2321/Brilliantly Kind

Brilliantly Kind
Date of Scene:	12 February 2025
Location:	Riverside Path
Synopsis:	Adora's been through a lot, and Usagi Tsukino, at least, wants to help. After dragging the Princess of Power out for a patrol around Juuban, the two princesses have a talk - about trust, the possibilities of time standing still, and the ramifications of portals, among other things.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Adora Rainbowfist

---

'Usagi Tsukino has posed:
If there's one thing Usagi Tsukino has learned throughout her life, it's that there are friends who should be asked first, and friends who should be dragged first.

Adora is definitely one of the latter, whether it's Oldora or Newdora she's talking about. Left to her own devices, she might wallow in her thoughts until she came up with terrible ideas, like forcing open portals between dimensions to try and get back home.

So instead of leaving her to her own devices, Usagi's dragged her out on patrol - one of those useful things a mahoujin can do, even when there's not an active fight on. Today, they're patrolling Juuban, in the area by the Riverside Walk, leaping across rooftops and racing along.

"See, patrol is great because if you don't find anything, you've earned a treat! And if you do find something, you'll save the day and definitely earn a treat. Win, win."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
Look just because Adora was starting to think this world was ~too~ good and that she was still stuck inside of the portal which explains the weird timey wimey stuff doesn't mean she /needs/ drag-- okay yeah she probably needs dragged out.

Leaping across rooftops is something she can definitely do, too. She-Ra makes it extra easy, but she could manage even without henshining! But she did, so the oversized amazoness was leaping across rooftops.

"I mean sure but what if you're the one making the treats, do you get extra treats for being the treatmaker too?" She asks in response with a slightly teasing smirk at Sailor Moon.

She wasn't really considering forcing open portals at least, though she was definitely conflicted because she does feel like she /should/ get back to Etheria somehow. She pauses at the edge of one of the buildings to watch one of the boats float by quietly, likely... a bit of a sight for people below if they looked up, not that many do. "This world really is peaceful, though... even with the regular apocalypses."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I think if you're the treatmaker, you always should get extra treats," Sailor Moon says very seriously, tapping her chin. She's smiling brightly, pleased to see Adora active and smiling - or at least, smirking. "But the trick is, you always get treats~"

And that really is the point of it all. When She-Ra comes to a halt, at the edge of a building, Sailor Moon poses, and comes up beside her, looking out over the water with her.

"...It really is. We've been at peace for... a long time. I mean, technically, we don't even really have an army in this country..."

She cracks a wry smile.
"RIt probably helps that most people don't know about the apocalypses."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"I'm beginning to suspect you might be a bit on the hungry side, Sailor Moon." She-Ra responds, chuckling softly as she looks over the river. No real sounds of danger, just the soft flow of water and occasional chattering of people below, really. She doesn't even have her sword out, instead just wearing it as bracers right now since it does seem reasonably peaceful for the moment.

"Do you think Etheria is okay? Most of the leaders of the Princess Alliance are here, on this planet right now." Sure, they weren't the only ones who mattered, but the others weren't exactly tactically minded. Luckily Catra was /here/ too, but Shadow Weaver and Hordak were still home.

"Yeah. I think things would be different at home if there wasn't an everlooming war, though the people of Etheria seem to do okay and keep their spirits up pretty well for the most part. ... Though that might just be what I saw, since when She-Ra shows up normally it's because I'm there to save the day."

Ah yeah dragging her out was probably smart. She definitely had been stewing.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I'll tell you a secret, She-Ra," Sailor Moon says very seriously, "I'm always hungry."

And then she snickers, relaxing in the joy of just - being, in a peaceful moment on her world, her body full of energy, her heart full with companionship and the peace of seeing everything and everyone calm.

"I think Etheria's okay," she says, after a moment, "Because it has to be. I don't think... I don't think the world would be so unfair, as to like, take you from your home when it needed you."

Whatever had drawn Adora and the others to Earth... surely it wouldn't be so cruel as to make things back home worse for them.

