You'd think being at home all the time would allow me more time to write. So that was lie.

Chapter 26: A Forgotten Past

A brief history lesson

Though the Great War has long since passed, the scars of the war still remain. It was the most destructive and deadliest conflict in Remnant history. Many people are well aware of how the war ended and the peace that soon followed afterwards, yet there are few who remember that the resolution to the war was not a smooth transition at all. Contrary to what the history books say, the years following the end of the war were very unstable to the point that another war could've easily started. No one seems to remember the instability was particularly strong among the losers of the war, specifically the Kingdom of Atlas, or the Kingdom of Mantle as it was called back then.

When the war broke out, the balance of power early on favored the Mantle-Mistralian alliance. Mantle was heavily industrialized and had a large, well equipped standing army. On paper, Mistral had a terrifyingly large army, but it was spread out, poorly trained, under-equipped, and suffered from widespread corruption. What Mistral lacked in military strength and industry, they made up for with having access to vast amounts of resources that Mantle desperately needed. Additionally, both kingdoms practiced slavery, allowing the able bodied to focus on military service and if necessary, allow them access to a large pool of conscripts.

Vale didn't practice slavery, yet still maintained a relatively large, robust force that could hold their own against Mantle. While their industry wasn't at the levels of Mantle, it was still higher than both Mistral and Vacuo combined. One major advantage Vale had was that they were entirely self-sufficient and didn't rely on another kingdom for resources. This fact was not lost on either side, and both planned their strategies around it. Mantle and Mistral's strategy was to strike fast and capture as much territory before Vale could fully mobilize and dig in. Mantle would quickly take hold of the neutral island of Vytal north of Vale, before moving on to capture Patch and striking at Vale's northern border. At the same time, the Mistralian forces were to blitz through the eastern plains of the Sanus continent and capture all farms and villages along the way. From there, they were supposed to circle around the mountains east of Vale and attack their southern flank. With attacks from both the north and south, Vale would've been stretched too thin and forced to surrender.

However, this was not case as the King of Vale was a very competent leader who was well aware that war was on the horizon. He ensured that his kingdom was set up in a way that it can fully mobilize its army within days when war breaks out.

When the Mantlenese forces invaded Vytal, they were not expecting for the Valeans to be waiting for them. Though the Mantlenese managed to capture Vytal, it took far longer than originally planned, and the casualties were severe. The Mistralian attack force suffered even worse. The outlying villages and farms had been evacuated and stripped of all food and resources. Anything that couldn't be taken was burned to prevent the enemy from using it. In addition, Mantle had severely overestimated Mistrals' ability to run an army. Long story short, the Valean defenders made quick work of the Mistralian forces. Any remaining survivors were left as easy prey to the Grimm. With their initial plan completely derailed, the Mantle-Mistralian alliance knew that any hope for a swift end to the war was lost and would have to use brute force and attrition to break the Valean defenses.

While Vale was initially successful early on in fighting off Mantle and Mistral, they knew they were severely outnumbered and would eventually be overrun. Fortune was on their side however, as the Vacuan resentment of the Mantle-Mistralian presence in their kingdom reached the breaking point, causing Vacuo to formally align with Vale in the war. Vacuo was quick to capture the all-important Dust mines from Mantle and Mistral, cutting them off from a major source of Dust and putting the two kingdoms in precarious positions. This helped ease the pressure off of Vale, as Mantle and Mistral had to pull troops and resources away from the Vale front in order to recapture the mines and subdue Vacuo. Though Vacuo didn't have the strength to fight against the full might of Mantle and Mistral, they were well acclimatized to the harsh desert conditions and utilized quick raid tactics that proved effective against the Mantle-Mistralian alliance. With Mantle and Mistral spreading their forces, Vale took advantage of this opportunity to plan a counter offensive that would cripple Mistral and starve Mantle into submission.

