A/N: This week has been wild- new job, new coworkers, new neighbourhood. Finalized my next degree. Slept in for the first time in five months. Life is wild.
And finally, here we are at the start of volume 3! Almost there, everyone.
Laws of Attraction
"I can't believe we're finally here!" Nora squealed, hugging Pyrrha's arm tightly. "Look at how many people there are! Just how many ships are going to the dock?" She bounced on her heels, pointing outside of the airship window.
"Well, Amity Colosseum is designed to fit over a hundred thousand people," the redhead commented lightly.
"But still! There's so many Air Buses! Look! Ooh, we're gonna have to fight people for the good seats, aren't we?" Nora growled. "I'll take 'em all on."
"Contestants get VIP seats, Nora," Ren explained quietly, reading a book by the aisle nonchalantly. "There's no need to rush."
Pyrrha smiled and nodded, trying desperately to keep the blush off her cheeks as she felt the body leaned up against her other side shift uneasily. Automatically, she raised her hand and wrapped it around Jaune's shoulders, patting the boy's back as he groaned and leaned into her touch. "Feeling okay, Jaune?"
"What do you think, Pyrrha," the blond nearly sobbed, clutching onto the plastic bag he held between his knees for dear life.
"You've gotten so much better on airships this year, Jaune," Ren commented. "I thought you were over the airsickness now."
"It only hits- ugh," he moaned, convulsing for a moment, "-when I'm nervous and not distracted. Which is exactly now. Ugh, I hate this."
Pyrrha sighed, but there wasn't any helping Jaune's sickness. So, she contented herself with looking out of the large window by Nora, taking in the sight of their destination in awe- the Amity Colosseum.
An incredible feat of engineering and cooperation between all four Kingdoms, the colosseum was absolutely breathtaking. Floating above Beacon Academy's campus, the giant facility hummed constantly with the sheer amount of energy it took to keep it airborne. Built almost like a funnel, the wide outer rim was lined with spectator seating leading down into the central stage, with the docks and engine rooms built on the levels below the actual combat grounds. Dozens of airships just like the one they were on hurried back and forth between the incredible floating docking station and the port at the end of Main Avenue, where all the visitors and spectators of the tournament were stopping over from around the world. Even as they drew closer, the giant Dust crystal at the bottom of the colosseum pulsed with bright green light, the energy drawn up into the engine and turbines of the enormous structure giving it enough power to keep it afloat.
Just the sight of the colosseum was enough to send Pyrrha's heart racing. She had never enjoyed tournaments, but the thought of competing in the greatest arena in all of Remnant sent shivers of excitement up and down her spine. She had watched the Vytal Festival Tournament on the CCTS for years, but seeing it in person…
This is what I've been waiting for.
"I'm glad we didn't end up in the morning matches," Nora commented. "It was nice sleeping in!"
Pyrrha pulled out her Scroll, absentmindedly opening up the message she had received from Professor Goodwitch the night before. The Huntress had sent all competitors the initial roster of first-round matches. Her eyes wandered down the list of names filling out the bracket of thirty-two teams until she found theirs. JNPR was scheduled to have their match in the first afternoon slot, which had given them more than enough time to mentally prepare (or not, in Jaune's case) before their match. Team RWBY was in the slot directly preceding them, facing off against a group from Haven Academy.
Pyrrha mused aloud, "I'm just glad Ruby messaged us that their match was going to end up closing off the morning half. We should have enough time to find them before we have to report in."
"Hopefully, all will go well for their match," Ren said dryly, flipping the pages of his book, completely at ease despite the upcoming battles.
"They'll win," Jaune mumbled, but he quickly ducked his head low and just breathed in and out of his bag, trying to contain the nausea somehow. "We've all survived so far."
Eventually, they found themselves in the station within the Amity Colosseum. Immediately, one of the workers recognized them as competitors (mostly due to recognizing Pyrrha, much to her chagrin) and directed them to the VIP seating area inside the stadium – a row of red, velvet-upholstered seats in front of the general public's viewing platforms.
"Hey, look! They're showing the roster!" Nora pointed to the holographic screen above the commentators' booth.