"Maybe time hasn't even really moved on your world, because they're such different places?"

She's heard of that happening before, like in Digimon Adventure!

"And you know... from what the other Adora told me, your world is going to get there. Heck, maybe we'll be able to go back with you and help finish things even sooner."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"...Yeah I get you on that one, even when I'm stuffed I have room for more." She-Ra responds. "That and She-Ra probably eats up a lot of calories what with all of the strength and stuff she gives me." She steps away from that edge, looking towards Sailor Moon briefly.

"With all the time stuff, I wonder if there's another Adora that just is continuing on in my place in my timeline. Which is really weird to think about considering there's already one other Adora that I know of." Yeah she's not good at the whole secret identity thing. Sort of. She's mostly remembering to call Usagi by Sailor Moon at least!

The concept of time being frozen on her world... is definitely... a thought that exists. That's very strange. "I'm not sure if that actually sounds good or not, everyone being frozen in place instead of living out their lives..." Then again that might be better than the panic of everyone not being there at the same time. Brightmoon being entirely without a leader...

"I hope she was right. Etheria was kind of a mess. All of the old aggressive Eternian tech, the Horde... honestly it's a wonder that there's even something approaching peaceful life there right now." Paaaause.

"/Anyway/!" She ahems. "I do think that this particular section of the river is rather secure. My She-Ra senses are definitely not tingling at all around here." Which mostly just means Catra isn't nearby, really.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"That... would be weird," Sailor Moon admits, considering the idea of another Adora continuing on in this Adora's place... but isn't that sort of, kind of what happened to her? Well - no, she's from a different place in time, which is different from what went on before... "I mean, you were from a different time from the other Adora, and I think that's different. Ami-chan or Pluto-san could probably explain how, though."

She definitely couldn't explain science - she could only explain how she felt, and her heart was telling her that that wasn't happening.

"Well, in this show I watched as a kid with my mama, these kids traveled to another world and they spent months and months there - but when they went home, it had only been ten minutes. Maybe what's happening to Etheria is something like that."

She stretches her arms up, and as She-Ra calls that this particular section of the river is safe, she nods authoritatively. "I think your She-Ra senses are right. We should move onto the next bit of the city."

With a wave of her hand, she leaps off for the next building, and calls back -

"Honestly, I do wish I could see your home. When I get to, it will be your turn to show me the sights."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"I know right? The whole situation kind of is weird, but there's only so much I can do about it." She-ra hesitates a moment. "Oh. Right. Speaking of weird situations. Uh. I probably should have stopped it but... Catra's got fire powers now. Also I called it, she's definitely a princess." Ami-chan or Pluto could explain it. "Yeah, going and talking to them might be nice." AND she still needs to pay Pluto back for the help she gave her when she first got here.

...Ami probably would appreciate snacks too.

People traveled to another world and they spent months there and it had only been ten minutes. "Weird... I don't even know what might be going on since, the portal thing... I think might have consumed most of Etheria. Lots of people were there that weren't anywhere near where the portal opened so ..." Maybe they're still stuck in the portal.

"Maybe they're still in the nice dream between worlds while they were stuck in the portal, then." Which wasn't a bad place to be... assuming that they weren't being erased one by one at least. The leap to the next building is followed shortly after, She-Ra getting a brief running start before leaping, weirdly agile for her size as she ~almost~ makes it to the next building after, opting to do a step-hop at the edge of it to get to the next building.

"Honestly I kind of wish I could too. I don't remember any of it, but apparently I was stolen by the horde through a portal when I was a baby. I know you mean Etheria, but..."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Catra's got fire... oh! Did those fire cats finally get her to take that power? Pft, I told her she was going noooo, it can't possibly be me..."

It takes a moment, but she realizes - "Adora-chan, I don't think you could have stopped it. I mean, if she got the fire powers I think she got, then I think she was going to get them, no matter what. Blaming yourself is just putting another load on your shoulders, and your muscles are big enough as it is."

Yes, there's a compliment in there, even with her concern, and it's a real one.

And then...

