Were it not for the noise of the howling wind outside, the only sound in the ski resort's leisure area were be the footsteps of Ryuuji Takasu as he restlessly paced back and forth. On a normal day, this would be around the time the students would be getting ready for bed. But sleep was the last thing on Ryuuji's mind.
The young man was fraught with worry. His eyes instinctually moved to the clock on the wall, and he noted the time as 9:15 PM.
Damn it…where is she? It's been hours since anyone last saw her.
Turning back around towards the seating area, Ryuuji glanced back at the others who remained there with him, similarly unable to sleep or focus on anything else.
Minori Kushieda, the energetic girl whom Ryuuji had harbored a crush on for a long time, was practically glued to the window as she observed the worsening snowstorm outside. Her expression in the window's reflection was a far cry from her usual cheery disposition.
Even without looking directly at her, it was clear that Minori was extremely distressed, probably moreso than Ryuuji himself. She was not saying a word, but her eyes betrayed the intense emotions flowing through her mind: anxiety, worry, and fear.
Standing next to her was Yusaku Kitamura, Ryuuji's best friend for many years. His hands were clasped behind his back as he stared out the window, and the solemn look on his face felt very out-of-place. Despite the initial optimism he displayed once the group initially realized that their classmate had gone missing, as the hours went by, Kitamura's optimism slowly shifted to pensiveness.
Parked at one of the tables was Ami Kawashima, who was focusing on the weather reports on her cell phone, her expression practically unreadable. Unreadable to most, that is – Ryuuji was able to see through the façade that Ami used to fool many others, and it was clear to him that she was also quite uneasy.
Ami had been periodically refreshing the weather report, hoping for an update on when the storm would pass them by. So far, there had been no sign of it letting up any time soon.
Several of their classmates were also sitting with them in solidarity. Most notably, Noto Hisamitsu and Maya Kihara were seated across from Ami, the latter quietly sobbing with her hands over her face. She was worried sick, and at around 9 PM had broken down into tears despite Noto's best efforts to comfort her.
He flinched as a sudden gust of wind that was audible from inside interrupted his thoughts. No matter how hard he tried, Ryuuji was unable to ignore the fact that the weather conditions were continuing to get even more dangerous by the minute.
At the rate the blizzard was intensifying, it wouldn't be long before the windchill alone could be life-threatening to someone stranded outside for an extended time. Especially for someone as tiny as her.
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as the anxiety inside of him continued to grow. Please…please be safe, Taiga…
The day's troubles had begun that afternoon, at approximately 2:30 PM. Ryuuji had been having a conversation with Ami, but the discussion was suddenly disrupted when Ami was literally swept off her feet by a sled that had been flying down the slope. Aboard the sled were two of his other classmates: his crush, Minori Kushieda, and his partner-in-crime, Taiga Aisaka.
Even though it seemed like an unfortunate accident, Ami was quick to accuse Minori of steering the sled into her on purpose. She claimed that Minori was still angry about their conversation the night before (which Ryuuji had overheard, unbeknownst to them). First it was hateful words that were exchanged, and then it devolved into a straight-up fistfight between the two girls.
Eventually, the commotion attracted the attention of Yuri-sensei, who arrived on the scene and broke up the fight between the two. However, amidst the chaos, Ryuuji and everyone else had lost track of Taiga. That was the last time anyone had seen her that day.
At about 5 PM, shortly after the class returned to the resort for the day, an announcement was made by one of the resort's staff members. An incredibly strong winter storm was headed right for them, and an intense blizzard was expected to strike the area in roughly an hour.
Judging by the weather report, it seemed like the storm was predicted to continue for at least a day before the blizzard let up. After a brief phone call with the school principal and discussion with the resort's manager, Yuri-sensei announced that the class would be staying at the ski resort until the storm had passed.
Some of the students were excited to have an extra day or two of their class trip, while some of them were less than enthused that they had to stay cooped up inside during a violent snowstorm. But none of them could deny the fact that Yuri-sensei had probably made the right call. With the predicted wind speed and snowfall, traveling down the mountain to go home would be perilous at best.
A couple of hours later, when the evening meal was being served, Ami noted that Taiga had not shown up for dinner. It was a very unusual occurrence for the Palmtop Tiger to miss an opportunity to get something to eat, as Ryuuji knew very well, but he assumed that she had taken a nap and simply overslept.
