Oy. I have lots of songfics, don't I? Oh well. This has to probably be one of my favorites . . . I don't own YGO blah blah blah . . . Yaminah (Chaos in my other stories) is mine, and so's Lateef, if you wanna know more about them, go to my bio . . . blah blah . . . Khu belongs to LuckLadyBug66. So if you haven't read any of her stuff concerning him, you'll probably be REALLY confused. But a brief 101, Khu was the older brother of Seth and wanted to overthrow the Pharaoh. In my RPs with LuckyLadyBug66, Yaminah and Khu are a couple . . . Yeah . . . And I use the name Bakare here for Bakura . . . The song I used is "Hurt" by Johnny Cash, God bless his soul . . . I think that's everything. BTW, it's better if you listen to the song (if you have it) while you're reading the story. The mood is set better. XP

I hurt myself today

To see if I still feel

I focus on the pain

The only thing that's real

Khu walked along down the palace hall, servants and advisors trailing behind him. The continuous jabber of all of them eventually became white noise to him. So then, he just ignored them all.

Stress overwhelmed him these days, along with sleepless nights and long days. The advisors and priests seemed to think that he didn't know what he was doing. He had gotten this far, had he not?

"My Pharaoh!" one of them called from behind him. But it was too late, he didn't have time to move about of the way of a bustling scribe. Both were taken to the floor.

At first, he was in a daze, but soon came to realize that he was staring up at the limestone ceiling. The anxious, young scribe quickly got off of him. "A thousand pardons, my Pharaoh!" he squeaked as he began to gather bundles of papyrus and writing utensils.

Khu sat up and shook his head slightly too get rid of the blurriness in his vision. Immediately, his advisors were gathered around him, demanding to know if he was alright. He waved them away with irritation.

"Yes, yes," he muttered. "I am quite alright." The well built man began to help himself up when pain shot through his hand. He hissed slightly and looked at the palm of his left hand. One of the scribes writing utensils had driven itself into his palm. Crimson blood began to ooze from the open wound.

Khu looked around and saw the utensil on the floor. He picked it up and handed it to the scribe. "I believe this belongs to you," he said as he stood up. The young scribe reached out and took it with a shaky hand.

"Yes . . . Ththank you, my lord," he stuttered with a bow. "Please accept my humblest apologies."

Khu nodded curtly. "It was merely an accident," he said as he began to walk off. Behind him, he could hear his posse scrambling to catch up with him. But one could be heard scolding the young scribe.

"Who do you think you are, young man?!" the advisor scolded. "Bowling over the Pharaoh like that!" The boy flinched.

Khu let out a heavy sigh and turned back around. "I said it was an accident. Leave the boy be." The advisor looked at him with shock.

"Bbut . . . My Pharaoh! It just isn't how things are done!"

Khu began to get annoyed. "I said leave the boy be!" he snapped. The advisor was quick to obey. And they all continued to fallow the Pharaoh to the throne room. Khu sighed heavily. Would they ever give him a moment's peace?! Probably not . . . They were trying to make sure that he ran Egypt to their liking after all . . .

The needle tears a whole

The old familiar sting

Try to kill it all the way

But I remember everything . . .

Khu sat in the throne, slouched and uninterested in what his advisors had to say. They didn't seem to believe him when he said he knew what was best for Egypt. They had certainly seemed to when Yugioh had been Pharaoh. When were they going to learn that he wasn't going to be like him?

Silently, he smirked to himself. The young scribe had sort of reminded him of Seth when he had first begun his apprenticeship. Khu gazed out into nothingness. Seth . . .

The dark haired man look down at his left hand. He had forgotten out the wound that still laid open in his palm. Khu flexed his hand a couple of times and felt the dull pain reach his senses.

The wound reopened and blood began to ooze from it. The man who had claimed the throne just sat there and gazed at the open wound. Everything else just sort of died out around him. The dull pain grew into something else. Old memories started to envelope him. Ones that hurt far worse than the small wound in his hand.

Khu tried to desperately close his fist, as if it would trap the memories and the pain. But it was futile. It was too late, everything came back to him.

