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Disclaimer: Mummies Alive doesn't belong to me. (As much as I wish it did, it doesn't.) MA and all the characters belong to DIC, that peachy keen company that blessed us with Mummies Alive. Aziza and Yahiya belong to me. Lyris and Aravis are used with the permission of Mia. The story line is mine, and I'm quite proud of it. If any one wants to put this story somewhere, ASK ME FIRST or I won't be a happy dragon. (Mia, you happen to be off the hook, considering I said you could and I AM using your chars in this.)

I was listening to a sad song at the time, which prompted the second half of this. This story is rated PG-13 for some violence content and character death. (Not saying who.) Don't worry. It turns out all right in the end. Even so, there is always some sort of…

Price to Pay by Dragonfriend

"RATH!" Aziza shouted in aggravation, tossing up her hands. It was either Kahti or Rath that had gotten into her scrolls. And, as far as she knew, cats DIDN'T pick locks on a chest.

Aziza walked down the hall into Rath's library. He wasn't there. She then ducked down the hall to where Armon, Nefer-Tina, Ja-Kal and Presley were watching a basketball game.

"YES!!!" Nefer-Tina shouted, pounding the arm of the sofa as the Orlando Magic dunked the ball.

"My prince, I'm afraid I don't understand. What is the point of shooting a ball in a basket?" Ja-Kal asked.

"It's a game, Ja-Kal. Didn't you guys ever play games when you were kids?" Presley responded.

"None like this," Armon confessed.

Noting that Rath wasn't there either, she made her way down the hall to Lyris' studio.

"Lyris, have you seen Rath?" Aziza demanded.

Lyris was in the room, playing her lyre. She looked up at Aziza and shook her head. "Is he watching the game of baskets and balls?"

Now it was Aziza's turn to shake her head. "He isn't in his library, either."

"The Hot-Ra, then?" Lyris asked. "Nefer-Tina DID wreck it yesterday."

"Rath and I were FIXING it yesterday after Nefer-Tina drove it back here. I am actually surprised it didn't BREAK while we were fixing it," Aziza responded. "She hasn't taken it out since then. She's watching the game. The prince calls it basketball." After a pause, Aziza added, "I was hoping he'd be with you."

"I'm sure he's around somewhere," Lyris responded. "Maybe you just didn't look everywhere."

*******

" 'Maybe you just didn't look everywhere.' HA!"

*SMACK*

"Thinks just because she's a muse that she's better than everybody."

*CRACK*

"Not exactly the friendly type, either."

*(add the sound of something burning here)*

Alone in the practice room, Aziza was destroying a few targets.

"HAI-YA!"

She hurricane kicked one to the ground, stuffing in it flying everywhere.

"Aziza? You haven't found Rath yet, have you?" Lyris' voice floated into the room. Aziza paid no attention to her.

"Well? Have you?" Lyris asked, ducking into the room.

"Why don't YOU tell me where he is," Aziza snapped, jump-kicking another target. "Maybe you aren't looking hard enough. Did you think of that?"

"Aziza, are you all right?" Lyris asked.

"Fine. Have been fine for awhile, Lyris."

"Aziza------"

"You aren't going to give me a lecture on how anger is effecting me, are you? I'm in no mood for a lecture, muse."

"I've lost family and suffered for it and------"

"Don't give me that," Aziza snapped. "I don't WANT sad stories from you. I've had ENOUGH!" Flame erupted through the room. "I'm SICK of your 'high-and-mighty' act. I'd expect that from Rath but YOU?"

"What are you talking about?" Lyris demanded.

"You know what I'm talking about!"

"No, I don't."

"I------"

Then the world fell apart.

*******

Lyris and Aziza went flying into a wall. As they flew backwards, the room changed to room with painted walls and phoenix's on them. Marble pillars lined the area. In the center of the room was a large statue of a phoenix.

"Where are we?" Lyris demanded, moving away from the wall.

Aziza's eyes widened in shock. "No. This----this can't be."

"What is it?" Lyris asked.

Aziza peeled herself off the wall. "We're in the Temple of the Phoenix."

"But that's impossible. The Temple of the Phoenix is only a legend."

"This is where I received the phoenix abilities," Aziza retorted angrily.

