Chapter Thirty-Five: Hereafter

"I am with you, my love, as gods are.  My love dispels darkness.  We shall nourish each other with words and bread.  I stand beside you at the lotus pool.   I am for you.  I am the utterer of your name." –Excerpt from Awakening Osiris, by Normandi Ellis

***

The huge dust cloud billowed into the air, expanding and raising ever upward.  Evy felt her eyes tearing, but she wasn't sure if it was the infected air or her own desperate sorrow, welling up from deep inside of her.

She blinked rapidly, but it was useless to try to see what was happening.  The dust cloud was so full of debris and soot it obscured everything.  Evy stood, her hair blowing gently in the mild wind, as the watched her prison for the last two years billow outward, as nothing more than sand and dirt.  How could Imhotep's palace just be gone?

As she stood there memories surged up within her, memories of looking down over the side of the dirigible as they floated away from Ahm Shere.  Like Imhotep's palace, the huge pyramid complex had completely vanished without a trace.  She remembered the emptiness, the feeling of something fundamental being ripped away from her, as though someone had obliterated a part of her past.  She had died there, in the shadow of the golden pyramid.  And then it had been completely erased, becoming truly nothing more than sand and legend.

She felt a small tug at her hand and looked down.  Alex stood there solemnly, his blond hair thrown across his face, his blue eyes looking up at her so much like Rick's.  Evy swallowed, allowing her son to slip his small hand inside her own.  Was this all she was to have left of her husband?  Was this his legacy, leaving her with his face imprinted on the body of their son?

A movement from the side caught Evy's eyes.  She turned away from Alex just to see Ardeth stumble out of the dust cloud.  Coughing and staggering the Med Jai made his way out, his raven hair streaked with the color of sand.  As he neared Evy he fell to his knees and bent over gasping, desperate to get some fresh air into his burning lungs.

"Ardeth!" Evy cried with relief, releasing Alex's hand and running to kneel by his side.  "Where's Rick?"

But the Med Jai could not answer, his body racked in shaking coughs.  On her knees Evy placed one comforting hand on Ardeth's back as she looked up into the billowing, expanding fog.  Somewhere in the great gray cloud was her husband.  She blinked back more tears, barely registering that the stormy, ominous day was gone, replaced with a brightly shining sun and clear blue sky.

She crouched by Ardeth's side, and as he regained his breath Evy wrapped her arms around his strong torso, hugging his black robes.  Her eyes burned too and they teared, salty drops slipping from her eyes.  Ardeth's arm went around her in comfort, and Evy lowered her head, accepting the inevitable.  Rick was dead.

"Old mum," Jonathan's sorrowful voice echoed in her ears, and she felt his slim form kneel down beside her.  Suddenly she could not stop the tears, and she allowed her hair to fall and cover her face.  She felt both Ardeth and Jonathan's comforting arms holding her, but it was not enough.  Despair crept at her heart, a deep pain, a thousand times worse than the pain of Anck-su-namun's stab wound.  Rick was dead.  How was she to live on without him?

She had been a fool to think that she was enough.  She couldn't raise Alex on her own.  She wasn't strong enough.  She was so weak.  She wanted to sink into the sand for a thousand years.

His blue eyes flashed before her, searing and beautiful, playful and so full of love.  She would never again see his grin, never again hold him, never again feel his passionate kiss.  She would live the rest of her life alone.

Suddenly, a cry, a single word, seared itself into Evy's brain.  Alex had cried out.  Evy looked up, her eyes blinking back the tears.  What?  Had she heard right?

"Daddy!"

And out of the fog came her husband, Anjelica's unconscious body draped over his back.  With a stagger and a cough Rick came forward, limping, and dropped the woman's body onto the sand in sheer exhaustion.  Adil and Pierre immediately stepped forward to resuscitate Anjelica, but Evy only had eyes for Rick.

Coughing, eyes burning and raw, body bruised and exhausted, skin streaked with dirt and grime, Rick stumbled to his knees on the sand.  And in the next second found Evy kneeling next to him.

Their faces level, his dirty blond hair falling across his face, Rick flashed her a weary grin of triumph.  "Want to know what the gateway to hell looks like?"

Their arms went around each other.  "Later," she whispered, closing her lips over his.

