When Destinies Collide
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: Hi everyone! Enjoy this chapter. I now have to bug my beta reader for the others...again.
Previously in When Destinies Collide: Chapter 24: Knight of the Dead
Kaiba is freed from his bonds, but his mouth pays the price. Noah Kaiba reveals his heka for the first time, but mystery lies with it. The McGray family is reunited and happy. Ash is panicked about falling in love with her boss.
Chapter 25: "Wisdom" of Pegasus
Later that night…
Joey sat down after a long day. He pushed Ash's duel out of his mind, along with all the lies Kaiba had told him. He knew the Kaiba Corp. president would cover something up. Their project was one of them. Joey sighed. It was a long day. Then, he remembered Wednesday night. Kaiba summoned a monster. Could the things he told Joey be true? Joey shook his head. Kaiba will forever stay Kaiba. He will never change. Joey looked at a picture of him and his friends. Even Mokuba posed for it. Yet, Kaiba stayed out of it. Now, he was conversing with his biggest rival. He felt Kaiba was only toying with Yugi. Then, he remembered what Yami told him that same night.
"I TOLD KAIBA NOTHING! HE CAME TO ME AND ASKED ME TO KEEP A SECRET! YOU NEED TO THINK STRAIGHT, JOSEPH WHEELER! KAIBA IS IN GRAVE DANGER! HE TOLD ME HIMSELF! HEISHIN WILL NOT STOP UNTIL KAIBA IS IN HIS POSSESSION! I'M ONLY TRYING TO HELP HIM! If Kaiba falls into Heishin's hands, the world we know will be gone. You have to understand, Joey. I am not only trying to protect him. I am trying to free him from his bonds."
Yeah, right pal. Kaiba is lying. Everything he said to you is a lie. Kaiba doesn't have 'a power' to 'destroy the world.' You should know better. Kaiba is a liar that only thinks about himself.
"Ra saw no faults in you. Yet, you question the truth his servant has told you, Joseph," A deep tone replied.
Joey Wheeler jumped out of the couch in a panic.
"Who…What?"
"It is you who is the fool. 'He' is trying to find allies to help him stop himself and you plan on shooting him down. You witnessed a small portion of his power. You have seen what he has foretold."
Joey spun around. A man with a falcon head stood by the wall. His golden eyes froze Joey into place. The man's eyes narrowed.
"Did you know…that your "liar" friend was almost caught today?"
Joey shook his head. He didn't know. Heck, he was cleaning his apartment all day for his mother and sister. His pals knew about them. Kaiba probably doesn't even remember Serenity when she was watching the Battle City finals. "I didn't and I don't give a d--n about Kaiba. That man can only think about himself."
"If he did, would you be able to see his past?"
Joey froze.
"You remember what his mother said. She wished that as he grew, his heart doesn't close and have ice shielding it. His father was the only thing to keep that from happening. Upon his death, your friend's heart closed. The only one could reach him was his own brother. Still, ice grew, allowing the shadows to be preserved. They now have enough strength to take him."
"Would Kaiba tell us this?"
"He would. Your friend, the Pharaoh, will believe him and you will have your doubts about him." The man growled at him. Joey couldn't help but to look down in shame.
"So, it is true. The yin-yang is completed. You have the ka of a Red-Eyes Black Dragon."
Joey looked up. "Red-Eyes?"
"It is the dragon's behavior that makes you doubt the Chosen. It tries to prove itself constantly to its stronger member, the Blue-Eyes."
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon, come forth!" Kaiba's voice echoed in Joey's head.
"You are a fighter. You can't stand watching your friends fight as you cheer from the sidelines. You have a very strong will. A strong will is a good thing to have. I wish to make you my knight."
"What the-"
An amulet appeared in his hand in the shape of a military dog tag. A golden eye stared up at him.
"Who…where'd he go?" He asked to himself.
A knock sounded on the door.
"Joseph, are you in there?"
"Ma! Come in!"
Mrs. Wheeler and Serenity walked in. Joey immediately tucked the amulet into his pocket. He focused on keeping the encounter a secret.
