"She's gonna be so pissed when she wakes up."
A grinning Catra stood between Adora and Glimmer, the three of them watching over Zip within the Moon Stone chamber.
"I don't see why she would be," Adora replied. "We had no choice but to teleport. She fainted on us."
"I wasn't talking about that," Catra poked the knocked-out girl on the forehead. I mean, yeah, she might get a little angry over the teleporting thing, but as soon as she learns that she actually glowed when the recharge started, she'll throw a fit! You know, because she's all, 'I'm not princessy or cute blah blah blah.' It's gonna be great.'
"You would find that amusing," Adora muttered.
Although Glimmer could hear the conversations, her mind was reeling too much with worry to respond.
"Hey, she'll be all right," Adora told her with a comforting shoulder squeeze. "You used to always feel better after a recharge, so she will, too!"
Glimmer sat next to her sister, only partially comforted by Adora's words.
"I hope so. I was a little worried she might have lost all connection to the stone, but it seems her body is taking to it well. Oh man, mom's gonna freak when she sees this."
"In a good way, though," Adora promised. "There's no way she'd be upset."
"Oh, I know that, but like us, she was only expecting some clues. Not her actual daughter."
"If anyone's gonna flip a lid, it's Zip." Catra slunk down and lay on the floor with a yawn. "She'll take one look at the queen and lose it."
"She might not," Adora countered, trying to stay positive. "Especially since she can't remember."
"Oh please, did you see the way she reacted when Glimmer called her Rose?" Catra asked. "She didn't like it at all, and I've seen how Zip gets when Glimmer's nearby. She's harsher to her more than she is to the rest of us, and Sparkles is just the sister. Imagine how she'll be when she faces the woman who gave birth to her."
The three sat in silence, the truth of that statement ringing in Glimmer's ears. When she first learned that Rose was still alive, she dreamt up a million scenarios on how the reunification would be. They were always so heartfelt and tearful, and she had pictured the two of them and her mom joyously reliving old memories while making new ones. The last thing she expected was to find her sister without her memories. She didn't plan for that, and with the girl being so hard to get through to, Glimmer had no clue on how to proceed moving forward.
"Hey, don't look so glum."
Glimmer glanced up at Catra as she spoke.
"I'm not being negative; I'm just being realistic. Zip's probably gonna have some issues, but I'm sure she'll get over them with time."
"So, you don't think she hates me?" Glimmer asked.
Adora shook her head.
"No way. I don't think she hates anyone. She's just scared, and can we blame her? She's been pulled from the only home she knew and into another one full of people who can remember her from a young age while she can't remember anything. Add that to the fact that she's clearly not a fan of families, and you've got one confused, frightened kid. Give her some time, and I'm sure she'll be able to ease up with both you and the queen. Speaking of your mom, shouldn't Bow be back by now?"
As if on cue, the archer came jogging up the stairs to the chamber.
"Sorry! I'm here!"
"Bow!"
Glimmer ran up and hugged him tightly.
"There you are. Were you able to find my mom?"
"Well, kind of?" he replied. "She's not here in the kingdom, but I do know where she is."
"What?" Glimmer exclaimed. "Where is she?"
"The guards told me that she left for Mystacor this morning to visit your Aunt. She should be back later tonight, though."
"Ugh! Of all the days for my mom to be gone!"
"Why don't we go and get her?" Adora suggested.
Glimmer pondered the thought and almost agreed, but then thought better of it.
"No, not yet. Maybe this is a good thing. If Zip can wake up before then, she'll have a chance to get acquainted with her surroundings, which means she might better handle meeting mom when she comes home."
"Eh, kind of a long shot," Catra said. "I still think she's gonna freak out. Ouch!"
Adora slightly kicked Catra on the leg before agreeing with Glimmer.
"I think that's a good plan. Let's wait till she wakes up and then slowly introduce her to everything."
Glimmer nodded.
"Okay. I'll stay with her. You guys don't have to if you need to do other things."
