A/N: So this is going to be a She-Ra/Korra crossover story, but it doesn't take place in the exact same world as Korra. Meaning yeah we're in Republic City, but it has all the kinds of people from She-Ra and benders. (no Avatar). It's supposed to be a mix of people. Anyway, if you haven't watched She-Ra then you should. (I'm pretty sure I've said that like 3 times already, but oh well.) Seriously, it's a great show and season two just released!

Also TW: for child abuse...

Republic City... A city of life. Of culture. Of substance. It had been the creation of all of the nations uniting for a common cause. The land had been in chaos for so long. They hoped making a city meant for all people would help stop the fighting. It made things rougher at first, but now, almost 30 years later, people were learning to trust each other again.

Riko wandered down the hall slowly, hands in her pockets, eyes looking down. She knew being called to the headmistress's office was bad. Every other time had gone badly. It wasn't bad for everyone, though. Some kids were obvious favorites.

"Now get out!" A loud voice echoed down the hall.

The door slammed open and a tan girl was thrown out. Riko winced as she landed on her butt with a thump. She peeked open and noted the girl's wild mane, cat ears, and markings on her arms. She particularly noticed the side of her face was redder than normal.

'Catra.'

The two of them met eyes for less than a second and then Catra ran off. Riko took a deep breath and steeled herself. Ms. Weaver didn't have to say a word for her, just motioned her inside. 

Catra ran until she reached the rooftop. She stopped to catch her breath and then sat near the edge to watch the city. The hustle and bustle of Republic City was always a good distraction. The door to the roof creaked open and Catra scowled, knowing exactly who followed her.

A shoulder bumped into hers as her best friend sat down next to her. "Want to talk about it?"

Catra huffed and crossed her arms. "What's to talk about? It's just like every time."

Blonde hair swirled with the wind. A quiet laugh came from her and she unraveled Catra's arms. "It's okay, Catra. You want to talk about the rest of your day?"

The sky was turning dark orange, with blue peeking out. Catra began to relax. "Not really, Adora. I just want to go to bed."

Adora blinked in surprise. Her best friend was usually so fired up. What had happened in the headmistress's office to make her like this?

She shook her head. "Alright, Catra. Let's head back inside then."

Catra looked up at her with wide eyes as Adora stood up and stretched her hand out to help her up. Then she smiled, grateful that Adora let it go so easily, and grabbed her hand. 

"I'm reaching my breaking point with you, Riko."

Riko gulped and kept her head down. "I understand, Headmistress."

"Do you?! This is not the first fight you've been in! And they seem to be getting worse! This is not acceptable behavior to come from the Horde Orphanage! You want to get adopted right?!"

Riko quietly took in the verbal abuse and shrank into herself. Of course, she wanted to get adopted, but what Ms. Weaver didn't care about was that Riko was protecting other orphans at school.

Suddenly the verbal assault stopped. Riko cautiously looked up.

Weaver stood a few feet away. A mask covered her face from an accident long ago. "You're just like her... You're not listening. So, this is the punishment."

Riko went wide-eyed as shadows rolled out from Weaver's sleeves. She stood up straight and tried to explain herself. "Please, Headmistress! I was trying to help the other kids."

Everything stopped for just a second, then Weaver's hand rose to control the shadows. "I know."

Riko stumbled down the girl's hall, left arm limp at her side. It wasn't broke, far from it, but the pain was too strong to use it. She groaned as the pain spiked and glanced down. The shadows had cut into her arm like a snare and burned any skin that it touched. She tapped her head on the wall, forcing herself to focus long enough to get back to her room.

Catra and Adora quietly rounded the corner at the intersection and it was then that they noticed droplets of blood on the floor.

"Someone's hurt." Adora said.

Catra looked away. "Let's just go."

"Catra!"

"What?! People are always getting hurt!"

"Not usually enough to bleed!"

Catra didn't respond as she saw the owner of the blood and pointed a clawed finger down the hall.

Riko stood on one knee, grasping at the wall. She was almost there, to her room, and no one would know what happened. That's when she heard their arguing and glanced back. Riko and Catra met eyes, just like earlier. Riko whipped back around, pushing herself to get up. She didn't need their help.

Adora took a step to her before being stopped by her best friend. "She's hurt, Catra!"

Catra sadly shook her head, ears flat against her head. "She's fine. She's almost to her room. Let her go."

Adora refused and looked back at the girl just in time to see Riko grab her own room's doorknob and disappear inside.

