Hi! 😃

I am really grateful for the chance to share more of this story in an episode that spans a multitude of places around Etheria.

The recap:

Part One: Entrapta and Wink discover unexpected difficulties on their mission to restore the magic of the princesses.

Part Two: Adora's interrogation of Double Trouble leads to surprising revelations.

I am joyfully dedicating this week's chapter to Dori ( @DoriLeFish ).

Because you love this ship, Dori, and because it looks like (amazingly) I haven't actually dedicated my story to you in the past!

So, this is for you, my friend. 😊

I'm thinking that some of you probably have envisioned a scene like this one already! 😄

If so, I hope I do it justice for you.

This one is a bit longer than usual.

Enjoy!

MYSTACOR:

The Island of Mystacor retains its majesty.

Though land-bound and still at the foot of the red cliffs where disaster brought it to rest, the grandeur of its terraced heights bedecked with towering lavender domes and gold-tipped spires remains an inspiring sight.

A wonder of the world. A fallen treasure.

One of the smaller buildings nestled against the edge of a terrace halfway up the main island peak, though unassuming in outward appearance, conceals a true marvel within!

The interior of the dome is a single, vast, open space of earthy lavender stone. Through a soothing mist across this wide vista, peaceful walkways meander amongst large clear pools of steaming waters,

Falls spilling from overhangs in the walls provide endless refreshment for the gently effervescent pools.

A large circular opening within the center of the domed ceiling high above invites sunlight to warmly illuminate the entire space, mingling its brilliance with the soothing, warm, steamy air rising from the pools.

Glimmer sits comfortably on a wide clay bench molded out of the wall and floor, her hands working at opening the clasps on her leg brace. She is wearing a loose pale teal robe, slightly open at the front. Under the robe it may be seen that she wears a pair of light, grayish-purple shorts covering her hips and thighs and a folded band of similar material wrapped across her chest, exposing her midriff. At last, she releases the final clasp with a metallic click, and the light bronzy framework drops from her leg into her hands.

As she gently sets her leg down, she raises the framework close to admire it. The elegant and sturdy weaving of metal is slender and attractive, a work of remarkable skill. She notes a familiar red heart symbol worked into the mechanism at the hinges, and she smiles.

Glimmer sets down the brace, leaning back against the wall. She folds her arms over her belly and closes her eyes peacefully.

Glimmer: [sighing] Mmmmmm . . .

After a moment, her ear twitches at the sound of a frustrated groan from nearby.

Glimmer: [calling out] How ya doin’, Catra?

There is a low growl, followed by a long sigh. Catra’s reply from the nearby room is sharp, but slightly muffled.

Catra: [emphatically, with tempered control] This doesn’t. Fit.

Glimmer: [calmly] It will fit, Catra. It stretches. [helpfully] The thinner part goes across your chest, and . . .

Catra: [snapping] I know that! There’s just . . . there isn’t enough of this . . . whatever it is!

Glimmer nods knowingly, without opening her eyes.

Glimmer: Did you have someone help you?

Catra: [annoyed] No! I can dress myself. But this stuff. [pause] It doesn’t work.

Glimmer opens her eyes and sits forward, looking toward an alcove in the wall that must lead into a small adjoining room.

Glimmer: Can I see it? Please?

There is a weighty sigh from the alcove.

Catra: [resigned] Sure.

Catra steps out of the alcove, taking shortened strides as she awkwardly holds her clothing in place. She wears the same kind of shorts that Glimmer does. With her right arm, she grips her chest, holding the band firmly to cover herself. With her left arm, she is still pulling on the trailing end of the band, stretching it outward and attempting to tuck it behind herself. She tries to look over her shoulder to get a view of what she is doing, but this is clearly not working for her.

She stops beside Glimmer, just as the end of the band snaps out of her hand with a crack! Glimmer flinches, then smiles sympathetically.

Catra: [angrilly] Aughh!

Catra looks toward Glimmer with a bland assurance.

Catra: See? Doesn’t fit me.

Glimmer motions her toward her.

Glimmer: Come over here, and let me help.

Catra rolls her eyes.

Glimmer: [insistent] Come on. Just let me try. Okay?

Glimmer pats the bench beside her.

Catra hesitates a moment. Then she walks over.

Catra: Fine.

She turns her back to Glimmer and sits down close to her, slumping a little.

Glimmer: Great.

Glimmer takes the ends of the band from Catra’s hands and begins to work with them.

Catra: [grumbling softly] I’m not an idiot.

Glimmer smiles as she works, unfolding part of the garment and repositioning the ends.

Glimmer: [sincerely] No. You’re not.

