Greetings everyone,

Welcome back to the eleventh chapter of "The Knight and The Wizard".

I want to thank everyone for enjoying the ninth and tenth chapters and I'm especially excited for the future episodes of RWBY but for now it is time to enjoy our tale of two unlikely individuals. Now, as I've already said before, I am watching the episodes as they release and seeing as that may be this story MAY continue onward into the January and onward until Volume 6 is over with. But it's still too early to properly say otherwise. Also, I am really glad I came up with that solution to the fusion vs switching seats debacle. In essence it works like this; either one of them can assume control over Jaune's physical body and when they're fused together it essentially allows them to pilot the body like you would an airplane or a driver instructor's car.

Also, I've decided to upload this on a Saturday because I have to get up early for work tomorrow morning and I don't want to forget to upload this chapter. Also, also, be of note that the next chapter MAY be a bit shorter than the others due to some sporadic work scheduling.

Next Scheduled Release:

Dec. 16th: "The Knight and The Wizard - Ch. 12"

Make sure to Favorite, Follow, and leave a Review.

Till next time!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter Eleven

This was her.

THIS was the monster that took Pyrrha away from me.

This monster, who wore the guise of a normal woman, was the reason for Beacon's fall and Pyrrha's death.

I stared into the crystal blue eyes of Salem's past self, clenching my hands into fists of rage as every feeling belonging to outright murderous bloodlust filled my body as I stood before the vision that stared back at me. Oh, how I wanted desperately for her to be real. I would've plunged crocea mors straight through her chest cavity and through her cold, unfeeling heart.

So then why was my heart skipping a beat every time I thought she was staring directly at me? Why were my palms all sweaty and gross? Why was I secretly hoping she'd smile at me and say my name in that beautiful melodic voice? Why did I suddenly feel nervous and filled with anxiety every time she seemed to move?

It wasn't until I heard the sound of Jinn's voice once more that I was shocked out of my momentary lapse in concentration. "Locked away by her cruel father, Salem was a girl who desired but one thing: freedom."

Her father?... Ah, that's right, the self-righteous asshole that believed he had the right to control his own daughter. Even though I was a hero, I knew that if he were to come face to face with certain death I'd be EXTREMELY pressed to come up with a good enough reason to even consider helping him.

Wait a moment... That's not true... I'd never even met this guy but then how the hell did I know everything about him? Were Ozpin's memories finally opening up to me now that Jinn had decided to answer Ruby's question?

The beautiful woman, Salem, had risen from her seat, passing by my side as her form began to fade upon contact with my elbow before reshaping back into the beauty she once was. "She lived in a time when kings and their kingdoms were plentiful, when men and women were capable of greatness, and magic was a gift from the gods that all could wield." spoke the disembodied voice of Jinn as I continued watching the woman before my eyes raise her left hand when four differently colored balls of pure magical energy appeared above her hand with six more differently colored magic balls forming a circle beneath the main four. "And yet, there she sat within her tower."

Suddenly, blue smoke began to envelope and take over Salem's appearance and eventually the interior of the gilded cage that kept her trapped like an exotic pet was no more. Now, as I looked around and saw the familiar fields of grasslands, forests, and mountains, I felt a strange presence in the back of my head, causing me to turn back and see, not Salem, but someone much more familiar and much, MUCH, worse. "Until one day, a legendary hero came to brave the challenges within the tower's walls." said Jinn's voice as I continued to stared dumbfounded and filled with anger towards the man that continued to smile at me.

There, standing before my very eyes dressed in extravagant armor and matching cape, wielding an engraved scepter in his left hand, was a tanned roguishly handsome man with dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and a confident smile befitting a warrior he so truly was. But all I could feel towards this strangely familiar man was unbridled rage and sadness over what he'd done to not just myself but to everyone close to me. Even when Jinn said his name, I cared not for it because I knew that is man...this so-called legendary hero...was nothing but a fragment of a forgotten age. A phantom of a past best left forgotten.

This was the man that I now housed within my body.

This was Ozpin... Or should I say Ozma?

Honestly, I had no idea over what his name was anymore and I highly doubted I'd care that much about it. I knew that this man was the driving cause that ruined my life. ruined countless others with the lifetime of mistakes he'd made.

But, it appears that not even my hardened glare would be enough to stop the man standing confidently before me as he proceeded through my body, his form fading into blue mist before re-forming behind me and continuing onward towards the tower that housed a monster under the guise of a beautiful maiden. And so, seeing no other way but continuing forward, I reluctantly marched alongside this man as he walked towards Salem's tower with nothing but the sound of Jinn's narration to keep me company. "Unlike those who had come before, this warrior was not driven by the prize of the young maiden's hand. He fought only for the righteousness, and his pure heart and courageous soul prevailed."

Strange sensations of nostalgia filled my body as I continued walking alongside Ozma, who had remained unchanged in his expression as we marched towards the tower. Ozpin had once said that whenever he was reincarnated he'd also be placed within the body of a like minded individual. And while it made me lighter than air to know that this man was the very ideal version of what I imagined a hero to be... It only continued to sicken me to my core that this was no longer the image that was presented to me. Ozpin was no longer the hero he once was... Now, he was just a shadow of his former self... And soon I would be too.

