Summary: Tohru receives tickets for the luxury cruise upon the Poseidon for her birthday, along with 9 other people from the Sohma family. Midway through the cruise, the ship is fatally struck by a rogue wave, and is capsized. Now Tohru must find out where everyone else is and escape the bowels of the ship before it slips under the ocean's waves. But not everyone can survive fate. . .
Poseidon
Chapter Eighteen
Floating
Tohru looked on, as the bubbles slowly stopped, and the ocean became calm once more. Tohru breathed heavily, shaking, tears in her eyes, as she looked on helplessly to the empty miles of ocean around her.
"Wh-Why aren't they surfacing?" she said, sniffling, as tears poured down her cheeks "it shouldn't take them that long to resurface."
Kyo said nothing, as Tohru still continued to stare out. After five minutes, it became evident to Tohru what had happened. Aya, Haru, Yuki and Ren had not made it out. Tohru broke down into more tears. They had been so close, so close to freedom. It was staring them right in the face.
"No.." she sobbed "NO!!" and she hit her fists against the raft's edge "YUKI! AYA! HARU! REN!" she screamed, sobbing wildly.
That was it. Of all the 3000-odd passengers and crew on the Poseidon, only she and Kyo seemed to have survived the tragedy. The two of them, out of 3000. It seemed highly unfair. She scanned the surrounding ocean in an attempt to see any form of life, or of rescue. The sea was as desolate and deserted as ever. She turned to look at Kyo.
She gasped at the sight. There was Kyo, lying there, motionless. A piece of jagged metal sticking out from his abdomen. Tohru shook with shock, barely breathing as she stumbled over to Kyo.
"K-Kyo!" she shouted, slipping over to him "Kyo! No! Talk to me, please!" she cried, beginning to slap his face.
'This isn't happening,' she thought to her self 'this is just a dream, it's not real'Kyo slowly stirred, opening his eyes slowly, as he gasped for breath. He adjusted himself slightly, turning his head slowly to look at Tohru. He smiled bleakly at her, as tears continued to gracefully fall from her eyes.
"Tohru..." he muttered, barely more than a whisper "My sweet Tohru. How long has it been since you last held me?"
Tohru still sat there, Kyo in her arms. She said nothing, as Kyo carried on talking.
"Tohru, I love you. I love you so much, sometimes, I don't know how I functioned without you."
"K-Kyo, n-no," she said, gasping for breath as she spoke "t-this is n-not how i-it e-ends. N-not like t-this."
"Tohru," Kyo replied "it doesn't matter, I want to tell you that I love you, more than I can stand. I will miss you, Tohru Honda, always. I never really regretted much in life, but there is one thing. Wanna know what it is?"
"W-What?"
"We never got to make love properly on that God-forsaking ship!"
"K-Kyo!" said Tohru, a slight smile across her face.
"There we go," replied Kyo, holding up his hand to her face "that's the girl I remember. I do regret one thing though. We never did get properly engaged, nor even married. I wanted us to grow old together, Tohru. I wanted to watch our children grow. It seems it won't happen. Take good care of yourself... Tohru.." and with his last ounce of strength, Kyo reached up, and kissed Tohru on the lips, and fell back, his last breath drawn. Tohru stared at him in disbelief, this couldn't be happening.
"K-Kyo?" Tohru muttered "K-Kyo? Please wake up, please! I love you!"
She cradled Kyo in her arms, as she broke down again. Tears streaming down her face once more. This was it. Tohru was the only survivor of the horrific goings-on on the Poseidon. She stayed there for about an hour or two, just holding Kyo in her arms, for it would be the last time she ever did.
During that time, she spoke to him, knowing he could never reply, Tohru told him all the things she was going to do, once she was rescued. She spoke of suing the company, and telling her story to the press, and getting a huge memorial out for the deceased passengers and crew. She was also going to mention how she would say how a group of about ten people helped her survive this horrible ordeal, and the biggest thank you would be to Kyo, who had taken charge in a situation that many could not have faced alone.
The sun had finally begun to rise over the water's edge, and a pink horizon shone over Tohru and her deceased beloved. Who knew that little more than twelve hours ago, they were toasting to a new adventure on their world cruise. It seemed like such a senseless waste of human life, how many hadn't even survived the capsizing of the ship, and how many had died along their way to finding an escape out of the bowels of the ship. It seemed pointless to call for any kind of help.
After the time passed, Tohru thought it decent to give Kyo a burial at sea, although he had always detested it, she thought it's be nice for him to lie at rest with the rest of his family. She lifted him gently to the side of the raft, blood smeared all over her battle-worn dress, and the side of the raft. She nudged him gently into the sea, as he splashed, slowly sinking beneath the depths.
"Our Father, who art in Heaven," began Tohru "please watch over the spirits of the fallen people of the Poseidon. Take good care them, Lord, and give them life-long riches now that they have joined you in Heaven. Amen." and she gave the sign for the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, as she once more sniffled, and scanned the horizon for any form of life. Now that the sun was beginning to rise, surely she'd be able to see further? She couldn't see anything at all, as the wind began to pick up, and the sea became slightly choppy.
Tears filled her eyes once more, as she wiped them away with her arm. She moved about on the raft, and found an emergency supply box, containing a flare gun, some water and food.
She pulled out a blanket from the box, and wrapped herself in it, shuddering slightly, her teeth slightly chattering. It was then it caught her eye, and her interest.
She slowly got the flare gun out, and saw it was loaded with one bullet, and three spare. She looked at it meaningfully, closing her eyes, sobbing, as she raised it to her temple. And shot it, a loud, banging echo roaring around the calm ocean.
(A/N: Okay, final two chapters are coming up now, don't be angry, they're being uploaded VERY quickly tonight. Enjoy the quick wait for the penultimate chapter!)