Flower Petals: Hello everyone. Sorry about the late update, it's just that things haven't been going well over here and. . .well, yeah. So sorry. And also, going back over this story has made me realize just how terrible it is, so I'm sorry you all have had to read this. And thank you SO much for supporting it anyway. But you don't have to anymore if you don't want to. . .

For Mina: Thank you for pointing out that little mishap about the Bakura/Tristen card deal. I didn't realize I had made that mistake. But I guess I just simply make too many to correct. Thank you for reviewing.

For Mamono: Admitting being weird, is the first step. Trust me. . .Oh, and I really enjoyed writing the Tea slapping Kaiba part, especially because I have wanted to do it so many times. Thanks for the reviews.

For Peace Writer: I know I make TONS of mistakes, and I'm really sorry for them. I'll try to be better but. . .well I don't know. . .And I'm sorry you didn't make it in the Connecticut thing. But what an accomplishment being the best singer in the school. I wish I could be good at something. . .Thanks for reviewing.

For TAB: Please don't do anything evil. Please!

For Misura: Yup, Seto sure has a people he cares about being kidnaped problem. I kind of feel sorry for him. Well, almost. . . Thank you SO much for supporting me and reviewing.

For Nari: I really like your new tournament story. I wish I could write tournaments that well. . .Thanks for reviewin'.

For Sakurelle: I'm sorry I couldn't thank you in the last chapter. I still feel real bad about that. You have stuck by me since the beginning, and for that, I'm really grateful.

For Sapphira Rains: Hey Lyss, I really like your new pen name. And shame on you for writing another story! Nah, I'm actually going to read it whenever I get the chance.

Well thank you all for reviewing, and sorry if I forgot anybody which has been happening lately because I'm stupid and my memory is non-existent.

Also, this chapter was so long, I divided it into two parts. So here's the first one.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Nothing.


Flower Petals

Unexpected Consequences


"Patience, Gentlemen."

The men speaking through the screen had never heard of such a word. "Of course, if you had disposed of Kaiba as originally planned, we would have already assumed power. Don't worry; we'll finished what you started."

Pegasus grew tense. "No. No one is to lay even a finger upon Seto Kaiba."

A man with a brown goatee spoke next. "But if he's able to rescue his younger brother, we'll lose our only tie to the Kaiba name."

Pegasus sighed. It would not be easy convincing business people such as the Big Five into trusting him. Then again, he couldn't be trusted. But he had no intention of letting them find out. "Mokuba's future role as figurehead will not be jeopardized by his older brother's presence. Trust me, Gentlemen. I have my own plans for Seto Kaiba and the technical knowledge he possess."

"Don't fail us."

"Gentlemen," Pegasus said as he abandoned his chair and strode over to a window, "KaibaCorp. is about to enter a new era of prosperity and you are all about to become obscenely rich." He raised his wine glass for a toast. The red liquid stirred within.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Taleah had stopped fighting him two seconds after he had picked her up. He was unbelievably strong. Too strong. So it was no use struggling. She would save her strength for later, in case she needed it. Right then, all she could do was sit perched on Panic's shoulder like some kind of parakeet and remain quiet as to not irritate him.

He had treated her well enough, besides the fact that he fact that he had kidnaped her and all. He had even begun to trust her a little bit. But that was mostly because he knew as well as Taleah did that she had no means of escape. She couldn't run-he'd catch up with her shortly. And she couldn't hide, because she didn't have enough time to run away and find a place in which to hide. She knew she couldn't escape. Her only hope was to persuade him into letting her go. Which to her now, seemed impossible. Panic was as stubborn as two Joey's. Maybe even more so.

Ever since he had first set up camp, he had been asking her questions most of which, didn't have answers to. The ones Taleah could answer got buried under a hundred more before she could even reply. Panic still couldn't believe that he had lost. It haunted him. Tortured him. Once, he had even convinced himself that she had cheated somehow.

