Chapter 26
Year 2 Month 6 Day 04
The War raged on as it had been for the past two and a half years. The war was a front by Salem to gather what she needs to win. She needed one thing above all. The one thing she needed above all were the artifacts.
Oscar was waiting outside Beacon for his contact. Ruby came up to him. The two have grown close.
"Hey Oscar. What are you waiting for?" Ruby sat next to him.
"Ozpin told me that I should be expecting someone today. I don't know who it is."
"Well, mind if I stick around here?"
"Oh, no, you can stay." The sun was just about to rise.
"Do you know what they look like?" Ruby asked.
"All I know is that they have silver eyes, like you."
"What, are you trying to replace me?" She said jokingly, while gently pushing Oscar.
"Hey, no one can do that. Who else can do a lap around the city in ten seconds?"
"I can do more than go fast." She said, while puffing up her cheeks.
"Trust me, I know." His hands shot up.
"Am I interrupting something?" A voice said.
Oscar jumped up.
"Sorry about that… Amelia?"
She was tall. Her hair matched the same color of her eyes. She wore an old Valesian military uniform, colored blue. She wore a matching blue corset around her midriff, thought it was just cosmetic. She wore a white shirt that had room to breathe. She wore two belts, one of which had a black sword hanging on it. Her pants were black until the end of the leg which became blue. She had a whip on her hip, by the sword.
"Yes, that's my name, but call me Ama" She said
"What is that?" Ruby asked, about the sword on her hip.
"This is what I'm here for. I guess that since she's with you, I can trust her."
"We also got the same eyes." Ruby said
"I suppose we do." She got out the sword and gave it to Oscar. He carefully gripped the sword.
"You still haven't told me what this is." Ruby said
"I guess we haven't. This is what the entire war is about." Ama said.
"I thought this war was about the two sides trying to stop the other one." Ruby said. Now that she thought about it, what was this war being fought over.
"Do you know who the true enemy in this war is?"
"Is it… the empire?"
"Even after a year, most people still think like you do. No, our true enemy is Salem. She started this war."
Ruby felt a shock.
"Are you sure?" Ruby asked
"I found out who killed Whitley Schnee. Two of Salem's lackeys." She moved in close. "And the Jedi knew this." She looked dead in Ruby's eyes.
"Is that all Amelia?
"No, because I want to learn more about this girl, but you, you've got that to take care of." Ama said
"You're pushing it." Oscar said.
"Am I?"
"Ruby, come with me."
"No, stay with me." Ama said
Ruby looked at the two of them.
"Ruby…" Oscar said
"If you come with me… I'll tell you everything."
"What can you learn from her?" Oscar said
"That's fair. My offer will always stand. Here, how you will find me." She handed Ruby a card.
"Ruby, I've got something I want to show you." Oscar said
Ruby turned back to Oscar. They went into Beacon
"Why don't you like her?"
"Because, she killed the last Maiden for that power."
"Why did she do that?"
"Because she had to, but I still don't like it."
"Who did she kill?"
"Her mother."
Oscar led Ruby to a large vault, even deeper than where Amber was being held.
"This vault was a gift from ages long past. It was my last gift from Ashla. It is able to keep out the influences of Bogan. But to open it… I need your hand."
Ruby looked at him with a smirk.
"Are you asking to marry me?"
Oscar's face became red.
"That's not what I meant." He said
"I know, I'm just joking with you."
Oscar grabbed Ruby's hand, and put it on vault. It rumbled and opened. Then they saw it.
It seemed like another world. It looked like giant pool of light. Oscar and Ruby still held each other's hands.
They walked up the stairs past the pool.
"What is this place?"
"It is unable to be found by regular means, though it used to be open to everyone. This is where Ashla once lived. Those touched by Bogan cannot enter here."
"Why did you need my hand?"
"There are two ways to open these vaults. Either be the maiden, or…"
'I need the woman I love' Oscar thought
"I need a force user to help me open it." Oscar said.
"And this?" She pointed to a rock.
"This is a tool made to keep this artifact secure. Have you heard the legends of the sword in the rock?"
"You're not saying that this is that rock right?" Ruby asked with awe.
"I am in fact, and this sword is the same sword."
"That's so cool." Ruby said.
"Now, we have a moment to talk." Oscar and Ruby sat down again.
"Is what she said true?" Ruby asked
"Not fully. Not all the Jedi knew. It's more like one Jedi knew…"
"Who?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yes, I want to know why they didn't tell us."
"They didn't tell you because it would destroy the alliance. To know that this whole war is a sham. Imagine what that would do to public trust, and troop morale. We're just barely holding the empire back. Do you still want to know who it is?"
