Hey hey hey guys! It's your boy OGGuy again with another chapter! Chapter 5! Making progress! Don't let ANYONE, not even yourself, stop yourself from progressing! BTW, I made two new Twitter accounts. One is for personal things and the other one that is linked in my profile for my YouTube and the Mobian Huntsmen series! I'm going to try to keep that account STRICTLY to Beyblade, Sonic, and RWBY and also follow other YouTubers that I like on there too! So if you're interested, go to that second account for the behind the scenes stuff! That's enough from me; let's get into the story! Enjoy!
PS: This chapter got me emotional when I wrote this... please. Be the sunshine for others, as you try to find the sunshine for yourself.
Disclaimer: All characters, music, and etc belong to their respective creators!
The scene opens to an air horn as The black screen cuts to an offramp being lowered on the ship bearing Blake Belladonna, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Sun Wukong to allow passengers to disembark. The town has many small buildings and homes set among dunes and palm trees. The town bell that has been ringing is shown in its belfry. The three make their way from the deck to the offramp. She proceeds without pause while the two boys stop to look at the town.
(-Music: Adabat - Day [ Sonic Unleashed ]-)
"Wow…"
"Huh."
Several Faunus in summer wear meander casually at the dock, some waiting for friends or family among the new arrivals. The dock is also a commercial area, with mobile kiosks selling food and other wares. It is a relaxed atmosphere on a sunny day. Sun is looking around while he and Tails and Blake disembark and walk through the market area together.
"I've never seen so many Faunus in one place!" The blonde monkey Faunus said being elated by the amount of Faunus there are on this island.
"Perfect enough for whatever enemy we have to face to blend in plain sight…" Tails thought as he looked around and occasionally gaze at the other Faunus.
"This is the one place everyone can feel safe, no matter who or what they are." Blake stated.
"Wow, sure is, uh, crowded, huh?" Sun inquired, noticing how enclosed he is getting as himself and his friend's continue traversing through.
"Yes. Yes, it is."
Sun dodges a Faunus carrying a box. "Is it always so... cramped?"
"Try to picture taking an entire species and have them live on an island that's two-thirds desert, yeah, it tends to be cramped." The twin-tailed prodigy said as he stood aside for another Faunus who was carrying two boxes.
"What! You guys have that much more space? Why waste it? A little desert never hurt anyone!"
"It's not like the desert in Vacuo, Sun. The wildlife here is more dangerous than most other regions." The Shadowcat replied as the monkey Faunus' eyes widened a bit.
"So, they give us a terrible island, in the corner of Remnant, to try and shut us up."
"Good summation."
"Huh. Jerks." Sun muttered.
"We try to make the best of things." Blake said.
The three pause in their walk to look at the view of the town the road affords. The road they are on goes downhill and to the side, bordered by palm trees and homes that have either canvas or wood roofs. The vista of palm trees spreads out to the edge of mountainous dunes in the distance. Right in the middle of all this is a large house with an open courtyard that the road appears to lead directly to. The house is at least three stories and is the only building in the whole area with a sophisticated roof.
"This is... astounding!" Said an awestruck Tails who's namesakes started wagging happily.
"Woah…"
"This, is Kuo Kuana." Blake introduced the area that they're in.
"It's... beautiful. I take it all back. This place looks great! Why would anyone ever want to leave?" Asked Sun who had a smile on his face.
"That's not the point, Sun! We asked to be equal, to be treated just like everyone else! Instead, we were given an island and told to make do. So we did the best we could. We came together and we made a home where any Faunus could feel welcome. But this island, this town, will always be a reminder that we're still not equal…" She lowered her head. "That we're still second-class citizens…"
The kitsune Faunus placed held the disheartened Blake's hand in a brotherly way. "In time, things will get better between the Faunus and humankind. We can't let past mistakes define us and hinder us as a species and as people. Remember, no matter how buried it gets, or lost you feel, you must promise to me, yourself, and your loved ones that you will hold on to hope and keep it alive. We have to be greater than what we suffer. Become hope. People need that."
