Reincarnation Sucks... Sometimes

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot. Jaune x Harem(fem!Ozpin/Ozma, good!Salem, RWBY, Pyrrha, more probably) M for a reason

Summary: Aurelius Aurea d'Arc I, first and only king of Remnant, renowned warrior and magic user, discoverer of Aura, consort of Grand Sorceress Ozlyn the White and the Witch, Salem the Dark. Known as possibly the greatest figure in Remnant's history, and was now reduced to a distant fairy tale. Jaune Arc wakes up with limited memories and a whole new(old?) life in his head. The King has returned, and he has vowed to fix the world that has fallen apart in his absence.
OBLIGATORY: Subjects/fetishes written in this fic do not reflect my personal feelings about them in real life. Fiction is a whole different story.

UPDATE: I disliked how I portrayed the Brother Gods, they came off as too childish. Changed that and a bit more.

RS...S

Not my proudest moment, I will admit. About five seconds after Jeanne revealed her feelings and kissed me, mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion caught up with me and I passed out. Once again opening my eyes to the comfort of the void, I figured now would be a great time to sort out the whole two lives, one body sort of deal we had going on right now.

'Hey Aurelius, can we talk a bit about some of those memories now that we've got the time?'

I waited for a response. When none came after about a minute of waiting, I repeated the question into the empty darkness. Again, no reply, and I was starting to get worried. Had I used up some imaginary time limit that he had? I could still feel all of the memories of my past life sifting around in my mind but I'd rather not look into them until I had an idea of what I was looking into.

...Jaune.

'Finally, what took you so long?' There was an emotion in his voice I couldn't place. He sounded tired, almost. Or weary, as if the weight of the world was pressing down on his shoulders.

The familiar darkness exploded into light once again, shifting into a simple landscape of a forested clearing. Standing in the center was Aurelius, clad in armor sans helmet, massive claymore planted into the earth next to him. His face was set in a grave scowl, his eyes milky and unfocused, lost in thought.

Alerting to my presence, his head snapped up, his blue eyes locking with mine. Suddenly, in a blur of movement, he was directly in front of me, and I could see the evidence of his exhaustion. His golden blonde hair was greasy and matted, his skin slightly sallow and oily, large dark bags under his eyes, and bloodshot eyes. Slowly, blood started to trickle from an open cut on his forehead, something not there a second ago.

"Jaune," he repeated. "I know that this is probably the last thing you want to hear, but I am not going to be here for you any longer."

What? The cool ancestor reincarnation voice in my head wasn't going to be around to throw witty byplay at me? I was trying to hide my sudden spike of anxiety if you couldn't tell.

The King's scowl deepened fractionally, his eyebrows creasing in slight frustration.

"This is no jest," he began gravely, "I am but a construct, a fragment of our previous body's memories and experiences. My sole existence is to help acclimate you to the experiences of your past life. While I wish we had more time to do so, This cannot be put off any longer."

Before my eyes, the King started to deteriorate, displaying the signs of his imminent disappearance. The previously radiant armor was crusted with dirt, chipped and slashed into chunks, entire pieces missing and revealing wounded flesh underneath. The regalia that stood proudly on the broad cuirass had cracked in twain, a horrific black scorch mark indicating damage of the magical variety sat in the middle, pulsating black veins spiderwebbing off of it and through the armor. One of the large, pointed pauldrons disappeared, seemingly sheared off by an invisible force and the helmet held in his hand had a massive gash torn into the temple, as if an axe had been taken to the crown, crumpling it.

I tore my gaze away from him, alerted by the sound of an explosion. The previously serene forest had devolved into a war zone without me looking. Huge pockmarks marred the ground, entire trees felled and pulverized, fire burning away at it all. The clear and sunny sky had become choked with smoke and the smell of blood and death replaced the gentle breeze.

"While I wish you'd never come to relearn these memories, I understand the necessity of it in order to truly live in this new opportunity given to us, given to you." He turned away from me, gazing out into the burning forest and blood-soaked ground. Idly, I noticed that the black cracks seemed to have spread into his back, coalescing into a singular concentrated point, as if someone had taken a blade of tar and run him through with it.

"In my naivete I allowed myself to soften the blow, your wounded and weakened self would surely be unable to handle the sudden occupation of an empowered soul as well as the accompanying power. This is why I lied to you. I suppressed those memories you 'lost', justifying that with my experiences and knowledge, you'd form an opinion untainted by your family yet influenced by mine. I've realized my folly in engaging too heavy-handedly, and I now believe after observing your actions and properly going through your memories that you possess the correct values that I thought were absent as a result of your upbringing. While I won't be giving those memories back directly, you will recall them easily should you be reminded."

