The halls were more or less empty aside from Catra herself as she headed toward the black garnet chamber. She'd gotten so used to seeing Shadow Weaver shackled in that cell, it was almost weird to think she was right back where she used to be. Physically, anyway. Hordak obviously still favored Catra over her; judging by how much of a fight she'd had to put up to get the sorceress released in the first place. There was no way she'd gain her place back, not while Catra was around. She should just be grateful not to have been sent to beast island. Not that Catra wanted her around. She was just a good source of information.
Still seeing no one around, she turned and headed into the room; looking up at the glowing, red runestone. Was she even in here? She couldn't imagine where else she'd be now that she had free reign of the Fright Zone again. "Shadow Weaver?"
The black garnet chamber was still a mess. Even though she'd spent the better part of the morning clearing up cobwebs, the room obviously still suffered from the neglect it had undergone, being more or less completely abandoned during her confinement. Disgraceful. She supposed she could have one of the cadets clean things up for her as it was obviously beneath her position, but Shadow Weaver didn't want anyone else touching her things. Especially not the garnet.
The sound of the familiar voice following the electric hiss of the automatic door into the room piqued her curiosity. This was almost too easy. Of course she expected Catra to come knocking. She just hadn't expect it to be so soon. Perhaps she could be of use to her yet.
"Catra," she drawled dispassionately, stepping from where the black garnet obscured her from view. "Come in."
Though she was obviously used to it; the sound of her voice made her fur raise. She forced it back down immediately and stepped the rest of the way into the room. Somehow, just being in the black garnet chamber made the sorceress more imposing. Not that Catra was afraid of her. There was nothing she could do to her that she couldn't handle. She wasn't a weak child anymore.
She looked around the room at the mess; the mess Shadow Weaver had made when she threw that tantrum that landed her in prison in the first place. Catra had been shaking with adrenaline on that day, finally besting Shadow Weaver and replacing her in earnest. Watching her get dragged off to a holding cell was just the cherry on top. "Whoah, this place looks like shit." She offered a smug smile and ran her finger over the dust on a table.
Shadow Weaver raised an eyebrow at the assessment. It was accurate, but she still didn't appreciate it. "I suppose it has seen better days," she admitted,glancing at some of the detritus that still littered the floor. It was a little embarrassing to remember how she'd completely lost control that day, and the physical evidence of it would be humiliating if she had any shame left. Enough time in the Fright Zone prison could get rid of that in anyone. "But that's the way it goes, I'm afraid. Sometimes these things are...unavoidable."
It was obvious Catra was enjoying this, but the way her fur had lifted just the slightest bit upon seeing her...it was in Shadow Weaver's nature to pick up on that sort of tell...and to exploit it. So Catra was still afraid of her. Good. That would work in her favor.
"So tell me, Catra. What do you intend to do now?"
She gave a nonchalant laugh, shifting her weight onto one foot and putting a hand on her hip. "Whadda you mean? Exactly what I've been doing." Did Shadow Weaver really think Catra releasing her from prison would change anything? She was still a failure who'd been cast out of Hordak's good graces. She was only here by Catra's own will, and she could change her mind whenever she wanted to.
Shaking her head, Shadow Weaver made a little tut tutting noise, moving over to the garnet and running her hands up its surface. Without her link to it adorning her mask, she lacked to connection to it she'd once had, but she could still feel its power licking at her fingertips with the promise of power to come.
"Is that so?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at the feline. "That's a shame. I would have expected more from you. Are you telling me you're truly content with things as they are now? I would have thought someone like you would want...more."
She kept it purposely vague, intending to draw Catra in. The one upside to putting up with nearly two decades of Catra and Adora's adolescent nonsense was that she knew exactly what made the two of them tick, and knew exactly how to exploit the weaknesses of the two girls. Catra put on a front of confidence, but it was all about survival. In reality, like Adora there were times she second guessed every move she made, needed guidance even if she was adamant about not wanting to accept it. Shadow Weaver knew this, and in these uncertain times, she could make use of that fact yet.
Catra crossed her arms. What was all this, then? Shadow Weaver knew more about the role Catra was now playing than she herself did, though she'd never admit it; and the tantalizing words made her ears perk up. Sure, Shadow Weaver was a manipulative old hag who she'd never trust, but the sorceress needed Catra now more than Catra had ever needed her. She was nothing without Catra, meaning that she was in control of the whole situation, now.
"More? I'm already at the top. Or is there more to this whole thing than you were able to accomplish in all those years?" Her tone dripped with the condescension that she'd always longed to be able to use on the woman. It had been accumulating for years.
It took everything in Shadow Weaver not to lose her temper at that condescending tone, and she pushed the urge to raise her voice down into the wells of resentment she already carried for Catra, resentment she knew the young woman matched and then some. Honestly, she preferred it that way. If Catra respected or cared for her, it would be messy and irritating. This mutual disdain coupled with teamwork of convenience suited her much better than the idea of having to put on airs of fondness. It had been much harder to keep Adora in the dark, but Catra having no illusions about what kind of person the sorceress was was definitely a plus.
