First Times For Everything (ch3)

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY $20+ PATRONS! THANK YOU!

Thanks so much to everyone reading this! I'm enjoying writing baby Catradora so much! This chapter might be a little awkward just because I don't exactly know how to describe/imagine much of the Horde's base camp, but I'm sure you can envision what it's like.

Disclaimer: I do not own She-Ra.

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												Chapter 3. Assurances And Accidents

When Adora wakes up the next morning, she feels the weight of something on her bed that had never been there any other morning.

As soon as she remembers Catra, a smile spreads across her face. She wiggles herself closer to her new friend, who is still curled up beneath the blanket Adora had draped over her last night.

Even though Adora is beneath the sheets Catra is on top of, she still manages to lay an arm across Catra's back, and presses close to her in a loose hug. She's never slept in the same bed as someone else before, but it's really nice, especially now in the colder seasons. And she isn't sure if Catra is awake or not, but Adora starts to hear the rumblings of a faint purr.

They snooze for a little while longer, until other children begin waking up too. Once the room is full of chatter and movement, Adora knows it's time to start getting ready. She sits herself up and nudges Catra gently.

"Catra, rise and shine!"

At first, the only response is a soft groan, and Catra doesn't budge. But only a few seconds later she shoots up into a sitting position, ears fluffed and tail lashing, the purr replaced with a growl. Adora quickly puts a hand on hers.

"Hey, it's okay! It's just me. You slept in my bed last night, remember?"

Catra looks over her, and her fur gradually lies flat. Adora smiles.

"Did you sleep okay?"

Catra looks away, but nods. Adora picks up her hand and squeezes it.

"That's great! I'm glad! C'mon, let's get ready for breakfast!"

Adora gets out of bed and starts making it tidy. Catra stretches herself out and yawns before following suit. They change out of yesterday's clothes and into new ones, whichever pants and t-shirts have been washed and returned to them by their adult caretakers.

By the time they get to the mess hall with the other children, their stomachs are rumbling. As usual, it's another warm gruel this morning, along with a bit of bread and fruits or vegetables. They both retrieve and fill their trays as much as is allowed, then head for a table.

All the while Catra never leaves Adora's side for a second, or wanders so much as an inch away from her. Adora knows she's nervous because she's never been at this part of camp before, so she makes sure not to go too fast so she doesn't lose her.

They sit with some of the other children at the kids' table, though only Adora talks while she eats. Unlike Catra, she knows just about everybody here and is friends with them. She introduces Catra to them since the girl won't speak for herself.

But Catra only slumps closer to Adora and hides herself, too scared to look up or start talking to anyone else.

They finish eating and get up to put their trays in the return pile. Once they're done, Adora turns to her new friend.

"So what did you usually do after breakfast at... wherever you used to be? Here, we play! All day long! It helps us hone our skills for when we become cadets in the future!"

Adora sees the spark of curiosity in Catra's yellow and blue eyes.

But before she can muster up an answer, the girl suddenly freezes. A gasp dies at her mouth, her ears drop flat, and her tail wraps tightly around her body and trembles. It's as if someone's cast a spell on her and she can't move or talk.

Adora frowns and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Catra? What's the matter?"

Catra's shaking now, and her eyes are wide in terror. All she can manage to do is shake her head, but no words come out of her mouth. Adora begins to panic.

"Catra-?"

"Ah, there you are, my dear."

A deep, familiar voice speaks from behind her, and Adora glances back. Shadow-Weaver hovers there, with her robes and hair swaying in the non-existent breeze. Adora whirls around to grin up at her.

"Good morning, Shadow-Weaver! We were just about to go play!"

"That's very well and good, Adora," the sorceress says sweetly. But her voice then drops into a lower, less pleasant pitch. "But it's this 'we' that's worrying me." Her bleak white eyes look past Adora to the girl cowering behind her. Adora keeps her hand in Catra's reassuringly.

"Oh, that's right! Shadow-Weaver, this is Catra! She got moved here yesterday! So I'm gonna show her around today! We're gonna play together!"

"Oh yes," Shadow-Weaver grunts. "I know exactly who the little cur is. The most disobedient child I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with. I didn't expect she'd still be here..." She mumbles something else to herself, something Adora can't exactly hear. But she notices Catra's ears flick behind her, and the girl immediately shrinks behind Adora's back.

Adora knows Shadow-Weaver can be harsh on other children, though she's never been mean to Adora. So she keeps herself between Catra and the sorceress as much as possible.

