The cameras were dead, Grimm were everywhere, and Kebiin was once again in tune with the Force that he now knew surrounded him. He felt a rush of exhilarating power as he let the Force flow through him and his opponents, sending him into a combat trance. The Grimm constantly charged at him, doing everything in their power to claw and bite at him. The world almost seemed to be moving in slow motion. He could see exactly when and where the Grimm would strike, and he would bring his blade up to meet it, severing whatever it came into contact with. They were definitely powerful and vicious animals, but they weren't the ones with the lightsaber. One by one, the Grimm fell before him, slowly evaporating as they lay in half on the ground.
Before Kebiin realized how many he had slain, only a handful of the original number of Grimm remained. He snapped out of his trance, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. The Beowolves and Ursa retreated into the forest. He won. Or at least, he thought he did until the Nevermore above him swooped down and grabbed him by his cloak. The jolt of the action made him jump, and with one powerful flap of its wings, the Nevermore took off.
The beast rose higher and higher, heading further south from where Kebiin originally landed. He struggled to get out of its grip, trying to unhook either the claws from his cloak, or the cloak itself. He tried to swing upward at the leg of the Nevermore when he realized something. He had dropped his lightsaber.
"Well… here we go again…" Kebiin groaned.
Ruby and Jaune were still huddled up with the rest of the team leaders, trying to get some sort of signal to reconnect with the cameras. After several minutes, the video and audio feed was restored on their tablets. Ruby sighed in relief until she noticed that Kebiin was missing from the scene. There was no blood on the ground, so at least she knew that he hadn't been ripped limb from limb. The evaporating corpses of Grimm littered the area, with many of them being cut in half. However, the cuts didn't look like they had been sliced by a blade, but the wounds were cauterized, almost as if they had been burned in half.
"Hey, look." Jaune pointed to a small spot on Ruby's screen. The silver and black batton Kebiin wore on his belt sat in the middle of the field, obscured by the amount of smoke coming off of the Grimm's lifeless bodies.
"From the looks of it, I don't think he just decided to leave it there on purpose."
Ruby agreed. Kebiin was protective of what little personal belongings he had. If he defeated all the Grimm in the area and moved to a different spot, he would've taken everything he had on him. He wouldn't be that careless to leave something behind without reason.
"Hey, can you check any of the other camera feeds?" Jaune asked. "We should check if he's OK."
Ruby clicked through a bunch of the camera feeds, unable to find a trace of Kebiin.
"He's… he's nowhere… I thought there were supposed to be cameras throughout the whole exam zone?"
"Didn't we hear a Nevermore right before the camera feed ended?"
Ruby's eyes widened. "You don't think…"
"Well you and Weiss hitched a ride on one during our exam. I don't see why it wouldn't be impossible."
The Nevermore carried Kebiin further and further away from where he originally was, and he was convinced that he was going to become lunch for a nest of Nevermore hatchlings. He struggled furiously, trying to get out of the monster's grip. He had been working on unhooking his cloak, but the constant movement of the Nevermore's flying made concentrating on anything difficult.
Realizing that getting the monster to set him free wasn't going to work the conventional way, Kebiin decided to try a different approach. If he had manipulated the Beowolves and Ursa, then it stood to reason that he could influence a Nevermore. Even if he couldn't control it, all he needed was that moment of hesitation and confusion. He stopped struggling, relaxed his body, and listened to the Force. Revan once told him that one of his former masters had at one point taught him how to very nearly completely control another creature. While Kebiin had nothing to practice on, Revan still described it the best he could at the time.
The Nevermore's mind was stronger than the other Grimm he had encountered earlier. The emotions and of the Darkside were still there, but it felt more controlled, yet intense. In terms of power, it was more experienced and strong, but still untamed. No matter how powerful the Grimm would get, they were still animals. And Kebiin could take advantage of that.
Kebiin did his best to let his mind free and completely open to the Force. The howling winds and occasional jolt from the Nevermore's lack of consideration for Kebiin's life made it difficult, but he eventually made solid contact with the beast's mind. And he immediately regretted it.
