Dark Magician Girl Of Chaos: CHAPTER SEVEN AHOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hahaha. Too much sugar. If you're reading this without reading the others...What the hey are you doing? Go back to chapter five and read the Authoress' note, then read through to here. Thank you!
naw, I'm a nice person really.
Magician Of Black Chaos: Dark Magician Girl Of Chaos does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of it's characters, Kazuki Takahashi does. God help Seto Kaiba if she did.
Dark Magician Girl Of Chaos: Enjoy!

Chapter Seven.

"Hey Kaiba." Ashely called, walking over.

"Oh, there you are. Come on then." Kaiba turned and walked in the direction of the main school building, which is where their lockers were. Ashely knew that much but not much else. Remember this was her first day.

"So, where are we going?" Ashely asked, following him.

"I told you, I need to do something first."

By now they had walked past the lockers, and were outside one of the classrooms, or maybe it was an office belonging to the head of the department. Ashely wasn't sure.

"Wait here." Kaiba instructed.

'He seems so different now, than he does on-line. I wonder what's yup with him? It's as if he doesn't know me.' Ashely thought as she leant against the wall, waiting for Kaiba to come out. 'I wonder if he's always like this…Maybe I've done something wrong. I know he doesn't like Joey and the others but I don't see why he's taking it out on me…I don't think I've done anything wrong.'

Just then, Kaiba came out of the room, and started walking. Ashely didn't notice, and continued leaning against the wall. Kaiba looked back, after realising that Lucky wasn't following him. "Hey."

Lucky looked up, a little startled. "Huh?"

"Come on then."

"Oh, sorry." Ashley pushed herself off the wall, and caught up with him.

"What's up?" Kaiba asked, slowing his walk. "You looked as if you were in really deep thought. Were you?"

"Um, not really. I was just wondering…Why are you so different now, than you are on-line? Is it that, I mean, you're always different on-line than you are in real life, or is it that I've done something wrong, something to upset you?"

Kaiba was caught off-guard, which caused him to stop. "N-No…It's not you." He regained his posture, and carried on walking. "Nor is it something you've done. It's just that I wasn't really happy that you are getting so close to Yugi and the others."

"But I'm allowed to have friends Kaiba. Even if you don't like them. Just because we struck up a friendship on-line, just because I met you first, doesn't mean you can dictate what I can and cannot do, or who I can and cannot hang around with! I get enough of that at home when my Father's about. I don't need it from you as well!"

Kaiba turned to look at her. 'Wow, that was unexpected.' He thought.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "But, it's how I feel. Although, I shouldn't have shouted at you like that."

Kaiba shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. You're right. I don't have the right to dictate who you hang around with. I guess I'm just a little jealous."

Kaiba had lowered his voice, and Ashely had noticed that his tone has changed. She frowned a little. "Jealous? You? Why?"

"Yes, me." He sighed. " Maybe it's because, aside from my brother, I haven't really had any friends before. I don't want you to like them more than you like me. I don't want them to take the only friend I've got away from me."

By now, they had reached the park, not far from where Yugi's Grandpa's Game shop was, although this was unbeknownst to Ashely.

Her expression softened. "Joey and the others would be your friends, if you just let them."

"Maybe I don't want them to be friends with me." Kaiba sat on a swing, and Ashely sat on the one next to him. "Maybe I feel that I don't deserve them as friends, because of what I've put them through."

'Wow, this is so…Un-Kaiba-like.' Ashely thought. "Well," she said reflectively, "they obviously still want to be friends with you, even though you've put them through, whatever it is you've put them through."

"A lot." Kaiba mumbled.

"Mm. Still, doesn't that say something? Maybe they've forgiven you."

Kaiba looked up from the tarmac, right into Lucky's eyes. "Do you think so?"

She smiled. "As sure as I am that my name is Lucky. Anyway, I don't say things I don't mean, you know that."

They sat quietly for awhile, then Ashely broke the silence. "Hey, don't you need to get home for your brother?"

Kaiba shook his head. "No, he'll be okay. He'll probably think I'm working late, which I should be. Never mind, I'll have to work late some other time this week."

"Not if I've got anything to do with it you won't."

Kaiba's head snapped up from looking at the tarmac (again). "What?"

Ashely smiled innocently. "I said, not if I've got anything to do with it you won't. Be working late that is."

Kaiba frowned a little. "Why?"

Ashely sighed. "Because you work too hard and too much. You need to learn to live a little." She looked at her watch. "Argh! My parents are going to be worrying about me. I'll get the third degree when I get home." She sighed again. "Oh well. I'll just say that I stayed behind to do some homework then I went for a walk with some friends or something."

"At least you've got parents to worry about you." Kaiba mumbled.

