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 here. Thanks for sticking with this story. I wish to give you heads up that the big reason why this is rated T is coming up...other than the censored cuss words and blood. Enjoy this chapter.
Previously in When Destinies Collide: Chapter 26: Witnesses to Ra's Servant
Alister sees one of Kaiba's visions. Gansley, the first of the Big Five, poisons Kaiba and searches his prey's mind, hoping to find and capture the one with the ka of a Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Kaiba fights long and hard, eventually pushing Gansley out of his mind and killing him with Ra's power. But, greatly weakened, he slips away as the poison eats him alive. Rafael manages to give him the antidote before time runs out.
Chapter 27: Determination of Two Blue-Eyes
"Eggs, milk…Rafael! Does he need anything?"
"Get some lotion, cough syrup, maybe some reading material…" Rafael pondered.
Valon looked up from his book. A set of goggles rested on his head. He wore a leather jacket that had patches of metal and a few hanging straps. He stared at the two in frustration.
"Oh, yes…lip ointment," Rafael replied.
"CAN'T YOU JUST WRITE IT DOWN!" Alister yelled.
Valon got up. His friends ignored him. He approached a door and reached for the knob. The knob gave into his will. It clicked and the door swung open a bit. The light illuminated a small streak of the floor. It went vertical when it reached a white cloth. Valon stepped in and closed the door behind him. He reached for the lamp to turn it on. He stumbled in the dark, helpless. Valon held his hands out in front of him. His fingers searched in the complete darkness.
So, this is what it's like… to be helpless…alone in the dark. He thought as his fingers brushed something. He ran them up and down until his fingers found something protruding from the side. Then his hand twisted the switch. The lamp came to life, something that the room's occupant lacked and had to recover. Valon turned his head toward the fabric. At a distance, he first thought that it was thick. But up close, he could see Rafael's patient. He pulled back the sheer, which separate the area around the bed from the room, and stepped in. Inside, he familiarized himself to where everything was. A pitcher and a glass stood on the nightstand beside a bowl and a washcloth. He approached the bowl and looked down. The ice cubes inside distorted his reflection. Then, he froze. A high pitched moan strained to be heard. In response, Valon turned his body to the bed. His turquoise eyes locked onto the form of Rafael's patient.
"Mo…ku…ba…" he gasped.
Valon drowned the washcloth in the water and rang it out. "Take it easy, mate," he whispered as he dabbed the occupant's forehead. It had been two days since Gansley's attack. So far, he hadn't recovered much. Sweat soaked the sheets around him. His head continuously thrashed from side to side. Valon had to hold it still in order to put the washcloth on. "Seto…Seto Kaiba, stay with me, mate."
Seto Kaiba's eyes slowly fluttered open. Valon figured that he was on the edge of unconsciousness. His mind held onto anything to survive…Yet, he continued to slip away. The moans grew softer.
"He needs his medication," a voice replied from the shadows.
Valon spun on the ball of his right foot. The blonde stood in the opening he made with the sheer. His hard blue eyes locked onto him. Valon's body shook. His body started to feel limp and heavy. Rafael caught him by his shoulders.
"You're the squire of Osiris. You feel what anybody feels."
"Tell me somethin' I didn't know," Valon growled. He turned and faced Kaiba. The eyelids were fighting hard not to close, but eventually unconsciousness claimed him. "Where's Alister?"
"He left to do the grocery shopping."
On the way to the grocery store…
"Reading material…he's not well enough to read!" Alister yelled to himself. He fell silent as people stared at him. The whole world was at war and no one knew about it. The worst part was that he was in it. All because stupid old Heishin decided now was the time to act; Alister couldn't focus on his missing mother and little brother. His brain kept telling him that Kaiba will die, but in his heart, he knew the brunette would never give up. Mikey, I will find you…I promise.
At Rafael's…
"Al…is…ter…" Seto Kaiba groaned again.
"Come on, mate," someone cheered.
