Russel lounged in his seat and watched the people of Sanctas dance.

In the wake of the victory over the Grimm and the departure of the spirits of the Old Guard the people of Sanctas had elected to hold a feast to celebrate team CRDL and Nathaniel along with Lord Cailan and his knights, as well as to memorialize Cyprus and the others who had died for them. Tables and heaps of food had been brought into the mountain and set up in the main hall, along with the locals who knew how to play music getting together to strike up an impromptu band. What they lacked in skill or cohesion they made up for in eagerness, and the tables had been moved to form a circle around the center where people danced when the mood struck them.

The head table had been reserved for Nathaniel, team CRDL, and Elder Malach.

And, of course, for Mother Vaya.

She sat resplendent at the center of the table, hands folded in Her lap as she watched Her children feast, dance, and sing. Her presence alone was enough to lift the mood of everyone in attendance by itself, and laughter flowed as freely and easily as the alcohol and the food. And there was plenty of the former. Russel nursed a bottle of beer carefully, he didn't much like the taste of alcohol, but Dove was well and truly wasted, arm in arm with several other people who were just as inebriated and singing a nonsense song that was even harder to understand since they were slurring every word.

Sky and Nathaniel were sat with the Elder a few seats down, discussing matters relating to Sanctas and what to do with the Sanctuary now that it was open. Cardin sat beside Vaya, his head down on his arms as he slept through the party and she idly stroked her fingers through his short hair. More than anyone else he'd exhausted in himself in the battle thanks to the Horn of Wrath. The toll it had taken on him had been considerable. Not only did it drain him to use it, he'd badly damaged his vocal cords near the end of the battle. While his aura had kicked in to repair the damage once it had recovered, his voice would never be the same.

"Oi. Why the long face?"

Russel started and looked to his right. Deargis had slipped into the vacant beside him, idly spinning an empty bottle on the table and resting her chin on her other hand. Her tail swished back and forth behind her as she watched the dancers.

"Oh! Uh, hey Deargis." He cleared his throat awkwardly and leaned back in his seat while crossing his arms over his chest, trying to exude an air of confidence he didn't feel when he was around her. "Just, you know, chillin'. These parties aren't really my style."

"Oh, so tae city boy is too good for us country bumpkins, is he?"

"N-no!" Russel darted upright. "I didn't mean it like that, it's just... uh..."

Deargis laughed.

Russel hadn't heard her laugh before. It wasn't an angelic or pristine sound. It started as a snort and ended in a guffaw as she leaned back in her chair, head titled back. "Ahm just teasin' ya boyo. No need tah get worked up." She lightly punched his arm. "Honestly, ahm not much for these kind of things either." She looked at the bottle she was spinning. "Free beer is always nice though. Ye want another one?"

"Uh, s-sure." He cleared his throat and took a swig of his (now lukewarm) beer and tried not to pull a face with limited success. "I'd love another one! Crack open a cold one with the boys, right?"

Deargis laughed and shook her head. "Ye try to hard Russel. You can say no, it's fine. No one's going tah think less o' ye for not liking beer."

He slumped in his seat with a sigh. "Thanks. You can go get one for yourself though. Don't let me stop you."

"Nah, Ah've had enough, ah think. Enough tah be a little fuzzy, but ah ain't drunk."

"Have you ever been drunk?"

"A couple o' times, sure." She shrugged. "Ah don't recommend it. Have enough tah get buzzed, and leave it at that."

Russel looked across the vast space at Dove. "He seems to be alright," the punk laughed.

"Oh for now, sure. But just ye wait until he wakes up tomorrow feelin' like a nail was driven in his skull. He won't be so happy then ah think." Deargis laughed again.

Russel smiled. "He can be a bit of a doofus, yeah. He's been like that for as long as I've known him."

"How long is that, then?"

"Pretty much all our lives. Sky, Dove, and myself were all orphaned when we were three. Grimm attack on our village. Cardin's dad adopted us a few years later and we grew up with him."

"What's he like? His father, that is."

Russel smiled softly and stared off in the distance. "He was great. He ran a charity to help the faunus population of the Vale, and he did a lot of good before he died. He did his best to teach us how to be good men before, well..."

"Oh," Deargis said softly as she put the pieces together. "Ahm sorry. Ah didn't know."

"Eh, it's fine." He waved his hand dismissively. "It was years ago, and I don't imagine you get a lot of news out here."

"Nay, we don't. We trade with nearby villages for things we cannae make ourselves. Ammo, dust, modern appliances. Things like that. That's how we get our news of the wider world too, though the sources ain't always wholly accurate. Shop keeps and traveling merchants like their gossip."

He nodded, not sure what to say, and the two fell into an awkward silence. Eventually Deargis broke it.

"Can I ask ye something?"

"Shoot."

"Why are ye and yer teammates uncomfortable around faunus?"

Russel flinched. "What?"

"Ah've noticed how you acted around us all at first. Ye weren't rude. Well, mostly, but you were clearly uncomfortable at first."

"It's... complicated."

The fox faunus smiled at him. "Ah like complicated."

"Ever heard of the White Fang?"

"A bit, aye. A faunus rights group that turned violent, right?"

Russel nodded, his throat a bit tighter. "Right. Remember how I mentioned that Cardin's dad, our dad, ran a faunus charity?"

"I do..." Deargis said softly, the expression on her face saying that she was starting to realize where the conversation was going.

"Some White Fang fire bombed the venue. Dad died getting people out. This was before they'd really turned bad, and the their leaders denied that it was sanctioned by them, but... yeah." He raked his fingers through his mohawk and let out a breath. "Yeah..." He hadn't really talked about it in years. He, his brothers, they'd just avoided bringing it up in the past. Their grandad hadn't though. For Martin Winchester, it had been the point he'd gone from an activist for faunus rights to an activist for their suppression. Some days it was hard for Russel to remember the kind and generous man he'd once been.

