Chapter 30 – The Lost Fable – Pt. 2
Ozma
Pyrrha stared ahead. She was surrounded by a blinding white realm, a place that looked completely alien to her. But the only two beings she saw… were the two Gods in her head. They both stared back at her, their faces blank of any expression or features.
"You bastards…" Pyrrha growled.
"You look at us with judgement in your eyes… but you do not see the fate existence will face if the balance is destroyed." Light stated, hands held together.
"You could have spared her! Spared her from all the torment you caused her!" Pyrrha yelled. "Instead, all you did was make the very monster we face today."
Salem glanced over at Pyrrha. She could not see the Brothers, but she could sense their presence even now. Everyone looked at Pyrrha, knowing who she was talking to.
"We did what we did in order to protect the balance…" Light defended. Pyrrha then stared at his younger brother, who had yet to say a word.
"All in life is choice. That is paramount. Without choice, life is sparse, destined to fail under one's misguided despotism. Do you not see the parallels? Salem takes choice and grinds it to ash. Life… under her… is doomed to fail." The Brother of Darkness stated, but Pyrrha just shook her head.
"Because you refused to give her the one thing she begged you for. The one thing." Pyrrha stammered.
"You cannot even imagine the consequences of such an action. If one reverses the path of life and death, the consequences are worse than you could possibly imagine, child." The Brother of Light stated. "The Balance of the two must be protected."
"I was blinded by this fact, and I corrected my mistake. Bring back one soul lost to the infinite void… how many more will come begging for our mercy?" Darkness questioned, then Pyrrha turned as she heard Salem chuckle.
"Let me guess… they are still defending their decision to keep Ozma from returning? For judging me guilty when I took it upon myself?" Salem questioned, turning her head to Pyrrha. Her skin prickled with goosebumps at hearing Salem speak directly to her, but she looked at the Dark Queen.
"Something like that." Pyrrha admitted.
Salem scoffed. "If you think their hypocrisy and cruelty is horrific already… then you will be shocked to see what they are capable of… to protect their damned balance."
Pyrrha looked at Ruby, Cinder and Penny, who looked just as concerned.
Oscar looked at Salem and then at Ozpin, who stood there, his eyes still closed as he exhaled. "Why does this feel so… familiar?" Oscar mumbled to himself. Ozpin sighed, but Salem spoke up.
"Because now it is time for you to understand how you came to be who you are. Oscar Pine." Salem stated. His eyes widened, and he turned, seeing the body of Ozma laid upon the floor of blinding whiteness. He approached his side and crouched down, reaching out to him. It was only now that he saw how similar he looked. Even Salem noticed the similarities between her beloved Ozma and the newest reincarnation of him.
Ozma's eyes weakly opened, and he groaned, sitting up slowly, until he heard a familiar voice.
"Ozma…" The Brother of Light spoke. He turned around after walking around, then saw the Brother of Light in his giant Wyrm Form. He shone brightly and shrunk back down into his humanoid form, hands held together in front of his body.
"You…" Ozma growled, narrowing his eyes at him.
"I understand your resentment towards me… and my Brother… but what we did… it was necessary. Surely you can understand that." The Brother of Light explained.
"Understand it? Letting me stay dead was one thing, but tormenting Salem? That's something else entirely." Ozma retorted, but the Brother barely even reacted to his words, then he bowed his head. Ozma noted his mood, and he raised a brow. "Why am I here? What happened?"
It took the Brother a few moments to actually speak, but like always, he eventually spoke up. "Do you know where we are?"
Ozma looked around. He had not really pondered that question. "No…"
"We are between realms. The region of existence between life and death." The Brother of Light explained. "I'm afraid a great tragedy has befallen your world… and your people… at the hands of my brother."
Pyrrha glanced at her side when she heard the Brother of Darkness scoff. "As always… blaming your younger brother when everything fails. As if you did not have your hand in the muck as well."
They're like children…
"What did he do?" Ozma questioned.
"Humanity was corrupted by unspeakable dark magic. This magic twisted them and turned them against us one day. And my Brother erased them before I could cure them of their sickness." The Brother of Light lied. Pyrrha gritted her teeth in anger, clenching her hand into a fist.
"Sounds like the only thing the Brother of Light was apt at was in crafting lies." Cinder stated, crossing her arms.
Ruby looked at Salem and Ozpin.
They both shared the same expression when they stared at that God. There was so much resentment on their faces. He was the one who lied to them all, twisted events to make himself look like the good guy.
That was all that mattered to the Brother of Light.
That he was loved by all… that he was as pure as his light… but he was shrouded in just as much darkness as his brother.
"We have departed this world, but in our absence I would like to offer you the chance to return to it." He revealed, everyone bar the two who lived through these events gasped with disbelief at his words.
"What?" Ozma questioned. "You mean to tell me that you forced me to die repeatedly… tormented Salem because she just wanted me back… and now you want me to return to the shell of my home?"
