Chapter 16- MEGA front crash, long truths and a turn for the worst.
Like the Election, there's some elements of RWBY's Volume 7 in this arc but only a few things. This includes the Winter Maiden. The Song 'Divide' is will be referenced a few times near the end along with: Salem and Ozpin's backstory is from the episodes 'Uncovered' and 'The lost Fable' from RWBY Volume 7.
There is also a scene from chapter 8 of my KH4 story in this chapter.
Tyrian's Tail's post was an inspiration for Salem's entrance Point of reference regarding Salem's entrance: / c/rwby/ page /blog/dream/ qkkB_LQYuRuw6qo6ZPwj7LRvnzaXloJrG7b
Person who made dream post was Tyrian's Tail: / c/rwby/page/user/ tyrians-tail / BQQe_7Dxtbf5pgq3ZEbqQnkQ1qWLw7GJnz4
For part of Salem's plan: (point of reference regarding Salem's plan: /c/rwby/page/blog/ what-will-salem-use-the-relics-for/ 7eeX_pE6hPu8VP4Zn7r8xjGeY3R3va3L5Wq called How will Salem use the relics to win? Created by Schatten
A reference for Yang's reasoning behind allowing Oscar to be taken: /c/rwby/page/ blog/ a-smaller-more-honest-soul-sacrifice/vdd5_oQDCnuwk5mPlJ6MV4wYEZQ744d1gX6 and a valuable reference to the start and end of the Disney Knights' 'time loop' mission from Yang's view of it.
Ironwood appeared on the news to make an announcement.
"I know there have been rumours going around about a 'project' so I'm going to clear that up for you all. We've been working on something, yes but it's to help out Mantle. Come on out!" he called.
Behind the scenes Watts smiled, as a curtain was unveiled.
The girl had longer orange hair that was more rounded at the tips this time, her eyes were now a red ribbon around her neck with her emblem that matched her swords with a purple centrepiece shaped in the guise of the bow, albeit significantly more angular, with a power button at its knot on the collar.
She wore a purple, red, black and yellow themed Victorian-era dress with the abdominal region black with four golden buttons; the upper blouse was red, but the vertical lining extended from the yellow collar, black fleece gloves with circular golden accents at the knuckles and purple footwear jet-powered boots, with the yellow lines on her stockings illuminating exclusively when she uses them.
"Penny?" Ruby asked, tearfully.
"She's not meant to have red eyes!" her father Pietro cried in shock.
Penny 2.0 looked at Ruby with her eyes looking 'cold' and…almost static.
"That's the protector of Mantle?" The crowd muttered among themselves.
Penny 2.0 flew into the air and started firing lasers alongside her floating swords.
People began to scream and run away in all direction as Ruby watched in horror as her former friend began to wretch Mantle.
She dropped to her knees in despair.
Penny's past words rang in her ears: 'They're not sure if I'm ready yet... One day, it will be my job to save the world, but I still have a lot left to learn'.
Someone had changed everything about her, even her own father could feel it in his aura.
-At the same time-
Jacques was walking towards his study when he was confronted by Nuri, Nova and Raven Ebony.
"Thanks for the support, Mr Schnee but your role is over" Nuri stated, coldly.
From behind came a scorpion stinger and he gave a loud scream.
Watts sent a message to Sneachta: 'You are needed back in Vacuo. Bring Ozpin's cane. Salem will appear soon enough'.
"Akira, you guys keep up the good work and good luck with the attack on Atlas" Sneachta stated as he took the Merlot Industries ship back to Vacuo.
-Around 24 hours later-
News of the Schnee Dust Company owner's death spread, and everyone was shocked; even those who hated him.
Willow, Weiss, Winter and Whitley's mother was finally free of him but the trauma of being in a unhappy marriage for so long put a toll on her mind.
Klein did his best to comfort her regardless and yet…Whitley kept his composure the whole time, given he was now owner (because of the Heir status).
Weiss was somewhat pissed.
"Someone is pulling the strings here…why would he just die suddenly like that and the Penny reveal…something feels off" Weiss remarked.
Then the news mentioned how Whitley was in partnership with the Black Talons and Robyn Hill.
On the screen Whitley stood beside Akira, Marrow Amin, Robyn Hill, Fiona Thyme and May Marigold of the Happy Huntresses.
May is a fair-skinned woman with medium blue hair, a long ponytail, and yellow eyes. She wears a tan jacket over a grey shirt and brown pants. She also wears an orange scarf and a brooch with the Happy Huntresses' emblem on the right of her coat. May wears brown gloves and silver gauntlets over her arms.
Marrow is a young man with long greenish-black hair and blue eyes. He is a Faunus, with a canine tail as his trait.
Marrow wears an Atlesian Specialist uniform that consists of a white coat with red and blue accents, as well as an ascot around his neck.
Fiona is a young woman with short white hair. She has sheep ears as her Faunus trait, and olive eyes with earrings on her ears.
Fiona wears a green and black coat over a white and olive shirt, keeping a pin with the Happy Huntresses' emblem on the left side of her chest. She wears a red belt, as well as black pants and grey boots.
"Although I am sadden by my father's sudden death, I was close to him more than my sisters, I do hope to do my best to bring a brighter future to everyone working at the company with help from the Black Talons and Happy Huntresses" Whitley announced.
"I hope with our help, Mantle will be as secure and well-off as Atlas at long last" Robyn added.
In Atlas….(Specifically the school)
Akira arrived with an ultimatum with Neo by his side.
"If you don't come to the dragon island alone to face Salem, we will kill you in your sleep. You have 3 days to fulfil this offer" Akira stated.
Ruby looked to her friends for help.
"Go on. I know you'll be strong enough to face her" Jaune stated.
"I'll see you guys soon." Ruby said, tearfully.
"Tell Uncle Qrow, Yang and Dad that I love them and that if I don't make it, tell them I'm sorry" She added.
Then Akira and Neo made sure she confirmed her choice before they led her to the path that connects to the place where Salem was.
"Just so you know: Salem killed your Mother" Akira whispered in Ruby's ear before she was teleported to Salem's domain.
-Back in Atlas-
Henry sent in Black Talon spies alongside the Happy Huntresses (given that they hate Atlas and Henry had to convince her cousin May to convince the whole group) to take out some of the military.
With Mantle now in chaos, Penny 2.0 had the chance to go to Atlas and fight Ironwood.
With him and the military distracted, Nova with Gry's help located the winter Maiden Fria as Nuri and a bunch of Black Talon members helped to take down the Atlas CCT tower.
