Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Tomorrow ❯ The Day After Today ( Chapter 7 )

Destiny: *imitates Tingle from The Legend of Zelda* Heeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy!!!

Mackenzie: You ate chocolate again, didn't you?

Destiny: Yup! ^_^ Actually….no. I'm just naturally high on seratonin, lol!

Mackenzie: Seratonin?

Destiny: Yah….my health teacher said it was this hormone that makes you happy…

Mackenzie: -_-U

Destiny: Neways, I wanna thank my chapter 6 reviewers!:

-

F/F.net

Korie: *grins sheepishly* Well, that was the effect I was going for! I'm glad you were surprised about the twist. Love can be dangerous in Yami's hands, apparently…Thank you so much for your encouragement throughout this story!!!

Sunrise and Sunset: I'm so glad you like this story. Thanks for your review!!

-

AFF.net:

leaf zelindor: Well, Seto has always been a confusing character, even in the actual series, ne? Sometimes his actions don't make sense; he has his own twisted sort of logic. . .thank you for your encouragment!

Felidae: *reels from shock* Wow, you're, like, the first person to come close to picking up on what was going on before the truth came out into the open. Thanks for your review!

-

MM.org:

anubiset: I'm really glad to see that you're enthusiastic about this story. Here's the final chapter!

-

Destiny: So yeah, this is my FINAL CHAPTER, ppl! Can you believe it? This will be my first completed story on f/f.net! Yay!! ^______________^

Mackenzie: Though it's kinda short….

Destiny: I know. Well, there IS a moral/theme to this story, and I'll explain it in the Authoress Notes in the end. I can't say it now cuz it will give away the ending.

I also wanna mention here that I wrote my first THREE POEMS on f/f.net, if you wanna read them. They suicidal themes, and I'd love to have reviews with comments, constructive criticism, and suggestions for future poems:

Here are my other stories, if you're interested:

Somehow, I've Always Known: Supernatural/Mystery--Seto Kaiba discovers that he has an amazing ability, and now doctors from all over the world want to turn him into an experiment...how will he deal with it? Status: 9 Chapters, in progress.

Destiny: The reason I like to advertise my stories is b/c I tend to post them at a time so that they are at the beginning of the "Most Recently Updated" list in the YGO section during the time that no1 is online looking at the list. Then by the time most people are online looking on the "Most Recently Updated" section, my story is on page 10 or something, because so many new stories get updated each day in the YGO section. That's what I find happens a lot, so then people don't even know that stories get updated, especially those who don't have an account on f/f.net. Ok, I admit that I am a bit greedy for reviews, (^_^U) but I really do hope to utilize them to improve my writing. I am very grateful for all of the reviews I have gotten so far, and it has been extremely helpful to get feedback, and knowing what my readers think.

Disclaimer: I'm here to state the obvious: I do not own YGO characters or lyrics to Avril Lavigne's song, "Tomorrow."

Warnings: Cussing, like the 'f' curse, yaoi references. Nuthin graphic

Behold, my final chapter of Tomorrow: I hope you enjoy the ending! Oh yeah, btw, its much longer than the other chappies….

--------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------

Tomorrow

-

Chapter 7: The Day After Today

-

Yugi's Point Of View

The next week went by in a blur. Kaiba had been released from the hospital two days after Yami's confession, and Joey was let go three days after that.

I wish I could say everything went back to normal after the incident. But it didn't. I haven't seen Yami since that night he admitted to blackmailing Kaiba into killing Joey.

As angry as I am with him for trying to murder Joey, my best friend, I worry about him. I hate his guts, yet I am still concerned about his well being. He is my other half. I'd probably never forgive myself if something happened to him.

Grandpa came home a few days ago, and I had to explain to him what had happened. He was shocked by Yami's behavior, but nevertheless wished to press charges against my darker half. "He must be brought to justice," he explained.

I didn't want to incriminate Yami at first. I tried to convince myself that this whole occurrence was one big misunderstanding. But I didn't believe myself.

-

And I wanna believe you

When you tell me that it will be okay

Yeah, I try to believe you…

…But I don't

-

Almost immediately Grandpa and I went to the police. Using Kaiba to testify, we recounted the week's events, elaborately describing how Yami had blackmailed Kaiba into hurting Joey, and that by gaining access to the hospital's tapes, the police could hear Yami's entire confession.