He saw first hand how twisted this mutated version of the Darkside was. The panicking animal tried to reject him, but it was failing to do so. Kebiin tried to lock himself out, but it was almost as if he was stuck inside its mind. They had a death grip on each other, and it was agonizing. Kebiin knew of the horrors the Dark Side could bring from stories told by his mother and Revan, but he never had any personal experience. The primal instincts of the Nevermore, the malice from its dark taint, and the completely foreign design of its thoughts made Kebiin feel like his head was being crushed by the pressure of a boiling sea.
In the confusion of their locked minds, the Nevermore had begun to lose altitude. They were going to crash right onto the forest floor.
Stay focused. If you don't get free, you're going to die. You need to concentrate if you're going to survive the fall.
Kebiin could hear a small voice amidst the confusion and pain. Whatever it was was right, but the physical and mental cries of the Nevermore were deafening. All Kebiin would feel from it was fear and anger. But he needed to survive, no matter what.
Kebiin acted on instinct. Right now, it didn't matter what he did. If it meant he could break away from this awful creature and live, then he would do it. He directed any clear thought he had left into feeding off the power of the Nevermore. He would use it's own emotions against it. He remembered the anger he felt at Cardin the night before, the fear of seeing his mother's blade clash with the Inquisitor's, and the sorrow he felt seeing his father gunned down by stormtroopers. He raised his arm at the Nevermore, and in one sudden burst of power, blew off its leg.
The severed limb went limp, allowing Kebiin to climb his way out of it''s talons and separate their minds. He just barely used the Force to cushion his fall, but the Nevermore crashed into the forest with a loud *thump!*.
Now on solid ground, Kebiin scrambled up back onto his feet. His now missing cloak was the least of his worries. His head felt like it had been impaled, and his senses were on hyper-alert. He could feel the Force around him even more intensely than when he first tapped into it, but it was also cold and uninviting. He cuffed his hands over his ears, and fell onto his knees.
"This… this is the Dark Side?" He whimpered. "Revan, how do I stop it? It hurts, it hurts… make it stop, make it stop… I don't want this, it's so cold…"
His pleas for his mentor's guidance ringed hollow. Revan couldn't help him here. He stumbled around, feeling delirious and disoriented. The Nevermore's howling screams of pain could be heard in the distance. Kebiin had to keep moving.
His head and body ached. The horrid feeling of the Nevermore was still fresh in his mind. He was terrified, enraged, and in pain. He tried to call upon the meditation techniques Revan had taught him, and did his best to clear his mind.
" Peace, serenity, the Force..."
It wasn't working. He still felt the pain.
"Peace, serenity, clarity of thought, the Force…"
He shivered violently as another sickening sharp pain coursed through his head and down his spine.
"Peace, serenity, clarity of thought, the Force, the Light…"
None of his meditations were working. His brief connection to the Nevermore was too painful. He couldn't use the Force to concentrate. It was practically useless right now. He needed to find some way to get his mind back on track.
"Find the relics, get away from the Nevermore, return to Beacon… find the relics… Beacon… new team… new clan… home."
A new home. That's right… he needed to find these relics, and earn his place amongst the teams. He was going to make a new life for himself with Beacon as his home. He stopped in his tracks and sat against a tree, taking shaky breaths.
"Clarity of thought, find the relics… peace, new clan... serenity, home..."
His body relaxed ever so slightly and his head felt like it was slowly being cleared up. He still felt shaken, but he at least felt like he was back in reality.
He wandered through the forest for a few minutes before stumbling upon what looked like some sort of ancient man-made stone structure resembling a miniature coliseum. He could see three pedestals on the inside of the structure, each with a different chess piece placed on top of them. A Black Bishop, a White Rook, and a White Knight. The Bishop immediately stood out from the rest with it's darker coloration, while the others were a muted goldish color. He reached for the Bishop piece, convinced his exam would finally be over.