Gry led the way to the vault and Fria retrieved the staff.
The staff had a pointed end like a spear with a white and gold colour scheme.
Atlas began to fall from the sky.
Nova, Nuri, Watts and Tyrian took a ship to watch the 'Fall of Atlas' from a safe distance with Fria in their possession.
Although the backup gravity dust reserves kicked in, people started to evacuate just in case.
After Penny 2.0 managed to injure Ironwood, she headed off to meet with Junior.
"Would your group of thugs or criminal underground of Vale be willing to work with the Black Talons?" Penny 2.0 asked in a not so cheerful voice (compared to her old self).
"Kid, I was picked to be the leader of the Vale Branch of the group you're part of. Of course, we're in!" Junior exasperated.
"Excellent. Get ready for fighting" She warned.
-Neo's POV-
I smiled deviously as chaos ensued in both Mantle and Atlas.
Grimm had started to show up in Atlas as well as Watts affected the security of Atlas.
The Gravity dust reserves didn't last long and most people in Mantle had moved a safe distance as Atlas LITTEALLY fell to the ground hitting part of Mantle.
Blake, Weiss and the others were near the ruins of the Schnee manor while Yang was alone near the ruins of Atlas Academy.
I saw the despair in the eyes of the people of Mantle.
The plan is working! I thought.
I sent a message to Watts so they could pick me up.
As we all looked out of the ship Watts had stolen, Atlas and Mantle was in ruins and the damage the attack on Vacuo and Haven had done a number on Remnant as a whole.
"Salem will be pleased that we have the relics and the maidens" Watts stated.
"Indeed, I need to tell her about the spring maiden too" Nova added.
-Third person-
Before Ruby even appeared, the ship arrived in Salem's hideout.
Fria and the staff of creation was delivered, and Salem used her powers to absorb the winter maiden's power.
She had absorbed the summer maiden's power as well, but spring was missing and… Cinder was Cinder.
"Salem, I know who the spring Maiden is" Nova said, with a slight quiver.
"And?" The calmness in Salem's voice was cold and intimidating as ever.
"It's Raven. The Qrow's sister. I witnessed her fight Cinder one-on-one" Nova admitted.
"I see… well then. See if our spies Henry and so forth can find her quickly" Salem urged.
-Back in the ruins of Atlas and Mantle-
Raven reappeared through a portal (at Tai's insistence).
Yang was still alone in the ruins.
"So, are you come now to help with the fight, or will you never try to correct your mistake in leaving us?" Yang questioned.
"I am sorry, I left you. But…I'm here now. If she tries to send an army, I'll…..try to support. I guess…I let fear control me….and cloud my sense of justice" Raven admitted softly.
"Go help in Mantle. I'll be fine here" Yang stated.
"Ok. The road to healing will be long…you know that" Raven stated before heading off.
Yang sighed.
"Yeah….but I may never heal from you" she said, quietly to herself.
So like Salem wanted, almost all hope was gone from Remnant at this stage.
A few minutes later, a group she recognised appeared nearby to start a mission that from her perspective at this stage had already happened.
"Good luck, Disney Knights" Yang whispered as she watched them use a watch machine to go back in time.
She waited for 20 minutes in the ruins of Atlas as the whole of Remnant was in ruins while Oscar was in chains in Vacuo as Sneachta gave Salem Ozpin's cane while in a broadcast when the Disney knights reappeared.
"Patch, why did that guy have Ozpin's cane?" Grace asked, suspiciously.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I suggest we leave this place immediately or someone will spot us" Patch said, cautiously.
The group teleported away a small distance away from Yang and that's when she realised their mission was finally over.
"Well done, Sneachta. Now go make sure the Black Talons assist in winning the war" Salem ordered.
Sneachta gave her a smile before heading off to join the Vacuo branch to travel to Atlas for the upcoming battle.
Salem then teleported herself and Oscar back to her realm after getting the cane.
-In Salem's realm-
"Please, You have me, Salem. Don't touch Ruby!" Ozpin begged.
Salem smirked.
"You had your chance to prove me wrong but that was eons ago" she reminded him.
Ruby found herself in Salem's plane of existence.
Ruby ran towards Salem to avenge her mother's death as Salem gloated at her.
"Come at me if you can" Salem sneered.
Ruby used her scythe first against Salem but Salem blocked the attacks with dark energy.
The Grimm Pandora and Merlot created joined Salem's side as Ruby tried to attack her with her eye abilities.
This creature was a large black cat, the size of a lion, with red eyes, green veins due to the serum and very sharp claws.
"Dubh, the first of the cat Grimm subspecies. you get to see the show" Salem implied while smirking directly at Ruby.
As Ruby kept trying to attack her, Salem retaliated with a wave of dark energy that froze her body in the air.
"I remember when I killed the other warriors like you: Weak, full of 'hope' and so ambitious. So easy to snuff out like a flame." Salem lamented.
Ruby was terrified as Salem went up close to her face as she was faint sounds of pain.
"Please, don't hurt her. It's me you want!" Ozpin pleaded in Oscar's voice.
Salem glared at him.
"Ozpin thinks you are worth the effort to save but I disagree" Salem said, icily.
Ozpin watched in agony as she swiftly attacked Ruby in the heart with a dark wave.
Salem held Ruby dead in her arms after she killed her.
She went out show to the world what she was capable of from the ruins of Haven.
"No! RUBY!" Yang cried in despair.
"I knew I shouldn't have brought you into this, Kiddo" Qrow sighed, sorrowfully.
"Not Ruby. Not our leader" Weiss wept.
"We have to make them pay for this" Blake growled.
'Divide them
Tear them apart
Sever their trust
It will strangle their hearts
Inside them
Plant seeds of doubt
Hope will be smothered
They'll turn on each other' These dark words echoed everywhere as the battle was about to begin.
The remnants of team RWBY, JNPR along with the teams from the four kingdoms charged against Salem's army of Grimm.
Included in this army was Beringels.
Beringels are covered in black skin, with bone-like plates covering their bodies at certain places like Armor. A red pattern or symbol resembling an eye is present on their back. The one Ruby fights in the Character Short appears to have "burnt" skin, with an internal red glow visible from within, where the skin is thinnest. They have well-developed hands with opposable thumbs. They are quite large, at almost twice the height of a Human.
Yang was too in shock from losing Ruby to join in the fighting, especially since she was still in the ruins of Atlas.
There was more damage done in the fight that began to attract the attention of the kingdoms' respective councils (Including Shade Academy and Atlas Military).
