I looked at the two models with dismay- one depicted the fierce reptilian face I had become accustomed to in my fondest dinosaur dreams and the other displayed a giant turkey from my nightmares. "Why is this with the dinosaurs?" I queried in despair as I pointed at the overgrown turkey angrily. "It's ruining the scare!"

"Ariadne for the last time we are not here for fun!" Kent snapped in frustration.

I glanced over my shoulder at the dark haired poet, shifting the balloon on a stick in my hand to the left so I could see him. "But I've never been here before," I retorted as I pulled my lip down in a pout and attempted to make my eyes water.

Kent looked revolted and shook his head. "Kid I don't know what face you're making but stop before it gets stuck that way. You're a human now, get Romero to bring you during the day."

I looked at Romero hopefully. "Two trips to dinosaurs," I said eagerly. "I wonder since the mummies will hide from the sun will the Italian fairies trapped in the smelly garlic armour come out?"
Romero sighed. "I hate museums," he grumbled.

"God forbid you'd enjoy a little culture," Kent complained. "And it's Gaelic armour kid, not garlic."

"Why do you bicker with everyone?" Damsel remarked as she looked at Kent curiously. "Ever think you'd make a better Gangrel than a Toreador Kent?"

Kent bristled at the question as Beckett smiled and Rob looked disgusted.

"Why did so many of you need to come here again?" Nasty Dude Bertram quipped tiredly. He was gazing at a collection of prehistoric claws kept behind glass. He looked intrigued and I wondered if, like me, he hadn't gotten the chance to venture to this museum. For some reason the Nosferatu couldn't wander as freely amongst the Kine as other Kindred, odd given some Kine were just as ugly as them if not uglier, many intentionally so.

"Why did you?" Kent retorted childishly.

"His expertise disabled the security cameras in here or would you have preferred the challenge of risking exposure to the Kine?" Beckett queried sardonically.

"Well it's not like she's being subtle anyway," Kent grumbled as he gestured to me with one hand.

I glanced up and down at myself in confusion. I had taken several garments and gifts from the museum's shop in an effort to look the part of visiting tourist. "I blend in as a visitor better than you," I retorted defensively. I was wearing a black baseball cap with a T-Rex's roaring face on the front and red claw marks on the back, a black jacket with 'ROWAR' on the back beneath the image of an Allosaurus ready to pounce, and I held a yellow balloon on a stick with I Heart The Museum on it in blue font, and my new companion Percy the Brontosaurus teddy was safely tucked under my belt.

"This is my first time!" I reminded Kent as I patted the large yellow badge on my jacket that said '1st Visit!' in red font beneath a grinning cartoon T-Rex.

"She is doing no harm," Isaac said with a hint of humour to his voice, "although I do not think it was necessary for you to pick the lock to the shop for her Romero."

Romero shrugged. "She said please."

I skipped over to a collection of fossilised dinosaur eggs behind glass. "Can I have one?" I queried hopefully.

"No," Isaac answered sternly. "We are not here to pilfer."

"She's already done that," Bertram spoke up.

The Nosferatu earned a look of displeasure from Isaac for his troubles. "I am referring of course to the valuable, irreplaceable objects which would be missed," Isaac explained haughtily.

"We really should hurry along," Beckett suggested, "before those guards awaken, it would be rather awkward trying to explain why so many of us have felt the need for a late night visit to the museum."

Beckett followed the signs that advertised the new exhibit 'Treasures of Egypt', leading us past numerous dinosaur skeletons. When I lingered too long by the Brontosaurus skeleton my master commanded me on in a calm but firm manner. I obeyed but I complained about it whilst Isaac chided Beckett for taking advantage of our blood ties.

We reached a large foyer with a mock pyramid dominating the centre of it with a black sign on a metal post marking the entrance to the exhibit at the pyramid's entrance. Two unimpressed looking bird headed statues guarded either side of the currently closed exhibit which was also guarded by a red rope.

Anatole hastened ahead, pausing briefly to look at the statues in disgust. "Blasphemy," he scorned with hostility, "beast and man combined in an affront to God. False gods will break before the true one." He headed to the closed door at the pyramid and scowled at it before kicking it.

"You know that's electronic!" Bertram called after him. "There's a keypad on it. You know I could open it, before you set off an alarm or something." He hurried on.

"Come and open this chamber of secrets then child of Absimiliard," Anatole called back with an impatient look.

"Oh, oh beware the giant snake!" I piped up.

"Giant snake?" Damsel echoed with a look of confusion.

"Harry Potter," Rob grumbled.

Several eyes looked to my brother with a mixture of judgement and wonder.

"You know I have hobbies," he snapped hotly at no one in particular.

"Watching tv about museum exhibitions and reading Harry Potter, some hobbies," Kent sneered.

There was a beep and a creak as Bertram broke the code system and freed the door. Anatole pushed past him to hurry in.

"Wait," Beckett cautioned as his hand clamped down on my right shoulder before I could skip after the blonde.

"What is it?" Isaac queried warily.

