Well this took a lot longer to write than I expected, but here it is. I hope it's not terrible.
After meeting with Yang, Blake was on her way to find her mother. Fortunately it didn't take her long, as the woman had been relatively close by the whole time. "I see you've acquainted yourself with Raven's daughter." Kali said to her daughter, having watched the meeting.
Blake nodded. "Her name's Yang and she has a proposal for us." she explained. She wouldn't forget Yang's name anytime soon and she made sure her mother knew it too.
"Interesting, what is this proposal of hers?" Kali asked. She hadn't been close enough to hear what was said and was somewhat surprised to hear that Yang had made a proposal.
"Well, she is hoping to forge an alliance with us." Blake responded. She hoped her mother would like the idea as much as she did and accept it straight away, mainly because she wanted to see Yang again as soon as possible.
"That's not exactly what I was expecting, did she give a reason for wanting an alliance?" the Branwens had never been ones for forming alliances, even the alliance against the Grimm hadn't been anything official. So it was quite surprising that Yang was looking for one.
"She said we have a lot in common and we need to stick together if we want to survive." Blake explained. Yang had said far more than just that, but it was a good enough summary.
"The part about survival is understandable, but what exactly do we have in common with the Branwens?" Kali asked. She understood part of Yang's reasoning, it made a to work together to survive. But she couldn't see what the White Fang had in common with the Branwen Tribe.
"We have a very similar view of the world, and we are both vilified and mistreated by others." Blake told her. She was really hoping that her mother would be satisfied with her explanation, and would accept the proposal.
"Maybe we do see things in a similar way, but there is no similarity between the oppression of our people and the justifiable hatred directed at a bandit tribe." Kali growled. Her kind were abused and discriminated against for what they looked like, whereas the Branwens were hated for their actions. In her opinion there was no similarity, and it angered her to that Yang seemed to think there was.
Blake was worried by the response, thinking she may have ruined any chance of an alliance. "She didn't claim to have experienced the same discrimination as we have, and she admitted that her tribe deserved what it gets." she clarified, hoping to calm her mother down.
"Well I'm glad to hear that she has some sense, but I don't see much benefit to us allying ourselves with bandits. I know they've changed a lot since the Grimm emerged, but there are so few of them that they can't really do anything to aid us." Kali responded. She was pleased that Yang was claiming to have suffered as much as the Faunus had, but she still had reservations about forming an alliance.
Blake quickly jumped to defend Yang. "They may not be as big or as powerful as they used to be, but please don't underestimate them and their ability to help us. Yang is already rebuilding the tribe and she sees our people as equals." she said. She wouldn't let Kali dismiss Yang and the tribe so quickly.
Blake was almost always cynical and pessimistic, so Kali was surprised by her enthusiasm about the alliance. "It does sound like a better idea when you put it that way, though I must admit I'm surprised at your optimism about it. So tell me, why are you so invested in the idea?" she asked.
"It's simple. Yang is by far the kindest and most intelligent human I've ever met, and I can tell that death is the only thing that will stop her achieving her goals. I know it sounds crazy to say that about a Branwen of all people, but I can tell there is more to Yang than her name and her past." Blake explained. Yang was her favorite human by far, and she needed her mother to know what she was actually like.
Kali wasn't expecting her daughter to speak about any human in that way, let alone a former bandit. "That's not something I ever expected to hear about a Branwen, but I know you don't say things like that unless you really believe it. Clearly Yang has already had a big impact on you." she said. Blake was always brutally honest, so she had no choice but to believe her about Yang.
"Does that mean you're okay with the alliance?" Blake asked hopefully. She could tell she was starting to get through to her mother, but she didn't know if it had swayed to in favour of the alliance.
Kali was more in favor of the alliance than she had been at first, but not to the point where she was ready to accept it. "Well I'm not opposed to it, but I want to be sure of her intentions. Are you certain there's she has no ulterior motives?" she asked.
