Updated: July 1st, 2015

TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains depictions of minor self-mutilation (cutting), and minor mentions of suicidal thoughts. Let it be known that I am not trying to glorify self-harm, nor am I advising anyone to think of it as so described within this chapter. Read with caution, if need be.

~Fallen

Song: Hear Me Out - Dream On, Dreamer

~ Chapter III ~

Knowledge

Knowledge was power. It was a simple as that. Observant eyes opened countless doors to their wielder, whether they knew of the advantages given to them, or not. The more one knew about the world around them, the better off one was. A lack of Knowledge could lead to many things.

Arrogance, ignorance, stupidity...

The thirst for it, the desire to obtain more information, however, was what he played a representative for. Curiosity.

Although both the terms of 'knowledge' and 'curiosity' went rather hand-in-hand, Yuugi's Emotion of such had always found the latter as sounding too childlike and naïve for his taste. He was a cultured, well-rounded, and fairly matured being, as far as he was concerned. His eyes were watchful, and – for risk of sounding self-absorbed – two of the most observant he had ever encountered. He could read another's current state from the light of their and the shape of their stature. He could break straight through another player's poker-face in a game, while still maintaining his own. He had done so countless times in duels, over the years. He had an unyielding passion to learn, and to take in as much as he possibly could at once. Especially if the current topic held any sort of special interest to him. The term of 'knowledge' sounded much more grown-up, and suited to said Emotion's personal preference. So, he took it as his 'name', so to speak, rather than Curiosity.

There were many things that Knowledge was aware of. For example, he knew that the visitors of the Master's mind – Jounouchi Katsuya, Honda Hiroto, and Mazaki Anzu – would be soon arriving at his Soul Room. In-tow would be his fellowship – brothers, if you would so choose to call them by that. The manifestations of Yuugi's Joy and Grief. He could feel their Essences, mingled around one another, the ribbons of their signatory spiritual color wrapping easily throughout the countless amount of aimless, shadow-soaked hallways that their conduit's mind had to offer in its inwardly chaotic state. Bright yellow, and dark navy-blue streams, ambling along the bricked, sandstone pathways to where Knowledge lay. Also, judging by the rather tormented, tearful, and enraged scream their creator had uttered minutes ago, Knowledge could deduct that Sorrow had revealed his own String of Remembrance to their companions, therefore causing Yuugi's main consciousness to relive the memories.

Knowledge sighed dismally, adjusting his glasses and opening a book to pass the time. He was not entirely able to estimate the time until the group's arrival, so he might as well keep himself entertained until they showed up.

The Emotion was dressed neatly, in a dove gray, long-sleeved shirt that hugged at his torso ever-so-slightly, and casually-fitted, gray-violet jeans. Resting over the bridge of his nose, were a pair of small, squared, violet-rimmed spectacles. The magnified lenses glinted in the moderate lighting, depending on whichever angle they were facing. His spiked, ebony hair was rimmed in a deep purple. His eyes were a somewhat similar shade, though they did tend to change hues, depending on the Emotion's own mental state, darkening or lightening with the depressions and inclines of his mood. Being the technical sense of his conduit's innate sense of Curiosity, his passions sometimes tended to bubble very close to the surface. However, he also had an extremely well-developed poker-face, and was beyond skilled within the tactic of hiding his own feelings and more personal thoughts. And, like the rest of his surroundings, the Emotion's over-all appearance was clean and perfected – and the same could be said for the Room he resided in.

The walls were a light mixture between indigo and lavender, the floor complimenting the medium-hued color with its short, pale-blue carpeting. A four-poster bed frame, made of delicately crafted mahogany, held a queen-sized mattress. It was sitting front-and-center on the wall opposite to his Mind Room's doorway, and would be the first thing anyone entering his little sanctuary would see. A dark lilac blanket was made and tucked over light periwinkle sheets, with decorative pillows layered neatly at the headboard. A writing desk, with a simple chair that looked like something belonging at a dining room table, was the place Knowledge currently seated himself at. At a direct center-point along each wall, were rows of bookshelves, also crafted of beautiful mahogany planks. Numerous articles, going over nearly every and any subject imaginable, and varying levels of reading were kept in neat, organized little stacks and rows within the wooden confines. From fantasy novels to magazines, biographies to history books, textbooks to encyclopedias. If it was desired, it would be found.

