Note: Ah, Vytal lore. And foreshadowing, maybe? And Bees. Enjoy.


And now, for the pleasure of all—well, mostly the pleasure of Ruby Rose—a brief compendium on the Champions of the Vytal Festival.

The Huntsmen Museum had an entire wing dedicated to Vytal. It would be strange if it didn't, given its location. There were more displays than Ruby could process. Some displays were dedicated to the history of the environments used in the second to fourth rounds of the tournament. Long paragraphs were written about how the holographic technology worked, and how it could produce different biomes, and small samples of each were provided for tourists to hoo and ha at. Other displays focused on more famous competitors, showcasing their outfits and recounting their memorable moments. Other displays were focused on just the moments themselves: famous bouts that were remembered for generations, or comedic slipups or errors made in the heat of battle. But the winners… that was the section Ruby could learn from. She could study their techniques, watch videos of their winning matches, and in some cases, listen to pre-recorded interviews about their thought processes. It was an invaluable tool for a strategist such as herself, and she cherished this learning opportunity.

Because that's all it was. An opportunity for learning. Nothing more.

Definitely nothing fangirly about that in the slightest.

Every Champion of the Vytal Festival had their own bronze statue sealed in a glass case. Twenty-four glass cases were laid out in a wide circular room, big enough to fit another twenty-six champions of Vytal's future. Each case was filled with the flag of their respective school, a copy of their weapon, and their record in and out of Vytal with all of their opponents in a neat list. The touchscreen at the bottom of the display was where Ruby could access all the information she required. She stood by each display for a solid five to ten minutes, absorbing the data like a sponge and clogging up the traffic in the museum before moving on to the next winner.

And thus: all twenty-four Vytal Champions.

First Champion: Thessea Callio. Haven Academy (1). The first-ever winner of Vytal, when the Festival had half as many entrants and did not use changing environments in its later rounds. She used a spear, shield, and golden armor, and Ruby didn't need to squint to see the inspiration taken by a certain prodigal member of Team JNPR. She served as an active Huntress until her sixties, then taught for thirty more years before eventually retiring and passing away at the ripe old age of one hundred and eight. Kind. Brave. Strong. The ideal Huntress.

Second Champion: John Ironwood. Atlas Academy (1). Grandfather of James Ironwood. Admiral of the Atlasian Navy before accidentally being killed by friendly fire. With only a pistol, he marched through his opposition to secure his burgeoning nation's victory. The idol of his grandson and established the Ironwood legacy. Military man through and through.

Third Champion: Marigold Plyard. Beacon Academy (1). Winner of the first Vytal Festival to include sixty-four contestants. A perennial underdog who would begin Beacon's long domination of the Festival. The statue outside of Beacon's entrance was originally meant to depict her; however, after a falling out with Ozpin, it was changed to a more generic warrior. Still, her name carried some weight throughout the Kingdom, long after she ceased Huntress activities.

Fourth Champion: Amon Regalius III. Beacon Academy (2). Last son of King Regalius II, the final King of Vale. Significantly more popular than the prior winner, given his royal heritage. A celebrity Huntsman, his rogue charisma and superior technique established the Vytal Festival as a worldwide phenomenon. Served two terms as President of Vale, and was considered one of the best at it, just beneath his father.

Fifth Champion: Isla Calavera. Beacon Academy (3). Agile warrior. The first Huntress to win using a non-traditional fighting style, encouraging greater weapon creativity among modern Huntsmen. A transforming weapon that could be consistently utilized without breaking was a much bigger deal righty years ago. Hers turned into machine guns. She was very good with them.

Sixth Champion: Bennard Bastion. Beacon Academy (4). There was a bridge named after him in the City of Vale. Apparently, he had unbelievable strength, beating his opponents to death with giant gauntlets. Ruby did not know much about him otherwise, and nothing seemed to strike her interest.

Seventh Champion: Octavia Claret. Shade Academy (1). The first winner from Shade Academy… seventh time's the charm? Her weapon was a pair of cutlasses that could transform together into a giant boomerang, which was freaking awesome and Ruby was annoyed she never thought of that. Notable both for her weak Semblance—unusual among Vytal winners—and her retirement from Huntsmen work immediately after her victory. In her concession speech, she claimed she only fought for the fun of it. Wasted potential, or someone who was wise beyond her years?