"Nah, we'll stay," Bow smiled. "We don't mind."
Catra yawned again and curled up on her side.
"It's whatever. I need a nap anyway. Adora, come be my pillow."
Adora rolled her eyes, but then walked over to her girlfriend with a smile.
"You're so weird."
Glimmer beamed thankfully at her friends. Hopefully, she was making the right choice. The sudden pressure of being a good sister had been growing from the moment the girl was found and she wanted to make sure that Zip's first day back ran as smoothly as possible.
"I hope I'm not terrible at this. I promise I'll be the best big sister to you. I just hope this works."
"Nnn..."
Zip slowly began to come to, the brightness of the room forcing her to squint.
"What happened?"
With a small grumble, she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"Did I fall asleep? No, ugh, I fainted."
She groaned as the memories of the fight came flooding back.
"Great. They saw me like this. I'll never hear the end of it. Huh?"
It was then she noticed that she wasn't alone. Catra and Adora were beside her on the floor. Adora had her back against the platform Zip had been planted on while Catra was snoozing in the woman's lap. Not too far from them was Bow. He was standing against the wall, little snores slipping from his mouth.
"Zip?"
She gasped and turned to find another standing on her other side.
"Glimmer?"
"Hey," she said with a smile. "I'm glad you're awake."
She rubbed her again groggily.
"How long have I been out?"
"Just a few hours," Glimmer answered. "Seems you used up a lot of magic. How do you feel?"
Zip swung her legs around the platform and stretched. She was pleasantly surprised at how she felt.
"Huh. Whaddaya know. Actually, I feel pretty good. Better than good, to be honest."
She couldn't remember the last time she felt this energized. Usually, it took her forever to recover after working so much magic. That's why she never often used it unless needed.
"Where are those snakes? I'll be them for good now."
Glimmer chuckled slightly at the comment.
"Perhaps you could, but thankfully we don't have to find out. I'm glad you're feeling better, though. I was worried you wouldn't take to the stone, but you connected to it easily."
"What?" Zip was puzzled. "Stone?"
"Yes, the Moon Stone," Glimmer replied. "Remember how I said you'd be able to recharge with it?"
Zip thought back to the conversation. She did remember hearing about it, but she could have sworn that the stone was on Bright Moon.
"Wait a second."
She shot her gaze around the unfamiliar room once more, her eyes growing wide as her senses fully kicked it. She was not in the Frightening Wilds anymore.
"K-Kyaaaaaaaa!"
"Woah!" Catra shot awake from the sudden scream. "Who are we killing?"
Zip stood on the platform in a panic.
"Good grief, do you have to be so loud kid?"
"What the heck am I doing here?" Zip screeched.
The other two had woken at this point.
"What do you mean what are you doing here?" Catra asked. "You knew we were bringing you back to Bright Moon."
"I know that!" Zip hissed. "I mean, how did we get here so damn quickly? Were we that close?"
"No, Glimmer teleported us back." Bow answered.
"What?! I told you no teleporting!"
"You fainted!" Adora shouted. "We needed to get you back right away!"
"Grawr!"
Zip tugged at her hair in frustration. She was well aware that she was coming here but assumed she'd have the travel time to prepare for her arrival.
"No, instead you had to go and faint, and now you're here. Way to go."
"Calm down, Zip," Glimmer said half calmly, half panicky. "I'm sorry we had to teleport, but I needed you safe. You're okay now."
"Grr, whatever! I'm leaving."
"Uh, no you're not."
Catra stood in front of her.
"You promised to stay if we proved you belonged here."
"Yeah, well I don't see any proof so I'm out of here."
"You gave us twenty-four hours," Catra objected. "Not to mention you just woke up, so of course you haven't seen anything yet, but we did."
Zip saw a smirk curl onto the cat woman's face, uncertainty now filling her.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Catra," Glimmer cut in. "Maybe we shouldn't- "
"You glowed, little girl," Catra teased. "As soon as Glimmer put you there to recharge- You. Glowed. Pink."