During the battle, Raven was apprehended and brought before Salem.
She managed to absorb the spring maiden's power and then allowed Tyrian to force Yang in Atlas to bear witness to her mother's torture at the hands of Adam.
The following words haunted Ozpin in his mind:
'These children you mislead,
You'll watch them all bleed,
Strength will not bring victory'.
"I'm glad you were able to cause damage to bring the last relic to me, Neo and Akira. Now I'll share with them the truth…and they will lose faith in Ozpin" Salem stated.
She held the lamp relic in her right hand.
"Jinn" she called.
It caused the environment to freeze around them as she smiled evilly.
Salem released the Relic as it floated a short distance away, cyan smoke emanates from it. Suddenly, the lamp enveloped in the smoke, and from it, a giant, semi-nude feminine figure emerged.
The figure was a voluptuous blue woman much larger than a normal Human with elongated pointed ears and long, flowing dark blue hair are dark blue in the sclerae and pupils and a lighter blue in the irises, was semi-nude due to nude-like due to wearing various gold accessories, most of which have a slavery theme: a chain headdress, big hooped earrings, the right ear also having an extra earring, a choker, bracelets with chains dangling from them along with a single bracelet on her left forearm, anklets and a belt of chains around her waist that ends in a big ring with three prongs and a veil of a wisp-like smoke resembling the skirt of a dress trailing below her waist.
Her accessories aesthetically derive from the Relic of Knowledge. Both the choker and the anklets are shaped like the band wrapped around the Relic's orb and the rings in Jinn's ears and belt look similar to the Relic's handle.
The figure stretched and moaned as she had been awakened once again. This was Jinn, the aforementioned being inhabiting the Relic of Knowledge.
"Wonderful" Jinn remarked.
Everyone stared in awe at Jinn.
"Tell me, what knowledge do you seek?" Jinn asked.
"Show them what Ozpin did to me. What is Ozpin hiding from his students and trusted friends?" Salem ordered.
"NOOOOOOO!" Ozpin cried.
'Hatred will sprout,
Suspicion and doubt…' these words rang through their minds on a constant loop as Jinn used her magic.
Everyone who was still alive appeared in a white background.
Suddenly, an environment manifested, showing a path leading to a castle in the distance. A woman humming could be heard in the background.
"Once upon a time, there stood a lonely tower... " Jinn began.
Smoke enveloped Blake, and Qrow appeared where she was. He looked behind him.
"...that sheltered a lonely girl" the genie continued.
A rather beautiful woman sitting in front of a mirror then appeared.
She was a human woman with fair skin, pale platinum blonde hair and light blue eyes. She wore most her hair in a half-bun style, with a small bun on the top, and the remainder of her long hair hanging at the bottom. Most of her bangs were tied back, barring several large locks that framed her face to her left.
She wore a white, two piece dress consisting of a sleeveless, diagonally overlapping white pleated top with a raised, pale blue collar adorned with a aquamarine coloured rhombus-shaped crystal on the clavicle, surrounded by two smaller white rhombuses. Her long, high-waisted skirt was white with a faint purple tint - adorned with white diamond emblems and white wavy lines near the bottom hem, ruffled around the waist and completed with a purple sash. For accessories, she wore grey, circular earrings and a pair of dull brown bracers, and her long fingernails were painted pale lilac.
Weiss walked up to her.
"Named... Salem" Jinn revealed.
A blue smoke appeared, revealing Salem staring from her window of the tower, her arms crossed. A woman humming could still be heard in the background.
"Locked away by her cruel father, Salem was a girl who desired but one thing: freedom" Jinn narrated.
Salem walked away with sadness as Yang watched her do so when Salem passed by her.
"She lived in a time when kings and their kingdoms were plentiful, when men and women were capable of greatness, and magic was a gift from the gods that all could wield" Jinn explained.
Salem sat down and leaned against the vanity. She held out her left hand, using her magic; four magical spheres with a magic circle in six basic colours appeared over her hand.
"And yet, there she sat within her tower" Jinn pointed out.
As Salem looked down, the blue smoke reappeared and enveloped Salem to the next scene. It reformed the castle Salem resides in.
Jinn: Until one day, a legendary hero came to brave the challenges within the tower's walls.
A young man in metal armour held by brown belts and straps etched with ornamental patterns and a blue cape wielding a sceptre appeared standing proudly in front of the tower. He had tanned skin with messy brown hair and brown eyes wore a blue-green tunic with a tan undershirt, a blue cape and black trousers with brown boots; his tunic and cape were outlined with golden markings.
Qrow walked up to him.
Jinn: The people of the lands knew him as Ozma.
Qrow waved his hand in front of Ozma's face, but the latter proceeded forward unfazed, simply phasing through Qrow's hand.
Jinn: Unlike those who had come before, this warrior was not driven by the prize of the young maiden's hand. He fought only for righteousness, and his pure heart and courageous soul prevailed.
As Ozma walked up to the tower, other warriors were shown falling in battle. Blue smoke reformed the scene once again, this time showing Ozma using his sceptre to strike down a dark-armoured figure. Ozma then opened up a door leading to Salem's room, where she stood up and offered a grateful smile to him. Blue smoke reformed the scene of them battling side by side with their magic powers.
Jinn: They escaped the wretched fortress, and yet something bound them together.
Smoke reformed the scene showing Ozma and Salem running away from the tower holding hands together. Once at a safe distance, the two stopped to catch their breath before looking to each other.
Jinn: Ozma had been ready to give his life for justice countless times, but now saw a woman worth saving it for. And Salem, to her surprise, found her freedom not in the outside world she had yearned for, but in the eyes of the man that had saved her.
Salem: So, where should we go now?
Ozma: (offering his hand to her) Wherever you'd like.
Jinn: The two fell deeply in love, planned adventures around the world, and lived happily ever after.
Smoke envelops the environment around Ozma and Salem as the two hold hands. The two disappear into a bright light of white space.
Jinn: Or at least that's what should have been.
Smoke then reformed the scene showing Salem kneeling at an unconscious Ozma's bedside. Salem held Ozma's hand and was heard sobbing.
Jinn: Ozma, the infallible hero of legend, fell ill. And where all the beasts and blades of the world had fallen short, a single sickness prevailed.
Ozma's body disappeared in smoke as Salem continued sobbing, holding his sceptre in her hands. Weiss was behind her watching.
Salem: How could the gods let this happen?
As Weiss continues to watch in pity, she looks up to notice two spheres - one bright yellow and the other a dark purple - circling above her head.
