CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

❝And if you are to love, love as the moon loves; it does not steal the night–it only unveils the beauty of the dark.❞

Isra al-Thibeh

✦✧✦

Attila's hugging Larry's leg as he attempts to help Luna hold Ahkmenrah's limp body up. Luna herself is struggling; the glow is weaker than it's ever been and somehow, it feels like it's zapping her strength.

Lancelot and Nicky stand at the mouth of the temple, both staring up at the massive snake. "Fantastic!" Lancelot proclaims happily. "It's awake! Now we can kill it." And he unsheathes his sword magnificently and charges toward the serpent.

But despite Lancelot's strength and skill, the Xiangliu has nine metal heads and he doesn't. It easily overpowers him and wraps him up in its grip. 

Attila screams even louder, clutching at Larry's leg. Luna spins around, pushing Ahkmenrah against the wall, shaking his shoulders, trying to get him to wake up--

"DAD!"

Both Luna and Larry whip around. One of the Xiangliu's heads is attacking Nicky, and unlike Lancelot, he doesn't have a sword.

"NICKY!" Larry shakes off Attila's grip and sprints toward his son, but Lancelot frees himself first, and the vanquished head coils instead around Larry, wrapping him up like a boa constrictor.

"I'll get the boy!" Lancelot shouts, charging ahead. Luna gives up on trying to wake Ahkmenrah up, and instead focuses on the tablet in her backpack. She visualizes it, imagines it once again like a circle, and damn it, forces her fingers to twist the circle into a massive sphere--

This time, it's not just an explosion inside her: A ripple of energy surges out of Luna and through the temple, warm and golden, washing over the snake and her friends. Teddy stops glitching, Attila stops screaming, Sacagawea unfreezes, and Ahkmenrah blinks steadily, coming to.

The Xiangliu's heads go limp, releasing Larry, and he drops to the floor, gasping and clutching his throat. Luna's hands and heart thrum with power. It feels like the glow, instead of just being inside her, is surrounding her, enveloping her.

Lancelot turns to face her, eyes wide, and Nicky's jaw drops. Luna would be shocked, too, if she didn't have a job to do.

She steps forward, approaching the snake, hands outstretched, fingers twitching, conducting the glow like electricity. "No one hurts my friends, you snake bastard."

With a twist of her fingers, every single head knots itself together, coiling up into one large metal mass in the center of the temple. If it ever comes to life again, it won't be untangling itself any time soon. All eighteen of its eyes are on Luna, fearful and almost in awe, and for good measure, Luna makes sure to force its heads inside, so it can't see out, either.

She twists her other hand and the bits of pillar and wall fly back into place, sealing themselves in like they were never broken. The power comes so easily, so naturally. It's like she's done this a thousand times before.

But the minute Luna drops her hands, it's like someone unplugged all the power. She's suddenly exhausted and wobbles on her feet, but this time, Sacagawea and Ahkmenrah are there to catch her. "Whoa, whoa," says Ahkmenrah softly, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Careful."

At the entrance to the temple, behind Lancelot and Nicky, the Garuda is absolutely flipping its shit over what just happened. It jumps up and reenacts it over and over, excitedly chattering the Xiangliu's defeat, and Luna laughs weakly, struggling suddenly to keep her eyes open. She's so tired...

"Ahk, are you okay?" asks Luna, looking up at Ahkmenrah.

He smiles wanly. "Fine."

"Are you alright, my dear?" asks Teddy, looking suddenly worn and aged, but proud all the same.

Luna nods. "I've never done that before. I guess it just took a lot out of me."

Lancelot opens and closes his mouth a few times before whispering, "A witch. She is a witch." Voice growing stronger, he points at Luna. "She is a witch! A sorceress!"

"Yeah, isn't it cool?" Nicky grins proudly at her. 

"Such power... I have never seen its equal..." Lancelot trails off, thinking. "Not even that of Morgan le Fay could challenge it." 

