"All gone..."
A pair of black crimson eyes open and gazes out of her castle windows.
Salem silently rubs the Seer in front of her. The scene of countless Grimm suddenly evaporating in an instant replays over and over in the Seer's orb.
"Just what happened?"
While her brows are scrunched in thought, a bright flash of light suddenly appears in the middle of her throne room. Salem's head jolts up in alarm.
'Mana... Which means this is magic. Ozpin?'
As the light fades, a pair of fiery crimson eyes glow in the darkness.
"Master, didn't I do a good job with the coordinates?" A young female voice cheerfully asks.
"You did," a male voice responds. "I'm honestly a little surprised that we didn't end up in the middle of a volcano, or worse."
"Will you never let that go? It only happened once!"
"... And it wasn't a pleasant experience," Flugel responds. "Why is this place so dark?"
He puts a finger up to his mouth, then gently blows. Flecks of light billow out and fill the room, revealing Salem on her throne, stunned.
Flugel tilts his head up towards the throne, then lightly bows his head.
"You must be Salem."
"... Who are you?" Salem slowly asks, maintaining a calm front.
"My name is Flugel, and this here is my companion, Flandre."
Salem narrows her eyes.
"That light... That was magic, was it not?"
She warily stares at the two intruders. None of her wards had tripped, and even the security measures in her throne room have yet to react to their presence. Based solely on the Mana she senses from these two, they're not simple beings... Especially the girl.
Flugel nods.
"Indeed, that was just teleportation magic. We're here because I'm curious about the one responsible for these creatures people call Grimm. Hmm... so far, you're not in quite as bad a condition as that Ozpin fellow."
"Ozpin... You two are acquainted with Ozpin?"
Flandre scoffs, "Acquainted would be a strong word to describe it."
"It was nothing but a brief meeting," Flugel chuckles. "Though it fell a bit below expectations..."
"And you came to me because of similar interests?" Salem asks.
"Smart girl," Flugel smiles. "I'll be upfront. I want to know all about the current state of magic in this world. How far has it fallen? How have the current practitioners adapted? Have they adapted at all?"
"You speak as if you're a resident of this world, or at the very least, very familiar with it," Salem slowly responds. "... Am I wrong?"
"You are correct."
Though her expression remains constant, her breath hitches for a moment.
'If he is a resident of this world... Combined with his proficiency with magic and the Mana I can feel pouring off of them... Is he from that age? But how would that be possible?'
Flugel waves a hand, causing a chair to appear in midair. When he sits down, it levitates upwards until his eyes and Salem's are on the same level. Flandre flies up and plops herself onto his lap with her legs crossed and an annoyed pout.
"You're too lenient as always, Master."
She resists the urge to raise their elevation in order to look down on Salem.
Chuckling, Flugel casually gestures with a hand.
"We are here in order to satisfy curiosity. Meanwhile, I am sure that you have your own questions for us, so why don't we have an exchange?"
Salem's eyes narrow.
"And how would either side know that the truth is being told? Forgive me for saying that just words hold little weight."
Above Flugel's palm, a sphere of symbols and glyphs appear. When he pushes it out, the sphere rapidly expands outward and covers the entirety of Salem's throne room.
Salem flinches in surprise.
"Oh, but they do hold weight. Very significant weight at that."
Flugel's eyes glint.
[Ordinance of Truth]
"Under the influence of the Ordinance of Truth, all lies will be exposed, and the truth will be revealed," Flugel states. "Allow me to demonstrate... I am a female."
The symbols on the walls glow red for a moment, then a line of text appears in the air.
"Flugel is a male."
Salem blinks.
'Just what category of magic is this?'
"Why don't I begin?" Flugel leans forward with a serious expression.
"Which one is better... cake... or pie?"
Salem pauses. Of all the possible questions she'd considered, this certainly was not one of them.
"... Excuse me?"
"Cake or pie. Which one do you think is better?"
Flandre intently stares at Salem, as if expecting a certain answer.
