Tea's Time to Shine

Magicman: So busy... Lots of school...

Joey: Poor guy. He just hit university and has to get up at 5:30 in the morning.

Tea: It's amazing he can find any time to do things at all.

Pegasus: Ah well. Such is life. Think of the school I had to go to. On with the fic!


"So Yugi, why exactly are Tea and Miss Crawford at each others throats?" Ryou asked the innocent question at the banquet table where the duellists and their guests sat and feasted. It was a big room and all sorts of foods were served. Joey loved it and was eating some kind of cheese by Mai.

Yugi shrugged helplessly and with annoyance at Ryou's question. "Zev beat Yami in a duel one night, and I guess that pissed Tea off. She stuck up for him and screamed at Zev, using some words I've never heard her use before. Then Zev and Bakura took off laughing and promising to come after Tea some time."

Ryou nodded. "I remember that night. Bakura was laughing and chuckling and snickering all night. I couldn't get any sleep. Of course I get to sleep till noon anyway."

Tea scowled as she continued stabbing her baked potato. "Stupid Zev with her stupid evil deck" she kept muttering to herself.

Ryou nodded, trying to humour her. "Anyway, do any of you know what the match ups for next round are?"

Yami pointed to a bug jumbo screen on one end of the room. "My guess is that Pegasus will reveal them during the meal like last time. At least the soup will probably be eyeball free."

At that moment a Brussels sprout went flying through the air and landed in Yami's salad where it rolled to a halt and appeared to stare at him.

The pharaoh's eye twitched and he looked down the table. At the end, Bakura and Zev were grinning and waving happily.

Yami scowled and picked up a roll. Tossing it up and down for a moment, he chucked it hard in the dynamic duo's direction. It bounced off of Bakura's forehead and landed in his soup, splashing his face. Bakura scowled evilly as Zev laughed. The sinister spirit was about to retaliate when the sound of someone clearing his throat into a microphone sounded.

"Ahem! Is this thing on? Testing, testing. Okay then." Pegasus spread his hands grandly. "Welcome duellists and guests! You have all done extremely well, and truly you are highly skilled and talented. I salute you all."

Pegasus saluted, drawing cheers and catcalls from the girls. Grinning, the multi-billionaire held up a remote control and pressed a button. "If you'll direct your attention to the screen, you will see the pairings for the finals tomorrow. I assure you that everything has been done randomly by a computer, and I have no prior knowledge as to the match ups. Now, how about we take a look see?"

A grid composed of eight lines that joined together at the top by a diadem appeared on the screen. Beside each line at the bottom was a picture of a specific girl.

Pegasus smiled happily. Round one will be Miss Julia Nesbitt against Miss Keiko Toshiro.

Keiko grinned cockily at Julia. "I guess you're going to be the first one out slinger!"

Julia shrugged. "Not likely."

"Round two will be Ami Ryuta against Ishizu Ishtar. Ishizu, please hold off the predicting your opponent's moves."

Ishizu nodded as Ami cheered and danced around. "Yay! I get to duel Miss Spooky!"

Ishizu blinked. "Spooky? What gave you that idea?" Everyone in earshot just kind of stared at her. "What?!"

Marik sighed and put his face in his hand. "Oh sis..."

Pegasus cleared his throat. "Ahem. Round three will be Tea Gardner against the ever mysterious Akumu Kino."

Akumu grinned cockily at Tea and snapped her fingers derisively. "Must be that feminine intuition working, eh?"

But Tea wasn't looking at Akumu. Her eyes were on Mai, one of the final two duellists. In her turn, Mai's gaze was fixed on her opponent. Zev was watching her, a small smile on her lips. The energy seemed to crackle in the air. Then Zev stood up slowly. "I'll see you tomorrow Mai-mai", she said, that grin never leaving her face. Then she turned on her heel and walked away slowly.

Mai watched her go, her delicate features devoid of expression. "I look forward to finally burying it" She whispered, her voice soft. Even Joey, who was sitting next to her, could barely hear it.

Pegasus cleared his throat again. "Once again my dear guests, I assure you that all of these matches have been completely randomized. No outside opinion had any influence at all on them. (Magicman: Ha!)" The silver-haired multi-billionaire spread his arms grandly, a grin on his face. "And now my friends, I bid you goodnight. You will find your room number under your place mat. Round one begins at nine o'clock sharp tomorrow morning. Sleep well!"


The atmosphere of Pegasus' castle was extremely tense. In rooms all across the elegant building girls were strategising for the next day.


Ishizu was wondering if she'd be able to contain the looming danger. She still couldn't see what it was, but she knew it was close. Until it struck, all she could do was prepare her deck and wait.


Julia Nesbitt sat on her bed, her hands clasped. Behind her cold emotionless exterior, a cunning mind whirled with plans and strategies. She had calculated her odds of success to a fraction of a decimal place, and the odds were favourable.


