Her Sweetness: Hello there. I really have nothing to say right now. I'm bored as hell and I know if I don't at least START this chapter, I never will. And what would that do to the mural of our readers? I have no idea.

But I'm sure it wouldn't be good.

To answer a girl's question, a cradle robber is someone who's intimate with a person much younger. And to answer another's question… Yes, Bakura did get the blood off of Yami's lips.

Motel 37

Chapter 13:

"Bakura!"

"Bakura, stop playing around!"

It had been about ten minutes since Marik and Yami realized that their dear friend Bakura was no longer with them. They had called his name over and over again but still Bakura was not heard. At first, Marik thought the boy was playing around and went along with it, thinking he was hiding somewhere. But, as time went on, and still he did not come out of his supposed hiding place, Marik thought that maybe something really was wrong.

Yami, on the other hand, was worried sick from the beginning. When he turned around and saw no one there, the first thing that popped into his mind was that voice. Had it taken Bakura? But Yami thought that it was wanting Marik. It never even mentioned Bakura's name before, not that he heard.

Marik put his hands on his hips, "Well. I think he's disappeared."

Yami rolled his eyes, "What was your first clue?"

"Maybe he went into one of these doors…?" He ignored his Pharaoh's comment and turned to the four doors, "He was probably tired of us fighting and left."

"…" Yami blinked, turning back to the way they came. He was sure that it was a straight line, they had made no previous turns. "We should go back, Marik. I'd bet anything that Bakura has already done the same thing."

"If you'd make that bet, then you would lose everything you own. How stupid, you are, Yami. Why the hell would he go back there? He's gone into one of these tunnels, I know it."

"Oh, come on! Why don't you even consider what I'm saying to be true!"

"Because the stuff that comes out of your mouth usually has 'stupid' written all over it."

"Grr…! Well, you can go in one of those hallways and die for all I care! I'm going BACK!" Yami shouted and stomped his foot in a childish manner. He turned and went back into the darkness, the way they had come before. Marik didn't even say anything when he noticed Yami going, he just blew a raspberry and continued his thoughts on which door would be most enticing to someone like Bakura.

Whilst Yami went stomping down the hallway, he tried his best to calm himself down and blow off some steam by just yelling to himself, "I can't believe that big jerk! Where does he get off calling me stupid? He's the stupid one! I swear, if it was up to me, he could never call anyone stupid again…"

He shook his head a little, sighing. Cursing Marik wasn't going to get him anywhere. And it certainly wasn't going to find Bakura for them. But he knew he just couldn't go back there. He couldn't bear for Marik to taunt him again, he'd had enough. "Hmm…"

Yami…

"Ah!" He jumped back, looking around, wildly, "W-Who…? That voice!"

Yami, you're not going to let Marik go off by himself are you…?

"I… I was… I mean, I am! B-But why are you talking to me? And what have you done with Bakura? I know it was you that took him!"

I took no Bakura… I think you should go back to Marik…

"What? W-Why? And just who are you anyway?" Yami backed up to the wall. Yugi had always told him not to talk to strangers. And so talking to someone that he couldn't see was definitely out of bounds, or so he thought. He blinked and whispered, "… Are you a ghost…?"

I need him, Yami… Don't you want Marik to be nice to you…? Don't you want Marik to be kind and sweet?

"Ha. The day Marik is kind to me is the day Hell has a bake sale."

I can make Hell have a bake sale for you, Yami… Listen to me, Yami… You must take Marik to the second door on the right… Take him through there, Yami, please…

Yami winced, backing up, but the wall stopped him from going any further. He shook his head, "I don't think it would be wise to listen to something I can't even see."

But think of how mean he is to you… It's horrible… And with the Bakura missing, it's harder for you to get along with him… You want him to be nice to you, don't you, Yami…? Poor Yami…

Yami looked back. He could barely see Marik pacing. He was probably going to go through the first door, judging by the way he was looking at it. Yami turned back to the darkness, "He's probably already made up his mind."

… Change it.

Meanwhile, the plane heading to the Domino airport was going through major turbulence. They'd hit an air pocket about twenty minutes ago and Ryou just about lost his mind. It took everything Malik had to hold him to the seat. Sure, Yugi tried to help, but he was small and insignificant. Eventually, they did get him to calm down just a little. But he got excited once again when Captain Kay came back on the P.A. system.

'Attention all passengers, this is your Captain Kay, speaking again. Just a notice that this next air pocket we hit may be our last. And again, when we meet with our undeniable doom and demise, the parachutes are for the staff only. Thank you.'

Ryou was currently in a state of shock and disrepair. Malik grabbed his hand and shook it, "Now, Ryou, he's joking of course… Isn't that right, Yugi?"

"I think he sounded pretty serious."

"Yugi!"

"Well, it's true." He patted Ryou's arm, "And Ryou doesn't need false pretenses. He needs to know that we're here for him if he needs us. You're going to be okay, Ryou, don't worry."

He held back a sob, whining, "B-But I won't be able to see my 'Kura again! That's what's the most depressing to me…"

"Ah, Ryou." Malik smiled, nudging his friend's arm, "That's so cute. I love how you have a pet name for Bakura! It's like the ultimate sign of a bonded hikari and yami…"

He and Yugi sighed simultaneously. "It's so beautiful."

Ryou blinked, "Y-You don't have a little nickname for Marik or Yami?"

