Testing Love

            Elizabeth and Brian stood in the throne room. Remy and Logan looked around them, uneasily. A large chandelier hung above them lighting the large room. Two thrones sat in front, at the altar, draped in red velvet. The door next to the thrones opened, and the guests looked, to see a woman walk out, wearing a long white dress. She had black hair, braided back, that fell past her feet, draping behind her. Her pale porcelain skin almost blended into the whiteness of her dress. She had large gray eyes that had shown the wisdom of her years. However, she looked to be no more than only 20 years old. She stopped in front of Brian and Elizabeth. The twins smiled, "Aunt Roma."

            She smiled, and hugged them both. She pulled away, "You've come to seek my guidance?" She asked.

            She stared at Elizabeth, "This man you wish to save. Who is he, child?" She asked her.

            Elizabeth cleared her throat, "Nathan Brashear." She answered her.

            Roma grabbed onto Elizabeth's hand, "Come with me."

            She led her towards the room she had come out of, but stopped, and turned to the other three, "Come." She said.

            Brian and Logan followed, with Remy trailing behind them, "This is just getting a little bit uneasy." He mumbled.

            The room was dark, but Roma waved her free hand around, and candles flickered on, posted against the walls. They stood in front of a circular opening in the stone ground. Roma let go of Elizabeth's hand, and pulled her arms up. A green light from the opening blasted upwards, lighting the whole room for a quick second, before dissolving into a stream of green smoke. Elizabeth stared at the smoke, as it formed into a circle in front of them, with a faded picture of Nathan, lying in the infirmary bed back at the Institute. "I thought we were going back with her?" Remy asked.

            Brian turned to look at him, "Shhh!" He hissed.

            Remy hit his arm, "Hey, I'm just asking what you told me, mon ami!" He snapped.

            "Shut up, you two!" Logan growled.

            Roma turned to look at Elizabeth, "I will help, on one condition." She told her.

            Elizabeth turned to glare at her, "What is it?"

            Roma placed her hands on Elizabeth's cheeks, and pulled her face towards hers, touching noses. Roma glared into Elizabeth's eyes. "My dear, this man's powers are growing at a rapid rate. His body is not catching up to the speed. With our world, only love can fuel our magic. But it must be true love. Eyes are the windows to the souls of the mortals." Roma told her. Elizabeth's eyebrows bent up in worry, as she stared back into Roma's eyes, their noses still touching. Roma finally asked, "Do you have any love for this man you wish to save, Elizabeth?"

            Elizabeth gulped, and attempted to look at the picture of Nathan, but Roma held her face to glare at her, "Do you?" Roma asked again.

            Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, as her eyes welled with tears, "Yes, Aunt Roma. I do." She finally answered her.

            The three men standing at their side glared at Elizabeth in slight shock, "You do, Betts?" Brian asked.

            Roma pulled away from Elizabeth. "Two tests you must pass, dear Elizabeth. Since it is you who wishes to save this man's life, only you may go through this to do it." She told her.

            Elizabeth sighed, "Which are?"

            Roma stepped aside, and looked at the large opening in front of them, that continued to steam up with the smoke. The smoke formed in front of Elizabeth into a figure of a man, holding a spear. Logan released his claws, ready to fight. Roma glared at Logan, as he attempted to rush towards the figure. Logan cried out as he flew back into the wall, "Alone!" Roma growled at him.

            Elizabeth glared at the figure in front of her, "Your first test, to fight for the man you claim you love, Elizabeth." Roma told her.

            Elizabeth rolled under the spear, as the figure swung it at her. She backed up, as the figure turned to face her. She reached behind her, and took out her katana sword handle. The blade illuminated at the base. She swung her sword, and hoisted it above her head, pointing it at the figure. The figure charged for her, attempting to stab her with the spear. She dodged it, and it stuck into the wall. She back handed the figure away from her, and swung her sword down at it. Her opponent bent back, dodging her swing, and kicked her wrist, knocking the sword out of her hand. She flipped backwards, kicking the opponent's chin in the process. She settled to her feet, and threw a kick to its face. It blocked her strike, and kicked her back. She flew back, and cried out as she hit the wall. The figure stood above her, looking down at her. "Fight with the love in your heart, Elizabeth!" Roma told her.

