Chapter 31 – The Lost Fable – Pt. 3
Ozma
"In his earlier lives, it was filled with his grief, and thus he joined with the souls who felt such grief as well. But one day… the old man who lived alone in a shack, who wanted to die… something beautiful happened." She revealed.
Pyrrha stared at the house on the hill, and her eyes widened. This felt extremely familiar as she walked up the steps. She pressed her hand on the wooden door, and she looked through the window. He was just sat in his chair, clad in an old cloak, a long grey beard and with straggly white hair. From here she could see the pain that was in him, but he lifted his head when he heard a knock on the door.
"Leave me be!" the old man begged, but it was not out of malice, but more like he was begging them to go.
Pyrrha turned, and she gasped at who stood at the door.
Four Beautiful Maidens, and as she stood beside them… she realised it the second he opened the door.
"Please! Just leave me…" The old man stopped when he saw the four beautiful girls.
All of them… blonde hair… and with his eyes, and not hers.
They looked just like Salem.
It was his daughters…
"It's you… isn't it?" The daughter asked with wide eyes.
Penny smiled gently. "Their children survived the fall of their home. It wasn't for nothing."
"It's true. His sacrifice to protect his daughters was not in vain, and after two decades, they found him. And the second they saw the old man, they knew that inside their father was inside. And to his shock…"
As he spoke with his girls… they all closed their eyes… and fire ignited from them when they opened, and magic swirled from their palms.
"Ozma realised that Salem's hatred for her daughters was completely unjustified, whether or not it was true, for they actually had been gifted with the magical powers of their mother and father. They became the Original Maidens, and their powers appeared to be linked to the seasons of their birth, just as it was for the Humans of Old. And each daughter was born in their own season. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall."
Ozma smiled, and tears streamed from his eyes as the four girls wrapped their arms around him.
"This was the moment that Ozma could not be a recluse anymore. He had a duty to this world, and he had to carry it out. And perhaps… he would not be alone…"
They watched as the old man passed, and his daughters found the next incarnation, a man Oscar did not recognise. And together they carried out his work. "But as each life passed, he eventually watched his daughters fade away as well, knowing he would continue to live on. But his daughters knew their ends would come… and used their magic to ensure their power would continue to live on, even for those who did not share their blood. The rule was simple – The Powers would only pass to a young woman who was in their final thoughts. An intimate, but clever rule, ensuring it could never fall into the wrong hands."
The blue smoke shifted, revealing his next incarnation. "But watching his beautiful girls grow old and die, whilst he would continue to live on? It hurt. Yes, he got to experience the beauty of watching his girls live their full lives, have children of their own, and die peacefully. But now he was alone again… and found solace in a bottle." This man was one Oscar recognise – the Drunkard.
"This… was the fate of Ozma… and only now did he truly understand what Salem meant. He would live forever, reincarnating again and again… losing everyone he would ever love and care for. Again… and again… and again…"
"Reincarnation… after reincarnation…"
Jinn's words filled the void, and Ruby felt confusion enter her mind.
Why are we still here? She's told us how to kill Salem… what more is there to know?
Then she saw Oscar watching as he saw the many reincarnations of Ozma walking through the memory. It was like his surroundings were being fast forward through a time lapse, showing how entire towns became cities, and those cities eventually fell. Either to Grimm, or from other warring tribes. He saw so many people. "Men, and women… and all of them were from completely different walks of life. But all eventually would see things the same way as Ozma. Because of course, everyone wants to have a greater purpose than what they once were…"
Oscar shuddered. He felt those words echo in him.
I've always wanted to be something more than a farmhand… but this? Who would ask for this?
Everyone wanted to be a hero, to be remembered.
And so many felt like they could change the world for the better.
"But this was not some form of corruption or magic. This was simply Ozma guiding them. All these different people that he inhabited were different to him. They carried his memories and even some of his preferences and feelings. But all their choices were their own, and they were all their own people with their own lives. Some lives, Ozma enjoyed the peaceful nature some lived. And others wanted the adventure." Jinn explained, but as the surroundings crept closer and closer to their time.
He watched as every single incarnation of Ozma walked through the street. Everyone saw the fires of war rage around him.
"And as the Kingdoms were forged… something else… something much darker began." Jinn explained. "Salem and Ozma battled for thousands of years, Ozma trying to fulfil his promise to the Brother of Light, and Salem wanting to summon the Brothers Grimm back to this world so she could kill them. And claim this world as her own. But this? This was a conflict that had nothing to do with their thousands of years of battling. This… was Mankind's Creation."
They reached the Wanderer, who had cuts, bruises and blood on his face with The Long Memory in his grasp. Oscar witnessed his last moments as a Vacuo Mongrel roared with fury in the burning ruins of a city, bringing his axe down towards his head.
"The Great War…"
It all went dark when the axe cleaved the Wanderer's head off his head. "… and thus… came the darkest memory from both Salem and Ozma's conflict. A memory known as Thaddeus Rex Arc."
Thaddeus
Darkness…
That was all they saw at first. There was nothing. But then they came to, and saw the young man awakening on his bed, eyes wide. Pyrrha looked at him with shock, or even whiplash. Because he was a spitting image of Jaune, from his hair to his eyes… his face… Jaune was literally identical to his ancestor. Cinder looked at Pyrrha and saw the tears in her eyes. She reached out for him but flinched.
Despite how much he looked like the man she loved with all her heart, she could tell just by looking at how he acted that this was not him. It's funny, you could show her an exact replica of his body, but from the smallest mannerisms, it would be enough for her to know that it was not him. Thaddeus sat upright, rubbing the side of his head, and he stood up.
"Thaddeus Rex Arc – born from a family of Knights who served the Valerian Guard. The Great War had been raging on for many, many years at this point. And mankind – Humans and Faunus alike – were facing a grim future. One that could lead to the total extinction of their civilisation. Neither Kingdom were standing down, and more people were dying than could be replaced." Jinn explained.
Thaddeus approached his window, and he narrowed his blue eyes, staring out at the smoke in the distance where a bloody battle was raging.
"The Great War, endless bloodshed between the Four Kingdoms, that lasted for a thousand years. And what was the goal? For there to be only one Kingdom to rule the world."
Thaddeus bowed his head and clenched his hand into a fist. "This war needs to end…"
He even sounded just like Jaune.
