It was a dark night in ancient Egypt. It was so dark that even the wild jackals were staying within their dens.
But, if one would look carefully, he would see the shapes of three dark silhouettes that were slowly walking down one of the capital's streets.
"Is it really wise to get out on the streets at such a late hour?" a whiny voice asked. One of the three girls nervously looked over her shoulder. "What if the Nile Bandits are sneaking around?"
"You're a coward, Minak-Osiris," the raven-haired leader huffed. "The bandits would never dare showing their faces in the capital of our ruler, the great Pharaoh Mam-Or-Amun!"
"Don't tell me you aren't worried, Horei," the third one, a tall girl with unusual brown hair muttered.
"Of course I'm not," Horei angrily snapped. "After all, my father is a member of the palace guard and he taught me how to fight. Stop making such accusations, Ptah-koto!"
"She didn't seem so confident when the queen told us to meet her here, in the slums," Minak-Osiris, also simply called Minak by her friends, whispered to her tall friend Ptah-koto.
"Enough of this," Horei grumbled. "Let's rather try to find the queen. She told us to meet her here... I wonder what would be so important that the Pharaoh's wife would risk her safety by coming to such a place like this."
"Well, her personal guard will most likely protect her," Minak shrugged. "But I still think we should..."
She wanted to say something else, but then her gaze fell upon a dark figure that had appeared on the other end of the street.
"Th-th-there..." she whispered "The N-Nile B-Bandits..."
Ptah-koto gulped. "Are you certain?"
"Who else would dress like that?" Minak whimpered, gesturing at the black cloak and hood of the mysterious figure that was approaching them. "I don't know about you, but I'm outta here!"
She turned around to run, but Horei swiftly grabbed the collar of her clothes. "Stay here! We're in no danger!"
"B-but the Nile Bandits..."
"Would you believe me to be a bandit, Minak-Osiris?" a gentle voice asked while the 'bandit' pulled the hood off 'his' head.
Minak stared at the face of her queen in awe. Then, she and her two friends quickly bowed down. "Y-your Highness!" Ptah-koto stuttered. "I didn't know it was you..."
"What are you doing... in this attire?" Horei wondered when she looked up at her queen.
Queen Serenitete smiled. "Well, it's a good disguise, don't you think? No one would believe that the queen of the Nile would disguise herself as a bandit, right?"
"A wise decision," Ptah-koto nodded. "After all, why should a bandit ambush one of his own?"
"Just as the old saying goes," Minak grinned. "She's like a jackal in camel's clothing."
The others all sweatdropped. "You mean, like a wolf in sheep's clothing..." Horei mumbled.
"Anyway, could we please continue this conversation back at your house?" the queen asked. "I fear there might still be other people around that might listen."
"Yes, that would be better," Horei nodded. "Here, it's this way..."
Serenitete turned to follow her servants and friends... but before she took another step, she stumbled over her own cloak and fell right onto her beautiful face.
"Your Highness!" the girls gasped. "Are you all right?"
Serenitete pulled her face out of the dirt and rubbed her nose. "Owie... that hurt."
----
Shortly after that, they were all sitting in the humble home of the three servant girls, a small house in the outskirts of town. The three of them were sitting around their queen and listened to her tale.
"You said you moved out of your own bedroom just so there would be enough space for the Pharaoh's riches?" Ptah-koto asked in disbelief.
Serenitete nodded. "I'm afraid so," she sadly smiled.
Manik-Osiris tried hardly not to laugh out loud. Yes, she would love to be in that situation: To own so much gold that you have to make place for it.
"And you decided to stay with us because of that?" Horei asked, a little bit worried about her queen's sanity.
"Of course," Sernitete smiled. "Why shouldn't I? After all, you are my closest friends since childhood."
"But couldn't you easily sleep in the quarters of your handmaidens?" Ptah-koto wondered.
"Maybe, but this wouldn't be the same," the queen sighed. "After all, you are the only people that treat me like a person, not like the wife of a god... I only want to stay for a while, until the architects came up with a solution. They are all working hard to design the blueprints for a new building, a storage chamber where my beloved husband Mam-Or-Amun can keep his treasures."
