Update! Yay. So, here is the second chapter of the story, I hope you guys like it. :) Working on my other stories right now but a research paper is getting in the way of such things so it may be a while. (Sorry.)

pegasiger: As I look back at it, the chapter was rushed. (But I hope this chapter will make up for it in some ways.) When I have the time I'll remake the chapter and put some more detail into it but at the moment my hands are slightly tied. : /

As for the other reviewers and readers, thank you for reading and reviewing my story. :)

Discalimer, I own nothing.

The Fountain of Time

Chapter 2

Anzu felt like clutching her brown hair and screaming her butt off. This was not how the village should look like, it should have looked old, but these places looked used, but not destroyed by the elements. They were still wearing the same things, knee length white pants paired with a white shirt with a gold phoenix sewed into the front. Their gifts from their mother this trip. Kisara had a blue phoenix while Mana had a cute dark green phoenix. Boots were simple and old. In fact, they weren't even properly black. The area around them changed but they didn't . . . why that bothered her she couldn't understand, she probably wouldn't, didn't even want to understand why it bothered her. Wait, now she knew.

They did not fit in, at all.

"Anzu?"

"What, Mana?" she asked.

"Do you have any idea where," she gulped. "We are and when?"

Anzu paused and looked around; she was utterly confused as much as her sisters were. There were no markers that said, 'Welcome to Ancient Egypt!' or wherever they were. No, it should be when, what time were they in Egypt? When there were pharaohs still ruling and sitting on a throne or were they thrown back in the middle of a time where there was a major war going on? She shivered at the thought. "I really don't know Mana. Your guess is as good as mine."

Kisara was looking around, her eyes wide with fear. "Anzu . . . if we're really back in time I'm not going to be liked by anyone." She whispered softly, tears started to gather in her eyes. Anzu growled as her instinct to protect her sisters flared up. Wrapping her arms around Kisara's small frame she held her close.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." She said. "Look at me Kisara." She commanded. The pale young woman looked up, uncertainty within her wary gaze. "I won't let anyone get close to you, if someone wants to throw rocks, I'll throw right back!"

Mana bounced up beside Anzu, determination set in her dark emerald eyes. "I second that, Kisara. I won't let anyone get near you." She said, throwing her arms around her sister.

Kisara blinked back her tears and a smile formed on her pale pink lips. "Thanks you guys." She said.

Anzu let go and looked around and froze.

Oh shit.

"Um, guys, don't move." Kisara and Mana looked her way, confused.

"Why?"

"There's a lion." They all looked up and felt their stomachs tighten. It was a lioness and she was looking at the small group with curiosity, or maybe that was hunger. They remained frozen as another cat, a cheetah, came up beside the lion. Anzu felt her eye twitch. Lions and cheetahs, as far as she knew, were not the best of buddies, but these two sat side by side together. "Um . . . this is really weird." She said to herself.

Mana blinked and looked over at Anzu in surprise. "What?"

Anzu turned. "That's weird," she waved her hand over at the cats. "Lions and cheetahs never get along."

"Yeah, I know that but umm, what language were you speaking?"

Anzu rolled her eyes. "English, or cour-" she stopped. To her brain it sounded English, to her ears, not so much. She was speaking another language without needing any lessons . . . beat that stupid Spanish teacher.

Kisara's hands flew to cover her own mouth. Mana eyes looked ready to pop out of her head. "I understood you! You're speaking another language, well, I am too, but I understood it!" she gasped. "The world is ending!"

Anzu rolled her eyes while Kisara finally broke into full blown laughter as she clutched her stomach. "Really, Mana? Seriously?"

"I can't help it! You know it's almost impossible for me to speak and learn a new language." Well, she was right about that. Mana started to pace around, hands in the air speaking mindlessly as a crazy happy grin spread over her face. One couldn't blame her. When you had problems learning and speaking a language and then you get thrown into a world where suddenly you can speak two languages like its nothing, yeah, that'll make anyone happy.

Anzu grinned but out of the corner of her realized something. The lion was still there but the cheetah was gone. She opened her mouth to speak but her words were stuck and a crash of white noise made her brain go fuzzy as she felt something rub against her hip. Anzu looked down to see the cheetah rubbing its head on her leg. Kisara and Mana had paused in their doings to stare. "Anzu, I didn't know cats liked you." Mana said. "As in, big cats."