"So much for introducing things to her slowly," Adora muttered.
Zip's eyes widened at the news.
"I what? You're lying!"
"Am I? Oh no, little Zippy. You glowed nice and pink and it was all sorts of cute!" Catra prodded.
"Shut it!"
"Still think I'm wrong? Well, I've got some more proof for you."
The woman pointed to Zip's hair.
"Not only do we have Sparkles, but now we have Sparkles Jr."
Zips eyes grew wider, her hands instantly touching her hair.
"It can't be."
She then jumped off the table and pulled Glimmer towards her before speaking in a dangerous tone.
"Get me to a mirror. Now."
Glimmer groaned and grabbed Zip by the wrist. She then moved the child towards the other three before teleporting out, the five of them now facing new scenery.
"This is my room," Glimmer told her. "The mirror's right there."
Zip threw herself in front of it and examined herself closely. When she saw what she was looking for, her left eye began to twitch.
Catra smirked once more.
"Three, two, one."
"Nyaaaaaaa!"
Zip's scream shrilled through the room.
"No!"
She rounded onto Glimmer in a craze.
"What have you done? My hair!"
"I didn't do anything!" Glimmer told her in an attempt to calm the child down. "That's how your hair used to look when you were younger! It probably hasn't done it since then because you haven't connected to the stone in years."
"Liar! You broke me! Oh god, I look terrible."
"I think you look adorable!" Catra teased again. "Awww, little Rosey has hair that sparkles just like her big sister!"
"I'll kill you!"
"Guys!"
Adora stepped in front of Catra and shot her girlfriend a discontented glare.
"Really? You're supposed to be the adult here!"
Catra waved her off.
"Chill out, I'm just messing with her. Better she finds out now anyways rather than find out later."
Zip returned to the mirror and moaned. She was not liking this new glittery look.
"There's no need to be upset."
Glimmer walked over to where she was standing.
"If anything, this is good! It shows that you're the princess and my little sister."
Zip glanced over at the other, Glimmer sharing a warm smile in return.
"Nope. Not falling for it."
"Huh?" Glimmer looked confused.
"I said I'm not falling for it!"
Zip stepped back from the mirror and turned away from everyone.
"I don't believe you guys. This doesn't count as proof."
"What?" Catra asked. "Are you blind? You're literally sparkling! In your words, how much more princessy can you get?"
Zip's eye twitched again.
"Are you mocking me?"
"Okay!"
Bow waved his hands and stepped in between everyone with a meek little grin. He then placed his hand on Zip's shoulder.
"Look, if you don't think this is enough proof, why don't we show you something else?"
The child raised a brow.
"I don't think you have anything that'll make me think otherwise."
"Maybe, maybe not," he shrugged, his smile friendly. "But it can't hurt to try, right?"
Zip scrunched up her face in annoyance. She knew she was being ridiculous. It was obvious that they were in the right, but she wasn't ready to accept it yet. She wasn't ready to take the truth.
"Fool."
She pushed his hand away.
"Fine. I'll go along just to humor you, but remember, if you can't get me proper proof, I'm out of here."
Bow sighed with relief before looking over at Glimmer.
"Where should we show her next?"
Glimmer looked on a little saddened, but then toughened her gaze and thought.
"I'm not sure. Um..."
"Maybe we should bring her somewhere she might know," Adora suggested. You know, like a place she was really intimate with as a kid. I know she can't remember, but maybe she'll see something that'll trigger her memory."
Glimmer's eyes sparkled as an idea hit her.
"That's perfect Adora! I know a place!"
She then grabbed everyone and teleported into another room. Once there, Zip looked around, clearly unimpressed.
"And this is?"
"Your room," Glimmer answered. "This was your room when you lived here."
Whatever grumpy face she held fell when she heard this answer.
"My room?"
