DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of the properties you will see here. All rights go to their respective owners.
Infinity League BC
Chapter 2
As Mana pulled the two strangers through the portal she had created, she made the sudden realization that she should've just sent a mystic message to the Pharaoh. But at the moment, she was more concerned with saving their lives more than anything else. On the other hand, perhaps it wasn't the best idea to bring two strange women from the stars straight to the palace right now. For the past several months, Egypt had been under siege by one evil after the next. Though the kingdom's most dangerous enemy, Mirage, had retreated back to her home dimension of Morbia after her apprentice's capture, other villains had begun to crawl out of the shadows in her absence.
There was Imhotep, a High Priest from another dynasty ages ago that had been cursed with the Hum-Dai after murdering the Pharaoh of that dynasty upon being caught having an affair with his new bride. The curse was meant to wade off all those who dared to try and free him, promising to unleash the ten plagues upon the land. But man's greed knew and cared little for such warning and Imhotep was freed by careless grave robbers. The Mummy tore its way through Egypt until the Pharaoh and his faithful personal guard, the Medjay, defeated Imhotep and sealed him away back in his tomb.
But Imhotep was not the only undead creature that would rise and spread chaos, for another mummy was later unleashed. This time being the ancient princess Ahmanet, who was buried in the far lands of the middle east before being freed from her tomb by a clan of fanatics who worshiped the dark god the fallen princess had made a pact for power with: Set. Freed from her prison, Amanet headed straight to Cairo to retake the throne that she believed to be rightfully hers. After blanketing the heart of the empire in a sea of sand, Atem and the undead princess clashed amidst the raging sandstorm. After a long battle, the master of the Mystic Arts cast the servant Set back into her prison before sending her back into her sarcophagus. Even so, rumors spread soon afterward that a third mummy, said to be the ancient High Priest of Karnak, Kharis, was also brought back from the land of the dead, seeking vengeance on those who would desecrate his beloved Princess Ananka's tomb.
It wasn't just the mummies who rose from their cursed graves, but other threats that came from outside the kingdom as well. A wicked sorcerer known as Mozenrath attempted to harness the power of the Millennium Items for his own nefarious purposes before the Sorcerer Supreme beat him back. Following Mozenrath came the Greek villain Mechanicles, whose mechanized monsters had terrorized the lands until Atem brought them down. Not long after that, Atem and his armies repelled an invasion against the city by the barbarian known as the Scorpion King and the army of Anubis that he led. From the far west came the winged serpent, Malcho, whom Atem fought off from drowning the kingdom in a unholy flood. To make matters worse, none of these threats compared to the inevitable return of Egypt's greatest foe: Mirage. Though she was gone, for now, it would only be a matter of time before the mother of evil would return with a new apprentice at her side. There were already rumors that Mirage had replaced Bakura with a deadly witch from the far east.
Mana knew that, while her childhood friend might be able to help these two women, she would have to work fast to find him. However, just as she entered the royal courtyard, she was instantly set upon by the Medjay with their swords drawn. Leading the group was the kingdom's High Priest, Seto. A man who had served the Pharaoh faithfully despite the fact that his father, Atem's own uncle, had attempted to kill him before being exiled deep into the desert. After the recent attacks from the long line of villains, it went without saying that the priest was on edge with any newcomers.
"What is the meaning of this, Mana?!" he demanded. "How dare you bring outsiders to the palace!"
"Seto, wait!" Mana pleaded. "These women need help from the Pharaoh!"
"We don't know who they are!" the priest shot back before calling out to the Medjay. "Kill the outsiders!"
The Medjay began to draw their swords. Fear gripped Mana as the guardians began to advance toward her guests. She didn't want to fight her allies, but she may not have a choice at this point. The trouble would be Seto himself, a man whose magical prowess rivaled Atem's. If a fight broke out between them, then Mana would have no chance to stand against him.
"Enough!" a voice commanded from above.