Pyrrha looked at Thaddeus. What started out as grief due to how much he looked like the man she loved with all her heart… now became a combination of curiosity and concern.
This is the man Jaune aspired to be like… all those times I saw him stood in front of his statue…
… yet Jinn, Salem and Ozpin talk of him like he is a monster…
… what did this man do?
Thaddeus gasped, turning when his door burst open and his mother stormed in. The young man shrunk and backed up, only for his mother to strike him across the face. He cried out in pain, and she grabbed him by the collar and forced him against the wall. "Get outside. Now." She snarled.
"Life was hard for Thaddeus as a child. His father was a knight, and was killed in a battle not long before he was born. Leaving him with his extremely cruel and abusive mother. All he wanted was to become something more than what he was. But there was… so much anger in his heart…"
They watched as his mother forced her son to undergo intense training with the Knights, who took joy in beating him to strengthen him. Cutting him with their swords to make him understand pain better. The Valerian Knights needed more warriors, and in this desperate time of war with the Vacuo Mongrels overwhelming every fortification they had with their numbers, the savagery of the Pagan Atlesians who sailed the seas and the skill of the Nikialos Spartans of Mistral and the Immortals of those lands?
The people of Vale were facing annihilation.
"Despite how hard they forced him to fight, he was never enough. After one day of training, his mother hit him over the head so hard it nearly killed him. He laid on his bed with his wound… and that was when his voice finally entered his mind."
"Hello – My name is Ozymandias!" His voice scared the young man, and he rolled out of bed, panting.
As Thaddeus pushed himself up to his feet, he noticed the pain in his head was gone. He looked at his palms, noticing the golden glow that shone across his body.
"Huh?" Thaddeus gasped.
He turned and saw him – the Wanderer Incarnation of Ozma.
"Ozymandias… So that's the Wanderer's name…" Oscar mumbled.
"Where did you come from? What are you doing in my room?" He screamed, throwing his book at the man, only for it to pass straight through him. The Wanderer chuckled, holding his hands behind his back.
"Yeah, sorry… I'm still not very good at introducing myself without scaring the new host. I really should work on that. Although… this is a first… I am very sorry for the world you are living in right now." The Wanderer explained.
"Uh…" Thaddeus fumbled.
"You can just call me Oz. It's easier. Trust me. And no, you are not going crazy… we have heard it so many times. I said the same thing when I first experienced this whole scenario." Ozymandias explained.
Thaddeus rubbed the side of his head. "Are… are you the one who made me feel better?"
"That's right… your mother struck you? Judging by your memories… this happens a lot. I'm very sorry… but perhaps it doesn't have to stay that way? I can help you… teach you to become the warrior you dream of being every night. All we have to do… is work together." Ozymandias explained, outstretching his hand to Thaddeus.
The young man's eyes darted around as he pondered the voice in his head… then he smiled and nodded.
"And thus… it began…"
They watched as the blue smoke formed moment after moment, as Thaddeus became faster and stronger, even becoming more effective in combat than his trainers. He parried and batted aside their swords, knocking them away, one by one, and by the end of the year, he had become better than all of them.
He had grown taller and stronger, and Ozymandias smiled at his new partner – proud to see he can continue to help people become who they want to be. He stood in the training yard and saw a stunning young woman, the same age as he was, with flowing locks of golden, and she smiled sweetly at him.
"Day after day, week after week, and year after year… Ozma helped teach the boy how to become stronger. And his growing skill attracted eyes."
He laid on his bed, thinking of the girl. "That… that was Princess Delilah…" Thaddeus gasped.
"Oh?" Ozymandias asked him.
"Definitely! She's… she's so beautiful." He was so flustered at the mere thought of the Princess of Vale looking his way. He had seen her before, but she always was so busy being a Princess that he assumed she never even knew he existed.
"The Princess of Valerian Monarchy… how splendid." Ozymandias chuckled.
Pyrrha looked at the young man as he thought about her, and she sat down on the bed beside him as he imagined her. "I've noticed her looking at you now and then, wandering down to these streets where you train. You should speak to her."
"What? No… no… she won't be there again. It was just by chance. She's a busy lady." He shrugged.
"Hmm… care to wager on that?" Ozymandias challenged, Thaddeus raised a brow.
The next morning appeared as he trained, striking every knight down the second they made an attack, not wearing his shirt in this exercise to test his actual skill. The Valerian Knights wanted to truly test his skill, and see if he was not becoming confident in that armour he was wearing. Yet despite that, Ozymandias' teachings were helping him in more ways than he could have ever imagined.
He launched one Knight across the floor with a single strike, his teeth gritted and sweat trickling off his abs and pecks. He blew out a breath and let the guards lick their bruises. He leant the sword against the wall, noticing Ozymandias leant against the wall with a smirk. "What?" Thaddeus huffed. Ozymandias just continued to smirk before vanishing.
Light clapping emerged behind him and he turned around to see none other than Delilah, looking as jaw-droppingly gorgeous as ever. She wore a white and gold dress – like always – and had a circlet of gold over her forehead, marking her status as Princess of Vale. "Oh, my… uh… h-hi… y-your grace!" He fumbled as he tried to steady himself, picking up his shirt and covering his sweaty body.
That she was definitely checking out.
She giggled softly with a bright smile on her face. "It's okay, Thaddeus."
"Y-You know my name?" He stammered.
"Of course. We've never spoken in person, but… well… you've always kinda caught my eye for a long time. Ever since I was… nine, I think." She admitted.
He felt like he was going to faint.
She… has been noticing me for this long?
"Oh… I… wow…" He stammered.
"You're a pretty nervous guy, huh?" She giggled.
"Um… y-yeah, sorry…" He apologised.
"It's okay, it's really cute." She admitted.
CUTE?
She walked up to him and continued to smile. "You wanna go get something to eat?"
The blue smoke wiped across their vision, showing the two spending more time together. "Thaddeus Rex Arc, and Delilah Vivecca. A boy from the streets and the Princess. A pair none ever expected, but a bond that formed immediately." Jinn described.
As the weeks turned to months and months turned to years, they watched as their love blossomed. The two shared their first kiss together on the balcony, the first night they slept together, and many others. "At first their love together was shared in secret, but in time her father learned. But the King of Vale saw the effectiveness of her lover and saw a great warrior. But he did not know yet if he was worthy to become the new Prince… so he let them continue their loving relationship. And even began working towards getting him out of his home… but it was not fast enough."
