I got this idea from reading a similar story that has yet to be completed. And as you all know, mine will be similar to his but different with my own personal touches. And I think after what I saw in the Mummy Returns, I have long felt that Imhotep deserved a better ending than what he got. And by the way, there will be absolutely no Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. While it was a good movie in it's own right, it had nothing to do with Egypt and didn't even have most of the cast that made the 1st and 2nd movie great. Just wanted to get that out of the way. But anyway, to all fans of the Mummy and the Mummy Returns, I hope that you enjoy this story, my dear friends and all fellow Mummy fans out there.

In 1290 B.C.

The sun was setting over ancient Egypt, which was at the peak of its power and prosperity. And in the city of Thebes, everything was going very well for its people, who were going about what they thought was just another normal day. But on this day, some horrible chain of events would happen that would not only change the lives of several important figures of this city, but the future of the world itself, both present and future, starting with Seti the 1st, Pharaoh of the land, returning home from another campaign as his guards took a knee before their king while he rode his Royal chariot.

Thebes, City of the Living, crown jewel of Pharaoh Seti the 1st.

And at the same time, a bald handsome-looking man in a robe, tunic and wearing gauntlets on his wrists, along with a necklace, was watching soldiers from a balcony. His name was Imhotep, the high priest of the Pharaoh, who had been a close friend to him and because of his vast knowledge of all of Egypt and its mystical objects, Imhotep was given the all-important assignment of preparing the recently dead souls for their journey to the afterlife.

Home of Imhotep, Pharaoh's high priest, keeper of the dead.

But outside of the sleeping chambers, a beautiful woman was approaching him, with very dark intentions, having had a dark heart all of her life and even more evil ambitious, of which Imhotep was her prime pawn, along with his priests, who she greeted with a nod before they quickly went to close and lock the doors she came through, and even the pharaoh himself. Her name was Anck-Su-Namun, an evil and cowardly woman, who had a habit of manipulating powerful people in order to obtain that which she desired and always took the easy way out when things did not go her way. And what she desired most, was to rule Egypt as it's Queen, and not just any Queen, its eternal Queen, as she had also wanted to live forever without fear of death. And that was where Imhotep came in, as only he had the power to fulfill that dark desire. And to do that, she seduced Imhotep, while also manipulating him through false displays of affection and love, which had worked, as Imhotep had now become almost completely obsessed with her, which was exactly what Anck-Su-Namun wanted.

But her younger twin sister Zahra, was the exact opposite, as unlike Anck-Su-Namun, she only wished for peace and harmony for all of Egypt, even taking great pity on the Hebrew slaves, as what Seti was forcing them to do was completely wrong, as she felt no kingdom should be made on the backs of slaves. But with Seti in power, she couldn't do anything about it. She could only hope that 1 day, when princess Nefertiri would become the next Pharaoh, she could find it in her heart to free them and treat them as equals under the gods.

Birthplace of Anck-Su-Namun and her twin-sister, Zahra. As their parents had always served the royal family well, they became Seti's closest friends and advisors, and were allowed to stay at the palace, including their twin daughters, with Zahra becoming close friends with the Pharaoh's daughter and only child, heiress of the throne of Egypt, Princess Nefertiri.

When the twin-sisters were only 10 years old, they'd witnessed the gruesome death of their parents, sacrificing their lives to save the Pharaoh when a group of fanatics attempted to take over the capital and the throne. But while Zahra mourned for her parents death, Anck-Su-Namun felt no pity for her parents' weakness, which caused a rift between the 2 sisters. Having different ambitions in life, Anck-Su-Namun always dreamed of power and ruling over Egypt one day. However, Zahra, wanting to honor her parents' sacrifice, chose to serve the pharaoh like her parents, choosing peace and kindness over power, something that Seti deeply appreciated and because of it, Zahra and Nefertiri had always been best friends. As the twin-sisters grew up, so too grew their beauty, which did not go unnoticed by Seti. But not wanting to upset his daughter, he chose Anck-Su-Namun to be 1 of his concubines, which was Anck-Su-Namun's secret plan all along, in order to make the Pharaoh fall for her, so that 1 day, he would make her his queen. But though there were many men attempting to get close to Zahra, she rejected them all. For her, there was only 1 man who stole her heart, the Pharaoh's high priest, Imhotep. As she could sense he was an honorable man, her affection for him only grew over the years. But, upon realizing that Imhotep was more than keeper of the dead, but also keeper of Egypt's ancient power, Anck-Su-Namun knew she had to get close to Imhotep to gain true power, without Seti and eventually, seduce Imhotep to use whatever power he could to grant her immortality. And so, using her body and showing deep, fake affection, Imhotep became obsessed with her, despite Zahra warning her friend and hopefully 1 day lover of Anck-Su-Namun's lies. But, suspecting that Anck-Su-Namun had a secret affair, the Pharaoh ordered that no other man should touch her but him. And to prove it, he had her body, with the exception of her private parts, painted with markings to confirm that she was only for Seti himself and no 1 else.

