Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This isn’t really a preface, just want to provide you with some info before you dive into the story and end up just staring at me like “Wut?”.

    This story is based off of the legend of Osiris. If you didn’t figure it out by the title, you will notice that this piece is very much based off of Egyptian mythology, so if you don’t know anything about that, it’s okay. I got you covered.

    Basically what happens is Ra (the original sun god) hears about a prophecy that if Geb and Nut have children then one of them will overthrow him. He gets mad and says that Nut can’t have children on any day of the year. Problem is, Nut was already pregnant, and they didn’t have abortion back then, so she had to figure out a way to get those babies out of her. So, just like any other responsible mother, she went to a nightclub and gambled. No, seriously! She was gambling with Khonsu, the moon god, to be able to add 5 more days to the year to have her children on. She won, had her babies, the end.

    Of course Ra was mad, but he couldn’t do anything about the babies now that they were born. They were actually kinda growing on him. Especially Set, who was his personal guardian as he made his journey across the sky everyday (he’s the sun god, remember?).

    One day, Isis decided that she wanted more power. She wanted to make her husband (who also happened to be her brother, don’t ask me how that happened) the king, so she had to overpower Ra somehow. This is what she did: She gathered some of Ra’s drool while he was sleeping, turned it into a venomous snake, and made it bite Ra. She then told Ra that the only cure was if he told her his secret name. She was lying. She could have easily cured the bite without that little ingredient, but no one knew that.

    So, when she got Ra’s secret name, which gave her complete power over him, she cured him and banished him away to somewhere in the duat (non-material world which included the underworld). This meant that the throne belonged to Osiris.

    Isis wasn’t so lucky, however, because Set had seen all of this. He was really angry because he’d been very close to Ra, and that had two results. One, he was just sad that his best friend and mentor had been tossed aside like he was trash. Two, he believed that as the person who was closest to Ra, he had the right to the throne. So he went ahead and threw a hissy fit at Osiris’ birthday party, which, of course, translates to: he tricked his brother into (literally) walking into his own grave, sent the coffin off to god-knows-where (that god being himself), and took over the throne by force, making Isis run away. Just a normal fight between a few divine siblings.

    The Legend of Osiris is basically the story of Horus being reincarnated as Isis’ son and avenging his father/brother’s death. Some weird stuff happens, but hey. That’s Egyptian mythology for you. Everyone’s a bit weird.

    What I did in this little piece of fanfiction (I refuse to take credit for that weird story) is I added a character into the mess because I felt like it. That is literally it. So please don’t think that I claim any ownership over this wonderful, wonderful myth. I don’t.

    The rest, my dear reader, is up to you to find out. If you like the story, great! If you don’t like it, don’t hate.

Tons of love,

TheHobbitsAragone

Chapter Text

Isis and Osiris smiled at their newly born daughter. She was nursing peacefully, and the whole family seemed encased in an aura of peace and happiness. Isis’ tears of pain had quickly turned to ones of joy when she’d seen that her baby girl was born, and she whispered praises to all the gods for having helped her through her labor… including her precious little goddess.

    “Hettet…” she said suddenly, and Osiris looked at her in confusion. “I’d like to name her Hettet,” Isis clarified, and Osiris smiled at his wife, nodding his approval.

    They would cherish her forever…

    The day had come for the official celebration of little Hettet’s birth, and the entire palace was buzzing with activity. Servants completed last-minute decorations, the cooks prepared tonight’s feast, and ladies in waiting helped the royal family prepare for the festivities.

    At last, all preparations were made, and the first guests began trickling into the throne room. The royal family, wanting to make an appearance, were waiting in a secret hallway. Soon, the air was filled with idle chatter and sweet music. Gods and goddesses from all over the realm had come to celebrate the birth of the princess, as this was a rare occasion.

    Finally, the announcer signalled for the music to stop, and the guests rose from their seats, all knowing what came next.

    The rulers of the land emerged in all their glory, and the room was filled with applause. The pair looked impeccable- the queen with her perfumed, luscious locks that were intricately braided with gems and the pharaoh with his headdress of gold. Their clothes were pristine and white, as was the fashion at the time, but the colorful wings of Isis and the golden thread that was used to embroider the pharaoh’s robes ensured that their costumes were anything but bland.

