, what?” Scorpia was taken aback. She thought Entrapta and little Dak were making progress and bonding. At least, it seemed like they were bonding back on Beast Island in the First Ones command room. Then, on the ship with the songs… Was she wrong? Scorpia looked down at Catra in her arms. Reminding herself that her recent experiences with people she previously thought were close friends had taught her that she really did not read people as well as she thought she did.

Perched atop Bow’s head, Imp opened his mouth to remind everyone of what Dak was, and what their purpose for existing was. “Clone.”

“You can’t just take out all a person’s blood!” Adora announced. “People need their blood in their bodies!”

“Dak is just a child!” Scorpia reminded the tech Princess. “Dak still has things they can do. Hordak is old. He’s lived his life and made his choices. Just- -let him go.”

“I won’t!” Entrapta shouted at all of them. “You- out of all of you, Hordak was the only one who didn’t treat me differently. Hordak never said ‘Entrapta, no’, or ‘you can’t’. Hordak never tried to stifle my creativity or curiosity. He never talked down to me like each and every one of you has done. I’m twenty-seven years old, I’m almost thirty. I am the oldest person in this room –except for Hordak himself- and you all treat me like I’m some sort of child! But Hordak never did that! The only time he ever said ‘no, don’t’ was when he was pulling me out of the way of an explosion. I may not have knowing him for very long, but in the time that I did know him, he was a better friend to me than any of you! Scorpia might be my Best Friend, but Hordak is- Hordak is… my Special Friend!”

Everyone was struck silent by this announcement.

Adora knew Entrapta had feelings for the dark Lord of the Horde. She saw the word etched on his First Ones crystal the day the portal was opened. And she created a clone hybrid of the two of them. At the time, Adora had thought of Dak as more of a ‘child’ between them. To spite hearing the recordings in Entrapta’s own voice to the contrary. But now she was realizing that her own perceptions of Entrapta’s relationship with Hordak and the reality of Entrapta’s relationship with Hordak were on two very different levels of depth. Entrapta was willing to sacrifice a child if it meant bringing Hordak back.

“Now, we’re wasting precious time!” Entrapta snarled. “Dak, get on the table and give me your arm.”

Dak might be a child in all their eyes. But, to Entrapta, they were just another one of her experiments. Like a robot, but organic instead of mechanical.

“You can’t!” Still holding Catra, Scorpia tried to place her body between Entrapta and the hybrid.

“Move!” Entrapta snarled at her.

Imp screeched an agreement with the Princess. He wanted to see master saved as well.

For half a moment, Scorpia looked almost as betrayed by Entrapta as she did by Catra. She crossed an ocean for this woman. Broke into a Horde prison for this woman. Left the Horde for this woman. And she was trying to cut open and bleed out a child. Not just any child, but a child that Scorpia had pulled out of the abandoned cloning tank. A child that Scorpia breathed life into herself. A child she brought out of the Fright Zone. Dak wasn’t her child, not really. But she felt an affection for them that was most definitely familial, if not entirely maternal.

“Do we need all his blood?” Bow cut in suddenly.

Everyone turned to stare at him. Hordak was such a large person and Dak was so small in comparison. Not only would they need all of Dak’s blood, they might actually need more than Dak’s blood.

“I mean, we’re standing in a First Ones ship.” He reminded them all. “The First Ones have technologies so advanced, they honestly seem like another kind of magic. Why don’t we see if they can synthesize blood for Hordak? We’ll use Dak’s living blood as a sample, but a sample shouldn’t need very much. You can save Hordak without harming Dak.”

Adora nodded. Not fully understanding what Bow was trying to say, but understanding that it was a solution that would keep Entrpata from draining the child that helped them through their most recent adventures. “Ship, make more blood using a sample from Dak.”

“Command not recognized.” Announced the voice of the Infirmary.

“Try, ‘synthesize viable blood from adolescent sample’.” Entrapta suggested.

“O… kay…” Adora didn’t fully understand all the words in the strung together sentence, but when she repeated it, the ship’s computer seemed to understand.

A syringe lowered itself from the ceiling array on another cable-tentacle. Entrapta held Dak’s arm straight and helped the automated machine find a vein. It filled the syringe with thirty milliliters of blood. There was another pause as the machinery and computer analyzed the sample. Then another needle, this one on an intravenous tube, came down from the ceiling. This time aiming for Hordak’s immobile body. Entrapta guided this one into the vein as well. Blood started flowing into the body, but it did not circulate. His heart was still inactive. There was nothing to pump the synthetic blood for him.

“Shock him again!” Entrapta ordered.

“Do the shocking thing again.” Adora commanded the Infirmary.

“Command not recognized.” The computer voice informed them.

“Try defibrillate.” Bow suggested.

“Defibrillate.” Adora tried.

“Defibrillating Revenanti cadaver.” The computer complied. It was an AI, but the disembodied voice still had a tone as if it didn’t understand why the Administrator and these other organic beings were bothering trying to revive a corpse. “Please clear all hands and limbs from table.”

It shocked his heart again. Then again. And a third time. Each shock forcing his hear to beat at least once. Making it pump the synthetic blood through out his body. Carrying fresh nitrogen to his brain.

“Clear.”

…

Hode reached a hand out to the younger clone, not sure what he could do for his brother.

Hordak clawed at the older man’s outstretched hand, wrapping his long taloned fingers around his wrist, holding tight. The other hand clutched at his heart. “What is happening to me!?”

“I don’t- I don’t know!” Hode had to admit. Zero-Zero-Three might think that he had all the answers, but in fact, Lord Hode knew about as much or as little as any other soldier in the universe. “Maybe… maybe you’re not all the way dead? Maybe you’re just mostly dead.”

“What does that-?” He was cut off then another violent shock pulled him off his feet. He was being pulled away. Pulled back. But back where he didn’t know. “What does that mean!?”

Hode loosened his own hold of Hordak. Ready to let his brother go back if that was indeed what was happening. “Someone must be trying to save your life.”

