A Past and Future Pharaoh

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Original Beta: White Swan

Current Beta: A frazzled me.

A/N: Hi!

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Kaiba leaned against the door to the hotel room, wondering what in Holy Hell just happened in the room behind him. The door before him offered no answers, just the comfort of a modern door, framed by good 'modern' designs. The carpet he stood upon silencing the sound of his shoes as he shifted in place. His heart ached for a moment the same way it always did when he remembered those days, before the rage settled in. The sense of violation of his repressed memories suddenly brought back played back in his mind like he was actually there going through those events again.

Only those events were wrong, as though they got their hands on an incomplete script and tried to flesh it out on their own. Incompetence like that got people fired back in KaibaCorp, but he hadn't decided what would happen to 'this' particular idiot.

He stalked down the hallway down towards where the receptionist desk was located, perhaps the phones were still working over there? If there was something disturbing the electromagnetic fields about the place, at least a land line should, hopefully, still work to some degree. He strode down the hallway and back to the receptionist desk with all the focus and force of a hurricane. Each step down the stairs, despite the cushion of carpet still sounded thunderous. Moving as though he could escape the past he saw play out, because even if it was wrong. He knew how it went, and his mind could easily play it back for him if he let it. Once he reached the ground floor he reached over the desk, a blessing of his height, grabbing the base of the phone in one hand and the ear piece in the other. It possibly would take a few tries to get the right sequence to call out, but he could hack a computer, how hard could it be getting a phone to work?

The answer? Apparently impossible, no matter what he tried the phone would not give a dial tone, nothing came through despite various buttons he tried. A frustrated glance about the room allowed his eyes to go towards an upper placed mirror, and something more desiring of his focus. His eyes had been painted in the traditional manner that Set wore ages ago, but the smears of blood followed the path where Mahaado's fingers had touched him.

His fingers almost shook as they ghosted over the make up on his face, while he could feel the ghost of other fingers. The mage, the illusions, Mahaado must have cast an illusion and forced Kaiba into that situation! Rage began to tint his vision at the audacity of that damn mage. White robes began to fade into the view behind him, yet the pristine white that Mahaado always maintained were stained red. Even as he watched through the mirror, his anger bleeding out of him, he saw a tile appear as Mahaado's arm began to fall to the ground...

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"I can't believe you're doing this. Are you sure you're man enough to do this?"

"A little late to be asking me that don't you think?"

When he first arrived, Mahaado's bedroom had been incredibly simplistic, partly because the Prince had a tendency to bring his toys into Mahaado's bedroom. It felt like an expectation to see some toys perched on the shelves for when the Prince visited. It was a simple bedroom in the Palace of Egypt, of high quality, but simple which was helpful for when Set took over from time to time. It was a place he spent a great deal of time in, regardless of if it was the two of them or all four. Set sat in a chair leaning as far back as he could go, his eyes shut while wearing his daily attire. He sat beside what could be considered a vanity, Maha sitting there holding a small pot in one hand a concerned look in his eyes causing him not to go any further.

"You haven't even put on any make up... are you planning to go out there with no protections?" he asked placing the pot on the table before him. The room was so quiet, it almost seemed to tremble with an unspoken anticipation and an undercurrent of fear. Mahaado's bedroom was a comforting place for the pair, it was where they could go when the Prince was with the rest of his family, under older more powerful guard. It was quiet and peaceful in his room, allowing them to have more deeper conversations without the Prince, endearing as he may be, trying to puzzle his way through them.

Set almost carelessly extended his hand, though the boy had his own mesdemet in his room why bother using it when he could use the magician in trainings'? Mahaado shook his head before reaching over to grab the small ornate ivory box that he carried his in.

Taking the box in his hands, he removed the lid and removed the application stick before preparing to put the make up on himself.

But after a moment of watching Set's hand shake Mahaado took both back with a firm grip. Shaking his head he put it back on the table before moving a chair over to Set. "Tell me the style you want. I'll do it for you, before you stab out your own eye."

Set sat up more turning his head to face Mahaado and his quiet way of dealing with make up. The boy... young man now, had a good skill with the make up, he had an incredibly gentle touch and it only encouraged Set more to 'not' put his own make up on. Not when he could get Mahaado to do it for him. Then again Mahaado was a trained mage, he was 'supposed' to be good with his hands. Even when he was working off of less blood then a normal boy his age, whippings that would make a dead horse wince, and threats to life and limb.

