Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Adora, will you quit it and just go to sleep already? You’re getting frustrated again. Just give it time.”

“You’re welcome to go back to your own dorm,” Adora said, “I have to study. I’m so close to failing She-Ra.” Everyone’s going to be so disappointed.

“Nah, you know how I feel about my roommates.”

“Are you sure it’s not because you like me?”

“What? Nooo, impossible, we’re arch nemeses! I do not like you.”

“Sure you don’t.”

“You’re sleep deprived,” Catra yawned from her bed, “And you’re making me sleep deprived. We both have class in the morning. What are you gonna do, fall asleep in class?”

Adora’s studying habits really hadn’t changed much since highschool. In her own opinion, Adora thought she was just fine with whether she had slept or not. She never even fell asleep in class.

“You know that wouldn’t happen,” Adora smiled a little, but it was gone quickly, “Maybe I am tired.”

“Well, I’m always right,” Catra half-heartedly mumbled into her pillow.

“Sure you are,” Adora grinned, “Alright, move over.”

She sighed, tapping her pencil against her binder rhythmically, tap, tap, tap, bouncing her leg to the same rhythm.

“Are you still worried about Professor Hologram’s class? Chill out.”

“Professor Hologram?” Adora repeated.

“Yeah, she’s basically a robot! Like a computer program or something. I’ve NEVER seen anything that proves she’s alive.”

“So why didn’t you just call her Professor Robot?”

“Because you would’ve thought I meant Entrapta, duh,” Catra smirked, “Besides, hologram really captures her energy.”

“She’s not a hologram,” Adora mumbled, “I think.”

“Duh?”

“And the She-Ra class is really important to me, Catra! I’m the first who got in, in ten years !”

“You mentioned.”

“Everyone’s really counting on me— A— Angella, Glimmer, even Light Spinner!”

“Ugh, it’s so weird to hear you call her that,” Catra said.

“I know! But I can’t call her Shadow Weaver in front of anyone— we called her that when we were kids. We’re college students now.”

“ Ooh, is that why we’re in a college?” 

“Catra.”

“I’m just joking. You have no sense of humour today.” 

“This is serious ! I could fail— I’ve never failed a class.” Bad grades, maybe, but never fail. 

“That’s impossible, you study religiously,” Catra said, “Come on, is Light Hope really that strict of a teacher?”

“Yes! One mistake is like half your grade, gone!” Adora was only partially exaggerating.

“Then why don’t you just, I dunno, suck up to her? You’re a people pleaser, aren’t you?”

“I am not a people pleaser, and I… I don’t know, I don’t know anything about Light Hope. I don’t even know what she eats— or, if she eats— what if I bring her an apple and she’s allergic and she hates me?”

Adora gasped, horrified, “What if it’s a deadly allergy, and—and I kill her and oh no, I’d go to jail I can’t go to jail! Everyone’s counting on me! I can’t be the— first She-Ra in ten years and go to jail !”

“Adora, you need to chill out,” Catra said, adjusting her headband, “It’s not like you’re being graded for how good you are at freaking out.”

“Shouldn’t you be in class?”

“It’s not going anywhere.”

“ Catra .”

“What? It’s not.”

“I have to go. Art class starts in ten minutes.”

“Yeah, you wouldn't want to be late. It’s not like it’s a 30 second walk from here or anything.”

“I’m already failing She-Ra, I’m not failing art!”

“Yeah, whatever,” Catra shrugged, knowing for a fact that Adora wasn’t even close to failing art, or art history. Now, to get to her own class...

Adora exited her class and checked the time. Twenty minutes till her next class. Should catch up with Catra.

“ Adora!”

But Catra beat her to it. She usually did.

“Catra! How did you even know when my class ended?”

“Uh, you leave your class schedule on your desk in our room.”

“My room,” Adora corrected, “You’re in a different dorm— why don’t you just ask for  a transfer, by the way? You never sleep in your dorm anyway.”

“Uh, because that’s work? I’d have to fill out a forum, and wait a couple weeks for a response and blah, blah, blah… I have enough homework already. It’s not gonna do itself.”

“You know I’ll always help you with homework, right?” Adora said, “And the forum, if you let me.”

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, you’re not in the same classes as I am. What do you know about political science?”

“I— I know how to read, so I could… I could read. About it.”

“Oh, look, so do I. Trust me, Adora, I don’t need your help. But if you wanna throw chips in my mouth while I study, I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”

“Ugh, can’t I just cook you some real food?”

“You know, I don’t really trust you with an oven,” Catra joked, “I’d maybe trust Bow.”

“I— I can cook!” Adora insisted, “I can! I’ve been learning. I can make eggs!”

“We’ll see about that,” Catra grinned, “Guess you’re cooking me breakfast tomorrow. Good thing, too. I’m getting tired of fast food.”

The last week and a half had been mostly fast food. Spinerella and Netossa had both been working late and grading papers, and Catra couldn’t really cook so she just ended up getting fast food. 

(Adora also suspected Catra didn’t like making real food if she was eating alone. If Adora didn’t make her eat something real, she’d just eat junk.)

Adora sighed, “Well, I guess I don’t have any early classes tomorrow… Do you?”

“Nothing that can’t wait.”

“ Okay, but if you have class I’m not making them until after.”

The She-Ra class was always at the end of the day, allowing her anxiety to fill to the brim and distract her from her other classes. (She always thought this was a flawed system.)