***

Ardeth smiled as he watched his friends reunited at last.  Allah had truly blessed them.  They were all alive, and Imhotep was defeated.  Smiling, Ardeth turned away, giving Evy and Rick and Alex some privacy.   He turned and knelt by Anjelica's side.  She had regained consciousness and was sitting up, dirt streaked across her face.

"How do you feel?" Ardeth asked.

She coughed and smiled through her pain, her hand still pressed over the massive bruise on her stomach.  "Pretty damn good."

Ardeth grinned as Jonathan knelt by his side.  "That was a very brave thing you did," Jonathan said, offering her the handkerchief from his pocket.  Anjelica smiled weakly and took it, wiping the grime from her face.  Jonathan hesitated.  "Did you see what happened to Hubert?"

Anjelica's smile faded and her eyes filled with regret.  She nodded slowly.

"And he–"  Jonathan cut off his own words sadly as Anjelica simply shook her head.  No more words were needed.  The two sat there, each grieving silently for the loss.

***

Ardeth stood as Pierre and Adil approached.  "How is she?" Adil asked, motioning to Anjelica.

"She'll be fine," Jonathan answered from where he crouched on the ground.

Without a word, Ardeth enveloped Adil in a great hug.  "By Allah, we did it," he said to his tribesman, his smile widening as their triumph sunk in.  They had truly won.  Adil's face stretched into a smile that mirrored Ardeth's own as the two Med Jai celebrated the survival of their people.

Unable to contain the thrill of victory surging through him, the sheer joy at their accomplishment, Ardeth impulsively pulled Jonathan into a huge hug.

"Ooof," Jonathan got out as he found himself squeezed into Ardeth's rock solid arms.

As the men parted, Ardeth considered what to say.  Although he was a man of few words, Ardeth had doubted Jonathan Carnahan in the past and now felt a need to make up for his lack of faith.  "Jonathan," he began, clapping him on the shoulder, but suddenly he was unsure.  What praise could he give?  What words could he say that would be truly meaningful?

He looked and saw Pierre helping Anjelica up.  Ardeth allowed his eyes to fall across them: Adil, his right arm and brother in spirit, Pierre, a mercenary of strength and skill, Anjelica, the courageous former army commander, and Jonathan, neither a warrior nor a strategist, but a man of simple honor and bravery.  What could Ardeth say to these people, these fighters who had helped them save the world from Imhotep?  The four stood looking at him expectantly, waiting for the words of their leader.

And Ardeth offered them the only honor worthy of their sacrifice.  "Welcome to the Med Jai."

***

Later, as the sun sunk lower in the sky, the group stopped on the top of the dune.  Ardeth and Adil prepared to leave their friends and search for the surviving Med Jai.  The time had come for them to part.

"You sure you don't want to come with us to Cairo?" Rick asked, even as he knew his friends' answer.

Ardeth simply shook his head.  "I am needed here."

The two best friends embraced.  No words were needed.  They were more than brothers.  As Rick and Ardeth parted Evy stepped forward and threw herself into the Med Jai's arms.  "Ardeth," Evy got out, burying her face in his dark robes.  "Thank you so much, for everything."

Ardeth smiled and released her.  "You never have to thank me, my friends."  He took one last sweeping look at the group before him: the O'Connells and Alex, Jonathan and Pierre and Anjelica.  Each had sacrificed, each had contributed.  "May Allah smile on you always."

And they said goodbye, and the group split.  Ardeth and Adil turned, heading back towards the battlefield.  And the others set their paths towards Cairo, and the start of a new life.

***~~~***

Imhotep felt himself floating.  He was alone, but he did not feel lonely.  He felt nothing but calmness and peace.  Pain, regret, anger, memory–all were gone. 

Suddenly, he felt warmed, he felt himself bathed in holy light, and the warmth spread upwards from his toes, up through his legs and chest.  The light caressed him, soothed him.  For the first time in his life he felt held, comforted by a power much greater than his own.  He relaxed into the light, utterly trusting.

"Awaken, my son."  The gentle command filled him.  "It is time."

As the voice entered him Imhotep's mind stirred, awakened–although he did not actually move.  His body lay relaxed as he floated in the world of light.  He felt himself asking the question, although he knew he did not speak.

Who are you?

