Heyo! So this here is a new story. I posted this on my shit-posting/practice fanfic called 'It's Not A Competition, It's Just Trying To Measure Up', and dear lord why did I make it so long. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

When the brothers created the four relics, never did it cross their minds that their creations could do the same.

Hundreds of years after the desolation of the first civilization, Ozma and Salem took their places as demigods that ruled over Remnant - aptly named due to the fact that the lands they ruled were simply the remains of an older time.

With Ozma comfortable with the life he was leading now as a false god, a husband, and a father, Salem proposed her idea - to create a relic of their own.

A relic that manipulated the flow of time itself.

Ozma was no stranger to time magic, he himself dabbled in spells that dilated time around him, but to take hold and control time itself was merely a pipe dream. But his wife Salem was ambitious.

"Can't you see, my love?" Salem asked, "The gods may have gifted us the four relics, but they withheld the most valuable power of all."

Ozma sighed in his cup, drained after hours of humoring his wife's idea.

"Salem, the brothers' relics were gifts to mankind. The ability to create a device that manipulates parts of reality itself are beyond us."

"Ozma, think about it," Salem insisted, "no man, even during the times before, could control time better than you did."

"And I'm telling you that my little tricks of speeding up time are mere drops of water compared to ocean of power you wish to possess. The relics are trouble, even if they have helped evolved our people, and now you wish to create one of our own?"

But Salem remained persistent, and Ozma could not lie to himself - he had grown curious as well. If, and it was a big if, they could create something as powerful as a relic itself, then the potential use of it was limitless! To move time in any way they pleased was something even Ozma was tempted to see.

And what of the ability to move through time itself? The lives they could save, the mistakes they could erase, the futures they would see - it was a tantalizing offer indeed, a thing Ozma could not , they could even erase the desolation the brothers created entirely.

After weeks of convincing, Ozma gave in. He had no idea the power he would unleash over Remnant.

Together, the demigods worked tirelessly day and night. They skimmed through every book that survived the calamity, pouring through hundreds of ancient scrolls and texts. The arcane words of magic taught to to them by the brothers, the spells innovated by the old sages, and the powers that were held by the ancient kings and queens were thoroughly studied by the couple.

However, the answer they stumbled upon was shockingly simple. The brothers had merely channeled their divine essences into four mundane items - the sword, the staff, the crown, and the lamp. And while both Ozma and Salem only carried a measly drop of the magical energy of the gods, the planet was different. The planet had always carried magic deep in its core, but the gods unleashing their might over it had left it deeply scarred with their energies. While many sections of the planet was healing, the godly magic fading from its roots and returning to a more controllable level of magic, other places remained rich with the gods powers. Specifically, the pools of life and as much of the essences as they could from the drying wells, they poured it over a simple watch.

Afterwards, they used Ozma's limited knowledge over time magic and his ability to gift abilities, along with Salem's raw magical power, they finished their device. And what a device it was.

In Salem's hands lay a small emerald pocket watch, and it hummed with power. Compared to the other Relics that exuded a more robust and powerful aura, the watch she held seemed tiny in comparison.

But the energy was there. She could feel it. Looking at her beloved with barely restrained delight, she embraced him.

"This is it, my dear. I know it. We did it!" Salem cheered, a rare sight of pure joy.

Ozma on the other hands still held reservations. He couldn't get rid of the small voice at the back of his mind. He still felt as if neither of them should have tampered with such raw energy in the first he pushed these feelings aside. Right now, Ozma could only hope

"Are you ready, Salem?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, Ozma."

Together, they gripped the device in their hands and pushed the button.

Glynda listened, both fully captivated and completely horrified by the story she had heard.

Ozpin sat opposite of her, toying with an old and busted pocket watch in his hands, eyeing with sadness and regret.

"The relic... did not work."

Glynda was shocked. "I-it didn't? I... I don't really know whether I should be relieved or scared, Ozpin."

Ozpin placed the device on his desk, pushing it towards Glynda. The deputy headmistress almost jumped out of her seat, as if a bomb had just been thrown at her. But nothing happened and she remained seated.

"It was almost funny, really. The thing sputtered out and died, like you had just taken out its batteries. Salem, she was furious. She had invested so much time in it, so much energy and power. She had even begun to neglect our daughters. And when it didn't work, it only added more fuel to the flame that was our marriage. You know the rest." Ozpin said, his voice heavy with regret.

"So shouldn't we count ourselves lucky? At the very least, it's another relic we won't have to worry about."

