Tea unconsciously took the lead, something the boys breathed a sigh of relief over. They had all taken part in saving the world before, but actually being the one to take down evil was a daunting task, even to Joey who was about to blow Noah's brains out.
If he still had any.
"So, I don't get it. We've been walking forever, but I still haven't seen any pyramids, and I doubt a desert will spring up in the middle of a forest." Tristan spoke up, calling into question the doubt on everyone's minds.
"Yeah, Tay. Are you sure this is the right direction?" Joey added.
"I think so. The air's getting hotter, the trees are thinning, and you can't see the sun burning a hole in your hair so I'm going to guess yes." Tea replied, and Joey ran to dunk his head in a river.
"So, Tay, how are we going to get to see The Pharaoh? If you're right, then The Pharaoh will be ruling Egypt again, and three strangers won't be able to walk straight up to him and say that his whole kingdom's fake without somebody stabbing us with spears." Tristan asked as we continued to walk.
"I'm really not sure, Tristan. I'm hoping we can first get an audience with him and then make our statements, try to prove what's real." Tea replied a little unsure herself. She knew she was going to have to make The Pharaoh believe, but how was a whole other question. She knew she had too, if she didn't, then she'd have both failed and be stuck in Noah's little game of a world forever. "We can do this, I know we can. Heart of the cards, remember?" She smiled.
"Never forget." Tristan replied, putting his hands in his pockets. Walking took forever, and the three made camp for the night before getting up to keep on going. There was no stops, and whenever they met someone they tried to prove this world was a fake. In some cases they succeeded, in others they were written off as crazy loons. But finally the top of a gigantic pyramid rose into their view, and the tree let out whoops and cheers.
"Finally!" Joey yelled. "I thought we'd never make it!"
"This trip took forever! I told you we needed to turn right Tea!" Tristan said.
"Well I got us here didn't I?" Tea demanded playfully.
"We could've gotten here sooner if someone hadn't stopped in a perfect world full of food!" Tristan laughed, grabbing Joey in a choke hold.
"Hey! I smelled food, and Mr. Awesome Hunter Expert, you couldn't catch us a single fish!" Joey retorted.
"Good thing too, I wasn't gutting any fish, in this world or ours!" Tea spoke in.
"We got here." Joey suddenly whispered.
"Yeah." Tristan replied quietly. The three walked toward the sand with ominous foreboding, knowing the next step onto the sandy ground would transport them into Pharaoh's domain. Here, they were not friends of a great Pharaoh, the ruler would barely know them and wouldn't be inclined to help poor little village people who were dressed in something that was definitely not decent attire and Tea would probably be cast aside without second thought. The boys would look like someone from a far away land, and wouldn't be taken seriously in the Egyptian Courts. They were about to be ridiculed and thrown away, laughed at and scorned.
"Well, let's go." Tea finally spoke up, and took the first steps. The minute her foot touched the sand, she felt something tingle, and suddenly Tristan and Joey were gone.
"Tristan! Joey!" She called, and she suddenly found herself in a long white cotton dress with a gold circlet around her head resting comfortably on her hair, and she had gold arm bands on her sleeveless biceps. She found herself in thin brown sandals, and she found herself spitting out sand bits. The boys suddenly appeared, each in Egyptian clothing like her, and looking shocked at it. Tristan barely had a shirt that reached his knees and no shirt, and the same with Joey except he too had a circlet on his head. Tristan was clutching a spear and shield, and looking so bewildered by it that Tea just cracked up laughing.
"How did-" Tristan began, but Joey broke in.
"You're our guard!" He laughed. "I'm your Master, Tristan, bow before me and Lady Tea." He commanded. And with a groan of annoyance Tristan quickly gave a quick bow. "Good my servant." Joey nodded with a regal air. Tea stopped laughing as a though dawned on her.
"I have to say 'Thank you, Noah.' don't I?" She asked quietly.
"I guess." Joey replied.
"You don't have to, but it's just good manners." Tristan told her, leaning on his spear with a sigh. "This is the weirdest outfit I have ever worn, let's go convince The Pharaoh and get out of here."
