Here's the chapter.
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Kegi Springfield
Chapter 99
The black stone of the corridor he walked through was broken up by a soft, red carpet, bright drapes of a cream colour, painted and photographed images on the walls and numerous torches. Despite the dark sky outside and the oppressive atmosphere, Salem's tower was bright and colourful, something one might not have guessed from the outside.
"This place is less dreary than I imagined."
"You and me both, Oscar," Ozpin said, "Although I'd point out that Salem was never what one might call… low maintenance. She had her creature comforts, and her needs. Goodness, she had her needs…"
"Please don't bring up any images."
Ozpin chuckled. "So innocent."
"I'm not innocent so much as disturbed at the thought of someone so old doing it."
"You'll be old yourself in time."
"Don't you mean we?"
Ozpin frowned. "Perhaps. If there is a way to free you…"
"You'd take it. I know. I trust you."
"You did not a week ago."
"You were a different man a week ago."
"No. I was… mistaken." Misguided, lost or just trapped on a path he felt had no escape. "This is how I've always been, but I allowed myself to change. Looking back, I cannot say I am pleased with the man I had become."
"Well, that's why we're here. To make it better."
In so far as it could be. Ozpin sighed and wished, not for the first time, that the Gods had left him dead the first time. Then again, he might as well have wished that he'd talked to Salem before and not tried to sneak away with their children. Had he, then this might never have happened.
So many regrets. So many mistakes.
"Hey," Oscar interrupted, sensing his thoughts, or just his emotions. "Enough of that. Didn't Nicholas say there's no more living in the past? You made mistakes but dwelling on them isn't going to fix anything."
"You're correct, of course. Forgive me." Ah, to be lectured by a child. "An old man has his memories, however. I'm sure you'll understand in time."
Oscar might have responded but paused at the sight of a moustached figure at the end of the hall, stood beside a door. Arthur Watts was a known figure and a known enemy, at least as far as Ozpin had been concerned, but he was surprised to see the very dangerous and very wanted man stood with an apron on and a feather duster in his hand. He looked tired, like a househusband who had been working all day.
"Ozpin," he greeted wearily. "Or would that be Ozma?"
"Either will do."
"Hm." Watts yawned. "My queen is inside, along with the King. He wanted to go ahead and calm her down, make sure nothing untoward happens. To you," he added, somewhat needlessly. "You're free to go in, but for the sake of me not cleaning up your remains, I'd advise you to be polite."
"I've no interest in being anything else."
"Good. You can go in."
The room was that of a small and private library, one with a roaring fireplace by the back wall with a framed and painted image above it of a pale woman and a blond man, the two of them surrounded by children. In his mind's eye, Ozpin recalled a similar image with his face on and only four girls to replace the seven and one boy. The memory shattered as he looked to the man in the painting; it was not him.
Beneath it, sat in a plush chair with her legs crossed, Salem regarded him. Her face was calm, forcibly so, but what caught his breath was how clear it was. The angry veins that spanned from her eyes had receded, and although she was still unnaturally pale, she could have passed for human.
"You left that?" Oscar asked. "Were you insane?"
"Now is not the time for your hormones to kick in, Oscar."
"I know, but… wow…"
"I thought you were more interested in Miss Rose."
"Yeah, but you vetoed anyone below the age of twenty-five. Ever."
"Indeed I did, Oscar. And for good reason."
"Because you're hung up…"
"Because despite what age the body I inhabit might be, my mind is that of a very old man. I am NOT going to touch a minor."
The internal conversation might have only taken a moment or two, but Ozpin realised it might have been a moment too long as an impatient growl left Salem's throat. "Ozma…" She around a flute of wine so tightly that it cracked. She might have gone further if not for the man sat beside her reaching over to lay a hand on her knee. The gesture visibly calmed her, Salem sitting back and closing her eyes.
Ozpin felt a flash of jealousy at it. That had once been his position, and though that time had long since passed, the memories were still raw.
"Salem," he greeted.
Salem's crimson eyes fixed on his for a long moment, staring past the skin he wore and at the man he'd once been. There was less pain there than he'd expected. Anger, yes, but the pain was muted, or perhaps healed. She had moved on. Unlike him, she had chosen to try again, to give happiness and love another chance.
"Nicholas told me how you came upon he and our daughters. You're fortunate he waited until they were safely away to say it, or I would have personally come to Vale and laid waste to you and all those around you."
