12
His stomach won, so Remy went back to his room to lose the armour and pig out on roast chicken, crusty bread and the few pieces of fruit Clover had left in his fruit bowl. Then he washed and raided the closet, finding a brown velvet jacket, black troos, cream shirt and fuscia pink cravat waiting for him. He had no idea how to tie the cravat, so just looped it around his neck and left his shirt collar open in the hope it would look ok. He didn't really know where Blaze's room would be, but he strode off hopeful that he'd find her before morning. The castle was enormous, rambling and quiet now that darkness had fallen and most of the inhabitants were on their way to bed. Gambit wondered belatedly if he should be following suit, as he'd never known Blaze miss breakfast. He could talk to her over one of Chef Andre's famous croissants and maybe find out how much she hated him after a good night's sleep…
Too late, a door stood open in the long hallway ahead of him and somehow Gambit knew that this was the room. A sliver of moonlight cascaded across the polished marble floor of the hall. Inside the gilded chamber a picture window stood open, leading onto a balcony with a marble balustrade. There was a vase of blush coloured roses on a table and their sweet fragrance filled the air. An internal door stood open, giving a glimpse of an ornate free standing bathtub where rose petals swirled on water that still steamed slightly. There were wet footprints leading from the tub, and a towel discarded on the floor besides a tall wardrobe.
On the balcony a figure moved. Gambit saw Blaze had changed into a long gown of chocolate brown with a cream sash and cream lace that foamed around her wrists. Her hair was just about dry after her bath, and she held a goblet in her right hand. She still wore the circlet and the chain that had graced her as a deer. Gambit cleared his throat.
"How about this Cherie, me a knight in shining armour, you a damsel in distress…" He instantly regretted the joke as Blaze pointed out the obvious.
"If I'm in distress then it's your fault!" She came into the room and looked melancholy at her drink. "Also I think this goblet I broken." She put the empty cup down next to the roses and Gambit went to take her hand. Blaze snatched it away and backed up until she was out on the balcony again. "Don't come near me Rem I mean it."
Gambit was exasperated as he joined her outdoors, "How many times do I gotta say I'm sorry?"
"Once would be an improvement!" Blaze cried. Remy thought for a moment, and then realised she was right. This time when he reached for her hand she didn't get chance to snatch it away. He caught her and held her, making her look at him.
"I'm so sorry Blaze, I t'ought I had killed you…"
"So did I…" Blaze admitted, and she held very still as Gambit embraced her, resting his chin on her hair. After a moment he felt Blaze take hold of his shirt in her fingers as she murmured, "I thought I'd never see you again."
"We got a second chance now, eh Cherie? However it happened we're here now, we can start over." Blaze pulled back from him until she could look up at Remy, her hands in his. She shook her head solemnly, "This isn't our place. I can't stay here."
"Sure you can," Remy pretended not to understand. "I think the Queen kinda likes us, non? She'll let us stay as long as we want... I t'ought every girl wanted to be a princess, wear tiaras an' swoon over handsome knights?"
"Like you?" Blaze teased, but it her eyes were serious. "It doesn't matter what I want. I can't stay." Gambit realised that she was starting to glow again, only it was different this time. She glinted orange and gold, sparks drifting on the night air like fireflies. She was using her mutant powers, turning very slowly into her fire form. Gambit gasped, this was his Blaze- Bayville Blaze – after all! He could feel the heat coming from her as she spoke again, "I can't stay and neither can you." He had to drop her hands as his own started to burn. She was crying now, fiery tears running over her cheeks. "You need to wake up Remy. Open your eyes and wake up."
"I am awake! Gambit protested as fear rose inside him. She was in her fire form completely now but the transformation wasn't stopping there. She was starting to disintegrate, shredding into cinders on the breeze.
"Wake up Remy. The quest isn't over. You need to wake up."
"No!" Gambit snatched at the ethereal girl but she finally disappeared in a whirl of fire. Gambit was blinded by a flash of light and he felt a searing pain in his extended hand. When he opened his eyes, he was lying on his back staring at a strangely grey ceiling. His arms and legs were pinned by crisp sheets. There was a strong smell of disinfectant whilst Disney cartoons played on a wall-mounted TV. A hospital, he'd woken in a hospital. "Oh…" Bleep, said the machine that was monitoring him. Then an alarm sounded and half a dozen nurses came running. He was back.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Professor Charles Xavier was just entering his study at the Xavier Institute when he frowned, sensing someone waiting for him even though the room was in darkness. "Gambit." His voice was stern and distasteful, addressing an enemy. Gambit obligingly turned on a lamp. He was stood in the corner of the room by the open window, wearing his trench coat with his hands in the pockets.
"No need to call Wolverine, Professor. I'll throw myself out soon enough. I jus' wanted your opinion on somet'ing." Professor Xavier's opinion of Gambit couldn't get much lower, but he could sense the urgency of Remy's request so he acquiesced. "Go on." Gambit took a breath and then recounted his story of his adventures in Enchancia. Then he asked Xavier, "What d'you t'ink?"
"I think you took a blast of Paradox's power straight to the head," Xavier said flatly. "You were in a coma in hospital. There were cartoons on the television in the ward and your subconscious wove your dreams around them. Your misconstrued attempts to be a hero, a knight in shining armour, to Blaze and others are your mind trying to make amends for the terrible thing you've done. It wasn't real Gambit. Nothing has changed."
Gambit nodded, and gave a sly smile. "That's what I t'ought you'd say." He turned to leave via the window, the same way he'd gotten in. Xavier sensed the younger man's smugness and called out, "There's something you're not telling me, Gambit. What is it?"
"Nothin', seeing as it ain't real…" The Cajun knight held out a hand and let a delicate gold chain slip through his fingers. Each link was crafted like a tiny flame. He held it out for the Professor to see, palm upwards. Across his palm was a matching burn, perfectly etched on his skin. Before Xavier could touch the chain Gambit snatched it back and shoved his hand back into his pocket. "If it's all the same to you, Professor, I'll be returning this to its owner now. Like she said, the quest ain't over..."
Roll credits….
