King: And we're back again! Blame the Isle of Armor.

Knox: It's not that long... why would it...

King: I want shiny Zorua!

Knox: There it is.

King: Still don't have him yet... Anyway! I hope you enjoy, first off. For another, I want to say that I changed this story quite a bit. I got to thinking about what brought the character to become what he is, and I liked the idea of a fallen hero instead of an entitled villain. It feels better. But I still wanted to do the awesome escape scene. The man on a mission, let's say. Regardless, enjoy the chapter and I'll see you guys in the next one.

Knox: When will that be?

King: Don't push it.

Inspiration: Kung Fu Panda

/\

It had been more than a few episodes of Jaune being a hero. This could only last so long.

The screen opened to show Sienna Kahn as she walked into a large temple situated at the top of a mountain.

Sienna sat back with a raised brow. Given the structure, it resembled the architecture of Menagerie or perhaps the area around Mistral.

Sienna walked into the temple and into a large area with an old Ozpin sitting amid a mass of candles set around him. Ozpin had made his way to one of the candle sets and blew out one of the candles.

Sienna walked up to Ozpin and bowed to the man she called a teacher and the master of the temple. "You wanted to see me, Master Ozpin?"

Sienna felt her blood boil for a moment hearing that word, but then really took in the scene. It wasn't a master/slave relationship, but rather it seemed more like one of martial arts teachers. That calmed her a bit, but only so much.

Ozpin blew out another candle. "I have." Then another candle.

"Sir, I have to continue with the training of the Five."

Another candle. "Not your Dragon Warrior?"

Yang perked up instantly hearing that.

Sienna growled, "I simply cannot believe that… that… fool could be the Dragon Warrior!"

Another candle. "Perhaps with time, you may see it another way." Then another candle.

Sienna's eye twitched. "That's not the point. Why did you call me?"

Ozpin didn't answer, focusing on the next candle to blow out.

Sienna had enough and swung a hand forward and to the side, blowing out all of the remaining candles with a gust of wind.

Everyone was amazed at the power on display. To a degree. They figured it was possible to be her Semblance in this reality.

Ozpin sighed and shook his head. "You always were impatient. Ozpin turned back to Sienna, showing the audience just how much older he was. This was clearly the twilight of his life, the end was approaching and soon. However, he seemed content. A long life lived to fulfillment.

Given how many lives the soul of Ozma had lived without such fulfillment, it was nice to see for Ozpin.

Ozpin's face turned sour, though. "I fear that I did not call you with good news. I experienced a vision. The Valley is in danger from an old threat. Jaune Arc will return."

Jaune did not take that well. He didn't like the idea of him being the villain or a threat to others.

Sienna's eyes went wide in fear.

The scene became a woodblock of Jaune as he tore his way through the temple grounds, defeating everyone that got in his way.

As things returned to normal, Sienna was breathing heavily, spinning around and shouting, "Harriet!"

A woman ran into the room of the temple. She had darker skin with very short hair that had two tufts of lighter colored hair, almost resembling rabbit ears. She wore a yellow Mistali-style dress with a pair of leggings and flat shoes for running. She had a simple canvas hat with a feather set on one side. She saluted Sienna as she stopped, "Ma'am!"

Ironwood raised an eyebrow. "So, the second member of the Ace Ops appeared."

Knox gasped, "Oh! Oh! That's a good idea!"

King turned to the golden figure and shook his head, "No."

"Please!"

"No."

"You said we were adding more. We planned for them to show up eventually. Maria is here, so why not?"

King was silent before relenting. "Fine."

"Yes!" Knox hopped down from the balcony and created a rounded portal of golden fire. After a moment, five small bubbles floated into the room before popping. The Ace Ops had arrived in the theatre. And, of course, they scrambled to make sense of what was happening.

Ironwood stood up with his hands behind his back, "Ace Ops! Fall in!"

Clover, Harriet, Vine, Marrow, and Elm instantly stood at attention , saluting their general.

Ironwood turned to King, "You can explain it all now."

(One Explanation later)

Elm started to laugh. "Are you serious? That's a thing?"

Ironwood nodded. "Given what we've seen, it's hard to ignore."

Clover crossed his arms deep in thought for a moment. "I admit it sounds strange. But we have no reason not to believe you."

Marrow grinned and took a chair, "I like it. We get a break from all the usual stuff we have to deal with."

Vine nodded, "It would be in our interest to take a break now and then."

Harriet shrugged before turning to the canvas, "Wait, is that me?"

Knox nodded, "Yep. It's what inspired me to bring you guys here."

"So, you're the one in charge here?" Clover turned to the golden one.

"Nope. He is." Knox pointed to the ruling figure in the theater.

King nodded and gestured to the seats. "Let's get back to the viewing. You're all lucky that we brought you in early."

Harriet was caught off guard as Sienna closed the distance.

Sienna was clearly panicked, "Listen to me! Go to Chorh-Gom Prison on Tavan Bogd! Tell them to double the guard! Double the Weapon! Double everything!"

Harriet nodded, still a bit off guard. Then, she realized what he was saying. "Wait, Chorh-Gom? Isn't that where they hold…?!"

Sienna cut her off, "Focus! And move!"

"R-right!" Harriet spun around and ran as fast as she could. Harriot was the fastest runner in all the Valley. Possibly all of China.

Harriet smirked and sat back, "It's nice to get some recognition."

"What's a China?" Nora's head tilted in confusion.

Knox jumped back up to his balcony seat, "A country. That's all I'm going to say."

Her journey would no doubt take many weeks, if not a month to complete. She arrived within 5 days. Mostly. It took another day to climb the massive mountain covered in ice and snow. But she had arrived. Chorh-Gom, the most isolated and remote prison in the world, built to house one man. This was the place that held China's most powerful force of power and ferocity, Jaune Arc.

Harriot raised an eyebrow, "Seriously? The guy comes off like a background character, nothing that crazy."