"But we haven't enough beds in here," Minak protested. "And they are way too small, so someone would have to sleep on the floor."
When she saw her friends and the queen look at her with big grins on her faces, she instantly shook her head. "Oh no! Nonononono! I won't do that! Nu-uh! Forget it!"
"But Minak, it's for the queen, our friend." Horei grinned like the goddess Bast herself. "Surely, you can endure this for a few nights..."
"Oh yeah, and the nights turn into weeks, and the weeks into months, I know how those things turn out..."
Queen Serenitete frowned at her. "Minak-Osiris, would you prefer I pull out the papyrus with all your outstanding debts?"
"No! Wait! You don't have to do that!" Minak gasped. "Spare me the papyrus... I'll let you sleep in my bed for a few nights." She sighed in defeat.
Serenitete smiled. "Thank you so much, Minak-Osiris! You are too kind!"
----
About one week later, the Pharaoh's architects were able to present him their first results.
It has been a difficult time for both the queen and her three friends, Serenitete not being used to their sort of lifestyle, while Ptah-koto, Minak-Osiris and Horei had to endure her moods and clumsiness.
Also, Minak was missing sleeping in her own, warm bed, which she had to leave for her queen... and at the same time, she had to endure Serenitetes unbearable snoring.
Even the normally very patient Ptah-koto and Horei were glad when they were allowed to attend the Pharaoh's meeting with his architects, together with their queen and friend.
Mam-Or-Amun was sitting atop his throne, his gaze sweeping over the assembled people.
"So, let's begin. What did you all bring me? You there, let's start with you."
A scrawny young man called Uminoth stepped forth. He was very nervous as he raised the plans of the building he came up with.
"I, um... I thought about a new palace with 330 chambers. If you would take a look at the plan, my Pharaoh..."
Mam-Or-Amun took a short look at the blueprints, then shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, but this is too banal. Next one, please!"
The disappointed Uminoth stepped aside to make way for a beautiful-looking woman with dark green hair. She had a confident smile on her face.
"My Pharaoh, if you would take a look at what I had in mind..."
"I think I know her," Horei whispered to her friends. "That is Bastet-Suna, the famous inventor and architect. Some say that she was the one that constructed most of the temples in our kingdom."
"Wow..." Minak-Osiris was impressed.
"I see..." the Pharaoh said as he took a look at Bastet-Sunas blueprints. "Your building is shaped like a pyramid..."
"That's correct, my Pharaoh," the female architect nodded. She gestured at a certain point on the plan. "If you look here, here is where we will make a hidden entrance to the treasure chambers..."
"Where I can store my gold," the Pharaoh nodded. "Sounds interesting."
"But that's not all," Bastet-Suna went on. "In later centuries, this building will make you famous."
"Sounds even more interesting," Mam-Or-Amun smiled. "I have to admit, I'm very tempted..."
A disapproving sigh could be heard from the crowd. Mam-Or-Amun looked up in surprise, and Bastet-Suna turned around angrily.
"Who dares to disturb my conversation with the Pharaoh?"
"Excuse me," a cute, blue-haired girl spoke up. "My name is Amisis - I've just become an architect - and I believe I have a better idea than this."
"Oh, have you now?" Bastet-Suna frowned, not liking the attitude of this young upstart.
Amisis nodded. "You know, while a pyramid may be a nice idea... I'd suggest something else. You know, a cube has - when the base has the same size - the triplicate volume of a pyramid."
She smiled at the Pharaoh. "Triplicate volume means triplicate storage place for your treasures."
The Pharaoh nodded. That sounded logical.
"Furthermore, the cube I came up with is totally impregnable."
"Really?" the Pharaoh asked. "To what extent?"
The young architect pulled out a small cube that looked like it was composed out of some smaller, colorful cubes.
