Going to town was out of the question, the two girls would realize soon after they left the castle grounds. After all, it hadn't been all that long ago when Catra had started a fight at the marketplace. If they wanted to keep the peace, and remain undiscovered, they would have to either stay away from civilization completely or find a place no one would pay them any attention.
Not the easiest task for a wanted criminal and She-Ra, the Princess of power herself.
This is a bad idea, Catra thought. It wasn't like Adora to act on impulse like this. Sneaking out of the castle on a whim, without even a plan? It was reckless and something that both troubled Catra and piqued her curiosity.
"So where are we going?"
"Don't know," Adora shrugged, leading the way through the forest. "Why, do you have a preference?"
"You know this place better than I would," Catra admitted. As they walked, she kept her eyes on Adora. The latter was holding it together well, but her mind was preoccupied with much more than navigation. Her talk with Glimmer, her troubles with the rebellion...she shook her head a little. This whole venture was supposed to be a distraction.
Catra hated not knowing what was going on in her head. She had thought they had gotten comfortable enough to share everything again but Adora was being particularly stubborn this time around. It couldn't just be the princesses, could it?
Just another reason not to join the rebellion, Catra thought to herself half-heartedly. For so long she had worried Adora was happier with these people, and while there was no denying she belonged in Brightmoon instead of with the Horde, could she really say Adora was happy?
A few steps ahead of her, Adora tripped on an overgrown root. Jumping up to her feet and trying to play it off, she shot Catra a dorky smile.
"Nice one," Catra snorted. "And here I was thinking that I'm the one who can't walk."
"It's all fun and games until I need to steal your walking stick," Adora wiped the dirt from her pants, falling back to Catra's side.
"It's not a walking stick," Catra corrected, and even though she sounded annoyed, on the inside she was only thinking about that stupid smile.
Alright, she's not unhappy necessarily, Catra reasoned. She was still the Adora she knew and lov— grew up with. But in the Horde, they only ever had to worry about each other. Small threats seemed so big then. Now, all of the real problems feel as if they're closing in, and out of all the people in Etheria, Adora got saddled with fixing everything.
Why does it have to be her?
It was a selfish thought. But walking side by side, hands occasionally brushing, just the low hum of the forest life...this was simple. There was nothing out here, no problems, and Catra could forget that the only reason she was in these woods was to distract Adora, could forget the dull ache in her side, felt as though if she were to throw aside her staff right then, running off into the forest without a care in the world, she could be certain Adora would follow and they'd never look back.
"I think there's a town up ahead," Adora said, pointing to their right. "I can't remember the name but I think Glimmer told me about it before. Apparently they have some really good food."
"It's always food with you," Catra teased, glad she hadn't been caught staring.
"Um, yeah. Have you ever tried food?"
"Apparently not, since you always forget to bring me anything."
"That was literally only one time," Adora rolled her eyes. "Come on." Grabbing Catra's free hand, she slowly led them down the dirt path, both girls entirely unaware that the other was screaming on the inside from the contact.
The farther they travelled on the path, the thicker the trees became. Catra was doubtful they were headed in the right direction. Were the woods shifting on them? No one could possibly build anything in this dense of a forest.
To her surprise, however, the sound of music slowly began to fill the air. With it came the smell of all kinds of different foods, most of which were new to Catra. What was confusing her, however, was the origin of these sounds and smells.
"Adora, where are we-" She began to ask before something powdery fell onto her face. Wiping at it, she saw it was some pink substance that stuck to her hands. When she looked up to see where it had came from, Catra couldn't help but gape at the sight.
Above the two girl's heads was an entire town built into the treetops. Massive wooden platforms adorned the trees at different levels, all connected by various rope bridges, vines to swing from, and ladders. Some of these platforms supported entire houses, others were smaller and filled with different street vendors.
All around the town, people seemed to be celebrating. Something special seemed to be taking place as people danced and sang, moving freely from platform to platform. They were all wearing different costumes with masks made to look like the forest creatures. In the air, people were throwing colored powder that swirled in the wind, painting the trees in every color imaginable.
Catra looked over at Adora who looked just as awestruck. Something about the wonder in her eyes made Catra smile.
"This is...not what I expected," Adora laughed nervously. "I mean, I completely forgot."
Looking over at Catra and seeing her quizzical look, she added, "It's just, Bow, he mentioned there was a party in town. We were supposed to..." Adora swallowed a bit. That's right, she thought. We had plans today.
'Just not good enough.'
