(3rd Person POV)
A blue smoke appeared, revealing Salem staring from her window of the tower, her arms crossed. A woman humming could be heard in the background.
Jinn: Locked away by her cruel father, Salem was a girl who desired but one thing: freedom.
Salem walked away with sadness as Ruby watched her do so when Salem passed by her.
Jinn: 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.
Salem sat down and leaned against the vanity. She held her left hand, using her magic; four magical spheres with a magic circle in six basic colors appeared over her hand.
Jinn: And yet, there she sat within her tower.
As Salem looked down, the blue smoke reappeared and enveloped Salem. It reformed the castle Salem resided in.
Jinn: Until one day, a legendary hero came to brave the challenges within the tower's walls.
A young man in armor and a cape wielding a scepter appeared, standing proudly in front of the tower. Qrow could be seen walking up to him.
Jinn: The people of the lands knew him as Ozma.
Qrow waved his hand in front of Ozma's face, but the latter proceeded forward unfazed, simply phasing through Qrow's hand.
Jinn: Unlike those who had come before, this warrior was not driven by the prize of the young maiden's hand. He fought only for righteousness, and his pure heart and courageous soul prevailed.
As Ozma walked up to the tower, other warriors were shown falling in battle. Blue smoke reformed the scene once again, this time showing Ozma using his scepter to strike down a dark-armored figure.
Ozma then opened up a door leading to Salem's room, where she stood up and offered a grateful smile to him. Blue smoke reformed the scene of them battling side by side with their magic powers.
Jinn: They escaped the wretched fortress, and yet something bound them together.
Smoke reformed the scene showing Ozma and Salem running away from the tower holding hands together. Once at a safe distance, the two stopped to catch their breath before looking to each other.
Jinn: Ozma had been ready to give his life for justice countless times, but now saw a woman worth saving it for. And Salem, to her surprise, found her freedom not in the outside world she had yearned for, but in the eyes of the man that had saved her.
Salem: So, where should we go now?
Ozma offered his hand to her.
Ozma: Wherever you'd like.
Jinn: The two fell deeply in love, planned adventures around the world, and lived happily ever after.
Smoke enveloped the environment around Ozma and Salem as the two held hands. The two disappeared into a bright light of white space.
Jinn: Or at least that's what should have been.
Smoke then reformed the scene showing Salem kneeling at an unconscious Ozma's bedside. Salem held Ozma's hand and could be heard sobbing.
(Y/N) walked on the other side of the bed, looking down at him.
Jinn: 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.
Ozma's body disappeared in smoke as Salem continued sobbing, holding his scepter in her hands. Weiss could be seen behind her watching, but didn't seem to notice (Y/N).
Salem: How could the Gods let this happen?
As Weiss continued to watch in pity, she looked up to notice two spheres - one bright yellow and the other a dark purple - circling above her head.
Jinn: 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.
The two orbs encircling above lowered down, with Blake watching the two conjoin in front of her. A bright light and blue smoke enveloped the scene, this time showing a brightly lit place with a stairway leading up the mountain.
Jinn: The Domain of Light was a sacred place.
Salem approached the stairway, offering flowers. She held Ozma's scepter in her hand.
Jinn: It was here the elder brother dwelled beside his fountain of life and creation. It was here... where mankind would fall to ruin.
Weiss watched Salem walk up the stairs as smoke transitioned the scene again, with Salem now at the top of the mountain as she looked upon the Domain of Light, a valley filled with flowers with a pool of water and a tree at the center. Leaves blew from the tree and encircled above the water, and from it, the God of Light rose from the pool. He walked forward to Salem, who fell to her knees.
Salem: Please... Please, bring him back to me.
God of Light: I understand your pain, but you demand of me that which I cannot make so. Life and death are part of a delicate balance.
Salem: So... you won't do it then?
God of Light: To disrupt the cycle of--
Salem: But that's not fair... That's not fair!
Salem's voice echoed throughout the Domain from her last exclamation.
God of Light: Let. Him. Rest.
The wind picked up, causing leaves to blow around Salem. Suddenly, she found herself back at the bottom of the stairway leading to the Domain of Light. She looked to Ozma's scepter in her hands before looking up angrily.
Salem: No.
Blue smoke transitioned the scene again, this time showing a dark, foreboding environment with a stairway leading up the mountain, similarly mirroring that of the Domain of Light's.