In reality, it was just because they didn’t have any classrooms to spare for such a small class. There was debate on whether to keep the class at all. 

But to Adora, it always just felt like Light Hope did it intentionally. Like she wanted Adora to be as anxious as she possibly could be, like she was supposed to fail.

(But everyone was counting on her, the first She-Ra in ten years. Angella had taken a chance when she took Adora in, when she got her into ETHERIA. If she didn’t succeed, they’d stop doing She-Ra. No one else would get a chance.)

Adora’s nerves were ready to crawl out of her body when she entered the classroom. Light Hope was standing motionlessly facing the projector.

“Adora.”

“Professor Light Hope,” Adora said, bowing. And then it occurred to her that college students didn’t really tend to bow to their professors.

Oh, was all she could think, blushing. It didn’t even take her five minutes to do something dumb.

Light Hope didn’t seem to notice, as she was setting up the projector, “You are early. Good.”

“Yeah— couldn’t, couldn’t wait to, to learn… She-Ra… things.”

“We will be focusing on your independent skills as well as teamwork,” Light Hope said, “In time, you will be able to make a difference.”

“Teamwork? I’m, uh, I’m the only student in this class, so…”

“That is correct. You are the first student since Mara,” Light Hope continued, “It is why we will be pairing you up with Swift Wind.”

“S… Swift Wind?”

As if on cue, a fluffy white dog wearing a unicorn costume ran in. He had a harness with little colourful wings on it. It was cute, but… confusing.

“Swift Wind is a dog?” Adora asked.

“I sure am,” Swift Wind said . Not barked.

“He just talked!” Adora shouted, “He’s a talking dog! Am I hallucinating? Is it the stress? Do I need medical attention!?”

“Okay, I see you need a moment to freak out.” 

“He is uniquely qualified,” Light Hope explained, “Swift Wind has been trained to help you with an obstacle course, designed to help you know when to rely on others and yourself.”

“Yep! I’m a professional seeing-eye dog, because I am a dog and I can see. Those are my qualifications.”

Adora felt like she was losing it. But honestly, at this point she was ready to accept that some dogs just talk. She could freak out about it when she wasn’t extremely close to failing her classes.

“Okay,” she sighed, “What do we do first?”

After class, Adora hung around the classroom to help clean up. Maybe Catra had a point, if she sucked up to Light Hope she might consider letting her pass. 

Swift Wind was curled up in a ball in the corner, sleeping from all the physical activity involved in Adora’s obstacle course. If she was being honest, she felt pretty worn out, too.

Light Hope was so quiet it was frightening, she barely made any sound when she moved. Adora kept getting startled when she seemed to disappear, and reappear just as quickly.

Maybe she is a hologram.

“So, um,” Adora asked, “How come no one’s gotten in this class in ten years?”

“Mara,” Light Hope said, like it explained everything, “She was intended to be the last She-Ra, and the first transfer student to make it into this class.”

“Oh… What happened? To Mara, I mean?”

“Mara had conflicting views on the She-Ra system, and attempted to destroy it,” Light Hope said, “Her instructor managed to stop her.”

“Her instructor? Did Mara have a different teacher?” Adora asked, “I thought you always taught this class… How do you know all this?”

“I was enrolled in ETHERIA at the same time as Mara. We were assigned the same dorm room. I was there to witness it.”

“You and Mara were close?”

“Close? Yes… I think that is accurate,” Light Hope said, “We have not spoken in many years.”

“Why not?”

“After graduation, we went our separate ways. I stayed here in ETHERIA, while Mara moved away from Despondos. I do not know where she is now.”

“You must miss her…”

“Yes,” Light Hope agreed, “Perhaps I do.”

“Catra! Catra, you’re not going to believe this!”

If Adora had been more focused, she might have noticed that the floor had been recently mopped and may have been able to avoid slipping entirely. 

But the rush she was feeling clouded everything else, and she found herself struggling for her balance.

“What? You not noticing the ‘wet floor’ sign and slipping?” Catra asked, “Hate to break it to you, Adora, but I’m used to you being dumb like that.”

“No, that’s not that I mean,” Adora said, “I found out something about Light Hope!”

“Wait, you did? Now that’s a little more impressive.”

“Yeah! She— she was friends with Mara. I think. They were in college together! They shared a dorm!”

“They shared a dorm?” Another voice asked, “Ooh, juicy! Light Hope, having a secret ex-girlfriend?”

Adora practically jumped back into Catra’s arms, but Catra had jumped back to.

“Double Trouble,” Adora said, “When did you get here?”

“Five minutes ago or so, darling, but let me give you a piece of advice,” They smirked, “If you want to actually get a decent grade, perhaps you should reunite these star-crossed lovers.”

“Gross. Play Cupid for a bunch of old people?” Catra crossed her arms.

“Love is a powerful tool, kitten. Light Hope’s always given off the impression she needs a girlfriend. Of course, you could always just fail your class.”

“No— I’ll… I’ll try,” Adora said, “Commence operation ‘get Light Hope a girlfriend’!”

“I can’t talk you out of this, can I?”

“Why would you want to? This is a disaster waiting to happen. It’s free entertainment— and the subject of my drama paper. This place is due for some action.”

Chapter Text

“So you want to go out on a whim and find a woman you’ve never met, and have no way of finding— just to maybe get a higher grade?”

“Yes, Catra! It’s the only thing I can do.”

“Alright,” Catra shrugged, “I’m in.”

“You are…?”

