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Ancient Egypt..
The morning was bright when the slender figure of a young woman entered the prince's chambers. Her brown shoes tapped slightly on the ground with each footstep, awakening the prince.
"Good morning, prince," said the girl with a discreet smile.
The prince sat up in his bed, and tugged his sheets to his chest, "Klio! Don't come in on me when I'm sleeping!"
"Why not?" she asked pushing a lock of her light brown hair behind her ear, "You're under the blankets."
"Because princes deserve their privacy!" Rapses replied as the girl headed to his closet, "Now what are you doing?"
"Here," said the girl, tossing him a robe, "We have to get ready for the banquet. Pharoah Amenhotep wishes a word with you as well."
The prince sighed, "Not again!"
The girl shrugged, "Again."
Rapses moaned and put the robe about his shoulders and stood.
The girl turned and headed for the curtains, pulling them open to let the bright Egypt sun in.
"At least it's a good day," she stated turning to the now-dressed prince.
"Yeah, sure," said Rapses wandering over, brushing out his hair.
She smiled, "Oh, and don't ever call me Klio again. It's Kliopatra, or Patra."
She patted him on the head and turned and left the room.
"KLIOPATRA!" someone yelled from the corridor.
"Hmm," the prince muttered, "I really pity that girl."
Present, San Francisco..
"Presley looks fine," said Nefertina, "C'mon Ja-Kal! Let's go have some fun!"
"I don't want to! With the arival of that baby-sitter it has me set on edge," said Ja-Kal, "She reminds me of someone.."
Nefertina sighed, "Augh."
Down below Presley was hunched over his homework working on Algebra.
"Aw, man," Presley suddenly muttered.
A head peeked in, "What's wrong, Pres?"
"Nothing," said Presley putting his pencil down, "It's Friday night. I should be outside."
"Indeed," said Kliopatra with a nod, her fly-away brown hair shaking with movement.
Presley stood, "But all my friends are busy!"
Patra shrugged, "Then why don't we go somewhere?"
"Where?" Presley asked, "Oh! I know! The mueseum! There's this cool new mummy exhibit.."
Patra turned pale, "I guess.."
"Maybe not," said Presley, "I heard mom talking about the mummy being stolen."
"Hmph," Patra replied, "Who'd want a dried-out-wrinkly mummy?"
Presley shrugged.
Patra sat on the couch and sat indian-style as she scratched her left arm.
Then her hand travelled up to a black leather choker. A small fox-head shape was on it, it's figure of amethyst, a gleaming violet jewel. It was no larger in than a square inch.
"Wow!" said Presley hopping over, "What a pretty necklace!"
"I like it," said Patra with a smile, looking to him.
"How come your eyes are violet?" Presley asked.
Patra smiled, "Not everything has to make sense."
She took hold of the amulet Presley wore, "Egyptian heiroglyphics. Ones I understand well--"
Presley snatched it from her hand.
"It's... private," he said putting it down his shirt.
"I understand," said Patra with a smile, "Hey, why don't we order a pizza and go get a movie?"
"Hmm.. okay," said Presley catching a glimpse of something on her hand, "What that?"
"I.. cut myself," she replied.
"Oh," said Presley, "The bandages look so old.."
"That's just their color," said Patra, "Why don't you go order the pizza, and I'll take my bike and head to the movie place?"
"Okay," said Presley, "It's not like a need a baby-sitter."
"You do if your mom won't be back until Monday morning," said Patra.
"I guess," said Presley.
Patra smiled and put on a jacket and then headed out the door.
Then Presley noticed something else weird: Patra wore a pair of brown shoes. The same as the mummy in the mueseum. And her amulet looked like her mummy friend's, just amethyst and much more smaller. And she wore bandages.
Presley shrugged and went to call the pizzeria.
Ancient Egypt..
Kliopatra sighed and plucked her lyre mournfully as she sat on her bed, dressed in her finest. She would have gone to the banquet... if it were not for the amount of people who would be there.
Joari stuck her head in through the door, "Patra?"
"Present," said Patra, pivoting her body to face Joari.
"Oh, your lyre. Something's wrong," said Joari walking over and standing before the small being on the bed.
"Nothing's wrong," said Patra putting the lyre to lay upon her bed.
"Everyone knows that when you play your lyre something is wrong," said Joari.
"It's nothing, really," said Patra, "You can go enjoy yourself."
Joari poked her in the arm, "Come to the banquet!"
"Too many people," said Patra staring at the ground.
"I'll be there. And Ja-Kal. And Kalia. And Lyris. And Rath. And Rapses. And--" Joari went on.
"Okay, okay," said Patra with a smile, "You made your point."
Joari grinned, "Come on!"
Patra looked at her lyre and stood and followed her to the doorway.
"But I don't play the lyre when something is wrong," said Patra in a whisper behind Joari as she closed the door.
"Do too."
Present San Francisco..
Kliopatra walked along the cold streets, the chill biting through her clothing and bandages. Why had she come to San Francisco? To baby-sit a boy? And so what if Scarab found him? She was dead, she didn't need the world to be perfect.
She stopped and sighed. She hated herself for those thoughts. She loved Rapses like a younger brother.. the one she never had. And here she was, not caring whether he died or not.