After a while, Taleah stopped trying to answer the inquiries. It was no use anyway, for she believed that even if Panic got the answers he was searching for, he still wouldn't be satisfied. But Taleah wasn't complaining. She was happy that Panic so far, seemed to have no notion of hurting her. He had been kind, even fed her, and made sure she stayed close enough to the fire for warmth. How long his so called kindness would last, Taleah wasn't sure. He seemed to be growing increasingly impatient. Which meant she was running out of time.

Panic threw another log onto the fire and sat down on the other side

Fire. Hmm. That gives me an idea. "It's cold. Would I be asking to much if you could just maybe turn up the heat? The fire is so small. It looks like it's about to go out."

"Nonsense." Panic poured a large amount of propane unto the fire making it blaze brightly. "That should last until morning."

"Is that all you can do?"

Panic looked offended. "All? Alright, I'll show you a fire. How's that?"

It was a bonfire now.

Good. Maybe somebody will see it. . .

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kaiba smelled the scent of smoke long before he saw the flames flickering high above any tree. He knew that only one person could make that fire. Or dare to. How fortuitous-I had been helplessly lost. At least now I know where the camp is situated. He picked up his pace.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I am finished asking questions."

Taleah swallowed.

"What to do with you. . ."

Okay, now is the time somebody. . .anybody. . .

"Hmm."

Is he really going to hurt me?

"I know. How about I-"

"Hand her over to me," a voice finished.

Panic hollered something inaudible at the intruder and quickly threw a dirty, old blanket over Taleah so that she couldn't be seen, whispering to her to be quiet. Then he whirled around to face Seto Kaiba. "What do you want?"

"The girl."

"What do you want with her?"

"That is none of your business."

"She's mine. You can have some other girl."

"I want this one."

Panic growled.

"How about a duel?" Kaiba proposed. "If I win, I get the girl. If I lose, you can keep her. Do whatever you want with her. Sound like a deal?"

"I am not as foolhardy as you think, Seto Kaiba." Panic's tone grew dark. "I know you were World Champion at the Duel Monster Championships. I know you're one of the top duelists in the world. Would I not be at a disadvantage to your greatness? And how are you sure that Miss Dundigan is present here?"

Kaiba's gaze never once left Panic. "Because of the way she manipulated you. But lets not go into that. I was prepared for this. How about we start this duel with myself, having one thousand less life points then you? I would be at the disadvantage."

Panic considered this. "You've got yourself a deal, Seto Kaiba. Just name the place."

"Here."

"Here?"

"Let us have a regular old duel on a game board."

"Fair enough."

"Lets duel."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Taleah felt frustrated. She couldn't see a thing! An exciting duel was going on not far from where she was hiding, and she couldn't even watch. Or-she thought as she found a pocketknife and picked it up-maybe she could. After cutting two eye shaped holes in the blanket, she was able to see what was going on outside.

Kaiba was sitting on a makeshift seat of stone, back perfectly straight, staring down at the game board with a neutral expression. Although very composed, Taleah could see that he was extremely tired. Dark circles were present under his eyes as if he hadn't gotten sleep in a long time. And his body movements were restricted as if he were weak and didn't have much strength left. Yet through all of that, he remained alert and keen.

Panic was much less dignified. He sat hunched over, face in hands, mumbling to himself. Occasionally, he'd hit himself over the head as if to wipe egregious thoughts out of his mind. As far as Taleah could tell, he was winning. Or being led into a carefully planned trap. It was more likely the latter.

The duel had been going in Panic's favor since the very beginning. He had an attack team of four different powerful monsters and was easily abolishing Kaiba's defenses. But Kaiba didn't come to be the World Champion without learning a few comeback tricks. He made sure his life points remained at fifty. It wouldn't take Panic much to finish him, but Panic was relishing in the fact that he had the upper hand. He was drawing the match out on purpose. Neither one had laid down any trap or magic cards.

It was Kaiba's turn again. He drew a card, glanced at it, then laid it face down on the game board in attack mode. Regardless of the fact that he bore no expression, Taleah could see that he looked quite smug. Too smug

Panic twisted his lips into a smile. "No longer protecting your life points? You give up too easily. I'll attack your creature with this card. That should put an end to this game."