"It may seem odd… but you are Remnant's best chance at salvation in our absence." The Brother of Light explained.
"I… don't understand…"
"Mankind is no more, but Remnant remains, and in time, your kind will walk its surface once more. However, without our presence or our gifts, they will be merely a fraction of what they once were." The Brother of Light explained.
He held out his hands, and four golden flashes burst out before Ozma, revealing four objects forming into the air, all grey and lifeless at the moment, but slowly, three developed their golden colour and blue glows… and the other was black as obsidian, magma flowing through it and fire trailing from its blade.
A Staff, a Crown, a Lamp and a Sword.
"Creation, Choice, Knowledge and Destruction…" The Brother of Light stated, letting the four Relics rotate in the air. "… were the ideals upon which humanity was made. "Now, I leave them behind in the hope that you will learn to remake yourselves." The four relics merged together into a sphere of pure golden energy which he held in his palm. "If brought together, these four relics will summon my brother and I back to your world… and humanity will be judged."
Ozma stared at the Brother of Light with wide eyes. "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." The Brother of Light explained. "But if your kind is unchanged, if you demand our blessings whilst still fighting amongst yourselves, then humanity will be found irredeemable – and we will wipe your world from existence." The Brother of Light explained.
Ozma fell to his knees, shocked by what he has just been told, and behind him stood Oscar, who felt just as shocked as his predecessor. "Until your task is complete – you will reincarnate. But in a manner that ensures you are never alone." The Brother of Light explained.
There it is… that's how he got his curse…
"You've missed out something…" Ozma spoke up, getting the Brother's attention. "You said a corruption affected Humanity… how? And is it gone?"
"No… the source of that corruption remains. And we have created a weapon of which that is powerful enough to destroy it." He explained, Team C.P.P.R's eyes widened and Salem narrowed hers. "The Relic of Destruction – the source of such corruption was so powerful… that the only means of destroying it now… is by using a weapon capable… of killing a god."
The words struck deep, and Pyrrha gasped, turning to the Brothers of Light and Darkness.
Even now… they seemed afraid.
Then it hit Pyrrha.
By the gods…
… Salem has the Relic of Destruction…
… and if Salem brings together all the Relics, they will return…
… that means…
"I'm sorry… but that world means nothing to me… without her…" Ozma answered. The Brother of Light stared down at him, and Ruby noticed his hands tense slightly.
So did Pyrrha…
… it was like he was…
… afraid.
"If I may, I would rather return to the Afterlife… so I can finally be with Salem." Ozma requested.
"You will not find her there." The Brother of Light said.
"W-What? But you said…"
"I know what I said." His tone changed, becoming quite darker. He sighed and walked away from Ozma and lowered his head. "Salem still lives, but the woman you hold dear in your memories is gone. Take heed – where you seek comfort you will only find pain."
Ozma remained knelt, contemplating the Brother's words.
"So… will you…"
"I'll do it." Ozma interrupted.
The Brother of Light showed an inkling of doubt on his intentions, all by the raising of his brow, but he needed his champion. "Very well. Our creation rests in your hands." The Brother of Light concluded. He shone blindingly bright, and that light took Ozma with him.
Jinn's voice returned from the void.
"And so – Ozma was reborn."
He gasped, breathing through lungs that were not his own, and he sat upright, stumbling across the floor. He panted and coughed, tasting blood in his mouth, feeling his body ache and gazing upon the golden glow of flames that burned the nearby village. Screaming surrounded him as he looked around.
"Where am I?" Ozma stammered inside of the mind of someone completely different to himself.
"HELP!" a stranger shrieked in terror. He rammed a Pitchfork into the chest of a Beowulf, but it was not enough to kill the beast. The Beowulf smacked the back of its hand across the man's cheek, knocking him onto the floor. Ozma took action and seized the body of the man he was inhabiting.
He picked up a sword on the floor and sprinted at the Beowulf, cutting across its chest in one strike, then up its arm as it swiped at his face. The Beowulf roared in immense pain, which was instantly silenced as Ozma drove the sword straight through its open jaws. The Creature of Grimm crumbled away into ashes, its remains carried off in the wind.
The man he saved from the slain Grimm immediately grabbed onto his shoulder, turning him around. "T-Thank you! You saved my life! Who are you?"
But Ozma couldn't find the words, because in that moment he looked down at his reflection in the puddle.
He staggered back in shock.
His new body had brown skin, similar to his original body, but had platinum blond hair. 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. Oscar immediately knew which incarnation this was… he had spoken with this one – it was The Farmer.
Ozma looked at his new hands, and still could not find words, with his mind still rattling in shock from his first reincarnation. Oscar watched with saddened eyes, strangely remembering that feeling. "He didn't know…"
The memory continued on. The blue smoke formed a morbid looking market town, barely getting by.
