Enjoy :)

Catra wasn't sure of what to think about the others. Her friends. Adora said they were all really nice and understanding. Loud and very physical when it came to showing affection, but Adora said they mean well.

According to her girlfriend.... huh, weird to say that... anyway! According to her, Catra was just as close to the other princesses and such as Adora was. They played a huge part of helping Catra through her trauma and stuff once the war had ended about a year ago. That reassured Catra. If they'd helped her get through it once, maybe they could help her now. It was strange, walking up to the princesses like this, out of nowhere.

The princesses named Perfuma, Netossa, Spinnerella, and Scorpia were apparently closer to Catra than the others in the Alliance. After Catra has woken up in the medic room, they had been as helpful as possible, asking her how she was, and if she needed to talk to someone about memories or something, to find one of them. They seemed eager to see her. Catra had spent most of her time with Adora after the accident.

Guess, this could be used to make up for lost time.

Catra found the princesses outside, chilling out in the meadow by the castle. With Melog by her side, she gathered the courage to go up to the two couples.

The first to notice her was Scorpia. Scorpia sat up, her face lighting up.

"Hey, Wildcat!" She excitedly greeted, getting the others' attention.

Catra smiled shyly once the attention was on her. She felt uncomfortable being the center of attention. It made her want to walk away and forget about this, but she knew she had to do this. So, she stayed in her spot, trying to keep her nerves from getting the best of her. She gave an awkward wave of her hand.

"Hey. Mind if I join you?"

"Of course we don't mind." Perfuma replied, motioning to a spot beside herself. "Please. Sit."

Catra anxiously took a seat on the grass. She internally cursed when she noticed Melog pacing around, going in and out of visibility. She looked at Perfuma who, no doubt, noticed the same thing. Perfuma simply smiled warmly at Catra.

"So, how have you been lately? Any progress on regaining your memories?" Perfuma asked, her voice gentle and not pushing Catra for answers.

Catra felt herself tense up. Memories.

"Um... that's actually what I came here to talk to you guys about." She admitted, grimacing.

Just the mention of memories were enough to trigger them. They weren't full blown flashbacks this time, but Catra couldn't help but feel suddenly uncomfortable. She rubbed her face, as if it would rub away the mess of thoughts going on inside her mind.

"I'm um...... I..."

Catra's train of thought went off track. She couldn't seem to get out a complete sentence. The only thoughts she could think of were of her. Of that place. Pain, fear, screaming.

Catra looked up at a now concerned look Perfuma. She'd forgotten what they were even talking about. The fog in her brain was just so sudden. It made no sense.

Catra blinked, shaking her head.

"Sorry, um...."

"Are you alright?" Scorpia asked.

Catra's gaze moved to the bigger woman. Then they moved to Netossa and Spinnerella. The married couple were also looking at her. Why?

"What?" She asked. "Oh, right. I, um.... came to talk about the... memories. Adora said something that maybe-"

Catra a sudden terrifying memory came up. It made Catra bristle.

"No!" She shouted in reflex, her body twitching.

It was all suddenly clear. She could think better. Raising her gaze, she saw the four princesses looking at her with wide eyes, startled by her outburst. Catra sheepishly scratched the back of her neck.

"Sorry about that." She said.

"Does that happen a lot?" Perfuma suddenly asked, curiosity in her eyes.

Catra swallowed, nodding. "Um... yeah. Ever since I got some of my memories of the Horde back, it's been..."

Catra grimaced.

"Hard to handle it."

Perfuma'a face fell.

"You remembered the Horde?"

Apparently everyone here knew how bad the Horde was. Especially those who had grown up in it, like she and Adora. Catra's eyes looked to Scorpia, who was supposedly her best friend outside of the Best Friend Squad. Scorpia and her had first met after Adora had left the Horde.

Scorpia was looking at her, worried. Catra bit her lip.

"Yeah. I remembered Shadow Weaver. How she'd beat me and would use her magic on me."

Catra's tail lashed anxiously. Catra plucked at the blades of grass, needing something to keep her hands from shaking.

"I remembered how she'd call me horrible names. She said I was inherently worthless, evil, useless, a burden and that I should've been killed as soon as she first saw me. Said that no one could ever love me because I wasn't worthy of love or protection. I remember her always being so disgusted with me and nothing I did was ever good enough for her. No one liked me. They all saw me as a stupid pet. Just some useless stray they tolerated."

Catra scoffed, shaking her head. She slowly picked apart the blade of grass in her slender fingers. She trailed off, as the fog started to creep back in.

"Adora said something about... you guys helping me before. I don't know. Um... sorry, I just..."

Catra rubbed her forehead, blinking rapidly.

"Catra?"

