After being forced to jump ship and separate from Mallku so quickly, Ruby wasn't quite sure she'd be able to properly process it.

Alice coiled directly next to her in the tiny, plastic lifeboat that Gabi and Proteus managed to snag in time, which floated serenely in surrounding waves under the four mons' combined weight. White foam and soft blues splashed against the lifeboat's side- gentle in presence but distressing in volume. Ruby could feel herself being watched by the water, knowing deep well that things get a lot scarier if she happened to fall over the rim.

All afternoon, the raft slowly coasted in obscure directions, rocking away from the course of the other crewmembers and finding themselves stranded in an oceanic forsaking, with the only slivers of land being far over the distance. The four that happened to be left were now more than ever lost as the sun began to set from noon to dusk, sending nerves and distressed chills down every back.

Bor's wooden ship was completely gone by early afternoon, with the only remains coming in the form of random scatters of driftwood left on the surface of the water, where the boat once was. The hull of it was completely submerged, excluding any parts that were burned off in the flames.

Anyone who hadn't escaped in time would likely have been dead, Ruby mused.

By the middle of the afternoon, they were even more deserted than before, coasting northwest. The waves were animated and lively, rocketing a small push with every passing minute. No one was quite sure what was causing the pulse, but no one insisted on finding out either. Unease overcame the raft- there was too much worry and confusion in the air to summon words.

A Wingull or two would pass by, and Proteus would have an unrelenting urge to shock them down. Of course, he didn't- no one except Gabi would be able to eat the carcass anyways, and swimming underneath the water to grab it was far too risky. There was also the fact that it wouldn't be unlikely for mystery dungeons to be obscured near the ocean floor, hidden underneath kelp and oceanic plant life, meaning that straying too close could separate them all, and potentially end with one mon as a feral.

And so they continued to drift... four pokémon, Ruby's bag, and a random, brown backpack that was found floating all alone in the aftermath, a few hours after they found Alice. The backpack was a little soggy but still intact, heaved towards the middle of the lifeboat so everyone could reach it safely. Gabi checked the compartments and found no name, which was mildly concerning, but chose to open it anyways.

Despite the lack of ownership, they found something relieving. Twelve Oran Berries, a Starf Berry, a glass flask with no water left, a pokémon encyclopedia with many different pages missing, an empty paperweight notebook, a small container full of ink-based pens, and a Warp Seed were found inside, spreading interest and wonder around the body of the raft.

Alice picked up the notebook with a small wave of psychic energy, marveling at it. "I-I wonder who was keeping all this..."

Ruby reached for the encyclopedia, flipping through it with her stubs. "Seems old, and in pretty bad shape too..."

"Chill out y'all" Gabi piped, watching them fill through the contents. "Don't get too hasty, this is probably someone else's stuff. Thankfully there isn't anything personal, but still."

"I wonder who would just keep a Starf Berry in their bag like that, kek."

Ruby sighed, resting her back on the eastern edge of the raft, right next to Alice. "Who do you think this belongs to?"

"Could be Mallku" Proteus suggested.

"I d-don't think he would just leave a bag behind like that..."

Gabi snorted. "Y'know, we did. But we were all in a rush, and there was no time to risk our asses back there. Especially Proteus, who's weak to fire."

"But you aren't? You could have gone and grabbed them for us" Alice murmured.

The Reuniclus crossed her arms. "I was just being safe. One of my old teachers told me that you should never run back into danger during an evacuation. Even if it's something as simple as a fire, it can still pose a health risk. And in mystery dungeons, it's twice as important."

Alice frowned. "Wh-what about if a pokémon is back there? Aren't explorers and rescue teams supposed to be selfless? I-isn't that their job?"

Silence brew over the raft, lingering with awkwardness. Gabi was hesitant to make an justification to her words, meanwhile Proteus and Ruby exchanged concerned glances. No one really expected Alice to make such a comeback, especially with one so thought-provoking. Gabi winced, before admitting defeat.

"You're right... I didn't check to see if anyone was behind me, I was too busy trying to save myself. Maybe if I had checked the room before I left, Tori would still be with us. She's somewhere else completely now. We don't know if she's dead or not."