"Apep was a giant snake demon in Egyptian mythology," Beckett. "Could be a coincidence," he added in his usual light, sardonic manner, "but with Ariadne that so rarely seems to be the case."

"Are you suggesting there's a giant snake in there?" Damsel scoffed. "And no one in the museum has noticed?"

"I'm suggesting Ariadne possesses an uncanny foresight in her madness and much like the ill-fated Cassandra her ramblings do often bear a ring of truth to them," Beckett retorted.

"Whilst I agree with you on Ariadne it is hard to imagine a giant snake being brought here without anyone noticing," Kent remarked.

"Alright," Beckett gave in as he released my shoulder.

"Sarah," Rob growled out moodily, "her name is Sarah."

I hurried on excitedly. "I want to see a mummy! Oh, oh do you think they shamble as slowly as zombies?"

"That's stereotyping," Romero scorned as he followed close behind me.

I raced on bypassing glass boxes that showcased jewellery belonging to long dead nobles and broken jars that had contained long rotted organs that had been preserved until thieves had ruined them. There were touch screens that promised descriptions and pictures of the artefacts, and mock statues of Egyptian guards and gods guarded and greeted us at each room.

It was difficult to make out most things as we were relying on the emergency lighting and yet the semi-darkness added a certain thrill to the pyramid of pilfered treasures. I stumbled round the left past a statue of an odd looking beast like a lion with a crocodile's head. "Cute little Egyptian puppy," I enthused before patting its stone head. I continued on into a room that was intentionally dark and contained numerous sarcophagi and mummies.

I paused before a statue of Anubis guide to the dead. I gave a polite bow and hunted through my pockets for a dog biscuit to offer him.

"What are you doing?" Romero queried from behind me.

"Giving him a present," I answered happily as I left a bone shaped biscuit at the god's feet.

"Of course," Romero mused.

I turned to face the dark haired ghoul with a grin. "Do you like being with the dead?" I quipped.

"Er...is that a trick question? I mean yeah when they stay buried they're good neighbours to have, nice and quiet, good target practice when they're wandering mind. Can't say I've a preference for it, I'm indifferent I suppose."

"It is quiet with the dead," I agreed as I stepped up to him. "And dark, the dead stay silent about the sins," I mused, "and the darkness hides the devilish deeds." I turned my head to the doorway that advertised the underworld just as the Nasty Dude let out a yell.

"Shit," Romero cursed.

We moved as Beckett, Isaac, Rob, Kent and Damsel joined us. Kent and Isaac surprised us in a rush, chasing the cries of alarm into darkness.

"Where the hell did that snake come from?!" Bertram's voice screeched out in excited terror.

"It is difficult to bear the burden of always being right sometimes," Beckett commented with mock mournfulness.

"You're weird for a Gangrel," Damsel muttered to him.

"Just because Rob chooses to get on like a beast doesn't mean we all have to," Beckett retorted airily.

"You're just a snob," Rob snapped.

We were forced to descend down a path into the bowels of the pyramid and a large chamber designed to represent the Egyptian underworld. There were several carvings on the walls in hieroglyphs and a giant statue of a crowned man with green flesh sitting on a throne holding a crook and flail. It was from around this larger than life statue that the snake came from.

"That crazy idiot took something from the wall and then that snake just appeared!" Bertram snapped hotly as he pointed at Anatole. "Normally you mad guys are fun but you're just dangerous!"

"What did you take Anatole?" Beckett pried calmly, tranquil even in the presence of a giant hissing serpent.

BANG! BANG! Kent had started shooting.

I hung back with my balloon, sorrowful that I had not been permitted to bring my sword on this adventure.

"It is a map to the ancients in the desert," Anatole murmured reverently, "it was on the wall beneath the immortal sun, Aten, the one God, our God though they did not realise it then."

"Actually evidence would suggest Aten was just a means of Akhenaten trying to break control from the priests of Amun-Ra," Beckett argued.

The snake struck, its open maw reaching out for Anatole rapidly. The blonde didn't even seem notice and was barely spared by Kent forcibly shoving him to one side in a blur. Kent turned in a flash and fired a shot into the open mouth.

The snake recoiled with an angry hiss as blood splashed in its mouth.

"Could you two save the history debate for later and do something!" Kent snarled.

I looked at the walls with interest, there were carvings of the sun plated with gold and lesser images of the moon outlined in silver. I followed along them seeing depictions of the snake demon recoiling from the sun and being impaled with a spear by a god with an odd canine head. "You need to shove a spear in it," I advised.

I let out a squeal as I found myself wrapped up in its body without warning as it embraced me for an unwanted cuddle. I let out a gasp of pain as I felt my ribs constrict and threaten to crack as it squeezed. I felt its red eyes burning on me, piercing into me curiously. I met its gaze and looked back, through the red to the real watcher, a beauty who danced to charm the snake, who seduced the serpent with their own swaying and bid it to choke the life from me. An old Toreador buried deep beneath the sands.

