King: Let me tell you a story. A tale of two great dragon brothers. This has been requested constantly, since the first Overwatch chapter. And it's finally here. Side note, 200,000 words of content~! This is freaking awesome! I hope you've been enjoying these chapters. I'm certainly enjoying myself~ Let's do this!
Inspiration: Overwatch
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The screen moved on to the next reality, leaving the last to the archive.
The scene opened to a beautiful woodblock painting of a city or a palace in the mountains. The scene moved to the side as they heard a voice over. "My family tells of an ancient legend. A story of two great dragon brothers." The scene showed two dragons, one green and the other gold, twisting together in a balance. "The Dragon of the North Wind and the Dragon of the South Wind.Together, they upheld balance and harmony in the heavens."
Ozpin blinked. This sounds eerily similar… Not the voice, no one recognized that, but the story.
The screen faded to show a large city in the present day. The large building structures and slopes told them it was either Mistral or a location on the same continent. The screen moved down to the ground level as a pair of either boots or cybernetic legs fell into view. The screen snapped up to show Ren looking around. He was dressed in a kimono with a single sleeve, the other arm adorned with a dragon tattoo. He was an archer and looked the part.
Nora giggled, "I remember seeing that version from the game we played earlier!"
Ren nodded. It was definitely the same version.
After a moment, he ran forward through the streets and under an overpass. The camera followed him and pulled back to show a figure standing above him. The camera then moved to show a large wooden door with a design of two dragons circling one another as Ren climbed the door with ease.
Nora gasped, "Ninja Ren!"
Yang shrugged, "I could see it."
Then voice over returned, "But the two brothers argued over how best to rule their land."
Ozpin felt his eye twitch. This is just unnerving…
The screen returned to the woodblock style and showed the green and gold dragons in the same formation. "Their anger turned to rage and their violence darkened skies. Until the Dragon of the South Wind struck down his brother, who fell to earth, shattering the land." The screen showed the green dragon forcing the golden dragon to the ground, the city beneath them in flames.
Ozpin sighed. Okay… that's different at least.
Yang, however, saw a previous version. Siblings at war with one another over rule and one had to destroy the other? It was a little too familiar.
The scene returned from the woodblock and showed several men in suits standing guard within a temple area. One of them yawned both in boredom and tiredness given the late hour. One of the men was a robotic being, an omnic to be specific. They saw Ren moving in the darkness above. After a second, Ren notched an arrow and loosed the projectile into the onmic's chest.
Penny jumped seeing the omnic spark. She hoped he could be repaired somehow, but something in the back of her mind told her he was gone.
One of the men noticed just in time for Ren to smack his bow into the man's face. Then he ducked under an attack and swung the man around, kicking him off the elevated area into eh gravel below. The man who yawned saw the event and tried to grab his phone, only to have it bounce around as he tried to grab it. Ren saw these events as he placed another guard into a choke hold with an arrow notched. He fired the arrow, which curved through the wind, and shatter the phone. This caused the man to lose his balance and fall face first into a giant bell. The bell had the same symbol as the giant door.
Yang blinked in surprise, "Holy shit… Ren beat those guys like they were nothing!"
Blake turned to the stoic one, "I am curious, though. A lot of these have you using a bow and arrow. Is that significant?"
Ren gazed down for a moment, "It was my father's weapon of choice."
Nora placed a hand on Ren's shoulder and the rest of the students went silent, remembering that Ren and Nora were orphaned by Grimm attacks.
The woodblock style returned to show the green dragon, alone and with head lowered. "The Dragon of the South Wind had triumphed. But as time passed and he realized his solitude," The woodblock showed buildings in flames and a volcano erupting in the distance The smolders formed before the painting. "The sweetness of victory turned to ash."
The ashes changed to show pink petals flying through the air before a whole moon. The camera moved to show Ren entering a larger structure with the figure from before watching him from above.
Sun pointed toward the screen, "That's got to be Jaune, right?"
Neptune nodded, "Probably…"
Ren walked up to a damaged sword, displayed before a stained scroll with a large cut from one side. The voice over continued, "For years, the bereft dragon's grief threw the world into discord. And he knew only bitterness and sorrow." The screen showed Ren's face with that last line.
Ren tapped his seat a moment, "There seems to be a thematic through line here. I seem to represent this Dragon of the South Wind. But if that's true, thematically, I'd have killed my brother."
Neptune took in a sharp breath, "And if the golden dragon follows the same theming…"
No one wanted to say it. But it was very likely that this Ren and Jaune were brothers, and Ren had killed him.