"It uh... really stuck with us. Didn't help matters when mom died. We got angry. Bitter. We started treating every faunus like they were the enemy, like they were out to get us. So we got them first. I'm not defending how we acted, and I'm not proud of it. It was wrong of us to lump them all, you all, into the same category. We're just... trying to be people that our parents would be proud of."

Silence fell between the two of them even as the revelry continued.

Deargis shifted her chair a bit closer to him. "When I first met ye, I hated ye. All of ye. Even after the Elder vouched for ye, I didn't trust a one of ye. It wasn't because you were humans. It was because ye were outsiders. Ye weren't us." She sighed. "We were all raised to believe in the Mother and told that one day our isolation would end. That her chosen would open the mountain and bring us back into the wider world. But ah didn't want it tah happen in my lifetime. I liked the quiet and the isolation. Our own little slice o' the world, where we weren't troubled by everything beyond our borders. It was... safe."

Russel nodded understandingly. "And then we showed up and brought an end to that."

"Aye, ye did. But that's not yer fault. You couldn't have known what your arrival would mean for us. And even we couldn't have expected the Grimm tah attack like that."

"But ye fought for us. Ye didn't hesitate tah go out there and face down the Grimm tah protect us."

Russel shifted in his seat, unsure of what to say. "Well... it's what we're supposed to do. Whether we're huntsmen or knights, we have a duty to protect people."

"Is that the only reason ye do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Surely there's something more ye want, aye? More than just fighting Grimm."

Russel frowned and looked out at the dancers. "I guess so. I haven't really thought about it though. Fighting Grimm is... well, not easy, but it's simple. You do your job, and if you do it well then people get to live another day, and so do you. Don't do it well, and..." he shrugged. "It's probably not gonna be your problem for long."

"But, outside of that..." he chewed his lip thoughtfully. "I'd like to go snowboarding."

"Snow.. boarding?" She tilted her head. "Haven't heard o' that before."

Russel perked up. "Really? Well, I guess that makes sense. Snowboarding is this sport popular in Atlas. Do you...?"

"Aye, we know about Atlas." She smirked, resting her head in her hand as she stared at him. Her eyes were remarkably blue. "We aren't that backwards."

He blushed. "Right, sorry."

She waved her hand at him, fox tail swaying back and forth lazily behind her. "Go on. Tell me about this snow boarding."

He cleared his throat. "R-right. So, Snowboarding is where you take a, uh... board, and you..."

Russel wasn't sure how long he and Deargis talked during the party. But he learned more about her than he thought there was to know, and he shared more about himself than he thought there was to share.

Russel had found Deargis attractive pretty much from the moment he'd met her properly, after she and her scouts had brought the five of them into Sanctas. She'd been... abrasive, which probably said something about his preferences, but there had been something about her that he'd been drawn to. As they talked, Russel realized what that thing was.

Deargis was passionate. She was stubborn and opinionated, to the point of belligerence even, but she was fiery and driven, and she loved her home. Her whole life had focused on Sanctas, and the rest of the world may as well have been another world for all it had impacted her. Until team CRDL and Nathaniel had found them.

"A-and then," she wheezed as Russel heaved for air from laughing so hard at one of Deargis's many tales, "Wicker gets up on the rock, buck arse naked, and lifts the branch over her head. Aye dinnae know what she was going tah say, because she slipped and tumbled back into the river! Landed right on top o' Rusty!"

Russel wiped tears of mirth from his eyes, trying to gather himself to talk. "I-I bet," he giggled, "I bet he liked that."

"Oh, normally ye'd be right," she cackled. "But when she landed on him his legs slipped out from under him! Poor bastard did a split!"

Russel hunched over and thumped his fist on the table, wheezing for air as he howled. By itself the story wasn't that funny, but something about how Deargis delivered it combined with how long they'd been talking and how many stories they'd been sharing until now had left him easy to entertain. "That's awful!"

"I know," she giggled, panting to catch her breath. "That's why it's so funny!"

They burst into hysterics again, not even realizing they were leaning against one another for support.

"Guuuuuys," a voice groaned. Russel looked over and saw Dove in a chair a bit further down the table with his head resting on his arms. His eyes were screwed shut, a pained expression on his face. "Too loud... shaddup..."

"Sorry," Russel panted, wiping his eyes clear again. "What time is it, anyway?" He took his scroll out and checked it. "Oh wow, it's past three in the morning." He showed the time to Deargis, who looked just as surprised.

"Seriously? Dinnae feel like it." She smiled at him. "Ye are a better conversationalist than ah took ye for."

Russel blushed, grinning. "Likewise." Despite the time, he didn't feel tired. Maybe he was still coming down from his giddy high, but he felt wide awake. "I didn't even realize the party was over." He scanned the room. Most people were gone. Nathaniel, Sky, and Cardin had vanished, as had Mother and Elder Malach, but there were a couple people, likely passed out drunk, sitting at or laying on or under the tables, sleeping.

He cleared his throat, not wanting to say the words but knowing they needed to be said. "I uh... guess we should call it a night."

Deargis blinked. "Why?"

He blinked back, confused by the question. "Well, it's late."

"Are ye tired?"

"No, not really."

She stared at him for a few moments, tail swishing back and forth hypnotically, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Are ye tired o' me?"

Russel mouth went dry. "Definitely not," he admitted.

Deargis continued to stare at him. Then she nodded as though coming to a decision, and placed her hand on his arm, stroking her fingers down his forearm. "Well, ahm not tired o' ye either. So, if you want tah keep talking... we can go back tah mah place."

Russel's heart nearly burst out of his chest.

"Sure," he managed to squeak out, wondering if this was actually happening.

