Once Scorpia was settled, Mermista, Frosta and Sea Hawk re-entered the room. Mermista remained standing with her back against the wall near the door. Frosta crawled up onto the foot of the bed, holding Patchy on her lap. Sea Hawk took a chair and sat in it backwards. Perfuma remained by Scorpia's bedside though now that the other woman appeared to be asleep she didn't touch her, letting her rest.
"So…are we going to talk about how it got like this?" Mermista asked quietly, gesturing towards Scorpia at 'this'.
Perfuma loosely hugged herself.
"Like, she just disappeared on us," Mermista's tone held its usual annoyed edge, though her brows creased with concern. "What if we didn't find her until like…hours or even another day or two later?"
Perfuma let out a small puff of air. "…You heard what Hordak said? About how the Horde deals with pain?"
Sea Hawk frowned, folding his arms across the back of the chair and resting his chin on them. Frosta hugged Patchy, watching Perfuma and Mermista.
"Mm," was Mermista's only response.
"That's the environment she was raised in," Perfuma watched Scorpia sleep. "I get the impression that showing pain could get you in hurt or punished in the Horde." Her brow furrowed. "She might have been afraid that she'd get in trouble if she told us."
"Wouldn't she know by now that she can trust us?" Sea Hawk asked quietly.
That part of her life was over, and now she was the one in charge of the Fright Zone, but…even before this happened Perfuma saw first-hand that subservience and dismissing her own feelings was a hard habit to break.
"I don't imagine those few days that she's been hiding have been pleasant," Perfuma spoke softly as she watched Scorpia sleep, motionless. Her stomach clenched at the thought of her companion burrowing under a table, sick and in pain, and hiding in Horror Hall alone for so long. The flower princess had to assume that she had been Scorpia's only contact right before she had vanished, most likely the only voice she heard hiding under that table.
"We have a lot to talk about," Perfuma determined…once Scorpia was cognizant and emotionally ready to confront those feelings.
Suddenly, a burst of light emitted in the room, between Perfuma and Sea Hawk. Perfuma nearly jumped out of her skin. Sea Hawk screamed. Frosta tucked Patchy under her arm and hopped onto her feet, ready to protect Scorpia with her life – and keep the intruder's severed head as a testament to anyone who'd threaten her big buddy during a molt!
However, the light faded to show Glimmer, Adora, Bow, Melog and Catra. Catra immediately went to lean against the wall, nauseous.
"Oh wow," Glimmer said with a blink, as she realized they had landed right inside of the infirmary. "That was a good guess!"
"Only took…six or seven tries..." Catra stammered, having lost count.
"How's Scorpia?" Adora asked, her brow furrowed with concern. It was one thing seeing bits and pieces of her condition on screen, but seeing her so still and unlike herself was harrowing.
"She's asleep right now," Perfuma said, smiling sadly. "She must be exhausted to sleep through Sea Hawk's screaming."
Sea Hawk huffed. "I'll have you know I have only the stealthiest of screams!"
Perfuma quickly closed the distance between herself and the Queen of Brightmoon, reaching out to take her hands. "Glimmer, I have a huge favor to ask you." When Glimmer watched her seriously, Perfuma continued. "Can you take me to Plumeria? I want to get some pain medicine for Scorpia, and a change of clothes."
"They don't have pain medicine here?" Glimmer asked, aghast, as she squeezed Perfuma's hands.
"It's a long story," Perfuma said with a sad smile. "I'll explain on the way." She then looked to the others. "My plant cave should stay in place even while I'm gone, I think? Hopefully she'll stay asleep until I get back."
"Don't worry!" Frosta smiled as she held Patchy over her head. "Patchy and I will take care of her!"
Bow nodded. "We'll be here. She's in good hands."
Perfuma nodded and squeezed Glimmer's hand. In a flash, they were gone.
It took a few … dozen… tries to get to Plumeria. Thankfully Perfuma was already damp, so teleporting to the middle of the ocean at one point wasn't as unfortunate as it could have been.
She smiled thankfully to Glimmer as she rushed to the apothecary – first thing was first, making sure that Scorpia had medicine ready as soon as possible (and pointedly ignoring the water dripping from her frame).
Herbalism was a common practice in Plumeria, to help with the health and wellness of its inhabitants. Unfortunately, as Perfuma spoke to the resident herbalists, none of them had any guarantee as to the varying medicines' effect on scorpions. Other animal-like people, and especially humanoids had some research behind them, and some predictions on how the drugs would affect them, but no arachnids.
