Up in his apartment, high in the castle, Flash opened the book. He was doing a little research before heading down to the banquet with his family. It dawned on him that the book had come home. Buffy and Skip had tossed it aside down on the plain the day he had met them, and so much had changed since then. Mad seemed to have more insight than Flash did, at least about certain things. The portraits appeared in the book as they were made. Looking at the images, Flash remembered how he was concerned, meeting the magenta alien in his dream. He had wondered what bad thing had happened, when he saw the drooping eyelid that partially concealed the milky iris of the alien’s eye. In reality, that drooping lid and seemingly damaged eye, was what that being considered their best feature. Mad looked over Flash’s shoulder, and pointed out that beauty is subjective. Daddy, she said, those things we see as flaws can become something that we love about ourselves. What we see as weaknesses can become strengths if we accept and embrace them. She was right. When Flash saw his own reflection, he saw an old man looking back at him. This was not a pleasant thought. What he didn’t see was that age brought experience. He had something to offer because of all the time he had spent doing and seeing amazing things. Mad had a freshness to her perspective that brought light to Flash’s understanding. He brought a seasoned perspective that had insight and value. There are things we can change, and things we can not change. There is nothing wrong with you, Flash said, turning to Mad and Luuu. I love you just the way you are.
His child and grandchild just smiled. They were used to this.
Right, he said, glancing around the room. Are you ready to head downstairs?
Bucket and Poikani stayed behind with the sphere, and Flash swung the heavy door open. People were milling about in the bright corridor. Everyone wore fancy clothes and the whole castle was in a festive mood. Walking past a table, Luuu picked a gem from a silver dish, thinking it was karkkia, but then realized it was just an emerald. He put it back. They passed a sitting area, and heard laughter ringing out from a party visiting. They sipped goblets of the king’s wine, and they visited with him… not in the flesh, but he was there the way Flash’s inner child walked with him.
By the time they made it down the winding staircase to the ground level, they went right into the banquet hall, and were escorted to their seats, which were padded with soft velvet cushions. The vaulted ceiling danced with sparkling scenes of the guests’ home planet. The view dove into a canyon below, and seemed to hover and rotate, revealing Flash Meridian himself, sitting on an outcropping of rock, in conversation with a magenta person who resembled their king and queen. When the pink alien licked the rock face, the alien royalty stood, holding up stones that they clinked together in a toast. They tossed the crystals into their mouths, and everyone preset broke into cheers and applause, taking sips of their wine, or tossing karkkia into their mouths, too.
Course after course was served, and between them were speeches and holographic presentations. Everyone, young and old alike, was entertained and validated.
Flash addressed the crowd, recounting, as best he could, the conversation he had had in that dream. He also told of the rocklike giant he had met on the mountaintop, and then shared his daughter’s words. When he finished, he held his arms out toward the visitors before sitting down. The visiting queen stood, and took a big bite of salad. Yes, she ate a plant, and did her very best not to look disgusted. Her husband then stood and popped a red karkkia slice into his mouth, pretending it was an actual ruby. There was not a dry eye in the house. Skip stood, pulling Buffy’s chair back slightly, and they symbolically placed rubies into their mouths, but did not swallow. Those at the head table hugged each other, celebrating their differences, and finding true friendship and respect.