"How's it goin'?"
"Fine, Joseph. What about you?"
"Eh, same old, same old."
I need to talk to someone!
Mrs. Wheeler and Serenity looked around. Joey went for the phone. He punched in a number and waited. The phone rang.
At the Kaiba Mansion…
Seto Kaiba was lying on his bed, bored. Noah had dragged him home for the night. He stared at the fabric at the top of his bed. He had a feeling that someone was going to call. A moment later, the phone rang.
"I've got it!"
Kaiba grabbed the phone from his nightstand. His thumb pressed the 'talk' button.
"Kaiba residence. This is…"
"Yeah, is Kai there? I need to talk to him…now," the caller demanded.
"What's wrong, mutt?" Kaiba asked flatly, recognizing the voice.
"Just answer…How dare you call me a mutt?"
"Get to the point."
"Can I come over?"
"Noah has me on bed rest. No can do."
Joey sighed. "Tomorrow mornin'?"
"I'll be with Kathryn, but I'm sure she'll understand."
"Kathryn who?"
"Takemura."
"Why with Kathryn? Is she your girlfriend?"
"No," Kaiba growled.
Joey laughed. "Well, anyway, see ya then." He hung up.
"Good night."
The next morning…
Seto slept. The sun peeked in through a crack in the curtains. Then the curtains flew back as Miss Rane pulled them aside. She looked down at her employer with a small smile on her face. He looked so handsome when he was asleep. He was, of course, too old for her. Miss Kira had adopted Rane after her father abandoned her. Kira told her a lot she needed to know about Seto and Mokuba. She approached him.
"Master Seto," she called as she gently shook him. Her employer moaned. "Master Seto, wake up."
Kaiba didn't move. Miss Rane sighed as the doorbell rang. She ran (lady maidy like) to the door, but the butler beat her to it. A young woman stood in the doorway. She had black hair in twin braids that hung in front of her shoulders. She was wearing a yellow tank top, a knitted brown belted sweater, and light blue jeans with blue and white tennis shoes.
"Yes?"
"I'm Kathryn Takemura. Is Seto Kaiba home?"
"Please come in."
Kathryn walked in. The butler gestured toward the living room. She went in and sat down on the couch.
"Master Seto will be with you in a moment."
Kathryn waited as minutes ticked by, but there was no sign of her cousin. She looked around. Framed copies of rare Duel Monster cards hung on the walls. With the cards were newspaper clippings of Seto's wins, along with an in-depth article on Battle City. On the shelves were tons of trophies. All of them said "Grand Champion." Then, she saw a frame with a picture of Yugi Mutou.
"Kathryn, you're early," a voice said. It sounded as if it was muffled. She looked up to see Seto at the top of the staircase, a towel in his hands. He had a new, clean pair of pants on, but he allowed his bandages to show. Kathryn giggled at the sight. Kaiba looked down at his chest, causing his face to grow red when he realized he hadn't put on a shirt. Suddenly, a hand appeared on his left shoulder.
"I think you need new bandages."
Seto growled. Kathryn stepped up. "I'll do it."
Noah Kaiba looked at her with a cold glare. "Very well." He left them.
"Where…"
"The supplies are up here. And my bed is still a mess."
"What's up with Noah? He seems very aggressive this morning."
Seto nodded. "He's very protective all of a sudden. But don't question him; I learned that the hard way."
Kathryn's eyes widened in shock. "Did he hurt you?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Don't worry about it? Seto!"
She tried to look at his back, but Seto kept turning away from her to keep her from looking at it. Finally, she grabbed his shoulders and held him still. She gasped when she saw a medium sized bruise that stood out against the pale skin of his back. She hugged him gently, trying not to hurt him any more. "Oh, Seto," she cried.
Seto held her close. His eyes showed pity for her. "It doesn't hurt anymore."
He ran his fingers through her bangs. Then, he lifted her head. His touch was unusually cold. Her eyes looked into his. The blue eyes had turned cold and hard. Seto let her go. He took a few steps backward and walked down the hallway. Kathryn tried to follow, but lost him in the maze of hallways.
