Mai is coming to visit Japan, and she has no idea that joey's dead. Yea. Also, for yall who read Be mine, Valentine? it's almost a drop-off from that. Read and you'll find out^_^
Chapter Seven: Courageous Girl with a Heart of Glass
"All passengers, please locate your luggage in the overhead compartments before landing." The mechanical voice sounded overhead, signaling to Mai that they would be landing soon. Her excitement was building greatly, almost giddy. She couldn't wait to visit them all again. Mai stared out the window, Tokyo airport coming into view. It was a sunny, clear day, and she was planning on surprising her friends with a visit. It had only been a few months...
She sat back in her chair. The last time she came here, it had been Valentine's Day, and she and Jonouchi had shared a kiss... Mai longed for that same kiss once more.
The plane descended. It scraped the runway, coasting to a stop eventually. Mai grabbed her bags, eager to disembark into the city of Tokyo. She planned on catching a train to Domino, just in time for the high school to let out. She would surprise them by showing up there...
She could just see their faces. As she walked around Tokyo airport, she grabbed her one lone suitcase, and stepped out into the warm sun, the wind picking up her long hair.
"Ahh, Tokyo," she said, smiling. She briskly began walking down the steps of the airport, heading towards the train station. Jonouchi was standing behind her, in the crowded station, freaking some people who were sensitive out.
"Do you feel that?"
"Yeah..." Mai stopped walking, turning around. Jonouchi appeared beside her. She turned her head, her hair billowing, facing Jonouchi.
"....Hello...?" she called tentatively. Jonouchi stared at her face, seeing her joy and her laughter in her eyes. Jonouchi felt as if his heart had been torn out and stomped on. By cows. And horses. His friends were in so much pain, his sister just died... Now, someone he loved terribly would get her heart broken.
"Mai..." Jonouchi whispered, reaching out to her. His finger grazed her cheek, running down it. He could feel her soft skin under his fingertip.
If you feel a powerful emotion, then you can have physical contact with a person or a thing. Amane's voice ran through his mind. Right now, he reached out with his hand as well as his heart, wishing he could give his heart to her. Mai put her hand on her cheek, shivering.
"....Is someone there...." she said, not really asking. She looked at her fingers, then gingerly began walking again, leaving Jonouchi there.
"No.... Mai... Come back," he pleaded to her retreating back. "Don't go there... I don't want you to get hurt."
*
Mai never occurred to him when he made his final decision in his life. The decision to take his life. The love he felt for her hadn't been apparent in his heart at that precise moment. Maybe, if he had thought of her and the others besides himself, she wouldn't get hurt. And Yugi wouldn't be suicidal. Anzu wouldn't be crazy. And Shizuka wouldn't be dead.
Jonouchi watched her, shaking. He was so sick of seeing people he loved get hurt and beaten down, and he couldn't even touch them. He was sick of the blood, the blood he shed while he cried. He was sick of the pain and the ignorance and the solitude.
He thought his life sucked. He should have looked closer into theirs.
"Mai... I'm sorry," he pleaded, falling to his knees. He put his face in his hands, his shoulders heaving. For the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, Jonouchi shed tears. Not for himself, but for the people he loved. He sobbed into his hands, shaking like a leaf, in too much pain to imagine Mai's reaction to the news of his death.
"... I won't put her through that pain again," Jonouchi whispered. "I vowed never to leave her alone. Now she is." She shook his head, leaning forwards, his fists hitting the pavement. Where did he go wrong? Suicide had seemed like the sure way out. He never expected to be watching his friends and seeing what went on 'behind closed doors and sound barriers'...
"Do you see now?" Amane said, kneeling beside him. Jonouchi looked up, sniffing.
"See what?" he asked, his voice choked. "I see what a bitch I was." Amane shrugged.
"That's one way of looking at it, I guess." She looked over to the train station, seeing Mai wait for the next train. "Do you like her?"
"...Like her?" Jonouchi said, looking up. "Hell, I love her." Amane looked taken aback.
"...Oh... Did you even think of her when you died?"