"Yes, it does. Unfortunately, the match won't end in your favor."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, my Blue Eyes White Dragon is unstoppable. You lose Panic. Get out of here before I decide what to do with you."

Panic bolted to his feet. "I lost. . .again. This is not over, Kaiba. I'll be back and-"

"Leave or else."

Panic left.

As soon as he was out of sight, Taleah threw the blanket back, revealing her hiding place. She welcomed the refreshing cool air, took a deep breath, and sighed with relief. It was all over.

Kaiba took her elbow, practically dragged her to her feet, and began to lead her down a trail. "I"ve wasted enough time beating that fool. Your friends are probably going to rip my head off when we get back. Are you okay?"

"Don't worry; my friends aren't into ripping off heads."

"Are you okay?" he repeated.

"Yes."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No."

"That monster-"

"I don't believe in monsters. I told him so."

"Then what would you classify him as?"

"A confused, misguided man."

"A monster."

"No."

"Hurry up. Can't you walk any faster?"

"I'm walking as fast as I can! You're running!"

"Then run too."

He led her at a fast pace down the trail. Trees and foliage whirled by as they continued to run. Near the bottom the slowed down to a brisk jog. Both were exhausted and in desperate need of a long rest. They perspired profusely and within minutes, were gasping for air for their deprived lungs.

Kaiba realized that he was still holding Taleah's arm and let go. His hand fell strangely to his side, then slipped into a pocket. He cursed. "A heap of boulders is blocking our path."

It was true, Taleah saw. She could vaguely discern large stones piled on top of each other many feet above her head. It would be impossible to get over and there were was no away around them as far as she could tell. "Panic. Must've sneezed."

"Don't try to be funny."

"I wasn't trying to be funny. I was being sarcastic."

Kaiba changed the subject. "The only other path is to go around the mountain. The trail Panic had been on. There's no other way. Unless you like the scenario fo us trying to find a path threw the dense woods and having no sense of the right direction in which to go?"

"Don't try to be funny."

"I was being sarcastic."

"No, I wouldn't like to be lost," Taleah said, crossly. She eyed the path. "Around the mountain? Sounds pretty far. Are you sure you want to take the risk of my friends ripping your head off?"

"Approximately two days. I'm going with or without you."

"I forgot how pleasant you are. Very well then, I'll go with you. I'll try not to get in your way."

They began ascending the trail.

"How did you know that I was at the camp?" Taleah asked. "You said something about manipulation."

"You convinced Panic into starting that conflagration, "Kaiba replied. "Did you not?"

"He could have been a psychotic arsonist."

"No, it was you." Kaiba sounded positive. "If it wasn't for the fire, I would have never found you. . .in time. It was wise of you to do such a thing."

A compliment? Surely she had misheard him. "Thank you. But I have another question for you, I hope you don't mind. It's just that you seemed to have no problem putting yourself at a very high disadvantage. What if you hadn't won? You're not Superman you know, you can't just do that."

"There is no way I could have lost," Kaiba answered quickly. "And I'll do what I wish."

Taleah knew him well enough to recognize that he was in one of his bad moods. He didn't like people questioning his actions, and she had pushed him too far. He would be mad at her for quite some time, she knew but she didn't care. He had answered enough of her questions for now. Later, she would ask more.

They walked in silence back up the trail. It was a hard path to climb going up hill and all, but they made it. Kaiba was so determined to get off the mountain, that it seemed he'd drag her by her hair if he had to. Taleah couldn't help but wonder if the reason why he wanted to leave so badly was because he wanted away from her. Could he not stand to be around her? He had never really liked her, it seemed; always trying to find ways of avoiding her. With or without you. Well whether he liked it or not, he was stuck with her. For a few days at least.

The night had become dark fast. Clouds blanketed the sky as if trying to conceal the brilliance of the moon and stars. A breeze picked up that made Taleah shiver. It would be a cold night. And dark. Maybe we should find a place to camp. . .

