Marik stared down the snake he had found. He had followed the sound of someone cursing about 'two-leggers' and had stumbled across it.
Odion had raced towards his little brother, only to find them in a staring contest.
Suddenly the snake 'blinked' and Marik crowed.
"I win again!"
The snake hissed at him irate.
"I am not a cheater!"
"Are you talking to the snake?"
"Yeah!" said Marik grinning. "Cool, right?"
Odion would have agreed...if it wasn't for the fact that it was well known among the clan that only the line of the Nameless Pharaoh had that ability through his wife.
And last he checked, the head of the tomb keeping clan wasn't from that line, and neither was his wife. And he knew for a fact that Isis wasn't of that bloodline...she was a direct descendant of the priestess who served the pharaoh.
When Odion pointed this out to his adopted mother, she grew deathly pale.
"You must not mention this to anyone. He will kill you if he finds out you've realized the truth."
Odion loved his adopted mother. She had saved him from certain death.
So when he found out that his 'father' wanted to tattoo Marik with the pharaoh's memories, even though he was of the man's bloodline, he knew he had to act. Ever since he had been saved, it had been ingrained in him to protect the bloodline from any harm. And while Marik wasn't the sole heir of that bloodline, he was Odion's little brother.
Which was why he did something desperate.
He contacted the Medjai who were visiting the clan for whatever reason and asked them rather openly to bring the Undying Queen here. Only she could protect Marik from this madness.
For obvious reasons, the queen did not visit often...if at all. After all, the tomb keepers kept her husband's memory alive through the ages and were protecting the few artifacts that had his image left.
They had to be hurriedly removed and saved for security reasons.
Odion felt nothing but guilt when he heard Marik screaming in agony as the keepers ritualistically tattooed his back...without any pain killers at all.
Near the end of the ritual, Marik was already passed out from pain. Odion hoped it would be over soon...so you could imagine his surprise when he felt the pure feminine fury coming from nearby.
An incredibly beautiful woman stalked through the halls and Odion knew in an instant this was a queen.
"What in the name of the gods is going on here?" she demanded.
The adults took one look at her, and stiffened.
"My queen, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" said Odion's stepfather.
"Someone alerted me that the tomb keepers were using my husband's bloodline for a ritual to imprint his memories without the boy's consent. And that there was someone willing to take on the burden and was rejected because he was adopted," she growled.
His stepfather looked at Odion with betrayal. Odion could care less as he used the distraction to check on his brother.
Marik was barely breathing.
The queen glared at the elders and checked on the boy himself. Her fury went up when she realized the child was given no painkillers.
Odion stayed with Marik, as did Isis.
The queen was furious, and Odion was relieved that she healed his brother up.
Marik, on the other hand, was beyond thrilled he was being moved to the Medjai camp for proper training. Case in point, how to maintain a motorcycle. Odion went with him, mostly because he called in the reinforcements.
Daniel looked at his audience with no small degree of frustration. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't actually talk about the true history of Egypt. Or explain how he knew the truth in the first place.
His grandmother had been quite clear about that matter... humanity wasn't ready to know of the false gods just yet. Look at what happened when they learned of magic! So many people dead or permanently traumatized because idiots decided that persecuting people with actual powers was a brilliant way to satisfy their own greed.
It sucked trying to find evidence that people could actually believe to prove the pyramids of Giza were actually landing pads for false gods. Then again it wasn't like he could tell them that he had learned how to speak Ancient Egyptian fluently from a cursed immortal priest that served his much older grandmother who was the wife of a pharaoh lost to time.
You could imagine his surprise when a much older woman who reminded him strongly of his grandmother approached him regarding his theory that the pyramids were more than just overly elaborate tombs.
Still the offer was highly enticing. A chance to prove his theory correct...and if he was right in his guess, a chance to see the Stargate in person.
Daniel barely hide his true excitement when he was brought into the mountain. It took him all of three seconds to spot the hidden Medjai inside the complex. They had a certain bearing that was impossible to miss.
Seeing the rather horrible translation, Daniel didn't hesitate to correct it. Honestly, he didn't know how that idiot's books kept getting reprinted...especially after his grandmother humiliated him when he made a rather grievous translation error that could have ended badly.
Two weeks later...
Daniel waited until one of the Medjai was on shift. He pulled out the coffee pot, pretending he needed to refill it for another round. He had already long since translated everything, but he had to wait for his grandmother or Imhotep to be able to visit the area.
Making sure no one else was in hearing, Daniel repeated the phrase that all Medjai were taught by rote before being allowed to leave the tribes for missions among the general populace.
"I'm a stranger traveling from the East, seeking that which is lost," said Daniel in Arabic. Most of the Medjai tribes spoke that language pretty fluently, next to English.
The man straightened up from his half-asleep position, looking at Daniel intently.
"I am a stranger traveling from the West, it is I whom you seek," he replied without hesitation in the same language.