"Yeah, let's do this!" Joey agreed, and we set off through the sands toward the sounds of a nearby village.
"I really hope we don't have to trudge through to many villages before we reach The Pharaoh's house, it's so hot out here!" Tea complained quietly, wiping sweat off her forehead.
"You need a veil or somethin', so do we." Joey agreed, taking the lead to take the burnt of the wind out of her way.
"Thanks Joey." She sighed relieved.
"Hey, servant dude, come take the front for me." Joey called jokingly.
"No thanks, master, I'm perfectly fine back here." Tristan called back with a grin.
"Eh, he never does what I want." Joey sighed, putting his head down and pushing forward. The group continued on, the wind howling in their ears until they reached the first city. Once inside, they were bombarded with a jostling population and sellers yelling at them with each turn they took.
"Come here, come one, come all!" One called.
"Buy your fresh bread here!" Another yelled out.
"Jewelry, get your jewelry for the lovely lady of your life!"
"Come 'ere, come 'ere!"
"Buy some fruit while in Pharaoh's City!" Another called, and Tea gasped in excitement.
"Guys! Guys! Did you hear what he said? The Pharaoh's City! We're in the Pharaoh's City!" Tea exclaimed jumping up and down.
"Calm down, Tay. We gotta get to the palace then, and we gotta find where that is." Joey said, slowing her down before she took off running.
"Do you need to find the palace?" A quiet voice spoke up, and the group turned to find a young girl standing near them. She had curling brown hair, purple colored eyes, and was wearing an elegant cotton dress like Tea's.
"Yes, we do." Tea told her, dropping down on her knees to look at the girl at the same eye level.
"My mama lives in the palace of The Pharaoh, I could take you there." She said slowly.
"That would be great! And who are you, sweetie?" Tea asked pleasantly.
"I'm Ankah. Come with me." She said, grabbing Tea's hand pulled her down a few roads and through enormous crowds and markets before coming to a gate that barricaded the people from the king of the land.
"Halt! Why do you come to the Pharaoh's dwelling?" A guard demanded, blocking the entrance.
"Hi Surji, I'm bringing my friends to the palace." Ankah smiled.
"Oh, hey Ankah. You know they can't come through the front gate, besides wouldn't want your parents knowing what you've been up to. Try the servants entrance, Ankah, no one notices all the people who come through that gate." The guard replied, dropping the spear back to his side.
"Okay! And remember, I wasn't here." Ankah smiled, and pulled Tea toward a side door. Ankah pulled her into a bustling kitchen filled with exotic smells and chefs and servants bringing food in and out the doors. "Pharaoh must be having lunch! Him or his advisers." Ankah amended as she wove through the maze of people to enter them into a hallway. "I gotta find Mama, the Pharaoh's quarters are down the hall and to the right. You're pretty enough to be considered a concubine, and your two friends could be considered servants, you won't be paid no mind. Good luck, bye bye!" Ankah called as she dove right back into a mess of people with a wave and without looking back.
"Concubine?" Tea wondered aloud and shook her head disbelievingly.
"You do look like one, Tay, all dressed up like you are." Joey allowed.
"If I am a concubine then you're a servant." Tea retorted, placing her hands on her hips.
"Guys, we don't have time. We have to find The Pharaoh and get out of here." Tristan broke in.
"What do you need me for?" A deep voice rumbled, and the trio turned to find a man who looked like The Pharaoh in front of them. The resemblance was close, but the man in front of them wasn't their Pharaoh.
"Um, not you my lord." Tea stumbled trying to figure out what was going on. If The Pharaoh wasn't in charge of Egypt then where was he. "I'm sorry, Great Pharaoh, I've forgotten. Who is your first born son?" Tea asked, maybe The Pharaoh was in line for the throne right now.
"My first born son? Atem of course! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to hide from my military adviser. He keeps prompting me to attack Mesopotamia and I would rather not."
