CHAPTER FOUR
❝The moon is the first milestone on the road to the stars.❞
Arthur C. Clarke
✦✧✦
Luna doesn't want to worry anyone or freak herself out, but she might be going crazy, because she swears that she's touched that tablet before. That feeling within her is a deep, ancient, supernatural magic, and she never thought she'd say that, because magic isn't supposed to be real, but then again, she's currently incredibly attracted to an Egyptian pharaoh who's been dead about four thousand years. (To be fair, he's one sexy pharaoh.)
But that glowing sensation hasn't gone away; if anything, it's gotten stronger. Luna thinks maybe she should mention it to Ahkmenrah, since he has the most experience with the tablet, but she hasn't gotten the chance yet. She, Larry, Nicky, and Ahkmenrah are hurrying around the museum, checking up on the groups of exhibits searching for the old night guards.
On one particular stroll toward the Hall of Miniatures, Ahkmenrah drops back to walk next to her, his eyes glittering with excitement. "You're taking this very well," he says, grinning at her. "Considering you only found out two hours ago that this museum comes to life every night, and you're currently talking to a corpse."
"Well, I haven't had much time to freak out, have I?" Luna laughs wryly. "I've been torn between almost dying and trying to stop three geriatrics from stealing a priceless historical artifact. I'll panic about this later."
Ahkmenrah chuckles softly. "Beautiful and funny, too."
Oh, wow. Luna's face heats to about 1,000 degrees, but Ahkmenrah doesn't seem to realize what he said--or maybe he just doesn't care. She quickly changes the subject. "Can I, uh, ask you something?"
"Anything."
"When I first picked up the tablet, there was this weird...I don't know, the best way I can describe it is a glowing feeling in my chest. And I remembered something, from the first time I ever came here..." Luna can't find the words to explain how it felt. "It's like magic déjà vu. Is that normal?"
Ahkmenrah frowns, thinking hard. "I'm not sure," he says finally. "Perhaps, like the old night guards, the tablet affects you in some way, maybe enhancing a quality you already possess?"
"But it doesn't do anything to Nicky or Mr. Daley," Luna muses. Is there something wrong with me? she wonders secretly.
"A true puzzle." Ahkmenrah nods seriously. He really has the most beautiful eyes; they're the same blue-gray as the harbor during a storm.
Nicky and Larry stop in front of the Hall of Miniatures, and when Ahkmenrah and Luna peer around the corner, they see the Neanderthals, the Civil War soldiers, and a large group of miniature Romans and cowboys, all standing around Gus and Reginald tied to the benches in the center of the room.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Larry pumps his fist proudly. "Good job, gentlemen! Loving the teamwork!"
The Neanderthals grunt excitedly, and the soldiers raise their rifles in salute.
"Now we just have to find Cecil," Larry says, then beckons to the others. "Come on! Hurry!"
Nicky drops back and reaches for Luna's hand to pull her along; she squeezes his hand and hurries to catch up with him. They've done this ever since they were kids; it's comforting, nostalgic even, and they need that now more than ever.
Larry shoves the door to the storage room open and Luna's instantly hit with a blast of cold air. The garage door is wide open, and there's no van to be found. She sighs. Shit.
"They've vanished," Ahkmenrah says quietly to no one in particular. He turns to Larry, tilting his head to the side curiously. "How will we find them?"
Larry pauses for a moment, then a smile appears on his face. "I know someone who can help. Come on."
Nicky starts to pull Luna toward the door, but then that glowing thing pulls her away. She shakes her head slowly, suddenly feeling slightly dizzy. "I think I should stay. You know, in case Cecil comes back."
"He probably won't--" Larry starts, frowning.
Luna sighs through her nose. Boys. "Okay, then I want to stay here. I'll keep watch in case he happens to drive past."
"And I shall keep you company," Ahkmenrah says, not unpredictably. Luna can't help but notice he's shivering a little; his clothes aren't exactly made for New York winter.
"Okay. Okay, you both stay here and we'll go..." Larry trails off, then nods awkwardly. "Okay." And he and Nicky disappear into the main building.
"Um, are you cold?" Luna asks Ahkmenrah, trying her best not to stare at his beautifully toned stomach. (Although, reader, one does have to wonder whether or not this was the design of the whole costume, and if so, then it is working.)