“Yep,” She said, “But we’ll need Entrapta. She can hack into the school database and find Mara’s info, and maybe she’ll manage to dig up some contact information.”

“Thanks, Catra,” Adora smiled, “You’re the best.”

“Yeah, I know.”

The sizzling of the frying pan and smell of the eggs cooking was an exciting start to the morning, at least for Catra.

“What do you know, you can cook,” Catra teased, “That, or you’re just not bad enough to burn the building down.”

“Hey! I haven’t even started that many fires since I started learning to cook!”

“Wait, you’ve started fires? Without me? Adora!” Catra whined.

“It wasn’t intentional!”

“I’ve never been so betrayed! I thought arson was our thing!”

“I never agreed to that!” Adora said, “Besides, it was just a couple kitchen fires! It’s not like it was a building!”

“So, if you ever do arson, you’ll call me?”

“Of course I’ll call you, Catra. I couldn’t do arson without you.”

The back and forth they had always left a smile on her face. After a short moment, Catra changed topic.

“So,” Catra began, “I have fewer classes, so I’ll check in with Entrapta today.”

“You just wanna see her cat.”

“What? No I don’t!”

“Admit it— you love it,” Adora smirked.

“I don’t love Fox. I like Fox. It’s not like it’s my cat.”

“You named it, Catra.”

“Unofficially! I just thought it was a fox at first! You can’t blame me, there’s foxes in the woods! I’ve seen them!” Catra said, “I thought it, just like, broke in or something!”

“Besides, seeing Entrapta’s cat means seeing her roomba,” Catea added, “Entrapta programmed it to be ‘affectionate’, but it just keeps ramming into my foot.”

Adora set the plate down in front of her, “That’s the Horde tech one, right?”

“If you mean it was a piece of garbage, yes,” Catra said.

Catra quietly entered the classroom. Bow’s class schedule was a lot harder to find than Adora’s, but because Catra was amazing she found it.

“Hey, Entrapta.”

“Sorry— class isn’t for half an hour. I think. Or… maybe it has been half an hour?” Entrapta paused, checking her phone, “Nope! Still twenty five minutes left. Oh, hey, Catra! You’re not in my class.”

“I’m not,” Catra nodded, “Hey, can you do me a favour? I need you to hack something.”

“Sure!” Entrapta agreed automatically, “I still have twenty five— no, no, that’s twenty four now— minutes left until my next class. What do you need to be hacked?”

“I need a file on someone who used to go here,” Catra said, “Her name was Mara. She was the last student in the She-Ra class?”

Entrapta slid over to her computer and typed furiously, “I’ll print it out for you, it shouldn’t take long.”

“Can’t you just take a picture of it and send me it?” Catra asked, “You have my number. I don’t want anyone to know what we’re doing.”

“It’s easier than you think to get rid of physical evidence,” Entrapta smiled, “Anyway, it’s all in here.”

“Thanks, Entrapta,” Catra said, taking the paper from the printer. 

“Ooh, don’t you want to say hi to Emily?”

“I’ll pass.”

Catra hurried back to meet up with Adora, the newly discovered information would surely be helpful. Though, she did stop to pet Entrapta’s cat, which had followed her out the classroom.

“I can’t believe Light Hope is in her early thirties,” Adora said, bewildered, “I always thought she was so much older than that.”

“Are you just realizing that now?” Catra asked, “You can do math, right?”

“I can do math! It just didn’t really process until now!”

“I’m sure you can,” Catra smirked.

Adora sighed, “Anyway, we’ll have to wait until the weekend to visit Mara. I just hope she’ll be there.”

The weekend came both quickly and slowly, she wasn’t sure which. Adora talked Catra out of driving, not trusting her behind a wheel after their arson conversation.

However, due to their lack of a vehicle— they ended up having to borrow Angella’s car. 

Glimmer borrowed it all the time without permission, but Adora was so much less bold when it came to that and asked.

“Remember when we stole Shadow Weaver’s car?” Catra asked, “You know, when we were fifteen?”

“We didn’t steal it, we borrowed it,” Adora corrected.

“If you say so. Shadow Weaver was furious,” Catra said, “Can’t see why— we brought it back in one piece.”

“Catra, we broke the back windshield. I don’t even know how we did it!”

“Exactly! We drove perfectly! It’s Shadow Weaver’s fault for buying a Horde vehicle.”

“It was cheap,” Adora reminded her, “She got it on sale.”

“Yeah, because nobody wants it,” Catra smirked, “That’s the real reason it broke— we were amazing at driving.”

“I’m surprised we didn’t get pulled over— we didn’t even have a license…”

“Yeah, but nobody knew that because we were great at driving.”

Adora smiled, but their conversations soon ended and they embraced the silence, with nothing but the rush of the wind and the car as background noise.

Mara was a social worker, in a relatively small building just outside Despondos. Adora parked, and she and Catra walked in.

“Excuse me?” Adora asked the lady sitting at the desk— the receptionist, perhaps, “We’re looking for Mara, is she here?”

“Mara?” She repeated, “Yes, I’ll get her. Please, take a seat.”

Adora made herself comfortable, or as comfortable as she could be in this situation, while Catra boredly leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet back and forth. 

Mara arrived about ten minutes later, a tall woman with long brown hair tied in a braid and a sweet smile. 

“Hi, sorry I’m late, I was held up with a client,” Mara said, “So, what brings you here? Are you my next appointment…?”

