Changing Fate

The next few months were a blissful whirlwind for Jean and Shayera, with the two spending every moment they could together. Much of that time was, of course, spent in the bedroom, but they also spent plenty of in the beds of their other lovers; they spent more than a little time in bed with Koriand'r and Mary Jane, and Diana was all too happy to join the couple in bed when her Justice League teammate approached her with the idea of a threesome. Jean also introduced Shayera to Gwen Stacy and Cassie Sandsmark, further becoming involved in a polyamorous lesbian network of women they'd both gotten very close with recently. Upon learning of Jean's new relationship, Emma Frost began to prod her with questions about her new lover, eventually leading to the three women spending the night together in a tryst that Jean enjoyed more than she cared to admit. And, upon learning of the relationship between Shayera's Justice League teammate Diana and Jean's fellow X-Woman Ororo, the four of them had a very, very enjoyable double date. As the bonds between everyone in the group strengthened, the love that had persevered between the reincarnated princess and the bearer of the Phoenix Force had become as strong as it ever had,

At the same time, Shayera's visions were becoming clearer; the face of her killer in her past life in Egypt had come into focus. And, as she recalled more and more through her visions, she realized that that same face that had been the last thing she had seen in every past life since. And that he seemed to come for her and her lovers at the point that they were at their most content... which stirred some ominous feelings within her.

Jean's dreams weren't much more comforting. A vision of a sorcerer, armed with a bloodied dagger, standing over a slain Shayera, taunting her. Urging her to lose control. Jean, seething with rage, focuses her hatred on the killer as an indescribable energy builds inside of her, and as the sorcerer lunges at her... nothing. The dream always ended there, and tonight it came to Jean again.

"You want your revenge?" Hath-Set sneered as he stood over Shayera's body, her blood now covering his blade. "You know what you have to do."

"Go to hell..." Jean hissed as she clutched her wounded stomach, trying to stop the bleeding.

"You have the power to send me there," Hath-Set taunted. "All you have to do is lose control. Show me the Dark Phoenix. SHOW ME! Or I'll make you watch her die in your next life! And the next, and the next! Unless you end it now!"

Jean glared at Hath-Set with a hatred she'd never thought possible. Her X-Men teammates lay dead surrounding her, having been slain by Sentinels who had, for some reason, accompanied Hath-Set. And now, he'd killed the woman she loved. He'd taken everything from her... and now she was going to make him suffer.

No. That's what he wanted. Jean couldn't lose control. She had the power to destroy galaxies, perhaps even the universe itself. If she gave in to her anger now...

"You know I enjoy this, right? Ending her life, over and over again... I know you'll lose control eventually, Phoenix. One day, your host will finally have the courage to--"

"Shut up." Jean hissed as her eyes began to glow a fiery, terrifying red. "You'll never hurt anyone again."

Hath-Set smiled, his grip on his dagger tightening. "I've waited countless lifetimes for this. Now let's see if the Dark Phoenix can truly be slain!"

Jean awoke with a gasp, heart pounding like a jackhammer. "Hath-Set!"

Her scream was enough to jolt Shayera awake, and the name she'd uttered knocked loose another memory. "Jean? Are you OK?!" She asked, placing an hand on her lover's shoulder.

"Shayera... I'm... I'm not sure," Jean stammered, her mind racing. "I... I had another dream. This one was the most intense yet."

"Another dream... do you think it was a vision?" Shayera wondered.

Jean looked at Shayera, a terrified look on her face. "I hope not... I saw you die. I saw your killer..."

"That name you shouted... Hath-Set. Where did you hear that name?" Shayera asked.

Jean shook her head. "I don't know... it came to me in my dream. Do you know the name?"

"It's familiar to me... it must be the name of my killer. The man who has haunted me throughout my past lives," Shayera realized.

"This is too ominous," Jean said, her voice trembling. "Your dreams... they've been getting more intense as well. I can feel it. He's coming for us, isn't he?"

Shayera nodded slowly as a grim expression crossed her face. "I think so. And I don't think there's any running from him... we've tried time and time again, and he's always found us."

"So, what do we do?" Jean asked. "History hasn't exactly been on our side. But..."

Shayera looked at Jean and saw a resolve in her lover's eyes that mirrored her own. "We fight. And this time, we break the cycle. I'm not losing you again."

"I'm fully on board with that idea," Jean agreed. "But how do we win? Let's face it, we're on a pretty nasty losing streak here. And if I unleash my full power, I could end up destroying our entire universe."

"Then we don't fight him alone," Shayera said. "We have allies. We have friends. We have lovers. Bonds unlike the ones I've known in previous lives. Bonds I believe could help us change our fate."

Jean nodded as she considered Shayera's words. "You're right... we're not alone," she agreed as her hand found Shayera's. "And we know he's coming. We can take steps to prepare."

"We'll be ready for him this time," Shayera promised. "And we'll have backup. We can end this."

As the couple drifted back to sleep, Jean heard a voice in her head. It wasn't Charles, Emma, or any other telepath she knew. This was different. Ancient. Powerful.

*You can break the cycle, Jean Grey. Your vision does not have to be your destiny. Trust in the bonds you've forged. Seek the heart. The heart is stronger than any darkness within you."*

*The heart...?* Jean thought to herself.

*The heart,* the voice repeated. *Seek the heart. Those closest to you will help guide you to it...*