*****
Rick held his wife close, wondering what would happen next. Ma'at was rereading the sentence in the book of Amun-Ra. Evie and him had both wanted this to stop before it all happened, once they found out who was who. They felt Marcus and Mirella were both as close as their own children, and never wanted anything to happen to all four.
"Do you think this will work?" Evie asked softly.
Rick swallowed and thought.
"Well, it might. The book hasn't not worked before. It killed off Imhotep, so why not raise someone."
"Good point. But I heard Seth saying that the book wouldn't work on dead gods."
"I heard too! You know, you didn't teach me ancient Egyptian for nothing."
Evie rolled her eyes, and playfully hit Rick in the shoulder.
"Yes, but I still haven't had a chance to use the shooting skills yet."
Rick shushed her and looked over toward the gods. Aredeth had awoken and was standing up, obviously antsy.
Ma'at finished the book and closed it.
Nothing happened.
At least, until the hot wind seemed to pick up. It slowly grew until a huge windstorm was howling over the desert. Sand flew up, circling around the group. Ma'at and Seth backed away, out of the cyclone to where Evie and Rick were standing. Aredeth had walked over when the wind picked up and all watched.
Nothing could be seen past the storm, but in it, the shadows of Thoth and Nepthys could be seen, they were still in the same positions from when they fell.
(POV Rick)
Wait, what was that?
Something moved, if only a little. Something twitched.
Probably just the wind. At this speed, anything could move.
But-there it was again! Thoth's arm moved! It's moving! It's lifting up and…it's pulling the sword out? So is Nepthys!
(POV Evie)
They're alive! Holy (censored)!
Thoth is standing up, and helping Nepthys to get up too! What the (censored)! They don't seem to be hurt, well, anymore.
(Back to third person look)
Everyone was speechless as the two rose. The wind subsided and the sand fell.
There, dusting themselves off, were Thoth and Nepthys.
Ma'at and Seth yelled and sprinted toward the two and hugged them. Thoth and Ma'at looked as if they were kissing, but the view was blocked by Seth and Nepthys.
Aredeth was shouting and jumping in the air.
"Yaaa! Woo! Praise God, they're alive! Yes!"
The O'Connell's walked over to the four, Aredeth running forward and bear hugging Thoth and Nepthys.
"You're back." Rick said. They nodded and smiled.
Evie grinned.
"Let's all go back to camp." She said.
And they did.
*****
They walked back to the camp, the Med-jai sitting and relaxing, though the younger ones were fooling around with the 99% invincibility, trying to cut off each other's arms.
When Ma'at and the others entered the camp the elder rose and drew his sword.
"Your grace, have you known the enemy was following you?" he asked.
"Yes, in fact I did. I would like everyone to know that I have called a stalemate, and we will no longer fight. Too many people are lost" Ma'at answered, and held Thoth's hand.
The elder nodded and bowed a little at the waist. He then called to his troop leaders.
"Let it be told that Ma'at has called off the war. We may all go home!"
The Med-jai cheered and raised their hands.
Thoth leaned over.
"And you may keep the armor, though you will have to become normal again."
The elder laughed and called to the crowds once more.
"And we may keep our armor!"
Ma'at stepped forward.
"All Med-jai, please stand." She asked. Every single one of the black robed warriors stood.
"You fought well, and I pray none of you were lost."
They cheered, giving the positive.
"But, all things must end, and so," She said, waving her hand across the gathering of men, "You are now are all able to be injured once more, even without decapitation."
"She's right!" shouted a lone voice; "I just got a paper-cut!"
And they all enjoyed a good laugh as they departed.
Soon only the original tent was left. When they walked over and sat, Ma'at turned to Rick and Evie.
"Med-jai, Nefertiri, my time is fleeting. Soon, I will depart, and the one you know as Catherine will return. Our hearts will still be as separate, but the same. If I were red, and the previous Catherine blue, when I leave, she will be purple. Do not fear this. Catherine will know what has happened, but only in as if she were watching. It will not be a dream to her. It will be memories. Thoth, Seth, and Nepthys will also be the same, though they will not tell you. The gods will return to where we are needed, and have enjoyed our time on earth. The relationships may be the same as now, though humans differ from us."
Evie smiled.
"May I ask one last question?"
Ma'at nodded. "Go ahead."
"How can you kiss Thoth if he has the head of an Ibis?"
Ma'at looked confused.
"He has the head of an ibis? I never knew that. He always looked like every other Egyptian man, except with these wonderful eyes, and a tattoo of a brush and ink set on his upper arm."
"Oh, alright," Evie answered, confused, "Thank you."
"Thank you."