Blake grew a smile on her face as she closed her misty eyes and wiped the stray tears from her eyes. "You're right, little brother… we must become to the hope for ALL Faunus everywhere."
"Ummm… "little brother"?" Sun inquired, interrupting the sibling moment that the two were having. The two chuckled at each other as they shook their heads as they kept walking leaving the baffled Sun behind. "H-Hey! Wait up!"
(-Music Ends-)
The trio of Faunus walk up the stone steps to the front door of the house. Blake hesitates when she moves to use the knocker.
"What's the matter?" Tails inquired to his sister figure.
"I um... it's just been a long time since I've seen my parents." She answered hesitantly.
"Well, you came all this way…" Sun said, trying to encourage her to continue.
Blake takes a quick breath for courage and bangs the door knocker. It makes a loud, heavy, resonating sound on the large door. Sun stares up, stepping back while Blake and Tails politely back away from the door a few paces.
Sun points up to the door. "Okay, if we're being honest, that's kind of intimidating."
"I agree with you on that Sun…" Tails gulped, feeling shy on meeting Blake's parents.
(-Music: No Reason [ Sonic Unleashed ]-)
The trio of Faunus give a start at the sound of the door being opened. A short, female cat Faunus with black hair and yellow eyes that shared some physical features of Blake, although her ears are noticeably larger in size and have more fur details. She has short hair and three gold piercings on her cat ears - two on her right, and one on her left. She wears a black hakama and sandals with white tabi socks. Over her outfit, she wears a black shrug with a long right sleeve and a short left sleeve, gold-leaf trim adorning the opening on the front. She wears long, black arm warmers that extend to the middle finger. The left warmer has a purple band tied around the top and a pair of gold bangles around the wrist. Around her waist is a black and gold sash that trails behind her, with a gold flower-shaped buckle at the end. She is Kali Belladonna! The mother of Blake! She's behind the door, looking around at the visitors. Her ears perk and she moves the door out of the way so she can step forward when she recognizes her daughter.
"Blake?" Kali called her daughter's name in disbelief.
Blake awkwardly lifted her arm in greeting. "Hi, mom."
Her mother steps forward and hugs her daughter. "My baby girl…"
The Shadowcat hesitates, uncertain for a moment, before her face gentles into a smile and she hugs her mother back. They stand in front of an open doorway. From inside the house, footsteps come closer and a shadow falls onto the carpeted entryway. Kali lets go of Blake and turns behind her at the sound of a man's voice.
"Kali? Who is it?"
There stood a tall, muscular Faunus with black hair, a thick beard and yellow eyes. For his top, he wears an open dark-violet coat with white fur trim, exposing a patch of black fur on his chest. Over his beige pants is a matching sash that wraps around his waist and is secured with a large, silver metal buckle. On the shoulder of his coat is a silver metal spaulder, which through a pair of curved strips across the chest attaches as a clasp on the opposite front panel of the coat. The white toes of his black leather boots have a shape reminiscent of paws with claws at the tips. His physique is in general quite hairy, as what little can be seen of his bare arms and the backs of his wrists are shown to be covered in thick, black fur. He's the father of Blake! Ghira Belladonna! He had his hands on his hips, waiting to greet the visitor. His quizzical expression changes to wide-eyed surprise, before his hands, shoulders, and face all fall in a clear, emotional reaction to the sight of his daughter coming home.
Tails and Sun smile warmly at the family reunion, pleased at Blake's welcome as he turns to look at how she's taking it. Blake has her hands clasped in front of her, awaiting her father's reaction. Kali has not let go, with her hands supportively on Blake's shoulder and arm. The kitsune Faunus' eyes got misty with happy and sad tears. Happy for Blake and feeling homesick and also missing his parents too. Tails hastily wiped his tears away to prevent anyone seeing them. Then he closed his eyes.
"Mom… Dad… I hope you both are doing okay back on Mobius without me… but I have a feeling that we'll meet again soon… I miss you… and I love you…" He thought as stray tears fell from eyes.