Sure enough, the bracket for the first round- full four-man teams- popped up, each slot filled with the names of the competing teams. Some matches had already taken place that morning. To no one's surprise, Team CFVY had already secured their spot in the doubles round. Pyrrha felt a hint of bitter disgust settle in her stomach as she saw that Mercury's team had also managed to win their earlier match. A part of her was unsettled that she had such a strong reaction to seeing his team- yet, after all of her odd, uncomfortable encounters with him, she quickly wrote off her discomfort as understandable. She just hoped that she wouldn't have to fight him again.
Thankfully, as they settled down in their seats, Pyrrha saw familiar figures stepping out onto the colosseum floor. "Team RWBY's about to begin their match. Looks like we made it just in time."
The image of the bracket disappeared on the holo-screen above them, and was instantly replaced with a live feed of the commentator's booth. Seated at the table within, wearing headsets like a pair of sportscasters, was Professor Oobleck and Professor Port.
"Now," Professor Port began, "we shall begin our next match of the day. Would both teams step into the center to receive their battleground?"
Team RWBY and their opponents- Team ABRN from Haven Academy, if the bracket was correct- took a stand on either side of the stage.
"For those of you who may be new to the Vytal Festival Tournament, we have a specialized battleground that is randomly selected from a multitude of pre-set environments," Professor Oobleck explained. The man was just as jittery as always, bouncing in his seat and fiddling with the enumerable papers on the desk before him. "In a random draw, each team will be given up to four separate biomes, each providing unique challenges during combat. It is up to the combatants to figure out how best to turn those challenges into advantages."
"Yes indeed," the elder Huntsman merrily hummed. "Being able to use your environment to your advantage is the mark of a true warrior. This style of match is the perfect time to utilize Semblances to the fullest."
"What the heck do they mean by 'biomes'?" Jaune asked worriedly. Glancing to her right, Pyrrha was a little relieved to see that most of the green-grey pallor that had haunted the blond all morning had vanished. However, nervous confusion had replaced it, the boy twitching in his seat uncomfortably.
It's his first time watching the tournament, she reminded herself. "Don't worry. You'll see," she replied.
More holographic screens emerged around the central battleground, where images began to scroll down rapidly like a slot machine panel. Eventually, the icons slowed down, the screens on one side of the field coming to rest on an image of a bubbling volcano, and the other, a snowflake icon.
"They only have two biomes for the team round, huh?" Pyrrha murmured aloud.
"The maximum of four will be used in the doubles round," Ren clarified steadily.
Suddenly, the entire arena rumbled. Around the center of the stage, the floor opened up on either side. Rising from the pit on one side was an intense heat- a field of bubbling magma and porous volcanic rock lifted up out from below the stage. On the other side of the circular centerpiece on which the competitors stood was the exact opposite- a ribbon of snow, curving and sloping into crests and valleys of pure ice, glinted dangerously in the sunlight. Half of the field instantaneously began to melt due to the presence of the nearby lava, but an engine below the stage kicked in, and suddenly blue Dust was sprayed over the glacier-side of the field, keeping the ice crystals whole.
"We have to fight… in that?!" Jaune cried, eyes bugging out of his head.
"No, silly," Nora giggled. "We'll have our own crazy battlefield!"
"Ugh," the blond deflated in his seat. "Great. What I've always wanted."
Pyrrha patted him sympathetically on the shoulder before turning her attention back to the match.
Professor Port proudly announced, "Now, here are our next contestants- Team RWBY of Beacon, and Team ABRN of Haven! Two inexperienced teams who are ready to prove their mettle and battle their way to the top- but, only one may proceed to the next round! Who shall it be?"
"We are certainly in for an exciting match!" Professor Oobleck agreed brightly.
The former grinned wide, his mustache curling up slightly with his smile. "If both teams are ready, then… 3… 2… 1… begin!"
And with that, both teams leapt forward, weapons raised. Instantly, the Beacon girls squared off against each of the members of ABRN. They put up a fierce fight- the four girls were engaged and focused the entire time, working together to take on the other team. Even though it was a bit hard to see exactly what was going on through the haze of the force field surrounding the battlegrounds, the exchanges were all captured on cameras being broadcast to more holo-screens on either side of the stadium.
