Well, considering how long I left the last chapter to be updated this isn't that bad, especially considering my other three stories have been updated as well. Don't think I'm back at my best writing peak yet, but slowly getting there…

Thank you one and all for still sticking with me! Over 200 reviews and over 6000 hits is fantastic! Hope you all continue to enjoy this story, even though we all know it won't be long till it's finished.

I've had work, driving lessons and exams approaching to cope with, so I apologise. But come June first I will have finished my year and have a whole four months of summer to write, so don't worry, it won't be long! Plus I have started writing a joint story with a friend using a new pairing that we created through Roleplay. Our pen name is Creative Love Souls, so please go and have a look.

Well, you know what I own and what I don't so on to the chapter!

Chapter 20: Prayers of Fragile Hope

He'd failed. It was the simple truth he knew he couldn't escape. After all, his promises, oaths and hopes of the future, they were now shattered, non-existent. All because he couldn't do anything for her when she needed him the most.

"Yug! Come on man, don't space on us buddy!"

Blinking rapidly, said young man came out of his depressed thoughts due his best friend gripping his shoulders and shaking him forcefully. When he finally chose to look around the room, he registered the four worried faces looking at him in concern.

"When did…you all get here?" he mumbled, voice quivering, almost dead, like he had no real interest in the people there. Still, no one could blame him for that. There was surely only one person on his mind at the moment.

"DJ called us up after the gang took off." Joey explained, brown eyes still gazing at his friend.

While still holding Yugi, the blonde looked back at the others in the room. Seto, his normally icy eyes now filled with pity for the Game King, was standing with an arm around Melisanne, who looked as if she was about to cry. DJ was at the back of the room, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, solemn look of defeat on his features. Next to Yugi, he was probably feeling the worst among them, believing he had failed to do his job and protect them from Drake.

Sighing, Joey felt like he would fall to pieces himself at seeing what his best friend was going through, all the pain and heartache clear in his usually bright amethyst orbs, and not being able to do or say anything to fix things. Just what could any of them say? No matter how meaningful the words and expression, it wasn't going to bring Kitty back. Something had to be done, but what?

"Listen Yugi," the blonde man uttered, biting his lip in worry about how to phrase what he was to ask. He didn't want to say such a horrible thing. It was an insensitive thing to ask. Still, it would be better for his friend to hear it from him than a policeman. At least this way, the boy would know he had the best intention, since they had known each other for so long. He would feel much worse, no doubt angered, at having to say such things to a stranger who didn't understand what he must have been feeling, or knew how much the girl had meant to him. "I know this isn't the best time, you're hurting, I know that. But…they're gonna ask you sooner or later, and I figure, you'll feel better saying it to me than these blockheads in uniform." he sighed, gripping his shorter friends shoulders, trying to look at his face, only to be visibly taken aback by the lifeless expression crossing his features; a face that showed no will to exist anymore.

The silence was close to deafening, and no one was really sure how to continue. Joey was about to attempt the dreaded question, but before the blonde could open his mouth, another voice interrupted.

"For God's Mutou, suck it up already! Don't sit there sulking, it's not going to do you any good!" the cold tone of Kaiba's voice, the quiet sympathy seen previously apparently gone.

"Seto, please…"the girl beside him murmured, but was silenced by the roar from Joey.

"Rich boy, I'm warning you!" he hissed, but was completely ignored by the icy businessman. Instead, the CEO stepped forward and met his rivals lost gaze, a determined ferocity clear on his face.

"Now you listen Yugi, I'm only going to say this once." he snarled. "You can mope and snivel there all you like, but what good will it do? Will it bring your little girlfriend back? No! And if you think that, then hell, you're letting that ass beat you. It's exactly what he wants; to see you broken and weak."

"But…I…"the distraught Game King stuttered, only to be cut off by the others shaking him violently.

"No, no excuses! You're not the only who had to protect someone you love from an angry vengeful psycho! I have too, much more than you realise." the brunette said, looking downcast for a minute, while Melisanne looked at the ground, gripping the front of her skirt. "You're better than this! You give in now, you're finished. It's just what he wants, to see you've surrendered and then he'll have complete victory. The odds are against you, but if anyone had such unbelievable luck in pulling out a win at the last minute, against all odds, it's you Yugi!"

No one else dared speak, but what they did notice, was that large amethyst eyes were flickering, some light, a source of life, finally shinning in those purple depths. Kaiba's words had struck some nerve within the young man. He was right. In duelling, he never gave in until the last card was drawn, and against all the odds he had faith, and it always came through for him in the end. It was the same situation now; he couldn't give in!

As his head rose and he glanced around at the occupants of the room, he breathed deeply. They were all there for him, and he didn't need to go through this alone. Now they were all beginning to smile a little, in hope and determination, and more than a few tears were being shed by all. Even Seto was sporting a confident grin and stood back up to take his place next the Chinese girl with him. He had woken him up roughly, but it had to be done.

"Thank you." he murmured, looking up at the CEO who just snorted in reply.

" Please, I was just fed up of that sulky look on your face, it was annoying." he huffed turning away and looking indifferent. Of course, no one was really fooled by the façade.

"Well Yugi, now that that you're a better, I'm gonna ask," Joey said, touching his friends shoulder lightly. "Do you remember anything before you fell unconscious? It may help us find out what happened."

