Well, my school shut down on Friday due to the Coronavirus, we still have to due lessons ... I have literally no idea how the hell that's supposed to work.

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Salem leaned against the wooden fence and peered through a small hole in it. Qrow and Ozpin probably thought they were secluded in the garden. The two were discussing their next move with the relic, discussing Ironwood's already dead reputation, Leos betrayal, and Beacon still recovering state. It was no surprise they had settled on Vacuo, it was the only place that hadn't gone to hell in a handbasket.

"We have to move soon, Salem won't be content to sit and lick her wounds for very long. The longer we linger the more of a chance she'll attack and the children wouldn't be spared Qrow, it's best if we leave now."

She scowled as Ozpin's words. "That bastard thinks I would hurt them." Qrow, unfortunately, nodded along believing his words. "After being with Ozpin for so many years it shouldn't surprise her." Sighing and stepped back from the fence.

Salem wanted to just knock on the door and come inside, reunite and create a brand new adventure but instead found herself walking around the perimeter of the manor to the front. They both found themselves new families and created new lives, seemed to be unaffected by the past... maybe at one point they felt sorrow for her... but would they just accept her back into their lives?

"Jaune married a terrorist and Qrow had to have been a bandit for a while before getting his 'sister'... are those even fair comparisons?"

She had them right here, the closest Salem has been since discovering they had returned, but her nerves had glued herself to the ground on any decision that required actually going in to talk.

Salem groaned as she reached the front of the manor, the door almost taunted her with its appearance. It was a minuscule obstacle, on that she could break down with little effort. From where she was standing however it seemed larger then it was...

"Hello!"

Salem was so enraptured by her thoughts she didn't notice the little girl approaching. She was a small blonde child with white shorts and a white shirt with a design of a cartoon cat or something.

"Are you here for my mom or something?" She asked gesturing to the house.

Salem pointed to the door. "You live there?"

"Yup!" She stood straight proud of the fact. "The name's Alice."

"Salem." How long had it been since she held a normal conversation with someone? Wouldn't her appearance alone have deterred the child? "...Should you really be talking with a stranger Alice?"

"Nice to meet ya Salem, and no Mom always says that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."

"You're either misinterpreting that or your mother is the most naive woman in the world." The backpack hung over Alice's shoulders said she was coming back from school, which begged another question.

"Why are you walking home alone?"

"My sister Linzy was taking me but she left when we just got to the house with some guy to somewhere."

"Ah," A friend maybe.

"Why is your skin that white?" Alice asked. "Are you a Faunus?"

"..."

"Oh, sorry was that rude?"

"No, it's fine..."

"Well Alice, I would like to come in I... know your brother Jaune."

"You know big brothers, cool, let's go there's a key hidden under a rock near the door."

Salem frowned. "You are absurdly trusting."


"So Qrow and I need to leave soon, " Ozpn said to Qrow's nieces, the Arc-Khan couple, Lie, and Nora. "This was always meant to be a short rest for us anyway."

"Yeah, and you two need to face the music at some point." Qrow added.

"Maybe later," Ruby said nervously. "No need to rush anything right...?"

"Believe me I know what it's like to hide from your father, but it can't just say couped up in Jaune's place forever."

Ruby and Yang both looked to Jaune as if expecting him to say it was okay and they could avoid the storm here indefinitely.

"No, I've already called Tai and he's coming here to pick you guys up in a few days."

"What!?" Yang cried.

"Can we go with you to fight Salem?" Ruby asked.

"Yes."

"No-" Qrow said before stuttering out into a glare.

"There is a few of us Qrow, and they already know of her it may be better if we take them with us." Ozpin reasoned.

"That's like saying we should take literally everyone in this room with us just because they know. Doesn't change the fact that they're kids."

"Hey, we've done some pretty cool thing on our own! Like the stuff in the city and in Vale" Ruby said defiantly.

"Uncle Qrow you didn't have a problem with it back in the city." Yang added.

"That's because you guys had good back up and were fighting a bunch of wet behind the ear chumps. This is different, you guys barely survived the fight at Haven end now me and Oz are going to Shade where the headmistress is the only one we're meeting."

"They're targeting Qrow like it or not we need the help and being together will ensure safety against a vengeful creature."

"Ugh," Qrow groaned. "Oz I've been working for you and in all those years she's never gone for them before."

"Silver eyes aside they were just kids once and perfect bait material, the fact she never once went for them has to count towards something."

"There had to have been more on her mind then, they disrupted her underlings at Haven," Ozpin explained. "I doubt they were deemed to creditable of a threat then. Salem is a creature of pure malice, her plans have been seriously derailed and vengeance is sure to come."