Jinn: The gods, brothers of light and darkness, creation and destruction. Salem prayed they would see the injustice that had befallen her love and make things right.
The two orbs encircling above lower down, with Blake watching the two conjoin in front of her. A bright light and blue smoke transitioned the scene, this time showing a brightly lit place with a stairway leading up the mountain.
Jinn: The Domain of Light was a sacred place.
Salem approaches the stairway, offering flowers. She holds Ozma's sceptre in her hand.
Jinn: It was here the elder brother dwelled beside his fountain of life and creation. It was here... where mankind would fall to ruin.
Weiss watches Salem walk up the stairs as smoke transitions the scene again, with Salem now at the top of the mountain as she looks upon the Domain of Light, valley filled with flowers with a pool of water and a tree at the centre. Leaves blow from the tree and encircles above the water, and from it, the God of Light rises from the pool.
In his humanoid form, the God of Light appeared as a tall, naked, humanoid male with a crown of antlers upon his head. His complexion is a softly glowing light gold, his build is muscular and his face devoid of features.
In his draconic form, while his complexion remained the same, his horns became whiter, longer, and more streamlined and his voice deepens considerably. His body is long and serpentine, like that of a real-world Eastern traditional dragon. He possesses a long mane of golden hair that runs the length of his body, forming a plume at the tip of his tail as well as rather extensive facial hair that terminates in two feathery tipped whiskers. In this form, his eyes appear to emanate a pure, white glow. This is likely due to him being the originator of the power possessed by the Silver-Eyed Warriors.
He walked forward to Salem.
Salem: (falling to her knees) Please... Please, bring him back to me.
God of Light: I understand your pain, but you demand of me that which I cannot make so. Life and death are part of a delicate balance.
Salem: So... you won't do it then?
God of Light: To disrupt the cycle of-
Salem: But that's not fair... That's not fair!
Salem's voice echoed throughout the Domain from her last exclamation.
God of Light: (sternly) Let. Him. Rest.
The wind picks up, causing leaves to blow around Salem. Suddenly, she finds herself back at the bottom of the stairway leading to the Domain of Light. She looks to Ozma's scepter in her hands before looking up angrily.
Salem: No.
Blue smoke transitioned the scene again, this time showing a dark, foreboding environment with a stairway leading up the mountain, similarly mirroring that of the Domain of Light's.
Jinn: The God of Darkness…
Salem approaches some skeletal remains at the bottom of the stairs.
Jinn: None dare to enter his home, as men knew what monstrosities emerged from his blackened pools of annihilation.
Salem proceeded forward, approaching a blackened pool of tar-like liquid similar to that of which the Creatures of Grimm spawn from.
Jinn: And so you must understand the Dark Lord's surprise when he found a lone woman kneeling before him.
From the blackened pool, the God of Darkness emerges, his body twisted and contorted. Yang stood a few feet away from Salem, gasping in fear at the sight.
In his humanoid form, the God of Darkness appeared as a slim male with curved, segmented horns that arc back over his head and curve upward to a point just over the back of his cranium. His form is a deep purple that seems to draw in surrounding light. Like his brother, the Dark God's face is utterly devoid of features, though humanoid contours were present.
In his draconic form, he appeared as a large, real-world Western traditional, four-legged dragon with two wings whose membranes are frayed and dotted with multiple holes in them, and even more ornately spiraled horns. His overall body was skeletal, with a face like a skull with empty eye sockets, and a row of bone-like spines that run the length of his body.
The God of Darkness crawled toward Salem in an unnatural position. Grimm can be seen inching closer to her.
Jinn: Salem understood it well. She told him of her loss and professed that she knew only he could answer her prayers, all while careful to make no mention of his elder.
Salem is seen telling her story to the God of Darkness before offering Ozma's sceptre to him.
God of Darkness: Rise, child, and let your faith in me be rewarded.
Salem did so. The God of Darkness then conjured a purple sphere, and from it, Ozma's body appeared. Salem approaches him, and Ozma gasped back to life.
Ozma: Where am I? What is this?! WHERE AM I?!
Salem: (smiling) It's okay! Everything's going to be okay!
Suddenly, the God of Light appeared with a sound of thunder at the top of the stairs leading into the God of Darkness' domain.
God of Light: (angered) What have you done?
God of Darkness: I have done what I please, brother. You may bask in the powers of creation, but you do not own them.
God of Light: This is not creation.
God of Darkness: Do not lecture me!
The Grimm slowly approaching the God of Light.
God of Light: I will do what I must to maintain order.
The God of Light put his hand out, and an orange aura surrounded Ozma's body, before he disintegrated in Salem's arms.
Salem: No! No! What did you do?! BRING HIM BACK!
God of Darkness: You dare enter my domain and show such disrespect!
The God of Darkness made Ozma's body appear again.
Salem: Ozma!
God of Light: I am abiding by the rules we agreed upon!
God of Darkness: Rules that I now see are ever in your favour. And yet the day a mortal comes to pray at my feet before your own, so do you arrive to lay your judgment upon me!
The God of Darkness transformed into a nightmarish, dragon-like form that snarls at the God of Light. The Grimm proceeded forward and attempt to attack him, but a bright light emanated from him, destroying all the Grimm in the area. He transformed into a bright, beautiful oriental-looking dragon.
God of Light: I know we have our differences, but I have not come here with the aim to control you. The same, however, cannot said for her. This woman came to you only after I denied her pleas – pleas that would have disrupted the balance that you and I created. Together.
The younger brother pondered this revelation.
God of Darkness: Then it seems I owe you an apology. Allow me to correct my mistake.
Salem: No!
The God of Darkness fired a purple beam from his dragon form's mouth, disintegrating Ozma once again. Salem watched as Ozma's ashes blow away out of her hands.
Salem: You… You monsters! Give him back to me! GIVE HIM BACK!
Salem activated her magical abilities. Suddenly, the God of Light rushed forward and devoured her.
Salem then woke up falling from the sky. She was then submerged in the God of Light's pool, drowning as an aura-like shimmer covers her body. Suddenly, she found herself on the surface of the water, catching her breath. She looked up and noticed both of the God Brothers standing side by side.
God of Light: When you first came to me, I did pity you. But it is clear now that your selfishness and arrogance have led you astray.
Salem: (standing back up) What did you do to me?
The aura-like shimmer was seen on her hands.
God of Light: I have made you immortal.
Salem: Immortal?
God of Darkness: You cannot die. You cannot be with your beloved.