"Hmm. Candlelight and the my love of my life in the same room," a male voice intoned.

Aziza's face hardened, recognizing the voice. Lyris turned. Yahiya stood in long flowing black robes.

"Come to me, my darling dove," Yahiya commanded.

"I'm not your darling anything!" Aziza snapped. "You killed my brother."

"I did, didn't I?" He grinned and pulled a small statue of a flaming bird from his sleeve.

Lyris was about to grip her amulet to call for her armor when she noticed her hand. Flesh! Not the pale color of dead flesh, but living flesh.

//Does that mean I can't summon my armor?// Lyris wondered.

"Um, Aziza?" Lyris started.

"Get down," Aziza commanded.

"But, Aziza--------"

"Lyris, he has the--------"

Before either of them could finish a sentence, Yahiya sent a jolt of energy through the statue. Aziza dove, missing the electricity. Lyris followed her example.

"Aziza, we're alive."

"What?" Aziza glanced at her hands and nodded in affirmation.

"How could you start the party without me?" another male voice added.

Lyris' head jerked up. "Aravis."

"Great. The two immortal morons. WITH THE STRENGTH OF RA!" Aziza shouted. Nothing happened. She repeated the cry. Again nothing happened. "Ra damn it!"

In a burst of light, the two immortals vanished. The torchlight died.

"Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?" Lyris asked.

The words echoed through the temple. Lyris and Aziza looked at each other.

"Riddles. Lovely," Aziza said sarcastically. " 'Righted will be the wrong committed by none'? How could something wrong be committed by no one?"

Lyris shrugged. The torches flew to life again, forming a path down the hall of the Temple.

"I guess we're supposed to follow the path," Lyris said.

The two women moved down the hall. As they walked, the torches got brighter. Doors lined the hall.

"Guess we're doing the right thing," Aziza commented.

The two made their way into a large room. In the center was a podium. On it was a half of an amulet in the shape of a sun.

" 'When whole are the halves of the single sun!' This must be the single sun," Lyris exclaimed.

"Well, we've figured out the single sun bit. In order to make that sun whole, we need to find the other half. To make this easier, we'll skip that next line. 'Truth revealed at long last, you must go back and face your past.' Hmm. Wait a second, isn't that the Amulet of Ra?" Aziza wondered.

"Yes. Legend has it that it was split in two by some unknown force," Lyris responded.

"Unknown force? Then one half vanished mysteriously. I remember seeing the other half somewhere, though. It was in Kovu's room!" Aziza exclaimed.

As she said those words, the room dissolved to reveal the interior of a palace.

"This doesn't look like Amenhotep's palace," Lyris commented.

"That's Dark Phoenix," Aziza whispered to Lyris. "He's the evil counterpart of Phoenix, the one who gave me my powers."

"I take it that's Phoenix?" Lyris asked. Aziza nodded.

"Those two can be twice as bad as Net and Geb if they tried," Aziza responded.

"In that case, I wouldn't want to be on their bad side."

"We must warn you," Phoenix said. "That riddle was not given to you by us."

"Well, if you didn't give it to us, who did?" Aziza asked.

"Aravis and Yahiya!" Lyris and Aziza said as one.

"So the Moronic Immortal Duo wants to confuse us. But why?" Aziza wondered.

"Is that if we solve the riddle or if we don't?" Lyris wondered.

The room faded away to reveal the Temple of the Phoenix again.

"I saw doors outside of here. Maybe one of them has the half of the Amulet of Ra behind them," Aziza said suddenly.

"You still want to go through with this?" Lyris demanded. "One of us may die-----again."

"We need to work together on this, Lyris. Are you with me?" Aziza demanded.

Lyris nodded.

" 'Righted will be the wrong committed by none.' Do you think the 'wrong committed by none' is our fighting?" Aziza wondered.

"It's possible."

"I say we check out one of those doors. Before we do anything, though, friends?" Aziza put out her hand.

"Friends," Lyris responded, shaking Aziza's hand.

"Let's check out those doors."

*******

"No! It wasn't supposed to happen like this!" Aravis shouted. He flung his hand through the conjured image of Lyris and Aziza. The images dissolved instantly.