    The pharaoh walked his lovely queen to her throne and then took his place at his own. The guests, seeing that the two were seated, sat down as well. The applause continued for a while before ending abruptly at the pharaoh’s signal.

    “Thank you, friends and family, for going to all the trouble to grace us with your presence as we celebrate the birth of our beloved daughter. We wish to share our joy with you, and will resume the festivities as soon as possible. However, tradition is tradition, so first, we will commence with the ceremony of gifts. Will the family of the infant please come forward and form a circle?”

    All guests stepped back with respect, and four deities made their way to the cleared space. These were Horus, Nephthys, Anubis, and Set. Isis frowned as she saw the infamous god swaggering to the center of the room, his eyes filled with that ever present gleam of chaos. It was no secret that Set was disliked by many gods, including his own family, for his little indulgences in chaos. Isis, especially, was very reluctant to let that monster touch and hold her precious child.

    The family shared formal and informal greetings, some of them tense ones, many of which had something to do with Set.

    “Ah, beautiful Isis. My sister. How long it has been,” Set smirked as he bowed. Then, seeing the queen’s indifferent expression, he switched tactics. Putting on a hurt expression, he got closer to her, putting his beastly hands on her thin shoulders. His tall, masculine form surrounded her own delicate frame in an intimidating way.

    “Oh, come now. Have we grown so estranged that you refuse to look at me and speak to me? Indeed, how vile I must seem to you…”

    “No more of your games and trickery, Set. I know you. I know the evils that you are capable of. After tonight, I do not want to see you anywhere near my child or the rest of my family, do you understand?” The queen was not one to be messed with, even if Set was the most powerful god among them.

    “Oh, but do you really know what I’m truly capable of? I’ve never expeded my full energy in an attempt to harm you. If I ever did,” Set spoke in a dangerously soft voice, “You and your little empire wouldn’t stand a chance.”

    It was at this moment that Osiris, oblivious to this hateful exchange, called out his brothers name to greet him. Set gave Isis a mocking bow and turned to go to his brother with his ever-present flair, amused by the glare of the disheveled queen.

    Isis grew pale and watched him retreat, shaking with fear and hate for that wretched man. She knew that she couldn’t tell Osiris. He was too forgiving of him, and would only accuse her of trying to villainize Set. The only other person who she trusted was her sister, Nephthys. Yes. She would tell Nephthys. But for now, she had to pay attention to the ceremony.

    When the 6 gods had formed a circle, Osiris cleared his throat and announced, “My Lords and Ladies, I present to you: Hettet, my daughter.”

    The room watched in anticipation as Isis revealed the newborn babe that she had been hiding from view with her robes. There was a chorus of “Awww”s as the gods and goddesses fawned over the beautiful child. Then, Isis reluctantly handed over the baby to her sister, who was standing next to her in the circle.

    Nephthys’ presence was naturally soothing and protective, which made her great with children. She smiled sweetly at Hettet, and set her charms to work. The baby was completely relaxed, staring back at Nephthys with a charming innocence that only children possess.

    “My dear niece. I give you the gift of fertility, in hopes that you will bear beautiful children just like yourself someday.” A blue colored wisp made its way from Nephthys’ heart to Hettet’s, signalling the acceptance of the gift. Isis smiled at her sister with gratitude.

    Next was Horus, and he struggled to hold the baby the proper way. The gods and goddesses in the room had to hold back their laughter as he finally got it right and grinned adorably.

    “My niece! How wonderful it is to have a niece… Girls are much more adorable as children than boys. Boys will only wreak havoc and cause mischief- oof!” Horus glared at his nephew, Anubis, who had elbowed him painfully and was now trying- and failing- to look innocent.

    “No horseplay in the throne room, young man! Anyway, the gift. I… er… Well, it seems I wasn’t really prepared for this part.” The family shook their heads in amusement at Horus’ antics. “I was only joking! I actually did bring something. Hathor, dear, could you please bring it up?”

    The room gasped as the gift was revealed.

