"That… Sucked!" Hibiki mutters while lying on top of the blue-haired woman post-explosion.
"Yeah…'' Wendy slowly agrees, simply just relieved they escaped such a stressful situation.
"Damnit!… What's all that ruckus? Can't a God read in peace!" A foreign voice unrecognizable to the pair could be heard. They immediately get up from the ground to look up at the opening golden doors of the library. Out from the corner of the opened door a tall black bird's head peeping out to inspect all the commotion, said head then looks down at the two girls currently sitting on the floor.
"Oh shit… You two survived!?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, It's about time! I was wondering when you two would pass the Sphinx's test." The God says now fully opening up the door, he then clears his throat.
"Welcome to the infinite library, I suppose..." Thot says as he looks down at the pair, not up mind you, but down. The God in question was no longer in his small baboon form, he was now in a much taller and sleek form, one that hovered over the two ladies. Wearing a black robe, topped with the cap of an ancient scholar, in front of that cap held a similar 'moon disk' like the one Wendy retrieved earlier, and his face was not one of a monkey, but one of an ibis. His small black eyes averted from the sisters as he turned around to re-enter the library through its large golden doors.
"Is that…?"
"Yea I think so… he gives off the same presence." The two whisper to one another as they slowly enter into That's humble abode. Once fully submerged, the pair are left in awe at the grand spectacle before them. The infinite library, true to its name, seemed to be Boundless. Large stretches of bookshelves talking high and mighty stretched across the vast room, seemingly reaching no end. Every bookshelf was filled with the brim of books of different sizes and shapes, each holding vast amounts of knowledge all stretching from today to the beginning of creation.
"Amazing…" Hibiki says, her eyes shining like marbles as she's left flabbergasted at the sight before her.
"So this is the Infinite Library… not bad..." Wendy says equally mesmerized.
"Yes, this is my tomb, the land where all the knowledge discovered throughout all time is safeguarded. From the days of Ra fighting against Apohpis on his sun boat to the battles of the Gods of today, all knowledge, all of history, all of wisdom, is encapsulated right here." The two look up to the god in question.
"Wait, all time!? So that means everything that has happened, and will happen is kept here." Hibiki says.
"Yes little girl, as I'm sure you're aware, time isn't linear, it's all happening at once, so everything that will happen has already been enscripted in the novels within here. Everything can be considered history while you coincide within my tomb."
"Wow…" The two are left stunned at this revelation before a thought creeps nto Wendy's mind.
"Wait… if that's the case? Then don't you already know how the stories are going to end?" Thot looks at the woman for a moment before trudging along the path, his voice echoing through the vast expanse of the Infinite Library.
"Not Necessarily."
"What do you mean?"
"You must understand, time in its essence is not a straight path we tread upon. It exists in a complex weave, all moments entangled, happening simultaneously. Thus, everything that will ever occur is already chronicled within these ancient volumes. Here, within the confines of my realm, all of time is history, and you walk among its echoes. While it's true that the archives of the future are within these walls, I am bound by a cosmic covenant not to peer into what is to come. I am to navigate the river of time as mortals do, moment by moment. My role is to gather and safeguard the knowledge as it unfolds, ensuring that the wisdom of the ages is preserved. The future, and its mysteries, remain untouched and sacred, even to me." He pauses for a moment before finishing.
"What lies ahead is veiled, a path only to be walked in its own time, a rule that even I, Thoth, the keeper of knowledge, must adhere to."
The explanation hung in the air, a testament to the balance of power and restraint that governed the realms of gods and men alike.
"However there is a way for me to see into the future, the way I've bestowed knowledge to my followers in the past."
"How?" The girls ask.
"With this… '' Thot stands within his monostol that rested in the center of the library, surrounding him where the current books and scriptures he was currently in the process of working on. A few pens and ink can be seen scattered around as well amongst some loose papers. It looked similar to a business executive's messy office, but behind a stack of books, is a large blue stone, seemingly made out of limestone. Its shape was similar to the old Rosetta Stone that was discovered in Egypt in 1799. This orb glowed with cosmic power, similarly to the spirits, its radiance knew no bounds.
