A Note from the Authors: Okay! This next duel is long, but it didn't take that long to write. Weird, eh? Anyway, we rented the Volume One Yu-Gi-Oh video just the other day and had a good laugh at how funny all the characters sounded. There probably won't be any jokes in reference to that, but we were amused none the less...pretty much everybody was inhaling too much helium. And we also noticed how greatly the animation has improved over only one-and-a-half seasons. It was neat...

ANYWHO...on to the next chapter!!

Chapter 22

"The Ninth Duel: The Void"

Shortly after, the gang was seated at their usual booth in the buffet area, enjoying breakfast. Mai was reading aloud a flyer that had been set at their table, "According to this, the finals begin tomorrow, and anyone without the seven required items is disqualified."

"Yeah…Kaiba said something about that," Yugi said, taking a huge bite of his waffles.

"Lucky for us, that we're already qualified," Joey said.

Yugi heard a small sigh beside him and turned. Tsuki had barley touched her food, and was fingering her gold chain with its two meager items. Yugi put his fork down and put a hand on her arm, "Don't worry Tsuki," he said, "I'm sure there'll be plenty of dueling opportunities for you today."

"Oh, that's okay," she said, smiling, "I never really expected to qualify, and I like just watching you."

"Still…" Yugi said, blushing, "Maybe I could look at your deck before we go out and give you a few pointers."

"Could you??" she asked excitedly.

"Sure, no problem," he said. She handed her deck to him, and as he looked through it, his expression became more and more hopeless. Tsuki's deck was stacked with 'cute' monsters without very high attack power, and there were very few helpful magic and trap cards. He had to fight the urge to tell her, 'Well, no wonder you lost to Weevil!', and instead said, "Well…it certainly does need work. Did you bring any extra cards with you?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "Up in my parents' room."

"Let's go see what we can do," Yugi said, getting up from the booth. Tsuki slid out after him.

As they turned to go, Tristan's voice stopped them, "Takin' to a hotel room already…"

"Go easy on 'er, Yug," Joey said, "It's her first time."

"You guys!!" Yugi cried, spinning around towards them, face beet-red.

Tristan and Joey just whistled innocently and didn't say anything more. Mai suppressed a giggle, while Tea glared disapprovingly at all three of them.

Scowling, Yugi strode off, with Tsuki hurrying to catch up. "What was that all about??" she asked.

"N-nothing," Yugi said quickly, "Let's just forget it, okay?"
"Okay!" she agreed, as the two of them reached the stairs.

Once upstairs, Yugi set to work. The extras Tsuki had proved useful, but he had to pull from his own reserves to put the finishing touched on. As he worked, and Tsuki watched absorbedly, Yami and Dedi stood off to one side.

"That deck really was pretty pathetic," Dedi said.

"Why didn't you fix it?" Yami asked.

"I couldn't," she said, "Not without her realizing I'd made changes. You have no idea how much I envy the relationship you have with your boy…someday I hope Tsuki will know me…"

"She will…" Yami said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "But these things take time, remember. Yugi and I were on two different planes for the longest time."

"Patience never was my strongest virtue," Dedi said, grinning.

"Alright!" Yugi's voice interrupted them, "That should do it!"

He held the new deck out to Tsuki and she pocketed it. Then she threw her arms around his neck, "Thank you so much!"

"I-it was nothing," he stammered, "Now we'd better get back downstairs. We don't want the gang to leave without us.

* * *

The bazaar was busy that morning, filled with Duelists trying to collect their final items. The gang made their way through the crowds with difficulty, stopping to check out each duel as they went. Some were interesting, but there was no sign of anyone they recognized. Little did they know that they were being watched.

