Something's Wrong

Yu found Naoto on her bed, laughing as she held a manga in her hands. There wasn't a mark on her, not a sign of discomfort, not a bruise or a scratch or even a tear down her face. No, she was smiling. He had never seen a smile so wide on her lips before. It was as if someone taken Nanako's delight and excitement and shoved it into Naoto's body.

"N-Naoto?"

Her trademark hat was gone, actually, none of her clothes resembled her usual attire. Naoto was not one for vibrant clothing. Yu had noticed she had a preference for blue, dark attire, yet Naoto wore a bright, red shirt on her body, with the face of... was that Feather Hawk from Phoenix Rangers? She also wore blue shorts, that almost resembled pajamas or boxers. He blinked, as if the sight would vanish when he opened his eyes again. Yet there Naoto laid, reading the manga, wearing an outfit more fitting for a child.

She lifted her gaze from the manga, tearing her steel blue eyes from the pictures. "Senpai?" Her eyes turned into dinner plates and she let out a loud, almost-ridiculous, gasp. She tossed the book aside and jumped off her bed, landing in front of the silver haired boy. "Senpai! What are you doing here?" She giggled. Naoto. Giggled. I... what?

Yu gawked at her, his own eyes still wide and full of shock, his mouth left hanging open in utter bafflement. His Adam's Apple bobbed as he tried to form the right words. Naoto just laughed at the sight, and to his continued shock, she embraced him. She held him, laughing as her fingertips barely touched behind his back. "You're so big, Senpai! I can barely wrap my arms around you!" She laughed.

"N-Naoto?" He finally spoke, not that the name he had stuttered out could convey the whirlwind of emotion inside of him. He gently placed his hands on the sleuth's chest, pushing her off of him so that he could look her in the eye. She smiled, no, she was beaming at him. It was nothing like the intelligent and mature detective he had known before, but the eyes... The windows to her soul, they were the same.

It was so strange, an utter enigma, but it was as if the girl in front of him was Naoto and wasn't at the same time. As if, someone had put on a Naoto Shirogane costume and was wearing it for him, but they lacked the Detective Prince's physical mannerisms. Yet he stared into those eyes and he saw the detective. You can change someone's mannerisms, you can change their features, you can change their eye color, but you can't change a person's soul.

Yu knew that. Every Shadow they had encountered so far, no matter how different they acted, no matter what they looked like, they were still a part of the person they copied. He saw it when he looked them in the eye, each and every one. This was no different. The girl in front of him may not have acted like Naoto, but he still saw the girl when he gazed into her steely blue eyes. It was almost exactly like Naoto's Shadow...

None of this was making sense, but Yu didn't let that stop him. He wasn't who he was by letting mystery slow him down or throw him off. So instead, he put on a smile, small but genuine, cautious but real and he let his hands rest on Naoto's shoulders. He spoke slowly and carefully, a pleasant grin on his features. "Hey, Naoto. It's good to see you too. How are you?"

"Great! A little hungry. Head feels all wha-wha-wha-wha, but I'm okay!" Naoto held up her hands and wiggled her fingers to emphasize the 'wha-wha-wha-wha' effect, before snorting and laughing.

"I see. You've been a little out of it lately. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Tell you, Senpai? Hm..." She placed a finger to her chin and pondered the question, to Yu's confusion. This person, Naoto, was acting so unlike the Naoto he knew. She knew him, she trusted him, but she didn't act the same way the Detective Prince did. Instead, she acted almost... child-like. "Oh!" She snapped her finger. "There is! There is something I wanted to say to you!"

"Really? What is it, if I may ask?"

"Will you cook for me again?"

"E-excuse me?"

"Cook for me! I remember when you made some fried rice rolls for me at school! They were so delicious! Can we cook together and make something yummy? I have food stuff!" She held Yu's hand, tugging him along like Nanako would at Junes. She walked past the fallen books, scattered papers, and curious drawing from before, leading him into the kitchen.

"C-cook for you?" Yu blinked. This situation was getting more and more peculiar, but he didn't fight against her. His experience with Shadows, and with people in general, had taught him that it was better to go with a situation and learn than to lash out or demand answers. So he allowed himself to be pulled and led into the kitchen.

"Yeah! Can you? Can you?" She was skipping in place. Yu took a moment to look at her eyes. Those steel blue eyes were focused, but not like they normally were. They lacked the razor sharp edge her intellect gave her, or the sheen in her eyes that he noticed when she was thinking, and she was always thinking. The eyes were Naoto's, and yet they belonged to someone else entirely.