"Trust me, it comes with a lot of baggage," Luna says tiredly, and Ahkmenrah chuckles softly.

"Here, lean on me." And he takes her hand and loops it over his shoulder, tightening his grip on her waist.

Larry, still breathing heavily, bends down and picks something up from the ground. He holds it up and Luna sighs, closing her eyes: His phone, smashed to pieces. It definitely won't work anymore.

"How are we going to find them now?" asks Ahkmenrah, smile vanishing from his face.

"Lawrence," Teddy says, and his voice, too, carries a grim undertone. "I fear we've turned a corner." And he holds up his left hand, which is turned at an uncomfortably stiff angle. "I'm becoming wax again, son."

Luna looks between him and Larry and says softly, "Larry, we don't have much time left. The tablet... It's losing its power--and so am I."

Larry's mouth flattens into a firm line, and then he nods, sighing. "All right, we'll look for them later. We gotta get to Egypt now."

And he turns and heads for the opposite entrance of the temple. Ahkmenrah, Luna, and the others follow. Luna's slowly gaining her strength back, not feeling as tired anymore, but she won't be able to do that again for a while. Not if she likes walking, at least.

"Wait, shouldn't we keep looking for Jed and Octavius?" Nicky pipes up from behind them.

"Nick is right," says Lancelot. "A true knight never shirks his duties."

Luna rolls her eyes. This whole knight schtick is really starting to wear on her, and she hopes it won't infect Nicky too much. She likes him the way he is, and she'd like him a lot less if he decided to become an arrogant, puffed-up prat like Lancelot.

"Yeah, well, if we don't get to Egypt soon, we're not gonna save anybody," says Larry, and Luna shivers involuntarily. She takes Ahkmenrah's hand again, feeling the warmth of his palm against hers, and savors it. She prays this won't be one of the last times she feels that warmth.

The walk from China to Egypt is completely silent. Luna can feel the worry pulsing through them, whether it be worry for Jed and Octavius or fear of what might happen if Ahkmenrah's father can't fix the tablet. 

As they draw closer, Ahkmenrah's hand begins to shake in hers. She looks up at him. "You okay?"

"Yes, fine." He nods, biting his lip. "I just... I'm going to see my mother again."

Luna squeezes his hand gently, smiling, and says nothing. She understands.

"This is it," says Larry, as they pass a banner that reads EGYPT: Age of the Pharaohs and a large, ancient-looking statue of a regal head. A soft smile appears on Ahkmenrah's face as he looks around, taking it all in.

"Perhaps I should accompany you in," says Lancelot, pausing next to Larry.

"No, I think we got it from here," Larry replies, and Luna mouths Thank you at him gratefully.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Luna pats Lancelot's armored shoulder politely. "We're good. Thanks."

"Well." Lancelot claps Nicky hard on the back. "Friends, Larry, clown-faced keeper of the magic tablet, I shall never forget your bravery nor your jests. And you, powerful enchantress--" He points to Luna. "Your magic shall be lauded in every hall of Arthur's court upon my return."

"Uh...thanks." Luna nods, eyebrows raised.

"Bye." Larry waves, and suddenly, as they walk ever closer to where Ahkmenrah's parents lie, Luna finds her own heart beating quickly. She's going to meet his parents. His mother. She hopes they like her.

"I haven't seen this walls for many a moon," says Ahkmenrah, his voice trembling slightly, both from anxiety and excitement.

They pass through the beautiful golden doorway, and the two sarcophagi in the middle of the room are open, lids thrown carelessly to the floor. Ahkmenrah's hand tightens in Luna's.

And then a beautiful woman appears from behind a pillar, dressed in white linen and gold, her eyes wide. "Ahkmen?"

Ahkmenrah's jaw drops. "Mother," he breathes.

His mother's eyes well up with tears and she runs to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Luna steps back respectfully, her own eyes slightly wet. Seeing Ahkmenrah like this, home with his family... It makes her wish their relationship were normal.

