Valerie sensed the alien darkness lurking in the shadows, like a storm about to pour heavy rain. The connection howled violently, threatening to break loose whatever was plaguing Demian. It was all Valerie could do to keep the storm at bay, away from herself and her connected.

Eager footsteps brought Valerie's attention to the Phoenix approaching her, his cheerful smile lighting up the hallway like a lamp. Valerie instantly felt her worries subside, relieved to see Raistin's familiar face.

"Hey, Black Rose! A pleasure to finally have you on our planet. You know, I sensed your presence on planet Earth just months before your arrival on planet Iredescent," Raistin said, unaware of the figure hiding in the shadows.

It was Demian. Ariel went with Cydtin while Demian went to find Valerie, concealing himself when he saw her with Raistin.

The shadows successfully hid Demian from view as he quietly listened from a distance, the dark green sparkles on his black suit the only giveway of his hidden presence. The dark green sparkles were subtle, not as vivid as the royal purple sparkles on Valerie's dress.

Ever since arriving on planet Iredescent, Valerie wore mostly ballgowns and fancy dresses befitting the Black Rose. Demian hadn't seen Valerie wear any of her former Earth clothing, having completely upgraded to sparkly Iredescent clothing.

Demian heard Valerie say in surprise, "You did?"

Raistin nodded in confirmation. "For some reason, a Phoenix can always sense the presence of a Black Rose, even light years away in the galaxy. I think it has something to do with being able to sense another great power, though I'm not exactly sure. But yeah, months before you crashed onto our planet, I sensed your presence from planet Earth. I was surprised, mainly because it was the first time a Black Rose came from another planet."

Demian continued watching and listening, seeing the slight perplexity on Valerie's face, before she asked, "What month was it that you sensed me?"

"October, during the autumn season," Raistin answered.

Glittering stars, Demian thought in realization. That was the month I turned Valerie, just a week after her birthday!

Demian looked up in astonishment, his heart picking up pace when he heard Valerie's voice mirror his thoughts. "That was the month I turned into an irangel. You must've sensed me right after I turned into an irangel."

"That explains everything," Raistin said vocally while Demian said mentally, That explains everything.

Then Valerie asked a question that panged Demian: "Who was the Black Rose before me?"

Demian heard Raistin move a little, his voice somewhat somber as he said, "Asim Virani was the Black Rose before your time. I sensed his presence on planet Iredescent exactly ninety years ago. I was still on planet Earth when I sensed his presence, so I took a quick trip back into outer space to see who the next Black Rose was.

"For over a thousand years, I sensed the presence of a Black Rose. I kept returning to planet Iredescent just to see the Black Rose. Sometimes I just watched them from afar. Sometimes I talked with them and gave advice.

"But last time, I wasn't in a cheery mood, and I just gave the latest Black Rose a cursory glance before returning to planet Earth." Raistin sighed ruefully at the memory. "I wish I had stayed on planet Iredescent during that time. I might've been able to prevent Asim's death. But alas, the past cannot be changed, only the present and future. The past is there to make sure we do not repeat the same mistakes, that we learn from those mistakes, and gain experience from the knowledge."

Seeing the stunned look on Valerie's face, Raistin explained, "Asim connected with his wife Velisa. Things were good for the time being. Asim had no enemies, and Iredescent was in a state of peace before Tori's arrival that set it in a state of mourning.

"Then out of nowhere, Velisa killed Asim. She died at the same time he did, of course, because she was connected to him. But Iredescents believe she didn't kill him out of her own will; it was Monit's darkness that killed Asim, inadvertently killing Velisa as well."

Demian froze, his eyes wide and his heart beating fast. He clutched his chest, feeling the darkness within, the same darkness he started to feel upon his own arrival on planet Iredescent. It was the same darkness that made Demian become obsessed with Valerie, shadowing her for a sinister reason.

The darkness preyed upon the feelings Demian still had for Valerie, making them overshadow any other feelings, including his feelings for Ariel. He felt the darkness as keenly as a physical touch. Demian had no idea who Monit was, but he didn't sound good.

