JUBILEE: Welcome back for Chapter 6 of Once her name was … hey, wait, you clicked on the title … so you must know what you're reading, right? (shuffles through a pile of papers) Okies, last chapter we all visited the beach, and went dancing. Melusine danced a fiery tango with Wolverine and then some kid came and gave her a flower … Look, Zeldiekins, I don't know what effect you're going for here, but I feel like that moron that opens Digimon Tamers. And another thing -- what's up with letting Kincaid interrupt me all the time? Am I or am I not the principal guest artist for the disclaimer?
ZELDA: You are, you are. Definitely, absolutely, no doubt whatsoever. Principal guest artist.
Ju: So what's the deal with Kincaid?
Z: Ummm … artist in residence? Besides which, I may need him to do the higher-rating disclaimers. Union thing, you know how it is.
Ju: No, actually, I *don't.*
Z: Oh, well, see, considering your age, some elements of the story may not be appropriate, especially things like sex -
KINCAID (offstage): There's sex in this story? Ye gods, it *is* a work of fiction!
Ju: (very dignified) That is the sort of interruption of which I have been speaking.
Z: (smothering a giggle) You're completely right. I'll see to him immediately. As long as you finish the disclaimer.
Ju: (still dignified) Very well. The X-Men are among the multitudes of things Zelda does not own; Melusine, Diana, and the story of Heart's Delight are among the few things she does. Zelda would also like to make an advance announcement that beginning this chapter we will be approaching the "R" rating. She bets you forgot about that, didn't you? Finally, we'd like to thank LidaRose for reviewing (digs in her pocket) and present her with this lovely Terry's Chocolate Orange. (stage whisper) And for commenting on the Jubisms! Thanks! You saved my bacon!
PART 6: HEART'S DELIGHT
"Well, this is it," Scott said, as he parked Melusine's Jeep at the edge of the ramshackle collection of buildings. From the looks on their faces, the rest of his passengers weren't too impressed with their surroundings, either. "Hallo!" called a cheerful voice, the owner of which soon rounded the corner of the building nearest to them. "You must be Melusine's friends! I am Llera. We're so glad you could join us." The young man smiled happily at them. "Please, come this way. Everything is happening on the beach." He gestured for them to follow him.
"Everything?" inquired Jean. Their host dashed back to the front of the line to answer her. "Yes, it's Chaharia! The Feast of Heart's Delight. And this is a twenty-eighth year, so of course our celebrations have to be exceptional." Gambit took the rear position, scanning the apparently deserted buildings restlessly. "Something wrong, Gumbo?" Logan fell into step beside him. Remy shook his head casually. Whatever his own personal feelings about Melusine, she deserved the same chance he'd gotten when he joined the X-Men. As he'd explained to her, when they'd returned from Riccardo's.
They'd assembled in the airy living room of the beach house, its tall windows open to catch the evening breezes. Melusine had given a short, and to his mind, unsatisfactory explanation of the significance of the flower she'd been handed. He laid in wait for her, just outside the room. "Remy!" she exclaimed; he watched impassively as she forced the fright from her face with a friendly smile. "You startled me."
"Gambit hope dat all he has to do, cher." She tensed defensively. "Or you forget how you take his money, dat time in Monte Carlo?"
She gave him an appraising smile. "Are you saying you were dissatisfied with your ... compensation?" He raised an eyebrow as the memory of Melusine's idea of compensation sent a wave of tingling warmth through his groin. Her expression became slightly unfocused as she picked up on his thoughts. "Remy!" she pretended shock.
"Don' matter, cher. Remy understand why you do what you do. Dat casino, it belong to your family. Protect de family, dat's tres importante. But listen to me, cher. De X-Men, dat's my family. An' I'm gonna protect dem. No matter what."
"Is this blackmail, LeBeau?"
He shook his head. "Non, belle. De X-Men, Professor Xavier, dey believe in givin' people a chance. Dat what I'm givin' you. Jus' want you to know, Gambit keep his eye on you."
"Remy, I promise. No harm." He gave her a severe look. "I swear. Thieves' Honour." She grinned and disappeared up the stairs.
He was thrown back into the present by a solid thwack on the arm from Rogue. "Remy!" she hissed. The group was just entering the jungle, and a large tree blocked their path. "What's de matter, cher? Dat's small potato for you." She glared at him, then stuck out an imperious hand. He looked at her blankly for a moment, until it dawned on him that she wanted him to help her across. "Men!" she huffed as he finally took her hand.
