The Bad Side || Catradora

Chapter 8: Empty Handed

Shock had a way of gripping onto a person. Adora had never felt so useless, watching Catra's only hope get crushed in front of her, and Adora- standing there, helpless to stop it, frozen in place.

Swift Wind jumped into action instead, trampling the bot before it could get away. It didn't matter though. The damage had already been done.

For what felt like forever the two searched for any other sign of life, any forgotten bush or wayward berry. The field was empty.

Swift Wind said something to Adora about how they had to get back. Numbly, she climbed onto Swift Wind's back, but had he not been there she was certain she would've stayed in that field forever. How could she go back with nothing?

"It wasn't your fault," Swift Wind started. He went on, trying to explain how it was an accident and how she couldn't blame herself but it just went in one ear out the other.

Catra needed this, Adora thought to herself. I can't heal her with the sword and I can't make this right with the potion. Mumbling aloud, she let slip, "What good is She-Ra for if I can't help people?"

Swift Wind landed on the ground in front of Madame Razz's. "Don't say that. She-Ra is good for lots of things."

Adora didn't want to hear it. Every nerve in her brain rejected her companion's attempts to cheer her up. She didn't want to feel better. She wanted to hate herself for this. She wanted to yell and scream because if 'Adora' couldn't help around the castle then 'She-Ra' was at least suppose to do something. She was suppose to be better and she just wasn't.

Swift Wind wasn't sure what to say. He could feel her grief secondhand. This was about more than Catra, he realized. Leaving Adora to stay lost in her thoughts, Swift Wind went to retrieve Madame Razz.

Adora stared down at her sword, detransforming. The ache in her back that flared up almost as soon as she did made her want to vomit. She'd definitely overexerted herself, and what for? If she couldn't even save Catra, how could she be expected to save Etheria.

"Mara, dear, why the long face?" Madame Razz came shuffling out of the hut.

"I failed," Adora's voice cracked. "I couldn't get you what you needed."

Razz took in the information slowly. Each passing second made Adora squirm self-consciously under Razz's gaze.

Then, as though realizing the gravity of what Adora had just said, Razz motioned for Adora to lean down so she could place a hand on the young girl's shoulder.

"Adora, you have not failed," She cooed warmly.

"But I-"

"Listen to Madame Razz," She chuckled good heartedly. "She knows more than you think."

Adora nodded, keeping her mouth shut.

"You ask too much of yourself. The very fact that you have asked for help means you have not failed." Seeing Adora's confusion, she clarified. "You do not need to do this on your own. Trust yourself, and trust that those who care about you will help bear your load."

"Is this...still about the potion?" Adora frowned.

"It can be about whatever it needs to be about." Razz smiled before perking up. "Which reminds me! Take this." She held out a small vile, filled with a light blue liquid.

"I don't understand." Adora placed it in her hands carefully. "What is this?"

"The healing potion of course!" Razz banged her broom on the ground as if this should've been obvious.

"But you said you needed the berries to finish it." Had it been some miracle? Had she found a substitute?

"Oh, don't make me laugh! I didn't need the berries to finish the potion!" Razz belted. "The potion itself tastes terrible and herring berries are the only thing that can mask the flavor."

Adora took in a deep breath. She spoke slow and deliberately. "Do you mean to tell me that I spent an hour looking for those berries...so Catra wouldn't mind the taste?"

Considering Adora looked like she was contemplating murder at that moment, Swift Wind decided it was time for them to be on their way to Brightmoon. Bidding Razz goodbye, the two rushed back to the castle to find Catra, glaring up at them as she laid on the floor.

"Seriously?" Adora laughed. "Again?"

"Shut it," Catra groaned. "You two were gone long enough. I thought I was going to starve to death. Are you going to help me up or not?"

Adora got her back into the bed, the latter asserting that she could've gotten back up on her own and that she just thought the floor was comfier.

Adora slid next to Catra on the bed, practically beaming. "I got something for you."

"Are you going to tell me what it is or are you just going to look at me like a crazy person for the next hour?" Catra asked.

"Curtesy of Madame Razz, this-" She handed Catra the bottle, "-should heal you up before you know it."

Catra stared at it, a number of concerns weeding their way into her head. One: this was magic and given her track record with the stuff, it's not like she was too eager to take any part in it. Two: if this really worked then Adora would probably send her back to the Horde, which meant her plans to spy would be ruined. And you'd have to leave Adora, she thought subconsciously. She couldn't help but admit she had missed this. It'd been a while since they had taunted each other without the sounds of tanks firing behind them.

"Look, I have to go to my meeting but you go ahead and take that," Adora insisted. "It should kick in within an hour and then..." She didn't finish the sentence but instead said goodbye to Catra and walked away. Things were turning up after all. As she walked down the hallway, she thanked Swift Wind. She admittedly needed a win.

Meanwhile, Catra sat on the bed, staring at the potion. It glowed faintly in her hand. Contemplatively she looked down at her wounds. They didn't look like they were getting any better. If she didn't take some serious care of herself, they could get infected or worse. It wasn't impossible for them to heal on their own though, right?

Feeling guilty about it, she decided to hide the potion under the bed alongside the communicator Shadow Weaver had given her. When Adora got back she would tell her it didn't work. At the very least it would buy her more time. This way she still had the potion in case she needed it, just saving it for a rainy day.

Catra closed her eyes. These past few months, she hadn't gotten much rest lately. The unfortunate thing was, she had a feeling this wasn't going to help her sleep at all.