Currently, the Emotion was deeply engrossed with a popular English fantasy novel, known as Harry Potter. He smiled with mild enthusiasm as the main character partook in a tournament for a... 'wizard sport', which was apparently known as 'Quidditch'. He was so infatuated with his story, in fact, that Knowledge rather blatantly ignored his Soul Room door as it opened – highly uncharacteristic of the ever-observant soul – and two colorful individuals stepped inside. Behind them, they led the three visiting minds of their creator's friends, hovering with a little more hesitance by the doorway.

"Hey, Kno-" a cheery voice began, before gently being cut off.

"Shh," the teen interrupted quietly, requesting for silence as he tried to picture the words' descriptions in his head, "I am at a rather enjoyable section of my novel."

He felt Happiness falter, successfully withdrawing his chirped greeting, per his purple equivalent's request. The others were polite, quiet, and (somewhat) patient as Knowledge finished the page, and placed a teal bookmark between the pages where he had left off. Brushing his fingers through jagged, yellow bangs in an attempt to organize himself more completely, Knowledge stood and faced his quests.

"Hello," he greeted politely, making a slow, sweeping gesture to his sanctum behind them, as if presenting it to the five for judgment, "and welcome to my Mind's Room."

He noticed, within a very short span of time, that the brown-haired male – Honda – was peering at the Yuugi-duplicate incredulously. Almost as if he were examining him, scrutinizing his figure for... something. Hiding his unease at the stare, Knowledge merely gave a kind smile, and waved them closer calmly. "Do you want to take a seat? Maybe read a book? I have many different tomes of choice," he offered courteously.

"Why are you wearing glasses?" the brunette male finally asked, as if the Yuugi-duplicate had never even spoken. One brow was quirked in an expression of interest and some befuddlement. Knowledge blinked, hand subconsciously coming to brush the corner of his lenses.

"What's wrong with them?" he returned evenly, withholding any sort of hints to his mental processes from the tone of his voice. From his peripheral vision, he noticed Happiness give the smallest of flinches. No-one dared to insult Curiosity's glasses. Not only was it rude, and impolite, but it was more often than not a personal blow to his self-esteem and pride. And he would not stand for it!

"Nothing," the living teen said quickly, voice just as steadfast. "It just... looks a little bit weird on you, that's all. I didn't know that Yuugi had to wear glasses."

Well... he supposed that much was true. Yuugi had never told them of his (limited) need for prescription lenses before. He had both seen no reason to, and he had also wanted to avoid being picked on or teased for the fact. So, Knowledge simply gave a partially-tolerant sigh. "I shall try not to take offense to that comment," he mumbled, "As for the answer to your question, Hiroto, I have a need for eyeglasses when reading. The strain without them is not healthy, nor entirely pleasant to deal with. It often leaves me with a rather distracting migraine."

His attention darted to Jounouchi, who had started to emit a small chuckle. "You sound like a total Einstein, Yuug'," he half-joked, a smirk dancing across his features.

Knowledge gave a pleasant, almost flattered grin. "Thank you very much,Katsuya!" he replied rather formally, "I would hope for nothing less, considering I am the representative for Yuugi's thirst for Knowledge, and quite active sense of Curiosity." Small smiles passed through the group at that comment. Even Sorrow seemed a little less glum.

"So..." Jounouchi chirped with a coy look twisting his lips up, "What kinda things 're you 'curious' about, Yuug'?" His laughed, though not unkindly, as a blank, wide-eyed expression came over Knowledge's features. He glanced away, still snickering, as Anzu punched him in the back of his shoulder, glaring icy daggers of blue at the jovial boy.

"Idiot!" Anzu reprimanded him, sounding much like a mother when scolding her child. Her cheeks had flushed a dark shade of pink at her friend's innuendo. "Don't be such a pervert!"

The blonde shrugged with a cheeky look. The smirk fell, however, when he saw the dark frown that had cast upon Knowledge's face. His healthy complexion seemed to have paled some. "Uh, s-sorry man! I was just kiddin' around is all!" came the hasty apology. Knowledge did not do much to reply. He only gave a slow, almost sad shake of the head in response. His glasses reflected the light as he gently eased them farther up the bridge of his nose.

