Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.


Ammit chuckled in amusement. "You have nothing to fear, outsiders. That is merely that blowhard Jupiter throwing a tantrum at another defeat. When Her Majesty uses me to finish off a monster, I devour their soul utterly, preventing that upstart Pluto from calling its shade back from the Underworld."

The Bugrangers and their allies sagged in relief. "So no giant monster?" Nushi asked for confirmation.

"Not this time, no," Cleopatra assured them, whispering thanks to Ammit, who smiled and vanished in a flash of light.

"Well, that's good," Aranea commented. "Because I'm not sure how much help we could have been, given that our Great Divine partners are back in the future."

"I bet I could have taken it down by myself," Goro bragged.

"Actually, partner, your transformation is going to run out in a couple of minutes," Formic informed him.

"Oh."

"Don't our Great Divine Insects exist in this era, albeit asleep?" Mibojin pointed out. "Couldn't we just wake them up early and-"

"NO," Shin roared. "We are not doing that. We are not even thinking about doing that. Put it out of your mind, now."

"Why not?" Ariel asked. "We could just put them back to sleep afterwards-"

"We don't remember ever being woken up early, so it probably didn't happen," Great Lepidoptera pointed out.

"Yeah, but the history books never said anything about Cleopatra leading a team of ancient Egyptian Sentai," Ariel pointed out, causing poor Cart to whimper. "So couldn't you just… Erase your memories or something-"

"NO!" The entire Buzzing screamed at her, filled with horror and revulsion.

"Ariel, after what happened to you in particular, I can't believe you would evensuggest a violation like that!" A disgusted Lepidoptera cried. "Never say something like that again, or I may have to rethink whether or not you really are fit to be my partner!"

Ariel cringed, chastened. "Right. Sorry. My bad. I won't bring it up again."

"Look, I know I've been a little… Cavalier so far about maintaining the timestream, especially because it's fairly clear there's more going on here than meets the eye," Shin told her, struggling to maintain his composure. "But just like there's a big difference between jaywalking and murder, what we've been doing so far wouldn't cause nearly as big a catastrophe as something like that would. It could trigger a temporal paralox!"

"Don't you mean Paradox?" Antares asked.

Shin vehemently shook his head. "No, this is much worse."

Aranea sighed. "And this is why, like most of the truly intelligent species in the universe, my people stay the hell away from time travel."

"Speaking of, given how mutable time is, doesn't that contradict your belief in the infallibility of destiny?" Mibojin asked.

"We believe that if something can be changed, it was always meant to, and if something can't, then it never was," Aranea replied.

"That seems rather convenient for your worldview," the ninja said skeptically.

"What part of, 'my people stay the hell away from time travel' did you not get?" Aranea asked flatly.

"Wait, don't our stickers protect us from paradoxes? Or paraloxes?" Nushi asked.

"They're also supposed to make us invisible and intangible to people in this time, but clearly that's not happening, so we can't take anything for granted," Shin pointed out. "Not to mention that to even wake up the Great Divine Insects of this era, you would need to take off your sticker to link to them, since we're connected to the Buzzing of our time, not this one, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you why that's an absolutely horrible idea."

"Why is it an absolutely horrible idea?" Antares asked. Everyone looked at him. "What? This isn't an issue for Aranea or myself since our Great Divine Arachnids aren't even in this galaxy, I'm just curious."

"Taking off the stickers would sever our connection to the Buzzing back home, and assuming the psychic backlash didn't fry our brains, connecting to the Buzzing of this era would cause everything we know about the future to become accessible to the Hive of this time, which could cause a temporal parabox!" She declared.

"Not a paralox?" Aranea asked.

Shin shook his head vehemently. "No, this is even worse. And since you'd have taken off your sticker, and thus no longer have any Paradox inhibitors to protect you, there's no telling what that could do to your personal timeline. You might even be erased from existence!"

"… You know, I'm starting to come around to Aranea's line of thought," a disturbed Goro said. "Why do we time travel again?"

Shin shrugged. "Same reason we ride around in cars or airplanes, it's convenient, and safe, so long as you are very, very careful."

"So you all are time travelers?" Cleopatra asked.

The Bugrangers and Arachrangers froze, suddenly remembering that the Egyptrangers were there too.

