- > I dream of the gods standing over me
- > I see Osiris, he compliments my sending the many evil gods to his realm
- > I see Horus, who gives me a friendly nudge
- > "You can thank me for all the help"
- > I see Aunbis, who silently nods
- > I see Ma'at
- > "The balance will weight you favorably"
- I could not have done it without your aid
- > I see mother Isis, who embraces me
- > "Thank you for stopping those evil beings"
- Protecting mother, I did it out of love for my companions
- > I awaken to find my companions standing over me
- > I am still in the hospital
- > I had been speaking to Isis, who is now the Twilight
- > Rarity, in place of Ma'at, speaks
- > "It was really quite wonderful that you saved us like that"
- > I weakly test my arm, which can now be lifted
- I only seek to protect those I love
- > Rarity walks over, and places her cheek in my outstretched arm
- > "Thank you, for what you've done"
- > I withdraw my hand
- > the blue one, who had been Horus in the dream, speaks
- > "It's really cool that you care that much"
- > the pink one speaks
- > "Once you get out of this crummy ol' hospital, I'm throwing you another party!"
- > I smile
- Ever ready for a festival
- > the fruit farmer, who had been Osiris in the dream, speaks
- > "y'all did a mighty fine job taking care of them"
- It was not easy, as my condition would tell
- > the quiet one, Anubis in the dream, continues to stare, with a smile of gratitude
- > I struggle to speak, but continue to converse with them for a while longer
- > sensing the difficulty I have speaking, they keep the encounter brief
- > I rest momentarily
- What other deity could possibly seek to destroy me?
- > the night sky enters my room
- > she inspects me, calculating the damage done
- > "Oh Anon, why do you do this?"
- To keep you safe
- > "but what about you?"
- I worry not, for all I am capable of thinking of is you
- > she nuzzles my shoulder, and I wince
- What delivered you to me that night?
- > "I had heard speaking, carried by the wind, and followed it to you."
- I had prayed to Hathor, in hopes of finding a mate
- > "I heard of your loneliness, and I too was lonely"
- We took eachother unto our hearts, because of a prayer on the wind
- > "Indeed"
- > I raise my hand to her cheek
- > the night sky takes it and rubs against it
- > the feeling of her soft coat delivers a warm, welcome feeling
- > "I must depart now"
- Until we meet again
- > I return my hand, and the night sky leaves
- > I slip into slumber once more
- > I dream of the pharaoh, murdered
- > a lioness lapping from the pool of blood
- > I startle awake
- > The very same I had dreamed of stands over me now
- Good afternoon, pharaoh
- > "Good afternoon Anon"
- Tell me, what brings you to my bedside? Tales from your sister?
- > I manage a chuckle at my joke
- > She smiles warmly, seeing my attempt at humor as a good sign
- > "I came to ensure that you are alive"
- Alive, yes, healthy, no
- > "In time you will recover"
- I only pray I have time
- > "If a threat should arise, I shall have the guard end it"
- > I smile
- > "I must leave now, Anon"
- goodbye pharaoh
- > the pharaoh departs
- > time fleets away
- > I fall to slumber
- > The two weeks pass
- > I am released from the hospital, weak, but alive
- > I head home
- > upon entering, I find my entire home invaded by ponies
- > "Surprise!"
