Chapter 17: Chapter 17: The Test Ends
Topaz walks in from of the other three, and stretches his shoulders as he prepares himself to transform. This'll be his first time using his semblance in front of someone other than who he considers family.
Topaz: "Hey Ariel, you remember how I never explained my semblance?"
Ariel: "Uh, yeah why?"
Topaz: "Well, let me show you what it is."
Walking forward, Topaz puts the image of a lion into his head. But he imagines it almost two times larger. Feeling himself grow, he looks up towards the pack of grimm, and gives a powerful roar. The grimm take Topaz's roar as a challenge and roar back. Topaz jumps at the grimm and slashes at them with his claw, and bites when they are within his range. After eliminating the pack, Topaz reverts his transformation and makes his way back to the group.
Ariel: "You can turn yourself into a giant lion?"
Topaz: "Yes, but also no."
Ariel: "What do you mean?"
Topaz: "My semblance allows me to transform into any living creature that I have a clear understanding of how they work. The lion is the only transformation that I can choose to change its size."
Ariel: "Why did you say it like that?"
Topaz: "Say what like that?"
Ariel: "You said you can transform into any living creature, you didn't say you could transform into any animal."
Topaz: "Ah, well about that."
Topaz closes his eye and imagines himself without his usual faunus features. Noticing the forest get considerably quieter around him, he opens his eyes and stares into the shocked faces of the three surrounding him.
Scarlett: "So your semblance allows you to change how you look too?"
Nova: "Can you make yourself into a woman? For research purposes."
Ariel: "I'm curious Topaz. You're able to make yourself look human, yet you still put up with all the crap you did back at Signal. Why?"
Topaz: "Scarlett and Nova, to answer your questions, I know I can remove my ears and tail, but haven't attempted to change anything else about myself. And Ariel, I didn't learn about the transforming portion of my semblance until after the kidnapping incident. So, by that point everyone knew what I was, and I didn't really care about it. As long as my family was left alone, I was ok with anything."
Scarlett and Nova: "Kidnapping incident?"
Ariel: "Yeah, Topaz was kidnapped from Signal Academy by some heavily armed men. Topaz doesn't really go into what happened when he was kidnapped. All I know is that he was gone for a long time."
Nova: "Dang bro, you escaped from some kidnappers? That's pretty cool, not gonna lie."
Topaz: "It wasn't a big deal. I just got lucky when my uncle happened to be where I was moved to for a day. He led me back home and trained me along the way."
Topaz resumes walking towards the cliffs, showing that he didn't want to involve himself with that conversation anymore. Ariel jogs to catch up to him and walks next to him and the other two follow shortly behind. They walk until they are just about to the base of the cliffs. They walk until they hear another series of loud roars, and see the trees begin to shake as something or things make their way towards them. Suddenly, four Beringrals drop from the trees and face the four students. Topaz begins to walk forwards once again to clear the pack, but is held by a hand on his shoulder. Turning to look at who is holding him back, he sees Ariel with a determined look on her face.
Ariel: "You showed what you could do with that last pack. Now it's our turn."
Scarlett: "Agreed, this is supposed to be a test of all of our skills, not just your own."
Nova: "I'm with the pretty girls on this one. How else can I get all the girls to fall for me when you are hogging the spotlight?"
Ariel is the first to make a move, and raises her hands and closes her eyes for better focus. Suddenly one of the trees launched its branches towards the closest Beringral, disintegrating it immediately. Ariel opens her eyes and lets out a deep breath after it disappears in a black smoke. Scarlett lets off a little battle cry, which Topaz notices, causes Scarlett, Nova, and Ariel to glow each with their respective aura colors. Topaz can also notice that the three are moving a little faster than normal. Nova closes his eyes and his aura glows a little brighter, opening his eyes again, Nova jumps into the middle of the Beringral pack and begins swinging his hammer around wildly. Scarlett makes her way into the pack and swings her naginata with practiced precision. Ariel regains her breath and brings out her blade-whip, and begins swinging with deadly accuracy. Within moments the Beringrals are all defeated. The three make their way back to Topaz with wide grins on their faces.
Nova: "Ya see Topaz. You aren't the only one with an awesome semblance."
Scarlett: "There's no need to be so cocky Nova. We were merely lucky with what we were born with.���
Ariel: "You weren't the only one to learn more about your semblance Topaz. When we last saw each other in Signal I could only partially communicate with plants. Now I can also control them."
Topaz: "Scarlett, you have a buff like semblance, right? When you gave off that battle cry, I noticed the three of your auras begin to glow."
Scarlett: "You are correct. I've learned that I can choose who I give the buff to over the years. It used to just be everyone within a certain area of me."
Topaz: "That's awesome, and very convenient for a team setting."
Nova: "Mine makes me invincible."
Topaz, Scarlett and Ariel all stare at him with looks of doubt.
Nova: "Ok fine, my semblance nullifies the pain I should feel when its active. It makes me the perfect tank, as long as I have aura."
Topaz: "That sounds so cool. Put it in combination with Scarlett and her semblance to boost your aura and you really are practically invincible."
Nova: "Scarlett, I told you it was fate that you and I were made into partners."
Scarlett: *Sigh* "I was just dumb luck, now would you please stop."
Ariel: "My semblance gives me minor control over the plants within a certain radius of me. If I stay in an area long enough, I can bond with the plants and animals and they will in turn communicate with me, and warn me when danger is close."
Topaz: "That is so useful! Just imagine if you have to camp out in the forest on a mission. You won't have to worry about anyone sneaking up on you overnight."
Ariel: "Thank you Topaz."
The group of four begin making their way up the cliff along the small path. Off in the distance, they can see a nevermore flying around, with the occasional explosion going off around it. Suddenly the nevermore is dragged up the cliff near it, and its head is then severed from the rest of your body. Topaz enhances his eyesight to that of a hawks and sees Ruby posing at the top of the cliff, petals flowing off of her cape with the wind. Turning away from the scene with a chuckle, Topaz and the rest of his group make it to the top of the cliffs and see Professor Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch waiting.
Ozpin: "Congratulations students. You showed an excellent performance and tremendous teamwork."
Goodwitch: "You can make your way back to campus to await the team building ceremony. Until then you are free to familiarize yourself with the school."
Topaz and the group slowly made their way back to Beacon, chatting along the way about their combat styles and weapons. Topaz looks around, rather satisfied with how things have gone. He's ready for the year to come, itching to grow stronger. As the group gets back to Beacon, Topaz wonders who Ruby and Yang ended up with for partners, and how their test went.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
r_h_i_n_o
r_h_i_n_o The team and their semblances. I know the pain nullification is similar to Hazel's, but I don't know if Nature's Gift or Battlecry (Names of Ariel and Scarlett's semblances) have been thought of before. I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of struggling to piece together ideas for early Beacon. I have some pretty big ideas for the Fall of Beacon/Post Fall of Beacon area, but before that I'm pretty much pulling bits from the anime and adding my own bits. As usual, if you have any suggestions or questions about the story feel free to let me know. I hope you enjoy!
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