I know what you're thinking. "A new story?! But I thought you were dead!" I was college and I need to focus on finding a job, so yeah... This is basically the "what if the Portal overload and does something else" routine. Anyways, I was thinking about this for a while so please enjoy! Also, I have a DeviantArt account! I've been posting a lot of drawings there. Please check it out when you can at: animevulpagirl

Prologue 1: Catra's origins

'W-where... am I?' Catra remembers opening the portal, despite Adora's plea. The portal overloaded and glowed brightly than everything went black. Catra opened her eyes, her vision was blurry.

After a while, her vision cleared and she saw that she's in a pale, white room. From the corner of her eye, she sees a monitor of some kind. Catra tried to get up, only to realize how limited her movement is. 'Why can't I move? It feels like I'm wrapped in a-' The catgirl tried to lift her head up to look down at her body, but she couldn't. 'Why does my head feel so heavy? What's going on?!' Catra tried to speak, hoping to get someone's attention, but the sound that came out of her mouth weren't words, but kitten's meow. 'What?!' Before she could think of anything else, a pair of large hands picked her up. 'H-hey! What the hell?! Put me down!'

It was a man wearing a black shirt and jeans. He had orange-brown hair and golden yellow eyes. His muscular arms had black stripes on them. What caught her eyes the most was the tiger ears on top of his head, stripey tail swaying behind him and the visible fangs protruding out of his mouth as he smiled. 'He's... kinda like me!' Catra never seen anyone like herself before. Back at the Horde, she was the only one with feline features which made her a bit of an outcast. The strange man cradled Catra in his arms.

That's when she noticed a woman lying in a bed in the middle of the room. The woman had long, dark brown hair and sky blue eyes. She was in a hospital gown, but the strange thing was her features. She had spotted tan scales on her arms, legs and cheeks, as well as a rattlesnake-like tail and fangs. The woman spoke. "How's our baby?" The man carefully handed Catra over to her. "The doctors said she's healthy. It seems she inherited my Quirk too." Catra's eyes widen. 'Baby? BABY?! Waitwaitwaitwaitwait WHAT?! No, this is, this can't!' Catra mewled as she struggled in the woman's arms. "Oh dear, our baby getting a little grumpy." Catra continued to fight. 'Shut up! I'm not your baby! This is a dream, this HAS to be a dream. T-the portal? No, that's stupid! The portal can't turn people into-!' She felt something brushed against her lips. 'What- OH CRAP!' The woman had her chest exposed. Catra struggled once more, face bright red. This woman was trying to breastfeed her! 'Stop it! Stop it! I'm not your baby. I don't belong to anyone!' With all her strength, she managed to pull one of her arms out of her blanket and scratched the woman's breast with her claws. "Ow!" The woman grunted. 'Not... Huh...?' The scratch was very small. In fact, the woman wasn't even bleeding. The moment she became a baby, all of Catra's strength and power was taken away. She had nothing. Nothing at all. Everything she did didn't matter anymore.

The woman continued to try to breastfeed her. "Looks like she inherited your stubbornness as well." The snake-woman said as she looked at the tiger-man. "H-hey, I'm not that stubborn." The man's tiger tail flicked in mild frustration. Catra felt tired. She can't fight anymore. The catgirl gave in to her kitten instinct and nursed off of this strange woman. 'Why? Why is this happening to me? I don't understand... Damn it... So... Tired...' The snake-woman smiled. "Looks like she calmed down." The man moved in closer. "Our cute kitten. So, what name do you want to give her, Hozuki?" "I was thinking 'Moriko.' What do you think, Kiba?" "I love it. Moriko, our wild little kitten." The newly named "Moriko" slowly closed her eyes, falling into a deep slumber.

