"Of course they needed weapons," Adora's father cuts in, voice rising with indignation. "How can you blame them? They were at war with the Horde, they had no choice."
Adora screws her eyes shut, tries to focus on forcing her breaths into a steady rhythm, inhale after exhale. Her head begins to pound as all around her the voices escalate, each person at the table lashing out with their own anger and hurt.
"That doesn't excuse what they did! Their war doesn't mean they get to hurt and exploit other planets!"
"Their war could've ensured peace on all those planets, had they won it! If they could banish the Horde for good, these sacrifices would all have been worth it. It's because She-ra turned on them and refused to fight that they lost. Our people were once a thriving empire, all across the galaxy! Now this," her father throws out an arm towards the window, gesturing to the tiny, meager village outside-- "is all that's left!"
Adora's ears ring -- a piercing sound that floods her skull with burning white, and she clamps her hands over her temples in a futile attempt to contain it. "I'm sorry!" she heaves out, strained and gravelly from her raw throat. "I can't go back and change the past. I can't save everyone. I'm sorry-- that your people are gone, but it's not... I couldn't..."
The words crumble to dust on her tongue as her hastily-reconstructed dam comes crashing down again, hot tears slipping down her cheeks in rapid streams.
no subject
Adora screws her eyes shut, tries to focus on forcing her breaths into a steady rhythm, inhale after exhale. Her head begins to pound as all around her the voices escalate, each person at the table lashing out with their own anger and hurt.
"That doesn't excuse what they did! Their war doesn't mean they get to hurt and exploit other planets!"
"Their war could've ensured peace on all those planets, had they won it! If they could banish the Horde for good, these sacrifices would all have been worth it. It's because She-ra turned on them and refused to fight that they lost. Our people were once a thriving empire, all across the galaxy! Now this," her father throws out an arm towards the window, gesturing to the tiny, meager village outside-- "is all that's left!"
Adora's ears ring -- a piercing sound that floods her skull with burning white, and she clamps her hands over her temples in a futile attempt to contain it. "I'm sorry!" she heaves out, strained and gravelly from her raw throat. "I can't go back and change the past. I can't save everyone. I'm sorry-- that your people are gone, but it's not... I couldn't..."
The words crumble to dust on her tongue as her hastily-reconstructed dam comes crashing down again, hot tears slipping down her cheeks in rapid streams.