As Anck-Su-Namun went through the curtains and walked up to Imhotep, who met her halfway, they looked at each other for a moment before she ran her right hand over his face in greeting. This only made Imhotep run his hands down over her face before he gently grasped her arms and they leaned together in a passionate kiss. But as Imhotep was kissing her, he failed to see that his right hand was smearing the paint, which would be proof of someone else having touched her.

But as Anck-Su-Namun had won Imhotep over, he was willing to risk life itself, so he could be with her.

A few minutes earlier on another balcony across from them

Zahra met Nefertiri in her room, with a sad look on her face, which the princess noticed. "Zahra, what's wrong?"

"Nefertiri, I...think Anck-Su-Namun is trying to seduce Imhotep. You know how I've always wanted to tell him that I am in love with him, but I've never had the courage to. But I fear it may be too late, because of my sister!" Zahra explained with contempt for Anck-Su-Namun. "You know I've always said she's been attracted to power her whole life and while your father may be the most powerful man alive in Egypt as of now, and while she does still want to be queen, Imhotep has a power he doesn't: the power over death itself. And I fear she desires the 1 thing no man has: immortality."

Nefertiri knew the worries her best friend had, as she had a strong dislike for her sister as well due to her instincts telling her she was nothing but trouble. And while her father couldn't see that, she was confident that a very smart man like Imhotep would. She then placed a hand on Zahra's shoulder, assuring her. "Zahra, my friend. You're right about that viper, but I believe that Imhotep will see through her tricks."

Zahra smiled but still had her doubts, so she and the princess walked out to the balcony together to watch the city. But then, both witnessed Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun kissing each other, much to Nefertiri's disgust but breaking Zahra's heart, as her fears were confirmed.

Meanwhile, outside Anck-Su-Namun's sleeping chambers

As Imhotep's priests were closing the large golden doors, they were suddenly pushed open by Seti himself, who they quickly bowed to. But he was confused as to why they were here. "What are you doing here?" He asked before he smelled Anck-Su-Namun's strong scent, making him forget about the priests before he moved forward while they resumed closing and locking the doors. Seti went through the curtains to find his future wife leaning next to a statue of Bast, making him smile before it faded when he saw the smeared body paint on her arm. He pointed to the mark and demanded to know. "Who has touched you?!"

Anck-Su-Namun looked at her smeared body paint and realized her mistake with shock, but her attention was quickly drawn to Imhotep, who had come up behind Seti.

Seti noticed her distraction and turned as well before seeing Imhotep. But in his surprise, he couldn't react as his high priest had quickly taken his own sword from him and held it threateningly but seemed very reluctant to kill off his best friend. "Imhotep?! My priest!"

Zahra and Nefertiri looked very horrified at what they were seeing before the princess called out to her father's most loyal and elite bodyguards: the Medjai. "Medjai!" Getting their attention. "My father needs you!" She said while pointing to where her father was, making them all start running to help their king.

'Please, Imhotep, don't do it! He's your best friend! Don't do it!' Zahra begged mentally, not wanting Imhotep to suffer the consequences of what was to come if he committed the worst act in all of Egypt.

But it was too late, as Anck-Su-Namun had made the decision for him: by getting out a dagger and stabbing the Pharaoh in the back, making him scream in pain, as well as his daughter and her friend gasp in horror before Imhotep joined in, slashing Seti with his own sword before they repeatedly stabbed him until he was completely dead while his priests looked on from behind the curtains with no remorse for the Pharaoh's fate.

"NOOOOOO!" Nefertiri screamed out. But in her horror, she leaned forward and would have fallen off the balcony to her death if Zahra hadn't caught her in time, saving her from a similar fate to her father's as she broke down crying while Zahra held her close to comfort her, shedding a few tears herself.

As the priests continued to watch, they heard the doors being banged on, indicating that someone was trying to get them open. Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun, having come off the high from their kill, heard it as well. "Pharaohs bodyguards." Imhotep guessed currently, but wondering how they knew that their king needed them so quickly.

