"Myths!" Shade shouts, and Sun and Neptune rush past him, dancing around each other in a whirlwind of blades and gunfire, obliterating the training drones. "Outlanders!" Shade runs forwards as Neptune jumps back. Sun activates his semblance, using three spectral clones to launch a sparking Shade at the drones, who lands with an explosion of lightning, wiping out a small group. "Noble!" Viola draws her dust enhanced bow as Neptune loads a clip into his rifle. Both fire, Viola using water dust while Neptune's electric-charged rounds impact, frying the bots. "Eclipse!" Sun and Viola launch into the sky, both of their semblances activating. Viola's shadow clones and Sun's sun specters team up with the originals to overwhelm the bots. They destroy the last one soon after.
"Simulation ended." A voice says. The room brightens as the four catch their breath.
"Shoot." Viola says. "We didn't get to use all of them." Shade laughs.
"We were having too much fun to care." Sun shrugs. "I must say it Shade, you're handling being the leader far better than I did. I'll admit it." Shade laughs as he tosses the team bottles of water.
"I'm good at it I guess." The teen Scout says. Clapping is heard as Luna walks into the room. The rehab was going well for her. She couldn't run just yet, but her ability to walk had recently returned and the elder scout was overjoyed to get out of the wheelchair. The purple haired woman leans on Shade's head, or well, tries.
"Why did you have to grow." She whines. "You're growing up too fast for me kid!" Before the Dead Zone battle, Shade stood at a small 4 foot 5 inches. Now, he's well over 6 feet tall. Luna wasn't the tallest of the Vanguard, standing at 5 foot 3, so she was generally overshadowed by the tall people. Shade laughs as he gives his sister in all but blood a hug. The rest of SSSN smiles at the interaction, between the two.
"Luna! I didn't know you were watching!" The male scout exclaims. Luna laughs as he puts her down.
"That was the point kid! I wanted to see how well you fought." She says. "I'm impressed, you've only had a week to get used to each other." SSSN grins. "Now, about this girlfriend I've been hearing about?" Shade chuckles.
"You mean Blake?" The student asks. He waves to his team with the promise of meeting up later as Luna and he leave together. "What about her?" Luna smirks as she looks at him out the corner of her eye. Suddenly, Shade finds himself in a headlock courtesy of Kuroka. The Guardian gives him a noogie while Celestia walks up from the front.
"Since when are you good with girls!?" Kuroka says, as Shade's spirit leaves his body. Celestia laughs.
"She probably made a situation where he would have asked her." The Support says.
"Pretty much." Blake's voice rings from the courtyard. The girl was sitting underneath a tree waiting for Shade to finish training. Shade's spirit returns as she breaks Kuroka's chokehold and rushes forwards.
"BLAKE! MY SISTERS ARE BEING MEAN TO ME!" The male scout says. Blake huffs with amusement.
"Shade." She says. "Simmer." He blinks.
"Oh… Sorry." He says.
"Whipped." Kuroka whispers. A pencil nails her in the head.
"Oi!" Shade shouts. Luna and Celestia burst out laughing. Blake grins and she intertwines her hand with Shade's. "With that out of the way, Y'all want to help me with training RWBY today?" The vanguard look to each other.
"Ah what the hell. Let's go little bro!" Luna says.
"Oi!" Kuroka and Celestia shout, raising their fist into the air. The five make their way into the woods, and quickly arrive at the clearing. In the last few weeks it had changed. Training dummies where set up near the edge of the clearing. A small shelter was constructed in the center to provide a space outside the elements for practical training. Under the small shelter was an Iron Forge for general purposes. Out on the small collection of rock and log chairs, was the rest of team RWBY, all dressed in basic clothing. Yang was wearing a simple tank top with short-shorts. Ruby was wearing a T-shirt and cargo shorts. Weiss had abandoned trying to uphold her appearance while working out. Her hair was pulled back into a pony-tail and she was wearing a white tank top and black running shorts. Blake enters the forge to change, and returns with a purple tank top and black yoga-pants.
"Alright!" Shade shouts. "Let's get to work!" RWBY gathers at the makeshift chairs. "Kuroka, Luna, Celestia, this is team RWBY. RWBY, this is the Vanguard."
"I'm Ruby Rose! RWBY's leader!" Ruby chirps.
"Weiss Schnee, how do you do?"
"Blake Belladonna"
"And I'm Yang Xaio-Long!"
"Nice to meetcha!" Kuroka says. "I'm the Guardian Vanguard, Kuroka Night!"
"I'm the Support Vanguard, Celestia Starlight."
"And I'm the Co-Vanguard of the Scouts. Luna Starlight."
"Co-Vanguard?" Shade asks.
"We made it official, you two are both Scout Vanguards." Kuroka says. Shade blinks.
"Eh?"
Linebreak!
After Shade woke up from fainting, the elder Vanguards watched how Shade taught RWBY. The way he was able to train all at once while still giving individual attention and personal advice. The Vanguard was impressed that he was able to train a Support or Guardian as efficiently as he did.
"Alright!" Shade shouts. "Good work everyone!" Weiss and Ruby collapse into each other's arms, the two nodding off together. Yang just wipes the sweat off her head, and Blake leans up against her boyfriend. "I know I've overworked y'all, but today was a day to go all out. Rest up. The tournament starts soon, so classes will just be mainly theory until it's over. Yang nods in response. Blake falls asleep on Shade's shoulder as Yang leans against the shelter for a quick nap.
"Good work kid." Luna says, leaning on Shade's other side. Kuroka and Celestia lay down nearby and take a nap as well, their weakened state leaving them exhausted. Luna and Shade smile at the scene. "You realize it now kid?" Shade looks to her in confusion. "When you started out, you were all alone. Now, now you got friends. You got a family now kid." Shade blinks, then smiles.
"Yeah, I guess so." He says, with a soft smile while looking down at Blake. Luna smiles as he lays down on the ground next to him.
"That's why you're a Vanguard, you've got something to fight for now. Something to protect." She says. "That is why you're not my student anymore. You are my equal little brother."
"No, I still have much to learn." Shade says. "But they've taught me, my family taught me. They are teaching me. They see the world differently than you and I. That is why we must protect them." Luna chuckles as she closes her eyes.
"There ya go kid." She says, falling asleep. Shade smiles, before his eyes harden.
'I will protect them, all of them.' He thinks. 'No matter what, no matter the cost. Even if my semblance consumes my soul, I will defend them to my dying breath.