Welcome to Shattered Horizons! This is an SI story, but I've never read one similar to this one, before. I say that because, not only have I found myself on Remnant, but I'm joined by a friend! Now, this chapter would be longer, but for reasons explained in the AN at the end, I had to cut it off where I did. Sorry about that.
One last thing, my friend on Remnant is NOT a real person. And by that, I mean she doesn't exist in real life. She has aspects of several people I know, along with a few fictional characters.
With that out of the way, I hope that you enjoy!
Note: This chapter has been rewritten, as I was really unhappy with it.
IlIlIlIlIlIl
It's been several days since we found ourselves on this small mountainous island off the coast of British Columbia. I lost all sense of direction when the storm hit and we got separated from the others. I guess that's just part of the risk of kayaking in the pacific ocean. Fortunately, we at least have each other. Trying to survive here would be exponentially more difficult with only half the supplies.
It was pure luck that when the storm hit, I was ahead of most of our group, trying to keep up with her. No reason in particular, I just wanted to push myself, and not be an unathletic procrastinator like I normally am. I hope the others survived.
The morning after the storm, Celes and I found ourselves washed up on the rocky beach of an island. The luckiest part of our survival would probably be the stream right next to where we ended up. At least we don't need to worry about fresh water.
This morning, Celes had taken her hatchet to try and hunt one of the deer that live on this island. We've been living off of fish for the past few days, but yesterday we could only catch two in the morning. It seems the fish have learned to avoid this part of the beach.
Now that I think about it, it shouldn't be taking her this long. There was an old one in the herd I discovered yesterday evening, and they couldn't have gone that far, could they?
My mind made up, I moved our supplies away from the fire and dumped a bunch of pine needles on on it. If a rescue ship comes while I'm finding her, at least they'll be able to see the smoke and find our camp site.
IlIlIlIlIlI
I've reached where the herd had went to sleep last night, and noticed the ground was quite disturbed. More than it should have been. Looking around, I tried to draw on whatever marginal tracking skill I picked up from reading novels, and had my efforts, well, I don't want to say that my efforts have been rewarded, because I saw some fabric that looks like it came from Celes' shirt. Why I don't want to say that I've been rewarded is because it looks like it was bathed in a crimson dye.
"Celes?" I call out, desperately hoping for a response. Lady luck must be laughing at me, since I heard my friend call out, albeit very weakly.
Sprinting towards where I heard her voice coming from, two things drew my eye. The first was Celes Teal sitting against a tree. The second thing I noticed was the dead deer right next to her. And the third and most worrying thing that I notice is the antler going straight through her arm!
I rush to her side instantly. "What happened? No, don't tell me. Save your energy for when we get you patched up."
"I... I don't think that... that I'm getting patched up. I think it pierced an artery. At least I got it. That should be enough meat for you to survive long enough for rescue, and to make sure my body doesn't just rot here," She says, looking at her arm.
I can't accept that. I tell her to hold on, run back to camp, and bring whatever supplies I can grab. Unfortunately, we don't have much in the way of first aid, but I still grab everything I can hold and run back to her.
When I notice her condition, I rush to her side, dropping all that I had brought with me next to her. She's slipped into unconsciousness during the time I had taken to reach her. I'm definitely not thinking straight, which is understandable. I mean, this is the person who has been working with me to survive on this island, and we've built up a friendship while here. But the first thing that comes to mind isn't to try to use one of the things I brought.
It isn't all that surprising, actually, when you consider that whenever I'm not watching videos or playing video games I'm reading fanfiction. And writing a bit as well.
Instead of trying to figure out how I could use one of the things I brought to save her, I instead put a hand on each of her shoulders and begin to recite from memory.
"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."
I'm hoping with all my will that this works, but this is real life, not RWBY. the faint rise and fall of her chest stops, and she slumps over, the antler sliding out of her arm.
The blood that had been stopped from leaving her body just rushes out, and - I can't take this. There's no way this could have happened. The body in front of me isn't Celes.
It doesn't stop me from crying over the corpse until I black out.
IlIlIlIlIlI
Well, I think I blacked out. One moment, I was crying over the body of somebody who looks like my friend, even though she has to be back at the camp. It doesn't matter that she wasn't there when I went to grab what I could to try and save this person, she must have been resting in the makeshift tent we set up.
Even though it's not Celes, it still feels like I'm being struck by lightning during a forest fire while being frozen like Valigarmanda in Narshe.
I'm then struck by a sudden realization.
"That's why her name is so familiar!" I shout as I sit up on the pavement.
I can't believe I never made the connection sooner! No wonder I felt like I should recognise her name ever since I met her a few years ago back when I started at Feren High. It all- wait. Back up a moment. Pavement?
Looking at the ground in shock, I notice Celes beside me. I think. I can't totally tell, since my glasses must have fallen off at some point. The hole in her arm looks like it's been cauterized? I've never seen a cauterized wound before, but from what I can see through the blurry ice encasing her arm, It's not pretty. Still better than it gushing blood though. Putting a finger to her neck, I can feel a pulse. A very faint pulse. It's there though. And it may be my imagination, but is it getting stronger?
Alright. She's alive. Good. I was worried for a moment there.
"Welcome to Beacon," a sad voice says from right next to me, breaking me out of my thoughts and finally allowing me to take stock of my surroundings. We're in a small crater, with a red and black figure lying in the middle of it. I can't really spot any trees, but it takes my mind a few seconds to put together all the pieces. The blurry figure beside me, the words she said, the fact that we're on pavement, in a crater, and the combination of fire, ice, and lightning can only point to one conclusion.
Celes is actually dead and this is all a grief-induced dream.
Well, even if this is a dream, a refuge that my mind created for me to hind in, I'm going to hide here as long as I can, and make the most out of it. And that means making sure that dream-Celes receives medical attention. Along with myself, it seems, as I feel a stabbing pain in my leg when I try to stand.
My cry of pain seems to get Ruby's attention.
"Oh no! I'm really, really sorry! Are you alright? Um, I'll try to find a teacher! Don't move!" the blurry huntress-in-training disappears, small red blurs floating to the ground in her wake.
My relief that Celes is alive, combined with my shock of both my injuries and of being in a fictional universe, along with my dread that this is only a grief-induced dream, finally catch up to me, causing me to black out.
IlIlIlIlIlI
I'm much happier with this version of the chapter than the original version. This feels like it has much more potential. I just really didn't like how I handled, well, everything in the original.
So yeah. I feel like this is also longer than the original was, which I'm happy with as well.
Sorry for not doing this sooner. I got a new laptop, and creating a test chamber in Hammer used a lot of my time. Along with Subnautica, Final Fantasy VI, Factorio, Opus Magnum, the list goes on.
Anyways, I'm going to end this prologue here. This feels like a good place to end. I guess it also helps that I'm not writing this while half asleep. Until next time!