"Come on! This way!" Sun cried enthusiastically as he bolted between another pair of faunus having a conversation in the middle of the marketplace. "Ghira Belladonna's about to speak, in front of the Belladonna manor! It sounds really important!"
The two faunus looked at each other and nodded, before beginning to walk at a brisk pace behind Sun. Sun himself slipped through the crowd, flattening himself and holding up his hands as he squeezed around a large man carrying a bundle of lumber.
"Hey, man! Ghira's speaking, in a few minutes! Come on down to the center of town! Big changes in Kuo Kuana!"
"Big changes? Wh-"
"Dunno! I wouldn't miss it, though! This is our home, and we deserve to know!" Sun countered as he picked back up into a jog. A throng of people followed along at a hastened clip as Sun raised his scroll to the side of his face. "Hey, how's the other side of the market?"
"Pretty good, I guess?" Blake's voice replied over the line. "Looks like I've got pretty much everyone who cares on the way over to the house. How about you?"
"Good. Really good," Sun said as he toned his pace down into a walk. He looked over his shoulder to see what was more or less a sea of people walking behind him, and then turned to once again focus on the path ahead. "I'm more annoying and insistent than you, though, so I think I scored a bigger crowd."
"Yes. Yes, you are. I'm walking up the steps now. Meet you here in a few?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Sun replied as he pocketed the scroll. The noise of the crowd behind him swelled to a deafening roar, and Sun tried to pick out a few choice words as he made his way onto the road leading to the manor. He came away with nothing comprehensible, and chuckled to himself as he reached the steps leading up to the landing in front of the mansion.
A podium had been set up on the flattened ground atop the steps, with the Belladonna emblem carved into the front and a microphone affixed atop it. Ghira stood a good distance behind the wooden structure, with reading glasses on and a large stack of papers cradled beneath one arm. He smirked slightly as Sun approached and offered a nod, which Sun returned.
"…it seems you did well, gathering the people."
"And it looks like you're good to go. Nervous?" Sun asked as he extended a fist. Ghira rolled his eyes, before accepting the bump with a weary sigh.
"…before something like this? Always. Blake agreed to speak, as well. How do you do it…?"
"Trade secret," Sun replied with a wink. "Usually involves some kisses and a lot of truths she doesn't want to hear."
Ghira shook his head. "Say no more. Please."
Sun chuckled and raised a dismissive hand as he walked past Ghira, and into the waiting arms of Kali, who wrapped him in a tight hug. "You got it, Ghira. Hey, Kali."
"Hey. Thank you, Sun. For everything," Kali said as she tightened her squeeze.
"Don't thank me just yet. Let's get through this and gauge reactions, before we celebrate."
"And celebrate we will, once it's over. This is a rather big day, for Kuo Kuana," Kali said with a bit of concern.
"Yeah. And you guys, too," Sun agreed as he slipped out of the hug, and eyed up Blake. She leaned against the wall of the house beneath the overhang, with arms crossed and eyes downcast to the ground. Kali merely nodded and walked to take her place at the top of the steps, as Sun approached Blake.
"…I'm not even going to ask, because I already know. Kiss me," Sun instructed as he closed the distance. Blake pushed off the wall with her back and uncrossed her arms, only to wrap them tightly around him as she leaned up into a passionate kiss. The lip lock broke after a long moment, and Blake rested her head against the center of Sun's chest.
"Thanks for not asking. This sucks, and I hate it… but it's for the greater good."
"Pretty good summary of being a huntsman, isn't it?" Sun asked as he lightly brushed the back of his hand along Blake's cheek.
"Yes. Yes, I suppose it is," she agreed with a muted smile. "Nothing left to do but watch and listen, so… let's go and get this done."
"Yeah," Sun agreed as he waved for Blake to follow. "Just act natural."
The pair took their places at the top of the steps, next to Kali, and both sucked in a deep breath as they shifted their attention to Ghira.
With one final nod to his family behind him, Ghira began to make the slow approach to the podium. What seemed like all of Kuo Kuana had gathered in the town square, and the facial expressions and body language of the people were as varied as their faunus traits. Some stood with arms folded, looks of annoyance plain on their faces. Others wrung their hands, worried for the future. Still more looked optimistic, or simply happy to see Ghira outside of the mansion once again, and a few stood with their backs turned to their leader.