The police got a warrant to view the hospital's tapes, and instantly set out a search for Yami Muto. He is currently in the top twenty of Japan's Most Wanted list. Japan has a rather low crime rate, so even attempted murders tend to have high publicity. Now the entire country of Japan is on high alert. It is nearly impossible for Yami to escape the country. It is only a matter of time before we find him.

For the next few weeks I began to undergo a form of chronic insomnia. I could barely sleep at night. When I finally did fall asleep, I was awakened by constant nightmares. Then I would lay in bed, awake, until morning.

At last, after a month of searching, the police claimed to have Yami's position pinpointed. "We should have him in custody by tomorrow morning," the chief declared.

I ran into Joey that day for the first time since he had left the hospital. I'd been avoiding him, both in school and on the weekends. In truth, I am ashamed. Ashamed that my darker half had tried to kill him. I was mortified by the fact that in a way, it was I [1] who had made the murder attempt. Yami is merely my darker side, the tainted, contaminated, polluted part of my own mind.

"Hey, Yuge," Joey greeted me, a grin on his face. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," I responded, smiling weakly. "Just the usual."

"Ya sure you're okay, Yugi? You look like shit."

"Yeah, I'm fine, Joey." Yes, Joey. My life is perfectly fucked-up at the moment. My other half just tried to kill you, and he's about to be arrested and thrown into jail for life because of what he did. And the worst part of it all is that if his soul weren't separate from mine, I would've been the one to try to kill you, not Yami!

-

When you say that it's gonna be

It always turns out to be a different way

I try to believe you…

…But not today…

-

"We haven't talked in a while," he remarked. "Are ya busy right now? We could get together for lunch and catch up."

"Well, um…maybe tomorrow?" I can't, Joey. Why? Because every time I am near you, I feel guilty. Every time I hear your name, my heart fills with shame. Every time I think about what happened, I feel responsible. I wish I could have stopped it. I should have. But I didn't. I simply couldn't.

"C'mon, Yuge!" he begged me. "It's been way too long."

"All right, Joey," I finally agreed. "But I can't stop to eat for too long. I promised Grandpa I'd help out with the shop." Actually, I just want to get the hell away from you. I don't want to be reminded of what my dark side did to you.

"Is Burger World okay?"

"Yeah, sure." How about…not? How about you pretend like I don't exist? Why don't you hate me like you should? Why don't you just forget about me??

We walked the next few blocks of Domino City in silence. At last, we arrived at Burger World, where we were immediately seated towards the back of the restaurant.

"Oh, hey guys!" Anzu exclaimed, her face beaming with a dazzling smile. "What a coincidence! I got assigned to take your orders. What would you like?"

"I'll have the usual Triple-Cheeseburger Deluxe, Anzu," Joey responded automatically.

Anzu scribbled Joey's order onto her notepad, then turned towards me. "How about you, Yugi?"

"I think I'll pass," I stated.

"Aw, c'mon, Yuge! You gotta have somethin' ta eat!" Joey cried.

"I'm not hungry." In fact, I feel sick to my stomach. Just looking at you makes my stomach nauseous.

"Are you sure, Yugi?" Anzu inquired, worry etched all over her face.

I nodded, and she turned away to report our orders. After about a minute of awkward silence, Joey finally voiced his thoughts.

"What's been goin' on wit ya lately, Yuge? I get the feeling you've been avoidin' me."

"Nani? [4] How do you mean?" I responded innocently.

"You know what I mean."

"I have no idea."

"Are you still upset about what Yami did?"

"DON'T SAY HIS NAME!" I thundered, earning a few fearful glances from bystanders. I felt my muscles tense, but forced myself to remain seated.

"I guess I touched a nerve…" he muttered.

"I'm leaving," I informed him.

I felt Joey's hand seize my wrist. "No, you're not. We need to talk."

I struggled against his grip, but to no avail. I really ought to start lifting weights.

"Yuge, I'm not mad at you! You didn't do anythin'. Stop tryin' ta take da blame for what Yami did!"

-

I don't know how I'll feel

Tomorrow, Tomorrow

I don't know what to say…

Tomorrow, Tomorrow

Is a different day

-

"You don't understand, Joey," I whispered, tears streaming from my eyes. "He is my dark side. If he hadn't, I would have."

