Chapter Text
"It's the beach!" Glimmer announces. "Here, take a towel."
And they're just supposed to...lie there? Adora holds herself perfectly still, muscles pulling tighter and tighter.
"Oof!" Catra has flopped across her stomach.
"Stop thinking about relaxing," Catra advises. "Think how dinner's coming soon so we gotta hurry and get sleep while we can."
Adora laughs. It sounds so reasonable when you put it like that. She closes her eyes.
Then she wakes to find there's no longer a weight against her. Her eyes open and she bolts upright. "Catra!" she screams, jolting Glimmer and Bow awake.
"I'm over here," Catra calls from the doorway across the room. She sounds subdued, and her ears are at a worrying tilt.
Adora sprints over to her. "What's going on? Why did you leave?"
"Hypothesis testing," Catra says, like that's an answer.
"What if Shadow Weaver showed up?"
"She did," Catra says, flat. "That was the hypothesis tested. She shows when we're alone." Her face isn't quite even. One side is swelling up from a blow.
"But -"
"It's fine. Nothing I hadn't heard before."
"What do you mean? What did she say? What did she do? Catra, why did you go off on your own, how am I supposed to -"
"Like you'd do anything," Catra interrupts. "I handled it, okay? Not like I've had no practice."
Adora flinches.
"Is this still about what happened at Entrapta's?" Bow asks delicately.
"Yes," Adora says as Catra says, "No."
"Hrm," Glimmer says.
Catra snarls, "No! You think it's a surprise that Adora didn't fix things for you one time? That's normal. Deal with it! You didn't even have to put up with her telling you the robots had a point."
"It won't be like that this time!"
"Adora…" Catra groans. "Don't make empty promises."
"I won't let you down this time, I won't, really!"
"You wouldn't know where to begin," Catra says. She isn't looking at Adora. "It's not a big deal. There's nothing she can say she hasn't already."
"That's not fair." Her voice breaks. "It shouldn't have to be you again! What good am I if I'm still getting you hurt?'
"You're not getting me hurt, it just happens!"
"Catra," Glimmer interrupts. "What can I do to help?"
They stare at her. After a moment, Catra manages, "Uh…"
"You know more about the Horde and their princess than I do," Glimmer says. "I shouldn't have invalidated your experiences. If you two say the princess is here, then I believe you, and I'll do whatever you need me to do."
"Uh," Catra says again, looking at Adora.
"You're the one who knows her best," Adora tells Catra. "You're in charge of what we should do."
"Okay…" Catra takes a breath and looks around, like she's gathering her thoughts. "Okay. The shadow thing turned into her, all the way, but I don't think it's actually her here. It's here and it can touch stuff because one of the shadows hit me but I think she's running it remotely. She has that water pool thing, remember? This is probably what that's for."
So no matter how far they go they can never really get away from her.
"But there's been none of the red magic. It probably has to come right out of the stone, that's why she carries it on her mask. And she's been keeping the shadow out of anybody else's sight. So she probably can't hurt us and it's just about messing with our heads."
"Didn't she hit you?" Bow says. "You're bruised."
"It's the red stuff that makes her so hard to beat. I got pretty good at dodging but once it hits the fight's over. All the shadow did was punch me, and it wasn't even as fast. I just wasn't expecting it to hit. Also...since she's only showed up when nobody else is there, she must be afraid of that."
Adora shakes her head. "She's not afraid of things."
"She's just not afraid of us," Catra says. "And even that...that's because she doesn't think we would do anything, not because we couldn't," Catra continues fiercely. "So. She can make shadows, and the shadows can turn into things that look real, and she can do her voice. And Hordak's. Maybe more. And the shadows can punch us once. But she can't really hurt us. If she could've punched me more she would've, so that must be too hard. In fact…" Catra smiles. "She might even be out for a while, after that. It wouldn't be the first time she ran out of power because she got mad at me."
"If she's in her room she can just get more and more."
"Maybe," Catra admits. "I still say there's a limit. And it definitely hurts her." Catra looks smug, then continues, "So...we can stick close to Bow and Glimmer and see if she gives up. Or we can keep separating so she keeps trying to do things and see if we can get her rock or her head to explode."
"Okay...Those are good options. But what about telling Aunt Casta?" Glimmer asks.