"YOU are the brains of the operation, pal," Yahiya retorted. "Therefore, this is your fault."

"My fault? How is this MY fault?" Aravis demanded.

" 'I have the perfect plan,' you said. 'We can get rid of the priestess and the muse at the same time,' you said. 'They'll be out of our lives permanently,' you said," Yahiya said, mocking Aravis.

"You went along with this. We are going to work together to pull this off."

"I went along with the 'instant death' part of the plan, Aravis. I didn't go along with the rest of this. It's YOUR plan, after all. I'm just one of the bystanders this time."

Aravis' face lit up. "Yahiya, you are a genius."

"Thank you. I have good ideas now and then and-------why are you calling me a genius?"

"Bystanders always get hurt," Aravis responded, a grin lighting up his face.

Yahiya let an evil grin cross his face. Their laughter intertwined like snakes.

*******

The walls of the royal palace lit up with the excitement of the party. Lyris and Aziza blended in with no problem. No one even noticed they were there.

"All we need to do is keep our distance from the other guardians," Aziza told the muse.

"What do we tell these people if they see us?" Lyris demanded.

"No one has noticed us so far. Besides, we're apparently invisible to the whole thing. I don't even think we've been here during this party. I see Kioro, though. He's over there with Armon," Aziza responded.

"We don't have time to reminisce. We have to find that piece of the Amulet of Ra."

"Right."

They made their way into the hallway.

"Going somewhere?" a female voice asked.

Aziza whirled. Suddenly, her staff was in her hands.

"This confrontation happened almost 3500 years ago!" Aziza realized. She brought up her staff. "Hello again, Chontra."

"I see you two have all ready met," Lyris commented.

"One time too many, I'm afraid," Aziza commented. "Well, you haven't changed too much, Chontra. Evil and as UGLY as ever."

"WHAT did you call me?" Chontra demanded.

"You heard me. U-G-L-Y!" Aziza snapped.

Chontra blasted Aziza who ducked and fired her own Phoenix flames. "LYRIS! GET OUT OF HERE! FIND THE AMULET!"

"What about you?" Lyris demanded. "I'm not leaving you here!"

"Am I giving you a choice? You need to restore the amulet! GO!"

"But I----------"

"GO!" Aziza shouted again, as Chontra leapt at Aziza.

Lyris raced down the hall, trying to remember where Kovu's room was. She raced past closed doors, torches, hallways.

"This isn't a good idea, Scarab. I don't want her to get hurt!" It was Yahiya.

Lyris pulled into a corner by the door. The door had the healer's symbol on it and Lyris remembered that was Kovu's room.

"She won't get hurt. She'll just get a few scratches."

"She'll be dead, you mean."

Lyris moved into the room. Just as she had thought, the men didn't notice her. Glittering on the table by Kovu/Yahiya was a golden amulet, half of a giant sun. Lyris gingerly picked it up and concealed it beneath her cloak. She turned to leave.

"What are you doing in here, Lyris?" Kovu/Yahiya demanded.

"Aziza wanted me to pick up a few things in here for her. She said you wouldn't mind," Lyris said. The excuse came out easily.

"I didn't think you were talking to her. She told me you two got into a fight of some kind," Kovu/Yahiya retorted. Now Lyris could see why and how Aziza fell in love with Kovu. He was so sweet, so gentle, so sincere. How could Aziza not have seen the treachery hidden within Kovu's brown eyes?

"Yes, well, we----talked it over and realized we both were at fault," she responded. "If you will excuse me, Kovu."

Lyris turned and ducked out the door. Her feet barely touched the ground as she ran back to where Aziza had been. All she found was Aziza's staff on the ground.

Aziza and Chontra were gone.

**********

Aziza came too in a dark room. Chontra stood prowling in the darkness. Aravis and Yahiya stood by her. They were talking in hushed whispers; Aziza had the strain to hear, but finally gave up.

Where was she? What was she even doing there?

Slowly, she began to realize that she was back in the Temple of the Phoenix, behind a glass wall. She heard a moan come from the darkness near her.

"Who is it?" Aziza hissed. "Who's there?"

The person moaned again, distinctly coming through with an odd accent.

