The air smelled of sweat and dirt. Golden locks of hair fell around her shoulders and back, heavy with rage and clinging to her skin. Once distant violet eyes now burned an angry golden-orange, revealing long felt hatreds and contempt. She was breathing heavy, although for now there was respite from the fighting as she circled her opponent. The arena felt almost too large for the two of them, and yet too small for all that hung in the air. Today was an exam match, a test of skill for the two fighters and entertainment for the cohort of second grade hunters at Beacon Academy. But for Yang Xiao-Long, it was so much more. Though the Dust powering her gauntlet weapons was of a less-lethal type and the match only for show, she fought with an intense desire to inflict pain. To show her how I feel. More than grades or titles, what mattered the most here was justice, or revenge. She was not exactly sure, but she knew she wanted to make her sister hurt. Red flashed across her vision, and she had barely enough time to avoid the swing of her sisters training halberd. Yang sidestepped the blow and began to close the gap, arm raised for a swing at the now-exposed middle of the red girl, but her fist only connected with the air. Her opponent was quick, far quicker than her, or any normal human for that matter. Missing the satisfying crunch of impact drove Yang's rage even further, and she squeezed the trigger on her gauntlet to release a powerful explosive blast in the direction of the flittering red cloak. The target wasn't quick enough this time and the blast caught her in the side, staggering her momentarily. Seizing the opportunity, Yang lunged forwards with her other fist, impacting the girl's cheek and knocking her on her back. Raising her foot in an attempt to pin the other girl's chest to the ground, she was caught off guard as the halberd hooked around her ankle and swept the leg out from under her. Winded by the impact, she grunted from the pain and fury. After a moment the sisters rolled away from each other back onto their feet. The fall had knocked the red hood off Yang's sister, and now she saw her smiling. Her younger sister looked nothing like her; She had the short dark hair of her mother, and those dammed silver eyes. No wonder Dad favoured her.
"You almost had me there," Ruby called in-between breaths. "You might be stronger, but I'm much faster!"
"I'm nothing like you," Yang muttered to herself.
Clenching her fists, Yang took the first steps back into the fight. She ducked under another halberd swing and, rolling back to her feet, lunged at Ruby. The younger girl dodged blow after blow, striking out with the hilt of her halberd at the close range. Yang caught the staff with both hands and issued a sweeping kick that was only narrowly avoided in time. She was still breathing heavy, but she knew her limits hadn't been reached yet. But her sister's dodges were coming later and later. She can't run forever. Though, Ruby seemed to have nearly limitless optimism. Her smile hadn't wavered; she was having fun. To her, this was just a show match, a game. Yang would open her eyes. Another lunge was narrowly avoided, but Ruby was losing focus. She hadn't seen the feint and her parry came too late. Yang had connected her fist with Ruby's midriff, knocking her off-balance. She failed to sidestep the next blow and felt Yang's kick squarely in her thigh, knocking her to the ground. The older girl saw the halberd twitch and stomped on it to prevent a repeat of last time. She was infuriated by her sister's constant evasion and the insult that she would fall for the same trick twice. Ruby coiled up for a sharp kick, but it was lethargic and Yang easily avoided it. She caught Ruby's foot and, in the same motion, pummelled the knee joint with her free hand, snapping the trigger of the explosive gauntlet. The crack of fist on flesh and bones snapping was masked by the explosive, but the effects were visible to all the crowd. Yang didn't care. Ruby screamed in agony, the smile leaving her face for the first time. Good, Yang thought. Now you see, don't you? You are weak and I am strong. But she didn't feel any better. It wouldn't bring her mother back, or change the way her father felt. Ruby's screams were the only sound in the arena, her silver eyes showing a mixture of betrayal and confusion.