Sitting on the couch Ja-Kal, Armon and Nefer-Tina looked up when Rath and I ran in. Skidding to a halt I waved at my new friends who stared at Rath who had a grimace on his face.
"What happened to you two?" Ja-Kal asked and I looked back at Rath who fixed me with two narrowed green eyes and two crossed arms.
"Scarab happened and all I wanted to do was go for a ride on the Jetcycle. Stupid villain." I complained and they all exchanged a look. "Yeah we're fine but the Jetcycle's kind of banged up. We had to hide in the park when his Shabti came after us."
"You wreaked the Jetcycle?" Nefer-Tina asked as she climbed from the armrest and I nodded towards Rath who raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Don't look at me like that. It was her idea to go for a...what did you call it?" Rath said and I just shrugged at him, running a hand through my hair.
"Joyride?" Ja-Kal supplied and Rath nodded, looking towards me until I finally sighed when Rath started tapping his foot.
"Well it was my idea but Scarab broke the Jetcycle so you should be putting most of the blame on him." I explained and Rath just cleared his throat crossing the room before he stood beside me. "Blaming me for the whole thing isn't very far, Rath."
"Neither is damaging something I worked very hard on, Jade." Rath countered and I just stood my ground when he kept his gaze on me. "Now how are we going to get it back here to repair?"
"Never mind that now. Why was Scarab in the city?" Ja-Kal interrupted when I copied the glare Rath was giving me. "Did you hear anything?"
"We were kind of busy trying not to end up cooked, Ja-Kal. He just started complaining about mummies spoiling his plans before he tried to cook us. Rath barely got us away from him without ending up as burn marks on the sidewalk." I replied with a shake of my head. "Those fireballs almost took my head off."
"Mine too, Jade. You seem to forget I was there too." Rath said and I just shrugged at him. "You wouldn't be in one piece if it wasn't for my expert driving skills."
"Well if we're competing on who messed up worse you messed up a spell and brought me here. Also I was human until that happened." I told him and Rath threw up his hands.
"Well you wreaked the Jetcycle." Rath shot back and I giggled at the face he pulled. "You are not helping at all."
"Not trying to, Rath. Besides Scarab blasted the Jetcycle but we can still find it. It crashed into a birdbath in the park so it shouldn't be too hard to find." I replied and he sighed as he started to head for the entrance. "Wait for me. I'll help bring it back."
"Not this time, Jade. You've caused enough of a disaster for me." Rath answered and I paused at the archway looking at him with my head tilted to one side. "Just stay here and behave yourself."
"Hey I said I was sorry about that. Besides I want to help." I protested and he turned around when I walked over.
"You can help by staying out of the way." Rath grumbled, walking away before I could even get a word out so I just stood there brushing my feet across the dusty floor. Once Ja-Kal saw the way I was looking at the floor, chewing my lip he followed Rath.
"Rath, you shouldn't be so hard on Jade. She is trying to help and besides this is her first day as a mummy." Ja-Kal told Rath as they walked alongside each other. "There's a lot we need to teach her if she wants to fit in around here."
"I suppose I might have been a little hard on Jade but anything could have happened to us. If I hadn't ridden away when I did who knows what could have happened?" Rath said and Ja-Kal shook his head as Rath paused just beyond the archway. "Though it was enjoyable going for a ride in the Jetcycle." He admitted and Ja-Kal laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.
"See Rath? Jade wants to be your friend." Armon added, having followed them as well. "I'll help bring the Jetcycle back too."
Together they walked towards the entrance leaving Nefer-Tina and I in the room with the sarcophagi. "I really just wanted to have a little fun." I muttered, perching on the couch's armrest. "Wasn't my fault Scarab ruined our fun."
"I understand that, Jade. It was fun racing around the streets in the Hot-Ra." Nefer-Tina admitted and I just shrugged, staring at the TV without really watching it. "That mummy has his bandages wrapped too tightly."
"Yeah so I've noticed. He acts like he's never made a mistake in his life. I was just trying to helpful and bring the Jetcycle back and he snaps at me." I whispered, resting my head in my hands. "Not my fault it got smashed."
"Don't let it worry you, Jade. He's always this stubborn." Nefer-Tina reassured me and I nodded, staring at the floor. "Come on you still haven't checked out the Skycophagus and the Nileator yet." She told me and I brightened slightly, climbing to my feet. As we headed for the garage Rath, Ja-Kal and Armon went searching for the Jetcycle.
Now standing in the park Rath wandered over to the bushes. "This is exactly where we crashed. Now there should be a birdbath around here or what's left of one anyway." Rath said as they spread out, searching the grass until he smiled. "There it is." He called out a few minutes later, Armon and Ja-Kal helping him upright it. "Hmm not too badly damaged though I can't be positive until we bring it back to the Sphinx."
