**Hey, me again! Thanks for all the support! I'm one of those people that need the written support! I appreciate! Anyway, here's the third chapter I hope you enjoy it cause I enjoyed writing it. Read and Relax!**
**Disclaimer-see first chapter**
Chapter 3-Shattered Smiles
The Hot-Ra pulled yet another sharp turn that would have caused the guardians to fly out of their seats if it hadn't of been for the seatbelts that Presley had insisted that Rath install. In ancient Egypt there had been no seatbelts so they had thought nothing of it but when their prince persisted that they use them the guardians had been forced to obey. Ja-Kal himself was glad to have them because of the maniac way of driving that Nefer-tina had adopted in this confusing new world.
Following the Princes' unusual display of emotions the four mummies had been worried especially when he hadn't shown up for the lessons that he had been coming for the past three weeks. The others had finally convinced themselves that he had just forgotten and to try and relax Nefer-tina had convinced them to come out for a ride `on the town' with her. Ja-Kal put on a brave face and went with them but he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen that night.
Off they had gone in the Hot-Ra driving around town chatting to eachother about everything. That is everything except Presley. People had stared as the dragster style car drove by wondering to themselves if there was a car show going on somewhere near by.
"Oh look a Beefy Burger!" Armon cried pointing out the window after they had been cruising the streets of San Francisco for over an hour. "Nefer-tina, can you pull into the drive-through so I can grab something to eat? Please, I'm starving!"
Rath rolled his eyes. "Armon when will you finally stop thinking of your stomach for once? It's so undignified."
Armon huffed. "Well at least I have a sense of humour Rath."
Nefer-tina laughed. "He's got you there Rath. Stop acting like a wet blanket and have some fun!" She had punctuated `fun' by fish tailing the Hot-Ra up the drive-thru ramp.
Rath snorted and raised his eyebrows. "And you call trying to kill yourself by driving irresponsibly fun? No thank you, I would rather like to stay alive." The corners of his lips twitched as if he made to smile then smothered it.
Nefer-tina turned around to stare at her classy friend in shock. "Rath... `Alive'?" She turned to Armon. "Hey Armon, I think Rath does a funny bone in his body." She shot Rath a glare after he had snorted. "Maybe I'm wrong `cause it would have to be awful small."
Armon started to laugh uncontrollably but Rath only `hmphed' and stuck his nose in the air which only made Nefer-tina start to giggle and Armon laugh even harder. All the while the Hot-Ra had pulled up to the ordering window. "Welcome to Beefy Burger. Can I take your order?" Came the static voice from the king sized plastic menu.
Armon leaned out the window. "Yes, I'll have ten deluxe--Ouch!" His sentence had been interrupted by Nefer-tina who had elbowed him in the ribs.
"Do you think we're rich?" She hissed. "We only have the leftover money the prince gave us." She turned back to the window ignoring Armon's pleading face. "Sorry, we'll have four regular burgers."
There was a static filled pause from the disembodied voice. "Is that everything?"
"Yes, thank you." Came Nefer-tina's polite reply.
There was another pause. "That comes to seven dollars and fifty-two cents. Please pull up to the first service window."
Armon stared at the speaker thinking. "I wonder how that person fits into that small thing."
Rath snickered and tossed his head to the side. "It is far to complicated to explain."
Nefer-tina smiled. "You just don't know, do you? It's because you think that you know everything."
Rath furrowed his brow in anger. "Well I don't hear you offering an explanation. I'm the sorcerer here and if I say that it is too complicated to explain then it's far to complex for your simple mind to comprehend!"
Nefer-tina's voice rose. "Of all the nerve..."
