Chapter 5: *flashback*
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Two days earlier, inside the Sphinx:
Presley and Nefertina sat in the main room of the Sphinx, playing a racing video game.
"Come on, come on! Geez, can't this thing go any faster?!" Presley cried at the car on the screen. Nefertina laughed as she cut him off in her own red sports car.
They had been at this particular game for the last hour or so, but this time there was more than just pride at stake here. They had made a bet that Nefertina couldn't beat him again, but she was about to prove him wrong.
"Eat my dust!" Nefertina cried.
"You're not gonna beat me that easily this time, Nef!" he yelled.
No sooner did he say this than Nefertina crossed the finish line, dropping the control to the ground with a loud whoop. Presley groaned, slapping his forehead with his hand as his companion began dancing around the room in wild circles.
"Pay up," she said, stepping in front of Presley.
"All right, all right, here," he muttered, handing her the five dollars that he owed her. He shook his head. He couldn't believe this!
"Thank you very much," she laughed, sticking the money in the pocket of the faded jeans that she wore.
"Ugh, that's the last time I bet against a charioteer," Presley grumbled.
"Hey, what can I say? I just have a need for speed," she said with an innocent look on her pretty face.
"Yes, a need for speed that has wrecked the HotRa on more than one occasion," came a teasing voice from behind them.
Presley and Nefertina turned just in time to see Rath walk in, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. She rolled her eyes at him playfully, raising her eyebrow.
"Hey, I resent that, you sneaky, deranged cobra. Besides, when was the last time I wrecked the HotRa?" she sniffed jokingly, trotting over to him and planting a quick kiss on his cheek.
"Does last Tuesday mean anything to you?" he asked mock-sternly.
"Hmph!" she scoffed. Rath chuckled.
Presley watched the whole scene in amusement. He never would have thought that those two would ever have fallen in love. It used to be those two couldn't go one day without being at each other's throats, he thought to himself. He got up from his spot on the sofa and stretched, looking around the room, trying to ignore the two lovebirds.
In one corner of the brightly-lit room stood an old pine table with the newly repaired microwave that Nefertina had just recently bought from the Home Shopping Network sitting on top of it. Several lamps were placed strategically around the spacious room, making the room seem cozy and inviting. On one side of the sofa stood another table, and an expensive oak and glass coffee table sat in front of the sofa.
In front of that was a 30' color television, and to either side of this were plush, wing-backed recliners. There were a few twisting hallways that led to other parts of the Sphinx, including the kitchen, Sierra's private chambers, the room where the Guardians' sarcophagi were kept, the room where they kept the HotRa and the Jetcycles, as well as the Nileator and the Skycophagus, as well as other rooms. The walls were covered in strange hieroglyphics, with a few tapestries here and there. It was very easy to get lost if you didn't know your way around.
"Speaking of the HotRa, is it fixed yet?" Nefertina asked sweetly.
Rath sighed and shook his head in resignation. "Yes, I just finished putting it back together. You did quite a lot of damage to it this time, my dear," he answered, instantly regretting telling her that it was repaired.
"Me?! I was just trying to get away from Scarab before he kicked our tuts! Besides, it wasn't that banged up," she pouted.
//Oh boy, here we go again// Presley thought.
"Not that 'banged up' ? Nefertina, it took me nearly a week to repair all the damage," Rath pointed out.
Nefertina rolled her eyes again playfully. "Oh, well. At least it's fixed. Now I can get out of this stuffy place for a while. Anyone want to join me?" she asked.
"No, that's okay. I...uh...have an Egypt-su lesson with Armon. Maybe later, though," Presley said.
"What about you, Rath?" she asked, giving him her best sad puppy-eyed look.
"Well...er..." he stammered.
"Oh, come on, Rath. Lighten up for once. Please?" she asked innocently.
He sighed. "I have the feeling I am going to regret this..." he started.
"Great! Come on!" she said, grabbing his arm and dragging him towards the garage.
Rath glanced over at Presley as if to say, *How in Ra's name does she do that?* Presley merely shrugged and headed off towards the other end of the Sphinx. He was glad he wasn't in his Guardian's bandages.
Just as Rath and Nefertina reached the HotRa, they heard a loud commotion nearby.
Exchanging glances, they jumped in the HotRa and Nefertina revved up the engine, tearing out of the garage.