Minori decided to check the girls' room to retrieve her best friend, but when she returned empty-handed Ryuuji's hypothesis was proven false. Taiga had not been asleep in her room. As a matter of fact, she hadn't been in her room at all.
Throughout the entire time the evening meal was being served, Taiga never arrived at the dining room. Beginning to grow slightly concerned at his close friend's absence, Ryuuji set aside some of his dinner for her (enduring Ami's teasing in the process) and decided to go look for her. By this time, it was 7:30 PM. None of the resort staff, nor any of Ryuuji's classmates or teachers, had seen Taiga Aisaka in roughly five hours.
Ryuuji began to search the resort for the miniature girl, and he was joined by Minori, who was seemingly bothered by her best friend's absence as well. She wasn't in the lobby. There was no Palmtop Tiger present in the leisure area. A brief search of the rest of the resort also failed to yield any sign of Taiga.
As the two of them continued to search for their missing friend, Ryuuji felt a sense of worry that grew ever so slightly with each room they checked. Time continued to pass, and the winter storm had arrived, yet Taiga had still not been found. Kitamura was able to gather Haruta and Noto to create a second group to search for her, and the two groups scoured the entire resort for any sign of her but were unsuccessful.
Once he and Minori checked the rack that held the rental equipment however, Ryuuji's concern suddenly transformed into dread. Each student had been assigned a pair of snow goggles, gloves, and boots, as well as a thick winter coat.
All the equipment was hanging exactly where it was supposed to be, except for one set: the set that was assigned to Taiga Aisaka. At this point, the clock read 8:00 PM – five and a half hours since the Palmtop Tiger was last accounted for, and two hours since one of the fiercest blizzards in the ski resort's history had begun.
After the two stumbled upon this horrifying discovery and realized the implications of Taiga's missing winter gear, both Ryuuji and Minori began to panic. After taking a few minutes to help Minori calm down, Ryuuji made a beeline for Yuri-sensei's room to inform her of what he and Minori had found.
Once Taiga had been officially reported missing, several of the resort staff banded together to brave the storm and look for Taiga. However, they didn't get far before the resort manager called off the operation, citing it as too dangerous and recommending that the search be left up to the local police.
Powerless to do anything else, the students decided to wait in the lounge for the small brunette to return. They waited and waited, but as the clock continued to tick and the storm grew more intense, there had still been no sign of Taiga.
Ryuuji grimaced as he glanced at the clock again. This time, it read 9:30 PM. It had been seven hours since the small girl's whereabouts were known by anyone. If she was still outside in these conditions...
His train of thought was broken once Minori pulled herself away from the window and walked down the hall. At first, he didn't have much of an idea as to where she was going or what she was doing. Her intentions were made very clear, however, when she returned wearing her winter gear and fastening her goggles to her head.
"This is getting ridiculous. Waiting around isn't going to do anything for anyone. I'm going to find her myself."
Minori began to march towards the door that led outside to the ski slopes. She only got a few steps in before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head to look behind her, she saw that the hand belonged to Kitamura.
"Hold on for a sec, Kushieda. Think about it. If you do that, you might end up stranded out there."
She returned his gaze with a look of intense determination. "That's a risk I'm willing to take. Don't try to stop me."
It was rare to see Minori this worked up about something, and when she was it was difficult to talk her out of it. Kitamura pursed his lips and it seemed like he was about to attempt to persuade her again but decided against it. Fortunately, he didn't need to. Ami picked up the slack for him.
Minori took another few steps before being stopped again – this time by words, not by touch.
"Are you insane?" chided the teen model. "Do you honestly think going out alone in a blizzard like this at night is a smart idea?"
The redheaded girl looked down at the ground, a scowl manifesting itself on her face. "If being insane means not abandoning my best friend in the cold, then I guess I am."
Ami groaned in response. "You are SO—"
She didn't get to finish her sentence before Ryuuji cut her off. He knew that Minori was right – if they didn't act now, Taiga could very well die from exposure. And if the dealbreaker was Minori going by herself, then the best solution to the problem became obvious.
If he let Minori get discouraged, prevented anyone from going out to search, and something happened to Taiga, he would never forgive himself.