Glad he had delivered that particular coded message to the hidden Medjai, Daniel discreetly slipped the note he had written to the man, before going back inside the room. There was no telling if someone was listening in.
A few days later the Medjai handed Daniel a message from the outside. Daniel couldn't get it out directly, as he was being watched for security reasons, but the soldiers had a bit more leeway. Besides, the Medjai were well known sleeper agents...no one would suspect them until they were activated.
Daniel couldn't help but feel the relief when he read the note...written in Ancient Egyptian.
Grandmother was coming, and was planning to be there in the event that they activated the Stargate.
Once she was in the complex, Daniel "miraculously" figured out the inner cartouche as astrological symbols. Unfortunately she could not join him when he went through the gate. However she did plan to load him up with as many useful things to start up a new village without any outside resources, among other things.
One week later...
"So doc, what's with the fancy bracelet?" asked Jack.
"It's a good luck charm from my grandmother," said Daniel. "She's the one who taught me to read Ancient Egyptian."
Besides, the 'fancy bracelet' was really a focus for his magic made personally by the Medjai smiths upon his coming of age. Like all those trained by the tribes, he had sworn an oath to protect the world from evil.
And, like any self-respecting Medjai, Daniel had learned to channel his magic without a wooden stick. While he could cast without any focus at all, he still needed one for the more finicky spells...and it made casting with runes much easier as he didn't need to use any mediums save his own magic to do it.
He had even figured out the trick to casting while drawing on nothing but air, something only experienced rune masters could pull off.
It was a pity his grandmother couldn't come with him. She had to stay behind because her 'younger' self was about to be thrown into the past soon and she had no idea if she could return through the gate.
At least he was more prepared than the soldiers thought he was.
Once he was through the gate, Daniel adapted quickly.
"So doc, where's the way back?" asked Kawalsky.
"It's not going to be anywhere near here, I can tell you that much. The false gods wouldn't have needed to keep it on hand since the higher ups likely already know the way back. But I'm betting someone must have written down," said Daniel without thinking.
"False gods?" repeated Jack.
"About five thousand years ago, creatures claiming to be the Egyptian gods descended from the sky and enslaved people. Eventually they rose up and kicked them out, but they made a point to destroy the device that controlled the gate so even if they did somehow manage to get back they couldn't return through it," said Daniel. Seeing the look on their faces, he snorted. "What, did you really think the Egyptian magical society would forget something like that? They made sure that there were no references for the public to find."
Jack stared him down in disbelief.
"I don't believe this... you're a wizard?"
Daniel shrugged.
"Grandma made sure I was properly trained, and when we realized what I was being hired to translate they made sure to send me with everything I'd need to survive the gate. I know for a fact that the false gods sent people through it to work the mines, which is why I also knew that the return address isn't going to be anywhere nearby. They wouldn't want their slaves to find a way home."
Jack was pissed, but at least they were still relatively on the same team.
"You're not going to erase our memories are you?" asked Jack suspiciously.
Daniel shook his head.
"There's no point. The only reason we kept an eye on the thing is because we didn't want the false gods coming back without any warning. Their technology is sufficiently advanced enough that we would have next to no defense against it, and if they've managed to colonize space then we're definitely at a disadvantage," said Daniel. "The Medjai will only get involved if there is a direct threat to Earth or humanity as a whole. Otherwise they could really care less. Besides, the Stargate is more in line with sufficiently advanced technology...it's not made from magic as far as we call tell."
If it could run on electricity, then it wasn't the problem of the American Ministry of Magic. And the odds of someone actually replicating the thing were too low to bother with...it would take at least a couple of hundred years, since no one was sure how the gate was made in the first place or with what materials.
He could only hope this didn't end badly.
Lotus sighed as she watched her younger self go through Hogwarts, unable to act as a normal girl. It was bad enough she had to stand by and watch.
Imhotep was still having trouble believing his Queen could be that submissive. At least he had settled down since Lotus really didn't have an issue with him still being in love with the same girl that got him cursed in the first place. If she could learn to behave and agree to the same terms he had, then he was free to marry her. After all, she wasn't a concubine in this life and Seti was long since dead.
Needless to say Imhotep was much easier to deal with after hearing that. He really didn't care about ruling the world, he just didn't want his claim on her challenged. Her last incarnation had been a sore disappointment, and if nothing else they could lie and claim he had been incarnated again after the last time he died.
Then...it happened. While Daniel had gone through the gate to find out what happened to the people the false gods had kidnapped, Lotus had patiently waited for her younger self to activate the wards and send her to the past.
She switched with her phoenix form and began to sing the same tune she had heard that day. She would have to reclaim the Millennium Scales later...she had needed a catalyst so that her younger self would end up in the wrong time period and Shaadi had been reluctant to part with the item for obvious reasons.