Within a dark forest, Catra was trapped. Large venomous snakes coiled around her, keeping her in place. The ever-expanding sky was dark, save for the spiralling portal above, slowly consuming everything. The branches of the surrounding trees broke, flying towards the void. That's when she noticed a shadow. In front of her, the Princess of Power: She-Ra, stood proudly. Catra was relieved. Finally, she can get to safety. "Adora! You're here! How's about you get me out of-" Catra stopped as the warrior princess summoned her sword. She-Ra slowly walked up to her. Something was off. "A-Adora?" As She-Ra stepped out of the shadow, she muttered Catra's name in a hateful tone. Catra's ears drooped as she heard it, her eyes widen as she noticed She-Ra's eyes were no longer a mystical blue colour, but a bright, raging red. Suddenly, the snakes tighten their grip before their fangs sank into Catra's skin. She panicked. "A-Adora! Help!" "Why?" The princess voice echoed. "What do you mean 'Why?' These snakes are literally killing me!" "So it's okay for you to hurt others, but when it's happening to you it's suddenly a crime?" "What are you talking about?! You left me, remember?" "And you destroyed everything! Everyone!" She-Ra lifted her sword up into the sky as it glows red against the light of the portal. Catra's body wouldn't stop shaking. "I-I'm sorry..." The catgirl whispered. "You made your choice. Now, I'm making mine." She-ra swung her sword down, slicing Catra's body in half.

Catra awoke in a cold sweat in the arms of the snake-woman, Hozuki. "Oh, Kiba! She woke up!" The tiger-man, Kiba, ran over. "Oh, thank god." He said, carefully wiping the sweat off of Catra's brow. "You gave us quite the scare kiddo. Any longer and I would've called the doctor over." Catra looked up at the two. 'That's right. I'm a baby now. So, all that, was that a dream? Just a dream... Oh god, I thought I...' Tears ran down her face as she let out her loudest cry. The woman, her new mother, held her close. "There, there, sweetie." She whispered. "Mommy's here." Catra quiet down upon hearing those words. '"Mommy..." That's so weird to hear... I've never had a mother before... Shadow Weaver was the closest thing I had to a mother. Shadow Weaver's the worst... She always chose Adora... Adora... I should hate her but... I... miss her. I can never face her again. Not that I could. Etheria is gone... But I'm here. I'm here with these people... I guess I could give them a chance. I'll pay close attention to them, see what kind of people they are.' Catra looked up at her new parents. 'Yeah, they're okay, I guess. For now...'

Three days went by and Catra became more comfortable with her new parent. They were a bit odd, but not bad. Thankfully, it was time to leave the hospital. Catra was glad, she was getting sick and tired of being trapped in the same room all day and night. The outside world was bright and cold. Catra did not like the chilly autumn air one bit. Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about it for too long as the couple carried her to some sort of vehicle. Kiba turned the vehicle on as Hozuki held Catra close. The catgirl felt the vehicle move. "God, it's cold." The snake-woman sighed. "My body always feels so sluggish this time of year." The tiger-man chuckled. "Well, you are a snake in the middle of fall. Tomorrow's Halloween too, you know what that means, right?" "Your family's coming over. Your father said he's planning on retiring from hero work, right?" "Yes, he is. I'll be taking over as leader of Toraneko Agency. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm ready. I want to be a good hero." He paused. "And a good father." "You're alrighty a good father," The woman smiled. Kiba smirked. "You're just saying that because you're my wife." Catra listened carefully to their conversation. '"Hero" huh? So my "Gramps" is a "hero." What did he do to deserve that title?' Catra thought for a moment. There were some words she didn't quite understand. 'Halloween, Agency, Retire... Do I need to know those words?' She then felt the vehicle stop. 'Oh, I guess we're here.'

"Welcome to your home, Moriko." Kiba said as he brought out his house keys. Catra looked up at her new home. The house was quite large, two stories with a balcony. The front of the house had a patio and a small flower garden. The patio had a few outdoor chairs and a table. As her father opened the door, Catra found her tiny heart beating faster. Why was she so excited? The couple brought their baby inside. The inside of the house smell really nice and felt really warm, especially compared to the cold air outside. The walls were painted in a calming green colour. Catra can feel herself purring contently. "Kiba, look! I think she likes it here!" "I bet she'll like her room even more." 'My room...?' Catra wasn't use to having her own room. Cadets would often share their room, even then, more often than not, she would sleep on Adora's bed. Her warm, comfy bed. 'Gah! Stop thinking about Adora. She's not here and none of that stuff matters anymore!' Her parents carried her up a spiralling staircase and through a large hallway. At the end of the hallway, Kiba gently opened a white door. Hozuki carried the catgirl inside and gently places her in a crib. Catra looked around. The room was simple. The walls were a soft shade of blue while the ceiling was a dark, nighttime blue with stars decorating it. White drawers and dresser filled up the space while piles of stuff animals can be seen on top of them. 'My own room...' She thought before closing her eyes.

