When Destinies Collide
By Ash Kaiba
Ash Kaiba: Hey there! This is chapter 03 of the When Destinies Collide saga! Thank you for reading (please review)!
DISCLAIMER! We don't own any of the characters/term(s) from the Yu-Gi-Oh show and games. We do own Ashley "Ash" Black, Kathryn Takemura, and Mae Black. Plus, we don't own Kaiba Corp.
Previously in When Destines Collide: Chapter 2: The Beginning
Kaiba faints and loses consciousness. Mokuba becomes determined to find his brother a personal assistant before it is too late. Simon Muran arrives and find out Kaiba is his patient.
Chapter 3: Meeting
Before Simon's arrival…
"Mae told me that you own three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. How did you get them?" Yugi asked with Grandpa nodding his head.
"Pegasus held a special contest to see who can find a pack of rare cards. He said it held three Blue-Eyes and if someone found it, the person would automatically be entered into the 'War of the Roses' tournament," Ash explained. "It just so happened that I found it and was in that tourney." The crowd gasped in surprise.
Yugi and Joey watched as Ash learned where everything was. Suddenly, kids and their parents flooded in. Mr. Mutou smiled as business increased. Ash was kept busy fetching games on the top shelf and having a friendly chat with the parents. She kept a smile on her face, despite her sore muscles. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yugi give out autographs to those who asked. Then, a little girl with red hair walked up to him. At the same time, Ash spotted some gangsters in the corner. They walked up to her and shoved her aside.
"We were first, kid," a tall kid with acne and greasy hair said.
Joey raised his fists. "Are you asking for it, pal?" Instead of replying, the kid jabbed Joey in the stomach. Yugi cried out with his grandfather.
"Hey!" Ash yelled as she jumped off the ladder. The little girl's mother froze as she watched Ash enter the scene, standing in front of her child.
"Stay out of this, girl," a shorter, broad-shouldered guy told her.
"No one calls me 'girl' and gets away with it," she growled, ignoring the fact that Mae was yelling at her not to fight. One of the goons fired a punch; Ash dodged it with ease and launched her own attack. In a matter of minutes, the gangsters cowered in the corner.
"Mandy!"
"Mommy!"
The mother looked at the Mutous. "Thank you, Solomon. Thank you."
"Ms. McDowell, don't thank me. Thank her," he answered, gesturing toward Ash.
Her hair was a mess. Gleaming skin dripped with sour sweat. Bands of woven thorns snared everyone's vision.
"She's a gangster," Joey gasped with Yugi.
"Thank you," Ms. McDowell growled at her. Mandy asked Yugi for his picture. Then, she turned toward Ash.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Ash."
Ms. McDowell paused and looked at her. "Do you mean 'Ash Black' from the United States?"
Ash nodded as she gave Mandy a Polaroid picture with her signature on the bottom. Then, the rest of the day went smoothly…
Yeah, right.
"You big poo poo head!"
"Mae, quit being immature," Ash moaned.
"No, dummy!"
"Rufe!"
"Make me," Mae challenged. She turned to look at her sister. Ash bared her teeth. Her blue eyes gleamed in anger.
"Do you really want me to?"
Mae's mind whirled. Finally, she lifted her head and whined.
"Do you want some cheese with that whine of yours? Take it outside! Play on the playground or something while I unpack!"
Mae smiled as she skipped to the play area. Spoiled brat, Ash criticized in her head. Boxed in by the fence, Mae played on the little playground. For being fifteen, Ash liked playgrounds, but didn't like the fence holding her in. She stood at five feet and five inches tall. During her work hours, Joey picked on her by saying that she was the Kaiba Corp building. But she always got him with a fake punch. Ready to head inside, she opened the door.
"Ouch…"
Ash turned around and saw a boy on the other side of the door, sitting on the floor with a red mark on his face. He had long white hair, and brown eyes. A strange pendant hung around his neck. It was a triangle inscribed within a circle. Inside the triangle, a mark shaped like the Eye of Horus stood out. "Here, let me help you," she offered. He accepted it and held out his hand. Ash took his palm. Suddenly, she felt a surge of energy charge through her body. Her vision darkened as a different scene appeared.
