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The Way of the Maiden

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Chapter 40: The Attack
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    • Chapter 40: The Fall

    Twenty minutes ago​

    "From this moment on... none of you are safe."

    An Atlesian pilot continued to stare at the video screen in his ship; his eyes had been glued to that screen ever since two Mandalorians threw Oobleck and Port out of the moderator stand and made their own speech. Now that it ended, all he could hear and see were people screaming and panicking in the stands.

    "My God," he said in shock as he finally looked away. He needed to take a few deep breaths in order to calm down. Between the Mandalorians taking over the arena to a robot being revealed in the most brutal way possible, there was a lot he needed to calm down about.

    But first, he needed to check in on his passenger.

    "You doing okay?" the pilot asked as he turned around.

    Standing behind him was a horrified Winter Schnee, who had lost her voice when she saw Penny ripped apart like that. She had no idea how the Mandalorians could have known about her nature, but that was only one of the things on her mind. From General Ironwood being shot to mass chaos at Amity, Winter was scared out of her mind. And the pilot could easily see it.

    "Hey, don't worry," he said as he disguised his fear with confidence. "We're far from the arena, let's just keep going and we'll-"

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    A sharp beeping sound, similar to a warning, was ringing from the airship's dashboard. The sound was strong enough to snap Winter back to reality and cause her to look at the dashboard. "Is that the radar?" she asked, remembering a lesson in Atlesian airships from back home.

    "Yeah..." the pilot said as he looked at the screen. "But what are we-?" Dread quickly came to him when he saw multiple red dots on his screen. "Where the hell did they-?"

    "Look out!"

    The pilot looked out his window to see multiple black objects flying past in front of the ship. Some of them began hitting the ship, causing it to swerve. Winter fell over while the pilot shook around in his seat. The thrashing continued while he tried to steady the ship, and the head of a Griffon suddenly crashed through the glass.

    "Shit!" the pilot yelled as he moved away from the beak. But when he moved, he accidentally let go of the ship's controls. And instead of going down, the Griffin's head made the ship stay exactly where it was. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"

    Winter was holding onto a handle on the side, which allowed her to remain steady. When she finally saw what was happening, Winter pulled out her sword and detached the smaller blade she had. It took effort, and it took even more effort to aim and throw the small sword.

    Chance must had been kind to Winter when she threw that blade, or else it wouldn't have impaled the Griffon between its eyes.

    The pilot looked away from the decaying Grimm and back to Winter. "Get us out of here!" she cried.

    The pilot obeyed and quickly took control of the ship. Soon enough, they managed to escape the cloud of Grimm. However, the ship had taken considerable damage; it would need to be manually examined before they could risk another flight.

    So the airship made its way to a cliff near the school. Once it landed, Winter got out and helped the pilot step out.

    "Thanks," he said as he rubbed broken glass off his torso.

    "You're welcome," Winter said as she looked up and down. The Grimm were still flying above them in large groups. Atlesian airships were immediately deployed, but they were going to have a hard time regaining control of the sky from the usurpers. And the Mandalorians that also came out of nowhere weren't going to help either.

    "Might as well get comfortable," the pilot sadly said as he looked into the sky. "We're gonna be here a while."

    Present​

    Winter looked at the raging battles above and below, seeing nothing but explosions and hearing Grimm on the ground and in the sky. Ever since the ship landed, she didn't take her eyes off this tragic site. She had always heard General Ironwood talk about how safe and protected every citizen on Remnant would be with a fleet like this and officers like the ones they train at Atlas Academy.

    And yet, it was clear that Atlas was on the losing side of this battle. The Mandalorians and Grimm had destroyed more smaller airships than she could count, and one airship was doing nothing at all. She had seen someone shoot Ironwood before chaos ensued, and the young girl constantly asked herself how it could have been this bad without the General. It seemed that so many people looked up to him and simply felt no hope when he was apparently killed.

    Things had started to change when more airships began to take to the air and the third large ship finally began to fight. But there was still much to do.

    "Skies are clearing up," a voice from behind said. The news fell onto deaf ears, so the pilot had to repeat himself. "The skies are clearing up, Cadet!"

    "Huh?" Winter asked as she turned around. When she realized what her companion said, she quickly walked over to the ship. "Is it safe to get off the ground?"

    "No, but it's better than before." The pilot took his seat and began to give the airship life once again. "We should be outta here in no time, though."

    "I thought you said we couldn't reach Atlas in this state."

    "I did, and we can't. But there's a message on every frequency, something about a safe zone in Vale. I can get us there in no time."

    *THOOM*​

    Just as the pilot told Winter the news, they both felt a low rumbling at their feet. The pilot fell over, but Winter helped him up.

    "What was that?" she asked.

    Before the pilot could answer, they both heard a loud shriek in the air. The Atlesians covered their ears in pain to block out the inhuman scream, but the pain still afflicted them when the sound disappeared.

    "Forget that!" the pilot said, referring to the small earthquake. "What was that?!"

    Winter looked around, but couldn't see anything around her. But there was indeed something close by. Something dangerous.

    "We need to go," she said as she moved towards the airship.

    Two heavy eyes began to open when the sound of gun fire went off. The shots were followed by what sounded like air blowing, but there was an intense heat following this sound. When the eyes fully opened, they allowed a teenage girl to see a man in armor fighting a Faunus that was shooting fire from her hands.

    The girl's eyes closed once again from an invisible weight. When they opened again, they saw the armored man on the winning side of the duel. He had managed to trap the Faunus in a headlock and was beginning to raise his gun to her head.

    However, a swarm of flies came from nowhere and ensnarled the armored man. He let go of the Faunus and fell to the ground, dropping his gun in the process.

    Cinder's eyes opened one final time, restoring her full sight and her realization of the present situation; her father was being attacked by Aurora and at least one of the Blair sisters. Realizing that she had to do something, Cinder began to stand up. However, she fell to the ground in exhaustion and pain. When she tried again, the same result happened.

    Aurora didn't seem to notice, as she was focused on the Mandalorian at the moment. Her hand created a fireball and she brought it close to the Mandalorian's helmet. "Nighty night," she sadistically said.

    Cinder knew that she had to do something, but she couldn't do much if she couldn't stand up properly. An opportunity presented itself when her hand fell onto Djarin's small blaster. She quickly picked it up and fired at the first thing she saw.

    Aurora's back was the first thing that the blasts hit. Djarin was the second, but his Beskar armor was more than enough protection for something like this. More blasts hit either the wall or the Botflies surrounding Djarin, causing them to move away from the scorching-hot projectiles.

    "You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Aurora asked as she moved her fiery hand towards the exhausted Maiden. Fortunately, a metal wire wrapped around her arm and pulled. The result was the fire traveling away from Cinder and crashing into a wall. The fire nearly burned Cinder, and the force was enough to make her fall again.

    The Mandalorian quickly used his flamethrower on the Botlfies and Aurora, hoping to literally fight fire with fire. Some of the Botflies were engulfed in flames, but the others had formed a shield around Aurora. Not only was it a shield, but it was also picking her up off the ground and moving her towards the edge of the arena.

    When they were away from the Mandalorians, the Botflies released Aurora. Two jets of fire formed at the bottom of her feet and kept her afloat and allowed her to fly. Djarin had seen how Cinder used her powers to fly, and the technique Aurora was using was similar. But it looked like something a novice would do. The Faunus seemed to pick up on this fact quickly and moved closer to the ground as fast as she could.

    And she was heading straight for Beacon Academy.

    Djarin was prepared to give chase until he recalled who fired the pistol he dropped. He turned around fast to see Cinder leaning against the wall, doing the best she could to stand. Djarin quickly went over to put her arm on his shoulder so she could walk easier.

    "Are you okay?" was always the first question he asked when Cinder was helping him fight. She always played off whatever injury she had, but tonight was different.

    "Just... light-headed," Cinder eventually replied. As she walked with Djarin, the teenager continued to rub her forehead in an attempt to regain her bearings. Despite her current state, she was aware that Aurora was here and needed to be stopped. "Wh-Where's Aurora?"

    "Going to the school."

    Cinder stopped rubbing her head and looked straight to the edge of Amity. She gently pushed her father's arm away from her and felt fire come to her eyes. Her plan was to fly down to Beacon and hopefully beat Aurora there. But when the flames appeared, so did a horrible pain throughout her body. The pain was so intense that Cinder couldn't stand. "I... I need my armor," she said as Djarin tried to help her stand.

    "No, you're not fighting like this," Djarin firmly stated. "You're hurt. Bad."

    "No, I'll be fine. Just... Just need to wake up." Cinder started lightly slapping herself in the face. "Aurora must have... put me to sleep." She learned about the Faunus' Semblance when they met, and Cinder was sure this was what happened.

    Djarin, however, found it upon himself to reveal the true gravity of the situation. "Cinder, Aurora didn't just put you to sleep," he said as he looked at her face. "She was using your powers to fight me." The Mandalorian pointed at the scorched armor he was wearing. "I think... I think she stole them from you."

    "..."

    Cinder slowly began to remember what happened after she first escaped Aurora. She remembered feeling a sharp pain on her neck, something that made her feel tired and weak. When she touched her neck again, she felt drying blood on the back of it.

    Along with two small places where the pain intensified.

    "A generous gift from Her Grace. It consumes and gives Aura to anyone or anything in its presence. Now it's gonna help me get those powers of yours."

    A mixture of hope and denial led Cinder to opening her palm and attempting to make fire again. It worked, but the flame was small and the pain in her body returned.

    "Oh... Gods," Cinder said with sadness as she put out the fire. "She... She stole them?" This sadness ended briefly when she looked back to the Mandalorian. "All the more reason for me to-"

    "No," Djarin firmly stated. "I'm going to Beacon. You're going to wait for me at Vale with anyone else who made it out."

    "I can't just sit this one out! With or without my powers, I have to do something!"

    "Cinder, stop arguing with me! There's nothing you can do!"

    "I can still use my powers, it just hurts a bit! And what about you?! Your Aura can't protect you for long, you need me!"

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    A series of loud explosions, followed by an even louder shriek, caused Djarin and Cinder to look over the edge of Amity to see two things.

    The first was the continued assault and defense on Beacon Academy. And the second was the Wyvern flying in the air, directly over the school grounds.

    "Still think you can fight at Beacon?" Djarin asked as he turned to Cinder.

    "..."

    The Mandalorian didn't want to be demeaning towards Cinder like this, but he knew it was the only way to make her think rationally. So Djarin took her silence as a "no," and began to lead her to a waiting ship. "This will take you to Vale. I'll find you when I come back from the school."

    "Bu-But you can't fight either!" Cinder protested. "Not against that thing!"

    "I'm not going to fight it. I'm going to find Ozpin, and we're going after Aurora. I'll make sure you get your powers back, I promise."

    Cinder understood the plan, but still felt that she could do more against the invasion. "What about Saxon?" she asked. "He didn't claim the Darksaber, he stole it! We can get it back!"

    "The Maiden powers are more important than the sword. We don't know what can happen to you if they're in this state, we can't take any chances."

    "But... But I-"

    "Cinder, stop arguing with me!" Djarin immediately called down when Cinder fell silent. "We're getting your powers back first, and that's final."

    Cinder wanted to fight more than anything at the moment. She wanted to help, to make up for being blind to the truth about her teammates and for losing the Darksaber. But she knew her father was right. After all, this was a textbook case of one of his earliest lessons; always choose your battles wisely.

    And Cinder knew what the wise thing to do tonight was.

    "Be careful," Cinder said as she moved towards the ship. "Please be careful."

    "I will," Djarin promised. "Be safe."

    The Wyvern had nearly completed flying over the entire school grounds below it. In that time, it had done nothing but scream and drop a stagnant liquid onto the ground. That stagnant liquid began to spawn all kinds of Grimm, from Beowolves to Goliaths.

    The mere sight of this was the signal for the Mandalorians at Beacon to take to the skies once more. One could easily mistake this retreat as cowardice, but the students who were trying to defend Beacon Academy began to share the same idea as the intruders. Not even the weapons they were using could provide them any means of security.

    "Oh, my God," a student from Vacuo whispered. "Is that what I think it is?"

    "Y-You mean a Wyvern?" another student replied. "It sure looks like one."

    "Guys?" Max asked as he began to back up. "I don't think we have the firepower for this."

    "And I don't think hand-to-hand is gonna help us now," Lilith agreed.

    "We're gonna need a bigger brigade," said Andrea.

    "We're gonna need a bigger school," a Mistralian student commented.

    One student, who was growing more afraid by the second, turned to Professor Ozpin. "Do... Do we fight?" he asked.

    The Headmaster looked away from the Grimm and towards the large crowd of students. "No," he answered. "Run!"

    The students didn't need to hear the command twice; they took off running the moment they heard the professor's order. Some of them felt ashamed for abandoning the school so quickly, but others were relieved they would be leaving.

    The relief, however, wasn't enough to cover the fear and shame the majority of the group was feeling.

    The newly-born Grimm quickly began to charge after the fleeing students. And to make matters worse, the Wyvern was making another pass and dropping more Grimm-water. This water either fell on the empty ground or right on top of fleeing students.

    Lilith had to constantly tell herself not to turn back towards the screams. Even though they were practically ringing through both her ears and making her head pound, Lilith kept moving forward as fast as she could.

    Max and Andrea shared their teammate's instincts. They too were doing their best not to slow down or turn back. The worst part was that they had no idea where Garret, their other teammate, was. All they could focus on was getting to the airships they saw on the landing pads.

    Ozpin stopped running when he was on the landing pad. The pilots who were waiting immediately saluted him and informed him of the situation.

    "Sir, local Huntsmen and the Atlas military have established a safe zone in Vale," one pilot said. "We have more ships on the way on five minute rotations."

    "Then this is your first run," Ozpin said as he pointed towards the students. "Students, a safe zone has been established in Vale. Please listen to Atlas personnel and remain calm."

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Ozpin heard a soft buzzing noise coming from his pocket. He reached inside and took out his Scroll, which was currently receiving a call from Din Djarin. Realizing that this was his chance to hear news at Amity, he moved to the side and answered the call. "Hello?" he asked calmly.

    "It's me," the Mandalorian's voice replied on the other end. "I'm on my way to Beacon. Did you see them?"

    "The Mandalorians aren't focusing on the school anymore. Not with the Wyvern around."

    "Not them. Aurora's on her way, with the Blairs."

    "Aurora? Why is she coming here?"

    "I found them with Cinder. They... I don't know how, but... She just..."

    Ozpin grew increasingly concerned with the lack of an explanation. "Djarin, what happened?" he asked.

    "...Aurora stole the power, Ozpin," Djarin finally admitted. "Not all, but enough to hurt Cinder."

    "...What?"

    Ozpin could hardly believe what he was hearing. He hadn't heard of anyone attempting to steal Maiden powers for themselves since the night he met Djarin and Cinder. When he was convinced nothing happened, Ozpin thought it would be very difficult, even close to impossible, to do so again.

    But he had just been proven wrong.

    "Is she alright?" Ozpin asked.

    "...I don't know," Djarin confessed. "She said she felt light-headed, but she could barely stand without any help. Ozpin, is she... is Cinder going to die?"

    "No!" As soon as Ozpin said this, a bad thought crossed his mind. "Well... not today, but if we-"

    "What do you mean 'not today?'" Djarin firmly asked.

    "I've seen something like this before. A Huntress tried to create two Maidens by splitting her powers with a younger girl."

    "And?"

    "She too felt weak after the transference, even though she retained a majority of the powers. But it was too late to take them back."

    "Let me guess; someone dies when the power reunites?"

    "...I'm afraid you're correct. It wasn't immediate, but her time ran out."

    "What happened to the powers?"

    "They combined shortly after. So if we're going to save Cinder-"

    "We need to kill Aurora. I'll find her."

    "No, wait." Ozpin looked into the sky to search for the Wyvern. He saw it preparing to make another pass towards the school. "When you get here, go to your ship. It has weapons, correct?"

    "You want me to kill the Wyvern?" Djarin asked.

    "If it's possible," Ozpin confirmed. "If you can't, at least draw it away from Beacon's landing pads."

    "What about you?"

    "I'll be at the Vault. Glynda and Qrow will help me stop her. You just worry about the Wyvern." Before Djarin could protest, Ozpin ended his call and began a new one with Glynda. "Glynda, what's happening?"

    "Amity is cleared," a voice replied on the other end. "How's the school?"

    "In need of your help. Find Qrow and meet me at the Vault. It's time we finish this."

    It had been an unexpectedly long journey in the sky, trying to avoid both Grimm and Mandalorians. But Cinder's airship had finally landed in the middle of Vale. When she got off, all the young girl could see were countless soldiers directing scared citizens off the ships and towards temporary shelters. All she could hear were orders and people crying their eyes out, which broke her heart. Cinder watched and listens to the people with pity; not just for them, but also for herself.

    The teenager knew that she could put these worries aside in a heartbeat if she had her full powers. If there were any Grimm trying to breach the safe-zone, she could burn them to ashes. If there were any Mandalorians trying to shoot down more evacuating airships, she could summon a great storm and blow them far away.

    But that wasn't the case anymore. Cinder's powers had been stolen by the people she called her friends, and the Mandalorians were being led by an usurper who stole the Darksaber without winning it. With all this pain, all the lives that were taken, Cinder knew one thing was for sure; this was all her fault. She let the Blair sisters help her push Djarin away, she let them believe her friend had betrayed her, and it all led her to being vulnerable enough to stealing both her powers and the Darksaber.

    Nothing could make up for what had been done to her and the rest of Vale.

    "Cinder!"

    The sound of her name and a flash of white surrounding her caught Cinder off guard, especially when the white hugged her close. The embrace soon disappeared and revealed itself to be another girl with white hair.

    "Winter!" Cinder shouted when her confusion disappeared. She quickly returned the hug, relieved to see someone she knew and that they were unharmed. "Wait, what are you doing here?" she asked when she let go. "I thought you were going to Atlas."

    "I was, but my pilot and I were caught in the storm of Griffons; they came out of nowhere," Winter explained. "We had to let it blow over and come here. It's really good to see you."

    "Trust me, the feeling's more than mutual." Cinder felt another deep regret. "But... it's too bad you're here. This is probably the only place in Vale that's not out of control."

    "I knew things were bad in Amity, but I was hoping to hear some good news when we touched down. How's Beacon?"

    "I don't know." Cinder pointed towards the academy. "A few minutes ago, a Wyvern came straight for the Academy. I think it's coming for another pass."

    "A Wyvern?" Winter whispered. "Is that what that shriek was? I couldn't see it." She and Cinder looked towards the school, but couldn't see anything.

    "Oh, it's there."

    A new voice caused the girls to turn around and see a new group of students getting off an airship. The one in front of them was instantly recognized by Cinder.

    "Lily!" she cried in relief with a smile. She tried to walk over to her friend, but a sharp headache caused her to stumble and nearly lose her balance. Fortunately, Winter was able to catch her.

    "Whoa, are you okay?" Lilith asked as she and Winter led Cinder to a place where she could sit down.

    "I'm fine," Cinder said as she rubbed her head. "Just light-headed." She slowly looked up to her friend. "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah, we're okay," said Lilith. "Better now, actually."

    "Now that we're outta Beacon," said Max. "That thing nearly killed us before we evacuated the school."

    "You mean the Wyvern?" Winter asked. "Where is it now?"

    "We saw it flying towards-Wait, you're Winter Schnee."

    "..."

    Cinder quickly realized why the three students were immediately giving Winter the cold shoulder. Naturally, she came to her friend's defense. "Guys, forget all that," she said as she stood up. "It wasn't her fault. I promise." She immediately became light-headed again, and Winter returned Cinder's favor by helping her sit down.

    "Look, I can explain later," Winter crossly said. "But if you're still angry at me, can you go do it somewhere else while I look after my friend?"

    "..."

    All three students looked to each other, unsure what to do. They still had skepticism about Winter's attack, but Max was the first to realize they had bigger things to worry about than something that happened yesterday. And letting out his anger about the invasion on someone he barely knew wasn't going to help anyone.

    "What's wrong with her?" he asked as he kneeled to Cinder's level. Lilith and Andrea shared a glance at each other before looking down at Cinder in concern.

    "I don't know," Winter confessed. "I found her sitting here before you came."

    Cinder realized how her actions were giving her away. And the lack of any physical wounds would only make her friends even more suspicious. So she did her best to come up with a lie, but her throbbing head wasn't going to help.

    "Did you see a medic when you came here?" Winter asked as she observed Cinder's actions. Her focus on her head gave the Atlesian an idea. "I think she might have a concussion."

    "We didn't," Lilith said as she played back her arrival at the safe zone. "But we could go look!"

    "Let's split up," Max said as he stood up. "First one to find a medic comes back here." All three teenagers left Cinder and Winter alone to wait.

    "I'm sorry about that," Cinder said. "Nobody got the chance to talk about the Chill."

    "How could they?" Winter rhetorically asked. "Those madmen at Amity destroyed any signs of established order." A bad thought crossed the Atlesian's mind, but every instinct told her that the idea wasn't true. Nevertheless, she had to ask Cinder something. "Cinder, forgive me for asking, but do you... do you know those Mandalorians?"

    Cinder mentally sighed before she replied. "I know of them," she sadly confessed. "One of them is the Saxon Clan, the ones who kidnapped several students and tried to invade Vale."

    Winter had heard about Beacon fighting this clan, and her doubts of Cinder knowing about the attack grew quickly. "And the others?"

    "All part of Death Watch. My dad ran into them a long time ago. He said they were all arrested."

    "I heard about that. General Ironwood told me about it once. He said they were on an island facility."

    "Guess they broke out." Cinder sighed physically this time. "Thanks for asking, by the way. I have to be ready to defend myself again when everyone talks about the Mandalorians."

    "What? Cinder, you have no reason to think people will be angry at you."

    "They were angry the night of our fight. And so were you."

    "..."

    Cinder moved her head to the ground when she saw Winter's surprised expression. "Yeah, I remember the Atlesians didn't like me that night," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the armor. You were right to be mad at me."

    Winter's surprise died down as she tried to support her friend. "I'm... sure you had a reason for wearing it," she said.

    "Yeah, but it was stupid. I wanted to show everyone that Mandalorians weren't what everyone thought they were." A dry chuckle escaped Cinder's throat. "Pretty pointless now, huh? Just another ditzy move from Cinder." She then buried her head into her arms. "I was dumb. I'm sorry."

    "..."

    Winter sat in silence as her friend's words sank in. It was true she had no idea that this was Cinder's reason for wearing her armor the night of their fight, and it was clear that Cinder meant no harm from it. Although she had heard how people viewed Mandalorians, Winter pitied her friend for thinking that she had done harm to people because she was one of them. And the Mandalorians attacking Beacon only justified this claim.

    The fact that this was so unlike Cinder made Winter feel even worse for her. The Cinder she knew was brave, confident, and someone who never let anyone stop her from doing what she thought was right. Winter hated to admit it, but she saw that Cinder was starting to act like a reflection of herself; more specifically, when Winter was stuck under her father's thumb. And Winter had no idea how to help, since Cinder was the one who freed her from Jacques.

    "Back it up, people! We have to move it back!"

    Winter and Cinder looked up to see multiple Atlesian soldiers moving towards the crowd, telling them to move backwards. Both of the girls were confused, but Winter immediately sought answers.

    "Soldier, what's going on?" she asked.

    "We have to move these people back," said a soldier in gray and red armor. "Some straggling Grimm are starting to break the perimeter; we can't defend the safe zone with these people here."

    Cinder, who was listening in, saw what this meant. "But that means the safe zone is shrinking," she said. "We won't have more room for evacuees."

    "We can't focus on gaining ground, we have to defend who we can. Now move back!"

    Winter and Cinder sat up and began to comply with the soldiers. However, Cinder was having trouble standing due to her headaches. When Winter helped her stand and began to move back, she soon had another idea. "Soldier, are you looking for any help with defending the safe zone?" she asked. "Specifically anyone with an Aura?"

    The soldier looked at Winter's uniform and recognized it as a cadet in the Atlesian army. "We're taking all the help we can get, kid," she said. "But I wouldn't blame you if you decide to sit this one out."

    Winter focused on the first thing the soldier said. After she looked at her Scroll and saw that she had a green Aura, the Atlesian turned around and pointed at Cinder's face.

    "I don't know what's gotten into you, Cinder," she firmly began. "But when things are under control, I'm making sure you stop talking nonsense and get your head out of your behind."

    "..."

    Cinder did nothing but stare in silence after Winter made this claim. As she walked away with her swords, Winter soon realized that her declaration had lived up to the nickname her cadets gave her. Whenever she was called the "Ice Queen," Winter thought that was what everyone believed the Schnees were like; specifically, her father. But the young girl realized that she was firm, brave, and dedicated to what she believed in when cadets called her this. And it was these qualities that could ensure people could be helped tonight, even Cinder.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Winter looked upwards when she heard what sounded like a rocket. "The Mandalorians can't be here, can they?" she asked herself. She could see something flying above, but she couldn't tell what it was.

    But she could brace herself once she saw that it was coming to the ground at an alarming speed.

    *SLAM*​

    Winter lowered her arms when she saw that the object wasn't another Mandalorian, but a metal locker. It opened to reveal two black blades and a quiver containing multiple arrows. It only took a second for Winter to realize who those weapons belonged to.

    "Wait up."

    The Atlesian turned around to see Cinder slowly walking towards the locker she summoned using a soldier's Scroll. She entered the coordinates shortly after Winter left, with a desire to help after her friend began to knock some sense into her.

    Of course, there would be a long way to go. Cinder doubted that protecting a safe zone from Grimm wouldn't be enough to change how she felt about herself... but she realized it would definitely be a start. And there was no way she was going to let Winter do this alone.

    And Winter realized that General Ironwood was right after all; her nickname had come to mean something good.

    So as she readied herself for battle, Winter looked at her friend and smiled. "I'm glad you're with me, Cinder," said Winter.

    "Same here, Winter," Cinder replied.

    When Djarin arrived at Beacon, he was forced to fight through newly born Grimm that were created from the Wyvern. All of this was in order to get two things: the Razor Crest and Cinder's armor.

    His plan was to get to his ship first, but then he saw the shape the dorms were in. Some merely had holes in the walls, but others had been completely destroyed. The Mandalorian knew Cinder would want to save a couple of things if she could, and he didn't want to see her armor fall into the wrong hands. And if she was feeling up to it later, she could use the armor any time she wanted.

    So after he ran up three flights of stairs and killed Beowolves and small Nevermores, Djarin burst into Cinder's room and grabbed the armor. He then used his Semblance to travel to the Razor Crest, where he stored Cinder's armor and prepared to take off.

    The Mandalorian had used the ship's weapons plenty of times, and he was impressed with what Cara Dune had done with the weapons. They were very useful in killing Nevermores and Grimm on the ground, but the Mandalorian didn't have any experience using them against a Wyvern. In fact, no Mandalorian had ever fought a Wyvern in years. If he hadn't killed the Rinocer long ago, fighting this beast could earn him a signet.

    "Hope you were thinking about Wyverns, Cara," Djarin thought to himself. "I'm going to need all the firepower I got."

    The twin engines roared to life and soon took the Razor Crest off the ground. Djarin practiced the machine guns by firing on incoming Grimm. When a cloud of dark ash was the only thing remaining, Djarin flew the airship upwards and soon came above the towers of Beacon.

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    Djarin looked at his radar to see multiple red dots moving towards the ship. He quickly realized that these were Griffons, not the Wyvern. So the Mandalorian unleashed a firestorm of bullets again when he turned the ship to the left. A majority of the Grimm were killed, but others were able to evade the bullets and ran into the Razor Crest.

    "Dammit, I forgot this ship is bigger than the last one!" Djarin cursed, remembering that this ship wasn't like the one he commandeered in Vale. So maneuvering in a storm of Griffons would be much harder now.

    After telling himself to be more careful, Djarin put some distance between himself and the Grimm. But two of them were right on his tail and he couldn't break them off. The Razor Crest didn't have any weapons on the back, but the Mandalorian had a trick up his sleeve. After strapping himself to the seat, Djarin made a series of movements with the controls that caused the whole ship to continuously spin.

    The Griffons following the Mandalorian soon began spinning themselves, trying to fly towards the engines of the Razor Crest. Djarin remembered learning from Professor Port that Griffons were attracted to heat, which was why they always tore at the engines of an airship. By making his ship spin, the Griffons were forced to spin themselves to try and make contact with the constantly moving engines.

    The two Grimm instead ended up colliding into each other and spun downwards.

    Once Djarin saw this, he made the Razor Crest stop spinning and plunge downwards instead. He then fired his guns at the Grimm and watched them turn to ash. The Mandalorian then smiled in pride as he decided it was time to focus his attacks on the Wyvern. Luckily, its constant shrieks made it easy to find.

    Djarin wasn't sure how to kill a Grimm of this size, but that didn't stop him from trying. His first attempt was to fire his machine guns at its back as he made his first pass. While this succeeded in diverting the Wyvern's focus on Beacon Academy, it failed in doing any kind of damage. The radar in the Razor Crest told the Mandalorian that he was now the Wyvern's prey. It also told him that the beast was gaining on him fast; so fast that it was actually able to hit the back of the airship with its head.

    Djarin felt the ship involuntarily spin after it was struck, but this only lasted for a few moments. He was surprised at the speed of this Grimm, but that didn't make him give up quickly. He instead pulled the ship up and watched the Wyvern fly directly under him, which quickly gave him an idea.

    Looking at the weapons systems of Razor Crest, Djarin could see that there was a button that would drop a small but powerful bomb onto the surface below. He used it once before, when he needed to clear an excessive amount of Grimm in the Forever Fall. He had gotten another bomb like it afterwards and saved it for an emergency. And that emergency was here and now.

    The only problem was that Djarin couldn't risk dropping such a weapon while an evacuation was in progress. If he missed, or if the Wyvern crashed into Beacon before it died, this would be giving Death Watch and the Saxons exactly what they wanted.

    In order to make this plan work, Djarin had to know if the school was abandoned. And he had to see what the Grimm's attack route was going to be. So Djarin decided to kill two birds with one stone and fly around the perimeter of Beacon Academy. Surely, he could see if there were any more ships or students during his pass.

    "So far, so good," Djarin thought as he looked to the ground. Despite seeing numerous Grimm and rubble across the once prestigious school, Djarin couldn't see anyone trying to evacuate or any ships in the process of evacuating.

    He did, however, see two Mandalorians on the base of Beacon Tower. And they were placing what appeared to be bombs on the stone.

    "No, no!" Djarin thought as he focused back on the Wyvern. He wasn't paying too much attention to the beast while flying above it, but now the Mandalorian knew it was just wasting his time. So after pressing a few buttons and increasing the speed, Djarin saw that he was in the perfect place to deploy his bomb.

    And that's exactly what he did.

    *BOOM*​

    An explosion followed by the Razor Crest shaking violently were the results of the Mandalorian dropping his explosive onto the Wyvern. As he was trying to regain control of his ship, Djarin was confident that the Wyvern was the source of the explosion, given the amount of time elapsed after he dropped it.

    But he didn't have the luxury of time to see what the damage was. Instead, he turned his ship towards Beacon Tower and flew downwards. He could see that the Mandalorians were flying upwards on the tower, not wanting to take any chances. Djarin knew that the destruction of Beacon Tower, which doubled as Vale's CCT Tower, would bring disastrous consequences on the Kingdom. And these Mandalorians seemed to know it as well, for they wouldn't be willing to risk their lives to be among this many Grimm.

    Djarin's first course of action was to put the ship on autopilot. Its weapons were very useful for Grimm and other ships, but they were less practical with smaller targets like humans and Faunus. It was better to be up close and personal, anyway; Djarin saw it as an opportunity to see where Vizsla and Saxon had the Darksaber. So when he felt the ship take control of itself, Djarin moved below deck and opened the door to jump out.