Kaiba blinked as two masses appeared before him. The blurs moved closer, but didn't clear. Kaiba struggled to move away from them, but he was unable to budge a single centimeter.
"Ge…t…" he attempted as his lungs forced air out of them.
"Easy, easy…Here, drink this."
He felt a rim against his lips. Instinctively, he drank. Cold fluid ran down his throat, easing the pain of his hacks. Shaking, he tried to tell the difference between the masses. His mind felt as if it was ran over (A/N: It's the side effects of Gansley inside his head.) Instead of clearing, the masses of fog only got worse. Images of Heishin and destruction rang in his head. His breathing struggled as his heartbeats slowly got irregular. Skin ran against his own. The shadows waited. "No…no…"
"Kaiba, you're safe here. Calm down."
He couldn't control his body. The shaking worsened as his eyes rolled. One of the masses immediately reacted.
"Kaiba, don't give in. Don't give in," it told him.
"Gi…ve…in…to…what…"
He screamed softly. His blood ran wild under his flesh, burning every cell it touched. Cold liquid ran down his face. Something was placed over his face.
"His temperature is pretty high," mass number one replied.
His fingers tightened their grip on the sheets.
"Seth, join me. Join me and you won't suffer anymore."
"Yes…Master Heishin," Kaiba whispered. He flinched, watching. Another form of him gave in to Heishin's desires. The other Seto Kaiba stood for a moment. Then, he fell in pain. Seto listened to twisting of the bones and new bones grow in. The other's skin grew dark as night. His blue eyes grew colder and more distant. Heishin also watched…with a smirk on his face. Before him was the Chosen One of Ra, whose soul was sold to darkness. Seto shook harder. He squeezed his eyes shut.
"NO!"
"Kaiba, Kaiba!"
Seto responded. A blonde stood over him. His left hand wiped a cloth against Seto's skin. His blue eyes looked into Kaiba's faded.
"What did you see?"
Seto couldn't find the courage to speak. But, it appeared that the blonde knew. His eyes still stared at his.
"It was Heishin, wasn't it?"
"I'm not doing it. I'm not doing it."
"Easy, easy. Just calm down."
Seto Kaiba felt his body being picked up. The blonde had sat him up. He stared as the blonde got on one knee.
"We will do whatever we can to help you, Chosen."
"Who…are…you?"
"I am the Priest of Ma'at, Rafael."
"Rafael, I'm…" Kaiba drifted away.
Rafael quickly rose to his feet. His giant hands caught the Kaiba's body and slowly guided it down. He recovered the body.
"He has a chance. He broke his own fever and gave himself a chance. Don't give up."
At Domino Museum…
"I'm telling you. I found the one and only Excalibur!" Her aunt squealed.
"Yeah, yeah. Now, stop squealin'," Ash growled.
Her aunt's green eyes flared. Her brown hair struggled to stand on end. She stood a little shorter than Ash. Her daughters were the same height. Ash looked away. Her mind wandered to her friends and Mokuba, the only Kaiba she'd befriended thus far. Her boss' lemony attitude kept pushing her away. Noah, on the other hand, had problems of his own, like the employees accepting his presence.
"Cool," Mae squealed, really pressing Ash's buttons.
Ash checked her strap again. Her father glared.
"That's the second time, Ashley," he growled. His brown eyes hardened on her. "You insist on carrying that…thing around."
"It's a Duel Disk. It's the best way for all of you not to get trampled by people wanting to face Yugi."
Her aunt got curious. "Really? You're up there yourself. Why aren't they after you?"
"They've seen me kick Underpants' butt over and over. But the big reason is that I'm not part of the top two."
"Top two?" One of her matching (to her aunt) cousins asked.
"The top two duelists of Japan. Yugi Mutou is number one."
"Then, who's number two? His friend, Joseph Wheeler?" The other asked.
I hate identical twins, she growled. "No. The second best is my boss."
"And who would that be?"
"Seto Kaiba."