The King and I stood next to each other, watching on as the sky split into a massive tear, brilliant white light pouring through as a massive radiant hand reached down to the land of Remnant below. As the hand made contact with the ground, flora blossomed into life, massive forests appearing instantly, healing the razed land.

"This echo of me stands to guide you and nothing more. The world is not so black and white as I have misled you to believe."

His words resonated deep within me, the wisdom in his aged voice not lost on me as I acknowledge the world cannot be held in the same lens I possessed before almost dying. The perspective granted was humbling to understand.

Nodding his head as he sees my understanding, the King wordlessly gestures to their destroyed surroundings, not acknowledging the God of Light's divine power. "This forest is a representation of my end. This is where everything ended for me, and where it shall begin for you. This is where the love of my life killed me."

He turned to face me again, his tired blue eyes flashing into gold as light consumed my vision.

RS...S
The past

The Aureate kingdom had fallen. It had started with increased Grimm activity, huge groups moving out of the Grimmlands and dangerously close to the outer walls. Other settlements had been evacuated or laid to waste under the attack of the creatures of darkness. Then the central castle was leveled by a massive blast of unrestrained dark magic, decimating the proud settlement and reducing it to rubble, the residual dark magic spreading a plague amongst the masses, increasing negativity to the highest point in recorded history.

Under the constant onslaught of the Grimm and the missing monarchs, the walls had given way and allowed the army of Grimm to pool inside the kingdom. In the absence of both queens and the King, only a few families managed to escape.

In an adjacent forest, some ten miles out was the corrupted queen and the golden Monarch, one having survived the overwhelming blast of dark magic, the other the reason for it in the first place.

"I don't understand," I began. "Why did you do all of this? I know this isn't you, can't you see that? You aren't in your right mind, Salem!"

It felt like yesterday that the woman standing across from me was smiling and laughing as I spun her around in my arms. The soft gentle mannerisms and sheer love were no longer present, replaced by a burning glare and suppressed vitriol.

"I couldn't tell you. And I feel perfectly fine, thank you very much," the uncaring words were spoken with a scorching acidity. "I don't feel particularly different and I am perfectly sane right now. In fact, I feel better than ever."

The Dark Witch's words were contrasted by the growing mania in her eyes. Her previously pale blonde tresses were splotched with black and slowly turning a snow white, dark cracks running up her hands and arms, a black diamond sitting in the center of her forehead. One of her sky-blue eyes had been replaced with a deep blood red, the sclera shifting into a startling black as the dark cracks in her skin seemed to reach around her eye.

I could tell something was amiss the second that she informed me and Oz that she'd found a lead on where the Grimm had been spawning. We had advised against it, thinking up every conceivable excuse for her to not go to the newly dubbed 'dark pool' left behind by the God of Darkness.

I ignored the burning fires and the smell of blood and death, ignored how my heart broke over and over as I recalled how Salem unleashed a cataclysmic blast of dark magic directly in the throne room, annihilating it and killing everyone inside. It was senseless destruction at its finest and it had the God of Darkness's fingerprints all over it.

"Please," I tried. "I know the woman I love is still in there. Ask yourself why you are doing this. You need to realize that this is exactly what that God wants, you're being controlled!" The desperate plea in my voice echoed in the empty clearing.

For a brief, miraculous second, Salem wavered. The cracks receded ever so slightly, the red in her eye fading away to be replaced by her natural blue.

For a single moment, I could see her face contort in unadulterated fear and sorrow. "I'm sorry."

The reprieve disappeared, the cracks spreading back over with a vengeance, the bloodlust returning to her vision, and a cold sneer spread across her face as the fear was replaced with anger. My only warning was a muted growl as dark magic gathered around her.

My sixth sense screamed as I threw myself to the side, a blast of crackling red energy slammed into the space I just occupied, vaporizing the ground and leaving behind a scorch mark.

I slung Crocea Mors off of my back, the Claymore shining brightly as it came to life with multiple glowing runes inscribed on its edge. Shifting my grip, the sword glows brightly before shrinking. The blade expands outwards as I grab the handle and strap it to my arm. When I finally yank the hilt out of the new construct, the large two-handed weapon had turned into a sword and shield.