"Um, neither did I." she said. The lioness moved then, sauntering over with the grace that only cats possessed. Mana and Kisara watched, jaws hanging as the lioness came to stand in front of Mana, its tail flickering slightly but she looked relaxed and rolled around, like a giant over-sized kitten.

Kind of . . .

Kisara crouched down and scratched behind the lioness's ear only adding to the lioness's playful nature. "I know that in Ancient Egypt the Egyptian's would take newborn lion, cheetah, and sometimes leopard and black panther cubs to train them for hunting and just every day household protection."

Anzu blinked and started to scratch the cheetah's ear, causing it to purr even louder. "That's some great security system, but here's a great question, who . . . well, looks after them, or who do they look after?"

"An excellent question, mortal."

The sudden voice made them all jump. They looked over to see a beautiful woman with flawless golden tan skin like Mana's with sharp, cat-like green eyes that shimmered in the light. She was tall with long graceful arms and legs. She had an air about her, imposing and fierce. Her long black hair reached mid-back, but the ends were straight and even. Gold chains with jewels encrusted into them hanged from a solid band of gold that encircled her head like a crown. She moved and walked with the same grace as the cats. Anzu truly thought she would have to glue her jaw back on. "Huh?" she asked smartly.

The woman smiled. "These two are Kasmut," she waved her hand to the lioness. "And Tena." She then waved a hand to the cheetah that refused to part with Anzu. "She cares for you, I see." The woman said, eyeing Anzu and Tena. She then moved closer. The woman was covered in what looked like white silk and gold. The top was bikini style while the bottom was close to bikini style but two long flaps of the white silk stuff covered up specific areas. Gold bands on her arms and legs. This woman looked to be royalty. "Your name, mortal." She tipped her chin forward, her green eyes flashing in challenge.

Anzu felt her ire rise, making her eyes narrow. "Only if you give us your name."

The woman smiled, as though she had been pleased. "I am Bastet, the goddess of fire, cats, home and fertility, and the sun and moon. I am also known as the Lady of the East." She said, her tone imposing and powerful. Anzu wanted to call her crazy but when you traveled through time way before you were born it was hard to deny the supernatural.

"I'm Anzu Mazaki, and these are my adopted sisters, Mana and Kisara."

Bastet looked over the three. "Sisters by bond but not blood." She murmured softly. She looked over at the fountain. "You have come through the Fountain of Time."

"Yeah . . . about that. How do we get home, like, back to our time?"

Bastet looked at them her eyes flashing with amusement. "Get back?" she laughed. "The only way you may return is if you complete what you were meant to do here, or you have the choice of staying here in this time." Boy, her mother sure as heck forgot to mention that part of the story.

Anzu sighed and kicked the dust and started to pace. "Our mom is going to be worried for us. Hell, she'll probably kill us for leaving like that."

"Your mother would abuse her daughters for walking the path of their destiny?" Bastet sounded rather confused with that. Anzu's eyes widened as she paused in her pacing to shake her head.

"No, but she's not going to be very happy for just leaving her with no note." Anzu explained. Bastet seemed to understand.

"Many times we must do something difficult to follow the path we were born to walk upon." She said. "Now that you are here, perhaps Egypt may find balance."

Mana frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

The goddess waved her hand, as if to refer to all of Egypt. "This land and its people have overcome a great evil and are now rebuilding, but Pharaoh Atem still has many challenges to face and because of this, I prayed to the Universe that it bring me someone who could help." She paused and smiled at them. "And it seems the Universe has heard me and given me not one, but three souls to help the Pharaoh."

Anzu held up a hand, a signal for the goddess to stop. "Okay, so you prayed for us, what do you want us to do exactly to help out Egypt? Like, protect this Pharaoh guy or be-friend him?" Bastet blinked before nodding.

"I want you to get close to the Pharaoh and keep him safe. Yes, he may know how to defend himself and he deals with danger every day, but there are some things that you may know that he does not. For instants, I have seen Anzu that you know several fighting techniques." Anzu blushed and mumbled under her breath, making Bastet grin as she turned to Mana. "And you, Mana, have a large amount of untamed magic within you."

"I do?!" she squeaked in shock and surprise. Bastet turned to Kisara.

