Alright, this is where the story becomes more of an adventure. Also, I'm really enjoying writing these "OHSHI-" moments (you'll see what I mean.) R&R, my friends.

Chapter 4: No Solace In The Maelstrom

"How long have we been swimming?" Tomo asked, sounding like she was about to hack up a lung.

"About 6 minutes." Kagura responded.

"This is the worst day ever..." Tomo whined.

"But Tomo! Think about the immortality!" Osaka encouraged, "Think of all the bread we can consume in our endless lives... Heaven." Osaka smiled, and began to sink. However, she snapped out of her trances once her lungs began to fill with water.

"Kagura, carry me!" Tomo said, latching on to the swimmer's back.

"Gah, Tomo!" Kagura struggled. She knocked Tomo off her back. "You know, you're the reason we're stranded in the middle of the ocean!"

"I am not!" Tomo objected, "It's the white whale's fault! The pirate's too!"

"Tomo, I've had it with you! You're the captain, find away to get us out of this mess!" Kagura yelled, splashing water at Tomo.

"Hey! I will! Just give me time!"

"We don't have time! We can't swim forever!"

"Would you stop being such a pessimist? I'm Tomo Takino, I will think of something!"

"Is that supposed to give me hope?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

So much stupidity. Kagura had it. Sure, she wasn't the pinnacle of intelligence, but Tomo's consistent stupidity and lack of common sense had driven her to her boiling point, "I'm going to kill you!" Kagura launched herself towards Tomo and held her head underwater. "I'm not letting go until the bubbles stop!" Kagura yelled, struggling to avoid Tomo's flailing limbs.

Osaka looked to the horizon, "Hey guys..."

Tomo freed herself and pushed Kagura underwater, "Damn it, Kagura! Fountain - Of - Youth!"

"Guys..."

"This is mutiny! What happened to Bonkuras unite?"

"Guys!"

Tomo stopped yelling and looked towards Osaka, "Yeah?" She asked, still drowning Kagura.

"Shore!"

Tomo let go of Kagura, who came up and gasped for air. "You're gonna pay for-!" Kagura cut herself off when she noticed the other two staring in the opposite direction. She turned to look, "Shore?" Tomo laughed, "I told you I'd save us!" Kagura laughed, "Saved us? Like hell!"

And like that, the Bonkuras were friends once more.

"Say..." Osaka began, "What does it mean when the ocean recedes from the shore?" Osaka was right. The shore was a few miles away, and the water had receded about a mile. Unfortunately, none of the three girls had the science knoweledge to know what this was foreshadowing.

The sky began to darken rapidly. "It looks like night's coming. We should get to shore." Kagura said. The other two agreed, and they all began to swim. The air was heavy, and the ocean became calm. All was silent...

Until the thunder cracked.

Rain poured from the firmament. The sky torn asunder. The wind picked up as the storm progressed. The calm water was soon thrashing more violently than ever. Osaka was knocked underwater by a large wave. Kagura and Tomo quickly pulled her back to the surface.

"Damn it, we have to hurry!" Tomo yelled. The waves crashed down onto the three girls and knocked them under. As the three resurfaced, they made sure to stick together and keep their fellow comrades afloat.

The three looked away from the shore and saw a monster of a wave approaching them.

Tomo trembled, "I'm really sorry you two... This is my fault... This was just a stupid idea... I swear to you, we'll get through this together! Bonkuras forever!"

Kagura, though slightly softened by Tomo encouraging words, felt hopeless, "Tomo, if you survive this, and I don't I swear that I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your life - immortal or not."

Osaka's eyes grew wide as the wave came crashing down, "AHMAHGAWD!"

Darkness.

Osaka was in a warm room. She instantly knew that it was a dream, so she summoned a being who only existed in her dreams.

Chiyo Chichi, Osaka's image of Chiyo's father, entered the room. "Hello, everyone!"

"Mr. Kitty, I have a question... Does the fountain of youth really exist?"

"I cannot answer that."

"Why not?"

"In every adventure, it's the journey that matters. Not how it ends."

The cat-like creature left the room...

... Tomo found herself wandering Oblivion.

"Fountain... Immortallity... Damn..."

She fell to the ground, hopeless. She'd driven herself and her friends to the brink of death in search of a fairy tale...

... Kagura, in her own personal heaven, beat a Tomo doll.

"Time to wake up."

"Huh?"

Kagura looked around. Hot sand, palm trees, large rocks.

"An island!" She ran her hands through the sand. "It's real! Oh thank God!" She realized she was on a lumpy mount of sand, "What the...?" She stood up and observed the sand pile. Before she could process what it was, it began to move. As the sand shifted, she noticed it was Osaka.

"Gah! What in the heck?" Osaka yelled, coughing up sand. She wiped sand out of her eyes and made her way to her feet. "Kagura? We're alive?"

"I'm as surprised as you are..."

"Where's Tomo?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. She's just going to get us killed."

"Kagura..."

"Come on, Osaka. We're going to go find food." She turned towards the shrouded, jungle-esque area and started walking away from the beach. Osaka followed, but tripped after a few steps. "Huh?" She looked back and saw Tomo. Tears soon flooded her eyes.

"No! Tomo! How did you get to be so dead?" She collapsed over the body and let out loud sobs. Kagura approached the lamenting girl and observed Tomo, "She's still breathing. Leave her. We have to find food, and I promise that I won't get you killed."

Kagura began walking again, and Osaka had no choice but to follow.

Meanwhile, back in Tokyo...

Chiyo, Yomi, and Sakaki were gathered around Chiyo's table, working on summer homework.

"This year's work is a lot tougher..." Chiyo said, "Hmm... Hey, wait, where are Tomo, Osaka-san, and Kagura-san?" The other two shrugged.

"Probably on another one of Tomo's adventures. I wouldn't worry." Yomi said.

A/N: Longest chapter yet! Poor Bonkuras! It'd be cool if you dropped me a review.