I immediately brought the shield to bear as another blast of energy impacted the surface of it, pushing my feet back as they dug into the ground.

Salem's cruel smirk twisted into a confused frown.

"Where is Ozlyn, dear husband? I wouldn't want her to miss all of the fun."

I scowled beneath my helmet, reminded of how I had said my goodbyes to her and our children before sending them away to shelter the oncoming storm. Before Salem had become tainted with the Dark God's pool, she had scryed a potential calamity brought on by the Brothers in response to an insult, wiping out a majority of humanity in their anger. Considering the current events, it was pretty easy to connect the dots that that calamity was soon to happen if nothing were done.

"None of your concern," I stated harshly. I sighed before trying to appeal to her humanity one last time. "If I fall here, and you one day regain sense of yourself, do not fall into guilt, it is not your fault. Try and remember the family we made, Autumn and Verdant still need their mom, Sapphire and Sunny still need their step-mom. Ozlyn and I still need you, Salem. Just try and fight it, don't let that devil win, remember who we are."

Salem's smirk twitched, her facade breaking incrementally before the control of the Dark God reasserted itself on her as her face spread in a cruel grin.

"When I'm done with you, I'll need someone who can put up a good fight, no? Ozlyn the White is a mighty powerful sorceress, the most powerful in the kingdom in fact."

I sighed in resignation. Salem's control was too deep and it seemed there was no other way around it. I'd beat her out of it or die trying.

"So be it," I murmured, tightening the grip on Crocea Mors. "When all is said and done, just know that I still love you."

Salem's dark visage twisted into another frown.

"Sentimental type, aren't you?" She shook her head in mocking disappointment.

"Dearly beloved," Salem's hands burst into black flame, a dark wind rustled through the remaining trees, carrying embers off deeper into the woods where they would set the world ablaze. "'Till death do us part."

POV: Third Omniscient

Without fanfare, a blast of stygian fire came screeching out of the Dark Witch's hands, leaving a trail of blackened grass.

In response, the King leveled his shield with the blaze, a multitude of runes lighting up on the surface as the fire was quickly absorbed and then returned with equal ferocity.

With a lazy flick of her hand, the ball of flames petered out into nothing, though Salem was unprepared as Aurelius came rushing at her from the cover of the flames. With a heavy heart, he raised his blade, poised to cut her from shoulder to hip and end the fight quickly.

With another casual flick, Aurelius' blade was caught in a shadowy hold, shadows stretching up from the ground and grasping the blade tightly as Salem's hands lit up a sickening green. With a malevolent grin, the dark magic slammed into the sturdy armor, roiling over it as the man was sent flying backward, now missing his sword.

With a tilt in her head, Salem looked over the sword in interest. "These runes are rather extraordinary, wherever did they come from, I recall your family being an order of warriors. Was there a runemaster in your family?" Salem's curiosity led to her attempting to touch the blade, entranced by the glowing silver sheen of the runes.

In response to the dark magic controlling her, the blade glowed a bright silver, channeling the power of light, searing her fingertips, and dispelling the shadows gripping the sword. The hilt swerved in Aurelius' direction before launching itself towards him as if yanked by an invisible string. It landed soundly within his hand, the silver light spreading to the rest of his armor.

Not offering an answer to the question of the blade's mythical origins, the King instead raised his shield and allowed golden magic to gather inside of his body. His eyes flashed gold and an expanding wave of magic blasted from the insignia of the shield.

Salem raised her hands in response and the shadows responded to her command, leaping from the shade of the trees and the ground itself and coalescing into a tight barrier. The golden wave slammed against it, immediately being swallowed by the hungry darkness.

Dismissing the buttress, Salem's voice reached across the clearing.

"I've neglected to show you the pets I've come to be in possession of," A spark of mania blazed to life in her eyes as dark liquid pooled in her cupped hands. "Allow me to remedy that."

She dropped the handful of liquid shadows onto the ground where it immediately grew in size. From the small formless puddle a paw burst through the surface of the liquid, followed by another, followed by the glaring red eyes and snarling maw of a Beowolf. It planted its large paws on the ground in front of itself before hoisting the rest of its body from the dark pool, hunching over and growling menacingly.

Aurelius' eyes widened in shock as Salem showcased her casual manipulation of one of humanity's greatest enemies. His eyes narrowed in anger behind his helmet, his free hand shooting forward. With a blast of blinding silver light, the recently spawned Grimm was turned to stone, the strength of the magic causing it to immediately crack and crumble into dust before disappearing entirely.

