BATTLING HEARTS

CHAPTER I: BANISHED

Darkness, that's all Catra remembered after Hordak discovered about Shadow Weaver's escape and… decided to punish her. It was all a test, he wanted to see if she would have had the courage to take responsibility for her actions, for her mistakes… and she failed.

Catra remembered the panic she felt as she couldn't breathe anymore, as Hordak marched towards her, his face becoming blurred, his words muffled, until there was nothing left but darkness. A million thoughts travelled through her mind as she drifted away into unconsciousness. She thought about Shadow Weaver's lies, her oddly kind words, her hand softly caressing her cheek.

Catra had to bite back her tears, she couldn't believe she trusted her, the same woman that constantly berated her during all of her life, who told her she would never amount to anything, that she was alive only because Adora liked her, as if she was nothing more than a pet.

But the thing that hurt her more was that even after that, even after all the things Shadow Weaver did to her, she still longed for her approval, for the same kind of love she gave to Adora. When that witch showed her even the tiniest bit of it, all the rage she felt towards her, vanished completely. Catra hated that, she hated how weak she had been, how in the end Shadow Weaver still managed to manipulate her.

She thought about Scorpia. Annoying, overexcited, loud, clingy Scorpia. Only now she realized that she wouldn't have had her any other way. Her constant tries to make her open up always made her scoff, Catra wasn't one to open up and talk about her feelings, about what was bothering her, scaring her. And yet, Scorpia kept trying and trying and that day, when she destroyed Entrapta's disk even though she told her not to, to save her, that day she understood that Scorpia was a true friend. It was… hard to believe that she grew to consider the unbearable princess as such, and she would have probably never even revealed that to her. Still, that's how deep down she felt towards her.

The moment before everything went black, before all vanished into nothingness, Catra thought about Adora. The girl who she spent her whole life with, the only person who ever showed her affection, who made her feel loved. The person who promised that after a short trip into the woods, she would have come back. The girl who broke her promise, who abandoned her, who chose a bunch of strangers over her. How she hated that Adora would be her last thought, and yet, even after all she did to her, and after all what Catra did to her, every venomous word, every threat, every wound… deep down… she felt longing.

All the people who ever mattered to her, abandoned her in the end. She would die alone, and she couldn't do anything to prevent it.

'Beg him to spare you! Say that you'll do anything! Say something!' Catra thought, but words failed her. She couldn't speak and before she knew it, everything went black.

Meanwhile, at Bright Moon Castle:

Adora opened her eyes slowly. Something she would never miss about the Horde was getting up early. Always… so… damn… early. The blonde girl yawned, as a smile grew on her face. Another quiet morning at Bright Moon Castle. She prayed it would be like that for as many days as possible, but she knew that eventually, fate would have brought the Horde right outside the castle's doors.

It was only a matter of time before that happened, before she had to face Catra again. Catra… if only that day she would have followed her instead of staying with the Horde. But it seems their destiny had something else planned for them. She only hoped that one day she'd manage to break through Catra's walls, to understand her true reasons and maybe, just maybe… no… it was a vane hope, and yet she couldn't bare to let that faint glimmer of light go. She couldn't let Catra go. She couldn't forget the life she spent with her.

Adora sighed heavily before sitting up on her bed and stretching her limbs. It had been a strange night. During her sleep, there had been a moment in which she felt as something, or someone, was staring at her, but she brushed it off. Maybe it was just a bad dream. She stood up and turned towards her room's balcony. She liked to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin as soon as she woke up… and it was in that very moment… that Adora froze. Suddenly, she realized what she felt during the night wasn't simply a bad dream. A red, cloaked figure was leaning on the parapet of her room's balcony.

"You'd never sleep this much when you were a Horde's soldier, your time with the rebellion has softened you."