"She won't be alone. I'm going with her." Ryuuji suddenly declared, stepping forward next to Minori. "There's no problem if she isn't by herself, right?"
Minori turned to him, an expression of shock on her face. Ami could only look at him incredulously. Just as she was about to voice exactly how stupid she thought he was being, Kitamura also interjected.
"If you two are going, then count me in as well. With three of us searching, we should be able to find Taiga before too long."
He shifted his gaze to look pointedly at the purple-haired girl. "Any other comments, Ami?"
Ami looked back and forth between the three of them assembled before her, before averting her gaze from them. Deep down, she knew that they were right. Taiga's life would in jeopardy if they decided to just wait.
"…fine. Whatever. Just don't do anything too crazy. We don't need anyone else getting lost out there."
Kitamura breathed a sigh of relief. Ami still wasn't entirely convinced, but she wasn't going to get in their way. For the first time that evening, Minori allowed herself a small grin.
"We won't get lost, but I can't make any promises about not doing anything crazy."
She stepped forward turned to face the two volunteer search party members behind her. "Go get your winter gear, guys. We have a lost tiger to rescue."
A few minutes later, Kitamura and Ryuuji had donned their jackets, gloves, and assorted protective equipment. They returned to the leisure area and met up with Minori, who was waiting patiently for the two.
The trio then began to walk towards the hallway that led to the door to the ski slopes. They were only able to take a few steps, though, before one final obstacle presented itself.
"Wait, you three. What do you think you're doing? It's dangerous out there. Being reckless could get you badly hurt."
Ryuuji winced. He recognized the voice of Yuri-sensei immediately. This could be a problem.
Minori loudly sighed and turned toward her teacher with a fierce look in her eye. Yuri-sensei slightly recoiled at her uncharacteristic intensity, but still stood her ground.
"Do you think we don't know that? Of course it's dangerous. I don't care. If we don't do anything, Taiga could…could…"
The redheaded girl angrily shook her head and attempted to walk forward again but was stopped by her teacher's hand on her shoulder. "Please, just calm down and think about it. The police have already been notified, and they should be sending a professional search party sometime soo—"
Yuri-sensei was unable to finish her sentence as Minori's agitated cry filled the room. "WHAT search party?" she practically shrieked.
Minori pointed at the window, her eyes not leaving her teacher's. "Just look at it out there! If it's bad enough that we can't even go home, what makes you think that anything can get UP here, either?"
The teacher gulped at her student's harsh response, but still managed to maintain her composure. "W-well, yes, that IS true, but I'm sure they'd be able to bring out a helicopter to look for—"
"Not a chance." The four of them turned to look with surprise at where Ami was seated. Despite how idiotic she claimed to find the whole situation, the teen model was now speaking up in support of her friends.
"The government just issued an order to ground all flights in the area and halt all non-essential travel until the storm passes. A helicopter won't be coming tonight."
Yuri-sensei briefly paused before continuing. "Be that as it may, I can't in good conscience allow my students to put themselves in danger. Let's just calm down and wait for her."
"That's what we've BEEN doing for the past hour!" Minori protested, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "What if she's been hurt and she can't move? What if she's stranded and lost in the cold? I won't…I can't…I-I…"
Minori took a moment to wipe the moisture from her eyes before bringing her attention back to her teacher. "I refuse to leave my best friend alone to freeze out there. If anything happens to her, I…"
Yuri-sensei remained silent for several seconds. Kitamura broke the silence to weigh in. "I don't want to do this either, but we have no other options. If we don't act now and Taiga is injured out there, she could very well freeze to death before the night is over."
The teacher could feel her resolve crumbling in the face of the determination that her students in front of her were demonstrating. Even so, she had to try one more time. "B-but…"
Ryuuji took the chance to deliver the killing blow. "You have to trust us. Please, Yuri-sensei. We're begging you."
With a deep sigh, Yuri-sensei finally relented. "…alright. As much as I hate this awful situation, you're right. But I can't let you go outside unless you're totally prepared. I'm going to check and see if the front desk has spare flashlights and handheld radios available. You'll need them."
Ryuuji gave his teacher a gentle smile. "Thank you, Yuri-sensei. This means a lot to us."
The teacher nodded in response. "Don't thank me yet. She still hasn't been found. Wait here for a moment."
