AN: Don't own Bleach. This was in my collection "Scenes from my Dreams" which I have taken down. I've decided to rework "Survival" as a Halloween fic :P

The Cave

By: Abarai Starsha

"We shouldn't be in here, Hinamori-san." Rukia said.

Momo and Rukia decided to go for a swim when they discovered a cave. Momo was thrilled and wanted to explore while Rukia didn't think it was such a great idea.

"Just a quick peek and we'll swim back. Besides, I need a rest, Kuchiki-san." She said as she stepped further into the cave. Rukia shook her head and followed her friend inside.

The walls were damp and coated with sea slime. "Be careful, it's slippery!" Rukia warned.

"Ok!" She said as she walked further. "Hey! I think I see something!"

"Momo! Slow down!" Rukia said as she followed behind. She caught up to her friend to find she reached the back of the cave. Up against the back wall was an odd looking section of wood.

"I wonder how this got back here," Momo said as she touched the wood.

"Momo, we need to leave, the water's starting to come in." Rukia could hear the waves as they started to crash against the entrance of the cave.

"There's something here!" Momo said as she started to tug on something. "Rukia! Come help me!" Rukia looked at the mouth of the cave and to her friend. She quickly went to the back of the cave.

"What is it?"

"It's part of a Zanpaktou! Look, there's part of the hilt!" Momo said as she tugged on it again.

"Momo, I don't think that's such…" Rukia was interrupted by a rumble as part of the roof started to come down.

"Momo, leave it!" Rukia took a quick glance at the top of the cave which was starting to come down. A huge piece chipped off. Rukia's eyes widened as she pulled Momo away from the wall and then pushed her towards the front of the cave just as the huge stone came crashing down.

"Rukia? Rukia!" Momo screamed for her friend. As the dust settled she couldn't see her friend. The huge stone blocked her way to the back of the cave. "Rukia!"

"I'm here!" Rukia said through the pain. The rock had fallen down and pinned her right side to the cave wall. Rukia was on her butt, her back against the cave wall. She tried to push the rock but it was too big. "I'm stuck!"

"Stuck?"

"The rock! I'm stuck under the rock!"

Momo tried to push the rock as well. It wouldn't budge.

"How about if we tried to move it together? I'll pull, you push, ok?"

"I'll try, Momo…" the pain was getting worse.

"One, two, three!" Both women pushed and pulled with all of their strength. The rock move just a bit. Rukia screamed and Momo backed up. "What? What happened?"

"It hurt! My, my leg is under it. I think it's broken…I…" Rukia was panting.

"Ok, ok, ok! Why don't we try to push it off in the other direction?"

By now the water was coming in fast. It was already to Momo's ankles and rising fast.

"I…can't…"

"Rukia! Listen to me! I'm going to swim back and get help, ok?" Momo listened, but could only hear the roar of the waves as they crashed against the entrance of the cave. "Rukia?"

Momo turned around and took off back out of the cave. She looked at the shore which was still miles away. She took a deep breath and swam as fast as she could.

"Renji! Toshiro!" Momo called when she was almost to the shore. The sun was setting, the tide was coming in and they were doing a final clean up before they headed back.

"It's about time you showed back up!"

"Yeah, nice that you're out swimming while we're here doing beach clean up," Renji said.

"Guys! I need help!"

Toshiro scanned the water. "Where's Rukia?"

Momo crawled to the beach and pulled herself up. She was panting and out of breath from swimming so fast.

"There's a cave, around the corner," she breathed.

The men followed the cliff line, "You mean out there?" Renji pointed to where the cliffs ended.

"Yes, around that edge, there's a cave..We went there, exploring.." Renji grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face him.

"Are you nuts! You could have been hurt! Don't ever do that again!"

Toshiro's eyes narrowed, "Where's Rukia?"

Tears sprang to her eyes. "She said it was a bad idea, but I went in anyway. I went all the way to the back and I saw a Zanpaktou stuck in the wall. It was broken and just the hilt was sticking out."

