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Description
"I was now one step closer to being braver...."

Midnight took a sword off the wall where they were held. Maple took a glance. The Sword was a small one, and looked very dull.

"Lady Midnight, what is that?"

Midnight handed her the weapon. "Your sword, your high-" She cleared her throat. "-Maple."

Maple looked at it. The sword was half her armspan. The sword's blade was very dark in color, and didn't shine so well. The tip of the sword looked like the end of a butter knife. The princess looked up at Midnight, confused. "This is my blade?"

Midnight put one hand behind her head and smiled nervously. "Is that not a good sword?" she said, trying not to sound obvious. The response she was given was Maple holding it back out, with a serious expression.
Again, Midnight tried to hide her obviousness. "What's wrong with it?"

Maple glared at the knight. "A dull blade?"

Midnight's eyes looked down, and her voice sounded nervous. "Princess-" she began before Maple cleared her throat. "Uh- I mean- Maple." The knight looked Maple in the eye. "If you get hurt. Or injured."

Maple placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a beaming smile. "I won't get hurt." Under her hand, she felt a shiver upon Midnight. "I know it's your job to protect the princess from any harm, but that's what you're doing right now. You are training me so I can defend myself. My father is in trouble and I'm tired of looking like a coward." She could only now look down. "I want to stop hiding and crying and start fighting for once in my life."

Midnight's eyes looked serious. "You remind me of myself, Maple. On my first day of being a knight..." While she spoke, she put the dull blade on the table, and walked towards the Sword Wall. "I was so scared, Maple. You have no idea. I had no clue what to do. But I had one thing in mind. I wanted to protect the royal family from any harm." Midnight grabbed a sheath from the wall. It was red, with small jewels on it. "... I was very determined to keep my promise to the royal family. I took the knight's Oath." She took the sword out of it's sheath. Still a nice blade. She walked back to Maple, holding the sword tight. "I learned to be a very good fighter. But even through all the attacks that happen on this kingdom, I'm always scared. We knights are always scared." She handed the sword to Maple. "It's always okay to be scared. No matter how brave you get, fear won't ever leave."

Maple held the sword by it's handle, and she saw her reflection in it. She looked at herself and she could only make a tiny smile. "Thank you, Lady Midnight." She held out her weapon and pointed her sword at the knight in front of her. "Do I train now?" She took a swing.

Midnight immediately ducked. "Whoa there, Maple! We need to get you some armor!"

With that, she took Maple outside, to the Sparring Field.
Maple held her sword tight, with it back in it's sheath.
Midnight took her to where new armor was kept. "This is where newbies get their new armor."
There was armor in all sizes. Shields of various design and the helmets were kept on the wall.

Maple took a step forward, about to find the right set of armor, but she felt a tug on her hair.
"Not so fast," Midnight said. "You don't get that armor until you say the Oath." She had a smile on her face, and let her hair go. "Say it."

Maple was then hit with worry. "B-But I don't know it." She didn't get a response. With that, she swallowed and took a deep breath. "All knights must be true to..the...er...um.. kingdom and protect- erm, protect all of the royal family and um.." She muttered, stuttered and choked on multiple words as she spit out the rest of the "oath". When she thought she had finished, she looked at Midnight, who was trying her hardest to restrain laughter. "Was that right?"

Midnight chuckled. "Hehe, not close." She stood in front of Maple. "Repeat after me."
Maple did as she was told.

The knight gave her a nod, and said, "Now cite it."

Maple looked at Midnight and cited the Knight's Oath,

"One!
Always stay focused.
Two!
Keep your heart full of passion!
Three!
Courage comes in all shapes and sizes!
Always stay strong!"

Midnight smiled at her. "We say that everyday. We always must remind ourselves of the traits of a true hero." With that, Midnight handled her armor plates and a shield. She placed a helmet on Maple's head. "Draw your blade." Midnight took her sword out of her sheath and held it out.

Maple nodded and drew her blade. It clashed against Midnight's.

The two stared at each other.

Midnight looked at Maple. "Now...THINK FAST." She kicked Maple in the stomach, making her fly back.
Maple landed on her back, sword still in hand. As she was getting to her feet, she saw Midnight running towards her.
OH GOSH! WHAT DO I DO!?! SHE'S COMING!
With her only instinct, she bolted the other way. She could hear the running footsteps behind her. Maple ran faster, holding her sword tighter. She could now hear the steps of Midnight approaching her more. With a shriek, she skidded in her steps, and made a U-Turn, going the other way. She held her sword out in front of her and charged towards Midnight, with her eyes close and loud shrieking.

Midnight stopped in her tracks and watched the princess run towards her like it was a jousting competition. As Maple approached, she stepped to the side, letting her past by,
"Maple!" she called out.

Maple was still going, shrieking loudly. She then felt her sword penetrate something.
Oh my gosh.. D-Did I..?

Her eyes struggled to open. She saw her sword stuck in a training dummy. "O-Oh..."

Midnight caught up to her. "Maple! My god!"
Maple stared at the dummy, and took her sword out of it. "W-Was that bad?"

"No way!" Midnight said. "You showed me that you have very good speed in you."

"I guess all the running away helped," Maple said, with a weak chuckle.
She felt Midnight's fist bump her shoulder lightly. "That's not bad, Maple. You have amazing strength in your pace." She looked at her with a smile. "Let's continue. You're starting out great!"

Maple nodded and walked to the middle of the arena.

