Summary:  Tragedy strikes.  Joey Wheeler is gone forever.  Or is he?  Joey POV.  Post Duelist Kingdom AU.  Will eventually be Seto/Joey shounen-ai.

Author's Notes:  Well, I thought I'd try writing a YuGiOh fic.  And it's still going.  And whoa, still going.  But it'll be over soon!

Thanks for still taking the time to write reviews!  I'm so happy ^_^

Dif:  In the Japanese version of that Duelist Kingdom episode where Bakura wanted Mokuba's empty body, he was actually after Mokuba's key to Kaiba Corp.  No idea why he wants it, maybe he's just greedy.  I haven't watched that version, but I thought it'd be nice to include that...

Warnings:  Character death (sort of), language, angst, eventual Seto/Joey.

Disclaimers:  I don't own YuGiOh or any other brand names you might come across.  No rolls of duct tape were harmed in the making of this fic.

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Being Dead Ain't Easy

Chapter Twenty-Three:  Power Is Everything

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Yami Bakura takes his sweet time, making sure we all know who's in charge here.  Seto Kaiba's leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, looking like he wants to choke the words outta him.  And me?  I'm just lyin' on the couch being totally useless.  I hate it.

I can't take it anymore.  I'm runnin' outta time.  "You've made your point, Bakura.  Just tell us already!"

"You're in no position to demand anything, dog."  He smirks from his armchair.  "But I'm feeling generous enough to aid you despite your rudeness."

I'm about to say something nasty, but Kaiba catches my eye.  He looks pissed, but he shakes his head and mouths 'Later'.  Huh, I guess he really doesn't like it when other people call me a dog.  Well, if he doesn't want me to say anything, fine.  I'll save it up 'til after Bakura does his thing.

The spirit finally decides to say something useful.  "The ritual I had originally planned to do would have been a simple affair, but the dead man's condition has worsened quite a bit.  Things are not as simple as they were before."  He frowns a little.  "The incomplete ancient rites you have provided are enough for me to come up with an alternative.  However, for the ritual I am considering now, we will have to make use of other people."

Other people?  "I don't do human sacrifice, Bakura."  Killin' people to save a dead guy is just plain stupid.

It's kinda scary how Kaiba's not complaining about it.

"It's not as bloody as it sounds, I assure you," says Yami Bakura.  "It is, shall we say, a modified version of the Millennium Item Creation ritual.  We will not be creating a Millennium Item, of course, but the ritual will serve our purposes.  I will still have to improvise, so the results should be quite interesting."

Ya know, I don't think I want 'improvised' and 'interesting'.  Sounds like a bad mix to me.  "I don't like the sound o' that."

Kaiba looks interested.  "Go on."

Yami Bakura smiles.  "We will need to draw from the life energies of seven people who are at least somewhat familiar with your dead friend.  The procedure will weaken them momentarily, nothing more.  Either way, the ritual may or may not work.  I promise nothing."

And what's he gonna do to 'em when they're all passed out on the floor, huh!?  "NO WAY are you suckin' the juice outta my pals for some freaky ritual that might not work!  I won't-"

And I black out for a second.  When I can see again, Kaiba's on top of me, about to slap me awake.

"I'M UP, I'M UP!" I yell.  Then I have to rest from the yelling.  Fine, we'll do the damned ritual.  Kaiba'd better make sure nobody gets hurt.

Kaiba looks me over.  He only gets off once he's sure I'm not about to die on him.

The Egyptian guy smirks.  "And I suggest you gather those people very soon.  The dead man will last no longer than a few hours, and the ritual will take at least one of those precious hours."

I'm not really up to saying much right now, so Kaiba does the talking.  "And we'll need seven people?"

He thinks about it.  "Not quite.  My host and I already count as two.  I must contribute my own energies and that of my host's in order to perform the ritual," he admits.  "You and your sibling count as another two."

Kaiba scowls.  "You're not touching my brother."

"In that case, we'll need four more people, then."  Yami Bakura gets hit by inspiration or something and smiles.  "One of which must be the Pharaoh."

That sounds damn suspicious.  "Why?" I croak.

"We will need all the power we can get."

