Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh isn't mine. If it was, I'd be as rich as Seto Kaiba himself. (Well, probably not, but you get the idea…) And this fic is beta-read by Pamster. Thanks a lot to her for checking it and her advice.

Author's Note: There were several words in my research that could be used as an actual Ancient Egyptian word for a coffin. These are web ankh, wet or sutet. Web ankh means 'possessor of life', wet is derived from 'mummy bandage' and 'to embalm'. Sutet was 'inner coffins' or 'mummy board'. But I decided to use one everyone will know - sarcophagus, the Greek word. So perhaps they described the different coffins one would be housed in, like a Russian Doll.

Due to become the new Pharaoh, Set has a bout of nervousness and attempts to flee. Isis then tries to calm the frantic man down and learns something she had not expected.

-o-

Chapter 46: Successor Of The Light

-o-

Soon after…

Set was gazing down at the Sennen Puzzle he had clasped in his left hand, the right resting on the nameless sarcophagus that held the body of the one who had been his most hated rival and yet had become his saviour. And now he was expected to become the next Per A'a? Ridiculous! He had not earned the right or the privilege to hold that esteemed position, even if he was related by blood to Atemu and his cousin had wished it. The Sennen Rod remained on top of the sarcophagus where Set had placed it, a reminder of the Hem Ntjr's former life.

"You're worried about fulfilling Atemu's wishes, aren't you?" a calm, feminine voice asked.

Set turned around and looked at his visitor.

"Isis, what do you want? Have you come to talk me out of my decision?" Set then turned back to the sarcophagus. "Forget about it; my mind's already made up. As soon as Neith feels ready to move we're leaving. We're going back to Naquda and nothing you can say will change my mind. I can't be the Per A'a; I don't deserve it."

The Hem Ntjr could hear Isis approaching him and he felt uncomfortable as the priestess arrived by his side.

"You will be the next Per A'a, Set. I have seen it," Isis stated, calm as ever.

Set's eyes narrowed, his right snatching the Sennen Rod angrily from the top of the sarcophagus.

"I will not!" the young man snapped. "Don't you dare try to dictate my destiny to me! It will be my decision; mine alone and no one else's!"

"I see your feelings are still sore and I apologise for upsetting you, but can you see that there is no-one else that could possibly take up the responsibility? You know there's no one else who could do it." Isis looked at Set, who felt that the priestess was almost afraid of what she would say next. "Besides, the throne must pass on to the next member of the family. Atemu had no children, and because of your father, you are his only blood relative –"

"I thought I told you never to mention that in my presence again," Set interrupted coldly. "I never even knew Atemu was my cousin until it was too late and he'd decided to sacrifice his soul to save all of us. Just because Akunadin was my father doesn't mean I automatically become a solution to your problem. What about my feelings?"

Set turned around and strode angrily past Isis out of the darkened room, walking out into the light of day and not for the first time since his cousin had died, Set felt painfully empty inside. The Hem Ntjr knew that he should be the next Per A'a, yet his pride kept on getting in the way. He had not earned the right to the throne, even though he was the only possible candidate. He had not beaten Atemu in a duel and the only reason he was being asked to become the Per A'a was because of who his father had been.

"Your feelings are important, but what about Kemet? The country is more important than any of us; even yourself, Set!" Isis called, her nice tone dropped. "And if you won't do it for that, then do it for your son! You can't just walk away leaving the country in ruins like this!"

Set came to a stop at the sound of the priestess's serious voice. Perhaps Isis was right. If there was one thing he valued about all others it was Kemet.

"You may be right, Isis, but yours isn't the only opinion. You'll get my answer later; there's someone I must talk to first," Set announced.

-o-

"Neith? Are you in here?" Set called.

Neith raised her head at the sound of her husband's voice; the young woman perched on the edge of a flattop casket that held all of their valuables. Set wanted them to move away from this place and all the bad memories it contained, but Neith was not as sure as her husband about the wisdom of such a move.

"I'm in the back," she replied loudly.

The brunette waited for Set to arrive and she smiled when he entered the small antechamber that was attached to their bedroom. At least he was still here. Neith then looked up as Set's eyes flickered around the room, searching for something.

