Song: Sweater weather (slowed)
by The neighborhood
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Kyle's POV
"Kyle? Are you okay?"
Adora sits a couple of seats away from me and I smile at her to scare away my own anxious thoughts.
The war room is empty, and because of this the windows are free to cast their warmth and light over everything. Our voices echo, but not too much, fading away after a second or two.
"I think I'm good."
I shake my head and straighten up to get the question out.
"Is there anywhere I can go to find out about... magic?"
Adora nods and let's out a small giggle.
"I mean yeah, Etheria's full of it."
I frown at her and her expression hardens as if she knows what I'm thinking.
"It's about He-Man and She-Ra, isn't it."
I raise my eyebrows and my mouth opens slightly with surprise. She sighs and messes with her ponytail before standing up.
"I've been having these weird dreams, like the visions I had when I first touched the sword. They keep repeating the same thing over and over again; He-Man. You need to help He-Man."
Her voice is waving, strained from worrying, so I stand up and pat her arm encouragingly.
"I didn't know who else to ask, and since you're She-Ra..."
I decide not to mention the whole 'sister' thing. With everything that's been going on, between being held captive to escaping to my home being destroyed... it's too much. Adora smiles at me and waves for me to follow her out into the hallway.
"I know exactly where we have to go."
I nod and follow her promptly around a sharp corner where we find Catra sitting on the bench of a balcony, drinking in the fresh morning sun. She turns to us and smiles. Her hair is short, but not as short as it was when Horde Prime first cut it off. The gentle breeze runs through it and it nearly brushes off the top of her shoulders as it sways.
"Catra, Kyle and I have to find answers. You wanna come? Rogelio can come, too."
She smiles at me and I smile back. Catra stands up and joins hands with Adora.
"Sure. Not that I like going places with you guys, I just have nothing better to do."
She says. Adora rolls her eyes and laughs, the couple following me back to where I left Rogelio. I push the door open a little and smile at him, seemingly making him more relieved. He must have been worrying about me.
"Hey Ro, Catra, Adora and I are going to try and figure out this whole He-Man thing. You wanna come?"
I already know he wants to before I can finish my sentence, so it's no surprise to me when he links my arm and follows Catra and Adora with me towards the main castle doors.
After a few minutes of following, we come across Glimmer and Bow in the gardens. They smile at us and Adora points over at the woods.
"We have to go to Razz! We'll get back as soon as possible!"
She calls, and we follow her into the thicket of trees. She and Catra start talking to one another, so I take the opportunity to explain as much as I can to Rogelio.
"I guess you want to know how I got out."
I say. He smiles down at me and nods.My foot catches in a small plant with glowing tubers but he catches me as I fall, reminding me of how much he cares. Our fingers intertwine once more.
"When you escaped, I was relieved, but obviously Astra wasn't."
Rogelio nods and helps me over a particularly large tree root jutting out of the soil.
"See when the guard thing took you away from me, she was telling me all of these things about He-Man, and about how she could sense my magic. I wasn't listening to her, so then after you left I guess it tipped her over the edge."
Rogelio grumbles a guilty 'sorry' but I shake my head.
"You did the right thing. After you were well gone she brought me into this huge room with a screen and everything, telling me that everyone was gonna pay."
Cara and Adora continue their excited chatter whilst I recap the confusing evening. Or was it morning? My mind hasn't been paying too much attention to time lately.
"I wouldn't transform into He-Man, so she..."
Rogelio nods, getting the gist fairly easily. I don't realise there are tears falling down my face until he wipes them away with his gentle hand.
"It's my fault."
I whisper. Rogelio shakes his head in disagreement and wraps a sturdy arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to his side and helping my tears to slow down.
'The only person who's fault it is, is Astra's.'
He says. I nod and wrap my arms around his torso while we walk.
"I got so upset about the valley that I guess I just... transformed. After that the sword appeared in my hands and there was no stopping me. I was fueled by fear."
The words come out in a much darker tone than expected, but Rogelio continues to comfort me, even playing with my hair occasionally and sending happy shudders down my spine.
'Im just so glad you're okay. I felt so guilty for just leaving you like that.'
I look up at him and frown. My vision is hazy from tears and from the blinding sun but the canopy of trees soon helps.
"Ro, you were right to go. The princesses probably put a lot of time into that plan."
Ro nods and kisses my head softly.
'We're together now, and that's all that matters. Also, I'm really liking the idea of this He-Man guy.'
He wiggles his eyebrows and I flush red, shoving him away and laughing out loud from the rude remark.
"Catra can understand you!"
I whisper, but he just laughs.
'She's with She-Ra, I'm sure she understands.'
I don't think I can get redder in the face now, especially when Catra snickers and looks over her shoulder to me.
