Egypt. Somehow, Rapunzel had ended up in Egypt. And not the bustling metropolis of 1997, with the Great Pyramids visible from the comfort of a fast food chain, but the kind of Egypt they kept putting in movies.
Only it was truly ancient.
Whenever she was, the Great Pyramid was not yet built.
The hut she'd made her way towards had been inhabited by a kind family, but she couldn't understand a word they said. Still, they took pity on her and took her in, feeding her and dressing her in clothes more befitting their setting.
She stayed with them a few days, helping out around the house as she was able, playing with the two young children, and learning a little bit of the language. Mostly through pantomime, they managed to convey that they were going to bring her to market with them, and from there, see if they could gain audience with the Pharaoh.
His palace was... out of time. The structure was huge and gleaming, and made in a way that was futuristic, even to her own mind.
"I've heard of 'ancient aliens' but this is ridiculous," she muttered to herself. Still, she proceeded in, not sure what she'd find. Her life as an X-Man had led her to expect the unexpected. If she'd traveled through time, maybe this Pharaoh had, too.
Rama-Tut turned out to be fluent in English, the biggest shock she'd received since landing here. She didn't like his attitude -- he was far too interested in ruling over the peoples of Ancient Egypt, and the way he looked at her was chilling -- but she needed his ability to communicate to get by in this world.
And so, against her better judgement, she showed him her mutant powers. Gleaming and golden, she healed a self-inflicted wound, and the way he looked at her got worse.
"Come, my dear. You'll be of great use to me," he purred, drawing her near. "You shall be my Priestess of Healing. Of course, I am worshiped as a god here, because of my superior might and technology, and so you shall be an extension of me."
He had her absolutely pampered -- bathed in fragrant water and dressed in the finest Egyptian cotton, so light it was translucent. She felt like a princess, but she also felt trapped. He wanted her powers to always be switched on in his presence so he could gaze on her in her golden beauty. Creepy.
Well, was she an X-Man or not?
Rapunzel spent the next three months gathering information, both about Rama-Tut's plans and machinations, and about where and when she was, learning Ancient Egyptian so she wouldn't have to rely on him, and working on an escape plan. It wasn't lost on her that she was practically a prisoner here.
But she played it coyly, cozied up to him, and kept her ears open. She played dumb blonde as she needed to, while maintaining her shroud of mystery as to how, exactly her powers worked. He wanted her under his thumb, that much was clear.
And then, a name began to come up more and more: En Sabah Nur. She knew that name, was sure she'd heard it before, but she couldn't remember where, or under what circumstances.