- She never fails
- > I mingle with the ponies
- > the party doesn't run long, thankfully
- > I wish everyone a safe trip home, and go to bed
- > I recall the dream of the pharaoh
- > I awake quickly, sweating
- > the pharaoh visits me the next morning
- > "Come to Canterlot Castle, we shall ensure you are properly rested and cared for until you are healthy"
- You are too kind pharaoh
- > "it's the least we can do"
- > I relocate myself to the castle
- > I have royal nurses tend to the slashes on my body
- > they bandage me
- > they ensure I have almost no unnecessary disruptions
- > almost
- > I awake from sleep with a start
- > I hear a loud crash
- > I exit my room, careful not to alert anything
- > several guards rush past me and cluster at a point
- > I see two guards, laying dead
- > I hearken back to the dream
- > my heart accelerates
- > I open the door the two guarded
- > I freeze
- > the pharaoh lie dead, bleeding from wounds on her neck
- > a lioness laps smugly at the pool of blood on the floor
- > upon seeing me, the lioness flees
- > I rush over to the pharaoh
- > her eyes stare, lifeless, emotionless, the pupils large balls in her iris
- > I fall to the ground, in shock
- > the guards surround me
- > tears form in my eyes
- > the puncture wounds in her neck are pronounced, and red stains trail from her neck to the floor
- > I, and several guards, let loose tears
- > I shake uncontrollably, and strain to not allow more tears
- > the night sky walks next to me
- > she cries out, and sobs
- > I stand, and embrace her
- > she weeps into my shoulder
- > I squeeze onto her neck
- > We maintain this stance for many moments
- > We return to our quarters
- > I did not sleep this night
- > the next morning, the room was cleaned
- > the entire castle lay in a deafening silence
- > the pharaoh's throne sits vacant
- > I must somehow resolve this tragedy
- Luna, bring me your chariot
- > The chariot is brought
- > I board it
- do not expect to see me for a long time
- > I set off, following the sun, and Ra, to the gates of amenta
- > I ride for the full day, tracking the sun along its path
- > the gates stand before me
- > Two massive doors, carved of solid ebony
- > At the gates stands Anubis
- > "Halt mortal, you are not fit to enter the amenta"
- Anubis, I beseech thee, grant me passage, I must right a terrible wrong
- > "No soul shall enter which is not fit for this land"
- Anubis, the pharaoh has been wrongfully killed, her spirit must be rescued
- > "I shall grant you entrance, but I warn you. The land is hostile, and the road long."
- I shall brave it
- > The massive doors open, and in front of me is a vast desert
- > I ride into the desert
- > I would spend the next 7 weeks in this desert, traveling the path of souls on their journey to judgement
- > I neither hunger, nor thirst, as that is the way of this land
- > I fight against fatigue as I approach the hall of judgement
- > I enter the structure
- > In the middle lay a massive golden balance
- > to the right, a bird man, Thoth, writes on papyrus
- > to the left, Osiris, lord of the dead, sits
- > behind the balance sits Ma'at, providing the feather with which to judge a soul
- > in front of me sits the pharaoh
- HALT!
- > Osiris stirs
- > "Anon, how dare you interrupt the sacred process!"
- Her end was met before it was her time
- > "You dispute the judgement of Anubis, keeper of the gates?"
- I know she is not for this world
- > "What death has befallen her, that assures you it is unjust?"
- a lioness slayed her, and drank proudly from her blood
- > "that is not an unjust death"
- you speak the truth, however, could a lioness slay a daughter of Ra so easily?
- > "Are you implying that this lioness contained the power of the gods?"
- > Thoth speaks
- > "Sekhmet"
- > Ma'at confirms
- > "Thoth, in his infinite wisdom, knows of the truth. The bloodthirsty huntress Sekhment is to blame for the death of the pharaoh"
- > Osiris considers what has been said
- > "Provide to me the soul of the huntress, and I shall ensure her return to the realm of the living"
- > I awake in my bed
- > a dream?
- > No, I must seek the huntress
- > a roar bellows from in town
- > I rush to the scene
- > Several more ponies lay dead
- > I swallow my sadness and examine the area
- > a fleeting shadow on a rooftop
- > I follow it, but quickly lose it
- Damn
- > I curse myself, knowing more are to be killed
- > I go to the Twilight
- > she is clearly mourning the pharaoh
- > "Anon, it's good to see a friendly face"
- yes Twilight, I have news about the pharaoh
- > "What is it?"
- The lioness that killed her, was Sekhmet, a huntress, and extremely dangerous
- > "How did she get here?"
