A/N: Chapter 84 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 84: Progressing bit by bit
Inside the safe house...
The other individual didn't say anything but I could still feel the presence in the room, if the hands wrapped around mine were any indication. For so long I have gotten accustomed to seeing the auras of other individuals, the distinctive colors informed me of who they are so that I may converse freely. I realized in this moment that I relied heavily on that particular aspect because of my condition, and now I don't have anything to guide me in this perpetually dark world. It was strange. It was foreign. I didn't want to feel like this any longer.
"...It's possible that you have overexerted yourself during your ordeal. I don't really understand too much about the ins and outs, but I know that you are not okay." The voice of the other person – a female's voice now that I listened properly or after gaining my hearing back – told me after a moment of silence, gently squeezing my hands as a mean of support. "It's also possible that you got hurt in a place I don't know about or am not allowed to know. Mentally, emotionally, perhaps even spiritually."
"...and what do you think is the problem with me?" I asked her after a moment of silence.
"Spiritually is perhaps the biggest thing that is injured in some way, emotionally I am unsure but it wouldn't hurt to get you checked at the clinic just in case." She replies gently. I heard some shuffling before my hands were being tugged, indicating that I should follow. Getting up slowly I stood on my two feet, feeling them tremble since I haven't used them in awhile.
"Go slow, I'm here for you to lean on. Let me be your guide." Placing one foot shakily in front of the other, I walked at a snail's pace, my arms out for balance as the other female continued to speak in her soft supportive way. I made it till I was touching the opposite wall and turned to my left, shuffling a bit till I almost felt the ground gave way. I froze in place, unsure what I was feeling and the brows on my face pinched together in wonder.
"You're about a few inches from the stairs, very good instincts stopped you from tumbling forward." The voice passed me by on the left, but the hand still held mine. "There's a guardrail on your right, use that to help you. I'll take the lead and let you know if it's okay to step down."
I nodded and with my right hand on the guard rail I slowly dropped my right foot down a step. Then my left so they were on equal footing. The hand in mine squeezed encouragingly and I moved my feet again. It was a slow daunting process but soon I was halfway down before I could reach the first floor. The female before me continued to give her support, pausing when I felt as though everything was too much. She didn't rush me, nor did she raise her voice when I held her back. She merely stood there and let me compose myself.
Finally my feet reached the first floor and I was told that I had reached the bottom, the breath of relief that I didn't know I was holding came out immediately afterwards. I never felt prouder. I felt someone's hand reach out to grab mine and drag me to what I presume to be the lounge area where everyone was gathered; a lot of voices were jumbled and garbled together that it was hard to focus on one particular topic.
"Everyone, our guest has arrived and is on her feet."
"Reina!" A voice, male this time, shouted and I could feel the presence rushing to stand before me. Hands gripped my shoulder and I suddenly felt smothered, pressed against the body of another. "Oh my gosh! I was so scared! You didn't wake up after that other guy handed you off to me, so I thought it would be great to have you rest in one of the safe houses. But after awhile you were out like a light, and I tried to find the other guy but he also disappeared! I started losing hope, and cursed myself for allowing you to go out there to the ruins by yourself! But here you are! Standing before me! I...I... boo hoo hoo!"
"Wow, didn't realize our leader was one to show emotions quite like that."
"Quick! Record it for the books!" Someone exclaimed followed by the noises of 'clicks' from a scroll. No doubt photos have been taken. "We must not let this surreal experience go to waste!"
"Maybe we can use it as blackmail for later, since our leader tends to make us do all his chores."
"You guys better not do such a thing! I demand those pictures or videos be deleted this instant!" A firm voice from the leader no doubt shouted at the others, presumably turning his head to yell at them since those words weren't directed at me, obviously. "I swear I'll make you do my chores for over a year and then some!"
"Dalton, you need to let Reina breathe before she turns blue in the face. She'll suffocate with how hard you're hugging her, maybe even breaking a rib or two." A voice spoke up immediately after a moment. "You may even send her back to bed at this rate."
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" The arms quickly released me and I drew in air as fast as possible, a hand placed over my chest to feel the rapid beating of my heart. "I was just way too excited that I got carried away. Sorry."