After a moment, Shadow-Weaver reaches out a crooked hand. Adora hears Catra yelp softly. But the hand comes to rest gently on top of her own head instead, petting through Adora's hair.

"Perhaps," Shadow-Weaver muses. "This could turn out for the better. Do try to make her listen to and obey Horde protocol, would you, Adora? If not, we have no use for such insolent children."

Adora holds herself a little taller, puffing her chest out.

"I'm gonna help Catra get comfortable here. We're gonna be Force Cadets together before you know it!"

Shadow-Weaver hums to herself and withdraws her hand.

"I look forward to it, my dear."

And with that she turns and slips away into the shadows.

Adora turns back to Catra slowly, still holding onto one of her hands, and puts the other on her shoulder.

"Are you okay? I know Shadow-Weaver can seem kinda scary sometimes, but she's just trying to look out for us."

Catra's eyes are still wide and scared, and her ears are all the way down.

"She... yells a lot..." That's all Catra says before pressing herself close to Adora. Adora hugs her until she stops shaking.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to help you so she won't yell at you anymore, okay?"

Catra shivers again, but nods. Adora hugs her for a little while longer before easing back, still holding her hand.

"C'mon," she smiles. "Let's go play."

Adora leads her out into the many long, intwined hallways of the base camp, where the younger children are permitted to play before they officially begin their cadet training at the age of six.

Adora chooses a spot away from the other kids for now, because she knows Catra is still shy and nervous around others. Once they've found a quiet area, Adora lets go of Catra's hand and turns back to her.

"Okay! So I'm guessing you know the three best games a future Force Cadet should play, right?"

But Catra only tilts her head to one side in a clearly puzzled manner. Adora backtracks.

"Okay, that's fine! I'll just teach you now. First is tag, which is good for speed and strategy. Second is hide-and-seek, which is wit and strategy. And finally is wrestling, which is about strength and strategy. Every good Horde member knows you need to have a plan for every situation. You can't just go in blindly and hope something works out. So that's why those three strategy games are the best!" She explains it all with textbook perfection.

Catra listens with both ears perked up attentively and gives a small nod.

"Got it."

Adora grins. "Okay! Then let's start with tag! Though I've gotta warn you, I'm pretty fast! Ready..."

She crouches down a little bit to prepare to run. Catra mimics her, tail swishing, lips curled up just a little. Then, Adora flashes her hand out and taps her on the shoulder.

"Tag! You're it!"

And she turns to start running in the opposite direction, already giggling to herself. But almost immediately, she feels a hand on her back. She freezes and turns around. Catra withdraws her hand innocently.

"Tag."

And then she's off running. And she's fast.

Adora hadn't seen her run like this yet since they'd met. Catra has always been reserved and cautious so far. Adora didn't think she'd be this quick. But within seconds she's already halfway down the corridor.

Adora snaps out of her trance and gives chase.

"Hey! Wait!"

"I don't think I'm supposed to."

Adora chases her for several minutes, but Catra maintains her lead. Not only is she quick, but agile. She doesn't just run, but she jumps and climbs and does all kinds of other impressive things too.

Adora chases her for a while before she realizes she's never going to catch her this way. So at one point, she veers off down another hallway and hurries around to cut Catra off. Her advantage is that she knows this area of the base so well she could traverse it in her sleep. But Catra's new here, so she doesn't know it yet.

Adora manages to end up in front of her new friend, who's now stopped to look behind herself once she'd noticed Adora was gone. Adora tiptoes up to her very quietly.

Catra's tail starts to flick, and her ears droop down as she stares at the empty hallway behind herself.

"Adora...?" She calls out timidly into the empty space. She even takes a step back the way she'd come, clearly worried she'd lost Adora, and in turn gotten lost herself. "Adora-?"

"I'm right here! Tag!" Adora jumps on her unsuspecting friend from behind and tackles her to the floor in a hug. Catra yelps in surprise, but more than anything she's relieved to have found her again.

Adora chuckles, proud of her little victory. Catra just hugs her; she doesn't mind the loss if it means being with her again.

But Adora can tell right away Catra isn't giggling or smiling with her. Her ears are low again, and her tail is curling around Adora's back like it does when she's nervous. Adora pats her head gently.

"Sorry. Did I scare you?"

Catra nuzzles into her shoulder.

"I thought... I got lost. I thought you left me..."