"I told you, now let's go." Catra said and urged her to return to her own room.

Riko scowled once inside. "Who are you?"

A young girl sat on the other bed in the room, which had been empty for weeks. No one had been roomed with Riko in a while.

The girl hopped up and fiddled with her fingers. "My name's Nami. I arrived today."

"Tch, just go to bed and act like you didn't see me like this." Riko replied roughly.

Nami looked at her questionably. "You're hurt?"

Riko smiled painfully. "Yeah, better get used to it. The Headmistress doesn't like disobedient children."

She rolled onto her bed, not bothering with the covers, and passed out. 

"Where were you?" A boy asked.

Riko huffed and kept walking. "You didn't hear? I was suspended for a day for fighting."

The boy, which had become one of Riko's best friends at the orphanage, hadn't meant the fight.

"I mean with Shadow Weaver. I didn't see you at all yesterday."

Riko frantically looked around, making sure no other orphans were around, sighing when she saw none. "Would you stop with the nickname? If someone hears that, you'll get called up there too, Kohaku."

The boy glanced at her bandaged arm. "Just like you did two days ago."

Riko froze, and then breathed in deeply. "If anyone asks you, you tell them I hurt myself in training."

"Why?! If people knew what Weaver was doing!"

"Then we'd never find homes." Riko finished sadly.

Kohaku blinked, then scowled. "I don't believe that. We'd be better off without her."

Riko shrugged nonchalantly. "Guess we'll never know. Keep walking. We're almost to school."

Riko tugged on her left sleeve, making sure it would cover her injured arm. Not that anyone cared, but she didn't want to deal with the questions. It wasn't too suspicious to wear layers since it was autumn.

"Riko!"

The girl groaned and looked back. Her only friend in school, oh so chipper, ran up to her. "Hey! You're back!"

"Yeah, Karina, we all know they didn't want to suspend me, but they had to for a day." Riko replied tiredly.

"Well! I say we get a treat after school! What do you think?" Karina asked.

Riko rose a brow. "For what? Getting suspended?"

Karina chuckled and grabbed her hand to pull her to class. "No, silly, for doing the right thing."

Karina waited for a reply but got none. She glanced over and saw panic on the girl's face. "Riko? You okay?"

Riko jumped and yanked her hand away, pulling it behind her. "Yeah! Everything's fine! Why?!"

Riko internally groaned as she saw her friend's mind working a mile a minute trying to figure out what upset her. "C'mon, let's get to class!"

Karina sighed and followed her antsy friend. "Alright."

To Riko's frustration, her friend was determined to figure out what was wrong and kept pestering her all morning.

"I told you, I'm fine!" Riko finally blew up at lunch.

Karina sat surprised at her friend's outburst. She knew of her situation as an orphan and knew it probably wasn't an easy life, but Riko had never been this triggered before. Something happened while she was suspended. Karina's heart sank as she began piecing everything together. She quickly yanked her friend out of her seat and forced her to the bathroom.

"Hey, what're you doing?!" Riko demanded. She turned around angrily and gasped as Karina stood between her and the exit.

"Talk."

Riko growled with anger and pulled her hand into fists. "It's none of your damn business, Karina. Now let me out."

"I'm not your enemy here, Riko. I'm your friend, one that's concerned that something happened once you got home from that fight."

"Right now, it doesn't feel like you're my friend!" Riko yelled, pulling the metal from the stall doors with a squeeze of her fist.

Karina narrowed her eyes at her as she pulled water from the faucet with a smooth motion of her hand.

The two stood there with their elements in the air in front of them, ready to fight.

Karina's jaw was tense as she spoke. "I'm guessing something really bad happened for you to want to fight me, and with your earthbending, nonetheless."

Riko chuckled, but it almost didn't even sound like her. "You're one to talk. You're ready to waterbend at me."

They stared at each other for a minute before Karina released the water back into the sink. "I'm not the enemy. I want to help."

Riko stood, huffing, trying to figure out an easy solution to her problem. Tears began to prick the corners of her eyes.

"Riko?" Karina was surprised. Her friend never cried.

Her arms slowly fell, carefully dropping the metal. She took a deep, shaky breath. "I can't do this."

Riko shoved her friend to the side and dashed out of the bathroom. "Riko!"

Riko ran out of the cafeteria, outside to a hidden alley of the school.

Catra eyed the orphan as she ran out of the room, watching as her friend yelled at her with worry. On the outside, she remained neutral, but on the inside, she was shocked to see tears falling from Riko's eyes. Adora followed Catra's sight and watched with her own worry. "She's hurt."