"Ozma had found himself in a world completely unfamiliar to him." Jinn continued. "Cities looked different. Creatures called the Faunus bore fangs and claws and were locked in cages, despite looking exactly the same as any other Human being bar their Animal Features. And without the blessing of the gods, mankind was no longer capable of wielding magic like they once could… not like Ozma could still wield. The world used something else – Dust. The remains of his own kind, left behind after the Brother of Darkness' massacre, and that very dust still containing the power of the elements that they once had." Jinn explained.
Dust… it's… what remains of the Old World?
By the gods…
All these revelations, all these realisations… it was so much to take in. Team C.P.P.R and Oscar could barely keep up with Jinn's narration.
"Nobody… in the entire world could use magic… nobody but himself… and a woman the locals referred to as – The Witch." Jinn explained, and the memory showed Ozma walking for miles, and finally arriving at an eerie cabin in the woods. His hand trembled as he stared at the home.
Penny stood on the path, watching as Ozma cautiously approached the house. "During his years of travel, learning about this new world he was reborn into and the new soul he was merged with… Ozma heard of many tales. From the whispers of the beast Valravn which wandered the desolate lands of war, to the culling of innocent Faunus." Jinn explained as Ozma walked closer and closer to the house. "But most of all – he heard tales of a powerful sorceress who could command the beasts of darkness and the land itself. Holding power far beyond what any semblance could possibly attain."
The Farmer stood at the wooden steps, looking up at the closed door, heart hammering with anticipation. "Ozma was convinced that this witch was his beloved Salem. And knew he needed to see for himself… what she had become…"
The door opened, and she walked outside, and stared down at him with gritted teeth, clenched fists and glowing red eyes. The sky darkened above them… Ozma just smiled. Salem stared down at him… and her terse glare softened into that of… disbelief. "Call it magic, or call it something stronger. But in that moment the two knew exactly who it was who stood before them." Jinn narrated.
Salem's skin had become a permanent pale white shade, same as her hair, whilst the white of her sclera was now black and her irises were always blood red. She wore a familiar black and red dress as well over her body. They both stood before one another, both reborn in their own ways – and their hands looped together… like nothing had changed.
"What do we do now?" Ozma asked her.
She smiled. "Whatever we like…"
They all watched as time flew by, and the house slowly healed from its broken and haunting exterior to something far more pleasant to look at. Repairing the windows, replacing the rotten wooden planks, decorating it with gorgeous flowers. "As Salem and Ozma recounted the events which had brought them back together, each withheld parts of their story." The blue smoke formed Salem and Ozma sat on the decking outside the house, at a table as they talked. Salem had her hand gently supporting her chin as she spoke whilst Ozpin's arm was held up, with a mug filled with hot tear hung off his finger.
"Salem, fearing Ozma would reject her, blamed the end of the world on the gods, and hiding the truth that she was the one who turned humanity against the Gods out of spite. Whereas Ozma, still unsure of where the truth lay, kept his task and the relics a secret." Jinn narrated. "Though time passed, and all seemed well, Ozma's conversation with the Brother of Light still lingered in his mind. He had found happiness, but mankind was more divided now than ever before. Different factions slaughtered each other in droves, and the hatred the humans shared for the Faunus made no sense to him, for every Faunus he had ever spoken to was no different than a Human – barring their physical differences."
Inside of the house, the two continued on this topic together, and Ozma was leant beside the wall. "It just… makes little sense to me… why are they like this? I know our kind were never perfect but… the way the humans treat the Faunus is just…" Ozma failed to find the words to describe the thoughts rattling around in his mind.
"Are you really so surprised?" She asked. "Do you remember how they viewed me?"
He sighed, closing his eyes sadly. "Yes…"
"Humanity… it's greatest flaw is how they view things that are different to them. Anything that is remotely different in any way… they will always choose hate, violence and blood over understanding. Because killing is easier than tolerating." Salem explained. She, too, sounded disgusted by how humanity acts.
And as Ozma thought about it… it really was the one thing that both versions of Humanity had in common, without their magic from old times.
Hate was the one thing humanity retained.
"This world is quite literally godless. These humans have no one to guide them." Salem said, looking down at the mug in her hands. "Perhaps that's all they need."
Ozma quizzically raised a brow. "What are you saying?" Ozma asked her, setting his mug down on the counter. Salem stared at her reflection as she spoke.
"We can become the Gods of this world, our powers surpass all others. Our souls transcend death itself. We can mould these lands… this civilisation into whatever we want. What you want? Create the paradise the Old Gods could not." Salem suggested. He stood there and pondered her words. And upon feeling her hand gently touch his, he smiled.
We can…
… we can do it…
He smiled at her, and she reciprocated that smile. "The hearts of men… are easily swayed." Jinn's words echoed in their minds. Then the vision passed onward to a village under siege from the Grimm.
Civilians screamed in terror as they fled from the monsters charging through the street, and a huge Nevermore soared over the buildings. Its shrieks spreading fear like a disease. A woman cradled her baby close to her chest as she desperately fled from the beasts, and a pack of Sabyrs sprinted after her. She yelped, tripping and falling forward, and her primal instinct was to shield her baby from the beasts as they leapt towards her.