It wasn't until we stood before the massive doors of Salem's tower that memories of the challenges Ozma had faced filled my head. From battling with a ferocious draconic Grimm to searching for a single golden flower among a field of many to fighting hordes upon hordes of armored figures and mythical creatures. Finally, the battles were done and now we, Ozma and I, stood just outside the chamber that housed the one we'd came to rescued. After placing his hands upon each door, Ozma pushed the doors inward and there, standing in all of her beauty was the woman we'd came for. Her smile alone was enough to cause my own heart to skip a beat and I no doubt that it did the same to Ozma, judging by the barely visible blush on his cheeks.

But as she strolled towards us, the blue smoke randomly appeared once more, enveloping the scenery around us before reforming into a stilled image of both Salem and Ozma battling the tower's forces side by side with the magic that each of them housed within their bodies. "They escaped the wretched fortress, and yet something bound them together." said Jinn's voice. And it was here that their forms were briefly replaced by myself and the one I'd lost... Her beautiful flowing red hair tied carefully into a ponytail as the sun's glow bounced off of her shinning bronze armor. Her emerald green eyes were open to show the burning passion that she held in her heart. But then her form was gone, replaced by the familiar face of an innocent and socially awkward girl with a pension for weapons and endless pools of silver. My heart very nearly stopped within my chest as I stared upon her form, so excited and filled with adrenaline as she fought against the beasts that plagued mankind. But then the blue smoke enveloped her form as was my own as the scenery changed once more to show both Ozma and Salem running away from the tower, their hands clasping onto one another as they ran with excited smiles on their faces. I watched from a distance as the two of them ceased their running to catch their breaths before turning to gaze into one another's eyes. "Ozma had been ready to give his life for justice countless times, but now he saw a woman worth saving it for. And Salem, to her surprise, found her freedom not in the outside world she'd once yearned for, but in the eyes of the man that had risked his life to save her."

Suddenly, I was no longer standing at a distance as I soon found Salem was there, standing before me, with a smile on her face. A smile that caused my heart to skip a beat and my legs to become weak. "So, where should we go now?" she asked in the same beautiful voice I'd fall asleep to every single night. I couldn't help but return her smile with my own as I instinctively raised my hand to meet her own. And though I could not feel it, I knew that warmth that came from her was one that I'd love for years to come. I knew not where the world would take us but I knew that so long as she was by my side I cared not for the destination, only the journey.

"Wherever you'd like." I replied automatically, smiling at her before the voice of Jinn echoed throughout the land and along with it the blue smoke once again enveloped Salem's form, leaving me standing in the empty white void filled with a sense of longing.

"The two fell deeply in love, planned adventures around the world, and lived happily ever after...Or at least that's what should have been." said Jinn as the blue smoke reappeared and I soon found myself standing beside a weeping Salem, kneeling at Ozma's bedside, clutching his hand as her tears stained the bed's blankets with wet spots. Regret filled my body as I attempted to reach out for the weeping woman before stopping just shy of her shoulder before falling back to my side as I resinged myself to standing in silence with only the sound of Salem's sobs and Jinn's disembodied voice to keep me company as Ozma, the hero that had save the maiden in the tower and countless others, passed from this mortal plane. "Ozma, the infallible hero of legend, fell ill. And where all the beasts and blades of the world had fallen short, a single sickness prevailed." said Jinn as I clenched my hands into tight fists as the blue smoke enveloped Ozma's body, leaving Salem alone to clutch his scepter in her hands as the streams of tears had long since dried by this point.

"How could the gods let this happen?" she asked aloud, staring out the nearby window and into the distance. And Gods know how desperately I wanted to answer her. To tell her that it was going to be alright. But I knew it'd never reach her ears. Because I knew that no matter what I'd say, even if she could hear it, would be very little in her eyes. Suddenly, two orbs of magical energy appeared just above my head. One was golden and filled me with a sense of hope while the other was purple and filled me with a sense of despair. My eyes widened as I watched them float over towards Salem before revolving around her like planets around a sun.

"The gods, brothers of light and darkness, creation and destruction. Salem prayed they would see the injustice that had befallen her love and make things right." said Jinn as the two orbs continued to circle around one another before conjoining into one, creating a bright light before me that caused me to raise my arms to shield my eyes as the blue smoke ate at the scene before me. This time, I was no longer standing within the room where a hero had perished but now I stood in a field of beautiful grasslands with Salem at my side as we both stared at a massive stairway leading up a mountain. I knew this place well... And not for good reasons. "The Domain of Light was a sacred place." said Jinn as Salem placed her foot on the first step before proceeding up the stairway with Ozma's scepter clutched tightly in her grasp. "It was here the elder brother dwelled beside his fountain of life and creation. It was here-"

"Where mankind would fall." I said aloud, finishing Jinn's words with my own as I walked alongside Salem up the steps that would lead to her downfall. And just like with Pyrrha's death I was powerless to do anything about it. But not due to my own weakness but because all of this was nothing but a memory of a past best left forgotten.

I watched helplessly as Salem stood atop the mountain's peak looking over the Domain of Light. A valley of beautiful flowers surrounding a pool of water and a magnificent tree that stood at it's center. The wind picked up, casting the green leaves from the tree's branches as they circled the pool of water as a golden faceless humanoid man with antlers rose from the water before standing atop it like one would any hard surface. I watched as Salem fell to her knees, clutching Ozma's scepter in her hands as she held it out for the God of Light.