"What is that…!" The two say as they look mesmerized at the orb.
"This is the Oracle, the sacred stone of Prophecies."
"Prophecies…?" Hibiki tilts her head to the left.
"Yes… A premonition for events yet to come. This stone is the only peak into the future that we are allowed to consume. This stone uses the ancient hieroglyphics I created to be the conduit through which the divine whispers of possibility are heard. It does not show the future as a certainty but rather, the interpretation of what the long-term effects these events may have on the gods and mankind."
Wendy stepped closer, the allure of the Oracle drawing her in. The light it cast danced across her face, each movement of the luminescent glow revealing new possibilities, new hopes, and fears. "So, you can use this to see what might happen?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to disturb the sacred silence of the library.
"Yes, and no…" Thoth replied, "The visions granted by the Oracle are riddles and phrases, enshrouded in metaphor and allegory. Interpreting them requires wisdom beyond mere knowledge.
Hibiki, still fixated on the mesmerizing glow of the Oracle, found her thoughts wandering to the battles they faced, and the struggles ahead. "Can it show us if we're going to defeat the remaining sins?" she asked, her curiosity piqued by the notion of peering into the threads of their own destinies.
Thoth sighed, "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.-'Socrates '" He quotes before continuing.
"To seek such answers is to tread a dangerous path. Knowledge of what might be can as easily lead to ruin as it can to salvation. Humans who seek to know their own destinies and struggle to fight against it always end up causing that future to happen in one way or another. The Oracle's visions are a gift, but they must be sought with caution and interpreted with care." Hibiki's shoulders fall in disappointment.
"I understand… forgive me for my hubris, Lord Thot." Hibiki says giving her apologies and respect to the deity.
"Don't apologize child, you asked for a noble reason after all…" Wendy, previously lost in her pondering, speaks up again.
"So Thot, not too long ago we spoke with the Pope. He told us of this prophecy about two young girls with a high spiritual connection, who would unite together, to vanquish a great evil…" Wendy says, invoking the Pope's words.
"Yes Heroine, you are right to assume that prophecy, just like all others, had come from this oracle." Wendy is then taken aback by his remark.
"Heroine?" The god looks over to the girl before speaking up.
"Hmm… oh yes forgive me, It was my understanding that you had already been made aware. The oracle informed me not too long ago of that prophecy, and using the knowledge I've accumulated in recent times, I pinpointed your identity shortly after. Thus uncovering the chosen Heroine of this Era, that being you, Wendy Tategami." Hibiki's eyes sparkle at this.
"Wow! Amazing, so even the oracle can see Onee-sama is a true superhero!" Thot laughs at this for a moment before continuing.
"I suppose so… However, I would like to clarify my specific use of words. The Oracle states her to be the Heroine, but not necessarily the Hero…" They too look confused at this.
"Hmm? Is there a difference?" Wendy asks.
"Usually there wouldn't be, but this era in time is quite different than previous ones. As you have been made aware, there are many gods in this world, some coming off of different pantheons. With this stretch of deities, many gods can end up sharing similar titles or Origin. For instance, two gods can both be considered Fire Gods, or Gods of War. However, in any given era, only one god can hold the title of 'Hero'."
"Wow, is that title really that important?" Wendy asks out.
"Yes, in fact, names are actually quite an important concept in this world."
"Wait, then who's the Hero?"
"Amun… Well, you might not know him by that name… I suppose I should refer to him as, Scyron Tategami." Wendy is left stunned, not expecting to hear the voice of her childhood friend muttered by the sacred deity. Hibiki is also left stunned for a moment, but for a very completely different reason than her Onee-sama.
"Scyron… wait Amun! You don't mean…!" Hibiki yells out, triggering a feeling of annoyance to stir up in Thot.