"Kanika, you worry too much," a boy whispered into her ear.
Ash looked up at the voice. A boy in a blue violet gown stood in front her. She immediately recognized the robe as being Egyptian linen. His brown hair was calm and smooth. He brushed her dirty bangs behind her ear. Ash's eyes locked onto his soft, ocean eyes. For some reason, she knew his name. As she was about to say it, he bent down, about to brush his lips against hers. Ash, however, had other plans as she put two of her fingers on his lips. "Seth," she sighed, "you need to slow down."
"Kanika, the Pharaoh knows of our affection for each other. Why are you so concerned? You are starting to show me why you are the Pharaoh's trusted warrior." He replied as the image darkened back to the boy.
"Are you okay?" the boy asked.
"Yeah. Who are you?"
"My name is Bakura Ryou. And you are?"
"I am Ash Black."
A few weeks after that...
"Did you know that Seto Kaiba has been in the hospital for a couple weeks now?"
"What? Why was Kaiba in the hospital?" Yugi jumped, concern for Mokuba on his face.
"I don't know. From what I heard on the streets, Kaiba just kinda collapsed. Others say he was shot. I really don't know what is true," Bakura answered as Ash handed them a cup of water.
"Why is it that you two refer to him as Kaiba all the time? Don't you call him by his first name?" She asked, confused about the Japanese way of referring to people. A stack of books sat on the coffee table. They were all on Japan and Japanese customs.
"Not really, Ash. Yugi just always address him by his last name...out of respect. It is one of our customs." Bakura explained.
"It's a strange one, okay? In the U.S., we usually talk to people by addressing by their first name or using their last name with Mr., Mrs., or Miss." Ash commented. "That custom is just sooo confusing."
"You'll get used to it. You're always addressed as Black in the newspaper," Yugi replied as Mae, Ash's little sister, bounced into the room.
"Ashley! You...should... look...at..."
"Look at the paper, Mae? Now, what kind of mischief are you up to?" She sighed as she took the ads from Mae's hand.
There was a bright, red circle around one ad. Ash read it to keep her sister's mouth shut. Suddenly, she stopped in the middle of the ad in absolute surprise. It read:
Wanted
A personal assistant that has:
Knowledge of computers and "Duel Monsters"
Must have social and leadership skills.
Also must be ready to protect the Game Commissioner.
Please contact Mr. Mokuba Kaiba (not Seto) at:
Home 453-7783 or Work (600)-532-1097
(Salary ¥882 per hour) A/N: This amount is about $7.50
"What? This is a job offering for a personal assistant. Mae, are you insane? What makes you think I can work in an office?" she screamed at Mae, who kept her little yap shut. "Dad is on his way home and you want me to tell him about a job in the darn paper? He's happy that I got the job at the Turtle Game Shop and that's that."
"But, this one pays more. Plus, my new friend, Mokuba, asked me to show you."
"Mokuba?" Ash lazily asked.
"Yeah! Ya know, like Mokuba Kaiba. He's a soon to be seventh grader at school. I met him yesterday while you were kicking Weevil's creepy butt again."
"What am I going to do with you? First, you pestered me about the stupid cafe. Then, you begged me to work at the Turtle Game Shop. Now, you're bugging me to be a personal assistant for..." Ash looked down at the ad again. "SETO KAIBA! They mean the president of Kaiba Corp. What kind of mess does this guy get himself into?"
"Gaming mess, what else?" Yugi answered.
Knock. Knock.
"One moment! Mae, please stay here and keep your little mouth shut."
"But..."
"Drop that attitude. Rufe."
"I hate it when you tell me to shut up in German."