Together they started to push it back to the garage while Nefer-Tina showed me the two vehicles I hadn't seen before. Face to face at least and I started to feel a little better as I stared at the Skycophagus looking at my own reflection. "Okay this is really cool but what is it?" I asked Nefer-Tina who was standing nearby.
"That's the Skycophagus." Nefer-Tina replied as I straightened. "Though I think a joyride's out of the question." She added with a sigh and I frowned looking back at the Skycophagus.
"Aww but it would be fun." I replied and she just shook her head, looking past me but I didn't notice giving Nefer-Tina a smile. "You know how much fun it was riding around San Francisco in the Hot-Ra."
"Yes but we can't, Jade. You know how mad Rath will get if we take the Skycophagus." Nefer-Tina answered and I just shook my head, wandering over to the vehicle.
"What Rath doesn't know won't hurt him." I insisted and from behind me I heard someone clearing their throat. I spun around coming face to face with Rath who tapped his foot against the stone floor.
"What won't hurt me?" He asked me and I cracked a small smile looking at the Skycophagus with a tiny smile. "Oh no. Not this time. Last time I let you talk me into driving the Jetcycle it crashed and we had to drag it all the way back here."
"We dragged it back, Rath." Armon commented as he and Ja-Kal dragged the Jetcycle over a platform on the ground.
"Why can't you let it go and have some fun?" I complained, running a hand through my hair and Rath just narrowed his eyes at me.
"Let it go? You helped destroy one of my inventions and now you want to destroy another?" Rath shot back and I blinked as he pointed to the Jetcycle. "Do you realize how much time I need to devote now to fixing the Jetcycle instead of continuing to study this problem?"
"By this problem you mean me right?" I asked and he nodded, raising an eyebrow at me when I poked his chest. "I'm not a problem to fix, Rath. Besides why are you getting so angry at me?"
"I'm not angry merely disappointed, Miss Price." Rath answered and I just threw my arms into the air kicking at the dust beneath my feet. When I spun on my heel he found himself staring at the back of my head. "Look at me when I'm trying to talk to you."
"If you're going to talk like that to me forget it." I grumbled as I stomped past my friends, only pausing to look back at Rath. "And my name is Jade!" I shouted at him running off when he blinked at me.
"Good going, Rath. Jade was starting to feel better about turned into a mummy because of your magic spell and now she's run away." Nefer-Tina told him and he just shrugged walking towards the Jetcycle. "Aren't you worried about her?"
"Jade won't venture from the safety of the sphinx. I'm sure of it." Rath replied, kneeling beside the vehicle and Nefer-Tina rolled her eyes towards him.
"Rath, she doesn't know the city like we do. Anything could happen to her out there." Ja-Kal agreed but Rath turned his attention to the Jetcycle instead of answering.
"I don't think he's listening, Ja-Kal. I'll get his attention." Armon said, reaching down and Rath looked up when the Jetcycle lifted off the floor.
"Do you mind?!" Rath shouted as Armon held the Jetcycle above the floor. "I was working on that." He protested sitting and Nefer-Tina crossed her arms.
"Do you want Jade to get lost out there? Remember when you lost your memory and those nice people helped you? Jade's out there all alone." Nefer-Tina said and Rath chewed his lip looking towards his friends.
"Jade is a good person and she needs our help." Ja-Kal agreed and Rath just shrugged, still not totally convinced that his friends were right.
"Rath, if you ran away we would come looking for you. Besides Jade didn't mean to crash the Jetcycle. She just wanted to have some fun." Armon added and Rath finally gave up, straightening.
"I will admit that I was a little harsh with her. Fine then we will go and look for Jade but like I said earlier I am quite sure that she is only hiding somewhere in the sphinx. You mark my words." Rath answered as he started to head towards the sarcophagi. "She's probably near the magic box."
Of course as soon as he entered the room with his friends just behind him he stopped the room only occupied by Kahti who meowed, curled up in her own sarcophagus. "Alright so maybe she's somewhere else. It's only a matter of searching and we will locate Jade."
Not as certain Ja-Kal, Nefer-Tina and Armon shook their heads following their friend as they searched every room in the sphinx. While they searched I wandered the park my hands at my sides.
"Why can't he be a little nicer to me? Can't he see that it's hard for me being changed into a mummy? He's had time to adjust but I've only been this way for, what, a day?" I muttered, kicking at a stone which just made my toes hurt. "Wish I had a pair of shoes right now." I added, wincing as I walked past the broken birdbath.
"She's not in the sphinx, Rath." Nefer-Tina told him as he paced in front of the TV, not listening while his friends stood next to and on the couch.
"Rath, she's clearly wandered off and we need to find her before someone sees her." Ja-Kal said and Rath paused in his pacing scratching at his chin.