Just as he was about to grab it, the Nevermore that had attacked him came into view in the sky. It was flying dangerously low, but it didn't seem to care. Kebiin dove out of it's way just as it crashed into the stone structure, knocking the pieces into different directions. The Nevermore was howling louder than ever, still in pain and enraged from it's forced amputation just a few minutes ago. Stone bricks and columns flew everywhere, and Kebiin was knocked on to his stomach with his hand protecting the back of his head. From the sound of it, The Nevermore had broken a wing. Before standing up, Kebiin fumbled around the dusty wreckage with his hand before moving away from his spot. He felt a chess piece touch his hand, and immediately grabbed it without looking. He stood up, and darted away from the flailing beast.
Before he could get a good distance away, the Nevermore grabbed him in its beak and attempted to crush him with the sheer force of its bite. Kebiin Placed his arm and legs vertically in it's mouth, prying it open. He used his free hand to Force push against its lower jaw, breaking it. He slid off the lower beak as the Nevermore jerked its head back in pain. It continued to swing its own body in every direction, destroying everything in its path with its size and brute strength. Bricks and other construction materials from the relic site flew away along with any rocks or trees the Nevermore crashed in to, giving Kebiin an idea.
As smaller objects flew around, he gripped them with the Force and sent them flying back at the Nevermore at incredible speeds, acting as makeshift projectiles. He truly wanted this abomination to die. He loathed it for the agony it had caused him, and he simply wanted it to be obliterated.
The creature was constantly being bombarded by the very rubble it turned up, and the barrage of debris was taking its toll. The objects weren't just hitting the beast with blunt force, they were going through its body as if they were armor-piercing rounds. In just a few moments, the Nevermore was nothing but an evaporating corpse with hundreds of holes shot clean through it.
Kebiin panted. All his remaining energy had been spent on killing that wretched thing. The anger he had felt subsided, and he could finally focus well enough to see what he had done. The Nevermore's body was almost unrecognizable. He felt satisfied, but also… guilty. The anger he used to kill it had helped him greatly, but wasn't anger the path to the Darkside? was it really so terrible if it had saved his life and slain his enemy?
He looked down at the chess piece he had picked up. It was the White Knight. The vegetation and dirt around him started to blow away as he heard an airship hover just above him. Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch stood inside and ordered the pilot to lower. Ozpin stretched his arm out to Kebiin, and he gladly took it. He climbed inside the airship, sighing in relief.
Ozpin and Glynda returned to the top off the cliff where the exam had originally started, and all the team leaders were still there. Ruby was relieved to see Kebiin safe, even if he was banged up a little. He had dirt all over him, had several cuts and bruises, and his old blue cloak was missing. He stood in front of the small crowd with his chin up and a slight grin on his face. His eyes however, told a different story than just simple triumph. There was a mixture of worry, shame, pride, and anxiousness. Those amber eyes did seem to have a certain complexity to them.
Ozpin begun his mini-speech.
"Kebiin Ceibur, you have retrieved the White Knight piece belonging to team RWBY. Would the team leader please step forward?"
Ruby stepped up from the small crowd and stood in front of her new team mate, shaking his hand.
"Kebiin, as leader, I fully accept you into team RWBY!"
Upon hearing those words, Kebiin's smile brightened. Ozpin continued.
"As Headmaster of this academy, I formally welcome you to Beacon. We expect great things of you."
"I know sir! I won't let you down!"
Glynda handed him a new tablet with a small flashing light signifying a notification. He clicked it, and a list of all the different teams were on screen. He selected "Team RWBY". Four portraits of the team members appeared on screen with their family symbols hanging like a banner behind them. There was a small loading wheel, and a new portrait appeared right in between Blake and Yang. His own portrait loaded into view, with the dual wing and saber crest of the Jedi Order right behind his picture. RWBBY. Red, white, black, blue, yellow.
His little admittance ceremony ended, and the others dispersed. Ruby gestured to Kebiin to follow her.
"Hold up a moment. I need to get something off my chest" Kebiin said. Ruby looked a little confused until Kebiin started walking in the direction of Cardin, who he had assumed was behind his failed firearm. He was just about to confront him when Kebiin felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Ozpin once again.
"Congratulations, young man. I'm proud of you. I knew you were Beacon material."
"I think I can formally thank you finally then" Kebiin remarked. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I won't fail you!"
Ozpin smiled and sipped his coffee.
"You're very welcome, Kebiin. Now, I couldn't help but noticed your expression when you were about to approach Cardin over there. Is there something I should know about?"
