It's been too long since I've done a chapter. Here it is, guys. Enjoy!
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Chapter 5: The Dark One
Unknown to Ramus who was now truly lost to the darkness, Isis had been following him all along. She had pursued him as quickly as she could and it had also meant leaving her little sister behind. Since Isis knew that Spectro would be there for her with Sera, then she had gone and left without saying a word. She hid out of sight in the chamber and heard all that Ramus had to say. Her worst fears had been confirmed.
So he truly has been taken over the darkness. Alas, my fears have come true. I refused to believe at first, but now he wants to awaken the Dark One. Why did they have to take my brother? Why? Isis continued to watch Ramus through all he was doing. It seemed that he was preparing for a ritual. "Please ..." she whispered to herself. "Give me a sign, Horus, Osiris. Please help me to fight Ramus. Please also help Ramus through his dark times."
Meanwhile, sometime passed. Dawn reigned upon Egypt and Nephitaty was up early ready to pursue her brother and sister. When she was gathering her things, her mother suddenly appeared to her. "Amarra," she said. Nephitaty looked up at her mother and knew who she was right away. Her eyes only showed shock and relief at the same time.
"I mean ... Nephitaty," smiled her mother. "I am so pleased with you, how much you have grown and now you are doing something that is true to your heart."
Nephitaty rose to her feet and looked at her mother. "How can I see you? You look like me ... are you my mother?" she asked.
"That I am indeed," she replied. "Nephitaty, I know you changed your name. Remember you will always be Amarra and I respect you for changing that name. You alone now must decide your destiny. Will you go after Ramus and fight? Or will you wait here for the end of the world to come? Either way, I know the answer you will say. But please, by all means tell me. What is your answer?"
"I will fight!" exclaimed Nephitaty. "I must help Isis to help Ramus! They are my family! They promised you to look after me and now it's my turn to look after them by helping Ramus be released from his darkness. I just know he can pull through this! He can pull through this!"
"That is the spirit I have longed to see," said her mother. "Go, Nephitaty. I will be watching over you."
"Thank you ... mother," she whispered.
"Nephitaty? Who are you talking to?" asked Nairda, who had just appeared with two white horses.
"I was talking to my ... mother," said Nephitaty as she took the white horses from Nairda. After all, Nairda was not used to things on the earth; he had his problems even with horses. "You must be careful, Nairda. You have to be gentle with the horses or else they will bite you."
"Who said I was not being gentle?!" said Nairda loudly. "Why do we have to use these - these ... animals?! We could always use the sand to take us wherever they are."
"Ah, but you cannot know where Ramus and Isis are," said Nephitaty. "If I recall, you must know where you are going to get to the place you wish to go to."
Suddenly, Nairda looked up at the sky. "No, not now," he said. "I am sorry, Nephitaty. I have to go ... Horus is calling me."
"H-Horus? Is this not most unusual?" stared Nephitaty.
"It IS most unusual," said Nairda. "It must be important."
"But what of the journey?" she said.
"I will return soon," he told her. "Spectro and Sera are on their way here right now as we speak. Let them take one horse and you take the other. I will find you, Nephitaty. I always do." After winking, sand surrounded Nairda and he disappeared to another location.
Nephitaty sighed as she took the horses near to the exit of the temple and tied them down there for now. Moments later, Spectro and Sera arrived. "It is good to see you," smiled Nephitaty. "I apologise for the journey you have made."
"It is no problem, Nephitaty," said Spectro. "We were able to use my ice powers to get here."
"Something very odd has been going on in the big village," said Sera.
"The people there are doing strange things," sighed Spectro. "Monsters have begun to appear in the village and we are all worried that it maybe related to your brother, Nephitaty. I still feel bad that I could not stop him. He was my friend."
"He still is your friend," said Sera. "Um, where is Nairda?"
"Nairda? He had to go ... somewhere," said Nephitaty.
After all, Nephitaty herself was only beginning to understand what the role of a guardian meant. She was still confused of how Nairda had been called to see Horus at that moment. But still, she would dwell upon that later. Now it was time to do something that she had to do. Even Spectro himself was confused by what a guardian was, but he had been convinced that he was no longer Nephitaty's loyal protector. Yet even now, he was standing by her side as he once did during some of the years when he would watch her grow up.
"Somewhere? I see," nodded Sera. "I am still trying to understand what a guardian is supposed to be."
"The same here," assumed Spectro. "But he will be joining us later, I assume?"
"Yes," nodded Nephitaty. "He shall be joining us later. He will find where I am and we shall be reunited soon. Nairda promised he would come to help us fight Ramus."
"We are going to fight Ramus?" asked Sera.
"It maybe the only way," she sighed. "We can try to talk to him, but if that does not work, we must fight him. The light always gets rid of the darkness. We all know that and with knowing that, we shall do this."
Back at the dark chamber, Isis had been discovered. She was now getting a beating from Ramus who was using his god-like strength to beat her down. "You always were the pathetic one, were you not, Isis?" laughed Ramus. "I should have killed you when I had the chance at the temple. I would have thought what Amarra would like you out of the way. You are always going after her."