"This is only a model of the real thing, my Pharaoh! You see, only one of the many color combinations will lead to a result." She held it up to the throne. "Try it yourself! If you manage to find the correct combination, the cube will open up."
"Um, I don't think I..."
Serenitete patted his shoulder. "Try it, dear! It's just a game, after all!"
Mam-Or-Amun took the small cube with a sigh and said: "Okay, fine!"
He turned around the various sides of the cube, while the hidden mechanism gritted and creaked.
After some time, sweat appeared on his forehead, as he still couldn't figure out how to solve the puzzle.
Amisis giggled. 'I believe that in future centuries, no one will be able to solve this puzzle,' she thought to herself. 'But I think it's better if I don't tell that to the Pharaoh.'
Finally, the Pharaoh gave up. "I have to admit, it really is impossible to open it without the correct combination." He looked over to Bastet-Suna, who was still waiting impatiently for an answer, her pyramid blueprints in her hands.
"I'm sorry, but I like this idea more than your pyramid."
Bastet-Suna didn't say another word, instead she just grabbed her blueprints, huffed and left the throne room.
"Looks like he's satisfied with that thing," Ptah-koto assumed.
Minak-Osiris nodded. "Yeah... it looks like fun, though. Think he'd lend me this model so I can try it myself?"
When she saw the disbelieving looks of her friends, she blinked. "What?"
----
Several days later...
Minak-Osiris gritted her teeth. "What I don't get (pant, pant)... is why we (pant, wheeze) have to help with the constructions of Amisis' goddamned cube (pant, pant, wheeze)."
"Don't complain," Horei groaned as she helped her two friends pull the wooden cart with the incredibly heavy stone blocks to the construction site of the 'Cube of Amisis'. "After all, whose fault is it that we are in debt to the Pharaoh and queen?"
"Oh, just the fault of a certain, blonde, very clumsy girl - whose name I diplomatically won't state - who turned the queen's last birthday festivities into a chaotic mess!" Ptah-Koto added with a grimace.
"Oh sure, blame me for what happened," Minak grumbled. "How was I supposed to know that the Pharaoh keeps such dangerous pets in his palace?"
"Minak, you set the Pharaoh's captured crocodiles free," Ptah-Koto sighed. "It normally IS common knowledge that they are not as harmless as a kittycat, right?"
Minak-Osiris mumbled something intelligible, but decided to keep her mouth shut for now and continued to pull the stone blocks to where they were needed.
----
And after a month and several weeks of hard work...
"See, my Pharaoh?" Amisis proudly said as she looked up at the impressive, multi-colored cube that was looming over their heads. "It has been a hard piece of work, but in the end, we finally made it."
"We?" Minak grumbled. "She only stood at the sidelines and gave us commands..."
Pharaoh Mam-Or-Amun and his wife Serenitete were overwhelmed. "Yes..." the Pharaoh said with a smile. "This is truly a monument you can be proud of, Amisis."
Amisis beamed at her Pharaoh upon hearing the praise. She then gestured at six levers that were situated near the colossal block.
"The first three levers move the horizontal parts of the cube... and the other three move the vertical parts."
"Very interesting," the Pharaoh nodded. "I have to give it a try."
The Pharaoh, his wife, the young architect and the three servants approached the six levers, then Mam-Or-Amun stepped forward and took one of them into his hand.
He looked at Amisis and his wife, nodded... and pressed the lever forward.
A deep and hollow rumbling echoed over the small valley, in which the enormous cube was situated... as one of the multi-colored parts slowly turned around, as if moved by the invisible hands of the gods.
"Absolutely incredible..." the Pharaoh said in awe. He grinned and reached for another handle, slowly moving one part of the cube after another, until his wife joined the fun and moved the horizontal parts, while her husband was moving the vertical parts.
"Looks like they're having fun," Ptah-koto observed.
"Sure, the members of upper nobility always have the fun and exciting playthings..." Minak pouted.