Jaune sighed and sunk in his chair again. It was becoming something of a theme.

Harriet made her way to the doors, massive slabs of steel and wood. Two guards flanked either side of the door in full armor and wielding specialized spears for capturing criminals. As she approached, they were ready with weapons pointed at her. Harriet raised her hands up a bit to calm them, "I have a message for the Warden from Sienna!"

"For me, huh?" A voice called out from inside as the doors opened. Elm stepped out from the prison, dressed in the armor of the prison guards with a few pieces missing: namely the chest piece and boots. She wore a leather wrapping over her chest, but it was ornamental at best. Something of a testament to her faith in the prison and its guardsmen.

Elm grinned seeing this, "Nice! Moving up in the world."

Elm huffed at the sight of the famed messenger for the Temple. "What does Sienna want now?"

Harriet, who wasn't a warrior in any capacity, had to swallow a lump in her throat. "I'm here on Sienna's orders! Ozpin has received a vision of Jaune Arc's escape!"

Elm instantly burst out laughing. "Ridiculous! Those Temple stiffs have no idea what we do out here in Chorh-Gom! Come here and I'll show you how wrong they are!" Elm grabbed Harriet's shoulder and pulled her into the prison as the doors closed.

Harriet found a tub of popcorn courtesy of King and popped one into her mouth. "It is weird to imagine me without being a soldier."

Vine nodded, "Considering everything we've been through, it is strange."

Elm led the messenger halfway across a large stone bridge. She gestured for Harriet to look over the side, leading the messenger to gape in surprise at what she was seeing.

Over the side of the bridge was a massive ravine. More bridges ran across along the top half of the ravine before becoming nothing but a sheer drop. Guards dotted the area, all in armor and ready to kill at a moment's notice. Down the sheer drop of stone, there was a small platform with a figure set in the middle, not that they could really see him without help from the chains hanging from either side and meeting at a blob in the middle.

Everyone was awestruck at the sheer size of the prison. But one question prevaled.

Roman raised an eyebrow, "Wait, I thought this was a prison? Is it all for one guy?!"

Neo really took in what was just implied, and it scared her.

The rest, however, couldn't pick up on that yet.

Elm laughed, her loud laugh echoing through the cave, "Want to see the infamous prisoner?"

Harriet turned to her, confused, "What?"

Before she could say anything else, Elm had grabbed Harriet's shoulder and led her off to the side across the rest of the bridge. The camera hung for a moment to reveal the feather from Harriet's hat starting to fall over the side of the bridge.

Ren raised an eyebrow. His hobby of film analysis and production told him that was important, scarily so.

The camera flew downward, passing bridge after bridge, reaching a chain-held elevator as it lowered onto a small stone platform. Elm and Harriet stepped off and onto a small bridge that led to a larger platform. Set in the center of the platform was a man in his late 30s with blonde hair hanging down over his face at the angle they entered. His body was equipped with a massive turtle shell of steel with a series of rods with the heads of dragons at the ends. His arms were held apart by large chains that connected to something off the side. The camera moved slightly to a pale-gold tail with leopard spots along the fur.

Sun, being one of only two faunas with a tail in the room, felt a certain kinship with this version. But it died once he remembered Jaune was apparently a dangerous man.

Elm laughed as she approached the prisoner. "You see? He's not going anywhere!" She walked around, pointing to each thing keeping him in place. "Restraining shell with acupuncture needles built in to keep his Chi blocked and his body immobile. Hands held in place using giant boulders on the ends. Massive crossbows in case he gets ideas! The only way up is the elevator. We've got extra measures here and there. He ain't going anywhere. Isn't that right Dragon Warrior." Elm laughed as she mocked the man unable to even speak. As she walked around, she decided to add injury to insult, stomping her foot down onto his tail.

Marrow had to hold back a sympathetic yelp. He knew how much it sucked having your tail stepped on, something even the other faunas there couldn't understand.

Clover's eyes narrowed, "Prisoners should never be treated that badly."

Elm laughed since Jaune couldn't really react if he wanted to. "Let's get topside and you can tell Sienna she's got nothing to worry about."

Harriet looked back toward Jaune, hesitating for a moment. She'd only ever heard stories about this man, but seeing him now made her wonder. He seemed so normal, like he wasn't so dangerous. But she didn't want to be left behind, so she ran after Elm to return to the surface. As they left, the feather finally reached the bottom, landing directly in front of Jaune.

Ren felt a shiver run up his spine. "Oh. I see how this is now."

Nora turned to him, confused, "What do you mean?"

"There's an old adage, that one often finds their destiny on the road to avoid it."

Jaune nodded, having put the pieces together as well, "If she hadn't have gone to warn them, Ozpin's vision wouldn't happen."

Jaune's eyes opened from behind the hair. He whipped his head upward slightly to get his bags out of his eyes, looking down toward the feather as the gears of thought turned. His tail snapped around, and grabbed the feather before flicking up toward the back of the shell. The feather embedded in the keyhole as his tail moved it around with small, quick snaps of movement. Small clicks of metal followed after each other before one last motion was accompanied by a louder click and release. The acupuncture needles released pressure before sliding out from their holders. Finally free of the needles, he was able to let out a breath full of life. He could equally take in a breath and breathe in more. His muscles tensed for a moment before the shell burst apart into pieces.

That was harder to miss as the sound echoed through the cavern. Elm jolted up and looked over the side of the bridge, "Oh no!"

Harriet soon joined her, ""What's going on? Oh sh-!"

The camera snapped to Jaune as he rose up from his knees. He pushed himself taller and stood defiantly. He let out a roar more akin to an actual leopard than a man.

This shook many in the room. They would have preferred it if his roar was human, but this was not that. He sounded inhuman, like an actual animal.

Harriet scrambled, "Jaune Arc has escaped! I have to warn Sienna!"

Elm grabbed her shirt and pulled her back, "You're not going anywhere and neither is he! Crossbows!"