"Sweetie," Nicholas whispered.
"Do not `sweetie` me, Nicholas Arc. This man attempted to steal away my children. He is directly responsible for their deaths. We will have words later, my husband. Words that will be accompanied with punishment."
Nicholas Arc bore the rebuke without reaction, a sign of either intense discipline, stupidity or just plain old masochism. Perhaps all three, Ozpin thought, for if he read the man's expression correctly, there was a tinge of excitement there.
"I didn't need to know that…" Oscar groaned.
"Now Oscar, we do not kink shame."
Ozpin coughed and gathered his thoughts. His first instinct was to lash out and say that Salem was the one that had killed their girls. It was true and the suggestion it was all his fault hurt. Of course, dragging that out would only make things worse. Such an argument would only lead to pain for the both of them.
And, at the end of the day, she had not spoken unfairly. He was directly responsible, and he had tried to steal his daughters away. They had been too young to know better, and even now he wondered at what he might have said once they realised they were leaving forever.
He'd never had the chance to find out.
"I have made mistakes, Salem."
"That is one way to put it," she hissed.
"My mistakes were in seeking to do things on my own," he continued. "They were in forgetting that we were, no matter what came between us, a couple, and that you were never an unreasonable woman. Bull-headed and stubborn to a fault, but always intelligent."
"Flattery will not bring back our children."
"No. No, it won't. Nothing will." He sighed and sat down on the empty seat provided, sagging back into its soft cushions. When Nicholas offered him a glass of wine, he politely refused. "Our children, our beautiful children, are dead. There is not a day that goes by where I do not regret it. At night, I dream of them and the moment they fell."
Salem's face twisted, the pain shining through. "I didn't mean to…" she whispered.
"You did not," he agreed. "And neither did I. We, I, disagreed with the path you wished to take. You wanted to destroy all of humanity. You wanted to replace them."
"They wished me dead!"
"No. The Gods wished you dead. I did not, nor did I ever intend to follow through with the Gods' deal. I informed you of it because I wanted to clear the air, tell you the secrets I had kept hidden. I had no intention of ever following through with it."
Salem looked stricken. "Then why…?"
"As I said, it was a mistake. A stupid, foolish mistake." Ozpin looked away, teeth gritted. "When I told you, you flew into anger and expressed your desires to replace humanity. Looking back, perhaps you were angry, overreacting. Rather than try to calm you down, I instead decided to take our daughters and leave. This was my mistake. I should have confronted you. Whatever argument we had, no matter how violent it became, was something we should have conducted in private. I… we," he amended, "Should not have involved them."
Perhaps that was more his mistake than hers. Salem had the excuse of anger, grief and fear, while he should have known better in every regard. The ball had been in his court. He should have spoken to her.
"I was afraid because of what the Gods suggested," she said.
"And I let their warnings cloud my mind with doubt," Ozpin admitted. "In the end, we both fell into the roles they wished of us."
Salem's eyes narrowed. "You're suggesting it is their fault?"
"I know not."
"I think I do," Nicholas interrupted, squeezing his wife's hand. "If I can, I think what happened to you both was a tragedy, but one born of misunderstanding. Neither of you wanted your children to be caught in the middle. But even from what I know of when you were first together, I'd say this is more the Gods' fault than yours."
"I am the one who made the wish and tricked the God of Darkness," Salem pointed out.
"And he was a God," Nicholas snorted. "If he let himself be tricked, that's his problem. You were a woman in love who was grieving. The Gods literally let people come and make wishes by them. Sure, the God of Light had the right to refuse you, but you had just as much right to try your luck with the God of Darkness."
"As I understand it, the punishment was not for her making two requests," Ozpin said. "It was for causing the two to fight."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "Is she the one who made them fight? Is she the one who pitted them against one another? The God of Darkness was the one to keep reviving you, and it was the God of Light who took issue with that. She never told them to fight each other. That was all on them. And frankly, if those two had their issues, they shouldn't have let it affect other people." Nicholas leaned forward. "In a way, you were their children. What they did to you was no different than what you did to your kids. The only difference is, you both accepted it as being your fault, while the Gods were happy to pass on the blame."
"I raised the Kingdoms to attack the Brothers," Salem said.
