This is not a new story but a renaming of a current one. The original title was more than a little pretentious and I think discouraged readers.
Kali Belladonna booed as she saw Fennec Albain appear on the screen. She did not trust the blighter or his brother. Somehow her expression reduced the tension in the room. She felt slightly guilty. The brothers genuinely believed in the cause and the fact that they considered what was good for the Albains was good for the Faunus as a whole was far from unusual in politics. It was just that they were so pretentious and thought that were better at politics than they really were.
Oobleck remarked, "Odd that he is there. He has always previously denied the fact that he was a White Fang member, let alone that is he is in the upper echelons."
Kali replied, "He is just on the political council. He is the man who came up with the image of the gun in one hand and the pen in the other."
She was genuinely curious as to what was about to happen. She looked around the room and saw that Bart and the Schnee girl were almost as fascinated as her and Blake. She also sensed that the young monkey Faunus and Yang were both trying to keep close to Blake. She smiled; Blake could do with some friends her own age who had a sense of fun.
The first sign that something truly unexpected (at least by her) was about to happen came when Raven Branwen and Sienna Khan walked out together. She looked down at Blake who shrugged her shoulders. Blake had mentioned to her that the Badlands were more civilised than everyone supposed while the Branwen woman was seen as tough but fair by other White Fang members. She was putting her head very high above the parapet by making it clear that she was allied with the White Fang as opposed to merely tolerating their presence. Blake moved to join her.
She caught out of the corner of her eye the tension in Blake's blonde friend and her father at the appearance of the dark-haired warrior. The father moved across to put his hand on her shoulder and that of Ruby. She could see the resemblance between Raven Branwen and Yang.
Kali was conflicted about Sienna Khan. She could not forgive her letting Adam take Blake away from her and Ghira and then not protecting her. She was almost certain that Adam had mistreated her kitten both mentally and physically and it was clear that he had separated her from any friends who carded for her more than Adam.
As time passed, she found it easier to forgive her treachery to Ghira. Sienna had a genuine belief in the need to move towards an armed struggle and had tried to limit it. The woman had not appreciated that once you start down that road, your political opponents will always try to outbid you. Certainly, the rumours in Menagerie had been that she was a dead cat walking. If she had come up with a get out of jail card then it must be something truly special.
As the two women started speaking, Kali smiled ruefully. She and Ghira would need to recognise the new state ASAP and she would need to speak to her contacts here and praise Sienna Khan. She expected that Corsac would soon be going to see Ghira and offering him a deal where the White Fang offered an olive branch to him in return for his support for the new state. She thought that there must be some press releases coming through and moved to grab her scroll to instruct her team to read them in detail and pass their analysis to her as soon after they were published as possible. She needed to look at the detail and in particular whether there was any substance in the alleged power sharing mechanisms.
She was startled to see Ilia walk on stage as she had thought that she was still in Menagerie. Fennec must have taken her as well as Trifa with him. She had expected Ilia to try to see Blake when she arrived in Menagerie, but it appeared that she had not been able to sort out in her own mind whether to see Blake as a traitor to the cause or an old friend returning to her home. There had been no reply to Blake's own request for a meeting and Kali had done her best to present this in a positive light to her kitten.
When she started to sing tears came to Kali's eyes. She knew the importance of the song to the movement and that it was one they had shared with poor humans. She looked down and saw that Blake was trying to avoid crying. She whispered, "I think it is appropriate to weep, dear."
There was something nagging at her about the choice of singer. Fine as a native of Atlas and now a resident of Menagerie she could see the symbolism. However, she had been one of the friends of Blake's who Adam had exiled from her side.
Kali turned to Blake and said, "Spend time with your friends, catch up with Julie, party. I have to play sordid politics tonight. I will tell you all about it afterwards, but now you should be with your friends."
She paused, "Kitten, I don't mind if Sienna Khan gets most of the credit so long as Faunus are treated better in the long term. I am going to see Ironwood and tell him that Sienna Khan is the only game in town if he wants to keep a lid on Mantle."