At the time, Mistral, and the continent of Anima as a whole, was full of raider and bandit tribes that preyed on the settlements outside of Mistral's capital. With Mistral fully mobilized for war however, they made sure to step up protection against the bandits, lest the kingdom loses the resources needed to supply the army. The bandits for the most part kept to themselves surprisingly, mostly due to increased military presence of Mistralian forces with support from Mantlenese auxiliary troops. Aware of the situation, the King of Vale secretly sent one of his most trusted members of his inner council deep into Anima in order to negotiate with the bandit tribe leaders into attacking the Mistralian countryside.

The bandit chiefs were unsurprisingly hostile towards the Valean negotiator, yet the man proved himself to be a very eloquent speaker and shrewd diplomat, hence why the king sent him. A few of the tribes were easily talked into it, while the majority of them demanded payment upfront ranging from gold, precious gems, weapons from Vale, or a combination of other items. Some also demanded free reign to pillage as they see fit where they would acquire new slaves for forced labor or provide "company" for the members of the tribes. The negotiator, reluctantly, agreed only because they could help end the war. There were a few tribes that refused all-together, but the negotiator was prepared. He knew that bandit tribes always appoint the strongest as the leader, and should the leader fall in a duel, the rest of the tribe will follow the victor. The bandit chiefs foolishly underestimated the negotiator's combat abilities and one by one, they fell to his blade. Now with the tribes acting as proxies for the Valeans, thus began the phase of the war known as, "The Burning of Anima".

Farmlands and villages were burned to the ground, supply lines and merchant caravans were indiscriminately attacked, rivers and water sources were poisoned to destroy crop yields, and murder and rape were rampant all throughout the Mistralian kingdom, leaving tears and sorrow in their wake. Once the bandits left, the Grimm would come in and finish off what was left. With Mistral slowly losing control of their kingdom, Mantle had to step in and support them since much of their food and other resources came from there. By this time in the war, Mantle was already gradually increasing their dominance over Mistralian policies. With the bandit problem getting out of control, Mantle was handed control over Mistral's army, effectively making Mistral a vassal state dependent on Mantle.

As the final years of the war dragged on, both sides were getting tired of fighting, but failed to come to an agreement as both wanted the other side to submit to their views and lifestyles in terms of combating the Grimm, the real enemy and why the war started in the first place. Mistral was falling apart to due to bandit raids which led to shortages of resources for Mantle who had their own starving and disgruntled population. Vale was holding on, but had their own shortage problems as the Mantle-Mistralian forces continued to pressure their forces. Vacuo was holding their own thanks to their environment and their distance from Mantle and Mistral, but scarcity of resources and poor industry was taking its toll on the population as well. Grimm attacks continued, resource shortages led to riots, and the frontlines remained at a standstill.

It wasn't until the final year of the war that things started to look hopeful for the Valean-Vacuo alliance. The all-important trade city of Argus finally fell to the bandits after a lengthy siege led by the infamous Branwen tribe with secret support from Vale. "The Sack of Argus", was a devastating blow to the Mantle-Mistralian alliance as Mantle and Mistral were now completely cut off from each other. It was said that you could hear the cries of terror of the city's population from all corners of Remnant as the bandits had their way with the city. Some historians referred to it as "The Rape of Argus" due to the unspeakable atrocities committed when the city fell.

In a last, desperate move to secure more Dust and cut off Vale's supply, the Mantle-Mistralian forces committed to full invasion of Vacuo. It was here that the famous last battle of the war occurred which led to countless lives lost. The Mantle-Mistralian army was completely obliterated while the Valean-Vacuo forces suffered heavy losses as well. Despite this, Vale and Vacuo were in the stronger position due to Mantle losing almost all their veteran units and experienced officers in the battle. Knowing this, reality set in for the Mantle-Mistralian alliance that they couldn't continue the war and sought for peace. When the dust finally settled, the leaders of the four kingdoms met on Vytal to discuss the peace treaty that formally ended the war. The Treaty of Vytal was signed, peace was established, and the four kingdoms have lived in harmony since then.

The truth is that the peace treaty wasn't as simple as history books say it was.