Ash decided not to talk anymore. The memories of her boss were too painful to bear. She still didn't know if she could handle seeing him again. His dark skin creeped her out. Not to mention the fact that he had attacked her. Maybe if she had some time…Then again, forgetting wasn't going to happen. Then, she remembered the name Heishin and how her boss seemed to know him. They spoke as if they had been ancient acquaintances…or something like that. She gave up hope in finding Seth; the man in her dreams…some way or another. Ash had had enough. Enough of guys asking her out, enough of being challenged by a bunch of wannabes, and enough of her boss. Does he still have that crush on me? Wait a minute, what am I thinking?
"Hey, we're here," Natalie cheered.
Ash looked at the steps of the museum. It had been months since she stepped inside. Inside her very soul, a spark passed through. "Ishizu."
"What was that, Ashley?" one of her cousins asked.
"Nothing. Nothing, Missy."
"I'm Prissy! That's Missy!"
"I swear, Ashley…you claim to be our cousin."
"Argh…Sorry, Prissy."
'Prissy' smiled. "I'm only joking. I am Missy."
Ash growled in her chest. I so hate identical twins. She swore mentally as they all walked in. The caretaker, Mr. Kanekara, waited for them. Three people stood behind him. In the center was a woman in an Egyptian gown. Ash blew in her face, trying to keep a blonde bang from hanging in her eyes. As for the rest of her hair, it remained black.
"Ash…"
"What, Ishizu?"
Mr. Kanekara looked at the two of them. Then, his gaze fell onto Ash's aunt.
"Natalie, I'm glad you came."
"I brought some relatives with me too."
"Excellent, more pictures for the paper," he replied as he led them into another room. Ash felt as if she was wearing a collar around her neck. She hated it. Then, he stopped. In front of him was a chunk of rock.
"A rock," Mae asked.
Ash felt her necklace throb, like something was calling to it. She looked harder at the rock. A gleam of metal caught her attention. The sight of metal excited her blood. She felt as if a warrior lived in her. The Paladin is dead. She was my mother, Ash thought.
"All right, group picture please," the photographer asked.
Ash shoved her way into the photo. The flash blinded them and he pulled the camera down. Then, individual pictures of them grasping the hilt of the sword, pretending to pull it from the stone.
"Miss Black…your turn."
Ash approached the rock. She positioned her right hand above her left. The photographer held the camera to his face. Ash tried to look noble…It is in her blood after all. Then, a blinding light snared her attention, causing her to lose her balance. She fell backwards with her hands still on the sword.
"Shades," she cursed as her father approached her. Suddenly, he stopped. His brown eyes stared at the ground. "What?" Ash asked, her eyes following his gaze. She gasped when she saw the sword lying on the ground instead of in the stone. "The Excalibur!"
She jumped back up and tried to replace the sword. Excalibur refused to go back in the rock. Ash released her left hand and sat on the nearest bench. "Why me?"
"Ashley, you pulled out the Excalibur…"
At Rafael's…
"I'm back!"
There was no response. Alister stepped in and closed the door with his foot. "Thanks for ignoring me…"
"JERKY!"
The gray eyes widened in surprise. "No jerky, Valon! It wasn't on the list!"
"WA…RAFAEL! ALISTER IS BEING MEAN!"
Rafael didn't respond. Alister walked farther into the apartment. He left the grocery bag on the bar counter. His frame was tall and muscular (a bit). His fiery hair parted in the middle of his forehead. It curled out in back. His gray eyes searched the living room as he swung his jacket off. The belts near the collar brushed his pale cheeks. His amulet hung around his neck, where a fragment of the Orichalcos once rested. His soft purple sleeveless shirt revealed his abdomen and counteracted his hair. Concern grew in his eyes. His legs forced his body into the 'room,' his room. The cold knob rejected him, but he forced it to open anyway. The light flooded in. Alister ran under the sheer and froze.
"Rafael…"
"He's asleep. The medication is finally working."