Kaiba goes over to a phone across the room.  "Fine.  Does Yuugi Mutou count as two, as well?" he asks.

"Yes."

"Good.  That makes things easier."  He punches in a number by heart.  Somebody picks up on the other end.

Who's he calling?

"Hello, Yuugi, this is Kaiba," he says to the guy on the phone.  "You are a pathetic excuse for a duelist.  The reason you believe so strongly in the 'heart of the cards', otherwise known as 'luck', is because you have no idea what cards you actually have.  It's obvious your grandfather put his heart into your deck.  It's as feeble as he is.  Or were you the one who built it in the first place?  I find it hard to believe that an old man could come up with a deck that bad."

I can hear Yuugi yelling his head off, but I'm too far away to hear the words.  No, wait, it's gotta be Yami.

Kaiba smirks.  "Yami Yuugi, I presume?  Now that I have your undivided attention, I need you to do something."

More yelling.

"It's for Joey."

A long pause.

"Bring yourself and two of Wheeler's friends to my mansion in under an hour."

Pause.

"I need them for a ritual that might save the dumb mutt.  It won't kill them."

Another pause.

"They'll be fine, and I don't care how late it is.  Tie them up if you have to."

Pause.

Kaiba puts a hand over the mouthpiece.  "Wheeler, Mutou wants proof that I'm helping you and not simply luring your friends here so I can kill them.  What do you think I should say?"

I think back to my talk with Yami Yuugi way back when.  "Tell him that he promised to help me, so he shouldn't need any proof anyway.  And that, after spendin' so much time with you, I think he's right about your mind, though sometimes I wonder," I say, concentrating on not passing out.

Kaiba narrows his eyes.  "What did he say about my mind?"

"None o' your business."

He glares at me, but gets back to Yami Yuugi and repeats what I just said.

Pause.

He puts his hand over the mouthpiece again.  "Why is he laughing at me, Wheeler?"

"Dunno."

Kaiba glares at me some more before getting back on the phone.  "Don't waste my time, Mutou!  Hurry up and get those people here!" he yells.

Pause.

"Right."  Kaiba hangs up.  Turns to Bakura.  "They're on their way."

I try to say something, but just like that I black out again.

"JOEY!  WAKE UP!"  Kaiba's sitting on my legs and shaking me hard.

Wow, the stars I'm seein' are bouncing all over the place.  "I'm... still with ya, Kaiba.  And stop shaking me, okay?"

Kaiba drops me back on the sofa and glares at me for scaring him.

Yami Bakura's watching us.  "It's quite interesting how you manhandle that one's soul, Priest."

"What about it?" snarls Kaiba.

"You are mortal, are you not?  You should not be able to do so, no matter what you were in a past life."  The spirit leans forward.  "Tell me, Seto Kaiba, what exactly did you do when Joey Wheeler died?"

Kaiba stares off into space, remembering.  He gives himself a shake.  "I did nothing," he growls.

"I think not."  Bakura smiles.  He's leading up to something.  "Tell me exactly what happened.  Why, it may even improve your friend's chances of surviving the ritual."

"He helped me get out of a burning limo," Kaiba says bluntly.  "He was standing in the wrong spot and got shot.  He died in my arms and I did nothing."

"Were you displeased?  Angry, even?"

What kinda question is that!?  "Of course I was!" hisses Kaiba.

"Hmmm...  Are you quite sure you said nothing?  Nothing at all?"

"No, I said..."  Kaiba's eyes widen.  "I told him to... stay... with... me..."

No way, Yami Bakura can't mean..!

The spirit smirks.  "And what the High Priest wants, the High Priest gets."  He leans back into his chair.  "Your power rivals that of the Pharaoh's.  Even in an age when the Shadow powers are a mere whisper, your will alone is enough to deny a soul its rightful journey if it hesitates for even the briefest of moments."

Kaiba's in shock.  So am I.  "You mean I...?"

Yami Bakura nods.  "I'm quite impressed, Priest.  You bound a soul to yourself without your conscious awareness."

Kaiba swallows and tries to look calm.  "What are you saying, Bakura?"

"When you wish to do so, you can touch him quite easily... simply because he is yours."

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