She paused, "I never even thought about the Branwen Tribe as allies. She has made a virtue out of necessity.
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Ruby was exhausted. It had been a long journey and she had not slept well. She also needed a night's sleep before she spoke properly to her team. She hated keeping the truth from them. But Ozpin and Qrow had warned her that most people could not take the truth about Remnant and that it was only because it was essential that they were telling her about Salem.
Apparently dad had not been told until now and he was angry about that. The rest of his team had been told a lot more than he had and he obviously felt humiliated. He had told Ruby that he was still processing the information himself.
Ozpin had also told her about the Maidens and shown her the poor comatose girl in the basement. He had said that he would like her to consider taking on her remaining powers and being prepared to fight whoever had done that to her. Only Uncle Qrow and Glynda knew that she had been told. She felt that both were angry with Ozpin and Glynda in particular had told her to delay making any decision until Atlas had tested the technology.
Glynda had also said that they suspected that the women in the bullhead when she had fought Roman Torchwick held the rest of the power and that she wanted to be by her side for the rematch. She had even said that she would like uncle Qrow with them as well. The woman had apparently run from Qrow rather than fight him when she had attacked Amber. Uncle Qrow was up for it as well. "Only suckers believe in a fair fight" was a motto of his
The fact that her teammates were proposing to go to a club which she failed the age test for had allowed her to tell herself she wanted to go to bed and snuggle up with Zwei and Crescent Rose. It was fun seeing Blake's mum and how close the two of them were. She wiped away a tear that she had not had the opportunity to bond with her mum in the same way.
It was good seeing Weiss again. She was her best friend and the spiky edges had worn off. Weiss had whispered to her that family and Atlas politics stuff was coming up tonight and that she would need to be seen with Brede. There was something about a family of flowers getting their just desserts that she did not understand although apparently it would result in a realignment of the Atlas elite structures. Weiss and Brede were apparently the poster couple for a new more tolerant Atlas.
She had also heard about someone called Neptune who was apparently a very proper and eligible young man. The man had appeared with Sun who had fought alongside her and Blake when the White Fang attacked Junior's. He appeared charming and had the whitest teeth she had ever seen.
She was nodding off when everyone gasped at the TV screen. She opened her eyes to see Raven Branwen announcing that she was sharing power with the White Fang and the Indigenous humans and Faunus. Then the Faunus girl sang, and she noticed Blake and her mother crying. Dr Oobleck was looking excited even by his standards and was dictating notes into his scroll.
While the song had been moving and she understood the emotion, the dance routine had been the highlight. Dad and Uncle Qrow often watched the movie when Qrow visited, and she and Yang had memorised the final dance. Seeing Yang's mother do a back flip and then the splits explained where Yang got her partying from. Twenty minutes later they played the clip from the Vytal festival ball, and it was frightening how much Raven looked like Yang now. Dad was keeping up with her, Qrow was looking cool and clearly should be suing Coco Adel for copyright infringement in relation to the dark glasses. What took her aback was seeing mum be a good sport and do a break-dancing spot. She started to quietly cry again. All four of them looked so young.
She hugged Zwei and longed for her bed.
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Earlier that day Velvet Scarlatina had been taking a few photographs of Brede firing his weapon at the outdoor rifle range. They were for the newspapers tomorrow. Apparently they were running a profile of Brede focusing on the attempt to kill him and his uncle three years ago in Vacuo and his role in defeating the attackers. Rumour was it that on the next page would be a profile of Henry Marigold.
After she had seen him the centre of the target at a range of 900 feet she had taken at least a couple with Anesidora as well as her normal cameras. With her good eyesight a sniper weapon was an excellent string to her bow.
Father had come out to join them accompanied by Marrow and Corkran. Father had handed her a rifle which was the same make as Brede's. She had looked at him and he had replied, "A gift from Atlas. The general thought that you would appreciate more than a medal for dealing with Callows. It may be handy next week when you go Grimm hunting. Mr Corkran suggested the model"
Leslie shrugged "Brede is the best marksman I know, and his weapons are the best money can buy. I think it may come in useful in the next few weeks. You may need to use it longer than a minute or so."
