Title: Extraordinary

Author: Fenikkusu Ai

Rating: T

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh GX

Characters: Edo Phoenix, Saiou Takuma

Words: 334

Genre: Angst

Summary: Growing up, not to mention becoming obsolete, was quite a lonely experience for Edo Phoenix. Post-series.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX.

A/N: Edo is at least twenty-one years old here. I admit this is a depressing oneshot, but I wanted to portray Edo's future realistically here. I do not enjoy crushing spirits, as one reviewer pointed out to me.


Life was not the same as it had been years ago. Now, Edo had no idea where precisely he was going in it. Strange after being a chosen hero for so long; a crusader of Justice.

Eventually, he had been forced to step down from the position of champion. He hadn't been the reigning champion of the Pro League for years. After Manjoume had unseated him, there had been others. Even he had to admit that his time in the sun was now over.

Growing up, not to mention becoming obsolete, was quite lonely.

One day, he decided to mention it to Saiou, though he doubted that he would sympathize, or even really understand what his words meant.

"Remember when we were kids?" Edo broached the subject one afternoon.

"Ah...yes." Saiou's tone was mild. Edo could have very well been talking about the weather.

"Wouldn't you want to relive those days?" he pressed.

Saiou sipped his tea. "It's an impossibility, dear Edo. Time moves forward. You should have learned that by now."

And then, Edo's cell phone rang;preventing him from progressing further in the conversation. The call was from his agent. Before that, it had been his accountant. Edo had always known that his estate and bank accounts were his responsibility, but it had had never bothered him before. Now, he felt a peculiar envy towards Judai living a life of adventure out on the road while fulfilling his own destiny. Something was missing in Edo's life now.

Once again, his agent warned him that the tabloids were wondering why he hadn't found a girlfriend or even a wife yet and were advising him to stop behaving like a teenager. Edo admitted that he perhaps had indulged himself too often with his extreme sports and clubbing. Even Marufuji Ryo had given that life up.

If not today, then one day, Edo promised himself that he would realize the truth: he just wasn't that extraordinary anymore.

Yes, it seemed that indeed stars could burn out.