A/N: Chapter 62 of REKT. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or teams of RWBY, they belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. What I do own are the characters and teams of my OCs: REKT, GTSY, KACE and DAZE. I also claim Ingrid, Teo, Reina's parents and aunt as well.
Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.
Chapter 62: Father and Daughter
Somewhere in the outskirts...
It's been four weeks since I personally left the rubble of Beacon, ten weeks since Kairos left for the docks with Qrow, and God knows how long it's been since Weiss was whisked back to Atlas. With what little possessions I had on my person, I spent most of my time fending for myself and scavenging for essentials. It was a journey I never thought I'd have to deal with on my own, but I knew it had to be done.
The long path that led to Beacon was way far behind me, no longer giving off a feeling of warmth and security. My ears could no longer hear the scatters growls and clicking of teeth of various Grimm still making a pilgrimage to the desolate school. Of course, it wasn't as though the facility was left without a soul; there were still local huntsman and huntresses, not to mention a few teams and professors roaming around trying to piece together and rebuild.
My feet felt like lead after the long journey, almost sluggish as I attempted to continue moving. The rugged sack laid limply across my back, the essentials and the necessities needed for survival slowly dwindling as I continued to do what I can to live. I soon found myself relying on the need to hunt through the wild to scavenge what was around.
Once while settling around a small camp fire, I allowed myself to take the time to revisit the memories that continued to plague the forefront of my mind. There were times where I lay crying against the cold ground because the face of Pyrrha was a frequent visitor who haunted me. I felt as though her emerald eyes drilled deep into me, almost with a sorrowful expression on her face. My throat would constrict in on itself as I would attempt to plea an apology, begging her to forgive me. All I got in response was her silent gaze, and that hurt me even deeper.
I would wake up in jolts to various degrees depending on what I envisioned at night, but it always ended up the same in the morning with sweat dripping down my face, and my chest heaving for breath. Sometimes if it was extremely stressful I wouldn't dare to continue walking and just sit and try to calm myself down. There was no reason to bring some of the Grimm my way, though it would reduce the numbers marching to Beacon. Soon it has become my routine and I had almost forgotten what it felt like to tear Grimms with my own hands. Not even the senseless killing could bring my spirits up.
However, as I found myself nearing a location harboring a large population, I held back from exhibiting signs of negativity to stop the Grimm from coming after me. With a more calming atmosphere I took a minute to breathe before stepping forward and found myself standing near the entrance of a bustling town. Based on the feeling against my skin, I assumed that I had entered a dry, airy environment almost like a desert.
"Hmmm? Is this...?" I wondered out loud, taking note of various signatures and Auras I have never seen before. There were a plethora of squiggly lines flying around, that I almost couldn't grasp a single solitary strand. "Wow...when was the last time I've felt like this..."
"Yo! Reina!" A voice coming up, catching my ear immediately despite the other sounds filtering from the bustling city. "Hey hey, it is you!"
"Dalton? That you?" I focused solely on a signature approaching me, giving it my unbridled attention.
"Yup! Wow, you're looking...uh...good!" He came to a stop in front of me, waving a hand in greeting. "Oh where are my manners?" Spreading his arms out wide, he smiled and says with glee, "Welcome to Vacuo!"
Inside the town...
"Had I known you were stopping by I would've made myself a bit more presentable. Now I feel bad for not representing my city well...on top of being a tour guide." Dalton laughs heartily as we walked through the bazaars, the calls of vendors attempting to sell their wares filled the air. He filled me in on the customs and cultures that were purely interesting and kept me interested. "But then again, there's no way I would have known because of the destroyed connection."
"Dalton, what happened to your team that day?" I asked him.
"After the fall, we had no choice but to head home. Even though my team didn't sustain life-threatening damage, our other friends did. Oh! Here's a nice place to eat, don't worry about paying, I'll treat you this time. Next time is your turn." He ushered me to a nearby restaurant and took a seat, waving one of the waitresses over. After ordering a few beverages for himself and I, he continued speaking, "We wanted to stay and help rebuild, we really did. However, the adults ordered those who were guests to leave the premise and so we were on a transport sent straight back home."
"And Kaeon's team? Wasn't her team from here too?"
"Oh, her team? They're residing on the opposite end, beyond the Oasis." He replies, gesturing with his chin at where the golden sands reached the horizon just beyond the buildings. "Yeah, it's a long way to travel from one end to the other especially by foot. Thus, they were flown directly home."
"Sir and Ma'am, your drinks." Our waitress speaks up as she walks over with the beverages daintily balanced on a large circular tray. Setting them down accordingly, she takes out a notepad and pen, "Have you two decided what to order yet?"
"I believe I'm in the mood for the Chef's Special today." Dalton replies after looking over the menu, dipping his head as he made his choice. "Yeah, I'll go with that!"