Both Gods: So long as this world turns, you shall walk its face.
Salem stared back at them in disbelief.
God of Light: You must learn the importance of life and death. Only then may you rest.
Salem tried to reach out to them, but then found herself transported to a vast open field.
Jinn: Salem was a prisoner once again. Her fruitless attempts to reunite with Ozma eventually became nothing more than acts of spite and defiance against the gods.
Yang was back in Ozma's room, watching a shadow of Salem as she fatally stabbed herself. She covered her mouth with her hands in horror. Salem's suicide attempt failed due to her immortality.
Jinn: But perhaps the gods were not as powerful as they seemed…
Yang watched Salem walk to a window, still holding the sword she attempted to stab herself with.
Jinn: She had lied to them, turned them against one another, they… were fallible.
Salem sets her sights on a castle in the distance.
Jinn: If she were to turn humanity against light and darkness, she could rid herself of their curse, or at the very least… she could make them suffer.
Salem then threw the sword toward Nora. Nora yelped in panic as she disappeared in a puff of smoke just as the sword was about to strike her. Smoke transitioned the scene, showing a king standing up in surprise as a bloodied axe is thrown to the ground.
Jinn: Salem travelled from one kingdom to another, telling tales of how she stole immortality from the gods, welcomed any swordsman to cut her down, and demonstrated her powers.
Salem was shown speaking to various leaders of kingdoms, including the aforementioned king from before, an oriental-looking empress and her subjects, and finally to a savage-looking warrior king.
Jinn: With the kings and queens in awe, she pulled them deeper into her scheme. She painted them pictures of a time when they would no longer have to watch their loved ones wither and die, when they could claim the powers of their creators for themselves, and in turn, perfect their own design.
As Salem finished telling her story to the warrior king, she knelt before him. The warrior drew his weapon and let out a proud battle cry, with his people cheering along with him. The combined forces of the kingdoms were shown launching an all-out assault on the Domain of Light.
Jinn: All they needed to do was destroy their old masters.
As the warriors ran in, the God of Light emerges from the pool in his dragon form.
Jinn: The gods had hoped that Salem would learn from her eternal curse, and she did. She learned that the hearts of men are easily swayed.
The leaders of the kingdoms Salem had spoken to stand in front of their people approaching the God of Light. The God of Darkness, also in his dragon form, then appears alongside his elder brother.
God of Light: Who has led you down this path?
Salem walked through the crowds of warriors as she made her way to the front of them. She glared at the gods.
God of Darkness: You... (roars at Salem)
In response, Salem launched a magical attack, and the warriors followed suit. A barrage of attacks were launched at the God of Darkness, but he easily caught them all into his hand, absorbing them into a purple sphere of energy. Everyone looked in shock.
God of Darkness: My own gift to them... used against me.
The God of Light looked away in disappointment as the God of Darkness squeezed the sphere within his hand, creating a massive shockwave that enveloped the world, smiting everything and everyone in its path. Humanity had been turned to dust, only Salem remained due to her immortality.
Salem: No... no...
Salem was knocked back when the God of Darkness stomped his foot in the ground.
God of Darkness: You thought there was no greater punishment we could bestow upon you?
Salem: I'll come back. I'll tell the rest of the world of this massacre! Build a new army!
God of Darkness: You do not understand. There is no one left. You are all that remains of humanity.
Salem's expression turned to shock at this revelation.
God of Light: This planet was a beautiful experiment, but it is merely a remnant of what it once was. We will learn from this failure. I hope that you will learn from yours.
The God of Light disappeared into a bright light of dust.
Salem: No! You can't leave! You can't leave! COME BACK!
God of Darkness: Still demanding things of your creators...
The God of Darkness also disappeared into a beam of purple light that shot up into the sky and out of the atmosphere. In the process, the moon was shattered. Moon fragments rained down like meteors back onto the planet's surface. Salem fells to her knees and let out a scream of despair that was muted out by the crashing meteors.
Jinn: Once again, Salem was alone...
Salem walked alone. She walked by a pair of deer eating grass, as well as abandoned villages that are now inhabited by Grimm.
Jinn: She cursed the gods. She cursed the universe. She cursed everything, everything but herself. She wandered the face of the planet, awaiting a death that would never come...
Salem then stood on the edge of an overhanging cliff in the land once inhabited by the God of Darkness. She looked down at the blackened pool below her.
Jinn: Until fate led her back to the Land of Darkness. This was it. This had to be it, the brothers Grimm, the pools of black that continued to give rise to horrific nightmares. If the fountain of life granted her immortality, then surely, the pools of Grimm will finally take it away.
Without hesitation, Salem fell forward and was submerged into the blackened pool.
Jinn: She was wrong. This force of pure destruction could not destroy a being of infinite life.
Salem was thrashed around by an unseen force.
Jinn: Instead, it created a being of infinite life with a desire for pure destruction.
Salem crawled out of the pool, this time, her skin deathly white as well as her hair. She opens her eyes, irises red with black sclerae.
Jinn: And in time, she would find her adversary...
Ozma was shown awakening in a white space. He took a look at his surroundings. The remaining heroes watched him walk around aimlessly, before a voice can be heard.
God of Light: Ozma.
Ozma turned around seeing the God of Light in his dragon form, before turning back into his regular form.
Ozma: Where am I?
God of Light: We are between realms. I'm afraid a tragedy has befallen your home at the hands of my brother. We have chosen to depart this world, but in our absence, I would like to offer you the chance to return to it.
Ozma: I... don't understand.
God of Light: Mankind is no more, yet your world remains. And in time, your kind will grow to walk its face once again. However, without our presence, they will be but a fraction of what they once were.
Suddenly, the God of Light conjures four objects: a staff, a sword, a crown, and a lamp, all represented a shadowed, mist images.
The sword had markings etched on the blade with curves near the hilt in a black and orange colouring (relic of destruction).
The lamp was blue and gold (relic of knowledge).
The crown was gold and green with jewels (relic of choice).
The staff had a pointed end like a spear with a white and gold colour scheme.
God of Light: Creation, destruction, choice, and knowledge were the ideals upon which humanity was made. Now I leave them behind with the hope that you will learn to remake yourselves.
The four objects were conjoined together into a yellow sphere of energy.
God of Light: If brought together, these four Relics will summon my brother and I back to your world, and humanity will be judged. If your kind has learned to live in harmony with one another and set aside their differences, then we shall once again live among you, and humanity will be made whole again. But if your kind is unchanged, if you demand our blessings while still fighting amongst yourselves, then man will be found irredeemable and your world will be wiped from existence. Until your task is complete, you will reincarnate, but in a manner that ensures you are never alone.
