Enigma: Part 3

Epilouge

For the first time since her death, Alda Pax felt something shift in her world. Someone had finally come to join her — someone she had been waiting for.

She looked around her, but nothing changed. She was still surrounded by black nothingness, standing in an inch of water. The water was clear, but all that showed was the black reflection of her surroundings and her glowing, blue form.

In the distance there was a faint yellow glimmer. The glowing specks seemed to get lost in a small tornado, circling faster and faster until a form appeared. They were still and glowing brighter than Alda had prepared herself for.

Once her eyes got used to the sudden reappearance of light, she outstretched her hand and walked forward, reaching out to the figure.

When she got closer she saw the figure was also extending their hand as well, taking steps forward in the water towards Alda. When they finally reached one another the figure touched Alda's outstretched palm, and the glowing dimmed.

As if a fuzzy picture was coming into focus, the figure began to take a familiar shape. Alda first saw a pair of striking green eyes and knew who it was right away. She didn't even have to examine the rest of her.

"Hi, Jolie."

Jolie looked astounded and was too shocked to even speak. She just smiled as tears formed along her eyelids while Alda grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

"What is this place?" Jolie asked as they held one another.

"The cosmic force," Alda said before parting. "Well, not entirely, but it's the gateway. I waited for you."

"Why?" Jolie asked with a look of genuine confusion.

Alda smiled a little. "Something told me you'd be the next to arrive, and you never leave family behind."

"Should we wait for Evander and Flint?"

Alda shook her head. "They'll be a while."

"What do you mean 'they'll be a while'?" Jolie asked as they began walking into the endless sea of black.

Alda smiled to herself. "I've seen what they become." She looked over at Jolie now, still smiling. "They're happy together. They'll live and die together, and boy will they live," she said with a joyful laugh that Jolie had missed.

Jolie smiled. "Good. They deserve that life more than anyone."

"And we'll be here when that life ends for them."

Jolie nodded. "I've never gotten to say it properly, but thank you, Alda... for bringing me back from dark side that first time, even if it gave me a heart attack, and for saving Flint and Evander, and—"

"Stop," Alda said with a smile and a laugh as she shook her head in amusement. "It's what you do for the people you love. Now, I'd say we've got another, I don't know, 75-80 years until we need to be back here. What should we do?"

"You've been waiting all this time," Jolie replied.
"You pick."

Alda thought for a moment. "Gala."

"Gala?"

"It's the most wonderful planet I've been on," Alda explained with a reminiscent smile. "It's where we found out you'd be joining our crew. In a way it's where this all started."

The black around them began to dissolve into thin air like dust being blown off an old table. Left behind was a field of beautiful flowers in every color you can conjure. The beginnings of a forest lined the end of the field of wildflowers and the bushes stirred with wildlife.

"I like it," Jolie said without hesitation. "Let's go."

Alda reached down and grabbed her hand, a soft smile on her face. Jolie returned it. She was finally happy.