Hi, guys, this is TFTime with my new story, "The Pure Knight Rises"! I hope this wasn't too rushed, it took me three days to write despite being so short, but don't worry, I plan on making the chapters longer as we get deeper in. This is just a filler for the events that will play out in the next chapter, and is the first story I've written in a long time, so go easy on me. Hope you like the Beethoven joke, and I snuck in two references, one from "Wreck-It Ralph" and the other from "Alice in Wonderland, 2010". Let's see who can catch them! :D (And yeah, I know neither Beethoven or Tchaikovsky were alive in King Arthur's time, but this is FanFiction. Anything can happen)

I own the characters First, Tribe, Sefer, Adise, Pearl, and Mist, and also own the Pure Sword Order. I do not, however, own Knightius, which is the world of King Arthur, Cinos, Avalon, or Caliburn, SEGA does. If you wish, go to the trailer for this story, it will tell you who's who version-wise. This story may be slightly AU and sometimes OOC in some parts, but hey, nobody's perfect!

Theme Song for TPKR & Morpheus: "Juno Reactor – Navras HQ"

Wilbur: It's great until you hit 0:16 – then it's awesome!

TF: Even if it IS in Latin.

Wilbur: Makes it better. "Dies Irae" is in Latin, right?

"Smile at a stranger. See what happens." – Patti LuPone

THE PURE KNIGHT RISES

✠ Prologue ✠

The ballroom was filled with light, laughter ringing through the starry, night sky. Music played gaily in the background, celebrating the the two-hundreth anniversary of Knightius, the Dimension of Knights. The white marble room, decorated with various types of flowers, was lit up with candles and torches that reflected off the gleaming pillars, and the room itself was filled with just about every species of Mobian you could imagine. The human-like, anthropomorphic animals, usually so serious, were throughly enjoying themselves through chatter, joking around with each other about past events and a number of couples dancing across the floor.

She had never felt so out of place.

The pure white Cat, twenty-six years old, sighed softly, tugging at the diamond choker around her neck, dark brown eyes wandering over the crowd. Her left eye had a green streak running across it, and her long tail was fluffed out at the end, with rounded, diamond-pierced ears perked up and her nose a pale pink. Over her hands were long, white, opera gloves with blue crystal bracelets around her wrists, and she wore a long, ornate, dark blue ball-gown. Silver patterns decorated the front of the dress and ran along the bottom frill, and silver-colored shoes were slipped over her feet, ankle bracelets matching the ones around her hands. A small, diamond tiara topped her head, nestled in her pure white hair, shoulder-length and almost blending in with her fur.

Giving the choker another pull and considering loosening it for fear she might choke, (it was a choker for a reason, she supposed) the Cat quietly made her way over to one of the quieter corners of the ballroom, besides a jar with roses spilling out. The Cat's name was First, Lady First the Cat. She was the oldest daughter of one of the dukes in Knightius, Lord Sefer the Cat, and his wife, Lady Adise the Cat, and also the first-born. A wonder her younger siblings hadn't been named Second or Third or so forth, she couldn't help but think, causing a faint smile to flicker across her white muzzle.

Reaching the jar of roses, she leaned against the wall, crossing her arms to stare up at the painted ceiling. She disliked going to parties, simply because she couldn't strike up a conversation to save her life most of the time. But only a week before, one of First's close friends, Lady Pearl the Cat, had fallen ill with a mild cold. Unable to attend the ball herself, Pearl had begged First to go for her and tell her everything that happened, not wanting to miss something important. Ah, Pearl was always like that, and never could First resist the pink Cat's pleadings. She was pretty sure Pearl knew that too, which might explain why she always singled her out for substituting when she was prevented from attending any type of event.

Which happens quite often, First mused silently. I wonder if she fails to attend purposefully.

"I highly doubt that."

