“ Scott, I seem to be in need of your assistance,” Ororo said as she gracefully as ever walked into Scott’s office.
“ What is it, Ororo?” Scott asked with a smile. Ororo had always been great with the students and always had a kind word for everyone. She was one of the most loved teachers on the school.
“ As you know Jean will be gone for the next month for a medical conference and we need someone to teach Jean’s classes,” Ororo said, her voice sounding almost like birdsong because of her faint accent. Scott found himself looking at her with love and wonder in his eyes.

She’s so beautiful. The way she moves...the way she talks… One should think she was of noble blood.

That wasn’t his thoughts, he was sure of it but before he had time to think it through a new sensation hit him. With the thoughts came also strong feelings. Love being the strongest but fear, anxiety, guilt and pain were present too. And over it all was a burning pain in his mind unlike anything he had ever felt, like his mind was being attacked by several skilled psychics at once. His mind felt like it was on fire and he winced in pain and rubbed his temples in an attempt to clear his clouded mind.
“ Scott, are you alright? I…” Ororo’s worried voice seemed to come from afar. He felt a light touch on his arm and looked down into Ororo’s worried, love filled eyes. She sat by the chair next to him and looked up at him. Her face… her eyes. Suddenly the haze lifted from his mind and everything was clear, crystal-clear.
“ Aida. Oh, my love. We shouldn’t meet. It is dangerous for you. For us both,” Radames/Scott said and stroked Ororo’s cheek.
“ I know, beloved but I had to see you. I have waited so long,” Aida/Ororo said and tears were in her eyes as there were in Radames/Scott’s. Gently Radames/Scott wiped them away and bent down and kissed her gently on the lips.
As suddenly as it had begun as suddenly did it end. Scott looked into Ororo’s surprised eyes and hurried to remove his lips from hers.
“ I ..I don’t know what went into me,” Scott said embarrassed. The pain in his head was now only like faint background noise in his mind but it felt no worse than he always felt because of the sun’s powering of his optic blasts.
“ I don’t know either. You belong to Jean,” Ororo said and her voice held confusion and… sadness??

She quickly stood and walked to stand before his desk. “ Let’s just pretend…,” she began.
“… That it never happened?” Scott ended for her.

Can you really do that, Wind Rider, because I sure can’t, Scott thought, his feelings in turmoil. She smiled strained.
“ Yes.”
“ What was it about Jean’s class?”

Just mentioning her name made him feel guilty even though he had no reason to. After all he hadn’t meant to kiss Ororo. He didn’t see her like that. Or did he?? Before he had time to think it through Ororo interrupted his thoughts.
“ I was wondering if you couldn’t teach Jean’s classes?”
“ You mean biology and psychology?!” Scott asked shocked. “ I’m not sure I’m the best choice.”
“ It was either you or Logan and Logan blankly refused.”

Great. He always knows how to get out of tight spots and leave me in them, Scott thought grimly.

Scott looked and found a young Japanese woman with a red tattoo down her face. Scott remembered her now. It was something about she had had her body switched or something. He had never had Betsy in any of his classes and when this body switching thing had happened he had been in a coma after a mission had turned out rather ugly.
“ Remy, John, Bobby, Marie, Kitty, Jubilee….” He continued down the list until he was sure all were present. “ Jean hasn’t left a note about where you are. Can one of you tell me?” Scott asked after having searched in vain for a reading and homework list for the next classes. He frowned in annoyance. He was a very organised man and used to have his stuff in order so something like this was irritating.
“ We were at page 56, ” Kitty helped him out. Scott nodded his thanks.
“Thanks, Kitty. Everyone go to page 56,” Scott said and did the same. He nearly died when he saw the subject for the next chapter: Sexuality and Reproduction.

I’m going to kill Logan. I don’t know how, but I’m sure he knew this, Scott thought darkly. It wasn’t that he didn’t think the children should hear about this, he just didn’t want to be the one to teach them. Mentally preparing himself for a very long day he began teaching.