"They're doing well," the redhead murmured as Blake threw her opponent dangerously close to the barrier. She was impressed- they were managing to hold their own quite well, despite the audience distractingly cheering along and having to navigate the dangerous environmental hazards.
After the initial clash between all fighters, Professor Port's voice boomed heartily on the intercom. "Hello! It seems that we have another astonishing bout ahead of us! Wouldn't you agree, Professor?"
Pyrrha could practically hear the eye roll in Professor Oobleck's voice. "Doctor," he muttered. The redhead winced- that was certainly a formality none of the students adhered to, that was for sure.
Brightening up, Professor Oobleck continued, "And yes Peter, I think it's safe to say this match may be the closest we've seen of the four-on-four round of the tournament!"
The redhead sighed, letting her attention drift between the action on the floor and the conversation between the two Huntsmen. "For those of you just now joining us, welcome to the Vytal Festival Tournament, broadcast live from the Amity Colosseum! If this is your first time watching, allow us to break down the rules."
She gently elbowed Jaune and pointed up at the screen. "You were a bit confused still, right?" she whispered. "Here's how the tournament goes."
The blond stared at her for a moment blankly before a sheepish smile of gratitude appeared. "You caught me," he chuckled, focusing his attention onto the projection above.
Holding up a hand, Professor Oobleck began counting down the combat styles on his fingers. "The tournament is divided into three distinctive rounds; teams, doubles, and singles. Age and school year are irrelevant! In this tournament, your only attribute being tested... is skill."
Professor Port nodded enthusiastically. "Correct! The winners of this battle will elect two of their members to represent them in the doubles round, followed by the winners of that round choosing one member to advance once again. The remaining combatants will then fight their way through the final bracket in the hope of achieving victory for their kingdom!"
Pushing up his own spectacles for effect, Professor Oobleck continued, "And yes, Peter, these certainly are some spectacular spectacles on which to spectate on! I don't think anyone tuning in around the world is going to disagree with me on that!"
"Ah, and why would they?" Professor Port chuckled heartily. "Now, let's get back to the match between Team RWBY of Beacon, and Team ABRN, of Haven."
His words floated over Pyrrha's head as she turned back to the match, although her eyes fell upon Jaune on the way. His eyes were bright, sparkling with excitement, a disbelieving smile on his face as he cheered his friends on for their battle.
Warmth blossomed throughout her chest. Biting back the smile which wanted to slip out, she faced the stage once more, watching contentedly as Ruby and Weiss worked in tandem to take down one of their opponents. On the other side of the arena, Blake managed to knock her opponent completely out of the arena. The glowing bar indicating the ABRN member's Aura ticked down into the red, and a loud buzzer rang out through the stadium.
Professor Port cried, "Ooh, a double whammy! Reese Chloris is eliminated by ring-out and Aura level!"
His partner added, "Oh, she really should've worn a helmet!"
While they spoke, Yang slid around an icy ramp created by Weiss, and with some quick thinking and teamwork from Blake and Ruby, the blonde martial artist slammed her fist into the three remaining opponents, sending them flying out of bounds. In the matter of just a few moments, the Huntsman called, "And that's the match! Team RWBY is victorious!"
"They did it!" Jaune cheered, jumping up out of his seat. Everyone in the stands stood up and cheered, and numerous members of the audience held up signs cheering for Beacon Academy's students. The cameras zoomed in onto Team RWBY, the four young women looking confused as their victory slowly sank in. Soon, Ruby was jumping up and down in the air, screaming excitedly with all her might.
"That was a clean victory," Ren commented.
Nora jumped onto her chair, ignoring the cries of protest from those sitting behind them. "Of course they won! Now, it's our turn!"
Pyrrha laughed brightly. "Well, we should congratulate them. Let's head out?"
The shorter girl's stomach grumbled loudly. "Then can we grab some food?"
"I don't know if I want to eat…" the blond sighed, but obediently, he followed a skipping Nora out of the stadium, down the stairs and into the waiting area where competitors would emerge. As the four of them waited, they saw a tired and angry Team ABRN limp their way out of the arena, but no matter how long they stood there, there was no sign of Team RWBY.
