Hello! Thank you very much for reading this. A few things to start off with. First, I am not a great writer, my sister is. Please point out if I make any mistakes (having a cat can cause some errors in transcription onto the site), but please stick to constructive criticism. If you like the story, I encourage you to review! The story so far is about 43 chapters long, and it is entirely pre-written. I will likely try to update once a week on Sunday nights. Although the story is pre-written, I might do a side-story if enough people ask for it. The story mainly has three viewpoints, although sometimes there are others. If enough people want another character's viewpoint I can always write it in a companion story. I know there are probably some small inaccuracies for Star Gate, however I have not watched all of the seasons or seen it recently. I tried to do research, though, and write everything as close to canon as possible. Some characters may seem OOC, however there is a reason for that. Please feel free to post a review if you have any questions or send a PM. I might be willing to give out spoilers for upcoming chapters to people who PM me! Thanks for reading this long author's note, and happy reading!
Prologue:
The man ran down the empty street, ignoring the smoke entering his lungs from the burning buildings and the dust coating his mouth from the rest of the demolished city. He even ignored his companion, although she was struggling to keep up with him as he shoved his way through the debris littering the roads. Pieces of nearby buildings and the wall that had once protected the city littered the path, making running difficult unless one had suitable motivation. The man had that motivation and more to hurry.
As he turned the corner, he heard a roar of laughter from the giant beast that was the cause of the once grand city of Memphis crumbling into its current state of disrepair. This lent speed to his pace, although he was already going as fast as he could. His companion was energized as well, no longer struggling to keep up. The man's only thoughts were for his friend, who was even now facing what appeared to be an unstoppable foe, despite their best efforts. He was ready to sacrifice everything to ensure that his friend survived; he had nothing left to live for now. He had lost love of his life, a girl who he had finally been reunited with only to lose her moments after their reunion. Not to mention the horrifying information he had learned about his past and himself… No, the only path he could take to redeem himself was to die instead of the man… no, the boy currently in danger.
Putting on another burst of speed, the two companions rounded the final corner in time to hear the beast roar again. Unlike the smug laughter of earlier, this cry was one of deafening rage directed towards the small figure facing it. The cry was drawn out, as though the force of the creature's anger could destroy the boy in front of it. From the boy rose a burst of golden light, emerging from the small golden pyramid held by a cord in his hand. Before the newcomer's eyes, the menace that had terrorized the world for the past few days slowly shrank, continuing to disappear until it was suddenly gone. Abruptly, the darkness returned. However, this darkness was that of a normal Egyptian night, not the suffocating blackness the beast had brought with it, a darkness that had swallowed Ra's light and brought despair with it.
The man's companion spoke, softly addressing the boy in front of them.
"You did it, Prince… I can't believe you were able to defeat Zorc." Moving forward, she made as though to wrap him in a hug even as the boy turned, crimson eyes meeting the ice blue ones of the man who had run to his aid. A soft, sad smile spread across his face even as the man heard the soft chant of magic that the boy was still reciting. The man picked out the names of the Egyptian Gods being invoked, and although he couldn't tell what, something felt wrong. Suddenly, his heart which had begun to relax tightened in dread as he realized what the boy was chanting. The man moved forward, speaking for the first time.
"No, Pharaoh… You cannot…"
He received no other response than the smile, however, as the next second another burst of light blinded him once more. A voice sounded over the roaring in his ears, calling out a word that escaped his memory even as he heard it. This time, when the light cleared he did not feel relief. Lying before him was his Pharaoh. If not for the stillness of the boy's chest and the knowledge of what his king had sacrificed, the man could have believed that the boy in front of him was merely asleep. The sad smile was still present on the boy's lips, giving him a peaceful look as he lay amidst the destruction. This image was ruined only by the remains of a once fine tunic, covered in patches of blood both old and new, and the torn cloak. The shining puzzle slipped out of the lifeless fingers, hitting the ground and shattering, the glow fading as the pieces scattered over the sand.
The man bowed his head, fighting down his emotions even as his companion ran forward, falling to the ground beside the Pharaoh, already wailing in grief. Although he watched her tears stream over the lifeless body, the man himself felt empty. There was nothing left for him now… Nothing left for either of them. He stood over his king even as the first rays of Ra's light rose over the horizon.
As he watched the preparations, the man looked over the sands of his home country. Although the people would have been more than happy to follow him as Pharaoh, he couldn't bear to hear them call him by the name that his friend had once gone by, however briefly. Instead, he had made the decision to leave not only the country, but the world. When the false gods had been driven out, they had left behind their gate to the stars, and the man had every intention of forgetting the recent events by starting over on another world. He had nothing left here, and he and his companions did not truly belong to this world.
The girl who had accompanied him to rescue the Pharaoh had been joined by six others, all of whom had been brought back from the dead by the magic of the false gods, yet another device that they had left behind.
They stood in silence, many still coming to grips with the events of the past few days. Finally, one of the people uncovering the gate approached them.
"Everything is prepared for your departure, my Lord." The man nodded in response and the worker hurried away. Starting forward, he didn't even need to glance back to ensure the compliance of his companions.
Briefly, his eyes turned towards the distant Valley of the Dead. His Pharaoh had been buried in an unmarked tomb, with all the leftover devices from the false gods going to protect his resting place, as well as whatever magics the magicians could conjure. Also left inside, the golden puzzle had been placed inside a golden box over the sarcophagus of the king. A group of medjai had volunteered to protect the tomb eternally in gratitude of the sacrifice made for them.
Brushing his thoughts aside, Seto continued towards the glowing gate before he suddenly stopped. In front of him stood most of the population of Memphis, holding their belongings as they awaited his arrival. One of them, obviously the chosen speaker, nervously stepped forward.
"My Lord… We want to come with you to this new world. Our homes have been destroyed, and with much of Khemet's armies gone there's nothing to stop other countries from taking power. We'd much rather follow you across the stars than remain here."
Before the man could respond, a serene woman wearing a long robe and elaborate headdress stepped out from behind him. "Of course, you are welcome to come with us. You must understand, though, that once we are through the gate the remaining Medjai have orders to bury the gate to ensure no other 'gods' come through. This means that once you leave, there will be no opportunity to return. Do you understand this?"
The speaker nodded. "Yes, we do. After the previous king's sacrifice as well as your own, we can be sure that you would take care of us instead of an uncertain future at the hands of the Romans or Greeks."
Nodding, the woman motioned them towards the gate. "Very well, if you are certain, then. We will follow you through to ensure that none are left behind, and any who chose to return may do so until we have come through the gate."
Immediately a rush of movement started in front of the gate as families began to slowly move their belongings towards the open portal. The woman stepped back, turning towards the man. "Are you certain this is the best choice, Seto?"
Nodding, Seto turned back to watch the migration. "It's the only choice we have, Isis. Besides, by leaving this place perhaps we can escape the memories, even if only through the sands of time."
Silence reigned among the group until finally it was their turn to go through the gate; no one that had gone through had returned, and the eight were the only emigrants left. As they walked up to the gate, Seto turned briefly to cast his eyes over the land in front of him. The faces of the two people he had known, loved, and lost flashed briefly before his eyes, reminding of him of why he had to leave. Even as the sun reached its zenith, he turned to embrace his new life.
Thank you for reading and please review!