The guards at the crossbows, ballistas really, fired a massive bolt toward Jaune. However, the blond moved to the side just enough to avoid the hit. He turned to find more as they fired, but ducked away from each bolt as they fired. He was running out of room at this rate. He saw another fire their bolt and he made his move. He moved his body to the side and arm up slightly as the bolt slid against the steel brace. The metal snapped and shattered apart, freeing his hand from the pull of the chain and bolder. The guards that fired the bolt could tell they'd messed up.

Everyone was just stunned silent at the sheer amount of control and planning behind something like that. It was something they doubted they could replicate with a hundred attempts.

Jaune used his now free arm to pull the other shackle apart, freeing him completely. One of the crossbows was reloaded and ready to fire again, which Jaune caught in time to react. As it flew toward him, he swung his arm under the end and knocked it upward before kicking it back hard enough to destroy the crossbow that fired it and embedding the bolt into the stone wall. This, in turn, gave him an idea. He tossed four of the five bolts into the air and kicked them off again, turning them into a set of branches in the stone ascending toward the lowest bridge. Jaune cracked his neck before flipping back onto the remaining bolt and using it like a springboard to fly up toward the wall. Using this momentum, he swung off a bolt in the wall to fly up toward the next. He used this to run along the wall for a bt before reaching the third.

Yang's sense for the Rule of Cool was overpowering, "Holy crap! That's so cool!"

Harriet was freaking out, "We're going to die…"

"Bring up the elevator!" As the chain was being rolled upward, Elm swung her arm to the side, "Archers!"

A mass of archers unleashed their arrows in a wave down toward the escaping prisoner. As Jaune saw the arrows, they were a wave of red death raining down from on high. If they were above ground, he had no doubt they would blot out the sun itself. Then he saw the elevator just above him. He leapt to the last bolt and swung around it twice to gain momentum before jumping to reach it from below. As the arrows struck the elevator, he hid beneath the platform.

The duo of guards at the elevator knew they had to make the call and sever the chain. With one swing of the ax, the chain shattered and the elevator fell back to the ground below as it broke against the stone and arrows.

Marrow cringed at the moment of impact. "How is he supposed to have gotten away from that?"

The camera zoomed upward to show Jaune hanging from a stray arrow, only for him to leap upward again, upside down, and split-kick the two guards in the head as they celebrated.

Mercury winced and laughed a bit, "Never celebrate until you can confirm the job is done."

Jaune jumped into the elevator's machinery, forcing it open and freeing the chain. He leapt back off and grabbed the chain as he jumped off the platform and swung around and upward as the chain redirected his momentum. A set of auric claws extended from his fingers, allowing him to hang from the wall for half a second before jumping up and finally reaching the lowest bridge.

As he swung over the side, he kicked the waiting guard with ease and began to systematically make the guards look like untrained children. Where one would swing a spear, he would find only the stone of the floor beneath him. One even tried to run with a spiked mace, only to have the mace stolen and used to send him spinning to the floor. It was easily more than a hundred to one and Jaune still seemed like he had them outnumbered. He broke through the line with ease and jumped around to avoid a bridge level and reach the one above through their own stair-system. Two of the guards tried to shut the door of the bridge and keep him away, only for the steel-reinforced oak slab to be blown off its hinges and smacking both down underneath it. As two more tried to retaliate, Jaune just jumped up and grabbed both, one with his hands and the other with his feet, before spinning the air and making both guards dizzy beyond reason. Tossing both away, he continued his assault before flipping over the side of the last bridge, landing with grace and power like that of a leopard.

Ren's eyes were wide as dinner plates. This Jaune's actions were all so fluid and powerful, a martial artist on a level that just seemed impossible. And yet, other than the claws, everything was plausible. Even the arrow stunt, at the hands of a true master, could be done in theory. He chalked up the claws to being his Semblance or something similar, like how Harriot's running speed was so much faster than the norm.

Nora and Yang were less silent, cheering at how awesome it was, despite the situation at hand.

Across an empty bridge stood Elm with her remaining guards behind her. Harriet was hiding behind Elm, though the room to do so was minimal as the guards crowded away from the bridge.

Mercury scoffed at what he was seeing, "That trap is so obvious it hurts."

Roman had to nod in agreement, ""Likely lined the bridge with explosives."

Jaune tapped his chin in thought. That seemed too obvious to him. There had to be a trick with how seriously they were taking security, even if it didn't do much until now.

Harriet tried to shrink behind Elm, "We're dead."

Elm let out a quick laugh, "Not yet we're not. NOW!"

An archer to the side of the group held a bow with a flaming arrow toward his target, pointing upward. Once the arrow was free, the camera snapped to follow it as it struck a small item up against a stalactite above them. On impact, an explosion ripped through the air and the force dislodged the massive stone. The pointed stone struck the bridge and caused it to shatter from the impact force. As another explosion echoed through the cave, more and more rocks began to tear the bridge apart and threatened to crush Jaune in the process.

Mercury blinked in shock. "Okay… I'll admit, that surprised me."

Vine nodded, "It is certainly an impressive plan in a way. Destroy his means of escape with the possibility to bury him in the process. Though the destruction of such old pieces of life does pain me a bit."

Ruby turned to the man, confused, "Wait, those things were alive?"

"In a certain way, but not the way you're thinking."

Harriet sighed and leaned her head into her hand, "Here he goes again."

Vine ignored her and continued, "such stalactites cannot form within the lifetimes of any human or even the kingdoms. It's likely they're older than humanity itself at that size. A piece of the planet growing over more years than we can begin to imagine, a piece of the life we call Remnant."

Knox shrugged, "I mean, they're place is called Earth, but that's neither here nor there."

Jaune ran forward, jumping from crumbling piece to crumbling piece in an attempt to reach the end to escape. Half way across, he had to jump in an attempt to make it to the end, only to slide down the stone as his claws of Chi failed to hold himself in what was left in front of the guards.

