RESPONSES


Kay-Dee-S

Mena: (scratches head) I've never seen that move, now that I think of it...

Toli: Then I guess this was a coincidence! It kinda seems like Joey only has a 10-second memory span, though, doesn't it?

Mena: Yeah, it does! Anyway, thanks for the review!


Masami, Mistress Of Fire

Toli: Hey Masami! (hugs Masami)

Mani: (comes out of nowhere and hugs Masami)

Toli: Awww! (picks Mani up by the shirt and drops her back down beside random atomic bomb) Anyway! Yay! We're pals!

Mena: (watery-eyed) So...you didn't mean those mean and difficult to comprehend words, Damie-chan?

Toli: We're starting to lump all your reviews together. We can't help it. YOU'RE WELCOME FOR THE PATENTED HELMET! I made it myself! And...um...thanks for the rock in the e-mail. I have a lotta things I can do with a rock...yep, a lot... (lets rock drop)

Mena: (hugs Damion) It's okay, Damie-chan, I know you didn't mean it. (sniffs) I just THOUGHT you did, that's all... (hugs Damion tighter) I still love you, koibito!

Toli: (stares) Oooh! I am SO glad my pocket-sized tape recorder was conveniently in my pocket and recording! I can put this with Mena's and Damion's love declarations, and Damion's romantic apology...I ought to make a copy of this! Oh, and I almost forgot... (pokes Masami) Even MORE revenge! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! Okay, I'm outta here.


Shrilanka-San

Toli: Hey! It's our pal Shri!

Mena: Hi, Shri!

Mani: Hi, Shri!

Mena: (proud) I came up with the NOChauffeur void. It was a really random idea that popped into my head. Like, "why are rich people so lazy that they have their chauffeurs open their doors for them?" And then I thought, "maybe if they don't, something bad happens to them!" And then...

Toli: It was all downhill from there. But hey! Glad you think we're clever! Joey's really deteriorating, isn't he? It's kind of sad, you know, really kind of sad. Poor brainless idiot...

Mena: Anyway, thanks for reviewing! And we take pride in being your unrival-like rivals!

Toli: Hope you enjoy!


Jesselda: It's that time again, it would seem.

Mena: Yes!--ow--It is! And--ow--we're glad--ow--to be here!

Toli: We are?

Mena: (glares)


SIX: Ryou The Spineless Wimp

The four travelers followed the White Linoleum Road, and they were relieved when it led them out of the dense forest. "We're free!" Mokuba cheered. "Neigh!"

"What did I tell you about that neighing?" Tea admonished.

"That it's good for my heart?" Mokuba suggested.

Tea furrowed her eyebrows. "Is it?"

No one could answer the question.

"Okay, let's move on," Tea said as they continued along the White Linoleum Road. The Road ked them between the dense forest and the rail fence, all three of which seemed never-ending.

The ride was silent, save for the sounds of birds chirping and someone far away screaming as they were murdered. Tea watched ahead of them for any signs of change in the scenery.

"I'm bored," Mokuba said, lifting his fur hat to scratch his scalp.

"And I don't care," Seto shot back.

"Are we thea yet?" Joey asked, but then shut up when four glares pierced him.

They rode in silence for a little while longer. Then Mokuba exclaimed, "I know! Let's play a game! It'll pass the time!"

"A game like what?" Tea asked.

"Um...I dunno."

"Hows about we sing a song?" Joey suggested.

"Like what?" Tea asked.

"Um...'Ninety-some Bottles o' Stuff on da Wall'!" Joey suggested.

Seto rolled his eyes. "You can't even get the name of the song right?" he said with a smirk.

"If Joey can't count, how can he sing that song?" Mokuba wondered aloud.

"Did we pick a game yet?" Joey asked.

"I am going to die of insanity," Tea sighed, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Join the club," Seto snorted, looking up ahead. Look at that. It's another door," he suddenly said. They looked over and saw that the White Linoleum Road led to an open door supported only by the rail fence. They steered the horses over to it.

"I don't think the horses'll fit in there," Joey said.

Tea slid off her horse and went to the door. "I don't think we can fit in there," she said. The door only came up to where the Ebony Boots cut off on her legs. She turned the little knob and opened the door, kneeling down to get a better look inside. "Wow!"

