Since the first clash between the Golden Army and the Dark Army with Sobek’s betrayal, things could not have been worse and more intense. This battle was the first of many others that followed it. However, despite his soldiers were fighting courageously, Kefer knew his brother's soldiers were quite strong and he feared that the current force of his army wasn't enough to beat them.
He therefore encouraged the search for a new Guardian, someone of great confidence who could succeed where Sobek had failed. After weeks of searching where a great number of soldiers entered Apis’ Labyrinth in order to test their value, a new Guardian appeared and, to the surprise of most, she was a mare.
Her name was Neith and she was an earth mare with a pale, light grayish gold coat with a shield and a scepter as Cutie Mark, light goldish gray mane and pale, light grayish azure eyes. Her strong personality and sagacity, along with an overwhelming need to prove herself, allowed Neith to overcome the challenge of Apis’ Labyrinth and receive the Gold Bracelet of the Guardian of the gates of Coltypt.
However, even with the addition of Neith to his army as a Golden Warrior, fighting against Anubis continued to be devastating and it caused casualties to both sides, although they were more significant for the Golden Army.
One day, Kefer and the others were attending the burial of some soldiers who, after being prepared by Osiris in the mummification process, were taken to their resting place at the Coltypt Temple. Seeing their families crying for the loss of their loved ones made Kefer feel bad with himself, since they were killed under his leadership in a meaningless war against his brother.
The Golden Pharaoh pulled away slightly from the crowd in order to stay just with his own thoughts. Horus, repairing in that, followed him and asked, coming to his edge:
"Are you okay, Kefer?"
"How am I supposed to be okay when we're at the funeral of soldiers who gave their lives for a stupid war?" Kefer asked cynically.
"Oh, buddy, calm down, breathe" Horus said, trying to soothe Kefer. "This is not your fault. You're not the one who started this war."
"I know, but..." Kefer started, trying to find the right words to say. "I think... I think I need to walk for a bit. Sorry, Horus."
And, having said this, he moved away. Horus wanted to follow his best friend, but a hand was put on his shoulder and he saw that it was Apis, who told him:
"Let me talk to him."
Horus knew that Apis, being a reasonable warrior, who had been through similar situations, or worse, would probably be able to use the right words, so he consented with the head.
Kefer was walking back and forth in front of the statue of the Lord of Order when he heard hoofsteps and Apis approached.
"Looks like you have a heavy heart" Apis said. "Do you mind if I help relieve it a bit."
"Honestly, Apis, I don't know if that is possible" Kefer said. "I thought being alone for a moment to take a deep breath could better things, but..."
"What you're feeling, Kefer, will never get better" said Apis. "I know this because I feel it too. After all, I was the one who trained those soldiers. I think that maybe I should have trained them better. In addition, I also saw the death of several of my comrades, including before and during my time as a slave... including Horus’ father, Monthu."
"Of course…" Kefer remembered. “You were there, weren't you?"
"I was holding him when he died" Apis told. "I was the one who heard his last words and his last breath. That memory still haunts me in my nightmares. But my pain was nothing compared with Isis’ and your father’s. Monthu was his best friend, you know, someone who was always by his side, even when Amun lived in Berberia."
There was a pause and then said Apis:
"You're a lot like your father in this matter. You know, he never managed to be okay with himself after the plagues the Lord of Order sent to Coltypt during Khonsu’s reign. Especially after the last one."
"How did my father dealt with it?" Kefer asked.
"He just had to learn to live with that feeling" Apis replied. “I am still learning how to live with my feelings regarding the loss of my comrades.”
There was a pause and then Apis continued:
"But there is a way to mitigate the anxiety that you feel, Kefer. All you have to do is to think that, in the next battle, you will do better to protect the ones the fallen soldiers loved and and that you will ensure that no more casualties get to happen, that you're going to honor them and make their deaths to not be in vain."
Kefer thought in Apis’ words and noticed himself smiling slightly. He was right. He couldn't stay there languishing, but preparing to honor those who have fallen and to make their sacrifices to not be in vain.
After the ceremony, Kefer returned to the palace and sat on his throne, relieved to finally have some peace of mind.
"It seems you grew up a little" a voice said.
And the Lord of Order appeared next to the throne.
