I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

Chapter 2: Fear
By: Rinnikka
Notes: {indicates the collective or a dweller of Sanctus speaking} *Yugi To Yami*. [general thoughts]
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, I never will, if you sue me then all you'll get is a dollar and some lint, I am just using the characters for my own personal enjoyment and that is all.


Why, do you like playing around with, My, narrow scope of reality, I, can feel it all start slipping, I think I'm breaking down ~ Stupify by Disturbed

{Betrayer} hissed the Collective {The Darkness has come, this is younisunishment weak Canis, fear the coming of Iniuria now and repent for your folly}

The Angry One, the name struck Jou with a feeling of deep fear and gasping hopelessness but slowly that dread grew heavier as he refocused his sight upon Yami and Seto standing before him, the Dark and Cold one united against this one lowly dog.

That one thought embittered him even further and at the same time made him want to weep, made him want to scream and tear away the chains that leashed him to his master and his world.

"Jou, have you been listening?" asked Yami carefully, once more finding the block, ever stronger, shielding the blonde's mind from his view. "Of course, yes...no, Yami I'll be fine, don't worry about it," mumbled Jou weakly as his fractured amber eyes slid away from their forms to the clock that seemed to forbodingly tick away the minutes to The End.

The End... how would it come? Would Iniuria come one night and divest him of his life, or would it be the Pit forever with no light to show the way? Would Aequitas hunt him down as the dog he was and execute him, or would the Collective take matters into their own hands?

{Poor Canis, whimpering doesn't become you} came Insanum's sing song voice, gloating and ever mocking {Play your part puppet for Verus' inhabitanave ave become suspicious. Do not repeat the same mistake or consequences will be ever more dire for you my weak one}

"Jou, we're worried," came Yugi's soft voice, once more those eyes shining with grief and hurt, Jou gritted his teeth and bowed his head whispering, unable to lie to Lucidus' face, "I'm alright... I'm alright, I just haven't been feeling well these days, I just want to go home... please Yugi." A trembling breath was taken before Yugi finally whispered in a heartbroken tone, "Alright Jou but tomorrow I want you to meet me afterschool in the park, no excuses." A brief nod before Jou took off and ran out of the mansion, trusting instinct, rather then sight, to show him the way to freedom."

"Is it wise to let him run around freely?" asked Seto emotionlessly as he studied Yami's profile, trying to gauge reaction and emotion and at the same time remain impassive. "No... but Yugi once told me that Iniuria means hurt... injustice," crimson locked onto frigid blue, "What was the injustice, the hurt? More importantly who?" "The make inu's father obviously," came Seto's clipped tones as he moved to take a seat, "Who else?" "You know this for a fact?" demanded Yami, his heart already hurting at the thought of all the years... no he wouldn't think about that.

A pause before Seto gave a slight nod, "The evidence is there, you just have to take the time to look between the lies." "The lies?" questioned Yami, Jou would never lie to him and could not lie to him because it was impossible. "Not even your innate talent for sensing lies can help you here my dear Pharoah," smirked Seto, amused that he had the upperhand against Yami, "This is more subtle and twisted then you expect it to be." "Speak," was Yami's terse reply, already hating the mocking glint in Seto's arctic eyes but dealing with it for Jou's sake. "There is no one else but his father, Iniuria, a name given to hide the face but tell the truth at the same time. For instance Iniuria hurts, but Father does nothing but drink and sleep. Need another example?" "I get it," snapped Yami, "But it's still a lie." "On the contrary, is it a lie when the person believes one is of two?" asked Seto, the mocking glint disappearing, "But it doesn't end there." "Where does it end?" whispered Yami almost fearfully, heart thudding wildly, eyes wide and lips pursed.

At this Seto leaned back, allowing darkness to shade his face and any emotion that might leak from his stony facade as he replied with just a slight tremble to his voice, "I don't know."

Yami's eyes closed, "That was what I was afraid of."

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Jou sat on his bed silently waiting for The Angry One to appear and mete out judgement but he did not come, confusion warred with impeding thoughts, where was Iniuria? Had the Collective changed it's mind?"

