THE MOMENT
"I'm surprised Ballisea agreed to wait until the wedding," Melody commented. She walked along a narrow, white glowing hall next to her wife, Dana Sharp. Dana Sharp wore her usual crisp white suit; but, Melody was not in her matching black suit. She wore only a black terry cloth robe with a red scissor logo on it.
"She's waited so long to see Allister again, it was easy to ask for another little while once I gave her my word." Melody couldn't help but smile at that. Even a living universe like Ballisea trusted Dana's word.
"Did she ask about the Conquistadors?" Melody asked. She already knew the answer to that particular question, but she wanted to hear her wife elaborate. She didn't doubt that Ballisea asked; Dana planned everything out.
"She did," Dana nodded. The women turned a corner and began walking down a new white glowing hallway. The walls were solid with no doors on either side. "I've planted the appropriate seeds. When the Moment arrives, she'll be interested in negotiating a new deal."
"Are you going to tell her about their upgrade?" Melody asked. It was pure curiosity on her part; and, she allowed herself to be curious when they were alone. Dana nodded. She stopped walking and turned to face a blank wall. Melody stopped also. A section of the wall disintegrated into white powder and left an open doorway to another room.
They entered. Dana paused just inside the door but Melody continued walking towards the center of the room. A large empty hole took up most of the middle of the room. The glowing white floor folded over the edges of the hole, but they seemed to fade into black nothing. It made the opening look like a bottomless pit.
"She will be informed about the upgrade I gave to the Conquistadors; but, she won't know that I'm upgrading you also," Dana said. Melody shed the robe as she reached the hole and her eyes glowed with golden stars. She climbed down into it on steps that were too dark to see without her Star Sight, then reached the center of the hole.
The pit wasn't too deep; but, Melody was a short woman. Her head was the only part of her that extended out of the hole. Her eyes were still glowing when she closed them, and her hands began to glow with bright, white light. The rest of her skin ignited into a wild, orange flame.
"I'm starting now," Ms. Sharp said. Melody nodded. The black pit she was in began to glow with red light. The flames that made up Melody's body grew tighter and brighter. The loose orange flames came together to form a single bright blue jet. The concentrated fire flowed upward and it continued to change color. It went from bright blue to brilliant white. When it couldn't get any brighter, the color shifted again.
The white jet of flame around her body flickered for a moment, then it was loose and wild again; but now, it was black as the void. She smoldered with black fire and opened her eyes again. Golden stars still glowed in her eyes; but, the flames dissipated when she dismissed her sight. Melody took a few deep breaths as she adjusted. Then, she brought her hand up and looked at her palm. Her hand glowed white for a moment, then a small black flame appeared in her hand; she smiled at Dana.
"It's official," she giggled. "You have the hottest wife around." Dana smiled at her and winked; they were alone.
"I'm Dana Sharp," she replied. "Of course I do."