"That's not true, Yugi! You know that."

Yes, it is. I am just as guilty as Yami is.

"Yugi, snap outta it!" Joey shouted. "Stop tryin' to look for answers dat aren't there! Yami chose to do what he did. You had nothin' ta do wit it."

Sobs continued to shake my body. It may have been Yami's choice to act the way he did, but didn't I have something to do with that? After all, I was his vessel at one point.

"Yugi, listen to me!" Joey commanded, gripping my shoulders. "You're havin' trouble admitting that Yami did what he did. But this is the truth, Yuge: you and Yami are two different people. Two, separate people."

My bawling finally ceased, but I still clung to Joey's shirt. "I'm so sorry, Joey. I never meant--"

"C'mon, Yuge," he interrupted me, patting me on the back. "Let's get outta here."

I nodded, allowing him to pull me to a standing position. Together we exited Burger World, accompanied by empty stomachs.

--------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------

"I'll see ya tomorrow, Yuge," Joey stated, leaving me at the front door of the Kame Game Shop.

"You sure you don't want to stay for some lunch, Joey?" I asked him, a small grin on my face. "We didn't exactly get around to eating anything at Burger World."

"Nah, thanks. I'm goin' over to Seto's in a half hour or so. He's always got food ova there, anyway."

"Kaiba's?" I exclaimed, my jaw gaping.

I saw Joey's cheeks fill with a rosy tint. "Yeah," he replied, grinning sheepishly.

"So…since when have you and 'Seto' been on a first name basis?"

"Um…well, uh…"

"All right, tell me later. Have fun," I cut in, winking.

Joey's cheeks only turned a deeper crimson as he scurried away with a mumbled "Thanks."

-

It's always been up to you

But turning around

It's up to me

I'm gonna do what I have to do

…I just don't

-

As soon as I entered the Kame Game Shop, I heard the phone ringing. I rushed over to the table's side, picking up the receiver.

"Moshi, moshi." [2]

"May I speak to Yugi Muto?" the voice inquired.

"Hai [7], this is he," I responded. "Who's calling?"

"The police. We found your brother, Yami Muto. But…"

"'But' what?" I demanded.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid you brother is dead."

I felt my blood run cold upon hearing those dreadful words. It was as if my heart itself had stopped beating. "What?!" I wailed. "There has to be a mistake!" I felt my breathing become quicker, the panic causing me to hyperventilate. I suffered a wave of dizziness, and I began to sway on my feet. The phone dropped to the floor with a loud clank, and I gripped the sides of the counter for support.

Without hesitating, I bolted out of the game shop, heading straight for the hospital. Don't ask me how I knew he was there; I just knew, as if our old mind link had never been broken since the incident.

As I finally reached the hospital, a few nurses halted me. "Where do you think you're going, sir?"

"Onegai [3], I have to see my brother!" I pleaded. "His name is Yami Muto. Where is he?"

"Gomen [5], your brother is dead."

"Let me see him!! Onegai, I must!!!"

After my ranting and wailing, a nurse finally led me to Yami's room. "We need you to identify his body," she explained.

I entered the room tentatively. I still held a tiny bit of hope in my heart that my other half was alive. He just had to be! He couldn't be…dead. What happens when ancient spirits die, anyway? Will he be reincarnated? Is it destined that Yami and I meet again, perhaps?

-

Give me a little time

Leave me alone a little while

Maybe it's not too late

Not today…

-

I approached Yami's body slowly, and gasped at the sight of his blood-covered body. His pale body lay on the bed, completely lifeless. I pushed back a strand of sweat-streaked blond hair, gazing at his clammy face. As I cupped his cheek, I felt my breath catch, and nearly lost balance when I felt a whirlwind of memories consume me.

-

(Third Person POV)

~A palace, encrypted with Egyptian hieroglyphs. A large, king-sized bed, covered with thick blankets, which were made of expensive fabrics. A chestnut-haired high priest with piercing blue eyes entered the Pharaoh's chamber, kneeling in front of the almighty king.

"The battle will take place at dawn tomorrow, my Pharaoh," the priest spoke. "Do you have any orders for further preparations?"

The Pharaoh grasped the priest's chin, tilting it so that the priest's eyes of ice met with his own crimson orbs. "Please, Seto. Call me 'Yami'," he insisted.