Eighth Champion: Edward Caspian. Beacon Academy (5). The oldest living winner of the Vytal Festival, and for a while, a staple at each Festival for interviews, panels, and autographs. His declining health has rendered that no longer possible. Ruby heard that his grandson planned to attend Beacon when he was old enough, and Ruby wished him the best… assuming there was a world after this Festival was over.

Ninth Champion: William "Billywix" Owlington. Atlas Academy (2). Hated both the name Billywix and his associations with owls. He did not like owls. Served faithfully in the military and rose to the rank of major. Unfortunately, he was a heavy smoker and passed away from lung cancer before he turned forty.

Tenth Champion: Rowena Sunnybrook. Shade Academy (2). Cheerful, intelligent weapons crafter-turned-huntress. She became Headmaster of Shade for decades, followed by eventual Shade Vytal winner, Theodore Lage. Still actively participates in panels and donates large sums of money both to her former school and to causes to promote Huntsmen activity in Vacuo. Often ranks near the top of Favorite Vytal Champions polls due to her sunny—no pun intended—disposition.

Eleventh Champion: Nushi Win. Haven Academy (2). Never went on to accomplish much of anything. Most notably, this Festival was the first to include changing environments.

Twelfth Champion: Maria Calavera. Beacon Academy (6). The Reaper. Daughter of former winner Isla Calavera. Not much was known about her, as she retired from her career very early and refused to give interviews. Rumor said she never truly did disown the Huntress life, secretly assisting others in Mistral in the shadow of night.

Thirteenth Champion: Caroline Cordovan. Atlas Academy (3). Incredibly short woman, though she had the personality and the skill to make up for it. Her weapon was a fully mechanized suit of armor with sixteen different weapons. It required several regulations to restrict over-weaponification and promote healthy activity. She currently served as the Atlasian ambassador to Mistral, working out of Argus.

Fourteenth Champion: Lazuli Amberdosia. Haven Academy (3). She had the smallest of all displays, as very little was known about her. She appeared to quietly drop off the face of Remnant after her victory. Her fate depended on the rumor. Some say she rigged her final fight, took the prize money, and ran. Others say she retired to the mountains peacefully. The most prominent rumor was that she changed her name and converted her Vytal fortune into a vast criminal empire—being the true identity of the elusive and powerful Lil' Miss Malachite.

Fifteenth Champion: Samantha Granger. Beacon Academy (7). Whip-using Huntress who was most notable for getting into an affair with a politician when she was older. He had three kids and it was super messy, and eventually, the politician got divorced so he could be with Samantha Granger. But then, he cheated on her also. It was a huge deal at the time. Fun fact: people often believed that Sammy the Dragon was named after her, due to her "tail-like" whip and Beacon association. But, it was just a coincidence.

Sixteenth Champion: Peter Port. Beacon Academy (8). Yes, chubby, clumsy Professor Port was a Vytal Champion. Ruby might have thought he was more talented in his youth, and he did possess a certain tenacity in his earlier days. But actually, it was just a really bad roster of contestants that year. They can't all be special.

Seventeenth Champion: Theodore Lage. Shade Academy (3). The last winner from Shade and its current Headmaster. Beloved by his students, tolerated by Ozpin. Despite his laid-back demeanor, Ruby could not forgive his allegiances. He was an enemy.

Eighteenth Champion: Clover Ebi. Atlas Academy (4). The good luck fisherman and current member of the Ace Operatives, an elite Atlasian military strike force. A strange weapon, using a fishing pole, but he was quite creative with it. Of course, his true strength was a Semblance that gave him constant good luck, which Ruby couldn't exactly replicate. The last winner of Atlas. He also defeated Glynda Goodwitch in the Finals, and Ruby thought that was hilarious.

Nineteenth Champion: Hazel Reinart. Beacon Academy (9). Granted a Semblance to turn off his pain receptors, Hazel dominated his Vytal through sheer aggressive force. However, he was never one for Huntsmen life and gradually turned away from the profession. His rejection of Huntsmen became complete with the death of his sister, Gretchen, in the 24th Vytal Festival Finals. Nowadays, he worked as a mercenary in Mistral, taking whatever jobs he could, punishing both the innocent and the guilty.

