Chapter 16: It's What's Inside That Counts

"Koschei?" Mud asked, her eyebrows raising as she stopped eating her stew for a moment. "So your name is Pearl Koschei... and your dad's name is Ivan?"

"I... I think so," Pearl said. "Sorry, I don't remember much other than that..."

"Heh. Heh. Ha," Mud chuckled, turning away for a moment as if stifling her laughter. "What the shit. That's a fucking coincidence, alright."

"Uh... is something wrong?" Pearl asked.

"Hey, uh, tell me something," Mud asked, turning back towards Pearl. "Your father live in Atlas? You heard of anything by the name of Green Ocean?"

"Um... I don't know about Atlas, but I remember something about Green Ocean," Pearl said. She concentrated, replaying in her head the flashback she just had. "Your sister... she said my father worked for it. From what I remember, it's a biotech company that has several contracts with Atlas's military. Why do you ask?"

"I, uh... guess I should probably explain. I'm trying to track my sis down, but I haven't had luck until recently. Got info that she headed up to Atlas some years back to meet up with your dad," Mud asked. "Was looking for an expert on aura and the soul, and she got pointed up to your dad, who I'm told worked at Green Ocean. You know anything about that?"

"Well, I remember her coming into the house and asking my father about Green Ocean. I guess my father was probably working there at the time," Pearl said. "And from what I know, Green Ocean has developed much equipment that tracks, bolsters, and augments aura, among other things, so if my father worked there as a researcher, it's likely that he would know much about aura and the soul."

"Makes sense. Need to know how the soul works in order to build equipment for it," Mud said. "Still dunno why my sister needs something like that, though. Maybe she... nah, that wouldn't make sense."

"Huh?" Pearl asked. "What wouldn't make sense?"

"Don't worry about it," Mud said, slurping up the rest of her seafood stew before pointing down towards Pearl's. "Might wanna finish up your lunch. We're gonna be heading down to Damstel , and I wanna get down there by tonight. The earlier, the better."

"Uh, okay," Pearl said, quickly spooning the rest of the stew into her mouth. Mud watched her finish before standing up and stepping towards the exit of the pub, and Pearl followed close behind her after thanking the man behind the counter. When they made their way back onto the street, Pearl looked around, but saw no trace of the small group that Mud had fought off. "Do you think they might attack again? The guys who wanted to buy me from you, I mean?"

"Huh? Nah, I don't think so. Guys like them will probably be nursing their wounds back wherever they're holed up. Losing that hard with a numbers advantage can be a big hit to the old motivation," Mud said. "And if they do come back, I'll be ready. I'm really good at sniffing out ambushes, you know."

"Well, if you think it'll be fine..."

"Yeah, I think it'll be fine. Now come on, let's get out of this town. Like I said, we gotta make it to Damstel before nightfall," Mud said. "You wanna grab some snacks before we hit the road? I got some jerky, but that's about it for snack food."

"I, uh... jerky's fine," Pearl said. "I don't think I'll be hungry, anyways."

"Suit yourself," Mud said, making her way away from Hangman Bill's and towards the town's exit. Pearl followed her through the streets and past the front gate as they set out on the road east, heading towards the town of Damstel a few hours down the road.

The road up towards Damstel was a fairly barren one. Carved in dirt through the grassy hills of the region, it was far enough away from the coast that Pearl could no longer see the ocean, yet close enough that the cool sea wind still made its way over the hills and onto Pearl's exterior. Though she didn't exactly have conventional skin, whatever sensors had been built into her body did a good job at conveying the feeling of the cold breeze blowing against her arms. However, the wind also caused her cloak to pull away from her body and fly like a flag into the breeze.

"Uh... Mud?" Pearl asked, grabbing the cloak into a bundle to make sure it didn't fly away. "Do I still need to wear this? It's kind of cumbersome to wear with this wind, and we're pretty far from Pike's Landing by now, so I don't think anyone else is going to come after me..."

"Huh? Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Give it here," Mud said. Pearl took off the cloak and handed it to Mud, who stuffed it into her backpack. "You sure you don't need it? It gets pretty cold up this north."

"I think I should be fine. I haven't yet experienced any major temperature fluctuations, and most Atleasian robotics designed for field use are capable of withstanding temperatures well below freezing," Pearl explained. "If my body was built to such standards, I think I should be quite fine, even if we do head up to Atlas."