As the priests ran up to them, Anck-Su-Namun knew that what they had done would be punishable by death, or even worse: being placed under a curse. And, always 1 to take the easy way out of extreme punishments, and knowing that she needed Imhotep alive, she urged him with false concern. "You must go! Save yourself!"

"No!" Imhotep told her, for in his mind, if they were to die tonight, they would die together.

"Only you can resurrect me!" She reminded him, making him look at her before the doors were finally busted open and the Medjai began walking through the hallway. Imhotep told her as 2 of his priests grabbed his arms and tried to pull him away from here while the others went the other day out of the area. "I won't leave you! Get away from me!" He said before Anck-Su-Namun ran her hand over his face in farewell as he was dragged out of the area to safety. But as he was, he made her a vow. "You shall live again! I will resurrect you!"

Anck-Su-Namun looked and saw the Medjai come through the curtains and gasp at Seti's dead body before she declared. "My body is no longer his temple." And with that, she drove her dagger into her midsection, killing herself but her lips formed a smug smile, knowing that she wouldn't get a severe punishment and that she would get what she desired, after Imhotep successfully brought her back.

Zahra felt no pity for her sister and just said coldly. "Anck-Su-Namun, you fool. But that wasn't surprising to me, as you always were nothing more than a spineless coward who takes the easy way out of any punishment that would come your way."

A few nights later

Though Nefertiri still grieved over her father's murder, her heart had turned cold because of it. When being crowned pharaoh of Egypt, Nefertiri declared Imhotep and his priests traitors of Egypt and ordered her Medjai to hunt them down and bring them to justice, much to Zahra's sadness.

Meanwhile

To resurrect Anck-Su-Namun, Imhotep and his priests broke into her crypt and stole her body. With the Medjai hunting them, they raced deep into the desert, taking Anck-Su-Namun's corpse to Hamunaptra, City of the Dead, ancient burial place for the sons of pharaohs and resting place for the wealth of Egypt.

Imhotep and his priests, who had heard everything about the events following Nefertiri's ascension, had gone into hiding and had secretly broken into Anck-Su-Namun's crypt and taken her body. And after stealing chariots and horses, they quickly got out of Thebes and raced off to the 1 place that had the 1 item in all of Egypt essential to bringing her back and after riding deep across the desert for some time, they finally got to Hamunaptra and prepared for the ritual.

Blinded by his love for Anck-Su-Namun, Imhotep dared the gods' anger by going deep into the city, where he took the black Book of the Dead from its holy resting place. Anck-Su-Namun's soul had been sent to the dark underworld, her vital organs removed and placed in five sacred Canopic jars.

After Imhotep had taken the Book of the Dead and the Canopic jars that held her organs were placed next to her body on the dai, he began reading the necessary passage while his priests were on their knees in a circle, chanting and bowing repeatedly as they offered their own souls to the great gods Osiris and Anubis in payment for Anck-Su-Namun's.

As the ritual was being done correctly, a black shroud of Anck-Su-Namun's spirit rose from the black pool beyond them and and floated over to her body as the priests' chanting intensified the closer it got before the spirit sunk back into it's mortal body, bringing Anck-Su-Namun back to life. This was it! Imhotep had nearly fulfilled his vow, and all that was left for him to do was to seal Anck-Su-Namun's spirit into her body with a required gold dagger by plunging it into her heart, as it and her brain were the only organs kept in her body, while other major organs had been placed in the jars.

But before Imhotep could complete the ritual, his arms were grabbed by 2 of the Medjai while the rest of them drew their swords as they surrounded the priests, who coward before them. Imhotep then watched as Anck-Su-Namun's spirit rose from her body and howled like a screaming ghost before it dashed back into the black pool, sending her soul back to the underworld, much to Imhotep's despair.

Though Anck-Su-Namun's soul had come back from the dead, the Medjai stopped him before the ritual could be completed. Now in the hands of a very vengeful Nefertiri, the new pharaoh condemned Imhotep's priests to be mummified alive. As for Imhotep, Nefertiri condemned him to endure the Hom-Dai, the worst of all ancient curses. 1 so horrible, it had never before been bestowed. But hearing of the man she secretly loved being condemned to this cruel fate, Zahra made one final attempt to convince her best friend to reconsider Imhotep's fate, as she and everyone else in Egypt's elite knew the reasons why the Hom-Dai was never bestowed on anyone.