Ruby huffed. For a moment, she could sense a lie, but held it off.

"I think it's my fault too" the Cherrim mumbled. "I didn't check either. I was too worried about my own safety."

Alice nodded, half-smiling. "I was going to make sure we had everyone, but then someone smacked into me from the side and I fell overboard. I don't remember who it was, but I know they were really large..."

"Was it Ari?" Ruby questioned.

"Wh-who?"

"Roaring Moon, I think. Big wings, kinda looks like a Salamence..."

"Oh, I've never heard of those pokémon, sorry. But th-the description about the wings sounds about right."

Proteus yawned. "By the way... I saw Tori while I was crawling towards the closet. She gave me a freaky glance before moving the other direction. Looked a little mad."

Ruby reeked of twisted guilt. Thankfully, no one else could smell it.

"Yeah, she's been pretty pissed alright" Gabi remarked. "Dunno what ticked her off. She's been like that since we left Blubluk."

Alice nodded. "Do you think she's homesick?"

"Doubt it. She was always eager to leave the city, so it's gotta be something else."

Something else?

"Y'know, I probably shouldn't be revealing this info" Proteus mentioned. "But I'll say it anyways. I happened to run in with Tori last night too. We had a chat, and she said something about Ruby was betraying her, and then another thing about being bossed around." He cleared his throat, blinking. "Gugh, seems like even she doesn't know what to get mad at."

Ruby flinched. "B-betraying!?"

"Apparently so."

"That's odd" Alice muttered.

Proteus looked at Ruby curiously. "You've known her the longest, right? So maybe you know what's going on."

"I don't" Ruby sighed, shrinking with embarrassment. "I wish I did."

"Do you think talking to her would help?"

"I... can't. Every time I do she just... cuts me out. Pretends I'm not there."

Gabi nodded. "She'll get over it eventually. Don't worry, Rubes."

"Th-thanks, I guess."

Proteus turned his eyes ahead as the girls exchanged more tentative glances. He almost jumped as he spotted a large silhouette not too far off in the distance- a green, lush body of forest that expanded eastward and westward, dotted with large boulders and stones that cluttered the beach in front of it. The land looked untouched and free of unnatural irregularities, like a mystery dungeon had never even stepped within miles of its radius.

It wasn't too far away, and just about what they needed. If they attempted to push their way there, the raft could reach the shore before dusk. Ruby noticed where Proteus was looking, and ushered Alice and Gabi to get a view also.

"We're saved!" Alice cheered.

"Nuh uh, not yet" Gabi reprimanded. "Even if we find a place for the night, we'll need a way to get fire." She turned towards Ruby. "Nothing in the big bag… that's concerning. Rubes, you at least have matches right?"

"I don't sorry."

"Bummer." She sighed and reached her arms under the body of the raft. "C'mon Alice, help me out here."

"H-how do I do that?"

Gabi furrowed her... brow, unable to tell if the Chimecho was being sarcastic. "You're a psychic type. Use your mind or whatever and help me move this thing before sundown."

"O-oh, right sorry."

Alice moved to the back and began channeling her psychic abilities into the boat, lifting it ever so slightly as Proteus moved out of the way. He and Ruby sat in the middle, backpack between them, watching as the two psychics struggled to pull the raft towards the beach, fighting against its own weight and the lively current.

"Pull harder!" Gabi yelled.

"I-I'm trying!"

Ruby looked up. The sun was about three-quarters of the way towards dusk.

The psychics continued to strain. Their combined energy wasn't quite enough to lift the raft off the water, nor pull it very fast, but the efforts were making progress, albeit quite slowly. Gabi, being the heaviest, was the biggest hurdle, as all of her energy was focused on pulling the lifeboat, meaning she was barely levitating, making the weight needed to pull even greater. Ruby watched the waters, anxious that a feral might catch them off guard and attack from behind.

Proteus glanced back to the beach. "We're halfway there" he chirped.

Gabi groaned. Alice nearly let go, shrieking unwarily.