"Do you honestly think I'd be this trusting of a human if I had any doubts about them?" Blake asked in response. It should have been obvious that she would only trust a human if she was completely certain they were deserving of it.
"I'm not doubting your judgement, but I'll need to convince the others that this is a good idea, and they won't be so trusting." Kali explained. Unless she could convince the Fang that Yang was trustworthy, any alliance would quickly fall apart.
Blake was certain that Yang wasn't concealing any malicious intentions. "If you meet her yourself I'm sure you'll be convinced, and she would probably be willing to talk to the others if that's what it takes to make the alliance happen." she told her mother, certain that Yang would be able to prove her honest intentions herself."
"Alright then. I'm okay with the alliance, providing she can prove her trustworthiness." Kali agreed, putting a lot of faith in her daughter's judgement. If Yang was the way Blake had described her and doing what Blake said she was doing, then an alliance would be acceptable.
It wasn't a definite yes, but it was good enough for Blake. "Thank you, I promise you won't be disappointed." she said. She was certain that Yang could take things from there, so she had no worries about making the promise.
"I hope you're right, I can see this means a lot to you." Kali replied. She wanted things to go well for Blake's sake, and because the idea was starting to grow on her.
"You'll realize why when you meet her. Even Ilia seems to like her, and you know how she feels about humans." Blake told her. Ilia hated humans more than most, blaming them for the deaths of her parents. So her liking Yang really said a lot.
"I look forward to meeting her, so let's not leave her waiting." Kali said. Everything Blake had told her made her want to meet Yang, so she headed straight for the girl with Blake following close behind.
Vernal approached Yang, bringing Weiss with her. "Yang, I have someone who wants to meet you." she announced, getting the attention of the blonde.
Yang turned to Vernal and was surprised by who was with her. "A Schnee? What can I do for you?" she asked. She did her best to conceal her surprise and got straight down to business.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Chief Branwen, I'm Weiss." Weiss started, having plenty of experience addressing powerful and important people." I won't be returning to Atlas and Vernal suggested joining your tribe." she added. She didn't want to waste Yang's time with a long explanation, so kept it brief.
"No need for the formalities, you can just call me Yang." Yang responded, not wanting to use her title. "Now, why aren't you going back to Atlas?" she then asked, curious as to why a Schnee of all people wouldn't want to return to Atlas.
"I have wanted to get away from that place for a long time, but I couldn't do it while my Father was alive. Now he's gone, I'm finally free to live my own life away from that awful country." Weiss explained, remembering how bad her fellow Atlesians really were.
"An Atlesian who doesn't love their country, I never thought I'd see the day." Yang responded. Weiss was going against everything she knew about Atlas and its people, and she had to comment on it.
"Well it's a terrible place to live no matter who you are, but the people are too arrogant to see it for what it is." Weiss added. She knew her fellow Atlesians well enough to understand Yang's surprise."
Thanks to the explanation, Yang could understand why Weiss didn't want to go home. "Alright it makes sense that you don't want to go back." she said, before asking. "Do you have any plans now you're free from that?" Vernal had suggested that Weiss should join them, but that didn't mean that the Schnee would actually do it.
"Not really. Until I met Vernal, I was just going to stay in Vale and see what happened." Weiss explained. She hadn't made plans beyond moving to Vale, until the prospect of joining the tribe came up.
"So you want to join the tribe instead of doing that?" Yang asked, hoping the answer was yes since she was trying to build up the tribe's strength again.
Weiss nodded and said "Vernal really sold the idea to me. I understand it won't be easy, but yes I want to join." Joining the tribe seemed like an even better idea after meeting Yang.
Yang was pleased at Weiss response, but she wasn't quite ready to accept her. "If you're sure it's what you want and you know what you're getting yourself into, then I only have a couple more questions for you." she said.
"I'm sure, please ask away." Weiss responded. She was certain that it was what she wanted and had no problem answering a few questions if that's what it took to be accepted.