From her position some meters away, Salem watched impassively as her summon was dispatched ruthlessly.

"Tch, figures that Oz would teach you all about the silver magic. Speaking of, after I finish with you, I should probably hunt down the rest of the silver-eyed clan you've got constantly patrolling the Grimmlands. Wouldn't want my new pets being vaporized with a look." The annoyed look contrasted with the way the Witch admitted to planning the genocide of a well-respected and honored clan.

Figuring now was a good time to try and catch Salem off guard, Aurelius blurred forward, wind magic assisting in his lunge as his sword raced toward Salem's abdomen. Eyes widening in shock before narrowing in anger, the Witch just barely evades, a shallow cut slicing the black dress she was wearing and allowing a line of black blood to slowly trickle from the flesh wound.

In response she pushed her arms forward, a vicious gust of black smog ejecting from her palms and wrapping around the King's head, filling his lungs and nostrils as it deprived him of his air and obstructed his view. Following it up, shadows coalesce into a large axe in her hands. Grabbing it in both hands, she heaves it downwards with no hesitation, attempting to split her husband's helmet and skull in twain.

On instinct, Aurelius shifts to the side, exposing his shoulder instead of his temple as the pointed pauldron takes the brunt of the blow and is sheared off in a shower of metal, the axe biting through his Aura and slightly into the flesh of his deltoid muscle.

Grunting in muted pain and rapidly disappearing breath, he disengaged, a blast of wind buffeting the smirking Salem. Inside the King's helmet opens a small blue vortex, sucking up the smog and allowing his breath and sight to return. Risking a glance at his wound, he deems it superficial. In response to his thoughts, his semblance activates, the broken pauldron growing back into position as his armor re-reinforces the shoulder and regenerates the missing piece.

Not letting up, Salem rushes forward, her massive axe conjuration swinging up in a deadly arc where it crashed into the protective guard of Aurelius' shield, a shockwave echoing in the clearing. The shadows in Salem's grasp twisted and she was suddenly holding a short sword, using its smaller size and easy maneuverability to try and stab him through the face plate and directly between his eyes. The King reacted quickly by twisting his head, the stab slamming into the side of his helmet instead.

Crocea Mors swept forward in a silver arc, biting into Salem's side. Had it not been for her swift reaction and another blast of point-blank fire, the heirloom sword would have sliced her clean in half.

Salem hissed as she held her side, the silver light of the blade sizzling against her dark tainted skin. She moved further back, pools of darkness with small swirls of light spawning beneath her feet. From one of them emerged a large scorpion, equipped with powerful pincers, plated in white bone with glowing silver accents, eight menacing eyes glaring at him while a long prehensile tail swoops behind it, the stinger glowing a sickly yellow.

From the second pool, another arachnid crawls free from the inky depths. Eight long legs, ending in white-bladed tips leading to a large bony plated abdomen and sternum of a spider, another set of eight glaring red eyes, mandibles clicking angrily as white acid oozed from its frothing mouth.

Wasting no time, Aurelius raises his shield again, the runes starting to glow a menacing silver before unleashing a massive flash, reminiscent of a camera flash. The two arachnid Grimm only blink the spots out of their eyes, no worse for wear against the deadly silver light.

Dumbfounded, the King almost misses the stinger of the Deathstalker as it slams its tail forward, the glowing tip impacting into the ground, cratering it and releasing a yellow discharge that wilts the grass underneath it. Attempting to capitalize on the opening, the large spider -now dubbed Widow- charges forward, attempting to use its armored and spiked legs to impale Aurelius.

The shield of Crocea Mors glows gold before it suddenly shifts into a large tower shield, deflecting the impaling blows before the blade swipes forward and shears two of the legs off at the spike. From there, the Monarch ducks underneath a sweeping swipe from the deathstalker and shields another blow from its tail before turning his shield toward Salem as a red blast slams into it, taking him off balance.

Screeching in anger, the Widow rushes forward, attempting to sink its mandibles into the King's arm and inject its lethal venom. Instead, the large Grimm finds itself bashed in the face with the tower shield before two gauntlets wrap around its mandibles. With a grunt of exertion, the Widow is lifted off the ground and slammed into a shocked Deathstalker, the two Grimm getting tangled in the sixteen legs between them.

