It was midday when Tereza arrived in California. Tereza landed her speeder ship on top of a small building, keeping it on invisible mode so humans wouldn't be able to see it and freak out. She dropped down and walked over to a diner where she got a coffee and a sandwich for lunch, using replicated currency from previous assignees who kept original copies of different currencies around the world.

She walked around the city, seeing nothing particularly impressive. It was a small town located in El Dorado county, near the picturesque South Lake Tahoe. Tereza walked around, breathing in the forest air while surveying her surroundings. The brown wood buildings with triangular roofs and forests all around reminded her of planet Voldvell. Though totally different people lived on Voldvell, she thought, looking at all the humans passing by.

As Tereza kept walking further, she heard commotion and went to see what was going on. She smelled fire and looked to see smoke coming from a fire in the distance. Tereza ran towards it, using her natural Iredescent speed to reach it faster than at human speed. She slowed the closer she got to the fire. Already a crowd had gathered despite precautions to stay away from the fire.

Tereza approached a firefighter and asked, "Any idea how this started?"

"We're thinking maybe a lit cigarette?" the firefighter answered, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. "We've got the area secured and found no signs of any clue how it happened. We're trying to put out most of it as soon as possible so we can start surveying the area. There is nobody in the fire, so it's all – "

"Wait," Tereza interrupted, her Iredescent senses suddenly detecting a presence within the forest. "There's somebody in there."

She started walking towards a small part of the forest that wasn't on fire. The firefighter tried to hold her back, saying, "Hey, come back here! Don't go in the fire, it's too dangerous!"

"I'll be back," Tereza said resolutely, disappearing into the forest. Turning invisible for a moment, she snapped her wings open and flew upward into the smoky sky, coughing and placing a hand over her nose and mouth as she flew above the flames, her eyes cast downwards as she searched for where she had sensed the presence.

She found it near the middle of the fire, glad there was a dry untouched patch of ground where she could land unharmed by the fire. Tereza stared at the figure standing across from her, realizing it was a young man. He was barefoot, staring at his own hands, which were cupped upwards. He was dressed in a black shirt and black slim-fit pants, giving him an emo appearance. His black hair was long and straight. He had a lean body and appeared to be in his twenties, though Tereza wasn't sure how old he really was.

He was entirely covered in flames. Flames were rising out of his hands and arms and all over his body, surrounding the area around him except for the small patch of ground Tereza was standing on, a distance away from him.

He looked up at Tereza, his long uneven bangs and hair falling into his face, and smiled at her as he began to burn, his body turning to ashes as the flames consumed him. Tereza made a startled gasp, astonished that he didn't even scream or cry for help or anything. In fact, he didn't seem harmed by the flames in the slightest. He burned without any outward sign of pain. It's as though the flames were a part of him.

Tereza stood in shocked silence as she watched the flames burn the man's ashes. Before tears could spring to her eyes, Tereza suddenly leaped back and sat on the ground, her eyes transfixed on the Phoenix bird that was rising out of the ashes. His wings were big and wide, stretching farther out as he lifted his head towards the sky. His body was entirely covered in yellow and orange flames. The Phoenix looked very strong and powerful, almost as big as a subdivision house, though he could become larger if he wanted.

The Phoenix remained like that for several minutes, as if taking the time to enjoy his rebirth, then he lowered his head and flapped his huge wings inward once, transforming back into the form of a man, who stood there unharmed by the flames. Even his hair and clothes were unscathed. The same man who stood burnt alive just minutes ago.

Tereza stared at him. "You're a Phoenix," she said in complete astonishment.

"Correction: I am the only Phoenix in existence," the man said in reply. He took a few steps closer, slowly approaching Tereza while giving her a curious look. "And you are?"

"An Iredescent," said Tereza. "I was sent here to gather information about planet Earth."

"Ah, a spy," said the guy, smirking. "I was once an ambassador for the Vasyan people before I came to Earth." He held out his hand as if offering a handshake, saying, "My name is Raistin Fenice."

"Tereza Rejkavik," she replied, giving his hand a brief but firm, polite handshake. "Fenice means phoenix in Italian."

"I know," said Raistin. "I've lived here since the time of ancient Greeks."