"After they cursed you with eternal life, forever taking away your ability to pass on and be with the man you loved. Also, after they kept bringing said man back to life and killing him again in front of you. Did they expect you to still see them as benevolent Gods after that?" Nicholas threw his arms in the air. "And then, after raising an army – which wouldn't have been possible if everyone loved them as much as they seemed to think – they destroy humanity, remove magic and say that they're disappointed in you all. Disappointed because you reacted badly to being emotionally tortured and then cursed by them. They sound like the kind of kid who takes his ball away in the middle of a game the moment he starts to lose."
"If you are trying to convince me that the Gods were not as perfect as they wished to believe themselves, you are preaching to the converted," Ozpin said. "Any respect I once had for them has long since departed."
"And I hate them," Salem agreed.
"Then I think it's time you both stopped dancing to their tune, hm?" Nicholas held his wife's hand tightly. "They ruined your lives once and have continued to do so for centuries. But now you've got a chance to put that behind you and move on. Isn't that worth it, Salem? If only to spit in their eyes?"
The beautiful woman sighed. "You always know what to say to me…"
Ozpin chuckled. "I would not be here were I not willing. More than that, I will begin." He stood and coughed into his fist. "Salem, I wish to apologise for how I failed you and our family. I should have spoken to you sooner, told you the truth sooner, and more than any of that I should have believed in and stood with you."
Salem tensed. Her eyes didn't quite meet his.
"Sweetie?" Nicholas hinted.
"I… I know." With a hefty sigh, Salem stood. Her cheeks coloured just a little. "I accept your apology and apologise in turn. Though it won't bring them back, I believe you mean it when you say you're sorry for what happened. And I… I shouldn't have been so angry. It was childish to suggest we get rid of and replace humanity. I've no intention of doing that anymore."
Ozpin felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It should have been metaphorical, but it didn't feel as though it was. It felt like a physical thing that had held him down. For what felt like the first time in centuries, he laughed. Not a chuckle, not a polite or friendly smile, but a full-blown bout of laughter.
"Nicholas is better in bed, though."
The laughter died. "Really? Was that necessary?"
"Don't forget, Ozma. I always get the last word."
He let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I suppose I deserved that. Where do we go from here, now that we do not need to fight one another?"
"You may go where you wish, Ozma. My son has expressed a desire to take over and I am content to let him. With the Grimmlands becoming open to the world, the work involved would be staggering. I don't have the time for that again."
"Nor I," Ozpin said quickly, just in case Salem suggested he have a hand in it. "I think Mr Arc is doing a fine enough job, and he is surrounded by those who would help him. In truth, I'm not sure what to do with my life. I'll let Oscar live it as he wishes, though with the curse still laid upon the two of us…"
"This cycle will continue. My husband will die of old age while I will not. My children will pass. People are not made to live forever, and I understand that now…" Salem's eyes narrowed. "What I do not understand is why the curse still persists. It was to last until I understood the true purpose of life and death and accepted it. Did I not do that when I tried to kill myself in the pools? Have I not done that now? I wish to grow old and pass with Nicholas."
If they'd been expecting an explosion of magical energy and the lifting of said curse, they were set for disappointment. Apart from a general sense of burden lifting, Ozpin felt no different, and considering he wasn't even technically alive at the moment, he should probably have passed away. The curse remained.
"I… do not know how it works," he admitted. "When the Gods made it, I expected it would be something that would end with the moment of your understanding."
"That's what I assumed," she said.
"Maybe there's more to it?" Nicholas offered.
"Well, yes, obviously, otherwise it would not still be present."
"Are you sure it is?"
"Testing it is not exactly a safe option," Ozpin said. "Unless you wish one of us to die here and now." For safety's sake he added, "And do think of Oscar, please."
"Yes," Oscar said, "Please do…"
"No one is going to be killed to test this," Nicholas said. "But there is one way to find out for sure."
Both Ozpin and Salem looked to him, confused.
/-/
"How typical," Cinder remarked, "Provide a gift and then ask for it back."
"Sis," Jaune said, "Be nice."
"I am not nice, Jaune. I am never nice."
"Well maybe that's why Emerald is Weiss' minion now and not yours."
"Please don't bring me into this," Emerald called, panicked.
"And Mercury is Velvet's," Ruby added.
