"Looks like they're showing up already," Lisa remarked, overhearing the muffled gossip from downstairs as she wrapped locks of her sister's blonde hair around a curler, before she muttered a complaint: "Dammit! Always when I'm in the middle of fixing you up!"

Krysta giggled slightly at the mirror on her dressing table, sitting in her white sleeveless gown. "Don't worry too much. It isn't as if Mother wants us down there straight away. Besides, I'm still a little nervous..."

Now it was Lisa's turn to laugh. She turned off the curler and set it down once she released the last few locks of Krysta's hair and started to add mascara to her eyelashes. "You're always so darn nervous," she replied. "C'mon, you're way too pretty to be stressed out, baby sis..." - setting down the mascara, she opened up her makeup palette in front of her sister - "Eyeshadow?"
"Um..."
"C'mon, just a little."
She allowed it, keeping her eyelids perfectly and effortlessly still as her dark-haired sister applied a light layer of silver glitter eyeshadow over them. "Okay...Done. Take a look."

Krysta obeyed, and smiled. Lisa was the best at make-overs. Her sister leaned over behind her, hands on her shoulders, looking in the mirror with her black eyeliner and matching glitter eyeshadow. "Ha, ha. Look at you, all cute and pretty." Lisa complimented.
"You look like a Rockstar chick about to go on stage," Krysta replied jokingly, resulting in them both giggling.
"Ooh, wait. I need to get something important!" her older sister remembered, and within the next few seconds she put Krysta's chocker necklace around her neck for her. The necklace was decorated with blue sapphire shaped like pear drops.

"There," Lisa said. "Now you look perfect."
Krysta smiled up at her sister and hugged her. "Thank you, Lisa." she whispered.
"Any time, baby sis." They pulled apart before Lisa held out her hand. "Ready to go?"
"Yes." she replied with a nod, taking her sister's hand.
Lisa smiled after giving her a peck on the forehead. "Alright. Let's head down to the ballroom and get the real party started. Good luck out there, baby sis."
"Yeah. You too."

. . .

It was surprising to admit that Sonic was actually enjoying the ambiance of this ballroom. The music, the gossip and conversations, the choice food and drinks. So many guests, men and women, had come to attend, and he himself was able to have normal conversations with some of them, even using his charm and flirting with some of the girls on occasion. He had heard from one of them that the main purpose of the celebrations was to pay tribute to the so-called "founding mother" of the family wealth, which explained why so many people had come to pay their annual respects. 'Hm. Sounds like they're just showing off their wealth. And to think that they are connected to the Hero Association, all because of the huge donations they make. How utterly pathetic...'

However, he kept his cynical thoughts to himself. He may not be under a contract, but he still had to remain discreet and not to make himself conspicuous. He couldn't risk having anyone find out that he was an assassin wanted by the Association. That being said, it was a good thing that he had experience of going undercover during his contracts; fooling people was practically a part of his aesthetic. He even had Saito Nikihasha fooled with his masquerade mask - he welcomed like he was an old distant friend.
"Welcome, friend. Join us in this grand celebration, won't you?"

He chuckled to himself at the flashback as he swirled the glass of red wine in his hand. 'What a complete idiot... He doesn't even realise that I, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic, am in his manor at this very moment. Even the rich aren't as clever as they portray themselves to be.'

Taking a sip of the wine, he glanced up, hoping to catch another pretty girl to flirt with so he could kept himself entertained, and then, at that moment, that when he saw her.
A young girl, around twenty years of age, stood amongst the crowds, and for reasons unknown, Sonic could something special about this particular girl, something that made her stand out from the rest. She was wearing a sleeveless bridal-style gown of pure white with matching gloves that reached her elbows, and her light blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail of long wavy curls. She was also wearing a chocker necklace glistening with pear drops of sapphire.
The ninja in the cat masquerade mask stood momentarily mesmerised. 'Wow...she's beautiful. Is she one of Nikihasha's daughters...?'Then, a smirk appeared on his lips. 'New target on lock. I'll entice her with my charm. As long as I have the mask, and as long as I have her under my spell, she won't be able to identify me...'

