Disclaimers: I do not own Watchmen or any characters associated with it.

Goddess of Karnak

Adrian didn't feel like meditating anymore. Dr. Manhattan's words shouldn't have bothered him, but bother they did. Nothing ever ends… He wanted to believe that he had done the right thing by balancing the scales in favor of peace; the plan had been for him to kill a few million in exchange for the security of several billions. But right now, Ozymandias felt no balance, no security. Once Dan and Laurie left (he could guess what happened to Rorschach), Adrian would be left to revel in his own triumph and misery. Alone. No Korean servants, no Bubastis, nothing to keep his heart from freezing in his Antarctic retreat in Karnak.

Bubastis…Adrian wondered how he would live without her. For the past several years, she had been his constant companion, never shying away even at his worst moments. They ate together, slept together, watched the world through a hundred screens together. He had named her after the ancient Egyptian town where the cat goddess Bastet was the most prominent figure. She was his little goddess.

Ozymandias left the room and walked down the hall to his bed chamber. Unhurriedly, he paced past his armchair and in front of the fireplace, which still burned vivaciously and warmed the immediate area. A light draft nipped at him from behind and caused him to turn around and notice something strange. Adrian could have sworn the armchair had been empty just a second before, but there was now a medium-sized book with no title resting on it. He picked it up and opened it to the first lined page filled with dainty handwriting.

I hope you're reading this, Daddy…

Adrian's heart stopped. Was he seeing things? Surely he must have read it wrong; it could have been meant for Dan…but nobody called him Danny. He looked over it again, and nothing had changed. The word was still spelled D-a-d-d-y. But who could have possibly written…

No. Impossible. Absolutely ridiculous. How could he even think that? There was no way she could…but as Adrian read on, the words kept hitting closer to home.

Don't worry about me. I'm with Uncle Manhattan right now, helping him design a human race in the Andromeda galaxy. He picked out this lovely planet, and he let me name it Ramses II after you, Daddy. Did he tell you that I've been recreated as a human? Well, not exactly. He says I'm sort of like him now, but I'm not blue and shiny like him. I look like an adult female from Earth.

Adrian could feel his knees weakening and his eyes watering. It really was Bubastis. He collapsed onto the chair and continued reading.

Anyhow, Uncle Manhattan says that when this reaches you, it will only be six minutes since you saw him last. I wanted to send you something to remember me by, and Uncle Walter suggested a journal. Did you know Uncle Manhattan recreated him, too? Uncle Walter is a very nice person now. He and Uncle Manhattan have been helping me write this journal, and I am very grateful for this chance to tell my story.

In the margins, Adrian could make out two notes written in different styles. One said Veidt, Bubastis is in good hands. Will protect her with my life. Sincerely, Walter. The other, Greetings from Ramses II, Adrian. This planet is so blessed to have a soul as lively and pure as Bubastis to guide the new human race. All the best, Jon.

I will start from the very beginning…

My earliest memories are from when I was about six days old. Everything around me was white; the walls, the incubator crib, the clothes of the people on the other side of the glass. I lay on my side, my eyes struggling to take in the bleak surroundings. Naturally, I wanted to get up and look for something that was not white, something that was not cold or distant or…well, boring. I remember trying to roll over onto my back, only to plop back down again when the harsh light above blinded me. For a minute I couldn't open my eyes, and when I did, I found what I had been looking for. A small paw covered with maroon fur rested beside me. It wasn't until one of the fingers moved that I realized that it was my paw, my fur. At least now I knew I wasn't white like the rest of the room, thank goodness. For several minutes, I flexed my digits and unsheathed my claws, slowly getting used to the idea that this colored arm was mine to control But the amusement eventually wore off; I realized that instead of one color, I had just two. So for a while I could only look back and forth from white to maroon, white to maroon…

Until I saw another color. A color so vibrant that I gave a squeak of a roar and covered my face with my paw. Slowly, the color came closer, and with it came some of its friends; a shiny one that glistened warmly, a deep one as dark as the world when my eyes were closed, and a light one that constructed a body I did not know. Together, these colors worked together to reach into the crib and grab me by the scruff of the neck. Suddenly there was no blanket beneath my tummy, and I flailed all four of my paws around. As quickly as I had been abducted from my haven, though, I felt myself being pressed against something soft and warm.

Looking up, I saw a face, my first sight of a human face. It was as fair, with bright locks of hair brushing the sides of the head. A little touch of instinct told me that this new creature was a male. And his eyes…there was something about his eyes that put me at ease. Almost as though he had been sent to protect me. From his chest, I could hear a steady beat that went ba-dum, ba-dum. Combined with the soothing sounds that came from his mouth, it was enough to make me start purring. Soon enough I began to feel drowsy, and I curled myself up tighter in this warm human's arms. I remember the last thing he said before I drifted off to sleep; "Welcome to the world, Bubastis."

Later, I was taught that the strange colors had names: purple, gold, black, and flesh. I also learned that the melodic sounds he made were called a lullaby. But I prefer to think of it all by another name: Daddy.

…I prefer to think of it all by another name: Daddy. Adrian lowered the book and stared at a photo on the mantle over the fireplace. It showed him holding a small cat with oversized ears and striped maroon fur. How could time have passed so quickly? Adrian could not bear to read anymore that evening. Instead, he changed out of his costume and into a simple t-shirt and cotton pajama pants, something he only wore when he felt extremely depressed and drained of life. Adrian lay on top of the covers of his bed and buried his head in the pillow, shaking as he let out an impulsive sob. Soon he fell asleep and dreamt he was holding baby Bubastis in his arms again.