"No," Jonouchi admitted. "And I didn't think of Yugi, or Honda, or Anzu or Otogi or Ryou... Or Shizuka," he said, his tears beginning fresh again. "I never thought of any of them." His hands shook violently, his tears disappearing before hitting the ground. "Shizuka... Damn it all!" He cried, pounding the ground with his fist. "I hate this!" Amane put her hands on Jonouchi's shoulders.
"I've had to live like this for two years," she explained softly. "How do you think I feel?" Jonouchi looked over at her, taking deep breaths. "I've watched Ryou since he came here. Every second of his life."
"So... You know...."
"About Bakura? Yes, I do," Amane said, looking out at the city. "I was confused, I didn't understand, but then I came to realize that some things just weren't meant to be explained or to make sense.... It's all what you believe in," she said, turning back to him. Jonouchi nodded. Amane leaned close to Jonouchi's face, nearly nose to nose.
"Do you believe in heaven, Jonouchi Katsuya?" she asked in a whisper. Jonouchi nodded solemnly. "Shizuka did."
"And I'll see her there once this is over," Jonouchi answered back. "First, I have to watch Mai. I have to protect her. I love her."
~Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. - Albert Camus~
Stepping off the train, Mai sat down on a bench in Domino Station, drinking from a bottle of water. She down half the bottle, her excitement building.
"Ohh, I can't wait to see them again," she breathed to herself, smiling broadly. Her eyes traveled around the wide station, a place she hadn't been in awhile. She saw people walking around, talking to each other about the latest news. Mai was just sitting, waiting for the right time. She was earlier then expected; her flight had been earlier then expected, so she had about forty minutes to kill. She wasn't due at her apartment for another twenty minutes.
"...Yeah, the Jonouchi trial was huge..." Someone said as they passed. Mai looked up. The man who said that sat down, possibly with his daughter beside Mai. Mai looked the other way, but kept her ears open.
"It's scary to think about," the girl said, taking the news article from her father. "That Jonouchi guy is such a bitch. Why would he beat his son?" Mai's heart skipped a beat.
Jonouchi? she thought. Surely not the same person... Right? The man sighed.
"He was on alcohol, Mari," he said, putting his hand on her arm. She looked up at him.
"That's terrible. Poor Katsuya..."
Mai's heart stopped. She turned slowly towards the two.
"Umm, excuse me, may I see that?" she asked in a strangely calm voice. The man handed it over. It was the local paper, with a small article about Jonouchi. Jonouchi's picture was next to the article. Mai stared in disbelief. She skimmed over the article, key words popping out at her.
Abuse - alcohol - beatings - guns - suicide - death - Mai couldn't believe it. Her jaw dropped a bit, and she quickly closed it back up.
"Thank you," Mai said, handing it back. The man looked at her quizzically as she held her head, her face in one of shocking.
"Amazing, isn't it?" the man said, turning to Mari. "What drugs will do to people." Mai nodded.
"What happened to the boy? It didn't say..."
"He shot himself," Mari said softly. "Maybe a week and a half ago. I think a little more. Right, Daddy?" she said, looking at the man. The man shrugged.
Mai stood, picking up her bag.
"Thank you," she said, her heart breaking into two. She briskly left the station. As soon as she reached outside, the warm air hitting her face, she broke into a run, her tears flowing down her face like an open dam.
*
Jonouchi watched Mai as she sat on her bed, pulling her boots off. She had picked up a paper, set on reading it. Jonouchi sat down beside her on the bed, watching her face as she looked over the article.
"My God," she whispered. She shook her head, disbelief setting in. "No, it can't be.... Jonouchi...." She turned the page, her eyes fluttering over the article. Jonouchi read it as well, leaning so close to Mai he could almost touch her.
Two and a half weeks ago, Jonouchi Katsuya of Domino City, Japan, shot himself in his right lung after being abused by his father, Jonouchi Ario. Jonouchi was imprisoned after a trial, pleading guilty to multiple physical and mental abuse. In the past week, new evidence has arisen from his daughter, Jonouchi Shizuka, that he physically and sexually abused her when she was younger, before her parents were divorced. Jonouchi Shizuka died on Friday of last week, cremated and buried on Sunday of this week. She told her mother right before she died about the abuse, something she had been harboring for nine years. She said she had told her brother, Katsuya, at the time it happened. Neither of them spoke about it for nine years.