- I don't know, but I spoke with Osiris, and should she be returned to the land of the gods, the pharaoh will return to our realm
- > She immediately cheers up
- > "well then, I guess we better get searching"
- I will continue my search, you tell the others
- > she runs off to fetch the others
- > I walk through the town, warning those I can
- > I turn a corner near the center of town
- > the streets run red with blood
- > Slashes to the face, gouged out eyes, strips of flesh missing from the bodies, some with organs on full display
- > I feel ill, and must turn away
- > I hear a female laugh
- > I turn again, to see a woman with a lion head
- > "oh the thrill of the hunt"
- > her eyes gleam
- > her lips are stained red
- > I cannot speak, I am too appalled at what has befallen these creatures
- > Sekhmet stares directly at me, and announces
- > "let the games begin"
- > she vanishes
- > I run to an alley, and heave
- > the rest of my companions find me soon after
- > they too, are in shock at the display
- > We head away from the bodies
- > It is getting late, but we cannot stop the search
- > I search the perimeter of the town, the others search in the town
- > throughout the night, various screams are heard
- > undoubtedly more of Sekhmet's pleasures
- > I hear a rustle from a bush in the forest
- > I rush into the forest
- > I follow the sound as it takes me left and right
- > the sound is coming from behind me
- > I pounce on it
- > nothing
- > I see a glint from the corner of my eye
- Clever girl
- > I dodge to the left, and flee
- > the tree limbs above me shake as Sekhmet bounds from limb to limb
- > I cast glances behind me, to see the shining eyes of a lioness on the hunt
- > I stumble, and fall
- > before I can recover, a sharp pain hits my back
- > I feel the claws dig into my back as Sekhmet prepares to take my life
- > "what a pity that you couldn't do better"
- > she stomps on my back
- > I feel my recovering ribs splinter once more
- > I feel a sharp pain with every breath
- > he claws dig deeper into my back
- > I let out a weak cry, as I gargle on blood rising from my punctured lung
- > Sekhmet turns me over
- > her eyes show the lust of a primal predator, delivering the kill
- > she raises her claw
- > she strikes down
- > a loud thud is heard as flesh meets flesh
- > I open my eyes to see a rainbow streak
- > the Twilight rushes to me, I sputter up more blood
- > "Stay with me Anon"
- > I can do nothing but breathe
- > a bright flash envelops me, and I find myself once more in the hospital
- > I fade away as the doctors remark
- > "Honestly, Anon, you must stop hurting yourself like this"
- > I awaken in the hospital bed, once again
- > my six comrades are by my side
- > I am too weak to speak
- > the blue one speaks
- > "She got away"
- > the Twilight interjects
- > "But what matters is that Anon is safe"
- > I grunt in frustration
- > each moment I'm on the bed, Sekhmet is hunting another pony
- > "We need to think of a way to get her to stop"
- > I recall a myth
- I...
- > I wince, it hurts to speak
- I know how
- > "really! How!?"
- Make her drink
- > "how will that help?"
- if she's drunk...she doesn't kill
- > "how do we get her to do that?"
- make it like blood
- > they recoil at the though of drinking blood
- > "a-are you sure this will work?"
- yes
- > I lay in the hospital for the next two months
- > the Twilight reports progress, and deaths
- > Sekhmet has slowed
- > I burn at the idea of not being able to stop her
- > my two months are over
- > I have seen several nurses not return to work
- > I join my companions at the fruit farm
- > the brew is complete
- > "now what?"
- we lure her to it
- > the fruit farmer will be the lure
- > we each hide
- > the fruit farmer waits outside, in the dark
- > she gallops down the stairs to the cellar
- > the footfalls of the lioness follow in pursuit
- > the fruit farmer comes to the end of the cellar
- > the blue one, and the pink one throw the brew onto Sekhmet
- > Sekhmet licks at the brew
- > "delicious"
- > the lioness breaks a barrel, and drinks
- > she breaks several more
- > she has drunk nearly fifteen barrels before she falls over
- > I draw a khopesh, and leap from the shadows
- > Sekhmet, in her inebriated state, does not comprehend this before it is too late
- > I slash into her neck, and decapitate the lion from the woman
- > she fades from this realm, and the others cheer
- > I do not
- > I think of all those, slain under her
- > walk outside, and into town, bodies litter the streets
- > I see a shimmering light, which descends onto the bodies.
- > wounds on the bodies heal
- > the bodies reanimate
- > they awaken, as if from slumber
- > I run to various places, each body rises
- > I am overjoyed
- > I collapse onto my knees
- oh most generous Osiris, who restores the life of those who met an early end. Praise thee, and praise his abundant kindness.
- > the ponies speak of strange dreams, and wonder why they were asleep in the middle of the street
- > the night sky flies to me
- > "the dead are living once more!"
- I know, isn't it a miraculous thing?
- > We ride back to the palace of the pharaoh
- > the body has been laying on a bed
- > I and the night sky rush to the bed
- > the trail of blood from the neck fades
- > the holes seal, and vanish
- > the pharaoh inhales, and awakens
- > I, in my joy, throw myself to her
- > I wrap my arms around her, tearing with joy
- > "Anon, you saved me"
- I ended the hunt
- > the guards have come rushing in, to see the revivified pharaoh
- > I smile, and take my leave
- > I make my way to the guest chambers
- > I whisper to myself as I climb into bed
- the night is young, my fatigue is great, and my heart is full
- > I feel a rustle as the night sky joins me in the bed
- > I sleep soundly, unpestered by night terrors, and joyful in the new life of the pharaoh
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