//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: The Ritual // Story: Daring Do and the City of the Dead // by sonicdash123 //------------------------------// The next morning after escaping the mob, the group arrived at Hamunoptrot on their raptors. They got off and walked towards the entrance to the city. "So is there a plan?" Charming Thunder asked. "We find the Book of the Living, kill Mumma-Ra, and leave this place," Daring Do explained. "Simple enough, right?" "Got it." Daring Do held the torch as she led the others through the halls of the city. "Any idea what this Horus guy looks like?" Applejack asked. "Big fellow with pointy ears and a head of a falcon." "Right. Got it." The group then came across a collapsed doorway and Charming Thunder along with Applejack, Phantom Lord, Daring Do, Khem, and Danny began to dig through it. Moondancer looked around while she waited and noticed an amethyst scarab on the wall. "What have we here," Moondancer said as she used her magic to break it loose and levitates it to her hoof. "Everypony, come look at this." The cocoon broke and a live scarab beetle began to hiss and burrow into her arm. She screamed as the scarab crawls inside her. The group noticed her screaming and rushed to her. "What?" Charming Thunder asked. "MY ARM!! MY ARM!!" The group then noticed the scarab inside her arm as it continues to burrow up. "Hold her," Danny ordered. "I got this." Charming Thunder and Daring Do held Moondancer still as Danny used his ghost powers to put his hoof inside hers and grab the scarab and threw it across the room. Charming Thunder took a few steps back in fear and hid behind a pile of rubble as the scarab tried to crawl back to them. Spike shot the scarab with his Plasma Pistol killing it in the process. Charming Thunder peeped his head out of the rubble and looked at Moondancer. "Once again Moondancer, your curiosity got yourself into trouble," Charming Thunder said. "Sorry," Moondancer said shyly. --------------------- A blaster shot echoed the cemetery as Mumma-Ra sets up the ritual and looked up angrily. Rarity smiled and whispered, "Spikey." Mumma-Ra reached into one of the jars and pulled out the dust of Nephitaph's remains and blows it to the mausoleum wall. He then read from the Book of the Dead and the wall suddenly began to moan. Two horrific looking corpses burst out of the wall and slowly walked up to Mumma-Ra. The corpses then bowed to their high priest as Mumma-Ra pointed to a direction for them to go and ordered, "Kill them. And wake up the others." Mumma-Ra's priests walked away from him as they obeyed him. Rarity was concerned about one thing and asked, "What does this ritual have to do with me if I may ask?" "You are required for this ritual because you have a heart, brain, liver, intestines, and kidneys. You are my sacrifice to bring my lovely Nephitaph back to life." Mumma-Ra back hoofed Rarity to knock her out cold and he picked her up to place her on the altar and chained her front hooves up. --------------------- Charming Thunder was the first to squeeze through a small crevice along with the others and drops down into a dark chamber. He looked around and saw one of the ancient mirrors in the distance. He drew his blaster pistol and fired at the mirror to fix the mirror so the light can reflect to the other mirrors and light up the room. The room they are now standing in is full of treasure overflowing the room. The group was speechless while Phantom Lord bounced with excitement. They then slowly walked down the stairs as they looked at the sparkling treasure. "Guess it's your lucky day, Phantom Lord," Daring Do said. "It's like our first adventure all over again," Charming Thunder said. A hoof popped out of the sand and Mumma-Ra's priests burst out of the sand. "Who on earth are they?" "Priests," Danny said. "Mumma-Ra's priests." "Fair enough." Spike and Charming Thunder fired their weapons while Khem and Danny drew their weapons and chopped down some corpses into pieces. Phantom Lord fired his missile from his jet pack and blew them up to pieces. The group then backed up through the halls leaving the treasure room as they continued to fire at the walking corpses. "This whole place is coming alive." They then entered the chamber where the statue of Horus stood. "Hello, Horus ol' boy," Moondancer said. The mummies continued to walk through the hallways as they approached the group. Charming Thunder took out a thermal detonator and activated it. "Time to close the door!!" Charming Thunder said before he threw it down the passageway. The group took cover and the detonator exploded causing a cave in and sealing the passageway with rock and dirt. --------------------- Rarity slowly woke up as she realized that she is now chained up tight on top of the altar. She stopped and noticed Mumma-Ra's mummy priests surrounding the altar and kneel down as they begin to chant. Mumma-Ra steps up to the altar carrying the Book of the Dead. Laying next to Rarity is a corpse of a pharaoh hound covered with bandages. Mumma-Ra opened up the book with the key and puts it away in his robes. --------------------- Phantom Lord fired his wrist grapple at the seam of the secret compartment of the statue while Spike and Charming Thunder kept an eye on the opening passageway. They then see shadows of more mummies heading their way through the halls. "Why can't these guys just quit while they have a chance?" Charming Thunder said angrily. Phantom Lord then began to pull with the help of Daring Do, Applejack, and Khem while Charming Thunder and Spike fired their weapons at the approaching mummies. The secret compartment opened and sprayed out salt acid. The group stood away from the blast and then rushed up to the compartment once it faded away. Spike laid a suppressive fire on the approaching mummies while Khem pulled a chest out of the compartment. Moondancer opened it up and reached in the bag to take out the golden book. "The Book of Living," Moondancer said amazed. Spike's Plasma Repeater ran out of juice while Charming Thunder's blaster did the same. He then felt Khem's clawed hand on his shoulder and looked at him. "{Save your friend,}" Khem said. "{Kill the monster.