"Shh keep your voice down. This is still a library after all." Hibiki slouches down for a moment.
"Hehe… sorry." Thot nods his head in disapproval before continuing.
"Yes, well to be more precise, I'm referring to the reincarnation of Amun the Golden Creator God, Tategami." The two are left speechless upon this revelation. Wendy thinks back to her time with her childhood friend, to her he just seemed like your average guy. Not someone who was the reincarnation of an old primordial god, to think he had such an incredible backstory all this time. Hibiki was even more conflicted, she had already written off this man to be her love rival, battling for the heart of her Onee-sama, but now she's found out he's the direct reincarnation of history's oldest gods. A man who was once a part of the Sun God, the head of the entire pantheon. "That's just not fair!" The girl screams out in her head.
"Ronny… So his real name, it's Amun?"
"Derived from Atum-Ra, when fighting against Apohpis; the God of Chaos, he was separated into two beings after receiving a vicious blow. Ra, losing the 'Atum' aspect of his name, the former would take the form of 'Amun', symbolizing his separation from Ra; the Sun. "
"Wow…" That is all Wendy can say about the news.
"So then why exactly are we both considered the Heroes…?" Thot then flips through a few pages before posing a book labeled the Two Factions.
"It is due to this, that you both represent the two sides of Egyptian Mythology, the Sun faction and the Moon faction."
"Sun and Moon?" The two questions.
"Yes during the first age of God's, there was a conflict in deciding how to deal with the looming threat of Apophis, him being a primordial entity that surpassed even the essence of Ra. Many have tried to come up with a solution to cancel out his blight on the world. As a result, the two heads' ideals clashed, dividing the pantheon into two factions, the Sun; Ra, and the Moon; Khonshu.
"Khonshu…?"
"Yes, Ra being the King of God's ruling over the earth and the heavens, Konshu was his surrogate, ruler of the moon and the entire cosmos. "
"That's so weird… I feel like we never heard much about him…" Hibiki says recalling her sister's studies, she had learned the stories and origins of many gods, all except for him.
"That's true, in his legend Konshu asks for his history to be kept private, not allowing his merits to be publicized like other gods. However he still was held in high regard, he was hailed by both his daughters, Isis and Nephthys, leading his own section of God's that rivaled that of Ra." Thot seemingly found the page he was looking for before showcasing a page in the old book.
"Here, this is a layout of the dividation."
Ra's Faction (The Sun): Amun Horus Bastet Sekhmet Hathor Mut Tefnut Shu
Khonshu's Faction (The Moon): Thoth Nephthys Isis Osiris Anubis Serqet Sobek Ptah
"Dang… that's about all of them!" Hibiki says while looking through the list.
"Wow… 18 huh…" She says, thinking back to the other two Gods she has an image of. Though she couldn't help but think how Set wasn't on the list.
"Yes, back to my explanation. You being the Spirit Goddess, by proxy are associated with Hathor, mother of the spirits. Thus, you are a successor to the Moon Fauction, While Amun is the successor to the Sun faction with his association with Ra. Making you two, the two Heroes."
"I see, so our fates have been intertwined by forces outside of our control. Just like Minami Kōtarō, and his brother Nobuhiko!" Wendy says with a finger gun to her chin expression."
"Eh?" Thot looks confused.
"Oh boy…" Hibiki puts on a chibi expression, knowing exactly where this is going.
"Minami Kōtarō, Kamen Rider Black. After getting turned into a cyborg by the evil organization Gorgon, alongside his adoptive brother/childhood friend, Nobuhiko, who would eventually lead the evil organization as Shadow Moon, would find himself at odds with his brother. Solidifying their epic rivalry of good vs evil, brother vs brother, Sun vs Moon!" The room is left speechless by the girl expressing in detail about her niche.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the beautiful and complex narrative of 1987's classic Kamen Rider Black."