All eyes from both sides looked up to see a figure float down from the skies above. There, riding his magic carpet, was the Pharaoh. Mana, Seto, and Medjay bowed before their king as he stepped off his carpet and approached his childhood friend and her still knocked out guests.
"Be careful, my lord," Seto warned. "We don't know who they are."
"Well, they don't appear to be a threat. That much is certain," the king surmised before looking over to Mana. "Where did they come from?"
"Uh, would you believe from the sky?" Mana answered. "Do you know of them, my king?"
"I know of them, Mana, but not personally," Atem answered. "What attacked them?"
"I don't know," Mana admitted. "But they looked scared."
Atem paused as he took a moment to think of what to do next. While he knew of these women and where they hailed from, his knowledge on the matter was limited. There was, however, one place that could him piece together this mystery. So with that, he picked up one of the women while Mana picked up the other before they placed the two strangers on the magic carpet.
"My lord, what are you doing?" Seto asked.
"There is a mystery here, Seto," Atem answered his cousin. "And if I am to get the answers I seek, then I must find them in my sanctum."
And with that, the pharaoh commanded his carpet to fly off toward his hidden base: The Cave of Wonders.
Hatred.
It seemed as though that was all Nehellenia ever knew as she continued to float amidst an endless sea of mirrors.
Hatred for the kingdom of Silver Millennium, which she believed she should rule as its rightful queen. Hatred for its people, who looked down upon her for daring to believe that. But most of all, hatred for the 'false queen.' Serenity. The mere thought of the woman who imprisoned her here was enough to make her blood boil.
Ever since she first crawled out of the dark center of the Moon, she believed that she was the one to rightfully rule over its kingdom. And that the noble, silver-haired Serenity was nothing but a fraud. A placeholder at best as she awaited the perfect day to finally strike and make her presence known.
The celebration of her daughter's birth.
Unfortunately, when she finally confronted the Queen of the Moon, she was quickly overpowered by the Legendary Silver Crystal, the power of which Serenity wielded, and was imprisoned inside this mirror, most likely with the queen's intent that she remain here for all of eternity. However, the dark queen still had one last, defiant trick up her sleeve. In her final moments in that plane of reality, she had managed to place a curse on the newborn princess.
One that would ensure she would die before inheriting the throne and that her kingdom would fall.
The thought of her final act managed to calm her down once more. In the end, her revenge had been fulfilled. In time, all that denied her of her right to rule will watch everything they had built crumble before their eyes before the embrace of death finally comes for them. And when that happens, she will remain here. Trapped in blissful silence in a realm where time and light are frozen. A realm where her beauty will last for an eternity. Perhaps that was enough in the mind of the Queen of the Dead Moon.
'Perhaps I may somehow find peace in this void,' she thought to herself.
"...But will you truly?"
The sound of this unexpected interloper caused Nehellenia to snap out of her trance as she attempted to find this intruder, but to no avail.
"Who's there?" she demanded. "Show yourself!"
"Noble Queen of the Dead Moon...do you really believe that you may find peace in this prison of yours?" the voice continued, ignoring Nehellenia's command entirely.
"Who are you that would dare disturb my slu-" Nehellenia attempted to threaten, only for this mysterious voice to interrupt her.
"Trapped in this sea of nothingness while your enemies go about their lives with 'love' and 'happiness?'"
The way the voice spoke of those two specific words sounded almost as though it spoke of them with pure disgust and contempt. As if it angered him just thinking of such emotions.
"...It doesn't matter," Nehellenia answered. "Let them go about their lives. I've ensured that it won't last forever."
"And you are content with that?" the voice asked.
"Of course," the Queen of the Dead Moon answered. "I-"
"No," the voice interrupted once more. "Your anger...Your hatred...I can sense it no matter how deep within your soul you try to contain it."
All Nehellenia could do in response was narrow her hues of gold in the direction of where she heard this voice come from as it continued to speak.
"What is the purpose of vengeance if one is unable to witness it come to fruition? Would you have not preferred to witness everything crumble before the false queen's eyes? To watch as she wallowed in despair over the body of her dead daughter amidst the ruins of her precious kingdom?"
