How I Used to Be
A story based on "Unwell" by Matchbox 20
Neither the song this story is inspired by or characters in this story belong to the author. Don't sue, it makes the children cry.
Author's note: I've got reviews!!
Red Roses2-chan- Aw now, I'm a Yami fangirl, thought it may be hard to tell right now... And girls like bad boys because... um, because... actually, that's a pretty good question. Your screen name looks really familiar. Happen to have read or written any Hey Arnold stories?
Sakura123- Glad to know that the story's interesting so far! *pats Joey on the head* Don't die on me, little buddy. I'm writin', sir, I'm a'writin'!
Pooka228- Dude, you put me on you favorite story list. I bow! Hopefully this chapter will set your mind at ease. Don't worry, I didn't screw up characterization, I promise. (Or at least hope with all my little heart)
Oh, and here's an apology to everyone who has be on author alert, because y'all are Hey Arnold fans, so this is totally just cluttering your inbox right now. Um, I love you guys?
____
The weight of the knives in his hands were not foreign as they should have been for a someone his age. 'Not th' type you'd find in yer kitchen.' Joey joked to himself, though he knew just how serious this situation he was in really was. Looking back at the other side of the alley, he saw his opponent. His enemy in the guise as his friend, standing there cooly, eyes boring holes into his soul, a small smirk playing at the corners of his lips. Comfortable, as if he could stand there all night, waiting for Joey to send the dangerous object his way.
"The night grows not younger, Joseph." The man drawled as Joey took a deep breath to settle his nerves.
He shook his head, blonde hair swaying in the wind. "You still haven't told me the rules to dis game, or what I'll get when I win." Eyes settled into a determined glare, his jaw set, Joey assumed what he'd supposed he could call his 'poker face'. No one who'd seen him like this had ever not backed down before. He was Joey Freakin' Wheeler, maybe not a force of nature, but not someone you'd want to mess with. He'd faced down people twice his size before...
Which is why his opponent's dark chuckles surprised him. "If you win, Joseph." Joey growled at these words, and at the same time, felt his arm rise, one knife held tightly in his hand.
"What?!" He tried to will the arm down, but it continued to rise against his will. It aimed and pulled back while the figure laughed.
"This is a dark game, and the stakes are higher than you could ever dream. Common sense doesn't exist, and neither does a conscience. You're not ruled by your moral sense of right or wrong here, but by your true intentions. By your every dark desire, by the evil biding in your own heart."
Beads of sweat formed on Joey's face as he tried to pull his arm down, but to no avail. With as much force as his arm could exert, the sharp blade flew out of his hand.
THOCK!
And his breath caught in his throat as the tip of the knife became entangled in the fabric of his best friend's uniform.
Buildings flew past Yugi like bold blurs of color as he raced off to school, the soles of his boots smacking against the pavement in a rhythmic cadence. "Who... are... you?" The words were hard to get out as he sucked wind.
"You don't need to go quite that fast.. You're slightly ahead of your normal schedule now."
Yugi slowed down to a jog. "You know my schedule?"
The voice sounded amused. "Beginning to. Now, to answer your question. I'm not too sure who I was, but who I am now..." He paused, as if trying to conjure the proper words, "I'm you."
"What?!" Yugi gasped. The feeling that eyes were on him caused Yugi to look up. He was halfway to school by this time, and his outburst had incited giggles and stares from others on the street. Blushing violently from the embarrassment, he jogged away from them. He didn't stop until a block or two later, when he finally shook the feeling of being watched.
"You're me?" Yugi spoke in a quiet whisper as walked. His attention was drawn once more to the dull gray pavement beneath his feet, avoiding eye contact with anyone else who happened to wander past. Eyebrows furrowed, he shook his head. "No. No. You're an intruder. A danger, a-"
"I can hear your thoughts. Maybe you'd get less stares if we spoke in that way."