Actually, Jaune was sure there was a different reason for that one, though he didn't bother to correct Ruby. He'd heard what Mercury was up to from her and Pyrrha and ultimately wished the guy well.
"Mercury and Emerald will be dealt with in time," Cinder said, causing the green-haired girl to gulp and Weiss to step in front of her protectively. "As for the Relic of Knowledge…" She sighed. "The choice is yours, I suppose. I'm not even sure what my purpose here is anymore. Certainly not overthrowing the world as it used to be."
"Babysitting," Tyrian said. "When the prince and princess have brats of their own. That's your life, Cinder. The eternal babysitter."
"Choke on your tail and die."
Jaune looked to Yang, who rolled her eyes and whispered something about his Uncle somehow being more childish than her own. As to the request from Ozpin, however, she shrugged her shoulders. "Your call."
"Do we need the Relic?" Jaune asked the others.
"Doesn't look like it," Sun answered. "I mean, we've got the Kingdoms on lockdown and just about everything else is on the way to sorting itself out. All we're waiting for is Atlas to war long enough for Ironwood to call peace and not have it look suspicious."
"Menagerie is on board and the White Fang are disarming and integrating back into the populace," Blake said. "Sienna is rebranding them as law enforcement. She did ask for Ren's help on that for some reason."
"Over my dead body," Nora said cheerily.
"They have a point," Pyrrha added. "We couldn't even think of anything to ask it yesterday. I'm not sure about you, but that hasn't changed on my end. At this point, the only question we have is the unicorn one."
Nora opened her mouth excitedly.
"No," Blake said. "Bad Nora."
Jaune nodded to show he hadn't thought of anything either and looked around to see if anyone had. Ruby, Ren and Blake shrugged, while Weiss was busy glaring down Cinder over Emerald. Ilia looked bored and Yang shook her head.
The Relic of Knowledge was a princely gift, but they just didn't need it. While there was a temptation to let it stand with a question remaining in case they needed it later, it would be cruel to withhold it when Ozpin and his mother needed it. If it was just Ozpin, he might have refused, but even then this was for Oscar's sake, too.
"You want to ask it how to let you and my mom die?" he asked again, just for clarity. "I'm not sure I like the `mom dying` part."
"Not how to die," Ozpin said, looking to Salem, who nodded back. "We wish to ask how to lift the curse placed upon us. This will allow us to die in the natural course of our lives but shouldn't kill us immediately."
"Shouldn't…?"
"There is an element of risk involved. Neither of us know how the curse works."
"But it's our decision to make, Jaune," Salem said, not unkindly. "I lost my way and became a monster when I lost my first husband. I don't want to see that happen again, nor make it worse by watching my children grow old and die as well. I can't keep going through that over and over, and Ozma cannot keep stealing people's lives against his will. It's not fair to either of us."
Jaune felt helpless. This wasn't something he could fix with a coup or dose of honesty.
"Are you sure it's the right kind of question to ask, though?" Ruby asked. "Cinder said the genie can say things wrong."
"That's not quite accurate. Jinn is bound to speak only the truth and the problem lays more with those asking the question. A foolish or misworded question can force Jinn to give an incomplete answer despite her wishes."
"Not a douchebag genie, then?" Sun asked.
Ozpin chuckled. "I'm sure to the one robbed of a question, she may appear it. Ultimately, that would be the fault of the one asking. She is limited to three per century. Sometimes, she may even wish to tell you more, but cannot because it extends past the limit of a question."
"And your question will get past that?" Jaune asked.
"We intend to ask the following; what actions must we take to lift the curse placed by the Gods that is currently upon us?" Ozpin explained. "If the curse has already been lifted by Salem's acceptance of the necessity of death, then Jinn should respond that there is no curse currently upon us, or that there are no actions necessary. If the curse does remain, she will tell us what actions are necessary to break it. We will either get confirmation or a method, and both from one question."
"What if she just repeats that you need to accept the importance of death?"
"The question was what actions, Mr Arc," Ozpin said with a smile. "By virtue of the plural, Jinn must tell us every action involved in the process. If it is just to accept death, she will have to tell us the precise method of how Salem can achieve this."
"And it won't kill her outright?"
"Asking how to do something is not doing it." Ozpin said. "If the answer is that she must speak some magical words and die, for instance, she can choose to do so once she has reached what she accepts as a natural lifespan."