'Is he taking me for a fool?'
"Neither," Salem answers.
The room immediately glows red.
"Cake."
"Yes!" Flandre cheers. She turns around on her seat and pokes her finger into Flugel's nose. "I told you, Master! Cake is so much better!"
"..."
Salem silently stares at the two in front of her, feeling rather lost for the first time in a long time.
"Damn it," Flugel grumbles before waving a hand. "Okay, go ahead and ask away."
Salem thinks for a moment.
"Are you my enemy?"
"As long as you don't treat us as enemies, the answer is no," Flugel casually answers.
When the Ordinance does not react, he asks, "How about this? A relatively simple one. How long have you been alive?"
"... Long enough."
The space glows red.
"22,000 years."
Amused, Flugel chuckles, "Clever girl, trying to probe the limitations of the Ordinance. I will do you a favor and tell you that statements considered as half truths are not exempt."
Salem silently grits her teeth.
"Are you the ones responsible for the disappearance of over 1,500 Grimm yesterday?"
"Hmm... Not me specifically," Flugel shrugs, then points down at Flandre on his lap who widely grins.
Salem's eyes widen, confirming her suspicion that the girl is more dangerous than the man known as Flugel.
"How long has it been since the moon was broken?"
'If he's asking that, then there's a high chance that he's from the era before the Gods wiped out humanity... Just who are these two?' Salem's mind races.
"21,890 years," she answers honestly. When the Ordinance doesn't react, Salem poses her next question.
"Why are you capable of using magic? That age ended when the moon was broken all those years ago..."
As if expecting that question, Flugel enigmatically grins.
"I refuse to answer."
Her eyes widen.
"What?"
The room glows red, and this time, memories suddenly begin to stream through Salem's mind. She audibly gasps and clutches her head while trying to maintain balance on her throne. After several moments, Salem's brain processes the answer provided by the Ordinance.
"Y-You're... This is impossible... But... How?" She breathes heavily while warily looking up at Flugel.
Flandre leans back and smirks.
"Now do you realize who you're speaking with?"
"Aeturnum... The Sage of the Tower..." Salem mutters, dazed. "The progenitor of magic and theory..."
"Based on our brief interaction with Ozpin, apparently, you are the enemy of mankind who desires nothing but their destruction. However..." Flugel knowingly looks over her. "With your control over those Grimm, as people call them, along with how much more potent your Mana is in comparison to Ozpin, such a task would be simple."
Salem shudders, feeling completely exposed.
"Why haven't you done so?"
"There... are certain benefits to the existence of mankind," she quietly says, hoping the Ordinance would find her answer acceptable.
The room pulses red.
"The destruction of mankind alone would not fulfill my ultimate goal."
"And what is your ultimate goal?"
Salem thinks for a moment while tightly clenching her hands.
'... Do I take this gamble? Would it even be a gamble, considering that he's the Sage?'
"I... I refuse to answer," she slowly replies.
The symbols glow red, and visions flow through the minds of Flugel and Flandre.
"Ahahahaha!" Flandre snorts loudly. "So that's your goal? How amusing! How very, very amusing! Master, I like this girl!"
"The Relics?" Flugel quirks his eyebrow. "I don't recall ever hearing such a term."
"Four objects granted by the God of Light, each possessing enough power to shape the world as one wishes," Salem slowly recites. "The Crown of Choice, Staff of Creation, Lamp of Knowledge, and the Sword of Destruction. When all four Relics are gathered, the Gods will return to lay down their judgement upon the world."
"Pffft, those two? Master, did you just hear that?" Flandre maniacally laughs as if she'd just heard the funniest thing in the world. "Those two fools aren't even close to being qualified to do such a thing."
"You are that desperate to pass on?" Flugel shakes his head. "To the point of dividing mankind and ensuring judgement falls to the side of destruction? How very selfish of you."