Of course, for that same reason there were no drugs specific for molting, not in Plumeria.
Glimmer crossed her arms as she watched, keeping next to Perfuma. "Well, we could try whatever tends to work the best on the most different type of Etherians?"
If it worked for most, maybe it worked for Scorpions, too?
"I guess…" Perfuma said in a somber tone as she chose a few different drugs to bring with her. That way if one didn't work they could try another. It worried her to think they might accidentally give Scorpia something that could hurt her, but they couldn't just let her suffer.
Glimmer's expression softened. "…No scorpions ever returned to the Fright Zone? Not even one?"
"None," Perfuma said quietly as she assembled the medicine into a bag.
"No letters, no messages?"
Perfuma began to head to her place, for the change of clothes. "Nothing."
Glimmer's brow furrowed. "Perfuma…do you think, maybe there aren't any left?"
Could Scorpia be the last of her kind?
Perfuma's eyes wavered. "…I've thought about it."
"What does Scorpia think?"
"She doesn't like to talk about it. She usually says they're happy in a colony somewhere else, and don't want to return, and changes the subject."
Blind optimism…and an unwillingness – or perhaps fear - to think beyond it.
Glimmer followed after Perfuma into her home, but stayed out of her bedroom as the blonde went in to change. "That's a habit of hers, isn't it?"
"It's a habit that hurts her, I fear," Perfuma said from inside her room as she fished out another (thankfully dry) dress and moved to change.
Glimmer pressed her back against the wall outside of Perfuma's room as she waited for the other woman to finish. "…it's one we'll help her overcome."
The flower princess smiled fondly. "You're right."
She hoped that seeing her friends – her found family – rally behind her would help Scorpia understand she wasn't alone in this – not just with molting, but with repairing the Fright Zone, finding the answers about her people and dealing with whatever came of it.
Perfuma stepped out of her room, in a comfortable, dry dress and medicine in hand. Her hair was still damp, but it would dry soon enough. She smiled to Glimmer. "I have faith that we will, one step at a time."
Inside of the infirmary, Catra sat in a chair by the door, her knees drawn and arms around them, watching Scorpia sleep. Frosta was also laying down on Scorpia's bed by her legs, curled up like a croissant, Scorpia's treasured plush in her arms. Melog was asleep by the foot of Scorpia's bed, opposite of Frosta. Bow was sitting in Perfuma's place, for now.
Mermista and Sea Hawk had left to get food.
Adora squeezed Catra's shoulder. "You okay?"
"Mm," was Catra's only response. Truth be told, it was awkward being here. She felt embarrassed *for* Scorpia, looking and being as vulnerable as she was right now, with everyone she cared for hovering around. Catra would have wanted to crawl out of her skin and dig herself into a hole if she was surrounded like this, especially when feeling sick and vulnerable. Part of her considered advising them not to crowd her…well…former best friend.
But she knew she wasn't Scorpia. She had a feeling this would mean something different for the Black Garnet's princess, touch-starved and lonely as she was at the Horde. This was the same woman to adored her stuffed animal, liked to sing, liked to draw stick figures holding hands. Catra could recall how intense Scorpia was whenever she thought Catra was sick or injured. Always on top of her, always wanting to try and make her feel wanted and safe. Catra could only assume that Scorpia acted this way because it was how she'd want to be treated.
Scorpia could be too much, at least for Catra, especially back then when the magicat was prickly and clawed away anyone who tried to reach out to her. In Scorpia's case, again and again and again. However, looking back on their relationship she could see how the other woman did the best she could with what she had – she tried to be what Catra had needed, possibly to both their detriment. Scorpia was a good friend.
Guilt twisted her stomach. She shouldn't even be here. Would her presence make Scorpia feel better or worse? Catra had been a horrible friend to her. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if her treatment was part of why Scorpia ended up like this.
Sure Scorpia 'forgave' her, but did she really? They never talked about it. Scorpia never even let her get out a full apology, opting to hug her and brush it all under the proverbial rug like it never happened. But it did, just like this dangerous molt was happening now. Scorpia tried to ignore that, too, didn't she? Go and hide somewhere until it was over, and then what? Come back and act like it never happened? Had that been her plan?
Did it mean anything that Catra never even knew scorpions molted at all? Had Scorpia ever molted while the two knew each other? She couldn't recall. If so, Catra had been no help then, just like she hadn't ultimately been any help when Scorpia was chipped, or now when she was just sitting there uselessly having no idea what she could do to help, if anything!