The dark queen let out a snarl as she continued to scowl at this invisible intruder...
"And what of the throne? It must pain you knowing that you will never be seated upon the throne of Silver Millennium. That its subjects will never bow before your lovely, black hair and your beautiful, gold eyes. It was your birthright, was it not?"
...black sparks began to arc around her hands...
"But alas, it seems as though you are perfectly content with such a hallow, pitiful victory."
...and upon hearing those final words, the Queen of the Dead Moon let out an angered scream and pointed her hands towards the source of the sounds that tormented her.
"ENOUGH!" she roared.
Black lightning exploded out of her palms in a vain attempt to cast out this intruder, but it was no use. The attack simply faded into the endless void.
"What is it that you want from me?!" Nehellenia continued. "Have you invaded this realm simply to bring shame upon me?!"
"Why no, noble queen, of course not," the voice answered. "In fact, I have come to make you an offer."
"An offer?" the dark queen repeated with a sneer. "What could you possibly give me?"
"...Your freedom," the voice answered.
Hearing this finally caused Nehellenia's attention to spike, her eyes widening at this prospect.
"My...My freedom?" she questioned.
A searing sensation of pain suddenly overtook the dark queen's body. She gasped out, a bloodcurdling scream escaping her lips before she looked down at her arm, which began to glow a dark shade of violet.
"What are...What are you doing to me?!" she shouted as she continued to fight the agonizing pain.
"Your hatred is what makes you strong, Nehellenia," the voice responded. "Almost strong enough to break through this prison and return to reality. I am merely giving you a little...push."
Nehellenia began to take several deep, quick breaths as she noticed her veins glowing that same shade of purple.
"Now...concentrate. Focus on what has driven you down this path."
Heeding his words, the Queen of the Dead Moon shut her eyes tightly, trying to not focus on the agony her body was currently feeling.
"Think of what those fools are doing now at YOUR kingdom."
Her fists closed themselves tightly...
"Living their lives in peace and harmony."
...the sparks started to form once more...
"The false queen continues to sit upon YOUR throne, ruling over YOUR people and watching her daughter grow."
...her eyes clenched tighter as anger-induced tears began to flow...
"The same false queen who condemned you to an eternity in this cold, dark, empty void because you dared to proclaim your right to rule the Moon Kingdom."
...the dark shade of purple that glowed across her body began to shine...
"You hate her...do you not?"
...and upon focusing on that woman, her eyes shot open, narrowed in contempt, her golden hues now that same shade of violet.
"I...hate...her..." the dark queen whispered.
Her now purple eyes briefly flashed a shade of blood-red.
"I hate her," she repeated, louder this time.
The black sparks of dark magic coursed throughout her body.
"I hate her...I hate her...I hate her!"
What little light in this void began to fade away as her voice got louder and louder.
"I hate her! I hate her! I HATE HER!"
The mirrors that surrounded her began to crack.
"I HATE HER! I HATE HER!"
Then, the sparks faded as a deafening silence overtook this void. A seething Nehellenia lowered her head before...
"I HAAAATE HEEEEEEEEEEER!"
An explosion of dark magic detonated from her body, the mirrors bursting into several thousand broken shards, and what appeared to be the very fabric of reality in this void beginning to crack at the sheer magnitude of the Queen of the Dead Moon's hatred.
That was the last thing Nehellenia saw before she blacked out.
The dark queen's eyes slowly opened as a groggily groan escaped her lips. She slowly began to get back up on her feet as she started to observe her surroundings. Her eyes widened upon realizing that she was no longer inside the void Queen Serenity had trapped her in. She now stood upon a seemingly barren wasteland, an orange, gravel-like substance underneath her feet and a dark violet fog engulfing everything in sight whilst purple lightning bolts struck all around the Queen of the Dead Moon. An aura of all-encompassing evil surrounded her, causing a chill to run down her spine. She quickly shook these feelings of dread though, and another thought overtook her mind as she continued to observe where she now stood.
