Somewhere Over The Rainbow: Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Taking a deep breath, Charon sighed. This was a lot to take in, but he was already knee deep in this mess. If he planned to ever get out of this in one piece, he needed shit together. That, however, was easier said than done.

Glancing over at the indent in the ground where the huge monster that had attacked them once laid, he shivered. That was more than enough reminder of the trouble he found himself in. Thankfully, he wasn't alone in all this.

"Hey, you haven't touched your catfish," His companion pointed out as she looked up from her meal, "You sure you're ok?". Seeing the tiny woman casually lift up the massive catfish she had caught and roasted was almost comical if it wasn't for the fact that this same woman casually dispatched that gator from hell earlier. Had he also mentioned she was also dead, or at least used to be dead before he came along?

As he looked up at her, he couldn't quite ignore how he could somewhat make out the treeline behind her head. His companion was a ghost, but compared to what they had just faced, it didn't sound so insane. Shaking his head, he replied, "Y-yeah, I just need some time to process… well everything."

If he was just lost, he would have handled it well enough, but recents events had sent him into a tizzy. From monster to ghost, he wasn't sure what he'd find next; A wendigo perhaps? Hell, maybe he'd find a witch.

"First time encountering a Snapper huh?" The woman chuckled, snapping him out of his musing. Finishing her stick, she tossed it to the pile next to her. "They're nasty little monsters, I'd give you that," She noted as she grabbed herself another before taking a huge bite, "but they usually hunt alone. If it had any companions, they'd have already attacked us so you can relax."

Seeing the woman remain calm after all that did give him a sense of ease somewhat. Like a rock amidst the storm, the woman held a smile that just made it felt like everything would be fine; He needed that right now.

"Ok," Slapping himself in the cheeks, he nodded, "Can we start from the top? I have some questions." While he could just worry himself sick, what would that do? He needed to get himself out of this funk and what better way than to figure out his situation.

"Sounds good," The woman nodded, setting aside her food.

With her attention on him, he started, "So you're dead…" Catching himself mid sentence, he bit his tongue, "Wait, that was bad. I shouldn't have said that." Of all the things he could have said, why did he have to remind her that she was dead. Raising his hands, he apologized, "Sorry about that, Miss Summer."

Thankfully for him, the woman shrugged it off, "Nah, it's fine. It's not like getting angry would change anything." Glancing away, a wry smile soon found itself on her lips, "Trust me, I've been there and it was not a happy time."

Nodding gravely, he continued, "So you were… a ghost, and then you weren't when I paddled by your spot?" He could distinctly remember seeing how out of it she was as she sang her heart out. Along with her haunting voice, it sounded as if she was lost herself.

Eyes shining once more, she nodded, ""Sounds about right!" Grabbing her meal, she continued eating as she merrily recounted, "There I was just minding my business when you came along and just waved at me!" Grinning, she laughed, "Thought I was going crazy."

Shaking her head, she laughed, "Sorry about that, It's just been so long since I last saw someone. Tapping her chin, she mused out loud, "Maybe it wasn't such a great idea going out in the wild, but seeing people in town was kinda depressing and don't get me started on the other ghost!"

"I can only imagine," He replied. Ghosts from legends were often those with unfinished business, choosing to linger rather than pass on. If he died and had unfinished business, he wasn't sure he'd be great company.

"Speaking of places, where… exactly am I?" He asked, shifting topics. While he'd love to talk about how he raised her? Made her undead? He didn't have much lead on that given how clueless they were on the matter. Best to move on to matters which he knew he'd have answers. "I'm pretty sure I'm no longer in Arkansa." He had no signal even when he was roaming.

"Is that the name of your kingdom?" She asked, making him grimace. That does not sound good.

"No, that's the name of my state where I'm from which itself is a part of a bigger country," He explained. While she didn't look foreign, she wasn't that foreign. She spoke English well enough. "Have you heard of the United States of America by any chance?"

Maybe she simply hasn't heard of his states. Arkansa wasn't the first thing that comes to mind when talking about home. It was either Cali, Texas or some of the more popular states so it came to a surprise when he saw a look of incomprehension on her face.

Feeling uneasy, he pressed on, hoping he just mistook her expression. "Land of the Free? Burgers? Hollywood?"

Still, she remained clueless as she replied, "Nope!" For a second he thought she was pulling his head, but he would find no recognition in her eyes. "Sorry kid, I've never even heard of anything like your country," She apologized.

"As for where we are, we're in Vale and quite deep in the boonies at that," She answered while stroking her chin, deep in thought, "I say we're a couple hundred clicks from the nearest big town and a few dozen to the nearest outpost, that is if it's still around."

Sitting there, reality soon started setting in. "Oh…" He knew it deep inside that he hadn't just wandered off the beaten path, but hearing it for himself was another matter.