"Okay, this time it wasn't my fault," Goro was quick to assert.

"Shin, how do we play this-" Nushi started.

"Yes, we're time travelers," Shin immediately replied. When Nushi frowned at him, he said, "What? Cat's out of the bag already. Wait, is that an offensive thing to say here, since cats are sacred and all?"

"It is, but I will forgive it this once," Nefer said haughtily, before eagerly asking, "So when are you from? Past or future? How far? Can you tell us about our futures?!"

"We're from the future," Shin replied. "About 2000 years or so, from a country far to the east from here."

"Or is it far to the West?" Ariel suddenly wondered. "In which direction are we closer to Japan from here? Wait, should I have even mentioned that at all, do they know that the world is round in this time period?"

"Of course we know the world is round," said a confused Thotep. "What other shape would it be?"

Nushi sighed. "You would be astonished how many people back in our time think otherwise."

"And no, we can't tell you about your futures," Shin continued.

"Because you're concerned about protecting the timeline? Because I think that ship has already sailed," Akilah pointed out.

"Partly, but also because I'm not sure any information we can tell you would do you any good," Shin explained. "You see, according to our historical records, none of what just happened should have. As far as we know, Queen Cleopatra did not lead a team of color-coordinated superheroes, was not fighting the Roman Empire, and the Romans didn't have undead soldiers or monsters based off of mythological beasts."

"That's right, they didn't!" Cart cried.

"But… Queen Cleopatra does lead a team of color-coordinated superheroes that fight the Roman Empire, which has undead soldiers and monsters based off of mythological beasts," a confused Gozim pointed out.

"I am well aware," Shin said flatly. "As far as I can tell, there are a couple of possible reasons for this discrepancy. One is that all of our historical records are wrong-"

Cart made a strangled noise.

"Oh, come on, Cart, you know that happens fairly often," he snapped at her.

"Master Shin, my historical database is compiled from the records of a number of different agencies dedicated to observing and protecting the timeline, so the historical record can't be wrong!" She insisted.

"Then explain what just happened," Antares said.

"I can't!" She wailed.

"I can. Possibly," Shin continued. "It's possible that while we are in the past, it isn't our past. We could be in a completely different timeline from our own."

"That can happen?" A fascinated Nushi asked, considering the implications.

"It's not supposed to," Shin told her. "The ShinLiner has tons of safeguards and failsafes to keep this sort of thing from happening, but given the power surge that crashed us here, it's possible those were disabled."

Aranea grimaced, feeling slightly guilty for that.

"That would explain why nothing has changed back in our time," Mibojin realized. "Because it's in a completely separate timeline."

"Wait, what does that mean for us? Can we get back home?" Ariel asked anxiously.

Shin nodded. "Oh, totally. Thanks to our stickers, we still have a solid temporal lock on our own time period, so once we fix the ShinLiner we just need to plug the coordinates in and we can jump time streams back to where we belong."

Nushi frowned. "But if we are not even in our own timeline, why are you so worried about causing a paradox, or paralox, or parabox?"

"Because while it would make sense for us to be in an alternate timeline, I'm not absolutely certain of it, we'd need the ShinLiner's computers up and running to be sure," he replied. "As such, we should probably err on the side of caution. It's possible that the reason our present hasn't changed at all is because our paradox inhibitors are still working, to some degree, and so are preventing anything which happens here from altering the timeline. If that were the case, when we leave, it's possible everything will just snap back, as if we'd never been here, but it's too early to say for sure."

"We would offer our assistance, but I'm not sure how much help we can be," Thotep said apologetically. "We've been trying to repair Akilah's own crashed spaceship, but… It is beyond us."

"Don't worry, we have a repair kit," Shin assured him. "We should be able to repair the ShinLiner in no time. And fix your friend's ship as well so she can get home and warn her people about the impending threat to her world."

"I thought we were erring on the side of caution," Ariel started.

"Yes, but as heroes, shouldn't we try to help those in need, no matter what?" Nushi pointed out.

"On previous time tours, we have stood back and done nothing as horrible things happened right before us," Mibojin pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's because we couldn't do anything, here we can, so…" Nushi trailed off uncertainly. "I mean, I admit it's a little hypocritical, but…"

"That would be most appreciated," Akilah said gratefully.

