POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
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Feb 12, 2023 8:14:02 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Feb 12, 2023 8:14:02 GMT -5
The more Ayu was climbing around the area of the landslide, the more she realized that things were looking grim. Even more than one could deduce from a simple glance. Masses of soil were all over the place, moving along everything that the dirt swallowed as it avalanched down. Energies were dying inside. Tiny, little signatures of animals that most people won't pay attention to. What horrors did they feel while suffocating in the darkness, in pain and alone, not knowing when their demise will come? Ayu felt a sting in her heart and she hastened her step. The area to cover was wide and the animals trapped in the landslide were countless but she was determined to succeed - or at least do as much as possible. A one-person rescue and healing team was on the run, trying to make a difference.
She made the trees use their roots to dig into the ground and push it aside. The vines were holding in place all the stones and compacted pieces of dirt so they wouldn't fall on anyone's head. The thick trunks were creating barriers to make sure that the loose soil won't slip from under her feet. Ayu couldn't fly, the only way to navigate this area was to be as careful as possible, aiding herself with whatever she could think of. As vines were supporting her so she wouldn't fall head down straight into the mud, she made the plants spread apart the ground. Thinner, more flexible tendrils slipped there searching for anything alive. Ayu guided by her energy sense was able to pull out more and more animals as she progressed. She couldn't save them all, she understand that... It pained her but the thing most people that aided others needed to know was that they weren't unfailing. They were only mortals and the law of nature, of the universe, weren't always kind. Some of them were cruel even, the survival of the fittest at its finest - yet she was there for that. Ayu was ready to dig her way through the mud and find those deemed fated to die. She couldn't fight with destiny but little by little she wanted to make a difference. And yet, the deer she met after landing here was only the beginning.
"Hush, it will be alright..." she whispered holding against her chest a small hare, its fur dirty and his eyes numbed by a shock. The fluff on her hands was sticky because of blood and mud but she didn't mind, focusing on healing the sprained paws. She held the animal gently and it didn't resist her, trembling, cold and pained. Slowly, just like she learned - she let the energy gently seep in and work on its own, rebuilding the muscles and healing injured joints. The soft paws that were before painfully twisted in an awkward direction were now returning to normal. After the procedure, Ayu watched with joy and relief how the animal perks up, how its ears start twitching eagerly... She stroked its back and gently placed the hare on the ground - it hopped away quickly. Another one was saved. The more she thought about it the more her heart was growing inside her chest. It was a hard job to do but she needed to continue it because someone has to... Because she wanted to.
After the hare, she found a family of badgers that aside from the shock of being caught up in the landslide were pretty healthy. Ayu calmed down the panicking fox that was hissing at her and bit her hand - only for it to lick her wound apologetically after she healed the scratches on its muzzle. Here and there, deep in the ground, she found birds with broken wings, glued to each other by the hardened mud. Poor things didn't fly fast enough to escape the roaring soil... Even if Ayu was able to heal the fractured bones, she couldn't reattach or regrow something that was torn apart from the body. One of the woodpeckers will have to hop around with only one leg, the other was lost somewhere deep in the ground... She could only clean and heal the wound present, praying that the black and white bird will quickly adapt to the new order of things. It was unfortunate but that was all could she do. Watching the birds softly flapping their wings in the air she took a deep breath. She had to keep on going.
And then, after three to four hours of continuing the cycle of finding and healing, Ayu could day that she saw it on. Animals of the forests... And even some strays that shouldn't be here. How did a tortoise got caught up in all this..? Yet the biggest and probably the scariest encounter that Ayu literally dug out from the ground, was a bear. An adult animal, twice as tall and five as wide, with thick skin and brown fur, muzzle full of scars, and one missing eye. The claws were the size of half of her hand and one slash could give her a very nasty cut... Seeing as the vines pulled out the bear and left him next to her, Ayu was speechless for a moment. A piece of wood - probably a broken branch - was piercing its side deeply, the crimson blood gushing from the wound with each raspy breath. The bear was looking at her with hostility and anger, the crooked yellow teeth were already bared in an attempt of intimidation. This animal won't understand what she would say, so Ayu tried to use telepathy, showing only genuine feelings - but the reaction was opposite from what she expected. The bear growled, his body twitched in pain and the eye pierced her through with a stare that she could only describe as incredulous.
