Welcome to Gaia! ::

Princess Ares very rarely left her throne room in mirrorspace. There was so much to be done, and as the only one with the ability to wield the Dark Brimstone Crystal, the leader had certain responsibilities each day that could not be avoided. When she set foot outside of the twisting fog of mirrorspace, it was for a damn good reason.

Tonight, she was hunting for recruits.

The Dark Mirror Court had been at a bit of a standstill. They brought in energy, charged the crystal, created wraiths -- but what was it all for? Ares had her own plans, but she felt like they were not making the headway that she had always dreamed of making. Mostly, she blamed herself. She was shackled to that damn throne room. It had made her out of touch.

Gliding through a mirror into a dark alley, Ares arrived just in time to see a strange girl with blond hair wielding a skateboard. Her outburst had one effect -- those who had been nearby shuffled away from her. "Fighting isn't therapy," she called from the shadows. "It is more than that." There were too many people for her to approach, but she could at the very least try to tempt the girl to step out of sight.

The shadows in the alley were enough to keep Ares concealed. She knew her regalia wasn't exactly the most inviting in the world, not to anyone with common sense. The gang activity in Destiny City was decently well-known. Sure, there were impostors, but Ares had no desire to chase off the girl so ready for a fight. A spirit like that could be an asset.

"I don't need a spotlight to be empowered. It seems you do, carrying around that... thing like it's a weapon." Ares extended one hand into the light, gesturing to the skateboard. A thick gold band encircled her wrist, and the tip of her finger funneled into a claw. "Real power isn't loud. It doesn't have to be."

Again, she waited.

The zombie reference was lost on Ares. Even as a civilian, Fallon was not up to date on pop culture in any way, shape, or form. She didn't really give in to frivolity, and she considered fantasy-pursuits precisely that. That was, until she became one -- but now that was all water under the bridge. Whatever the girl said didn't truly matter anyway. Ares was a hunter. She had already targeted the prey.

"I don't need to teach you about power, or lecture you about an outlet for aggression," she said, voice low.

The click of heels tapped against the concrete in the summer heat. One leg appeared from out of the shadows first, then a sweep of black skirt, a thin waist, arm, shoulder -- and then she was standing before the girl in the alleyway, her golden staff giving off a warm red glow, emanating from the Dark Brimstone Crystal.

"I can give you power," she said calmly. "And with it, you can put your aggressive tendencies to good use -- if you are strong enough to handle it."

Cold gray eyes did not waver from Arilee's face, but when Ares spoke it was clear she was not talking to the civilian in front of her. "This is her -- unawakened?" Her head tilted to the side, as if to listen for a voice. A soft call came from the shadows, too quiet for Arilee to hear. Whatever was said, it brought a smile to Ares' face.

"I love a good dance, but I have no desire to damage you. I'll save that challenge for our enemies," she said, taking one long stride toward the girl with the skateboard.

The crystal in the golden cage at the top of her staff began to glow, softly at first -- then it flashed, tossing a glowing, reflective pane into the space beside Arilee and Ares. In a quick beat, the Princess of the Parallels was mere inches from Arilee. Her hand gripped the girl's shirt, lifted her off her feet. "If you aren't strong enough, it won't matter. The Dark Mirror Court will help you get there. Welcome to the ranks." With that, something flashed through the air, tossed from the same shadows where Ares had just directed her voice. It was a pen, cartwheeling through the air and landing squarely in Arilee's palm.

"Deep breath," Ares said -- and then she threw Arilee through the mirror of energy, shattering it into pieces that absorbed into the girl's flesh.

Ares had seen this dance countless times before. She made no move, except to let her tense hand relax back to her side. After a few moments, the girl with the skateboard was now a new person altogether:



The Princess of the Parallels craned her neck back to the shadows. "Who is she?" she asked.

Still in the darkness, the guardian cat replied, "Sailor Chariklo, Senshi of Seagulls. I'll go around the block and see if I can sense any others." Without ever revealing itself, the cat was gone. Ares was grateful to the help of the cats, but she longed for the day when she might have one that was utterly sworn to the Dark Mirror. Unfortunately, it did not seem like it was within her power. Ares' magic seemed to be specifically attuned to the senshi, nothing more. Perhaps it warranted testing? It would take a lot of power. A thought for another day.

She gave the girl a few moments and then said, "You are Sailor Chariklo, Dark Mirror Senshi of Seagulls. Under that human skin of yours, you are more than you might have ever thought possible. You are a creature reborn -- a creature from space with powers beyond any human's. I am Ares. I rule our court. There is much to discuss, much for you to learn, but standing here in an alley is not the place for it. I can take you to mirrorspace and summon another of our ranks to explain it all to you. All you need to know now is that you are part of something, your life has changed, and that the power you crave is now back in your hands. Why don't we see what we can do with it?" Ares glanced over her shoulder. She didn't like having a freshly born senshi standing so openly. There were things the girl needed to learn so that she didn't run off and get herself killed.

That would do nothing for their cause.

Princess Ares had other matters to attend to that night, but she would not leave a freshly-awoken DMC senshi alone. "Here, let me show you our world," she said, grabbing the girl by the wrist. In two steps, they had disappeared through the mirror that had brought Ares to this very place, sliding through the mist and fog of mirrorspace. The leader had done her part to bring Sailor Chariklo to their fold. Now it would be up to the rest of the faction to train her and show her the ropes. The young girl's journey had just begun.