Welcome to Gaia! ::

At the edge of Alkaid's awareness, another aura blipped into existence. This one was a bit different, and notably so: it wasn't a senshi. It definitely wasn't a fellow Negaverse agent. It didn't have that kind of subtle vibe to it that those new enemies, the Knights, had either. Strangely enough, the new presence had some quality to it that felt like it should have been familiar to the corrupted senshi, but it wasn't. Something the sky above was missing.

Something her own star was missing.

The sky was clear tonight, which put Kurma in a relaxed, complacent mood. Clouds were lovely, sure -- and he could never get enough of rain -- but it was always nice to be able to lie back and contemplate the stars from the comfort of a rooftop or a park bench, and enjoy the smell and sensation of a summer night's breeze at the same time. It was the best of both worlds. Or, at least, it was in the way he defined those things.

He had settled down on the grass a block or so away from Alkaid, folding his arms behind the back of his head and watching the moon slowly crawl across the sky above him. It was something he'd seen in a lot of movies Allie liked. They always seemed to enjoy it, so he wanted to give it a try.

He would, and indeed he was. Where others in his place might have gotten up to take a defensive stance (or perhaps dash off to take cover), Kurma remained lackadaisically there in the grass as the unusual dark presence made herself known -- first by her energy, and second by her delicate footsteps trotting to close the distance between them. Alkaid would be met with a pair of unusually pale grayish-beige eyes, looking at her upside down from his vantage point on the ground as she stood over him from behind his head, announcing her presence with a question instead of a greeting.

In response to those three words, he offered a curious smile. "Aren't you supposed to say who?" he asked. It was hard to tell if he was being playful or serious. "I'm also pretty sure the folks on this planet like it more when you give your own name before asking for theirs. Don't bother me much, though."

Alkaid's forehead was taking up half of his field of vision. In order to correct this problem, he drew up his knees to scoot himself a foot or two downward.

"You can call me Kurma. Whatever else you can come up with works just fine, too." Now his hands were folded over his chest instead, so he could crane his neck back further and still look at Alkaid if he wanted. "Usually I travel between different planets, stopping at places in need of guidance. Things have changed a bit since the last time I was around, though." He flashed another lopsided smirk, then lifted his right hand in a gesture towards the grass nearby. There was plenty of room to lie down, or at least sit.

"Anyway, none of that's all too interesting, and it's too nice tonight to waste it on stories. Better to kick back and enjoy the view."

A pause. And a small frown.

"...can you enjoy the view, that way? It must be pretty quiet for you."

"Alkaid."

The name was repeated slowly, deliberately, as if it were a word he had momentarily forgotten the meaning to. As he considered it, it seemed that it was enough of a reason regard the senshi from a more respectful pose: with the same sort of slowness he brought himself upward to a sitting position, crossing his legs and perching his hands on his knees. This meant he had his back to her. If she'd bothered to get up and walk around to look at him, though, she'd see him wearing the expression of a man losing himself in thought. "Alkaid..." he repeated, again.

"Guidance."

Then, he turned around. His gaze met hers again; he was wearing yet another smile. However, this time it was a little worn around the edges... a little forced. "You've grown a bit," he observed. "Just not in the way I'd expected. Are you lost?"

"I already told you all there really is to know about me," Kurma replied with frank sincerity. He was leaning towards her now, with a forearm over his knee. The left side of his face had a small sheet of dark hair draping next to it that threatened to cover it up, but never quite got there. "So, you know plenty, really. More than I think you're able to recall about yourself."

The orb he had tethered to his sash, looking something like a glowing glass buoy, was sitting in a patch of weeds and clover next to him. He tugged on the thin rope tied around it and somewhat clumsily caught it in his hands, then set it on his lap. It cast enough light to illuminate his features in a buttery gold, almost as if he were holding a miniature star.

"You know you're on Earth, but what do you know of where you would be otherwise?" The half-smile had faded to a quarter-smile as he peered at the senshi, with her gaze fixed frustrated on the sky. "Is there any meaning left to what you're seeing right now?"

Kurma was quiet for a moment, contemplating both her words and his thoughts about them. He was never very quick to speak or act, but in some moments he could be a bit slower than others. In regarding a senshi who had gone the way Sailor Alkaid had, this was one of those moments.

"So you know it's a home to you," he mused, "or at the very least, it's supposed to be." He let his eyes close and he tilted his chin upward a bit, taking in a full breath of humid air as a breeze passed by. "But the path's been lost to you, hasn't it? You've lost the ability to see it, I imagine..."

Another pause. Kurma had a thoughtful look on his face, that developed a tinge of kindness when he brought his gaze to Sailor Alkaid again.

"This doesn't make it hopeless, though." Now he was slowly standing up, tucking the orb under one arm. The other reached outward, extending to Alkaid.

"After all... sometimes even the guides need guidance."

No more words were necessary, so in response to Alkaid's faltering silence Kurma did not offer any more. He simply gave her a smile -- this time, it was the kind one might give to an old friend -- and gently helped her to her feet, before fixing his gaze on the sky. Her star wasn't all that far away. It could even be seen from here, and quite easily.

The moment Alkaid was fully standing, the two had been bathed in a bright shaft of warm golden light, before disappearing from the surface of the Earth entirely. It was no longer the time to simply sit and stargaze.

Now was the time to walk among them, and regain what was lost.


((CONTINUED HERE))