"Seto knows all the passages." Kathryn whirled around in surprise. Noah stood in a doorway. His blue eyes were shaded by his bangs.
"Noah," she paused.
"You sound surprised," he replied as he lifted his head. His blue eyes were expressionless
"Do you hate me?"
A dumbfounded look appeared on his face. "Hate you? Why would I hate you?"
"You seem…very protective of Seto."
"Sorry," he apologized, his voice contrite.
"It's okay. I can understand why you would be so protective. I feel that way too, now that I've found him." She embraced Noah for a short time. Noah seemed to be choked up.
"Should we get Seto?"
Kathryn nodded. They walked down the hallway. More clippings, trophies, and cards decorated the walls.
"Did he…"
"Yeah, Seto won most of these. Occasionally, there are Capsule Monster Chess trophies on the shelves. Mokuba won those." There was a hint of regret, and something else, in his voice.
"You sound jealous."
"You would be, too, living with a top-three duelist. It's hard for me to make a name for myself. I want to find something I'm good at…something that I can boast about."
The way he said the last part made her fear him. She remembered yesterday, and how evil he looked with his red eyes. She began to ponder things at which he could excel. Noah knocked on Kaiba's bedroom door.
"Seto?"
"Go away…"
"Come on, Noah. He won't come out, even if you get his door to open a crack," a familiar voice called. They turned to the left. Mokuba stood in the middle of the hallway. He was wearing an orange long sleeved shirt with white stripes on the sleeves. A light blue bandana was tied around his neck like a cowboy. Mokuba walked over to them.
"What's eating him?" Noah asked, pointing at Seto's door.
"Oh, don't worry about him. It's one of Seto's 'I hate the world' days." he answered as he knocked. "Come on, big bro."
"No!"
"Seto Alexander," Mokuba yelled, "don't make me yell 'it' through the door! You made a promise. Do you want me to tell Ash and have her bugging you all day?"
"I don't care," his reply sounded farther away.
Mokuba opened the door. He ran to the window. Seto hung from a rope about five feet below them. Mokuba took a deep breath.
"Dragon's Keeper!"
Kathryn watched Seto's body go heavy before he fell to the ground.
"Seto!"
"Dammit, Mokuba!"
"You had it coming!"
Seto got up and brushed himself off. "I told you not to say that!"
"You made a promise to Kathryn and Joey."
"What? You know about the mutt!"
"Yes. Mokuba got nosy again," Mokuba replied, scratching and flicking his nose.
"Fine," Seto growled. He angrily stomped his way toward the door.
Twenty minutes later, Kathryn walked out the front door, an annoyed Seto beside her. Bakura stood at the end of the driveway waiting for them.
"Morning, Kathryn," Bakura said brightly. He choked when he realized who stood beside her. "Kaiba."
Kaiba didn't answer.
"Seto, what…this has to with your parents, does it?"
Kaiba's face went down. The dirt-brown bangs shadowed his eyes. His face grew dark. Even with a brown button-up sweater on, Kaiba felt cold.
"What about his parents?" Bakura asked. At that, Kaiba darted ahead. Kathryn tried to reach for him, but he was gone.
At Domino Cemetery…
Joey sat down on a bench. A rake rested by him. A bag of leaves was also by him. He straightened his green scarf. He wore a crème sweater with blue jeans. Black slip-on shoes stayed on his feet. He stretched and put his hands behind his head. He looked around.
"Thank you, Mr. Wheeler. I wish I could pay you for your service," a monk replied.
"No prob."
Then, a person ran into the cemetery. He wore all brown. The shade even matched his hair. Joey stood up as the man ran to a tombstone. It said "McGray."
"If he did, would you be able to see his past?"
He approached the man. He heard him weeping. Joey knelt down next to him. He dusted off the stone.
"I didn't know you come here, Kai," he replied.
Kaiba sniffed. Joey pulled him close. Kaiba leaned.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just thought I'd clean this place up."
