Welcome to Gaia! ::

That sickening sound echoed throughout all of Antiope.

The pain still grew exponentially as she remained in place, incapable of altering her fate. However, it was as if that one single cracking noise had splintered something within the girl.

Something that seemed to know that she had messed up.

That her life was a mess. And that it was now over.

A giant had once told her, “You don't understand keeps. You will break.” He was right. She was playing for keeps now, and every single nerve in her body screamed as it prepared to shut down.

Minny had warned her in her first meeting, “Aren't you terrified of stronger enemies? They could really hurt you!” The senshi of origami had always been such a nice girl, worrying over Antiope, even since the first day they met. Perhaps she was a truer friend than any other she had met before. Minny had even offered to protect Antiope, once upon a time. However, even now, the Mantis senshi stood alone as she typically had.

The man from the unknown street gang with the fancy glowing jacket had offered words of wisdom. “Fine. If it makes you happy, you're the victor. But be careful- one of these days you might not come out on top. And then what will you do?” Even now, Antiope didn’t have an answer to his question.

Within that split second it had taken for her starseed, for her very life to shatter, Antiope’s own imperfections had come to light, haunting her very last moment before it was all lost.

Her body had shattered, cracks showing, creeping up her skin, even her very fuku. Her body reeked of chaos, drenching her every pore, bleeding out at every possible crack. Within Galena’s hand, the once beautiful jade colored starseed had shattered, crumbling into an ash. As it dissolved, what was left of Antiope’s body began to crumble. Her skin came off in chunks, revealing a pure black mass hiding beneath the top layer.



The mass trembled, backing away as if still in pain, writhing upon the ground in a now silent agony.

The mass on the ground rolled, searing the once green grass beneath it with the heat of the black substance covering what used to be Antiope. It almost seemed to be spasming, like something was trying to break out.

All at once, the blackness seemed to melt off of the form of something new.

The body of the creature was a pale green, leaning forward and bracing itself. Though the body seemed strained, it did not move at all for a minute. Not even a sign of breathing, as if the creature was dead.

Then all of a sudden, the figure jerked forward with a loud click sound. A pair of antennae twitched and a pair of eyes looked around curiously. Green eyes surrounded by sickly yellow.

With a strained blink, the form turned to face the General.



Her mandibles clicked, opening and closing in a nearly experimental manner, briefly flashing the sharp teeth hiding behind them.

The youma said nothing, but tilted her head with another vague clicking sound accenting the motion.

The mantis’ mandibles closed further as the General pressed her fingers against the creature. Her mandibles pressed even closer to her jawline as the mask hidden beneath her scarf was pulled up and over her now disfigured face.

One wouldn’t even know that the mantis youma’s face was any different from that of a human face once she had dawned the mask.

Her antennae tapped forward, still seemingly curious about her surroundings. The nameless youma finally moved the rest of her body, the whole thing making a series of clicking noises as it moved. It was an odd combination of stiff, yet flexible. The creature finally pulled herself off the ground, pulling her two blades that had replaced her fingers out of the dirt. She tucked them up against her forearms in a fashion true to the Praying Mantis.

“...is my name ‘sweet darling,’ Mistress?” The voice no longer had the same energy or naivety to it that the once Senshi had possessed, but now seemed intensely focused, lacking any sort of independent thought.

Gratitude was not a natural trait for a youma. The mantis youma looked at the gift, eyes seemingly interested in the two rather shiny objects in the General’s hand. There was no utterance of thank you, but the youma obediently held still as the sticks were placed towards the base of the hollow green orbs where the senshi’s braided bun had been before.

She uncurled her blades from their resting position, as if testing her movement before resuming the same praying position as before. Each simple movement she took, her body clicked as the many joints had to move into the proper places.

In the same flat tone she had taken before, she repeated the words. “I am known as Mantidae, Mistress.” It was only instinct that the animal leaned into the General’s affections.