Jaune regarded the broken barbell before him thoughtfully.

Huntsmen and huntresses had to be at peak performance. Your body as was much your weapon as your actual weapons, and some made their bodies their primary weapon. Training equipment for huntsmen and huntresses had to be better quality than you'd get in the average gym, or even what professional athletes used. As a result, the training equipment in Beacon could handle a lot more stress and weight than what you'd find elsewhere.

And he'd packed enough weight on the barbell to make it shear in two in the middle of his second set. The split ends had slammed to the ground, cracking the floor underneath the bench he'd been laying on.

Jaune frowned and looked at the weights he'd stacked on the ends of the bar, running the math in his head to figure out just how much he'd been benching. In truth, he'd barely been paying attention to the actual amount of weight he'd been pushing. He'd come to the gym to clear his head after last night.

But even here he was reminded just how much had changed in such a short time. It was hard not to, when you yourself were the reminder.

"Half a ton," he muttered. And he hadn't even maxed out. He'd just finally hit a weight threshold that was making him try at least a bit.

The Champion held his hands up in front of his face, watching muscles tense under flesh as he clenched them into fists. Fists strong enough to crush stone, and durable enough to dent steel without bruising.

And yet his new found strength hadn't resulted in him accidentally breaking something or hurting someone. It was as though his body innately regulated his output of power, making sure his enhanced might was held in control until he was ready to unleash it. How strong was he really? How much damage could he do with his bare fists? Could he break a brick wall, or crumple steel between his hands?

Could he kill a man with a single punch? Hit him so hard his ribcage shattered and his heart exploded in his body, or obliterable his head with one fist?

And this was before he'd gotten back into his regular training regimen. This was simply his strength post Ascension. How much stronger would he be once he started training again? How much harder would he have to push himself just to start seeing progress? His old regimen definitely wouldn't cut it anymore.

Jaune sat down on the bench with a sigh, raking fingers through his hair. The Knight hadn't slept the night before. He'd waited with Talon for something, anything, to happen. Weiss and Ruby had waited with them, his girlfriend curled up in his arms as Ruby had rested on top of Talon, idly scratching under his mane.

Nothing happened. There was no flash of light, or sudden revelation, or... anything. Except for the sudden emergence of that presence, Of Cailan upon the world once more, nothing else had happened.

At least nothing that any of them could perceive. Jaune was certain that Cailan returning even briefly had to have been the result of something major. And whatever that was, Nathaniel and Team CRDL had been right in the middle of it. Once they returned, Talon would be getting some sorely needed answers.

Eventually the presence of Cailan had vanished. What exactly that meant, Jaune couldn't be sure, but it had sent Talon into a deep depression. Jaune had tried to talk to him, to rouse him, but the Gryphon hadn't responded. He couldn't even reach his Gryphon through their mental link. It was like Talon had put up a wall between them.

Weiss had convinced him to step back and give Talon some time and space. Reluctantly Jaune had agreed, and left Talon with one last hug before leaving the roof top with the two girls. By that time it was getting into the early morning, with the horizon just beginning to lighten as the sun began its slow ascent. Weiss and Ruby had returned to their dorm to get a bit more sleep, with a promise that they would discuss this with their teammates in the morning.

Jaune however hadn't been tired. Despite only getting a few scant hours of sleep he felt perfectly awake. Maybe it was because he'd gotten more than enough sleep while in the hospital, but more likely than not this was another effect of Ascension. Whatever the case, Jaune had decided to hit the gym instead and clear his head with some good old fashioned weight lifting.

Which put him where he was now, contemplating the raw power he wielded.

"You broke it," a calm voice said behind him, as though he were bringing up the weather.

Jaune started and turned. Standing behind him was a tall and broadly built young man, his hands interlaced over his stomach. Yatsuhashi Daichi gave him a courteous nod. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Jaune returned as he stood up and offered a hand, which was taken and shaken firmly. "It's Yatsuhashi, right?" They'd passed each other in the hallway from time to time, but never spoken before.

The Champion realized that he now stood eye to eye with someone who had towered over even him not so long ago.

"That is correct," Yatsu replied as he released the handshake. "And you are Jaune Arc, of course."

Jaune smiled. "That's me. Sorry if you wanted to use the bench. I didn't mean to... you know, break it."

Yatsu smiled. "Few people intend to break anything. And yet, sometimes we cannot help but do so."

The blonde boy blinked, taken off guard. "I... guess so."

"I noticed that you have grown much stronger since last you were here. If I may be so bold, I would like to show you something."

"Sure," Jaune said slowly, not expecting the normally taciturn second year to be so open. "Lead the way."

Yatsu walked to the far end of the gym to a set of double doors. Written on the doors in bold red words was 'High Intensity Training Quarters. Authorized Personnel Only. Guests Must Be Accompanied at All Times.'

Jaune had noticed the door every time he came to the gym, but had never gone past its threshold. He'd seen several older students come in and out, usually the bigger ones like Yatsuhashi, and always wondered what was on the other side. None of the first years had access to this part of the gym, not even Yang and Pyrrha.

Yatsu held his scroll up to the scanner beside the door. The light changed from red to green and the doors unlocked with a 'clunk'. He gestured for Jaune to go on ahead, and the younger man did, pushing open the door and holding it as his senior came in behind him.

When they were both in Jaune pushed the door shut and looked around.

At first glance, the room looked no different from the one he'd just been in. Exercise machines were scattered about, with weights on racks waiting to be used. "What's so high intensity about this?"

Yatsu walked over to a rack of weights and grabbed one. "Catch," he said, and tossed it at Jaune.

He caught it in both hands, braced. It still knocked him back a step, heavier than he was expecting. Curious, he checked the number on the weight. One hundred pounds.