}" He then drew his sword and charged at the approaching mummies chopping them down one by one in order to hold them off and allow Charming Thunder and the others to escape. Charming Thunder activates another thermal detonator and throws it at a wall. "Get down!!" Charming Thunder shouted. The group then ducked for cover as the wall blew up a hole on the wall for them to get out. "Let's go." The group rushed into the hole while Moondancer held the golden book following them. --------------------- Mumma-Ra reads from the Book of the Dead while the mummies rock back and forth chanting. A mist suddenly appeared and flew over the jars and Rarity then entered Nephitaph's skeletal corpse. The eyes glowed blue and she turned her head to face Rarity. Rarity screamed as she looked at Nephitaph and she starts to struggle. She then notices Mumma-Ra holding a sacrificial knife over her chest. "With your death, my love and I will be invincible!" He raised up the knife about to plunge it down, but was interrupted when he heard a voice coming from up top of the stairs. "Looking for this, old stallion," Moondancer shouted. Mumma-Ra's eyes widened as he looked at the golden book that is held in her hooves. "The Book of the Living!!" Charming Thunder, Spike, and Danny were hiding at each corner of the room. Charming Thunder held the Star Saber, Danny with his two Dark Sabers, and Spike with his Energy Sword as they waited for a right moment to strike. Once Mumma-Ra was about to walk up the stairs, they then ran out of the shadows and he turned to see the three approaching the altar. "Destroy them!!" The priests stood up and started to attack the trio. Spike slashed at one of the chains restraining Rarity as the others attacked the mummies. The room was now clear with mummy corpses lying on the floor while Spike slashes off the other chain restraining Rarity and helps her up. Moondancer hid from Mumma-Ra as he searched for her. "Maybe if I read from the cover," Moondancer thought as she started to read an inscription. "Lets see....Rasheem oola Kashka!" Chanting was heard at the altar while Charming Thunder and the others turned to see a group of mummy soldiers approaching and turned to the trio aiming their swords and spears at them. "This just keeps getting better and better," Danny said. "Do something, Moondancer," Charming Thunder said. "Me?" Moondancer said. "You can command them by finishing the inscription on the cover in order to control them." "Oh, right." Moondancer then ran off as Mumma-Ra turned his attention to the trio as they were backing away from the mummies. Nephitaph slowly got up from the altar and grabbed the sacrificial knife then approached Rarity from behind. She was then tackled by Daring Do as Charming Thunder turned to see her fighting Nephitaph. The soldiers then leap over the water and land in front of Charming Thunder, Spike, and Rarity. Phantom Lord then arrived to the scene and did a battle cry at them. The mummy soldiers roared back which gave them the chills and deflected their approaching strikes. Phantom Lord burned an approaching mummy with his flamethrower and then kicked him to the water. "Daring Do, I can't figure out the last symbol." Daring Do wrestled Nephitaph as she asked, "What does it look like?" Danny used his ghost powers to posses one of the soldiers and control its actions to attack the others. He then got out of its body and used the force to throw the spear at the mummy he controlled. "It's a uh, a bird. A stork." Charming Thunder blocked the strikes and countered with a leg sweep and stabbed the downed mummy soldier in the chest. Daring Do struggled to break free from Nephitaph's grasp while she tried to gasp out a word to Moondancer. "Ahmenophus!!" Daring Do then shoved Nephitaph off of her and continued her fight. "Oh, yeah. I see." Spike struck his enemies down with his Energy Sword and met up with Charming Thunder and the others who are now surrounded by the mummies as the group stood back to back. "Hootash im Ahmenophus!" When the guards were about to strike, they suddenly froze into place with their weapons pointed at the group. They then raised their weapons and stood their in place like a statue. "DESTROY THEM!!" Mumma-Ra ordered. "I COMMAND YOU TO DESTROY THEM!!" Daring Do shoved Nephitaph away from her while Moondancer read another inscription. "Fa-Kooshka Nephitaph!" The soldiers then turned and marched towards Nephitaph as they raised their weapons. "NO!" Nephitaph turned to see the soldiers approaching her. This angered Mumma-Ra and turned to Moondancer. "Give me that book!!" Moondancer took a few steps back when a scream was heard from Nephitaph. "NEPHITAPH!!" Mumma-Ra watched as the soldiers stabbed Nephitaph and kill her. He became angry and grabbed Moondancer by the neck. "I'll kill you for this!!" Charming Thunder leaps in the air and chops off the hoof holding her. Mumma-Ra turned to face Charming Thunder as he kept his balance. He then stood on his hind hooves and grabbed Charming Thunder and threw him across the cemetery. He then grabbed his sliced off arm and took off his robe while he puts his arm back on. "I got the key, Daring Do." Moondancer rushed on over to Daring Do and gives her the key as she held the golden book. "Keep him busy," Daring Do said. Mumma-Ra punched Charming Thunder and throws him back. "Already ahead of you," Charming Thunder replied. Daring Do opened the golden book and flipped through pages to find a way to kill Mumma-Ra as Moondancer holds it for her. Charming Thunder tried to crawl away, but was grabbed by Mumma-Ra and lifted up. "Looks like it's your turn to die now," Mumma-Ra said. "I got it!" Daring Do said. "Kadeesh mal! Kadeesh mal! Pared oos! PARED OOS!!" Mumma-Ra looked at Daring Do and suddenly sees ancient Haygyptian spirits flying towards him and attacked him. They then took his soul back to the underworld and leaving him alive. Charming Thunder rolled away from him and stood up next to Daring Do and Moondancer. Mumma-Ra turned to them and slowly walked up to them. "I thought you said it was going to kill him!!" Charming Thunder said. Mumma-Ra prepared his punch strike when a vibro sword suddenly stabbed him in the chest. Khem was the one who stabbed him and lifted him up with his blade. "{You are mortal now,}" Khem said as he pulled the sword out of Mumma-Ra's chest. He held his wound as he collapsed to the floor. He then looked at the group and spoke in ancient Haygiptian as his body turned into dust. "Death is only the beginning," Moondancer translated.