J. Chadwick
5) RWBY: Remnant
Camping
Some hunter teams take off into the forest as soon as they can, others wait like they expect to be told what to do, and others seem to be having a good time.
"So want to figure things out on our way," suggests Yang.
The team nods their heads in agreeance and they head out into the forest.
They walk for an hour wandering aimlessly through the forest.
"So, how are we supposed to find the beacon?" asked Ruby.
The team stops and looks at each other.
"I thought you knew where we were going," Yang says looking at Weiss.
"Why you looking at me?" replies Weiss.
"Well, if we are looking for a beason, then we are also looking for a power source. So if we look for a cave or some sort of structure, then I think we will find it' says Blake.
The team looks at Blake with open mouths.
"What?" says Blake.
"Where did that come from," says Yang.
"Ya that was like big brain time there," says Ruby.
"Well it makes sense. A beacon would also need a sky view to be able to transmit. If we have radio equipment then we could find it like that, but we don't" says Weiss.
"That's why I say we should look for the power source. It might be making steam or noise." says Blake.
"So we have a plan?" asked Yang.
"Ya lets try to find places that might work for a beacon, so near a structure or cave, has a sky view, probably even has a clearing nearby. I bet the academy would send shuttles to do maintenance at times too" says Weiss.
"We could split up, but stay close," says Blake.
"So, me and Weiss and Blake and Yang?" askes Ruby.
The teams at each other and nods in unison.
"Ok sweet, lets group back up before the sun goes down," says Yang.
The team splits off.
Ruby and Weiss walk towards the mountains on the West side of the valley that holds the Emerald Forest. They past several rock formations, but no caves. They walk parallel to the foothills of the mountain, hoping to see some sign of the beacon. As they search, they approach a slope. Weiss slides down the slope and waits for Ruby. Ruby starts to slide, the suddenly pulls out the hand gun she took from the armory and fires a shot over Weiss's head.
"What the hell Ruby?"
"What?"
Ruby rubs her ears
"Why did you shoot?"
"I can't hear you Weiss, my ears are ringing" Ruby yells.
"Why did you shoo-"
Ruby pops off another shot.
Weiss covers her ears and yells.
"Damn it Ruby!"
Ruby runs past Weiss and disappears into the forest behind her. She follows to find Ruby fighting a group of grimm. The small agile creatures swarm around Ruby. Quick jabs and swipes are the only thing Ruby can do to keep them a bay.
"Use your essence!" yells Weiss.
"How?"
"Like this."
Weiss unsheathes her rapier and aims the point towards one of the shadows. With a crack and a woosh of air, Wiess stands beside Ruby with the grimm impaled on her sword. One of the grimm lunge at Weiss and with another crack it lands at the base of a tree.
"How did you do that?"
"Essence moves faster than you do. Extend it to where you want to go, then use it to pull yourself forward," Wiess yells.
Ruby Runs behind Weiss and another grimm falls to the ground in a mangled mess. Ruby feels secure fighting with Weiss, at least she knows Weiss has her back. Ruby turns around and faces the small creatures. They hug the ground closely and circle Weiss and Ruby, looking for the slightest opening in their defense. Ruby locks onto the far left one, and tries to project her essence just in front of the creature. As she does this she feels a force pulling at her, like a rope tied around her waist. She tries to make the force as strong as she can, like an elastic cord stretching before it breaks. In a split second Ruby flashes forward with an incredible speed.
The sudden acceleration surprises Ruby and she trips over the grimm and crashes into the ground. Ruby then uses her essence to pull her into the air, back to the ground, and behind the grimm. She tries to stab at it with her spear, but misses. The grimm slides right as she lunges for it. In a desperate move, Ruby pulls herself to a tree with her essance and kicks off the trunk. She pulls herself back towards the grimm and this time she uses her essence to throw the spear. With a slick "thunk" the grimm caves under the force of the weapon and is impaled to the ground.
"Ruby, Ruby."
I takes Ruby a second to realize that Weiss was trying to get her attention.
"You lost it there for a second," says Weiss.
"What? No, I was focused," replies Ruby.
"Well either way one got away."
Ruby looks up to see the tail end of a grimm run towards the mountain.
"Let's chase it," suggest Ruby.
"Ok, I'll follow you."
The two of them track the grimm to the entrance of a cave. The cave entrance is just a slit in the rock face. Hardly noticeable at all without first watching the grimm disappear into the shadows within. They stop and try to hear where the grimm went.
"Think it is safe to enter?" askes Ruby.
"No, it would be too hard to fight in the confined space. Best to just let this one go."
They turn to leave and take a step or two before the ground gives way and they fall through the earth.
Dazed, the two realize what happened and slowly recognize their surroundings. As their hearts slow and they focus their eyes, they realize that they are in the cave, but it's not an ordinary cave. For the most part, its a cave. There are rock formations, stalagmites and other formations created by years of water and mineral deposits. What makes this cave strange, is that the walls are perfectly smooth. Ruby stands and looks around. It appears they fell through the ceiling into a small room below the forest floor. The light pouring in from the new skylight bounces around the room revealing smooth stone.