With another flash, Crocea Mors had shifted forms again, fusing into a large broadsword. Aurelius plants a foot forward, calling upon his magic and willing it into the blade. With a mighty swing, a wave of gold was launched out of the broadsword and cleaved the two tangled Grimm in half, leaving them to turn to smoke.

Immediately after, the King raised the weapon, the large flat of the blade blocking the rapid thrust of Salem's rapier, foiling her attempts at poking at the chinks in his armor. The tip of the shadowed rapier was wreathed in an ominous red, belying its danger to his defense.

The initial exchange was followed by a fast-paced stabbing combo from Salem, each targeting vital areas in his armor and subsequently being blocked by Crocea Mors.

Salem disengages after she overextends, narrowly avoiding a beheading slash from her lover as she retreats to a safer distance panting in exertion.

Smiling glibly, she looks at her hands as shadows move across them sluggishly. "It appears fusing the Grimm with silver magic worked, albeit at a cost to my own magic generation. I don't believe I can pull that off again without burning my own core out." Salem's expression twists in confusion, questioning why she gave away important information like that.

Realizing that his wife was still fighting the control of the Grimm pool and helping in any way she could, Aurelius only reassured his stance on the fight.

Enraged by her actions, Salem stomps the ground, inky pools of darkness extending across the earth before turning into a massive horde of all types of Grimm, ready to tear the King limb from limb in the name of their mistress. The mania in Salem's eyes returned, her expression gleeful as she beheld the army she commanded and could create at a whim.

"Dear husband, I know you're holding back. No point in trying to hide it anymore. I want our final battle to be one that will scar the face of Remnant for millennia to come, so I expect you to provide the same courtesy and let loose."

Salem's magical presence grew to an overwhelming pressure, the hazy sky suddenly darkening as her dark powers influenced nature itself. The shadows stretched longer, and the Grimm surrounding her became larger and more vicious as the influence of the God of Darkness manifested in their ranks. From Salem's temple, the outline of a pair of purple ram's horns extended, displaying the God's control as she leveled her magic.

In response, Aurelius stood taller, his golden and white armor suddenly radiant in its splendor, multiple runes crawling across its surface as he readied himself for battle. Crocea Mors shifted once again, the broadsword replaced with a massive buster sword, a large straight-edged sword shaped like a knife. Shifting into stance, the King readied himself to weather the storm.

"I've been stalling to ensure that Ozlyn and the children got away safely. I am content in knowing that they can no longer be caught in the crossfire. Should I fall here, I know that they are safe. And that's all that matters."

Sneering in derision, Salem waves a hand forward, silently commanding the army to charge. Aurelius grips the large sword tighter, fearless in the face of the army of darkness. His magical presence grew to match Salem's aided by the Aura that he commanded, wrapping it around himself and his armor in an extra layer of protection, making an impregnable barrier while covering all of the exposed points in his armor.

The forest devolved into a slaughter.

After...

The forest had been leveled for miles, and the smoky and decomposing corpses of Grimm lying around indicated the outcome of the battle. Entire swaths of the creatures of darkness had been frozen in stone, slowly crumbling under the pressure of the magic being utilized by the main two combatants. Craters and pockmarks marred the surface of the once beautiful land, the sky turned dark with smoke and Salem's dark magic and the fire had long since disappeared under the magical onslaught.

Salem had been pushed onto the back foot, desperately trying to stop her husband's advance. In response to her desperate movements, Aurelius pushed forward, slamming through hastily erected barriers and powering through sloppy spells. The God of Darkness' ram horns had disappeared, her power slowly diminishing under the might of the one-man army and leader of the fallen Aureate kingdom.

The golden monarch's semblance had been exhausted, the armor no longer regenerating, multiple pieces missing or slashed. An entire pauldron was missing and there were a myriad of chunks slashed out, small rivulets of blood leaking out of the flesh wounds. Despite it all, the King stood tall, an insurmountable wall preventing Salem from being unleashed on the rest of the world.

Attempting to levitate to gain some breathing room, Salem was immediately yanked back to the ground in a flash of purple, the familiar thrum of gravity magic asserting itself over her. Multiple cuts leaked black blood on her body, her once pristine hair had become disheveled and almost completely bleached white as the fight went on. The black cracks had spread further, wrapping around her arms and legs as the corruption took hold. Her one blue eye had yet to be corrupted by the reaching veins of darkness.