Ozma fell to his knees as he came to terms with this ultimatum. Oscar watched him.
Ozma: I'm sorry, but... that world just isn't as dear to me without her. If I may, I'd rather return to the afterlife to see Salem.
God of Light: You will not find her there.
Ozma: (eyes widening) You mean she isn't gone?
God of Light: Salem lives, but the woman you hold dear in your memories is gone. Heed this warning... where you seek comfort, you will only find pain. So, will you-
Ozma: I'll do it.
The God of Light looks in surprise at Ozma's immediate answer.
God of Light: Very well. Our creation rests within your hands.
The God of Light then disappeared.
Jinn: And so Ozma was reborn.
Ozma reincarnated into a man with a tanned complexion, brown and pale blonde hair, who had just stabbed a Beowolf with a pitchfork, causing it to disintegrate.
He wore a white tank top, leather gloves and boots, and brown pants, along with a blue sash tied around his waist and a pendant with a green jewel.
Ozma took the time to come to terms in his new body and surroundings. He looks up and sees people screaming and running into the forest he is in away from a burning village in the distance.
Ozma: Where am I?
Ozma heard a man scream and looked over to see him flailing a sword at a Beowolf, which swiped at him to the ground, disarming him. Ozma's previous soul took over and runs forward, grabbing the man's sword and slaying the Beowolf. The man gets back up.
Man: (relieved) Thank you. Please, tell me your name. Who are you?
Suddenly, Ozma's newest reincarnate had trouble speaking, and threw the sword to the ground in horror. Oscar watched the scene before him.
"He didn't know... " Oscar realised, solemnly.
As Jinn continued to narrate, Ozma walked down a street, seeing along the way Faunus locked up in cages, and a pile of Dust crystals on top of a table.
Jinn: Ozma had found himself in a world completely unfamiliar to him. Cities looked different. Creatures known as the Faunus bore fangs and claws and were locked away in cages. And without the blessing of the gods, no one could perform magic like mankind was once capable of, no one but himself and woman known as... the witch.
The environment around Ozma changed from the city to a forest as he came upon a lonely, dilapidated cottage in the woods.
Jinn: During his years of travel, he heard the same frightened whispers that spoke of a terrifying sorceress who commanded dark powers in the wilds among the beasts and monsters. Ozma was convinced that this witch was Salem, and decided he needed to see what she had become.
Ozma stood at a distance from the cottage. The front door opened, and from the darkness beyond, Salem emerged, wearing black robes this time.
Salem's skin was now a deathly pallor, with jet black sclerae in her eyes, and glowing crimson irises that shine brighter when she is agitated. She kept her half-bun hairdo for her now bleached, pale white hair wearing a very long, short-sleeved black robe that obscures her feet and partially drags across the ground, complete with a long shawl emblazoned with three interconnected, maroon-coloured vertical elliptic sigils resembling a trio of overseeing eyes above a series of maroon-coloured diamond emblems and black nail polish.
She gave an angry glare while exiting the cottage, but suddenly, her expression softened upon seeing her visitor. Ozma likewise smiled back at her.
Jinn: Call it magic or call it something stronger, but in that moment, the two knew exactly who it was that stood before them.
Ozma and Salem walked towards each other, the two hold each other's hands, interlocking their fingers affectionately.
Ozma: What do we do now?
Salem: Whatever we like.
As time passed, the cottage changed from its dilapidated state to a much better condition, following with Salem and Ozma conversing with one another at a table on the front porch.
Jinn: As Salem and Ozma recounted the events which had brought them back together, each withheld parts of their story. Salem, fearing Ozma would reject her, blamed the end of the world on the gods. Ozma, still unsure of where the truth lay, kept his task and the Relics a secret. Though time passed and all seemed well, Ozma's conversation with the God of Light still lingered in his mind. He had found happiness, but humanity seemed more divided than ever before.
Salem and Ozma headed back inside the cottage, still talking to each other.
Salem: Are you surprised? This world is quite literally godless. These humans have no one to guide them. Perhaps that's all they need.
Ozma: What are you saying?
Salem: We could become the gods of this world. Our powers surpass all others. Our souls transcend death. We can mould these lands into whatever we want, what you want, create the paradise that the old gods could not.
Ozma was troubled at first, but then smiled in agreement with Salem. The two of them look each other in the eyes as Salem placed an affectionate hand on Ozma's shoulder.
Jinn: The hearts of men... are easily swayed.
A village was under attack by a Nevermore. Suddenly, a purple energy surrounded the Nevermore, causing it to be bent and folded into unnatural positions. The Nevermore disintegrated, and the villagers watch as Ozma, once again wielding his sceptre and wearing regal robes, and Salem levitated into the air side-by-side above them.
He wore a more regal attire, featuring a dark grey coat with black shoulder pads along with details in light blue and dark blue cuffs. Under his coat he wore a dark blue dress shirt with light blue linings and details, and donned white gloves upon his hands. He also wore gray pants, and black shoes.
They all bowed down to the couple in reverence. Weiss and Yang walked up to two statues of Ozma and Salem that were then erected.
Jinn: The two amassed a following. That following grew into a prosperous kingdom.
A castle then appeared and showed the inside of a large room with a painting of Ozma and Salem together.
Jinn: And at the head of that kingdom blossomed... (four little girls then appear in the painting) ...a family.
Ozma and Salem watched their four daughters playing together, the little girls all wearing colours on their dresses similar to that of the Four Maidens. One of their daughters comes up to the two of them, playfully tugging on Salem's robe. The two parents smile at her before smiling at each other.
Blue smoke transitioned the scene, showing a massive conflict between people that was being observed inside a crystal ball by a smirking Salem. Ozma stood a short distance away from her looking outside the window.
Ozma: (troubled) Are we sure this is right?
Salem: (looking over to Ozma) You said we needed to bring humanity together. In order to do that, we have to spread our word, and destroy those who will deny it.
Ozma had a shocked expression on his face upon hearing these words. He turned to see his reflection on the window, which suddenly talked to him.
"What are we doing?" the reflection, the other soul he shared his body with asked.
Ozma reeled back in horror seeing his reflection ask him that question, briefly becoming his original incarnation, before looking over to Salem.
Ozma: This isn't what he asked of me...
Salem: What did you say?
The two then hear a door open, and their eldest daughter enters the room excitedly.
Eldest Daughter: Mother, father, look!