    The sounds of the Razor Crest had caught the attention of both Mandalorians, but they weren't expecting Djarin to attack them himself. Djarin was flying with his own jetpack and fighting his adversaries hand-to-hand. Each of their attacks were blocked easily, showing that each party was evenly matched. So one Mandalorian flew higher while his partner was fighting Djarin. She then activated a gray screen on her gauntlet and moved away from the tower. But before she could press the flashing red button, a wire caught the gauntlet and the Mandalorian's other arm, tying her arms to her torso.

    While he was pulling on his wire, Djarin made sure the other Mandalorian wasn't pulling any tricks. He realized that his other foe may have another remote to activate the charges, so he quickly pulled out his blaster and fired at the Mandalorian's jetpack. His foe began to fall downwards, and Djarin ascended to take care of the other Mandalorian. When he grabbed her in a headlock, Djarin activated his Semblance and found himself on the ground.

    "Where's Saxon?!" Djarin screamed as he pushed the other Mandalorian against the base of the tower. Now she couldn't risk detonating the charges she placed without killing herself in the process. But while this stopped her from trying to blow up the tower, it didn't stop her from remaining silent. Djarin ripped off her helmet and threw her to the wall again. "Where is he?!"

    The Mandalorian spit on Djarin's helmet. "Fuck off!" she yelled as she tried to block out the pain on the back of her head.

    Djarin's patience wore thinner by the second as he looked upon the resentful Mandalorian. Not wanting to waste any more time, Djarin pulled out his blaster again and aimed it at the woman's neck. "I can find another one of your friends," he callously warned. And this was no empty threat; Djarin was fully prepared to do whatever he needed to do in order to get back what was lost. "Last chance. Where's Saxon?"

    The Mandalorian looked down at the blaster and then back up at Djarin. And then she did something nobody could have predicted; she smiled.

    "Heads up," she warned sarcastically.

    Djarin kept his tight grip on the Mandalorian as he looked upwards in confusion. But once he saw a dark shape coming closer to the top of the tower, the grip loosened and Djarin began to back away. "No, no!" he screamed in vain.

    *BAM*​

    The Wyvern, which had survived the explosion Djarin had created, was only momentarily stunned. Nobody had noticed until now that it had been flying back towards Beacon Academy, with eyes set on Beacon Tower. When it crashed into the structure, pieces of metal and stone began to fall towards both Mandalorians. The woman picked up her helmet and ran while Djarin used his Semblance to teleport himself to a safer distance.

    When he saw that only the top of the tower had been destroyed, Djarin knew that he had to go back. He knew that Ozpin and everyone else were still inside, possibly with Aurora. Even though he didn't have a lot of Aura left, Djarin knew he could help Ozpin and the others get to safety.

    So when he found himself in a dark space dimly lit by green lights, Djarin looked around and began to call out. "Ozpin, we need to get-!"

    "Oh, there you are!"

    The Mandalorian quickly turned around to a devastating sight. Merri, Flora, and Fauna were all standing over Qrow, Glynda, and Ozpin. Qrow and Glynda looked like they had been burnt, no doubt because of the Maiden's powers. Ozpin, however, was in a state far worse. His clothes were a tattered mess, his skin was showing multiple spots that were bleeding, and he was staring at the Mandalorian with nothing but remorse.

    "I'm sorry, Djarin," he whispered. "I... I couldn't do it."

    "..."

    The Mandalorian couldn't believe that the Headmaster of Beacon Academy was beaten like this. He remembered all of the times that he trained Cinder, everything he did to show why he was the Headmaster. There was no way these hybrids could easily take him down. And yet they were standing over him with vicious smiles and blood on their cheeks.

    How could this possibly happen?

    *HISS*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Djarin felt something quickly strike the jetpack he was wearing. Before he had any time to react, he felt himself rise off the ground at alarming speed and crash into the ceiling. When gravity allowed the Mandalorian to come down, debris fell with him and pinned him to the floor. An orange light then cut Djarin's leg and came dangerously close to his helmet.

    "Just the man I wanted to see," said Aurora, the woman responsible for the stealthy assault. "Where is it?"

    Djarin tried to block out the pain of both debris and the cut by using what little Aura he had. "I... I don't know where Cinder is," he lied.

    Aurora rolled her eyes as she moved her sword closer. "Forget about her," she said. "I wanna know about the Beacon Relic. Why isn't it here?"

    Djarin looked back to Ozpin, who was still lying on the ground. Despite the obvious torture he had fallen victim to, it was now clear that he refused to give up the location of Beacon's Relic. Djarin respected this notion, that Ozpin still had strength to do what was necessary. He even respected the fact that Ozpin never told anyone, not even him, why one of the Relics was hidden differently than the others. So Djarin followed this example and responded. "That's not something I know about," he said.

    "Are you sure about that?" Aurora asked as she moved the blade close to Djarin's neck. It soon began to burn the fabric he was wearing under his armor. "Think. Real. Hard."

    "..."

    Djarin continued to follow Ozpin's example and said nothing about the Relic that Aurora sought. Not that he could, for that matter. And so, the Faunus finally moved her blade and sighed. "Alright," she said. "Let's do something simple, then; let's talk about Cinder."

    Djarin continued to resist Aurora's demands. "I won't tell you anything," he said.

    "Hmm... I don't think you need to." Aurora put a finger to her cheek and playfully tapped it. "We both know taking the power left its mark on that brat. She'd have to go someplace safe. And someplace fast too. So you took her someplace close while that Aura of yours was recharging. I'm gonna guess... Vale?"

    Djarin's immediate answer was to try and dig himself out of the rubble and try to grab a rock he could throw at Aurora. It was the most he could do in that situation.

    "Whoa there!" Aurora said as she stomped on Djarin's chest. The saber she had moved closer and began to burn Djarin's flesh with its heat. Confident in her assessment, Aurora turned around with a smile towards the three girls. "Ladies, let's get moving."

    Nobody on the ground was paying close attention to the sky, but the Atlesian air fleet had managed to regain control of the situation after Qrow had helped retake the third large ship before the Mandalorians had done too much damage. Many of the crew members were lost, but enough survivors remained to keep the ship active for the moment. The Mandalorians couldn't fire its weapons, but they could break the ship from the inside; the crew would need to abandon ship soon.

    But Admiral Thrawn wasn't ready to call a retreat just yet. Despite the fact that the Mandalorians had absconded with a majority of Beskar and a large kill count, their retreat had helped the air fleet focus and defeat the storm of Griffons. And now that he had the skies, he wasn't ready to give it up yet.

    But the still-flying Wyvern was surely tempting him.

    When the large Grimm crashed into Beacon Tower, the same tower that doubled as Vale's CCT, he knew the situation had become dire. Djarin's bomb and the continued assault wasn't enough to destroy it, but he knew one thing that could possibly eliminate it from the equation. He just needed to know if the fleet was capable.

    "Captain, I require a damage report," Thrawn said to his second-in-command.

    "Yes, sir," said Captain Pellaeon. He had just looked away from a terminal "The Griffon storm left our flagship scratched, but our major systems are performing at eighty-percent capacity."

    "And the others?"

    "Blue Two reported a hull breach shortly after the Wyvern passed it. That was... before the CCT was damaged." The man's voice trembled when he said this; he could see that winning this battle had very slim chances. He was fearful of the continuing debacles tonight had offered him, and he could only imagine how Thrawn was feeling.

    "And Blue Three?" the blue officer asked.

    "No change, sir," Pellaeon reported. "But they still won't be able to hold out for long."

    Thrawn did nothing but continue to stare at the main monitor, which was showing Beacon Academy and the Wyvern sitting on the tallest tower. He could also see a large horde of Grimm moving closer and closer to the school. The Admiral's plan, while not without sacrifice and hardship, was still coming to fruition.

    "Are we still able to communicate with Blue Two and Three?" Thrawn asked calmly.

    "Yes, sir."

    Thrawn made the monitor change from Beacon to the whole city of Vale. "Here are the fleet's new orders; all turrets and cannons are to concentrate fire on coordinates thirteen point forty-four north and fifteen point thirty-one west."

    Pellaeon nodded to the communications officers on the bridge of the ship, who immediately relayed Thrawn's orders to the rest of the ship and the other two. But instead of gunfire like he expected, the Admiral heard one communication officer speak up.

    "Admiral... our computers and the other airships report that... these coordinates are directly at Beacon Academy," he said. "The officers on board are insisting there's a mistake."

    "There is no mistake," Thrawn said. "Confirm the order."

    "Belay that."

    Thrawn turned to Captain Pellaeon, who was standing next to Thrawn. "Admiral, what are you doing?" he asked.

    "There's nothing left for us here, Captain," Thrawn replied. "If we fire now, the resulting explosions will eradicate any Grimm below. Big or small."

    "I'm aware, sir, but we have to think about this."

    "I agree, and I have. Without the CCT, Beacon has no value in protecting any longer. And with this many Grimm, we have no choice but to follow protocol. Whatever obstacles stand between us are irrelevant." Thrawn walked past Pellaeon and stopped at his shoulder. "I trust you understand Atlesian protocol, Captain."

    "Of course, Admiral," Pellaeon admitted. "But it is also protocol to inform the commander of the air fleet of said obstacles before firing."

    "Admiral Thrawn has informed me, Captain."

    A new voice from behind Pellaeon caused him to turn and see General Ironwood standing behind him. All officers on the bridge quickly stood and saluted the General, who was wearing a tattered uniform that showed bandages and a metal chest.

    "General Ironwood!" Pellaeon addressed with a salute. "I wasn't aware that-"

    "Captain, Thrawn is right," Ironwood said as he briefly returned the salute. "Without the CCT, we can't afford to protect both the school and the safe zone. But don't worry; Atlas will still assist the Kingdom of Vale." Ironwood walked past both officers while whispering one last remark. "And I won't let her win."

    Both officers were confused by the last remark, but Thrawn brushed it off when he reminded himself of the bigger picture. "We have our orders, Captain," he said.

    "Yes, sir," Pellaeon relented as he looked back to the communications officer. "There is no mistake. The order comes from General Irownood."

    "Yes, sir."

    While the battle at Beacon was still raging, the defense of the safe zone was going favorably. Winter had used a mixture of her swords and her Semblance to help the soldiers hold the line. True to her word, she had practiced her Summoning Glyphs prior to this battle. And she had just summoned a pack of Beowolves to help defend the safe zone.

    Cinder, while still unable to use her powers without pain, first focused on long range attacks. Each of the arrows she fired with Midnight hit their target, although some of them were not fatal. Blocking out the pain of her headaches was hard to do, and it was hard to aim accurately as well. So she decided to focus on close range combat and used her swords to turn any Grimm she saw to ash. Things would be much easier with her armor, but that wasn't an option.

    When they saw the progress the students were making, soldiers and a few Huntsmen moved towards the safe zone and offered the students a chance to help. Not all we're willing to risk their lives again, since the encounter with the Wyvern still lingered in their minds. But those who volunteered, a majority of which were Beacon students, joined the fight with recharged Auras and helped hold the Grimm back.

    This battle was not without hardship, but the tide had begun to turn for the first time in the night. A vast majority of Grimm disappeared while the safe zone was beginning to regain its original perimeter. Fear and uncertainty began to disappear as the defenders of Vale grew closer and closer to victory.

    But everything changed when a series of explosions in the distance reached everyone's ears.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    The deafening sounds caused everyone to look for the source of the explosions. At first, they looked up to see that the Atlesian airships, while heavily damaged, still had active weaponry that was only half of the source of the deafening noises.

    The other was the site of the target of the weaponry: Beacon Academy.

    Everyone stared in shock at the sight of Beacon being destroyed by Atlesian weaponry. The guns and lasers continued to fire at the school even when its architecture was falling onto the ground. The sight was enough to make people, both students and adults, fall to their knees in resignation. Some people even began to cry. Others did nothing but wonder...

    "Wha-What the hell's happening?"

    The question raised by a Beacon student raised many voices. One student from Vacuo believed that there must have been some kind of malfunction, but this idea was shot down by the fact that all three large airships had the same target. A student from Mistral believed that the Mandalorians must have boarded all three ships and used the weapons against Beacon. More people would have believed this logical assumption, had it not been for a soft whisper from an Atlesian soldier.

    "Dear Gods," the soldier said. "I... I can't believe he did it."

    The whisper was first heard by Cinder, who was on the verge of tears at the sight of Beacon, her home, being destroyed. With no word from her father, Cinder was feeling a mixture of emotions, mainly of shock, disbelief, and anger; she was even on the verge of resignation. But when she heard the soldier whisper that phrase, Cinder turned around and stood up.

    "What did you say?" she asked as she approached closer.

    The soldier turned to Cinder, who was being followed by other students who also heard his remark. At first, he was going to pretend that he didn't say anything, but a couple of other soldiers and Atlesian cadets heard him too. Even the citizens were starting to wonder what was going on.

    "Captain... what are you talking about?" a soldier with blue accents asked.

    "Yeah, who's he?" Cinder asked. "Did you already know about this?"

    "No!" the high-ranking soldier replied. When he saw that the cat was out of the bag, he knew he had no choice but to explain. "We've been using the Knights to drive the Grimm away ever since all this started. I told the Admiral they were all going towards Beacon... and he hasn't done anything to stop them." The soldier then looked up to the school. "Until now, apparently."

    A collective gasp from everyone caught all the soldiers off guard. "Excuse me?!" Cinder shouted in disbelief. "Why would anyone wanna do that?!"

    "Protocol."

    Cinder turned to Winter, who was standing next to her. "I briefly learned about military protocol in Atlas," she explained. "In the event of a massive Grimm invasion... it's protocol to find the largest mass of Grimm and wipe them out. Even if they're around homes or buildings."

    "But that was freakin' Beacon Academy!" a Beacon student shouted. "Huntsmen and Huntresses train there, for crying out loud!"

    "I know, but it doesn't matter," Winter replied as she shook her head. "Not to protocol, at least. If the destruction of any place means clearing out the Grimm... so be it."

    While the logic of clearing Grimm was obvious here, Cinder couldn't stand the fact that Beacon was the place to be destroyed. "Winter, listen to yourself!" she demanded. "The CCT was at Beacon! Huntsmen and Huntresses go to Beacon! My dad was there, for Gods' sake!"

    "I know that, okay?!"

    Winter ran a hand through her hair as she began to calm down. "I don't understand why this is happening. either," she said. "Any order like this can't be executed without General Ironwood saying so. And he was shot, we all saw it."

    "Well, somebody gave the order!" an ordinary citizen shouted. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    A jet of fire coming onto the ground caused everyone to scream and back away. Cinder scrambled away as the flames grew closer to her face, along with other students and civilians. What struck her, however, wasn't the fire itself. Rather, it was the fact that this kind of attack seemed very... familiar.

    "You're all shutting up and listening."

    Cinder looked upwards when she heard another familiarity. When she did, Cinder could see Aurora, the Blairs, and two Mandalorians. They were all flying down to the streets and were carrying four people; Ozpin, Glynda, Qrow, and Djarin.

    "Dad!" Cinder cried before she rushed forward. Aurora, however, was faster and grabbed Cinder by the throat. The Faunus used what little power she had and began to burn Cinder's throat. "Let... him... go!"

    Aurora smiled as she threw Cinder towards a group of people. When she collided into them and tried to get back up, Aurora created more fire that almost burned the crowd around her. The fire created two small walls that left her and Cinder in the middle, which gave her a chance to talk.

    "Now listen!" she shouted to everyone. "My friends and I are here for one girl and one girl only: her!" Aurora pointed to Cinder, who everyone could barely see through the fire. "Anyone who tries to get between us ends up like Beacon." Aurora pointed back to the prisoners from Beacon. "And their blood will be on your hands. Got it?"

    "..."

    The crowd silently looked at each other and the four prisoners they captured. Given that they did not want anyone to be in this situation, and nobody was prepared to fight two more Mandalorians, they didn't do anything to stop Aurora.

    The Faunus seemed to understand the silence, but made sure to add some emphasis. "Then get the hell away from here!" she shouted as she made the fire walls burn higher. Everyone began to scream and do as they were told, even the soldiers and students were backing away.

    Aurora looked back to Cinder and motioned towards the four humans she captured. "And the same goes for you, Cinder," she said as the Mandalorians moved their weapons closer to their prisoners.

    "..."

    Cinder froze as she saw how beaten all four of Aurora's prisoners were. Her mind went blank as she saw the Faunus and her allies threaten everyone around her. When she was confident that the child wasn't going to try anything, Aurora moved closer to Cinder and prepared to grab her.

    But she was quickly stopped by Winter and her swords.

    "I said back up, brat!" Aurora yelled as she raised her fiery palm.

    "No!" Winter rebelled. She walked again until she was in front of Cinder. "I don't know what you think you're doing... but you have to go through me if you want Cinder."

    Aurora slightly lowered her hand to look at Winter better. Cinder was also surprised at the display of loyalty, but she wasn't ready to see any one else get hurt for her. She was ready to protest and surrender once again, but someone else raised their voice.

    "And me!"

    Lilith Gelb joined Winter and pointed her guns at the mad woman. Soon she was joined by Andrea and Max.

    "Me too."

    An Atlesian soldier, who Cinder saved not too long ago, raised his rifle and pointed it right at Aurora's head. He was then joined by more of his comrades who repeated the action. Even some of the citizens who watched their heroes defend them soon stood up and blocked Aurora's path.

    The Faunus looked at the growing mob that stood united against her. Even with the Mandalorians and the Blairs, it was clear that she was vastly outnumbered. But this wasn't enough to make her back down or cower in fear; it was something that made her smile.

    "Alright, then," she said as she slightly turned to the triplets. "You're up, girls."

    *SNAP*​

    The Blair triplets dropped their prey and began to transform into Botflies. With mad laughter, a storm of Grimm flew upon the people defending Cinder while carefully avoiding the fire. The makeshift team of soldiers, students, and civilians quickly fell apart as they tried to disperse the Botflies away from them. But the insects were small enough to evade people waving their weapons and hands and strong enough to latch on Aura-less skin.

    The Botflies then began to do what they did best: feast.

    Whether it was one or a cluster, the Botflies began to eat their way into the flesh of their prey, which caused a great deal of pain for the individual. And when they began to burrow deep into the bodies, their prey was as good as dead.

    Civilians, young and old, all fell to the ground as their insides were becoming nothing but scraps.

    Atlesian soldiers tried to rip the flies out of their mouths, but the strategy was useless.

    Lilith and Max could feel the insects burrowing into their limbs.

    And Winter could feel them devouring her eye.

    But none of the flies reached Cinder. They instead left her alone, which allowed her to do nothing but listen to the screams and watch everyone who was around her die. When she tried to stand and fight, her headaches returned and caused her to collapse.

    "Look at everyone's Maiden now!" Aurora said as she stopped admiring her work and refocused on her objective. "I told you this would happen, didn't I?!" Aurora opened her palm and felt the Grimm inside come to the surface as she grabbed Cinder and began to repeatedly punch her. "You stupid! Little! Brat!" On the final punch, Cinder fell to the ground and felt her pain intensify. "But don't worry, Cinder." She raised her palm at the defenseless child. "I'm gonna take good care of your friends back there."

    Cinder raised her hand in an attempt to protect herself. "W-Wait-!"

    *THWIP*​

    The Beetle launched itself at Cinder, missing her hand by a mile. Instead, it latched itself to the girl's face and bit down. It then spread a web-like substance across her left eye and began to feed. As Cinder screamed in agony, the Grimm felt a new life come and go from its body. Aurora felt this new life as well, and felt her eyes burn as bright as fire.

    The mad Faunus felt so much energy from this girl that she was able to do two things simultaneously. As she continued to gain more and more of Cinder's powers, she inadvertently created a small tornado of flame around herself. The spectacle was a miracle to behold, but everyone around her was trying to get the Botflies away from them.

    The only ones who could witness the display of power were the Mandalorians watching their prisoners. They were the only ones who had the ability to be amazed and confused by what they were seeing, specifically the Grimm and the fire.

    "This... This can't be a Semblance," one of them said.

    "Not a chance," the other agreed. "And... the way that... Grimm... came out of her..."

    The Mandalorian's partner nodded as she turned to him. "What are we dealing with here?" she asked.

    "No idea. But it's strong." The Mandalorian gazed at the fire. "Really strong. I like it."

    "Me too. If we can put Atlas to shame, imagine what she can do with all that."

    "And the sooner we use it for Mandalore, the better."

    The first Mandalorian smiled under her helmet as she turned to look down at her prisoner. "And to think this one had the Darksaber all this time and did-Hey where'd he go?"

    Both Mandalorians looked down to their group of prisoners, where they quickly noticed that one of them was missing; Din Djarin was gone.

    *SNAP*​

    Djarin had finally found the right opportunity to use his Semblance when his Aura regenerated. And he had just used it to appear behind one of the Mandalorians and break her neck. The other Mandalorian was just about to shoot Djarin with his rifle, but he was swept off his feet by a quick kick to his legs. And then he saw Ozpin send a green light towards his helmet before seeing nothing but darkness.

    "We have to stop her!" Ozpin yelled as he moved towards the small tornado. Djarin wordlessly agreed as he ran faster and tried to reach into the fire. But as he expected, the intense heat burned his fingers.

    "It's too hot!" Djarin said to Ozpin. "Our Auras won't last in there!"

    Ozpin considered using his Magic once again to penetrate the tornado, but this wouldn't be enough to stop the woman inside. He instead looked past the fire and saw Cinder on the ground with a glowing Grimm on her face. Djarin saw this too and ran over to her with his knife. But when he tried to cut the web, the metal began to melt. He then tried to tear it off with his hand, but the heat just burned him.

    "Dammit, dammit!" Djarin cursed himself as Ozpin joined him. While the professor looked down upon the squirming child, Djarin began to use alternative methods to help his daughter. Desperation caused him to reach into his belt for anything that he could use. He first pulled out a hand-held bomb which he threw at the tornado.

    *BOOM*​

    When the resulting explosion had no effect, Djarin turned each pocket of his belt inside out to find something useful. A million thoughts ran through his mind as he kept asking himself what would happen if this unnatural transference was done. Each time he asked, Djarin knew the truth; Cinder was going to die unless he did something.

    And just when all seemed lost, Djarin was able to find a miracle in his arsenal.

    The final pocket of his belt revealed a small vial of Dust, one that Djarin recognized instantly; it was a vial of Cobalt Dust, a gift from Admiral Thrawn.

    "Like a cancer, it divides uncontrollably. However, it has the ability to heal rather than destroy."

    The Admiral's words rang through Djarin's mind and gave him a sense of hope that he had been praying for. Whatever damage Aurora's transference was doing to Cinder, this Dust had the potential to heal a majority of it. While he had no idea what side effects, if any, could come from this, the Mandalorian still planned to use this on Cinder immediately.

    "Djarin, what is that?" Ozpin asked.

    Djarin ignored the question and pressed the bottom of the vial. The top of it sprouted a very small needle, one that undoubtedly would allow the Dust to move into Cinder's body. Once he understood, Djarin slightly raised the vial and stabbed it into Cinder's arm. The Dust disappeared after five seconds, and it was another twenty seconds before Cinder gasped and opened her eyes.

    "Cinder!" Djarin yelled. "Cinder, are you okay?!"

    Cinder, while feeling strength to open her eyes and breath at a steady rate, found herself unable to talk. While the Dust was giving her new life, she could feel it getting weaker. So she shook her head to answer his question. Djarin understood and tried to remove the Beetle again, but to no avail.

    As he watched Cinder's rejuvenation and Djarin's fruitless attempts to stop Aurora, Ozpin knew that there was only one person who could help them now: Cinder. So as he relaxed, Ozpin moved Cinder's head towards him and spoke. "Cinder, please listen to me," he begged.

    "..."

    While she was in too much pain to talk, Cinder could still listen. Other than experiencing intense pain and looking on the two people that meant the most to her, this was the only thing she could do.

    "You told me you wanted to do more," Ozpin said as he gently held the young girl. "You told me you believed you could do more as the Fall Maiden. And I now see you were right. I know this is hard... but the time to do more has come now."

    "..."

    Djarin felt himself calm down as Ozpin continued to talk. He too could see that the Headmaster was right, that Cinder could do more as the Fall Maiden. And he agreed with the next words Ozpin said.

    "I know you're scared, that you're in pain. But you have never let that stop you before. Every day, you fought to become who you knew you should be. You've become a worthy Fall Maiden, not Aurora. These powers belong to you, not Aurora. You have to fight for them, Cinder."

    "..."

    Cinder soon heard another voice, one that she held close to her heart. "He's right, Cinder," the Mandalorian said as he gripped her hand. "You're stronger than her, you're stronger than either of us. And if there's any hope of us winning against Salem, it's with you." He gripped her hand tighter. "Trust me, Cinder. Trust yourself. You can do this."

    "..."

    While giving Cinder the encouragement she needed, Djarin and Ozpin, failed to notice the glowing on the Beetle and its web fade. Cinder wasn't fighting, but the Cobalt Dust had managed to give her a strength that the Grimm couldn't break. The tornado of fire behind it had ceased to exist, leaving a confused Faunus looking at her hand.

    "Why is it getting weaker?" Aurora asked as she looked at her hand. When she looked away, she could see the answer was with Ozpin and Djarin. When she looked back to see the Mandalorians guarding them were dead, a rush of anger flowed through her. "No fucking way!"

    The scream drew the attention of the Mandalorian and Ozpin, who quickly prepared to defend themselves. Djarin quickly fired multiple Whistling Birds from his gauntlet, which Aurora blasted with fire. She quickly noticed that the Mandalorian had teleported behind him and was about to break her neck, but Aurora stopped this by burning his arms with her hands. She then blasted him away with more fire.

    Ozpin used the opportunity to strike Aurora while she was distracted. While he managed to land a few strikes, he was unable to break her connection with the Beetle. This was because Aurora wasn't looking to waste any more time and decided to use her Semblance again.

    "Sleep!" she yelled as she pointed her finger at the Headmaster. When he complied, Aurora finally began to calm down. "Sorry about that," she said while chuckling and walking towards Cinder, who saw the whole thing. "Now, where were we? Oh, that's right."

    Aurora felt the Beetle in her hand grow in strength again, along with the power of the Maidens. She closed her eyes and smiled not out of malice, but out of pure joy. This was the first time, in a long time, that she had finally gained something she truly wanted. She had worked hard for five years, trained to be a lethal fighter with nothing to rely on but her own wits and skill, and now those efforts had finally paid off. She wished that she didn't have to wait this long, or that she could have gone after another Maiden. But Cinder and her feckless father had humiliated her enough, and nothing was going to stop her from winning tonight.

    Nothing except the connection growing weak once again.

    "God dammit, what now?" she asked herself as she opened her eyes. She looked around for Ozpin and the Mandalorian, even for Qrow and Glynda. But there was nobody around her that was interfering, not that she could see. But when she felt a growing heat near her leg, Aurora looked down to see a close reflection of her burning self. But this time, Cinder was the one who was burning. "You gotta be-"

    *BAM*​

    A gust of wind hit Aurora's face and sent her flying off the ground. When she landed, her Aura took the hit and allowed her to stand back up quickly. She then saw Cinder move off the ground, floating in the air as she stared at her enemy with a burning eye. Cinder could see from what just happened and what happened with Djarin and Ozpin that strength alone wouldn't guarantee her victory. But that didn't mean she was going to stop fighting. And she had the right idea how to do so.

    "These powers belong to me," Cinder whispered as she watched Aurora begin to charge at her. "I have to fight for them."

    Cinder closed her eyes to concentrate on her powers. When she did this, she normally felt a connection to the elements inside her and around her. While she still felt the same thing, the connection was much weaker and it was also... split, in a way. A majority of her powers were far away from her, but the connection existed. Cinder knew that she had to focus on this connection and strengthen it, despite whatever pain would follow.

    "You can do this," Cinder told herself as she closed her eyes. "You have to do this."

    Aurora, having more than enough of people trying t other in her way, was still running towards Cinder. This time, she had pulled out one of her trustworthy knifes; a sharp bronze one that was currently clean of any blood. As she charged, Aurora paid no attention to the connection that the Beetle was providing her. She didn't care if it was weak or strong, she only cared about the sight of Cinder's blood pouring all over her. And when she leapt in the air with her knife pointed at Cinder's neck, Aurora was ready to make this dream a reality.

    Cinder opened her eyes again as fire began to spin around her. When she saw Aurora inches away from her, the girl threw her hands out and allowed more fire to form around her. Aurora was thrown back once again, this time her Aura broke when she hit the ground.

    Cinder was in agonizing pain now, despite the fact that she was able to create a fiery tornado much larger than Aurora's. But this pain was ignored by the young Maiden, who had begun to reestablish her connection with the power of the Maidens. The web connected to the Grimm had begun to grow strong once more, and Cinder grit her teeth as she concentrated on it. She then let the fire expand, allowing her to burn away multiple Botflies without harming anyone in her way.

    And soon enough, another rejuvenation had come to Cinder. This one, however, wasn't due to Cobalt Dust. She had instead turned the tables on Aurora by using the Grimm on her face and making the power she stole return to their proper owner.

    When Aurora and the Botflies disappeared, the people who were witnessing Cinder's use of her powers began to stand. Some of them weren't suffering from major injuries, but there were definitely some who had a very lethal encounter with the Botflies. The pain didn't capture their focus, however. It was instead captured by the girl on fire, who had just saved them from the Botflies and was currently fighting their master.

    "What the hell is that?" an Atlesian soldier asked.

    "...Cinder?" Lilith whispered as she was lifted off the ground by Max Bolt. "Ho-Holy crap." Her teammate was speechless while witnessing the miracle.

    Djarin had returned to the scene of the battle and he too had become awestruck by Cinder's triumphant display. Relief and pride flowed through his body as Ozpin also recovered from Aurora's attack.

    "By the Gods," he said loud enough for the Mandalorian to hear. "I was hoping she could fight, but... I never imagined..."

    Djarin helped Ozpin stand while refusing to take his eyes off his daughter. Nevertheless, he was able to find his own voice. "What are you talking about?" the Mandalorian asked.

    "This is what I was telling Cinder about." Ozpin continued to stare at the growing tornado as more elements began to emerge. "This... is the beginning of a Fully-Realized Maiden."

    Djarin looked back to Cinder. He could tell that her power was strong, but it had left more questions than answers. "Fully-Realized?" he repeated in his head. Regardless of what it meant, Djarin's hopes were lifted when he saw how strong she was. "She's... She's gonna be okay."

    The strength and tremendous powers were witnessed by just about everyone, but Djarin and Ozpin didn't care. The only one who did care, however, was Aurora. She was currently with Cinder inside the tornado, and she was feeling weak. When she grew weaker, rage easily moved throughout her entire body. With a scream, she began to pull the black web that connected her to the Beetle. The effort was in vain, and Aurora could see that the Beetle was still on Cinder's face.

    "What are you doing?!" Aurora screamed. "Get back here!" She pulled on the Beetle again, but nothing happened. She tried screaming at it again, and this time she heard a distorted shriek. When she looked back at the Grimm, she saw that it wasn't even attempting to move off Cinder's face. Whether it couldn't or didn't want to, Aurora didn't care. She knew that she couldn't kill Cinder, but she could make sure that she couldn't get the rest of her powers back.

    "Alright, you little shit," Aurora grumbled as she reached over and reclaimed her knife. "You think you can take this all away from me? I've been down that road before, you bitch..." Aurora quickly lifted her knife above her head. "And I'm not going back!"

    *SWISH*​

    Aurora quickly moved her knife towards the black web on her hand and made contact. Unlike Djarin's knife, the metal didn't melt when it touched the hot web. It instead cut the substance off of Aurora and ceased the transference.

    The tornado around them moved forward before it disappeared in a deafening explosion. Aurora was forced to cover her ears in pain as she fell to the ground, and then she repeated the process on her tiger ears. The pain refused to subside, and Aurora soon felt her ears begin to bleed. The Faunus couldn't use her Aura to block out this pain, which only made her angrier. But when she looked back at her hands, she saw that the Beetle was no longer with her. Fearing the worst, Aurora performed a small test to see what had happened.