As the de facto victors of the war, Vale and Vacuo didn't need to make any concessions to other side on the basis that they didn't start the war. Mistral, because of the devastation to their countryside, was spared from having to pay reparations but had to abolish their practice of slavery and relinquish their holdings in Vacuo and the lands east of Vale. In exchange, Vale promised to help Mistral deal with the bandit problem, seeing as they set them loose in the kingdom and needed to cover their tracks.

Mantle, being declared the primary instigator of the war, took the brunt of the repercussions by having to pay reparations and reduce the size of their military in addition to abolishing slavery and relinquishing any holdings outside of Solitas with the exception of Argus. While the general consensus in Mantle was that they were willing to accept the terms if it meant that the war was over, many still felt outraged and that the king and his council sold out Mantle. It was like a spit in the face to all the men and women who died in the war by accepting such terms. Shortly afterwards, the King of Mantle abdicated the throne, and he and the council members lived the rest of their lives in exile outside of Solitas. It was during this power vacuum that the Alsius Academy was renamed Atlas Academy and the capital was moved there, thus official forming the new Kingdom of Atlas.

While Atlas was busy with the transition and reorganization of the kingdom, the people were getting restless. Between the Grimm attacks, the complete overhaul of their way of life, tending to the war casualties, and dealing with the blow to their national pride, things in the newly reformed kingdom were a little tense. That tension eventually grew into a movement that openly denounced the new Atlesian regime and was gaining momentum at an exponential rate. The movement was made up of disgruntled war veterans, a number of influential nobles that lived in Mantle, and a lot of other people that felt that they shouldn't have given up and continued the fight against Vale. They referred to themselves as the Neo-Solitas, Denouncement of Atlas Party, or the NSDAP for short. Atlas paid little attention to the NSDAP and their growing number of members due to more pressing matters and that the NSDAP was concentrated in the city of Mantle. The mistake of ignoring the NSDAP became critical when thousands of armed members marched into Atlas, prepared to overthrow the Atlesian regime. The new Atlesian army was still going through reforms and wasn't in a position to quickly respond to the NSDAP so they sought help from the other kingdoms. Mistral was in no shape to send any help and Vacuo was too far to send help in time. That left Vale as the only option who surprisingly, answered Atlas's call for aid. After three weeks of skirmishes throughout the streets of Atlas, the combined Atlesian-Valean forces crushed the NSDAP uprising, killing dozens and arresting many for treason.

After the failed uprising, the Atlesian government declared the NSDAP a criminal organization which was followed shortly by the other three kingdoms. This included banning all gatherings and anyone with ties to the group were to be arrested on sight. Despite this, many Atlesian citizens were sympathetic to the NSDAP and their beliefs that the new Atlesian government was a mockery of their national honor and pride, especially with them calling Vale for assistance. However, they weren't too keen on a bloody coup and were more content on getting back to their normal lives. A month later, Atlas was lifted up into the sky, further distancing themselves from the former capital. Years passed on, and things started to settle in the kingdom. Amity Colosseum was built near Vytal, Menagerie was given to the Faunus, and Atlas had introduced the CCT system to Remnant and shared much of their technological advancements with the rest of the kingdoms to build a better relationship with them, especially their rival, Vale. Many more years passed and things in Atlas and Mantle were more or less stable and calm. That changed when the Faunus started getting restless.

It was the years leading up to the Faunus Revolution that flyers started appearing all over the streets of Mantle and Atlas. The flyers depicted a young, fair skinned woman with light blonde hair in a simple bun while the rest of her hair flew freely behind her. She had light blue eyes and was wearing an old Mantlenese uniform while wielding a sword. In her other hand was the old Mantle flag flying proudly in the breeze as she stood atop a pile of defeated Atlesian soldiers. There was no wording except a simple phrase printed across the top:

"Who is Salem?"