"You ok?" asks Ruby.
"Ya, I used my essence to soften the fall. How about you?"
"Never better."
"Where are we?" asks Weiss.
"I'm not sure, but I don't think this is cave. More like an underground storage shed."
"Really?"
Weiss stands and walks over to Ruby.
"Ya, look at this line."
Ruby points to the line where the wall meets the floor. It is a perfect 90 degree corner that runs the length of the room. Wiess follows it as far as the light stretches.
"I'm going to take a look," says Weiss. She holds a hand in the air and uses her essence to make the tips of her fingers glow. She holds her hand in front of her and walks slowly into the darkness. Ruby waits and keeps a hand on her gun just in case.
"Come here," Weiss says through the darkness, "I think I found something."
Ruby takes a few steps forward and notices the ceiling suddenly get lower. She ducks under and follows the light coming from Wiess. Twenty yards into the cave, Ruby stands and walks over to Weiss.
"What is it?" asks Ruby.
Weiss releases her control on her essence and the light fades from her hands. Ruby's eyes try to adjust to the dark, but notices light emanating from the wall in front of them. On the wall a square of dim blue light glows like fireflies. Weiss touches it with a finger and the light seems to react to her touch.
"It acts like a computer, but I think it is broken," says Weiss. Ruby touches the wall and the light reacts to her as well.
"It's not like a computer though, the light is like part of the rock. I think it is a hologram?"
"Could be, but thats all I could find in this room," says Weiss.
"Wells lets head back, we don't need this cave trapping us."
"Ya lets try to find the others."
Weiss and Ruby leave the cave and search for Yang and Blake.
Later that evening , the team sets up camp and huddles around a small light.
"Its was like a computer screen, but it was on the cave wall," says Weiss.
"It would move when we touched it, but that's about it," says Ruby. Blake sits back and looks at Yang.
"That's a mystery to me, are you sure you didn't hit your head?" says Blake.
"No, you guys probably found some ruins of the Remnant," says Yang. The four of them look at Yang waiting for more.
"What are you talking about?" asks Weiss.
"Wait, even you don't know what I'm talking about? I thought with your fancy education you would have surely heard of it."
"I heard of fairy tales talking about the civilization that existed hundreds of years ago, but I never believed they were true."
"I never heard about them, can you tell us more?" asks Ruby. Yang looks into the night sky.
"Where do I begin? The Remnant is not their real name, really no one knows what they called themselves. All we know is that there are remnants, ruins that are left of their civilization and that we are their descendants. So really we are the Remnants, but that isn't important." explains Yang.
"So they are the ones that made that light Ruby and Weiss saw?" asks Blake.
"They made a lot of things. I don't know about the light, but people who study the ruins say there were very technologically advanced. Most of it seems like magic, energies that have no origin in reality. There is a large ruin to the east, they think was a city. The only thing that is left is the shell of buildings almost like bones from a giant creature."
"Where did they go?" asks Ruby.
"Nobody knows," says Yang.
"They were killed off," says Weiss.
"Nobody knows for certain. They aren't here, but the grimm are, so many people believe the grimm destroyed their civilization. That's why we fight the grimm, encase they come for us, we might be able to defeat them."
"But they have come for us," says Blake, "there has been several wars.
The army even trains for another grimm war."
"Those are the small grimm, my grandfather once told me that the grimm that destroyed the Remnant were much bigger and dangerous. But now they sleep, or so he said," says Yang.
"They are just stories, no one has seen these bigger grimm or even made any breakthroughs with Remnant history," retorts Weiss.
"But why? Why do they attack us?" asks Ruby. The team looks at Ruby, almost like a child asking about death.
"We don't know Ruby," says Yang.
"But does it matter? If they want to fight, then we will fight," says Weiss.
"I agree with White Hair, I'm not afraid to fight," says Blake.
"See, Black Hair has my back." Weiss and Blake look at each other and giggle.
They start to get ready for bed, and do a quick check around their camp for grimm.
"Who is going to stand guard for the first watch?" asks Weiss.
"I can," says Ruby.
"I can do second watch," says Blake, "just don't scare me when you wake me, I scream."
Ruby walks into the dark away from the others and waits. The night sky is clear and a light breeze ruffles the leaves. Ruby takes a deep breath and breathes in pine, and evergreen. She pulls a candy bar out of her pocket and bites off a piece.
"What did we do to deserve their hate," she wonders to herself.
A memory of pain brushes her heart, like the wind brushing against her face. She holds it back, not because he doesn't matter, but because she has no tears to cry. A twig snaps, and Ruby watches the shadows, waiting for movement.
The team wonders in the Emerald Forest for six days. The second day they saw no grimm, and nothing to report. The third day was exhausting battles followed by hunger. The Grimm stole their supplies during the night. Day four was spent much in worry, looking for food. Day five, near the end of their wits, they stumbled upon a supply cache. Yang saw a shuttle fly over a ridge of trees and noticed a bright orange parachute. Upon investigation they found the cache full of food and supplies. They refilled their food and water and set out for the beacon, still unsure where to look.