"Who's Monit?" Demian heard Valerie asking, Demian himself yearning to find out.

He heard Raistin say, "I'll tell you later. You need not worry about him, though. Your connected seems unlikely to be led astray by the darkness. He reminds me of the first Black Rose, very empathetic and compassionate. Demian turning dark? Nah, I don't think so. I doubt we'll see the darkness this time around."

Valerie's eyes widened in astonishment. "You met the first Black Rose?" she asked, wowed by how ancient Raistin was despite his youthful appearance.

Raistin nodded solemnly. "Indeed, I have."

"So you personally knew the very first Black Rose? What was his name?" Valerie ventured, but Raistin motioned towards where several people were heading, saying, "That's a story for another time. We've got a party to attend. See ya on the dancefloor, Black Rose. I would be honored if you save a dance for me." Raistin gave a courtesy bow and started to head towards the dancefloor.

He looks very handsome in a black suit, Valerie thought, her attention momentarily caught in the way the sparkly light shone on Raistin, giving off a flame effect.

As Valerie started to follow him, Demian stepped out of the shadows and stood in her way, his intense eyes fastened on her. "I've been meaning to speak to you, seeing as we did not get a chance to earlier," Demian said, his eyes taking in her dress and the detailing on her shoulders. He felt that same dark feeling within, prompting him to detail her in such a way.

Valerie was about to politely ask him to step aside and let her through, not wanting to speak to Demian, not liking the way he was looking at her, when Civic strode in, taking Valerie's arm and saving her from Demian's advances.

"Val! I was looking for you, but I couldn't find you. Come, I need to show you the desserts," Civic said, pulling Valerie with him towards the party.

Turning around, Civic added, "And yes, Demian, I made four Russian Napoleon cakes. One of them is specifically for you to enjoy. I put Schogetten chocolate, the green hazelnut kind, on the cake so you would know it's yours. That way the irangels and Iredescents can enjoy my cake without you eating the entire cake before they have the chance to enjoy it."

It was sadly notorious for Demian to eat an entire cake, especially German Chocolate Black Forest and Russian Napoleon cake. Civic loved to bake, often creating his own specialities, though he had to make two of the same cake, because they didn't last long around the irangels, especially Demian.

Demian watched Civic lead Valerie away, feeling the darkness retreating, along with the chance to tell them the important news about Ariel.

I need cake, Demian thought, deciding that tea and delicious cake was the perfect remedy. And so, he went in search of tea and delicious cake.

Meanwhile Cydtin and Ariel had already enjoyed a slice of Civic's Russian Napoleon cake and were trying out a blackberry poppyseed cake and dandelion muffins.

"Who knew that weeds could have nutritional health benefits?" Ariel said after finishing a dandelion muffin. "This is actually good!"

"Can't say the same for the purslane nettle cake," said Cydtin. "That's got to be the worst dessert I've ever had. Tastes like spinach and thorns!"

Ariel glanced curiously at Cydtin. "You, the former irangel President of Armenia, don't like vegetables?"

Cydtin held up his dessert plate and cup of coffee. "As you can see, I changed positions and became the dessert king and coffee emperor. I've always had a fondness for the sweet life."

Gladness and cheer surrounded the irangels as they had fun enjoying desserts. The delight slowly turned to caution as Cydtin heard several thoughts from a stranger, prompting him to glance towards the entrance.

A lean figure was standing near the door. He was wearing a suit, as befitting the occasion. However, his suit had a hood over his head, covering his face and shielding it from view, and the man had the look and feel of a military soldier.

There was a woman beside him, outfitted in a navy blue dress with a steampunk style blazer matching the dress. Thin hot pink stripes ran along the dress and blazer, giving it a nice touch of bright color.

The man and the woman were humans, the same ones that watched the coronation from afar, in the city of Rhosyn.

The woman was trying to get the man to "lay low and relax, enjoy the party" though the man scarcely heard what she was saying. He seemed to be searching for someone. His head turned slightly as he looked around the room, trying to find the person he was looking for. He murmured something to the woman before going over to Raistin standing by the lights display. The woman followed the man, holding onto his arm to indicate they were together as a couple.