Catra lifted her head. She looked at Perfuma, who had been the one who said something. The flower princess was talking to her, but every time she did, Catra's brain seemed to erase it from her memory a moment later. It was like she was hard of hearing, unable to understand what was being said to her, but could hear the voice. She asked Perfuma to repeat herself, but no luck. She couldn't understand what was going on.

Catra could see the others getting more concerned about her. They looked at one another, then at her again. Catra gave up after the fourth time of Perfuma repeating herself.

"I don't understand you. Are you even speaking English?"

"Yeah." Perfuma said, nodding her head. "It's clear you're not ok."

Catra sighed in relief. She heard her that time.

"Ok. Now I can understand you." She told her.

Perfuma nodded slowly, thinking.

"I can see why Adora recommended you come talk to us." She noted. "Would you like to try some guided meditation? It could help get rid of some of the tension you're feeling. After that, let's see if you feel better. Then you can try to tell us what's going on. Ok?"

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Meditate. Right. Catra slowly nodded. She crossed her legs, resting her hands on her knees. Perfuma smiled, looking surprised at Catra.

"You remembered!" She beamed. "The position we always do when doing meditation. I didn't even have to tell you."

Catra paused. She looked down at her crossed legs. It did feel familiar. Like she'd done it before.

"I mean, as soon as I heard the word 'meditation', it just came to mind to sit like this. I don't even know what meditation is, to be honest, but I know that word from somewhere."

"Muscle memory!" Spinny spoke up.

Catra looked at her. She tilted her head for a moment. She stared at the older woman, hesitant.

"Spinny..." she said out loud, trying the sudden name on her tongue before looking at the pink and purple clad princess. "Is that you?"

Spinnerella looked shocked for a second. She looked at an equally shocked Netossa.

"You remember my nickname for her?" Netossa asked Catra. "How?"

Catra shrugged, looking at older woman. "Not sure. I just saw her and it just popped into my head. I honestly had no idea what it meant until I just said it."

"Oh, this is so awesome, Wildcat!" Scorpia gushed. "You're remembering us! I'm so happy for you!"

Perfuma placed a calming hand on Scorpia's shoulder, placating her. Perfuma smiled at Catra once more, sitting down in front of her, facing Catra.

"We're glad you've uncovered more pleasant memories, but we all know that you're here because of the more... painful memories that you've uncovered, is that right?"

Catra shrunk into herself a little. She nodded, anxiety twisting her stomach.

Perfuma nodded.

"Ok. Well, like I said," she looked to the others, a suggestion in her voice. "Let's do some calming exercises, and then you can try to explain what's been going on. Only, you're able to talk about it. Ok?"

Catra nodded.

Perfuma led a mediation session. Catra could feel some of the anxiety leave her body. Melog eventually settled down, laying next to her. Their tail twitched, but that was the most that happened.

"Now, you can open your eyes." Perfuma instructed, ending the session.

Catra opened her eyes. Perfuma looked at her with a soft smile.

"How do you feel?"

Catra smiled back as she evaluated herself. She felt more aware of her surroundings. No brain fog.

"I feel much better. More in control of my mind."

Perfuma seemed relieved by her answer. She gave a satisfied nod.

"Good. Do you think you can talk about what exactly you've been struggling with? You don't remember, but you used to do these sessions with me not too long ago. I'm guessing your trauma is resurfacing all over again. Nightmares, feelings of fear, worthlessness, your inferiority complex, anger, anxiety."

Catra nodded in agreement. That sounded exactly how she felt.

"Adora said that you could help me deal with it. She said you helped me get through it before. Kind of like an extent to my support system."

Perfuma gave a nod in the affirmative.

"That's good she recommended you come talk to us again. Spending time with loved ones is a great source of comfort and helps increase your mental health. Would you be interested in continuing seeing me once a week?"

Catra nodded. She fiddled with her hands.

"If it's not too much trouble for you."

Perfuma shook her head.

"Of course not. I'd be more than happy to give any support I had give."

"Ooh! Me too!" Scorpia piped up.

Catra looked at Scorpia. She felt a burst of joy when she saw the scorpioni princess. Acting on her feeling, Catra crawled over to Scorpia, who watched with confusion. Catra practically cuddled Scorpia, hugging her.

"I like you already, Scorpia." She declared happily.

Catra was quickly wrapped in a hug. Scorpia basically squealed with joy. Catra guessed her actions were much appreciated. She felt secure and safe in the arms of her best friend. No wonder Catra liked her. Scorpia was a giant love bug.

"You give great hugs." Catra commented.

Catra's body was vibrating from the intense purr she was letting out. She was surprised when Scorpia gasped suddenly. Catra looked up at her to see what was wrong.

