Angel groaned as she woke, not feeling the soft bed she fell asleep on anymore, instead, she found herself on the floor of her apartment. She looked over at her bed wondering how she ended up falling off the comfortable mattress. Pulling herself to a stand she gripped her head as she felt a light tinge at her temple. Once the pain stopped she shook her head and ran a hand through her blue hair.

“That’s strange… I don’t remember getting dressed…” She thought out loud as she noted that she was sporting a full outfit instead of her pajamas. She had on a plaid flannel shirt that was perhaps a size too large and a pair of flared jeans. She noted that she was wearing converse sneakers as well, which would have been an odd choice to sleep in.

“Did I… Crash from the night before…?” Angel asked herself, trying to make sense of how she ended up this way.

All she could remember was coming home from work, staying up with Starlight to watch a movie and then retiring early. She definitely recalled putting her clothes in the hamper and switching into pajamas as she took a shower before bed.

Better go talk to Starlight. She thought as she reached for her doorknob.

Turning it, she entered the area outside of her room noting that there were no signs of anyone being home, everything felt like it was frozen in time. Wandering over to Starlight’s room, she knocked on the door. “Starlight? Open up.”

No response.

Angel squinted and tried again. “Are you sleeping? It’s me.”

Still, no response. Shrugging, Angel opened the door and noticed that Starlight’s window was open, a cold wind blowing into the dark room. She shivered as she approached to close it, but when she looked outside she could see nothing but an empty black abyss that stretched on for miles. Any view of the city was completely obscured by some kind of thick black fog. “Creepy…” She announced as she stepped back to get away from the window.

“Starlight!? Where are you!?” Angel called out.

As before, there wasn’t an answer. She gulped as she retreated toward the door and opened it.

When she came back into the common area, she noticed that the lights were now out as well. In a mild panic she reached for the front door and tried to turn the knob, but was unsuccessful, the door wouldn’t budge an inch. Angel tried to see if she could see through the peephole, but sadly there was nothing but pitch black darkness outside the door as well.

“What the hell…?” She asked no one in particular as she made her way toward the living room. Looking down the hallway that led to the bathroom she could see what appeared to be a corridor of pure blackness.

Curiosity overtook her, and Angel felt drawn to the area. Her feet began to move without being commanded, and before she knew it, she was descending into the darkness itself, an entirely new place opening up as she ventured deeper and deeper, eventually unable to see the apartment she had left behind.

“Where am I…?” She asked aloud as she came to a large empty black room with poor illumination.

“Angel…” A voice whispered.

Angel swatted her ear; she felt like the voice came from right next to her, like a fly buzzing in her ear. “Hello!? Who’s there!?”

There was no reply.

“Okay this is totally weird…” Angel shook her head as she ventured into the room, but froze as she saw a person appear out of thin air. This person had multi-colored hair and a sporty looking outfit, toned muscles, and the body of an athlete. Before Angel could adjust, five more appeared, one with vibrant pink hair and an obnoxious grin, one with a perfectly modeled face and the fashion sense of a goddess, one with a dark blue ponytail, one with long silky pink hair, and the last looked like a cowgirl wearing a stetson.

The six women stood frozen in time, not seeming to notice Angel standing there. Hesitantly, she approached and reached out, trying to touch the group, her hand phasing right through them, much to her own surprise. "Okay, that is creepy..." She commented.

“Angel… These six girls will become very important on your journey…” The voice from before spoke, this time sounding like they were speaking over a loudspeaker.

“Journey? What journey?” Angel asked.

“You wish to understand your powers, you wish for answers… Why your parents never told you about your abilities… Why you have them in the first place… Right?” The voice asked in reply.

Angel paused and thought about it for a moment. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious. “Alright… Tell me… What do I have to do?”

“The power you have is called magic, and it is a mighty force in the right hands… However, without guidance…” As the voice spoke, Angel could feel the floor around her vanish leaving her standing on the edge of a cliff that seemed to have no bottom. “You run the risk of falling to darkness… Those who give into dark magic will know the kind of pain that is brought with such wicked power… It is a pain without end… To give in is to become a demon...”

Angel gulped as she looked down but then turned her attention upward as the voice spoke once more. “There is, however, another way… You needn’t give in to darker desires… Should you choose to walk a different path…”

With those words, a bridge made of shining light appeared before Angel. She blinked as she questioned if it was even possible to stand on such a thing.

“To walk this path though… You will be tested… Your mind will be tested, your body will be tested and your heart will be tested… Should you have the resolve, you’ll find the ultimate reward on the other side…” The voice beckoned.

Angel stood there, not daring to move as the voice spoke again. “Do you have the resolve necessary to make this journey? This will be the most difficult trial you have ever endured… You will be pushed to your limits...”

Closing her eyes, Angel thought it over for a moment before nodding. “Yes…” She spoke quietly.

“Very well… Your path is set… Move forward and learn what awaits…” The voice commanded.

Following the instructions, Angel stepped onto the bridge of light, a bit surprised that it actually could hold her. As she moved forward she blinked as the same six girls appeared off in the distance floating in mid-air to the left of the bridge.

“These six, they will be very important on your journey… They too hold magic like yourself, how they will impact your journey, however… Has yet to be determined…” The voice said.

“Who are they?” Angel asked as she watched the six girls vanish into thin air.

“In due time, you’ll come to know them. There is still so much to understand… However, our time together is limited… We shall speak again… Until then, be wary of the darkness, Angel Song... Don't stray from your path...” The voice echoed.

With those words, Angel could feel a strange pulling sensation before she closed her eyes and opened them once more to find herself sleeping in her own bed. She sat up and examined herself. She was in her pajamas this time, and it looked as though the darkness around her apartment had vanished.

She blinked before sitting up. “Was it… All a dream…?”

Mysterious.

I promise these intermissions will all make sense by the end of the story! You just haven't gotten far enough for them to make sense yet is all.

Hopefully, this makes it clear that Angel Song is of importance down the road.