This chapter is an Angst-Fest from who-knows-where.

King of Nothing

I was never going to be the Hero.

I knew that long before we met.

But I had always hoped I would be able to be your Hero. The one you ran to when you were scared, the one you could confide in, the one who would hold you close and tell you it was all a bad dream.

But I was far to cynical for that.

I was born to be the villain. Born to be the one who would defy the forces of good for his own ends and try to take over the world in his free time.

But I never took over the world.

I was never the Hero.

I never told you it was all a bad dream and whispered you back into sleep, because that wasn't who I was meant to be.

Bright eyes or no, even you couldn't change me.

I prayed to Ra that you could.

I didn't like being the villain when you were around. I didn't enjoy watching peasants run from me or feel a rush of adrenaline from sacking a town.

All I wanted was to give you the one thing I knew I never could.

Soft whispers and gentle kisses.

I was a rough man, and a rougher lover.

I was so afraid to break you, but I could never seem to hold myself back.

And then you'd scream and I was a child again, hiding from the Pharaoh and his men as they slaughtered my family and friends.

I hit you, the first time you did that.

I regretted it the second my skin came into contact with yours, but I couldn't take it back.

In the end, you were always the one who told me it was all right.

You'd hold me close, kiss away my tears, and tell me you had had worse in your old life.

Told me not to feel guilty, because you should have known it would set me off, and it didn't even really hurt, and you were the one who was sorry.

I let you take the blame because I was always terrible at admitting that I was wrong.

And in the morning, when I would roll over and see the bite marks on your skin I would feel so guilty.

That's why you always woke up alone.

Because I would run away from what I'd done, because it was simply easier than anything else. And my whole life I had been fighting to keep a hold of something that was meaningful.

And when I was given you, I wound up hurting you.

I suppose you might call that Fate.

But to make up for all of that, for all the terrible things I did to others, did to you, there's my Hikari.

That boy wouldn't hurt a fly, and when I see him lace his fingers into your Hikari's, I feel at peace.

I might have been the one to mess things up, but he'll be the one to set them right.

Because no matter what might happen, I know he won't ever hurt her.

And that's enough for me, at least.

I'm thinking I might make the next one from Raja to the Thief King.

Whatcha' think of that?