Kaiba nodded. His eyes were dark.
"Are you okay?"
"I…I don't know."
Kaiba stood up. Joey followed, trying to gather enough courage to say something. Kaiba slowly walked out, almost limping. His knees were about to give out. Joey ran up to him and ducked his head, pulling Kaiba's right arm around his neck to support him. Kaiba looked at him as they walked out.
"Wheeler, why…"
"I just want to help."
Kaiba stopped. "I don't want to be a burden to you."
"No, your burden is me. I didn't believe you or the Pharaoh. I'm sorry and I…I wanna help."
Kaiba's eyes widened. Joey looked. He was able to "see" Kaiba's frozen heart. Ice of hate had only started to melt. But, he saw another thing. He saw why girls like him so much; mainly the three M's. Kaiba was handsome and strong. He has earned Joey's respect. After all, they had something in common. Both of them had younger siblings that needed their protection. Joey felt something on his left shoulder. Kaiba had placed his head there. He looked like…a child.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Joey smiled. "You're welcome."
Kaiba nodded off. Joey bent down as situated his pal on his back. "This is ridiculous, but aw well."
The company president only breathed on Joey's neck. His eyelids fluttered and finally closed. Joey walked on.
About fifteen minutes before…
"Kathryn!"
Kathryn Takemura stopped. She'd left Bakura Ryou behind…again. He caught up and she slowed to a walk. Her friend tried to catch his breath. They walked past an outdoor cafe. A newspaper came down a bit.
"Kathryn, if you are looking for Kaiba, he did come by here."
Maximillian Pegasus folded the paper. His mahogany eye looked at both of them. A black patch and strap covered his left eye. "I've been spying on him. He came by here about 20 to 25 minutes ago…to the cemetery."
"What!" Bakura gasped.
Pegasus got up. "Are you going after him?"
Kathryn looked at him and away. She started to walk the direction Pegasus pointed them. They passed many people. Then, they passed a blonde with a brown pack. Bakura bumped into him.
"Hey!" The blonde yelled as he looked. "Oh, hey Bakura."
Bakura looked at the blonde. The pack had a pale spot. It was…a hand. He walked toward Joey's left side. Bakura looked. He cringed at the sight of Kaiba. Then, he relaxed. "He's asleep?"
"Yeah, he kinda fell asleep as we left the cemetery," Joey answered, looking at back at Kaiba.
"Kaiba…actually looks younger than he really is," Pegasus whispered.
Joey's face dropped. "It's hard to believe that he still looks like a child."
He fell silent. Kaiba stirred and turned his head. He fingers gripped Joey's sweater and relaxed. Pegasus watched as Kathryn rubbed Kaiba's back.
"I've read about this. Some people relive their worst nightmares. I wonder who he is remembering."
Joey looked at her.
"I know my aunt and uncle are dead, but I just don't know what day they died," she explained as they started walking to the park.
"Kai's a McGray, right?"
Kathryn nodded.
"Mrs. McGray died thirteen years ago…on Mokuba's birthday. His father was ten. He died on this very day."
Kathryn gasped.
"I only know 'cause I saw the headstone."
Joey stopped at a patch of grass. He sat down and put Kaiba down. "Man, for being 65 kg (A/N: about 143 lbs and Joey's just guessing.), he doesn't seem all that heavy."
Then, he looked up. Against his chest, his amulet throbbed in warning. Joey didn't understand it.
To be continued…
Next Chapter in the When Destinies Collide Saga: Chapter 26: Witnesses to Ra's Servant
Alister, Valon, and Rafael spy on the group. Alister is then sucked into a premonition that Kaiba is having at that very moment. Gansley appears and wants both parts of the dragon yin-yang, but Kaiba doesn't know about Joey's power. Under extreme pressure, Kaiba uses Ra's power. But, it takes both Kathryn and Mokuba to put a seal on it…so Kaiba won't die again. EXTRA! EXTRA! - Learn how once soul hunters became servants to the Egyptian gods.
Ash Kaiba: Please review!
