Author's Note:Hey! This is my first one-shot, but I finally decided to write one based on repeated requests. I know this is supposed to be a one-shot, but it is rather longer then I had originally planned, so I broke it into 2 chapters, though technically, it's still a one-shot. Half-way through the story (mainly in the second chapter)it kind of seems that the mood goes a little sappy romantic, but I'm still happy with how the story turned out. It was meant to be romantic but ended up being a little more on the action/suspense side. Keep in mind that I wrote this in the course of two days as well. Hope you enjoy it!

Text

Thought

Rising Tide

Bright rays from the jewelled sun shining high in the sky cascaded down upon Hilary's face, brightening the pale ivory of her skin into a warm peachy glow. The wind drifted lazily to and fro, chasing leaves but barely moving her soft chestnut tresses. The air was humid and balmy, perfect weather for storms, yet not one cloud drifted across the sapphire blue expanse. It was warm, sunny and in Hilary's vocabulary perfect beach weather, which explained her currant disposition, sun tanningin a black, halter top.

Hilary sighed dreamily and peeked out from under her arm, which was currently shielding her eyes from the sun. She reached back to scratch her leg, stretched and sat up from her towel, which was extended across the sandy ground. She then blinked and scrunched up her eyes to make out the approaching figures.

"Hey Hilary, the new food court they put in here is GREAT! You should go see it!"

Hilary smiled and leaned down to dust of stray bits of sand from her legs. She moved over as Max plunked himself down beside her and started spreading sunscreen across his pale, freckled flesh.

"Rei and I are going down to see how high the waves are." He turned around and smirked at Tyson who was trying to talk at the same time as chew. "And eventually Tyson as well, if he ever stops going on about the new food court."

Kenny took his place on the other side of Hilary and slid Dizzy out of the bulky bag he had brought with him. "I'm staying here though. I have to go over some new techniques that I discovered."

Hilary glanced at Kai, but as usual he remained silent. He seemed to be staying by the towels as well, seeing as he calmly sat down and took out a book. She sighed again and stood up.

"I'm going to take a walk down by the sea caves. I love the tide pools and sometimes, if the tide isn't in, I can see the fish that swim there. See you guys later."

Hilary's ruby eyes reflected the sparkling diamond of the water as she watched as if entranced the silent path of a miniature brightly coloured fish. It glided through the water slowly and disappeared under a rock at the far edge a tide pool. Hilary sat up slowly and looked back to the white sand of the beach where she could barely make out the figures of Max, Rei and Tyson. She smiled slightly and turned her gaze to the skyline above the blue-green water of the ocean. A frothy line of grey clouds had begun to gather and boiled in the horizon. Hilary could make out the faded lines of rain in the far distance. She frowned and looked toward the sea caves that lie across a shallow channel of water not far away. Her gaze traveled back to the beach, measuring the distance. Then she shrugged and once again turned her attention on the shallow channel of water.

Not to deep, maybe up to my waist Hilary though to herself though glistening water still made her nervous, especially near the deep shadows of the rocks on either end of the waterway. Dangerous fish and other hazardous threats lay there among the gloom. Hilary carefully removed her sandals and dipped her feet in the cool water, slowly lowering herself in. The height of the water only just reached below her thigh and she began wading to the other side of the channel. Halfway through she stopped. A slight call or yell had reached her ears and she strained to hear it again. She stood in silence for a few moments but the sound did not persist. Shrugging, she continued on.

Hilary reached the other side and after scrambling up the jutting rocks she turned her eyes toward the ocean. The rocks she had spotted only moments before were half covered with choppy sea water. She turned toward the channel and saw that the entrance where the sea melded with the strait was slowly being covered with water. Hilary grimaced as she realized her path back to the beach would soon be a part of the sea. The tide was moving in.

It was then that she heard the call again. She whirled toward the entrance of the sea cave behind her, the black opening yawning open like the mouth of a huge toad swallowing a fly. The call was desperate, its dieing sounds echoing in the large cavern. Hilary gulped in fear and took a step backward.

"Is someone there?"

Her call reverberated back to her, casting mocking echoes in her face. She listened to the fading sounds of it and searched the darkness of the cave with roving eyes. An answer was thrown back at her.

"Help…"

Hilary's heart pounded in her chest and she nervously glanced back at the distant beach.

"Who are you?"

I am not going in there alone. I can't…I'm terrified of the dark. Her pleading question was not answered though.

"Help me…"

It was desperate, a cry of despair. Hilary swallowed anxiously and took a hesitant step toward the entrance of the looming cavern. Then setting her jaw she made her way through the protruding rocks to the dark hole of the sea cave after throwing a nervous look at the swirling, rising water of the ocean.

The dark surrounded Hilary. A deep gloom hung in the air and dark shadows flickered across the rock walls. Echoes of dripping water bounded and rebounded as she carefully made her way around jutting rocks and small growths of slimy plants. She shuddered as something moved deep beneath the water in the channel which had continued from the open air into the seaside cave. The sea water within the strait was rising steadily and was beginning to fill the tide pools within the cave. As an open area with no sharp rocks neared Hilary paused in her trek to call out to the mysterious voice.

