A/N: This edited and revised chapter was uploaded on April 18, 2016

Chapter 10: Trying Lives

Hamunaptra

Ruth's nerves were reaching their limit. Imhotep had broken their deal and ordered his slaves to kill their friends. Ruth had no idea of they'd survived or not. She could only hope. Not only that, but she was currently swirling around inside a sandstorm Imhotep had created to get them back to Hamunaptra. Suddenly, Ruth felt herself flying through the air. She cried out. Then, she landed on the sand, Evie and Beni not far behind her. The sand twister disappeared and Imhotep was formed out of it. He began walking and Ruth looked to see where they were.

"Oh, my God," Evie breathed. "We're back." Indeed they were. Hamunaptra sat not even half a mile in front of them. Ruth ignored the pit settling in her stomach as she picked herself off the desert floor. Suddenly, Ruth's gaze darted towards the sky. She thought she had heard engines. Plane engines. Sure enough, there was a small plane flying through the sky.

"O'Connell," Evie breathed. Ruth smiled, realizing she was right. It was Rick. And Jonathan. And Winston Havelock from the looks of the plane. And Ardeth. Ruth's smile widened as she watched them fly through the sky. Ruth frowned in confusion as she heard a rumble. She turned in time to see Imhotep raising a wall of sand. He shot it towards the plane. Within seconds, Ruth heard gunfire. That was probably her brother going nuts with the machine gun. However, it was a wall of sand. Bullets wouldn't do anything to it. Imhotep roared and the wall of sand consumed the plane. Ruth's eyes widened in horror.

"Stop it! You'll kill them!" Evie cried. Ruth longed to say the same time, but she was frozen. And somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that Imhotep would not stop. He wanted their friends dead.

"That's the idea," Beni replied to Evie. She and Ruth exchanged worried and panicked looks. There had to be some way to get Imhotep to stop. Ruth shoved Beni out of the way as she and Evie approached Imhotep. The Creature's eyes were closed in concentration and his arms were waving with power. Ruth was drawing a blank on what to do. Evie wasn't. The brunette hesitantly reached forward and pulled Imhotep's lips to hers. Ruth's eyes widened. Imhotep's did as well. Evie kept her eyes open and watched as Imhotep lost concentration. The plane reappeared and the wall of sand collapsed. Evie broke the kiss and beamed. Ruth couldn't help a smile of her own, but again, it soon fell. She heard sputtering and saw smoke. Within seconds, the little plane crashed a little ways away from them, but too far for Evie or Ruth to go running to them. Ruth's heart fell all the way past her stomach to her feet. What if… No! She would not think like that! She had told Ardeth to have faith. Might as well take her own advice. Evie and Ruth were forced forward and in no time, they were inside Hamunaptra. Imhotep led them to a part of the city they had never seen before.

"Keep moving!" Beni snarled at them at one point.

"You know, nasty little fellows such as yourself always get their comeuppance," Evie told him. Beni laughed, but soon stopped.

"They do?"

"Oh, yes," Evie and Ruth answered at the same time. "Always." Evie narrowed her eyes at the weasel and Ruth threw him her signature glare. Then, they simultaneously turned and began walking again.

"Wait," Beni called. The two women stopped and looked back at him. Beni came forward and leaned down before Ruth. The woman cursed as he found the two remaining knives in her boots. Before they'd left Cairo, she'd been completely disarmed, from her three guns to her four knives to the fine dagger in her currently loose hair. He'd missed the daggers in her boots. She had hoped that he wouldn't remember them. No such luck. Now, both Evie and Ruth were completely weaponless with an immortal mummy trying to sacrifice them for his love and their daughter.

Imhotep continued to lead Evie and Ruth deeper into the city. When they finally walked down into a very large chamber, Imhotep began to prepare for the ritual. The only thing keeping Evie and Ruth from running was the gun Beni was currently pointing at them. However, a few seconds later, all four of them looked up at the sound of distant gunfire.

"O'Connell," Evie breathed.

"And Ardeth… and Jonathan." Ruth hastily added Evie's brother to keep her from suspecting her feelings for the Medjai Chieftain. However, Ruth knew her best friend probably already suspected something, just as Ruth suspected there were feelings between Evie and Rick. Ruth turned when she heard Imhotep say something. She didn't quite catch it. There was a moan and the wall they were facing began to crack. Pieces chipped and fell away as two mummified men broke their way out of the wall. Ruth's eyes widened as she realized these must've been some of Imhotep's priests who had been mummified alive.

"The Bembridge Scholars never wrote about this," Evie muttered as she, Beni, and Ruth backed away from the mummies. The two mummies approached Imhotep and bowed their heads at him. Imhotep returned the gesture before speaking.

