Welcome to Gaia! ::

When had Erytheia first noticed them?

For the starseeds, the answer was quite simple. He’d found one on his first visit back to his wonder after the Star Mount Beacon had activated. It had just been floating there, plain as day. As if finding a starseed on Erytheia was the most natural thing in the world.

Well, at least according to his ancestor Yuki, it was.

Yuki had told him what the purpose of his wonder was a long time ago now. It was a resting place for starseeds on their journey back to the Galaxy Cauldron. It was one of the last stops, too. Yet even the ghost couldn’t tell him where Erytheia was in comparison to it.

But the emphasis had always been just that — was.

And that’s what brought him to the Moon Wells. They had actually been one of the first things he had found on his wonder, he had just not known it at the time. There had been little torii gates spread about the vastness of the windswept wonder, most in a state of ruin. Perhaps that is why he had never noticed what they were actually for.

It wasn’t until life returned back to his wonder that the water did, too.

———

Erytheia spared no time in bringing his charge straight to the source. What was seen by Basiluzzo was a similar scene that he’d shown the others. Except with one main difference.

Each Moon Well had a torii gate, a stone circle and a crystal clear pool of water. Each varied in their own way, but they were all instantly recognizable. It was almost as if by design.

But there was a glowing light at the center, hovering just over the pool.

The light was red.

“Ever since the Beacon lit after placing the Code Piece inside, these have been appearing at Moon Wells all over Erytheia.”

And as you approached the edge of the rippling pool, you could see now what it was.

A starseed.

“I need your help guiding this starseed back home.”




✪

“I wish I could tell you what to do. I wish I could help this starseed even more. But, for some reason, I can’t.”

Erytheia placed his hand in the water of the Moon Well. And, for a second, the starseed pulsed energy in the form of red light and wind that rippled across the once peaceful pool. Then it fizzled out.

“It is rejecting me. Or, at least, that is what Yuki, my ancestor, has said. Memories from the starseed are supposed to populate this pool. But as you see, nothing appears when I touch the water.”

He sighed. He had picked each of those he invited here for a reason. Or because of a feeling. Or at random.

But, in the end, he would not know if they were able to reach the starseed until he brought them here to try.

And this was the first.

“Please. Try.”


✪

“Thank you.”

For a moment the water rippled at Basiluzzo’s touch just like a regular pool. But then, the starseed pulsed and its own glow crossed the water. And an image appeared…

There was a woman sitting on a bed, the white sheets a mess on the floor. She was looking down at her phone, but her head hung like someone who hadn’t gotten much sleep lately. She brought the screen closer to her bloodshot eyes, but she’d read the message ten times already:

Where were you last night? You said you’d be there. But you weren’t. You didn’t even text to say you were standing me up this time. You were just… gone.

The woman began to text, but then stopped. She looked down at the ring on her finger. It was a circle with a cross through it.

The symbol of the Earth.


✪

“Seems so.”

The text messages continued.

I’m in bed. And you’re gone. Where are you? It’s the middle of the night. You were here when I went to sleep. It’s a bit too late in the relationship to be acting like this is a one night stand.

This time, it was a knight holding the phone. The earthy tones of russet and grass confirmed it. She was a knight of Earth.

She was hot on the tail of a youma. She put it down like a stray dog. This part of her life was so easy. Why couldn’t her relationships be?

There is something about me you need to know. She typed as she stood over the creature’s body as it turned to dust.

Just like the message she deleted before sending.


✪