It was as if Kaiba had read her mind. "The camp-Panic-set up is just over there beyond those trees. We can spend the night there unless you have any better ideas. I sure don't."

They reached the camp five minutes later. It looked abandoned, forsaken, deserted. Almost lonely. It was a pleasant little camp with a single tent that looked very attractive and inviting, and a dying fire; all that was left of the bonfire. Taleah made a move to head straight to the tent. She was exhausted and the thought of sleep seemed very pleasing. But Kaiba cut in front of her and took a seat by the dwindling fire. He hadn't said anything, but his body language told Taleah he wanted her to stay up. And there was no arguing with Seto Kaiba. She sighed and sat down beside him.

Kaiba balanced a nearby log on top of the fire. "What have you been meaning to ask me? I know you have been itching to say something since we first left that rock slide. Come on, so I can get this over with."

Taleah blinked. "Boy, you are efficient. But you're right. I wouldn't let you get away without answering this: What are you doing here? I thought you had been on your way to the castle."

"Got sidetracked." He grimaced. "Things did not go according to my original plan. Pegasus knows I'm alive. I should have comprehended it from the start, knowing how vain and efficacious that egotistical man is. I had a little encounter with Croquet, the Chief Tournament Liaison. Now, Pegasus has his goons all over the place looking for me. It's put me. . .a bit behind schedule so to speak."

"Croquet?" Taleah felt a coldness sweep over her body, and it wasn't from the icy breeze. "He's the guy that Pegasus gave orders to, to have my parents kidnaped." She felt her eyes begin to water. Mom. . .Dad. . .

"I am sorry. I did not mean to unsettle you. Hey. Hey, it's okay. It's. . .alright."

Tears flowed freely from her cheeks. "No it's not. They're gone and it's all my fault. Pegasus couldn't get what he wanted from me, so he sought to hurt me by taking away those I love. He took everything. It's because of me it happened. My parents would be home safe right now, reading the newspaper, drinking their coffee, and arguing over misplaced car keys if it hadn't been for me. Me and my stupid bracelet."

"It's not-"

"I'm going to bed," Taleah declared. "Good night." She walked over to the tent and unzipped it. Inside, there was quite a lot of space. Room for many people. Which got her thinking. Where was Kaiba sleeping? It was a cold night. Too cold to sleep outside. Stop being selfish, Taleah told herself. Get over yourself. It may be your fault that your parents are gone, but you're going to get them back. Invite Kaiba to sleep in the tent with you. There's plenty of room. Shame, no bed rolls or pillows. She had to laugh to herself for that one. She had never been the outdoor type. Sure, she enjoyed nature and liked to go camping, occasionally, but not without the necessities. Like pillows. She couldn't imagine herself sleeping on the hard floor, even if it was in a tent.

"Taleah?"

"Kaiba, where were you going to sleep?"

"I thought it would be necessary if I'd-"

"No. Come and sleep in the tent with me. Lucky Panic is so huge. There's room enough for four people! You don't have to sleep outside. That is, if you can stand my company."

"I think I can manage for one night."

His face was so neutral, that Taleah didn't know if he had been joking or not. Joking? She thought not. Kaiba was serious. He was always serious. He never smiled, grinned, laughed, or even joked. Except on rare occasions around Mo, but he never revealed that side of him to anyone else. Although, Taleah would sometimes see him ruffle his younger brother's hair and play around with him. But those times had been so few. . .

He entered the tent with her and zipped it back up behind him. Taleah crawled over to the far right hand corner, giving Kaiba a lot of space incase he really couldn't stand to be around her. She curled up into a tight ball and tucked her hands underneath her head.

The ground was hard and unleveled. And to make matters worse, there was a rather large pebble right where Taleah's head space was. Just my luck, she thought to herself. It's not going to be an easy night. Especially it being so chilly.

Kaiba saw her shivering. "There were no blankets except for an old one that was encrusted with dirt and had two strangely shaped holes. Don't take your shoes off. You will freeze."

"Thanks for the warning. Good night."

