~Prelude~
"HELP!" tied to a chair was a woman with long amber hair and orange eyes and a bushy fox tail was screaming as a tall White Fang lieutenant held a gun to her head.
"No one's coming little missy you have been quite a thorn in our side for a Faunus. Well not that it matters anymore you'll be dead real soon." He laughed a booming laugh as the girl grew quiet. "No one can hear you and here your story ends." the young woman smiled and laughed clearly bringing unease to her captor. "WHAT!? WHAT IS IT?"
"Oh, nothing it's just that … he definitely heard me. It was just a matter of time before he showed up," as she said that a figure cloaked in black appeared in the shadow of the lieutenant. Almost as he sensed something the terrorist whirled around just in time to see a mallet swinging down to smash into his face and knocking him out. The woman frowned at the figure as it cut him free. "Took you long enough," A cheerful voice spoke from inside the deep shadowed hood.
"Amber you know cave walls interfere with my hearing. Even with the hearing of a bat, I can't hear everything. Besides be patient it's only been 2 minutes it took you 8 to get to me," The girl scowled.
"SHUT UP NOIR! I don't have a semblance that allows me to appear anywhere!" The boy laughed at the girl's rage.
"Yeah yeah," Noir laughed and tossed her a rapier, "Here's Lorekeeper. Let's get moving the alarm should go off in about…" The sparking "lieutenant" started wailing loudly. Noir sighed, "Now," As they rush down the hall they come face to face with a group of ten more thug-bots. Amber looks at Noirs face.
"Hallways are too confined we will have to fight individually," Noir nodded silently. Noir rushed forward with his weapon, two gauntlets named Cristal and Diamant, making a crystal naginata with the dust inside them. He ran at the first bot stabbing it through the stomach then, withdrawing the blade he lobbed off the head of the second. Amber jumped over his head rapidly stabbing the third in the chest until it fell and kicked the fourth into the fifth destroying them both. Noir slid under Amber throwing a crystal knife into the head of the sixth before springing over the seventh, transforming his naginata into a sword and shield and cutting it in half. The eighth swung at Noir with a club which he caught on his shield and Amber stabbed the bot in the head over his shoulder. She then blew up the tenth as Noir ran the ninth through with his sword. The two slumped and Noir smiled, "Good job Am," Amber looked at him tiredly.
"Mhm," As they turn the corner they see the brightly lit exit. When they walked through they saw the crowd of their combat class waiting for them as Lord Walt Stone, their teacher, approach them he smiled at them as they approached.
"Bravo students bravo indeed," he grinned, "Congratulations on finishing the assignment. But did you really need to do such damage to the bots?" Noir smiled ruefully
"Sorry Lord Stone," the tall knight waved his hands.
"Think nothing of it, my boy. After all, they can still be repaired … to a degree. Anyway, you two have passed with flying colors, you really are combat prodigies. With Noir's fighting skills and your planning ability, Amber nothing will stand in your way," Noir smiled.
"Thank you, sir, it's a hon…" Noir saw a blue figure running at him and sigh, putting his arm out to hold his sister Crystal away. "Hi Cry," Noir looked past her and saw a boy in crimson red armor, her partner Bren, the girl squirmed trying to get closer to her twin brother.
"Aw come on Noir lemme give you a hug, please. After all, you passed! We are gonna go to Beacon next year!" Noir laughed.
"Yeah we sure are," Noir glanced at Amber and she blushed and turned away ignoring the unspoken question. Lord Stone turned to all his students.
"Congratulations you have all passed my final and this class, which means you have graduated from Paladins' Academy and will now move on to a major combat school to finish your training. Now Lady Errant has asked me to tell you all to get a good night's sleep because tomorrow is the knighting ceremony. Now go back to your dorms," The tall grey haired man strode off toward the main building as the kids moved off to the dorms.
…
Noir turned to Crystal and Bren as they got to Noir and Amber's dorm. "So Bren where are you going to now that we've graduated?"
"Oh well I've considered it and I think I'll go to Beacon with you and Crystal to Beacon. But for the time being, I think I'll go back to Vacuo and visit my friend. Try and convince him to go to Beacon too," Noir nodded and Crystal looked at Crystal.
"What about you Amber? I know you live here since you don't have a family so where are you going?" Amber looked around nervously.
"I don't know Crystal. Honestly, I haven't thought of which combat school to go to, but it will definitely be weird to go now we're all a year older than everyone else," Noir looked at her and shrugged.
"See you two tomorrow we should go off to bed now," Noir shut the room to their dorm behind Amber. The last night in this room and it was an odd one at that. The room had two different styles split down the middle. On the left, it was simple and rustic with a simple wooden desk and shelf made of dark grey ebony wood. The carpet and curtains on the left side of the room were pitch black and the bed sheets were a royal purple. The shelf was full of figures of Grimm and a few books on combat and hunting along with his textbooks. On the right side of the room, it was elegant and modern with a glass shelf and a glass desk that seemed to function as an extension of a scroll. The carpet was orange and so was the curtain with the bed sheets being a nice shade of walnut brown. On the shelf were numerous books about anything from history to stories to battle tactics along with more textbooks. Noir had always hated that the color scheme looked so Halloweeny. He sat down on his bed and peeled off his boots and socks, "You know Amber you should tell Crystal that you're coming to live with us. She wouldn't hate you after all." Amber looked at Noir and sighed.