Ja-Kal sat looking out the window with his head in his hands. He didn't hear the fierce rivalry that was taking place inches from him because he was too preoccupied. He stared at nothing in particular but let his eyes glaze and blur so that he wasn't focused on any one thing. `I can't get rid of the feeling that something is wrong. I don't know what it is but something has been eating away at me ever since Prince Rapses left.' He sighed. `What is wrong with him? It is as if he is afraid of affection from us. He's never acted like this before so why now? I care too much for him just to let him suffer by himself but there is nothing I can do. I feel so helpless.' He sighed again in frustration, and then shifted uncomfortably. `Why did it get so warm all of a sudden?' He looked around then a pulsing light caught his eye. His heart jumped. `Something's wrong. My amulet had never done this before but it has to be Rapses. He's in trouble! If anything had happened to him someone is
going to pay!'
The three other guardians were still at each others throats, pointing fingers and shouting, the Beefy Burgers completely forgotten.
Ja-Kal, burning with concern, anxiety and panic for his prince, burst angrily into the argument. "Prince Rapses is in danger!" He looked around at their startled faces. "Well what are you waiting for! Let's go!"
The others came out of their startlement of Ja-Kal's uncharacteristic interruption and looked down at their own pulsing amulets. After the comprehension Nefer-tina floored the gas petal causing Hot-Ra to shoot forward towards where their prince waited in what they thought was evident danger. They raced down the street at an alarming rate causing people to dodge out of the way when they came tearing through.
`Please let us not be too late.' Ja-Kal hoped had blurs of people, buildings and cars sped by the window.
* * * * * *
Presley smirked while examining the figure in front of him. "It worked." He said to himself in amazement. Presley shook his head. "I can't believe it."
The figure infront of Presley finally noticed him. "Who..." He stepped back in astonishment and pointed at Presley. "You...You look like me!" He blinked and visibly struggled, regained his princely composure. "By the powers of Ra! What magic is this?! Guards! Seize this imposter!"
There was a moment of uncomfortably of silence. Presley decided to break it. "Umm, Rapses you have no guards. Don't you remember what happened to you?"
Prince Rapses glared at his counterpart. "How dare you speak you...you...you revolting creature!"
Presley glared back in anger. "Look here mister all high and mighty. You have been living inside of me for the past twelve years so be grateful that you're free! You died 3500 years ago. Scarab killed you. Get it? You died! It's now the 1990's and your spirit was reborn inside of me. So I'm not some creature or thing I'm part of you so you can just keep your mouth shut!" By now Presley was shouting at the prince who almost looked comical with his mouth hanging open and his green eyes wide.
After a moment Presley relaxed and realized that he shouldn't have been that mean to Rapses. `After all he just came back to life, how would I feel?' He sighed internally and was just about to apologize when Rapses beat him to it.
"You're right. I did die." His eyes took on a faraway look. "I remember it all now, Scarab saying that my father was home, then attacking me, my guardians showing up to protect me, a fierce battle and then...nothing." He brought his eyes to Presley. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have assumed that you were evil. I have a feeling that you are a good person. Now that you stated that I was apparently reborn inside you, I understand." He slightly bowed his head, looking contrite. "I apologize."
The modern version of Rapses nodded his head in return. "Apology accepted. But you didn't have to apologize because I understand as well."
The two boys looked at eachother with emerald green eyes then smiled at eachother as if they were brothers. They continued to look at eachother examining their similarities and their differences in clothing. Presley stood in his shorts, sneakers, t-shirt, windbreaker and amulet. Rapses stood in an Egyptian-styled kilt and a headdress that wasn't very fancy but declared him a prince. He wore no shoes and wore wide gold bracelets and an amulet identical to Presley's.
"You look weird." They both said in unison, and then laughed uncontrollably as they realized how stupid they had sounded.
Presley recovered first. "Are you hungry? We can grab something to eat out of the fridge if Armon hasn't cleaned it out already."
Prince Rapses stopped laughing. "What's a fridge?" Then he asked excitedly. "Armon's alive as well?"