“Impossible!” Hordak snarled back. No one living cared about him. Entrapta was on Beast Island and probably already dead. If not dead, then nowhere near his body, certainly not in a position to save his life. He didn’t know where Imp was, but what could that tiny deamon android do? Catra wouldn’t save him, she was the one who killed him. Lord Hode had to be wrong.

Another violent shock rocked his metaphysical ‘body’, pulling Hordak farther away from Hode.

The older clone let him go. If back to life was where Hordak needed to go, then that would be where he would let him go.

“Listen to me, Zero-Zero-Three!” He shouted. “When you go back, you need to reunite Etheria with Eternia! They’re the only thing that can-“ another shock drowned out what Hode said and Hordak missed it. What? What could the two planets do? “-to cleanse the universe or burn it!”

“What?” Hordak called, not understanding.

“And-“ here, Hode hesitated. “And if you see Keldor, tell him I didn’t join the Host. Tell him I’m waiting for him!”

If Hode wanted to say more, he didn’t get the chance to. With one more violent shock, Hordak was pulled out of the place for waiting and slammed back into his body and his blacked out. Unconscious.

…

Entrapta leaned back with a relived sigh, watching the monitor. A steady, even heart beat. Hordak was alive. Unconscious and still wounded. But alive.

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drewbabie · 5 years

Text

SPOP Pride Exchange

@sconefacedgirl @spop-pride-exchange

Hello!!! I made a fanfic for you for the exchange! Sorry it doesn’t fit into all of your genres that you wanted it to be. I tried my best and it was a bit rushed. I hope you enjoy it anyway!! (BTW if I posted this a day early, it’s mostly because I live in Australia and we probably have different timezones)

ROADTRIP/RUNAWAY AU

The morning sun shone brightly over the horizon and greeted the hills with a warm smile. It was exactly 23 days since Adora and Catra left the town for a sort of cheesy “find-our-passion-and-explore-the-country” roadtrip. Mainly it was because the townspeople were too aggressive on the two girls’ relationship. It’s too long a tale to tell, but they escaped with each other. And that’s what matters to them.

Adora looked over at the sleeping girl next to her. They slept in the car at a small tourist stop which was just a lookout over the mountains. It was a bit cold, but they held out fine. “Good morning, Catra.” Was all Adora’s sleepy voice managed to whisper. Catra rolled over as she started to wake up. “Ugh...It’s too early...can’t we just stay here?”

Adora sighed, both in awe at her girlfriend but also because she was fed up with her oversleeping. “The only reason why you’re so tired is because you had too many beers last night.” The blonde girl sat up on the folded over carseat. She rubbed her eyes slightly. “Only...like...four.” Catra yawned and stretched. “Pfft...alright. So care to explain why there’s literally 10 cans on the floor?” Adora teased.

Catra rolled over and tried to pull the warm blanket over her face. Catra groaned as Adora pulled the blanket down before she could fully cover her head and hair. “Don’t you dare fall asleep on me.” Adora kissed her head and pulled the blanket fully down. “Alright, alright. I’m gettin’ up.” Catra groaned again, followed by a small yawn.

“We’re almost out of gas, we need to find somewhere we can fill up. As well as breakfast.” Adora peered over at the steering wheel and slipped into her black leggings. “I heard there was a station nearby.” Catra rummeled through her clothes and found a maroon hoodie. “Good, I’m starving.”

-------

Adora was at the wheel, whilst Catra was frustratingly changing radio stations. Half were talk shows and the other were dumb, overrated music. She finally settled on Lua by Bright Eyes. It was peaceful, and Adora hummed to the lyrics. The road was stretched out, completely surrounded by trees as tall as giants. The lush green branches were waving slightly as the breeze gently shook them.

“I thought you said the station would be at least ten minutes away.” Catra pouted as she brushed her long brown hair. “It’s almost been ten minutes now, we’re gonna approach it soon.” The blue-eyed girl reminded the impatient doll next to her. Catra sighed and looked over at Adora. She was beautiful.

“Are we...ever going back to the town?” Catra asked. It felt like a lifetime ago when they sped off into the sunset just to escape the stupid, homophobic, fundamental Christian town...buncha bastards. “Catra...you know we can’t.” Adora sighed, even if that question annoyed her she kept her focus on the road despite two cars passing every five minutes. “We just can’t go back.”

Adora reflects what happened before they left. Bunch of fights, arguments, other bullshit. The blonde hates looking back. They made that decision to leave for good, no matter how hard life on the road was. Catra’s face fell slightly. “Sorry, did I make you mad?” Adora looks at Catra’s freckled cheeks and heterochromia eyes. “Not at all, sweetheart.”

They finally pull up at a service station. It looked pretty basic, there were some park benches outside, meaning they sell actual food, not just junk. A sigh of relief escaped Adora’s peach-coloured mouth. “Here we are.” Catra almost dozed off completely, everything was so quiet and peaceful. The car shook on the asphalt as Adora pulled into a stand and got out of the car to fill up.

Catra was worried about money more than Adora was. Did they have enough money for a full tank? For food? For motels to stay in? It was just too stressful for the cat-like teen. She wanted to keep both of them alive. No matter what. It feels like every drop of gas, every crumb of any food and one sip of water would cost too much for them.

The brown-haired girl got out of the car and headed towards the service station entrance. Adora saw this and one of her eyebrows lifted. “Uh, wildcat? Where ya goin’?” she asked. “Just going to look at what goods they got. Be right back.” Catra replied. Adora shrugged and got her wallet out from her red backpack. She rummaged through each pocket to find at least 2 fifty dollar bills.

Adora walked into the store and found Catra looking over at some snacks on the small aisles. She was very focused on the prices, Adora could tell. The blonde went to the counter to greet an old lady who was working at the counter. She seemed like the generic “sweet old lady” type, someone who was approachable. The lady noticed Adora and gave her a sweet smile.

