Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, than you should not read this.
Chapter 260
Tsukune had a plan when he set out. It was not much of a plan, but it was better than nothing. The first thing he did was get out of site of everybody else. He wanted to be able to use his talents without worrying about witnesses. Once out of sight, he settled himself into a steady jog. He had a rough idea where he had to go, and would check the map regularly to help guide him to his intended destination. Once there he would radio back to the camp and let them know what he discovered, and decide the next step from there.
By the most direct trail, the shelter where Inari and her team had been last know to be at, was a two hour ride by horse. Tsukune reached the first obstruction of the trail in twenty minutes. He paused then to unshoulder his pack. He stripped his jacket and shirts off and shoved them into the pack as well. Holding the pack in his arms, Tsukune took a three step running start and jumped. He extended his wings to help him make the distance and keep steady as he landed, then banished them again. He slung the pack onto his back again without redressing and continued on his way.
With his talents Tsukune was able to clear every obstruction of the trail. He actually had to fly for a few minutes where the trail had been covered by the swollen river it normally followed. Tsukune was making fantastic time, as counted by the instructors who were watching his tracking signal move, but he didn't feel the same way. Tsukune was chafing because he was intentionally holding himself back. He knew about the tracking device and hated that he needed to carry such a thing, but he had to make some effort to appear normal, and any normal person would be crazy to go out without one in those conditions.
As it was he reached the shelter in just over an hour. He paused when he was close to redress himself. He was glad that he had left his torso bare for the trip because it had helped him keep cool. As it was he was steaming in the cold, wet air from the effort of his travel. Once he was composed, he jogged up to the site where the shelter was supposed to be.
"Inari!" Tsukune shouted when he saw what had become of the shelter.
Only one wall was still partially upright, and it was bent and leaning over. Nearly the rest of the shelter was crushed under a pile of branches. From one side of the ruined shelter there was a scattering of rocks and ruined packs, which explained the likely reason for the failure of their tracking device.
"Inari!" Tsukune called out again as he got closer.
"Tsukune?" Inari's voice called out from under the mess. "Tsukune~e!"
Other voices started shouting out as well.
Tsukune hurried to the sight to take stock of the situation. Fortunately, everybody was still alive. The bad news was that everybody was trapped, and some were injured. Tsukune dropped his pack and started to think of what he should do next.
He realized right away he had to be careful. If he rushed things he could make any injuries worse. To start with he needed to know what was where, so he walked around the remains of the shelter to see what he had to deal with. That was when he saw that the pile of branches were still mostly attached to the rest of the tree.
"Everybody," Tsukune called into the shelter. "This is going to take a few minutes. Please hold on patiently."
"We'll be alright," Inari called back. "Just do what you have to do."
Other voices agreed with Inari. Unfortunately, out of a group of six people, only inari and four others had said anything since Tsukune had arrived. The others assured him that the sixth person was alive, but they did not know how badly he was injured.
Tsukune evaluated the situation and decided on a course of action. The first thing he needed to do was lighten the mass that was trapping everyone. He summoned Tetsu Odari to help him with the task. Swinging his iron staff, Tsukune sheared off branches from the pile. With the branches out of reach he used Tetsu Odari as a whip. He then pulled them free and tossed them aside. Once he had the top parts of the pile cleared away, he slowed down so he could use more precision on the bottom branches.
When Tsukune had stripped the branches from the trunk he was able to get it off of the shelter's crumpled roof. He did not want to try to move the whole trunk, but smashing through it was not a safe choice ether. From the pack he pulled a folding saw and set to work. Between his strength and the saw's sharp blade the trunk was quickly reduced to a collection of logs. He tossed the logs aside and finished clearing away the branches.
With the debris cleared away, Tsukun was able to see clearly what shape the shelter was in. Most of the force had been delivered to one side, but it had been enough to make it collapse. With the rest of the mess out of the way, Tsukune turned his attention on getting the shelter off of the people underneath it. He decided to do it the simple way. He grabbed the front edge of the shelter's roof and lifted with a grunt.
The remains of the shelter creaked groaned in protest of the rough handling. Tsukune Lifted the weight of the ruined shelter to his waist. He then shifted his grip, and with a growl, lifted and pushed the shelter up. He was rewarded with a view of the six people within.
Three members of the team were reasonably unhurt. They climbed to their feet slowly, stiff after being trapped in place for so long. Unfortunately Inari was not one of the fortunate trio. Tsukune could see the blood from where she had been injured along her side. Looking at the remains of the roof he was holding up he could see were the edges of the metal and a broken beam had come down on her. The second person that was injured was a young woman with her shoulder out of place and her arm cradled against her body, clearly broken by the way it was bent in the wrong place. The last student was laying on his side. His hair was matted with blood, but he was breathing. Even as Tsukune watched, he saw the man move a little and groan softly.
With a heave Tsukune sent the remains of the shelter tumbling away from the injured people. The four conscious humans were surprised by the display of strength, but he didn't worry about it. He went straight to Inari.
"Inari," Tsukune said in a worried voice as he knelt beside her. "Let me see how bad it is."