Yet asking what style was a bit of a joke between them, Set would wear the same marks he had worn since he was old enough to apply it to his own face. Very simple, very honest as per his personality, Set would not live off the graces of the Gods. He would stand and fall on his own merit and prove himself without their assistance. With today, under the blazing eye of Ra himself, he would prove it to all of the royal court. He had already taken all the strategic courses, proven his intellect far outstripped his peers. But having Mahaado do his make up was nice, the boy had such a soft touch.

"Are you even listening to me Seth? Don't you think I'll have my hands full taking care of the prince? What makes you think I'll be able to take care of both of you?"

Mahaado was such a worrier...

"You honestly think I'm going to let an inept fool be in charge of the Army? Who will look after the Prince and you?" He emphasized the 'you' taunting Mahaado's ability to protect himself in retaliation.

"You think I can not perform the duties myself?" Mahaado asked his tone hinting at a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I know you can look after the Prince; however, I know that you can not look after 'yourself'. You'll wear yourself out. Then who will be left to look after the Prince?" Set looked up at Mahaado as the mage in training prepared to work on his other eye. Mahaado's response was a flick of the wrist, turning the light blanket on his bed into a long single strip of cloth. Wrapping it around Set, sending the teen to his knees as it bound up his ankles, knees, wrists, and gagged him.

"You belong at my feet, after all, if you seek to serve our young Prince as his future General, you'll need more humility in his presence," Mahaado teased lightly, as he went back to applying Set's make up.

He struggled unable to break the cloth grip that Mahaado had forced upon him. The bindings tightened until he couldn't move at all, letting Mahaado finish his work on Set's face.

Pleased with his handy work Mahaado released Set before returning to his own make up. Set got up, brushing off imagined dust from his body. This side of Mahaado always pleased Set when he saw it in action. The mage was always acting in such an unassuming manner around those in the palace. So having the exclusive privilege of seeing how Mahaado acted among peers was special, signifying both their friendship and their trust. Trust was such an important thing to the pair, as was honesty. It allowed for each teen to show weakness without fear of exploitation, rather it allowed 'Maha' to show weakness without fear of exploitation.

A trust that they developed since the Baths...

Mahaado never bathed with the others, though he clearly was taking baths, but when it came to when, it was anyone's guess. Opting to play with the Prince from the side, using his magic to distract the Prince from the fact that he wouldn't join in. So for the past few nights Set staked out the baths waiting for the mage to appear. If he didn't show up still, Set had to assume that he was using another location. So for another night he sat behind a large vase filled with flowers that were just beginning to dry.

Yet, his ears pricked at the soft sound of footsteps echoing through the corridor leading to this bath. Excellent, the mage was walking right for him. After a short time the mage in training appeared, a single glowing orb of light lit the path he took casting his shadow behind him. He slipped the shoes off his feet while placing fresh clothes down.

Set watched wondering what was so important to Mahaado that the boy never bathed in the light of sun like the others. Until Mahaado turned around while undoing the knot to his robes, as the robe fell it revealed that back so full of scars there wasn't an inch that wasn't marked. He watched as Mahaado slipped into the water, while wondering if those scars came just from when the Prince got out of the Palace. But no, he could see the fresh ones, numerous though they were, overlapping older ones. Which was worrisome because Set knew of the ones he tended to, but there seemed to be even 'more' than what was before.

It was in that shock that his fingers brushed against the flowers, rustling them softly, yet surprisingly Mahaado heard the faint sound. Suddenly the only light came from the moon and distant stars as the light Mahaado had been using was snuffed out faster than a candle. Something in the back of his mind urged him to speak before Mahaado had a chance to run. But perhaps he should have spoken before Mahaado started casting...

At least then he wouldn't have been silenced by a sudden spell that had him flying towards the baths. He would have shouted, yet magic had never been a constant in his life as such he never thought it important. Hitting the water with enough force that he could hear the waves created slamming into him, he barely suppressed a gasp of shock. This wasn't good, and you didn't have to be a battle harden soldier to know 'that'.

His back scraped the bottom of the bath as a pair of hands wrapped around his neck, while he felt the weight of a body pinning him down. He barely kept from shouting, after all what could possess Mahaado to be 'this' reactive to just a sound that he would attack? Sound was distorted as his body struggled, Mahaado had straddled his chest, so the mage in training knew 'something' of fighting, a pity he didn't know it in deeper detail. Then again if Maha did then Set would probably have not survived to see Ra's victory over the Demons. The mage was tired, his grip couldn't stay consistent on one level of pressure. So Set brought his hands up between the mages' arms and grabbed Maha by the shoulders.