"Alright. Are you willing to fight and kill for the tribe?" Yang asked. If Weiss wasn't willing to do that, then she would be of no use to the tribe.
"I am." Weiss answered without hesitation. She had some combat training and would receive more from the tribe, so she would fight. She wasn't so prepared to kill, but would as long as her victim deserved it.
Things were going well so far, but Yang still had an important question left. "Good to know. Now, what do you think of the Faunus?" she asked. There was no way she would accept anyone if they hated the Faunus.
"I think they're just like us in every way except their appearance, and even then the difference is negligible. They don't deserve to be treated the way they are, they deserve to be treated as our equals." Weiss replied. She was nothing like her father in terms of her opinion of the Faunus.
Yang smiled "Right answer. Welcome to the tribe Weiss." she said, extending a hand to her. Weiss seemed genuine in her responses, so she was happy to have her in the tribe.
"Thank you, thank you so much." Weiss said, as she and Yang shook hands. She was extremely relieved that everything had gone well, and glad that she could now get on with her new life.
"No need to thank me. Vernal seems to think you're tribe material and I see no reason why I shouldn't give you a chance." Yang responded. Weiss had so far proven herself worthy of joining the tribe.
"I won't let you down." Weiss said, hoping that was a promise she could keep. Yang and Vernal were helping her out a lot by giving her the opportunity, and she wanted to repay them for it.
"I'm sure you won't, especially once we've trained you." Yang reassured, before moving on to her next order of business. "Now I want you and Vernal to meet the tribe's other new recruit. This is Ruby Rose." she said, gesturing to the girl who was standing nearby.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you both." Ruby greeted awkwardly, as she made her way over to them. She had overheard the conversation so she knew what was going on, but she wasn't sure what to say to Vernal or Weiss.
"Same to you." Vernal responded, as she nodded to Ruby in acknowledgement. She would have been skeptical at having the girl joining them, but she trusted Yang's judgement so didn't.
"It's wonderful to meet you Ruby. It's nice to know I'm not the only new recruit." Weiss said, greeting Ruby in the same way she did with members of the Atlesian elite. Ruby seemed a little to young to be in the tribe, but she didn't mention it.
"Oh, thanks. Welcome to the tribe I guess." Ruby replied. She wasn't really sure how to interact with someone of Weiss' social standing, but she was glad to have her in the tribe.
"Well Yang, it looks like recruitment is going well." Vernal said, flicking her eyes between the two new members. Things were going much better than she had expected, and she was confident that they would eventually succeed in returning the tribe to its former glory.
"It's not just that that's going well, I was talking to a couple of White Fang members and now we might be getting an alliance with them." Yang told her. She was pleased with the way things were going, and she knew Vernal would be too.
"That's great. Now can you see why I wanted you to be chief, beyond you being a Branwen by blood?" Vernal responded. She was proud of Yang and the way she was taking to her new role, and she was sure Raven would have felt the same way.
"Maybe I do, but you're the one who managed to recruit a Schnee." Yang replied. She was had accepted her role and she was doing a good job, but Vernal was still vital to the tribe's success.
"Recruitment is a lot easier than diplomacy, especially for us. Nobody wants to work with us unless they have to, so if you pull this alliance off then there can be no doubt that you're the right person for the job." Vernal reasoned, trying to assure Yang that she was the best person to lead the tribe.
"Relax, I've already accepted that I'm meant to be chief." Yang assured, before changing the subject. "Anyway, I'm really hoping this alliance happens." she said, mainly thinking about seeing Blake again.
Vernal was also hoping the alliance happened. "So am I, I don't think we'll ever get one with anyone else." she responded. An alliance would be great for them, and it was unlikely that they'd get one from anyone else.
"You're probably right about that. Now it looks like we're about to find out if the White Fang will." said Yang, as she spotted Blake approaching with her mother. It probably was their only chance of an alliance, but at least it would be a good one.
Blake went ahead of her mother, to brief Yang on the situation. "Yang, I spoke to my mother, and she wants to meet you before she agrees to anything." she explained, as she tried to hide her pleasure at seeing the blonde again.
