RWBY: The Resonant Rōnin (Discontinued)

Chapter 28: Just the Beginning

Velvet P.O.V.

I'm at the cliffside docking bays down the main alleyway and under the floating Amity Colosseum, I see Ruby walk up to the end of the line waiting to get in the transport up to the arena. She turns her head to see May outside the line, and beyond that, Sun walking away, Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang over his shoulder, and Y/N walking into the stadium and I decide to take photos of him. I hear Ruby as she steps out of line and approaches me from behind as I continue taking pictures with my camera until I turn around.

"Ruby, how you doing?"

Ruby raises her hand in greeting.

"Hi Velvet! What're you up to?"

I happily roll my eyes.

"Oh, you know. Just working on my photography. Do you wanna see?"

I offer my camera to Ruby, looking extremely delighted. Ruby immediately notices that I didn't even get all of Y/N in my picture, cutting out his head and feet, mostly getting his butt and tail. Ruby approves with a blush, but it seems a little forced.

"That's... better."

I decide to ask in concern, "I'm... sorry to hear about Neo. Is she doing okay?"

Ruby looks away.

"Yeah, she's fine, heh."

I put Anesidora on my back.

"I think it's just awful what people are saying about her. Neo's such a nice person." Ruby laughs a little as she rubs the back of her head. I shake my head, arms crossed. "Most people don't know what it's like on the battlefield. I mean, even experienced fighters can get scared and start seeing things. If it happened to Coco, it can happen to anyone."

Ruby cocks her head to the side.

"Coco? Wait. Y/N said that Emerald's Semblance is Hallucinations."

Ruby turns her head away in thought, only to look back at me after a quick flash startles her.

"Oh! Sorry."

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Ruby P.O.V.

As I walk in the Colosseum, people are back in the stands cheering and ready for entertainment as I descend down the steps to an open seat. Despite everything that's happened, I'm smiling widely, looking around at the assembled crowds... until my stupefied eyes see a familiar, glaring face on the other side of the arena: Emerald.

"Emerald's... here?"

As if sensing she's being watched, Emerald leans forward to glare at me and I get up with a worried expression and run towards the exit tunnel. Checking to see if no one's around, I enter a door labeled with a yellow maintenance sign and find myself inside of the Colosseum. I walk forward with determination as I hear the announcers' voices, muffled behind the brick walls.

Oobleck announces, "All right, it's now time to begin the randomization process for our next fight!"

I faintly hear the sound of the roulette, but what makes me stop in my tracks is the sight of Mercury stepping out from a nearby tunnel, completely unharmed and definitely not going home. I squint to make sure.

"Mercury?"

Port announces the first contestant, "It looks like our first contender is... Penny Polendina from Atlas..."

My attention goes from the broadcast to Mercury.

"What are you doing?"

"And her opponent will be... Y/N L/N from Beacon!"