It's a sad thing that it took the deaths of his two children to bring him to light, to tell police of his misconduct. Although he was under the influence of alcohol, many times he was not drunk at all when he attacked Katsuya, of when he yelled at him. His second trial awaits him soon.
In the Takajuri cemetery, the city both Katsuya and Shizuka were born in, they're buried side-by-side, their deaths only a ten days apart. Before her death, Shizuka said that her brother was her 'angel', and he 'told' her that their mother wouldn't get mad. Shizuka was very adored by people, with her kind manner, and her good looks. Apparently, she had a big heart, because she asked her mother if she could 'be Daddy's angel' before she died. Even in death her father still means the world to her.
Jonouchi raised his eyebrows. Mai stared at the article, dumbfounded. Her jaw dropped, her eyes teared. Jonouchi gulped, almost afraid to make a sound.
"Jou… Jonouchi…" she whispered, her voice wavering. Jonouchi winced, her pain being his pain. It was so painful to see her like this. She lay on her back on the bed, dropping the article, her hair askew. Jonouchi looked down at her. She was so beautiful… He just wanted to put his arms around her in a soft embrace… His heart ached. It was nearly as painful as when he had to watch Shizuka die before his very eyes. Mai's tears slid down her cheeks, leaving little trails on her delicate features.
"Jonouchi…" she whispered, her voice strained. "What happened…? I didn't even get to see you again." Jonouchi gasped a gasp of pain. He hadn't even though of seeing her again. He didn't realize how much he longed for her, how much he wanted to kiss her again until he couldn't.
"Mai-san," he said, laying down beside her. His arm looked white next to her flesh-colored arm, making him realize the situation so much more. He turned onto his side, reaching up and gently touching her cheek. She gasped, opening her eyes. She pushed herself up a bit, her lower lip quivering, her eyes surprised and scared.
"W-who's there?" she whispered. It was hardly heard in the large apartment. She lay back down, not caring. She just wanted Jonouchi back.
"No, I won't believe it," she said to herself, squeezing her eyes tightly. "Jonouchi cannot be dead. He couldn't have killed himself. His friends love him to much… I love him to much… Jonouchi," she moaned, sitting up. Jonouchi watched, sitting up himself. She balled her hands into fists, settling them on her thighs. "Jonouchi… Please…" She shook her magnificent head and stood, running to the balcony of her apartment. She ran to the edge, leaning over, looking down.
Jonouchi's heart leapt into his chest.
Mai… he thought, alarmed. He stood. She wouldn't do anything to rash, would she? As rash as… Jumping?
No, she wouldn't, Jonouchi decided as she slid to her knees, the city winds blowing at her body.
"Jonouchi-kun…" she whimpered, her tears blocking her voice. "Please come to me. Tell me it isn't true. Not Shizuka either. What about your friends?" Jonouchi shook his head.
"I doubt it would be any different," he said softly, "If I were still alive."
~Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives. – A. Sachs~
Yugi sat against the cold, iron bars that made up the fence dividing the world of the living from the world of the dead. With his back to the cemetery, he stared out at the street, letting the sun shine down on him and the wind blow his jacket around. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin in them, closing his eyes in solitude.
He was all alone. He just sat there, wishing he could enter the cemetery but not moving. It was too hard for him to face it.
It had been one month since Jonouchi's death. Yugi still hadn't completely grasped the fact that he was gone.
Cars roared by, leaving small trails of dust. The sun shone through them, making them glitter.'
"Jonouchi.... Shizuka..." he whispered. He straightened out his legs and stood up, holding onto the iron bars. He tightened his grip on the bars, his arms shaking as he cast his eyes down the hill to where Jonouchi's ashes were buried. Sun was rippling through the trees, the leaves sparking lovely patterns of golden sunlight.
One solitary ray landed half way on the granite marker placed in the ground that bore Jonouchi's name. Yugi took a deep breath, and opened the gate.
He had to face it at some time.
