Override (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power x He-Man) 1. Afterwards
- Location
- USA
A/N: Special thanks to @Ziel.
The sky was lit up, made anew by the fantastical, colorful streaks of magic in the air. The skies had never looked so pure with the stars hanging above like ornaments and punctuated by the sparkingly sheen that permeated Eternia now. The magic had been freed from the Heart of Eternia and once more ran free and wild on the planet.
Despite not being a princess or a sorcerer, Catra could feel it like a soft tingle in her nose. Her horizons had been expanded beyond the gray gruel from the Fright Zone. It was something sweet, enticing. Sugary and thick. A natural instinct to bat it away surged up. It wasn't her style, but she breathed it in tentatively, to allow her that bit of hope for the future
With the resurgence of most of Eternia's magic, it had felt like a new beginning.
Shadow Weaver's final moments flashed in her head.
This is only the beginning for you.
Her death had stung and hurt yet some small bitter part was glad that Shadow Weaver wasn't around to hurt them anymore. All of it ended up confusing Catra. Shadow Weaver, in her own messed up way, still cared for Adora and Catra. However, even when she was on the side of 'good,' Shadow Weaver just couldn't help but continue to hurt the two of them with her words and manipulations.
Maybe Shadow Weaver found it easier to end on that one good note than to try and change. In a way, it was the coward's way out. Sacrificing themselves to end on a high note as if that erased all the bad. Or, in Adora's case, somehow validated their worth. Adora somehow rose above that attitude, but sometimes, Catra feared that Adora would relapse, thinking her life only had value when traded for 'the greater good.'
Would Adora ever change, to stop the self-sacrifice and fight for the best possible outcome.
No... Catra had to stop that line of thought. Adora did change, but it wasn't like she was a different person now. She was still that same headstrong, jockey-type girl that might run headfirst into danger. She had to work on that just as Catra had to work through her own problems.
Shadow Weaver did love the two of them and look how they turned out.
Catra had hurt Adora before and she refused to do it anymore, to be better.
"Something wrong, Catra?" Adora asked, stretching out on the soft grass beneath them. Adora rolled over, propping up her hand with her hand and staring at her with those blue eyes. Even without the glow of She-Ra, they were like a sparkling ocean that Catra could get lost in.
Be honest, some part of her thought. Adora's headstrong enough to not notice my pining for years. How much heartache would have been avoided if I'd had been more honest instead of deluding myself, seeking affection from those who did not have my best interests?
She wanted to have a cool, dismissive response, but where had that gotten her? If it had been anyone else, Catra would have waved them off. But this was her girlfriend. The thought made her giddy and apprehensive all at once. If she wanted to better than Shadow Weaver, then she had to be honest.
It was like swallowing a lump. Because to open up was to be vulnerable and to be vulnerable meant getting hurt…
Catra turned away, muttering, "Just thinking..."
"About?" Adora asked, coming even closer.
"The future, I guess." She paused, knowing she was being dishonest. They both had to work on themselves. "Sometimes, I think you might leave me, that you would give yourself up for me. But I want you to fight for us. I'm afraid you will be like that."
"Not anymore. You know that right?"
Catra hummed, snuggling Adora now. There was an easy silence that settled over them. So fragile that a single breath could shatter it. Except Catra wouldn't know what to do when that happened. It was easy enough to settle into and enjoy.
Finally, after a minute or two, Adora started to speak, "You know… when I was unconscious from Horde Prime's virus, I had a dream. Bow and Glimmer were together… and so were you and I. All of us were dressed all nice and fancy, getting ready for Scorpia's first ball… I guess… that was when I truly acknowledged what I wanted beyond what I thought I needed to do."
"Sounds nice," Catra mumbled.
Adora laughed. "You're in that future too."