Time went by quickly as Catra began to understand their routine. Every 2 hours, Hozuki comes to breastfeed her. While she was uncomfortable with it, it was Catra's only source of food, so she let it slide. What she didn't like was the cleaning. Whether it be changing or bathing, she did not like it. However, there was nothing she could do. After all, she was a baby now. She can't even speak now. All she could do is let them give her a bath. Catra hated this. After the bath, Hozuki changed her into a new outfit. A small, orange onesie with black stripes and the words "Little Hero" written on the front. 'What? "Little Hero?" Is that what they want me to be? Isn't a bit too soon to make assumptions?'

As the woman placed Catra in a baby basket, the two heard the doorbell ring. Catra's ears twitch as she heard her Kiba's voice. "I got it!" She heard the door opened, with Kiba greeting whoever was at the door. 'That's right. "Grandma and Gramps" is coming today. I wonder what they're like. I guess I'll see in a minute-' Catra's train of thought halted to a screeching stop when she notices a large, furry muzzle in front of her, with a black nose and large, sharp fangs. 'Ahh! A beast?! No! D-don't eat me! I swear, I'll fight back! Stay away!' Catra hissed as she clawed at the beast's nose. "O-ouch!" a new, deep voice spoke. "You okay, hon?" Another new voice said, a woman's voice. The beast rose up, revealing himself to be bipetal, wearing a white shirt with "LEO" written on it in be black letters and blue jeans. The beast brought his paw-like hand up to his scarred nose. Catra stared at this beast, he literally looks like a walking, talking lion, complete with a lion's face, mane, paws and tail. His eyes were golden-yellow and his fur was sandy-brown. His mane was dark brown with silver stripes. He was a hulking giant, towering over everyone else in the room. "I'm fine, dear. Just a scratch." He said. The woman he was talking to had greying red hair and green eyes. Sticking out of her head was a pair of deer antlers. She also had deer legs, tail and ears. The deer-woman was wearing a thick, black jacket with a pink shirt underneath and simple white shorts.

'This is- H-he's- These are my grandparents... Aren't they...' Then Catra saw the large lion's paw reaching down to grab her. The little kitten flinched, her body shaking. 'W-wait! Sorry! It was an accident! Honest!' The lion gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms. 'H-huh? He's not angry? Why?' The lion playfully poked his finger at her tummy. 'H-hey! Stop it!' She hissed again. "She's a feisty one, hmm?" Hozuki giggled. "Yes, she takes after her father." Kiba gave Hozuki a flirty look. "Oh? You find me feisty?" "May~be?" The snake woman replied. 'Ugh, get a room, you two!' Catra scowled, which didn't go unnoticed by the lion. "Shika, would you please hand me the gift now?" "Hm? Oh, yes, of course, dear." The red-head placed a gift bag next to him, she reached in and pulled out a sparkling pink lion plushie. "Surprise~!" The deer-lady, Shika, chirped. She brought the stuffed lion closer to the baby's face. One thought crossed Catra's mind: 'It looks gaudy as hell...' She brought her hands up to touch it. She stroke her tiny fingers through the stuffed lion's mane. 'It's... so soft!' Catra eyes widen as she grabbed the plushie and held on to it for the rest of the night.

The next two years went by without much trouble. Catra had to relearn common practices again, like walking and talking. Thankfully, by the age of two, she was able to walk normally and speak in full sentences. Catra would often call Hozuki and Kiba "Mom" and "Dad" just to humour them, but a part of her feels like she's not quite there yet. Can she really see them as her parents? With that said, she does enjoy their company. These past two years... She never thought being a baby would be so amazing. It was embarrassing at times, but she was the center of attention! She never felt this much love before. The last time she felt loved was with... It doesn't matter now. What matters was what's happening right now.