Jinn: The God of Darkness...
Salem approached some skeletal remains at the bottom of the stairs.
Jinn: None dare to enter his home, as men knew what monstrosities emerged from his blackened pools of annihilation.
Salem proceeded forward, approaching a blackened pool of tar-like liquid similar to that of which the Creatures of Grimm spawn from, as (Y/N) walked by her side, looking at the liquid.
Jinn: And so you must understand the Dark Lord's surprise when he found a lone woman kneeling before him.
From the blackened pool, the God of Darkness emerged, his body twisted and contorted. Yang was standing a few feet away from Salem, gasping in fear at the sight. The God of Darkness crawled toward Salem in an unnatural position. Grimm could be seen inching closer to her.
Jinn: 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.
Salem was seen telling her story to the God of Darkness before offering Ozma's scepter to him.
God of Darkness: Rise, child, and let your faith in me be rewarded.
Salem did so. The God of Darkness then conjured a purple sphere, and from it, Ozma's body appeared. Salem approached him, and Ozma gasped back to life.
Ozma: Where am I? What is this? WHERE AM I?
Salem smiled down at Ozma.
Salem: It's okay! Everything's going to be okay!
Suddenly, the God of Light appeared with a sound of thunder at the top of the stairs leading into the God of Darkness' domain.
God of Light: What have you done?
God of Darkness: I have done what I please, brother. You may bask in the powers of creation, but you do not own them.
God of Light: This is not creation.
God of Darkness: Do not lecture me!
The Grimm could be seen slowly approaching the God of Light.
God of Light: I will do what I must to maintain order.
The God of Light put his hand out, and an orange aura surrounded Ozma's body, before he disintegrated in Salem's arms.
Salem: No! No! What did you do? BRING HIM BACK!
God of Darkness: You dare enter my domain and show such disrespect!
The God of Darkness made Ozma's body appear again.
Salem: Ozma!
God of Light: I am abiding by the rules we agreed upon!
God of Darkness: 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 judgment upon me!
The God of Darkness transformed into a nightmarish, dragon-like form that snarled at the God of Light.
The Grimm proceeded forward and attempted to attack him, but a bright light emanated from him, destroying all the Grimm in the area. He transformed into a bright, beautiful oriental-looking dragon.
God of Light: 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. This woman came to you only after I denied her pleas – pleas that would have disrupted the balance that you and I created. Together.
The younger brother pondered this revelation.
God of Darkness: Then it seems I owe you an apology. Allow me to correct my mistake.
Salem: No!
The God of Darkness fired a purple beam from his dragon form's mouth, disintegrating Ozma once again. Salem watched as Ozma's ashes blew away out of her hands.
Salem: You... You monsters! Give him back to me! GIVE HIM BACK!
Salem activated her magical abilities. Suddenly, the God of Light rushed forward and devoured her.
Salem then woke up falling from the sky. She was then submerged in the God of Light's pool, drowning as an aura-like shimmer covered her body. Suddenly, she found herself on the surface of the water, catching her breath. She looked up and noticed both of the God Brothers standing side by side, (Y/N) floating down in between them, as he stared at the pool, before noticing something else.
God of Light: When you first came to me, I did pity you. But it is clear now that your selfishness and arrogance have led you astray.
Salem stood back up.
Salem: What did you do to me?
The aura-like shimmer was seen on her hands.
God of Light: I have made you immortal.
Salem: Immortal?
(Y/N) walked over to the boy, who was playing with some Grimm and human looking toys.
He had fair skin and amber eyes. He had messy, medium length blonde hair, with waist-length braided hair in the back.
But he was different. He looked peaceful, genuine in his every movements, excited just to play with some toys.
Edel: Hello?
God of Darkness: You cannot die. You cannot be with your beloved.
Both Gods: So long as this world turns, you shall walk its face.
Salem stared back at them in disbelief, as her eyes briefly glanced over at the young Edel.
God of Light: You must learn the importance of life and death. Only then may you rest.
Salem tried to reach out to them, but then found herself transported to a vast open field.
Jinn: 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.
Ruby was seen back in Ozma's room, watching a shadow of Salem as she fatally stabbed herself. Ruby covered her mouth with her hands in horror. Salem's suicide attempt failed due to her immortality.
Jinn: But perhaps the Gods were not as powerful as they seemed...