"Right. You sure know a lot about Atlas robotics," Mud said. "Who knows, maybe you built this body. Or your dad. You think that's a possibility?"

"I... it's not impossible. After all, my father is a researcher, and likely quite an accomplished one if your sister was recommended to him," Pearl said. "But to build a robot is one thing. Somehow fitting a soul like myself into it? It seems a daunting, if not impossible task."

"Well, your dad worked for Green Ocean, right? They develop aura-tech or some shit? Aura's kinda the soul, so it ain't completely out of the question," Mud said, circling around Pearl and looking over her body. "Though I don't see any logos or markings on you, so I dunno for sure. Maybe once we get into Atlas and find your dad, we'll get some more answers."

"Right. Atlas," Pearl said. "You... are heading to Atlas, correct? To find my father? And to help track down your sister?"

"Yup. That's the gist of it. We're headed to the kingdom of ice and robots," Mud said. "Don't much like the place. Too cold, not enough work, too much military. Got a damn soldier or Knight around every corner."

"I... it's probably not that bad. Then again, I have barely any memory of the place," Pearl said. "But why are you walking, then? Would it not have been easier to take a ship up from Pike's Landing?"

"Yeah, well, I ain't in a rush. That info I got is already a few years old, so she's got a big head start on me already. And boat fare's cheaper up at the north end of the kingdom, past the strait between Vale and the Darklands," Mud explained. "Gives me some opportunities to pick up jobs along the way. Plus, I got to meet you, didn't I?"

"I... guess so," Pearl said. "But could you not try to contact him via your scroll?"

"What, you think anyone just hands out their number?" Mud asked. "Don't got any way to call or message your dad if I dunno how to contact him. Unless you happen to have his contact info rattling around in those memories of yours."

"I... sorry, I don't," Pearl said. "But if he's still working at Green Ocean, perhaps his contact information is public? That could be the case if he is a prominent figure within the company. Perhaps you could at least call the company."

"That... could work. Lemme look it up," Mud said, taking out her scroll. After tapping a few buttons, she frowned and slipped it back into her pocket. "Damn, no signal out here. Can't connect to the CCTnet."

"Hm. Maybe..." Pearl began to say as she remembered something from earlier in the day. "I believe most settlements have CCTnet relay towers that connect them to the global network. That means there is probably a CCTnet relay tower in Damstel. Perhaps you could look it up once we're there?"

"Could work. Not really in a rush though, since we're going up to Atlas anyways to bring you to your dad," Mud said. "You do want that, right?"

"I... I'd like that," Pearl said. "He and your sister, they're the only ones I can remember from before I was... this. Perhaps he may have some answers."

"Maybe," Mud said, pulling a stick of jerky from her pocket. She took a large bite out of the top of the stick before handing it towards Pearl. "Want some?"

"Isn't that, uh... unsanitary?"

"You're a robot."

"That is true," Pearl said, taking the stick of jerky. She gingerly bit into it with her metal teeth before pulling it into her mouth. Like with the stew, it felt odd to chew the jerky, since while she had a normal set of teeth, she lacked any tongue to go with it. However, she could still somehow taste the dried meat without issue, and she swallowed after a few seconds of chewing.

"How is it?" Mud asked as Pearl handed back the stick of jerky. "You looked kinda concentrated there."

"It was... decent. I have little to compare it to besides the stew we had earlier today," Pearl said. "But I think I am still not used to eating with this body. It feels odd to eat without a tongue."

"Yeah, well, you're lucky you can taste stuff without one. I bet eating would be pretty dull if you couldn't taste anything," Mud said, taking another bite of the jerky. "Lotta good food all across Remnant. You should thank whoever made your body."

"I suppose I should," Pearl said. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but... you seem quite well-traveled. Have you been to all the kingdoms?"

"Yup. Mostly stayed around Vale and Vacuo, but I've been up around Atlas and Mistral a decent bit," Mud said. "Why do you ask?"

"What is the food like?" Pearl asked. "Across the kingdoms, I mean? I seem to have some knowledge of how things should taste, but as you can probably guess, that knowledge is somewhat... limited."

"That's what you wanna know? Well, Vacuo's got the best food around, if you don't mind having everything buried in spices. Had a really good chili pork dish from a local place in the capital, though it was long enough ago that I can't remember where it was," Mud said. "Oh, and their stuff is pretty dry, too. Still good, though. And Vale food, well, you've already tasted a bit of it."