Tereza's eyes grew wide. "Really? That's a super long time to live on this planet. Earth, of all planets."

Raistin shrugged. "I like setting fires, pretending I'm a god once in a while. Humans can be so gullible."

"So you enjoy fueling your own ego by making people believe you're a god? Unbelievable," said Tereza, turning to walk away.

Raistin was suddenly just a breath away from her, his sudden movement not surprising her since Iredescents also naturally had that almost instantaneous movement.

"Knock it off," Tereza said irritably, pushing away from him. "I thought I needed to save someone and realized it's someone who doesn't need saving. Way to go, man, making me believe there was an innocent person in here who needed to be pulled out of the fire. I bet you're the one responsible for the California fires, too. What a trip."

"Ah, but you met me," said Raistin, offering her a smile. Tereza thought he looked even more beautiful when he smiled. "And you look more human than Iredescent to me even with those wings."

Tereza instantly dematerialized them, forgetting she still had them out. "Urghh! I have to look human; it's part of my mission. Just go away." She started to go, but she froze when more fire started heading her way.

"Need help getting through that?" Raistin said in a smooth voice, walking past her and stretching his arm out, commanding the flames to part.

Even Tereza had to admit that was cool. "Thank you," she said stiffly, not wanting to let him know she was impressed.

But Raistin seemed to know what she was thinking and had a secret smile on his face. "You're welcome, Iredescent," he answered, glancing at her. "You know, I can help you. I know Earth better than any assignee does. And yes, I know about your planet sending out spies called assignees. Spy is the correct term, but you guys want to be fancy, so you say assignee. I've seen them before but wasn't really interested in meeting them. You're the first I actually met, and you seem inexperienced about Earth life. One wrong move and they're gonna think you're a crazy person."

"As if humans themselves aren't crazy," Tereza muttered. "Have you tried soda drinks? They're way too sugary. And they have weird foods called Fruit Roll-ups and Trix yogurt cups that have two different colors in them. Then they have these awful toys called Furbies. Planets, they're the stuff of nightmares."

Raistin laughed. "Ohh, those are terrible, aren't they," he said, his voice delightful. "Unfortunately that's not the worst of what humans have created, but I do agree that they're on my burn list."

He held out an arm as if encouraging Tereza to go ahead. Tereza gave him a look of thanks before stepping forward.

"You gonna go back out there so the people who saw you go in know that you're alive?" Raistin asked, walking close beside her.

Tereza shot him a look. "How did you know that?"

Raistin gave her a flirty smile. "Intuition."

A look of annoyance passed through Tereza's face now. "Let me guess, you can read minds. What else can the Phoenix do besides burn in flames and rise out of the ashes?"

"I can read minds, yes. I can also command any bird and creature to do what I will them to do. For example, I can stop birds from stupidly flying into the windows of people's houses. I can also make a horse suddenly throw a rider off its back."

"What about humans and Iredescents?" Tereza asked, becoming interested.

Raistin smirked and playfully mussed her hair. "I was just kidding you, Tereza. I can't read minds and I can't control animals. After spending so much time with different kinds of people and studying them, it became almost natural for me to pick up on what they think and feel. Quite a bit of it to do with body language and the tone they use in their voice. You're just really easy to read, like an open book. My abilities are fire-related, not psychic-ish like some of your people's abilities."

"What are your abilities? And don't lie this time," said Tereza, stepping a little aside.

"I just told you, fire. I become flames, I control flames, I defeat anyone with flames." Raistin became serious, all the playfulness put away now. "I've had to fight in my Phoenix form before when things got too out of control. It was with the Vasyans, but I fear I might have to with the Earth people too. They are becoming corrupt and very much like the Vasyans. They are the kind of people who would bring the end to themselves. It's sad, really. I've spent too much time watching them from afar, only to watch them fall further into their own sin and decay."

"What happened with the Vasyans? And who were they exactly?" Tereza asked, stopping and facing Raistin directly.

Raistin sighed heavily. A shade of sorrow passed over his face. "Planet Vasya was the home of an alien race of human people called the Vasyans. I lived with them for over a thousand years. They were very much like humans. In fact, Vasya had much in common with Earth." His face darkened. "They became extinct."

