Robots Have Hearts Too

Chapter 1: Woodland Serenity



Heyo, it's The Draigg here! In case you haven't noticed, Overwatch is quickly become a hot market for all sorts of media! Art, stories, keychains, dank memes, you name it! So, I figured "I like Overwatch too, so I should make something for it". And ta-da! I feel like this is something that plenty of people can enjoy, both the RWBY and Overwatch fanbases. But, enough of my ramblings here. Just remember that I don't own anything related to Overwatch or RWBY, and keep on going to the story!

XXX

Light humming followed a pair of white boots skipping along the dirt path.

In the hazy lighting of the Forever Fall Forest, Nora Valkyrie had no reason not to be her normal, chipper self. Professor Peach had sent out the hunters in training to collect some more tree sap from the nearby forest, after the latest bit of supply used for class projects had mysteriously "vanished". In other words, this was the perfect chance to get even more tasty syrup than the ones normally left in the classroom.

So now, there Nora was, having wandered a ways away from her partner Ren to find even bigger trees. After all, bigger trees meant more and better syrup, right? That was just a simple science fact.

Walking under the shade of the orange and red trees, Nora could hear that she was coming up on a stream. She could hear the water peacefully babbling along stones, along with a light breeze passing through the trees near the water.

In Nora's mind, it made perfect sense to look for big trees near the water. Trees needed water to grow, so trees drank up a ton of water. And if a lot of water is in the tree, that meant that trees got bigger from it. And if the tree was bigger, that meant more syrup for her stomach— no, the class. Totally for the class.

"Dum-dee-dum~" Nora softly sang to herself as she walked off the forest path towards the stream.

Lightly pushing aside the branches of some bushes, Nora walked onto the bank of the creek. The breeze felt great going through Nora's hair. It was times like this that she was glad she could be out here in the forest with Ren. Wait, where was Ren?

"Eh, he'll catch up. He always does," Nora thought in her head. Ren could never get lost. He was much better with maps and compasses and sextants and star charts and other stuff than Nora could ever be.

Still, the redhead girl couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Maybe she should look or ask around for Ren.

Just as that thought passed through Nora's head, she noticed someone sitting in a lotus position on a rock on a nearby sandy beach. That guy's head must've been really bald, because it was shining a lot from the sunlight.

"Excuse me!" Nora called out to the man, waving at him. The man on the rock looked in her direction, and gave her a single wave in response.

Ah, that was a good response. A nice wave always meant someone was friendly! Undaunted as ever, Nora walked up to the sitting man. As she got closer, she noticed that the person wasn't a man at all, but a robot. Was he one of those new SDC Security robots? Nora wasn't particularly sure, since she didn't have any real experience with interacting with one. Another thing that she noticed was the ring of… metal tennis balls orbiting its neck. Now that was plain weird. Maybe she could ask him to let her play with one later.

"Greetings there," the robot said in a calm, even voice. It reminded Nora of Ren quite a bit. "Are you lost, young one?"

"Uhhh, no I'm not, Mr. Robot. I'm looking for my Ren," Nora replied.

"My name is Tekhartha Zenyatta. And no, I'm afraid I haven't seen anyone. Is Ren your pet?" the robot named Zenyatta asked.

"Ren is my friend!" Nora chirped. "He's taller than me, has a pink stripe in his hair, and has a green shirt."

Zenyatta lowered his head. "I am sorry. I have not seen your friend anywhere. Such is the state of deep meditation, after all."

Meditation? Nora knew that Ren did that from time to time. She tried to do it with him so he wouldn't have to be alone doing it, but Nora just found it boring. So she usually just did her own thing and played on her scroll while she waited for Ren to finish.

"Whatcha meditating about?" Nora couldn't help but ask.

"Many things, and nothing at all," Zenyatta cryptically replied, gesturing to the stream.

"What does that mean?" questioned Nora.

Holding up a finger, Zenyatta explained: "True self is without form. I meditate to release my self from the spiritual gravity of the physical world, if even for a moment. It is through that process that my mind is able to be freed from the pulls of the world around us. That is how I was able to come here, after all. If the physical self is a state of present being, it is by logic that time and space are also."

"So… you're leaving the world by thinking about it?" Nora summed up. She couldn't help but feel a little confused by what Zenyatta was saying. Maybe she could ask Ren later what the robot meant.

