Led by Commander and Spade, the group made their way toward the Bar Rise and Shine in the Dreamscape's Reverie Hotel.
But as Pei Guang and the others followed the two little troupe members toward the bar—
At that same Golden Hour, on the bustling streets, Sparkle was skipping along, thinking about what kind of fun she could find next—when she suddenly stopped.
A red-and-white fox mask appeared over her face.
As it did, she first burst into loud laughter, then began to sob softly. Finally, as the mask faded away, an expression of pure excitement spread across her face.
"Oh, God of Amusement above… I didn't expect you to bring this kind of entertainment to Penacony."
Even Sparkle herself couldn't believe the outrageous message she'd received, from the God of Amusement no less: someone was going to use Harmony to rebel against Harmony in Penacony.
She knew most of what was going on in Penacony: she had no interest in the so-called legacy, nor in the goals of the Trailblazers, the Family, or the Company.
She only wanted to enjoy the show.
But she never imagined the show could be this good.
Some Paths did sometimes produce people who used their own power to defy their fate: but never, never had Harmony been turned against Harmony itself.
Now, the fun was here. In Penacony, she would witness it firsthand.
Though the God of Amusement hadn't revealed everything, even that small fragment of revelation made her tremble all over, her entire being buzzed with exhilaration.
Something this absurd couldn't possibly be done by any ordinary person. Aside from Pei Guang, she couldn't think of anyone else capable of using Harmony to defy Harmony.
Now she had to find him: she had to see for herself how he was going to pull this off.
At the same time, she began to wonder: in what identity should she join the fun?
As she thought about it, she recalled the time Pei Guang had been with Aventurine: back then, two girls had been with him, both clearly fond of him.
"Well then…"
The mask once again covered her face, and the "schoolgirl" version of Sparkle appeared once more in Penacony.
"If he's going to rebel against the Family using Harmony, then let me give him a tiny little obstacle~ hehe~"
Her innocent face paired with that mischievous grin gave her a uniquely dangerous charm.
She was ready to throw herself into the game, to drop a bomb into Pei Guang's personal relationships, and place a few stumbling blocks on his road to rebellion.
And it wasn't just her: every Masked Fool in Penacony had received the same revelation from the God of Amusement.
Following that divine hint, and their shared craving for chaos, they already knew Pei Guang was on his way to the Bar Rise and Shine.
The "fun-seekers" gathered of their own accord, heading to that special bar to personally witness and partake in the grandest entertainment Penacony had ever seen.
Pei Guang and his group, unaware that both the God of Amusement and his devotees had set their sights on them, continued following Commander and Spade toward the bar.
But before they could reach it, their path was blocked by members of the Dreamjolt Troupe.
Just as Pei Guang was about to deal with the maddened creatures, Xipe Cake let out a bark.
"Woof!"
That bark made Pei Guang stop what he was doing.
"What? You're saying… you can solve their problem?"
On top of Pei Guang's head, Xipe Cake bounced twice, and the halo above it began to glow.
Among the three-colored lights, the hue representing Harmony spread outward, enveloping all of the members of the Dreamjolt Troupe.
The Dreamjolt Troupe had originally been part of the Sweet Dreams Troupe: they had turned into nightmares after corruption. The Family had never bothered to turn them back.
Even those who had the ability to restore them saw no reason to do so.
In the eyes of the Family's members, these beings were merely tools: and if tools broke, they were discarded, not repaired.
The Family didn't care, but Xipe Cake did.
Moved by the faint sorrow it sensed among the Dreamjolt Troupe, Xipe Cake took action. As a hound of Harmony, it couldn't simply stand by.
Harmony embraced all things: Harmony sheltered the weak. It wanted to bring laughter to those who grieved, to let them join in its song of joyful concord.
Under the glow of Harmony's power, several of the monstrous Dreamjolt Troupe members, those who once had self-awarenes, gradually regained their sanity.
Harmony's power was enough to restore them, though sadly the Family never cared for their Troupe.
And those that had no self? They merely reverted into ordinary machines again.
Because Xipe Cake had been created by Pei Guang, and because its materials had included a Light Cone, it inherited fragments of Pei Guang's memories and understanding at birth.
Its concept of Harmony was completely different from that of the Family: in fact, it was nearly identical to Pei Guang's own.
Under true Harmony, beings with self-awareness should be democratic and free. Those who follow and practice Harmony should understand, respect, support, and cooperate with one another.
In the cold expanse of the universe, those who pursue Harmony should be given the chance to express themselves, and while expressing their individuality, they should work together toward shared goals and mutual benefit.
It was a difficult and complicated process, but as one of the mighty forces of the universe, Xipe Cake believed Harmony could achieve it.
Yet while restoring the Dreamjolt Troupe, Xipe Cake could feel Penacony's so-called Harmony… and found it rotten.
There was no compassion for the weak, no mourning for the fallen.
Instead, for the sake of the so-called "Charmony Festival," truths were hidden, investigations halted.
They imprisoned the dead for the sake of "weapons." They made people abandon their ideals for "profit." Some Family members even oppressed others.
To Xipe Cake, that was not Harmony at all.
If the Family couldn't embody Harmony, then it would teach Penacony's believers what true Harmony was.
Whether its understanding of Harmony was correct or not didn't matter: what mattered was that it would walk its own path of Harmony.
After all, the three-masked Aeon of Harmony had already acknowledged its creed and bestowed power upon it.
So it would use that power to demonstrate its own version of Harmony.
Everything would start here—with the Dreamjolt Troupe.
From them, Penacony would come to feel Harmony.
What's that? There might be a Harmony stronger than itself, one that could even suppress or reclaim its power? That didn't matter.
If it came to that, it still had other powers to call on.
And if those didn't work either… it still had its great Creator!
Its invincible Creator would smack down anyone it couldn't handle.
In that instant, stars sparkled in Xipe Cake's eyes. The little dog-pastry flopped happily against Pei Guang's head and planted a huge kiss on top.
Pei Guang, of course, had no idea that while the dog was kissing him, it was also rapidly stacking debuffs on him.