Tereza's eyes widened in shock. "Oh my moon....w-why? How can an entire alien race become extinct? It's near impossible."

Raistin looked hard at her, his usually gentle dark brown eyes very serious. "You wanna know how the Vasyans died out? They killed each other." When Tereza was silent, he continued. "All of them. Dead, because of a planet-wide civil war that should never have happened."

"What was the civil war about?" Tereza asked.

"Food. They had drained all their resources and were arguing about food. Talk about petty."

"Does Earth know about them?"

"Oh, they know. The high government does. Like I told you earlier, I was ambassador once for the Vasyans. The Earth people don't care; they're too selfish and greedy like the Vasyans. Earth is just another Vasya. It's gonna become a wasteland just like it because the people on it are too dumb and selfish to care about others. They only care about themselves."

"Either greed or stupidity will destroy the planet, maybe both," Tereza muttered in agreement.

"Now you understand why I am perhaps fated to watch the world burn, one after another," Raistin said bitterly, a heartbroken expression fleeting on his face for a moment before he stepped ahead of Tereza and began to quickly walk away.

Tereza instantly began to follow after his long stride, trying to keep up. "Wait! Raistin, you don't have to feel that way."

Raistin turned around so fast Tereza ran into him. His eyes burned into hers. "I'm a Phoenix, Tereza. Do you know what that means? I'm an eternal; I can't die. Nothing can kill me. I'm forced to live on forever, watching countless people live and die, one person after another."

He chuckled without humor. "You know, it's heartbreakingly hilarious to watch people idolize the thought of immortality over the centuries. Many Egyptian and Chinese rulers in the past have tried seeking immortality. They have no idea what a curse immortality actually is. Yeah, I don't age. I never get sick and I never grow old. With those benefits come great disadvantages. It's those disadvantages that far outweigh the advantages of immortality."

Tereza took several moments to process what he just told her. "You're immortal?" she asked, dumbfounded.

Raistin threw up his hands. "Duh. You just watched me die and come back to life. Gets boring, honestly. So I do it for fun sometimes."

"You set yourself on fire, for fun?" Tereza repeated.

"Unbelievable me, I know." Raistin fixed an adoring smile on her, as though he thought she looked cute. The smile only lasted for a moment, but Tereza noticed, her face flushing as she tried to figure out what Raistin meant by it. She was not used to flirting and therefore was unaware Raistin was interested in her, having discovered an Iredescent amid Earth's people, having become curious by her sudden presence in his life. Tereza had always been too busy with work to bother forming any lasting partnerships. Even her Iredescent crew was temporary; they would all go separate ways soon as their mission was over and they returned to Iredescent. The length of the mission depended on Tereza and how long she wanted it to be. Usually it wasn't more than a year at most, but Tereza intended to stay on Earth for a month at most.

Fire dissipated around them, Raistin willing it to fade into embers. He turned to Tereza as she looked around the forest in wonder, another smile breaking out before he hid it from view. He cleared his throat and waited for Tereza to look back at him before saying, "Well, let's head back before those humans start to think we're casualties."

"So how old are you again?" Tereza asked as Raistin started to lead her out of the forest, dispelling the flames around them as they walked.

Raistin shrugged. "A little over three thousand, I think? I lost track after the second millennium, so I might be older than that."

Tereza's mouth dropped open. "Three thousand?! Not even a hundred, but thousand? Holy....you hardly look older than twenty!"

"What can I say? Immortality rocks in that I keep my hot attractive looks forever, but sucks when people still ID me because I look so young." Raistin smiled at Tereza. "So how old are you? Two hundred?" he teased.

Tereza playfully whacked him on the arm. "Ha, ha. I'm twenty-five."

"So young," Raistin mused. "Your life has only just begun at age twenty."

"I thought it begins at birth," said Tereza, giving him a slightly confused look.

"It begins at birth, yes, but around age twenty is when you finally know who you are, or at least starting to get an idea of who you are and what you want to do in life. That's when things really change for you as a person."

"That's what you may think, but – "

"No, I've seen it. People think you're supposed to have everything figured out like right after high school, but truth is you're still just a kid. You haven't grown yet into the person you are in the next ten years or so. So much expectation at a young age leads to too much pressure."

