Prejudice
If Jaune was being completely honest, he didn't really hate history, per se; more like he found it rather tedious. While sometimes it could get interesting if the subject was right, he already knew almost the entire history of Vale, and there was only so many tales about the heroism of his ancestors before it became irritating. Fortunately, they weren't talking about the history of the House of D'Arc; unfortunately, the subject they were talking about was a lot more controversial: the Faunus Rebellion.
The air of the classroom was heavy with discomfort, as most people seemed reluctant to speak. Though most of the students in the class (as far as Jaune could see) were all human, no one looked like they wanted to talk about it. Blake, in particular, seemed to keep her eyes on her notes throughout most of the class. Honestly, Jaune didn't blame any of them.
The Faunus Rebellion (as most knew it), referred to a large scale uprising amongst Faunus that took place on Anima (though there was a little spillage onto Saunus). Though it was certainly a complicated matter, the gist was that it was in response to discriminatory practices across Remnant. It lasted a couple years, until the rebels were defeated by a joint Atlesian-Mistrali force, and their leader, Dhoosar Tavi, was killed. Vale had largely been spared the chaos, since even though Faunus equality had long been an unspoken policy in the kingdom, King William made it a fully spoken one, proclaiming all Faunus within his borders were completely equal to the humans.
"Now, does anyone have any idea as to why the rebellion failed?" Oobleck inquired, having wrapped up his primary lecture. Weiss rose her hand so quickly, Jaune briefly thought she might dislocate it.
"The Uprising failed because the supposed moderates were being driven out, and replaced by radicals lead by Dhosar Tavi," she said after being called upon, "They believed that the Faunus were the superior race, and sought to make Mistral into a Faunus dominated state. This caused a split in their group, and a decrease in their numbers, and when the allied forces attacked them, they no longer had the numbers necessary to fight them off." Jaune swore he could feel Blake flinch beside him, but when he looked at her, she had an otherwise neutral face on.
"Speaking of Dhooser Tavi…," Oobleck said, as the slideshow they were looking at changed. It showed a man with a mongoose tail and gray hair and eyes, wearing leather armor, and carrying a long spear. Over one eye he had a gruesome looking scar, which Jaune suspected humans had something to do with.
"Can anyone tell me about him?"
"Only that he was a Faunus supremacist, who thought nothing of killing innocent people, so long as they were human," Weiss declared, "The fact that so many Faunus were willing to join with him was telling."
"Maybe after being oppressed for so long, they would side with anyone who produce results." Jaune looked at Blake, who suddenly looked up like she hadn't realized she had said that aloud.
"Do you have something to add, Ms. Belladonna?" Oobleck asked politely.
"No," Blake answered steadily.
"Anyway, does anyone have anything to add to Ms. Schnee's account of Tavi?" Nobody said anything, not that Jaune felt especially surprised by that; even he couldn't find much positive to say about that guy. He did shoot a glance at Ilia, though even she didn't seem to have anything to say. Jaune then looked at his partner, who was still keeping her eyes on the desk.
Eventually, the bell rang to signal the end of class, and the students starting filing out. As they were leaving, Jaune noticed Weiss coming up to him.
(I) (I) (I)
One point of personal of pride for Alistair was the Great Royal Library of Vale. It was a large, public institution in downtown Vale that he had personally financed. Though a place or two in Atlas and Mistral liked to contend it, Alistiar liked to believe it was the largest collection of knowledge across Remnant, with thousands upon thousands of books for the people's use. Unfortunately, Alistair wasn't there just to read.
The library was a large, domed structure, with the entrances framed by statues of the Brothers. The king was currently sitting in one of the balconies, looking over his capital, tapping his finger on the table he was sitting at, a set of tea in front of him. He hated having to close the library like he was now, but meetings like this could be… delicate.
"Your Majesty, he has arrived," Hazel said, as he came out the door.
"Praise the gods," Alistair muttered, before sighing, "Very well, send him in." Hazel nodded in affirmation, as he turned to leave, before he paused and glanced over.
"I am here if you need me, Your Majesty," he said.
"Thank you, Captain," the king said with a nod, as his protector stepped out. However, he wasn't gone long, as he returned, with two other people. One was a tall man in a white suit with orange hair, and a cane, and the other was what appeared to be a young girl dressed in pink and white, with hair that seemed to be three colors, and her eyes two.
"My king," Roman Torchwick said he bowed at the waist, his hand over his chest, "I am so thankful you accepted my invitation."
"Hmm," Alistair answered, only giving the man a side glance, and just waving his approval when Torchwick asked if he could join him.
"Part of the reason I'm so thankful is because there is the matter of those trade policies," he said, "I was hoping we could discuss them a little further." One positive of the SDC being banned from doing business in Vale, was that it gave the local businesses a chance to prosper on their own, considering how in Atlas, other would be Dust mongers had a tendency to get trampled under foot pretty quickly. That was at least supposed to be the plan, but several years ago, Torchwick established what he called "Torch Light Industries" (TLI for short), which rapidly rose up to be one of the largest businesses in Vale, and made him one of the wealthiest men in the kingdom outside of the House of D'Arc. Though royal decrees kept limits on him, he was still a powerful force in this kingdom, and a popular one at that, with his prominent philanthropic activates.