The vision showed Thaddeus; he was older now, in his early twenties. He had his bags packed, ready to move into his new home with Delilah in the castle of Arcadia. The door burst open, and he saw his mother staring at him, fist clenched, and stinking of liquor. "You dare… after everything I have done for you?" She roared.
"Mother, back off." He snarled, standing tall, with Ozymandias watching behind him.
"You think you can just leave? Leave your mother? I have given everything for you and you just up and abandon me?" She screeched. It was only then Thaddeus saw the Knife in her grip.
"Don't do this." He warned.
"I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING!" she roared.
"All you ever gave me was pain! Delilah is the only thing that has ever made me happy!" Thaddeus roared back.
"You ungrateful little bastard! You're the reason this family is falling apart!" She shrieked, and in a drunken rage, she swung her cooking knife at him. He stepped back and caught her wrist, twisting so hard that the bone snapped, forcing her to drop the knife.
"Thaddeus no!" Ozymandias yelled, but it was too late, for he caught the knife and rammed it straight through his mother's throat. She choked on the blood as he forced her down to the ground. He roared in fury and repeatedly stabbed her repeatedly in her bosom. Blood splattered across his hands and shirt and onto his cheek as he howled with anger, built up from all the years of torment.
Until his eyes flashed gold, and his muscles stopped, and Ozymandias took control.
Thaddeus stood up, controlled by Ozymandias, and he stared at the blood on his hands, looking down at the corpse of his mother.
"Thaddeus… what have you done?"
Ozymandias released Thaddeus and let him resume control over his own body. He stared at his hands, feeling his mother's warm blood all over him. Looking over her lifeless body. "Have you nothing to say?"
"You expect me to feel something for her? You know what she did to me…" Thaddeus' response already alarmed him.
"I… I know… and I understand where you're coming from. Your mother was a cruel woman, but you murdered her. What you did was not out of self defence, you could have stopped it before it got worse… and I felt your joy from that." Ozymandias explained. "Do you think that made you feel strong?"
"Felt pretty strong to me." He answered.
"Hmm… no… no, this is not good. We're going to have to work on this." Ozymandias stated.
"What the hell are you talking about? You've seen my memories! You know what she did to me for all that time… how can you defend her?" he questioned, turning around to face him.
"This is not about her. It's about you." He explained, pointing his finger at his chest. "You are talking about murdering her like it made you feel strong. Like it made you feel better about yourself… such a way of thinking is extremely dangerous. Believe me… I've seen what happens to those who think killing people they deem deserving can become."
Thaddeus narrowed his eyes and sat down on the edge of his bed, and rested his arms down on his legs. "Go… go clean yourself up. And be ready to face the consequences for your actions." He explained.
Thaddeus sighed, standing up and walking past his mother without a second look.
Ruby stood by the dead mother with Cinder. The Fall Maiden looked at Thaddeus and sighed. "I know how he feels." She admitted, walking away. The blue smoke passed over the vision, and Ozpin walked around the old incarnation of himself, looking at him on his knees before the King.
"Thaddeus faced a trial for the murder of his mother and was ready to face the end. But the King of Vale – Cedric Acelin – the Father of Delilah Acelin, had other ideas." Jinn explained, and they saw the king sat atop his throne with his daughter stood beside him. With no queen, Delilah was soon to become the new leader of this Kingdom when Cedric fell. The vision showed Thaddeus now in a cell, locked away in the dungeon beneath Arcadia, alongside thirteen other men and women, all cells of their own for other atrocities.
"In this time, Thaddeus experienced memories that were not his own, and Ozymandias saw it was time to explain the truth to him. Of why they were bound, about Salem, magic, the Maidens and the Relics… and that they must unite all of Mankind together before summoning the Gods back to this world. As you could imagine, this was a lot for him to take in… but… Thaddeus just felt ashamed. Knowing he was now just a wasted incarnation for Ozma, now he was going to die. Of course, Ozymandias didn't intend to let him die. It was the one promise he always made – that he would always protect his hosts."
They watched as weeks passed by, and Thaddeus just sat there, closing his eyes, waiting.
"Sat in his cell, Thaddeus waited for the order, for the day that his head would be cut from his shoulders."
"So you must understand Rex's surprise when he saw not just his beloved Delilah come visit him… but also the King himself." Jinn stated, and Thaddeus lifted his head to see the Monarch of Vale stood outside his door.
"The people wish to have your life be taken from you, and your corpse paraded through the Kingdom. Such is the punishment for Matricides and Patricides, especially of noble blood like your mother… but ultimately the terms of your execution are up to me." Cedric explained with an ambitious smirk on his face. Thaddeus glanced at Delilah, seeing the worried look in her eyes as she clutched as her bosom.
"So… tar and feathering, then? Hanged Drawn and Quartered? Make a good show?" Thaddeus assumed, which made Cedric chuckle.
"Oh, no… no… your life is too valuable to be wasted so needlessly. And I do not see you to be a criminal. Your mother was a coward who refused to learn the sword, refused to fight for her Kingdom in these trying times. But you? You have incredible skill, and my daughter's love for you is easy for me to notice. I am in need of elite warriors, people who are not afraid of death or of spilling blood… hence why I specifically had you locked away in here." Cedric explained. He then turned to the thirteen other inmates in this prison.
"Do you know who these men and women are? What they did?" He asked the young man.
"No…" Thaddeus answered.
"Killers, men and women who slaughtered innocents in droves for their own sick desire." He stated. "I am running low on Knights, and we are on the losing front. The Vacuan Mongrels are currently focusing their efforts on Mistral, but the Atlesian Pagans will soon reach our Kingdom. Let the Immortals test themselves against the Spartans and the Mongrels – but I need something to match their strength. These Thirteen Killers will serve under your command, and you will help me win this war against the Pagans from the Frozen North." Cedric explained.
"How do you expect me to lead people who will stab me in the back?" Thaddeus questioned.
"You give them plenty of people to kill. They will follow you. That I can promise… it's the only thing that they have left that is useful to me. Become my sword, help me protect our Kingdom from the Northern Savages." Cedric offered.
Thaddeus looked at his hands, and he closed them into fists and smiled.
"I accept."