"Tell me about it," Tereza muttered. "I heard a kid in England complain about how much schoolwork they've been assigned."

"What's to say of the pressure put on you to study an alien planet full of whining, complaining humans." Raistin stopped to lean against a tree. "So what made you decide to become an assignee in the first place? Are you just an adventurer type of person, or do you just like to explore different planets? I've seen like a billion planets, but your planet is one of my favorites. So unique and glittery."

Tereza stopped, halfway turning her body so she could talk to Raistin. "I became an assignee in hopes of finding something. I'm traveling to different worlds in search of something I don't even know what I'm searching for. I'll be honest, I'm not sure about this particular assignment. I'm starting to rethink having been sent here. Maybe I should've asked to go to another planet since there's been so much negative feedback about Earth."

"Earth isn't all that bad. I'll show you the good in it," said Raistin, motioning for Tereza to step forward. They stepped closer towards the forest line, looking at the fire trucks and people in view. Tereza instantly turned invisible, taking Raistin's hand so he would be invisible too.

Raistin gave her a confused look that slowly turned into a cheeky grin. "Ooh, you're holding a stranger's hand," he said in a teasing voice. "I actually like that."

"That was to make you invisible too," Tereza responded. She roughly pushed his hand away, feeling her face grow hot for some reason. She turned her head so Raistin wouldn't see her blush, but he did. Irritated, Tereza murmured, "This is ridiculous" and expanded her wings, deciding to leave the place altogether.

Nobody saw her, for she was invisible as she flew high in the skies. She heard people gasp and glanced down, afraid they might've seen her in her true Iredescent form. Instead, a fireball whizzed past just a few yards away, going up into the sky like a rocket. Tereza's own eyes stared at it, joining the humans' looks of astonishment as they watched the fireball shoot out of the forest and into the sky.

The fireball began to dance around in the atmosphere, frightening whoever was viewing from satellite. Tereza was just as mystified as the people until she realized who the fireball actually was. Sighing, she shook her head and continued flying, the fireball flying alongside her while keeping a distance so he wouldn't burn her. He didn't speak, but Tereza sensed he was smiling at her.

Tereza snapped her wings, an irritated look on her face as she flew faster. She headed for her small personal speeder ship parked on invisible mode on top of small building. Staying invisible, she was about to open the door and get in when the fireball swooshed over the ship, landing in an explosion of sparks. Raistin emerged from the sparks in his man form, smiling at Tereza.

Tereza rolled her eyes, murmuring, "Show off" and pressed the button to open the door. Raistin's eyes widened and he immediately said, "Oh my stars, a speeder ship! This is so cool! I wanna get in! Can I? Please? Terezy?"

"Terezy?" Tereza shot him a look. But Raistin looked so excited and happy that Tereza couldn't bear to say no. She opened the second door for him, making Raistin yelp in excitement as he hopped in the front passenger seat.

Keeping the speeder ship and its passengers on invisible mode, Tereza set to navigate it back to England, about to take off, but Raistin said, "Aw, no! C'mon, I haven't shown you California yet. I bet you hardly even explored the place. I wanna take you on a tour. I live here, so I know all the cool places and whatnot. Please, Terezy?"

"Stop calling me Terezy," said Tereza, getting annoyed. "And why should I explore California? It's just another ordinary place on Earth. Nothing special."

Raistin pressed stop, forcing the ignition to turn off. Tereza glared at him.

"You came to study Earth and its people, didn't you? You wouldn't be doing your job right if you didn't explore the best parts of Earth, and I'm the perfect man to show you. One tour, and I'll let you go back to your home base or whatever."

A long silence passed, then Tereza got out of the ship. "Fine," she said. "One tour."

Raistin's face lit up. "Yay!"

Tereza looked over at the view. "So what exactly did you want me to see?"

"I'll show you," said Raistin. "If you'll fly me there." When Tereza gave him a look, Raistin explained, "Hey, I don't have wings like you unless I'm in my Phoenix form. I don't wanna go back into that form just yet; I wanna stay in this form. I like it, and I like being able to talk with you. It's not like I'm heavy; I'm as light as an Iredescent."