"Noir she doesn't even know we are dating. How would she even react to me moving in with you and your family? I mean I know we're friends it's just … I don't know" Noir shrugged and took off his gambeson and chainmail vest leaving him bare-chested. Amber blushed and quickly drew a curtain across the room, "Also can you not do that!" Noir laughed and walked around to Amber in a pitch black towel holding a hanger with his pajamas on them.
"Sorry. I always forget how shy you are," Noir kissed Amber on the forehead and walked out the room hearing her yelling at him for being an idiot back in their room. After his shower, he got dressed in the room before going back to the room to spare Amber and left the shower coming back to their dorm to see Amber had already showered and gotten into her pj's and was sitting at her desk working on something with her hair wrapped up in a brown towel. Nor grabbed his favorite fantasy book, a story of a young ranger, from Ambers shelf and plopped down onto his bed rereading the book for what seemed like the hundredth time. Right, when Noir started to read the second chapter Crystal barged into the room, dragging an angry looking Bren behind her. The young man pulled his arm from Crystal's grip.
"Could you stop pulling me everywhere Crystal! I've only been telling you for 5 years now," Crystal grinned.
"Sorry it's just that I wanted all of you guys to hear this at the same time," Noir noticed as she paused and he laughed to himself. She always had a flair for the dramatics. "I finally found out what my semblance!" Everyone jumped up congratulating her and patting her on the back. She pushed them all back and stood still. "Now behold!" Her body went limp and she fell on to Amber's bed. Everyone rushed forward when suddenly Bren started giggling like Crystal and when Amber and Noir turned around Bren's seemingly permanent scowl was gone, replaced with Crystal's confident smile. His eyes were a bright blue with a white rune where his pupil and iris should have been. Bren twirled around and posed dramatically, "Astral Projection is my semblance!" Then Bren's eyes turned back to normal and Crystals eyes fluttered open. Her smile grew ten times bigger, "Isn't it so cool," Noir noticed Amber and Bren had both taken a step back from Crystal.
"You guys ok?" Amber looked at Noir.
"Noir did you see Bren's eyes when Crystal's aura was possessing him?"
"Umm … yeah, he had blue eyes with …"
"Ancient runes in them. That rune was Laguz, the rune of unconsciousness and collective memory. Her semblance allows her aura to carry her mind in thin air, allowing her to possess or hide in other living beings," Noir shrugged.
"So?"
"So many suspects that these "runic semblances" are the oldest kind of semblance when people first mastered aura. Though it's not confirmed of course. My semblance is also like that," Noir looked puzzled.
"Wait what is your semblance? In all my time as your partner, I've never seen you use it once."
"Yeah have though. My semblance allows me to essentially pause time for myself. I can't harm anyone or even move anything around me and when I stop my semblance I return to where I was before I used it. When I do so I've noticed that my eyes glow orange with the Isa rune were my pupil should be. Isa is the rune of stasis and that is what allows me to use my semblance," Noir looked taken aback.
"So all those times you came up with amazing tactics was because you had infinite time to make one?" Amber shook her head.
"I only have 10 seconds time frame then everything goes back to normal," Noir was intrigued.
"He turned to Bren then why did you recoil?" Bren sighed.
"It drains all my aura but when I activate it the next thing that hits me takes all of the force behind it rather than myself … and I also have runes in my eyes I'm told. I asked the history teach what the rune was and he said it was Gebo, the rune of fair exchange," Noir looked around at his friends.
"Well this is huge you guys you each have a special semblance how many people even have one like this," Amber smiled and shook her head.
"One-half of the world's known semblances. They aren't special in any way besides the glowing eyes and the fact that they might be the first kind of semblances," Noir shrugged.
"It's cool either way," he looked around and saw the clock, " Anyways we really should be getting to bed it's a big day tomorrow!" He got up and sat on his bed. Crystal and Bren nodded and left leaving Noir and Amber in the dark room, "Night Amber."
"Night Noir."
-The Next Day-
Noir woke up to see Amber already dressed and sitting at her desk reading a book. Noir got up and silently got dressed in his dress armor. The chainmail was gleaming silver and a black doublet that looked like his gambeson but laced with silver thread. He wore a different bare of boots that had been polished until they shined and in the place of his cloak he wore a half cape with a purple dust crystal design laced into it. He looked at the clock and when he saw that it was an hour left until the ceremony he sat down at his desk and started playing a game on his scroll. After the hour past, he got up and tapped Amber on the shoulder, "It's time to go." Amber stood up to reveal her dress clothes. Her orange robes were laced with gold thread instead of yellow thread. and her brown boots were also polished until they shown and on the back of her robe was the outline of a rune that he assumed was Isa in gold thread. She smiled as she saw Noir's jaw drop.