"Now that we have celebrated Reina coming out of her coma, we can probably do it properly tonight if you all want, but...what are the next steps? Do we have a game plan?"
"Let's go out on the town! There's so many places to experience!"
"Eryn you're just using this as an excuse to eat the delicious food. I have a feeling like the restaurants may have to prevent you before you eat through everything."
"It's not just about the food you know, Zack you jerk." The one known as Eryn shot back with a small bite in her voice. "I don't have a bottomless stomach, I have a limit too."
"The previous receipts of your bill from the various restaurants says otherwise."
"I must go home, back to where my family resided before I ended up in Vale and enrolled at Beacon as a student." I told them with no hesitation in my voice, disrupting their playful banter. The plan would be for me to catch a ride to the west, and then buy a boat to go up north; I already know that there's no way any fisherman would dare to journey way up north due to terrible and dangerous water conditions, therefore I had to get money ready to buy an unused vehicle and travel solo. Given the current condition and circumstances, I have to take the journey one step at a time and be extremely careful. "I haven't been back since my father and I were chased out and running for our lives, but if there's one thing I learned from the old ruins it's that there's something in my old home that I have to get to. No matter what."
"And is your aunt aware of this plan that you're telling us? She must have some kind of thought, I'm guessing."
"What if you end up running into her while you're up there?"
"Or worse, she's already there and set up another trap to get you while your guard is down."
"She won't kill me outright, she wants to savor this game of cat and mouse a bit longer." I said with some air of confidence at the questions that were lobbed in my direction.
"Not sure if 'savor' is the word I'd use, she tried to murder you out there without the rest of us knowing until it was already too late." Dalton told me with a shake of the head, not at all favoring my plan; honestly at this point I had nothing else to lose, and majority of the audience around me were also not a fan of the plan. "Whose to say she won't kill you the moment you step foot onto your family's territory. You wouldn't know what hit you until it's too late."
"She was using someone else to do her fighting, much like how she was using the Grimm back when I was a first year. She'll use any tool necessary to whittle away my chances of winning. But if it was the real her confronting me with her own hands," I couldn't help the shiver that crawled across the surface of my skin. "If it was her she'll want to play with me until she is completely satisfied. And even then I don't believe it'll be enough."
"There's also a chance she'll drag you to see the person who gives her her orders." The leader of Team DAZE continued, scratching his chin in thought. "For all we know, we could assume it's your aunt who controls them. But what if that is not the case? The undiscovered main villain who orders the Grimm around that no one has ever laid their eyes upon."
"Oh that sounds like something out of a dumb fairy tale."
"Zack, you're the last person to be saying that." A teasing voice spoke, almost snickering. "If I recall correctly I saw some really scandalous magazines hidden underneath your bed...along with some figurines from childhood fairy tales stacked on your shelves."
"I regret letting you spring clean my room that one time, Eryn because then you ran off and blabbed to the rest of the team." The gruff voice responded irritably. "Never again."
"Now I'm curious to know what else you've stocked your room since the last time I've went in there."
"You come within a five mile radius of my room you'll regret it."
"Enough fooling around. It's clear that Reina has a plan and we shouldn't be the ones to tell her what she can or cannot do." Dalton spoke up to cut off their bickering, using his authority as leader to take command. "Aero, see if you and Eryn can rustle up some grub from one of the nearby restaurants, Reina must be starving since she hasn't eaten. I'll get in touch with Kaeon and see if she and her team are willing to lend a hand."
"Inviting them to our place? It's been awhile since our place was alive and full of life."
"It certainly has so I guess it's time for a change of pace for once, we have all the time of the world. Zack, would you mind helping me with buying ingredients for tonight?"
"No problem."
"Ingredients?" I parroted, feeling a couple of bodies rushing around me like a whirlwind. "For what?"
"We gotta celebrate you properly and it's still daylight outside, so it's partying when the moon rises." Dalton laughs, watching as Aero and Eryn left while debating on which restaurant to go to first. "Also...I know you just came around so I think what the plan would be is give you an extra day to relax among friends, sleep for one more night, and then tomorrow...tomorrow we'll give you a proper send off."