Keiko Toshiro was doing a handstand while she tried to remember everything she'd ever heard about her first opponent. The handstand always seemed to focus her thoughts, though she always got a headache.


Akumu was remembering a time five thousand years ago. She had been happy then. Then she remembered how that time had ended and fury overcame her thoughts. Tomorrow she'd get her payback.


Ami slept soundly. Running around all day was exhausting.


Bakura walked down the halls of the castle silently, memorizing the twists and turns as he went. It was a habit from his days as a thief and he'd never been able to drop it. Why would he want to? It was a useful skill. And it reminded him of times when he'd searched through the wreckage of ancient pyramids. That was how he'd originally come by his Millennium Ring, actually. Those were the days. Of course now he had to play second fiddle to some wussy British kid. What was the world coming to?

Bakura shivered slightly. This castle was cold and he didn't like it. The dessert's heat had always kept him warm, but this country was only a step up from frigid.

Deciding that this was enough wandering for the night, Bakura took a left turn that would lead back to the room he and his lighter side shared. He should get some sleep. Tomorrow, he would get the pleasure of watching Zev duel. The thought brought a smirk to his face. She had such an elegant synergy with the darkness element. It was almost like she too was a spirit of the dark.

Here he was at his room. Bakura opened the door, stifling a yawn, and stepped inside. He stopped just after he'd closed the door behind him. It was surprising to him that the object of his thoughts was sitting in the darkened room.

Zev half sat, half lay on the over stuffed couch. Her arm was tossed over the back of the couch and she sat perfectly still. Just chilling in the darkness.

Bakura almost thought she was asleep. Then she turned her head and looked at him. It was stunning how the darkness enhanced her beauty. It covered her grey eyes with mystery and made her pale skin glow. Her entire bearing was relaxed and subdued.

Slowly she raised her hand and gestured delicately. "Sit. And talk with me." Even the words were hushed.

Hardly aware of what he was doing Bakura walked over to Zev and sat down on the couch opposite of her. He thought of her words, recognising the quote. "A movie watcher, hmm?"

Zev's lips curved upward. "Of course. Legend was my favourite as a child."

Bakura didn't answer. He was content to just watch the girl, a strange sensation slowly settling into his chest.

Zev continued to talk in her quiet manner. "I came here tonight to clear the air between us. Uncle Max told me about his last tournament and how he was defeated. Both times."

Something caught in Bakura's throat. "Zev...."

"Let me finish. I'm saying that I know what you did to him. You attacked him in the shadows when he was till weak from fighting Yugi. You tore out his Millennium Eye and left him for dead. Your attack left him in a coma, because his life force was in that eye. Only when that Shaddi guy gave it back did he wake up. This tournament is his reentry into the world of the living. He's all right now, but it was close. You nearly destroyed my only family."

Bakura let his breath hiss between his teeth. "And now you hate me. Is that what you're trying to say?"

Zev didn't answer for a second. Then she chuckled slightly, a low and throaty sound.

"You can be too adorable sometimes. No, I don't hate you." She extended her hand, lightly touching it to the pale skin of Bakura's cheek. She stroked it lightly, giving him a shiver. "How could I hate someone so much like me? How could I hate the other half of my soul?"

Zev leaned forward a little, and for the first the shadows seemed to recede a bit, revealing her smoke-grey eyes to Bakura. It stunned him. He had always assumed that Zev Crawford could feel only hate and rage and sadistic glee. But now her eyes seemed to glow with something else.

A pajama-clad Ryou chose this moment stumble blearily in from the bathroom. He blinked at the sight, surprise written all over his features. "Oh my" he murmured. "I am so sorry! I didn't think...."

"Go back to sleep Ryou" Zev said softly, never taking her eyes from Bakura's.

"Oh. Well, see you in the morning." He looked like he was about to say something else, but he swallowed it and scurried from the room quickly.

Bakura shuddered as the girl rested her hand on his cheek. He clasped it in his own, gently. "Zev...."

"Kiss me."

The ancient spirit blinked. "What did you say?"

Zev's smirk changed to an almost gentle smile. "Kiss me. Just do it. Prove something to me."

Bakura needed no more encouragement. He reached out and cupped her face with a gentleness that surprised and scared him. The sensation in his chest had overwhelmed his being, and it drove him to lean forward. As he pressed his lips to Zev's lovingly and felt her arms wrap around him and entwine in his hair he finally understood what the feeling in his stomach was all about. His last coherent thought before they fell back on the couch was 'It figures that I would finally fall for a psychopath like her. Ah well. I guess I'll learn to live with it.'


Tea fell back on her bed, sighing happily. Everything was set up. She had gone over her deck, had followed up with a shower, and was finally able to relax. The scented sheets and the silken pink nightgown were heaven on her senses. All she needed now was to sleep. Sleep... Sweet sleep...

Someone knocked on her door. Tea sighed and opened her eyes. "Come on in. The door's unlocked." She sat up as Yami opened the door a bit and stuck his head inside.

