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Disclaimer: The following will contain homosexual individuals and relationships and will involve interpretations of deities from various religions. No offense is intended. This is copyrighted to me (mewjen(at)ymail.com), so no using it without my permission and no stealing it (any profits must be shared). This is a work of fiction.

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Well, this is new. In all my time of creating clones, I don't think I ever created one that was quite so... monochromatic.

I didn't even give Horus a chance to weasel his way out of this. "What did you do?"

"They are your powers," the falcon retorted with indignation.

"There is no way that's mine," I fired back.

Horus' shadow moved closer to us, as we bickered.

"Can you do whatever you did to the other one and make it go away?" he whined.

"That one did not threaten to kill someone for you," I countered. "Besides, you're my protector now. Go protect."

"You know, I am the one who is supposed to use that against you," he said stubbornly. "Not the other way around."

Why can't he just understand that I know what I'm doing. A powerless god is the safest option for me. Admittedly, facing a murderous version of my ex made me realize that some enchanted protection would be nice. Maybe I should call Anubis. Horus won't be able to help himself to not goad over my decision.

Horus' other was now a few paces away. His smile was cold and curious.

"Stop." Horus drew one of his sabers from its subspace sheath and pointed it at the clone.

"I don't think you need to answer," the clone replied with icy playfulness. "You seem to have made up your mind." It chuckled to itself. "You getta keep Set, and I'll remove the obstacle."

I knew whom it meant, before Horus asked, but it was still chilling to hear Horus' voice in that dark tambour say it.

It had been turning away, but returned its gaze to Horus in order to answer, "Why, Anubis, of course."

Horus lunged and slashed downwards. The green energy wave hit the clone across its torso and sliced through, leaving a hand's-width void from its right shoulder to its lower stomach. For a moment, it looked like flecks of ash were floating away from the wound, but the ash proved to be more, as it poured from the wound, filling the gap, returning its torso to its previous unharmed state.

"Your powers can't harm me," it stated, before rushing at its stunned original. Forcing Horus to the ground, with its hand on his clavicle, it whispered into his ear, too low for me to hear.

When it was done taunting him, it lifted him up and threw him back to the ground, leaving him dazed, as it stood up. It smiled broadly and flicked its hand at me, before jumping to the nearest roof.

I didn't see the blade materialize from its hand, but I felt the slash against my arm, before I cried out.

I made my way over to Horus, clutching my arm. I knelt down and reached for him, but he sat up before I touched him.

He looked scared, as he tried to clear his mind. "I have to go after him," he said. I'm not sure if it was to me, himself or just to the air.

"Yeah," I replied, watching him stand up. "But first could you." I moved my hand away, showing my wound to him.

He looked shocked, but reacted instantly, healing the scratch in a minute.

"Thanks," I said, before digging into my pockets. Pulling out my phone, I handed it to Horus. "Call Anubis. Warn him. And get going."

I knew he had to be the one to tell An, and that he told An not to answer his calls, so he had to use mine, but five minutes after Horus ran off, I realized that I had relinquished my only line of communication. I wanted to follow Horus, but I couldn't keep up with him anymore, and I knew, in the end, I'd just be in his way. I retraced my way back to the hospital. But entering once again, I found the only public phones available were monetary, something a god doesn't generally worry about.

I left feeling frustrated and angry, forced to walk back to my home alone. Horus should have told me what was going on. I know my powers didn't create that thing. They couldn't have. Could they?

I stopped in the middle of an empty street and growled loud enough to hear its echo. I was lost, with no way of knowing where I was or how much time had passed. I was confused, trying to understand what was happening. Ever since my memories were returned, I have been focused on the turmoil going on in my head, too caught up in this feeling of hopelessness. I remember loving Horus. I remember our friendship both before and after. But I don't know if I love him now.

My life was consumed by my love for Anubis and trying to undo the hurt I inflicted. And now, it's done. I helped Anubis and Jaller find each other and their feelings for each other. They were happy. Confused and taking things slowly, but happy nonetheless.