Ruby watched Salem walk to a window, who was still holding the sword she attempted to stab herself with.
Jinn: She had lied to them, turned them against one another, they... were fallible.
Salem set her sights on a castle in the distance.
Jinn: 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.
Salem then threw the sword toward Ruby's way. Ruby yelped in panic as she disappeared in a puff of smoke just as the sword was about to strike her. Smoke transitioned the scene, showing a king standing up in surprise as a bloodied ax was thrown to the ground.
Jinn: 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.
Salem was shown speaking to various leaders of Kingdoms, including the aforementioned king from before, an oriental-looking empress and her subjects, and finally to a savage-looking warrior king.
Jinn: With the kings and queens in awe, she pulled them deeper into 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.
As Salem finished telling her story to the warrior king, she kneeled before him. The warrior drew his weapon and let out a proud battle cry, with his people cheering along with him. The combined forces of the Kingdoms were then shown launching an all out assault on the Domain of Light.
Jinn: All they needed to do was destroy their old masters.
As the warriors ran in, the God of Light emerged from the pool in his dragon form.
Jinn: 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 leaders of the Kingdoms Salem had spoken to stood in front of their people approaching the God of Light. The God of Darkness, also in his dragon form, then appeared alongside his elder brother.
God of Light: Who has led you down this path?
Salem was then seen walking through the crowds of warriors as she made her way to the front of them. She glared at the Gods, as Edel walked from behind them, hiding behind the God of Light's leg.
God of Darkness: You...
In response, Salem launched a magical attack, and the warriors followed suit. A barrage of attacks were launched at the God of Darkness, but he easily caught them all into his hand, absorbing them into a purple sphere of energy. Everyone looked in shock.
God of Darkness: My own gift to them... used against me.
The God of Light looked away in disappointment, bringing Edel to his side, to cover his eyes, as the God of Darkness squeezed the sphere within his hand, creating a massive shockwave that enveloped the world, smiting everything and everyone in its path. Humanity had been turned to dust, only Salem remained due to her immortality.
Salem: No... no...
Salem got knocked back when the God of Darkness stomped his foot in the ground.
God of Darkness: You thought there was no greater punishment we could bestow upon you?
Salem: I'll come back. I'll tell the rest of the world of this massacre! Build a new army!
God of Darkness: You do not understand. There is no one left. You are all that remains of Humanity.
Salem's expression turned shocked at this revelation.
God of Light: 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.
The God of Light disappeared into a bright light of dust, taking Edel with him.
Salem: No! You can't leave! You can't leave! COME BACK!
God of Darkness: Still demanding things of your creators...
The God of Darkness also disappeared into a beam of purple light that shot up into the sky and out of the atmosphere. In the process, the moon was shattered.
Moon fragments rained down like meteors back onto the planet's surface. Salem fell to her knees and let out a scream of despair that was muted out by the crashing meteors.
Jinn: Once again, Salem was alone...
Salem was seen walking alone. She walked by a pair of deer eating grass, as well as abandoned villages that were now inhabited by Grimm.
Jinn: 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...
Salem then stood on the edge of an overhanging cliff in the land once inhabited by the God of Darkness. She looked down at the blackened pool below her, as (Y/N) walked behind her, looking into the pool.
Jinn: 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 will finally take it away.
Without hesitation, Salem fell forward and was submerged into the blackened pool.
Jinn: She was wrong. This force of pure destruction could not destroy a being of infinite life.
Salem was thrashed around by an unseen force.
Jinn: Instead, it created a being of infinite life with a desire for pure destruction.
Salem crawled out of the pool, this time, her skin deathly white as well as her hair. She opened her eyes, irises red with black sclerae.
Jinn: And in time, she would find her adversary...
Ozma was shown awakening in a white space. He took a look at his surroundings. Team RWBY all watched him walk around aimlessly, before a voice could be heard.
God of Light: Ozma.
Ozma turned around seeing the God of Light in his dragon form, before turning back into his regular form.
Ozma: Where am I?
God of Light: We are between realms. I'm afraid a tragedy has 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.
Ozma: I... don't understand.
God of Light: Mankind is no more, yet your world remains. And in time, your kind will grow to walk its face once again. However, without our presence, they will be but a fraction of what they once were.
Suddenly, the God of Light conjured four objects: a Staff, a Sword, a Crown, and a Lamp.
God of Light: 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.