"You ... you ..." began Isis, but she coughed up blood since she was so weak. She had barely even shocked Ramus into submission as of yet. "... I should never have believed that ... that ... that you had ... THAT YOU HAD WHAT IT TAKES TO LOOK AFTER OUR FAMILY!" She had used most of her strength for that. Isis had little strength left, but she was not about to give up.
"You are such an idiot," hissed Ramus as he grabbed hold of the top of her dress and brought her closer to his face. "I am not Ramus, Isis. I am the inner darkness he has been holding back for so many years. It is time that you learnt that there is also darkness inside of you. The ritual is almost complete and the world will be cast into hell. A permanant darkness shall be cast upon our earth and the Dark One shall reign upon it. You want to know who the Dark One is?" He threw Isis to the ground and then dark wings spurted out of his back. His eyes were fully black, claws replaced his nails and horns grew out of his head. "I AM THE DARK ONE!"
Isis looked up at him and closed her eyes. She could not bare witness to his new demonic transformation. So the rumours are true ... the Dark One is supposed to have a terrifying sight. I do not wish to look upon it, yet I already have. Somehow, someway, I must resist him! But I need to stall for time first. "Why ... why would I allow my ... darkness to take over ... me?" she said weakly. She sat up and leant against the wall as the blood from her nose began to flow. There were also cuts and bruises all over her body. It would not be long now until her body would be fully bloodied.
Ramus looked down at Isis and smiled evilly. "You will unleash your darkness and it shall take over you," he hissed as he crossed his arms. "With my newfound strength, you'll turn to the darkness because I am the Dark One. I can unleash the darkness of any being. My powers have become even stronger since the last time I was sealed away. But it took the gods to seal me away last time. I hardly doubt that you could stop me from doing what I want. Ramus is a lost cause now and you will be soon. Soon! The whole world will be lost to the Dark One!"
They were leaving the temple. Spectro was riding a white horse with Sera as she rode the saddle and his arm was around her. His skull staff was tucked into his belt. Nephitaty was riding a horse on her own and she was going a little faster than the other two. There was a fierce look on her face that showed nothing, but determination to see this through. Her blue eyes were beginning to emit a white glow that was clearly noticeable.
"Do you see that?" asked Sera. "Do you see that glow that is coming from her eyes?"
"I do indeed," said Spectro. "But Nephitaty cares for her family so much. She cares for them just as much as they care for her. They are a close family and I respect that. They would do the same for us if one of us was in trouble like Ramus."
There was a strong breeze in the air. Nephitaty's black hair swayed in the air as she had let it down and she was wearing suitable clothes for this journey. "We will find them," she said to Spectro and Sera. "We will find them! I just know it!"
Before long, Nairda appeared next to Nephitaty as he was flying in the air. "Miss me? Hey," he said. "I see someone's really wanting to get this over and done with." He flew on to the horse and then sat down behind Nephitaty. "You got this horse going fast. Ok, Horus told me something very bad is about to happen and it could quite clearly affect the entire world."
"And this is because of Ramus?" asked Nephitaty. "And what do you mean about me wanting to get it over and done with?"
"When someone's eyes emit a white glow, it shows that they're willing to fight for the greater good and help whoever is in trouble," smiled Nairda. "I could not ride a horse if I wanted to. Anyway, it is time that we do this!"
The horses rode even faster now. "Where did you learn how to ride, Sera?" asked Spectro. "You are a good rider of horses."
"I learnt in my childhood," said Sera, answering his question. "My father was a rider and so he taught me my knowledge and taught me how to do this."
"I see," smiled Spectro. "I would tell you about my family, but ... they live a far way away from here."
"So did Horus mention anything that is useful?" asked Nephitaty.
"He did mention a being that all beings tremble upon seeing," said Nairda. "He is known as the Dark One."
"The Dark One ... is he real? I assumed he was a legend," said Sera.
"No, he is alive and in the flesh," he continued to say. "It is known he is one of the main baddest creatures alive. Many years ago, he tried to devour the earth through taking it to hell and casting it into eternal darkness. But it took the power of the gods to stop him and so the earth was brought back up from hell. Everyone forgot about it due to their power and assumed that the Dark One was a legend. And that is the story of the Dark One. His power is real. He does not have a body anymore because it was destroyed. His spirit was sealed away in a temple ... oh, my ..." He turned to Nephitaty. "It was your family's temple. The gods entrusted your family to seal off the spirit of the Dark One in a mystical ornament. But somehow, that spirit must have broken free. Yes, it is all coming into pieces now ..."
"There is only answer for this ..." said Sera.
"Only one? It can't be!" said Spectro. His fears had been confirmed.
"It is," said Nephitaty. "Ramus opened the ornament and the Dark One took over his body, thus, releasing his inner darkness he had been holding back for so many years. He left ... to protect me. It should have been me that had to be taken over. But it got to Ramus first ... the Dark One wanted me for some reason. Nairda, does this relate to Runinhura?"