"What about Atlas?" Pearl asked. "What is the food like up there?"

"Huh? Oh, Atlesians can't cook for shit," Mud said as Pearl saw a grimace coming over Mud's face. "Everything's cold and lumpy. Ugh."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Eh, the stuff I tasted was. Didn't stay too long," Mud explained. "Alcohol was good though. So it ain't all bad."

"I... I'm not sure if I'm even old enough to drink," Pearl said.

"Eh, you're a robot," Mud said. "If you can eat just fine, I doubt drinking would do you any harm, even if you are underage."

"I guess that's true," Pearl said as the two reached the top of one of the many hills along the road. She stopped and turned around, looking back to see how far they had walked. While most of the view was of hills and grasslands, she could see a speck in the distance which she assumed was Pike's Landing.

"You coming?" Mud asked

"Uh, yeah," Pearl said, turning back around. "How much longer until we get to Damstel?"

"We still got a decent ways to go," Mud explained. "Why? Your body getting tired?"

"I... don't think I can get tired. Or sore, at least," Pearl said. "I'm still good to go."

"Sounds good. Probably a few hours left, unless we manage to catch a ride up towards Damstel," Mud said. Her gaze shifted past Pearl's shoulder. "Damn, that's a coincidence."

"Huh?" Pearl asked. Following Mud's eyes, she turned to see a small pickup truck rolling over one of the many hills towards the two girls, kicking up a load of dust behind it. Mud pulled Pearl over to the side of the road as she raised her hand and extended a thumb outwards in a hitchhiking gesture. As the truck rolled towards them, it began to slow down, stopping right by the two girls.

"You headed up to Damstel?" Mud asked the driver, a grungy-looking middle-aged man.

"Yup," the driver said, peering down towards Pearl. "The heck's that?"

"I'm, uh..."

"I got cash. It's yours if you take us up to Damstel and don't ask about the robot," Mud said, flashing a few Lien cards. "Sound good?"

"Eh, fine," the driver said, taking the money. "Y'all can ride in the back. And don't mess with anything."

"Um, thank you," Pearl said as Mud pulled her towards the back of the truck, where a mess of crates and boxes were already set up. The two girls climbed into the bed of the truck and found a seat among the cargo as the truck began moving once again, making its way down towards Damstel.

Ting.

Ting.

Ting.

Pearl repeatedly tapped her index finger against her thigh. Each tap produced a quiet tink of metal against metal. It still felt weird to her; while she had barely any memory of her life before she had this body, she knew that she was supposed to be made of soft flesh and blood, not... this.

Well, at least this strange body came with benefits. For example, though Pearl could feel the chill of the wind blowing through the bed of the truck, she wasn't bothered by it.

"Damn, getting a bit chilly," Mud muttered, shivering slightly as she looked out ahead of the truck. "Looks like we're almost there, though."

"We are?" Pearl asked, raising her head and standing up to look over the front of the truck. As it crossed over yet another hill, Pearl saw the road descend into a large valley, with gentle hills rolling up on each side. Down in the center of the valley was what looked like a small town, with clusters of buildings gathered around an open area in its center. Patches of farmland branched out from the edges of the town,though Pearl wasn't yet close enough to see what exactly was being grown or raised. "Uh... do you know what this town will be like? Will it be anything like Pike's Landing?"

"Dunno. Never been here," Mud said, turning towards Pearl. "But if I had to guess, by how close it is to Pike's Landing, it's probably some sorta trade town. Sailors and merchants come up from Pike's Landing, spend a night or two at the inns and bars, drop some cash on the local shops and markets, maybe do some bartering."

"They sustain only on trade?" Pearl asked. "That doesn't seem too feasible..."

"Well, not just trade. You saw those farms coming in, didn't you? Whatever they can't trade for, they probably get from the land," Mud explained. "Though again, that's just a guess. Could be wrong."

"I... I guess we'll find out soon," Pearl said as the truck made its way down into the valley. While the sides of the valley weren't steep, they were quite long, and it took a decent bit of time for the truck to reach the farmland by the edge of the town. Pearl looked out, watching the fields of wheat and corn roll by before spotting a field where several sheep were roaming around. "Oh, look!"