"Please... Please, bring him back to me." she pleaded, weeping as tears fell upon the pristine walkway that led her here as the God of Light and myself watched her with mixed emotions.

"I understand your pain, but you demand of me that which I cannot make so. Life and Death are part of a delicate balance." replied the God of Light, his words causing Salem to lift her head to gaze upon him in confusion.

My fists clenched tightly at my sides as anger filled my body. I hated myself to wanting to side with Salem. And I hated myself even more because I knew that if I had a way to bring Pyrrha back to me. There was nothing I wouldn't do to achieve it... Even if it meant fighting a god. And judging by the look on Salem's face I knew that she agreed with me.

"So... you won't do it then?" she asked in disbelief as she slowly rose to her feet, still holding Ozma's scepter in her delicate hands.

"To disrupt the cycle of-" said the God of Light before an very angry Salem decided to cut him off.

"But that's not fair... THAT'S NOT FAIR!" shouted Salem, tightening her grip on Ozma's scepter as she glared at the God of Light.

But it seemed that not even the God of Light cared for her plight nor her pleas as a dark energy seemed to loom over hi. And though he had no eyes even I could feel the stern glare he was delivering onto Salem, who was too engrossed in her own anger to notice.

"Let. Him. Rest." the God of Light responded sternly, raising his hand and causing the wind to pickup once more and surround Salem and myself before fading away as we soon found ourselves back at the bottom of the stairway that led us to the Domain of Light. I watched with mixed emotions as Salem angrily clutched Ozma's scepter in her hands before turning her glare upward towards the Domain of Light.

But it wasn't until I looked upward to see that scenery had changed once again, this time showing a dark and foreboding environment filled with black jagged rocks and discarded bones of travelers scattered around the dry lands with another stairway leading up another mountain. But whereas the Domain of Light filled my body with a sense of hope. This land only made me feel fear, anger, sorrow, and many more. I knew this land as well... For this was the domain of a being filled with malice, jealousy, and a desire for destruction. This was the home of him...

"The God of Darkness." said Jinn's disembodied voice as Salem cautiously made her way up the stairway that would led her to the God of Darkness. And even though every cell in my body was screaming at me to turn back and run as far from this place as I possibly could, I could not help but continue forward. "None dared to enter his home, as men knew what monstrosities emerged from his blackened pools of annihilation."

But unlike the words spoken by the disembodied voice of the Relic of Knowledge, Salem, with all the determination and willpower practically befitting those of his own family, proceeded forward towards the Domain of Darkness. All the while, I, treaded carefully alongside her as my mind was being wrecked with feelings of confusion and anger. Why was I getting so invested in this woman's past? Was it because of Ozpin's feelings towards her? Or was it because... in a strange sort of way... she reminded me of myself? I mean here she was, a mortal woman, in a land of death and darkness where even the bravest of warriors feared to go and all for the sake of getting back someone she'd lost. It made me wonder; if I had the chance to save Pyrrha, to bring her back to life, would even I be willing to go to such lengths? Would I seriously be willing to make a deal with the literal God of Grimm and Darkness if it meant seeing her beautiful smile once again?

But as we stepped upon the final step the led into the Domain of Darkness, pitch-black pools of tar-like substances littered around the barren and unloved land as hordes of Grimm wandered the rocky terrain at their leisure; I could only hope that I'd never have to answer that question... Lest, I make the same mistake I knew Salem would make.

As we walked towards the largest pool of darkness, the expression of steely determination paramount on Salem's face, the sheer number of Grimm that began to circle our position was nearly enough to make want to draw my sword, my hand instinctively on the handle before I managed to calm myself. I needed to remember that this was all a vision. A memory of the past. So, with great reluctance, I removed my hand from the handle. But it was when I moved my eyes to gaze upon the twisted and contorted form of dark-purple being with horns as it crawled out of the pitch-black pool that I immediately reacted, dropping into my fighting stance as I instinctively activated my shield before pulling my sword from it's sheath.

But this... thing... it was like it didn't even care about the horror it was bringing upon them all as it only continued to twist and contort itself until finally it stood, hunched over, staring at Salem, who despite clearly being afraid, stared back with eyes of steely determination. "And so you must understand the Dark Lord's surprise when he found a lone woman kneeling before him." said Jinn.

I watched as this monster of darkness took another step forward, my hands clenching at my sword's handle tighter than before as I tried desperately to rationalize what was happening. I knew that this was nothing but a vision. That even if I did attack nothing would come about it; good or bad. But unfortunately any sense of rationality was swiftly destroyed by the waves of despair and fear I was feeling from this thing.

"Salem understood it well. She told him of her loss and professed that she knew only he could answer her prayers, all while careful to make no mention of his elder." said Jinn's voice as Salem had already begun telling the God of Darkness her tale of sorrow and loss of her true love.

Suddenly, as if defying all odds, the God of Darkness, raised his hand, halting the slow progress his creations of destruction were making on us, before turning is attention back onto us, more specifically, Salem. "Rise, child, and let your faith in me be rewarded." the God of Darkness spoke, waving his hand before him as a large purple ball of magical energy suddenly appeared before us before fading away and leaving the body of Ozma laying before us.

Without even a shred of doubt, Salem rushed to Ozma's side, lifting his head gingerly with his hand when his eyes popped opened, revealing his hazel eyes as he began panicking and flailing in confusion. "Where am I? What is this?! WHERE AM I?!" he frantically shouted, no doubt confused and distraught over his apparent death and subsequent rebirth.