"It is forbidden," came Seto's solemn reply.

"Not if I allow it," Yami countered. He motioned for Seto to stand, and the taller priest obliged. Yami pushed Seto backwards onto the neatly folded bed, his strong, muscular body sinking on top of the priest's slimmer figure.

"What are you doing?" Seto demanded, fear flickering through his wide eyes.

"This is what you want, isn't it? Don't deny it. I've looked through your eyes, and seen into your very soul. I know you, Seto."

Seto's eyes went blank, considering his options. A wave of panic seemed to pass through his eyes, but disappeared as quickly as it came. After a moment of hesitation, the priest finally answered. "Very well. This is what I desire." When the Pharaoh did not immediately respond, Seto continued. "Do what you wish with me, Yami."

That night, Yami made love to him. That was what Yami wished.~

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

~Yugi was sitting in his room, fiddling with the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle.

"It's funny…the Puzzle seems so much easier today…ah, so that is how that piece goes…you just give it a half turn this way…"

As he slid in the final piece of the Millennium Puzzle, the piece with the Sennen Eye began to glow with a mystical energy. Yami's spirit broke through the chambers of the Puzzle for the first time in several millennia.

'I sense a great danger ahead,' the spirit realized. 'And it's my destiny to save the world from this evil.'~

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Visions of Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, Noah's Arc, and Death-T all flashed before Yugi's eyes. Memories of what he, Yami, and his friends had all been through together. Images of their past victories and failures. They all sped in front of Yugi's field of vision, coming to a halt on Yami's final memory:

~Yami was following Joey, almost as if he were stalking him. He kept his distance at first, but when Joey was passing through a secluded area, he ran over to confront him.

"Hello, Joey," Yami greeted him.

"Aaah! Yami?! What the fuck?" he shrieked, taking a chance to bolt down the street. Yami's hand, however, had already clamped down on his shirt collar.

"Argh! Lemme go, ya freak!"

"Joey, I'm sorry I sent Kaiba out to kill you. I don't know why I did what I did. I just hope that someday you can forgive me."

"Whaaaat?! Are you outta your mind? You try murder me and then pop up one day asking for my forgiveness? You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Joey winced upon realizing what he had just said, praying that he hadn't pushed the envelope too far.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Yami stated plainly.

"And you expect me ta believe dat?" he asked, looking bewildered. Joey struggled against Yami's firm grip, but made no progress. His efforts to break free were useless.

All of a sudden, a car came barreling around the corner, when Joey and Yami realized that they were standing in the middle of the street. The car was mere feet away from them, and making no apparent attempt to stop.

Instinctively, Yami shoved Joey out of harm's way, but could not save himself at the same time. The car slammed into Yami's body, causing bones to crunch, and blood to fly everywhere. Joey rushed over to Yami's side, holding Yami's barely-conscious body against his chest.

"I'm sorry, Joey," he whispered frantically. "I'm sorry I tried to hurt you. I'm sorry I threatened to hurt Mokuba. And I'm sorry I put Yugi through all of this turmoil. Make sure Yugi doesn't blame himself for what happened. I still care about him. He is my aibou[6]. Tell him I'm sorry."

"Yami, don't say that! You're not gonna die on me, here!" Joey shouted, his eyes widening with alarm.

"Yugi…I'm sorry." He spoke the words so softly; they immediately died at his lips, although the phrase continued to live in Joey's mind, echoing through his head.

"Yami, no! Don't die!" Joey sobbed. "I forgive you, Yami!" Silent tears still flooded his eyes, in hope of resurrecting his fallen friend.

'He just saved my life,' Joey realized. 'He gave up his life for mine. Thank you, Yami.'~

-

(Back to Yugi's POV)

I jerked by hand back, away from Yami's face. Yami died…saving Joey. I fell to my knees, my shoulders shaking as I bawled. I couldn't believe it. My other half got killed trying to save the very person he attempted to murder.

~"FUCK YOU, YAMI! FUCK YOU! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! I HATE YOUR GUTS! I HOPE YOU BURN IN HELL YOU RA-DAMNED MURDERER!! FUCK YOU!!!"~

I recalled saying those dreadful words, and regretted saying every one of them.