"What's in there?" Everybody knelt beside Tea.

"Well, I know one thing. I'm getting in!" Tea said. She got down on her hands and turned her body sideways to better fit in the door. Slowly she eased herself in.

"C'mon, tell us what's in thea!" Joey insisted.

Tea had just gotten her feet through. "Come in and see!"

Mokuba poked his head in. "Hey, cool!" he said. He got right in, being the smallest one. Seto squeezed in too.

"What is it?" Joey insisted.

"Get in here and find out, dummy," Seto snapped from inside the door.

Joey got down on his hands and knees and tried to get in, but SLAM! he ran into the fence first. Seto's hand came out, grabbed him by the pant leg, and dragged him inside.

"Wow!" They found themselves in a large elevator. Quiet elevator music--which was the theme song from the second season of Yu-Gi-Oh--came from a speaker in the corner of the wall and ceiling. The elevator currently wasn't moving. They door they had entered in was high up on the wall.

"Cool!" Mokuba cheered.

Tea eyed the elevator buttons excitedly. "Mai the Good and Attractive and Sought After Witch of 8:00 said that Cafeteria City's on the first floor. So, let's push 1!" She pressed the button marked "1". A few seconds later, the elevator started to move down.

"What a surprise shortcut," Seto said.

Mokuba started tugging on his fur shirt again. It was starting to itch now.

Tea watched the glowing numbers above the elevator doors. 4 glowed. Then 3. Then 2. Suddenly, the elevator stopped. "Hey! This is only Floor 2!"

The elevator doors opened, and they were met with a guy with white hair, but he was obviously the same age as Tea and Seto and Joey. He looked shocked to see them. "Uh...whaddaya tink yer doin' in my elevad'r?" he growled, affecting what sounded like a cross between a New York accent and ghetto talk. "You'd betta git outta hea!"

"Hey, we didn't know it was your elevator," Tea said, holding up her hands.

"Aw, yeah?" He whipped out a gun. "Wull, Chahlie hea sez you jes' tryin' t' foo' me."

"Charlie?" Joey said. "Hey, Charlie! I'm Joey!"

"C-Can't we just get out of the elevator and let you have it?" Mokuba trembled.

"It's too late feddat," the guy said, waving the gun. "Yer all gon' day-own."

"Oh, please," Seto sneered. "Any idiot with half a brain can see that's a water gun painted black."

"It is?" Joey said.

"Like I said, half a brain. Since you have no brain..." Seto left the thought unfinished, but everybody knew how it ended. He stepped forward and snatched the gun from the boy. The boy "eep"ed and stepped back.

Seto pulled the gun's trigger, and a thin stream of water squirted onto the wall. "See?"

Tea turned to the boy. "You mean you threatened to shoot us down with a fake gun?" she demanded.

"Uh...uh..." the boy stammered.

"Why?" Mokuba asked.

The boy sighed and hung his head. "I'm sorry," he said in a British accent. "I just wanted to scare you."

"Why?" Mokuba asked.

"Because then I'd feel braver than you," the boy said.

"So?" Mokuba pressed.

Joey pushed his way to the front of the elevator. "Yeah? Why do ya gotta feel braver than us? And who're you, anyway?"

"I'm Ryou, and I'm a spineless wimp," Ryou said. "I was thinking about going to see the Wizard about it."

"So you need a spine?" Joey asked.

Everyone except Ryou sighed in exasperation. "No, not a spine. I need courage. I'm a weak coward and I'm never brave. I wanted to see the Wizard of Domino High about acquiring some courage, but, well, I'm too scared." So, he began to sing. He was a lot better than Joey and Seto.

(to the tune of "If I Only Had The Nerve")

"It's a shame, I'm just so scared
And always unprepared
Always got to be saved
I could be like a lion
I could scare you without tryin'
If I only could be brave

I'm a spineless little coward
Afraid of April showers
I'm even scared to shave
I could dance in the rain
And shave myself, no fear of pain
If I could only be real brave

Oh, I could save a child
And do just what I want, yes, I'd be wild!
For me, swinging through trees would just be mild
If I had courage, my hair'd be styled

I will beg and plead the Wizard
Don't want to stay a lizard
Backboneless to the grave
I will do most anything
I just want to spread my wings
And want to learn how to be brave."