Somewhere in the north...
Ruby and company returned to the village after a job well done, making a beeline to the blacksmith's shop since they weren't expecting some welcoming party; they took on the job to expelling the Grimm and they executed it perfectly, but the other villagers may not know it. The moment they entered the building, the blacksmith was behind the counter taking down the weapons on the walls. All the other weapons that had been hanging around were also cleaned up and placed in travel boxes.
"Wow, you planning on going somewhere?" asked the young huntress as the group approached him. "Didn't tell us otherwise we would've hurried to complete our task."
"Had I said that I was going to leave you kids wouldn't have made it back in one piece. But look at you all coming back with your limbs attached! And you don't look like you broke out in sweat, that Grimm was probably nothing compared to huntsmen and huntresses from Beacon Academy." The smithy smiled at them, leaning against the counter after boxing the weapons. "Giving this old man a bad name because I had to swing my weapon a couple of time before a single Ursa goes down."
"Well it was kinda a rough fight, the Geist gave us a run for our money." Nora told him with a laugh as the others crowded around the counter. "Of course, a bullet from Ruby and one good smack of my hammer and that sucka is as good as smoke."
"Couldn't have done it without our trustworthy strategist at the helm, big props to him." Ruby smiled at Jaune who just rubbed his neck in response and uttered something about team effort; the girl in red laughs and lightly bumps the blonde on the arm.
"Oh by the way, I have finished your request since you were last here." Disappearing around in the back and rummaging through some things, the smithy came back out and brought Jaune's weapon, his beloved sword and shield and placing them gently on the counter. There were gasps all around the room, but Jaune was completely star-struck by what he saw, his mouth slightly agape. "Honestly, it's one of my finest works. I believe you will be happy with it."
Holding out his hands the leader of JNPR held his sword first, his eyes going over every single detail with purpose, not letting anything slip by. Placing the sword down he then looked at his shield, noting that mostly all the marks and cracks were gone. However the most damning detail he took notice of was the golden band along the bottom, a beautiful homage to Pyrrha so that she's always with him every step he takes.
"Thank you so much, I... I don't know what else to say."
"Young man, it has been an honor to work on pieces of art such as these. To put your belief and trust in me and handing over your family heirlooms I couldn't be any happier." The blacksmith placed a firm hand on Jaune's shoulder, a gentle smile on his face. "Take very good care of your items, that's my only advise to any and all huntsmen or huntress I come across. They're just as an extension of yourself as much as Aura itself."
"I will. Thank you for your advice." Jaune says before strapping his sword to his waist, his shield to his back. It was a familiar weight that was sorely missed.
"As to answer the young huntress' question, I am indeed planning to travel. I am leaving this place for good." That caused all in the group to gasp in shock, although Ren kept his expression schooled but his eyebrow did raise a bit. "Ahahahaha what's with those reactions? A person, whether human or faunus, never stay in one place their entire lives. Traveling seems to be the hot thing among youngsters, of course I haven't done that sort of thing since I left Menagerie and never looked back!"
"So you're leaving all this behind? Just like that, almost seems like there's still so much for you to do here..." Nora said as she watched the faunus blacksmith toss the last of his items behind a wagon, her expression somewhat sad. "What about the villagers here? How will they fend for themselves?"
"Don't misunderstand, young huntress, but the reason why I was here in the first place was because I was trying to find a place to settle down and perfect my craft as a blacksmith. The villagers were in need of a repairman when prior huntsmen and huntresses frequented the area on their missions; it was a no brainer and it worked to the benefits of both parties. After the huntsmen and huntresses left, I was the only one who could do such a job so I got a decent amount of costumers. It didn't come without its ups and downs, bullied by the children and others because of my faunus traits and also getting scammed out of my commissions.
"Since you children have bested that Geist Grimm that had been plaguing this area for awhile there is no need for me to continue living here and instead move on to greener pastures. The world is a grand place filled with lots of exciting new things, I couldn't possibly give up a chance to broaden my horizons." The blacksmith sighed loudly, placing his hands on his hips as he looked around the building one last time. All of his possessions were lined up by the door, ready to be picked up with a single hand. "In fact, you children were my last customers so I should be counting myself lucky. Perhaps one day we'll cross paths somewhere so don't hesitate to say hello."