"No, no, it's not that," he assured quietly, looking as if a bad taste had been left in his mouth. "It's only that... Yuugi's train of thought... has strayed to a type of curiousness I personally find as... a distasteful subject." A deep but quiet sigh escaped his lips, indigo eyes drifting closed. He wrung his hands anxiously together, posture going tight, as if some kind of unseen enemy were facing him, promising him the beating of a lifetime.

There was the softest of whimpers, off to the side. Three sets of eyes immediately moved to seek out the origin of the noise, and were met with the quivering form of Sorrow. He looked up with tears once again gathering in navy pools, shrinking in place. As if he were trying to hide from their companions in plain sight. "I-I..." he muttered, unable to meet the gazes of their friends, shuffling his feet with discomfort, "I told you... what I thought... what I would wish for sometimes... di-didn't I?"

Knowledge huffed another quiet breath. "Indeed," he grunted, and raised a hand in their friends' directions. He focused, hard, willing his energy towards them, and along with it, a single memory. One from the not-too-distant past.

His hands began to tremble, if only a little bit. Palms were clammy and cold, gripping a moderately sized item within white-knuckled fingers. The tremors traveled along the thing's slender shape, catching flickers of a dim glow emanating from a solitary bulb built in above the kitchen sink. Metal glinted in the poor lighting, and he couldn't help but to wonder...

Would it... work?

The thought was terrifying, but unbelievably tantalizing as Yuugi stared unblinkingly to the blade in his shaking hands. He knew it was wrong. He knew that, if anyone were to find out about this, he would be judged and ridiculed and would most likely let a lot of people he knew and cared for down... Especially his grandfather. What would the old man say, if he were to discover that his beloved grandchild had willingly brought harm upon himself? "No..." he found his voice murmuring quietly to the empty room, "S-Something like this... I-It would hurt them, n-not just... me. It will only make things worse – you know that, Yuugi."

Or would it? a small voice dared to whisper, only tempting the boy's mind more with its bland, almost uncaring tone.

His body moved without consent. A frightened gasp left the depressed teen's lungs as he suddenly, subconsciously, found the sharpened metal pressed to his pale wrist. Enticing him, teasing him, daring him to try it. Just once, it insisted quietly, then you can decide if it helps or not. If it makes all of the feelings go away, like you want them to.

He wasn't thinking clearly. His head repeated that mantra a thousand times: he wasn't in of a sound head. He wasn't – couldn't – think straight right now. He should just stop, put the knife away, and step back. Maybe go upstairs and do some homework to distract him. Yuugiknew that that was what he should do. And yet, the spiky-haired boy made no move – nor even an attempt – to stop whatever it was he was doing. There was no struggle, no resistance, no fight against it. This feeling... this sick wonder, it wouldn't allow him to. So, he let the tiny, emotionless voice do what it wanted.

Just enough to sate his curiosity.

And before he could even realize it, the voice had guided his hands to draw a line across the blue veins running beneath his skin. He breathed out harshly, shakily, as if someone had just punched him full-force in the stomach, pupils constricting in a mixed rush of fear and fascination and adrenaline as glazed amethyst eyes sought out the thin, thin line of irritation that had traced itself over his skin. After a moment, he watched, transfixed, as miniscule droplets of red crawled their way into the small break in the flesh, shining with a toxic kind of beauty in the low light.

He swallowed, nervously, carefully lining the tip of the blade up with its predetermined path, fully intent on figuring out just how much this... 'activity', of his, would help numb the constant ache buried within his chest. His wet his lips, throat suddenly gone dry, and for some reason Yuugi couldn't find it in him to even breathe.

His eyes slid shut, wrist bared in preparation, as the pressure slowly increased...

The spell was broken with a yell.

"Yuugi! What in God's name are you doing?!"

Said male started badly, a death-like chill running down his back at the immediate recognition to the fact that he'd been caught. Instantly thrown from his morbid inquiry at the sound of his grandfather's frightened voice, his hands flew back, opening to drop any sort of evidence to what he was doing. Yuugi whipped around, heart slamming against his ribcage in dread, the knife falling lifelessly from his limp grasp to clatter loudly to the tile floor. "J-J-Jii-chan!" he gasped, throat constricting and making his voice quake, "Wh-Wh-What are you d-doing home so early? I-I thought th-that you'd be out late, visiting Hawkins-san!"