    She put out her palms and tried to create fire like she used to. Fortune smiled on her at that moment when fire soon appeared; it wasn't strong as before, but it still existed. Aurora knew she had succeeded in gaining the power of the Maidens, even if it was a small fraction. She was confident that Cinder's death would be the final factor to complete this process, but she quickly became afraid of the people recovering from the blast. Aurora hated to do so, but decided to leave Cinder, wherever she was, alone and let nature run its course. Staying longer for the shortest amount of time left too much to chance.

    When Djarin and Ozpin recovered from the blast, they saw that others were helping the ones who were severely wounded. They couldn't hear any more gunfire or any more Grimm coming their way, so they took this chance to run to the center of the burned ground, where they found Cinder resting. They were both proud to see that Aurora and her followers had been forced to retreat, and they were even more proud to see that Cinder had been able to hear them and fight on her own.

    These positive feelings vanished when they saw Cinder's current state.

    Both of the child's eyes were bleeding from the bottom, as if she was crying blood. Her nose was also leaking blood, as were the scratches on her arms. A dark facial scarring was present on the left side of her face, but her eye appeared unharmed. And even worse, the Grimm Beetle that Aurora abandoned was refusing to leave the child's body; instead of staying on her face, the Grimm had latched itself to her left arm.

    Despite this, Cinder was breathing very weakly and Djarin's fear for her life returned when he checked her pulse. "It's weak," the Mandalorian said. "Why is it weak?" As Djarin kneeled in front of his daughter, the people who were unharmed moved closer to see what was going on. Djarin didn't notice this, as his attention was on Ozpin. "What's going on?" he asked the Headmaster. "Is Cinder-?"

    "It was too much of a strain," Ozpin replied as he moved closer. "This happened before, just like I said."

    Djarin remembered the story Ozpin told him, and his heart continued to sink as he remembered that Maiden eventually died. "And?" he dryly asked.

    "She didn't die, not right away," Ozpin assured his ally. "I don't think Cinder will, either. But..."

    Djarin grabbed Ozpin's collar and moved him closer to his helmet. "But what?"

    Before Ozpin could answer, a hand moving on Djarin's helmet made him look down at Cinder. She was still bleeding, but she was smiling now. "Don't worry... Dad," she weakly said. "At least I... I did one thing right tonight..."

    Ozpin pitied Cinder for saying this while Djarin quickly picked her up. "Save your strength, Cinder," he said. "I'll get help." Djarin quickly looked at the crowd of people and yelled "Get a medic!"

    As two people quickly ran off to find one, Cinder began to close her eyes. "Just... need to rest," she weakly said.

    "Cinder, no!" Djarin ordered. "Stay awake, stay with me!"

    As blood continued to flow under her eyes, a tear also fell down Cinder's face as she said one more thing. "I... I'm sorry. For... everything." She immediately became numb as she lost consciousness.

    "CINDER!"

    Djarin felt his daughter become limp in his arms. When he looked up the group of people she defended, all the Mandalorian could see was a collective shock and despair from everyone. The students and adults were either covering their mouths or crying. Even Ozpin was on the verge of tears.

    Their feelings, however, were only second rate to the grief and heartbreak inside the Mandalorian's heart. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, he wanted to do something.

    But he just stayed where he was. Feeling nothing but hollow.

    About a half hour had passed since Beacon was obliterated. In that time, four women had found a spot to look at the fire burn and the Grimm continue to march towards the ruins. The Mandalorians were still flying around the perimeter, taking whatever Beskar they could find. And given the vast majority of Atlesian soldiers, students, and droids that were killed, the hunt would be most beneficial.

    The sights, however, did not provide as much satisfaction as the four women imagined.

    "This is a dark day for everyone," said Merri. "The world may have lost an air fleet and an academy... but we lost a Relic and Ozpin."

    "Look on the bright side, sister," said Fauna. "The death toll must be close to the thousands by now. And we still live."

    "Maybe," said Flora. "But Cinder has to be alive too. Aurora doesn't have the full power of the-"

    "Flora, shh!" Merri nudged her head in Aurora's direction. "She might hear you. We shouldn't be talking about that yet."

    "No, girls," said Aurora, who joined her allies with a Seer. "It looks like now's a good time as any." Aurora turned to the Seer Grimm and nodded.

    The jellyfish-like creature moved towards the triplets, who quickly kneeled down and looked at the Grimm. "Hello, Mother," said Merri.

    The red smoke inside the glass head began to shift and move strangely until the face of a woman with pale skin and red eyes appeared. "Hello, my darlings," Salem addressed the sisters with a smile. "Do you have something for me?"

    The girls stood up and moved away from the Seer. This allowed Salem to see multiple burning structures and the Grimm advancing towards ruins. The sight of what was once Beacon Academy pleased the witch, and she decided to express these feelings. "So this was once Beacon Academy," she said as the Seer turned back to the girls. "I see the Wyvern has done its job."

    "Actually, Mother..." Flora began. "The Atlesian ships were the ones who destroyed the school, along with the Wyvern. But this was after the CCT was destroyed."

    "...Is that so? Well, Wyvern or not, none of this would be possible without you here. Well done, children."

    "Thank you, Mother," said Fauna.

    "And what else do you have for me?"

    Fauna and Flora froze instantly at the sound of the question. So Merri took it upon herself to answer the question, despite the fact that she shared her sisters' sentiments. "We found the Vault, Mother," she began. "But... But it was empty. A ruse, created by Ozpin."

    Salem stopped smiling and looked towards Aurora. "Is this true?" she sternly asked.

    Aurora had seen Salem disappointed before, and she had learned it was always for the best not to beat around the bush. Instead, she would have to speak the truth and face the music. "Sadly, Your Grace, it is," she said. "After we searched the Vault, he ambushed us. It seems he knew Beacon would be the first to be attacked in such a manner."

    "..."

    Aurora wasn't sure if that last part was true; it was simply a gut feeling she had when she met Ozpin in the Vault. And based on what she heard from Salem and her daughters, deception was second nature to him. And fortunately for Aurora, Salem knew this as well.

    "I see," she said. "Where is he now?"

    "In Vale, with the small band of survivors."

    "...Ah. So you let him live."

    "I did, Your Grace. He's the only one who knows where the Relic really is. He may be on his way to it right now."

    "..."

    Aurora could see that her master was unconvinced. So she lifted her palm and ignited a small flame. "Also, we used him in order to get this."

    The Seer moved closer so Salem could have a better look at the fire. Her smile returned when she realized what this meant. "Ozpin surviving was to be expected. But to best a Maiden... Well done, Aurora." The witch studied Aurora's face. Her prideful smile told Salem that Aurora took great pleasure in finding the power that she sought for so long; her eyes, however, were telling another side of the story. Not just that she were nervous, but that the fire of the Maidens was missing. "And what happened to young Cinder?"

    "She's... dead, Your Grace," Aurora answered.

    "Are you sure about that?"

    "I mean, she will be. I have... part of the power."

    The tendrils of the Seer began to lift themselves off the ground and moved closer to Aurora. "Do you expect me to tolerate failure, Aurora?" Salem crossly asked.

    "Of... Of course not, Your Grace," the Faunus confessed.

    "Then why should I tolerate you having part of the Fall Maiden's powers?"

    Aurora gulped before she continued her explanation. "Cinder managed to... fight the transference. I was only able to take part of the power before your gift abandoned me. It was completely out of my control."

    "..."

    Salem turned to her daughters, who all began to nod in agreement with Aurora. This allowed for a small boost in confidence for Aurora, which was why she repeated her previous claim. "With the way Cinder was acting, there's no way she can survive without it for much longer," Aurora finished.

    Salem became less impressed with the news of Beacon's defeat. "...So there is room for improvement," she said.

    "..."

    While she was speaking directly to Aurora at the moment, Salem knew the same could be said for her daughters. They still had much to learn about the successful end of a hunt rather than the hunt itself. But she couldn't complain of the damage they inflicted on the Kingdom of Vale and its people.

    "Have the Mandalorians join you and come to me," Salem ordered. "We have much to do."

    When morning came to Vale and things finally came under control in the city, the damage was properly assessed. Multiple houses and buildings were laid to waste by the Grimm, but the citizens who escaped had been rescued and were given shelter. Small bands of Huntsmen and Huntresses were found on the outskirts of the safe zone, but they were merely a small percentage of those that chose to defend them.

    All of this was minimal compared to Beacon Academy.

    The events that transpired officially became known as "The Fall of Beacon." And it was an appropriate name, to say the least. Both the school and the CCT tower were nothing but ash and rubble on top of the cliff, but the surviving Grimm still remained. They never made any attempts to leave, which made controlling the city more manageable. The real problem, however, laid with the people.

    Many citizens and surviving students raised their voices in uproar at two things; the Mandalorians and the Atlesian soldiers. The Mandalorians were simple enough, given that Death Watch and Clan Saxon started a literal war with each and every Kingdom. Atlas, however, was more complicated. Without a school, training new Huntsmen and Huntresses in Vale would be impossible. And the survivors were ill-equipped to protect the Kingdom without a base and more guardians.

    And through it all, everyone was willing to blame Atlas for this loss. Insults were ranged from "incompetence" to "senseless displays of power," and they were all directed at the recovered General Ironwood. Despite the orders of destroying the school coming from Admiral Thrawn, Ironwood was blamed for creating this failsafe in the first place. Even the Vale Council reprimanded Ironwood for this failure, saying that it gave the Mandalorians exactly what they wanted.

    Professor Ozpin, however, received praise and accommodation for defending the school and protecting the students who raised their voices. Ozpin used this chance to promise everyone that he planned to do everything in his power to protect the Kingdom and bring the responsible Mandalorians to justice. He also used this chance to assert Din Djarin's innocence, which was being called into question.

    In order to protect himself, Djarin used his Semblance to take Cinder to the first place that came to mind: Nevarro. Naturally, Greef Karga and the Mandalorians of the city welcomed Djarin back to his former home. And they immediately called for a doctor when they saw the condition Cinder was in. The diagnosis was that Cinder was in a deep coma caused from bodily trauma. While the Cobalt Dust Djarin gave her allowed for a stable pulse, the doctor couldn't say when she would wake up.

    And he couldn't remove the Grimm beetle that had embedded itself into Cinder's arm. Any attempts were met with either resistance or harm to the girl.

    Djarin was thankful to hear that Cinder was still alive, but this gratitude wasn't enough to fix his heartbreak. What was supposed to be the start of something wonderful for the young girl had turned into an endless nightmare. First, it was her teammates and her career as a Huntress. Then, it was the search for her mother. And now, it was the beginning of a new dawn for all Mandalorians. Once Cinder had everything, it was unfairly taken from her.

    As he sat across from her and watched her sleep, Djarin tried to find something to blame for all this. He could blame Aurora and the Blair sisters, the undeserving thieves. Or he could blame Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla, the orchestrators of the attack on Beacon. He could even blame Salem, who was undoubtedly pulling the strings on everything.

    But all he could do was blame himself.

    The Mandalorian kept telling himself that things should have been, that they could have been, different. He could have stayed with Cinder at Amity, he could have waited until Salem was beaten until he gave her the Darksaber, and he could have supported her through her recent troubles instead of finding the source of her problems. And this was only part of the reason he blamed himself.

    "I'm sorry. For everything."

    The four words his daughter spoke to him kept repeating in Djarin's head, in an infinite loop. To think that the Fall of Beacon, and everything leading up to it, was Cinder's fault was nonsense. Djarin wanted to tell her this, more than anything. He wanted to know why Cinder felt guilty for everything that happened, when her only crime was being a victim of circumstance.

    Whether or not this guilt could impact her recovery was unknown, which scared Djarin even further. He needed her to know that nothing about it was her fault.

    "I'm sorry," he said, breaking the silence he had for a long time. "I'm sorry, Cinder. For all of it."

    "..."

    His apology fell onto deaf ears, just as he expected. Logic clearly dictated that nobody could hear anything in a coma, and Djarin knew this for a while. But he still talked.

    "When you wake up, I'll make everything right. I'll do whatever it takes, I promise."

    "..."

    This time, the Mandalorian moved off his chair and closer to Cinder's bed. "Just wake up. Please."

    "..."

    Djarin knew his efforts were in vain, so he slumped back into his chair. As he too began to sleep, he reminded himself of his promise. As soon as she was awake, he would find Aurora and make her pay. He would find Gar Saxon or whoever had the Darksaber and make them pay. All he needed first was to know that his daughter was awake and well.

    Little did he know... his wish was about to come true.

    Cinder felt her eyes open quickly, following a sharp gasp for air. When air filled her lungs, Cinder fell into a coughing fit as she sat up. When the coughing stopped, Cinder looked around and expected to see people all around her.

    She instead saw white.

    Pure whiteness was currently surrounding Cinder, as far as the eye could see. She wasn't even laying on any furniture or ground. A soft gasp escaped her throat as she got off the ground in shock.

    "...Dad?" Cinder softly called out as she looked around. When no answer came, Cinder quickly moved a few feet in front of her as she tried again. "Dad? Ozpin? Where'd you go?"

    "..."

    Silence answered Cinder's question, causing her to look around once again. "Or rather... where did I go?" she asked herself. When she looked up at the sky, she continued to see white. And when she looked at the ground again, she noticed something was missing.

    "Where's my bow?!" she screamed as she looked all over the ground. She also noticed that she was wearing a red dress, the one Winter got for her. "Who took my weapon?!"

    "..."

    "Hello?! Anybody?!"

    "..."

    Cinder began to think that this was some kind of trick. That someone was trying to mess with her head, just like the Blair triplets did. Quickly deciding that she had enough of mind games, Cinder began to think of a way out of... wherever she was.

    Her first idea was to run until she could find anything else. But after five minutes of running in the same direction, Cinder could see that this void went on for a very long time. Then, although reluctant, Cinder tried to use her powers to fly. But all she could do was create sparks instead of fire.

    "Oh, come on!" she screamed as she tried to make fire again. When it failed, Cinder tried to use the other elements she could take control of. Lightning created a small spark again, wind had no strength whatsoever, and ice quickly melted into water.

    Panic settled in quickly, causing Cinder to run again. This time, she was breathing heavily and starting to cry. Without her powers, there seemed to be no hope of returning home or helping anyone. She couldn't even help herself when she needed it most.

    When she realized this, Cinder stopped running and fell to the ground. Her eyes became extremely heavy as tears formed and poured down her cheeks. "I can't do it," she said while weeping. "I'm... I'm sorry." She then buried her head into the ground as she continued to cry. It became so bad that she could hardly say what she wanted to next. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry, Ozpin. I can't do this alone."

    "..."

    The silence as her companion gave no comfort to Cinder, who had now curled into a ball as she continued to cry.

    "But you're not alone."

    Through her tear-filled eyes, Cinder looked up from the seemingly non-existent ground when she heard a voice. Although she could still see a white void around her, Cinder could make out something standing not too far away from her; it appeared to be some kind of dark shape.

    "...Hello?" she weakly called out. She found her voice when she moved off the ground and onto her knees. "Hello, is someone there?"

    The shape Cinder was seeing soon began to move towards her. As it came closer, the shape revealed itself to be humanoid; it soon became clear that there was another person in this void with Cinder, and they might be able to help.

    After a few more steps, the person was revealed to be a woman. She was taller than Cinder, and had light-brown hair that ended at the back of her neck. She was wearing a white shirt with a brown scarf and a long brown skirt, but that wasn't what caught Cinder's attention; the woman was... glowing. She was glowing a soft orange.

    "Hello," she said with a smile and an extended hand. "Are you okay?"

    Cinder looked at the extended hand and cautiously raised her own hand toward it. When she embraced the palm, Cinder felt herself come off the invisible floor and onto her feet. "I... I don't..."

    The woman stared at Cinder with a unique expression on her face. It was almost as if she understood why the young girl had lost her voice. "I'm sorry, I know this is all strange," she kindly said. "Let's start over. What's your name?"

    Cinder had to find her voice once again to answer the question. "My name... My name is Cinder," she said.

    "It's very nice to meet you, Cinder. My name is-"

    "Wait, wait, wait, stop." Cinder backed up and regained her awareness of her surroundings. She normally wouldn't be this rude to strangers, but now was not the time for formalities. "Please, I need to know what's going on. Where am I? How did I get here?"

    "Oh, I asked the same questions when I first came here," the woman said calmly. "But don't worry; you're perfectly safe."

    "Safe?" Cinder spread her arms into the void. "You think this is safe?"

    "Of course. Nobody can hurt you here. I don't think you should feel any pain for a while. Not until you leave."

    "...Leave?" Cinder lowered her arms and began to calm down. "You mean I'm not... you know... dead?"

    The woman softly laughed. "Of course not. Trust me, you're safe now." She then moved her eyes up and down to look at Cinder. "And you're special, too. Aren't you, Cinder? I mean, you have to be if you're here with me."

    The only thing that could make Cinder think herself as "special" was her Maiden powers. Of course, she couldn't disclose this information freely; and she had no idea what happened after Aurora stole her powers. Nevertheless, Cinder knew she had to get out of here by any means necessary. So she took a calculated risk and answered the woman's question.

    "I'm... I'm the Fall Maiden," Cinder reluctantly said.

    "...The Fall Maiden?" the woman asked.

    "..."

    Cinder was expecting confusion from the woman, but the way she asked the question sounded more... skeptical. It even became stranger when the woman began to laugh as she backed away from Cinder. "Sweetheart, I don't think that's quite right," she said.

    Cinder sadly looked at the ground. "Yeah... me too," she confessed before tearing up again.

    "Oh, no, no, no. I'm sorry, that's not what I meant." The woman cleared her throat to get Cinder's attention, and then she spread her arms. "Let me rephrase that. I'm quite sure you're a Fall Maiden, Cinder. But I..."

    *WHOOSH*​

    Cinder's jaw dropped when the woman rose off the invisible ground and looked down on her with burning eyes.

    "Am the Fall Maiden. The original, you see."

    "..."
     
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    • Chapter 41: The Aftermath
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 41: The Aftermath

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Multiple explosions could be heard overhead. From common buildings and structures to airships, there was nothing but death and destruction as far as the eye could see.

    But one man had managed to find safety from the chaos outside. Professor Ozpin was currently waiting in a dimly lit room; waiting not to be rescued, but waiting for the trap he created to spring.

    *BEEP*​

    When he heard the elevator door resting a long way away from him open, Ozpin knew that the trap had begun to run its course. And the target had just presented herself.

    "Hmm..." a lone Faunus mumbled as she took in the sights of Beacon Tower's lowest floor. "Not what I was expecting a Vault to look like."

    "..."

    The Faunus brushed off her initial thought as she began to walk deeper into the darkness. As she did so, she failed to notice Ozpin was carefully hiding from her. However, she noticed something was amiss when she reached the end of the room. At first, she rubbed her hands against the walls that she could see. When nothing happened, she stepped back and moved both of her hands out. A stream of fire found its way to the three walls and began to burn their surface.

    The Faunus stopped burning the walls after a minute had passed to observe the damage. When she saw that the walls were intact, the woman became very angry.

    "This makes no sense," she said. "There's... There's nothing!"

    *BAM*​

    Ozpin sprung from his hiding place and fiercely hit the woman with the cane he was holding. In her confusion, the Faunus had let her guard down and allowed the Headmaster of Beacon to land a very palpable hit.

    As he watched the woman begin to recover, Ozpin placed the end of his cane on the ground and spoke. "You must be Aurora," he said calmly. "I've heard a lot about you."

    Aurora quickly got off the ground and engaged her Aura to block out the pain. "This was never a Vault," she angrily realized. "It was bait." Ozpin slowly nodded before Aurora spoke again. "She was right about you; always deceiving everyone around you."

    "A necessary evil," Ozpin countered. "I cannot allow you, or anyone else, to lay hands on such a powerful item. Not that you could, for that matter. I've seen what a true Maiden looks like, Aurora; and you are no Maiden."

    "...Not yet," the Faunus said as she created a small ball of fire in her hand. "But things change. I actually have three friends who've changed since the last time you saw them."

    "Yes, I know. The Blairs played their part very well, I must admit. They had everyone fooled; even me."

    Aurora slightly laughed. "They did, they did. But that's not what I'm talking about." She lifted her hand next to her head. "Maybe you should see for yourself."

    *SNAP*​

    A few moments passed after Aurora snapped her fingers. When nothing happened, Ozpin began to believe that she was just stalling. He was stalling as well, waiting for Qrow and Glynda to arrive as he planned. He believed the odds were in his favor, and that his friends could best whatever Aurora had up her sleeve.

    *SLAM*​

    The elevator behind Ozpin and Aurora burst open as the metal doors skidded across the floor. When the sound of metal scratching the floor died down, a soft buzzing filled the air in its place. The buzzing was followed by laughter, and the laughter was followed by three girls dressed in black seemingly flying above the ground.

    Tonight was a night of multiple surprises for the Headmaster. There were so many, that he was ready to believe that nothing could truly surprise him anymore. However, the fact that a swarm of deadly Botflies had just transformed into three young girls before his eyes had blown Ozpin away.

    "Well, well, well," the fully-transformed Merri said as she looked at Ozpin's dropped jaw. "Speechless. We have that effect on people." Merri and her sisters shared a giggle at the joke.

    "Grimm..." Ozpin whispered. The resulting echo reached everyone's ears at the time, along with a question. "How?"

    Aurora took it upon herself to answer the question. "I'm sure you know all about the Botflies'... appetite," she gleefully explained. "We discovered the interesting side effect when Her Grace created this kind of Grimm. And when they eat for the first time."

    Merri, the natural leader of her sisters, took it upon herself to finish the answer. "All we had to do was keep eating to stay like this," she said. "Until this day came. Until we were alone with you."

    Ozpin listened carefully to each word of the explanation. But when he heard the word 'you', packed with so much malice and hate, he knew there was something about their actions that meant more than orders. The girls, or at least Merri, were going to take pleasure from killing him.

    Ozpin readied himself for battle as he continued to stall. "Is that it?" he asked calmly. "Simple revenge, Ms. Blair? Or is that even your real name?"

    "Revenge, yes," the hybrid began. "But simple? Not in the slightest." Merri expected Ozpin to discover the ruse of her name quickly, so she decided to indulge him. "You're not wrong about my name. Or my sisters' names, either. But I guess beggars can't be choosers."

    Fauna quickly spoke next. "I can't even remember what my name was," she said in anger. "Mother refuses to tell us."

    "Mother?" Ozpin wondered to himself. He would expect Grimm and anyone who served Salem to treat her like royalty, given the title Aurora just used. But "Mother" was... something else.

    "None of us can remember," said Flora. "All we know now is Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather. Almost everything we knew is gone... thanks to you!"

    Ozpin was beginning to piece the puzzle together now. Whoever the "Blairs" claimed to be, it was clear that he hurt them in some way. And given that they had a hint of familiarity now, but with some differences, Ozpin was sure he knew them once upon a time.

    But who could they be? Huntresses? Former allies? Past Maidens?

    "No," Ozpin accurately deduced. "These girls are much too young." The Headmaster couldn't think of a time when Maidens or friends from the past died so young. He soon realized that guessing would get him nowhere. On the one hand, it could help stall longer. But on the other hand, there was something about these girls that he had to know.

    "...Who are you?" he asked.

    The question immediately made Flora and Fauna angry. "Oh, you think it's that easy, don't you?!" Flora asked. "You have the audacity to forget us, and now you expect us to answer you?!"

    "Not a chance!" Fauna said as she gripped her sickle. "We're going to-!"

    "No, girls. It's okay."

    Flora and Fauna turned to Merri in surprise, while Aurora moved back and let the girls have their time to themselves. "After all, we've grown up since we last saw him," she began. "How could he not recognize us? I mean... it may be obvious if there were four of us. Don't you agree?"

    "Four?" Ozpin thought to himself once again. The idea of a team of Huntresses came to mind once again, but Merri claiming to have "grown up" was making the idea sound debatable.

    "Of course, there has to be some things he remembers," Merri said as she began to slowly walk towards Ozpin. "Aren't there, Ozpin? Mother told us how you walked Remnant over and over again. Saw a great many things. Tell me... did you ever see a castle? The capital of a prosperous Kingdom, long forgotten by mankind?"

    "..."

    Merri giggled as she continued to walk. "I remember it. The trees surrounding it were green, the nights were quiet. And the castle was in the center of it all, large enough to house an army. A beautiful garden, a library that practically held every book on Remnant." As she stared at Ozpin's face, Merri began to see that he was indeed trying to remember what she was saying. When she saw that his memory wasn't failing, the Grimm girl noted one last detail. "At the head of the castle... was a family. A prosperous King, a beautiful Queen... and four, little girls."

    Ozpin's face lost all its color as shock conquered his body. The shock led to him staring at all the girls, looking for some way to disprove the... outrageous idea. When they saw the color on his face, each sister knew that he had figured it out quickly.

    "No..." he whispered. The echo reached their ears once again, and caused them to form hideous smiles. "That's not true. That's... That's impossible."

    Merri flew towards Ozpin with her Botflies and made him back towards the wall. She reached into her pocket to pull out a Scroll; a Scroll that had a picture of exactly what Merri described.

    She made the Headmaster look at what she claimed to be a younger picture of her. And unlike her sisters, Merri retained much of her former appearance.

    And when Ozpin looked at both the picture and Merri... he knew the truth was undeniable.

    Merri smiled again as she spoke innocently to him. "I'm so happy to see you again... Father." The mad laughter that followed blocked out Ozpin's screams.

    "No! No!"

    Ozpin's eyes opened quickly as he flew off his back and briefly screamed. The panic he felt slowly began to disappear when he found himself not at Beacon Academy, but in a bedroom with the curtains closed.

    The former Headmaster sighed as he moved off of the comfortable bed and wiped cold sweat off his forehead. "Brothers, give me strength," he thought to himself as he recounted the nightmare he woke up from. Time and a good night's rest had done nothing to comfort the fact that the Blair sisters were once his own daughters.

    But that wasn't entirely true. Ozpin told himself that the... things Salem created were not the young girls he raised. They might have looked like them, talked like them, but they were not Ozpin's daughters.

    When Ozpin was done with his moment of reflection, he stood up and made his bed. "Another day to live through," he sadly reminded himself. "Better get started."

    A whole month had passed since the Fall of Beacon, since a war was declared on all four Kingdoms of Remnant. The city of Vale had begun to pick up the pieces, but damage had begun to spread across the entire Kingdom. Death Watch and the Saxon Clan spread like wildfire across cities under the protection of Huntsmen and Huntresses, and the destruction they left in their wake was horrendous. And they were indeed a force to be reckoned with.

    Under the leadership of Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla, the ruthless Mandalorian tribes either conquered or laid siege to multiple cities outside of Vale. Last night, Ozpin and other Huntsmen had tried to retake one city that Death Watch claimed as their own; he was the only one to return alive.

    When he wasn't trying to fight Grimm or violent Mandalorians, the former Headmaster of Beacon attended many meetings with the Vale Council. From strategy to aiding the people, Ozpin had done nothing but try and offer any kind of solution to the crisis that the Kingdom was facing. But it seemed the city of Vale was the last line of defense in all of the Kingdom.

    Din Djarin had tried to do the same with the Mandalorians he trusted, but progress was almost impossible. The ones who helped with the initial storm of Grimm, Clans Vizsla and Tenau, had been ostracized for being who they were even before the attack. Ozpin couldn't blame anyone for being afraid of the Mandalorians, but Vale needed any help it could get.

    The clans, however, weren't as willing to help this time.

    After a fierce battle with Clan Saxon, Clan Vizsla remembered what happened when the Darksaber was first presented to them, along with the one who claimed it. They were certain that Gar Saxon was just as evil as Major Gideon, and even more powerful than before. Not only that, but Saxon knew the Forever Fall was their home. So rather than wait to be found and challenged once again, Clan Vizsla decided to go into hiding. Their plan was to wait until Saxon was rarely seen in Vale and the people would be willing to take their help; until then, they would wait for their chance to strike back. Clan Tenau joined them to have safety in numbers, but not before telling Djarin where to find them.

    Today, Ozpin was planning on finding Djarin once again. He had finished preparing a plan to see how the other Kingdoms were weathering the storm, and find new allies in the process. So as soon as he was ready to seize the day, Ozpin began a journey to the city of Nevarro.

    Based on what Djarin had said the last time they spoke, Nevarro was in a similar position as the city of Vale. The Children of the Watch had been on good terms with the people of the city, and they were able to not only offer protection from the Grimm, but convince the people that they had no allegiance with Saxon or Vizsla. So Ozpin expected to see a safe town that was ready to offer any assistance they could offer.

    What he saw instead was a cloud of smoke from the city.

    The airship that took Ozpin to Nevarro hovered above the sight of the catastrophe and was close to turning around. But the Headmaster insisted that he could go down and fight and evacuate the citizens, if need be. So the pilot opened the airship doors and allowed Ozpin to jump down and see what was going on. He quickly ran towards the village, where he was immediately met with a dozen rifles pointed at his body.

    "Hold your fire!"

    The rifles suddenly lowered as their owners, both citizen and Mandalorian, turned towards the voice. The apparent soldiers then moved to the side to let two men pass through. One was a man wearing tattered robes and a cape, similar to a Mayor in the outskirts of Anima. The other was a Mandalorian familiar to Ozpin.

    "Djarin!" Ozpin exclaimed as he watched the men move closer. "What happened? Was this Death Watch?"

    "...Worse," Djarin said. All the people surrounding him immediately recognized the voice of a depressed and heartbroken human being.

    The man next to Djarin, Greef Karga, knew what the cause of his friend's crushed spirits were. It was clear that Djarin wasn't ready to say it, so the Mayor of Nevarro spoke for him. "We were betrayed," Karga explained. "Half of the Mandalorians here attacked us and announced their plans to join Saxon."

    Ozpin's eyes widened at the startling revelation. "What?" he whispered. He quickly found his voice and expressed his thoughts. "But... that's impossible! Djarin told me the Mandalorians here are neutral to any cause or belief of any tribe!"

    "Not anymore," said Djarin. "Look around, Ozpin. Does this look 'neutral' to you?"

    Ozpin didn't need to look at the massive destruction to answer that question. He did, however, have some questions of his own.

    "Where are these traitors?" he asked.

    "They're long gone, don't worry," Karga answered for Djarin. "They flew off when the tide turned against them. Our Marshal went after a few that left on foot, but we haven't heard from her yet."

    Ozpin understood easily and looked back to Djarin. "Are you alright, Djarin?" he asked.

    "Fine," the Mandalorian bluntly declared. His instincts immediately told him what to say next. "Cinder's fine too. Don't worry about your Maiden." He immediately walked back towards the village, where he began to help with the damage.

    Some of Nevarro's soldiers were confused about what the Mandalorian had said, but Karga understood. He even understood why there was some malice in his words. Nevertheless, he decided some degree of diplomacy was necessary for a representative of Vale.

    "I'm sorry," Karga said sincerely. "Mando's... going through a lot."

    "I understand," Ozpin replied with a nod. "My presence does have a habit of speaking for itself from time to time."

    "Well, with the stuff Mando's told me, that's understandable." He began to lead Ozpin back to the village in order to see if he could be of any assistance. "About that, can I ask why you're here?"

    "I was hoping to see if his time here has led to any progress," Ozpin honestly admitted. "But now I see that's out of the question."

    "Indeed. How have things been in Vale?"

    "Not too well. The capital's defenses are still holding, but everything outside is in dire need of assistance. It seemed Nevarro was an exception until today."

    "That was the case, yes." Karga sighed as a hand raised to his forehead. "I still can't believe this happened."

    Ozpin knew this was an inappropriate time to ask for more information about the attack here, but he put such feelings aside in order to understand this new enemy. "How did this happen?" he asked. "The Children of the Watch always steered away from conflicts like this."

