AN : "Italicized sentences put in quotation marks are words said in Seulgi's language." 

Seulgi sighed as she closed her eyes and let her head rest against the head rest of the seat of the vehicle that glided across the spotless metal streets, passing in between buildings that reached for the sky and reflected everything around them. The girl closed her eyes, thoughts lingering on the events that led her here. When she had crossed the portal the first thing she saw was the barrel of a rifle. It wasn’t unexpected; Seulgi knew that almost none of the people she was meant to rule knew her face. What was unexpected however was how quickly the rifle had been put down and how her name had been uttered in disbelief. How the soldier had known who she was had been a mystery until she was shown a missing holographic poster that had a picture of her when she was a teenager. When she had asked the soldier about it she was told her mother had put the notice out the night of her moms death. The whole empire had been looking for her. The next few days had passed by in a busy blur. Seulgi was housed, fed, and soon enough she was sent back to the capital via a private ship which her mother had sent out herself. The tall girl sighed again turning her attention to the women in the vehicle along with her.  There were four women, two sitting on each of her side and the other two sitting in front of her. The all had relaxed expressions on their faces, which served to ease Seulgi’s nerves, even if by a little.

“Are you alright Seulgi?” One of the women had seemed to notice the tenseness in Seulgi’s body; or rather she was the first to speak up about it.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks Sunny.” Seulgi said, forcing a smile towards the baby pink haired woman at her side who gave her a reassuring one. Seulgi looked down at her hands that sat in her lap as she began to reminisce. The scene she found herself in wasn’t a first. When she was younger the women currently in the car would accompany her just like they were doing now. From school back to her home, when she was playing with friends, they would always be by her side. Always diligent. Always on high alert. They were SNSD after all. The best of the best tasked with protecting the empire’s next leader. Still, being in this vehicle, sitting like she always used to, it was so foreign yet familiar at the same time. Soon enough Seulgi was brought out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder.

“We’re here.” The voice belonged to a woman with light purple to pink hair, who Seulgi remembered as Hyoyeon, was leaning in from outside the vehicle, waiting from Seulgi to take her hand out of the confined space. Seulgi took it and got out of the vehicle to be greeted by loud voices and flashing, which her guards tried her shield her from to no avail. Seulgi walked into the palace grounds, thankfully in one piece, although the media continued to shout questions at her and snap pictures. Seulgi understood them, she would be curious about her future leader as well. With two of the women in front of her and two behind them Seulgi made her way inside the palace that was her home.

“Your mother will be here shortly Seulgi.” One of the women with long dark brown hair and tanned skin turned to the girl who nodded. “She said you are free to roam around the palace until she’s here, get yourself reacquainted with the place, however we have to go wherever you decide to. We’re sorry Seulgi.” She added, receiving another nod.

“It’s ok Yuri. I just want to go to my room.” Seulgi replied with a small smile which the woman, Yuri, reciprocated. Soon enough Seulgi found herself in her room; thankfully alone after one of the women, Seohyun, had told the others that Seulgi was safe in her room. The blue eyed girl closed her eyes and fell back on her bed. A sigh escaped her lips as all her fatigue, both emotional and physical, all came down on her. She looked out of the giant window in her room and saw the bright shining suns of her planet that still seemed like dim copies of Earths one. Tears began to sting the girls’ eyes as her mind wondered. If she was right, right now would mark a week since she was gone in Earth time. Did Joohyun miss her just as much as she missed her? Did the human girl that had captured her heart still hate her? Maybe it was for the best, she wouldn’t feel the aching pain that Seulgi felt being so far away from the love of her life. Tears freely spilled down Seulgi’s cheeks as she hid her face in the pillow on her bed that somehow felt like a deathtrap rather than a comforting place for her to cry her sorrows without Joohyun there. She missed Earth. She missed her new friends there. She missed the warm house she had come to think of as a home. She missed Joohyun.

Seulgi groaned softly as she rubbed her eyes, a yawn escaping her as she awoke. Feeling a hand running through her hair Seulgi cracked her eyes open, noticing her room was mostly dark save the dim lights on her ceiling. Had she cried herself to sleep?

“Did I wake you up Seulgi?” Her mother’s voice filled Seulgi’s ears and the girl couldn’t help but relax into the soft embrace that her mother had her in.

“No…” Seulgi mumbled softly as her mother’s hand continued its ministrations on her hair. The action felt so familiar, something Seulgi had yearned for so long. It felt familiar; despite the few times her mother was home she always managed to make time to put Seulgi to sleep just like this.

“I missed you teddy bear.” Her mother said softly as she pulled her daughter closer into an embrace Seulgi gladly reciprocated. She may not agree with her mother’s actions but that didn’t mean she hated her. Her mother was all Seulgi had left. Tears started flowing down Seulgi’s cheeks once again. “It’s ok baby, let it all out.” The woman said softly as she rubbed her daughters back affectionately.

And Seulgi did. She cried until she couldn’t cry anymore. She cried for what she had done. She cried for her mom. She cried for all the years she couldn’t.

She cried for Joohyun.