"Not at all."
"You're shivering."
Ahkmenrah shrugs noncommittally. "I often shiver in the presence of women. It's a nervous habit."
"Bullshit." Luna shrugs off her coat--it's a little big on her, and anyway, she has a sweater on underneath--and hands it to him. "Put this on."
He shakes his head, holding his hands up. "You'll freeze. I'm fine, truly."
"You're a terrible liar." Luna presses the coat into his hands, but inside she's kind of freaking out at how polite he is. It's far too attractive. "Please?"
Ahkmenrah looks at her for a long moment, then sighs and takes the coat. "Thank you." He shrugs it on and pulls it tight across his chest, a small smile on his face. "Now that my cover is blown, I can say that this is actually much better."
"Good." Luna smiles at him, wrapping her arms across her chest. Her sweater's warm enough, but the wind is blowing through the alley like a tunnel and her neck is completely bare. She can feel the goosebumps down her spine. (But I'd be lying if I told you that none of them were caused by Ahkmenrah's stunning eyes, reader.)
"You know, this is the first time I've been outside in four thousand years," Ahkmenrah says conversationally, staring out at the snow-covered buildings and flickering street lamps. "I only remember sand, wind, and enough heat to turn gold into a puddle. And that was in the winter."
"You've never seen snow before?" Luna hasn't even thought about this; she can't imagine never experiencing snow.
Ahkmenrah shakes his head. "I've read about it, and heard about it, from the staff at Cambridge. But I never imagined it to be like this." He waves a hand at the gently floating snowflakes. "I've only heard it described as 'bloody inconvenient' or 'less than ideal', but this... This is the most beautiful thing in the world to me."
The door to the storage room bursts open, and Larry and Nicky run in, accompanied by a woman wearing what looks like a deerskin robe and traditional Native American beaded jewelry. Luna's mouth drops open. "Oh, my god."
"What?" Ahkmenrah looks around, confused.
"Uh, Luna, Ahkmenrah, this is Sacagawea," Larry says, gesturing to the woman. "She's really good at...tracking stuff."
"Oh, my god, hi." Luna can't believe she's standing in front of Sacagawea. Well, a wax representation of her, but still. "I'm such a huge fan of yours. It's so great to meet you." She has so many questions and absolutely none of them are appropriate to the situation.
"And you." Sacagawea smiles regally, and then hops down off the platform into the snow, staring down at the tire tracks. Larry and Nicky follow, but Ahkmenrah waits, hand outstretched, to help Luna down. (Luckily, reader, Luna has enough composure not to squeal or just right out faint, but she's definitely freaking out internally; gentlemen are hard to come by and it's a sad, sad thing.)
"He went east," Sacagawea says, squatting down in the snow to get a closer look. "But he lost control and crashed."
"You're amazing." Larry shoves his hands further into his pockets, looking awestruck. "How can you tell that?"
Sacagawea points directly behind Luna, at a van that appears to have crashed into a dumpster. Then she frowns down at the snow. "He left the wagon...and went back."
"He went back?" Larry asks, confused.
"Almost like I said he would," Luna mutters, and Ahkmenrah, the only one close enough to hear, suppresses a grin.
"Why would he go back?" Nicky asks, frowning. "Isn't that a little counter-productive?"
There's a brief silence, in which everyone's racking their brains about why Cecil would return to the museum when he has the tablet--
And then they hear it.
Horses.
A carriage bursts out of the alley, hurtling toward Sacagawea, Cecil at the reins. "Get out of the way!" he shouts.
Sacagawea's frozen in terror--
Luna buries her face into Nicky's shoulder, she can't watch this--
There's a horrible crashing noise, and then the sounds of the carriage fade into the distance. There's a tap on Luna's shoulder, and Nicky says, "You can look, Lu. Sacagawea's fine."
What? Luna lifts her head, internally preparing herself for the worst, but all she sees is Sacagawea, bending over Wax Teddy, who's lying on his back in the snow. Luna didn't even see him coming; he must've run out behind Cecil. And another thing that happened is that Nicky's on her right, tapping her right shoulder. She buried her face into the arm of someone on her left.