"What other option do I have?" Salem's eyes flash with emotions long forgotten. "This torturous existence has no end in sight! I have no one! You of all people should understand, Sage Flugel! Is that not why you remain sane, due to having an eternal companion? A long life of isolation is pain! If I can bring an end to myself and spite those Brothers at the same time, then perhaps even the sacrifice of mankind is worth it."
"I like it," Flandre grins. "Chaos and destruction. How exciting!"
Flugel slaps the backside of Flandre's head, causing her to yelp in indignation.
"Stop encouraging her, you stupid vampire! I know you're bored, but can you not make things more complicated just because you think it's fun?!"
"Tch!" Flandre clicks her tongue while rubbing her head. "Why don't we just do what she aims for, Master? That way, if those two actually reveal themselves, I'll be able to have some fun! I know that you've been thoroughly angered by their actions, and I've always hated them!"
Flugel blankly stares down at his familiar.
"They don't even know you exist... You revealed yourself once and only once to the world, and that just so happened to be the time you left no witnesses alive..."
"... I've seen enough from our mental link," Flandre huffs.
"You... intend on fighting the Gods directly?" Salem asks with a bated breath.
"Huuuh? Gods?" Flandre scoffs. "If those two are gods, then Master is Casanova with an unmatched harem."
"..."
Flugel's hand clamps down onto Flandre's head and tightly squeezes.
"O-Ow! Master! H-Hey! Ow!"
While punishing Flandre with one hand, Flugel begins to explain to Salem with a scholarly expression, causing her to question whether or not Flugel and Flandre are actually sane.
"Those two brothers you keep referring to as gods are fakes. Tell me... how familiar are you with the workings of Mana?"
Salem takes a moment to think.
"Mana... is the source of energy used for magic. It is different from the Semblances and Aura we see today. From our Sources, we draw upon Mana, and with that Mana, various feats and functions can be accomplished."
Flugel deeply sighs from disappointment.
"So this is how far knowledge has fallen... You are correct that Mana is the energy used for magical feats. However, you failed to elaborate on the cycle, while completely neglecting the existence of Od Laguna."
"Od... Laguna?" Salem repeats, not recognizing such a terminology.
"To put it simply, Od Laguna is the will of the world. The origin. All Mana comes from Od Laguna, and all Mana returns to Od Laguna. Using biological anatomy as an analogy, Od Laguna is the heart."
"This... is new information to me," Salem mutters.
"Od Laguna is at the center of all things," Flugel calmly explains. "When life passes onto death, that individual's Source and Mana are cycled back into Od Laguna to be purified. Afterwards, they are cycled back into birth. A perfect and balanced cycle of life and death. Now... next are Ley Lines, which I will assume you are familiar with, since we are sitting on top of a cluster right now."
Salem slowly nods. As far as she knows, there are certain locations throughout Remnant, where magic is far easier to use, the Ley Lines, but these locations are greatly limited. One of them is where her castle sits. The others just so happen to be where the Kingdoms are. More specifically, where the Vaults are located.
Flugel sighs, "At the moment, the Ley Lines of the world are mangled. Using the analogy from earlier, the Ley Lines are the veins and arteries. In quite the literal sense, the world is alive, and those two morons have done an excellent job in harming it."
"You said the brothers are fakes... Can you elaborate?"
Flandre curls her lips in disdain and snarls. The sheer bloodlust Flandre emits causes even Salem to flinch.
"Those two are perversions of Od Laguna. Do you honestly think the Ley Lines got crippled through natural means? Those two self-proclaimed rivals of Master must have swooped in to tamper with the natural order of the world once they believed that Master was gone for good."
Flugel's eyes narrow dangerously.
"The Ley Lines were tampered and redirected. It is clear that those two tried to hijack the functions of Od Laguna for the sake of greater power. Those black pools outside your home... they are an amalgamation of Mana, but without the purification or blessings of Od Laguna. It is disgusting. As for the clear pools on the other side of the world... those are an amalgamation of Sources. It would not be an exaggeration to call it a pool of souls. A prison. It is also disgusting. Simply put, those two siphoned away the Mana and Sources of the deceased through the redirected Ley Lines, preventing them from reaching Od Laguna as they should have."
