Codependency

Part 13 // Look at you, look at me!

Adora's will to save Etheria gave her a surge of strength, and she was able to give a hard kick to Perfuma's waist. The taller girl's hands went to her waist as she shouted in surprise, giving Adora's right arm the freedom it needed to grab the ocean princess by her wrist and haul her up a little. When the fish-themed princess had let go of her shoulders, Adora dropped her and twisted to launch herself at Bow. He shrieked as he was tackled to the floor of the skiff. Rebel hands instantly grabbed at Adora, but she held Bow fast, her arms pinning his to his sides.

"Scorpia!" Perfuma called behind the group of struggling rebels. "I think you have to... to sting her."

"I don't want to hurt her. I'll just hold her... will you take the sword?" Adora heard Scorpia answer.

Meanwhile, able to see again, Adora was pressing all of her weight into Bow as to not be hauled up again by the pirate and the ocean-girl. She felt their hands leave her as a giant claw forced its way under her belly and dragged her up into the air. Adora pounded her fists against Scorpia's exoskeleton, but it had no effect and only made her hands ache.

"There, there..." Scorpia seemed to be trying to calm her, to no avail. "I gotcha."

"I'm going to kill you!" Adora snapped back.

Adora saw Bow stand up with the help of Perfuma. He stared at Adora with those pitifully sad eyes she couldn't stand. Bow picked up his arrow sack off the ground and slung it over his shoulder.

"Thanks." He told Perfuma. "I really hope we're out of the woods soon."

The rest of the ride was spent with Adora futilely trying to escape Scorpia's colossal claw. The former Horde Force Captain could hold Adora with one arm for every five princesses it took for the same job. No wonder these princesses were losing so badly.
The woods, what must have been a couple hours later, thinned out into a village and Adora paused her struggles as she was exhausted. Glimmer drove the group around the outskirts, but Adora noticed that it mostly looked abandoned. There was no Horde flag, but things looked like they had been abruptly halted in the middle of the day, as if every villager had just decided to move on in the middle of their work. Carts and crates were strewn about the narrow streets, and a few houses had shabby doors that were flung wide open, vulnerable to wild animals and the elements of nature.

The village was gone almost as soon as Adora had seen it, and then they were on a path in open ground. The land was hilly, but only a few trees dotted the area and none were in the pale dirt path that Glimmer was now focused on flying down. The air was clear, crisp and clean. Adora guiltily let it fill her lungs, savoring freshness she had not remembered knowing before. One day, the Horde would take all of this and then they would be able to share the clean air and beautiful plants with the entire world.

"Finally." Glimmer muttered, and Adora had barely heard it over the wind.

Adora saw her staring down the dirt road, and she followed the Princess' gaze until she saw it. A massive purple looming mountain was nearing. The path wound around it for a long time, and Adora was able to take in some pretty gorgeous structures. Nothing like this was in the Horde. Just shabby metal structures and slime. Here, the mountains cast pink and purple shadows over the winding path and every rock and tree in it. It distracted Adora enough to make her momentarily forget what was about to happen to her. Not for long though, as when they approached a hauntingly familiar offwhite castle, Adora had a violently unwanted memory of waking up next to Glimmer.

"Woah!" Scorpia yelped while she tried to keep Adora from writhing. "It's okay! No one's gonna hurt you, you're not even really like, a prisoner!"

"I don't want to go in there!" Adora pointed at the castle furiously.