"Get a better grip, Alles!"

"Sorry!"

"Stop saying sorry and just do the job, for fuck's sake!"

Ruby winced. She wasn't quite sure if Gabi was angry at Alice, or something else was bothering her. Regardless, the two continued to do just about the same for the next few minutes- a cycle of Alice getting overloaded and struggling to keep up pace, Gabi chastising her for it, Alice feeling bad and trying to catch up, only to fail and repeat the cycle again.

The four did eventually reach the beach though, albeit not when they preferred. Alice let out an exhausted chime, before flopping onto the raft right in front of Proteus and Ruby. She was about to snuggle down and sleep, only for Gabi to snap at her to stay awake.

"I know you're tired, Alles. But we can't settle down yet, especially not out in the open."

"Why can't we just..." The Chimecho yawned. "Take a short nap..."

Gabi groaned, then looked at Ruby hesitantly. "Rubes, can you carry her for me?"

"You- h-huh!?"

"I dunno, let her coil around your body or something. It's only a small favor, and it would help a lot if you could pitch in."

"Okay" Ruby muttered.

"Thanks" Gabi replied, before turning to Proteus. "You're carrying the backpack. I'll take the lifeboat."

"Roger that, kek."

Ruby anxiously leaned over the edges of the raft, watching the land that surrounded them, and the expanse of nature that she wasn't quite used to for most of her life. A stretch of trees made up the forest ahead, dotted with fallen logs and burrows neatly hidden between bushes and ferns, all within the cover of overlaying leaves. A soaring Pikipek flew by, landing on a branch that held several Grepa Berries.

It was all natural. Nothing urban about it.

She glanced back to Alice. The Chimecho was teetering with sleepiness.

"D-do you want me to carry you?"

No answer.

Sigh.

Ruby bunny-hopped off the raft, caking her stubs in the grittiness of the beach sand (and thankfully avoiding tripping in the process). Alice followed, drifting in the air wearily- before collapsing onto the ground. She tumbled in front of Ruby, eyes shut, body curled up, and snoozing. She hadn't even made it to her before flopping.

Proteus snagged the large backpack off the raft, watching. "Girl's really knocked out, eh?"

Ruby sighed and lifted Alice up. She tried wrapping the Chimecho around her own body, memorizing the first meeting where they had reunited and attempting something close to it. Alice was a bit longer than Ruby expected- the process of coiling her was a task in its own, confounded with the struggles of finding somewhere to rest Alice's head while also keeping her upright.

Eventually, Ruby opted to balance her with her small, stubby arms. Gabi was carrying the lifeboat in the air by then, and Proteus was tugging the backpack across the beach into the forest.

Gabi sighed, floating after him. "Wait for us, man!"

"You said it yourself; we don't have much time!"

Ruby stumbled on their trail, balancing Alice on her... "shoulders." Pray to Shaymin that we find shelter...

Proteus was the fastest, even with the heavy weight sagging behind him. He crawled through the underbrush, pushing past branches and strewn leaves. Gabi was a little less than happy for him to go on without her consent, pursuing his mess of a trail while also ensuring Ruby and Alice didn't get lost or left behind.

Like a maze, everything in the forest seemed to jumble together, looking all the same. Gabi could have well blended in with the greenery if not for her grunts and rushed movements. She followed Proteus all the way to a clearing, where the Galvantula had stopped all together, looking up at the branches above. She was about to yell at him, but hesitated.

"Ruby?" She glanced back, seeing no trace of the Cherrim. "Alice!?"

No reply.

Proteus set the backpack down and glanced back to Gabi. "You lost them?"

"I didn't lose them dumbass" she barked. "They lost me! They're probably following the wrong trail because you decided it would be a good idea to go wandering without talking to us about it first."

"Nevermind."

"What?"

"Turn around."

Ruby popped out of a bush behind them, still weighed down by Alice.

"I'm here" Ruby squeaked.

Gabi let out a sigh of relief. As she did so, Alice awakened, still retaining some of her sleepiness with a small yawn. The Chimecho let go of Ruby, floating on her ownsome.

