No man is an island, but isle be yours

The canopy was so far above them that the darkness around them had contained bits of scattered light from the sunrays above, to allow them to see further in as they turned the corner of the first tree to reach a small clearing of jungle littered with different plants, some looked quite magical, or would glow eerily. Hearing Pom trip behind him had his body try and reflexively save him but stopped short of doing it, finding himself unable to move quickly like he should have. Rhuba hoped Pom wouldn't notice, as it had been relatively subtle.

Rhuba had no idea what even happened to Pom, his head slowly turned to Pom as he finally kicked away from the root. Oh, it was just a root. The tension and fear caused by Pom's shriek melted away as he confirmed his safety. "Do--" Rhuba paused, about to ask if Pom wanted to be carried, as he normally would, but Rhuba's arms were too weak, he could hardly lift them.

"I mean, did something grab you?" Rhuba chuckled, playing it off as he pushed further ahead of Pom to make it around the next huge tree, the jungle littered with them all around. Rhuba looked back to Pom as he turned the corner, making sure he was still safe and following. His eyes were having a hard time tracking anything currently, blurry and tired is all he could feel. Even though he wasn't in the best condition, spending time with Pom like this would still make him happy. It was like nothing could go wrong, especially if Pom was around.

Distracted by Pom, Rhuba had turned the corner of the tree, using his hand to hold on to a piece of bark on the tree as he swung the corner. Unfortunately for Rhuba there was also a massive Ceratosaurus, which took advantage of the situation and scooped the smiling distracted Rhuba into it's mouth, the huge jaws taking a section of Earth he was standing on as well. The Ceratosaurus jerked it's head upward and pulled Rhuba further in it's mouth, swallowing him after trying to chew a few times but only getting dirt.

Rhuba had survived mostly unscathed, aside from a few cuts that littered his body, and a stab wound from one of the Ceratosaurus' teeth during the first bite. Unable to gather the strength to burst free, panic began to ensue, fear enveloped him as he imagined seeing a mangled Pom fall down into the stomach the same as he did. The acid wasn't corrosive enough to kill him, but if he stayed here long enough, who knows?

The Ceratosaurus roared after it swallowed Rhuba, turning around the tree with just it's head at first, then it's massive body next as it smelled the air, catching whiffs of Pom's scent.

The Ceratosaurus itself stood over twenty-four feet, the dark setting caused by the jungle canopy hid a lot of it's defining features due to it's dark green lizard-like scales which seemed to refract light. The two small arms on the upper torso swung around, as if they were weak and useless, but the muscles attached to them gave pause to that idea. The large horn on it's nose was the brightest part of it's body, which made it hard to miss under the canopy. Piercing yellow eyes narrowed on Pom. Next meal.

What does Rhuba taste like, I wonder? Probably dirt...

WC:   529
TWC: 11,686

Base PL: 100,000 Ki Setting > [150]

HP: 0%/250% (+0%)
KP: 6/6 (+0)
MP: 0/6 (+0)

Traits: Saiyan Pride (Inactive) | Aggressive Attacker (1/1) | Zenkai (Inactive) | Raw Talent (2/2) | Noble Blood (+20% HP/+30% Critical Threshold)
Items: Battle Armor (Unused) | Battle Liner (Unused)

The muffled sounds of outside pierced the belly of the beast, as the dinosaur moved and screeched. Is Pom fighting it? Rhuba was unsure, but it sure felt and sounded like it. The beast moved, and each movement made the stomach swing in a direction. The acid that did little to break through his thin energy defense began to eat away at his clothes, the sound of sizzling overpowered the sounds from outside.

Rhuba almost had enough energy to use a small ki-blade, Rhuba felt his energy as if watching a loading bar, waiting for it to reach the percentage necessary. Now, finally. Thump, SLAM. The creature fell, and Rhuba's excitement raised as a tiny Arc-Blade sparked out from his index, which he'd use it to cut the dinosaur from the inside. After Pom helped some more, he finally slipped out of the carcass. He smelled rancid, like death, as he shakily stood up, his pants mostly melted from the bottom, and patches of his shirt and hoodie were burned away, showing his scarred skin underneath. Rhuba had been so overwhelmed by the smells inside the stomach, that he hadn't actually smelled the contents until it had mixed in the open air.

He's smelled of this before, which made it easy for him to not gag at the smell once he caught wind of it. The energy to make new clothes, or heal the wounds on himself still too difficult for him. Looking around for Pom, he thought quickly of excuses for why this had happened, only half hearing Pom as he helped him free. The bloodied Pom, yelling at him had the opposite effect on Rhuba that Pom had wanted.