Blue smoke passed over the memory, and they watched as Thaddeus walked, clad in armour and with a lethal sword. He cut down Atlesian Pagan after Atlesian Pagan. His Thirteen Knights laughed maniacally as they battled with him, smothering themselves in the blood of their enemies. And he, too, enjoyed the mayhem, listening to the screams of battle. And with every battle, he became more and more smothered in their blood.
And as the battles raged, he already learned the magical powers he had at his disposal thanks to his connection to Ozma. But in one memory they saw Thaddeus burning an Atlesian Pagan alive with fire magic, grinning as he listened to his dying wails. Ozymandias watched him with disgust…
We do not enjoy killing people…
… we're supposed to protect and help them…
"Thaddeus quickly rose through the ranks of Cedric's Guard, becoming his General in a brief time. Ozymandias never enjoyed spilling blood, but he knew that this was war, kill or be killed. These Atlesian Pagans who invaded their land came to pillage and burn and claim what was theirs. No… what frightened Ozymandias… was that Thaddeus enjoyed it… far too much."
As the battles raged on, and on, and on… he faced more enemies than just the Atlesian Pagans.
"The Great War raged on for many more years, and both the Vacuo Mongrels and Mistraalian Immortals found their way to their shores once more. But they all knew of the name Thaddeus Rex. And it was a name that even the fearless Mongrels were intimidated by, because of his savagery."
Pyrrha's eyes widened as she watched how much war was turning Thaddeus into a brutal monster, purposefully making his enemies suffer in pain.
The memory showed Thaddeus returning to the Kingdom, scars adorned his face and King Cedric had grown much older as he sat upon his throne. But even dear Delilah looked afraid of her own husband. "You have led our armies with great honour and distinction… and thanks to your efforts, you have earned respite. Take some time to rest, Lord Thaddeus. You have earned it." Cedric informed.
That night, Thaddeus awoke in his bed with Delilah laid beside him. He sat upright and his fingers twitched. He looked over to Ozymandias, who stared at him, and he sighed, closing his eyes. Thaddeus got up and walked out to the balcony, looking over at the great Kingdom of Vale. He rested his hands against the railing, feeling the cold air brush across his scarred chest. He turned to Ozymandias beside him, who just stared out at the land.
"What?" Thaddeus questioned.
Ozymandias just shakes his head. "Despite all my lessons, you refuse to heed them… you just continue to take pleasure in killing people. That is not our mission here. You once told me that you agreed to help me complete my mission." Ozymandias explained.
"We are – when this war is over, mankind will be united. Just as you need them to be." Thaddeus assured.
"Not… like this. The way things are going, there will be nobody left." Ozymandias explained. "The path to unity is not one paved in the blood of our enemies, but held together by the hands of our allies."
"We have no allies. The Kingdoms are all against us, and the Grimm are always biting at our heels. We have to do what we must until the war ends… but… you're right." Thaddeus admitted. "I haven't been holding my end of the bargain… perhaps we can kill two birds with one stone?"
"How do you mean?" Ozymandias asked.
"We find the Relics… we can use them to end the war… unite everyone." Thaddeus explained. "And then we can hunt down Salem and kill her with Destruction… everyone will be happy."
Ozymandias stared at him… the trust was fading.
"Only if we do it the right way. We will not hurt innocents… and we never enjoy killing people. There are enough monsters in the world doing this." Ozymandias begged, and Thaddeus just smirked.
"I will do what I must…"
"Thaddeus?" The soft and loving voice of dear Delilah cooed. "What are you doing out here?" She asked him, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his chest, gently resting her head on his shoulder.
"Just… getting some fresh air… thinking…"
Blue smoke continued the memory onward. "Thaddeus sought out the Relics, but he needed eyes everywhere. Ozymandias had spoken with me once before and knew of their locations, but his first target – the Relic of Choice – hid in a ruin occupied by Mistraalian Immortals. A large army of their warriors, yet they did not know the ancient Relic was buried there." Jinn narrated. "Not even Thaddeus and his Thirteen Knights could best the Immortals when there were that many of them. He needed an army… and the Crown could give him such an army."
They watched as Thaddeus bowed before King Cedric, begging him for an army to take the fortress, all while careful not to mention the Relic being there. "But because the King saw no real benefit to securing a ruin, Thaddeus could not retrieve the army he needed… and anger swelled in his heart."
"Don't do this." Ozymandias begged.
"Quiet, Oz… we need that army… and I will get us into that old Ruin. No matter what." Thaddeus explained as he drew a sword and walked through the halls of the Palace. Ozymandias' spirit tried to keep up with him.
"There are other ways, we do not have to spill unnecessary blood." Ozymandias stated, desperately trying to stop Thaddeus from straying to the path of darkness.
"I'm not doing this your way… I am finishing this. You've never had the stomach to do what needed to be done. I do." Thaddeus walked straight through Ozymandias and approached the cell door, opening it.
Inside was an Immortal that they captured, who was trying to spy on the King. He threw the sword at him and smirked. "You came to kill our King… let me help you…"
Ruby's eyes widened, and they watched as Thaddeus helped the Immortal he freed to get to the King's Chambers.
"Where are the guards?" The Immortal asked, noticing the King's chambers were completely unprotected.
"The dogs were hungry… thought they'd make good meals." Thaddeus coldly shrugged.
"Brothers… you really don't mess around…" The Immortal shuddered. They opened the door to see the King stood at his window, looking at his Kingdom with a proud smile.
The Immortal approached with the sword that Thaddeus gave him, but then Thaddeus shoved the Immortal aside and swung his sword through the neck of King Cedric as he turned around to ask what he was doing there. Blood splattered over his face, and a sadistic grin marked his face. The King collapsed to the ground, and his crown bounced across the floor.
"What the hell?" The Immortal questioned. "Why bring me here if you were going to kill him yourself?"
Thaddeus did not answer. He just turned and smirked sinisterly. He suddenly sprinted at him and rammed his sword into the Immortal's chest. He shrieked in immense pain, and Thaddeus roared with fake fury. "MURDERER! YOU MURDERED OUR KING!" Thaddeus bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"Argh! What are you…" The Immortal spluttered, choking on his blood. He twisted the blade, creating a horrific crunch. He gasped for air, but Thaddeus smirked and cut down and to the side, disembowelling him, making him shriek, and then ended him with a swing across his throat. He choked on his own blood before he died.