"Sure, Naoto."

"Yaaay!" She squealed, causing the young man to wince, before he watched her skip over to the fridge. She opened it with one hand, before motioning him over with a wide grin.

That's Naoto, there's no doubt about it, but the way she's acting... I need to figure out what's going on.

Cooking turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Yu. He had time to think as he quietly made the pair of omelettes for himself and Naoto. He stood at the stove, keeping his back to her. He could hear her sitting in a chair, fidgeting like a child, tapping her fingers against the wooden table as she hummed to herself. When he spared a glance, he found her nibbling on a spoon. It was strangely adorable, but Yu kept himself on topic.

Let's see what I can learn... "Naoto?"

"Hm?"

"How do you feel?" Yu spoke with the charisma and friendliness that most associated with him. He spoke with the voice that led random strangers to become close friends.

"Great! You're here!" Judging by her response, Naoto seemed to respond positively to his tone.

"I'm glad you enjoy my company, Naoto. I enjoy yours." Yu could hear the girlish giggle slip past her lips. He took a deep breath, ignoring how cute she sounded and focused on the matter at hand. "I'm glad you're feeling better. I was really worried when you sent that text this morning."

"Text? I didn't send a text."

"What?" He turned to her, his brow having vanished under his silver bangs. "You didn't? Then... Naoto, do you know where your phone is?"

"Nope." She shrugged her shoulders, seemingly unconcerned with the loss of her cellular device.

Yu's brow wrinkled and furrowed as he pulled away from the stove. He walked over over to Naoto, who suddenly resembled Nanako when her hand was caught in the cookie jar. She looked away, avoiding his commanding gaze. "Naoto, when did you last have your phone?"

"This talk isn't fun anymore, Senpai..."

Yu bit the inside of his lip, before nodding his head. "Okay. I'm sorry for scaring you." He gave an apologetic smile, and she glanced at him with fearful glance. Her pout turned upside down, into a wide grin. "Will you forgive me?"

"Of course, Senpai! You're my best friend!"

Yu didn't expect that. A faint blush formed on his cheeks as he replied, "I am? Really?" While it was true that Naoto was on friendlier terms with the Investigation Team, to go as far as to call him her best friend was still a startling revelation. "I would have assumed Rise or Kanji would be closer to you than myself."

"Rise's nice, but we don't really have anything to talk about... And Kanji's mean! Every time we talk, he doesn't even look at me!" Naoto's cheeks puffed up as she gave a childish pout.

Oh, there's a reason for that, Naoto. Hm. He looked at Naoto with sharp eyes, before turning back to finish the food. He looked out to the hallway, remembering the books scattered about. Maybe there's a clue there? It's clear Naoto knows something that she doesn't want to tell me. I hope I can convince her. I don't want to pressure her, but this is getting crazy... What's going on with her?

Naoto was eating at the food Yu had made for her, allowing the silver haired youth to explore the apartment more closely. It also gave him the chance to clean the place for her. He ordered Naoto's various papers, placing individual cases into their properly labelled folders, before ordering them alphabetically. He placed the stack of folders and papers aside when he found the strange drawing again.

"Naoto, what's this?"

"Huh?" The sleuth stopped in the middle of chewing her food and smiled at the picture. She swallowed and stepped off of her chair to approach the silverette. "Oh! That's my drawing of the Phoenix Rangers!" She then took a fighting stance and began to flail her arms around. "Phoenix Rangers! Feathermen R!"

"Ah. It's quite good."

"Thanks!"

Yu thanked her and allowed her to return to the kitchen, fighting back the grin on his face. Naoto was rivaling Nanako in adorableness, but he kept his mind focused. He had a mystery on his hand and he was resolved to get to the bottom of it. Maybe I should consider calling the others? The young man began to pick up the books he had found on the floor earlier and sort them out. He placed the detective novels on the nearby bookshelf and kept the anomalous books aside to read and examine. Then again, I don't know how they'd react to Naoto acting like this, or how she'd react to them...

"Huh?" One of the detective novels refused to go back in all the way. He pulled it out and noticed something was tucked into the very back of the bookshelf. He took out a few more books and, to his surprise, he found a small, opened bag of candy. He grabbed the bag and a couple of books before he walked back over to Naoto. "Naoto, is this candy yours?"

"Huh? Hey!" The blue haired sleuth giggled as she reached towards him, nearly leaning too far and falling off her seat. She plucked the bag from his hands and looking it over, careful not to spill any of the sweets. "You found my hidden candy! Good detective work, Senpai!"