"I know, I know," she grumbled. Catra just leaned into Adora with a tight hug. The point was being missed again, no matter how nice the scene Adora described, it did nothing to assuage her fears. Because how much hurt did Catra inflict on Adora? Did she ever deserve this? Who was she to demand Adora be better in self-care when Catra had hurt Adora several times before?
Even though she was so close to being happy, it was like fire. Warm at a distance, but scorching if she got too closer.
Where has running ever got me?
"I'm afraid," she blurted out.
Adora pulled away, but still held onto Catra. "Why?"
"I'm afraid of hurting you again," she whispered. "Or… somehow that I manipulated you into this. Shadow Weaver hurt us. And I hurt you."
Adora opened her mouth and Catra could practically hear something along the lines of 'I can take it' like the lovable, bullheaded, foot-in-the-mouth girl she was. Catra cringed at the connotations that hypothetical statement brought, but thankfully Adora closed her mouth, ensuring it would never be made real.
"You're trying," she said, slowly. "And I think that counts for something. I know without a doubt, you won't hurt me on purpose. Not anymore. Relationships aren't perfect. Glimmer and Bow, despite being the best of friends, still have fights. And undoubtedly, we will too. But… it's like Entrapta said: imperfections are beautiful. I love you."
"I love you too," Catra said.
Adora beamed with a smile. "I think that's what important. Because it is with love that will help us see through any problems we might face. And we'll face them together. Don't you agree?"
"Yeah, yeah. Sap it up with your sappiness."
Catra smiled and Adora leaned down to kiss her. Catra was so glad that Bow and Glimmer left the scene. They embraced, Adora acting comfortable weight on her chest. Happy endings didn't exist. If they did, this was the closest one that they were going to get. Life simply went on, but Catra knew it was a good start for this chapter of her life and all the ones to come.
Right up until Adora started to seize up, shaking and a scream stopped in her throat. It was a choking sound, coming out as a panicked croak. Catra was thrown off by Adora's sudden thrashing as the air turned vile.
"Adora!" She started to tug at her girlfriend, trying to drag her back to where everyone else was. "Someone! Help!"
Adora started to struggle harder, her limbs spasming uncontrollably. Magic started to bleed around her, unlike her transformation into She-Ra which cascaded over her like a shining, static waterfall. This transformation clawed at reality, peeling flesh away to reveal a different person underneath. It wasn't anything like the change into She-Ra, where all her best traits seemed to be exemplified.
This wasn't anything like that.
Like water thrown onto a painting that hadn't yet dried, everything seemed like a distorted version of itself. It blurred and ran, muddling into what looked an older version of herself. Everything was being ripped away from her hands. She held on tight, hoping to anchor down her Adora from whatever was going on.
Catra's mind raced with all of the possibilities of what was going on. Like the virus from hours before had a second wind… but what did Shadow Weaver call She-Ra? A being of pure magic. Whatever impurities inside should have been burned away.
"Someone help!" she cried out again, cursing everyone for giving them alone time. Tears burned as she cradled the shaking Adora. She stared down, seeing a glowing split right down in the middle of her face. Now, it was like three different faces mashed together. More and more, she started to look like a familiar stranger. Yet, all the same, she still resembled Adora.
Just not her Adora.
Is anyone coming?
She pressed her forehead against hers. "Adora… please..."
An aching, agonized moan shot out from her throat, splitting into three different tones. And it thrice broke Catra's heart. Every time a hopeful thought arose, that sound of despair crushed it ruthlessly under heel.
"Catra..." Adora – just Adora – croaked.
She pulled away, just so she could see Adora, hoping again to see her better. Only to see this affliction worsen. Catra cupped her left cheek.
"What is it?" Catra asked.
"I..." She started hyperventilating. "I… see… so much… so many..."
"Do you see how you can fix this?" she hissed, eyes brimming with tears.
"Yes..."
Catra's heart skipped a beat.
"Then do it! I won't lose you!"
"Consequences..." she breathed out. "People… might get hurt..."