Knights barged into the room and they gasped, seeing what happened. "The Immortals… sent an assassin! Where the hell were his guards?" He bellowed.
"T-They were on post. I know they were!" One of the Knights stammered. He stood up and wiped the blood off his face.
"Well, fat lot of good they served! The King is dead… and by the hand of the Immortals." Thaddeus clenched his hand into a fist, sensing the disgust inside him by Ozymandias. He could feel the spirit's judgements on him.
"FATHER!" Delilah cried out. She ran into the room and collapsed to her knees in front of his corpse. Thaddeus gently put his arms around her as she sobbed into his shoulder. Thaddeus gritted his teeth.
"The Immortals have made a base at the old Ruins a few hundred miles east of here… we must take action." Thaddeus stated.
"You are married to the Princess of Vale… you were the Prince… now you are both our King and Queen – King Thaddeus Rex."
He stood tall, hiding his smile as best he could.
Blue smoke swirled around them, and they saw the two Monarchs sat on their thrones together, Delilah looking saddened, whilst Thaddeus smirked as he felt the power in his hands. Clad with impressive gold armour and his Predecessor's Crown adorning his head.
"Thaddeus Rex – the King of Vale." Jinn stated.
Pyrrha stared at the man with disgust at his actions, shaking her head. "With the entire army of Vale at his beckoned call, he wiped out the Immortals and claimed the Relic of Choice. And in using that power, he commanded his army with terrifying ferocity. They knew no fear, because he took that away, and they felt no pain either. He enlisted the power of the Scorpio Clan, using their savagery to cut down the Vacuo Mongrel Leaders whilst constantly hitting them repeatedly. The Mongrel Empire was the first to fall, and with the Relic's power he took them, and added their strength to his army." Jinn explained.
The map of Remnant showed the spread of his control, now in control of two Kingdoms, and his efforts focused on Mistral. "Town by town, city by city, Mistral became his as well. And he found me…" Jinn explained.
They saw Thaddeus stood on a hill as he tried to summon her. "Jinn." He commanded, and the blue being rose from the Lamp, but her expression said more than she spoke.
"Although, I saw through his words and I saw his future. The ocean of blood he would create, the needless killing… the slaughter… and I knew that this was not a man I would entrust such knowledge with. And thus, I left him with nothing." Jinn explained, and Ruby smirked, glad to see that Jinn truly kept to her word on how the rules worked.
Only answers the questions of those that she deems worthy…
"In anger, he cast my lamp into the sea, an action that would cause Professor Ozpin to have to find me in order to secure me in Haven's Vault. One that was very hard to carry out." Jinn narrated. They watched as Thaddeus launched the Lamp off the edge of the cliff and Ozymandias reached out for it with shock in his eyes. Thaddeus stormed off with fists clenched.
"As his rampage across Anima continued, Delilah gave birth to their son – Haytham Arc." Pyrrha's eyes widened when she saw Delilah cradling the baby in her arms, large blue eyes and a little smile.
Pyrrha stammered as she looked at Delilah. She had teary eyes… and saw the bruise on her cheek. Ruby saw it too and then turned to Jinn, who floated behind her.
"Did he…"
"Yes… Thaddeus Rex Arc had finally found who he was. A ruthless monster, and just like his mother… he abused Delilah as well. His power controlled every action he ever did… but it was not like he was blinded by it. He just enjoyed the power he had… but it was never it enough. It would never be enough." Jinn explained, and Penny scowled at the thought of poor Delilah being hurt by him.
"After everything… everything those two had been through together? Him being head over heels for her? He hurts her? How could he do that?" Penny stammered.
"Power revealed his true nature." Cinder answered. "Just like it had for Salem."
"Years turned to decades, and the war still continued. But in the aftermath of King Thaddeus Rex's brutal reign, few were brave enough to stand against him. The Mistraalian Immortals broke under his power. Especially when he found the Relic of Destruction hidden in the ruins of Vacuo. But he could never risk using the sword, knowing what it would do to him. So Thaddeus became more and more obsessed with finding something new." Jinn explained.
"What?" Ruby asked.
"A loophole. The Relic of Destruction is an incredibly powerful weapon, but it is fatal to the one who wields it. Once used, the soul is locked to the hilt. And once the command is issued, and the sword is swung – the sword destroys the soul and life source of the wielder. But Thaddeus realised there was a way past this, the same way that Salem could use the sword… he had to find if there was a way to become immortal as well." Jinn explained.
They watched as he grew older, his blonde hair turned silver from age, and they even saw Haytham Arc grow up as well, becoming a skilled Knight as well. But he was raised by the gentle and kind Delilah, and thus rarely was around his father. "With all but one Kingdom under his control, he researched every tome he could find – and finally… he found an answer…"
They saw him sat at a table, reading through old arcane texts that the memories of Ozymandias helped him find. Memories that Ozymandias could no longer hide from his destructive host.
Thaddeus looked at him and he chuckled. "Long time since I've seen you show your face, Oz." Thaddeus chuckled.
"You have become a monster. Everything I ever asked of you… you betrayed it all. You slaughtered innocents to get your way. Drowned kingdoms in blood… you rule with fear. This… this is not the world I wanted." Ozymandias sighed. The shame was so obvious in his voice. He sounded so heartbroken.
"The war is nearly over, Oz… and I am close to finding Salem. She has been claiming some land that was lost during the war. Some of my Thirteen have spotted her there with some children. All I have to do is find a way to make myself immortal, and I can use the Sword of Destruction to kill her." Thaddeus explained, and Ozymandias shook his head.
"You know… I really believed I could have helped you be a noble… magnificent warrior. If I knew then what you would become… I would have never taught you to know my skills. I took pity on you… a boy who was in a horrible position… and I did the kind thing by helping you. And I look at your works… with despair." He sighed, burying his head in his hands.
"The world may look at me as a monster now, but they will revere me when they see the paradise I will make for them. And if they don't… well… I'll make them." Thaddeus was insane. No two ways of looking at it.
Thaddeus paused, and his eyes widened. "Here… there is a way!" Thaddeus laughed.
The symbols were all too familiar…
… Dark Magic.