Catra pulls her knees up and hugs them to herself, looking downward.

Glimmer: [kindly] You’re just stubborn. [after a moment, reflectively, without judgment] Kinda like me.

Catra raises an eyebrow, glancing to the side with a tiny frown. She remains silent as Glimmer continues to shift and fold and stretch the band over her chest.

Glimmer: [with a softer tone] You’re supposed to let someone help you with the garments, Catra. They have to fit very close against the skin, so that the healing mists and waters can spread across your whole body and relax the pores. The folds that help it to do that are complicated. You can’t really do them by yourself.

Glimmer’s fingers trail gently over Catra’s shoulders, neck, and back as she continues to manipulate the fabric. Catra’s head tilts, and she closes her eyes in response to Glimmer’s actions.

Glimmer: [empathetically] And besides that, letting go is an important part of being able to relax. [a beat] So is the caring touch of another person. Every part of it helps you feel the full healing, cleansing effects of the Grotto.

Catra: [with a tiny, relaxed smile] Hmm.

Glimmer makes a final twist to the fabric, and secures it. Catra straightens upright, eyes suddenly wide.

Glimmer: [pleased] There!

Catra: [concerned] Ah! It’s too tight!

Glimmer: [non-plussed] No. It isn’t.

Catra: Yes, it is! Loosen it.

Glimmer shakes her head and rolls her eyes.

Glimmer: [sighing, under her breath] It’s Adora all over again.

Catra jumps up from the bench, turning toward Glimmer.

Catra: [piqued] What? What are you talking about?!

Glimmer shakes her head, frowning.

Glimmer: Nothing. Catra . . .

Catra frowns and starts reaching behind her back to grab the material around her chest.

Catra: Are you gonna loosen this, or what?!

Glimmer holds up her hands at Catra.

Glimmer: [with irritation] Catra! Stop!

Catra stops struggling with the material and stares at Glimmer, annoyed.

Glimmer: [with deliberate gentleness] Now. Breathe. Can you breathe?

Catra frowns at her, but drops her arms and takes a few breaths, first shallow ones and then more deeply. She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. Her expression relaxes.

Catra: Yeah. I can breathe.

Glimmer: Good. Can you move? Try it.

Catra considers. Then she rolls her shoulders, stretching. She reaches her arms over her head and stretches her back.

Dropping to all fours, Catra extends her arms and legs and arches her back high.

Letting herself drop fully to the floor, she pushes up with her arms to stretch the curve of her low back.

She springs up and does a precise kick to the left, then to the right.

She shakes her arms and then twists her torso to one side, then the other, punching the air.

Finally, she stands still, looks down at her chest, jumps lightly from one foot to the other a few times, then looks up at Glimmer again. She smiles.

Catra: [good-naturedly] All right, Sparkles. You win.

Glimmer smiles at her, as Catra steps up and offers a hand.

Catra: You ready?

Glimmer: Ready.

Glimmer opens her robe and drops it on the bench as Catra helps her to her feet.

She drapes an arm across Catra’s shoulders, and together, they walk toward one of the large, steaming pools in the floor.

Glimmer’s limp is noticably less. She turns to look at Catra and beams at her.

Glimmer: [cheered] It’s already feeling a lot better!

Leaning part of her weight against Catra’s body, she takes small steps to the edge of the tranquil, steaming pool, finally stepping away and just holding Catra’s hand as her foot touches the water. Glimmer hesitates, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, a peaceful smile on her face.

As she puts her weight on her foot and steps her other foot into the pool, her body shudders and she cries out in pain, her eyes snapping open.

Glimmer: A-ah!

Catra leaps forward with a look of concern. She squeezes Glimmer’s hand and reaches to grab hold of Glimmer’s side to steady her.

Glimmer: [quickly, upbeat] I’m okay, I’m okay!

She grins.

Glimmer: I guess it’s still a little sensitive.

Gently, Catra moves with Glimmer to help her ease into the pool, only letting her go when Glimmer is sitting with the waters up to her chest.

Glimmer sighs gratefully. She breathes in deeply, inhaling the healing vapors.

Opening her eyes, she turns to Catra. Catra is still holding Glimmer’s hand, crouching wide-eyed near the edge of the pool. Glimmer smiles at her.

Glimmer: Thank you.

She squeezes Catra’s hand in hers, then lets it go.

Glimmer leans back in the water.

A moment passes.

Glimmer: [encouragingly] Aren’t-cha gonna join me in here?

Catra shrinks back a little from the edge of the pool, as if it might bite her.

Catra: [tensely] Ahhh, no. I’m fine here. Water . . . really isn’t my thing.

Glimmer nods understandingly.

Glimmer: Okay.