Realizing who the man was, Cydtin excused himself and located Stripes, urgently making his way towards him. He seized the irangel by the shoulder, turning him around so he could face him.

"Stripes, your father is here," Cydtin told him promptly. "I heard his thoughts somewhere in the room. He is looking for you."

Stripes was aghast. He stared hard at Cydtin, his heart beating super fast. "My father is alive? He's here, on planet Iredescent?" Stripes asked in astonishment. He wanted to cry from the joy of finally finding his father after so many years of searching.

Cydtin nodded in confirmation. "He's with Raistin, asking where you are."

Just then Cydtin heard Raistin's voice say, "Yeah, he's over there" and then moments later Stripes heard a male voice behind him say, "?"

Matvei was Stripes's real name. His true name, before his mother abused him, leaving permanent scars on his face that led to the name Stripes. Despite the bullying he endured, Matvei chose to go by the name Stripes, as a reminder of what he went through.

Only a few people knew Stripes's real name. Especially people on planet Iredescent.

Stripes turned around to see the man facing him. The man pushed his hood back, revealing his face. His caramel light brown hair was greying slightly, but his hazel eyes were youthful and bright. He was very handsome and good-looking, even though he started to age. He was in his early fifties.

"Father?" Stripes asked, staring hard at the man. It was rare for someone to know his real name, much less speak it.

He truly is your father, Vengimi Carven, Cydtin confirmed to Stripes. Upon the confirmation, Stripes immediately hugged the man, unable to keep from crying from the reality of the long-awaited father and son reunion.

"Where have you been all this time?" Stripes demanded, pulling away from Vengimi so he could see his face, while still holding onto his arms. "Why did you leave? More importantly, why did you never come back? I spent so many years searching for you...."

"Your face...." Vengimi murmured in shock, staring at the scars that striped Stripes's face. The scars were as deep as chasms, repeatedly cut over the same cuts with a sharp kitchen knife, severing the skin to where the damage was permanent.

"I was permanently scarred by the woman who once gave birth to me," Stripes said heatedly. "Even in my new Iredescent body, these scars are the only ones that remained."

Vengimi muttered something in a foreign alien language. After a long moment, Vengimi said in confusion, "But why persist to call yourself Stripes? Why the horrible reminder of the past when the present is so great now?"

"It's to show what I've been through and all the things that I can overcome," said Stripes. "I have these permanent scars, but they no longer bother me. They're a part of who I am. Why hide the things that made me into who I am?"

"So you allow people to call you Stripes?" Such a concept was foreign to Vengimi.

Stripes nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I go by Stripes. Have been for several years, ever since Demian – "

As if on cue, Demian appeared, having dropped his plate soon as he heard thoughts from Stripes and Vengimi. German chocolate cake marbled the front of his shirt, appearing as streaked stripes, mirroring the irony of appearing beside a man with striped scars on his face.

Cydtin excused himself, turning away to hide a laugh at the sight of Demian's cake stained shirt. Demian resisted the urge to kick Cydtin, instead straightening himself with whatever dignity he had left, standing tall and proud, even with two shiny chocolate cake streaks on his formal black suit, the dark green sparkles laughing brightly as they flickered from reflection of the lights.

Stripes was too excited to care about the stains. "Demian, this is my father, Vengimi Carven. Father, this is my irangel brother, Demian Daggers."

"The creator of irangels," said Vengimi, pleased to meet Demian for the first time. He looked into Demian's eyes and firmly shook his hand. "It is an honor to meet you, Demian. I understand you're the one who permanently changed my son's life?"

Demian nodded and politely shook his hand. "Yes, I did. Matvei was the first one Cole and I turned. Matvei, or Stripes as we call him, is a brother to me. I knew him since we went to school together."

"I'm glad you were there to look out for him when I wasn't," Vengimi said ruefully. "Leaving was my biggest regret. But I finally see you again after so many arduous years."

Memories flooded Vengimi's mind, allowing Demian to see why Vengimi had left his son at such a young age. Demian touched Vengimi's arm, starting the connection that allowed him to see the entirety of his memories.