The cloaked figure that was standing in the ally way was surveying the small group dourly. Void (he knew of no other name for himself), had started quietly reminiscing about the stakes for the duel that was to come. The elementals had supplied the ancient pharaoh with all of his items, as well as the thief and the ruler's bodyguard. Only his wife was still vulnerable, but it would be enough. A Millennium item and knocking her out of the tournament would have to be good enough. He knew that he owed his master that much, but perhaps Jetsu would provide him with the information that he still yearned to learn. He had been taken in at birth by the wondrous and kind Lord Jetsu, who had always promised that he would someday reveal the origins of the magically-deprived being.

Void had always seen his magical resistance to be a curse, though his lord promised him that it would someday be a benefit. If Void could win this duel, Jetsu had sworn to tell him all that he wished to know. He couldn't remember much about his past, but the master had always been there. Lord Jetsu had been planning this operation ever since Void was a small child, and he had witnessed much.

His master was strict, but fair. The black-armored knight had punished many, but only for failures, and the rewards for success were great. Void could still remember when the brash teen Vitani had joined them. Though he had never trusted her farther than he could throw her (which wasn't far, especially at that age), at least she hadn't challenged his position as the master's favorite.

As the group began to pass him by (chatting happily and sometimes arguing playfully), the young man lightly stepped out in front of them, arms at his sides and hood almost completely covering his face. That was for good reason. Without magical energies (however faint as they embraced even normal humans) flowing through him, he had always appeared to be deathly pale, and very thin. There was no doubt in his mind that the item holders would notice something, but the others might not be as wise…

"Hey…what is this??" Joey said, stopping in his tracks so as not to run into the man.

"Uh oh…" Yugi muttered, "He must be another Eliminator…"

"How do you know?" Tea asked.

"The symbol on his cloak," Yugi said, pointing, "It matches Ambrosious' symbol, and the others' too."

"The boy is very observant…" Void said softly, "But I have no quarrel with you or the Pharaoh. You have earned your place in the tournament, though you bring yourselves willingly to your demise. My master will not be merciful in his dueling, but that is not my concern." Void sighed, then lifted his head slightly, staring at Tsuki with an intensity that had been lying dormant for this moment, "However, one of your number remains vulnerable…"

"Leave her out of this," Yugi said grimly, stepping in front of Tsuki protectively.

Void took one step forward. Despite his height advantage on the younger boy, the 18-year old knew that he was not an imposing sight, "According to tournament rules, I am allowed to challenge anyone with Items to a duel until the end of this day, so step aside."

"You may be allowed to challenge anyone ya want," Joey said, coming to Yugi's side and blocking Tsuki completely from sight, "But that doesn't mean they have to accept."

"It's alright boys," came a voice from behind them after a brief flash of light, "I can handle this." Yugi and Joey glanced back, and then stepped aside in surprise. Dedi was standing in Tsuki's spot. Clutching the Millennium Scale, she stepped forward. Holding it out, she said, "We'll see how worthy you are of challenging me." The magic of the Millennium Scale, in the hands of its rightful owner, began to make the golden item glow brightly.

Then the glowing stopped. Nothing more happened. The wind stirred up the dust around them and the crowd continued to shuffle along, but that was it. Dedi looked shocked. Bringing the Scale closer to her, she tapped at it with her index finger. Why hadn't they been transported to the Shadow Realm?

Void gave a small smile. "Ah… am I to be judged? Sometimes I wish it were as simple as that. Sorry to disappoint you, Queen Dedi…but I will never see the Shadow Realm in my life-time. You see, I am…" He began to hang his head but stopped himself. The shame of this never ceased to come, even when his curse helped him, "…Void." The magically-resistant being finished, wondering if this would make any sense to these people.

"Void…?" Dedi said, then nodded, "Yes, I've heard of your kind. It's very rare to find one these days, though. Well…if I cannot judge you by magic, I'll do so the old fashioned way. Shall we commence with the duel??"

"Let's shall…" Void said.

The opponents set themselves apart, clearing an opening in the street, as the crowd backed up, sensing a show beginning.

"Hey, Yugi," Tea said, "What's a 'void'?"

"I'm not sure…" Yugi admitted, "I guess we can ask Dedi when this is all finished."