"My lord…" Kefer said, straightening out almost immediately.
"Things haven't been going well for you, isn't it?" the Lord of Order said.
"My brother is much stronger and powerful since we compete in the challenge of the feather of Maat" Kefer said. "And his army reflects that."
"Yes, my brother really outdid himself with Anubis" the Lord of Chaos said. "There is no doubt that my brother is getting closer to retrieve Coltypt."
"I won't let it happen" Kefer said. "This kingdom already suffered enough when Seti and Khonsu were ruling it and won't let it to suffer even more."
"And that's why I know that you will defend Coltypt, although there is any disadvantage and imbalance of forces between you and your brother" the Lord of Order said.
But then Kefer adopted a thoughtful air and the Lord of Order asked:
"Is there something wrong?"
"It’s just, if the Lord of Chaos wants so much to conquer Coltypt again, there is a great chance that he will send more villains to help Anubis, like Pandora or Rothbart" Kefer said. "And I know they're no joke, judging by the way Rothbart killed Horus’ father, who was a great warrior."
"A very logical observation" the Lord of Order commented.
"That is why I am concerned about what might happen" Kefer said. "It's bad enough to have to be in constant surveillance because of Anubis, but having other villains that can be worse than him…"
There was a pause and then the Lord of Order said:
"What if I told you that there is a way to prevent my brother to send any kind of backup to your brother, what will allow you to focus on beating him?"
"Seriously?" Kefer asked. “And how is that possible?"
Later, Kefer met with the Council to talk to them about the way the Lord of Order told him. His idea was quite a surprise to them.
"He wants us to do what?!" Seth asked.
"This is a decision a little abrupt" Isis said.
"It's not really a decision, but a suggestion" Kefer said. "It's up to me to decide. However, I wouldn’t be unable to do so without consulting with you. After all you are my Council and your opinions are very important to me, as they were to my father."
"Since you asked, I will tell you what I think" Seth said. "I don’t want to disrespect the Lord of Order, but this is a bad idea."
"I also think it's a little precipitate, but I do share Kefer and the Lord of Order’s concern regarding the fact the Lord of Chaos may put other villains in his game to conquer Coltypt" Maat said. "Seen by this perspective, I think this is quite justifiable."
"Besides, who are we to question the ideas of the Lord of Order?" Bes asked. "Many of us didn't like very much when he sent the plagues to force Khonsu to abdicate the throne, fearing that they could turn against us. However, they allowed us to get our freedom, despite the great sacrifices it took to make that happen."
Realizing that he was outnumbered in this matter, Seth turned to Isis and said:
"Don't tell me you agree with them."
"I agree with you, Seth" Isis said. "I don't like this idea too. But we both know that having more villains like Pandora or Rothbart will only make harder to protect the peace that we've worked so hard to preserve... The peace Montu sacrificed himself to preserve... I don't want to lose anyone else in the same way that I lost him, mainly Horus. I just can't."
Seeing that he couldn’t get any support, Seth sighed and said:
"I stand my opinion on this subject... but you can count on my support, Kefer."
"Then it's decided" Kefer said.
The Council members nodded with their heads.
At that moment, the doors opened and Neith came in, hurried, bringing in one of her forelegs a round shield and a scepter in a sheath on her back which she used to fight, saying, kneeling before the Council as she reached the circle:
"I'm sorry for my intrusion, but I bring important news."
"What is it, Neith?" Kefer asked.
"It’s your brother, my pharaoh" Neith replied. "He's approaching the citadel with his army."
"Go to Apis immediately and tell him to meet our army, including all the Golden Soldiers" Kefer said. "We're going against with Anubis and his army and I will lead the army."
Neith nodded and left.
"It seems that we decided this just in time" Kefer said to his Council. "It's the best time to do it."
It didn’t take long for the Golden Army be prepared and, following the Golden Pharaoh, they went to meet with the Dark Army. When two enemy armies crossed paths, with their respective leaders facing each other, Anubis told Kefer:
"It looks like you're in the mood to lose more stallions, Kefer. And I thought the great Pharaoh of Coltypt had the duty to protect his people."
"You make me do this, brother" Kefer replied. "If it wasn't for your eagerness to conquer Coltypt in the name of the Lord of Chaos, this ridiculous war wouldn't be happening and many lives would have been spared."