Catra snorted and glanced back. "Oh gee, what made you think that?"

Adora frowned and whispered in her ear. "Maybe the fact that we saw she was bleeding and did nothing to help her! And now she's pushing people away."

Catra pushed her back gently. "How would you know she's pushing people away? We barely even know her."

Adora sat back and crossed her arms. "I see her working with the younger kids sometimes. She helps Kyle with training. Helps Lonnie with homework. Comforts Rogelio when he's upset. She cares for people."

Catra froze mid-drink at the new knowledge and glanced back at Adora. "She does?"

Adora smiled gently. "You would see that if you helped around sometime."

Catra huffed and sat her drink down. "I help!"

Adora went to ruffle the girl's hair, but Catra's tail caught her hand midair. "Sure you do."

Kohaku found Riko already waiting for him after school. He rose a brow. "You're early."

Riko sniffed and turned to walk home. Kohaku jumped up quickly to follow her. "H-Hey, you alright? How was your day?"

Riko rubbed her eyes. "It was fine, kid. I just want to go home."

Kohaku looked away despondently. "Me too..."

Where they were going certainly did not feel like home.

That night, Catra rolled back and forth in bed, which meant she would eventually wake up her friend.

Earlier, Adora had taken Catra to the lunch room of the orphanage where kids went to converse. Usually Riko was there helping kids with homework or just talking to them. Catra hid her eagerness to see this girl helping people, but they quickly found out she wasn't there. Adora saw the disappointment in Catra and had sighed. She wanted Catra to see the good in people. Catra crossed her arms and walked away, mentioning that Riko wasn't being very helpful now.

"Catraaa, stop moving so much." Adora groaned from the top of the bed.

Catra curled herself at her friend's feet. "Sorry, Adora, can't sleep."

Adora blinked the sleep from her eyes and sat up. "Wanna talk about it?"

Catra groaned and faceplanted in the bed. "Well..." She lifted her head. "I've been thinking about what it would be like to leave here, like escape, not adopted. Not many kids are adopted now. In fact, I think more kids are coming in now rather than leaving. This is no life for a kid, let alone with that evil witch punishing us for even the smallest thing. She's not helping us."

Adora grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her up to sit with her.

"I don't know why everyone says Ms. Weaver is so bad. She's doing the best she can." Adora replied.

Catra growled and yanked her hand back. "She hurts kids, Adora. Riko's arm looks like that because of Weaver."

"I don't agree with the methods, but Riko had to have a consequence for fighting."

Catra sneered at her. "Yeah? And what was your punishment for fighting at school?!"

Adora froze. "I... scrubbing the floor."

"Scrubbing the floor... Do you see it?! You and Riko did the same thing but had two very different punishments! That girl's arm is mangled, and she was fighting to protect someone!"

Adora ran a hand through her hand, but Catra wasn't done. "And you're one of Weaver's favorites."

Adora whipped up quickly. "What?"

"You are. I don't know why, but you don't get harsh punishments like some of us do." Catra continued.

Adora looked away, pondering. "What was your punishment when you went two days ago?"

Catra sighed. "Some mean words, nothing I can't handle."

"And that fading bruise on your cheek?"

Catra looked away, giving Adora a good view of her bruised face. She realized this and quickly turned back to hide her cheek. Adora gently grabbed the side of her face and made her look at her. Catra always tried to act tough, but her past was too rough to not have some cracks in her armor. Adora could see her armor falling as tears appeared in the corner of her eyes. Catra pulled her face tight so none would fall.

"I'm sorry."

And the armor was broken.

Tears fell from Catra's eyes and she covered her face. Adora pulled her into her embrace and let her cry on her shoulder. She repeated those words over and over again until Catra calmed down.

Catra pulled away and took a deep breath.

"Thanks." She whispered.

Adora nodded and pulled them down to lay back in bed. She pulled the cat-girl closer as she curled up into her stomach. "Next time you're called to Weaver's office, I'm going with you."

"What? No!" Catra jumped up. Fear was evident in her dual-colored eyes. "You can't! She'll hurt you, too."

Adora carefully petted her hair. "It'll be okay. She won't hurt either of us with me there. I'll make sure of it."

New fear was coursing through Catra, but Adora patted her good cheek and motioned for her to lay down. She sighed and curled back into Adora's stomach.

Adora whispered as she petted her head. "Don't worry about it for now, just rest."