A Mummy for all seasons...

"Tenchi Muyo!" and characters were created by Hiroki Hayashi and Masaki Kajishima, and is the property of AIC/Nippon Television, Geneon Entertainment and FUNimation Entertainment.

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A Mummy for all seasons...

By Daferge... ( Ch.02... The tomb... )

Tenchi had awaken at sunrise only to find a note...

GONE ON AHEAD... N...

He'd forgotten how early everyone got up when working out in the field...

There was also a hand drawn map...

Tench smiled and got out his laptop computer and brought up the information on the Valley of the Kings he'd downloaded before coming over...

It didn't take long to locate the tomb they were working today and memorize the route up to it...

Awake now, he pouring water from the well outside into a large clay wash bowl to wash and clean up...

He smile, it reminded him of when he visited his Grandfather...

Unpacking the clothes he hadn't hung up last night,Tenchi chose something comfortable to work in...

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It wasn't long before Tenchi was heading down a trail towards the entrance to the valley...

As he passed locals, Tenchi used the few common greetings he'd learned before coming over...

Fortunately, he'd checked with a good friend before coming, about all those different greetings some acquaintances at school had suggested...

He was very glad he did...

He soon discovered several weren't to be used in mixed crowds...

Others, only if you wanted a fight on your hands...

He'd spent the trip over practicing the ones his friend gave him...

Mostly he just smiled and nodded...

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( Valley of the Kings... )

When Tenchi got to the entrance, he had to show his ID and some paperwork that had been with the map, to the ticket seller and the guard to get in...

The guard, who'd been told of his coming and after checking his ID, had allowed him to pass...

After making it through the early morning tourist and locals, Tenchi made his way along the trails leading deeper into the Valley...

As Tenchi passed, he read the signs pointing the way to this tomb or that tomb...

He recognized some of the names...

Rameses...

Seti...

Tuthmosis...

and of course...

Tutankhamen, the boy king...

There was a new sign for KV-63, a tomb discovered a few years ago and still in the process of being explored...

His father had helped some, before getting permission for his own project...

There was a world of difference between seeing all this on TV or his computer and actually being there...

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He hadn't realized before just how many of the tombs were marked, unknown...

Nobuyuki was hoping his re-examination of the tombs might give hints not noticed before and help fill in some blanks...

Nobuyuki, with Mihoshi and Tennyo, had already done all of the major tombs, the ones visited most had been done early on to avoid all the seasonal tourist and such...

That just left the seldom visited and the out of the way ones...

In fact it was to one of those seldom bothered unknowns that was today's research site...

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Using a map he'd downloaded from the internet, as well as the one his father had drawn, Tenchi was able to found his way to the tomb's entrance...

It was in the Eastern portion of the valley and off the regular trails...

Tenchi had passed the more famous tomb, KV-62, home of the boy king, Tutankhamen...

There were quite a few elderly tourist waiting to go inside...

But KV-27 only had a couple people visiting, the Masakis and friends...

Tenchi spotted the entrance easily, as there were a number of local workers operating an old air pump next to a hole in the ground...

The workers smiled as he got closer, one who looked like he was in charge turned his way...

" Tourist?... "

Tenchi shook his head and pointed to himself...

" Masaki... "

The worker's eye's lit up and he said something to the others who were working the handles on the pump that provided some-what fresh air for the tomb...

Turning back to Tenchi, he pointed at the hole and smiled...

" Masaki!... "

Tenchi smiled, nodded and repeated one of the 'thank yous' his friend had taught him...

The worker's smile brightened and he nodded back...

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Climbing down the pile of rubble in the entrance, Tenchi passed through a doorway and found himself in a dimly lit retangular room...

Pulling a small paper mask from his pocket, it put it on...

Tombs were know to have molds and spores...

Old tombs had OLD molds and spores, nether good for ones health...

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As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Tenchi was able to make out three more doorways...