"Hey," Catra nudged Adora, lightly pushing her shoulder with her hand. It was meant to just be that, a simple motion to snap Adora out of it. And while it worked, what Catra wasn't expecting was for Adora to reach up and absentmindedly link her hand into Catra's. If Adora was aware of what she'd done, she didn't say anything.
Catra looked down at their interlocked fingers for a moment in shock but didn't do anything to pull away. She liked how warm Adora's hands were.
"So," Catra cleared her throat, trying to hide her red face, "What's this party thing for anyways?"
"I don't know," Adora said. Taking a deep breath, as if mustering up some newfound courage within her, she turned to Catra with a nervous smile, "Do you wanna find out?"
Catra squeezed Adora's hand, an answer in itself. If it's with you, I'd do anything.
"There's one problem though." Catra wished it weren't so. She pointed towards the closest of the many ladders that stretched to the ground floor of the forest. "I can't exactly climb very well."
Adora tilted her head slightly before an idea popped into her head. Without releasing Catra's hand, she shrugged off her bag before handing it to Catra. "Here, hold this."
Catra raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Adora but slung it over her shoulder nonetheless.
"You trust me?" Adora asked, her troublemaker smile telling Catra the answer to that probably should've been no.
"Of course," Catra rolled her eyes. "What exactly are you going to-AGH!"
Catra had no time to react as Adora squatted in front of her, picking her up so that she was now giving Catra a piggyback ride. She was holding one of Catra's legs on either side of her and Catra instinctively grabbed Adora's shoulders to steady herself.
"Stop laughing you jerk!" Catra growled. "A little warning next time would've been nice..."
"Sorry," Adora stifled her laughter. "But you did say-"
"I take it back," Catra continued to complain as she strapped her staff to her back, stowed safely with Adora's bag. "I don't trust you, actually. You are the absolute worst."
"Stop being such a baby," Adora teased as she approached the ladder. She grabbed onto the first rung, grunting slightly as she pulled herself up. Catra gripped onto Adora a little tighter. "What? You aren't afraid of heights all of a sudden are you?"
"I'm afraid of you plummeting us to our deaths," Catra said as she looked up at the platforms high above her head. "Our very painful, very humiliating deaths."
"You don't have to worry about that," Adora assured her as she slowly but steadily continued up the ladder. "If we fell, I'd probably just land on top of you. So, you know, I would be okay."
"Great."
As they got higher though, Catra couldn't help her nerves actually growing. She didn't like having to depend on Adora so much, and knew if it really came down to it, she wouldn't be able to do much, her agility severely curtailed by her injuries. When she looked down below, her vision danced with shadows. Squeezing Adora a little tighter, she couldn't help but hide her face in Adora's neck. How stable was this ladder anyways? And even though Adora was mostly healed, if she slipped...Catra had a bad feeling about these woods from the second they got there, like something was watching them, and surely any second now-
"Hey," Adora said softly. Her voice had lost its teasing tone, replaced only with warmth. "We're almost there."
Her words had an almost instant effect on Catra because she felt herself calming down. Wherever that random burst of anxiety had come from, it all dissolved as she focused in on Adora, grounding herself the best she could seventy feet up in the air.
When they reached the top, as happy as Catra was to have her feet on solid ground again, she couldn't help but wish she could stay this close to Adora a little longer. Maybe the other girl felt the same too, as she didn't make any immediate move to let Catra down.
But then Catra was grabbing her staff and handing Adora her bag and they were both walking forward with no clear destination in mind.
"Everyone seems so...happy," Catra commented as they navigated through the crowd.
"Well that's what a party's for," Adora explained. "They're celebrations."
"Well it's no wonder we don't have these in the Horde." The two had made their way to one of the bridges, crossing from the heavy movement of the dance floor to a calmer platform filled with vendors and booths. "There's never anything to really celebrate."
"Hey!" A gruff voice called out. "You two!"
Seriously? Already? Catra pulled her hood a little closer around her face.
A large man was approaching them, wearing a mask resembling some sort of boar. He towered over the two, arms crossed. Catra was already gripping her staff tighter when she felt Adora place a hand on her shoulder.
Wait a moment, she seemed to say. Catra begrudgingly listened.
"Is there a problem Sir?" Adora asked, flashing a nervous smile.
"Yeah, there's a problem," The man glowered. He stared at the two for a long while before—
"Where's your masks?" He let out a big booming laugh. "It is Forest Day after all."
"Masks?" Catra asked, not trusting this wasn't some trick.
"Um, we're new in town," Adora explained. "We didn't know we'd need them."
