Taleah: Look out everybody! She's in a really sappy mood!

Flower Petals: (nose blowing) I'm just so happy! All the support and reviews are more then I could have ever asked for!

Taleah: Oh, no. Here's more.

Flower Petals: (blows nose again) Never did I expect that I'd get eleven reviews, when I had only asked for eight! I asked for so many because I was lazy, and now I've had to update before I became unlazy!

Taleah: Oh, brother.

Flower Petals: Did you just call me your brother?

Taleah: No! I said, "oh brother!"

Flower Petals: (looks around) We have a brother?

Taleah: Oh my heavens. . .

Flower Petals: Really? How many do you have?

Taleah: Just get on with it!

Flower Petals: Right. Okay folks, this chapter is another long one, so I, unfortunately, don't have time to chat. But I will answer a few questions.

For Samantha J, C: You asked when Yugi and Taleah will figure out about their Millennium Items. Your answer is: Very, very ,very soon! The only thing is, back when I wrote this, I knew nothing about Millennium Items. So upset by this lack of knowledge, I invented my own reasons for the existence of these Items.

For S. Chensu: This fan fiction is very much like the TV show. But remember, I finished writing it way before the second season ever began so I didn't know anything about the finals. This story, for the most part, follows Duelist Kingdom only with original duels, original characters, a original plot and an unforseen twist. So it won't be as long as the TV series, and actually only lasts thirteen chapters. However, since some of the chapters are soooooooo long, I've had to divide a few in half, and some into three parts.

Oh, and I wanted you to know Chensu, that I completely agree with you on Tea bashing. To tell you the truth, I've never really liked her character, but I don't believe that gives anyone reason to bash her.

Flower Petals: Thank you for everyone who reviewed: Sakurelle, Ry the Dark/Mystical Elf, Mina-chan AMD, Kikoken, Samantha, Chensu, Maruken, (who by the way, are you sure you reviewed the right story???), my sister, And my friends who are pretty much everybody else. . .


Flower Petals

Predators and Prey

School ended at last. It was a day of relief for everybody. They had all passed their final exams. (Thanks to Taleah). Because they had done so well, Tae's parents had thrown a huge party full of games, snacks, and fun. Unfortunately, the power had gone out about half way through. Everyone was thankful that Mrs. Gardner collected scented candles. So despite the dimly lit rooms, the party had continued.

Tristen and Tae had decided to come with Taleah, Yugi, and Joey, even though they didn't have invitations. When Taleah had asked how they were going to get on the ferry without a pass, Tae had replied that they were going to sneak on. How, nobody knew.

It was a sad day when they all had to say goodbye. Tae spent the afternoon with her parents. Joey and his father had gone to see a movie together. Tristen and his parents had gone to the beach. Yugi kept to himself, and temporarily closed down the Game Shop. Bakura and Taleah took a long walk.

"I'm going to miss you," Kury told Taleah.

"Likewise. I wish you could come with us."

Kury stared at the ground. "Yes, me too. You better be going now. Don't want to miss the boat, now do ya?"

Taleah hugged her friend. "See you in a little while, Mate."


"What do you mean you're leaving?!"

Mo stood with his hands on his hips, glaring up at Taleah. He had his lips pursed and his nose scrunched up. He looked so cute, that Taleah couldn't help but bend down and hug him.. At first, he angrily tried to shove her away, but then he relaxed and squeezed her tight. So tight, that Taleah could barely breathe.

"All right! That's enough."

"Don't leave me!"

"I have to go."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Do not!"

"Uh, huh."

Mo's eyes filled with tears. "You mean you're really leaving?"

"Yes, Mo. I'm sorry but I must. Don't forget me while I'm gone."

Mo pouted. "Great. Now all I have left to hang out with is my cruddy brother."

"Speaking of that, where is your brother?"

Mo rubbed his nose and pointed up to a balcony high above the grounds. It could have only been Kaiba's bedroom. "He's up there. He didn't want to come down for some reason."

"Ah. Well, goodbye Mo." She ruffled his hair. "The first thing I'll do when I come back is pay you a visit."

Mo sat down on the stairs and rested his chin in his hands. "I'll be waiting right here."

