Meanwhile in Mistral...
Sienna Kahn was seated on her throne, reviewing reports she had received a few months ago, while also examining the latest updates from her trusted sources. So far, the protests had been unsuccessful, resulting in the loss of many innocent Faunus lives, despite the news media falsely claiming that no lives had been lost. This was a significant lie.
"Of course, those people would act like nothing went wrong! It just serves their interests to claim there are no wrongdoings in a peaceful protest," Sienna scoffed, rolling her eyes in frustration, as she was looking at the death count of fanunus over the months up until now.
Sienna clenched her hand around the report until the paper crumpled. The White Fang had always been her people's shield, but lately it felt like every step forward was met with three steps back. The humans of Mistral's council spoke honeyed words of "unity" while letting their guards bleed Faunus dry around the world.
"They hide their lies behind speeches and silk curtains," she muttered, rising from her throne. Her eyes held irritation as she paced across the chamber. "Every time one of our kind dies, they bury the body beneath false promises. And the rest of Remnant eats up the story like obedient cattle."
She had fought too hard, bled too much, tried seeing Ghira's vision of peace, but it was doing nothing to help, and she had to claw her way to the top of the White Fang for this. And yet, here she sat, ruling from a gilded seat while the world outside burned in her own people's blood.
Her amber eyes burned as she tore the paper in half and let the scraps scatter across the floor like ash.
"Ghira… you dreamed of a better world," she whispered bitterly, her voice cracking for only a second before hardening again. "But dreams don't stop bullets. Dreams don't silence chains. Dreams don't keep my people alive."
The crumpled and ripped report reminded her of ash. Just like that night… the night her village burned.
Sienna remembered her friends, family, and the people in the village where she was born and raised, a place that was ultimately destroyed by humans who hated Faunus. She had only survived because some of those humans sought to sell her for profit, but she was rescued by Ghira and others from the White Fang when he was their high leader.
Her memories stung sharper than any blade that went through her heart. The smell of burning wood and fur, the sound of laughter from men and women who saw her people as nothing but beasts, the weight of those shackles biting and damaging her wrists.
That village was gone. Her family was gone. The only reason she lived was because she had been deemed "valuable." Not as a child. Not as a daughter. As a source of income.
If Ghira and the White Fang hadn't come when they did… she would've been sold off to some noble as an exotic pet to please them.
That day shaped her.
And when Ghira had spoken of peace, of a dream where humans and Faunus walked together, Sienna had wanted to believe him. She really did. But the more she watched, the more she saw the cost of his dream written in blood. Faunus blood.
At first, she tried to understand his vision; she saw it as something that could be attained if patience was exercised. However, as she grew up, she realized that the people around her would die.
The question was how she got to this position in the first place.
Well, it all started when Ghira saved her.
It was Ghira Belladonna who found her first. She remembered the night vividly, the sound of her own sobs echoing in the ruins of her village and the acrid smell of smoke and burning wood and bodies still clinging to the air. He had appeared quietly with other members of the White Fang after knocking down the humans; they were like figures in the shadows who held both authority and warmth. Ghira extended his hand, not just to save her life but to promise something far greater for her: a sense of purpose.
At first, Sienna had resisted. A child who has seen things they shouldn't have, who can they trust when seeing their family members and friends being slaughtered like beasts? She had lashed out, spat, and tried to flee, convinced that anyone who offered help wanted only to exploit her as the humans had. But Ghira had not faltered.
Ghira didn't scold her. He didn't demand obedience. He simply knelt down in the ash and rubble all around her, letting her body tremble against the weight of grief and fear. His voice was calm, steady, and almost like a father figure.
"You're not alone," he said, voice carrying over the crackle of dying fires. "We will help you. We will make sure you survive, and one day, we will make sure no one else suffers as you have."
Sienna didn't look at him at first; instead, she focused on the floor, staring at her feet. The ground was covered in ash, and as she noticed drops of water falling, she thought it was starting to rain. However, the water was actually her own tears.
