Anything but Ordinary
AN: First of all the disclaimer: Have I ever owned anything Yu-Gi-Oh? I think not. Do you think I own them now, considering I live at home with my mom and sister?
How is Jounouchi ever supposed to live a normal life when he is constantly haunted by memories of his past? After reevaluating his life, Jounouchi comes face to face with his ultimate destiny.
This fic centers entirely around Jounouchi, considering he's my absolute favorite character. There is one major original character but I wouldn't classify her as a Mary Sue since she doesn't fall in love with any of the regular cast, no one on the cast falls in love with her, I'm not a fan of the name Leanna, she's not exceptionally beautiful (not even exceptionally pretty) and she is absolutely nothing like me. The only thing that makes her even slightly Mary Sueish is she's Kaiba's cousin. Big deal. Did you ever think that the only family these people had were those that appeared on the show? I don't think so. Okay, I'm done ranting on my original character.
There's numerous couplings in this fic including several yaoi ones. Can't stand Yaoi? Learn to deal with. You're going to have to learn to deal with it sometime. I can promise you that you will not go through your life without meeting at least one gay or bisexual person. And there's nothing wrong with them, got it? They're normal people. Damn, this author's note is getting really ranty. I just feel I should warn about what's to come. And maybe lecture a few people while I'm at it. ^-^ Anyway, couplings include (in no order whatsoever): Malik/Bakura, Yuugi/Anzu, Seto/Isis (did you really think I would leave this coupling out?), Honda/Shisuka, Jou/Mai, Jou/Malik, Jou/Seto, Jou/Isis and will end with Jou/.....? You're just going to have to read it to find out. And I'm open to suggestions as to what everyone else thinks. Wow, Jounouchi really gets around in this fic. ^-~
Jounouchi's memories are all in italics and they are all in random order. Who remembers their life in chronological order? I feel by having him skip around in his memories, it makes it seem more realistic. Especially since the memories are generally triggered by something in the present.
Now remember, there is no shame in reviewing, unless you're out to flame me because I made you're favorite character gay or something like that. And for no reason what so ever should you flame me because you don't support a coupling I've written. I don't even support some of the pairings. I only support five Yu-Gi-Oh couples... and only four of them are in this fic. Constructive criticism I will gladly accept.
I think that's it for my ranting... umm... I mean my author's notes.
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A sandy beach with gentle waves lapping up towards the shore. The light music of Shisuka's laughter. The warm sun bearing down on them. A promise made long ago, a promise he had intended to keep.
"Jounouchi-kun..." A distant far away voice, so soft and sweet. The chill of the water surrounding him, flooding his senses. A flash of silver and a breath of hope.
"Jounouchi!" The warmth of lovers long gone, the pain of his father's beatings, the pride in his sister's voice, the chilling coldness of the water all wrapped into one. The rush when dueling, the thrill of discovering you've one, the heartache of realizing the one you love just doesn't care anymore, combing with the others to create a torrent of emotions. Was it possible to feel so many conflicting emotions at once? He was finding out that it was.
Jounouchi! Snap out of it!" Anzu yelled, clapping her hands in front of his face, effectively pulling him back to the present moment. He blinked several times, trying to clear the haze that had resided in his mind. Where was he again? Oh yeah, walking home from school with Yuugi and Anzu. "Jounouchi, you turn here to get to your house, remember?"
He looked around them at the familiar houses, the sidewalk with its numerous cracks, the mailbox where he meet up with Anzu and Yuugi every morning on their way to school. Yep, this was most definitely where he usually left them at. Why hadn't he been paying attention to where he was going? He shook his head, ignoring the pitying look in Yuugi's violet eyes. "I'll see you later guys." He shoved his hands into his pockets before walking away as if he didn't have a care in the world. He knew people saw through his facade, especially his friends. They knew what lay beneath that nonchalant attitude. Well, those that had been closest to him could anyway.
"What's with him recently?" Anzu asked.
Yuugi shrugged. "He's been through a lot lately. We all have."
"Yeah, but he spends more time away then he does with us. Do you think we should refer him to a specialist?" They continued to talk about hi, as it he couldn't hear them. They probably really believed that he could no longer hear them.
But he could always hear them, even when he was a little kid. He used to lie awake at nights and listen to his parents fighting.
There was a loud crash, followed by the sound of something solid being slammed against the wall. Jounouchi pulled his covers tighter around him, burying his face in the pillow. Gentle starlight poured in through the window, falling lightly across his bed. Mahogany eyes stared out the window as a raven sitting on the bare branch of the dying tree.
