Ardeth sat back on the train managing to fall asleep, his worries stopping for a moment. Heather had awakened his own demons, the feelings he had always put behind him. He could feel himself being dragged back to his past life. A journey which he had often been told to never go back to, was suddenly inescapable for him. Over and over, his mind raced with the memory of Ancksunamun's life come to a sudden end. Repeatedly, she had died for the love she had for Imhotep. He had seen with his own eyes her first death, and that death was so brutal for her. She had collapsed on the floor from the loss of blood, and the pain. Her death was not fast, yet she gave out no cry. Her death had been an honorable one according to the standards of ancient times.
Suddenly, Ardeth was brought back to the present and out of his thoughts. The train had finally reached their destination, and that meant Ardeth was about to be tested again. Soon it would be all over. Ardeth could only hope that the cycle would be broken. Heather had to be the one to finally break it; no one else was capable of doing so. Her fate determined the fate of everyone else involved. At times Ardeth couldn't believe that so much was determined by one person, and he perhaps never would. There was so much running through Ardeth's mind, and the doubts simply wouldn't stop. What if Heather became trapped in the cycle once again, and Ardeth couldn't save her? What if Ardeth would have to stop her along with Imhotep, that could truly kill his very spirit.
Ardeth wished however, for Imhotep sent to the Underworld from which he had come. The gods could never favor him as much as they seemed to. He played with fire, and that would never work out well in the end. Ardeth knew it was only a matter of when and where the gods decided to end Imhotep's disrespect. He could only hope that once Imhotep was dealt with this time, that he'd stay dead and buried. The ancients hadn't been very smart with a curse like the one they set. Ardeth wondered why anyone would resort to opening cursed chests. He knew that times were different, but still. People had stopped using curses a long time ago, but the magic Ancient Egypt is still alive now as it was then.
Heather could feel her heart beating slower, though her body raced with fear. Her fate was drawing closer, and she knew there was no escaping it now. No help was going to come for her quick enough, and she would have to do this alone. She knew that once her memories were returned to her she would be alone to face them. No one could help her battler her past memories, or even what she had done in a past life. Her outcome would be her own, and that weighed heavily on her mind. She'd have to balance her past life with whom she was now, even when that meant living with the pain of it. Heather took a deep breath trying to relax fully trying to embrace her fate, while hoping for the best.
With no other choice she gave into Imhotep's chanting, her body suddenly felt as if she had been hit full force. Her chest tightened, and the act of breathing became harder the more she tried. Her mind raced with dozens of pictures, all of which related to her past. It was as if she was watching a movie of who she once was. There were so many things that she didn't understand, and her feelings weren't her own. Her emotions ranged from sad to happy, as she began to understand who she once was. There was so much she had missed in her memories, and they made her life very clear to her. Imhotep had been right about her memories fully coming back to her, and now came the moment of truth for her.
A slight groan escaped her as the memories consumed her, finally creating an inner battle inside her. Her thoughts fought the ones she had already, and Heather soon knew what she was required to do. She knew how to survive, and at last surrendered her thoughts to those of Ancksunamun. She gasped catching her breath, before she looked over at Imhotep. He was watching her reaction to the spell intently. He knew out of all people that it could go wrong, and the Heather had to accept her fate, or she was destroyed. Her eyes met Imhotep's filled with love, and the knowledge of her past life. "Imhotep, I feel, I feel so alive." Imhotep's smile penetrated her soul, and Heather could feel now the struggle between her soul and her past still going on inside her.
Ardeth raced down the steps into the tomb, the place where lovers seemed to come to die. He knew deep down that he was too late to stop Heather's transformation, but he needed to see her. If she still made it out of her transition, she'd want to see him again. Ardeth had no way of knowing what awaited for him in the tomb, and this worried him slightly. He did however, only hope to find the best going down into the temple's main rooms. The pathways were dark, and the stone gave the place an uninviting feel to it. His past life memories were constantly in his memory now, and they haunted him. His past mistakes seemed to enable him to remember what not to do. Soon he made his way into the room in which Heather and Imhotep were located.
His advance stopped as he entered the main chamber, the others waited alone outside the tomb. This was his destiny and no others could help him. He simply couldn't take the risk of losing more than one person he cared about. There was a sense of destiny within him, which told him he had made the right decision. He said a silent prayer to the gods before looking inside the main chamber more clearly. For him it was a moment of truth in his destiny, and he welcomed it willing with a full heart. He could see that Imhotep stood tall; his arms rose chanting over Heather. Next to her on the altar laid the mummy of Ancksunamun. Anger flooded him that Heather should have to live through the torment of seeing her old body.
Heather heard Imhotep stop chanting, and her heart raced. The last time the chanting had stopped, her soul had been raised from the Underworld. She had seen only blackness with patches of light, and her soul was then sent back to the Underworld. Heather could only wish for it to have stopped for the one reason she thought about. Her heart nearly jumped when she heard her name called."Heather!" Her heart beat faster knowing whose voice she heard now, and she opened her eyes. Her sight only confirmed what she saw, and she was filled with happiness. She knew it would hurt him, but she showed no happiness in her voice. "Ardeth!" Her voice was simple, though she knew it had to be.