In that moment, she hugged Ghira tightly, sobbing. How could anyone promise safety when the world had already taken everything from her? Yet, Ghira's patience was undeniable. The other White Fang members, cloaked and hiding their faces beneath their white hoods, formed a protective circle around her and their high leader. Their eyes scanned the surrounding destroyed village remains, ready to strike at any remaining human who dared to approach.
Sienna recalled the long nights following her first rescue when the White Fang had taken her to Menagerie. They moved her to a safe location where she could recover alongside the other Faunus children who had also been saved from other places.
Ghira never pushed them too fast. The children were encouraged to reclaim their voices at their own pace. Sienna remembered the first time she had spoken in full sentences to another Faunus girl, a fox faunus named Liora, whose ears twitched nervously whenever anyone came near her. They had been caught hiding scraps of food in the corner of the kitchen, scared that someone would take it away. Ghira had knelt beside them; he didn't seem angry as he just smiled and patted Liora and Sienna's heads.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you, no one is anymore," he said softly, "After all, the White Fang is all about protecting people who can't protect themselves."
For the first time in her life, Sienna felt the fragile spark of hope. It was a dangerous thing, hope, but Ghira treated it like it could be cultivated into something amazing. He taught them discipline, yes, but also empathy. Every lesson, every small act of care, carried the unspoken message: you are not alone, even when the world tries to convince you otherwise.
She remembered the early training sessions, which were brutal but fair. Ghira insisted on preparation, not just for battle, but for survival, which included the mind, body, and spirit. The White Fang at that time weren't all hardened faunus; many had been victims themselves, carrying scars they wore for a better tomorrow. Sienna had observed them quietly at first, careful not to step wrong, learning from their examples. Each movement, each tactical exercise, was a small rebellion against the helplessness she had known as a child.
Yet, even with guidance, the memories of her family's death haunted her. She would wake in the middle of the night, screaming, her small body shaking in a borrowed bed. But Liora would hug her tightly and sing her a lullaby, which always calmed her and the other children down when they had horrible nightmares.
But as the years passed, the lullabies that she loved faded, and the world reminded her of what it thought of the Faunus.
The older she grew, the more she understood that Ghira's vision of peace was noble, yes, but fragile. The moment humans felt their grip threatened, they lashed out. For every peaceful protest, more Faunus ended up with their bodies in the dirt.
Sienna had seen it firsthand.
The first time she marched beside Ghira, she was barely a teenager, and she had to tighten her fists to not lash out in anger. The humans on the opposite side spat words at them, which were animals, filth, thieves. When rocks flew, she had nearly attacked, but Ghira's firm hand on her shoulder had held her back.
"Not this way," he had whispered. "Not now."
And so she endured. She endured for him because she believed. Because she wanted to believe.
But then came the massacre one night in one of the villages near the Kingdom of Vale. A village where Faunus farmers had signed a petition asking for equal wages. They were slaughtered in the night by masked men. When Sienna and the White Fang arrived, the night sky was filled with smoke, while the houses were on fire and the area was drenched in red, as many faunus were running away in horror, while others were on fire, burning alive and screaming. Ghira and the rest of them entered the village to help the other escape the fire.
And Sienna? She watched in horror as she saw the flames, as in her mind she was reliving the trauma of her own village
"W-What is this..." She asked herself as she watched many faunus being burned alive.
That was the night the hope Ghira had planted inside her began to burn. Not extinguished...But burned into a new fire, which was born in her eyes.
The fire painted her vision that night. Smoke stung her lungs. The air was thick with screams.
Sienna stood frozen at the edge of the village, her hands trembling, her amber eyes wide as she saw the bodies, Faunus bodies, burned beyond recognition. Children who looked like her. Parents who reminded her of the ones she had lost. Neighbors who had asked for nothing more than the dignity of fair wages.
And they burned for it.
Ghira roared commands, his massive figure illuminated by the inferno flames as he charged into the village. White Fang members rushed to pull survivors from the collapsing homes. Their voices were full of desperation, fear, and urgency.