"Might get a little cold there," Taleah warned. "Sitting in one spot. It might rain too. And it might snow. What about food? Your quote on quote cruddy brother would have to bring you that."

"You're right." Mo sprang up. "He might poison me. I'll have to keep a close eye on him."

"You do just that," Taleah laughed.


Taleah had already started walking through the woods. In less then ten minutes, she'd be at the ferry and departing. She wouldn't be back for a whole month. Still, time traveled fast when you were busy. But a month seemed like such a long time. . .thirty-one days. . .seven hundred and forty-four hours. . .forty-four thousand, six hundred and forty minutes. . .God knew how many seconds. . .

All those thoughts ran through Kaiba's head as he watched Taleah leave. She'd be out of sight in a minute or two. Then she'd be gone. . .

He couldn't stand it any more. He was torturing himself! In one quick, fluid motion, he grabbed something off his desk and fled down the staircase, tripping once and almost plummeting to the bottom.

The butler was at the front door. "Will you be needing a ride, Mr. Kaiba?"

"Not today!" Kaiba shouted over his shoulder as he sped out the door and leapt over Mo's solemn figure. Maybe I'll catch her on time. . .


Taleah felt sad about leaving Mo and Kury behind. Two of her best friends. She'd miss them a lot. Heck! She was missing them already. A month seemed like forever. . .

As she picked her way through the dense forest that was the front yard of the Kaiba mansion, she began wondering what she was doing. What chance do I have actually winning this tournament? I just won my first duel not too long ago! There's no way I'll be a finalist. I'll lose right away. Then I'll never see my parents again.

She was almost at the ferry. She could smell the scent of sea water. Seagulls cried out above her. A few circled and dove down to snatch their unsuspecting prey off of the beach. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a pinkish hue throughout the sky.

People had already started boarding. There were vehicles all around the dock. It was too late now to turn back. . .she had made up her mind.

A twig snapped behind her.

She turned to see a tired, sweaty, Kaiba. He put a hand on a nearby mahogany tree and leaned against it, panting. It looked like he had just gone on a run. In his business suit and everything. He collected his remaining dignity and strolled over to where she stood.

"I just wanted to bid you farewell."

"Oh, I'm glad. I thought you were never going to come down from your room. Is it nice up there? Anyway, this is the last time I'll be seeing you for awhile. I mean, you going on that other business trip and all. So take good care of Mo for me."

"I will. Have a pleasant trip. I wish you the best of luck."

"I, um. . .better be going now."

"Right." Kaiba flushed red. "Wait! Here, take this."

He reached into his pants pocked and retrieved what looked like a card. A Duel Monster card. He handed it to her.

Taleah gazed at the card with amazement. It was the Change of Heart card. The one she had wanted. The one Tae had used against her. Only now, she had one of her own.

"I-I d-don't know what to s-s-say," Taleah sputtered. "Th-thank you. Thank you so much."

Kaiba looked relieved. "I'm glad you like it. I figured it would prove helpful for future uses."

"Yeah."

The ferry horn sounded. It startled Taleah so much, that she checked to make sure the boat was still there and hadn't left without her. It was still docked. Taleah sighed with relief.

She turned back to say something to Kaiba, but he had already left. Just wanted to say goodbye. She smiled. She was happy now.


"Attention boarders!" boomed Kemo. "Please present your starchips before you board the vessel. I repeat, please present your starchips before you board the vessel."

"Seems like Pegasus has Shades der doin' just about everythin'," Joey said. "Watch, next he'll be actin' as da construction worker."

Joey, Tristen, Tae, Yugi, and Taleah stood in a very long line that began at the ferry and wrapped all the way around the next few blocks. They were somewhere in the middle. The line wasn't moving very fast.

Tristen poked Joey in the shoulder. "Yo Joe, not for nothing, but would you mind telling us why you're competing? You seemed to want the three million for some reason."

Yugi knew why. "Don't Tristen, Joey is sensitive when it comes to-"

"My sister," Joey finished his friend's sentence. "My baby sister." He ran a hand through his bushy, blonde hair. "Our parents divorced when I was five an' she was three. She went far away da go live wit' our mother. Haven't seen her since. Although, not too long ago, she sent me da tape. She said. . .she said she was runnin' out of time." He swallowed. "Ya see, my sister was born wit' bad eyes. Withou' corrective surgery she'll go blind. Doctors could perform da procedure now, but it's too expensive. I'd never be able da raise da money. So I just thought by entering dis tournament, I'd have da better chance of helpin' her out. Dat's all."