"That guy can't be much older than us…" Joey said, "What's he doin' workin' for some evil crime lord??"

"Who knows…?" Tristan shrugged, "He doesn't seem too strong-willed…maybe he was forced."

Yugi glanced over and saw Yami standing next to him. The spirit was watching the strange young man intently. Yugi wondered what Yami might know about this whole situation, but decided it would be better to save questions for later. He didn't want to miss any of the duel – it might provide some answers on its own.

"Your Majesty may have the honor of the first move," Void said calmly.

"As you wish," Dedi said and selected six cards from her deck. After a quick survey of her opening hand (Invader of the Throne, Amazon Archer, Nekogal #1, Black Pendant, Waboku, and Final Destiny), she grinned. This was a much better start than the last time she had dueled, "I will place one monster in defense mode (Invader of the Throne (1350/1700)), and one card face-down (Waboku)!"

Void nodded slightly and then began to select his cards. Her deck did not reflect her fiery personality. His master had explained about Queen Dedi before he left on this assignment, and attack mode would have seemed more appropriate for her. Nevertheless, he had to proceed carefully… (Last Day of Witch, Soul Release, Ryu-Kishin Powered, Giant Germ, Spear Cretin, Graverobber's Retribution). Void's voice was quiet and raspy as he addressed the Queen of Egypt, "I will place one card face-down (Graverobber's Retribution) and one monster in defense mode as well (Giant Germ (1000/100))…"

Dedi selected a card, and stared at it in confusion (Card Destruction). This card must have been one of the ones Yugi had placed in it. She wondered what other surprises she would find, and said, "I'll use this card, Card Destruction, to make us discard our hands and start over fresh!"

Void nodded grimly and chucked his four cards, then selected four new ones (Spear Cretin, Dark Necrofear, Dark Energy, and Graverobber's Ghoul), which made him grin faintly. Now, one of several strategies his deck provided would be easy to implement…

Dedi drew her cards (Nekogal #2, Princess of Tsurugi, Dian Keto the Cure Master, Mask of Brutality) as well, getting another surprise in the form of the mask card. Still, she knew what to do with the other cards, and selected one from her hand, "I sacrifice my weaker Invader of the Throne for the Nekogal #2 in attack mode (1900/2000)!" A daringly-dressed cat-girl monster appeared on the field, white fur blending in nicely with the sand of the Egyptian street, "Now Nekogal, attack his face-down card!"

With a whip of her tail, the card broke in half and a large cluster of purple dots disappeared. Void showed no remorse for the loss of his monster as he explained, "You've attacked the Giant Germ, which will deduct 500 life points from your score, and it will summon the other two from my deck in attack mode." Two more of the same cluster-like monsters appeared, while Dedi's life points dropped for the first time: Void: 4000 – Dedi: 3500.

Dedi frowned, knowing she should have seen that some sort of trap waiting for her. Now he'd have two monsters on the field, but would they still have their affect if they were placed in attack mode?? It was a risk she wasn't quite willing to take. "I guess it's your turn," she said, masking her frustration with calm.

Void selected another card (Crush Card), and pondered the irony of the situation. How fitting that a germ will be the one to deliver her the virus, "I will place an additional card face-down (Crush Card) and switch both of my monsters into defense mode. Your turn…" His last words were barely mumbled out; he was once again lost in his own feelings. Dueling without magic required a different energy source, which was often his life force. It had become a sickly and dying flame from the years of isolation living with Lord Jetsu. Most normal humans didn't notice, because their magical energies could supply their decks with spirit. His monsters and other cards each appeared slightly dissimilar in appearance from his unusual supply.

Dedi eyed the down card suspiciously as she drew her next card (Protector of the Throne (800/1500)). "I'll place this card in defense mode," she said, laying the card down, "And then I'll play the magic card, Dian Keto the Cure Master, which will increase my life points by 1000!" Simultaneously, a face down card appeared in front of a green-haired elf-man. As the man faded away, Dedi's life points increased to 4500.

