//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: My Little Pony: Exodus // by HunterBrony101 //------------------------------// A month passed. One day Ramesses was at the building site, as Ramesses and Moses were over seeing a temple being worked on and Ramesses looked over plans on scrolls,he explained to Moses an insight he received. "Last night, the gods granted me a vision. I'm not merely going to restore this temple, I will make it more grand, more splendid than any other one in Egrypt." Ramesses went on to explain. Moses was mostly not paying attention and looked upon the pegasi working, but in seeing this, Moses was heartbroken to see the pegasi suffering as they toiled. Moses cringed at their suffering. "Moses!" Ramesses called out in a cheery tone getting Moses' attention again. "Wh-What?" "Look. Fate has turned our little misadventure into a great opportunity." Ramesses stated optimistically. "Has it?..." Moses asked. "Father did put me in charge of the monuments." "I know that...I meant has our mess given us an opportunity?" "Indeed it has." "That is fortunate…" Moses said almost halfheartedly. Later, Moses heard a gruff voice not to far from where he was. "Get up, old stallion! Put your back into it!!!" It was a Griffon Slave Driver striking an old pegasus slave with a whip, Moses was repulsed by the sight; the more Moses saw the old slave getting whipped the more he wanted to stop this, and then finally Moses had enough. "Stop it! Stop! STOP IT!! Leave that pony alone!!" Moses ordered galloping toward the driver. Moses jumped on the Griffon forcing him to the ground. When he got up, he found the griffon lying on the ground lifeless, for he had hit his head on a huge brick. "What have I done?!" Moses said with a gasp. The other slaves who witnessed it were shocked by what they had just saw. Moses in his horrified shock backed up and took off galloping. "Moses?" Ramesses asked concerned. Moses ran past him and was running to the gate leading out of the city when Ramesses flew up to him. "Moses!" Ramesses shouted trying to get his brother to stop. "Let me go!" "No, wait!" "You saw what happened; I just killed a griffon!" "We can take care of that! I-I will make it as if it never happened!" Ramesses said hoping it would appease him. "Nothing you say can change what I've done!" "I am Egrypt! The Morning and Evening Star; if I say, "day is night", it will be written! And you will be who I say you are." Ramesses said before placing his talons on Moses' shoulders to stop him, "I say you are innocent." Moses shoved him away instead, "What you say does not matter! You don't understand... I can't stay here any longer!" "Moses..." Ramesses said looking confused. "No! All I've ever known to be true is a lie! I'm not who you think I am." "What are you talking about?" "Go ask the griffon I once called father." Moses said before making his escape. "Moses-...?" Moses paused and turned around. Ramesses, on the verge of tears, held out his talon and spoke in little more than a whisper. "Please.." Moses then said sadly, "Good-bye, Brother." before turning and runs into the desert. "Moses!......... Moses!!!" Ramesses called after him, his heart broken and his mind perplexed and lost about what happened. Moses wandered into the wilderness for many days. His life had become a wreck. No home, no family, no power. Moses wandered a long ways before stumbling, in his frustration he tossed away all his regalia & jewelry except a gift he received from Ramesses. One day, Moses heard the bailing of sheep, Moses moaning from exhaustion and thirst and struggles to find the source of noise, knowing where there was livestock there was water and food. Moses saw a group of filly shepherds tending to their flock, watching them and stuck by as close as possible. Just then, Amalekites attempted to push the girls away to water their goats while the girls resisted. "Hey! Leave them alone!" He commanded weakly as he stumbles a little and tried to chase them off. Moses jumped in and attacked the Amalekites and successfully scared them off, the fillies watched in amazement at Moses only to see him look exhausted from his act of heroism and fall into the well. The fillies rushed over to help. Just then, another filly came over. Her coat was tan and her mane and tail were black. "What are you girls doing?" "Saving a funny pony from the Well." One of the younger foals said. "Saving a funny