"She has indeed run away and it's my fault." Rath muttered and Armon just blinked, looking towards Nefer-Tina and Ja-Kal with wide eyes.
"Did you just admit you messed up, Rath?" Nefer-Tina commented as Armon's mouth opened and Rath nodded, looking in the direction of the front entrance for a moment. "Wow."
"Yeah what she said." Armon agreed and Ja-Kal nodded all in agreement.
"I was wrong to blame Jade when the mistake was my own. Now I must search for her and bring her back." Rath said, walking away though as soon as he heard footsteps he stopped. "No. This is my fault and my responsibility. I will go alone."
"Rath, what if Scarab shows up? What will you do then?" Ja-Kal asked and Rath just smiled at their leader.
"I will make sure no harm comes to Jade. While I'm gone make sure nothing happens to the prince. I will be back before you know it." Rath told them, hurrying towards the Hot-Ra without looking back.
I just hope Jade can keep herself out of harms way until I find her.
As the platform raised the Hot-Ra I sighed to myself, looking towards the sky above me. "It's getting late and I should be getting back...home. Huh not even sure where home is right now." I whispered looking at the full moon. As I continued to walk along the grass I noticed how quiet it was. "At least no one can see me walking here. I'd hate for a human to see me and I can't believe I just said that." I added raising my hands in front of my face.
Just looking at the bandages covering my hands and body made me swallow a lump in my throat, crossing my arms against my chest as I started to wander further away from the sphinx trying not to look at my covered feet.
Rath reached the park soon afterwards looking into the distance in time to spot me. He smiled to himself about to call me over only he paused when he saw me sitting on the grass, my head in my hands. Parking the Hot-Ra he carefully approached my spot and I looked up when his shadow covered me. "I knew you were there, Rath. The Hot-Ra's not exactly silent." I told him and when I didn't move he took a seat beside me.
"Jade, you shouldn't be wandering around here on your own." Rath told me as I turned back to look at the sky, my eyes on the stars and the moon. "It's not safe."
"Like I care. I'm stuck in this world because of you and your magic." I whispered, not surprised to feel tears welling in my eyes. "Plus now I'm homesick and I haven't even been here that long too."
"Jade, I did not mean to upset you. I was frustrated at Scarab attacking us and I took my anger out on you." Rath told me, setting his hand down on my left shoulder and I turned my head away but he still had time to see my tears. "Please accept my apology."
"Like you really care about me. I barely even know you." I muttered, confused when I heard a rip finding a piece of torn bandage in front of my face.
"Here you go. Dry your eyes before your bandages get wet." Rath said and I sighed, taking the torn bandage and as I wiped my eyes with it he chewed his lip. "I know what it's like to be pushed into a strange world with no prior knowledge. But I am coping as best I can with my friends' help and if you'll allow me to I can teach you everything I know about what you are now."
"You say that now but how can I be sure you won't get angry with me again? I didn't mean to damage the Jetcycle I just wanted to have a little fun." I explained, looking at the bandage between my hands. "Sorry it's kind of soaked now."
"I have plenty so you may keep it. The Jetcycle will survive but if you stay out here too long you will not." Rath warned and I turned my attention back to him as he looked at the moon above us. "If you are the same as us you will have the same restrictions like growing weak the more you stay away from your new home."
"Rath, what are you talking about?" I asked as I straightened. "I feel perfectly..." Taking a single step forward I stumbled and Rath leap to his feet, grabbing my shoulders to steady me when I staggered. "Whoa."
"This is what I was afraid of. We need to get you back to the sphinx now, Jade." Rath answered as he draped an arm around my shoulders. "Otherwise your weariness will only get worse."
"Feeling a little lightheaded." I agreed as he gently led me back to the Hot-Ra. "Does this happen a lot?"
"Only when we stay away from the sphinx for too long between recharges." Rath answered, helping me into the Hot-Ra and after he sat behind the drivers seat he glanced at me. "We will bring you back and you will feel much better once you take a nap."
"I hope so, Rath." I mumbled, rubbing at my eyes as Rath carefully drove us back. "You can drive faster if you want."
"The last time I did that I crashed the Jetcycle." Rath chuckled and I blinked at him a tiny smile creeping onto my lips. "I will admit I wasn't paying attention but I did have Scarab trying to burn us. Not to mention I needed to get you to safety."
"Finally you get it. Thanks, Rath. I know I shouldn't have run away like that I just needed some fresh air." I admitted and he raised an eyebrow at me. "Figure of speech. I was upset and I needed sometime to think."
"Yes I can understand that. Sometimes it is better to spend time alone working on our problems. Though there is nothing wrong with asking for help." Rath answered, looking towards the sphinx as it came into our view. "Nearly there."
"I could really use a nap right now." I mumbled with a yawn as Rath drove the Hot-Ra into the sphinx.