In the late evening, the queen and Pharaoh were finally satisfied. Mam-Or-Amun stepped back and nodded. "It's impossible to find the correct combination," he proudly stated. "Truly, Amisis... you can be proud of yourself! No one will ever reach the treasures of our kingdom, hidden in there."
"You already brought your treasures into the cube?" Horei asked in surprise.
"Yes, the last sack of gold has been brought into the treasure chamber within the cube last night," the queen explained.
"Now I want to see if everything is were it's supposed to be," the Pharaoh stated. "Amisis, what was the combination again?"
"Um, I don't have it memorized... but that's no problem. Your servants should have the papyrus on which I wrote the correct combination."
"Oh, thank goodness," Serenitete sighed, then giggled. "I was almost afraid all of our gold would be trapped inside that cube, and we wouldn't be able to get in. Girls, can you please give us the papyrus?"
"Sure," Horei nodded. "Ptah-koto, you have it, right?"
"Me?" the brunette girl wondered. "I thought you were the one who had it."
Horei shook her head. "No, I gave it to you just before I got that nasty cold and had to call in sick for several days, remember?"
"Oh, you're right! Um, where did I put it...? Ah, right, I gave it to Minak, she seemed so fascinated with the cube."
The Pharaoh smiled. "Oh, good. Well, Minak-Osiris... can we have it?"
Minak-Osiris was already searching through the pockets of her clothes, and suddenly, she had a very alarmed look on her face. "Uh-oh..."
"Uh-oh?" Horei frowned. "What do you mean, 'Uh-oh'?"
Minak gulped. "Well... we have a small problem here..."
"What do you mean?" the queen asked in confusion.
Minak-Osiris laughed nervously. "Um, I just remembered where I put that papyrus..."
"And where?" the king asked with a frown.
Again, the blonde servant gulped. "Please, promise you won't be upset, my Pharaoh..."
"Enough of this! WHERE?"
Minak slowly raised her index finger. "I believe it's in there... in that big cube."
And only a few seconds later, the inhabitants of the capital city all wondered if there was an earthquake... not knowing that the vibrations they felt were just the result of five people falling down on their backs with a humongous facefault.
----
Setsuna took another sip from her cup of tea. "And so, poor Minak-Osiris was commanded to tear down the entire cube with a single hammer the queen handed her personally... all by herself."
Minako and Usagi blinked. The others simply stared.
"So... and how come they still built the pyramid instead of the cube?" Usagi asked. "They could have always rebuilt the thing, right?"
Setsuna shrugged. "Well, after all what happened, Pharaoh Mam-Or-Amun was fed up with such modern contraptions like the Cube of Amisis... and in the end, he ordered the skilled and adept - and very good-looking, if I may say so - architect Bastet-suna to build her pyramid. For several years, the Great Pyramid of Giza served as the Pharaoh's treasure room... but in the end, it was being used as a tomb for one of his descendants. That's all."
The other Senshi exchanged a worried look.
"Setsuna..." Rei carefully spoke up. "Please tell us one thing..."
"And what is that?" the Senshi of Time asked.
"Do you really think we believe one single part of your story?" the raven-haired Shinto priestess asked in irritation.
Setsuna took another sip before answering: "Well, believe what you want to believe. I can just tell you what I saw through the Gates of Time. Now, do you want to hear the rest of the stories? Or do you think it's a waste of time, as you wouldn't believe me anyway?"
"Oh no, please go on," Ami pleaded. "Your story was indeed very, uuuh... exceptional. But, to tell you the truth, it was such an exciting story... I don't care if it happened like this or not." The blue-haired girl smiled at Setsuna. "I must say I'm very curious about the other six stories."
"Ami's right," Usagi nodded. "That story was so cool..."
Minako huffed. "Sure, because you were the queen and Ami the architect... and who was I? The clumsy sidekick who always messes things up."
"Well, then not much has changed over the centuries, right?" Artemis asked. "OW!" He then rubbed his head, right where his blonde protege had just slugged him.
"Well then, the second story..." Setsuna spoke up. "It's about my favorite Wonder of the World, to tell the truth. It is the story of..."