“Filling up, dear?” she asked, her voice slightly croaky. Adora nodded and gave her two fifty dollar notes. “Are you on a road trip? Seems like it. You look very tired.” the lady continued, taking the money and putting it in the cash register. She gave the blonde some change, around 5 bucks. “Take as much as you need. I won’t charge you if need extra.” Adora looked up at her in slight shock. “A-are you sure?” Adora asked.

“Of course. I’m happy to help the travellers who I can tell have been on the road for a bit.” the old lady smiled sweetly. Adora thanked her. “Can we get some food as well?” The old lady looked back at her and glanced over at Catra who was still focused on the snacks and food in one of the aisles.

She glanced back at Adora. “Of course. Free of charge. Just five items though.” The lady said. Adora thanked her once again and went to spoke with Catra. Before she could open her mouth, Catra interrupted. “I heard the whole thing. I decided. Two iced coffees and a packet of chips as well as two custard buns.” Adora frowned a little bit. “Shouldn’t we get something that will last a bit longer?” she said. Catra just shrugged and said, “We can always find a shop or something. Maybe there’s a town nearby.” Adora sighed and paid for the items.

-----

It was nighttime now. Too dark to see anything. The two girls were perched on top of the car, looking at the clear, starry sky above. It was like they were the only two people left on the earth. The moon shone and gave the night its life and being.

“If we came back home, what do you think the town would say?” Adora asked the brunette. Catra glanced over at her, and back to the sky. Her arms were rested behind her head, supported by the car roof. “I don’t know.” She replied, “One thing I know, is that the friends we have...had...would probably just pretend they never knew us.”

Adora shook her head at this remark. “If that’s so, then why did you ask me if we could ever go back today?” Catra tried to ignore the question. She knows that Adora would think it’s stupid. Catra groaned. “Maybe it’s because I just miss home, you know?” Catra snapped.

“Maybe it’s because my family is there. It’s because the town is where I grew up. It’s my home, Adora. And we left because you decided it would be better for us.” Catra continued. Adora’s eyes widened. “Are you blaming me?” The brunette looked over at Adora. “I just wish we never left, okay? I wish we never decided that this was going to be an okay thing to do. Now we’re stuck in the middle of no-”

“Catra, I didn’t want those people to hurt us. If they found out about us, about how we’re together, then they’d send us to some shitty camp where we would never see each other again so that they could force us to be in a shitty relationship with some snot-nosed jock.” Adora ranted.

Catra sat up and looked down at her hands. She sobbed. Adora put her arm around Catra’s shoulders, pulling her closer to her body. “I realised something.” Catra said through tears. “We don’t need to go back. We don’t need to go back home.” Adora looked at Catra’s glistening eyes and listened. “It isn’t even our home anymore.”

The blonde was staring at her lips, yearning for her soft mouth to touch her own. Adora took Catra’s chin and turned it to face her. She kissed the cat-like girl, taking in her breath and keeping her even closer. Catra closed her eyes and kissed back, breathing heavily. Adora parted from her lips and whispered. “Catra, you are my home. Everywhere is home when I’m with you.” Adora gazed into Catra’s eyes and pulled her even closer.

“I belong here. With you.”

#SPOP pride exchange #2019 #fanfic #spop

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raspberry-river · 5 years

Text

Wait, it’s the 28th?

[read on ao3]

Surprise Reyna @swordlesbian-she-ra I was your @sherasecretsanta

you requested either Perfuma X Entrapta X Mermista or Catradora, and I felt more comfortable writing Catradora. I hope you like it 💖 💖

“Wait today was the 28th? She was certain it was at least a week away! No wonder Adora let her sleep in today. Facepalming, Catra grumbled in embarrassment. How could she forget her own birthday?”

Shifting her head a little, Catra sleepily opened her eyes, being careful not to blind herself in the mid-morning light streaming through her open curtains. Groaning in protest, she wriggled further into her bed, not wanting to get out of the warmth. She began to drift off to when her arm met cold empty space behind her.

Praying her eye open again, she turned her head. The space behind her was definitely empty. Rolling her eyes, she threw the bed cover off of her, hissing as the cold air met her bronze skin. Sitting up, she stretched her arms out needing her joints to crack. Sighing as she felt that familiar pop, she threw her legs off the side of the bed, her feet searched for the slippers that are always there. Somewhere.

Standing up, Catra adjusted her pajama top before shuffling over to the bedrooms’ ensuite to start her daily morning routine.

Finally feeling refreshed, Catra shuffled over to the bedrooms only desk, sitting underneath the window. Her burgundy slippers muffling her steps on the wooden floor. Popping her joints one more time, she pulled the chair out from the desk and sat down hunched over.

Running her manicured hand through her curls, her fingers catching on knots, wincing at the tug on her scalp. After a few run-throughs Catra deemed her hair as untangled enough, she started her makeup routine. A little concealer, a dusting of eye shadow, a fierce cat eyeliner and a swipe of lip balm. Giving herself the once over in the desk mirror, she reached for the small wooden box on the desk. Using one hand to open the box, Catra used her other to remove her nose stud. After quickly cleaning the stud, she places it in the box’s soft interior and reached for her favorite nose ring. Pushing the box back with her elbow, she focused her eyes on the mirror, carefully inserting the nose ring.

Clearing the desk, Catra stood up, using her foot to push the chair back under the desk. She strolled over to the wardrobe, grabbing the first thing she saw before changing.

Throwing her dirty clothes in the clothes hamper, Catra makes her way downstairs. Her golden brown curls bounced with every step. Hearing an upbeat tune, she furrowed her brow.

Reaching the kitchen, she froze, her hand stretching her navel fell limp at the site before her.

Standing at the kitchen counter, with her back to Catra was her best friend of 10 years and girlfriend of 2, shaking her hips to the beat of the music that was playing from the kitchens radio. She was quietly rapping the lyrics of the song.

As stealthy as she could, Catra sneaked up to the kitchens island, leaning her elbows on the cold marble surface, her head resting on her hand. A wide grin on her face as she spoke.

