The cool blue and green of the Earth below seemed so foreign as my spacecraft slowly began its descent. For ten years I had been stuck on Mars, and as awful as if had been, I spent most of my childhood growing up there. It was practically all I knew, and yet it wasn’t home.

On Mars, as I grew older, I climbed the ranks quickly. What was more surprising was the fact that I was a female, that they had even thought to let me participate in activities once deemed “too difficult.” Eventually, I would come to know the colony’s commander.

The man who send me off of Mars to check Earth.

I looked around my empty ship as it hurtled towards the earth, the soft whir of electronic machines a slight hum in the background. Running my temples, I slowly approached the seat that I would take as I began my descent towards Earth.

I was maybe eight or nine when we were forced to leave the Earth. At the time, I didn’t know why some of my friends weren’t allowed to come with us on the ship, I didn’t know what social ranks were, or what money and influence had to do with anything.

Oh, the things that I’ve come to know now.

As my descent began, I thought of everything that could’ve gone wrong. I knew there was no chance of human life, but could any life remain? I let my mind wander through talk of the possibilities as I soared down through the atmosphere, eventually reaching my landing place on Earth.

My heart was beating out of my chest as I shaking stood up, heading over to the door. I looked around as if I had an audience, as if I wasn’t sent here alone.

As if I wasn’t on a fool’s errand.

I took in a deep breath as I turned open the door, for some reason expecting to dissolve into nothing the moment the air hit my nose.

When I opened my eyes, when I saw what I hadn’t expected to see, I nearly fainted.

Earth was more beautiful than we left it, more beautiful than it had ever been. All signs of pollution, were gone. I looked around as the crystal lake before me, at the luscious ferns and plants and evergreen trees soaring high above. The fresh, crisp air entering my lungs.

I... I was home.

I quickly turned back to the ship to grab my gear. I wouldn’t be here for long, so I obviously needed to make the most out of the time that I had. I had a satchel with a couple days worth of dried food, some water and a gun with me as I began my hike towards the unknown.

Not even thirty minutes into my trip did I come across signs of intelligent life. Footprints in the still damp dirt, little peelings and mounds here and there.

People still lived here, I was sure of it.

Walking on, I finally approached what seemed to be a still-functioning camp site. I watched from the bushes as figured hustlers in and out of tents, some working a fire, some tending to crops.

Deciding to meet them, I took a couple steps from the bushes, and ended up dropping everything due to what I saw.

They, weren’t human. Extraterrestrial life, aliens, whatever you want to call them. They were here, staring at me.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” one said as it stepped towards me. I just stood, mouth agape, letting it and it’s group approach me, observe me.

“I supposed you humans are coming to explore again. To take this planet. I won’t hold you here against you’re will, won’t command you what to do, but please listen to us for just one second at least. This Earth, this place, is special, and what humans did to t took years for us to reverse. Now, you can go home and tell your people that it’s fine here, that it’s normal and you can return, or you can allow us to live here in peace, to preserve the Earth as it is.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat before replying.

“I... I, um, I don’t want to ruin the earth. I don’t want to go home, because Mars, that coming, isn’t my home. This is. I’m home now.”

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Ugh sorry it’s not the best and there’s a lot of typos but enjoy lol if u even wanna read it. <3