Llera shook his head in amused dismay. "Mostly, we go this way," he said, pointing to a path cleared around the base of the tree.
"So tell me, Llera, if this Chaharia is such an important celebration for your people, why pick an outsider like Melusine to help with it?" Scott picked up the discussion.
"She's not helping. She's the star!" Llera proclaimed. Scott shot a startled glance at the young man. "No, really, we've had her booked for the role since last year." The shock didn't pass from the other's face. Llera sighed and took his chances with Jean. "I'm sorry. I simply don't have a serious nature." He grinned charmingly. "Truthfully, it's payment for a favour we did Melusine many years ago. The Petrucci family have been our friends for many years; our tribal shaman was happy to train her.
"Train her as what?" asked Rogue, as they stepped out of the jungle, into a wide clearing that backed onto the ocean. Jean stopped in her tracks, eyes wide. "As a telepath," she breathed. Greetings, friends of Melusine, came a strong mental voice.
"Ah, I see you've met my father," smiled Llera.
***
Jubilee wriggled further down into the sand, digging herself a comfortable seat. "The story of Namita and Oelwa is the greatest love story of my people," Llera explained to his mostly fascinated audience. "The feast of Chaharia tells the story of their battle against the evil spirit, Erulifa. And how true love triumphs over all." The clearing was full of people, men and women carrying baskets of flowers passing from one small group to another. Llera signaled the nearest to come over. "After the Chahariana, bonfires are lit and lovers jump them to earn the blessings of the goddess Neema. Others exchange tokens on this night, including," and he reached into the basket his friend Pheera held, "flowers from the garlands of Chaharia. These flowers were dearest to Namita; they are heart's delight." Pheera was passing garlands to everyone; with a neat move Llera cut him off before he could get to Jubilee. "For you," he offered, overtaken by a sudden shyness. The tumultuous pounding of drums recalled him to his duty. "We begin!" he announced with a flourish, then sat down next to Jubilee.
A group of men and women began to mill around in the only empty space left in the clearing, nearly directly in front of them. "Oelwa is the son of the chief," Llera said in a low voice. "In the white loincloth, with the red garland. The time has come for him to choose a bride. The women are called to order by the shaman." A ferocious figure with a huge mask struck the ground with his feathered spear, and the girls, dressed in identical white tunics, formed a line. Jubilee spotted Melusine's blonde head immediately. Why isn't she in with the others? Oelwa walked down the line, stopped, and turned accusingly to the shaman, who replied by striking the ground again with his spear.
"He refuses to choose, until all the women are present," Llera continued. The shaman hit the ground a third time, but Oelwa remained firm. Relenting, the shaman gestured with his free hand, and Melusine rose from her crouch on the sidelines and joined the group of women. "He refused, because Namita, his true love, was kept from the ceremony by her father, the shaman, who did not wish to lose his daughter to another." Oelwa walked down the line, talking Melusine's hand and drawing her from the crowd with a huge grin. Lifting the necklace of red flowers from his neck, he placed them around hers. She touched them, smiling, until she realized that she had nothing to give him in return. "He reassures her he needs no token of her love, but she gives him the sacred ribbon she wears as shaman's daughter." As Melusine pulled the white ribbon from her hair, three tiny braids trimmed with feathers fell forward. "General jubilation ensues," Llera commented wryly, as exuberant music started up and Oelwa's future subjects danced their joy.
Jean shifted into a more comfortable position on the sand as the celebration ended, the men, so Llera told them, departing on a hunting expedition. Only Melusine was left. She moved gracefully to the soft sounds of a reed flute. Isn't she lovely? she whispered in Scott's mind. He grinned and took her hand. Not as lovely as you, he asserted. She blushed. A vision of a small redhead in tights and tutu flashed through the link. A ballerina? he asked. Every girl's dream, answered Jean, as the joy that Melusine danced welled up in her own heart.
As the music ended, and Melusine left, Llera took up the narrative. "Now we meet the final character of the drama." The men of the tribe, forming a hunting party, crept in through the crowd, Oelwa branded now by Namita's white ribbon. "For many years, the people have been haunted by an evil spirit, called Erulifa." Dancers dressed as animals raced through the clearing, drawing off the hunting party, leaving Oelwa on his own. Suddenly, a figure in a grotesque black mask leapt forward to challenge the chief's son. Logan tried to yawn discretely as the two started a fake battle. These stories are always the same. Boy meets girl, boy meets girl's boyfriend, boy fights mutant evil menace bent on taking over the world, girl picks geek-boy. But Ju was for certain caught up in the story, watching every move of the dancers with a rapt expression. Neither one of those guys'd last a second in a real battle, he scoffed. Besides, good guy's gotta win. He turned back to Jubilee, just in time to see her fascination turn to horror as Erulifa ran Oelwa through.