As Yuri-sensei began to walk towards the resort's lobby to check for supplies, Minori turned and placed a hand on each boy's shoulder. "Thanks, you guys," she sniffled. "I don't know what to say…"
"There's nothing to thank us for," Ryuuji responded. "I'm with you all the way. We're going to find her, and no snowstorm will stop us. You can count on it."
"That's right," Kitamura agreed. "We're in this together, Kushieda."
Minori couldn't help but smile despite the tears still threatening to spill from her eyes. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have such reliable friends. "You're damn right we'll find her. Now let's get ready to move as soon as Yuri-sensei comes back. We don't know how much time we have left."
A few minutes passed before Yuri-sensei came back with the flashlights and handheld radios she had gathered from the staff. Extra equipment in hand, the three of them were as prepared as they could possibly be.
The makeshift search party walked down the hall towards the door that let outside to the ski lifts. Minori's gloved hand grabbed onto the doorknob, but she paused to address Ryuuji and Kitamura before opening it. "You guys ready?"
Once the two nodded in affirmation, Minori opened the door and grimaced as the cold gust of wind filled the room. Shaking it off, she stepped outside into the snow, promptly followed by Kitamura. Ryuuji walked forward, preparing to follow suit.
I promise that I'll find you, no matter what. And I don't make promises I can't keep.
As Ryuuji walked through the open door, he couldn't help but shiver as he was buffeted by another gust of cold wind. But he wasn't going to let the cold stop him – there was far too much at stake here.
He stepped out into the blizzard and closed the door behind him. Hold on, Taiga. I'm coming.
The three of them trekked wordlessly through the snow, making their way towards the ski lifts. Even with their flashlights, their vision was heavily obscured by the harsh snowfall, so they had to move slowly and carefully to stay on the path.
Ryuuji couldn't help but flinch as another strong blast of wind blew against the group, attempting to push them back towards the resort. Despite their protective gear, the cold was beginning to get quite uncomfortable, even if they had only been outside for about ten minutes or so.
He was able to maintain his own footing, but Ryuuji quickly extended an arm to grab onto Minori's shoulder once he noticed her begin to stumble in the snow. The wind was strong and constant, so it was no surprise that it was difficult for her to keep her balance.
Once her footing was stable, she turned back towards him and gave him a soft smile. "Thanks, Takasu. I owe you one."
Before he could respond to her gratitude, a static sound began to emit from the group's handheld radios.
"Hello? Can you guys hear me?"
Minori instantly perked up at the voice and fished her radio out of her jacket pocket. "A-Amin? Is that you?"
The voice of Ami Kawashima was transmitted over the radios once again, confirming Minori's assumption. "Yes, it's me. Yuri-sensei brought a fourth radio so someone could keep in touch with you back at the resort. Looks like they still work over long distances, so that's good. What's your plan?"
Ryuuji blinked, and Minori and Kitamura both paused. They had been so caught up in their desire to find their friend that they ended up trudging out into the snowstorm without any sort of concrete search plan.
"W-well…" began Kitamura, speaking into his own radio "We, um, don't really have one right now. We're still walking along the main path."
"Really? After all that big talk, you don't have any ideas of how and where you're going to look?" scolded the voice over the radio. "There's a lot of potential ground to cover. She could be anywhere. We need to come up with something."
The trio continued to walk forward in silence. As much as Ryuuji hated to admit it, Ami was correct. There were a lot of places they needed to check, and they couldn't waste any time standing around in a storm of this intensity. They needed a plan.
Before long, they reached the ski lifts. Although the lifts were closed, there was still a walking path to the top of the mountain which was barely visible under the snow.
Ryuuji briefly scanned the area with his flashlight. No signs of Taiga. The only thing he could see was the vague outline of the landscape surrounding him, blanketed in a thick coat of white.
Let's see…there are two ski slopes on the mountain we were at, with a path going around to the bottom of each one from here. And, with a third path that goes straight to the top…
He grinned to himself as he realized that they had the perfect number of people to split up and search the possible paths. He pulled out his radio from his pocket and pressed the transmit button, beginning to speak into it. "Okay, I think I have an idea."
Minori and Kitamura both turned to look at him expectantly, and crackling static from the radio confirmed that Ami had heard him loud and clear as well. "Good. What do you have in mind?"