"Don't tell me they already ran off," Jaune grumbled, letting out a tired sigh. Pitifully, he moaned, "Do we have to go back to Beacon now?"
Pyrrha squeezed his shoulder gently. "We'll have enough time, Jaune," she soothed. "Don't worry about the trip back. We're with you."
Flashing the girl a weak smile, Jaune tottered off towards the loading bay once more. Nora skipped beside Pyrrha and gave her a thumbs-up. "Keep it up, Pyrrha," the shorter girl teased.
The redhead rolled her eyes. "Enough. Nora, don't you start now," she chided, although she couldn't keep the smile off her lips as she spoke. "I'm not 'keeping anything up'. We just need to go say hi to Ruby, and I don't want Jaune to feel sick, that's all."
Nora rolled her eyes exaggeratedly to mimic Pyrrha. "Whatever you say," she chortled. A loud gurgle pulled a fit of giggles out of Nora, the orange-haired girl clutching her stomach gleefully. "Oh well. While you flirt, can we eat food at the fair down there? There's gotta be so much food, I mean- look at how many tents they set up! Please?" Spinning on her heel, she tugged Ren's sleeve. "Can we get some yummy food from there, Ren?"
Ren's cheeks were dusted pink, but he didn't comment on the exchange between the two girls.
Pyrrha bit her tongue, trying to distract herself from the embarrassment that threatened to take over. Having Ren know about her feelings was still fairly mortifying.
However, there was no point in waiting around. She gently guided Jaune back onto a ship, and (despite her blush and Nora's aggressive eyebrow wiggling) kept her hand on his back throughout the trip, making sure he was feeling alright. The blond was shaking by the time they were back on solid ground, but other than that, he looked much less green than he had after their first trip. At the dock, there was still no sign of Team RWBY, so they headed off to the fair.
The group wandered through the fairgrounds set up near the Beacon Cliffs, tantalizing smells drifting off of every food cart and stall in the vicinity. The sounds of chopping knives, enthusiastic salespeople, and the sizzle of fried goods echoed through the area, the noise combining with the chatter of the visitors and turning into something almost deafening. Strings of lights and ribbons and pennant flags hung between stalls, and vendors eagerly called out to the curious passersby, enticing them to their wares. It was incredible, the amount of energy emanating throughout the grounds.
Pyrrha drank it all in, body still buzzing joyfully from Team RWBY's victory and her closeness to the blond.
"They've gotta be around here somewhere," Jaune mumbled as he awkwardly shuffled past the different stalls, glancing at the map he installed into his Scroll nervously. "I'm sure we'll find them-"
"Ooh, there they are!" Nora butt in, grabbing Ren's arm and pointing to a stand up ahead of them. The stall was a portable shop for one of the noodle restaurants the group frequented every Sunday evening. Seated at the counter was all four girls of Team RWBY.
Almost in unison, everyone took a deep breath in and exhaled- and, just as in sync, their stomachs grumbled loudly. Even from where they stood, a good thirty metres away, they could smell the delicious broth wafting in the wind towards them.
"Time for lunch," Ren murmured. Pyrrha hummed in agreement, and they all wandered towards the noodle stand.
As they approached, a loud buzzing filled the air. From underneath the awning, Pyrrha could hear Weiss whine, "What?! How can my card be declined?" Quieter, the girl added, "I was barely into my monthly allowance!"
Blake's defeated cry slipped out from under the tent. Pyrrha raised a brow and traded looks with Nora, who was trying hard to hold in a giggle. Rolling her eyes, the redhead fished out her own Scroll. Tucked in a case on the back of it was always a credit card- her account was always topped up with old prize money. She barely used it, but it was something she always carried with her, just in case. Slipping the card out of the case, she held it up, trying to stifle in her own laugh when the shopkeeper pulled Blake's bowl away from her.
Once they were within earshot, Pyrrha asked, "Maybe I could help?"
A wide smile overtook Ruby's face, and the younger girl flung her arms open wide, ecstatic. "Pyrrha!"
Yang smiled kindly, waving away Pyrrha's card. "Aw, you don't have to…"
Blake immediately jumped in. "But she could!" she insisted, uncharacteristically frantic.