As Aurelius stepped into her guard, capitalizing on her vulnerable state, Salem buffeted him with shadows before conjuring another massive axe, swiftly bringing it down upon his cranium in order to give her at least a little bit of time to try and plan out another way to counter the relentless King. The axe slammed home into the helmet with a crunch, flattening the crown and tearing a gash into the top of the armet. Before Salem could attempt to draw blood, the axe was stopped by a flash of gold, the Monarch's Aura ceasing the axe's movements.

Aurelius reared his leg and delivered a spartan kick into the Witch's sternum, launching her backward where she dug a trench into the ground. The axe dissipated and he yanked off the sundered helmet, eyes glowing gold in cold and righteous fury.

Throwing himself forward, the King appeared in a burst of speed in front of the downed sorceress, Crocea Mors in its normal sword form held aloft in his hand. In a swift movement, the blade plunged into Salem's chest, directly into her heart, the multitude of silver runes lighting up in vengeance against the dark magic.

The wound hemorrhaged black blood, Salem immediately coughed it up as the sword pinned her to the ground through her chest. Crocea Mors' purifying power surged through her weakened body, the black veins becoming inert, turning grey underneath the silver magic.

"...I'm sorry, Salem. I know this wasn't your fault, this wasn't you."

Aurelius' words were accompanied by silent tears tracking their way down his face as he kneeled next to the dying form of his wife.

Salem's eyes were the clearest they'd been the whole fight, the purifying magic surging through her and the power of her magic and own willpower keeping her alive.

"Not... your... fault," Came the labored reply.

The Monarch resolutely stopped himself from sobbing, grabbing his wife's hand in a firm grip, her's weakly intertwining their fingers together. A brief burst of familiar magic across his senses alerted him to the approach of his other wife.

Eyes widening in recognition, Salem's weak voice reached his ears.

"Oz... coming? Tell her... goodbye."

Shaking his head and holding in his tears, Aurelius nodded silently, not trusting his own words. His thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions, the most prevalent being grief and anger at the Dark God, cursing him for taking a piece of his family away from him. Unknown to him, these dark thoughts slighted the God paying attention to the King and the interaction between his puppet and his Brother's favorite mortal.

A sliver of malevolent power took root in Salem's mind. With actions not belonging to her, she beckoned her grieving husband closer, leaning up to his ear.

"Beloved... 'till death do us part."

Salem's hold on his hand tightened into an inescapable death grip, reeling him in closer as darkness pooled into her hand. Without hesitation, her hand plunged through Aurelius' cuirass, directly into the middle of his chest, dark veins spreading from the place of impalement.

Flinching backward as Salem's grip slackened and her face became horror-struck, the King dropped to the ground on his hands and knees as he felt the dark curse start eating away at his soul.

"N-No! I'm sorry!" The teary wail from Salem did not stop the fact that she'd punched a hole directly through his chest.

A large magical signature filled the clearing as its owner appeared desperately searching. Ozlyn the white was done up in her rune-covered armor, green highlights signifying her rank as Grand Sorceress. Her medium-length brunette hair was done up in an elaborate bun as her eyes desperately searched for the fading life forces of her loved ones.

Spotting her husband, she immediately ran over, a dome of green surrounding him, suspending the time inside and allowing her to look at the damage done to him. Quickly identifying the dark curse attempting to eat his soul out, she tried to banish it only to fail, the damage irreversible and the body in critical condition. Face screwing up in concentration, she tried to do it again, this time healing his body as well, the hole in his chest filling with tanned, healthy skin. The curse persisted and the healed flesh only withered away under the effects of the curse.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Ozlyn's fist slammed into the ground, a spider web of cracks spreading from her fist as she lost control of her emotions and magic.

"O-Oz!"

Ozlyn's attention snapped to her sister-wife, currently pinned to the ground with a sword through her heart and a dark curse being burnt out of her system by the said sword. Moving over quickly she stopped in front of Salem before raising her hands as blue light gathered in them.

"I know you weren't in control," Started Ozlyn, trying not to cry, "But it doesn't change the fact that the two of you are almost dead and I can't do anything about it." Ozlyn started tearing up, properly realizing she could do nothing to save two of the most important people in her life.

"The... Gods must... be laughing at us," Salem's attempted chuckle ended with a racking cough that dispensed a splatter of black blood.

"The Gods? They can fix this, no they will fix this." Ozlyn's resolute voice echoed through the clearing as she dismissed her magic, and immediately dropped into prayer, hoping for a miracle. After a minute of waiting only interrupted by Salem's occasional coughs, nothing happened. Distantly, the Dark Witch wondered how she was still alive, she'd been stabbed in the heart for the past four or so minutes and she wasn't getting any better.

