3 weeks passed.no one entirely got over Yugi's death. Group meetings were never the same without his vibrant smile. His attitude was something that they all missed the most.his warm-heartedness, kindliness and friendliness had left a gaping hole in their lifestyle that could never to be covered up with insincere "We'll get over it"s. But nobody took the problems as hard as Téa did. Sometimes she would just stop talking for no apparent reason, and walk off in the middle of a conversation. Things just didn't feel the same anymore.

Yugi's funeral occurred on the Wednesday. It was a bitterly cold autumn afternoon when the congregation gathered outside the Domino Church. The event had been organised by Sugoruko, who had been hit by Yugi's death almost the hardest of all.so when he noticed that someone important had not turned up by the time the service began, he was incredibly upset. Nevertheless, the funeral proceeded to go on. Ryou, Joey, Tristan and even Seto were there, taking their seats in the pews.the number of people attending was minimal, but the intensity of emotions was enough to rival a hall-full. The priest solemnly approached the altar, preparing to read out his sermon. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the life and times of Yugi Mutoh, a very dear friend to us all. His warmth and ability to make even the most hard-heartedness of us all smile, allowed him to bring out the best in everyone, a trait that very few people can contemplate, much less perform. I now ask one of his close friends, Joey Wheeler, to approach the altar and tell us of his experiences of Yugi Mutoh."

Joey was surprised. No one had asked him to prepare a piece for the service. In any case, he approached the altar with a confident stride and aura.yet it was still obviously merely for show.

"Well.uh.what can I say about Yugi that we don't already know?" he asked nervously, bowing his head in respect, as he began his attempt to describe the young man that he once knew

The cold breeze was just as chilly as the night 3 weeks ago, as a silent figure crept within walking distance of Domino High. The tree she stood under covered her entire body in a velvety curtain of black.as her silhouette was mirrored against the cold tarmac where her shadow lay. A single tear trickled down her cheek as she began to remember something close to her heart.

[She takes the back road, and the lane

Past the school that has not changed

In all this time]

She drove her head into her thick overcoat as the breeze snuck in again, blowing her skirt up from around her waist and sending cold shudders up her spine. The lonely tear fell to the ground, soaked into the wet dew beneath her feet, as she gazed longingly into the windows of the school building. They were so often the sight of a frantic duel monsters game, that usually ended in chaos. She smiled childishly as she reverted her attention back to the thought crossing her mind, before she sighed deeply.

[She thinks of when they both were young

All the battles they had won]

Téa had never intended to attend the funeral.it would just bring back too many painful memories, she thought. She was already in a complete mess of emotions as it was, without bringing back more into the frame. More memories poured into her mind as the past came back to her once more, rendering her oblivious to the tumbling of leaves around her.she had tried not to think about him, but how could she forget?

[Just to give him love

That man, she loved that man

For all this time]

And then the most painful memory ran through her mind.

"Gomen Nasai, Anzu-chan."

"No Yugi you're going to pull through this, you can't die.you can't.."

Shaking her head violently, she rushed away from the school, hiding her face in her coat again as a flurry of tears erupted from her glistening eyes. It was as if she was trying to run away from the past.and what could, no should, have been.

[And now we need to take him flowers

And only God knows why]

Back at the church, things weren't going very well either. "Well.uh.Yugi was a really great little guy." Joey mumbled over the microphone. His hesitation was quite blatant now.it certainly wasn't like him to not be able to find the words describing how he felt. Joey had always been so forward, but now it seemed that he was slipping back again. He eyed Tristan hungrily, begging for him to come up with something to say, but after realising that he was lost in his own little world, returned to his current state of uneasiness. Ryou already had his head in his hands.he had no idea what had happened to Yugi that fateful night and it hurt him even more to think how he hadn't been there for him. He stared down at the floor, his eyes tracing along the pattern marks.

[So what's the use in pressing palms

When young men fade in lover's arms?]

Nobody knew what had happened to Mai.the last person to see her was Joey, though he didn't let on as to how. Yet again he felt his mind wandering back to other events of the past:

* Flashback *

Joey was walking with his head down to the floor, concentrating feverently on the paving slabs. It had been 3 days since Yugi had died, and he was still in shock. The night he left him.he had tried to bring him back, but it was clear that he wasn't going to make it. Coincidentally Téa didn't seem to be moving at the same time.so, leaving Mai to her own devices, he had rushed off into her house to phone for an ambulance for the pair of them. From there he had chased off to find other help, phoning Tristan and, as the situation was desperate, Seto. He had forgotten Bakura's number, and later made a mental note to get it back off of him.

