Okay happy people – I have decided to go ahead with the...
Oh, come on! You couldn't honestly expect me to tell you!

CROSSOVERS

Chapter 36: The Arrival

If you ever find yourself with an unwanted mental visitor electrocute yourself. It works great! I thought, trying to tempt Malik into a conversation. But Malik hadn't spoken since Mokuba had come to visit. His voice had just started to... fade. I bit my lip and wondered if being electrocuted was more serious than I thought.

Ever since Seto had left I was assailed by silence. The silence of the Shadow Realm victims and now the silence in my own mind. It was all I could do to make myself go to sleep so I didn't have to listen to it anymore.

One of the times I woke up I found a small note next to my bed sitting on a monitor. It was held down by a black stone about the same size as my thumb. The note wasn't signed, all it said was, 'Good Luck.' It didn't seem like a joke, and it wasn't coated with anthrax, so I decided to hang on to it. With comatose reminders all around me, I knew I would need all the luck I could get if I hoped to survive the rest of the tournament.

The only person who broke the silence was Serenity, but I had a sneaking suspicion she really came to visit Mai. She asked me about Mai's condition as soon as she walked in, but the only answer I could give her was, "No change." I didn't say anymore. Talking about Mai made my stomach turn.

Serenity followed my gaze to Mai and asked, "You were good friends with Mai, right?"

"I, uh..." My throat closed. Up until the last few minutes before her duel with Marik, I thought Mai considered me a friend. But the last time we spoke I was a "someone holding her back." It was too late to make it up to her now. Locked in the Shadow Realm, she couldn't hear my apologize if I tried!

"I'd like to think so," I said, trying to smile for Serenity's sake. The girl smiled back, "Mai would say the same thing. You're strong like her, Elaine. In more ways than one."

"Thanks," I blushed. I wanted it to be true, but the last thing I remembered we had in common was we were female duelists. I shook my head, Agh! I have to stop thinking about Mai! I turned to thinking about females and strength. "Do you think Téa thinks I'm strong?"

"I think she's jealous," Serenity said before I could take back the question. I sat up in confusion, "Why would she be jealous of me?"

The brunette looked surprised that I would ask. "Elaine, you're a much better duelist than she is." I blinked - I didn't know Téa could duel. Serenity continued, "Téa was the first original Fairy duelist, sort of. She even beat Mai once!"

"No way!" I couldn't imagine Téa with a duel disk, much less defeating Mai.

"I'm serious. She used a card called Shining Friendship," Serenity said earnestly. I rolled my eyes, "Oh Téa... But so what if we both use Fairy monsters, that's no reason to be jealous!"

Serenity shook her head, "You don't understand, Elaine. You took dueling to the next level. And now, not only have you made a name for yourself, you also have more in common with Yugi and Joey than she ever could."

"But-!" I tried to stop her. Serenity sighed and smiled, "Yugi, Joey, you... you're duelists. Téa's not and her dreams are in a completely different direction!" I was shocked. Everything Serenity said was true, but it had never mattered before. Did Téa think I was replacing her?

The girl didn't speak after that, but she held her hands and looked worried. I knew she could see her words had troubled me. Fortunately, the jet landed in the next few minutes, freeing us from our long awkward silence. Serenity left the jet ahead of me as I gathered up my deck and duel disk. Outside, I found Bandit Keith was sulking at the exit.

"What's the matter?" I asked as I started out the jet. "Lost your bandana?"

"Kaiba won't let me watch the rest of the duels," Keith said with a growl. "Part of the 'consequence' for cheating. That meathead wouldn't even let me enter the dueling tower!"

"That stinks." I could see why he was bummed. "I'm so sorry, Keith."

The American turned to look at me. "You're sorry? I cheated you!"

I blinked, "Well, not allowing you to even watch the duels is kind of harsh... er..."

"You've forgiven me, haven't you!" He looked at me closely, then shook his head with a chuckle. "Wimp - If I were you, I'd never let me live it down." I gasped in surprise. I opened my mouth to protest, but nothing came out. Keith continued, "I think the little friendship talks with the Dancing Harpy are starting to go to your head. Those Japanese are a bad influence."

My voice came back. "Ha!" I snorted. "You're one to talk, Mister Upright and Honest."

Keith grinned, "That's much better." He took off his sunglasses and started to dig through the pockets on his leather vest. Before I could ask what he was doing, the American slapped a duel monster card into my hand. "I thought you might need some extra fire power. But remember, it's a loan. So if you lose it I'm going to hunt you down and gut you like a fish, understand?"

I was shocked, which made Keith grin some more. He slapped me on the back, "Now, go show them what a real American can do."

"Wait," I said quickly. "You can gut a fish?"

Keith chuckled and boarded the jet. "Good luck, Elaine." As he disappeared inside I turned the card over in my hand - Metalmorph. It was a trap, but doubled as an equip card. A monster equipped with Metalmorph would have its attack and defense increased by 300 points. Then, when attacking with a monster equipped with this card, its attack is increases by an amount equal to half the attack of the target. Talk about some extra fire power!