"No Glynda," Ozpin said, rising from his seat to turn towards his window, "it simply didn't work the way we expected it to."

"What does that mean?"

"Salem did not sense it, but it was my magic that we had poured into it. I could see its essence leave the device entirely. And it took me many lifetimes before I realized where exactly it had gone."

Ozpin walked, activating the hologram on his desk. It showed images of four young men, all around their late teens or early twenties.

Glynda did not recognize the other three, but she was very familiar with the last one. She would always remember that scarlet hair, the horns, and the mask that all White Fang members wore.

"What does Adam Taurus have to do with this? What connection do any of them have to your relic?"

"Let me answer that with a question. What can I do, Glynda?" Ozpin asked, as if asking a student a question. "What is my gift?"

Glynda's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "You can gift abilities to others, Ozpin. Like with Qrow and Raven."

"Exactly. Whatever mistakes we made in making the relic of time, my power remained incompatible. We simply did not realize it at the time. I could not store magic in a device like the gods did. I can only gift it to other people."

As if a bulb had gone off over head, Glynda finally realized what her boss was getting at.

"Your magic searched for a host."

"No Glynda," Ozpin refuted, "hosts. Four specifically."

Ozpin gestured to the hologram, maximizing the images of the four young men. "In no less than three lifetimes, I've met the ancestors of these four boys. The second I came in contact with them or even simply glanced at an image of them, I could sense their aura - my aura with little difficulty. And while none of them manifested any powers, the magic remained strong in their blood and continued to be passed on to their descendants."

He pointed to the image of a younge blonde man. "I've been lucky enough to have been able to oversee the Arc lineage for centuries. The latest to have inherited my aura is him, Jaune Arc."

Ozpin then focused on two other boys, one grey haired and one with dark hair. "With these two, I've had some trouble keeping tabs on their ancestors, but I was able to find them very recently, due to unfortunate circumstances. This," he pointed to the gray-haired boy, "is Mercury Black, son of Marcus Black."

"The assassin." Glynda added.

"Yes. I was familiar enough with Marcus' heritage when I first heard of him that I could easily guess that he was in possession of the aura. And this one is Lie Ren," he focused on the boy with dark hair tied in a ponytail, "a survivor from a failed frontier village called Kuroyuri. I was alerted of the village's fall, and was given their information."

"And Taurus?"

"To be perfectly candid, I had lost track of his family a few centuries ago. But I need only see the image of the person to sense my aura, and we all know how public of a figure Adam Taurus is in many circles."

Glynda gripped her riding crop tightly, taking comfort in the familiarity of its grip. "So these boys are now... hosts to the relic's powers?"

"Unfortunately so. While none have ever showcased exactly what powers the relic possessed, I fear that this generation is where the abilities will manifest." Ozpin gripped his cane tightly, worry etched into his features. Thanks to aura, many huntsmen and huntresses retained their youthful looks as they grew older, but in the faint light cast by the hologram, Ozpin's age seemed clearer than ever. As if all those centuries had finally caught up to him in the span of a few minutes.

"Mr. Arc is not trained. Due to personal circumstances I am not privy to, the Arcs decided not to train their son." Ozpin swiped the holographic screen, showing images of documents. "However, it seems Jaune has taken it upon himself to acquire false transcripts to gain entry in Beacon, and has run away from his family."

"And you chose not to refute his entry because of what he carries." Ozpin nodded. "I can tell his aura isn't unlocked, but the magic is there, lying dormant."

"And what of the others?"

"Lie Ren and a close friend of his have decided to try their luck and study here at Beacon. But his is the simplest situation."

Ozpin swiped again, this time showing images of a house on fire, and a bloody body laying flat on the ground.

"Marcus Black was found murdered by one of my informants," Ozpin explained, "and it seems his killer has just turned up. Applying here at my school."

Glynda stood from her seat, studying the images carefully.

"His son killed him." She surmised.

Ozpin sighed. It seemed he'd been doing that a lot recently. "While I do not condone murder, much less patricide, I've had Qrow investigate Mercury's background. The details of his childhood are rather grim, to say the least."

"I can't imagine Marcus would've made a suitable father."

"I imagine you're right, Glynda." Ozpin swiped his hand in the air, showing Mercury's documents. "It seems he hasn't dirtied his hands since killing his father. And I'd rather give this young man a second chance than see him turn to crime to survive. We don't need another huntsmen killer on our hands."

"And what about him?" Glynda asked, contempt evident in her voice. Ozpin's gaze hardened as he moved on to their next subject.

Adam Taurus.