"And for you, Ma'am?" She turns to me, with an expecting look on her face after writing down the food order.
"...I'm feeling sort of on the light side, so what do you recommend that's a little heavy yet sustainable?" I asks her, folding the menu underneath my hands.
"I'd recommend our salad bowl – you can have any toppings you want – with a side of biscuits, golden colored and light and fluffy, and mash potatoes. Although if you're looking for something filling, we do have a couple of racks of short ribs in storage. Our chef drizzles a coating of creamy mushroom sauce, doesn't sound light though, but I assure you it's well worth it. There's also a side of sun dried tuna, our restaurant's classic choice."
Hmmmm...it would be quite rude of me to sit here and not order anything. "Umm...then I'll go with the ribs. Would it be alright to ask for biscuits as an additional side too?"
"Of course, Ma'am. I'll be sure to let our chef know." She scribbles down what I asked for on her notepad and collected our menus. Lowering her body in a half bow, she added, "Your food will be out momentarily."
"Just so you know, if you can't finish I'll be more than happy to help you." Dalton cheekily notes after she walks off to inform the cooks. "Something tells me that the portions were a little on the large side."
"I'm definitely sharing because I'm not sure if I can finish." I replied, my lips curling up into a smile. "I can't thank you enough for taking me here."
"Hey, it's the least I can do. Besides the prices here aren't that high, and frankly, this is my all-time favorite." The boy smiled and releases a small huff of a laughter, my eyebrow raises up at the strange noise. "Sorry, I was just hit with a funny memory. My teammates still tease me and mentions that this place is like my home away from home. They aren't wrong though, it just shows how much I love this place."
"You know I've always wondered about this, but...how come your team hasn't gone up to Vale from the south? There's a connection down there right?"
"Sometimes we'll walk to various areas in the south depending on the missions we take, but when we want to go to someplace further in a quick and effective manner," Pulling out a folded map of Remnant he kept in his back pocket, the boy carefully unraveled it and drew a horizontal line on the map from where we were to Vale, "it's as simple as a straight line through the small body of water, it was actually quite vast because we went by boat. There's also the option of riding a bullhead, but we went with whatever was available and convenient at the time."
"And by 'we' you mean your teammates."
"Yup, pretty much. I won't let Eryn talk me into stepping foot on a boat ever again." Dalton said it so confidently I was almost inclined to believe him. He folded the map back up and stored it away. "And if she does, I'll buy my own ticket or walk till my feet fall off."
"You're like Neptune and his phobia for water." I mused, leaning a cheek against a raised hand.
"That blue-haired fellow? Oh man, he and his team were quite spectacular!" The boy exclaimed, smiling as he remembered the tournament fight. This was probably the only time I've seen him smile after the event. "Not too sure if I congratulated them on their team victory though...what a missed chance of opportunity!"
"It's okay, a lot were happening in such a short amount of time." I told him in a soothing manner, understanding his feelings since I'm sure I also didn't have enough time to go around to congratulate the teams who won. "You can probably do it the next time you meet with others."
"Your food has arrived!" The waitress spoke as she walked over, a much heavier tray held with confidence above her shoulder. She placed our food before our faces and took her leave, telling us that if we needed anything to just call her over. Taking up a fork and knife, I began on the ribs. The aroma danced around my nose almost in a teasing manner and I couldn't help but salivate. In no time at all, I was stuffing my mouth with rigor.
"Wow, you must have been starving." He teased me and I slowed down a bit, a light tint of embarrassment from my improper manners. Grabbing a napkin I dabbed my stained mouth in a way that would make Weiss proud. "I mean, the trek from the north to the south is quite a wild ride; it takes either a hunter's instinct or a really experience huntsman or huntresses to scavenge for food."
"Mmhmm!" I took another bite out of the ribs, chewing slowly and more proper. The meat was extremely juicy and tender, stripped off the bone without much effort and the sauce was just as tantalizing against my taste buds. Honestly, it was the best food I had ever eaten. Swallowing my food down I continued speaking, "Oh wow! This is really good!"
"I'm really glad you like it."
"Would you like a bite?" I offered him and he didn't refuse, taking two pieces ribs slathered in a generous amount of sauce for himself. He took the time to also test out the food and he was just as happy. "It's good, am I right?"
"Oh yes, this is as high quality as it gets." He replies, wiping his mouth with his own napkin. "Definitely bringing my team back here when they're not busy patrolling the town as well as healing from what had happened."
"There's never a dull moment with the life we live, huh?" I cracked a smile, one of which he mirrors back.
"Nope! But that's just how we love it." He began playing around with his food with a fork, a jovial tone laced in his voice. "Of course, I don't mind taking things nice and slow. It's not a bad idea of traveling around Remnant with everyone, we'll just have to wait for the connection comes back online. Maaan, it's so inconvenient when scrolls are no longer available."