Pom's angry and disheveled appearance sent shivers down Rhuba, visibly. He didn't blink, he didn't move, hardly even breathed as he watched Pom scold him, hearing none of his words, but taking in all of him in this moment. He had taken down that giant beast to help him, for all Pom knew, Rhuba could have easily escaped that and was just messing with him. At least that's how Rhuba saw it, which made the idea of it even better in his eyes. The vision he had, showed in front of him, Rhuba wanted nothing more than Pom to come scoop him up and hold him, and he had no idea why.

Rhuba went to say something, he wanted to tell Pom how amazing he was, but he was cut off by an Earthling sized raptor. The raptor shoved him aside, tossing him away from the carcass he had just escaped. Stumbling, he fell to the ground, hard. Rhuba tried to lift himself but found his arms failing, which caused his torso to slam back down into the bloody mud underneath him.

The ground began rumbling beneath him, like the early stages of an earthquake. The direction the two of them had came from now swarmed with small raptor-like dinosaurs. Some the size of cats and dogs, some of them were the size of carts, but the majority of them were Earthling sized at the very least. The entire pack had heard and smelled the carnage, and was now charging straight toward the dinosaur Pom had slaughtered.

Rhuba was in the way again, trampled by multiple dinosaurs as they rushed into the open wounds Pom had made on the carcass to feast. The entire pack was still looming behind, charging from a distance that would have been made up in a few more seconds. The smaller dinosaurs seemed to be burrowing from underground and appearing closer, hidden in the mud and dirt around Rhuba.

Rhuba felt his head slam against the hard ground again. A taloned foot slammed into him and cut deep into his back, ripping his hoodie and shirt in multiple places and dragging portions of the torn cloth with it. I could blast them all away, it was definitely possible, but I'd have to indiscriminately create a blast, and I can't sense Pom. No, I can't sense where Pom is...! Rhuba had been so worried about himself, he forgot that Pom was likely to be attacked as well. Without knowing exactly where Pom was, and having no time to open his eyes and wipe away the blood and mud that had now caked it, he screamed, "Pom, FLY AWAY!" Rhuba gasped, breathing in hard to get the last part out with all he could. "This can't kill me, but it can you!" He shouted as loud as he could, gasping for breath after every few syllables. The dinosaurs behind him feasted on the carcass, showing no interest in his shouting.

When was the last time he had lost a fight? Well, he's lost plenty, though instead of losing he's ran. It's also true, Rhuba could survive this feasting, he would eventually reform after he gained enough energy again over time, but he's never had to do that, nor knew how long that might take. Parasitix wasn't here, so he couldn't drain energy currently, just memories. He hadn't even tried to call for Parasitix to help, for they have been gone so long, he's stopped trying.

Leave Rhuba and save yourself!

WC:   828
TWC: 12,514

Base PL: 100,000 Ki Setting > [150]

HP: 0%/250% (+0%)
KP: 6/6 (+0)
MP: 0/6 (+0)

Traits: Saiyan Pride (Inactive) | Aggressive Attacker (1/1) | Zenkai (Inactive) | Raw Talent (2/2) | Noble Blood (+20% HP/+30% Critical Threshold)
Items: Battle Armor (Unused) | Battle Liner (Unused)

Rhuba could hear sounds above him, a cascade of sounds rushed over him as he tried over and over to get back up, falling back down each time until losing the strength to even try. Why couldn't he move!? All he did was trip inside a memory! Rhuba wanted to slam his fist in the ground, but could hardly manage to lift his finger. Movement, a feeling of pressure, then air rushed into his wounds as he was lifted into the air and put on Pom's back.

Rhuba weakly held on to Pom, his allergies clearly taking a back foot during this. Everything was a blur, and it took everything in him just to keep his eyes opened as he bounced around on Pom's back. A cold and warm dampness reached him, as he looked down noticing the wounds on Pom's back just as Pom's back legs hit the ground hard. Rhuba had no strength to hold on, and was sent flying ahead of Pom, skidding into the grass and rolling unto his back. The fall not very damaging, but enough to knock him around briefly.

His brain was so fried that he had taken awhile to process what happened, and luckily the landing had jostled his brain awake enough for him to keep his eyes open now. Rhuba's back was torn, but the bleeding had already stopped, just the pain now. None of this should have happened, he thought. This wasn't in his vision, Pom doesn't lose. The weakened Pom collapsed in front of him, which brought the realization of everything to Rhuba immediately.