Tereza went over and picked Raistin up in a bridal carry, surprised he indeed was very light. "You hardly weigh anything at all," she said in astonishment. "It's like I'm carrying a blanket instead of a person."

"A warm blanket," said Raistin. "Now, that-a-ways, please. Towards Los Angeles."

Tereza made sure they were both invisible before taking flight, going in the direction Raistin indicated. Raistin seemed to enjoy having someone carry him. When they came to a landing outside the city, Raistin got into 'tour guide mode' as he started to show Tereza around, telling her about all the places he'd been, what places to avoid, what places have the best seafood, what he thought of this place and that, and so on. Tereza thought it was mildly annoying for Raistin to be so talkative, but she listened and nodded and let Raistin lead the way.

Tereza found she liked California. She understood why Raistin liked its cool laidback lifestyle, the sights, the iconic palm trees and boulevard, the wonderful salty ocean air and beach vibes, the welcoming sunshine, cool evenings, and that there was always something fun and exciting to do.

Raistin took Tereza to the beach where she watched him surf, riding the waves like a pro. They bought matching shark tooth necklaces and got on top of the Hollywood sign with Raistin jokingly exclaiming, "I'm on top of the world! Whoooo!"

By the time they got to the two bed hotel room Raistin kindly paid for, Tereza felt like Earth was becoming more likeable. She truly enjoyed all the fun places and sights, the good food, the sunny weather, the overall excitement that came with it.

She liked Raistin's presence most of all. He was fun, cheerful, happy, and wise all at the same time. Despite having experienced several traumatic events on a global scale, carrying the weight of a thousand sins from a planet he once loved, Raistin was upbeat and positive. Tereza was unaware she was the reason for his happy behavior.

Tereza watched Raistin try to decide which new black shirt he wanted to wear. They had bought a bunch of stuff at a souvenir shop, and Raistin bought three new black shirts. "Any reason why you wear only black?" Tereza asked. She had never seen him wear anything besides black.

Raistin turned to look at her, his face unusually solemn. "I wear black for two reasons," he said. "As a Phoenix, I'm naturally drawn to heat, and the color black traps heat, which I like. It's comfy. The second reason is because I'm forever mourning what happened to Vasya."

Tereza was instantly sympathetic. "I'm so sorry, Raistin. Forever is a long time for you. Forever – "

"Forever never ends for me," Raistin interrupted, a sharp painful tone in his voice. "You're lucky you are mortal, Tereza. You have an ending; I don't. Doesn't matter if it's a good or bad ending, at least you have one. I'm stuck living forever with no way of release from all that I carry with me. I have an eon's worth of memories, most of them traumatic. Death will never come to me no matter how hard I want it to."

Raistin abruptly turned away, shoving the shirts back in the shopping bag. Tereza reached for him, but Raistin suddenly turned around, facing her with heat, literally. His body temperature flared up so that he was of immeasurable Kelvin, about as much temperature the room would be able to stand before it burst.

His eyes blazing yellow-orange, his body burning though careful not to set anything on fire, Raistin said, "What am I doing, hanging out with a temporary? I should – "

"Continue to enjoy life and have fun, like we were earlier," Tereza interrupted, looking into his eyes. "The Raistin I know isn't dark and gloomy like this."

"You've only known me for half a day," Raistin said back, his voice petulant. "That's not enough time to really know me. I don't want to waste any more of your time, since time is so precious to you mortals."

"Not as precious as the good time I've spent with you," said Tereza.

"Spent," Raistin repeated, almost sadly. "I hate the past tense."

"Well then, let's make it present tense," said Tereza, determined to get him out of this sudden un-Raistin like mood. "I want to spend my time by spending it with you."

"Why me? I've got all the time in the world."

"As do I," Tereza began, but Raistin flared up, saying, "No you don't. Your time is limited. Want advice from an eternal? Spend your time wisely."

The fire burnt out, making him cool to the touch again. Raistin began to leave, muttering, "I shouldn't be wanting this."

A human's ears wouldn't have been able to pick up on it, but Tereza's Iredescent ears did. She moved in front of Raistin, saying, "I heard that. Wanting what?"

