Summary:  Tragedy strikes.  Joey Wheeler is gone forever.  Or is he?  Joey POV.  Post Duelist Kingdom AU.  Is sort of 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 continuing to enjoy this long, long, long story.  It makes it worth writing such a long, long, long *bursts into tears* long story!  Why did my first YGO fic have to be so long?  Why???  Oh, and beware the Seto/Joeyness!  Aaiieee, run away, run away!  Gah, it's 3:30am... so tired...

Angel-Belle:  Well, we'll know the state of his clothes next chapter!

Assassin of the Shadows:  Bwahaha!  Maybe that'll work...

bigfuzzydiceperson:  Somewhere between 18 and 23.  And I guess my favourite character is Hideki.  He's refreshingly normal ^_^

elz:  I love it!  The link didn't work at first, but I changed the 'w14' to 'www14' and BINGO it came up.  If you draw some more of anything I'd really like to see it ^_^  As for writing a new fic... probably, but I need to recover from this one, first.

Jou-pup:  If someone ripped up the card, that would be very, very bad.  As for playing him... hmmm...

Onyx:  Why?  Because... erm... he paid for it?

Pzanna:  Glad you like it!

This chapter was a pain in the butt to write.  It's twice as long and also three hours late :(

There's definite somewhat odd Seto/Joey in here.  Consider yourself warned!  Shounen-ai (or a close imitation), oh the horror!

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

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

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Being Dead Ain't Easy

Chapter Thirty-Five:  Break Through

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"You WHAT!?"

He sighs.  "I'm feeling generous, so I'll say it again:  I.  Don't.  Want.  To.  Go.  Back.  Clear enough for you, you dumb mutt?"

"Like mud.  What the hell's wrong with you!?"

Seto kneels down next to the dragon corpse and runs a hand over one of its necks.  "You're probably not as stupid as you look, Joey.  Why don't you figure it out?"

I'm not in the mood.  "Ya know what, Seto?  You're coming with me whether you want to or not."  I grab his arm.

"NO!"

It's a bad idea to go one-on-one against a guy who knows more martial arts than you do.  To make a long, painful story short, I lose.  He fights even better when he doesn't have a trench coat getting in the way.

He stands over me with his arms crossed.  "I'm not leaving."  The castle seems to hear him 'cause the towers and walls rise up like a giant stone cage and trap us.  We can't even jump off the castle.  Not that doing that would be a good idea, but...

I get the hint.  He's not goin' if he doesn't want to go.  I get back up and brush myself off.  "Well, that's just swell, Kaiba.  If you wanna stay, it's not like I can knock you out and drag you away."

"I'm glad we agree."

"Gonna give me a hint as to why?  Other than because you wanna piss off the chihuahua dog, I mean."

Seto concentrates.  The castle walls come back down.  "Just go before you get trapped here.  The longer you stay, the harder it is for me to make this world let you go."

I hope that doesn't mean he can't leave.  But he said he didn't want to go, not that he couldn't.  I look at the door we came out of.  Are the Bunnies gonna find it?  "So what am I gonna tell your little bro, huh?  'Sorry, but your big brother wants to be a prick'?  Who's gonna look after him?"

He shrugs and goes back to his dragon.  "Yuugi.  You.  I'm sure you're up to the task."  He pauses.  "When you really think about it, Mokuba... doesn't need me at all."  The dragon rots just a little more.  It's not just a dragon.  Is it a part of Seto?  Maybe it's falling apart because Seto thinks nobody needs him.

This must be what's holding him back.  Maybe it's not, but I sure hope it's something this easy.  "You're his big brother, Seto.  Of course he needs you."

Seto laughs.  "To do what?  Make him breakfast?"  He shakes his head.  "He's a Kaiba, Joey.  A long time ago, he may have needed me, but now..."  He stares off into the distance.  "I've been thinking about this for a long time.  He can take care of himself.  I made sure of that."

"I'm not saying he can't, but-"

He cuts me off.  "He's better off without me.  Tell me, Joey, what have I done for him recently?"

Duelist Kingdom springs to mind.  "You risked your soul to rescue him from Pegasus."

"And it was because of me and my company that he got kidnapped in the first place."

Can't argue with that.  "But that wasn't really your fault."

"Who saved Mokuba?"

"Yuugi, but-"

"Who defeated Pegasus?"

"Well, Yuugi-"

"So I didn't manage to do these things.  When Pegasus trapped me in a soul card, did I manage to get out on my own?"

He's making me put him down.  "Seto..."