Before my memories, I figured I could never share in something like that again. I remember that moment with Anubis. I shelled away my love for him, and the chaos I am felt joy, as I crushed him. I don't deserve anyone. I deserve to be alone. Why can't Horus see I shouldn't be loved? That he alone deserves to be happy.

I'm not certain he can call me a friend. I abandoned him in my home. I didn't question what he was going through. I didn't think he'd push himself this hard. The emotions poured into that clone. They're not subtle. They're obvious. Why couldn't I help him?

Before I could answer myself, a pair of headlights flooded my vision, and a voice called out to me, "Hey, are you alright?"

I had let myself get to the point where I was shaking.

I felt myself being dragged to the sidewalk. I heard the question being asked again, and I whispered, "No." I felt a jacket being wrapped around my cold body, as I was led to sit down in the seat of some car. I heard more words being said and tried to focus on them, even though they sounded so muddled. I felt myself calming down and letting the world back in.

I found I was sitting in the driver's seat of a police car, with the presumable human owner standing above me.

He smiled comfortingly at me, when he realized I was looking around. "Feeling better?" he asked gently, kneeling down to my level.

"Yeah, I guess," I answered nervously.

"You had me worried there, you know that? Do you need medical attention?" he asked directly.

"No," I replied.

"Good." The officer smiled. "I'm not certain reporting that a god needs an ambulance would be believed," he said good-naturedly.

I smiled, showing my lucidness.

"Is there anything you need?" he asked with concern.

"I'm kind of lost," I answered truthfully.

"Oh. Where do ya need ta go?" he said without judgment.

It was hard to believe that a mortal was offering to help me and was being kind about it. Over the eons, every mortal I met or that called for me wanted to use me for some selfish desire. I have seen their history torment my kind. And yet, here was a mortal human with a selfless offer.

I gave him my address, and he let me sit in the passenger's seat, as he drove me home.

"Can I ask ya question?" he inquired, after several minutes of silence, not taking his eyes off the empty roads.

"Of course," I returned, feeling the need to repay his generosity.

"Is it true that Cronus attacked Ra?"

I was caught off guard by his question. "You know about that?"

"It was front page news from every source," he replied. "There are rumors everywhere that a war is coming. The first war involving Old Tem."

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "Cronus attacked on his own. But I don't know. I haven't really been paying attention. I've..."

"Been busy with Horus," the officer offered to my surprise. He glanced at me, before adding, "Not that I've a problem with that. It's a free universe."

I stared at him. I hadn't realized that my life's story was this wide spread. Or that I was that recognizable.

I guess my silence was enough of an answer. "You don't have ta talk about it. What's private is private. I don't need ta know. Not like I'm the Inquirer."

"How much has become public knowledge?" I asked timidly.

"Depends who ya ask," he replied offhandedly. "Most say you're in a relationship, dating or what have ya. A couple say this ain't the first time neither."

I flattened my ears, my face burning. "Why are you not offended by me?"

He turned his eyes away from the road to give me a quizzical look. "Like I said, I don't care. You get ta do whatcha like in a free city."

"I meant my...stature," I amended.

"What's there ta cause offense?" He asked with a shrug. "You gods ain't done nothing ta me."

I cast my gaze out the window, watching building after building pass by. "Some did ask to be worshipped," I stated halfheartedly.

"And some didn't," he offered. "You didn't," he added more pointedly. "I was raised to revere Ra. Still do. But it's my choice."

We passed a small park where several children were playing on the various pieces of equipment, watched by parents and adults, who were conversing from the various benches. I never when to a park with my parents or even my older brother.

"My brother and I weren't taught to have faith," I pondered. "We were taught that having faith in people was weakness. That we were better than everyone else, and Ra was just an obstacle to defeat. Of course, my brother took that literally."

I could feel his gaze on me. Probably caught off guard by my confidence. "But you defended Ra?" he questioned hesitantly.

I still didn't look at him. It was easier not to...and more liberating. "It wasn't just some sibling rivalry," I held. "My older brother hates me, because of my sexuality...and my openness about it. As far as my brother is concerned, I should be forced to marry and have children, or be shot...or worse," I appended offhandedly.

"Ain't that what Ra wanted for Anubis?" he observed.