Demian saw the night Vengimi left his abusive wife, saw the spaceship that beamed him up, saw the man who was his salvation and his dearest friend: Keth Vasileniy, the captain of the Silent Whisper.

He saw his destination at the illusionary planet Mijishin, saw the strange steampunk city and harbor, the gaudy King's palace called Tieyota Macsima, and the stylish military school called the Verena Osena. He learned of the Path of Shattered Glass that Vengimi and Keth were forced to partake, forced to become military soldiers called illusionists.

He saw Vengimi's countless failed efforts to return to planet Earth to find his son, involuntarily stuck in an alien war between planet Mijishin and planet Steelwick. He saw the near extinction of the Steelwicken aliens, saw what little of them remained, saw how Vengimi was witness to the signing of the treaty between Mijishin and Steelwick. He saw Vengimi on his military journeys throughout the galaxy, doing what was required of him, yet the thing he wanted most was to find his son and reunite with him.

He finally reunited with his son. Tears misted Demian's eyes as he inwardly celebrated the reunion, overwhelmed by the joyous emotions.

Demian turned to the woman that was standing beside Vengimi. "A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Carven. You are the perfect wife for Vengimi. I am thankful he met you."

Stripes's eyes widened, appearing like saucers. "You remarried?" Stripes asked Vengimi, surprised to learn his father got married. He turned to Mrs. Carven, who smiled sweetly at him. "So you're my, uh – "

"Yes and yes," Mrs. Carven verified, giving Stripes a warm hug. "This means you are my stepson. My name is Trixy Carven. I married your father many years ago."

Trixy looked kindly at Stripes, her voice becoming somber. "Vengimi was constantly searching for you. Not a day went by when he didn't think of you. I tried to help him find you, but we were sent to planet Steelwick to fight in an interplanetary war. Your father and I are military soldiers called illusionists. We were trained in the illusionary arts on planet Mijishin. I helped your father with some of the toughest tests. The Path of Shattered Glass is not an easy one."

"Illusionist? What are you, some kind of magician?" Stripes asked in bewilderment.

"Far from it. Well, sort of, but not really," said Vengimi, his halted statements confusing rather than clarifying. "You see, after I left you and your mother – "

"Nadima is not my mother," Stripes firmly interrupted. "A person who abuses their own child shouldn't have the right to be called a mother."

Horror fell upon Vengimi's face as he recalled the abuse from his former wife, the woman who forced him to run away from home to escape. It was physical abuse with Stripes, but it was sexual abuse with Vengimi. Vengimi feared that Nadima had inflicted the same abuse on Stripes, but a few telepathic memory projections from Demian relieved him of that fear, though the horror remained that Nadima inflicted a different kind of painful abuse on Stripes.

After the horror and shock collapsed into silence, Vengimi held his son in a hug, his voice emotional as he said, "Matvei....I'm very, very sorry I left you to your demise. At the time, I felt like I had no other choice. As it turned out, you met Demian and became an irangel, and I left Earth and became a military soldier on an alien planet."

"I'll spare the explanations and show you your father's memories so you can see what he went through," said Demian, touching Stripes's hand to allow him to see Vengimi's memories, including the ones that forced him to run away.

Now that he finally learned what had happened to his father, understanding came to Stripes. "I had no idea she abused you too....I was so young at the time."

"Nadima is in prison," Demian told Vengimi, sharing the memory of his interference that led to Nadima's arrest. "She will be there for the rest of her life."

Vengimi hugged Demian in appreciation. "Thank you so much, Demian. I can't thank you enough for being there for Matvei."

Stripes addressed Demian, saying decisively, "Now that I've reunited with my father, I want to spend time with him." Concern lined his face, prompting him to say, "I'm just not sure how Annika would react to my decision to move."

"I'll move with you," Annika suddenly said, speaking for herself as she glided over to Demian and the Carven family. Glistening pearls cascaded down Annika's ruffled hot pink mermaid gown and wrapped around her aqua green bracelet like seaweed. Annika always wore hot pink, her favorite color.

Upon Annika's unexpected appearance, Stripes stammered, "Annika! How did – ?!" Then he realized, "Demian, of course."