Ma'at yawned and lay down on a mat. Then Thoth and the others followed her, and slept. They lay for a while, at least three hours.
While they were sleeping, Aredeth walked over.
"Evie, Rick, I want to thank you. If it were not for the book, I would have lost my greatest friends. I will leave now, and if you want you can explain to their parents that I left early, and you decided to take them on a trip or something. I am a leader of my people, and I must go, though I probably will return soon. May Allah smile upon you!"
And Aredeth got onto a horse and rode off into the desert, Horus following him over the sand.
Evie leaned back onto Rick.
"Well, it looks like our adventure is coming to a close." She sighed. Rick nodded and laughed to himself.
" And I'm still wondering whether a place like you should be doing in a girl like this."
Evie looked at him.
"Whenever did I say that?"
"You were drunk. Of course you said that. You don't remember?"
"I was not! I never get drunk!"
Rick smiled.
"Of course you didn't Evie, of course you didn't."
Catherine stirred.
"Hm? Where am I?" she muttered to herself.
"Good morning Catherine" Evie said sweetly.
The girl looked up and smiled.
"Hello. Are we going to be leaving now?"
"Leaving? Why?"
"Because that Ma'at seemed to be finished with you and the Med-jai, that's why. Oh, that left me in so much suspense when her and Seth were fighting! I never knew what was going to happen next!"
Marcus and Alex woke up and sighed, Alex rubbing his eyes.
"That certainly was an experience. I never knew gods could talk English!" Alex remarked. Marcus nodded.
"I thought Thoth was pretty neat too. I liked his eyes. Very interesting."
"Are you guys kidding? Nepthys had to be the best. Look at the way she saved Seth!" Mirella butt in.
"Hey!" started Marcus, "Thoth saved Ma'at too!"
Evie stood up.
"Everyone, we're going to start packing up now. The train should be arriving in oh…fifteen minutes!"
"How can you tell that? You don't even have a watch." Asked Rick.
"It's called guessing." Evie answered.
Somehow, fifteen minutes later, a train did stop, and they all piled on. They sat down, ready to go back to Cairo and rest.
"So, Catherine, how do you like our family now?" Rick said, as the train was pulling away.
" I think it's…interesting."
Evie came over and sat next to her husband.
"Well, whatever has happened Catherine, we'll love you just the same."
Catherine smiled at her parents.
"And I love you too…Mum and Dad."
The End! (lalala!)
Rick held his wife close, wondering what would happen next. Ma'at was rereading the sentence in the book of Amun-Ra. Evie and him had both wanted this to stop before it all happened, once they found out who was who. They felt Marcus and Mirella were both as close as their own children, and never wanted anything to happen to all four.
"Do you think this will work?" Evie asked softly.
Rick swallowed and thought.
"Well, it might. The book hasn't not worked before. It killed off Imhotep, so why not raise someone."
"Good point. But I heard Seth saying that the book wouldn't work on dead gods."
"I heard too! You know, you didn't teach me ancient Egyptian for nothing."
Evie rolled her eyes, and playfully hit Rick in the shoulder.
"Yes, but I still haven't had a chance to use the shooting skills yet."
Rick shushed her and looked over toward the gods. Aredeth had awoken and was standing up, obviously antsy.
Ma'at finished the book and closed it.
Nothing happened.
At least, until the hot wind seemed to pick up. It slowly grew until a huge windstorm was howling over the desert. Sand flew up, circling around the group. Ma'at and Seth backed away, out of the cyclone to where Evie and Rick were standing. Aredeth had walked over when the wind picked up and all watched.
Nothing could be seen past the storm, but in it, the shadows of Thoth and Nepthys could be seen, they were still in the same positions from when they fell.
(POV Rick)
Wait, what was that?
Something moved, if only a little. Something twitched.
Probably just the wind. At this speed, anything could move.
But-there it was again! Thoth's arm moved! It's moving! It's lifting up and…it's pulling the sword out? So is Nepthys!
(POV Evie)
They're alive! Holy (censored)!
Thoth is standing up, and helping Nepthys to get up too! What the (censored)! They don't seem to be hurt, well, anymore.
(Back to third person look)
Everyone was speechless as the two rose. The wind subsided and the sand fell.
There, dusting themselves off, were Thoth and Nepthys.
Ma'at and Seth yelled and sprinted toward the two and hugged them. Thoth and Ma'at looked as if they were kissing, but the view was blocked by Seth and Nepthys.
Aredeth was shouting and jumping in the air.
"Yaaa! Woo! Praise God, they're alive! Yes!"
The O'Connell's walked over to the four, Aredeth running forward and bear hugging Thoth and Nepthys.
"You're back." Rick said. They nodded and smiled.
Evie grinned.