"You barely believe me," Catra says. "She definitely won't."
"I don't know if a sorceress could do anything about a princess either," Bow says. "Do you know how that works? I don't."
"Not really," Glimmer admits. "Aunt Casta would, but...she's not very good at listening to people. And on second thought, it's better nobody knows this is happening. She's the one in charge of keeping Mystacor safe. It'll look really bad if something got here on her watch. And..." She looks pensive. "Well, if it's here because of us that could be really bad. Normally people aren't allowed up here. I'm an exception because of my father, and Aunt Casta said I could bring friends, and everyone was fine with it because everything was fine. If it turns out that compromised security, that I compromised security…!"
"So we agree," Catra cuts in. "We keep quiet about this."
"But what do we do if it keeps following you guys?"
Catra hesitates.
"I could tell the queen," Adora offers. "We could say it's following She-Ra. Your mom knows about stuff like this, right?"
"Yeah," Glimmer says. "Yeah! Mom knows about a lot of stuff, and also, you know, Bright Moon's not neutral like Mystacor. And if we do need Aunt Casta's help later, she'll listen to Mom telling her it's a real problem."
"Yeah," Adora says. "Yeah. We can handle this!"
The shadow doesn't go away. Adora keeps seeing it out of the corner of her eye, but she stiffens her neck and pretends it isn't there. Glimmer suggests they try out the healing springs and there's a moment in the steam when the clouds go inky and she hears Shadow Weaver and she can feel Catra go tense beside her.
But it's only a moment. Then the steam billows away and the darkness goes with it.
It's only mind games. And none of the shadows ever touch her. Hitting Catra once must've taken too much out of Shadow Weaver.
"The eclipse ceremony might drive her out," Glimmer muses. "It refreshes all the magical protections here. I don't know if that means we're better off there or somewhere else, though…"
"I don't think we'll have much of a choice," Bow points out. "Your aunt really wants us there."
"I could jump all over the place," Catra suggests. "People hate that. Then I lie on the ground and Adora apologizes and says I'm just like that and you guys have to drag me out."
Glimmer seems to be seriously considering this. "Aunt Casta can't stand tantrums…"
"You can't risk her being mad at you!" Adora says. "She can do magic!"
"We might end up needing magical help to get rid of the shadow thing," Bow adds, which is another good point. "Besides, maybe being in the room would be best. It's bright magic, and the whole place lights up. I bet it'll destroy any shadow monster."
It makes sense.
But when they go into the room there's just...she has a bad feeling. The room feels ominous, cruel.
At her side, Catra mumbles, "Everybody uses pools I guess…" and maybe that's it, the pool of water standing in the center reminds her of the one in Shadow Weaver's room and it's just bad memories making her feel so uncomfortable.
Or maybe it's that an eclipse means the room starts to get dim on its own first.
But Casta has a gentle smile on her face, and as she waves her glowing hands light pours down and begins to bounce between the crystals.
And then things go dark. For a moment Adora hopes desperately that this is just a normal part of the ritual, blackness pouring out from the pool below in contrast to the light above, but then the sorceresses gasp in shock.
The shadow rears out of the bowl.
The screaming starts.
She just thought, it just seemed like... Casta had been so confident, and she had magic powers. Glimmer had said this place was safe. Everybody here could do magic. And maybe Shadow Weaver could be afraid of people like that.
It's stupid. She's stupid. What was she thinking, expecting someone else could protect them?
Catra's still moving but everyone else has collapsed. Probably the only reason Adora's still up is that when the shadows came at her and she swung the sword it turned into a shield. She's such a screwup it had to sacrifice She-Ra's weapon just to protect her.
"All of this is your fault, Adora," Shadow Weaver agrees, staring down at her. "You're to blame."
Catra flies at her with a scream. Her claws pass through Shadow Weaver's head like smoke and then she tumbles through and hits the ground. Adora runs toward her but the shadows are already balling up around her and before Adora can grab her hand Catra is swallowed.
"Adora, Adora, Adora," Shadow Weaver says with such disappointment. "I told you to keep her under control."
"Stop it!" Adora shouts.
