Chapter 3
Perfuma's let out a breath as she identified the bulky silhouette under the table. Thank the heart blossom, they found Scorpia. Still, her heart pounded in her chest, tension tightening her limbs. Her companion was here, but she wasn't okay. There was nothing about hiding under the table and rubble within the wreckage of the empty throne room that radiated that anything was okay.
The flower princess slowly knelt down beside the table, slowly reaching out and moving the debris aside to clear the space between them, starting with the side closest to the scorpion's head. She spoke softly, quietly. "Scorpia? Hey, sweetheart…what are you doing under here?"
After setting aside some of the debris, she lowered herself further. Perfuma pressed her forearm against the tile floor and lowered to lay on her side, peering into the shadows of the table and searching for her friend's face. She offered her warmest smile into the darkness. "This place sure doesn't look very comfortable, does it?"
Scorpia's white hair drew her attention, but as Perfuma's dark eyes scanned her friend's frame she noticed not only the contrast of Scorpia's light hair in the dark shadows, but equally light exoskeleton.
Her exoskeleton was also white – nearly translucent, and it was thicker, bulkier…bloated? Or had Scorpia lost weight and she just looked smaller than her exoskeleton by comparison? Perfuma's eyes slowly adjusted to the dark and soon she realized she was right the first time. The exoskeleton was thicker, and so much lighter than the dark red she was used to seeing.
Beads of sweat formed on Perfuma's brow as she took in the sight. She quickly found Scorpia's face and tried to meet her gaze, but the larger woman's eyes were closed. The scorpion was laying on her stomach, Perfuma noted, her tail arched up as if posed to strike and, thus, pressed firmly against the underside of the table. The position of her claws – in particular the one closest to Perfuma – partially obscured her face.
Perfuma fought to maintain her calm tone, despite her stomach clenching with worry. "Scorpia?! Can you hear me? It's me, Perfuma."
In a flash of blue blur, Frosta baseball slid past Perfuma under the table. "Scorpia! There you are! Princess Missile!"
Perfuma opened her mouth to call out 'wait!' but before she could, the little girl contacted Scorpia's closest, swollen(?) claw. Frosta intended to slide under it to burrow into and hug the older woman, but the contact elicited a visible jolt from Scorpia. In a reddish-whitish blur, Scorpia jolted up with a breathy yelp and a BAM of her head striking the bottom of the table. The table jerked up and Frosta shot back with a surprised cry. Perfuma also jumped, propping herself onto her elbow.
"AH!" Frosta sat up under the table, her small stature able to sit up straight without hitting the table herself. "I'm sorry! Scorpia, did I hurt you?!"
Gritting her teeth, Scorpia thunked back down onto her stomach and rose her claws as if to rub her head where she had struck it, but the appendages hovered just over her head with a slight tremor, before lowering back down. After a long pause, she squinted one eye open to see two blurred forms before her.
Frosta shifted onto her knees and hovered over her. "Why do your claws look like this?! Are you okay?! Who did this to you?! I'll crush them!"
Perfuma slid on her stomach partially under the table and reached out to gently touch Frosta's back, watching Scorpia's face with concern as she stared at the two of them for a long moment – staring right through them? "Scorpia…?"
She suddenly felt her knee hit something hard but light, knocking it aside. Perfuma blinked and looked down by her leg. She shifted to grip whatever it was she hit and examined it to find…it was Scorpia's communicator. Even if it hadn't been found right beside Scorpia's prone form, Perfuma could immediately identify it by the grooves Entrapta had installed in them to make the device easier for someone with pincers to hold and manipulate. She quickly checked it. The battery was dead. Perfuma grimaced. Was this where Scorpia had been audio-chatting with her, when she avoided video? Was this why Perfuma was the last to speak with her?
Perfuma shifted onto her back and held out the communicator from the table. "Emily? Can you charge this?"
The robot hovered by the outside of the table, shifting from one set of legs to the other with…worry? Perfuma could only assume the gesture was worry. At her request, Emily's panel opened and a wire slid out, plugging into the device which soon lit up. Perfuma blinked, not expecting Emily to literally charge it herself, but that was fine. Better than fine. She gave the robot a grateful smile.