The blonde rose to his feet. He approached Alister, towering over him by five inches or more. His muscles pumped out as his abs were patterned out in his sleeveless shirt. Rafael also wore his amulet around his neck. His stern face turned and faced the bed.
"He was calling for you half an hour ago."
"Should've done the shopping yesterday."
"I needed your help. What has past is past."
"Yeah," Alister sighed. His mind thought back to when he was younger and his brother was still with him.
"No word about Mikey?"
Alister shook his head. "What about you? Anything from your family?"
"We're in the same boat," Rafael replied as he strolled out of the sheer. "I'll prepare dinner."
"'Kay."
Alister listened as Raphael closed the door. He cautiously stepped closer to the bed, even though he knew Kaiba wasn't going to jump him. His hand reached out. The back of his hand brushed against Kaiba's slippery face. His breathing reached Alister's ears. He was horrible the first two days, but now he was on his way to recovery. He sat on the edge of the bed. His other hand reached for the damp cloth. Alister tossed it to the opposite hand. Then, he gently stroked Kaiba's forehead. His eyelids fluttered weakly, revealing the fade out irises. Yet, Alister saw something. The once white irises had gained a hint of blue. He was coming back.
"Al…is…ter…"
"Yeah, I'm here. Don't talk too much. You need what energy you have."
Kaiba didn't answer. For once, he's actually listening to someone else's advice. Of course, he knew he was worn out, pushed way beyond his limit.
"Rafael is cooking. I can…"
You know I hate being fed.
Alister chuckled. His mental connection with Ra's Chosen was still intact. "You don't have a choice."
Kaiba complied. The company president ran out of things to say. Then, he felt as if his body was shrinking. Alister jumped up and ran out to one of the two. Kaiba squeezed his eyes shut. He swore that he was feeling like his clock was rewinding. His eyelids disobeyed and opened. The world suddenly appeared bigger. The borrowed pajamas hung loosely around him. He noticed that underneath it were clothes that he buried away in his mind. The light yellow shirt was covered by a blue sleeveless sweater. Black pants rubbed against the white leggings. Gansley's poison was gone. His cells weren't on fire any more.
"Something's wrong with Kaiba!"
Kaiba slid out of the bed. His wide blue eyes scanned the room. The air vent was too small. He ran to the window and looked out. A tree branch hung less than a foot away. Kaiba reacted with a sudden burst of energy. The locks complied…as did the window. Kaiba pulled himself onto the sill. Trying to maintain his balance, he stood. The knob clicked. His legs responded before his brain told him to jump. The branch knocked him in his chest, but he held out and pulled himself up. He carefully shimmied toward the base of the branch.
Seto, you idiot…You never climbed a tree before…Not to mention down one. He cursed. Kaiba tried to carefully go down a branch. Just be thankful that you don't have an SUV above you (A/N: reference to Jurassic Park). Just go slowly and don't look down, he said in an attempt to encourage himself.
"Where'd he go?"
Crap!
His legs fired. He swung his body down onto the branches. Kaiba couldn't help looking down, but that was better than revealing his suddenly young appearance to Alister and his friends. Kaiba jumped from the last branch and onto the concert. He roamed away from the apartment, keeping his identity unknown.
I must find Yugi.
To be continued…
Next Chapter in the When Destinies Collide Saga: Chapter 28: Fight of the Paladin-Part 1: Power of the Red-Eyes
Yami Yugi, supported by his friends, fights a Rare Hunter, who seems to know something that Yami doesn't. Ash must confront the Ishtars once again, but now her family is involved in this ancient conflict. The Ishtars make an alliance with her and follow her as she attempts to find Yugi. Alister and the gang run into them, searching for the vanished Seto Kaiba, who is also looking for Yugi. Kathryn and Bakura meet up with Kaiba, not recognizing him at all. Leichter appears with his followers…and a dead man. Joey uses his power for the first time…when Kaiba is under threat. Noah too is out in the streets…But where?
Ash Kaiba again. Thanks for reading and I can't wait for reviews. Thanks again and feel free to check out my profile for other stories.
