The Mummy

Hundreds of years passed and the ancient Pharaohs fell, time wasting away their kingdoms and bodies. Still the guardians of High Priest Metamorphosis's thrived, guarding the sacred temple. The Neighdjai they were called, the Royal Guards of old, tradition passed from parent to foal to defend with their lives the tomb of the fallen evil. Countless bodies had fallen in this place, the blood soiled with sand that dried on the spears of these mighty warriors. As evolution took its course, so did their weaponry. Simple spears, daggers and sword evolved into fearsome blades and guns, shining with the lustful light of death. Bullet shells and nicked blades littered the sand, buried underneath with the skeletons of the past invaders that had fallen prey to the insects that feasted on their rotting flesh. Even their own had died, impaled by a spear or with a bullet through their skulls by their enemies. But so far, none had succeeded in getting to the sole reason they stood there, hearts cold and eyes blazing.

The leader of the group stood forwards, white ears pricked and eyes narrowing against the calm wind. He could see ponies approaching, hooves thundering on the sands of Neighgypt. Unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies alike charged towards the city, eyes blazing. The vibrations came through the ground, faint but clear. The armored stallions behind him raised their spears and guns, muscles moving on pure memory as they snapped into positions, weapons at the ready. Wings snapped out behind them, the warriors bred to be pegasi only.

The advancing invasions had weapons of their own, fine blades and loaded guns ready for shooting. At the head of them was a grey stallion with a flyaway deep grey mane. In his teeth he held a ragged dagger, hooked to his vest he had no less than three guns complete with a pouch of bullets. The unicorn's blue eyes were blazing, set with determination. Beside him was an adult mare, her coat the color of the sand below them and her mane a scale of grey. In her mouth she carried a sword by the hilt, guns and bullets attached to her vest. Her eyes were bright magenta, lit by the fires of her will.

As the Neighdjai prepared to attack, they spotted another army approaching. The leader placed forehoof in the air, signalling for his troop to stop. "Wait. Let them kill themselves, we will take out the rest." He ordered. Each stiffened pair of wings curled back to their owner's sides and the pure white stallions sat back down, weapons going slack in their hooves. They watched from the top of the temple as the armies clashed, not even flinching as steel met steel and hoof met hoof. They caught the cruel flash of bullets from guns, flying bodies and blood soaking the sacred sand. Cold eyes observed with interest, watching as the armies destroyed each other.

The leader and the mare of the invaders leaped behind a broken column, sheltering themselves from the massacre. Bullets whizzed by their heads and they looked at each other, panting heavily. The stallion looked out from behind and pulled back as a bullet went right through his hat, narrowly missing his skull. "This place is more guarded then I suspected Corporal Do. What plan of attack do you suggest?" He asked quietly, wincing at another blood curdling scream from a dying soldier.

Daring Do pondered for a moment, rubbing her wounded shoulder. "Hmmm... The most I can suggest General Set is that we all regroup and- General?" She looked around to see that Jet Set was fleeing, blood speckling the ground behind him. One of the alabaster pegasi was chasing him, but the prey seemed to be outrunning the predator. She turned away with a cold glare, betrayal in her eyes. Arming herself with her blade, dripping with the blood of her Neighdjai, she hit her hooves against the ground and gave a mighty roar, leaping into the fray. She was swarmed upon by her predators, they set upon her like mosquitoes. She slashed her blade at feeble armor and brightly colored heads, aiming for their eyes. Blood flew across her pelt, from the wounds she inflicted to the ones inflicted upon her. Cuts opened up along her sides, face and even on her wings and legs. Greyscale hair and goldenrod fur flew, falling to the sand and showing little flashes of her raw, pale flesh.

Silence.

Daring Do looked at all the fallen bodies. Everypony was still, coughing their last breath or vomiting their own blood, but all were dead. She backed up, prepared for an ambush. Her flank bumped into something and she whirled around, tainted blade raised and eyes full of hate. "Trixie?" She asked, lowering her stance and inspecting the bloody unicorn. She put her blade in its hilt and inspected her closely. "We must be the only-" A bullet whizzed past and tore right trough her hat, sending it flying away, "Survivors." She grabbed the unicorn and pulled her behind a fallen pillar and they ducked just as another deadly piece of metal dug into the stone. The pegasus looked back and saw several of the opposing team running towards them. She loaded her pistol and fired, managing to take out most of them.

Click, click

Daring looked at her gun and ground her teeth. "Damn!" She snapped before turning tail and running from the sole survivor. Trixie had fled with what remained of herself and her pride, which wasn't much. The stupid coward. The Corporal skidded to a halt, narrowly avoiding being paste on a wall. She looked around and realized she'd been chased into a corner, cursing, she turned and saw the pistols aimed at her, ready to fire. With a gulp, the one proud mare raised her head, ready to feel cold steel tear through her throat. What she was met with was a fearful whinny and she opened confused eyes, seeing her opponents fleeing with their tails between their legs. Something swished in the corner of her eye and she noticed the sand swirling around her, on its own. Her hooves slapped at it, eyes widening fearfully as she jumped out of the movements of sand. She half expected scarabs to burrow into her or venomous teeth to sink into her leg, but it never came.

Before her, a face appeared in the sand. The face had no features that could identify it, just the face of a stallion. The mouth gaped and wind howled around the sacred city, like the sand figure was crying. With a loud scream, Daring Do fled the scene, much like the stallions who'd chased her there. She didn't look back once, eyes full of fear and horror as she escaped the terrifying being that had confronted her.

The Neighdjai still watched from atop the temple as Daring Do fled. A few spears were aimed at her, but the stallion in front shook his head. "Leave her. Her opponents will slay her or the heat of Neighgypt will roast her. She is doomed to die." He explained in his deep tone. With hesitance, the fearsome weapons were lowered and they watched as the speck retreated into the horizon, beyond their field of sight. Hamunaptrot was safe once more, no Neighdjai blood had been spilt and none of their blades were spoiled by fresh blood. Even as the intruders fled, they didn't move. Their eyes trained on the sand and sky, watching if anymore of the foreign adventurers dared test their might. Scarred warriors watched all day and night, taking shifts and making sure that not a moment was left unguarded. None would pierce their security and none would reach the tomb of Metamorphosis, not if they had anything to say about it, the stallions who spoke with violence instead of words.