"You're going to leave us?" Nefer asked unhappily.

"Only after I'm sure Egypt is safe," the alien warrior promised. "And even then, I'll come back as soon as I can. I swore an oath to protect Cleopatra, and I intend to do so until I'm certain she no longer needs me."

"Thank you for your loyalty, Akilah," Cleopatra said gratefully.

There was a flash of blue light, and suddenly Goro's transformation canceled. He staggered and nearly fell over. "Oh, sorry, forgot about the time limit," Formic said apologetically.

"I'm okay," Goro panted, wincing and catch his breath. "I feel… Better than I did after the last time. I guess I'm getting used to the transformation?"

"Yes, because you've lost more of your humanity," Formic told him. "I am… Sorry, Goro."

"… It's okay. This was my choice," the soldier said after a moment.

"Oh! How rude of me. Let's take our suits off so we can formally introduce ourselves," Cleopatra said, somewhat chagrined.

"That's a good idea," Nushi agreed, and they all canceled their transmissions at once…

And the Egyptrangers recoiled in horror. "Demon!" Thotep gasped, shocked.

"Your Majesty, get behind me!" Gozim snarled, pushing himself in front of his alarmed mistress, whom Nefer was cowering behind.

"Hey! I know Antares is pretty ugly, but that doesn't mean he's a demon!" An offended Ariel cried.

"Excuse me?!" Antares demanded. "I'll have you know that I'm considered quite attractive by my people's standards!"

"No you aren't," Scorpio corrected him.

"… No, I'm not," Antares reluctantly admitted.

"They're not talking about Antares, they're talking about me," Shin said unhappily.

Everyone gave him confused looks. "What? Why would they think you're a demon?" Caelifer asked.

"Because I'm a grasshopper. Grasshoppers and locusts were seen as signs of ill fortune in agrarian societies like Egypt, remember? So, when they look at me, they… See a monster," he said, frustration and resignation washing off of him in droves. "Just like so many people back home…"

"Oh, Shin…" Ariel whispered, looking hurt.

"Shin is no monster," Goro insisted angrily. "He's one of us. I know he may look like some sort of bogeyman to you, but… He's still human, where it counts!"

"He doesn't particularly look human," Thotep pointed out.

"Oh? Could not the same be said of many of you?" Antares retorted, causing the Egyptians to flinch.

"… You are truly human?" Cleopatra asked hesitantly.

"I was human, once," Shin said wearily. "What you see before you… This wasn't my choice. I was transformed against my will."

Gozim's expression softened. "So… You were cursed?"

Shin nodded. "Something like that. There was a time when I could switch back between monster and man, but… I lost that ability decades ago. What you see, this… This is me. All of me."

"And… There is no cure?" Thotep asked sympathetically.

Shin shook his head. "No. If anything, it's actually gotten worse."

Apista grimaced at that, feeling no small amount of responsibility for that.

"I know I may not be the prettiest face you've ever seen," Shin continued. "I know I look like a monster. Gaim knows plenty of people back home see me as one. But… I'm still human, or least, I feel like I am. Where it counts." He patted his chest. "No matter how much I change on the outside… On the inside, I'm still me. I'm still Shin. And I promise you, I don't mean you or your country any harm."

"… Stand down, Gozim," Cleopatra said finally.

Gozim hesitated, then nodded and lowered his khopesh, stepping away from his mistress. "I apologize," he said, bowing his head to the green warrior. "I… Also know what it is like to be mistaken for a monster."

Shin nodded in understanding. "Yeah. But… As long as we have people who accept us for who we are anyway, we don't necessarily have to feel like monsters, do we?"

The mummy smiled at that.

"I am sorry for the misunderstanding," Cleopatra said, clasping her hands and bowing her head. "I cannot promise that the rest of my subjects will react any differently, but… I will endeavor to try and treat you with respect you deserve."

Shin inclined his head. "Thank you, your Majesty."

"Let us start over," the Queen said. "I am Cleopatra, ruler of Egypt and leader of the Egyptrangers, warriors chosen by the gods to protect Egypt from all who would seek to destroy it. These are my bodyguards, Akilah and Gozim, my scribe and advisor, Thotep, and my beloved pet and companion, Nefer."