But Salem, the ever more shinning beacon of love and hope in a overall weary world, only smiled lovingly into her love's eyes. "It's okay! Everything's going to be okay!" she vehemently tried to convince him when suddenly a bright ball of light appeared behind us, causing us to cover our eyes to protect them from being blinded. When the light had finally faded, there standing at the top of the stairs that led us here was the elder brother, the God of Light. And even though he had no face to make expression, we could all feel that the god of life and creation was beyond the normal levels of pissed the fuck off.

"What have you done?" asked the God of Light, clearly speaking about the sheer bastardization of Ozma's rebirth.

"I have done what I please, brother. You may bask in the powers of creation, but you do NOT own them." argued the God of Darkness as his elder brother slowly made his way down the steps towards them. An action that caused the younger brother to make his own way atop the black pools of darkness towards his brother.

"This is not creation." said the God of Light, clearly feeling frustrated over the God of Darkness's clear disregard for his elder's words.

"DO NOT LECTURE ME!" shouted the God of Darkness as his creatures of death and destruction slowly made their way towards the God of Light.

"I will do what I must to maintain order." said the God of Light, raising his hand towards the three of us as an orange aura slowly began to surround Ozma's body before he was seemingly disintegrated in Salem's arms.

The sight alone nearly caused me to become weak in the knees as Salem, now crying that her love was taken from her so soon after she'd just gotten him back. "No! No! What did you do?!" she cried in anguish before turning her watery heated glare onto the God of Light. "BRING HIM BACK!" she shouted in anger, a feeling the God of Darkness so clearly felt at that moment as he seemed to glare at his elder brother.

"You dare enter MY domain and show such disrespect!?" the God of Darkness shouted, angrily waving his hand as the same purple ball of magical energy brought Ozma's body back from the plane of death and into the land of the living.

An action that only continued to infuriate the God of Light. "I am abiding by the rules WE agreed upon!" he shouted back in frustration, clenching his fists at his side.

"Rules that I now see are ever in your favor. And yet the day a mortal comes to pray at my feet before your own, so do you arrive to lay your judgement upon me!" shouted the God of Darkness as his horns began to grown larger, twisting into a spiral as his body slowly changed into that of a large nightmarish dragon with wings before snarling at his elder brother. In reaction to their creator's snarl, the Grimm all descended upon the God of Light when suddenly he was consumed by a bright blinding light, completely obliterating the Grimm that dared to attack him before he, too, began to change into a very oriental-looking golden dragon with large antlers.

"I know we have our differences, but I have not come here with the aim to control you. The same, however, cannot be said for her." said the God of Light, twisting his dragon-like head in our direction as I stood between them with my grip on my weapons in preparation. "This woman came to you only after I denied her pleas - pleas that would have disrupted the balance you and I created. Together." said the God of Light, his words finally ringing true in the ears of his younger brother as the God of Darkness seemed to to ponder this revelation.

"Then it seems I owe you an apology. Allow me to correct my mistake." said the God of Darkness, turning his head towards us as his graping maw of pitch-blackness opened wide, firing a purple beam at the three of us, leaving myself and Salem unharmed but once again leaving Ozma's form nothing but scattered ashes that Salem desperately tried to cling to as streams of tears plummeted from her eyes.

All manner of hatred, sorrow, and anguish filled her body as she slowly rose from his knees, which were not dirtied from kneeling upon the ground, to glare at the one that robbed her of her only chance at a happy ending. "You... You monsters! Give him back to me! GIVE HIM BACK!" she adamantly demanded as she activated her magic prepared to take on even the Gods if it meant bringing back her one true love.

But the God of Light was quicker than her magic as he flew towards us, opening his mouth before picking us up in his maw before swallowing us whole. But as we fell down the God of Light's gullet we then greeted by a bright light at the bottom and suddenly we found ourselves several feet above the God of Light's domain before plummeting down into his pool of Life. I watched as a bright aura-like shimmer overtook her body before we were swiftly brought back to the surface. I clutched at my throat, unaware that I had stupidly gotten reality and memory mixed up as I tried to cough up the nonexistent water from my throat. But it was when we looked upward from the crystal clear pools of Life that we saw there floating before us in their humanoid forms were the two godly brothers.

"When you first came to me, I did pity you." spoke the God of Light, bringing his hands together as we heard the sound of regret and pity that he felt for Salem before they were swiftly replaced by anger. "But it is clear now that your selfishness and arrogance have led you astray."

Those words alone were enough to break me as I lifted myself back onto me feet as I turned my heated glare on the one who dared to say those words to a woman who only wanted a fairy tale ending. "Selfishness? Arrogance? How is trying to save someone you love selfish!? How is doing everything in your power to see them smile arrogance!? All this woman wanted was to be with Ozma and you fuckers took that away from her! Do you know what's like to lose someone close to you!? Do you know what it feels like to know that nothing you do will ever bring that person back!? NO! Because, unlike us, you assholes wouldn't know the first thing about losing someone you love!" I shouted at the two godly beings, gripping my sword in anger before hearing Salem's voice from behind me.

"What did you do to me?" asked Salem, causing me to turn around and see a golden aura-like shimmer overtake her body, causing my eyes to widen.

"I have made you immortal." said the God of Light.

"Immortal?" she asked in confusion as she continued to stare at her hands that glowed before her.