"I didn't know," Tae admitted.

"We'll help you out," Yugi said with a determined look on his face. "With all of us working together, there's no way we can lose."

"Right," Taleah agreed. "Yugi is fighting for his grandfather, Joey for his sister, and me, for my parents. Together, we'll help them all."

Tristen tugged at Tae's shirt sleeve. "Very touching guys, but we have to be leaving. They've already started loading the cargo boxes."

Joey choked. "Cargo boxes? Cargo boxes! Dat's yar master plan? To sneak on board in cargo boxes!"

"Have a better idea?" Tae asked, haughtily.

Joey had to think about that one.

"Never mind. See you guys when we dock."

"Bye."

"Have a nice trip."

"In cargo boxes," Joey added.

They were almost at the entrance, where three stern faced people sat behind a table. Each looked meaner then the previous, until the last one, who was by far, the meanest, scariest, one of them all. Boarders had to present their starchips to them before they could enter the ferry.

"Hello fellow competitors," said the first one, (a lady with bright orange hair), to Yugi, Joey, and Taleah. "May I see you starchips?"

They flashed them at her.

The second person sitting behind the table, (a man with crooked teeth), spoke. "Think of these as your treasure. Very precious treasure. You are going to an island to collect more. Lose your treasure, and you will return here. Understand?"

They nodded.

The third and final person, (a man with scary, dark features), stood up. He held out what looked like handcuffs. "You must where these."

Joey freaked. "No way am I goin' da let ya arrest me! Don't take me da jail-I didn't do nothin' wrong!"

"Right hand out," ordered the man.

Yugi, Joey, and Taleah obeyed obediently. They all watched as the man rested a circular, metal bar around each of their right wrists, and snapped it into place. It fit snuggly right above the red, velvet glove. Ten star shaped holes were evenly spread all the way around. The man placed the two starchips in two of the star shaped holes.

"Keep them there."

They thanked the people politely, then entered the ferry. As soon as they got on, they were in awe. For it was the biggest sea vessel they'd ever been on. It was bigger then any luxury cruise ship, and held nearly five times the amount of people. It was strikingly attractive, with a lovely pink carpet and dashing, dark wood throughout. The first room was occupied by many luxurious chairs and booths, set in a series of rows. The second, held a few tables for eating, and a few food and soda machines. The room after that was for trading. Lots of people were already exchanging cards. Then, there was a staircase leading up to the second level which held small compartments where the passengers could sleep. Only the most exceptional duelists got their own room, equipped with a shower and everything.

Yugi, Taleah, and Joey sat down at a booth and watched as more passengers continued to board. They hadn't recognized any of the people. So many of them, they decided, must have been out-of-towners. Some looked like they had come from completely different parts of the world. None seemed to come from their small town.

Joey yawned. "I'm beat."

Yugi leaned back against the booth, next to Taleah. "Me too. Think we should call it a night?"

Taleah dug her out her dueling deck and started leaving through it. She also, (but Yugi and Joey didn't notice), slipped the Change of Heart card into her deck. "I don't know. I was thinking about trading."

"Dat's a good idea." Joey stood up and stretched. "I think I'll go and do some tradin'. How about dit Yugi?"

Yugi shook his head. "Not this time Joey. I'm happy with the way my deck is now."

"Which deck are ya usin', anyway?"

Taleah blinked. "You mean Yugi has more then one Duel Monsters Deck?"

Yugi put a hand on his head. "I have many, in fact. Eight, to be exact. But I brought none of them with me for this trip. To answer your question, Joey, I brought my grandfather's favorite deck. One that he assembled with much love and care. I figured that by dueling with his deck, in a way he'd be there fighting alongside me. Silly, I know. But still. . .Oh, and I took his rarest card: the Blue Eyes White Dragon."

Joey's eyes grew wide. "Dat one? It's pretty rare. Gramps told me abou' it. Only four din da world. Strongest card der is."

"Didn't Kaiba make your grandfather swear that he'd never use it and always keep it hidden?" Taleah asked.