With the wards finally powered up for the first time in centuries, Lotus returned to grab Imhotep.
She wanted to have some peace and quiet before the idiots attempted to force her to undo her work.
Sure enough, it takes a week before she is approached by one of the members of the Order. It was Remus.
"I'm not going to undo the wards," she said flatly.
Remus gives her an odd look. He also gives Imhotep a wary one.
She goes quietly to Grimmauld place, and is already planning on how to cause some prime chaos. She was sure Sirius would approve, once he got over the shock anyway. The twins definitely would.
Spotting Bill, she had to smirk. There was no way he wouldn't recognize Imhotep. The Egyptian ministry had an open warning against him, and it was only the fact that the Medjai had assured them on their honor that he had been bound properly this time to someone who could actually handle him that had stayed their hand.
It didn't hurt that the Egyptian Ministry had long since been in control of the Medjai and Tomb Keepers, mostly through sleeper agents and infiltrators. In fact the current Egyptian Minister for Magic was the grandson of Ardeth Bey.
Seeing Dumbledore, Lotus fortified her mental shields. Her past self had hers shattered by Snape, but she had learned how to do it centuries ago out of boredom.
She rebuffed his attempts to find out why she was with Imhotep, and if he was stupid enough to try and read the cursed immortal she wouldn't help him.
As predicted, once Bill got a good look at the man beside her, he had a sharp inhalation of breath from shock and recognition.
"Potter. I should have known a brat like you couldn't resist causing trouble," sneered Snape.
Lotus considered her options, then realized there was little point hiding her true self. She didn't feel like worrying about being found out anyway.
Which was why she flung her hand out and sent Sirius and Remus to the main Medjai camp in Egypt. She then silenced Molly and froze everyone in place.
"Much better. Here's how things are going to go. You will not meddle in my affairs again Albus. If you do, or if any of your precious Order attempts to control me like a misbehaving child again, I will have my left hand kill you on sight," said Lotus, her tone making it clear that it was no threat.
Imhotep rather gleefully took on the position as the Left Hand of the Undying Queen. While he did act as a servant most of the time, it was a better post than he could have hoped for. It meant he retained most of the respect he had as High Priest without being humiliated for it. Needless to say the Medjai took great pride acting as the Right Hand.
"My girl..." started Dumbledore, but was cut off by the sharp glare she gave him.
"Be silent. I did not give you permission to speak and after how badly you bungled things up I am not inclined to hear whatever great plan you have to keep the crumbling status queue," said Lotus sharply. She smirked at Bill. "And seeing as how young William clearly recognizes the identity of my left hand, he should know what a costly error it would be to cross me."
Bill choked at that.
"Lotus, do you have any idea what that thing is?" he hissed. "There's a reason the Egyptian ministry has him classed as something more dangerous than a bloody dragon! Nundus are a better 'pet' to keep than him!"
Imhotep glared at him. He was not a mere 'pet'.
"Be silent, mortal. The queen did not give you leave to speak," he said in a crisp British accent.
"Queen? My girl what is he saying?" asked Dumbledore.
McGonagall, however, looked closer at the way Lotus was acting...and her physical appearance. She had always assumed that Lotus was the grandchild of the woman who had taught her how to become an animagus. Now though, seeing her favorite student stand proudly and confidently in front of the adults with this 'man' beside her, she came to a stunning realization.
"Professor Reed?" she said in shock.
Lotus, or rather Professor Reed, smiled at her with the same enigmatic expression and gaze that seemed to hold countless secrets.
The expression on Dumbledore's face when he realized exactly who Lotus was made her want to cackle.
In Egypt...
"Where the hell are we, Moony?" asked Sirius.
"I haven't the faintest idea, Padfoot."
"You are in the main camp of a rather exclusive magical community," said a voice dryly.
The two men turned, to find some less than amused men on horses staring at them. All of them clearly wizards or armed with magical weapons.
"And you are trespassing on our land," said another.
The two meekly followed the armed men into their camp proper, to meet the chief. However it was as they were passing a rather elaborate mural that Sirius was nearly stabbed.
"Moony, am I seeing things or is that Lotus?" said Sirius, gaping.
Moony paused, looked at the mural, and stared himself. It was unmistakably their pup, though she looked far different than the girl he was familiar with.
This Lotus had the bearing of a queen and was being revered by the people in the mural who all bore a strong resemblance to the men holding them at wand point. She was wearing what looked like ancient Egyptian garments and had a crown that signified she was of great importance. Behind her was a shadowy figure that was rather hard to make out.
"That is the Honored Ancestor, the Undying Queen. She is our protector and the Honored Mother," said the leader of the small group.
"Oh please tell me these people don't honestly think that our Lotus is this queen," said Sirius. Then again, maybe they could spin this in their favor if that really was the case.
He'd certainly feel much happier if his pup had an army of trained wizards behind her. Or at least had the training.