She looked at him. She had not expected him to know about Anesidora and there had been a hint that he really though she might need it soon. "Who are you really Corkran."
He smiled back, "We all have our secrets Velvet."
Brede intervened, "Velvet, any chance of you using your innovative designs to make some enhance dust bolts for LCs crossbow. The Campions will be paying."
Velvet said "Of course, but…"
Leslie handed over six bolts and the specs of his bow. "Do you want to take a photograph of me firing it?"
"That will help."
Leslie had done the necessary and then disappeared down to Mantle on unspecified government business.
Later that evening Brede had scrolled Team CFVY plus Emerald and Mercury to invite him in joining his entrance to the team RWBY and the Belladonna party. This was just after the big reveal. However, Coco and Velvet had said, and the guys relied on them, that the first few hours after a big event were all spin. Best to get on with the job and look at it calmly the morning after.
On their arrival, Weiss had torn herself away from the television coverage and joined Brede for a picture. She put her arm around his waist, and he put his over her shoulder. Velvet took the shot, linked the picture to a press release and hit send to the Atlas mass media outlets.
Coco had spotted Neptune looking askance at Brede greeting Weiss. She had told Fox to link him in and said, "Man, don't worry, its politics, not love. I don't think your family has much time for Atlas Gold and the Marigolds either."
He thought back, "I cannot possibly comment. At least half the Campions have brains and the Schnees know when to stop doubling the bet. Still thanks for the heads up. I was going to tactfully make my excuses if I thought I could get Sun away."
Velvet smiled. She had grown to like Weiss Schnee. The girl desperately wanted to do the right thing but had not thought to tell the man she liked that her and Brede were merely playing Atlas leapfrog. Another smile as she remembered the song from the film about the Great War. She looked around and then gestured to Yatsuhashi to bend down so that she could talk to him.
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Yang was sitting in a state of shock. This was the first time she had seen her mother since she was born, and she had no recollections of that event. Ever since mom had died she had tried to dismiss her as a coward who had walked out on her family because she could not take the responsibility. A woman who had deserted the noble calling of being a huntress who defending the innocent to become the leader of a bunch of bandits who robbed and killed the innocent. That was why she spoke and tried to think of her as the egg donor.
Understandably dad never spoke about her and Qrow refused to say more than dad about things. "Kiddo, it's Taiyang's call on what he tells you about their life together. My twin was not big on sharing, and I am biased against her. Remnant, she escaped from the womb twenty minutes before me, and no doubt kicked me in the balls on the way out. Summer always liked her and said that she was potentially the biggest force for good or evil on our team. Make of that what you will."
It had been mom – Summer- who had left the letter given to her on her eighteenth birthday saying that Raven was not a bad person and that she had made her choices for reasons which were not clearly wrong. She had recently been told that the egg donor had brought back moms' body to dad. In Mistral the egg donor had warned dad and Ruby that they were in danger from the scorpion Faunus and had passed it off as repaying a debt to mom. Mom had also said that if Yang had been hers she would not have made Raven's choice. Still mom had taken on a fight that she could not win and meant that yang had to grow up too quickly.
The egg donor was now spouting stuff about Faunus and humans being equal which could have come from mom's lips. She was claiming that she had been working for years to establish a system in the areas she ruled whereby Faunus and humans were treated equally and the interests of the underprivileged were considered.
This was surely BS. To judge from what dad and Uncle Qrow had said the egg donor was seriously scary. She had from Henry and June how even unconvincing bullies like Cardin and Dove had scared people into saying the sun shone out of their butts at Pharos.
A short Atlas specialist who looked impatient bustled into the room and called Kali Belladonna, Dr Oobleck, and dad to join a meeting with General Ironwood and Professor Goodwitch. He argued for a short time and then turned to her. "Sorry, darling. Apparently I am meant to be the nearest to an expert on your… Raven in Atlas and they want my input. Glynda thinks it is my duty. Look after Rubes, Yang, she looks dead on her feet." Indeed, Ruby had nodded off with Zwei on her lap.