Jaune frowned and flipped it over, inspecting it. It was a bit larger than a forty five pound weight, which is what he'd initially thought it was, and wider too, but not so much so that it looked like it should be over double the weight.

"Tungsten," the second year explained as he grabbed another weight of the same size and slid it onto a barbell. "Allows the weight to be much heavier without having to be much larger. Could you slide that one onto the other side, please? And stack three more on that end."

Jaune did as asked. "Is the bar tungsten too?"

"Indeed. Would you spot me, when the weight is in place?"

"Sure." He got in place behind the bar at Yatshuashi grabbed it and lifted it from the rack, counting out each rep as he went through a set.

On the tenth, the bar slipped from his fingers.

Jaune's hands snapped out and grabbed the bar inches from the second year's head. The Champion set the bar in its rack and let out a breath. "You alright?"

"I'm okay," Yatsu assured him as he sat up. He didn't even seem a bit shaken after having several hundred pounds almost land right on his head.

Jaune's eyes narrowed. "You did that on purpose."

Yatsu smiled and nodded in confirmation. "I was confident you would catch it. As I thought, you are incredibly strong. There's a reason most students aren't permitted in here. You have to prove to the faculty that you can handle the kind of strain you can put on your body in this place."

"If I hadn't caught the bar your head would have been crushed!"

"I had my aura activated, and was prepared to grab it if you missed. I assure you, the risk I took was calculated."

Jaune sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "If you say so. If only the faculty can allow people in here, why did you let me in?"

"You overpowered that titanic grimm at the Breach. I doubt anyone could claim you are not strong enough for this."

"Fair enough," he shrugged. "But I never took you for the type to break the rules."

"Coco has a tendency to rub off on people," the second year chuckled. "Unfortunately the same could not be said for others impressing upon her."

"Sounds like Nora," Jaune laughed. "Spot me on my set?"

"Of course."

Yatsu wiped the bench and bar down and Jaune slid three more of the same weights on either side of the bar. The bar lifted from the rack and Jaune set about cranking out a set of ten reps. At the end he set the bar down and let out a breath. It had definitely been more of a challenge, but...

"Not enough?" Yatsu guessed.

"No," Jaune admitted as he sat up. "Its definitely a step in the right direction though."

"Hm..." the second year rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I know someone who may be interested in this."

"Who?" Jaune asked carefully. He had a feeling he knew the answer already.

Weiss picked at her food idly, glancing at the cafeteria door.

Jaune hadn't gone back to bed last night. When the rest of team JNPR had joined team RWBY at breakfast they'd said Jaune hadn't been in his bed. He could have woken up early, but more likely than not he had never gone back to sleep in the first place.

Should she call him? Or maybe just text? Whatever had happened last night had been profound for him, more so than for herself or Ruby. Even Amare didn't know Cailan except through stories, as she had been made after he died. For him to return, even briefly...

Weiss had felt the sheer strength of his power through her bond with Amare. It had been overwhelming, like the sun had come down from the heavens and perched itself on Remnant. It was intimidating to think that Jaune would someday be that strong.

It was terrifying to think that such power still hadn't been enough to kill Salem. What exactly were they up against? Could she ever become strong enough to face a power like that? Weiss didn't think so. She knew she was strong, much stronger than she had ever thought she'd be thanks to Amare, but that...

That kind of power was only for gods.

And gods didn't have grapes flicked at them by their teammates.

"Ah!" Weiss flinched and rubbed the tip of her nose, glaring at Yang. "What was that for?"

"I've called your name like three times Weiss Cream," Yang said deadpan. The blonde popped another grape in her mouth and held up her scroll. "You should see what Coco posted on Squeaker."

"Ugh," Weiss rolled her eyes. "Yang, I'm not in the mood for one of Coco's fashion critiques."

"It's about Jaune~" Yang sang with a smug grin.

"Give me that!" Weiss snatched the scroll from Yang's hands. She hit play on the video before she even took in the scene.

"Alright Fox," Coco said, "are you recording?"

"Yes Coco," Fox replied flatly as he pointed the camera at the bench. "I, the blind team member, have the camera rolling and am definitely the correct choice for this. Remind me why exactly I have to hold the camera?"

"Because Yatsu has to spot for Jauney boy, and Vel and I are closest in weight to each other. So that leaves you with the camera. Just keep it pointed this direction and you'll be fine. Its not like we're gonna be moving around the gym."

"You know," Jaune said idly as he curled and uncurled his fingers on the bar. "You two don't have to sit on the weights. You could just... watch?"

Coco Adel smirked and looked down at him over the rim of her sunglasses. "Come on, Jaune. Most of the guys at Beacon would kill for a chance like this. Live a little!"

"Aren't you a lesbian?" He asked, confused. "Why would you care what guys do and do not want?"

"Hey, I know what I got. Besides, you think I wouldn't want to bench press a couple pretty girls myself?"

"Fair enough, I suppose."

Coco and Velvet were sitting on opposite ends of the barbell, sitting on the weights stacked on either end. Yatsu had, as Jaune had feared, called in his teammates to witness his strength. Coco, the leader of team CFVY, had immediately decided to set up what she had called a test by challenging him to bench press not just the weight on the bar, but herself and Velvet as well.

Jaune had protested that the latter wasn't necessary, but Coco wasn't one to take no for an answer when her mind was set on something. And for whatever reason she wanted Jaune to bench press herself and Velvet, and have it be recorded.

"And you're recording this... why?"

"Cause it's gonna do mad numbers on Squeaker." She lent down and smacked his bare shoulder lightly. "Come on hero boy, flex a little! You deserve to show off some! Now, are you gonna keep complaining, or are you going to pump some iron?"

"Technically he'd be pumping tungsten," Yatsu pointed out.

"Figure of speech, big guy."