The four objects were conjoined together into a yellow sphere of energy.
God of Light: 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.
Ozma fell to his knees as he came to terms with this ultimatum. Oscar watched him.
Ozma: 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.
God of Light: You will not find her there.
Ozma: You mean she isn't gone?
God of Light: 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--
Ozma: I'll do it.
The God of Light looked in surprise at Ozma's immediate answer.
God of Light: Very well. Our creation rests within your hands.
The God of Light then disappeared.
Jinn: And so Ozma was reborn.
Ozma reincarnated into a man with a tanned complexion and pale blonde hair, who had just stabbed a Beowolf with a pitchfork, causing it to disintegrate.
Ozma took the time to come to terms in his new body and surroundings. He looked up and saw people screaming and running into the forest he was in away from a burning village in the distance.
Ozma: Where am I?
Ozma heard a man scream, and looked over to see him flailing a sword at a Beowolf, which swiped at him to the ground, disarming him. Ozma's previous soul took over and ran forward, grabbing the man's sword and slaying the Beowolf. The man got back up.
Man: Thank you. Please, tell me your name. Who are you?
Suddenly, Ozma's newest reincarnate had trouble speaking, and threw the sword to the ground in horror. Oscar watched the scene before him.
Oscar: He didn't know...
As Jinn continued to narrate, Ozma walked down a street, seeing along the way Faunus locked up in cages, and a pile of Dust crystals on top of a table.
Jinn: Ozma had found himself in a world completely unfamiliar to him. Cities looked different. Creatures known as the Faunus bore 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.
The environment around Ozma changed from the city to a forest as he came upon a lonely, dilapidated cottage in the woods.
Jinn: 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.
Ozma stood at a distance from the cottage. The front door opened, and from the darkness beyond, Salem emerged, wearing black robes this time. She gave an angry glare while exiting the cottage, but suddenly, her expression softened upon seeing her visitor. Ozma likewise smiled back at her.
Jinn: Call it magic or call it something stronger, but in that moment, the two knew exactly who it was that stood before them.
Ozma and Salem walked towards each other, the two held each other's hands, interlocking their fingers affectionately.
Ozma: What do we do now?
Salem: Whatever we like.
As time passed, the scene showed the cottage changing from its dilapidated state to a much better condition, following with Salem and Ozma conversing with one another at a table on the front porch.
Jinn: 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.
Salem and Ozma headed back inside the cottage, still talking to each other.
Salem: Are you surprised? This world is quite literally godless. These Humans have no one to guide them. Perhaps that's all they need.
Ozma: What are you saying?
Salem: We could become the gods of this world. Our powers surpass all others. Our souls transcend death. We can mold these lands into whatever we want, what you want, create the paradise that the old Gods could not.
Ozma was troubled at first, but then smiled in agreement with Salem. The two of them looked each other in the eyes as Salem placed an affectionate hand on Ozma's shoulder.
Jinn: The hearts of men... are easily swayed.
A village was shown under attack by a Nevermore. Suddenly, a purple energy surrounded the Nevermore, causing it to be bent and folded into unnatural positions.
The Nevermore disintegrated, and the villagers watched as Ozma, once again wielding his scepter and wearing regal robes, and Salem levitated into the air side-by-side above them. They all bowed down to the couple in reverence.
Weiss and Yang walked up to two statues of Ozma and Salem that were then erected.
Jinn: The two amassed a following. That following grew into a prosperous Kingdom.
A castle then appeared.
Jinn: And at the head of that Kingdom blossomed...
Four little girls then appeared in the painting.
Jinn: A family.
Ozma and Salem watched their four daughters playing together, the little girls all wearing colors on their dresses similar to that of the Four Maidens. One of their daughters came up to the two of them, playfully tugging on Salem's robe. The two parents smiled at her before smiling at each other.
Blue smoke transitioned the scene, showing a massive conflict between people that was being observed inside a crystal ball by a smirking Salem. The conflict was centered around a man in a mask, using what seemed to be blades made entirely of Hard-Light Dust. Ozma stood a short distance away from her looking outside the window.
Ozma: Are we sure this is right?
Salem: 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.
Ozma gained a shocked expression on his face upon hearing these words. He turned to see his reflection on the window, which suddenly talked to him.
Ozma: What are we doing?
Ozma reeled back in horror seeing his reflection ask him that question, briefly becoming his original incarnation, before looking over to Salem.