Adora feels like she wants to frown and smile at the same time.

"I'm sorry. I didn't leave you, Catra. I promise I'll stay with you no matter what! Even if it's just a game I'll always be on your side, okay?"

Catra wraps her tail a little more tightly around her friend.

"Okay..."

Adora gives her another squeeze before stepping back.

"You're really fast, Catra! I'd say you won that game! So how about we try hide-and-seek next? Do you know how to play?"

Catra blinks up at her a little nervously and shakes her head. Adora pats her shoulder gently.

"Okay, I'll explain! One of us is gonna count to thirty and the other one is going to hide! Find the best hiding place you can, as long as it's safe, and don't come out unless the other person says they give up. It's to improve your stealth skills. Wanna try?"

Catra thinks it over for a moment, but eventually nods.

"Great!" Adora says. "I'll count first. So you go and hide. And don't worry. I promise I won't leave until I find you, or until I say I give up. Though I should warn you, I've never had to give up a round before!"

She sits down where she is and covers her eyes.

"All right, I'm gonna count to thirty! Go hide! One... two... three..."

As she counts, she doesn't even hear Catra's footsteps or feel a movement of air, so she doesn't even think her friend has moved at all from where she'd been standing. But as soon as Adora reaches thirty, she opens her eyes to find herself completely alone in the corridor. She stands up and stretches her legs out a bit.

"Ready or not, here I come!"

She looks around herself, but can't see any good hiding places or signs of Catra. So Adora chooses a direction and begins walking.

She checks every nook and cranny, behind every twisted pipe and underneath every overhanging chunk of wall. She searches thoroughly everywhere she goes, but after about ten minutes the corridors loop and bring her back to her initial starting point.

She's baffled, because she's usually found the hiding people by now. Not willing to give up yet, she does one more lap, but still comes up empty-handed. For once, Adora has to admit defeat.

"Okay, Catra! I give up! You can come out now!"

She waits for a minute, wondering if she'll have to start walking again and keep calling out until Catra can hear her from wherever she's hiding.

But before Adora can start walking again, she catches sight of movement in the corner of her eye. She looks up to the ceiling, where one of the big pipes enters the foundation and disappears. There's only a slight gap in the concrete, but two eyes blink back at her from the darkness.

Catra slips out of the shadows and drops down lightly onto the floor, barely making any sound at all. Adora claps.

"Wow! That was great, Catra! You're the best hider ever!" She runs to her and grabs both of her hands in her excitement. Catra's ears flatten a little, but not in a bad way. A blush spreads across her cheeks, and her tail curls up again.

Adora is already eager to play more. "Okay! Now I'm gonna hide, and you count and then try to find me!"

Catra nods and then sits down like Adora had to cover her eyes. She starts counting quietly, and Adora tears off.

She might not be as agile as Catra to let her hide up high, but Adora knows every inch of the Fright Zone inside camp. She knows all the best spots.

She doesn't hold back with Catra. She chooses her best hiding spot ever. It's a part of loose wall directly at a corner. She slides it aside, slips behind it, and then moves it back into place.

It's dark and squished, but she still fits, and she knows exactly where to grab to reopen it from the inside. She can't hear anything other than the hummings and whirrings of the ventilation system, random things dripping and clicking and turning on or off.

She just expects to be here for about ten minutes or so until she hears Catra calling that she gives up-

"Adora." Three knocks sound directly on the other side of the wall as Catra calls out for her softly. "Found you."

Adora's jaw nearly hits the floor. She scrambles up, pulls the rickety wall aside, and can't believe her eyes. Catra is standing there, still looking nervous like she usually does, but just a little bit more proud. Adora shakes her head in shock.

"No way! That was my best hiding spot! How'd you find me?! And so quickly?"

Catra shuffles her feet and swishes her tail again.

"I followed your scent."

Adora is in disbelief, but she's also really happy for her friend.

"That's amazing! That's so cool, Catra! You're so smart! And talented!" She throws both arms around her and squeezes. Catra freezes up for a second, but eventually hugs her back softly.

"You... really think so...?"

"Yeah! I mean, you found such a good hiding spot so quickly and never gave yourself away, and then you found me behind a wall in like... ten seconds! That's super awesome, Catra!"

Catra hugs Adora tighter as the beginnings of a little purr start up in her chest.

"No one's... ever called me those things before..."

It's quiet between them for a moment. Adora is more surprised about what Catra's just said now. She hugs her tighter too.