It was strange to feel a desire to defend Ra. He stole my memories, tortured me after I proposed to his son, used me to hurt him, and yet I couldn't lie about him. When did I stop hating him? Or did I just stop caring?

"Ra would never harm his family," I stated firmly. "My parents, on the other hand, chose Osiris and kicked me out when I was ten." I sighed, before I clarified, "That was before The Fall and the passing of our godhood."

The fields outside of my window had gone dark, so I could see his reflection in the windows clearly. I saw the sympathy he offered and the disgust aimed at my abandoners. "How did you survive?" He asked with wonder.

I turned to him, now that my window no longer protected me from seeing his expressions and judgments. "By Ra's mercy," I said vaguely. I watched his face as he drove, as I made the decision to elaborate. "I was driven out of Tem by my parents. Left alone to die under the merciless sun. To be buried and forgotten in the desert sands." Another flash of pity crossed his face. "Ra did not seclude himself until after Anubis' birth, so he found me half-buried, barely alive and brought me to Inner Peace, the City of Ambassadors, though that title came after I arrived. I never went back to Tem, and my former family assumed I was dead." I let off a small chuckle of derision. "Until Osiris and I ended up both surviving The Fall."

He was silent for a long while. "So, you knew Horus back then?" he asked.

I could sense it coming, once someone put it together, they always asked. "No. I knew the son of my brother was an ambassador, but I didn't know who he was." I kept my fear of meeting Horus to myself. At that time, I was afraid he would finish what my parents and grandparents failed to do, if he found out. "I met Horus when he saved my life. The Devourers had chased me up one of the towers of the central castle. I was trapped on the roof, and my barricades were failing. They backed me up to the edge, and I tripped. And he caught me." A smile flashed onto my face for a moment, as I remembered being held in his arms. "There was nothing we could do, as the city tore itself apart. We just stayed in the sky, until we found other survivors. We stayed in touch afterwards...and friendship evolved," I added, acknowledging the rumors he had shared.

Another glance of surprise. "So when did you find out...?"

I frowned. I really preferred not dealing with that annoying twist. "He doesn't acknowledge Osiris as his step-father, so for him it isn't an issue."

"For you?" he asked cautiously.

"It's the least of my problems." I don't know why I kept talking about such private issues, but it just felt right to talk about it with someone who didn't have a stake in my life. "Our memories of our first relationship were taken from us, until recently. We didn't know how we felt until now, and everything is different." I hung there, not certain what I wanted to put to words.

He didn't question who or why our memories were taken, for which I was grateful. "It seems ta me that ya can't erase feelin's," he said offhandedly. "Somethin' will always linger."

It was something I hadn't considered during these past weeks. All those little inappropriate moments that would crop up on us. The light touches that we never acknowledged. The stares, when we thought the other wasn't looking. Have we remained in love this entire time?

We drove in silence for a long time. I could see familiar landmarks dotting the landscape in front of me.

I expected the remainder of our trip to be in silence, so it was a surprise when he asked, "Did Anubis and that fella figure things out?"

I stared at him again, taken aback by the level of public knowledge, considering Anubis never talked about Jaller in public, let alone the fact that he avoided the public like a plague. Then again, there was that rather public scene they made when he first arrived. But all of the gods I talked with were respectful enough not to get involved. I guess that did not hold true for the mortal media.

I thought for a moment, before deciding that I had trusted him this far...and Anubis didn't care as long as Jaller was safe. "Yeah," I answered.

"Good," he replied, as the car came to a stop, and I realized I was back home.

I thanked him and got out.

He leaned over, before I shut the door and handed me his business card. "If you need anything," he offered. "You don't have to be afraid of us."

I looked down at the card. "Thank you, Officer Seti."

"Thank you, Set. Did you need me to walk you inside?" he offered.

I declined, but he stayed as I made my way up the steps and to my front door. I heard the lock shift as I reached for the knob. I gave the aged wood a gentle stroke, thanking it for opening, since I did not have a habit of carrying a key, another action that I will have to change. I opened the door, and turning back to the driveway, I waved to the police car, before it pulled away.

God, it felt empty.