Jaune looked over at Velvet, silently pleading for help. The rabbit faunus smiled and shrugged at him. "The sooner you do it, the sooner she'll leave you alone. Sorry Jaune."

The Champion sighed and laid back on the bench. "Alright, then." He gripped the bar. "You two hold on."

He squared his shoulders, took in a breath, and lifted the bar from the rack.

And started pumping tungsten.

Weiss stared slack jawed as Jaune cranked out ten reps at well over fifteen hundred pounds on Yang's scroll, then did ten more.

"Holy..."

"Shit," Yang finished for her. "Vomit Boy got strong. What were you doing to him in that hospital?"

Weiss smacked her arm, blushing. "Hush! That wasn't... I didn't have anything to do with this."

"It's the Ascension," Amare chimed in helpfully. "If I had to guess he's in the final stages of it."

"When was this uploaded?" Ruby asked. Weiss jumped and looked over her shoulder at the younger girl. She hadn't noticed her or Blake watching behind them. Pyrrha and Ren were clustered around Nora and watching the same thing on her scroll.

"About twenty minutes ago. There's more videos too, keep watching."

Jaune set the bar back down. "Satisfied?" He asked Coco, hoping the answer was yes.

"Not bad, Jauney boy." Coco smirked and peered at him over the rim of her shades. "Bet you can't squat Vel and I with even more weight."

"Let's go with 'no, I can't,'" Jaune said dryly. In truth he had a feeling he could, but he didn't want to be doing this all day.

"Come on Jaune, give it a try. After all," she leaned forward. "You owe me."

"I do?" he asked, confused. He couldn't recall Coco ever having done a favor for him.

"Oh, yeah." She placed a hand on his chest and grabbed his shirt collar in a vice grip. "You ruined a brand new pair of shoes and a matching sets of pants Mr. 'I'm going to fly over top of Beacon while I have airsickness.'"

Oh. Oh. Uh oh.

"That was you?" he squeaked.

"Mhm." Her smile was a bit too rigged to be real. "So, you are going to lift heavy things and set them down with myself and Vel balancing on them, and I am going to upload the videos on Squeaker because you are the number one hot topic, and people are going to eat it up. Capiche?"

Well... he supposed he did owe her...

"Russel!" Sky called out as he, Cardin, and Dove walked through Sanctas, looking for the fourth member of their team.

Well, Sky and Cardin were walking. Dove was stumbling along and nursing the mother of all hangovers. Every time Sky shouted, he flinched and clutched his forehead.

Sky had warned him not to drink so much, so he had no one but himself to blame. He could sleep it off on the ride out of town.

It was strange to be leaving Sanctas finally. They'd been gone from Beacon for over a month, and only spent a couple weeks in the village, but it had felt longer.

Not so long ago, Sky would have never thought he'd enjoy staying in a village full of faunus. Now, he didn't want to leave. The others were eager to get back, and Sky would be happy to see Beacon again, but he'd fallen in love with Sanctas and its separation from the wider world.

He was too young to be contemplating his retirement, but maybe when the fate of the world wasn't on the line he could make a home here. A little house with a rocking chair beside the fire where he could sit and read while Sapphire curled up before the fire and napped.

Yeah, that sounded nice.

Now if only they could figure out where the hell Russel was. He'd vanished after the party last night, and no one knew where he'd went. Wherever he was, and whatever he was doing, Sky was sure he was getting in trouble as was usually the case.

"Russel!" He called out again, hands cupped around his mouth. "Come on man, we have to go!"

A door ahead slammed open. Russel stumbled out, hastily fastening his belt. "Coming! I'm coming!" He paused, eyes meeting that of his brothers'. "Uh... mornin'."

Sky blinked, nonplussed. "What were you doing in that house?"

Wait, that house was-

A lithe arm reached out and wrapped around Russel's waist. Deargis's head poked out around the open door. Her hair was a tousled mess, and her eyes were tired. Despite that there was an air of immense satisfaction about her. "Could ye give him, maybe... twenty minutes?"

Sky's jaw dropped. "Uuuuh... sure?"

"Thanks boyos. C'mere lover boy." She pulled him back inside.

"See you soon!" Russel said hastily before yanking the door shut.

"I must still be drunk," Dove grumbled as he rubbed his eyes. "Cause I could have sworn I just saw Russel with Deargis."

"Unfortunately, I saw it too," Cardin rasped. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Grandpa is going to lose his mind when he learns about this."

"He doesn't have to know, Cardin," Sky pointed out. They started walking towards the main gates.

"I guess," their team leader grunted. "But when have you known Russel to keep a secret?"

"Fair," Sky admitted. Well, maybe it was time Grandpa got his world shaken up some.

Nathaniel shook Elder Malach's hand and gave the old man a smile, though he couldn't see it. "Thank you again for all the help you and your people have provided to us, Elder."

Malach smiled kindly. "No, thank you and your squires for all you did for us. Sanctas still stands because of you, and we will never forget that. It is just a shame that you must leave us so soon after your great victory."

"We'll be back," Nathaniel promised. "This place... this is where the rebirth of the Order of Light truly begins. There is much work to be done, and we will need the Sanctuary and its facilities. Once Beacon has concluded its school year, we will return, and bring the Champion with us."

"I eagerly await the chance to meet Vaya's most favored." Malach hummed thoughtfully and tilted his head. "Where are the young men, anyway?"

"Looking for Russel," Nathaniel sighed. "He went off somewhere in the night during the party. Once they have him we'll be ready to set out."

"Well, it's no hurry. We're still waiting for Deargis as well."

After the battle of Sanctas the village was in need of supplies, particularly ammunition. So a convoy had been prepared to make a run to the closest village, Plum's Row. It was just within range of the CCT network, and had a public terminal as well as docking stations to finally charge their scrolls, so Nathaniel would be able to get in contact with Headmaster Ozpin and get them a ride home. With luck, they would be back at Beacon by tomorrow.

