EVERWORLD

When steel boots step into the vermillion halls, they do so with unshakable purpose.

Into these vermillion halls she has marched time and again; at first with silver tongued persuasion and then with the burning demands of her heart's ache. Through these vermillion halls she gone to war for those who matter to her. And, in these vermillion halls, a single one of those souls remains.

Virtual entity. She reminds herself, but what difference does that make? There are AI in this virtual world that have grown to be of importance to her, just like how behind all of the WorldScreen's simulations, there is a much different AI that matters deeply to Mars as well...

"I'm sorry." An apology is whispered by the Alchemist knight when facing a statue of gold, and truly, wishes for her words to reach the spirit behind the spiral mask of the statue. Tuesday is not one to apologise easily, words like those rarely leave her rosy lips, and yet here is an apology for a being that she once thought to be no more than a string of code and a collection of pixels.

Oh, how wrong she had been.

Chariot had become her companion, her comrade-in-arms. Someone who would always defend her. Someone she could rely on and trust. Chariot was the trusted blade that had broken in Tuesday's hands.

"I failed her, Seta." Sensing the presence of the Gatekeeper, she speaks up, yet she does not look away from the statue — golden eyes boring into golden mask.

"I took her to a terrible place and she fell when she tried to protect me from it."

When Chariot tried to protect her and Adarsa. When she tried to save them from that fucked up place with its fucked up horrors and monsters. They should have never gone to Mistra. Tuesday should have never told Chariot that she was counting on her, she should have never asked her to help bring Adarsa back. She really had failed her.

"...She didn't deserve to be at a place like that, and I don't think I can take her back to a world where something that can bring her so much harm still exists... Especially when I'm not yet strong enough to protect her from it."

It's a difficult thing for her prideful self to admit, yet the words leave her lips all the same. Her decision is made, and its when speaking it that Tuesday turns towards the Gatekeeper, her expression solemn:

"Would you allow her to roam these halls? I think that she will be much happier here." There's a faint smile there, brought by thoughts of the ever energetic Whirlipede with her innocent and jovial attitude. "...Please look after her for me, Seta."

BANISHING WHIRLIPEDE
(These are totally not tears... there's dust in my eye... yeah...)