This is part 2 of the Vision chapter. A little more on the Slayer and Night Sentinels will be shown here as well as Julius's backstory. I split this up into 2 parts because I didn't want to make one whole long chapter that would bore everyone after a while. Anyways, back to the vision.
The vision continued as Jinn narrated on.
"As for Salem, she would try time and again to spread her influence across Remnant. However, each attempt was put down swiftly by the Night Sentinels and the Slayer."
The smoke changes to show a battlefield in ruins, demons and Grimm lay dead everywhere.
"Not only was the Slayer too powerful for her to handle, but the Night Sentinels were also becoming stronger, and their technology improving faster than everyone else."
Ruby turns to see a massive silver tank roll across the battlefield, accompanied by a battle mech and multiple other Night Sentinels, some holding plasma rifles.
"With their might came a new era of peace, and many of the Night Sentinels returned to their loved ones. Even the Slayer himself ended up starting a family of his own."
The smoke changed again to show Salem in her throne room, her head resting on her hand.
"No matter how hard she tried, the shadow of the Doom Slayer remained above Salem. It seemed as if she would never be able to achieve her goals. That is…until one day, a mysterious visitor came to her."
As Yang watched, a Seer Grimm entered the room and made a series of noises at Salem, who narrowed her eyes "Who?"
The Grimm made another series of click before Salem nodded "Let her in."
A few moments later, a tall, almost angelic being floated in. Salem glared at the visitor "Who are you and what do you want?"
"I am the Khan Makyr, and I represent someone who is very interested in your work."
This caught Salem's interest "Who would that be?"
"He's only known as Davoth, the Dark Lord, and much like you, he was rejected by his creator, the God of Darkness, and desires revenge."
"And where is he now?"
"Unfortunately he is entombed elsewhere, but he has sent me in his place to assist you."
"And how exactly do you intend to assist me?"
"The one who torments you; I can show you how to keep him at bay."
Salem raised an eyebrow "I'm listening."
"With the help of the Kahn Makyr, Salem devised a new plan, one that would only seal her fate even further."
The scene transitions to show Salem standing on a cliff overlooking the kingdom of Sentinel Prime, the Khan Makyr behind her.
"Remember what I taught you" the Kahn Makyr advised. Salem kept her gaze on the kingdom and slowly lifted her arms, channeling her magic. Slowly, a red dome began to form around the kingdom. Alarms began to sound withing the walls as the people looked up in fright at what was happening around them. From the castle, the Slayer himself could be seen with a younger woman with olive skin and white hair, whom Ruby assumed was the Slayer's wife. Novus looked in astonishment at the woman.
Is that…Mom? He thought to himself. He then noticed the bundle she was carrying with was shown to be a baby, Is that…me?
"What's happening?" the woman asked. The Slayer looked to the distance and could see Salem on the cliff. He then immediately raised a hand and pointed towards her. As he did, guard turrets appeared on the kingdom walls and began firing on her, but the shots were simply blocked by the Khan Makyr.
Salem reached out with her mind to the Slayer and spoke, "Sorry, but you're getting in the way. Just like you always have."
The Slayer heard this, then realized what she was doing and turned to the woman, speaking with a deep voice that showed signs of slowly healing due to his neck injury "You have to go. I cannot let you be caught in this."
"But what about Damian?" the woman asked, "He'll be killed out there is they find him!"
"Leave him with me" the Slayer replied, "I'll take care of him. I promise."
The woman had tears in her eyes, but knew there was no other way. Taking one last look at her child and kissing his head, she whispered "I hope to see you again. I love you." Before handing the child off to the Slayer and running off towards an evac transport, many of which had already made it out of range of the forming barrier. Finally as the last transport left, the red energy dome finished forming around the kingdom, concealing it and turning it invisible.
"Salem constructed an energy dome around the kingdom, hiding it from the rest of the world and keeping her greatest enemy inside., while the Khan Makyr made sure that most of the world retained no memories of it. However, the Night Sentinels themselves were still able to move in and out through the use of portals, and kept watch on Remnant from the shadows."