"I'm...free?" she asked herself.
"Yes, noble queen," a voice, that same voice that assisted her, informed. "You are free once more."
Nehellenia swiftly turned to the source of the voice, seeing a manifestation of Unicron, one that was about fifty feet tall, seated upon a throne made up of the violet crystals, that the lord of chaos sent to communicate with the malevolent queen.
"Free...to complete your revenge on the false queen," Unicron continued. "I shall aid you in this reborn quest...provided you assist me with something in return."
"Whoever you are, I am in your debt for freeing me from that hellscape that accursed woman trapped me in," Nehellenia responded, bowing in respect to the avatar of the dark deity as she did so. "What is it that you yourself seek?"
"The planet of which Silver Millenium orbits...I seek its destruction," the chaos bringer answered.
"Hmph...an acceptable sacrifice," the Queen of the New Moon responded with a small smirk. "I care not for that planet or its people. Provided that, in the end, I sit upon the Moon Kingdom's throne, I will aid you in your conquest."
"Good..." Unicron replied with a smirk of his own. "But know this...There will be those who will unite to stop us. Of course, there is the impostor queen, and I also believe there are those on Earth who will not perish without a fight."
"They'd be fools to try," Nehellenia retorted.
As a demonstration of her power, a vortex of black lightning surrounded the nefarious queen, surging throughout her body before she raised both of her open hands upward. The energies that encompassed her practically exploded out of her fingertips, piercing through the clouds before splitting into several different directions, illuminating the black skies above, all while a sinister chuckle escaped the wicked woman's mouth.
Another smirk formed on Unicron's mouth, clearly satisfied with his newest herald.
"Are you certain it was them?" Pearl asked in a fearful tone.
"I was certain of it, Pearl," Rose confirmed. "It was them."
After witnessing the arrival of the two strangers fall from the stars, Rose Quartz immediately returned to the temple, the base for the remaining Crystal Gems. The sight she had witnessed was more than enough to put fear into her being. Despite never meeting these women before, the leader of the Crystal Gems knew of them from reading about them from the data achieves of the Diamond Authority back when she went by another name: Pink Diamond. From what the former ruler knew of these strangers from the stars, they were Sailor Senshi. The guardians of the planets of this solar system. During the colonization of Earth and later during the war, the Senshi's leader, Queen Serenity, and the lunar kingdom of Silver Millennium remained neutral during those times, but that didn't stop the Diamonds from wanting the power that the Kingdom of the Moon had.
However, despite the Diamonds' best efforts, they could never locate Silver Millennium. The magic spells that surrounded the kingdom shielded them from any sort of detection. Even when they put a base on the Moon to help them locate it, it still eluded them. Since the end of the Gem Civil War, Rose had decided it was best to leave Queen Serenity and her people be, less she face the Queen of the Moon's wrath. During Rose's time as Pink Diamond, she always feared an attack from Senshi, so to see two of their number laid low by some unknown force greatly disturbed her.
"What could drive two Sailor Senshi away from their homeworlds and bring them here, let alone harm them?" Pearl questioned. "It makes no sense."
"My guess is that they were trying to flee back to Silver Millennium, but they missed and landed here instead," the Gems' leader answered. "But as for what attacked them, I don't know."
The leader of the Crystal Gems then turned to the team's fusion and psychic, Garnet, for possible answers.
"What do you see, Garnet?" she asked.
"...Darkness," the fusion answered.
"Gee, that helps a lot, Garnet," Amethyst said bluntly. "You sure that third eye of yours is working?"
"No, I mean all I can see is total darkness," the fusion explained. "I can't see who's behind this future, but the world is about to be consumed by this coming darkness unless we stop it."
"But how?" Pearl inquired. "After the war, there's only three-"
"Ahem," Amethyst commented.
"-Four of us," the former servant corrected herself. "How can we stop this, whatever it is, from destroying the earth?"
"We can't," Rose answered. "But maybe if we unite with the Sailor Senshi, then maybe we can stand a chance."