"At the top..." Shadow Weaver chuckled. "Is that what you think? Are you truly content with being second in command to Hordak when you could have it all? Control of the Horde at your fingertips, the power to decide, with no restraint, exactly how to take Adora down on your terms?"
Adora. Just the mention of her name set off bombs of hurt and anger deep within her, and her eyes narrowed just the slightest bit at the sound of it. On her terms. That sounded good. That sounded exactly like what she wanted. Hordak wasn't willing to take the risks necessary to make Adora- the rebellion- crumble. But Catra was. And maybe Shadow Weaver was as well. Adora had betrayed her, too, after all. Her perfect little super soldier, running off to play dress up with some princesses. Pathetic.
"How, then? Obviously you failed to do that, so how can you possibly help me?" Even with as much of her rage and condescension she was saving for Adora, there was plenty left for Shadow Weaver as well.
Shadow Weaver chuckled, turning to face Catra and shaking her head.
"I failed? I'm afraid you've missed the bigger picture. At the beginning to the war, I was at Mystacor. We were allied with the Rebellion. I was willing to do what was necessary to stop Hordak, but the Rebellion were afraid of it. Too soft for it. They feared the power I wanted to harness to do it, and they cast me aside for it. And so, I offered that power to Hordak instead. I assume you feel much as I did. Scorned. Misunderstood. Willing to do what it takes to take down those who have betrayed you..." she took a step toward Catra.
"I came to Hordak and offered my services because I had the means to take down the Rebellion. I never said I was interested in doing it myself, with my own two hands. Far too messy for me. I prefer a less...involved role." She gestured around her at the black garnet chamber. "If I had ever had any desire to usurp Hordak, I would have. I've always had the means to do so. And now, I can offer those means to you. I know Adora has hurt you. You would do anything to make her pay, and that pain, that resentment... that hate. It makes you stronger. Hordak does what he does out of habit. It is in his nature, like an animal does what it is born to do and then dies. His lack of drive and unwillingness to go far enough to win has made him obsolete. And now you are poised to have his power for yourself, if you are only willing to take it."
Her words soaked in like water to a sponge, and Catra could feel something growing deep inside of her core. Excitement, maybe? Shadow Weaver was right about Hordak, and Catra knew it. She was already getting tired of his pathetic little plans that got them no closer to winning the war. She could do so much better than he was. She could bring the rebellion to a crushing defeat, and put an end to the whole thing. And Adora would be the first to go.
Shadow Weaver had never shown her any interest, to Catra's frustration. But with Adora gone, it looked like she could finally see that it was Catra who was willing to do what it took. Adora was the failure, not Catra. Catra had proven herself the best, not Adora. Adora was nothing to Shadow Weaver, now. She was nothing to anyone.
So Catra was taking the bait. Good. Shadow Weaver was pleased Catra was soaking it up so easily. She of course had a vested interest in overthrowing Hordak; she was skilled enough in military strategy to understand that Hordak was past his prime, that he repeated the same sorts of strategies he had been repeating for over thirty years with little results, but he didn't have the creative mind to expand, to adapt to the changing landscape of the war. Taking down the Rebellion would keep Shadow Weaver on the side of power. She didn't particularly care which side won the war for Etheria, as long as she was on it.
"Of course I do," Shadow Weaver replied, raising an eyebrow. "Do you really think I would be foolish enough to offer my power to Hordak without learning how to take him down?"
She-ra complicated things. Adora defecting was an unfortunate roadblock, denied Shadow Weaver the ability to use She-ra's power for her own gains. But Catra...Catra was an unexpected asset. Shadow Weaver hadn't accounted for how ambitious her lack of interest in her would make the young woman, how driven to prove herself she would become because Shadow Weaver leaned so heavily on grooming Adora knowing she knew She-ra was an ace in the hole she couldn't afford to compromise.
But now, Adora was compromised. Adora had seen the light and gone off on her little righteous crusade, which was unfortunate. But it had also made Catra almost insanely resentful, hurt, angry. And Shadow Weaver knew that could be weaponized. If she could give Catra the means to take Adora down, the Horde would take Etheria easily, and Shadow Weaver would finally have power to spare.
Hordak was just a final obstacle.
"With Hordak out of the way, the two of us can stop the Rebellion—stop Adora—and rule Etheria easily. That is, if you're willing to do what needs to be done."
The two of them? So Shadow Weaver understood what kind of person Catra was. She'd accepted her as a force of equal power to herself. Maybe her effortless defeat of the sorceress that had led to her imprisonment had actually been enough to prove her worth to her. She was better than Adora and she was stronger than Shadow Weaver. And she saw that, now.
"Willing?" She let out a condescending laugh. "Oh, I'm willing. I'm not weak like Hordak, and I'm not a failure like Adora. I'll do what it takes."
Adora. Always Adora. Catra was sick of hearing her name; sick of her very existence. She would absolutely erase her. Get rid of her completely. Adora couldn't hurt her anymore if she was gone for good.
