Disclaimer: I don't own "Yu-Gi-Oh!" or Sir Philip Sidney's Astrophel and Stella. I'm getting really tired of saying that.
This portion of the fic takes place in the Duelist Kingdom finals—Joey's supposed to duel Bandit Keith but can't find his stolen Glory of the King's Hand card (Gotta love Joey—"Hey, let go of that!...That's my pizza."). However, he needn't worry—someone's looking out for him...
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Love Gave the Wound
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In My Pocket: Joey Wheeler
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Profess in deed I do not Cupid's art:
But you fair maids, at length this true shall find,
That his right badge is but worn in the heart.
(Sir Philip Sidney, from Astrophel and Stella)
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That's it. It's over. I'm finished. I can't believe I have done so much and come so far and now I have to stop.
I'm on my hands and knees in the hallway, staring into a carpet that's the same obnoxious color as Pegasus' suit. The scent of the carpet is tickling my nose and making my eyes sting.
Yeah, right. I just don't want to admit that I'm crying.
But I can't help it! This sucks! I've come such a long way and now I'm not going to get to duel because I lost a lousy playing card? That's like getting tackled on the one-yard line! What good is it to fight so hard and still lose?!
Oh, man, Serenity, I'm so sorry!...
Someone's watching me, but I'm rubbing at my eyes with a fist, so I don't see her right away. It takes me a second to see her heels biting into the carpet, leaving little stab wounds as if it's purposeful.
"Hi there," Mai Valentine says. Her voice has always been thick and sweet as honey, but this is more gentle than I've ever heard it.
"Great," I mutter. "You're right on time to kick me when I'm down." I stare angrily up at her, and if the tears are still in my eyes, I don't care if she sees. "Come on, enjoy it, Mai. You were right about me all along. Joey Wheeler, the loser!"
She actually kneels beside me. It's the first time she's ever actively joined me on my own level. "I don't think you're a loser, Joey," just as gently as before.
I want to snort, to scoff, but I hear myself sniffling wrathfully and asking, "You don't?"
She shakes her blonde head, waves of gold swishing back and forth. "No. I mean, there are elements of the idiotic about you, but that's what makes you...Joey." She smiles a little and pulls me to my feet. "Now come on, you big dork, get up. You've got a duel to play. Cowering in the corner is so geeky."
I bite down on a smile. She's Mai again, sugar and spice but not always nice. She's cheering me up and I don't want her to. I want to wallow in my misery, and she doesn't know a thing about it. "Nope. Not going back in there. Not gonna happen."
Mai stamps her booted foot, wounding the floor with her heel. "Joey Wheeler, you stubborn ass! If I say black, you'll just say white. Maybe I should tell you to quit! Would that make you go in?"
"I want to go in," I say quietly. "Don't you think I wanna go in? I want that more than I've ever wanted anything." I feel my eyes filling again. "I just can't, okay?"
Mai ducks her head, suddenly very interested in the state of her shoes. "Tèa told me about your sister," she says, her voice gentle again, and I'm surprised.
"You're going to let her down?" Mai continues, raising violet eyes to me. "Come on, Joey. Look at all you've done. You said you were going to help your sister, and now you're in the perfect position to. You beat me and you beat Rex and you're in the finals now, Joey. You came to win and you won!"
I feel as though I'm sunbathing, basking in her praise. If only a pep talk was really what I needed—this one is a gem. "Thanks, Mai."
"So why are you crying in the hallway when you're at the finish line?" she asks, shrugging.
I snap my head up. "I am not crying," I snarl. "The carpet shampoo is annoying me—and there's something in my eye." I rub at my eyes again. "And the stupid thing won't come out—"
She reaches deftly into her blouse, pulling a folded handkerchief from her cleavage. It's not the thrill a minute it would be for me under normal circumstances, and I blink wearily at her as she presses the handkerchief into my hand. "Here you go. Just don't blow your nose in it or anything," she snickers with a smile.
I look at the handkerchief, then at her, slipping it into my pocket. "Thank you."
"Keep it. I don't need it anymore. Want to know a secret?" she asks, and the change of subject is too quick for me. I blink dumbly at her again and she says, "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, and I'll deny I ever said it, but…I believe in you."
Gaping at her, I ask, "Mai...does this mean we're friends now?"
She's already turning, walking down the hallway. She mustn't have heard me.
I believe in you.
I realize, watching her proud posture as she walks away, that it took a lot of guts for her to tell me that. The least I can do is repay her faith, and be just as brave as she is. I decide to go in and face the music, but I don't want that wack job Pegasus or that goon Bandit Keith to see that I've been crying, so I fish in my pocket for the handkerchief Mai gave me. Unfolding it, I find a treasure inside.
A card with a picture of treasure, to be exact—Glory of the King's Hand!
I snap my head up and dash down the hallway, looking for Mai. She's almost out the door, but her voice carries. "I told you, I don't need it anymore." Then she turns, spearing me with those violet eyes, and smirks. "Dork. Of course we're friends."
I don't know what to say, and all I can do is stammer, "Mai—thanks!"
She taps her wrist as if indicating a watch. "Don't you have a duel to get to?"
Oh, yeah—the duel! I almost forgot! I turn and race back to the arena, just as the clock ticks to ten fifty-nine.
"Joey!" my friends cheer. Pegasus looks mildly surprised, and Bandit Keith looks as though he's swallowed a Leghul. A big, squirming Leghul.
"How could he have found that card?" Keith snarls.
I hold the card up and grin. "Maybe I've just got a guardian angel standing by." My friends laugh, but it's no joke.
Thanks, Mai.
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Author's Note:
Joey Wheeler is so great. I want him to be my best friend. I think Yugi's so lucky to have such a good and loyal pal. There are very few people in the world who are just genuinely good souls; whatever it is that makes those good souls up, Joey's it. I love Mai's words as he runs back into the arena—"Dork. Of course we're friends." The idea for this story came to me after I embarrassed myself in public with a disastrous class presentation. Joey stuck around to make me feel better after I slunk back to my chair, and we wrote this. It reminded me of the last time I went roller skating with my friends or laughed really hard at something. *^_^*
I'm stuck for ideas again….waaaah! I think next I'll finally give Yugi the chapter he's been asking me for—poor thing, everyone else got to go before he did! *^_^* And then I'm stuck again. I'd love to do a chapter on Shadi or Malik, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Suggestions, candy or large sums of money can be sent to me at shapeshifter883@netzero.net. Reviews would be greatly appreciated. *^_^*