The Strong Bond

The Council

Sekhmet ran through the hall, almost losing her breath. She slammed the doors open & the five people in the room looked at her. She stared at them, catching her breath. A tear of sweat fell down her cheek.

"What's wrong...Why are you here..?" Tefnut asked, her hands together in front of her. Shu stood quietly at her side.

Sekhmet looked concerned, still panting. Amun sternly stood up, Nut & Geb looked at him. "Sekhmet please tell....what's going on?" He tried to ask reassuringly. Sekhmet nodded & finally calmed down.

"Father-! Father is awake! Apep is going to use him to claim Kemet as his own! W-Who knows, He may to try to enslave-" She stopped after hearing something, everyone looked.

The doors opened & Apep walked in with his arms wide open, "Am I late or right on time?" Tefnut snarled & slammed her hands on the table, "How DARE you show your face here. Do you have no sympathy??"

"What will you do? Kill us?" Geb stood up, Nut held his hand in worry. Apep just smiled & shrugged, "I haven't decided yet....I just thought I would stop by atleast. See if anything has changed much....." He looked around the room, "Doesn't seem like it...That's a pity."

"Where is he, Apep." Amun coldly asked him, not wanting to play with his games. Apep just smiled & gestured behind him, Amun quickly turned around & ducked; dodging the claw that swung at him. Everyone looked & got defensive, Sekhmet backed up quickly & ran. Apep watched her leave, knowing she was going to tell Seth & the others.

Apep took a chair, sat down & crossed his legs. He summoned himself a cigar & lit it, just watching the drama now unfold. Everyone tried to fend off Ra but were failing, Tefnut got slammed to the ground & Geb got thrown at the wall. Nut & Shu were trying to stop him, trying everything they could do. Amun was currently outside of the fight bewildered, he looked back & just saw Apep sitting there.

Apep just smiled, quietly staring back at him. Amun just stared at him then narrowed his eyes in annoyance, throwing something from behind. A dagger hit Ra in the neck & stunned him, Apep jerked up in his seat & turned to Amun as he was now walking back to the others. "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" He yelled at him, Amun huffed. "But it is...You didn't speak of the rules we needed to follow for your brawl..You didn't say anything about not using tranquilizers either..."

He huffed, now upset. "You took my victory away that easily. Fine. So be it. But I'm taking him back with me....I'll come back eventually. This'll go how I want it to be. You'll understand!" He snapped his fingers & disappeared. Ra looked at the others for a moment before disappearing into mist. Everyone now felt relieved that they were both gone, Amun looked around..making sure everyone was alright.

"You heard him...He'll be back. But the next time we see him, he'll have targeted the palace. Everyone is alright though?" The others nodded to him, Amun sighed. "Good. Then I guess we'll now have to prepare for the worst to come."
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Sekhmet ran to the courtyard, finding Seth & Osiris there. Osiris looked, seeing her scared look. "What's going on?? Did something happen??"

"Father- Grandfather-" She stopped, trying to catch her breath again. Seth went over & put his hand on her shoulder, "Take a moment to calm down, alright?. Otherwise you'll pass out." Sekhmet nodded to him & put her head down, the brothers waited.

Sekhmet finally caught her breath & told them what had happened, telling them how she knows Apep will target the palace next. The two were surprised, Seth thought Ra was at the sunboat the whole time over these years. Osiris had put his hand on his head in bewilderment, "He was there?? I thought...He wasn't in the Duat this whole time...?"

"I know...It's still weird to me how he was trapped there for millennia...but we have bigger problems than just that. What should we do? You're the king here." She looked at Seth worried.

He looked at her befuddled, he threw his hand to his chest. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW IMMEDIATELY?? JUST- Just let me think about it first alright? If anything, I'll need your help too. Just not right now at this very second." Sekhmet slightly put her hands up in worry, Osiris put his hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"I...apologize for asking so quickly..." Sekhmet quickly responded, Seth slightly shook his head. "No need to apologize...It's my fault..not yours."

Osiris looked at them both quietly, feeling if he wasn't here they both would've tore eachothers heads off from arguing.

The three of them talked about the situation, trying to come up with a plan. Isis watched from afar, she turned away from them & put her thumb on her teeth. She seemed worried, remembering what she had done in the past. Remembering she used a snake to throw Ra down from the throne. She felt the Ra she cursed all those years ago wasn't...the real one.

She bolted to the library, almost hitting the doorway once she got there. Thoth was organizing some of the scrolls when he noticed her. Isis asked him worriedly, "What all do you know about him?!"