I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden
Chapter 1: Blind
By: Rinnikka
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, I never will, if you sue me then all you'll get is a dollare and some lint, I am just using the characters for my own personal enjoyment and that is all.
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A/N: I took the idea from a book called, "I never promised you a rose garden," just some of it, not all, I changed a few things around to suit the fic and added some stuff, the names in Latin are translated all the way on the bottom, they may not be accurate considering I got them off of an online translator but they're better then nothing. This is a Seto/Jou fic, maybe with some other pairings added, progress doesn't seem like much in this chapter but still, it's the first chapter :p Please review, constructive criticism welcome, flamers will be ignored.
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As Jou walked through the hallways he barely noticed the stares that seemed to want to burn into him and brand him, label him and put him in a neat little box that they could tuck away and forget about. Oh no, he could walk past them with no trouble, it was his friends, correction, ex-friends, that he couldn't walk past without feezing and feeling as if he were falling.

Amethyst eyes filled with unspilled tears as they stared wistfully in his direction, eyes that could penetrate and see his soul, read it and know everything due to the 3000 thousand year old spirit behind the innocence.

No, he couldn't have those eyes know the truth, couldn't have them read every scar, bruise and hurt permeating from his being.

Couldn't let them know about his secret sin and shame.

In a very brief moment of sanity he had surmised that the only way to secure his secret was to distance himself from the ones he loved.

That was the reason for this charade, this masquerade of lies and guilt that followed him, haunted him every single night and day. The blue streaked hair, the kohl lined eyes, the... everything. But more it was so becausee gle glowed underneath the night of the Pit, and his eyes lined in black made it easier to see through the blinding light of Justice, Aequitas, Judge, Jury and executioner.

How had years of pretending gone so wrong... how had a brief daydream turned into a nightmare that he was now bound to by blood and gratefulness.

"You are not of them, we are not a dream, you are a dream that we dreamt up from the bottoms of our souls... a puppet, you play your part well Canis but that is all you can do," commented the Collective.

He walked faster till he passed them, past the hurt, past the betrayal, until he reached his own locker and mindlessly twirled the combination out still thinking, still so silent. A few months ago no one would ever have thought he would be so quiet, so off limits and inaccessible.

Everyone assumed that this was the reason he could no longer be seen with Yugi and the others, oh how he wished it was so, but it wasn't and never could be...

"Never ever, never for dirty little boys like him, never ever ever ever ever ever ever- STOP IT!" He cut off Insanum as the Fool harried and taunted him.

With barely a wince he stopped the neverending thought that made his heart spasm and shake and walked quickly into class, slunking down into his seat and leaning slightly forward so that flaxen strands and then some shaded his face from view.

Suddenly a line from a song came to him while the teacher droned away, "Losing your mind, Losing your mind, It's blurring, It's fading, Your soul's on fire, It's black and white."
Black and white like the choice he made, black and white had to choose the right one, did he make the right one? He still wasn't sure but if it saved his friends from the angry one then the choice had been worth it. The Angry one, Iniuria, in the world that he lived in, Iniuria the very epitome and name of the Angry one, the bane of his life and dreams, but wasn't he a dream?
"You are a dream foolish one, do not betray us or we will unleash Iniuria upon you," came the Collective simultaneously in hushed whispers that dribbled off into sanity. At that his body froze and his breath caught, "Iniuria... no..." he whispered silently to himself in fear.
The fortelling, when he had first discovered this strange and magical world that now claimed him as their puppet, came back to him, The Breaking, The Darkness, Then the End.
The first had already passed, The Breaking had been that night in his room, blood, pain, horror, guilt, shame, The Angry one shoving into him, using him, bleeding him dry while the world Sanctus remained quiet and watching. After that the Pit had appeared in Sanctus and he had lain many a night within it's silent cold darkness but had woken up only three hours later. Time differed between Sanctus and Verus, he did not know why, and never would he know for the Collective was secretive and told him only snippets of what went on. He had ruled before but now the coin was tossed and he laid beneath them in everlasting servitude.
The Darkness had yet to come but it had been two years since the Breaking, too soon could the Darkness come... It was only the impending dread in the bottom of his stomach that had quickened him to cut off all ties.
His name being called.
"Katsuya, Katsuya," came the soft voice of Niveus, The White one, always gentle and comforting, always understanding and giving, worried green eyes studied him before he smiled calmly and bowed his head slightly in a gesture of apology, "Gomen, I must have lost track of time Nishima-sensei," quickly before she could ask him the questions held in her doe like eyes he got up and quickly exited the room, chains clinking silently, reminding him of his bondage to Sanctus and the Collective.
"Jou!" he heard but did not turn, he saw but did not see, always walking, one foot in front of the other, pace quickening but slender fingers caught his arm and turned him about violently and he was forced to look in crimson eyes filled with anger and confusion, It was Acerbus, "Didn't you hear me? Didn't you see me?"
"You see only what we want you to see Broken one," mocked Insanum as he gently touched Yami's gave with pale translucent fingers, "He is but an illusion, he is not real, but it would cause you pain, yes? It would cause you pain to see Iniuria bruise this pallid flesh?"
"No," he whispered his eyes widening in fright, "No."
Taking that for an answer Yami's face softened and he asked, "Jou, what's wrong, why are you dressed like this, why don't you talk to us anymore. Aren't we your friends?"