"Are we... setting up camp?"

Gabi toyed with her necklace, biting back an annoyed frown. "Wanted to go a bit farther, but the area here feels fine. We can set up camp now." She pointed north, deeper into the forest. "And then we'll think about looking around later."

"H-how do you suppose we set up a fire?" Ruby queried.

"Dunno. We need dry wood, but I don't know how to get any."

Proteus looked down at his pedipalps, then back at Gabi. "You think some sparks could light a fire?"

"No, dumbass."

"Oh okay."

Inattentive to the conversation at hand, Alice wandered around the clearing, staring through the breadth of filtered leaves that blanketed the sun above them. She reminisced of a faint memory, a story about someone- a blobby, hazy figure who was stuck on an island alone, who attempted to light a fire using glass, two sticks and sunlight. She couldn't quite piece together the visuals... much of it was lost among stray reminiscences and fragments of loose comprehensions, more of which were random or unrelated to anything else.

She tried to picture the memory of a man making a fire but faltered. How did he do it?

Unless...

The glass managed to capture heat somehow… which came from the sun, since light emits warmth?

There was no other way. That had to be it.

"Guys, I think I have an idea!"

Gabi, Proteus and Ruby immediately turned around.

"What is it, kek?"

"Uh..." Alice glanced nervously between Ruby's satchel and the bag that was found drifting on the water before. Immediately she felt herself lose confidence. "D-do we have any glass on us?"

"We do" Ruby replied. She reached into the bag and pulled out the flask, before unsteadily handing it off to Gabi. "Why do we need it?"

Alice sighed, trying to look convincing. "I was... thinking we could rub some sticks together and make a fire? Then uhm.. use the glass to catch the sunlight to ignite it, since the heat is reflected by the surface? I-it's mostly a small shot, but I was thinking it might work."

"So you want us to make a fire, without a fire type?"

"Does that sound weird?"

Gabi shook her head. "No, we can try it. No harm in not."

"Here, I'll grab some sticks" Proteus announced, turning away from the group and disappearing behind some bushes, leaving the girls by themselves in the clearing.

They stood for a moment watching, before Gabi had the spirit to speak up, annoyed by Proteus's constant impulsiveness. "Y'know I've always said Tori's one to watch out for, but I think Protes might be up there too. So damn reckless that you'd think he'll get himself killed before lasting a minute alone."

Ruby simply frowned internally. She glanced at the brown backpack that was seated in the heart of the clearing, then back to Gabi. "Hey, that reminds me. Gabi?"

"Yup?"

"You... said you survived a landslide when we were at the diner with Mall. What was that about?"

The Reuniclus snorted, crossing her arms with the flask clutched to her chest. "An old friend of mine said that the best way to impress someone is by making a statement about yourself so ridiculous and irrelevant that they don't even question it. That's how you get people to be amazed. They'll get too wrapped up in the statement that they're pretty much stunned, and completely forget everything else said before."

"So, your tactic is to... confuse them?"

"Yep! You've gotten their attention to the point where they're invested. Won't even question if your statement was correct all along."

Ruby winced. "But then did you tell Mall that you graduated at the top of your class? Unless I'm.. missing the point?"

"There was never a point" Gabi quipped back.

Alice began to back away, pushing past the topic. "We should probably start the fire now."

"Fine. Is Protes back yet?"

"Nope" Ruby murmured.

"Goddamn it." Gabi groaned, furrowing her brow. "I'll be back. You two stay here." The psychic dropped the flask onto the dirt and floated down Proteus's trail through the shrubbery, following the path where he had taken off. Neither of the other girls attempted to stop her, glancing between each other hesitantly.

"Do you we?" Ruby queried.

Alice shook her head. "We can just stay back here. It's better we stick together than lose everyone."

"B-but won't Gabi be lost too if she doesn't find Proteus!?"

"Well uhm.. I guess that's true" Alice mumbled, sighing. "But-"

"So, we should follow her."

"No!" Alice cried out. The Chimecho floated in front of Ruby, blocking the Cherrim from racing ahead. "We can't. Gabi can go by herself; we'll stay here."

