As Sakura and Kiba exited the room, Kiba was quick to catch on to the fact that he wasn't in a hospital at all. He was inside a house. Everything seemed so modern; the furniture was clean and expensive looking, large artwork hung from the walls and the roof was high, allowing the house to look much bigger than it actually was. He was simply just in some kind of spare room, turned into an anatomical study of some sort. The next thing he noticed was the air. It was so… clean. It almost seeped its way into his lungs without even having to breathe in.

"Now I need you to brace yourself for what you're about to see out here, Kiba." Sakura took her hand off the door handle and turned to face him. "Everything is real, and there's a perfect explanation for everything you're about to see. Just don't let yourself become too overwhelmed, okay?"

Kiba frowned. Why was this girl acting so weird? He had clearly just washed up on an island, another country of some sort. Surely a different culture or change in surroundings wasn't going to be enough to overwhelm him. "Anyway…" he said, trailing to the subject of conversation from earlier. 'What were you saying about this islands co-ordinates? Were they just forgotten to be put on a map or something?"

"Not exactly. Do you recall any stories about ships and planes that have gone missing around the Bermuda triangle area?" The pinkette asked, grabbing a set of keys from the table.

"Uh, sorta? But I didn't think much of it. I guess I thought it was just a place where the weather is really bad, and that's why everything crashed or sunk."

"Well there's a reason for all those aircraft and boat disappearances. The Bermuda triangle is surrounded by some sort of force… like a time fragment. That's what causes the violent weather; the electrical and magnetic current just sends the waters and the winds insane. It's even been known to mess up the computer systems within planes and send compasses in all sorts of frenzies. " Sakura took another deep breath. She was about to make herself sound like she was fresh out of some kind of mental institution. This was the first time she ever had to explain something like this to anyone, and only now had she realised how crazy it would all sound to someone so foreign. "Inside this time fragment, past all of the seas and the dangerous weather, there's our island. It's physically invisible from satellite view, because this time fragment covers it. Shields it from everything's vision, I guess. Not many people have ever been able to inform the world of its existence because once you're inside of the triangle, there is no way out. It's a one way ticket."

Kiba just stood there, trying to absorb everything Sakura had just said. He could feel himself going weak. His stomach started to feel nauseated as he tried to figure out if this girl was trying to play some kind of sick joke on him. "You're kidding, right? I bet this is what you do to all of the new or sick kids. Trick them into believing some made up story so you can all laugh about it later."

"I knew you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Sakura put her hand to the door, twisting the handle and gently pushing it open. "That's why I have to show you."

The door pushed open, the bright sunlight almost blinding Kiba at first glance. After his eyes had adjusted to the light he and Sakura took a few steps towards the doorway until they were almost standing in the street.

The street was wide. Food and gift stalls were set up across from him, and people and their children walked hand in hand along the foot paths. The road down the centre was gravel, and thick metal bars seemed to cover the windows of the surrounding buildings. When Sakura had used the terms 'island' and 'village' when talking to him earlier, Kiba pictured small straw huts and people wearing leaves as clothes. What he saw was the complete opposite. It felt as if he was in a normal town. A busy, well-structured suburban community with banks and schools. Sure, it seemed a little on the country side of things, but that was to be expected when you were situated on an island.

But Kiba still wasn't convinced. If anything, the fact that everything seemed so normal, so civilised, meant that this was all some elaborate prank. The only thing that seemed strangely odd was the thick bars which were pinned to the windows. "How is this proving anything? It looks exactly like my town back home." But as soon as the words spilled from Kiba's mouth, four creatures pulling what seemed to be a stand began to pass them in the street.

"What the fuck are those things!" Kiba yelled, jumping behind Sakura as the scaly, sheep sized creatures continued to shuffle past them.

"These are Protoceratops, Kiba. They're small herbivores from the late cretaceous era. They're a breed of dinosaur."

It was at that point that Kiba could not control his nausea any longer. As his knees gave way, he turned to his right to vomit on a small plant which was growing out from the side of the building. He felt extremely light headed as he tried to take in what he had just seen. The relatively small animals had four legs, and were covered head to toe in a dark green, scaly, furless skin. They had a tiny solid frill that grew from the skull, which looked like a miniature version of the triceratops toys Kiba used to play with as a kid. They had no horns, just a firm, curved, beak-like mouth and clawed feet with four toes.

