Flashbacks

"Hey Glimmer, do you have a second?" Bow asked, walking into Glimmer's room where she sat recovering from their recent time spent in the Fright Zone.

"Whats up Bow?" Glimmer sighed, she was spent from using her magic to save Adora (and herself). As such as she hated to admit it, something just didn't feel right after escaping Shadow Weavers clutches.

"I was just wondering if you had seen Adora since, well you know" Bow states worriedly.

Glimmer sits up straighter, realizing she hadn't seen her best friend since the incident. "No, I haven't seen her since we got back, have you checked her room?"

"She isn't there…"

Now this worried Glimmer. Adora rarely left the wing of the castle that housed her room, Glimmers, and the room Bow often spent the night in. Glimmer tried to teach her the layout of rest of the castle once, but Adora had gotten so lost that she turned into She-Ra and busted through several walls in order to find her way back to Glimmer (which she then apologized for and helped rebuild, much to the amusement of the Queen). Gathering her strength, Glimmer stood up to face Bow.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find her."

-ADORA-

Adora was running. She knew she was tired and hungry, but she kept on running. Adora knew that if she turned into She-Ra her strength would return, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to stop and mutter the words to the sword. At this point, where was she even running to she wondered? Razz was know where to be found, and she couldn't go back to the castle.

Not yet.

The Whispering Woods were straight ahead, and she ran right through them. She couldn't remember why she had started running until she had stopped to catch her breath. It was now dusk, and the shadows had started to creep up on her. Right, the shadows.

Adora… Where are you Adora?

"No… no this isn't real!" Adora shouted, covering her ears as the shadows loomed closer. She dropped to the ground, whimpering as memories overcame her.

"Shadow Weaver, look what I made!" Adora shouted down the hall, grabbing onto Shadow Weavers legs as Catra ran in behind her friend. In her hands she held a piece of parchment smudged with coal.

Shadow Weaver sighed, "And what might this be little Adora?"

"A drawing of Catra, you and me!" Adora beamed, thrusting the paper into her hands.

"Adora…" Shadow Weaver smiled sweetly, a sickly sweet smile… "What have I told you about these childish games?"

Adora's smile faltered, she didn't mean to upset Shadow Weaver.

"Really Adora, must it be here?" Shadow Weaver states, gesturing towards Catra.

Adora sniffles, "I-I'll see you later Catra." Catra, noticing her friends desperate plea, slowly backed away from the room, scampering down the hall. Seeing that Catra had gone, Shadow Weaver turned back towards Adora.

"Adora, why must I always be teaching you these lessons…" Shadow Weaver smiled, raising her hand towards Adoras small form…

"Stop, STOP!" Adora cried, sitting on the forest floor.

Adora, why did you leave me little Adora? You don't want to disrespect me, do you?

"Shut- shut up!" Adora mumbles.

Shadow Weavers hands were gripping her hair after another failed test. Catra was in the corner, holding back tears as she wiped the blood from her mouth.

"Don't hurt her!" Catra yelled. Shadow Weaver glares at yer, snapping her fingers as guards come to drag her out of the room. She looks back at Adora, smiling sickly as she runs her hands through the crying blondes hair.

"Adora, why must you make me do this, you know I value you."

"I- Im sorry!"

"Sorry isn't enough my dear Adora… performance is."

And then Adoras running, running down the same halls she ran down an hour ago, Shadow Weavers voice following her everywhere…

"Adora? ADORA!"

Adora gasps, scrambling back from the figures in front of her, grabbing her sword in panic.

"Stay away from me, I-I'll-" Suddenly Adora is engulfed in a bone crushing hug. Breathing heavily, she begins to panic.

"Shhh, Adora it's alright. It's just Bow and I. Just try to breath for me, ok? We'll be here when your ready."

After a few moments, Adora begins to relax into Glimmers embrace. "Glimmer?"

"Yea, it me, your alright." Glimmer says softly, gently letting go of Adora and sitting next to her on the cool forest floor.

"Do, do you want to talk about what happened?" Bow asks carefully. "We heard you screaming while flying on horsey looking for you. What are you doing all the way out in the Whispering Woods?"

Adora sighs, clearly hesitant.

"I know they didn't encourage you to talk about your feelings growing up in the Fright Zone, but it's ok to talk about them with us." Glimmer states knowingly, Bow nodding along with her.

"It- It's just, being back there." Adora shudders, taking a pause. "Shadow Weaver wasn't a very nice person. I know that now, it's just too much sometimes."

Bow paused before hesitantly speaking up. "Was, was she-"

Adora nods, burying her face in her hands, small shudders overtaking her body as Glimmer pulls her closer. "Adora, you don't have to-" Glimmer starts,

"No, I need to talk about this." Adora cuts her off, lifting up her tunic to reveal her lower back, small scars littering the area. Both Glimmer and Bow gasp, hurting for their friend.

"She, she would grab me by the ponytail and-" Adora trails off… chuckling slightly as she wipes away her tears, "And for some reason I still can't stop wearing one, she would get mad at me when I left my hair down… And I would run through the halls, but her voice would always be near." Adora shuddered. "Today was just a lot."

Glimmer and Bow were in shock for their friend, wondering how someone this good came from something so horrible.

"But you got away from her, and she cant hurt you anymore." Glimmer states fiercely to her friend.

"You are the bravest person I know." Bow said, hugging Adora along with Glimmer.

Adora smiled, hugging her best friends back. She knew that what she had endured with Shadow Weaver would stick with her for the rest of her life, but she had survived. She had escaped the Horde, and was now sitting with her best friends. And right now, for her, that was enough. Because she knew she would be ok, because she had the rest of her life to be. She had the rest of her life to just be Adora, not Shadow Weavers perfect Force Captain. She would endure.

Fin.