"Well of course you do!" The man slapped Adora on the back hard, and if she weren't She-Ra she probably would've went flying. "It's all part of the fun. It's tradition!"
He started walking over to a nearby booth, waving them along to follow. Sharing a look, the two girls decided he seemed harmless enough and approached the table.
Arranged neatly in front of them were at least a dozen masks, all of different forest creatures. Some Adora recognized, others she didn't. All of them, however, were carefully carved out of fine polished wood, and painted all sorts of beautiful hues.
"The masks are representative of all the forest creatures," The man explained as they looked. "We spend the day honoring 'em, with singing and dancing and-"
"And masks," Catra finished for him. "Got it."
The three stood there awkwardly for a moment before the man gestured again to the table. "Well go on then. Take your pick!"
"I'm sorry," Adora admitted, "We really didn't bring much money and these look-"
"Nonsense," He laughed again, voice echoing in the trees. "It's on the house. Enjoy the day travelers. And don't miss the ending ceremony at night. Perfect place to finish your date if you ask me."
"Date?!" Adora squeaked, face growing incredibly red. "N-No, we're not, that's not what we're-"
Catra couldn't help but laugh at how flustered Adora had become, though luckily no one seemed to notice the red glow on her own cheeks.
"Thanks for the advice," Catra cut in, mercifully ending Adora's rambling. "We'll keep it in mind, isn't that right dearest?" She wrapped her tail around Adora's wrist, smiling innocently at the girl.
Adora, now just as red as her jacket, stammered out some incomprehensible response before ignoring Catra completely to examine the masks. Catra smirked in success before looking at the masks herself.
After careful deliberation, Adora chose one that resembled an avian creature, painted white with gold accents. As for Catra, she selected one with cat-like features painted red and black.
"Suits you," Adora said as she slipped on her mask. It was slightly crooked and came up enough on her face so Catra could see her dorky smile underneath. "How do I look?"
Cute. Very, very cute.
Instead of answering, Catra placed her own mask on her face, surprised by how well it fit. She placed the mask she usually wore in Adora's bag.
"Guess you don't need a cloak anymore," Adora said sarcastically. "We're practically masters of disguise now."
"Not that we'd need disguises," Catra clarified to the man, thanking him again for the gifts and pulling Adora away. "Not subtle."
"Catra, relax," Adora assured her.
"You're telling me to relax," Catra raised an eyebrow. "What has the world come to?"
"Shut up," Adora punched her lightly on the shoulder. "Come on, they're selling all the food in this corner."
Seeing the excitement on Adora's face, how could Catra say no?
She didn't object when Adora took her hand, taking her along with her, either.
Drifting from booth to booth, buying food and admiring the vibrancy of everything, Catra could see the stress falling away from Adora's face. It was nice to see her genuinely enjoying the day, and enjoying it with her no less. And Catra was enjoying herself too, though she couldn't help but feel as though something was slightly off. Every once and a while she'd scan the crowd but would never see anything of concern.
That is, until they reached the theater.
Set up on one of the slightly larger platforms was a wooden stage. People were gathering around it, sitting on the floor and idly chatting before the show started.
"Do you want to check that out?" Adora asked, noticing Catra looking in that direction.
They had been walking a while. She didn't want to admit it but her leg was annoying her slightly from the prolonged use. She hadn't spent so long on it before. It'd be nice to sit for a moment.
"Why not," Catra shrugged.
Everything was fine as they approached and they were about to go sit somewhere off to the side in the back rows when a loud familiar voice shouted from across the way.
"Adora! Is that you?"
"Oh no," Adora groaned. She looked at Catra and an understanding passed between them. Slipping away from Adora, Catra stayed only close enough to keep an eye and ear on her.
"Adora!" The man called again, wearing a serpent mask, pushing through the crowd towards her. He hadn't seen Catra. "Adora!"
"Hey Sea Hawk," Adora greeted. "What're you doing here?"
"I'm the life of any party," Sea Hawk grinned. "It's only natural for me to make an appearance. And I would never miss the Forest Festival. I'm glad you could make it."
"Uh, yeah," Adora nodded, glancing over at Catra momentarily. "I'm surprised I'd never heard about this before. Then again, I guess there's a lot I don't know about."
"Well that's why you've got your good friends to help you out. Speaking of which," Sea Hawk scanned the crowd, "Where's Glimmer and Bow?"
"Glimmer and Bow," Adora repeated flatly, expression suddenly unreadable. Catra frowned. Adora was an open book but for the second time today she couldn't decipher what was going on inside that head of her's.
