The Lost, The Stupid, & The Mummy

By BTTD28 and AlexiaGeminiPotter

Chapter Seventeen: Playing Dead

"Is everyone alright?" Rick asked pulling Evy to her feet.

"I'm fine." Evy whispered resting a shakey hand on Rick's chest.

"NO IDEA WHERE WE WERE GOING!" Naylor yelled looking around for Tiffany.

"It wasn't my fault!" Tiffany screamed at him. "No one marked on the map 'Beware of Killer Tidalwave!', Naylor!"

"Actually," Izzy said looking at the map for a split second. "Oh no, never mind. She's right."

"Right," Rick said with a frustrated sigh. "Ardeth...where's Ardeth and Amber?"

"I'm fine, thanks for your concern." Jonathan said stumbling out from the bushes.

"Anytime," Rick whispered.

"Ardeth!" Evy called. "Amber? Can you hear me?"

Something rustled in the trees next to Rick and Evy. "I'm okay." Ardeth said rubbing his head slightly. "That's gonna leave a mark. Where's Amber?"

"Amber! Are you dead?!" Naylor called.

"You're an idiot!"

Naylor turned around and smiled smuggly, "She's fine."

Ardeth looked around, "Amber, where are you?"

"Um, dad." Amber's voice said in the strange stillness around them. "Up here."

Ardeth looked up and sighed with relief. One of Amber's floaties had gotten stuck on a tree branch and she hang percariously a good fifteen feet above everyone. "Thank goodness, are you alright?"

Amber smiled, "I'm fine, can we do that again?"

Ardeth shook his head with a smile, "We better not."

"We're gonna get you down Amber." Rick said looking around for something of use.

Amber laughed, "Got nothing but time."

Naylor walked around the darigiable to preform a through examination, "We're screwed."

"Hey, I don't wanna hear that in that sort of tone." Rick said pointing a disapproving finger at Naylor.

"We're screwed." Naylor said happily.

"Smart-ass."

"I know this, Amber." Naylor said giving a sexy smirk.

Amber gave him a akward look, "Um...I didn't say anything."

"Evy?" Naylor said turning to Evy.

Evy shook her head, "Wasn't me."

Naylor gave a nervous look around. "Then...who..."

"Is someone going to help me out of this thing?" A voice said from the darigiable.

Everyone stared in horror as a lump started to move from under the balloon material of the darigiable. Whatever it was was trying to get out from under the soaking wet cloth. Naylor, Ardeth, and Rick all walked over quickly to it guns, swords, and sticks drawn. The lump moved frantically around trying to find a opening. It got closer and closer to the edge of the material and the entire group held their breath. A pair of hands popped out from under the reckage and clawed at the earth, trying to get leverage to pull itself out completely. For a instant, no one could believe who it was, until Amber gave a shrill squeal.

"KAYLEE!"

Kaylee managed to pull her head and torso out from under the mess and took a deep inhale, before collapsing onto the ground, "Hey, Amber."

"Oh my God, Kaylee!" Naylor yelled throwing down his stick and running to her side. He scooped her up by the neck in a tight hug. "You're okay!"

"N...aylor...can't breathe as...it...is."

"Oh, sorry." Naylor said quickly releasing her.

"You escaped?" Rick asked.

"Um...no." Kaylee said pulling her self all the way out of the wreckage and leaning up against Naylor.

"How did you get away then?" Jonathan demanded.

Kaylee gave an exhausted look to everyone, "They killed me." She whispered before passing out.

Imhotep searched the river banks to his fullest extent, but found no sign of Kaylee. He let out a frustrated scream that echoed in the canyon walls. Only one other time in his entire live had he felt so alone. He had lost her once and did nothing to prevent it or change the course of the outcome. But he was not going to lose her again. All he had to do was find her body...then he could bring her back. Not Khepri's soul or anyother soul...but her own. He thought he had fallen in love for her body, the mirrior image of Khepri. But something completely different had opened up, a unexplainable connection had grown between them. If he could...just...find her. He punched the canyon wall, leaving a huge dent in the solid stone. He hit his knees and warm tears hit the sand of the river bank. Anuck-su-namun walked up slowly behind him, not caring that he was obviously upset by the untimely demise of Kaylee.

"We need to keep moving, Imhotep."

Imhotep looked up then slowly turned to face her. "Not yet, I have to..."

"She's gone, Imhotep. There's nothing you can do now."

"No, I can bring her back!" He shouted at her.

Anuck-su-namun glared at him. "I can't let you do that."

He turned away from her and started searching again. "I can catch up...later."

Anuck-su-namun whispered an incantation and Imhotep froze. "You WILL come with me and defeat the Scorpian King. And to make sure this spell doesn't slip up, you are to forget Kaylee and Khepri. The only way the spell can be broken is by the kiss of your one true love...that will never come."

"What have you done!! Where's Kaylee?" Alex screamed. He had been listening to the entire conversation.

Anuck-su-namun smiled wickedly, "Imhotep, where's Kaylee?"

Imhotep turned around. "Who?"

The Oasis was alot different and alot less beautiful at night. Actually, it was terrifying. The gang had found higher ground and began organizing an ambush plan to get Alex back. Amber and Naylor sat with Kaylee telling eachother all details of their part of the journey.

"Wow, your dad was the pharoh? That's pretty freakin' cool, Kaylee." Naylor said.

"I guess it would be if I actually remember that far back in my life." Kaylee said with a smirk. "Speaking of dads, how's it feel to finally find your dad, Amber?"

"It's uh, pretty unexpected. Apparently my mother didn't like his 'lifestyle' and took me to live in the states." Amber said with a humble smile. "It's good to have someone, besides you two, to talk to about things."

Kaylee smiled, "I'm so happy for you." She looked over to Ardeth who held a sword to Johnanthans' throat, "He seems nice."

Amber looked over at him and laughed, "He is."

Kaylee sighed, "Is is sad that I just now realized what kind of mess I've gotten us into?"

"What do you mean?" Amber asked gently.

"Well, let's face it Amber, we could have been home by now if I hadn't have made you guys stay and help me find that book."

"What are you talking about!? This sorta stuff only happens in movies or once in a billion lifetimes." Amber said shaking her head and moving her hand dramatically.

"Yeah, I mean, how many people do you know that get to fight to save the world?" Naylor asked.

"Or find that someone that you've been searching for so long?" Amber said lovingly looking at Ardeth.

Kaylee brought her knees to her chest and said softly, "Or lost someone you've been looking for your entire life?"

"What are you mumbling about?" Naylor asked, oblivious to Kaylee's pain.

"Naylor!" Amber snapped harshly. "Go get ready to leave."

"Fine!"

Amber waited until he was far enough away to scoot closer to Kaylee. "This is about Imhotep, isn't it?"

Kaylee looked up and tears were streaming out of her eyes, "Is it that obvious?"

"Um...is that a real question?"

"It's just...that I fell in love with him and I didn't mean to."

"Hun, it never is planned. Like you woke up one day and decided, 'Yep, I'm gonna go to Egypt and fall in love with a undead mummy...guy."

Kaylee sniffled a little bit, "It just so wierd, you know. With all the stuff that's going on now and back in my past life..."

"You think that's a crazy story?" Naylor piped up. "You should hear the one where Amber killed you."

"Naylor!" Amber said not believing he had actually said that.

"You did what?!"