Welcome to Gaia! ::

The days were getting warmer but the nights were still chilly and as Aludra snuck out of her house, her breath entered the air as puffs of white. This was the first time since her terrible run in the youma and the difficulties that had arisen afterwards in her small family that she had stepped outside as a Senshi. Going into space certainly didn’t count, even if technically she’d been transported billions of miles away.

This was different. Space was safe. Safe was Dionysus and clasped hands. The real world was cold and brutal and she couldn’t help but hesitate at her window, peering out into the gloom as if expecting some beast to be hiding behind the nearest shadow. But this was a fear that she couldn’t let win. It held no use to her, no place in her life. Her path was as clear as day. Aludra could see it winding along, a bright line skirting the shadows, leading her back into the fight that she had sworn to continue. It was her duty as a Senshi. If by being out there when she would rather be at home helped just one person, it was all worth it.

So she rubbed her gloved hands together, could feel the tender skin of newly healed burns and didn’t look back as she took that leap of faith.

One hour later found her at the park. It was familiar grounds; a place of peace and war. How strange that one night you could find a friend and the next blood would be spilt. It felt right that this should be her first stop.

This time she had thought ahead and had put a coat over her senshi garb but crimson still peeked out from beneath the grey and the red hood still covered her hair.

You never knew how a night on patrol would end. Tonight Aludra hoped for good things.

And good things arrived as the strangest feeling.

The sudden sense of having something waiting for her, a message she needed to see or read or- no, she wasn’t sure quite what it was but at the mere thought of ‘I want to know what it is’ was apparently enough.

The letter appeared in mid-air and floated serenely down to the ground.

A long, thoughtful pause followed in which she simply stared down at the object. Then she knelt and picked it up, read the written letters.



Aludra could feel her heart beating in her throat. Her stomach felt strange, as if it had flipped itself over and she was glad she was already on the ground. She was crying, she noticed absently. How strange that a message from Persephone, returned from the grave that was being a Corrupt, could not touch her emotions so keenly. Perhaps it was that she had known Persephone in a future that never was, had felt those cold hands reach inside and has somehow forgotten that older girl had ever been anything else.

This was different. This was her real life and she had worked so hard to get through to Astrophyllite how much she cared. All her hopes and dreams, all her belief of a brighter future for everyone was pinned on knowing that she could succeed in helping someone find their path into the light.

"I’m coming," she said out loud, adding extra strength to her voice and wiping away the tears. "I won’t be long." As if Astrophyllite would sense her intentions and wait for her.

Then she was off into the night, seeking that bright future at Times Circle Fountain.