Silence filled Imhotep's world.  The voice paused.  "We are the divine, mortal.  We are the many who make up the whole.  We are God."

The voice flowed through him, a glimmer in the air, pure as light.  I do not understand.  Imhotep felt that it was wrong to question the Gods, and yet here, in this benevolent light, with the voice caressing him, it did not feel wrong to ask, to wonder, to seek to know and understand.

And it seemed that the great light smiled and chuckled indulgently at his humanity.  "You do not understand because we have chosen that you, mortal, should not understand."

But I want to understand.  Imhotep's small form, ever impatient, sought an answer, even as the light cradled him like it would a small child.  It was almost as though he were back in the womb, warm and close and safe, except that Imhotep was surrounded with light, not darkness.  He remembered something his teacher had said to him, a priest, long ago...from the womb of the mother to the womb of the goddess, we are born and we die, and our souls will come full circle.  Comforted, Imhotep once again sought his answer.  Why am I here?

The divine response caressed him like silk, smooth as shadow.  "Because it is the time for judgment."  The shimmering voice paused, considering the being before it.  "Three millennia ago you, Imhotep, High Priest of Osiris, were punished for your sins.  You have suffered greatly."

The voice lingered, deliberate and slow as it unfolded Imhotep's tale.  "You were given a chance to live once again on the earth.  But in our wisdom we saw that you did not belong there.  Your time had passed.  Despite this, you served us as best you could.  You have fulfilled your duty to us."  The voice flowed through him, pure and beautiful as rain.

And then, without a doubt, Imhotep knew that the voice of Anubis was speaking to him.  The dark God spoke, his rumbling tones echoing in Imhotep's mind.  "I have weighed your soul.  I have removed the darkness from it, the fragment of my essence that was stolen from me three millennia ago.  I have taken it back."

So...I am as I was?  Imhotep's mind asked the question in wonder.  Had the curse truly been removed from his being?  Could he possibly be pure and whole again?

And then the presence of Anubis' voice was gone, and another, softer voice responded.  Imhotep knew not who or what it was, only that it spoke to him in indulgent, gentle tones, the voice itself made of soothing light.  "We have indeed removed the curse from your soul, High Priest of Osiris.  We welcome you to your gift."

Gift? Imhotep's tiny soul questioned, as the implications of the statement sunk in.  The curse had been removed?  He was himself again, fully human, simply a man?

And then the voice changed, and in his mind's eye Imhotep saw the face of Osiris.  He had never looked upon the face of a God before.  The face, shining and bright, smiled benevolently at his creation, and Imhotep knew that he would never again be alone.  After three millennia, Imhotep could finally come home.

The shimmering voice continued, full of love for the small being before it.  "You asked who we were, child, son, mortal, link in the great chain of being.  Now it is time for understanding.  We bless you with knowledge."

Imhotep waited, content, comforted, silent in the beautiful bathing light, and the great divine voice glimmered through him, powerful and gentle and full of love.  "We are the balance in the universe.  We are both matter and spirit, mother and daughter, father and son.  We are the hunter and the hunted, the deer who flees in the forest and also the wolf who gives chase, we are the sun and the moon, we are the darkness and the light."

"We are all, we are one."  And it seemed to Imhotep that the many voices merged, into one blindingly beautiful sound, the essence of the world.

And then, in a searing moment of understanding, Imhotep knew that Osiris was just one of the divine's many incantations.  Osiris and Anubis and Isis and all of their children were just different pieces of the same whole.  Some people saw the divine as Amun-Re, others as Allah, others yet as Yahweh or Jupiter or Ceridwen.

They were all the same.

And as he looked the face of Osiris disappeared...melted away.  Imhotep felt the benevolent light that surrounded and filled him buoy his body up.  He felt the very molecules in his body shiver and tremble with joy and blessing.

And as the face of Osiris melted away...another took its place.  There were no words to describe it, no image that could do it justice.  It was a face encompassing all, a face that knew everything that had happened and everything that would happen.  A face of such wisdom and peace, a face of love and understanding...and a face of darkness, of evil and fear and hatred.  And Imhotep knew that he was looking upon the face of God, the divine, the great spirit.

He was looking into the very face of eternity. 