Chuckling, Pyrrha propped a hand on her hip, a wry smile on her face. "Well, I think you all earned it after that battle."
Nora's stomach gurgled again. The girl was leaning over the counter and just smelling Yang's bowl, but the blonde didn't mind.
Snorting at the silly sight, Jaune asked, "Mind if we join you?"
"Of course! Your match is next, right?" Ruby sat up straight in her seat, bouncing lightly. "I can't wait to see it!"
Pyrrha and her teammates ordered their own bowls before Jaune finally responded. "Well, it'll sure be… something."
"Oh hush," Pyrrha bumped her shoulder against his lightly. As the shopkeeper took her card, paid for the food, and slid a bowl in front of everyone, she stated confidently, "We'll be fine. For now, let's eat!"
Nora and Blake cheered, and in a matter of minutes, all eight bowls were completely clean. The moment Pyrrha took her last bite, however, she regretted it- the portion had been incredibly large. Usually she would share her portion with someone else, but for some reason, today…
Glancing over at her teammates, she could only sigh. Weiss, Jaune and Ren looked just as sick as she felt, although Ruby, Blake, Yang and Nora were, as usual barely contented by the giant meal. She groaned, pushing her bowl away decidedly and stretching her arms out in front of her, trying to stay upright.
Swallowing heavily, Ren asked, "Are you sure it's wise to have eaten before a fight?"
The shopkeeper quickly zoomed through the stall and picked up all of their bowls. She blinked tiredly at his speed, her body feeling incredibly sluggish all of a sudden. "Of course!" She tried to appear confident, pumping her fists in front of her, but she was too sleepy to put any real effort into it. "It will give us energy!"
Nora simply responded by letting out a hearty belch, the sound echoing through the stand.
Jaune groaned, draping himself dramatically over the counter. His face had taken on a green pallor far too quickly to be alright. "Ugh. If I barf, I'm blaming you," he muttered shakily against the wooden countertop.
Completely detached from the current problem, Nora jumped forward excitedly. With an evil grin, she called, "Ooh! Aim at the enemy!"
Immediately, Ren scolded, "Nora, that's disgusting." After a moment, he looked up, contemplative. "…But if you do feel the urge..."
Trembling, Jaune gave everyone a weak thumbs-up, not even bothering to raise his face off of the counter. "Got it."
Pyrrha smiled, pulling herself to her feet. Her eyes caught sight of the clock at the back of the stand- it was almost time to report for their match. "Well, we should be off."
Innocently, Ruby asked, "So, you think you guys are ready?"
Nora burst out, "Of course!" Gesturing to everyone in turn, she listed off, "We've got a world-renowned fighter on our team, one's basically ninja, I can bench five of me, Jaune, we've trained all year, our weapons are awesome, Glynda barely yells at us anymore, and uh... Jaune!"
Blankly, Ren leaned forward, glancing at their broken leader still trying not to vomit. "Are you gonna take that?"
With the tiniest shake of the head, Jaune whimpered, "She's not wrong."
Backtracking lightly, Nora insisted, "I'm kidding!" Turning to Ren, she waved Jaune's worry away. "He knows I'm kidding." Looking back at Jaune, she called, "Don't be so nervous! The worst that can happen is we lose, then it's just a few more years of walking around school with everyone knowing we're failures-" she leaned forward, the meaning of her words slowly setting in, "-our friends will slowly abandon us to preserve their social status, we won't be able to show our faces in class, no one will sit with us in the cafeteria-" her face took on an awful pallor, and Pyrrha almost reached out to snap her out of it, "-Ren and I have no parents, so we have no home left to go to, we'll be officially renamed Team Lose-iper!" By this point, her words tumbled out of her mouth, and she drifted off into mad laughter and eventual sobs. With a decisive slam of her head onto the counter, she muffled her sobs until they petered away sadly.
Ren shrugged. "So, yeah, we're feeling pretty good."
Placing a gentle hand on Nora's and Jaune's shoulders, Pyrrha soothed, "Don't fret. If anything, we should be looking forward to a fight with actual guidelines, and not, well… murderers."
Yang added, "Yeah, don't sweat it, we've all faced way worse before."