    "I asked the same thing," said Karga. "But ever since those Death Watch hooligans did their part, it stirred up a lotta mixed feelings. I didn't know it until recently, but Mando's clan is a breakaway from Death Watch. The first Children of the Watch were conquerors, just like them. One day, they realized that the deaths of their own kind were rising with more and more 'missions.' Between that and Death Watch changing their code again and again, they left."

    "My word," Ozpin whispered. "So when they saw what Death Watch accomplished-"

    "You guessed it; lots of people wanted to pick up where they left off. Paz Vizsla, big guy around here, was the first to have the idea. Others followed, one thing led to another, and... Well, you can see what happened."

    The news was devastating to Ozpin. However, a small portion of hope remained when he saw one thing in the village. "There are still Mandalorians here," he noted. "Does that mean-?"

    "Oh, not everyone wanted to do what Paz did," Karga clarified. "Yeah, the town and some Mandalorians confronted him. Mando, Sun, the Armorer, and a few others all tried to stop him and his friends."

    "I see." Ozpin looked around the town once more and had an idea. "Mr. Karga, I think there may be a way for us to help each other. The Council of Vale is currently holding supplies for villages who stand a chance against the recent invasions. I can acquire some for you, if people who confronted this 'Paz Vizsla' can offer any assistance to our cause."

    Karga was no stranger to making deals such as this, before and after he decided to be Nevarro's leader. And he knew exactly how to handle matters like this. "I appreciate that," he said sincerely. "I'm the right guy to spread the word, but a lot of us don't wanna take any big risks. If your friends back in Vale have a solid plan, we'll see what we can do."

    "Fair enough," Ozpin agreed. "Perhaps you can give me a detailed list before I go. I'll send it to the Council." Ozpin suddenly remembered something else. "Oh, and would you mind telling Djarin that I'll be gone for a few days?"

    *BAM*​

    Djarin instantly appeared in front of Ozpin before Karga had a chance to say anything. "Where are you going?" he asked, almost demanding an answer from Ozpin.

    "I, um..." Ozpin needed a minute to get over the surprise of Djarin's sudden appearance and attitude before he gave an answer. "I'm going to each Kingdom, mainly to the other academies. To see how bad the damage is for them."

    Djarin accepted the idea easily. "Come to the Razor Crestwhen you're ready," he ordered. "I'll have it ready for you." He immediately walked towards his ship before Ozpin could protest.

    "That's a great idea," said Karga, who either didn't notice or ignored Ozpin's mixed feelings. "Mando needs to clear his head of this place. Don't worry, we'll take good care of Cinder." Karga quickly left the former Headmaster to his thoughts.

    "Well... I suppose this is it," Ozpin incredulously thought to himself.

    The Razor Crest had been in the air for almost thirty minutes. In that time, neither Ozpin or Djarin said a word to each other. Despite the silence being awkward, Ozpin could understand why his present company was so silent. Between his own people betraying him and his daughter being comatose for an entire month, one could understand if Din Djarin was at his wits end.

    This seemed to be the opposite, however. Despite the day starting off in the worst way possible, the Mandalorian was willing to leave the only source of comfort he had and take Ozpin on a literal trip around the world. And through it all, Djarin was still working. This fact reminded Ozpin of an old saying, one that went along the lines of "I don't want to meet the man who looks fine after seeing that." Ozpin had heard the saying multiple times... and now he could see why it was a bad sight to behold.

    "What are you looking at?"

    Ozpin's snap back to reality showed him that he had been staring at Djarin the whole time he was lost in his head. Obviously, he didn't have the heart to say everything he had been thinking, but he knew that he had to say something now.

    "Forgive me," Ozpin began. "I was just wondering... how are you holding up?"

    The Mandalorian immediately looked at his leg before turning back to the open sky. "It's nothing," he said. "My Aura already healed it."

    Ozpin suspected the Mandalorian would brush off something this serious so quickly. It seemed he had been spending too much time with Qrow. "That's not what I'm talking about," he said. "I'm sorry I've been out of contact for so long. If I had known about your current situation, I would have-"

    "There's nothing to worry about," Djarin bluntly insisted.

    Ozpin sighed. "Yes, there is," he insisted. "Because I've been there."

    "..."

    "Djarin, I know what's it like to be betrayed. I know how it feels to lose friends in the worst way imaginable, and I know that ignoring it doesn't-"

    "That's enough," Djarin said as he turned around. "You never fought Lionheart. You didn't confront him about anything, you just sat and watched when I showed you what he did to Cinder! So don't try to needlessly empathize when you have no idea what it means to kill the people you called-!"

    "Do you think Leo was the first?"

    "..."

    Ozpin fixed his glasses, which were close to falling off his face, before he spoke again. "You forget how long I've been alive, Djarin," he began. "I had to lose people the same way you did today. They were my closest allies, my truest friends... I even considered some of them family."

    "..."

    Ozpin grasped Djarin's shoulder. "My empathy isn't needless, Djarin. It's to make sure you survive. I was in a similar place after a certain betrayal. When I tried to focus on the task at hand while ignoring my feelings, those walls broke down at the worst possible time. And I died again. That can happen to you too. The only difference is you won't come back."

    The Mandalorian silently thought about what the former Headmaster was saying. He soon began to regret losing his temper and realized that Ozpin was doing what any Mandalorian did with a Foundling; use their experience to teach them, and lead them on the right path.

    "It... It all happened so fast," said Djarin. "All I could think to do was... fight."

    Ozpin easily understood this line of thinking. "Nobody envies your position," he said.

    "It wasn't just for me. Cinder was... She is still asleep. Some of the Mandalorians... wanted to finish what the others started. So I..."

    "I know. You did what you had to do. And I know that doesn't make it easy." Ozpin let go of Djarin's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Djarin."

    Djarin nodded as he looked back to the window. "I just... need some time."

    "We can turn around if you like. It may be dangerous in the air with Saxon and Death Watch."

    "...It's fine," Djarin said after he had some time to think. "I... can't be in Nevarro right now. And I know how to stay clear of the Mandalorians. But thank you."

    "..."

    The rest of the flight was quiet, but not as awkward as before. Ozpin wasn't sure how much progress he made, but he took what Djarin said as a sign of acknowledgement that he wouldn't repress however he was feeling. And Djarin felt somewhat better about letting everything out. He now knew that he couldn't let whatever feelings resulted from the betrayal affect his judgement or his actions. Not just for him, but for the people around him too.

    When he landed at Haven Academy, Djarin had a good idea how to put this lesson into action. "Here we are," the Mandalorian said as he turned off the ship's engines. "You know, if Headmaster Kenobi is having Mandalorian problems, maybe I should come with you. I can tell him how Mistral's pilots can avoid Mandalorians in the sky."

    "That would be appreciated," Ozpin said, speaking for Obi-Wan in the process. "However, it may be wise for you to stay in the ship. Not that I don't need your help, however..."

    Djarin followed Ozpin's eyes to see that he was looking at his armor. He then realized that not leaving Nevarro for a whole month had left its toll, that it would be unwise to walk the streets of Mistral in Mandalorian armor.

    "Oh," the Mandalorian said calmly. He suddenly began to believe that staying in the ship was for the best; not everyone would accept him at a time like this. However, a novel idea sprang to life and caused Djarin to get out of his seat. "How about this?"

    *WHOOSH*​

    Ozpin's restraint for handling surprises disappeared when he saw the Mandalorian's armor vanish. Not only did it vanish, but it was replaced by what appeared to be a pair of black jeans and a silver shirt under a black overcoat. A man with short black hair and a clean shaven face looked at Ozpin.

    "Better?" the man asked in Djarin's voice.

    "What in-?" Ozpin asked. "How did you-?"

    "You don't remember? I did the same thing Qrow does when he turns into a bird. You gave me the ability to do that."

    Ozpin's shock disappeared when the memory of gifting Djarin with a piece of his Magic returned to him. "Of course," Ozpin said as he stood up. "Forgive me, I don't think I've ever seen you use it."

    "I haven't used it too much. Cinder never really liked it, after all."

    Ozpin knew what the now disguised Mandalorian meant. As they walked to Haven, both he and Djarin remembered when and how he got the ability to use Magic.

    Years ago, Qrow showed Djarin his ability to turn into a bird and explained how Ozpin gifted him with a piece of Magic to do this. Djarin realized that having a power like this would be useful to blend in more when the situation called for it, but he also wanted it for another reason; to make Cinder happy.

    Despite the fact that she had a home and her own version of a family, Cinder couldn't help but feel a lingering wish for a sense of normalcy in her life. Training with her powers and combat had become monotonous and left Cinder with the desire to spend just one day like the people in Vale. She knew people would stare at her and Djarin since he couldn't show his face, so Cinder would always do her best to keep the desire hidden.

    But the Mandalorian, who easily understood why his daughter was feeling like this, had other plans for Cinder. He convinced Ozpin to disguise his armor under a false face and false clothing, to appear like a normal man while still having his armor on. Ozpin could see how this would be useful on scouting missions against Salem and make Cinder happy, so he agreed.

    When Djarin showed Cinder what he could do and how he planned to do it, the young Maiden was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude that her wish had come true. It was one of these moments that she was glad to have a father like Djarin; someone who could be stern and serious with his kind of work, but more than capable of seeing her point of view. The day they spent together felt like magic for both of them, and Cinder was indeed feeling the sense of normalcy she desired. However, the maturity she had for someone her age left Cinder feeling bad that her father was forced to hide behind a deception just to make her happy. So when the day was over, Cinder declared that normalcy in Vale was "overrated" and Djarin didn't need to disguise himself again when they spent time together. Armor or no armor, she loved Djarin just the way he was.

    "Djarin? Djarin?"

    The disguised Mandalorian snapped out of his daydream to find himself in the office of Haven Academy's Headmaster. And he just as quickly realized that he was in the presence of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

    "Sorry," the Mandalorian quickly apologized. "What were you saying?"

    The Headmaster, who looked incredibly tired, stood up from his desk. "Just that it's good to see you both," he said as a cup of tea seemed to move itself to Obi-Wan's hands. "When news of the Fall of Beacon came to Mistral, I feared the worst."

    "I'm sorry word of our survival couldn't reach you sooner," said Ozpin, who decided not to sit down. "I almost forgot how difficult communication was before the CCT."

    "As did I." Obi-Wan picked up what seemed to be a letter from his desk. "But I'm grateful you were able to tell me when you did. And... I'm sorry. About Cinder."

    "..."

    Djarin silently nodded at the mention of Cinder's coma. The memory he recalled was a happy one, but those times were over now. All that mattered now was finding the ones responsible and helping Cinder. And he was going to take any help he could get.

    Speaking of which, the Mandalorian wondered why it seemed so quiet while he absentmindedly walked the halls of Haven. He was sure the slightest sound would have brought him back to reality, but it was now that it happened?

    "Are there any Huntsmen here?" Djarin asked calmly. "It seems quiet here."

    "I was wondering the same," said Ozpin. "We saw nobody on our way to you. Obi-Wan, where is everyone?"

    The Headmaster sighed as he finished his tea. "Most of the staff is defending the borders of the city and the Kingdom," he sadly confessed. "When everyone saw the Mandalorians kill the students in the arena and declare war... you could feel the dread in the air." Obi-Wan walked over to the window and looked down on the city below. "It took everything we had to make sure the Grimm didn't turn Mistral into another Beacon. And when we heard that Mandalorians were spotted on Anima's borders, I knew protecting the city was our top priority."

    "But to send everyone?" Ozpin asked. "Your heart is in the right place, Obi-Wan. But we need Huntsmen and Huntresses here to protect the Relic."

    "Not necessarily." Obi-Wan turned around. "Should anyone attempt anything, they could never find it without my help. And I'm in no mood to help any invaders."

    "Obi-Wan's right," Djarin declared. "I've been to Mistral's Vault before. It's impossible to find without a Headmaster opening the path. And nobody knows where Raven Branwen and her tribe are. Salem has no clear path and no key."

    "Exactly. Although that does leave us with a disadvantage." Obi-Wan looked over to Ozpin, who was starting to see his friends' point of view. "I can tell any returning Huntsmen and Huntresses to keep an eye out for her."

    "That won't be necessary right now," said Ozpin. "Protecting the Relic is all that matters. Try to recall some Huntsmen and Huntresses here if the situation calls for it."

    "I will," Obi-Wan promised. "But I think it would be best to keep the students away for now. After all, I don't have a staff to teach them now."

    "Has anything happened with the Mandalorians?" Djarin asked.

    "Some have been spotted, just as Ozpin described," the Headmaster explained. "However, there were some that didn't match Death Watch or the Saxon Clan. Their armor colors varied, but their designs were supposedly unique. I can't describe it, but it may have been a different clan."

    "I heard rumors of a clan called 'Beroya' residing in Anima," Djarin confirmed. "There's also Clans Bralor and Carid. I've never met them, and I don't know where their loyalties will lie. But I wouldn't expect them to be friendly immediately."

    "Understood."

    "The first thing the Mandalorians will want to do is take control of the skies. Last time I checked, Mistralian airships don't have many weapons."

    "Indeed. Which is why teams of four Huntsmen and Huntresses have been sent on any flying airship. We can't take any chances."

    "Does that mean Mistral can't help Vale?"

    "I'm... afraid not. I may have spread them thin, but I've spread them where they're absolutely necessary. If we can quell the threat of Grimm and if we don't see too many Mandalorians, we may be able to send reinforcements. I'm sorry."

    "We understand," said Ozpin. "You're doing the right thing, Obi-Wan. I'll send word when things are under control in Vale. Or if any other Kingdom can send help."

    "Very well," Obi-Wan agreed. "But there's one more thing I'd like say." He turned to the Mandalorian. "Alone, if you'd be so kind."

    Djarin, while curious as to what Obi-Wan wanted to say, didn't want to delay his mission for too long. So he agreed to the Headmaster's request. "I'll be by the elevator," he said as he left the room.

    "I wouldn't be optimistic about finding reinforcements," Obi-Wan said sincerely. "The only reason Mistral is holding out this long is because the attack on Vale gave us a warning. We were somewhat prepared by the time the first Grimm was spotted."

    "Yes, I imagine," Ozpin agreed. "But I must see what the situation is in Atlas and Vacuo. Vale may not be where I am most needed."

    "Perhaps. But if reinforcements are indeed needed... we may know someone."

    Ozpin wasn't exactly sure what his fellow Headmaster was talking about. "We do?" he asked.

    "Yes, we do. We were all peacekeepers, after all. And I can think of no other enemy he would be willing to fight."

    The mention of their mutual enemy shined a light onto Ozpin. He now knew exactly who Obi-Wan was referring to. "I hadn't thought of him," he insisted. "But to ask him to abandon his mission? That's a deadly chance."

    "Believe me, I know. But if there's one thing I learned from Anakin... there are some chances you have to take. Especially when lives are on the line."

    "..."

    When Ozpin and Djarin left Haven Academy, the Mandalorian decided that the Razor Crest had enough fuel to make a trip to Atlas. There, he would have a mechanic he knew look over his ship and refuel it from there. While this plan was set in motion without many problems, the duo found themselves in a brief skirmish with two Mandalorians. But it was nothing the weapons of the Crest couldn't handle.

    The real problem, however, rested in the authorities of Atlas.

    Multiple Mantas immediately flew over to the Razor Crest and demanded identification. Ozpin and Djarin quickly decided to let the former do the talking in this case. Once he gave a proper identification, which included his Huntsmen number, the ships escorted the Razor Crest to a landing pad close to Atlas Academy. Djarin had his disguise on as he and Ozpin exited the ship, which was necessary given that soldiers were escorting the duo to the school.

    "Did you ever have escorts like this when you came here?" Ozpin asked Djarin.

    "No, have you?" Djarin answered.

    "No. This is... unsettling."

    Before Djarin could say anything else, he and Ozpin were led to an elevator with more soldiers. One of them who overheard the private conversation turned to Ozpin.

    "I'm sorry about all of the security, sir," he said calmly. "General's orders."

    "I understand," Ozpin lied, unsure that all this attention was highly unnecessary. "Forgive me, my friend and I aren't used to this kind of... attention."

    "You and me both," the soldier said with a nod. "I was stationed near the SDC a while back. But with the embargo and all, ships don't need our security anymore."

    Djarin turned to the soldier. "Embargo?" he asked curiously.

    "Oh, yeah. We're not exporting Dust right now. Again, General's orders."

    The elevator doors opened once more to reveal a small circle room with stairs leading to metal doors. "Alright, cut the chatter," one soldier ordered as he led Ozpin and Djarin to the circular room. "General Ironwood's with someone right now. You'll have to wait here." The soldiers moved back to the elevator, which closed immediately. However, it didn't seem to move.

    "I suppose we'll have company on the way down," said Ozpin. Djarin was once again ready to agree, but a sharp noise cut him off.

    "I'm not talking about the good of my company!" a feminine voice rang on the other side of the metal doors. "I'm talking about the good of Atlas! Our entire Kingdom!"

    Djarin and Ozpin quickly heard a familiar voice on the other side offer a rebuttal. "That is the same thing I'm talking about and you know it!"

    "Is it, James?! Is it the same thing?!"

    "Willow! Will you please just hear me out?"

    The disguised Mandalorian suddenly realized that the woman's voice was just as familiar as the General's. He knew that it belonged to Willow Schnee, Winter's mother and the current CEO of the Schnee Dust Company. Curiosity and a desire not to waste any time caused him to slowly approach the door and listen to what was going on inside.

    General Ironwood was currently sitting at a large desk in the office, wearing a different uniform than the one he had at Beacon. Willow, on the other hand, was standing firmly to the left while leaning towards the General's face. "Do you know what happened after the last time I 'heard you out,' James?" she asked. Before he could reply, Willow quickly pointed to her face. "My daughter lost her damn eye! So why on Remnant would I want to hear you out again?!"

    Despite the constant yelling the irate woman was delivering, Ironwood remained calm and collected. "You are blowing it out of proportion," he replied.

    "Well, how did you expect me to react? How do you expect the Council to react?"

    "You forget..." Ironwood slowly rose from his desk. "I hold two seats on the Council."

    Willow stopped leaning on the desk and ran a hand through her hair. "Without more Dust, people are going to die!" Winter said angrily. "So stop acting like you know everything and work with me!"

    "Why do you think I asked you to come here in the first place?" Ironwood asked.

    The conversation became quiet as Willow sighed in exhaustion. On the other side of the door, Ozpin tapped Djarin's shoulder to make him back away from the door. Not only did the Mandalorian comply, he moved back towards the stairs and near the elevator. The former Headmaster was disappointed to see Djarin continuing to isolate himself, but he understood why he wouldn't want to see Ironwood of all people. And he had a good feeling Ironwood felt the same way.

    So Ozpin tapped on the door with his cane, which led to the metal doors opening and revealing Ironwood and Willow on the other side.

    "Oz," Ironwood said as he stood up. "It's been a month already?"

    "..."

    Ozpin silently nodded as he observed the General's current condition. He was never one to forget appointments, especially if they were arranged with other Headmasters. While his physical appearance showed that he was well, excluding the beard he was starting to grow, Ozpin couldn't help but wonder how his departure and isolation from Vale had impacted him mentally.

    After he acknowledged the presence of his guest, Ironwood turned back to Willow. "We'll continue this at another time," he said.

    "Indeed," said Willow. "With the rest of the Council."

    Ironwood nodded. "I'd show you out, but-"

    "Don't worry." Willow turned around and began walking. "I know the way." When she came up to Ozpin, Willow stopped walking. "Professor Ozpin. I'm glad to see you're alright."

    "Thank you, Mrs. Schnee," the Headmaster replied. "Mr. Djarin told me about your daughter before she left. I'm terribly sorry about her injury."

    "Thank you, I..." Willow paused as she repeated the phrase in her head. "My goodness, Djarin! Is he-?"

    "He's fine. And still on our side, I assure you." Ozpin leaned closer to Willow. "He's outside right now. I think he needs someone to talk to."

    Willow remembered what Winter told her about Cinder's condition, before she returned home. The news of her best friend being comatose had broken her heart, as well as Willow's. And she could only imagine how Djarin was reacting. Although she was hesitant to see a Mandalorian of all people, Willow decided that she needed to see Djarin for herself; she needed to see if what Ozpin said was true. So she walked towards the elevator as the doors closed behind her and stopped when she saw an unfamiliar man leaning against the wall by himself.

    "...Djarin?" Willow assumed as she looked closer.

    The Mandalorian looked up from the floor to see Willow Schnee. He hadn't removed his disguise since he got to Atlas, so he knew that Willow would have a hard time recognizing him without his armor. Even though he didn't feel like talking, he didn't want to be rude to her. "...Hello, Willow," he said calmly.

    Willow quickly matched the man's voice with the man she had seen with Cinder countless times. She understood why he was without his armor, which always sent a shiver down her spine every time she saw it. Despite this, she could see the false face of Djarin looked incredibly sad and heartbroken.

    "Oh, Djarin," Willow said as she immediately hugged the man. He had been a trusted friend and ally to her family ever since Cinder came into Winter's life, despite the fact he was a Mandalorian. Which was why she was ready to give any support she could. "I'm so sorry about Cinder. Winter told me everything."

    "Thank you," Djarin said as he slowly and half-heartedly returned the embrace. When he let go, Willow followed. "Is she alright?"

    "No. But... she's alive." Willow sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "I mean, I'm happy to know she's home and she's safe. But... she's missing an eye."

    "I'm... sorry."

    Willow looked back to the Mandalorian. As she finished talking about Winter, Willow realized that she was being unfair to Djarin; a lost eye wasn't much compared to a coma. And if Willow was this upset about her daughter, she could only imagine how Djarin was dealing with his own child.

    "Djarin, I'm actually glad you're here," she said. "You've done so much for my family ever since we met. So if you needanything before the week is over, come right away. I know doctors who can help Cinder, or yourself if you need it."

    "Thank you," said Djarin. He had heard the same offer over and over again, but it had begun to lose its meaning. After all, nobody could give the Mandalorian what he really needed. But when he thought of it, there was one thing that Willow might be able to give him. "Actually, there may be something you can help me with. If it's not-"

    "Djarin, I said anything," Willow quickly replied.

    "Well, there was something I used to help Cinder... before she went into a coma. It's called Cobalt Dust, and I think I can use some more."

    Willow put a hand to her chin. "I've heard of that Dust," she confirmed. "And what it can do. You may be on to something, Djarin."

    "Do you think I can have some?"

    "Absolutely." Willow quickly regretted saying that. "However, it's a rare kind of Dust. I've haven't heard of it being mined in months. But I'll look again, and the first thing I find will be yours."

    "Thank you, Willow. I'm sorry to ask you like this, but-"

    "No, don't worry." Willow looked back towards Ironwood's office. "Unlike some people, I still want Atlas to export Dust to others."

    Djarin briefly looked towards the iron doors before looking back at Willow. "I heard about the embargo," he said. "Is it that bad for the company?"

    "Djarin, I have plenty of money," Willow insisted. "What I don't have is the right to cut off Dust from the rest of the world. It's a 'precautionary measure', according to James. Until we're certain no one is going to declare war. It would be a logical idea..." Willow looked back to the doors. "If there wasn't a war, already!"

    "..."

    Willow looked back to her friend once again. "Djarin, Ozpin told me you weren't with the ones responsible for the Vytal Festival, and I believe him," she said. "But do you know anything that might help us fight them? Do we... Do we stand a chance against them?"

    Djarin sighed as he thought back to his earlier encounter. "The Mandalorians who did this aren't as strong as Atlas, but they're not powerless either," he said. "They're growing stronger and bolder every day, since more clans are willing to join them. Even my people are starting to divide."

    The last part confused Willow. "I thought... you said they were neutral. When we first met."

    "I did, and they're supposed to be. But something's changed. They've changed."

    "..."

    Before Willow could say anything else, the automatic door to Ironwood's office opened and Ozpin stormed out. Instead of tapping his cane on the ground like he normally would, the gray-haired man moved as quickly as he could to the elevator.

    "Fine, go ahead!" Ironwood's voice called out from the office. "If you won't protect my people, I will!"

    Ozpin didn't respond to the General behind him, but he spoke to the Mandalorian. "Djarin, we're leaving," he bluntly declared. "Right now."

    Djarin silently looked at Ozpin in surprise. The anger and disgust on the Headmaster's face sent a cold shiver go down his spine; he couldn't recall a time when he, or anyone else, saw a look like this on Ozpin.

    When the elevator finally opened, Ozpin entered the small room without a word. Djarin entered as well, and heard Willow Schnee say one more thing before the doors closed.

    "Djarin, come back before the week is over! I'll help you, I promise!"

    The doors finally closed and the elevator began to descend. As he waited for the ride to be over, the Mandalorian had two things to figure out. While he was concerned with Ozpin's obvious anger, the fact that Willow Schnee kept mentioning the week being over left him curious. He hoped the reasons behind both of these behaviors were related, so he broke the silence with Ozpin as soon as they began to leave Atlas Academy.

    "What happened?" he asked.

    "James isn't going to help us," Ozpin replied with a sigh. "He isn't planning to help anyone for that matter."

    "What do you mean?"

    "By this time next week, the Kingdom of Atlas will be closing its borders. No one in, no one out."

    "What?!"

    Djarin looked back to the school in vain, wishing for one chance to talk to Ironwood face-to-face. He was almost ready to teleport himself into the General's office, but Ozpin seemed to realize this plan before it even happened.

    "No!" he quickly said. "James may have the both of us arrested if you try anything. And then we'll both be stuck here."

    "..."

    Djarin made no attempts to use his Semblance. He instead turned back towards the landing pads and let his anger slowly fade. Now he understood why Willow kept telling him to come back soon; in a week nobody could do anything in Atlas.

    The long walk back to the Razor Crest left the Mandalorian wondering what was going through Ironwood's head. Closing off Atlas would only increase the harm it had done to Remnant, and it could potentially hurt Atlas itself. With no trade imports coming from any other Kingdoms, Atlas would bleed itself dry. And if Salem could find a way into Vale, it would only be a matter of time until she found a way into Atlas.

    Nevertheless, Djarin took his airship off the ground once he and Ozpin left Atlas Academy. He then set a course to Vacuo; the fuel Peli had given the Razor Crest would make the trip easier.

    "I trust you have no business in Atlas," said Ozpin, who was showing obvious signs that he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

    "I was thinking about checking in on some friends in Mantle," Djarin confessed. "But the sooner we leave, the better."

    The tired Headmaster nodded before he stared the obvious. "Without more airships, the Mandalorians have the upper hand in taking control of the skies. Vale and Mistral can't hold out against more attacks."

    "I know." Djarin immediately fell victim to a bad thought in his head. "And I doubt Vacuo can offer anything to help."

    "Vacuo was never one of the strongest Kingdoms, you're right," Ozpin agreed. "But other than the Relic under Shade Academy, the Kingdom holds no strategic value for the Mandalorians. The constant sandstorms may be difficult to set up any kind of base as well."

    "Not against the Grimm," Djarin pointed out. "Salem can make a move easier than Vizsla or Saxon. Let's hope the Huntsmen there can hold the lines." Another bad thought, one that was recurring at this point, ran throughout Djarin's mind. "We're running out of options, Ozpin."

    "I know. But our ace in the hole won't fail us."

    Djarin's head moved towards the Headmaster as fast as lightning. "Wait, our what?" he asked.

    Ozpin turned to Djarin, but not as fast. "Didn't I tell you about this?" he asked, confused about the Mandalorian's reaction.

    "No!"

    Ozpin sighed as he cursed himself for not filling in his ally on the new plan, the one he discussed with Obi-Wan. One would think that it was just his nature not to share everything right away, but Ozpin genuinely meant to fill Djarin in. He was just so tired that it slipped his mind. So more than anything, Ozpin needed this to work.

    "Well, I know someone special in Vacuo," Ozpin began. "He's like Theodore and the rest, he knows about Salem. And he's very powerful, I assure you."

    "Do you trust him?" Djarin asked.

    "I do. Although he may be... reluctant to fight."

    "Why's that?"

    "He's currently on a mission right now. One that requires him to stay exactly where he is."

    "And how important is his mission?"

    "As of right now... not as important as winning this war. And come to think of it, I don't believe it will be too hard to convince him to fight."

    "Why's that?"

    "If there's one thing he hates more than Salem... it's Mandalorians."

    "..."

    The flight to Vacuo took as much time as Djarin expected. It was perhaps the only thing that seemed to be working out for him today. Despite the news of Atlas closing its borders leaving a bad taste in the Mandalorian's mouth, part of him felt better knowing that there was some hope for Cinder. All it required was a little more Cobalt Dust... but also a lot of luck. And luck, as he saw today, didn't seem to be in his favor.

    Ozpin also found himself in the same rut as his present company. On one hand, forces in Mistral were spread too far to offer any kind of counteroffensive, and the army of Atlas was looking out for itself. Or rather, its General was looking out for himself.

    From just one look at General Ironwood, it was easy to see that the Fall of Beacon had left a toll on him as well. Being shot was one thing, but the destruction of Beacon Academy also seemed to weigh on his mind. Perhaps he felt guilty about making the choice to destroy the school.

    Or rather, and more likely, Ironwood wasn't taking defeat so well.

    The Atlesian air fleet returned home with a mere fraction of what was sent out, and General Ironwood obviously took this failure to heart. But rather than trying again and redeeming himself, Ozpin found out that his friend was willing to hide behind closed walls and abandon the world. This news felt like a stab to the back, to say the least. But a part of the former Headmaster wasn't ready to think Ironwood was completely gone.

    The other part, however, was more focused on helping the rest of the world. More specifically, Shade Academy.

    The Razor Crest was currently en route to Shade, a large structure that stood out among the rest of the places in the city of Vacuo. Down below, Djarin and Ozpin could see a low guard wall that distinguished the borders of Vacuo and Shade. They could also see people looking up at the airship, which was a rare sight to behold in this Kingdom.

    But the thing about Shade that caught the Mandalorian's eyes was the top of the school. The top of the school looked similar to parts of Beacon Tower. This was because the tower not only had Professor Theodore's office at the top, but also because it was where Vacuo's CCT transmitter resided.

    The only landing pad in sight wasn't too far from the academy. However, it was starting to become crowded with people curious about the arrival of the Razor Crest. Everyone seemed to know that the ship was from another Kingdom, which caused them to look up with resentment along with curiosity.

    "Vacuo was never the friendliest with outsiders," Ozpin sadly reminded the Mandalorian.

    "I know," Djarin said as he landed the ship. "Given that its resources were practically stolen and drained, how else would you expect them to treat people from Vale?"

    "Indeed."

    Ozpin knew that Djarin would be uneasy in the crowd, even though he had a disguise on. He wasn't sure how people would look at him, however. He didn't even know if news of Vale trying to fight the Mandalorians even came all the way out here. Nevertheless, it was bound to be a rocky start for the both of them.

    However, Ozpin suddenly had an idea. Time in Vacuo could be cut in half if he and Djarin split up to do separate things. And while Ozpin wanted nothing more than to talk with Professor Theodore, he knew something that the Mandalorian could do in his place.

    "Djarin, do you remember what I mentioned about our possible ally?" he asked calmly and quickly.

    "Yes," Djarin replied. "The one who hates Mandalorians. Don't worry, I'm not going to show my armor here."

    "That's fine, and I think you may be able to help us call him." Ozpin pointed towards Shade Academy. "I'll be meeting with Theodore up there. But on top of the tower, there's a hidden compartment that holds a way for us to call for him. You'll know what it is once you see it."

    Djarin thought of the idea, and it immediately sounded better than standing in another office asking questions. Or waiting outside doing nothing at all. "Alright," he agreed. "At the top of the tower?"

    "Exactly." Ozpin pointed towards Shade Academy. "Directly behind where I'm pointing." He then reached into his pocket and took out what appeared to be a metal key. "You'll need this."