"We're all pleased to meet you!" Nefer said excitedly. "Oh, mistress, did I do a good job today? I killed so many Romans!"

Cleopatra chuckled and scratched her ears, causing Nefer to shiver in delight and purr happily. "Yes, you did wonderfully, Nefer. You're such a good kitty."

Atop the nearby Dune, Kari grimaced. "I am… Still not sure how to feel about that…"

"Do you ever let dad do that to you?" Mira asked.

"… I kind of want to now," her mother admitted sheepishly.

"My name is Nushi Cheng," Nushi said, stepping forward. "I'm the leader of the Bugrangers, heroes who protect the world in our time from a terror from beyond the stars. We, too, were chosen, by the Divine Insects and Queen Apista, ruler of the Hive, who were forced to seek sanctuary on our planet after their civilization was torn asunder."

"What?! But the Hive is one of the strongest civilizations out there!" A shocked Akilah cried. "What could possibly cause them to fall?"

"The Swarm," Apista said gravely as she descended the sandy slope, the others hesitantly following her.

Akilah blanched. "The Swarm?! I thought they were wiped out!"

Apista sighed. "Not as much as we had hoped, unfortunately."

"What is the Swarm?" Thotep asked.

"You know those locusts you guys are afraid of? The ones I remind you of?" Shin explained. "Picture that, but on a scale big enough to devour entire galaxies."

"Also, they're gross undead monsters covered in fungus," Ariel added.

"Oh my," said a dismayed Thotep.

"Ew, gross!" Nefer squealed, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Shit, that's not good, the Swarm nearly wiped my people out the last time they were around! I've gotta tell everyone!" Akilah hesitated. "Wait. Or… Will that screw up the timeline or something? Cause a parasox?"

"No, nothing on that scale," Shin murmured. "I'm … Not sure. If this really isn't our timeline, then it should be okay. If it's not… Well…"

"… Trillions of people have died because of the Swarm in our time," Apista said softly. "If there is a chance to prevent that, even for another timeline… Shouldn't we seize that opportunity?"

"That logic is what leads to people trying to travel back in time and kill Hitler, and that never works," Shin retorted. "Though that might be a fixed point…" He sighed. "But Nushi is right. As heroes, if we have the opportunity to change things for the better, we are obligated to take it, no matter the risk, right? And if this goes bad… Like I said before, I'll take full responsibility." He sighed and shrugged. "Might as well go all in at this point, since we are already involved in events and all… Though I would still highly recommend nobody take their stickers off, that's probably a step too far."

Everyone nodded in agreement. None of them wanted to risk getting their brains fried or erased from existence.

Apista clasped her hands and bowed her head to Cleopatra. "I am Queen Apista, leader of the Hive. Thank you for helping my champions fight off those dreadful Romans. I would have joined them, but unfortunately, I suffered a grievous injury while battling the Swarm years ago, and it still has yet to fully recover."

"I understand," Cleopatra said sympathetically. "As much as I wish to fight alongside my troops at the front line whenever possible, I know it is not always practical."

"No you don't, we have to physically restrain you to keep you from rushing out to fight when you get sick from overworking or partying too hard, both of which happened far too often for my liking," Gozim said flatly. Cleopatra graciously chose to ignore him.

"I sense a divine aura similar to Her Majesty's," Thotep observed. "You are a God-Queen as well?"

"I do not consider myself a God, though my subjects beg to differ," Apista admitted. "I am the heart of our society, the bright center around which our entire culture revolves. Even the Divine Insects, the closest thing my people have to gods, bow to me, but I have always considered myself to be a servant of my people before all else, like a good leader should be."

"Which is why we are all so proud and honored to serve you," Goro said loyally.

Apista smiled at her, gratitude pulsing throughout the Buzzing. "The rest of my champions are Goro Aori, the greatest marksman on Earth in our time and a legendary soldier, Mibojin Kamakiri, a skilled ninja and assassin, Shin Kazamatsuri, a warrior who has suffered horribly for years but risen from it to become one of Earth's greatest heroes, and Ariel Ozu, an incredibly powerful sorceress who will one day be a supreme goddess of magic."