Zahra stormed into the throne room, bowing deep before Nefertiri, sitting on her throne. "Your majesty, I beg of you!" Zahra sobbed. "Don't condemn Imhotep to the Hom-Dai. He doesn't deserve such a cruel fate, please!"

Nefertiri glanced down at Zahra, reminding her. "Imhotep murdered my father, the Pharoah. You saw it yourself, Zahra! Just as I did because you were with me!"

Zahra shook her head. "It was Anck-Su-Numan! She deceived him to commit treason against your father."

But Nefertiri countered. "That doesn't matter, Zahra! He helped murder my father and committed sacrilege by using the Book of the Dead to bring Anck-Su-Numan back to life, which he knew was forbidden! His punishment must fit his crimes against my father, and his blasphemy against the gods."

Zahara then reminded her new queen of the reasons that the Hom-Dai was never bestowed on anyone. "I know, your majesty, but not by the Hom-Dai. You and everyone of Egypt's elite know the reason why that curse has never been used on anyone. And you know the horrible repercussions of it if they were brought back to life. The Hom-Dai is not just a danger to Egypt, but to the entire world." Then, crawling to Nefertiri before her feet, Zahra begged. "Nefertiri, please... as your best friend, I'm begging you... don't condemn Imhotep to the Hon-Dai. Don't doom all mankind to a terrible plague if there is but a scintilla of a chance that he will be resurrected in the future. Please... please..."

Nefertiri however, despite the fact that deep in her heart knew that Zahra was right about the Hom-Dai, said coldly. "No single traitor will be unpunished, regarding his or her actions. I have spoken. Now leave." As the new pharaoh dismissed her.

Zahra glanced teary eyed at her best friend while standing up, wiping away her tears. "You are the pharaoh." She sadly said in a humble way and left, knowing she couldn't stop the 1 she loved from a cruel fate.

Meanwhile

In the Sah-Netjer of Hamunaptra, the dying screams of Imhotep's priests were echoing out as they were being mummified alive in the most painful and agonizing way possible. Imhotep, while being restrained by some of the embalmers, sent a silent prayer to the gods to grant him the strength to see this through with dignity. But what he did not see, was that for his sacrilege against Egypt and them, the gods had all turned their back on him. And so, the form of mummification that was to come his way, would ensure that he would suffer for all eternity and would never be free to go beyond and be judged by Osiris and be guided by Anubis to the afterlife.

As 1 of the embalmers grabbed a knife, some of the others held Imhotep tightly, with 1 of them using a pair of pliers to keep his tongue out of his mouth while it was soon cut out. But how he didn't choke on his own blood because of it, he didn't know. And after that experience, the wrapping in bandages began. But compared to forcefully having his tongue cut out, it was nothing. But he knew that what was happening to him now, was no mummification, for instead of dying from the pain and being painfully prepared for what lay beyond the mortal world, the wrappings he was being given were more of a binding. And when it was complete and he was placed into his waiting sarcophagus, he began to panic, as even wrapped up from head to toe, he could hear the skittering of Scarabs, making him realize he was being cursed with the Hom-Dai, the 1 curse in Egypt he knew there was a reason had never, ever been used. A moment later, the Scarabs were poured into what was supposed to be his eternal prison and his tomb, making him panic as he moved as best he could while screaming as the heavy lid was placed on it before a special key was turned to seal him inside before that sarcophagus was placed in an even bigger 1 and was locked the same way as the 1st before the Medjai placed it in a grave at the base of the statue of the great god Anubis and began to bury it.

He was to remain sealed inside his sarcophagus, be undead for all of eternity. Nefretiri and the Medjai would never allow him to be released. For he would arise a walking disease. A plague upon mankind. An unholy flesh eater with the strength of ages, power over the sands and the glory of invincibility. But Zahra, knowing she could not save the love of her life, felt deep down that it would not stop Imhotep from being resurrected from the dead one day and what he would unleash on the entire world should that ever happen in the future. And so... she made the hardest decision of her life... to protect the world from Imhotep and the horrible repercussions of the curse that would plague him forever.

A few days later

Pharaoh Nefertiri, who had gotten through another day of beginning her rule over the kingdom, had decided to retire for the evening. But when she entered her bedchambers, she saw Zahra there, with a dagger in hand, sitting on her knees. "Zahra. What is the meaning of this?"

Zahra looked at her best friend and answered. "Nefertiri, my pharaoh, my best friend, I have a request, a very last request: I wish... for you to bury me alongside Imhotep."

