A/N: I'm sure people will hate me once this announcement is over. I regret to announce that I might not update this week due to some technical difficulties. My mom, after that slight mishap during the break, thought wise not to let me work on anything, leave the house and rest my ass off. As much as I love my mom, and seriously I really do, this has become entirely too chaotic for my liking. Therefore, as a consequence, I won't be able to write the next chapters and if I ever do, I might not be able to post them.

Annoying, I know. This chapter is dedicated to the people who reviewed the previous chapters like Hydro-wolf and Dragonlady222. To Toxic Hathor and Yami Val, I know I haven't dropped a word to either of you on your works but I want you guys to know that I have read all your works and I really love them. I wish you guys all the luck in the world, especially you, Hathor.

And now that my announcement's over, let's proceed to the chapter.

Chapter 22: Because We Can't Turn Back Time

It was a pain in the ass really. Life. How ironic that after finally being granted the one you loved the most, it takes him away from you all of a sudden. Not necessarily by death, or by some overly-charismatic and clever lover. But by the occurring events that destroyed him.

What hurts the most, though, was despite your presence or your efforts to save him from his nightmares, you know you are completely powerless to help him in any way.

And being useless was something High Priest Seth despised.

He stared at his cousin with all the concern he felt inside of him, wondering what really happened to his pharaoh, and how he could alleviate the pain. It marred the other's face and troubled his dreams, that was apparent.

The others have left earlier that morning to return to the palace in order to prepare the kingdom for Nubian attacks. He would have been glad to be there with them, facing the bastards ready to pulverize every effort his cousin exerted on Egypt, and letting them know who was boss. But when given the decision, who in his right mind would leave the pharaoh in such a state?

Not his lover, of course.

So Mahado was just outside the tent making preparations on various subjects, some he willingly will not and blatantly refuse to partake on. That priest was too worrisome for his own good, Seth thought to himself.

He knew what happened to him. Ranmen, that low-life, thought he could kill him. Ha. His fists clenched tightly, his anger diverting to the man who was ready to destroy Atemu. As if that would ever happen. His pharaoh was the best he had ever met. And Ra help him, his cousin had the strongest will ever.

He never admitted them, of course, but still, knowing that fact was of the same value. How his father thought he was the better pharaoh than his lover, he knew not. His father can be an idiot sometimes.

"Seth…" his cousin whimpered and he shifted his gaze to his pharaoh. His eyes widened in surprise, disbelief and finally into relief. "Atemu," he whispered.

XXX

Atemu wearily opened his eyes, relieved to finally escape from his nightmare, and adjusted to the light. How many days was he in bed? How many weeks? Was Ranmen dead then? His head throbbed painfully, a headache on the verge of creation and he wanted nothing else but to close his eyes and sleep.

"What he has is my heart. You have to understand that you cannot force a person to love you back simply because you fancy him. It will lead you nowhere."

His words echoed deeply in his heart and his chest tightened, tears edged his eyes. He had been so foolish to carelessly accept their love. So reckless to think that Ranmen was too weak to destroy anything between them. He had underestimated the man, he knew it, and how he wished he could just repeat the past and correct them.

Would it make a difference if he didn't love his priest? He sighed. He knew better than to defy fate. Fate had separated and brought them together, he and Seth, and he owed it all to destiny. But was it right to still believe in it when it had taken the only one he longed for away so cruelly?

Was it right for him to just let fate have its way as he was forced to watch as Ranmen took Seth's life because of him?

How he despised himself. He was pharaoh, how selfish can he get? He had robbed the people of a priest—a priest who was powerful enough to save them when they are threatened, and loyal to the monarch and his court. He had robbed them of having a calculating strategist who even outdid his best generals. He let them down. All of them.

"You're but a weakling, a sheath to a mighty sword, pharaoh."

A weakling. Perhaps Ranmen had stated the truth. How did it ended like this? Where did he go wrong? This is foolishness. Why did he love Seth? Was Seth using him? A weakling, that was what Ranmen said. He chuckled bitterly. So this was how it felt to have his world shatterd.

Nobody can ever understand why he was this, Atemu realized. There were limits to being pharaoh, and as pharaoh he cannot ever be weak. But right now, he didn't know anymore. He despised this—despised everything, he wanted to just scream out everything and wish by the time he wakes up from this nightmare, everything would be fine.

He wished they could just return to the time when they were still running around, hiding from the elders and unaware of the darker, eviler problems in life. He wanted this to end. He didn't want to let this last any longer.

Emotions, hidden and controlled, rose from his chest and burned his eyes. He was struggling but it was so hard. He was a pathetic ruler. How can his people be safe with a pharaoh who couldn't even protect himself? He is struggling but he can't recognize himself anymore no matter how hard he tries.