"Despite Ozymandias begging him not to do this and even trying to control him like he had attempted to do so many times before over the decades of slaughter – Thaddeus used the Dark Magic Spell. A spell which had a dark price to pay…"
The memory continued, and the blue smoke formed Delilah, who was sitting on the bed with tears streaming down her face. Behind her was Thaddeus, and she turned around to see him there. "Leave, Thaddeus." She demanded.
"I can't do that, my love."
"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT!" she yelled, standing tall. "I don't know what you did… how you have made me cannot find the answers… but I know you did it! I know you killed my father!"
Thaddeus glared at her. He did not say a word. "I've had a long time to think about it." She growled, pacing around the bedroom. "You needed an army… you wanted an army, and you always wanted more power than you had. That Immortal… he didn't kill my father, did he? It was you… you killed him so you could claim the throne. So you could spread your hatred and violence across Remnant like a disease?" Delilah questioned, approaching a table.
"I did what I had to do, Delilah. The Great War needs to end, and I will do whatever it takes to end it." Thaddeus stated.
"No… you want to kill. It's all you've wanted to do. It's why you wanted to be a knight. All you ever talked about was wanting to end war but I've seen your face. All you care about is killing." Delilah snarled. She then reached into the cabinet and pulled out a knife.
"You're right… and I will continue to kill if I must. And I will not die until I know this war ends… I want to see and rule over the new world. And I will." Thaddeus stated. "I will make myself immortal."
"And me?" She questioned, and he just shrugged.
"I can always find another wife."
Her eyes widened.
"This was you… the whole time… how was I so stupid?" Delilah screeched with fury and she swung her knife at him. Ozymandias seized control of Thaddeus, stopping him from drawing his sword. But Thaddeus still fought through the spirit and caught the knife with his hands. She forced him against the wall, but Thaddeus shoved Delilah back and she bashed against the wall. He spun the knife through his fingers and ran at her.
He tackled her onto the bed and pushed the knife down towards her chest. "I WILL BECOME IMMORTAL! I WILL MAKE THIS WORLD THE WAY I WANT IT TO BE!" Thaddeus bellowed. He could feel Ozymandias trying to force his way inside to take control.
But he was too late.
And he rammed the knife down into her heart.
Delilah gasped and whimpered… she then caressed his cheek as she looked up into his blue eyes. "How… could you do this… to us?" She weakly whispered.
But then her face changed to anger, and suddenly she grabbed him by the head with both hands and rammed her thumbs into his eyes. Thaddeus bellowed in fury and pain. She gritted her teeth as blood leaked through her mouth. He forced the blade down even deeper, and there was a loud crunch as he crushed her ribs and killed her.
Her arms dropped to the floor, thumbs soaked in his blood.
Thaddeus shook his head, flicking the blood out of his eyes.
His teeth gritted and eyes snapped open with rage, irises now glowing fiercely with a purple glow, and his sclera gone red from the damage.
"The Spell… was complete…" Jinn stated
He took the Relic of Destruction and took his Thirteen Knights to the place that Salem had been sighted at. It was a destroyed fortress, and they stormed in. It was protected by her loyal followers, who she had amassed ever since her and Ozma's life together came crashing down. Knights clad in black, skilled and lethal.
Known as the Black Gallows.
They battled, but none could stand a chance against Thaddeus as he stormed through, cutting them down with the sword, and despite every swing he made, the sword's power could not kill him. And neither could any blade that touched him.
His Thirteen Knights charged with him, killing every Black Gallows Knight that stood in their way.
"One by one, Thaddeus charged through… until he found the Queen's chambers." He kicked the door down and pointed his sword inside. He looked around… and was confused.
"Where is she?" He stammered.
"Salem was nowhere to be seen… in fact, they found something that even Ozymandias and the previous incarnations of Ozma never expected." Jinn narrated.
There was a man with a sword pointed at them with six children… he was a good-looking guy, and Ozymandias immediately knew who the children were when he saw the daughters. They looked… just like her…
The spirit of Ozymandias stood in front of them. "Don't… please… I'm begging you." He requested.
"I know who you are…" the man said. "You're him… Thaddeus Rex… Ozma's newest host."
"Who the hell are you?" He questioned.
"Her only follower…" the man answered, holding his hands up in surrender. Ruby looked at Salem and saw the pain in her eyes. "The Great War… people were too focused on killing each other that they never saw the promise Salem could give them. A perfect paradise… the two of us became close and we… I agreed to help her have children that shared her powers."
"She used you to give her children?" Thaddeus scoffed.
"She never used me." He replied with a scowl.
"Oz told me about what Salem saw in our kind. She sees people like you, like the rest of the world, as lesser. You mean to tell me she just… what? Up and forgot all that?"
"The world is destroying itself… with the way you're carrying on… there won't be much of mankind left. Human or Faunus. Salem knows her children she had with Ozma had magical powers. Meaning there is a way for the humans of old can be repopulated. And in truth? She was lonely… for a very long time… I think that isolation made her long for a family again." The man explained.
Ozymandias looked back at the man and he just held his hands up. "Please… these are children… they are harmless. Innocent."
"Well… if she isn't here… I know a way for her to come find me instead… and I'll be ready when she comes." He said, raising the Relic of Destruction. He smirked down at the man and the children.
"Where's mommy?" A little girl sniffled.
"Mommy's not here to protect you anymore!" Thaddeus laughed, swinging the sword towards them, but Ozymandias forcefully took control again, trying to stop Thaddeus.
"R-Run!" Ozymandias yelled through Thaddeus, and from his host's perspective, he was holding the blade back with his hands. "Enough of this! Enough of this madness, Thaddeus!"
"They are Children of Salem! They are enemies, and must be cut down!"
Ozymandias felt his grip loosen…
Screams echoed as he swung his sword. Ruby would never forget the look she saw Salem give Ozpin. He looked at her and saw the genuine grief in his eyes, the regret of not being able to stop him.
"It… wasn't you…"
The blue smoke passed over, and they saw Salem. She was walking through the woods by herself. Her hair was not as it was today. She looked different, with the black veins around her eyes and around her arms. But her hair was down, and she actually looked… content. She still had that destructive nature in her, but thousands of years of being isolated? The man was right… it made her long for what she used to have with Ozma.
She was lying to herself then… and finally wanted to experience it again.
But she turned when she heard the screams. She blasted through the air to get back in time, but Thaddeus and his Knights were all gone. Everyone watching bar Ozpin and Salem gasped in horror at the scene.