Nefertiri was shocked that her friend would request to be condemned to be undead for eternity with Imhotep. She knew that Zahra was nothing like him and had done nothing to deserve such a fate. She shook her head and pleaded with her. "Zahra, no! I cannot grant a request like that! You have done nothing to deserve such a cruel fate!"

"Nefertiri, you know as well as I do what will happen if Imhotep is ever brought back to life. It may be decades, centuries or even millennia from now, but if there's even a slim chance that happens, the world itself will be doomed because of his curse." Zahra countered seriously. "But if I should be condemned to the undead along with him, at least the world will have a chance to survive."

When Nefertiri saw Zahra raise her dagger, she knew that Zahra was not hesitating and tried to stop her. "No, Zahra, STOP!" But it was too late, as Zahra had already stabbed herself in the midsection, but stopped just enough to make sure she had a few more minutes left before she died as Nefertiri caught her in her arms while tears formed in her eyes, for she was losing her best friend so soon after her father. "Zahra...why? Why do you do this?"

"To... protect the world... to protect the future of all mankind." Zahra answered with her dying breath as the Medjai came running in, gasping at what they were seeing. "Please...my friend, I beg of you, bury me close to Imhotep. Link my soul to his, so that if he rises again, I will rise with him... to put him back in his grave, if by a very unlikely chance... he comes back to... life."

Nefertiri, with her heart heavy and melted, gave her final answer. "I…will grant your request, Zahra, I give you my word as Pharaoh, to you... and the gods." Before Zahra gave her friend 1 was smile and died in her arms.

After a few minutes, the Medjai leader asked his queen with respect and remorse. "Great pharaoh, what do you request we do with your dear friend's body? Shall we give her a proper burial in the city?"

Nefertiri looked at the Medjai and then back to her friend before giving her orders. "Yes. But I will honor her final request. Bury her body at Hamunaptra at the base of the statue of Isis. And prepare my chariot, for I shall perform the spells that will entwine her soul to Imhotep's, while also granting her the powers of the Hom-Dai. Am I understood, Medjai?"

"Perfectly, your majesty." The leader answered before he and the others did as ordered.

And so it was, Nefertiri honored her best friend's dying wish, giving her a proper funeral in Hamunaptra, burying her close to Imhotep and using both The Golden Book of Amon-Ra and The Book of the Dead to entwine her soul to that of Imhotep's, so that her spirit would be forever linked to his and that she would have the same powers as the Creature should he ever arise into the world.

3,000 years later in Hamunaptra, in the year 1923

For 3,000 years, men and armies fought over this land, never knowing what evil lay beneath it and for 3,000 years, we, the Medjai, the descendants of Pharaoh's sacred bodyguards, kept watch. Just as they had many years ago at the orders of Queen Nefertiri.

As the Medjai, led by their leader, Ardeth Bay, were keeping watch over the City of the Dead, an entire garrison, made of 80 soldiers of the French Foreign Legion were preparing for an incoming attack from an entire army of 200 Tuareg horsemen. But the colonel, Guizot, seeing that the battle was already lost, dropped his sword and fled, deserting his men.

And as he was riding away, another officer named Rick O'Connell, and a foot soldier named Beni, watched before looking at each other. "You just got promoted." Beni said.

Rick and Beni raised their outdated rifles and the newly promoted Colonel gave orders to the rest of his men. "Prenez vos positions! Steady!" He said before talking briefly to Beni. "You're with me on this 1, right?"

"Oh, your strength gives me strength." Beni answered. But as the Tuaregs were getting closer, Beni threw his rifle down and ran like a coward, afraid for his own safety. "Wait for me!"

Rick shook his head with annoyance before turning his attention back to the battlefield. "Steady!" He said before ordering his men when the Tuaregs were close enough. "Fire!"

The Foreign Legion soldiers began firing upon the Tuaregs, killing several before reloading their guns and firing again, killing more of the army, especially Rick before the Tuaregs began firing back, killing a majority of the foot soldiers with their more advanced guns before their horses easily rode through the foot soldiers' field and began killing them all with their guns and swords.

But Rick was fighting well, using his rifle to kill 2 Tuaregs before hitting 1 that he'd knocked off his horse and getting out his revolvers, shooting and killing a few Tuaregs before running out of bullets, which made him quickly get out his more advanced pistols as he made a run for it, seeing Beni as some of his other men were being swatted like flies.