"It's okay, Kiba, they're not dangerous. You can pat them if you want to, they won't bite."

"I think ill be fine over here," Kiba replied as he vomited again.

Sakura walked to his side and squatted beside him, rubbing his back. "Do you believe me now?"

Wiping the corner of his mouth, Kiba stood and tried to steady himself. "I'm pretty sure you mentioned nothing about dinosaurs in your little explanation before."

"Well you couldn't seem to accept the fact that this island is non-existent, let alone me chucking dinosaurs in the mix. The time fragment that covers this island is stuck in the cretaceous era, sixty five million years ago. Evolution didn't happen here. It was something you needed to see for yourself, you would have never believed me if I told you."

"I think you have more explaining to do." Kiba pushed past Sakura and attempted to cross the street. His body became rigid and taut as he tried to pass the protoceratops without touching them. They made funny little croaking noises, like that of a modern day frog, but more drawn out. It was too weird for Kiba to grasp.

Sakura laughed as he moved around the animals like a posh school girl avoiding dirt. She couldn't blame him really; she too would be weirded out if she was to come across lizard-like miniature rhino sheep in the middle of the street.

Sakura followed him, watching as he scratched at himself in agitation. "Hey uh, I don't mean to freak you out any more than I already have, but…"

"But what?" he snapped, frantically looking around. "Let me guess, you're going to tell me that you keep these things as pets, right? That you ride them around and take them for walks, even get them to lay you eggs so you have something with your bacon in the mornings?"

She knew his remark was utterly sarcasm, which made the part of explaining to him that he was correct, very difficult. She forced an awkward laugh. "Would you promise not to vomit again if I said you were right?"

Sakura's attempt was to create some humour out of the situation, but it didn't seem to be working in her favour at all. A look of sadness had swept across his face as his eyes narrowed towards the gravel ground beneath them. "I don't want to be here." He mumbled, continuing to walk towards the end of the street. Sakura felt her heart tear. He seemed so sad, so lost. It had not occurred to her how unhappy this boy would come to feel out here on such an isolated island.

"Listen," Sakura's voiced softened, reaching an almost motherly like tone. "I know you're really confused right now. But this island honestly isn't as bad as you think it is. Take a look around you, Kiba."

Sakura slowed down, gently taking a hold on Kiba's arm. She hesitated to do so. He stopped just as she did, looked down at her hand on his arm, and looked at her eyes. He'd thought it initially and now he was thinking it again; she was one pretty girl, and for a moment he felt okay again. Like maybe his situation wasn't so bad after all.
The corner of her mouth rose to a crooked smile as she slowly let go and motioned for him to stand beside her. "Just take the time to look at what we're surrounded with. We're living in a non-polluted environment; the air, the water, our soil… everything is so clean. People are happy here. I know that when someone thinks of dinosaurs, they think of gigantic ferocious meat eaters that want to tear you limb from limb. But they're not all like that. We've domesticated them Kiba, they're our transport, our machinery, and some people even have the littler ones as pets purely because they're lonely and want a companion. They're helping us. The least you could do is accept the fact they're a part of our life here. Give them a chance."

Kiba observed as the community came to life around him. Everything was so green; from the fauna to the grass, even the vegetables that were being sold from the street stands. The sky was a rich, healthy blue. Behind the town, mountains in the distance rolled for miles, covered in thick, mysterious, unexplored forest. It was a whole new world. A world inhabited by normal people with almost-normal lifestyles.

The handsome brunette sighed as he rubbed his still-aching shoulder. "Well I guess I don't really have an option here, do I. There's no way to go back home so I may as well make the most of it."

Sakura smiled in success. He wasn't as ecstatic as she hoped he'd be, but acceptance was a start. And a start was all she needed.

"Come with me," she smirked, a beam of mischief sweeping across her porcelain like face. "There's something I want to show you."

The sound of the ground rumbling beneath him made Kiba's heart pound. This morning he awoke in a strange room, with a person he didn't know, on an island that didn't exist. And now he found himself being pulled through the bush by a girl with pink hair, whilst the ground beneath him growled and thundered. "What the hell is that noise?" he yelled over the top of the rumbling as he tried to catch his breath.