"Yes. But my grandfather was subjected to that deal. Not me. Besides, what could Kaiba do? Kidnap my grandfather?"

"See yar point, buddy." Joey glanced anxiously over at the trading room. "Better get goin' before all da good cards are gone."

"Good luck, Joe," Yugi and Taleah said simultaneously. They smiled at each other.

"You're going to be tough to beat with that card at your disposal," Taleah stated.

"Maybe. But there are a lot of strong competitors about. One card can't win me everything. I must rely on the cards I already have."

A young kid with big, bulging eyes accosted them. "Hey, Spikey, you want to duel?"

As a reaction, Yugi's hands shot up to smooth down his hair. It just made it worse. His hair, as if being defiant, stuck out even more. "Sure. I'd be glad to."

Taleah watched as Yugi and the funky eyed kid headed towards the trading room where there were also some game boards set up. Yugi turned once and waved at her. She gave him the thumbs up signal.

There was no doubt in her mind-she knew that Yugi would win. He was a great duelist who faithfully believed in the Heart of the Cards. She had never once seen him lose, except to his grandfather, but that was only natural. For Gramps had taught him, and no student could ever supersede their teacher's skill.

Taleah tensed up. She felt like she was being watched. Quickly, but as to not raise attention, she scanned the room. Everybody seemed content talking to one another. None payed her any attention. But one, just one, stood out from all the rest. He was sitting not too far from Taleah, watching her intently.

As soon as she met his gaze, she diverted her eyes. But just that quick glance had told her all that she needed to know. He was around her age, if not older, and was actually quite attractive. But that didn't sidetrack Taleah from the fact that whoever he was and whatever he looked like, she was still staring right at her!

I don't want to talk to him, she thought. He's probably some creep. What if he comes over here and asks me if I want a drink or something? I know, I'll just leave before he can think of approaching me. Taleah waited for a large group of people to pass by her booth, then stood and followed closely behind. It worked. Now he won't see me leave.

"Hi. What's your name?"

Taleah nearly fainted. The boy was right behind her! How was she going to escape now? "Um. . .I forgot. And I'm twenty-one years old."

"That's pretty old," the boy thought out loud. "You didn't look that way a few seconds ago."

Taleah sighed. He was probably harmless. "Sorry. I think I remember my name now. It's Taleah. And I'm really only fifteen."

"I'm seventeen. Could I have your phone number?"

Taleah was baffled. No guy had ever asked her that question before. Except for Joey that was, when he had lost her phone number that one time. She didn't quite know who to answer him. "Phone number? Um, why? I mean, you couldn't call my house for a whole month! And by that time-" you would have found somebody else to stare at and talk to, she wanted to say.

The boy began to grow persistent. "Come on! Just give it to me. It's not all that hard you know. Write it down!"

Taleah got defensive. "No way!"

The boy got angry and was about to grab her, when a voice from nowhere said, "Get away from her you loser!" A hand took the kid by the shoulders and flung him away.


Tae and Tristen were getting bored and anxious in one of the empty cargo boxes. It was a tight squeeze, and there wasn't much to do to keep them busy. Tristen had long since drawn a line down the center, marking their boundaries. He claimed it to be even, but Tae knew that Tristen had at least a quarter of an inch more leg space then she did.

After a few games of tic-tac-toe played in the dust, Tae declared that she had finally, had enough. Both her legs were numb, and she was suffocating in the compact cargo box. So despite Tristen's protests, she stood to stretch her legs and get a break.

"Get down!" Tristen hissed. "Someone might see us! Then what? We aren't even supposed to be here!"

Tae lifted her arm above her head. "So what? We're in the middle of nowhere, Tris. What could they do if they spotted us? Throw us overboard?"

"Us? If somebody is going to spot anybody, it's going to be you! And when you're thrown overboard, don't come crying back to me!"

Tae was about to retort something back, when she heard the doors leading out to the balcony being opened; the balcony that lead to all the cargo boxes. Tristen was still yapping, so she snapped at him to be quiet.

"Me! Be quiet?! You're the one standing!"

"Shut up! Someone's coming."

"Get down!"

"No. I want to see who it is."