Ashely blinked then swallowed. "Oh gosh. Kaiba, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot." She slapped her forehead. "Oh Ra, how thoughtless of me."

He gave her a faint smile. "It's okay, really. You better get home."

"But I don't really want to go home yet." Ashely said quietly, with an edge of sadness in her voice.

"Why?"

"I don't know, I've just got this bad feeling that it's not a good idea for me to go home right now."

Kaiba frowned, and examined the toe of his shoe. "Are you…Are you having problems at home?

"Problems?" Ashely frowned, confused. "What do you mean problems?"

Kaiba swallowed. "I mean…Family problems…Y'know…Arguments…And such."

"Oh! No, I'm not having any problems with my family. Well, not as such. It's just that…I don't know…It sounds weird."

Kaiba looked at her. She was now looking at the tarmac, holding one of the chains that held the swing up, and the other hand was currently pushing her hair behind her ears. This hand then went back to holding the other chain. "What is it?" He asked softly.

Ashely swallowed, and lightly scratched behind her ear. "Well…It's just that…Well…This is going to sound so weird and kinda ungrateful…"

"What is it?" Kaiba asked again, trying to coax it out of her. "Don't worry, it doesn't matter what it is, you can still tell me. We're friends right? Friends talk to each other, no matter how small or insignificant the problem may seem."

Ashely gave him a small smile. "Yeah, we are friends." She sighed. "Well, it's just that my family seems so…So together."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Ashely explained. "What I mean is…My family is so…Happy."

Kaiba almost half laughed. "And that's a bad thing because why?"

Running her fingers through her hair, Ashely thought about it. "Well, I hear people saying that they had to listen to their parents arguing the other day or whatever and it feels weird, because my parents never argue. Not when I'm around anyway. It's just so strange. I just wish they'd argue a little bit more because it all seems too perfect."

"Why's that ungrateful?"

"It's ungrateful because I should be happy that they're so happy together, but I'm not. It' worries me that everything's so perfect, or seems to be so perfect anyway. It's like an accident waiting to happen." She sighed again. "It's like my family has no flaws."

"Oh." Kaiba paused, and Ashely looked at him. He cleared his throat. "Well. I suggest that you try to forget about it being an accident waiting to happen, because it doesn't sound as if it is. Just try to make the most of it, because if something does go wrong, although I'm not saying that it will, you'll wish that you had never said what you just did." He looked sideways at Ashely, and saw that she was staring of her, biting her bottom lip. "Does that help and/or makes sense at all?"

She stayed quiet for a couple of minutes. "Yeah, actually it does." She smiled shyly at him. "Thanks."

He smiled a shy half smile back. "No problem."

They sat together for awhile, rocking backwards and forwards on their swings, occasionally commenting on a bit of scenery or something.

"I think maybe I ought to be getting home now." Ashely looked around, and then blushed. "Although, I have to figure out which way top go now."

Kaiba stood up and picked up his schoolbag. "I'll walk you home if you want."

Ashely reached for her schoolbag from her swing. She stood up, smoothed down her skirt and put her backpack on her shoulders. 'I'd like to say yes, but what if Dad's home?' She though, biting her bottom lip again. 'Oh what the hell. I'm fed up of him dictating who I can and cannot hang around with.'

Kaiba lightly touched her shoulder. "Lucky?"

She jumped lightly. "Oh, sorry, was in a different world. Um, yeah, I'd like that, thanks."

"Where do you live?"

After pulling a piece of paper out of her blazer pocket, she handed it to him, and then brushed her hair out of her eyes. He took it from her, raising an eyebrow slightly in question. She sighed. "I told you on-line that my Dad doesn't want me to know where I live. Not yet anyway. But, Mum thought I might need my address in case I got lost or something. So she gave the address to me, but on the condition that I wasn't to tell my Dad."

"Ah."

"Yeah. I haven't really had the chance to memorise my way home yet. Not only that, we took a slightly different turn to get here than I did when I walked to school this morning." Kaiba continued studying the piece of paper, his eyebrows screwed up in thought. "Do you know where it is?"

He blinked a few times. "I do actually." He looked up and surveyed the area they were in. "It would be best to go…That way. Come on." He exited the park, and started walking with Ashely hurrying close behind him.

"Wait for me! I don't really want to get lost!"

"Hey look!" Ashely exclaimed a little while later. "A game shop! Cool!"

Kaiba half smiled, slightly amused at her excitement. "Yeah…Um, that's where Yugi Mutou lives with his grandfather.

"Really?"

He looked at her. "Do you even know who Yugi is? Apart from the normal person you met in tutorial this morning?"

Ashely straightened her back. "Of course I do. I do watch television you know." She smiled. "He's King of Games, isn't he?"

"Hmnph. Yes."

Ashely grinned. "Oh yeah! Bring it on Yugi! It's time to duel!" She giggled. "I haven't said that for ages."