As he dragged himself back into his house from his evening stroll, he noticed that someone was following a few yards behind him. Fearing the worst, he grabbed the knife he always kept in his pocket and swiftly turned around to meet the pursuer. Yet he dropped he knife when he saw who it was.

"Mai?!" he asked, amazed, ".What are you still doing here?" She peered away from him, and appeared to make a nod of approval. Intrigued, Joey turned to the direction in which her eyes were facing.and saw a pair of police officers and a police car parked on the pavement a few metres away.

"I just thought I'd come back to say goodbye.and sorry," she replied, putting on a brave (but obviously counterfeit) smile, and close to tears. Joey didn't know how to react.here she was, just days after KILLING his best friend., and turning up on his doorstep. His initial thought was to throttle her to death for what she'd done. And then he realised that she must have chosen to come here to make her final goodbye, and he discovered a warm feeling rising from the pit of his stomach.before it was instantly quashed and forgotten by the painful remembrance of his departed friend. All he could do was glare at her; his face set in a deep frown, with an eyebrow twitching as she approached him.

"I'm so sorry."she whispered in his ear. Was she sincere? He was even more shocked by what was still to come.

Remaining in his heartless expression, she kissed him lightly on the cheek, before disappearing into the back seat of the police car. Joey could only stare as he watched the vehicle round the corner of the street.and just as immediately as she had appeared.Mai was gone.

Stepping back into his house, Joey slumped down into an armchair in the lounge, rubbing the lipstick mark on his cheek Mai had left. He was in two minds over the entire situation.but the one that burned most fiercely in his mind was. Betrayal

* End Flashback *

Joey released a deep sigh.what was she doing now? And more importantly, where was Téa?.

Téa found herself running through a dense area of woodland, and she still had no idea where she was headed. She felt completely lost here, yet it had been a warm and secluded spot when she and Yugi had often visited after school sometimes.but now it felt cold and empty. The once colourful canopy above her head had become dull and lifeless, and the triangular entrance to their little forest hideout had seemingly caved in; whether it had been done purposely or not, she didn't know. But it seemed that Yugi had managed to bring the place alive somehow, and now that he was gone, so was the spirit of the secluded getaway.

Sitting down on a curved rock jutting up from the ground, Téa began to mentally reminisce on exactly HOW he'd confessed his love for her.

[It's a cruel world

You've so much to lose]

She imagined him sitting there, in the entrance to their hideout, still fiddling with his cuffs and stuttering inaudibly. It wasn't a gradual thing.he just suddenly blurted it out:

"I LOVE YOU Téa" .Before running off back into the woodland. She giggled for a while, remembering how she could still see him trembling behind a tree, even though he had tried to get away.before sighing again.

"He's gone.and he's not coming back."

[And what we have to learn

We rarely choose]

She thought back to that night three weeks ago again.what exactly had Mai meant by hurting Joey more by killing HER than himself? Obviously she didn't mean it literally.so what else could it be? A variety of thoughts began to spin through her mind, none more so than the idea of hurting Joey emotionally, by trying to kill her. When she arrived at her final conclusion, her eyes filled up with tears.

"It's all my fault.all my fault!"

[So if it's God who took his soul

That cannot be the whole

Reason for his fate]

* Flashback *

Téa was walking slowly yet gracefully across the road, on her way to meet Yugi for their date. Her black ballroom gown sparkled in the twilight glow of the sun, the vibrant sequins reflecting flashes of pure crystal and gold. She strode confidently onwards, holding her head up high, as several passing drivers sounded their horns and gave shrill wolf-whistles as they drove by.

"Some people!" she complained aloud.before realising that someone was standing directly in front of her. She accidentally collided into him. Picking herself back up, she apologised sincerely.and then looked up to see who it was.

"Oops! Sorry Joe," she said, excusing herself. Joey just stood there rigid, as if nothing had happened.

"Oh don't worry I'm fine, everything's OK, yup no problemo ain't nothin' wrong here," he mumbled all at once, coming out far too fast for Téa to make any sense of it all. She laughed a little.

"What's up?" she delivered conclusively, "You never talk like that Joey!" He began to scramble in his mind for some way of answering the question, but couldn't find one:

"Oh nothin', why'd ya ask? Are you worried 'bout me?" he asked again, every word seemingly rushing out of his mouth simultaneously. Téa chuckled again.

"No, don't worry.don't want to baby you and all Joe," she replied, smiling, before turning back to face the open road, "See ya!"