"Hidden? You hide candy in your own home?" Yu looked at her with sharp, yet comforting eyes. There wasn't any hesitation, Naoto, this girl before him, trusted the young man.

She trusted him so much, she spoke honestly and truly, not even realizing the words that flowed from her lips until they were long passed. "Yep. If I don't, she steals them and throws them away. She says they're bad for us." Naoto could see her friend contemplate her words, before she was struck with a harsh realization. "I-I mean-"

"Naoto..." Yu tore his gaze away from her and opened one of the books. A mere glance at the inside of the cover confirmed his fears. He moved his eyes back to her. She trembled at his silver gaze. "I think I understand why you're acting..." He hesitated for a moment, searching for the correct word, only for Naoto to finish for him.

"So unlike her?" She sounded so scared. Her steel blue eyes were shimmering from the forming tears. "You're wondering, why am I broken?" Her own words hammered at the dam holding back her tears. She let out a broken, unsteady gasp. before releasing an equally stuttering sigh . "You must be thinking... w-who is this girl in front of me? She's not Naoto. She's nothing like her. She's immature, and childish, and stupid, and- and- and-"

The chair groaned against the tiled floor as Yu stood up. He moved closer to the now sobbing girl and bent down on one knee, hands on her shoulders. She seemed so small, like a child... "I could never think that. I don't... I don't know who exactly you are, but I can promise you, I don't think you're broken or stupid."

"You don't mean that."

"I do, though. You know me. You know I'm not a fan of lying."

"Heh... Y-you're a truth seeker! Like her," she hiccuped through her tears. He nodded his head, before standing up.

She looked at him like a deer in headlights, staring with such a mix of awe and fear. He tried to ease her tension with a smile, but it wasn't enough this time. He let out a quiet, melancholic sigh, before he spoke. "I think I understand. The book was the final nail. It mentioned Dissociative Identity Disorder, or multiple personality disorder. A mental disorder-" He saw her flinch at the words and he instantly felt a sense of guilt for it, but he still carried on "-that is characterized by the presence of two or more personality states."

The girl sitting before him, threw herself at the older boy. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as tightly as she could as she sobbed into his chest. Yu didn't even blush, merely returning the embrace just enough to give her the safety she desired. He squeezed her lithe frame, and for the first time, he realized just how small and vulnerable Naoto looked. They stood there for a long moment.

Yu couldn't help but be reminded of Naoto's Shadow. The sobbing child, lonely and terrified, pleading for others to stay. She didn't want to be alone. Yu was reminded of that as the tiny girl in his arms pulled him even closer, pressing her entire frame against him. He also saw Nanako in her. A child left alone, terrified and lost in a world that seemed too big for her, that drowned her. The resemblance just pushed him to help her more.

"It's going to be okay..."

"Y-you can't say that!" Her voice was on the verge of screaming, her weeping made it impossible for her to sound strong or commanding. Instead, she came off as desperate and pitiable. She tried to pull back, only to find Yu's embrace was as tight as it was warm. She whimpered, letting out a high pitch wail as she wiped her running nose against his chest. "You can't! You don't- you don't know how bad it's been..."

"Then show me."

The words hit like a hammer. They hung in the air as the 'alternate' Naoto tried to understand the words. It hit like a train, a tremendous shot to her heart. She swore, it skipped a beat as she fell quiet in his embrace. The only sound was the soft patter of rain outside as she took slow, gasping breaths. Yu never budged. He kept her safe in his arms, looking at her with a gentle stare.

"I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to, but I want to understand... all of this. If I'm going to do that, I need to hear both sides."

Logical. Simple. Calm. If the girl in his arms was Naoto Shirogane, the same one he had met and fought beside, she would have agreed. But she wasn't that Naoto. She was a hysterical, trembling, emotional child, who only saw what she felt, not caring about what was logical or right. "You don't... you don't understand. She hates me, because I'm not her... You must hate me too..."

"Naoto, I-"

She broke free and shoved him away, watching him stumble back as she cried. "You do! You want the real Naoto Shirogane! You want her, not me! Not her Shadow!" Her eyes were puffy, and almost looked bloodshot, from her weeping. She let out a hiccup as she fought back another waterfall of tears. "You.. you don't want me because I'm not the Naoto you know. You don't want me, because I'm not Naoto, but I am! I'm a part of her too, but she doesn't want me! No one wants me! You want to leave me too, don't you?! Everyone does!"