When they arrived at the scene, they found the others, already transformed, fighting off an army of Shabti. Nefertina slammed on the brakes, nearly hurling Rath and herself through the windshield in the process, shutting off the engine. Then she flew out of the vehicle with Rath following close behind her.
Clasping their amulets, Rath and Nefertina chanted in unison, "WITH THE STRENGTH OF RA!" and both sported their respective armor as they rushed into the fray.
"Geez, doesn't Scarab know when to quit?! How many times do we have to kick his tut before he gets the message?!" Nefertina screeched.
"It's about time you two showed up! We could use a little help here!" Sierra shouted to them. Nefertina rolled her eyes as she nailed one of the creatures with her whip.
"Don't start, Sierra!" she called back jokingly.
She gave a shrill battle cry as she side-kicked another Shabti, laughing as it became nothing more than a pile of dust at her feet. She took out another with her whip, only to have another of the stubborn things take its place. Close by, Rath destroyed more of the stone creatures with his cobra sword while JaKal covered them from the air.
One of the Shabti grabbed Sierra from behind, but she quickly dispersed it with a hard kick. Valeius hurled a bolt of silver energy towards another that was coming up behind Sierra, shattering it.
"Thanks!" she called.
"No problem, love," Valeius replied.
They finally managed to destroy all of the Shabti, but not before one of them took out Nefertina. She felt something strike her on the back of the head and cried out in pain. Then her cat armor fizzled and vanished as she felt herself inexplicably fall to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness. Rath saw this and raced to her side.
"Nefertina!" he cried out.
Enraged, he dispersed the last of the Shabti, which were now crowding around Nefertina, moving in for the kill, with his sword, his eyes becoming blazing slits of cobra green. When the last of the creatures was nothing more than a pile of dust, he waved away his armor and lifted Nefertina gently into his arms, still unconscious. The others had gathered around them by now, devoid of their armor now as well.
"Nefertina?" Armon said.
"What happened?" Sierra asked worriedly, glancing over at JaKal as he landed beside her.
"It looks like one of those Shabti nailed her," Valeius remarked.
"Yes. Let's get her back to the Sphinx," Rath said, a deadly edge in his voice.
Wordlessly, they got into the HotRa and sped away towards the Sphinx.
*End flashback*
TBC...let me know what you think so far.
~*Celestia Vitaria*~
*******************************
Two days earlier, inside the Sphinx:
Presley and Nefertina sat in the main room of the Sphinx, playing a racing video game.
"Come on, come on! Geez, can't this thing go any faster?!" Presley cried at the car on the screen. Nefertina laughed as she cut him off in her own red sports car.
They had been at this particular game for the last hour or so, but this time there was more than just pride at stake here. They had made a bet that Nefertina couldn't beat him again, but she was about to prove him wrong.
"Eat my dust!" Nefertina cried.
"You're not gonna beat me that easily this time, Nef!" he yelled.
No sooner did he say this than Nefertina crossed the finish line, dropping the control to the ground with a loud whoop. Presley groaned, slapping his forehead with his hand as his companion began dancing around the room in wild circles.
"Pay up," she said, stepping in front of Presley.
"All right, all right, here," he muttered, handing her the five dollars that he owed her. He shook his head. He couldn't believe this!
"Thank you very much," she laughed, sticking the money in the pocket of the faded jeans that she wore.
"Ugh, that's the last time I bet against a charioteer," Presley grumbled.
"Hey, what can I say? I just have a need for speed," she said with an innocent look on her pretty face.
"Yes, a need for speed that has wrecked the HotRa on more than one occasion," came a teasing voice from behind them.
Presley and Nefertina turned just in time to see Rath walk in, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. She rolled her eyes at him playfully, raising her eyebrow.
"Hey, I resent that, you sneaky, deranged cobra. Besides, when was the last time I wrecked the HotRa?" she sniffed jokingly, trotting over to him and planting a quick kiss on his cheek.
"Does last Tuesday mean anything to you?" he asked mock-sternly.
"Hmph!" she scoffed. Rath chuckled.
Presley watched the whole scene in amusement. He never would have thought that those two would ever have fallen in love. It used to be those two couldn't go one day without being at each other's throats, he thought to himself. He got up from his spot on the sofa and stretched, looking around the room, trying to ignore the two lovebirds.
In one corner of the brightly-lit room stood an old pine table with the newly repaired microwave that Nefertina had just recently bought from the Home Shopping Network sitting on top of it. Several lamps were placed strategically around the spacious room, making the room seem cozy and inviting. On one side of the sofa stood another table, and an expensive oak and glass coffee table sat in front of the sofa.