Ruby was unmoved, turning her back away. "I... don't know, Alice."

"Why? What's wrong!?"

"Nothing. I just... it's too risky without the others. We need to follow them."

Alice anxiously moved closer, just about expecting her to run off. "And get lost?"

Ruby pushed past her. "We can't lose Gabi. She's the strongest and smartest out of all of us- if we stay behind without her, we risk being attacked by ferals."

Alice bit the edge of her mouth, twisting her gaze between the bag and the bush. "But... what if Mallku finds only one of us and we have to tell him everyone else is missing? We can't let that happen."

"If it does, we'll just go searching for them. Everyone should be able to defend themselves well enough to live long past a day."

Alice frowned. "Are you sure? This is uncharted territory, Ruby. Everyone is defenseless alone, even if they're strong."

"I-"

"We need to stay together, in a group... please."

"But then we leave Proteus and Gabi by themselves..."

Alice moved forward to wrap her body around Ruby, offering the best of anything close to a hug. "Let's… just stay here, okay? They'll probably come back soon, and if they don't, we can go searching together later."

Ruby sighed. "Okay..."

Alice smiled. "Thanks."

"Right. So, how are we going to make a fire exactly?"

"Oh uhm... we rub the sticks and then heat it up using the glass... I think."

"Heat it up using the glass?"

"Yeah. The sunlight passes through the glass, and then it sends warmth toward the sticks." Alice let go, moving ahead while facing Ruby. "The sticks are... flammable, which is what makes them good for making fires. You can heat them up and they produce sparks."

The Cherrim nodded, but she could feel a lingering air of doubt breathing itself into her lungs. Would the flames really be strong enough to last a night?

"You're sure about this?"

"Of course!" Alice reassured, smiling. Her enthusiasm was fake, but it was the best, and likely only way, to lighten the mood while also beating around the bush. Alice cleared away a little space to start the fire, drooping onto the ground next to Ruby.

"We don't have sticks."

"Oh!" Alice winced, embarrassed that she forgot about the most important part of the fire. "Sorry, it slipped my mind."

"It's fine" Ruby mumbled. She turned her body up to the overhanging tree branches, peering through her petals. "Do you think you could get the ones up there?"

"Sure." Alice shook off the red on her cheeks and flew towards the branch Ruby was looking at, snapping it from its tree and dropping it down. She snapped a few more, before returning to her spot on the ground.

Ruby filtered through every one of them in a pile, finding that they were way too large to use. "We need smaller ones."

"You want me to break them up?"

"Actually.." Ruby's stem drooped, paired with a short easing of her muscles. "This is fine. How do you we get the fire started?"

Alice lifted the flask that Gabi had previously dumped onto the dirt, teleporting it just above the pile of sticks. She positioned the bottle in the air, trying to hook the sunlight filtering through the leaves above. When she finally caught some of it, she stopped moving the flask and wobbly held it still in the air, focusing all of her energy onto it. Ruby moved out of the way, watching Alice curiously.

"I don't understand why Proteus had to leave for wood. We're practically surrounded by it."

"Y-yeah" Alice agreed, albeit nervously. "That was a bit weird."

The two of them observed the pile of sticks for several minutes, silently skeptical about the idea as time started to wind towards dusk. Ruby inched towards her satchel and sat down against it, pulling out a Totter Seed and feeling it in her stubs. She glanced back at Alice, who was still holding the flask with a psychic wave and witnessing an unfortunate lack of resemblance in flames, before putting the seed back in the bag. She could feel herself getting impatient but decided to shove the feeling aside, instead trying her best to be relaxed.

Just a bit longer.

A few more minutes passed by. Alice started to get weary from levitating the flask for so long, the lack of heat becoming even more distressing in part as dusk penetrated its dark and toned claws across the skylines, feeding growing anxieties. The sunlight had been pointed at the sticks for a while now, but not once did a single ember show itself.

Alice eventually gave up, letting go of the flask and drifting downward onto the ground. The flask fell with a clunk, tipping over and residing next to the brown backpack.