"H.. …hey, little buddy…" Scorpia's breathy voice caught Perfuma's attention, and the flower princess' gaze shot back to her friend. Scorpia's eyes were open in a squint, and she was looking up at Frosta who was on her hands and knees, tears in her eyes and her small hands clenched into tight fists. After a long pause, Scorpia slowly shifted her claw away from her face and trunk. Frosta immediately took that as an invitation and crawled over to shimmy her way under Scorpia's arm to nestle against her, like a kitten against a mother cat. This time, however, she was careful to touch only the fleshier part of her arm and thankfully her exoskeleton stopped before it reached her chest.
Perfuma's gaze softened. "Scorpia?"
There was a notably long pause before Scorpia turned her gaze to the flower princess, and another moment of the two princesses looking into each other's faces – Perfuma watching Scorpia's vacant expression with concern and Scorpia's dark eyes looking past Perfuma's face, with an occasional flicker of focus. Eventually, recognition lit in her face and Scorpia smiled weakly. Her dark eyes wavered.
"Perfuma…? Gosh, hi... … I'm so glad... to see you…!" Her staggered voice held all the warmth Perfuma was so used to hearing from the soft-hearted arachnid. Perfuma's own eyes wavered.
"I'm so glad to see you, too, Scorpia," she answered sweetly, shifting further under the table. She slowly reached out to her, pausing when Scorpia shifted her pincers, then reached past them to feather her fingers through the other woman's short hair, and rub her scalp where she had struck the bottom of the table earlier. Perfuma carefully watched the other woman's demeanor for any indication of discomfort, but on contact Scorpia leaned her head against Perfuma's hand. She felt the other woman's forehead, but it was cool. No fever.
Perfuma's gaze shifted back up to Scorpia's erect tail, noticing how it bent a little against the underside of the table. It was poised as if to strike, but what worried Perfuma was the bloated state of it, and the pale, almost translucent color. "You don't look like you're feeling too well. Why don't we get you to a more comfortable place? We can get you to the infirmary and have someone look at your tail and claws? Or I can bring you back to Plumeria?"
It was then Scorpia's demeanor tensed, and she shifted back a little, though not out of reach. Frosta shifted with her, sharing a worried glance with Perfuma. Perfuma's brow furrowed as she watched the other princess struggle to respond, and gingerly brushed her fingers through her white hair encouragingly. "Oh... ah... naah… he-here is best. Please?"
Perfuma swallowed dryly. This wasn't the best place to treat…whatever was happening to her. But it was also important for her to feel safe, and Perfuma wasn't about to move her against her will. She forced a smile. "Of course."
Then they would just have to make this spot more hospitable, at least for now. Perfuma withdrew her hand from Scorpia's hair and began to slide out from under the table. Feeling her companion withdraw, Scorpia lifted her head. "Perfuma…?!"
The blonde paused at the tremor in the other woman's voice. She had begun to sit up but halted, leaning back on her elbow to look inside of the table. Her dark eyes met Scorpia's, noting the…fear? …in her friend's expression. "It's okay, I'm going to speak with Entrapta, grab some food for us, medical supplies-"She had no idea *what* supplies one uses to treat…whatever was happening to Scorpia but that was what talking to Entrapta would be for. "-and get some pillows and blankets! I'll be right back, okay?"
She realized then that Scorpia's gaze was unfocused but tense. Perfuma's explanation seemed to go over her head, perhaps the scorpion was too foggy to wrap her head around what the blonde was saying?
Scorpia's timid expression remained, and she pressed her elbows against the cold floor to drag herself closer to the table's edge. "Perfuma…?"
When Scorpia pushed herself up partially, Frosta shifted out from under her – not wanting to risk knocking into her whitened claw.
Perfuma's gaze softened, her brows knit with worry. Maybe she didn't want to be left alone? Biting her lip, Perfuma looked towards the entrance. They needed more than what they had here.
Frosta looked between the two, then climbed out from under the table. "I'll go!"