This new unhinged quality to Catra boded well for Shadow Weaver's plans to take down the Rebellion and seize the power of at the Heart of Etheria for herself, something she knew couldn't be accomplished while the war still raged on. The Horde had no magic on their side, had no need for it. Bringing her plans to use the Heart to Catra would accomplish nothing; Catra would never want to use magic. She likely associated magic with Adora, and she would never want to use it with that in mind. But with Catra this desperate, it would be easy to prompt her to kill Adora, now that the princess had outlived her usefulness. As soon as Adora was out of the way, she'd be that much closer to seizing all the power Etheria hid in its core.
"Of course you will," Shadow Weaver replied, pleased. "Adora has underestimated you, and so has Hordak. They will both come to regret it. With them out of the picture, the end of the war will be eminent. As long as the two of them are around, we can't win. But you know that, don't you?" Shadow Weaver cupped Catra's cheek briefly. "Perhaps I have underestimated you as well. Adora was... a mistake. A miscalculation on my part, I'm afraid. She was never strong enough to do what needs to be done. But you? You will be more powerful than anyone ever imagined."
She closed her eyes as the sorceress touched her face, reveling in what was one of the first affectionate gestures she'd ever received from the woman. As she got to the last few sentences, Catra's eyes fell back open and she stared up at her in near disbelief.
Shadow Weaver's words swirled around in her head like toilet hooch, overpowering her ability to be rational and question the woman's sudden change of heart. She'd finally proven her worth. Shadow Weaver finally saw her for what she was and not just some useless annoyance. It was finally happening. If only Adora had never existed, she could've had this the whole time. She'd been the only thing standing in the way.
"So how do we do it? I'll do whatever it takes to take them down."
Perfect. Shadow Weaver patted Catra on the head, noticing how strongly the affectionate gesture before seemed to have affected her. She would have to keep that in mind. Positive reinforcement had never been Shadow Weaver's cup of tea, but if it would allow her to assert control over Catra, then so be it.
The sorceress turned back to the black garnet, watching Catra's reflection behind her in the shiny red surface. "It's quite simple, really. Hordak has a weakness; magic. If we're able to pull this off, we can take them both down in one single swoop."
Moving over to a hidden panel in the wall, Shadow Weaver swept a hand over it and it slid open to reveal a tiny hidden space with several items inside. One of them was a small blue diamond shape that she balanced in her hands as she moved back to Catra.
"Long ago, I studied under the tutelage of a sorceress who had an interest in ancient magics. Obsessed, really. This is before I found my way to Mystacor. She had this in her possession when she died, and it was passed on to me. I did not understand its significance until I dug a bit more into ancient magic myself, after by chance coming across a baby who held power like I'd never experienced. This is an artifact left behind by those Etherians call the First Ones. I kept it for much the same purpose they created it; as a sort of insurance. When making contact with the Sword of Protection it will attach and siphon a great deal of magic from She-ra. It was created as a means to weaken her if she were to become too powerful, even if temporarily. To keep her under control. But now..."
Shadow Weaver stepped closer to Catra, extending the elegant object to the feline. "If you were able to use this on Adora, she would be weakened enough that she would have no choice but to take you on in her normal form...and enough that she would lose. Then, with She-ra's vitality stored in the crystal, it would simply be a matter of forcing Hordak to come into contact with it. His species is incredibly vulnerable to magic. I've never let on that I knew. With this, we have the power to seize control of Etheria, and to wipe out those who have wronged us. The only question is whether you will see fit to use it, but I doubt that is much of a question at all. I know you are capable of things Hordak never could have imagined."
Catra listened carefully to her words, taking in the information. Her eyes locked onto the shiny blue object in the woman’s hands, and didn’t shift from it. Could it really be that easy? It seemed a bit… too easy.
“So that’s it? I just touch the sword with this thing and she-ra is gone for good?”
Shadow Weaver watched the shorter woman stare down at the item in her hand, and she turned it slightly so it caught the light, gleaming intriguingly in the red and green glow of the room.
"Well yes, but also not quite," she cautioned Catra, lifting a finger on her free hand for emphasis. "She would still need to be taken down. This will just give you the means to do so. She-ra is far too powerful to be undone by something like this alone, but this will make dealing with her much more...manageable."
A tight feeling swirled around Catra's stomach as she reached out a hand tentatively; pausing for a moment and looking up at the sorceress before closing the distance and taking it carefully from her hand.
Ignoring the feeling in her gut, she looked down at the object that now rested in her own hand. It shone brightly in the glow of the runestone, so small yet so full of power; promising her everything she could ever want. So this little thing was the answer to all of her problems, huh? With She-ra out of the way, Adora would be no problem for her. She'd always been stronger than Adora had given her credit for, and now it was finally time to show her that Catra was more than just her lowly sidekick. She would rule the world on her own.
Now that Shadow Weaver finally saw her for what she was, she could use the sorceress's knowledge and power to gain more of her own. Things were finally coming together. If only Adora had left sooner.
Shadow Weaver watched Catra take the crystal, a flash of satisfaction running through her as Catra examined it carefully. This was almost too easy. She'd known she could use Catra's lust for recognition to her advantage, but she hadn't realized how easily things would come together.
