[Ha ha sucker you still get pulled into the memory.

cw: shitty adult caretaker, threatening a child, physical restraint (of a sort)

Two little girls, maybe 6 or 7 years old, are playing something like tag in what looks like a factory industrial complex. Adora is gap-toothed and clumsy, Catra easily stays ahead of her by swinging up to cables and pipes, teasing her about being slow. They stop by an open door, the sorceress’ room, and after agreeing they’re definitely not allowed in there, they go on in.

Adora checks out odd computers and machinery while Catra goes up to a massive glowing red stone in the centre of the room that shocks her when she touches it. Both girls hide when they hear the sorceress returning. She’s hunched over and moaning, stopping by a cauldron to take her mask off. Her face is a grey, scarred and twisted mess and her eyes are yellow and bloodshot. It makes Adora gasp, alerting the sorceress to their presence and she shrieks, causing both girls to run.

At least until the shadows come alive, wrapping around Catra and paralyzing her with small crackles of red energy (same colour as the stone in the centre of the room).

The sorceress says, “Catra, you stay. What do you think you’re doing here?”

“We were just playing!” Is her answer.

“Insolent child, I’ve come to expect such disgraceful behaviour from you. But I will not allow you to drag Adora down as well!”

At this point, Adora tries to cut in. “Shadow Weaver! It wasn’t her fault, it was my idea too!”

The sorceress just continues on as if Adora hadn’t spoken, looming over Catra now. “You have never been anything more than a nuisance to me. I’ve kept you around this long because Adora was fond of you, but if you ever do anything to jeopardize her future, I will dispose of you myself. Do you understand?”

“Please, stop! She didn’t mean to!” Adora is still trying — and maybe finally it works? The sorceress releases Catra from her magic, letting her collapse on the floor with a gasp while she goes over to Adora now.

“Adora, you must do a better job of keeping her under control. Do not let something like this happen again.” Her tone is markedly different than it was with Catra -- tolerant, indulging, almost gentle. She fondly brushes a loose strand of hair behind Adora's ear.

The confrontation over, Adora quietly helps Catra up and walks her out of the room.

It's a child's perspective, but children always understand far more than adults give them credit for. When you return to yourself, the blood is gone, and the back wall now has writing on it: "worthless", "insolent", "lazy", "creature", etc.]