Jubilee gasped, turning to Llera in alarm. What kind of love story was this--the hero dying without even so much as a kiss? He smiled reassuringly and clasped her hand. Beside them, Logan curled his lips in a silent snarl. That kid would have to be watched. Jubilee found trouble too easily, as far as he was concerned. Gambit nudged his elbow. "Keepin' an eye out, non?" he whispered. Logan gave the Cajun a glimpse of his grim expression; Remy immediately edged his hand away from Rogue's, smiling lopsidedly, as if to say Rogue could take care of herself. But she shouldn't have to, bub, he thought, then forced his attention back to the stage action, just in time to see Melusine sink to her knees, the white ribbon clutched to her chest.
Remy considered his options. Logan on his right, Rogue on his left. Each equally dangerous, in their own way. Mos' day, he'd jus' as soon gut me as look at me. Sure hope Stormy's right, dat jus' de way he treat everyone. And Rogue? He called up the image of her sunning on the beach, more stunning in her modest suit than any bikini-clad model he'd known. Or unclad model, for dat matter. To touch her bare skin was to court death, that was Rogue's power. That he was beginning to seriously consider whether death was such an awful thing, that was Rogue's power over him. A harsh rattling called his attention away from the contemplation of Southern beauty. Erulifa, tired of harassing the villagers, had decided to take on Namita, and now the masked spirit danced a threatening circle around Melusine.
Melusine's attention was only half on the steps of the dance as she and Erulifa traded mock blows. The choreography of the fight scene wasn't all that difficult, anyway, and her big moment was coming soon. She needed to be mentally prepared, she needed--Not to step in the hole, she scolded herself. Better get into the 'now,' or there won't be a later. She focused on Erulifa's dark carved mask. Step, step, cross spears, touch. Stagger back with pain from the blow. Push forward. Another hit! Stagger again. Melusine sank deeper into character, opening herself to the bone-chilling fear that Namita must have felt, facing the ultimate evil that had killed the one she loved. The descending twilight helped to narrow her focus, making the mask and the spear seem to be the only real things in her universe. A danced misstep, and Erulifa leapt for the opening, impaling her, just as he'd done to Oelwa. Melusine touched disbelieving hands to the wound, then raised a berry-stained hand to the hideous mask. The world seemed to spin as she grasped the mask by the edge and ripped it off. The crowd gasped as the mask fell away, revealing the face of Oelwa. And Melusine collapsed as razor-sharp pain sliced through her mind.
Everything was hazed with multi-coloured lights. Their sparkling obscured more than it revealed, but she saw enough to see that he was beautiful, smiling at her, smiling for her. The lights twisted and danced and she took his hand, placing it on her heart. Another flash: "Can you do it, my sweet?" Watery shimmers obscured her vision, but she might have recognized Jubilee, as the man's beautiful, smiling face shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving only the stench of disease, decay, and purest malice.
Jean squeezed Scott's hand tightly as Oelwa was exposed as the man behind the mask. But when the real Erulifa appeared behind the hero and she didn't let go, he knew something was wrong. "Jean?"
It's Mel, the answer came back. He tensed, preparing to leap up to the rescue. Not a threat, his fiancée managed, her mental voice tight with strain. Memories, new ones. Painful. He slid an arm around her slender shoulders. "Can you deal?" he whispered, wordlessly offering whatever she needed. "Jeannie?" Logan, too, had noticed her distress. She took a deep breath, then nodded. He relaxed, trusting her judgement. But I know you, Jean, stated Scott. You sure you're okay? He felt her fleeting annoyance at his nagging, which told him more about her condition than any words she might say. Satisfied, and taking this opportunity to cuddle Jean just a little closer, he watched as the latest battle between Oelwa and Erulifa followed the same route as the previous two.
Jubilee could hardly breathe as Erulifa chased Oelwa around the clearing, landing blow after blow without being touched himself. She still couldn't believe that Namita had gone down, done in by her one true love. She brought both her hands to her face in consternation as Erulifa and Oelwa faced off in what she was sure was their final confrontation. The evil spirit capered in triumph as a visibly weakening Oelwa tried to raise his weapon to defend himself. Erulifa drew back his sword, then brought it down in the killing blow.