"That's not true!" He hated shouting, but he had to stop her before she descended into a spiral of self hatred and misery. That, and he honestly couldn't stand the sight of his friend in so much pain, even if the person he was talking to only looked like Naoto. He had to help her, had to remind her that she wasn't alone. She fell silent, frozen at the sudden outburst. He approached her and she didn't pull away, not even when he lifted his hand to brush the tears away. "I think you're as much Naoto as the one I met is, and I don't hate you. You're my friend, just as much as Yosuke is, or Kanji, or-"

"Naoto?"

"Yes. You're just as much my friend as Naoto..." There was a silence again, but this time the alternate Naoto didn't make a noise. He opened his arms and gently embraced her again, but she didn't return it.

I have to help her. It was stupid. He knew next to nothing about Dissociative Identity Disorder, beyond basic facts. Every depiction of it on TV was about how there was the normal, 'good' half and the new personality was a dangerous serial killer, yet this wasn't the case. Yu considered himself an observant person. He was skilled at reading others. When he looked at the girl in his arms, the one that shared Naoto's face, he knew he could trust her. She wasn't anything like the people he saw on TV.

She wasn't a murderer. No, she was scared and lonely, and all she wanted was a friend.

He had to help her.

"She wants to kill me, you know..."

"What...?"

"Naoto... The... the real Naoto." She inhaled a shaky breath, before looking into his silver irises. "She hates me... She wants me to go away... She wants me to die, even though she made me." She smiled at the silver haired man, and that scared him. She was smiling, despite the obvious agony in her voice and behind those tired eyes. "If- if I die, Senpai. I want you to know that-"

"You won't die." W-wait. "I won't let her kill you." I can't promise this. It's Naoto's mind, I-"I'm going to talk to Naoto, and we're going to work this out. I promise." It's her mind, but this girl... She isn't a threat or a Shadow or anything like we've seen before. She isn't going to hurt anyone! Damn it, I have to try...

The blue haired girl stared at him, taken back by his words. She let out a melancholic laugh, before nodding her head. "You're the first person I've ever really spoken to. The only others that have seen me are the people at the bookstore when I bought those mangas." She lifted her hand and gently placed it on the older boy's cheek. "If I could only meet one person before I died, I'm glad it was you."

Before another word was uttered, she pulled away and began to walk. Her steps were heavy and slow, carrying fear and worry on her back, but she carried on. Yu followed and offered what support he could. He offered his hand, gently grazing it against her own. She took it without a moment's hesitation, intertwining her fingers with his.

"I think my name can be... Nao. You can call me Nao-chan, if we ever see each other again." They came to the bedroom, where they had first met, and she looked at him with a reluctant smile.

"Nao-chan. I like it. It sounds cute." He felt a faint warmth on his cheeks as the bluette hugged him one last time, but he returned it with the same warmth and kinship as before. "We will meet again. I promise."

"You're nice... I can see why she likes you."

"Huh?" Her body went limp in his arms, almost as if she had fainted. He held her, cradling her motionless body in his arms, before he gently laid her down on her bed. Yu touched her cerulean bangs, stroking the hair with careful grace as he observed her sleeping face. Her eyes were shut and her breath was slow. He felt his fingertips brush against her cheek as he wondered what exactly he had gotten himself into. It took less than a moment to remember.

I'm helping my friend. It was all he needed, and with that simple statement, his resolve became unbreakable. Whatever happened, he was going to help, not only Naoto, but his new friend Nao-chan. Somehow.

END

Yeah, sorry for the wait. My bad.

Also, chapter length started getting a bit long so I decided to cut this chapter in two as well. Again, apologies. This is now a three parter.

But let's talk about the story! Dissociative Identity Disorder (multiple personality disorder is the outdated term) is something I have always been fascinated by. It's something I'm just utterly fascinated by. I don't want to get into an argument with anyone about whether or not it's real, that's not why I wanted to write this story. I wrote this story because I wanted to write, what I feel, is a more realistic depiction of DID.

Y'see, I feel like the whole Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde thing is, while well done sometimes, is a bit... generic? Too easy? Overly simplistic? I just wanted to write DID as something that WASN'T that. Nao-chan isn't a murderer and she is far from evil. What she represents will be further delved into next chapter, as well as (what I'm hoping will be) a painful show of how difficult DID can be for the subject and those close to them. You don't need an alternate personality to be evil to suffer from it. Nao-chan's fears of Naoto killing her, while extreme, do have a seed of truth, which will be explored next chapter.

But yeah. If you have any questions, comments, or anything, feel free to speak up. I'm friendly, I hear. As always, if you enjoyed my work here, give my other stories a read, or look at my favorite stories for other well-made stories. Have a great day.