Shadow Weaver was standing right in front of her and Adora didn't know what to do. She could run, get Bow and Glimmer, or she could attack her. Her hair weren't swaying in the air like a black flame as she remembered and her mask was cracked. She didn't… she didn't look so good. Maybe something happened and now she didn't have her powers anymore. Adora should have felt relieved about that, it meant her enemy wasn't as strong as before, that she could beat her easily!

And yet… Adora felt a strange pang in her chest. Why… why was this making her feel bad? Why would she ever feel bad about Shadow Weaver not being okay? She hurt Glimmer, she tried to erase her memory, to hurt all the people in Mystacor… she hurt Catra, so many many times. Adora shook her head, she didn't have time for feeling bad. She quickly scanned her room for her sword, but soon, she realized it was nowhere to be found. Her eyes widened as she saw Shadow Weaver pulling it out from behind her.

"It all happened because of this." Shadow Weaver hissed. "If you had never found this damned sword, you would have stayed with me, you would have become so powerful… together we would have overthrown Hordak and ruled over the Horde… over all of Etheria… as mother and daughter."

"You've never been a mother to me… I understood what a mother really is by staying here." Adora said, taking a step back as Shadow Weaver started to approach her.

"Are you talking about Angella? Please, that sorry excuse for a queen has ruined her daughter beyond repair. Princess Glimmer is weak, incapable of doing even the simplest task without you or that idiotic boy." Shadow Weaver cackled darkly.

"You don't know anything about Glimmer and Bow! They'd risk their lives to save me, to protect me, and I'd do the same! That's what love is. You would never understand, all you desire is power, and you would trade me immediately if it meant for you to have more of it!" Adora yelled back.

The girl kept walking backwards, as Shadow Weaver kept coming closer and closer. Adora felt her back hit her room's wall and immediately assumed a fighting stance, ready for anything that old witch would throw at her. Well, almost anything. What Adora would never expect, was Shadow Weaver handing her her sword.

"Are you sure of it?" Shadow Weaver asked in hushed tone of voice.

"What are you doing?" Adora asked, puzzled.

"Helping-" Shadow Weaver was going to answer but before she could, Adora's bedroom door burst open.

"Adora!"

Adora turned towards who shouted her name and saw and ball of purplish light fly right past her. It hit Shadow Weaver right in the head, she wasn't prepared to defend herself, she was weak, tired and with a strangled scream, she fell to the ground… unconscious.

"Oh my gosh! Adora!" Glimmer ran towards her and embraced her tightly.

"Glimmer…" Adora whispered, still shocked.

"What did that…" Glimmer paused, pulled away from Adora and gave the unconscious witch a poisonous glare "that witch do to you?"

"Nothing… nothing. She wasn't here to fight… she was going to hand me my sword." Adora held her forehead, trying to process all what happened, trying to understand why Shadow Weaver had shown up in her bedroom.

"It must have been a trick! Guards!" Glimmer called, and after a few moments, two guards entered Adora's room. "Take this witch to the dungeon… where she belongs."

"I don't know Glimmer… I don't think she was trying to trick me or… hurt me." Adora said.

"Oh no, do not even dare to-" Glimmer began but was interrupted.

"I'm going to speak to her, as soon as she wakes up." Adora said, her voice wavering, she wasn't so sure herself about this, and yet, something made her feel like if she didn't talk soon to Shadow Weaver, she would have regretted it… bitterly.

"We can't trust her Adora! She could have… she could have cut your throat!" Glimmer yelled angrily.

"But she didn't!" Adora yelled back, she regretted it immediately as she saw a pained expression appear on Glimmer's face. The blonde girl sighed heavily before placing both of her hands on Glimmer's shoulders. "I know that you think I might be impartial about this, that Shadow Weaver still has some influence on me after she… after she raised me, but you must trust me on this, okay?"

Glimmer's expression remained doubtful. Adora could see she was scared, angry and still bitter towards Shadow Weaver, and she couldn't really blame her, yet, she hoped Glimmer would understand. Thanks to the stars, she did.

"Okay, I'll trust you." Glimmer answered finally.