"You are prepared to have the Champion undergo the Vigil?"

"I am," Nathaniel said. By now, Jaune should have been fully healed and, if his suspicions were correct, at or near the end of Ascension. A feat like challenging and defeating the Dark Champion was certainly worthy of it.

Still, he worried. The Vigil wasn't easy. As the final test of one's worthiness, it was literally life or death. Jaune was as ready as he could be, but the histories of the Order were full of squires who had earned their knighthood posthumously after failing. The Order permitted even those who died in the Vigil to be named Knight. Only those who let fear overtake them and put their own life before their duty would be denied that honor.

"Sir Nathaniel!"

the Knight was stirred from his thoughts by Sky's voice. He and two of his brothers approached Nathaniel, without Russel.

"Couldn't find him?"

"No, no. We uh..." Sky shook his head with a sigh. "We found him alright. He'll be along shortly."

"Something tells me I don't want to know what state you found him in," Nathaniel said dryly. "The convoy is finishing preparations, so he'd best be along soon." Nathaniel had his bags as well as the boys' already squared away on the lead truck. Their armor was stowed securely, though Nathaniel still wore his out of habit. Thanks to Cailan and what the people of Sanctas were already calling the Old Guard the area around Sanctas for many miles was clear of Grimm, and with how many of the creatures had been drawn to the village by Salem, it was likely that whole swathes of surrounding territory were either mostly clear of Grimm or even completely devoid of them. "I don't suppose you saw Deargis while searching for your brother?"

Dove chuckled, then groaned and leaned against the nearest truck, resting his aching head against the cold shell of the vehicle. Cardin cleared his throat awkwardly, a sound like crunching gravel with how ravaged his vocals were now, and looked away. Realizing neither of them would be any help, Sky rolled his eyes. "Well..."

"Oi! Hope ye weren't leavin' without us!"

Nathaniel looked over to see both Russel and Deargis rushing up, the scout leader carrying her bag over her shoulder. Both of them looked tousled, like they'd dressed quickly. Russel's low cut shirt was half tucked and askew, while Deargis had one sock riding lower than the other and was hastily fastening the buttons of her jacket.

They almost looked like they had just...

Oh dear Lady.

Nathaniel looked at Sky. "Seriously?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "Well, it was a party..."

Nathaniel felt the urge to verbally berate Russel build up in him, as his own father would have done to him for such a display as a young man, but... he pushed the thought away. Russel was young, and with how close he and Deargis were walking together, practically hip to hip, it was clearly not just a one night thing. Dressing him down, especially in public, would have been unfair.

And hypocritical, considering how Nathaniel had let Glynda drag him into her bedroom the night of the Vytal Ball.

"You two are just in time," Malach said. The old man shook his head with a knowing smile.

"You knew?" Nathaniel asked. "About them?"

"I suspected when neither could be found. Did you not know your squire had feelings for her? I thought it clear."

"I've been told I have trouble picking up on... hints."

"Hm. One of the benefits of being blind, perhaps." Malach tapped Nathaniel's armored shin with his staff. "I must be off. There is much work to do now that the mountain is open, and I must oversee it. Go with the Lady's blessing, Sir Knight. May we meet again soon."

Nathaniel thumped a gauntleted fist against his breastplate. "Go with the Lady's Blessing, good Seer. We will meet again."

With that Malach shuffled off, humming a song under his breath. Nathaniel watched him go, a fond smile on his face. The old man had been a patient and wise teacher. Nathaniel had greatly enjoyed talking with him well into the knight, sharing the histories they had learned and engaging in philosophical quandaries with no true answer.

"Are we ready to go?" Nathaniel asked the others.

"Ready!" Deargis chirped. She leapt up into the back of the front truck and offered Russel a hand, which he took. The two of them settled in near the front, side by side. Nathaniel smiled and climbed in, followed by Sky and Cardin, who had to work together to get Dove in. As soon as he was aboard Dove laid down, curled up, and fell asleep. The gryphon cubs nimbly leapt into the bed and curled up with their riders, chirping and squawking eagerly. Nathaniel chuckled as Ferrum snuggled up in the crook of his arm, looking up fondly at the grizzled veteran. Nathaniel scratched him under the chin gently, earning a happy purr.

The team leader shucked his jacket, acquired in Sanctas, and slipped it under Dove's head as a makeshift pillow. The hungover squire mumbled something intelligible. Pyrite sniffed Dove's mouth, curious why he was so sleepy. She recoiled and gagged, shaking her entire body from beak to tail before laying down against his stomach.

When everyone was aboard the convoy of three trucks set off out of Sanctas for Plum's Row. The going was easy. As suspected, the Grimm were completely absent from the area. Despite that Nathaniel still kept an eye out, just in case.

A couple hours into the trip Sky cleared his throat. "So Russel, Deargis, are you two... you know, together?"

"Wot?" Deargis squawked. "Me an' him?" She threw an arm around Russel's shoulder and kissed his cheek. "We damn well better be, lover boy."

Russel blushed and grinned widely. "Y-yeah, I guess we are."

"And the fact that you're going to be apart for at least a few months isn't an issue?"

"Um..." Russel looked at Deargis. "Is it?"

Deargis chewed her lip thoughtfully. Clearly she hadn't considered that. "We'll make it work. Sanctas sends supply runs like this tah Plum's Row every couple o' weeks tah stock up on certain goods, so we can catch up when ah get there. Right?"

"Yeah!" Russel said eagerly, then cleared his throat. "I mean, yeah totally uh... babe?"

Deargis smiled and smacked his shoulder lightly. "Just dinnae call me a 'foxy minx' and yew'll be fine lover boy."

