A Bitter Goodbye Male reader x Yang Xiao Long Part 3

Round One

A view of the golden sun in an orange sky over the tall grass and autumn trees is shown. In front of Summer's Gravestone is a young girl with a cloak billowing petals in the breeze. Hands clasped and hood up, Ruby Rose stands over the white stone memorial.

Ruby: (lowering her hood, smiling sadly downward) Hey, mom. (looks down at the inscription: "Summer Rose" - Thus Kindly I Scatter") Sorry I haven't come by in a while. Things have been... well, things have been, pretty busy. Oh, Dad's here, too! He's, uh, you know... Dad. (shrugs) He's still teaching at Signal. But he told me that he's going to be on some mission soon. I think he misses adventuring with you. (looks forlornly) I miss you too. (pause) Haven't gotten kicked out of Beacon yet! So that's cool. I think being on a team with Yang helps. Keep her in line... That was a joke. She's actually a really great fighter! You can tell she's learned a lot from Dad! Oh, so are Weiss and Blake. Oh! They're my teammates! Together, we form Team RWBY! And yes, before you ask, that does cause a lot of confusion. Anyways, I made a bunch of new friends, and then I met some... let's just say, uh, odd teachers. Oh! We've also stopped some bad guys, too! I guess it's like they say: "like mother, like daughter"! I still wonder why Ozpin let me into the school early. But, uh, I guess he'll tell me one day. You know how he is. It's funny, the more I get to know him, the more he's starting to sound like Uncle Qrow. (A bark alerts her to the ever-adorable Zwei and the sight of her father, Taiyang Xiao Long, in the trees behind her) Oh! Looks like Dad's back! I gotta go! He's dropping me off at Beacon for the tournament match before he goes on his next mission. Wish me luck! (She puts the hood back on and starts to walk away, but turns and delivers one final message to her mother:) It was good to talk.

With that said, Ruby jogs back to her family as a group of crows fly into the sun to make a very familiar sight.

A falling petal shifts the view of the camera away from the sky and over the grassy mountains where a stadium of epic proportions is seen. Crowds are cheering in the stands, visitors from all over the world. In the field of volcanic earth and icy glaciers below, Ruby fires and swings her Cresent Rose at an off-screen target as Blake Belladonna exchanges blows with Reese Chloris, the blades of her Gambol Shroud, colliding with the hoverboard of the opponent until she slips away, readies herself, and charges in again. Behind her, Weiss Schnee waves her Myrtenaster as the sound of her mystical power is heard, and finally Yang Xiao Long dodges the explosive force of Arslan Atlan's fist before returning fire with her own Ember Celica.

High above the action, two familiar teachers are sitting at a sportscaster's desk, with a microphone between them and the holographic image of the four kingdoms' symbols united as one.

Port: Hello! It seems that we have another astonishing bout ahead of us! Wouldn't you agree, Professor?

Oobleck: (annoyed) Doctor. (brightens up excitedly again) 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!

Port: For those of you just now joining us, welcome to the Vytal Festival Tournament, broadcast live from the Amity Colosseum! (he waves his arm to gesture at the entire event from his place on the gigantic screen over the crowds)

The Coliseum is shown in its full glory, as shuttlecraft transport people to and from the various floors while the entire structure hovers around the airspace of Beacon Academy. Explosions are seen throughout the battlefield, but the view shifts back to the announcers as they begin speaking again.

Port: If this is your first time watching, allow us to break down the rules.

Oobleck: (he holds up the appropriate number of fingers for each of his explanations as a hologram to his side illustrates the rules) 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.