A/n: Wow, 60 . . . I was ready to give up on this fic ! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Me, I do not own YGO. The fic, yes.

%Day Eight: Be Nice%

I am going to get this treasure. And then I'm going to go back home. And pay our overdue bills. As repayment for making everybody worry about me. Clutching the treasure map she'd found in the ocean, Serenity strode, semi-confidently, up to huge cave, much bigger than the one she'd been staying in. A little thrill of adventure and excitement propelled her forward making her heart beat faster. I can't wait! Everything's going to turn out just as I planned, everthing's gonna be just fine. She studied the entrance, which looked like a big, yawning, mouth . . .. Of a monster . . .. Brrr . . . . .

An eerie, moaning sound rattled from the cave. It seemed to make the trees to dance in the inky, midnight, nighttime sky.

She decided to go tomorrow.

%%%%

Early the next morning, it was cool and gray, a huge overcloud looming overhead. The breeze was refreshing, and a cluster of seagulls pecked down on the ivory white shore. It probably is going to rain again. Oh, well! I'll be 'indoors' anyway. . . .! Serenity stood, blinking to get the sleep away, and gathered her supply pack. She cast a glance at the adjoining hammock: Seto was asleep. She stared hard into his face, but he didn't move or flinch. Good.

Creeping away, she broke into a quick run into the cave.

%%%%%

From the light outside, she could just make out the inscriptions, written. " 'Beware: this cave has many . . .. kraps,' " she read aloud, squinting. " ' Kraps?' " She looked down, lifting her feet, one after the other. Crap-s? "Maybe it's misspelled . . .. But why would they warn about dog doo-doo?" she murmured, twisting around.

"Maybe because it's not misspelled," said a voice that dripped with malice, coming from inside the cave. At least, it sounded malicious, to her terrified ears.

"Zombie!" she yelped, running off, or about to, when the thing grabbed her pack that was on her back! Her life-saving, supply pack. Well, she wasn't going to give that up! There was a brief struggle, and she went sailing on the sandy floor. To her horror, her feet sank in the sand like it was water. Quicksand!

"For heaven's sake." He lifted her out as easily as if she were a rag doll, though the muck sucked to her legs like a giant leech. "Would you quit fighting? It makes you even more stuck!" He ignored her flailing arms, with effort, and tossed her to the side. Both were panting from strain.

"D-don't sneak around like that! How did you---you were---" Serenity kept glancing back from him to the entrance, when she realized it was Seto. "You scared me.....!"

"So sorry," he said, with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "While you were creeping along, timidly, at a snail's pace, the whole world entered." Snatching the map, he began to scan it, also.

"T-t-t-that's mine!" she squeaked, but he ignored her. "Well, I guess, you can read it . . .." she said generously to herself.

" ' Traps,' " he said finally after a while. "It means Beware of traps. 'Craps,' " he scoffed, throwing it down with disdained roll of his eyes. "You should've been watching out for quicksand, instead!"

Serenity was about to point out that he had scared her into the quicksand, which still stood right in front the entrance of the cave, but she bit it down, and took up the map again. "Don't mind me," she said, just as polite as can be, walking past him further into the dark cave. "Go back to the shore, and brood away, or whatever you do---"

"Are you telling me what to do, girl?" he said disdainfully. Maybe he did brood in the mornings, but he'd be darned if he let her make fun of him!

"It's just a suggestion . . .. " she amended with a sugary smile. " 'Boy.' " Her hair whirled as she turned, settling back into place over her petite form. There was a silence as he goggled at her. "Unless, you like to . . .. Help me find my treasure!" she said, all her nice once again. She couldn't stay with sarcasm long.

Seto sighed and took a hold of his patience, and temper, with effort. He'd come because he knew she'd be in trouble---which she did---- and she was trying to boot him right out? Then, she said to stay? Who does she think she is? Doesn't she know who I am?

Granted, being stuck in this island with no food, shelter, or water probably made them both in the 'same' situation, so to speak. He was no longer rich here. Money had no value. It was like a Twilight Zone. A Wheeler was bossing him around!The last thought drove him insane.

Whatever. All I need to do is get her out of this dangerous place, and keep her out. Short of dragging her out---she'd just come right back. If I took away that foolish chicken scratch she called a map, she'd probably . . . oh, say, cry?

He shuddered. And there was no naturally growing Excredin on the island. Her wailing would drive him insane.

"No-o, you can look for it," he said, taking the tiny flashlight that was hanging off the pack, disguising his heavy sarcasm. "I'll just stay right outside, twiddling my thumbs, while you run smack into a bat nest and disrupt it----"

"B-b-b-bats?" she stuttered, her eyes huge and getting huger.

"Oh, yes. Hundreds of them. They swarm around in caves, just like this one, biting . . .. and getting caught in your hair . . . " he said idly, inwardly smirking as Serenity immediately grabbed her head and squeaked in fright. "Must be thousands, actually, in a cave this big. Plus, deadly traps, like that quicksand there." He shone the flashlight at it. "So, there's probably skeletons, from people who'd tried for your 'treasure', and died . . .." He shone the light, at a random space in the darkness, illuminating a gruesome skeleton.

…..? ! ? ! ? ? ! ? ! ?