"… No…"

"Well, then, you can just make one up right this moment!" He beamed, seemingly forgetting the plane's impending doom, "Go ahead. It's simple, just dice their name a bit or call them something that they remind you of. Like pudding… or cake or-"

"Fruitcake." Yugi interrupted.

"What?" Both Malik and Ryou looked over at him.

"I think I'll start calling Yami… Fruitcake. Because it reminds me of him. No one really likes fruitcake, you see… But it's always there. Just kind of blending in with its surroundings. Just like Yami." Yugi finished his sentence, beaming at the other two.

Ryou sweatdropped, "I… Well, I suppose that's a suitable nickname for… Yami."

Yugi looked over to Malik who seemed lost in thought. "Malik? Have you thought of something yet?"

"I… think so. Mine's a bit different from Yugi's because it's not what he reminds me of… it's what he looks like." Malik nodded to himself, "Yep. I think I'll call him Biscuit Head."

"WHAT?"

"Look." Malik dug in his pocket and got out a picture. He held it up to both Yugi and Ryou as he explained, "I think, if you look close enough and squint, Marik's head looks like a biscuit. Just tilt your head to the left a little."

Both boys blinked and tilted their heads to the left about an inch. They starred at it for a moment then sat back and said, profoundly, "… You're right."

"I know."

'Attention all passengers.'

"Oh no!" Ryou cried, gulping, "He's got more news for us!"

'I have more news for you.'

"I knew it!" Ryou shook Yugi by the collar of his shirt, "See? We're all gonna die!"

'We're not going to die.'

"…"

'We will be landing in Domino airport in about five minutes. Please buckle your seatbelts and prepare to land. Thank you for flying Sweetness Airlines.'

"Well." Ryou sat back when the announcement was over, "There's a shocker. But a good one! I'm going to see you again, 'Kura!"

"I'm going to see you too, Fruitcake!"

"And you too, Biscuit Head!"

Meanwhile, in a tunnel deep inside the heart of Motel 37, Bakura was walking aimlessly around. He had taken several turns and was now regretting every last one of them. The blood trail had ceased about fifty feet back and so his only incentive to go on was his foolish hope that there would be more.

Now most normal people who enjoyed the taste of blood every now and again would have been full from all the blood he received from Yami. But Bakura was not your average blood-sucking weirdo. Bakura was above average…! Or below. Depending on your view on life.

"Meow…" Bakura whined, searching the ground, "There has to be more, there just has to be…!"

And with no blood to be had within a two-block radius, Bakura realized for the first time that he was all alone and that there was no one he could talk to if he became afraid. But of course he had to hide that fact from himself. There was no way he'd let himself find out that he could be possibly afraid of being alone. In the dark. Where there was no blood…

"Gah! Too awful to even think about…" He shivered to himself and thought. There was a way to keep himself from being afraid! Ryou had used this on him when he couldn't sleep, and it just had to work now. "… Over there… over there… Send the word, send the word to beware… That the yanks are coming! The yanks are coming! The drum, drum, drumming everywhere… So beware…"

He continued this song as he tried to backtrack. Ryou had told him that no one could be afraid when they heard that song. But perhaps it was just a British thing? Because he felt that he was creeping himself out even further.

Outside of the motel, it was thundering and raining, never ceasing, never calming. And it had been unearthly silent for only a moment when there was a life that was almost taken. Sure, it was an old life and most people would think that it didn't matter at all. And maybe most people would be right. But this life was on a mission.

Grandpa struggled to get up, grunting as his back snapped in half, "AAHH!" He cried. That back of his was expensive and he couldn't buy another with his awful social security.

He managed to flip himself over, starring up at the sky, raindrops temporarily blinding him. The ground was muddy beneath his hands, but he was able to lift off the ground and stumble to his feet. The lightning really didn't make him much worse except for the fact that his hair looked god awful. Apparently he did not use name brand hair gel like his grandson.

"Okay…" He sighed, wiping his hands off on his jeans. "Let's see how I can get inside this travesty of a motel…"

The old man began to walk around the corner of the building. Looking around himself from time to time to watch out for any more bolts of death that want to give his pacemaker a thrill. There were none in sight and he continued back around the building. Way in the back, about fifty feet behind the building's back door was another building, though much smaller. It caught Grandpa's eye and he thought it was some sort of large gardening shed. But that couldn't be. Every plant within a mile of this place was dead.

He decided to check it out. Maybe there would be a key back into the building.

Inside Shivers' study, both Shivers and Shakes had walked in. Everything seemed in place and untouched, but then they looked over to the bookcase behind Shivers' desk and saw that someone had pulled on their '1001 Ways to Seduce a Roommate' book and the passage way had been opened.

Shivers leaned back and smirked a bit, "Just like I planned it. You know, Shakes, that book really is irresistible to anyone who sees it. You've just got to touch it and see what tips might be inside. That's how I knew it would be perfect."

Shakes nodded slowly, "… Do you think they're there yet?"

"Maybe. But we'd better get there ahead of time, even if they're not. I'm sure that the motel has convinced Yami to do it by now."

"…" Shakes went over to the key hook and got a black key off the handle. He stood over by the door and Shivers slowly followed, "This will all be over tonight."

"Yes… it will. It's a good thing we found Marik so soon. I thought it would take forever to find another person with such darkness in their heart, but he's perfect…"

"And Yami? You do not think he will protest?"

"Of course not. After all… they hate each other..."