Until Ozma suddenly slashed straight through them all with a single strike, with the very Sceptre that Salem kept after all these years. The Sabyrs all crumbled into dust and she looked at him with wide eyes, in a new set of clothes.
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 grey pants and black shoes. He smiled at her and the others, who watched as he levitated off the floor. A massive pack of Grimm charged towards him, but he spiralled his Sceptre through his fingers and drove it down into the ground with all his might.
The blast of green energy burned the Grimm into ashes, leaving nothing behind in the wake of his destruction. He lifted his gaze to the Nevermore that dove towards him and the defenceless; he prepared to fight it, only for dark magic to suddenly wrap around its body and crushed it down. Its shrieks echoed across the land, its wings snapped and its beak collapsed into dust. Eventually, it died and disintegrated.
Salem hovered over the humans, eyes glowing red, but she was a saviour. Ozma ascended with her and their hands held together, and the masses bowed before their new gods. In awe of the heroes of immense power that saved them from the monsters.
Oscar and Ruby both stared up at Ozma and Salem, seeing how they were united once… and how the world saw them as gods.
What happened?
Why are things the way they are now?
They were so happy…
The visions passed through the years, showing gorgeous statues of Salem and Ozma, and hundreds, maybe thousands, of people praying to them. And then they saw a land that looked eerily familiar, emerald trees covering the beautiful hills, and blue smoke formed the many buildings, walls and even a gorgeous castle.
"The two amassed a following. That following grew into a prosperous Kingdom…" Jinn narrated, and they all watched as they were brought inside the main castle that overlooked the kingdom they built. Where there was a lovely painting of the two. "And at the head of that kingdom blossomed… a family…" she revealed, and the painting changed, showing four little girls, all with blonde hair.
Salem and Ozma stood with each other, warmly held in each other's embrace as their daughters played. Ozpin glanced at Salem, who stared at her children as they tugged at the skirt of her past self. Salem closed her eyes with grief, but did not look at Ozpin.
"They had everything… everything they ever wanted back in the Old World. A family, freedom… and power… yet it still didn't feel like it was right. Or enough." Jinn explained, as Salem looked down upon the first Seer she ever created, watching her army cutting down people in other towns. A smile formed on her face.
"They created their kingdom… but Salem was never satisfied with their lot in life. And always wanted more… she wanted the entire world. Whilst Ozma was content with what they had created. But she always persuaded him to see her way… but words could not always work. And the cracks showed." Jinn narrated.
"Are we sure this is right?" Ozma questioned.
Salem glanced at him, noticing how Ozma stared out into the distance, seeing the smoke from the nearby battle. "You said we need to bring humanity together… in order to that, we cannot risk anyone capable of resisting us. No matter how big or small they are…" Salem explained, Ozma winced and looked at his reflection, still trying to see things her way.
Then he heard his voice.
"What are we doing?" The old Ozma spoke in the back of his mind.
He gasped, staggering back with wide eyes. He looked at Salem as she smirked, watching the death and destruction… and he knew… it was time.
"This wasn't what he asked of me." Ozma revealed. Her eyes came up, and she stared at him.
"What did you say?"
His eyes met her and he sighed, walking to the end of the room and crossing his arms. "I wasn't honest with you… and I know you haven't been honest with me either, Salem."
Salem walked up to him as he spoke, holding her hands behind her back. "Ozma told Salem everything, the truth about why the God of Light brought him back. The powerful relics scattered across Remnant. And the Day of Judgement he had been told to prepare for."
As Ozma concluded, Salem stared at him and she walked to the window, looking out at the mountains that stretched out for miles. She exhaled through her nose, bowing her head, then opened her eyes as a possibility entered her mind. "These Relics… you mentioned the Relic of Destruction… a weapon powerful enough to cleanse the corruption from Remnant?" She questioned.
"That's what he told me."
Salem laughed softly. "And let me guess… he never told you what caused this, did he?"
"He just told me the source remains." Ozma confirmed. She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath and turned to face him, and she looked at her hand.
"You were right – I have been hiding something from you as well. The Brother of Light lied to you when it comes down to what destroyed our kind. Yes, his Brother destroyed them, but he stood by and let him do it… to punish me."
"You?" Ozma asked.
"I… went to all the kingdoms, and rallied them under the idea that we could slay the gods and take the power. All I wanted was vengeance for what they did to me… to you… but it was meaningless. Because he erased them after I brought them to Light's Domain." She explained. "And… that means that they have realised their error… and left behind a weapon that is powerful enough to kill me." Salem explained.
There it is…
… the Relic of Destruction…
It's the only way.
Ozma's eyes widened, and he stammered. But Salem's eyes widened with inspiration. "Unless…" She gasped. "If they made a weapon capable of killing something immortal… then that means they have inavertly created a weapon that can kill – them."
Pyrrha's eyes widened, and she turned to the Brothers Grimm.
Their fear made sense now.