Ahkmenrah looks up right as a man, older and regal-looking, steps out from behind the same pillar, carrying a staff and wearing an unreadable expression. "Father."

His mother releases him and he stands, somewhat awkwardly, in front of his father. "Welcome home, my son," says the pharaoh, his voice still regal, but then pulls Ahkmenrah into his arms, lip trembling.

Ahkmenrah pulls away after a moment, turning to face Luna, and says, "I want you to meet my friends and--" He smiles at Luna-- "and someone very special to me."

"I am Merenkahre," says his father, as Luna and the others step forward. "Pharaoh of the Nile and Father to the Son of the Sun."

"And I am Shepseheret," his mother says, very regally. "The Glittering Jewel of the Nine Kingdoms."

"And I am Larry," Larry says, bowing somewhat awkwardly.

"Guardian of Brooklyn," Ahkmenrah adds, grinning.

"Yes. Well, I actually--I live in Manhattan now." Larry shrugs.

"I know, but it doesn't sound as cool," Ahkmenrah whispers, and Luna laughs. He winks at her, then reaches out for her, pulling her toward his parents. "Mother, Father, this is Luna. She is...the woman I love."

Love. He's never said it before. Despite the tablet's failings, Luna's still glowing inside.

Shepseheret gasps and looks at Ahkmenrah wonderingly, then back at Luna. "Luna..." She takes Luna's hands in hers and smiles warmly. "My son has chosen you, then, and if he loves you, so do I."

"It's lovely to meet you," Luna says, finding it extremely hard to look at her and not at Ahkmenrah, who's blushing and grinning next to his father.

Merenkahre shows little emotion, but Luna detects a recognition in his eyes as he looks at her. Something of a quiet understanding.

"We would be very honored if you could take a look at the tablet," Larry says, awkwardly trying to bring the conversation back. "There's something happening with it. We don't understand what it is."

"Actually, we do understand," Luna says quietly. She was dreading this part.

"You are speaking with a pharaoh," says Merenkahre. He holds out his beautiful staff. "Kiss my staff."

Larry stares at it for a moment, then blows a kiss at it. Merenkahre frowns. Larry kisses his hand and then presses it to the staff, grimacing. "Is it okay if I don't?"

"You will show respect," Merenkahre commands, pulling his staff away. "I am the descendant of Ra, the sun god."

"I understand that." Larry nods. "And I totally respect you. I just--I don't pray to Ra, so..."

"The Egyptian gods are the only true gods," Merenkahre replies haughtily.

"Well, we try to stay a little more open-minded," Larry says, and before this can go on any further, Luna steps in.

"Excuse me, but we really don't have time. Your Majesty, the tablet is failing. We--" She looks at Ahkmenrah nervously, who nods at her to keep going-- "We think it has something to do with the prophecy, but we don't fully understand what's happening."

Merenkahre's eyes widen. "The prophecy?"

"Yes, Father," Ahkmenrah says softly. He leans around and pulls the tablet out of Luna's backpack, handing it to his father. Luna can't believe how corroded it is; there's hardly any gold left.

Merenkahre studies it, his eyebrows knit together worriedly, turning the tablet over in his hands. "It's losing its power," he says finally, looking up at them.

Luna raises her hand and twists it. The tablet glows feebly, and when she releases it, the light fades.

Shepseheret gasps, her hands flying to her mouth. "Merenkahre--"

"I know." This time, Merenkahre is truly surprised. "You must be...the daughter of the moon."

"I am." Luna nods.

"Father, people are going to die if we don't fix the tablet," Ahkmenrah says, turning to his father. "Please, don't keep this to yourself."

"The meaning of the prophecy was to be passed down to you at the proper time," Merenkahre replies.

Ahkmenrah shrugs, a grin playing at the edge of his lips. "Well, it has been four thousand years. Now seems like a good time."