The look of brief hesitation in Catra's eyes was a bit of a problem, but she was sure she could squash that easily. Maybe it was her own fault, for fostering such a dependence on each other in the two girls, but it had been necessary to keep Adora under control as she got older; Adora needed to believe she continually failed to protect Catra and that she was the only thing keeping Catra from being disposed of at the same time, or her self-esteem could have potentially gotten too high for her to continue to fail to see the truth. She was just lucky at least that Adora was so simple and idealistic...and that Catra was unhinged enough not to care when she saw Shadow Weaver for what she really was.
"Adora has written you off for far too long," she told Catra, placing a hand on her shoulder as she stared down at the crystal. "She made a mistake in leaving you behind. Now, we can finally make her pay for her treachery."
She placed one fingertip on the crystal, tapping it with her fingernail.
"Hordak will be much the same; contact with the crystal will render him powerless enough to have him easily imprisoned. Or sent to Beast Island, whichever you prefer. That is, if the concentrated magical energy doesn't kill him outright. Either way, he won't pose a problem if we can absorb some of She-ra's power."
Adora lingered in her mind for longer than she was okay with; leading to thoughts of how things had once been. It had always been the two of them, and Catra had truly believed that it would always be that way. That Adora genuinely cared about Catra as much as Catra cared about her. That trust had been her biggest mistake. Believing that Adora cared for her had been her emotional undoing, and as Shadow Weaver touched her shoulder and offered her what she perceived as kindness, she suddenly felt filled with rage.
Things could've been so easy if she'd never met that stupid blonde. Now she was hurting, broken. And it was all Adora's fault. She'd never cared about Catra, and she'd made sure that Shadow Weaver didn't care about her, either. Thinking of Adora, her hand closed tightly around the diamond shaped object. Her grip tightened and tightened until she realized the edges of the object had cut into her palm. Stupid Adora.
Her voice shook as she spoke. "I'll get rid of them both. As soon as I can."
Maybe she wouldn't have to do anything to foster the necessary rage Catra would need to kill Adora; it seemed like Catra's wonderfully fractured mind was doing all the work for her. Shadow Weaver found herself unbelievably smug that she'd managed to mold Catra into being this easy to use, that she unintentionally given her so many weaknesses to prey on. Shadow Weaver had kept Catra around in the beginning because of Adora's insistence, and because she was afraid of what Adora might think if she disposed of the feline, of what she might realize. Adora finding Catra in the first place was an unfortunate and unexpected complication.
Honestly, she had never had a particular interest in either of the girls, only willing to extend enough goodwill to Adora to keep her under her control so she could someday use her power for herself. Admittedly, she had grown so proud of her own completely manipulation of Adora that feigning affection for her was fairly easy as it stroked her own ego, but Catra...
Shadow Weaver had never had much opinion on Catra either way. Her stubbornness and quick wit made her impossible to control without forcing her to depend on Adora, and for that she resented her. Not to mention she reminded her so much of a young Light Spinner that she projected much of her own regret onto her and punished her much more often than was necessary as a result; there was something cathartic about it. But Catra was proving to be an unexpected asset. Maybe she truly had made a miscalculation in disregarding her potential. Someone so unstable could be dangerous. That instability was proving to be an effective weapon.
"As soon as it is done, there will be no limit to what we can accomplish. You must be tired of Adora dictating what you can and can't do. The time has come for you to move forward on your own terms. Adora and Hordak will not stand in the way anymore. Soon, you will have everything you want."
Adora had always held her back; telling her what she should and shouldn't do, and ensuring that she never felt like she was as good as her. Always making sure Catra knew she was second best.
The sorceress's words were like a feast for her wounded heart. Everything she wanted? Catra didn't even know what that was, but it had to feel better than this. She could never have Adora, but she could still win. Having the upper hand had to feel better than this. Right? Right.
But something about the way Shadow Weaver was talking didn't sit right. No, there was something off, here. On her own terms? Catra had watched Shadow Weaver mold Adora into the soldier she wanted her to be. She'd watched from the outside as the woman had given her all the praise and adoration that Catra so craved. But it was always on Shadow Weaver's terms. So why the change of heart now?
"On... my terms?" She looked up at the sorceress with a mixture of thoughts and emotions that she couldn't quite place swirling through her. "What's in this for you?"
Unfortunately, Catra was far cleverer than Adora, something that was easy to forget. Bitter, spiteful, and not even close to as naive as the princess. It was no matter. Shadow Weaver knew how to deal with her now. She was erratic, but she was predictable to Shadow Weaver. Adora was Catra's achilles heel, and without her, Shadow Weaver would never be able to use her like a pawn this way. Maybe Adora defecting was a blessing in disguise after all.
At the beginning, her plan centered around using She-ra's power for her own gains when Adora was old enough to discover her true identity, as well as using She-ra herself to gain access to the Heart of Etheria. With Adora out of the way, she would simply be able to cut out the middleman. The Heart was unstable, but it was nothing Shadow Weaver couldn't handle. And even if she couldn't...well. Shadow Weaver would rather die than give up the chance to possess it.