Kebiin hesitated. Now that he thought about it, he had no idea of knowing if Cardin was actually responsible for his malfunctioning weapon. It was a reasonable assumption, but that was all it was. An assumption. He was just too quick to placing blame.
"No, sir. It's nothing important."
Ozpin looked skeptical.
"Is that so? he wouldn't happen to be the student you were having a complication with earlier would he?"
"N-no!" Kebiin instantly responded. He glanced down. He was telling more lies again…
"Well… actually, yes. He is. But we just got off on the wrong foot."
"If you believe you can handle it on your own, I won't stop you. Just remember I'm always here if you need me."
"Thanks again, sir." Kebiin noticed Ruby still standing, waiting for him to finish his conversation. "I umm… I should get going now."
Before Kebiin could turn, Ozpin reached into his coat pocket and pulled something out. It was his lightsaber. Kebiin had the look of surprise a child on Christmas would have, and Ozpin handed the metal object back to him. The moment it fell back into Kebiin's hands, he instantly felt more relaxed.
"W-where did you get this?"
"You seemed to have dropped it when you were snatched by the Nevermore. I suggest you keep it close. Such a weapon shouldn't be left unattended."
Kebiin looked back at Ozpin, even more surprised than before.
"You… did you…"
"Once you settle in, meet me at my office. I think there are some things we need to talk about."
Kebiin nodded and jogged back toward Ruby, who looked like she was getting a little impatient.
"What was the hold up about?" she asked as they headed to their dorm.
"Just final words of encouragement. Work hard, do your best, all that jazz."
"He does have a way with words... "
Ruby was a little nervous about how the others would react upon learning they had a new teammate. Especially Weiss. She still remembered what she said about them already being a complete team. Ruby hoped all would go well.
Alright, ladies! I know you've already met him, but I introduce you to: Kebiin Ceibur! latest edition to team RWBBY!"
Kebiin stood at the dorm room door way as Ruby announced his arrival to the team. Yang was definitely the more excited one, jumping up and down while Blake put up a small smile and looked back at Weiss. Weiss exhaled and smiled like the others.
"Well, we're glad to have you. Welcome to the team." She put out her hand to shake his.
"Thanks" Kebiin said, shaking her hand. "Well… I guess you're stuck with me!" he joked. He shifted his feet a little, feeling awkward. Weiss snorted and chuckled.
"No no, you're part of the team now. You may as well be family from here on out."
Kebiin and the rest of the team looked at her. Wasn't she the one who was all apprehensive about him earlier? Ruby thought.
Kebiin was surprised. Just a few hours ago, she told him that they didn't need him. Now she was welcoming him with open arms. Even if she was just being polite, he was going to prove that he would be a strong edition to the team.
"Family…"
Upon hearing that word, Kebiin teared up and wiped his eyes. The others looked at him, slightly confused.
"You alright there?" Yang asked.
"Yeah… it's just… been a while since I've had a family." Kebiin sniffed. "Aliit ori'shya tal'din..."
Ruby raised her eyebrow when Kebiin that foreign phrase.
"Come again?"
"Huh? oh, it's just a simple phrase my old family would say sometimes. It means "family is more than bloodline." A lot of these proverbs seem to apply to my situation now."
"I like it! It's a nice phrase. How do you say it?"
"Aliit ori'shya tal'din."
"Aliit or… orsha… umm… tall deen?"
Kebiin laughed.
"We'll keep working on it."
"C'mon, we should turn in for the night. Even if we've got a day off tomorrow, we need our rest." Blake suggested.
"Yeah, you're right. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm exhausted."
They all got dressed into their pajamas, with Kebiin getting dressed in the bathroom to give the girls some privacy. There were only four beds which had been stacked on top of each other to make bunkbeds and a temporary sleeping bag for Kebiin. He crawled into his bag, and the others went into their own beds, falling asleep shortly after. Kebiin reached his hand into his pack without getting up, and felt around to grab the holodisc his mother had left for him, and tightened his grip around it.
"I found a new clan, mom. I won't be alone anymore…" he whispered. He fell asleep just moments later.