Scorpia gaped at her, surprised.

"You're purring!" She squealed. "You hardly ever purr unless you're too tired to care or with Adora. I love it when your purr!"

Scorpia doubled her efforts, squishing Catra closer. Catra almost regretted saying anything. Almost. If it made her friends this happy, it couldn't be a bad thing. Guess she'd just have to purr openly more often.

Scorpia let her go eventually. Catra smiled at her, cracking her now sore back. Scorpia was such a hugger.

"I forgot how great your hugs were." She commented, without really thinking about it.

Scorpia looked like she was tearing up.

"You remember my hugs? Oh Wildcat!!"

Catra blinked at her. Huh. Apparently she did. Seeing Scorpia so happy for her did things to Catra.

Maybe this was a good idea after all.

Catra rubbed her arm, smiling shyly.

"I guess. Not really sure. Sometimes, things just pop up in my head when I look at something or someone I know, but don't really remember. It's pretty random, unless I try to seek them out. The memory recovery sessions with the king and his sister brought out some really heavy ones. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to remember my past, but..."

Catra shrugged. She hugged her knees to her chest, eyes on the grass.

"It's just scary. No one else in this castle knows about the things that happened to me. Maybe I didn't want anyone to know or had to keep them secret. It's just really lonely being the only one to remember things from my perspective. Everyone else apparently thinks I'm just plain evil for being in the Horde. They don't know what I went through. Hell, I'm only just starting to remember what I went through and... if I really did do all those horrible crimes Adora told me about... I don't think I'm surprised."

Catra sighed. She shook her head.

"But, anyway, um... I'm just probably feeling sorry for myself. If I was really as bad as they said I was, I'm just glad that I haven't been executed yet. Shadow Weaver told me from a young age that it's what I was destined for, so..."

A nuzzle to her cheek made Catra flinch hard. She saw it was only Melog, who's coat color was now blue going to red and back. Catra pet Melog along their snout. Melog purred, attempting to soothe Catra's hidden anxiety.

"Catra." Spinnerella spoke up.

Catra lifted her head. She remembered what they were doing. She looked at Spinny, who was now crawling over to be closer to Catra. Spinny sat beside her, a concerned look on her face.

"You know that none of us hate or dislike you, right? Since the end of the war, you have talked to us all about the different aspects that caused you to do the things you did. We may not know everything, but I know enough to know that you aren't inherently evil. I'm sure being told you are is partly what drove you to do keep doing those actions. Why do good when you truly believe that your destiny is to be the villain? It's all anyone of authority told you growing up, so you believe it deep down, even if you don't want to. However.."

Spinny gently smiled at the young magicat.

"We all know you. The real you. The Catra that helped us when we needed it most. We know you have a good heart and know that as a lost teenager, you were misguided and had terrible coping skills to deal with your abuse. We've all forgiven you by now, in case you didn't know. We don't see you as who you used to be. You've learned and have grown from that time in your life. So, we're here to help you get through the mindset that was was instilled in you as a child in the Horde. We'll be the family and friends you needed as a child. Ok?"

Catra stared into her eyes. She swallowed thickly, nodding.

"Thank you. Really. You don't have to do this. It's my problem."

Spinny gave her a warning look, making Catra pause.

"Honey, don't you dare turn us away after this session. We were your support system before you lost your memories. We'll continue to do so. We haven't stopped. You were still occasionally having trouble with certain issues that you came to each of us to talk about. You weren't completely trauma free after only a year after the war ended. You're just sort of backtracked in your progress. Plus, I think losing your memories might be a good thing."

Catra tilted her head.

"Why? Other than the fact I can't remember the actual trauma."

Spinny smiled warmly.

"Now you can recover without all those negative coping skills you've learned as a child. Before, you were closed off and lashed out when pressed to open up about your feelings. The Horde taught you guys to keep your feelings inside and that they made you weak. That crying or being vulnerable made you weak."

"She's right." Perfuma agreed.

Catra and Spinny looked at her.

"You were always covering up your emotions with an 'I don't care' attitude to protect yourself from being taken advantage of. That's part of what we worked on in our sessions. To be more open and communicate your thoughts and feelings honestly. Now that you don't remember those negative coping mechanisms or the trauma that caused you to learn those skills, you're more expressive and less jaded. Easier to talk to because now you're not so angry all the time. You're the Catra without the life-long trauma and that will help you heal faster. Do you understand?"

That made sense. She doesn't remember being the angry, violent version of herself. She was only starting to remember the events that had caused her to be that way, so now she can learn to deal with her trauma in a healthier way. Not being so closed off and mean will help the others talk to her. Catra didn't quite understand why she'd be mean to any of them. They were all so nice, though a little weird and overbearing.