Still examining the card, I started down the beaten path. The island was hideous, rusty scrap metal and stripped wires everywhere. The contrast from the sleek, cutting edge technology of the jet was startling. I thought, Seto must not be big on landscaping. The island's one redeeming feature was the Dueling Tower. The sheer size was overwhelming; how it rose from the ruins into the sky. As I got closer the tower blocked out the sun completely and became a dark shape against the bright blue sky. A fitting place for the end of the tournament.

Inside the tower was a large entryway, six doors around the sides. Everyone, excluding Keith, was already there and waiting. I was about to ask about the doors when the referee called, "Duelists, please gather round! Here is where the second half of the Battle City finals will take place. Would each duelist please choose a door." He motioned to the six doors around him.

"I've got this door!" Weevil cried. He flew inside the door closest to him, nearly plowing over Joey.

I looked at Yami and mouthed, "What's going on?" But the Pharaoh had already vanished inside the door next to me. Meanwhile, Joey had began counting, "One potato, two potato..."

"How pathetic," Seto muttered, and he opened the door on his right. Following his lead, I likewise choose a door on my right and stepped inside. The door shut automatically behind me and I was enclosed in darkness. Groping forward, I stepped up and inched forward until my hands met solid wall. Suddenly the top of the room open and light streamed in. I was standing on a dueling platform!

Excitement flowed through my veins. I hadn't dueled since my disaster with Keith, and it was time to make up for it. The dueling station jolted under my feet, and I rose above the tower floor to a level marked at 4000. The entire inside of the Duel Tower was hexagonal, and continued above my head as far as the eye could see. Directly across from me was Weevil Underwood, who was looking around himself with confidence. Yami was on my right, and Seto was on my left. Next to Seto stood Marik, and across from Seto was Joey, who was eyeing the ground in apprehension.

"Kaiba, what's going on?" Joey demanded, clutching his station like no tomorrow. Seto chuckled, "Don't worry, mutt. Aaron will explain the rules." To the referee he added. "Be sure to speak slowly so Wheeler can understand."

Joey clenched his jaw, but there was nothing he could do suspended twenty feet above the ground.

The referee, standing safely inside the main body of the Duel Tower, began, "This is a preliminary duel to decide the match-ups for the semi-finals..." I listened in a kind of horror as the employee began to describe a free-for-all. How on earth could anyone possibly protect themselves against five other duelists! And to top things off, everything that happened was going to decide our opponents in the next round! The first two duelists to reach the top would face off in the first semi-final duel, and so on and so forth. The referee finished his speech, "Now, will you please connect your Duel Disks to the monitor at your station."

Joey looked under his Duel Disk, completely clueless. "Connect...?"

"Sir!" the referee called, "There's a cable under the disk... right there – no! Right there! On your left! Your other left!" The blonde finally found it.

"Why do you people have to make technology so confusing?" Joey grumbled as he struggled to pull out the cable.

I quickly found my cable and plugged it in. The monitor flashed "READY" as soon as the Disk connected. I almost laughed; how could anyone be ready for a six-way duel!

The referee went on, "Remember, this duel will have no effect on your final placement. It will only decide who you'll face in the semi-finals." Yeah right! This was everyone's opportunity to control who they would face in the next round. This could be the most important duel of the whole tournament!

"Each duelist must chose one monster card from their deck," the employee announced. "You will go in order of the attack strenght of the monster you have chosen."

Chosen? I hadn't chosen anything yet! I quickly tore through my deck. Would taking a sooner turn give me an advantage? Or would later be best?

Seto held up his card and declared, "Masked Beast Des Gardius – 3300 attack points." Yami did likewise, "Feral Imp – 1300 attack points."

"I choose Rekunga – 1700 attack points," Marik shrugged. Joey, frantically tearing through his deck finally burst out, "Swordsman of Landstar! 500 attack points."

Weevil frowned then said, "I pick Insect Knight with 1900 attack points."

The referee turned then to look at me. I found the card I was looking for at the bottom of my deck, "Rogue Doll – 1600 attack points."

The man nodded, "The order will be Mr. Kaiba, followed by Underwood, Ishtar, Murphy, Moto, and then Wheeler." The duel stations activated and my Duel Disk hummed with power. Under my breath I muttered, "This is going to be a mess."

?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?
Okay - I chose the six-way duel. A word of caution! Because this duel already happened (as in the four-way one from the actual episodes) I tried to follow the original as closely as possible. Of course, it will be different because Weevil and Elaine are there - but just because there are extra people doesn't mean the cards Kaiba, the Pharaoh, Joey, and Marik originally drawn will suddenly change.

NOW YOU KNOW! But remember, if you want to read my new six-way duel version, review! (Yes – that is a threat. Mwa ha ha ha!)