Zip peered at her surroundings with awe. It wasn't too different from Glimmer's. It had a tub, a waterfall, a desk, a dresser, and so many other things a typical bedroom held. It even had a circular bed like Glimmer's, except this one was on the floor, and it was filled with a multitude of stuffed animals.
"This was mine? Really?"
She walked over to the window and peeked outside, a forest staring back at her. It reminded her a little of the Frightening Wilds.
"Mhm." Glimmer joined her by the window. "We used to play in here a lot, and we'd have sleepovers, too. We'd alternate where to sleep, but you mostly wanted me in here because you liked nesting with your animals."
Glimmer giggled at the thought.
"Our favorite place to sleep, though, was in mom's room. We'd always beg to have sleepovers in there, and we'd have so much fun when she'd let us."
Zip walked over to the bed in a small daze, her senses breathing in the familiarity. She knew this place. Her mind couldn't place how, as it couldn't recall a moment in her life where she had been here, but it was recognizable nonetheless.
When she reached the bed, her hand gently caressed the many different animals, each soft and comforting to the touch.
"Mom used to think you were crazy for sleeping with all of those, but she never had the heart to say no because they made you so happy. Your favorite one isn't there, though."
Zip looked up to find Glimmer staring back sadly.
"What?"
"You had a favorite stuffed animal you carried around all the time. It was this purple Sky Rabbit, something mom gave you when you were born. The last time I saw it was the night you were..."
Zip furrowed her brows as her head spun.
"A Sky Rabbit. A purple stuffed Sky Rabbit. Rabby?"
All of a sudden, the image of the described item popped into her mind, but it was all muddied up and had a single tear on one of the ears.
"Zip?"
"Ahh!"
The girl took a step back, her balance shaky as a sharp pain shot through her head.
"Zip! Are you okay?"
Glimmer provided support until Zip could get her balance again.
"What just happened?"
She rubbed her temple and glanced at the worried faces staring back at her. That's when a pang of fear hit, and because she hated sporting any type of weakness, she returned their gazes with a scowl.
"I'm fine! Stop looking at me like I'm some helpless pup! Hmph. This place tells me nothing. It's just a stupid room."
"You mean nothing seems familiar?" Adora asked.
"Nope. Your little idea failed."
"We'll have to try another place," said Bow. "There's got to be something."
"There already is something," Catra groaned. "She connected with the Moon Stone. She's gonna have to deal with the fact that her glowing and sparkling is proof enough!"
Zip ignored the comments and walked over to the white desk. She poked at and opened a few of the different drawers until she came to one that wouldn't budge. She scanned it to see if it was locked, but there was no keyhole. It was simply stuck.
"Come on, you," she thought as she tugged at it, but nothing was making it move. "Open, dammit!"
Not wanting to be bettered by a drawer, she tapped the top of the desk twice and then the side of it once with her fist. Instantly, it opened.
"Ha! Take that you stupid thing."
"There!"
Glimmer ran over with excited eyes.
"That's it! That's the proof!"
Zip stared with skepticism.
"An open drawer?"
"No, silly, the way you opened it!" Glimmer's smile grew. "That was a secret between you and me. It's where we hid our favorite things! Your mind might not remember it, but your instincts did!"
Zip looked down at the drawer as heat flared in her cheeks, half out of anger and half out of embarrassment at being caught. She couldn't help but wonder, though, how she knew what to do.
"It just came naturally. I don't know what made me. It just felt right."
When she saw that Glimmer was still looking at her all bright-eyed, she scoffed and turned away.
"That proved nothing! It was a lucky guess. I mean, I'm sure anyone can open that, so it doesn't count."
"But- "
"I said it doesn't count! Just give up already."
Zip didn't know how to do anything but be hard-headed, even when she was wrong.
"Give up?"
Zip turned to find an angry and hurt Glimmer.
"No, I did that once because I thought you were dead. I'm never gonna give up now that you're here. You are my sister."
"No, I'm not!"
"We've proved it to you twice! Plus, you can move things with your mind!" Glimmer pointed out. "The same magic you had as a kid!"