"Where will you go now? You don't seem keen on returning to Menagerie any time soon...or at all." stated Ruby, watching the older male amble to the door once he was satisfied that he didn't leave anything behind.
"I will go wherever the path may lead me and if it aligns with what I'm feeling in my heart. Maybe I'll rethink of returning to Menagerie for like vacation purposes but that's all it is." He turned back to the huntsmen and huntresses, shouldering his belongings securely on his back. The group shuffled out and watched as he locked the doors with an old padlock. Letting out a breath of air and grinning broadly he says, "You kids take care now okay? Don't get into too much trouble."
"Travel safely!" The young huntsmen and huntresses bid him farewell, watching as the blacksmith amble down the path and disappeared out of sight. Glancing at each other before looking around at their surrounding, at the silent buildings of the other inhabitants, the young group silently came to the conclusion that they too need to hit the road north, towards their destination that was Haven Academy.
Back at Signal Academy...
Taiyang and Professor Peach both looked up as Yang walked past their open room with Velvet right next to her. The young blonde looked somewhat defeated, or at least she didn't look as preppy or cheerful as she once did. Honestly she was just walking a linear path with no idea where she was heading or what she ultimately wanted to do, her legs were just carrying her forward. Coco and Efram followed a few minutes later but the former managed to glance in the open room to spot the two adults and came to a halt. Seeing that his senior stopped walking made Efram pause as well.
"How is she holding up?" asked Professor Peach as she and Taiyang approached them, both of them looking worried and concerned. The former was worried because she was afraid that if Yang were to be left to her own devices she would make the situation much more difficult, not just for everyone involved but more importantly for herself. Taiyang was concerned because he couldn't read his daughter but knew she was struggling and couldn't figure out how to help her. "We were getting a bit worried when she didn't come back."
"Well, I say she looked worse for wear, far worse than what happened to her during the Vytal Festival and everything afterwards. That bloody shit show really. But you know what..." Coco shrugs nonchalantly, lowering her sunglasses slightly to look at them. "I think she has some form of idea going on inside that head of hers. She hasn't told us what it is yet, but with Bunbun sticking close to her we may figure it out soon."
"Bunbun?" Taiyang tilted his head to the side questioning before realization showed on his face. "Oh, Miss Scarlatina."
"Mmmhmm. She's taken it upon herself to stick by Yang's side for awhile until we're due back to Vacuo. Absolutely love the quick action and confidence from her lately." Coco looks over to the side for a minute before stating, "It looks like Yang is going to find that guest of yours, professor. Velvet's waving to us from down the hall."
"Is she now?" Professor Peach blinked in mild surprise before looking at Taiyang. "She was very adamant on figuring things out for herself. What made her change?"
"Dunno, but I guess deep down she knows that there are things that she cannot overcome without support and assistance from others. Shall we get going?" With that, the four of them proceeded down the hallway until they arrived at the one at the end. Yang stood there and so did Shion who looked like they were waiting for them. Velvet stood by Yang's side with a smile upon her face.
"Seems like everyone is here. Good, good, that would save me a couple of headaches." The Nightmare Hunter mused before directing their attention to the blonde-haired huntress. "So...made up your mind already, did you? Very quick if I do say so myself given your attitude earlier, but you know what they say, people tend to change their minds at the drop of a hat."
"Mmmmmm." Yang merely grunted in response.
"So...are you willing to go through with the process?" There was no verbal answer but Shion could already see what it was just by looking into the depths of the purple orbs. They smiled and gestured for the young huntress to step back a bit, pulling out their weapon and holding it tight in front of them. "Very well. Let me get some things set up and then I'll walk you through."
They whispered some words as though casting a spell and soon a lot of threads appeared in the room, weaving and swaying as though they have minds of their own. More importantly, every individual piece of thread was connected to Shion's weapon, there were no loose ends. Guiding the threads the Nightmare Hunter soon created a very large flower-shaped cradle structure in the middle of the room. There were intricate symbols and patterns created by the threads that it was mesmerizing to the viewers looking at it.
