[ In her exhaustion, she's caught off guard, her whole body dipped dangerously low, feeling the empty air in the open gap below. Panic slowly sets in, replacing any sign of joy. For a moment, she considers manifesting her weapon—

Then suddenly, Fio is back upright on her feet.

He got his point across. If Shadow just dropped her right there, it wouldn't be her first experience with betrayal. It takes her a near minute to recover, to process the words and for the scare to subside. Again her words are slow as she gathers her thoughts and while she knows she has a difficult time expressing herself at length, not as eloquent as an adult, she tries. ]

If... a stranger tells me that my world is in danger and that I have a chance to save it, then... I'm willing to take that chance. [ She won't deny the possibility that Aurora may not be as trustworthy as she seems. This isn't the first time that she's been pulled from her world by someone that she barely knows. Even back then, she was betrayed and put through too much pain. And yet, it was also around that time that she was able to truly find a place to belong. ]

I want to protect everyone else's worlds, because even if I've never seen them, I know they're precious to someone. I'll protect yours too. I'm sure it's a very special place to you and many others.

If there turns out to be another way to return home, then I'd love to learn about it.

[ ...For now, she will take the risk of trusting in Aurora.

Clearly still shaken, but she masks it with a weak smile. She stands straight, grabs the edge of her fluffy dress and looks out towards the audience. She curtsies. ]

Hehe. I think you outshined me... I hope you earned lots of points for that stunt, Darkie. I hope it'll help you in your goal.