Perfuma looked to Frosta, then back to Scorpia who watched both of them with a confused, distant but frightened expression. Perfuma nodded to Frosta. "I'll call Entrapta wth Scorpia's communicator." She handed Frosta her own communicator. "Please get the food, pillows and blankets. Get the medicine last." Hopefully by the time the ice princess made it to the medical area they'd know what they needed to use. Hopefully.
Frosta punched her hand into a fist. "Food, pillows, blankets, medicine? DELIVERY!" She pumped her fists and ran out the door.
Scorpia watched her leave. Perfuma shifted to block her gaze, and smiled tenderly to her.
"It's okay, I'm right here," she said softly before turning to Emily. "Let's give Entrapta a call? She's been really worried about you, too."
Emily beeped and watched as Perfuma took the communicator. The blonde exhaled a sigh of relief when the device responded. It felt large and clunky in her hands, modified for meaty claws rather than dexterous fingers, but she was grateful to Entrapta for making this version for Scorpia to use. She could recall the Black Garnet's princess cry the first time she held it, thrilled that for the first time she could hold an electronic device with one hand and tap it with some semblance of accuracy with the other. Perfuma hadn't been present for the abuse her companion suffered at the hands of the horde, but she had been present for the aftermath – the crumbled self-esteem and vague sense of shame regarding her bulky frame and claws. There was nothing wrong with her. The horde had made her feel ashamed of trying to navigate her body in a world that wasn't made for her.
That was one of the first changes Scorpia had proposed when rebuilding the Fright Zone – modifying the buildings, electronics, furniture, everything, to better fit the bodies that lived there. She had prioritized lizards and other animal folk first – figuring that she'd wait until scorpions started arriving to see what their needs were before pre-emptively making modifications. Scorpia didn't want to put the trouble on Hordak and Entrapta to modify things *just* for her. The communication device had been a surprise from Entrapta – technology was her way of expressing love after all - and Scorpia's tearful reaction had been exactly why these modifications were needed.
Balancing the larger device on her knee, Perfuma used it to call Entrapta. While the call loaded, Perfuma skittered back under the table, and leaned her back against the far wall, almost under the brightly painted red horde symbol. Scorpia had lowered back down on her stomach by now, one half-lidded dark eye following Perfuma's movements.
Taking a calming breath to mitigate her fears, Perfuma smiled warmly to her friend. Finally the communicator patched through and Entrapta's shrill voice loaded before her smiling face did.
"SCORPIA! We've been looking all over for you!" As soon as Entrapta's face loaded, her smile remained though her head tilted. "Perfuma? What're you doing on Scorpia's communicator?"
"I found her," Perfuma said, surprised at how her own voice shook. Entrapta didn't seem to notice and instead watched for the blonde to continue. "She's in Horror Hall, but she's …not well. Look."
Perfuma offered Scorpia a comforting smile, which faded when she realized the other woman's visible eye had closed. She turned the communicator to show the state of the scorpion's claws, and angled it up to show that the pale, bloated texture extended up her arms. It ended at her shoulders, which were the bright red of her spiked Horde shoulder pads. "When Hordak said she was pale, did he mean her skin or her exoskeleton?"
"HORDAK!" Entrapta's scream almost made Perfuma jump. She could see a whirl of color on the communicator, before Entrapta came to a stop wherever she was going. Her purple hair yanked Hordak into frame.
"Was it her exoskeleton that was pale when you last saw her? Like this?" Perfuma asked worriedly.
"Not *that* pale, but yes, I meant her exoskeleton. Clearly," Hordak said stoically as he regarded the visual.
Perfuma pursed her lips. It hadn't been that clear.
"Her tail's like this, too?" Perfuma awkwardly tilted the communicator to show. "They seem swollen, too? Can exoskeletons swell?"
"Is she alive?" Entrapta asked suddenly, as if just noticing how still her friend was. She clenched and unclenched her hands repeatedly.
"Yes she's alive!" Perfuma blanched. "She's just…lethargic. Really lethargic."
"Bring her to the infirmary," Hordak advised.