Pulling down, he rolled and was fortunate to have the mage roll under him, another sign the mage was weakening. Was it the spells themselves that caused this? But those thoughts would have to be analyzed later, at that moment all that mattered was calming the mage down. He dropped his knees over the teens shoulders pinning him fully so Maha couldn't escape. He coughed up the used up air in his lungs, breathing in the sweet smell of Lotus and waterlilies that filled the room. But he didn't forget about the Mage below him, who's struggling was becoming quite violent.

Steeling himself for more struggling he got off Mahaado and pulled the boy up, though he put himself behind the mage. He wrapped his arm around the mage's throat, while at the same time wrapping his legs around Mahaado's waist. He needed to stabilize the mage into a sitting position without getting either of them hurt.

"Maha!" he urgently whispered into the boy's ear. He didn't need to bring the palace guards down upon them after all. Mahaado was slumped in his arms, so little strength remaining so soon? Even as the mage coughed a bit, he couldn't have been 'that' exhausted... Had... was he still in recovery? Set was no healer, he didn't know, but shouldn't Mahaado been stronger then this if he was properly healed? "Talk to me Mahaado."

"... Set?" Mahaado breathed out, both his voice and body tense.

"That's right... I'm going to let you go now. Understand?"

"Are you well?"

Set snapped back into focus at the sound of Mahaado's voice, pulled back from the past into the present. Mahaado had finished putting on the basic part of his robes and was starting on the outer layer. Thus while watching Mahaado, Set was pleased at how the mage had grown in character, the mage's master had made Mahaado pose as a girl growing up. Set understood the logic, girls seeming weaker, they would disregard Mahaado when going after the Prince. It gave Mahaado time to set up the spells he needed in order to defend the Prince. But Mahaado had been growing out of the slim body that he had as a child. Not to say he was stacked with stone quality muscle, but it was clear he wasn't androgynous.

Needless to say, it had taken some work over the recent years to get Mahaado out of that frame of mind. Though Set doubted he would ever get that boy completely out of that way of thinking, still it didn't hurt to try. But he pushed himself up and went over to Mahaado to help put on some of the jewelry on the teen.

"Do you remember the first time we met, after I recovered from my injuries?" Mahaado asked in a positively bland tone of voice.

"Yes, you insisted that you could take care of yourself," Set noted, with a smirk on his lips his thoughts going back to that day.

"Yes, well things haven't changed."

"On the contrary, this time I know how to silence your magic." Set countered that smirk not leaving his face as he clamped his hand over Mahaado's mouth. The Mage gave a muffled 'humph' as he tried to lift up his hand to free his mouth. Only Set reached out and caught his hand bringing it down and behind the mage's back.

A muffled attempt at telling Set off was cut off by a spiky royal head poked into view at the door. "So there you are, I've been worried and you're in here getting all touchy feely."

"Idiot Prince." Set retorted.

"Am not!"

"Mini Prince."

"Perhaps. Anyways are you going to be ok with this Seth?" The Prince walked further into the room and looked up at him, wide innocent eyes shifted from combative to worry in seconds. The growing rascal was in more elaborate robes today, at least now he didn't run like a madman through the palace so he could afford to dress more elegantly.

The concern was touching and Set gently draped his arms down to hold the small prince close to him. "I'm ok with proving to all involved that I would be the superior choice for your General, yes."

"But... what if you die? Who's going to look after Us?"

"I'm not going to lose, I refuse to let someone inferior take my place in your lives." Set knelt down, low enough that his knees were almost touching the ground. The scamp of Prince was looking up at him trying to put up a brave front.

"I gotta go to my Father now, but you don't do anything stupid. Remember we need you!" the little Prince reminded one more time in his most stern voice before walking off to rejoin his father.

"Is it me or does everyone think we're married?" He asked, turning to face the Mage as Mahaado went about his make up.

The mage froze in his work, glanced about his room then gave a shrug. "I do believe you strive to move into my room."

"Your bed is nicer, its the only reason I sleep here," Set countered, though to himself as an abstract thought, he leaned against the table that Mahaado was sitting at. The mage stopped brushing his hair and gave Set a look.

"The Prince showed me your High Priest in Training robes." Mahaado suddenly interjected into the silence that seemed to start eating away at the room. "It was rather nice, simple, but it brings out your eyes."

"Why thank you, I never knew you noticed them." Set replied with a smirk, feeling rather pleased with himself that he had features that could be considered alluring.

"You should go, I'll be there shortly."

Set nodded, leaving the room to lay claim to a new rank and position now that Asim had passed away taken by the fevers. Now the chance to go beyond his fathers' rank and position to leading an army glowed like a sun before him.