"You cannot die. And in turn, you cannot be with your beloved." said the God of Darkness as Salem looked back up to look upon the gods in disbelief.

"So long as this world turns, you shall walk it's face." the two godly brothers spoke as one as Salem watched them in continued disbelief.

"You must learn the importance of life and death. Only then may you rest." said the God of Light as Salem wordlessly tried to reach out to them before we found ourselves standing in an open field in the middle of nowhere. I could do nothing but watch as Salem cried into the dirt, her fingers curling into the muck as she weeped her sorrowful tears.

Suddenly, the voice of Jinn echoed through the valley as Salem's form froze in place, leaving me alone to deal with Jinn's words. "Salem was a prisoner once again. Her fruitless attempts to reunite with Ozma eventually became nothing more than acts of spite and defiance against the gods." and no sooner had she said that I soon found myself back in Ozma's room where Salem was now standing with a blade in hand. My eyes widened as I reached out to block the sword's blow only for it's form to move through my hand before plunging itself into Salem's stomach. My hands shook with shock as she pulled the blade from his stomach, any wound there might've been had already been healed due to her curse.

That's right... None of this was real... It was all just a memory...

So then why did it feel so real to me?

"But perhaps the gods were not as powerful as they seemed..." said Jinn's voice as Salem, with the sword still in her hand, walked towards the nearby window overlooking the valley. "She had lied to them, turned them against one another, they... were fallible." said Jinn as Salem set her sights on a castle in the distance. "If she were to turn humanity against light and darkness, she could rid herself of their curse, or at the very least... she could make them suffer." said Jinn as Salem turned to throw the sword directly at me before the same blue smoke appeared before me, changing the scene into one of Salem speaking to various leaders of kingdoms. "Salem traveled from one kingdom to another, telling tales of how she stole immortality from the gods, welcomed any swordsman to cut her down, and demonstrated her powers. With the kings and queens in awe, she pulled them deeper in her scheme. She painted them pictures of a time when they would no longer have to watch their loved ones wither and die, when they could claim the powers of their creators for themselves, and in turn, perfect their own design." And just like before, the blue smoke had made it's return, changing the scene before me, showing the Domain of Light as several thousands of soldiers and warriors stood armed to the teeth before the domain of one of their gods. "All they needed to do was destroy their old masters." said Jinn as Salem's army charged into the God of Light's domain where she then appeared from his pool of Life in his dragon form. "The gods had hoped that Salem would learn from her eternal curse, and she did. She learned that the hearts of men are easily swayed."

The God of Darkness, also in his dragon form, soon joined at his elder's side as their creations marched towards them. But whereas the younger brother had little to say to them the elder had but only one question that needed to be answered. "Who has led you down this path?" he asked as the army parted ways, allowing Salem and myself to make our way before the gods. The God of Darkness, upon seeing Salem and the hardened glare she directed at them roared at her in anger.

In response, Salem was quick to launch a magical attack upon the two gods of light and darkness, upon which the army of warriors were all quick to follow suit, launching a barrage of attacks upon their creators. But their attacks were little more than parting gifts in the eyes of the God of Darkness as he absorbed the concentration of magic into a singular dark purple sphere of pure magical energy, causing everyone, including myself to stare in shock. But the God of Darkness could only look back in disappointment. "My own gift to them... used against me." he said with regret as his elder brother looked away as the God of Darkness squeezed the ball of magical energy, creating a shockwave that enveloped the army, including myself and Salem, and eventually the entire world itself.

We watched in shock at the sight of Salem's army fading away into ashes and dust as she and I both looked around for even a shred of evidence that someone, anyone, had survived. But none answered our please as Salem tried to deny the truth that was meeting her vision. "No... No..." she said softly when suddenly the God of Darkness stomped his foot upon the ground, the force of which knocked Salem to the ground.

"You thought there was no greater punishment we bestow upon you?" asked the God of Darkness, to which Salem rose back onto her feet to glare back at her creators.

"I'll come back. I'll tell the rest of the world of this massacre! Build a new army!" she adamantly shouted before gaining a confused expression at the sound of the God of Darkness's dark chuckle.

"You do not understand. There is no one left. You are all that remains of humanity." said the God of Darkness, causing both Salem and myself to become shocked at his words.

Then that meant that there was literally no one on earth... Everyone, men, women, even children just born, were all gone from this world.

"This planet was a beautiful experiment, but it is merely a remnant of what it once was. We will learn from this failure. I hope that you will learn from yours." said the God of Light, disappearing into a bright light of dust as Salem desperately tried to reach out for the God of Darkness, who had chosen to remain behind.

"No! You can't leave! You can't leave! COME BACK!" she shouted at him, only to receive a dark chuckle that doused all hope in her heart as her eyes widened in realization.

"Still demanding things of your creators..." said the God of Darkness before he, too, disappeared into a purple beam of light that launched from where he stood into the sky and atmosphere before colliding with the moon above, shattering it into millions of pieces that then plummeted back down to earth.

At the sight of these, Salem fell to her knees, crying in anguish as the colossal fragments of the moon fell upon the earth. I quickly raced to her side, all manner of logic had already been lost by this point as I wrapped my arms around her nonexistent form, foolishly trying to protect a phantom from an event long since passed. And as the fragments of the moon collided with our bodies it was darkness that greeted my vision and the voice of Jinn that welcomed my ears.