The Atlesian government paid no heed to the posters of Salem appearing as they felt it was simple vandalism and that they were preoccupied working with the other kingdoms on how to ease the growing tensions between the Humans and Faunus. The mysterious figure known as Salem kept popping up in daily conversation however, and almost everyone in the kingdom has heard of her. Salem eventually took to the radio and her messages were heard by all in the kingdom. Her voice was described as very soothing and beautiful, a perfect complement to her artistic depiction on the posters. Salem's messages revolved around her sympathies to the people of Mantle and how they've been abandoned by Atlas and other inspirational speeches that boosted the morale of Mantle. Soup kitchens, shelters, and free clinics began opening up all across Mantle, all ran by people appointed by Salem. None of them have met her in person, but she has spoken to them through scroll and radio in addition to providing the funding and resources needed to set the civil services that the people of Mantle desperately needed. Soon enough, Mantle was literally eating out of Salem's hand.

With the Faunus Revolution in full swing, the four kingdoms were sending soldiers and Huntsmen all across Remnant to suppress the rebelling Faunus populations both inside and outside their respective kingdoms. At this point in time, Atlas had strengthened their military capabilities considerably to the point it had surpassed Vale, who had already been drawing down their military forces in favor of the Huntsmen class of warriors. This was possible since the military draw down was technically for Mantle, not Atlas, so they were able to expand and not be in violation of the Vytal Treaty. Because of their new power projection abilities, Atlas sent troops all over Remnant to support the other kingdoms in addition to sending troops for the coalition occupation of Menagerie. It wasn't until after the disastrous battle at Fort Castle for the Human coalition, that Salem's followers struck.

Thousands of angry citizens, both Humans and Faunus, conducted a surprisingly organized and coordinated attack against several targets in Mantle. The city power grids, Dust refineries, police stations, military armories, the government administration complex and even the main airfield used to transport to and from Atlas were all hit in the attacks. The security forces at these locations were caught completely off guard by Salem's forces, forcing them to surrender the locations. With most of the Atlesian army deployed all over Remnant, there was no help in regaining control of Mantle, effectively cutting them off from Atlas. This was problematic due to much of the kingdom's food supply and other vital resources were produced in Mantle. Additionally, the rebels were in control of Mantle's city defenses that they quickly set to attack Atlesian air forces should they get near the city. With the city of Mantle and Atlas's resources under Salem's control, said woman broadcasted her demands which included a unilateral declaration of independence for Mantle and the withdrawal of all Atlesian troops and influence in the city among other demands. Needless to say, the Atlesian government refused these demands. They couldn't let Salem keep control of Mantle, yet they also couldn't destroy the city in an attempt to regain control as the political fallout would be disastrous and could tear the kingdom apart. On top of dealing with the Faunus, Atlas now had to deal with an internal political struggle that forced them into a deadlock with Mantle that lasted for several weeks. The effects were hard on both cities as Atlas was cut off from vital resources while Mantle was risking everything to become independent from Atlas.

The deadlock was finally broken when a group of military cadets snuck into Mantle and released the captured security forces in the city in the middle of the night. The newly freed forces reorganized themselves and managed to take back the control center for the city defenses, allowing clear skies for the Atlesian air forces to drop in and regain control of Mantle. The rebelling Mantle population was no match for the full might of the Atlesian vanguard and were quick to stand down.

While negotiations for a ceasefire between the Faunus and the Human coalition were underway, Atlesian soldiers were sweeping through the streets of Mantle arresting uprising leaders and quashing any who resisted. Fortunately, there were only minor pockets of resistance as the general population was not in any mood to fight Atlas in the hopes that the Atlesians won't come down too hard on them. As prominent rebellion leaders were being rounded up, the Atlesians discovered that many of them had ties to the supposedly defunct NSDAP. Clearly, they were not defunct and were simply biding their time on when to strike against Atlas. Needless to say, this was an extremely upsetting discovery for the Atlesians as not only was there a revolutionary organization still active within their borders, but tensions between the two cities were still at an all-time high even after all these years. Something had to be done to ease the tensions, but nothing could be done until the Atlesians can find the primary instigator of the rebellion, the mysterious woman known only as Salem.