“Hey Adora”

Started, Adore let out a screech as she jumped, arms flailing. A wooden spoon, that seemed to be covered in a type of batter, slipped from Adora's grasp and clattered to the ground.

“Catra! W-what are doing here?” Adora stuttered, her voice rising in pitch. She shifted her body, hiding whatever she was doing, fiddling with her fingers.

Biting her lip, Catra eyed Adora's appearance. Her burgundy sweater was cover in what was most likely to be flour and cocoa powder, her left cheek had a smudge of batter.

Ignoring Adora's question Catra leaned over the counter, curious as to what Adora was hiding.

“Whatcha doing?” She asked, her nails tapping on the surface of the counter as she watched Adora.

“Nothing” Adora insisted, moving to lean opposite Catra. She took Catras hand in hers, lifting it to her lips. She places a gentle kiss to Catras knuckle, chuckling as a soft blush appeared on her girlfriend's cheeks.

Opening her mouth to complain, Catra was quickly interrupted by a sudden bang of what was most likely their front door and a loud yell of “We’re here!”

Feeling a headache forming, Catra groaned. It’s not like she didn’t like Bow or Glimmer, they’re okay just draining and loud and annoying. Well the majority of her friends were, she only got along with Entrapta and strangely enough, Mermista. At first, they both avoided each other like the plague, not really wanting to engage in any small talk but after they both committed (complained) about certain events and people.

“What is up party people!”

“Shut up Bow!”

With the interruption she lost her train of thought, Catra peered over her shoulder to see the rest of the so-called ‘Best Friend Squad’ walking into her kitchen carrying 2 shopping bags. Dropping both bags onto the off white tiled floor, Bow shuffled over to the fridge, grabbing a can in cola before facing the three girls.

Being nonchalant about it all, Glimmer placed her bags onto the counter next to the couple. She shot a genre smile at Catra before heaving both of Bows bags next to hers.

Letting her curiosity fuel her, Catra quickly glanced at the closest bag. From what she could see the bag was filled with chocolate fudge frosting and vanilla buttercream frosting. Strange, why would the dork duo need that much frosting? Maybe it has something to do with the batter Adora is making?

Noticing that Catra was starting to place the metaphorical pieces together, Adora was quick to kick Catra out of the kitchen, giving her a kiss on the lips before telling her that she was gonna be late meeting Scorpia and Entrapta for their weekly coffee, handing her a $20 for breakfast.

“Well that not suspicious at all.”

Entering the diner, stripped her coat off. The diner was always warm no matter the season. It was her favorite place to eat out, the atmosphere was always lively but friendly, plus the music they play over the radio was Catras favorite station. So she may be biased but the food is to die for. Waving to the staff behind the till Catra continued to her usual booth where she could see where her friends were.

Sliding into the empty side of the booth, Catra placed her coat beside her, taking her purse out of the pocket to place on the table. Before she could address both her friends, to colorful gift bags were shoved into her face. She blinks once, twice. Confused as to why they are giving her these.

“Don’t give me your rubbish, do I look like a garbage man?” She hissed, pushing the bags back to the other girls.

“Huh?”

It’s not rubbish silly! It’s your gift.”

Now that just confused her even more. Gifts? Christmas was two months away and her birthday was until a few more weeks.

“Gifts for what?” Her voice filled with confusion. Entrapta and Scorpia shared a look before facing Catra.

“It’s October 28th, your birthday, you dummy!” Scorpia teased, swaying side to side. Her ice tinted hair following her every move.

Wait today was the 28th? She was certain it was at least a week away! No wonder Adora let her sleep in today. Facepalming, Catra grumbled in embarrassment. How could she forget her own birthday?

Seeming to sense her distress, Entrapta spoke up, her eyes never leaving the tiny square robot in her hands.

“No need to feel embarrassed, we all forget things, for instance, I forgot the safety code for a robot and they ended up almost destroying my house.”

Not knowing how to respond to that, Catra blinked while Scorpia looked at her in horror. Opening her mouth to respond, Entraptas head shot up, her ruby eyes glittering in the artificial lighting of the diner.

“Anyway,” Entrapta giggled, “Open your gifts! I wanna see if you like them.” Nodding her head in agreement, Scorpia slid the gift bags back to Catra.

Biting her lip, Catra reaches for the lilac bag. Using her nail to cut the tap closing the top, she peered into the bag, eyes widening at the content. Inside was a picture frame, dark in color, pulling it out she gasped. The picture was of the three of them plus Adora at the start of their first year of college. Both Catra and Adora had their arms around each other, Catras head was leaning on Adora's shoulder, her dark golden coils a contrast to Adoras tied up pale blonde locks. Both had giant grins on their faces and affection in their eyes. Scorpia was stood towering behind them her head tilted back, arms in the air. Entrapta was squatting in front, a large remote in her hands and a look of pure happiness on her faces. Catra gently placed the picture back into the bag, glancing up at Entrapta.

“‘Trapta, thank you so much for this! I love it, can’t wait to show Adora.”

Flushed, Entrapta just smiled before going back to her robot.

Grasping the last bag, a deep red, Catra once again cut the tap with her nail, looking in she felt her eye twitch. Reaching in, Catra removed the bags content and placed it all in the table. A variety of cat toys now littered the diners' table, ranging from a simple ball of yarn to a small soft toy sashimi. A few cat treats also lay on the table as well as one purple cat collar.

“If you brought this because my name is Catra then I will kill you.” Catra glowered, irritation visible in her mismatched eyes.

Putting her hands up Scorpia stuttered, “No that’s not the reason,” She took a sip of her drink before continuing, “Its a joint gift with Adora, I swear.”

Huffing, Catra hummed, not really believing it as Adora would have told her something. Yet again Adora didn’t even wish her a happy birthday. Excusing herself, Catra stood to go and order her late breakfast early lunch.

After they all finished their food and leaving a tip, the three girls left the diner, strolling down the street back to Catra’s.