"Indeed. You are an astute young lady," Zenyatta said. After a brief pause, he then asked "Pardon my manners, but I do not believe I know your name. What is your name, miss?"

"Oh, I'm Nora Valkyrie!" Nora introduced herself. She extended her hand out to shake Zenyatta's.

The robot took Nora's hand in his and gave it a firm, brief shake. Zenyatta's hand wasn't as cold as Nora thought it would be. If anything, she could feel a nice, pleasant warmth to it. That must've been from the heat of the sun on the metal of his hands.

Letting go of the robot's hand, Nora took a seat on the rock next to Zenyatta. If Zenyatta minded, she couldn't tell. He seemed to have a completely serene look on his face at all times.

"It is very nice to meet you, Miss Nora," Zenyatta said, looking out on the stream. "And, if you like, I can help you find your friend."

"Nah, that's okay," Nora replied. "He always finds me. I dunno how he does it, but he does."

"I see," hummed Zenyatta. He did not wish to press this young lady into doing anything.

A minute passed by in silence, as both Nora and Zenyatta listened to the sound of the rushing water passing over smooth river stones. Nora wasn't normally one to settle down her energy, but sometimes it was important to take a step back and enjoy the nice things about nature. And, for some strange reason, she felt really calm just by being next to Zenyatta. The robot just seemed to be radiating an aura of calm and serenity around him.

"NORA!" a voice suddenly called out from the forest behind the rock.

"See what I mean?" Nora asked with a smile on her face to Zenyatta. Just like she said, Ren always knew how to find her.

Out of the orangish-red bushes staggered Ren, brushing leaves off of his sleeves. Noticing the strange robot sitting next to Nora, Ren immediately grew slightly concerned. It wasn't a normal sight to have Nora be a part of. Yet again, that implied that anything about Nora was normal. That girl was certainly one of a kind in plenty of ways.

"Nora, what is that?" Ren asked his partner.

"Oh, this is Zenigata," Nora replied, hopping off the rock.

Zenyatta didn't mind Nora getting his name wrong. In fact, it wasn't the first, and it wouldn't be the last time that mistake would happen. Turning around to face Ren, Zenyatta introduced himself. "I am Tekhartha Zenyatta. I believe that you are the Ren that Miss Nora was looking for?"

"That's right," replied Ren, exhaling. Tracking Nora down every time she left him always left him a little tired. "Did Nora do anything to you?"

"Nothing of the sort, Mister Ren. I simply was holding a nice conversation with Miss Nora," Zenyatta said lightly, as if the idea of a good conversation to him was exuberantly refreshing.

Nora nodded at Ren. "Hey Ren, is it true that your brain can leave your body by thinking a lot?" she asked.

Ren arched an eyebrow. It was another one of Nora's inherently curious questions, to be sure. "What gave you that idea?"

"Miss Nora wished to know what I was meditating about," Zenyatta explained. "Shall I explain for your benefit?"

Ren relaxed a bit. This robot just radiated calm. And if he too knew about the proper way to meditate, then maybe Nora could learn something from talking to this robot. Maybe it was a good thing that Nora ran across this robot randomly in the forest.

"No thanks. I already know how to meditate," Ren said, leaning on the rock to rest. Nora joined him on his left side, clearly happy that she was back with her partner.

"I must say, this is a wonderful meditation spot. The calm solitude of this area is simply astounding. I may have to come back here for further ruminations," Zenyatta said, this time directed at Ren. He figured that Ren knew the feeling that he was talking about.

Ren nodded. "This place is pretty nice. Maybe I should come here too."

"With Miss Nora, I presume?" added Zenyatta.

"Oh yeah!" piped up Nora. "The syrup around here is great!"

The meditating robot couldn't help but chuckle at the young lady's energy. He had seen that same kind of energy in his good associate Tracer. However, the large hammer slug across the girl's back harness reminded Zenyatta of his other associate, Reinhardt. Zenyatta would be sure to mention Nora to them the next time he saw his Overwatch allies.

"As they say, meditation is best done with like-minded friends. May I suggest that you try it as well, Miss Nora?" Zenyatta offered.

"Well, I'm not so sure about the 'sitting around thinking to get rid of my brain' bit, but I'll go anywhere with Ren," was Nora's response.

"I take it you and Mister Ren are very close?" Zenyatta asked.

Nora blushed at the implication of what Zenyatta said. "Well, we're not together-together, you know, like that. But he's my partner!"

