"Hey, Horde Scum, you almost ready? Ceremony's about to start." Light poured in from the vast windows of Adora's old room in the castle. Glimmer faced the back side of Catra in front of the mirror, done up in white and lace.
Catra's breath caught in her throat, "Y-Yeah," she tried to clear it, "J-Just a sec, okay?"
"Woah. Okay, hold on. Are you okay? Of all people, I'd think you'd be the least nervous about today." Glimmer entered the room and took steps to circle around to view Catra.
"No. No, I'm not nervous. I just-" Her hands flexed between fist and extending her fingers flat as if to prevent herself from clawing her own dress. She sniffed hard, "Ah, fuck." Another. "I'm fine, really, it's fucking stupid. I just," she exhaled hard, "can't stop thinking about how I almost lost everything. Her. How it was all my fault. And I thought I had a breakthrough, y'know. Forgiving myself and all that shit. But today... THAT voice came back. Telling me that I don't deserve this. Over and over and over again. And I know I'm not supposed to listen to it, but Spakles, I tell ya, kinda difficult! And this SHIT has to happen today. Fuck me!" Her hands trembled in her lap and her tail flicked and jumped behind her.
Glimmer approached from behind. She fixed the crown of lavender and rose Perfuma had given her a little more securely to Catra's hair. She grabbed a brush and smoothed the strands behind the crown. "Yeah, that shit kinda sucked, Catra." She watched Catra's fists tighten. "Let me finish! And sorry, I probably should have started that better." She cupped several strands that had fallen from Catra flattened ears and carefully placed them behind. "The person you are now, who you turned out to be, the real you, deserves all the goodness Brightmoon and all of Etheria has to offer. And..., I'm really really glad I didn't kill you back in the day. You're my best friend, Catra, if you can believe it and I'd be really upset if this world was without you in it. So yeah, the old you, doesn't deserve all this. Fuck that cunt. But you do. You absolutely deserve all of this and more. Alright?" She jostled Catra's shoulders when she didn't answer. Catra sniffed again and nodded. Tears had streaked her face. "There you go you big baby."
Catra snickered, "F-Ffuck you," she sniffed again, "Get me a tissue or something you asshole," she said through laughter.
Glimmer teleported across the room for said tissue and teleported back to hand it over. "Come on, you're ready," she nudged her head toward the door as Catra stood up. She was surprised to see Catra hugged her tight.
"Hey the music is starting, are-" Bow poked his head through the doorway.
"Ah! Get off me," she shoved Glimmer away. Catra stomped away and past Bow.
Bow raised a finger, "Are you-"
Glimmer wrapped an arm around Bow, "She's fine, really. A bitch, but she's fine."
"I HEARD THAT!" Catra said down the hall.
"Congratulations!" Glimmer shook her head at the dramatic ordeal and teleported herself and Bow to the seats at the ceremony.