"Run, Beni, run! Get inside! Get inside!" He told his 'friend' but Beni, only concerned for himself, began closing the stone door when he got inside with a grin. "Hey! Don't you close that door! Don't you close that door!" But was too late to get there in time before some of the Tuaregs fired upon him next, making him run and jump across a ruined pillar but losing his guns in the process. When he tried to reach for it, he barely dodged bullets before he ran from a group of Tuaregs before he was cornered and turned around to see the small group point their guns at him, making him close his eyes and wait to get shot.

But surprisingly, the small group saw what he was standing in front of and rode their horses away in fear.

And as Rick opened his eyes and saw that they were gone, he turned to see the statue of the god Anubis, long covered halfway below the sandy ground as he began to hear strange voices, making him a bit afraid before the sand below him began forming into the face of the Creature that had long been buried below the statue of the great god.

As Rick was running, he wandered around and came upon the statue of Isis before hearing a sort of female voice that strangely sounded more gentle, peaceful even, telling him to leave Hamunaptra and never return. But when he wasn't moving, the exact same thing that happened near the statue of Anubis happened, only the sand was taking the shape of a hand that gently grabbed Rick, took him out of the City before gently putting him down and the sand lost its form before going down, as if nothing had happened.

As all the Tuaregs were riding away from the city in fear, Ardeth Bay told his fellow Medjai leaders. "The Creature remains undiscovered."

The more elderly Medjai, who saw Rick fleeing from the city as well while briefly looking at the far away Medjai on the cliff, asked his fellow Medjai leader. "And what of this 1? Should we kill him?"

"No. The desert will kill him." Ardeth answered with confidence that the desert would do the work for them.

3 years later in Cairo, Egypt

In a library in the Museum of Antiquities, the young librarian Evelyn Carnahan, was putting books in their proper places while standing on a ladder. "Sacred Stones. Sculpture and Aesthetics. Socrates, Seth, volume 1, volume 2…and volume 3." She said before seeing a book that didn't belong in the S shelf. "Tuthmosis? What are you doing here?" She asked before seeing the T and U shelf. She then put the other books in her hand on top of the books on the shelf before leaning towards the T and U shelf with the Tuthmosis book. "I'm going to put you where you belong." She said. But as she leaned, her ladder moved to where it was standing, making her scream a bit before she became scared as she struggled not to fall. But in her clumsy movements, she leaned back into the S shelf so hard it fell on the others like dominoes in a circle until they were all on the floor, with books scattered almost everywhere, making Evelyn take off her glasses.

But that was when a voice spoke from behind her and she turned to see the curator of the museum: Dr. Terence Bey. "What- How c- How-" He simmered before he saw Evelyn. "Oh, look at this!" And walked up to her, very mad. "Sons of the pharaohs! Give me frogs! Flies! Lucusts! Anything but you! Compared to you, the other plagues were a joy!"

"I am so very sorry. It was an accident." She said apologetically.

"My girl, when Rameses destroyed Syria, that was an accident." He said before looking around at the mess. "You...are a catastrophe! Look at my library! Why do I put up with you?"

Evelyn sammered as she answered. "W-well, you put up with me because I can-I can read and write ancient Egyptian, and I can-I can decipher hieroglyphics and hieratic, and w-well, I am the only person within 1,000 miles who knows how to properly code and catalog this library, that's why."

But Terence countered. "I put up with you because your father and mother were our finest patrons. That's why!" Before he said with a bit of sadness, as he was not a man without compassion. "Allah rest their souls." Before he told her. "Now, I don't care how you do it, I don't care how long it takes, straighten up this meshiver!" Before walking away.

Evelyn then heard a loud clunk in the Mummy display room and went inside to check it out. "Hello?" She called out before going further in while grabbing a torch. "Abdul? Mohammed? Bob?" She called out before putting the torch down near 1 of the open mummy cases and leaned in... before it sprung up, making her scream and gasp before she heard laughter and saw her brother, Jonathan in the coffin. "Have you no respect for the dead?"

Jonathan kept laughing as he answered. "Of course I do. But sometimes I'd rather like to join them." He said as a joke as he put the mummy's arm on the coffin like they were best friends.

"Well, I wish you'd do it sooner rather than later before you ruin my career the way you've ruined yours. Now get out!" Evelyn told her brother while putting the mummy back in place.

"My dear, sweet baby sister, I'll have you... know… that at this precise moment, my career's on a high note." Jonathan said as he got out of the coffin.