"Kamen Rider… You mean the Children's Tv show!?" Hearing these words uttered, made Wendy's confident demeanor falter slightly.
"Yes…" She says surprisingly timidly.
"Young girl, please we are having a serious conversation, please leave your personal taste and interest out of it."
"Yes sir…" She says dejectedly, feeling shamed for giving into her fangirl tendencies.
"Chotto! Yes, it may be childish, but I've learned Kamen Rider has many powerful messages for viewers of all ages. Especially for those seeking to align themselves with the cosmic order of Ma'at!" Thot is surprised by this before looking down at the girl.
"Really… How so?" He asks, a bit intrigued.
"Ma'at is the fundamental order of the universe, and the construct of truth and justice known as "the Declaration of Innocence". Concepts like truth, balance, order, harmony, morality, and justice are all explored within Kamen Rider. With all due respect, it's not wise to write off something just because it's targeted to a younger audience, there are still values and ideas in those forms of media that convey the ideas Ma'at has been yearning all of humanity to achieve!" Hibiki finished off her defense. In response to this, Thot stays silent for a moment before looking at the blue-haired woman.
"It seems like I'm the one who overstepped, forgive me, Spirit Goddess..." he says to a surprised Wendy, not expecting an apology from the divine figure.
"It's okay…" Thot then lets out a small giggle.
"You're quite lucky to have someone that would support you like that… I quite envy you." The girls are both left with a blush on their faces, looking over at each other for a moment before averting their eyes once again.
"Your relationship reminds me of mine with Konshu…"
"How so…"
"Well, I guess I could say… He's my best friend, someone I can always count on… though it's been quite a while since I've seen him." The two notice the shift in his voice before continuing.
"Doesn't it get lonely in here?" Wendy asks curiously, picking up on the tone of the god's voice.
"At times, yes it does... Though as I mentioned before, the Sphinx is always detecting intruders and stragglers attempting to gain access to this place, and a few do make it in, some who I even deem worthy of gaining access to. In fact, there is one other resident within here as well, though with how vast and wide this place is, I'd doubt you two would run into her." The two make a mental note of this, not expecting another resident within this sacred place aside from each other.
"Oh no no I doubt that'll happen, after all, Hibiki and I have already overstayed our welcome."
"Yes, Onee-sama's right, we still have obligations to attend to at the church so…" Thot looks shocked for a moment before deciding to change the atmosphere with a difficult topic.
"Ahh… I see, about that, you two won't be able to leave here just yet."
"Eh?" They both say in unison.
"You see there's a reason I don't make that many regular visits to the human realm. This tomb is in correlation with the phases of the moon, the gate in which I entered here can only open once every moon phase."
"Wait… so then how long is it until the next phase?" Hibiki asks. Thot looks awkwardly for a second before responding.
"3 days." The rooms fell silent for a moment before both sisters yelled out in unison.
"3 DAYS!" Thot covers his ears before looking angrily at the two.
"I said keep your voices down! Yes, 3 days... Usually, the moon phase takes about a week or two to fully change, but time moves differently here, so though three days will pass in here, it'll be about a week back in the human realm." The girls are left flabbergasted at this news.
"Are you serious… a whole week! What if another Sin arrives." Hibiki says, scared for the safety of her sisters.
"Please don't be worried, I've already been given a message from the Oracle that you'll arrive to face the next two incoming threats in time," Thot says in the relief of the sisters before him.
"Well, I guess that's good..." Wendy says before stretching her arms and turning around to the endless labyrinth before her.
"Welp, what should we do now?"
"Oh, let's go explore!!!"
"Hmm… sounds good." The girl says now walking side by side towards a random location.
"Hey, this isn't a playground, you better not mess up anything in here!"
"Yeah yeah, don't lose your beek you old bird!" Wendy yells back.
"Old Bird!? That girl lacks respect!"Thot says as he angrily starts writing through his scriptures, leaving the two sisters to their own devices for the time being.