"What am I doing wrong?" Alice murmured to herself, growing uneasy.

Ruby looked up, opening the gap in her petals a bit more as her eyes dilated in the dark. The sound of flying types chittering and wailing echoed through the trees, hidden from all angles in the obscurity of the night. Any one of them could be feral- loose in this unfamiliar, hard-to-see landscape, bent on attacking if the two of them weren't careful.

The punishment just wasn't worth it, especially now.

"Alice?"

The Chimecho was a little shaken to hear her name called, shrinking back on instinct. She had to squint to see Ruby in front of her, nearly not recognizing the Cherrim in her frazzled state.

"Come here. We should probably stay closer together."

"Uh... okay." Alice floated towards Ruby, resting on her... lap, body in fetal position and eyes peeled. Ruby leaned down to pull the psychic closer, back against her satchel.

"I guess the fire's out of the question now."

"I-it just wasn't working" Alice whispered. "I don't know if we didn't have enough sunlight, or we just did it wrong, or..."

"It's going to be fine" Ruby interjected. "We can still go on without fire, I think. But we still need help, and there weren't any signs of it on the way here..."

Alice was once again unconvinced, sighing in defeat. "I really wish I had thought to grab my bag."

"We still have mine."

"Yeah but..." A tear bulged in Alice's eye. "I had so many useful things in there. Like medical supplies and blankets, that I'll never be able to get back. What if we get hurt and I can't do anything because I lost it all. I-"

Ruby squeezed the Chimecho a little tighter. "You had no control over whether that fire started. We were all panicking, it's not your fault."

Alice sighed. The darkness of the night felt louder now that everything, including anything directly in front of her, was hard to see. The two of them sat in silence, huddled together under the safety of the trees and nightfall, eager to whisper to each other but refraining.

If Proteus and Gabi were out there, they couldn't have gone far- likely trudging through the same distant screeching of ferals and rustling of trees that were also enveloping the area Ruby and Alice were stuck residing in, wandering through foliage, fractured timber and pokémon droppings.

If anyone was nearby, it would only make sense for them to call out for help. Alas, neither of the girls could hear the voices of the other members, as they were likely separated far enough that any chance of finding the pokémon were crushed to dust.

...Until Ruby had an idea.

"If we turn back to the beach, we might be able to see signs of people better."

Alice thought the idea through for a few seconds, before showing signs of uncertainty. "Do you know where we came from?"

"I do! C'mon, get up and follow me."

Alice moved out of the way as Ruby stood up, shaking dust off herself and throwing her satchel over her shoulder. Alice lifted the other backpack with a wave of psychic energy, following Ruby as she trudged deeper into the woods.

"The beach is this way" Ruby directed, pointing ahead. "We'll notice when the slope starts to curve downwards."

Alice was a bit doubtful but decided to take her word for it, staying close behind as Ruby pushed through the forest.

"So, I guess we'll edge along the beach until we see signs of people?"

"Yeah. Th-the beach is a lot more spacious, so if we run into trouble, we'll have more room to run. Or... fight if we need to."

"But how do we know where we're going if we don't have a compass?"

"Just... follow your instincts and stay close."

"Okay."

Ruby continued to lead the way, passing through more shrubbery and foliage. The sounds of feral pokémon began to die down as the two moved farther in, combined with the growing scents of damp moss and pine that lingered and refused to leave. The slope of the terrain curved upwards slightly, a bit unnerving despite Ruby being positive that they were going the right way- she was sure she had turned the direction they had come from.

And yet...

"I th-think we're lost."

"We're not" Ruby hissed. "It's just ahead. Be patient."

Alice sighed. "Okay..."

They moved farther into the forest. However, even despite Ruby's persistence, the ground wasn't starting to level any lower, and the area wasn't starting to get any more familiar- only more obscure.

They weren't headed towards the beach at all.

Alice stopped in her tracks. "Ruby!"

The Cherrim turned around, huffing within her petals. "What!?"

"We're completely lost."

"N-no we aren't." Ruby stiffened, on guard. "It's just up ahead, over the hill. Be patient with me."