Salem reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, her fingers gently squeezing. Unbidden, his hand came up to squeeze back and his eyes closed. The thought of her dying hurt, but this wasn't his choice to make. It also wasn't a death sentence. They'd still have a whole life together. Yang squeezed his other hand, offering what comfort she could. In the end, there was only one decision he could make.
"Take it. Take the Relic…"
Salem smiled. "Jaune…"
"Thank you, Mr Arc." Ozpin bowed and reached out for the lantern-shaped object. If he noticed Jaune's reluctance to let go, he didn't comment on it. "In doing this, you prove, at least to me, that you will be a wonderful ruler."
The compliment didn't help as much as he wished it would. Yang's hand did, as did Ruby hugging him from behind. He let himself sag a little, taking what support he could from the two. It was the right decision, but it hurt so much.
"Should we do it here?" Nicholas asked.
"Now?" Jaune hissed, voice choked with emotion.
"Only the question, son. We're not going through with anything. Just finding out how."
Everyone backed up, making room for the summoning. Only Ozpin, Nicholas and Salem remained in the centre of the room. Ozpin made to speak, and then paused, turning to Salem. He held the Relic out towards her with Oscar's small hands.
"Me?" she asked, surprised.
"I believe it would be for the best. After keeping her locked away for centuries and only monopolising her questions, I think she's come to dislike me. I would not take the risk of her bitterness here."
Salem nodded and took the Relic. Looking around once to make sure everyone was clear, she held it out before her.
"Spirit of the Relic of Knowledge, Jinn. I summon you."
The Relic shook. It was not a violent motion, but one that seemed to scream of sudden life. A pale, blue substance began to coalesce from it, spreading out to surround Salem. Although he'd expected it, Jaune still found himself staring at the blue figure that appeared, a body much larger than his. A female figure with long, flowing hair a darker shade of blue than her body, pointed ears and golden jewellery that hunt from her ears, around her neck and across her hip. Apart from that, she was entirely naked.
"Ahem," Yang coughed, elbowing his side.
"I-I wasn't looking."
"Sure you weren't."
The being looked towards them. There was a flicker of amusement that crossed her face, no doubt at having heard their words, and Jaune looked away, flushed. Laughing softly, the being turned back towards her summoner.
"Well, well, well, for once it is not the old man that summons me. How interesting. Has the lonely girl in the tower claimed victory at last? No. There is more here than meets the eye."
"You already know what is going on, Jinn," Ozpin said. To them, he added, "Be careful not to phrase a question around her. She might answer it."
"You say it as though I would trick you. This is my function. I was created for this purpose with no input of my own. I can no more control what I am than you can yourselves. In fact, I dare say you all have more freedom of choice than I."
"Not all of us," Salem said.
Jinn matched her gaze. "No. Some of you are deprived of that right. Go on, no longer lonely woman. Ask your question and I shall answer. Though you are no longer human, you once were. I remember that and will honour it."
"Thank you," Salem said. She drew a deep breath and looked to Ozpin, Nicholas, and then finally to Jaune. With a firm nod, she turned back to the patiently waiting Jinn. "My question is thus. What actions must Ozpin and I take to lift the curse placed by the Gods that is currently upon us?"
The Jinn smiled pleasantly. "Two questions disguised as one. The old man's work, no doubt."
"If you're truly the Spirit of Knowledge, you would have known our question before we asked it. You're still bound to answer."
"I am. The curse still exists, in answer to a question implied but not asked. I can tell you this because your question necessitates both pieces of knowledge. You have not broken it through your acceptance of death."
Salem looked shocked, as did Ozpin.
"B-But you just confirmed that I have accepted it. The curse must be broken. Those were the terms set by the God of Light."
"They were, but the God of Light set those terms and could alter them as he wished. This was not a contract made between equals, nor something you had any choice in."
"You're being oddly informative," Weiss said. "I thought you only had one question."
"I may only answer three questions using by powers of Knowledge, but I can provide information without doing so freely." The spectral woman smiled. "I introduced myself as Jinn, for example, and in doing so answered the question `what is your name` freely. I can tell people how many questions remain, despite that being knowledge they should use a question for. Similarly, I can choose to speak of events that have happened in the past if I so wish. None of this is a revelation for the old man or the not-so-lonely woman. It is also my personal choice on how much I wish to tell someone. Here, I know fully of Salem's intentions." Her eyes turned to Salem once more. "I know what she wishes, deep in her heart, and as a bring created to help humanity, I am content to see this met as best I am able."