"What did I say, you turdball?" Ash snapped as she opened the door. "Oh, hi Dad." Ash looked behind her father to see a girl with black hair pulled back in a braid, wearing a white blouse, khaki capri pants, and light pink tennis shoes. "Who's she? Please don't tell me she's another girlfriend."
"Hello, Kathryn," Bakura said suddenly, blushing slightly.
"Um...Hi, Bakura. I was waiting for you at your apartment," Kathryn said.
"WHAT? YOU TWO KNOW EACH OTHER! I'M SURROUNDED BY LOVEY, DOVEY BIRDS! MAYBE I SHOULD GET THAT OTHER JOB TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL...MAE!"
"Sorry. I forgot that I promised to meet you at my apartment. Ash, can you quiet down?" Bakura asked, his face starting to resemble a beet.
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WILL QUIET DOWN IF I SUDDENLY FEEL THAT YOU TWO ARE LITTLE LOVE BIRDS!"
"Is she all right?" Kathryn asked, looking at Bakura.
"I hope so..."
Kathryn held out her hand to shake Ash's, who was slowly calming down. "Hi. My name is Kathryn Takemura. My uncle owns the new game shop called Games Unlimited. I came here to pick up Bakura for work."
"Hello. WILL YOU STOP STARING AT ME, MAE!"
"Um...Who's Mae? Is she your little sister?"
"Yup, that's me," Mae jumped, but soon found her sister on top of her.
"Kathryn, this is the other girl I told you about. She's the famous American duelist named Ash Black." Bakura introduced her to Ash, who was still sitting on top of Mae.
"I think I've heard of you..."
"That's what everyone says."
"My parents' friend, Maximillian Pegasus, told me about you. He said you were an amazing duelist."
"Yeah, Mr. 'Pirate Patch Over his Left Eye'. That's how the media heard of me the first time. Pegasus couldn't stop talking…like someone else I know."
"WHAT? I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING!" Mae complained to her sister in a high pitched voice. Ash yelled at her to shut up.
"Ashley! Mae! Knock that nonsense off!" Her father barked. The two girls instantly froze at the sound of his voice.
"Maybe it would be best if Bakura and I left. It's been a pleasure meeting all of you." Kathryn grabbed Bakura's hand and dragged him out of the apartment. However, Ash's dad invited them back in.
"Come on, now. I don't like guests leaving without some Black hospitality. Please stay for dinner; it's the least I can do. Ashley is cooking hamburgers."
"Which reminds me…" Ash hummed as she went to the kitchen. "OWWW! It looks like dinner's done."
"Alright! Ashley's famous burgers are ready!" Mae happily leaped up from her position on the floor. She quickly went silent as Ash growled at her from the kitchen.
"Is there any way we can get those to go? We're late enough as it is," Kathryn politely asked.
"One moment," Ash yelled from the kitchen. Then, she appeared with two containers. "Here you go."
"Thanks," both Kathryn and Bakura replied in unison. Then they looked over at each other and blushed.
"No love bird speech, Ashley," her father ordered as he looked down on her. "You look like your mother."
"Yes, sir," Ash answered. She whispered in Kathryn's ear, "The fun of being a military brat, believe me. You have to obey orders from him or get grounded." She turned to her father. "PLEASE Dad, don't start that!"
"Well, thanks for the food," Kathryn said. "Bakura and I should really be going now."
"Adios," Ash replied in another foreign language.
"NOT AGAIN! ASHLEY NIKKI BLACK! STOP SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES!" Mae yelled at her older sister, grimacing,
Ash grinned with pleasure as her family and friends sat in the living room. She asked Yugi about Domino High School, which prompted her father to order her to enroll before school started. Ash agreed to do it the next day, before going to work.
To be continued…
Next Chapter in the When Destinies Collide Saga: Chapter 4: Dream
Kaiba's mind is sent to Ancient Egypt. There he meets Pharaoh Atemu and Siamun. Plus, a mage warrior guards his door. Who is she? Will Kaiba see the light of day and his brother again?
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you wish to see Ash's Blue-Eyes, visit my profile. And review!
