A Goal is Set

"Flashfire, can you go get the pizza?" you ask.

"Why should I get it?" she asks back.

"Because my arms--"

"They are not tired!" Blackfire says. "Not anymore, anyway."

You hush her with a playful spank.

"Please, Flashfire? I'll let you cut it up, too! But not like, a quarter, make them eighths at the most."

"Now I have to cut the pizza for you, too?" she says.

"The pizza will be worth it, I promise!"

"Lazy boy," Blackfire teases as Flashfire heads for the kitchen.

You can hear her pull the pizza out and cut it up. After a minute, Flashfire enters your room with two plates of pizza, two slices each. She hands you the plate with the slices that have the least pepperonies on them, and gives Blackfire the ones with the most.

"Thank you," you say. "Now go, eat."

Flashfire exits the room, mumbling about how lazy you are.

Blackfire bites into the pizza. The cheese is very gooey, a thick strand of it connecting the small portion Blackfire bit off to the slice. Blackfire gobbles up the strand, and you smile at how cute she looks doing it.

You take a bite, then pick up the television remote.

You change the channel, and come across a sports commercial.

"In two days," the pumped up voice over says, "Competitus' capitol city of Athleticos will hold preliminary try-outs for the Annual Festival of Tournaments!!"

"Saffire, change it to something else," Blackfire says, groaning. "Sports are boring."

"Wait," you tell her, "I want to know more about these tournaments."

"Tournaments for over a dozen intergalactic sports will be held," the voice continues. "And the winners for each tournament will earn not only the coveted Competitus Platinum Medal--" a shiny silver-gray orb appears on screen, a white necklace of beads attached to it, "but the ȡ1,000,000 ($250,000) cash prize!!"

Blackfire's eyes widen, and she almost drops her pizza slice.

"We have to go to Competitus!"

Blackfire rushes to the cockpit and puts Competitus' coordinates into the auto-pilot, then rushes back to you.

"We WILL win that cash prize in at least ONE tournament!" she says as she sits back down and takes another bite of her pizza.