“Hi, uh, no, not quite,” Adora replied, “We’re here for, for uh…”

“For a project, for school,” Catra finished, lying smoothly, “We’re doing a project on old friendships, and our teacher Light Hope talked about an old friend of hers. So, we came to hear your story.”

“Light Hope?” Mara blinked, “She was my friend in college. We used to share a dorm, after I transferred to ETHERIA.”

“Can you tell us about her, if you have a moment?”

“Light Hope… Well, she spent most of her time in class or our dorm… Crowds weren’t really her thing, or friendships. I think I might’ve been one of her only friends,” Mara said, “But she didn’t seem to mind.”

“She was always stuck indoors studying, so one time I brought her some flowers… She made a virtual reality world with flowers for me, after that… It was so pretty.”

The more Mara talked, the more misty-eyed she seemed to get. She was still smiling, but it seemed sad now.

“Some nights, we used to sneak up on the roof and look at the stars— Hope, she could name just about any of them. I could listen to her talk for hours.”

“So, how come you don’t talk anymore?”

Mara rubbed her eyes, gently, “Sometimes, life’s just complicated. After graduating, we each had our dreams to chase— I wanted to help people, and she wanted to stay and teach. We didn’t mean to stop talking, I think it… just sort of happened.”

“The distance made us feel disconnected, and I guess we just sort of lost touch. I wanted to call her, to reignite that spark, but… I wasn’t sure she’d want to talk to me.”

“Why wouldn’t she?”

“Chasing old friends is complicated. People grow, and we change and sometimes what you’re really chasing is the memories, and the feelings you had. It doesn’t always work out.”

“She misses you, too. You should talk to her.”

“I don’t know,” Mara said, “I don’t know what I’d say, it’s been so long…”

“She’d want you to talk to her again,” Catra said, “When we were in high school, Adora and me… We had a fight and stopped talking for a while. I’m glad we made up, because honestly, I don’t know where I’d be without her.”

Adora put her hand on Catra’s shoulder, “Where would either of us be?”

“You really think Light Hope would want to see me…?” Mara asked, “I’m just not sure, I… I miss her, every day we’re apart.”

“And she misses you— you should’ve heard the way she talked about you,” Adora said, “I think it was the most emotional she’s ever gotten around me. She said you were friends, and I… I think it meant a lot to her, Mara.”

Mara hummed, “Maybe I should try and get in touch with her. I just… I wouldn’t know how.”

“We’ll arrange something,” Catra said, “Adora and I will set something up. We’ll call you with the details.”

The way Mara lit up removed any doubt Adora had that she was in love with Light Hope, the way her eyes twinkled at her name. 

Yes, Mara was in love with Light Hope— she had to be. She just hoped the feeling was mutual.

“You will?” Mara smiled, so genuinely happy, “Thank you, kids.”

“We’ll set something up!?”

“I panicked, okay!?” Catra yelled back, getting in the car, “We just need to set up a date for them, or something— and then get Light Hope there.”

“That’s easier said than done!”

“I know, but so is this whole thing!” Catra took a deep breath, “Look, why don’t we ask Bow and Glimmer for help? Glimmer’d be up for this. And Bow likes love! Ooh, and I’ll ask DT!”

“What’s DT going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Catra shrugged, “Free entertainment? Maybe they have an in at a restaurant? But hey, they wanna write their drama paper on this, right?”

“Doesn’t mean they’d help us, if we even want their help.”

“Up for debate. Let’s worry more about how we’re gonna possibly convince Professor Hologram to follow us.”

“I think I have an idea,” Adora smirked.

Chapter Text

“Ugh, Sea Hawk is so annoying— he keeps coming over to my dorm and like, eating ALL of my cheetos.”

“Only because you keep throwing them at him,” Perfuma said.

“I only throw them at him because he’s distracting me from my Mer-Mysteries books, and because it’s like, really funny,” Mermista replied, “But seriously, why can’t Bill go over to his dorm for a change? They’re one of those gross couples.”

Perfuma nodded in understanding, “Are they one of those ‘lovey-dovey’ couples you said you hate?”

“Um, yeah, but also they’re worse because they keep finishing each other’s sentences, and talking in unison. Like, get a life. And they won’t. Stop. Singing. Sea. Shanties!”

“Oh,” Perfuma said, sympathetically, “I’m sorry, Mermista.”

Adora was only half-listening to her friends’ conversation, her mind focused on other things at the moment. Mainly, her upcoming plan.

Catra was hanging out with Double Trouble, partially to ask for their help and partially just because they’d always end up getting into mischief. She was actually kind of worried she’d get a phone call to pick Catra up from jail.

She had no idea what Double Trouble got up to, but she did know they were chaotic and so was Catra, and the combination was dangerous.

Adora smiled politely but aside from that mostly ignored her friends. She had someone to meet up with. Someone… furry.

They were meeting outside the building, on the college campus full of green grass and beautiful flowerbeds. 

The sunshine felt nice on her skin. Adora didn’t get outside as often anymore, and she didn’t really get to enjoy it.

“Swiftie?” Adora asked.

“Did somebody say Swift Wind? ” The white dog asked, making his dramatic entrance. He posed majestically, which was not typical dog behaviour. Or at least, she didn’t think it was. She never had a dog before.

Shadow Weaver hated pets. Glimmer had recently talked Angella into getting a pet, but they hadn’t decided on what.

“Swiftie!” Adora smiled, beckoning the dog towards her. Swift Wind wagged his tail and approached Adora, letting her pet him.

