AN: Hey Everyone! Alpha here. So, this chapter is probably going to feel a little weird, and that unfortunately was unavoidable. Most of these small interactions could have been their own chapter if I expanded them, but I wanted to try and capture that feel of snapping around the stadium to see what is happening with everyone without focusing on one group in particular, to avoid slowing the story down. There are a lot of moving parts in this fan fiction and I'm trying to cover them all as efficiently as I can.
Next chapter was one of my favorites to write, but I can't release it yet. I have been so busy lately that I'm actually in danger of falling too far behind, so I need more time to write and jazz up the chapter I'm on and try and catch up. Good things will come to those who wait, I promise. Hang in there!
"And the next round is….Team Iron Crane versus…..Team Bumblebee!"
Mina jumped off of Jim's lap, brimming with energy. Finally! This was it!
"Woah, easy there, buttercup," Jim commented. He could only kind of see Mina's form wiggling as she danced back and forth, but she seemed happy. "I didn't expect you to get this excited!"
"I've been waiting for this," the Korean Champion replied. "Irina and I have been wanting to take on someone tough since this got going! Isn't that right, Irina?"
The black-haired teen between Jim and Jack simply sipped her tea and nodded. Irina was a quiet one. She didn't talk much, probably because her thick Russian accent always made it a bit troublesome to be understood. She gave a slight glance to Mina, who was grinning behind strands of her blue hair that had fallen into her face and gave her a confident smile.
"Whatever happens, don't hold back," she replied simply.
"Well, this should be good," Jack noted, sipping on her tea. "I saw how dominant Yang was back in America. If her younger sister hadn't had that Skygrasper gimmick in her Gunpla, Yang would have taken the Northwest Regionals."
Adeline adjusted her glasses slightly. "Yeah...I'm kinda curious about her partner, though. She's the wild card."
Jack closed her eyes and thought back to the one time she met the girl. She had only had a brief run in with her, but she considered herself a good judge of character. "Hmm….true. But when we met her, Blake didn't seem like a fighter. Or at least, she hid it bloody well if she is." She crossed her arms. "Well, perhaps we'll be pleasantly surprised. She wouldn't be here if she wasn't good."
She looked over at Hathaway, who appeared to have a smirk on his face as he looked over his shoulder at the television. A sudden thought crossed her mind, and she scowled. She'd seen that look before. "You know something, Hath. Spill it."
He didn't turn to face her. He simply closed his eyes. "I don't know anything," he replied coyly. "But, I have a hunch."
Jim scoffed. "Well, that ain't cryptic at all."
"I don't buy it." Adeline glared at Hathaway, who shot a glance at her. His smirk grew. She had a look on her face that told him she'd torture him for information if she had the opportunity, which only added to his amusement.
"You can believe what you want," he replied smugly. "I'm telling the truth."
Jim shook his head. "Uh huh. Suuuuure you are."
Irina glared at him, expecting more, but there was nothing else. He simply sat there, stirring his coffee gently, and waited.
"Hey, Irina! Let's go greet our opponents! We still have about twenty minutes before the match starts."
Irina looked over at her partner, giving her a surprised look and a nod. The rambunctious and hyper Mina always took the more passive girl aback. How the two even coexisted, she never could figure out. But they did make an effective team, despite their unique dispositions. "Okay."
Jack watched the two head out, then looked back at Hathaway. "Seriously, what are you thinking?"
Hath cast a glance back at Jack, still smirking. "He who walks the path with curiosity in his heart shall be fascinated by all he beholds," he replied. "I think you'll see what I'm thinking when this match starts."
"No I won't," Jim replied bluntly, which caused Adeline to giggle and Jack to roll her eyes.
—
Ral had taken his leave not long after arriving, explaining he merely wanted to congratulate all of the Try Fighters on their victories. He walked away proud; the three of them had come so far in such a short time. He was honored to have coached them.
Meeting Kali's daughter had been unexpected, but fortuitous. Ral hadn't fully disclosed how much Blake's mother had been involved with in the past. Nothing illegal, of course, but Kali had a knack for working over a crowd back in the day and getting information from people. And frankly, it was a little sad Ral had to send messages to her through her daughter. But after what Ozpin had told him, he couldn't ignore the issues.