Salem lightly shudders at the memory.
"... When I was dropped into the clear pool waters of creation... I was dropped into a pool of souls?"
Flugel rubs his chin while closely examining Salem.
"A portion of your Source was sucked away, locking you into a constant state of life. However, make no mistake, since this form of life is a mockery of the true thing. No offense to you personally. If Od Laguna were fully functional, this discrepancy would have been automatically corrected, but as things are now, you are effectively immortal."
"Then, if I... if I can reclaim the missing portion of my Source..." Salem breathes heavily. Her eyes flash with some hope, though she quickly regains her composure. "But... why did they destroy the inhabitants of the world? Why did they leave Remnant? This doesn't make sense."
Flugel tilts his head.
"Show me the events of the past. What happened all those years ago?"
Following his lead, Salem answers, "I refuse to answer."
Another series of memories and flashbacks enter Flandre's and Flugel's minds. After several seconds, they finish digesting the information.
"So Ozpin was originally known as Ozma, though... based on how muddled his Source is, it would be difficult to claim that Ozma even exists anymore within that mess," Flugel muses.
Sadness flashes across Salem's eyes when Flugel makes his assessment. She'd come to this realization long ago, but hearing it from the Sage himself feels as if a dagger twists into her heart.
"As for why that brother did what he did... If his personality is anything like I remember, he is a brash, spoiled, and insufferable child. He simply lost his temper. As for why they left, it is precisely because he'd committed genocide. For that many born from Od Laguna to perish at once... Remember that Od Laguna is the will of the world. Had those two idiots stayed even a second longer, the world would have rejected them with all of its power. They would have been erased without a trace."
"Then what is with the promise that they'd return if all four Relics are gathered?..." Salem slowly asks. Everything she'd known and assumed is beginning to fall apart.
"Those two are biding time," Flugel responds. "Waiting for Od Laguna to weaken to the point they feel confident in returning. The Relics are a means of creating imbalance in the world, knowing that these objects promising great power would bring about conflict and war. And with war comes death... massive amounts of it. Right now, Od Laguna is working at maximum capacity in order to maintain itself. Burdening it further would be like a poison."
"I knew we should have just taken that thing back in Beacon," Flandre proclaims.
"How was I supposed to know what it was?" Flugel retorts. "You only wanted to steal it because it would have been funny! Don't pretend like you knew what it was!"
"My point still stands."
"Like hell it does!"
Salem looks between Flugel and Flandre with mixed emotions.
"Then... Sage Flugel... What are your plans, and what about my goal?"
"I think I will start by confiscating these Relics. I'm intrigued by what they are," Flugel hums. "Then, I'll start repairing and reorganizing the Ley Lines. After that... who knows?"
"Ehhhhh?" Flandre whines. "That sounds so boring, Master!"
"What do you mean?" Flugel grins. "You'll be the one stealing the Relics. Imagine the looks they'll have on their faces when we stroll in and just take them."
"..."
A mischievous grin forms across her face.
"Ehehehehe... You're right, Master. How could I have missed that!"
Flugel shrugs, "Just don't go too crazy. Adding to the death count would definitely not help..."
"... I would never! Just who do you think I am?" She huffs.
"As for you," Flugel glances back at Salem. "Why don't you come along with us? I will grant you the freedom you so desire, and from then on, you can think long and hard about what you truly want to do. If you still desire to return to Od Laguna, then you may do that as well."
Salem glances around the room, noting that the Ordinance has not activated. Just to make sure, she utters.
"I am a man."
The room pulses red.
"Salem is a female."
Flugel's mouth curls up in amusement, but also appreciates that she remains cautious.
"... Very well, Sage Flugel," she nods.
Just how long has it been since she'd felt the emotion called hope?