"A promising young woman recently applied to become a freshmen here," Ozpin started, "a miss Blake Belladonna. You're familiar with her name, I assume?"

"Ghira and Kali Belladonna. Former leaders of the White Fang." Glynda easily answered. "Left when the group's militant activity increased. From what I heard though, their daughter continued to operate within the terrorist group."

"Yes, but it seems she wishes to leave that behind. And it also seems that she's carried with her a rather... unsavory companion."

"She must've been very close to Adam Taurus, then, if she had managed to convince him to leave."

"Perhaps. But we shouldn't hold out hope. With Ms. Belladonna, I won't find much difficulty in allowing her to take the exam." Ozpin gestured to the redheaded boy. "But it would be nigh impossible to hide the fact that Adam Taurus sought to become a student here, at least to the many faunus students and staff we have here at Beacon."

"But you're still going to let him try?" Glynda asked, worry and confusion clear in her voice. She moved to Ozpin's side, gripping his arm. Rarely did Glynda ever get this physical. "Ozpin, I trust you. I always have, but isn't this a bit too much? It's not enough that you're letting in two former terrorists, the son of an assassin, and a fraud; you're bringing together pieces of a power you yourself still don't even understand!"

Ozpin met her gaze, seeing the worry in his deputy's eyes. The moments where Glynda would show such strong emotions were few and far between, but to see genuine fear from her was unheard of. To rattle someone as experienced and strong as her shook Ozpin to his very core, but he knew exactly why he needed to do this. The headmaster of Beacon placed a comforting hand on top of hers, gripping it gently before removing it from his arm. Hesitantly, Glynda's grip loosened and she let her arm fall to her side.

"I said I had never witnessed anyone from their ancestors utilize any sort of abilities from the relic." Ozpin said. "I did not lie. None have ever awoken the relic's potential, but I must confess that I've felt something in these past few weeks."

Glynda remained silent, hanging on every word he said.

"Salem has become more aggressive in her attacks. The assault on the Fall Maiden is one, but it seems she's made more moves. While not unheard of, the consecutive disappearing of several huntsmen and huntresses in Mistral have not gone unnoticed. The White Fang activities have spiked in recent weeks, and more and more small frontier villages have fallen. She's felt it too, I believe."

"Felt what, Ozpin?" Glynda impatiently asked.

"Magic." Ozpin replied. "Not the typical magic from the Maidens, and we are both familiar enough with each other's auras that we can feel each other's magic if strong enough. But not this. I can't explain it well, and I hate to admit that, but it's a pull. It's this strong sensation, Glynda. It's as if something akin to a Relic has been used, but it feels like it's my power amplified."

Ozpin grabbed the watch from his desk, gazing at it with a mix of regret and hatred. He could feel no magic from it, no familiar pull of divine aura that always exuded from the other relics. But as he gripped it tightly in his palms, he couldn't deny the feeling that there was something calling him. Magic now was simply a pale reflection of what it was back then, and Ozpin had always taken the initiative to know those who still wielded the old arcane powers.

But as he stood there, with his most trusted companion at his side, he stared at the watch, feeling as if it was mocking him.

Scorning him.

Months earlier.

Mercury Black, caked in dirt, mud, and blood, could only laugh in delight.

There, at his feet lay his father Marcus Black. Assassin, Killer of several Huntsmen and Huntresses, and all around shit father, was dead beneath him.

And when Mercury felt that painful, tugging sensation in gut again, Marcus Black was once again on his feet. A knife embedded in his throat. The look of pain, defeat, fear, and hatred in his father's eyes were a delight to see. He staggered, gurgling as he tried to claw at the weapon slowly killing him. Finally, as the life faded from his eyes, the last of his aura draining from his body, he stumbled to his knees before falling face-first into the ground.

Dead.

And Mercury laughed. He laughed as the fire raged on around him. He laughed as the flames consumed his childhood home, filled only with painful memories. He felt no fear, even as the wind fanned the flames close to him, the red-hot fire licking at his feet. Whatever damage it could do, whatever it would do would never last.

Mercury Black howled with delight as that painful sensation consumed him, and he saw his father standing there again.

A knife in his throat and death in his eyes.

Outside of Vale's walls, a crowd had grown around a peculiar sight.

Four grown men lay groaning on the dirt path, clearly beaten and drained of all aura. A few patrolmen came in to survey the scene, and upon realizing that the four were bandits from their outfits and weapons, were promptly arrested on the spot.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" A patroller walked up to a clearly shaken woman, her suitcase held close to her chest as she steadied herself.

