Holding On Chapter 7

A Break
Rurichiyo: “God I’m so HUNGRY!!”
Toushiro: “You’re hungry? I’m empty all the way to the top.”
It’s been three whole days since they began their journey back home... And a day since they last ate anything decent. The remote and emptiness of where they were was apparent to them now. For it has been some time since they last saw anything colored other than beige and rusty gold.
Rurichiyo: “I’m so hungry I’ll eat anything!”
Toushiro: “Don’t say that or you’ll have to live up to it.”
Rurichiyo: “Good point...”
Toushiro was looking around as hard as he could. He absolutely could not believe that there wasn’t something out here they could eat. For one he has seen a small number of small animals running around just before they would scatter and hide within the rocks. And some of them were herbivorous animals! So there HAD to be SOMETHING out here or else how could they survive?! And on top of that, there HAD to be water somewhere. There is no animal alive that cannot live without water. Sure some carnivores got all the water they needed from their prey, but how did that prey get the water to begin with? The young captain was sure that there had to be a river or something around here somewhere. They just had to find it. And where there was water, food would not be too far off.
Toushiro: “Just keep looking. There has to be SOMETHING around here.”
Rurichiyo: “God there better be...”
Luck seemed to shine down upon them a little as around the next rock, they saw a tree. An apple tree.
Rurichiyo: “Oh thank god!”
Toushiro: “Hold on, Rurichiyo!”
The princess dashed over to the tree with Toushiro following close behind. Just before she reached the tree, however, she was in for a nasty surprise.
Rurichiyo: “WOW!”
Rurichiyo slid to a stop when a big bull stepped up from behind a rock close to the tree. It was a BIG bull, and a mean one too.
Toushiro: “Now that’s what I call a road block.”
Rurichiyo: “What’s it doing?”
Toushiro: “My guess is its guarding the tree.”
Rurichiyo: “Why?”
Toushiro: “Take a look around. There isn’t much else to eat out here. It’s likely guarding one of its main food sources.”
Rurichiyo: “Well I don’t care! I’m hungry!”
Toushiro: “And crazy! That’s a bull buffalo! He’ll gore you to death before you even get NEAR the tree!”
Rurichiyo: “Then what do you suppose we do?! Starve?!”
Toushiro glanced at the bull again and noticed something a little unsettling. The bull was acting even more aggressive. It started pawing the ground with its hoof and snorting. It was acting as if it was about to charge at them. But why? They weren’t near it or the tree. It suddenly dawned on the young captain as he looked at Rurichiyo again. Her clothes.
Toushiro: “Red...”
Rurichiyo: “Excuse me?”
Toushiro: “Your clothes... They’re red...”
Rurichiyo: “Maroon red, thank you very much.”
Toushiro: “It’s a shade of red...”
Rurichiyo: “Ok, yes, it is! What’s that got to do with anything?!”
Toushiro: “Buffalo hate red...”
And it finally sank in.
Rurichiyo: “Oh dear god...”
Rurichiyo looked at the bull just as it started gearing up to charge!
Toushiro: “Head for those rocks and climb up them!”
The bull charged! Rurichiyo ran for the rocks and climbed up them as quickly as she could, the bull indeed on her tail! It was only when she was on the rocks that the bull stopped, unable to climb with the bulk and hooves he had. Now safely on the rocks and out of the bull’s reach, Rurichiyo finally noticed that Toushiro wasn’t with her.
Rurichiyo: “Captain Hitsugaya?!”
The bull suddenly trampled off back towards the tree in a hurry! A second later and Toushiro climbed up!
Rurichiyo: “Captain Hitsugaya?! Where were you a minute ago?!”
Toushiro held out his hand. In it, he had a single apple. In his other hand he had another. Only two.
Toushiro: “It was all I could get before he came back. It ain’t much but... It’ll take the edge off.”