Atlesian authorities searched high and low throughout the streets of Mantle. When nothing came up, they searched through Atlas itself and eventually the entire continent of Solitas. Since all efforts to find Salem came up short, the Atlesian government hypothesized that the woman known as Salem must have been a fictional personification of the NSDAP, and a symbolic figurehead used to stir up the population of Mantle to break away from Atlas. As a result, any mention of Salem was considered a threat to Atlas and would be dealt with severely.

With the Faunus Revolution resolved, Remnant was picking up the pieces and trying to reestablish peaceful relations. This went fairly smoothly in the other kingdoms. Atlas on the other hand, not so much. The fear that Mantle may try another attempt to break away from Atlas and the realization that Atlas was twice in a position of having their resources cut off, led to the Atlesian government implementing new guidelines to increase the cities autonomy and to ensure they're self-sufficient in resources. Additionally, Atlas tightened their grip over Mantle in order to, "prevent societal instability and ensure the safety of all the kingdom's citizens." Basically, punishment for following Salem and attempting to destabilize and break away from the kingdom. This was done to the dismay of the people of Mantle, who had little to say on the matter.

To save face, Atlas downplayed the uprising to the rest of the kingdoms by claiming it was an attack by the rebelling Faunus population. They'd rather have the world think they were attacked by the opposition Faunus forces rather than show the world how fractured their kingdom really is. To further cover it up, the prominent leaders and followers of Salem were quietly disposed of and their identities completely wiped from all records. They were essentially "un-personed" by the Atlesians. While the incident was covered up, that didn't stop the Atlesian military from quietly praising the brave group of cadets who led the counterstrike that allowed the main forces to reclaim the city. All of them received awards for their heroism and decisive action, but it was their platoon leader and the orchestrator of the attack who received the most praise and even a meritorious promotion. The young 18-year-old man is credited for being the one who saved Atlas from Salem's uprising, and should be rewarded as such. Though he couldn't publicize what transpired, Atlas was forever grateful to the newly commissioned, Lieutenant James Ironwood.

But while everything was slowly returning to normal, Ironwood and the other higher ups of Atlas feared that Salem may come back. Whether she was a real person, a group of people using her name, or even a metaphorical figure, they knew that this wouldn't be the end of her.

Present time: Unknown

"With ANTIFA's Vale cell destroyed, Torchwick incarcerated, and rumors that Cinder is dead, we have no more operatives or contacts in Vale. Reliable or competent ones that is." A voice said.

"What about the White Fang?" Another asked.

"I said we didn't have any reliable contacts. Adam Taurus is too blinded by his pathetic views to be of any use to us. Not to mention Sienna Khan is slowing losing control of the White Fang due to Taurus's influence. It won't be long before he's running things and the White Fang will become more trouble than their worth." The first explained.

"Torchwick's partner, Neopolitan?" The second inquired.

"She can be useful, but Ironwood is also looking for her. If we have to, we'll use her, but we've come too far for Operation Black Queen to be discovered." The first replied.

"Then it seems that we're going to have to get involved directly." A third voice answered. The other two figures looked over at him, clearly identifying him as a higher authority figure. "It was going to happen eventually once the Vytal tournament began."

"Even if we start moving things into place, there's still the problem of not having a vessel for the Fall Maiden." The second voice said.

"I'm well aware of the major setback of losing Cinder, but I believe you've mentioned a possible alternative." The third said.

"Neopoliton?" The third nodded his head. "I suppose she's a viable option, but will she be willing to follow along?" The first asked.

"She will if it means saving Torchwick from the Atlesians." The third replied.

"And if Ironwood's forces find her before we do?" The first asked.

"Either way, she'll be brought to us." The third answered.

"Excuse me, sirs?" Another voice chimed in. The three looked over at the well-dressed gentleman with a prominent mustache.

"Doctor Watts. Anything to report?" The third asked.

"Everything is ready for Vytal tournament." The doctor answered.

"But that's not why you're here." The third stated knowing that Watts wouldn't interrupt without good reason.

"Our lady demands to speak to you." Watts simply stated. The other three's faces turned into an even more serious disposition at the mention of that.