"Yeah, aren't they with you?" Sea Hawk asked not noticing any change in behavior.
"They're..." Adora thought for a moment before faking a convincing smile, "They went off on their own a few minutes ago. I'd look for them but they ought to have some alone time, if you know what I mean."
"Ah," Sea Hawk nodded in understanding. "Well good for them. Don't worry about third wheeling. I do it all the time, especially since my dear Mermista refuses to come to any parties with me." He wiped away a fake tear as if to emphasize his point.
"You know," Adora threw an arm around him, leading him away from the theater, "I talked to Mermista this morning in the meeting."
"You did?" Sea Hawk asked excitedly.
"Yeah," Adora lied as they approached the bridge. "She mentioned you a few times. Nothing too much but-"
"She talks about me when I'm not around?" Sea Hawk sighed wistfully. "I knew it!"
Impressive, Catra thought to herself. Poor idiot doesn't even realize he's being played. And for Adora to be pulling this off with such ease? Where was this coming from?
"Sure does," Adora released him, stepping back a little so that she was in between him and the theater. "But you didn't hear it from me."
"And what about you?" Sea Hawk asked, leaning against one of the bridge posts.
Adora shot him a questioning look.
"Do you have a special someone you'd want to bring to the festival?"
"Oh," Adora's eyes widened slightly. "Well...not yet. But maybe I'll find her. One day."
"She may be closer than you think," Sea Hawk nudged her playfully. "Well, best of luck to you. I think I'm going to go call Mermista. Aren't those communicator pads Bow made us so cool? I can call her whenever I like. Though, I suppose she doesn't always pick up."
"I guess I should be the one wishing you luck then," Adora laughed. As he walked away, blissfully in his own world, Catra felt that uneasy feeling creep back into her thoughts.
"That was a close one," Adora said as she returned to Catra's side.
"Yeah," Catra watched Adora for any signs that she was upset, nervous even, after that encounter but she seemed completely fine. She wasn't even fazed.
"Oh, the show's going to start soon," Adora pointed out and led them back to their seats.
Sure enough, a few actors were stepping onto stage and a light instrumental filled the air.
"Princess!" One actor called out, dressed in simple robes. "Princess! Come quick!"
"Yes dear villager? What ails you?" Another actress asked, stepping onto stage. Her clothes were slightly more extravagant and her hair was dyed...pink.
"Hey," Catra asked the person next to them. "What's this show about?"
"The Battle of Brightmoon of course," They answered before shushing them.
Oh no, Catra thought. Looking over at Adora they both realized this was going to be a bit of a problem. So much for distractions.
"It's the forest!" The first actor cried. "Something is wrong. The woods are freezing over and the animals are fleeing!"
"Do not fear," The Glimmer actress announced, bristling with authority. She was way taller than the real one. "We will fix this. But to do that, we will need-"
"Oh no," Adora groaned.
"Oh yes," Catra tried not to laugh.
"She-Ra!" A blonde woman leapt on stage, wearing fake golden armor and waving a wooden sword. "I will save the Whispering Woods!"
The other actors left the stage, leaving the fake She-Ra. Now, new people approached the stage carrying cutouts of Horde bots.
"Beep beep!" One actor called out. "We will destroy, beep, She-Ra!"
"This is the best day of my life," Catra laughed at Adora's horrified expression.
Fake She-Ra began to battle the bots, wacking the cutouts with her sword. As she did, one bot that was bigger than the others and carried by two people approached her from behind. An actor threw a rope around her and She-Ra dropped the sword. More bots surrounded her and a look of defeat came across her face.
"There's too many," She-Ra gasped dramatically. "Have I failed?"
Catra looked over to Adora immediately, who's look of discomfort suddenly became much more real.
"The forest..." She-Ra continued her monologue. "It's dying. And if the forest dies, what will happen to those who depend on it?"
Catra shifted slightly, just as uncomfortable. Looking at the captivated stares of people watching the play, a few looking genuinely distressed for the fake heroine, the way that this stupid show meant something to them...what happened to them during the battle?
As she looked closer at the trees, though they were covered in the colored powder, beneath all of that she could see relatively new scorch marks and withered branches. Had the Horde trampled through these trees and she hadn't even noticed? Had she given the orders that gave the trees those scars?
And what about the animals? This party revolved around them right? That's what the man had told them. Her hand traced the edge of the mask on her face slightly. She didn't know what type of creature this was supposed to resemble. She had hardly been able to encounter any natural life within the forest.