The clang the sword made as it hit the head of the spear that suddenly appeared between the two opponents echoed like a clap of thunder. Jubilee's was not the only breath of astonishment as Namita strode forward, spear in hand, to defend her lover. Her dress still stained from her mortal wound, she attacked Erulifa again and again. Nor did Oelwa lag in the attack. They harried and teased the spirit from both sides, until, with one perfectly coordinated motion, they both struck. With a blood-curdling scream, the spirit vanished, leaving only his mask behind. A jubilant Oelwa turned to Namita, only to have his victory become ashes as she stumbled. He caught her, lowering her gently to the ground.
Jean blinked, feeling a gentle pressure against her shields. Somehow, she seemed to be hearing two things at once: a gentle speech in a language she didn't recognize, and, like some bizarre experiment in film dubbing, the same speech in English. Mel? she queried. Tears were running down the face of the dancer playing Oelwa, as he said farewell to Namita. As she listened to the words, she felt tears come to her own eyes.
"You are day, and the night that follows," Oelwa whispered in despair. "You are darkness; you are light. You are joy and you are sorrow; you are known as heart's delight." Namita's farewell was not spoken; caressing the face of her lover gently, she closed her eyes. The doppelganger effect continued. With her eyes, Jean was sure she saw a woman slowly processing into the clearing. With her heart, though, she saw a sparkling that began far out on the horizon, over the distant sea, that grew brighter and nearer as the sun set. Sighing, she abandoned the physical realm and allowed the vision Melusine was creating to take over.
The dancing lights drew closer and closer to the clearing; then, in one breathtaking moment, they flashed lavender-white, solidifying into the form of the most beautiful woman Jean had ever seen. Her hair was deepest auburn, her eyes a clear and lovely green. She brought with her a sense of peace and comfort, stronger than any Jean had felt in a long time, except in Scott's arms. Lavender sparks shot off her in all directions, finally attracting the attention of the grieving Oelwa. He raised his head, eyes widening with awe as a dreadful hope arose in his heart. The goddess touched his face with one hand, smiled, and brought her hands together over her head.
A fountain of shimmering light spurted up from between Neema's hands, gushing down to surround Namita's body. She lay perfectly still, bathed in the goddess's radiance; Neema gestured to Oelwa. With a trembling hand, he reached forward, smoothing down his beloved's hair, and with that touch, she awoke, as if from no more than a dream. The lovers embraced, the delighted goddess garnishing them with her own light. It gathered in a pool at their feet; with a wave, Neema transformed it into fire, laid her hands in a final benediction on Oelwa and Namita, and vanished.
The lovers exchanged a tender glance, looked at the bonfire in front of them, and leapt across. A mighty cheer went up from the crowd and Jean felt Melusine's illusion dissipate, as bonfires sprang up throughout the clearing. Jean cast a quick glance over her fellows: Jubilee and Rogue were both sniffing openly, their respective seatmates not overlooking this opportunity for physical comfort, though neither dared to do more than take the lady's hand. Elsewhere in the crowd, people began to get up and walk around. Beside her, she heard Logan shift position restlessly; turning her head toward him, she found she couldn't meet the expression in his eyes. Almost reflexively, Jean leaned closer in to Scott. "So, what next?" she said.
One hand tangled itself in her hair. "How'd you like to jump a fire, love?" he asked. Her kiss was all the answer he needed.
END OF PART 6
JUBILEE: (sniffs) Aww, that's so sweet! (looks around) Sheesh, where is everyone? Guess Zelda's still giving Kincaid a talking-to. So that means … I get to finish! Su-weet! (shuffles through papers) Chapter 7, chapter 7 … here we go: Melusine suffers the aftereffects of over-indulgence, citrus for Scott and Jean … huh? … Ooooh! I get more time with Llera! Score one for … CELEBRATION LEE!?!?! That's it, I'm going to find that bitch and take her out … NOW!
Z: It won't make a difference, Jubilee. Even though it hasn't happened yet, it has already happened and so you going after the person who hasn't done it won't stop it because it's already been happening.
Ju: Did you set the control to "Babble" on purpose?
Z: (flushing an unbecoming red and wrenching a knob on the control panel) Hn. Baka. (a panicked expression crosses her face and she wrenches the knob around again)
Ju: (with false sympathy) Oh dear, did you just find the Heero Yuy setting?
Zelda's eyes glint maliciously as she twists the dial a third time.
Ju: Don't you dare! Oh crap! (she stands) If you read and don't review, NO COOKIE FOR YOU!!
Jubilee stalks offstage, muttering.
Ju: When'd she have time to program the Soup Nazi?