    Djarin nodded and took the key. When he opened the door to let Ozpin out of the ship, Djarin used his Semblance to teleport himself to the top of the tower. The act was successful, and Djarin found himself above the entire city. He wasn't in any danger of falling, given that he had his hidden jet pack and the floor was stable.

    Here, the Mandalorian could see the landscape of Vacuo below him. The city appeared to be one large labyrinth; a series of mazes had been created from improvised structures and crude architecture. It was quite possible that Shade Academy was the only sturdy building in the city. Djarin rarely traveled to this city, let alone the Kingdom. He recalled the last time being here was a short one; it was a bounty hunt he and Cinder went on together. The hunt was successful, but not without difficulties. He and Cinder had to protect a small village from a biker gang with Auras, but it was all worth the effort in the end. Not only did they receive what they were promised, but they were thanked multiple times by the villagers.

    Djarin found himself thinking about how he would use to brush off gratitude like that and merely say that what he did was just business. But ever since he started raising Cinder properly and started helping Ozpin and Qrow, Djarin found himself feeling happy with receiving praise for a job well done. He couldn't explain why at first, but it was obvious that his work as a bounty hunter helped do the right thing. After all, it was a legal profession. And it was surprisingly Cinder who helped him see that doing the right thing was worth the effort. She didn't directly teach him, but the sight of Cinder smiling and accepting any praise with a humble heart changed something in the Mandalorian. And he was thankful that change occurred.

    "..."

    Djarin let out a heavy sigh as he stopped reminiscing on his time with Cinder. Thinking back on their greatest times together wasn't going to help wake her up, or get her powers back. So Djarin turned his sights back to the tower, where he saw a small but noticeable keyhole on the exterior of the structure. Without thinking twice, the Mandalorian used the strange key Ozpin gave him to turn the lock.

    *CREAK*​

    A part of the tower, much bigger than the keyhole, began to open like a pair of doors. Djarin moved to the right side as the hidden door opened even further, and only moved back to the spot once the door was fully open. True to Ozpin's word, there was indeed a hidden compartment in the tower, and it was revealing the apparent communication device. This device was discovered to be a large contraption, bound together by metal, rope, and chains in the ceiling. Djarin moved closer inside the room and got a better look at the other side of the machine.

    "It looks like... some kind of horn," the disguised Mandalorian thought to himself. "That's right. Oobleck had something like this in one of his lectures. Something from the Great War." Djarin rubbed his hand on the machine and knocked off some rust, which displayed the age of the machine. "Why would Ozpin need something like this? Who would need to hear it?" Djarin began to wonder why Ozpin was being so cryptic about this "ace in the hole" he kept talking about. Of course, he needed more allies to fight in Vale; but why not share more about him? So what if he didn't like Mandalorians? Djarin could keep his identity hidden as long as he needed to, so there shouldn't be any trouble.

    Right?

    "Only one way to find out," Djarin realized as he moved around the machine. The movement led to the Mandalorian finding what he believed to be the operator of the horn; a metal crank was resting on the side of the device, waiting for someone to twist it. Djarin wasn't sure what would happen, or what would come, when he turned the crank, but he had come too far to back down now.

    As Djarin began to roll the crank on the metal contraption, a low moan began to escape the horn. The moan soon turned into a loud, horrid noise that echoed throughout the hidden room and moved across the sky. The sound was deafening, unlike anyone had heard in such a long time. But Djarin continued to turn the wheel as he believed just about anyone in the whole Kingdom could hear its horrid sound.

    And he was right.

    Far beyond the city of Vacuo, many heads turned towards the faint but detectable sound of the hidden horn. From commoners in poor villages to Tuskens in the barren desert, all eyes moved towards the direction of Shade Academy.

    There was one person who was arguably the most curious of all. A little boy, no older than eight or nine, heard the horn sounding from the exterior of his house. At first, he was outside examining a metal, handmade spire not far from his home. But now, curiosity got the better of him and caused him to try and find the source of the noise.

    Despite his small size, the boy was able to run towards a large rock formation not too far from the small hut. He climbed the rocks without a hint of fear to get a good look at the distance. The only things he was able to see were sand and the hint of another village close by. He couldn't see the source of the noise, but a deep intuition was telling him that it was coming from Vacuo.

    The curiosity was shifted away from Vacuo and towards an unfamiliar feeling on the boy's foot.

    He looked down to see a black, white, and orange creature crawling on small legs up the boy's leg. He reacted quickly with a scream and slapped the Grimm off his leg. He forgot that the rock was the home of dormant Sulfur Fish; not hard to kill by themselves, but very dangerous to someone his size.

    Not wanting to awaken any more Sulfur Fish, the young man ran down the rocks with the intention of returning home. However, his foot slipped and caused him to tumble down the last formation. The boy wasn't too hurt, but he had awakened three more Sulfur Fish. And he couldn't run away in time before they could crawl up his body.

    *HISS*​

    The three Grimm suddenly moved off the boy and into the air. They began to scramble and shriek in confusion as to why they were floating in the air and not feasting on their prey.

    Their answer came in the form of a red light, one that struck the Grimm and turned them into dust.

    The boy looked away from the smoky remains of the Grimm and towards his apparent savior. Standing above him was a humanoid figure in black robes. A black hood was hiding his face, but it wasn't hiding a red sword in his hands. The figure didn't try to move closer or touch the boy; it simply stood and stared down.

    *HISS*​

    Another blade appeared in the figure's other hand, amethyst in color instead of blood-red. The blade swung towards the left, where another Sulfur Fish had tried to launch itself towards the boy. Now it was nothing but dust.

    The young man smiled upon the figure. "It's you," he said as he stood up. "Boy, am I glad to see you."

    "..."

    The silence from the figure didn't scare the young child. "I knew you'd come," he said. "You always come when I'm in trouble."

    "...Trouble you always seem to get yourself in to," the figure replied as the lights disappeared. The voice was unmistakably male, even though the boy couldn't see his face. "I thought you learned your lesson about wandering off on your own."

    "It wasn't my fault." The boy pointed out towards the distance. "Did you hear it too?"

    The man turned towards the direction of the sound. "...Yes," he said as he began to look towards it. "Yes, I did."

    "What is it?"

    "A call for help. My help." The man slowly looked down at his present company. "Go home." He then began to walk away from the boy, who quickly walked over to where his savior was originally standing.

    "Wait!" he called out. The man suddenly stopped walking. "Where are you going?"

    "Away," the man said. "My time here is over."

    "Here? You mean... in Vacuo?"

    "...Yes."

    "But where are you going?"

    "I have a good idea... but I don't truly know." The man suddenly whispered to himself. "Wherever the Force sends me, I suppose."

    "You're going to help whoever's making that noise?"

    "I hope to do so."

    "Can I come with you?"

    The man turned around this time, looking at the smiling boy. "This is about what happened in Vale, isn't it?" he asked. "I know, I've gotten in trouble out here. But my uncle taught me a lot about everything! I can help! Right?"

    The hooded figure kneeled down and touched the boy's shoulder. "You were always brave, my young friend," he said calmly. "But I'm afraid this is beyond your abilities. And you are not ready to leave all this behind. Nor are your loved ones ready for you to leave."

    The boy sadly looked down. "But... what if I need you again? I'll stay out of trouble, but-"

    "You have everything you need back there," the man said as he pointed back towards the hut. "Be patient, my friend. And be safe. Your time will come." He stood up and turned around. "May the Force be with you."

    As the young boy watched the hooded man move towards Vacuo as fast as lightning, he said a silent goodbye to his friend. He had known the man practically his whole life, despite not seeing his face or even knowing his name. All he knew was that the man had made a habit of protecting him from all kinds of danger.

    But it seemed that time was over now. He would go off and protect other people, people that needed more help than ever. All the young boy could do was keep his promise and return home. In fact, there was even something behind him calling out, something that the boy wasn't ready to leave.

    When he turned around with a soft smile, the boy heard the voice as clear as day; and that it was calling his name.

    "Luke? Luke!"

    "That's enough, Djarin."

    The disguised Mandalorian looked away from the metal horn and towards the source of the voice. Ozpin was standing on the roof as well; his meeting with Theodore had finished on a slightly lighter note than expected. And now, he was ready to check in with Djarin.

    "So that's it?" Djarin asked impatiently. He was having mixed feelings about being kept in the dark, and doing what now felt like menial work. Ozpin understood this well, so he decided to share more information with the Mandalorian. "Was this horn really important?"

    "Like I said, this was a signal for reinforcements," Ozpin explained. "Our ace in the hole, specifically. We've done a great thing today, Djarin."

    "And who is this 'ace in the hole?'" Djarin demanded to know. "How can he help us?"

    "A Jedi, like Obi-Wan. A very unique one, at that." Ozpin walked a little closer to Djarin and whispered. "He knows how Salemand Mandalorians think. He knows how to fight them."

    "...How does he know that?"

    "I'd like to let him explain that when he arrives. He's... sensitive about matters with Salem. It would be unwise to upset him."

    "..."

    "He's on his way now. It won't take long."

    Djarin relented his negative stance on his task and focused on other matters. "Okay," he began. "How's the rest of the Kingdom doing?"

    "As well as I thought," said Ozpin. "The negativity the Vytal Festival created did summon Grimm, just like Mistral. But the environment and the Huntsmen of Shade were able to help hold the line. Vacuo is as safe as one would normally expect the Kingdom to be."

    "And the Mandalorians?"

    "Neither seen nor heard from here. It seems Shade is not a target of Salem's just yet."

    Djarin nodded in understanding. This seemed to be the best news he heard all day, besides the fact that Willow might be able to help him. "So that's it," he said. "Once we meet whoever we called, we're done here."

    "Not quite," Ozpin denied. "There is one problem that Theodore told me."

    "What is it?"

    "It seems that a vast majority of our former students have chosen to continue their studies at Shade. It may be one of the Huntsmen Academies, but there's very little room for two sets of students learning under the same roof."

    Djarin thought about the predicament, how he had been teaching more students than he could count this year. And based on the number of survivors, there were still many students who were waiting to earn their Huntsman and Huntress licenses. Ozpin was right; there wasn't much room for that many students.

    "Do you have a plan?" the Mandalorian asked.

    "I do," Ozpin replied. "Theodore is considering creating new teams to accommodate for the influx, but I think it may be wise to bring in more teachers. Glynda is trying to retake Beacon, but we still have the rest of the staff."

    "That could work."

    "It could. And I think you should join them here."

    "..."

    Ozpin had a feeling that the silence bordered on hesitance, so he decided to offer more logic to the idea. "Many of our students knew you well, Djarin," he began. "They even said your lessons saved their lives at Beacon. Shade needs those lessons too."

    "..."

    Djarin could easily see the logic in this situation. The students at Beacon were trained well under him, but the Mandalorian knew that they still had much to learn. And the students at Shade would need his lessons as well, if Salem turned her eyes towards Vacuo.

    It would be a foolish move to waste this opportunity; but it would also be foolish to be far from Cinder.

    "Do you think Cinder-?"

    "Theodore and I are working on that," Ozpin cut Djarin off. "But with this many students, it may be difficult to keep her presence here a secret. If you want to keep her on your ship, or maybe find another place to keep her-"

    "I know a place," Djarin quickly spoke. "I'll bring her there. What about Vale?"

    While Ozpin was happy to see that Djarin was willing to follow this plan, he became confused at the mention of Vale. "Why do you ask?" he inquired.

    "The Mandalorians are still there," Djarin replied. "If there's any chance of finding Aurora or Saxon, it's at Vale. And it's not too far from Vacuo."

    "No, it isn't," Ozpin confirmed. "So you're still willing to fight?"

    "If today and the Fall of Beacon taught me anything, it's that I can't hide anymore. I can't just hunt bounties or scout with Qrow anymore. I need to be like Cinder; I need to do more."

    Ozpin could see what the Mandalorian was saying now. "I won't stop you," he said. "Cinder was right, we do need to do more. But we have a target on our backs, ever since we survived. We have to be careful, Djarin."

    "I know. But we have to be active." Djarin walked closer to Ozpin. "No more holding the line, no more fighting in secret. We need to be on the offensive."

    "And we will be."

    Djarin nodded as he walked away from the horn. Ozpin followed him back inside while he planned to wait for his friend to arrive. As the two walked inside, Djarin began to return back to his thoughts. Ozpin was right after all; leaving Vale to see the other Kingdoms had helped him put things in perspective. As much as it deviated from what the Children of the Watch told him, Djarin knew secrecy was no longer an option. Cinder knew that too, but her injury wouldn't be in vain. After all, it was her point of view that inspired the ideas Djarin just shared with Ozpin.

    "I'm going to make things right, Cinder," he silently promised. "I'll make sure everything will be okay." As he made this promise, Djarin couldn't help but ask himself the same question that he must have asked a hundred times.

    Was Cinder going to be okay?

    "Aaaaaand-"

    *CLAP*​

    "One!"

    *CLAP*​

    "Two!"

    *CLAP*​

    "Three!"

    *CLAP*​

    "Four!"

    Nobody could see it, but Cinder was okay; as okay as one could expect while being stuck in a seemingly never-ending void.

    The young girl knew that she would need all of her strength back if she ever planned to return home. So she spent her days doing various exercises for an excessive amount of time.

    It was hard at first, since all of her strength and Maiden powers seemingly disappeared. However, exercise after exercise seemed to return a good portion of Cinder's physical strength. Today, she decided to push her limit by doing clapping push-ups, something she used to do on a regular basis. At first, it was extremely challenging and painful. But now, the pain only served to increase the young girl's strength.

    After she finished her third set of twenty push-ups, Cinder proceeded to do three sets of burpees. Once she finished those, the Maiden moved to sit-ups. And to finish the workout, Cinder went for a run in the void she called "home." She didn't have any physical markers to tell her how long she ran for, but she kept time in her head and stopped after ten minutes.

    "Wow, very good!"

    Cinder stopped catching her breath when she heard a familiar voice to her side. She looked up to see a glowing woman looking at her with a smile. This was the first person Cinder had the pleasure of meeting when she found herself trapped in the void; this was Fall, the very first Fall Maiden.

    "You're getting stronger," she said with a supportive smile.

    "Thanks," Cinder said with a smile as she stood proudly. She then wiped her forehead and looked at her clothes. "I'm not even breaking a sweat."

    Fall nodded. "That's true, you didn't. But remember what I told you; this isn't really your body. Your soul is manifesting itself in your mind scape. Well, our mind scape."

    "I know, I know," Cinder remembered. "It just feels... natural. It's like this is still my body. And I'm still-" Cinder felt a sharp pain in her head that caused her to grab it. The pain then spread throughout her body and almost made her fall over. Fortunately, Fall was able to catch her.

    "Are you okay?" the Maiden quickly asked. "Sit down." She then helped Cinder sit on the nonexistent ground.

    "Thank you," Cinder said as she kept her eyes closed. "I'm okay, I just need a second." She then took a few deep breaths as the pain began to subside. "Sorry. The headaches aren't as constant as usual."

    Fall began to feel a deep sense of fear. "That's not good, Cinder," she said. "You're getting stronger, but weaker at the same time. The headaches are your body telling you that. Do you understand?"

    "I think so." Cinder opened her eyes and looked back to Fall. "It's because of my powers, isn't it?"

    "It is." Fall stood up while looking at Cinder. "I'm afraid the exercise isn't enough anymore. If you want to... survive, you need to reclaim your power now."

    Cinder stood up and nodded in understanding. Fall had told her this the first day they met, and Cinder knew this day would come. All that she needed to know was if it was still possible to regain her powers.

    "I can still do it... right?" she asked.

    "With the right help, yes," Fall replied. "I can help you, and so can the others. All we need to know is..." Fall offered a hand to Cinder. "Are you ready?"

    Cinder looked at the hand for a moment. And almost as fast as lightning, she grabbed it and felt herself come off the ground.

    "Yes!"
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 42: The Void
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 42: The Void

    One month ago​

    "I'm quite sure you're a Fall Maiden, Cinder. But I..."

    *WHOOSH*​

    "Am the Fall Maiden. The original, you see."

    The declaration and the sight of another woman using Maiden powers was too much for Cinder at the present moment. All she could do was stare at the miracle before her, given that she lost her voice. Her mind, too, had also become silent.

    Cinder was too amazed by the idea of standing in the presence of another Maiden, something she had never done in her life. Despite knowing one of the Maidens was named Fria, Cinder knew nothing else about other Maidens. Especially ones who claimed to be the original.

    Cinder finally regained her senses when the woman before her finally lowered herself to the ground. "Forgive the theatrics," she implored. "I always told my sisters that actions have a habit of speaking louder than words."

    "..."

    Despite her silence, Cinder began to smile at what she had just seen and heard. The woman before her took the smile as a good thing and continued to talk.

    "Now, as I was saying, my name is-"

    "Fall," Cinder blurted out. She then pointed at the woman. "You... You're Fall! You're one of the sisters that became Maidens!"

    The woman smiled at the sound of her name. "Yes, I am!" she exclaimed. "And it seems you're my current replacement."

    Cinder couldn't help but focus on the first part of what Fall had just said. She also couldn't help but pace the floor while grabbing the sides of her head in excitement. "I, I, I don't believe it!" she began without looking at the woman. "I can't believe it's you! I read your story every night when I was a kid! I don't know what to say, I have so many questions! I don't know where to start, I-!" Cinder was forced to stop talking as she ran out of breath surprisingly fast.

    Fall placed a hand on Cinder's shoulder and remained completely calm. "Deep breaths, young lady," she said almost sternly. She gently pushed down on Cinder's shoulder and began to sit on the empty ground, silently telling Cinder to follow her movements. "I think we have some time to get acquainted, Cinder. But first, you should probably know where you are."

    Cinder looked at the white space around her and easily remembered how she woke up here. "Oh, right," she said, much more calmly this time. "So, uh... I know you said it earlier, but are you sure I'm not dead? I mean, you're here, and I-"

    "Don't worry," Fall said calmly. "You're still very much alive, Cinder. Trust me."

    Cinder couldn't help but look at her abnormal surroundings once again. "So... what is this place? Where am I?"

    Fall slightly spread her arms in the empty space. "Think of this void as a nexus; a meeting place, in a way. This is where all Maidens come when their power is transferred to another."

    Cinder quickly looked back at Fall. "What? What do you mean?"

    Fall sighed as she lowered her arms. "We Maidens are special, Cinder," she began. "Our power give us extraordinary abilities. We all use it differently, but some of us never realize how that power affects us. Our bodies, our minds, our very souls become one with the power of the Maidens. So when the power goes to another... we go with it."

    Cinder did her best to comprehend what Fall was saying. It seemed that whenever the power was transferred from one girl to another, it wasn't just the power that was being sent.

    "So what you're saying is..." Cinder began. "The power forms a connection to us." Cinder looked at her hands, thinking about all the times she used the Fall Maiden's powers. "Mind and soul, not just body. And when a previous Maiden... goes..."

    "She doesn't really go," Fall explained. "No Maiden is every truly gone." She reached for Cinder's hands. "Right now... I'm a part of you, Cinder. And so is every Maiden that came after me. I can even see into the memories of those Maidens; including you."

    "..."

    As the truth began to sink in, Cinder found herself at a loss for words. If the connection Fall spoke of really existed, then that was where she and Cinder were right now. And not only that, but Cinder was playing host to... a     multitude of Maidens. She didn't know what to make of the idea, which was why she couldn't say a word.

    "I know," Fall said with sympathy. "I know how overwhelming this must be for you. I can only guess what you're thinking and how you're feeling; I've been there too. But listen." Fall took Cinder's hands again. "I was here,     alone, when my time came. I didn't have anyone to help me or comfort me when I almost lost my mind." Fall tightened her grasp. "But you do, Cinder. I can help you with anything you need, and-"

    "I have to go."

    Cinder quickly stood up and looked around the void again. "I, I, I have to get out of here!" she said in a panic. "How, how do I get out?!" Cinder looked upwards. "Let me out! Someone!     Anyone! Let me out of here!"

    Fall slowly stood up and followed her new acquaintance. "Cinder, please-"

    "I can't stay here!" Cinder screamed as tears fell down her eyes. "This doesn't make sense, you said I was still alive! Am I going to die if I stay here?!" Cinder gasped through her sobs as a dark thought entered her mind. "Am I going to be stuck here when I die?!"

    "Cinder, I can explain-"

    "I can't be here!" Cinder began to run in different directions, turning around whenever she saw more whiteness. "I don't want to be here! I can't do this right now!" The panic attack Cinder was experiencing made any attempt of rational thinking nonexistent.

    Fall, however, remained calm and tried to make Cinder do the same. "Cinder-"

    "Ozpin!" Cinder shouted above. "Ozpin, help me! You made the Maidens, you have to get me out of here!"

    "Cinder-"

    "Ozpin! Qrow!     Dad! Dad, I'm sorry I pushed you away! I'm sorry I was being stubborn! I'm sorry, and I need you! I need you now, please!"

    "    Cinder!"

    Fall grabbed Cinder by the shoulders and turned her around. "Listen to me!" she demanded as she shook the child's shoulders. When Cinder stopped screaming and looked at the glowing woman, Fall became sympathetic once again. "They can't hear you."

    "..."

    Cinder was at a loss for words again, but she continued to weep. She fell to the ground once again as tears flowed down her cheeks. She cried and cried because she knew she was beyond any kind of help at the moment.

    But the embrace Fall was generously giving helped a little. And the original Fall Maiden had much more help to give when Cinder calmed down.

    After she began to recover from the traumatic experience, Cinder gave Fall her undivided attention as she explained the rest of the void. And the more she explained it, the less scary it seemed.

    Fall reiterated that the void was a connecting place between each and every Fall Maiden that existed. Sometimes, new Maiden candidates would be brought to this nexus when the previous Maiden decided to transfer her powers. Other times, the power would go to the first person that Maiden had in their final thoughts.

    Instead of a sort of Limbo, the nexus served as a sort of resting place for the previous Maidens. It wasn't exactly the afterlife, but the souls of the Maidens eventually found peace and comfort when their service to the world came to an end. And although Cinder couldn't see it, the previous Maidens indeed inhabited the nexus. Fall simply chose to reveal herself to break the news and comfort Cinder from her ordeal.

    When Fall was finally finished, Cinder took it upon herself to explain how she found herself to be in this place. She explained how she tried to defend Beacon from the Grimm, and how part of the Maiden powers were stolen. Cinder was confident she still retained a piece, but not like before.

    "So... it was this 'Aurora' who did this to you," Fall understood. "She stole our power for herself."

    "Not all of it," Cinder repeated. "But enough to make her stronger. And make me weaker, apparently." Cinder suddenly realized that Aurora may be able to do more with the power. "Wait, can she find us here?" She began to look around the area. "If she has the power, then she's connected to us? Right?"

    "I'm not sure." Fall repeated Cinder's movements. "But I wouldn't be worried just yet. This nexus is meant for Maidens who are giving their powers or who have already passed on. If Aurora is still alive and isn't a full Maiden, it'll be hard for her to come here."

    "But I'm not trying to give her my powers! I need to get them back!"

    "That may be possible, if you still retain a piece of it. But we don't have much time. Two women tried sharing the power as well; without the full effect, the first Maiden died within months."

    The idea scared Cinder to the core. She was the first Maiden in the case of her and Aurora sharing power. If she didn't reclaim it soon, Aurora would take the rest easily.

    "But there may be a way to make sure that won't happen again," Fall said as she stood up. She then lowered a hand to Cinder. "Come with me."

    Present​

    Cinder wasn't sure how much time had passed since she first woke up in the void. She didn't even know what was going on outside the void. All that she did know was how much hard work she had to put into surviving in the new place. When she heard Fall's full story, Cinder decided the necessary work now was exercise.

    It took some time to understand completely, but Cinder learned from Fall that her body wasn't really her body. More specifically, her current state of being was her soul manifesting itself in the nexus of Maidens. Apparently, this happened to everyone who came here. Fall also explained that her time here developed an insight about the building blocks of a Maiden; from her point of view, these pillars were body, mind, and soul.

    "All three of them are touched by the power of the Maidens," she told Cinder. "With part of the power gone, I wouldn't be surprised if your connection to all three was hurt too. We need to work from the bottom up."

    Cinder easily decided that the best way to do that was through physical exercise. The young girl had felt weaker since she first woke up, so she became convinced that exercise could help with that. While she could feel part of her strength returning, pain such as headaches came on a whim; Cinder learned this was a sign that her time was running out.

    The pain wasn't necessarily all bad, however. Fall knew that the pain she felt was the only connection Cinder had to her own body. The random nature of its arrival and departure were signs that the connection to her body needed to be healed.

    Now that Cinder understood the nature of her predicament, and that she finished her exercises for today, Fall decided that Cinder was ready to move on to the next part of her healing.

    "Your exercise was impressive," said Fall, who was currently walking in the void. "Now it's time to see how its helped you so far."

    "Sounds good to me," said Cinder. She was currently walking in the void as well. She understood that Fall had no destination in mind; walking around was simply better than staying in one spot and doing nothing. "Where do we start?"

    "A simple task. One that you might be familiar with." Fall stopped walking. "I know this may sound strange, but I'm aware of the trials you've gone through, Cinder. I've seen every up and down that's led you to this very spot."

    Cinder couldn't help but rub the back of her head awkwardly as she began to feel a loss of security. "Right," she said slowly. "You still have all my memories, huh?"

    "...I do," Fall said hesitantly. She could see why Cinder was so uncomfortable with the idea; she wouldn't want someone having every detail of her life completely memorized either. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to invade your privacy. It's... not really something I control. It just happens."

    Even though Cinder understood that her new mentor was doing no harm, she wasn't ready to talk about something like this. "It's fine. What do I need to do?"

    Fall mentally cursed herself before she began to instruct Cinder. "Ozpin taught you that the Maiden powers are fused to your soul. That you can feel the elements swirl inside of you. Did you ever feel that?"

    "Yeah. Especially when I used fire. I could feel it... warming me. Not just outside, but inside too."

    "Well, we want to feel that again. Fire was always the element you were the most connected to."

    "Was it the same for you?"

    "No, I liked wind better. But that's not important." Fall gestured to the ground. "Sit down." When Cinder complied, Fall guided Cinder through the steps. "When I used wind, I would always feel goosebumps on my skin. Even before the wind appeared. So tell me, what do you first feel when you use fire?"

    "...A spark."

    The answer made Fall believe that she had asked a silly question. "Ah, of course. Close your eyes, Cinder." The young girl complied again, leaving Fall to continue the lesson. "I want you to try and make that spark. Here and now. I understand it won't be easy, but we need to see how strong your connection is. How long it takes this spark to form."

    Cinder decided to change the way she was sitting, to make herself appear that she was meditating. She then remembered how she used fire each and every time she activated her Maiden powers. She remembered the first day she used them, she remembered the times she trained with Ozpin, and she remembered how she used them recently.

    Especially recently.

    "The 'Way of the Maiden' my ass."

    "Look at everyone's Maiden now!"

    "I told you this would happen, didn't I?!"

    "I'm gonna take good care of your friends back there."

    "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

    The memories were too much for Cinder to bear. She suppressed a scream as she opened her eyes and leaned forward. As she hid her face from Fall, Cinder took deep breaths as she tried to forget the visions of Aurora she had just suffered from.

    But despite not seeing her now, Cinder could still hear her voice.

    Fall decided to give Cinder some space at first, but now she was kneeling down and trying to comfort Cinder. "Breathe, Cinder," she said. "It's okay. You're safe."

    Cinder took one last breath before she looked up at Fall. "Fall, I... I can't do this," she said as she stood up. "I couldn't feel anything. I did everything you said, and all I could feel was everything that happened that night. I... I can't do that again." Cinder turned away. "It's pointless. I... I have nothing left. No power, no strength... nothing."

    "..."

    Despite Cinder not wanting to see Aurora again, she honestly believed that there was nothing left inside of her. Whatever pieces of the power remained, it seemed obvious that it wasn't enough to form any connection to her mind, body, or whatever she was trying to do.

    This caused her to build a wall between her and Fall. Whatever kind of encouragement she was planning to give wasn't going to be enough, so Cinder wasn't going to listen.

    But she did listen to a soft laughter.

    When she heard her acquaintance giggling, Cinder immediately became annoyed and somewhat insulted. "Is something funny?" she asked, displaying her anger as clear as day.

    "Not at all," Fall insisted. "It's just that you remind me of someone I met. A long, long time ago."

    "What? You mean... one of the other Maidens?"

    "Oh, no. This was an old man. Someone I met with my sisters, who also thought he didn't have too much to offer."

    Cinder opened her mouth and was ready to ask who that man was. But she stopped herself when Fall's description sounded... familiar. When she thought about it more, Cinder realized who Fall could be mentioning. Someone who was old and frail, and in need of finding a new meaning to life. Fall and her sisters indeed helped this man, just as this man did his best to help Cinder. His name at this point was obvious.

    "Ozpin," Cinder confidently guessed.

    "That's right," Fall confirmed. "You remember. After all, you did, and I quote, read my story every night when you were a child." After the duo shared a brief laugh, Fall concluded her thought with a question. "Do you remember what I said to him? When he claimed to have no one to love, and nothing to his name?"

    "Yes." Cinder thought back to all the times she heard the story. Whether she read it or Djarin did, Cinder remembered every word. "You said... he had so much."

    "Indeed he did." Fall walked closer to Cinder as she continued to talk. "To this day, I still don't know how Ozpin couldn't see what he had. I was the last to come to him and I was only there for a moment. Yet it was clear he had a home, a beautiful garden, a bountiful harvest, and he had my sisters as friends." Fall put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "I know you have just as much as he did, Cinder. You have spirit, passion, strength, and most of all... something to fight for. Not just to get your power back, but to see your friends and father again. It's like I said, Cinder; you have so much."

    Cinder's thoughts immediately turned to everything that Fall had just listed for her. She thought about all the times she had all those qualities, and it became clear that Fall was telling the truth. Along with that, Cinder was able to think about all of the people she wanted to see and help again.

    But one of them was... debatable.

    "Well... I don't have all of that," Cinder said as she looked away from Fall. "Not anymore, at least."

    Fall, who was certain that her talk had helped, became confused with Cinder's belief. "What do you mean?" she asked.

    "I mean, I like to think have all those traits, and I hope I can see my friends again. But my dad?" Cinder sat down as she began to lament. "If what you said about seeing my memories is true, then you know what I did to him. I shouted at him, argued with him, and started to push him away. All because I wanted to find out more about a mother that wasn't even real."

    Fall indeed knew what Cinder was talking about. It was yet another reason she felt bad for the young Maiden; nobody deserved to be manipulated and tricked in such a manner. It was needlessly cruel, to use someone's desires against them. But even though both girls knew what Cinder had done, Fall wasn't entirely convinced of what Cinder believed.

    "You want to know what I think?" she asked calmly. "You may have done those things, sure. But I think you're blowing all of it out of proportion."

    "No, I'm not," Cinder argued. "I was being a terrible daughter. And a terrible friend. Before Dad and I were a family, he said I was a good friend to him, whenever we had to travel and fight for our lives. What I did wasn't how friends should treat each other. He has every right to be mad at me."

    "Did he ever tell you that he was?"

    "Well, he-"

    "Did he ever tell you that you were being terrible?"

    "No... but he didn't need to."

    "..."

    Cinder was beginning to wonder if that was true, given that Fall was staring at her without saying a word. "...Right?" she asked.

    Fall sat down with Cinder again. "I understand your feelings of self-doubt and self-loathing, Cinder," she said. "There was once a time when I thought that I was being terrible to my sisters. And you know what?"

    "...What?"

    "No matter what they say... I know I really was."

    Cinder's eyes widened in surprise when she heard Fall's confession. She immediately began to think that it wasn't true, since that was the opposite of what she read in the Story of the Seasons.

    "But... that's not true," Cinder began. "You loved your sisters. You always met once a year to be with them."