"Salem? What are you saying?" Ozma questioned.
"Don't you see? Their threats… their demands? Nothing they say matters anymore. Why keep trying to honour the gods who dishonoured us… when we can cut them down and create the paradise they failed to make?" Salem questioned, but Ozma stared back at her.
In the way that asked – who are you?
"We don't know what the consequences of killing a god are, Salem. It could kill everything… or worse. We have to find another way…" Ozma explained.
"You still defend them? After everything they have done?" Salem questioned.
"I don't give a damn about the Brothers Grimm. I care about you, and I care about our daughters and the rest of humanity. I don't want everything to be lost due to… vengeance." Ozma explained. "It's a risk not worth taking."
"If we find the Relics, we can help these people better than we already have. Humans… they are nothing compared to what they once were. And we can do the same for the Faunus. We can create a new civilisation, one where everyone has the powers that they had once. The Relic of Creation can help us create that future." Salem explained. He stared at her as she caressed his cheek, but he pulled himself away.
"And what about the others? The people who already exist?" Ozma questioned. "What about our daughters? They don't possess magical powers."
It was the biggest shock to Ozma, that despite them having magic… their children could not have the same powers.
But Salem knew… that magical power is tied to their souls, not their D.N.A… and being reborn into this world meant they were still the same as any other human.
She stared at him and closed her glowing red eyes and sighed. "Do you truly not comprehend how long I have lived for?"
He raised a brow in confusion. "Ever since you died… ever since the Brothers made me immortal? I walked our world for decades before it was destroyed by Darkness. And then? I lived for thousands of years… alone… and then thousands more as I waited for Humanity and the Faunus to evolve. I have watched millions die… and have watched even more of my children die before you found me." Salem explained. She then opened her eyes and stared at him.
Ozma's eyes were streaming with tears. "No… no…" He stammered, his voice broke. "No, this doesn't make any sense!" He denied, pointing at her. "You love me! You love our daughters, I know you do! I've seen it."
"You have only reincarnated once, Ozma… but in time you will understand what it's like to never truly have an ending. And then you will see the truth. You may still die and reincarnate, but you will watch everyone you love die… over and over again… and continue to live on with their memory in your mind. That's not something I wanted for you… but it seems that you have little choice… just as I had no choice either."
"But to make do with our endless existences, we can ensure that Humankind and Faunuskind and grow to be as powerful as our civilisation once was. We can end world hunger, cure diseases, teach them to use magic that can heal injuries that are fatal to these people. All we have to do… is cull the current generation… and build a new one with the Relic of Creation." Salem explained as she tried to comfort her love.
Ozma tried to contemplate her words, and he turned when he saw the door slightly open to reveal his four daughters listening. "We've already been doing it, Ozma. But with the Relics, we can accomplish our goal more effectively than ever before. All we have to do… is erase the humans as they are… and replace them with their ideal selves." Salem explained. He wiped his tears away and stared at her.
"Who are we to make that choice, Salem? How does this make us any better than the Gods we despise?" He questioned.
"Because we actually want our people to survive. The Gods care more about their balance… a balance they themselves twisted for their own goals." Salem reminded, and Ozma shook his head and turned away, burying his head in his hands.
Then Salem coldly added…
"I wish I could tell you I love our girls… but the truth is… I will sacrifice them at the snap of my fingers if I must." She revealed. The daughters who were listening gasped and Ozma spun around with wide, furious eyes.
"WHAT?" He barked back.
"This is the only way Ozma, the only way to unite Remnant and punish the Brothers." She went to touch his shoulder, but this time, he smacked her hand away.
"Don't touch me!" He argued, but she stared back at him, eyes glowing red.
"Calm down…"
"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! LISTEN TO YOURSELF!" Ozma roared. His eyes glowed as well, and the glass cracked from the magical power amplifying in the room. "What do you think I'm going to do? Go along with this genocidal plan? Let you slaughter my daughters for your selfish desire for revenge? HELL NO! THEY ARE MY GIRLS! THESE ARE MY PEOPLE!" Ozma bellowed.
"The Brothers Grimm betrayed us…"
"I don't give a shit about that anymore! And I don't care if I go through a million reincarnations, I will stand in defence of Remnant and its people, and I won't let you destroy it!" He yelled.
The sky darkened.
"You don't understand what you're saying… and I will not… let you stand in my way." Salem warned. Her eyes glowed brighter. Ozma turned to his daughters and back at Salem, and he clenched his hands into fists.
"I know exactly what I'm saying." He said, holding out his hand and calling The Long Memory to his palm, spinning the Sceptre through his fingers.
Salem closed her eyes and sighed.
"We finally had freedom…"
She clenched her hand into a fist, and Ozma turned to the daughters. "RUN! RUN AS FAR AS YOU CAN, GIRLS!"