            Elizabeth clenched her eyes shut, as she was reminded of the fact that Nathan's life had been placed in her hands. She opened them, her crimson red mark beginning to glow. She cried out, as she threw her hand into the stomach of the figure, her telekinesis being used behind her impact, allowing her hit to become a much more stronger force. Her opponent hovered over as she hit its stomach. She uppercut her opponent's chin, causing it to fly back. She clenched her fists, putting her guard up in front of her, ready for a fight. The figure stood up, and swung at her. She dodged it, and punched its ribs. She then took that same hand, and backhanded the opponent across the face. She then took her back leg, and swung it around, kicking its face. She rushed forward, and jumped onto its shoulders, locking her legs around its neck. She grabbed onto the head, and twisted it, breaking its neck. It fell limp to the ground, and she rolled off of the opponent. She pointed her hand towards her sword handle, and used her telekinesis to pull it towards her. She gripped onto the handle, and backed away from her defeated opponent, careful not to take her eyes off of it. Roma smiled of her approval, "Come here, Elizabeth." She told her.

            Elizabeth turned, and saw Logan walking towards Brian and Remy, as he was released from Roma's hold. He shrugged at her. "What's the next test, Roma?" She asked her.

            Roma looked towards the opening that illuminated smoke, showing the picture of Nathan. "Now, I will go ahead and attempt to save Nathan's life. But, if your love is strong enough for this man as you claim, then he will be saved. If not, he will die." Roma told her, as she lifted her hands up towards the smoke screen in front of them.

            Elizabeth glared up at the screen in front of her, as Roma began reciting words, neither Elizabeth, or the three men standing behind her could comprehend. Roma closed her eyes, as the light illuminated from the opening again. It filled the whole room, almost swallowing them all, as they shielded their eyes from the brightness of the light. "Let's hope this works, yes?" Remy yelled out, as he shielded himself from the light.

            "Yeah! Otherwise this trip was a pure waste! And Betts will owe me money for the gas used on the Velocity!" Logan told him.

*~*~*~*

            Hank looked up at the brainwaves monitor, in question, as rapid beeping could be heard. Jean rushed up from her chair at the bedside, as she stared at the monitor. The wave line began scribbling across the screen. "Mr. McCoy, what's going on?" She asked.

            Hank typed into the keyboard against the monitor, and looked at Jean, "His brain activity is going haywire—", Hank flinched back, as the monitor cracked.

            Jean looked at Nathan, as he was still under his coma, but yet, he grabbed onto his head, grunting in his sleep. She placed her hand onto his forehead, attempting to probe his mind. A sudden force through her out of his mind, and she flew back onto the ground. The infirmary doors opened, and Charles entered the room. "Leave it be, Hank. He's being helped." Charles told him.

            Hank looked at Nathan, as he continued to grunt, grasping onto the temples of his head. He finally fell limp onto the bed. Hank looked at the EKG monitor. Jean stood up, staring at Nathan in shock. "His signs are.....stabilizing?" Hank asked in question.

            Charles smiled, "It worked."

            "What worked?" Jean asked Charles.

            "Whatever Roma did, it worked." Charles then closed his eyes, concentrating on Nathan's mind. He opened them after a moment, and looked up at Hank and Jean, who continued to stare at him, confused, "Well, his telepathy has finished mutating, however, his body can now handle it. All we need to work on with him is control." He smiled, as he explained to the two confused mutants.

*~*~*~*~

            The light faded, and they all looked at Roma. "Did it work?" Brian asked.

            Roma waved her hand at the smoke, "Go back to your world, and see." She smiled.

            Elizabeth looked at her aunt. Roma smiled at her, "Your love has proven to be more than needed, Elizabeth." She smiled, and placed her arms around her, hugging her, "You have a good soul. Be sure to tell the man how you feel." Roma smiled.

            Elizabeth sighed, and hugged her back, "I will. Thank you. I owe you my life, Aunt Roma." She smiled.

            "You only owe me more visitation." Roma smiled, as she pulled away from Elizabeth, "You and Brian will come back to visit more, won't you?"

            Brian smiled at her, "Of course."

            "Well, since it's done, let's go home." Logan sighed, as his claws retracted back into his fists.

            Roma and Elizabeth leaned towards each other, touching noses. Brian walked towards Roma, doing the same. "We'll send mum your love, Aunt Roma." Brian smiled, as he pulled away from her.

            "Please do." Roma smiled. "Safe trip."

            The mutants walked out of the room, leaving Roma alone. They walked through the throne room, towards the outside, "Well, what a day, huh?" Remy smiled.

            "Yeah, now, we just have to get back home to England, get the Velocity, and go home to the institute." Brian sighed.

AN- Okay, now....done with that....you can imagine the fluff to come, eh? Anyways, as you could tell, I've also hinted some ROMY fluff too. So, yes, that's to come as well...can we say *homecoming*? Hehehe...anyways....thanks for your reviews *Hugs everyone and gives ya'all lollipops and sodas* I luffs ya all!