Seeing Ororo again brought back memories of the event in his office.
“ Ororo, I think we…” Before Scott could end his sentence he felt it again. The pain in his head made him buckle over and feelings and sensations not his own overran his system. When he stood up again it was a different man who looked at a different woman.
“ Aida, beloved. We’re together again,” Scott/Radames said and took Ororo/Aida in his arms. This time Scott regained control over his body faster than the last time but the feelings were still there. Standing with Ororo in his arms he followed his instincts and bent down and claimed her mouth with his own. When Ororo responded to his kiss, he drew her closer and the kiss deepened. Reluctantly they drew apart when they ran out of breath.
“ I don’t know what has gone into me. I don’t know what’s real or what’s not,” Scott admitted confused and still held on to her as if she was the only safe thing in an insane world.
“ I dream of you in the night, I long for you during the day,” he continued and tightened his grip almost painfully around her. “ Feelings and memories not my own keep invading my mind,” Scott said in frustration. He looked down at her white blouse and brown pants.
“ Like I remember you wearing a simple red dress. It wasn’t even a pretty dress but I thought you were the most beautiful woman in the whole palace,” Scott’s voice sounded far away and was on the brig of changing and his left hand went to his head.
“ Stay with me, Scott. Remember who you are. You’re Scott Summers. You have never been to a palace,” Ororo said in calming tones and stroked his hair.
“ Then why can I see it inside my head, in colours no less?” Scott asked pained but Ororo could give him no answer.
“ I don’t know but I do know that you’re not the only one who has had dreams. Ever since our kiss in your office I have seen flashes of memories not my own. I have seen a land of great beauty but in great distress. I have seen my father.”

Scott turned her head towards him as he felt her slipping away from him.
“ Look at me,” he demanded. Ororo turned empty far away eyes towards him.
“ Ororo, you are an orphan like me. Neither of us remember our parents.”

Ororo shook her head and light returned to her eyes.
“ I know but I can still see it,” she said confused. “ What is happening to us?” She asked shocked and buried her face at his shoulder.
“ I don’t know, lov. I don’t know,” Scott mumbled and stroked her long silver hair. “ But I do know this; I love you with a passion and intensity I can not explain.”
“ That is kind of the problem, isn’t it?” Ororo whispered weakly and lifted her tear-filled eyes to look at him.
“ We don’t know if these feelings we have now are our own or someone else’s,” she whispered softly.
“ Whatever it is, we’ll face it together,” Scott promised.
“ Just like before, Beloved?” Ororo asked and her voice and eyes had taken on the shape of another woman from another time.
“ Just like before,” Scott/Radames promised and planted a soft kiss on the top of her head

Showing the book to Ororo they opened it together at the table. They turned over the pages until;
“ That’s her!” Ororo proclaimed and pointed at a drawing of a beautiful coloured woman in her early twenties. She was wearing a crown and a cape over a fine dress.
“ I have never seen you in that dress. You look stunning,” Scott uttered before he regained control.
“ Princess Aida, heir to the throne of Nubia. Taken as a slave by Egyptians. Sentenced to death with Captain Radames, Princess Amneris of Egypt’s fiancée, for treason against Egypt,” Ororo read under the picture. Scott turned some more pages and found a picture of Radames.
“Captain and explorer Radames, Princess Amneris of Egypt’s fiancée. Captain Radames led many successful conquests against Egypt’s neighbours, among them the rich kingdom of Nubia. Radames was the son of the Pharaoh’s adviser, Zoser, who was executed for the murder of the Pharaoh. Radames was sentenced to death, by the Princess Amneris herself for aiding the captured king of Nubia to escape, together with the captured Princess Aida of Nubia. A rumour tells that Aida and Radames were lovers and that when Amneris gave Radames a chance to escape death if only he married her and let Aida die, he declined and asked only to be buried together with Aida. A wish that it is told the Princess gave him as she let them die in a tomb together. Legend says that their love was so strong that even death could not break it and so their souls will one day meet again,” Scott read slowly, tears forming in his eyes.
“ Are you alright, lov?” Ororo/Aida asked him concerned.
“ No, I’m not. I was one of them. I truly believed slavery was necessary for our country. I was a fool,” his voice was filled with self-hatred and Ororo/Aida lay a calming hand on his shoulder.
“ You need to let go of your hate and regret. I forgive you. You have changed,” she said softly.
“ But I can’t forgive myself. Ever,” Scott/Radames said sadly. Scott/Radames sank to his knees in pain as Scott fought to free himself and with a supporting arm from Ororo he got up again when he had won the battle of wills.
“ You okay?” He asked her concerned.
“ Yes, it usually disappears when it does for you as if I’m only here to guide you,” Ororo shook the beginning cloud around her mind away.
“We really need the Professor’s help. I don’t think I can do this anymore. I’m going crazy,” Scott said desperately.
“ He’ll be back tomorrow,” Ororo said comforting.
“ I know. I just hope I can endure the guilt until then,” he uttered softly, his voice sounding as if he was in anguish.

