Rating: PG13 prolly eventually
Author: Angel - http://www.geocities.com/ninthsaturn
Summary: The ending of the Scorpion King changed and expanded upon. The O'Connells meet up with some strange people that look very familiar. Almost too familiar.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Mummy or it's characters. But I would give a whole heck of a bunch to own Imhotep and Ardeth. ;-)
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Their captors weren't exactly very polite. Evy noticed that right off the bat. They were quiet, answered none of their questions and were over all really quite pushy. If it weren't for the sheer weirdness of what was going on she might have something to say about all this, but for now she opted to keep her mouth shut and her eyes open. After all these people had saved them it seemed. Her eyes slid to the quiet priest as he was helped onto the sand and out of the oasis of Ahm Shere. Who in their right mind would bother to rescue him?
She was about to ask when 'Ardeth' looked over the group of tired adventurers thoughtfully. Getting out of Ahm Shere had been rough, but the road ahead could be even rougher. The sounds of battle could be heard in the distance. The Med-Jai still fought against the army of Anubis. Would they go there next? The short haired version of their friend pointed towards the darkness. "Ahead there is a car. Get inside it." He repeated the phrase in Egyptian for Imhotep, who angrily started towards him.
"I will go no where with you!" Imhotep spat, his fists clenched and ready to fight his way out of their hands.
The other man drew his gun at that point, aiming right for the creature's head. This seemed to annoy the other 'Evy' and she stepped between them, drawing her companion's gun down and turning to the mummy. "You're playing with fire, Imhotep," she warned in a commanding tone. "If I'm not mistaken you're mortal now. That weapon in my friend's hand could kill you instantly."
The priest was unimpressed with her, but nevertheless crossed his arms in acceptance of the peril he could face. He sneered at them, his face haughty and the promise of future challenges in his eyes. His eyes moved across the gun at his enemy's side. "That weapon requires no artistic skill," he said shortly, then turned away.
The blue haired Evelyn rolled her eyes and said something to her companion. He sighed at her and put his gun away, something gentle in his eyes that made Evy wonder. They at least seemed more agreeable now anyway. She chose now to question them. "Who exactly are you people?" she asked, petting Alex when he hugged into her leg tiredly.
The two strangers snapped out of their discussion and focussed attention on their captives. It was the woman who spoke. "I know this seems very strange to you all, but there is a very good reason for it. I can assure you of that." Her eyes flashed to her friend as if she didn't know where to begin with her story. He nodded softly, a small smile spreading across his lips. He was leaving it to her to explain. She stuck her tongue out at him for it. "Well, I guess the first thing that might help you out would be our names. My first name is Alannah. You can call me that. My partner is Michael. We're...not from around here."
They waited for more, but she didn't continue. This Alannah woman winced as if she knew what she was going to say wasn't going to go over well. Rick wasn't about to let this go. "Well, we've known other people that weren't exactly from around here before. I don't know the story behind all this, but I'm not going to put my son and wife in danger for two people that don't trust me enough to have a clue about what's happening."
Alannah shared a glance with Michael. "You're right, Mr. O'Connell," she agreed, clasping her hands together. Something Evy might have done. "We don't expect you to. We aren't your enemy however. The Scorpion King is and that's why we are here. You see, there's no easy way to put this. So, I guess I'll just come right out and say it. We're not only not from this place, but we're also not of this time."
"Not from this time?" Jonathan sputtered, scratching his head. "What exactly does that mean?"
Rick raised his hand, shaking it and his head. He blinked. "Wait. Wait. Not from this time? What, did you hop in your little time machine from the future and take a stroll to the 1930's? You are from the future, I take it?" He motioned to their strange clothing. Evy recognized that tone of voice. He didn't believe them, or even if he did, he was having trouble with it.
Michael - it was hard for Evy to think of him with that name - nodded in his quiet way, his eyes revealing nothing of his feelings about this situation. His smile was slightly amused when he said, "No, we did not "hop in our little time machine" as you put it. On a dig here in Egypt we discovered some very ancient scrolls that were for the most part unknown to the rest of the world. One allows time travel."
"Oh, that's convenient," Evy's husband remarked smartly, rubbing his shoulder.
She frowned at him and picked Alex up, pushing him into his father's arms to rest. Her poor son had been through so much and was so tired. They couldn't travel on much further tonight. "This spell lets you travel to any time? Where did you find it?"
With a smile of shared interest, Alannah was the one that replied. She shook her head. "No, it won't let just anyone travel to any time. It will only take a person to the past and back, and even then they can only return to times when their spirits walked the earth." She waited to see if Evy would get it.
Evy did. Her eyes widened a little as she regarded the two people before her. "Are you saying that...you are me?"
"More or less," the woman with blue hair and baggy pants replied. Her shirt was decidedly small and looked closer to a brassiere than an actual shirt. Evy would never consider dressing so immodestly...unless she were alone with Rick. Alannah exhaled. "It's complicated. I have your spirit, but not your soul. Your soul is you. Your spirit is us. Understand at all?"
Evy bit her lip in thought, nodding slowly. Michael interrupted before she could comment. "Look, I know this is a lot for you all to take in, but I'm sure everyone's tired. Let's get inside my car and discuss this as we find a place to hide."
"Hide?" Izzy - who they had picked up along the way - exclaimed. "Hide...in the desert? The open desert that practically screams come and find me?"