"I-I'm fine officer," the lady replied kindly, "these four men just suddenly came up out of nowhere and jumped our caravan." The officer nodded, bringing out his scroll to record her statement.

"Who stopped them, miss?" He asked gently. "Was it one of our own, or perhaps one of our huntsmen that had been nearby?"

The woman, now finally able to stand properly, nodded. "It seemed like a pair of huntsmen, officer. A young man and woman, to be precise. Though I haven't the faintest where they've gone."

The officer nodded along, quickly chatting on his scroll to alert his fellow uniforms to escort the criminals and travelers. After a brief call, he turned to the woman. "Ma'am, would you mind coming with me? If possible, could you describe the pair of huntsmen who rescued you."

"Certainly. Though I confess that it'll be a bit difficult. I caught glimpses of them, but mostly they were a blur of green and pink!"

As the officer escorted the travelers into the walls, two teens stood off in the distance, with one leaning on the other for support.

"You really shouldn't push yourself like that, Ren." A soft, feminine voice said. Nora had Ren's arm slung across her shoulder, half carrying him.

Lie Ren looked exhausted, hanging limply off Nora, barely able to keep himself upright. His breathed raggedly, sweat dripping from his forehead. A glimmer of light appeared throughout his body, before sputtering out.

"Had... no... choice," Ren managed to croak out, "they were... too far ahead of us." Nora, seeing how badly exhausted he was, gently lay him next to the trunk of a tree in a seating position. She brought out a flask from her traveling pack, slowly placing it on his lips so that he could drink.

"I had it handled, Renny." Nora whined, putting the flask away. "Why didn't you trust me?" Ren shook his head, his heavy breathing finally settling. "I did trust you. But one of them drew a gun that you didn't see. They had it hidden, and you were too busy handling two of them at once.

Nora pursed her lips. "I believe you, Ren. But I had aura, and you were low from having to camouflage us through the forest!" She plopped down next to him, a small pout on her face. "I'm not angry, Renny. I'm worried. You know what happens when you use your... you know. Your time-stoppy magic! I had to carry you out of your village the first time you used it!"

Ren chuckled tiredly, amused at the memory. "And you never let me forget, Nora."

"Ren, this isn't a joke." She took his hand into hers, gripping it tightly, as if she was afraid that he would let go. "You don't see what you look like after you stop time. You're pale, you pass out, and when you go to sleep it's like you're having a nightmare! You talk and you shout when you're asleep, and it scares me Ren."

Ren looked into Nora's eyes, tears slowly coming out of them. He gripped her hand, comforting her. Nora wiped the tears away with her other hand, laughing shakily as she did.

Ren apologized, and promised her three batches of his home-cooked pancakes as soon as they got into Vale. It was the least he could do, he told himself. He couldn't bring himself to promise her the thing she wanted to hear.

He just couldn't.

Adam Taurus was a man known for always looking ahead. His subordinates would always say to him how he always had his eyes set on the horizon, as if he could see tomorrow. Sienna had once remarked how one of his greatest traits was his inability to feel fear as he pushed ahead into the future.

But that wasn't true. In fact, he felt he feared what lay ahead of him more than anyone. How could he not, when he knew what was to come.

When Sienna had taken him under her wing and built him up as both apprentice and successor, Adam had had a vision. Not a realization or epiphany, but an honest-to-gods vision of what lay ahead.

It was like a stream of images crashing into his mind - he dreamed of the White Fang's future plans, the alliances they would build, the hundreds of faunus that would join their ranks, as well as the ones that would fall.

But more importantly, he dreamed of himself, and of Blake. He foresaw the blood he would spill, the innocents he would cut down, and the pain he'd cause her. Adam saw a train, a battle between himself, Blake, and countless Schnee machines. He saw how she cut the link, both to escape him physically and emotionally. And the farther he dreamed, the murkier the visions became. Adam saw a flash of gold. Halls burning down. Shadows consuming a city. And blood. He kept seeing it. He couldn't stop seeing it.

Adam saw and felt it all - the rage, envy, delusions, and fear. It consumed him. And pain. It blossomed in his chest, like a dagger in the heart. It was a flash of pain, and then the cold.

It changed him. It was as if he had lived an entire life in the span of one night.

The very next day, he awoke in cold sweat. The visions as vivid as he could remember.

He ignored Blake, ignored his men, ignored his mentor. Adam marched into the training fields, itching to let out on a few unsuspecting greenies. He was angry and confused, and he needed an outlet. The new batch of recruits would do.