As he rounded the corner towards the observation area, he spotted the Meijin, out of his usual attire and wearing civilian clothes. "Yuuki," he greeted the young man. "I didn't expect to see you out of character during the tournament."
Yuuki turned and smiled gently at Ral. "I had something to do before coming here," he admitted. "I was planning on changing in time for the final battle of the first round. I expect they are going to want me to make some grand statement as the Meijin at the end of the match."
Ral approached him, nodding. "Most likely. So, this 'something' you had to do...does it relate to what you heard about yesterday?"
Yuuki's smile faded, and he looked away. "Partially. It's more about Catherine. Uh, Lady Kawaguchi. She's still unconvinced about this."
"Hmm." Ral thought to himself. "Go get changed. I would like to talk with you in private."
Yuuki glanced back at him, then nodded with a smile. "Very well. Meet me in my VIP box before the final round. We'll have time to speak before the last fight."
The young man bid his farewell, leaving Ral to ponder alone. What could Lady Kawaguchi be on the fence about? The story that Ozpin told? The threat? Or was it concerning her sister Theresa Baker?
—-
"Brooding, I see."
Kyrus looked up at the voice. Io and Ricardo were staring down at him, carrying trays of food. The diner was packed with people, all of whom were watching the tournament on various monitors around the establishment. The fact they found him was a little surprising.
"You two on a date or something?" Kyrus teased, causing Io to roll her eyes and Ricardo to hiss at him.
"Hey, hey! C'mon, Ky, you know that the paparazzi are everywhere!" Ricardo pleaded quietly. "If they overhear you talking like that, the tabloids would jump on it in a heartbeat, and I'm pretty sure Mihoshi would kill me!"
Kyrus smirked. "Do you call her Kirara when you two are alone? I've always wondered what it's like to be married to a former Gunpla idol-turned-Hollywood actress."
Ricardo slid into the seat beside Io, across from Kyrus. "Win a world tournament, and you might be able to see for yourself."
He leaned in and gave Kyrus a hard look. "You look like hell. Rough night? Don't tell me you're still smarting over losing yesterday."
"Ha! No." Kyrus shook his head. "It's not that."
"He got dumped by his one-night stand," Io answered, plopping one of her takoyaki into her mouth and choosing to ignore her older brother's shocked expression.
"Oh? Is that so?" Ricardo chuckled. "And how'd you manage that?"
Kyrus growled. "It's not like that!" he declared. "I just went out for a few drinks with an old friend and didn't drop a subject she wanted to be dropped. That's all."
"And you escorted her to her room out of the goodness of your heart," Io added, chewing her takoyaki with one judgmental eye on Kyrus. "Your location app was on. You were three floors above our room."
Kyrus glared at her. "Spying on me, now?"
"Merely concerned for my dim-witted brother."
Ricardo couldn't help but laugh at the siblings. The two of them were close, but Io's cold nature and calculating mind usually gave her a leg up on Kyrus in these verbal jousts. He'd missed this in the year since they last saw each other.
"Well, as long as you're not sulking," Ricardo said casually. "There's too much to worry about before the Battle Royale. Besides, as a National champ, it's not like you needed the win at the Doubles bracket."
"No, I just wanted to have fun," Kyrus replied with a grin. "And I did, loss and all. Kids these days are proving to be trickier and trickier." He looked at Ricardo. "Is Fenice up for the challenge?"
Ricardo raised an eyebrow as he smiled at his rival. "Don't you worry about Fenice? She and I will be more than ready for whatever this new generation throws at us, either as Rinascita or Liberta. You should make sure you don't lose before I knock you out of the tournament. Again."
"Oho! Someone's cocky," Kyrus shot back with a confident look. He pounded the table with the palm of his hand and leaned over to look Ricardo in the eye. "Don't underestimate me this time. You beat the Unicorn Chimera twice, but I'm bringing something new and fun to the World Championship. It's not going to be the same as before."
Ricardo glanced at Io. "He telling the truth?"
Io shrugged. "Who knows. He's full of hot air anyway."
"Ignore her." Kyrus crossed his arms and sat up confidently. "I'll make sure to knock you out of the tournament, then take the grand prize myself. And I won't even need to use my full power to do it."
Ricardo leaned down and smirked. "Well, you're welcomed to try, at least."
—
Nora sighed, feeling bored. "Aw, man! I wanted to smash things!"
