//------------------------------// // Troubling Encounters // Story: Hope Lives again // by Velvet-Fresh //------------------------------// Canterlot City, Canterlot High School While Applebloom was going to her locker, she hear a commotion of coming from the side doors going to the soccer field. Sensing something is wrong she hurried out the door and head for the field. Hearing the shouts. Groaning at the sight that greets her as she moves past the crowd. Seeing the mummified woman ontop of a tree surrounded by the soccer team and their couch. "Oh no.." she muttered. The coach tapping his arm as he glared up. "Young lady, get down from there. Which school are you from? Did they ask you to come here to spy on us?" "Oh, no sir. I'm not from any of these 'school' you speak off.. I'm just watching cause it seems like fun." Somnambula smiled down at them, kicking her legs. "Are you alright, you have alot of bandages" he asked after noticing them . "Get a ladder for our friend here!" he orders one of the students. They were about to go but Somnumbula called out. "No need" she dismount and lands on her feet with a thud. "Hiya, I'm Somnambula, I'm alright. Sorry, I just enjoy watching the children playing that ball game. It looks fun." Applebloom goes over before things escalate. "Umm sorry Coach, she's staying with mah family. She musta came with Granny. She means no harm" she explained, the coach sighed. "Alright, maam. Be careful next time, you're lucky you were on the tree branch. Getting hit by the ball will hurt." he nods. "Ladies, get back to practice. Applebloom, go back inside you don't have PE or anything today." he nodded to her. Getting the message the young preteen grabbed the mummy's arm and practically dragged her back indoors. "Do you really need to be here?" she hissed through her teeth as soon as they past the door "I can take care of myself just fine. This is a school, i'm safe here." she insisted. "Be as it may young mistress, but I need to stay close just incase something happ-" "Mistress" the Sphinx called out from the amulet."I sense darkness back outside!" Both Bloom and Somnambula rushed out, Bloom eyes gasp as the soccer team ran off the field and their Coach and a few members on the floor clearly injured. "Something like that" she glared at the figures on the field, featureless men that look like they were made of stone brandishing maces . One dropped a groaning student onto the field. "Shabtis... " she growled the words out. "SPHINXIE!" Instead of correcting her due to the urgency. "Yes Mistress!" Somnambula held her arms out, crossing them over her chest. ""With the Strength of Ra, I call upon your power. Sphinx!" Applebloom's amulet glowed brightly, as a light shot out, forming behind Somnambula, growing to the size of a barn, from the light a paw strike the ground. The Sphinx flared her wings as she gave a mighty roar, Somnamnula was not phased as her body began to glow In response, the Sphinx also shone brightly, its wings still flared challengingly. The light changed shape slowly, forming around Somnambula thrust her arms apart, shattering the light. One of her hand clenched, brandishing sharp claw gauntlets while the other hand reached out. The light shatters as it grasps something which appears to be a curved sword. The figure flips, the remaining light shattering as a feline roar is heard. Somnambula, now clad in armor and a feline style face helmet, she lift her head up with narrowed eyes as she prepares for combat. With a feline like growl Somnambula pounces on the nearest golem. It tried to counter but she ducked away from it's strike as she shove her claw onto it's stomach cracking it she twist her body and tossed it toward two other Shabtis shattering all of them. She rolls away from a mace attack, slashes her kopesh dismembering the stone golem minion before she finished it off with a sharp uppercut that shattered it's head. She slashes, slicing apart another's chest causing it to shatter. She ducked down from a sideswipe and jump back when a mace smashes down onto the floor where she once stood. Bloom watches in Awe as she meeps as more formed behind her mummified friend "Watch out!" she shout. Somnambula made a noise of disappointment at being caught off guard and now surrounded. But one was shoved to the ground as a blur rushed by it. The blur stops showing a young teenager with rainbow hair in a unique looking dress and a glowing necklace. "Yo, need backup?~" she asked the woman with a grin, and takes ahold of her glowing gem necklace and evaded the upcoming attacks from the enemies. She zipped out of reach and dash backed forward, using her momentum she thrust her leg breaking one of their abdomen and causing it to crash onto the ground from the impact. She lowers her leg with a smirk. "Oh yeah~" a large boulder then crushes another Shabti before it even realizes anything. As Bloom looks over and sees her sister Applejack. "SIS!" she calls out. "Well, now, what in tarnation is going on here?" she inquired, wearing a dress and her ponytail had grown longer. The rainbow haired girl also sporting similar long her and feathered wings, flared up aggressively . "These vermints giving you trouble Bloom?" "No Sis, but they hurt the coach and others! Help Somnambula" she pleaded. Casually lifting her hand catching a mace about swung down at her. "Sure, now sit back lil sis. It's dangerous" she grip her necklace, an orange aura glow surrounds her, she grips tight and yank the mace out of the golem's hand, tossing it to her other hand and swings it destroying the Shabti. "Lets dance pander" she grins as she steps up alongside Dash, as they both then rush in to deal with the remaining threats. Somnambula backflips out of a swing as her attack grumbled from a swing from Applejack. "Thank you, but be careful. There are some left." "Pft. Careful my middle name." Dash boasted as she zips around, tripping up 3 golems, making them crash hard onto the ground. "Ah thought it was Ma-" AJ commented while she backhanded a Shabti trying to sneak behind her. "NO! Not infront of the bad guys!" She blushed and grumbles, ducking her head avoiding a strike, glaring at AJ. Applejack lifting up a flailing golem high above her head, chuckles. "Ah'm just teasing sugarcube, now duck" she chucks it overhead. Dash ducked making it crash against the remaining foes, shattering them all. Somnambula finished off her opponent, was walking towards them. "You fight well young ones. I do sense some kind of energy from you though." with a flick, she gave a quick burst of light as Sphinx materialize on her shoulder, the mummy now armorless with a smile. "Which god blessed you with your magical abilities?" Rainbow snorted "A purple princess. I'm Rainbow Dash, so you're the mummy AJ was talking about? I gotta say you fight awesomely. " She grins "And what kind of hook sword did you use?" "Hook sword? I used a kopesh, its a weapon used by my people." she explain Both girls glow, now back to their ordinary clothing once again and shorter hair. AJ hums as she narrowed her eyes. "You knew these varmints don't you?" With a sigh Somanbula nodded. "They are Shabtis, golems fused with dark magic. This means one thing.."her gaze hardened "The man that killed my daughter; Anubis has returned. Unknown Location A wizened hand reached out, clutching hard onto the chair's armrest, an ancient man sighing as he leans out of the shadows. Revealing an unknown man wearing the Anubis mask. He raised her hand towards more golems "The soul of the pure." he chuckles "Go, watch them. The priestess has awaken, we'll bide our time for now. The soul of the young princess will be mine soon enough." he leans back as he dismissed his minions. Slinking back into the shadows, his soft breathing is the only indication he's still there. As the red eyes of his mask glow menacingly.