As the trio reached their destination, Catra whipped her phone out, sending a quick text to Adora, letting her know that she back. Taking notice of the cars outside, Catra had a feeling she knew what was gonna happen and cursed under her breath. It all made sense, Adora baking, the dork duo with their carrier bags, Catra being kicked out of her own house. Adora was planning a surprise party. How could she have been so clueless?

"Foda-se" Catra mumbled.

Opening the door, Catra was greeted with a cheer of “Happy Birthday” from many familiar faces, all of them Adora's friends, who then become hers, in a way. Glancing around the room she spotted a few faces that she hasn’t spoken to in a while. She really needed to catch up with Spinerella and Netossa. Though they hardly spoke, they were the few that Catra actually liked and made an effort to be nice too. To her surprise, Perfuma was also here. The two could never see eye to eye as Catra couldn’t give a crap about plants and flowers while Perfuma, who owns her own florist, loved them. Either way, Catra was happy to see everyone.

Scorpia and Entrapta captured Catra in a hug, chanting ‘Happy Birthday’ softly as the familiar sting of tears came. How did she ever get this lucky?

Her best friends let her go as Adora tugged her into the living room. As they entered the room, Catra gasped, in the center of the living room was a pure white kitten being held by Bow, their tiny meows filling the room. So Scorpia was telling the truth.

Turning to face Adora, Catra placed her hands on Adoras cheeks before dragging her down, capturing their lips in a soft but passionate kiss. She could feel Adora's arms wrap around her waist. Tears of happiness finally cascaded down her bronze cheeks.

A cough interrupted their moment, wide-eyed they both turn to Mermista. The girl was picking dirt from her nails as she spoke.

“Like it’s great that you like, love each other but we all wanna try the cake so can you finish this later?” Her eyes finally meet both of theirs, amusement flashed in them. Grinning Adora nodded, dragging Catra behind.

Catra really had the best partner and friends ever. She couldn’t imagine her life without these people.

#sherasecretsanta #catradora #catra #adora #bow #glimmer #entrapta #scorpia #mermista #spinerella #netossa #perfuma #spop #She-Ra #she ra #she-ra: princesses of power #spop fic #my fic #meggy writes

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emperorsfoot · 5 years

Link

In this chapter, Scorpia gets a song. It’s an IRL song, and you can listen to it here: Twiddle

...

“Do you know any other songs?” Scorpia asked.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like Sea Hawk’s personal theme song. It was just that listening to it for days in a row was making her kinda, sorta… absolutely hate that song.

Emily warmed up her pain plasma gun and fired a warning shot off the port side of the ship, then pivoted on her immobile leg to stare down the musical pirate.

Scorpia placed a calming pincer on the bot’s dome. “I think what Emily is trying to say is that we’ve heard that one a lot, and if you don’t know any other songs, maybe we should just sail in silence for a bit.”

Looking out across the water at the wake created by Emily’s warning shot, Sea Hawk swallowed awkwardly. The refurbished Horde bot was highly opinionated and not shy about expressing herself. He looked to Scorpia, seeking a compromise. “Alright, well, do you know any sea shanties?”

Taping a pincer against her lips, Scorpia thought. “Well, I did hear one sung around Redwater Bay once…”

A Horde song.

Sea Hawk was concerned. That did not stop him from plastering a crud-eating grin on his face and suggesting, “Well, why don’t you sing for a bit.”

“Really!?” It was wrong how excited the former Horde Force Captain sounded at the suggestion. “You’ll let me sing? And you won’t get annoyed. Or tell me I need to focus. Or remind me that we’re on a mission and have a job to do. Or ask how I’m a Force Captain.” She wasn’t a Force Captain anymore. “Or anything like that?”

“I won’t.” Sea Hawk promised. He did, however, move across the deck to the helm –the complete opposite end of the ship form her- under the pretext of checking the wind and their heading. He had no idea what this Horde shanty was going to be and he liked to have an excuse ready on hand to politely ask her to stop if need be. “Let’s hear it.”

Scorpia cleared her throat and tried to remember the lyrics.

“Oh you hear a lot of stories 'bout the sailors and their sport. About how every sailor has a girl in every port. But if you added two and two, you'd figure out right quick, it's just because the girls all have a lad on every ship.”

Sea Hawk raised an eyebrow. It didn’t seem all that bad. Certainly much more tame and cute compared to what he was expecting from a song sung in the Fright Zone’s Redwater Bay. He was far less apprehensive and in better spirits when Scorpia launched into the chorus.

“And it's twiddle ee ai dee ai dee ai. “Twiddle ee ai dee ei. “It's often times a man will leave you broken with dismay. “And it's twiddle ee ai dee ai dee ai. “Twiddle ee ai dee ei. “There's other things to twiddle when the men have sailed away.”

Wait… Sea Hawk straightened at the helm, not quite sure if he was disliking this song now for entirely different reason that had nothing to do with the Horde. This song wasn’t about… what he thought it was about… was it?

“Lucky Annie was a lady who'd been pleased by many men. “They all would sail away but then they'd come right back again. “But if they never sailed her way she really didn't care. “Cause she knows you don't need a man to twiddle under there.”

Oh. Yeah. This song was totally about what Sea Hawk thought it was about. Sea Hawk plastered that crap-eating grin back on his face, hoping Scorpia would assume he was enjoying himself and he thought about Mermista and how she didn’t really seem to enjoy his company unless she needed something from him, and even then, she acted like he was a great inconvenience. She certainly never needed him to… ‘twiddle under there’, as the song said.

“So next time you're with a lady and she takes you to her bed, “Be sure to please her well, and remember what we've said. “For if you do not treat her right, then know that this is true: “Us ladies all can have our fun without involving you!”

Scorpia ran through the chorus two more times before the song ended. She looked up at the rest of the crew, to gauge her song’s reception. She hadn’t sung –anything- in years, and this little sea chanty she barely remembered the lyrics too wasn’t exactly her best work. She hoped she didn’t do too bad.

Emily let out an odd sort of digital chirping sound that might have been clapping. She certainly seemed to have liked it.

