Regina: Okay, I know that that chapter was a little boring, especially if
you had already read it due to Role Reversal, but this chapter should be a
little more interesting, especially as it is about twice as long. Be sure
to review this once you have finished this, and I'll get on with writing
the next bit for you.
If you're nice, and review.
So review, lest the gods strike you down!
Just kidding - about the gods at least. I really do want you to review.
And I still own nothing (that was not a joke. Seriously).
Rome Reversal
Chapter One: Horatia
There was a hushed silence amongst the group as they looked around. Every Roman in the vicinity was staring at them, looking at them as if they were possessed.
"Hi," Kitty said weakly.
The Romans kept staring.
"Nice to meet you," Kitty added.
"Forge," Scott began cautiously. "Why are we in ancient Rome?"
"Evan forgot to put the '19' in front of the '70'," he replied, looking warily at the Romans.
"But why are we in Rome?" asked Jean.
Forge just shrugged his shoulders.
The Romans finally began speaking.
"What are they? Are they gods or men?"
"Maybe they are demons, sent to punish us!"
"Uh, Forge?" asked Evan. "Why are they speaking English, and not Roman, or whatever they are supposed to be speaking?"
"I built a translator into the machine," explained Forge, "making it so that we can understand them, and vice versa. And the Romans spoke Latin," he added.
"Thanks for making that perfectly clear," Evan said dryly.
"That still does not solve the little problem of us getting home," interrupted Rogue. "Or unless, like the last machine you made us, it has to be repaired."
"Speaking of which," said Scott, "where is the machine?"
Everyone looked around, and, with panicked expressions on their faces, realised that there was no machine.
"Forge!" they all shouted at once. "Where's the time machine?!"
"Right here," he replied calmly, extending his arm. There, on his wrist, was a device that seemed much like Kurt's holowatch. "To reverse the effect, and create a returning wormhole, I just push this button here."
"Then push it!"
"One slight problem. It needs to recharge."
"And how long will that take?" asked Jean, in a dangerously calm voice.
"At least a couple of days," Forge replied, shrinking back slightly, waiting for Jean's attack.
"And what are we going to do then?"
"Well, as they say, when in Rome. . ."
"Kurt!"
"I suppose that's what we're going to have to do," Scott said tiredly, "until we can go home."
"The Praetorian Guard!" cried out a sudden voice, not belonging to any of the X-Men.
"Oh, no," said Forge. "That's not a good thing."
"Why?" asked Kurt.
"The Praetorian Guard were the elite troops who served the Roman emperor."
"Ah."
"And there seem to be a group of them heading our way."
"Okay, X-Men," ordered Scott, "be ready to fight."
The first member of the Guard to arrive, appeared to be the leader, and he asked, "Whom are you, and what is your business in Rome?"
"We are the X-Men," replied Scott, "and our business is our own."
"Your dress is strange, and you speak not like us. Where be you from?!"
"From Bayville, in America," Kurt replied.
"America?" asked the Guard. "I have not heard of this place."
"It's far across the sea," replied Kitty.
"The girl speaks?!" asked the Praetor, shocked. "This America must be a strange place, if women speak so freely, and dress in such a manner."
"I'll show you!" said Rogue, and attempted to fight the Praetor. He overpowered her easily, sending her to the ground, where she stayed, his sword at her throat.
"There is a great punishment for attacking a Praetor," he said coldly.
"And an even greater one for attacking a priestess," said another voice.
Everyone turned to face the speaker. It was a girl, around seventeen, dressed in fine robes.
The Praetor lowered his sword, and Rogue let out the breath she had been holding. "Forgive me. I did not realise, Priestess of Vesta."
"May the gods forgive you, as I do," said the girl. Turning to the X-Men, the girl said, "Come, my brothers and sisters in the service of the gods. May we be together, on this part of your long journey." She began to walk away, the crowd parting, as if in awe of her.
"Do we go with her?"
"Have we got any other ideas?"
"No."
"Then we go with her."
"Thank you for helping us," said Kitty, "but we're not, um, 'in the service of the gods'."
The girl smiled. "I know that you are not, but it was the only way I could think of stopping the Praetor. They have almost as much power as us."
"Us?" asked Evan.
"Priestesses in the service of Vesta," the girl replied.
"You're a Vestal Virgin?" asked Forge, surprised.
"Did I not say that?"
"Well, anyway," said Rogue, "thanks. . .?"
"Horatia. My name is Horatia."
"Thanks, Horatia," said Jean. "I'm Jean, that's Scott, those are Kurt and Kitty, this is Evan, and you helped Rogue."
"Those are interesting names," remarked Horatia, as they continued to walk. "This America must indeed be a strange place.
"Where we come from, Horatia would be considered a strange name."
"I suppose," said Horatia. "Prithee, what is your business here in the great city of Rome?"
"We're travellers," Scott replied quickly.
"Why are they all looking at us?" asked Kitty.
"Your appearance and manner of dress is highly unusual," Horatia replied. "Also, you are in the company of a Vestal Virgin, so they probably think that you are people of high esteem."
"What would we have to do to not stand out?" asked Kurt.
Horatia thought for a moment. "You would have to dress and act like a native."
"And how will we do that?" asked Kitty.
"I will take you to my father's home. As a priestess, I live at the temple of Vesta. If I ask, my father will be able to help you. If he is busy with his duties as a Senator, then my mother and brother will be able to assist you."