Raistin murmured something inexplicable under his breath, then sighed and said, "Wanting to spend time with someone. Wanting more out of my life. Wanting to live like your kind does. Wanting a future. Wanting something to life for."

"Well, since you have all this time," Tereza said carefully, "why not use it to improve other peoples' lives?"

"Because it isn't my planet," Raistin responded. "It's not my place, either. I loved planet Vasya, but it's gone forever. Even though I'm welcomed on planet Ptichi, I don't belong there. I don't belong on planet Earth either, but here I am."

"Why are you here?" Tereza asked, getting frustrated. "Why pick a planet you don't belong on?"

"Maybe because it is a reference point planet for me," Raistin said sharply. "As is your planet, Iredescent. I have several reference point planets I go back to from time to time. Earth is one of them."

"What about the planet you originated from?" Tereza suggested. "I've heard rumors, but only you can confirm them."

"Why would you care to know?" Raistin asked.

"Because I actually care," Tereza said back, surprising herself.

Raistin stood still for a moment, his body temperature cooling as he took in Tereza's words. After a long moment, he said quietly, "I come from planet Yaryar. The planet rumored to be my origin." As Tereza listened, he continued. "I tried going back there. It's impossible even for me. It's too hazy and the atmosphere is like a thick brick cloud. I couldn't get through it even in my Phoenix form. It's definitely a mystery planet even for me. All I know is that it's comprised of the yellow dust and that I originated from that planet."

"Do you remember leaving that planet?" Tereza asked.

"Vaguely," said Raistin. "I was probably its only resident." His face clouded with sorrow. "Like I said, Tereza, I'm the only one of my kind. There is no other like me. At least you have Iredescents and even humans that resemble your kind. I have no one."

Tereza was quiet for a moment, thinking over everything he told her. She looked at Raistin, meeting his eyes and seeing the despair in them, the hollow sadness he hid from the world. She thought back to how happy he was earlier and wondered why he was the only Phoenix in existence. She was beginning to see the depression he hid from her, the despair hiding just behind the brief moments of happiness.

After a long silence, Tereza said, "Come with me. You're coming with me back to the base."

"What about the hotel room?" Raistin asked. "Don't you need sleep?"

"I prefer to sleep in my own bed," Tereza said in response, gathering her things.

"I suppose I'll go ask the front desk for a refund," said Raistin, briefly leaving the room.

When he got back, slightly miffed the front desk clerk was unable to refund him, Raistin found Tereza had fallen asleep while packing clothes and belongings. Raistin smiled, thinking it was a good thing he didn't get that refund after all.

He moved Tereza's stuff from the bed, placing them on the coffee table in the kitchen, and carefully placed a pillow under Tereza's head. She had already taken off her shoes and placed them near the door. Raistin placed a blanket over her and went to turn off all the lights. He lay on the other bed, facing her as he watched her sleep. A small smile appeared on his face as he thought over the time they spent earlier, the fun sights and places he was happy to share with her.

A waver of hope flowed through him, ignoring all his dark inner feelings. He found himself wanting to be with Tereza, wanting to spend as much time with her as possible before she returned to Iredescent. He was caught between this strange sudden hope and the urge to chide himself for wanting such a thing.

She's a temporary. I'm an eternal. Yet Raistin forged ahead with hope, having lived in despair for so long he was desperate for any good feeling. Tereza invoked hope and happiness in him, such he never experienced before. He hung out with people before, talked with them and spent time with them, but never had he felt such wanting with a certain temporary. Tereza made him forget all about his awful loneliness and despair. Her presence brought forth Raistin's cheerfulness, pulling him out of the darkness he'd been enshrouded in for so long.

Despite the fear that this hope could all be for nothing, Raistin held onto it firmly, not wanting to let go. He would convince Tereza to stay for a while longer, even if he was to tour the entire world with her. If it means staying with her for a while longer, he thought, gently looking upon the face of the woman who suddenly came to mean so much to him.

________________

Music:

"Firebird"
by Advection Stride

(when Raistin is a fireball flying with Tereza)

"Fascinated (Extended Radio Mix)"
by DJ Dan

(a fun dance song when they're having fun exploring California. I've never been to California, but Raistin and Tereza came at a good point in time)

________________