Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Yeah... yeah I got this..." Tsui said, hoping her voice and outward appearance was as strong and resolute as she normally was, even when on the inside she felt like a doe, caught in between two hungry tigers and merely waiting for one of them to just go ahead and close its jaws around her neck and end her misery. She didn't want to admit to the fear she felt right now, especially in front of her friend, and yet she knew that the tigers must have sensed it, as they only drew closer and closer. She could have backed away and gotten closer to Kallichore to defend her, but she refused to give them anymore ground. She stood hers and more, actually rushing towards the largest one and yelling right in its face when it got too close to them. "That is close enough! I'm Super Sailor Tsui, and this is my home!"

She hoped that her voice would not waver- it couldn't waver. If she gave them any ground, shown any fear, she'd lose their respect. The notion itself was silly. They were tigers, and even if they were real and not simply astral projections from her home, how could they possibly understand or comprehend? It was enough to stop the largest one, but two others had tried to approach Kallichore from the other angle, and Tsui gave away ground to stop them. "Back off! This is Eternal Sailor Kallichore, and she's my honored guest, NOT your meal!"

The two she approached roared right back at her, but that didn't stop her. Finally, she swung at the closest one to her, and she was not too surprised to see her hand phase completely through it before it simply disappeared, followed by its closest brethren. One by one, they disappeared, until only one was standing, and the largest one looked at Tsui, then to Kallichore with its bright, white eyes, before bowing its head to the Eternal and simply disappearing once more, leaving the Tiger senshi confused and Kallichore still hanging in the vines. Only once they were gone, completely gone, did Tsui fall onto her butt, and she allowed for her relief to be heard with an almost sobbing sigh. "I don't... understand this stupid planet!"

"Yeah, I know... we got each others' back, no matter what!" Tsui tried to smile but she couldn't make it stick. Tsui was ashamed of herself and for many reasons. Here she was, on her own home planet, where she should have been at her finest and yet, she was more frustrated and confused than ever. She was grateful to see her friend freed from the veins, though she simply couldn't let go of the anger she felt, and some of it might have breached her defenses as she waved her arms about angrily and kicked at one of the vines she had tried tearing off. "Hell if I know if they were real or not... they could have been, or maybe my home is taking some advice from yours and feels like playing a few tricks? Gah!"

In her fit, she kicked a rock, and she immediately regretted it. She caught herself before she slumped over, taking in Kallichore's words and trying to anchor herself to them. She was calmer, much wiser than she, and the moment she mentioned there being some kind of lesson, she felt a lot of her anger disappear. "If this is something we're suppose to learn from, then what was the lesson? What could we have possibly learned from me yelling at tigers that may or may not have existed, while you dangled like a pinata?"

She tried to will the pain in her foot away, knowing it to be impossible but doing her best to hide any discomfort that she might have felt, both to her friend and to prove something to her home. She wasn't going to let it get the best of her... she gave a strong inhale and moved to the path that Kallichore had managed to find, determined for the two of them to make their way to that temple before their time had run out or the 'tigers' came back. "No matter! We're gonna figure this place out, and we're going to find out what our connection is. Even if I have to chase down a tiger and yank his tail to get some answers out of him! ... Or her! Come on!"

She moved ahead, swatting at any vines or branches that would otherwise try snatching up her friend again. What if it was a test? If so, then did they pass? What was the point of that test... part of her longed for the answer, but another part was apprehensive. What if she didn't like the answer? What if... that was her home's way of chasing her away? If so, then what? The truth? Tsui didn't want to think about it. All she wanted to do was find that damned temple...

When Kallichore drew close enough, Tsui reached for her hand and closed her fingers around it tightly before she had the chance to pull away. The motion was meant to be affectionate, but anyone with a half a brain in their head could tell just how clingy it was, and Tsui tried to play it off with a joke. "Stay close and watch for stray vines! This jungle has a mind of its own, it seems."

She didn't want to admit how much she was depending on Kallichore's support, and in truth, she was genuinely frightened for a moment. What could have happened to her friend if the tigers hadn't backed off? She had put her in such danger, and yet, was she really in danger? She didn't want to think about the 'what if's', so instead she focused on the path before them. After about a few minutes of trekking, the two Senshi had reached a familiar clearing for Tsui, and this time she didn't go stumbling and rolling down the bluff, allowing her the luxury of getting a good look at the valley below in all of its splendor.

The temple was still ringing a few bells to the Tiger senshi, as though it were straight from the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, though in the midday sun, they were able to see every crack in its exterior, all of the vines and various foliage that was growing in those cracks and encasing the outer walls. Around the temple were pillars, forming a Heptagon, and upon closer inspection, Tsui could make out a peculiar engraving on each of the pillars, something she had missed in her last visit thanks to her embarrassing tumbling act. Each one seemed different, unique from the other, but each one held a common theme; carved into them were stripes, some smooth, others rigid, and their patterns were obviously that of a tiger. Tsui couldn't help but make the blatant observation, as she pulled Kallichore forward with her in hopes that the two of them could approach the temple without interference from that otherworldly voice again. "The interior decorator REALLY had a things for the big cats, huh?"