But all Sienna could hear were the laughs. The distant echoes of human raiders faded into the darkness, satisfied with the carnage they left behind.
"Not this way, Peace can't be achieved with violence," Ghira had told her years ago. His words rang hollow in her ears. She dug her fingers into her palms until blood dripped down her knuckles.
Not now?
If not now, then when?
Her knees buckled, and for the first time since that ruined night when Ghira had found her in the ashes of her village, Sienna screamed, not in grief, but in rage. The sound tore out of her chest raw and broken, carried by the wind until it was drowned by the crackling of flames.
When the morning sun rose, when the fires were put out, only red embers were left, and the survivors were bandaged in temporary White Fang camps they set up near the burned village. Sienna sat apart from the others. Ghira knelt beside her, his great hand resting on her shoulder.
"We did what we could," he said quietly. His deep voice was steady, reassuring, but his eyes betrayed a grief he tried to hide.
Sienna shook her head. Her hands were still stained red by her own doing. "No… it wasn't enough."
Ghira sighed. "The world doesn't change overnight. It takes patience. Resolve. If we give in to anger—"
"Anger is all we have left!" she snapped, startling him. Her voice cracked, but her fury didn't falter. "Every day we wait, more of us die! Patience won't bring back the faunus who burned tonight?!"
The camp went quiet at her outburst. Dozens of Faunus looked toward her, their faces tired, bruised, and hungry. And in their eyes, Sienna saw something stir. Something she had seen in herself.
Not hope. Not patience.
Fire...a Fire was being lit inside of her that was done with being contained.
"Sienna..." A voice softly called to her, and she knew that voice.
Sienna looked up to see Liora, who appeared just as sad as she was. Liora bit her lip and shook her head before getting up and walking away from the group to cool off. Meanwhile, Ghira glanced at Liora, then shifted his gaze to the spot where Sienna had just been sitting.
Liora decided to follow Sienna in the direction she was going.
The forest near the camp was dense, making it difficult to get lost, but the village was clearly visible with smoke rising into the sky. Sienna walked alone, her hands trembling at her sides, her footsteps imprinted on the ground as she struggled to bear the weight of her thoughts. Her ears twitched at every echo of the dying flames, every cough of the wounded.
But her mind wasn't here. It was back in that village that was burning.
She leaned against a tree, her chest heaving, her amber eyes staring at the burned village.
How many times?
How many times would she have to watch her people beg for peace, only to be silenced by ash and blood?
"...Sienna."
Her body tensed at the sound of Liora's voice. She didn't turn right away. For a moment, she couldn't.
Liora stepped into the clearing, her fox ears drooping, her hands shaking nervously it still happened even when she was a child. She looked smaller than usual, her usual fire smothered by grief. But she still came to her. Always.
"You scared everyone back there," Liora whispered.
"Good," Sienna spat, finally turning toward her. Her voice was sharp, but her eyes were wet. "They should be scared. Scared enough to realize peace is a lie."
Liora flinched, but she didn't retreat. Instead, she moved closer, her gaze locking with Sienna's. "You don't mean that."
"I do." Sienna's hand punched the tree next to her, sending splinters to the ground as her hand healed due to her aura. "Ghira talks about patience, but patience didn't save my parents. It didn't save yours. It didn't stop the fire from taking those people's homes and lives!"
Her chest heaved as she pointed toward the camp behind them, where the faint sound of coughing survivors echoed through the forest. "What's left of them is ash, Liora. Despair and abuse. And we're supposed to wait?! How many more do we lose before Ghira's dream wakes up?"
Liora's lips trembled. She wanted to argue, wanted to defend Ghira as she always had… but the words wouldn't come. She had seen the fire too. Heard the screams.
Instead, she stepped closer until she was right in front of Sienna. Her voice was soft, almost a plea. "If you go down this path… you'll never come back."
Sienna stared at her, and for a moment, the fire in her eyes faltered. In Liora's trembling form, she saw the girl who once clutched scraps of food in a corner, terrified of losing them. The girl who sang her lullabies when the nightmares came. The only person who understood what it was to lose everything and still keep moving forward.