"Are you sure, Rose?" Pearl inquired. "Queen Serenity has no love for our kind. Even with the war over, I'm certain she will not see us."
"Yeah, and didn't you say that wizard lady took those two girls to Cairo?" Amethyst added on. "From what you guys told me, not a lot of humans are fond of us these days."
The defective Gem may not have been there for the war, but she was well aware that since the Civil War's end, the humans that survived the conflict had no love for the Gem race and the monsters the vast majority had now become. Egypt was one such place, for the civilization, who fought hard against Homeworld's occupation, would not tolerate Gems of any kind in their kingdom. Furthermore, it had been rumored as of late that the current Pharaoh was a powerful wizard. One whose power was great enough to bring down titans. And to anger him could be the Gems undoing. However, if this unknown darkness was to be stopped, then they needed to unite as once if the earth was to survive.
"We're going." Rose finally ordered. "We'll try our best not to antagonize them, but be prepared if they try anything."
The other Gems nodded in unison, understanding the order. With that, they headed over to the Warp Pad and returned to the deserts of Egypt in a flash of light.
It wasn't just the Gems who had sensed a great evil that was slowly approaching the earth. For off the coast of Greece, a warrior race, hidden on a secluded island, sensed a great imbalance as well. They were the Amazons, mighty warrior women of Themyscira. Currently, the sisterhood's finest fighters and senators gathered in their mighty Queen Hippolyta's throne room as their oracle told them of a grave vision she had just received.
"Hear me, my sisters! For the hour is drawing near!" the oracle began. "A great shadow from the stars is coming, and it will swallow the earth with its endless hunger!"
The Amazons gasped in shock at the oracle's prediction. Never had they heard a more dire fortune from her before, and the oracle was never wrong in her predictions. But before anyone could speak up, the oracle continued with her warning.
"But this fate can be avoided!" she announced. "This disaster can be stopped only if the heroes of this world unite under a single banner!"
The Amazons were surprised that Oracle's words. Suggesting that the warrior women unite with the tribes of men was an insane one at best. Despite Hera creating the Amazons to help the world of men and guide them to become better, they did not listen, and instead made war with each other, forcing the race of women to seclude themselves on their paradise island for the rest of their immortal lives, letting the tribes of men continue their wars among themselves. However, since their self-isolation, they had faced other threats since then. From the stars came the Gems, who attempted to colonize and subjugate the Amazons. Though they drove the invaders from their island, the cost of their victory was heavy.
"You have been silent all this time, my queen," one of the royal advisers noted. "What is your order?"
Hippolyta was indeed silent, for she had been mentally weighing her options since the oracle had given her prediction. On one hand, the oracle was never wrong in her predictions, but on the other hand, it would be much easier said than done to unite with the tribes of men, for their brutish and war-like ways were what drove them to make war with anything and anyone that they did not trust. Perhaps the Amazons were better off this time fighting by themselves. But before the queen could give her order, a small voice suddenly spoke up. The voice in question belonged to a small, bug-like, being that almost looked like a ladybug. This was Tikki. Hippolyta's Kwami that allowed her to turn into the heroine known as Ladybug.
"Pardon me," she began. "But may I speak, my queen?"
"Of course you may, my friend," the warrior queen allowed warmly.
"I think we should heed the oracle's words," the Kwami advised. "If what she says is true, then we must unite with the outside world."
"But the outside world isn't like Themyscira," the queen replied. "They do not know or understand our ways. They would rather fight among themselves than stand together."
"Then we have to show them to stand as one," Tikki persisted. "If we don't do this, then whatever is coming will destroy the planet!"
Hippolyta took in her Kwami's advice. Though it may be difficult, she had to get the leaders of the world of man to join the Amazons in the coming crisis. So, with that in mind, she stood up from her throne and called out the words that had cried out my so many before her.
"Tikki, spots on!"