    "I did, you're right," Fall confirmed. "I love my sisters, each and every one of them. But when I was about your age, our relationship wasn't, well... not really the best."

    "..."

    Fall cleared her throat before speaking again. "Cinder, did you know that out of the four of us, I was the oldest?" Cinder silently nodded. "As soon as Summer was born, my parents told me that I had to help them look after her and my other sisters. It was fine, at first. Winter usually kept to herself, so all I had to do was check in on her every now and then. But Spring and Summer were... lively. Every chance they got, they would come to me and insist that I spend time with them. Now I was like Winter, I liked my time to myself. So whenever my sisters came to me, I was always annoyed."

    "I, uh... don't have any siblings," Cinder confessed. "But I think I kind of bugged Dad from time to time."

    "Don't feel bad. It took me some time to learn that all children were like that. Anyways, my parents would sometimes help me, but they would almost always insist that I look after my sisters. And whenever I complained to them, they said the same thing. 'You have responsibility now, Fall. We're only expecting what's fair.'" Fall stopped mimicking her mother and father quickly. "They were right, of course, but I didn't understand it at the time. One day, it got so bad that I pushed Spring away.Literally."

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't help but gasp at the idea. It almost reminded her of her time in Atlas, when she was pushed around by the people who were supposed to look after her.

    Fall saw the look on Cinder's face and sighed. "That should have been my first reaction too," she admitted. "I didn't hurt her, though. Not physically, at least. For a while, she left me alone. And I thought to myself that I finally got what I wanted. But a few days later, Spring got into some kind of argument with Summer. Our parents were running some errands, so I had to take care of it again. When I opened the door, I stopped dead in my tracks when the fight turned physical. Spring was only a child at the time, so she didn't really understand what she was doing."

    "What do you mean?" Cinder asked.

    "Well... Spring, she... she did what I did to her. The only difference was that... Spring pushed Summer down the stairs."

    Cinder gasped again, much louder this time. Fall simply looked down in shame.

    "Now that was my reaction," Fall continued. "I practically jumped off the railing to see if Summer was okay. She had a few bruises, and a bad cut on her forehead. Winter came down to help, but Spring was too surprised to do anything. When our parents came home, I had to tell them what happened. And I also told them how I started it the day I pushed Spring."

    "..."

    "To make a long story short, my parents scolded me and told me to apologize to my sisters. I didn't need to be told twice; I felt horrible. Summer could have been really hurt, and I realized I could have hurt Spring too." Fall had to wipe her eyes before she continued her story. "I think my parents knew how ashamed I was, they were listening to everything I was telling my sisters. But Spring and Summer, they were just children. Don't ask me why... but they forgave me that day."

    "They did?"

    Fall nodded. "I couldn't understand why they didn't lash out at me, or refuse to speak to me ever again. After all, I deserved it. But they still forgave me."

    Cinder began to smile. "That's... amazing," she said.

    "I know. Spring and Summer weren't the smartest members of our family, but they were certainly the sweetest. And after talking to my mother, I learned just how precious family is. And how I can be a better role model for all my sisters. Friends can come and go, Cinder. But family is forever."

    Cinder began to think about the final part of Fall's story. Even though she still wasn't sure if Djarin could forgive her for everything she did, it was easy to see how her situation was similar to Fall's. And it only became clearer when Fall asked Cinder a question.

    "I still have your memories, Cinder," Fall began. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the Mandalorian's idea for him to adopt you?"

    "..."

    Fall continued to build up this point. "He did something that people rarely do; like he chose his friends, he also chose his family. It must have been wonderful, knowing he wanted you as a daughter."

    Cinder thought back to the day Djarin asked to adopt her. And how he was accepting her for who she was, and despite the hardships they faced on their quest to find Ozma. A smile on her face and a teardrop answered Fall's question, as well as what Cinder said next.

    "...It was."

    Fall smiled and put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "I'm sure it was just as wonderful for him too," she said. "He wouldn't want to take back his wish. I think what he wants now is to see his daughter again. Do you think so?"

    "...Yes," Cinder replied. "Yes, I do." Without waiting for Fall to tell her what to do, Cinder moved back into place and began to concentrate.

    "Remember what you have, Cinder," Fall reminded her. This time, she wasn't just talking about the power of the Maidens. Cinder knew it well, and focused on everything else she had, every blessing that fate was kind enough to give her.

    To Cinder, it felt like hours before she began to feel a spark in herself. If she still had all of her powers, feeling a spark would have been child's play. But now, Cinder had to focus on that spark and see how it was acting. Right now, it felt like it was just sitting in the middle of her body.

    "No, this isn't my body," Cinder reminded herself. "Fall said what I'm seeing right now is my soul incarnate. But... does that mean I can connect to my body? Is the spark connecting my soul to my body?"

    Cinder decided to answer this question by focusing on the spark's location. It felt like it was in the center of her chest before it began to move freely. Cinder's eyes strained as she tried to follow the only connection to her powers she had.

    After a few minutes, Cinder felt that the spark had travelled to her ears, where she heard something unexpected.

    "Hey, kid."

    Cinder opened her eyes when she heard a voice. She looked around and saw that her present company was still the original Fall Maiden. "What did you say?" Cinder asked.

    "Me?" Fall asked. "I didn't say anything."

    "Yeah, you did." Cinder stood up. "I heard you say-"

    "Hope you don't mind me barging in, just need to take a load off."

    Cinder stopped talking when she heard the voice again. Since Fall was silent when the voice sounded, Cinder looked away from Fall. She then raised her hands towards her ears as she tried to comprehend what was happening.

    "Cinder, what is it?" Fall asked.

    "I... I don't know," Cinder confessed. "I can hear a voice."

    "A voice?"

    "Yeah. Someone's talking to me." Cinder closed her eyes. "They're... really quiet."

    Fall began to step away from Cinder. "Pay attention, Cinder," she ordered as she began to understand what it meant. "Pretend I'm not here."

    Cinder obeyed and sat down on the ground. As she repeated the meditation cycle Fall described, Cinder heard the voice again. It took some time, but the voice became louder and more clearer.

    It belonged to Cara Dune, an old friend.

    "You're probably expecting Mando," said Cara. "I mean, I dunno if you can hear me or if you could've heard him, with all the times he sat in here and talked to you."

    Cara's voice was indeed a surprise, but it was the news of her father being with her through this tremendous ordeal that warmed Cinder's heart. She hadn't been able to see or hear him ever since she came to the void, even though she thought about him through every waking moment. She had a million questions about him, mainly with how he was doing. But since it seemed unlikely that Cara couldn't hear her, Cinder sat and listened.

    "He had to step out for a few hours," Cara continued. "He'll be back soon, don't worry. It's probably a good thing he left, things got... things kinda got outta hand real fast. Long story short, he saved your life."

    Cinder's heart almost jumped out her chest when Cara finished her thought. Her father, despite everything that she said and did to him at Beacon, took it upon himself to save her once again.

    "Dad..." Cinder happily thought to herself. "Always there, even when I don't deserve it." Cinder put these thoughts aside when she sensed Cara's voice getting weak again. However, it soon became obvious that it wasn't Cara getting weaker; it was Cinder. Whatever she was doing, she was creating the link Fall was telling her to make; one with her body and soul. If she wanted to keep that link, she had to concentrate.

    "But it's over now," said Cara. "We're safe. I just wanted to check in on you. And, uh... I just wanted to make sure you're all good."

    "..."

    Cinder knew that Cara was never an emotional person, but she understood the kind gesture. So she continued to sit and listen with a grateful ear.

    "Aw, who are we kidding?" Cara asked. "You're a tough kid, you're gonna pull through this." Cara remained silent for a few seconds before she let out a sigh. "You know, kid... I didn't think about it before, but we're not that different."

    "..."

    "We've both had our fair share of brawls, no arguments there. But hey, anyone can lose one fight. I can probably count my losses on a single hand, but they're still losses." Cinder couldn't help but laugh softly at the sound of Cara's boxing ego as she continued to listen. "And I've been where you are now; in a hospital bed."

    "..."

    "Some of it was from the fights, yeah. But, uh... there was this one really bad time. Kinda like you right now."

    "..."

    "You know how I was a shock trooper? Up in Atlas?" Cara was being rhetorical, but Cinder already knew that. "They say no soldier thinks they'll live forever. I mean, that's what a soldier does. They train, they fight, they die. I must have heard that a hundred times when I was in basic training. My Sarge practically drilled it in my skull. Well, that and the goal to repaint the blue on our suits with the blood of whoever we were fighting. He always hated blue, I never knew why. But I wear it now just to spite him."

    "..."

    "Aw, shit. Sorry, I'm getting off topic. Anyway, I always heard the same thing about soldiers. But I always played it off, it sounded pretty cowardly. But then... then I took a bad hit with my squad."

    "..."

    As Cinder listened to the story, she found herself unable to find words that could express the surprise and pity she was feeling for Cara. She had seen and heard of the things she had done, the things she was capable of. But she never heard any stories of her being hurt. A mixture of sympathy and curiosity came to Cinder as she began to listen more.

    "I still don't remember everything that happened," Cara continued. "One minute, we were outside Mantle's walls. Next minute, there was an explosion and darkness. I woke up in a... I guess you could call it a bodycast. The only thing I could move was my head."

    "..."

    "God, I must have been in that bed for months. I almost spent a whole year in it before I got out of that cast. After that, it didn't get much better. I had to teach myself how to walk again, pick up a pencil... I couldn't even go to the bathroom without someone helping me."

    "..."

    "I don't exactly know how comas work, but I got a hunch you'll need some time to get back to fighting speed. And, uh, hopefully get that Grimm off your arm."

    Cinder couldn't help but open her eyes again when she heard the mention of a Grimm. She instinctively looked at both of her arms, but couldn't see any signs of a Grimm. So what was Cara talking about?

    When she realized that Cara was getting quiet once again, Cinder quickly moved back into her meditative state and focused on the spark close to her ear, hoping to hear her friend once again.

    "-important thing is, don't think that it's going to be impossible," Cara said. "All you can do when this is over is get back up. I don't know how you feel about Beacon falling, but feeling sorry for yourself won't make any progress. Trust me, I know."

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't help but feel sad when she was reminded that she didn't have a home anymore. But that didn't stop her from listening to Cara.

    "Besides, you shouldn't have to feel sorry for yourself. I've spent a lotta time getting to know the other Foundlings here, but there's no denying that you're the strongest one. Power or no power, you'll always be the toughest kid I've met, Cinder. Don't ever think otherwise. If I can work my way up from the ground, so can you. Take care, kiddo."

    The test of Cinder's connection between her soul and body was definitely a success. All she had to do now was work harder to increase that connection. But now, Cinder was resting by sitting with her eyes closed.

    Given that she didn't have too much to do, unlike when she was in the real world, Cinder decided to meditate once again. However, this meditation was the kind that Obi-Wan Kenobi taught her. Instead of focusing on her powers, Cinder was focusing on attaining a specific state of mind. A state of mind that would leave her calm and at peace with herself, the goal she wanted to obtain when she first went to Haven Academy.

    She didn't know if this could help improve her connection between her soul and mind, but Cinder was going to give it a try. She focused on the surrounding silence, and then began to focus on herself. Her time with Obi-Wan was meant to be a trip of self-improvement, which was what Cinder needed right now. So her thoughts turned to how she could possibly repeat the experiment and regain her connection to the three pillars of the Maiden powers.

    And Fall had definitely been a great help today. Her guidance and attempts to build confidence had beneficial results, which left Cinder to feel inspired by the woman. It was possible that even without her powers, Fall was still a great Maiden. Perhaps even one of the best.

    "I'll be the best Maiden there ever was. No matter what."

    Cinder opened her eyes as she heard those words.

    "Whoa... I haven't thought about that in a while," she said to herself.

    The words she just heard were from an old memory, when she was beginning to train with Ozpin and become accustomed to the role of the Fall Maiden. Cinder had been training hard that day and inadvertently used her powers in his office. And then she spoke to her father about her wish to be greater, to be the best Maiden in the world. Looking back on it, the promise could easily be seen as a child's fantasy.

    Then again... Cinder was in the presence of the first Fall Maiden. Despite the present situation, this was a rare opportunity to learn more about being a Maiden.

    "Fall, can I ask you something?" Cinder asked calmly as she turned to the glowing woman.

    "Of course," the glowing woman replied with a smile. "What is it?"

    Cinder cleared her throat before speaking again. "Well, I actually want to thank you for your help. Everything you showed and told me was really eye-opening."

    Fall's soft smile turned into a friendly grin. "I'm glad to hear that," she confessed. A red color began to form on her cheeks. "I can't remember the last time I actually taught someone something."

    Cinder chuckled for a brief moment. "Well, you haven't really lost your touch," she said. "I'm sure the training you gave me will help, but there's something I actually want to know about you."

    Fall stopped smiling. "About me?" she repeated curiously.

    "Yeah. When I leave this place, I don't want to just be the Fall Maiden. I think you may have heard this, but..." Cinder began to feel slightly embarrassed. "I once said I wanted to be the best Maiden on Remnant."

    Fall remained silent for a moment. "Oh, yes! I remember that now. Yes, you did want to do that." Fall began to laugh at the memory. "I don't think I can remember a time when one of the previous Maidens said that."

    The embarrassment of Cinder's childhood dream increased tenfold. Not only was she still not used to Fall easily seeing all of her memories, but Cinder wasn't sure she could live up to the Maiden that Fall used to be. Nevertheless, she asked her question.

    "I feel like there's a lot more I can learn about that," Cinder began. "And I wanted to ask you... what does it mean to be a Maiden?"

    "..."

    When Fall heard this question, she put a hand to her chin and pondered what Cinder had said. Fearing that she might be confused, Cinder decided to explain further.

    "What I mean is, I know Maidens have a piece of Ozpin's Magic. That they can use it to connect to the elements of nature around them. But... how would you say those powers should be used? I mean, in what ways would someone be able to call themselves a Maiden?"

    Fall began to nod after Cinder stopped talking. "You mean... you want to know what it is that makes someone a Maiden?" she asked in understanding. "How you should wear that title?"

    "Exactly," Cinder confirmed. "What would you say, in your experience, made you a Maiden?"

    Fall looked puzzled for a second, but it wasn't because she didn't understand what Cinder was asking. It came as a surprise, that Fall was never asked something like this before.

    "That's a good question," she admitted. "A really good question." Her puzzled look didn't disappear. "Actually, that's really hard to answer."

    Cinder immediately regretted asking when she heard that confession. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to-"

    Fall immediately stood up. "Don't apologize, Cinder. You want to know how to be a Maiden, right?"

    "That's right." Cinder stood up. "I thought, since you were the first, you had the chance to decide for yourself."

    "That's a good point." Fall began to have a good idea as to how she could best explain herself to Cinder. "I can tell you how I used my powers when I was alive, if you'd like."

    For the first time, in a long time, Cinder became excited. The idea could be compared to history coming to life before her eyes. "Absolutely!" she exclaimed. "But first... maybe I should know more about you, first."

    "Such as?"

    "...Who exactly are you?"

    Fall paused for a few moments before her face showed a soft smile. "Who am I?" she asked with a giggle. "Just a simple girl from simple beginnings."

    The look on Cinder's face showed Fall that the young girl wanted to hear more, so Fall decided to grant this wish. Not because she felt her past was special, but because Cinder asked so nicely; and Fall knew she was able to do this for her new friend.

    "I suppose I can start at the beginning," Fall said as she began to walk around in the void. "My father's name was Ciel. He was the son of a wealthy landlord, someone who always had his head in the clouds. My mother's name was Terra. She was more down to earth, quite literally. Her family were farmers who lived on the land my grandfather owned."

    "How did they meet?" Cinder asked as she followed Fall.

    "By chance, actually. My father was helping collect the taxes from everyone who lived on his family's land. When he came to my mother's house, she was alone while her parents were selling the harvest of their farm. So she answered the door and met him for the first time."

    "Really? That's interesting."

    Fall softly laughed. "Not as interesting as what happened next; when my father offered to come back later, my mother invited him inside to wait. Her parents came home hours later and found the two of them talking and getting to know each other. When they saw what was going on, they already knew the two of them had fallen in love."

    "Fallen in love? But they seemed like..."

    "Complete opposites?" Fall laughed again. "They definitely were. And yet, they practically spent every day together, doing everything together. Two years later, they were married. One year after that, they had me."

    "..."

    Cinder decided to hold off her questions until the end of the story. Until then, she listened as Fall shared the story of her life.

    "Winter, Spring, and Summer came later on. Spring was born premature, so she was the shortest of all of us. We all had our faults, but our parents loved us all the same. We rarely left the land Father inherited when we were children. It was he who told us why it was so special; his father bought the land and made it into a sort of safe haven from the Grimm. He wanted to take in those who had no place to go, to help those who only wanted to live in peace. Father passed this idea onto us, and Mother taught us how to treat everyone like we should treat the earth; with respect and care."

    Cinder thought about how she was raised to do the same thing. Djarin had taught her always to keep any promise she would make, to show respect to the people who enlisted her services. She was also taught how to treat the Mandalorians, specifically the Children of the Watch, with respect. And as she made friends and learned to become a Maiden, Cinder began to see the bigger picture. It seemed that Fall saw this bigger picture at a young age.

    "When we grew up, Mother and Father told us it was time to take what we learned and let us out into the world," Fall continued. "We all knew it was time to decide what we wanted to do with our lives. Summer and I even believed we could do some more good outside our home. So after we decided to reunite and return home after one year, we went our separate ways. I think you know how the rest of the story goes."

    Cinder broke her silence with a new insight. "That was when you met Ozpin," she said.

    "Yes," Fall confirmed. "When he gave us our gifts, we were amazed. We all knew we had to go and tell our parents what happened. So we left one by one and reunited back home."

    "What happened?" Cinder asked. "Were they scared?"

    "At first," Fall replied honesty. "But we showed them how we could use our powers. Winter approached a child with a heavy fever and cooled his body to aid his illness. Spring covered every house on the land with flowers. Summer warmed those houses with a strong fire in their fireplaces. And I pushed away an incoming storm that was strong enough to raze many homes."

    The feats Fall described amazed Cinder, but they also confused her. "You... showed off your powers?" she asked. "To the whole village?"

    "That's right."

    "But weren't you afraid? Shouldn't you have hid them?"

    Now it was Fall's turn to be perplexed. "Hide them?" she asked. "Why would I do that?"

    "Because of the people who would be after the power. Because of Salem." Cinder stopped walking. "I mean, look at me! I'm here because someone took what wasn't hers! Because she knew what I had and what I could do with it!"

    "That's... a fair point, Cinder. But didn't you say you wanted to do more as a Fall Maiden? Weren't you tired of hiding?"

    "Well... I was. There were times when I did more instead of guarding a Relic. And times when I really thought I could do even more than that. But that was before I found out my powers could be stolen like they were. If I knew that, I would have been more careful than I was."

    "Cinder, we both know there's more you can do instead of hiding. Consider this; my grandparents had enough wealth to buy acres of land outside the Kingdoms. They didn't hide what they had, they shared it with the world. If they didn't do that, my parents might not have met. My sisters and I may have never been born."

    "True... but that's not the same thing."

    "Sure, it is. When you have a gift, something you know can help others around you, it's not something you should hide. Something you shouldn't be ashamed of. You have a right to show it, and a responsibility to use it for the betterment of others' lives. Especially in a world where the Grimm walk the earth."

    "..."

    Fall could see that she was getting through to Cinder, so she decided to finish her story on a high note. "After we received our Maiden powers, my sisters and I each had different ideas how we could use them," she began. "Summer ended up staying with our parents, and she eventually inherited the land we lived on. The rest of us went abroad, seeing Ozpin and each other every year. I never really liked the capital cities, they were always crowded. And they didn't need the same kind of help people living outside did."

    "..."

    "I spent my days in the outskirts, helping whoever I could whenever I could. At first, I used my powers to bend nature however people needed it. A splash of rain here, a warm fire there. As I grew older, I began to build my confidence against the Grimm. So I helped villages drive them away too."

    "...You're right." Cinder awkwardly laughed as she moved her hair. "I'm sorry. I was being silly."

    "Don't be sorry." Fall smiled at the young girl. "You knew all of this too. A friendly reminder never hurts anyone."

    "Yeah, I guess so."

    "Cinder, we all get scared sometimes. There's nothing wrong with getting a nudge in the right direction. All that matters is you never stop learning. Whether it's from experience or from a mistake, never stop learning."

    "About what?"

    "Anything. The world, our powers, even things about yourself." Fall suddenly had an idea. "You know, the other Maidens can help you learn too."

    Cinder immediately thought about the possibility. When she was strong enough to return to the real world, she could see everyone she cared about again. Not only that, but she could meet the other Maidens as well. Ozpin was planning to introduce her to the Winter Maiden, but there was no reason not to look for Spring and Summer as well.

    If Fall could open Cinder's eyes and tell her not to be afraid of revealing her true potential, there were other important lessons the other Maidens could teach her. Cinder could indeed become the best Maiden on Remnant.

    "I'll do it," Cinder said proudly and confidently. "When I leave, I'll find the other Maidens. I'll find a way to reach out to your sisters and learn what it takes to be a great Maiden. I promise."

    Fall softly gasped when Cinder made her promise. Not only because she was surprised by the young girl's determination and passionate spirit, but also because of the mention of her sisters.

    "Of... Of course," Fall whispered. "That should be possible. If you find the other Maidens, there may be a way to reach out to my sisters!" Fall began to laugh again. "That's a great idea, Cinder! I never even thought of that!"

    Cinder looked at Fall in a perplexed manner. "Wait, isn't that what you were saying?"

    "Oh, no. I was talking about the other Fall Maidens."

    Cinder's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, that's right! They're all here too, aren't they?"

    "Right! I think they can help you pick up where we left off. And I think they're ready to meet you too." Fall gestured for Cinder to follow her. "Would you like to meet them?"

    Cinder immediately smiled. "Of course I would!"

    "Better not keep them waiting, then."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 43: The Droid
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 43: The Droid

    One month ago​

    Salem stared into the red sky above her as she waited for something to happen. She had just received news of Beacon's downfall, and now she was expecting her old and new allies to arrive at her castle. While the news of her sudden attack wasn't entirely to her liking, the witch could not ignore the oppprtunities her victory had presented.

    And now, she was ready to meet the newest addition to her long list of servants and allies: Pre Vizsla.

    When his airship landed, the Mandalorians of Death Watch, including Bo-Katan, couldn't help but marvel at the sight of what appeared to be the birthplace of all Grimm known to man. They were even more marveled when Salem introduced herself and displayed all of her capabilities.

    One of those capabilities had just left Pre Vizsla lying and panting on the ground.

    "Come now," Salem said as she briefly rubbed her face and walked over to the Mandalorian. "Surely you can do better than that."

    Pre Vizsla ripped his helmet off his face as he heavily breathed. "It's... not possible," he said between breaths. "No one... with or without... a Semblance... could withstand all that." Bo-Katan, who was silent as she helped Vizsla off the ground, thought the exact same thing.

    "And yet, here I am." Salem walked past the Mandalorians and looked out into the distance. "Tell me, Pre Vizsla... now do I have your attention?"

    The Mandalorian had begun to regain some of the strength he had lost when he remained in the large room that doubled as an arena. Now, he simply stood behind the witch and spoke.

    "...Yes," he began.

    Salem turned around and smiled. "Excellent. To start, I trust you know what Gar Saxon gains from his service."

    Vizsla nodded. "We want the same thing. As you've already seen."

    "Indeed. And I want the same." Salem moved closer to Vizsla and Bo-Katan. "For too long, the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Remnant have pushed back both Grimm and Mandalorians. The world revolves around them, as well as the humans and Faunus that constantly put us down." Salem stopped just in front of the Mandalorians. "They must pay."

    "That was why we started this war, Saxon and I," Vizsla said after he stopped nodding. "But where does that leave us?

    "...Are you ungrateful for the freedom I gave you, Vizsla?"

    "Of course not. However, one would think a ruined school and a defenseless Kingdom would be a sufficient exchange of services."

    Salem hummed in agreement. "Then I suppose you were unimpressed with what you just saw."

    Vizsla once again disagreed with the witch. "What I mean is I don't know how we can best help each other. Or trust each other." Vizsla looked at the staff that he was previously holding. "Many Grimm were felled by that weapon. Surely retribution is a common feeling among these creatures. And unlike you..." Vizsla gestured towards the desolate wasteland beyond Salem's castle. "I don't expect to rule a dead world."

    Salem softly smiled at the Mandalorian. "How very bold," she said. "I was wise to choose someone like you, Vizsla. Someone who wants the most of what the world has to offer. What I have to offer is the ability to acquire it for you." Salem looked at the desolate land again. "I understand why you see no kingdom here. What I see is raw, untamed power that needs a host. And a far-reaching arm to extend it." She looked back at the leader of Death Watch. "Surely this kind of power in the hands of the Mandalorians will make you invincible."

    "Invincible..." Vizsla repeated.

    He could indeed see the destructive powers of the Grimm, both here and the ruins of Beacon. Salem had a point; power like this in his possession would make him the most feared warlord the world ever knew. Of course, he had just been shown that Salem was his only superior. Being her partner would not only spare him a powerful enemy, but also provide a way to make sure his will would go unquestioned.

    But not before he obtained something else.

    "There is indeed great power here, Salem," Vizsla agreed. "But you left the greatest power in the hands of the Saxons. An     undeserving Saxon."

    "Ah," Salem said in understanding. "You wish to know why I allowed him to take the Darksaber."

    "Not just that. He says he won the blade in combat, but we know better. You're playing with fire, witch."

    Salem once again respected Vizsla's bold attitude, but found herself confused at the idea of taking a big risk with Saxon. "Why would that be?" she asked.

    "It was once believed that unworthy possession of the Darksaber would bring a curse upon the wielder. And the ones who fight alongside them."

    "...Is that so? And you believe this legend?"

    "There were rumors surrounding my ancestor's ascension to the throne. Not long after they spread, he died in battle. And Mandalore died with him."

    Salem's smile returned. "Interesting. I understand your reluctance, Vizsla. After all..." Salem briefly looked at her hands. "I know curses."

    "..."

    Salem continued to speak. "Saxon is a strong warrior, Vizsla," she said. "I knew he would provide me with an army stronger than my creatures. But I have seen him lead his clan. His skills are... wanting. He is better suited as a soldier, not a general."

    "So he's a means to an end," Vizsla realized.

    "He gave you purpose, did he not? It was     he who told me about you."

    "..."

    Salem smiled at the look on Vizsla's face. She decided this would be the perfect chance to speed up his train of thought. "I am familiar with the rules of the sword, Vizsla. Serve me, and provide me with more than what the Grimm and Mandalorians have now. And in one month, I will give you your chance at a challenge."

    "..."

    When Salem noticed a slight hesitation, she decided to remind the Mandalorian what he already knew. "Doubt... will only lead to failure. Our combined strength will be rewarded. The Mandalorians will be yours, and Ozpin, the guardians of his world, and all our enemies... will     fall."

    With the grim reminder set in mind, Vizsla offered a hand of friendship towards the witch. "This is an offer I can't refuse," he said. "But I must address my brothers and put this to a vote. Should we be allies, I will give you what you desire in one month. And you will give me what I desire."

    Salem shook the hand. "Consider it done." She let go of the hand almost immediately. "Leave me now."

    "..."

    The two Mandalorians left the Queen to herself, and they immediately began to whisper among themselves.

    As Salem heard silence from in the room, the surplus of news left her filled with pride. While there was a time when she did not imagine herself working with Mandalorians, the results they provided could not go unnoticed. And the fact that she herself had tapped into their true potential left Salem confident that there was nothing on Remnant that she couldn't do.

    Besides, it was clear that despite their warlike ambitions and abilities, each and every Mandalorian had their own sense of honor.

    A weakness Salem could exploit at any moment she pleased.

    So while she waited for Vizsla to plot his next move, which she was sure wasn't against her, Salem decided to pass the time by returning to her meeting room and meditating. This was a perfect time to reflect on all that had happened and all that was going to happen. After all, nothing was going to stop her now.

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*    ​

    Salem opened her eyes and looked at the twin doors that stood on the opposite side of the room. The Queen knew that she could send whoever it was on the other side away, but she instead decided to let her peace and quiet wait a little longer.

    "Enter," she demanded calmly.

    Both of the wooden doors opened to reveal a young girl with pale blonde hair. The girl walked into the room, breaking the silence with heavy footsteps on the stone ground. Silence returned when the young girl stopped by the first chair she saw and performed a curtsy, but it disappeared once more when she spoke.

    "Greetings, Mother," the girl said while looking at the table instead of the witch.

    Salem raised her hands off the table and towards her chins as she brought them together. "Merriweather," she addressed her guest, almost indifferently. "I don't recall sending for you, daughter."

    Merri moved upright as she fixed the hood on her head. "Yes, I..." She cleared her throat as she remembered why she arrived in her mother's chamber without warning. "Excuse me for interrupting, but I was hoping to speak with you. About the ongoing war."

    Salem slowly hummed in understanding. "I see. It is of no concern. Everything is proceeding as anticipated."

    Merri formed a small smile. "That's excellent news. But I believe there is a way to expedite our progress. Or at the very least, the progress the Mandalorians are making."

    Salem hummed once more as she lowered her hands. She had previously spoken to her daughters before she met Pre Vizsla, and she was ready to emphasize the points she made earlier. "I agree, as I have already told you; you and your sisters are to improve your skills with the Mandalorians. You are not to leave the castle unless I specifically allow it."

    "Yes, but-"

    "No!"

    Salem quickly rose from her seat as she slammed her palms onto the table. When Merri silenced herself, the witch spoke after she calmed down. "I would like to think I have shown a great deal of patience over my many years walking Remnant," she said. "But I do hate repeating myself."

    "..."

    Salem sat down once again. When she remembered who it was that she was talking to, Salem decided to speak less harshly and connect with the girl in front of her.

    "It is not my intention to be cruel, darling," Salem began. "While it is true that acquiring the power of the Fall Maiden could have gone better, that does not change the fact that young Cinder nearly killed your sister. And overpowered Aurora without even knowing it. This castle is the safest place for you in the world."

    "..."

    Salem moved her hand to form a purple orb in her palm. "And no one knows combat quite like Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla. Not even     I can fight without relying on my Magic." Salem made the orb disappear. "Please understand, Merriweather. I cannot let you out into the world once more until I am sure you and your sisters can hold your own against a Maiden."

    When silence filled the room once more, Merri found her chance to speak. It was true, she could have performed better when she helped Aurora take part of Cinder's powers. Ever since she returned home, nothing pleased her more than the idea of redeeming herself in her mother's eyes. So when she found an opportunity, the young hybrid decided to take a risk and speak her mind.

    "My idea doesn't involve stopping my training," Merri began. "I don't even have to leave the castle. Mother, I     do understand why I'm here. But I also understand something that can turn Kingdoms to ash much faster."

    Salem had to admit that she forgot the reason why Merri came here in the first place. And despite what her appearance said about her personality, Salem had quite the open mind. Since she was done talking, and she was with her own daughter, the witch decided to see what it was that sparked Merri's interest.

    "Very well," she said calmly. "You have my attention, dear."

    Merri approached closer towards her mother. "I'm sure you remember Arthur Watts," she began. "And how I spent the most time with him before he left us."

    "Yes," Salem confirmed. "You seemed to be quite taken with the trinkets he planned on creating for me. And those blasters he made for the Mandalorians have been useful."

    "I learned a lot from him, Mother. And I learned a lot from speaking with Vizsla's pet. Bo-Katan, that was her name." Merri reached into her dress and pulled out a Scroll. "Thanks to the two of them, I was able to start working on this."

    Salem took the Scroll and looked at the screen. Her eyebrows raised slightly as she hummed once more. "Intriguing," she admitted. "What is it, exactly?"