"I... I'm sorry for lashing out at you, Liora." Sienna finally responded as she lay down on the floor and leaned her back against a tree.
Liora sighed in relief as she lay down next to Sienna and looked at the sky that was turning blue instead of black.
"It's true that people make mistakes, and commit evil, but only because they're forced to by their circumstances...I never want to hate anyone...But it's so hard not to," Sienna spoke as she didn't like hating humans; she met some who were nice people, but the ones who cause pain...
Liora's ears twitched as she listened, her green eyes shimmering faintly near the morning sun. She wanted to believe that; she wanted to believe hatred wasn't the only path left for them. But she could see it in Sienna's face, the strain of too many losses pressing down on her shoulders.
"You don't hate them now," Liora said quietly, folding her arms around her knees, "but one day… if it keeps happening, if every breath you take is stolen from you, hate might be the only thing left to keep you standing."
Sienna glanced at her, her claws flexing against the dirt. The words dug into her deeper than she wanted to admit. Hate. She wanted to reject it; she wanted to keep holding onto the fragile kindness Ghira had offered her years ago.
"Do you want me to watch over you to make sure of that?" Liora asked, not wanting to see one of her friends turn to a bad path.
"Please do." Sienna asked, agreeing with Liora.
Liora's lips curved into the faintest of smiles, tired but genuine. She leaned her head against Sienna's shoulder, the two of them sitting in silence as the forest stirred with the sounds of dawn.
"But you have to think about what you'll do after I'm gone too." Liora said with a sad smile.
"Don't joke about something like that!" Sienna yelled out, not liking how Liora said something so ominous.
"It'll happen someday. The faunus aren't treated well at all, which is why I want us to make the most of it if something bad happens. Right? " Liora asked after experiencing what she had seen happen to faunus in other kingdoms in this land.
"Yeah, everyone deserves to be loved, the faunus included. So if someone is standing in the way of that, we have to rise up." Sienna replied, not wanting anyone to stand in the way of their rights.
"So you want to take a stand against the entire four kingdoms itself." Liora asked.
"If we manage to carve out a home for the faunus, then the people of Remnant might rethink what they've done to our kind," Sienna explained. Wasn't this the entire reason why the White Fang existed?
"We both know this world isn't as kind as you think." Liora said.
"Huh?"
"Hard work often goes unrewarded. Remember that." Liora told her.
"Everything we've done has to bear fruit. I know it has to," Sienna said, looking at Liora. "If it doesn't, then all of this was for nothing. Everyone who lives on these lands deserves a better future. Just watch, Liora," she added, smiling at her friend.
For a fleeting moment, it felt like when they were children again, two frightened girls clutching scraps of food in a corner back at that hideout, promising each other they would survive no matter what.
Liora leaned against her shoulder, and for a heartbeat, Sienna let herself breathe. The forest smelled of smoke and wood, the air still thick with grief, but for this moment, she wasn't alone.
"Just watch." Sienna whispered, her amber eyes blazing faintly with the reflection of the morning dawn. "We'll carve out a home for our people. No one will take it from us again."
Liora closed her eyes, listening to her friend's promise. But the silence that followed wasn't comforting. It was heavy, filled with everything neither of them dared to say aloud.
Somewhere beyond the trees, a horn blew. White Fang scouts calling for Sienna and Liora, their voices urgent. Survivors had been moved. Orders were being given. The fight for their people would not wait.
Sienna rose and extended her hand toward Liora. "Come on. Let's head back; our people are waiting for us."
Liora hesitated. Her hand hovered just short of Sienna's. Her fox ears twitched at the sound of the horn blowing.
And in that hesitation, something unspoken passed between them. Sienna didn't see it. But Liora felt it in her heart. A creeping certainty that the path her friend had chosen would not be one they would walk together forever.
She clasped Sienna's hand anyway.
For now.
The morning sun broke through the treeline; that day had arrived across the sky.
And in that light, Sienna Kahn's eyes burned brighter than the flames that had once devoured her home.