When Destinies Collide

A side story to How to Steal a Thief's Heart

By Ash Kaiba

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.

Ash Kaiba: Enjoy. Happy 'late' Fourth of July!

Previously in When Destinies Collide: Chapter 19: Darkness Will Not Stop Me

Ash and Kaiba are forced to duel with Ash's former gang member, Streak. Near the end of the duel, the shadows act up and Kaiba partly transfigures into his darker half. An Egyptian god saves him, but he is unable to complete the duel. Ash ends the duel with her favorite and strongest monster, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Chapter 20: Truth of the Dragon

Kaiba opened his eyes once more. He lifted his hand and gripped the back of the couch. Kaiba pulled himself up. His heart still raced as his chest throbbed in rhythm with his head. He tried to remember what happened before he blacked out. Suddenly, he knew: Streak had forced the shadows to act. He had gone under a portion of the transformation. Kaiba examined his skin. A regular tan took place of the dark brown of darkness. He looked at his hands, remembering that his darker side had attacked Ash. His right hand was covered with a wrapped bandage. A thin line of blood had soaked through. Man, does she know about pressure points. Then, he remembered his liege. "Ra, I know you're here."

The Egyptian god didn't appear. "Ra?" He called again, his voice shaking. He wanted to be held…because he was afraid of what he was becoming.

"He's up!" A young voice called. A crowd rushed into the room. Yami approached him.

"Are you all right?"

"I've felt better," Kaiba answered, still facing the sharp pain in his hand.

"Thank goodness," Yami sighed in relief. "I thought we lost you in there."

"Why couldn't you break through?"

"The Pharaoh hasn't reached the right level of ka to do it," a voice answered. Yami and Kaiba looked at him. "A little longer and you would've been lost."

"Who are you?" Joey asked.

"No, I'll do it. You have risked so much for my sake already," Kaiba hushed the man. The blue eyes locked onto the gold.

"You need to save what strength you have regained. I can do it."

"But, I…"

"DRAGON'S KEEPER!"

Kaiba fell silent. Ashamed, he looked away. He kept his eyes low and dared not to question his liege's authority over him. The man looked at Yami.

"You know me, Yami, King of Games. You know my name all too well."

"I do?" Yami asked, confused as his host. He looked at his friends, and then at Kaiba. The blue eyes glanced at Yugi's duel deck. Yami was puzzled. The man waited for his name. "I have three cards. I think one of them has your name."

"Do you speak of the Egyptian God cards?"

"I do. Is your name Obelisk?"

The man shook his head.

"What about…" Joey started as Yami stared at him. "What about Ra?"

The man looked up to reveal his golden eyes. "You have a heart of gold, young Joseph. You didn't allow doubt to shadow over your heart. Unlike someone else I know."

"I TRIED, OKAY?" Kaiba yelled. Then, Mokuba gasped and reached into his vest. He pulled out an envelope and handled to his brother. "What is this, Mokuba?"

"Don't know. We never opened it."

Kaiba opened the envelope and read the letter. His hard eyes softened as he read the letter. His hands trembled in fear for the worst. Everyone watched him, fearing to ask where it was from. "It's from the…from the bank," he replied with shock.

"What for?"

"It is about…Mother's safety box." He paused to chuckle. "I never knew that she had a safety box. Father probably had it done."

Yami looked down as if he was ashamed. "You are going through with this, are you?"

"I must, Yugi. Maybe my mother's safety box holds some sort of clue. Something that can help me with my destiny," Kaiba answered. He looked up at his friend. "She knew I was something of great importance. I'm starting to wonder if that deals with the lunar eclipse I was born on."

"What? A lunar eclipse?" Joey yelled.

"I'll explain later, but I am going to Domino Bank and find out what she knew."

Noah perked up. His blue eyes shined in concern. They sparkled as if he was anticipating something. He stared at Seto. "Hopefully, you are going with somebody."

Kaiba shook his head. "This is my family business, Noah. The letter is addressed to me. I believe that I should go…alone. Why do you even bother hoping that I will take someone with me? You need to stay with Mokuba. I don't want him to get hurt."

Noah scowled at him. "I doubt it. Come on, you need some sort of protection. Remember what nearly happened during your duel. It doesn't matter what you think. I'm coming with you. Final."

Kaiba sighed, "All right. You can come along."

Noah stood up and went to the door. Kaiba looked at Ra. Then, he looked at the crowd. His stepfather was nowhere to be found. Kaiba wondered if this was a bad omen. But, he decided not to think about it. He had other things on his mind. One of them was why did Noah want to come with him? There had to be some sort of reason, but what was it? His head started to hurt. Kaiba stopped thinking. That was when he realized he had to find something to eat. "Hey, Noah!" he yelled as they exited the store. "Mind if we have some lunch?"

"Sure. I'm positive you're starved."