Nora's head tilted, "What's Chi?"

King seemed off in his own world, but he still answered, "Qi is a force of power similar to your aura. It's often described as a power of the spirit that connects a person to the world. It is often connected to various Martial Arts as an energy used to improve the body."

As he fell, Elm laughed and waved goodbye to the martial artist.

Jaune landed on a falling stone that now served as a platform to his end. He looked upward and found something that may just get him out of here. The explosions were set off by dynamite-like explosive bundles led by interconnected fuses, and one of those fuses was still burning toward an unexploded bundle. If he could get up there, he could use it to escape.

Neptune raised an eyebrow, "But how will he get up there?"

"He'll run up the falling rocks, duh." Nora said that so matter of factly, it got a few faces to turn toward her confused by what she meant.

Jaune shot upward and ran up a stone piece before jumping to another bolder and up to another as he climbed the air itself.

Considering some of them have done similar feats, they didn't seem too phased.

Mercury, however, shouted, "Bullshit!"

Yang decided to use this, "What? You can't do that?"

"Oh, like you can?!"

"I can. And I did. During initiation when a Nevermore knocked out a ruin."

Jaune made one last leap and used his claws of Chi to cling to the remaining stalactite. He climbed back up to the rope holding the bundles and fuse and tore it away as he jumped down toward the entrance.

The camera moved to Harriet and Elm as the messenger cowered, "Can we run now?"

Elm, her prison and guards defeated so thoroughly, broke, "Y-yes…"

Jaune spun in the air before tossing the explosive into the crowd and against the door. The camera snapped outside only to explode as guards rained outward onto the snowy mountain. The camera returned to the ground as Harriet slid across the ground face first before finally sprawling across the ground. She groaned and tried to raise her body off the ground, getting as far as her hands and knees. She coughed and a plume of smoke escaped her mouth. She wasn't built for this!

Harriet scoffed, "Oh please! We've been through much worse."

"But has she?" Clover picked up on the different dimensions quickly. "You're trained as a huntress and an Ace Operative of Atlas. She is a fast runner delivering messages."

Harriet looked around, finding Elm sprawled across the ground and letting out a pained groan. Her thoughts were interrupted as a pair of hands grabbed her collar and swung her around and into the air. She found herself eye to eye with Jaune Arc as the taller man held her up off the ground.

Harriet was about to say something, but found herself catching herself. "Hey Arc!"

Jaune jumped, still not used to the idea that people he'd never met before knew who he was. "Um… yeah?"

"On your feet." Harriet stood up and turned toward him.

"Okay?" Jaune stood, unsure what she was getting at.

Harriet walked up and, for the first time since meeting the future incarnation of the knight, she actually realized how tall he was compared to her. "Huh… I never see you as being that tall. Guess I was wrong." She waved him off, as if telling him she was done, and walked back to sit down again.

Jaune let out an angered breath, the cold of the mountain making the viewers see it. His eyes softened for a moment as he began to smile, "I'm glad Sienna sent you." He returned her to the ground, even bending down to retrieve the hat she didn't realize she'd dropped. He dusted off the snow and even put the feather that freed him back in place before placing it back on her head. "I was starting to think I'd been forgotten."

Ruby's head tilted slightly, "How long was he in there?"

Knox pulled out a calculator. "Let's see. Carry the 1. Add this. Subtract that. 20 years."

Weiss sputtered hearing that, "20 years?! Unable to move?! How is he still alive much less able to move?!"

Knox chuckled at her reaction before answering, "Those needles blocked his Chi. In this world, it's a powerful thing that can empower the body or help you survive what you shouldn't.

Harriet was shaking in fear.

A fact that annoyed her counterpart.

She wasn't a martial artist and here was a man that could snap her in half with a glare. Or at least, it felt he could.

Jaune motioned toward the horizon. "Run on back to the temple. Tell Sienna and the Old Man that I'm returning home."

Ozpin sighed, knowing Jaune was referring to him. Again, in a cosmic sense he wasn't wrong. Still annoying to hear.

Harriet nodded very quickly before turning and running down the mountain to return to the Temple.

Jaune looked out over the sky as the sun began to rise beyond the mountains. "Best to get moving." A groan from Elm made him pause however.

Elm was stubborn and proud, but even she had to admit she was scared about what he would do.

As this was happening, Clover leaned toward the General, "Sir. May I confirm something with you?" He spoke low, ensuring no one else beyond the General, Ace Ops, and Winter at most could hear.

Ironwood glanced back toward the Operative. "You may."

"I know we can't openly attack one another, but isn't it strange that Salem is in the room?"

Ironwood sighed. "That is a strange story as it is."

"What do you mean?"

Winter explained it for him, "You see, that Salem is from another timeline and is wholly human. Just… with a strange look. She is the mother of an alternate version of Mr. Arc and is basically another person altogether."

"Huh…" Clover turned toward Salem, still skeptical but trusting of the General and Specialist Winter. "I take it she doesn't say much?"

Ironwood nodded, To be fair, most of us are usually rather quiet. Those students are the most… vocal."

Jaune walked toward Elm, the woman that had caused him so much pain inside the prison. His tail was still a little sore from earlier. She was on her back, sprawled out on the snow. All it would take is a single strike, a quick flick of the wrist, and she would leave this world.

The scene was tense, almost as though everyone was preparing themselves to see a murder.

Jaune's fist tightened before he let out a breath. "You're a lucky woman. A few years sooner and you'd die in this snow." He turned away and walked off, leaving the guards to pick themselves off the ground later.

The students let out a relieved sigh.

A mist covered the scene before transitioning to a region of tall stones and rope bridges. The sun cast down over the mist of the region and lit up the valley in gold.

The sight caused many to look on in awe. It was hard to deny how beautiful it was.

Jaune was walking across one of the bridges, only to stop as he noticed something off screen.