"For shame upon him." Tea agreed, curtsying as the Great Pharaoh passed. "So, if The Pharaoh's not ruling, that means he's in line. So that means that this 'Atem' is The Pharaoh!" Tea explained excitedly.
"Um, Tea, how are we going to find him? He's the Prince of Egypt, I don't think just anyone can go up to him." Tristan asked, holding his spear threateningly at his side.
"I would guess we work as his nanny or something." Tea shrugged, and started walking down a hall.
"I am not working as The Pharaoh's nanny, Tay. It's just weird." Joey argued pointlessly.
"We need to get to him, and if it's the only way then it's the only way." Tea sighed. The trio walked around the palace aimlessly, until a head servant stopped them.
"What are you doing here?" He barked.
"Our apologizes, master. We were assigned to look after young Atem today, but we know not where he is. Could you show us?" Tea asked politely, bowing her head in submission. She raised her eyes to him as the man debated.
"I have a spare moment. Follow me." He decided and took off the away he had come.
"Thank you!" Tea called as they ran after him.
"This is the nursery. Young Prince Atem does not enjoy being here because, as he says, he is not a child. I wish you luck." The servant said and left the three to a door.
"Let's do this." Tea breathed, opening the door. The three were entering a war zone.
"Let me out of this confinement! I wanna go! Let me go!" A boy's voice was screaming, and the three found themselves confronted with a woman struggling to hold onto a young boys with tri colored hair and proud features contorted in screams of rage.
"Hello? Yes?" The lady called as she tried to shush a the child.
"Um, we came to look after Atem. We're here to relieve you." Tea told her almost afraid of the screaming child.
"Oh thank Ra! I'm going to leave now, Prince, please be nice to the caretakers." The woman begged as she rushed out the door.
"Who are you?" Atem demanded.
"I'm Tea, and these are my friends Joey and Tristan." She began.
"I wanna go to the gardens." Atem demanded.
"No, we need to talk to you about something." Tea told him in a sweet voice.
"I don't wanna listen." Atem replied, crossing his arms over his bare chest.
"What about a story instead?" Tristan spoke up. "One with adventure, and daring journeys into the unknown."
"What kind of adventure?" Atem asked begrudgingly, his curiosity eating away at him.
"You gotta sit down before we begin." Tristan bargained, and huffing Atem sat on the floor cross legged. "And you have to promise to be quiet until we're done."
"What if I don't?"
"Then you won't have a story." Tristan replied with a smile.
"All right."
"Once, long ago in the sands of Egypt was a wise ruler, a Great Pharaoh. He defeated every evil that came his way, because he had control over great beasts called 'Battle Monsters'. Using these great beasts, monsters that came in every shape and size, this Pharaoh ruled his lands peacefully, and his rule was one of contentment and prosperity. But one day, a evil rose so great that The Pharaoh had to lock it away in an object called 'The Puzzle'. This power of evil was so great that the only way to truly contain it was to lock himself away with the darkness forever, taking every Battle Monster and dark magical power with him. This Pharaoh was contained in the puzzle for centuries, and inside the puzzle he began to forget. He forgot his name, and he forgot his reign. But he remembered he stood for the side of good, and would never buckle when the darkness rose against him. While trapped inside the puzzle someone broke it in hundreds of pieces, forever letting this ruler drift alone in a black void. Many centuries later, more than a thousand years, a young boy came into possession of the puzzle pieces, and unlike anyone before him began to assemble them. This young boy, let's call him Yugi, solved the puzzle, and broke the Pharaoh free of his confinement. But letting lose The Pharaoh also let lose all the darkness that The Pharaoh had sealed away. The Battle Monsters were let lose upon the world, and the Pharaoh's soul bonded to the young boy's." From there, Tristan told the story of Yugi and The Pharaoh, from all the characters that would hold part of the story, to Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, the first virtual world, and onto awakening the dragons. Atem sat captivated by the tale he had once held part in, and didn't even remember that he had.
"That is so cool!" Atem exclaimed.
"Now, here's something I want you to think about. Do you remember anything like that? Any memory that might've popped up?" Tea asked carefully.
"Um, maybe."