"POM!" Rhuba yelled as he fell, only to be met with his sweet voice. He wasn't dead, but that didn't at all change the feeling deep in his stomach as Pom talked to him, laughing about the dragon ride. Rhuba didn't care about that, his eyes stung as he forced them wide open. Rhuba's body wouldn't move, he was still recuperating, and who knew how long that would take.

Rhuba's arm lifted, and he slammed it down into the ground, pulling himself forward using his forearm in a sort of army-crawl variant. With great effort he made his way to Pom as he spoke, each time stopping to respond. "You did an amazing job, Pom. Just keep your eyes open, please?" Rhuba could tell Pom was tired, and the blood he had of Pom on him told him the full story. Pom was bleeding out, and Rhuba had to get there to apply pressure.

Rhuba's lips began to quiver as Pom tried to giggle, but no noise escaped. This wasn't happening, no. NO! Rhuba wanted to explode in energy, but there was none! He was empty! He couldn't summon that well of energy deep inside he could feel, nothing. He wasn't able to transform not just because of his exhaustion, there was something much deeper than that stopping his recovery of energy.

He wasn't angry, but he really wanted to be angry, unfortunately the conflicting emotions shorted him out further. Rhuba's eyes now streamed with tears, quickening his pace toward Pom. The progress he made was still very slow, but much quicker than before. "Yeah, we can do it again after this. You can transform and we'll fly over the manor!" Rhuba's voice cracked multiple times between sobs, pleading with Pom, believing this to be possibly the last words he might ever say to Pom. He had to get to him, he had to.

"No, no, no, no, no! DON'T YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES!" Pom shut his eyes, and Rhuba screamed. He screamed with such a force that birds nearby flew from their roosts. He knew how people died, he had seen this a hundred times before. He couldn't even sense Pom, couldn't tell if he was still there. Screaming weakly toward Pom again, he pulled himself closer inch by inch, quicker and quicker. Grunting with great effort, he tried to force his body to move, but his body wasn't working like it should. The jungle must have been the culprit, it was stopping him from recovering like normal. "POM!" Rhuba half-shouted, just as he got close. Reaching out, he grabbed his hand and felt for a pulse, it was there if not weak.

Rhuba lifted his head, looking around. No energy to fly, the Arc-Blade earlier was all he could manage at the time. "Please wake up, please." Rhuba slid closer, lifting himself up to a sitting position with his legs out. Rhuba pulled Pom over his legs and close to his chest, turning him to see his back to get access to his biggest wounds. Grabbing a clump of grass, he ripped it out of the dirt, and scooped the fresh soil underneath and rubbed it very gently on Pom's back. "Come on, come on, this'll work." He repeated out loud multiple times as he kept rubbing gently. Rhuba could hardly see anything through his eyes as he did so, his vision similar to being pelted with a water hose.

Nothing happened, Pom just lay in his arms weakly as Rhuba pulled him close to his chest. "No, no, no. You can't leave." Rhuba rocked back and forth, his world was collapsing in on itself. "Help..." Rhuba had heard that word hundreds of times, this time he was on the other end? "PLEASE!" Rhuba shouted weakly through sobs, holding Pom in his arms. Rhuba couldn't scan the memories without Parasitix, and finally relented. "PARASITIX! PLEASE! HELP ME!" Nothing, empty, silence.

"Oi, oi, oi, oi! You're so barkin' loud." A little head popped out of the ground in front of Rhuba, and a tiny flying creature burrowed itself through the ground and into the air, floating in front of Rhuba. "Tch, what's the big idea making such a ruckus?" The little creature was hard to see, Rhuba still crying. The creature flew around the scene, gathering what the issue was. "Ah, dead fella, huh?" It joked, uncaringly. "Well, if you'll stop your barkin' cryin', I'll help."

Rhuba could feel a glimmer of hope open up in his chest, as he nodded at the flying creature, still unsure of what it looked like. All he could see was a slight glow, and wings through his tears. The creature flew closer to Rhuba, and Rhuba instinctively pulled Pom away from it. The creature moved back and laughed. "Why is there dirt rubbed in there?" Rhuba growled lowly, too weak to angrily snap and yell anymore, his voice already hoarse. "Healing him..." is all that weakly escaped his lips, Rhuba now having a hard time holding unto Pom after crying for so long.