She had only ever seen it destroyed.
"Is there any hope?" Fake She-Ra asked. "Is it possible that I can't do this alone?"
Catra reached out to hold Adora's hand. Adora squeezed it back, eyes still glued to the stage.
"She-Ra!" The Glimmer actress appeared, running on stage. "Don't worry! I've brought help!"
Behind her, more actors ran on stage, each dressed as a different member of the rebellion. The fake Bow shot an arrow at the rope and cut it in half, earning a few claps from the audience.
"My friends," She-Ra smiled, jumping back up and grabbing her sword. "I knew I could always count on you."
'We've lost a lot of villages to the Horde. Too many.'
'We couldn't risk you.'
'If you're not up for this-'
'You keep avoiding us.'
'Just not good enough.'
Adora stood up silently, walking away from the performance, careful not to block anyone's view. Catra followed after her, cursing herself for not suggesting they leave sooner.
"Are you alright?" Catra asked once they were far enough away.
"Yeah," Adora answered shakily. "I just...I'm sorry. I couldn't keep watching that."
Catra wasn't entirely sure what to do but she awkwardly pulled Adora into a hug, who seemed shocked by the gesture.
"It's okay," Catra insisted, ignoring a few of the stares they were receiving as well as her own nerves. "You don't need to apologize."
Catra was worried that wasn't enough (or possibly too much) but Adora seemed to relax slightly, hugging her back. When the two pulled apart, Adora looked a little less rattled.
"It's been a long day, huh?" She said weakly.
Catra nodded. "You want to head back?"
Adora thought about it for a moment. "No. It's alright. I don't really want to go to the castle right now. Besides," She smiled at Catra, "We wouldn't want to miss the closing ceremony. The sun is going to set anytime now."
Catra smiled back at her, and she couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach at the implication.
As they walked away from the stage, determined to not think about all of that anymore, a lone figure watched them leave, long fingers curling into a fist. Behind her mask she smiled.
Adora was right. It would be dark soon.
•••••
As night fell, the village in the trees began to glow. The powder, which now adorned all of their surroundings, gave off faint light that painted everything in soft pinks and purples, greens and blues.
People were gravitating towards a large platform towards the center of the village. The loudness of the festival had died down, replaced with soft murmurs and delicate music.
At the center platform, the trees opened up in a circle, revealing the night sky. A few moons peaked over the leaves.
Standing on the platform, Adora looked up longingly at the sky and Catra looked longingly at Adora.
"I'm glad we did this," Catra said, gaze unwavering.
"I am too." Adora turned to Catra, then took a quick glance at the people around them. The music had become a little louder, a slow melodic song circling the air. A small group was the source of it, propped up on a small makeshift stage, two playing string instruments. People were beginning to ask others to dance, holding each other in their arms and swaying to the music.
Adora smiled nervously at Catra before reaching out a hand. "Shall we?"
Catra felt she could just melt on the spot. She strapped her staff to her back, wobbling for a moment before taking Adora's hand. Catra placed her other one on the girl's shoulder and felt as Adora hesitantly put a hand on Catra's waist.
The third member of the band approached the mic and their voice, silvery and calm, washed over the crowd.
"Cold bones, yeah, that's my love. She hides away, like a ghost."
The dancing came naturally to the two girls. Catra had worried about her leg but found that with Adora supporting her, she could match the steps perfectly fine.
"Does she know that we bleed the same? Don't wanna cry but I break that way."
Adora was always there, wasn't she? Catra had made more than enough mistakes along the way. She didn't deserve to be here, she thought, but how could she think that when Adora was holding her like this and not letting go.
Despite everything, all the terrible things Catra had done, the fighting and the heartbreak, the leaving and the finding each other again, Adora was always there. And she still hadn't left her, not yet.
The music swelled, the two instruments working together in tandem, as if they were made solely for the other, their notes a wordless promise to make music together for the rest of their existence.
"Cold sheets, but where's my love?"
Adora had been nothing but kind to Catra after saving her that night all those months ago.
"I am searching high, I'm searching low in the night. Does she know that we bleed the same?"
Adora was always gentle too. Even now, she was so delicate despite the strength she was capable of. The callouses on her hands were rough to the touch but the light squeeze, the closed eyes, the even breathing-
"Don't wanna cry but I break that way."
Catra felt safe here, safer than she had ever felt before.
"Did she run away? Did she run away, I don't know."
If she could ever be so lucky, maybe Adora felt that way too.