At Games Unlimited…

Ash parked her motorcycle and jumped off. She took off her helmet and walked in. Flashes of the duel returned to haunt her. The peek into her past throbbed to be remembered. Memories of her boss clouded her thoughts. Ash shook her head, trying to clear her mind and focus on the work to be done. She had to make a good grade to get out of Japanese custom class. She had worked so hard to get out, and it came down to her final test. Soon, she would be able to say she was over at a friend's house, rather than being at a tutor's.

"May I help you?" a man asked behind the counter. It was Kathryn's uncle, Makoto Takemura. He had short, slightly spiky hair with violet eyes. His tan skin contrasted with the cream colored "Games Unlimited" apron he wore on top of his clothing. The man looked at her. Obviously, he was waiting for a response. "Are you looking for something?"

"Not 'something', but 'someone,'" Ash answered. "Is Kathryn home?"

"She's in her room. Why?"

"Thank you, Mr. Takemura," she replied, ignoring the last question. Ash walked over to the back door and went in. Mr. Takemura watched her leave before he went back to work.

As Ash walked up the stairs to the in-building apartment where the Takemuras lived, she sighed in exasperation. Mr. Takemura never seemed to remember who she was, and it drove her nuts. No matter how many times she or Kathryn reminded him, he always forgot. She remembered the first time she came to Games Unlimited.

A crowd of kids swarmed the front counter. All of them had their eyes glued to the TV. Ash approached them, curious about the hubbub. She stood over them and, from the back, was able to see the television set. On the screen, a famous Duel Monsters tournament broadcaster was doing a report on her.

"Now in Domino City, Ash Black has been the duelist to challenge. So far, former Japanese Duel Monsters champion Weevil Underwood has declared many challenges. However, ladies and gentlemen, they have all been defeats on the former champion's chart. Yet the current Duel Monsters champ, Yugi Mutou, has yet to challenge this amazing duelist, who gives the crowd a Duel to see every time she goes up against an opponent. Seto Kaiba also hasn't sparred with her. Perhaps a victory against Black could bring him closer to defeating Yugi Mutou.

"Duelists have asked what makes this American duelist so strong. Is it her bond with the cards? Or is it the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons that she has assembled in her deck, her ticket to winning the Wars of the Roses tournament in America? Whatever the reason, Black has proven herself to be a worthy opponent time and time again. This was certainly made known at the internationally aired 'War of the Roses' tournament, held by Maximillian Pegasus. The then fourteen-year-old duelist defeated top American duelist 'Bandit' Keith Howard for the right to face Pegasus.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the gauntlet has been thrown. Can anyone defeat Ash Black and her three Blue-Eyes White Dragons?"

Ash knocked on the door. A moment later, a girl with violet eyes and black hair opened the door. "Ash, come on in."

"Thanks, Kathryn."

Ash walked in and leaned against a wall. Kathryn closed the door. "So, are you ready?"

"Sure. How's Bakura?"

"He's fine," Kathryn answered. She went over to her desk. "Why do you ask?"

"I haven't seen him in awhile, that's all."

Kathryn looked at Ash. She noticed how Ash was staring off into space. Her face was dull with sadness. Her eyes were lowered. The ice in them had melted, at least partly. "What's up, Ash? You're never like this."

"I…I think I know who the Keeper of the Blue-Eyes is," Ash answered.

Kathryn gasped. "You mean Seth. You found Seth, the man who is the key to your past." Ash nodded. She kept her gaze in the same position. "Well, who is it?"

"I think it's my boss, Seto Kaiba."

"What? How do you know?"

"I had a Duel…with one of my fellow gang members. She forced me to fight her. She also forced Mr. Kaiba to duel as well."

"One against two?"

"Yes. During the match, she activated a Trap known as Shadow Spell. Then," Ash paused. Kathryn could see her friend struggle to hold back the tears. "He acted up. It was like he was changing. Or his body was changing. All I knew was that he needed me."

"Ash…does he know?"

"I don't know if he knows about me, Kathryn. But, it happened again. I heard a dragon in my head. Then, something happened. It was like there was someone inside me. My mind went blank. I can't remember what happened, but when I came back to my senses my friends all stared at me like I'd done something unexpected."

Kathryn touched her shoulder. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. Why don't we focus on your final?"

Ash looked at her. "All right. Let's get it over with."

Kathryn and Ash sat down. They looked over Ash's notes. Kathryn sighed. "For your final, you chose to do a traditional geisha dance, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well… You'll have to wear a dress. A kimono, to be exact."

"You have to be kidding me," Ash croaked, still shaken by the earlier event.

"I'm not kidding."

Ash grunted in disapproval. Kathryn shook her head. She's never going to change, Kathryn thought.

Meanwhile…

"Man, that was good."

"Says you. I can speak from experience. This is A LOT better than hospital food," Kaiba replied as he wiped his face with a napkin. Noah sat across from him. "So Noah, why did you want to come with me?"