"There is nothing more to discuss, Roman," Alistair said, as he sipped his tea, "My decision stands." As he did so, his nose wrinkled as he smelled the harsh smell of Torchwick's cigar.
"Please stop smoking that," Alistair said.
"Come now, Your Majesty…."
"That wasn't a request," the king interrupted bluntly. Torchwick blinked, before chuckling as he did one more strong puff.
"I suppose it is better to set an example for Neo," he said, gesturing to the girl who was now leaning on the balcony, just giving a sly smile. Neapolitan Torchwick was the elder Torchwick's adopted daughter and apprentice, and more than a few times, the latter tried to set Jaune up with the latter. The potential coupling of Neo and Jaune was a popular subject across the various tabloids in the kingdom, not that Alistair was particularly thrilled by the idea. Especially when the girl was in league with TLI. Yes, Roman Torchwick was one the great philanthropists of Remnant, and a successful businessman who came from nothing, that was the official account.
Unofficially? He was one of the most infamous, and powerful crime lords in the city, if not the kingdom. Every broken law could at some point be traced back to Torchwick, with Neo as his second-in-command; Alistair had no idea how he got a girl like that under his umbrella. Conceivably, Alistair could've just snapped his fingers and order Torchwick arrested, and it would've happened, but he wasn't going to do that, considering how popular the man was amongst the people, and he knew better than to antagonize them. Besides, while Vale was certainly an autocracy, Alistair knew it was a slippery slope to tyranny, and if he started arresting his enemies without solid evidence, who knew where it could go next?
"Now, is there anything at all I can do to change your mind?" Torchwick said, "If we allow the SDC to do business here…"
"I can only say 'no' so many times," Alistair answered. Though it may have seem odd for a businessman to want his rival in Vale, Alistair suspected that the SDC coming could have opened up some opportunities for his other occupation.
"Think of the possibilities, Your Majesty," Torchwick continued, "Imagine the job opportunities that could come in fort he people."
"It's those exact thoughts that made me refuse them in the first place," Alistair said, as he took a piece of bread. However, when he bit into it, it seemed to break apart into nothing. He was confused, until he saw Neo sniggering in the back. He noticed Hazel unfolding his arms, though the king held up his hand for him to stop.
"On that exact note," Roman said, as he reached into his coat, and picked out a sizable packet, "I have a series of…." As he droned on about his business plans, Alistair rubbed his forehead; as a courtesy he would listen to him, but even his great patience could have its limit.
(I) (I) (I)
Velvet was a second year in Beacon, but the way she carried herself, some might have thought otherwise, hunched over slightly, and doing what she could not to call attention to herself. As she made her way down the lines of tables to put her tray away, she kept her eyes on the floor, and her eyes tucked in, only occasionally glancing around. However, as she was going, she suddenly felt herself stumble slightly, and while her training let her keep her balance, Velvet still cried out slightly. Her attention was then taken by the sound of gruff laughing.
"Certainly not as agile as a rabbit," a big guy, who Velvet remembered from the initiation (which she attended upon learning Prince Jaune was at Beacon) as being named "Cardin", said.
"I'm sorry," Velvet said, as she moved to keep moving.
"Wait!" Cardin called, holding up his hand, as he stood up, "Wrong foot, let me apologize." Velvet was more than a little suspicious, but still went over there nonetheless, keeping her eyes on the ground.
"I just haven't seen many Faunus," he said, "I'm not used to them."
"It's… okay," Velvet said slowly, trying not to let the condescension get to her.
"I mean, those ears are so different," Cardin said, and Velvet looked up just in time to see a cruel smile appear on his face, "Let me get a closer look." Before Velvet could even react, he grabbed on her ears, and pulled her down.
"Ow!" Velvet cried, as she was pulled over to them while Cardin sat back down.
"How about that?" Cardin said as the rest of his team laughed, "They are real!" Velvet just continued to cry softly as the bully continued to tug her ear.
"Hey!" Cardin suddenly let go, causing Velvet to tumble back to the floor. Rubbing her head, she looked up, to see the resident prince coming up to them, a serious, if somewhat uneasy expression on his face.
"Leave her alone," Prince Jaune said. Despite herself, Velvet was thankful to see him, if for no other reason that it made Cardin let her go.
"Look guys," Cardin said to his team, as he rose to his feet, "The spoiled kid is here to save the day." He then looked at Jaune.
"Look, Your Highness," he said sarcastically , "the king told us not to give you any special treatment, so I wouldn't go sticking your nose in something that doesn't matter to you." The prince was silent, as Velvet could see his fists start to clench.
"I'm… I'm still a prince," he said slowly, "And as… as Prince of Vale, I'm ordering you to leave her alone." Those words hung in the air, as everyone around stared at the prince and the bully. Cardin just narrowed his eyes, as he took a step forward. That was when the tip of a whip was pointed towards him; on the other end was a girl with auburn hair and freckled skin which had just turned a dark red.