"Rath?" Aziza demanded.

"Where am I?" came Rath's familiar voice sounding like he had just woken up from a dream.

Aziza moved over to him. "It's all right. Quiet now."

"Aziza?" Rath asked.

She touched his hand, felt the familiar flesh beneath her hand. She stroked it gently. "It's me, Rath. We're alive."

"I noticed that before Chontra knocked me out."

Suddenly, she jerked, feeling an urgency in the air. "LYRIS!"

"What about her?" Rath wondered.

"She was with me, then I told her to------Oh, Ra!"

"Told her to what?" Rath sat up, taking her hand in his. "Aziza, what did you tell her to do?"

Quickly, Aziza explained about the riddle and how they had been fighting earlier. She also explained that they had gone back to Amenhotep's palace and had gotten attacked by Chontra.

"I told her to go on without me and get the other half of the Amulet of Ra," Aziza responded. "It will be on my head if she doesn't come back alive, Rath. It will be my fault."

"Now, Aziza, it's all right. Lyris will be fine. I've known her for a long time."

"Rath, don't you see? It will be my fault! She loves you, Rath."

"I know," came the quiet response.

"I don't want her to enter the realms of eternity again. It was too terrible the last time, even when we were all there," Aziza added. She quietly began to cry, tears falling down her face and landing on Rath's hand.

"Did I miss something?" came a familiar female voice. The two whirled to find Lyris standing there. In her hand was the other half of the Amulet of Ra.

"Lyris!" Aziza exclaimed. "You're all right."

"Of course I am," Lyris responded, confused. "I found this. I thought you might want it back." Lyris held out Aziza's staff. The priestess took it, turning it over in her hands. She spun and slammed it into the glass. It shattered instantly.

"Let's go." Aziza, Rath and Lyris raced down the hall with the two immortal sorcerers and Chontra following.

Aziza blasted down the door to the Amulet of Ra chamber. The Amulet of Ra sat in a dim light, almost dying.

"LYRIS! RESTORE THE AMULET OF RA!" Aziza shouted. She and Rath fought back Chontra, Yahiya, and Aravis.

Lyris dove for the amulet, gripping the two halves in her hands.

"No! Not like this!" Aravis shouted. He let a burst of electricity head for Lyris.

"LYRIS! WATCH OUT!" Aziza shouted. Time seemed to slow as Aziza lunged for Lyris. Aziza pulled the muse down, but got blasted in the process. Time returned to normal as Aziza slumped to the ground.

"Aziza!" Rath shouted. He sliced at Yahiya and Aravis, Chontra forgotten.

"Aziza, why did you do it?" Lyris demanded, fighting back tears.

"Lyris…heal the amulet. Do it," Aziza managed to get out, struggling for breath. Lyris nodded.

"Chontra! STOP HER!" Aravis shouted.

Chontra instantly raced to obey. She dove for Lyris who raised the halves of the Amulet of Ra into the air.

"WHOLE ARE THE HALVES OF THE SINGLE SUN!" Lyris shouted as she slammed them together. A burst of light filled the room. When it died down, the two sorcerers and Chontra were gone. The Amulet of Ra was whole and back on it's pedestal.

Aziza was dying.

Lyris knelt down by Aziza as Rath hurried over.

"Is she----" Rath couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"Not yet," Lyris responded.

"I always said you two would be the death of me," Aziza joked, laughing stopped in a fit of coughing.

"Aziza, why?" Lyris asked, tears slowly dripping to the floor. That was all she needed to say.

"I see now that the two of you…were meant for each other. You are the light…in the world of darkness," Aziza said. "I can't come back with you."

"Yes you can. You will," Rath responded, taking her hand. "You once told me that you'd always be there when Rapses needed you. He needs you. WE need you."

//I need you,// Rath silently added.

Aziza forced a smile. "I can't. I'll never make it." She took the hand of both Lyris and Rath and placed them together. "Guard Rapses well."

She stared at the ceiling. "I'll join you now, Kioro. I'll be there soon, my brother…" Aziza's hands slowly fell back from the hands of her friends and her head slumped down.

"Aziza?" Lyris said. She touched the arm of the priestess, but it was cold.