Ren gave her a faint, knowing smile. "You'll get to smash things soon enough. This means we are the last fight of the day."
"Yeah," Jaune added, "so you can leave the biggest impression on the entire crowd!"
Ruby and Penny both giggled at Nora's eagerness. They understood how she felt. "At least we can act as Yang and Blake's cheerleaders!"
"Where are they, anyway?" Weiss pondered. "I barely saw them today, after breakfast. I figured they might have gone back to their room to canoodle or something."
Penny gave Weiss a confused look. "I'm not familiar with that term. What does 'canoodle' mean?"
Nora grinned mischievously. "Ren and I could give you a demonstration!" Her voice had a hint of danger and excitement to it, which seemed to captivate Penny and immediately worry Pietro and Ciel.
"Please don't," Ren replied curtly.
Jaune and Pyrrha laughed at the other two. "Well, we're likely to see them very soon, since they will have to pass by this area to get to the arena," Pyrrha noted. "I would imagine they might be in a different rest area backstage. Perhaps Yang wished to watch Sekai's fight with his friends. They were training together, yes?"
Ruby nodded. "That's right. They might be with Fumina, Sekai, and Yuuma right now. The Try Fighters and Blake and Yang have been getting along pretty well since Yang started training at her mom's dojo."
Weiss had a thoughtful look on her face. "Say, Ruby, this Team Iron Crane's Mina...isn't that the girl we met last night when we went to talk with Hathaway?"
"I think so. She's the Korean Champion, winning the title in both North and South Korea, which makes her the only dual national champion in the tournament."
"Yup, that's me."
A voice caught their attention and they looked over at the two young women approaching the group. Mina's Sky blue hair and eyes locked into Ruby and Weiss immediately, and she waved. "Well, it's good to see you girls again," she commented.
Her partner looked around. "Hmmm. Our opponents do not appear to be here."
"Funny you should mention that," Weiss replied, "we were just discussing that."
"The Russian Champion, Irina Sobolev, correct?" Pyrrha stated. "It's been a while."
Irina's cool gaze lowered to look at the smiling face of Pyrrha. "Pyrrha Nikos." Her thick accent highlighted many of the syllables in her name and came out as a combination of acknowledgment and dismissiveness. "Haven't seen you around since your last tour as European Champion."
Pyrrha smiled nervously. "I've enjoyed stepping out of the spotlight for a little bit, but I do admit I've missed the friends and rivals I made while touring. Living in the US has let me relax a bit."
"And yet, you are just as skilled as before." Her tone switched slightly, a hint of admiration now seeping into it. "Your domination of Captain Ironwood and Commander Fynn did not go unnoticed."
Pyrrha shifted slightly, growing a little uncomfortable with the pointed praise. "Oh, please, they were incredibly skilled opponents. It was an honor to fight them-"
Irina cut her off. "Humbleness does not suit a warrior of your caliber," she stated bluntly. "Is practically offensive. You are strong, they are weak."
Mina laughed nervously and got between the two. "Now, now, save some of that intensity for our opponents." She aimed to change the subject, turning back to the group. "Sorry for my partner's bluntness. Pyrrha, you put on an awesome show."
Irina rolled her eyes; Mina's passivity was one of the more annoying things about the young woman.
"Just so you know," Ruby started confidently, sitting up with her hands on her hips and a proud look on her face, "my big sister's going to kick your butt!"
Mina tilted her head and eyed the younger girl. "I hope she tries her best. The harder they fight, the more fun it is to beat them."
"We should go," Irina cut in. "Our opponents are not here. We should wait in the arena."
Mina nodded. "Okay. Good idea." She grinned at the group. "Hope you enjoy the show."
The entire group watched them leave, a feeling of mixed anxiety and nervousness around them. They were understandably confident, with both being National Champions.
Penny cocked her head to the side. "Irina Sobolev…." she looked at Pietro. "Father, is she the one you spoke to me about?"
Pietro nodded. "Yes, my dear. If she is still using her Gundam Astraea, then this fight will be an uphill battle for your friends."
Weiss looked to Ruby. "What was it you told me about her machine? You mentioned something special about it at the party, I think."
"It has three GN drives," Ruby replied. "Meaning that, even if it uses Trans-Am mode, it won't be taken out of commission if it runs out of time on the mode because the third drive can allow it to function at limited power levels. Unlike Blake, who only has two and if she runs out of time, she'll need a long time to recharge enough to return to the fight."