"You're far cleverer than Hordak gives you credit for." A chuckle. "Of course I have my own interests in the matter. But they will not interfere with any of your plans. I have an interest in the war ending. There is something I want that I cannot obtain with the conflict at hand. So this arrangement benefits the both of us. And of course I want Hordak and Adora out of the way as much as you do. A partnership of mutual gain suits me just fine. Adora is weak. She was never destined to be anything more than a pawn to me because she lacked the strength to do what was necessary. She lacks the will to be anything other than someone to be used by others until she outlives her usefulness. Her weakness meant she could never be anything close to my equal but you..." Shadow Weaver gestured to the crystal in Catra's hand. "I've told you before you remind me of myself. You are not afraid to take what you want for yourself, and that strength makes you the only one capable of accepting my guidance."
"Watch your mouth." The words left her mouth before she even knew what was happening, and she quickly covered it and took a step back. Shadow Weaver was going to kill her for that.
Catra's first instinct was to snap back at the woman. The way she talked about Adora brought forth an inexplicable rage in her. Yes, she wanted that lying piece of shit dead, and yes she was planning on using this weird crystal thing to take her down and use the advantage it would give her to snuff her lights out, but Shadow Weaver couldn't talk about her like that.
Well, that was unexpected. Shadow Weaver raised an eyebrow. The irritation that rose at Catra's backtalk was quickly buried before she could show any indication of it.
If she was going to be able to get what she needed form Catra, she would lose credibility if she treated her like a stubborn child and punished her. No, she couldn't get through to Catra by lavishing her with praise and keeping her under her thumb in that way like she did with Adora, and she couldn't control her with threats or physical pain as she had when she was a child. Catra was still naive in her own way, but sensitive to the way Adora had been used as a tool, and she would catch on if Shadow Weaver were to do the same to her. No, she had to hold up her end and treat this as a legitimate partnership, as grudging as she was to do so.
"Angry? This attachment to Adora won't bode well for you. You know as well as I do that your obsession with her will only bring you more pain. Adora doesn't care for you. She made that clear when she left you behind for the princesses. What has she ever done for you? And here you are, standing up for her...angry on her behalf."
Shadow Weaver turned to lean down and look into her basin, conjuring an image of Adora as she was in this moment, her face screwed up with laughter as that boy who didn't know how to wear a shirt properly was saying something brightly and patting her on the back and Princess Glimmer was elbowing her in the ribs. "Will your tenderness for her be an obstacle? Or will you be able to reach your full potential? Adora is the one thing holding you back."
Untensing her muscles as Shadow Weaver didn't display any of the telltale signs that she was about to punish her, Catra lowered her hand and crossed her arms uneasily across her chest. She was still wary of the sorceress, even if she didn't seem to be enraged by her comment.
The words uttered by the woman made her heart hurt. She knew they were true. She meant nothing to Adora now, and she never had. She'd been wrong about her. Why the hell did it matter to her if Shadow Weaver said those things about Adora? Adora had never been quick to get angry on Catra's behalf. No, she just let Shadow Weaver treat her however she wanted. Adora thought Catra deserved it. She thought it was all her fault. She'd never once stood up for Catra when their "caretaker" had torn her down, and she wasn't going to do it for Adora, either. Never again. That had been a moment of weakness that she'd never allow to happen again.
Pushing some of her wild hair from her face, she cautiously followed Shadow Weaver to the basin, peering in as well from a few feet away. Adora. There she was, having the time of her life with the people she'd decided that she'd rather protect than Catra. The people who were worthy to her, like Catra never had been. Seeing her smiling and laughing like that stirred a deep rage in her, and she dug her claws into her upper arms as they remained crossed over her chest. Adora. She was everything wrong with Catra. She made her weak, so she could feel stronger; made her the bad one so she could be the good one. But not anymore. Catra could never be better while Adora was still around. And even though she was gone, she was still around.
"Adora is nothing to me." She stared into the basin, overcome by more and more rage and sorrow as she watched her being better off without her. "I'll kill her. And then I'll be in control of everything, and you can have whatever she's holding you back from."
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no subject
Still seeing no one around, she turned and headed into the room; looking up at the glowing, red runestone. Was she even in here? She couldn't imagine where else she'd be now that she had free reign of the Fright Zone again. "Shadow Weaver?"
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The sound of the familiar voice following the electric hiss of the automatic door into the room piqued her curiosity. This was almost too easy. Of course she expected Catra to come knocking. She just hadn't expect it to be so soon. Perhaps she could be of use to her yet.
"Catra," she drawled dispassionately, stepping from where the black garnet obscured her from view. "Come in."
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She looked around the room at the mess; the mess Shadow Weaver had made when she threw that tantrum that landed her in prison in the first place. Catra had been shaking with adrenaline on that day, finally besting Shadow Weaver and replacing her in earnest. Watching her get dragged off to a holding cell was just the cherry on top. "Whoah, this place looks like shit." She offered a smug smile and ran her finger over the dust on a table.
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It was obvious Catra was enjoying this, but the way her fur had lifted just the slightest bit upon seeing her...it was in Shadow Weaver's nature to pick up on that sort of tell...and to exploit it. So Catra was still afraid of her. Good. That would work in her favor.