Their daughter then conjures multi-coloured wisps that fly in circles in front of her. Salem has a proud expression on her face, while Ozma looks on in surprise, before looking down with his troubled expression again.
Jinn: It was a miracle, their children could perform magic. But what should have been a joyous occasion was short-lived.
Smoke transitioned the scene again, this time showing Ozma telling what he knows to Salem in his study.
Jinn: Ozma told Salem everything, the true reason the God of Light had brought him back, the Relics that they scattered around the world, and the day of judgement he had been told to prepare for.
Ozma finished his explanation to Salem.
Salem: Don't you see? None of that matters anymore. Why spend our lives trying to redeem these humans when we can replace them with what they could never be?
Salem offered her hand out, but Ozma hesitated to take it, backing away in disgust. Smoke transitioned the scene again showing Ozma quietly escorting his daughters through the quiet halls. The youngest daughter looked down the hallway, noticing something.
Youngest Daughter: Mommy?
Salem stood at the end of the hall menacingly. Ozma protectively stood in front of his daughters. Salem, realizing what he is doing, angrily conjured a red beam from her hand. Ozma used his sceptre to counter Salem's attack, launching a green beam. Their attacks clash, engulfing the area into a bright white flash. Ruby and Weiss watch in horror as Ozma and Salem fought throughout the castle. Their battle caused the castle to collapse and be destroyed in the process. A charred plush toy shown, implying the daughters were killed in the fearsome battle. Ozma weakly crawled on the ground, blood dragging from behind him. Salem then reappeared behind him undamaged thanks to her immortality, and angrily walked over to Ozma. She kicked him over onto his back and held him down with her foot.
Salem: We finally had freedom...
Ozma weakly looked up at her.
Ozma: I-
A blast of fire from Salem engulfed Ozma, killing him once again.
Jinn: Thus began a long and painful cycle of death and rebirth for Ozma.
A montage of Ozma's various reincarnates was shown, including a frail man weakly walking by many gravestones, followed by a despondent man walking in the rain, who would rather drink his problems away.
Jinn: Some lives were spent in mourning, many were spent attempting to forget it all.
Finally, Ozma reincarnated to a dark-skinned man with glasses who starts off slouching, but then eventually stood straight up and determinedly walked forward.
Jinn: But no matter what, his mind would eventually turn back to the task he had been burdened with.
Ozma's newest reincarnate was serving a meal to his wife and two children, both of whom interestingly had silver eyes.
Jinn: And as the centuries went on, Ozma began to learn the importance of living with the souls with which he had been paired.
Ozma then heard screaming outside. He opened the door and saw villagers running around in panic as Grimm attacked.
"But no matter where or how he lived, her presence was always felt" Jinn explained.
Ozma looked back to his wife, who nodded in understanding, before going out with a mechanized cane into battle.
"If humanity were ever to stand a chance at being united, one thing was clear..." Jinn began.
"He had to destroy Salem..." Yang said, softly.
Smoke then transitioned showing Ozma's reincarnation many years older now, tinkering with his cane in his workshop.
"Knowing he could never rid the world of her through any mortal means, Ozma sought out the power of the Relics" Jinn continued.
The elderly tinkerer then placed his cane inside a metal cabinet, closing the door on it. The door opened again showing Ozma's newest reincarnation, a well-dressed man, picking up the cane where he last left it in his previous life.
"Armed with my knowledge, he believed he could fulfill his promise to the God of Light" the lamp genie narrated.
Ozma was shown holding the Relic of Knowledge, summoning Jinn for the first time. All of the remaining heroes were seen with him as they walked towards Jinn.
Ozma: Where are the other Relics?
Jinn: He asked me his questions.
Ozma: What powers do they possess?
"And though I gave him my answers..." Jinn began.
Ozma: How do I destroy Salem?
"...not all of them were to his liking" Jinn finished.
The heroes watched as Jinn gave her answer to Ozma.
Jinn: You can't.
Upon hearing this, Ozma fell to his knees in despair, Qrow, Weiss and Blake all had shocked expressions, and Yang closed her eyes in anger. Ozma remained on his knees as Jinn disappeared before him. Ozma visually transitioned to his current reincarnation, Oscar, who lowered his head in sadness while still in chains.
"I loved you so much, Ozpin….but you must suffer the same way I have" Salem said, bitterly.
She then cast a fire spell to burn Oscar on a loop for eternity.
"Everything you worked hard to form the four kingdoms to make sure humanity lived in unity…..crumbled by the act of truth. You only have yourself to blame" she added, coldly.
The following words became ingrained in Oscar's mind:
Kingdoms in tatters,
Hung on the brink of a war,
The peace will succumb to flames.
From the chaos of the fight with the Grimm, the four kingdoms went to war due to Atlas being in shambles.
"Yang, what should we do?" Blake asked in desperation.
She looked over at Qrow.
"You guys keep fighting. Qrow, I need you to help me reach that land of darkness place.
I need to ask Jinn a question regarding Salem's curse. It might tip the fight in our favour" Yang advised.
"We have to keep fighting for Ruby's sake" Jaune agreed.
Qrow nodded and led the way in his bird form.
The word of the god of light echoed in everyone's ears: 'You must learn the importance of life and death. Only then may you rest'.
Salem watched as humans and faunus fight to the death as Grimm were attracted to all the fighting, with her followers beside her.
"Cinder, Tyrian, Emerald; take out Ruby's friends. Hazel, Watt, Penny 2.0 and Neo, you will help the Black Talons against the new replacement group for the White Fang" she ordered.
They nodded and went to their positions on the battlefield.
Adam tried to haunt Blake's waking moment during the battle with doubts regarding Ruby and Yang.
"You know I had hoped I'd get a chance to sabotage the Black Talons as part of my revenge on humans, but this battle is much more satisfying!" Adam said, cruelly.
"After all…there was a time you promised to stay with me after we started dating…look how well that turned out, 'darling'" he added, mockingly.
Chloe used her glowing gauntlets to channel her energy semblance that was toxic to aura users and fired at the heroes.
Jaune used his shield to protect his team-mates from the blast during the heat of battle.
Sienna, Nova and Ebony even assisted in battle but Nova revealed herself on purpose by helping Adam in his fight against Blake and Yang.
"So, you're a double agent? Why did you even save me?!" Sienna cried.
"You have potential and there's so much more for you to do before you die. I've been a triple agent alongside Nuri since the beginning even Ebony didn't know" Nova stated, calmly.
Being finally free, Team VRSZ could assist on the right side of the battle at last with their blackmail now cleared.