Finishing his glass and setting it down, he sauntered over to the girl in white. She was clearly oblivious of his presence until she felt his fingers playfully trail up her waist and back and she suddenly tensed when his cold hand took a firm grip of her shoulder.
Krysta whirled her head only see that she was being held by a young male who just inches taller than her. He was wearing a black cat masquerade mask, so all she could see were his grey eyes. He was pretty well-dressed in his black suit and silk purple tie, and his black hair was tied back in a top-knot. 'Strange. I don't think I've seen this man before, yet there's something about him that's familiar...What does he even want with me?'

"Forgive me, my dear," he said with a smile, drawing closer to her face. "I couldn't help but notice you standing by yourself. I thought maybe...you'd like to chat for a while? Maybe I can treat you to a glass of wine..."
"O-oh, really? Well, I um..." she faltered. 'What should I do? I don't even know how to respond! Okay, Krysta. Calm yourself down. Just take it easy - you can do this.'
"Well, I appreciate your offer but I really don't drink..." she tried to say, to politely turn down his offer.
"You can drink to me, or to the one we're meant to pay tribute to. The choice is yours, princess." he purred. In a heartbeat, a glass of wine was held to her face before the girl looked up at him.
"I-I'll drink to both, if it gives you any satisfaction..." she answered hesitantly, her fingers slowly coiling around the stalk of the glass.
"Very well."
Krysta brought the glass to her lips, letting the sweet red liquid run down her throat. Soon, the young man placed his hand over the top of the glass, pushing it down and keeping her from drinking the rest, and drew closer to her lips. She suddenly felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she found herself lost in those grey eyes of his.
"And I'll drink to you, my darling," he murmured. "Fate has its ways of pulling the strings, so who knows? Maybe fate was what brought me to you..." He lifted up her free hand and gently kissed it, keeping his eyes on her.
Krysta couldn't help but giggle at the flirtation. 'Even though I've never met this stranger before, he does have some charm, and I'm starting to feel curious about him...maybe getting to know him might reveal the mysteries behind the mask...'
She placed the glass on the tray of a passing waiter before turning back to the beautiful stranger, who slowly placed his hands around her waist.
"So, where are you from?" she asked him. "I haven't seen you around before..."
"I'm from Z-City. I work as a bodyguard from F-City," he replied vaguely.
A smile played on her lips as she threw in a slight flirtation in her next remark. "A bodyguard, huh? Well, I never thought someone as flirty and handsome as you could ever take on such responsibility."
Sonic smirked and ran one hand down her waist whilst the other hand was holding hers royalty-style, turning her around and pressing his chest against her back. "Well, now you know," he murmured into her cheek, "and you'll be even more intrigued to know that I like to be the mysterious type, and I have more than one...secret to reveal to you, princess."
She giggled again as his lips tickled her cheek. As she hated to admit it, she was actually enjoying herself tonight, as well as this stranger's charm and flirtations.

"So, my darling," he spoke softly, as the music started to play, "May I take the pleasure of this dance?"
Krysta smiled sweetly. "Of course."
Sonic returned a smirk, gently pulling her close to him by the hand. He knew he had her right where he wanted her - directly under his spell. Now he was in the ballroom, whirling around the ballroom with this beautiful girl, sweeping her off her feet with every movement.
Krysta's heart levitated as the charming male lifted her off the ground whilst they danced. She had started to feel a strange sensation rising within her the more she found herself gazing into those beautiful grey eyes of his through the masquerade mask. The way he looked at her, the way his hand fit around her waist - it was almost as if she was slowly starting to fall for him.
'Is this...is this what they call destiny? Could it be...? Am I falling for a beautiful stranger?'
Suddenly, she didn't even know anything anymore. She didn't even realise that the man she was dancing with at that moment would be the one who would steal her heart.