Merenkahre places a hand on Ahkmenrah's cheek, staring hard at him, and then smiles for the first time. "You were born at midnight. I was pharaoh and I had seen wonders most men only dream of. But when I first gazed upon you...you were instantly more precious to me than all the wonders of the ancient world. I knew I could never bear to say goodbye.

"I commanded the High Priest of Khonsu, god of the moon, to create a gift to you, my son, using all we had learned of the mysteries of the afterlife. Forged in Khonsu's temple, the place of nighttime travelers: the Tablet of Ahkmenrah. Our tomb was designed to channel Khonsu's rays down to the tablet, rejuvenating its powers every night. The moon god bestowed his power upon the tablet, so that as long as it bathed in his light, our family could be together forever. Not even death could part us.

"But there was a price. The night the tablet was forged, a prophet came to visit me. He gave me the first half of the prophecy you have heard and told me that this was Khonsu's price for eternal life. The choice rested upon a child, a girl, born during an eclipse. And the meaning of the prophecy was clear to me.

"When the tablet has been away from moonlight too long, the clock begins. The tablet will fade and everything it gives life will also fade. As its power drains, the daughter of the moon absorbs its power and the life it gives, and at the new moon, she will be given a choice: one person to live, and one to die. It must be a decision made selflessly and before dawn, because the moment the sun rises, the tablet and everything it touches will be destroyed."

"Tonight's a new moon," Larry says quietly.

Luna reaches back and finds Nicky's hand, squeezing tightly. She expected this, but it's a blow nonetheless. Someone will die, and she is powerless to stop it. The only choice she has is who. Can she sacrifice someone to save Ahkmenrah?

As if it senses the fear in the room, the tablet glows green and corrodes even further. Sacagawea freezes still, Teddy's hand makes a dreadful cracking sound, and Ahkmenrah gasps, staring blankly. Luna claps a hand to her mouth: His skin is aging, dying, like four thousand years of decay all at once. 

Merenkahre and Shepseheret stare at their son in horror, and Luna lets go of Nicky, running to catch him before he falls. He holds onto her tightly, struggling to stand, and while the tablet is corroding, Luna feels as though the glow expands inside her. Merenkahre's right; she's absorbing its power. And the more powerful she gets, the less time they have.

"My son," gasps Shepseheret, running to his other side. "What is happening to you?"

Luna closes her eyes, focusing on the glow. She can stop it--

But everything freezes. Everyone freezes. Time stops.

Everything but Merenkahre and Luna.

He stares at her unbelievingly for a moment, then breathes, "You...did this?"

"How do I decide?" asks Luna tearfully, fighting back sobs. She's panicking. She doesn't know what to do. "How can I choose to sacrifice someone?"

"Do you love my son?" Merenkahre asks, all shock wearing off, going back to his regal manner.

Luna pauses, but it's an easy answer. "More than anything."

"And you would die to save him?"

"A thousand times over."

Merenkahre searches her face, dark eyes boring deep into her. "Love clarifies. It does not cloud. Blind affection distracts, yes, but true love is a magnifier into the depths of our hearts. Use it to your advantage."

"What do you mean?" Luna asks.

"Let your heart guide you," Merenkahre replies, handing the tablet to her gently. "I can't give you the answer, nor can I tell you the correct decision. When it comes time to choose, your heart will tell you what you must do. Trust your heart."

Luna closes her eyes. Expands the glow. Twists her fingers.

Time moves back into flow. Ahkmenrah blinks at her, breathing hard. The tablet stops corroding--for now. It pulses feebly in her hands.

But Lancelot's there. Standing in the doorway. Holding a knife to Nicky's throat. "The tablet," he says, gesturing with his free hand. "Now, if you please."

✦✧✦

eeee only three more chapters left! i'm lowkey excited for the end. it's gonna be amazing.

q: are ahkmenrah's parents cool?

a: i think so. merenkahre is kinda giving rich-unemotional-dad vibes, but i think he loves ahk, and shepseheret is just cool in general.