A truthful statement echoed in everyone's minds:
'Friendships deny,
While allegiances die'.
Using the relic of creation and the cane's power, she gave the beringels an upgrade: Feathered wings.
She then summoned a new Grimm dragon while still using the relic of creation and jumped on it.
The new creation was mutated like Merlot's creations and known as a 'Dracō' which she rode onto the battlefield.
Yang made it to the Land of Darkness with Qrow not too long after, but it was too late.
While riding the green mutated, white and black spiked lizard-like Dragon with the iconic yellow Grimm eyes (based on the European depiction of dragons found in stories), Salem united the four relics (The crown, lamp, sword and Staff) together.
In the heat of battle, Nova brought Nuri to safety through a dark purple-black portal known as a 'corridor of Darkness'.
"This is where our involvement ends" She whispered.
She took him to an unknown world to stay safe as she then went wandering through the lanes between.
"We're not ready!" Qrow realised.
Before the two god brothers could return, time froze as a mysterious person in a brown cloak wearing a unicorn mask appeared.
"Who are you?" Salem questioned.
She was one of the few not affected by the freezing of time.
"That isn't important. I need to borrow your heart" The mysterious figure stated.
A young girl with red hair and a boy with silver hair appeared moments later.
"My heart? I'm immortal, I can't die no matter what you do" Salem stated.
"In your case, your body will be in a stasis until your heart returns" The figure pointed out.
He summoned his keyblade: a Keyblade that had a black handle, contrasting with a silver white pommel and guard resembling clouds with the curves resembling a harp or lyre, the base was an etching of a white unicorn with a silvery mane and horn with rings of red, black, and silver spikes separated by gold around it and yellow eyes and with red and black detail, the shaft of the blade is silver with shining white edges with four elongated heart-like shapes, the fourth of which resembles Terra's Mark etched in gold and filled with black and eight silver spikes shoot out from around the final etching, from the uppermost spike of one side to the bottom of the other a black semicircle with silver edges appears to go through the spikes with a few additional spikes set in the ring form the teeth and the Keychain was made of white crystals, and the token on the end features five white spikes encircled by a white ring, with the Gazing Eye at the centre.
Its name was Unicorn Embrace.
"So, you're a keyblade wielder too. Interesting, always people who try to do something to upset the balance" The boy, Riku sighed.
He summoned Braveheart and got ready.
"I'm not here to fight children" The figure said, coldly.
He faced Salem again.
"When you return to this place, you won't remember what has transpired and the events you were able to bring forth will resume when you return to your body" he explained.
He aimed his keyblade and light fired at Salem as her heart released.
Salem, herself, fell unconscious because of this and the figure opened a corridor of light.
"Children, I suggest you get out of conflict unless you wish to be a casualty yourself" he advised.
"Are you collecting dark hearts to forge a keyblade?" Riku questioned.
The figure froze.
"And what if we are? Who's to say if YOU are doing the same thing?" he remarked.
"Don't do anything stupid" he added as he took Salem's heart and went through the corridor.
The duo left as well in their personal ship.
In Remant's perspective of time, it took 20 minutes for a portal to open as Salem's heart returned to her body and she was back on her Dracō dragon.
The Gods of light and Darkness reappeared from where they had left Remnant to wait.
Salem smiled.
'Victory is in a simple soul'….or so they thought…..
-the end-
Cutscene:
In an unknown castle, a figure in a blue and white robe observed Salem and her group from an orb.
"She's managed to succeed where others have failed. This is intriguing, indeed" The figure said.
Said being summoned a watch device and contacted Peepers.
"Captain Peepers, I need to arrange a meeting with Salem and Nick Wizard at two different points in time. It's urgent" The figure said.
"Ok but I'll need to tell Salem who you are" Peepers replied.
The figure smiled and told the captain their name.
Meanwhile…
Somewhere in the game part of the multiverse, Cortana was keeping guard of a charging green robot hedgehog: Metal Green.
They were located in a different building close to Covenant capital world High Charity where the gravemind was located because Metal Green had to be moved to avoid detection.
He was powered to a low energy because he was formulating a plan he came up with since 2015.
The gravemind was extremely patient compared to most beings.
Cortana sent a message on a special villians only forum online asking if anyone was aware of Metal Green still.
Nova and Coral replied almost immediately with a yes.
Cortana then received flashing images in her mind:
A red crystal known as black garnet charged with electric energy,
A mysterious bounty hunter accompanied by a cat and hedgehog with their faces blurred out,
A blip-like airship heading to Canterlot and a tall hotel building,
A duck wizard with black hair and green skin laughing,
A giant snake fighting a leopard-themed figure (who might be a goddess),
A group of figures wearing different-themed masks and outfits with red, yellow, pink, cyan, white, neon green, violet and White gloves
A golden glove with radiant colours embedded on it and
A world of despair with half-ghost people (like Danny Phantom).
She was slightly shaken by what she had seen and quickly wrote down most of what she saw in a message and put it on the forum.
Nova asked if she wanted to join the team for when 'Dark Zero' appeared and Cortana said yes.
Then she added 'Only when Metal Green has finished formulating a plan'.
Upon seeing that answer, Nova immediately knew that it would be a long time until Metal Green was seen in public again.
XXX
In an unknown location….
The names 'Cortana', 'Nova' and 'Metal Green' showed up followed by 'Selected: Future OKs'.
'Now added onto the growing list, commander'.
A tall, muscular figure looked at the screen as the words 'Go forth and cancel' appeared and said figure smiled.
"I'll see you soon, partners" they said before going through a portal to a world formed from old cartoon bumpers.
-To be continued in the future-
I hope you enjoyed this story. It has an abrupt ending for a reason…. I don't really know how Salem can be stopped so it's an uncertain ending.
I have this message from the hooded figure:
Zg olmt ozhg,R hszoo nzpv nb nlev gl zixsrev fogrnzgv kldvi. Yv ivzwb uli z sftv dvwwrmt blf hfxpvih, 20 bvzih ozgvi.
Blf wlm'g pmld nv yfg R pmld blf. Hzovn, Hgirpv, veviblmv ziv nb kzdmh mld. Hvv bz hllm.
Yfg yvdziv... gsv ovtvmwh lu Qzkzm, Vtbkg vgx ziv gifv, nbgsloltb RH ivzo!
Note: Two plot points are continued in 'The great mirror escape and sneaky surprises- A Universal knight story' and 'Shadow Fire: Turbo Tales'.
See you in the next story!