"So tell me, Catra. What do you intend to do now?"
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She gave a nonchalant laugh, shifting her weight onto one foot and putting a hand on her hip. "Whadda you mean? Exactly what I've been doing." Did Shadow Weaver really think Catra releasing her from prison would change anything? She was still a failure who'd been cast out of Hordak's good graces. She was only here by Catra's own will, and she could change her mind whenever she wanted to.
no subject
"Is that so?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at the feline. "That's a shame. I would have expected more from you. Are you telling me you're truly content with things as they are now? I would have thought someone like you would want...more."
She kept it purposely vague, intending to draw Catra in. The one upside to putting up with nearly two decades of Catra and Adora's adolescent nonsense was that she knew exactly what made the two of them tick, and knew exactly how to exploit the weaknesses of the two girls. Catra put on a front of confidence, but it was all about survival. In reality, like Adora there were times she second guessed every move she made, needed guidance even if she was adamant about not wanting to accept it. Shadow Weaver knew this, and in these uncertain times, she could make use of that fact yet.
no subject
"More? I'm already at the top. Or is there more to this whole thing than you were able to accomplish in all those years?" Her tone dripped with the condescension that she'd always longed to be able to use on the woman. It had been accumulating for years.
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"At the top..." Shadow Weaver chuckled. "Is that what you think? Are you truly content with being second in command to Hordak when you could have it all? Control of the Horde at your fingertips, the power to decide, with no restraint, exactly how to take Adora down on your terms?"
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"How, then? Obviously you failed to do that, so how can you possibly help me?" Even with as much of her rage and condescension she was saving for Adora, there was plenty left for Shadow Weaver as well.
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"I failed? I'm afraid you've missed the bigger picture. At the beginning to the war, I was at Mystacor. We were allied with the Rebellion. I was willing to do what was necessary to stop Hordak, but the Rebellion were afraid of it. Too soft for it. They feared the power I wanted to harness to do it, and they cast me aside for it. And so, I offered that power to Hordak instead. I assume you feel much as I did. Scorned. Misunderstood. Willing to do what it takes to take down those who have betrayed you..." she took a step toward Catra.
"I came to Hordak and offered my services because I had the means to take down the Rebellion. I never said I was interested in doing it myself, with my own two hands. Far too messy for me. I prefer a less...involved role." She gestured around her at the black garnet chamber. "If I had ever had any desire to usurp Hordak, I would have. I've always had the means to do so. And now, I can offer those means to you. I know Adora has hurt you. You would do anything to make her pay, and that pain, that resentment... that hate. It makes you stronger. Hordak does what he does out of habit. It is in his nature, like an animal does what it is born to do and then dies. His lack of drive and unwillingness to go far enough to win has made him obsolete. And now you are poised to have his power for yourself, if you are only willing to take it."
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Shadow Weaver had never shown her any interest, to Catra's frustration. But with Adora gone, it looked like she could finally see that it was Catra who was willing to do what it took. Adora was the failure, not Catra. Catra had proven herself the best, not Adora. Adora was nothing to Shadow Weaver, now. She was nothing to anyone.
"And you... know how to do that?"
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"Of course I do," Shadow Weaver replied, raising an eyebrow. "Do you really think I would be foolish enough to offer my power to Hordak without learning how to take him down?"
She-ra complicated things. Adora defecting was an unfortunate roadblock, denied Shadow Weaver the ability to use She-ra's power for her own gains. But Catra...Catra was an unexpected asset. Shadow Weaver hadn't accounted for how ambitious her lack of interest in her would make the young woman, how driven to prove herself she would become because Shadow Weaver leaned so heavily on grooming Adora knowing she knew She-ra was an ace in the hole she couldn't afford to compromise.
But now, Adora was compromised. Adora had seen the light and gone off on her little righteous crusade, which was unfortunate. But it had also made Catra almost insanely resentful, hurt, angry. And Shadow Weaver knew that could be weaponized. If she could give Catra the means to take Adora down, the Horde would take Etheria easily, and Shadow Weaver would finally have power to spare.
Hordak was just a final obstacle.
"With Hordak out of the way, the two of us can stop the Rebellion—stop Adora—and rule Etheria easily. That is, if you're willing to do what needs to be done."
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"Willing?" She let out a condescending laugh. "Oh, I'm willing. I'm not weak like Hordak, and I'm not a failure like Adora. I'll do what it takes."
Adora. Always Adora. Catra was sick of hearing her name; sick of her very existence. She would absolutely erase her. Get rid of her completely. Adora couldn't hurt her anymore if she was gone for good.
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"Of course you will," Shadow Weaver replied, pleased. "Adora has underestimated you, and so has Hordak. They will both come to regret it. With them out of the picture, the end of the war will be eminent. As long as the two of them are around, we can't win. But you know that, don't you?" Shadow Weaver cupped Catra's cheek briefly. "Perhaps I have underestimated you as well. Adora was... a mistake. A miscalculation on my part, I'm afraid. She was never strong enough to do what needs to be done. But you? You will be more powerful than anyone ever imagined."