"What?" Mud asked, turning her head. "Oh, sheep? Yeah, I guess they raise a bit of livestock here. Or they make sweaters, I dunno."

"I heard that they're soft. Like touching a cloud," Pearl said. "Is that true?"

"Not like a cloud, but they're soft. You can go ask if you can touch one if we have free time," Mud said. "Though how'd you hear they're soft? Thought you don't remember anything."

"I... don't remember," Pearl said, looking down. "For some reason, I just... remember hearing that somehow? Maybe someone told me that before I became like this..."

"Eh, I guess you don't know any more than I do," Mud said, looking back towards the front of the truck as it passed the farmlands, slowing down as the town's gates approached. "Anyways, seems like we're here. Hopefully border guards are more lazy than the ones at Pike's Landing."

"What should we do if they aren't?" Pearl asked, leaning towards Mud. "Should I put on the cloak again?"

"To be honest, we'll probably be fine. If they're a trade town, they won't gain much from turning guys away at the gate, especially if they got cargo like this," Mud said, pointing at the boxes and crates surrounding the two. As she did so, the truck rumbled past the town gates, the guards merely standing by and not even sparing a glance towards Mud or Pearl. "See? Things'll be fine."

"Still, shouldn't I be covered up?" Pearl asked. "You said that scrappers, thieves, and other bad people might want to take me..."

"That was back in Pike's Landing. Place is a shithole compared to most towns. Though I guess it doesn't hurt to be safe," Mud said, throwing Pearl the cloak. She put it on as the truck began rolling to a stop. "I doubt it'll be as bad here, though. Even if someone does see what you are, you'll probably be fine as long as you don't attract too much attention to yourself."

"You two wanted to get to Damstel, yeah?" the truck driver asked, leaning out his side window towards the girls. "Well, we're here."

"Yup. Thanks for the ride," Mud said, standing up and hopping over the side of the truck bed.

"Um, thank you," Pearl said, following Mud off the truck. Her metal feet clanged against the stone-paved road, and though it wasn't excessively loud, the driver still took notice.

"Uh-huh. Dunno what's up with you, but good luck," the driver said as he pulled himself back into the truck and drove away, leaving the two girls by the side of the street. Pearl looked around; it seemed the driver had dropped them off in the center of town, which was an open square with streets leading away towards the edge of town. Though it was nearing evening, the square was still quite busy, with various market stalls set up around the square as people walked through, checking out and occasionally purchasing items. Many establishments were situated along the edges of the square; a few stores, an inn, and some bars from which Pearl could already hear joyful and rowdy conversation. However, the most striking feature was a statue in the middle of the square. It was several meters tall and depicted a woman with long hair and a cloak flowing in the wind. She held a Dust-tipped staff with one hand, with the other hand empty and stretching out towards the sky.

"What's that?" Pearl asked, pointing towards the statue.

"Huh? I dunno, maybe the local deity or something," Mud said, glancing up at the statue. "Why do you ask?"

"It's... interesting. I don't think people would put up a statue like this without reason," Pearl said as she made her way up to the statue, with Mud following behind her. Up close, Pearl could see that the statue was quite finely crafted, with the most minute details carved into the stone to make the figure seem nearly lifelike. "Wow, this is really well made. It must have taken quite a long time to carve."

"Ah, curious, are you?" Pearl heard someone say. She turned to see an old man with a cane slowly walking up beside her, looking up at the statue before shifting his gaze back down towards Pearl.. "This here's the statue of our savior. The Lady of Damstel."

"Who is she?" Pearl asked, turning away slightly to hide her face behind her cloak. "What did she do to get a statue of herself erected here?"

"It was back maybe... a hundred years ago. Not during my time," the old man said, sitting down by the base of the statue. "You've learned about the Great War, haven't you?"

"Uh... yes, I have," Pearl said, sitting beside the man. "It was nearly a century ago, wasn't it? Vale and Vacuo fought against Mantle and Mistral for a decade before peace was finally achieved."

"That's correct. My father fought in that war, on the side of Mantle," the old man said. "At one point, he joined an expeditionary force into northern Vale. It was with them that he first arrived at Damstel. Here, they came into conflict with a regiment of troops from Vale, leading to a fierce battle that threatened to consume the town."

"What happened?" Pearl asked. "The town is still here, so I assume..."