First quickly jerked her head back down, wide, brown eyes meeting the amused, bright golden ones of a second Cat, looking to be twenty-nine and leaning against the pillar next to her, crossing his arms. He was a dull orange color with darker orange, almost red stripes, indicating his type as that of a Tabby, with a white muzzle and a white, swirling, mark on his chest similar to a portal. His ears were sharp, not rounded like her own, and he was wearing a long, dark brown robe, the sleeves and bottom edged with small, golden patterns. Around his waist was a golden belt with a neon-blue stone in the center, and over his hands were dark brown gloves with golden bracelets. The robe also seemed to have a hood attached, but it was thrown back, and around his neck was a necklace of some sort – it appeared to be a cross carved out of black obsidian. He studied her. "I didn't scare you, did I?"

She blinked as she realized what he had said sounded an awful lot like he was answering the unspoken words in her head. "How did you ..."

He smiled warmly. "I can read minds, particularly at night."

The Cat held out a brown-gloved hand. "My name is Tribe. Tribe the Tabby Cat. You?"

First blushed slightly, but reached out and timidly shook his hand. "Lady First the Cat."

Tribe's golden eyes lit up. "Are you related to anybody named Lord Sefer?"

She nodded. "He's my father."

The Cat released her hand with a chuckle crossing his arms once again. "Well, he's certainly not little-known around here, especially after what happened in the Battle of Kult. I hate dragons. You must be very proud of him."

First's blush deepened. "I-I suppose ..."

She wasn't quite sure why she was blushing so much, nor why she felt so warm. It couldn't be the night, it was actually somewhat cold outside, with a nice breeze that spelled of apple blossoms. Besides, this warmth felt different, but she couldn't figure out why ... Tribe pointed out at the crowd of Mobians. "Why aren't you out there with them?"

"Why aren't you?" she countered.

The Cat shrugged. "I have my reasons. Besides, you looked lonely, and I wanted to cheer you up."

First blinked. "Why me? We barely know each other, so why would you care?"

"Because I want to know you better," Tribe answered, then sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Really, what I'm trying to say is ... um ... do you ... want to dance?"

The white Cat's brown eyes widened. "... M-me? Dance ... with you?"

Tribe nodded, and this time, it was First's turn to rub the back of her diamond-collared neck, brown eyes falling to the floor as she felt the warmth rise in her chest. "Um ... well, I ... I don't know, I mean ... this is happening so quickly, I ... I guess ..."

She took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to stare back at Tribe, giving a shy, timid smile. "All right."

Tribe's golden gaze lit up again, and without even giving her time to possibly change her mind, he gently grabbed one of her white-gloved hands in his own brown one and pulled her out into the crowd of the ball-room. Several of the guests nodded politely at them, and the familiar melody of Bearthoven's "Fur Elise" began playing. Both of the Cat's ears perked up, and they turned to face each other. Tribe smiled and held out his hands. "May I have this dance?"

First smiled back and latched her hands onto Tribe's. "Of course."

"That was fun."

First smiled at the Tabby's way of putting it. "I suppose ..."

She leaned her elbows on the white, stone railing, staring out at the gleaming moon that hung in the night sky. It was much quieter here on the balcony then it was inside the Camelot Castle, with a cool breeze, and blooming vines swirled their way around massive, engraved pillars. The sounds of faint laughter and soft music reached her ears, and the white Cat sighed to herself, using one finger to trace the green streak across her eye. Tribe, who was next to her in the same position as herself, glanced at her. "The words 'I suppose' seem to be a catchphrase with you, doesn't it?"

First blushed. "Well, I sup–"

She clapped her hands over her muzzle, and Tribe grinned. "See?"

The blue-gowned Cat huffed slightly, lightly hitting Tribe's shoulder. "Oh, you!"

She could feel another blush creeping up up her face, and quickly turned away, hoping it was dark enough for the redness of her face to not be easily noticed. Goodness, what was it with her and blushing lately? Was she sick? First reached up, touching her forehead lightly. No, her temperature felt normal, so she couldn't possibly have a fever. The only other thing her warmth could be from would be ... no, that was impossible. She'd just met Tribe, she didn't think of him like ... like that!