Tae left the safety of the cargo boxes and hid behind a beam. Not too much later, a white haired teenager existed the room he had been in, and peered out over the railing along the side of the boat. Tae's heart nearly stopped.

"Who is it? Not that you'd know, anyway."

When Tae spoke, her voice was a whisper. "It's. . .Bakura. It's Kury."

Tristen punched her playfully in the leg. "Come on. For real, Tae. Tae? Tae! Where do you think you're going?"

Tae didn't reply. She walked in a crouch and snuck closer. It can't be Kury, she thought. It just can't. He's still at home, awaiting his parents' arrival. If it's not him, then who is it? How many teenagers have white hair?

Kury, or whoever it was, turned and went back inside, closing the door behind him. Right then, Tae didn't care if she was spotted or not. After all, if it was Kury, wouldn't he be looking for his friends?

"Come back," Tristen begged. "Don't leave! We'll both get thrown overboard! Come back."

Tae didn't heed his advice.

A girl wearing high heeled leather boots that came up to her knees, a very mini, purple mini skirt, a sleeveless, white blouse that was cut so it showed her belly and didn't fully cover her chest, and a purple leather jacket who's sleeves were rolled up, stretched out a hand and helped Taleah up, off the floor. She had long, wavy, blond hair and a penetrating gaze.

"The name's Mai," she said in a voice that made her sound very stuck up. "Girls should look out for each other."

"Thanks." Taleah rubbed her sore head. She remembered being pushed down, and landing hard on the ground. But that was it. "I'm Taleah."

Mai laughed. It was a strident sound that made Taleah's ears hurt. "You don't know who I am, do you? No? I happen to be the winner of the National Duel Monsters Tournament. Or one of the winners, I should say. I finished second. All thanks to that Seto Kaiba. That jerk! He drew all three of his Blue Eyes on me. There was no way I could win."

Taleah didn't know which to be more baffled by; the fact that Kaiba was a professional duelist, or that he had three Blue Eyes White Dragon cards. She wasn't sure she had heard Mai correctly. "Three? Surely, that's impossible."

Mai laughed again and put her hands on her hips. "He searched all over the world for them. Spent a fortune getting them all. Never was able to get the fourth, I guess. But even if he had, he wouldn't have been able to keep it in his deck. After all, a duelist can only have three of one kind of card in their deck."

Taleah was in a stupor. "Fourth? Three of one kind? Seto Kaiba?"

Mai was angry now. "Will you stop echoing everything I say? You're beginning to sound like a broken record. It's not like you know Seto Kaiba. Even I've only met him once, and believe me, I get around."

"I know him," Taleah persisted, still in her daze. "I watched over his brother, Mo, every Saturday. I spent most of my week at the Kaiba mansion. Spent the night once. . ." (Taleah didn't know what she was saying). She was still so shocked at everything.

"I'm sure that didn't happen," Mai said, tossing her hair over her shoulders. "You and him? Don't see that happening. Sorry girl." She spotted Taleah's bracelet. A look of greed and longing came over her face.


Tae followed Bakura all over the ship. He always seemed to be one step ahead; as if this was all planned.

There were so many people there. Faces flooded by, and conversations carried on. Luckily, they didn't seem to notice a girl without a dueling glove walking past. Maybe they thought she had forgotten to wear it, or had left it in her room. Or maybe, they just didn't care.

Kury disappeared around a corner. Oh no, Tae thought, I've lost him. She sped up to a jog and raced after him. Why is he running away? Where is he leading me to? Surely, he knows he's being followed. She turned the corner too, and found a narrow corridor that lead to a dead end and the last of the passenger rooms. The entire hall was lacking in light; somber in color.

There is nowhere else he could have gone, Tae thought to herself. He has to be in that room.


Taleah tried her hardest to sway Mai into believing that her bracelet was worth nothing. But Mai was not too easily convinced. She asked Taleah questions about its origin, and became even more suspicious when Taleah didn't have answers.

"I told you already," Taleah said in an exasperated sigh, "I have no idea."

Mai got cross. "So it doesn't mean anything to you, huh? Well, if it's not worth anything, why don't you sell it to me right now?"

Taleah gulped.


Tae knocked on the door. No one answered. She tried hollering at the person to come out, but it didn't work. After a few ferocious attempts at bringing the door down, she discovered it was unlocked. So she entered.