Catra hadn't realized how she heaved and bristled until she felt Adora quietly rubbing her shoulders, but the comfort angered her more than anything. She didn't deserve comfort, or Scorpia, or Adora, or anything.
Before she could think about what she was doing, Catra was up and out of the room. Adora followed.
As Catra stormed out the door and down the hall, Adora jogged after her and caught her shoulder. "Catra, what's wrong-"
Catra lashed out, knocking Adora's hand from her shoulder. "I shouldn't be here! I don't have any right to see her like this, after everything I did to her! I'm only going to make everything worse!"
"Catra, breathe," Adora said as she grasped Catra's shoulders. "Do you want to be here?"
The magicat hissed between her teeth. "That doesn't matter!"
"Yes, it does," Adora took a breath. "If you don't want to be here, I'll let you go. But if you do, then let's try to be there for her."
"I've only hurt her! I've never made things better!" Catra hissed, misty-eyed.
"I know you've been wanting to fix things between you two, and Scorpia still wants a friendship with you, right?" Adora said quietly. Catra looked away, her tail swishing. "You say you've only hurt her? Then let's start new, here. Small steps, right? We can help wherever we can, even if it's just, I don't know, retrieving stuff for the others so they don't have to go anywhere, or making them something to eat, or whatever they need. We don't have to get directly involved if you're not comfortable with that, but if you want to be here for her then let's do it however we can. We'll do it together, okay?"
Catra nodded subtly, tears stinging the corners of her eyes.
Adora released her girlfriend's shoulders, knowing better than to initiate a hug when the other woman was bristling as she did. She didn't make a move to go back inside, giving the magicat some time and space to catch her breath.
Leaning against the hallway, Catra hugged herself. Maybe, if she could do right by Scorpia, she could find te strength to try and get through a whole apology and truly begin to repair their friendship.
Bow watched the two leave. By now, he was used to Catra's avoidant means of dealing with stress. He never really knew what went on in the magicat's head, but he knew well enough that she struggled with intimacy, with friendship, with showing that she cared. A lot had happened between her and Scorpia, and Catra perhaps just couldn't handle it right now. Really, if that's the case then the best thing she could do was to leave and return if or when she felt ready to.
It was fine. Catra was in good hands, with Adora, and if they needed further help Glimmer was good at getting through to her as well. In the meantime, he could watch over Scorpia and give the others a chance to do whatever they needed to do.
The archer looked back to his friend to find her grimacing, her eyes squeezed shut. It was only then he realized her breaths were labored. Was she in pain, or was it a nightmare, or something more serious?
"Scorpia…?" He said quietly, reaching out to touch her collarbone.
At the contact, her eyes fluttered open and she began to jolt up to a sitting position. Melog's head shot up, and he looked back to Scorpia though otherwise didn't move. Frosta stirred, but didn't wake up.
"Woah-woah, it's okay," Bow refrained from touching her shoulders, and instead gently pressed his hand against her collar to try and urge her to lay back down. Pushing against her was like pushing against a boulder, however. She didn't budge. Her wide-eyed gaze began to make him nervous. "Scorpia? Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"
Scorpia looked around as if looking for something, growing more alarmed as she apparently didn't find what she was looking for.
Bow moved to sit on the bed, partially in front of her. "Hey, Scorpia?"
She met his gaze and, after a pause, smiled weakly. There was a strain to her expression and voice that worried him. "Bow…? Bow…! Oh wow, hi…!" She reached out and gently touched her claw – which Bow noted was wrapped in towels – delicately against his chest. "You… you came back from your trip…!"
Bow smiled warmly. "We did."
"How… how did it go?" As Scorpia spoke, Bow noticed the sweat on her face. "How's Catra? How're Glimmer and Adora…? Did you..d-did you f… find any …any more colonies ..out in space?" She paused, as if searching for the next words she meant to say. He watched her, worriedly. Even knowing that the cognitive delay was part of the molting process, it still made him antsy to see it first-hand. "Fi..First Ones…?"
"Here, let's lay down, and I'll tell you all about it, okay?" Bow suggested as he tried to urge her to lay back down, without any luck. "I've heard you're not feeling well."
At that, Scorpia looked away from him and around the room, as if searching for something. He watched her, then looked in the direction she was looking.
"I…I'm okay," she said distantly. Her brow furrowed as her dark eyes shifted to the door. She planted her claws down at her sides as if to push herself out of bed, but grimaced sharply and yanked the soft-bodied appendages back to her trunk, tucking them against her chest.
