Celebrating Black

" Jinn."

I called out the spirit of the Lamp, and time stopped as she appeared from a haze of blue-green smoke and greeted me.

" Hello, Silva; what are you up to now?"

" Just going to check on Salem to see her current state of mind, but before that, I would like to ask you a personal question if I can."

" Silva, I can't answer any more questions in this era."

The genie said sadly, but I asked anyway.

" Are you bored in your Lamp, Jinn?"

Her eyes widened at my question, and she blinked a few times before smiling at me and saying.

" Thank you for your concern, Silva, but unfortunately can't answer that even if I want to."

" The Brothers are truly right b*stards."

I cursed at hearing this; in all honesty, if I could, I would kill them because they are fickled beings, but I have no idea how to go about slaying gods. Even Salem's memories from Soul Archive had no thoughts about killing them after wiping out humanity the first time despite her anger and hatred toward them. I fear them and have a healthy amount of respect for the power they wield, but they are too human for my tastes, and they don't understand by giving others the freedom of choice; they also allow mistakes to be made and bad decisions.

I shook my head from this line of thought since it wouldn't help me and opened a portal to the witch while time was stopped and found her in her throne room brooding. I touched Salem and learned about her recent thoughts and feelings to see her mentally and emotionally shutting down in despair and depression as she realizes the Brother Gods are not ignorant of her actions. They won't grant her the release she craves because they are spiteful like that, especially the God of Darkness. I won't feel sorry for her, but I do want to help her learn the importance of life and death so that the witch may be freed.

At least my only worry now is that Ozma might take too long to unite Remnant and make the gods impatient, causing them to label this world a failure, but that shouldn't happen for a very long time when I become just another name forgotten to the world since I have no interest in making history or having fame. I went back through the portal and gave Jinn my goodbyes as she returned to the Lamp, and time started moving again. I wonder if there was anything nice I could do for Jinn since her help has been invaluable in her willingness to answer my summons. Something to consider, at least.

With time starting back up, I went to see Salem to speak with her about what she intended to do next. After opening another portal to the witch and after she noticed me, she said venomously.

" Have you come to mock me, Apostle of the Brothers?"

" I would never mock you, Salem."

Salem looked at me in surprise since I was being sincere, but her surprise quickly faded, and she demanded calmly.

" Then why are you here?"

" To see how you are from an emotional and mental aspect if you have considered the implications of our previous meeting but seeing how you view me related to the Brother Gods, I have my answer."

" Then leave."

The witch waved me off, but I stayed and told her.

" I am not leaving you alone."

Salem sneered as she retorted heatedly.

" Do you feel threatened by me? Why? I am doomed for failure from the start. All my plans were for naught, and the only thing I gained was seeing my ex-husband squirm."

I walked up to the witch, and she glowered at me. I then asked her calmly.

" Do you remember the exact words of your curse Salem? I am not talking about being cursed to walk this world for as long as it exists, but what was said afterward."

Salem recalled what the gods were and then looked at me with a pure unbridled fury that she had barely restrained and said.

" You want me to learn the importance of life and death!"

" No, I want you to free yourself, as I wouldn't put it past you to go ahead and end humanity and the faunus out of spite anyway to see Ozma suffer."

The witch conjured an orb of Magic and looked ready to strike me with it, along with all her built-up emotions, and I said calmly.

"You're free to strike me, and I won't retaliate."

I raised my defenses and braced myself for her wrath, but it never came as Salem crushed the orb of Magic and sat back down. She coldly looked at me and said with an icy tone.

" I will never bend to the gods ever again."

I sighed and told her something she had overlooked in her long years.

" When you and Ozma had a family in the past, you were actually on your way to ending your curse, as you would've outlived all your children unless you forcibly kept them alive by making their bodies prisons or holding on to their very souls to recreate your ex-husband's condition. Considering that you actually did love them and still do, I know you wouldn't condemn them to the same suffering you had to go through by forcing them to stay with you. In the end, Ozma is a fool that should've stuck with you and tried to help you change for the better, and you would have been freed from your curse."

She looked at me while completely stunned by what I had just said, and I opened a portal back to my home in Vale. Before I left, I told Salem.

" I know you have it in you, Salem, to end your curse."

In the witch's memories after Ozma, she had no one that she was close to in any way. They were all pawns and subordinates to be used and discarded. Now let's see if she is willing to change or not, and if she doubles downs on her current choices, then I will trap her on the moon after separating the Grimm-ified part of her so that she has no hope of trying to bring about everyone's ruin.

***

( Chapter Bonus, Neopolitan's birthday)

Neopolitan slept in her comfy bed in the Forever Fall Manor in Vale that Silva Branwen had constructed. She was sleeping in after a late night of gaming without a care in the world since she was free to do what she wanted, so long it was not illegal, and she got caught. The tri-colored girl found herself being shaken awake, and she pulled the covers over her head, but she was still being shaken. After the intensity of the shaking increased, she forced herself up to see Silva holding a tray and setting it down in front of her, and Neopolitan woke up once she saw the treats on the tray.

Three large cupcakes with candles on them. One was vanilla cake with strawberry cream icing and chocolate shavings on top of it. Another was a chocolate cake cupcake with vanilla cream icing on it and thinly sliced strawberries adorning the top. The last was a strawberry cake cupcake with half chocolate and half vanilla cream icing on in an artful spire. Silva then told Neopolitan.

" Happy birthday Neo. I am using the day where you decided to put the name Trivia Vanille behind you rather than your former life's date of birth if that is fine with you."

The tri-colored girl smiled and nodded before focusing on her current dilemma, which cupcake should she eat first? Seeing Neopolitan struggle to pick a cupcake to eat made the snow leopard faunus chuckle, and he laid his gift for her on the foot of the bed. The tri-colored girl noticed the gift and now had a new dilemma, should she eat her birthday cupcakes first or open her present? So far, Neopolitan was already enjoying her new birthday since she never really celebrated it when she was Trivia. Ultimately, the tri-colored girl went for the strawberry cake cupcake first before going after the others and opening her present.

After wolfing down her cupcakes, she opened her gift to find an upgraded Hush with a manual. The curved handle part of the weaponized parasol could come off and could form an adjustable Aura blade with Silva's Aura Projection technology. Hush was also equipped with a physical blade that popped out at the end tip that could be electrified with an Aura-powered generator plus, it could fire a wide concussive spread with Aura Projectile tech that had some serious stopping power. Overall, Neopolitan loved her upgraded weapon and got out of bed to thank Silva.

The tri-colored girl was immediately met with a small party that included Miltia, Melanie, Emerald, April, and Raven, with Silva cutting a large ice cream cake. He wished her once more, along with everyone.

" Happy birthday Neopolitan!"

The birthday girl grinned and went to celebrate her birthday with her new family.