In front of that was a 30' color television, and to either side of this were plush, wing-backed recliners. There were a few twisting hallways that led to other parts of the Sphinx, including the kitchen, Sierra's private chambers, the room where the Guardians' sarcophagi were kept, the room where they kept the HotRa and the Jetcycles, as well as the Nileator and the Skycophagus, as well as other rooms. The walls were covered in strange hieroglyphics, with a few tapestries here and there. It was very easy to get lost if you didn't know your way around.
"Speaking of the HotRa, is it fixed yet?" Nefertina asked sweetly.
Rath sighed and shook his head in resignation. "Yes, I just finished putting it back together. You did quite a lot of damage to it this time, my dear," he answered, instantly regretting telling her that it was repaired.
"Me?! I was just trying to get away from Scarab before he kicked our tuts! Besides, it wasn't that banged up," she pouted.
//Oh boy, here we go again// Presley thought.
"Not that 'banged up' ? Nefertina, it took me nearly a week to repair all the damage," Rath pointed out.
Nefertina rolled her eyes again playfully. "Oh, well. At least it's fixed. Now I can get out of this stuffy place for a while. Anyone want to join me?" she asked.
"No, that's okay. I...uh...have an Egypt-su lesson with Armon. Maybe later, though," Presley said.
"What about you, Rath?" she asked, giving him her best sad puppy-eyed look.
"Well...er..." he stammered.
"Oh, come on, Rath. Lighten up for once. Please?" she asked innocently.
He sighed. "I have the feeling I am going to regret this..." he started.
"Great! Come on!" she said, grabbing his arm and dragging him towards the garage.
Rath glanced over at Presley as if to say, *How in Ra's name does she do that?* Presley merely shrugged and headed off towards the other end of the Sphinx. He was glad he wasn't in his Guardian's bandages.
Just as Rath and Nefertina reached the HotRa, they heard a loud commotion nearby.
Exchanging glances, they jumped in the HotRa and Nefertina revved up the engine, tearing out of the garage.
When they arrived at the scene, they found the others, already transformed, fighting off an army of Shabti. Nefertina slammed on the brakes, nearly hurling Rath and herself through the windshield in the process, shutting off the engine. Then she flew out of the vehicle with Rath following close behind her.
Clasping their amulets, Rath and Nefertina chanted in unison, "WITH THE STRENGTH OF RA!" and both sported their respective armor as they rushed into the fray.
"Geez, doesn't Scarab know when to quit?! How many times do we have to kick his tut before he gets the message?!" Nefertina screeched.
"It's about time you two showed up! We could use a little help here!" Sierra shouted to them. Nefertina rolled her eyes as she nailed one of the creatures with her whip.
"Don't start, Sierra!" she called back jokingly.
She gave a shrill battle cry as she side-kicked another Shabti, laughing as it became nothing more than a pile of dust at her feet. She took out another with her whip, only to have another of the stubborn things take its place. Close by, Rath destroyed more of the stone creatures with his cobra sword while JaKal covered them from the air.
One of the Shabti grabbed Sierra from behind, but she quickly dispersed it with a hard kick. Valeius hurled a bolt of silver energy towards another that was coming up behind Sierra, shattering it.
"Thanks!" she called.
"No problem, love," Valeius replied.
They finally managed to destroy all of the Shabti, but not before one of them took out Nefertina. She felt something strike her on the back of the head and cried out in pain. Then her cat armor fizzled and vanished as she felt herself inexplicably fall to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness. Rath saw this and raced to her side.
"Nefertina!" he cried out.
Enraged, he dispersed the last of the Shabti, which were now crowding around Nefertina, moving in for the kill, with his sword, his eyes becoming blazing slits of cobra green. When the last of the creatures was nothing more than a pile of dust, he waved away his armor and lifted Nefertina gently into his arms, still unconscious. The others had gathered around them by now, devoid of their armor now as well.
"Nefertina?" Armon said.
"What happened?" Sierra asked worriedly, glancing over at JaKal as he landed beside her.
"It looks like one of those Shabti nailed her," Valeius remarked.
"Yes. Let's get her back to the Sphinx," Rath said, a deadly edge in his voice.
Wordlessly, they got into the HotRa and sped away towards the Sphinx.
*End flashback*
TBC...let me know what you think so far.
~*Celestia Vitaria*~