Toshiro's eyes narrowed as his heart started to speed up. He didn't like where this was going.

"I asked Rukia to help me when part of the ceiling came crashing down around us." Tears were streaming down her face. "Rukia…Rukia was hit by the huge rock. W-w-w-we t-tried to m-m-move it, b-but it only crushed her more. I th-think she passed out from the p-pain."

"I'm going," Toshiro said as he started running towards the water.

"Be careful!" Momo wailed, "The tide was coming in and filling up the cave!"

Toshiro looked at the cliff and the water. In a split second decision he took off running towards the cliffs with Renji on his heels.

"Do you think we can dive?"

"We're gonna have to, it'll take too long to swim there. She'll be…" Toshiro couldn't finish his sentence. He focused on running faster. His heart was thrumming loudly, he felt like it was in the back of his throat. He couldn't lose her. Not now. Not after years of getting to know each other. Not after dodging her brothers nasty looks after they announced they were together. Not after everything they've been through dealing with jealous childhood friends.

The four of them were now a tightly knit group. When Toshiro and Rukia first got together, Momo and Renji spent most of their time together dreaming of ways to drive them apart. It wasn't long before they realized they were in love with each other.

They reached the cliffs edge and looked down.

Toshiro scanned the water and determined the safest landing point. "There!"

Renji looked skeptical.

"Stay here if you want, I'm not going to let her die!" Toshiro screamed at him as he backed up to get a running start. Renji scowled and watched Toshiro run right off the cliffs edge. He ran to the ledge in time to see Toshiro hit the water. Renji unconsciously began counting as he scanned the water, looking for that familiar splotch of white hair. 65…66…67…68 – There he was! Renji breathed sigh of relief and narrowed his eyes and took a breath.

He backed up and took a running start and went over the same edge. He held his breath as he slammed into the water. He uncurled his body and swam for the surface.

"WOW!"

"Yeah, marvel over the rush later, we've got to get to Rukia!"

Renji looked at the cliff side wall. "There?" He pointed to a small upside down "u" shape. The water was flowing inside.

The two swam inside.

"Rukia!" Toshiro called. They quickly reached the back of the cave and saw the stone Momo was talking about. The water was now up to Toshiro's chest. His heart sank as he remembered how Momo said the rock came down. Rukia was probably already under water. "Renji! Help me!"

The two men pulled on the rock, it moved. They pulled again. The water was rapidly coming in as it was now almost to Toshiro's shoulders.

"Again!" Renji yelled. Finally the rock moved enough Toshiro could see a hand. The men gave the rock a final shove and Rukia's limp body floated to the surface.

"Rukia!" Toshiro squeezed back there and pulled her up. He carefully handed her to Renji through the tight crack.

"Is she breathing?" Renji asked.

"No, but we need to get out of here." Toshiro said as his throat constricted. Renji took hold of her and started towards the entrance of the cave. Toshiro squeezed through the rock and followed.

"Put her here!" Toshiro said as he indicated a flat rock by the caves entrance. Renji looked at him. "It's gonna take too long to swim her to the beach!"

Renji understood and lifted her up and placed her limp body across the rock. Toshiro cleared her airway and proceeded with CPR.

After for what seemed like forever, she finally coughed up water. She was breathing again, she was alive.

Rukia opened her eyes and looked from Renji to Toshiro. "Momo?" she managed to creak out between coughs.

"She's safe. She's on the beach." Toshiro said.

"Thank you," Rukia managed before she closed her eyes again.

Renji and Toshiro swam back to the beach with Rukia in tow. When they reached the shore, the three just laid there on the edge of the water line, exhausted. Momo came running over. She saw that Rukia was ok and lay down next to Renji.

Toshiro pulled Rukia into his arms, thankful he didn't lose her. Rukia wrapped her arms around him, thankful he rescued her.

Renji and Momo mirrored the other couples moves. Together, the four of them watched the sun fall beyond the horizon as day turned to night.

~FIN~