Void drew another card (Reaper of the Cards), "First, I will activate one of my face-down cards: The Crush Card virus! By sacrificing one of my Giant Germs, I am able to infect your deck and destroy every monster with over 1500 attack that you play, starting with your Nekogal #2!" The Giant Germ on the left shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces, and the deadly purple blotches that came forth from his trap card latched onto the cat-girl like a horrible rash or disease.

In an instant, the monster was destroyed. Next, the Protector of the Throne was flipped face-up, but remained untouched. Void explained softly, "For the next three turns, any monster that you draw with over 1500 attack will be automatically discarded. This is but the first step on my way to paralyzing your deck and eliminating you from this tournament. Next, I will use the Grave-robber's Ghoul magic card to remove your two monsters from your graveyard." Out of his magic card came a horrifying decaying zombie, clutching a shovel. It began digging at the ground rapidly.

In an instant later, the zombie was holding up the cards of the Invader of the Throne, and Nekogal #2. Before anyone could blink it had ripped them into tiny pieces and scattered the pieces to the wind. Void glared gloomily at Dedi, "Those two will never rest in peace now that they have been removed from the graveyard, and that activates my other trap: Graverobber's Retribution. For every monster removed from play on your side of the field, you will lose 100 life points."

He took in a deep breath and continued, "Lastly, I'll play one monster face-down (Spear Cretin (500/500)) in defense-mode." Void hoped that the duel wouldn't last much longer, or at least not have much more action. This should be enough to put her away, but one could never tell. He could see the brown-backed cards were already fading in color. The amount of life force energy that he could put into this duel was ebbing slowly.

Dedi drew her card, wondering faintly about the difference in appearance of his card to hers. To her surprise, she had barely had time to look at the card (Dark Magician Girl) when it was sent to the graveyard, infected by the Crush virus. She growled softly as her life points decreased and folded her arms. There was nothing she could do this turn, "Your move, Void."

Her opponent also selected a card (Crass Clown), "I'll place another monster in defense-mode (Crass Clown (1350/1400)) and end my turn, which means that you lose another 200 LP!" The score changed again, coming even closer to equal: Void: 4000 – Dedi: 4100.

Dedi tried to ignore him, but even when she wasn't looking into those depressed, sunken eyes she could feel the ripple in the magical field that he caused, like a rock slowly being eroded by the ocean. It was there, disrupting everything around it, but it was gradually being worn away by forces over which he had no control. The Queen stared at her newest card (Malevolent Nuzzler) and thought for a moment. There was only one turn left for the virus after this. If she played this card now, it could destroy her only defense against attacks. No, it was better to wait it out and hope for the best, "I'll pass again…"

Over on the sidelines, Yugi cocked his head, "Something's not quite right…" he said, "Void's holograms are too faint…"

"Ya think his Duel Disk is on the fritz??" Joey asked.

"Maybe…" Yugi said, "But something tells me this goes deeper than malfunctioning technology." He glanced over at Yami, who nodded grimly. "I sure hope Dedi has a plan to get past him – he's dueling excellently."

Unbeknownst to everyone, Bakura was no longer himself. Once again Yami Bakura had taken control, this time out of curiosity towards the magic-disrupter. Jetsu's eliminators certainly did come in all shapes and sizes. Silently, he wondered what sort of powers the Lord might offer him in exchange for a simple trifle…say, the Millennium Puzzle… He smirked to himself and then changed his face to look more like Bakura's so the others wouldn't notice him.

The magic-resistant being noticed another wrinkle in the magical flow that excluded him, and wondered where it had originated from. No matter. All that mattered right now was this duel, and winning it. This card (Millennium Shield) was all the reminder that he needed of that, "I'll flip my Crass Clown into attack mode, which activates his special effect: sending one monster on the field back into the owner's hand! And I choose your face-down card!" The brown-backed card of Dedi's lone defense disappeared upon the revealing of the evil fiend monster. However, there was something wrong with this clown: he was a pale, gray skin color instead of the usual mustard yellow.