Twentieth Champion: Beatrix Browning. Beacon Academy (10). The sadistic yet proper assassin. A "villain" if Vytal ever had one. Killed four of her opponents on her way to securing victory, more than anyone in Vytal's history. Currently operated the Browning's Preparatory Academy For Girls, one of the many combat training schools in Vale. Stories of the school's abuses were far and wide, yet Beatrix never seemed to face any repercussions.

Twenty-First Champion: Gillian Asturias. Haven Academy (4). Vacuo-born, though chose to attend school in Mistral. Cunning. Wicked. Selfish. She could steal the Aura of others and keep it for herself. Nowadays, she was most prominently known for her radical political positions, arguing for a restoration of the Vacuon monarchy. Despite her backward views on a variety of topics, she was a very formidable fighter and apparently a good debater. What would it be like to see her and Blake go at it?

Twenty-Second Champion: Carmine Escolados. Haven Academy (5). The Rattlesnake. Also Vacuon-born, and close friend and trainee of Gillian Asturias. Apparently, a much nicer person to be around. While mostly working in Vacuo, she has obtained a license to operate in all Kingdoms except Atlas, and she is one of the most active working Huntresses in Remnant. Charges insanely high rates for most services, but the quality cannot be matched. Also, very attractive. Also also, probably in attendance somewhere. Ruby didn't know what she would even say if she bumped into her.

Twenty-Third Champion: Vega Bleu. Beacon Academy (11). Unfortunately, Vega hadn't done much to capitalize on her success in Vytal eight years ago. She got a simple job within Vale, and does work in the City, but has not made any major contribution nor has she moved up in her career. Peaked too young. Shameful.

And lastly, the Twenty-Fourth Champion of Vytal, representing Beacon Academy and serving as the current Host of the Festival: C—

"Um… excuse me?"

Ruby was forced to look away. A young woman was standing awkwardly beside her.

"O-Oh. Sorry!" Ruby said sheepishly. "I'm blocking your way, aren't I?"

The girl seemed flustered. "No. Actually… um…"

Ruby stared at her, and the young woman appeared to shrink to half her size. She was about Ruby's age, with large green eyes that reminded her of a puppy dog. She barely seemed comfortable in her own skin and fiddled around with something in her hand.

"You're… Ruby Rose, aren't you? I was, um… actually hoping I could talk to you."

"Oh. Are you a fan?" Ruby asked innocently. This really wasn't the time for fans, though the girl was so shy Ruby felt bad about rejecting her.

"No, I'm not a fan," the woman insisted. She grabbed at her finger, and Ruby noticed what she was fiddling with: a gaudy, green ring, adorned with some emblem she didn't recognize. The same symbol was tattooed in green around her right eye… actually, she just had a lot of green on her everywhere. Green in her hair, her jacket, her boots. She definitely wasn't doing The Ruby Challenge, that creepy thing where everyone copied her style. That would be…

Wait… had Ruby seen this woman before?

She definitely had at some point. But also… no?

"Ruby, um, you see, it's kind of important I talk to you," the woman said.

Something was tugging in the back of Ruby's mind, a memory trying to reveal itself.

"Yes?" Ruby asked cautiously. The girl fidgeted even more like she couldn't think of the words anymore. Maybe this was a mistake, asking like this. Yes, it was a mistake. Far too sudden. What was she thinking?

The girl stood in silence.

Ruby stood in silence.

A few people lined up behind them, waiting to see the display. But Ruby and the girl just stood there.

Not speaking.

Forever.

Ruby awkwardly looked around. Finally, with the eye contact broken, the girl found the courage to speak.

"My name is Je—"

"Penny."

"Huh? No, what are you…"

Ruby wasn't looking at her anymore. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape, as if she had seen a ghost. The young woman turned around to see what had caught the Huntress's eye. She wouldn't have understood, though. She couldn't.

There was a woman standing at the entrance to the room, standing out among the crowd. Brighter green eyes. A bob of orange hair. She was wearing something close to normal clothing, a white blouse and a skirt that matched her eyes. Her arms and legs were black and glistening metal, and she showed them off with a surprising amount of comfort. Though maybe, that was surprising only to Ruby. She had never seen her outside of her school uniform. She looked… different. Not normal. She could never look normal. But without her uniform, she seemed free.

