Shadow Weaver's garden had bloomed wonderfully when Scorpia decided to visit. She paused in digging up a particularly stubborn weed, sighing, as the over apologetic teen fumbled and tripped over the watermelons. Her tail swung this way and that as she tried to use her pinchers to detangle her feet from the vines.

"I'm so-!" Crash. "Sorry!" Crack. "I'm trying not to-," Whap. "Hurt your plant- Oope!" Splat!

Shadow sighed, dusted off her hands, and rose to her feet.

"If you don't move I'll be able to free you faster," Shadow Weaver deadpanned.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry," Scorpia said and stopped squirming. Pulling the last vine carefully from Scorpia's sandal, Shadow Weaver pulled her up by her claw.

"Thanks! For helping. Even though I totally messed up your cucumbers. Are those cucumbers? I can't tell, Perfuma's been trying to-"

"They're watermelons," Shadow Weaver interrupted.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry about your watermelons. And your flowers," Scorpia continued, wringing her claws nervously as she surveyed the carnage of the garden beds and the wrecked flower pots. Shadow Weaver shrugged, trying calm her rising temper at the sight of her beloved plants.

"I don't like watermelons, so I suppose good riddance."

"Really? I love watermelons! They're so sweet and juicy. And they don't get crushed by my claws! At least not as easily as oranges." Scorpia rubbed her chin. "And oranges are always so sticky, y'know? And you have to peel them and everything." She sighed, then perked up. "But Perfuma likes them though! She likes all plants, well except cacti. I can see why but I think they're rather-" Shadow Weaver listen to Scorpia with half an ear about all the wonderful things about Cacti and Perfuma as she cleaned up the broken pottery. She deflected the teen's offers to help as she swept up the dirt.

Eventually, Scorpia settled on asking questions about the flowers Shadow Weaver was cupping in her hands and carefully replanting in new pots.

"Ooo what are those?"

"Marigolds."

"Oh, is that because they are an orangey color?"

"Maybe."

"Hey, Shadow Weaver. Those are looking a little moldy."

"They're Starry Night Petunias, those spots are natural."

"Oh, right. That's a real strange lookin cactus."

"It's called Aloe. It's used to heal burns."

"Would it help yours?"

Shadow Weaver turned sharply at the question. Scorpia quailed under her fierce gaze.

"S-sorry! I d-don't mean any offense. Just, they look painful, y'know?" Scorpia stuttered out. Shadow Weaver cocked a slim eyebrow, then relaxed slightly.

"No," she said, pulling down her sleeves, "since it has already scarred, there's nothing left to heal."

"Oh." Scorpia wilted a bit as Shadow Weaver drew back into her shell.

The dark moment was interrupted, however, by Perfuma calling Scorpia's name.

"I have to go! Bye, Shadow Weaver. Sorry again about your plants." She called as she hastily excused herself - making sure to give the watermelon bed a wide birth.

Shadow Weaver pinched the bridge of her nose, fighting an oncoming headache. She took the trowel and an extra bag of soil and set to work smoothing out Scorpia's footprints from the melon bed. She loosened the packed dirt with the trowel and used the extra soil to replace the dirt that had been scattered on the floor. She used the broom to clean up the mess on the floor and washed the rest of it away with the hose. Satisfied with the now neat garden, she went back to her earlier weeding.

It was mid afternoon when Shadow Weaver retired from her garden. Instead of taking dinner in her room as was her usual, she ate in the kitchen. Scorpia's company had put her in a better mood, and the hustle and bustle of the kitchen staff distracted her - even if they mostly avoided her. She curled herself into a corner table, unbothered and hunched over a bowl of food. Shadow Weaver lazily observed Brightmoon's staff as she sipped her broth. Then, she came in. Shadow Weaver shrank into herself, tucking herself closer behind the shelves and shelves of ingredients as Castaspella of all people entered the kitchen.