"We're here!"
Adora says, and I sigh out of relief. Catra falls behind with Rogelio and I go with Adora to what must be the entrance of a small cave or a very large hole in the bottom of a tree.
Adora elbows me lightly and I smile at her, not entirely sure if it's fake or not.
"Razz? It's Adora!"
She calls. I can barely get in an extra breath before the sheet covering the hole is lifted and a small old woman comes out to smile at us. Adora tries to speak again but she grabs my hands and squeezes them with excitement.
"Adam! Oh, I was waiting for you!"
I shake my head and try to correct her but she lifts a knobbly finger to my mouth and whisks me into her home. The others follow and watch with amused expressions as the small woman pulls at my arms and pokes my face. My stomach feels a little squirmy. This is who's supposed to help me?
"Razz, Kyle is like me. He's-"
Adora gets cut off by her.
"He-Man! Silly Mara, I already know that."
Catra and Rogelio laugh a little when me and Adora share a tiresome expression.
"Uh, Razz?"
She turns to me and hands me a long broom while I'm speaking.
"I just wanna know how to transform into him."
She laughs and I yelp when the broom in my hands wiggles free and starts to sweep the floor.
Adora coughs on some of the dust being sent into the air.
"Do you know how we're related? I mean, there's obviously a connection somewhere, right?"
With this question my palms get sweaty again. My dreams, Astra... they both told me the same thing. She-Ra and He-Man being siblings I understand, but me and Adora?
Razz pushes me closer to Adora and then observes both of our faces in deep thought. Then she smiles at me.
"You know, don't you Adam?"
I want to correct her but I know it's no use so I stay quiet and shake my head. Razz frowns and her broom hits me on the back of the head. Rogelio and Catra laugh but I don't.
"Hey!"
The old woman takes one of my hands and then one of Adora's and smiles at us both.
"Kyle. Your dreams aren't just dreams, you know. They're messages. Instructions."
I gulp and flit my gaze to Adora, who's frowning at us both with the most confused expression I've ever laid eyes on. My dreams weren't lying, and neither was Astra.
"Adora's my sister."
I mumble. Adora's eyebrows shoot up her forehead.
"What? Me and you? What?"
Catra and Rogelio, not hearing what I said at all obviously wear worried looks so I say it again, only louder.
"Adora's my sister. I'm Adora's brother."
Everybody is silent for what feels like an eternity. It doesn't sound as though it would change anything, having a sibling like bond since we were children anyways, but for some reason it does. Saying it out loud seems to have clicked something with Adora.
Razz breaks the silence with another smack to the back of my head.
"Silly Adam! How could you forget your own family like that?"
I massage the back of my head and pout like a child while Adora tries to get answers from her.
"But... that means Kyle came through the portal with me. That means..."
Razz takes one of Adora's hands again and pats it gently.
"Adora, This isn't the first time you've been lied to about your past."
She opens her mouth to continue but Catra interrupts, her eyes shaped like slits.
"So, hang on. Kyle and Adora are brother sister? And Kyle is this He-Man guy?"
Razz ignores her and starts tending to some plants hanging from the wall. Catra pokes me and I glare at her.
"Kyle? This-"
She tries to poke me again but I show her an icy stare.
"Yes, Catra."
She sticks her tongue out at me and Rogelio smiles. Razz turns around suddenly and the four of us flinch.
"The sword!"
She exclaims. I pull it hastily but wearily from the sheath on my back and she claps her hands with a huge grin on her face.
"Yes, Kyle! Adam! He-Man!"
I shake my head at her but she closes her hands around mine, which are clasped on the handle of the sword. Adora bites her lip and stares at the ground in what looks like deep thought or concentration.
"You need to say the words, Kyle."
I sigh out of pure exhaustion.
"But I don't know what the words are, Razz!"
Rogelio and Catra glance at each other with worried expressions but Razz smiles at me still.
"By the power of Grayskull! Of course you knew that, Adam!"
Adora looks up at me and smiles, her previous look of confusion now gone without a trace. I hold the sword up above my head and try not to topple over with it's weight.
"By the power of Grayskull!"
I'm suddenly taken over by a blinding white light, and I can feel my body spinning around as I transform. When I can see again I can tell by the look on Rogelio's face that it worked.
I look down at my hands and lift them in front of my face to take a better look, amazed but concerned by how different they are. Razz pokes me with her broom again but gently this time.
"You have the power to get She-Ra's sword back, Kyle. And once you do that..."
She smiles at Adora, who smiles back.
"Astra will have no choice but to leave."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Woo! Long chapter this time!
Also I like the concept that Catra is a major bottom for She-Ra so I thought it would also go for Rogelio and He-Man too hehe👀
-Rose 🌞