Ok, imagine this: the Korrasami ending scene, but with Glimmadora ✨✨👐✨✨
I am imagining 🥺
Actually while we're at it, let me just write out the way I wanted the series to end, I'm not sure I ever shared it here:
While I wasn't sure how S5 was going to go, beat for beat, I of course assumed Catra was going to flip to the good guy side eventually and help defeat Prime. I also knew, however, that however many episodes she got were not enough to give her a full and satisfactory redemption arc. Starting it in S5 was just too late. She would need to be shown leaving to start her own journey for us to know adequate redemption would take place.
So, in my ideal ending, after they defeated Horde Prime and saved the world, Catra would pack her things and take Melog (who at the time I didn't know would exist, but they can come) and leave for lands unknown. Essentially her goal would be to find self worth, self love, a purpose outside Adora and the Horde. I really liked her Crimson Waste arc in S3, so maybe she'd start there.
Anyway, she gets ready to go and the other princesses gather to say their goodbyes outside Bright Moon. Catra kind of gets a chance to say something to each of them--apologies of course, especially to Scorpia...who I think would be sad but proud of Catra for making the decision to go.
So she gets to Adora and Glimmer and to Glimmer I honestly /really/ wanted Catra to be the one to say "hey, take care of her." It's an acknowledgment that Glimmer c a n, and that she will. It acknowledges the trust Catra would have placed in Glimmer, as well as silently admitting Catra knows she is not what is best for Adora and letting her go. Glimmer would give her some gentle ribbing in return. Once again, I imagine they'd be much more understanding of one another as narrative foils, if not fully forgiving.
Catra gets to Adora--who I imagined was actually pretty conflicted. I think on one hand she'd know Catra is making the right choice for herself and for Adora and that self discovery is super important. But I also think she'd be saddened, I imagine that if Catra finally flipped sides and was helpful and dynamically a different person the whole time, that Adora would have hope they could start rebuild their friendship. So maybe she's genuinely a little tearful and conflicted but Catra confirms this is something she needs to do, and assures Adora she'll be back someday and they can start anew when she's ready. They can hug, they can definitely hug.
When they step back, I thought the most powerful thing Catra could do (as her entire arc, corruption and redemption was centered around Adora) is to really let her go. So she takes Adora's hand and takes Glimmer's hand and places them together. When she let's go they lace their own fingers and hold on, faces like "😳 😳".
Then Catra grins, takes Melog, walks off into the horizon without looking back--Breakfast Club fist pump.
As she goes the princesses disperse, but Glimmer kinda nudges Adora to make sure she's okay. Adora turns and smiles at her, cuz 'yeah, she's okay. It's all gonna be okay', squeezes Glimmer's hand and the scene fades out.
Ultimately? Way too idealistic for what the show wanted, I GUESS. But for me made way more narrative sense and was way more on point with every character arc and every thing each character deserved.
So... Yeah. In Heart of Courage, this was Catra's journey before the start of the fic and how she found Ash.
In canon... alas.