"…Yes."
"Karel."
That was the second big shock today one of her best friends has been hiding this big of a secret.
"Why… no I understand." Ruby said, lying to herself a little.
"I'm going to be completely truthful with you Ruby. I'm going to tell you about my past. Everything."
"Are you sure?"
"If I can't trust you, then there is no one alive I can trust."
Ruby blushed. Oscar and Ruby laid down on their backs, still holding each other's hands.
"I was first born long ago, in the age of heroes. I can't even remember how long ago that was. I learned of a woman who was locked in a tower, like all the storybooks say. My name was Ozma. I rescued the woman named Salem. She was kind, and good back then. I grew sick, and died. I was set to meet her on the other side, but she couldn't be without me, so she tried to trick the gods into bringing me back. She damned us both. She became immortal in spirit, but cursed with having to steal a woman's body every millennium. My spirit was cursed to walk the earth until I stopped her."
"This all happened in one life?"
"Yes. The gods came to me in the afterlife and gave me a mission to end the life of the woman I once loved. They gave me four of these artifacts. A sword, a Lance, a crown, and a lamp. I spread them out to the four vaults. They've been used very sparingly since then, since if they ever came together the Gods would return, and if there was war, all would be lost."
"What do you mean?"
"Before leaving, the Gods destroyed all of humanity."
"What? But how are we here now?"
"Four men and four women were brought back. They became went to the kingdoms and spread."
"So what about faunas?"
"Even I don't know how they came to be" Oscar said
"How many lives have you lived?"
"I don't know. I have lived so many times that I lost count. I lost count of the Legends that I'm a part of. There is only one thing I remember from each life."
"Which is?"
"Who I love."
Oscar gripped Ruby's hand a little tighter. She did the same.
"Well, I reincarnated for the first time. I found Salem, and we lived a somewhat regular life. Though since we were the only ones with magic, she said we should rule over men. That temptation overcame me. So I became Ozma, the false God."
"What?"
"I was young and stupid at the time, and in love. I wore rose tinted glasses. I let myself become what I swore to fight against. Salem and I created the first maidens, as our children. I realized soon after that I was wrong. I tried to save my children from living that life, but Salem and I fought. She killed me, and our children."
"That's… evil."
"It is." Oscar said. He continued his story
"I went on from life to life living and dying with that mission always in my mind up to today."
"But… is each life unique?"
"Oh, yeah. I can live a normal life, and have a family."
"What about you?"
"Me? Well, I was raised on a farm. My parents worked on it until they died. It was my aunt and I for a while. A few days before we met my aunt died when the Grimm destroyed the farm. After that I left. That's when I met up with you guys."
"Did you ever think about what you're going to do after the war?"
Oscar was silent for a bit, then his finger shot up.
"Yeah, actually, I was hoping to settle down and have a family."
"You don't want to become like Ozpin?"
"He's been leaving my mind recently."
Ruby and Oscar laid back down on the ground looking up at the sky. They enjoyed the time together.
Oscar went to get up and Ruby wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you for trusting me." Ruby said.
"Of course Ruby. I'll always trust you. I… I love you." He looked in her eyes.
"I think…" Ruby got closer. "I love you too."
Ruby and Oscar kissed.
The grandmaster sat in her room. She felt the sword being returned to where it was meant to be. She knew it was time.
She went to the council meeting. She wasn't listening much.
"Grandmaster?" Roni asked her
She looked up
"I'm sorry, my mind was deciding something."
"What was it?" Master Ray asked.
"Who would replace me. Master Ray, You shall take my place as the grandmaster."
Everyone looked at her in shock
"What?" Roni asked.
"This will be the last time we meet. Thank you all for your service. I must go now." She got out of her seat.
"What are you doing?"
"I must either return, or destroy the spear."
"Spear?" Master Black asked.
"The artifact left by Ashla. Salem is going after them, and we have the spear." She raised her hand, and the black spear that had hung as a decoration came to her hand.
"That's one of the artifacts?" Roni asked
"Yes. Master Rey, take your seat now." The grandmaster left the council room with the spear in hand.
When the grandmaster left the temple, she was met by Maria. She waited for the grandmaster.
"What are you doing here?"
"The same as you. Our time has come. I've already taught Ruby everything she'll need to know. Now we older ladies need to bow out." She said as she walked alongside the grandmaster.
"We won't make it you know." The grandmaster said
"Then we better make this count. How many do you think you can take down?"
"More than you."
Karel and Bora were walking down the road when they saw the grandmaster walking with Ruby's teacher. They stopped the two on their trip.
