It was a clear sky, beautiful even. The food king of Area 7 had been captured, and things were beginning to look good for Human World. It was nowhere near the Gourmet Age again, but this was the step in the right direction. The tall green haired girl found herself on her way out of this world and into the next. It was absolutely her job to feed Human World, and that's exactly what she was gonna do. It wasn't just her that was going, she was alongside some of the greatest chefs in Human World.
She sat beside Rin and smiled, "So we're headed for Bewitching Food World yes?" The woman nodded, "Yes. Hopefully from there we can find out where Toriko and the others are." Vanilla looked down at her wedding ring, "I can't wait to see Clair again. It seem like we just said goodbye to her, but really it was long while ago." Rin watched as the ring reflected in the sunlight, "She's with the guys so she'll be fine. Trust me." Vanilla grabbed her cane and stood up. She looked back at Rin as she chuckled, "I have faith she will survive the Gourmet World. The only thing that makes me sad is that she doesn't trust my strength. Even after becoming dependent on a cane, I've never been a pushover. The only thing that can cripple me is self pity." Rin put a hand on her shoulder, "Prove her wrong."
As the woman began to make her way to her sleeping area, she looked up and saw the face of her husband. "Hey, I was just going to get some rest." The man looked into her green eyes, "Stop worrying about Eclair. She'll be alright." Vanilla smirked, "Am I that obvious?" "That's all you've thought about since she left." She shook her head, "I'm sorry Tylan. I haven't been the best wife~" "That's not what I meant." He kissed the girl's forehead, "Just get your rest. We'll see her soon." The girl began to make her way back even further. Limping with each step, she didn't want any help getting there, and Tylan knew it. He'd still watch her walk away to make sure she was okay. The girl looked back at her wedding ring for a sense of comfort, but that's not what it brought at all. She lost her footing and fell to the ground. Tylan yelled out, "Vanilla!" She put her hands over her face, "I have a bad feeling about Eclair. It's almost like a chill came up my spine. It feels like she's dead."
Tylan ran to the girl's side and helped her to her feet. "You worry too much. Your sister is going to be fine. Have a little faith in her." The green haired woman rested her weak body in the arms of her husband. Her eyes stared intensely into his, "No Tylan, I know when something has happened to Eclair. This isn't my paranoia. Something has happened. Trust me when I say I can feel it. ~To be honest, I hope it is just paranoia, but we'll see once we make it into the Gourmet World." She picked up her cane and began to walk away again. Her heart felt so heavy. She'd put on a brave front as she walked away. She wanted her husband to believe that she believed Eclair was still alive. Deep down though...she knew the truth. The only question was whether she died and came back, or if she was gone forever. Either way, she needed to sleep off these feelings, and that's what she was going to do.
The woman fell asleep in Human World and woke up in the next. Vanilla was woken up by the gentle touch of her husband. She stretched her arms out and smiled, "Well hello there handsome." The tall woman scooted her legs off the side of the bed and sighed, "Let's try this again shall we?" Standing up, she forced her full body weight onto her legs and was reminded of the danger that is gravity. Her legs buckled, and the only thing that saved her was the grasp of Tylan. The green haired woman laughed nervously, "Everyday I wake up thinking something will be different...and it never is." Tylan sat the woman back on her bed, "Maybe you should stop using that cane and get back in the wheelchair. I know you don't want to be restricted, but you said you'd only use the cane so long as Eclair was around~ so she wouldn't worry. It doesn't make you a weaker person, you do know that?"
The woman smiled softly, "Tylan, I'm fine. I'll never make it in the Gourmet World if I don't know my own strength." She looked over her shoulder and peered out the window. "Speaking of which~ Are we here already?" She grabbed her cane and walked over to the window. "So this is what all the fuss was about huh? I've gotta see this in person." The tall woman walked out of her room and was met with an excited Rin.
"You're up! We're making some good headway! At this rate we'll catch up with Toriko and Eclair in no time!" All Vanilla wanted was that feeling from yesterday to go away. It felt like Eclair was dead, and it still did. Her best bet was to put on a brave front and act as if everything was okay. "Good, I'd love to see them all again. ~Now then, where's my front row seat to the Gourmet World? Shall we?" Rin nodded, "Alright." The shorter girl knew it was dangerous, but just saying that might make her want to go up even more so she could prove she was tough enough. Eclair and Vanilla were definitely from the same family. Both of them had very stubborn wills.
She'd not completely leave the camping monster, but just take a peek at this new world. It was as glorious as she'd imagined. It was as if time stopped. Her mind just paused and she poked her head out even further. Her arms extended and she began to climb atop the camping monster. She'd get about 2 feet out before feeling her body get yanked back inside. "GET DOWN!" Rin pulled the woman safely back inside. As she did, the whole camping beast shifted and went underwater.