Presley bit his lip. "Well he's not necessarily `alive' but he's here. So are Ja-Kal, Rath and Nefer-tina." He paused as he saw the princes' smile got bigger and bigger until the prince was beaming. "I'll tell you what. How about we grab something to eat and I can catch you up on everything and tell you my plan."
Rapses grinned again. "That sounds fine." He cocked his head to the side. "So I'm guessing by you calling Nefer-tina, Nefer-tina not Nefer that everyone knows she's a girl?"
Presley shook his head and rolled his eyes. "It's a long story but I'll tell you on the way. Come on."
Both boys started towards the fridge when four figures garnished in shining armor burst in.
The figure garbed in falcon armor scanned the room. "Unhand our..." His sentence dropped off as he discovered the twins who had just begun to head towards the exit. Ja-Kal's arms dropped to his sides and the face under his helmet was dumbfounded.
Rath stepped forward in confusion. "Princes Rapses?" He questioned.
Rapses ran forward to his guardians but stopped a foot away knowing that it wasn't princely to hug them. "You guys are alive too!" He frowned but that was quickly erased by his smile. "Well sort of. But that doesn't matter! You are all ok!" The prince was so happy that his grin was threatening to spilt his face.
By now Ja-Kal had recovered and was staring at his prince with concern. "My prince we received a distress signal from you and thought that you were in danger." His brows creased in confusion. "But when we came in I thought I saw two of you." He looked up and his blue eyes opened wider in puzzlement. Ja-Kal's eyes returned to the boy infront of him then back to Presley. "My prince?"
Presley had watched as the real Prince Rapses ran over to their guardians and felt a pang of regret. `Stop it, they're his guardians now, they're not mine anymore.' He had become happier when he had seen Rapses but when he saw the five of them together all the sadness of previous days had returned in full force. He had remained silent so that he could make sure that his emotions wouldn't overcome him. `They look like they belong together. They don't need me anymore.' Presley was startled back to reality when Ja-Kal spoke to him.
Presley sighed releasing some of his misery into the air. "No Ja-Kal. I'm just plain old Presley Carnovan." He jerked his head to Rapses. "He's your prince"
Ja-Kal shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand this." He looked at both of his `princes' and stood there.
Rath who seemed to have a better grasp on the situation looked at Presley. "My Prince did you cast a powerful spell not to long ago? I felt one but it was at the same time as my amulet began to glow so I wasn't positive." When Presley nodded he continued. "Did you make a double of yourself?"
Presley closed his eyes. `Why do they keep calling me their prince? It's driving me crazy! Oh well, I guess I better tell them now.' He opened his eyes again to discover that he had five pairs of eyes staring at him waiting for a response. He took a deep breath. "No, I didn't make a double of myself. The person there is Prince Rapses. The spell I cast separated his spirit from my body and made him his own person. He will be here until you guys finish your mission and destroy Scarab. Then all of you will return to the Western Gate and re-start you afterlives." He looked at each of their faces as they gaped at him in disbelief. He smiled sadly. `They'll be okay.' "Well I'll see you guys around. Take care of yourselves." Presley began to walk away when a voice caused him to stop in his tracks.
"What are you talking about `o prince? You're our prince." Nefer-tina's voice penetrated the barrier of sadness that had surrounded Presley as soon as he turned to leave.
Taking in another wavering breath Presley turned around again. This time he wasn't looking at five faces that disbelieved but four faces that were concerned and one that understood. "Look, don't you get it?" He pointed at Prince Rapses. "He's all you have to worry about now okay? I'll see you later."
Presley was half way through turning around to continue his exit when he was stopped once again but this time, by Ja-Kal. "Prince Rapses--"
He never got to finish what he was going to say because Presley whirled around facing them with a mixture of sorrow, pain, anger and frustration that they were making this harder than it had to be. "Don't you guys get it?! I'm not your prince anymore. My name is Presley Carnovan, a regular twelve-year-old boy. I don't have an ancient spirit inside of me because he's standing right infront of you!" Presley was screaming at them now with tears streaming down his face then falling unheedingly on to the stone floor. "Stop calling me your prince, I'm not! You don't have to worry `bout me anymore! You can protect Prince Rapses twenty four hours a day, seven days a week because you don't have to worry about him going to school or whatever." Presley's shoulders shook and his body trembled with the waves of sorrow that were hitting him. "Have great afterlives. Goodbye!" On the last word his voice cracked and he turned and fled out of the Sphinx so that he no longer had to look at
their faces and be reminded of them.