Jaune's eyes grew wide. That was so broken. "Sacrebleu! That puts Yang and Blake at an extreme disadvantage."
"Well, if you have the skill to do it…" Weiss shrugged.
Pyrrha looked at the group and smiled, reassuringly. "Irina is very tough, but she isn't invincible. I've defeated this machine twice before, and Yang is exceptionally skilled. Blake's got a good chance, too, since she can keep up with Irina in Trans Am."
Penny looked at the ceiling, thinking. "Even still, with my present data on all the combatants, knowing that Irina uses three GN particle drives puts Team Bumblebee at- "
"Never tell me the odds!" Ruby shouted, cutting her off. She shook her head frantically and pumped her fist down in determination. "Weiss and I were at an extreme disadvantage too against Kyrus and we won! Blake and Yang can do this! Somehow!"
Weiss smiled as a thought crossed her mind. "Well, Yang did almost beat you," she mused. Ruby frowned and shot her a look, which only made her shrug.
—
The colosseum's halls seemed so empty as Qrow walked them. Hands in pockets, a depressed or bored look on his face it was impossible to tell these days-and a lazy gaze that took in everything he saw, the private investigator was hunched over and wandering aimlessly as he waited for the next match.
Ozpin's orders and mission weighed on his mind. He was still missing pieces. He felt they were important ones, but he couldn't help but feel lost without them.
Just what-
"There you are."
A familiar, annoying voice broke through his thoughts. He turned and saw Raven, Tai, and Summer standing behind him. Summer gave him a big smile, while Tai seemed to have a concerned look on his face. His twin, however, was scowling.
"You know," Raven continued, "it's bad when I have spent more time with your nieces while they've been here than you have."
Qrow seemed slightly bothered by her assessment, sighing heavily. "Well, hello to you too, Ray."
Summer's smile faded a little. "Hey, Stilts, is everything okay?"
No, it wasn't, but since Raven and Tai didn't know about anything Ozpin had told him or Summer, he simply shook his head. "Nah, not really, but it's the same ol' same ol'." He shot her a sloppy smile. "Don't go worrying about me, now."
"Qrow." Tai crossed his arms and gave him a hard look. "The girls would like to see you. Ruby, especially. Yang's up next in the next fight-why don't you sit with us, and we can grab dinner with the girls after the tournament?"
He looked away. Tai was a doting and loving and at times overbearing, father. He was a wonderful man, and it was no wonder Summer chose him. But he also had this way of making Qrow feel extremely guilty. "I dunno…"
"Don't 'I dunno' us," Raven snapped. "I'll be cooking. You love my cooking. We can meet at my dojo for dinner and actually eat for the very first time as a full family." She gave him a hard glare. "Yang and Ruby deserve your attention."
He shrugged when she was finished, not having the desire or energy to continue arguing. "Fine. I'll be there."
Tai rolled his eyes. "Gee, don't sound so enthused to be with your loved ones."
Summer elbowed him in the ribs. "Tai! Be nice!" She turned back to Qrow grinned. "I don't think the four of us have gotten together for dinner since Yang was born! I'm very excited."
Raven looked away. Qrow noted the edge in her eyes has withered, replaced by shame. Clearly, his sister still had some ill-placed thoughts about deciding to not be in Yang's life. Perhaps spending time with her daughter had softened her a bit.
His curiosity now piqued, he turned to face them all fully. He had his own brand of shame that he wore. "Look, guys...I'm sorry I haven't been around. Work's been awful lately. The money's good, but things have been really heavy. Sorry for not being around more."
Tai shook his head. "We just worry about you. We hardly ever hear from you these days. You missed Yang's birthday the last two years, you missed both girls meeting at the Regionals, and you haven't been around while we've been here. It's almost like you've been avoiding us."
"Yeah...I can see how it's come across like that," Qrow admitted solemnly. "I'll try and pop in a little more often, especially since we're all here together." He looked at his sister. "Starting with tonight."
Raven smirked and gave him a reassuring look. "I'll drag you before your nieces if you don't show up tonight."
He laughed. "I don't doubt it, Sis. Where are you sitting?"
"Up in the B section," Summer replied. "Near the entrance to the stadium seating there."
"Alright. I'll join you before the next match starts." Qrow smiled as bowed ever so slightly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a hot dog or something."