It's so cold. No, don't think about that. What did Mom use to say? If you are freezing, think about a warm place. A desert. Imagine yourself being in a desert wearing layer after layer of cloths. It's hot. Too hot. You can't take the heat. It's burning. Oh, screw this! I'm cold! She shivered and hugged herself for warmth. I'm going to die from exposure to cold temperatures and by the time my friend's find me, I'll be a human ice cube. Then suddenly, there was warmth. She propped herself up on an elbow to discover the source.

Kaiba laid back down on his back. As she stared at him, she realized that something was missing. Something about him just wasn't right. Then it hit her. He wasn't wearing his cape-like jacket. She had never seen him without it before.

He took it off and put it around me. I can't except this; he'll freeze! "Thank you, but I can do without it," Taleah protested. "Here, take it back."

"Keep it." His tone was firm. He meant it.

Taleah settled back down. Warm. Comfortable. Poor Kaiba, he'll. . .he'll. . .Sleep had claimed her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mo sat in his cell feeling very miserable. He was chained and shackled to the wall, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. It was times like those that he wished he could be like Indiana Jones. Indiana could have found a way out of that dismal place. Well, him or the Power Rangers. They were pretty cool too.

Mo was bored, and ever so miserable. There was nothing to do in the cell except name the rats and cockroaches. But he tried to avoid the cockroaches. They were slimy and they smelled funny. Giving names to the rats was fun. There was Shorty, Fang Teeth, Ratty, Ratrupus, Stupid Mouse, and of course, Pegasus. Pegasus had been by far the meanest, most ruthless rat of them all. So Mo had taken great pleasure in knowing that the evil rodent had died just the other day and even possibly, been eaten.

The young Kaiba sighed. It hadn't always been like this-when he had fist arrived at the castle, he had been given a luxury room with his very own bath. And how he loved bubble baths! But that hadn't stopped him from sneaking out one night and spying on a secret meeting between Pegasus and the Big Five. When Pegasus had found out, Mo had been sent to a less pleasant room. But he hadn't been intimidated; that very night he had tried to escape through one window, but he had gotten stuck. Then, it had been the dungeon. And there was no escaping from the dungeon.

My older brother will come for me, Mo thought to himself. I know he will. He's never let me down before. He's never left me. Even at the orphanage when many families offered to adopt him, he wouldn't leave without me. Lots of people would walk in and say that they wanted to have him as their son. They said he was a genius. But he refused to be adopted without me. Where are you brother? I need you. Why haven't you come yet? Please hurry. . .

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The early morning sunlight shone through the tent and onto Taleah's face. She opened her eyes, blinked a few times, and observed her surroundings. Still in the tent. Big surprise. And. . .Kaiba is still asleep. She grinned to herself. Rich people really were lazy and really did sleep in. That's okay. You get all the rest you can. You need it.

He was lying on his back, hands folded over his stomach, head set high and proud. He looked like one of those entombed Egyptian pharaohs that archaeologists were finding nowadays. It struck Taleah as funny that he had perfect posture even while being asleep.

She silently envied that. She was one of those people who would unconsciously work themselves into pretzels overnight. Just that morning, she had woken up to find herself on her side with one leg above her waist, and the other somewhere underneath her, and both arms twisted around her torso. Kaiba's coat wasn't even near her. Sometime during the night she must have kicked it off. It had kept her warm though. The coat. . .She didn't need it any more. But Kaiba probably does.

As she placed the jacket over him, she couldn't help but notice how peaceful and unclouded his features appeared. Almost serene. She had never seen him look that way before. He was so. .. calm. There was something else too, Taleah realized. He wasn't glaring. His forehead wasn't wrinkling in constant thought. It was then she realized just how attractive Kaiba really was when he wasn't angry. Which, unfortunately, was most of the time.

Taleah shook her head to clear her mind and exited the tent. It was chilly outside, so she decided to start a small cooking fire and maybe even begin breakfast. She found a duffel bag of which Panic had left behind, containing matches, a few random ingredients for a meal, as well as pots, pans, and cooking utensils. Pancakes. That doesn't sound too bad. No whip cream though, that sucks.