Far from the earth, on the Kingdom of the Moon, a deep sense of dread had begun to well up inside Queen Serenity's chest. She did not know where this deep fear was coming from, but it put her on edge regardless. As she continued to pace back and forth, Luna approached the ruler of the Moon Kingdom.
"Your highness," she began. "Are you alright?"
"No, Luna, I'm not," the queen admitted. "I feel something terrible is coming."
"What do you mean, my lady?" the cat inquired.
"I can't explain it, but I cannot shake this feeling of dread," Queen Serenity answered.
It was then that the ruler of the Moon heard a soft beeping sound coming from a small gem on her wrist. But this was no ordinary gem. For this was a device given to her by a steadfast ally of hers: Zordon. The history between the queen and the Eltarian began when the mistress of evil known and feared as Rita Repulsa laid siege to both the earth and the Kingdom of the Moon. Rita was a mighty foe, even for Queen Serenity. With her monsters, Rita beat back the army of the Moon, making the queen and her elite warriors begin to fear that defeat would soon be upon them. But then, like a ray of hope, Zordon arrived to aid the people of Silver Millennium in their darkest hour.
Though the battle was fierce, Zordon and Serenity managed to defeat Rita and her forces before sealing her away on the Moon where Serenity would keep a close eye on the imprisoned witch. From then on, the two great leaders stayed close allies and united against other threats that dared to try to attack the earth and the Moon. If Zordon was attempting to hail her, then it confirmed the queen's suspicion that something was truly wrong.
"You must excuse me, Luna," she said. "I must be alone for a moment."
With that, the ruler of Silver Millennium went off to another room where she could speak to her ally in private. Once she was alone, Serenity lightly touched the gem, allowing a small image of Zordon to form from it. However, unbeknownst her, Luna, out of concern for her queen, followed Serenity into the room and overheard the conversation.
"What's wrong, Zordon?" she began.
"The worst, I'm afraid," the warrior of Eltar replied. "Our scanners have detected a massive source of energy enter our galaxy, and it is headed for Earth."
Without even needing a moment to ask what her friend meant by that, Serenity already knew what was coming toward Earth.
"Unicron..." Serenity gasped in horror. "It can't be."
"Unfortunately, Queen Serenity, it is," Zordon solemnly confirmed. "Unicron has returned to this universe."
"But that's impossible!" Serenity refuted. "We made sure that he couldn't return!"
"I believe Unicron has consumed enough planets from across the multiverse to gain enough power to punch a hole back into our reality," Zordon theorized. "Fortunately, this may work in our favor."
"What do you mean?" the leader of Silver Millennium questioned.
"Unicron must have used a great deal of power to push his way back into our universe, so he has no doubt exhausted himself at the moment," her ally explained. "Though it may be only a matter of days before he arrives on Earth, it may give us the time we need to form a strategy to defeat him. As we speak, I am en route to Silver Millennium and should be there with the next hour or so."
"I fear that even our combined strength may not be able to stop him this time," Serenity reasoned fearfully. "When we last battled Unicron, he was weak from hunger. But if he has fed on so many worlds like you say he has, then we may not be able to save him by ourselves."
"What are you suggesting, my lady?" Zordon asked.
"If the universe is to survive, then we must unite with the people of Earth," Serenity declared.
"Are you sure that is wise, Queen Serenity?" her ally. "The earth has changed much since we last defended it."
This was true. Earth had gone under several major changes since Zordon and Serenity's last defense of the planet. In the time since Unicron's last defeat, the tribes of man had not only grown from being a species that used sticks and stone but had also grown apart from each other. In the centuries that passed, the word of man had faced a threat from across the stars in the form of the great Gem occupation and civil war that devastated the earth for years. They finally departed shortly after the Diamond Authority scorched the planet out of revenge for the slaying of Pink Diamond at the hands of the Gem rebellion's leader, Rose Quartz.