The camera moved to show five figures standing at the end of the bridge. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Neptune, all in their late twenties to early thirties (give or take), all stood as a barrier to keep Jaune from advancing. These were the greatest warriors of the Temple known as the Furious Five.

Nora grumbled before shouting, "Oh come on! Why is it them?! Team JNPR is so much better!"

"Hey!" Yang challenged, "We beg to differ!"

Glynda sighed, "Save it for the arena…"

"Fine!" Both glared daggers toward one another, intent to have the two team spar when they got the chance.

Jaune could recognize the style of the Temple and the emblem emblazoned on their chests. It was the mark of the Valley of Peace and the Temple's students. He just knew that Sienna trained them. "So, you're from the Temple then?"

Yang, the de facto leader of the group, took a step forward. "Jaune Arc, the infamous man who tore the Temple apart because he couldn't be named Dragon Warrior."

Jaune let out a breath as he looked past them, half expecting Sienna to be there with them. "And you five came to face me? Where is Sienna?"

"Doesn't matter." Yang's glare sharpened.

Jaune was smarter than many often gave him credit for. Her stance, glare, and position among them told him everything he needed to know. "You're here against her orders. You were told to stay away so she could handle it."

The flinch from all five of them told him how accurate he was.

Marrow let out an impressed whistle, "That's pretty impressive."

Nora smiled and nodded, "Yeah! Our fearless leader is really good at figuring stuff out like that!"

Jaune huffed, waved them away, "Step aside. I have no reason to fight you."

Neptune blinked in surprise once he heard that. "Wait, what?"

Yang growled, "We're not falling for that. You're the most dangerous person in China on his way to the Temple to attack Master Sienna."

Jaune shrugged, not bothering to deny that, "I have my reasons."

"And that's reason enough to stop you."

"Is it, though?" Jaune could tell there was no talking his way around this.

That said, twenty years alone at the bottom of a cave makes it hard for your inflections to stick the landing, so to speak. It almost sounded condescending, something that angered Yang further. "You're going back to Chorh-Gom if we have to drag you back in chains."

Elm winced when she heard that. "That was a mistake."

Yang turned to her, "What do you mean? Seems pretty normal to me."

"Because you weren't trained for stuff like this yet." Harriet kept her eyes on the screen, "He hadn't shown direct hostility yet, so it's in your interest to try to diffuse the situation first. If that fails, then you might have to fight."

"Besides," Marrow continued for her, "They haven't heard the reason he's so mad."

Blake's turn to join the conversation, "The context we have says he was passed up to be this Dragon Warrior and tried to take it by force, destroying the Temple in the process."

"That's the Crime, not the reason." Vine closed his eyes in thought. "I believe there is an underlying truth we don't yet know."

"I can't imagine that excuses any of that." Weiss reasoned.

Clover nodded, "It doesn't. But a twenty year sentence in isolation sounds like he paid his debt to society for property damage and battery. As we understand it, we haven't heard of him killing anyone. Sounds like he's served his time, don't you think?"

Jaune sighed and cracked his neck. "Right. Then let's get this over with."

Yang winced in preparation. After that last display, there was every likelihood she was about to watch her and her friends get demolished.

And everyone knew it, too.

Ruby and Weiss swung to either side of the group and toward the ropes holding the bridge. Ruby chopped through the ropes with her hand while Weiss kicked downward to snap the ropes on her side.

This got Yang to pause for a moment, her mind travelling back to a different red and white pair with a similar shtick.

As the bridge began to descend, Jaune leapt into the air and toward them. Yang grit her teeth and planned to ensure Jaune didn't reach the Valley by any means necessary. She jumped to meet him and kicked him in the jaw, sending him backward in the air. Jaune swung himself around, as if intent to land, and the Furious Five didn't disappoint, snapping back to hold the bridge in place to save Yang as well as him by extension.

Jaune set himself on one of the ropes and leaned the bridge to the side, leaning onto the other rope. "Not a bad kick. Twenty years ago, the only ones that could land a hit against me were Master Sienna and the Old Man. It amazes me how strong the world has become without me."

That made Yang feel better, but there was something that didn't help.

Sun let out a quick chuckle, "Damn, he's a badass! I mean, he knew they'd pick the bridge back up without even thinking and just casually messes with the balance of the bridge."

That. That's what had Yang on edge.

Yang grit her teeth. The camera now showing her tiger's tail as the hair stood on end. She was Sienna's student before Jaune's rampage. Despite how young she was at the time, she could still remember the day Sienna changed. The Master Tigress once had a light in her eyes, a passion to teach, and a kind word to help you improve. Then, after Jaune was imprisoned, that light faded, her passion seemed to die, and her words became critical and harsh. Every action after that felt like a hollow reaction, like she was just a shadow to the fallen student.

Early reactions were surprised about Yang having a tail. But those faded once they knew Yang's story, so to speak. But many had a thought in their minds, especially after what the Ace Ops had said. What happened?

Yang held her balance despite the bridge being forced to the side. "Stronger than you."

Jaune turned back to her and seemed to analyze her for a moment. After a second of silence he shook his head. "No, you're not. I can see it in your stance. Sienna taught you well, but she lost her… drive, let's say. Count your blessings…" There was an underlying venom behind that last part.

A venom Yang didn't take kindly to. She charged Jaune intent on removing him from the bridge. But the challenge was made and Jaune wasn't backing down now. Jaune leaned back to the side, righting the bridge and placing himself in a side-ways position. He then rolled toward Yang along the ropes to swing a kick down toward her. As she repelled him, he used the force to land on his feet again with little issue. The impact, however, was not a light one. Yang could feel her arms tingle from the force of his kick. She hated to admit it, even internally, but he was stronger than she expected.

Elm sighed, "There's always one."

Penny turned to the Ace Op, "I am confused. What do you mean by there being always one?"

Elm, not used to Penny's pre-Vytal Festival look, had to take a moment before answering. "Right, well… It means that there will always be someone stronger than you. That no matter how tough you are, someone will come along and knock you down. It's just a matter of time."

