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!
Over 900 reviews... Holy aardvarks I can't believe it.
AG the master: 2-5 chapters, I think. It depends on how the next one goes.
Andross: Yuugi was standing in the rain and almost got some in his eye. Rainwater's not that good for you these days.
bigfuzzydiceperson: I try to write a response to every review that seems to ask me a question, in alphabetical order. I still miss a bunch, though... Do you want me to use a different name? Just sign it at the bottom. I'll use it if it's shorter than the ff.net ID ^_^
ChibiSerenity: Err, maybe... I'll see how it comes out.
Kimmie: I've recovered from my sudden non-cliffy-ness ^_^
Kyra Windwood: I don't really write fast. I have to sacrifice my fic-reading time, TV time, and Internet browsing time :P Yup, others can see him in dragon mode.
Ninetails122: Err, glad you're so enthusiastic, but don't get your hopes too far up ^_^;;
Sheron: Argh, you found it! Yeah :P
The Immortal Duelist: Fixed the typo. Thanks! Hm, if Yami had red-eye in a photo, maybe they'd look orange... and if Joey glared at him, Yami would switch with Yuugi to be safe, maybe.
Tuulikki: Maybe ^_^
Joey's still invisible to most people, but he can use Yuugi so it's not that big a deal anymore.
Maybe I should stick 'chronic cliffhanger syndrome' in the warnings...
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 vacuum cleaners were harmed in the making of this fic.
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Being Dead Ain't Easy
Chapter Thirty-Two: We Never Get A Break
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Tristan had to go home 'cause his mom and dad were getting worried about him. A few more hours go by before the hospital staff starts letting people visit Seto Kaiba. Only family's allowed to see him right now, but I walk right in after Mokuba leaves. It's not like the hospital people can see me or anything. I'm just a ghost again. Maybe a ghost like Yami, but still a ghost.
He looks... small.
I mean, I know he's the same size as always... well, okay, he's a little smaller. The boots and flapping trench coats make him look twice as big. Or maybe it's all in his attitude. Either way, passed out like that, he just looks like some guy lyin' on a hospital bed right now.
He doesn't look like Seto Kaiba at all.
It's hard to believe he's gonna be okay. He's breathin' on his own, yeah, but he's way too pale. Poor guy. He got sliced up by some magic circle, chased by a giant bug, sucked into a card, beat up by Tristan, shot at, and gassed, all on the same day. Oh, and he hasn't been sleeping or eating right, either. All this, and he still comes out on top. If he got a personality transplant, Seto Kaiba would be somebody I'd kinda like. Maybe I kinda like him already.
Just a little bit.
I make myself comfy on the edge of his bed. "How are ya, Kaiba?" I take a look at him. Dumb question. "Eh, forget I asked. I can see how you're doin'."
He doesn't wake up to call me a stupid dog.
It's hard talking to a sleeping guy. He's not giving me any clues on what to say next. "Mokuba's okay. Bakura didn't do anything to him, but I guess you already knew that, huh? Your little bro was talkin' to ya before. Everybody else is okay too. All in all, the ritual went pretty good."
Ya know, this sorta reminds me of the time Seto pretended he couldn't hear me. Only this time, he really can't hear me. I'm not hearin' any thoughts from him, but he's asleep, so it doesn't mean anything, right?
I wish he'd say something. "When ya get outta the hospital, do ya wanna go out with me and my buddies for burgers or something? Ya don't look like a 'burger' kinda guy, but it's always good to try something new."
The machines beep at me, letting me know that Seto's still alive.
I look down at him. It's like his body's still running, but there's nobody behind the wheel. He's just lying there. No spark. Even sleeping people have that something.
I have an awful, awful thought.
'Seto?' I think at him, hard. 'SETO, ARE YOU IN THERE?'
No answer. Worse than no answer. I don't even get a sense of him being there at all.
Okay, don't panic. I'm pretty new at this 'soul bound to Seto Kaiba' stuff, so maybe this is normal. Maybe he's fine and I'm making a big deal outta nothing. The doctors said he's gonna be fine, so he's gonna be fine.
But the fanciest machines in the world wouldn't be able to tell if Seto was missing his soul.
I'll get Yuugi. Yami. "I'll be back in a sec, Kaiba. I hafta ask Yuugi something," I tell him. If Seto's fine, I don't wanna worry him. I get up and walk to the door.
Once I'm through, I run through the halls like there's rabid dogs after me, looking left and right for Yuugi. "YUUGI, WHERE ARE YA!?"
I slam through him as he rushes outta the men's washroom. "Joey, what's-"
"Take a look at Seto for me."
Yuugi frowns. "What's wrong with Kaiba?"
"I... Just look at him and tell me if there's anything wrong, okay? I've... got a feeling."
Yuugi takes one look at me and runs to Seto's room. A woman gets in the way. "Excuse me, young man, but are you trying to see Seto Kaiba?"
"Um, yes. Can I?"
"Are you family?"
"Well, no, but-"
"I'm sorry," she says kindly, "but only his family is allowed to see him right now. Maybe you can come back tomorrow."
"GET OUTTA MY WAY!" I yell.
Yuugi thinks fast. "I mean... yes, I am family! I just forgot."
He forgot?
"You forgot." She frowns. "What's your name?"
"...Mokuba." Well, I guess if you change his hair, give him coloured contacts, squint...
"You don't look much like Mokuba," she says.
Yuugi swallows. "Well, I dyed my hair and went shopping with Yuugi. Please let me see him!" 'Mokuba' begs, cranking the 'cute' way up. He's not a little kid anymore, so how does he do that? Does he practice in the mirror or something?
The woman stares at him, melts, and smiles. "Alright... Mokuba. Don't stay in there too long, okay? You already saw him once today. We even talked for a little while afterwards, remember?"
"...Oh."
She winks and walks away.
We rush into the room.
Yuugi blinks. "He looks okay to me, Joey. I mean, aside from the obvious."
"It's not his body I'm worried about." But maybe I was just freakin' out for no reason. If Yuugi thinks there's nothing wrong with him...
He takes a closer look at Seto. Frowns. "Wait. Now that you mention it..."
The Puzzle flashes and Yami Yuugi takes over. "...His soul is not where it should be."
Damn. I was right. "Don't tell me it's..."
Yami concentrates, does something, and shakes his head. "No, it's still around somewhere, simply not in his body."
Okay, that's not great, but missing is better than 'poof'. "But he was still with me when we were fightin' Bakura!"
He thinks. "The battle must have weakened him spiritually as well as physically. Kaiba lost his grip on his own body and... ended up elsewhere."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
Seto, where the hell are you? He could be anywhere. How're we supposed to find...?
I'm bein' an idiot.
I close my eyes and try to feel him out. It works the same way it did in the soul room thing. I turn around until I'm pointing the right way. Bingo. I open my eyes.
Yami Yuugi.
No. Yami Yuugi's pocket. I point at it.
Yami pulls the Red Eyes Black Dragon outta his pocket and shows it to me. Yeah, Seto's in there.
"Yami, can ya get him outta there?"
"I could try, but I might destroy the card in the process. It's too dangerous." He looks at me. "You'll have to go in and find him yourself."
In a maze full of moving stairs. Just terrific. Maybe he can get out himself. Or maybe he's totally lost in there. Or hurt. I don't really have a choice.
How hard can it be to find him? I've got a built-in Kaiba radar.
I touch the card and get sucked right in.
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