"Once again, Salem was alone..." said Jinn as the darkness gave way to another vision of Salem walking by a pair of deer eating grass before it changed to her walking through an abandoned village that now housed the Grimm. "She cursed the gods. She cursed the universe. She cursed everything, everything but herself. She wandered the face of the planet, awaiting a death that would never come..." said Jinn as the scene changed before me and I soon found myself standing behind Salem's back at the edge of a cliff in the God of Darkness's domain. "Until fate led her back to the Land of Darkness. This was it. This had to be it, the brother's Grimm, the pools of black that continued to give rise to horrific nightmares. If the fountain of life granted her immortality, then surely, the pools of Grimm would finally take is away." said Jinn as my eyes widened in horrific realization as I instinctively tried to reach out for her hand only for it pass completely through, leaving me to watch as Salem took a step off of the cliff before falling into the blackened pool of Grimm. I watched as the pool slowly began to bubble until finally they stopped and I knew then that I had to face reality. That Salem... the maiden that only wanted freedom from her gilded cage... was now a monster that would do anything to see humanity's destruction. "She was wrong." said Jinn's voice as more bubbles began to rise from the pool of Grimm. "This force of pure destruction could not destroy a being of infinite life. Instead, it created a being of infinite life with a desire for pure destruction." said Jinn as I watched as a deathly pale white hand surged out the black pool and with it came the familiar face of the monster I'd met on that fateful night. "And in time, she would find her adversary..."

Suddenly, I found myself back in that familiar white void until I finally turned around to see Ozma slowly waking in the very same emptiness I'd been dropped into. But then a voice echoed through the pristine white void. "Ozma." said the voice, causing Ozma to turn and see the familiar golden dragon form of the God of Light appear before him before slowly changing back into his humanoid form.

"Where am I?" asked Ozma.

"We are between realms. I'm afraid a tragedy had befallen your home at the hands of my brother. we have chosen to depart this world, but in our absence, I would like to offer you the chance to return to it." said the God of Light, only furthering the confusion Ozma was no doubt feeling at this very moment.

"I... don't understand." admitted Ozma.

"Mankind is no more, yet your world remains. And in time, your kind will grow to walk it's face once again. However, without our presence, they will be but a fraction of what they once were." said the God of Light before raising his hands and conjuring for objects: a staff, a sword, a crown, and a very familiar looking lamp. These were the Relics that Ozpin had mentioned. "Creation, destruction, choice, and knowledge were the ideals upon which humanity was made. Now I leave them behind with the hope that you will learn to remake yourselves." said the God of Light as all four relics joined together into a golden ball of energy. "If brought together, these four Relics will summon my brother and I back to your world, and humanity will be judged. If your kind has learned to live in harmony with one another and set aside their differences, then we shall once again live among you and humanity will be made whole again. But if your kind is unchanged, if you demand our blessings while still fighting amongst yourselves, then man will be found irredeemable and your world will be wiped from existence. Until your task is complete, you will reincarnate, but in a manner that ensures you are never alone." said the God of Light, his words causing Ozma to fall to his knees as he attempted to come to come to terms with his ultimatum.

"I'm sorry, but... that world just isn't as dear to me without her. If I may, I'd rather return to the afterlife to see Salem." pleaded Ozma, lowering his head before the God of Light.

"You will not find her there." the God of Light replied, causing Ozma to look back up at the godly being with his eyes widened.

"You mean she isn't gone?" he asked in utter disbelief.

"Salem lives, but the woman you hold dear in your memories is gone. Heed this warning... where you seek comfort, you will only find pain. So, will you-" But the words from the God of Light were quick to be beheaded by Ozma, himself, as he rose to his feet with a determined expression on his face.

"I'll do it." said Ozma, catching the God of Light off-guard before he returned to his normal expression.

"Very well. Our creation rests within your hands, Ozma." said the God of Light, disappearing into a blinding ball of light to soon enveloped Ozma's form and eventually the void itself.

"And so, Ozma was reborn." said Jinn as the scene around me changed to show a village under attack by a horde of Grimm and there, standing before me with a tanned complexion and pale blonde hair, was man who'd just stabbed a Beowolf through the chest with an ordinary pitchfork, causing it to disintegrate into dust. I watched as the man looked around himself to see numerous people running into the forest as a village continued to burn in the distance. Suddenly, a scream caught the man's attention, causing him to turn and see a man flailing a sword at a Beowolf, which swipes at his sword, sending it flying towards the Ozma. In retaliation, Ozam, now in his new body, raced towards the altercation, grabbing the sword off the ground before slaying the Beowolf, saving the man from death.

"Thank you." said the man, relieved that he'd been saved from death. "Please, tell me your name. Who are you?" he asked, causing Ozma's eyes to widen in realization.

Suddenly, his eyes began to shimmer before glancing back down at the sword in his hand before chucking it off to the side to look down at his hands in confusion. I knew that experience well... The feeling of power that you knew wasn't your own. The emotions of someone not like yourself. Something that felt some familiar and yet so foreign. This was what it meant to be a host for another's soul.

This man was Ozpin's first reincarnation.