The scene shows the people outside the city on the transports, which had landed at an area nearby; they watched in horror as the kingdom disappeared, trapping their loved ones inside. Some began to weep at what they had seen, but all the Slayer's wife could do was watch silently, tears in her eyes as she wondered if she would ever see her son again. Suddenly, Kaa appeared, wrapping his coils around a nearby rock and facing the people.
"Everyone!" he shouted, "Listen to me!"
Everyone turned their attention to the python as he continued "I know this event is tragic, but you must have hope; the barrier that has been put up around Sentinel Prime is only temporary. In almost 20 years' time, someone will rise up with the power to bring it down, and our enemy will be crushed once and for all. I have seen this future unfold, so you must believe my words."
"What do you expect us to do?!" asked someone in the crowd.
"You must keep Sentinel Prime a secret" Kaa replied, "Make a new life in the remaining kingdoms. You will know the time is near when four special Huntsmen appear. They will be the four horsemen that will bring about the Slayer's return."
"How will we know who they are?" asked someone else.
"Many terrible events will happen when they appear. That is all I will say."
There are a few moments of silence before Kaa said, "Have faith, this will end soon." And slithered away into the ground. Everyone looked at each other in wonder at what they had just heard.
"And so, the people who escaped did the only thing they could; they followed Kaa's advice and spread out, making new lives in the other kingdoms, all while keeping Sentinel Prime a secret. But Salem wasn't quite done yet…"
The scene shifts to Salem hiding in a dark alleyway at a city.
"Thanks to the guidance of the Kahn Makyr and, ultimately, the Dark Lord, Salem realized she could do one other thing to help carry out her plan. She knew that she herself could not do this on her own, even with her new followers. She needed something that shared her power."
As Weiss watched, Salem saw a tough yet handsome looking Huntsman pass by, then, using new magic she was temporarily given, she shot her hand forward and drew out some blood from his arm without him noticing, storing it in a black tube. Back at her palace, she mixed the blood with her own and infused it with magic, creating a little human baby girl, whom she then picked up and cradled. Julius, among the others, looked in shock at what they saw.
"Salem realized that if she had children who shared her power, and raised them to be like her, then she could conquer Remnant before her enemy could break out. She was only able to have two children, both in recent years. The first, a girl named Cinder, was left in an orphanage to see how she would behave around other people. The second was created from blood taken from a silver eyed Huntress you might be familiar with."
"Summer…" Julius gasped as the scene briefly shows Salem secretly taking a bit of blood from Summer's arm as she slept next to Taiyang.
"This one Salem decided to raise herself, though even this was short lived."
The scene changes to show the palace five years later, a little boy with black hair and orange eyes is seen sitting outside the doorway to Salem's council room, where Salem sat alone, pondering the next steps in her plan. Ruby studied the boy's face for a moment before gasping in horror; it was Julius!
"You seem to be enjoying things" said a voice as Kaa appeared next to Salem.
"Oh, it's you" Salem said, "Well, if you must know, then yes. My plan is almost complete. With these two new children I have made, I will be able to take this world far more easily than before. I'm honestly regretting not learning it sooner."
Kaa simply grunted "I know of these two children, and that they share your magic."
Salem nodded, "The boy is especially strong in it, thanks to my teaching. So, Kaa, how does my future look."
"Unfortunately for you, nothing has changed"
Salem simply sneered as Kaa continued, "I've seen these two children in the future. The boy especially holds a powerful fate…as your enemy."
"You lie" Salem growled, "He wouldn't dare turn on me."
"Don't be so sure" Kaa calmy replied, "Not even you are strong enough to thwart fate. He will be the one to bring down the barrier you created and unleash your enemy upon you."
With that the python slithered off and disappeared. Salem went into deep thought of what to do. Then, she summoned a Seer.