"Where are you?"

A moment passed and then…

"Over here…help…"

She listened carefully to the reply. The voice sounded different then it had in the bright light of the open sky. Outside it was deep, echoing and mysterious now it seemed…almost childish. She turned in the direction she best assumed the voice was coming from and continued down the slimy path, if one could call it that.

Further into the cave, Hilary stumbled upon something. The dark had now closed in upon her and she could barely see her fingers if they were held in front of her face. She reached down and massaged her toe. A sticky, wet substance attached itself to her fingers and she cursed as she realized she had cut her toe. Mumbling under her breath she stood up and leaned in toward the wall, but her fingers touched nothing. With a startled yelp she went hurtling through the darkness.

(A/N: Hilary did not pass out, she just fell and not very far. I only put a break in the writing to make it more suspenseful)

God, my throbbing head. Hilary groggily sat up from the cold, hard rock beneath her and slowly opened her eyes. She silently cursed the nameless voice and the dank cave. Her eyes took in the fact that there was faint light shining from somewhere and she could finally see her hands, bleeding toe and the rest of her cut up body. Slight wetness touched her fingers and she saw that another branch of the channel led into the wide cavern where she was located now. Her gaze shifted to her other surroundings and met with a pair of bright, violet eyes staring straight at her. She screamed and fell back against the rock wall.

"Are you o.k.?"

Hilary almost fainted in shock as she registered the fact that the eyes belonged to a small child. She breathed a sigh of relief and then stood up angrily.

"Who are you? Are you the person that has been calling me? Is this just a sick joke? Where are we, anyways and why can I see at least a few feet in front of me? I couldn't see anything where I was before."

The miniature boy looked at her with wide, frightened eyes. "I-I'm David. I called for h-help 'cause I'm stuck. I don't know why it's l-light though."

Hilary moved toward him and for the first time realized he was indeed trapped by a huge rock which had caught the tails of his coat beneath its mass. She cooed softly and reached down to hug the small child.

"It's o.k. honey. My name's Hilary. I'll help you get out, just you hold tight."

After she had comforted the boy she kneeled down on the damp floor of the cavern and examined the huge boulder that had caught his coat. She grimaced in annoyance. Behind the boulder was a huge wall of loose rocks, just waiting to fall. This is going to be tight.

Hilary turned and reached for a large piece of driftwood. She then fit it under the boulder beside the boy, ensuring, hopefully, that the boulder would roll away from him instead of on him. She knelt down besideDavid and comforted him, while giving him strict instructions.

"Now, when I yell for you to move, run. Don't stop till you have reached that rock wall over there. Don't look back, just run till you've reached the wall, o.k.?"

The boy mumbled yes and Hilary adjusted her position, so the wood was in her hands. She sent a silent prayer to the heavens and threw another nervous glance at the rising water that was beginning to leak from the tide pools to the cave floor. Then she clenched her teeth and shoved with all her might.

"Move!" she belted hoarsely. The boulder shifted and in a cloud of dank dust the entire wall of rocks collapsed, sliding right toward Hilary.

David ran as fast as his short legs could carry him to the stone wall on the other side of the cave. He heard a great rumbling behind him, like the cackle of the devil, but ran still and did not look back for he was too frightened. His adrenaline rushed and his breath came in short, sharp gasps. A scream sounded behind him and his heart skipped a beat. He turned.

"Hilary!"

Hilary's chestnut hair appeared as her head came out from underneath the avalanche of rocks. She coughed from the dust which had settled on the rocks and clogged her throat. Her limbs moved to free herself, heaving and pushing rocks, breaking out both of her legs. A sharp jab of pain alerted her to her right arm, which was stuck underneath another large boulder. Hilary pulled and shoved, gasping in pain from the throbbing in her left ankle. She cursed as it became evident that she was defiantly trapped beneath half of the stones.

"Hilary, Hilary! Are you o.k.? Are you dead?" David rushed toward her with tears in his small violet eyes and knelt beside her. Hilary turned to him and looked him over.

"At least one of us isn't hurt." She muttered to herself, but her expression softened as she watched silver tears stream down David's face. She moved as best she could to give him a little hug. "No David, I'm not dead. Don't cry honey, everything's going to be o.k. I'm stuck though and I think I broke my left ankle." She moved David so she could look him in the eye. "I'll need you to go get some people. They're my friends and they'll help. Do you know the Bladebreakers?"

David sniffed and wiped his eyes, which were suddenly shining with excitement. "I watch them on the T.V all the time! They're my favourite Beyblading team!"

Hilary smiled slightly and turned David's head toward her once again. "That's good. Really good! Now, listen carefully. The Bladebreaker's are at the beach today. I need you to go get them and tell them that I'm trapped in here. Then you'll have to show them where I am. Make sure you don't forget where the cave is. Mark it with something."

The excitement died out of David's eyes as he realized he would have to go on alone. He whimpered and gripped the fabric of Hilary's shirt tightly. "But I don't want to go by myself. It's dark and s-scary." He hid his face beneath her arm.