Rurichiyo smiled and took the apple he was offering her. They both ate everything they could off of the fruit, leaving only the inedible core behind. Those two apples have only taken off the very edge of their hunger. They had to find more food.
Rurichiyo: “I’m still soooo hungry!”
Toushiro: “How do you think I feel? I’m starving too. At least the painful edge is gone.”
Rurichiyo: “Yeah. So what now?”
Toushiro: “Let’s keep searching. There must be something else around here.”
Rurichiyo: “Yeah. Something AWAY from that bull.”
Toushiro climbed down the other side of the rock pillar they were on and helped Rurichiyo. They wanted to get away from that bull as quietly as they could. They searched for another hour and nothing.
Rurichiyo: “Oh come on! Give us a break already!”
Something caught Toushiro’s attention.
Toushiro: “Shh.”
Rurichiyo: “Don’t shush me!”
Toushiro: “Shh! Quiet!”
Rurichiyo finally shushed.
Toushiro: “Do you hear that?”
It was a familiar sound. The sound of running water. The two of them ran towards the sound! When they rounded the corner, they found the source. A river!
Rurichiyo: “A river! Maybe it’ll lead us to something!”
Toushiro, although naive about surviving to this extent, knew better than that as he walked up to the water’s edge.
Toushiro: “We haven’t come across anything since we started. I doubt there’s anything to eat further on.”
Rurichiyo: “So what are we going to do?”
Looking at his reflection in the water, Toushiro smiled. Their food problems were solved.
Toushiro: “Hope you like fish.”
A few minutes later and after searching the nearby dead forest behind them, Toushiro came back with a few long sturdy sticks. Using his zanpakuto, Toushiro started fashioning some basic spears from the branches. There were plenty of fish in the river, he just had to catch them. Easier said than done.
Toushiro: “There... Hopefully this’ll do.”
With the spear as sharp as he could make it, Toushiro proceeded to go fishing. It was only now that Rurichiyo understood what he was doing.
Rurichiyo: “Wait. Are you really going to kill those fish?!”
Toushiro: “You wanna eat, don’t you?”
Rurichiyo: “Yes but...”
Toushiro: “Oh don’t tell me you don’t like fish!”
Rurichiyo: “No, I’ve eaten fish many times. I just wasn’t aware of how it was obtained.”
Toushiro paused for a moment before turning back to Rurichiyo. The look on his face was nothing but that of a WTF moment.
Toushiro: “Are you serious?! Just how sheltered are you?!”
Rurichiyo: “Well excuse me for not knowing where fish come from! And while we’re on the subject, why don’t you just use your zanpakuto?!”
Toushiro: “I’m not gonna use Hyorinmaru like a spear and run the chance of breaking it when I can use some sticks instead! And before you say anything, think about this. If the assassins beast catches us, the only thing we’ll have to defend ourselves IS my zanpakuto which would be useless if it’s broken.”
Rurichiyo stopped right there. She had honestly forgotten about the assassins beast.
Rurichiyo: “Y-Yeah... Good point... sorry.”
Toushiro: “Do you know how to start a fire?”
Rurichiyo: “Yes.”
Toushiro: “Then while I’m catching us dinner, make a fireplace and get a fire going. This is a good place to camp out for the night anyway.”
Rurichiyo: “Alright. I’ll get one started.”
While Toushiro went to work catching some fish, Rurichiyo went into the dead forest to look for firewood for the night. After finding more than plenty of wood to start the fire and keep it going throughout the night, the princess dug a ditch for the fireplace and built a circle out of rocks to house it further. Using dry leaves and grass, Rurichiyo got a good fire started to keep the two of them nice and warm through the night. And to...
Toushiro: “I’ve got dinner!”
