With his mission to reclaim what was taken from his father and to liberate the oppressed ponies from slavery, Amun, having been sent by the Lord of Order, was heading back to Coltypt. He was going with his wife, Hathor, and his friend Monthu.
While crossing the desert, Amun couldn't stop thinking about how his people of the lower class, those who worked as slaves. His mental questions were answered when they reached Coltypt. Amun, along with Hathor and Montu, was quite impressed with how Coltypt had prospered, growing bigger and more sumptuous. However, all that had been achieved thanks to slave labor.
When passing by the slaves, they were able to see how they, even greatly exhausted and on the verge of succumbing to exhaustion, were trying to push and lift huge rocks and bags full of sand. Another change had occurred in the slave labor. When Amun was still living in Coltypt, children were spared of the hard labor, helping women on plantations or in other tasks, but now colts that were already old enough also worked in construction. Even when they fell exhausted on the floor, overseers made them get up to continue the work. Even the elderly didn’t escape.
Such a vision, though not affecting Amun as affected him before, couldn't pass by him unnoticed. But he would do everything to put an end to all that. Slavery had already enough reign. It was time to stop it.
"By the Lord of Order!" Monthu exclaimed, observing everything, while flying next to Amun and Hathor. "I never thought things were like this."
"It's even worse than the last time I was here" Hathor said.
"That is why we need to go ahead with the will of the Lord of Order" Amun said. "It's time for slavery in Coltypt to end once and for all."
Hathor and Monthu waved.
They then arrived to the palace, entering and being guided by guards to the Great Hall. When the guards opened the gates to them, they came in. It seemed there was some party, because there was a lot of ponies, all upper-class or upper-middle class, and even music and dancers. As they passed, ponies began to notice them, especially Amun, as they recognized him as the prince who fled after killing an overseer.
Then, at the top of the stairs in the back of the room, sitting in the big chair, was Khonsu, who had on his head the headdress crown which previously belonged to his father and, before him, to Amun’s father, Nefertem. On his right side, there were Hotep and Huy and, on his left side, was the one who should be his wife, who was a very pretty mare. Sitting at the top of the stairs, there was a colt, who couldn't have been more than seven, who should be Khonsu’s son. He was an unicorn and had the same coat and eyes as his father, but he had his mother's mane.
Noticing Amun’s presence, Khonsu raised the hoof and the music stopped. He couldn't believe that he was seeing his dear adoptive brother.
“Khonsu?” Amun asked, not wanting to believe who was the pharaoh.
Khonsu raised up, asking:
“Amun? Is it really?”
And he started getting down the stairs and adressing to Amun. Hotep e Huy, also astonished by Amun’s return, followed the pharaoh. Khonsu get to the edge of Amun with a great smile on his face and then he hugged him, exclaiming:
“Amun!”
“Khonsu!” Amun exclaimed, also happy to see him.
“Where have you been?!” Khonsu asked, while hugging him so hard. “I took you dead.”
Khonsu stopped the hug and Amun said, astonished:
“Look at you! Pharaoh.”
“Well, look at you” Khonsu said, noticing Amun’s scruffy air and staff. “What on earth are you like that?”
Amun dropped a laugh and then said, hugging Khonsu:
“Khonsu, it’s so good to see you.”
“Excuse, Your Majesty” Hotep said to Khonsu, making him and Amun to stop their hug. “We are compelled to remind you this stallion committed a serious crime against the Lord of Chaos.”
“We are loathe to bring it up, mind you” Huy continued.
“The law clearly states the punishment for such a crime…” Hotep started.
“Death!” Huy finished, increasing a little bit his voice.
“We hesitate to say it” Hotep said.
“Be still” Khonsu ordered to the two priests. “Pharaoh speaks.”
He then started to say, addressing to everypony who was in that room:
“I am the morning and the evening star.”
“Khonsu…” Amun said, knowing that he had to do what he came to do.
But Khonsu made a gesture to him to stop talking and he proceeded:
“It shall be as I say. I pardon forever all crimes of which he stands acused and will have it know that he is our brother Amun, the Prince of Coltypt.”
And he finished putting his hooves on Amun’s shoulder, leaving the priests openmouthed and the crowd starting talking among themselves. What Khonsu just did only turned things harder to Amun. However, he couldn’t go back, so, filling himself with courage, Amun said:
“Khonsu, in my heart, you are my brother, but things cannot be as they were.”
“I see no reason why not” Khonsu answered.
“You don’t know who I really am” Amun said. “You don’t who my parents were. I’m the son of the Pharaoh Nefertem, the older brother of your father Seti.”
That made everypony who were in that room completely astonished, except for Hathor and Montu who already knew.
“What?” Khonsu asked, taking his hoof off Amun’s shoulder.
“And the Lord of Order came to me” Amun continued. “He commands that you stand down from the title of pharaoh and give it to the rightful heir so people of Coltypt can be freed from the influence of his evil brother.”
“The Lord of Order?” Khonsu asked, stretching again a smile. “The brother of the Lord of Chaos, the lord of the pharaoh whose way of ruling would bring Coltypt to ruin? He commands me?”
Knowing that Khonsu would not believe in his word without a proof, Amun lifted his staff and said:
“Behold… the power of Order.”