"Do your claws hurt?" Bow asked softly. "We can try some ice on them for a little-"
"I-I'm okay!" Scorpia stammered, a desperate edge to her voice. She drew her knees up and hugged them, grimacing even at the slight pressure against her arms. The arachnid began to survey the room more urgently – really only able to see the area near the door and around Bow as Perfuma's plants had formed a partial tunnel around Scorpia's bed.
"Okay…?" Bow said quietly, watching her posture with worry. "What're you looking for?"
"Oh? Um, Perfuma?" Scorpia glanced to him, then back towards the door, a quiver to her voice. "I-is, is she mad? At me?"
"What?" Bow blinked. "No, no of course not! She'd never be mad at you! She's out right now," He forced a smile and enthusiasm into his voice. "She went with Glimmer to Plumeria to get medicine for you! She's going to be back really soon!"
Scorpia watched him anxiously, narrowing her eyes as she tried so hard to wrap her head around what he was saying. Yet, it was like trying to grasp bugs buzzing in a fog – just wispy trails she could register for just a moment, then they were gone.
"M..Medicine…?" Scorpia looked back towards the door, and Bow's smile faltered. Some of her tail was under her, pressed into the soft foam of the bed, but the tip swayed with agitation. "For me…? G-gosh.. No, no no…she doesn't.. she doesn't need to…"
Bow glanced at her tail, then back at her. Was she worried Perfuma would be angry that Scorpia was inconveniencing her? That couldn't be…? "Scorpia, she wanted to. She wants to help you feel better, because she-"
The door then swung open and Bow and Scorpia were both startled by a surprised Catra and Adora.
"Oh! You're awake!" Adora said with a smile. "How're you-" She paused when she felt the magicat bristling beside her.
Upon seeing Scorpia looking at her with that familiar, frightened expression, guilt burned through the cat's veins like lava. For that instant, it felt like they were back with the Horde again – here inside of the Fright Zone, but what felt like a different time and place as Catra would lose her temper and snap at Scorpia – sometimes physically – and the Force Captain would look at her like that. Before Scorpia departed, leaving Catra with nothing but a letter, abandoning her like everyone else did. But this time, Catra couldn't hate her for it. Nothing could have made kind, loyal, stupid Scorpia abandon her other than the horrific treatment that landed that expression on her face…over and over again until someone who prided themselves on their steadfast and undying loyalty was driven away.
Catra's tail poofed and she froze in place.
The magicat's mortified expression sent a jolt of anxiety through the arachnid, as if she had just been caught doing something wrong.
Bow looked between them, his stomach sinking. He opened his mouth to speak, but Scorpia beat him to it when she recoiled and tucked her head behind her raised pincers instinctively.
"S-sorry…! Sorry!"
Catra bared her sharp teeth and shouted. "You idiot! Don't say you're sorry!"
She then turned and rushed out of the room.
Melog climbed off the bed and padded out after Catra.
Adora grimaced, watching Catra run out and Scorpia recoil, for a second looking back and forth between the door and the bed, frozen and unsure of who to console. Assuring Scorpia would help smooth things between her and Catra, but Catra also needed her.
The movements had done little to stir Frosta, as the foam mattress had absorbed most of the vibrations. However, the voices caused her to stir, and when Catra's shout jolted her awake. "W-what?!"
Were they under attack?!
She looked just in time to see Catra's backside as the magicat rushed out the door, and Scorpia sitting up but hiding behind her towel-bandaged pincers.
"Did Catra hurt her?!" Frosta struggled onto her feet – the malleability of the foam making the motion a lot harder than she intended. She formed ice over her fists. "I'm gonna kill her!"
At least freeze her tail off and beat her with it and keep it as an example for anyone else who tried to scare or mess with her big buddy!
"W-wait wait, no!" Bow waved his hands. "It was a misunderstanding! Frosta! We need you here!"
Frosta looked back to Bow and Scorpia, the anger quickly drained into concern at the sight of her friend huddling.
Bow waved to Adora. "Go help Catra. Frosta and I've got it!"
Adora took a breath and nodded, before turning to rush after Catra.
Frosta frowned and picked up Patchy. "What happened, Bow?"
It would take a good explanation to keep the ice princess from marching her way out there and drive an obscenely large ice fist into the cat's face. After everything that happened, and the way Catra had treated Scorpia in the Horde, Frosta tolerated and accepted her for her friends' sake but she wasn't quick to give her the benefit of the doubt.
"Scorpia got a little spooked, that's all," Bow said softly, offering the cowering arachnid a smile. "She was worried about Perfuma, and then Catra came in and I think they startled each other."