Sea Hawk just kept up that crap-eating grin. “That was… not what I was expecting from a Horde song.”

Reaching up a pincer, Scorpia scratched the back of her head awkwardly. “Well, the Fright Zone’s only been under Hordak’s control for about twenty years or so. Before that, my family was the ruling power of the territory. The Fright Zone had its own culture, and art, and music, and folktales, and all that fun stuff.”

That crud-eating grin melted away, morphing into an expression of empathy. Not unlike what they shared during their time in the Northern Reach. “The Queendom of Scorpiones, right?” Sea Hawk vaguely remembered seeing an old pre-Horde map in a rubbish heap in Salineas wherein the Fright Zone was labeled ‘Scorpiones’. “What was it like?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. I was only, like, a year old when my mother abdicated and gifted Hordak with the Black Garnet as a display of fealty.” She explained. “I don’t actually have any memories of the Fright Zone before the Horde. Just what older people tell me.”

That was so sad! Sea Hawk felt himself begin to tear-up. He wanted to sing another song to lighten the mood and maybe lift Scorpia’s spirits.

Except Scorpia didn’t really seem all that upset about it. Like she said, she had no memories of Scorpiones before it became ‘the Fright Zone’. She didn’t feel like she’d ‘lost’ anything. As far as she was concerned there was nothing to have lost. It was hard to carry nostalgia for a place or time you never saw. There was no feeling of hiraeth.

Scorpia only shrugged. Almost as if she didn’t even care that much. “Nations rise and fall all the time. I heard the Crimson Wastes used to be a lush woodsy Queendom before it was turned into the desert it is now. Dryl used to be an industrial mining dystopia built on the backs of slaves before Entrapta took over. Lonnie’s in charge of the Fright Zone now and is already rebuilding it in the image of what she thinks an efficient military state should be. Countries change hands and then just change in general. That’s the way things are.”

“But the Fright Zone used to be your family’s Queendom.” Sea Hawk reminded her. “Don’t you. I donno… wanna take it back? I mean, now that Hordak’s out of the picture. That places you back in power, right?”

Tapping her pincer on her lips again, Scorpia thought about that. Her in charge of the Fright Zone. Her responsible for all that technology and industry. All the weapons and vehicles. The cities and the land. The soldiers, and the workers, the people in general. She compared it to her own experiences as a Force Captain, commanding and managing vehicles and soldiers on a smaller scale. She remembered that one day she went almost out of her mind trying to find armor for soldiers that refused to fight so that Catra could plan an attack that never ended up happening.

Scorpia shook her head. “Nah. I’m a field commander. I work best out in the open and with small groups. I don’t think I could rule a whole territory.” She admitted. “Let Lonnie keep the Fright Zone. She already seems like she’s doing a better job than I ever could or Hordak ever did. She smart and adaptable, and I’m…” for some reason the image of Catra threatening her with a stun baton flashed through her mind “…slow. I’m slow at figuring things out. With people.”

That was a sobering comment and it made Sea Hawk pause and look inward at himself and his own relationships with people. “I’m slow at that too.” He finally concluded. “Mermista only ever wanted to spend time with me what she needed something from me. She wasn’t manipulative about it or anything. She flat out told me, in words, ‘no you’re just my ride’ and I ignored it and only heard what I wanted to hear. Until, finally, she wouldn’t even let me hang out at the palace when she had her friends over.”

“I guess, people are kind like nations.” Scorpia muttered. “People act differently depending on who they’re with, just like countries are different depending on who’s in charge. Catra was always so angry whenever we’d run into Adora. But when she was with me, or Lonnie, Kyle and the team, she was better. Calmer. More social. Less discontent. People change depending on who they’re with just like countries do.”

They lapsed into a forlorn silence. Both reflecting on how the people they loved were different around other people. Or how they themselves were different depending on who they were with.

Emily gave a sober little trill. Even she recognized that she had been different before she met Entrapta.

The people a person –or robot- meets change them. Sometimes only temporarily, sometimes only for the space of that meeting. Or, sometimes, irrevocably for the rest of their lives. It all depended on the people and the meeting.

“Catra always wanted to win.” Scorpia announced without prompting. “But she didn’t actually want to be happy.” A pensive frown. “I think, if I’m going to try liking someone again, I need to find someone who wants to be happy.”

Sea Hawk paused a bit longer, still reflecting on himself and his own failed relationship before announcing, “Mermista and I didn’t really have that much in common. I mean, she’s ruler of the seas, and I’m a sailor. It kinda just made sense for me to be in love with her. You know the old cliché about the sailor in love with a sea goddess.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I guess I was more in love with the idea of Mermista than Mermista herself. If I’m gonna fall in love again, I have to look for someone I share common interests with.”

“Shame they don’t offer a ‘romance orientation’ huh?” She joked, remembering how helpful Force Captain Orientation had been when she was first promoted.

“Orientation? Heck! They should offer a full-length class!” He agreed.

They shared a subdued laugh, the mood lightening up again. Not quite as light as it was before, but certainly not as grim and sober as they were just a few short moments ago.

There was a moment’s pause to appreciate the fact that they each had someone who understood them and they could commiserate with. Maybe after this was all over they could still be friends. And when they were each ready to get back in the dating pool, they could go to one another for a second opinion on the women they chose to date so that neither one set themselves up for heartbreak again.

Sea Hawk brushed some non-existent dust off his white shirt. “Welp, we’re about to cross over into the Growling Sea.” He announced. “I’ll need to be back at the helm.”

“Uh, yeah.” Scorpia agreed. She certainly didn’t know what to expect from a place called the ‘Growling’ Sea.

…

Swift Wind landed on a grassy cliff overlooking the ocean.

Not just because he would need a rest before flying three people all the way across the sea.

They all needed a moment to get their bearings. Adora wanted to give the rest of them the rundown of what Beast Island was like and what they could expect. She had never been herself, but back during the five minutes she was a Force Captain before she defected, she did receive a memo about it. She wanted to take an opportunity to strategize with the others and come up with a plan –not that any of their plans ever seemed to work, but it just made her feel more confident to have one.