Sugoroku was staring at his grandchild owlishly. Disbelief and terror completed the mosaic of absolute heartbreak in the elder's pallid face. "Y-Yu-Yuugi..." he managed shakily, voice nary a breath in the tense atmosphere, "What... Wh-What were you doing... with that knife?" Yuugi visibly cringed at the hurt, pinched undertone of his grandpa's voice. Aged lavender-gray eyes darted down to his clenched fist, subtly shaking at the boy's side. The damaged skin had been broken more with the sudden, jarring start the teen gave seconds ago, and thick drops of blood had started to trickle towards the boy's palm. Feeling the sudden wetness on his skin, Yuugi's wide eyes dilated in dread, and he swiftly swept the limb behind his back. But, unfortunately, it was too late.

Sugoroku had seen.

Tears swelled up in the old man's eyes. They quickly mirrored within the younger's as a cloud guilt and anxiety swarmed him. "Jii-ch-chan... I... " he stuttered again, barely able to form a sentence around the unexpected lump that had formed in his esophagus, "I-I... I'm s-sorry..."

Without so much as a word of warning, Sugoroku lurched forward, and grasped his only family in a tight, stunned hug. Yuugi felt his thick, callused fingers twist into the fabric of his shirt, the man squeezing him close. As if he were afraid the boy would vanish from his arms, should he loosen his grip. He stared in shock at the wall over Yuugi's shoulder, as the boy trembled and, with surprising quietness, collapsed into gentle weeping.

"I'm sorry, " he repeated, "I-I-I don't kn-know what I was thinking – I j-just... It.. I-It hurts so much and I just don't know what to do to make it stop!" The arms gripped him more securely as Yuugi felt his legs go weak, hiding his face in the elder's shoulder in shame. "I-I just want it to stop...!"

It broke Sugoroku's heart, to hear such hopeless sounds leaving the boy who had seemed so... untouchable. So innocent.

So happy.

Now, he only seemed lost, and broken. And some paternal sense within Sugoroku was screaming at him. "How?" it asked. How had he not been able to see the pain his grandson had been trying to cope with, before catching him with a knife held to his wrist?

"Yuugi," he whispered, "Please... N-Never do this again... please."

Yuugi sniffled, eyes squeezed shut with so much force, it hurt. He noiselessly nodded into the fabric of his grandfather's shirt, his ramble of apologies breaking only to whimper a quiet, "I promise, Jii-chan..."

But, although Yuugi may have given his word, the curiosity of it all still remained.

That single memory held enough of an impact to send each teen into a stunned, horrified silence. Knowledge, Happiness, and Sorrow exchanged a pitying glace. However, the Emotion of their creator's Grief still held tears in his deep blue eyes. Had the three friends been paying attention, they would have noticed the way the sniffling thing reached his thin fingers beneath the loose sleeve of his black top, to gently grip at his wrist. The one Yuugi had cut in the vision. And, should they have been able to see it, they would have been presented with a scar – one that was darker, and more defined than the countless others littering Sorrow's body. As a matter of fact, all three of the spiritual manifestations present had a scar on their wrists, in the exact same spot. The one that was also on Yuugi's physical body, rather than just his spiritual one.

There was a pregnant pause, before Anzu finally broke the heavy silence that had settled over them. "God... oh, God, Yuugi..." she whimpered, shivering as a hand came up to cover forlorn, tearful blue eyes. As if she could block out the sight of her best friend with a blade at his arm, by his own hand. "To think that he'd be hurting so much, as to consider... c-cutting..."

A collective, trembling sigh left Yuugi's three closest friends. "Next time I see him," Jou growled with a shudder, amber eyes looking dark and haunted, "I dunno if I'm gonna hug him, or kick his ass."

"That fucking moron!" Honda continued, spitting the hurting statement from his lips like bile. He appeared to be on the verge of tears – they all did. From the corner of his eye, Knowledge saw Sorrow shudder as a toxic slew of his Essence radiated around the room.

Knowledge gave them a bitter smile, entirely devoid of its usual, joyous symbolism. "As much as I regret to say it," he said in an almost resentful tone, "Yuugi has considered much more than just self-harm. Though it pains me to admit it."

Shocked eyes met him.

"W-Well," the angered brunette male countered, temper flaring with his concern for his friend, "you're his Curiosity! Can't you do something about this?!" Honda demanded angrily, motioning wildly to the three Emotions present. "Can't any of you?!"

