When the boat began to rock, Yukine remained on deck. Back in the fields of Ayabukuro, it was rare to get a balance training exercise as challenging as rough seas. People staggered back to their into their cabins while the kitsune giggled, dancing around them and maintaining her footing. Then the water began splashing over the sides of the boat. Her kimono became soggy and heavy, her mouth filled with salt, and her hair became dripping wet. The boat tilted, and Yukine shifted her weight to maintain her balance, but her foot slipped on the wet floor. She stumbled but caught herself by grabbing onto a rope. However, the sea proved to be quite a match for her footwork. The ocean swelled, the boat lurched, and Yukine was nearly thrown overboard. "Oh man, this is getting a little dangerous," Yukine muttered as she hung over the side of the ship, staring at the ever growing waves. Yukine decided to yield to nature and seek some safety indoors, but the next rock sent her flying back into a wall. Her ears rang from the impact, but her eyes widened when she saw the wall of water towering over the boat. She put up her guard as if a tough opponent was charging at her, but it was an exercise in futility. The water came crashing down on her, pinning her to the wall and knocking the wind out of her. When she opened her eyes, she was on the floor, getting washed to the back of the boat. If she had the energy to, she would have cried out in fear when she saw an even bigger wave looming over her... [center]* * *[/center] "HEY! WAKE UP! IT'S MORNING!" Yukine's soggy ears twitched at the oni's call. His voice distant, like an echo, but the sense of urgency in it sparked Yukine's consciousness. Slowly, her senses returned. She was laying down on a rough, but soft, surface. Sand? She curled one of her hands and felt the coarse grains running through it. Definitely sand. She could hear waves crashing nearby, and cold water occasionally rushed past her feet. Was she on a beach? She opened her eyes and tried to push herself off the ground, but that's when the pain kicked in. Her entire body ached as if she had just lost and intense duel. She wanted to just lay there, face first in the sand, until it passed, but then she began to remember what happened. Yukine rolled onto her back, spat out some sand, took a few deep breaths, and forced herself to sit up. It took a minute for her vision to clear, but when it did she looked over to the source of the voice that had called to her. "Masaru?" Her voice was weak and hoarse, and she would be surprised if the oni could hear her. Then she looked across the beach, and saw several other people lying on the beach. She pursed her lips, fearing the worst, but if she had survived... Yukine rubbed her head and tried to shake away the grogginess. Now wasn't the time to be weak. Although her body ached, she forced herself to stand and walked over to her ship mates. She cleared her throat so that her voice would at least be audible once she got closer. "Hey, is everyone alright?"