Ghira took them all into account as he straightened his papers upon the wood of the podium, before closing his eyes and taking one final, deep breath. As he looked out over the crowd once again and adjusted the attached microphone to better suit his massive stature, he started to speak in a slow, comforting tone.
"Kuo Kuana… brothers, sisters, family friends, and even those who hold a grudge against me," he began, "I am delighted to see you all here. Though our conditions upon this island are far less than ideal, we have all worked together to make it more than a substandard gift, begrudgingly handed to our people by humans who see us as lesser. With the combined efforts of all of our hands and hearts, banded together, we have made this island our home. Every home is personalized, and no home is complete without a family within it. Today, I speak to you not as Ghira Belladonna, but as a faunus- a faunus who sees you all as part of his family."
Sun folded his arms and smirked. He glanced sideways at Blake, who had her arms rigidly down at her sides as she hung on her father's every word, and felt his mouth pull downward into a frown. Sun considered trying to cheer her up, but decided against it as he brought his attention back to Ghira.
"I say this not because it is meant to come as a surprise, but because I want you all to rest assured that I have your best interests at heart, as I bring to you unfortunate news. I want you to view me not only as your leader, but as a concerned citizen. You and I have all watched this place grow and flourish into something far more than it once was. Many of you have raised smaller families of your own, here, and wish, as I do, to see Kuo Kuana march forward as one into a brighter future. It is for this reason that I come before you today, to say that I see signs that our town, our family, is beginning to stray from the path," Ghira warned as he brought a slight edge to his voice.
The townsfolk began to murmur amongst themselves at the statement- some quietly, and others loudly enough to be disruptive. Ghira allowed the intermission for a few moments, before he raised a hand for silence. Most of the crowd acquiesced, though a few individuals continued to grumble and glare as Ghira began to speak once again.
"Know that all I say now is not something I bring up lightly, and that I speak from experience. Remember that Kuo Kuana was established when I left my position as leader of the White Fang, and elected instead to serve as a figure of authority here. This village was built with a vision to show the rest of the world what we, as faunus, can accomplish together in a peaceful way, rather than by way of the sword. There are some here who have begun to lose sight of that vision, and I hope that I can restore it to you now. While it is true that the White Fang has assisted me, and really, all of us in keeping Kuo Kuana safe, brought us trade with outsiders, and handled much of the construction within the village, there have been signs of ill intent over the last week that I can no longer ignore."
A faunus with thick, brown scales upon his face stepped forward from the crowd and pointed angrily at Ghira as he yelled, his finger unsteady as it trembled in rage. "You owe the Fang everything! How dare you accuse us of ruining Kuo Kuana!?"
Ghira drew in another deep breath as he watched the spectacle, and kept his jaw clenched shut. He looked away from the fuming individual as others spoke their assent or began to protest, and he began to speak again in a louder voice to drown them all out. Most of the crowd returned to silence, while a few continued to argue amongst themselves.
"Recently, there have been attacks within the village. Surely, you have heard rumors by now, but I wish instead to present you all with the facts. Remember that I have invited many of you into my own home to hear your grievances, and I have never turned away those who ask me why it is that I do what I do in running this village."
A few calls of affirmation rang out from within the crowd, and Ghira allowed himself a small smirk as he built up momentum once again.
"For those reasons, I will now tell you everything I know. A few nights ago, my own daughter, and her… companion… were attacked by the White Fang, outside of a local business. The assault was unprovoked, and resulted in minor injuries to them both, as well as property damage to unrelated parties. The damage, I have paid for myself, while the damage to their feelings of safety and wellbeing cannot be so easily repaired. Shortly afterward, an altercation broke out between my wife, Kali, and a citizen who belongs to the White Fang. Neither party should have been brought to harm, and again, someone's home was damaged. This sort of behavior is beginning to spread throughout Kuo Kuana, and it would be incredibly easy to stoke the flames and ignite a conflict between the White Fang and those who are not a part of that organization, from which we as a village would never return. The behavior of Adam Taurus, who was once a personal friend, and who now sits near the top of the White Fang, is only serving to exacerbate tensions among our people. I have reason to believe that many of his followers reside here, among us… and may soon threaten our family at large. It is becoming increasingly clear as more and more people come forward to explain to me what motivates these attacks that his followers are causing the majority of our recent problems."