The creature reeled back laughing, the idea of healing someone with dirt was hilarious to the little thing. "Oh, that's barkin' classic. Okay, know what? Sure, that'll work." The creature moved closer to Rhuba, again, Rhuba backed away a bit. "Alright, now for this to work, I gotta take something..." The creature scanned the two, and smiled devilishly. "Y'know, since it's not a big wish, how about just half your memories pertaining to this one here. I'll even let you choose which half."

Rhuba looked down at Pom, he didn't care what he would have to do, Pom was not dying today. "Okay, anything." Rhuba said, his voice so weak, wanting to just give his remaining life for him. "Well, which barkin' half?" The creature asked impatiently. "The first half, I guess." The creature laughed, and shot up to Rhuba's face and flicked his nose. "Alright, now any soil you touch, will heal any physical wounds, sorry, can't do any of that mental stuff." The creature seemed happy, and Rhuba blinked a few times as he felt no different.

"Go ahead, heal em, just touch the dirt on their back." Rhuba hesitantly touched Pom's back, the dirt didn't glow, it didn't make a noise, but Pom's wounds began to close up on their own. Rhuba's tears kept flowing, but this time happy tears. "Thank you, thank you..." He's rarely thanked people with such feeling, and it felt strange to even do so.

The creature waved it's hand at him in a means to shoo. "Leave when they wake up," it said, as it slowly made it's way back into the ground. "Oh, and when you no longer see me, you won't remember meeting me." The creature laughed before disappearing into the ground below them. Rhuba puzzlingly wondered why he was staring off into the distance, then remembered Pom's injuries and pulled him close again, lightly rocking back and forth with him. Partly because he felt it soothe him, partly hoping it soothed Pom as well. The dirt seemed to be working, good, the jungle must have fast acting dirt. Rhuba didn't care about allergies anymore, didn't care about anything but Pom in this moment, hoping that soon he'd open his eyes, no matter how long he had to sit here and hold him.

Rhuba's dirt... actually does heal!

WC:   1,489
TWC: 14,003

Base PL: 100,000 Ki Setting > [1]

HP: 0%/250% (+0%)
KP: 6/6 (+0)
MP: 0/6 (+0)

Traits: Saiyan Pride (Inactive) | Aggressive Attacker (1/1) | Zenkai (Inactive) | Raw Talent (2/2) | Noble Blood (+20% HP/+30% Critical Threshold)
Items: Battle Armor (Unused) | Battle Liner (Unused)

Pom had stirred, surging Rhuba with a warm feeling that began to heal the massive Pom-sized hole the man's near-death had been creating. Rhuba was exhausted, tired, wanted to just close his eyes and drift off, but he couldn't. Rhuba had fought hard to stay awake, and all the while just thought about the memories he had with Pom. It was brief, the memories missing not even a blip on his radar, just somehow remembering Pom showing up one day in his backyard, as if he'd always been there. Perhaps Rhuba had just forgotten some stuff, which didn't happen often, but the recent escapades in his mind told him it could happen, likely it was just his exhaustion, yeah, that's it.

"Pom..." Rhuba pulled the man into him further, hoping to feel his heartbeat, a feeling that Rhuba knew would bring him great comfort. "I'm here," he said, his hand sliding up and down the part of his back that Rhuba knew had not been injured, also wiping away some dirt in the process. "We're in the middle of the jungle somewhere. You carried me away from those dinosaurs." Looking around, he laughed nervously, choking on mucus that had slipped from his nose into this throat due to the extreme crying. "It's my fault..." Although he had stopped weeping, a few tears ran down his face from both eyes. "I lost all my energy after I fell in the Mind Walk..." The memory of it all was hazy, but it was the only thing he could connect to his loss of energy.

Pom leaned against his shoulder, and Rhuba still was unable to feel the man's heartbeat. He had tried adjusting a few times, but without grabbing Pom's wrist, or neck, he'd likely not be able to feel it. No. Rhuba glanced down at Pom on his shoulder as he weakly slid his right hand over the man's chest and pushed against the clothing trying to find a heartbeat. "There it is..." he mumbled to himself. Exhaling deeply, his shoulders dropped, and tension left his body as a feeling of safety washed over him. There it was, Pom's heart. He hoped he would be able to keep his hand over Pom's heart for as long as he wanted, so he always knew he was still, actually, here.

"I'll always wait for you, Pom." Rhuba squeezed Pom tighter with his left arm as he spoke, emphasizing how much he meant that. The connotation not exactly ringing in his head as romantic, but he felt as if a great deal of butterflies had been released from his chest as if he had meant it in that way. "And no, I don't smell it anymore... at all." Rhuba sniffed the air, moving his head very slowly in separate directions looking for a scent, but could smell nothing magical as strong as he did before.

