Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

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Fury, for once, partially overrode the soothing numbing effect of the Sennen Rod, as his subordinate waited. Kisara had been explicitly placed in the barracks with orders for her safety and to be kept in secret. Yet for Set to now only to discover that for some random reason, Aknadin had opted to take her away to his temple. As much as he wanted to yell at his subordinate for letting it happen, there was a distant part of his heart that stopped him.

Aknadin 'was' a High Priest...

Granted Set was General, but a High Priest was still a High Priest, and such a request was not unheard of.

So in an effort to throttle down his fury before he regretted it. Set cast his eyes about the room they were in. The barracks office were nothing really fancy to look at as compared to the palace, the walls were limited on their stories. Telling only of victorious battles, and little else. Outside was a strange type of weather, with clouds only on the horizon. They didn't move with the wind, rather they had started to fester in the air around the time Bakura showed up. With every passing day, they rolled in closer and darker than the day before.

People were getting worried, and the rumors were flying higher. More over there was something wrong with the Pharaoh himself! This was 'not' an auspicious ascent of a new Pharaoh that was expected with these looming signs of doom manifesting. Now was the time that the Priests needed to show that the Gods 'did' bless the Pharaoh. That they were safe and protected under the Pharaoh's reign.

"And how was it that he was able to convince you that taking her away was 'my' order?" Set asked shifting his harsh gaze and all the weight of his fury down on the man.

"He said his temple was a safe place for one such as her, that her protection was your main objective. Something you've been strangely fixated on," the man explained, with his tone just shy of the respect that should have been afforded the man he was speaking to.

"Is there a reason you would address your General in that tone?" Set asked, wanting someone to verbally lash out.

"My 'General' is the man who would protect our Pharaoh and not run off chasing some unknown girl for an equally unknown reason. A task you're treating as unimportant to you," the soldier retorted, his body only partially ridged to attention. He tone was barely contained aggression and displeasure, his eyes challenging Set. Yet for all his brazen disrespect...

The man spoke true.

'I have kept her as a secret, so I can't expect him or anyone else to understand what she exactly represents.' Instead he locked his jaw to keep himself from saying anything that he would regret. Clenching his hand around the Sennen Rod with increasing force, as though the much needed calming numbness would take over faster.

The biting cold touch of the Rod was reassuring as it ran up his arm and woke him from distracting thoughts. Outside the only sound was soldiers, amid training or drills, while the far distant sound of a bustling capital city was notably absent.

"I will speak with the Pharaoh, that girl has within her an unique gift that would be valuable in our battle against Bakura. Once I return regardless of who comes along, if it is not a High Priest 'not excluding Aknadin' I don't want her being handed over. Have I made myself clear," he finally instructed barely unlocking his jaw. He watched as the irritation turned to surprise as the man shifted his posture.

"You are asking us to deny a High Priest? The High Priest Aknadin who served under the Pharaoh's father? Whatever for?"

"He and I do not currently see eye to eye on a matter, and it is a matter that I and the other priests would agree on. As such I don't want him having access to Kisara under any circumstance," Set clarified.

Asim looked taken aback still, uncertainly was naked in his eyes, yet he bowed his head in acknowledgment. "Very well, I'll see the troops informed in preparation for her return. But he has been gone most of the day. If you wish to catch up you'll need to see the Pharaoh now," he pointed out. Reminding Set of how little time they had, given they could not tell when Bakura would show up again.

You never had enough time.

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Clouds, even here, could be seen on the horizon. A foreboding presence and reminder that this was not how the coronation ceremony should have gone. They should have still been feasting, wine should have been flowing, bold tales told, laughter heard through out the halls. Yet here the newly crowned Pharaoh sat, alone in his royal chambers, staring out at the horizon.

"Pharaoh?" Set began, and despite the presence of the Sennen Rod, he could feel apprehension simply standing in the room. 'I should be able to offer more than this. I should be able to offer a swift solution to Bakura's threats. But I...'

"Father isn't here, Set. Is there something you wished to discuss?"

How heavy that crown must have felt. The Pharaoh was still too small for the chair he now occupied, or the throne itself. Physical reminders of the path he had to now walk without either parents to guide him. More over an inept circle of priests, who could offer him no ready solutions to the problem presented to him.