She entered the grocery store and was imediatly kicked in the back. She slid behind a rack and turned. A group of men were standing around the register, gathering the money. Several customers were on the floor, hands over heads, curled in balls. She felt her anger growing..
'I need my armour..' she thought and silently clenched her hands into fists as a bright violet light rose from her pendant and flew around like wisps of smoke. It surrounded her body and wrapped about her like bandages. Then in a bright burst of white light she stood in the center of the store, glaring at the group.
"Hey looky, it's Sailor Moon!" one of the men in black stated flatly and Patra held her staff ready.
And she charged. Her staff hit two across the back of the head, and she kicked the other two down in a trip kick. Obviosuly there was four. Their defeat would be easy. She struck one of the tripped one across the head with her staff. Three unconscious. One to go.
With a swift swing the other had punched her in the left arm. She shrieked in pain and her armour and hair suddenly turned a deep black. Then her staff came down upon the man and he fell, unconscious. She tossed five bucks on the counter, took two movies in a swift move, and left.
"Sailor Moon, indeed," she muttered to herself, powering down and shaking her head.
Ancient Egypt..
Kliopatra walked towards the prince's room, her brown shoes rapping on the floor loudly with each step down the narrow and empty corridor. She paused. Two voices. Scarab's, and a female's.
"If we take them to the middle of the desert, we can dispose of the prince easily. We can have more shabties created. Say, fifty or so."
"Do we have enough dead?"
"Of course."
She suddenly began to run.. to Rapses' room. Then.. shabties in front of her! She slid to a halt right in front of them and they latched onto her strongly. Then a golden snake staff came down upon her head.. and she slid to the ground. She closed her eyes. For the last time.
Present San Francisco..
"Presley? I have the movies! Presley?!" Kliopatra looked about the house as she entered. No sign of Presley.
"Damn it," Patra moaned, "If I lose the prince Ja-Kal will never let me hear the end of it."
Then she froze, a sharp pain of realization kicking in, "But he's not here. None of the guardians are."
Patra suddenly turned as Presley thundered down the stairs, "Geez Patra, you're so pale!"
Patra smiled, "I was worried."
"About me?" Presley asked, "I can take care of myself. What's that you were muttering about someone not being here?"
"Talking to myself."
"You're really.. insane."
Patra smiled, "I'm not insane. I'm just not mentally perfect."
Presley grinned, "What movies did you get?"
Outside Ja-Kal turned to Eshe as the feline creature neared him. As all ways he felt doubt to let her near to the prince. She was so often called a demon. He turned back to the window and Eshe neared him, getting down on her knees. Then she froze.
"That's Patra."
"Are you sure?" Ja-Kal asked.
"I have better sight than any of you," said Eshe, "And that's the amulet around her neck, right? The one Amenhotep gave her. Plus.. look at the shoes. They don't make any like that anymore."
Patra turned at a creepy feeling running up her spine. She stood and headed to the east side of the house, to the back door. A golden snake slithered up and hissed at her.
Then a group of shabties burst in.
"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" Patra screeched and immediatly transformed.
"It's Kliopatra!" Heka hissed and turned as Scarab entered.
Patra grasped her staff with a might she had never found before.
"You will die Scarab!" Patra yelled and jumped over several shabties to knock him out into the back yard. Presley ran out.
"Prince! Run!" Patra yelled to him and Presley turned to face Heka.
"Mreow!" a black being lept at Heka and grasped her tightly at the neck.
Eshe threw Heka to a tree and headed for the prince. Ja-Kal was all ready destroying Shabties by the second. Her harpoon struck! Three shabties fell to the ground. She grinned and turned to the battle between Patra and Scarab.
Patra's armour had turned a dark black. Her skin was no longer its human color, not was a slate bluish-grey. She struck at Scarab time and time again with her staff.
"Don't. Touch. The. Prince!" she yelled and with one more blast hit Scarab back into a tree. He regained his composure and grabbed Heka, retreating.
Patra breathed deeply and turned to face Presley who stared at her with a mix of awe, surprise, and enjoyment.
"Wow," said Presley and he looked to Ja-Kal and Eshe.
Eshe grinned wide and hugged Patra tightly, "You're here!"
Patra smiled and stepped back, her armour returning to its oranges and violets.
"Even cooler," said Presley looking at her armour with admiration.
"Nothing fancy," said Patra powering down, but her staff remained.
She grinned to Ja-Kal and kissed him on the cheek, "Missed ya too."
Ja-Kal turned beet red, "Welcome.. back."
Eshe snickered and the four went into the house.
Patra escaped through the Sphinx's eye, the cool wind beckoning to her as she stepped up to the top and held on. She looked at the city below with a bit of anxiety. Then a shadowy being formed. An owl, the symbol of Athena.
"Having fun?" she asked in a voice that spoke of ever-knowing grace.
"Enjoying it," said Patra, "I get to see my old friends Eshe and Joari. And Ja-Kal."
Patra folded her arms over her chest and sighed. Athena merely smiled.
"Isn't it time either you or he moved on? You, get over him. He, gets over his wife."
"When you get married, vows are forever."
"Until.. death."
"Perhaps."
"Everyone has a destiny, a kismet that they must unfold. Yours.. is just beginning."