Xavier nodded understanding. Ororo took Scott’s hand for support and prepared herself for Xavier’s entry into her mind. She knew he would try to be gentle but she also knew that Aida would fight like a wildcat to stay so she could be with her lover for just a little longer and in Ororo’s heart she felt sorry for this young woman who had taken the burden of a whole nation on her shoulders and died way before her time.
“Prepare yourselves,” Xavier warned and Scott leaned over and gave Ororo a quick kiss.
“ I love you” Scott/Radames said in the same moment Xavier entered their minds.
“ Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!” Pain ran through Ororo and Scott and forced them to their knees.
“ Love….you…too…” Ororo/Aida uttered pained and crumbled up in a ball on the floor from the pain. Scott/Radames lay himself protectively over her even though it did him no good as the source of pain came from within and not without.
Xavier’s attack became more intensive and both Ororo and Scott cried out in agony. It hurt Charles to do this to them but it was the only way if not they were to lose their minds.
“ I ….will ……find…you….again…..Always….Beloved…” Scott/Radames rasped weakly in between harsh breaths.
“ …..Always…..love…..Always…..” Ororo/Aida uttered weakly and their fingers intertwined before, with a last scream, both lay still.

Touching Ororo, loving her, tasting her. Somehow Scott had trouble seeing how that could ever be awful so he said nothing.
“ I’m so glad you’re ok. I was so worried,” she said and kissed him on the lips and Scott caught himself thinking; I wish it were Ororo.
“ I’ll let you get some rest,” Jean smiled and walked away from his bed.
A few hours later he was up and his first thought was to find Ororo. He found her in his office. He knew that from now on he could never enter the room without remembering, without tasting her lips against his, feeling her against him.
“ You ok?” He asked concerned.
“ Yeah. And you?” She answered and avoided his graze.
“ I’m fine.”
“ Good.”
“ Good.”
An odd silence settled over them.
“ Well, I guess there’s nothing more to be said,” Scott said softy.

Except, I still love you more than life itself. I don’t care if it’s a leftover from Radames or whatever, I still feel it. I know you don’t feel the same but I can’t help it. I love you!!! He thought as hard as he could but of course she couldn’t pick up on his thoughts.
“ I guess so,” she said quietly.

I love you but you belong to Jean. Always have and always will. But I will never stop loving you. I understand Aida´s feelings now more than ever for they are my own; I love you!!! She thought desperately as Scott, gallant as ever, opened the door to his office and let her out of his office and out of his heart. Suddenly the air felt colder and Scott felt more alone than ever before.
Goodbye, my heart, my love, he thought and sent his love towards her in his mind and heart, even though he knew it would never reach her.
For the first time ever Ororo felt a shiver as coldness invaded her body and she looked one last time at Scott. They would meet every day, seeing but never touching. She could imagine no greater torture than that.
Goodbye, beloved, goodbye. On a thought and a prayer her feelings flew towards him but never reached him. She was at the end of the corridor and disappeared from Scott’s range of vision. The corridor became quiet and empty, only the faint sound of crying as hearts were breaking disturbed the stillness of the Mansion.