Glimmer closes her eyes, smiling.

Glimmer: [sighing] I’m glad you’re here, though.

Catra turns away. She lets herself relax a little, sitting down beside the pool with one knee up, the other falling to her side. She looks away and downward, tapping the clay-stone floor with her claws.

Catra: Glimmer, . . . why . . . [she takes a breath] why are you so . . . nice to me?

Glimmer looks up at her and smiles.

Glimmer: [without hesitation] Because we’re friends. Aaaand because . . . because you’re a good person. You care.

Catra: [softly] Am I?

She scratches the floor gently with her claws.

Glimmer: I know you want to be.

Catra: Yeah.

Suddenly Catra finds Glimmer holding her hand again. She turns toward her, surprised. Glimmer looks into her eyes with earnest compassion.

Glimmer: I know that what you went through growing up in the Horde was . . . terrible.

Catra stares at her, wide-eyed.

Glimmer: I . . . can’t know what that was like. I realize that.

Catra tenses her lips together and blinks, looking downward.

Catra: No. You can’t.

Glimmer: [with feeling] But I do know that you and Adora got through it. Because you had each other. Because you cared about each other.

Catra looks away, a small sad frown on her face.

Glimmer: My friendship with Adora taught me that people can change. That they’re not always who you think they are at first.

Catra nods slowly.

Glimmer: Adora believes in you. And I do, too.

Catra turns back to her, with a sad and unsure expression, holding back tears.

Catra: Why? Why would you do that? After . . . everything . . .

Glimmer: [with emotion] Because after everything . . . you’ve been there for me, Catra. You’ve been there . . . right when I needed a friend like you.

She holds up Catra’s hand and grips it strongly.

Glimmer: And I feel like I need to be yours, too.

Catra squeezes Glimmer’s hand in return. She lets herself smile, and it comes easily. Her voice is a little husky as she speaks.

Catra: [with feeling] You are.

For a moment, a look of unspoken affection passes between them as they release each other’s hands.

Glimmer’s attention turns to Catra’s left foot, and she tilts her head in consideration.

Catra watches Glimmer curiously as she reaches tentatively toward Catra’s foot. Glimmer stops and looks up to her.

Glimmer: Is it okay if I . . . ?

Catra moves her foot a little closer, so Glimmer can reach it. She raises an eyebrow.

Catra: What?

Glimmer takes gentle hold of Catra’s foot in both hands.

Glimmer: I know it isn’t “your thing,” but--

Catra tenses, but doesn’t pull away.

Catra: [wary, but still curious] What are you gonna do?

Glimmer smiles at her.

Glimmer: Let’s just try this, okay? Just one foot.

She hesitates at Catra’s concerned expression.

Glimmer: [mildly coaxing] Trust me on this?

After a moment, Catra nods.

Catra: Okay.

Glimmer slowly and gently guides Catra’s foot toward the edge of the pool.

Catra moves along with her, although she seems to be stretching every other part of her body so that it is as far from her foot as physically possible.

She grits her teeth and frowns as her foot nears the water. Then closes her eyes in a wince as Glimmer finally lowers her foot into the pool.

For a moment, Glimmer holds Catra’s foot, under the water. Then she slowly opens her hands and spreads them apart. She looks up at Catra hopefully.

Catra slowly opens one teal eye. The tension in her expression eases. She opens her other eye. Then Catra sits up straight with a wondering look. She wiggles her foot slowly in the water, bemused.

She glances at Glimmer, who is smiling at her.

With a little grin, Catra scoots closer to the edge of the pool, letting her lower leg slide forward into the fresh, steaming water.

Catra: [sighing] Hmmm.

After a moment, Catra swings her right leg over the pool. Carefully, she lowers that leg into the water until she is seated and freely dangling her feet in the pool.

Catra leans back with her arms supporting her, smiling and stretching as her legs swing slowly in the water. All at once, the tension in her shoulders melts.

Catra: Mmmmmm . . .

Glimmer beams.

Glimmer: [pleased] Yeah?

Catra: [slowly, with relief] Yes. This. This Is good. [Closing her eyes.] It’s like . . .

Without any warning, there is a terrific splash, and an enormous spray of steamy water washes over Glimmer and Catra from one side.

As the steam mist clears a bit, Catra is seated bolt upright, her eyes wide with shock and her fur spiking away from her body. Glimmer brushes back a lock of her drenched hair away from her eyes and turns with an intensely annoyed frown to see an idiot equine lounging in another nearby pool.

Swift Wind, lying on his back, takes up the entire length of the pool, his forelegs splayed out to rest on its edges.

He sighs obliviously while Catra growls ominously.