Salem appeared shocked, though she managed to whisper, "Thank you. Then please, how can I do this?"
"The question has been asked and I am bound to answer. The curse laid upon you by the God of Light can only be broken by the God of Light. Until it is, you and Ozma shall be cursed unto this never-ending torment."
Jinn smiled sadly, sympathetically.
"To break it, you must collect the Relics and summon the Gods once more."
"No," Ozpin whispered.
"That… That's not fair," Salem wheezed. "I did what he wanted. I've accepted it…"
"I am sorry," Jinn said. "Truly, I am."
Nicholas caught Salem as she fell, bracing her body against his. There was no one to catch Ozpin, but he landed on one knee, eyes wide and frame shaking. "Mom!" Jaune yelled, rushing around the table to Salem's side.
"I-I'm okay," she said, even though she clearly was not. "I… It…" She laughed bitterly. "It was a long shot. I thought… We thought…" She shook her head. "No, it doesn't matter. The Gods play their games. They always have. It shouldn't surprise me that the God of Light would demand I prostate myself before him. Not at all."
"The risks," Ozpin said. "They are-"
"Too much," Salem interrupted. "I agree. Not for the sake of everyone else, but for my family. I suppose we shall persist. I can… even after Nicholas and my children are gone, I can see their work continued. I will have to rely on their memory to sustain me."
Yang stepped forward. "You're giving up!?"
"You do not understand, Miss Xiao-Long," Ozpin said. "When the Gods departed, they gave us the ability to summon them again through the Relics. When they are summoned, however, they will judge humanity one last time. Should they find us lacking, they will destroy us entirely. Even if they do not, they might well eradicate all trace of Salem and I, including her children."
"W-What?" Yang looked to Jaune. "Why!?"
"Their rules were strict. Salem has the power of the God of Darkness within her and so, too, do her children to a degree. The Grimm are creations of the God of Darkness left behind. The God of Light would never allow them to roam freely."
"But he'd kill them?" Ruby gasped. "That doesn't make sense. They're innocent."
"The God of Light tore me from the afterlife and set me to destroy the woman I loved. They punished hundreds of thousands of people for the fact that a select few rulers chose to join Salem and attack the Gods directly. They abandoned our world and called us failures, condemning many innocent people to death. The Gods are rarely fair."
"Ozma was an existence that did not belong, and the God of Light removed him," Jinn said. "Though I cannot know it for it lays in the future, he is not wrong to suggest the children of Salem might be similarly removed."
"But… that's not right…"
"The Gods have their vision for Remnant. Any who disagree are wrong."
"Even if it's obviously wrong for them to kill Jaune and his sisters?" Weiss demanded.
"They are Gods. If you believe differently to them, you are wrong." Jinn smiled weakly. "It does not matter the fairness, or how much you plead. They are Gods. And you are wrong. They may be disappointed, as they were in Salem, but they will do as they wish. Kill, curse, revive. Your lives are theirs to play with."
"But we made peace with the Grimm," Blake argued. "Surely, that's even better than just humans living alone."
"But it is not what the Gods intended," Jinn said. "Nor, I might add, was faunus."
Blake gasped. Sun and Ilia looked worried.
"They'd erase an entire species!?" Weiss demanded furiously.
"I cannot know. Even had you a question remaining, I would be unable to answer that. I can only say that the faunus were not originally a part of the Gods' plans, and that the Grimm – appearing as a result of Salem – are also not. The Gods created humanity. Nothing more."
"Which is why they can't return," Salem decided. "Remnant has done fine without them. With peace between the Grimm and humanity, it will do even better. They'd only make things worse. It… I will be fine. Eternity…" Her eyes closed. "I will find a way to cope."
"I as well," Ozpin said, an undeniable rasp to his tone. "I am sorry, Oscar, but I cannot ask-" He paused. "You understand? Yes, I suppose you would." He stood, face shrouded with despair. "I must apologise, Mr Arc, everyone. Even you, Jinn. This question does not help us. Please… forget it ever happened. Focus on peace, focus on living full lives."
Ozpin looked to Salem, who had given up on standing and buried her face in Nicholas' shoulder.