That was a lie, of course. She could never be free.

Their gazes met, and they just lingered on each other.

Penny Polendina. The Living Weapon. The android who stabbed her in the back. The android Ruby let get away with it. Every bitter, shameful memory attacked the two of them as if they shared a single mind. All of the broken promises and wrong lessons screamed at them like a hellish choir.

Ruby thought the previous moment had lasted an eternity, but she was wrong. This was truly a horrible forever.

And Ruby… god, Ruby didn't even know what she was feeling anymore.

Despite it seeming like an eternity, it was only a passing moment. An accident. Penny turned away and walked quickly out of the wing of the museum.

"S-Sorry. I have to go," Ruby said to the young girl. The poor pup couldn't speak a word before Ruby broke into a sprint, racing after her former ally. She ran through a crowd of tourists, pushing her way over their objections. She stormed past a security guard telling her not to run. She turned the corner, but it was too late. Penny was gone.

Gone without saying a word.


"Flowers?"

"No."

"Jewelry?"

"No."

"You're so romantic, you know that?"

"You are judging my romance skills?"

"True. Ooh, want to dunk a guy?"

"What does that have to do with romance?"

"Nothing… aside from someone getting wet."

"You're despicable."

Yang stifled a laugh. The Fairgrounds: a vast stretch of vibrant green fields with easily a hundred different booths and vendors dotted across the landscape. The grounds were blanketed in the shade of Amity Colosseum, which hovered above them, an ever-present reminder of their purpose. Yang and Blake were only two among a crowd of thousands, bustling and purchasing to their hearts' content. The Fairgrounds had everything: every type of food, every type of clothing, knick-knacks, 3D printed weapon copies, stands to place bets on the tournament, stands to waste money on carnival games, stands to meet older Huntsmen and spend money having them sign a piece of paper with their face on it. And yet, Blake, in the traditional Blake fashion, wanted nothing to do with any of it. Yang didn't mind too much. Wandering around the Fairgrounds with their girlfriend by their side was more than enough for them.

"How about… lunch?" Yang suggested. "We could definitely eat something, and we're sure there's a place that sells seafood."

"I would kill for some tuna right now," Blake admitted.

They were quickly able to find what they were looking for. A stand some fifty feet away sold small poke bowls. The price was outrageous—eight Lien for what was a handful of rice and fish—but, hey, it wasn't like they were strapped for cash. They were able to walk as they ate. Blake leisurely pecked at her ahi tuna bowl, while Yang devoured their steak bowl in a matter of seconds. They wandered the rest of the Fairgrounds in comfortable silence, stopping only when Yang saw something semi-interesting and Blake told them to knock it off.

"You really don't want to buy anything?" Yang asked.

"Consumerism is stupid."

"But it's Vytal. There's gotta be something here that piques your interest."

Blake shrugged. "If we find a stand operated by a Faunus, I'll buy something from them to support them."

"Do they even let Faunus operate stands?" Yang asked. She had seen a few Faunus wandering about, though they paled in comparison to the number of humans.

"There's plenty of Faunus who love participating in Vytal, and the Committee loves bragging about the total sales all the business provide," Blake explained. "Still, a local business is a local business."

"True," Yang said, pouting slightly. "Hey, can we ask you a weird question?"

"I don't really know if it's weird until you ask it, you know?"

"Do you think anyone you know is going to be watching Vytal?" Yang asked gently.

"Like who?" Blake asked awkwardly. "You mean like… my mom?"

"Your mom. Ilia. Any of the other Faunus that you used to spend time with?" Yang asked. "Like, it would be pretty weird, seeing your face plastered up on a giant screen."

"So… my mom and Ilia," Blake stated. "No."

"You seem so sure."

"You think my mom watches a Festival celebrating Huntsmen?" Blake asked pointedly.

Yang blushed. "Oh. Right. Sorry."

"And Ilia… fuck, why would she watch?" Blake wondered aloud. "She's probably busy living her own life."

"We guess that makes sense."

"Now, Sienna. She'll be watching," Blake reasoned, gnawing a piece of chewy tuna. "She's always keeping track of current events. I bet that if we win, she's going to start bothering us a hell of a lot more with requests."