In this world and as a god, a home is what you expect it to be. When I claimed this place after receiving my powers, I wanted something I never had. I've never told anyone that it is my memory of my childhood home, before I was banished, created to be the welcoming home I had always dreamed about. In reality, it is too large for someone who wants to share his life with someone else. But it's perfect for someone who wants to be alone. As a reflection of my heart, it can't change.

I took my time, as I went to where I found Horus. It seemed like a different trek. Colder than when I was calling out his name, trying to rouse him for dinner, just to find him passed out on the floor.

I liked his mess. He had the whole of the wing, yet everything had to have a proper place before it could be moved from the hallways. So the walls were lined with the increasing number of possessions he had transported from his chateau, as he picked through what was important and left the rest for later.

I let my hands trail across one of his credenzas, as I passed. He would never let me keep things like this. Never allow dirty laundry to be misplaced. Never allow the balance of his versus mine to shift. But then again, everything I owned was in its place, though it wasn't as if I tried.

I reached the door of one of my smaller studies, one that Horus claimed. Compared to the other rooms he used it was a disaster area. The desk was covered with papers and opened books. The shelves were hastily filled by need instead of purpose. And then there was the floor, which was layered in papers torn from the books, except for a circle around where he had laid and the trail I made getting to him. It seemed to be the same as I had left it, though with the level of mess, I couldn't tell.

It didn't seem like something he would do. Of course, I didn't know what I had driven him to do. I moved to the center of the clearing and knelt down. There was a dark spot on the wooden floor. Touching it, I found the ash of burnt paper. It was too fine to discover what had been written on it without some trickery.

I moved to the desk. It was one of mine, and glancing around, I realized that the few pieces of furniture placed in the room were all mine. He must not have bothered replacing them with his own, unlike his formal study. I had helped him move almost all of his furniture, so he must have kept this place the same, so I wouldn't be inclined to go poking around.

My home would never allow him to do anything that would in danger him or myself, so either his actions here were not the cause of that clone or my home didn't know what would happen. Out of all the stupid impulsive actions he could have taken, which one did he take?

He wanted to move past his jealousy and anger, instead of letting it happen naturally. He did something to that effect, considering he didn't tense when I mentioned An, and his eyes wandered quite a bit compared to before when he looked at me.

I sighed loudly.

Maybe I just didn't want to except he's ready and I'm not. Maybe whatever he tried failed, and the placebo effect just helped him move on. And maybe my powers just latched on to that seed he wanted gone. History says I'm evil...maybe I am. Trying to blame Horus for this, instead of looking within. Wanting to hide what I am.

But still there was one way to know.

I glanced down at Isis' ring. If I had to want it to be worn, did that mean I could take it off when I wanted to and then put it back on?

I looked around the room. It would take days to go through it. I moved to the clearing and closed my eyes. I wanted to give up my powers for good. I could just wait and demand that Horus explain. I didn't have to give into the temptation. But if Horus never found out I used my powers....

I reached down and slipped the ring off my finger, and fell to my knees. I quickly placed it back on, breathing harshly, my body coursing with adrenaline, as it reacted to the intense drain. It was much worse than before, but I couldn't know if it was the ring or my condition.

"Suffering?"

I jumped and turned around.

"Horus!" I gasped.

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Author's Note: This is another one where things are not going quite as planned. This and the next chapter were supposed to be one, with this being a page or two, but having this opportunity as Set, it just felt like he deserved the chance to express himself, which lead to wanting to have back-story, before things get too far. So I failed to avoid the monologues that filled the Anubis-side of things this time.

As to Horus and Set's familial relationship, I had to acknowledge it this time. In mythology, they are related, whether as brothers or nephew and uncle. This is the problem with using well-known deities from any religion. However, I do not think of this as incest. Osiris is a step-father because I wanted to play with the fact that Horus' father in the mythology is not constant (nor is any deity's), and after deciding that Horus and Set should fall for each other, I did not want them to be biologically related in my version (even though I do reference the incestuous myths). So let's just treat them as best friends turned lovers turned whatever they are now.

Sorry for the delay. Stress at work led to migraine and not much else.

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