Suddenly Joey burst into the room, seemingly out of breath. "Yugi, I'm sorry." His voice was downcast, and I could see his face had been stained with tears. "I was on my way to Seto's and--"

"I already know," I stated dismally, cutting him short. "I saw his memories."

Joey bent down and pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Yuge," he murmured.

I sniffled, my amethyst eyes red and puffy from crying. "He can't die! I can't let him go yet."

Joey held me out in front of him, gripping my shoulders so his gaze could meet mine. "Yami wanted me to tell you this, Yuge: Don't blame yourself for what happened. None of it was your fault."

"But it's my fault that I pushed him away," I wept. "He might not be dead now if I had not been so…cruel."

"Yugi, it's not your fault."

-

And I wanna believe you

When you tell me that it will be okay

Yeah, I try to believe you…

…But I don't

-

"I've forgiven him, and he knows that, because of our mind link," I sobbed. "But how can I ever forgive myself knowing that I was the one who pushed him towards his death? How can I forgive myself knowing that the last words I said to him were, 'fuck you'?!"

-

-

[1] Umm…I'm not sure if it is supposed to be "me" or "I" there. I can be hypercorrective sometimes, lol. Does anyone know if I wrote it correctly?

[2] Moshi, moshi: This means "hello" in Japanese when answering the phone.

[3] Onegai: In Japanese this means "please."

[4] Nani: Means "what" it Japanese

[5] Gomen: "I'm sorry" in Japanese.

[6] Aibou: "Partner/buddy" in Japanese.

[7] Hai: "Yes" in Japanese

--------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------

Destiny: WHOOHOO! IT'S FINISHED! MY FIRST STORY ON F/F.NET EVER!! WHOOPEE!! On a more serious note, I hope the end made you cry. I did. ^_^U I dunno, maybe it was too sappy….

Stats--

Story: Tomorrow

Written by Lightning Sage aka. Destiny

Started: 10/21/03

Finished: 1/19/04

Accompaniment: Lyrics of "Tomorrow," by Avril Lavigne.

AUTHORESS NOTES, PLEASE READ:

First of all, I'd like to thank all of my reviewers. I would not have been able to complete this story w/o you guys. Seriously. This story in particular wasn't as popular as, "Somehow, I've Always Known," but the reviews I did get for this story were encouraging and helpful. I'm grateful for all of the people who stuck with me and encouraged me to keep going.

Second, I want to explain the whole meaning of this story, and what inspired me to write it. It's kind of based on some things that really happened. You see, I knew this kid a while ago who seemed really nice, and thought, "Hey, this kid seems kind of neat, maybe I should get to know him and maybe we could be friends." But I kind of put it off for a while, and hoped that a more 'opportune moment' would appear, so I could find out what he was really like. The 'opportune moment' never came; he died a while ago. He was just a teen, too. We don't know exactly what happened to him but his death was most likely caused by a heart problem. I feel guilty at times because for all I know, he was a lonely kid and what he really needed was a friend. He was quiet and shy and didn't talk much. But I learned from this experience that you shouldn't put off getting to know someone, because you never know what will happen that could ruin your chances of becoming really good friends. The same thing applies in a lot of other areas of life. I also learned that you should live life to its fullest, because a tragedy or an accident could occur, ending it completely. I tried to show this when Seto and Joey both came so close to death, and may have never been able to confess their love for each other if one of them had died.

The second theme of my story also is based on something that really happened, except it didn't happen to me. You see, my English teacher had a friend. And his friend got into a huge fight with his father, and said, "fuck you" to his dad. His father was some sort of construction worker I think, and his dad got killed in an accident at work. My English teacher's friend felt so guilty because the last thing he ever said to his father was "fuck you." It goes to show you, that you have to show people you care about that you care, because something could happen, and then you never get the chance to express your love for them.

I also hoped to show that all people, in some way or another, deserve a second chance. Some people in this world have done horrible, awful things; they don't deserve to be fully redeemed, but I believe they deserve a chance to change themselves and be a better person.

Well, that just about wraps up the morals/themes to my story. I really hope you enjoyed this piece. Please leave a review for my story. I'd absolutely LOVE to hear what you thought of the ending, the themes, anything you can think of. Any questions or things that were unclear? Do you have any suggestions for future fics or this fic? I may not start up another chapter fic soon, but I am definitely open to new ideas, both prose and poetry! Thanks again for reading, and don't forget to read my other fics!