“I heard you needed my assistance,” He said, “As She-Ra’s noble steed, I would be glad to help.”

“She-Ra’s… noble… steed?” 

“Yes! It’s a wonderful title, isn’t it? Light Hope gave me it,” He smiled, “Usually, they would’ve gotten a horse or something, but the budget for a class with one person in it couldn’t afford it. So they got me instead: the first dog noble steed.”

Adora continued petting him, running her hands through his soft, soft fur. She loved dogs.

“And as She-Ra’s noble steed, I have decided to help the rest of my kind! No longer will dogs be locked up in cages! We will be free to roam the streets as we please! And go on as many walks as we want! Dog treats for all! Also, whatever you’re eating later. I want that. Especially apples.”

“Dogs like apples?”

“I don’t know about other dogs, but I love apples,” Swift Wind said, “I think that’s the real reason I was picked to be your steed, which honestly I’m a little offended by. I have many unique talents.”

Adora nodded, “So, can you help me…?”

“Of course I can! As your noble steed, I will not fail you! What do you need?”

“I need you to bring Light Hope here later—I’ll tell her you’re… rebelling, or something, and she’ll have to chase you. We’re reuniting her with Mara.

“Got it!” Swift Wind said, “I won’t fail you, as your noble steed! Very noble!”

“Thanks, Swiftie.”

“Adora and Swift Wind,” He sang, wagging his tail, “Forging a special bond, playing match-maker with her teacher.

The lyrics could use some work, Adora thought, but considering he was a dog it was pretty good.

“ That’s your plan?” Catra asked, lounging on the couch which was, pretty much, just made out of cushions. Like all things in the Bright Moon dorm.

“Come on, I know it doesn’t sound great,” Adora said, “But I think it should work.”

“Whatcha talking about?” Glimmer asked, popping in, “Ooh, are you planning something? Can I be a part of it?”

“Why do you always ask that?” 

“If I keep asking, one day the answer might be yes,” Glimmer smirked, “Rebellion!”

“Don’t you have a test coming up?” Catra asked.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Glimmer said, “I’ve just spent like, THREE hours studying. I wanna do something fun.”

“Is, uh, setting your teacher up with her old college friend fun?” 

“Yes!” Glimmer exclaimed, her eyes sparkling, “I’ve always wanted to do something like that! Hold on, let me get my stuff.”

“You’ve always wanted to set your teacher up with someone?”

“Well, duh! Love makes people happier, and happier teachers mean happier grades,” Glimmer smiled, “Ah! I’m so excited! I gotta tell Bow!”

“Well, I guess if any of us are playing Cupid…”

Glimmer sparkled her way out of the room in a poof, the way she always does, and returned with Bow.

“Best Friends Squad is playing matchmaker!”

Although Adora could cook eggs, everything else was a disaster, so they resorted to their friends who actually did know how to cook.

Bow’s dads were both pretty good cooks, and he’d grown up cooking with them and his siblings, so it was no wonder he’d picked up that skill.

Perfuma was happy to help, and to make a salad. She also offered to do the flower arrangements, and turned the little set-up they had into a beautiful floral display.

Glimmer provided the table and the tablecloth, as apparently Angella had a spare laying around.

“Your mom really let you take that?” Adora asked.

“Technically, it’s our mom now,” Glimmer corrected, “And no, I didn’t tell her I was taking it. She’d ask so many questions.”

Adora rubbed her arm nervously. Even though Angella had taken her in quite some time ago, saving her from Shadow Weaver and legally adopting her, Adora still wasn’t used to the idea she suddenly had a mom.

Which is why Glimmer liked to remind her that she was, legally, her sister.

“Besides, she hardly ever used this thing,” Glimmer said, “And she has like, a billion tablecloths. She won’t even notice it’s gone, I promise.”

Glimmer opened her bag and shook it until all the contents fell on the ground, including notebooks missing a few pages, crumpled paper, pencils, and for some reason fairy lights and crystals.

“We’ll hang these up!” Glimmer said, gathering the lights in her hands, her excitement spilling out with every word, “It’ll make it so much more romantic!”

“Are we gonna have time to do this unnoticed?” Adora asked.

“Don’t worry, Adora, it doesn’t actually take that long to hang fairy lights,” Glimmer smiled, “Now, why don’t you spread out the crystals? I brought rose quartz, rhodonite and some others.”

Glimmer’s bag was full of various stones, lots of them pink but some green or white. Adora set down the crystals around the flower arrangements, where she assumed they looked nice.

 But decorating wasn’t really her thing, and Perfuma had to stop her from putting it where it didn’t look that nice.

Glimmer, with some assistance from Bow, had managed to hang the lights she’d brought and light them. Glimmer added some scented candles to the table, lighting them.

“Please be careful with that,” Adora said, knowing Glimmer and Catra were similar in a lot of ways,

“Relax, I got it,” Glimmer replied, and the sweet scent of the candles filled the air, smelling distinctly like cinnamon. 

“Mara’s here,” Catra said, pointing at the car pulling up, “Adora, go get Light Hope.”

“Kay,” Adora said, running off into the building. Swift Wind was waiting outside the door for her.

But so was someone else.

“I was wondering when you’d show up,” Shadow Weaver— no, Light Spinner, she reminded herself— said. She chuckled darkly, and she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Chapter Text

“Sh—Light Spinner,” Adora corrected herself, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see why my previous star pupil has descended to this level. I always knew Catra would drag you down,” She said, “But going so far to get a grade? Letting your grades fall in the first place? This is beneath you, Adora.”