(Surprise, surprise: It was Ahk. We all knew it. *slow clapping for the cliché*)
Luna quickly lets go of Ahkmenrah's arm, probably red as a tomato, and hurries to Wax Teddy's side before she has to say anything about what just happened. Sacagawea's helping him sit up, and then he looks down his nose at the newly separated lower half of his body and winces. "Oh. That's problematic."
Larry drops to his knees next to Sacagawea, his eyes wide in shock. "Teddy! Oh, man..."
Teddy just chuckles. "Larry, relax," he says, waving a hand like this happens every day. "I'm wax. Listen, you've got to do something. Dawn's approaching, and half the museum is running amok outside."
"He's got my tablet," Ahkmenrah says quietly, just to remind everyone of the stakes of the situation. (Thanks, Ahk; you're a lifesaver.)
Then there's a tiny snow explosion and a remote monster truck comes squealing toward them, accompanied by a similarly tiny shout of "Yeehaw!" It stops right in front of Larry, and Luna sees Jed and Octavius peering through the windshield at all of them, grinning excitedly.
"At your service, Gigantor!" Jed yells.
"How can we be of service, my liege?" Octavius asks.
"Give me a second, guys." Larry's clearly thinking hard, figuring all of this out. They have--Luna checks her watch--a little under three hours until dawn, and they have to find Cecil, get back the tablet, and get every exhibit back into the museum and in their correct places. It's a tall order.
And then it dawns on him. Luna watches the excitement wash over Larry, and he looks up at the garage door. "Rexy."
A roar comes from the storage room and the tyrannosaurus rex skeleton stomps toward them. Luna grabs Nicky's arm out of reflex; she knows "Rexy" won't hurt them, but it's still slightly terrifying to see an undead dinosaur come walking toward you.
"Here, boy." Larry grins, then looks down at Teddy. "Teddy, I need a horse."
Teddy smiles widely, his eyes almost disappearing behind his gold spectacles. "Do it, man."
"Okay, okay--Luna, Nick, Ahkmenrah: I've got a plan." Larry gestures for them to gather around Teddy, which is a tad weird, but definitely not the weirdest thing that's happened tonight. "Cecil's probably going to cut through Central Park to avoid traffic, so I'm gonna take Texas and go after him. Nick, you and Ahkmenrah take Rexy and follow Jed and Octavius. We'll corner him, cut him off--"
And that's all Luna hears, because the glow inside her thrums, making her ears ring and her head spin. Galloping--a fight--one word--
Then she's lying on her back in the snow, staring up at the pitch-black sky, her stomach churning uncomfortably and her head feeling oddly congested.
"Luna!" Nicky's face appears above hers, eyes wide and mouth pulled taut concernedly. "Are you okay?"
"Fine." Luna attempts to push herself up, but finds that she's still extremely dizzy. Don't throw up. "But I have to go with them." She doesn't know how, or why, or what the hell this even is, but she knows she has to.
"What?" Nicky frowns, confused.
Might as well say it. "Look, this isn't the best time, but ever since I got here, I've been seeing things. Little glimpses of things that happen..." Luna takes a deep breath. "In the future. Like earlier, when your dad was trying to convince us to go see Ahkmenrah's tomb. It was like a movie screen, playing in my head, showing me little snippets of what happened, and it's like there's something inside me, telling me what to do."
"Are you on drugs?" Nicky asks, eyebrows raised.
"What the hell? No!" Luna can't believe him; they're in the middle of trying to get a magic golden tablet from an eighty-year-old man with the help of wax figures, dinosaur skeletons, and a 4,000-year-old corpse, and he asks if she's on drugs. "I can't explain it, but it's real! There's like this feeling inside me, like I've been here before, seen all of this before."
"Guys, guys!" Larry interrupts before Nicky can reply. "We don't have time to argue about this right now. Luna, you go with Ahkmenrah on Rexy. Nick, stay here and see if you can help Sac and Teddy get some of the other exhibits back into the museum. Hurry!"
✦✧✦
The snow is beautiful in Central Park, but the wind is killer when you're riding on a dinosaur skeleton that's chasing an RC monster truck. Ahkmenrah's arms are tight around Luna's waist, his chin tucked into her shoulder, holding her close to him as they hurtle down the deserted path.