And he put the lowest end of the staff on the ground and dropped it. The staff stayed vertical for a while, but then it shook and, before everypony’s eyes, the staff turned into a snake, which hissed to Khonsu, while expanding its torax. Everypony, including Hathor and Montu, stayed in a mix of astonish and fear, as turning some unanimated object into a living being was something that few had done. Furthermore, they saw that Amun didn’t access to his magic. Even Hotep and Huy were a little impressed. Khonsu retained his smile and then said:
“Well… impressive. Very well, Amun. I’ll play along. Hotep. Huy. Give this snake charmer our answer.”
And he retreated to his chair, while Hotep and Huy advanced with a mischievous smile. Using, their magic, their summoned also two staffs and, after waving them on the air, they crossed to each other, creating a flash of light that obfuscated everypony present for a few seconds and, when the light disappeared, in place of the staffs there were two snakes that the priests launched to the ground to face Amun’s snake.
Everypony, except Hathor and Montu, became very excited by what their priests had just done, but it was when something happened that took their excitement. Hotep and Huy’s snakes stared and hissed to Amun’s, which also stared and hissed to them.
It was then that one of the priests’ snake approached Amun’s and then the latter attacked the former, starting to devour it, something that caused some exclamations and screams. After that, the other snake also approached Amun’s, but it was also devoured by it. The two priests were shocked, seeing their snakes being devoured like preys by Amun’s snake. Khonsu, on other hand, had a smile. He seemed to had enjoyed what just happened.
“Very impressive” he said to Amun, while he approached his snake. “I have to say it was very… amusing.”
The snake approached its owner and Amun took it and raised it and the snake turned into a staff again. Khonsu raised up from his chair an approached Amun, saying to him:
“What if we go talk to a quieter place?”
Amun turned to Hathor and Montu who nodded to him. He then agreed with Khonsu. The two then went to the throne room. While entering and the doors closed behind them, Khonsu said, while addressing to the throne and taking off the headdress crown:
“All right, Amun. I know you. What’s this really about?”
Amun thought about the words he would use with harming his friendship with Khonsu. He then repaired the great windows, where it could see the slaves working nearby. He approached them and asked:
“Khonsu, look. What do you see?”
Khonsu also approached and, although seeing the same thing as Amun, his look didn’t have the sorrow and sympathy Amun’s had. He answered:
“A greater Coltypt than that of my father.”
“That is not what I see.”
Khonsu chuckled and then said, sitting on the throne and putting the headdress crown on one of its arms:
“Amun, I cannot change what you see. I have to maintain the ancient traditions. I bear the weight of my father’s crown.”
“Crown that didn’t belonged to him to begin with” Amun replied. “Your father stole it from mine to gain the throne.”
“What my father told me was that yours didn’t want to bring Coltypt to prosperity” Khonsu said. “But don’t worry, I don’t think you inherited his bad blood.”
And he laughed of his own joke. Amun didn’t laugh and asked:
“Do you still not understand what Seti was?”
“He was a great leader” Khonsu answered.
“His hooves bore the blood of my father and thousands of children” Amun replied, hoping that would open Khonsu’s eyes. “He killed them only to secure his power.”
“Those children were only slaves” he answered.
“My people” Amun corrected him. “Our people. And I can no longer hide in the desert while they suffer… at your hooves.”
Hearing Amun talking that, Khonsu could see the certain in his eyes. He was really serious about what he just said and that made sorrow appear in his face, while saying:
“So… you have returned… only to free them. And for that… you have to… take the crown for me.”
Amun used his magic to took the bracelet Khonsu once gave to him and then place it on the other arm of the throne.
“I’m sorry” Amun said. “But I will not force you. That is not the way of the Lord of Order. He wants you to acknowledge him as your lord and to do the right thing.”
Khonsu took the bracelet with his magic and looked at it, recording the moment he gave it to Amun, when they were true brothers.
“I had hoped… that…”
And he closed his eyes to think in what to do. It was then that Amun could sense it. It was something cold and terrifying. Then, for a moment, he saw it. It was a wave of darkness, surrounding Khonsu. It should be the influence of the Lord of Chaos. That couldn’t be good.
Then Khonsu opened his eyes, with no sign of sorrow on it, but pride and anger. He raised up, used his magic to put the headdress crown on his head and said:
“I do not know this Lord and I will never acknowledge him over the Lord of Chaos.”
He advanced and, when passing for Amun, said to him:
“Neither will I give the crown to you.”
He passed by him, shocking his shoulder against his with strength, and addressed to the doors of the throne room, with Amun turning to him and saying:
“Khonsu, please, you must listen…”
The Pharaoh then turned to him and exclaimed:
“I will not be the weak link!”
Hearing him telling that, Amun realized that the words that Seti told to Khonsu when they were young still affected him and it was making him be like that. Khonsu advanced to the doors and, once he opened them, told to Amun:
“Tell your slaves as of today… their workload doubled, tanks to your Lord of Order. Or is it thanks… to you?”
And the doors closed behind him.
The Lord of Chaos observed the scene through one of his mirrors, sitting on his throne, and said:
"It seems that the young prince decided to return. And it seems that my dear brother did a great job with him. However, I have Khonsu under my total influence, as happened with his father before him. Nothing and nopony, not even Amun, will change that. Coltypt will continue to be mine."
And he laughed.