"Well, then everyone else is just jealous or stupid. Cuz you're amazing, Catra! That's obvious! You're gonna be one of the best Force Cadets they've ever seen!" She feels Catra's hands grip her shirt more tightly, and the purr gets a little louder.

After a moment, Adora proposes the final game.

"Wrestling!" she declares. "This time neither of us has to run away or hide. We're just gonna fight here and now, one on one, no weapons allowed!" She crouches down a little and rubs her hands together, smirking. "Are you ready?"

Catra mirrors her, crouching low, finding a comfortable and balanced stance, tail swishing. She nods.

"All right!" Adora says. "Go!"

With this, she charges Catra right away, grabbing both of her hands as the other girl throws her arms up to block. They tussle for a moment, pushing and pulling against each other's weight.

Adora is slightly bigger than Catra, so she isn't surprised when she begins to overpower her.

But to her surprise, it was just a faint on Catra's part. The smaller girl lets Adora push forward, but Catra quickly lets go of her and side-steps, causing Adora to lose balance and fall forward. Catra gives her a shove to knock her to the floor, then pounces on top of her. Adora manages to grab hold of her wrists at the last second.

"Not bad, but you're gonna have to do better!"

She rolls Catra off herself, and the wrestling continues.

They go on for several minutes, rolling around the floor, scrambling up, charging and blocking, and repeating the process.

At one point, Adora really believes she's going to win. But Catra surprises her by reaching out to poke a single finger at Adora's forehead. It's such a small action it distracts and confuses Adora for a second. And during that second, Catra laughs and tackles her again.

They end up on the floor once again, both of them chuckling now at the fun of it all. But Adora manages to push Catra onto her back and pins her down.

"You put up a good fight, Catra! But I'm winning this!"

And that's when the laughter stops.

Catra's eyes suddenly go wide and her ears droop. She looks just like she had the first day Adora had found her – scared.

Maybe it's because she feels like prey, like she's going to get punished or hurt for losing. But her bare feet react naturally and begin to kick, claws extended as she swipes frantically at Adora's stomach with them.

At first Adora can bear it, but then she feels the sharp nails cutting her.

"H-Hey, Catra, ow!"

She loosens her grip a little, but Catra isn't listening anymore. Her eyes are closed and she's struggling as if for dear life, panicked and wild as she does whatever's necessary to escape. She whimpers and writhes and kicks harder and harder and harder-

"N-No, no- stop!" Adora winces as she's pummeled by the claws and heels, and eventually she has no choice but her let her go. Adora collapses to the floor beside her friend, panting and holding her stomach.

"Ow... ow ow ow..." She peeks down to find her shirt has been shredded, and there are a few scratch marks stretching across the skin underneath. She's bleeding, but only a little.

As soon as she's free, Catra scrambles away and starts to bolt, fear still prominent in her eyes, hair and fur frazzled. Adora winces, but she has to let Catra know she isn't in any real danger.

"C-Catra, wait..." She pushes herself up as much as she can, but it hurts, and she drops back to her knees. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you... We were just playing..." In spite of the pain, she looks up to Catra, begging her not to run away. "I'm sorry, Catra. I-I didn't mean to..."

But the fear Catra feels is different now.

It isn't like the fear of being pinned down and trapped. It's much, much worse.

Because Adora is crumpled on the ground in pain.

And it's her fault.

She staggers, glancing down at her own feet where bits of Adora's shirt art still stuck on her nails. She gasps in horror. She feels like she's going to throw up.

"A... Adora...?" She takes a step toward her, but Adora groans in pain again. Catra freezes, then slowly steps back. "I... I'm sorry-" she rasps. "I-I didn't mean to, I-I just-" She turns with tears in her eyes, ashamed and terrified. She starts to run-

"Wait-!"

A tight hand on her wrist stops Catra in her tracks.

Adora had forced herself up to grab hold of her, because she knew if Catra ran away now, she'd never find her again. Adora keeps her other hand on her stomach because it still hurts, but she tries out a tiny smile.

"Catra... it's okay. It was an accident. I know you didn't mean to..."

Catra shakes her head and tries to yank herself away, but Adora holds tight.

"N-No! I hurt you! Lemme go!"

"I said it's okay!"

"It's not okay!"

"Yes it is!"

They struggle against one another for a moment, but it's soon very clear that Catra is in much more pain than Adora is. Adora hardly even feels the stinging of the scratches anymore. But Catra is so ridden with guilt that she falls to her knees wailing.