The woodblock returned to show a man in a white cloak looking up to the green dragon, "Then, a stranger came to the dragon and said, 'Oh great Dragon Lord, why are you so distraught?' And the Dragon answered, 'Seeking power, I killed my brother. But without him, I am lost.' The stranger replied, 'You have inflicted wounds upon yourself…"
The screen showed Ren again as he kneeled before the sword and banner.
"But now, you must heal. Walk the Earth on two feet as I do. Find value in humility. Then, you will find peace."
Ren placed several items onto the floor before him and held incense between his hands. His eyes opened, his expression still rather neutral, "You are not the first assassin sent to kill me. And you won't be the last."
Ruby's head tilted, "Who is he talking to?"
The screen showed a figure in the darkness. After a second, a series of golden lights formed, showing the form of the man hidden in the darkness.
Kali blinked in surprise. "Oh my… He's quite talented to notice the man not only behind him, but also hidden away so well."
The man dropped from the ceiling and into the light, revealing his body. It was a sleek design, possibly robotic, and a bit ninja-like. He spoke with a slight reverb, "You are bold, to come to Shimada Castle. The den of your enemies…"
"Okay? So, it's not Jaune? Or is it? What?" Ruby was getting confused. He didn't really sound like Jaune but also kind of did? It was weird.
Ren slowly reached for his bow, "This was once my home. Did your masters not tell you who I was?!" He suddenly had his bow in hand and arrow notched. He loosed the arrow toward the intruder.
The ninja leaned to the side as the arrow flew past. "I know who you are, Ren, oldest son of the Shimada Clan."
Ren's eyes narrowed. He notched another with a twist and sent it flying in an arc through the air.
Ruby gasped, "Woah! I've never seen anyone shoot an arrow like that!"
The ninja ducked under the attempted attack. "I know you come here every year, on the same day."
Ren growled and grabbed three arrows between his fingers. He notched one and let it fly like the last, forcing the ninja behind a lantern placement. Two more arrowed cut through the paper of the holder but missed their target.
"You risk so much to honor someone you murdered!"
Ren sunk a bit in his chair, this was seemingly confirming his suspicions. He'd killed Jaune in this reality. He'd killed his brother.
The ninja snapped his wrist upward and a trio of shuriken left from the back of his hand and between his fingers. He moved to the side and launched the three bladed items at Ren, who ducked and used his quiver as a shield. The blades bounced off and into the wall behind him.
Yang crossed her arms, "I'd have thought those would be more effective."
Blake, however, shook her head. "Shuriken are distraction or light injury weapons at best. They might do more harm when coated with something, but on their own, they don't do too much."
Ruby disagreed, "Thrown by one of us, maybe. The speed they were spinning at and the lack of drag tells me those things were flying, mini-buzzsaws. They might not bury too deep, but they'll hurt like no one's business."
Ren grabbed another arrow, "You know nothing of what happened!" He rolled forward and let the arrow fly. Though the ninja blocked it with his short sword, there was enough force to push him through the lamp placement and onto the floor below them. Ren appeared over the edge with an arrow readied. The tip expanded into small, floating spikes. When he released the arrow, the spikes bounced off surfaces all around the ninja. Said ninja deflected each attack and ran up a wall, back to the same level as Ren. He returned his blade to its scabbard and ran off to the balcony behind him.
"Woah!" Ruby was giddy seeing a ninja in action. Even if it was the flashier kind instead of the stealthy type.
Ren followed after him, looking to the world around him.
The ninja's voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, "I know you tell yourself that your brother disobeyed the clan."
Ren snapped to one side and fired an arrow, which flew through the air and into a wall.
"That, you had to kill him to maintain order. That is was your duty." The ninja had been behind Ren.
Raven scoffed, "Completely understandable, if you ask me."
Yang growled to her mother, "Well, no one did."
Ren grabbed his last two arrows. "It was my duty. And my burden." He fired the first arrow, which was deflected into the ground. He pulled the second back, "That does not mean, I do not honor him!"
When this arrow flew, the ninja seemed to react differently. He spun his short sword around and sliced the arrow right down the middle, leaving the two halved to curve in form and fly into the wall behind him.
Ruby was officially geeking out. "To split that arrow so cleanly… What is that blade made of?! That's so cool! Wait! Why isn't he using the larger katana on his back?"
Ren growled and charged forward, using his bow as a bludgeoning weapon. He was actually very skilled, almost using it like a sword, but the ninja was skilled as well, and enhanced. During one attack, the ninja jumped up and kicked Ren into the railing of the balcony. He then jumped up, ready to bury his blade into Ren. Ren was able to stop the attack using his bow, holding the ninja's blade back.
The ninja leaned more of his weight into the attack, "You think you honor your brother Jaune with incense and offerings? Honor resides in one's actions."