"We'll see you there, then," Tai responded, before the three of them headed back. Summer glanced at him as they walked away, and he gave her a gentle nod. He wasn't breaking this promise.
Even still, though, there was something he'd need to check out once the day's festivities were finished.
—
The smirk on Tyrion's face made Cinder grimace. He knew something.
"I must say, Arthur, setting Hazel and I up for the grand finale of the opening rounds, and doing it against one of the two remaining Ozpin sponsored teams, is highly intriguing," he mused.
"One might wonder if you did such a thing on purpose."
"They can wander all they want," Watts retorted, eyes firmly fixed on the laptop he furiously typed on. "They have absolutely no evidence to support it. Besides, it only seems fitting."
Cinder stood against the wall, arms wrapped around herself, holding onto her elbows as she watched the two men. Cinder and Watts had a somewhat strained but working understanding of each other. Both had issues with the other but were capable of understanding the roles they played and were able to work together without much problem, outside of a snide remark from one party or the other.
Tyrion, however, was another story entirely. He acted like a dignified gentleman in public, but he had an air of chaotic energy about him. He was wild and unpredictable. There was no telling what kind of things were going through his skull. He was as measured and calculating as he was focused and disruptive.
Cinder didn't trust him. But Salem did, for some reason.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully as he peered down over the stadium. He wore an unnerving, amused smile like he had just thought of something humorous and was fine-tuning the joke for the perfect delivery. The smile faded into a look of curiosity, however, when he noted Cinder watching him.
He turned his head. "Oh? Is something the matter, Cynthia?"
Cinder scowled. "Don't call me that," she warned. "That was the name of a weak little girl who should have died. That's not who I am."
Tyrion let out a low chuckle. "Of course it's you. It's just as much you as your newly founded persona. You cannot hope to escape your past. You must let it define you."
She rolled her eyes. "Since when did you become a philosopher? It doesn't suit you."
His eyes grew wide with even greater amusement, and his smile returned. "I am merely the architect of Mistress Salem's will. But you don't become that way by ignoring exactly who you are."
"I know who I am," Cinder shot back. She pushed her bangs behind her ear and met Tyrion's gaze, which only seemed to amuse him more.
"No," he replied, "you don't."
Cinder was about to shoot him a reply when the door opened. "That's quite enough, Tyrion," Salem's voice sounded out. The attention turned to the door, where Salem, Hazel, and Emerald were entering.
Emerald carried two coffee cups and handed one to Cinder. "Here. I thought you might like a latte."
Cinder glanced at her, before smiling and accepted it. "Thank you, Emerald." Emerald's eyes beamed as she took a step back and stood next to Cinder.
"So, our team is last," Hazel commented, standing next to Salem and Tyrion. "Pity it has to be against those kids."
"Feeling a fondness for our enemies, hmm?" Tyrion asked.
"I met them yesterday. They seem like good kids. I'm not looking forward to crushing them."
The amused glance Tyrion gave Cinder now traveled up to the mountain of a man next to him. "I didn't take you for the gentle giant."
Salem put her hand on Tyrion's shoulder. "That's enough, I said. Let's avoid provoking each other. We need our attention on the tournament, not each other."
"Of course, my lady," Tyrion responded, bowing. "My apologies."
Cinder snorted and looked away from them down at the tournament below. She ached to begin testing her new Gunpla. She ached to tear someone apart. The battle between her and Emerald and Mercury had done little to sate her thirst for destruction. She wanted more.
"Tell me, Watts. How has my Gunpla been coming along?"
Watts looked up from his laptop. "For the most part, the basic design is done. Although, I still can't, for the life of me, understand why you wish to use something other than the Qubeley Damned Empress. That machine could potentially beat the Meijin himself."
"Hmph. You speak like he's unbeatable."
"Watts is working on another project right now, Cinder," Salem commented. "Seeing as how you so thoroughly decimated Emerald and Mercury's machines, they are in need of replacing. I believe you know I want them, rather than Hazel and Tyrion, in the second round."
Cinder nodded. "Of course, my lady."
"I assure you, however, that your Bertigo will be complete." She rested her hand on Cinder's shoulder, then turned to Emerald. "This Shanal being created for you will greatly improve your skills. You should have it ready by tonight."