Ozlyn stood without warning, pulling at her hair in frustration. Being a sensible woman, she refrained from lashing out at the unfairness of it all, tears of frustration leaking down her face. Pivoting on her foot, she approached Salem.

"I realize that you are suffering right now," She took a shuddering breath, trying to control her voice. "I'm sorry everything ended this way."

Black blood dribbled from the side of Salem's lip. "Not... your fault. Not... Aurelius' either. Mine."

Shaking her head in denial, Ozlyn's aggrieved visage shifted into resolution. "I love you."

Salem closed her eyes. "Me... too."

Grabbing the hilt of Crocea Mors, the Grand Sorceress prepared to remove it from her chest before two divine presences filled the empty clearing.

Immediately brought down to her knees, Ozlyn could barely look up as two figures materialized. Each was vaguely humanoid and polar opposites of each other. There was one composed entirely of light, golden antlers extending from his head. The other was a dark purple, ram's horns instead of antlers to contrast his brother.

Ozlyn looked up, prostrating herself on the ground, and begged.

"Please milords, I humbly request you save the life of my husband, his reign was benevolent and good, he did not deserve the fate befallen to him and-"

"I told you not to upset the delicate balance that we created," Stated the God of Light to his brother, interrupting the Sorceress.

"And I told them to not meddle with powers beyond their understanding!" Came the furious response. "The Grimmlands are off limits for a good reason, and now they are suffering for their arrogance." The Dark God crossed his arms, resolute in his brother's annoyance.

Sighing to himself, the elder brother gestured to the clearing.

"Look at the mess they've caused. The little Witch has kickstarted the end of humanity, we'll have to start over again!"

"It wouldn't have happened in the first place had they properly heeded mine and your warnings!"

The brothers continued to bicker before abruptly stopping. In eerie unison, they turned towards Ozlyn and a still-impaled Salem.

"You two will do," Stated the God of Darkness.

"Milords, what are we to do?" Asked Ozlyn, mentally reinforcing herself for whatever task would be set before her by the Godly figures.

"You will be our agents who shall enact our will upon the world," said the younger brother.

Without waiting for a reply, the two of them held up their hands, a beam of light emitting from them and sinking into the respective chests of Ozlyn and Salem. Salem immediately started to writhe in pain, Crocea Mors was pushed out of her chest, her skin turning a frightening pale as her hair bleached completely, the previously grey cracks shifted into black as they started pumping the dark energy back into her, both of her eyes reverting to the corrupted red and black. She passed out and was covered in shadows and disappeared.

Mentally, the God of Darkness granted her a form of immortality, her slight against him going unforgotten..

Ozlyn immediately tried to check herself for any change but noted none. Turning questioning eyes on the Brother Gods, she was not graced with an answer and was similarly transported away in a flash of light.

In a flicker of movement, the two gods stood beside the green dome that housed the time-isolated Aurelius, staring at his damaged soul. Shooting a pointed look at his brother, the God of Light spoke,

"This will set our project back for centuries. I'd rather not have this world fail world after investing so much time in it."

"Nothing is stopping us from just starting over, perhaps curiosity should have been something they would benefit from having less of," Mused the younger brother.

"That will lead to imbalance, making them overly cautious and unadventurous. We must ensure that-"

"Always with the balance and equality, I say we leave them to their own devices, everything's already up in smoke. This is a failed experiment, a Remnant of what it was supposed to be."

The God of Light stopped his retort, slowly considering the idea his brother proposed. Nodding slowly, the elder brother agreed silently.

"You may be correct," came the quiet reply. "I'd wished to avoid another Ever After, but as you said, this is indeed a failed experiment."

"What of the Witch and the Sorceress? I've cursed the dark one with immortality and you've tethered the other's soul to the like-minded. We claimed to make them agents."

The God stopped to think. "We spin a story, turn them against each other. We leave behind four relics for the Sorceress to guard and the Witch to hunt, claim that the four of them together would call us back to Remnant to pass judgment," he tilted his head in contemplation. "Though eventually the scales would tip into darkness, your creatures of death are formidable should they be allowed growth. Under the guidance of the Witch, they'd grow too powerful."

An idea struck the two at the same time. They faced the dying King, still encapsulated in the time bubble.

Silently, both gods completely restored the King's soul, withholding consciousness from him.