"And just as you draw strength from your gods, we draw strength from our Divine Insects," Nushi said, holding up her wrist, along with everyone else. "Our partners Coccinella, Formic, Manti, Caelifer, and Lepidoptera."

"Pleased to meet you!" The Divine Insects chirped.

"So you carry your gods with you everywhere you go? That's neat," Nefer observed.

"They feel weaker than our gods, but… Older? Curious," Thotep murmured.

"Who are you calling weak?!" Formic demanded.

"To be fair, we aren't entirely here," Manti pointed out. "Our bigger selves are back in our own time."

"But yeah, we're much older," Caelifer bragged. "So old, we don't even remember how old we are!"

"Is that really something to be proud of?" Lepidoptera wondered.

"I notice you left out two of your members," Akilah observed.

"That's because we're not Bugrangers," Aranea explained. "We are Arachrangers, allies of the Bugrangers, but not quite on the same team."

"You're from the Arachide Ascendancy, aren't you?" Akilah realized.

Aranea nodded. "Indeed. I am Aranea, future ruler of the Ascendancy and the universe, and my bodyguard Antares. We also have gods of our own, the Divine Arachnids Arachne and Scorpio."

"You know, you don't need to tell everyone we meet you're going to be the future ruler of the universe," Goro commented.

"Why not? I am," Aranea said, genuinely confused. "And didn't your king go around telling everyone he was going to become king before it actually happened?"

"Well… Yeah, but it was kind of annoying," Goro admitted a little lamely.

"Despite being from a different civilization, I consider Aranea to be my daughter," Apista explained. "Although of course, she is not my only daughter."

"That's me!" Philia piped up. "Philia, crown princes of the Hive! And these are my friends Mei, June, Shitsuki, Fuuka, Galacta, Neycombe, Veila, Cutaros, Luna, Aki, and our chaperones Mrs. Aori, Mira, Kagami, and Scarabella!"

"Hi!" Most of the kids cried, except for Veila, who still looked disappointed she hadn't died horribly.

"Oh, and that metal woman over there in a fetal position is Cart, Mr. Shin's assistant," Philia added.

"This is not historically accurate!" Cart screamed.

"… Is she okay?" Thotep asked in concern.

"No," Mibojin said, not really caring.

Nefer raised an eyebrow, glancing back and forth between Goro and Kari. "Mrs. Aori? My, you have excellent taste, Mr. soldier."

Goro and Kari both blushed this "I like to think so, yeah," he admitted.

Gozim frowned. "That's an awful lot of children… Why did you bring them to a battlefield?"

"It was not our intention," Apista was quick to explain. "You see, today is my daughter's birthday, and Shin decided to take us all on a time travel tour to celebrate. This era was our destination, but… Well, something went wrong, and we crashed here by accident."

"I see," Cleopatra remarked. "Well… Since you came here to see the sights, how would you all like a tour of Alexandria? I'm sure it will take some time for you to repair your vessel, and you might as well accomplish what you came here to do in the first place to make up for the disaster which brought you here."

Philia gasped in excitement and gave her mother a hopeful look. "Can we, mom? Can we can we can we pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?"

Apista laughed. "Oh, very well. It is your birthday, after all. That is, if Shin thinks it's all right?"

Shin shrugged. "Eh, why not. Might be interesting. This version of ancient Egypt is clearly different from ours, might be educational to see how different."

"YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!" All the kids except for a rather more lackluster Veila cheered.

"Shitsuki approves of this change in plans," Shitsuki commented.

"Um, the fact that most of us aren't human won't be a problem, will it?" Jun asked anxiously.

"If it is, I can use magic to transform you all!" Aki bragged.

"Aki, you still have trouble transforming yourself into anything other than a mouse," Luna pointed out.

"Which will make us easier to hide and carry around! And to be fair, I make a very cute mouse," Aki retorted, which Luna had to concede was true.

"I think an illusion spell would probably make more sense," Fuuka pointed out. "And we should probably leave it to cousin Ariel, since she's a professional."

"That I am," Ariel said proudly. "Those since this is her birthday, if Philia wants, she could give it a try."

Philia gasped in delight.