"Thank you."
"It is not far, we will be able to walk there with ease."
Kurt laughed. "You know what they say: 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'!"
If you're nice, and review.
So review, lest the gods strike you down!
Just kidding - about the gods at least. I really do want you to review.
And I still own nothing (that was not a joke. Seriously).
Rome Reversal
Chapter One: Horatia
There was a hushed silence amongst the group as they looked around. Every Roman in the vicinity was staring at them, looking at them as if they were possessed.
"Hi," Kitty said weakly.
The Romans kept staring.
"Nice to meet you," Kitty added.
"Forge," Scott began cautiously. "Why are we in ancient Rome?"
"Evan forgot to put the '19' in front of the '70'," he replied, looking warily at the Romans.
"But why are we in Rome?" asked Jean.
Forge just shrugged his shoulders.
The Romans finally began speaking.
"What are they? Are they gods or men?"
"Maybe they are demons, sent to punish us!"
"Uh, Forge?" asked Evan. "Why are they speaking English, and not Roman, or whatever they are supposed to be speaking?"
"I built a translator into the machine," explained Forge, "making it so that we can understand them, and vice versa. And the Romans spoke Latin," he added.
"Thanks for making that perfectly clear," Evan said dryly.
"That still does not solve the little problem of us getting home," interrupted Rogue. "Or unless, like the last machine you made us, it has to be repaired."
"Speaking of which," said Scott, "where is the machine?"
Everyone looked around, and, with panicked expressions on their faces, realised that there was no machine.
"Forge!" they all shouted at once. "Where's the time machine?!"
"Right here," he replied calmly, extending his arm. There, on his wrist, was a device that seemed much like Kurt's holowatch. "To reverse the effect, and create a returning wormhole, I just push this button here."
"Then push it!"
"One slight problem. It needs to recharge."
"And how long will that take?" asked Jean, in a dangerously calm voice.
"At least a couple of days," Forge replied, shrinking back slightly, waiting for Jean's attack.
"And what are we going to do then?"
"Well, as they say, when in Rome. . ."
"Kurt!"
"I suppose that's what we're going to have to do," Scott said tiredly, "until we can go home."
"The Praetorian Guard!" cried out a sudden voice, not belonging to any of the X-Men.
"Oh, no," said Forge. "That's not a good thing."
"Why?" asked Kurt.
"The Praetorian Guard were the elite troops who served the Roman emperor."
"Ah."
"And there seem to be a group of them heading our way."
"Okay, X-Men," ordered Scott, "be ready to fight."
The first member of the Guard to arrive, appeared to be the leader, and he asked, "Whom are you, and what is your business in Rome?"
"We are the X-Men," replied Scott, "and our business is our own."
"Your dress is strange, and you speak not like us. Where be you from?!"
"From Bayville, in America," Kurt replied.
"America?" asked the Guard. "I have not heard of this place."
"It's far across the sea," replied Kitty.
"The girl speaks?!" asked the Praetor, shocked. "This America must be a strange place, if women speak so freely, and dress in such a manner."
"I'll show you!" said Rogue, and attempted to fight the Praetor. He overpowered her easily, sending her to the ground, where she stayed, his sword at her throat.
"There is a great punishment for attacking a Praetor," he said coldly.
"And an even greater one for attacking a priestess," said another voice.
Everyone turned to face the speaker. It was a girl, around seventeen, dressed in fine robes.
The Praetor lowered his sword, and Rogue let out the breath she had been holding. "Forgive me. I did not realise, Priestess of Vesta."
"May the gods forgive you, as I do," said the girl. Turning to the X-Men, the girl said, "Come, my brothers and sisters in the service of the gods. May we be together, on this part of your long journey." She began to walk away, the crowd parting, as if in awe of her.
"Do we go with her?"
"Have we got any other ideas?"
"No."
"Then we go with her."
"Thank you for helping us," said Kitty, "but we're not, um, 'in the service of the gods'."
The girl smiled. "I know that you are not, but it was the only way I could think of stopping the Praetor. They have almost as much power as us."
"Us?" asked Evan.
"Priestesses in the service of Vesta," the girl replied.
"You're a Vestal Virgin?" asked Forge, surprised.
"Did I not say that?"
"Well, anyway," said Rogue, "thanks. . .?"
"Horatia. My name is Horatia."
"Thanks, Horatia," said Jean. "I'm Jean, that's Scott, those are Kurt and Kitty, this is Evan, and you helped Rogue."
"Those are interesting names," remarked Horatia, as they continued to walk. "This America must indeed be a strange place.
"Where we come from, Horatia would be considered a strange name."
"I suppose," said Horatia. "Prithee, what is your business here in the great city of Rome?"
"We're travellers," Scott replied quickly.
"Why are they all looking at us?" asked Kitty.
"Your appearance and manner of dress is highly unusual," Horatia replied. "Also, you are in the company of a Vestal Virgin, so they probably think that you are people of high esteem."
"What would we have to do to not stand out?" asked Kurt.
Horatia thought for a moment. "You would have to dress and act like a native."
"And how will we do that?" asked Kitty.
"I will take you to my father's home. As a priestess, I live at the temple of Vesta. If I ask, my father will be able to help you. If he is busy with his duties as a Senator, then my mother and brother will be able to assist you."
"Thank you."
"It is not far, we will be able to walk there with ease."
Kurt laughed. "You know what they say: 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'!"