Even as Presley's footsteps receded down the hallway the five bewildered figures continued to stand there astounded by the scene that had just taken place. Of all of them the one most deeply affected was Ja-Kal. Presley's' words had struck him like knives in his heart. His heart had writhed in agony when he watched Presley weep with his sadness. Ja-Kal wanted to run after the suffering boy but couldn't because of his obligations to his prince. Ja-Kal looked down at the top of his princes' head. `I was fond of Prince Rapses back in Egypt and loved him as much as a servant can love royalty but Presley was more than a prince to me, he was like a son. Would a father let his son hurt so much?' The answer came to him immediately from his conscience. `No, a father would not let him hurt so.' Ja-Kal looked up again from his study of Rapses head to glance at his companions. Each of their faces was a mixture of disbelief, concern and anguish that they could do nothing.
From out of the morbid quiet the voice of Prince Rapses shattered the barricade of silence that had cloaked them all. "He needs some time."
The four guardians came back to reality from their own thoughts, slowly as if they were trudging through mud. They blinked and looked at their prince as he spoke again. "What he just did took a lot of courage, he needs some time to think and be alone."
The boy prince had not lifted his eyes from where Presley had made his exit and when he had ceased speaking the others fixed their gaze back to the blackness that filled in the doorway. It was a blackness that seemed to echo the darkness that was in each of their hearts. It was a darkness that extinguished all hope and devoured all laughter.
**Hope you enjoyed it! The routine is the same, I need at least three reviews. So PLEASE at least sign your name. TAKE THE TIME, PLEASE!!!!!**
Lilianna
**Disclaimer-see first chapter**
Chapter 3-Shattered Smiles
The Hot-Ra pulled yet another sharp turn that would have caused the guardians to fly out of their seats if it hadn't of been for the seatbelts that Presley had insisted that Rath install. In ancient Egypt there had been no seatbelts so they had thought nothing of it but when their prince persisted that they use them the guardians had been forced to obey. Ja-Kal himself was glad to have them because of the maniac way of driving that Nefer-tina had adopted in this confusing new world.
Following the Princes' unusual display of emotions the four mummies had been worried especially when he hadn't shown up for the lessons that he had been coming for the past three weeks. The others had finally convinced themselves that he had just forgotten and to try and relax Nefer-tina had convinced them to come out for a ride `on the town' with her. Ja-Kal put on a brave face and went with them but he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen that night.
Off they had gone in the Hot-Ra driving around town chatting to eachother about everything. That is everything except Presley. People had stared as the dragster style car drove by wondering to themselves if there was a car show going on somewhere near by.
"Oh look a Beefy Burger!" Armon cried pointing out the window after they had been cruising the streets of San Francisco for over an hour. "Nefer-tina, can you pull into the drive-through so I can grab something to eat? Please, I'm starving!"
Rath rolled his eyes. "Armon when will you finally stop thinking of your stomach for once? It's so undignified."
Armon huffed. "Well at least I have a sense of humour Rath."
Nefer-tina laughed. "He's got you there Rath. Stop acting like a wet blanket and have some fun!" She had punctuated `fun' by fish tailing the Hot-Ra up the drive-thru ramp.
Rath snorted and raised his eyebrows. "And you call trying to kill yourself by driving irresponsibly fun? No thank you, I would rather like to stay alive." The corners of his lips twitched as if he made to smile then smothered it.