"It is done, these purple gravity Dust infused strings are in their rightful places. Now, Yang, please lay down upon the threads. Preferably on your back, like sprawled out, and try to relax. Leave the rest to me."
"Do I need to go along as well? Or should I just stay out of the way?" Efram looked between them with a questioning expression on his face, watching as Yang prepared to get comfortable in the middle of the large flower cradle composed of a thousand purple threads. "I'm fine either way."
"Why don't you stay on standby until needed." The Nightmare Hunter replied before turning their attention back to Yang. "Now listen very closely, I will send you into your dreamscape since it seems like the cause of your problem is an internal issue; it could also be a mental problem too, but hopefully we can knock out two birds with one stone. From there it'll be up to you to delve deep into your subconscious and confront whatever it is that's festering in there, the culprit for your discomfort, your trauma. Now it may be too much to handle your first time through, and I've had patients that broke down during these sessions, so if something happens I will know and pull you out."
"How would you do that?"
"If I had explained this before then forgive me as I explain it once more. If I already explained the process then it wouldn't hurt to hear it again. My semblance can send the hearts of others into a sleeper's dream. I will give these coins to lucid dreamers once they have entered. These coins can conjure up inanimate objects such as telephone booths, marker doors, a decoy, a map or send the coin wielder back to reality. The draw back is the more coins that are used by the dreamers, the more my Aura is drained, so use them wisely."
"Understood."
"What if the coin is used for something other than bringing the dreamers back?" asked Velvet.
"If that's the case then everyone will be trapped within the sleeper's dream forever. Therefore I heavily advise everyone to not get injured or killed because your injuries will be reflected back in the real world."
"Did you mention how you know when something like that happens?" Efram asked.
"Yup. With that." Shion points to the voodoo doll of Yang that was hanging from above, a small frown upon their face. Their voice even took upon a hint of seriousness, making sure that whatever words were to come out shouldn't be taken lightly. "Think of this as a life line. Whatever happens to you in your dream, if you get injured that same injury will appear on this doll version of you; this way I am aware of your situation and can think of counter-measures to bring you back. I don't think I need to explain the dire consequence that'll come to your doll in the case that you die. Then I believe that about covers it. If you have anything else to say say them now."
"I'll be careful not to get badly injured or worse case scenario is death." Yang promises before she glances at the others in the room, looking at them each in the eyes. They were worried about her and she could see it on their faces. So she gave a small smile and said, "I guess I'll be off now."
"We'll be right here, Yang." Professor Peach says as the others gave their sentiments as well, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "If anything should happen know that Shion has our full support. We eagerly await your return."
"Yang." She turned to see Taiyang kneeling beside her outside the reaches of the threads, holding her hand between his. "Listen, I..." He pauses in his thoughts, mulling over what he wanted to say. Shaking his head gently he says, "No, this is important to you so I shouldn't let these words cloud your judgment...let's have this conversation when you get back. I promise I won't let you down this time, not like it was back then."
"Okay, Dad." Yang nodded before she laid back down and Taiyang stepped back to the others. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she soon felt the threads entangle themselves around her and cover her eyes like a mask. Something soon began to pull at her consciousness, so she followed it and felt herself falling like she was having an out of body experience. It went for about five to ten minutes before everything came to a halt.
When she opened her eyes, the room in Signal Academy had faded away and she was back on the grounds of Beacon Academy. It was exactly as she remembered, from the cobblestone pavement to the fountain in the middle. Everything before the Fall, before her life took a turn. It was a glorious sight to behold. But there was something that wasn't right, and she felt that unnerving feeling pooling in the pit of her stomach. There was something ominous lurking within the depths of the school and she knew that it'll only grow bigger when she confronts it.
In order to heal myself I was told I must face whatever it is that is holding me back. Tormenting me. So if my hunches are correct...then HE is here too. Out of habit she reached over to hold her right arm, prepared to feel the mechanical surface beneath her fingers, however she felt flesh. She glanced over in surprise and saw that it was her original arm before it got lopped off. If the dreamscape was going to make her relive everything up until that fateful point, then so be it. Releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding she took the necessary steps forward.