He clenches his fists but he won't look at me.  "DID I MANAGE THAT!?  TELL ME!"

"...No."

He relaxes.  "So I failed to accomplish even that much.  Not only did I fail, but I made the situation even worse.  Isn't that so?"

"Seto-"

"ISN'T THAT SO!?"

Why is he beating himself up over this!?  "Yeah, but you can't do everything, Seto!  You were... having an off day."

"There is no such thing as an off day.  You're either competent, or you're not."

I run a hand through my hair.  "Look, that's not fair!  You-"

"Has Yuugi Mutou ever had one of these off days of yours?  When he truly needed to do something, did he ever fail?"

"That time you dueled him..."

"And that was my fault, wasn't it?  If I hadn't been around, everything would have been easier.  If I hadn't been there, you would've moved on to wherever you were supposed to go.  If it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have died in the first place."  Seto gets up and stares into my eyes.  "Can you honestly say I'm wrong?"

I open my mouth, close it again.  Damn him.

He watches me glare at him.  "Joey, while I was here, did you have any trouble moving around in the real world?  Did you feel weak at any time?"

"I-"

"Don't even try to lie.  You're hopeless at it."

I swallow.  "No."

He smiles.  "So you don't need me, either.  I don't know how important my physical condition is to your existence, so take good care of my body."

Seto has to come back with me.  He has to.  "It'd last longer if you were in it."

"It would get shot at if I was in it, and I'd probably take all your friends with me."

"Seto..."

"Face it, Joey.  Yuugi Mutou can take care of Mokuba if he ever needs anything and still have room left over on his plate to play 'hero'.  I only make things harder for him."

The guy's ruthless.

I have to be too.

"So you're takin' the easy way out.  Coward."

"Yes."

Yes?  That's all he has to say?  After everything that's happened, that's it?  Yes, I'll take the easy way out, thank you very much?

Wrong answer.  I grab him by the front of his shirt and slam him into the wall.  "Look, Kaiba," I snarl in his face, "I'm not gonna tell you what a great guy you really are.  You suck.  You suck so bad I don't know why Mokuba loves you so much.  He thinks you're gonna wake up, so I'm gonna make you wake up, and I'm not goin' 'til you do.  I'm not leavin' and you can't make me."

He narrows his eyes.  "Oh really?"

I nod.  I'm not gonna back down.  He can beat me up 'til I'm a smear on the ground, he can call me names 'til his face turns blue, but I'm not budging.  He can see it.

Seto gets that look in his eyes.  The one that means something I can't even guess at.  He's up to something and I don't know what.

And he slams his mouth on mine.

Holy fucking shit.

I lose my balance, forget to let go of his shirt, and drag him down with me.

He latches onto me and makes like a leech.  With tongue.

We roll around on the floor until I manage to pry him off.  He's lying on top of me.

I was not expecting that.  Serious understatement.  What the hell's his problem!?  "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?"

The fucker laughs at the look on my face and smirks at me.  "Unless you want more of the same, I suggest you leave and go back to your little friends like I told you to."

Sick bastard can stay here and rot for all I care!  "FINE, I'M GO-"

Wait.

You won't get rid of me that easy, Seto Kaiba.  Two can play at... whatever this is.  This is one game you're not gonna win.  I won't let you.

I take a breath, look him right in the eye, and smirk right back at him.  He keeps smirking at me.

I keep mine up, too.

HIs drops off first.  It's a miracle.  He turns on the glare.

I keep smirking.

He can't keep it up.

The second he blinks, I grab him by the shoulders and do to him what he did to me.

He goes "Mmph!" and freezes.

Good.  I roll him over so I'm on top.  Who's laughin' now, huh?  Okay, neither of us, but that's 'cause my mouth is busy.

I never thought I'd kiss a guy in a million years, but here I am, goin' at it, so I can one up Seto Kaiba.  I'm making out with Seto Kaiba.  Life doesn't get much weirder than this.  I start to back off.  This is too weird.

He unfreezes and starts kissing me back.  For real.  Not like before when he was trying to scare me.

It's... nice.  He's good.  Real good.  Not that I go around making out with guys, but... wow.  Does he go around making out with guys?  He's not gay, is he?  'Cause I'm not.  I swear I don't think of guys that way.  I mean, Mai is hot.  And Seto's a guy.  An okay-looking guy with a nasty personality.  I've looked at him, but I haven't looked at him, ya know?  At least, I don't think I have.  I look at him the same way I always have.  Okay, maybe things between us have changed a little, and maybe sometimes he looks at me a little differently, and maybe I've warmed up to him a little...