Whisked away to some foreign land and without any way to call back home, or if he would even be able to call at all, he was at a loss. For the first time in his life, he wasn't sure if he was ever going to find his way back. He was truly and utterly lost.

"Hey," She called out as got up and sat down beside him. Wrapping around his shoulder, he assured her, "You might be a bit lost, but it's not the end of the world." As he frowned, she poked him on the cheeks, "The path you took led you so it should be able to lead you back. You just have to find that road again."

"What if the road got cut off or overgrown?" He asked, unsure what to do now.

"Then you make those roads," She replied with such earnestness that he found himself laughing. Reaching up, she ruffled his head as she said, "If it's any consolation, your country sounds amazing!"

"It really is," He replied as he looked up to the unfamiliar sky and a broken moon and up to the star. Eyes wide, he felt hope spark in his chest once more as he saw something familiar. He had almost missed it, but up in the sky, he saw the constellations he grew up under.

"if it's anything like I'd imagine it'd be, it must be a pretty nice place!" She replied before her stomach rumbled once again. Turning, he gave her a stare, but the woman was unabashed as she licked her lips. "I could use a Hamburger right now."

"Of all the things I said, that's the one you remembered?" He laughed, feeling a lot better now. He might be in unfamiliar land, but those stars were a comforting sight. Maybe, just maybe he could go home. The only question now is how?

"Hey, If you haven't eaten for as long as I did, you'd be gorging yourself like I do!" She replied. Seeing as she hadn't puked at all, maybe it's just how she is. Eyes sparkling, she asked, "Can we get some Hamburgers when we get back to town? I'm so hungry right now, I swear I could eat an entire Boarbatusk!"

"I'll try," He chuckled, "But I don't think the couple of bucks I have in my pocket would cover it since I'm not from around here." Not only was he cut off from the internet, his money was also no good. He was also born a bit too late to have any silver on him.

"Don't worry kid," She replied as she gave him a light punch on the shoulder, "Once we get to civilization, we'll get things sorted out and we'll have all the burgers we can eat!"

"I'll hold you to that," He nodded. Stoking the fire and feeding another log, he noted, "You know, you're awfully chipper for a ghost." He wasn't complaining, but like she said, ghosts were not good company. If it wasn't for how translucent she was, he would have mistaken her for one of the living.

"I had years to deal with it," She replied as her smile started to falter. "Sometimes though…" She whispered before trailing as she sat there in silence, just staring into the fire until she shook her head. "Nevermind." Not one to press, he just nodded.

That look of melancholy, however, would be short lived as she immediately brightened up once more. "So! Any plans, kid?" She asked as she clapped her hands. Leaning in close, she asked, "Got any more of those spooky powers you got there? Maybe a way to get to the nearest village since you… well, paddled over here?"

"Sorry, nothing on that end… I think?" He replied, tugging at his collar as he felt a bit hot under. Did she really have to press against him like that? As she wrapped her arms around his biceps, he cleared his throat, "I'm pretty new to all of this." Having more powers than just being able to talk to the dead or giving them form would be nice. "I didn't even know I could make dead people come back till I got here."

"Quite the mystery we got here huh," She mused before pulling away, leaving him with a lingering sense of disappointment; Something he kicked himself for.

Gathering his wits, he asked, "Do you know of anyone that could help me?" Both of them seem at a loss of what to do so some help would be nice. "Any magical help, techno wizardry or such?" It was a mere hunch, but maybe there was something mystical going on here. Her abilities seemed pretty magical to him though her axe said otherwise. Maybe this world had both.

Humming, the woman, "Well, he's no magician, but I do know of someone." Shifting in her seat, she shared, "His name is Ozpin, my mentor. He teaches Hunters and Huntresses like me over at the big city to hunt monsters and protect people. You know, the usual stuff,"

"The Wizard of Oz?" He blurted out, making the woman turn to him with a bewildered look. "It's a story from my world," He hastily explained. Ozpin sounded way too close to the story he grew up reading and he was quickly finding parallels to his current situation.

"Dorothy, and her dog Toto, finds herself whisked to a distant land," He recounted the tale, "Having accidentally saved a peaceful village from an evil witch, Glinda the Good Witch would come to her aid, pointing her to the great wizard who could help her in quest to go back home."

It wasn't a complete parallel, but was close enough. "In her journey, she'd come across a Scarecrow without a brain, a Cowardly Lion and a Tin Man without a heart." Shrugging, he noted, "It's probably just a coincidence though." A world of fairy tail just sounded silly.

Looking up, he would find a strange look on his face. "Glynda Goodwitch…" She whispered.

"Are you ok?" He asked, confused at why she looked so concerned all the sudden.

"Maybe our worlds are far more connected than we know," She whispered as she got up and paced around. Biting her lips, she hesitantly said, "I think Ozpin could help us, but it's not a guarantee." Grimacing, she noted, "Let's just say that he's a pretty secretive man."

