I don't own Night at the Museum

Washington D.C., 2009 A.D.

This place had proven to be a maze for Ahkmenrah for he had no idea in which direction he was going. He felt he had passed by the same exhibitions for the tenth time no matter what direction he took. At least to his relief, his brother was not lurking anywhere around those corners but he had to be cautious if he didn't want to be caught by his brother's allies. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against the wall and tried to catch his breath. He couldn't believe how close he had been in his brother's clutches, let alone facing his past. Again, his mind had tried to regain as much memories as it could but everything was still clouded. It was frustrating to Ahkmenrah that he couldn't remember his own tale but he also thought that his mind was trying to repress those for a good reason.

Time was wasting and he knew he shouldn't dawdle anymore than he already had. Where was that exit route that he could take to go to Larry? He pushed himself away from the wall and took another direction down the hallway, passing by the sculpture gallery.

"Bonsoir," a young ballerina smile as she pirouetted around Ahkmenrah.

The young pharaoh beheld a slight smile upon his lips as he looked at the sculpture. At least one of them was having a great time during this, to what Ahkmenrah considered, awful night. "Very lovely," Ahkmenrah commented on her dancing.

"Merci," the ballerina smiled and then reached towards Ahkmenrah's hand and pulled him towards her.

"Oh..." Ahkmenrah responded as he held his feet in place. He couldn't dance with this ballerina right now. It would be a good distraction from his thoughts but he had to help Larry with the combination. "Some other time," he smiled to the ballerina and he could see the crestfallen look she had in her eyes, "I promise you." Upon those words, he gave her another friendly smile.

The ballerina's features changed into a bright smile as she held him upon his promise before pirouetting away from him.

Ahkmenrah continued on his way and then skidded to a halt when he came upon the bookstore of the museum. A place that was filled with so much knowledge and perhaps some answers that Larry was looking for. Without any hesitation, Ahkmenrah ran inside the bookstore and towards the shelves. There were plenty of books that spoke about the different exhibitions that the Smithsonian offered to its visitors, but not what Ahkmenrah was looking for. He walked to the other side of the shelves and let his finger slide down the spine of the books.

"Egypt, Egypt, Egypt," he whispered to himself as his eyes scanned through the shelves. "Ancient Egypt!" he enthusiastically said as he took the book out of its place and held it in his hands. There were many things that have not yet been discovered about Ancient Egypt, but he hoped that there would at least be some information about the tablet. He opened the book and came upon many images of the pyramids and other pharaohs that had ruled before and after him. As interesting as those facts were, he couldn't get distracted.

"Come on," he frowned as he looked from page to page. Turning another page there was an ancient statue that had been dug up off his father. Ahkmenrah blinked at what he saw. It looked so worn from the effects of time yet the statue was still held in place. "Father," he said as his finger ran down the figure of the statue on the page. At the bottom of the picture, Ahkmenrah read what was written about the statue.

Pharaoh Merenkahre, ruler of Egypt from 2021 B.C. until 1991 B.C., was the most prominent pharaoh of his time with his wife Queen Shepseheret. It was rumored that he had created a Tablet named after his youngest son, Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, where it held magic powers that restores those who are dead to come back to life. The tablet has been found but evidence of the magic does not exist.

Ahkmenrah almost laughed at that last sentence. Oh if only the museum visitors had an idea that such an artifact had the power to do such a thing.

Scholars have debated on what was written on the tablet. Some believe that it is an Ancient Egyptian spell that when activated can bring those who are dead to life and some believe that it's a guide to the afterlife.

Ahkmenrah flipped to the other page and he came upon the picture of his tablet. He squinted at the hieroglyphics but they looked too blurred that he couldn't make out what was written on it. Frustrated, he was about to slam the book until his eyes fell on his name. At that he was curious to know what these scholars had written about him.

Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, also known as the Benevolent Pharaoh, was the ruler of Memphis after the death of his father, Pharaoh Merenkahre. Under his short reign, Egypt prospered both agriculturally and economically. Scholars have debated about the pharaoh's untimely death whether he was killed from an outside party or someone within the palace. According to wall paintings, it is theorized that the young pharaoh was poisoned prior to being killed.

Right on that page, there was a knife that looked worn out from time. An uneasy feeling came over Ahkmenrah when he looked at that dagger. Suddenly, he could feel his body lying numb on the linen sheets of his chamber before that knife was plunged into him not once, not twice, but enough times where Ahkmenrah had felt pain, numbness, and then Osiris's hand welcoming him into the afterlife. Ahkmenrah felt his hands beginning to shake and he immediately slammed the book shut. So there had been another attempt on his life before the person had finally finished their deed. Ahkmenrah didn't want to know whom that person was, but he felt that he already knew whom it was. Who held an everlasting jealousy upon him for so many years?

He looked down at the book in his hands once more. Why did he feel so scared to open it now? What other secrets were in there that he didn't know about? But did he really want to find those answers now when Larry hadn't found the combination yet and Jedediah was still being kept hostage? Then there was Neferet who had been very instant upon helping him. He stared at the book before going back to the page before he had closed it.

Upon the young pharaoh's death in 1990 B.C. the throne was succeeded by his brother, Kahmunrah the Bloodthirsty, from 1990 B.C. until 1980 B.C.

You have lived up to that title haven't you brother and for ten years Ahkmenrah thought with a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head. He couldn't imagine how much Egypt had suffered during his brother's reign. He turned the page to continue reading but there was nothing more about his brother. Why wasn't there anything on him after such a decade of ruling Egypt? Unless his people wanted to demolish any record that they had of him as a pharaoh. Ahkmenrah wouldn't blame them for doing so because if he was in their shoes, he wouldn't want to remember anything about a bloodthirsty pharaoh. He looked at the other images that were in the page that ranged from the tunics and the jewels that were worn and then to the statues of the pharaohs. To his surprise, he had found nothing on Neferet. Neither was she mentioned on Ahkmenrah's biography nor anywhere in the book.

She is just as much of a mystery to me as my relation with her he thought. His brother had prodded that Ahkmenrah and Neferet were husband and wife, and surprisingly Ahkmenrah believed him on that, but anything further than that or what had happened to them still needed to be discovered. One thing that Ahkmenrah knew for certain was that he wasn't just murdered, but he was numbed to keep him from defending himself against his attacker. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew that his attacker had been in front of his eyes ever since he had come to life and that only made him angry.

How could you?! he wanted to scream. Kill the one person who is family! He felt himself growing short of breath and tried to control it, but to no avail. He stumbled over to one of the tables and sat down and rested his head in his hands. No matter how much he thought about this, he still felt he wasn't able to process it. If he had a knife himself, he would gladly plunge it in his brother's heart but he knew he wouldn't do it. That would make him just as bad as his brother and he didn't want to go down that path. He raised his eyes and looked at the book in front of him. That book had proven to be useless for the tablet, but it was enough to cause him pain but he just had to get through that.

Larry needs me he thought as he steadied himself to his feet and walked outside of the bookstore. I have to get through this night, no matter how painful it is.