By Aiko Hotaru

Chapter 3: Two Opponents, One Struggle

Don't Own SM or Yu-Gi-Oh!

Hotaru stared out at the fields of players. Her nervousness wasn't visible even though her stomach jumbled this way and that every second she passed other players. Her heart raced with anticipation. Calm Down, Hotaru Hissed Maat inside of her mind. Sighing, the girl shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Whatever…" She whispered to herself. A light tap on the shoulder shook the girl from reality. "Hi there chick…wanna match?" A teenager wearing dark sunglasses kept looking her up and down. "I don't know…how many star chips ya got?" She pointed to his red glove, a sly smile twisted on her face. "I got three already." He grinned. "Ok…I'll duel…winner gets two star chips." She lifted up her maroon colored item, revealing she hadn't been challenged yet. "Deal." The old boy smiled, and as the two turned to enter their areas his hand reached over to touch something improper of her lower half. That's it! He is so toast! Maat yelled in disgust in Hotaru's mind as she quickly took over. Slowly the game began.

"I choose the very top of my deck…the Shadow Goul!" The man placed out the ugly green monster with bright hundreds of red eyes. Hotaru, or rather Maat looked over the scenery. She smirked, already realizing this poor fool's error. Removing a card from her deck she grinned. "I pick the Harpies Lady." She smiled as her points boosted incredibly. "Ha! That cards week unless you have the sisters and other cards." The man told her. "But you forget that the sky and mountainous terran make my lady extremely powerful against your down to earth bug." She cried out. "And now to bring in the big act." The man interrupted her. "I call upon the Pendulum Machine." He told her. She just sighed. What is he…an idiot. Hotaru chuckled from her floating spot in her own mind. I would think he hasn't the slightest ability to duel Maat informed her and lifted up a card. "My turn. I choose the Harpies Pet Dragon. Pet Dragon Obliterate that Machine!" She called out. The man cried as his poor choice in weaponry went down the drain. "Fine. I give the Shadow Goul a power up and a weapon Attack- AK it didn't work!!!" She sighed, this man WAS clueless. Lifting the last card she smirked. "I use this!" She placed down the armor that enabled the Harpies to duplicate itself. "Harpies Ladies ATTACK!" She called out. The monsters relentlessly attacked the bug until it was no more. "I lost!" the man cried out, tears streaming down his cheeks. He gave up his chips and ran away crying.

Joey had just finished his duel with Mai when a pitiful man ran past Mai and him crying his eyes out. "I lost! I lost!" He kept crying and running on. "Man…what a baby…" Tea' moaned. "Yeah…all that fuss over 2 star chips." The group turned and came face to face with Hotaru. Tristan and Joey began to drool at the girl. "Hi again…Ms. Hotaru…" Joey waved like a stupid idiot, still drooling over the petite girl. Mai had taken the opportunity to leave. "Hi Hotaru. How many star chips do you have?" Hotaru blinked and looked at the curious boy.

Hotaru blinked slightly surprised by Yugi's sudden politeness. "Just 2." She said, shyly smiling. "Oh wow! I just got my first chip." Joey held up his arm to prove his happiness. "Yeah. First time I actually dueled." She shrugged it off like it was nothing. "WHAT?!" Three of the friends yelled. "Huh? Was it something I said?" She looked at them and blinked as questions came from one or the other. "Was that your first ever duel. Miss Hotaru?" Yugi asked. Hotaru nodded her head. "Yes…First one." She smiled softly. "And just call me Hotaru. Please?" Yugi grinned and nodded. "Well I gotta get going." Hotaru shrugged and pulled her bag into view. It was a small one too. "I bet. Hey Hotaru, wanna have dinner with us?" Joey lifted out his arm. Hotaru placed a finger on her mouth and thought for a moment. "You don't have anything to eat do you?" She looked at Joey who sweatdropped and shook his head vigorously. "Yeah…" Yugi stated. "Come on and let's set up camp. I guess I won't mind sharing what I got." She pointed her bag.

Hotaru spread everything out while the boys worked on their fire. "Here." She handed Tea' something. "What's that?" Tristan questioned. "Oh wow!" Tea' grinned from ear to ear. "What?" "How'd you know?" Hotaru shrugged. "Intuition." "What is it already?!" Tristan screeched. Tea' revealed a small candy bar. "Chocolate?" "Yep." Hotaru smiled. "Anyway…I'll cook…you guys do guy stuff k?" She winked. "Guy stuff? Huh?" Tristan and Joey laughed, as Yugi seemed so confused. Hotaru shook her head and began to cook.

1 hour later ****

"Wow Hotaru! That was great! Where did you learn to cook like that?" Yugi questioned the slightly smaller raven head. "At first my adoptive mother, Michiru taught me. Then another woman, Makoto did." She grinned. "And I actually have a tolerance for horseradish thanks to my adoptive pop." She smiled. "You're adopted." Tea' asked in a low tone. "Yes…" She looked down. "My mother was a great woman who died when I was very young so I don't remember her at all. My father was a professor who died about 6 years or so ago." "Oh…I'm sorry…" Hotaru sighed. "My adoptive families really nice though. And I didn't know my father to well, he was always so busy with work or something like that." She shrugged. "So who are you're adoptive parents?" Tristan asked. "My adoptive mothers are Michiru Kaioh and Setsuna Meioh." She smirked, "And my adoptive father is Haruka Tenoh. They and I have been living together for over 8 years now." She grinned. "Setsuna-mama started out as my nanny at first so that's how I got into their care." "Wait a sec! The Michiru Kaioh and Haruka Tenoh!" Hotaru giggled. "Yep. The greatest pair of musicians around!" She cried triumphantly.

Even later**

Hotaru sat by the edge of the cliff. "Hey Hotaru…Can't sleep?" Came a calming voice. Hotaru turned to look into Yugi's purple light eyes. "Yeah…I just keep thinking about what I'm doing here…how I came to be here and why I am here." She sighed. "I know what you mean." Yugi sat down next to her and gave a sad smile again. "I'm here for my grandfather, Joey's here for his sister." "And I'm here for the only people who have ever called me a family member and a friend." She slyly looked out to the watery end. "Sometimes though…everything comes down to one person…and I'm not sure its right for that to happen…" She whispered, her mind constantly on the princess back some hundreds of miles away. "I guess it really matters on the soul of the person…" Yugi spoke, his voice soft and comforting. "And on what the reason you are fighting for is." He finished. "You never told me if you have a Yami, you know?" He chuckled. Hotaru smiled softly at him. "Yes no…I don't know…maybe…" She sighed. "I guess that we all have Yami's hidden in us. It's unlocking them and their mysteries that's the key." "I know when the time comes Hotaru…that you and I facing each other is not going to be easy…" Yugi's voice seemed to take on a deeper tone. His eyes a darker more knowledgeable one. So this was the other Yugi? "I agree…" She got up and started to walk away.

Stopping for a brief moment, Hotaru stared at the smaller boy. "Just keep yourself safe, Yu-Gi-Oh…" Maat and herself walked off into the night. It was something she preferred. The journeys ahead would be tough, but the three duelists would meet again in a different situation and she couldn't get close to anyone if that happened.

TBC…

Next Chapter: Two fights…One Boy's fate