"Yeah, we guess you are right." Yang paused. "Huh."

"What?"

"Just…" Yang scratched the back of their head. "We guess we never thought about what we do after Vytal. Everything has been building to this, and the stakes are so high, that it kind of feels like the end. But, if we win, we'll have to just go back to living normally."

Blake chewed her tuna in silence. That was a surprisingly pertinent point. Well, she should have stopped being surprised by Yang's foresight. Yang was a hell of a lot smarter than they let on. But after Vytal… god, that was so far away she didn't even want to consider it. Would it even be possible for things to go back to normal once the Grail was won? Did they even have a normal to begin with? Maybe they could settle down and live a boring, expected student life, without the constant threat of the headmasters or the Grimm.

Blake wasn't able to consider the point long. Yang quickly nudged her in the arm, distracted by a figure in the distance. "Hey, look who it is."

Yang pointed to one of the food stands, where several barstools had been set up for patrons to enjoy their meal. Sitting at one of the stools was a very familiar Huntress student, hunched over a glass of soda that she stirred slowly with her fingertips. She somehow still seemed elegant, with her whipped blonde hair and flowing cape giving off her superiority in such boring circumstances. She had a lunch date with Pyrrha Nikos… Yang supposed the latter was running uncharacteristically late.

"Who's that?"

Yang turned to her girlfriend in surprise. "That's… Bianca Prisma?"

Blake said nothing.

"The Prodigy? Team BRIR of Haven?"

Nope, didn't ring a bell.

"We met them literally like two hours ago."

Blake squinted at the Huntress. "Oh. Right. What was her name again?"

Yang sighed. "Did you seriously forget who that was?"

Blake looked at Yang with surprise. "Did you seriously expect me to remember who that was?"

"Yes! We should know our competition. That's what Ruby asked us to do."

"Yang. My love." Blake cast her a knowing glare. "I am not going to remember a single fucking person this whole tournament."

Yang crossed their arms, annoyed by their girlfriend's lack of effort—but also, deeply amused by her honesty. "Really? Not one?"

"I can't even remember my own teammates!" Blake said defensively. "Like the blind asshole."

"Fox."

"Yep, I totally forgot it."

"That's kind of shitty."

"I have too much going on to remember the name of everyone in Vytal!" Blake argued. "Like, there's sixty-four people in this tournament. That's too many, and I'm only going to fight at a maximum, like, three of them. My plan is: look at who I'm actually going to fight, study them the morning of, and then do what I can when the time comes. Everything else is just taking up space in my brain."

"We mean… fair," Yang grumbled. "But we don't think that's really a winning strategy."

Once more, Blake felt she had to spell out the obvious. "Yang, I'm not winning Vytal. Come on."

Yang pursed her lips. "Hey, we don't like that defeatist attitude."

"It's not defeatist, it's practical," Blake said as she finished her rice bowl. "Like… okay, let's just think about this practically. My skill sets are in sneak attacks, using the environment, and deception. The arena is a giant, flat plain where everyone can see me coming. Vytal is supposed to be about merit, but just like everything else, some people inherently get an advantage."

"But Blake, we've talked about this," Yang said comfortingly. They put a hand on Blake's shoulder. "It's not healthy for either of us to think like that. Like, it's so easy to feel inferior compared to everyone else. There are so many talented people in Vytal it's crazy. But we wouldn't have made it here if we didn't have what it takes to win."

"No, I… I know!" Blake said, trying to walk back. "I didn't mean it like that. Really."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise," Blake nodded aggressively, taking Yang's hand and tenderly stroking it. "I was just riffing. I really am going to try. I'm just naturally pessimistic. You know that. I'm going to fight like hell, and I am definitely taking some bitches down with me."

Yang finally exhaled. She smiled softly. "Okay. We just don't like seeing you depressed."

"You know who's really going to be depressed?" Blake asked with a smirk. "Bianca Prisma."

Yang gasped. "You remembered her name!"

"Yeah, and you know who else?" Blake grinned. "Fox. Fox… Acaster."

"Uh, close! Close enough!"

"Fuck yeah."

"Fuck yeah."