Michael rolled his eyes and began towards the darkness. "There are places. Trust me."
The car was big. Quite big. Rick's eyes were very appreciative and interested as he looked it over. Evy poked the white vehicle and looked at it's black windows. "Is this some sort of tank?" she asked, turning to Alannah.
Alannah chuckled, shaking her head. "It's an SUV. Michael's Escalade. His pride and joy." She stuck her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag.
"I heard that," he called from near the driver's door. He opened it and got in. He seemed to be all business, just like Ardeth.
Alannah took the front passenger seat and everyone else piled into the back, everyone making sure Imhotep was highly visible for safety's sake. He sat between Jonathan and Evy in the middle seat, while Rick and Izzy took the already sleeping Alex to the back. Evy leaned forward, looking to her future self. "Can I ask you a perhaps silly question?" Alannah nodded. Evy inhaled and glanced back at Imhotep. "What's he doing here? Wouldn't it be less dangerous if...?"
Michael snorted but said nothing. The blue haired woman slapped his shoulder and turned to face Evy. "It might be less dangerous, but it could also change certain things about the future that I'd rather leave the way they are."
"Oh," Evy replied, not knowing what possible redeeming values this priest could have. She sat back and looked at him. He scowled. With a smile Evy decided to mirror her counterpart and stuck her tongue out at the rude creature. He raised his hand to slap her.
"Imhotep!" Alannah snapped, switching to the ancient tongue as she scolded him. "I won't have that behavior no matter what your problem is! I suggest for now you settle down or I'll tie you to that seat." Michael seemed to chuckle at that, which made Alannah grin and pinch his thigh. They were a little familiar with each other, Evy noticed. She wasn't sure Rick should see something like that pass between them.
Imhotep crossed his arms and exhaled impatiently at his strange situation. Jonathan smiled sympathetically. "It must be tough, you know, sitting in a tight little space with all your mortal enemies, not allowed to kill even one." He backed towards his window at the priest's angry glare. "Just trying to see it from your point of view, old boy."
The priest eyed Evy and then her counterpart. "Nefertiri will always be a difficult and troublesome woman, I see. You two and every other incarnation should be strapped down and beaten for the things you allow to come off your fiery tongues."
Alannah turned back to him with a strange little grin on her face. "The last time you said something like that to me we..."
"You're saying too much," Michael warned before she could finish. "We've already changed the time line well beyond what should have been. We should have let him die or killed him."
Evy watched her counterpart's eyes grow hard at her friend. She flipped the visor in front of her down and opened a panel, revealing a mirror with lights around it. "I didn't hear that," she told him matter-of-factly, examining her hair and face. Her fingers went to a little console between them and turned a small knob.
Seemingly from no where the air offered what sounded like music. Very strange music. Unlike nothing Evy had ever heard before. She looked to her brother who shrugged, also puzzled. "Where's that coming from?" her husband asked.
Alannah adjusted her mirror and looked back at him. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking. Is it too loud?" She turned it down. "It's coming from speakers...I'm not sure what you have in this time that plays music, but in our time cars are equipped with music players."
He leaned back against his seat and nodded. "It's not too loud. Alex is way to out to really hear it anyway." Rick furrowed his brow. "Weird," he commented at the strange sounds that issued from all around.
They traveled on in silence from that point on, whether hypnotized by the strange sounding music or lost in the current problems. All their questions still hadn't been answered. So they had come to the past - but why? During the trouble in the hall of the Scorpion King, Evy had noticed both a large half bug, half man creature, but that's not who had been attacking Rick. The man who had been trying to kill her husband had been a full human.
Evy sighed, finally giving in to the weariness within her body. The music lulled her with it's tones of near sadness. Whatever age these two came from must be a broken hearted one, she mused softly, swallowing and looking at their two captors - friends. They were also quiet, but Evy could see even in the darkness that Michael had his hand on Alannah's leg. Rick definitely would have to be kept away from that sort of thing. God only knew what he'd do, finding out that his own future self didn't have her obviously. Ardeth did. Michael. That would bother him when he looked at his Med-Jai friend.
Thinking of which, she wondered what was happening with him. He'd gone with his people to fight the armies of Anubis. For all they knew he could be laying dead on the battle field. That thought made her feel a little restless and she sat straighter. Michael looked in his rearview mirror at her as if knowing she was somehow thinking of him - even if it were another incarnation. It was strange to not see the tattoos on his cheeks and forehead and even stranger to see him with short hair.
Blue hair, Evy thought dryly, looking at Alannah. Rick would just die if she did that to her own, if she could manage to find a way. Not to mention what the other parents would say. Poor Alex would be made fun of. Was this normal for Alannah's day and age? Did Alannah herself have any children? She looked to be a bit younger than Evy, which made her sigh.
Well, whatever lay in store, at least it proved to be interesting. Evy found herself curious about the future and exactly how far ahead they'd come from.
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:O It's short! Thanks to you guys who read this and reviewed!! :D I hope this chapter helped to clear some of the previous up..lol. But the explanations will continue to get deeper into the third part I upload. Kat G, there are living in our time doubles for all of them. ;) I'm just not sure how many will actually show up in this story yet. Lula, thanks for reviewing Fury!! :D I'm glad you liked how it all came about.
And thanks to Marcher, Buffelyn, Mija and Dragonmoon for the reviews too! Thanks everyone! :D Hope you continue to enjoy.
-Angel