"If this boy is to be a threat" she told it, "then I cannot allow it to continue. Make sure it is dealt with."
As the Seer floated off, Salem smirked to herself, "Let's see who thwarts fate now, Kaa." However, Julius had already run off and was trying to find a way out of the palace. Suddenly, Kaa appeared out of the ground in front of him.
"Come with me." he said, "I will get you out of here."
Julius simply nodded and followed the serpent down the hole.
"Even Salem cannot thwart fate. However, fate can sometimes have a sense of humor, and as Julius fled Salem's realm, he was found by the most unlikely person."
The scene changes to show Julius hiding in an alleyway outside of a large building; his face is dirty and his clothes are slightly worn as he faces a girl a few years older than he is with black hair and orange eyes and wearing a maid's outfit. As Ruby watched, the girl holds out her hand for Julius to take, and together, they go inside a back door of the building.
"For a time, the boy lived with Cinder even after Cinder was released from her slavery; all she cared about now was taking care of him. Sadly, nothing lasts forever, and after three more years, Salem had found him."
The scene shows a small wooden house in the middle of the forest. It should have been peaceful, but now it was surrounded by Grimm. Inside, Cinder pulls the now 8 year old Julius close.
"Listen to me" she said, "I need you to run away from here as fast as you can."
"What about you?" Julius asked.
Cinder held up a sword "I'll be fine. I'll catch up with you once I get a chance. Now go!"
Julius ran off into the woods as Cinder fought off the Grimm. Yang watched him run through the woods, seeming to know where he was going, when suddenly, he was tackled by a hideous looking Grimm that looked like a mutant dog of some kind. Julius whips out a knife to defend himself, but as he raises the blade, a spiky Alpha Sabyr appeared from behind, biting down on Julius's hand and taking it clean off. Julius watched in horror as the event that still remained a vivid memory played out in front of him. As younger Juilus screamed in pain, clutching his sill bleeding arm, he tried to stand up and run away. However, the Hound Grimm lashed out with its own claws, taking the boy's eye. Yang only watched in horror as Julius lay on the ground crying in pain and covered in his own blood as the two Grimm circled around him, ready to deal a killing blow.
"Fate cannot be undone"
Before the two Grimm could lunge, a flash of silver light illuminated the entire glen, stunning the two Grimm. As they stumbled around in confusion multiple gunshots echoed out, wounding them and driving them away. As Qrow watched, he knew exactly where the attack came from as four Huntsmen burst from the foliage: Team STRQ. Summer immediately knelt down to help Julius.
"They're getting away!" Tai yelled, a rifle in his hands.
"Let them!" Summer replied, "We've got a bigger problem."
"Holy shit" Raven said as she saw the boy, "is he even still alive?"
"He won't be if we don't do something!" Summer yelled back. Ruby realized that she was a lot like her mom; always wanting to help people.
"There should be some first aid supplies back on the ship" Qrow said, "If we hurry we can probably help him hold out long enough for us to get him to a hospital."
Summer nodded "Let's do that."
"I'll carry him" Raven offered, slinging the boy on her shoulders. Yang was amazed; was this the same Raven she had met before?
The smoke changes the scene one last time to show Team STRQ back on their ship, Raven had wrapped whatever bandages she could around the wounds and had laid the boy down on a row of seats. Summer put a comforting hand on the still whimpering boy's head.
"Hey, it's okay" she gently said, "You're going to be okay. I promise."
The team looked in worry at Julius as the vision faded and Jinn spoke one last time.
"Thanks to their efforts, the boy, now named Julius, survived. Now no longer what she had intended for him to be, Salem now hunts him, and will not stop until he is killed in the worst way possible."
As the vision faded, Julius was terrified as he saw the environment return to normal and the others appeared around him. Now they knew the full truth…and it was more to take in than they had expected.
Before anyone criticizes me on the Slayer speaking, I was able to find some wiggle room due to him speaking in Doom Eternal and TAGS, so it's not that big of a deal.