"Ozma had found himself in a world completely unfamiliar to him. Cities looked different. Creatures known as the Faunus wore fangs and claws and were locked away in cages. And without the blessing of the gods, no one could perform magic like mankind was once capable of, no one but himself and a woman known as... the witch." said Jinn as the scenery changed around myself to show Ozma traversing through a densely packed forest until he came upon a small clearing with a lonely and dilapidated cottage in the woods. "During his years of travel, he heard the same frightened whispers that spoke of a terrifying sorceress who commanded dark powers in the wilds among the beasts and monsters. Ozma was convinced that this witch was Salem, and decided he needed to see what she had become." said Jinn as the cottage's door swung open and from the darkness came Salem, who wore black robes as she turned her glare onto the man that dared to enter her territory but upon seeing the cheerful smile on the man's face, Salem dropped her glare. "Call it magic or call it something stronger, but in that moment, the two knew exactly who it was that stood before them." said Jinn as the two immortals walked towards one another, each of them reaching out for the other's hand, linking their fingers together as Ozma looked at Salem in confusion and excitement.

"What do we do now?" he asked, earning a smile from his true love.

"Whatever we like." she replied with a smile as blue smoke enveloped their form, changing the scene to show a newly furnished cottage with both Salem and Ozma standing inside , each with a mug of freshly made coffee in their hands.

"As Salem and Ozma recounted the events which had brought them back together, each withheld parts of their story. Salem, fearing Ozma would reject her, blamed the end of the world on the gods. Ozma, still unsure of where the truth lay, kept his task and the Relics a secret. Though time passed and all seemed well, Ozma's conversation with the God of Light still lingered in his mind. He had found happiness, but humanity seemed more divided than ever before." said Jinn's voice as I stood back, watching with mixed emotions as Ozma and Salem continued to speak with one another.

"Are you surprised? This world is quite literally godless. These humans have no one to guide them. Perhaps that's all they need." said Salem, taking another sip of her coffee as Ozma turned to look at her in confusion.

"What are you saying?" he asked.

"We could become the gods of this world. Our powers surpass all others. Our souls transcend death itself. We can mold these lands into whatever we want, whatever you want, create the paradise that the old gods could not." said Salem, looking up from her mug and into the eyes of Ozma, who seemed troubled at first but despite everything telling him to deny this request of her's, he, instead, smiled at her as Salem placed her ghostly pale hand affectionately upon his shoulder as the two of them looked out the window.

It was just as Jinn had said before... The hearts of men are easily swayed... And Ozma was no different.

Eventually, the blue smoke reappeared, enveloping the cottage before changing the scene around me to show a village that under siege from a giant nevermore. Suddenly, the nevermore's form was covered in a purple energy, causing it to be bent and folded into several unnatural positions until finally it disintegrated into dust and the villagers all watched in awe as Ozma, now wielding his scepter and dressed in regal robes, and Salem levitated into the air side-by-side above them. The villagers all proceeded to bow to the couple in reverence.

"The two amassed a following. That following grew into a prosperous kingdom." said Jinn as the scene changed once more to show a kingdom before I suddenly found myself standing in a library as four little girls raced through the doors followed by a smiling Salem and Ozma. "And at the head of the kingdom blossomed... A family." said Jinn.

I couldn't stop myself as stray tears feel from my eyes at the sight of the little girls. Memories of having spent time with each of them filled my head as I watched them. But just as I watched one of the girls running towards me vanish into a puff of blue smoke, it was here that I realized that I had been kneeling with my arms outstretched in preparation for a hug. Slowly, I wiped the tears from my eyes and rose back onto my feet as I found myself in a office with Ozma staring out of a window while Salem sat at a nearby table watching a crystal ball.

"Are we sure this is right?" asked Ozma, causing Salem to turn her head to look at him.

"You said we needed to bring humanity together. In order to do that, we have to spread our word, and destroy those who will deny it." said Salem, shocking Ozma into turning her head to look back at his own reflection.

Only for said reflection to ask a question in turn. "What are we doing?" his reflection asked, shocking Ozma into reeling back in horror before looking over at Salem, who was still watching the crystal ball like one would watch a television.

I watched with a hardened heart as Ozma pulled away from the window to look at Salem. "This isn't what he asked of me..." said Ozma, causing Salem to look bck at him in confusion.

"What did you say?" she asked when suddenly the door to their office swung open and there, standing in the middle of the doorway was their eldest daughter, who wore an excited expression on her face as she rushed into the room.

"Mother! Father! Look!" she shouted, raising her hands as several multicolored wisps magically appeared before her.

My own eyes widened at the sight of what this little girl had just accomplished. The same could not be said about Salem, who watched her eldest daughter with a proud expression while Ozma could only look away with a troubled expression.

"It was a miracle, their children could perform magic. But what should have been a joyous occasion was short-lived." said Jinn as blue smoke changed the scene around me to show Ozma and Salem alone in their study where Ozma was telling Salem everything he'd been told by the God of Light. "Ozma told Salem everything, the true reason the God of Light had brought him back, the Relics that they scattered around the world, and the day of judgement he'd been told to prepare for." said Jinn as Ozma finished with his explanation.

"Don't you see? None of that matters anymore. Why spend our lives trying to redeem these humans when we can replace them with what they could never be?" asked Salem, smiling as she reached out for Ozma's hand.

I wanted to tell him to take it. To be there to lead her down the right path. To help her realize that this path she'd chosen would only lead to pain and sorrow. But if he was there beside her, he could be there to show her that there was another way. But alas, as I watched him recoil from her with a look of disgust on his face, I knew that this was the moment Ozpin had made his mistake and truly made Salem into the monster she was to this day.