Thaddeus… killed them all… in horrific ways… he made them suffer.
Because he wanted them to.
The only one still alive was the father of her children, and she fell to her knees and held him on her knee. "W-What happened?" She stammered.
He was barely breathing, choking on his own blood. He only said one thing. "O-Ozma…"
He died in her arms with all her children, and she let him drop to the floor, and she bowed her head. Fire ignited around her, and the entire building cracked and crumble all around her. She slowly lifted her head and gritted her teeth with fury, staring ahead.
"OZMAAAAA!" Salem bellowed.
"Her only follower… the father of her children… he could never finish his sentence. He tried to tell her that Ozma attempted to save them by holding Thaddeus back… but his name was all he uttered." Jinn stated, and Salem genuinely looked shocked by this revelation.
Until now… she had believed Ozma did this to her… that he really had turned into a monster like she said he would.
"Thaddeus' rampage over Remnant came to a close when he attacked Solitas to finish the Atlesian Pagans. With the power of Immortality and two Relics in his hands… he could erase the Pagans from the picture and have full control over Remnant." Jinn explained.
He saw Thaddeus on a boat, eyes glowing bright purple with the Relic of Destruction on his lap, Choice on his head and his fist clenched with a smile. "One last Relic… and it's here in Solitas. Creation."
He turned and saw Ozymandias; he looked a lot fainter than he remembered. Ozymandias looked more like a prisoner than an ally. Oscar stood there and closed his eyes.
And to think I felt like I was the prisoner…
"Have you noticed the sky?" Ozymandias asked him.
"What about it?"
"There is a Solar Eclipse coming… you can already see the moon passing over the sun." Ozymandias explained. He turned as saw the creepy image of the moon creeping over the face of the sun. "During an Eclipse… the Grimm become unstoppable. I'm not sure if the world will survive them… not after this war…"
"One thing at a time. We have the Relics… we can stop it from happening." Thaddeus shrugged, glancing down to the Relic of Destruction.
"Just gotta end those filthy Pagans first." Thaddeus stated.
"The war can end today, Thaddeus… you can finally get what you want." Ozymandias sighed. "I don't know why I even bother asking you to not hurt people… not after what you did to Salem's children…"
"You still gonna lecture me about that? I've done what you couldn't do for so many generations."
Ozymandias did not answer.
"Please… at the very least… if they surrender… just let them go. There does not need to be any more blood." Ozymandias requested, and Thaddeus just smirked at him.
"The Atlesian Pagans had expected their arrival, and the battle was long and hard… but Thaddeus still managed to triumph thanks to the power the Relics wielded. In the end the poor Atlesians who had abandoned their gods were surrendering… just as Ozymandias said they would."
They watched as the old Atlesians were on their knees, begging for mercy.
"He had already found the final Relic, hidden in Solitas – The Staff of Creation – and he held it in his hand, looking down on the people of Ionspyre." Ruby and Pyrrha both gasped when they heard the name of that city.
It was all too familiar.
"Oh, no…" Ruby gasped, knowing what this place was, it looked completely unrecognisable being intact, and not trapped in the Atlesian Wildlands. In fact, they only just realised… this was before the Atlesian Wildlands existed. No sign of Cryostorms anywhere. That was when Ruby's eyes widened and she stared at Thaddeus as he looked down at the Atlesians.
"It's over…" Ozymandias mumbled, still betrayed by what this monster has done. "The Great War is over…"
But… I thought the Great War ended at Vytal?
Thaddeus stared down at the city of Ionspyre from the ridge of ice, tapping the Relic of Creation against it. He smirked and looked at the weapon. "Didn't you say the Relic of Creation can shift into whatever you want it to be? Like how they all can mass shift?" He asked.
"Yes… it's the only one that can physically change its shape and design." Ozymandias quietly answered. He held out the sword, and he watched as it transformed before his very eyes. The staff glowed bright gold… and he revealed… a sword.
Pyrrha's eyes widened.
"It… it looks just like Crocea Mors… that was why Salem went for Jaune's sword…" Pyrrha realised. He pressed the blade of the sword down into the ground. He had changed the Relic of Creation's body into a Weapon and Destruction, how fitting for a monster like him.
He gazed at the city, hearing the men and women begging for mercy with his army behind him. Ozymandias stared at Thaddeus, and his eyes widened. He reached out for him, knowing what he was about to do.
"NO!" Ozymandias screamed, but this time, Thaddeus forced him out, and the cruel man grinned as he raised the sword up to the sky and drove it down to the ground. Lightning cracked across the sky, and icy wintry winds surrounded Ionspyre. Shrieks of terror echoed within as the first ever Cryostorm formed.
Ruby's eyes widened.
"He… he made the Atlesian Wildlands?" She gasped. They no longer asked why, they knew why he did it…
… because he had the power to do so.
And he used that power to create more death and destruction. His army watched in horror as the huge Cryostorm devoured the city… a storm that even now… was still raging… and growing.
"That… was the final straw…"
"The Great War had technically ended with the destruction of Ionspyre, but he received reports from one of his spies that the Relic of Knowledge washed up on the shores of a remote island named – Vytal."
Thaddeus arrived at the island aboard the boat and he got off with his Thirteen Knights. There was a thick layer of fog, and they walked through the barren island together. He had all but one Relic now… and with Knowledge he could call upon the Gods to judge Remnant.
"But he found nothing…
… no Relic…
… nothing…"
"What is this?" Thaddeus turned and saw the boat leave, and then he turned back around and saw Ozymandias stood before him, his hands behind his back and with a frosty glare in his eyes.
"You did it… you ended the Great War. Was it worth it?" Ozymandias asked him. "Was it worth… all the innocent people who murdered? Was it worth murdering Delilah? Cedric? Salem's children?" He listed.
The Solar Eclipse was nearly complete…
Thaddeus laughed hauntingly at Ozymandias. "You think I care about any of them? It doesn't matter… you have the world you wanted. You should be thanking me… now everyone in every Kingdom bows to me. The world… is united." Thaddeus stated.
"THIS IS NOT UNIFICATION! This… is fear." Hearing Oz yell at him actually made Thaddeus flinch. It made them all flinch. Bar Salem and Ozpin, of course. "You have betrayed everything we ever stood for."
"You act as if you haven't done things you're not proud of. I've seen your memories, you have made your fair share of mistakes." Thaddeus stated.