{We have delayed punishment} threaded it's way into Jou's head as he sighed and sagged against the wall, already knowing what would happen as his surroundings blurred and changed into the world of Sanctus. The Black Forest surrounded him, he was in the sacred circle with only himself and the wind that was the Collective. {Viator has made another prophecy, before the End, Beware the Reflection and Mirror} "Reflection... Mirror...murmmurmured Jou in shock, why... why didn't the End just come, why did the Collective keep mocking him and playing with him. Why couldn't it just END? {Because you are our puppet Canis, forever more till the End} was Viator's reply as she emerged from the darkness to look down upon him, a delighted smile spreading across her crimson lips {My fire burns Canis, would you like for me to turn your blood to lava, make you burn like the sun that you so dearly represent?} At each of her fingertips a ball of fire erupted and burned like candle light, her face lit up to reveal the features that resembled... mother. {Come my Sun} laughed Viator mockingly as she held out a burning hand {There is no escape}

Fatality leaked into his thoughts and without another word he slowly lifted his hand to meet hers and was relieved to fall into darkness once more, falling between realms and back into Verus but before true darkness came a last mocking laugh was heard and eight words that sent fear racing through his veins {This is my message and gift to you, my Sun, bear it well}

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When he lifted his lids he found himself back in Verus, on his bed, and a hooded Sanctus being waiting for him, watching him with unhidden glee while throwing a ball of fire back and forth between his hands. "Who are you?" asked Jou quietly and warily, he had learned to never trust Sanctus anymore, never trust, never ever ever ever ever, "Why do you plague me?" {Furor is what I am called, yet it is not my name, I am the goddess' gift to you Cannis} was Furor's silent reply as he vanished the flame and laid to rest his hands. "Viator plays with me as she always does, why does one of her Furii's attend to such a lowly one as I?" he asked, falling into the speak of Sanctus easily, his eyes bright wide and glazed with terror and trembling fear. The hood was slowly dropped and he threw himself against the wall staring in horror and burgeoning terror, Furor was him and He was Furor. Whimpering he fell to his knees, already the End was so near now that the Reflection had appeared. {Viator's gift indeed} snarled Jou gripping his fists hard as he fought not to let the tears held in his eyes loose. {Be careful Viator's Sun, now that two sides of the coin are complete, the mirror is near at hand} "Complete?" he shuddered, "COMPLETE?" {Yes complete} replied Furor before disappearing into Jou and making the Foretelling even closer to the End then need be.

Suddenly a spasm of pain caughm anm and he knew now what Viator meant by making him burn like the sun, his skin was inflamed, his blood boiling underneath while his heart pounded rapidly to a beat that Viator and Viator alone played. [Lava... my blood is lava] thought Jou as he fought to keep his screams inside as he stood up painstakingly and looked wildly about. Cigarettes spotted [My blood... it burns] {Burn my Cannis, burn like the Sun that you are} came Viator's full mocking voice as she shrieked in glee at his pain. {Only one way out} came Furor's voice and suddenly he couldn't feel his body anymore, someone else controlled him, a wave of depression and defeat washed over him for now he was truly a puppet.

Cigarette lit, he watched as the cherry burned into his skin, remembering Marik and how then he had not been able to fight to gain control, how he had gained control. But this was different, he was slave to himself and only himself, the cigarette burned but alleviated some of the heat.

And finally he understood {Molten Lava!}

{Must come to the surface} replied Furor in a pleased tone {It cannot be held in, slowly you are learning Sol Solis, now can you guess my true name? Not what I am called but what I am?}

{Labores Solis...} he whispered in awe and defeat {Eclipse of the sun}

{Yeeesssssssss} was the hissed back reply.

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Spiral, descent into madness, the one known as Sol Solis and Labores Solis knew what was happening, knew the line between reality and imaginary, knew it but at this point could no longer find it. Merged yet seperated, who knew what roads he walked upon now.

A/N: Sorry the Seto/Jou progress is slow, it's not my fault, really it's not. I just had to add something about Labores Solis, it's just too interesting to pass up. Jou representing the Sun and Furor, his madness, representing the shadows that eclipses it. Viator the image of Jou's mother, cruel yet kind, gives birth to Furor who is Jou's reflection. The warning, beware the reflection, for Furor is also madness, in folng Fng Furor, Jou spirals ever deeper into the loss of his psyche. And the fire burning him, his lost will to live once more as his real self, the Jounouchi Katsuya everyone knew and loved. It burns because it is welcome yet not welcome, like a heart transplant, you don't know if the body will reject the organ or take it in.
Viator: Messenger/Traveller
Furor: Madness

Sol Solis: Sun

Labores Solis: Eclipse of the Sun