"Well, with all the fighting and destruction came something inevitable: the Grimm. And according to my father, they came down in the thousands, pouring over the hills and painting the fields black," the old man explained. "The soldiers of Mantle and Vale called a truce to fend off the Grimm, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. Then, the Lady appeared."

"The Lady? But she's just one person. Even the best Huntsmen and Huntresses wouldn't be able to take on a Grimm horde of thousands," Pearl said. "And Huntsmen and Huntresses didn't even exist back then, so she must have just been a soldier..."

"Not even. According to my father, she was just a wanderer that had been passing through the town," the old man said. "But when the Grimm descended upon the town, she made her way to the front lines, commanding the elements and pushing back the hordes almost single-handedly."

"Commanding the elements? What do you mean?" Pearl asked, looking up at the old man. "Was she a Dust user?"

"No. From what my father told me, the Lady was no mere Dust user. As she fought, fire rained down from the heavens, lightning struck across the battlefield, and freezing winds stopped hundreds of the foul creatures right in their tracks," the old man said. "It was as if she was one of the maidens from the tales of old, using her magic to bring the wrath of the elements upon the Grimm and push them back."

"Perhaps... a semblance, maybe?" Pearl suggested. "I've heard of semblances that allow for control over the elements, though none that apply to multiple, nor any powerful enough to drive back a horde of Grimm numbering in the thousands."

"Nobody knows for sure. After the Grimm were defeated, the Lady turned to the troops from Vale and Mantle, threatening to turn her might against them if they resumed fighting," the old man said. "Once they swore to a truce, she left. My father left Mantle's army and settled here after the war ended, but as far as anyone here knows, the Lady has not returned since then."

"So she saved this place? I suppose that would be a fitting reason to give one a statue," Pearl said, looking up at the statue of the Lady. "One woman commanding the elements themselves against a horde of thousands... it really does sound like something out of a fairy tale."

"The elements, huh..."

Pearl turned to see Mud looking up at the statue, rubbing her chin in thought. She walked up to the statue, running her hand over the staff the Lady was carrying. Then, she circled around the statue before standing still once more.

"Uh, Mud?" Pearl asked, looking up at Mud. "What is it?"

"Huh? Sorry, was thinking about something," Mud said, still looking up at the statue. "My sister had a similar semblance, I think. She wasn't 'smite a thousand Grimm' strong, but she could do stuff with fire, ice, stuff like that."

"In that case, maybe it's some sort of rare semblance then?" Pearl suggested. "I suppose it wouldn't be impossible for a semblance like that to exist."

"I guess so. Looks kinda like my sis, too. She even wielded a staff like that," Mud muttered. "Kinda strange, right? I mean, one similarity's normal, two's coincidence, but for the weapon, semblance, and appearance to be the same..."

"Could it be that she's one of your ancestors?" Pearl asked. "Perhaps your great-great-grandmother or something along those lines? That would explain the appearance, and semblances can be hereditary, so..."

"Guess that's a possibility. Don't know much about my family history, though she wouldn't be my ancestor, only my sister's," Mud said. She shifted her eyes past the statue, and Pearl followed her gaze to the sun setting over the hills surrounding the town. "Well, looks like it's getting a bit darker. I should probably go figure out where I need to go for that job. Hey, old man, you know if this place has a guardhouse or anything?"

"Oh? It's on the street that way, about two blocks down," the old man said, pointing towards one of the streets branching off from the square. "It's got a shield on the front. Can't miss it."

"Thanks. Come on, Pearl, let's go," Mud said. Pearl stood up and followed Mud as she started walking in the direction the old man had pointed towards. The stalls and shops that had populated the town square extended into the streets surrounding it, and they were still quite busy, with people regularly making their way in and out of their doors. Pearl noticed a lot less shifty gazes and nasty glares than she had back at Pike's Landing; nearly everyone had a smile on their face.

"This place seems nice," Pearl said, walking up beside Mud. "Are most towns like this? I would prefer if they were, rather than being like Pike's Landing."

"Eh, it varies. I guess most are closer to this," Mud said, scanning the buildings along the sides of the street. As the sky grew darker, Pearl noticed several of the stall owners and shop managers putting out Dust-fueled lanterns and lights, with some even lighting wax candles.

"Huh, that's odd. Is this common in Vale?" Pearl asked, pointing towards the lanterns. "I mean, using individual lights rather than lamps connected to an electric grid? I had thought that was how most modern settlements lit up the streets at night."