What have I become?

My sweetest friend

Everyone I know

Goes away in the end

And you could have it all

My empire of dirt

I will let you down

I will make you hurt

Khu let out a shuddered breath and covered his eyes with a hand and rested his elbow on the arm of the throne. The memories, they never left him to just be. The Pharaoh clenched his other fist and pounded it against the other arm of the throne.

Immediately, his advisors looked at him with concern. One of them stepped forward and gingerly touched him on the shoulder. "My Pharaoh?" he asked, concern lacing his every word.

Khu held up a hand and waved him back, but still had not removed the hand from his eyes. "I am perfectly alright. Please, just leave me be. You are all dismissed."

The advisors all looked at him incredulously and did not move an inch. Khu looked up, turmoil swirling in his dark eyes. "Are you all deaf?! You are all dismissed!!!" he shouted. Khu sat upright in the throne and glared at them.

Quickly, the advisors made their leave. The Pharaoh looked around at all of the guards. "Leave, all of you," he ordered in a normal voice. The guards all looked at each other. They weren't sure if it was wise to leave someone as important as the Pharaoh unguarded. Khu stood up and began to pace around the raised floor where his throne sat. "Get out!" he screamed. "All of you! Just GET OUT!!!"

Slowly, the guards began to leave the large throne room. They weren't about to be told again. Khu continued to pace anxiously around until they all left. Then, he collapsed into his throne, exhausted by everything.

I wear this crown of thorns

Upon my lair's chair

Full of broken thoughts

I cannot repair

Khu leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands were tangled in his hair. Here he was, in the throne. He was Pharaoh. He was watching a bad dream he'd never wake up from.

He looked around him. The once crowded throne room was now completely empty except for him. But in Khu's opinion, it had never been crowded in the first place. He was so utterly alone. Everyone he had ever cared about was gone.

The three most important people in his life had left him. Out of those three, Lateef had been the first to go. They had been storming the castle with a win everything or lose it all plan. The zealots had fought viciously and the guards continued to fall. They had finally made it to the throne room, with Khu leading them the whole way, no longer caring about his identity.

The Pharaoh had been so shocked, not to mention crushed. The final reserve of guards made their attack and Lateef was killed by a spear while protecting his leader. Out of rage, Khu had kept the guard who had killed his friend and his adopted father alive for months to torture in the dungeon.

Together, Yaminah and Khu had killed the Pharaoh, despite his attempts to fight back with his magic. Probably the only reason he'd lost was the fact that Yaminah had finally grown stronger than him. When he had died, Khu had decided to take the throne himself, despite his brother's wishes.

Over time though, Seth came to accept it, knowing his time would come. Khu had given him control over a legion in which he could begin his conquest to take over the world. Unfortunately, it became Seth's downfall. He was the next to go.

After Thebes had been taken over, Khu's zealots, or rather, his army now, had grown in numbers as more came to accept him. But some parts of Egypt still resisted. While Khu remained in Thebes to strengthen his control, Seth had gone to wipe out whatever resistance was left all the way up in Alexandria.

As always, Seth had assumed himself more powerful and had underestimated the rebellion. Several months later, only a fifth of Seth's legion returned, bringing Seth's body back with them.

Through it all though, Khu had had Yaminah by his side. She had stayed with him through thick and thin. Khu had promised to protect her with everything he had. He had already lost his brother and his good friend, he wasn't about to lose Yaminah as well. But as always, such promises made are ones that are hard to keep.

Even though Egypt was beginning to accept Khu, they disapproved of the 'witch' he kept in the palace with him. No matter what they said, Khu kept Yaminah there with him. It came to a point though where she wasn't safe unless inside the palace walls. There was always someone outside, lurking around, waiting for the moment when she would step out of the gate.

Clinging to the only light left in his world, Khu forbade her to leave the palace. Slowly, the young woman slipped into depression. Khu strived to keep her happy, but it wasn't enough. Yaminah was so strong and yet, she was extremely fragile.