Blake turns to see how the boys are taking this but when she glances at her little brother's teary face. Her cat ears folded a little as she left the embrace of her mother and hugged Tails which made him open his blue eyes in surprise.
"It's okay little brother…" She said softly with a small smile on her face. "You always told me that I'm not alone in this… now, it's my turn to tell you that you're not alone Tails…"
Ghira, Kali, and Sun but mainly Blake's parents were surprised of how affectionate she was to the emotionally pained kitsune Faunus. Kali went to her husband's side as she shed some tears of her own. Ghira had a proud smile of seeing that his daughter never lost her way and came home.
(-Music Ends-)
(-Music: Believe In Yourself { Cosmic Eternity } [ Sonic CD ]-)
Kali sets down her cup on the table. She, Ghira, Tails, Sun, and Blake all sit on the floor at a square table. With Tails sitting next to Blake as emotional support.
"We were horrified when we heard the news. The Kingdom of Vale isn't perfect, but it certainly didn't deserve what happened. Oh, we were both so worried." Kali said with concern in her tone.
"Please, I knew she'd be fine!" Ghira retorted.
Kali scoffs at her husband's statement. "That isn't the slightest bit true. You should have seen him pacing."
"You guys have nothing to worry about. I've seen your daughter in action before! And trust me, she's got some moves!" Sun blurted out, being unaware of the context that statement was said.
Blake, who was sipping from her cup while Sun spoke, abruptly lifted her head and swallowed at his last choice of words and Tails just shook his head.
Ghira glares at the young man on his right. "And what exactly do you mean by that, Mr. Wukong?"
Sun freezes and slowly turns toward his host. "I... uh, well, you see sir, it's just that, you know, that she's such a good fighter and all, uh, and as a fellow fighter, I have a lot of respect for her…"
Kali leans in towards the kitsune Faunus and her daughter. "Why is he here again?"
"...And her fighting. But also for her…"
"He followed me/us home." Both Blake and Tails answered in unison before the two looked at each other and giggled to themselves.
"...because of her fighting. Not her looks. I mean, not to say she's not good-looking. She is! Very! Or…"
"I see." She said with a smile growing on her face.
"...slightly, I mean she's definitely above average. I mean, uh…" Sun struggles for words as all three Belladonnas watch him and wait for him to either get out of the hole he just talked himself into or keep digging. In the awkward silence, Sun uses his tail to pick up the tea kettle and pour some more tea into his cup. "This tea is really good. Heh-uh…"
"Sun." Tails spoke his name as he gently set his cup down. "Just don't say anything. Mr. Belladonna looks like he's ready to skin you alive."
"I like him." Said an amused Kali.
Blake's eyes widened in shock. "Mom!"
"Good one Sun. You got Ms. Belladonna's approval." The twin-tailed prodigy snickered.
"Please dear, call me Kali." The mother of Blake said kindly as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Then she took notice of his two tails. "Oh, you have two tails. I didn't notice that. You must be quite special!"
Tails had a faint blush on his cheeks. "T-Thank you M- I mean Kali… these guys have helped me in many ways possible."
"Mr. Prower." Ghira's gaze was at Tails' direction now. "What's the history between you and my daughter? You both seem… close."
"Dad!"
The kitsune Faunus places his hand on Blake's shoulder with a reassuring smile on his face. "It's fine. Well… it all started when we were in Beacon's Ballroom. Myself and my teammates got settled in and I was looking for a spot where I could read my book and that's when I came across Blake; I asked if I could join her so we could read our books together and we had a nice conversation and then we just read our books in silence and I helped her through some rough patches along with Sun and… the rest was history. I mean, Blake inspired me take to the initiative more. I'm more intelligent than the average person and Faunus and I can invent the most amazing technology, but when the odds aren't exactly favorable, I hesitate. But seeing Blake take action. Even against the odds, that sparked something in me that made me more bold in certain areas. So I owe her a lot. More than being a Huntsmen and Huntress. A very close friend."