"High note." Ha! Jonathan, please, I'm really not in the mood for you. I've just made a bit of a mess in the library, and the Bembridge scholars have rejected my application form again. They say, I don't have enough experience in the field." Evelyn said with disappointment as she sat down on a statue.

Jonathan walked up to his sister and knelt down while taking her hands. "You'll always have me, old mum." He said in comfort, which made her laugh as she knew that was true. "Besides, I have just the thing to cheer you up!" He said before going to the coffin and getting something out.

"Oh, no, Jonathan, not another worthless trinket. If I have to take 1 more piece of junk to the curator to try and…" She started before seeing her brother show her a strange object, making her surprised. "...sell for you." She finished as she took the object. "Where did you get this?" She asked her brother.

"On a dig down in, uh, Thebes." Jonathan answered. "My whole life I've never found anything. Evy. Please tell me I've found something."

Evelyn studied the object before twisting it, making it open to reveal a piece of paper inside it. "Jonathan."

"Yes?"

I think you've found something." She said before looking at the paper and revealing it to be a map, making her gasp at what was on it before she took it to her boss, who took a look at it. "You see the cartouche there. It's the official royal seal of Seti the 1st, I'm sure of it."

"Perhaps." Terence said.

"2 questions: who the hell was Seti the 1st? And was he rich?" Jonathan asked, as he had always been a treasure seeker.

"He was the 2nd pharaoh of the 19th dynasty, said to be the wealthiest pharaoh of them all." Evelyn answered with a grin.

"Good. I like this fellow. I like him very much." Jonathan said with a chuckle.

Evelyn then spoke to her boss again while pointing to a specific place on the map. "I've already dated the map. It's almost 3,000 years old. And if you look at the hieratic just here, well, it's Hamunaptra."

But Terence dismissed that claim. "Dear God, don't be ridiculous. We're scholars, not treasure hunters. Hamunaptra's a myth told by Arab storytellers to amuse Greek and Roman tourists."

"Yes, well I know all the silly blather about the city being protected by the curse of 2 mummies nonsense, but my research has led me to believe that the city itself may have actually existed."

"Are we talking about the Hamunaptra?" Jonathan asked.

"Yes. The City of the Dead. Where the earliest pharaohs were said to have hidden the wealth of Egypt." Evelyn answered with a smile.

"Yes, yes, in a big, underground treasure chamber." Jonathan said, only for Terence to scoff. "Oh, come on. Everybody knows the story. The entire necropol was rigged to sink into the sand at Pharaoh's command. The whole place would then disappear beneath the sand dunes, taking the treasure with it."

Terence held the map too close to the fire light so he could see while he talked. "As the Americans would say, it's all fairy tales and hokum-" He said before the map caught on fire, making him throw it to the floor. "Oh my goodness! Look at that!"

Evy and Johnathan quickly rushed to put the fire out and save the map but while they were mostly successful, the part of it that had the lost city on it was destroyed. "You've burnt it! You've burned off the part with the lost city."

But Terence said calmly. "It's for the best, I'm sure. Many men have wasted their lives in the foolish pursuit of Hamunaptra. No one's ever found it. Most...have never returned."

Later on at the local prison

"Come, come! Step over the threshold." The prison Warden, Gad Hassan, greeted Evelyn and Jonathan. "Welcome to Cairo prison, my humble home."

"You told me that you got it on a dig down in Thebes." Evelyn said to her brother, who was a little mad at him for lying to her.

"Well, I was mistaken." Jonathan said as an excuse.

"You lied to me."

"I lie to everybody. What makes you so special?"

"I am your sister."

"Well, that just makes you more gullible."

"Jonathan, you stole it from a drunk at the local casbah."

"Picked his pocket, actually." Jonathan corrected before gesturing to leave. "So I don't think it's a good idea-"

But Evy turned them back around. "Stop being so ridiculous." She said before addressing the warden. "What exactly is this man in prison for?"

"For this, I do not know." Hassan answered. "But when I heard you were coming, I asked him that myself." Before speaking his native language to his guards.

"And what did he say?" Evy asked.

"He said he was just looking for a good time." Hassan answered before the man, revealed to be Rick, with grown and drunken looking hair and in dirty clothing, was brought out by the guards.

"This is the man you stole it from?" Evelyn asked with a bit of surprise.

"Yes, exactly. So why don't we just go sniff out a spot of tiffin-"

But that was when Rick asked him. "Who are you? And who's the broad?"

"I-Im just a local sort of missionary chap, spreading the good word and all that. But this is my sister, Evy." Jonathan answered with a lie.