"Like what?"

First facepalmed inwardly. Right, he could read minds. Just brilliant. "Um ... nothing."

She twirled a lock of her white hair slowly, brown eyes dropping to the grassy ground far below, and Tribe touched one of her hands. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

First bit her lip. "Tribe ... I know we've only just met, but ... what do you think of me?"

The Tabby's golden eyes blinked, and he looked back out at the moon. "Well, you're nice, somewhat shy, a good dancer, and ... really pretty."

First looked at him. "R-really? Me?"

Tribe nodded, and she ducked her head down, blushing deeply. Gosh, what was wrong with her? Usually she was horrible at talking to people, but she had no problem with this orange Cat. Was she ... in love? Oh, what was she thinking? She'd only just met this Mobian, it was impossible to fall in love that quickly! She couldn't love him! And yet ... and yet she did ... so very much. "Where are you from?" she asked out of the blue, surprising even herself.

Tribe pointed out into the distance. "Far back on the outskirts of Camelot, before the Lake of Avalon and Knightius Forest, a place called Forgotten Path. I wouldn't expect you to know about it – it isn't called that for nothing, and is virtually isolated. Nobody goes there these days. I live there."

"So ... why are you here?" First questioned curiously.

Tribe crossed his arms. "Mandatory. All leaders were to come"

She raised an eyebrow, studying the Cat. "You're a leader? Of what?"

He didn't take his golden eyes off of where the Knightius Forest could be seen in the distance. "A tribe. We're not too well-known, but us and the Round Table Knights are friendly, so that's enough. It's called the Pure Tribe, otherwise known as the Pure Sword Order. I'm the leader. My father, Mist, passed away a few years back, so I inherited the leadership from him."

First winced. "This may sound old, but ... I'm sorry."

Tribe's eyes darted to her, and he smiled softly. "Thanks."

Glancing back at the forest, he stepped away from the railing, straightening up. First also turned to see why he had moved, and the orange Tabby sighed. "I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "But I have to go. It's dangerous these days for a Pure Tribe member to be alone for very long. We have many powerful enemies, and not all of them are in the ... natural realm. It's dangerous that I'm even speaking to you, because you might become a target."

Tribe smiled. "It was nice to meet you, though, First."

The white Cat nodded slowly. "I ... I suppose. It was nice to meet you as well."

He nodded back at her, then spun around to leave. Suddenly, something grabbed the sleeve of his robe. "Wait!"

Tribe turned to find First holding tightly onto the brown material, and she lowered her gaze, blushing again. "Tribe ... um ... I-I just wanted to say that I ... I ... I really ... enjoyed our time together, and I was wondering ..."

She took a deep breath. "... When can I see you again?"

Tribe blinked in confusion. "See me again?" he echoed.

First nodded, and the Tabby blinked again. "But ... that's dangerous. You're a nice Mobian, and I really do like you, but if something were to happen–"

The white Cat cut him off. "Stop it. I don't care if it's dangerous. I want to see you again because I ... I ..."

First folded her hands behind her back, gazing down at the marble floor with her dark brown eyes, blue dress swishing around her feet. It was now or never. No turning back now ... "I ... I love you."

Tribe stared at her, when a small, faint smile appeared on his muzzle, and he stepped forward to draw her into a hug. "... I love you too."

The two stayed like that for a minute, when they both pulled away, First smoothing out her dress, white muzzle tinged pink at the thought Tribe actually returned her feelings. Tribe motioned in the direction of the ball-room with a grin. "The Tribe can wait. Would you like to dance again?"

First smiled shyly and grabbed one of his hands. "I'd love to."