Nefer-tina turned around to stare at her classy friend in shock. "Rath... `Alive'?" She turned to Armon. "Hey Armon, I think Rath does a funny bone in his body." She shot Rath a glare after he had snorted. "Maybe I'm wrong `cause it would have to be awful small."
Armon started to laugh uncontrollably but Rath only `hmphed' and stuck his nose in the air which only made Nefer-tina start to giggle and Armon laugh even harder. All the while the Hot-Ra had pulled up to the ordering window. "Welcome to Beefy Burger. Can I take your order?" Came the static voice from the king sized plastic menu.
Armon leaned out the window. "Yes, I'll have ten deluxe--Ouch!" His sentence had been interrupted by Nefer-tina who had elbowed him in the ribs.
"Do you think we're rich?" She hissed. "We only have the leftover money the prince gave us." She turned back to the window ignoring Armon's pleading face. "Sorry, we'll have four regular burgers."
There was a static filled pause from the disembodied voice. "Is that everything?"
"Yes, thank you." Came Nefer-tina's polite reply.
There was another pause. "That comes to seven dollars and fifty-two cents. Please pull up to the first service window."
Armon stared at the speaker thinking. "I wonder how that person fits into that small thing."
Rath snickered and tossed his head to the side. "It is far to complicated to explain."
Nefer-tina smiled. "You just don't know, do you? It's because you think that you know everything."
Rath furrowed his brow in anger. "Well I don't hear you offering an explanation. I'm the sorcerer here and if I say that it is too complicated to explain then it's far to complex for your simple mind to comprehend!"
Nefer-tina's voice rose. "Of all the nerve..."
Ja-Kal sat looking out the window with his head in his hands. He didn't hear the fierce rivalry that was taking place inches from him because he was too preoccupied. He stared at nothing in particular but let his eyes glaze and blur so that he wasn't focused on any one thing. `I can't get rid of the feeling that something is wrong. I don't know what it is but something has been eating away at me ever since Prince Rapses left.' He sighed. `What is wrong with him? It is as if he is afraid of affection from us. He's never acted like this before so why now? I care too much for him just to let him suffer by himself but there is nothing I can do. I feel so helpless.' He sighed again in frustration, and then shifted uncomfortably. `Why did it get so warm all of a sudden?' He looked around then a pulsing light caught his eye. His heart jumped. `Something's wrong. My amulet had never done this before but it has to be Rapses. He's in trouble! If anything had happened to him someone is
going to pay!'
The three other guardians were still at each others throats, pointing fingers and shouting, the Beefy Burgers completely forgotten.
Ja-Kal, burning with concern, anxiety and panic for his prince, burst angrily into the argument. "Prince Rapses is in danger!" He looked around at their startled faces. "Well what are you waiting for! Let's go!"
The others came out of their startlement of Ja-Kal's uncharacteristic interruption and looked down at their own pulsing amulets. After the comprehension Nefer-tina floored the gas petal causing Hot-Ra to shoot forward towards where their prince waited in what they thought was evident danger. They raced down the street at an alarming rate causing people to dodge out of the way when they came tearing through.
`Please let us not be too late.' Ja-Kal hoped had blurs of people, buildings and cars sped by the window.
* * * * * *
Presley smirked while examining the figure in front of him. "It worked." He said to himself in amazement. Presley shook his head. "I can't believe it."
The figure infront of Presley finally noticed him. "Who..." He stepped back in astonishment and pointed at Presley. "You...You look like me!" He blinked and visibly struggled, regained his princely composure. "By the powers of Ra! What magic is this?! Guards! Seize this imposter!"
There was a moment of uncomfortably of silence. Presley decided to break it. "Umm, Rapses you have no guards. Don't you remember what happened to you?"
Prince Rapses glared at his counterpart. "How dare you speak you...you...you revolting creature!"