One day, she noticed something odd about Hozuki. The snake-woman rushed to the bathroom and slam to door behind her. "H-hey!" The catgirl knocked on the door. "Are you okay?" She heard Hozuki's voice echoed. "I-I'm fine, sweetie. Mommy just feels a little sick, that's all." "You should lie down." "I'm fine-" Her voice was cut off by the sound of vomiting. "D-dad!" Catra called out, almost naturally. She can hear Kiba running over. He heard of vomiting from the washroom and rushed in. Catra wasn't sure what was going on. What caused Hozuki to get sick? She heard Kiba's voice. "There, there, honey..." He spoke in a soft tone. After a while, the catgirl heard the sound of the toilet flushing and the water running. Her parents exit the washroom. "Easy, honey." The tiger-man said, holding his wife's hand gently. "Let's lay down on the couch for a bit." He bent down a scooped Catra with one arm, startling her a bit. "Come on my little cub, you're coming too."

Hozuki was put to rest on the couch while Kiba brought Catra to the kitchen to help make ginger tea for her. Kiba put the kettle to boil. He also started cooking some rice for Okayu and Onigiri. "Alright, Moriko. Ready to help me cook?" "Y-yeah." The catgirl studdered. Catra never learned how to cook in her previous life. She never had a reason to. After all, when you're a soldier in the Horde, you have two purposes, to fight and to obey. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard water running. "Okay, first, you wash your hands." Catra did what she was told. "Oh, and keep your hands wet." The catgirl furrows her brow. "Really?" "Yes. The rice is very sticky. So, unless you want rice stuck to your hands..." Catra pouted for a bit, then she nodded. After washing her hands, Catra grabbed a fist full of rice. "Now, roll it into a ball. Then use your thumb to make a hole..." After a while, the food was finished.

The family ate together. Hozuki turned on the TV, the volume on low as she watched the news. "Oh, I also bought Sashimi earlier today. Should still be fresh too." Kida went back to the kitchen for a bit. Catra ears twitched as she tilted her head. "Sa-shi-mi? What's that?" Hozuki, who was eating her Okayu at the time, giggled. "I think you might like it, Moriko." Kiba came back with a plate, placing it on the living room table. Catra smell something... It smell like... fish?! The catgirl saw slices of rose-coloured meat in front of her, covered in a dark sauce. "Is this fish?" She asked. "Yes, it is. Go on, try it." Kiba gently pushed the plate closer to Catra. She carefully picked up one of the slices of fish, the sauce dripping down on to the plate. She closed her eyes and shoved the fish into her mouth. Chew. Chew. Swallow. Her eyes shot open. 'It's... good! It's like... It's melting in my mouth!' Before she knew it, she wouldn't stop eating the fish. The smooth, rich taste of fish... It tasted so good! Soon enough, the plate was empty. Catra's ears drooped, a little saddened by the sight. She wanted more. Would asking for more make her sound greedy? Before she can say anything, Kiba picked up her plate. "W-wait! I want more!" "Hm?" The tiger-man bend down and patted the catgirl's head, smiling. "Okay, give me a minute." He went back to the kitchen. While Kiba was slicing up more fish for the hungry kitten, Hozuki turned up the volume on the TV as the words "BREAKING NEWS!" flashed on the screen. "...And now we're back live at the scene of the crime! Several electronic stores all across the Shibuya district have been robbed by villains. Their identities: currently unknown." The screen showed a store with shattered windows and the outer wall graffitied. Several symbols... Kanji...? was written there, none of them Catra recognize. Except one. Spray painted in red was a pair of bat wings. The sight of this send chills down her spine. It couldn't be... Could it...? Tears ran down her face as she tries to hold back her sobs. Her body won't stop shaking. Her fur is standing on end. Word refuses to form in her mouth. Only one word was in her mind. 'No... No! Nononononono! NonononononoNOOO!' These awful feelings filled her entire body, it refuses to move.