Ahkmenrah actually laughs out loud at one point, and Luna frowns. "How is this fun to you?" she calls back to him.
"Is it not to you?"
"No! It's terrifying! What if I fall?"
"You won't."
"But--"
Ahkmenrah tightens his grip on her waist, and if possible, pulls her even closer into him. Luna could honestly melt right now. Screw the cold and the snow! "Luna, as long as I am here, you will not fall. I swear on the gods of my father."
"O-okay." Luna's not quite sure what to say to that; she's never had someone swear on the gods of their father to protect her. It's kind of sexy. (Kind of? Reader, let us scoff together.)
Rexy roars as Jed wheels the RC truck around a tight corner, and then they're facing Cecil and the wagon head-on, charging toward him.
Luna squeezes the vertebra she's holding, focusing on Ahkmenrah's hands on her waist, ignoring the neighing of the horses and the sound of the wheels on the concrete as Cecil veers around them--
The glow in her chest tightens painfully--
And then the wind stops.
The sound stops.
Luna's breath catches in her throat.
Because time stopped.
Cecil's yanking on the reins, mouth open in a shout as he tries to steer the horses around them. Jed and Octavius are spinning out, about to collide into a snowdrift. Larry's flat over Texas's neck, hauling ass toward them, eyes narrowed at Cecil's wagon. Rexy's bounding forward, and Ahkmenrah's chin is still tucked into her shoulder, his hands still warm on her waist. But no one's moving.
"Oh, my god," Luna breathes, staring at the scene before her. "Did--did I do this?"
Turn it.
She doesn't know why, doesn't know how she knows what to do, but somehow, it makes sense. Luna turns her hand clockwise a few inches. The wagon, Rexy, the RC truck, and Larry all inch forward.
Move the wagon back and pull the truck onto the path.
"This has got to be a dream." Luna's heart is racing, but she can't stop now. With a twitch of her wrist, Cecil's back beside Larry, wagon pointed straight at Rexy, and Jed and Octavius are driving blindly toward him. He'll have to stop.
And then time unsticks. Cecil's hurtling toward them at full speed, Rexy's not slowing down, and Larry's screaming at the top of his lungs. Luna closes her eyes--
Cecil yanks the horses around and sends the wagon crashing into a small sapling. Neither the tree nor the wagon are brutally injured, but they're definitely both stuck, which is what Luna was going for. She does a mental fist pump and then feels nauseous as she realizes what she just did. I can screw with time.
Jed pumps the brakes on the RC truck and Rexy slows down, plodding to a stop on the opposite side of the path. Luna breathes a sigh of relief and leans back against Ahkmenrah, suddenly exhausted.
Larry and Texas skid to a stop next to the wagon, and Larry jumps off, grabbing the tablet from the deck of the wagon. "Thanks, Cecil. This was fun. Maybe we could do it again sometime."
"Shit," Cecil groans, moving slowly. Luna can imagine it's not fun to crash a wagon from the 1800s into a tree.
"Oh, and by the way," Larry continues, tucking the tablet under one arm and looking slightly proud, "don't ever talk to me like that in front of my son."
(Total boss move. Reader, we stan.)
Ahkmenrah slides off of Rexy's back and looks up at Luna. "You won't fall," he says. "I'll catch you." And he holds out his arms expectantly.
Luna might actually pass away. She slides onto one of Rexy's ribs and reluctantly lets go. For a split second, she's suspended in midair, the cold air slipping inside her clothes and touching her skin--and then she's in Ahkmenrah's arms. He's surprisingly strong and doesn't even move when she lands in his arms, just grins sheepishly and sets her down gently.
Luna imagines his hand lingers on her hip for a brief moment after.
Attila and his Huns come marching up to collect Cecil, and when he's gone (and not without his little hissy fit, honestly, what a drama queen), Larry looks around Central Park and sighs. "Oh, boy."
"What is it?" Ahkmenrah asks, and then he and Luna follow Larry's gaze. Luna sucks in a breath. Beyond the museum, the sun's first rays are barely visible, turning the dark sky a vibrant shade of pink.