"Magic, sparkly hair, and an open drawer does not a sister make!"
"Ugh! You're so infuriating!"
Glimmer grimaced with aggravation, pacing around the room.
"So damn stubborn. Bah! Screw it! Bow! Adora! Catra! Watch her!"
"Wait!" Bow called. "Where are you- "
Before he could finish, Glimmer teleported out.
"Going."
Bow sighed and rubbed his head.
"This is not going as planned."
"That's cause Zippy over here is being a pain," Catra said.
"You're the pain," Zip countered. "It's not my fault you can't show me proper proof."
"We have though," Adora said back. "You just keep coming up with excuses at why our examples are wrong. Stop trying to push people away. We're only trying to help you."
Zip kicked a nearby cushion chair before spinning in their direction.
"I never asked for your damn help in the first place. In case you forgot, Cal and Saber forced me to come here. They weren't gonna let me back in until I checked this place out, and guess what? I see nothing!"
"Your hair!" Catra yelled. "Your glowing! And the drawer!"
"I didn't see myself glow so that information is useless! As for my hair, blame Glimmer. She probably did something to it. You guys probably rigged the drawer, too!"
She knew she was sounding more foolish by the minute, but she was too scared to think otherwise.
"Everything I saw means nothing. This place means nothing. And you-"
Slam!
Right in the middle of Zip's sentence, the bedroom door flew open, and a still-upset Glimmer appeared at the entrance.
"You're wrong!" The elder girl yelled. "You belong here, and if you won't believe anything else you saw, then believe this!"
"Glimmer? What is the meaning of this? I was in the middle of talking to your Aunt-"
The adult woman who was speaking came to a standstill when her eyes fell on Zip, the girl frozen as well.
"No," Zip thought, her breathing nearly stopping. "No. This isn't possible."
From the moment she laid eyes on the new visitor, her heart shook. It swelled a thousand times over with warmed-up feelings that screamed familiarity, comfort, and love.
"Love? How can I feel love? I don't know her!"
Zip told herself that the visitor was both nothing and no one important, but something inside knew this woman. Something inside knew who she was.
"I look like her, too. Hair, eyes, skin...we even have similarities in the face."
Zip watched as the woman's eyes widened with brimmed tears. She was just as shocked as Zip was, maybe even more so.
"Is this real?" The newcomer's voice wavered. "Rose?"
"She's real, mom," Glimmer answered softly. "It's her. She's home."
"Mother."
If looking at the familiar stranger wasn't enough to make her chest flare, then hearing her name spoken did the trick. The voice was like honey. It carried a sweetness that reached areas of her heart she never thought could be touched again.
"Rose."
Zip could feel tears forming in her eyes as the woman walked closer. There was a part of her that felt a desperate need to run into those arms, a part of her that yearned for an embrace. Every inch of her begged and pleaded to fall into the pure comfort that was emanating from the other, but the fear that plagued her and the confusion in her mind made her too frightened to do so.
"Rose, my- "
"No."
She watched as the woman abruptly stopped in her tracks, a puzzled look on her face.
"What?"
"I-I said no. Stay back."
"But Rose, it's me, your m- "
"Stay away from me!"
Before more could be said, Zip pushed past everyone and jetted out the door.
"Rose! Rose wait!"
She ignored the calls and sped down the halls, running into the first room she saw and slamming the door. She then locked it and threw her hand up, using her ability to shut it tighter.
"This isn't happening."
She backed up into a wall and slid down to the floor, hugging her knees tight as her eyes filled with tears. All of her emotions were hitting her at once, every one of them overwhelming her senses.
"Why do I feel like I know all of this, and yet remember nothing? Why did she affect me in such a way?"
She hide her face in her knees, her shield refusing to come down. This was too much for her to handle. She didn't understand anything that was happening and was too petrified to try to comprehend it. How was it possible for everything in her to know this place, to know Glimmer and the woman, and yet not remember anything at all.
"What's wrong with me? Who am I?"