Over time, even Bakare was killed. Even though Khu had hated him, he hated to see him go. The thief had been one of Yaminah's few friends. Khu had not ordered for his guards to kill Bakare, in fact, he had ordered against it, but the order had been lost through the bureaucratic system.

Yaminah had been devastated. Khu had spent many days and endless nights with her, ignoring his duties. Losing her was possibly the hardest of all three of his losses. For she had been his last hope, she had been what kept him human.

It had been in the throne room, a typical day in fact, just as all days were. Until something happened that is. Yaminah had come in the throne room, shooing the annoying pests called advisors away as she often did. They had been happy, they'd been laughing . . . when someone had charged in the throne room and stabbed her.

Khu had wasted no time killing the man. He had then been forced to watch the last person he'd ever loved die in his arms . . . And he hadn't had the power to stop it.

The Pharaoh felt himself start to come back to the present after a painful trip through his memories. How long had it been since Yaminah had . . . ? Three months? No, he corrected himself. Four months, it had been four horrific months in three days. Nearly a year and a half since he'd overthrown the Pharaoh.

All the important things in his life . . . . Gone. Why was he even still alive? Oh yes, he remembered now. For the good of Egypt. He was alive for the good of Egypt. He was Pharaoh, and he had to do was best for Egypt. How dry those words sounded . . .

Beneath the stains of time

The feeling disappears

You are someone else

I am still right here . . .

Khu stood in front of the two tombs. Behind him, several guards kept a respectful distance. The words came out shakily and barely audible, "I miss you two so much . . ." Tears welled in his eyes. He shut them tightly to prevent the tears from falling.

The sound of the Nile quickly filled his thoughts. He'd had both Seth and Yaminah buried by it. It was one of the few things they'd shared common interest in. As he opened his eyes, he could see the last bit of the sun sinking on the horizon. That was like his life, everything but his life was lost.

With a howl of torment and rage, Khu sank to his knees and pounded his fists in the sand. Why?!! Why had he allowed this to happen?! He was Pharaoh!!! He should have been able to prevent this! He had the power!!!

Tears cascaded down his cheeks and sobs of sorrow and anger wracked his normally strong and perfectly poised frame. He was Pharaoh!!! Being Pharaoh should have given him the power to protect them!!!

Lateef . . . Seth . . . Yaminah . . . All of them . . . . . GONE!! He'd let them all down . . . And what had he let them down for? Khu picked up a fistful of sand and watched it seep through his fingers. SAND!!! He'd given them up for SAND!!! Miles and miles of the infernal stuff! That's all Egypt was! SAND!!!

'Well you know what?!!' he screamed in his mind. 'I don't want it anymore!!!'

Abruptly, Khu got up and began to quickly walk back towards the palace, cape billowing behind him. The guards scrambled to catch up with him. They'd been rather shocked at the Pharaoh's sudden outburst.

Once in his room, Khu angrily slammed the door. He swiped an arm across a table, knocking everything off and sending the table crashing to the floor. He sobbed and cried out in rage. He'd lost them for SAND!!!

Khu crumpled to the floor in a heap. He'd let them down . . . For SAND!!! Khu sobbed hysterically. He'd give it all up for them now . . . He'd give it all up to have them back . . .

What have I become?

My sweetest friend

Everyone I know

Goes away in the end

And you could have it all

My empire of dirt

I will let you down

I will make you hurt

Khu shot upright in his bed with a cry and looked around frantically in the darkness. He clenched the sheets with his fists and held them up to his bare chest. Cold sweat ran down his face and he breathed heavily. After a moment, he saw that he was in his room. He was in his home. Khu hung his head and shut his eyes tightly. Unleashed black hair fell over his face and he didn't even attempt to brush it away. Instead, he allowed himself to fall back into his soft sheets and pillows.

If I could start again

A million miles away

I would keep myself

I would find . . . A way

So what'd you think? Yeah, that ending part may be kinda confusing. That's in present day actually . . . in the RPs, Yaminah, Khu, Seth and Lateef all live together. So there ya go. Review please!!!