"Let's all go back to camp." She said.
And they did.
*****
They walked back to the camp, the Med-jai sitting and relaxing, though the younger ones were fooling around with the 99% invincibility, trying to cut off each other's arms.
When Ma'at and the others entered the camp the elder rose and drew his sword.
"Your grace, have you known the enemy was following you?" he asked.
"Yes, in fact I did. I would like everyone to know that I have called a stalemate, and we will no longer fight. Too many people are lost" Ma'at answered, and held Thoth's hand.
The elder nodded and bowed a little at the waist. He then called to his troop leaders.
"Let it be told that Ma'at has called off the war. We may all go home!"
The Med-jai cheered and raised their hands.
Thoth leaned over.
"And you may keep the armor, though you will have to become normal again."
The elder laughed and called to the crowds once more.
"And we may keep our armor!"
Ma'at stepped forward.
"All Med-jai, please stand." She asked. Every single one of the black robed warriors stood.
"You fought well, and I pray none of you were lost."
They cheered, giving the positive.
"But, all things must end, and so," She said, waving her hand across the gathering of men, "You are now are all able to be injured once more, even without decapitation."
"She's right!" shouted a lone voice; "I just got a paper-cut!"
And they all enjoyed a good laugh as they departed.
Soon only the original tent was left. When they walked over and sat, Ma'at turned to Rick and Evie.
"Med-jai, Nefertiri, my time is fleeting. Soon, I will depart, and the one you know as Catherine will return. Our hearts will still be as separate, but the same. If I were red, and the previous Catherine blue, when I leave, she will be purple. Do not fear this. Catherine will know what has happened, but only in as if she were watching. It will not be a dream to her. It will be memories. Thoth, Seth, and Nepthys will also be the same, though they will not tell you. The gods will return to where we are needed, and have enjoyed our time on earth. The relationships may be the same as now, though humans differ from us."
Evie smiled.
"May I ask one last question?"
Ma'at nodded. "Go ahead."
"How can you kiss Thoth if he has the head of an Ibis?"
Ma'at looked confused.
"He has the head of an ibis? I never knew that. He always looked like every other Egyptian man, except with these wonderful eyes, and a tattoo of a brush and ink set on his upper arm."
"Oh, alright," Evie answered, confused, "Thank you."
"Thank you."
Ma'at yawned and lay down on a mat. Then Thoth and the others followed her, and slept. They lay for a while, at least three hours.
While they were sleeping, Aredeth walked over.
"Evie, Rick, I want to thank you. If it were not for the book, I would have lost my greatest friends. I will leave now, and if you want you can explain to their parents that I left early, and you decided to take them on a trip or something. I am a leader of my people, and I must go, though I probably will return soon. May Allah smile upon you!"
And Aredeth got onto a horse and rode off into the desert, Horus following him over the sand.
Evie leaned back onto Rick.
"Well, it looks like our adventure is coming to a close." She sighed. Rick nodded and laughed to himself.
" And I'm still wondering whether a place like you should be doing in a girl like this."
Evie looked at him.
"Whenever did I say that?"
"You were drunk. Of course you said that. You don't remember?"
"I was not! I never get drunk!"
Rick smiled.
"Of course you didn't Evie, of course you didn't."
Catherine stirred.
"Hm? Where am I?" she muttered to herself.
"Good morning Catherine" Evie said sweetly.
The girl looked up and smiled.
"Hello. Are we going to be leaving now?"
"Leaving? Why?"
"Because that Ma'at seemed to be finished with you and the Med-jai, that's why. Oh, that left me in so much suspense when her and Seth were fighting! I never knew what was going to happen next!"
Marcus and Alex woke up and sighed, Alex rubbing his eyes.
"That certainly was an experience. I never knew gods could talk English!" Alex remarked. Marcus nodded.
"I thought Thoth was pretty neat too. I liked his eyes. Very interesting."
"Are you guys kidding? Nepthys had to be the best. Look at the way she saved Seth!" Mirella butt in.
"Hey!" started Marcus, "Thoth saved Ma'at too!"
Evie stood up.
"Everyone, we're going to start packing up now. The train should be arriving in oh…fifteen minutes!"
"How can you tell that? You don't even have a watch." Asked Rick.
"It's called guessing." Evie answered.
Somehow, fifteen minutes later, a train did stop, and they all piled on. They sat down, ready to go back to Cairo and rest.
"So, Catherine, how do you like our family now?" Rick said, as the train was pulling away.
" I think it's…interesting."
Evie came over and sat next to her husband.
"Well, whatever has happened Catherine, we'll love you just the same."
Catherine smiled at her parents.
"And I love you too…Mum and Dad."
The End! (lalala!)