Void, of course, noticed this without much surprise. Having begun his dueling training several years ago, the strain on his life force had actually begun to weaken him, making him seem older than he really was. His time for this duel was running out, and he needed to finish this quickly. Snatching up two cards from his hand, the magically-resilient boy placed them on the field, "I sacrifice my last Giant Germ for a monster in defense mode (Millennium Shield (0/3000)), and I equip my Crass Clown with the Dark Energy magic card, which will increase his attack power to 1650! Now…" he paused for an instant, taking in another deep breath, trying to forget the heat that was adding to his slight fatigue and making it more serious, "Crass Clown, attack!" The evil monster rushed forward and thrust out its hand, holding up the ball of Dark Energy that had been given to it.

A wave of black energy smashed into the Egyptian Queen, dropping her life points severely, and sending a large jolt of pain through her body. Wincing, she stood again and drew a card (Amazon Archer), decreasing her life points further: Void: 4000 – Dedi: 2250.

She didn't dare look at the others of her group, not wanting to see the looks of concern they were sure to be wearing. She was a big girl, and she could take care of herself: she would prove it, "I summon the Amazon Archer (1400/1000) in attack mode! And now I equip her with the Malevolent Nuzzler card, which will increase her attack power to 2100!" For a moment, Dedi was tempted to play the Mask of Brutality, but it had a hefty cost. Still, she could just decide not to pay for it the next turn… "I'll also equip her with this: The Mask of Brutality! My magic card will increase Amazon Archer's attack power by another 1000 points, up to 3100!"

And on the field a tall, muscular woman with silver hair appeared, wearing furs and clutching a bow and arrow. Next to her, appeared a green-skinned, female triclops, who (as soon as she appeared) began to braid the Amazon Archer's beautiful hair. An instant later, a blue wooden mask latched itself onto the Archer's face, making her quite a frightening sight.

Mai smirked, "Now there's a girl you wouldn't wanna mess with."

The mighty ruler raised her right arm and extended her forefinger towards the lanky… boy? Man? "Attack the Crass Clown now! Rid the field of that threat once and for all!" With one potent arrow through its decaying head, the Crass Clown was shattered, and Void lost life points for the first time: Void: 2550 – Dedi: 2250.

Yugi breathed a small sigh of relief. Things had been looking pretty bad for a minute there. Now at least Dedi was catching up. And the 'void' seemed to be growing weaker as the turns rolled around. Dedi might not even have to win – if this kid was going to collapse soon. He frowned, worried. Something was definitely not right here.

Void sighed, his croaky breath revealing faint feelings of frustration. He pulled out another card (Chain Energy). Just one more card that would insure his victory, "I'll activate the continuous magic card Chain Energy!" Immediately, the entire field became surrounded by sickly, puke-green energy bindings, trapping the two duelists in a ring. Void looked about at his creation, slightly sickened himself, "This card will make both of us pay 500 life points each time we play cards from our hands." He lifted a hand and held up four fingers, "That gives you four cards to defeat me, Queen Dedi. Choose them wisely…"

Dedi was so taken aback by the sickly state of his hologram-creation that she almost didn't hear him. She drew her next card (Mystical Space Typhoon) and breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll play a magic card of my own," she said, "The Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your Chain Energy, at the cost of 500 points." The green ring was engulfed in a swirling whirlpool in a matter of seconds, as Dedi's life points dropped to 1750. A quick bolt of lightning finished the job and the field cleared. "Next, I'll place this monster in defense mode (Protector of the Throne (800/1500)), and pay 1000 points to keep Mask of Brutality for one more turn. Finally, I'll use Amazon Archer to attack the card on the left!"

The female warrior leapt forward, striking down on the left card. The Millennium Shield appeared and vanished in a brief flash. The score was now: Void: 2550, Dedi: 750. "Before I end my turn…" Dedi said, "I have a question for you, Void. This duel…it's killing you…isn't it…?"