Jaune was pushing her back, only to find Blake and Ruby having charged onto the bridge to support Yang. Weiss leapt over the group and landed a heavy kick into Jaune's gut.

Ruby stalled for a moment, "Wait… but how is…"

Neptune remained behind, holding up the bridge in place and supporting four ropes taught and five fully-grown bodies. He was doing this, somehow, without proper leverage or means to mitigate the force on his hands.

Elm was more impressed than anything. "How is he…?"

As he started to slide, Neptune channeled his Chi through his feet and into the ground, creating an anchor to hold his position.

Now Elm was really impressed. It was as if he had the same semblance she had!

Meanwhile, Jaune was fighting back an onslaught from four acrobatic fighters from all sides. To his credit, he was doing quite well. A block here, a parry there, and a combo to swing Weiss and Blake into one another face first. It was clear he still held control over the fight despite his disadvantage.

Yang was awestruck and amazed at what she was seeing. "Holy crap! They're fighting on a rope bridge! In a group! How the heck is that even possible?"

Port let out a quick chuckle, "Excellent teamwork and trust in Mr.s Vasilias to hold the bridge up."

Jaune swung a kick around and forced three of the four back, leaving Yang as the primary challenger. But Yang wasn't trying to beat him. She had options. She swung her arms to either side and sliced the ropes to her sides apart. She stomped on the wood beneath them and repeated the process, looping around in the air, catching the rope, and swinging around her target to tie him up. She kicked off him and into the arms of Wiess, who used the new momentum to join Ruby and Blake as they waited against the stone. As Neptune helped them up onto the cliff again, Jaune fell toward the ground on the opposite side as the bridge was lost.

As the bridge, or what's left of it, hit the stone on the other side, there was a moment of sympathetic pain in the audience. It was hard to deny that would hurt and it would be almost impossible to think he could find a way out of that.

That was, until the rope supposedly holding Jaune started to swing as the man was hidden beneath the mist below. After a moment, the rope swung around the stone and shot upward with the man supposedly tied to it having disappeared. The Five watched on as there was no sign of Jaune until he suddenly slammed down onto the stone behind them, kicking up a bit of the dirt awaiting him.

Jaune stood again and cracked his neck. "Sienna taught you well." His hands became a blur as he landed four precise hits into Neptune, Ruby, Weiss, and Blake. Each caused a pulse of Chi to immobilize their bodies and made them fall to the ground, unable to stand as their bodies became more like statues of flesh. "But she did not teach you everything."

Yang, in shock, pushed her body to try to fight back, only for her fist to be caught. Then the other. Jaune barely seemed to be trying! DAMN IT! She tried to free her hands, but his grip was too strong . His Chi was locking his muscles in place like a metal vice. Damn it! She glared into his eyes, expecting the angry monster she'd heard so much about. But those blue eyes… all they had was… pity? Was it for her? No, it felt too wistful, too abstract. He wasn't truly looking at her. Then what was he looking at?

Everyone was a little off seeing that. There was a lot of context they were missing. But a few comments snuck in.

Kali had to let out a sorrowful sigh, "I can see a fighter that has something disturbing his soul. But what could cause it?"

Qrow shook a bit. There was a part of him that recognized that look. It was a 'pained memory spurred by someone similar to who you knew' kind of look.

The scene cut out with Jaune next strike.

As everything came back to form, the canvas once again showed the Temple, though now in the central courtyard. Sienna walked through the doors, hands behind her back and Ozpin's cane resting perpendicular at the small of her back. In the absence of the Furious Five, Ozpin, Grand Master of the Temple of the Valley of Peace and the most powerful martial artist to live, had passed away.

Ozpin sighed. Having experienced more than his fair share of ways to die,, he could say that age was preferable at times. He'd died too many times in too many painful and tortuous ways for it not to be. Though, the timing thereof was unfortunate.

This was immediately followed by a training trip with the Dragon Warrior, to ensure he was ready for what was to come. Then there was the lack of her students in the Temple despite her explicit order to remain. She knew they were just stubborn enough to chase after Jaune. And if the pile of statue-like bodies just now entering the Temple grounds was anything to go by, they had. The group was held up and transported by Yang, the only one left allowed to move.

Penny's head tilted slightly, "Why allow her to take the group back? They will no doubt warn Sienna of Friend Jaune's attack. Wouldn't it be in his interest to retain the element of surprise?"

Sienna shook her head. "If it were a military operation, sure. This is a message."

Sienna rushed toward the group, "What happened?!" She already knew, though.

Yang was silent, falling to her knees with hands clenched and resting atop her legs. She couldn't bring herself to look toward her teacher.

As Sienna set about lightly striking precise points on the others, their bodies slumped and they were finally free to move again.

Neptune groaned as he sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. "He was like a force of nature…"

Their Master glared toward them, "I told you not to face him! What if one of you had died?!"

Kali smiled with a light chuckle, "Aw~ She does care."

As the four former statues hung their heads, Yang's fists tightened again. "Master Sienna… Why did he leave me to return?"

"He sent you all back to send a message to me. I'd have thought that was obvious."

"Why didn't he do worse?! He's the insane monster that tore through the Temple, right?! He'd do anything to get what he wants! So why am I still in one piece?! Why didn't he freeze my Chi like the others?!"

"Yang," Ruby walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You're overthinking this. You were just the farthest from him at the time."

"No!" Yang was having none of it, pushing Ruby's hand off and taking a step toward her Master, "Why not leave Neptune to carry everyone? He proved to have the strength by holding up the bridge with all of us on it! It wouldn't have been hard! He made us look like we haven't been training most of our lives while he's been unable to move for twenty years!"

Glynda's glasses fell a moment with that realization. "That… actually makes it all the more impressive with everything we've seen. Twenty years of muscle atrophy should ensure that wouldn't be possible, assuming he was truly immobile at all times."