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Shadow Weaver's words swirled around in her head like toilet hooch, overpowering her ability to be rational and question the woman's sudden change of heart. She'd finally proven her worth. Shadow Weaver finally saw her for what she was and not just some useless annoyance. It was finally happening. If only Adora had never existed, she could've had this the whole time. She'd been the only thing standing in the way.
"So how do we do it? I'll do whatever it takes to take them down."
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The sorceress turned back to the black garnet, watching Catra's reflection behind her in the shiny red surface. "It's quite simple, really. Hordak has a weakness; magic. If we're able to pull this off, we can take them both down in one single swoop."
Moving over to a hidden panel in the wall, Shadow Weaver swept a hand over it and it slid open to reveal a tiny hidden space with several items inside. One of them was a small blue diamond shape that she balanced in her hands as she moved back to Catra.
"Long ago, I studied under the tutelage of a sorceress who had an interest in ancient magics. Obsessed, really. This is before I found my way to Mystacor. She had this in her possession when she died, and it was passed on to me. I did not understand its significance until I dug a bit more into ancient magic myself, after by chance coming across a baby who held power like I'd never experienced. This is an artifact left behind by those Etherians call the First Ones. I kept it for much the same purpose they created it; as a sort of insurance. When making contact with the Sword of Protection it will attach and siphon a great deal of magic from She-ra. It was created as a means to weaken her if she were to become too powerful, even if temporarily. To keep her under control. But now..."
Shadow Weaver stepped closer to Catra, extending the elegant object to the feline. "If you were able to use this on Adora, she would be weakened enough that she would have no choice but to take you on in her normal form...and enough that she would lose. Then, with She-ra's vitality stored in the crystal, it would simply be a matter of forcing Hordak to come into contact with it. His species is incredibly vulnerable to magic. I've never let on that I knew. With this, we have the power to seize control of Etheria, and to wipe out those who have wronged us. The only question is whether you will see fit to use it, but I doubt that is much of a question at all. I know you are capable of things Hordak never could have imagined."
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“So that’s it? I just touch the sword with this thing and she-ra is gone for good?”
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"Well yes, but also not quite," she cautioned Catra, lifting a finger on her free hand for emphasis. "She would still need to be taken down. This will just give you the means to do so. She-ra is far too powerful to be undone by something like this alone, but this will make dealing with her much more...manageable."
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Ignoring the feeling in her gut, she looked down at the object that now rested in her own hand. It shone brightly in the glow of the runestone, so small yet so full of power; promising her everything she could ever want. So this little thing was the answer to all of her problems, huh? With She-ra out of the way, Adora would be no problem for her. She'd always been stronger than Adora had given her credit for, and now it was finally time to show her that Catra was more than just her lowly sidekick. She would rule the world on her own.
Now that Shadow Weaver finally saw her for what she was, she could use the sorceress's knowledge and power to gain more of her own. Things were finally coming together. If only Adora had left sooner.
"And Hordak? How do I deal with him?"
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The look of brief hesitation in Catra's eyes was a bit of a problem, but she was sure she could squash that easily. Maybe it was her own fault, for fostering such a dependence on each other in the two girls, but it had been necessary to keep Adora under control as she got older; Adora needed to believe she continually failed to protect Catra and that she was the only thing keeping Catra from being disposed of at the same time, or her self-esteem could have potentially gotten too high for her to continue to fail to see the truth. She was just lucky at least that Adora was so simple and idealistic...and that Catra was unhinged enough not to care when she saw Shadow Weaver for what she really was.
"Adora has written you off for far too long," she told Catra, placing a hand on her shoulder as she stared down at the crystal. "She made a mistake in leaving you behind. Now, we can finally make her pay for her treachery."
She placed one fingertip on the crystal, tapping it with her fingernail.
"Hordak will be much the same; contact with the crystal will render him powerless enough to have him easily imprisoned. Or sent to Beast Island, whichever you prefer. That is, if the concentrated magical energy doesn't kill him outright. Either way, he won't pose a problem if we can absorb some of She-ra's power."
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Things could've been so easy if she'd never met that stupid blonde. Now she was hurting, broken. And it was all Adora's fault. She'd never cared about Catra, and she'd made sure that Shadow Weaver didn't care about her, either. Thinking of Adora, her hand closed tightly around the diamond shaped object. Her grip tightened and tightened until she realized the edges of the object had cut into her palm. Stupid Adora.
Her voice shook as she spoke. "I'll get rid of them both. As soon as I can."
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Honestly, she had never had a particular interest in either of the girls, only willing to extend enough goodwill to Adora to keep her under her control so she could someday use her power for herself. Admittedly, she had grown so proud of her own completely manipulation of Adora that feigning affection for her was fairly easy as it stroked her own ego, but Catra...
Shadow Weaver had never had much opinion on Catra either way. Her stubbornness and quick wit made her impossible to control without forcing her to depend on Adora, and for that she resented her. Not to mention she reminded her so much of a young Light Spinner that she projected much of her own regret onto her and punished her much more often than was necessary as a result; there was something cathartic about it. But Catra was proving to be an unexpected asset. Maybe she truly had made a miscalculation in disregarding her potential. Someone so unstable could be dangerous. That instability was proving to be an effective weapon.