"Listen, buddy," the girl said icily, as she came closer "Take a look around." As Cardin looked around, so did Velvet, as she noticed that much of the hall was looking at them, especially the six Royal Guards.
"How do you think this'll really go?" the girl hissed. With that, Cardin got the message, and he and the rest of his team retreated.
"Are you okay?" the prince asked, offering Velvet a hand once they were gone. At first, the bunny was unsure of what to do, but eventually, she slowly took his hand, and he helped her up.
"Yes, thank you," she said softly, before curtsying, "Your Highness."
"It was nothing," the prince said with a shrug, "And you can call me Jaune." Yeah, if Velvet was being completely honest, that probably wasn't going to happen; he was a prince, and she was just a normal Faunus from Vale.
"Guys like that make me really mad," he continued, looking in the direction Cardin went, "My family has tried so hard to make Vale a haven for people of all kinds, but there are still so many who can't get over those dumb prejudices."
"Y… Yes," Velvet answered softly, not sure what else to say about that. The bell then rang, signaling the end of lunch.
"Well, thank you again, Your Highness," Velvet said, curtsying again.
"Again, it was really no problem," Prince Jaune said, holding up his hands, "See you around?"
"Yes… I suppose," the bunny slowly responded, before the prince gave her a wave, and left with his guardswoman, as well as the rest of his team. Velvet gave her own brief wave, before she couldn't help but feel her cheeks warm a little bit.
(I) (I) (I)
Not long after his re-ascension to the throne, King William had instituted a strict policy of equality across the kingdom; Faunus were to be given exact, equal pay and benefits in their jobs as the human employees. The fact that Ilia, a Faunus herself was responsible for the safety of a member of the royal family could say a lot about the situation. So why was Blake still so frustrated?
"You know, that was pretty awesome, what you did for that Faunus girl in the lunchroom," Ruby said, as she came up next to the prince, "The way you went up to those bullies and called them out."
"I think that's actually the first time I've seen you exercise real royal authority like that," Pyrrha added.
"Well, my family always says that the first responsibility of royalty is to set an example for their people," Jaune said, "How can we hold people to standards that we don't hold ourselves to?"
"Those are wise words," Pyrrha said with a smile.
"My great-great-grandfather was a wise man," Jaune said with his own smile. Hearing that, Blake took a breath, and glared at the floor. As the teams made their way to their next classes, Blake was angry at herself; that poor Faunus girl was being picked on by by those punks, and she did nothing to stop it. Instead, she let her partner do the job for her.
"If it were me, I would've thrown them in the Tower," Nora said.
"Uh, we don't actually have a Tower, anymore," Jaune said, "Queen Giada got rid of it."
"I stand by what I said," Nora declared, putting her hands behind her head with a smirk.
"Look, this is all well and good," Blake said, "But we need more than just examples in this world." Damn it she thought, as she reconsidered those words. She didn't want to be too hard on Jaune, especially since he wasn't the king. But still….
"Show His Highness some respect," Weiss said, as she came up between Blake and her partner, "His and his family's actions speak for themselves." The fact that a Schnee of all people was saying this made Blake roll her eyes. This was probably another move to get into Jaune's good graces.
"No, Blake's right," Jaune said, "We do need more than just examples, we need action."
"Thank you," Blake said, glad to have her partner coming to her defense.
"Also, for it may be worth, my sister, Milly, actually married a Faunus. In fact, her son's a Faunus." Those words settled in for Blake at the time, as she tried to process them. Apparently, she wasn't the only one, as she noticed Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, and especially Weiss also looking at Jaune in surprise.
"Wait, you guys didn't know?" Yang asked, arching an eyebrow.
"And you did?" Weiss asked.
"Well, yeah," Ruby said, with a shrug, "Everyone in Vale knows the Crown Princess is married to a Faunus."
"They've also got a son," Jaune said.
"A what now?" Blake asked.
"Yeah, my nephew, Flynn," Jaune said, as he reached into his pocket to get his Scroll, as he pulled up an image of the Crown Princess, carrying a young boy with the typical D'Arc blonde hair and blue eyes, but four, red octopus tentacles coming out of his back. Those words, and that pictures felt like they had just doused Blake with Cold War. Somehow, that didn't seem possible, and yet here was the proof in front of her. It was then that the fact settled in: a Faunus would one day rule the Kingdom of Vale.
Note: So yeah, the Faunus Revolution failed in this continuity. As I was thinking how I could make this world more different, I noticed that I really haven't seen that concept used that much, if at all. I thought it was worth exploring, and how the world of Remnant might be different. Bear in mind that slavery doesn't still exist, because that's one matter that was resolved after the Great War.
Velvet played no real role in my previous story, so I want her, and hopefully most of her team, a greater role in this. On that note, to give her a fair shot, I'm adding her to the poll, to see if there are any who like her enough. Also, I tried to think of a legitimate reason why CVFY wasn't there to defend Velvet (in-universe, they weren't there because I don't think RT had conceived of them yet), but couldn't find one that satisfied me. I still wanted to include that scene, though, so I tried to go with it the way it went in canon; I hope it was satisfactory for some.
Please comment.