    "A project I want to oversee," Merri explained. "It's a Mandalorian legend. A Grimm that supposedly belonged to the Mand'alor and their court. I want to bring it back, using the raw materials Bo-Katan originally acquired for herself."

    "I see. What can it do?"

    Merri slid her finger on the screen to show different images. Each one showed Salem a different capability; capabilities that led Salem to imagining various possibilities.

    "It will be a fine addition to the Grimm, Mother," Merri promised. "It can break any defense with ease, and give us a better chance to search for the Vault from the wreckage."

    "Indeed," the witch agreed. "Can you build this?"

    "We have enough manpower and enough supplies from the Mandalorians. As for the know-how..." Merri tapped her head. "Watts taught me everything I need to know. All I request is your permission, Mother."

    "...Very well."

    Present day​

    Merri had worked nearly every day and every night on the project she showed her mother. However, she didn't work alone. The Mandalorians who were tasked with remaining at the castle and training themselves for war had also been ordered to help build the weapon Salem desired. And when she saw a chance for her daughters to redeem themselves for their misgivings at Beacon, Salem encouraged Flora and Fauna to help their sister.

    While the Mandalorians and her sisters conducted a majority of the physical work, Merri's work was using her brain. It was true that she spent a lot of time with Watts and his inventions. When he was at the Land of Darkness, she became his protégé, his student. Salem merely wished for her daughter to keep an eye on the ambitious man, but it had evolved to the relationship of master and apprentice. Watts taught Merri almost everything he knew about mechanics and technology, passing both knowledge and ambition onto the hybrid.

    Merri was now putting everything she learned from Watts into practice with the project she had started. At first, it was a simple set of blueprints on her Scroll. Now, her creation had lifted from the pages of the blueprints and became manifested into the real world. It was a hulking abomination, one that almost appeared as a large Grimm. Instead of bones and black muck keeping it together, the machine had a metal shell with intricate wiring on the inside.

    Flora and Fauna were currently working on those wires with Merri, using their Botflies to navigate the small spaces.

    "No, no, no!" Merri shouted. "The red wire goes in the top socket and the blue one goes in the bottom! And didn't I tell you to tighten those bolts on the inside already?!"

    "Okay, okay!" Flora shouted back as she concentrated on the flies inside the device. This concentration first broke with the shouting, but it was easy to restore. The flies were surprisingly strong and agile for their size, and they easily moved the wires in their appropriate places.

    But this didn't leave Flora satisfied.

    "Would you mind not shouting in my ear like that?" she asked her sister. "What if I dropped the wire and stared a fire?"

    "Oh, for the love of-!" Merri turned away from the machine in annoyance. "Will you stop being such a baby?!" she demanded. "We put the built-in fire extinguishers the first week we started this! All you need to worry about is doing what I tell you! Can you do that?!"

    Flora was immediately taken aback by the authoritative nature her sister was displaying. "Will you stop pretending we're still Beacon students?!" she asked. "Not sure if you noticed, but nobody made you top-dog ever since we got back!"

    "Well, somebody has to be! What, you think you can do better? Just like you let Cinder get away at Amity?!"

    "Oh, don't you-!"

    A new voice caught both hybrids off guard. "Both of you, shut up!"

    Flora and Merri turned to see Fauna starring daggers at them. While she couldn't recall a time when she had to be a mediator like this, Fauna wasn't going to sit idly by while her sisters neglected their work in favor of fighting amongst themselves.

    "Look, we're almost done with this damn thing," she said as she tapped the closest piece of metal. "Why are we at each other's throats all of a sudden?"

    "She started it!" Flora childishly replied as she pointed to Merri. "She's been breathing down our necks ever since we agreed to help her build... whatever this thing is!"

    "That's putting it nicely," Merri interjected. "If by 'help,' you mean 'asking the same questions over and over again,' then you're doing great!" Merri walked past her sisters and grabbed her hair. "I can't even hear myself think!"

    "We'll, I'm sorry that I have no idea what the hell we're doing! And I'm sorry I've lost dozens of flies doing your work for you! Fauna and I should be training for the next time we meet Cinder instead of worrying about a punishment from Mother that's never going to come!"

    The accusation of Merri's feelings immediately set her off, which inadvertently confirmed Flora's suspicions. "You just don't get it!" she argued. "There's only so much that being Mother's daughters can spare us from! And I don't know about you, but I haven't seen Aurora ever since we came back home!"

    "Mother said she's working with Aurora for next time!" Flora recalled. "To make sure she'll be ready, like we should be! Mother's not going to get rid of her only Maiden candidate!" Thinking through her anger, Flora decided it was time to insult her sister in return. "Maybe she should get rid of a wannabe scientist."

    The insult immediately transformed Merri's anger from verbal to physical, as she reached for a hammer and prepared to swing it right at Flora's head. Flora immediately prepared to transform into flies to defend herself.

    "Merri!"

    Fauna grabbed the hammer and made her sister look at her. "Flora's right," she began. "Aurora's not dead, and we won't be either. As long as we don't kill ourselves first."

    "..."

    When she felt her sister's anger and negativity begin to fade, Fauna turned around to her other sister. "Flora, Merri has a point," she said. "Mother may not punish us for not doing everything we needed to at Beacon, but being her daughters does have some limits."

    "How?" Flora asked.

    "Well, we haven't left the castle in an entire month. We've been pushed to the sidelines when we obviously deserve better." Fauna looked back to the metal contraption she and her sisters had been working on. "Maybe we'll get back what we deserve by testing this thing outside the castle. All we need is to get it finished."

    Flora wasn't smart like Merri, but she knew that Fauna was right. She and her sisters had been sidelined for a long time, much longer than she was used to. She was even sidelined before she went to Beacon, while she and her sisters were still growing up. She once believed that she would give anything to be on the outside of the castle. And it seemed that this device counted as "anything".

    But there was just one problem.

    "At least tell Merri to get a grip," she demanded. "Look at her, she's barely holding herself together."

    Fauna looked back to Merri, which immediately proved Flora's point. Not only did it appear that she didn't get enough sleep, but the flies making up Merri's flesh and bones were almost entirely gone. Parts of her torso were flies, leaving holes in her body. If she didn't take better care of herself, Merri's body would be nothing but a mass of Botflies.

    "She's got a point," Fauna said. "Go eat someone before you fall apart. I think we still have some of that boy who tried grabbing us at Beacon."

    Merri grunted as she looked at her decaying body. "Fine," she reluctantly agreed. "Tell the Mandalorians to leave whatever parts they come back with over there." Merri pointed at a small pile in the corner of the room before she left.

    "Finally," Flora said as she leaned against a wall and slowly moved to the ground. "Some peace and quiet."

    "..."

    When she heard more silence, Flora looked at her sister, who was giving her a neutral expression. Realizing that there was more her sister wanted to say, Flora decided to say her piece first.

    "Look, I'm not saying she's entirely wrong," Flora began. "It's just that we're not going to get anywhere if she keeps thinking she's in charge of us."

    "We're also not going to get anywhere by arguing amongst ourselves," said Fauna. "You remember what Mother said to us, about our plan; we need to divide our enemies, not each other."

    "Mother, Mother, Mother," Flora repeated in annoyance. "If I have to hear that word one more time, I'm gonna explode!"

    Fauna swept across the floor as fast as lightning and got close to Flora's face. "What exactly are you saying, Flora?"

    Flora scoffed at her sister. "Relax. I'm just saying we don't need to be afraid of her. You and Merri look stupid when you think like that. We're Grimm. We instill fear, not feel it."

    "...It's still smart not to talk about Mother like you did," Fauna warned as she moved back up. "Merri's not afraid, Flora. And neither am I. I'm simply trying to make sure you know your place."

    Flora began to stand up. "My place isn't groveling at Merri's feet. Like I said, we're not at Beacon anymore. We shouldn't have to play up to her like we pretended to."

    "We're not at Beacon, you're right." Fauna pointed at the contraption. "But this is still Merri's project. It makes sense that she takes command."

    "..."

    Fauna continued to stare at her sister as she felt the negativity coming from her. "You don't agree," she said.

    "I... I keep going back to that night," Flora began. "How things went wrong with Cinder and Beacon."

    "And?"

    "I keep coming back to the fact that Aurora and Merri were the ones in charge."

    "...So?"

    "So, who's to say things could have gone differently?" Flora moved off the ground. "Who's to say you and I couldn't have made better decisions than they did?"

    Fauna hummed as she pondered the idea. "I could say so," she began. "I'm no leader, Flora. And neither are you."

    "You don't know that," Flora argued. "I've never gotten a chance! I could be a great leader! If Mother would just give me the chance she gave Merri and Vizsla! When will it be my turn to be more than I am?!"

    Fauna continued to look at Flora with a neutral glare. While it was obvious that her sister was getting ahead of herself, she couldn't disagree that Flora wasn't given any chances to prove how valuable she was beyond being at Salem's side.

    "Only time will tell, Flora," she said. "Only time will tell."

    It was true that the triplets hadn't left Salem's castle in an entire month. The Mandalorians, however, were the ones who were allowed to leave. Clan Saxon and Death Watch had become the main players of Salem's war, along with the Grimm. And each faction played their own part.

    The Grimm that had survived the Fall of Beacon remained on top of the cliff. Day and night, they had done nothing but rummage through what remained; Salem had commanded this to be done in case Aurora and her daughters overlooked something. The Mandalorians, however, were responsible for doing what they did best: fighting.

    Across the Kingdom of Vale and the continent of Sanus, the Mandalorians fought Huntsmen and Huntresses that dared to stand in the way of their conquest. It was their goal to make the noble warriors, and those who they defended, suffer in ways they didn't imagine. The Mandalorians made sure to leave nothing in their wake, all with the intention to teach the world what it was like to be left without a home. To know how it felt to fend for themselves against the cruel world, with no sign of any help or salvation to come.

    Those who had heard Saxon's speech and saw the destructive acts of Death Watch began to choose their sides. Nobody had seen Clan Vizsla or Clan Tenau since the beginning of the war, but Death Watch still gained allies. Mandalorians that had kept to themselves, waited for their opportunity to fight for Mandalore's glory once again, answered the call to war. Even members of the Children of the Watch, a breakaway from Death Watch, had come to fight alongside Clan Saxon and Death Watch.

    And whatever was left in the wake of destruction, the Grimm would spread like wildfire and put the Kingdom of Vale in more danger.

    Salem and Vizsla soon felt content with their work in Vale. Both of their eyes turned towards Mistral, but with different reasons. Pre Vizsla remembered hearing from his ancestors how Mistral was one of the enemies of Mandalore during the Great War. The idea of challenging this Kingdom and reigniting an old rivalry was music to the Mandalorian's ears. As for Salem, all Vizsla knew was that she wanted to see Haven Academy fall like Beacon did.

    The plan was sound, but the execution had yet to show promise. While Vale was taken by complete surprise and had no time to produce a counteroffensive, Mistral was somewhat prepared. The Headmaster of Haven and the Council ordered all Huntsmen and Huntresses to the borders of the continent, where they were barely able to hold the line against the Mandalorians and the Grimm. While the Mandalorians could traverse the skies and conduct small attacks, there was little progress to make the defenses fully break.

    Until now.

    Pre Vizsla had begun laying the foundations of a planned attack, with Salem's help. He would soon be receiving a weapon unlike any other, and hopefully with more allies than before.

    The answer to his second question came in the form of Bo-Katan, who stepped into a tent Vizsla was temporarily residing in.

    "You took your time," Vizsla said to his second in command. "Can I assume it was spent accordingly?"

    "The rumors were true," Bo-Katan said as she removed her helmet. "I found both clans like you said."

    Vizsla, while glad to hear that his assessment and previous experiences in Mistral were correct, could tell there was another side to the story.

    "And the bad news?" he asked.

    "They're able to fight, but reluctant to do so," Bo-Katan admitted. "Clan Bralor hates the Kingdom as much as we do, but they're currently small in number. Clan Carid, however, doesn't like the idea of losing the territory they've acquired."

    Vizsla turned to a map on his table. "Ah, yes. The locals of Mistral call it a 'reservation.' Larger than most villages, but equally undesirable." Vizsla sighed as he stood up. "They're afraid to lose that? Miserable cowards."

    "It would be different if it was Mandalore. But yes, I agree."

    Vizsla nodded at the woman. "Indeed it would. Your attempts to preserve its legacy while rebuilding the land were admirable, Bo-Katan. Perhaps we can pick up where you left off before you freed me."

    "It would have been even better if I got the Darksaber like I was supposed to."

    "Patience. Once we commence this attack, we'll have the chance to take the sword for ourselves. And then we'll change Mandalore and the world as we see fit." Vizsla remembered something about Bo-Katan's original story. "You said you used another person with the Power of Old to clear the Grimm? And lay foundations for your other planned cities?"

    "We did. We may have been getting ahead of ourselves, but her services were a one-time deal. And she was far weaker than the witch."

    "And you mentioned she was in Anima. Perhaps we can find her, and have her lay even more foundations here."

    Bo-Katan formed a sadistic smirk at the prospect of conquest and reclaiming the Darksaber. Of course, Pre Vizsla would be the one to carry it and rule the lands. But being his second in command, just as Clan Kryze once served under Clan Vizsla, would earn a say in the future of the world. After all, the two Mandalorians grew to respect each other very quickly.

    "So we still plan to attack," Bo-Katan said as she approached the map. "Without the other clans."

    Vizsla nodded again. "Our powerful ally says that the Saxons and those girls made something for us," he said. "Something that can finally break Mistral's defenses."

    "What is it?"

    "She didn't say. Only that we'll know when we see it. She also provided a potential strategy for the battle and what comes after."

    Bo-Katan raised an eyebrow. "She's getting ahead of herself, isn't she?" she wondered.

    "I don't think so," Vizsla disagreed. "Based on what she told me, we can make the enemy split in four directions. And I know just the place where to lead some of them."

    "She's rather adamant about dividing our enemy, based on what I heard from her."

    "And what we did to Vale's CCT. Right now, she just needs to make sure this weapon does what it's supposed to." Vizsla smiled at his partner. "All we need to concern ourselves with is warming up the Huntsmen and Huntresses. And giving Bralor and Carid a front row seat."

    Bo-Katan smiled once more, ready to attack when Vizsla was.

    The main defensive front that Mistral had created was located in the western side of Anima. The majority of this front was on the ocean, where the Kingdom of Vale rested on the other side. The rest of this front, when combined with the oceanside defenses, resembled part of a circle. Huntsmen and Huntresses positioned there kept their eyes to the north and south, should the Mandalorians try to move deeper inland. Warriors were stretched thin, but each of their individual abilities helped hold the line.

    Ever since the war started, the northern and southern fronts had seen the most action. The majority consisted of Grimm, no doubt being drawn to the fears and mistrust of Mistral's people. Mandalorians were common as well, but their attacks were of a much smaller scale. While nobody could say for certain, the Huntsmen and Huntresses were convinced that the majority of the Mandalorians' ambitions rested in Vale.

    For now.

    The only source of refuge everyone found was that it was all quiet on the western front. This was the fastest way for anyone to travel from Vale to Mistral, and the Council of Mistral knew it had to be defended at all costs. If it was broken in any way, the Mandalorians would practically have a straight shot to the city Mistral. While a large body of water rested to the west of the city, it was much smaller than the ocean. It would take no less than two days to cross, which was much less time to bring all resources back to the city.

    Fortunately, today seemed to be just like any other; nothing but blue water and blue sky as far as the eye could see. The majority of the Huntsmen and Huntresses were at ease, but always kept a sharp lookout for the Grimm. One group in particular kept to their duties in a trench between the beach and the abundant forest; a trench that would hopefully serve as a surprise for Mandalorians who would try to break the defense behind it on foot.

    The oldest of this group was known as Kat, an aging Faunus that served as the leader. He had a remarkable nose for good food and dirty weather, but most of all for food. Especially when there was none to be had.

    His forces comprised of rather unique graduates of Haven Academy. The ringleader of the graduates was Paul, a young man who graduated surprisingly early with his five friends. Friends whose heads were stuffed with knowledge and filled with hope.

    Josef hoped to defend the church of his village when he graduated, in more ways than just killing Grimm. He was currently considering being a part of that church. But first he had to win the war.

    Albert wanted to study law, since he was beginning to have misgivings about the life of a Huntsman. Given the circumstances, everyone understood why.

    Friedrich wanted to become a jack of all trades when it came to killing Grimm.

    Franz planned to exterminate Grimm in the forests, to make them a safe place for everyone to visit.

    Peter simply wanted to travel and make friends. More specifically, to make friends with as many girls as he could.

    They were joined by locals of Anima's outskirts, some of which were also their friends. Tjaden was a locksmith, who was now helping secure his home from the Grimm and Mandalorians. Haie was a landscaper whose speciality was digging peat; while he offered no particular skills to fighting, he was a good man to have at anyone's side. Lastly, Detering was a horse Faunus who thought of nothing but his farm and wife; two things he planned to defend with his life.

    For an entire month, they fought nothing but Grimm and occasionally shot at Mandalorians in the sky. The trench they dug was hidden well in the trees, which made the Mandalorians none the wiser as they flew over their enemy. This was how the western front mainly evened the score when the Mandalorians flew overhead.

    Little did they know the score was about to change.

    It all started with Paul longing for the days when he was a student back at Haven. He would take back the longest lectures and the hardest training he ever endured in a heartbeat if it meant not fighting an actual war. While he had yet to witness the brutal combat he heard Mandalorians were capable of, the threat of war still scared him. He was thinking about how he would do anything to feel like the student he was back in Haven.

    A chance of hope came to him when he heard the sound of a bird chirping. High in one of the trees above him, Paul spotted a red robin chirping and minding its own business. Intrigued, Paul took out a piece of paper from his pocket and a black pen. With both utensils, he drew an exact copy of the bird without having to look back up.

    "Hey, not bad," said Albert, who saw what Paul was doing. "Now try drawing it without your Semblance."

    Paul looked up at his friend and rolled his eyes. "How do you know I'm using it?" he asked sarcastically. "Maybe I'm just that good."

    Albert chuckled. "I'll believe it when I see it."

    Paul put away the drawing and looked back to his friend. "You're in a good mood."

    "Josef just relieved me. I needed a break."

    Paul looked back to the bird. "Yeah, me too." He then began to walk further into the trench, where provisions were stored. "Do Friedrich and Franz wanna join us for lunch?" he asked.

    "Nah, they can't," Albert replied. "Peter said a few Grimm were deeper in the woods, so they went with him to clear them out."

    "Oh, okay." Paul suddenly stopped walking. "So that just leaves Josef and Kat?"

    "And the locals." Albert slightly titled his head. "You okay? You look kinda pale."

    Paul turned around again. "Sorry, I just don't like our best defense leaving."

    "Aw, relax. It's still quiet here. Kat's been quiet too, believe it or not. They'll be back before you could say 'The war has ruined us for everything.'"

    Paul turned back to his friend as he continued to walk. "Uh, I'm not sure that's how the saying goes."

    "Doesn't make it any less true. I was this close to being accepted into law school before I got called out here."

    "Yeah, I guess so. But do you think you were ready to make the transition so fast? You just got your license."

    "Yeah, but my parents didn't really like the idea of me being out here either. And they said they'll pay my tuition."

    "Lucky you. But come on." Paul stopped walking and looked to his friend. "Remember what Professor Kantorek said about being a Huntsman?"

    "He was never a Huntsman. He just teaches at Sanctum Academy."

    "Yeah, but he always talked about how he regretted never going to Haven. That his days at Sanctum are to make sure we didn't make his mistake. I can't remember everything he said, but here I am."

    "Yeah, I guess so." Albert let out a sigh. "I wish I had your attitude."

    "Well, think about what comes after this war is over. Just seeing the world and doing some good while you're at it. Doesn't that sound like something you wanna do?"

    "I can do some good in Mistral. Come visit me in school and I'll show ya."

    "Just remember we're Huntsmen, not soldiers. It'll be better when we're outta here. At least let me try to open your mind over lunch."

    Albert suddenly had a better idea. "I'll consider it. On one condition."

    "Name it."

    Albert pointed back to another tree. "See that bird?" he asked. Paul turned around and saw a blue jay above him. "Make me a perfect drawing without your Semblance."

    "Why?"

    "So I can show you how you can do some good without relying on it. That's what I wanna do after all."

    "...Fair enough." Paul took out another piece of paper and his pen. "Okay... no Semblance." Paul's Semblance allowed him to recreate any memory he chose perfectly. This was useful when he believed he overlooked certain details or needed to recreate something; in this case, a drawing. Now he had to make a drawing without it. "Can I at least look at the bird again?"

    "Sure, why not?" Albert replied with a smirk.

    "Great. Now watch and learn."

    Paul began to doodle once again, taking brief pauses as he looked at the bird for details. He had to stand higher to look at it, but he was still able to draw. The process was harder than he thought, but he eventually finished the drawing. "A perfect drawing. Like... this?"

    Albert looked at the drawing and smiled. "Hey, that's pretty-"

    *FWEET*

    *FWEET*    ​

    The two young men turned back towards the direction they were walking away from. The sound they heard was familiar, but unexpected; it was the sound of Kat blowing on a whistle he wore around his neck. A whistle that was only supposed to be for emergencies.

    "What's going on?" Paul asked as he looked towards the direction of the whistling.

    "Has to be a drill," Albert said exhaustedly. "Aw, great. This just ruined a perfectly good day." He began to walk back the way he came, but much slower due to his good mood being extinguished.

    But he stopped when he heard a different sound. One that was further away.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    "Wait, what's that?" he asked as he looked around.

    Paul's face turned white as he ran towards Albert and grabbed him. "Gunfire!" he yelled as he pushed his friend to the ground.

    *BAM*​

    A yellow blast struck a part of the trench that Albert was previously standing and caused it to explode. More blasts immediately flew over both of their heads and caused wooden beams and sandbags to explode.

    "Oh, my God," Albert whispered as he realized the dark reality that had dawned upon him. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my..."

    The repeated whispers from the scared man were drowned out by blaster fire, which Paul was focusing on. After he engaged his Aura and grabbed a rifle he was previously carrying, the young Huntsman carefully moved his head slightly above the trench to get a look at the beach. There he could the attackers: Mandalorians.

    The Mandalorians running up the beach were all wearing blue and silver armor, and had seemingly come out of nowhere. But the shape of an airship flying away from the beach seemed to be the origin of their arrival. A second airship arriving and the sight of six Mandalorians flying towards the beach seemed to confirm this theory. While two more airships coming towards the sand.

    Paul's impulses finally kicked in, which resulted in him firing his custom-made rifle at the closest Mandalorian he could see. The beach didn't provide much cover for the invaders, it actually made them easier targets. So Paul pressed a button on his rifle, which made certain parts glow blue. When he returned fire, the bullets that escaped his weapon turned into shards of ice. This was what his rifle did; turn normal Dust rounds into their elemental form. He had hoped the ice could break the armor the Mandalorians were wearing.

    He was wrong.

    The ice indeed hit two armored invaders, but the Beskar turned each shard into tiny pieces. It also made the Mandalorians turn their sights on Paul and fire multiple yellow blasts from their guns. While the young man had his Aura engaged, the blasts were strong enough to make him fall into the trench, right next to Albert.

    "We have to go!" Paul said as he grabbed Albert and tugged on his shirt. The young man seemed too shocked to even move, so Paul was forced to pull harder. "Al, come on!" When Albert got up, the pair immediately ran towards their leader.

    The aging commander of the trench was currently with the rest of the trench's defensemen, barking orders while firing a weapon of his own. It was a simple semi-automatic carbine, nothing like Huntsmen weaponry. However, his aim for exposed pieces of flesh was mostly true, and he was either killing Mandalorians or slowing them down.

    Paul and Albert had finally reached Kat, and Paul was able to relay the news. "Sir, I counted twelve Mandalorians back the way we came!" he said. "Those ships are just dropping and leaving them!"

    "I know!" Kat screamed as he looked back to the young men under his command. "My sight hasn't left me yet, kid! Get back there and slow them down! I'll send a runner to get you more Huntsmen! Take your friend with you!"

    Paul acknowledged the order and once again had to drag Albert into the trench. Albert managed to regain enough sense to grab a weapon of his own as he advanced in the trench, but he was far from ready for a fight like this.

    Kat looked to the other side to see more young Huntsmen come to his side. Friedrich, Franz, and Peter had finished clearing the woods behind them, now their focus was on what was in front of them.

    "Dammit, Kat!" Peter yelled. "We leave for a few minutes and this happens?!"

    "Nothing we can do about that now!" Kat yelled. "We gotta hold the beach until more Huntsmen get out here! Franz, you know these woods better than anyone! Get back to the main defense and let them know what the hell's going on!"

    "It's done!" the boy yelled as he looked back to the woods. He had to time his departure just right, or the yellow blasts would hit him with his back turned. When he saw an opening, he took it without hesitation. Although he took a shot to his back, he was able to run back into the woods to get help. Friedrich moved to the spot where Franz once was in order to hear the Faunus' next command.

    "Get the locals to help you set up the big one!" Kat yelled as he pointed to a large box behind them. "It's our only chance to take out the bigger numbers!" The boy did as he was told and took out a large gun from the wooden box. True to his word, he had the locals help carry it and mount on the edge of the trench.

    Before Kat could give orders to Peter, the young boy shouted at him. "Can you still use your Semblance?!" he yelled through the blasts.

    "What?!" Kat yelled back.

    Peter pulled on one of the man's cat ears to make him hear better, not caring how bad it made him look. "Your Semblance!" he yelled. "Use it!"

    Kat could hear better this time, and he looked above the trench. He could see that while the yellow blasts were coming in fast, the Mandalorians were firing far from the trench. So he looked back at Peter. "They're too far!" he said. "They could fly over it if they wanted to!"

    Peter refused to let this be an excuse. He had seen Kat use his Semblance before, and he stubbornly believed it was the only way to make the Mandalorians go away. "Just do it!" he screamed! "We won't last five minutes without-!"

    *BOOM*​

    Both Kat and Peter were knocked back by an explosion. While they were arguing, the soldiers didn't notice that a small metal orb had fallen from above and landed in their trench. And that orb had just exploded, knocking Peter on top of Kat and sending a sharp ringing through all four of the Faunus' ears. Once that ringing died down, Kat regained his senses.

    "Get up, boy!" Kat yelled as he pushed Peter off him. "Now listen! We need to-!" Kat stopped talking when he saw blood on both of his hands. When he looked back to Peter, he saw the young man laying on his back with a heavy wound in his hip. The wound was draining blood very fast, and Peter had lost all the color on his face.

    Kat had nothing to say at the sight of death. He had seen it before, once upon a time. He taught himself that there was nothing he could do for those who had died before him. Instead, all he could do was avenge young Peter by fighting. And so he fired his carbine again and again as he tried to think of a better plan.

    *TAT*

    *TAT*

    *TAT*

    *TAT*

    *TAT*    ​

    The sound of the larger gun, one that fired a chain of Dust rounds, began to sound from the trenches. Kat couldn't see the impact of Friedrich's attack, so he could only assume that it was working.

    His Faunus ears could detect the sound of the enemy's gunfire, and it was mainly directed at the large gun. Given this fact, and Peter's last words, Kat began to have an idea what to do.

    "Peter!" a voice from behind called out. Kat turned around to see Josef kneeling down and trying to revive his friend. Despite him seeing that it was to no avail, Josef kept hitting Peter's chest and crying.

    "Save your breath, boy!" Kat yelled as he grabbed Josef's shirt. "Listen to me! We need to make these metal bastards move closer from the beach! Run to the other end of the trench and get your friends outta there!"

    "But the Mandos will just come towards the trench when they see the opening!" Josef protested.

    "That's the plan! When they get closer, I'll jump out and use my Semblance!"

    "Sir, that's suicide! What if you can't make it back to the trench in time?!"

    "It's a chance I have to take! The line depends on it!" Kat slapped Josef's shoulder and pushed him. "Go!"

    The young Huntsman took off running into the trench, leaving Kat to cling to his carbine and fire once again. A yellow blast struck a sandbag and threw sand in his face, but the old Faunus blocked out his pain and reached into his jacket. There he pulled out two things.

    The first was his last magazine for the carbine.

    The last was a piece of chocolate he had been saving.

    "Good enough time as any," the Faunus told himself as he swallowed the chocolate. He then loaded his gun and fired once again. Rather than firing sporadically like the large machine gun or the other Huntsmen he fought with, Kat took his time and fired one bullet at a time. Once again, his aim was true and he was able to hit the exposed pieces between the armor. One by one, Mandalorians either fell or clutched the parts of their bodies that were hit.

    But he was directed to stop firing when a yellow blast hit his head and nearly broke his Aura.

    Kat soon felt himself come off the ground by two hands. One belonged to Josef and the other belonged to Paul. Josef seemed to be somewhat collected, since he used his own weapon to fire at the Mandalorians. But Paul looked like he had seen a ghost.

    When Kat realized that he didn't see Albert with Paul, he understood the look on the young man's face. And so he picked up his carbine once again and gestured for Paul to join him.

    "For Albert," he said.

    "..."

    Paul said nothing, but raised his gun over the trench and fired bullet after bullet at the Mandalorians. Kat joined him, but soon ran out of ammunition.

    *BOOM*​

    An explosion to his right made the trio look and see a burning part of the trench. It was the part where the machine gun once was. Now it seemed to be in a puff of smoke.

    It also appeared that the Mandalorians were advancing to the exposed part of the trench. Both Kat and Josef knew that the next part of the plan was inevitable, which was why Josef gave a slow nod to the Faunus.

    With that, Kat jumped out of the trench and ran towards the Mandalorians.

    "What the-?!" Paul asked in disbelief. "Kat, no!" Paul began to follow his commander, but Josef quickly grabbed his friend.

    "Paul, don't!" he protested. "Kat's planned for this, we gotta stay here!"

    "But what's he doing?!"

    Josef didn't answer his fellow Huntsman, he simply looked out towards the beach. Paul did the same, and saw Kat approaching Mandalorians that were coming closer to the exposed trench. Naturally, the armored warriors charged towards him and fired. Even though Kat didn't have his Aura, he stayed his current course.

    He then stopped running towards the Mandalorians. Instead, he ran to the side, moving along the sandy ground in front of the invaders. And as he ran, the spots where he was once standing began to turn yellow. The yellow color began to expand and rise off the ground, moving like smoke in a fire.

    As the Mandalorians continued to shoot at the commander of the trench, they soon stepped into the growing yellow mist. Not long after they moved through it, some of the Mandalorians began to grab their throats and fall to the ground. They soon ripped off their helmets as they tried to breath fresh air, but they were still trapped in the expanding yellow field.

    The Mandalorians who saw what afflicted their brothers and sisters stopped in their tracks, just before they entered the field of mist. One Mandalorian looked into the field to see his allies reaching out towards him and begging for help.

    The only help he could offer, the one he immediately gave, was death.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    His sights turned from the dead bodies to the Faunus responsible for the mist taking his fellow Mandalorians in the first place. The living Mandalorians saw him as well, and instinctively fired upon the man. While they could hardly see through the growing mist, their shots hit the back of Kat's helmet and his leg.

    Despite the Mandalorians being partially blind, the men in the trenches could see as clear as day.

    "No, no, no!" Paul screamed as he tried to get out of the trench again. "The gas is spreading too fast, he's not going to make it!"

    "You won't make it either!" Josef protested. "This is our best chance until Franz gets our backup!"

    "But we can't leave him!"

    "And we won't!" Josef reached for his neck and pulled out a small whistle. "I'll call the charge when the field clears! Just stay here, please!"

    "..."

    As Bo-Katan watched the once peaceful beach transform into a land not fit for man, she weighed her options very carefully. Mandalorian helmets were able to filter out smoke, not this kind of gas. Her current and best chance was to fly over and leave the trench alone.

    However, a sense of pride and ego was preventing her from doing so.