Catra shook her head vigorously, as if to reject that fact that only Adora would stutter in saving her own life. She shook it even harder when the negative thoughts thundered in, as if to say Adora was better than her for being able to avoid such thoughts.
"So? It isn't like Glimmer hadn't messed things up with the Heart and Prime. It isn't like I haven't messed up. It's okay to mess up… I'll be here with you. Everyone will stand with you..."
Adora closed her eyes. "We… just dealt with Horde Prime… what might come now will be worse. I can see it."
Catra looked away, just for a moment. There was real fear in her voice. After everything that happened in the last twenty four hours, what had reinstilled this attitude? Was whatever Adora saw that bad?
"Is it inevitable?" she asked. "By dying here, will you stop this? Or will you have merely delayed it?"
The silence was telling enough.
Adora opened her now-wet eyes. "I know it's… dumb to try and sacrifice myself again… but I'm afraid what might happen to you, all of you*.*"
"Oh, Adora." She squeezed their hands together. "We'll be afraid together and we'll be brave together. It's why, despite all your dumb and bravado-filled plans, you won against the Horde and me."
"Okay… okay… Together..." That affirmation, a small concession, gave her hope. Adora rolled out of Catra's grasp, standing on two shaky legs. She stumbled to the edge of the cliff, breathing heavily.
Her head lolled back, as her breathing turned to desperate huffs as if the air she breathed wasn't going into her lungs. She stood at the very edge. Catra outstretched a hand, before letting it fall back to her side. There were times when she had to hold Adora back and other times she had to let her do her thing.
Adora turned back around, the glow obscuring her face. "We'll win in the end, right?"
"Of course."
"No matter what happens, I love you. Remember that."
She turned back around, hunching over and crying out. Before Catra could rush back, Adora arched her back, like snapping a whip. The glow surged as Adora cried out those words that transformed her into She-Ra.
"For the honor of Grayskull!"
Adora seemed to fold into herself as she started to levitating, shooting kaleidoscope flashes from her body. It didn't quite blossom like a flower, but it was like watching a wilt in reverse. Adora started to jerk about in the air, being flung left and right like a fish being reeled in.
"Adora!"
A split started to surge across her body, slicing her into three distinct images that emitted from the waist up. Each one of them was caught mid-transformation into She-Ra. The one on the left had a short white dress with a red cape and a large winged headdress. The one on the right looked alike to the left image, but more armored, more visceral somehow.
She-Ra, her She-Ra, seemed to burst out from Adora, shoving away the mirror images as a sprout would do to a shell. But they all seemed to be caught in a bind, trying to tie them all together. They all started to yell out in pain, each of them breaking into separate cacophonies.
"Come on..." Adora roared out, reaching toward the sky. "I said, for the honor of Grayskull!"
The sword began to materialize above She-Ra, just out of reach. Adora's fingers strained, trying to grasp the hilt. The further she stretched, the more she seemed to break away, shedding the skin of She-Ra. It was only until Catra saw the other two images siphoning that energy, stealing She-Ra for themselves. The more they took, the more hazy the sword became. If Adora couldn't grasp it… what would those copies do to her?
Catra took a step forward, but paused, unable to discern what to do? Her instincts screamed at her to tackle one of those fakes and alleviate the burden for Adora. But something told her that they would slip through her claws like water.
The two fakes began to grab at Adora, still connected to her. The images solidified, appearing more real from the waist up. Their legs blurred, unable to pull away and be made real outside Adora. They were the branches of a tree, trying to touch the sky. The longer it went on, the harder it was to tell who was the main trunk of the tree and who were the branches.
What would have happened if Adora didn't try to unleash them? What damage would have this caused internally?
Catra clenched her fists, knowing this wasn't a fight that could be settled with fists or wit.
Instead, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "You can do it Adora!"
The violent, more armored one stuttered in her ascent, but the plainer one on the left seemed invigorated by the shout. The fake reached Adora's shoulder, using it as leverage to lift herself further.