The face smiled benevolently, and the great, beautiful voice flowed from it, through Imhotep, blessing him.  "You served me and then betrayed me, mortal, but I forgive.  I am merciful towards those who love..."

Imhotep waited silently, in awe, and from far away it seemed that the voice glimmered with laughter.  "Welcome, my child, to the gates of the afterlife.  Your mate waits for you, within."

Imhotep's mind struggled to respond.  Anck-su-namun?  She waits for me?

"You have both sinned and suffered.  And you have both found redemption.  Join her, my son."

And the great white light pierced him.  Imhotep gasped, but he quickly realized it was not a feeling of pain.  He felt his mortal body melting away, the bone, muscle, flesh, and sinew being stripped away until he was nothing but his soul.  He floated, trembling, reduced to his most essential elements.  He felt wind course through him and he realized that now he was one with that wind, he was one with the air, the light, the shadows–he was of them now.  And Imhotep was reborn.

"You are ready now..." The unearthly voice filled him, and he felt the soft lips of a woman gently kiss his brow.

And finally, Imhotep opened his eyes.  Before him stood giant, shining gates, gates that seemed at once made of gold, and then of diamonds, and then simply of radiating light.  As Imhotep looked on them, they seemed to glow brighter, brilliant, beams of sparkling sunlight, flickering fire, rays of a lustrous sun.  He knew that as a mortal he would have been struck blind by the sight.  But he looked and saw the gates slowly open...

...but what was within was concealed with the purest, whitest light.

"You have ended the cycle.  I have given you peace.  Now you must return to where your soul was forged...the place from whence you came many millennia ago, before the world began..."

Imhotep felt the voice slide over him, caress him.  "It is time.  Enter, my child."  And he heard all of the different voices of God speak to him, blessing him in a thousand languages.

And Imhotep, soul freed of the evil that had tormented him for millennia, walked slowly towards the shining gates, and went inside forever.

***~~~***

They found the camels, all five of them, at the top of the sand dune, as though they had been waiting just for them, a last gift from the Gods.  Evy and Rick shared a contented smile as the group approached the docile animals.

"But there are only five of them and six of us," Jonathan noticed loudly, swatting a fly near his face.

"I totally get my own," Alex asserted, stepping forward to claim the biggest one.  "This one.  Look, he's nuzzling me, there's nothing I can do."

"Nasty buggers," Jonathan commented, sidestepping one as it tried to nuzzle him.  "Really Alex, I don't know what you see in them."

Rick rolled his eyes as he stepped forward to help Anjelica onto one of the camels.  Pierre walked over and the two men secured her to the animal, careful of her injuries.

As the others were distracted, Evy stepped over to her brother.  Jonathan stopped at the serious look in her eyes, and the thankfulness in them.  Her voice wavering through her smile of happiness, Evy spoke.   "Jonathan, I am so proud of you."

He grinned back at her, drawing her into a huge hug.  "It was nothing old mum.  Nothing at all."

***

In the end Rick and Evy, without complaining, agreed to share a camel, and as they began their ride to Cairo Evy thought it particularly fitting.  After all, this was how her whole journey had begun with Rick O'Connell–riding back from Hamanuptra, his strong arms around her waist, the camel jerking underneath them.

They turned, heading back to Cairo, directly into the sunset.  Evy sighed, leaning back into Rick's arms.  Happiness suffused her entire body.  They had suffered.  But they had been given the rest of their lives together.

They, too, would one day find heaven.

But not after a long life together first.

***~~The End~~***

A/N: Well, it's all over...stay tuned for a short epilogue.  Let me know what you think of the finished story ;-) -M

To my dear, dear reviewers:

Ruse: Your review was one of the most satisfying ever.  I was very pleased to see how you responded, especially to the Imhotep part.  Thanks so much for really taking the time to write comments, knowing which parts you liked, etc. really make me happy and encourage me to write more :-) You're an excellent reviewer!  Lol.  And Softly is terrific, I'm postponing reading your final chapter because I don't want it to be over.  A review is forthcoming however, I promse :-)  Thanks my friend!

Soph: Guess both your requests were answered!  Glad you like and thanks!

Brittany: Yay, I love Anjelica too.  I hope I've assuaged any anxieties about the futures of our heroes.  I also want to apologize, when you IMed me I was in an internet café in the Lima airport, I didn't mean to brush you off ;-)  Maybe we can chat again soon.  Thanks for reviewing.