Noah hesitated at Seto's question. He turned his head away. The sunlight shined on his face and bounded off a metal object. Kaiba stared at it with intense curiosity. Then, it dawned on him. It was an earring. It was golden and in the shape of ankh. Then, Kaiba noticed that it dangled from his left ear. "What's up with the earring, Noah?"

"Nothing, trust me," Noah replied. "Come on, let's do this."

Kaiba nodded as he paid the bill and left a tip. Besides, he had other things to think about. One thing was what was in his mother's safety box. Both of them walked out of the restaurant. Noah and Kaiba made their way to Domino City Bank. Kaiba focused on his task, but couldn't help going into Noah's mind. Surprisingly, his stepbrother blocked all attempts. Then, he felt something hit his stomach. He turned around. A platinum blonde boy was picking up his things off the ground. "Here, let me help you," Kaiba offered.

"Thank you, sir," the boy answered. He wasn't looking to see who was helping him. Then, he did look up. His brown eyes locked onto the blue. The boy jumped back in surprise. "Kaiba!"

Kaiba stood up. "Do I know you?" he asked.

"Probably not," the boy growled. "My name is Bakura Ryou."

"Oh, one of Yugi's pals," Kaiba sighed. "This is my stepbrother, Noah."

"Who?"

Kaiba turned around and found Noah gone. "He was here a moment ago, I swear."

Bakura eyed him. "I think you've lost it," he replied and walked off.

Kaiba blankly watched him leave. Then he looked behind his back. Noah was nowhere to be seen. He looked across the street. Still, there was nothing. Now, where did he go? He wondered. Kaiba turned around and continued walking toward the bank. He tried not to look at the other people on the sidewalk. Why was Ash so worried about me? Is she really Kanika? Why did she kiss me? It was like she was possessed. Was it Kanika? Kaiba shook his head in confusion. It had to be. She called me Seth. Ash has to be Kanika. I was so stupid…. If Ash really is the Paladin, then she was right in front of me the whole time. If she'd been a snake, she would have bit me. No, wait… Ash would probably do that anyway.

Most of Domino City was skyscrapers. Domino City Bank was one of them. Kaiba soon found himself at its steps. He couldn't help but look at the lions at the front gate. Now, that is starting to get old, he thought. The door shut behind him. Kaiba turned around as if someone had touched him. He found no one behind him. Still, the feeling never left him. Uneasy, he walked up to the Service Desk. His blue eyes kept a constant scan on the area around him. One of them had caught a glimpse of the woman behind the counter. She reminded him of someone he knew. She had green hair and matching eyes.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Yes…huh…Mrs. Underwood. Now, why does that name sound familiar?"

"What do you need?"

"Do you have a son, Mrs. Underwood?" Kaiba asked.

"Yes."

"Hi, Mom!" A voice greeted. It sounded like a squealing brake pad.

Startled, Kaiba turned around. It dawned on him. The boy behind him was Weevil Underwood. "It can't be," he replied.

"What, dear," Mrs. Underwood asked.

"That man…is Seto Kaiba."

Kaiba sighed. "Why do you want to know?" He asked as he pushed back some of his hair.

"I'm going to puke," another voice replied.

"Why?" A cocking tone asked. Kaiba cringed, praying it wasn't who he thought it was.

"Weevil Underpants, that's why."

Kaiba looked at the voices. Three people walked in. One had soft violet eyes and black hair pulled back with a pink ribbon. She had a calmly voice. The other person was a male. He had platinum blonde hair that covered half of his face; his visible eye was the color of mahogany. He was dressed in a red suit with a black collar that was tied with a dark green cord. The final member wore black bellbottom pants with a white shirt topped with a black denim vest. The vest was lined golden yellow string. On the left side, silver stitches stood out. The stitches spelled the letters "KC." He automatically knew who she was.

"It's Underwood, Black!"

Ash Black glared at him. "Whatever."

"So, stop calling me 'Underpants!'"

"Why should I?"

"You do deserve it. From what I've heard, you're a cheat, Underwood," Kaiba agreed.

"Well, well, isn't my dear friend, Kaiba-boy."

"Oh, shut up, Pegasus," Kaiba growled. Too late, he's here.

"Who is he, Uncle Max?"

"That, my dear, is…"

"THERE! NO, YOU FOOL! AT THE SERVICE DESK!" A man yelled and pointed in Kaiba's direction. Kaiba looked in the direction of the voice. He saw a glimpse of a man that was from his past.

"Oh, s—t," Kaiba cursed as he ran past the desk.

"No running, please." Mrs. Underwood reminded.

To be continued…

Next Chapter in When Destinies Collide Saga: Chapter 21: The Clue of the Millennium Items

Kaiba meets Shadi, holder of the Millennium Key and Scales. Shadi gives Kaiba what was in his mother's safety box. Kaiba strikes Shadi down. Does he have a good reason to do so?

Ash Kaiba: You know what to do. Look forward from hearing your reviews.