"Atemu is mine as I am his, and no one, definitely not the likes of you, will stand in the middle and destroy our relationship!"

Seth had been so caring to him— had been strong when he was weak. He could have fought Ranmen. He should have been pharaoh, not him. Why did his cousin fall in-love with him anyway?

He was just a mischievous lad who was easily plagued with dreams. If he was really powerful as they say, why, of all the absurdities in life, couldn't he fend off a mortal who was weaker than him? Why didn't he save Seth from Ranmen?

"Seth…"

"Shh… I am here, worry not."

"Don't leave me… not now…"

"I never will."

He wanted to cry. He really wanted to. There were a lot of things he wanted to do right now, and the foremost being was to just resurrect Ranmen and kill him again. Just to forget the pain. He wanted to see the man drown in his blood. He wanted to hear the other cry in pain and gasp his last breath. The same way he did to Seth.

"You cannot undo the past. It did not happen, and I am here."

Funny how his words can easily haunt him in the most unwelcome time.

"Seth…" he whimpered.

XXX

How long was the pharaoh awake, he knew not. Seth mentally berated himself. What he knew was the fact that the other was lying in front of him, staring unseeing at the ceiling of the tent and was not uttering a single word aside from his name.

"Atemu, hang on, I'll call the healers," he said and darted to call the first person he saw, who happened to be Mahado.

"Mahado, get the healers. Atemu's awake."

While the other priest called the healers, Seth went back inside the tent and tried to avert the other's attention from the ceiling.

"Seth…" Atemu whispered again, catching the priest's attention. He sat beside his cousin and took his hand, noticing how it trembled beneath his.

"Atemu, I'm here," he answered, wishing that the other would break away from whatever dream or hallucination he was having. "I'm here, cousin."

"No… you're not…" Atemu denied, shaking his head. "Leave… me… I…" he faltered and turned away. Why must they always torture him so? "YOU'RE DEAD, LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Realization dawned on the blue-eyed priest and he scowled. Trust in him to be completely stupid and forget that his cousin saw Ranmen stab him. How stupid. "Atemu… I promised I'd never leave you. I'm here," he tried again but the other shook him off.

"ISN'T THIS TORTURE ENOUGH? HOW I DESPISE YOU FATE!" the pharaoh shouted and turned away, drifting his eyes close and ignoring the spasms of pain that hit him like thunder.

It was beyond Seth why his cousin was reacting like this. He was confused, simply put. Why was Mahado taking so long?

"Atemu, I'm really here. Just open your eyes and look at me," Seth said.

"It won't help, Seth. Not in his condition," Mahado wisely interrupted as the healers entered the tent and ushered him out.

"What is his condition?" Seth questioned. Mahado sighed and looked away.

"I'm going to kill someone if you don't tell me what's wrong with my cousin! I want to know NOW!" Seth growled impatiently, smashing his fist on the nearest object he could hit, which was a jar.

He knew his hand was bleeding but what did he care? His cousin's suffering inside. And Ra damn it, no one is bothering to tell him why!

"Before you break more jars, I want you to take this calmly, High Priest Seth," Mahado started, you can't really stop the inevitable anyway, "And ask you that after hearing this, you will think before you act! His majesty needs that above anything else."

Seth went silent for a minute, thoughts a-wander, possibilities reigning his every thought. Somehow he knew what happened, what Ranmen did to his lover, and how the other was feeling. Oh somehow, he really, really knew…

"Do you agree with my terms?"

"Very well. I do not have a choice, do I?" he replied.

Mahado sighed. "When you were stabbed by Ranmen and was dying, I happened upon you. Ranmen had escaped with his majesty, who was unconscious at that time. You were losing blood then and so I didn't have a choice but to get you here."

"Tell me what I want to know, Mahado," the other growled impatiently, "What did Ranmen do?"

"He raped the pharaoh, Seth."

And all reason fled Seth's mind.

He made a move to dart back into the tent when he was held back by Mahado. "Calm down, Seth," he said.

"Calm down? You're asking me that now? Why did you save me, Mahado? Why did you let Ranmen escape?!" Seth asked back, all his anger pouring in. "His life mattered the most. He was of most importance and yet, you let him go! What kind of priest are you?!"

"I had enough of your remarks, High Priest Seth!" Mahado countered, knowing the other struck a nerve. Seth was rather good in stating and shoving the truth at his face. Of course he was regretting them; he would have gone to his king. But what can he do?

"I will not. What do you want me to do, Mahado? My cousin… you let this happen!"

High Priest Seth was beyond reason and logic, and the priest realized that the moment he was snapped harshly back into cold reality with a fist on his jaw and a furious Mahado in front of him. He would have shouted back in anger or punched the other back, he really would, but he knew beyond doubt that he was at fault here.