Her laugh was to hide her nervousness, and she hoped, BEYOND hoped, that whatever mysterious force that kept her away would allow them to enter this time around. How embarrassing would that have been if it simply booted them out... again?

Despite recent events and her own frustrations, Tsui couldn't deny the beauty of her home world, when things weren't trying to kill her. It was vastly different from any place she had ever been to on Earth, though her travels and destinations were fairly limited to her home town and Destiny City (and everything in between), and yet, it seemed familiar enough to her that it was almost as though they weren't on an alien planet, somewhere near or even on Delta Andromadae... they were home. And, in a sense, Tsui was home, at least. That was definitely a well-needed step in the right direction that she was willing to call this place her home, but she wasn't too eager to make permanent reservations for the time being.

First, they had to make it to the temple and the sight of Kallichore actually approaching one of the pillars and touching it was definitely worth a sigh of relief, though Tsui tried not to get her hopes too high just yet. After all, maybe it was simply allowing them to get a little closer this time, all to lower their guard and then send them crashing back to Earth with another cryptic message. Tsui was almost prepare for that possibility, even as she pressed her own hand to the pillar. Sure enough, it was one sturdy, tall pillar, neither an illusion and no invisible force field or unending trek to throw them off. "Well, for starters, I never made it this far the first time."

Tsui could still remember the ongoing trek and then the pull of vertigo, but none of that was present now. She pressed both hands on the pillar now, feeling the grooves and carvings, wondering how such a feat was done, and what its significance could be. "The fact that we're even touching these pillars means we're doing something right, considering it wouldn't let me get any closer than this..."

It was some kind of comfort to her, and she continued to move her hands against the pillar's surface, the feel of the smooth but gritty texture... very familiar to her. She was certain that she had touched these pillars before, but she was clueless to what the designs may have signified.

"They're all different... the design on them, the width... even the height of them are different. Was the interior designer drunk the day he carved these pillars or what?"

It was a harmless joke, yet her curiosity could not be quelled. Without thinking, she gave the pillar a push, not too surprised when nothing had happened. After all, though she prided herself in being a strong Senshi, this was a rock pillar, and likely had foundations dug deeply into the ground to prevent some curious and possibly frustrated Senshi from pushing it over. What she WASN'T expecting, when she gave it a push, was the sound of what she knew to be a tiger 'chuffing', and she jumped back and bumped into Kallichore. "Kalli... please tell me you heard that..."

"That... would be a chuff," Tsui said, drawing close to her friend and away from the pillar, and just in time to have notice the striped tail of the tiger that was now resting upon its top. Soon, the other pillars were occupied, each by a different tiger, some whose coats were a darker or light tint than another, and the one directly above them wore a thicker coat, though not as thick that the white tiger that sat at the pillar at the front of the entrance. By this time, the tigers were all sitting, staring down at them, but not a single one moving in on them, though the one that garnered the most attention was the white tiger, with its bright, icy blue eyes pinned on them. It was a most peculiar sight, but Tsui was thankful that none of them, whether they were real or not, did not approach them, or try to get their jaws or claws on them. That was certainly a step in the right direction for them, all things considered. "But... they're chuffing, not growling or roaring."

Tsui wasn't sure if Kallichore would even know the difference, but she explained, thankful that her love for animals brought her to practically memorize the information plaques at the zoo. "They chuff as a way of saying 'hello' or 'how are you'... it's a friendly noise."

Which was definitely a big change from their earlier arrival, and Tsui couldn't help but feel that finally, SOMETHING had gone right in their journey, though what, she wasn't sure? Of all the times for that big, booming voice to talk to her, it was awfully quite, and all of the tigers chuffs and strange behaviors were ceased when the white tiger gave a low roar, before leaping off of the pillar and simply disappearing where the overgrowth was the most plentiful. Three other tigers, smaller than it and of various colors and varieties, followed after it, leaving only three to lay on top the pillars and stare at the spot intently, with longing but not moving towards it. The one right above them, the heavy coated tiger, looked to them, then back to the overgrowth, giving a motion with its thick head to go.

"Well... Kallichore, maybe we'll see if they live underground after all. I think that's their way of saying 'come in'?" Tsui couldn't hide her excitement, not to mention some of her fear. Why did three remain outside? Was was waiting for them behind the large overgrowth? There was only one way to find out, and Tsui moved towards it. "Let's go, before they change their minds!"