"Any help would do," He replied. Smiling, he jested, "So long as the Good Witch and the Wizard doesn't make me go fight the Wicked Witch of the West, then I think we'll be fine."

"Y-yeah," She chuckled shakily, "T-that'd be silly."

"Hopefully he has something," He prayed, hoping things worked out. If there was a rabbit hole leading to this place, there must be a way out as well right? He can't rest easy however, not with the monsters that lurked in the dark. If he was going to live here, he might have to figure out how to make himself useful.

"Miss Summer," He called out before he asked, "While I'm here, do you think you could teach me how to fight like you?"

Choking, she coughed, pouding on her chest as she looked back at him. "W-what, me?" She sputtered as she cleared her throat. As she tossed aside her stick, she mumbled, "I mean, I'm a huntress, but I'm not that good."

"If you want someone to teach you, then you better ask my wife or my friend, Qrow," She told him as she tugged at her cloak, "Heck, with where we're going, we might even get old Oz to teach you and you a proper Hunter!"

"Well, they're not here aren't they?" He replied before he shrugged, "Besides, if I could just be a fraction as good as you are, then I think I could make myself useful." He definitely won't be able to do a fraction of what she could do, but all he needed was a fraction to fight monsters.

Maybe, he was just making good of his situation, but it was still exciting. This was a once in a lifetime chance, an adventure in the making; How can he not answer the call. It was risky, foolhardy even, but this was exactly the thing he had been wishing for.

"But at what price," A treacherous part of his mind whispered before he pushed it down as he turned his attention back to her.

"Hah, you're making me blush here!" She chuckled as she sat back down and wrapped her cloak around her tiny frame, "But nah, I'm just a huntress, no one special."

"You seem pretty special to me," He pointed out. It wasn't like he was just buttering her up. Seeing her in action was just something else. "You were breathtaking."

"Stop it!~" She laughed, cheeks burning as she batted away at his arms.

"No seriously," He replied as he glanced at the axe resting by the wayside. "It's the first time I've ever seen monsters like the one from earlier." And what a terrible sight was that monster to behold. It was as if the gates of hell themselves opened and spewed out a hellspawn.

"I really thought we were going to die," He admitted, voice shaking slightly, before he looked back at her, "But then you just swooped in and saved the day." He could never forget how she took down that monster. "It's almost like I'm in one of those fairy tales," He smiled.

For a moment, she smiled, before a curious look graced her face. "You… don't have Grimm, I mean monsters over at your world?" She asked, her voice hopeful as she looked up at him with those silver eyes.

Glancing away, he blushed, "We had monsters, but they all died way before we came in the sense or we wiped them out." No longer did giant creatures roam the earth, having long since been relegated to stories or displayed in museums. "Even then, they're nothing like yours."

"It must be quite a nice place," She sighed wistfully as she looked into the fire, "It sounds so peaceful."

"It is, but it's not all rainbows and sunshine," While this place was hellish, Earth was no paradise. "People are going to people and we have some fights…" He pointed out.
This got a rise out of her as she chuckled darkly, "Who would have thought that wars would still happen in paradise." Shaking her head, she shouted, "That's enough depressing talk for now!" Thinking about it for a moment, she asked, "Let's talk about stuff like music! Your place has music right?"

Grinning, he got up and rifled through his bag. "Well you're going to love this," It was going to be a waste of battery life, but what other use did his phone have? "I don't have every song from my place, I have enough to make things fun." Pulling out his bluetooth speakers, he paired it with his phone before he started scrolling through his playlist.

"Ohhh!" Summer grinned as she got up and hopped over to the phone that now sits proudly atop one of the log chairs. Crouching before it, she hummed happily, "I could use an album or two."

"An Album?" He grinned, "How many songs do you think I have?"

"Several dozen?" She replied without missing a beat, "Why?" Oh this was going to be good.

"Try a few thousand" Grinning, he pressed play, giving her a taste of his world's music.

-x-x-x-

The night would quickly pass by as he and Summer listened to hundreds of songs. Soon enough, he would himself yawn as the moon hung over their heads. "So, what do you think?" He asked while he laid down on his sleeping bag. Turning, he found her having nodded off as she sat on her log.

"Fell asleep huh?" He whispered as he turned off his phone, "It's been a long day." After everything that had happened, she could definitely use a rest. God knows she needed it.

Still, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable seeing her snoring silently as she slept upright. Sure she had her cloak on, but extra blankets shouldn't hurt especially on a night like this. Winds were starting to pick up and he was getting chilly himself. He was definitely further up north than he was used to. Carefully, he got up from his spot before reaching inside his bag. "I swear I bought some thermal blankets over."