"Salem and I… We shall endure. As we always have."
/-/
Understandably, the three adults chose to leave to get some rest after the display. Jaune waited with the others in the room until they were gone. No one, not even Tyrian, willing to break the silence at seeing both Ozpin and Salem so defeated. Jinn stood nearby, hovering an inch or more off the floor. Her face spoke of contrition, the reluctant bearer of bad news.
"We're not just going to leave it like that…" Nora suddenly said.
"What can we do?" Ren asked back. "You heard them. The Gods will judge humanity and we'll lose even if they decide everything is fine. Salem and Ozpin get erased and there's a good chance the faunus die, along with anyone even partially related to the Grimm."
"That's not a certainty," Emerald said. She looked to Jinn. "Is it?"
"I cannot be certain of future events," Jinn replied. "I can only postulate, based on the past. It is why I can answer questions like this."
"Because you're not technically providing us with any answers," Pyrrha said.
"Yes. Right now, I am as blind as any of you."
"But you said your purpose was to aid humanity," Blake argued. "Are faunus really not included in that?"
"It is hard to say. Faunus did not exist when the Gods rules. It may be that upon their return they would see faunus as being essentially the same. It may be that they would welcome you and incorporate you into their plan."
"But only may."
"Yes."
"And you're sure they wouldn't accept me and my sisters," Jaune said.
"This I am more certain of. The God of Light was very strict on how much and in what ways the God of Darkness could interact with the world. The Grimm were never a part of the plan, and you are at part-Grimm." Jinn looked to Yang as well. "As are you."
"Yin," Yang gasped, gripping her arm.
"They'd kill Yang, too!?" Ruby wailed.
"And Cinder," Jaune said, "And Tyrian, Watts, Hazel and a whole lot of other people."
Silence reigned. No one knew what to say, or how to say it, but they each shared long looks, wondering who might be erased from existence if the Gods were brought forth. Jaune. Yang, Perhaps even Blake, Sun and Ilia.
"Perhaps Ozpin is right," Weiss said softly. "It's not something I want to admit, but perhaps we should just leave this."
"And let Ozpin and Salem be stuck like this for eternity?"
"It's not an ideal solution, but the alternative might be the proverbial end of the world. Or at least as we know it."
"Won't leaving it be the same?" Ruby asked. "Maybe not in our lifetime, but sooner or later either Salem or Ozpin will snap. What if this all starts again, all the killing? What if one of them breaks and summons the Gods as a way to end it all? We can't just pretend this isn't our problem and ignore it. It's not going to go away."
"Ooh, ooh," Tyrian said. "I have an idea."
"Kill them?" Weiss asked sarcastically. "Thank you, Mr Tyrian, but I'm not sure that would be possible."
"It might be," Ren said.
Everyone froze.
Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Explain."
"According to the story told, when Salem tricked the God of Darkness into resurrecting Ozpin, the God of Light arrived and a battle almost ensued. This is correct, yes?" he asked Jinn.
"It is."
"If the two were essentially invincible, a battle would have been all but pointless. It stands to reason that if they were about to fight, then they could face the prospect of defeat. The God of Light could have been killed by the God of Darkness and vice versa."
"Though I was not provided with information on how to kill the Gods for obvious reasons, the suggestion is sound," Jinn said.
"Yeah, but it might be a God thing," Yang said. "God powers."
"Jaune has the power of the God of Darkness within him. And, if I'm not mistaken, Ozpin suggested that Ruby's silver eyes contained power granted by the God of Light. Even if they didn't, the Relics themselves were created with the God of Light's power."
"That's a lot of assumptions you're making there, team leader," Yang said. "I mean, what happens if they absorb the Relics into themselves or just blast us away with the snap of a finger?"
"Then the world is doomed and will always be. My suggestion isn't to attempt to kill them, however. That is a last resort. It might be possible to negotiate with them." Again, Ren turned to Jinn. "Ozpin and Salem said that the Gods used to grant requests."
"Petitions," Jinn agreed.
"And they were not always accepted." Ren waited for Jinn to nod. "That means the Gods, or at least the God of Light, were willing to listen to ideas. If we made a petition to them to remove the curse placed on Salem and Ozpin, they might listen."
"Might," Jaune said, "And you're suggesting that if they don't or try and destroy the world, we fight them."
"A last option."