"Ok," Noir opened the door so that Amber could leave then followed her through closing and locking the door behind him. As they stepped out into the hall Noir saw Crystal and Bren. Crystal wore a 1 shouldered pale blue dress and Bren wore his normal crimson red knight's armor. Amber ran toward Crystal and hugged her.
"Aw! Crys you look so cute!" Crystal smiled.
"And you look so elegant and mature," Amber laughed. They continued their walk down to the auditorium and when they arrived they walked in to see the other 8 graduating teams of two that had passed their classes this year. As they sat down Lady Errant, the headmaster, walked out and called for silence.
"Lords and Ladies of Paladin's Academy congratulations on graduating and becoming knights of the realm. You all have spent 5 years training hard and nonstop and it has come time for all of that training has come to fruition. She spread her arms, "You are all now PALADINS!" As she raises her arms a banner with the Paladins' emblem, a ray of sunlight on a heater shield, unfurled behind her. As the student's clapped she continued, "Now the ceremony begins. First to be knighted Noir and Crystal Chevalier. This year we have a strange case two twins have inherited the Black Knight of Vales title because they are the eldest of their family tree." Noir and Crystal walked up to the stage and Noir kneeled and after a couple seconds of silence he realized that Crystal was still standing. Noir nudged her and she realized what was happening and hastily kneeled. Lady Errant smiled at Noir and Crystal, "Chevalier Twins you two have shown great bravery and honor in the face of your training and trials," Lady Errant draws two black steel swords and taps them both on each shoulder, "I as Commander of the Paladins' Order knight you two souls The Black Knight of Vale. May you keep the middle kingdom safe from harm." As Noir and Crystal Lady Errant pressed the blades into their hands, "Good Job." Noir and Crystal sat back down and watch the rest of the ceremony. He was so surprised everything passed through a haze. "Blanca Cavalier … White Knight of Atlas, may your home never feel too cold, Amber Ceres … Autumnal Knight, may you protect remnant and its kingdoms as the maidens of old,
Bren Roth … Red Knight of Rage, may your hatred bring destruction to mankind's enemies, Jade Youxia … Crystal Knight of Mystral, may the underworld of Mystral never overtake you." When Jade sat down Lady Errant smiled at all of them. "Now you are all are knights of the realm. While you can go to your assigned countries or in the case of the traveling knights, any kingdom you so choose, I recommend you take your training to the level of expertise and attending when of the four major combat schools. Now as sad is it is to say I must bid you all farewell. The ships will arrive in the space of two hours to go back up and enjoy your last few hours at Paladins'." Everyone got up and started moving off toward their dorms and Noir, Amber, Crystal, and Bren were about to join them when they were stopped by Lady Errant, "Well well looks like I was right." Noir turned around to greet her.
"Hello, Lady …"
"No need for that anymore Noir. While I am you Commander you are now a Paladin and Paladins are equal. Please call me Azura."
"Um ok, Azura." Lady Errant nodded at that.
"Now back to what I was saying. It seems Amber that I was right when putting you and Noir together, and to think you thought he was a pervert." Amber flinched and looked at Crystal.
"Um yeah … right. But to be fair I thought he was trying to assault me the first day we met." Noir turned to her.
"I still don't understand how you thought that I mean all I did was run into you and the YOU fell on me."
"I was shy OK!" Azura chuckled warmly.
"Well at any rate you've grown into quite a different woman than when you first arrive here when you were eight. You all have also changed so much in the past five years. Good Luck!" With that Azura Errant, Headmaster of Paladins' Academy and Commander of the Paladins' Order walked off. When the group returned to their dorms they packed their bags and left the rooms to go to the docs. When they got to the docs Amber turned to Crystal and Bren.
"You two knew, didn't you! You knew I was dating Noir and you left me to struggle with figuring out how to tell you." Crystal started laughing so hard she couldn't speak so Bren answered.
"Well to be honest I didn't know till 5 months ago when I said that you two spent a lot of time together even for partners. That's when Crystal told me you two were dating. Apparently, she knew you would get together in the 2nd year we were here." Crystal wiped tears away from her eyes.
"Sorry, Amber I thought it would be funny to see you react when you found out I knew so I hid it. My apologies." Amber turned around and acted in mock insult. Noir chuckled at the sight of his girlfriend and sister argument.
"Anyways ladies it's time to get on the ship, it'll be leaving soon," he clasped Bren's arm, "see you at Beacon." Bren nodded and when the Amber waved and Crystal chorused her farewell he waved back and moved off toward the airship back to Vacuo. The group of Noir, Crystal, and Amber moved off toward the ship to Vale while Noir and Crystal hummed the tune to "Home" as the ship took off into the night. That's when Noir turned to the two girls in front of him, "We're going home!"
-End of Prelude-
-Words in Other Languages-
Noir (New-are) - French for black
Chevalier (Shev-all-yay) - French for knight
Cristal (Cris-tall) - French for crystal
Diamant (Dee-uh-mon) - french for diamond
Blanca (Blahn-cah) - Spanish for white
Cavalier (Cav-uh-leer) - Spanish for knight
Youxia (You-Xia) - Ancient Chinese warrior folk hero: commonly translated as 'knight-errant'