Frosta blinked at that. She stepped to Scorpia's side, taking tall steps as her feet sank in so deeply into the mattress, and crouched down to a sitting position with Patchy in her arms. "Why're you worried about Perfuma?"
Had Frosta missed something? She hadn't been asleep that long, had she?
All the two heard in response was the scorpion's shallow, labored breathing and a stammered "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" over and over as she hid behind her meaty, bandaged claws. Bow and Frosta shared a concerned look.
Frosta slowly tapped Patchy's plush claw against the top of Scorpia's head like he was petting her. "Stop! Patchy says you didn't do anything wrong! He saw! Okay? So no sorries!"
Scorpia lifted her head to watch her friend, and Patchy, blearily. "Frosta…?"
The ice princess peeked out from behind Patchy. "Yes!" She frowned, noting how haggard and sweaty the older woman looked up close. "You look like you're in pain. Do you need me to chill your exoskeleton?"
Geez…she probably should have been keeping track of that instead of falling asleep.
The scorpion glanced to the door, then to Patchy, then to Frosta, her own bandaged claws clicking soundlessly through the fabric. "Frosta…? Frosta…? Is.. is everything okay…?"
"Is everything okay?" Frosta repeated with a blink.
"B-between us—? Y-you're not mad?"
"What?! No! Who told you I was mad? I'll kill them!" Frosta declared. She then pushed Patchy past Scorpia's pincers and held him gently against her face. "Here, take Patchy and no more dark thoughts! I'm going to chill your exoskeleton!"
Scorpia lowered her pincers tentatively as she watched Frosta, taking Patchy from her. Bow watched as Frosta began carefully freezing the towels on her claws, noting Scorpia's tense body language. He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to get her to lay down again even if he tried.
"Hey…" Bow gently nudged her.
Scorpia returned his gaze, her eyes dull with exhaustion and pain but wide with the residual anxiety.
Bow held his hands out to her. "Can I have a hug?"
The Black Garnet's princess was never one to refuse a hug, and this wasn't an exception. She leaned into him, hugging him with her large claws as he took Patchy from her so she could do so. He withheld a wince both at her strength and the tactile difference he felt in her claws – they felt soft against his back, even with the towels between them. Bow could only hope she wasn't using too much of her strength and hurting herself.
"You're okay, everything's okay. Perfuma will be here soon," Bow said softly. "While we wait, how about I tell you about some of the places we saw?"
Scorpia shifted to meet his gaze, and gave a tired nod. The wide-eyed, pensive look didn't leave her face even as he began to recount the tales, but she remained quiet and still while Frosta worked on her claws and tail, and he was grateful for that. She wasn't in a good state of mind to talk about it now, so for the time being he shared a concerned look with Frosta and willed things to remain calm until some of the others returned.
Notes: So this was a challenging chapter to write because it contained multiple characters that we needed some time to show their perspective (and that's with some of them making a temporary exit). This is, I think, the first time the story exits Perfuma's POV for any length of time and goes into others – Catra and Bow more specifically. I'd been debating on whether to keep it at Perfuma's POV for consistency, but there wasn't a way to get Catra's anxiety over wanting to be there for Scorpia but being afraid of hurting her in there without awkwardly shoving it into before Perfuma leaves or after she returns – and I wanted her departure to result in a minor dumpster fire. I also figured this way would seem less random when Perfuma returns and things are a bit more chaotic than how she had left it. Thankfully Bow and Frosta have got it covered…ish!
Another intent of this chapter was to show that Scorpia starting to regain her faculties is a mixed bag because on one hand, it's a good sign that she's improving a little, but on the other hand there's the insecurity that got her into this situation to start with, and being sick and in pain she doesn't have the wherewithal to hide it the way she would under normal circumstances. Scorpia hasn't really been in a place to think about it (or think much at all), and as it's coming back, so are all of the complicated feelings that she's been trying to bury. RIP Perfuma when she returns in the next chapter.
I've been debating whether to get into Scorpia's head in more depth and at what point, or whether to keep the perspective on the outside. I suppose I don't need to overthink the consistency of the perspective and just go with whatever would be the most interesting, but I don't want to break the style too much unnecessarily. I guess I'll see how I feel in the upcoming chapters.
Anyway, I hope you like it! Colleges have started again and I'm teaching an overload of classes, so I'm writing this during what spare time I can get so updates might be slow. But I still have ideas and inspiration, and I'm going to try and see it through to the end! Thank you for reading!