"Third time's the charm!" Adora screamed. She pulled her arm down before thrusting it back up and grasping the sword. "For the honor of Grayskull!
The world above shattered and crackled, narrowing down into a single line of reality that came crashing down like lightning. Catra screamed Adora's name as it enveloped her. Two human sized bolts shot out from the sides, but Catra ignored it, staring as She-Ra shook violently. The reverberations ran through reality with She-Ra as the epicenter.
The sky split apart like cloth, revealing what laid underneath: the sky beneath the sky. It wouldn't have looked so alien if it didn't look so similar, yet so different all at once. She-Ra hovered, resplendent in her white, gold highlighted uniform that showcased the muscular physique of her arms. Then the exposed skin started to smoke and Adora let loose one last cry before she exploded off the cliff.
Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as Catra watched everything transpire in slow motion.
Without thought, she rushed off the cliff and dove off after Adora.
She caught her massive frame in her arms and for a moment, they glided through the air. Then gravity kicked in, the two of them plummeting down to the ground. Adora was unconscious and listless in her arms like a life-sized doll. Catra enveloped her, trying to rotate their positions so that she would take the brunt of the impact. Adora would undoubtedly flip their positions if she woke up, but Adora wasn't the only self-sacrificing fool around.
"Adora! Wake up!" she shouted. "Please!"
The world continued to quake as they tumbled downwards. She shifted her grip, reaching for the sword still clutched in Adora's hand. She had seen She-Ra do a great many things with emitted energies: shooting out waves of power, creating platforms, and transform into a shield. Any one of those options could save them. But Catra was no She-Ra. No matter how much she waggled Adora's wrist, the sword did not respond.
And so they fell, slipping through the cracks of their universe.
Originally a spin-off to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, it focuses on He-Man's sister: She-Ra. The cartoon is very old and dated by modern standards, but has She-Ra go up against Hordak and his evil Horde. Powered by a sword that was gifted to her brother, she fights for the Great Rebellion.
This iteration is a reimagining and reboot of the original She-Ra, retaining the names of certain characters but reimagining in them in different ways. While She-Ra is still powered by a sword, the links between her and He-Man are no longer present, and Catra has become a love interest for Adora, She-Ra's alter ego.
The sky was lit up, made anew by the fantastical, colorful streaks of magic in the air. The skies had never looked so pure with the stars hanging above like ornaments and punctuated by the sparkingly sheen that permeated Eternia now. The magic had been freed from the Heart of Eternia and once more ran free and wild on the planet.
Despite not being a princess or a sorcerer, Catra could feel it like a soft tingle in her nose. Her horizons had been expanded beyond the gray gruel from the Fright Zone. It was something sweet, enticing. Sugary and thick. A natural instinct to bat it away surged up. It wasn't her style, but she breathed it in tentatively, to allow her that bit of hope for the future
With the resurgence of most of Eternia's magic, it had felt like a new beginning.
Shadow Weaver's final moments flashed in her head.
This is only the beginning for you.
Her death had stung and hurt yet some small bitter part was glad that Shadow Weaver wasn't around to hurt them anymore. All of it ended up confusing Catra. Shadow Weaver, in her own messed up way, still cared for Adora and Catra. However, even when she was on the side of 'good,' Shadow Weaver just couldn't help but continue to hurt the two of them with her words and manipulations.
Maybe Shadow Weaver found it easier to end on that one good note than to try and change. In a way, it was the coward's way out. Sacrificing themselves to end on a high note as if that erased all the bad. Or, in Adora's case, somehow validated their worth. Adora somehow rose above that attitude, but sometimes, Catra feared that Adora would relapse, thinking her life only had value when traded for 'the greater good.'
Would Adora ever change, to stop the self-sacrifice and fight for the best possible outcome.