"As soon as it is done, there will be no limit to what we can accomplish. You must be tired of Adora dictating what you can and can't do. The time has come for you to move forward on your own terms. Adora and Hordak will not stand in the way anymore. Soon, you will have everything you want."
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The sorceress's words were like a feast for her wounded heart. Everything she wanted? Catra didn't even know what that was, but it had to feel better than this. She could never have Adora, but she could still win. Having the upper hand had to feel better than this. Right? Right.
But something about the way Shadow Weaver was talking didn't sit right. No, there was something off, here. On her own terms? Catra had watched Shadow Weaver mold Adora into the soldier she wanted her to be. She'd watched from the outside as the woman had given her all the praise and adoration that Catra so craved. But it was always on Shadow Weaver's terms. So why the change of heart now?
"On... my terms?" She looked up at the sorceress with a mixture of thoughts and emotions that she couldn't quite place swirling through her. "What's in this for you?"
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At the beginning, her plan centered around using She-ra's power for her own gains when Adora was old enough to discover her true identity, as well as using She-ra herself to gain access to the Heart of Etheria. With Adora out of the way, she would simply be able to cut out the middleman. The Heart was unstable, but it was nothing Shadow Weaver couldn't handle. And even if she couldn't...well. Shadow Weaver would rather die than give up the chance to possess it.
"You're far cleverer than Hordak gives you credit for." A chuckle. "Of course I have my own interests in the matter. But they will not interfere with any of your plans. I have an interest in the war ending. There is something I want that I cannot obtain with the conflict at hand. So this arrangement benefits the both of us. And of course I want Hordak and Adora out of the way as much as you do. A partnership of mutual gain suits me just fine. Adora is weak. She was never destined to be anything more than a pawn to me because she lacked the strength to do what was necessary. She lacks the will to be anything other than someone to be used by others until she outlives her usefulness. Her weakness meant she could never be anything close to my equal but you..." Shadow Weaver gestured to the crystal in Catra's hand. "I've told you before you remind me of myself. You are not afraid to take what you want for yourself, and that strength makes you the only one capable of accepting my guidance."
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Catra's first instinct was to snap back at the woman. The way she talked about Adora brought forth an inexplicable rage in her. Yes, she wanted that lying piece of shit dead, and yes she was planning on using this weird crystal thing to take her down and use the advantage it would give her to snuff her lights out, but Shadow Weaver couldn't talk about her like that.
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If she was going to be able to get what she needed form Catra, she would lose credibility if she treated her like a stubborn child and punished her. No, she couldn't get through to Catra by lavishing her with praise and keeping her under her thumb in that way like she did with Adora, and she couldn't control her with threats or physical pain as she had when she was a child. Catra was still naive in her own way, but sensitive to the way Adora had been used as a tool, and she would catch on if Shadow Weaver were to do the same to her. No, she had to hold up her end and treat this as a legitimate partnership, as grudging as she was to do so.
"Angry? This attachment to Adora won't bode well for you. You know as well as I do that your obsession with her will only bring you more pain. Adora doesn't care for you. She made that clear when she left you behind for the princesses. What has she ever done for you? And here you are, standing up for her...angry on her behalf."
Shadow Weaver turned to lean down and look into her basin, conjuring an image of Adora as she was in this moment, her face screwed up with laughter as that boy who didn't know how to wear a shirt properly was saying something brightly and patting her on the back and Princess Glimmer was elbowing her in the ribs. "Will your tenderness for her be an obstacle? Or will you be able to reach your full potential? Adora is the one thing holding you back."
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The words uttered by the woman made her heart hurt. She knew they were true. She meant nothing to Adora now, and she never had. She'd been wrong about her. Why the hell did it matter to her if Shadow Weaver said those things about Adora? Adora had never been quick to get angry on Catra's behalf. No, she just let Shadow Weaver treat her however she wanted. Adora thought Catra deserved it. She thought it was all her fault. She'd never once stood up for Catra when their "caretaker" had torn her down, and she wasn't going to do it for Adora, either. Never again. That had been a moment of weakness that she'd never allow to happen again.
Pushing some of her wild hair from her face, she cautiously followed Shadow Weaver to the basin, peering in as well from a few feet away. Adora. There she was, having the time of her life with the people she'd decided that she'd rather protect than Catra. The people who were worthy to her, like Catra never had been. Seeing her smiling and laughing like that stirred a deep rage in her, and she dug her claws into her upper arms as they remained crossed over her chest. Adora. She was everything wrong with Catra. She made her weak, so she could feel stronger; made her the bad one so she could be the good one. But not anymore. Catra could never be better while Adora was still around. And even though she was gone, she was still around.
"Adora is nothing to me." She stared into the basin, overcome by more and more rage and sorrow as she watched her being better off without her. "I'll kill her. And then I'll be in control of everything, and you can have whatever she's holding you back from."