"And Seth shall thunder in the sky and be feared."
- Chester Beatty Papyrus

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13
Vengeance
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It didn't remember having a name.

Many, long, centuries it had spent, trapped here, chained to the fate of various humans, their bodies housing it- the vengeful spirit of the cat.

Many, long centuries… Chained to the Zodiac, but never a part of it.

Its anger was a smoldering fire, feeding itself, refusing to go out, growing… Ever growing.

In recent centuries, there had been the other. He came from the west, cast out of his own land, rage calling him to a brother spirit; fury binding them together. And it seemed that the cat was sated for a time, its hatred tempered by the presence of a mind that, while still consumed by anger, was rational.

No longer.

Returned to his homeland, the other was free. Here, the land spoke to him, recognizing the higher power that had ruled it for millennia. Here was his true brother- someone who loved him, cared for him. He no longer conversed with his fellow spirit, trapped in bondage to hatred. The spirit cat felt its anger return full force. Its power. Something still bound it…

But when that last restraint broke- a string of beads shattered, melted away- the cat's power was unleashed.

Kyou staggered, falling to his knees, the fingers of his right hand clutching desperately, disbelievingly, at his bare wrist. He heard Harsiesis scream. He felt, distantly, his body twisting into that hideous shape. He thought he could smell it…

Before, he's always been filled with overwhelming shame when the transformation happened. He'd run… run and hid. Hid from everyone… don't look… no one wanted to see him, no one wanted him…

"Kyou-kun!"

Tohru's frantic voice filtered into his consciousness.

It occurred to him that, this time, something was… different. No transformation he remembered had ever felt like this. He'd always been in control really; he had been the one who ran. His body changed, but the spirit of the cat never took charge of the body it had made. But now…

Maybe that was why he could smell it this time… It was so strong…

In a way that had in recent days become too familiar for comfort, he could feel that his body was not under his control anymore. It moved, crouching, leaping forward, toward the prey visible to the spirit's intent eyes: just beyond Ayame, crouched despairingly with his back to the cat, head buried in his arms as he cried out in pain, just beyond him… was…

Yuki.

HIM.

The spirit screamed… hatred, betrayal, rage- thousands of years it had simmered, waiting for this…

And pounced.

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They ran through the darkened passages, Momiji leading the way, the soft light of Thoth glowing from his hands. Shigure paused for a moment to catch his breath; Hatori glanced at him but he motioned for his friend to not worry.

"Momiji," Shigure called. "Put out the light for a moment and look ahead. Can't you see it?" Everyone paused and looked, and sure enough, as the light faded they looked forward to see… light. An odd light, it streamed weakly down the passage, escaping from a doorway there ahead.

"Almost there," Haru grunted, and started running again, Kagura already ahead of him.

The last one through the door, Shigure felt the difference as soon as he passed that portal- it felt he had entered a different realm. The air was permeated with the scent of fear; a smell Shigure would have attributed to Seth's power if he hadn't looked up, over Haru's head- Haru who'd come to a crashing halt right in front of him- and seen the massive bulk of the cursed spirit of the cat as it came down on top of Yuki with a wild shriek. Shigure's fingers on Haru's shoulder tightened reflexively, but all of them stood paralyzed with a fear that was more ingrained than real- all of them except Kagura, who ran forward shouting Kyou's name as she came to stand with Tohru on the bank of the river.

"NO!" Before anyone could move, a blast of power caught the cat right in the side and sent it flying across the cavern to smash into rock. Seth- Ayame?- stood shakily, breathing heavily, as the cat regained its feet and sprang again only to meet the power of the chaos god head on.

Shigure blinked and looked at those around him. "Momiji?" he said, but the rabbit nodded, already ahead of him.

It was Thoth who turned and glanced at the dog. "I will protect the queen."

"The river…" Shigure continued. They were walking forward now, toward it, breaking into a run. Haru, in front, stopped suddenly to keep from tumbling into the water.

"I'm on it." Hatori knelt beside the water; placing a hand directly over its surface he brought the hand down and, in an effort to escape him it seemed, the water retreated, pulling back and recoiling to the point that the riverbed lay empty for several meters to either side.

Shigure glanced at his friend with a raised eyebrow, but how and why came later. They crossed the dry river- its bed was shallow, though wide- and Shigure glanced up to assess the situation.