One in the wall straight ahead of him, another to his right down the same wall and the third, to his left, in the end wall...

As most of the light he had was coming through the doorway behind him, he let his eye adjust some more before he attempted to go any further...

After a while he notice some flickering light coming from the doorway to his left...

It was easy to conclude that everyone must be in there...

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When Tenchi had noted which tomb his father was working in today, he'd checked his small laptop for any information it might have on the particular tomb, as well as a map to get there...

His notes listed KV-27 as one of the 'unknown' tombs, believed built during the 18th dynasty ( about 1550BC to around 1300BC )...

That was the dynasty that had produced such pharaohs as Tutankhamen, who still rested in his tomb a short distance away and Amenhotep the first, who was now resting far away in Cairo in the Egyptian museum...

Although they had Amenhotep's mummy, they weren't quite in agreement as to where exactly his tomb was...

Another reason for the re-examination of the tombs...

Hadn't a queen's mummy been recently identified because of a broken tooth?...

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Tenchi carefully peeked around the door corner, not wanting to disturb them...

He could see Nobuyuki was inspecting the far wall of the room, while Tennyo was holding the light steady for him...

Mihoshi was sitting on a small folding chair, with a large note pad in one hand, a pen in the other...

At her feet was a camera bag and camera to document anything they might feel was important...

They were all wearing paper air masks...

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It all brought back memories of some of the old digs that he had been to, when he was little...

Only then it was Mihoshi's mom holding the pad and his mother holding the light for Nobuyuki...

Tenchi brushed a tear away...

Looking at how serious Tennyo was, an idea came to him...

He couldn't help but smile...

Besides, he still owed her for that BRAT remark last night...

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Many years before, there'd been an incident that every now and then returns to haunt certain members of the Masaki family...

Seeing them all standing there had brought it back...

Tenchi wonder if Tennyo still remembered it?...

Taking some deep breaths, to calm himself, Tenchi removed the air mask and stuck his head into the room...

" Ten Ten go we we!.. "

It got the exactly the reaction Tenchi expected...

Tennyo suddenly stood up straight, as Nobuyuki turned and gave her an odd look...

Mihoshi's eyes widened and then she started to giggle...

Oh, yes...

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As Tenchi watched, Tennyo slowly turned and looked in his direction...

Smiling, he just waved...

Her eyes widened and a dark rage covered her face...

Seeing her hand Mihoshi the light, Tenchi decide it was time to go...

He began to back into the first room and quickly made for the door, laughing all the way...

Behind him he could just hear a very loud scream and assumed the chase was on...

Nobuyuki and Mihoshi watched Tennyo disappear through the door...

Mihoshi giggled and Nobuyuki shook his head...

Then, with Mihoshi holding the light he went back to studying the wall...

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Outside, the workers were startled when the young boy, who had just gone in a short time before, came scampering up out of the tomb and headed down the trail, laughing and giggling...

Soon the female professor stuck her head out of the entrance and looked around...

When she looked their way, they saw a hot burning rage in her eyes...

One of the workers lifted a shaking arm and pointed down the trail...

Nodding, the female was out of the hole and heading down the trail at a fair clip...

One of the workers shook his head and said a quick prayer for the young one, perhaps he would make it to Cairo before the female caught him...

One worker faced the others, put a finger next to his ear and made circling motions...

The rest nodded, they were kin to old crazy one...

As they went back to work, one of the worker looked down the trail and saw Tennyo disappear around the corner...

He just shook his head...

Masaki was quickly becoming another word for crazy...

To be continued...

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Nobuyuki as Egyptology Professor Nobuyuki Masaki

Tennyo as Egyptology Professor Tennyo Masaki - his daughter

Mihoshi as Mihoshi Masaki - Nobuyuki's assistant - adopted daughter

Tenchi as Tenchi Masaki - his visiting son

Zahi Hawass - Secretary General of the EHCA ( Egyptian Higher Council of Antiqites )