My first piece for nuts and dolts week this year. This was for the prompt Atlas Ball. This is set post-canon, slightly AU where Penny never died at the end of V8. Enjoy!
It's hard to believe that something so beautiful could be built on the wreckage of such an awful disaster. The ballroom of the Mantle Academy for Hunters and Huntresses is sleek and enormous, its shine and spotlessness indicating just how newly built the school is. At one end of the room the wall is made up of a set of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the massive lake that holds the ruins of the former Atlas and Mantle.
The ruins stand as an example to the rest of the new city of Mantle, a reminder of the inequality of the previous system and how it had lead to the kingdom's destruction. An inspiration to the new city to be more equitable and fair to all of its citizens, not just those with wealth and influence.
"Ruby?" Penny's voice jolts her out of her introspection. "May I have this dance?"
"Penny!" Ruby turns to greet her girlfriend, and for a moment, she's taken aback by her beauty. Penny's hair is pulled out of her face, and her dress matches her eyes perfectly. "You look amazing!"
"You're too kind," Penny demurs, beaming. "And you look lovely as well." She offers her hand to Ruby. "Would you like to dance with me?"
"Of course!" Ruby isn't much of a dancer, most of the time, but she's been dreaming of having this moment with Penny for a long, long time. "I'd love to."
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