Vanilla looked at her, "What was that for?" The black haired girl grabbed her hand and walked her to a window, "That's why. ~Steel Clouds, and one was headed right for you! ~Crap! What do we do now!?" Vanilla closed her eyes, "Can't you feel it? The others have been here. I can feel Clair's very essence still wading in this place. I'm heading to the controls. I'll get us through this." Rin frowned, "You sure you know what you're doing?" Vanilla smirked, "Are you trying to tell me that I don't feel my sister's energy? It's the bond of two sisters. It's the thing that is still leading you to Toriko. It's love~ Am I right?"
The tall woman gave a long extended sigh, "You don't have to say anything. I know how you feel. I see the way you look at him and the way your eyes light up when you talk about him. It puts me in an impossible situation. There's my sister, and my best friend who carried me through the hardest time in my life. ~You can feel his presence; I know you can." The woman began to head toward the control room of the camping monster. "You can't tell me I don't feel my sister when you feel Toriko. Now you can help me navigate or not, but I'm getting us out of this."
Finally she made her way to the control room of the camping monster. It was surprisingly quiet. The other chef's weren't in a panic at all. They knew that Vanilla had this. Rin stood behind the woman as she started making her way through the labyrinth. She was still thinking about Vanilla's words. Of course she didn't just turn off her feelings for Toriko. It was something that still needed to heal.
Vanilla paused as she came up on another fork in the road. Tylan entered the room, and the green haired woman stood up. Without a word, she walked over to her husband and gave the man a long passionate kiss. He gave a questioning look, and the woman smiled. "I feel something bad getting ready to happen. It's like the very fabric of the Earth is ripping apart." She looked into the man's eyes, "If anything should happen while we are in this foreign land, I want you to know that the time I've spent being both your friend and wife have been nothing short of extraordinary. ~And there is no one else in this world that I'd rather face Gourmet World with."
Vanilla took her seat once again at the controls. There was something about the woman's resolve that exuded so much confidence. ~But at the same time, she was fearful. She was no fortune teller by any means, but her intuition was telling her that something big was going to happen in the very near future.
Finally after hours of being in the labyrinth, the group emerged not to far from the Bewitching Food World. Vanilla took a breather and stepped away from the controls, "Let's inform the others that we're here. We can walk the rest of the way. Let's find out where my sister and the others are!"
The best of the Human World chefs were walking into the Bewitching Food World, and there was no time for vacationing. As fast as the green haired girl could walk, she made her way in the town. She had no where to start, so she just yelled out, "Excuse me! Does anyone know where Bishokuya Toriko, Chef Eclair and the others are!? Anyone!?" She'd point at a man, "You Yokai-san! Do you know where the human group that passed through here went?" The man frowned ferociously, "What!? I ain't no Yokai! I'm Zongeh-sama! Strongest Bishokuya there is! Don't you forget it missy!"
The green haired girl rolled her eyes, "Does anyone kno~" "They left some time ago." Vanilla's words were cut off by the Daruma Hermit himself. The man continued, "You are~ her sister?" She nodded, "Give it to me bluntly. ~What is her condition?" The girl asked, but deep down she didn't really want to know. The man looked her in the eyes, "The Saisaya Teppei completely destroyed her heart. She doesn't have much time, and she's holding on by a thread. Toriko and the others can save her with Pair, but saying their time is of the essence is truly an understatement."
The others gasped and chatter began to circulate. Vanilla knew she felt her sister die, and although this was terrible news, she knew that Toriko would save her. The woman smiled back at the crowd, "Let's go get Pair with the others!" Rin put a hand on her shoulder, "You gonna be okay?" Vanilla nodded, "Do you really think Toriko would let her die that easily? She may be hanging on by a thread, but she's still alive!" Damala Sky shook his head, "Dammit! Why would Teppei do something like that?" Chiru turned to the man, "Hmph, I suppose he joined the ranks of NEO."
Daruma Hermit looked into the sky, "That rainbow Toriko and the others crossed has long disappeared. The skies are clear, but there's no means of travel there. The only way to Area 7 is by sea, there's no other bridge." Nono looked to the others, "I can~ I can make land!" Rin nodded, "That's right! With your ability to form ice we can cross!" Chef Yuda nodded, "Yes, then we can get out of here without a millimeter of disarray!"
Hello! I just want to apologize to my readers for taking so long to post. I won't go into detail, but a lot of things have kept me extremely busy. I'll be back to posting more frequently now! Thank you so much for your patience! -Rex