Heather sat up on the altar careful to make her moves seem subdued. There was a silence as both Imhotep and Ardeth stared at her. Neither of them was sure of how she'd react to Ardeth's presence now. She began to pray to all the gods for the strength to carry on with her plan. She found the strength she needed, and she spoke softly. "Ardeth, for years you have protected me. Your services will no longer be required once this ritual is completely over." Heather's voice became more commanding the more she spoke. It needed to be, and her plan was working after all the thought she had put into it. She looked at Imhotep saying what she knew he'd approve of, what he had wanted to hear all along. Heather looked directly at Ardeth her eyes cold, and totally empty. "In fact you won't be needed at all."
Ardeth took a step back wondering if he had walked into a trap. Heather had never seemed so empty or cold towards him before. The eyes were the window to the soul, and her eyes seemed filled with hate for him. He couldn't help but wonder now if he had made the wrong choice after all this time with her. Had she played him all this time? He knew she was smart, but deception never seemed like her, though Imhotep could corrupt anyone. Ardeth searched himself for some sign to tell him he had not been betrayed. He couldn't find one, and even the love he thought she felt towards him was slowly fading in his mind. Still, he didn't want to leave her now, to him there was still hope left. In the end he knew he must give himself up to whatever happened. He took a breath looking up at Imhotep. "Let it begin then."
Imhotep smiled, before wrapping his arm around Heather's waist. Her body seemed even warmer than before to him. She seemed to always welcome his touch, where before she was shy to it. Imhotep looked into Heather's eyes before even looking at Ardeth to answer. "As you wish then we'll continue. The gods never fail do they old friend?" Heather walked past the altar back into the very depths of the ancient tomb. Her knees hit the ground slowly; as she began to give up her body to the spirit she had been fighting. Imhotep watched as Ancksunamun lit the jars filled with incense, a simple sacrifice for the gods to protect and guide her spirit now. "The ritual has begun."
Ardeth gritted his teeth remembering he must stay calm and ready to do what was needed. He watched as Heather began to chant, calling on the ancient gods to help her spirit. The truth struck him like a blow knowing only an ancient one could call the gods. She had taken on her old past life spirit, and that was the only way she could have the knowledge she had now. The knowledge could never be taken back, and so she was forever changed. The cycle seemed doomed to repeat itself, as Ardeth was forced to simply watch it happening again. Ardeth began to go over the familiar words, he had heard the words many times before, and he practically knew the right words to return Anucksunamun's spirit to her body at last. It was then that he realized the words didn't match. The chant was not to awaken, but if it was not to awaken what was it?
Heather closed her eyes, the warmth surrounding her body. The warmth was her way of knowing that the spell was working for her. She called on Anubis pleading with him to cast Imhotep back where he came from. Imhotep was Anubis' High Priest, and only Anubis would grant such a request to her then. The gods protected their own servants, whether for good or for bad. Heather knew that Imhotep couldn't be on good standing with Anubis now. Deep down she felt her wish become granted, he would be accepted in the Afterlife by Anubis if he reached his mortal death. Having the memory of the ritual from her past life, Heather grabbed the ceremonial knife. The very knife that had ended her life so long ago, the knife that had drawn her to Imhotep now plunged into him fully as it had her.
Imhotep grasped onto the ceremonial knife, he was unable to believe he was mortal again. He quickly fell weak to his knees, especially unable to believe that his love had killed him this time. His voice was soft, pained with the loss he had in his last moments of life now. "Anucksunamun...my love." Heather felt tears fill her eyes as Imhotep's voice trailed off. The heat of the chant left her body, and she knew Anubis had accepted his High Priest in the Afterlife. Heather hoped that she had finally let his spirit be at peace. However, her spirit and her memories stilled stayed intertwined as her eyes met Ardeth's. She looked at him and sighed softly before speaking. "At last it is finished." Ardeth took a slow step toward Heather unsure if he could trust this new part of her. He wanted so badly to undo what Imhotep had done.
Heather looked into Ardeth's eyes showing only love and compassion. "Don't be afraid Ardeth, or have you forgotten your vow so soon?" A smile formed on Ardeth's face, as he embraced Heather he noticed her eyes were normal again. "I thought I had lost you again. What made you think of all this?" Ardeth looked around the incense still filling the ancient tomb unable to believe what had happened. Heather smiled her voice soft, yet still pained. "My past, my memories, they made me realize the one thing that never changed." Ardeth looked down at her confused. "What never changes?" Heather smiled slightly and blushed before kissing Ardeth's hand. "The faithful guardian at my side, the one who refused to ever give up to the cycle."
Ardeth felt himself blush, a thing that was practically unknown to him. He looked into Heather's eyes so unsure of the love they felt together now. His question was a short one, but he had to ask it. "But...but the ritual…only Ancksunamun could call on the gods like that." Heather looked down as if thinking; she was deeply lost to some other world for a moment. Her answer came to her from within, and she knew it was the right one. "I am Anucksunamun, and I am Heather. To break the cycle required embracing both parts of my inner and past self. The past had the answers, my soul had the determination, and you had the loyalty." Heather took Ardeth's hand in her own. They began walking the steps out of the ancient tomb the bright Egyptian sun shedding light on a brand new beginning.