The young man gestured towards the area where the footpaths to the mountaintop and the bottoms of the slopes began. They were just barely visible under the snow, but with close attention and the shine of the flashlight, they could be seen.
"I doubt she's at the top of the mountain, but it's a possibility, so someone should check there. We also need to look around the path that wraps around the resort, as well as the bottom of both ski slopes. I don't think Taiga would have strayed far from any of the footpaths or slopes, so those would be our first places to check."
Minori hummed in agreement. "You're probably right. That's a good starting idea. Do you think we should split up to cover more ground?"
Ryuuji nodded. "Yeah. I think we have one person check the mountaintop, one person check the right slope, and one person check the left slope."
Nobody had any objections. Minori opened her mouth to volunteer herself to check a location, but before any words came out Ryuuji had taken the silence as a cue to continue. "I'll take the left slope. Kushieda and Kitamura, which area do either of you want to search?"
The redheaded girl seemed like she wanted to protest but decided against it. "Okay. If you've got left, Takasu, I've got the right slope." She turned to address Kitamura. "Are you okay with checking the mountain path by yourself, Kitamura?"
He grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "No complaints here. I'll make sure to be careful."
There had been no affirmation from Ami during this explanation, so Ryuuji decided to get her input before they made any final decisions. "Then it's settled. Any last-minute thoughts, Kawashima?"
The area was mostly quiet for several seconds, with the only sound being the howling of the harsh winds. After a short delay, the silence was broken by the crackle of static coming from the radios.
"…no. I don't have any better ideas right now. But keep your radios on and keep in constant communication. It would be a major issue if we lost contact with any of you."
The trio nodded. She had a point – this was a perilous search and rescue mission for one person. Having to rescue two people would be nearly impossible.
"Got it," confirmed Kitamura. "We'll check in often and keep you updated."
And with that, the plan was finalized and could finally be set in motion. "Is everybody ready to move?" asked Ryuuji.
Minori steeled herself before looking up at the two boys accompanying her. "Ready? I was born ready. Let's do this."
"I'm good to go when you are," answered Kitamura.
Ryuuji took a deep breath before addressing the others. "Alright, then. Let's get going."
The three split up to go their separate ways, and Ryuuji lost sight of both Kitamura and Minori within about ten seconds. The storm was getting to the point that his vision was starting to get significantly obscured, even with the help of the flashlight.
As he took his first step onto the path leading to the bottom of the left slope, Ami's voice echoed from his radio transmitter. "Good luck. Don't do anything stupid. That means you, Minori and Takasu."
A different voice emitted from the radio this time. "Oh, shut up already." Minori groused.
Ryuuji couldn't help but chuckle as Kitamura's laughter also transmitted over the radio. "Loud and clear, Kawashima. We'll make sure to stay safe."
After about fifteen minutes of trudging along the snow-covered pathway and continually updating Ami and the others, Ryuuji arrived at the foot of the left slope – the same site where Minori and Ami had traded blows earlier that day. The same site where anyone had last seen Taiga Aisaka.
He estimated it was about 10 o'clock at night, which meant that Taiga had been missing for almost eight hours now.
The pit of anxiety in Ryuuji's stomach continued to grow, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. His mind could not keep from thinking about the worst-case scenario. The thought of what might have become of his friend was making him feel almost physically ill.
"HELLO!? TAIGA!?"
Ryuuji called the tiny girl's name as he closely examined the entire area at the bottom of the slope with his flashlight. There were no footprints to track, as the snowfall from the blizzard quickly wiped away any trace of their movements earlier in the day.
Even still, he continued to look closely at the sea of white in front of him, hoping, praying for even the slightest hint of where his close friend may be.
"CAN YOU HEAR ME?! TAIGA?!"
There were periodic bursts of noise coming from the radio transmitter – updates from Kitamura and Minori – but he couldn't be bothered to listen. He needed to concentrate. He needed to use all the focus he had to find any clues.
"TAIGA?! PLEASE! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
As Ryuuji scanned the perimeter and realized that he had covered most of the ground at the bottom of the slope, the pit of anxiety in his chest grew larger than ever.