"No, it shouldn't be a problem," Thotep assured them, much to Philia's disappointment. "A significant percentage of Egypt's population is nonhuman, both Children of the Gods and other. While insectoids are relatively rare, they are not unheard of, so nobody will think much of it, even though you are a bit less obviously human in appearance then most of the people who call our land home."

"Especially all the Children of Bast," Nefer said, winking at Kari, Mira, and the kittens.

"I don't think that's what we are, but that's a relief regardless," Kari replied.

"Shin, though… He will provoke a bit of a reaction," Gozim confessed. "Perhaps you should disguise yourself-"

"No," Shin immediately refused. "This is me, take it or leave it. There's lots of people back home who don't look human who have to hide who they are, and hate every minute of it. I chose long ago to never hide who I was to show them they shouldn't be ashamed to pretend to be something they aren't, no matter what anyone else thinks."

Gozim gave him a look of respect. "I see. My apologies."

"If anyone has a problem with you, they can take it up with me." Cleopatra smiled brilliantly and clapped her hands together. "Very well! Where's your Time Machine? My Ushabti can bring it back with us."

Nushi nodded Ariel, who snapped her fingers, canceling her invisibility spell and revealing the ShinLiner.

"Wow! It's bigger than your ship, Akilah!" An impressed Nefer commented.

Akilah nodded. "Yeah, and clearly it's using Hive tech… Which is kind of a surprise, since I thought the Hive, like most of the truly intelligent species in the universe, stayed the hell away from time travel."

Aranea smirked at this, and Shin sighed.

Thotep frowned. "Oh dear… This could be problematic."

"Why?" Gozim asked.

"It's bigger than I thought it would be. We have enough Ushabti to pull our pavilion, or carry that machine, but not both," he explained. "Which means we would have to call for more, and it will take them quite a while to get here."

Gozim frowned. "That's not good… We can't stay here. The Romans will send more forces to investigate when that centurion doesn't report back, especially since Jupiter will no doubt tell Caesar what happened here."

"Shin, is there any way we could whip up enough power to the ShinLiner to at least make it fly?" Nushi asked.

Shin shook his head. "It would take time which I'm not sure we have right now."

"Maybe I could cast an extended levitation spell?" Ariel suggested. "Or turn into my bigger form and carry it-"

"That will not be necessary," Antares interjected. "You say you have enough Ushabti to pull the pavilion or the ShinLiner, but not both?"

"That is correct," Thotep confirmed.

Antares grinned. "Very well. Assign your servitors to carry the train. I will pull the pavilion back to civilization."

The Egyptrangers did a double take. "Wait, what?!" Nefer stammered.

"There's no way you could possibly do that!" Akilah protested.

"Oh, I absolutely could," Antares bragged. "Quite easily."

"Oh yeah, that's right, I forgot, you're freakishly strong," Ariel recalled.

Goro nodded. "Yeah, he could totally do it."

Akilah frowned. "Oh. Well… I guess he can, then."

"Just like that, you believe them?" An incredulous Gozim demanded.

Akilah shrugged. "As far as I know, members of the Hive don't lie. Well. Not usually. So if they say he can pull the whole pavilion by himself, he probably can."

"Can, and will!" Antares declared.

Cleopatra frowned in contemplation, then nodded. "Very well. Let's see what he can do."

A few minutes later, everyone was on top of the pavilion, save for Antares, who had tied all the ropes used to tow the immense wheeled platform to himself. The Ushabtis had been directed to pick up the ShinLiner and were standing patiently behind them, ready to follow the procession once they got moving.

A confused overseer glanced at the whip in his hand, then at Antares. "So, uh… do you want whipping, or no whipping?"

"Wait, you whip your Ushabti?" Asked a confused Goro. "But why? They can't feel it."

"… Can they?" Nushi asked uneasily.

"No, they can't," Thotep assuaged their concerns. "We still whip them anyway because it's tradition."

Cleopatra nodded in agreement. "Egypt has a long and proud history of whipping our laborers into action. Even the workers expect it! If there were no whips, they would riot. It's happened before. Ugly business."

Thotep nodded. "So we whip the Ushabti, even though they don't actually need it, so as not to make it look as if we're giving them preferential treatment. A lot of people, including former slaves, aren't entirely happy with how many jobs have been filled by Ushabti. Heck, I was even assassinated to try and keep it from happening!"