His face scrunching up slightly, the other male tried to think about what had occurred after that attack made by Drake…

"I am Drake, here to collect what is mine!" he shouted, and with a flick of his wrist, a curved blade spun fast in the couples direction. Time almost stopped, as everyone was paralysed of what fate would arise in that instant…

He remembered things, all jumbled up in his mind as he tried to piece them together. Screaming, crying, a warm touch, blood, a promise…

"Oh God…" the teen bit his lip as the horrible truth began to flood back like a tidal wave crashing inside his head. Absentmindedly, he clutched his chest as if a great pain wail ailing him. Only then did the others look down notice something usual.

"Those creeps, this is great!" Joey exclaimed, snarling in anger at his friend distraught state. "Not only do they have the nerve to bust a guy when he's down and kidnap his girl, they steal his jewellery as well."

"What are you talking about?" DJ questioned. "Why would they steal anything? They got what they came for…"

"Well if they didn't, where did Yugi's puzzle go?" "They're really scum, taking the two most important things in his life from him at once! It had to be, Yugi never lets it out of his sight…"

"They didn't steal it." a voice murmured, and the two men looked to see the broken hearted youth looking at them in sadness.

"Then where is it?" DJ asked, looking at the expression on the others face, every second seeing him wither at what may have happened to his lover by now.

"With Kitty," he said simply, the others shocked at the revelation. "I gave it to her…to protect her…before they took her away."

But then…was she alive?

--

Minutes had passed like years in the dingy dark room. Time didn't matter, as the pain felt by the hazel eyed girl crying was eternal. It was times like this Yami longed for a body of his own again. Not just to comfort the poor young woman, but to take revenge on the sick and twisted men who had done such awful things to her and his young lighter half. Due to the distance they were from where ever the others were, he couldn't connect to his link with Yugi. At least he hoped that was the reason. The other explanation was too horrid to think about.

'He can't be gone, he just can't be!' the Pharaoh growled to himself, trying to get the last images he had seen of his young vessel out of his mind. He had done as he was told, followed Yugi's request to protect Kitty, but could the boy have protected himself from the onslaught of the thugs? He hoped so…

As the two forms hit the ground, Drake let out a childish, almost feminine giggle of satisfaction. His green eyes lit up in spiteful glee at the sight of the trails of crimson mapping their way down the arm of the amethyst eyed boy. His joy only amplified at Yugi crippling over due to the pain in three of his limbs, while a poor Kitty clung onto him desperately, trying to tell him it would be okay.

"Darn, I really need to practise my aim." he muttered, snapping his fingers in a comical way that caused the other bikers to snicker. "I missed that little boys scrawny neck by miles…Oh now Kitty-Kat, don't look at me that way, you should have known better than to run off. You knew this would happen." he tisked, unaffected by the murderous glaze that girl that was burning into him.

As much as she wanted to go and kill the man looking at her with such carefree attitude with her bare hands, the auburn haired girl stayed on the steps, holding onto her boyfriend as a last lifeline. It was only when a silver caught her attention did she look up from the form her was holding. Drake was right in front of her, having pulled the blade painfully out of Yugi's arm, smirking in satisfaction at his work.

She didn't want to say anything to such a beast, he wasn't worth the effort; it would be a waste of her breath. Still, no words needed to be exchanged, for the biker leader knew exactly was going on the girls mind. It sickened her to know that demon could read her so easily.

"You know the score Kitty dear." he chuckled, waggling the blade in front of her vision. "You give me what I want…you." he said, indicating her by pointing the knife straight at her. "And I give you want you want…your little boy toy to stay alive." He finished, swinging the steel down towards the unconscious youth's neck. "Your choice, but you know better than anyone…I don't miss twice."

With that said, he stood up confidentially, and turned to walk back to his bike, already aware of the choice she would make.

Biting her lip and fighting back tears, the young woman looked down at the messy head of black and red tipped hair in her lap, leaning in to smell it's scent and feel it's softness for what she expected to be the last time. Carefully, laying him down, she prayed someone would come soon and get him to a proper hospital. This sacrifice had to be for something…

"Ki-tt-en," a whimper caught her attention, and her drying eyes became damp again at the sight of Yugi trying to open bleary eyes to see her. Bending over and embracing him for all she was worth, she rocked him gently, trying to take in everything about her only love, and crystallise it in her memory forever.

"I'm sorry, for everything." she sniffed, finally realising she would have to unclench her hands from his tattered shirt, as the impatient gang leader revved his engine in annoyance. But as she attempted to stand and leave, the other tugged her back down to his level, trying to rasp out last words to her, knowing he couldn't do anything to stop her.

"Wait, take…this."

Confused, Kitty watched as Yugi trying tugging the large chain that held the golden puzzle around his neck. Finally, he managed to remove it, and try and get her to take it. Instead, she shook her head wildly; how could he give Yami up when he knew he was losing her as well? As she still tried to tell the other she wasn't going to take the puzzle from him, the young man grasped her hand weakly and pulled himself up enough to place the item in her bag.

"I couldn't-protect you…so I…have to let Yami do it instead." he wheezed, using his last strength to embrace her as best he could, an action she didn't resist. "He'll look after you, and you…can remember-me."

Anguish and pain shared in both hearts, the couple to whisper a final 'I love you' to each other, sharing a last lingering and lovingly soft kiss, before the girl stood and walked away from the steps towards the grinning bikers. Hesitantly climbing on the back of Drake's motorcycles he didn't even muster any glare or retort to him. At the moment of this last parting, she felt dead inside, and couldn't care about his triumphant look as he sped off with his groupies and trophy in tow.