The callous sun grimaced down upon my neck as my new found guide and horse walked slowly in the desert sand.

'What the hell am I doing?' I caught myself thinking as the intensity of the sun created vivid mirages.

Keep focused. Just keep focused and you'll make it. This mare has to drink too... she will have to bring me to water soon.

And speak of the devil, she did...

A ray of hope shone on the sandy horizon… People… and where there are people, there has to be water…

I ushered the mare to trot a bit as we came nearer and nearer the utopia…

"Excuse me sir!" I called as I slowed my mare, "What city is this?"

"Cairo! My good son." he replied in a cheerful manner.

"Do you know where the pyramids are?" I inquired while paying for a bit of water and food.

"Ah yes the Pyramids of Giza. They are west from here my good son." he chuckled as he went back to tending his little shop.

"Thank You!" I called as I rode off into the busy streets.

Navigating those crowded streets was worse than riding through the desert. I preferred the blistering heat and the quiet than this.

About an hour later, my journey was over. I had arrived at the pyramids and soon I saw her.

Sam and Nicole- an intervention Nicole

"John! Get away from that… I don't want anyone near it." I scolded at John, a man roughly my age though had the least common sense of any creature on the planet.

"Aww come now Nicci! Looking at it won't hurt." he pleaded.

"Yes, but breathing on it could. And knowing you, it's dangerous for you to even look in its general direction. Do you remember when you almost destroyed the tomb we were excavating near the first pyramid?" I began as I walked him out of the tomb.

"Yes but."

"And the time you spilt water all over that mummy?"

"Well yes but."

"And the time you incorrectly marked those artifacts and they got misplaced with your toiletries?!"

"Yes. Yes. I know. I know. I'm a complete disgrace and all that." he replied.

"Well if you know this, then why do you insist upon bothering me so?" I inquired angrily.

"Because you are the only one who hasn't tried to kill me." he said in a weak manner.

"Well if you keep this up, you might end up dead." I replied walking out into the sand.

"Oh Nicci, you would never do anything like that!" he laughed as he jogged up beside me.

"How do you know? There are a great deal of things about me that you don't ever want to know and will never grasp." I bark coming face to face with him.

In the midst of my heated anger, I heard a voice off in the distance. It was a faint sweet tone, one that cooled my anger and melted my heart.

I spun around to see… him.

"Sam?!" I cried as turned away from John.

As the voice grew louder, I knew it was him.

I raced to him, leaving John alone outside the tomb. Sam dismounted from his mare in time to catch me in his arms.

I hugged him tightly as my heart raced wildly in heated ardor.

"Oh my God. I can't believe it's you." I whispered as I held him tightly tears streaming down my flushed cheeks.

"I can't believe it either Nicole…Or should I call you Phantess?" he spoke in a soft tone as he released me.

"I haven't been called that in years." I replied as goosebumps made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

"So you are still Nicole then?" he smiled brushing my cheek with his first finger.

I looked up at him now; Our eyes met and I became lost within the blue depth of his eyes, the blondeness of his hair, and the sweet smile which awakened feeling long buried in the tomb of my heart. He had become so handsome.

He and I walked back to camp, hand in hand as I told him of how I came here and what I was achieving. His company was far more pleasurable than any discovery I could ever make… I instantaneously forgot about the world that surrounded me and fell back into the quicksand of our past.

We came to my home which was a mile from the pyramids and a mile from the city. He tied of his strangely familiar mare next to Cavalier and immediately the two began to whinny with excitement.

"They seem to know each other." he laughed as I stared awestruck at the mare.

"Can it be? Is it you?" I inquired as I walked slowly towards her.

She turned to me and whinnied happily as I stroked her muzzle.

"She seems to know you as well." Sam spoke his voice deepening in a confused tone.

"It's her… From the attack… Christian…" I breathed bowing my head as memories swarmed up from the shattered remains of my heart.

The lock was gone, the feelings free, and the emotions all to painful to cope with at once. I could feel Sam wanting to speak but lacking the words to comfort me. Then I heard a soft yap coming from the sack on the horses saddle. I walked towards it inquisitively. As I opened to sack a great ball of red fur came hurtling out of it and landing in my arms.

"YUNA!!" I cried as she began to lick my face excitedly, "You've taken care of her… All this time?"

"I promised I would." Sam replied happily as we entered my home.

It was relatively small. It had one bedroom and a kitchen. The food I had bought from town was on the table. I had furnished the clay house with items from England. I even had a stone floor to cover the originally dirt floor.

"This is my home." I sighed as I shut the door behind me.

"It's perfect." Sam smiled.

Yuna jumped from my arms and landed beside me, just like before, she could sense what words could not say. Instead of her usual nudging at my legs, she full out tripped me and I ended up falling into to Sam's arms.

I look slyly at Yuna who yapped at me before running out of sight.

"Did you teach her to do that?" I asked slyly my eyes meeting his.

He smiled bringing his lips to my own. His kiss was like dynamite and it made my whole body quiver with delight. After our lips parted, I knew he saw the fire in my eyes.

With petals shed, the fire spread and all the pain was gone.

All my life, I had felt like a monster… That night, he made me feel like a queen.