"Thank you." Adora said as a smile grew on her face.

"But if she hurts you, or my mom, or Bow, or anyone else, I won't simply throw glitters at her." Glimmer's tone sent a chill down Adora's spine.

"I know." Adora said, before Glimmer exhaled a sigh of relief and hugged her again.

Meanwhile, in the Fright Zone:

As soon as Catra opened her eyes, she sat up quickly, checking herself for any injuries. She was breathing, which was a good sign, her vision was clear, and she wasn't in any pain. She remembered Hordak pulling a lever, Etheria's atmosphere disappearing, she remembered how she was suffocating and yet… she was still alive. But the sensation of relief that washed over Catra as she realized she was still alive, died almost immediately as she noticed the bright green, semi-transparent wall that blocked her inside of a small room. The realization hit her almost immediately, she was being held in a cell. A million thoughts started to travel through her head: why was she here? Why didn't Hordak kill her? Was his plan to make her rot in here?

But Catra's train of thoughts was interrupted as she felt a presence on the other side of the green wall.

"H-hi Catra." She recognized the quivering voice almost immediately, it was Kyle's.

"Kyle… what am I doing here? Why am I in a cell?!" Catra asked in hardened voice. When he didn't respond, she yelled at him. "Kyle! Answer me!"

"Catra… I… I'm sorry." Kyle answered, a pained expression was adorning his face.

"Sorry for what?" Catra asked, she hated not knowing things, especially things that regarded her.

"You're being banished…"

"W-what?!"

"You're being banished to Beast Island." Kyle said, his voice trembling.

"No… no no no no! Kyle please, you have to let me out of here!" Catra said, standing up and reaching the cell's door.

"I'm sorry." Kyle hanged his head low, as two guards came towards her, stun guns in hand.

"Don't make this difficult kitten." A harsh voice came from behind the two men, who immediately stepped aside.

"Octavia…" Catra growled her name.

"On the other side… please, make this difficult, so I'll have an excuse to beat you up." Octavia snickered darkly.

"It'll be hard to hit me with just one eye." Catra retorted, a devilish grin on her face.

Octavia's smug smile immediately vanished, replaced by an enraged expression. "Open the cell."

"B-but-" Kyle tried to speak but immediately shut up as Octavia grabbed him by the collar of his uniform.

"NOW!" Octavia screamed.

Kyle obeyed, tapped a few buttons and the cell's bright green door vanished.

"I'm going to enjoy this… oh, before you get devoured by some monster, I want you to know that now I'm second in command, and I'll be a better commander than you could ever be, you worthless-" Octavia didn't get to finish that sentence, Catra pounced on her and planted her claws in her right cheek, before pulling down with all the strength she had.

Octavia howled in pain, Catra tried to run past her but one of the guards hit her with a stun gun, making her fall to the ground.

"Hold her." Octavia hissed, blood dripping from her cheek.

"That's going to leave a reaaaaaly nasty mark." Catra chuckled as the two guards raised her from the ground.

"Commander Octavia, L-Lord Hordak asked for Catra to be put on the next ship for Beast Island. I-if you wait you're going to lose it." Kyle tried to make her desist from what she was going to do, but Octavia didn't listen.

"I'll just take a minute." Octavia said, before turning towards Catra and sending a punch right to her stomach.

Catra let out a strangled scream as the air was knocked out of her. The next punch hit her in her cheek, the third hit her in the nose. She felt blood dripping down to her chin. Octavia grabbed her mane and made her look into her eye.

"No more remarks?"

"You still have a dumb face."

The fourth punch knocked her out.

So, I know you might be familiar with the title of this story, that is because it's the title from one of my old fanfics. I started that fanfiction without really having a story in mind, that's why I never continued it. Now, I have a whole story figured out, so don't worry, I'll keep writing this until it's finished, obviously, if you want me to. Tell me what you think about this first chapter in the comments, tell me if I should continue and well, see you in the next chapter! Marvel out.