Sienna recoiled for a moment, but was soon prepared to tell her student off for addressing her lie that, especially after disobeying her so blatantly.

Yang's teeth clenched as she cut off Sienna's reply, "Why… why did it look like he was looking in a mirror?"

That. That made Sienna hitch, unable for her reply to flow.

Yang's emotions finally burst as a tear formed. "Is that it then?! Why he looked like he was looking at another version of him?! Was I just… just… HIS REPLACEMENT?!" Sienna had practically raised the orphaned Yang, and said pseudo-adoptive child learned the supposed monster of a man had a similar story.

The room practically shook from the pain and anger on display.

Sienna's head hung, her eyes obscured for a moment, the sky turning grey behind her. She swung her hand around and placed Ozpin's, now her, staff against the ground. "Yang… This is neither the time, nor the place. Especially with Jaune barreling down on us soon." She turned her back to them as they picked themselves up, "Rest and prepare to evacuate the city below. When Jaune arrives, he'll no doubt make his way here for the scroll."

"What's so special about a scroll?" Penny asked, a part of her still a little confused about all this Chi talk. "Is a communication device truly so important that someone would destroy a Temple to retrieve it?"

Oobleck cleared his throat before answering her inquiry. "Brand effects and tech-obsessions notwithstanding, I believe they are talking about an actual scroll. A rolled piece of paper used in a time before the advent of what we call books. They were how humans and faunas kept records in our ancient history."

Penny blinked for a moment before nodding. "Oh! That makes much more sense."

Ruby turned to the robotic girl with an incredulous face, "Does it?"

Penny nodded. "If it is a scroll containing information, then, depending on the information, it can be quite valuable."

The scene transitions again to show the Valley as a storm rolled over the area.

Roman gave a quick chuckle, leaning back. "How did he say it, again? Oh yeah. Nature's so fucking cliche."

A strike of lightning brought the camera to the base of the steps up the mountain with Jaune waiting before them. He took a heavy step onto the first step, then the next, and so on. Each one like the beating of a drum of war. Slowly he rose up the stairs as the storm raged around him. In time, he reached the top with the large oaken doors being the last barrier between him and the place he once called home. Placing a hand on either door, he pushed them apart and had finally returned.

Within was a beautiful temple lit only by the candles and lightning outside. At the end was a tranquil pool with a giant dragon statue set into the ceiling above the water. Sitting before the pool, and between it and Jaune, was a figure in a long cloak, the same cloak Sienna would use during long travels.

Gira let out a sigh, "Seems we've reached the grand battle."

Jaune stepped inside, the doors closing behind him. As he approached, it was as though the water of the pool began to react to him. The once tranquil water began to ripple the closer he got. Once he was directly behind the figure, the water was like a localized storm, swirling and rippling around at random.

Ren had a small smile and nodded, "That's a rather good indicator of the inner torment. It's already clear the Chi in this world can affect the world around them. This is a good way to convey that."

As the figure looked down toward the water, they were about to stand and face Jaune.

"It has been too long since I've been in this room." But Jaune cut them off. "I imagine I wouldn't be welcomed by anyone here. Do you believe I could be, Dragon Warrior?"

The figure hitched.

Yang raised an eyebrow, "Wait, what?"

"I know you aren't Sienna. Your hood lays too flat. Her ears would push it upward."

The Dragon Warrior brought his palm to his face. He was about to remove the hood, having no need for it now.

"Don't." Jaune stopped him, just looking into the water. "Once our eyes meet, I doubt we'll be able to avoid what is to come. For now, let us speak as men. Not as the Dragon Warrior and the Monster who never could have been."

The figure was silent for a moment before nodding. "I can get behind that." It was now revealed to be Sun Wukong.

Sun grinned and pumped his fist in victory, "Yes! Dragon Warrior!"

Yang, whose name literally means Little Golden Dragon, was a little disappointed she wasn't the Warrior in question.

The water began to calm slightly, but it wasn't tranquil just yet.

Jaune looked up toward the statue, finding its mouth empty. "You claimed the scroll?"

"Technically." That was a can of worms to Sun, and wasn't sure telling Jaune the truth about the scroll would make things better or worse.

"I see." Jaune closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Tell me then, Dragon Warrior. What is your story? What is it that made you worthy where I wasn't?"

Sun was surprised, understandably so based on everything he heard. But he nodded. "I'm just some guy, honestly. Sun Wukong, the Dragon Warrior… That was just dropped on me. Before all of this, I was just Sun Wukong, a guy that helped his dad sell noodles in the Valley. I was a huge fan of everything Martial Arts. I knew all the crazy stuff and the moves, but I could never do them. I was just a nobody. Then, the tournament to decide the Dragon Warrior began."

"You took part?"

"Nope. I was there to sell noodles."

Winter tapped her foot on the ground, "Then how did he become this Dragon Warrior? What happened?"

Sun continued, "I was locked out, though. I was stuck outside the Temple. I wanted to watch the matches! I wanted to see history be made and who would become the Dragon Warrior. I tried everything to see what was going on, and one attempt saw me fly over the wall. I landed in front of Ozpin as he selected the Dragon Warrior. He ended up pointing at me and I was selected."

That made Weiss's eye twitch, "How does that make any sense?!"

"I tried to argue it and tell him it was just a mistake. A coincidence. But he would tell me there was no such thing. That destiny brought me to them to be selected. I didn't try to become the Dragon Warrior, but from there I did whatever I could to prove he was right. That I was worthy."

Jaune was silent a moment before he sighed. "I get it now…"

"What?"

"You told me your story. If you'll allow me, I'd like to return the favor."

Sun was silent, but nodded after a moment.

Clover's eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on what was about to be said. "This is it."

Jaune took a breath and prepared his nerves. "My story begins young. I had lost my parents to bandits in the mountains."

This got Nora, Ren, and Emerald to feel more sympathy for the alternate Jaune.

