The sand whipped through the air as Mekhi's device zapped Pearl far into the past. The air was dry where they had landed. The ground was parched and cracked, all around except for a beaming Utopia in the sands. Ancient Egypt. The Nile river ran through the barren surface, only next to it do flourishing crops of Papyrus and desert fruit dare grow. Boats moved slowly along the river, carrying trade goods. Although the ground below was parched, the sky above beckoned a storm. Mekhi had changed his outfit as well. He was wearing a leather tunic and pants, with linen wraps around his chest and stomach. The threads hung off his body and dragged among the sand. HE was wearing ragged sandals but his glasses and haircut stayed the same.

"Welcome to Ancient Egypt. Or should I say, Great Egypt! After all, it isn't ancient just yet." Mekhi laughed as he picked some sand and lost it through his fingers. He lost his Spanish accent and had gained a more old and articulated voice. Pearl looked around, she remembered this place. This is where the great pyramids where, they gleamed in the distance, an architectural high point of humanity. But it was child's play for the Gems.

"If you're hear to show me the Pyramids..." Pearl scoffed.

"I wish I was, but I think I've done my fair share of time travel to know that humans had some help with those rocks." Mekhi began to walk to a large city among the sands. Egyptian people beckoned to him for trade, but quickly shunned him as they saw his bandages. Pearl on the other hand, was showered with offers of fruit and gold for trade. It must of been the Gem on her forehead, perhaps they mistook her for royalty? But it was when they entered the court of the Pharaoh that they realized what they were here for. Pearl looked to see a human man, standing before the Pharaoh and his guards. The man was wearing ragged shepherd's clothing and sandals. He carried a tall wooden staff that curled at the top.

"Thutmose...I demand you let my people go!" The man's voice echoed through the temple. The Pharaoh only laughed and sent him out once again. As the guard's took him out he shouted, "If you do not, I must curse you with the Plague's of God! I beg you Thutmose! Let my people go!" The guards through him onto the streets, he landed next to Pearl and Mekhi. He got up.

"Are you the one they call Moses?" Mekhi asked the man. He nodded. Mekhi smiled and kneeled to the man. "Do not worry, your people shall be free, but they must pay the price of their idiocy." Moses hung his head low.

"I have a heavy heart...but it must be done." Mose's raised his staff, then slammed it into the ground. Pearl felt the vibration, as did the rest of the city. The next thing Pearl heard, was the screams of fisherman and trader's. They ran from the river into the streets.

"The water! The water has changed!" Their leather bandages and legs were stained with a red liquid. Blood. Pearl looked to Mekhi and Moses. Mekhi then explained to her what was going to happen. The Exodus had begun. Mekhi had brought her here to show the spiritual powers of human. Moses was the vessel of divine power, but he was also human. Pearl and Mekhi watched as the people began to dump all the water they had to the ground, all of it had become blood. Even the Pharaoh spit it out his drink, for the water had adapted the sanguine taste. Moses ran into his home, as the people began to scream in horror. Pearl tried to help them, trying to find any source of water for the terrified civilians. But it was all in vain. She walked over to Mekhi.

"How long does this last?" Pearl looked around at the now panicked Egypt.

"This plague lasts but a day, but I am afraid the Pharaoh costs these people more then just clean water." Mekhi laughed as he watched the people scramble about. Pearl clenched her fists. The next time she saw Moses she would talk some sense into him.

"Why is he doing this?" Pearl gave Mekhi a dirty look. Mekhi explained that thousands of innocent people were being kept as slaves, just for the enjoyment of the Egyptians. None the less that these people were people blessed by the Creator himself. Pearl lowered her tension, but was still angered by the curse. She and Mekhi waited and watched for 10 days. The plagues ripped Egypt apart. The locusts ripped apart the crops, the people had developed oozing rashes. Lice inflicted even the smallest of children and flies swarmed the streets. If there was any water remaining, there was guaranteed to have the ugliest frogs in it. The live stock dropped dead as soon as the herder touched it. Storms raged at night, and the day was shrouded with clouds. But the worst came on the 10th day. Pearl and Mekhi sat among the streets. It was the first calm day all week. Pearl was relieved that the people had finally caught a break, but she was confused when she saw some of the villagers smearing blood on their doors.

"What are they doing?" Pearl watched as the family returned inside. Mekhi held his head low. He was shaking as he spoke.

"The 10th day. The day of Death." Mekhi told Pearl about the final curse, how death would come to reap the first born child of those who did not perform the ritual. Pearl shook her head in doubt. But her doubt was silenced when she saw a fog role in through the streets. Mekhi gulped heavily. Pearl watched as his cynical complexion faded to an uneasy fear. A man walked limped down the street. He seemed old and week, his voice trailed as he whispered. His eyes were sunken in and he looked devastated. He wore tattered mummy bandages and a robe. The fog followed him as he limped. Pearl drew her spear sensing danger.

"Who are you!" She demanded to know, pointing her spear to the limping man. The man did not answer, he only walked closer. Mekhi got up and tugged on Pearl's arm, telling her to back away. Pearl moved back and watched as the man made his way past the two, mumbling. He made it to the center of the town, right to where the Pharaoh's palace was located. He pointed his arm forward and the mist spread through the town. He then turned towards Pearl and Mekhi.

"I am not here for you...Pearl...but all those who walk in life will fall to my their knees before me." The man gave a grizzled laugh as the fog seeped into the unmarked houses. While Mekhi began to panic as the fog reached for him, Pearl just swirled her hands through it. It smelt of lavender. "What's the problem boy?" The man joked, "Afraid of the inevitable? We all meet our time's end." It was a cruel pun, but Pearl couldn't help but snicker. The man then began to speak to Pearl, "I don't think you should be laughing either, Pearl, all Gem's pass as well! So don't get all Rose-y cheeked with your giggling." Pearl immediately stopped. Whoever this guy was, he was pretty insensitive. Mekhi finally yelled out.

"Death! Please! Do not agonize these children! Make their passing quick!" Mekhi begged with the strange man. The man shrugged and brought his hands down. The fog vanished, but the sounds of mother's and father's gasping and crying resonated all too quickly. The man disappeared into thin air. Pearl realized what had just happened. All those children whose parents had not marked the doors. The first born child had just been killed, at the hands of Moses. She turned and looked at Mekhi in horror.

"A human...did this...?" Pearl gasped as she saw mothers and fathers run into the street with panic and sadness, they ran to the Pharaoh holding their children, but it was all too late.

"We humans have a special bond with the Creator...sometimes we must do his will in ways we do not enjoy...but this...this was necessary..." Mekhi held his head low.

"You call this a feet?" Pearl spat in disgust, "Killing innocent young?"

"I call it a punishment!" Mekhi shot back, "I punishment delivered with power no Gem could hope to posses!"

"We Gems may not be able to speak to the Creator, but we are an articulated race! A race of intelligent and aristocratic people!"

"Do you know what word aristocrat even derives from?" Mekhi shot back in anger. It would take more then The Exodus to show humans potential, maybe he had to take a intellectual stand point, instead of a spiritual one, and what better place to visit then the birth place of critical thinking itself. He ripped his bandages from his arm and revealed his device, he grabbed Pearl's hand and the device whisked them through time once again.

"Next stop, Ancient Greece!"


Chapter 2 done. I feel this is one of the more sensitive chapters, but trust me next chapter will be better. Please leave a review to tell me how this is going, and maybe comment some places you would like to see Pearl visit. Thanks for reading!