The smell was almost unbearable; he willed himself not to think about it as he looked around. The cat spirit had its teeth set in Seth's arm, but the god's power, manifested in a metal guard along his forearm, prevented any damage. With a whispered, "He is mine to kill," Seth raised his other arm and touched a finger to the cat's face, right between the eyes. It was merely a touch, but the sheer divine power behind it flung the cat like a rag doll, crushing the creature to the ground like a beetle under a heel. Yet the cursed cat of the Zodiac was no beetle; the creature gained its feet again with a snarl. Suddenly, and Shigure had wondered where he had gotten to, Harakhte leapt on the creature, pinning it to the ground momentarily. Kagura was beside him, they were talking about something or Hara was calling to his brother, their voices indistinct, and Shigure's attention returned to Seth.

Hatori had already started to climb the side of the stone altar, and Shigure hurried to catch up with him. He glanced behind briefly to see Haru and Momiji flanking Tohru, who seemed more interested in what was happening to Osiris than anything or anyone else; the three of them moved around the other side of the altar to find a different way up.

-

"Harsiesis!"

Kyou heard Harakhte's frantic voice, but couldn't answer. He was also wondering what had happened to the god, since Kyou could really use his help at the moment. Mentally gritting his teeth, the cat turned his attention back to wrestling control of his body away from the cursed spirit. It seemed impossible… Especially since Kyou wasn't sure he even had the right to expect such a thing to be possible. Didn't this body exist to serve as a vessel for the cat's hatred? Wasn't he the cursed one? Hadn't he lived his entire life with this knowledge?

That is why he will not listen to you.

Kyou started, feeling the presence of Harsiesis beside him suddenly. What? was his only response.

Riese turned and grappled one-handedly with the cursed spirit, wrestling the cursed cat into submission so that the body, now home to three conscious entities, lay still. You do not think you have the right… No, you do not think you have the power to command this spirit. Riese's eyes were like bright points of light in Kyou's mind. That is why you cannot. You have listened too long to those who tell you things to hurt you. Riese snorted. I have known this spirit far longer than any of them. They do not even know the power it is capable of- centuries have passed since it was free of the fetters of my presence and could act without any chain once the restraint was removed.

Kyou's hand went instinctively to his wrist. You mean the damn thing used to be worse?

Yes.

He hesitated. And… not even Akito knows about it. How bad it can be. Not really.

Yes. Riese paused. I remember others who bore your curse in the past, among them those who could command the spirit, force it to their will of a sort, or at the least suppress it voluntarily. He reached out a hand and took Kyou by the shoulder. Brother, you bear a curse, but that does not lessen the strength of your own heart.

Kyou hesitated again. I am not strong.

That is not truth. You resisted me, here in my homeland, under my sun, where my strength is greatest, until the very last. Such an act would take great strength of the soul.

He looked away. The damn rat's stronger than me.

Osiris' strength lies in the earth, not the sun. It is different, but not greater.

Kyou froze. Not… greater? Was that something that was even possible? So Yuki's not stronger than me and I can tell this damn spirit to get the hell out of my face if I want to? He snorted. Yeah right.

Harsiesis sighed. This is going to take awhile if you persist in disbelieving me, and there is little enough time.

Time…

Kyou didn't stop to think, he just turned his head to see what was happening, and it was only afterward he realized that through the process he had resumed control of his body.

That realization distracted him from his original intent, since Kagura latched onto his neck almost immediately after he opened his eyes. He raised a hand and looked at it distantly, the soft skin and slender fingers, and then Harakhte took the hand in his own. "Riese," he said urgently.

Kyou, Harsiesis said, just as urgently, Hara needs me, to defeat Seth. I must go to him. Remember what I told you.

"But..." was all Kyou could say before his hands rose, of their own accord, to take Hara's face in them, and as he stared intently into the other man's eyes he felt something leave him. Something, or someone…

Harakhte's head snapped back when Harsiesis joined with him- one soul, whole again after years too long to count. He gasped and collapsed forward, shuddering, his eyes glazed over as he gagged, convulsing. As if finding his voice for the first time ever, his head came up and he shrieked, the high proud scream of a hunting falcon, and his body seemed to explode with feathers as he transformed.