Smoke filled the room before slowly fading away, replacing the brightly lit study with the darkened hall of the castle where Ozma, armed with his scepter, was quietly trying to escort his four daughters away from the monster their mother was slowly becoming. But as the youngest daughter turned her head to see her own mother standing menacingly at the end of the hall, Ozma was quick to stand in front of his daughters, clenching his scepter tightly in his grip. Salem, in retaliation, launched a red beam from her hand. To which, Ozma used his own scepter to counter his love's attack with a green beam. Instinctively, I raised my shield to protect myself and the girls as the two immortals' attacks clashed with one another. I tried desperately to lead the children away from the ensuing battle but as the castle itself fell upon us all, I could do nothing but watch as these four innocent little girls were crushed by several tons of rock and wood. The sight of their blood pouring through the gaps were too much as I fell to my knees in shock. All manners of pain and regret washed over me as tears fell from my eyes at the sight of my daughters' death.

It wasn't until I felt a force kick me onto my back that I found myself staring into the vengeful eyes of Salem, who had remained undamaged by the battle due to her immortality. Her foot was placed upon my chest, keeping me down s she glared at me with tears in her eyes. I could tell she hated herself for what she'd done. For what had happened to her children. And I could tell that she hated herself even more so for what she'd regretfully do next.

"We finally had freedom..." she said weakly before raising her hand directly at my face before blasting my body with a torrent of fire.

I writhed around in agony and pain as I felt the blazing hot embers torch my bare skin. No manner of aura was going to save me as I felt the life within me flicker away like a dying fire. Darkness welcomed me back as I opened my eyes to find myself still trapped in the empty void. But I knew the pain that Ozpin now felt each and every lifetime... I now knew what death was like...

"Thus began a long and painful cycle of death and rebirth for Ozma." said Jinn's disembodied voice as a small vision appeared before me of Ozma's various reincarnations walking through life. From a frail man weakly walking by gravestones to a despondent man, who held a bottle of alcohol in his hands. "Some lives were spent in mourning, many were spent attempting to forget it all." said Jinn's voice as the vision changed to show a dark-skinned man with glasses slouching before standing tall and walking determinedly forward. Memories of a life spent with a beautiful wife and daughter entered my mind, bringing a smile to my face as I closed my eyes, welcoming the visions of a happy family. "But no matter what, his mind would eventually turn back to the task he had been burdened with." said Jinn's voice as I opened my eyes to find myself standing in a dinning room where that same dark-skinned man with glasses was busy serving dinner to his wife and daughter. My eyes widened at the sight of their silver eyes as flashes of Ruby's face appeared where the wife was sitting. "And as centuries went on, Ozma began to learn the importance of living with the souls with which he'd been paired with." said Jinn as the sound of screaming caught both Ozma's and my own attention. The door swung open to show their village was being attacked by the Grimm. "But no matter where or how he lived, her presence was always felt." said Jinn as Ozma turned back to look at his wife, who merely smiled and nodded in understanding, before going out with a very familiar looking cane. And for some reason, I couldn't help but imagine a life with myself and Ruby going off to protect a village. But I knew that all of Ozma's actions would only delay the inevitable because there was one obstacle that would always be in his path. "If humanity were to ever stand a chance at being united, one thing was clear..."

The maiden in the gilded cage... The monster that took lives... Needed to die.

Blue smoke once more changed the scene, showing the same reincarnation, though now older, was tinkering with his cane in a workshop. "Knowing he could never rid the world of her through any mortal means, Ozma sought out the power of the Relics." said Jinn as the scene changed to Ozma placing his cane inside of a metal cabinet, closing the door before reopening it to show Ozma's newest reincarnation, a well-dressed man, picking up his cane. "Armed with my knowledge, he believes he could fulfill his promise to the God of Light." said Jinn, showing Ozma holding the Relic of Knowledge as he slowly walked towards Jinn.

"Where are the other Relics?" he asked.

"He asked me his questions." said Jinn's voice.

"What powers do they possess?" he asked, again.

"And though I gave him my answers..." said Jinn.

"How do I destroy Salem?" he asked finally with a determined expression.

"...Not all of them were to his liking." said Jinn's voice as the vision of Jinn only smiled playfully at Ozma's reincarnation, destroying any semblance of hope he may have had.

"You can't." she replied, causing Ozma to fall to his knees in despair.

And that very same despair hit me like a truck filled with bricks as I opened my eyes to find myself on my hands and knees in the snow, surrounded by those of Team RWBY, Qrow, and Maria Calavera. All hope was dashed before my eyes as the phantoms of the past replayed in my head on a continuous loop. What was the point in fighting if there was nothing you could do about it? Was this my destiny then? To become yet another trapped soul amongst many others who had failed to break this curse placed upon us? And as I lifted my head to gaze upon my friends' faces, all of whom held the same expression as I did, I heard the familiar rage-inducing voice of Ozpin in the back of my mind.

"Now you know the truth, Mr. Arc." said Ozpin, the sound of disappointment paramount on his tongue in the back of my mind. "What do you plan to do now?"

Honestly, I had no fucking idea... All I knew was that our last shred of hope had been dashed away. And all Jinn's words had done was make me realize a singular truth... that before this journey's end I, too, would eventually become nothing but a phantom of a forgotten past.