"But I've been patient this whole time. N-nothing's changed."

"W-well, I-" An urge to run, and yet her stubs held loyal, nipped by instincts and submerged fears but refusing to move. "Why can't you trust me on this!?"

Alice sighed. Her breath was pungent with exhaust, and her pupils were boiled with fear. While her smiles could light up a room, her frowns just about did the opposite- Ruby had seen the same in her aunt multiple times before infact, but the circumstance was different. The both of them were wandering in the forest alone, anxious and uncertain, detached from their friends (and crew) while at the same time not knowing who might be alive and who might not. Everything was a daze, everything was a mess, and everything was washed to shreds.

There was no point in arguing. Ruby was delusional, and they were both lost.

Alice leaned closer, levitating down to the other's height. "It's n-not that I don't trust you, it's more so that-"

"No" Ruby interrupted. She just about wanted to bury herself underground for her own stupidity. "I was delusional. I-I'm sorry."

The two of them proceeded to imitate their first hug from the first meeting, no words necessary- Alice graciously wrapping her blanket-like body around Ruby, tightly but comfortably. It was a soft hug, not applying too much pressure due to the, again, circumstance at hand. But they both reveled despite, smiling out of each other's view and not saying anything, less out of being tired and more out of wanting to let the moment last.

As the feeling started to linger however, it came with negative thoughts.

The hug felt more like a chokehold now- the squeezing was starting to remind Ruby of the panic attack from the morning before, leaving no room to breathe as she kicked and writhed and twisted below the depths, strangled by fear and anxiety and-

Nonononoonono-

Ruby squirmed free as fast as she could. She broke free of the grip and flew loose, knocking down head-first into the dirt and causing Alice a brief moment of shock. The Cherrim's vision was fully blocked by her own petals, which tightened subconsciously in the panic that she felt was trying to strangle her to death.

Alice flinched watching her, a bit confused and worried. At first, she thought she did something wrong, but found the answer more relieving as she flew down to help Ruby.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

The Cherrim's breaths were muffled. Her body was shaking slightly, but motionless beyond that.

Ruby lay there for a few seconds, taking it in.

"W…was I squeezing too hard?" Alice whispered.

"I-I-I need a moment-"

Ruby attempted to pick herself up, resorting to kick her feet up against the ground, but ended up getting bailed out by Alice. The Chimecho leaned her against a nearby tree, sitting both bags on Ruby's left and herself on the right.

"I'm so sorry" Ruby blurted. "I-it just happened without my control."

Alice pricked with concern. "But you're okay?"

"I think so."

The latter nodded. "Do you want to stay here, or keep moving?"

"We can s-sleep under the tree."

"Alright" Alice whispered, huddling closer.

The thought of Tori, Gabi and the others being in true danger started to scare Ruby more than ever now. And yet, through her muffled breaths and sudden panic just a minute before, she could feel herself getting a little tired. Maybe the exhausting day was starting to have its effects. Maybe it was because Alice being right next to her made her feel safe.

"I wish Tori was here" Ruby croaked. "She's usually the one to comfort me."

Alice nodded softly. "It's too dark to go now, but we can go searching again in the morning, okay?"

"Yeah. Wh-when was the last time we ate?"

"I think it was in the afternoon, when we were in the raft. Not that we should eat now though, it's probably better to save our berries for morning."

Ruby silently concurred. The forest had seemingly quieted since they began talking under the tree, but the feelings of anxiety remained. She flipped through a hundred different possibilities of what happened to everyone- Proteus, Mallku, and some of the rest she could only remember the names of, all in the span of a moment. She turned her shoulder, hopeful that she could talk with Alice a little more, before finding that the Chimecho was already asleep, head resting against her petals.

I guess there's no point in staying up and worrying anymore.

With a short prayer to Shaymin above, Ruby pushed herself and Alice against the leathery comfort of the bags, slowly letting herself doze off under the protection of the trees, and the safety of the stars. It wasn't as pretty as most nights, that part true, but at least she wasn't alone.

Not too long after, rain fell, and what came with it would change everything.