"I ... I do not know," said Nairda. "But some things are coming into place. It seems that creatures of darkness want you for some reason like Runinhura and the Dark One. Why? I have no clue. Then again, you are a special child, Nephitaty. Ramus and Isis saw your birth, they alone know why the birth makes you so special. But I already know you are special in my eyes." With that, he smiled and winked. "You were always special. Not just about your powers, but you yourself. The forces of darkness want you? They can fight for you. But it does not mean I will not fight for you, Nephitaty. I am your guardian and I shall fight for you. So let us be cautious when we get nearer to wherever Ramus and Isis are."
It did not take them long until they encountered a pyramid that caught Nairda's attention straight away. The horses stopped. Nephitaty, Nairda, Spectro and Sera jumped off right away. "For some strange reason, I know this is the place," said Sera.
"Indeed," said Nairda. "I know this place somehow ... yet I cannot figure out how I know it. It must be where the Dark One is. Ramus and Isis's presences here are strong. I must be able to sense them with you here, Nephitaty. It will not be long until they find us here."
"Then we must be ready," said Spectro, taking his skull staff out and using it for support. "The Dark One may already be plotting to take Nephitaty away from us, so we should surround and protect her."
"I will be fine!" smiled Nephitaty. "I have been in mortal danger before. I am used to danger by now."
"Spectro is right," agreed Sera. "We do not want to take any risks."
"Very well, so it is decided," said Nairda. "We protect Nephitaty and -"
Suddenly, Isis appeared before them using the darkness. Her eyes were black and she looked at the ground emotionlessly. At first, the group backed away from Nephitaty since they thought it was safe after seeing Isis. But once they looked upon the appearance of Isis, they knew something was wrong.
"This does not look good, my friends," said Spectro. "It seems that perhaps the Dark One has manipulated Isis. I know we cannot kill her because she is our friend, but we must also protect Nephitaty."
"Stay back, Nephitaty," warned Nairda. "We can handle this."
Instantly, Runinhura appeared someway away from them. "What is this?" he snarled. "The Dark One is here?! So he is not a myth or a legend at all! He is here in the flesh, but this girl is not him ... he is using someone else ..."
"Runinhura?!" yelled Nairda.
"Nairda?!" yelled Runinhura.
"What are you doing here?" shouted Nairda. "You are not taking Nephitaty this time!"
"As if I would take her, you fool," hissed Runinhura. "I am here because of the Dark One. His presence has been made known. As a creature of darkness, I could sense his power being sent through the world. I was ... curious ... to see what was going on."
"More like you came for Nephitaty," assumed Spectro.
"Ah, Spectro," smiled Runinhura nastily. "Long time, no see. This is a most lovely reunion, but I only came for one thing. The Dark One must be eliminated. So what are you waiting for? Are you going to hurt that brat girl over ther? Or aren't you because she's your friend and you won't harm her?"
With all of this going on, Nephitaty stood behind everyone else. They had their backs to her and she believed that she was safe. Isis glared at them all with black eyes of darkness. "The Dark One shall reign upon the planet," she hissed darkly. "His wrath will be unleashed!" As the group rushed forward to attack her, including Runinhura, something else was going on.
Ramus appeared behind Nephitaty as he still wore his demonic appearance. "It is time, Nephitaty," he said. "Do not look upon me until we are in the pyramid, you fool." And with that, the darkness engulfed them both as they both reappeared in the pyramid. The group had no idea that Nephitaty had been taken as of yet.
Ramus slammed Nephitaty into the wall. Her head began to bleed and she looked upon his demonic appearance. "You ..." she said. After hearing what Nairda had said about the Dark One, there was one thing that had been wrong said about him. She WAS able to look upon him, or perhaps that was another matter. Somehow, she wanted to turn away, but she didn't. It was strange considering that she could not keep her eyes off his demonic appearance. It mystified her and she rose to her feet trying to find someway out of this nightmare. Unfortunately, when she got to her feet she was paralysed somehow. "What? Why can I not move?" she said. She could only move her lips and her eyes.
"That is because you are the only one who can look upon me without turning away instantly," explained Ramus. "You are a special child, Nephitaty. But you were never called Nephitaty to begin with now, were you? Your name was Amarra, but you chose to call yourself Nephitaty when your brother and sister abandoned you. How does it feel to be alone in this world?"
"I am not alone in this world!" shouted Nephitaty. "I have other people in my life. Spectro, Sera, Nairda ..."
"But they are not your family now, are they?" smiled Ramus evilly. "Only Ramus and Isis are your true family. Now that Isis has been unleashed with her true darkness, it is time for yours to come out. Through this act, we will all be reunited through the darkness. It was just so easy to manipulate you, Nephitaty. Ramus is of your blood and you are siblings. It was so easy to control Isis, too. Spectro, Sera and that brat Nairda could never understand all that pain you go through everyday ... but you know what, Nephitaty? I understand your pain. You do not want it to go on, do you? Besides, by the time they discover you gone you will be turned to the darkness."
Nephitaty just stood there paralysed and tried not to look at Ramus so much. She knew that it was not Ramus anymore since the Dark One reigned in his body, but she knew that she could still see the image of Ramus in her mind when she looked upon his body.