It didn't take much effort for the two Senshi to make their way through the overgrowth, though Tsui took some time to tear and cut at the vines this time, should they try to claim her friend again. The thought of the two of them walking in on a grand tiger buffet did cross her mind, but somehow, Tsui wasn't nearly as frightened of the thought that she knew she should have been and she wasn't quite sure why. Maybe she was confident that the tigers, whether real or merely a shared hallucination, were guiding them to where they needed to be, or perhaps she was more humored at the thought that the Senshi of Tigers being devoured by the animal of her sphere was indeed ironic and a worthy death for her.

Once the two of them had made it into the temple, Tsui wasn't too surprised to see that they were shrouded in darkness now. Why wouldn't they be? There seemed to be no windows, no lights, and all of the torches had long since burnt out. However, they did have the reflective eyes of the four tigers they followed to rely on, as they periodically looked back at them and gave them encouraging chuffs, as though to say 'keep up, will you?'

All the while, Tsui was thinking about what Kallichore had said, and she spoke to her friend, over their chuffings and the crunching of dead, dried leaves beneath their boots. At least, Tsui assumed that they were dried leaves... once again, the Temple of Doom came to mind, but she wasn't willing to look down to see if there was any truth to that thought. No, eyes were straight ahead and her words were for Kallichore only. "Yeah, well, the Destiny City Zoo only has Bengal tigers, I think. I've seen Siberians before, too... that big, white one at the front? He looks like a Siberian with the length of his coat."

Could have easily been a she, but Tsui wasn't going to venture any closer and give its tail a lift. If it was a spiritual tiger, whose to say it had a gender at all? Which lead her to observing the other tigers, and she couldn't help but ponder aloud to her friend, unaware of her friend's lack of knowledge on the subject though still willing to share. "The constellation of the White Tiger has seven constellations... and I think there are, or were, seven subspecies of tigers. Or maybe it was eight..."

She was going to count on her fingers, but a grunt from the front of the 'herd' forced her attention back to the front, and there just before them was the first sign of light, not too far in the distance. Whatever her train of thought was prior to seeing the light was gone, and she motioned for Kallichore to follow as she picked up the pace, eager to keep up with the tigers when they, too, started to speed up the pace, starting with a trot and then falling into an all out gallop. "Come on... they're leading us to that room. Maybe we'll get the answers there!"

Yes, Tsui wanted answers. She wanted to know what connection the two of them had in the past, as well as what had happened to her homeworld. Who was this Mao, and what did she have to do with anything. She hoped that the room ahead of them would shed some light to the both of them, or else she'd simply pull her hair out with frustration!

It had taken a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light, but when it did, she was taken back by the open, spacious room before them. It was circular, with what looked like stone steps that led down to an arena or stage, its entire floor covered with dead Autumn colored leaves, gathered at the trunk of a large, orange, brown and yellow tree. Its trunks were thick and it was obvious that this was a very, very old tree, with branches extending from larger, thicker branches, and though leaves continued to fall at their feet, it seemed to never lose its volume. It was a relief to know that crunching noise was, in fact, dried up leaves and not insects, though Tsui wasn't willing to check her boots to see if there were bug guts on them or not. The tigers moved about the area, some taking to the tree while another laid itself out at the foot of the tree, burrowing itself in the leaves and content to simply disappear within its surrounding. Only the white one remained near the two humans, and its blue eyes never left them, waiting for them to do... something.

Tsui was almost lost in thought, and when one was standing in such a beautiful place, how could she NOT be? She wasn't one for deep thinking, but she couldn't help but allow her thoughts to get the better of her right now as she approached the tree, kicking through the pile of leaves without once taking her eyes off of the giant tree that the tigers began to perch on top of. Was there a senshi of every constellation within Baihu? Was there a Senshi for Baihu? If all of the constellations had their own Senshi, then why did it seem like the constellation of Tsui held such significance? Where were the rest? Had they not awakened yet? Or... did they still reside in their own home constellation?

It was a lot to take in, but it seemed that the white tiger, the one that looked like a Siberian, if its size was multiplied, was willing to shed some light for the two of them. He sniffed at a particular spot on the ground, right at the foot of the large tree, and continued to look back at them, as if wondering why they hadn't thought to check there first. Tsui looked to Kallichore and shrugged, "Well, he seems to want us to clear out some leaves from that area, so looking there would be our best chance."

Or a trap and the two of them would go stumbling down into a boiling pot to becoming the tigers' stew. But they hadn't led them astray just yet, right? Tsui took a knee once she reached the foot of the tree, and without thinking, she dug at leaves, trying to clear the area that the white tiger seemed so keen on digging at. All the while, it kept at a safe distance, watching, staring, waiting... for something. Its gaze kept on Kallichore the most, though, and its striped tail swished side to side, though it was uncertain if it was agitated or... perhaps a little excited. Tsui hardly noticed, too focused on finding out what was beneath the pile. "Come on, Kalli... there has to be SOMETHING important under here!"