Logicshipping (Priest Set x Priestess Isis)
Set woke up with a barely constrained scream scrabbling in his throat. His heart throbbed relentlessly and he placed a firm hand over his chest. His palm pressed against the cold sweat across his chest. He tried to catch his breath.
When his pulse had finally gone back to normal, he took a deep breath. He swallowed, but it tasted like bile, and he nearly gagged. Feeling a bit dizzy, he slid out of bed. The stone floor was cold, but the shock of feeling was welcome to his still half-asleep mind, the mind that was still trying to struggle free of thoughts and images he never wanted to cross his mind again.
Even as he moved silently out onto the balcony, the dream haunted him. Mahad, ripping his soul in half and locking himself away in stone. Karim, letting go of his last breath of energy with a smile on his face. Shada, dropping face first onto the ground in a dead faint. Siamun, simply dissolving before his eyes as Exodia was ripped to pieces. Akhenaden, morphing into a terrible beast right in front of him and urging him to commit murder, to kill his cousin and steal his throne. His cousin. Watching the pharaoh run headlong away from him, trapping his priests behind a magic seal so they could do nothing as he rushed head first into his fate.
Kisara, jumping in front of him. Kisara, with a hole ripped through her chest. Kisara, smiled through the blood on her lips as she struggled to reach his cheeks. Kisara, dying in his arms as blood pooled around them.
Kisara.
Set braced himself against the balcony railing as his stomach heaved for a moment. He gripped the railing. He could see his muscles trembling. All of him was trembling.
He forced himself to look up at the night sky so that the feeling of sickness would pass. But the stars, once filled with thoughts of hope for a better future, seemed so far away and cold now. They offered him no support. The gods did not seem to hear his cries.
I don't want to be the pharaoh, he thought desperately. I can't. I can't be as good as him. As strong as him. I can't do this.
He didn't want to think about the events of the day, but his traitorous mind moved back there anyway.
"With all due respect, my king, you should be considering taking a bride. The people are scared. They don't want another upset like before. You must find a queen and secure an heir. It is the only way the people can feel certain of you, certain of your rule."
He couldn't do it. He couldn't take a bride, a wife, not even a harem girl. Not with Kisara still glowing in the back of his brain. His advisor, Ramun, meant well, but he had been far from the capital during the War of Shadows. He could never understand what had happened then.
He felt a dry sob try to force its way from his throat, but he stilled it. He let his head drop down to his chest. How could he? How could he ever take a woman into his bed? He knew whose name he would cry at the height of passion. Beautiful, kind, perfect Kisara, who had loved him even in his darkness, who had accepted him in all his flaws and pride, a woman he would never get to hold in his arms. How could he take someone into his bed when he remembered that he and Kisara had never had a chance to have that moment of bliss? It wouldn't be fair to his heart...and it wouldn't be fair to the woman that he chose, a woman that he could never offer his heart to. He did not want to put anyone into that situation. A woman deserved better than a man like him, who would never be able to love her enough.
A soft tap drew his attention. He turned in surprise to see the door opening quietly.
Even in the darkness, Set could see Isis' eerie blue eyes glinting, like a cat's. She wasn't wearing her headdress for once, so her long black hair fell free across her back and shoulders.
"Isis?" he said. "What's wrong?"
Isis smiled sadly.
"I saw you from my balcony," she said. "I assumed you had another nightmare."
Set sighed. A pharaoh wasn't supposed to show weakness, not to anyone. Not even Isis, a woman he had known for most of his life, who had gone through hell and back the same as he had.
He shook his head.
"...yes," he said.
Isis closed the door behind her with a soft click. Then she glided across the floor and onto the balcony, to stand beside him. In the moonlight, her bronzed skin gleamed, and her eyes glowed. Dark blue eyes. Kisara had had eyes a similar shade...although hers had been more gentle. Isis' eyes had some of the sadness of life in them.
The stars were reflected in her eyes. But she closed them and sighed.
"The stars are cold tonight," she murmured.
"I know."
He sighed softly. He leaned against the railing again. Together, they sat in the silence of the cool night, letting the hint of a breeze wind around them.
"Pharaoh," Isis said.
"Isis," Set interrupted. "I don't want you to call me that."
She paused, and looked at him. He met her eyes. There was...something in her gaze. Something he couldn't read.
"Set," she said instead. For some reason, his name coming from her mouth sent a soft shudder through him. "Did you know that I was in love with Mahad?"
Set half-smiled.
"I guessed. And then I overhead Mana telling the pharaoh about you two kissing in the hall of kings, which confirmed it."
Isis smiled, but he could see the hint of tears forming in her eyes, tears that she quickly hid away.
"Nothing was harder than losing him," she said.
Set's smile fell away.
"I know," he said. "I understand."
Isis took a breath. But then the silence stretched between them again.
Her eyes fluttered closed, and then opened. She met Set's gaze again.
"Set. I heard your conversation with Ramun this morning."
His mouth opened slightly. He suddenly thought he knew where this was going. Silently, Isis reached out to place her hand on top of his. But she said nothing more.
Set felt a tremble begin, so faint that it might have been imagined.
"Isis..." he muttered. "Isis, I can't...I could never take good enough care of you."
"I think you're the one that needs taking care of."
Almost unconsciously, Set turned his hand so that he could hold Isis'.
"I can't love you the way you deserve," he said, his voice barely above of whisper.
Isis' eyes shone with uncried tears. She silently put her free hand on Set's cheek, looking directly at him.
"And I can't love you the way she would have," she said. Although her eyes shone with tears, there was no tremble in her voice. "But we have a duty to this kingdom, Set. And I will never, ever resent you for what you cannot give."
He put his hand on hers, her fingers warm against his cheek.
"Isis," he said. "I promise. I will never ask more of you than necessary."
"Nor I of you."
He felt the tears tightening in his throat. Some of her tears had escaped her eyes. Very slowly, they came close to each other, not quite holding each other, but leaning, at the very least, their bodies warm against the chill night.
Two broken souls leaned against each other that night. But this time, the stars seemed a little warmer.
A/N: although my main ancient Egypt ships for these two are Mizushipping and Pleashipping, I still love Logicshipping post-series. This is basically what I would imagine happened in the canon after we left the Memory Arc (because although Isis dies in the anime, one, that was the Memory World which was kind of messed up by the addition of the gang and thus things didn't happen exactly the way they happened in the past, and two, in the manga it clearly shows Isis and Mana standing behind Set when he becomes pharaoh in one of the last panels.) Next is Loatheshipping (Yami no Yugi x Thief King Bakura).