Kyou had to raise an arm to shield his face from the golden feathers that seemed to surround him. He felt Kagura, kneeling behind him, grip his shoulder and gasp. He looked up and had to himself suck in a breath of sheer amazement. The falcon and the great cat were joined together again, a giant sphinx with the head of a falcon, a griffon, stood before them. Kyou glanced over to the others to see if they had noticed, but what he saw there stopped him from crying out to them, and all his excitement fell into tatters at his feet.

Tohru had gained the top of the altar. She ran to Yuki and threw her arms around him desperately, their lips meeting in an anxious, loving kiss.

-

When the cursed spirit of the Zodiac leapt upon him and tried to crush him to the ground, Osiris was understandably confused. Horus was an ally; no attack was expected from that quarter. Yuki, however, was understandably resigned. Neither of them were particularly ready for the attack, and Yuki felt the cat's claws cut into the bare skin of his chest. That help should be found in Seth surprised them both; it gave Yuki hope, that perhaps his brother was able to resist the god, somehow, but Seth's words- "mine to kill"- effectively removed that hope.

Having sufficiently deterred the cat, in his eyes, Seth turned and wrapped long fingers around Yuki's throat. Yuki's hands came up automatically, to pull at that fierce grip, but he didn't really entertain any hope of winning. On any regular day, he could beat just about any member of his family, no contest. But Seth was strong, and slightly crazy, which added to his strength, and Osiris wasn't much of a help. Actually, Yuki was wondering what had happened to Kyou- he was far more acquainted with the cat's dense persistence than Seth, and he knew that hadn't been enough to stop him.

Again help came from a surprising source. Shigure and Hatori came up behind Seth and, while the dragon broke Seth's hold, Shigure pinned his arms behind his back. Seth hissed in annoyance; he fought his way out of Shigure's hold easily.

"Are you alright?" Hatori asked Yuki, looking at the slashes on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he assured the doctor, "but… watch out!" he warned as Seth came up behind Hatori. The dragon managed to duck the blow, turning to grapple with an enraged Seth, seizing the god by the forearms.

"Traitors," Seth hissed, glaring darkly at Hatori. "I offer you everything and you turn on me!"

"Not I, traitor first!" Shigure's eyes were red; Anubis spoke. He came to stand beside Hatori, rubbing his arm where Seth had thrown his against the rock. "First betrayal! You did not trust me," the jackal protested.

"With good reason," Seth shot back. Without waiting for a reply, he threw Hatori back against Yuki, then backhanded Anubis, causing him to fall to the floor. "You worms. You think you can stop me? Your power is nothing to me!" He seized Yuki again, eye wild with hatred. "Meet your final end, Osiris," he hissed; a flick of the wrist and a long, slender knife appeared there- he pointed it straight at Yuki's eye and drove it forward.

And faltered.

Seth's eyes blazed with impotent hatred as the knife fell from suddenly nerveless fingers. He took an uncertain step backwards then fell to his knees. "Yuki," Ayame whispered, then screamed, curling into a ball on the ground, his face a mask of pain.

"Nii-san," Yuki said softly, dropping down beside him.

A wild shriek, like that of a great bird of prey, sounded through the cavern, and Yuki glanced up reflexively, his eyes drawn, like everyone's to the spectacle that was… "Horus," Osiris breathed, almost disbelieving, as fire erupted all around them, filling this space with light.

"Osiris!" Isis called; he stood and caught her as she flung herself at him. "Osiris, my love," she whispered, her fingers touching his face, followed by her lips. "My love, how I worried for you." He stroked her hair comfortingly.

"I see."

Osiris turned and glanced distractedly at Hatori, who stood behind him, but wasn't really listening to what the dragon said, his attention drawn instead to Seth as the god regained his feet, a murderous look again in his eyes.

"I see it now. It must end differently," the dragon continued. Slowly he knelt and retrieved the knife from where Seth had dropped it. "Horus returns, after years beyond count." He stood and walked between Osiris and Seth. "That alone is a sign." His eyes were dark, black, pure, as he turned and faced Seth. "I, for one, do not wish to be bound to this song and dance forever. And I'm still rather vexed with you, Seth." And with that, Apep turned and, grabbing Osiris by the arm, pulled him out of Isis' embrace and toward himself, thrusting the knife into Osiris' stomach.

Yuki's eyes flew open wide in shock, his hand came up to grab incredulously at Hatori's shoulder; he opened his mouth to question and a trickle of blood dripped from the corner of it as his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed.

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