The room was pitch black She couldn't even see the back of her hand. She couldn't see anything! There was no light switch anywhere. Was Kury in there? If he was-

A hand clasped around her mouth and drew her in close. There was no use struggling-whoever it was who had her, was too strong. Besides, Tae had the sickening feeling that it was Kury keeping her still.

A raspy whisper erupted near her ear. "You were never here. You did not find what you were looking for. Go back to the cargo boxes where you were hiding."

Whatever insensible condition she had been in, she was cured from now. Her mind was clear. "Thank you for helping me out," Taleah told Mai. "My friends are probably looking for me. I should find them." Even as she left, she could feel Mai's gaze follow her.

She met back up with Yugi and Joey in the eating quarters. They were sitting on top of a table, back turned to her, discussing winning dueling strategies and Joey's latest trades.

Taleah sat in-between them. "How did your duel go, Yugi? Get a few good cards, Joey?"

"Won five out of five games," Yugi told her proudly. "Never did draw my Blue Eyes White Dragon card, though."

Joey grinned, devilishly. "Well, if ya really don't need dit pal, I'd be willin' da take good care of it for ya."

"No, I don't think so Joe."

The three sat on the table for some time, enjoying each other's company. It had been a long while since they had just hung out. Taleah had been busy with Mo, Yugi had been running his grandfather's shop, and Joey had been in Tristen's company. They hadn't had time for one another at all.

"Wanna sleep?" Joey asked.

Yugi and Taleah were already walking up the stairs leading to their rooms.

"Slow poke," Taleah joked.

"If you hadn't tripped and snapped Joey out of his daze, we would have been asleep before he even realized that we were gone," Yugi claimed.

"Daze? What are ya talkin' about? I knew da whole time dat ya guys were headin' up to. . .uh, where are ya guys goin'? Guys? Hey, guys! Wait for me!"


Tristen was furious. "Tae, where did you go? Get down before someone sees you!"

Tae appeared to be in some kind of trance. She walked like a robot, placing one foot down, then bending at the knee of her other leg, slowly lifting, and then stepping down. Her eyes were unfocussed and she spoke emphasizing syllables and pausing after each word.

"I was never there. I did not find what I had thought I was looking for. I've come back to the cargo boxes where I had been hiding."

Tristen didn't know what to make of her. "Whatever. Anyway, you'll be happy to know that I re-drew our boundary line. Now, I'm pretty sure it's even. You can check if you want. I'm going to bed. You can sleep over there. See you in the morning."


The ferry ride was almost over. The sun had risen a few hours before, and cast its golden brilliance upon the sea, making it glitter and sparkle. The continuous body of water spread out in every direction for what looked like infinity. From one of the balconies, one could see only the water, and a fantastic island right out in the middle, with monstrous trees and a sandy shore.

A voice sounded over the intercom. "We're almost there folks. To the Duelist Kingdom itself! Hundreds of acres of forest, valleys, desserts, beaches, woods, meadows, trails, marshlands, and adventures! Yup, this place has it all!" The speaker went on to tell the listeners about how the island had formed thousands of years ago and how it had come into the possession of Pegasus.

The five friends, Tristen, Joey, Tae, Yugi, and Taleah stood on one of the balconies, each shaken up about their own adventures they had had the previous night. Joey was worried if he'd made all the right trades, Tae remembered nothing of the whole trip and that bothered her, Tristen was positive that somebody had seen him and was ranting on and on about being thrown overboard, and Taleah was growing more curious about her Millennium Item. She knew nothing about it! Except that it was ancient. Yugi, however, was fine and assured his friends that whatever lay ahead for them, they'd face it together.

Tae nodded her head. "Right. Because friends should stick together and always be there for each other."

Yugi held onto the railing as he let the wind whip at his face. "Whatever awaits us down the road is just another adventure for us to take on."

~

Flower Petals: Thank you for reading! I know it started off slow, and sorry for that. But it gets better! The next chapter will actually take place in Duelist Kingdom where somebody will duel! And somebody will lose their only hope of saving the one person they care most about. . .Bwahahahahahahahahahahahah!

Anyway, if you want to see more, please review! R-E-V-I-E-W! I'd like to have ten reviews before my next update. Thanks everyone!