He walked down the hill with the long, green, wet grass, slipping occasionally. He was almost in a trance, staring down at the pair of markers that signified where both Jonouchi's remains lie. He eventually made it down there, arriving before the two stones. The kanji, although written small, seemed to blast volumes all over the world.
Look, look! Look at what happens every single Goddamned day all over the world, it shouted at Yugi. He stood before it, staring down, his eyes wide with tears.
His trance broke. His knees hit the grass, his face crumpled into his arms, and he broke down. His tears were warm on his hands, soaking his cheeks and his sleeves and his hands. His body shook, his tears flowed faster. He was breathing so hard, he thought his lungs would collapse.
Every emotion possibly felt by a human being he was feeling at that moment.
"Jou... Jonouchi..." he whispered, his words chopped. He fell onto his stomach, crying into the grass, his shoulders heaving, his breaths coming in great gasps. His heart felt pained and twisted and pulled, his body felt worn out and tired.
He just wanted to sleep and never come awake again. The full caliber of Jonouchi's death fell onto him, suffocating him. He felt rage, anger, hate, sorrow... Every emotion all wrapped into one.
He lifted his head and yelled, using the last of his breath and his anger. He dropped his head, sniffling, shaking, crying. He grasped onto the stone before him, his soaking hands slipping. He felt dizzy, weak, and a bit tired... Yugi lifted his head and his upper body, his tears still flying down his face. He had raged after Jonouchi's funeral, destroying everything he could lift. Luckily, that wasn't much... But his emotions built over time.
"Jonouchi," he whispered. He ran his fingers through the kanji, feeling the crevices as they dipped in and out... His tears had cascaded to a stop.
"Yugi!" a voice called, making him turn. Mai was walking, the newspaper clutched in her hands. Her body was encased in the sunlight, along with the two markers in the cemetery. Yugi turned to partially face her.
"Mai..." he whispered, wiping his face on his sleeve. But Mai paid no attention as she stepped closer. The markers came into view. Her violet eyes were alight with terror and pain, her body completely stiff, her hands still clutching the news article.
Jonouchi was right behind her. After crying for what seemed like years, she cried herself into sleep. When she had awoken that morning, she had seemed to be in a daze, wondering where the others were. She saw an article in a magazine about Anzu. She heard from Doctor Mazaki about Ryou. She heard from Honda about Yugi. What shocked her the most was Yugi. How could someone so upbeat and cheerful suddenly not care about his work? His friends? His life?
But, most importantly, she came to see if what she learned was true. Jonouchi's heart broke, and blood began trickling down his face. He fell to his knees, like Yugi, and just stared at Mai's shocked face. She slowly walked over to where Yugi was kneeling, and fell to her knees with a thud. It was loud and sounded like it hurt, but she paid no attention as she reached out and touched the stone with Shizuka's name on it.
"Shizuka... Jonouchi...." she whispered. Yugi looked from the stones to Mai, then back again. Neither of them said anything while Jonouchi stood behind them, blood cascading down his body. It covered his face, his arms, his chest, his legs. It trickled off him like a curse, a curse showing his true feelings. He looked around, wondering if Amane would pop up somewhere. She didn't. He turned his attention back to Mai, although every time he set his sights on her, his heart seemed to tear more.
"...He's been gone for one month," Yugi said in a soft, choked voice. Mai turned to him, jerking herself out of her trance.
"W-what?" she stammered. "He has...?" Yugi nodded, eyes closed, hands into fists.
"....Is it true...?"
"About his father? Yes," Yugi said, turning to Mai with saddened eyes. Mai stared into them, being entranced into the sadness he held. It was like staring into two deep, dark oceans... Falling off a large, sharp cliff into a deep abyss...
Just like Yugi. She stared into his eyes, seeing him fall, fall fall fall... Fall into the darkness of his own sorrow and soul. Mai's lower lip quivered. Her eyes teared, her head turned, her hair falling over her shoulders. Jonouchi was crying, staring down at her, smiling, seeing how beautiful she was...
"Mai," he said, trying to catch her attention. She cast her eyes around, then looked back down, a tear sliding down her cheek.