    “This is the Khopesh that lord Ra gave me to honor my services. It is made of a very light but strong metal, and will not break. I have grown used to more heavy swords, and its light weight inconveniences me, so I figured I would give it to you.”

    A gold colored ray of light made its way from Horus’ heart to Hettet’s. Material gifts were uncommon, but this was a precious gift, so the royal pair made sure to thank Horus.

    Next up was Anubis, who held little Hettet with great care but an expert ease as well. As he held her, he felt his heart swell with love for the charming little girl. Her shockingly golden eyes stared into his intently, and for a moment, he feared that she would be frightened of him. Him being the god of death and all, he wasn’t very appealing to children in general. However, to his surprise, Hettet closed her eyes in acceptance and curled towards his body, yawning adorably. Some goddesses cooed softly at the scene while others in the room smiled fondly. Only Isis was able to glance into the future and see the potential that these two had…

    Anubis, after a moment of holding the girl, started speaking softly.

    “Hettet. You are a beautiful child- full of light and love and happiness. I am a miserable wretch, only ever associated with death and mourning. I must try and keep these sorts of things away from you so that they don’t dim your radiant light. This is the gift I give to you: there will come a time when you lose someone you love. I will give you strength to bear this sadness and help others around you to do so as well.”

    The child’s body was encased in a silver light for a moment as the gift was accepted. Anubis planted a kiss on Hettet’s forehead and glared at Set, who was next in line. Set only smiled a wicked grin and held out his arms. Anubis flinched away from his own father, turning his body away so that the baby was hidden from Set’s view. Horus gently put a hand on Anubis’ head, and Anubis looked pleadingly at him, hoping that at least Horus would understand. Horus only shook his head grimly and gave Anubis a firm squeeze on the shoulder.

    You must let go.

    Anubis turned back towards Set, whose horrid grin had turned into a viscous smirk. Set bended to get the baby, and Anubis handed her over with shaking hands. Set used this moment of closeness to whisper, “You can do nothing to protect her, boy.” Anubis, angered, opened his mouth to spit out an equally harsh retort, but Set had already risen, holding the delicate little girl in his large hand.

    Isis had to visibly restrain herself from snatching her baby girl away from that… that THING. Set let out a low chuckle, sensing the tension in the room, and put up his free hand.

    “Peace, my Lords and Ladies. She is quite safe with me.”

    Set then turned his gaze to the small child in his one hand. She stared at him with tranquil eyes, filled with innocent wonder. Everyone else either avoided looking at him or when they did, their eyes would be filled with hate, fear, or disgust. Not this child, no. She didn’t know of all the evils he had committed, some of them- no, most of them- against her own family. Against HIS own family.

    Looking at this child, Set understood why his parents pitied him instead of fearing him or hating him. There was a time when he was small and innocent and fragile like this. A time when no one could have dreamt that he could ever become what he had become- a monster. Filled with rage, hate, bloodlust… all of it from being hurt too much.

    He held up the child in front of his face and brought his other hand up to stroke her face and hair, revelling in how soft and delicate she was compared to him. How her skin was untarnished by the sun and how it was unmarred by scars and calluses. He saw the reflection of his own red eyes- eyes that spoke of a long life filled with pain and sorrow, hurt and vengeance, but never recovery- in hers, which were shining with the excitement of life.

    Deciding that he’d had enough time staring at the child, he spoke up.

    “She is a beautiful little thing, this child… so small, so helpless. She needs protection, against many things. Including me.” His voice was soft, even remorseful as he said the last part. Everyone seemed shocked at seeing this new side of Set.

    “That is why,” Set said abruptly, resuming with a fake jovial tone, “my gift to you, little girl, is a piece of information. I know that I will inevitably hurt you, so I’m giving you my secret name, so that you may protect yourself against me.”

    The room was filled with shocked gasps and whispers. Telling someone your secret name gave them full control over you, so it rarely ever happened. This was such a strange event, and such a strange gift (if you could even call it one). However, as Set touched his lips to Hettet’s tiny ear to whisper his secret name to her, no one objected. Thin red tendrils made their way from Set’s heart to Hettet’s, and the gift was accepted.