He didn't believe her. There was something grumpy in this old, melancholic energy of a bear, the dweller of the forests that lived through countless fights. He tried to scare her away... Out of fear maybe. Ayu would have been afraid too...
"It's okay..." she whispered softly, her voice apologetical. She kneeled down and gently held the bear's head. It was so big, with one bite he would be able to chew her head right off her shoulders - but there was no fear in Ayu. Weirdly enough that is... Bears were always the dangerous animals that each time she saw in the forest, she was looking out for. But seeing this one in pain, she couldn't help but sympathize with a king of the woods, now gravely wounded and waiting for his end. She touched the course fur and closed her eyes, the glow lighting up her face and hands. The energy started seeping inside. One of the vines as gently as it was possibly removed the branch and Ayu had to hold onto the bear that abruptly roared and struggled on the soft ground. "I-It's going to be alright," she whispered again. The injury was deep and he has lost a lot of blood. Ayu could tell so by sensing so closely his life force that was still strong - but running out, pouring out just like the blood falling from the wound. With a deep breath, she needed to use more energy. More. And more.
The glow that entered the bear's body was faintly seen from under the layers of skin and fur. The internal organs were damaged too... She didn't hesitate, even if her hands were trembling. Piece by piece, she was repairing the body, closing the wound. It took time, each segment, organ, and bone were a little different but ultimately it was all about healing everything. The more energy she poured, the more the bear was looking at her, confusion in his dark eye.
She simply did what she had to.
Power Level - 243,444
Word Count - 1,306
Technique - [ST2] Heal - 1TP |
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
|
Feb 12, 2023 8:14:18 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Feb 12, 2023 8:14:18 GMT -5
Drops of sweat were pearling on her skin. The fingers that were transferring the warm energy were trembling and Ayu didn't even realize it when she tightened her lips into a straight line. The fight with the injury was one she could take on anytime - contrary to a battle with other people. It felt more fulfilling. Instead of inflicting damage, she was healing, rather than sending someone home bruised she left them healthy and energetic. This way felt like it suited her more.
It was mesmerizing to look at how the wound on the bear's side was filling up and closing - how the muscles were tying back together and the skin covered pink and fresh flesh. Coarse, thick hair grew up on the bald spot and the healing was over. Who would have thought that the Ki would work like that on the organic matter? Ayu still couldn't stop this awe she felt each time she was healing a living being - it was filling her core with warmth too. Compared to that, the sensation of using energy to inflict injury felt now nearly sickening to her... Or maybe it was just here. The animal's gaze was still confused yet the longer she healed it, the more it mellowed down. When she finally sighed and moved her hands, the growl that she heard wasn't hostile. The voice that was resonating inside the furious throat of a bear was low, gentle, almost sweet. Without any help the animal got up, his bulky body heavily standing up and he shook away the dirt still clinging to his fur. A towering figure, one that could break her spine with one move of a muscular, clawed leg... Ayu was still kneeling on the ground and when the bear lowered his head, she didn't even flinch. There was a rush of warm air breathed from a scarred nose and the jaws opened... And she felt something wet and warm stroking her cheek.
"Oh, y-you!" Ayu laughed both delighted and relieved at the bear's reaction though she didn't expect it to lick her in his gratitude. Wiping her cheek she smiled and stroked the hairy neck. The fur felt rough to the touch but she didn't dislike it. "Off you go and be careful," the animal grunted a bit, looked at her one last time, and wobbling to the sides with every step, left. The young woman placed a hand on her heart and breathed slowly... It was a rollercoaster of emotions but she wouldn't have it any other way. Excitement and gladness were mixed with anxiety and fear. She dared not call herself a doctor, yet maybe she just experience a small part of what they were feeling in their line of work. Dusting her hands, she stood up, ready to walk towards another signature trapped underground. Ayu didn't pay much attention to how she looked either - digging through the ground for hours now, she was pretty dirty. The mud has stained everything it could, and the water from the unstable ground has soaked through her shoes and uniform up to her knees. The redness tainted her hands and there was some smeared soil on her face. It didn't matter now.