"Kill them." Ruth's eyes widened at the order and the two mummies walked away. "And wake the others."

~)8(~

Ruth opened her eyes and found herself lying on the ground. She sat up and looked down at herself. Judging from her attire, this was not another dream where she was Kamilah. However, she didn't know where she was. She was completely surrounded by darkness. She could feel the ground beneath her, but couldn't see anything.

"Hello?" Ruth called out. There was no answer. "Is anyone there? Where am I? Hello?" Still no answer. Ruth gave a small huff of frustration and crossed her arms. However, a few seconds later, she saw a light. Okay, was she dead? The light expanded and grew brighter. There was a figure coming out of it. The figure grew closer until they were standing right in front of Ruth. The translator's eyes widened as she stared at a beautiful woman with flowing black hair, olive skin, and kohl-lined amber eyes. Ruth was staring at Kamilah.

"Ruth O'Connell," she said. Kamilah cocked her head a little and stared at Ruth, as if she were a little bug on her wall. "You are not exactly what I expected." Ruth merely stared at her, not knowing how to take that.

"Where am I?" Ruth asked.

"You are everywhere and nowhere. It is complicated," Kamilah said.

"Yes, well, try your best to explain it to me," Ruth said. Her voice was even and void of most emotion. She was really not in the mood for this Kamilah-crap, whatever it was. She was about to be sacrificed to bring back Amunet. Her best friend was about to be sacrificed for a concubine. Her brother, her friend, and the man she was falling for were being hunted down by Imhotep's undead priests. It was safe to say Ruth was really not in the mood.

"It is like a dream world," Kamilah explained. Ruth nodded in understanding.

"And why am I here?" she asked.

"We must talk."

"Yes, I have some questions." Kamilah looked amused, but not surprised.

"You may ask three," she said. Ruth raised an eyebrow at her.

"Three?"

"Three. That is all we have time for. You will wake soon," Kamilah told her. "Choose wisely."

"Yeah, no pressure there," Ruth muttered sarcastically. Kamilah laughed lightly.

"I admit, I do not envy you. In fact, I feel a little sorry for you." Ruth raised her eyebrows.

"Why?"

"You were not meant to find out this way," Kamilah said. "You were not meant to remember… at least, not yet. And certainly not at a time like this." Ruth was extremely confused by what Kamilah said. Ruth had no idea what was going on, but Kamilah was assuming she did. It was irritating

"And what exactly was I supposed to remember?" Ruth asked.

"My life," Kamilah said simply. Ruth furrowed her eyebrows a bit at the vague, yet blunt answer.

"And why am I supposed to remember your life?" Ruth asked. "Why is this happening to me? What is going on?" Kamilah looked uncomfortable.

"That I cannot tell you. You must discover the answer to those questions for yourself. Now come." Ruth didn't argue and got up to follow her. The light hovered above the two women as they walked. Ruth didn't know where they were going, but soon, the darkness disappeared and a scene unfolded in front of them.

"What is this?" Ruth asked.

"The night my father died," Kamilah said. Ruth's eyes widened and she looked at the Egyptian woman.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"It was the worst night of my life," she replied. "And I want you to understand me, Ruth." Kamilah didn't elaborate any further and the two women turned to watch the event. There was a battle occurring all around them. It was the Medjai… but Ruth wasn't sure who they were fighting. It looked like a group of bandits. In front of the women was Kamilah's father, Talon. Ruth watched in amazement as he fought. She had never seen someone fight with such skill or finesse. He was downing every enemy whose blade met his own. Talon was such an amazing warrior, it was hard to believe he was snuck up on and stabbed in the back, but he was. Ruth watched in sadness as he fell. The rest of the battle seemed to fade out after that and soon, it was over. Ruth caught a look at Kamilah. There were tears in her eyes. Ruth reached out and gently grabbed her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. Ruth may not have known why Kamilah was suddenly all up in her mind, but no one deserved to watch as their parent died.

Kamilah gave Ruth a small, sad smile and squeezed her hand back. She knew what was coming, and it was the worst part. Kamilah gestured her head towards the scene before her, telling Ruth to continue watching. The two women turned back in time to see a small, screaming and crying, much younger Kamilah running towards her fallen father.

"Kamilah," Talon wheezed.

"Papa," Kamilah choked out.

"It is your responsibility now," he whispered. Young Kamilah's eyes widened.

"But the successor-"

"Has not been chosen," Talon cut her off. "But I have now. It is you, my daughter. You will lead the Medjai when you come of age." Young Kamilah had tears pouring down her face, but none of the other warriors stepped up to comfort her.