“I… I’m sorry, I tried—“

“Silence!” 

Adora instinctively flinched at the sound, and Swift Wind rubbed his head against her leg reassuringly.

“You had so much potential before you left me,” She spat, “Look at how you’ve wasted it! You could have done great things! But you let that delinquent drag you down to her level.”

“She’s my friend!” Adora exclaimed. Don’t talk about her like that!

“She’s not your friend,” Shadow Weaver— no, Light Spinner, Adora— said, “She’s just using you. She doesn’t really care about you, or she wouldn’t have ruined your potential.”

“No, you’re wrong! Catra, she…” Adora paused, “She’s always been there for me, supported me… She even helped me with this stupid idea, even though she didn’t have to.”

“Perhaps because getting you in trouble would allow her to rise to the top, perhaps even get herself enrolled in the She-Ra class. I know she applied. I saw the records.”

“She… she did? She never told me…” Catra doesn’t tell you things that might make you feel bad, like you getting accepted instead of her. She bottles it up.

“And what of your other ‘friend’, my current star pupil? She is doing extraordinary things in Physics. It’s a shame she wasn’t accepted, either.”

“Glimmer applied, too?” She didn’t tell me that, either… was she embarrassed, or, or… did she and Catra just not want to tell me? Did they tell each other?

Adora felt her eyes starting to water, but she fought it. No, she wasn’t going to cry in front of Li… Oh, who was she kidding, she really was a Shadow Weaver.

“Of course she did. She is Angella’s daughter, her real daughter,” She emphasized, “She has a reputation to uphold. Angella must be so ashamed it was you who got in, and even more so that you’re failing. ”

“I haven’t… told her…” 

“You think you need to? How do you think I know these things? She has access to your files, to your grades and more. She doesn’t need you to bring home a report card after school to know your failure.”

“I’m not failing,” Adora insisted, “Not anymore! I refuse to let everyone down.”

“You already have. ”

“No,” Adora said, “You can’t get in my head again! Angella— my… mom, she’s proud of me! My friends care about me, a-and they believe in me! I can’t let them down now. You’re just a bitter, old woman!”

Shadow Weaver made a noise of outrage, “We’ll see about that when I report your offence. Attempted tampering with your grades is a serious offence. I’ll bring this directly to your mother’s attention.”

Suddenly, clapping echoed through the hallways.

“Wonderful performance, everyone! Truly inspiring!”

Shadow Weaver growled, and Adora turned around to see Double Trouble emerging from the shadows.

“Such emotion! I almost believed you meant it,” Double Trouble said, “I mean, truly— the hatred, the manipulation— all just an act, yet so convincing! I never had too much faith in your acting abilities, but I’m blown away.”

“It wasn’t an act,” Adora blurted out.

“Drama students,” Shadow Weaver sighed, and glared at DT, “You saw nothing .”

“Quite the contrary,” DT smirked, “I saw the whole performance—recorded it, too, for reference— I mean it’s not often you see such splendid acting. Unless, of course, it wasn’t an act?”

“You recorded it?” Shadow Weaver yelled, “You fool! You had no right to record such an interaction!”

“Don’t overreact, darling. You’re acting like it’s something incriminating,” They said, “Which, I suppose for you, it is— after all, what kind of Physics teacher acts that way with a student? If it was real, that’d get you fired for sure.”

They smirked, “But of course, there’s no way that’s possible. Which is why I already sent the video to Professor Angella.”

“You did what!? ” Shadow Weaver shouted, and then forced herself to find her composure, “I have to discuss this with her, face to face.”

 Shadow Weaver stalked off into the shadows, where she belonged. It was always so strange to Adora how much brighter a room seemed to be without her in it.

“Um, thank you, DT,” Adora said.

“Oh, don’t get excited,” Double Trouble said, “Catra paid me. She had a feeling Light Spinner would get in your way.”

“She… did?” 

They nodded, “Well, I’m off to get my twenty. You better get on this reunion, or I’ll have nothing to write my paper on. It’s due Monday.”

They walked off, and Adora faced the door ahead with a sense of newfound determination. 

This wasn’t just about her grade anymore, she realized. This was about Light Hope, too. And even if her grades didn’t change, at least she’d have reunited these two, right? She’d have still done something good.

(Maybe that’d make her failing the She-Ra class hit everyone a little less hard, knowing she reunited two best friends. It made it hit her a little less hard, at least. A little.)

Adora opened the door, and signalled for Swiff Wind to get ready to run with a wave of her hand. She entered.

Light Hope didn’t appear to have noticed the commotion outside her door, as she was filing papers. 

Hopefully not grading , a small part of her thought.

“Light Hope?”

“Adora. It is not class hours,” Light Hope said, “It is peculiar for you to visit my classroom at this time.”

“I know, it’s just— Swift Wind, he’s… Um, rebelling! He’s running away! I don’t know if I can catch him by myself.”

“Swift Wind?” Light Hope blinked, and stood up, “We have to catch him. He is your noble steed. We can not afford another if he runs away.”

“He mentioned,” Adora said, “Come on, let’s go!”

Swift Wind played his part well, sprinting down the corridors with enthusiasm.

“Swift Wind, this is not your purpose as She-Ra’s steed,” Light Hope said, attempting to reason with him, “You must return to the classroom.”

“No!” Swift Wind shouted, “I’m rebelling! Freedom!”