"We cannot bring him back immediately."

"Agreed, reincarnation perhaps? Something like the Sorceress?"

The elder brother shook his head. "Reincarnation yes, multiple times? No. That would embitter him, making him a shell and leaving him weak when it matters most."

"A compromise then? He shall reincarnate into a distant descendant, the accolades of this era will fade into fairy tale and myth, and he will reclaim his seat of righteousness when the time comes."

Both Gods nod in agreement, resolving to leave Remnant behind after delivering the second wave of humanity. The God of Darkness being a rather theatrical individual transformed into a ball of dark energy and launched into the sky, idly slamming into one of his previous creations as he departed Remnant.

Before the eyes of those who survived, the God of Darkness blasted the lunar body with a massive beam composed of darkness, a great crack sounding through the sky. Above them, the visage of a shattered moon hung in the heavens of Remnant.

Feeling gracious, the God of Light granted Aurelius' soul with a well of memories regarding his current reincarnation predicament, neglecting to include the memories of Salem of Ozlyn being their agents. He then sent the soul off into the aether, where it would hang in limbo until the proper descendant would come along so that they may assimilate. Nodding in satisfaction, the God of Light leaves, idly shaking his head at the mess his brother made of the celestial body that orbited Remnant.

Gazing down on the razed lands, the God of Light prepared himself to help create the next batch of humanity to bolster the amount lost in the fight between Salem and Aurelius as well as the armies of Grimm that came pouring out of the Grimmlands in massive swarms. With the death of almost all magic users, the residual powers would seep into the earth of Remnant, creating what will come to be known as Dust and revolutionizing how the next humanity will combat the Grimm. Magic itself would fade into myth, as would the fate of the fallen King, the Corrupted Witch, and the now Infinite Woman.

As the brother Gods observed their failed experiment, they began to weave the next tapestry of humanity.

"This should turn out to be interesting."

Present

Jaune Arc's eyes blinked open. Inherently, he realized that the voice in his head had vanished, its duty done. With it, came the well of knowledge locked away by the well-meaning King.

Hit with a burst of sudden restlessness, he attempted to sit up, only for a muscled, feminine arm to shoot out and wrap around his shoulder. He was yanked back into the hold of Jeanne Arc, her bra-clad breasts the only thing separating him from her bountiful cleavage.

Suddenly aware he was mostly naked, Jaune glanced at his older sister in panic as her grin sharpened.

She leaned forward, flattening herself against Jaune as she lay atop him in her queen-sized bed, their legs tangled together underneath the sheets. A desperate glance at the clock indicated it was 11:24 PM, almost midnight. Jeanne's arms coiled behind his neck, digging into Jaune's golden tresses as she brought their faces closer together.

"Just where do you think you're going, little Jauney?" She murmured, warm breath coasting across his lips, her blue eyes twinkling in restrained emotion.

"I-I was just thinking that-" Despite the massive info dump dropped on him only moments previously, Jaune found himself completely lost in the advances of his 27-year-old bombshell of a sister. The recall that Aurelius mentioned kicking in, only to highlight the lack of sisterly memories and instead bringing to surface ones that seemed more intimate than siblings should be looking back at them.

Impossibly, Jeanne's grin only grew wider, like a shark smelling blood in the water.

"My, my, leaving so soon? Again?" Her smile disappeared and a hint of familiar mania entered her eyes. "I've held out for years, resolving myself that I would never act on these feelings. But seeing you die? Seeing you come back with the same stupid smile, the same stubbornness that quite literally got you killed? I'm not going to wait for another miracle..."

She leaned forward and closed the distance, sealing her lips with her brother's, a moan of pleasure escaping her mouth while he squeaked in shock. She slowly started to grind her clothed crotch against his, feeling the bulge of his arousal against her lower lips, exciting the both of them, though one in sheer mortification and the other in manic glee.

She pulled back after a good ten seconds of euphoria. "Now, how about I make you a man?"

Jaune could only nod nervously as Jeanne reached behind her back and unclasped her bra.

R&R and all that jazz. I like feedback. Sporadic updates.
PS: Feel free to PM/comment with questions and stuff, I'll probably answer

More worldbuilding to come, more memories to recall, and all that. No more voice-in-the-head stuff but Jaune definitely CANNOT use all the stuff Aurelius had. Some maybe but not everything.

JaunexJeanne lemon? Prob next chapter, like first thing maybe.

Have a nice day/night/week/life.

-Spice