"… Right," Nushi said doubtfully.

Shin shrugged. "Different time, different place, different rules. When in Rome… Well, Egypt, rather."

"Do you think we could visit Rome another time?" Philia asked. "I mean, they did just try to kill us and all, but…"

"We'll see."

"I would like to be whipped, please," Antares told the overseer. "I don't wish to disrespect your traditions. Don't worry, it won't hurt."

A relieved look on his face, the overseer cracked his whip.

Antares grinned, took a step forward…

And the wheels on the pavilion started turning as the Scorpioni warrior pulled hard on the tow ropes, tugging the mobile edifice forward with only a modicum of effort. The numerous dancers and musicians gaped in disbelief, then quickly started running to keep up with the pavilion, not wanting to be left behind. The Ushabti began to move as well, carrying the ShinLiner as they marched at the end of the procession.

"Yah! Yah!" The overseer shouted, lashing out again.

His whip struck Antares' back, and he grunted. "A little higher, please! I have an itch that's rather difficult for me to scratch. No opposable thumbs and all that."

The overseer cracked his whip again, this time a little higher. "Like that?"

Antares sighed in relief. "Yes, thank you very much!"

"Incredible… I don't think I've ever seen anyone as strong as him," an amazed Gozim remarked.

"It would take more than two dozen of my people to manage such a feat!" Akilah agreed.

"He's like a modern Hercules," an impressed Thotep said, eagerly taking notes.

Aranea smirked and sipped some wine offered to her by one of the servants, giving her a wink that caused her to blush. "That's my Antares. He was chosen to be my bodyguard for a reason, after all."

"I don't suppose you could lend me a few dozen just like him? I could use men of his caliber," Cleopatra remarked, licking her lips. "And not just on the battlefield…"

Aranea shook her head. "His people are sworn to serve mine into perpetuity." She paused, then also added, "Also, he's not only married, but not into women."

Cleopatra sighed in disappointment, glancing down at Antares as his chitinous muscles flexed from the effort of towing the pavilion. "Why must the good ones always be taken…" she murmured, blushing in slight arousal.

"Well, at least you still have me!" Nefer purred, laying her head in her mistress's lap.

Cleopatra chuckled and scratched her behind the ears. "I do at that."

Goro glanced at his wife, who was staring at Cleopatra and Nefer with a red face. "Do… Do you want me to do that to you-"

"N-not in public!" She stammered, scandalized.

"Scarabella's doing it to Mira," Cutaros told her.

"What?!" The elder zyuman cried, shocked.

"It feels soooooooo good," Mira purred happily as Scarabella stroked her head. "'gami, get over here, I want some scritches from my favorite ninja!"

Kagami frowned, a pensive look on her face. "Is something wrong, daughter?" Mibojin asked.

Kagami shook her head slowly. "Something feels off. I've done a headcount multiple times, but… For some reason I feel like we've forgotten something…"


"Well, that could have gone better," a legionnaire, Valentinian, murmured to his partner Anastasius as they marched through the desert. "Caesar is not going to be happy."

"I can't see how he could blame us for this," Anastasius grumbled. "How were we supposed to know the Egyptrangers had expanded their roster? We had bad intel! Not to mention our commanding officer had barely any head for tactics. Whose bright idea was it to put a horse in charge of a century? That's about as crazy as making a horse a senator!"

"Yeah, but he's too dead to take the blame, so someone has to be the fall guy, and since we're the only ones who made it out…" Valentinian groused.

"But that's not fair," Anastasius protested. "We didn't do anything wrong!"

Valentinian shrugged bitterly. "That's the Army for you."

Anastasius sighed. "You know, if I'd known that signing up to join the Army would get me turned into a lemure and forced to battle warriors blessed by the Egyptian gods, I'd probably have stayed on my parents' vineyard. Maybe even married that milkmaid I was sweet on."

Valentinian rolled his eyes. "You and that milkmaid of yours… Still, it could be worse. At least we aren't fighting the Gauls."

Both of them shuddered at the thought. "Anyway," Valentinian continued. "At least we aren't going back empty-handed…"

He glanced evilly over his shoulder, at the cocoon containing a whimpering Masaru Aso they were dragging behind them.

"I think Caesar will have a lot of questions for this one…"