Yang threw up her palm, and Blake high-fived it. They would have liked to do so much more, but in public, they had to keep their relationship on the low. It would be more fun to grab Blake and smooch her precious face off, but Yang was capable of restraint. That being said… what were the downsides to making their relationship public? The biggest risk would be their media presence. Gay rights were an albatross in most of Remnant, but then again, their hold on the public was so great they could get away with almost anything. They literally went on a high-speed chase in the middle of a crowded city, committed corporate espionage, and trespassed on government property, and the media praised them as heroes. If they were to go public, would people really turn against them, or would they move forward gay rights by a decade? It was definitely a dilemma, and they were sure Blake had strong opinions that would be to be taken into account. But maybe it wouldn't be too bad if the world knew they were together.

Maybe the real question was… could they handle that type of pressure? That was a much tougher question.

"So…" Yang said after a long pause. "Want to keep exploring the Fairgrounds?"

"I mean, it kinda sucks," Blake said. "You know what I'm thinking?"

"What?"

"Well, Weiss is out training with Velvet. Ruby is exploring on her own…" Blake casually rolled her eyes. "So… the cabin is empty right now."

Yang's eyes widened.

Oh.

Ohhhhhh.

That… that was definitely a possibility.

Some things that they really couldn't do in public.

It had been so long though.

And was it too fast? It was probably too fast, right?

Yet, as if reading her mind, Blake cut her off with a wag of the finger. "We won't do too much. We can just, like… cuddle."

Yang breathed a sigh of relief. Yeah, cuddling. Cuddling was nice.

"And we can finally make out like you wanted," Blake added.

Yang nodded further. Making out. Also, very nice.

Blake nodded with her. "And that should be enough. Though I guess if we really, really want to, and we agree to take it super slow, then maybe, we can—fuck!"

Blake's eyes grew wide with fear. She grabbed Yang and pulled her behind her. Before Yang could process it, Blake had pulled a knife from one of her pockets and was holding it in a fighting stance. She dripped with sweat, teeth gritted, tensed, and ready to lunge. It took Yang only a moment more to realize what triggered such a response.

Glynda Goodwitch was walking toward them through the crowd. She stared at them through hungry eyes behind her glasses.

"No, please, go on," she implored them. "Give me all the salacious details."

Yang flashed with fury. They threw down their arms, and their shotgun bracers extended fully. They put up their fist, ready for a battle. Goodwitch parked herself a few feet in front of them, crossing her arms beneath her chest.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Blake scowled.

"I'm allowed to be here. My ticket is as good as anyone else's," Goodwitch said casually. Blake hissed. She totally should have gotten a restraining order—though, honestly, Glynda would have just ignored it. "Won't you put that knife down? You are making a scene."

Blake's weapon had drawn attention to them. Those who past them by were quick to move out of the way. Fighting in the streets wasn't uncommon in Vytal; not just from drunken fans, but often from other Huntsmen and Huntresses themselves, looking for something to prove. Those who visited frequently knew to get out of the way of a good brawl, though recording it wasn't out of the question. It was unfortunate and unneeded attention for the celebrity Huntresses. But if Goodwitch thought Blake would drop her guard around her for even a second, she was sorely mistaken.

Goodwitch groaned. "Come now, do you think I'm really going to shoot you dead in broad daylight?"

"Hasn't stopped you from trying before," Blake growled. The wounds from her battle with Goodwitch at the start of the year had all faded, but the memory of the beatdown lingered.

"Oh, be reasonable," Goodwitch dismissed her. "When I stab you, I'm going to do it in the back, when you least expect it. You know… for karma's sake."

"What do you want, Goodwitch?" Yang asked bluntly. "If you are here to harass us, just leave us alone. We aren't interested."

"I'm feeling much better by the way, thanks for asking," Goodwitch said, adjusting her glasses. "No, unfortunately, I'm just here to deliver a message to you. Why me, I don't know. I guess I'm just good at finding you."

"What message? Oz has our number if he wants to chat?" Blake stated.

"Oz isn't interested in talking," Goodwitch confessed. "No, I'm afraid you've caught someone else's eye. Why he would waste his time with you is beyond me, but I've never been one for politics."

Yang and Blake exchanged confused glances.

Politics?

Who the hell was she talking about?