Turning Thorns to Petals

CHAPTER 4

Catra and Adora arrived home. They were both pretty tired after the meditation group. Adora decided she was going to take a shower to help herself wake up more, plus she may or may not have tripped into mud during their walk home. She told Catra she wouldn't take too long. Catra nodded and Adora headed upstairs.

Bow and Glimmer were still away at Salinas having a good time with Sea Hawk and Mermista. They usually stay out for the whole day when they visit Salinas, it's kind of hard to leave when Sea Hawk pleads them to stay with a shanty each time Glimmer even suggests they should get going.

Adora was still upstairs showering so Catra wandered outside into Shadow Weaver's old garden.

She's been out there before but usually not for very long. She observes the garden. Strolling past each bush, inspecting the flowers.

Shadow Weaver isn't there anymore to water the plants so, most of them are dead or dying. Catra plucks a single flower off a bush and it withers away in her hands. One moment there, the next gone.

She feels slightly cold when she remembers this was the very garden Shadow Weaver spent her time in near the end of her days. Catra thought it was funny how Shadow Weaver did such a good job tending her garden and watering each plant so that flowers could bloom, but couldn't do the same for her. She wished she was a flower.

Catra could have been able to thrive like a flower does when it has access to sunlight and gets watered when it needs it.

Being raised in the horde is like trying to grow a plant in the dark. Every bit of life she had was stomped out by Shadow Weaver or Hordak.

She did what she had to do to adapt to an environment without any water. Though, she did have a single ray of sunshine. Adora was her sunshine. Her one beam of hope that maybe, somehow, in some way, she'll bloom into something beautiful despite lacking all other necessities to flourish.

But her sunshine left. So she grew thorns instead of petals.

Catra sits down and holds her arms. She's done this a lot for comfort, it feels like she's giving herself a hug. She takes a deep breath. The air is fresh and the day is warm and bright. She gazes up at the sky.

I'm here. Everything is okay. I'm okay.

For the first time in a very long time she stops thinking about everything all at once and she appreciates the moment. Her thoughts are constantly jumping back and fourth, past and future but not present. But now she's aware of her present. She realizes that she truly is okay.

She wants things to stay like this forever and all it takes for it to get messed up is one mistake and then everybody hates her again and she is alone and-. Catra stops herself.

Breathe.

"Catra?"
Adora walks out into the garden and sees Catra sitting with her arms crossed. She looks distressed, her tail flicks around.

"Are you okay?"

She sits down next to Catra, the same way she always had in the horde whenever Catra hid in the dark. She's glad she's there to comfort her again after not being able to for so long.

"Yeah. It's just- It's weird...being in Shadow Weaver's old garden."

Catra says flatly, emotionless. She doesn't want to break down in front of Adora so all she can do is numb out her feelings and push away her thoughts the best she can.

"Yeah, I have to admit that I still find it kinda strange that someone as creepy as Shadow Weaver could enjoy something as cheerful as daisies."

Adora says chuckling, her eyes sparkle whenever she laughs. Catra could tell this was Adora's attempt at cheering her up so she couldn't help but smile at her. Adora puts her arm around Catra, holding her close but not too tight. Catra rests her head on Adora's shoulder and starts purring.

She missed this. She missed the friendship they once had. She hated being Adora's enemy. The truth is she never really hated Adora. She tried so hard to hate her because it's easier to hate someone when you can't have them, then to love them and miss them every single day. But, the words of the promise they once made always chimed in her head so how could she forget about her single sun ray?

"I love you."

Catra whispered, her voice raspy and low. Her eyes softened and her purring grew louder by the second. She could stay like this forever.

"I love you, too."

Adora murmurs, her voice hushed and soft. She felt warm inside, the tension in her back and shoulders released. For once in her life she truly felt relaxed. She too, could stay like this forever.