THE GREAT SHIZUMA
Chapter Ten
Perilous
"Tamao-chan!" Nagisa cried. "Shizuma-sama!"
Tamao was still in shock from the cold water and the actual falling out of the boat itself. The sails were still unfurled and Grayprow was cutting through the water away from the rivals at a breakneck speed. The poet could swim, albeit not very fast, and began to hurriedly stroke through the water, her shorts and underwear riding up in uncomfortable places.
"Help!" Shizuma cried. "I can't swim!"
She was sinking fast. Tamao raced by her and Shizuma caught her by her T shirt and allowed herself to be towed along. The poet grunted when she felt the extra weight suddenly bring her down.
"Shizuma!" cried she. "Let go of me!"
"I can't swim!"
"You'll make us both drown!" Tamao aimed a swift kick at Shizuma's gut. The former Étoile flinched, but held fast to her enemy's shirt. Tamao continued to swim, but found it extremely difficult with Shizuma clinging to her. She gasped when the icy water touched the insides of her ears.
"Let go!" she roared, kicking at Shizuma again.
"Help me!" Shizuma sobbed.
Tamao craned her neck so that her head could remain above the surface. "Shizuma, I'm sad that I'm about to die, but I'm not sad that you're about to die Just letting you know."
"Tamao-chan!" Nagisa stood at the back end of the boat, her hand extended to grasp the poet's. Tamao was having a hard time moving her arms - the cold numbed them, the fatigue weakened them, and…and Shizuma was too heavy!
The redhead leaned forward, her center of gravity hanging dangerously over the edge. She extended her arm further. Her fingers brushed against Tamao's. Nagisa took advantage of the contact and snatched the poet's wrist. She braced her heels against the Grayprow and yanked. The result of the pull wasn't so much Tamao and Shizuma being pulled closer but rather a sharp pitch of the boat.
Tsubomi put her hands to her face and moaned. Nagisa grasped Tamao's hand with both of hers and attempted another pull. The boat pitched again, this time more violently, and the redhead nearly fell in the water.
---
Chiyo and Kagome had been trying to steady themselves through the pitching. Then a rock in the boat came that was so formidable, Kagome nearly got thrown overboard herself. But Chiyo had caught her by the arm just in time and pulled her back. Poor Pashibaru, however, was not as lucky. When the Miator librarian yanked Kagome back, the Lulim girl's grip on the teddy bear faltered. With a little splash, Pashibaru landed in the water and began to sink.
"Pashibaru!" Kagome shrieked, tearing herself from Chiyo and leaning over the edge. "Help! Bear overboard!"
Another pitch and Kagome was thrown over. She was quickly rescued by Remon and Kizuna.
Kizuna held the struggling Kagome against her will. "Kagome-chan, you have to be more careful!"
"But…But Pashibaru!" Kagome sobbed.
"It's just a teddy bear! I'll buy you a new one!"
"No!" The cry came not from Kagome, but Chiyo. The Miator girl stepped forward. "Shame on you for even suggesting that, Kizuna-chan! You don't even know what Pashibaru means to her!" She leaned in so her face was closer to Kagome's. "I'll get him back."
Before anyone could say anything further, Chiyo was sitting on the edge of the Grayprow. She took three deep breaths, held the last one, and jumped over.
Tsubomi saw, from her corner, Chiyo go overboard - voluntarily! Stunned, she sat up, staring with wide eyes at the edge of the boat where the librarian had sat. With a strangled sob, Kagome broke from Kizuna's hold and rushed to the edge. Tsubomi jumped up too quickly for her stomach and staggered to stand next to the Lulim second year.
"Chiyo…" Kagome whispered.
They watched in silence as the turquoise waters rippled by. After about a minute, Kagome started to sob brokenly. She rested her head on the edge of the Grayprow, her little body shaking violently. The sound of her crying was the most pitiful thing, and it stabbed the normally hardy Tsubomi right in her heart. It was either a heart attack or an overload of misery that caused the young Spican to sink to her knees, her eyes screwed shut. A painful noise ripped from her throat until it turned into a low, hoarse sob.
"Baka!" she roared. "That's all you ever were! Just a blathering, doddering idiot…" She stopped when she saw Kagome cry harder. Tears spilled in abundance from her topaz eyes as she leaned on the edge.
"C'mon, Chiyo. If you come back up, I'll never make fun of Miator's traditions again!" Silence. Kagome hiccupping. "What more do you want? Some money?"