"Now as I was saying, he still thinks you're dead, priest. If you're back to your normal self, I would like to advise you that the simplest of statements, no matter how harmless it may seem to us, will have an effect on him. So. Watch. Your. Words." Mahado said calmly, trying to regain his composure as he gritted the words out.

"Pardon me, my lords, but the pharaoh wishes to see his priests," the chief healer interrupted (thankfully). Mahado nodded in acknowledgement before following Seth into the tent.

XXX

It was more of terror than disbelief that dawned on Atemu, pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt, when he saw his priest. It had clouded his judgment and thoughts, forced him back to the moment in his life he desperately wanted to forget. His mind was playing with him, again, and his nightmares started anew.

"No… this isn't possible…" he started and tried to move away. Within seconds, he'll be unconscious and be abused again. Not again. "I won't… no… you can't be… no… Seth…"

He was hallucinating again but that was something he didn't know of. How can the past repeat itself? Why was Seth alive? No, he won't believe it. He won't.

"You're not alive…" he said, forcing himself to stare at those wide, surprised azure eyes he longed to drown himself in.

Two strong arms cradled him in an embrace, despite very loud and harsh objections, as he heard someone whisper soothing nonsense in his ears. This was beyond crazy! Seth couldn't possibly be alive. Or else… his eyes widened again, breaking the calm.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"Atemu, it's me," Seth whispered.

"You're dead… Seth… you're dead," he answered, tears forming and falling, "Please… don't let… Ranmen get me… please…"

He was afraid and confused. He never felt vulnerable in his life until this, and he didn't know if he wanted it or not. Will he regret this once he regains himself or will he pretend nothing ever happened?

XXX

"Mahado, leave us be," Seth ordered in his usual grim voice, letting no one object as they left the tent.

"Please…" Atemu whimpered, shaking like a leaf.

"I'm here, Atemu. I'm alive, Ranmen didn't kill me," Seth answered, hugging the other close, "I'm alive. Just open your eyes, Atemu…"

"No, I won't. You're just playing with me…"

"I promised you I wouldn't leave you… I never did. I'm still here, cradling you like always," Seth tried again, hugging the other tight. He had to thank Mahado for healing the other quickly.

Atemu shook his head; he wanted to sleep it all away. Forget everything, he wanted to be over. He wanted all these confusing thoughts to disappear. He didn't want to feel anything anymore.

"Open your eyes, Atemu…"

What will he see? Whose face will he see this time? Ra help him if this was a lie.

"Ra help us, Atemu open your eyes and see what's true. I'm here. Seth's here, I didn't break my promise. I'm here."

"You died…"

"Your love brought me back."

"That's not possible."

"You always said there's no such thing as impossibility. I'm here right now, waiting for you to open your eyes... please… just open your eyes…"

"No." Atemu decided before faltering, "Why waste time with someone like me?"

Seth sighed, groaning inwardly. "I'll tell you why when you open your eyes."

"You won't vanish?"

"I'm here and you can't ever force me to leave, dear," Seth whispered.

Please Atemu, just open your eyes. Give in… please…

He thought his cousin would never do it. He thought the other would forget his trust in him and refuse to believe him. He thought he wouldn't see those crimson eyes up-close ever again. Atemu proved him wrong. Again.

"Seth…" Atemu sighed, "You're… really here."

That stamped a smirk on the priest's face and he leaned down to kiss the other on his forehead, "I told you I'll never leave, didn't you?" he said.

Atemu returned the other's embrace and buried his head in the other's chest. He heaved a sigh and went back to sleep.

Recovery was still a long road and forgetting wasn't easy as it appears to be, was it?

"I love you, Atemu," Seth whispered, not knowing why he said that. He just thought it was something he needed to say.

"I love you Seth…"

And he never expected a response. But it did make him smile a bit.

XXX

Mahado sensed it before he knew that the pharaoh was going to be back to his normal self soon. And honestly, he had to thank Seth for that.

But thinking about the punch he just gave the priest, he shook his head grimly. He still owed the other a blow.

You still have a long way to go, my pharaoh. But you'll have Seth with you, I need not worry.

XXX

A/N: Ah finally, a chapter done! Now I can start on the next chapter. Reviews, anyone? Oh wow… I just realized… this was supposed to be the last chapter. If that's the case, then I do believe an epilogue is in order? I know the mood suddenly changed but I'm sorry, I'm running out of things to write. Damn. Yes, I've decided that this was going to be a happy ending despite the fact that the pharaoh's going to die. Eventually. But hopefully, this story won't come to that.

Since it's already 1 AM right now, I don't have a freaking idea how I'm going to wake up at 6 tomorrow and catch up with the meeting in Journ. Wow… and to think I wanted to enjoy the summer.