"Stop it. You'll wake Katsuya up," he heard his mother say. It was too late. He was already wide awake; he had just been falling asleep when the fighting had started. He focused on the bird sitting outside the window.
It fluttered its wings, hopping up and down on the branch. The bird was as dark as the night itself, only more mysterious because the bird was a living breathing creature. It wasn't some obscure concept; it was real. "I don't care! Let the fucking brat hear! He's nothing but trouble anyway!" There was a sound of a crash, followed by a scuffling noise. More of his mother's protests followed.
Outside the bird let out is mocking call, flapping its wings. Jounouchi could have sworn the bird looked directly at him and said 'Come with me.' He wanted to; he wanted to leave this all behind. Was it possible for a boy to grow wings? At the time, he imagined it was. He closed his eyes, picturing blue black wings sprouting from his back. He was flying under the moonlit sky, the raven beside him, encouraging him to continue, until there was no possibility of coming back.
Another crash caused him to open his eyes again. The raven was gone.
The sound of a raven's mocking laugh caused him to look up in alarm. A raven sat in the tree above him, staring at him with those beady eyes, as if to say "What the hell happened to you?" Damn bird, when did it earn the right to patronize him. He glanced back over his shoulder, checking to see if Yuugi and Anzu were still standing there. Apparently, they had decided he wasn't worth their time and had continued on home. At least he didn't have to endure their pitying looks anymore. The raven's mocking laugh followed him as he resumed his walk home.
The sun was shining brightly, filtering down through the changing leaves of the trees, painting the ground multicolored in brilliant varying shades of oranges, yellows, and reds. The sky was a perfect blue, streaked with the occasional white of the fluffy clouds. It reminded him of a story book world, a world where everything was perfect and magical. A world like that would never exist; he had learned that lesson the hard way.
There had once been a perfect world in those eyes. They were so beautiful, a wonderful light violet color that always reminded him of the flower. The eyes that had once been so full of love for him. The eyes that had betrayed him.
Jounouchi shook his head violently. Now was not the time to be thinking about that. In fact, as far as he was concerned, there was never a good time to be thinking about that. There were some memories that he wished he could just burn away. Set them aflame like the trees' red leaves when the sun shone through them.
Fires were strange things. They could give life just as easily as they took it away. If you knew how to handle it properly, it would be your friend, your strongest ally. If you didn't, you could get seriously hurt. The problem was, a flame burned inside everyone, even those with the coldest of hearts. That flame could get out of control around certain people and that was when you got burned. Or perhaps you would burn someone else, scarring them for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately for Jounouchi, he was usually the one that ended up scarred. Luckily, he was strong and had been scarred at such an early age so the more recent ones didn't affect him as much. They were still there though, deep within his heart.
He took his time walking home, in no real hurry to get anywhere. The only thing that waited for him was an empty filthy house that reeked of alcohol. Not something he was looking forward to.
He had been sitting on the battered couch, head hanging between his knees, breathing in the vile scent of his father's alcohol. An empty bottle was lying at his feet, though Jounouchi hadn't been the one that had been drinking from it. Personally, he couldn't stand the stuff, not after what he had seen it do to his family. He was too numb to cry. No, that wasn't it. He didn't know how to cry anymore.
Jounouchi was all alone now. He had made that perfectly clear when he told him it was over and walked out, slamming the door behind him. Jounouchi stretched out on the couch, alone with only the memories of what they had shared together. Didn't this seem so familiar? Only this time, he had lost to some white haired freak and not some rich guy. Not that Jounouchi had minded this time when he found out his lover was in love with someone else. In fact, Jounouchi had been in love with someone else the entire time. It had just been fun while it lasted. Jounouchi just didn't want to be left alone. The funny thing was, he didn't know who the other person was that he was in love with. The feeling was there; he just couldn't tell who it was aimed at.
No, home was definitely a place he did not want to go to right now. He need to go somewhere where the memories would be bearable. He changed direction to had to the park, listening to the sound of his footsteps. It was amazing what you would pay attention to when your life was actually semi-normal. But since when had his life ever been normal. Never, that was when. Though when it came to falling in love and getting his heart broken, he was just as normal as anyone else he supposed. The difference was, he always had a habit of choosing the people that were either already taken or they thought they were better than him. There had been one that fortunately he had never fallen too deep for.
Isis Isthar, the beautiful goddess of the Nile. They had been getting closer and he had to admit, she was gorgeous. Her long dark hair shimmering like the night sky, her beautiful eyes constantly changing like the sea. He thought possibly that their friendship might grow into something more. Until that one night he had actually decided to find out if there was something else there, lying just beneath the surface.