She began to whistle softly to herself as she cooked. It was a habit she had gotten from her mother. In a way, she was a lot like her mother, having her brown hair and eyes, and a natural curiosity torwards things. But she was a lot like her father as well. Her mother was always saying how they shared the same mischievous grin and dry sense of humor. Oh, I've got to stop thinking about them. It's just too depressing.

After a few pitiful attempts at flipping the pancakes ended in failure, Taleah conceded to defeat and prayed that they were cooked thoroughly enough. Though, they almost looked too cooked. Overcooked. No; I burned them. Well, maybe I can eat them all before sleepy head wakes up. I can always tell him to make his own breakfast.

She slid a pancake onto a paper plate, grabbed a fork, cut herself a bite, and stuffed it into her mouth. They aren't that bad, she thought as she chewed. And chewed. Maybe a little chewy. Just needs butter that's all. A lot of butter. Not enough. More. She had run out of butter. One down, three more to go. I'll never make it.

There was a brief sharp hissing sound as Kaiba unzipped the tent. He came out and stretched. When he saw Taleah, he gazed at her skeptically. "Pancakes?"

"They're good," Taleah lied. "Saved you three."

"Joy."

"Three nice, big, juicy ones."

"Have I forgotten to mention to you that I no longer require breakfast?"

Taleah shoved the plate into his hands. "Eat it. I'm going to find a pond or river to freshen up. I heard the sound of rushing water last night, so I'm hoping there's a river or something. So eat, and I'll be back shortly."

As she walked away, she could feel his eyes on her back. Would he really eat them? She kind of hoped not. They might make him sick or even give him a stomach ache. Serves him right for insulting my cooking. She didn't know why, but she smiled to herself all the way to the river.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kaiba stared at the pancakes with disgust. He wrinkled his nose. He was hungry, but not that hungry. They simply weren't eating for any reason. Except maybe for one: Taleah. She had gone through the trouble of making them, so surely it wouldn't be that hard.

It was that hard.

But despite how repulsive they looked and tasted, he ate them. Every last one. For Taleah.

Taleah. He hadn't meant to upset her the previous night. She blamed herself for what had happened. She was always taking the responsibility for everything. She thought it was her fault. But it was his. It he hadn't allowed himself to. . .No, he wouldn't dwell on that. He had to get away from Taleah. Just being around her put her at risk. He would get them off the mountain, deliver her to her friends, and make sure they took their separate paths. No danger. No risk.

He was busy going over complicated math equations and stock market predictions in his head, when Taleah practically skipped into camp. Her hair sparkled in the sunshine and her eyes were vibrant and eager. She looked lovely.

She grinned at him. "You ate my pancakes. You're braver then I had originally thought."

"You shouldn't underestimate me."

"How dare you accuse me of such a crime."

Kaiba stood. "We're already to go. We should keep moving."

"What about the tent? If you're right about the trail taking two days, then shouldn't we bring it along?"

"It would be the sensible thing to do. If you want it, you take it. I'm not carrying around that damn thing. It looks heavy."

"You're right," Taleah agreed. "It would probably be a pain to take along. Did you pack the cooking gear?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Off we go, I guess."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rather then a steady climb, the path they took was a winding one that wove around the mountain. It was a pleasant trail with an absolutely gorgeous view. One could see for miles in every direction from where they were. It was all around beautiful terrain.

They walked in silence for most of the day, occasionally taking short breaks to catch their breaths. Taleah didn't like the silence-it made her feel uncomfortable. She asked Kaiba a few questions about technology and his company. She even got him to tell her a little about a few of his employees. A little. It seemed that he didn't know much about the people working for him, or didn't care to. He answered all of her questions automatically, in a perfunctory way. But that was the way of Seto Kaiba.

The day had gone by fast. The last rays of sunshine filtered through the clouds as the sun began its descent. Darkness would be approaching, and with it, the cold.