"Grandmaster, what are you doing out here?"
They stopped moving, and the grandmaster turned.
"Oh, hello you two. How are you?" She asked.
Karel felt something about her was off. She sounded older, and started to look it.
"Are you okay grandmaster?" Karel asked.
"Oh, yes, perfectly fine. I love seeing the younger generation like yourselves grow old, It means that we've done our job to some extent."
"What's that in on your hip?" Bora asked
"Something that I have to destroy. But never mind that." She grabbed Bora and Karel's hands.
"This loving, newlywed couple makes my soul soar. I do believe that it is your birthday Karel… Here, my final gift to you."
She took out a worn out leather book, with an emblem on it, and a necklace.
"What's this?"
"My story. Goodbye Karel, goodbye."
Karel looked up and watched as the grandmaster and Maria left the bounds of the city.
"Her story?" Bora looked at the book. It was large, having hundreds of pages.
"The necklace… opens." Karel said as he opened it. A Kyber crystal sat in it.
"I don't like this." Karel said
Maria and the grandmaster walked along the road, for many hours silent.
"We should have seen Grimm by now. What is Salem waiting for?" Maria said.
"Let's count our blessings."
"I doubt that she's being kind. Maybe she hopes that we'll die of natural causes."
"I'd go before you would." She said.
"I know… how many stones do you have left?"
"One."
"I see… so that's why you decided it was time."
Maria and the grandmaster walked down the path. The grandmaster wore a ring on her finger. She had artificially extended her life with the tools the sirens left behind. They were able to capture magic into a series of stones. The grandmaster used many of them to keep her illness away.
"When will it kill you?" Maria asked.
"I've got just enough to get to the forge."
"The night soon falls." Maria put her hand to her necklace.
"I see that you're in the same situation."
"The Sirens were wise. We had to take something from us to use the magic. I gave my eyes, but you gave your health."
"Give and take, the costs of magic are high… but we're the only ones who know how to use them… so we take it to our graves."
Month 6 Day 6
The duo didn't run into Grimm or black fang. They were only a mile from their final destination. Maria got up first. She awoke the grandmaster.
"Time to wake up. We're almost there."
She struggled to get up. She coughed profusely.
"It's alright. Today is all we need."
"We're going to die today. I'm glad you're by my side."
"As am I. now, let's face our destiny."
Maria and the grandmaster got up and walked through the forest until they got to an opening. There was a stone pillar. Maria and the grandmaster placed there final stones into place. The pillar shook, and a temple arose from the ground.
"That's far enough." A voice rang out.
Cinder jumped down from the woods. She was followed by ancient jedi and Sith. Dozens of Grimm came out of the woods.
"So, this is what Salem was doing. Maria, I'll hold them off. Take the spear to the forge."
"I don't think so." Cinder said. She sent the Grimm after her, but Maria said something quietly, and there was a flash. In a moment all the Grimm were gone. A circle of flames, and light surrounded them. All those who were still standing were the two living women, and seven of Salem's best.
"You shouldn't have done that." The grandmaster said
"It was the only thing I could do. It was the last use for this century anyway." Maria went down into the ancient temple.
"You know what to do." Cinder said.
A Sith rushed forward and tried to jump over the grandmaster, but she lifted her hand up. The Sith was stopped, and flung backwards.
"You have to get through me first!" She outstretched her arms, and she was engulfed in fire. She looked at them.
"By the gods." Cinder said
"That's not going to work on me." A jedi shouted. He rushed forward, and brought his lightsaber down to slice her. The grandmaster grabbed him by the throat, and threw him to the side. His body burst into flames. It quickly turned black. The Grandmaster's eyes were now visible
"I see." Cinder said. The Sith that the grandmaster pushed to the side threw his lightsaber at the grandmaster, but it bounced off the armor. Some of it was now gone. She shot the hands of the armor at him. They dug into him, and went through him.
"Now we will see how many hits you can take before you're out in the open."
Maria walked down the staircase. She felt her breathing was becoming heavier. The cost for using magic was high. The use of magic would have made her have the same stamina as someone twenty or thirty years her senior. As she got to the bottom of the staircase, she felt shame in lying to the grandmaster.
"I needed to give her hope."
She tried to fix her mechanical eyes, but they were almost as useless as her eyes. She felt a blast of wind hit her face. She knew where the forge was.
She had to get out the Lance to use as a walking stick. She was almost visibly aging by the minute. She resigned to die trying to spit Salem one last time. The air was getting hotter. She finally found where the forge was. Maria was certain that there was lava under her. She got to a staging area. Now she just had to drop the lance into the pit.