Blake was smiling while he spoke and then a blush came across her face. She sips her tea to hide her blush. Ghira had a small smile on his face, when studying him, he knew that Tails was different from Sun. He saw a person who respects his daughter, not only as a fighter but also a person. Looks like the twin-tailed prodigy is growing on him.
"Dad. Tails is a person who understands me. He's not judgmental. He's kind, caring, sensitive, and unique. He and his teammates had a rough upbringing but they didn't let that stop them from reaching their full potential but Tails… he helped me realize that I can move forward. Not letting the past define me and keep holding on to hope." She said kindly as Blake looked at her father. "He inspired me to be more courageous and he's been supportive also. And he also… showed me how to forgive myself… I might not be at that point where I can forgive myself for ALL the things I did in the past… but I'm getting there."
"That's good dear." Kali said lovingly to her daughter as she placed her hand on her daughter's. "Things like this take time… and we're proud of you for how you turned out, thanks to the young man next to you. Tails. Thank you for being there for our daughter. You're like the son that we never had."
"If you have nowhere else to go young man, you're always welcome here. You're part of this family too." The Belladonna Patriarch said kindly with a smile on his face before the loud sound of the front door knocker resonated, catching everyone's attention. Then he hits his fist onto the table and Kali quickly covers it with her hand. "Darn it, I completely forgot about the meeting!"
(-Music Ends -)
"Ghira…" His wife said his name in a calm tone.
"Give me a moment." He walks away to answer the door.
"Is everything okay?" Blake inquired, she had a bad feeling in her stomach.
"Yes, dear, just poor timing. He can reschedule. It's just been hard dealing with them lately." Her mother answered, trying to ease her daughter's worries.
"Dealing with who?"
"Hmm? The White Fang." Kali casually sips her tea.
Tails nearly choked on his tea when she said the White Fang as the three Faunus stood up quickly. "WHAT?!"
(-Music: Trouble Outbreak [ Sen no Kiseki ]-)
The three rush to the door where Ghira is speaking with two fox Faunus. One had dark-skin who wore his hair styled in a mohawk with shaved sides. He is a fox Faunus whose trait is a tail, and is noticeably taller than his brother. He wears a red hood that functions partially as a cloak, made of two pieces held together by yellow buttons and string. He wears a black tunic with two sections extending farther down than the rest at his front, and a hole is cut out for his tail. Both the hood and tunic have white trimming. He also wears detached white sleeves, bound at the mid-bicep and the wrists. Black gloves serve that function and attach to his middle fingers. His white pants are pleated. He wears black open-toed sandals with fabric extending up to his knees. He is Corsac Albain. The other had the same skin color and hair style. But he had fox ears and was shorter than his brother. wore a red hood that functioned partially as a cloak made of two pieces of cloth held together by buttons and string. Holes were cut in the top for his fox ears. He wore a black tunic with two sections extending farther down than the rest at his front. White trimming defined the shape of the hood and tunic. He also wore detached white sleeves, bound at the mid-bicep and the wrists. Black gloves served that function and were attached to his middle fingers. His white pants were pleated. He wore black open-toed sandals with fabric extending up to his knees. He is Fennec Albain! The two visitors maintain respectful, formal postures, keeping their hands clasped before them.
"Dad!" Blake called her father's name in concern and panic in her voice.
"Blake, what's wrong?" Ghira inquired with an arched brow.
"Miss Belladonna." Corsac greeted.
"We had no idea you'd returned." Fennec said expressing his surprise.
"What are you doing talking to these people?" The Shadowcat inquired with narrowed eyes.
"This is Corsac and Fennec Albain. They represent the White Fang here in Menagerie now." He answered, which made Tails narrow his eyes.
"Those psychos are here, too?!" Sun asks in shock.
"Young man, I'm not sure what you've heard of our organization, but I can assure you, we're not nearly as ferocious as the media would have you believe." Fennec states, trying to reassure him.
"From what we've heard? We've seen FIRSTHAND! Your inane fanatics slaughtered people!" Tails said firmly, trying to hold back his anger.
"What is he talking about?" Ghira asks the two brothers, clearly not liking what he's hearing.