Stripes turned towards Vengimi and Trixy, saying, "Father and uh, is it Trix like Trix yogurt, or Trice like Beatrice? I'm sorry; I can't remember your name."

A delighted smile spread across Trixy's face. "Like father, like son. Once again, I am called yogurt from another planet. At least he didn't ridicule my hair like you did the first time we met, marshmallow," Trixy said to Vengimi, playfully nudging him.

"To be fair, your hair changed to less vivid colors," Vengimi said in response, remembering Trixy's metallic streaked pink and blue hair. Since she got older, Trixy's hair had darkened to a navy blue and the pink streaks had faded, though the metallic shine remained ever present.

Her name is Trixy Carven, Demian telepathically reminded Stripes, mindful of his dilemma. She already thinks of you as her son. She would be happy if you called her mother.

Stripes's eyes welled with tears. He impulsively hugged Trixy, glad he finally had someone he could call a mother. Somebody who would never abuse him and would always love him unconditionally. Surprised but delighted, Trixy warmly held Stripes, joyful to see her husband's son had grown up to be a handsome young man.

Stripes introduced Annika, saying, "Father and Mother, this is my girlfriend, Annika Maurid." He paused, then added, "She is a mermaid."

"How delightful to meet you!" Trixy said excitedly, hugging Annika with the same warmth as her hug with Stripes.

Annika turned towards Vengimi, not sure what kind of hug to expect from him, but Vengimi's hug was as warm and appreciative as Trixy's hug.

"Vengimi and I will look forward to the wedding invite," Trixy whispered to Stripes, who blushed and said, "Whoa, we just recently started dating!"

Then Vengimi spoke, saying, "There are plenty of rooms aboard the ship, so it would be a pleasure to have you with us, Annika."

"Ship?" Stripes repeated, confused. "You have a spaceship?"

A melancholy shadow appeared on Vengimi's handsome face. "A spaceship passed on to me by a dear friend and brother." He couldn't say the name for fear he would break down and cry.

Thankfully, Demian understood and kindly changed the subject, saying, "There will be plenty of time to chat later. For now, we should get back to the dance."

"You mean the dessert table, before all the cake is gone," said Annika, looking meaningfully at Demian.

"I see someone's already attacked the dessert table," Stripes commented, finally noticing the cake stains on Demian's shirt.

Any remnant of dignity was gone; in its place was shame and embarrassment. Demian scowled, heading to his room to change into a different suit. Annika snickered, and Stripes led his family towards the party.

Energetic dance music increased in volume as disco lights flickered above the Iredescents and irangels, capturing the cheerful faces and delighted smiles, the glittering wings and sparkling fins, the steady footsteps and rush of heartbeats.

"We've got to sign a petition or something to get Raistin to stop these extravagances," Luciu said, repressing a sigh as he looked around the shimmering lights. "Seriously, for an immortal – I'm sorry, eternal – guy who rarely wears any other color besides black, he sure loves the sparkle and glam."

"You're an irangel, so how are you so anti-glitter?" Amanda asked Luciu, tapping on his wing. "You've got the sparkliest diamond skin shimmer."

Indeed, Luciu's skin shimmered like diamonds, a mesmerizing sight for human eyes. His greyish lavender suit had no special prettifications, so Desmond thought it would be a funny prank to throw glitter at the anti-glitter irangel.

Chaos exploded into war, one where Desmond threw glitter at Luciu and Luciu threw flowers at Desmond. The tactic resulted in an impasse when Elivra unexpectedly stepped in, using her temperature manipulation ability to melt the glitter and wilt the flowers.

Meanwhile Raistin waltzed around the dancers, smiling when he found Valerie standing alone at the window. "I believe you saved a dance for me?" Raistin asked, extending a hand towards Valerie.

Valerie turned around, her startled face relaxing when she saw it was Raistin. She allowed him to take her hand, saying, "Hey, Phoenix! Sure, but....I don't know how to dance."

"Like I told Tereza, dancing isn't about following a certain set of movements; it's about expressing your emotions and how you feel," Raistin told Valerie. "I'm the best dancer in the galaxy, so I'll be happy to teach you."