She seemed to be laughing and conversing merrily with the chefs, the picture of calm and controlled. Shadow Weaver just watched her like a hunted animal. The memory of her fingers around her neck, Castapella's threats spat into her face, was still fresh in Shadow Weaver's mind. Even after the head sorceress left, she didn't relax. Her appetite completely gone, Shadow Weaver left the kitchen hastily. No one noticed if a couple of bottles of hard liquor were missing after her retreat.

-x-

"Hey, guys. Does, Shadow Weaver seem a little - I don't know - off to you?" Scorpia asked. Perfuma paused in braiding flowers into Scorpia's hair, Bow looked up from fiddling with his arrows, and Netossa and Spinnerella frowned.

"Well... she's Shadow Weaver. She's always kinda stood out," Spinnerella shrugged.

"I know, but she seems more different. At least more than usual," Scorpia said, "In the Horde, she always made herself known. But now she seems... I don't know, small?"

"Of course she is. She doesn't have her spooky shadow powers anymore," Netossa replied.

"No, not like that. She just seems a little sad, that's all."

"I see your point," said Bow, rubbing his chin, "She was always doing something when she was here before; reading, gardening, and walking. Now, she hardly seems to leave her room." Then he shrugged and added, "It's most likely nothing. She's Shadow Weaver. She always been a bit unpredictable."

"Probably sulking too," Netossa stated, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, okay. I suppose you're right," Scorpia said and dropped the subject.

Despite Bow's and Netossa's reassurances, Scorpia still wasn't quite convinced and said as much to Perfuma and Glimmer after dinner.

"It's just, you didn't see her. I've known Shadow Weaver a long time. We weren't pals or anything, we weren't even that close, but that's not the point. I just have a bad feeling," she stuttered.

"I agree with Scorpia. I've been seeing a lot of negative energy from Shadow Weaver and I would never abandon a uh... fellow uh... conspirator... person," nodded Perfuma.

Glimmer looked from Scorpia's pleading face to Perfuma's worried one. She sighed.

"Fine, fine. I'll check on her. But I'm sure she's fine," Glimmer relented. Scorpia and Perfuma relaxed.

"Thanks, Glimmer," Scorpia smiled, "I'm sure she'll talk to you."

Glimmer waved them off. "Yeah, Yeah I know, I'm the best. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Glimmer!"

"Hey, Glimmer!" Glimmer turned and saw Adora and Catra, arms around each other, with her Aunt Casta.

"Aren't you going to going to join us for board game night? I brought your faaaavoritttttte!" sung Casta.

"Just minute, Aunt Casta. I just need to check on something." They frowned at her tone.

"Is something wrong?" asked Adora.

"It's probably nothing. Scorpia's just concerned for Shadow Weaver, nothing serious."

"Why? What'd she do now?" Catra and Castaspella both growled.

Glimmer shrugged. "Nothing, as far as I can tell. Scorpia and Perfuma just think she's been acting weird. She's probably fine, but they think she'll respond better to me."

"Why don't I handle her instead?" Casta immediately offered.

Glimmer shook her head. "No, it's fine. I can handle her. I'll catch up later," she said and teleported away.

The hallway of Shadow Weaver's room was almost entirely devoid of life. Only the two Brightmoon guards stood outside the only occupied room. Glimmer nodded to them.

"Is Shadow Weaver in her room?" She asked.

"Yes, your majesty." Glimmer nodded and rapped smartly on the door.

"Shadow Weaver, can I come in?"

No answer. She rapped again.

"Shadow Weaver, are you in there?" No answer.

Huffing, Glimmer knocked louder. "Shadow Weaver, it's me. Glimmer. Please open the door!" Silence. Impatient and irritated, Glimmer opened the bedroom door. What she saw horrified her.

"Get Castapella and tell her to meet me in the Medical ward immediately!" she shouted at the guards. She scooped up Shadow Weaver and teleported them instantly to the hospital.