No... Catra had to stop that line of thought. Adora did change, but it wasn't like she was a different person now. She was still that same headstrong, jockey-type girl that might run headfirst into danger. She had to work on that just as Catra had to work through her own problems.
Shadow Weaver did love the two of them and look how they turned out.
Catra had hurt Adora before and she refused to do it anymore, to be better.
"Something wrong, Catra?" Adora asked, stretching out on the soft grass beneath them. Adora rolled over, propping up her hand with her hand and staring at her with those blue eyes. Even without the glow of She-Ra, they were like a sparkling ocean that Catra could get lost in.
Be honest, some part of her thought. Adora's headstrong enough to not notice my pining for years. How much heartache would have been avoided if I'd had been more honest instead of deluding myself, seeking affection from those who did not have my best interests?
She wanted to have a cool, dismissive response, but where had that gotten her? If it had been anyone else, Catra would have waved them off. But this was her girlfriend. The thought made her giddy and apprehensive all at once. If she wanted to better than Shadow Weaver, then she had to be honest.
It was like swallowing a lump. Because to open up was to be vulnerable and to be vulnerable meant getting hurt…
Catra turned away, muttering, "Just thinking..."
"About?" Adora asked, coming even closer.
"The future, I guess." She paused, knowing she was being dishonest. They both had to work on themselves. "Sometimes, I think you might leave me, that you would give yourself up for me. But I want you to fight for us. I'm afraid you will be like that."
"Not anymore. You know that right?"
Catra hummed, snuggling Adora now. There was an easy silence that settled over them. So fragile that a single breath could shatter it. Except Catra wouldn't know what to do when that happened. It was easy enough to settle into and enjoy.
Finally, after a minute or two, Adora started to speak, "You know… when I was unconscious from Horde Prime's virus, I had a dream. Bow and Glimmer were together… and so were you and I. All of us were dressed all nice and fancy, getting ready for Scorpia's first ball… I guess… that was when I truly acknowledged what I wanted beyond what I thought I needed to do."
"Sounds nice," Catra mumbled.
Adora laughed. "You're in that future too."
"I know, I know," she grumbled. Catra just leaned into Adora with a tight hug. The point was being missed again, no matter how nice the scene Adora described, it did nothing to assuage her fears. Because how much hurt did Catra inflict on Adora? Did she ever deserve this? Who was she to demand Adora be better in self-care when Catra had hurt Adora several times before?
Even though she was so close to being happy, it was like fire. Warm at a distance, but scorching if she got too closer.
Where has running ever got me?
"I'm afraid," she blurted out.
Adora pulled away, but still held onto Catra. "Why?"
"I'm afraid of hurting you again," she whispered. "Or… somehow that I manipulated you into this. Shadow Weaver hurt us. And I hurt you."
Adora opened her mouth and Catra could practically hear something along the lines of 'I can take it' like the lovable, bullheaded, foot-in-the-mouth girl she was. Catra cringed at the connotations that hypothetical statement brought, but thankfully Adora closed her mouth, ensuring it would never be made real.
"You're trying," she said, slowly. "And I think that counts for something. I know without a doubt, you won't hurt me on purpose. Not anymore. Relationships aren't perfect. Glimmer and Bow, despite being the best of friends, still have fights. And undoubtedly, we will too. But… it's like Entrapta said: imperfections are beautiful. I love you."
"I love you too," Catra said.
Adora beamed with a smile. "I think that's what important. Because it is with love that will help us see through any problems we might face. And we'll face them together. Don't you agree?"
"Yeah, yeah. Sap it up with your sappiness."
Catra smiled and Adora leaned down to kiss her. Catra was so glad that Bow and Glimmer left the scene. They embraced, Adora acting comfortable weight on her chest. Happy endings didn't exist. If they did, this was the closest one that they were going to get. Life simply went on, but Catra knew it was a good start for this chapter of her life and all the ones to come.
