Drowning

by WolfDiva

The ocean is eternal. No matter what she did it was always going to be there to challenge her. That was the way Izumi liked it, even if it was a losing struggle.

The ocean has always been constant. It's waters go to the shore and back into itself but it's always there. Men depend on the ocean for travel and food but she hated it with all her being. The ocean, to her, was a constant enemy, waiting just for the right moment to swallow her up whole. She'd fight it as long as she was able. She would not let it win, no, she could not let the ocean win.

She found herself in the middle of the ocean, her head just above the waves. It's waves lapped angrily at her, trying to drag her down. She struggled hard but it was becoming harder to keep her head above the water. Hidden currents dragged her under the water, keeping her from the air, her only ally in this struggle. She battled harder and was rewarded with fresh air when her head broke the surface.

A familiar voice taunted her, making her struggle harder in rage. She hated the owner of the voice as much as she hated the ocean. "Izumi... Izumi... Give up... Give up."

She could not give up because of the taunts, if just only for her vanity. Pride was a strong motivator, although, the ocean is a greater enemy. The voice laughed as her attempts to stay afloat were slowly becoming weaker. Once again she fell below the waves, getting gulps of bitter saltwater instead of air, and again she broke the surface. To make matters worse, it began to rain with thin biting droplets.

The owner of the voice must have thought this was hilarious and burst out into louder laughter. The laughter rung out across the ocean. She felt herself going under once again, this time her strength was not going to save her.

"Izumi?"Junpei asked worriedly, waking her up. "Are you okay? We thought we heard you yelling in your sleep..."

Turning over, Izumi gave a muttered 'yes'. She didn't want to admit that she had a nightmare. "I was only screaming in shock because I had a dream that Takuya knew everything," she said and there was stifled laughter around the camp.

Takuya, sitting out of hitting range, was only slightly annoyed at this. "Humph," said Takuya and returned to the position he was most comfortable sleeping in.

Smiling to herself, Izumi started to fall asleep again. She wanted to restart the battle with the ocean as soon as possible. Just to show it that she wasn't afraid of it.