"You see it sometimes in smaller villages, but, uh..." Mud trailed off, looking up towards one of the posts lining the street. Pearl followed her sight, raising her eyes to see a streetlight hanging overhead, with several more placed at regular intervals down the road. However, none of them were lit; only the Dust lamps of the shops and stalls illuminated the path as the sun set. "Something's up here. If they got an electric grid, I guess they ain't using it."

"Why not?"

"I dunno. We can ask the guard captain or someone, I guess. And speaking of, looks like we're here," Mud said, coming to a stop. Pearl stopped beside her and looked up to see an emblem of a shield hanging on a building on the side of the road. Mud went and knocked on the door. "Hey, anyone home?"

"Coming!" a voice shouted from inside the building. The door opened, and a middle-aged man stepped out to greet them. "Sveltson Cinnabar. Captain of the Damstel Guard. What can I help you with?"

"Heard from the bounty office in Pike's Landing that you got work," Mud explained, pulling the job file she had gotten there out and handing it to Sveltson. "Night watch, right? Why just the one night?"

"Yes, it'll just be a simple watch along the edge of town. And as to why it's just a single night, the electric grid went down recently. The town gets its electricity from a hydroelectric plant along a river a few miles down the road, but the plant was damaged recently. The town's gone dark, everything with electricity is dead, and people are getting kinda antsy. Some people have backup generators, but most everyone's gonna be relying on non-electrical devices like the Dust lamps you've seen," Sveltson explained. "Fortunately, a repairman is coming up from Vale to take a look at it. He should be here tomorrow to hopefully fix things up, but we need some extra hands on deck for tonight. With everything going dark and the mood generally down, we need to be wary of Grimm attacks."

"Oh, so that's why all the lights are out," Pearl said, turning to Mud. "I guess that means we probably can't use the CCT relay tower here, either. Doubt that's still on."

"Eh, I'm not in a rush. I can just use the one in the next town, wherever that is," Mud said, turning back towards Sveltson. "So, where do you need me, and for how long?"

"There's a guard tower to the northeast of town, a bit off the road north. You'll be stationed up there. Your shift starts at two in the morning and ends at sunrise," Sveltson explained. "You're our first warning on anything, so if you see anything, radio us. You got a radio?"

"Yup," Mud said. Pearl saw her take a small handheld radio out of her pocket. "What's the frequency?"

"Three zero four," Sveltson said. "Anything else? Otherwise, I expect you to radio in once your shift starts."

"Nothing else. I'll do that," Mud said. Sveltson nodded, and the door closed. "Alright, let's find an inn, grab something to eat, and hit the hay."

"We're sleeping already?" Pearl asked. "It's only... about seven, maybe eight. The sun has barely set."

"Yeah, but I got an early morning shift. I can go without much sleep, but that doesn't mean I like it," Mud said, stepping off down the street as Pearl followed along. "Speaking of, do you need sleep? I dunno if you were sleeping when I found you or just deactivated, but I ain't ever heard of a robot that needs sleep."

"Uh... sorry, I don't really know," Pearl said. "I don't feel tired, but maybe that's just because it's quite early in the evening..."

"Eh, I guess we'll find out," Mud said.

As it turned out, Pearl didn't need sleep. Or at least, she couldn't get herself to sleep; she was unsure whether she truly didn't require sleep or was just too restless to do so. After a quick dinner served from the kitchen of a local inn, Pearl found herself tossing and turning on a bed in a dark room, with Mud sleeping soundly in the other bed a few meters away. At least, Pearl assumed she was sleeping; she was quiet, and Pearl wasn't willing to check and possibly wake her up, considering she had to wake up early in the morning.

Maybe I should go out on a walk, Pearl thought. She had been lying in bed for a long time now. She wasn't sure exactly how long, but she guessed she had been trying to sleep for at least an hour to no success. Still wide awake, Pearl threw off the sheets and rolled out of bed, hesitating slightly as the floorboards creaked beneath her weight.

"Heading out?" Pearl heard Mud mumble. She turned to see Mud turn towards her, her eyes still shut. "Can't sleep?"

"I... I don't think I can, sorry," Pearl said, grabbing her cloak from a nearby chair and wrapping it around herself. "Is it alright with you if I wander around a bit?"

"It's fine. Can't say I didn't expect a robot not being able to sleep," Mud muttered, turning back around. "Just be back by two. Wanna have someone to talk with on guard duty."