Pom had finally noticed the mud on his back, which caused Rhuba to weakly smile as he laughed. "You didn't know about dirt's healing properties...?" Rhuba said through weak chuckles, more like a few slight wheezing exhales. "I think this dirt is..." Rhuba caught his breath, "Fast acting..." He exhaled deeply at the end, and then inhaled deeply right after, he then squeezed Pom's back gently with his arm that still lay wrapped around the man. "You rest. I'll get us home." Rhuba was clearly tired, but he leaned away from Pom to get a clearer look at his face now and gave him the bloodiest and red-puffy eye-ist genuine expressions Pom had likely ever seen. "I'll never let this happen again." Rhuba squeezed the man into his chest, finally understanding the strength a hug can give. Having Pom in his arms caused him to actually believe his words.

Grabbing a pinch of dirt, he shoved it into his nose and snorted, though unable to exert much force to snort, so it ended up just being a weak inhale through his nose. Some of the thicker dirt caused him to cough slightly as it slid down his throat, but after it reached his stomach he felt a minute amount of energy return to him. Knowing that dirt doesn't heal you additively after taking more, (it does) he wouldn't eat anymore, only shoving some for later in his pocket. It still felt extremely draining to move. Though, he had enough energy to get up, as well as the energy to lift and carry Pom, but for how far and how long? Who knows? With determination, he pushed off the ground, holding Pom as he did so, making sure Pom wouldn't fall over as he stood, bracing him any way he could. A small pang stuck his heart as he no longer could feel Pom's heartbeat having only now realized.

Any amount of effect made him realize his muscles were not wanting to cooperate. Pushing through the weakness, Rhuba gathered enough strength to duck down low, so he could lower his body and guide Pom to gently lay on his back. Once Pom was in, he'd grasp Pom's legs and keep himself bent at an angle to allow Pom to rest on him, rather than staying vertical. It killed his core muscles, but he winced through it, not having exerted himself physically unenhanced in awhile. Muscles that were still there and used, hadn't been exerted this heavily in a very long time, they stung.

Thump, thump, thump. Like a drum, in the distance, he could feel it after searching, Pom's heart meeting him once more. Rhuba's jeans were torn at the knees, and the entirety of the lower half of his right jean was ripped away, likely still in the jaw of the giant dinosaur. Most of the back of his hoodie was torn away, and the t-shirt underneath suffered the same fate, leaving a completely exposed back. Tattered sleeves of the hoodie he wore, he couldn't even remember if he had been wearing the hoodie before the Mind Walk or not, everything was still so hazy.

His exposed back was enough to feel the beat through Pom's clothing, having searched for it, hoping to feel it again to calm him. The thumping lit a fire in him, adding to a mountain of firsts created by this man he so very much wanted to live, on his back. He hadn't known if Pom's heart had even stopped or not, but had he not healed, that would have been the reality. Rhuba knew now, he'd never let that happen, he would do anything to prevent that.

"Hold on to my neck, and whatever you do, don't let go. No matter what, okay?" Rhuba turned his head, and tried to look into Pom's eyes, hoping he was conscious enough to look at him. Rhuba's expression was serious, angry even. Rhuba wanted to get the point across, and wanted Pom to know how serious he was. "No. Matter. What." The weakness in his voice evaporated immediately, it was a tired determination, but after almost losing Pom, he was coming across as serious as he's ever been.

Leaning over on his side, he reached for the bean he had been given from that old lady. She said it would help in times of need, it would, or wait, could heal you? Rhuba couldn't remember what she said, but it was freakin' free beans! Why wouldn't he accept that? Balancing Pom briefly, he grabbed a bean from his pocket and slipped it into his mouth and chewed. It tasted... strange?

"I'll always wait for you, Pom." Rhuba uses a snezu bean for victory!

WC:   1,254
TWC: 15,257

Base PL: 100,000 Ki Setting > [45]

HP: 0%/250% (+0%)
KP: 6/6 (+0)
MP: 0/6 (+0)

Traits: Saiyan Pride (Inactive) | Aggressive Attacker (1/1) | Zenkai (Inactive) | Raw Talent (2/2) | Noble Blood (+20% HP/+30% Critical Threshold)
Items: Battle Armor (Unused) | Battle Liner (Unused) | -1x Snezu Bean