Ren nodded. "Nora and I have been friends for… almost as long as I can remember, actually," he added.

"I see," Zenyatta said. "It sounds like you are more than friends then."

Nora blushed even more. Her face was getting redder than the surrounding forest's trees and bushes at that point. Ren, however, had a better hold on his emotions, even though he was also inwardly a little embarrassed at the implications of what Zenyatta said.

"This bond that you have is even stronger than a friendship," continued on Zenyatta. "From what I can gather, the both of you have a bond that is as unbreakable as a vajra. The vajra that you share is the type of feelings that extend even farther than normal interactions between people. Mister Ren, how else would you know how to search for Nora so often, as she put it?"

"Intuition?" Ren guessed.

"It is because the both of you are family. That is the bond that you share. It is a lifelong bond that goes either way, as a sort of road between your hearts. I have rarely seen such a thing between people." Zenyatta paused to lament that last sentence. "It is a shame that people cannot see things so clearly anymore. That is why it is amazing to see the road between your selves. What you have is something very special. Not even death can take away the feelings that you share."

Ren and Nora couldn't help but be stunned into silence by this wise robot's words. To have such things laid out in the open so clearly, so honestly… For the first time in a long while, the pair had remembered the feeling of the tether between each other's hearts. Zenyatta was truly a wise robot to bring out such feelings in teenagers trained to be hardened hunters of Grimm.

"Is… all of that true?" Nora whispered, still in shock.

"It is merely my interpretation," Zenyatta said, turning back to face the stream. "But, it is up to you to see if what I shared with you truly does exist within your hearts."

Ren, on the other hand, laid a hand on the robot's shoulder. Zenyatta didn't appear to mind. If anything, it was rather comforting. There was a warmth to Zenyatta's body, a type that came from a wise heart.

"Your words are very wise, Zenyatta. And very honest. I… think you are right," Ren admitted. Turning to Nora, he then said, "We are like family, Nora."

Nora beamed a warm smile at Ren. Not one of her normal, manic with energy smiles. This one seemed to be a smile from the center of her being. A true smile from her heart. "We need to stick together, ya know?"

Offering a small smile back, Ren nodded. He put an arm around Nora's shoulder and rubbed it ever so slightly. It was if at that very moment that the thread between the souls of him and Nora could be felt. It was their auras resonating, bouncing back on each other. That was the type of feedback they felt. That feeling was just as strong and as unbreakable as diamond.

"Thanks, Zenyatta. I think Nora learned something today," Ren then said to the sitting robot.

"You certainly did too, Mister Ren. Whatever path you take now, it must be nurtured and grown like a lily of the pond. Every living thing needs love, and you are included," Zenyatta said. In a lighter tone, he added "I have a feeling that the pair of you will do fine."

As the robot focused his attention back on the bubbling steam, Ren began to lead Nora away from the rock. They needed to get back to the main group of students, before they lose them deeper into the forest.

"See ya, Zamboni!" Nora said, waving at her new robot friend. "Think you can stop by Beacon Academy later?"

Zenyatta hummed. "I would like that very much."

"Come on, Nora," Ren urged on. Then, to Zenyatta, "It'd be nice to see you again sometime."

"Do not worry, I will be back. I look forward to seeing how the bond between you grows."

Ren offered a quick wave goodbye as Zenyatta replied from behind him. Catching a last glimpse of the robot on the rock, Ren then led Nora back through the brush towards the dirt road in the forest.

Nora couldn't help but keep on smiling as she left behind her robot friend. For not having a squishy brain, he certainly was smart. About as smart as Ren, in fact. Nora really liked that about Zenyatta. She really hoped to see him again soon. Now that was one chill robot.

The day in the Forever Fall Forest was even better than before. Sometimes, it really did pay off to hang around nature for a change.

Sometimes, the things you can learn about yourself and the ones you love can be sweeter than any syrup.

XXX

And there you have it! I'm glad Ren and Nora could have a nice introspective conversation with everyone's favorite robot guru, Zenyatta. I know that I'd love to talk to that guy. Maybe the entire cast of RWBY should talk to him, in fact. It certainly resolve a lot of emotional baggage that the cast has. Anyways, don't hesitate to tell me what you think about this story! I think I did a good job, but I always crave feedback from you readers! And thanks for reading, y'all!

This has been The Draigg, and I'm signing off for now!