    When he finished, he handed the child to her father, and Isis quickly took the baby from Osiris, holding her protectively and pressing kisses to her face. She glared at Set as though he had defiled her child, and in her eyes, he had. She promised to herself that she would never let Set hold her like that again.

    This promise was broken many times after the naming ceremony.

Chapter Text

Hettet was a sweet child, and the whole pantheon seemed to be enamoured by her. Those who got to spend time with her and be close to her considered it an honor, as well as an absolute nightmare. She might have looked innocent at first glance, but once one got to know her properly…

    “HETTET!!!!!!!!!” Horus’ cry of rage rang throughout the palace, and was soon followed by the pitter-patter of tiny feet and giddy giggles. The two pranksters had stayed just long enough to see Horus’ expression when he found out that they had dyed his hair red before they quickly took off running. Hettet was, of course, one of the two, accompanied as always by her partner in crime, Anubis.

    If you had told Anubis a few years ago that he would be causing such mischief alongside a child 10 years younger than himself, he would have called a medic to see to your health. He still couldn’t believe that he was indulging in such silly games with her rather than socializing with adults and trying to find a suitable mate as was expected of young men his age. However, he believed that a god of death trying to find a mate was bound to be as successful as an eunuch trying to procreate, so that was a major reason why he didn’t even try.

    Finally, Horus reached them and caught both of them, lifting them off the ground and spinning around with ease, making Hettet giggle in delight at the soaring sensation. He pretended to be angry for a few seconds, but soon joined in the fun due to his niece’s contagious laughter. He was awaiting reincarnation, and so was invited to the palace to spend his last moments in this form close to his favorite brother and sister- along with his favorite (and only) niece and nephew.

    Yes, Anubis lived at the palace. Set had never been a caring father, but he had also never been abusive- until a few years ago. So one night when Nephthys, bloody and bruised from her most recent beating, had packed a bag for Anubis and told him to run away to the palace, Anubis had complied without question. He felt cowardly for leaving his mother with that monster, yes, but he knew that even if he tried, he could never defeat his father. He, a 15 year old boy who had been 11 at the time, still learning the ways of life and only slightly experienced in the battlefield, would be crushed by his father: a man about twice his size, not to mention an incredibly strong warrior with millennia of experience. He also knew that his mother still had faith that Set would change his ways and go back to being the man she had fallen in love with. He thought that she was foolish for thinking this way, but he was also softened and appreciated fondly how good of a woman his mother was.

    Horus set them down, and Anubis broke away from his train of thoughts. He really was fortunate to have such a caring and wonderful family. His uncle Horus who had been his only friend until Hettet had come along, his uncle Osiris who was like the father he never had, his aunt Isis who was like a mentor to him and always gave him guidance, his kind and sweet mother who was full of gentle, motherly love, and of course, Hettet. His little treasure, a friend that he could always trust. Filled with light and love and happiness. Someone who would be his only friend for a short time while waiting for Horus’ reincarnation to join them.

    The only thing that wasn’t perfect about their family was his father. He sighed, feeling a dull throb in his heart when he imagined a different world. One where his father was a good man.

Chapter Text

Anubis smirked lazily as he tossed Hettet to the ground with ease.

    “Your stance is unguarded, Hettet. This is the third time that I have to tell you this.”

    Hettet groaned softly as she struggled to push herself off the ground, and Anubis took pity on her. He was a merciless trainer, and had been working her for 4 hours without a moment’s rest. He bent down and offered her his hand, which Hettet took gratefully.

    “Come. We are going to the fountains to take a break.”

    “Finally! You do realize that you nearly kill me everyday, don’t you? Goodness knows that I deserve to get a break,” Hettet huffed, crossing her slender yet muscular arms.

    The only response that this complaint managed to draw from Anubis was a small chuckle, which only served to anger Hettet more.

    “Oh, Hettet. You know that all of this training is for your own good. I couldn’t live with myself if my little baby cousin was captured by some foul villain and she couldn’t defend herself against his advances. I cannot always be there to save you.”