"What if I fail?" she whispered. Talon reached up and stroked her face.

"Without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible." Ruth gasped aloud at the familiar words.

"I love you, Papa," Young Kamilah cried softly.

"I love you, Kamilah. Promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Never get married." Young Kamilah looked confused at her father's request, but nodded.

"Never shall I marry if it be your wish, Papa," she whispered.

"My little warrior. My desert butterfly. My little Kamilah." Those were his last words. Young Kamilah tried in vain to keep from crying, but tears poured down her cheeks and she sobbed loudly. None of the men came to comfort her, but a teenage boy did. He looked several years older than Kamilah, maybe 18. He pulled her away from her father's body and hugged her tightly. Kamilah practically clung to him.

"Who is that?" Ruth whispered.

"Asim," Kamilah answered in a soft voice with a soft tone. Ruth looked at her and could see the love shining in her eyes.

"You really loved him, didn't you?" Ruth asked knowingly. Kamilah smiled.

"Just as you love Ardeth Bay." Ruth's eyes widened.

"I am not in love with Ardeth," she quickly denied. Kamilah looked amused.

"But you do have feelings for him." Ruth couldn't deny that and looked back at the scene around her.

"We must go to Pharaoh," one warrior said coming towards the children. Two other Medjai came forward and picked up their Chieftain's body. They took him and quietly laid him in a cart to be taken to the palace.

"But the Princess' birthday…" one Medjai tried.

"This is a matter of utmost importance," the first warrior insisted. "Her highness will understand." No one else spoke up and it was decided. The Medjai took their things and marched towards the city in silence. No words were spoken, not even between Kamilah and Asim. The group faded into the distance and the world around Ruth and Kamilah changed. They were now standing inside what looked like a bedroom. Ruth's eyes widened as she recognized it.

"This was the most trying time in your life, Ruth," Kamilah said. Ruth spun around, trying to make sure what she was seeing was real. She was inside her bedroom at the orphanage. She was 8 years old, Rick was 16, nearly 17 when this happened. Ruth had fallen fatally ill.

"You're going to be okay, Ruthie," O'Connell assured Ruth's eight-year-old self.

"You really think so, Ricky?" Young Ruth asked. Ruth's eyes welled with tears. She hadn't called her brother that in years.

"Positive," Rick assured her. He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. A few seconds later, the orphanage owner, Gertrude, and a doctor came into the room. Rick stood up and went to talk to the doctor while Gertrude took his place by Young Ruth. Ruth looked at her younger self. She was pale, with sunken eyes and protruding bones. She had been so sick. She had been so healthy previously, with weight and muscle on her. After that, Ruth had remained fairly small, despite being in good physical shape. Ruth's body had just never truly recovered. After she'd gotten sick, she'd always been this small.

"How is she?" Rick asked the doctor. The older man stared at him sadly.

"There is no real easy way to say this, so I'll just say it. There is a very slim chance your sister will survive this." Rick's eyes filled with frustrated, angry, and heartbroken tears.

"How long?" he asked quietly.

"She has a week. Maybe two." The doctor did not sugarcoat it at all and Rick almost broke down right then and there. Ruth could see the sadness, grief, and despair in his eyes. But anger was present also. First, their father had abandoned them. Then, their mother had gotten sick and died. Rick had been only ten, and Ruth only two. They had been living in the same orphanage for six years now. They only had each other. And now, Rick was going to lose his baby sister as well.

"How are you feeling, Ruth?" Gertrude asked Young Ruth.

"Tired," Young Ruth replied with a yawn.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty? Is there anything I can get you?" Gertrude asked.

"Can I have Peter?" Young Ruth requested. Ruth smiled a bit. She still had that toy. He was currently sitting in her closet in her flat. That toy had been her favorite as a kid. Ruth's smile widened as Gertrude handed Young Ruth a much less battered looking doll. She had named him Peter, after Peter Pan. That had been her favorite childhood story.

"Anything else?" Gertrude asked.

"No," Young Ruth said. Ruth saw Gertrude's worried look and knew why she wore it. At this point, Ruth had barely eaten anything in the last week.

"Why this day?" Kamilah suddenly asked. Ruth looked sad.

"The only reason I lived was a lucky pull-through. This was the day I realized I would most likely join my mother wherever she was. This was the day I realized I would most likely die." The two women watched sadly as Rick returned to his sister's bedside and began playing with her, making her giggle and smile, despite her illness.

Kamilah watched as a small smile overtook Ruth's face while she watched her brother and her younger self. Kamilah realized something.