Since the Gems' departure, the humans soon began to war amongst themselves. For land, for power, for their gods, it didn't matter. All they knew was the path of violence. There was even a time when mankind and the people of the Silver Millennium had fought a great war in the past. Serenity was not fond of the humans, but even she understood that if the universe, perhaps all universes, were to survive, then she would put away her fears and unite with the people of Earth. The trouble was trying to get the people of Earth to ally with each other as they once did against the Gems. For that, they would need someone to rally towards. However, there was one among the humans that Serenity had kept an eye on from her lunar kingdom. One who stood the best chance of uniting the tribes of man to help them stand against Unicron.
"If we are to stop Unicron, then we must speak to the Pharaoh of Egypt," Serenity stated.
Sailor Uranus' eyes snapped as she bolted upward from whatever she was laying on, though she instantly regretted that choice when a sharp pain struck her in the side. She grunted in pain and clutched her side, unaware that someone was running up to her until they were right on top of her. Sensing danger, Uranus took out her blade and pointed it at whoever had approached her.
"Hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy with that!" Mana quickly reasoned. "I'm the one who found you, remember?"
"Who are you?" the Senshi demanded. "And where is Sailor Neptune?"
Before Mana could answer, Uranus saw her lover still unconscious as she laid on a stone slab. Standing over her was a man with bright, vibrate hair casting spells over Neptune's body. Fearing for her beloved's life, Uranus attempted to get back to her feet, only for another shot of pain to run through her body like a wildfire and force her to her knees. As Mana attempted to help the Sailor Senshi up, Atem stopped what he was doing and approached the warrior woman.
"Your friend is alright," the Pharaoh assured. "Her wounds were greater than yours, so I put her in a short sleeping spell so I could better heal her. She should awake shortly. You, however, still need rest."
"Who are you people?" Uranus questioned as Mana set her back down on the slab she was laying on. "And what is this place?"
"I am Atem. Pharaoh of Egypt and Sorcerer Supreme," the spellcaster introduced. "This is my friend, Mana. She's the one who found you."
The King of Egypt then snapped his fingers. Suddenly, every torch in the room shined brighter, revealing a massive cavern adorned with all manner of mystical objects.
"And this is my private sanctum, the Cave of Wonders," Atem continued. "I can promise you that you both are safe here."
Uranus was shocked, to say the least, by the sights around her. She had some knowledge that humans knew of magic, but was unaware of how powerful one such as Atem was.
"Now, I have a question for you," the king began. "What happened to you?"
"We were attacked," Uranus began. "This may be hard for you to understand, but Sailor Neptune and I-"
"Are Sailor Senshi," Atem suddenly finished. "Yes, I know what you are."
"But...But how?" Uranus asked, confused.
"Tales of Silver Millennium are written in the texts of my people," the Pharaoh answered. "Though not all are good."
The tales that had been written down by the scholars of Egypt were none too kind to Silver Millennium. For they were stories of wars waged between them and the tribes of men. Even the great Pharaohs of old had stories of locking blades with the mystics of the Moon. But unlike his ancestors, Atem had no prejudice toward these women. For he knew that whatever they were running from was much worse.
"But that doesn't matter now," he continued. "Tell me, why come here and not return to your home?"
"I was so caught up in getting away that I missed Silver Millennium and landed here on Earth," Uranus explained.
"Getting away?" Atem repeated in confusion. "From what?"
"I don't know who they were, but they were powerful," the Sailor Senshi answered. "I remember their names: Megatronus and Liege Maximo."
"Those names are unfamiliar to me," the Pharaoh mentioned. "Do you have any idea as to where they came from?"
"I don't, but I believe that they're on their way to Earth," Uranus surmised. "And I fear that they are heralds for a much worse force."
"Then it is settled," Atem replied. "First, we will wait for your fellow Senshi to awake. Then, we shall return to Cairo."
"For what?" Mana asked curiously.
"To prepare for war," the master of the mystic arts declared.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I should make it clear that Hippolyta and Themyscira are NOT the DC variants. They're based more on their standard Greek Mythology counterparts as well as Hippolyta's counterpart from Ladybug. (yes, cannotically in Miraculous, Hippolyta did bare the mantle of Ladybug)