    The two had arrived at the fountains and Hettet immediately bent down to wash her face and get a drink, bunching up her hair in one hand to avoid it getting wet.

    Anubis was only partially joking. Hettet was very much in constant danger. The foul servants of chaos much desired her for many reasons- her godly powers, her standing in society, her value to their targets (mostly the royal family), and other, far more disturbing reasons... Anubis shuddered to even think about it.

    Hettet came up for air throwing her head back and making her voluminous ebony curls fly behind her. She took in a few more gulps of air and prepared her reply.

    “Well, exhausting me to the point where I cannot walk straight is not going to help me defend myself either!” Hettet exclaimed as she stretched some muscles. Anubis got stretching as well, but mostly so he could distract himself from her movements. Stretching involved too much physicality, and their training clothes were skimpy little things.

Hettet, as a 14 year old, was beginning to grow into adulthood, and that caused a few problems between them. She no longer sneaked into his bedroom at night to hear his stories, because to do so would be improper. Anubis had forbid himself from having any sort of physical contact with her unless they were sparring or if she needed a hug. An awkward phase of their friendship, for sure.

Of course, Anubis didn’t only notice her body. Having known her for a long time, he believed that the first reason that he found her attractive was her radiant personality. How she always knew what was wrong, and gave the perfect counsel for it. How she always told the truth, and was constantly open-minded. How she would tell him to loosen up and force him to have a little bit of fun. Her childish fear of storms that always gave him an excuse to lie beside her in her bed and hold her in his arms, whispering promises that he would always be there to protect her from harm. How she would always argue that she was very capable of protecting herself, thank you very much. How they would go to their secret meeting place in the gardens right after bedtime in reminiscence of their childhood days. In short, he was most certainly in love with the little tempest that was Hettet.

    Anubis came back to the present when he saw a maid approaching them. He nudged Hettet to draw her attention to the maid, and they both waited for her to reach them and presumably make an announcement- a summons or another similar event.

    The servant reached them and bowed, remaining in that position until Hettet bid her stand. Once she did, she took out a scroll of papyrus and handed it to Hettet.

    “Her majesty the queen requested that the both of you read the message,” the maid said with her gaze trained on the ground, awaiting either further instructions or a dismissal.

    “Thank you, Chione. You are dismissed,” Hettet said, nodding respectfully at the bowing servant, and started opening the scroll. Anubis reflected, not for the first time, on how Hettet oddly insisted on knowing the names of all servants in the palace. She was also very kind to all of her inferiors, which made her an object of both admiration and curiosity throughout the land.

    Anubis forced himself to pay attention as Hettet finally opened the scroll and began to read it out loud.

    “Hettet and Anubis,

    “Please end your training session and return to the palace immediately. Make sure to bathe and dress well. Osiris and I will see you in the family room right next to the private dining hall. And, Hettet, I know you do not like dressing formally, but you must. We have company.

    Love, Mother.”

    The two stared at the paper for a while, before quickly running to the castle. Having guests meant not being late, and if they were to be presentable, they had to hurry.

Chapter Text

Anubis knocked at Hettet’s door and waited patiently for the call to be answered. He had gone to pick her up so that they could walk to the family room together. He could hear the voices of Hettet and her lady in waiting arguing. (“At least let me braid your hair! The queen-” “Mentioned nothing about my hair! She only said to-” “Dress formally! That always includes braiding your hair!”)

    He chuckled to himself. This was, of course, a familiar scene, but he could never grow tired of her childish insistence against dressing like a proper princess. He’d best diffuse the situation before it gets too out-of hand…

    Clearing his throat, he knocked again, and called out, “Hettet! Stop fussing over your state of dress, we’re going to be late!” Not entirely untrue, but the real reason was so he could save Hettet from her lady in waiting, who was most likely fuming and muttering about “kids these days”.

    Anubis stepped aside from the door, expecting it to be flung open by an excited Hettet in 3...2...1…

    “Let’s go!” a blur raced past him. He shook his head with amusement before apologizing to the poor maid and jogging after Hettet. His long legs carried him to Hettet with ease, and he caught her by collar, making her nearly fly back from the sudden stop. Anubis had to catch her fall, which he was so familiar with that it happened automatically nowadays.

