Cards of Remnant

Chapter 2: Race with the Champion- Part 1

"Oooohhhhh! I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!"

"Please... stop..." Ruby gasped out, Yang's hug just as enthusiastic and oxygen intolerant as ever.

Fortunately, her sister got the message that it would be difficult to cuddle her if she suffocated her to death, so Yang pulled back. Not that she didn't still look just as excited, her fingers nearly pinching Ruby's cheeks.

"But I'm so proud of you!" she cooed.

Ruby sighed. "Really, sis, it was nothing."

"What do you mean it was nothing? It was incredible! You threw down with a wanted criminal and got into Beacon two years early!" Yang cheered, amazingly not drawing the eye of every other student in the courtyard. "Everyone here is going to think you're the bees' knees."

"I don't want to be the bees' knees, I don't wanna be any kind of knees. I just want to be a normal girl, with normal knees," Ruby protested, trying to shrink back into her cloak.

Yang's cheer instantly evaporated into concern. "What's with you? Aren't you excited?"

"Of course, I'm excited, it's just... well... I got moved ahead two years," Ruby muttered. "I don't want anyone to think I'm special."

"Ruby, you are special," Yang insisted, shooting her a small smile. "I mean, you're fifteen and you can use a duel anchor and synchro summon. That's crazy awesome!"

"You can do those things too. Heck, dad's been teaching you to double t-"

"The point is you're amazing. And you don't need to worry about what anyone else might think of you. Your real friends will like you for the duelist you are."

Ruby chuckled nervously, glancing all around their new surroundings. The airship ride to Beacon had been a quick one (if longer for that one guy who'd puked), bringing the two prospective hunting duelists at last to the academy that would beat their hot iron into cold, hard steel. It was a grand castle, its courtyard resplendent with marble and other shining stone. At its center was a magnificent statue, a false Ursa cowering before a duelist surrounded by three giant dragons he'd summoned: one green, one black, and one a light brown, close to orange. All around, prospective students muddled through the grounds of the legendary school.

"I guess you're right," she said. "I mean, worst comes to worst, I'll still have you. We'll be special together."

"Eh, about that," Yang squeaked, nervously rubbing the back of her prized golden hair. "I kind of-needtogodosomethingreallyimportantseeyoulaterbye!"

"Wait what?!"

Too late. Yang had already dashed away, a trail of dust in her wake. Ruby was sent spinning. Her vision swirled all around as she stumbled through the courtyard. Maybe if she was lucky, the tree she'd eventually hit would be softer than the others.

"Ow!"

Oh, hey, this tree really wasn't so bad-and she didn't hit a tree.

As her vision came back into focus, she caught sight of the petite girl she'd accidentally run over, decked out in a white jacket, combat skirt, and boots. A ponytail of silver hair flopped in front of her face, barely a shade different from her pale skin. Behind her, metal cases with a snowflake emblem were scattered over a luggage cart, and in front her were...