Emerald hesitated for a moment, but then bowed slightly. "I'm sure Torchwick'll be happy to know that. He's got an interesting bet running right now."
Torchwick's name made Cinder raise an eyebrow. "My lady...why do we entertain Roman Torchwick? He is an irritant."
"Only a small one," Salem replied. "And he holds resources and intelligence we could never hope to match without him." She gave her a cool, reassuring smile. "I've only been here on Earth for five years, after all. There are many things about their laws and customs I am unfamiliar with. He's necessary, so do try to put up with him for a few more days?"
She nodded respectfully, and a smile crossed her lips. Only a few more days. The world tournament couldn't come soon enough.
—-
"Well, we're off." Yang pushed off the couch and gave Sekai and the others a thumbs up. "Wish us luck. Not that we'd need it."
The Try Fighters grinned and nodded, the three of them excited to see Yang in action with her new Gunpla. Sekai, in particular, seemed extremely energized. He thrust his fist out, and Yang met it with her own.
"I can't wait to see how strong you really are." His eyes locked with Yang, and she nodded confidently.
"Oh, don't worry. Blake and I are going to move on, and then we're coming for you."
Shia got up and cupped Blake's hands. The taller girl looked at her, surprised. "Show me how beautiful you've made my Gunpla. Your Gunpla."
Blake gave her a gentle look. "Thank you, Shia. I wouldn't be here without you."
Shia hugged Blake suddenly, before releasing her and stepping away with her hands behind her back. "Good luck, Blake."
Yang and Blake exchanged glances, and both turned and headed for the staging area, but were stopped by a voice.
"Blake! Wait!"
The two turned to see her parents running after her. "Mom? Dad? What's wrong?"
The two came to a stop in front of Blake and hugged her tightly. "Your father and I weren't able to talk much with you this morning at breakfast, but we wanted to wish you the best," Kali said, hugging Blake and nuzzling her cheek. "We are so proud of you, baby!"
Blake blushed and hugged her mother back. "Thanks."
Yang walked up to her father as the two women embraced. She always felt weirdly intimidated by the man, both because of his size, and because he was incredibly severe and overbearing when it came to Blake and her happiness. He had always been kind to Yang, and accepting even so much as to treat her like a second daughter before she and Blake had begun dating-but her first interaction with him had left her feeling nervous and overly cautious when he was present.
She rubbed the back of her head. "So...Mr. Belladonna, sir. It's...nice that you wanted to see us off…"
Blake's father, who stood nearly six feet seven inches and was built like a professional bodybuilder, dwarfed even the taller than average Yang. Yet as he looked down at her, his face was filled with nothing but affection. He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "Yang, my dear, I told you that you should drop the formalities. You can call me Ghira."
Yang grinned nervously. "O-of course. Ghira, sir. I'm sorry, I'm still getting used to it."
Kali leaned into Blake's shoulders. "You really have found you a keeper," she said approvingly. Blake blushed, her pale skin turning crimson.
"Oh, hey, Blake." Sekai's eyes met the older girl's. "Didn't Mister Ral tell you to tell your mom something?"
Kali's eyes lit up. "Ral? Oh, bless his heart. You met with him?"
"Oh, right. He coaches the Try Fighters here. Sekai, Yuuma, Fumina, Kaoruko, Shimon, this is my mother Kali and my father Ghira." She turned to her mother. "And yes, Mister Ral did ask me to tell you something. He just said, 'the Lieutenant has something to ask you.' I'm not sure what that means, but he said you were a hostess or bartender or something years ago?"
Kali laughed. "Well before you were born. It was my first job, working at a popular Gunpla club. Ral was a regular back then. I haven't seen him since I moved to the states, though. So...almost nineteen years? It was before you were born."
Ghira appeared to get antsy, jealousy set in. "Is he someone I should know about?"
Kali shot him a knowing look and shook her head. "Of course not. He and I aren't some old flames or something. He just taught me the ins and outs of Gunpla Battle so I could better serve my customers, and get better tips. He's good people, and a good coach."
She turned back to Blake. "I'll try and contact him later. For now, your father and I need to get back to our seats, and you need to get out there, but we will be rooting for you the entire time!"
Ghira looked down at Yang and patted her back. "Both of you, good luck."
Yang and Blake shared a brief, excited, glance, before waving to the others and heading towards the stage. It was their turn to shine.