    “Easy, Hettet. She’s not chasing after you like last time,” Anubis said as he helped her stand straight again. Hettet stood there for a while, catching her breath, before she thanked Anubis. Gods, she really needed to stop running around all the time. Then again, being so close to Anubis wasn’t so unpleasant, so she certainly wasn’t going to complain.

    Anubis took a look at Hettet’s wildly beautiful yet unruly hair. Isis would not be pleased, and Hettet knew it. They looked at each other for a while, having one of those silent conversations that could only be held by two people who had known each other their whole lives. Then, coming to a mutual decision, they walked on towards their destination. So what if her hair was down? They’d just been training, for goodness sake! It was a wonder on its own that her hair wasn’t covered in dust or soaked with sweat. Expectations…

    The two were walking dutifully towards their destination when both their stomachs growled. Bursting into laughter, the two took a quick detour to the kitchens, imagining Isis and Osiris’ looks of mortification if this had happened in front of the subjects. The sound of their laughing echoed through the mostly empty hallways before they walked into the kitchens and closed the door behind them.

    Hettet suddenly had a mischievous gleam in her eye, and Anubis laughed, remembering the old days. Of course she would remember their little games in the kitchens. From food fights to very serious missions of making tea for “Mama” on her birthday, this place was filled with good memories. He just hoped that she wouldn’t start a food fight now, because they really didn’t have time to bathe and dress all over again. The guests would be wondering.

    In the end, they settled on eating some of the head chef’s delicious sweetbreads before hurrying off to the summons. They seemed to be in no rush, however, as they sat down and recalled good memories and told jokes while they ate. The only thing that alerted them to the time was the entrance of several servants into the kitchen, which signalled that they had just an hour or so left until lunch time. They were most certainly going to be late, unless they ran all the way to the family room. Coming to an unspoken consensus, the both took off at an incredible speed, the sounds of their steps echoing in the hallways.

    When they finally arrived, they took a moment to steady their breaths and fix their ruffled appearance before going in. Isis and Osiris were sitting on their pillows and eating fruit. Isis then noticed the entrance of Hettet and Anubis, and told them to come in and make themselves comfortable. Isis, who was the more observant of the two, frowned upon noticing the children’s state of exertion, but said nothing. There were more important things at hand...

    “Well, children. As you know, we have guests. The whole court has been summoned, though only a few could come over today. You see, your mother is… Well, should I tell them, or would you like to break the news, dear?” Osiris asked excitedly, and Isis chuckled at her husband’s silly antics.

    “I am with child,” Isis announced simply, and watched the children’s reactions with amusement. They both seemed shocked for a moment, and then Hettet broke their trance as she tackled her mother in a tight embrace. They all laughed, and Osiris had to physically extract Hettet and remind her of how the slightest jostle could possibly harm the baby.

    Anubis smiled at the family’s joy and sat to the side, not wanting to interrupt the moment. That is of course, until Isis jokingly asked him if he was jealous at the prospect of a baby stealing the attention from him. He realized, not for the first time, that his aunt and uncle truly viewed him as their son, and that he was a part of the family. He embraced Isis gently and congratulated her.

    “Of course, that’s not all,” Osiris said, pausing the moment. The children stared at him in confusion, and he smiled. “It’s not so bad, I promise.”

    “You see, children… we believe that this baby is special, and not just in that he’s the heir to the throne. We have reason to believe that this is the reincarnation of Horus,” Osiris said with a smile, and watched as the children hugged each other in happiness. Horus had been a part of their group before he had “died”, and the two were overjoyed at the prospect of getting him back. Anubis, especially. Of course, Hettet had been very close to Horus as well, but she had only spent 4 or 5 years with him before his old form had expired. Anubis was a different story. Horus had been his only friend and mentor, one who had not been afraid of him since he had taken the title of the god of death. He had been the closest family member to Anubis other than his own mother, and that was saying something, seeing as Osiris and Isis had both been so kind to him before and after they took him in.

    Anubis’ train of thoughts was broken by Hettet’s excited voice.

    “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s make the announcement!!”

    And they did just that.