Bow was not-so-low-key freaking out that they may-or-may-not have kidnapped Entrapta’s heir from their home. Yeah, Dak chose to go with them. Wanted to go with them. And was an active participant in their escape from the castle. Not just releasing him and Adora from the dungeon, but getting the sword and their other weapons back from the occupying Horde, and fighting off Imp and the rest of the Horde that tried to stop them from leaving. So, Dak at least, did not feel like they were kidnapped. But Dak was still a child, and Bow and Adora were (also still technically children) closer to adults and he had to wonder if they might have accidentally manipulated Dak into doing what they wanted. Bow needed to take a few minutes to work his feelings out.

Dak was anxious to get the still unconscious Imp out of their tool bag and examine the little deamon to make sure he was okay and not permanently damaged. Imp had been Dak’s companion consistently for their entire life thus far. The hybrid’s earliest memories were of Imp helping Scorpia to smuggle them out of the Fright Zone. Of Imp sitting with them while Scorpia tried to teach Dak how to feed themself and use the toilet. Of Imp trying to teach them how to hunt as best as the tiny deamon could. Then, in the heat of the moment, Dak struck Imp on the head because the little deamon was trying to prevent them going with Adora and Bow to rescue mother. Dak saw the android’s eyes go staticy and short out. They hoped they didn’t kill Imp!

The hybrid unzipped their tool bag, while Adora started gathering stones from the ground and arranging them in a circle in the glass.

“Okay, this is Beast Island.” She announced, then looked up to make sure the others were paying attention.

Swift Wind was eating grass.

Bow was biting his nails, and glancing from Dak to the direction they’d just come, and looking worried.

Dak was laying the winged troll in the glass and examining him.

“Guys! Focus!” She snapped.

Swift Wind lifted his head to give her this look like, ‘If I have to carry all three of you flightless bipeds across an ocean, I’m gonna need a snack and a rest.’ Then gave a very equine snort and went back to eating grass.

Bow kinda hugged himself. “I think we’re kidnappers.” He muttered. “What if we’re bad guys? How are we gonna be able to face the other Princesses? How am I gonna face my dads? They raised me better than this. What am I gonna do!?”

Dak did not look up from Imp. But they were the only one to assure Adora, “I’m paying attention.”

Adora rolled her eyes. She was begging to realize that, to spite being the child of Lord Hordak, leader of the Evil Horde, Dak fit in with their group dynamic almost seamlessly. Clearing her throat, Adora tried to continue. “This is Beast Island. The Horde have a prison compound on the south coast. Here.” She stuck a stick in the ground to mark the location of the compound. “The main entrance and exit connects directly to the harbor. They’ll be expecting a frontal assault from there. But, aside from the tyrosours, none of the beast on Beast Island can fly, so security will be more relaxed on the roof.”

Bow paused in his freaking out over possibly being a kidnapper to freak out over something else. “Wait, did you say some of the man-eating beasts of Beast Island can fly?”

“She said just the tyrosours fly.” Dak supplied, still not looking up from Imp’s inert body. Apparently, the hybrid really was paying attention even if they didn’t look like they were.

“Right.” Nodded Adora. “Which is why we’re gonna swoop down on Swift Wind and break in through the roof.”

“Do I get a say in this?” Swift Wind cut in, looking up from the grass he was eating. “I’d at least appreciate it if you consulted me before just deciding that I’m gonna be dive-bombing Horde compounds while also dodging human-eating beasts that fly as well as I do.”

A deep and gravely groan of frustration cut upwards from Adora’s throat. “No one said the tyrosours would even be there. All I said was that they’re the only beasts on Beast Island that fly. I never said they would be anywhere near the prison. The beasts are supposed to keep to the jungle. We probably won’t even see any of the Beat Island beasts at all. Okay?”

Bow and Swift Wind exchanged a glance. They had become genre savvy enough by this point to know that, now that one of them said it out loud, not only would they encounter a Beast Island beast, they would probably encounter the Great Beast itself.

“Don’t made that face!” Adora snapped.

“We weren’t looking at you.” Swift Wind informed her.

“I know.” She snapped. “I know what you were saying to each other.”

Both Bow and Swift Wind opened their mouths to reply. But before another word could escape either of them, they were cut off by the other member of their party.

“Ah, ha!” Dak exclaimed triumphantly. The hybrid had found a seam in the skin covering Imp’s head. A line concealed behind a pointed ear, and running up to the tuft of hair on the deamon’s head. Hooking their talons in the seam, Dak managed to peel the android’s face off, revealing the circuitry and workings underneath.

Swift Wind, Adora, and Bow all forgot their conversation in the wake of such… mechanical gore?

“I’m still listening.” Dak informed them, still not looking up from Imp. “Keep going. We probably won’t see the Beast Island beasts.”

All three of them just stood there, staring, wide-eyed, gap-mouthed, at this child that looked no older than ten years peel the face and hair off of what had previously looked like a nightmare toddler.

Holding Imp’s naked robotic head in their hands, the hybrid used their hair to reach into their tool bag. Pulling out thin and delicate instruments for small detail work on sensitive pieces of tech.

If the others asked what Dak was doing, the hybrid would not be able to tell them. They didn’t have the words to describe that they were concerned they might have knocked something loose or broken some vital inner component when they hit the deamon. They could not name the parts they were trying to repair, or the tools they were using. But that didn’t mean they didn’t know what they were doing. After spending all their free time in the Locked Room after it was opened, Dak had developed an almost instinctual understanding of robotics and machines. Tech ‘spoke’ to them in a way that could not be explained to others.

Bow was the first to recover from the shock of watching –what he always thought was Hordak’s pet, or baby, or both- get its face peeled off. He knelt next to Dak, always eager to learn something that could improve his own knowledge and understanding of tech. “Can I help.”