"Tea? Can I talk to you? It's kind of important."

"Sure." Tea sat up and scooted back, leaving a space on her bed. Accepting her invitation, Yami sat down carefully, not wanting to shake the mattress. Before he could say what he wanted, he looked at Tea carefully. He watched the way she cocked her head to the side. He noticed how her eyes blinked in that slow curious way. He saw her fingers curl slightly around the blanket. Yes. He was right. And his heart hadn't lied to him.

"Tea" Yami began, "Do you remember, after your duel with Ziane...Akumu? We talked and I told you about my former life?"

Tea nodded. "Yes, I remember."

"Do you remember how I told I married a princess and grew to love her eventually?"

"Yes..."

"Well, lately I've been noticing things about you. You and Anzu."

Tea cocked her head. "Anzu?"

"That was her name. I've noticed things about the two of you, like the way you chew your thumbnail when you think, and how you turn your head to the side when you're embarrassed. You see?" Yami smiled and tilted Tea's blushing face back up to where he could see it. "Well...what it comes down to is that I think you're her."

"What?"

"I've been thinking this over very seriously. Akumu actually gave me the thought. I think you might be the reincarnation of Anzu Mazaki, whom I loved five thousand years ago."

Tea didn't take the news the way Yami thought she would. She blinked slowly, chewing on her thumbnail, her eyes never leaving Yami's face. Finally she asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

Yami was startled. "I thought you should know."

"Yes, but why?" Tea's eye cocked shrewdly. "Are you trying to say that you love me? Or that you still love Anzu?"

"What do you mean?"

Tea paused, thinking of a way to explain. "Yami have you ever watched Inuyasha?"

Yami had, actually. Yugi had made him watch his favourite episode with him and the spirit had been hooked instantly. The comparison of Kagome and Kikyo to Tea and Anzu was absurd in his mind. But he could see where Tea was coming from. Personally he didn't pity Inuyasha, having to choose one of them.

Luckily Yami's choice was clear.

Yami took Tea's hand in his own. He smiled reassuringly. "You are Anzu. And Anzu is you. How could I love one of you without loving the other?"

The look of relief was fleeting but it was there, swiftly hidden behind the broad smile that crossed Tea's features. "So now that all that's cleared up what did you want to tell me? Something special I presume? Something that would make my night totally wonderful? Something that I've been wanting you to say to me since before this tournament started?"

Yami's smile turned teasing. "Well maybe. In all the confusion I think I've forgotten it. But now that you mention it-"

He was cut off when Tea tackled him. Losing balance, they fell and landed heavily on the floor. Yami winced when his head banged against the floor. "Ouch."

"Oh shut up!" Tea kissed him quickly then drawing back to see the stunned look on his face. "You're happy I take it? Good. I've wanted to do that for a while now, and I'm not very romantic, so I love you. There, I said it."

Before Yami could answer Tea pasted her lips to his. "Hmm" he hummed through the kiss and just enjoyed it. Girls would still be crazy whether he did or not.

Meanwhile in the living room, Yugi lay awake on the couch. He heard the two teens fall on the floor and he sighed, a bleak expression on his face. 'It's too late now' he thought miserably. 'I missed my chance.'


Mai and Joey lay next to each other in bed, breathing hard and sweaty. Their nightclothes lay on the floor where they were flung. Joey smiled at her dreamily, tweaking her blonde hair. "You're so good at that, you know?" He yawned. "Now I'm all sleepy."

Mai grinned back, stroking her hand over his chest. "You're lucky I know you so well. I might take offence at that."

Joey giggled and snuggled his head into her shoulder. After a few moments his breathing was even and slow.

Mai was about to join him in sleep when he mumbled to her. "Mai?"

"Yes honey?"

"I love you. I really do."

Mai's violet eyes widened in shock. She knew he'd been intensely attracted to her, and the feeling was more than mutual. Their current state of undress made that screamingly obvious. But she'd had no idea he was in love with her!

As Mai watched Joey sleep, outside a cloud drifted from in front of the moon. Rays of moonlight drifted down through the window to illuminate the blonde teenager. He shifted in his sleep, snuggling closer to the older girl.

Watching him lie there made Mai smile suddenly. She gently stroked his hair and lay back. 'I guess I could get used to it' she thought before she drifted off to dreamland.


That night as Pegasus skimmed through his security cameras, several sights on them made him blink in surprise. "Maybe the wine I provided for the banquet was just a tad too strong" he said, swirling a glass of said wine. Then he shrugged. "Ah well. No help for it now."


Magicman: gasp Too...long... falls unconscious

Smokegirl: pokes Magicman with a stick

Pegasus: Well at least I had lines.

Tea: And I get to tangle with Akumu next time.

Joey: And the romance questions were answered. So folks, was it worth the wait? Meh. I'm just a character, so it doesn't bug me.