She waited impatiently as the agonized silence stretched out. "God damn it, Chiyo…" Tsubomi whimpered as she laid her head down on the bottom of the boat. She felt dizzy. The boat kept pitching, throwing the seasick girl to and fro. She felt as though she were spinning. For a crazy moment, Tsubomi actually thought that she was upside down. Her stomach clenched and she vomited.
"Oh no!" she sobbed, choking on the words. Her throat burned. Her stomach was constricting and contracting within her. Chiyo was gone. Pashibaru, too. Kagome was only twelve and she had already lost two of the most important people in her life. If only it had happened to me instead of her. The guilt gnawed at her tender stomach, threatening another heave-ho. Lamenting her immense sorrow, the Spican rolled away from her vomit and curled up under the bench.
---
Nagisa started when she felt a pair of strong hands clasp around her stomach. She heard Yaya's voice behind her: "Let me help you."
The redhead craned her neck to get a better view of her Spican friend. Her fears were abandoned upon seeing the unquestionable, unwavering strength and determination in Yaya's friendly brown eyes. Trying to mimic that grit, Nagisa brought her eyebrows down over her scarlet eyes and gave a short, strong nod.
"You got them?" Yaya asked. "Good. On three. Ready? One...Two...Three!"
Nagisa cried out as the Spican's hands dug sharply into her gut. She had nearly let go of Tamao, but she couldn't. I could never. I love her too much.
The Grayprow gave a violent throw. Again, they hadn't succeeded in rescuing Tamao and Shizuma. The former was becoming scared - the cold had numbed her completely and she was having a hard time holding on to Nagisa. Her arm felt like a dead person's arm.
Chikaru came up behind Yaya and brought her arms firmly around her. "You two are going to need help. And rocking the boat seems to be making Tsubomi-chan hella miserable."
Yaya turned and saw the kohai huddled under a bench, pale, shivering, crying. Her heart broke to see Tsubomi like this. She wanted to go comfort her, but she knew she couldn't. I've already committed myself to helping Nagisa-chan, she thought with a sigh. I can't back out.
"On three," said Chikaru. "One, two, three!"
This was the fated yank that would bring the poet and Shizuma back on board. Nagisa immediately took Tamao in her arms, heard the blue-haired (and a bit blue-faced) girl squeak "Warmth..." Tamao was shaking like an earthquake. She practically convulsed in her redhead's arms.
"Tamao-chan," Nagisa whispered. The poet enjoyed the feeling of her hot breath on her cold, sore ear. "Thank God you're okay."
"Let's not thank God just yet." Chikaru was wrapping a blanket around the shuddering Shizuma. "We have to get these two to the infirmary pronto!"
---
With a splash that sprayed Kagome's face, Chiyo's head broke the surface. The Lulim second year was so elated to see the librarian alive and spritely as ever, she failed to notice Pashibaru bobbing along the surface beside her.
With the help of Kizuna, Remon, and Tsubomi, Kagome helped Chiyo on board. Chiyo shivered a bit in front of the brown-haired second year, her azure bangs plastered a bit in front of her eyes. Her white T shirt clung to her frame, revealing a pink bra decorated with red hearts. Smiling, Chiyo held out the soaked bear.
"Here's Pashibaru."
Instead of accepting the bear, Kagome seized Chiyo in a hug so tight it would revolutionize the meaning of "bear hug." When she pulled back everyone was shocked to find anger flashing in her emerald eyes.
"Don't ever scare me like that again! I thought you had died!"
"I-I was getting Pashibaru back for you," said Chiyo, stumbling over her words on account of the cold and plain nervousness.
Kagome sighed and took the bear in her arms. "I'm grateful, Chiyo-chan, I really am. I'm sorry for snapping at you."
"It's okay. I understand. I'm sorry for scaring you."
All traces of anger seeped from her eyes and they swam in the golden light of the setting sun. Her knees trembling, she unsteadily lowered herself so she was sitting on the bench. Chiyo plopped down next to her. Kagome pushed her cerulean bangs out of her eyes, noticing the deep concern that showed in them. The Lulim girl asked, "Are you cold? Would you like a blanket?"
Chiyo shook her head and tugged at her shirt, trying to rid her torso of that wet plastery feeling it gave her.
Kizuna, Remon, and Tsubomi stood nearby, looking bemused. The brown-haired third year itched her eyebrow, saying, "Kagome-chan sure has been different lately."
"Chiyo-chan, too," agreed the roseate-haired Spican. "She never comes to our tea parties anymore." Tsubomi scowled. "Hmph. 'Hot date,' huh? Whatever."
It suddenly hit Remon like a tire iron and she turned urgently to Kizuna and Tsubomi. "Do you think Chiyo and Kagome are, you know, going out?"