"You weren't afraid to die," she whispered. Ruth looked at her before shaking her head. "You were afraid of leaving Rick all on his own." Ruth gave a sad smile and nodded. With that, the scene around them faded. The world around the two women turned dark once again. The light still hovered above them, though.

"That was… sad." It was honestly the only word Ruth could come up with, weak as it was. However, Kamilah smiled.

"Yes, it was. This is where we part ways, Ruth." The translator's eyes widened.

"But I still have so many questions," she protested.

"I know. But this will not be the last time we talk." Ruth felt reassured at that. She didn't know when it had happened, but somewhere along the way, Ruth decided to trust Kamilah. She had given her no reason not to, even though she wasn't saying anything about why she was in Ruth's head.

"Until the next time, Ruth O'Connell," Kamilah said. The Egyptian woman turned to leave when Ruth's eyes widened.

"Wait!" The woman turned back, her eyebrow raised in a way that reminded Ruth of herself. "Your father… he called you something right before he died."

"His little warrior?" Kamilah asked.

"No." Kamilah suddenly smirked.

"Ah. His desert butterfly." Ruth nodded, confused at why Kamilah found that amusing. It was a hell of a coincidence, really. Ruth had been called "desert butterfly" by that jewelry vendor back at the bazaar, many, many days ago. It was weird that the woman currently occupying her mind had been given the same pet name by her father.

"Goodbye, Ruth," Kamilah said, the little smirk still on her face. Ruth had no time to call to her again before the light above them faded. The world around Ruth became completely dark and silent and she felt her eyes closing, no matter how hard she tried to keep them open. Then, she was falling.

~)8(~

Ruth woke up to find herself lying on her back. She furrowed her eyebrows, not quite sure where she was. Then, she remembered. She was in Hamunaptra about to be sacrificed. Ruth looked around her and tried to sit up, but cursed when she found that her wrists and ankles were shackled to the surface she was lying on. Ruth saw Imhotep out of the corner of her eye. He was preparing for the ritual.

"I understand now," Ruth spoke to him in Ancient Egyptian. He looked at Ruth, an eyebrow raised. "I understand why you chose us."

"Do you?" he asked.

"Evie looks like Nefertiri, Seti's daughter." Imhotep actually looked surprised at her words. "I look like Kamilah, Chieftain of the Medjai."

"Nefertiri was a weak, spoiled child who never appreciated what she was given," Imhotep said. Ruth scowled a bit. "Kamilah never trusted me."

"That's not true. She didn't exactly trust you, but she didn't really know you. You didn't know each other all that well." Imhotep raised an eyebrow at Ruth.

"How do you know that?" Ruth didn't answer, but Imhotep didn't need to her to. "Ah, so I was correct. You are starting to remember."

"Remember what?" Ruth asked in confusion. Kamilah had said something similar to that. It was starting to confuse her. She wasn't remembering anything, merely seeing the events of Kamilah's life. Ruth was surprised when Imhotep let out a mocking laugh.

"You do not know," he said. He grinned a malicious smile that made Ruth's skin crawl. Imhotep stepped towards her and leaned down right in front of her face. "That means she does not know either. Or that pesky Medjai warrior. Or your irksome brother. That will make things much easier." Ruth looked up at Imhotep in confusion, not liking that he knew something about herself, Rick, Evie, and Ardeth that she didn't. What was he talking about? What didn't they know? Ruth stored those thoughts away for later. That wasn't the pressing issue at the moment.

"Don't you dare!" Ruth snarled as she realized Imhotep was planning something for her friends and brother. However, there was nothing Ruth could do and both she and Imhotep knew it. Imhotep chuckled mockingly at her before walking away.

"He will come," Ruth continued. "He will come and he will kill you. You are not making it out of this one alive. I promise you that." Ruth wasn't sure if she was talking about Rick or Ardeth… probably both. However, Imhotep merely laughed at Ruth's attempt to threaten him.

"I will very much enjoy killing you for my dear Amunet." That was all he said before he returned to his preparations. Something to her left caught Ruth's attention. She turned her head and nearly gasped. On the two platforms next to Ruth were and unconscious Evie and the corpse of Anck-su-namun. Then, Ruth looked to her right. She very nearly screamed. On the platform to her right was the mummified corpse of an infant. It was the body of Amunet.

Hey all! Here's Chapter 10 of my edited and revised version of this fanfic. I hope you all like it :) Unfortunately, this is the last update for the night :( But, there will be more over the course of the next few days. We're getting close to the end of this story. And then, we'll have the sequel within the next month and a half (I finish schooling at the end of May). I promise I'll get the sequel out to you guys as fast as I can. Thanks for all your continued support! I love you all! :)

Cheerio!