"We are your friends, you are not of them, you are-"

All of a sudden Insanum's voice gave way and he knew that the Collective had banned him entry in fear of their secrets leaking from the tender, fleshy, easily crushed brain to the outside world of Verus.
"Jou what's wrong?" and once again amethyst invaded his vision and Lucidus was there once more. He was saved from replying when Frigus answered for him in sneering tones, "Can't you see that the make inu just wants attention? What's the matter now that Yugi's won your money you decide you're done with the "Heart of the Cards?" and and ever biting, Frigus, no Seto, had become somewhat friend and still rival to Yugi, every once in a while allowing presence to be surrounded by them. But then again there was no them anymore, just him and it was how it should be.
"Seto, please leave this to me," came Yami's sharp voice once more, Jou didn't know why he still hadn't been labeled schizophrenic, but then again why hadn't Sanctus been found out about either? He once again found Yami's attention focused on him and words were leaving his mouth, only seconds after did he finally absorb those words and every fiber of his being stretched taut in shock, "In class you whispered Iniuria, I heard the fear in your voice, who is it? What is it? What's wrong Jou, I want to help-no we want to help."
At that the Collective came rushing back, threatening to crush him in ever night, thousands screaming, "TRAITOR! BETRAYER!" At that everything turned into Darkness and he knew no more, once again lying in the Pit, his sobs the only sound and company he had, the blue in his hair glowing, glowing like tyes yes he had glimpsed, filled with confusion and a spark of concern, Seto's eyes.
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The Darkness:

"What's wrong with the make inu," asked Seto harshly as they looked upon Jou's slumbering form lying in a reckless heap on a bed located in the depths os mas mansion. Seto was irritated, The only reason that he had agreed to this was because he felt he owed the blonde for saving Mokuba in the VR game, nothing more.
"His mind is fractured," came Yami's quiet reply, "I couldn't read it, there's a block and when I reach in, there is only emptiness and darkness, this isn't the work of a millenium item, nor is it any other form of magic." "How long before he wakes, I want him out soon," was Seto's reply as cold blue eyes surveyed the limp blonde in derision.
"Be patient and help me move him so I can check if it's physical," said Yami brusquely before shooting a a quick glare in Seto's direction while moving to Jou's right side and with Seto's help turning him onto his backovinoving the sleeve of Jou's black thermal's he immediately let out a gasp before narrowing his scarlet eyes upon the bruises, scars and bleeding cuts located on his pale sallow skin. "Shit," spit out Seto disbelievingl his his eyes widened and watched as Yami, almost possessed, pushed up the other sleeve to reveal the same and with a frenzied desperation he lifted the shirt to reveal Jou's back and saw the final hope die away. "How is it possible for him to injure himself like this," asked Yami shocked, "WHY?"
Turning analytical Seto could look on without emotion as he took in the situation, "He can't, at least not on his back." "What are you saying?" demanded Yami as he looked back to Seto then to Jou before wincing and settling his gaze once more upon Seto. "I'm saying that it is impossible for him to have injured himself on his back, the wounds are too direct and at extreme angles," replied Seto slowly." "Then who-" Yami was cut off by Jou's soft groan, immediately his gaze redirected itself to Jou's slowly opening eyes, lids drifting upwards to reveal liquid amber fazed by sleep, the eyes opened wide at the sight of Yami and even wider at the sight of Seto and with growing dread Jou realized that the second phase of the fortelling had come. The Darkness had appeared and now all that was left was the End.

A/N: *hides* I know it sucks but still this is my first Yu-Gi Oh Fic, if the beginning seems like it started in the middle, it's because it had to :p gomen. I'm flashing back to the Breaking later on but what Jou was like before the breaking is pretty obvious, laughing, joking, you know what I mean ne? The reason I wanted names for all both Sanctus world chara and Verus world Chara was to show how... merged he was between both worlds, to show how the lines were disappearing and how is descent into insanity is quickening. Hope you liked the first chapter, review please.

P.S. Whatever the Collective or the Sanctus Characters say is in italics, I hope the italics go through once I download it into fanfiction.net, but if it doesn't this is just to tell you.

Insanum: Foolish

Iniuria: Hurt/Injustice

Canis: Dog

Verus: Real

Niveus: White

Lucidus: Bright

Frigus: Cold

Acerbus: Dark