"It's not bad," Inari protested and tried to sit up.
"Let me see," Tsukune insisted firmly.
Inari gave Tsukune a dirty look even as she nodded in agreement. She was glad to have him paying attention to her, to be worried about her, but he had picked a horrible time for it. She felt bad because she had needed to be rescued, which by itself was embarrassing. On top of that she had been trapped in place so long she had been forced to wet herself. Her hair was a mess, she didn't have any makeup on, and her clothes were soiled. Inari wished that Tsukune would pay attention to her when she had the time to look nice for him first.
Tsukune was relieved to see that the injuries Inari had suffered were not dangerous. The broken beam and sheet metal had scraped her up pretty badly, giving her some nasty cuts. For a human they would have meant a trip to the hospital for stitches in her side and some antibiotics. For Inari, if she didn't get any infections, the most she would be left to worry about was a new collection of thin, white scars.
The next order of business was tending to the wounded. For appearances sake as much as to avoid infections, Tsukune helped Inari clean and dress her injuries. Between the first-aid kit and the now abundant scraps of wood, a splint and sling was applied to the wounded girl's arm. A swath was put around her to immobilize the shoulder as much as possible as well. Finally a litter was constructed for the unconscious teammate. He was loaded onto it carefully and tied into place for safety.
Tsukune then radioed back to the instructors. It was time to let them know what the situation was, and to make a decision. The instructors reported that not only was early summer storm still too strong to send in a helicopter, but another front was expected to come through the area.
"I understand," Tsukune said into the radio. "There is no shelter here anymore, so we will take the wounded up to the fire-watch station."
"Check-in when you get there," The senior instructor radioed back. "And in the morning if nothing goes wrong."
"I understand," Tsukune replied. He packed up the radio and shared the plan with the others.
The trek to the fire-watch cabin was a hard one. It was all up hill and the trail was in poor condition. Tsukune took turns helping with the litter, but mostly he carried the heavy pack, including what had been salvaged from the others belongings, and lead the way. Inari helped her teammate with the broken arm. The last three took turns with the litter or carrying Tsukune's pack. Five kilometers in two hours would not be hard under normal conditions, but with the injured, the weather, and having to hike up hill, it had been all the humans could do to make it. At the end, Inari was almost carrying her teammate.
"Yes..." One of the men said in relief when the cabin came into sight.
"Finally," Another almost cheered.
Tsukune was also glad to find the cabin. He hurried to it to make sure it was still whole enough to offer them shelter safely. That was when he found a problem he had not anticipated. The cabin was locked up tight. Shudders had been closed over the windows, and like the door, were locked with hasps and paddle-locks. While the locks meant that the inside was likely undamaged, it also meant that there was a problem that had to be dealt with. Fortunately a firm tap from Testu Odari was all Tsukune needed to unlock the door. The paddle-lock on the other hand would never be useable again.
The fire-watch station had been closed up and left unattended for years, but it was still reasonably sound. A quick search of the cabin turned up the few useful items that had been left behind when it was closed up. The list was limited to the built-in wood burning stove, two chairs, a table, two pots, a frying pan, and three buckets. They found an old broom and a rotted mop in a corner. The wood-box was mostly just a nest for spiders, but there was a little firewood left.
"Alright, here is what we are going to do," Tsukune took charge.
He started giving directions because the daylight was almost gone and they had a lot to get ready for the night. Those that were able set to work right away. Within an hour they had a fire started and were heating collected rainwater. One of the buckets was catching water that was dripping from a leak in the roof. The water that had already gathered on the floor had been swished out the door with the broom. The mop had been given to the fire, because nobody wanted to know what it would smell like once it got wet.
Inari took charge of the food Tsukune had brought in his pack. Cooking was going to be done on the wood stove, so she warned everybody that the food might get a little overcooked. When it was served up in tin plates and cups from their gear, some of them dented up, nobody complained.
The old cabin was a godsend for Tsukune, and even more so for the others. It provided shelter and a chance to get warm and dry. After heating up buckets of rain water, everybody did their best to clean up. The unconscious companion was undressed carefully so he could be cleaned up and checked for any injuries aside from the cut to his head. Fortunately, none were found. When his clothes were dry, or close to it he was redressed. Everybody was grateful for a warm and dry place to spend the night.
XxxxxxxX
The morning brought mixed news. When Tsukune radioed in, the instructors gave him the latest weather forecasts. There was a break in the weather expected and a helicopter was already preparing to come get them. The question was if there would be time to get them all before the next front moved in. Tsukune shared the news with the others and assured them that the injured would get the highest priority.
While Inari made breakfast, Tsukune went outside and set to work. He took the folding saw and a camp ax with him to clear brush. There was a clear area around the cabin so it would have good visibility, because it was there to watch for fires after all, but over the years that it had been empty nature had started to reclaim the area. Tsukune wanted to make sure that there was enough room for a helicopter to land safely, so he started cutting down everything that looked like it would be a problem.
It was hours of hard work. He took a break for breakfast, but then it was back out in the rain to keep cutting. The unwounded came out to help with the work, breaking down the smaller growth and piling up the brush and branches out of the way. Inair, at his direction, stayed inside with the wounded in case they needed anything. The wind and rain slacked off as the morning wore on, but it was still cold. The work, thankfully, was a good way to stay warm while waiting for help.