The two Cats quickly ran back into the lighted ball-room as the Tchaikovsky song "Pas De Deux" started playing, and the moment they were gone, a large ray of moonlight next to one of the pillars were split in half, like someone drawing a curtain. Two Mobians, one pink and one blue, stepped out from between the halves, and the pink one pulled the moonbeams back into place, melding them together. She looked back in the direction First and Tribe had gone in a sighed dreamily, resting one hand on her cheek. "Ah ... young love."

The blue one chuckled, nudging her gently. "They're older then both of us, Aves," he pointed out.

The female Mobian huffed slightly. "Besides the point, Cinokku!"

She was a rose-pink Hedgehog, who shoulder-length hair and three bangs hanging over her large, emerald-green green eyes. Her muzzle was bare of fur and showed her pale peach skin, as did her arms. She wore a pale blue, turquoise, and aqua gown edged with white lace and adorned with golden medallions onto which were carved the symbol of a rose blossom, the hem of her dress decorated with dark blue symbols. A golden belt was around her waist, and she wore long, white opera gloves with golden bracelets, a white bow around her neck. Holding back her hair-quills was a pale blue headband with matching medallions, and her ears were sharply pointed.

Her acquaintance was another Hedgehog, a male one that was a bright, cobalt-blue, with identical, emerald-green eyes. His muzzle, arms, and chest were bare of fur, showing peach skin, and he had sharp quills on his head and back. His ears were also pointed, as was his short tail, and he was wearing a dark red cloak edged with golden symbols, a gold medallion on each shoulder. He wore red shoes striped with white and gold, a green emerald at each heel, and around his wrists and ankles were white cuffs edged with the same gold symbols on his cloak. There was a golden crown slipped onto his head, a red ruby in the center, and he had two different gloves – his left one was a plain, white one, but the right one was metal-plated, the wrist golden with a red ruby embedded in it.

The two Hedgehogs were Lady Avalon the Hedgehog, fifteen, who kept and protected the powerful Avalon lake, and King Cinos the Hedgehog, the newly-crowned ruler despite only being seventeen. They were also well-known as a budding couple, and nobody doubted they would most likely be married in the years ahead. Avalon smoothed out her blue gown as she continued. "There's such a thing as love at first sight, and I think that's what they have."

Cinos snickered. "You'd know all about that, huh?"

She laughed. "Why'd you think I started following you around when we first met as kids?"

He ruffled her pink bangs, and a voice said, "I just hope you didn't try to kiss him when you were kids."

Avalon turned to face the gold-handled, steel-bladed sword that was leaned against the pillar. Around the handle was encrusted various precious gems, and symbols were overlaid on it in silver. However, what made the sword stand out was the fact on the handle was a face, mouth grinning teasingly and pale blue eyes sparkling. She shook her head. "Of course not, we never kissed as kids! I mean, not mouth-to-mouth anyway. I wanted to, though."

The sword made a face of disgust. "Ew."

Cinos rolled his green eyes. "Enough with the comments, Metal-Mouth."

"Blue Rodent."

"Dull-Blade."

"Tripster."

"I don't trip!"

Avalon groaned, covering her pink ears. "My gosh, Cinos! Caliburn! Do you two ever not argue?"

"Sure," the sword, Caliburn, answered, nodding his handle towards Cinos. "When he's not saying anything."

Cinos flicked one ear in annoyance. "If anyone should not be saying anything, it's you! Who's ever heard of a living, breathing, talking sword before?"

Caliburn's blue eyes narrowed. "Who's ever heard of a walking, talking, hedgehog that's blue?"

Avalon held up her hands. "All right, I've heard enough!"

Reaching out, she grabbed Cinos' metal-gloved hand and pointed at the ball-room. "Let's go see the others! Gawain even brought Viven here!"

The teenaged couple ran into the ball-room, still holding hands, and Caliburn raised a metal eyebrow. "The Echidna girl that's afraid of crowds?"

He chuckled, straightening up, and hopped after Avalon and Cinos with his steel blade. "Now this I gotta see."

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13: 4–7 & 13, New International Version (NIV)

TF (TFTime)

W.N. (Wilbur-Nator)