Hilary gave his shoulder a little squeeze. "David. David, look at me. Come on David. That's better." She gazed straight into his violet orbs. "You have to go honey, I can't go with you. It's light out and that means the entrance to the cave is somewhere nearby. Just follow the light. Please David, you have to hurry. Hurry for me David o.k.? Please go…"

David gave a little shudder and closed his eyes, but when he opened them his eyes were filled with determination. "O-o.k. I'll go. I promise I'll hurry, Hilary."

Hilary leaned in and gave him as best a hug she could in the circumstances. Then she kissed him lightly on the head and helped him up. "That's good David. Please hurry as best you can. Find the Bladebreakers."

David nodded and held back a sob. Then he turned and walked slowly into the gloom of the cavern.

Hilary watched him go, her heart pounding in fear. She gasped as cold water touched her leg and threw a terrified glance at the rising water of the channel. Hurry David. Oh dear God, please hurry.

Rei eyed the boiling clouds and the faded traces of rain doubtfully. Standing beside him on top of a tall sea cliff near the food court, Max shaded his eyes and glanced at the beach.

"Looks like people are packing up and leaving. Not that I can blame them with those wicked storm clouds coming in. Maybe we should get packed up too."

Rei turned and sighed. "I suppose so, though I really was enjoying the nice weather. Where is everyone else?"

Max began walking up the path toward Kenny, who was sitting on the towels, typing on Dizzy. "Um…Kenny's still typing, Kai's still reading. Tyson….Tyson is hopefully not eating, though he might be. He told me he would be back in a second in any case, if he is. Hilary….Actually I don't know where Hilary is. Is she still out near the sea caves?"

Rei glanced toward the distant caves that dotted the cliff side. He turned to Max and shrugged. "If she is, she is probably making her way back now anyways. She'll have seen the rain clouds. Besides, the tide's moving in."

They had reached the towels and while Rei began packing up, Max dried off the salty water he was soaked with. Tyson arrived soon and began to help to pack up as well. But as he bent down to pick up a stray towel he was suddenly bombarded with a small boy who seemed to have hurtled himself bodily through the air.

"Tyson! Are you -gasp- Tyson? From the -splutter- Bladebreakers? Hil-cough-Hilary sent me. She-wheeze- needs -cough- help. YOU HAVE TO HELP HER!"

The boy gripped the collar of Tyson's jacket and his violet eyes burned brightly. Tyson sat up indignantly and removed the boy from his lap. "Jeeze, you don't have to throw yourself on a guy to get his attention dude. Now, slow down and talk sense. What about Hilary?"

David stood up and waved his hands wildly. "Hilary-gasp-! She's stuck in a cave -wheeze- there was a rock slide and she saved me. The rocks trapped her! -splutter- You have to help her! She's -cough- stuck and you have to help her! She made me promise to hurry!"

Tyson stood and took hold of David's shoulders. "Is Hilary hurt? Where is she?"

David's distant eyes gazed toward the sea caves and then he pointed. "She's there. Trapped in there."

As the members of the Bladebreakers ran along the cliff top David filled them in on the details of the situation from his perch atop Rei's back. "She's hurt. I think she said her ankle was broken. Her arm is crushed under a big rock. There was rocks everywhere and water on the ground."

Tyson met Max's eye. "The tide is rising. We don't have much time."

Kai glanced at them and then spoke for the first time. "Where exactly is the cave?"

David looked at him and then pointed down to the pebbly shore beneath them which was already covered in water from the ocean. "It's right there. I remember because I counted them. Why is the beach gone?"

Rei glanced back at David. "Never mind David." He looked at the rest of the assembled group. "So, this is it. Now what are we going to do?"

"We should go get her, that's what we should do! That tide's rising fast. She could be half drowned by now!" Tyson yelled forcefully.

"While that is true, it is also quite correct that storm clouds have gathered. By the time we find Hilary a full blown storm will be in place. Besides it is useless to send everyone at once. I believe I would be correct in saying we should only send one person, the strongest swimmer and the rest can wait and give aid to Hilary once she is rescued." Finishing his speech Kenny looked at the rest of the group for their reaction.

Tyson opened his mouth angrily but Max cut him off. "That is the probably the best thing to do and we don't have time argue the fact Tyson. The strongest swimmer is…?"

"Me." Kai stepped forward, suddenly only clad in a pair of black swimming trunks. "The only one to compete, Rei, is too tired from carrying David the whole way here. I'll do it."

Tyson turned to him. "I don't-"

"We don't have time for this Tyson" and with that Kai leapt off the cliff and made a straight swan dive for the ocean.

"Kai you idiot! You're going to get killed on those rocks!" Max called after him in horror but miraculously his slate grey hair was spotted bobbing on top of the water by David as Kai made his way to the entrance of the cave with strong, powerful strokes.

"Let's hope he makes it…Hang on Hil."

To be continued…

Author's Note: Yeah, I know, it is pretty cheezy that Kai ('the great') could survive a dive from the cliff like that, but whatever. The second part will be posted soon, probably in a week or so, depending on how much time I get to write. I'm also looking for suggestions for a new title. Any are welcome. Did you like the story so far? R&R!