No…she's not here…damn it! Please, give me something, ANYTHING to help find you. Please…
Ryuuji was getting desperate. He had been calling her name for almost ten minutes now, struggling to scream loud enough to be heard over the howling wind, but nothing had come of it. No signs of life. No hints as to where his lost companion might be. The only things present at the site were the thick blanket of snow and the cold, unforgiving gusts of wind.
He pulled out his radio transmitter. Just as he was about to give up and report to Ami and the others that his search had turned up empty, he noticed something out of the corner of his goggles. Turning towards it, he shined his flashlight at the suspicious spot.
It was the small plastic mesh fence that marked the steep drop-off at the end of the left ski slope. It was slightly bent one way in a small area. Ryuuji remembered that fence having been intact earlier in the day.
"What the…?"
He cautiously stepped through the deep snow over to the fence and focused his flashlight on it. Upon closer examination, the fence wasn't necessarily bent. It was probably more accurate to say that it had an indent…an indent that looks like it might have made by a person's weight falling on it.
That's…it couldn't be…
Ryuuji's breath caught in his throat. He had almost given up and headed back to the resort. He would have completely missed this crucial clue that might be the key to the missing girl's whereabouts. Imagining what might have happened if he didn't see it made his stomach churn.
Upon this discovery, Ryuuji's rational thought had gone out the window, as if it was blown away by the fierce winds that continued to chill him to the bone. He quickly stuffed the radio transceiver back into his pocket and moved as swiftly as he could through the snow towards the fence.
"TAIGA!? ARE YOU THERE?! TAIGA?!"
Once he reached the fence, he caught a glimpse of something small and shiny in the tree just outside the fence. If he hadn't gotten close to it, he never would have seen it.
He observed the object closely, trying to make out what it was. After a brief deliberation, he determined it to be the hairpin he had intended to give Minori as a Christmas present about a month ago.
"Huh? Why is this here? I remember she was wearing it earlier today, but—"
As he leaned forward to grab the hairpin and put it in his pocket, his flashlight ended up being slightly pointed down. Once again, out of the corner of his eyes, Ryuuji was able to spot the final clue that he needed.
The tree that the hairpin was stuck in was large and had many branches to block the snowfall. As a result, some of the markings in the snow underneath from earlier that day were somewhat preserved.
Traveling down the steep incline was a groove in the snow, with a similar width to the indentation on the fence. It traveled down as far as his limited vision would allow him to see.
Ryuuji froze. Not because of the temperature or the wind chill, but because he immediately realized what the existence of that groove implied.
This was almost certainly it. This was why nobody had seen her since the altercation at the bottom of the ski slope. This was why she hadn't returned to the resort.
Forcing himself to snap back to reality, Ryuuji placed the flashlight between his teeth and carefully hoisted himself over the fence. Thankfully, because of the branches blocking the snow, he was able to see the parts of the drop-off that weren't too steep to slide down safely on.
Slowly, carefully, and deliberately, he lowered himself down the incline, keeping a close eye on the groove that he was following. It seemed to continue for about ten feet or so.
After taking a few minutes to get himself down safely, he took the flashlight back into his hands and shined it on the path the groove had taken. Once reaching the bottom, it appeared to travel a little longer over flat ground and stopped at a large rock at the base of another nearby tree.
If this was just a regular run-of-the-mill rock, there wouldn't be an issue. But this was no ordinary rock in the wilderness. It had a property that nothing else in the surrounding area had.
The rock had a bright red bloodstain on it.
At the sight of the bloodied rock, Ryuuji was seized by panic. Any remaining doubt that this was unrelated to Taiga's disappearance had vanished.
Ryuuji turned his flashlight ever so slightly to the right of the rock to find what looked like a lump in the snow before him. He hesitated briefly, mentally preparing himself for what he may find, and took a few steps closer to investigate.
The lump turned out to be a human body, half-buried by the snow and lying on its side. The person had not been completely covered yet due to the protection of the tree branches, but a good amount of snow had still been deposited on top of them.
Thankfully, the winter weather had failed to hide the body's most important identifying feature – locks of brown hair that stood out like a sore thumb, surrounded by small patches of red-colored snow.
No. No, no, no, no, no, no…
There was no mistaking it. The body belonged to Taiga Aisaka, the Palmtop Tiger herself. He had finally found her.
He rushed through the snow as quickly as he could towards the tiny girl. "TAIGA!" he frantically cried out, not receiving any response.