Salem smashed her fist directly into Ozma's face, so hard it created a shock wave, and he crashed through a pillar. It collapsed around him and he smacked against the wall, groaning in pain. Salem blasted forward and threw him up in the air, and he smashed into the ceiling. As he dropped back down, she darted up and slammed her fist down into his stomach. He plummeted onto the marble floor, shattering it like glass. He groaned as he tried to get back up, but Salem landed in front of him.
He looked up at her as he pushed his knee into the broken floor. "Do you really think you can stop me?" Salem questioned.
Ruby watched with wide eyes. Ozma snarled, and he swung his fist up towards her, but Salem caught his hand effortlessly. A shock wave erupted, blowing the plates and cutlery off the table. She was always more powerful than he was, but the Tar Pits had just made her that much more powerful. She twisted his arm, and he fell to one knee from the pain. Salem suddenly swung him up in the air and smashed his face down into the floor, and launched him through the windows of their home.
He screamed as he flew off, and Salem watched as he got further away.
It's over…
Red flames ignited from her eyes, and she took off, pursuing her husband. Ozma flipped through the air but used his magic to stay afloat in the air, but Salem immediately collided into him. She punched him in the face, but this time, he grappled onto her, both spinning through the air as they came closer and closer to the ground. "Don't do this! It's not too late!" He begged.
"I'm done waiting, Ozma! The Gods have had their time! But they took ours away!" Salem roared, and she kicked him down into the ground. The impact blasted soil everywhere, and the nearby clashing armies turned as Salem hovered over them all. The enemies gritted their teeth and fired their arrows up at her. She narrowed her glowing red eyes and softly growled.
"Salem! Don't do it!" Ozma begged as he tried to get free from the soil covering him. She looked down at him and then stared at the archers. The arrows all came down around them, and Ozma raised his hands, creating a magical barrier to defend himself, but Salem just let all the arrows hit her. Her body was prickled with arrows sticking out of her body, and she bit down onto one that went through her cheek, spitting the remains out.
"My turn." Salem smirked, finally embracing the desire for destruction the Tar Pits gave her. She created a single pulse of powerful energy that burned the arrows to dust, and she shot towards the enemies.
She swung her fist through them, killing ten of them in a single strike, and then blasted fire from her hands, burning the men and women alive. They shrieked in intense pain as their armour melted and their skin bubbled from the heat. "No!" Ozma yelled, closing the barrier and he broke free from the rubble, and blasted towards Salem.
She slaughtered them, ten at a time, effortlessly with her extremely powerful magic. She then formed a spear made from magical energy and launched the black and red weapon towards one of the knights who served their Kingdom. He immediately turned and grabbed the man, saving him from Salem. "M-My lord? What is she doing?" He stammered, but Salem appeared behind him.
"Salem… don't!" He begged.
"Why not?" Salem shrugged, suddenly beheading him with a sword she picked up. Blood sprayed across the floor. Ozma's eyes were wide with horror.
"No!" He screamed, grabbing the corpse as he collapsed.
"Where was I?" she mumbled. "Ah yes."
She floated above them and closed her red eyes and held out her hands, forming two giant red signs that formed into portals. Ozma watched in horror as an enormous swarm of Grimm came sprinting through from Evernight. Both sides of the armour howled in terror and agony as countless variants of horrifying Grimm ripped them all to pieces, splattering blood everywhere.
Salem descended before Ozma, and he stared at her in absolute horror. "W-What have you done? ALL THESE PEOPLE? YOU'VE KILLED THEM ALL!"
"You were a Knight. I thought you were used to seeing death." She scoffed.
"Only to those who were deserving!" Ozma argued.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… you disappoint me, my dear Ozma. Did seeing these pawns die disturb you? Well, let's see how you feel after you see this!" Salem yelled, punching Ozma in the face so hard it sent him flying. She then flew towards him and grabbed him by the throat. He looked at her and his eyes widened, realising she was bringing him back to their Kingdom. She then launched him directly into the church tower of their castle, sending him crashing straight through it. He plummeted out the other side but was still moving at the same speed, smashing into the road of the markets.
Where there were so many people…
The impact blasted debris everywhere, killing so many people. He drove his Sceptre down into the floor and his eyes widened when he finally came to a stop. Seeing just how many people just got killed. Blood was splattered everywhere, and guts too, from people who were smashed to pieces by the incoming debris. His eyes widened in horror at what he was looking at. It made him feel sick.
But before he could even think about all these dead people, he saw the Steeple collapse towards the square as well, and a large group of people were there. He went to fly forward but suddenly red glyphs formed behind him, lunging Grimm Arms forward, which grappled onto his limbs and held him back. "No! Salem!" Ozma begged. "I need to help them!"
"No…" Salem commanded, hovering above him.
She landed beside him and held him by the chin, forcing him to watch. "Maybe now… you will listen." Salem snarled, and he helplessly watched as the tower came crashing down onto the poor people who tried to flee. It was only now that he saw how much blood had covered his body, and the arms released him. When the dust cleared, he saw so much blood… the entire square seemed to slosh with blood from all the dead.