He finally breaks it off so we can breathe.  Glares at me.  "What do you think you're doing!?" he hisses, wiping his mouth.

Look who's talking!  "What do ya think you're doin'?"

"HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME!"

"I'm not mockin' you."  I can still taste him.  "When you have an answer for me, Seto, I'll... I'll have an answer for you."  I swallow.  Gah.  "But you have to come with me if you ever wanna find out.  Have you got what it takes?"  'Cause I don't think I do.  He just went and totally changed everything on me.

There's banging coming from the door.  I can hear "Hey, Kaiba!  Hey, Kaiba!" loud and clear.  I pretend I don't.

Seto stares at the door.  "Joey, you have to go.  Now."

I'm not going.  "Have you got what it takes, Seto Kaiba?"  This is not the time to let him see how freaked out I really am.  He has to come with me.  I need him to come with me, just so he can tell me why he did that.  I smirk.  "Or maybe you're just shy."

He goes red.  I don't know if he's angry or what.

The Funny Bunnies are breaking the door down.

"Seto, are we going or staying?"

I look at him and he looks back at me with those unreadable blue eyes.

"We're going."

I can't really describe it, but it's like the castle's falling apart around us, not where we are, but it's spreading.  We can't go out the door because the Funny Bunnies are spilling out of it.  "How?"

He concentrates, but the castle doesn't make any doors for him or anything.  He gives up and closes his eyes.  "It's too late.  I'm sorry, Joey."

It's too late.  He can't get us out.

Those stupid fucking rabbits swarm him.  There's too many of them.  They start coming after me. too.  They grab my arms and I can't get rid of them.

One of the Funny Bunnies is sitting on a throne lifted up by some other Bunnies.  It's the one in the suit.  "Welcome one and all to my domain!" he says grandly.  He smiles at me.  "I so do hope you'll enjoy your stay, Joey-boy, for you – yes, you, my dear boy! – and Kaiba-boy shall be my honoured guests from now until... well, forever, really!"  He claps his hands.  "This will be great fun!"

We were so damn close!  NO!  NO!

THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!

I scream.  There's a rush of power and it turns into a roar.

I shake my head to clear my mind and Bunnies go flying all over the place.  I must've swung my head in a big arc.

I've turned into the Red Eyes Black Dragon.

They're all running away from me now.  Instinct tells me to take a deep breath... and let loose.

I hit Pegs-Bunny on my first shot.  All that's left are his smoking rabbit ears.

I don't want to hit Seto with my fire, so I use my claws to shred the ones that have him.  I dig him outta there and he's worn out but okay.

The whole friggin' world starts to crumble down, sky included.  It's breaking up like a jigsaw puzzle.  We'll never make it out in time even if we're running.

I flap my wings.

Well, why not?  It should work.

Seto, get on.

He stumbles over to me.  "Joey, do you even know what you're doing?"

SIT YOUR FUCKING ASS DOWN ON MY BACK, SETO KAIBA!

He leaps on and puts his legs on either side of my neck.  He shifts a little.  "Ready."

Good.

I launch myself into the sky, or what's left of it.  Look left, look right, and there's the door out.  I flap for all I'm worth.  It gets easier and easier as I go.

"Joey, door!"

There's no way I'm gonna fit through that dinky little door.  Well, too freakin' bad, I'm gonna go through it anyway.

I break it down with my head and rip up the frame so it's a little bigger.  I bust through.

The Bunnies are right on my tail.  There's millions of them.  Millions.  I might be strong, but those things can still smother me.

I follow my cloth trail out into the 'main' soul room.  Every single monster I saw before is out and howling for Seto.  The Funny Bunnies are still after us, screaming "Hey, Kaiba!  Hey, Kaiba!"

"Joey, maybe I should just stay-"

SHUT.  UP.

I start flying again, following the bits of ripped up clothes, crashing into stairs, smashing down walls, clawing at anything that gets in my way.  I slam headfirst into the door to the real world.

Seto gasps and wakes up on the hospital bed.  I end up on the floor, looking like me again.  The Red Eyes Black Dragon card's floating in the air.  A Funny Bunny springs out of it, but somebody mutters something in Egyptian at it and the cartoon bursts into flame and disappears.  The card drops on the floor and acts like a normal card.

We're safe.

I get up and turn around.  "Thanks, Ya..."

Yami Bakura smiles.  "You're welcome."

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