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" She shrieked, clutching at her chest, and falling as she backpedaled away. Her foot caught on something. Wondering what made her scream, he glanced behind him, just as there was a enormous rolling sound. . . . .like boulders . . . . .

The ceiling began to cave in.

Serenity screamed so loud, she turned herself hoarse, as big, deadly room-sized boulders crashed around them. Dust flew into a thick, choking cloud, making her cough and hack. By a miracle, she wasn't hurt, just stunned.

"Seto! Seto!"

Except for a few crumbling sounds, there was silence. Dear God, what if he was crushed? Meanwhile, he was thinking the same thing about her. He was sure she was . . .. well, dead. If not . . . . . he made a menacing growling sound in his throat and followed the voice that was squeaking out his name, and with relief, he saw that she was fine. Hysterical, but fine.

"What were you doing?! Look what you---! Did . . . . . . ." With horror, though, he saw that a huge boulder, as big as two men, egg-shaped, had stuck in the quicksand, blocking the way out. They were stuck inside.Inside the cave. With no possible way to eat, get food . . .

Frantic, he tried to push at it, with it was deeply stuck in the muck. There only way of survival . . . . .gone . . ..

They were goners.

Serenity saw what had tripped her: a long, thick, gnarled branch half-sticking out of the sand. She had twisted her ankle, and it was throbbing, but she felt she could walk. Limping, she saw him absurdly trying to push the wall. Or what looked like a wall. Realizing, she gasped with terror. They were stuck in the cave . . .. with a disgusting skeleton! Gross!

Remembering the hideous thing behind her, she scuttled as close as to the entrance as possible, casting fearful glances behind her. She was so busy looking at the skeleton, she bumped into Seto. One look at his face, and she would've rather been with the skeleton.

"Are you . . . all right?" she asked meekly. It was obvious she'd triggered a "trap", that the map had warned about.

"Oh, just 'peachy'," he said, getting all riled up, copying her term. "Now that we're going to die in here, or suffocate, thanks to you, I'm just great!" With that, he started to try and push the boulder, leaning backwards on it and grunting.

Serenity felt terrible, as she slowly sank to the ground. Blaming me, huh?! Who's the one who scared her witless, with that hideous thing over there? Normally, I don't like violence, but if I had a bat . . . . Her eye fell on the long, thin leg bone of the corpse.

. . . . . Nah. Two dead bodies . . . .way worse..

With a final, last effort, Seto decided it was a waste to try to move a ten-ton boulder. Sweating, he peered into the murky darkness, breathing heavily, chest heaving. Who knows how long this new cave went. The unknown makes me uneasy and irritable.

Looking down, he saw Serenity was sitting in the floor, clutching her ankle. Great. She broke her ankle, he thought. Then he heard the sounds of soft hiccuping. Oh. Even better! he thought sarcastically. Now she was going to start bawling.

I'd rather wrap her ankle, then have her cry, he thought murderously. Anything but a weeping girl. I can stand anything else! he watched her slender shoulders shake slightly. Now I have to go and "comfort" her . . . .

Silently, he realized he had no choice. Let's see . . . how do I comfort Mokuba when's he's crying--? Though, I think my 12 year old brother is more mature!. He mustered up his courage. What was that thing called? An apology. So he said he was sorry that he'd yellled in a mutter.

What kind of an apology is that? thought Serenity, casting a quick look at him. It was so obvious it was insincere. Still, it was a try. She didn't say anything, though. What he had said really hurt her feelings..

His loud sigh reverberated around the cramped, tight walls. "You aren't claustrophobic, are you. . . ?"

She shook her head, still rubbing her foot.

"Good." He said shortly, turning back around toward the entrance again. blowing a breath through his nose, he shook his head at himself. Even I can "summon" a better apology than that, he thought. Be nice. Be nice. Ugh, I'm no good at this. No wonder Mokuba can't stand me..

Serenity saw him coming towards her so fast, that she backed away. "You have to be more careful, do you understand?" he growled at her in what he thought were soothing tones, "a rock would've crushed you flatter than a pancake!" he smashed on fist into his palm, causing her to jump.

Serenity flinched when he erased his arm. Vaguely puzzled, he did it again, and she flinched again. Even when he just had his arm up in the air. Just the arm up, she would cower away, like an instinctive reaction. It baffled him. Why would she?

And again. She flinched.

Hmm. . . . Vaguely amusing.

And again. She flinched. On the fifth time or so, she kicked, getting him in the leg. What was she, a test rabbit?! A guinea pig?!

Her feet were bare, so it didn't hurt much, but it did make him angry. "You kicked me---!" he gasped, as if she'd committed a serious crime.

"Well . . . what do-o you think. You're doing.....?!" she defended, cowering in the corner. Was he purposely trying to scare her or what? Suddenly, she knew, with anger, the answer was yes. She rarely lost her temper . . . .

. . . . . but when she did, watch out! It wasn't her fault they were trapped! "It's your fault!" she suddenly yelled, as he blinked at her in a gape and she gave on last hard kick…..

…….this time, not in the shin . . . .

Serenity opened her eyes; she had closed them tight and kicked out, now everything was quiet, all of the sudden! Too quiet.

A whimper, then, a thud.

To be continued. . . . .


A/n: ouch. Kaiba shouldn't have tried to scare Serenity. Well, now they're stuck. What exciting things will happen? Review to find out.