"Someone's done that?" Cardin grunted, keeping Amaranth occupied by poking at her from one side, then the other.

"Mhm." She smirked. "Only once, though."

"Russel, you know Grandad's not going to be happy about this," Sky reminded him

Russel scowled at his brother. "Let him be pissed. This is my choice, and there's nothing he can do about it." Celodon whined, sensing his aggravation. Russel stroked a hand down her back to ease her nerves.

"Easy," Sky held his hands up. "I'm with you on this, just... maybe we wait to tell him when things are less hectic. With the Vytal festival in town he's going to be up to his elbows in work."

"Shit," Cardin groaned. "I forgot about the Vytal festival. We're lucky we haven't missed it entirely. We need to train for the tournament."

"We basically have been," Russel laughed. "Or did facing off with an entire army of Grimm not count?"

It was a fair argument. They'd battled every step of the way to Sanctas, and then had the biggest fight of their life there. There was no doubting they had improved in leaps and bounds in a fairly short span of time.

"You think Jaune's going to be ready for the tournament?" Sky asked. He'd taken a hell of a beating at the Breach.

"Absolutely," Nathaniel replied. "He'll be near the end of Ascension by now. By the time the tournament begins he'll be at his absolute best, and sporting a brand new suit of armor too."

"This is the fellow ye told me about before, aye Russel? The Champion?"

"Mhm!" Russel grinned. "He's a good guy. Gave us a second chance despite us, uh..."

"Being complete assholes," Cardin finished, looking embarrassed.

"Don't cuss in front of the kids..." Dove grumbled, eyes still closed.

"How long have you been awake?" Cardin asked, surprised.

"Dunno. Too long. Keep hoping I go back to sleep until my head stops pounding..."

"Have we learned a valuable lesson, Dove?" Nathaniel asked pointedly.

"Uh-huh. Don't drink on an empty stomach."

"Well that's... not incorrect. But also drink in moderation."

"Never drinking again," Dove groaned. "Never ever..."

The looks the rest of team CRDL shared told Nathaniel just how likely that was.

Jaune lifted heavy things and set them down, just like Coco wanted. Squats, deadlifts, curls, the works. In all fairness, it was a good work out that left him sweating and breathing hard by the time he was finished. It was also embarrassing to know that all of this was being recorded and uploaded online. And the while Coco and Velvet balanced on the weights while he did it, with CFVY's team leader calling out the count. At one point she had Jaune hold Velvet up in the air with one hand, then did the same with both Velvet and herself balancing on his palms, arms stretched out over his head.

The videos, broken up into shorter uploads rather than one long continuous shot, immediately raked in views and reactions just as Coco had predicted. In less than an hour the video of his bench press alone had over ten thousand views and a couple thousand comments, with more steadily flowing in. Many of the comments on the videos focused on his strength, either singing his praise or doubting the veracity of the video. Other comments however focused on Velvet and Coco, and some of those were... weird.

"What is it with people and feet?" Jaune wondered aloud, eyebrow raised as Coco held her scroll up to him as she scrolled through the comments.

"Beats me," she said with an indifferent shrug.

"It doesn't gross you out that 'Mr. SixtyNiner' is publicly begging to see yours and Velvet's toes?"

"Coco!" Velvet's empty water bottle bounced off the team leader's head, who took it in stride.

"It's the internet, hero. There's weirdos abound, and no amount of censoring will get 'em all. May as well roll with it and ignore the worst of them. Besides, look at this! People are eating you up! You should start uploading yourself, you'd have a following in no time."

"Er, no thanks. I don't even have an account."

Coco looked to the heavens as though praying. "Ugh, you're squandering your potential. Look, like it or not you're a sensation Jauney boy. The sensation. Huntresses and Huntsmen are all minor celebrities in their own right, but you're something else entirely. The people want to know more about you, they want to see you! They want to know what you think and why. They want to know your view on things like politics and current events so they can either cling to your beliefs and make them their own, or so they can dissect and misinterpret everything you say to farm rage bait."

"Coco, you're almost making it sound like I have a cult."

"Don't you?"

A shiver ran up Jaune's back at the idea. "That seems like a nightmare."

The brunette shrugged and put her phone away. "It's the truth. Most people formulate their personal beliefs based off of what they see online, and what the people around them think. You're a hot commodity, and everyone wants to know what you're up to. Your little date with Nikos basically nuked the online space. Whole forums descended into anarchy in a matter of minutes. Some people think you two were made for each other. Others are dragging Pyrrha through the mud for 'stealing' you from Weiss." Coco smirked. "I've even seen some people claiming you've got a harem of hot beacon babes all to yourself."

"Ew. Ew! No, why would they- ugh," he groaned and rubbed his face. "That's stupid."

"People tend to be stupid, big guy." She punched his shoulder lightly. "Not an individual person, but people as a whole can be pretty dumb. Herd mentality is a real thing, and someone in your position can either guide it, or get stampeded. I know you're not really big about being online, but the reality is that you have been online since the Breach. You gotta ride the wave. And I can help with that."

Jaune lifted an eyebrow at her skeptically. "You can?"

"Duh. Look, you know what I just did? I just showed the world that Jaune Arc is a beef cake of a man who can take a literal ton of weight and crank out a set at the gym. I just showed everyone that you're a beast, and they are eating it up. And I can keep doing that for you. All you gotta do..." She grinned mischievously and tilted her glasses down to look him in the eyes, "is let me."

"And you get what out of this?"

"I get interaction and my Squeaker page exploding in clicks. Also the satisfaction of being the manager for Vale's new star."

"Manager?!"