"And you slaughtered a city. You drowned this world in blood…" Ozymandias stated, shaking his head. "For so long, I actually believed I could help you… every single incarnation before me has worked out. But you… I never wanted to see the truth about you. I never wanted to accept that you were filled with so much evil in your heart. If I had known what you would have become… I would have taken control of your body before you could fight back and thrown you off a cliff." Ozymandias explained.
Ozymandias stared him in the eyes. "You murdered your King. You murdered your wife. You butchered Salem's children. And you slaughtered… thousands of innocents. And destroyed a city of people who surrendered…" He closed his eyes and then glared directly at Thaddeus. "It's time for me to do what I should have done a long time ago…"
Ozymandias turned his gaze to the side, hearing the sound of an impact.
His Knights all readied themselves, and Ozymandias just stared back at him. "Goodbye… Thaddeus." Ozymandias said. He turned and walked away into the fog.
Thaddeus' eyes widened, and he rushed after him. "No! Ozymandias! I did what you asked me to do! I united the world! COME BACK!" He screamed… he then felt his body jolt… and he felt powerless. He still had the immortality his dark magic gave him… but everything Ozymandias gave him… was gone.
And in the fog…
… two glowing red eyes appeared.
It was Salem, and she emerged from the fog towards him with fury in her eyes, her hair splayed out like a spider's legs. "Salem…" He gasped. She did not say a word. She just walked towards him and opened her hand, forming a massive double-ended sword forged from red fire.
"My knights! Attack!" Thaddeus yelled, drawing both the Relics of Creation and Destruction, dual wielding them. She kept her gaze on him, and as all Thirteen Knights swung their weapons at her, stabbing, hacking and bashing at her. One lodged her axe into Salem's cheek, another stabbed her in the throat. They brought her down to one knee, but her glowing red eyes stayed focused on Thaddeus.
She then rose, all her injuries healed back up, and she reset her jaw.
All the Knights went to attack again, only for her to bat her hand aside, and all thirteen shattered into dust… and she absorbed all their souls into her palm. She walked towards him and he roared, swinging both swords at her relentlessly, but she dodged the Relic of Destruction with ease, then dodged Creation as well. She caught his forearm with her hand, then brought the sword down, cutting his hand that held Destruction clean off.
He shrieked in agony, feeling his arm slowly regenerating, but it was not fast enough.
She grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the floor and Salem turned… seeing him.
Haytham… Thaddeus' son.
She let him see Haytham as the young man stood tall, and Thaddeus' eyes widened with disbelief. He just nodded at Salem and she nodded back, turning and walking away with Thaddeus.
He kicked and screamed at her.
"Let me go! Let me go! NO, PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! PLEASE! NOOOOO!" Thaddeus shrieked as she carried him away silently into the fog. His shrieks vanished as she opened a portal, and they both disappeared.
Leaving Haytham behind with the Three Relics…
"That was for mother…" Haytham growled.
He lifted his gaze to the Solar Eclipse, finally passing over the sun… and the roars of the Unstoppable Grimm echoed across the entire world.
"Haytham Arc – made a deal with Salem to lure his father there, so she could claim him and his Thirteen Knights. And knowing that his son would carry his name on… he knew he had to give his life to stop the Solar Eclipse. He left behind a note… with a sword named Crocea Mors."
They saw the sword on the table with the note on it.
I leave this to you, my son. I hope you may bring better memories to our family name than your forefathers did.
"His grandfather… left this in his name. Haytham's son was Jaune's grandfather…" Pyrrha gasped, and watched as Haytham held the Relic of Destruction up to the sky, and blasted a powerful beam of orange fiery energy up into the moon.
The moon fragmented and blew apart, ending the Eclipse… and with it… the war…
Haytham's body collapsed, dropping to his knees, covered in burns from the energy that shot through him. His eyes became distant, and he exhaled, dying as the tides became erratic because of the damaging of their moon. Huge chunks of lunar rock came crashing down, creating cataclysmic events everywhere.
"From the ashes of the Eclipse… mankind survived… and so did the Kingdoms. And when Ozma was reborn as Professor Ozpin, he returned to Vytal and acquired each Relic, using the Relic of Creation to construct the four Vaults where they were stored… but he was clever with Creation. Aware of the risk it posed… and created a hidden vault in the ruins of Arcadia. Because should Salem ever find the Relic of Creation now, her end goal is set in stone… the fate of Remnant will be sealed, and drowned in blood." Jinn concluded.
The vision finally came to a close, releasing everyone who saw it.
Salem
Salem opened her red eyes, remembering briefly when Watts found her broken after losing everything again. Her white hair dishevelled… helping her back on the path to her goal.
And here she was… so close to the end.
Salem exhaled, turning to Jaune, whose eyes continued to glow that same familiar purple. "It's time. Go to Arcadia… wait for Team Copper to arrive… and bring me my Relics." Salem commanded.
Jaune – The Salem Knight – held his fist to his chest and bowed his head.
"It will be done, my Queen." He promised, turning and walking away.
Salem watched him as he walked away, with a slight bit of hatred in her heart. She exhaled and looked up at the shattered moon that continued to watch her every move.
"The end… is near, my sweet Ozma…"
Author Note - And there concludes The Lost Fable
This is by far one of the darkest chapters I have written, simply due to how monstrous Thaddeus was. He does not deserve to be remembered as a hero, and I guess the question is why the hell is the man remembered this way? Well, I guess we will have to find out how that is the case, I imagine Oscar has a few more questions for Ozpin. But my god did I love how his story came to an end with Salem, that was one of my favourite moments in this chapter with it revealed that his son made a deal with Salem to let her take him.
And we now know what created the Atlesian Wildlands... what a dark backstory that place has. All because of one bloodthirsty monster who had far too much power. I guess we now know why he is the incarnation that all the Ozmas would sooner forget.
But now they know what they need to know - the Relic of Destruction is both the key to killing Salem and saving the world, and Salem killing the Gods and destroying it.
And now... Jaune is coming for Team C.P.P.R...
It's about to go down!
This was also one of the hardest chapters I have written since I was trying to balance it all correctly and trying to make sure it is all structured correctly to give the answers in a way where it made sense. I hope this all worked and was easy enough for you all to understand!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter - Memories of Sand
- Matt