Ren looks to the side to see his arrow buried in the floor. "You dare to lecture me about honor?! You're not worthy to say his name!" Ren wrestles out of the situation and tosses the ninja to the side. He ran over and pulled the arrow out of the ground. As he notched the arrow, his tattoo seemed to glow green and expand off his arm.
"Ryuu waga teki wo kurau!"
The enery flowed into the arrow. Once it was free, it exploded into a duo of spektral, emerald dragons, twisting around each other in a cycle of power and destruction.
No one expected something like that to happen.
Nora gasped and tapped Ren's shoulder, "Oh my gods! That's so cool!"
Yang's eyes went wide, "How did he do that?!"
The ninja returned his short sword and grabbed the handle of his katana. It clicked open with a golden effect, and the blade was a brilliant golden and steel. "Ryujin no ken wo kurae!" With a twirl of his blade, a single golden dragon formed around him and roared.
Ruby bounced in her seat, "He can do that too?!"
Ren blinked. Green and golden dragons… The brothers…
The ninja swung his blade and his golden dragon flew in between the twin green dragons. It led them around as the ninja guided them with his blade. He swung the blade back toward Ren and the green dragons flew back toward him, engulfing him in their energy. Ren strained under the attack until it flew passed. He fell to his knees as the ninja returned his katana to his back. Small devices opened on the ninja, releasing stored pressure.
Everyone was surprised. They didn't even know what to expect in the first place, but that was just insane!
Ren groaned in pain, "Only a Shimada can control the dragons." He looked up toward the ninja, "Who… are you?"
The ninja's devices returned to their normal state and he charged forward, the blade of his short sword stopping right up against his throat.
Ren's head leaned back and his eyes narrowed. He had no energy to fight. No power to defeat this assailant. "Do it then… kill me…"
Nora felt a lump form in her throat. She didn't want to see Ren die!
The ninja looked toward Ren for a moment in silence. His blade moved forward slightly, tilting Ren's head back a bit farther in instinct. "No." He pulled his sword back and returned it to his scabbard. "I will not grant you the death you wish for."
Nora placed a hand over her heart and sighed in relief.
The ninja looked off as he spoke, "You still have much to do in this life," he turned his back to Ren, "brother."
Ren's eyes went wide.
As did the Ren in the audience. The story so far seemed to imply he'd killed Jaune, his brother in this world. The ninja even referenced it saying he'd murdered him!
Ren stood up and spun around. "Impossible! My brother is dead!"
The ninja grabbed at his mask and pulled away a visor. The skin beneath was leathery and damaged, the face of a dead man. His eyes, however… Those sapphire eyes were too distinct. They held compassion and understanding. There was no mistake.
"Jaune…?"
Sun grinned, "So it was him! Called it!"
The woodblock returned, showing the large green dragon kneeling onto the earth below him with the traveler standing before him. "The Dragon knelt upon the ground. For the first time, he was able to see the world around him clearly and became human." The camera moved up showing green and gold dragons forms dissolving into shadows beneath two humans standing on a mountain. "The stranger revealed himself as his fallen brother. Reunited, the two set out to rebuild what they had once destroyed."
Ozpin smiled. There were some similarities to the brother gods, but their story was more… heartwarming. Especially regarding the endings.
The scene in the castle returned showing Ren in a state of confusion. "What… have you become?"
Jaune returned his visor his face. "I have made peace with what I am. And I have forgiven you." He moved forward and placed a hand on Ren's shoulder as he passed. "Now, you must forgive yourself." He moved on to the edge of the balcony. "The world is changing once again, Ren. And it's time to pick a side." Jaune leapt off the balcony and onto a small outcropping on the wall nearby.
Ren's face filled with frustration and confusion. His anger… He stormed over and pulled out the arrow in the wall, notching it, and pointing it toward his brother, "Real life is not like the stories our father told us! You are a fool to believe it so!"
Ruby huffed, "That's why we're here… To make things better."
Yang grinned and wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders, pulling her into a one-armed hug.
Jaune turned his head back to Ren, "Perhaps… I am a fool, to believe there is still hope for you. But I do."
Ren eased the tension in his bow.
"Think on that, brother." Jaune made a gesture with his hand and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Ren removed the arrow. He looked at it for a moment before returning it to the quiver. He returned to the shrine and sat before it again. The screen panned up to show the woodblock of the twisting dragons from the beginning.
Ren took a breath and smiled. Artistically, he enjoyed the parallels throughout the world and the story. But more than that, he felt happy to see a world where Jaune, the man he treated like a brother, truly was family. That, despite what he'd done, Jaune retained his compassionate and forgiving nature. Willing to make peace.