"You are going to need one, you know. Right now Ozpin's basically filling that role and stonewalling people trying to get to you. But he can't do it forever. I'm in touch with what's what and who's who online. Talk show hosts, influencers, talking heads on DustTube. And of course news reporters. You let me handle your online image, and I'll make sure you don't get mobbed by everyone wanting to use you to blow up their channel views, or people looking to farm controversy."

"Okay, hold on." Jaune held up his hands and shook his head. "You're training to be a hunter, same as everyone else in this school. Won't handling my online 'presence' interfere with that? This sounds like a lot of work for frankly not that much in return. Besides, I don't want to become an influencer. I don't want my whole life to be online. I have duties I need to attend to, like my training and my team."

"Not a problem. We're not going to literally post everything you do. Just enough here and there to keep the people satisfied. Think about it like promotional material for the Vytal festival. We can hype you up for the big event."

The Champion sighed and scratched his head. "I suppose. I'll have to talk with the others though. This will affect them too after all. Can I think about it?"

"Of course." She tapped his chest with the back of her hand. "We gotta bounce anyway. We're like an hour late for training."

"Gee, I wonder why," Fox groused. "I'd like to point out that despite saying you wouldn't, you did in fact move around the gym. A lot. Do you have any idea how hard that makes things for a blind camera man?"

"Chill, Fox. I'll make it up to you. I'll give you one free hit on me."

The blind huntsman smirked. "Give me a free hit? Like you could stop me to begin with."

"Oh, you are on. I'm gonna smack the sight into you." Coco strutted off for the door, her teammates following behind. "See ya round, Jaune. Lemme know what you think of my offer."

"Till next time," Fox said with a wave.

"Bye Jaune!" Velvet game him a warm smile and skipped off.

"I apologize for Coco's antics," Yatsu said, fingers steepled as he bowed shallowly.

"Eh, it's alright. You should see Nora on a sugar high."

Yatsu smiled and nodded, then followed his team out.

Jaune was left alone with his thoughts as he gathered his things and made for the shower. Agreeing to let Coco be his 'manager' felt like asking for trouble, but she had a point. If everything Jaune did was going to wind up online anyway then maybe he did need someone to help him out. With any luck people would lose interest in him when they realized he honestly wasn't that interesting.

Tentatively he reached out to Talon, only to find that wall was still in place.

"I guess he needs a bit more time."

One shower later Jaune was dressed in his new clothes. He checked his scroll, and found...

Several texts and three missed calls from Weiss.

Uh oh.

She picked up on the first ring. "H-hey! Hey, Weiss I was in the shower when you called, and..." He trailed off as she didn't respond. "You okay?"

He could hear her huff from the other side of the call. "I'm okay. I just... nevermind."

"She wants you to bench press her!" the familiar voice of Yang shouted. "Weiss is jelly~"

"I am no such thing you insufferable dunce!" Weiss shot back with her characteristic indignity. "I just... think it would have been more proper for you to post a video of you... 'lifting' your girlfriend instead of some... other girls."

Jaune couldn't help the grin that arose when Weiss called herself his girlfriend. "Sorry. Coco kind of ambushed me. Also I uh... I owed her one. Cause I... you know, that one time when I was flying and..."

"Ugh, don't remind me. Well, I guess you did owe her one. Where are you? We're in the cafeteria finishing breakfast. I can bring you some if you like."

The offer warmed him. "No, I'm alright. Are my teammates there? I could use some practice if they're down."

"One moment." The other line went quiet, then Pyrrha's voice came through. "Jaune?"

"Morning, Pyrrha. Want to go beat me up some?"

"How could I say no?" She laughed. "We'll meet you at the dorm. Team Ruby are coming too."

Silence again, then Weiss's voice came through. "See you soon. I, um..." She cleared her throat, then whispered. "I love you."

Jaune did a little jump of joy as he left the gym. "I love you too."

"Okay bye!" she squeaked out before hanging up. Jaune could practically see her face, seeped in a deep red blush.

Whistling a tune and with a skip in his step Jaune made his way to the dorm and met his teammates as well as team RWBY there. The eight of them set off to find a suitable spot to train.

They never made it.

"Oi! You kids!"

They came to a halt at the raised voice, confused. A overall clad balding man with ginger hair stomped up to them irately. "Are you the ingrates that sullied my perfectly maintained lawn?!"

"Shiiiit," Yang whispered. "I forgot about that."

All of them looked at Jaune, waiting for him to say something.

Put on the spot, Jaune fumbled for something to say.

"... No?"

"I want to every square of sod perfectly aligned! I don't want so much as a quarter of an inch of a gap, and yes I will be checking!" The groundskeeper stalked back and forth, watching them like a hawk.

Yang grumbled something unintelligible under her breath, but Jaune was pretty sure it included a remarkable number of expletives.

"What was that?!"

"Nothing sir!"

"Hmph, thought so. You lot may be the future guardians of Remnant, but I am Beacon's Groundskeeper, and when it comes to this bloody lawn I am akin to god and king!"

"Well aren't we humble?" Jaune thought crossly.

He paused as he felt a spark of amusement on on the edge of his conscious. "Talon?"

"Hello, Jaune."

"Are you okay?"

"No, but... I will be. I'm sorry I shut you out."

"You needed time. I understand."

"Cailan's return, even briefly, was... unexpected. I never thought such a thing would happen, and it's hit me hard that I didn't get to see him."

"Talon, it's alright. You don't have to apologize to me, okay? I'm here for you, no matter what."

"Likewise, my friend."

"Oi! Blondie! I didn't say stop! Get back to work!"

"Alright, alright," Jaune grumbled, setting another piece of sod in place. So much for training today.

"I could defecate on his precious lawn. That would show him."

"And who do you think he'd make clean it up?"

"Hm. A fair point."

Jaune smiled. "Good to have you back, buddy."

"It's good to be back, brother."