"How do you do?" Evy asked.

"Oh, well, guess she's not a total loss." Rick said with a bit of humor.

"I beg your pardon?" Evy asked, thinking that was an insult.

Hassan then yelled out in Arabic before telling Jonathan and Evy. "I'll be back in a moment."

"Ask him about the box." Jonathan whispered to Evy.

Evy then addressed Rick. "Excuse me. We both found your puzzle box, and we've come to ask you about it."

"No."

"No?"

"No. You came to ask me about Hamunaptra." Rick said knowingly.

While Jonathan gestured to him to keep quiet, Evy asked him. "How do you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?"

"Because that's where I was when I found it. I was there."

Jonathan walked closer to him and asked. "How do we know that's not a load of pig's wallow?"

Rick looked at Jonathan as he recognized him. "Do I know you?"

Jonathan chuckled. "No, no, I've just got 1 of those faces." Only to get punched to the face by Rick, as he remembered the British treasure seeker stole his puzzle box, only for Rick to get hit in the back by 1 of the guards' sticks.

Evy wasn't concerned, as it happened to her brother all the time. "You were actually at Hamunaptra?"

"Yeah, I was there."

"You swear?"

"Every damn day."

"I didn't mean that-" Evy tried to say but Rick cut her off.

"I know what you meant. I was there. Seti's place. "City of the Dead."

"Could you tell me how to get there?" Evy asked before she heard the warden shout, making her take off her straw hat and put it over her left cheek before she asked. "I mean, the exact location?"

"You wanna know?"

"Yes." She answered as she leaned in.

"Do you really wanna know?"

"Yes."

Rick gestured for her to move closer and to her surprise, he grabbed her chin and briefly kissed her before telling her. "Then get me the hell outta here!" Before the guards tried to restrain him but he fought back. "Do it, lady!" He said before the guards took him away.

"Where are they taking him?" Evy asked the warden, who came back.

"To be hanged. Apparently, he had a very good time." He answered.

Later at the hanging area

As Rick was walked up to the noose for his execution, Evy told the warden. "I will give you 100 pounds to save this man's life."

"Madam, I would pay 100 pounds just to see him hang." The warden countered.

"200 pounds!"

"Proceed!"

"300 pounds!"

As the hangmen tied up the noose around Rick's neck, he asked. "Any last requests, pig?"

"Yeah. Loosen the knot and let me go." Rick answered

The hangmen asked his boss in Arabic, only for the warden to shout. "Yahemar! Of course we don't let him go!" He said before he shouted in Arabic, making the hangman whack Rick upside the head.

Evy tried again. "500 pounds!"

The warden told Yahemar to wait in Arabic before he looked at Evy. "And what else?" He asked her before he put his hand on her leg. "I'm a very lonely man." Only for Evy to hit his hand with her book to get it off her, which made all the other prisoners laugh. He then shouted in Arabic to hang Rick.

"No!" Evy shouted before the hangmen pulled the lever to make the trap door go down, which made Rick fall.

But surprisingly, his neck didn't break when the rope snapped and he was only strangling on it, much to the warden's amusement. "Ha, ha! His neck did not break." And as the other prisoners were trying to get past the guards while chanting to cut him down, the warden told Evy. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Now we must watch him strangle to death."

Evy then used her trump card. "He knows the location of Hamunaptra."

The warden looked at her in surprise before brushing it off. "You lie."

"I would never!" Evy said with offensiveness.

"Are you telling me this filthy, godless son of a pig knows where to find the City of the Dead?"

"Yes!"

"Truly?"

"Yes! And if you cut him down, we will give you...10 percent." Evy answered while offering him a share.

But the warden, who was a greedy man, wanted more than that. "50 percent."

"20."

"40."

"30."

"25."

"Ah! Deal."

When the warden tried to up the price, he knew he'd been out negotiated. So he groaned in annoyance and ordered the hangmen. "Cut him down!" Making him do just that as he cut Rick down before he and Evy looked at each other.

There you go, my dear friends, and to all fans of the 1999 timeless classic Mummy movie, the very 1st chapter is complete. I hope you all enjoy this story because a dear friend of mine and I have big plans for it. Be sure to thank my dear friend SreznoJIG for helping me come up with some ideas for this chapter and the chapters that follow afterwards. As you can see, Zahra will have a major part to play when she comes back to life, but I won't spoil any surprises. Trust me, you'll love them. Rate and review and I'll see you all next time, my dear friends.