"Pardon?" Sienna said clutching her baby protectively.

"Oh, no I didn't mean to imply you, Mrs. Arc, you've never done anything to earn her ire."

Sienna sighed, no doubt relieved that someone who commands Grimm isn't after her.

"What is this Salem like?" Yang asked. "I mean I know she's basically evil but we never really asked much and you seem to know a lot about her."

"Salem is a highly insidious and manipulative individual who patiently moves to undermine humanity and deliberate resolve."

"Like a Grimm."

Ozpin sighed. "Yes, like a Grimm but far more intelligent than any you've faced. She has no remorse nor compassion for anyone or anything, a creature of no compassion-."

"AGH!"

One of the doors was smashed open and a woman with skin a deathly white color, covered with deep black veins that run up her arms and face. The sclerae of her eyes were jet black and her irises glow red. A deep animosity was burning behind her eyes all directed towards Ozpin.

"Jaune this lady is here to meet you." Alice squeaked from behind.

Her body was shaking with anger as she took the first step into the room. "I had compassion once Ozpin." She snarled.

Ozpin shrank back into the couch as she took another step, he looked to try to mold with the leather beneath him. Everyone else was still in a perpetual state of shock by the sudden appearance.

"What happened to it I wonder?"

"S-Salem-"

"Quiet!" A ball of fire danced between her fingers. "I once knew of love and hope then saw all of it die slowly."

"You think..." The fire increased in intensity and Ozpin looked ready to leap out the window.

"That I would destroy it..." Ozma whimpered, Jaune and Sienna clutched together to comfort him and each other, and Nora was wishing her hammer was here right now.

"Even when I just got them back?!"

Another door opened, and everyone's attention was redirected.

"What is with all this screaming?" Juniper Arc demanded. "Who are you? How did you get in my house?"

Salem ignored her and turned back to Ozpin, just to stare down the twin barrels of Hardengier's gun form.

A loud bang was followed by her headless body hitting the floor.

"What the fuck!?" Nora cried.

"That's Salem, I mean how!?" Yang turned to Ozpin.

"What's happening!" Alice screamed fearful as Juniper rushed over to the eleven-year-old.

"WAAA!" Ozma cried shaking Sienna out of her state of shock.

"Oz what do we do?" Qrow asked as Ozpin stood.

"T-That won't keep her down, we have to leave before- ugh!" Ozpin shook. "O-Oscar- What are you- Doing-!"

His eyes flashed and a shaking hand came down to the lantern at his hip.

"Oz?"

The lamp grew in size as Oscar struggled to speak. "They have to know- J-J-JINN!"

Time seemed to freeze and a mist flowed out from the lantern and grew until a voluptuous blue woman much larger than a normal Human appeared she stretched her limbs out before chuckling.

"My, isn't this a peculiar time to be alive?"

"What that?" Jaune asked before having his eyes covered by Sienna.

"I am Jinn a being created by the Gods to aid humanity in its quest for knowledge-"

"What's two plus two!" Ozpin, having regained control, cried.

"Four I'm certain."

"What's my children- no!" Another flash had Oscar back.

"What- What's in Ozpin's memories!"

Jinn peered around at the group and a grin of pure amusement crept onto her face.

"Hehehe, very well."

Everyone was engulfed in a white mist.


Silence.

Pure silence, except for the lamp that hummed with what could have been amusement and the air vents blowing cool air into the room.

Oscar stood up and blood began flowing down his nose.

"T-That..." Ozpin groaned out and gripped his head. "That's not... what... happened... r-right...?"

Qrow cautiously walked to where he'd blasted Salem. "Sal...is that really you?" He asked.

The wound healed but her dress was now douched in blood, she gazed up into the man's eyes, her face looking far more familiar now it was amazing he didn't see it before.

"Yes Qrow," She smiled bitterly. "How are you?"

Qrow didn't reply.

"Salem... O-Ozma...?" Jaune said in disbelief.

"Hello, Jaune." She waved.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on!?" Sienna cried, baby Ozma still crying in her arms.

Qrow looked to Sienna then to his nieces then literally everybody else's questioning looks. "Alright... everybody go grab a snack and use the restroom cause we're probably gonna be here for a while..."


READ IMPORTANT

I was thinking about having a whole part with Jinn showing the alternate past but decided against it, you'll actually just see it unfold in Thinking Back which will be out in two weeks. I'll post an update on this story to tell you guys when chapter one is out. I'll see you then.