"I never knew them, really. I never knew anyone. Until Sienna found me alone in the Valley. She took me in and housed me in the Temple. Since I was there, she thought it would be best to train me. I proved to be quite talented. I took to Kung Fu like a fish to water. That was when it truly began…" His eyes became dull as he recalled these events. "She began to make promises of my destiny. That I was to be the Dragon Warrior. She would joke that if I didn't have my own name she'd have named me Tai Lung, the Great Dragon."

This got a few to turn toward Tai, due to the similarity of the name.

Jaune's fist tightened. "She would train me until my bones cracked and my muscles screamed. But she would always praise me for what I achieved. Criticize my failings. Push me to be better than I was. Then I would train harder to achieve this grand goal. My destiny. Then came the day she presented me to Master Ozpin as a candidate. He just closed his eyes, turned his head, and turned to walk away."

Mercury rolled his eyes, "Great. One of those guys. Thinks he's owed something and loses his shit because he doesn't get it." Mercury hated people like that. One lesson his father beat into him, literally, was you don't get anything handed to you because that means the person giving it to you has all the power between you.

Sun was tempted to look up toward him, but remained still given the situation. "I heard after that you went on your infamous rampage. Trying to get your hands on the scroll. Is that why? To take hold of your destiny?"

"Partly. My anger that day was on Ozpin, but also on Sienna."

"For lying to you?"

"For saying nothing. When Ozpin turned away, she didn't say so much as a word. No arguments against his decision. No 'I'm sorry for filling your head with flights of fancy.' Nothing. She just lowered her eyes, disappointed and turned away from me. Like she wasn't raising a child who trained in Kung Fu. But more like someone who just had all her hard work mean nothing."

If the other-dimensional Salem could have destroyed the armrest in her hand, it would have been powderized by her grip in anger. She'd been ostracized for her appearance resembling a Grimm and even used that to terrorize those that pushed her away; until she met the man she would fall for. Marrying an alternate version of Montesquieu, she valued her family more than anything. She'd do anything for them. Hearing about family that took advantage or the other members angered her to no end. And this story did little to alleviate her fury.

Jaune's fist released as his hand hung at this side, "I was distraught of course, but the look in her eyes hurt more than anything. I wanted to repay her for taking me in. For giving me a home. I chose to do whatever I had to in order to prove she hadn't made a mistake taking me in. I lashed out the only way I knew how. Kung Fu. I fought my way through the Temple to take the scroll, only for Ozpin to stop me."

"And now you're back for it."

"No." Jaune turned away from the water, his back now to Sun's back. "Twenty years is a long time, especially when you're alone. Everything was playing back in my mind, reminding me what I had done. I know now why you were chosen where I was not. If this had been twenty years ago, I wouldn't have told you anything I just had. I would simply have fought you to prove it. That was what made us different. You were the breeze on a sunny day, a warm and tranquil wind that embraces everyone it passes. I was a storm wind, angry and unwavering as it tried to force its way in the world."

"What are you now?"

"Still a storm. One losing its force, but always a dangerous reminder of nature's wrath."

The room fell silent, until Sun stood and turned toward Jaune, "Is that a bad thing, though?"

Weiss wanted to scoff, but then she really thought about it and what could be said. How does one spin a storm into a positive? You consider it as part of a whole.

Sun continued, "Sure, storms are dangerous, but we need them as much as the bright days. The rain, wind, and lightning… It all reminds us of what nature is truly like. Sometimes, it saves us from worse things." A reference to old warfare lessons where a storm would wash away an invading force.

Jaune turned back toward Sun, face to face with him for the first time since arriving. "You trying to sway me? Find some hope in my soul?"

Sun stepped to the side, revealing the pool had calmed, once more a tranquil surface like that of glass. "I'd say the pool knows better than I would."

Jaune blinked for a moment before chuckling. "I suppose it may."

The doors slammed open to find Sienna returning from evacuating the Valley. "Sun! We need to…" She instantly froze up seeing the man that may as well have been her son.

Kali took a tense breath. "Let's see how she plays this."

Jaune kept his back to her. "Sienna…"

Sienna, remembering what was going on, was startled back to reality. "Jaune…"

Everyone was tense, unable to say even a single word.

His hands clenched into fists again and the water started to swirl. "Twenty years… I've had something to say to you. Something I needed to get off my chest and never could. I wanted to say… Thank you for training me. Thank you for taking me in and giving me a home. I was happy then. Even if it was all for the purpose for me to become the Dragon Warrior." He finally turned around toward her. "I have no plans to remain. I came here to speak my peace. With that done, I've no reason to remain." He began to walk toward her, passing her by without another word.

"I half expected a fight." Yang was happy there wasn't one here, but still.

Raven rolled her eyes, identifying more with the Sienna of the past in this world.

Sienna's teeth clenched before a sigh fell from her. "I'm sorry."

Jaune stopped, just beyond her and before the door. A single step and he could have left without anyone able to stop him.

"I'm sorry for pushing you like I had. Making you train to become the Dragon Warrior. And… I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you after Ozpin rejected you as Dragon Warrior. I should have said something, anything, but I didn't. I understand if you can't stay, but you are… welcome here."

Everything was silent, tense, but the water was tranquil again. Jaune took a step forward and left the Temple. This was the end of one journey, but the story would continue on. One day, perhaps, this story will have a happy end. For now, however, this is where our viewing shall cease.

As everything came to an end, a few had to wipe tears from their eyes.

Raven, however, just rolled her eyes. The idea that she had to apologize for training someone to become strong? Ridiculous. However, she kept her mouth shut for now.

Harriet smirked as she sat back, "Have to say, I kind of like this. It's nice to kick back and not have to worry about anything crazy going on."

Vine nodded, "I agree. And seeing alternative worlds is rather interesting as well."

Clover glanced around, seeing the way everyone was sitting and around whom. And it seems this may just be changing the future… Maybe our world won't fall the same way it had. Maybe the future could be brighter than we've known.