Right up until Adora started to seize up, shaking and a scream stopped in her throat. It was a choking sound, coming out as a panicked croak. Catra was thrown off by Adora's sudden thrashing as the air turned vile.
"Adora!" She started to tug at her girlfriend, trying to drag her back to where everyone else was. "Someone! Help!"
Adora started to struggle harder, her limbs spasming uncontrollably. Magic started to bleed around her, unlike her transformation into She-Ra which cascaded over her like a shining, static waterfall. This transformation clawed at reality, peeling flesh away to reveal a different person underneath. It wasn't anything like the change into She-Ra, where all her best traits seemed to be exemplified.
This wasn't anything like that.
Like water thrown onto a painting that hadn't yet dried, everything seemed like a distorted version of itself. It blurred and ran, muddling into what looked an older version of herself. Everything was being ripped away from her hands. She held on tight, hoping to anchor down her Adora from whatever was going on.
Catra's mind raced with all of the possibilities of what was going on. Like the virus from hours before had a second wind… but what did Shadow Weaver call She-Ra? A being of pure magic. Whatever impurities inside should have been burned away.
"Someone help!" she cried out again, cursing everyone for giving them alone time. Tears burned as she cradled the shaking Adora. She stared down, seeing a glowing split right down in the middle of her face. Now, it was like three different faces mashed together. More and more, she started to look like a familiar stranger. Yet, all the same, she still resembled Adora.
Just not her Adora.
Is anyone coming?
She pressed her forehead against hers. "Adora… please..."
An aching, agonized moan shot out from her throat, splitting into three different tones. And it thrice broke Catra's heart. Every time a hopeful thought arose, that sound of despair crushed it ruthlessly under heel.
"Catra..." Adora – just Adora – croaked.
She pulled away, just so she could see Adora, hoping again to see her better. Only to see this affliction worsen. Catra cupped her left cheek.
"What is it?" Catra asked.
"I..." She started hyperventilating. "I… see… so much… so many..."
"Do you see how you can fix this?" she hissed, eyes brimming with tears.
"Yes..."
Catra's heart skipped a beat.
"Then do it! I won't lose you!"
"Consequences..." she breathed out. "People… might get hurt..."
Catra shook her head vigorously, as if to reject that fact that only Adora would stutter in saving her own life. She shook it even harder when the negative thoughts thundered in, as if to say Adora was better than her for being able to avoid such thoughts.
"So? It isn't like Glimmer hadn't messed things up with the Heart and Prime. It isn't like I haven't messed up. It's okay to mess up… I'll be here with you. Everyone will stand with you..."
Adora closed her eyes. "We… just dealt with Horde Prime… what might come now will be worse. I can see it."
Catra looked away, just for a moment. There was real fear in her voice. After everything that happened in the last twenty four hours, what had reinstilled this attitude? Was whatever Adora saw that bad?
"Is it inevitable?" she asked. "By dying here, will you stop this? Or will you have merely delayed it?"
The silence was telling enough.
Adora opened her now-wet eyes. "I know it's… dumb to try and sacrifice myself again… but I'm afraid what might happen to you, all of you*.*"
"Oh, Adora." She squeezed their hands together. "We'll be afraid together and we'll be brave together. It's why, despite all your dumb and bravado-filled plans, you won against the Horde and me."
"Okay… okay… Together..." That affirmation, a small concession, gave her hope. Adora rolled out of Catra's grasp, standing on two shaky legs. She stumbled to the edge of the cliff, breathing heavily.
Her head lolled back, as her breathing turned to desperate huffs as if the air she breathed wasn't going into her lungs. She stood at the very edge. Catra outstretched a hand, before letting it fall back to her side. There were times when she had to hold Adora back and other times she had to let her do her thing.
Adora turned back around, the glow obscuring her face. "We'll win in the end, right?"
"Of course."
"No matter what happens, I love you. Remember that."
She turned back around, hunching over and crying out. Before Catra could rush back, Adora arched her back, like snapping a whip. The glow surged as Adora cried out those words that transformed her into She-Ra.