"I can't say what happened. But Oldora told me - a lot about her world, and the things that happened to her. And one of them is that she still had a world after this portal thing. I have to think you do, too. I don't think everyone's stuck in that portal thing, but if they are? I bet it is a nice dream."

And then -

"They stole you? Then - then maybe you're from a world out here! I mean, probably not from Earth, but if Chrono-kun and Hannah-chan prove anything, it's that there are worlds out there, you know?"

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"Yeah, basically. The last trial tried to make it all about how she was in my shadow and stuff and I got kind of mad at them. But that's whatever, it's over with. I look forward to see how she uses that to beat us up next time." She-Ra says with a slight shake of her head. "Though, knowing her, she probably won't hurt anyone too badly... at least not on purpose, from what I hear of how she's been acting here."

So maybe it's not the worst thing in the world. "Princess Catra Applesauce MeowMeow definitely has a ring to it though." She adds with a bemused tone. Her muscles are big enough as it is! "I mean that's mostly just the sword's magic, though I do have pretty good muscles even when I'm not She-Ra." She says. She's definitely not flexing a little. Nope. Definitely not. Don't mind the slightly increased muscle definition in her arms at the moment.

Talk of the oldore and her world gets a small nod. "Yeah. Just. If time isn't really progressing I'm... just wondering if they're out or not, maybe they're just now getting out of the portal and the confusion immediately afterwards or ... whatever. Who knows. It was a nice dream though. Almost too nice. Too perfect." She leaps to the next building.

"Yeah. It's not Etheria at least. I'm not sure where I'm from really. Catra and I named each other, even. Well, we gave each other our middle and last names at least. Weird thing is that the sword picked me of all people, a member of the evil horde from another world... but I guess fate is weird."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I mean, she's alright. She's with Obsidian, which isn't great, but whenever I see her, she's always...trying to reduce the amount of damage? Looking for smarter, not eviler ways to be."

A beat.

"Also last time I saw her, she kidnapped my future daughter, but so she would be away from danger, and promised to help look after her, so I think she's... better, here? Than back in Etheria? Maybe because there's not all that open war here?"

She doesn't know for sure, she's not like, a master Catra psychologist, but she might be onto something there, she thinks...

"Princess Catra Applesauce MeowMeow?! Is that her full name? Oh my god. How does she have such a cute name? Did she name herself? Did you name her?"

And she's lost the other thought entirely.

"You do have great muscles as Adora, I mean, don't get me wrong, being eight feet of muscular perfection is amazing, but you're a sight to behold as Adora too, you know?" Maybe she doesn't know. Maybe not enough people tell her she's a catch.

"You did name each other... wow, you've known each other forever, huh?" A pause, as they meander, and then she stops and says -

"Adora, I think the sword picked you, because this is who you were meant to be. Someone who'd use the sword to make a difference. You're not from Evil Horde from another world - you're from a family, from another world. And I hope we can find them."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"Maybe. Getting away from the horde probably is good for her, Shadow Weaver wasn't great for either of us so maybe just... being away from her is helping." She-Ra comments absently. The talk of kidnapping the future daughter gets a slight Look from Adora. She shifts slightly in place.

"I don't know if I could have trusted her like that. The fire spirits said some stupid things but they were really right one one thing they said."

She pauses. The look on her face before she turns it to hide it is one of a deep pain. "I don't trust Catra. I... I can't yet. Even though she's doing better a part of me is still waiting for her to spring how it was all an elaborate hoax to get our trust so she can... I don't know, steal my sword again or kidnap me again or... something."

She mostly just doesn't focus on the comment of her muscles as Adora. "Yeah... we've known each other forever. We promised that we'd always be there for each other when we were kids. And then I left the horde, and she didn't come with me. We broke that promise to each other, and then things just... kept getting worse. She kept trying to kidnap me to take me back to the horde, I kept fighting her to stop her and then... then... she /knew/." She says, her voice growing a little more unsteady.