"No," Rath breathed. "Aziza."

"Was she resurrected just to leave us again?" Lyris demanded.

Lyris felt a tear drop from her face and land softly on the lifeless form of the priestess. Rath took Lyris' hand and held her to him for a few minutes.

A burst of flame rose from the floor and formed a beautiful bird of flame.

"All is as we said," said the Phoenix. She flew towards the still form of Aziza.

"Can you resurrect her?" Lyris asked.

"How did she come to us the first time if you didn't-------" Rath started.

"Don't you understand?" Rath demanded, moving towards the bird of flame. "She is needed. The Guardians of Prince Rapses need her. She was one of us."

"I understand you perfectly, mortal," the Phoenix snapped. "I cannot help you."

"Can Dark Phoenix help?" Lyris demanded. She moved to stand with Rath. "Aziza means a lot to us."

Suddenly, the room shook.

"What's happening?" Rath shouted.

"The Temple of the Phoenix is being moved to a new location. If we don't get out of here, we'll go right along with it!" Lyris shouted. "We need to go!"

"But Aziza-----" Rath glanced in her direction.

"Grab her. I have an idea."

Rath picked up Aziza, clutching her form against his tanned skin. Lyris began to wonder if Rath was torn between affections.

"RUN!" Lyris shouted. They took off for the door, rubble falling around them. They eventually reached the door with Lyris shoved open. Together, then leapt from the door frame, falling to the earth as the temple exploded in a burst of Phoenix-shaped flame and disappeared.

"We made it," Rath breathed, rolling onto his back. Lyris nodded. Aziza's body lay between them. Lyris looked up to see the Sphinx and Ja-Kal coming towards them. They got to their feet, looking sadly at Aziza.

"HERE you are!" Ja-Kal scolded, spotting Rath and Lyris. "Do you have any idea what you just put us through?"

"Plenty," Lyris responded.

"Where's Aziza?" Ja-Kal demanded. Nefer-Tina, Armon and Presley raced over to them.

"Here," Rath told him. He gestured with his hand to Aziza.

"What happened?" Presley asked, kneeling by her body.

"Lyris was about to be killed, but Aziza jumped in the way," Rath explained.

Lyris went into detail about the incident, telling the group how it all happened. After a quick glance at her hands and at Rath told her that she was back to bandages and pale skin. Aziza, however, was not.

"Can we-----" Armon started, but Rath shook his head.

"There is no way," Rath responded sadly. "We tried asking the Phoenix for help, but she doesn't do resurrections. Neither does her dark counterpart, I'm afraid."

"So we can't get her back?" Nefer-Tina asked. The former charioteer stared at Aziza for a few minutes. Lyris shook her head.

"Oh Ra," Ja-Kal said, voice soft.

"We need her, though," Presley added. He looked at her pendant as it glowed a bright orange. "Um, guys?"

"What is it, my prince?" Rath asked.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Presley pointed to Aziza's amulet. The group backed up, startled and frightened at the same time.

Aziza's body rose into the air, began to spin. Suddenly, the skin became pale and wrapped with bandages. A burst of flame formed into the fire bird. It flew up to Aziza's body and joined in a burst of flames. The group shielded their eyes as they joined.

"THE PHOENIX RISES TO HELP THOSE IN NEED!" came an unseen voice. Aziza's body spun in the air some more before landing on the ground. She rose to her feet and was surrounded by the entire group who hugged her. Armon wrapped her up in a bear hug.

"Armon, I cannot breathe. This is EXTREMELY painful," Aziza snapped.

The group laughed as Armon released her.

"We thought you were dead," Armon said.

"I was," Aziza responded. "I am better now."

She looked herself over for a few minutes. "Well, I would say things are back to normal."

Lyris came forward and took Aziza's hands. "Welcome back, Aziza. We missed you."

"I know," Aziza responded. "Tell me, when I was---dead, did you mean everything I heard you thinking?"

Lyris responded, "And more."

Aziza nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. "And you, Rath? Did you mean everything I heard you think?"

Rath nodded.

"Then I never want to leave the group again, even if it WAS for a silly lesson about pride."

Aziza glared at the sky as the group returned to the Sphinx.

All was back to normal.

Almost…