Kaiba looked at her with a look of, I guess you could call it confusion, on his face. "You what?"
"I haven't said 'it's time to duel' for ages."

"That wasn't what I meant."

"Oh." Her grin broadened. "Heh. Bring it on Yugi. Let's see who's more powerful, the King, or Queen, of Games!"

Kaiba's eyes widened slightly. "You're Queen of Games?

"Yes indeed! Well. I'm Egyptian Queen of Games anyway. It still counts!"

"I never said it didn't. Are you really?"

"Yep." They stopped to cross a road, and then Ashely continued. "And have been for a long time."

"How long's a long time?"

"Um, well…I've been playing Duel Monsters for ten years now, so, eight years?"

Kaiba raised both his eyebrows. "Eight years?!"

She smiled, an almost smug smile. "Nine, if I win this year."

"Blimey."

"I don't think I could beat you though," Ashely mused. "I mean, you're such a good duelist. You plan everything so well, whereas Yugi often relies on the heart of the cards." She caught his look and backtracked. "Don't get me wrong, I personally believe in the heart of the cards, it's just that I also believe that you need a mix of the two." Kaiba frowned and she sighed. "I mean, planning your strategy and believing in the heart of the cards." She smiled. "Although, I like to do what you do. That is, look at my opponent beforehand, if I know my opponent that is, to see what kind of strategy and type of deck to use, and then figure out how to counter it."

Kaiba smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah. Then, normally, the heart of the cards helps me draw the right card at the right time during the duel."

Kaiba smiled again, and looked at his surroundings. "You live around here?"

Ashely looked. "Somewhere around here." She looked around a bit more. "Oh! That way, through that mini alleyway." The mini alleyway she was referring to was just a pathway which was covered by a 'roof' that the trees had made with their branches. "You can leave me here if you want, I know where I am now."

Kaiba shook his head. "No, I said I'd walk you home and that's what I'm going to do."

"Oh, okay then," Ashely said quietly. "Only if it's no trouble."

"It's no trouble."

"Well," she continued a bit quieter. "I thought you might want to get home to your brother."

"It's okay." Kaiba said gently, as he held a branch out of the way so she could walk by without getting smacked in the face with it. "He has people to look after him and I want to make sure that you get home okay."

He noticed that she had gone a bit pink. "Thank you." She whispered, pushing her bag's strap back onto her shoulder.

"No problem." He took the piece of paper out of his pocket. "Which one is it Lucky?"

She giggled. "The one we're standing in front of."

"Ah." Kaiba felt a little embarrassed. "I knew that." He gave the piece of paper back to her. "Here you go."

She took it from him and put it on her pocket. "Thank you."

"No problem."
"And.."

"Honey! You're home!" Where have you been?"

Both teenagers turned to look at the house they were standing in front of, to see a blonde woman walking down the path.

"Oh no…" Ashely murmured.

"Where have you been? School finished ages ago! I've been so worried!"

"Mama…" Ashely struggled to et out of her Mum's hug. "I can't breathe…"

"Sorry sweetheart." The woman let go, and then gasped. "You're Seto Kaiba!"

Behind her, Ashely hit her forehead. "Damn!"

Kaiba swallowed. "Er, yeah I am."

"Pleased to meet you." The older woman held out her hand" "I'm Ruby."

He shook her hand. "Lucky's sister?"

Ruby laughed. Heavens! No, I'm her Mother. Are you the friend she's been talking to on the Internet?"

"Er…yeah."

"Mum! Leave him alone!" Ashely gave her Mum a shove. "Get back inside…"

"You should've told me you were talking to Seto Kaiba!"

"But Mama…"

"Ooooh, what's your Father going to say if he finds out?"

Ashely looked horrified. "You're not going to tell him are you?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, and he's at work right now, so if I was going to, I couldn't."

Ashely let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks. Now, get back indoors…" She gave her Mum another gentle shove and this time, Ruby went indoors.

"Nice to meet you Seto, you should come around sometime."

Ashely watched the door close, and then hit her forehead again. "Damn it! I was hoping that that wouldn't happen! Ra, she's so embarrassing!"

Kaiba shook his head smiling. "She seems nice, and she's very young."

Ashely sighed. "Yeah I know. I told you how old she was when she had me, remember? Anyway, I think I better get indoors before she comes out again." She smiled. "Um, I'll explain the Dad thing to you another time, although I think I told you on-line…"

"You did."

"I thought so. Anyway, I'll try to explain things properly some other time. Thanks for walking me home."

Kaiba smiled. "No problem, anytime."

Ashely smiled back and started to go indoors. She stopped and turned to face him. "See you tomorrow Kaiba."

"See you tomorrow Lucky." Kaiba replied, watching her shut her front door before walking off.