"What a coincidence!" Tea exclaimed, turning off his portable boombox. "We're all going to see the Wizard too!"

Ryou looked up. "Really? Why?"

"I'm going for a heart," Seto said.

"I want, uh, I want..." Joey put his finger on his chin and looked up at the ceiling, thinking hard.

"A brain," the three smarter travelers reminded him.

"No, not a brain! A brain!" Joey said.

"I want to hurt you," Seto told Joey.

"I'm going to see the Wizard and find out if he can tell me where the exit door is so Mokuba and I can go home," Tea told Ryou. "Why don't you join us? We can all go together, and if you come with us, maybe you'll be less scared about seeing the Wizard!"

"That's a great idea!" Ryou said. He smiled. "I sure would feel better seeing the Wizard if I had three people and a...uh...a...what is that creature standing next to you?"

"I guess he's a cat," Seto said with a shrug.

"Hmmm...he's startin' to look like a ceilin' fan," Joey said, scrutinizing the poor boy.

"I'm a human!" Mokuba roared.

Suddenly the lights and the music went off.

"Oh no!" Ryou exclaimed. "My elevator's broken!"

"He did it!" Everyone else pointed at Joey.

"Looks like we'll have to go through the second floor to make it to Cafeteria City," Tea sighed.

"We can do that, though, right?" Mokuba said, scratching his neck where the collar of his shirt rested.

"Yeah," Tea said. "We've gotten through Summitland, Sixfloor City, and Fiftopia, so we can take whatever strangely-named civilization is on Floor Two, right?"

"You better hope so," Seto said. "I don't know how long I can stand having this brainless mutt near me."

"Hey!" Joey cried in protest. "That's no way t' talk about a lady like Tea!"

Everyone sighed. "I think I see why Joey needs a brain," Ryou said. "We might need to get to Cafeteria City quickly then, right?"

Everyone, including Joey, nodded. "All right, then!" Ryou said. "I know just how we can get there really quickly. We can take my dad's car."

Eyes danced. "Car?" the other four travelers asked eagerly.

Ryou nodded. "Come on!" He showed them to a bright red convertible hiding behind some bushes. They all hopped in eagerly, with Seto driving, Tea in the passenger seat, and Ryou, Mokuba, and Joey in the backseat. "Why are the keys just sitting in the ignition?" Seto asked as he started the car.

"Father wanted somebody to steal the car," Ryou explained.

"Oh." They all looked confused. But their confusion turned to joy when Seto shifted the car into gear and they started driving down the White Linoleum Road, which had been in front of the elevator.

"We're off to see the Wizard!" Mokuba cheered.

"We're off to see the Wizard!" Ryou seconded.

"We'a off t' see Da Wizard!" Joey repeated.

"I told you, you're fired," Seto said into his cellphone.

"We're off to see the Wizard!" Tea cheered. They linked arms, and the car skipped for them.

"We're off to see the Wizard
The Wizard of Domino High
They say he's great, at any rate
And will not pass us by
We're goin' to see him, we are, we are
And finally, we've got a car
A car, a car, a car, a car, a caaaaar
And we're gonna see him just as we are
We're off to see the Wizard
The Wizard of Domino Hiiiiiiiiigh!"

END CHAPTER


Mena: Ow...ow....double ow...triple ow...

Toli: Oh fine! (unties Mena's arms)

Jesselda: Return if you dare, you puny, easily-amused human readers.

Toli: You know, that might scare them off.

Jesselda: My motive exactly.


Next time in Chapter 7...It's a little dangerous on the second floor...

"Hey! Look!" someone yelled. "Newcomers! Let's kill 'em all!"

"You can't kill us!" Mokuba yelled, standing up to shout, as people came after the car. "This is a PG-rated story, which means no Character Death!"

"We're brave enough to try anyway!" the large group of people chasing them replied.

"Floor it!" Tea exclaimed to Seto.

"My favorite line," Seto said with an evil smile. He mashed the pedal to the floor, and the car zoomed to its highest speed, 170 mph. Ryou and Joey had to grab Mokuba's legs to keep him from flying out of the car.