"I... I'm sorry- I-I didn't-" She can't even speak anymore now. She just cries and hiccups and then cries some more.

Adora is relieved she isn't trying to run away anymore. Slowly, she drops to her knees beside her friend and wraps both arms around her.

"It's okay. I know it was an accident. It's my fault anyway for making you feel trapped. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry, too..."

Catra can't do anything more than cling to her and wail. Adora's never heard her voice go this loud before. It echoes through the corridors loudly enough to draw other people's attention.

And it draws the attention of the last person they want right now.

"What is going on here?"

Shadow-Weaver's tone sends shudders up the girls' backs, particularly Catra's. She yelps, trying to hide by clinging to Adora. Adora hugs her and looks up as calmly as she can as Shadow-Weaver lurks toward them.

"What is all the fuss about?" she demands, glaring down at Catra. "Silence, child!"

Catra chokes, trying to keep down as much of the sobbing as she can, but it just keep tumbling out. Adora holds her close, but never takes her eyes off the sorceress.

"Shadow-Weaver, it was an accident-"

"What was an accident? What did the little cur do?" Her bleak eyes narrow in on Adora. She must see the frays of her shirt past Catra's huddled form, because Shadow-Weaver reaches out and snatches the back of Catra's shirt.

Catra wails and Adora tries to hold onto her, but Shadow-Weaver yanks the girl off Adora and throws her to the ground. When she glimpses the torn shirt on her precious future cadet, Shadow-Weaver becomes livid. She inches closer to Adora and rests a gentle hand on her head. But her voice is heavy with rage and fury.

"Did she do this to you, my dear Adora? That little mongrel? Because I can see to it that she never harms you again." Shadow-Weaver raises her other hand, which starts to glow red.

The same aura suddenly appears around Catra as the sobbing girl is lifted slowly into the air by the dark magics. Catra gasps and cries, but she's too terrified to make any other sounds. Her frightened, tearful eyes can only seek out Adora and cry for help her mouth can't ask for.

Adora frantically tries to persuade Shadow-Weaver.

"P-Please! It wasn't her fault! She didn't mean to!"

Shadow-Weaver tightens her fist, and Catra yelps. The sorceress pulls Adora close to her side more tenderly, though her voice is still acidic.

"I always knew that one would be nothing but a nuisance. I should have gotten rid of her right away. I suppose that was my mistake."

"Please!" Adora cries. "Y-You're hurting her!"

"Only because she hurt you, my dear." Shadow-Weaver strokes her fingers gently through Adora's hair. And in contrast she increases Catra's pain with the other.

Adora clings desperately to the sorceress' robes.

"Please... It doesn't hurt anymore, Shadow-Weaver. She won't do it again. Please let her go..."

Shadow-Weaver is unmoving and cold for a moment. Adora feels tears rushing down her cheeks as she watches Catra struggle in silent agony.

But at last, Shadow-Weaver releases her. Catra drops to the ground, and Adora hurries over to her without a second thought.

"Catra!" Adora scoops the girl up into her arms. There are tears all down her face and neck, but she's quiet now, passed out from the sheer terror of it all. Adora hugs her close and doesn't let go. She cries softly into her hair. But she makes sure to listen to Shadow-Weaver's parting words of warning.

"You may keep her around so long as you keep her under control. But if she ever does anything like this again, I won't hesitate to get rid of her." She pauses, and for a second, the shadows seem to stir and shift when they shouldn't.

"I won't allow anything to get in the way of your training to become Force Commander one day, Adora. Do keep that in mind. You're going to do great things, my dear. And I will see to it myself."

With this she turns and vanishes as hauntingly as she'd come.

Adora curls herself over Catra and sobs. She'd never been in so much pain before. And none of it is because of her stomach anymore.

This pain is so much worse. The pain of caring about someone so much.

She holds Catra close to her, not knowing if she can hear her or not.

"I'll protect you... I promise..."

She's going to make sure it's a promise she can keep.

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A/N: Yes, unfortunately we can't have baby Catra and Adora without Shadow-Weaver sliding in every now and again to scare them, now can we? This chapter was more of a "first time they hurt each other" kind of chapter. I imagine something like this could've happened in canon, especially if Catra was scared and not thinking about using her claws.

The next chapter will be the last one of them as babies, and then we'll move into Part 2!