I felt my vision dim and heard a rib crack as it gave way to the power of the coils. Sharp pain flooded through me as I tried and failed to gasp for air and red smudged my vision.

There was a loud, angry hiss and several more gunshots and suddenly the snake seemed to slacken. Hands were reaching for me frantically, shoving the large muscle of flesh and scales from me and pulling me from the serpent's hold.

"How is it that you managed to hold your balloon through all of that?" Beckett queried sardonically.

"Are you alright?" Isaac demanded frantically and I realised it was his hands that had hastened to save me.

"Isaac that was amazing!" I heard Kent praise from somewhere.

"What was?" I queried curiously. My lips stained with blood at my words.

"You're hurt," Isaac said worriedly.

I met his tender golden gaze and smiled. "Mortals are fragile," I murmured, "being one is hard."

"Here." Beckett held out his left arm above me with a fresh cut ready for me to feed upon.

"Another chain to bind us," I murmured sorrowfully even as I raised my head to the wound. I pressed my lips against his cold flesh and sucked hard. With the nourishment of blood the burning faded and my love for Beckett grew. I didn't know whether to be glad or sad.

"That's enough," Isaac murmured as he pushed my hair back from my brow and tried to draw me away from master.

I let out a moan of protest and reached to Beckett with both hands, releasing my balloon as I did.

Beckett caught the string before my balloon could stray too high. "Let's not lose it after all that," he mused. "Come now Ariadne, let go of me and take your balloon back."

I obeyed quickly before I could even contemplate disobeying. Master's word was law. I clutched my balloon close and looked to Beckett for praise.

"Good girl," Beckett acknowledged as he patted me on the head.

"Stop treating her like a pet," Isaac complained.

"It's what she wants from me," Beckett replied calmly.

I nodded and nuzzled against Beckett lightly with my head. "And dinosaur stories," I reminded him softly.

I finally turned my attention to the dead snake and saw the bloodstained stoic face of Anubis sticking out of the back of its head, it had been impaled with the statue. I looked to Isaac with curiosity and awe. "Did you slay the serpent?" I queried.

Isaac nodded. "It was becoming irritating," he murmured.

"Baron and monster slayer," I enthused with a wide smile, "every girl's dream."

"Am I yours still?" he queried quietly as he gave me a small smile.

"Always," I answered swiftly, "a lost princess and a monster slayer but does it have a happy ending?" I frowned slightly. "One day perhaps weddings and true love but for now a fairytale."

Isaac flinched slightly before giving me a light kiss to disguise his embarrassment. "Sometimes I feel too old for the fables," he murmured in my right ear, "but then you pull me into your mad fantasy world and I'm young again."

"Look," Anatole interrupted quite rudely, "the eye of the statue."

We followed the madman's gesture up to the green skinned statue and saw its right eye winking in the faint light.

Anatole began to clamber up in a rush.

"Careful," Beckett chided, "remember when you fell from the Eiffel Tower? We had a terrible time getting you to stay dead for the Kine who witnessed it. It was almost sunrise before they left."

"Fell from the Eiffel Tower," Kent repeated dryly, "doing what exactly?"

"He thought God had given him the gift of flight but he was mistaken," Beckett confessed.

Anatole reached the top and with several grunts he managed to free whatever was masquerading for an eye. "It's marvellous," he enthused.

"What is it?" Beckett pried.

"I don't know!"

With those not so revealing words Anatole tripped and fell into the green god's lap with several swears most unbecoming of a religious vampire. Kent, Romero and Damsel all started laughing at his misfortune.

"Malkavians," Bertram grumbled, "never doing things the easy way."

Anatole finally righted himself and joined us back on the ground. The eye, along with the alleged map were secreted in his jacket somewhere. "We can go, the Lord has provided answers," he said confidently.

"Is this Lord who's a voice in your head, the water cooler lord or the puddle you claimed had a messenger of God in it?" Kent queried sardonically. "Or maybe Caine himself? You're into that too aren't you? The existence of our Dark Father?"

"You are a filthy heathen," Anatole scorned him, "and you will burn slowly in Hell for it but until then I shall treat you as friend because you seem to be one to Beckett and the mad girl who prophesies as I do," he added with a nod to me.

"That's a little hypocritical, sure you're not a Cammy?" Damsel queried.

Kent shrugged. "Whatever you say doomsday."

"I think we should go," Isaac remarked wearily as he took my free hand tightly in his own.

"Er what about the giant snake corpse?" Damsel queried. "The Kine will definitely ask questions."

Anatole kicked it. "Satan," he said confidently, "wearing the favoured guise of a serpent."

"No one asked its name," Kent scoffed. "Look we can't exactly shove it under a rug."

"I have an idea," Beckett suggested, "let's chop it up and hide it amongst the unopened sarcophagi, the ones they shouldn't open for fear of damaging them."

"Isn't that a conflict of interests for you?" Kent queried. "Potentially damaging history and all."

"Not if you try to be careful," Beckett scorned him, "and I don't hear any suggestions from you."

"Let's just get on with it," Isaac ordered, "before the guards awaken."