What mattered was that she was continuing her search.
As time was progressing, Ayu was able to achieve more than she hoped for. With the help of plants and her healing techniques, more and more forest critters were getting back on their legs. She found them, her roots and vines were able to dig them out, and then she took care of their injuries. Sometimes she didn't make it in time - she could only clench her teeth and swallow tears when the lifeless body of a fawn was taken out to the surface. There was a beaver too, that suffocated under the rubble, and more... A help got too late, she felt their energy a moment ago yet just before she reached them, their life was taken away. That was the charm of nature, a life once strong in another second could mercilessly start fading. It was cruel, it was unjust and yet - Ayu understood why Dende has told her to come here and practice. It wasn't as much about polishing her skills but also about establishing the right mindset, the one that the healer needs to have.
It would be so easy to say - I want to heal everyone! - yet the results of that would be catastrophic. The cycle of life and death was something natural... It wasn't in her power to choose who lives, who dies, and who keeps on fighting - she was only helping out, pushing away in time what was the inevitable. If Ayu would as much as to march into every hospital, aiding in the recovery of every patient there - she'd feel so much better, so fulfilled, and yet that would be messing with the natural order of things. Her power was limited. Every second someone on the Earth was dying, be it by accident, attack, or natural causes. And she was only one person, the burden was already too great to bear... With that thought came the understanding of why Dende, the Guardian of Earth himself was mostly observing humanity. Intervening with every matter would be draining. It wasn't selfish to admit that someone wasn't able to be a god and save everyone... It was better to preserve energy for something that would change the fate of the whole planet. It was now obvious, it might not sit well with Ayu, but that was the truth she learned to accept. Choosing between individuals and Earthlings as a whole was a choice she hoped she won't ever have to make.
If someone she tried to help will die, that will be an important lesson. She will grieve, she will cry, that much was obvious - but she will bury this life in her heart, making sure nothing like that could happen again. It will be tough, she knew it. But Ayu needed to be better than she was before. Even if she wasn't still sure she was worthy of Guardian's trust, she was going to do her best.
And the fickle nature of fate was proved to her when she found the stork. After more than six hours when she didn't feel tiredness nor hunger, Ayu found a bird curled on the side of the landslide, half-buried in the mud. He was too light. His svelte body was still breathing but the wounds were dreadful. The impact of the muddy avalanche broke the thin legs in several places, the long, smooth neck looked like it was twisted, and yet the stork was stubbornly clinging to life. His left wing was barely there. The poor bird was in so much pain and Ayu did everything she could to save him... This wing, the mess of bones and broken, dirty feathers were hanging on a thin thread of tendon - she saw the dark, beady eyes staring at her blankly. Of course, she healed the stork - but the wing was already gone, broken from the body and she couldn't heal it. And even if she tried, the wounds were slowly closing in - the eyes soon enough became empty like a glass marble reflecting the sky above them. The life slipped away from her grasp, even if she tried her best and strongest to make sure the noble bird would survive. The weak signature faded to nothingness.
There was a limit to her ability. She couldn't save everyone. Ayu wiped gently placed the body of a stork on the ground and wiped her tears, sniffling under her breath. It wasn't her fault. And yet... It still hurt so badly that she wanted to sob out loud.
Not yet. The time for grieving will come later. She wasn't done with her task so Ayu held her trembling hands together - and continued to do what she was asked to do. What she wanted to do.
She returned to the Lookout the next morning, only after she made sure she saved every life that could be saved.
Power Level - 243,444
Word Count - 1,350
Total Word Count - 2,656
Technique - [ST3] Heal - 1TP |
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POWER LEVEL
354,508
Tech Points
28/75
Forms
Epic Majin [x34]
Zeni
23,106
Majin
|
Feb 12, 2023 8:25:59 GMT -5
Post by Majin Liari on Feb 12, 2023 8:25:59 GMT -5
PL gained: 1487
Zeni: 1487
TP gained: -2 for the techs
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