Metamorph 4
By Oonagh
Author's Note: Sorry for the update delay. My computer caught a virus and was really quite ill for a while. He's feeling better now, though, and things are getting back to normal.
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As soon as Doctor Franklin and Lenier finished feeling the crust from her skin Delenn returned to her bedchamber, leaving Lenier to thank the doctor and show him out. She knew this behaviour was reprehensible – the rituals of hospitality were very important in Minbari society – but she had been unable to stand naked in front of the two men for any longer. She would pay her debt of honour to Doctor Franklin at another time.
Slipping the robe from her shoulders, Delenn stood in front of her full-length mirror and took in her new appearance. The changes were startling. She stroked her hand over her hair, amazed at its softness, at how it changed the look of her face. Turning slowly, she fully examined her new body. She wasn't as frightened by what she saw as she had feared she would be. But then again, the changes to her outward appearance were by far the least significant of the many changes that had occurred while she hibernated.
Doctor Franklin had scanned her repeatedly while removing the crust and had kept up an almost constant litany of physiological changes. Her reproductive system had been significantly altered. She was secreting different hormones. Her circulatory system had undergone several changes. Her brain chemistry was like nothing the experienced physician had ever seen before. In short, Delenn-that-was-now was a very different creature from Delenn-that-had-been.
But at least she was alive and – according to Doctor Franklin – was likely to remain alive for the foreseeable future. She had succeeded. Prophecy was fulfilled. And now the hard work could begin. In an attempt to keep her mind from her shame Lenier had filled her in on all the recent changes on board Babylon 5 and in the wider universe. The disappearance of G'Kar; the death of the Earth president; the shooting of Security Chief Garibaldi; Ambassador Mollari's attempts to dissolve the Babylon 5 advisory committee and, of greatest immediate importance, the transfer of Commander Sinclair and his replacement by Captain John Sheridan, Star Killer.
Even without the aid of prophecy Delenn could see that much hard work lay ahead. And even then success was not guaranteed. The shadow was powerful, more so than at any time in the last thousand years, and growing more powerful with each passing day. And the forces of light were untested, divided and ignorant. They knew nothing of the threat under which they were currently living. They knew nothing of the roles they had to play if the light was to be victorious. The importance of Babylon 5 in the coming fight was clearly emphasised in the prophecies and Delenn had felt confident that Sinclair could, and would, play his destined role well. But Captain Sheridan…Captain Sheridan was an unknown quantity. Delenn just hoped the universe knew what it was doing.
Running her hands over the baby-smooth skin of her new body one more time, Delenn walked to wardrobe and began to dress. There were changes coming that would affect everybody, this Delenn knew. But whether the effects would be for good or ill remained to be seen. But Delenn also knew, instinctively, that only evil would come if she didn't play her role. And that role began today, with the first appearance of Delenn-that-was-now at the council, and it was imperative that she get off to a good start. Because, Delenn knew, first appearances truly did count. And so Delenn took great care in choosing what she should wear, anxious to create an impression, to draw attention to herself so that she could say what needed to be said and know that people would be listening.