"I'll try," Pearl said, making her way out the door. Outside of the room they were staying in, the inn was dimly lit by candles and Dust lamps, guiding Pearl through the hall, down the stairs, and into the main lobby. Besides a likely-drunk stranger resting on a couch, the lobby was devoid of life, so Pearl made her way through the entrance and out into the town square. Though most of the square was dark, the statue of the Lady of Damstel was lit up by a single flickering Dust lamp placed at its base. With the Lady being like a beacon in the middle of the darkness, Pearl decided to make her way up to the statue.

A single civilian who drove off thousands of Grimm? It seems too fantastical to be true, but if so many people saw it, I suppose it couldn't be falsified, Pearl thought, gazing up at the statue. Then, her eyes dropped to the lamp flickering at its base. I guess the people here like her enough to give her a bit of light. Seems to be a bit unstable, though...

Pearl reached down and picked up the lamp, bringing its white-orange glow closer to her face. It wasn't too large, about as tall as her arm was long, and the light had flickered dim enough that she could keep it close without blinding herself. Assuming she was capable of blinding herself; Pearl didn't know how well her artificial eyes could handle bright lights. I wonder what's wrong with it... maybe it doesn't have enough fuel? Or maybe -

Suddenly, the light disappeared, plunging Pearl and the statue beside her into darkness. Pearl yelped, nearly dropping the lantern as she looked around. There wasn't anyone around; all she could see was the soft glow of lamps hanging off the buildings nearby. Uh... did I break it? Maybe I can find someone who can fix it, or -

"Pearl, what's that you're holding?" Pearl's mother asked. "May I see it?"

"Uh huh," Pearl said, holding up an old radio in one hand. "I found it in the back of the garage."

"Oh, that thing? It barely works anymore, and it doesn't even turn on half the time. I had meant to throw it out," Pearl's mother said. "What do you want with it?"

"I wanna see what's inside," Pearl said, holding up a screwdriver and a pair of pliers in her other hand. "I wanna try and fix it."

"That's nice, dear, but I think you should leave the fixing to your father. He's quite the smart one," Pearl's mother said.

"I can do it," Pearl insisted, making her way over to the kitchen and pulling up a seat. She placed the radio on the table and set both of her hands upon it before closing her eyes.

"Uh, dear?" Pearl's mother asked. "What are you doing?"

"I can see inside it," Pearl muttered, concentrating on the radio in her hands. Slowly, the internal workings of the radio unfurled in her mind, presenting themselves to her as if they were blueprints laid out across her mind's eye. Amongst the parts and wires she saw, she noticed a flaw in the wiring by the speaker. Then, she opened her eyes. "I know what's wrong with it."

"You could see inside it?" Pearl's mother asked. "What do you mean?"

"I could... see it's insides, I guess," Pearl said, flipping the radio over and unscrewing the back panel. Using her pliers, she reached into the internals of the radio, pulling a loose wire into an open connection point and pulling it tight before putting the back cover back on and securing it. "One of the wires by the speaker had been jostled loose. I just put it back into place. I think it should work now."

"Oh my. Is that true?" Pearl's mother asked, reaching over and switching the radio on. Sure enough, the radio began playing music loud and clear. "Wow, it sounds just like new! It seems your father isn't the only one around here who's good with technology."

"You think he'll like it?" Pearl asked. "I wanna show him what I did when he gets back from work."

"I'm sure he will," Pearl's mother said. "Maybe we can even find some more things you can fix."

"That sounds fun," Pearl said, getting up and making her way to the garage. She began looking around, searching for anything else that looked like it needed fixing.

Huh? Pearl thought, suddenly snapping back to reality. She was still standing in the dark next to the statue of the Lady, broken lamp in hand as she replayed the flash of memory in her head. Was that... my semblance? Let me try it out...

"Now how do I do this..." Pearl muttered, looking down at the broken lamp in her hands. She focused on the lamp, and suddenly, images of parts and wiring came into her head, forming a cohesive schematic detailing the structure of the lamp she was holding. One notable aspect of the structure stuck out to her: an improperly connected tube right by the lamp's Dust feed.