"All thanks to our dear old dad" Anubis said. "If he had chosen me as his successor, none of this would be happening."
"He just did what he had to do" Kefer said. "I was his choice because he thought I would be a good Pharaoh, although it was not my wish."
"And it's because of his choice that I do this" Anubis said. "Now, your beloved kingdom will return to the hands of its true master: the Lord of Chaos!"
"Coltypt belongs and has always belonged to the Lord of Order and none of that will change, Anubis" Kefer said. "Please, brother, stop with this madness."
"Sorry, Kefer, but that won't be possible" Anubis replied. "First, because I don't want to, and second, because even if I fail, others will try to comply with the will of the Great Lord of Chaos."
"Then you leave me no choice" Kefer said.
And, having said this, Kefer summoned two scepters. There were two twin gold scepters in with a big pearl on their top.
"What's that?" Anubis asked, intrigued.
"You're going to find out soon enough" Kefer replied.
And, having said this, he raised the two scepters, crossing them. The pearls sparkled with a great intensity and unleashed an intense light that blinded those who were nearby. They began to feel a tremendous earthquake that made the most unprepared to fall. The light that was being emanated got gradually more intense, starting flooding anything that was around. This situation lasted about a minute or two before the lights fade and the earth to stop shaking.
After this, Anubis looked around and saw that his army was intact and that it seemed that there was no change on the ground. A mocking smile appeared on his face and then he said:
"So this is the great power of the Lord of Order. I think that your master tricked you, little brother. Or maybe he is so full of light that he failed to see what was wrong with those?"
That made the Dark Army to laugh a lot, what upset many soldiers of the Golden Army.
"Whoever said this served to hurt anypony?" Kefer asked.
His answer made Anubis and his army to stop laughing and the Dark Pharaoh asked:
"What do you mean?"
"The power of these scepters was not to hurt you or your army, brother" Kefer said, making the scepters to disappear. "They were created by the General of Portals with a purpose: to isolate Coltypt from the rest of the Pony World."
That information surprised all both Golden Army and the Dark Army.
"What do you mean by isolate?" Anubis asked, not liking a bit of what his brother was saying.
"I mean Coltypt is no longer a part of the Pony World" Kefer replied. "I used the scepters to take the entire kingdom to a space apart in the Pony Reality. You can say that now Coltypt is an independent realm, where we will be able to solve this conflict without any interference from our masters."
"So that means the Lord of Chaos cannot send more villains to help me" Anubis noticed.
"Exactly" Kefer said. "In addition, none of us can escape to another realm, which means we're stuck here together until we settle our conflicts."
The fact that he was now stuck in a realm with his worst enemy and only brother annoyed Anubis deeply, because he could not ask his master if he needed. But that didn't stop him from displaying a smile and he proclaimed:
"So be it, brother. If that's what you want, then it is with your rules that we will settle this. Let's see who wins this war, even though I know that's going to be me."
"Not if I have anything to say about that, Anubis" Kefer replied.
And the two brothers, along with their respective armies, began a new battle between them, in a war doomed to last for centuries, in a place isolated from the rest of the Pony World...
The Lord of Order was sitting on his throne, having sensed that Coltypt had already been isolated. He really hoped that now Kefer could beat his brother or hold long enough.
It was then that one of his mirrors began to shine and the Lord of Order made it come to his front. The image of his brother appeared.
"What do you want?"
"Just to congratulate you for that unexpected blow of yours" the Lord of Chaos replied. "Isolating Coltypt was a strange move, but effective."
"I don't know if I should be flattered with that statement" the Lord of Order commented.
"I don't care how you interpret what I say to you" the Lord of Chaos replied. "But the point is, in this battle, neither one of us won. Coltypt is now out of reach for any of us. However, I know that it just makes things easier for me tremendously."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean, dear brother, is that without your precious golden kingdom, the Pony World will get under my influence, and there's nothing you can do about it."
And the Lord of Chaos laughed while his image disappeared.
"That's what we'll see, brother. I may have lost Coltypt for now and you may have more freedom in the Pony World, but I still have a few tricks under my sleeve."
And, having said this, the Lord of Order made appear on his hand the star seed original.
"And believe me when I say that you won't be laughing at the end."
The End