Ryuuji kneeled and placed his flashlight on the ground, illuminating the area. He brushed off the snow from Taiga's body and cradled her in his arms.
The girl was in terrible condition. Her protective goggles were shattered beyond repair, she was shivering, and a large bloody gash had been made across her forehead. The bleeding looked like it had mostly stopped, but the wound looked unsettlingly deep. She needed to get medical attention immediately.
After carefully wiping the blood from her face, he placed a gloved hand on the exposed skin of her neck to check her pulse. The rhythmic thumping against his fingers indicated that Taiga's heart was still beating, and the slow rise and fall of her chest demonstrated clear signs of life.
Even through the thick winter gloves, Ryuuji could tell that her skin was cold to the touch. The unconscious girl's pulse, while present, was sluggish and faint, and her breaths were shallow and ragged. He needed to get her back to the resort, and fast.
Carefully resting Taiga's frail body on his lap, he hastily dug out the radio transceiver from his pocket to report to the other search party members.
"Hello? Can you guys hear me?"
The prompt crackle of the radio transceiver was a clear sign that his message had gone through.
"Yes. Where on earth were you, Takasu? We've been trying to get ahold of you for like fifteen minutes. You had us worried sick." Ami chastised.
"Don't worry about that right now! I found Taiga!"
"Oh, thank god! Is she okay!?" exclaimed Minori.
"No. She hit her head pretty hard, her skin is really cold, and she's unconscious. She needs to get to a doctor, ASAP!"
Ami's voice echoed over the transceiver. "Alright. Hold on for a bit and keep an eye on her. Minori, Kitamura, head over and meet up with Ta—"
Ryuuji instantly rejected the idea. "No way! I'm not going to wait out here and let her stay in the cold even longer. I can carry her back myself. Everyone return to the resort and find whatever medical supplies we have so we can give first aid as soon as I arrive."
"Tch…good point. Alright. I'll check with Yuri-sensei and prepare whatever we have. I think there's a small first aid clinic attached to the resort for ski-related injuries, so we should be able to get supplies from there."
"Take care of her, Ryuuji. See you two in a bit." With that, Kitamura signed off.
"Thank you, Takasu. Really…thank you. Stay safe." Following Minori's parting message, the radio went silent.
The young man stuffed the radio back into his coat and carefully lifted the petite girl from the ground, placing her on his back. With the way the landscape was laid out, he could walk around the incline and end up near the bottom of the left slope without having to climb directly up it.
Making sure she was secure and wouldn't fall off, he retrieved his flashlight and rose from the ground. With one hand behind him supporting Taiga and the other holding the flashlight, they began their return journey to the resort.
Hang on for just a little while longer, Taiga. I've got you, and I promise I won't let you go.
After about five minutes or so of braving the elements, he had reached the bottom of the left slope. Even though it had only been around ten minutes or so since he left the area, his footprints had almost completely been covered. The storm was steadily getting worse.
Ryuuji knew he had no time to waste. He needed to get moving immediately. But just as he set foot on the path that led back to the ski lifts, a familiar, almost imperceptibly quiet sound reached his ears.
"…Ryuu…ji…?"
His eyes widened, and he was so surprised that he almost lost his balance. Thankfully, he was able to remain standing, and continued trudging along the frozen pathway.
She's awake…she's awake!
"T-Taiga?!"
He could feel a small movement of her head on his shoulder and felt her delicate breaths on his neck. "Ryuuji…is that…you…?"
"Yes, it's me, Taiga! Don't worry, we're going to get you some help right away!"
"Ryuuji…R-Ryuuji…"
Much like the rest of her, Taiga's voice was very weak. It was as if she was struggling just to open her mouth, much less say any words.
"It'll be okay, I promise! Just hang on for a little while longer, alright? We're almost there."
"…thank you…"
As the two of them continued their long journey back to the resort, the snowstorm continued to worsen. The winds that constantly battered Ryuuji were getting stronger and stronger, and it was getting difficult to move against them.
But he couldn't afford to fail. He couldn't afford to give up or stop moving. His closest friend's life was at stake, and she was far too important to him to falter here.