"And you, Kisara, within your soul is a heavenly being that has always been protecting you." Kisara blinked and held her hands to her chest at the very thought that she held something powerful and heavenly. "All three of you have a special role to play here in this land. To help and aid you as much as I can, I shall leave you two with Kasmut and Tena." She turned to Kisara. "And you child, look within your soul and try to find what has always been there." She said before turning. "I leave you now, but should you ever need me, go to one of my temples and I shall help you as much as I can."

Anzu watched as the goddess walked away, disappearing in a shower of tiny gold lights. "I didn't just imagine that, did I?" she asked. Tena chirped, making Anzu look down. "Yeah," she said in a defeated ton of voice. "I didn't imagine that." They all paused for a moment before Mana and Kisara turned to Anzu.

Again?

"What do we do now?"

"Who made me the leader?" Anzu asked indignantly. Mana and Kisara shared a look before answering.

"You're the oldest." Kisara pointed out innocently.

Anzu scowled. "Right, so when I make a mistake you both have an outlet to take your anger and frustration out on, me."

Mana grinned. "Not a bad idea."

Anzu crossed her arms over her chest, her glare intensifying. "I vote Kisara." Now the pale young woman glared.

"Why me?!"

"Because you're level-headed. I get angry fast, you on the other hand are calm and often times think first before you act."

Mana nodded. "Anzu has a point there, and I think we can all agree that I'm not a good choice." That was also true. "So truly, you're the best to lead, Kisara."

Kisara and Anzu stared down, both in the same stances until Kisara sighed and gave in. "Fine, I'll be the leader." She huffed. The lioness and cheetah shared a look with each other, both seemed to be grinning.

Interesting.

In a hallway only lit by torches a man with spiky black hair tipped with violet and blond bangs framing his tan face, sharp crimson eyes framed with thick black lashes paced up and down the hall by a shut door. A crown sat upon his head with an eye that sat in the center of his forehead. Three bands of gold formed a collar, the third hidden by a long purple cape. His outfit consisted of white linen that was form fitted and was a one piece separated by four gold bands that formed a belt, giving the illusion that it was in two pieces. A blue strip of cloth was set in the center of his 'skirt' that ended at his knees. Arms and legs in more gold bands that only enhanced them. To complete the look an upside-down pyramid with an eye in the center hung from his neck.

He was obviously a man of power as the air around him was a force, an air of someone who had seen far too much. A low moan from the other side of the door made him pause in his pacing to look over at the door. A woman quickly exited the room; she too was covered in gold, but not to the extent of the man. She was small, a local since she had the same skin tone as the man, a light chocolate with dark blue eyes like the Nile's darkest and deepest water. Her black hair was hidden by a hood that was held by a kind of crown that was shaped like a bird. She was dressed in traditional Egyptian attire with a gold belt revealing her shapely curved and womanly body. The only jewelry she had on were two cuffs on each wrist and a necklace with an eye as the centerpiece.

"Isis." The man finally spoke. The woman, Isis, bowed her head but did not dare meet his gaze. "Is all well?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "I am truly sorry, Pharaoh Atem. The child was a stillborn, Queen Tey is weak, it was a difficult birth." Isis said softly as horror fell over Atem's features. He rushed into the room just as one of the women walked out, holding a small frail body within her arms. He held out a hand, forcing her to stop. The woman squeaked but did as told and held the child out.

With a shaking hand he lifted the white silk to reveal a child that he could clearly call his own. A boy. Chest tight, he tenderly covered his child's still form. He waved his hand away and walked into the room where his queen lay. She was covered in sweat, her black hair fanning out over the bed. Her eyes flickered open weakly to brown gold eyes. Atem sat down next to her and cupped her face gently, afraid that with the slightest amount of pressure she would break within his hands. "Tey."

She smiled, but it was a sad one. "I tired . . ." she gasped. "I tried so hard."

He leaned over her, resting his forehead on hers. "I know you did, Tey." With all her strength, she raised her hand to his cheek.

"I release your heart, beloved. Do not let my death make you hesitate in obtaining an heir, Atem . . ." she paused. "And love." He looked down at her, shocked.

"Tey . . . this cannot be you, for Tey is very jealous and does not like to share." He said, trying to lighten the heaviness in the room. She gave a shaky laugh.

"That is true, but my time is coming and I refuse to allow my death and our son's death to stop you from finding happiness, Atem . . ." she was struggling to stay awake now, but her eyes flashed open with a new found strength. "Promise me! Promise that you will find someone who can make you happy. I know that our union was picked out, but I have learned to care greatly for you and I cannot bear to be the cause of preventing you happiness. Promise . . ."