"Precisely what we came to discuss with you, Your Grace." Corsac said calmly.
"Is everything alright?" Asked an approaching Kali.
"Wait, you guys seriously didn't know?" The blonde monkey Faunus inquired in disbelief.
"Know what?" Ghira asked again in a dangerous tone.
"The White Fang was at the Fall of Beacon. They attacked innocent civilians and they released Grimm into the school!" His daughter answered as her hands were balled into fists.
"And to add insult to injury… they teamed up with not one but TWO humans! One was the man who was responsible for the rough upbringing that myself and my teammates had to endure!" Tails added.
There is a brief silence as Fennec makes an innocent, sideways glance at his brother. Ghira slowly turns to face the two White Fang representatives.
"Is this true…?" The Belladonna Patriarch inquired calmly, really trying to control his anger.
"Sadly, Your Grace, it is." Fennec confirmed, feigning guilt.
"Don't act like you're s—"
"That's enough!" Ghira interrupted his daughter's accusation before glaring at the Albains. "Explain yourselves."
"Though it pains us to admit, it has become apparent that the Vale branch of the White Fang is no longer operating under orders of High Leader Khan. Rather, they've elected to follow the rule of one Adam Taurus. I believe you're all familiar with the young adept and his... extreme philosophies." Corsac explained.
"You know, Beacon wasn't the first time the Fang started shooting up Vale!" Sun frowned.
"The High Council had their suspicions of a splinter group, but they could prove nothing until this latest incident." Fennec spoke this time.
""Incident"? People are dead!" Blake said, getting increasingly infuriated as the conversation continued.
"And it is a tragedy."
"Your Grace, we came to assure you that Brother Taurus and his followers do not represent the will of the White Fang."
"And how can I be sure of that?" Ghira inquired, growing tired of the topic.
"We understand if you bear any skepticism towards these claims. The White Fang's tactics are admittedly more aggressive since you stepped down as High Leader and became Chieftain of Menagerie. But this, this is no way to make our message heard." Corsac states, reassuring the Belladonna Patriarch.
"We have ample documentation from the council meeting, as well as several strategies to apprehend and punish these strays if you care to review them." Fennec finished for his brother.
Ghira nods firmly. "I will, but another day. I'd like some time to reconnect with my daughter."
"But of course, Your Grace."
"We completely understand. It was a pleasure to see you again, young Blake."
"We were saddened when we heard of your departure from the White Fang, but understand if you can no longer support our cause." Corsac said.
"It is a wearying fight, after all." Fennec said.
"Who says I'm done fighting?" The Shadowcat took a deep breath trying to calm herself.
"Hmm... If you ever do wish to return, you need merely come find us." Said the shorter fox Faunus.
Fennec nods in agreement with his brother. "Sister Ilia would be elated."
"Goodbye gentlemen." Ghira says as the two bow and make their leave. He firmly closes the door on them. Kali moves to stand closer and face her husband while Blake and Tails walk off.
"So... those guys were creepy." Sun commented.
"I really don't like you." The Belladonna Patriarch said with an annoyed tone.
Outside, the two brothers descend the steps, perfectly in sync and their formally clasped hands. Corsac, however, is now using the prayer posture that Fennec had been using all along.
"An interesting development, wouldn't you say?" Fennec inquired, feeling quite pleased with the unexpected arrival of Blake.
Corsac nods in agreement. "Interesting indeed."
"So, shall we inform Brother Adam?"
"Oh, we shall."
They exchange unsettling grins. But unknowingly to the two fox Faunus, Tails hovering about the Belladonna home, hearing of their conversation. When Adam's name was said, his eyes widened in shock before going back to normal as he saw storm clouds coming in the distance.
(-Music Ends-)
Back at the tavern in Higanbana, the waitress is scrubbing the floor. The sound of approaching footsteps cease when a voice addresses her, making the waitress look up.
"Excuse me." Tyrian Callows licks his lips. "I was hoping you could... help me find someone."
Tyrian laughs maniacally as the camera fades to black, showing only his eyes, before they fade to black as well.
[ To Be Continued… ]