"And what did you do instead?" Shadow Weaver continues, leaning in closer and closer. "Put her and all her insolent foolishness in charge. I warned you she'd only drag you down but you just wouldn't listen." Darkness cups the side of her face, almost as cold as Shadow Weaver's hands. She tries to shove it away and her arm goes through it like it isn't there.
"Give her back!" She barrels through the rest of the figure only for something to grab at her from behind.
"No," Shadow Weaver says. "I've indulged you enough."
"Then I'll make you!" she shouts.
"Do you really think she cares anything about you?" Shadow Weaver swirls around Adora. Then she gestures and Catra appears again, struggling against the shadows knotted around her. Adora runs toward Catra, only for darkness to slam down between them."She's only ever used you to shield her from the rightful consequences of her insubordination. So many times she risked your future with her selfish actions."
"I don't want that future! We left, and we're never going back!"
Shadow Weaver shakes her head. "The eclipse is nearly over. When it is, the shield will be down. The Horde will conquer Mystacor, and bring you home to me."
"The Horde will face She-Ra, then," Adora says, holding tight to the shield. "And She-Ra will stop them. You'll never take Mystacor."
"Why help these people? Who are they to you? They don't understand you." Shadow Weaver looks over the room, the crumpled people. "Just as they did not understand me when I walked among them as Light Spinner."
Oh.
It's not bad enough Adora comes from the Horde. Now she's… And she's suddenly glad everyone else is down because she'd rather face anything alone than have them realize exactly how tainted she is.
"They'll never accept you," Shadow Weaver tells her. "You know deep down what I say is true. You are the ambitious, cutthroat, ruthless warrior I raised you to be."
But they don't have to know.
"I'll stop you," Adora says, looking down at the shield. I don't need a shield, she tries to tell it. It's not me you should be protecting. I need to protect them. She can't feel anything back. Is it listening? No, it must be. It has to. "She-Ra's stronger than you. For the honor of Greyskull!"
Shadow Weaver keeps talking but She-Ra charges into the blackness that took Catra and light bursts forth from the shield.
The shadows start to melt away and Catra shouts, "Adora!" as she pulls free.
"Are you okay?"
"Of course I am!"
"Then - " She looks up at the ceiling, the point of light that's still there above. "We have to restart the ritual. I think the shield…"
"It's the same sort of light," Catra agrees. "She-Ra can do this."
The shadows lunge at them and she tosses Catra the shield as she runs to one of the blackened crystal spires and begins to climb.
"I prepared you for greatness!" Shadow Weaver shouts below her as she jumps to the next section. Catra throws the shield back as a splash of shadow hits where she was standing a moment before. "I can give you Etheria," Shadow Weaver whispers, appearing just in front of She-Ra. "We can rule together."
"Like you'll ever!" Catra shouts back. "You're just Hordak's lackey!" She bounces between the spires, just ahead of the slithering, splattering blackness.
She-Ra keeps jumping higher.
"You were nothing before I took you in, Adora!" Shadow Weaver howls, the shadows clutching at her. "And you will be nothing without me! You're weak!"
She reaches the top platform. The beam of light is falling on the ground before her, fading away instead of reaching the mirrors.
Shadow Weaver appears in front of it. Not the shadowy thing shaped like her but what Catra must've met when she was alone. It really looks just like her. "Adora, enough of this," Shadow Weaver says, in the gentle tone she only used with Adora, holding out her arms. "Come home."
And maybe that makes Adora's heart twist but She-Ra isn't weak and keeps going like it's not even there. She holds out the shield and the light strikes it and the whole room's lit up.
Shadow Weaver screams as the darkness burns away.
Bow and Glimmer hug them when they come back down.
"You saved Mystacor," Casta says to them, smiling.
Catra stiffens.
Something is wrong.
"Children's tale," Catra whispers, so soft Adora can barely hear it. Then she walks toward Casta.
"I wasn't raised by wild animals," Catra says abruptly. Her voice is so flat. Why doesn't anyone seem to notice?
The woman raises a hand to her mouth. "Really, well, you could have fooled -"
"I was raised by Light Spinner."
Her claws tear across Casta's face.
There's a moment of red.
Catra looks wildly at the crystals above and for an instant Adora is sure she's going to jump up and rip them apart as well, and then Catra sinks to her knees and wails even louder than Casta's screams.