Right Place Wrong Time

Part 2

The walk to the skiff was second nature to Adora and Catra at this point. The corners and hallways out of the security cameras' view, stayed a well kept secret between the two. The journey was uneventful as per usual. When the skiff came into view Catra's eyes lit up with glee.

Adora hopped up onto the bulky metal ship first, then helped Catra up over the edge. Catra tripped a little into Adoras arms, noticeably blushing Catra pushed Adoras face away.

"Let's get going idiot."
"Whatever you say my liege." Adora teased.

The skiff started up with a clunk and whir of the engine. The lever controlling speed and direction was pushed down as Adora began piloting out of the skiffs spot. They flew through the abandoned corridors stirring up dust in their wake.

"Let me get a turn driving."

Adora handed the steering over to Catra and she pushed the skiff as fast as it could go. Wind whipped through her deep auburn hair. The smile on her face wrinkled her nose as her elongated pupils widened in excitement. Catra's canines flashed out of her mouth as she giggled in joy. Adora blushed looking forward to the identical corridors branching off in multiple directions. When something caught her eye.

"Catra!" The skiff jerked to a stop when Catra glared at Adora, then she saw what made the blonde shout her name. A chamber they had never seen before, it's not that they hadn't passed through this area before, it's just that the doors on this level no longer worked.
But miraculously this one had opened. They turned off the skiff approaching the now open door with caution.

The room was incredibly plain with only a large chunk of gemstone in the center. The only other thing about the room was a missing section of the ceiling revealing the reddened sky and several other buildings extending far above.

"Woah..." Catra and Adora said in unison. They had never seen anything like this before. The stone in the center of the room was practically humming with power. Catra raised her hand to the stone, as she was about to touch it a spark of electricity zapped her finger.

"Ouch," she pulled her hand back immediately, "Wait, was that,"

"Magic..." Adora finished widening her eyes as she and Catra looked at each other in a near panic. Adora hesitantly took a step back towards the skiff.

"Its incredible." Catra pressed her hand fully onto the glimmering stone. The dark hue of the gem lightened with coursing electricity, growing in intensity the stone lifted from the ground holding a magnetic grip on Catra pulling her up with it. The energy surged ripples of power emanated from the artifact, the room flickered with red lightning. The energy danced around the room nearly hitting Adora many times. The faint smile on Catras face grew manic. Her head arched back a crackling giggle escaping her lips, quickly turning hysterical. Catra lowered down to the ground once more, collapsing to her knees.

Adora quickly rushed forward placing her hand on her best friend's shoulder. She hissed and immediately pulled back her hand. The brief contact with Catra left her hand burned with bolt shaped lines running up her forearm. She screamed in agony grasping her injured arm with the other trying to gain back some semblance of composure. Adora collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down her face, puddling on the cold metal floor beneath her.

Catra hadn't reacted. Catras expression of manic happiness hadn't changed in the slightest, her eyes only focused on the glowing black garnet. Catra raised her hand in front of her watching scarlet arches of lightning bounce between her fingers.

"What is this," Catra raised both hands together, enjoying the increasing intensity of the lightning between her palms. "I've never felt this good! I feel powerful."

Her words hit Adora, finally overcoming the feeling of agony in her limb she raised her gaze to her life long friend. She was unrecognizable. The vermillion energy surrounding her. The emotionless eyes clouded in a haze of bliss, and the unchanging grin plastered on Catras face. Her jaw was clenched so hard Adora could practically hear the cracking of teeth, but it seemed Catra felt nothing.

"Catra...?"

"Hmmm?" Her feline ears cocked back listening to the groaning girl on the floor.

"I, I need help. We have to get out of here." Adora choked on the words exiting her mouth, the sobs of pain neverending as she spoke.

"Please Catra." There was no response from the other girl. "Catra?"

The feline girl turned looking down at Adora. "Hmmm, sure, go ahead." Adora hardly recognized the girl in front of her. Busy looking at her long black claws and ignoring Adora as if she were a stranger. Once she was satisfied looking at her nails she peered back down to Adora, a puzzled expression.

"Why are you still here?"

"What? Catra, are you okay?"

"Oh yes, but my patience with you is quickly draining."

A clawed hand grabbed Adoras injured arm, tossing her onto the nearby skiff. "I suggest you leave now." Adora shook in pain as confusion swirled in her mind. Something was undeniably wrong with Catra.

"No, I'm not leaving you." The blonde sobbed. She reached for Catra, her injured hand still searing with pain as it was stretched in front of her.

"Okay then." A flood of relief surged over Adora which quickly dissipated into panic as Catra steered the skiff to the gaping hole in the ceiling.

"What, what are you doing?" Catra paid no attention to the question, she pushed the acceleration down, lighting crackled as she did, breaking the steering and acceleration irreparably. The skiffs motors hummed rapidly gaining speed. Adora was launched on the skiff into the open environment speeding away from the only home and family she had known before a scream could escape her lungs.