"She /knew/ what the portal would do. Entrapta warned us right before she activated the portal. That it would be unstable. That it might destroy Etheria. And she pulled that lever anyway. And then I got to see her and everyone else I cared about get erased one by one in a too-perfect world. I /still/ hear the echoes of her corrupted 'Hey, Adora.' echoing in my dreams sometimes."

The sword picked her. Because she'd use the sword to make a difference. "I guess. At first the sword barely worked for me, so I guess i went through my own trial just like Catra in a way." The unsteadiness has mostly just. Faded into exhaustion. "I don't even know what I'm doing here though. Why I'm even here. Why I didn't just... go back to Etheria."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Getting away from the Horde, getting away from Shadow Weaver - yeah, Sailor Moon can imagine, how getting away from the messed up situation that is the Evil Horde could help a person get better - and she pays careful attention to Adora shifting uneasily, being anxious, being nervous, and she nods, slightly, her face softening into an expression of deep sympathy at the sight of that pain.

"Adora-chan..." a moment, as she considers what to say, in the face of that. "You know you don't have to, right? I mean, you probably know that, but do you know that?"

"You and Catra have been a lot to each other, and I mean - she hurt you. She broke your heart. She's trying to do better now, than she was before, and I think she deserves to do better, because everyone does - but that doesn't mean she just gets to have your trust again. She has to earn that. She has to prove to you that she's someone you can trust, and it's not your job to like, offer your heart up on a platter for her to take care of or hurt again."

Maybe this would sound harsh, to some, but as someone who's dealt intimately with betrayal and the ways that someone trusted can just turn on you (and no, she was never close to the Shitennou, before, not anything like Endymion, but she'd never thought they would turn around and destroy her home and everything and everyone she ever loved so she thinks that gets to count as a betrayal, what Serenity experienced), she knows how hard it is to just... trust someone, again, after that.

And it sounds like Catra has good reasons, to call herself a monster. She's wrong, of course - she's not a monster, she's a person, and she's got to live with being a person who chose to act like that... just like Adora has to live with the aftermath of those choices, too.

"I'm sorry she did that to you. I'm sorry you had to see that. It's - losing people... it's horrible. And someone you care about, putting you through that... you don't have to trust her. Or forgive her. Or do anything you don't feel ready to. I don't know what brought you here... but I hope, that maybe, it was to help you, as much as it was to help us. Maybe it was to give Catra a different way, and give you a break from being the one to like, take the brunt of her attitude."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"I don't, but it still hurt to hear, because, well. We were such good friends throughout our entire childhood. We were picked up together by the horde, and the fact that I can't trust her -- that she did that, it's... it's a lot to think about and it makes my chest tight and my heart ache so much to think about her. I've been trying hard not to ruin what you guys have done with her -- and that hurts in its own way. That I wasn't enough. That *I* couldn't be the one that helped her and helped her get better and I'm angry with her and I'm hurt by her and I just." She-Ra flickers, as Adora's emotions become unstable, very briefly the much smaller blonde visible.

"Yeah. It's. It's been a lot. I never thought that I'd ever be fighting the person I promised to always be there for... and while I know that... in some ways I messed up, now." She rubs at her eyes a bit, her face still pointedly turned away from Sailor Moon. It's not hard to tell what she's doing though.

"I... I wonder if I'm still in that portal sometimes, because this world is such a nice dream, with nice people like you. If this world is just another distraction to keep me from stopping Etheria being erased. But I keep waking up another day, and I don't... I don't think that would happen if the world was still being erased by the portal." It isn't logical, it doesn't make sense, even as she says it, but she can't keep that thought out of the back of her mind. The whispering voice that says none of this is right.

"But... yeah... I ... I don't think I can forgive her yet... definitely can't trust her yet. But it's a bittersweet feeling because it makes a part of me happy to hear that she's doing things to help people. To save people." She shakes her head, then leaps to the next building. Partially to give herself a half-moment to recompose herself.