Presley glared back in anger. "Look here mister all high and mighty. You have been living inside of me for the past twelve years so be grateful that you're free! You died 3500 years ago. Scarab killed you. Get it? You died! It's now the 1990's and your spirit was reborn inside of me. So I'm not some creature or thing I'm part of you so you can just keep your mouth shut!" By now Presley was shouting at the prince who almost looked comical with his mouth hanging open and his green eyes wide.
After a moment Presley relaxed and realized that he shouldn't have been that mean to Rapses. `After all he just came back to life, how would I feel?' He sighed internally and was just about to apologize when Rapses beat him to it.
"You're right. I did die." His eyes took on a faraway look. "I remember it all now, Scarab saying that my father was home, then attacking me, my guardians showing up to protect me, a fierce battle and then...nothing." He brought his eyes to Presley. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have assumed that you were evil. I have a feeling that you are a good person. Now that you stated that I was apparently reborn inside you, I understand." He slightly bowed his head, looking contrite. "I apologize."
The modern version of Rapses nodded his head in return. "Apology accepted. But you didn't have to apologize because I understand as well."
The two boys looked at eachother with emerald green eyes then smiled at eachother as if they were brothers. They continued to look at eachother examining their similarities and their differences in clothing. Presley stood in his shorts, sneakers, t-shirt, windbreaker and amulet. Rapses stood in an Egyptian-styled kilt and a headdress that wasn't very fancy but declared him a prince. He wore no shoes and wore wide gold bracelets and an amulet identical to Presley's.
"You look weird." They both said in unison, and then laughed uncontrollably as they realized how stupid they had sounded.
Presley recovered first. "Are you hungry? We can grab something to eat out of the fridge if Armon hasn't cleaned it out already."
Prince Rapses stopped laughing. "What's a fridge?" Then he asked excitedly. "Armon's alive as well?"
Presley bit his lip. "Well he's not necessarily `alive' but he's here. So are Ja-Kal, Rath and Nefer-tina." He paused as he saw the princes' smile got bigger and bigger until the prince was beaming. "I'll tell you what. How about we grab something to eat and I can catch you up on everything and tell you my plan."
Rapses grinned again. "That sounds fine." He cocked his head to the side. "So I'm guessing by you calling Nefer-tina, Nefer-tina not Nefer that everyone knows she's a girl?"
Presley shook his head and rolled his eyes. "It's a long story but I'll tell you on the way. Come on."
Both boys started towards the fridge when four figures garnished in shining armor burst in.
The figure garbed in falcon armor scanned the room. "Unhand our..." His sentence dropped off as he discovered the twins who had just begun to head towards the exit. Ja-Kal's arms dropped to his sides and the face under his helmet was dumbfounded.
Rath stepped forward in confusion. "Princes Rapses?" He questioned.
Rapses ran forward to his guardians but stopped a foot away knowing that it wasn't princely to hug them. "You guys are alive too!" He frowned but that was quickly erased by his smile. "Well sort of. But that doesn't matter! You are all ok!" The prince was so happy that his grin was threatening to spilt his face.
By now Ja-Kal had recovered and was staring at his prince with concern. "My prince we received a distress signal from you and thought that you were in danger." His brows creased in confusion. "But when we came in I thought I saw two of you." He looked up and his blue eyes opened wider in puzzlement. Ja-Kal's eyes returned to the boy infront of him then back to Presley. "My prince?"
Presley had watched as the real Prince Rapses ran over to their guardians and felt a pang of regret. `Stop it, they're his guardians now, they're not mine anymore.' He had become happier when he had seen Rapses but when he saw the five of them together all the sadness of previous days had returned in full force. He had remained silent so that he could make sure that his emotions wouldn't overcome him. `They look like they belong together. They don't need me anymore.' Presley was startled back to reality when Ja-Kal spoke to him.
Presley sighed releasing some of his misery into the air. "No Ja-Kal. I'm just plain old Presley Carnovan." He jerked his head to Rapses. "He's your prince"
Ja-Kal shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand this." He looked at both of his `princes' and stood there.