“Swift Wind,” Light Hope tried again, but continued her pursuit on foot. Adora trailed behind her, by choice. Although she was starting to get less and less sure she could keep up if she wanted to, given how fast Light Hope moved.

If she is a hologram, she must be pretty advanced, She thought absentmindedly.

Swift a Wind led them both into the clearly, illuminated by soft golden lights and flickering candles. The smell of cinnamon welcomed them, mixed with the smell of the food Bow and Perfuma had prepared.

The greenery surrounding them was breathtaking. Perfuma really was great with flowers.

 But it wasn’t any of the stunning decor that captured Light Hope’s interest, nor was it that Swift Wind had halted to a stop so suddenly.

No, her eyes were focused on the woman sitting at the table. 

Her long brown hair was worn in the same braid she always had, although Perfuma had added a few finishing touches with some small white flowers.

She was wearing something more casual than she had at her workplace, her hands in her lap as she waited.

She locked eyes with Light Hope, and they lit up like a starry night sky. The same night sky that Light Hope used to tell her about the stars in.

“Mara,” Light Hope said, her usually monotone full of emotions Adora didn’t know she had.

“Light Hope!” Mara smiled, like a ray of sunshine. She practically jumped from the chair, pushing it aside to go over to the taller woman.

Mara embraced her, and Light Hope appeared to stunned to say anything.

“I thought you had left Despondos,” Light Hope finally said.

“I came to visit you,” Mara replied, “It’s been too long— I wasn’t sure if you’d even want me to visit. I can leave, if you want.”

“No, I do not want you to,” Light Hope assured her, “I was just curious why you have suddenly returned to ETHERIA.”

“I just wanted to see you,” Mara smiled, “I’ve missed you.”

“I have missed you, too.”

Mara’s smile grew, somehow, as if too big for her own face. She grabbed Light Hope’s hand, and held it for a moment. 

“Come on,” Mara said, “They set up a table for us.”

She led her friend she hadn’t seen in ten years to the table, as if it’d only been ten days. But she knew they both felt like it had been so, so much longer.

“We have some catching up to do,” Mara smiled.

“I agree,” Light Hope smiled back at her, “We do, in fact, have some catching up to do.”

Bow softly played his violin in the background, while Catra served their food as their waiter. She seemed to have thrown on her old suit jacket, from prom, and lazily added a bowtie.

And yet, somehow she pulled it off.

Everyone watched from a distance, not wanting to eavesdrop but be in close enough proximity in case they were needed, given the fact that they set up a ‘restaurant’ with no staff made them the staff.

But even from the distance they were at, they could tell Mara and Light Hope were looking at each other with such love, almost like the feelings they had for each other had only grown stronger over the years.

Close? Yes… I think that is accurate

I miss her, every day we’re apart.

Maybe it had.

“Hey, Adora,” Catra asked, who was sitting next to her on the bench, “Do you think… either of us, will ever find something like that?”

“Like Mara and Light Hope?”

“Yeah. Not that I— want something like that, exactly, I’m just curious,” Catra said, flustered. 

“You know, I think we will,” Adora smiled, “One day, at least.”

“Promise?” Catra asked, jokingly.

“Promise.”

Chapter Text

You’re throwing fuel into my fire, racing, making me bleed.

Do you still feel it in your chest the way you did at sixteen?

Mara came by more often, and Adora had a feeling it was because she was dating Light Hope. It made Adora smile, just seeing how happy they made each other.

Adora felt like maybe Shadow Weaver did have a point in the whole ‘maybe don’t go to such drastic measures’, even though that wasn’t even the point she was conveying. Really, what bugged Shadow Weaver was that Catra was involved.

Yes, Catra, who Shadow Weaver always tried to convince was somehow slowing her down. But in reality, Catra made her stronger. 

She could only hope to be doing the same for Catra.

“Adora,” Angella called, from outside her dorm room. Adora nervously let her in.

“Hey, Professor…” Adora started, opening the door. Angella gestured for her to sit down, as she herself took a seat.

Adora always found the furniture too comfy. She didn’t feel very supported.

“I think you know why I’m here,” Angella said, “I have received a disturbing video that concerns you.”

Adora felt her heart sink, “ Oh .”

“I came to inform you that Light Spinner has since been fired, of course, due to her inappropriate actions,” Angella smiled at that, “Among some other charges I have managed to dig up.”

“You found other charges?” 

Angella nodded, smiling, “Light Spinner has been involved in suspicious activity since she started working here. I had my suspicions, but I was unable to prove it. Until, of course. I found the proof. She was a bit distracted.”

“That’s what you were doing that night?” Adora gasped.

“Yes. Although contrary to Glimmer’s beliefs, I did notice the missing tablecloth and I already had my suspicions on what you were doing. But I believe that what you did is right.”

“You… you do?”

“Yes. It’s about time Light Hope found someone. I always suspected she hadn’t quite gotten over Mara, and she has been grading you a bit harshly. You’re the first student she’s taught, and I believe she wants you to do well,” Angella said, “But she doesn’t understand you’re still young, and mistakes are a part of learning.”

“So… you’re not mad?” Adora asked.

“Not at you. But I would say I am quite upset with Light Spinner. The things she said were horrible, Adora,” Angella put her hands on Adora’s face, “You are just as much my daughter as Glimmer, and I am so proud of you.”

She kissed Adora on the head, and Adora was sure she was tearing up at this point.