"She doesn't want to go," Perfuma answered.
Hordak rose a brow, perplexed. "She doesn't have a choice."
Perfuma scowled. "She does. I won't force her." Not unless she absolutely had to. Her expression softened. "…Entrapta, do you know what's happening to her?"
"Looks like some kind of disease that targets scorpions?" Entrapta said curiously. "Or at least a disease that attacks the exoskeleton? I'll need to do some research. I'll get back to you. Bye."
"What should I do for now?" Perfuma began to ask but Entrapta had hung up. She sighed worriedly, then slid the communicator back out from under the table so Emily could continue charging it. The blonde then looked to her companion, and she shifted over to brush her fingers through her hair again. "Scorpia? Can you hear me?"
After a pause, Perfuma could faintly hear an "Mm."
"Does it hurt?" the flower princess asked.
".. …Mm?"
"Does your exoskeleton hurt?" Perfuma asked gently.
"…kind of…? Sensitive." Scorpia murmured.
Perfuma watched her bulky claws worriedly. "How do you feel otherwise?"
"Okay…?" Scorpia spoke distantly. "…a little tired…"
"A little?" Perfuma smiled sadly.
"Mm."
The blonde gently trailed her fingers down the back of her companion's buzzcut, down the back of her neck – feeling the raised scars from that horrible mind control chip – down her back to rub between her shoulders. "Has anything like this ever happened before?"
"Sort of…?"
Despite the question, Perfuma didn't expect an affirmative. She looked to Scorpia with surprise. "Do you know what this is?"
"Not really...? It just… happened a few years ago... and…" her voice trailed, and she went silent. Perfuma ran her fingernails gently across her shoulder blades.
"And?"
"Hn…?"
"You said this happened a few years ago?" Perfuma gently urged.
"Ah... yeah."
"What happened then?"
"What happened…?" Scorpia asked, opening her eyes to squint at Perfuma with confusion.
"How did they treat you?" Perfuma urged.
"How…?" Scorpia stared at her, her brow furrowed in thought but after a long pause the furrow faded and her expression glazed over.
Perfuma watched her worriedly. "How were you treated the last time this happened?" She asked softly, urgently hoping for any insight on how to help her condition. Scorpia's quiet, confused gaze made Perfuma's heart clench. "…Did …anyone help you? Or… did you hide here the whole time?"
The other woman's silent, perplexed look perhaps provided the answer. Or perhaps Scorpia was too lethargic to think clearly. Either way, Perfuma had a bad feeling she knew what the answer was.
She supposed the fact that something like this happened and Scorpia survived it on her own should have been a comfort, and perhaps it was (though who was to say this was the same thing?), but it broke Perfuma's heart to think her sweet companion had suffered through the whole duration of…whatever this was…hiding alone. Scorpia would have *never* allowed such a thing if it were Perfuma, Frosta, Catra or anyone else she loved.
Perfuma's eyes wavered, but she forced a smile as she gently rubbed her back. "It's okay. We're here now and we'll figure it out." After a pause, she patted her own chest. "Would you like to cuddle?"
After a beat – perhaps to absorb the question – Scorpia's dark eyes lit up faintly. "Yeah."
The flower princess carefully helped the scorpion shift position, pulling her up by her trunk as best she could – Scorpia was heavy – so that she could lay against Perfuma, who was leaning back against the wall. Perfuma urged her to shift somewhat on her side, her spiked shoulder under Perfuma's arm, and the angle pulled her tail down from its pressed position against the ceiling of the table though it remained in a stiff-prepared-for-striking pose. Perfuma slid her arms gently around the other woman's neck and torso, careful not to touch her exoskeleton. Scorpia laid her head on Perfuma's chest, her eyes half lidded. Perfuma could feel the other woman's light embrace and shifted to try and make space between her lower back and the wall for Scorpia's other claw to fit unimpeded.
At their proximity, Perfuma could feel her companion's comforting warmth and heartbeat. She stroked Scorpia's hair and watched the entrance of Horror Hall, hoping to hear back from Frosta or Entrapta soon.