"You'll see!" she yelled in return. She jumped across a fallen log in the middle of the path, pulling Kiba with her. The sound was getting louder. Branches and dry leaves crushed beneath their feet as the two continued to tear through the bush.

"Are we even meant to be out here? What happens if some dinosaur tries to eat us!"

"Relax!" she laughed as she tried to collect her breath. "All the bad guys are located outside the Jawline. We're on the inside, so you have nothing to worry about."

Kiba didn't even bother asking what the Jawline was; he was too busy ducking under flinging tree branches which were hurling towards his face. His shoulder was aching and his lungs screamed for air. Whatever kind of nurse this girl claimed to be, she had a hell of a lot to learn about patient care.

Up ahead, Kiba could see a clearing in the bush. The light became brighter as the two burst through the opening and came to a stop, both panting heavily as they tried to catch their breath. The sound was louder than ever, and the earth beneath them was shaking. When Kiba had caught his breath, he lifted his head and peered at what was in front of him. His eyes widened in disbelief.

A huge metal fence that stood about the same size of a house stretched out for miles. On the inside of the fence the ground was lined with crushed gravel and dirt. Clouds of dust filled the air surrounding it. The fence seemed to curve and shape out some kind of track, a track that looked like it was designed for racing.

The ground started to rumble again, and a whiney voice was heard over the loudspeaker surrounding the course. "Observers please steer clear of the track for heat five, I repeat, please steer clear of the track as the contestants for heat five are taking their place in the gates."

"Quick, I know a place where we'll have a good view of the race." Sakura walked towards the racecourse, heading to a tree that grew next to the fence. Its large branches hung over the fence and swayed directly above the track. Sakura climbed up first, using the knotted rope that hung from a long, thick branch. It was obvious that Sakura or someone had transformed this tree into the ultimate spectator area, as chunks were cut from the trunk so whoever was climbing the tree had easy access to the very top.

Sakura helped pull Kiba up, knowing that he'd have difficulty climbing with only one arm. She offered out her hand but he ignored it, heaving himself onto the thickest branch and steadying himself. Whoa, Sakura thought, admiring his strength. She looked at the way he used his legs and arm to climb from branch to branch. He was, she thought, ridiculously strong, and she was too busy thinking about his body to realise the smile which caught her lips.

"You can always take a picture Sakura. They're proven to last longer."

Sakura's mind snapped out of the daydream, the jolt of her body almost causing her to fall off her branch. She collected herself and tried to hide the pink heat which was now swarming across her face. "Oh, uh, sorry I was just looking at your collarbone, and how it uh, erm, might need to get checked out again once we get home. Yeah, that's it, because of all the climbing. That's all."

Kiba smirked as she looked away, shaking her head in embarrassment. He was starting to warm up to this girl, to this place. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

"Twenty Sora's on the Gallimimus," Sakura said, pointing at the race. The riders were all still walking into the gates getting ready.

"What's a Sora?" Kiba said, frowning. "And what's a Gallimimus?"

Sakura laughed and focussed her attention back on Kiba. "Sora is money here, Kiba. Like what you would call dollars back at home. And a Gallimimus is a type of dinosaur. Sorry, I forgot you were still a newbie."

"Sorry I don't have an extensive knowledge on something that's not meant to exist," Kiba said, rolling his eyes. "I wouldn't even know what a Gallimimus looks like."

"Then take a look for yourself," Sakura pointed at the gates at the end of the track. It was hard to see from their vantage point, but it was still visible. "The Gallimimus is in gate seven."

He looked towards the gate, squinting his eyes as he tried to peer through all of the dust. In gate seven, an ostrich like dinosaur shuffled in agitation. It had no feathers, but murky greenish yellow scales, that covered its whole body. It stood abut 19ft high, three times the height of an average man, and had an eel like neck. Its head was long and bobbed like a chicken every time it shuffled inside the gate. A man sat on its back with a leg either side of its belly. Although it was tall, Kiba thought it looked weird, silly almost, and had no idea why Sakura would choose such an odd, awkward looking animal to win a dinosaur race.

"That's one ugly ostrich."

"It may be ugly, but it can run. Come on, it's your turn. What's your money going on?"