"Let's see," Blake murmured, counting off on her fingers, "Grimm invasions, violent extremists, a destructive sociopath..."
Ruby enthusiastically cheered, "And that's all while we were still in training! Oh, imagine what it'll be like when we graduate!"
Pouting, Weiss leaned back. "Maybe then I'll be able to pay for a meal," she mumbled glumly.
Suddenly, static over the intercom system crackled before Professor Port's voice rang through the fairgrounds. "Would Team JNPR please report to the battlegrounds immediately!"
"Yes," Professor Oobleck added passive-aggressively, "Like they were scheduled to, several minutes ago!"
Pyrrha flinched, looking back at the clock. They were indeed a few minutes late to their roll call. "Well, it looks like this is it." She turned on her heel and began sauntering back to the airships that would take them to Amity Colosseum.
"Go get 'em!" Ruby called.
The trip back to Amity Colosseum was a quiet one- Nora was simply sated after the big meal, while Jaune and Ren desperately tried to keep their lunch in their bodies throughout all of the jostling aboard the ship. Pyrrha sat quietly in the corner of their row, eyes locked outside of the window at the other ships flying about.
Team RWBY had already won. It was their turn.
By the time they arrived in the waiting room and were led onto the battlefield, their opponents were already walking out in a line, waiting for them. BRNZ of Shade, huh? Pyrrha recalled, thought drifting towards the bracket schedule she had saved on her Scroll. She vaguely remembered seeing them around Beacon over the last few months, but due to lack of interaction, she couldn't remember who was who. Thankfully, the holo-screens displaying their names, ID photos and Aura levels appeared on each side of the stadium.
Brawnz, the leader, took a defensive stance, flexing bare arms and holding his brass knuckles menacingly. He sent his team a cocky smirk, and the remaining three immediately crouched into offensive positions.
Pyrrha's eyes glanced over each of the figures standing before her in turn. To Brawnz's left stood a fairly short girl holding a long black and silver sniper rifle, one eye covered by a beanie to improve her accuracy. Next was a dark-skinned boy, cornrows capped with the same gold that made up the glinting circular saws hooked into his bracers. On the other end of the line, a pale boy with dark red hair and pink eyes smirked, flicking his cattle prod dangerously towards them in warning.
On her left side, her own teammates took their battle stances. Sighing, Pyrrha pulled Miló into its xiphos form and set Akoúo onto her wrist, straightening out her shoulders. Automatically, her eyes searched the crowd until they landed on one of the main cameras. With a small smile, she gracefully bowed to the camera crew, eliciting an unbelievable cheer from the crowd as her onscreen-self conveyed all the beauty and grace that could only belong to Pyrrha Nikos.
"Damn, Pyrrha," Jaune murmured, wide-eyed and impressed.
Professor Port announced, "Now, time for our next match between Team JNPR of Beacon versus Team BRNZ of Shade!"
The same thin holo-screens as before illuminated around the center of the arena, images spinning down them like a slot machine. Ren and Nora relaxed momentarily as they watched the icons slow down and eventually stop with a bright ringing sound. On BRNZ's side of the field, a lush green forest icon was chosen. On JNPR's side of the field, a grey mountain covered by a storm cloud appeared. Just moments after, the stage around the centerpiece on which they stood retracted and fell away, the corresponding biomes lifting up onto the mainstage. Behind BRNZ was a forested area, not dissimilar to the Emerald Forest- and, much to Jaune's awe, a mighty mountain with shaggy cliffs rose up from the nothingness below behind JNPR.
Pyrrha let her gaze drift away from the mountain, from her opponents. Her eyes found no short red hair, no wide green eyes, watching her from the crowd. Typical. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"3!" Professor Port began the countdown amidst the nonstop cheers from the spectators. This was it. There was no going back. Her mother wasn't there, and she'd have to live with it. The audience was watching, and she was in the spotlight- but in tournaments, she knew how to win. She would always win. There was nothing she could do now but win.
So, she simply took a deep breath-
"2!"
She steadied her blade, her team readying their weapons by her side. Breathe in, out-
"1!"
Her battle mask was in place, her body tensed, her chin raised, proud and decisive. 1, 2-
"Begin!"