"The people here are so brilliantly kind." She comments gently when Sailor Moon joins her. However long she takes to do that.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I think you already know that sometimes people change - for the worst, even, and... it sucks. It sucks that you can't trust her, and that she hurt you, and... Adora, it's not that you weren't enough. Okay? Let's be clear about that," and Sailor Moon reaches out, and for a moment there's this - comedic situation, where she's trying to reach up to pat Adora's shoulder, which in She-Ra form is literally higher than her extended arm can reach, resulting in a pat to her elbow.

"Adora, you are good enough. The fact that we could reach Catra... really, the fact that Rashmi could reach Catra? Is because she didn't know her. She got to meet her, for the first time, here, and help. Meanwhile, you're still trying to deal, and I mean... it doesn't help that it doesn't sound like Catra ever like, apologized. For any of it? So I mean... what are you supposed to do? Are you supposed to just... get over it, without her telling you she wants to be passed it?"

Patting her elbow is dumb. Adora's getting a hug, and yes, Sailor Moon is not much taller than her stomach, but it's still a hug, dammit!

She might not be able to see her face, but she can hear her pain.

"You're not in the portal. You're here, in this world, and you made it out of there. But the fact that... the fact that you even have to worry about it? Tells me that dragging you out was a good idea. Making a routine of things that are based here might help, because I mean - think about it. There's no way you made our whole world up, or even the portal did! It's nothing like Etheria."

She releases Adora and spins in place on a roof, gesturing to the city of Tokyo, the sprawling skyscape behind her.

"Just look at this view! It's real, and maybe patrolling, and coming to Fite Club, and being grounded like, here, and now, will help you feel like you're out of that awful place, for good."

Of course, then she has to go scrambling after Adora, which at least is easy - she's used to it! And she gets there in time to hear a lovely sentiment.

The people here are just so brilliantly kind.

Sailor Moon gives her a warm smile.

"In my experience? Etherians are pretty great, too."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
It's not that you weren't enough. Those words are ... strangely difficult to hear. Because she's always had to be enough, she's always had to be the one to save the day and it's. Weird. Patting on her elbow gets a slight shift from She-Ra, not pulling away, just possibly a slight shift at the ... not entirely unexpected touch, but still. "...Yeah, I guess. It's ... it's hard to help when you look at her and see flashes of a half-corrupted version of her in the back of your mind." That fell into a void. It's fine. Everyone in the portal was saved. Should have been saved. It's what Madame Razz said.

When Sailor Moon hugs her, She-Ra turns slightly to more properly face her, her arms wrapping around her in response. Luckily she had weird leverage or Sailor Moon might be feeling a bit squished in the moments before She-Ra disappears and Adora is there instead, hugging Sailor Moon back in a much less potentially crushing hug. But it is still probably tighter than Adora would normally do.

A hug that feels like it doesn't last long enough before Adora is released. "..." Sailor Moon spins and gestures at the city of Tokyo. The view. Talking about fight club and being here and now. "You know."

... "I think you definitely earned some treats. Let's go find somewhere to eat." Adora says.

She doesn't bother re-transforming into She-Ra, instead turning the sword of power into a grappling hook to lower herself to ground level. She did pause before she did to offer an arm to Sailor Moon to carry her down too, if she wanted.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
A lot has been shared - maybe more than Adora meant to, and definitely more than Sailor Moon meant to give, even if she's happy it turned out this way. When She-Ra shrinks into Adora, Sailor Moon is able to give that much better of a hug, squeezing her still taller but on a reasonable level now friend with almost all her strength.

There's the city. There's the world. All for Adora to explore, to learn, to sink into until she's sure it's not a trick or a trap.

"I think you earned treats too - so I'm going to blow your mind and take you to my cousin's family shop, okay? You're going to have treats so good you'd never doubt they were real."

Because no one could make up the amazing wagashi at Nounamu Sweets. Especially not without experiencing it, first.

Adora's sword becomes a grappling hook, so of course Sailor Moon drops her henshin and is grappled down to the ground! Who does not want to be lowered to the ground via magic grappling hook.

"Adora-chan," she says very seriously, "You should know you are absolutely one of the coolest people I know. Never doubt that."