"Where's Sobek?" he asked her.

"He's with Mana," Neith replied. "She offered me her help so I could have a rest. I'm really grateful. It's the first time off I've had in a long time."

Set nodded, a smile on his face.

"It seems like everyone wants to get to know our son, even Mana," Set spoke, folding his arms comfortably. "So, you feel comfortable here. Are you really sure this is what you want?"

"Maybe so, but only if it's what you want," Neith replied. "I just don't want to have to go back where we'll be all on our own again. Besides, Sobek will ask us questions about who he is, where he came from and why the rest of his family isn't here. But, whatever you decide, I'll abide by your decision."

Neith exclaimed in surprise when Set strode over to her and pulled her up by her wrists, holding her close to him. She felt him press her head to his chest with the hand that held the Sennen Rod. This was an odd change of direction from what he had been saying earlier. Back then, Set had been almost afraid of fulfilling Atemu's wishes, as if it scared him because it meant he would have to accept the fact that Atemu was his cousin and Akunadin his father. He had already accepted the latter inside his heart, but Neith knew that it pained her husband to think of such a thing, considering how much his father had let him down.

The young mother's eyes then fell to the Sennen Puzzle in Set's left hand.

"What are you going to do about Atemu –?" A finger was placed over Neith's lips.

"I have it all planned out, my dear. It seems like we'll be staying after all," the Hem Ntjr replied.

A wide, happy smile came over Neith's face. The young woman let out a joyful cry and leapt up, wrapping her arms around Set's neck.

-o-

Even after Set's news to his wife, Mana was still looking down uncertainly at the young baby she had laid down on his back, a strange smell coming from the three-month-old child. Mana had agreed to take care of Sobek to allow Neith a rest, plus she had wanted to see what Set's son looked like. The girl's expression soured as she looked away and tried to hold her breath. She should never have agreed to this, but Sobek was just so cute!

Even if he has just wet the bed, the dirty thing, Mana thought, holding her nose. What a smell

"Is my son giving you grief?" a cool voice asked.

"Per A'a! I…" Mana's eyes moved repeatedly from Sobek to his father, worried she might have offended the new ruler. "He's a lot like you, not that I mean that in a bad way!"

Set chuckled, the Puzzle dangling on a cord around his neck.

"I'm not the Per A'a yet, Mana. And don't worry; I know what you mean." Set smiled, but then his face turned serious. "Look, Mana. If I'm to be Per A'a, then I need to be able to trust those who work for me. I've been impressed by your conduct and resilience and would be delighted if you would serve under me, just like your master did for Atemu."

Mana's eyes widened and filled with tears at the mention of her beloved mentor as Set waited for her answer. Then the jubilant teenage girl let out a scream of delight and bounced up onto her feet, causing Set to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Oh thank you, Per A'a! This means so much to me! You won't regret it, I promise!" Mana said happily.

Set turned on his heel, shaking his head in amusement.

"I hope so," he replied.

-o-

The next day…

Gazing down at the Sennen Items he had laid upon a white-clothed table, Set contemplated who would receive the Ring, Ankh, Scales and Eye. The Puzzle would be broken up after the presentation of the Per A'a to his new subjects, meaning that Set would be keeping the Rod for himself. But now he had to find new owners for the rest of the unclaimed Items. Neith was a possibility, and he would be able to trust his wife, but truthfully he did not want her to bear the burden.

The Ring, however, was already intended for Mana. After Zork had been defeated, the evil aura it had possessed since the death of Bakura had dissipated,a s if it were sleeping, and Set knew that the girl would feel honoured because of how her mentor, Mahaado, had held it before her. The Ankh and Scales would be given to two new priests he would select, but he did not know what to do about the Eye. He would not dare to use it himself for obvious reasons.

Maybe I should just seal them all away and keep the Rod. But then what if they're needed? If the new priests aren't trained in their use they will be unable to control the powers these items possess. Set pondered this fact before lifting the Eye to his eye level. Why am I always put into these positions?