She heard me, Jonouchi thought. Mai tapped Jonouchi's stone, reading the words etched into stone forever. Secretly, in her heart, she had always thought that... That her own tombstone...
...It would read Jonouchi Mai...
*
"Bastard," Mai muttered, retreating her arm. Yugi turned to her.
"His father?"
"Son of a bitch," she said, shaking her head, baring her teeth. Jonouchi chuckled, the blood becoming thicker, darker. His own bloody curse.
"...Jonouchi," Yugi muttered once more. He stood, staring down at Mai. She was leaning forward, her hand partially extended, as if she wanted to grab onto something reassuring and strong.
"Mai?" Yugi asked lightly. She didn't answer. Yugi turned and left, still sniffling, wiping his tears. Jonouchi fell into his place, kneeling beside Mai. He reached out his hand, and gently touched her shoulder. His hand reached through her.
"Damn," he muttered. A hand found it's way onto his shoulder.
"You have to feel one strong, powerful emotion for it to work," Amane whispered into his ear. Jonouchi jumped, spinning around quickly.
"God, Amane," he said, smiling somewhat. "Don't do that." Amane looked down at her hands.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. Jonouchi sighed and turned back to Mai. She was staring at the markers, tears silently slipping down her cheeks. Jonouchi's jaw dropped.
In all the years he had known her, he had never once seen her cry. He reached out, his fingers lingering right beside her cheek. His heart sped up, making him more nervous. Amane disappeared.
"Mai..." he whispered, setting his hand on her cheek. It seemed as if the only thing he could feel was his love for her. His fingertips gently touched her cheek. He could feel her warm skin beneath his fingers. Mai turned, her eyes wide and afraid. They sparked with surprise, and her mouth dropped open.
~Sometimes, being heartbroken is the only way to discover who you truly love.~
Jonouchi was kneeling beside her. His hair picked up by the wind, his indigo uniform rustled. The sun was shining on both of them, him with a golden look. Mai stared in disbelief.
"Jonouchi...." She whispered. His hand touched her cheek. He brought his face closer to hers, his nose touching hers. She took a breath, staring. "How..." Jonouchi silenced her with his finger. He brought his lips to hers...
He kissed her. She was taken by surprise, but it was just like she remembered, just like she yearned for. It was almost like everything that had happened, hadn't happened. Her heart leaped. It was such a soft, reassuring kiss, one that made her feel special. More elegant and angelic then she ever felt before. She just wanted to stay wrapped into the passionate kiss, staying safe in his arms. She grabbed his wrists, holding tightly, her hands shaking. He pulled away from her, nose to nose once more.
"Mai," he said in a whispered voice. "I'm sorry." Mai just stared, smiling.
"Jonouchi--" she started, but soon the grip he had on her wrist faded. She looked down to see his hand gone. "Jonouchi - !" She looked up.
He was gone.
Mai touched her lips gently, wondering if she just imagined the kiss. No. The taste of it lingered, making her smile. The wind picked up her hair, and blew it back. The golden rays seemed to shine just on her. She was so happy...
Wait. He said 'I'm sorry'. Did he...
"Does he love me?" Mai asked in a small voice. She shook her head in disbelief and turned back to the marker. She touched it, running her fingers over it.
"...I love you...." she whispered, bowing her head. Her hair fell in front of her eyes. She brushed it back, her tears falling again. "I love you, and you go and die...." Her voice began to waver. Her tears became more. "P-please.... If you love me... Come back..."
Trees rustled. The sun seemed to blink at her, confused.
Jonouchi stood behind her, shaking. He had only felt her for a moment. But he knew he had really kissed her. It had been so sweet, so soft... He hadn't wanted it to end. But he was fading, his body dispersing into the wind... His time had been limited.
"Mai," he said. She took no notice of his presence, crying onto his marker. "I love you, too."
She didn't hear.
*****************************************************************************
hmmmm..... not as good as I hoped... oh well. Poor poor mai... i absolutely love JoeyMai. One of my fav couples^_^
So... plz review! this fic has only 3 more chaps to go. Tata~
Shibby-One