"Last or not, it'll still mean putting people in danger for our purposes," he said. "I want to help my mom more than anyone, but it would be selfish to ask the whole world to pay the price if we fail. If it was just me, I'd be okay with it, but I've got my sisters to think about, and potentially the whole faunus race as well."
"All of which might die in time if we don't do this," Ruby argued. "Like I said, not in our lifetime, but further down the line when there'll be no one like us to try and fix it. We've got a chance to make this work properly and to speak with the Gods. Jinn, would they listen?"
The spirit shook her head. "I have no idea. Basing any decision on my knowledge here would be a bad idea."
"I know. But in your opinion, based on what you know as a being who was made by the God of Light. Do you think he would listen?"
Jinn let out a long sigh. "I am sure he would hear your petition. Whether he would accept or not, I cannot say."
"It's a huge risk," Jaune said.
"It sounds like the alternative is letting history repeat itself," Pyrrha said. "Like Ruby said, perhaps not in our lifetime, but Salem became this way once. It's going to happen again. Mayne one generation, maybe two, maybe three, but all we'll do by ignoring this is outsource our problems to the future generations. To our children or our children's children."
"And they won't have all the resources we do," Ren said. "Not only do we have all of us, but we have Salem and Ozpin working together and they were as strong as Gods in their own right. We also have all the Grimm, not to mention Ironwood, Cinder, Tyrian – even the maidens potentially. We'd also have the Relics, and with Vale and Vacuo essentially open to us, it would be easy to retrieve them. Tell Ironwood what's going on and he might present his willingly."
"We're never going to have a better chance to make this work," Ruby added, leaning in. "I know it's dangerous but ignoring it won't make it any less so. What if the Gods get bored and just come back on their own?"
"If they did," Jinn said, "They would consider that humanity's failure."
Jaune stilled as everyone looked to him. He had no idea why they thought it his decision, but they did. Worse, Yang was squeezing his hand, smiling in a show of support. Support for what, summoning the Gods and risking the entire world?
"We're not even sure it's possible," he said.
"Neither was the Grimm being sentient, or there being peace with them," Yang said.
"And the White Fang would never have agreed to stand down," Blake added. "We've already made the impossible possible before. We can do it again."
Jaune bit his lip. "Remy?"
"Everything and everyone already at risk," Remy pointed out. "You don't ignore a problem and hope it goes away. I'm not keen to die, but I cannot advise leaving this, either. We were close to the Relics being gathered as it stands. There is nothing to say your mother will not falter and try again in one or two hundred years' time."
She might try, but he'd heard already what effect grief had on her. Compounded with the influence from the God of Darkness' pool, it might only be made worse. Ozpin would not be able to hold the line forever, even assuming it was not he who cracked. Knowing where each Relic was, he could summon the Gods faster than any.
"Cinder, Tyrian…"
Cinder perked up. Tyrian smiled. "Yes, my prince?"
"Travel to Vacuo and collect the Relic of Destruction. Weiss, I want you to contact Ironwood and tell him what's going on. Make sure he knows the risks and what's at stake and see if he's willing to support us and hand over the Relic of Creation."
He wasn't sure Ironwood would be, but then again, this was the strongest they'd ever be, and Ironwood knew some of the truth thanks to Ozpin. Knowing that Atlas' military was in its ascendancy, Ironwood might be willing to try it now. He wasn't short-sighted.
"And Choice?" Ruby asked.
"That's going to be a little more complicated, though maybe that's a good thing." It would offer some fresh perspective on this crazed plan of theirs and take a little of the responsibility away from him. "And you're going to help me, since this is partly your idea."
Ruby gulped.
"We're going to have to convince Ozpin to go along with this. And mom. I know we're doing it for them, but I refuse to go ahead without their permission. If the Gods do refuse us, we'll need them on our side."
It wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to.
"Focus on the other Relics for now. We'll confront Ozpin and mom when it becomes necessary. No point trying this if Ironwood won't agree or Cinder and Tyrian can't find the Summer Maiden. I'm going to talk to my sisters, too. This affects them."
And then we leap into a thirty chapter arc where they travelled the world to collect the Relics. No. Just no. The collection of the Relics is all but a foregone conclusion with both Salem and Ozpin's forces working together, as Ren said in the chapter.
It'll mostly happen off-screen.
Next Chapter: 17th January
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