It was already bad enough that himself, Neith and their son would have to settle inside the palace. Almost all those they had known were dead, save for Mana and Isis, and they had to accept something that was not supposed to be theirs. But it was, and so they would deal with it one way or the other. There was no other way to start the long process of rebuilding what had been destroyed by the fiendish monster Akunadin had brought into their world.

-o-

Soon, the time for Set to become the Per A'a had arrived. Neith was watching her husband as he fretted about near the balcony that overlooked the city. Holding Sobek close, the young woman smiled and shook her head. Who would have thought this would happen?

"Set, stop worrying. I'm sure you'll be fine," Neith assured her anxious husband.

Set came to a stop upon hearing his wife's words.

"I know, I know, but…"

Neith walked up to her husband and gingerly dabbed at his forehead with her shawl, Sobek snoozing peacefully against her shoulder. Set was so nervous, even if he tried not to show it. Add upon that the burden of which he would be undertaking, and it was no wonder her husband was worrying. Even Set, a strong man if ever there were one, would be worried about what was happening.

"Per A'a, are you ready to go outside?" Isis queried from nearby. "The people are waiting for your appearance."

"I'll be there in a minute; give me a moment with my wife," Set replied, sounding strong.

Neith smiled as Set then rested a hand on her shoulder. He smiled at her before leaving with Isis, Mana and the other priests he had appointed. She knew he loved her, even if he was less willing to show it in public. The loud roar that emanated from outside as Set brandished the Sennen Puzzle, the mark of the king, made Neith smile, the young woman feeling proud of the man who had gone through much and yet come so far.

-o-

Later that day inside the Veju Shrine, once he was alone, Set was staring up at the stone tablet he had moved to the sacred place that housed the sealed souls. The soul this one tablet contained did not deserve to have remained in such darkness that had been the underground chamber, so the Per A'a had placed it at the top of the others he had assembled over his lifetime.

But this particular tablet was special to him.

Set knelt on his knees, sitting back on his heels. The new Per A'a placed in front of him a small gilt golden box engraved with a single eye. It held the fragmented pieces of the Sennen Puzzle he had personally dismantled, remembering his promise to Atemu to see that he, along with his name, would be forgotten. The young man then looked back up at the tablet, upon which was the image of his most powerful servant: the white dragon.

Why do I keep on coming back here? Set wondered. I hardly even knew you. But still, you were a victim of my father's evil plot just as much as I was.

Set then rose to his feet, just as a second person entered the shrine.

"Per A'a, you are wanted in the palace," Isis announced.

Turning around, Set walked down the long flight of steps. The Per A'a then followed his priestess out of the Veju Shrine, casting one last glance back at the place that housed Kisara's innocent spirit.

-o-

Two months later…

Neith quietly walked inside the room Set had holed himself up in, and as she entered the brunette had to hastily adjust her eyes. The only source of light was coming from a brazier nearby her husband, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of a stone slab. She crossed the room; Set was still chipping away obsessively at what he had been working on whenever he was not needed.

He's been coming here for two months now. It's like he's obsessed with finishing it, Neith thought.

"What are you doing here, Neith?" Set asked, lowering his tools.

"We're all worried about you," Neith replied. "Isis, Mana, your priests and myself. You've locked yourself away in here and hardly ever come out. It's getting lonely without you."

Set raised his tool and continued to chip away at the stone, which Neith noticed was almost complete. The writing made little sense to her; the most a woman like her could read was documents and certain names. The one thing that stood out the most was the carving of a familiar name: Akunadin. Set was making a memorial to his father, as if hoping to finally lay his memory to rest so he could move on with his life. That had to be it.

"Set," she murmured.

Set looked at her over his shoulder, a tired look on his face. Her husband looked so sad.

"Don't worry, lotus. I'm fine. You all worry about me far too much," Set smiled weakly.

"Set, he was still your father, no matter what he did to you," Neith whispered, looking at her exhausted husband.

"It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was," Set replied, looking back at the tablet. "Besides, I believe the least he deserves is to be remembered. After all, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here."

Neith rested a hand on Set's shoulder, hoping to offer some comfort to her sorrowful husband.

-o-