Once she remembered it all, she'd have to make some adjustments to her opinions and way of thinking. Until then, Catra will just have to trust her friends and do her best to heal with their help.

Catra smiled.

"Alright. Sorry. I'll try not to go back to being so awful."

The others were quick to reassure her.

"You weren't exactly awful." Scorpia corrected. "Just in a really bad mindset."

"We'll make sure you don't go back there." Perfuma said. "Don't worry. We'll teach you the proper way of handling your emotions and such. If you remember worse things, which I'm sure you will, then you can talk to any of us and we'll figure out how to deal with it, then. You're not alone anymore."

"We've got your back, kiddo." Netossa agreed, giving Catra a thumbs up.

Catra felt like a weight had been lifted off of her. Whatever happens from then on, she had others to support her.

Catra nodded, smiling in relief.

"Thanks."

Melog suddenly butted her shoulder. Turning to her companion, Catra turned her attention to Melog.

"What's up, buddy?" She asked.

'Tired. You also need to rest with your mate.'

Catra snorted and stood up. She turned to the rest of the group, mostly Perfuma.

"They're hungry. I should get them something to eat. Plus, I'm gonna go tell Adora about this. It was her idea, after all, that I talk to you."

Perfuma gave a nod.

"Alright. Well, thanks for coming to us. Another session, same time, next week?"

Catra nodded in agreement.

"Sure. Maybe Adora could come? I'm still getting used to being around other people and she just makes me feel safer."

"No problem at all." Perfuma said. "If you ever want to talk to me before then, just send me a message and we can meet up. If I can't meet with you before next week, call one of the others."

Scorpia, Netossa, and Spinnerella nodded.

"Anytime at all, kiddo." Netossa said. "You and I have a strange relationship. Mentor type style. Adora and Spinny have the same thing. Think of us like your adoptive aunts, but cool. If you need anything, shoot us a text on the trackerpad."

Catra smiled, happy to know that she had formed a sort of family dynamic here. That was good. Melog was immediately all over the older couple, purring happily, chattering away with joy. The princesses looked amused at their behavior. Catra giggled. She went over to pull Melog off her friends. Melog finally walked away. Catra shook her head, looking at Netossa and Spinny.

Catra then replaced Melog and hugged the two older women.

"Thanks. It means more than you know." She said.

Both princesses smiled at one another and hugged back.

It was good to see Catra so unapologetically affectionate. Much different than the young women they'd known before. This was a welcomed change. It only got better when Catra all but pounced on Scorpia. The taller princess of the team easily caught her, eager to cuddle the feline girl.

"Thank, best friend." Catra told her. "Can I call you that?"

Scorpia gaped.

"Of course, Wildcat! Oh this so amazing! If only Bow were here! You're so cute!!"

Catra grinned and purred lightly. That was not reaction anyone expected. When Catra pulled away from the hug, she saw the four princesses looking at her, as if she were some imposter. Catra looked at them confused.

"What?"

Perfuma smiled, shaking her head.

"We're just getting used to the new you. You would've never let anyone call you that before. Even though you clearly are."

Catra blushed, now hearing that so many people thought that she was cute. She could guess why they thought that about her. Catra thought Melog was cute, and they were pretty similar in behavior, given their psychic link in emotions.

"Oh. Well, thanks. I don't really mind it."

Catra gave a hug to Perfuma, who happily returned one. Taking a step back, Catra jabbed a thumb over her shoulder towards the castle.

"I should get going. See you guys later?"

"You bet!" Scorpia replied.

Netossa and Spinny waved.

"Thanks for stopping by, Catra." Perfuma said.

With that, Catra and Melog ventured back towards the castle. Catra went over everything that had just happened in her head.

Catra without the trauma. Hm. Wonder what that will be like. The others sounded pleased at the idea. Sounds like her past self wasn't very mentally sound or very happy with herself. Maybe this time around, Catra can be her true, non traumatized self.

She had to at least try. If not for their sake, but her own recovery.

A meow brought her out of her thoughts. Catra looked down at Melog, who was walking beside her, gazing up at her. Catra gently pet the top of their head.

"Looks like I've got a lot of work to do. You think Adora will be proud?"

'Of course. She wants you to be happy and healthy. I remember what you were like before. Scared, insecure, mistrusting, misunderstood. Perhaps Flower friend is right. I would also like to see how you grow and evolve without your past weighing you down like before, affecting your every thought and movement. This can be a chance to really start over."

Start over. Catra didn't really have a choice, but it did sound like a idea. She could do it, with the help of her friends and Adora.

Eh. They'll talk about it over some cake.

So yeah. Lemme know what you think :)