Chapter 41

SK fidgeted uncomfortably in his binds and began contemplating what it really meant to be a Nethher Herin and not a ghost. Although from what he understood if he were a ghost he would be nothing more than an echo of his former self. Like a memory left behind in the world of the living to cause shivers on a warm day. The first and only time he ever asked Jay if they were ghosts, Jay had laughed so hard the notes of his hyena-like hysterics had haunted SK for weeks.

He'd hated that. The way Jay had reacted to him then just made him feel even more out of his depths and stupid than he already did. SK wasn't the type to blame his own neuroses on anyone else, but if he had to guess where his own current lack of confidence in his abilities had come from, he'd have pinpointed it to that exact moment in his afterlife. Still Jay had been nice enough to explain the difference between a ghost and a Nethher Herin, along with why one appeared able to pass through objects whilst the other could not. And it basically all came down to the simplest of logic, ghosts were imprints left behind by living people, whereas Nethher Herin was another stage of existence.

Nethher Herin were one of the two lowest forms of Higher Beings in existence, qualifying only because of their unpredictable existence span and high resistance to mortal harm. SK had never been totally sure what exactly mortal harm was, but after the laughter he'd received just for asking about ghosts he'd not really wanted to ask. The idea that your afterlife allowed you to evolve somehow had been a nice comfort after the shock and change the realisation of his own death had brought about. Unfortunately it would have been more of a comfort to him if he didn't feel so totally useless all the time.

Useless. SK was useless. If he'd have been worth all the expectations and faith everybody put into him he wouldn't now be tied to a tree along with three of the four Voices of Win. But he was. He was because he was useless. Useless because death hadn't evolved him into someone who understood the intricacies of this multiverse. Useless because no matter how hard he tried he always did or said or acted in the wrong way. Useless because he was not the man he had been when he was alive. And right now... right this very second he was useless because he was not a ghost. Because if he were a ghost he could have slipped through these binds and freed himself.

SK gave a heavy sigh and turned his attention towards Duke. The guy was stood near the stone pedestal, shifting nervously from foot to foot. It was pretty clear from the expression on his face he was just as concerned about this situation as SK was. However he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut, it was probably the only thing keeping him from sharing SK's fate. But all it really did for SK was remind him he'd stopped being a smart guy the moment he realised he was dead.

His eyes flicked back towards Joey and the two Reganna posing as Mai and Catilin. From the moment SK and the three Voices had been tied up, conversation between them had become strangely relaxed and natural. All the weird tension which had been in Joey's voice up until that moment completely disappeared, making SK's stomach clench with dread. SK had harboured a thin ray of hope up until that point that somehow Joey was trying to fool the Reganna in the same way they were trying to fool him. But Joey was the host of the First. He had access to the First's powers. Surely he didn't need to bluff the two members of the Reganna like this; especially with SK and the Voices there to back him up.

SK felt his mind move back and forth several times and every other minute he found himself changing his mind about the whole situation. He wanted to believe Joey was just bluffing them; that would make a whole lot of sense after all. The First wasn't an idiot and even a child could see through the Reganna's weak imitations. But at the same time why would Joey take such a huge risk? What did he have to gain from pretending to be caught in the Reganna's trap? It didn't make sense. Neither scenario made sense and all it was really doing was hurting his head.

His tongue began darting back and forth across his lips to a level which even annoyed him. SK had been more than aware of his own neuroses before he died, all death had really done was made them worse. No, that wasn't fair. Death hadn't made them worse; it had just made them a whole lot more obvious by plunging him headfirst into more situations which caused him anxiety. This whole mess was just one more situation in a whole long list of situations which made the palms of his hands sweat.

To make matters worse Kaiba chose the exact moment SK's brain felt like it was slowly starting to fry itself to arrive back. Only he wasn't accompanied by the rational sight of Body. No, he was accompanied by another Reganna fake, this one masquerading around as Tristan. The sight was enough to make SK feel physically sick. What the hell was wrong with the two of them if they couldn't tell whether or not the people in front of them were the ones they cared about or cheep and manipulative fakes?

'Tristan,' Joey smiled at him, 'I didn't expect to see you here as well.'

'I didn't expect to see myself here again either,' the phony Tristan smiled back at him, 'but here I am.'

'So I see,' his eyes shifted towards Kaiba, 'which would mean Body is where exactly?'

Kaiba and Joey's gazes locked for a split second before Kaiba shrugged, folded his arms and half turned away.

'Clearly that good for nothing stalker is hiding somewhere.'

'You know, Catilin seems to think Mokuba is responsible for the Voices,' Joey pressed his lips together.

'Really?'

'Yeah, she's also accusing him of being insane, so is there something you'd like to share with the class rich boy?'

'I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore. Mokuba was badly traumatised by his visit to the future. I've been quite worried about him, but I never would have thought he'd be capable of something like this.'

'An elder sibling never wants to see the bad in their younger sibling, no matter how obvious it might be,' for half a second Joey's eyes appeared to focus knowingly on Tristan, but before the look could be fully registered he turned his head away. So do you have any idea where Body might be hiding?'

'I sent him back here,' Kaiba shook his head, 'that was the last I saw of him.'

'Okay,' Joey made eye contact with Kaiba again, 'he'll probably turn up sooner or later, right?'

'Right.'

'So exactly what are we supposed to do in the mean time?' The fake Tristan rolled his eyes. 'Because I really hate being bored.'

'Oh, I'm sorry, are we keeping you from killing yourself right now?'

Joey's words were so causally blunt they made SK choke with surprise. He seriously couldn't believe he'd just said that and from the look of the others faces nor could they.

'What... what did you just say?' The fake's expression said it all.

'I think he just asked you if we were keeping you from a suicide attempt,' Kaiba casually began studying his nails. 'I mean, that was a little bit unfair, you did just say you were bored and I'm not totally sure how the two things correlate, but... Wheeler is an idiot after all.'

'Wait, you're going to let him talk to me like that?' The fake Tristan stared at Kaiba.

'Why wouldn't he? It's not as though he actually cares about you,' Joey laughed and rolled his eyes. 'I mean, seriously, why would he care about you? You're a psychopath.'

'No, psychopath really isn't the right word,' Kaiba pulled a face, 'I think I like sadist better.'

'Are you crazy?' Now it was Mai's turn to stare at Joey. 'Tristan isn't a sadist and he's not a psychopath either.'

'Oh, we know,' Kaiba smirked, 'I mean, do you really think I would have spent all that time and effort rehabilitating Tristan if there was nothing worth saving?'

'Of course not, so why are you...?'

'Do I look like an idiot who was born yesterday?' Kaiba cut her off. 'Do you really think I'm so ignorant I wouldn't be able to tell the difference?'

'Tell the difference?' Mai took half a step back and reached for something around her neck.

'Uh-uh-uh,' Joey wagged his finger at her before holding up the axe pendent now in his possession, 'nobody said you could bring weapons into this fight.'

'So it's probably a good job Body doesn't count as a weapon then,' Kaiba lowered his head slightly, right as Body emerged from the shadows to take the fake Tristan captive.

'What exactly was my mistake,' the fake Tristan made eye contact with Kaiba.

'Putting on Tristan's face,' Kaiba's voice was deathly calm, 'and thinking you could get away with it.'