Darkness fell upon the assembly as all the glory overhead had incorporated itself within his black-feathered body. Within time, the glowing in his body settled to a tolerable magnitude—and then, to nothing at all—as the newly formed tissues adjusted to corporeality, and disguised itself as flesh.
The room was still. Utterly, impossibly still; as if the whole world were simply holding its breath to see what would become of its newest power. No one spoke, as 'Aswad sat up on his legs, and took a deep breath.
His eyes opened, and he finally spoke. "I think I understand, now."
Xantheaa was the first to speak up, after all that she had witnessed. "Do... you recognize me, Ghurab 'Aswad?" and there was a warbling in her throat, as she considered what terrible might the Knowledge of the universe could have imparted on her kind-hearted friend.
"Do not be afraid," he lowed, approaching her slowly. "I am still the same as I ever was. Only now, I see you as all Neters do."
"...and how is that?" Xantheaa wondered.
"A pawn." he replied, to terrible effect; turning his gaze to the so-called gods who had granted him this great potential. "I see now, that I was little more than a fleeting glance within their gaze; and would live or die without consequence to the balance of the mortal worlds. I served my goddess Nephthys for all my life, and ...what was to be my reward?!"
Ma'at replied. "You would remain by her side for all time. That is an incredible honor!"
"My soul would never be allowed to pass on!" He cawed, loudly. "My skull would join her collection and I would become little more than an unfeeling, unthinking trinket! And you all knew! The whole time, you knew I would be reduced to this state."
Thoth was stunned into silence. Ma'at opened her mouth to retort, but this was a matter between Nephthys and her steward. She had no say in such matters, as they were out of her jurisdiction.
"My parents, my grandparents, all my aunts and uncles, and every figure within my murder happened to be curious enough to pique her fancy, and be stowed away in a black box somewhere in her estate. They will never have peace, so long as the goddess finds it more entertaining to keep them 'safe,' as she so elegantly refers to it." He shook his head, as the tears flowed freely over his mandible, and down the lines of his face. "—but no more. I will not let my existence be a footnote in the tablature of her great theistic script. I will not neglect my duties, but the power attained in this dream is to my own edification, and the honor of all my loyal brethren who are guided unawares to their own detriment."
"Apostasy!" Thoth shouted. "Do you see, Ma'at, why I denied his request?! This will upend the balance of the lands with time, if this much Knowledge is given to the common servants of the lands!"
She did nothing but coolly stare at some thing in the middle distance. A blank figure stared back at her through the darkness with the countenance of a black void that even made the suffocating dearth of light within the room seem comforting in comparison. Xantheaa followed the goddess's gaze, and saw Nothing.
That emptiness in the shape of a man simply smiled, and vanished in a burst of starlight that lit up across his skin not unlike the vision that she saw once before; when traveling to this very temple. 'I knew it was not a figment of my creation!' She thought, silently.
Ma'at narrowed her eyes, once he disappeared, but said nothing. She then looked at Xantheaa, and registered her surprise at the occurrence. "Interesting..." she mused, now realizing that the harpy had impressive senses.
Thoth was not pleased at being ignored. "Pardon me? What are you talking about?! Don't you have anything to say for yourself? This will lead to absolute chaos! Is that what you want?!"
Ma'at simply shrugged, and gripped him by the shoulders; pulling his beak-laden face into her own for a most indulgent kiss. He struggled for a time, but eventually relaxed into her hold, as she exploited his greatest weakness with utmost efficiency.
Dazed and intoxicated by this sudden expression of passionate desire, he mumbled something to the effect of "I wasn't finished," until her lips crashed down on his defenseless frame, again. He grew weak, and distracted by her urgent care of his affections, and the rest of them were suddenly thankful for the low levels of light, given the lurid nature of this turn of events.
They awkwardly stared at each other, as Ma'at worshiped her husband like no mortal ever could manage; and it was plainly obvious that she was just as desirous of him as he was of her, despite it all. His knees gave out beneath him, but her strong grasp on his arms wouldn't allow him to fall. By the time she was finished, he was a panting, blushing mess, and he understood all that he had to move past this transgression.
She lowered him to a kneeling position, and smiled down at him; resting an open palm on his feathered crown. "I have done all I can to protect you, my great god of Wisdom, but the scale of this battle is becoming much more than just what the gods of Egypt can defend. I am the voice of Justice within this realm, and I decide when Order must be maintained. If Chaos is fated to occur, then I say it is a worthy sacrifice."
She traced her finger down his long, curved bill, and teasingly felt along the line of his pulse. "Will you trust my judgement?" she asked, carefully, as if he had any intentions of ever defying her. "Will you support this insane, and foolhardy plan of mine? With all your heart and soul, will you help me realize my vision; even if you don't fully understand it all?"
"Y-yes, my love..." he crooned, leaning his auricular into her opened palm. "For you, I would even stand in defiance of the Pharaoh, Horus, himself." and she nodded, knowingly. It was never a question of where his loyalties lay, but how far he would go to achieve that desire.
So, she kissed him on his forehead in appreciation, and leaned close to the feathery patch covering his ear canal under that hand to whisper, "Then draw back your Balance across the surface of Geb's domain, and let a modicum of Chaos reign. I have seen evidence of another deity, just now within your very sanctuary. For a time, let there be much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Let this world reflect the anger of disruption that is so deserving of this terrible violation."
Then his rage was enkindled at the implication of this great contravention, and he rose to his feet with the full might of Balance and Wisdom behind him. It was a terrible and horrid sight; for few men know the fury held within the fist of a patient and merciful god, driven to cast aside all intimations of restraint.
He raised his hands and shouted with a fiery voice, "Night will fall and drown the sun. Solace dies and demons run. Gods tell lies, and anger flies; dark will rise when I've surmised that all I've called to wall inside, is spent for when the end is nigh—that I've already won. The end has now begun."
Then, a rumbling filled the space, as terrible winds tore the outside of the temple with biting gusts. The ground lurched underfoot as powerful forces answered his call as was his purview. Ma'at smiled, and gathered the three figures in her arms, before leaping up the impossibly tall monolith of wooden shelves, that seemed to extend forever.
Until, suddenly, it wasn't endless anymore. It was an improbable scale, but even with all his powers Thoth could not create something that impossible. When they landed on the top shelf of his half-mile wide ring, they could see the curvature of the earth. She murmured something unheard in the vacuum of space, and they could suddenly breathe as the air was compelled to nourish them beyond all sense of logic.
They gazed upon the stars in the blankness of the sky overhead unimpeded by such meager things as clouds which they left fathoms behind, and even the sun itself hung behind the boat of Ra, far in the distance—but they were not there to enjoy the splendor of the cosmos in its natural grandeur—No, as was soon made clear by the appearance of a second celestial body within their vision, they realized they were there to witness it all falling apart.
The moon obeyed the command of Thoth, and raced into the path of Ra, swallowing up every hint of light.
Then, the world was cast into Darkness.