Previously:
"It seems that it may be prudent to go to this desert," The Representative of the East states.
"All in good time," The Great One waves him off, then takes a moment to admire his hand. "First we must go to India."
--
"Take me!" Pizoku jumps and turns to watch his father push pass Ashlee. "Don't hurt her, you can take me!"
--
The wind gusts up suddenly and the wall of glass dissolves into sand once again. Everyone shields their eyes from the sudden rush and when they lift their heads, Marisol and Naoki have vanished.
Ma'at looks around the desert darkness. "What just happened?"
"We need to go," Taylor replies firmly. "Now."
Episode Ninety
"Love Will Get You Killed"
The Representative of the South glides through the forest trees. She admires much of the beauty of the land of India. It seems to her to be quite a lovely place. She hopes that they might keep it mostly undisturbed, but with the behavior of the Great One, her hopes do not get too high.
"This is utter defilation," The Great One rants as he examines the forehead of an old woman. "No trace of it shall be allowed to remain. I want it purged!" The woman evaporates into a mist of smoke. "Purgification!"
"Trace of what?" The South asks with a slight sigh.
"The color red," The Great One replies and sets about setting fire to a shirt. "It is most offensive. It brings to mind too much of an evil negative stigma to anything associated with it."
The East and the South watch as the Great One's eyes flash bright with rage. "You tell him," The East whispers.
"What about love?" A young child of Lhartse asks.
The Great One snorts and demolishes a building in his path. "Love will get you killed," He replies. The he squeals. "What is that?"
The East looks up at the large animal that flees before them. "An elephant?"
"It's gorgeous!" The Great One cries, somewhat sexually. "From now on, all adults in India are to be made elephants. Lavender ones."
The East blinks. "Lavender elephants?"
"Yes, my army will strike fear and terror in the hearts of the impure!" The Great One cries out maniacally. The South feels doubtful of that.
A feeling rises in her and she turns around. "Nine of Nine," She greets the young girl.
Marisol of Nine smiles up at the Ancient One. "I have a gift for you." She turns to show them Naoki Takenouchi. He waves.
Meanwhile, in Egypt
Ashlee stops once again to catch her breath and glares at Taylor as he walks past her. "You have no idea where we're going, do you?"
"Sure I do," Taylor replies, glancing upwards at the grey sky. "We're going East."
"Is this your innate sense of direction guiding us?" Ashlee shoots back with a sarcastic tone. Jilan rolls her eyes as she helps Ma'at walk past.
"It's the Sun that rises in the East that guides me," Taylor responds. "Look, it's lighter over there." He points to the sky in the direction they walk and it is indeed getting lighter on the horizon.
"Could be a trick," Ashlee points out as she starts walking next to Reese and Neah. "One of the Nine could have been sent out to lead us astray and send us wandering deeper into the desert."
Neah gives Ashlee a look of slight annoyance. "You really didn't need to say that."
"So why did they want someone?" Jilan asks. "What was the point of trading?"
"Information," Reese replies. He glances over to look at Izanami talking quietly to Pizoku. "She said so. She called us Great Containers." He didn't like the memory of Marisol.
"They know about us then," Jilan sighs. Ma'at frowns at the thought.
"Well, his father was with us the shortest amount of time," Ashlee points out, sounding almost hopeful. "Maybe they won't learn much."
"No, not much," Neah sort of agrees. "Only that She's an alien who assumed Ma'at and is carrying the Archive, that we know who they are and we are headed to Heliopolis to find Bennu, and that Taylor encased one of the Nine in a pillar of glass 'cause he was angry." Neah smiles in a bitter way.
Ashlee takes in Neah's list. "We're screwed, aren't we?"
Off to the side, Izanami shakes her head. "I don't understand," She says. "You've been gone for four days. I haven't heard anything from either you or Hikari, and suddenly a small Spanish girl is at my apartment, setting fire to the city and saying we need to go to Egypt because you are there." She throws her arms up in her ranting. "With your father! What have you gotten involved in? Did your father get you into this? It seems like something he'd be involved with, what with that stint with the Gay Mafia..."
Pizoku looks quickly at his mother in surprise. "Actually, I got him involved in this..." He wonders just what his father did for the Gay Mafia.
"Where is your sister?" Izanami suddenly asks, startling Pizoku.
Pizoku tries to answer but words don't come out right away. "I don't actually know."
Izanami looks confused and somewhat horrified by her son's answer. But before she can drag it out of him, Taylor stops. "We're here."
Everyone looks along the desert to see the pyramids of Abu Sir. The crumbling ancient ruins seem rather desolate and pathetic in the early morning hours.
"Oh now this is just tragic," Ashlee sighs. Pizoku hears her, but still feels hopeful. After all, if they can hide a Portal in the Hollywood Sign and in the Western Wall, why can't there be one here?
To Be Continued...