The grandmaster had used, or lost half of her armor, and she was almost exhausted.
She finished her dual with the last Sith and fell to one knee. Cinder had yet to move a muscle.
The grandmaster brought her armor to her arm, and shot half of it at Cinder. She jumped over it, and pulled out her twin lightsabers. One was red and the other was black.
"We should have never taken you in." The grandmaster said
"That was your mistake." Cinder would have at one time taken offence to that, but not now.
The grandmaster shot the last of her armor at Cinder, or so she thought. Cinder jumped in the air, but she was aiming for the ground beneath her. The flames shot up. Cinder used the magic she had from her half of the maiden's soul. She formed an energy shield. She noticed that the first blast never went off. She turned around, and saw the first blast heading right at her. It connected with the shield, knocking Cinder off balance. She fell to the ground with a thud.
The grandmaster coughed up blood from exertion.
"I know you aren't dead." She said
Cinder rose from the ground.
"That one actually hurt. I guess you haven't lost all of your touch."
"Sorry Maria." She reached behind her to the stones. It gave her power to increase her force powers. She used the force to grip the crystal in Cinder's black saber. She used the last of her energy to crush it, causing a blast to send the two of them backwards. The grandmaster was inside the temple. Her lung disease was in full effect. She coughed up blood. Her aura was gone completely.
Cinder got up and looked at the two spheres. She gave them some of her magic. It nearly destroyed her aura. She fell to one knee for a moment, and quickly stood up.
The temple's door opened once again.
"You sacrificed something that important?" The grandmaster coughed up more blood.
"Your journal, where is it?" Cinder asked, slowly moving to the grandmaster.
"Somewhere you won't get it."
"Then you are of no use to me." Cider finally got to the grandmaster, and grabber her robes. She pulled the older woman up.
"You didn't kill me. My illness did." She said smirking. She coughed up more blood, hitting Cinder in the face. The grandmaster made a sound that would have disturbed most people. She let go of life before Cinder could have killed her. Her lightsaber was up to her chest.
She smelled something.
"…Gunpoweder!"
The grandmaster's body exploded in a massive fireball. It was as if a missile had gone off.
Ulric came down the steps of the temple, grabbing what was left of Cinder, rushing down to the forge.
After they were safe, Ulric created a portal, and sent Cinder through.
"Damn her"
Ulric went to the forge, and saw Maria standing there.
"So, the grandmaster's dead?"
"Yes. I have to kill you now." Ulric said
Maria took off her eye ware. She used her eyes for one final purpose. One final use. She gathered the force in her eyes, and they reformed, for a brief moment.
"To hell with all of this." Maria said.
She grabbed the lance as Ulric rushed forward. She stood on the pedestal. She was over the Lava. She plunged the lance in her chest. Her eyes shot up, her eyes grew brighter than ever. Ulric had to jump back to not be burned to a crisp. Maria's body started to fall to the Lava. Ulric made a quick last second decision, and used the force to grip Maria's body. Ulric walked up to her body, and gripped the lance.
"Sorry, but I need this."
Ulric kicked Maria's body back. She fell to the lava below, her body disappearing quickly.
Ulric reopened the portal behind him, and he walked back through it quickly.
Salem was on the other side. She was using her magic to recreate Cinder's lost limbs. She lost her left leg, left arm, and left eye.
"Do you have it?" Salem asked.
Ulric brought the lance to her as he fell to the ground.
"And the two elders?"
"Dead." Ulric said.
Cinder was placed in the black liquid tank. Salem got Ulric to a second tank. Both sank down into their pools to heal.
"Six force users in exchange for this. I made out well."
Salem held the lance in her hands. She was almost ready. She just needed one more artifact until Ozpin will reveal his plans.
"Well lover, let's play this game of cat and mouse one more time." Salem looked out her window. She heard one of the pieces on the chess board she had fall. She ignored it.
Oscar almost fell to the ground. He was training with Ruby and Yang again.
"What's wrong?" Ruby asked.
"Salem has the lance." He said.
Ruby and Yang looked at each other. Ruby's face was more concerned than Yang's. She knew what that meant.
"Yang this is bad."
Karel closed the journal of the grandmaster. He knew her name now, and her semblance. All respect of her was gone now.
"What was it?"
"She was a monster." Karel said. He felt sick.
"What do you mean?"
"The grandmaster! She used the Siren's tech to extend her life." Karel said.
"Let me see that."
"Page 523, she explains why that's evil."
Bora opened up to that page. She saw a picture of a small stone.