Taken aback, Void let out a cough that he had been holding in, "From the stories I heard, you sounded ruthless in battle, Queen Dedi," he bowed slightly, "Do you always care for your opponents in battle?"

"I hate being at an unfair advantage," Dedi said, "and I certainly don't want to win by default if something happens to you. I wouldn't call this a battle anyway – not from my perspective. It's a competition of wits and skills, that's all. But you are growing weaker with every card you play…I never thought it would effect the actually performance of the duel disk. I have to tell you I don't like dueling this way…not when it's hurting you so badly…"

"A void learns to deal with it, as I have…" He began to stare off into space as he began to recall bad memories, "It is a curse that has run in my family for generations, or so I've been told. If a void is to use his advantage, he must be apt at controlling his pain. I will deal with it, as I always do. I know you all think I'm just some mindless slave to Jetsu, but I have a lot riding on this duel," He glared back down at Dedi, determination beating out stress in his eyes, "So we will continue."

Void drew his card (Black Illusion Ritual), "I pass this turn, but as the score stands now with you only at 550 life points from Graverobber's Retribution, and in seconds when you lose 200 more, it won't matter how tired I am. Your life points are almost gone, and your Millennium Item will be mine!" He let out a short maniacal laugh, practically tasting the victory that was to come.

Dedi ignored him and drew her next card (Monster Reborn), watching with slight dismay as her life points dropped to 350. Nevertheless, one more turn should hopefully be enough to win this duel, "I'll activate my Amazon Archer's special ability, which allows me to sacrifice both of my monsters on the field to inflict 1200 life points to you directly!" Translucent images of the Protector of the Throne and Amazon Archer gathered themselves together in the arrow of the Amazonian warrior, who fired her bow one last time. It exploded right in front of Void, and dropped his life points considerably: Void: 1350 – Dedi: 350.

Pulling two more cards out of her hand, Dedi continued, "I'll lay one monster in defense mode (Princess of Tsurugi (900/700)), and play the magic card Monster Reborn to revive my lost Dark Magician Girl!" The blue-eyed, blonde-haired girl appeared on the field in a cloud of gold dust. She yawned and stretched, as if awakening from a pleasant sleep, and then waved to Void teasingly.

"Now!" Dedi cried, "Dark Magician Girl, attack his face-down card!" The beautiful girlfriend of Yugi's favorite card jumped into the air, and lashed out with her staff, striking Void's last defense. The Spear Cretin appeared momentarily, and then vanished. The Dark Magician Girl spun around happily, and flashed Dedi the victory or peace sign.

Void was taken aback by the antics only for a moment, and then grinned, "Very well then. You may select which monster you wish to revive. I already have." Another card appeared face-down in front of Void, where the Spear Cretin had been only seconds before.

Dedi was only slightly surprised, but she decided to take advantage of the Spear Cretin's effect, reviving Nekogal #2 in attack mode. "Since it's still my Battle Phase," she said, "I'll use my Nekogal #2 to attack your new face down card!"

The cat girl sprinted forward, striking what turned out to be a second Spear Cretin. It was destroyed and both players were able to revive another monster. Dedi suddenly realized what Void's plan was. As she placed her own Invader of the Throne in defense mode, she knew he was bringing back another Spear Cretin. He was going to continue this until Graverobber's Retribution caused her to run out of life points!

"I see how this is going to be…you're very clever, boy," she said, "I'm afraid I have to end my turn here."

Void's eyes widened. She had figured out his strategy more quickly than he had ever expected, but it made little difference anymore. He ignored her complement and drew another card (Vengeful Bog Spirit) "I'll activate the magic card Vengeful Bog Spirit!" Two ghostly old figures draped in pale red clothing appeared on the field, floating around the two duelists, "This continuous magic card will stop all monster summoned to the field from now on will not be able to attack on the turn that they are summoned. Now, my Graverobber will take his vengeance out upon you once more!"