Knowledge's brow furrowed, eyes closing with a frustrated sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose, stemming back a mental headache. "As much as I wish we could, Hiroto," he growled, jaw setting sternly, "we can't. We are the Emotions. Therefore, weare controlled by him. Not the other way around." He gave another agitated noise. "There is actually very little we can do about this." Thin fingers moved, to shove violet spectacles up a button nose.

"Well, then why are you showing us his memories?" he snapped, fists clenching.

A lilted voice took the moment of pause to interject. "So you can all understand," Happiness chirped up, eyes distraught, yet hopeful, "and maybe... you can all help him be normal again."

Somewhat confused glances met that statement. Knowledge felt his Essence float throughout his Room within the words of a single question:

"How is Yuugi not normal?" Anzu spoke, breaking the awkward silence for a second time. "Surely he's just... depressed, right?" She almost sounded scared to hear the answer.

They were all caught off guard when, of all being present, Sorrow was the one to break in. And he did so in the form of a dry, humorless, and extremely bitter laugh. "'Just depressed'," he quoted sourly, before a dark scowl covered his face. "What, do you think it's healthy, let alone normal, for one's emotions to have personified themselves within their head?"

There were reluctant, somewhat fearful shakes of the head.

"Exactly."

"Well, why are you separating from Yuugi, if it's unhealthy?" the only girl in the room demanded. Her azure eyes were puzzled, and ablaze with a protective fire, instructing to be given answers, immediately. The three Emotions exchanged another look between themselves, looking hesitant. "Well?" the girl prompted, volume bordering on painfully shrill.

Knowledge – for what was probably the fifth time in ten minutes – sighed. Needing something to occupy his anxiously twitching fingers with, the Emotion removed his lenses and went to clean them on a piece of his shirt. As he rubbed the glass lens with a corner of fabric, there was an old, sage-like appearance about him. Something within the manifestation of a seventeen-year-old's Curiosity sent a brief wave of awe over the mortal teenagers. Yuugi had always seemed so childish. It was odd, to say the least, seeing a piece of him acting like some kind of... retired veteran.

"Because," said the violet-themed boy quietly, "he doesn't have the desire to feel anymore. So, as a result of his Apathy to the Pharaoh's departure-" Yuugi's Emotions all gave a visible flinch at the mention of the formerly-nameless spirit "-we've branched off as separate, conscious beings in his head. Even Apathy, itself. Now, Yuugi doesn't know how to feel. He is steadily loosing control over us." He breathed deeply through his nose, and replaced the glasses over his face. "The most primal and overpowering of us – as an example, Jealousy or Rage – are constantly battling for dominance as Yuugi's primary, or fallback, Emotion. They want the power and control that is usually kept from them, through his sense of self-control and unselfish mannerisms."

"How could they do that?" Anzu asked, and Knowledge held back a small smile. This one liked to ask questions. He liked that – considering that he did gain power from that curiousness, and the questions brought along with it.

"Since we are all contained within his... for the time being, at least, rather labyrinthine mind, he can hear our thoughts. If we so choose to share them, that is." The glasses were quietly readjusted to rest over his eyes more comfortably.

"So, in short... he's hearing voices," the girl concluded. Knowledge nodded grimly.

"There are many terms for things such as this, in the material world," the other informed, "As an example: the three most common names for the current situation, are what society refers to as 'insanity', 'schizophrenia', or – to make things more simple – 'MPD'."

"...Multiple Personality Disorder?"

"Indeed," he acknowledged with a small, curt nod. "If any one of us were to gain enough power, or Yuugi's mental defenses were to lose too much of it, a specific Emotion would have the ability to overshadow his mind for unknown periods of time. And they would remain in control of both his brain and body, until either Yuugi, or another Emotion, were to overthrow the former and regain control. But until then, Yuugi and those around him would all be at the mercy of whomever was in control of our vessel."

"Just like Yami did..." Jounouchi breathed, honey-brown eyes distant and distracted. A look of deep pain flashed over Knowledge's face. His eyes stung for a moment, and a single tear traced its path down the curvature of his cheek.

"Yes, Katsuya..." he allowed, as if admitted to some atrocious secret he had been confronted with. His voice was nearly inaudible to them. "Just like Yami..."

DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with Yu-Gi-Oh! nor anything pertaining to Yu-Gi-Oh! This is a fan-made story made purely for entertainment purposes, and nothing more. Enjoy!