pony from the Well. Well, that's one I've never heard before." She then looked into the Well and after hearing Moses' pleas she gasps seeing him realizing it was the truth. "Oh, my. Oh, uh, don't worry down there! Uh, we'll get you out. Hold on!" She said before helping to get Moses out. "Thank you." Moses said gratefully as he was taken to a tent to be tended to. "This is kind of all of you." He said kindly. "Our pleasure." One of the other fillies said. Moses could only reflect on everything up to this point, later that night the fillies brought Moses to a banquet. Everypony was then seated shortly and Moses saw a bit of food and was ready to taste it when he was told to wait. "Psst. Not yet." A filly said. Moses puts the food down and spoke. "Oh sorry." Just then, a big stallion came forth. This was Jethro, the leader of the land. "My children, let us give thanks for this bountiful food. And let us also give thanks for the presence..." He paused to motion toward Moses, "...Of this brave, young colt whom we honor here tonight." The ponies of the camp cheered and applauded Moses for his selflessness. "You are too kind, but what good did I do?" "You defended my daughters from Amalekites." Jethro said warmly. "I did that yes...1 good act I did with my life…" "It seems you do not know what is worthy of honor." "I perhaps need to learn don’t I?" Moses was then taught something he took to heart by Jethro that would be his springboard toward the future. Moses became a shepherd and watched sheep with the filly who got him out of the Well, whose name was Zipporah. 17 years later, Moses proposed to Zipporah and the two wed. Zipporah soon gave birth to a colt, Moses named him Gershom, because he had been a stranger in a strange land. One day, Moses was watching the flock when, suddenly, a little lamb wandered off. "Hey! Come back here! Where are you going?" Moses called, sighed in slight annoyance before giving chase; He followed the lamb up the mountain known as Sinai. "Hey! Where you going??" He asked again as if expecting an answer. As Moses followed the lamb, he noticed a strange light in a corner. "What is this?" Moses followed the light. When Moses came to the place of the light, he saw a bush that was on fire, yet it did not burn up. "What?...." Moses said as he approaches bush. Then, he heard a gentle yet powerful voice call his name. "Moses........ Moses..." "Here I am." Moses said timidly. Suddenly out of the bush came a bright light which became a majestic white mare with a flowing mane and tail that was white and blue. "Who are you?" Moses asked. "I am Amalthea, the goddess of your father, of your ancestors: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." "I do not feel worthy of being before you…" Moses said humbly. "Do not be afraid." Amalthea said softly. "What do you want from me?" Amalthea replied solemnly, "I have seen the oppression of the Pegasi in Egrypt… And I have heard their cry." "I know…" Moses said, confirming his own witness to the horror. "So I have come down to deliver them out of slavery... and bring them to a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And so, unto the Griffon King, I shall send you." "ME?? What can I do? I was a Prince, I was part of their suffering! You have the wrong pony…" Amalthea calmly put a hoof under his chin, "Oh, Moses, I shall be with you when you go to the Pharaoh. But He will not listen. So I will stretch out My hoof... and smite Egrypt... with all My wonders." Moses looked overwhelmed at being in such presence of power and authority. "Take the staff in your hoof, Moses. With it, you shall do My wonders. Now go, I will be with you." She said before she disappears. Moses looked at his staff and was blown away by this. Moses took off down mountain, and rushed back to the camp to tell Zipporah, Moses then told her all he was told and saw. "But, Moses, you are just one stallion." Zipporah said trying to grasp what she was told. "I know...But Amalthea says I can do it." Zipporah turned away looking troubled, she didn't want him risking himself. "You and your family are all free here, but in Egrypt my tribe are slaves...." Zipporah seeing the truth in this and sensing the higher calling in it decided to show her support and smiles, "I'm coming with you." "I would love that." Moses said lovingly. So Moses took his wife and son, and returned to Egrypt, and he took the rod of Amalthea(his staff) in his hoof.