Description
"I was now one step closer to being braver...."

Midnight took a sword off the wall where they were held. Maple took a glance. The Sword was a small one, and looked very dull.

"Lady Midnight, what is that?"

Midnight handed her the weapon. "Your sword, your high-" She cleared her throat. "-Maple."

Maple looked at it. The sword was half her armspan. The sword's blade was very dark in color, and didn't shine so well. The tip of the sword looked like the end of a butter knife. The princess looked up at Midnight, confused. "This is my blade?"

Midnight put one hand behind her head and smiled nervously. "Is that not a good sword?" she said, trying not to sound obvious. The response she was given was Maple holding it back out, with a serious expression.
Again, Midnight tried to hide her obviousness. "What's wrong with it?"

Maple glared at the knight. "A dull blade?"

Midnight's eyes looked down, and her voice sounded nervous. "Princess-" she began before Maple cleared her throat. "Uh- I mean- Maple." The knight looked Maple in the eye. "If you get hurt. Or injured."

Maple placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a beaming smile. "I won't get hurt." Under her hand, she felt a shiver upon Midnight. "I know it's your job to protect the princess from any harm, but that's what you're doing right now. You are training me so I can defend myself. My father is in trouble and I'm tired of looking like a coward." She could only now look down. "I want to stop hiding and crying and start fighting for once in my life."

Midnight's eyes looked serious. "You remind me of myself, Maple. On my first day of being a knight..." While she spoke, she put the dull blade on the table, and walked towards the Sword Wall. "I was so scared, Maple. You have no idea. I had no clue what to do. But I had one thing in mind. I wanted to protect the royal family from any harm." Midnight grabbed a sheath from the wall. It was red, with small jewels on it. "... I was very determined to keep my promise to the royal family. I took the knight's Oath." She took the sword out of it's sheath. Still a nice blade. She walked back to Maple, holding the sword tight. "I learned to be a very good fighter. But even through all the attacks that happen on this kingdom, I'm always scared. We knights are always scared." She handed the sword to Maple. "It's always okay to be scared. No matter how brave you get, fear won't ever leave."

Maple held the sword by it's handle, and she saw her reflection in it. She looked at herself and she could only make a tiny smile. "Thank you, Lady Midnight." She held out her weapon and pointed her sword at the knight in front of her. "Do I train now?" She took a swing.

Midnight immediately ducked. "Whoa there, Maple! We need to get you some armor!"

With that, she took Maple outside, to the Sparring Field.
Maple held her sword tight, with it back in it's sheath.
Midnight took her to where new armor was kept. "This is where newbies get their new armor."
There was armor in all sizes. Shields of various design and the helmets were kept on the wall.

Maple took a step forward, about to find the right set of armor, but she felt a tug on her hair.
"Not so fast," Midnight said. "You don't get that armor until you say the Oath." She had a smile on her face, and let her hair go. "Say it."

Maple was then hit with worry. "B-But I don't know it." She didn't get a response. With that, she swallowed and took a deep breath. "All knights must be true to..the...er...um.. kingdom and protect- erm, protect all of the royal family and um.." She muttered, stuttered and choked on multiple words as she spit out the rest of the "oath". When she thought she had finished, she looked at Midnight, who was trying her hardest to restrain laughter. "Was that right?"

Midnight chuckled. "Hehe, not close." She stood in front of Maple. "Repeat after me."
Maple did as she was told.

The knight gave her a nod, and said, "Now cite it."

Maple looked at Midnight and cited the Knight's Oath,

"One!
Always stay focused.
Two!
Keep your heart full of passion!
Three!
Courage comes in all shapes and sizes!
Always stay strong!"

Midnight smiled at her. "We say that everyday. We always must remind ourselves of the traits of a true hero." With that, Midnight handled her armor plates and a shield. She placed a helmet on Maple's head. "Draw your blade." Midnight took her sword out of her sheath and held it out.

Maple nodded and drew her blade. It clashed against Midnight's.

The two stared at each other.

Midnight looked at Maple. "Now...THINK FAST." She kicked Maple in the stomach, making her fly back.
Maple landed on her back, sword still in hand. As she was getting to her feet, she saw Midnight running towards her.
OH GOSH! WHAT DO I DO!?! SHE'S COMING!
With her only instinct, she bolted the other way. She could hear the running footsteps behind her. Maple ran faster, holding her sword tighter. She could now hear the steps of Midnight approaching her more. With a shriek, she skidded in her steps, and made a U-Turn, going the other way. She held her sword out in front of her and charged towards Midnight, with her eyes close and loud shrieking.

Midnight stopped in her tracks and watched the princess run towards her like it was a jousting competition. As Maple approached, she stepped to the side, letting her past by,
"Maple!" she called out.

Maple was still going, shrieking loudly. She then felt her sword penetrate something.
Oh my gosh.. D-Did I..?

Her eyes struggled to open. She saw her sword stuck in a training dummy. "O-Oh..."

Midnight caught up to her. "Maple! My god!"
Maple stared at the dummy, and took her sword out of it. "W-Was that bad?"

"No way!" Midnight said. "You showed me that you have very good speed in you."

"I guess all the running away helped," Maple said, with a weak chuckle.
She felt Midnight's fist bump her shoulder lightly. "That's not bad, Maple. You have amazing strength in your pace." She looked at her with a smile. "Let's continue. You're starting out great!"

Maple nodded and walked to the middle of the arena.