"No, he has passed on. I would speak with the Pharaoh of now, for your father is the Pharaoh of the past." Set replied, speaking in a tone of respect, hoping that it would encourage the prince he knew to be a Pharaoh.

"Come, sit and talk with me then. I could use the distraction," the Prince now Pharaoh gestured towards the unoccupied seat across from the desk he sat at. This wasn't his old chamber, the toys never saw the walls here. This was his fathers' old room, and along the walls were inked with the stories of Gods and their trials and tribulations.

Set strode to the chair offered him and sat down even as he felt this keening need to retrieve Kisara. But already the normality of the kingdom was robbed of them, the Pharaoh needed to keep the appearance of normality for the sake of Kemet. As such so did Set need to keep the normal appearance of General. Yet...

"I've been pondering what could have caused this Bakura to have such an intense hatred of me, when I haven't done anything." The Pharaoh confessed as he sat there looking up at his older General. Not only was he young, but the crown he now wore was more ornate than the one he often fussed with when he was still a prince. His robes of state were going to ensure he was not going to run madly down the hallways of the palace any longer either.

"His heart is evil, what other thing must we know? This is no different than any trial the Gods have dealt with. We will see you through this, so you mustn't worry about it," Set replied only to see the Pharaoh give him a slightly raised eyebrow.

"You sound like my Grandfather, I'm aware of the truth though. There is no fable; battles, wars, people live and die by good leadership." The Pharaoh looked back out of the window, his gaze quiet and introspective. "I was remembering something that happened shortly prior to my fathers' illness."

How heavy was that crown? Set found himself distracted by the question. How had the small, mischievous prince that had drawn out the ire from Set so many times. Whose brilliance was enough to leave him floored and gaping time after time been hobbled so by that crown. Where was the happiness? The...

'Be silent Set, he has lost his father, we have all lost a strong leader. Not only has he not the time to mourn, or the much needed normality himself. That bastard stole his fathers' body and brought it here to the palace for all to see!' Set chided himself even as the Rod soothed away the anger in his heart and forced his attention back onto the Pharaoh proper.

"Father spoke of some crime, his prayers were for our ancestors to punish him alone for it." The Pharaoh's expression was lost to the past, as though he was tackling some particularly difficult problem.

Not that Set could blame him, the memory was certainly a concerning one. 'Was that the reason such a strong man could be struck low so swiftly by illness? What happened? What crime could have been committed?' Set felt a frown pull at his own face as he pondered the situation. "And this situation, happened before he fell ill?"

The young Pharaoh nodded before leaning back in his seat, "I wish I had time to ponder further. But I don't know when or where Bakura will reappear, and you wanted to speak about something so..."

Set nodded quietly, "yes of course. It concerns Aknadin," he began. "I know he has served your father loyally since before either of our times, yet I had a woman under my care. A woman that he took without my consent to his temple," Set explained and inwardly saw the Pharaoh tilt his head in slight confusion. That turned almost sly.

"I know of this woman, he says you're quite taken with her. So he has removed her to his temple for her own safety. Given the threat currently it would distract you from your duties as General, if she was left near battle. Since there will clearly 'be' further battles here." The young Pharaoh recited with a slight glint in his eyes as though what that 'taken with' involved.

Only for Set's own alarm bells to go off. Gratitude for the Pharaoh's honest nature towards him gave him all the reason for concern. 'He hides the presence of the dragon from the Pharaoh and instead redirects to implicate me in a relationship? No, I suspect he plans to take her dragon as he suggested before. This is nothing more than to waste my time!'

"Pharaoh, it is important that I get that woman back. My duty as General demands that I keep the strongest of defenses here at your service. It is what she possesses that motivates me to see her swift return. I need to bring her back to the palace, for your own well being," he explained.

The reply earned a fleeting expression of disappointment from the Pharaoh as he straightened himself in his seat. "And you need to get her personally?"

"He deceived my men into letting her be removed from the barracks against my wishes. Also given his own abilities I suspect he would not allow anyone lower get her." Set explained which earned him a cautious expression from the Pharaoh.