He stood in the middle of the grounds, clenching the hilt of Wilt tightly as he readied himself in a fighting stance, eyeing the nervous trainees around him. He roared in challenge, commanding them to attack. They yelled in fear, and charged. What happened next would change Adam for the rest of his life.

Normally, his body would kick into gear, his instincts taking over. The usual would happen; the new blood would be too slow, he'd see their attacks coming a mile away, and beat them easily into the ground. A brutal but effective start to their training. Adam didn't actually expect to literally see their attacks coming.

Colors changed around him, like a photo in negative. Adam saw the recruits charge at him, and they swung recklessly at his body. And he stood there, paralyzed. He couldn't move - he could neither dodge nor parry. Their form was pathetic, the strength in their attacks lacking, and yet their blades met contact. He felt their swords cut into him. He felt each blade of steel sink into his skin. Adam felt blood flow freely, and yelled.

Suddenly, he came back. The trainees were still charging at him, swords raised high and coming at him from all directions. Adam stood there, confused and terrified.

His instincts kicked in for him.

Minutes later, battered and bruised trainees lay groaning on the ground. Their auras depleted. Adam alone remained standing, breathing heavily, but not from exhaustion. From fear.

"You were distracted, Adam." Sienna confidently strode forward, followed by a small group of medics that would see to the injured. "Normally, this would be finished in under a minute. It took you three. What's on your mind?"

Adam gripped Wilt, his lips drawn in a thin line. "Nothing, Sienna. Nothing at all."

Sienna studied his face, trying to ascertain the truth. She knew he was hiding something, but was very experienced in Adam's tendency to deflect and hide. With a small sigh, she waved him off. "Ensure this doesn't get in the way of tomorrow's raid."

"Yes, ma'am."

Sienna walked off, leaving Adam alone with his thoughts.

And with his fears.

The following day, the assault the Atlas installation was a complete success, though Sienne had remarked it could've been finished sooner. What with Adam leaving a bloodless trail in his wake.

Any and all who met Adam in combat were dealt with ruthlessly and quickly, but to Sienna's surprise, were all spared their lives.

She had always known Adam for his willingness to kill, especially after he saved Ghira all those months ago. But now, the only pains he caused were broken bones and bruised egos

As she finished up business with clearing out the base and tying up the remaining Atlesian defenders, she watched Adam from afar. He stood in the corner of the room, completely silent. The White Fang troops wisely left him to his own devices, but were unsure of how to feel about the current situation.

Just what exactly had happened to Adam Taurus?

"What the hell is happening to me?"

Jaune Arc was terrified. One second, he was leaving his house to go meet with the shady man who would help him get into Beacon, the next he had slipped and fallen into a hole that he knew hadn't even been there.

Now, he was trapped in pitch black darkness. Jaune could breathe, and he felt his heartbeat race a mile a minute, so he knew he was alive. So where the hell was he?

"Hello?" Jaune desperately called out, hoping someone would hear him. "Is-is anybody there? Hello? Please, can anyone hear me?"

He cautiously moved forward, hands stretched before him, hoping to feel out anything that could get him out of here. Jaune crept forward, steadying his breathing as he moved around. He was scared - fear was getting hold of him, and he knew from experience that when he was afraid, the more he panicked and messed up. Jaune needed an out.

As Jaune blindly felt out the empty space around him, he felt something strange. A weird warmth washed over him, and suddenly a silver of light broke through the darkness.

Feeling immense relief, Jaune began racing to the pinprick of light ahead. He made a mad dash for it, and when he reached it his whole world suddenly shifted.

Jaune found himself crashing into the very man he was supposed to meet, slamming into him with a very undignified yelp.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, kid!" Fortunately, the man hadn't stumbled and grabbed Jaune by his arm before he fell backwards. "Where the hell are you running of to? You still had plenty of time! Like, thirty minutes at least. Is someone chasing you or something?"

Jaune stuttered, unable to form a cohesive reply. His brain was still struggling to catch up to the present. But one question remained in Jaune's panicked state.

Just where the hell was he?

I've been consuming a ton of Jojo's Bizzare Adventure content as of late, if you can't tell.

Lie Ren = DIO, duh.

Adam Taurus = a slight variation on Epitaph and King Crimson. The awakening of his abilities was so intense that he could forsee years into the future, though rather vague.

Mercury Black = a less complicated version of Killer Queen, Bites the Dust.

Jaune Arc = I'm not telling. I do really hope you enjoy! This really is all just for fun, but I hope you get a kick out of this too.