"Yes, dad."
Weiss was busy talking with Brede and Coco and sending messages on her scroll. She was in full Miss Schnee mode and to the extent she was not she was flirting with Neptune.
Sun Wukong was trying to monopolise Blake's time when she was not watching the coverage from Mistral.
Yang's attention was drawn to the screen where Lisa Lavender was preparing to speak to Sienna Khan and the egg donor together. First she played snippets of interviews with half-drunk celebrators in the streets of Kuroyuri. First, there was a male Faunus of about her own age who identified himself as a member of the Branwen tribe from birth. "So long as we pretended we were simply robbing and killing none in Remnant gave a damn about what we were up to. They did not even bother to check that was what we were doing. If they go against us now because we treat the poor and Faunus decently, then the whole of Remnant will know exactly how much their leaders care about the masses. Raven Branwen was first the mother of the tribe; she is now the mother of a nation."
Another drunk human said, "Eight years ago we started rebuilding Kuroyuri. Raven told us, "I helped break it, it is my duty to rebuild it and you will help me." She did and we did because we knew she cared."
Yang sat there wiping away the drool from Ruby's face and was hit by a wave of despair. She thought to herself, in the end no one really cares for me enough to stick around when I need help. The egg donor leaves me in the hospital, mum risks her life once too often, dad turns to the bottle and leaves me to look after Ruby, Uncle Qrow keeps his distance. Now when I need people they all leave me alone. Dad has his duty and leaves me to look after Ruby one more. Weiss is being the heiress and playing politics. Blake is flirting with Sun and wants to find her old friend. She would be happy for me to join them, but I have to look after Ruby once again. Now I am told that the egg donor is the mother of her tribe and now of a nation, but never had time for me. The one person who made time for me is dead.
She looked at the screen as Lisa asked Raven. "Many of the people me and my colleagues have spoken to refer to you as the mother of the tribe and of the new nation. How do you feel about that."
The woman said, "I have tried to establish a reputation for standing by my promises. This means that I do not make many of them. I am pleased that so many of the people of this baby nation think that way about me and I will strive to repay their faith. I have tried to be a figure of authority who can be trusted."
Lisa said, "Your people sense something more than that from you."
The egg donor looked slightly annoyed and said, "It is known that I gave birth to a child who I abandoned at birth. Instead, I came back to Mistral to lead my tribe and enable it to fulfil its destiny. I think that I did the right thing for Remnant, but the knowledge that I made that choice has strengthened my determination to do the best for my subjects. A woman who was far more suited to be a mother in the sense of singing a child to sleep, nursing it through illness, playing games and ensuring that it is fed happily undertook that role in my stead. That allowed me to believe that I had done the best for the girl I gave birth to. It is for her to say whether I was right or wrong."
She looked as though she was going to say more but then did not. Yang did not want to listen to any more of this tonight. She had enough to think about, but she could not avoid thinking that everyone in her life thought it was their duty to abandon her. She was a brave little soldier and tried to cope, but no one had ever made her feel special (apart from mom).
She wanted to believe that mom had been the one who had struggled before deciding it was her duty to abandon Yang. She was far too upset to think rationally about things, she needed to drink and dance. Frack, that clip from the Vytal festival ball confirmed that she got her dancing style from the egg donor rather than dad
She felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned round and saw Yatsuhashi and Velvet. Yatsuhashi said, "Yang, go down to mantle with Blake and the others. We will look after Ruby."
"Are you certain?"
Velvet replied, "Of course, neither of us can keep up partying for four nights on the trot. Fox, Coco yes, not us two. Besides which I have a commission which is right up Ruby's alley. It will wake her up for long enough to ensure she does not drop off during the ball tomorrow."
Yatsuhashi added, "Fox tells me that Russel has accepted an invite to go to the club in Mantle."
Yang smiled, "Well, works for me. Thanks guys."