"Set... are you accusing another High Priest?" The Pharaoh asked worry in his tone, "He's never been like Heisheen, granted he's not had an heir either. But he's been a good man."

"I realize what I am saying, and I will explain once I return, but I must leave now. Every moment puts more distance between he and I. Thus more time for Bakura to strike again, so please just wait until I return and grant me permission to retrieve Kisara." He urged and watched as the Pharaoh rested his head against his hand.

"You're asking me to send away the new General of our kingdom to chase a girl, while a thief seeks to sow chaos in the kingdom?" The Pharaoh replied, his voice carrying his concern and apprehension.

For which Set could find no fault, he 'was' asking a great deal. As much as they wanted to downplay the threat of Bakura. He wasn't leading an army 'into' Kemet, he was already 'in' the capital. Of course Sets' duty was to deal with armies, not lone crazed men. That was Mahaado's area given he was the Captain of the Royal Guards. "I realize I am asking a great deal at a bad time, but when have I ever let you down?" Set asked which earned him his first truly familiar glimpse of the prince he looked after.

That cock sure, amused smirk as the young Pharaoh shrugged, "I suppose not often, except when you upset Maha..." Yet the moment he brought up his magician an expression of concern crossed his face. "Maha... I haven't seen him use some of his higher spells since before father died."

He drifted into silence, that whole incident having taken over his attention again, leaving Set to his own.

'Mahaado hasn't used his magics...' that... that was worrying as great as his power was...

Set stood up and bowed his way out of the room. Taking the Pharaoh's silence as permission, or at least he could beg forgiveness once he returned and Bakura was destroyed. If the magician wasn't using his higher spells, it only boded worse for the palace in terms of its defense.

'I need to get my horse saddled and ready, some provisions,' his mind went through the remaining chores to complete before he could leave. He knew the path to the Temple of Tablets so there was no worries in reaching the place. 'If I had been foolish enough before to expect Mahaado to be able to help. Well that mistake is gone, though it would also explain why he was so overly emotional before.' What good was a magician who did not use their magics?

'Isis did not see his arrival either...' A stray thought occurred to Set as he walked away, but he was also a man who didn't hold 'that' much weight in Isis' ability. Her visions had become decidedly Doomsayer since Bakura's arrival. Before she could give various probably outcomes so he could plan accordingly for each possibility. Now it was all 'we're in danger, the world is dark'.

'Disheartening to be sure to hear the Royal Seeress given to such rantings,' he thought. But that was a thought for later, when he wasn't busy.

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But those thoughts and actions had been days before.

Before he had left the palace for the Temple of Tablets, and after a great deal of hard riding he finally was riding up to trepidation. From a distance the temple had looked peaceful, yet upon approaching, Set started to realize he hadn't seen anyone. His eyes began scouring the land for some priest or priestess. Seeking signs that the temple held some life to it, after all Aknadin wouldn't have cleared out the full temple to attend the Coronation.

Even if he did, he would have sent some back to manage the temples once Bakura revealed himself. Wouldn't he? Kalim and Isis both had after all, the least trained had been sent for their own safety, with only a few more experienced priests in training to look after them. So logically...

'Bah what is logic here?' he thought in irritation as his ears strained for some sound, the call of a soldier, or servant. Even the neigh of an ass would have been more comforting than the lonely wind that drifted over the sand. Or the hint of blood on that very wind.

Alarmed, Set rode onto the temple grounds with his eyes peeled for any standing threat. The temple 'did' house all the tablets, so had Bakura arrived to use them? Possibilities of threats and events that could have happened if Bakura had arrived began springing up in his mind. Kisara wouldn't be able to summon her dragon if she alone was threatened...

Concern made the pain from riding as hard as he had negligible as he dismounted from his horse at the foot of the temple steps. As seasoned a warhorse as his mount was, the scent of blood was not something that unsettled it as other horses would be. So he only loosely hung the reigns near the water troth so it could drink and rest.

'This is wrong, where is everyone... A High Priest arrives and no servants step forth? No...'

"Ahh I see you've arrived Set, I'm so glad," Aknadin's voice carried out from within the temple, further into the darken entry hall. His voice was slightly muffled, but even from this distance, Set could see the glint from the Sennen Eye.