"I'll be happy to learn from the best," Valerie said in response, smiling as Raistin took the lead.

And so, the Phoenix and the Black Rose began the first dance. Black rose petals rained around them at the same time orange and yellow flames danced above the black rose petals, careful not to set anything on fire.

Tereza smiled as she watched Raistin dance with Valerie. She knew Raistin purposely came up with these parties just to lighten things up. She figured he already knew it might be overwhelming for the irangels to permanently live on a planet so different from Earth. Though most had already gotten used to it, there were a few that found it stressful.

Naturally, the person feeling the most stress was Valerie. Having suddenly become an irangel leader and having moved to a planet where she finally belonged, with the addition of becoming Iredescent's Black Rose, as well as uncomfortable complications with Demian, Valerie lapsed into a formal and withdrawn manner.

Though she was comfortable with people she knew and was familiar with, Valerie was beginning to feel the drawbacks of constant attention. Instinctively a private person, Valerie felt out of her element being the center of attention, even with Cydtin's help and encouragement.

That was why Raistin figured the Black Rose needed someone to guide her. Since he regretted not having guided the previous Black Rose, Raistin decided he wouldn't lose the chance to guide the present Black Rose, voluntarily becoming her mentor and guide.

Though Tal and Zvizda were the ones that guided the irangels when they first arrived, Raistin thought the Black Rose needed a personal guide, someone more intuitive and knowledgeable with Black Roses. Valerie was grateful for Raistin's help and guidance that would lead to a close friendship, forming a mentor and mentee kind of bond.

As the two legends continued to dance, leading the others on the dancefloor, the irangels began showing off their own moves, making everyone wow in wonder when the party celebration turned into a fun sparkly fashion show.

Everyone was either elaborately or stylishly dressed, ranging from Yyoz's punk 90's grunge look to Inlivido's goth look to Cole's preppy plaid look. Each person's outfit reflected who they were and where they came from, adding aesthetics to their individual culture and style.

Elivra wowed all with her beautiful salwar kameez in blush pink and dark blue. A shawl draped around her shoulders. The earrings and bracelets perfectly matched her outfit, as though the material was made of diamonds rather than silk. Elivra had decided to let her hair down, adorning it with small white flowers that looked like they were made of jewels, making her look like a Middle Eastern princess.

Anders looked sharp in a navy suit, with a white Turkish rose flower at the lapel. His suit buttons and cuff links had the Swedish flag on them; Sweden was the country he came from.

The scent of neroli flowers and rose water accompanied Viraj as he walked forward with a suit that looked like monarch butterflies. Orange, black, yellow, and dark pink glitter swirled around his dark skin and outfit, his wings covered in orange and dark pink flowers.

Kirrie's formal, elegant look collided with edgy punk influence via an edgy cream and black gown. Around her neck was the angel wings necklace that Demian had given Kirrie after she turned into an irangel. Kirrie loved the necklace and always wore it; it was one of the most precious things to her: a gift from her creator and a symbol of her new life.

Unlike most confident smiling models, Yuri had a stoic frozen look on his face, reminiscent of cream cheese with lemon instead of vanilla. Yuri was blinged out in a glittery fringed jacket and metallic pants, but Desmond out-glittered him, both in smile and outfit.

Desmond's suit was entirely covered in glitter, thanks to his glitter manipulation ability. His winning smile and love for glitter caught the attention of many, especially his "dazzling Cloridy" who wore a sexy rose gold gown, catching the luxurious gleam of her auburn red hair.

Orion played the piano while the irangels either danced or participated in the fashion show. Orion was, after all, the Volume Master. Orion's ability ensured that everyone at Mirror Castle could hear the pleasant music, even outside in the garden and in the underwater caverns.

Amanda was dancing with Civic when she saw Cydtin standing without a partner. His eyes met hers with an unspoken question. Amanda rolled her eyes and sighed, allowing Civic to dance with Tiae. Not expecting her to want to dance with him, Cydtin was surprised when Amanda seized his hand and pulled him into a dance.

