Author's Notes: I couldn't wait any longer to post the next chapter! ...But I'm sure you all will want to kill me before the end so I'm not sure why I wanted to post this so badly... Just keep in mind: There are two more chapters after this one still! Now then, keeping that thought in mind, feel free to proceed^^


Chapter Nine - When A Star Goes Out

"I don't know how much longer he's going to last," Dr. Yamamoto sighed heavily. "He's taken a sudden turn for the worse."

Kara, Jack, and Crow didn't need him to tell them of Yusei's failing condition, however; they could see his labored, uneven, shallow breaths for themselves; they could see his sporatic, weak-but-rapid pulse as it made unnatural, jagged lines on the moniter. The three didn't need him to tell them how close Yusei was to death. They were already painfully aware of the fact.

"I could have him put on a ventilator to control his breathing, but I'm not sure how much that would really help," the doctor continued. "I have the feeling it would just be delaying the inevitable at this point..."

"Is there no hope then?" Crow dared to whisper. "Is there no hope left at all for him to pull through?"

Dr. Yamamoto sighed again. "Your only hope right now is Akiza. But even then... I think we should just go ahead and wake her up. I honestly don't think there's anything even she can do at this point."

"No," Kara whispered defiantly. "Her life is not at risk - at least not yet. So what's the harm of leaving her there, where she could still save him?"

"It's giving you all false hope," he stated gently.

"Better to have false hope than no hope at all!"

The doctor shook his head. "Having false hope until his heart stops - "

"His heart isn't going to stop!" Jack spat through clenched teeth. "Yusei has got too much life left in him for that to happen!"

The doctor sighed in defeat. "All right. Have it your way. I obviously can't change your minds. We'll leave her under until he's gone."

"You make that sound so definite, doctor," Jack stated. "But, as I've already said, Yusei isn't going to die!"

"You just keep telling yourself that, Jack," he sighed.

"I will, thank you, because it's true."

"I don't think you fully understand his condition - "

"I don't think you fully understand Yusei!" Jack cut in angrily. "Even if he fades away tonight, he will never die! He will live on in each of the lives he has impacted for forever! That's something his uncle never understood either: You can destroy a person's physical body, but you can never destroy their soul!"


"Y-you'll have to... g-go on without m-me..." Yusei stuttered. He rolled onto his side as he started coughing again, blood starting to pool as it came out of his mouth.

She shook her head, tears in her eyes, as she cradled his head in her lap. "I can't, Yusei! I can't leave you!"

He took a rasping breath. "Y-you have to... A-Akiza... Y-you're the... only one... who c-can s-save m-me... now..." He forced another painful, rasping breath. "B-but you have... to g-go... now! ... Or i-it'll b-be t-too late!"

She brushed his bangs out of his eyes as he started coughing once again, more blood beginning to pool.

"H-hurry," he breathed, eyes closing. "Y-you h-have... t-to h-hurry..."

Summoning the last of her courage, she took off her magenta over-coat and bundled it up under his head as a pillow. Bending over, she kissed his forehead. "I love you, Yusei," she half sobbed, half whispered. "So don't die on me, okay?" As she stood up, Akiza could have sworn she'd seen a light smile grace his lips. She forced herself then to turn away from the one she loved, to turn to the door that would hopefully save his life.

She pulled on the handle to open the door and was instantly blinded by the pure white light that engulfed her. For a moment, she forgot all else as warmth and security flooded her senses. So this was what her friend had tucked away inside of himself! Amidst the maze of passages and corridors, riddles on doors, hidden secrets he would never let anyone in on, and the dark shadows of his pain, here was who he truly was! Here was his sincerity and his ambition! His determination, his courage, his never-ending compassion! His patience, his intellect, his tenacity, his persistance! Here was his peace and his hope, his kindness and his loyalty! His trust, his wishes and dreams, his ability to forgive!

Here was his love!


Everyone's attention was suddenly drawn to the heart moniter tracking Yusei's pulse, four sets of eyes suddenly growing wide in suprise and shock.

"No..." Kara whispered.

"It... It can't be!" Jack exclaimed.

"No..." Crow echoed in awe.


The light faded, and Akiza found herself in an empty, hexagonal room, the door behind her. All the walls were glistening white as if they had just received a fresh coat of paint, but there was nothing in the room. She stood for a moment, confused as to what she was supposed to do now.

But then a voice greeted her. "Akiza Izinski," the deep voice echoed around the room.

"Y-yes?" she stuttered in response, turning this way and that, trying to find the source of the voice.

"You shouldn't be here." She gasped in fear. "Not alone - not without Yusei - anyway."

"H-he's too weak now. He couldn't make it!"

The voice chuckled. "Do you even know where you are right now?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly..."

The voice chuckled again. "You should count yourself lucky, Akiza. You will be the only person in his life he will ever allow to access the deepest and most secret part of his soul."

"What?" she gasped.

"When you first opened the door and stepped inside, did you not feel it? Did you not feel the very pieces that make him who he is?"

"I did," she responded still in awe, "but I didn't realize..."

The voice chuckled again. "Yes, very lucky indeed..."

All was silent for a moment before Akiza spoke, changing the subject. "So, I'm here. What am I supposed to do now?"

The voice sighed. "I'm afraid you can't do anything. Not without Yusei here."

"What?" she squeeked in horror, her eyes doubling in size. "No! It can't be!"

The voice sighed again. "I'm afraid it's true... I'm afraid he knew he wasn't going to make it. But the reason he wanted to hurry back here, the reason he urged you to come through the door though he knew you couldn't save him alone... He wanted you to know who he really was. He didn't want to die without letting you know every part of him. He loved you too much to let that happen."

Akiza couldn't hold back the tears that threatened her eyes. "No! There has to be a way!"

"Even now," the voice continued, "I fear he is already gone from the world..."

She didn't wait to hear any more. As quickly as she could, she turned and darted towards the door. As she pushed it open again, she finally realized the hard truth of the matter. He hadn't smiled to reassure her that he would still be there and that she could save him. He smiled because he knew he wouldn't be when she returned.

As she knelt by his side, she already knew it was too late; she could no longer hear his rasping breaths as he struggled to hold on to life. Grasping for any bit of hope, she reached over and clutched his hand tightly in hers only to find that it was already as cold as the stone on which she sat.

"No!" she cried, resting her head on his shoulder. "Yusei, no! Don't leave me, Yusei! Come back!" But inside she knew he could no longer hear her words. He was gone.

And there was nothing she could do to change that.