Rath who seemed to have a better grasp on the situation looked at Presley. "My Prince did you cast a powerful spell not to long ago? I felt one but it was at the same time as my amulet began to glow so I wasn't positive." When Presley nodded he continued. "Did you make a double of yourself?"
Presley closed his eyes. `Why do they keep calling me their prince? It's driving me crazy! Oh well, I guess I better tell them now.' He opened his eyes again to discover that he had five pairs of eyes staring at him waiting for a response. He took a deep breath. "No, I didn't make a double of myself. The person there is Prince Rapses. The spell I cast separated his spirit from my body and made him his own person. He will be here until you guys finish your mission and destroy Scarab. Then all of you will return to the Western Gate and re-start you afterlives." He looked at each of their faces as they gaped at him in disbelief. He smiled sadly. `They'll be okay.' "Well I'll see you guys around. Take care of yourselves." Presley began to walk away when a voice caused him to stop in his tracks.
"What are you talking about `o prince? You're our prince." Nefer-tina's voice penetrated the barrier of sadness that had surrounded Presley as soon as he turned to leave.
Taking in another wavering breath Presley turned around again. This time he wasn't looking at five faces that disbelieved but four faces that were concerned and one that understood. "Look, don't you get it?" He pointed at Prince Rapses. "He's all you have to worry about now okay? I'll see you later."
Presley was half way through turning around to continue his exit when he was stopped once again but this time, by Ja-Kal. "Prince Rapses--"
He never got to finish what he was going to say because Presley whirled around facing them with a mixture of sorrow, pain, anger and frustration that they were making this harder than it had to be. "Don't you guys get it?! I'm not your prince anymore. My name is Presley Carnovan, a regular twelve-year-old boy. I don't have an ancient spirit inside of me because he's standing right infront of you!" Presley was screaming at them now with tears streaming down his face then falling unheedingly on to the stone floor. "Stop calling me your prince, I'm not! You don't have to worry `bout me anymore! You can protect Prince Rapses twenty four hours a day, seven days a week because you don't have to worry about him going to school or whatever." Presley's shoulders shook and his body trembled with the waves of sorrow that were hitting him. "Have great afterlives. Goodbye!" On the last word his voice cracked and he turned and fled out of the Sphinx so that he no longer had to look at
their faces and be reminded of them.
Even as Presley's footsteps receded down the hallway the five bewildered figures continued to stand there astounded by the scene that had just taken place. Of all of them the one most deeply affected was Ja-Kal. Presley's' words had struck him like knives in his heart. His heart had writhed in agony when he watched Presley weep with his sadness. Ja-Kal wanted to run after the suffering boy but couldn't because of his obligations to his prince. Ja-Kal looked down at the top of his princes' head. `I was fond of Prince Rapses back in Egypt and loved him as much as a servant can love royalty but Presley was more than a prince to me, he was like a son. Would a father let his son hurt so much?' The answer came to him immediately from his conscience. `No, a father would not let him hurt so.' Ja-Kal looked up again from his study of Rapses head to glance at his companions. Each of their faces was a mixture of disbelief, concern and anguish that they could do nothing.
From out of the morbid quiet the voice of Prince Rapses shattered the barricade of silence that had cloaked them all. "He needs some time."
The four guardians came back to reality from their own thoughts, slowly as if they were trudging through mud. They blinked and looked at their prince as he spoke again. "What he just did took a lot of courage, he needs some time to think and be alone."
The boy prince had not lifted his eyes from where Presley had made his exit and when he had ceased speaking the others fixed their gaze back to the blackness that filled in the doorway. It was a blackness that seemed to echo the darkness that was in each of their hearts. It was a darkness that extinguished all hope and devoured all laughter.
**Hope you enjoyed it! The routine is the same, I need at least three reviews. So PLEASE at least sign your name. TAKE THE TIME, PLEASE!!!!!**
Lilianna