Yang nodded in acknowledgement to Blake, before greeting her mother. "Chief Belladonna, it's an honor to meet you." she said, trying to make a good impression on the woman on which the success of the alliance depended.
"Same to you Chief Branwen, please just call me Kali." Kali said in return. Yang was polite and respectful, so she was willing to drop the formalities and allow the girl to use her first name.
Since Kali seemed willing to drop the formalities, Yang decided to do the same. "Alright Kali, you can just call me Yang." she said. Things were clearly off to a good start, since they were already on a first name basis.
"Thank you Yang. Now, I believe you have a proposal for us." Kali responded, wanting to get down to business so she could determine whether or not an alliance was a good idea. So far, things were looking good.
Yang wasn't sure how much Blake had told Kali, so she started to explain. "I'm hoping to forge an alliance between us, between the Branwen Tribe and the White Fang." she said, ensuring that Kali knew exactly what she wanted.
"May I ask why you're seeking an alliance with us?" Kali asked, wanting to be as sure that Yang wasn't just trying to take advantage of the Fang for her own gain.
"Because Remnant is a terrible place and we need to stick together to survive, especially now the Grimm have taken our homelands and driven us to the verge of destruction." Yang passionately explained, anger filling her as she thought of what the Grimm took from her. She would have her revenge, she just hoped the Fang wowould be there to help out.
Kali could tell from the look in Yang's eyes and the tone of her voice, that she meant what she said. But that didn't mean it was the only reason she wanted an alliance. "An alliance does make sense when you put it that way, but that can't be your only motivation." she said, wanting Yang to reveal everything that made her want an alliance.
"You're right, there is another reason. The White Fang and my tribe are both widely hated. It's for different reasons and in our case it's justifiable for our past actions, but my point still stands. We won't find many friends out there, so it makes sense for us to befriend each other." Yang explained, hoping it would convince Kali to accept the alliance. If she was lucky, then the woman would be as convinced by what she said as Blake had been.
Again Kali could tell that Yang meant what she said, which did make her more inclined to agree to the alliance. But she still wanted to know how reliable Yang the girl would be as an ally. "Another good point, I can see you've put a lot of thought into this. I'm certainly not opposed to that idea of an alliance and Blake is sold on it, but I need to know something before I accept your proposal." she said, making her position clear.
Yang nodded and said "Alright, I'll answer any questions you have." She would do almost anything to secure the alliance, so a few questions wouldn't be a problem. She just had to hope that Kali liked her answers.
"Well, I only really have one question. Are you willing to help us advance the Faunus cause, or are you just doing this to help yourself?" Kali asked. She couldn't accept an alliance if Yang wasn't going to help her people achieve equality, so her answer would make or break the agreement.
"I'm not just doing this for myself. I hate the way other humans treat you, and I will do will do what I can to change it." Yang answered. The Branwen Tribe had always treated the Faunus as equal, and now they would fight to make more people see them that way.
Kali was impressed, Yang was proving to be just as good as Blake had said. "Thank you Yang, that's all I needed to hear. I accept your offer, on the condition that you address my people and prove to them that you are a friend of our kind." she said. She was convinced that Yang was a worthy ally, she just needed the girl to convince the rest of the Fang of that.
Yang was pleased with the outcome of the meeting, even if it did mean she had to address the rest of the White Fang. "That sounds fair to me, you've got yourself a deal." she agreed, sure that she would be able to get the Fang onside like she had with the Belladonnas
With the deal sealed, the two chiefs shook hands. Unfortunately the moment was ruined by a worrying shout from elsewhere on the ship. "Pirates!" Seemingly out of nowhere, a ship with black sails was bearing down on them. Escape was not an option, they would have to fight.
I hope this chapter didn't suck, and I'll try to get the next one out soon. Anyway, please feel free to follow, favorite or review if you think this story's worth it. See ya.