"Very well. If all of you would excuse me." The third said to the other's before heading to his office. After closing the door, the figure reached for a metal case behind his desk. He opened the lid and out came a small, jellyfish looking Grimm that hovered in place. The figure cleared his throat and slightly bowed before the Grimm seer.

"Yes, my lady?" He said. The seer pulsated for a few moments before the image of a very pale woman with white hair in an elegant style. Her eyes were pure black with red irises and she had dark purple veins running across her face. Not much else could be said as it was only face that was visible in the seer, but anyone with a sense of conciseness could describe her face as a personification of nightmares. Perfectly fitting for the Queen of the Grimm.

"Director. I sense that the power of the Fall Maiden is no longer with Cinder. Care to explain." Salem calmly asked.

"It is being said that she was killed during interrogation by the Atlesians my lady." The Director answered. Salem gave him a quizzical look. "But rest assured, we are working on a contingency plan. The Relic of Choice will be yours." The Director reassured the Grimm queen.

"That's what your ancestors said about the Relic of Creation many years ago. Their personal ambitions cost them dearly." Salem simply said, remembering the events of the Faunus Revolution. She allowed the NSDAP leaders to use her likeness to overthrow Atlas and gain access to the vault, but then found out they had no intentions of honoring their end of the deal. To punish them, she created the opportunity that allowed young the James Ironwood to strike back and crush their little uprising. Even though it cost her access to the Relic, she didn't mind waiting a few more years. After all, time means nothing to an immortal being. She can play the long game.

"We will not fail." The Director said, knowing there's no point in trying to explain himself.

"See to it but be aware; Ozpin has new allies." Salem answered.

"He can obtain all the allies he wants on Remnant; it will all be in vain." The Director said with more confidence.

"Don't be too sure of yourself. There's something different about them that even I can't identify. He could have few more tricks up his sleeve." Considering she's been on Remnant since the beginning, rarely does she not know what's going on worldwide. But the fact that there is something she isn't aware of; she's been keeping a closer eye on things in Remnant. "I have no doubt that these new allies are somehow responsible for your recent setbacks, including Cinder's death."

"Then they shall be destroyed alongside Ozpin and Ironwood."

"Do not disappoint me, Director." Salem said in a calm menacing tone before disconnecting from her seer and returning to her thoughts.

"Ozma, you must be getting desperate if you're allowing others to be killed on your behalf."

A/N:

So this chapter is one those that sets up the background for the current "climate" of the world. Obviously it's made up, but I looked up what lore I could find to guess timelines and what not. Since there's not much to go off of, I pretty much have free reign to do as I please. But hey, the sites motto is "unleash your imagination", and I intend to.

Now clearly there's a lot going on by dumping so many plot points in a relatively short chapter. This took me awhile because I wasn't originally going to include Salem, the maidens, or the relics, but as I sat listening to zoom and video lectures for my classes, I seemed to have found a way to incorporate them into the story. It probably also explains why I only got B's in those classes, but I thinks that's pretty good, especially since upper level accounting classes are pretty fucking hard.

Anyway, from the context of the show, we know that Salem has been around since the beginning so she was definitely there for the great war. It wouldn't surprise me if she was somehow behind it besides the Grimm. She also is willing to work with other people like Cinder and Watts. Hence, she now has other allies aside from Watts and Cinder. Also, some of you history buffs might notice some parallels between what I've written and modern history. History has a way of repeating itself doesn't it?

Hopefully I didn't rush into things and didn't make things too complex to follow. I'm just trying to bring something different to the table besides fluffy romances, multi-verses starring Jaune, Harem fics starring Jaune and etc. There's not exactly a lot of stories out there that have Cinder dying. And not in a epic fight between good vs evil. She killed herself after being abused and tortured by the good guy. I'm a fucked up person for coming up with something like that.

Okay, enough of that. Hope y'all stay safe out there during this weird ass lockdown. Do yourselves a favor and get some fresh air if you can. Sitting inside all day and reading all the bullshit online is probably worse for your health than virus itself.

Stay safe, wash your hands, and use common sense.

Hawk Out.