"If she ran away, if she ran away, come back home."
Adora did.
"Just come home."
And what a freeing feeling it was. To feel all of her troubles wash away, for Catra to be the only thing to matter to her in that moment. Adora wasn't second guessing herself or putting aside what she wanted for once in her life. The war, the world, it all paled in comparison.
All she wanted was Catra, to be here with her. Happy. Out of harm's way.
"I got a fear, oh, in my blood."
The world was a scary place, easy to lose each other in.
"She was carried up into the clouds, high above."
The thought of losing her...
"If you've bled, I bleed the same."
She would do anything to keep from losing Catra ever again.
"If you're scared, I'm on my way."
Catra had no intention of leaving though. How could she?
"Did you run away? Did you run away, I don't need to know."
She should have done this a long time ago. Catra removed her mask, then placed her free hand on Adora's cheek, sliding her mask up off her face too.
"If you ran away, if you ran away, come back home."
She leaned forward until their foreheads were touching.
"Just come home."
They both opened their eyes slightly, acutely aware of how close they were. Then, they closed the gap, lips meeting in the middle.
Adora pulled Catra closer, and Catra trailed her hand down to Adora's neck, deepening the kiss. Everything felt so natural, just like dancing. Even when they pulled apart, foreheads still touching, they felt as if this was the way they were always supposed to be.
"Wow," Adora breathed, making Catra laugh stupidly.
"Don't ruin this, dork," Catra smiled, though a deep involuntary purr from her chest gave away her own happiness.
They continued to dance, with Catra resting her head on Adora's chest. She could hear Adora's heartbeat and it was now her favorite sound on all of Etheria.
The music faded away to a lingering melody but the two stayed close. They would of stayed that way forever if not for the ripple of excitement from the crowd. They both looked up to see the reason why people stayed until the closing ceremony.
The forest animals were flooding in from the trees. Down on the floor, deers ran through, their horns glowing in the moonlight. Squirrels ran up the trees in swirling patterns, as if they were dancing too. The girls ducked as birds swooped overhead, dipping and spinning in the air. More animals than either girl had ever seen in their lives filled the forest, taking their breath away.
Everything was so perfect. Nothing could ruin this moment.
Catra's ear twitched as a shocked gasp came from behind them. She turned slightly and felt her stomach drop.
"Adora," She brought the girl's attention to the person behind them.
He was frozen in surprise, eyes wide even behind the fox mask he wore. Adora didn't recognize him at first, not able to see as well as Catra could, but when her eyes landed on the quiver of arrows strapped to his back and the familiar boots peeking out from the bottom of his cloak, it clicked.
"Bow," Adora let go of Catra, approaching him hesitantly. "Bow, I...I can explain."
No, Catra thought, seeing his breathing getting faster, seeing the confusion in his eyes, the betrayal. No, no, no.
"Bow," Adora pleaded.
He stepped back from them, shaking his head slightly in denial, before running off in the other direction.
"No," Adora's voice shook. She couldn't lose everything, not like this.
"Stay here," Adora ordered, running off to follow him.
"But-" Catra clumsily tried to follow her but with her staff forgotten and stowed away, she tripped when the weight of her leg gave out, exhausted from a day of full use. On the ground she felt frustrated tears spill from her eyes as Adora disappeared into the crowd.
A few people looked at the commotion but most were distracted by the animals and the lights. That is, except for someone whose eyes were locked onto Catra and Catra only.
She glided, still unseen, over to where Catra knelt, a cruel smile playing on her lips. Placing a hand on the side of Catra's face, the girl jumped at the surprise touch and pulled away in terror when she saw the figure looming over her.
"Catra," Shadow Weaver cooed. "It's time you came home."
•••••
A/N
Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The song I used for this is Where's My Love (Acoustic) by SYML. It wasn't my initial plan to actually use it in the chapter but it happened to be on while I was writing and it just fit perfectly.
I just wanted to give y'all an update. I know it's taking me a while to put out new chapters and all that. I wanted to let you all know I genuinely appreciate everyone who's read thus far and has shown their support for the story. I'll be honest, these last few months my mental health has taken a bit of a dive and I wasn't super motivated to be writing but your support never failed to encourage me to keep going. I'm grateful for all of you and hope you're all doing well yourselves.
Enough gushy, mushy stuff though. I'll be doing my best to get updates out a little faster but in the meantime I hope this gay disaster chapter helped hold y'all over until then.
Oh and, sorry for the cliffhanger (not really). You know I still gotta do it to them ;)
-SRT