She had agreed to come, which was good news for him, and they went out to dinner. Things had been going great, she was absolutely glowing with the joy of life. Such a difference from the woman he had first met who held such a pessimistic view of the future. He didn't see the problem in telling her so.
She smiled shyly at him, folding her hands on the table in front of her. "Can I tell you a secret, Jounouchi?" He nodded, leaning closer to her. So few people confided in him; it pleased him to no end that she, of all people, would give him her trust. "You see, there's this guy that I really like. In fact, I think I'm in love with him." He nodded again, perhaps a little too eagerly. It would be so nice for someone to actually love him for once. "He showed me that the future isn't always certain. He gave me a reason to hope."
Jounouchi was infinitely curious as to who it was now. This man had to be really something in order for him to change Isis' outlook on life. He was a man to be admired. "Who is he?"
He barely saw the quick movement as her eyes shifted to the right. He smiled. She apparently had not meant to alert him to that. Was there a possibility that the man was here this very night? He looked in the way she had glanced, seeing no one he recognized at first. Well, no, Seto Kaiba was sitting all by himself on the other of the restaurant. He felt just a little foolish; he should have seen it sooner. The secretive glances she always sent his way. And Kaiba was about ten times the man he was. Didn't he know how to really pick them; he had chosen the one that was obviously head over heels in love with his so-called master.
When he looked back at her she was blushing slightly, neatly avoiding looking into his eyes. He smiled slightly, she deserved the chance to be happy, even if he didn't approve of her choice of happiness. "He looks lonely," Jounouchi said, tilting his head in Kaiba's direction.
"What?" she asked, starting a little. Yep, that was definitely the man she was thinking about.
"Kaiba, he looks lonely. That is who you were talking about, right?" he continued, carefully gauging her reaction. She blushed again, stealing another glance in Kaiba's direction. Oh yeah, she had it bad. "Why don't you go join him?"
"I couldn't... I mean... What if he...?"
He grabbed her hands lightly. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll welcome you." She still looked doubtful. "We've all seen the way he looks at you. It's the look of a man in love."
"Are you sure?" she asked, looking over at Kaiba.
Jounouchi nodded. "I'm positive. Go for it."
She smiled at him. "Thank you, Jounouchi," she told him before standing up and walking over to Kaiba's table. As he watched her sit down across from Kaiba, he couldn't help but feel a small twinge of pride. When those two had kids that were out there changing the world, he would have the satisfaction of knowing that he had helped get them together.
So, that had been the end of his attraction for Isis, short as it had been. Oh well, there was always her brother.
Jounouchi found himself taking a small detour, a detour that led him outside the gates of the Domino City cemetery. The graves were all arranged in neat rows, as if it was to be a reminder to the human race as to how complex life was compared to the simplicity of death. Perhaps he should go pay his respects; it felt like forever since the last time he had gone.
He walked slowly, studying the inscriptions on the tombstones. Most of them were names he didn't recognize and he had a feeling he didn't want to recognize them. The stone he was looking for bore the name Kaiba on it, Leanna Kaiba to be exact. Her entire family had been a disgrace to the Kaiba name, and they saw no shame in flaunting the fact. Her tombstone was placed near the back, and the inscription underneath her name read "May her death serve as a warning to those who would chooses to live the same way."
"Leanna, everyone saw you as a heartless bitch who was only in it for the thrill. But that wasn't you at all."
Leanna had not chosen to live the life she did. She had been forced into it by circumstances beyond her control. Circumstances very similar to Jounouchi's. "No one chooses this life. Those who are scarred always end up here.
She was right. Nobody would choose that life for themselves; not while they had a choice. Jounouchi certainly hadn't wanted it. He had been pushed to the edge and felt he had no where else to go. Furthermore, Malik had insisted that he meet the Thundercats.
It had appeared to be a morning just like any other. Except for one thing. The first thing Malik had said to him was "Today you're going to meet my kind of people."
Next thing he knew, he was riding on the back of a motorcycle, speeding through the streets of Domino City. The seasons had just turned and a chill wind had started weaving its way through the city. And riding a motorcycle was not making it any warmer; however, Malik reassured him that they weren't going very far.
He was right. Within a few minutes, Malik was leading him inside a warehouse located in the inner-city. "I suppose I should introduce you to Leanna first. She's in charge around here."