"I've gotta get you guys back to the museum," Larry says.
Behind them, a mammoth trumpets softly, snuffling grass next to a pair of zebras.
"How?" Luna asks, staring at all the exhibits in the park. "There's no way we can get everyone back inside before the sun rises."
Larry looks between her and Ahkmenrah, down at the tablet, and then back up at them. "Ahkmenrah, I'm gonna need your help." He strides over and hands the tablet to Ahkmenrah. Luna feels it pulse as it nears her, feels an urge to touch it, to have that glowing sensation in her veins again. "This is your tablet. You know the instructions. I need you to get everyone back."
"Well, actually, my father kept most of the tablet's powers a secret from me," Ahkmenrah says, wrinkling his nose. "He always said he was waiting for the right time. And then, as you know, I died, so that put an end to that discussion."
"Ahk!" Luna nudges him, frowning. "Can you get everyone back or not?"
"Oh, yes, of course." He bites back a sheepish grin and looks down at the tablet, then begins to speak in a deep, throaty, beautiful ancient language. Luna feels her spine tingle. She doesn't know what the words mean, but they resonate with her. She recognizes them.
The tablet begins to glow, and Ahkmenrah has this shit-eating grin on his face that Luna wishes she didn't find attractive. He's so proud of himself. The glow in her chest thrums powerfully.
All around them, the exhibits begin to march back toward the museum of their own accord. "Come on," Ahkmenrah says, smiling at Luna. He holds out his hand to her. "Walk with me."
So she does. Smiling the whole way, and there are butterflies in her stomach that have nothing to do with the glow in her chest.
Once they're inside the museum, Ahkmenrah hands her coat back (strangely, reader, she was warm throughout the ride on Rexy's back...) and stands beside the door with Larry, counting every exhibit as Larry marks them off on a clipboard.
And then the beautiful docent from before appears, her eyes wide and staring at Larry in disbelief.
"Hey, Ahk, I think this is our cue to leave," Luna whispers, watching the two adults stare at each other like teenagers. She grabs his silk sleeve and drags him over to the front desk by Nicky, where they debate over whether or not Larry will ask the woman out.
Sacagawea stops by to say thank you for letting her out; Attila gives Ahkmenrah a bone-crushing hug (Luna and Nicky try their hardest not to laugh at the look on his face); the moose tries for the umpteenth time to get in the front doors; and when Jed and Octavius finally careen back into the lobby, whooping and yeehawing in the RC truck, there's an uproar from the rest of the exhibits.
Luna looks out the doors finally and her heart sinks a little as she sees the sun begin to peak over the horizon. Ahkmenrah notices her staring and smiles. "I'm going up to my tomb," he says quietly. "Will you join me?"
She nods. Nicky mutters something about helping his dad and Teddy and shuffles off toward the doors.
They walk up the stairs in silence, the only sound the swishing of Ahkmenrah's cloak on the marble stairs. But when they get to the gates of the tomb, Ahkmenrah turns to Luna and says, "I must tell you something."
"Anything."
"You are the most extraordinary young woman I've ever met." For the first time, Ahkmenrah actually seems self-conscious about talking to Luna; it's sweet. "Will--will you be returning to the museum at night?"
"Do you want me to?" Luna asks softly, staring up into his beautiful eyes. (She knows the answer, reader, but she really wants to hear it from him, and wouldn't we all?)
"I would like nothing more," Ahkmenrah breathes, and though time has already stopped once this night, Luna feels like it stops again in that moment, a thousand years trapped in their gaze.
"Maybe...tomorrow night? I heard there might be a big party, you know, to celebrate." Then Luna remembers something she wanted to ask. "Um, and I actually have a history test this week on Ancient Egypt, and I was wondering if maybe we could talk about it sometime."
"I'll tell you anything you want to know," Ahkmenrah promises, smiling softly.
Luna can find nothing more to say. ("I Can Hear the Bells" is playing in her head, though, reader, and I think that is words enough.)
✦✧✦
okay but are they not the cutest thing in the whole damn world. i'm in love with them both. and that is all i have to say.
q: which natm character would be your best friend and why?
a: jed & octavius (they count as one because it's my rules haha suckers), because i could use some tiny hype men in my life to be honest.