One of the tools held in Dak’s hair pressed against something and one of the deamon’s ears slid out, revealing memory boards that looked like they hadn’t been part of the android’s original design. Like they were extra data storage added at a later date after Imp’s construction.

“Hold his head for me.” Dak passed the android to the archer. They laid down on their belly to be on an even level with the now open head and its extra memory boards.

It looked like Dak’s hit did indeed knock something loose. The connectors that kept the extra memory plugged into the rest of the processing array had come apart. Dak reached in a couple thin tendrils of hair. Literally, hair thin. They reattached the connections and slid the extra memory boards back into the place. Picked up one of those tiny and delicate tools and, with the deftness of a surgeon, soldered them into place so that –barring another trauma- they would not get knocked loose again.

The moment they were in place, Imp’s mouth opened and a recording began to play. The voice sounded like Hordak’s. Like Hordak’s, but no quite Hordak’s. Like Hordak if he were more… tired? Regretful? …Remorseful? Those were certainly emotions none of them could imagine the original Hordak feeling, never mind allowing to seem into his voice when he knew he was being recorded.

“If you’re hearing this, Zero-Zero-Three, then I’ve gone to join the All High Host.” Said the voice that was almost a clone of Hordak’s voice. “I always knew it was a dangerous game I was playing, and if you’re sitting in my cabinet seat right now, then it’s a game you’re going to have to learn to play well. You’re a slow learning, Zero-Zero-Three, but you do learn. Learn quickly, because in this game you either win –or you die. I like to think I played it very well for many years. Clearly, I did not win-“

The recording cut off abruptly when Dak slid Imp’s ear back into the place.

“Wait, I wanted to hear that.” Bow blinked at the abrupt cut off. “I didn’t think the Horde played games.”

“Training games.” Both Dak and Adora supplied in almost perfect unison.

The hybrid turned their head to look at her. Their eyes meeting and a weird kind of understanding passed between them.

Adora had been raised in the Horde. They did not play games for fun. They trained. They spared, had skirmishes, held mock battles. There was a points system, or one hit matches. They were war games. Battle games. Training games. But they were not games for fun and leisure.

Dak did not grow up in the Horde. At least, not in the same way that Adora had. There was a Horde presence in their home, in the very castle they grew up in. But the Horde was not in control of Dak’s training. Dak was trained by Imp. Trained in stealth. In moving unseen. In tracking something that was trying to evade you. In catching quarry. Hunting games. At first, they had been fun games… until the hybrid developed other interests.

Imp’s eyes flickered for half a moment and Dak rolled the skin back over his face. Pulling the back half of skin-shell back up by the tuft of nylon-fiber hair. Dak was just making sure the seam in the skin was securely resealed when the flickering of the deamon’s eyes finally solidified into his normal golden-yellow glow.

Imp gave a screech of distress at finding himself in a completely different place from where he was when falling asleep. He leapt into the air, flapping on frantic wings. Flitting from one direction to the other, trying to get his bearings on where they were.

“Calm down.” Dak pleaded with the creature.

All that succeeded in doing was turning Imp’s distress on themself. The little deamon swooped down to snarl and chitter in the hybrid’s face. Shrieking, and squawking, sounding like a pack of angry monkeys rather than the one, singular, flying goblin he was.

What was master’s heir thinking? Aligning themself with the traitor and her companions! Imp was beside himself with frustration, and he let master’s heir know it.

“Wow.” Commented Swift Wind. “You kiss Hordak’s boots with that mouth.”

Turning away from the angry deamon, Dak blinked confused eyes at the horde. “I’m Hordak.”

“Other Hordak, little foal.” The stallion clarified.

By opening his mouth, Swift Wind effectively drew the deamon’s attention to him and before he knew it, the winged horde was getting his own face-full of angry screeching goblin baby. Squawking and chittering, growling and snarling. Making very animalistic sounds that the humans –and human hybrid- of their party couldn’t understand. But Swift Wind –the actual animal of their group- understood perfectly. He snorted, shooting a jet of warm air at the flapping deamon, unimpressed. “That’s exactly the kind of thing I’d expect from the minion of a despotic colonizer!”

Imp blinked at having a creature actually understand him for once. Most organic being just assumed his attempts to communicate were noise. He recovered quickly, and launched into another chittering and squawking rant.

“Oh, yeah? How’s that working out for ya so far?” The stallion gave an odd little shrug of his wings, as if the deamon was completely inconsequential.

Tendrils of hair wrapped themselves around Imp and before he knew what was happening, the little deamon was plucked out of the air and hugged tightly against Dak’s torso. “Imp, calm down.” The child pleaded. “We’re going to rescue mother.”

The android gave another squawk of protest.

“He doesn’t want you to rescue the Princess.” Swift Wind translated for everyone. “He wants you to assume control of the Horde and finish conquering Etheria.”

“Don’t want to.” Dak shook thier head. The hybrid looked down to address the struggling deamon in their arms when they repeated. “Don’t want to.”

Imp chittered out something quickly, almost frantically.

Everyone looked back up at Swift Wind for a translation, since his animal mind with a human intelligence somehow understood the alien android’s feral-sounding ‘language’.

“He says you’ll need the army.” Explained the stallion, looking confused. “…if the emperor opens the portal from his side?”

“The portal!” Now the deamon had Adora’s full and undivided attention. “But I closed the portal.”

She closed the portal. Saved the world from being un-made. Restored things to the way they were before the portal was opened. None of the Horde from the other side got through. That should have been the end of it. It was closed. She closed it. It was over. Done with.

Except, when was anything ever that simple?

Adora looked out across the ocean. Somewhere, on an island beyond those blue waves was the woman who built that portal in the first place. If it was possible for someone to open a portal from the other side, she would know.

Now, more than before, Adora needed to rescue Entrapta.

#entrapdak #clone baby au #scorpia #sea hawk #male-female friendship #platonic #sea shanties #misbehavin' maidens #twiddle #Swift Wind #Bow #Adora #Imp #dak #entrapdak kid #fan fic #ao3 #RenkonNairu #genetic composite

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