Five years have passed since Emeth Light Spinner cast the Spell of Obtainment and was presumed dead. But little does the world know that she survived, and lives on as the dark sorceress Shadow Weaver. As the second-in-command of the Horde, she has bound herself to wreaking destruction on Etheria as revenge for the pain they put her through. But Shadow Weaver has a secret - care for the soon-to-be king of Bright Moon, General Micah of the Rebellion. Though the young, idealistic commander does not know who she is, Shadow Weaver watches him with buried longing for a return to the days when they trained together as master and apprentice in Mystacor. She cannot allow anyone in the Horde to know this, for fear of being deposed - not even her most loyal servant, Carmen - and cannot let her identity slip to him for fear of rejection. RATED M FOR THE FOLLOWING: depictions of suicide/self-harm and abuse. *Can be understood without having seen She-Ra. *A sequel to Alura; please read that book, or this one won't make sense. *I do not own Shadow Weaver, Micah, or She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. This is a creative work of fanfiction.

Mystacor, the secret Etherian kingdom of sorcery, looks like paradise to the outsider. But not all is well on the misty island cluster, and its most powerful Emeth, Light Spinner, knows it. A bitter childhood and forbidden powers have landed her in a place where she must prove her worth to her superiors in order to fulfill her mother's dying wish to her. And with her loneliness having not left her since her coronation to the Guild of Sorcerers, she has begun to accept her place in society - outcast and unaccepted. But on the day of her coronation to the Guild of Sorcerers, Light Spinner's world changes forever. The young boy Micah of Tropicilas enters her life, and his joyous demeanor and honest heart present her with difficult choices, especially when a mysterious terrorist group suspected to be from another world invades his home kingdom. Her deep friendship with her apprentice compels her to act, yet the Guild forbids her to use her powers under any circumstance. The dark armies spread their bloody streak across the peaceful planet, and war becomes a possibility. And as Light Spinner despairs on whether to follow her own wishes or those of her superiors, she finds she may have to sacrifice more than just their approval. RATED T FOR: infrequent/mild references to self-harm. NOTE: THIS BOOK DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT THE READER SEE THE SOURCE MATERIAL FIRST. *Cover and illustrations by me, hand-drawn on Procreate. *I do not own Light Spinner, She-Ra, or DreamWorks. This is a creative work of fanfiction. *First draft written for NaNoWriMo 2019.

...

Power changes people. Shadow Weaver knows this better than anyone, having lived twenty-two years as the cutthroat second-in-command of the Horde. After one of her own children deposes her, however, she finds herself in Bright Moon. Her purpose? To help the very Rebellion she swore to destroy for one reason: to avenge herself and her late former apprentice, Micah of Bright Moon. But things get complicated when Micah's daughter Glimmer succeeds the throne. Shadow Weaver doubts - along with the rest of the kingdom - that Glimmer is up to the task. But Shadow Weaver soon realizes that the way to achieve her goals is to use the most powerful instrument at her disposal: the young queen. Glimmer seeks two things: magical training and answers about her father. And Shadow Weaver is determined to use the first to her advantage, while finding ways to avoid facing her greatest regret. INFORMATION - Takes place between Starwalker and Seraphite; a Season 4-era work. - All canon characters are properties of Noelle Stevenson and Dreamworks.