Dedi watched as her life points deteriorated further, down to just 150, and drew a card nervously (Insect Barrier). She nearly fell over in shock, but quickly composed herself. This card did her no good at all. Yugi must have missed taking it out of the deck. She sighed, and wracked her brain for something to do. Her two defense monsters (Invader of the Throne, and Princess of Tsurugi) both had effects. This was her last turn, so she might as well use them. "I'll activate the Princess of Tsurugi, which causes you to lose 500 points for every magic card you have on the field!"

The blonde-haired girl in a pink robe appeared on the field. With a quick wrist movement, her ninja Shuriken shot out, vanishing in little electric explosions as they reached Void. The score changed to Void: 350 - Dedi: 350.

"Next, I'll flip up Invader of the Throne, whose position I can switch with a monster of yours," she said. Yet another blonde-haired woman, this time, lounging in a throne that didn't belong to her, appeared on the field. In a brief flash, she switched spots with the face-down Spear Cretin. Dedi smiled, "Now, Dark Magician Girl! Destroy Invader of the Throne!"

The Dark Magician Girl waved her staff again and Invader of the throne was destroyed. Void's life points dropped to zero. The holograms all vanished and Dedi wiped the sweat off of her forehead with the sleeve of her cloak. It was over.

Void's body was wracked with pain as portions of his life force died along with his monsters and his magic cards. Dropping to his knees, the failed Eliminator gasped for breath, but only seemed to breathe out energy instead of bring it in.

The recovery process from the duel would take several hours; hours in which he would be weak and helpless. Jetsu's vengeance would be swift, he could count on that. Feeling the tiny vial of poison that he had brought along with him in his pocket, the 18-year-old raised his head to his former opponent. There was nothing worth living for anymore: he had no place to go, no energy, no friends, and no time. Life had never been much good anyway… "I… congratulate you… my Queen." Raising the tiny, corked bulb from out of nowhere, he popped the top off and held it up like a toast, "May you triumph against my master…"

Dedi had already been starting towards the boy, and when she saw the vial, flew to him like lightning, gripping his hand tightly, "What do you think you're doing??" she cried, "One loss isn't worth killing yourself over!!"

"WHAT???" cried the others.

"Kill himself??" Joey said.

"That vial must have cyanide in it!" Tea gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth.

Yugi had already started running towards the former opponents. Lord Jetsu must be really horrible if one of his own faithful servants would rather commit suicide than admit failure, he thought sadly. He reached the pair of them just as the void started speaking again.

"You don't understand…" he said weakly, wanting to pull away from Dedi but not having the strength to, "There's nothing for me now…this duel…was all that mattered…"

"Don't talk like that," Dedi said, prying the tiny glass out of his hand and putting it in her own pocket. She gripped him by the shoulders and pulled him to her, letting his head rest on her shoulder. "We'll get you away from here," she said tenderly, "We'll find you're real parents…get you to a good doctor…it'll be alright, you'll see…"

"Why…?" Void said, his voice choked with tears, "Why are you doing this…? If I'd had the power, I'd have killed you in an instant…I don't deserve this…I…" he swallowed, "I've never been held before…"

Dedi rocked him gently back and forth, her arms still tightly around him. "We're a product of our environment, they say," she said, "You did what you were taught…I do what my heart tells me, and nothing else. I find that's the best way to live."

In barely a whisper, Void murmured, "Thank you…Mother…" and then slipped into unconsciousness. Dedi's eyes grew wide with his final words, and then she nearly dissolved into tears herself. How many years had she prayed to the gods to bless her with a child? Had it truly taken a millennium for them to hear her?

"What do we do now?" she heard Yugi ask and looked up.

"Get him to a hospital," she said, "That's all we can do for now."

The others had gathered around by now, and Joey and Tristan took Void between them, slinging his arms over their shoulders and holding him up. As they headed off, the crowd parted for them, looking on in silent confusion.