Pausing from his tangent, Yugi scrunched up his forehead in concentration, trying to force his thoughts through his torrent of emotions."Can you hear me?"
"Yes. No need to strain yourself though."
Yugi's thoughts were troubled, then defensive. "But I'm not you. I'd never hurt my friends!"
The dark one's thoughts began again. "It's hard to explain, and even I don't understand it entirely, but we're two separate spirits sharing the same heart."
"But... you'd only started coming out..."
"Only recently. You freed me when you finished the Millennium Puzzle." The dark voice finished.
"You will explain this later." Not a question, a statement, as Yugi tightened his coat around him. The arm of his jacket continued to flap in the breeze, a unyielding reminder of the night's occurrences. "Why did you attack Joey?"
"I would hardly call it attacking."
The memory of Joey spurred another question. "The people going insane at night... you're behind them, aren't you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. The dark spirit could hear the disappointment resounding in other's thoughts.
"Yes, Yugi, they are all my doing. But do you remember the names of any of them?"
Yugi paused for a moment "...Ushio. He was one, wasn't he?" Ushio was a bully who had posed as a good upstanding person. Yugi had trusted him until he had beat Joey and Tristan up and blackmailed Yugi for $4,000. And then... he was gone. He drew in a deep breath, realization finally dawning on him. Joey had told him that only bullies had become the targets of the growing insanity. "You did that to Joey, didn't you?" Yugi whispered out loud, finding tears obstructing his vision of the looming school building ahead of him. "But he's not... he's, he's..."
"I know." The voice soothed gently, mind slipping back to the dark alleyway.
"No... no..." Joey had a death-grip on his own arm, clutching it hard enough to bruise, as if punishing it for going against his mind.
The evil in Yugi's body snatched the knife from the crease of his blue uniform, pulling it downwards and out. The fabric on the arm of the jacket tore apart, and he assessed the damage. "Not even a scratch. Appears that you haven't lost yet." A strangely familiar emotion washed over his face for a moment. Was it relief? It almost looked like... Joey mentally shook himself. 'Dis ain't Yug. Dis ain' Yug...'
"You know the rules." The voice was condescending as he placed the knife to the side and walked closer to Joey to retrieve the remaining knives. "Two more rounds, whoever strikes closest without cutting his opponent wins."
Pressing the remaining two objects in his opponent's hands, handles first, Joey tried to appeal to his lighter side, or at least his sense of reason. "Why are you doing dis? Yugi is my best friend! I don't wanna hurt him."
The response was soft, almost as if he wasn't supposed to hear it. "For everyone's sakes, you had better be truthful."
Joey closed his eyes and held his breath as he felt knife number two come his way.
Shing~~!
"I'm gonna be late, I'm gonna be late." Slim dancer legs swung out of bed and right into the waiting skirt of her school uniform. She wriggled her pants off once the skirt was in place, and with her free hand snagged her uniform top off a hanger. After changing fully, she ran downstairs to grab a quick apple or piece of toast before darting off to school. Her untied shoelaces smacked against the wood flooring as she nearly flew to the fruit bowl and to the door. As she was about to open said door, the phone rang.
"What now..." She groaned, reaching for the white handheld that was thankfully on a wooden table near the door. "Hello?" She answered, trying to keep a thread of politeness in her voice.
"Téa?" She recognized the voice.
"Dad? I'm on my way to school. Sorry I'm running late." Téa began, "But I've really got to go." It wasn't often that her father, a hard working Domino police officer, would have time to call so early in his work day.
"Sorry, I'll make it quick, but it's important." The dreaded "I mean business" edge had seeped into his voice, one he'd gained from so many years on the force, and Téa knew to listen intently. "Looking over some reports here, and it sounds like some kids you might know got into a bit of trouble last night. Tall kid, round 5 foot 7 inches, blonde hair, green jacket got cornered by an armed five foot kid with spiked hair."
'Joey? Yugi?' Her lips formed the names as she ran out the door without hanging up the phone.