"Oh, come on," Amanda said after a minute of Cydtin dancing in stunned silence. "I don't hate you and you're not a rogue irangel anymore. Let's have fun, shall we?"

"Sure," Cydtin said uncertainly, feeling cautious and awkward around Amanda. They did have something of a tumultuous history, after all.

Though she tried hard to keep her thoughts hidden, Cydtin was surprised to learn that Amanda closely viewed him as a brother and that deep down, she liked him. But her stubbornness and inexperience of having someone close sometimes caused her to treat the other person as an enemy rather than a friend or a person she could trust.

Cydtin was relieved when the dance didn't last long, and Amanda went to dance with Orion. Cydtin was pleased when Valerie started to dance with him, feeling cheerful and happy when he was around her. Of all the irangels, Cydtin was closest to Valerie. He loved her the way a brother loved his sister, and he cared for her deeply.

"I really enjoy this party," said Valerie, feeling like it was one of the best ones. "Stripes even got to reunite with his father."

"It is really awesome," Cydtin agreed, smiling happily.

Amanda branched off from Orion and was looking around for someone new to dance with, realizing she already danced with nearly everyone. She noticed the Iredescent officers standing guard and went over to one, saying, "Come on, let's dance!"

Noticing the perplexity in the officer's eyes, as well as the uncertain looks on the other officers' faces, Raistin said in encouragement, "Amanda does make a good point. There's no need to stand on guard, anyway. Please join the party!"

Emboldened, the officers relaxed and smiled as they left their posts and started having fun, delighted at the chance of being able to dance with the irangels.

The officer Amanda chose to dance with was one of the younger ones. He had blue eyes and dark purple hair set in a ponytail. He was dancing with Tiae when Amanda forcefully snatched him away, smirking as she started dancing with him.

The officers were in lavender purple and gold uniforms, as befitting the Mirror Castle guard. Not that it was necessary for any officers to be around. Mirror Castle had two mind readers, a Phoenix, a telekinetic Black Rose, and a strong force of irangels and Iredescents with abilities that would have no problem taking down an enemy. Even though Iredescent was a peaceful planet, they made sure to be ready in case of an enemy.

All officers were required to possess two abilities: invulnerability and extra-sensory perception. Though most Iredescents already had those natural qualities, an officer's abilities were naturally enhanced, more so than the average Iredescent. They were experts in wielding the enere, an Iredescent weapon capable of vaporizing lifeforms. Of course, the Phoenix could vaporize with his flames, and the Black Rose could impose serious harm with her deadly thorns, leaving black rose petals in her wake.

"What's your name?" Amanda asked the officer she was dancing with, momentarily startling him.

"Sailesh Nitudah," he stammered. "My apologies. I was caught unawares."

"As was I," said Amanda, giving him a cheeky smile. "I'm Amanda Brzezinski."

"I know who you are," said Sailesh, his confidence restored. "You're an irangel from Earth. You're a shapeshifter. You have an insatiable taste for coffee, especially mocha. You think Earth sucks. You have a strong personality, but I'm willing to bet that deep inside, you're really sweet and caring."

Amanda rose an eyebrow at Sailesh, pretending to be mildly astonished, though she was secretly pleased with his assessment. "Am I?"

Sailesh looked at her for a thoughtful moment, then he nodded in affirmation. "Yeah, I bet you are."

Another officer came up to them just then, wanting to dance with Amanda, but Amanda shook her head and said, "No, thank you. I want to keep dancing with my current dance partner."

Cydtin overheard them from nearby, as he was dancing with Elivra. He smiled inwardly, knowing precisely what was going on in Amanda's mind. She likes him. And when she likes someone, she is determined to keep him to herself.

Which was precisely what Amanda continued to do the rest of the night.

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Music:

«Крыля (DJ Nickel & DJ Gladiator Remix)»
by Катя Чехова (Katya Chehova)

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✨ This is how I picture Vengimi Carven to look like. The steampunk style ships are the kind of ships I drew upon inspiration for his spaceship, since he comes from a different world and planet Mijishin has steampunk style airships and spacecraft.