Welcome to Gaia! ::

Altea had not been intentionally silent when she approached, but she moved with the noisiness of a shadow. Though, dressed in all white as she was, today, it might have been more fitting to liken her to a ghost.

She stood behind Sadalsuud, tilting her head. She had approached from directly behind the Senshi, so it was no surprise if she hadn’t seen her; Sadalsuud’s head concealed Altea’s reflection from sight—until the queen moved from behind her and joined her by the mirror. She looked into the lifeless glass for a second and then smiled as she turned to face the Senshi.

“See something you like?” she asked, friendly, and almost teasing. She seemed as regal as ever, fingers laced delicately before her; she spoke almost as if she were greeting an old friend and not a new guest.

“I haven’t seen them move since you got here. I cannot tell if that is a good thing, or a bad thing. At the very least, it has been difficult to try and find a way to open them so you can return home. But, I hope the castle is treating you well enough, for now?”

She looked hopeful, but inquisitive, and she seemed to hold on to the question and waited patiently for an answer.

Altea smiled, pleased with the greeting and the friendly words. “No, it doesn’t,” she agreed, turning her gaze back to the mirror. “It is special. Can you feel the power within it?”

She reached out, gently resting her hands on the frame of the mirror. “It is an heirloom, now. I have had it for so long. I think it is quite a striking piece. But there are many things in this universe that are enchanted. I like to think that this mirror brings protection with it.”

She smiled fondly at it for a moment longer and dropped her hand before looking back to the girl at her side.

“Do they have many places like this on your homeworld? Earth?” Altea asked, parroting the name she’d heard them use. “I am happy to provide the hospitality. It is more than worth it for the company.”

“Oh, every mirror is special, I think. It’s just that this one is a little more special than the others, to me. It’s okay if you don’t know about the mirrors back on Earth, though.”

She smiled reassuringly. “You don’t need to apologize for your curiosity, though. Perhaps I can show you some of my favorites. I have a music box that I have had since I was a child. It’s beautiful. There are more practically enchanted things, of course, but I’ve kept it all these years. It is precious to me. The music never ends, and when you open it, it just seems to sparkle."

She sighed wistfully, clearly still enchanted with the music box.

“But I must ask,” she said, tilting her head so her attention was back on Sadalsuud. “What do you mean, ‘people like you’? Why wouldn’t they let you in? I thought Senshi were valued protectors.”

“How could I mind?” Altea asked, beaming. “I have not gotten to share them in so long. It would be my pleasure. Come,” she said, gesturing for the Dark Mirror to follow her. She began to lead Sadalsuud down a different hallway. Just because she was excited to show a music box though, she didn’t hesitate to continue the conversation.

“When you say, ‘not like this’, do you mean that there is a difference?” she asked, eying the girl’s uniform as they walked. “I did not know Senshi had the option to be different. You must forgive me, I am a bit ignorant. It was never really a topic that came up in conversation. The only Senshi I ever knew about were, well,” she gestured to Sadalsuud’s outfit again. “And I cannot help but say, there is absolutely nothing ordinary about you. Being a Senshi is not meant for ordinary people. I am certain you must be brave and strong and clever. And beautiful, but I am certain you hear that often, yes?”

Altea sighed heavily and a look of sadness seemed to cross her face. “There used to be. But when the sickness descended on my people, we had to board the exits. I’m afraid the loss of my garden is something I cannot bear to stand, so we haven’t made any efforts to open them up. I would rather live with the hope that my flowers are well and blossoming than have to see them withered and gone.”

She was quiet for a moment and seemed to be considering the reality before she shook her head and pried her mind from such sorrows. She turned to smile at Sadalsuud before she stopped in front of a door. It was locked, and Altea reached to her belt to remove a set of keys. There were many keys, of many shapes and sizes, but she knew immediately which one unlocked this door. She opened it with ease, revealing a dark, musty room. Only a few dimly glowing crystals lined the ceiling, but it was enough for Altea to see.

She stepped into the room, which seemed little more than a storage closet, and crouched to move a few boxes. Only a moment could have passed before she was standing, holding a dusty box. She stepped from the room, back into the well-illuminated hallway, and stood next to Sadalsuud.

“One of my music boxes,” she explained, and quickly brushed some dust from it. “My favorite is up in my room, but I received this as a gift many, many years ago. Here, watch,” she instructed; she pushed a hidden button on the side of the small box. It was just barely big enough to warrant holding in two hands, and was clearly made of carved wood. Flowers decorated the edges, but the paint was faded. It glistened, just slightly on the outside, but the magic was really on the inside.

Only a second after she pressed the button, the music box opened and began playing. The tune was foreign, and was little more than soft, tinkling chimes, but there was something soothing about the song. It was sad, but in the way that most music boxes seemed to be. In the center of the music box, a crystal flower spun slowly. It caught the light strangely, and seemed to reflect sparkles around it. It was almost as if little stars blinked in and out of existence as the flower turned.

Altea held it like a treasure—because it was. There were no gears to turn, no knob to twist; the music simply played. The loop was perfect; the song was long enough that it wasn’t obvious where the music began and ended.

Altea watched as the music box continued to play and released a wistful sigh after another few seconds of it. Finally, almost reluctantly, she closed the music box.

“I want to give you any small comfort that I can. I know these are difficult times, and I wish to ease them. I would like to offer it to you,” she said, handing the box out for Sadalsuud. “It is old and clearly sees no love, stored away like this. I had forgotten how beautiful it was, and now I cannot help but think what a shame it is to keep it in the shadows. If you are fond of it, will you accept it, as a gift?”

She seemed hopeful, lips pursed but still curved into a smile.

A smile, renewed, lit up Altea’s face. “I do not mind you having it. In fact, it would bring me great joy to know that someone else could experience it. I hope you will treasure it as I have. I can only make one request to you: please take good care of it. I think, in your hands, it will serve a better purpose than it could if I simply kept it locked away. But it would make me smile to know that it has a good home, with someone who will appreciate it.”

She seemed complacent, and had a little bounce in her step. With the music box passed away, she turned to make sure the storage room was closed, and she promptly locked it. She hadn’t seemed concerned with Sadalsuud seeing anything that was in it, but Altea moved as though it was habit more so than necessity.

When she finished, she turned to the Dark Mirror Senshi and continued, “But there are things like that, around here. It really does seem enchanted. I like when you find something that has just a little bit of magic to it. I think it makes life so much more wonderful. But, they don’t have things like that on Earth? Nothing that just is so beautiful, so fantastic, it takes your breath away?”