She was about to walk away, when she felt Joey's hand suddenly holding onto hers.

"Listen Téa I gotta tell you somethin'." he finally managed to utter, the first sentence fluently spoken that evening.

"Well can't it wait Joey, I'm sorta in a hurry right now." Téa answered, attempting to remove Joey's hand from hers.but he only seemed to grab it tighter.

"Nah.sorry it can't," he shot back, attempting to sound concerned. She tried to wriggle free of his grip again, but his hands only became more clamped around hers.

"Joey you're hurting me now.let go" she said sternly, a faint uneasiness appearing in her eyes as she stared him down. This time she tried to pull her entire body away, but she was still stuck where she was.something really was different about Joey tonight.she just couldn't put her finger on it... "Please Téa.can't we just go inside and talk about dis?

"NO Joey, what's the matter with you today? Can't you take a hint" she asked, finally jerking her hand away from his. Yet as soon as she managed to slip away, her other hand was encased in his strong grip. Now she was really scared.

"Téa I really ain't feeling that great," he confessed ".just stay the night, please?"

"No Joey I'm going to meet Yugi.maybe we'll talk later, or tomorrow, but not right now.so can you let go now?" she asked, putting on a mock smile.but her words came out as nervous stutters.

"No." Joey answered back. His eyes appeared to lose their glow of confidence and energy.and blackened into a dark and vengeful colour. This was the final straw.

"Joey I said LET GO!" Téa screamed aloud, shouting in his face. His expression only changed into a smirk of malice.but his words came out sweetly and pleadingly.

"Please Téa I'm sick of always bein' on me own.you gotta stay." he answered, cringing wryly as he continued to pull her nearer to him. He was really pushing his luck now, Téa thought.

"Dammit Joey let go!" she yelled again, punching his arm quite weakly and kicking him in the shin. Joey reacted to her bout of aggression by holding her by the waist and bringing her against his hips.

"Please."

"GET OFF OF ME!" Téa shrieked. She kicked him in the crotch (not for the first time in the fic) and ran off crying. Joey hobbled back to his feet and watched her disappear over the horizon.

"What the hell did you do that for, dumbass?" Joey shouted, slapping himself across the face. "How could you do that to her? She's one of ya best friends!" Muttering to himself, he walked away towards his house, retiring from his evening walk for the evening.. "You've really gotta learn ta control ya instincts."

* End Flashback *

"I'm sorry Yugi.I didn't mean to make Joey feel this way, I swear I didn't!" Téa cried, cradling herself in her own arms, rocking herself back and forth in an attempt to console her restless soul.

"No use," she thought, "Yugi paid for what I'd done.it's my fault that Mai was jealous, and in the end Yugi suffered for what I'd done." The rustling of the leaves behind her indicated that it was time to leave this place.it was becoming less and less welcoming by the minute, even though she knew it so well.

[Take care, my love she says

Don't think, that God is dead

Take care, my love she says

You have been loved]

Joey was near to the point of breaking down, back inside the church. His eyes were starting to water, and his bottom lip was trembling. How could he explain to anyone how he felt about Yugi? It was something personal he liked to keep to himself.and not share with these people who thought they knew him. They didn't know the really Yugi, he grumbled under his breath. Yugi wasn't as innocent as they all thought. He and Joey had often spent countless nights talking about girls and stuff.it all seemed so childish now. But even that was something that Yugi had always been: the epitome of youth, childhood personified. Everything was just so funny and vibrant about him, right from his innocent smile down to his puppy-like stare. Beneath it all, though, he was just a normal teenage kid. Sure he avoided fights whenever he could, and his growth spurt was WELL overdue, but he loved to talk about duelling, hanging out, and sports too. He always loved to be the centre of attention, the leader, if you like, and enjoy the responsibility of protecting his friends.just like he'd done for Téa.

That was what Joey admired the most.

[If I was weak, forgive me

But I was terrified]

"I'm sorry I couldn't save him guys.I'm real sorry," he shouted, releasing all of his pent-up emotions in those words. He dropped his head to the floor, hiding his face in his hands and turning away from the rest of the congregation.

Nobody said anything.not even Seto (a first). They all knew how close Joey was to Yugi.and how there were some things he'd much rather them not know about. They understood more than he gave them credit for.especially Tristan, who'd been with him from day 1. The priest noticed how difficult the situation had become, and so decided that now was a good time to move on with the service.

"I apologise for that," he spoke kindly to Joey, "You may return to your seat now."