Ozma: This isn't what he asked of me...
Salem: What did you say?
The two then heard a door open, and their eldest daughter entered the room excitedly.
Eldest Daughter: Mother, father, look!
Their daughter then conjured multicolored wisps that flew in circles in front of her. Salem had a proud expression on her face, while Ozma looked on in surprise, before looking down with his troubled expression again.
Jinn: It was a miracle, their children could perform magic. But what should have been a joyous occasion was short-lived.
Smoke transitioned the scene again, this time showing Ozma telling what he knew to Salem in his study.
Jinn: 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 had been told to prepare for.
Ozma finished his explanation to Salem.
Salem: 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?
Salem offered her hand out, but Ozma hesitated to take it, backing away in disgust. Smoke transitioned the scene again showing Ozma quietly escorting his daughters through the quiet halls. The youngest daughter looked down the hallway, noticing something.
Youngest Daughter: Mommy?
Salem stood at the end of the hall menacingly. Ozma protectively stood in front of his daughters. Salem, realizing what he was doing, angrily conjured a red beam from her hand. Ozma used his scepter to counter Salem's attack, launching a green beam.
Their attacks clashed, engulfing the area into a bright white flash. Ruby and Weiss watched in horror as Ozma and Salem fought throughout the castle. Their battle caused the castle to collapse and be destroyed in the process.
(Y/N) looked on as a charred plush toy was shown, implying the daughters were killed in the fearsome battle. Ozma weakly crawled away leaving a trail of blood on the ground. Salem then reformed thanks to her immortality, and angrily walked over to Ozma. She kicked him over onto his back and held him down with her foot.
Salem: We finally had freedom...
Ozma weakly looked up at her.
Ozma: I--
A blast of fire from Salem engulfed Ozma, killing him once again.
Jinn: Thus began a long and painful cycle of death and rebirth for Ozma.
A montage of Ozma's various reincarnates were shown, including a frail man weakly walking by many gravestones, followed by a despondent man walking in the rain, who would rather drink his problems away.
Jinn: Some lives were spent in mourning, many were spent attempting to forget it all.
Finally, Ozma reincarnated to a dark-skinned man with glasses who started off slouching, but then eventually stood straight up and determinedly walked forward.
Jinn: But no matter what, his mind would eventually turn back to the task he had been burdened with.
Ozma's newest reincarnate was shown serving a meal to his wife and two children, both of whom interestingly had silver eyes. A mirror image of the man was shown behind him, leaning on a nearby wall.
Jinn: And as the centuries went on, Ozma began to learn the importance of living with the souls with which he had been paired.
Ozma then heard screaming outside. He opened the door and saw villagers running around in panic as Grimm attacked.
Jinn: But no matter where or how he lived, her presence was always felt.
Ozma looked back to his wife, who nodded in understanding, before going out with The Long Memory into battle.
Jinn: If Humanity were ever to stand a chance at being united, one thing was clear...
Ruby: He had to destroy Salem...
Smoke then transitioned, showing Ozma's reincarnation many years older now, tinkering with his cane in his workshop.
Jinn: Knowing he could never rid the world of her through any mortal means, Ozma sought out the power of the Relics.
The elderly tinkerer then placed his cane inside a metal cabinet, closing the door on it. The door opened again showing Ozma's newest reincarnation, a well-dressed man, picking up the cane where he last left it in his previous life.
Jinn: Armed with my knowledge, he believed he could fulfill his promise to the God of Light.
Ozma was next shown holding the Relic of Knowledge, summoning Jinn for the first time. All of Team RWBY could be seen with him as they walked towards Jinn.
Ozma: Where are the other Relics?
Jinn: He asked me his questions.
Ozma: What powers do they possess?
Jinn: And though I gave him my answers...
Ozma: How do I destroy Salem?
Jinn: ...not all of them were to his liking.
Team RWBY watched as Jinn gave her answer to Ozma.
Jinn: You can't.
Upon hearing this, Ozma fell to his knees in despair, Ruby, Weiss and Blake all had shocked expressions, and Yang closed her eyes in anger. Ozma remained on his knees as Jinn disappeared before him.
End of a part. Lots of foreshadowing and looking back on things that concern (Y/N) that aren't in the standard show.
A little look into the relationship between Ozma and (Y/N), and how he might be special, and how he might not really be special.
Until next time!