"This is what the siren's made?"
"Yes. Read on." Karel said.
"The Siren's made a series of stones made of magic. They were made from the magic sealed inside the bodies of everyone born on remnant. The stones represent over one thousand lives spent. The Stone is made out of Magic that comes from the souls of sacrifices. Using one makes me much more powerful." Bora closed the book.
"She knew, and she still used them?" Bora said shocked.
"Exactly." Karel ran his hands through his hair.
"Have you read on?"
"I can't stand to read any further. She was sworn to protect the people of Remnant, but she used their deaths to benefit herself."
Karel had to sit down. He didn't know what to do.
"I'll have to keep reading on later. Maybe then I'll understand if she's as bad as she looks right now. Just… I need time." He said
Bora took the book and put it away.
"You shouldn't read it now. Come on, you need to calm down." Bora said. She went to the kitchen to get him hot chocolate.
Karel went to his dojo. He went up to a punching bag and started attacking it. He let out all his frustrations out on the bag.
Bora came back in the room with two mugs. She placed it on a table and walked over to him.
"Please, just sit down."
Karel took a few deep breathes.
"I'm sorry. Even though I'm 21, I still don't know how to handle my emotions." Karel said.
"Come on." Bora said placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's not your fault. The Jedi don't really teach you about that stuff."
Bora and Karel sat next to each other on a couch. Karel was quiet for a few minutes.
"She's gone." Karel said. He sat up when he said that.
"How do you know?"
"I felt her join the force."
Ruby walked out of the basement dojo in Karel's house. She was holding onto Oscar.
"I'm sorry guys, but this is bad." Oscar said. Yang came up shortly behind them.
"What happened?"
"Maria and the grandmaster are dead, and Salem has the Lance relic."
Karel clenched a fist.
"She's one step closer."
Ruby and Karel started to grow divided. Karel didn't know why.
"You were talking about the grandmaster a moment ago. What was it?"
Karel opened his fist.
"I'm sorry you heard that. I just learned that the grandmaster didn't tell us everything." Karel said
Ruby got mad
"Hypocrite." She said. Karel looked up shocked.
"What?" He asked.
"Why didn't you tell us this war was just a front for Salem? Why didn't you tell us that she was behind everything?" Ruby said angrily.
Yang looked at her sister.
"What are you talking about?"
Karel sighed.
"About two years ago, I went with Ruby to the Jedi temple. The people who attacked us there were the same people who killed Whitley. I later learned that the guy is in the same group that Echo, the assassin who killed Weiss' mom, is in. He is supposedly the mouth of Salem in their organization. It took me quite a while, but after I learned that, I knew Salem was behind Celeste Schnee's death. She also saved Winter. She's playing everyone, but I can't prove it. But If I said anything to the public, the war effort would be destroyed. So I decided to classify everything so far."
Bora brought the grandmaster's journal back.
"I think you need to finish this." Bora said
Karel felt shame. "I'm sorry. I know I should have told you everything, but I was afraid."
"Now you can fit in her shoes." Bora said
Yang looked at Ruby and Karel over and over again.
"I'm a bit lost."
"Oscar, I think you've got a new inner circle." Karel said
"I guess… I do."
Month 6 Day 10
Karel gathered a small group of hunters together.
Weiss, Jaune, Phyrra, Yatsuhashi, and himself gathered with Oscar, Bora, and Ruby taking seats.
"Karel, why did you gather us?" Jaune asked.
"Salem is one step closer to finishing up her plans. One of her greatest tools are the twelve legendary swordsmen. We must gather together to defeat them. So now here's what we are here for. We are going to become the new legendary swordsmen."
The table was silent.
"The eight of us?" Ruby asked. "Some of us aren't swordsmen." Ruby pointed out.
"Five of us. The three are here for the purpose of translucency. We hide nothing. Oscar, can you force Salem to use one of her troops?"
Oscar thought about it
"No, I don't have enough magic."
"Then we have to hope to face them."
"Have you decided who gets which sword too?" Yatsuhashi asked.
"It is more than obvious. If the five of us can get the five swords that correlate to us, we will become public." Karel said.
"And what are we calling this operation?" Weiss asked
"Swordsmen oppression."
Author's notes: We got the next story arc set up! Salem's got a relic. The grandmaster's dead, and has a very shady past. Maria is dead.
Ruby and Oscar are definitely becoming closer.
Sorry for this one being so long of a wait. I didn't have a lot of time to write.
There may or may not be a few references to Naruto, but hey, apparently it's newsworthy now with the area 51 raid.
May the Force be with you
-DragonZlayerx12