Taleah and Kaiba covered a lot of ground that day. They were nearly at the top of the mountain. There, the trail would descend at a rapid pace to the bottom. Which was where Taleah hoped her friends would be waiting for her. As night approached, she and Kaiba took their last break for the day.

"This should be a good place to sleep for the night," Taleah said as she drank from the canteen Kaiba had handed her.

"What's wrong?"

"Mmm?"

"Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you."

"Bull. You've been distant all day. Something has been bothering you. Tell me what it is. Why are you mad at me?"

Taleah was about to protest, but she stopped. He was right; she had been distracted. But it wasn't completely because of him. She missed her friends. And thinking about them made her remember how Joey had looked on his knees on the ground, after he had lost the match to Kaiba. "I'm not mad at you. Just upset."

"And?"

Tell him. Get it off your chest. "I. . .I. . .Why did you agree to duel Joey? You knew he couldn't win against you. We all knew. He was a fool to challenge you. But you were even more of a fool to accept. He had just starting believing in himself. After his duel with Rondayas, I didn't think it possible." Taleah couldn't bring herself to stop. She went on to tell Kaiba about Joey's duel against Rondayas and how he had lost so miserably and was about to get booted off the island. Then she told him about how Joey had bounced right back and got a few more starchips even. "I don't know why you battled him, I just know that it was stupid."

Kaiba's jaws tightened. "I don't care."

"I'm sorry," Taleah suddenly apologized. She lifted a hand to her face. "I didn't mean for all that to come out. I'm sorry. I know you don't care. It doesn't matter to you."

"Do you hate me?'

"No!" Taleah stared at him in surprise. "I don't hate you. You're just hard to understand. But I think I know why you're this way. You shut everybody out because you're afraid to care for them, lest they should be lost Your parents died, and you loved them, Pegasus is trying to take over your company. And the only family you have left-your brother-was taken away from you. Although I'll never know-I hope I'll never know-what it's like to lose somebody I care about, I can understand what you went through. What you're still going through. But you just can't stop caring for everything and everybody.

"Don't we all wish we could hide inside our rooms and lock ourselves away? And vow not to care about anything or anyone ever again?" She shook her head. "It doesn't work that way. People get under your skin. It's really impossible to not care about someone. There's always something about somebody that you like. Why have you just stopped caring for people?"

"Because everybody I ever cared for is either dead or gone!" Kaiba snapped. "There's just no point in caring anymore."

"That's not true," Taleah countered stubbornly. "People are worth the effort."

"Not if they're going to be taken away from you anyway. I made a mistake feeling something for Mokuba. A mistake, that's not going to occur again."

Taleah had had enough. She was tired and upset and angry. And her tolerance levels had reached zero. "You are a selfish, self-centered, self-righteous monster! All you care about is yourself, and anybody who has ever tried to mean something to you is classified as being in your way. I'll tell you this, go ahead and live a lonely, miserable life. That's what you want isn't it? For everybody to leave you alone?

"I remember that night after the talent show contest when you accused me of bathing in my own self pity. I was. But that was just one day. One day in all my years. How many days has it been for you, Seto Kaiba? Ever moment of every day in your entire, sorry life?"

"I thought you didn't believe in monsters," Kaiba whispered.

"I don't. But that doesn't mean I can't call you one. Besides, you believe in them, so you can call yourself one."

Kaiba nodded and put his hands in his pockets. Then he turned and walked off in the opposite direction from Taleah.

As she watched him leave, she felt her anger leave her. Every last trace of it. She felt broken. Shattered. And apologetic. She had let her emotions get the better of her, and she was regretting it. I hurt him, she thought guiltily. I really hurt him. Oh, Kaiba, please forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please come back. Please forgive me. . .

~

Flower Petals: Thank you for reading, and please review. You don't have to, but if you have time. . .Well, yeah. . .

Oh, and Kobre Lair is throwing a really cool on-line tournament that YOU get to be apart of. He needs people to apply, so if you're interested, his story's name is Online Duels. There's room for forty contestants, so enter soon!

I'll update as soon as I can whether or not anyone cares because I'm pathetic that way. . .