True Love's Crescendo
Mal settled into the large leather seat at the far right of the raised balcony. The spectators were seated in bleachers along all the walls, and standing in the large area of floor between the ring and the first row of seats. Some wore painted faces, some looked as if they were crazed, and many more simply looked like the normal folk you would find on any moon. There was a large ramp that descended from one wall, with a darkened doorway at the top that his two killers had disappeared into a few hours ago.
The crew had eaten, courtesy of the good Doctor White. It had been standard fare, a mix of protein, local grown fruit and vegetables, and a mid range quality drink. Mal approved. He was coming to respect the strange man, didn’t mean he liked him much; but it was somethin.
A snippet of loud music signaled the beginning of the evening and the crowd cheered. A large muscular man ran out from the doorway at the top of the ramp and continued on down, diving under the bottom rope and rolling up to his feet. He turned around slowly, taking in the crowd, watching them watch him. He had a long mane of light colored hair and was wearing a pair of simple denim pants with large brown boots. He looked like he might even be some local boy, a farmer turned local entertainment.
He smiled a large bright smile when the next snippet of music came and a much smaller man slowly came out and walked down the ramp. The larger man was taunting the smaller man. Mal could barely hear the words. He caught "...mother was a..." just a few seconds before the smaller man leapt from the floor of the room and connected his foot with the larger mans temple.
The crowd roared, the fight was on.
The crew watched as wrestler after wrestler came from the darkness beyond. Small, large, muscular, fat, skinny. The 11th one who came out; bolted as fast as he could to the fight still taking place in the ring. Two fighters remained a behemoth of a dark skinned man who looked to be nearly 4 or 5 hundred lbs, and the small man who had been the second to emerge. Number 11 dove into the ring; the giant hooked his enormous foot under the newcomer and flipped him up into the air; the smaller man in the ring stepped forward and kicked the foolhardy man out of the ring over the top rope.
The giant squared of with the small man; they had both taken a step to attack when angelic music filled the room.
Everyone quieted. All eyes silently turned to the ramp as a small woman dressed in all white stepped out. A long flowing veil covered her face, and trailed from her pinned up hair. An iridescent sari was wrapped around her small frame with a small close fitting blouse. Her skin was creamy white to match the outfit, causing her to appear to glow from within.
The silent figure made her way slowly down the ramp. Gracefully she took a few quick steps and seemingly flowed up the post at one corner of the ring to perch on top of it.
The announcer seemed to find his voice again and resumed his overdone commentary.
"The Bride has entered the ring...both Shanto and Ken seem to be a little confused by the mysterious woman’s behavior...."
The smaller man quick stepped towards the woman on top of the post and reached to grab her... but she slipped through his grasp, the loose folds of her sari fluttering as she landed and danced along the side of the ring,
The larger man attempted to catch her as well but she twirled under his grasp and then around his back, her fingers gently touching, teasing and distracting.
Simon gasped and everyone turned to him. "That’s..."
“We know son." Mal patted him on the shoulder and motioned for him to be quiet. "Watch"
Both wrestlers made grabs for her. Kicks, punches. She flowed around them, and through them. Never being touched, always fleeting.
Another wrestler joined them; an average sized man with nothing unremarkable about him besides an eye patch and heavily scarred right cheek. He too was unable to touch her.
A fourth wrestler joined her attackers, a dark skinned man who moved with slow power, the cheers rose in intensity. Surely Jib the Tiger could catch this woman. But even Jib, a performer who had wowed the crowd the entire past season with feats of agility and skill would spin, reach, grab..and miss. Over and over. All the wrestlers had lost interest in each other, they were soley focused on catching the woman - and all four were unable to do so.
The standoff was broken by a few chords from an old beat up guitar which came across the speakers. Jayne appeared at the top of the ramp. His red vest had been replaced with a bright blue silk one. He now wore a black tuxedo jacket over his dress shirt. Man looked completely different from their stone merc. He looked...handsome.
Kaylee squealed and clapped her hands to her mouth.
Mal watched as his mercenary strode down the ramp with an air full of confidence. Jayne's boots clomped on the grating of the ramp with each step.
The commentator caught up with the events in the ring enough to announce his entry. "And now, back for his second appearance, Hoooooooooratio!"
The cheers went up from all sides. It had only been a little over a week since the last bout, but everyone remembered his match with the beautiful little slip of a girl.
Jayne ambled slowly up the steps at one of the corners, put one leg through the ropes, then dipped his head under and stood up inside. The 4 other wrestlers were all still trying to catch the strange woman in white.
The same woman began to include Jayne in her swirling, twisting dance. He reached for her effortlessly and grasped the trailing edge of her sari. The woman spun, letting it unravel from around her body; underneath she wore harem pants of the same material. Just as the last fold of the sari slipped off her lithe form, she kicked out, her small, bare foot connecting with the Giant Shanto's face, while simultaneously Jayne let go of the sari and slammed his fist into eye-patch’s face.
The woman danced around Jib. He punched with a fury now, always just missing, glancing off her form, never quite connecting. She spun, dipping her head to the side and snaking her leg around the back of his head, catching his neck with the inside of her knee. Jayne stepped close and as she pulled down with a snap, he lifted the man’s legs and they flipped him out of the ring over the top rope.
They ended the movement back to back, Jayne facing towards the still sputtering One-eyed Jack, River facing the small man, Ken.
The cheering had reached painful decibels. Everyone watched, entranced.
The small man, Ken, second to enter the ring, spun and leaped towards the pair, foot out to kick Jayne in the back of the head. A small hand reached out and wrapped around his ankle as Jayne snaked his arm around the woman’s waist. They turned as one, her not letting go, and Jayne keeping her anchored as they swung Ken around and slung him into the crowd.
Jack was still attempting to get up. Shanto was out cold on the Mat. Jayne finished their small spin, lifting his arm over the woman’s head. They stood facing each other. They each lifted a foot and placed them on the giant’s shoulders.
"...And Shanto is Pinned!"
Jayne gently raised his hands and removed her veil....
"I can't believe it! It’s Morgan! The Bride is Morgan!" The announcer was in near hysterics. Everyone in the crowd was on their feet.
Jayne pulled River into him; she rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes to his warmth. They stood there a moment, lost in each other. The cheering of the audience surrounding them.
Jack stood, his vision seeming to clear. He oriented, and charged the pair.
The embrace broke, River spun around and swept her legs under his feet, and Jayne, in a similar spin on his heel grabbed the back of Jacks belt and tossed him over the rope and onto the announcers table, which collapsed on impact.
Jayne smiled his crooked smile down at her. River beamed up at him.
She stepped close, putting her mouth close to his ear to be heard over the pressuring din of the crowd at their joint win.
"Remember my Jayne; do not fall from the sky."