And now the Grimm came pouring in, and he heard all the people shrieking in agony and terror as the Grimm fed on his people. The shadow of Salem loomed over and tears poured down his cheeks. She walked down the rubble towards him. "These people… are meaningless… powerless! They are less than ants without us." Salem stated, walking towards him, and crushing the skull of a suffering man beneath her heel.
Ozma jolted from seeing her kill yet another person so effortlessly.
"H-How could you do this?"
"This was your fault, Ozma. Your stubbornness to accept the truth is killing these people. I mean… how many more need to die, Ozma? The choice is yours? I can do this all day." Salem assured, with blood splattered across her right cheek. "And what were they doing with their short-lived… powerless lives… anyway? Stop lying to yourself and wake up, Ozma! You know in your heart that I'm right! The only way for Remnant to go forward is by replacing them!"
"Right? How is any of this right? How can you stand there and tell me that our daughter's lives mean nothing to you? I know you're lying! I saw your face when each of them was born! You were happy! You loved them unconditionally!" He argued. Salem stared down at him and sighed.
"I did… for a time… because I thought they were like us… finally. All my life, all the partners I had… every single child was just one more powerless human. I had hoped that with you… maybe an actual human could be born. But they're nothing… meaningless…" Salem growled.
Ozma cried. "How can you say those things? How can you say that about them?"
His hands closed into fists, and his sorrow turned into rage. He gritted his teeth and stared up at her, creating a powerful pulse of green magic that launched the rubble everywhere, knocking Salem back a few steps. "LIAR!" Ozma roared, jumping towards her, and he finally unleashed his fury. He threw punch after punch into her face, knocking her back with every single blow he made. He roared and punched downwards against her brow, forcing her down to her knee.
She gritted her teeth and her eyes shone red.
He went to ram his Sceptre down the back of her neck, but this time she caught him by the forearm. "For the first time since you found me… I am telling you the truth!" Salem roared, blasting a beam of magic into his chest, throwing him through the walls of his kingdom. His aura broke away from the blast and he slid across the floor in pain. Turning to see the hordes of Grimm that fed on that army clambering over the destroyed walls with ease, to enjoy the feeding frenzy on his people inside.
Salem slammed into Ozma again, and she flew up into the air and held him by the throat. "You aren't listening to me, Ozma! Our time together has been a speck in my life… I am not that sad girl trapped in a tower you once knew." She stared right into his eyes. "I will burn Remnant down… I will watch as every soul begs for mercy as they die in pain… I will do whatever it takes to get those Relics and kill the Brothers. Whatever the consequences are." Salem snarled. "This… is your last chance…"
The Brother of Light's words now made perfect sense…
Where you seek comfort, you will only find pain…
Ozma glared back at her and he yelled with fury, punching Salem in the face with all his might, but it did nothing.
She sighed. "Fine."
She launched around and threw him into the side of the castle, breaking his back and causing him to smash down against the floor. He groaned, coughing up blood as Salem landed in front of him. She kicked him up in the face and punched him against the wall. "Had enough yet?" She asked.
"I… will… stop you…" He choked, blood pouring from his broken nose.
Salem growled and hit him again, knocking back against the wall so hard that the cobblestones dropped out around him. He vomited blood onto the floor as Salem stood above him. "You're doing this for nothing! Replacing mankind will make Remnant stronger and better than it ever was. Better than it is now and better than before! And killing the Gods will keep us safe."
Ozma wheezed, unable to move his legs now, but still staring back at her. "And… what if killing them… destroys us all?" Ozma questioned.
"Then you and I can finally rest peacefully instead of this endless existence!" Salem yelled back.
Ozma coughed and weakly raised his fists despite being unable to use his legs. But she punched him even harder this time, splattering more blood on the floor. She laughed at him as she pressed her knees into his pelvis. "You want to die repeatedly for these people? Fine! I can always find the Relics on my own! Find other followers!" Salem snarled, and she started to brutally beat him to death with her fists.
Over and over she punched him, smashing out his teeth, causing his brain to swell from the heavy beating, and covering the floor in his blood… and her hands. The hatred on her face was one of the last things the Farmer saw before his eyes swelled so bad he couldn't see through all the blood covering his face.
Until…
Salem paused… seeing a flashing image in her mind that stopped her.
It was Ozma…
The original Ozma, the man she truly loved with all her heart. Before her dealings with the Brothers Grimm, before she became immortal… before Darkness wiped her people from existence.
She saw him in her arms, the first time she lost him, and his loving smile. And when she blinked… she saw what she had just done to him. He was dying. There was no saving him now… but she still could not bring herself to strike again. "No…" Salem growled, and she fell onto the floor beside him, staring up at the darkening sky as night fell. She listened to Ozma's suffering, to his choked laboured breaths as he tried to breathe through a collapsed lung filling with blood. Spluttering blood with every exhale.