"NO!" Joey bellowed defiantly, raising his eyes to the priest's and glaring deep into them, ".there's something they still have to know."

"Joey I really think you should sit down," Ryou said, standing up from his seat in the aisle, "Come on.take my seat, it's the least I can do."

Yet again Joey was reminded of how he hadn't phoned Ryou on the night that Yugi died.rendering himself speechless and inanimate once again.

[You brushed her eyes with angels' wings

Full of love

The kind that makes devils cry]

"Yugi didn't die just to save Téa." he said, ignoring Bakura's offer, trembling between sobs and thoughts of the evening continuing to rack his brain and eat away at his mind."He saved me too."

The congregation began to feel uneasy, fidgeting in their seats accordingly. Joey seemed to be far away. He wasn't paying attention to them anymore. His eyes appeared to be staring through them into nothingness, his face a wobbling picture of grief.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaiba grumbled insensitively, "Talk sense!"

"Kaiba!" Tristan shouted out, jumping from his seat and punching him in the face. Kaiba squirmed in pain, curling up on the bench as he began to feel the after effects of his words.

Tristan turned back to Joey, smiling nervously.

"Sorry Joe.you were sayin'?"

Joey fell silent again, smearing the tears from his face with his hands.

"He.he saved me from myself." he continued, "I don't know what I woulda done if he hadn't bin there ta hold me back."

He paused again, but was only answered with puzzled glances. Joey sighed.they still had no idea what he was getting at. At least he could still leave with something.

[So these days, her life has changed

And she'll be fine (she'll be fine)

But he just sits and counts the hours

Searching for.his crime]

Tristan was feeling very uncomfortable. It wasn't like Joey to be feeling so down about anything for long.but not even domestic abuse had brought tears to his eyes like this had. Even when he was beaten by his father he would always stand tall, never backing down.but here he was tormenting himself over a crime he didn't commit.or maybe there was something Tristan didn't know yet.

I can't even tell him, Joey thought. He began to smile inwardly.none of them would know. He grinned awkwardly as he remembered something he had left at home.only one person would be concerned enough to find it.

"My last memento," he whispered under his breath, stalling slightly before he spoke aloud again. "But there's no-one ta save me now." he wept, slowly stepping away from the altar and walking backwards towards the church doors. He stopped against the wall, leaning his back against it, ".no-one"

"Err Joey, you're really starting to freak me out here buddy," Tristan shouted across to him. He stood up, his entire body shaking, as his voice came out trembling "C'mon man, sit down!"

Joey simply shook his head. "No Tristan.I can't stay here anymore.not with all this," His hand delved into his pocket, half-emerging, seemingly gripping the handle of something. Tristan glared at his hand and went wide- eyed.

"JOEY NO!" he screamed.he saw the glint of metal wink at his eye as Joey withdrew a Butcher Knife from his back pocket. Running towards him, Tristan lunged at Joey, attempting to knock him to the ground.

"Too late, bro." Joey whimpered, clutching the knife and pulling it towards his chest. The entire hall fell silent as the cold metal blade pierced Joey's jacket, running a deep hole through his chest. Joey writhed in agony as the blade tore through his flesh, before he slumped to the ground.

"GOD JOEY.WHY?" Tristan yelled, shaking Joey's motionless body back and forth. Joey was breathing heavily, placing his hands on the wound and feeling every droplet of blood seethe through the tear.

"I.can't." was all Joey could manage, as he began to cough violently, blood spurting from his throat to the floor below. Nobody moved.it was as if the world stood still. Tristan was still frantically clinging to Joey's lifeless body, tears stinging his eyes as much as Joey's were.

Eventually, Tristan reluctantly let Joey slip from his grasp, droplets of his tears merging with Joey's blood. He rose to his feet, never letting his eyes off of Joey's now violet jacket.

"Why Joey.why?"

Joey attempted to pull his head back up, but restlessly allowed it to fall to the floor again. The blade dropped effortlessly from his hand to the tapestry below, a loud clatter echoing throughout the hall. With his dying breath, he mouthed something towards the sky above.

"I'm so sorry Yugi.I'm so sorry I betrayed you."

[Take care, my love he says

Don't think, that God is dead

Take care, my love he says

You have been loved]





Well that's the end of the penultimate chapter, but the prologue will be up just as soon I reckon.thank you to everyone who's written reviews so far, and I'm glad most of you've been pretty emotional about it all ^_^ nice to know I'm getting the message across. LAST CHAPTER UP SOON!

~Yugi Muuto~