It was almost noon when the helicopter arrived. Because it was operating in a mountain and canyon area it was not very big. It also came with medical crew on board. It managed to take the man on the litter, but that was all it could handle safely. An hour later the helicopter returned as the sky was growing dark with the next storm. This time it was just the pilot and copilot, and a large duffel of supplies. Tsukune had been in contact with the base so he knew what was going on, and what the supplies were for. The helicopter was only going to take four people back to safety, and then the weather was going to be too much for it to make the trip again.
The news that two people were going to be left behind for another night touched off an argument. There was no argument about the woman with the broken arm being one of the four to leave. Tsukune had not spent a night trapped in a collapsed shelter, so it was logical that he was in the best shape to remain behind for another night. The argument was about who the other three passengers were going to be. Naturally Inari wanted to stay with Tsukune, because there was no doubt that he would not leave anybody behind. The three healthy humans all offered to stay, with or without Tsukune. Finally Tsukune just solved the problem by issuing orders.
Inari was unhappy about it, but Tsukune ordered her to go. She had been injured, and they all knew it. She had to go, if only to keep up the illusion that she was a normal human woman, to make sure her injury wasn't too serious. It was decided that the one to remain with Tsukune was the one who had suffered the least in the collapse of the shelter. All choices made based on sound, normal logic. Inari would have argued harder, except that the training course was a part of their police duties, meaning that, in a way, they were on duty.
XxxxxxxX
Inari was glad when the training was all over and she would be able to go home. Tsukune was able to return to camp the next morning without incident. He was even given a little extra recognition for his ability to use his recent training to help the other course students. Inari was glad that the whole things was over. She put the helicopter flight and being trapped in a collapsed shelter together in the category of things she never wanted to go through again. While she was very happy that Tsukune had come for her, she swore to herself that she was never going to be caught without at least a small makeup kit ever again.
There was one advantage of getting back to the training camp a head of Tsukune. Inari had the chance to take a shower, sleep on a supportive cot, and enjoy a cozy sleeping bag for the first time in days. The next morning she was much more clean and rested than Tsukune, so her confidence was improved by the time he returned to the camp. When he returned she was able to welcome with a warm smile and a hug, and nobody said anything about it. Then again most of her teammates wanted to hug him as well, including the men. Tsukune had saved their lives after all. In the time they had been waiting for him, they had all had the chance to learn how bad the situation in the area had become.
When Tsukune and the last member of Inari's team returned to the camp everybody felt a sense of relief. After giving the two men a chance to clean up, warm up, and eat, the instructors closed out the training session with a small graduation ceremony. After that, everybody who had not been sent on ahead to a hospital, was turned loose to head home.
XxxxX
"Hey, Aono-san," One of Tsukune's teammates called out while he and Inari were loading their things into the minivan. "Wait a moment."
"What is it?" Tsukune asked. He closed the side door and turned to face the man that had called out.
"The instructors gave me directions to the nearest restaurant," The man said as he came close and held out a piece of paper. "A bunch of us are going to meet up there for a party. We'd like it if you two could make it."
"I think you will see us there," Tsukune said as he reached to accept the directions. He turned his head to Inari. "That is, if you want to go..."
"Yes," Inari answered quickly. She remembered her past times hanging out with Tsukune when off duty and was eager to do so again.
"Great," The man said with a smile. "I'll let the others know." He turned back to where some of the others were loading bags into a van. "See ya." He trotted off.
"Thank you," Inari said in a low voice.
"For what?" Tsukune asked.
"For asking me to go with you," Inari answered with a smile.
"Well I am glad you wanted to," Tsukune replied. "I realized I was becoming antisocial with all of my responsibilities. I need take the time to get to know my class mates and coworkers while I have the chance. Not only will it help us work better together, but they can be important connections later in life."
"You're so practical, Captain," Inari observed with a small frown.
"Besides," Tsukune added as he headed for the driver's door of the minivan. "It's nice to just have fun once in a while."
XxxxX
The nearest restaurant was in the closest town, naturally enough. It was also attached to a small western style hotel, which was convenient for guests wanting something to eat, or for people that drank too much and needed a place to sleep it off. While there were some business and vacation travelers there that afternoon, the group from the training camp made up most of the business.
The group was gathered together to celebrate. They were celebrating the end of their training. There were celebrating Tsukune's heroism. They were celebrating that the hospital had sent word that the injured were going to be alright. The group celebrating just being alive and able to enjoy life. After camp food and trail rations, everybody was eating their fill with hot, fresh food made to order. Drinks were ordered, toasts were made, and a good time was had by all.
The party lasted for three hours. Some left early, a few were going to hang out longer, but Tsukune had enjoyed enough group activity time. He let the others know that he was glad to have met them, and hoped to see them all at some future date, then he and Inari said their goodbyes and departed. Some time later the last ones to head out of the restaurant to make their trips home noticed that Tsukune's minivan was still in the hotel parking lot.