Salem stood back up and looked down at him, and looked away, closing her eyes. Then she growled, gritting her teeth, and stared back down at him. "OPEN YOUR GODDAMN EYES, OZMA! You're defending these people to live in an existence of fear and suffering! Replacing them will save them all from any fear! No matter how hard you try, you will always fail! What reason do you have to go on fighting for a cause you know is doomed to fail?" She yelled.
Ozma choked weakly, and she sighed. "What has the Brother of Light ever done for you to fight his battles?"
"You… Salem… he brought me back… to you…" He answered.
Salem stared at him, then her eyes widened, and his words cut deeper than any blade could. She squeezed her eyes shut and stood tall, looking at her palms. Covered in the blood of the very man she fought so hard to bring back from death… and she now had just beaten him near to death. "Salem…" He wheezed. She gasped and her eyes widened as she looked at him.
She then forced her internal grief down, and stared up at the moon, then blasted up into the air, leaving him behind. She landed upon the peak of the nearby mountain, tears streaming from her eyes, and she held out her hands. "Goodbye… Ozma…"
Her eyes ignited, and she held her arms together over her chest.
And she forced them apart, creating the same blast that she did at Evernight thousands of years ago to save Ozma. And now she did it again… to spare him his suffering… and burn away the life they always wanted to build.
Ozma stared at the peak as the bright wall of fire came closer and closer, burning away buildings, blowing the kingdom apart. The corpses were burned to ash, and the flags were reduced to nothing at all. Ruby and Pyrrha watched in shock as they saw the same formations they fought on together when they first met at the Emerald Forest against that Nevermore be created by her destruction.
The Emerald Forest…
… that was their home…
Ozma closed his eyes weakly as the flames finally reached him, burning his body away, and removing their Kingdom from existence. When the powerful magic finally erased their home, leaving only a smouldering ruin behind, Salem looked down upon her works, sobbing at what she has done.
She collapsed to her knees and buried her head in her hands.
It was over…
… everything they had…
… gone forever.
"Thus began a long and painful cycle of death and rebirth for Ozma." Jinn's voice was welcoming after witnessing the horror of that tragedy. Oscar watched as he saw the many reincarnations he saw shambling across a graveyard of unfamiliar names. He saw all the faces he spoke with in his dream.
The Hermit, the Drunkard, the Settler, the Wanderer… and finally… Ozpin himself.
"Some lives were spent in mourning. Many were spent attempting to forget it all. But no matter what, his mind always would turn back to the task the Brother of Light bestowed upon him." Jinn explained.
"All would follow their task… with honour… and dignity…"
Then she paused.
"Well… all except… for one."
Oscar looked around, though. All the versions of Ozma looked at him, and then he turned when he saw the darkened clouds. Just like last time, except this time everyone could see him too. "Him again…" Oscar gasped.
It was the Man that the previous Incarnations of Ozma refused to speak of. The one that the Wanderer tried to aid, and the one that came before Ozpin.
Ozpin cushioned Oscar's shoulder and tried to turn him away. "Forget about him." Ozpin requested.
"No… I need to know now." Oscar said, and he saw Salem stare at the man with hatred in her eyes. She never stared that way at Ozpin, not like that… this was different. "Who is he?"
Ruby stared at what the man was standing on… there was a dying Beowulf and a woman with a hood up and an axe pressed down against the floor. And he stood at the top… with a familiar sword.
"It's… the Fountain… at Beacon." Ruby realised, eyes wide as she stared at it.
Cinder, Pyrrha, and Penny both stared at the man as well, whilst Oscar looked back at Ozpin and the others. "I need to know… who is he? Why won't you tell me his name?"
"That man… look Oscar… who we are? The combination of souls that started with Ozma? We all made a promise – to protect the people of Remnant from Salem, to make sure you and everyone else in the world can live safe, free and happy. But we never control our hosts, we simply guide them and hope they follow the path of kindness and honour." Ozpin explained, and he turned to the man who refused to face them.
"He's the one who broke that promise." The Wanderer said, with disappointment in his voice.
Ozpin closed his eyes with regret.
"He… is our greatest regret…"
The man slowly turned around to face them.
"His name…"
He turned and stared at Oscar, with glowing purple eyes and clad in impressive armour. He smirked sinisterly at them, holding a sword in his other hand. "… is Thaddeus Rex… Arc."
Author Note - ENTER THADDEUS REX ARC
I imagine all of you have probably noticed a specifically familiar detail with him, maybe two actually. The big one being that he is the same man that Jaune looked up to and always wanted to be like - The King of Vale - the man on the statue at Vale. But of course he never realised that he was a bloody relative of the man!
And in the next - and final - part of the Lost Fable - you will see why he is viewed so poorly by Ozpin and his previous incarnations...
God what a chapter. For the most part it was very similar to the canon version but man writing that last part was so much fun. Those of you who can see where I drew inspiration may definitely enjoy that :) I wanted to always show the fight those two had (I always understood why we never saw it in canon, hence why I like to take it upon myself to show how it all went down). Got pretty emotional at the end too.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the final part of the Lost Fable!
- Matt