Suddenly, she felt her body being picked up by a pair of strong, familiar hands. The tiger-man returned with her meal. He gently stroked her back, hoping to calm her down. Her body won't stop shaking. "Shhh... Everything's okay... Everything's alright... Daddy's here... Daddy will protect you... I promise..." Those words caused her to snap. She broke free from his grip and fell to the floor, causing the wife to gasped. Before they could ask if she was all right, the catgirl ran down the hall on all fours. She took a sharp right turn into her room, accidentally kicking a vase down in the process. She slammed the door behind her and hid under her bed. The room was silent, save for the sounds of her tears hitting the floor. 'Why? WHY?! Why can't I have this world to myself?! If the Horde exists here, then who else is here? Adora? Hordak? Shadow Weaver?! No... No...! Nononononononono...'

A long time pass. Catra wasn't sure how long she stayed under the bed. She fell asleep at some point, only to wake up later tucked into her bed with a blanket over her and her stuffed lion at her side. She just can't help but wonder why things have to change. Even though she doesn't say it out loud, she loves being with her new parents. These past two years were the best she ever had. But now... A new problem arises. Her past is catching up to her. Her father is a hero and so was her grandfather. What would happen if they knew the truth about her? Would her family abandon her? 'No... They wouldn't... They need me... I'm their only child... They need me... They need-' Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of her stomach growling. She slowly got out from her bed, opened the door and tiptoe down the hallway. When she passed the door to her parents' room, she overheard them talking.

"The test was positive..." Hozuki said.

"So another one is on the way?" Kiba asked.

"Yes," Hozuki whispered.

"Should I go tell Moriko?" There was a pause.

"Let her sleep for now. The News really scared her today..."

"Th-they... don't need me..." Tears ran down her face as the catgirl sobs. These sobs were heard by her parents, who rushed over to open the door. "M-Moriko, you're awake!" Her father said. "Y-you don't need me..." Catra mumbled very quietly. "Moriko, what are talking about- Oww!" As he reaches out to comfort his daughter, Catra swiped her claws at him, making a small, but noticeable cut on his hand. "M-Moriko, what's going on-!" "THAT'S NOT MY NAME!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "IT'S CATRA!" There was a long pause, her parent stared with a worried look in their eyes as she fell to her needs sobbing non-stop. Her mother scooped the crying kitten in her arms. "Mori-" The snake woman paused before speaking again in a calming voice. "Catra, please tell us what's wrong." Catra looked up, surprised the she used her real name, her true name. They brought her inside their room and sat together on the bed. They let her tell her story.

As time went on as Catra continued to tell them her story. About the Horde, about Shadow Weaver, about Adora, about the sword... The more and more she went into detail about her previous life, the more and more they realized that their daughter wasn't a normal two-year-old girl. She knew things that a two-year-old shouldn't. When she talked about Shadow Weaver, she didn't talk like a little girl, she talked like an abused victim. When she talked about the Horde, she talked like a soldier. When she talked about Adora and the sword, she talked like someone who genuinely felt betrayed. Then, she told them about how her universe ended with her own hands. Catra only had one thing to say after telling her story: "Do you hate me?"

Her parents looked at each other before looking at her.

"We don't hate you..." Her mother whispered.

"But I'm terrible!" Catra shouted angrily.

"You needed help." Her father said.

"I destroyed everything!" Tears ran down her face.

"Yes, but-" Catra cut her mother off.

"I'M A VILLAIN!"

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ONE!" Her father voice boomed, silencing the rest of the room.

Her father brought her to sit on his lap. He held her close. "You don't have to be who you were in the past. You can change yourself. Who do you want to be now?" Catra paused. Who does she want to be? She took a deep breath. "I... want to be noticed for my hard work... and... I want people to love me!" Suddenly, her mother started playfully squishing Catra's face. "Well, I love you plenty!" "Nuuu! Shtap! Pwease!" "And..." Hozuki brought Catra's hand to her tummy. "I know your sibling loves you too." Catra looks down at her mother's tummy. "Sorry I got mad at you..." She whispered.

Catra was glad that her new parents accepted her. Little did she know how this will affect the future.

It took me a while, I hope I can make more soon.