"For the honor of Grayskull!"
Adora seemed to fold into herself as she started to levitating, shooting kaleidoscope flashes from her body. It didn't quite blossom like a flower, but it was like watching a wilt in reverse. Adora started to jerk about in the air, being flung left and right like a fish being reeled in.
"Adora!"
A split started to surge across her body, slicing her into three distinct images that emitted from the waist up. Each one of them was caught mid-transformation into She-Ra. The one on the left had a short white dress with a red cape and a large winged headdress. The one on the right looked alike to the left image, but more armored, more visceral somehow.
She-Ra, her She-Ra, seemed to burst out from Adora, shoving away the mirror images as a sprout would do to a shell. But they all seemed to be caught in a bind, trying to tie them all together. They all started to yell out in pain, each of them breaking into separate cacophonies.
"Come on..." Adora roared out, reaching toward the sky. "I said, for the honor of Grayskull!"
The sword began to materialize above She-Ra, just out of reach. Adora's fingers strained, trying to grasp the hilt. The further she stretched, the more she seemed to break away, shedding the skin of She-Ra. It was only until Catra saw the other two images siphoning that energy, stealing She-Ra for themselves. The more they took, the more hazy the sword became. If Adora couldn't grasp it… what would those copies do to her?
Catra took a step forward, but paused, unable to discern what to do? Her instincts screamed at her to tackle one of those fakes and alleviate the burden for Adora. But something told her that they would slip through her claws like water.
The two fakes began to grab at Adora, still connected to her. The images solidified, appearing more real from the waist up. Their legs blurred, unable to pull away and be made real outside Adora. They were the branches of a tree, trying to touch the sky. The longer it went on, the harder it was to tell who was the main trunk of the tree and who were the branches.
What would have happened if Adora didn't try to unleash them? What damage would have this caused internally?
Catra clenched her fists, knowing this wasn't a fight that could be settled with fists or wit.
Instead, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "You can do it Adora!"
The violent, more armored one stuttered in her ascent, but the plainer one on the left seemed invigorated by the shout. The fake reached Adora's shoulder, using it as leverage to lift herself further.
"Third time's the charm!" Adora screamed. She pulled her arm down before thrusting it back up and grasping the sword. "For the honor of Grayskull!
The world above shattered and crackled, narrowing down into a single line of reality that came crashing down like lightning. Catra screamed Adora's name as it enveloped her. Two human sized bolts shot out from the sides, but Catra ignored it, staring as She-Ra shook violently. The reverberations ran through reality with She-Ra as the epicenter.
The sky split apart like cloth, revealing what laid underneath: the sky beneath the sky. It wouldn't have looked so alien if it didn't look so similar, yet so different all at once. She-Ra hovered, resplendent in her white, gold highlighted uniform that showcased the muscular physique of her arms. Then the exposed skin started to smoke and Adora let loose one last cry before she exploded off the cliff.
Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as Catra watched everything transpire in slow motion.
Without thought, she rushed off the cliff and dove off after Adora.
She caught her massive frame in her arms and for a moment, they glided through the air. Then gravity kicked in, the two of them plummeting down to the ground. Adora was unconscious and listless in her arms like a life-sized doll. Catra enveloped her, trying to rotate their positions so that she would take the brunt of the impact. Adora would undoubtedly flip their positions if she woke up, but Adora wasn't the only self-sacrificing fool around.
"Adora! Wake up!" she shouted. "Please!"
The world continued to quake as they tumbled downwards. She shifted her grip, reaching for the sword still clutched in Adora's hand. She had seen She-Ra do a great many things with emitted energies: shooting out waves of power, creating platforms, and transform into a shield. Any one of those options could save them. But Catra was no She-Ra. No matter how much she waggled Adora's wrist, the sword did not respond.
And so they fell, slipping through the cracks of their universe.