I don't have any tools... hopefully this opens fine, Pearl thought, turning the lamp over and pulling at the back panel. She smiled as it easily came open, then reached in to grab the faulty tube. While she couldn't see anything in the dark, she didn't need to, as her semblance told her exactly where everything was in the lamp's structure. After grabbing the tube and screwing it in place with her fingers, the lamp suddenly flashed back on, much brighter than it had been before and without any of the flickering from earlier.

"I did it!" Pearl exclaimed, giving herself a little cheer as she closed the back panel of the lamp and set it back at the base of the statue. "So that's my semblance..."

"Excuse me!"

Pearl heard a shout from behind her and turned to see a woman running up from one of the streets coming into the square. He was panting, and seemed quite out of breath. "Um... do you need something?" Pearl asked.

"Hah... yeah..." the woman said, stopping and taking a moment to catch her breath. "I need to get a message to the mayor. Or the town guard captain. Whoever manages the power situation here."

"Uh... I know where the guard house is," Pearl said. "What's wrong?"

"I was escorting a mechanic up here from Vale. He said something about needing to perform emergency repairs to bring a town's power back up," the woman explained. "But... we were ambushed by Grimm. Just an hour back. I barely got away, but..."

"The mechanic?" Pearl asked. "Where is he?"

"In a Beowolf's stomach," the woman said. "Your town's gonna have to find a new mechanic to get the power running."

"Huh. So you showed her to the guardhouse after that?" Mud asked, looking down over the edge of the watchtower to the field below. "What did the captain say?"

"Nothing much at first. He seemed quite frustrated, though," Pearl said. "I imagine it would be difficult to find and secure a new mechanic, especially with the CCT tower likely being down due to the outage..."

"Yeah, sounds like it'd suck," Mud said. "Always gotta watch out for Grimm while on the road, especially at night. They blend in way too well, even with their glowy eyes."

"It's quite unfortunate," Pearl said. "The town will have to go without power for... who knows how much longer."

"Yup. On the other hand, looks like you found your semblance. Means you got your aura already, somehow," Mud said, turning towards Pearl. "And that semblance sounds pretty useful. Ain't exactly 'driving off hordes of thousands' like the Lady's, but I can see it coming in handy with repairing and maintaining gear. Especially since you seem to be good with that already, with fixing that lantern and all."

"I guess that's true," Pearl said. She looked out of the watchtower down towards the town, which was mostly dark with dim lights dispersed throughout the streets. "What do you think we can do? To help the town, I mean?"

"What do you mean?" Mud asked. "We don't have to help them, you know. I was planning on just collecting my pay and heading up north once the shift's over."

"But... we could do something here to help. If they don't have their original mechanic, then maybe... I could go instead?" Pearl suggested. "I'm not sure how good I am at repairing things, but with a semblance like this, maybe I can help with something."

"We don't have to help them. I know I said I'm not in a rush, but I don't feel like wasting time heading up to repair something we don't even know if you can repair. Got better things to do with my time," Mud said. "Why do you even wanna help these guys, anyways? Not like you know anyone here."

"I know, but... this place seems nice. Nicer than Pike's Landing, at least. And to think that they'll have to go without power for who knows how long, staying in the dark, unable to use, well, anything that needs power, like a stove, a radio, the CCT relay..." Pearl said. "If there's something I can do to help, I would rather offer to help rather than just leave it alone. And besides... if you're looking to make it worth your time, maybe they'll pay us for it?"

"That's true. If they're desperate for a mechanic to fix their shit, they'll pay good money," Mud said, looking back out towards the fields surrounding the town.. "Alright, once my shift's over, we'll go have a talk with whoever we need to talk to. See if they want help getting their power back up. Until then, I guess you can sit tight here with me."

"Okay," Pearl said, gazing off into the night.

A/N: And here's chapter 16! The two have arrived in Damstel, and it seems the power's out. On the bright side, Pearl's found her semblance, and it seems pretty useful. And what's up with the supposed Lady of Damstel? Stay tuned to find out!

Thank you to Eomer Eadig for leaving a review once again!I'll try to make sure that Pearl does well to fit the "main character" role that Aqua left, even with her being quite different. Some aspects of Penny did help me build up Pearl and her story, though she'll be quite distinct from Penny despite both being robot girls.

Thanks as well to those who have read, followed, and favorited my story. And for those of you still reading, PLEASE don't hesitate to leave a review. I'd love to know what my readers are thinking, and any feedback, criticisms, and comments are appreciated. Have a nice day!