Thinking about it, Russel was the person she was most at ease with (other than Rubes). He would dance, have fun with her and not push things. She could tell him to not discuss what she had just heard. She decided not to pursue that thought any further.
She went up to Blake and Sun and said, "Is it time to dance the light fantastic and meet Blake's old friend again?"
Blake hugged her and said, "Let's go. I would like you to meet my best friend from my days with the White Fang. She was sort of my elder sister and the only one who told me when I was being stupid."
Yang cheered up for reasons which again she decided not to analyse for the time being.
Weiss then appeared, "Yang, me, mother, Brede, and Neptune may join you later. Me and Brede just have to run it past security. Last time I went to Mantle someone tried to kidnap me and Klein and mother had to kill ten people and unlock my aura to defend me."
Yang looked at her teammate, "You make it sound as though this is normal."
"It is why I can be…. difficult sometimes. A wrong call can end up with dead bodies rather mere embarrassment."
Yang smiled. "I assume that there is some political advantage about being seen in Mantle."
"I understand that the Happy Huntresses are going to the club tonight. They hate father and Brede's father, but may be prepared to meet me, Coco, and Brede in the company of Blake, you, and Fox."
"Who the frack are the happy huntresses?"
"One ex-Atlas aristocrat, one ex-member of the Atlas Elite, a Faunus from Mantle, and a Mantle dissident. They all think that the system her is biased against Mantle."
"Is it?"
"Of course, it is. In the next ten years some accommodations will need to be made or we will have to purge Mantle. I prefer the first option as does Brede."
"Are you two going to become a political power couple?"
"Probably not. Allies almost certainly. Our first term at Beacon has shown us that there is the possibility of squaring the circle."
"You are saying that you and Brede are a possible couple."
"From an Atlas internal politics side yes. Nouveau riche and aristocrats merging. Dumping the die-hard human supremacist aristocrats and supporting moves to increase the numbers who can move up to Atlas from Mantle and ensuring that they roughly reflect the Faunus/human split. It makes political sense. The rifle range being closed and redeveloped could allow 50,000 more to move here."
"Brede's a good chap but I don't see the spark."
"That almost helps. I have the heir and the spare in the first three years and then he can spend time with Anne, and I can pursue my own watery interests. We like each other enough so that we can put up a front in public and are discrete enough not to flaunt our indiscretions."
"That sounds a bit cold."
"By Atlas standards we would be a love match."
Yang must have looked appalled as Weiss laughed, "It probably won't happen because the two of us are who we are. We do have to face up to the fact that an alliance between the Campions and the Schnees would potentially be good for both Atlas and Mantle. We may have a higher duty to the kingdom."
Yang listened with both incredulity and interest. Was Weiss like the egg donor and saying a nebulous perception of the greater good was more important than being true to yourself?
She then reversed back, "You mean Anne and Brede are in love?"
"I don't know about her, but I saw his face when he saw her covered in blood."
"You did?"
"Don't make your usual jokes but when you have five professionals preventing you from getting near the action, the only choice you have is to watch carefully."
"Leslie and Lydia?"
"Nodded at each other, gave a thumbs up to tell each other that they were still alive, and she then told him to check the cloakroom for the weapons and look after the wounded and dying. Do not understand either of them, but Team Lilac would be my second choice for being beside me in a fair fight and my first choice if we were fighting at a significant disadvantage."
"I think I know what you mean."
She looked over at Ruby and saw her alert and drawing diagrams with Velvet as Zwei was stroked by Yatsuhashi. She sent a scroll message to dad that she was going down to Mantle with friends and that Velvet and Yatsuhashi were with Ruby. She glanced up and saw the old lady from earlier was joining the three of them.
Yes, it was fine leaving Ruby and it was time to forget her troubles.
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Short chapter but seemed a sensible cut off point before dealing with team JNPR and Arc family reactions to the events in Mantle. Idea is that Team Rwby/ JNPR and local Atlas/Mantle political events are dealt with in this story and Remnant wide events in The Branwen Republic.