The buzz from the crowd grew to levels far beyond whispers and musings, and Ghira paused to let the moment pass. Sun again cast his eyes to Blake and found her breathing deeply, her hand jittering as she tried to calm herself. While the crowd was distracted, he sidled over to her and took her hand in his own.
"Hey," he began as he rubbed at Blake's knuckles. She looked over at him with eyes full of worry, and Sun moved to scoop her into a hug, uncaring of who was watching. "You don't have to do this. If it's too much, I can tell them about Beacon. I was there, too. I can j-"
"No, Sun," Blake interrupted in a shaky voice. "I'll do it. It… it has to be me. Just… come up to the podium with me?"
"I'll follow you anywhere. You know that," Sun reassured as Ghira once again raised his hand, though no silence was awarded.
"Citizens of Kuo Kuana- I know that the rhetoric of Adam Taurus is appealing to many, and in truth… there was a time where I, too, believed it. However, look at what his followers have done to our beautiful island in a few short days, and behold what merely invoking his name has done to this crowd. Brothers and sisters at each other's throats over the mere suggestion to return to peace, from all sides, and the humans are not involved. We are doing this to ourselves, and it is best if we catch this unfortunate turn, now, and redirect our people to return to form. I am not proclaiming that Adam Taurus and his followers are no longer 'allowed' within Kuo Kuana, but I am suggesting that some of his more extreme ideals need a thorough reexamination. At this time, before I conclude today's address and offer a plan to reach peace among us once again, I would like to invite my daughter Blake to share her personal experience from the fall of Beacon Academy… an unprovoked attack in which Adam Taurus participated."
Blake licked her lips and took a few calming breaths as she squeezed Sun's hand. He put a hand on her shoulder in response and offered a silent nod. With a nod of her own, Blake began to walk up to the podium with Sun at her side, as Ghira stepped away from the podium and stood silently to the left. Blake looked out over the crowd of concerned, confused, angry, and worried faces, and adjusted the microphone lower before clearing her throat and closing her eyes. Her ears wilted involuntarily as she began to speak in a quiet voice, and the noise of the crowd slowly died out as they focused on trying to hear her.
"…Beacon Academy… was my home," Blake stated simply as she reopened her eyes, and found tears already threatening to fall. For several moments, she kept her eyes locked on the wood of the podium, and merely focused on breathing as Sun rubbed her shoulder.
"I never expected it to become that. I never wanted to join a huntsman's academy, before I had a sudden whim to help people after what I saw within the White Fang. I never imagined that I would even… become close friends with anyone, let alone three other girls, all humans, who accepted me as their sister. But… it happened. Over the course of not even a year, I grew to see those walls as something… more than a building. Something like our village. Something like a home, and the others there, faunus and human, like a f-"
"Criminals!"
A sharp, piercing voice rang out from within the crowd, causing all color to drain from Blake's face as she found that her words had completely disappeared from her throat.
"Liars! Worthless degenerates! Less than! Primal, inferior beings!" the voice continued as Blake stepped back from the podium. Sun stepped forward and put a hand behind himself to shield Blake as he scanned the crowd, and watched as the people began to clear out while gasping in horror as a figure made their way toward the steps.
"That is all we are to them, and that is all we'll ever be, under the leadership of the Belladonnas!" the figure continued as he emerged from the crowd. The people of Kuo Kuana formed into a wide semicircle, leaving plenty of space around Adam Taurus as he walked forward and stopped at the bottom of the steps leading to the podium.
"I will not see our people tread upon any longer… and neither will any of you, if you forsake this gallery of cowards and follow me."
Author's Note:
If you think this story has had some tense moments before, just wait until the next chapter.
Next update on Monday, the 15th.
-RD