Anya: Lol, uh oh, I have to say that I sincerely doubt that there will be a sequel!  In this storyline they've all suffered so much, I'd hate to put them through more angst!  But that doesn't mean I might not write a different story...hmmm....glad you liked and thanks for the review :-)

MBooker: Thanks!  That would be awesome...do you think Stephen Sommers reads fanfiction?  He should, we rock ;-)  And yeah, our Ricky couldn't leave anyone behind...what a sweetheart.  Don't worry about P2P, I'll read it whenever you post!  I'll be looking forward to it...consider this a little helpful nudge in the butt to get writing :-)

Deana: Yup, you hit the nail on the head ;-) You didn't seriously think I would kill of Rick, Ardeth, and Angie, did you? lol.  Thanks for the review!

Jessie McDonald: Thanks for giving me an extra long review!  Glad to hear from you again.  Yep, it is kind of jeckyll and hydey.  Somehow I doubt psychiatry could do it though!  And yeah, that's partly why I see Immy's situation as so tragic...a lot of the stuff (like being cursed back in the day) were not his choices...they were things that happened to him.  Lol, I love that scene in Monty Python!  You've now given me a great mental image of Imhotep dancing about on one leg, speaking in a british accent.  Hehe.

Jessie C.: Thanks for reviewing...yeah, maybe Imhotep could have used a second chance, but I don't think he'd want to live in the world at all without Anck-su-namun.  He's ok, he's accepted his fate, and he's ready for the afterlife.  That's how I see it, anyway.  Thanks :-)

Elfpixie: Haha, not at all.  I don't think he'd listen to me, anyway, but thanks :-) Ahhm, to answer your question...I guess my all time fave would be Redemption, but there are tons of awesome Mummy stories...I've listed some of them in my faves on ff.net.  Thanks for reviewing.

Sk8ergirl: No worries, I answered your question ;-)  Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Mija: Yeah, you're right, it was kind of emotional writing it :-)  Thanks for the review!

Aulizia: No apologies!  Don't worry about being late.  Thanks for the praise, especially what you said about Anjelica...I really tried to walk that fine line of making her important but not allowing her to overshadow any original characters, and I am so glad to hear from you that I succeeded.  Haha, yeah, nice gentle finale!  Well, I guess this chapter kind of makes up for that.  Thanks my friend, I do owe you an email ;-)

Towmondler: I remembered my other favorite quote and looked it up so I would get it absolutely right.  Here 'tis: "Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."  Anyway, glad you're enjoying and thanks for reviewing.

Sabie: Thanks, I'm glad you liked all my mummyfic, I hope you liked the ending ;-) In response to your question, I'm mulling over some stories in my head and I have some ideas...but I haven't made any decisions yet.  We'll see.  Thanks!

AEM: Hey, glad to hear from you again.  Happy to hear you like Pierre!  I don't think in general he's been that popular :-) And yeah, I agree with you...it's important for both Immy and Anck-su-namun to accept their fates...they willingly choose to accede to their inevitable destinies, and that means at the end they were finally willing to do the right things.  Also glad you like my Jonny ;-) Anyway, thanks for the review!

Mommints: No worries, better late than never!  Glad to hear your muse has returned...I am still waiting eagerly for more H4, and loving your time travel story.  I honestly can't wait for a sequel to that one.  Lol, thanks for the applause, very glad you liked :-)

J.L.Potter: Yup, Loch-nah is dead, Rick was having a nightmare about him–the guy kidnapped his son and wife, at different times, so I figured he'd be someone Rick would dream about.  And...no, the story was not over, although this is the last chapter...there will be an epilogue though.  Guess my little cliffhanger did get to you ;-) Thanks for reviewing.

catiepie182002: Hello new reader!  Yay for Jonathan fans.  I'm glad my story will make you read other mummyfic...there are tons of great stories out there.  Thanks for the nice words :-)

SerenaWronski: Wow, thanks!  Lol, I'm glad I kept you guessing the entire way!  I love getting new readers so I was happy to read your responses.  And I sincerely hope I haven't taken a few years off of your life ;-) Hope this chapter helps.  Thanks again for reviewing.