“And now that Light Spinner is gone, I’ve put in a recommendation for Castaspella,” Angella said, “We’re in need of a Physics teacher, after all.” 

“How’d you already write a recommendation?” Adora asked, and the smirk Angella gave her clued her in.

“I’ve been trying to get rid of Light Spinner for quite some time,” Angella admitted. “I knew how she was with Micah during our college years, the way she tried to manipulate him. I didn’t want her doing the same thing with you or Glimmer.”

“Especially since she raised you, she may have a better idea of how to get in your head,” She continued, “I will not allow it.”

Angella pulled Adora into a hug.

“Now, perhaps you’d like to talk to your sister and Catra about something?”

Right.

“After my classes.”

Adora was walking, on her way to art class and attempting to remember who taught it. Was it Spinerella, or Netossa? One of them taught art, and the other art history. It was very confusing.

Maybe it was Spinerella… Or, no, I could’ve sworn it was Netossa.

“Oh, man, I can’t believe Light Spinner got fired,” Scorpia said, talking to Perfuma who also took art class, despite majoring in agriculture. She just liked to draw plants.

“I mean, she was kind of creepy, so I guess it’s not the surprising, but man!”

“Do you know what for?” Perfuma asked, “I heard she yelled at a student.”

“I heard she tried to expose that Mara lady,” Scorpia replied, “You know, some people were saying she was sent as a spy, from ETERNIA, to like, I don’t know, sabotage it.”

“I heard that too!” Perfuma said, “But I heard she stayed because she fell in love with the school.”

“Those are merely children’s tales,” someone else added in, smiling. It was Castaspella, and Glimmer was next to her.

“Adora! I was just showing Aunt Casta around the campus! I’m so excited to be in her class!”

Castaspella smiled, and hugged Glimmer, “I can't believe I’ll get to teach one of my favourite nieces.”

“Aunt Casta!” Glimmer struggled out of the embrace.

Adora smiled at their antics, and Castaspella pulled her into a hug, too.

“I knit you both sweaters!” Castaspella revealed, and she pulls from her bag two hand knitted sweaters, made with love. Adora gladly puts hers on, but Glimmer looks embarrassed.

Why? It’s just clothes. And Casta made it for her.

“Thanks, Aunt Casta,” Glimmer partially mumbles.

“Thank you,” Adora said, much more sincerely. Castaspella smiles.

“Adora?” Scorpia asked, “Hey, you’re gonna be late for class.”

“Oh! Sorry, I have to go,” Adora said, running off, “Bye!”

At the end of the day, once all her classes were completed, she met up with Catra and Glimmer in their dorm. In a way, Catra sort of had a strange ownership to it, too.

“Why didn’t you guys tell me you applied, too?”

“Adora, what do you mean?” Glimmer asked.

“To the She-Ra class. I mean, this is our second year and you never mentioned it. Why?”

“It wasn’t really important,” Glimmer said, “I mean, you got in— it didn’t seem fair to spoil your moment by saying I didn’t. We’re proud of you.”

“I’m with sparkles on this one,” Catra added, “I mean, I only really applied because it looks good on a resume. I knew that, realistically, I wasn’t gonna get it. So, it didn’t come as a surprise.”

“Why wouldn’t you have gotten in?” Adora asked, “I mean, I know you didn’t, but why did you know you wouldn’t?”

“Shadow Weaver’s always had it out for me,” Catra said, “You know, I never mentioned, but she did put in a bad recommendation for me at this college. Angella had more authority, so she overruled that with a good one, but I still barely just got in.”

“Shadow Weaver did that?” Adora felt her eyes go misty. Catra might have had to go to a different college, or not one at all and… they would’ve been like Mara and Light Hope, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Didn’t wanna be a downer,” Catra replied, “Besides, I did get in. So in the end, it worked out.”

“No more secrets,” Adora said, “I wanna know these things. I want to find out from you. Not learn them from Shadow Weaver.”

“No more secrets,” Glimmer agreed.

“Yeah, sure,” Catra smirked, “I guess I can do that.”

“Thank you,” Adora smiled, and pulled them both into a hug. She loved her friends.

“Aw, best friends hug!” Bow wrapped his arms around the three of them, which made the hug a lot better.

“This better get me a good grade, darling,” Double Trouble said, interrupting the moment. They were holding some stapled together papers, presumably their drama paper.

Adora and Catra laughed, and Bow held out his hand for them to join the hug. They just smirked.

They got the highest grade in their class, actually, though it was unsure if it was the story or how they wrote it. 

“I really had to crank up the drama,” They said, “I mean, it is drama class.”

“You still kept it true, right?” Adora asked.

“True-ish.”

When the end of the semester came, Adora was surprised to see her grades really did go up.

She wasn’t as surprised to see Mara stop by after class and lean in close to Light Hope, to kiss her. Mara held her hands in hers.

Adora smiled. It was almost better than the grades. (But not failing her class did relieve an impossibly heavy burden she’d been carrying, so it was almost. )

In between the pages of her school book, she’d later discover, was a note written in neat handwriting.

Thank you.

“What’dya know, it worked,” Catra said.

“Yeah, it did,” Adora laughed, “Thanks, Catra. I don’t know what I would’ve down without you.” Cry, probably.

“Probably fail,” Catra offers instead, smirking, “But hey, at least you admit you need me.”

“I do,” Adora said.

Didn’t know I was alive until you made my heart beat,

Thought my youth was going quickly, but you give me sixteen.