A few minutes passed, and the pair continued to press on in silence, Ryuuji mustering all his energy to push against the forces of nature that seemed dead set on driving them back away from the resort. The windchill was beginning to get to him; even under his winter gear, he was starting to shiver. He could feel Taiga shaking like a leaf on his back as they were struck by another strong gust of wind.
Her voice resounded in his ear again, almost sounding a little weaker than before. It was difficult to make out her words over the sound of the chaotic wind blowing against them.
"I'm…s-scared…"
Ryuuji grunted as yet another gale of arctic wind blew against them. "It's okay, Taiga. It's okay. I've got you."
The tiny brunette slightly shifted again, burying her face into the crook of Ryuuji's neck with a soft whimper. Her trembling hands clutched the shoulders of his jacket just a little bit harder.
He grimaced as he continued to trudge through the almost knee-deep snow. As the snowfall intensified, he could only clearly see about five feet in front of him, even with his flashlight.
Ryuuji could just barely make out the ski lift through his limited vision. After a quick scan of the area, he found the path back to the resort and took it. Only about five to ten more minutes of travel, and they'd be back at the resort.
Another minute of relative silence passed with no words exchanged – only the sound of the fierce winds howling in their ears. Ryuuji was beginning to tire out and was forcing himself to continue to march on out of sheer willpower.
"Ryuuji…listen…important…"
"I'm listening, Taiga."
Today had been one of the most stressful days in Ryuuji Takasu's entire life. After dealing with Minori and Ami's fight, the blizzard, and the mission to rescue a half-dead Taiga, he thought he'd be prepared for anything.
He had no idea how wrong he was. Nothing in the world could have adequately prepared him for the words that the quivering girl on his back were about to whisper in his ear.
"…love you…"
Ryuuji's breath caught in his throat, and his eyes grew wide. It seemed like the entire world surrounding him had stopped, and time was at a standstill. He stopped walking for a few seconds and stood in silence, attempting to process the two words that had just reached his ears.
What…did she just say?
A small part of him thought that he misheard her, that she actually said something else and the wind made it sound like that. Maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him.
That theory was quickly dispelled as the frail girl continued.
"Love you…so m-much…have to tell you…before…before I…"
For a moment, his brain felt like it was short-circuiting. This time, the wind hadn't been blowing when she said it, and he heard her clear as day. Ryuuji was at a complete loss and had no idea how to respond to this situation.
But he didn't have any time to think about it. He was snapped back to reality by a sudden sensation of warmth on his neck. The sensation of teardrops on his skin.
"I-I'm so scared…not ready…to die…" Taiga quietly sniffled.
Ryuuji grit his teeth and continued to push forward. "I won't let that happen. We're almost there. You're not dying on me."
A gust of wind stronger than any other he had experienced tonight threatened to blow him off his feet, but he held his ground and continued to walk. He could see the vague outline of the resort in the distance.
After about a minute passed, the girl on his back was no longer speaking, and her breathing seemed to slow even further than before. Her grasp on his shoulder loosened to the point that she was just barely holding on. Taiga had lost consciousness again.
"TAIGA!"
With little warning, the small girl completely lost her grip and began to fall backwards from Ryuuji's shoulders. He pivoted as fast as he could to catch her but was just a bit too late. Taiga landed on her back in the deep snow behind him.
Biting back a curse, Ryuuji bent down and picked her back up. He breathed a sigh of relief once he realized the snow had cushioned her fall and prevented her from being injured further.
He wiped the powdery snow from her cold, clammy skin. She was still breathing but looked even worse off than when he had first found her by the bloodstained rock. The resort was within sight, so Ryuuji pocketed his flashlight and began to carry Taiga bridal-style.
Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity of walking, Ryuuji finally reached the door to the resort. Shifting the light weight of Taiga's small frame to one of his arms, he used the other arm to turn the knob and open the door.
Against the odds, he had made it. He had successfully retrieved the wounded tiger from the fierce snowstorm and returned her to safety.
Now, all he could do was pray that he hadn't been too late.
A/N: I've been lurking this site for years and never really had motivation to write, but a recent rewatch of Toradora sparked this idea that I couldn't get out of my head. So, here we are - my first attempt at writing a fanfic.
With my current storyboard, this fic is looking to be about four or five chapters of a similar length to this one, but that may be subject to change.
As I'm a novice at this stuff, any and all feedback is appreciated. Thank you for reading.