He closed his eyes. "I promise, Tey, I shall find my happiness." Atem said. Tey smiled and blissful peace enter her eyes as she closed them. Atem stayed until her chest stopped rising and her hand grew cold. Bowing his head, he felt hot tears slide down his cheeks. "My Tey." He sobbed quietly.

There was a moment of silence before he heard footsteps walking away. He did not care at the moment.

~o~

Isis walked to the throne room were the rest of the priests were and the new priestess, Teana. They all turned to her when she entered. Shimon spoke. "Isis, I pray to Ra that you bring us good news."

Isis shook her head. "I cannot give you good news. Queen Tey gave birth to a stillborn, the birth was too hard and made her too weak . . . she has passed to the Afterlife." Gasps went up. Teana walked forward.

"How is the Pharaoh?" she asked.

"I do not know, but I do know that we cannot press him to find another queen so soon. It would hurt and insult him at this moment of time." Isis said softly, her heart filling with sympathy for her king.

She remembered the first time Atem and Tey had met; it was the day that the former Pharaoh announced to his son that he would be married to the noble young girl. Tey once had been a sweet innocent child, but the death of her four children had been wounds that no one could heal.

The first child was a stillborn, but the doctor merely put it on the fact that they were so young. The second child, a girl who had been given the name Ana, had only been alive for five weeks before an assassin killed her. That day she'd seen the former Pharaoh, Aknamkanon, and his son both go into a fit of rage. She knew; though she did not like to think of it, that the assassin was still alive and would be tortured until he died of old age.

The second last child had been a stillborn, and now another brother joined him. It broke Isis's heart for her king. How any parent could bury all four of his children that he ever had was a feat in itself. Footsteps interrupted her thoughts, making her look up to see her king walk into the throne room. "Today will be a day of rest, grieve if you wish." Pharaoh Atem said in a tight voice and left. Isis closed her eyes.

"I should have foreseen this." She said softly.

Teana turned to look at her, shocked. "Priestess Isis! Do not say such things! You can hardly be blamed for the death of Queen Tey. Even if you had forewarned the queen she still would have had to give birth."

Mahado nodded. "Teana is correct, Isis. This is not something you should carry on your shoulders, ever."

Shimon walked over to her. "Isis, even if you had warned Queen Tey there might not have been anything we would have been to do to help her."

"We could have been prepared!" Isis said, starting to pace. She paused and touched her necklace then, her eyes misting over.

Teana gasped. "She's having a vision!"

The priests came slightly closer and waited until Isis had come back. "What did you see?" Seto asked.

"Three lights . . . it's so strange. One was pure white, another a pale gold and the last one was a blue, a very light blue that seemed . . . distant. The pale golden one seemed to be playful while the white one I could only feel serenity from it. The blue one was hard to read, one minute it would come in close but the second I dared to raise my hand to the orb it would flash away . . . the blue one has a hard time trusting for some reason. But the each orb is strong in its own ways."

"That's all you saw, orbs?" Mahado said.

Isis shook her head. "I understand it as much as you do, Mahado."

"Perhaps these orbs stand for someone's soul." Atem spoke, making Isis jump. He was leaning against one of the pillars. His eyes sparked with challenge and curiosity. "Could you tell if these orbs were . . . alive?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, they are alive, but the blue one . . . it is keeping me away from the other two orbs. Protecting them, I think."

Atem nodded. "Isis."

"Yes my King?"

"Find out more if you could."

"Of course."

"And also," he said, making her freeze. "It's not your fault, Isis. Do not blame yourself for her death." Isis turned to watch her king leave.

"Yes, my King." She said softly, a new determinedness growing within her.

Yeah, Atem's part starts in on a really crappy moment, but I was trying to be somewhat real in this stuff. So, werid things are happening already. Now Anzu, Kisara, and Mana need to travel across some miles of desert. (A game shall be played, for a bit of humor to add.)

Okay, so I might want to explain this quick acceptance of the fact that Anzu and the other two were speaking to a goddess. This is all part of the story. (Promise!) I'll explain it this way. You know when you hear something really weird but you accept it almost instantly and then later you're like, 'what the f*ck was I thinking?!' And one might think along the lines that they're insane. Anzu and the others have not hit that, 'wtf?! moment yet. (But they will in the next chapter.

Tell me what you think, please! Thanks for reading! Have a nice day or night. :D