Toushiro had caught an impressive amount of fish, more than enough to fill their empty bellies. As the sun set and the fish cooked, both Toushiro and Rurichiyo settled down for the night. They had walked for three days straight, only stopping to rest on occasion and only sleeping when they couldn’t stay awake any longer. Toushiro figured that they both deserved a good rest. While Rurichiyo watched the fire, Toushiro gazed up at the starry night sky. He missed Vegeta deeply. His death still hurt him. The memories of those last few hours still haunted him. The saiyan prince fought hard and with everything he had to protect him and Rurichiyo, regardless of the cost. That was one of those things that Toushiro admired about Vegeta and was striving to become himself. Rurichiyo had noticed the young captain’s gaze and knew what it was he was thinking about. The saiyan’s noble sacrifice still haunted her too. He was a royal who fought like a true soldier of justice. Only a real royal would do anything to protect the people... Something she wasn’t.
Rurichiyo: “... Toushiro...”
Toushiro: “Yeah?”
Rurichiyo: “Has Vegeta always been like that? Willing to fight regardless of the cost?”
Toushiro: “... For as long as I’ve known him, yeah... I rarely ever saw him scared or act cowardly. And the few times I have, he somehow always got past it.”
Rurichiyo: “... I wish I was like that... But I always run away at the last minute.”
Toushiro: “... Vegeta once told me that: Everyone, even warriors like him, feel fear at one point or another. There’s no shame in that. But those who can face that fear and master it are the most valiant of us all. Fear is easy to overcome... When you fear something else even more.”
Rurichiyo: “What does that mean?”
Toushiro: “I’m still not really sure myself... Maybe one day I’ll know.”
There was a long pause before Toushiro looked at the fish.
Toushiro: “Ok, they’re done. Let’s eat and then go to sleep.”
Rurichiyo: “Sounds good to me.”
Both youths filled their bellies before dozing off into slumber close to the fire. The fire burned all night, and by early dawn, only embers sparkled. The early morning found the two still fast asleep, huddling close to each other for extra warmth. Then for some reason, Rurichiyo started to awaken. Groggily she looked around. She was hearing something, but couldn’t find it. Then she looked over her shoulder and saw it before gasping silently and ducking her head down. It was the beast.
Rurichiyo: (Whispering) “Toushiro... Wake up... Please!...”
With a moan, the young captain woke up.
Toushiro: “Hm?... Rurichiyo?”
Rurichiyo: (Whispering) “Shh!... It’s that monster... It’s here!...”
But Toushiro was still too groggy for the news to really register.
Toushiro: (With his normal volume) “Huh? What?”
Rurichiyo: (Whispering) “Toushiro! Be quiet! The monster, it’s here!”
Toushiro: (Loudly) “Rurichiyo, speak up! I can’t hear you!”
Rurichiyo panicked and looked back. The beast had heard them!
Rurichiyo: “Toushiro, run!”
The princess got up and tried to pull the groggy captain to his feet!
Toushiro: “Rurichiyo! What are you doing?!”
A shadow loomed over them. Toushiro looked up and there was the assassins beast! Quickly Toushiro bolted forward and ran with Rurichiyo right in front of him! The monster started to pursue the two in earnest! As they ran, they headed for a small gap between the mountains just ahead of them. They could see the sun shining from the other end so it was their best chance!
Toushiro: “Don’t look back, keep going!”
The monster leapt up and roared! All of a sudden both Toushiro and Rurichiyo were pushed through the gap by the beast as it tried to snatch them up! They both rolled down to the bottom where they shook it all off. Toushiro gazed up and saw the monster trying to free its jaws from the narrow gap. If anything, at least, that’ll slow it down he thought.
Toushiro: “Are you okay, Rurichiyo?”
Rurichiyo: “Yeah... Just a little shaken up, that’s all.”
Toushiro: “Me too.”
Toushiro sighed while Rurichiyo looked up. Something caught her eye.
Rurichiyo: “Toushiro... Look!”
The princess was pointing to something behind him. The young captain turned around and saw a rock formation that resembled a-
Toushiro: “A bear standing up!”
Rurichiyo: “Just like Vegeta said! This has to be it!”
Toushiro: “I think you’re right! We ARE going the right way after all!”