"Jackpot!" He whispered as he pulled one out. It was a bit loud unfolding it, but he couldn't leave his companion freezing. Just as he reached out to wrap her up, she bolted awake, taking him by surprise. Grabbing him firmly with surprisingly strong hands, she reached out to her axe before pausing as recognition flashed over her face.

"Oh, it's you," She sighed in relief before noticing her grip. Rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, she apologized, "Sorry, just force of habit. You can never be too careful out here you know?"

Rubbing his forearms, he nodded. Reaching down to pick up what he dropped, he offered, "Do… you want a blanket?" His offer, however, was met with laughter. Tilting his head, he asked, "What's so funny?" He was just being nice here…

Leaning her elbows on her thighs and resting her chin on her hands, she replied bemusedly, "You know I'm dead right?"

"So?" He asked, "You still get cold right?" Offering the blanket, he smiled. Just because she was dead doesn't mean he couldn't be worried about her.

The woman stared at him before she smiled, "... Yeah, yeah I am." Accepting the blanket, she wrapped herself up before noting, "You're a good kid, you know that?"

"And you're a nice ghost lady," He replied as he walked back over to his sleeping back and tucked himself in. It was plenty toasty enough inside especially after the hearty meal that she cooked up for them. He was definitely in no danger of running out of calories anytime soon.

As he was about to tuck himself in, she called out, "Hey…" Turning, he found her looking down at her feet. "I know it's a bit selfish of me, but before we go meet Ozpin…" She asked, trailing off as she fiddled with her hands.

"Yeah?" He asked, turning to face her.

"Can…" She bit out, pausing, before asking, "Can we take a detour?" Taking a deep breath, she sighed, "It's just that it's been so long." Staring off unseeing, she whispered, "All those birthdays and milestones…" He heard enough.

Smiling, he nodded, "Sure." As the woman looked up to him, he asked, "You got some unfinished business to take care of right so why not?" That was all the reason he needed. She was in need and he had the ability to help. Why shouldn't he help?

"Are you sure?" She replied as her eyes flicked down to her hand and started counting and doing some quick math. "It might add a few more weeks to our trip," She noted as she started to hesitate.

"I don't see what the problem is," He assured her as he laid back down and stared up at the stars, "Besides, exploring this place seems like a fun time." Smiling, he jested, "Maybe you could show me around your hometown."

"I, no, I can't do this. I should have asked," Biting her lips, she shook her head, "Your parents must be worried sick right now. It was selfish of me to ask so forget about it…"

"A few extra weeks isn't much for something you could probably miss once I'm gone," He countered. As she gave him questioning looks, he chuckled. "And it's not like this is the first time I went on a little adventure?"

"Got myself a good hide tanning after,," He recalled, wincing at the memory of his grandfather raising his hands for the first and only time. "But it was worth it! I made friends with a bear!" Looking over the great bear, he sighed. Who knew that bears could be quite motherly… or was she just keeping him around for snacks? He wasn't entirely sure now that he thought about it.

Turning towards her, he found her giving him a flat look. "The huntsman in me is impressed while the mother in me is horrified," She deadpanned as a wry smile stretched across her lips, "I'm not sure which I should feel right now…"

"Why not both!" He cheekily replied, earning himself a snort of amusement. As a yawn ripped its way out of his mouth, he stretched. "We better get some rest though," He groaned as he zipped himself off and closed his eyes, "I like to travel before the sun's high in the sky."

While he wasn't albino by any means, his family doctor advised him to slather up on sunscreen and avoid the midday sun. It also sucked walking when the heat was just bearing down on them, so best to just find shade and rest up till it was cool enough not to overheat.

"It'll be a bit dicey with all the new fauna, but you'll protect me right?" He asked, cracking an eye towards the woman.

"And lose a cute boy like you?," She replied as she pushed aside the logs, putting out the fire, "My daughters would hate me." Laying down on her log and tucking herself under her blanket, she yawned out, "Well good night."

As he closed his eyes, she called out once more, "Hey…" Turning sleepily to the woman, she asked, "Just one last thing. It'll be real quick, I promise."

"Yeah," He yawned out, barely able to keep it all together now. He was really tuckered out.

"Are you single?" She asked, suddenly waking him up as heat crept up his cheeks. Nope, he's not dealing with this, at least not until tomorrow. This will be future Charon's problem to deal with, not his.

Covering his ears, he turned away. "Goodnight!"

She was quite persistent, trying to get his attention, "I'm pretty sure my daughter's right about your age!"

Feeling his ears burn, he zipped himself up inside his bag, "Not listening!"

"Come on!" She whined as she got up and sat atop him, making it even worse as his pants tightened up, "You'd love both of them, I promise!" She was nice ghost, but damn it all, why did she have to be crazy as well!

A/N:

Sorry it took longer than usual. Was just a pain getting this done. Anyways, moving on to stuff. Thinking of actually doing a segway to Uchiha before doing another Empress... or just going straight Empress.