Kiba scanned his eyes along the gates, looking for a dinosaur which he thought looked cool enough to win. At last he found one, shuffling about in the second gate. It was a muscly looking dinosaur which walked on four legs. Armour and bony spikes covered the sides of its back and tale. The animal was fairly low to the ground, but extremely powerful and mean looking. A rather large man sat on its back, holding the reigns of the dinosaur in his hands.

"Gate two," he said, pointing.

Sakura raised her eyebrow. "The Gastonia? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it looks the most deadly out of all of them. Nothing will want to overtake it with those spikes."

"That's even if it makes the lead…" Sakura mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing," she replied, smiling a cheesy grin at Kiba. "I just think you should consider other factors when picking, not just on how cool they look."

"We'll see who will be telling who what to do when the winner is decided," Kiba said as he smiled a competitive grin.

They both looked on intently as the sound of a deafening horn bellowed across the valley. The gates flung open with an intense jolt as the dinosaurs came crashing out of the gates. The riders sat upon their backs, using their arms to make all kinds of movements with the reigns as the dinosaurs trudged on beneath them.

The ground started to tremor more and more as they neared the tree. Kiba looked on wide eyed, at the way they gathered ridiculous amounts of speed, at the way the riders had the strength to control them, at the way they physically made the earth shake. They reared the second corner as dust flew up behind them. As the dinosaurs did so, Kiba watched as a triceratops swung its head to the side, piercing one of the larger dinosaurs legs. The dinosaur bellowed an awful moan and fell to the ground, causing the dust to rise like a wall of flames.

"What the fuck!" Kiba yelled, his body becoming taut with what he just witnessed. "Did you see that! The horned one just purposely-

"It's legal, Kiba," Sakura interrupted. "The thing with these races is that both Kyoryu and rider can inflict whatever damage they can on an opposing Kyoryu in order to win. They just can't aim the attacks at the rider."

"That's a stupid rule, that rider is probably seriously hurt now! What happens then, huh?"

"That rider had the opportunity to not race beside the triceratops. It's up to the rider to steer the Kyoryu away from other riders that could pose a threat. The rider must have thought that because his Parasaur is big, it would be okay to race next to a Triceratops. He found out the hard way that is wasn't."

"Brutal stuff," Kiba said as he continued to watch. Sakura could tell he was a bit taken back from its viciousness.

Sakura sighed and focused her attention back on the race. "Jaunts are always brutal. Always have been, always will be."

The jaunt was nearing their tree. The Kyoryu turned the corner and the pace picked up as the finish line came into view. The tree started to shake violently as Kiba's heart started to pound. "Hold on tight!" Sakura said as she secured her legs tightly around the branch. Kiba on the other hand didn't have the amount of functioning limbs that Sakura had. His body went into panic as he felt himself slipping. He attempted to grab on to the branch but his hands were sweaty with fear, slipping and sliding across the smooth trunk of the limb. The rumbling of the dinosaurs finally became too much and Kiba fell, crashing down hard onto his dislocated collarbone.

"Kiba!" Sakura yelled, taking no time in climbing down the tree as fast as she could. Her heart pounded and a million thoughts ran through her head, preparing for what she was about to be faced with.

When she reached his side, she sighed in relief that Kiba had landed on the spectators side of the fence, and not in the racing Kyoryu's path. The second relief came when she realised he was breathing.

"Ow." Kiba said as he sat up, much to Sakura's surprise. He felt like his back had been pushed forward to morph with his ribcage. "Did…Did the one that I picked win?"

Sakura smiled as Kiba coughed. She patted him on the back, ensuring he would get his breath back. "It came seventh Kiba. The Gallimimus one by three lengths."

"Darn it…" Kiba rolled his eyes. "How did you pick the winner so confidently?"

She brushed the dirt off the back of his shirt. He was covered in dust from the ground, and leaves and small twigs were caught up in his messy brown hair. "Because I'm a Jaunter myself."

Kiba's eyes widened. "What?" he said, losing his breath yet again. "You do that!? But Sakura, you're a girl! And only a tiny girl at that, you'll get killed out there!"

"It's been eleven years since I've first started, and I'm still alive, aren't I?" she laughed as she helped him to his feet. "Come on, let's get you home. There's a bunch of people I still want you to meet."

R&R, please! :)