"The frustration is quite palpable. But I think it's quite a soothing sensation knowing I'm not tied down to technology." I agreed, nodding my head to indicate I was listening to his words. The warmth of the food settling comfortably in my stomach was making me sleepy, and I would have loved to find a place to nap. "Although it's suspenseful when one is cut from all communication."
"Where is your scroll by the way?" He questions out of the blue. His device was face down on the table while my side of the table was bare, and unoccupied. "You don't seem to be the type to lose it or one who would walk around without it."
"I gave it to my teammate for safe keeping."
"Was it your partner, the faunus?"
"Yeah...I gave it to her." Dalton nodded his head before going back to his meal. We finished up our meal, and he paid with an additional tip. We headed out just as the sun was high above our heads, beating down on us relentlessly. "I didn't want her to come with me, even when she insisted she wanted to. The place I'm going to...is a place no one should ever wonder on their own."
"Where are you heading to anyway?" He questions, definitely filled with curiosity and quickly wiped away some beads of sweat that glistened on the skin with a hand. "Between you and I, Vacuo doesn't have that much entertainment to satisfy just about anybody."
"Let's just call it...an instinct." I replied, tilting my head slightly up and shielded my eyes with a raised hand. If I stayed out any longer I could have sworn an inkling of a heatstroke was in the making. "I made a promise to a certain someone that I would come back. It's been...a long time since we had seen each other."
"You think you'll be able to find your someone? And is the place you're searching for somewhere in this town?" He asks and I shook my head.
"I know I will find who I'm looking for. The place is somewhere out there actually, perhaps as you said, past the Oasis but yet...not quite to the next town. Somewhere in the middle." I told him.
"But if you're heading out there into the desert, you'll need goggles. The sands are relentless and quite unmerciful against those who hope of crossing from one town to the next. Sometimes when we get visitors from the other side, if they didn't have any protection, it's quite obvious." He advises me. "If you ask me, I'll admit that I have giggled a few times when I see those unfortunate souls."
"Alright then," I turned and grinned at him with a bright smile. "I'll take your word. Where do I get these goggles?"
Towards the Old Desert Ruins...
The goggles were a bonus as Dalton proclaimed, at least protecting my eyes physically from getting scratched; however, it hampered me from getting a good read on the scattered Aura segments. Out in the desert, amidst the sandstorms and warm winds, it's hard to pinpoint the exact location; organisms large or small were scarce as it was, so I was extremely frustrated.
However, if it's giving me so much trouble...then it would be just as frustrating for her. I kept my lips pressed tightly as I mentally chuckled at the thought. My old man definitely knew what he was thinking about when he escaped all the way out here. Bit by bit, feet slightly sinking an inch within the sand, I continued my trek with purpose.
That must be it...That's the place I needed to come to...I sensed a large obstacle coming up over the distance and slowed down my pace after what seemed like hours of walking in a particular direction. There hasn't been any incidents with Grimms or any wild animals, which was a blessing and a curse at the same time. In terms of blessings, it made my approach quite easy. In terms of a curse, I couldn't help the hairs on the back of my neck rising as I came closer and closer, feeling an eerie sense of unknowing.
Once my body was out of the heat I breathed a sigh of relief and took refuge within the shadows. My skin felt burnt and charbroiled from my journey. Turning my head back and forth, I took notice of a signature resonating deep within the structure, almost calling out to me. I took a deep breath and squeezed my way through the human-size entrance, glad to be out of the sands of hell. I kept my right hand out to feel the walls, kept my steps tentative and with caution as I pressed forward.
Slowly the walls opened up so much so that I was left padding in the middle, one foot in front of the other. There were crevices and large caverns, some of the ravines within the caves were a bit of a tightrope walk. I shivered a bit when a small breeze drafted around my body, but I pressed forward by following the single signature, forever glimmering within my head. A shift change in the air pulled me along and then I came to a stop, just a complete stop. Nothing physical caused me to pause, but I somehow just knew that I had to stop. That's when the shuffling of feet caught my ears and the signature approaching closer.
"You know, your footsteps sound just like your mother's when she was your age. And your scent hasn't changed one bit, even while you mingle among faunus and humans." The voice spoke up, and I turned my head towards the source. Within my mind the familiar signature turns into a burly shape standing before me, a small lumbering git in the way it stood. "Never thought I'd hear that sound again...nor smell your scent again. Sure beats the humid, vexing cave stench that I have holed myself in."
"And I never thought I'd hear your voice again." I respond, closing the distance between us and wrapping my arms around his torso. I snuggled even closer as I felt his muscular arms wrap around my own body, missing that sense of protection and warmth I craved when I was younger. "It's been way too long, Dad."
"You got that right." Rikter smiles with happiness, dragging his fingers through my hair like one would pet an animal. "It's great to hold you in my arms, my little princess."