So he met Leanna, the leader of the Thundercats. When they found her she had been sitting on her motorcycle in the center of the warehouse. The most obvious thing to him was the black leather she was wearing. Her ragged dirty blonde hair was cut unevenly at chin length and her brown eyes seemed to hold nothing but hatred as she looked up at them. There was a scar by her right eye and numerous other ones crisscrossing her arms. Not a girl he would like to tangle with. "Malik, who's the pup?"
"This is Katsuya Jounouchi. I thought you two might have something in common."
"Really?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. Jounouchi had instinctively wanted to run and hide. "I'll be the judge of that."
Jounouchi shook his head, trying to destroy the memories. Life was the future, not the past, despite how many people might think otherwise. He took one last look at the gray tombstone before continuing on his original intended path.
The playground was empty when he finally got there; all the younger children had probably gotten bored by now. Or they were inside playing video games. The latter was probably more likely, he figured, sighing as he sat down on the swing.
Before his mom had left, one of his last memories with Shisuka took place at this very park. It had been the night before they had left. Their parents had been fighting once again, and Jounouchi had taken Shisuka to the park so she wouldn't have to listen to them. She was so young; that was not something she should have to deal with. He didn't care about himself anymore, but she could still be saved from it all. He was determined to make sure she didn't end up the same way he did. That night would be the last happy moment he would have in his life for a long time.
Jounouchi blinked several times, trying to disperse the tears that were forming in the corner of his eyes. Damn it, he couldn't go anywhere without remembering something. He stood up with a sigh. He really should be getting home. His dad would be pissed off if he came home and dinner wasn't ready for him. Jounouchi didn't want to make his dad angry; all that meant for him would be extra beatings.
"You worthless boy!" his father shouted, picking him up and slamming him against the wall. There was a searing pain in his shoulder, a flaming sensation that almost blinded him. He tried moving his left arm but it just wouldn't respond. He had a terrible suspicion that something was broken. His dad was still ranting, throwing the occasional bottle around the room. Jounouchi watched him carefully with one eye, wishing that he could just disappear. If his dad couldn't see him, he wouldn't be able to hurt him anymore.
Unfortunately, his life had never worked that way. His dad came over and grabbed the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. He could barely breathe. His father slammed him against the wall and this time Jounouchi had definitely felt something snap.
Why must he always focus on the negative side of things? He idly kicked a small rock along in front of him. There had been positive moments in his life. Not as many as the negative but each one was special to him.
The walls of the hospital were pristine white and oh so lucky him had been assigned to a room without any windows. All he had to stare at all day were those white walls; it was amazing he hadn't gone insane yet.
At the time, he had just been starting to become friends with a certain Yuugi Mutou. Ironically enough, until just recently, he had been one of the bullies that constantly picked on him. Extremely short with tri-colored hair and shining violet eyes, he was actually kind of cute, in the little kid kind of way. Anyway, he never seemed to have any friends so Jounouchi had elected to "toughen" him up a bit.
Their small friendship proved that anything was possible but Jounouchi had been positive it would never become anything more than acquaintances at school. Lo and behold, imagine his surprise when Yuugi was the first one to visit him at the hospital, before his best friend Honda. Well, Jounouchi was extremely glad for the company; it gave him something to look at besides those white walls.
"So, broken collarbone, eh?" Jounouchi nodded, watching the small boys reaction. They weren't really that close which was why it amazed him that Yuugi had been the first to come. Yuugi let out a small sigh and hung his head. "Jounouchi-kun, what am I going to do with you? You need to stop getting into all these fights."
Jounouchi didn't say anything to contradict the lie Yuugi had made up for himself. Let him believe what he wanted; the truth was much harsher. "Yeah, that might be a good idea," he agreed, placing his good arm behind his head.
Yuugi smiled at him. "So what do you do in here all day?"
He laughed. "Stare at the walls and see how long it takes for me to lose my sanity."
Yuugi had stayed with him until about eight o'clock, keeping him entertained and focused on something besides the pain and the annoying white walls. After Yuugi had finally left, Jounouchi didn't feel so lonely anymore. For the first time ever, the memory of the raven didn't come to him during his dreams.
So, Jounouchi had been able to come up with a good memory. The memory of when Yuugi became his best friend. Ironic how his dad's hatred of him was what had brought it about. If his dad hadn't beaten the shit out of him, would he still be best friends with Yuugi? He would hope so. After all, he was the answer to the wish Yuugi made on the Sennen Puzzle.
He only had one small problem with Yuugi. Yuugi had violet eyes. Violet eyes would pretend they cared about you, but all along it would be a lie. Violet eyes betrayed; violet eyes could not be trusted.
~Review if you would like me to continue.~