    When she stepped on shore, Bo-Katan made a promise to herself and Pre Vizsla that this attack would not be a simple invasion. She would not advance, she would not be satisfied until every enemy that stood in her path was a mere corpse with its blood repainting the land. After all, Mistral had done the same thing in the Great War. Even though she never saw it with her own eyes, every inch of her body called for vengeance against all the Kingdoms.

    Today was going to be a day of vengeance, one way or another. And she was certain Pre Vizsla felt the same.

    Bo-Katan looked at the field of gas one more time before she looked to a screen on her gauntlet. "It's thick," she reported. "And it might be able to cover the whole beach. But we can fly over, and with some luck, we can land in the woods before any other big guns hit us."

    "No," Vizsla replied calmly. "I need you to wait."

    "For what? The field to clear?"

    "That... and our weapon to arrive." Vizsla turned to Bo-Katan. "The witch delivered it to me shortly after I ordered you to attack. This beach will be the perfect field test."

    For the first time since she landed on Anima's beach, Bo-Katan smiled. "Can I ask what it is?" she asked.

    "Trust me when I say you need to see it to believe it. Expect my arrival in five minutes."

    "Understood."

    As Bo-Katan turned off her screen, another Mandalorian called her name and landed next to her. "So far, we've lost eight to this stuff," he said as he pointed to the yellow field. "But it's somewhat flammable. We might be able to clear it out with fire if we're at a distance."

    "Do it," Bo-Katan ordered.

    The Mandalorian activated his flamethrower and watched parts of the gas burn. It wasn't burning easily, but the yellow gas was indeed combustible. And with some more Mandalorian help, part of the gas had begun to disappear.

    But the defenders of Mistral were prepared for this.

    *FWEET*

    *FWEET*

    *FWEET*    ​

    True to his word, Franz returned with more Huntsmen and Huntresses from the real line of defense. And Josef saw this as a chance to commence a full scale charge against the Mandalorians. Josef knew fighting from a distance had a limited effectiveness, so now he was ready to fight the way Huntsmen and Huntresses should; up close and personal.

    The Mandalorians recognized the change in strategy easily, and they too were ready to face their enemy head on. They too charged across the beach and met the enemy head-on, resulting in a clash unlike any other, one that the people of Mistral hadn't seen in a very long time.

    The Huntsmen and Huntresses had begun to use more handheld weapons that ranged from customized swords to bladed staffs. The Mandalorians, who finally chose to engage their Auras while fighting, relied on their fists and the weapons inside their gauntlets.

    Staffs were caught in razor wires and allowed Mandalorians to pull their enemy into death's grasp.

    Swords and spears clashed against Beskar and Aura, although they managed to hit exposed pieces between the armor.

    Semblances were used left and right to give each warrior a fighting chance.

    Hard-Light Dust shields in the Mandalorians' gauntlets proved to be a good defense, and hidden blades that extended instantly had proved to be a lethal offense.

    And what the Mandalorians couldn't cut, they burned with their flamethrowers and jet packs.

    For what felt like an eternity, bodies clashed and fell along the beach, Huntsman and Mandalorian alike. The sand was painted in blood and the air was filled with screams unlike any other. Fear and anger affected both sides, but so did the fighting. Both sides seemed to believe that there was no end in sight.

    Until an unnatural shadow swallowed every combatant on the beach.

    *CRASH*​

    A shockwave traveled across the sands, and caused even the strongest warrior to stumble and fall. Auras were engaged immediately when the force died down, given that its unprecedented power had caused even more blood to spill on the beach. Miraculously, it was this shockwave that had stopped the fighting.

    Because everyone was too distracted by the sight of a monstrosity to fight.

    The trench where the novice Huntsmen were once residing in had just been crushed by something large and something metal. It was a large metal shell covering an array of wires, something that one would normally expect to see in Atlas. The fact that it was standing on six legs gave the impression that it was some kind of animal, but the metal exterior was telling another story. It had no face, but metal rods instead. It also stood at an imposing five meters high, with what appeared to be wings and cannons on its back and sides.

    On the top of the contraption rested Pre Vizsla, who had one hand on a glowing control pad and another pointing down at the crowd.

    "Huntsmen and Huntresses of Mistral," the Mandalorian addressed his enemies as the cannons began to glow. "On behalf of my ancestors, and their ancestors before, I share one simple truth."

    *WOOOO*​

    "You deserve this."

    *CHOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *CHOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Red blasts and rockets descended upon the beach, turning Huntsmen and Huntresses into shreds and lifeless husks. The Mandalorians had only a moment's notice to realize what was about to happen, but they were able to clear the area just in time by flying. As they flew higher and higher to avoid the destruction, all of the Mandalorians stared in awe at their leader's new weapon. While some marveled at its destructive capabilities, others found the walking tank... familiar.

    "My God..." one Mandalorian whispered.

    "That's it?" another asked. "The weapon?"

    "It has to be," another responded.

    "I was expecting some kind of gun or sword... but this..."

    "This is what we need. What we deserve."

    "And it looks... just like..."

    Bo-Katan joined the conversation when she flew towards her fellow Mandalorians. "It is," she said confidently. "It's the Basilisk."

    The Mandalorians turned back towards Vizsla's war machine just in time to see it create another shockwave. At the same time, they began to comprehend just what Bo-Katan meant.

    "It is the Basilisk!"

    "The Mythosaur's rival Grimm."

    "The Grimm that the Mand'alor claimed as his own."

    While everyone examined the mechanical device that looked just like the Mandalorian legend, Bo-Katan was more interested in the decimation of Huntsmen and Huntresses. She could see that Salem was true to her word, and that she was indeed resourceful. If she could make legends like the Basilisk come to life, and do unspeakable things at her lair, there seemed to be no limit to the witch's power.

    Or rather, the power that the Mandalorians now possessed.

    Bo-Katan put her epiphany on hold when she saw that the surviving Huntsmen and Huntresses had begun to flee. She mercilessly ordered all of the Mandalorians to follow them while she flew closer to Pre Vizsla. The leader of Death Watch took note of the departure and the arrival, so he let the large robot fire at the field of trees while he addressed his ally.

    "Surprised?" he confidently assumed.

    "Doesn't even began to describe how I'm feeling," Bo-Katan said after a short laugh. "How did... this happen? Is it really the Basilisk?"

    "It was the inspiration behind its creation, yes." Vizsla patted the head of the droid as he smiled under his helmet. "The witch had those girls and some Saxons work together to make it. After the battle, I'll be giving a full report to the oldest girl."

    "The Saxons I can believe, but it's hard to believe children built this."

    "And designed it. I may have underestimated them. But that doesn't matter; after today, nobody will underestimate us. No Huntsman, Huntress, not even the scattered Mandalorians will think less of us again."

    "That reminds me; Clans Bralor and Carid promised that they would be watching."

    Vizsla put both of his hands on the control pad. "Well, then... let's show them what we promised."

    The leader of Death Watch made the droid advance towards the woods, where trees began to break due to the large claws and cannons. Huntsmen and Huntresses that were unfortunate enough to be beneath the six feet were crushed instantly. One Huntsman, who appeared to be a recent graduate, was clutching a broken leg that was on the verge of falling off.

    "Over there!" Bo-Katan pointed into the woods. There she could see more Mandalorians fighting Huntsmen and Huntresses. But this time, there seemed to be some kind of structure that the warriors were defending. Almost like a large fence or wall. "That must be the main line!"

    *CHOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Vizsla smiled as a rocket struck the structure and made a hole in its side, large enough for the Mandalorians to enter.

    "It was," Vizsla sadistically replied as he made the Basilisk continue to wreak havoc onto the protectors of Mistral. All of a sudden, the droid rose off its two front feet and made an unnatural, mechanical noise. It sounded almost like a howl. A howl that reached every ear in the woods.

    "Ah," Vizsla sighed in awe as he dismounted the beast and watched his fellow Mandalorians rip and tear through every remaining Huntsman and Huntress. "Victory."

    It seemed that the battle was over just as quickly as it began.

    Pre Vizsla spent much time with the leaders of Clans Bralor and Carid. And once they saw what he could bring to the table, as well as the new kind of destruction Death Watch was capable of, the leaders grew confident that victory was at hand in this war. And while they were not willing to admit it, the leaders knew it would be better to be allies with Mandalorians who could control a Basilisk rather than be their enemies.

    While the members of Death Watch took this turn of events proudly, Merri found herself in a mixed state when Vizsla contacted her. One that was easily detected by Salem when Merri came to her chamber.

    "The shores' defenses are nothing but shambles," Merri said with malice in her voice. "The Huntsmen that survived are retreating deeper inland. They won't be hard to find with Death Watch and the new Mandalorians in the sky."

    While Salem was pleased with this success, given that she was one step closer to Haven Academy, she took it upon herself to explore the chip on her daughter's shoulder. "...You seem agitated, my dear," she said calmly. "Does the prospect of victory not interest you anymore?"

    "No, Mother." Merri began to relax, since it was unwise to speak with such anger to someone like Salem. "We won, but not how I wanted. My weapon, the Basilisk... it's all wrong! Vizsla should have done twice the damage he made in Mistral!"

    Salem narrowed her eyes and raised her hands towards her face. "What a shame," she said sincerely. "You put such hard work into this... war droid of yours. Surely you were careful enough to examine any potential flaws before building it... no?"

    Merri thought she heard a subtle, demeaning insult in the question, which made her angrier. But she was able to put her emotions in check in order to explain herself. "Of course, Mother," she began. "Not really flaws, just things that could be better. The cannons should have fired at a higher rate, the beast should have moved and flew faster, and the shockwave generators were almost destroyed by one of those damn Huntresses and that lightning thing she did!" Merri had to take deep and sharp breaths before she could say another word.

    "So a Semblance then," Salem noted. "Do not condemn yourself, Merriweather. Prototypes offer so much from failure. Trust me, I know." Salem lowered her hands to reveal a smile. "And this droid didn't malfunction, and it wasn't destroyed. Was it?"

    Merri began to calm down. "No, Mother."

    "Then trust me when I say this; you've done well, darling."

    Merri began to smile herself when she realized her mother approved of this endeavor. That, and the idea that she could learn from the failures that occurred today. "Thank you, Mother," she said. "I'm glad I could be of service."

    "As am I. Your sisters will be happy to know their efforts did not go unrewarded. Go to them, and pick up where you left off."

    "Of course, Mother."

    Merri immediately left the room after she slightly bowed to her mother. As she walked down a hallway, she found Flora and Fauna waiting for her.

    "And?" Fauna asked calmly.

    "Mother's proud," Merri said as she continued to walk. "We can make even more Basilisks."

    Fauna playfully rolled her eyes as she followed her sister. "Good. I told you not to worry."

    Merri slightly gasped. "I was not worried! Like you said, we're Grimm! We instill fear, we don't feel it!"

    "Ahem."

    Fauna and Merri turned around to see Flora leaning against a wall with crossed arms. "I think I was the one who said that," she reminded her sisters. "So you were listening."

    "Well, of course I was listening," Merri said. "I just had more important things to do than consider it."

    "There's a lot of things you don't consider," Flora spat back.

    Merri slightly tilted her head. "What's that supposed to-?"

    Fauna immediately pulled on Merri's arm to get her attention. "I think Flora means we still have a lot to do," she said. "I mean, when was the last time we saw you train with us? Come on, we need to be ready for the next Maiden."

    Merri took a lingering glance at Flora, studying her expression as well as the negativity radiating off her. "...Right," she said as she followed her sister. Merri then made a reminder to keep an eye on Flora while Flora made a mental note of her own.

    "Enjoy the spotlight, Merri. It won't be on you forever."

    Salem had just broken contact with her Seer when she heard Vizsla's own report to her. As she sat at the table and examined her own reflection, the witch couldn't help but think out loud since she knew she was alone.

    "How small they are," she began. "And to think Ozma believed they could stand against me. Does he forget who I am? Does he forget what I am capable of?"

    "..."

    With silence as her only response, and no other voice to argue against this claim, Salem smiled at the insight she acquired. She then moved her hands off the table and resorts her dress. "If he is able forget all of that, and more... so be it," she said as she reached into a pocket in her dress. "I won't forget. Ever."

    "..."

    Salem moved her hand out of the hidden pocket and pulled out a small object. It was old, dusty, and on the verge of failing apart if one didn't handle it with care. Salem carefully placed the object on the table, revealing it to be a small toy. In its prime, the toy looked like a black dog with a red collar around its neck. Salem had carried it for years, at the same time she buried her three daughters.

    "It truly is a shame you couldn't join your sisters, my darling," Salem spoke to the toy with a quiver in her voice. "Perhaps with you at their side, young Cinder could have been crushed instead of being left to wither away."

    "..."

    Salem carefully moved her hand on the toy dog. "Besides... you know I miss you. Just as I missed your sisters before I brought them back."

    "..."

    "But don't worry; my plans remain far from changed. When I have all four Relics, we will all be together again."

    "..."

    "Perhaps it was for the best you left this ruined world. You wouldn't want to see how pathetic these humans and Faunus really are. And you would almost pity your father, if you saw how he diminished himself." Salem chuckled to herself. "And to think I once ruled over them."

    "..."

    "It's true, my Sith come close to a worthy race to be ruled. But in their current state? Freeing them all would not only leave myself as a target of their wrath, but the world would want to band together against what they don't understand."

    "..."

    "Your father's faith in mankind was not displaced. When banded together, unified by a common enemy, they are a noticeable threat. But divide them, place doubt into their minds, and any semblance of power they once had will wash away."

    Salem smiled once again as she stood up and moved towards her window. "Of course, they don't realize it yet. Like him, they cling to their fleeting hope, their aspirations. They're fighting the Mandalorians with everything they have. But this is merely the first move."

    "..."

    "So he can send his guardians, those Huntsmen and Huntresses, and when they fail and he turns to his smaller soul, know that he sends her to the same pitiful demise."

    "..."

    "Like I said; this is the beginning of the end, my darling." Salem turned back to the toy on the table. "And I can't wait to hold you once again."

    "..."

    Salem began to imagine having all four of her children in her grasp again. While she regretted the fact that her plans for them to rule a new line of mankind, their true destiny, was taken from them, Salem knew it would be better this way. Her new plans better suited her, when compared to the life she lived now.

    This dream was silenced when an unwelcome sound reached her ears.

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*    ​

    Salem angrily turned to the Seer that she once used to speak with Vizsla. "What is it?!" she demanded furiously.

    The Seer that was resting on the long table began to make a series of noises, just like it was before. Only this time, it was fast and almost difficult to keep up.

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*    ​

    Salem sat on her throne once again and put her hand on the glass ball.

    "The Saxons in Vale?" she translated. She then began to move her long nails on the glass and scratched the creature. "Why do you speak of them as if they're no longer alive?"

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*    ​

    "Almost half their forces? Dead?" Salem stopped scratching the creature. "You saw this through the other Seers?"

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*    ​

    "A butcher? Spare me these riddles. You saw who did this?"

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*    ​

    Salem backed away from the table. Shock and disbelief overtook the woman as she uttered a single name with a gasp.

    "...Revan?"
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 44: The Butcher
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 44: The Butcher

    Years ago​

    It was a night unlike any other. The sky was as dark as it could possibly be, and yet hardly any one had retreated to the safety of their homes. For they had all found themselves united by a common goal. Even a common phrase.

    A phrase that was usually heard only once a year.

    A phrase that was simple yet powerful.

    A phrase was being screamed over and over again.

    "Trick or treat!"

    Halloween night had come to the city of Vale, and the entire city was celebrating. The night was once a means of defense, where people would construct abnormal costumes to ward off Grimm and supposedly ward off spirits as well. But when the Huntsmen Academies were created and reality drove away the superstition of evil spirits, Halloween transformed into a night of frolic and mischief instead of defense.

    Children were dressed in various costumes as they moved from house to house while receiving unfathomable amounts of candy. They were of course accompanied by their parents, who either joined in the costume wearing tradition or wore normal clothes.

    One such person was wearing what he wore every day. And yet, he was always mistaken for wearing a costume.

    "Whoa, nice Mando costume, bro!"

    "Yeah, really scary!"

    Din Djarin watched a pair of teenagers walk past him and felt somewhat annoyed that his traditional armor was called a costume for what felt like the millionth time. Djarin was no stranger to the holiday, although he never celebrated it. He would usually keep his distance when he had to leave Nevarro, otherwise he would be recuperating in the     Razor Crest. And yet, he found himself among the humans and Faunus who were celebrating Halloween, though he wished his armor would have the effect it normally would. It was truly an annoying experience.

    The nagging feeling, however, would disappear every time Djarin laid his eyes on a very happy child.

    "Dad, look at this!" Cinder said as she jumped in front of her father. "That house gave me three whole candy bars!"

    Djarin looked inside the sack Cinder was carrying and indeed saw large candy bars instead of the smaller ones that riddled her sack. "Looks like you hit the jackpot," the Mandalorian said with a chuckle. "Lucky you."

    "Yeah! Let's go try it across the street!"

    "Don't run, now. Hold my hand."

    Cinder complied and walked across the street with her father. Instead of her normal attire of a white shirt and jeans, the young Maiden was dressed as a superhero; she had a multi-colorful suit with a red cape and a black mask across her eyes. The costume was rather inexpensive, but it was the one Cinder wanted to wear when she heard about the holiday. Given her status as the Fall Maiden and her recent exploits in the forest outside Haven Academy, Cinder wanted to look more like a hero and see if she felt any different.

    Of course, it may have been the sugar that was making her rather energetic.

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    Djarin looked at his beeping gauntlet after Cinder had ran up to a house. Instead of a message or phone call, his gauntlet was telling him that it was currently nine o'clock. He automatically knew that Cinder wasn't going to be happy about that.

    "Oh, my gosh, Dad!" Cinder yelled as she stopped in front of him once again. "That house just gave me     four whole candy bars! I'm on a roll, let's keeping going!"

    "Sorry, Cinder," Djarin said as he showed her his gauntlet. "It's time to go home."

    "What? Already?" Cinder looked at her own Scroll to see that it was indeed nine o'clock. She had previously agreed that they would go back to Beacon when the time came, but Cinder was having misgivings about the idea. "But I can't stop now! I'm on fire!" Cinder quickly stopped talking so loudly. "I mean, not     literally. No powers tonight."

    "It's a school night, Cinder." Djarin kneeled down to his daughter. "Remember; a Mandalorian     always keeps their word."

    Cinder hummed in disappointment as she remembered what Djarin always taught her. "Aw, okay," she said as she took his hand once more. "You're right, I promised." As they began to walk towards the airships, Cinder looked at her sack. "I still can't believe how much candy I got."

    "You and me both." Djarin looked down at the sack with Cinder. "You can always share it, you know. I think I earned a finders fee for going to fifty houses tonight."

    Cinder looked back at her father, who she believed was smiling under that helmet. "And tell me you ate all of it the next morning? No way! I've seen the guy on TV that makes parents do that to kids!"

    Djarin chuckled as he continued to walk. "Come on. Would I do that to you?"

    Cinder laughed with her father. "No, I was just kidding. But that guy's still a jerk."

    Djarin laughed again. "That he is. So, did you have fun?"

    "Uh-huh. Thanks for taking me."

    "It's no problem. I think we needed to get out for a-Oh, boy."

    Cinder looked in the same direction her father was looking in and shared his sentiments. "Oh, that's not good."

    Just in front of the clan of two was Vale's town square. It was riddled with both people and decorations, as well as festivities. From bobbling for apples to reenactments of Halloween traditions, the town square was full of entertainment.

    It was also filled with people who formed a sort of wall in the heart of the square.

    "We'll never make it through," said Cinder. "Semblance time?"

    Djarin looked at his gauntlet to see a green bar of Aura. "Semblance time," he said. He firmly held Cinder's hand as he activated his Semblance. Soon enough, they were back in their own room. Djarin then let out a sigh of relief as he moved into his bed. Cinder, however, dumped all her candy out and began to sort through it all.

    At least, that's what Djarin     thought she was doing. Instead, she began to eat everything rather quickly.

    "Whoa, there," Djarin said as sat upright. "I think you've had enough for one night."

    "Aw, come on!" Cinder protested. "That wasn't part of the deal!"

    "True, but we still need our sleep. Don't you still have to train tomorrow?"

    "I guess. But you wouldn't expect Ozpin to make me train after tonight, would you?"

    "Would you expect the Saxons to give you a reprieve simply because of a holiday?"

    Cinder suddenly realized how her way of thinking wasn't very practical. "I... Okay, yeah," Cinder said as she began to think clearly. "But do you think... you could tell me a story first?"

    Djarin would normally accommodate to this request, but he knew how busy tomorrow would be. "Cinder-"

    "Just one!" Cinder begged. "You could tell it while I brush my teeth and my hair!"

    "..."

    "I won't do it fast this time! I'll be sure to go as slow as possible, just like you told me!"

    "..."

    The Mandalorian removed his helmet to reveal a pair of playful rolling eyes and a soft smile as he reached for the book of Mandalorian lore he gave to Cinder. "You better get started then," he said. "I'll see if I can find a good one for tonight."

    Cinder didn't need to be told twice. She moved as fast as lightning into the bathroom, where she began to brush her teeth. But when she remembered what she promised, Cinder began to move slow and steady. Djarin stressed how important it was to take care of oneself like their weapons, which was why he was content to see Cinder keeping her word.

    With that, he began to read a story that seemed appropriate for Halloween.

    "The Great War had its share of both heroes and villains," Djarin began as he kept an eye on Cinder. "Many brave Mandalorians gave their lives for the homeland, though they were not taken with ease. It was spread across the world that one Mandalorian was equal to the strength of a hundred men."

    Cinder looked back to Djarin after she spit in the sink. "I could have told you that!" she proudly declared.

    Djarin looked up from the book. "They were also careful to keep their egos in check."

    "Does the story say that?"

    Djarin looked back to the page, but it didn't have his wisdom in writing. Nevertheless, he knew Cinder needed to be wary of pride. "As clear as day," he fibbed. "How about we see what else it says?"

    Cinder looked back to the bathroom mirror and continued to brush her teeth. Meanwhile, Djarin continued his story.

    "In this time of war, the Kingdom of Mantle was proving itself to be the superior foe. The King of Mistral knew this to be true, as well as the fact that he was facing both decline and a loss of territory. After a failed coup for his crown, the King of Mistral searched far and wide for a way to defeat the Mandalorians. And he found one."

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't help but stop brushing her teeth when she heard that line. She remained as still as a statue as Djarin continued to read.

    "A lone figure, a man that refused to show his face, presented himself to the King one day," Djarin continued. "He challenged the King to invite any of his personal guard to strike him down. When the eldest tried, all of the guards were killed without even being touched."

    "..."

    "The King was easily impressed, as well as desperate. The warrior knew this well, and gave the King his terms for his service. He demanded no gold and no silver. He did, however, demand two things. The first was the freedom of his brother, a prisoner of Mistral."

    "..."

    "The second was that the Mandalorians would be his to fight and his alone."

    "..."

    The Mandalorian looked back to Cinder, who was staring at her father with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. Djarin soon became worried that this was a bad idea. "Maybe we should read a different story," he said calmly.

    "No, it's okay," Cinder said as she moved closer. "I wanna see how it ends."

    Djarin still lowered the book. "Are your teeth brushed?" Cinder opened her mouth to show her father a set of clean teeth. Content with her work, Djarin handed his daughter a hairbrush. She took it and soon began to brush her hair as as Djarin continued reading.

    "After the King agreed to these conditions, the brothers met their foe on the plains of Cathar, after a brutal massacre. Together, the brothers faced a battalion of fifty Mandalorians. Of those fifty... only their leader survived."

    "..."

    Cinder had seen Mandalorians fight one another before, but she had never heard of someone being capable of fighting the Mandalorians and delivering such a blow. Based on what she had seen and done, only a Mandalorian could stand against another Mandalorian. Now she     had to see how the story ended.

    "The King of Mistral was more than pleased with the turning of the tide. And he found himself recruiting the brothers again and again against Mandalorians while he dealt with Vale and Vacuo. And so, the brothers took back more and more land from the Mandalorians for Mistral. It was said that the eldest, who was also the most violent and passionate, was revered and even worshipped by the people of the outskirts."

    Cinder stopped brushing her hair and turned to her father. "Who...     were these brothers?" she asked.

    Djarin skimmed the rest of the story, but didn't see any signs of any names. "I don't think it says," he admitted. "But the story is called... The Butcher."

    Cinder moved closer to the book to read the title. "Why did they call him that?"

    "I think the story goes into those... details. But hang on." Djarin looked closer. "It says that the brothers fought with weapons that burned and shined as bright as the sun. So bright that... it rivaled the Darksaber."

    Cinder slightly gasped as she remembered one weapon that could do that. "They were Jedi? No, wait. Sith?"

    "Maybe. That King might have seen the... Butcher... use the Force on his guards." Djarin looked back to Cinder. "Are you sure you want to hear the rest? The story might go into those... details."

    Cinder thought about it, but soon realized that she would be more comfortable if she didn't hear how the Butcher earned his name. "Can you skip to the end?"

    Djarin nodded and looked towards the end of the story. "From Duro to Malachor, the Butcher proved himself to be a capable military leader, one that made the Mandalorians fear his name," Djarin continued. "Even one of the Mand'alor's predecessors lost his life to the Butcher. It was said that he stole a valuable relic from the former ruler: his Beskar mask."

    "..."

    "But when all hope seemed lost for Mandalore, when all seemed lost for the free Kingdoms... the Butcher disappeared."

    Cinder looked at the book once again. "What happened to him?" she asked.

    "Nobody knows," Djarin read. "Rumors spread far and wide. Some said that he joined a new fight, one that not even the four Kingdoms knew about. Others said that his brother, riddled with jealousy over the Butcher's worship and power, betrayed him in a bid for more power. But one thing was clear; without the Butcher, the King of Mistral had hardly anyone to turn to for a swift end to the war. Let it be known that one should take care in who they place their faith in."

    "..."

    Djarin closed the book and looked to Cinder, who was dumbfounded by what she had heard. Even though she didn't listen to the whole story, it was enough to send a chill down her spine.

    "Well... that was... an appropriate story," she said with a nervous chuckle.

    Djarin put the book down and moved Cinder's bedcovers. "And that's all it is, Cinder," he promised. "A story."

    "I know." Cinder moved into her bed and looked at her father. "But I guess it's easy to think about that Sith I met in Mistral. Maybe     he was the Butcher?"

    Djarin took this opportunity to ease Cinder's mind as he took off his helmet. "If there ever was a Butcher, he's dead now. If it wasn't you, then it was someone else."

    Cinder laid down while still looking at her father. "But... I didn't do it alone."

    "What's wrong with that?" Djarin knew he could build up this point, which was why he didn't allow Cinder to answer his rhetorical question. "I've lost count of how many times I had to ask for help for a fight. The last time I did, I was able to find you, wasn't I?"

    Cinder remembered the day Major Gideon kidnapped her and how her father rescued her. It was enough for the term "knight in shining armor" to be used to describe Djarin, but she forgot that he wasn't alone when he found her. "Oh, yeah," she said with a smile. "Still... it's kind of scary. Knowing that someone can fight fifty Mandalorians and hold their own."

    "It may have been easier with Mandalorians who didn't have anything to fight for other than Mandalore." Djarin moved closer to Cinder and made a final attempt to conquer whatever fear he may have inadvertently instilled in her. "But I have you. Now the Butcher can't touch you     or me."

    Cinder couldn't help but blush at the promise, however corny it was. And so, she was able to lie down in bed and welcome sleep without any fear. "Yeah..." she whispered happily. "Good night, Dad."

    "Good night, Cinder."

    Djarin kissed Cinder's forehead and made his way to his own bed, firmly remembering the promise he had just made.

    Present day​

    The Mandalorian was now in the Kingdom of Vacuo, where he had just performed a strange task. On top of Shade Academy, he was put in charge of sounding a loud horn that was supposed to bring someone that could help him fight Death Watch and Clan Saxon.

    He and Ozpin were now exploring the academy, walking around and examining the place where Djarin was planning on teaching now.

    "This is where Theodore told me the students practice combat," said Ozpin, who was looking at a large arena on the outside of the building. "It appears to be some kind of sand arena."

    "It makes sense," said Djarin, who was still wearing his Magic disguise. "It'll accustom them to the environments of the Kingdom."

    "Them and the new students from Vale."

    Ozpin frowned when he mentioned the new arrivals Vacuo was expecting. The Mandalorian had known Ozpin long enough to know that the slightest change in Ozpin's usual neutral glare was enough to indicate something was wrong.

    "I'll miss Beacon too," the Mandalorian admitted. "It was like a second home for me. Cinder and I made some great memories there."

    "It was my home as well," Ozpin admitted. "But that isn't what concerns me; I felt the dread in the air when Shade heard they would be expecting students from Vale."

    "Oh?"

    "I'm sure you're aware of the Kingdom's... bad history with the rest of the world. Dust mines drained, rivers drank by others until they dried up. It's easy to understand why the students and staff may be... reluctant to accept newcomers."

    "..."

    Djarin never spent much time in Vacuo, but it was common knowledge how much the Kingdom had suffered from foreign influence. One would think that the Great War could have improved their relationships with Vale, but that didn't seem to be the case. And it seemed very unlikely that the people of Vacuo were willing to let bygones be bygones.

    Djarin couldn't judge them in this case, given that his people were killed and divided during and after the war. Ozpin, however, was shaken to the core by this grudge.

    "We need to find a way to work together, Djarin," said the tired Headmaster. "Not just the two of us... all of us."

    "..."

    Suddenly, Ozpin dropped his cane and raised a hand to his forehead. Along with a sharp headache, Ozpin felt so weak that he couldn't even stand up.

    "Ozpin?" Djarin asked as he grabbed the Headmaster and helped him sit down. "What's wrong?"

    The pain began to disappear as quickly as it came. While he was recovering, Ozpin knew exactly what had happened; he had just felt a great disturbance in the Force. A powerful warrior was very, very close by.

    "He's here," the Headmaster said as he stood up and took his cane. "Come, let's meet him by the entrance."

    Djarin easily realized that the man Ozpin was referring to was the reason they came to Vacuo, the reason he sounded a large horn on top of Shade Academy. Although he knew next to nothing about this warrior, other than the fact that he was an enemy of Salem and Mandalorians alike, Djarin was willing to take any help he could get. Now, he was ready to see who it really was that Ozpin seemed so desperate to meet.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Ozpin stopped walking and reached into his pocket. He took out his Scroll and placed the device on his ear. "Theodore," he addressed the caller calmly. "I was just-"

    "..."

    Djarin couldn't hear what the Headmaster of Shade was saying, but it seemed obvious that he needed Ozpin for something.

    "I'm sorry, but can this wait?" Ozpin asked politely. "I'm about to meet with someone very important."

    "..."

    Ozpin sighed as he listened to Theodore. "Alright. We'll be there soon." The Headmaster ended the call and looked to Djarin. "I'm sorry, but our meeting will have to wait. Theodore needs to speak with us about additional security for the school."

    Ozpin may have been willing to wait, but Djarin had lost his patience. He didn't care how much this "ace in the hole" hated Mandalorians, Djarin wanted the war to end as soon as possible.

    "I'll meet him at the entrance," the Mandalorian said as he began to walk away. "Come find us when you're ready."

    Ozpin immediately saw this as a bad idea. "No, Djarin! Wait-!"

    The Mandalorian vanished.

    Din Djarin was never one for acting recklessly, but his patience in this ordeal reached its end long ago. More than anything, he wanted to stop the Mandalorians who were attacking the Kingdom of Vale, find Aurora, and make sure the Maiden powers would return to Cinder so she could wake up.

    And if whoever he summoned would make that process much faster, no time could be wasted in enlisting his service.

    The disguised Mandalorian found himself waiting in Shade Academy's entrance hall, where every student walked in on their way to class. It was abandoned now, due to students being on a break after the Fall of Beacon. So as far as the Mandalorian knew, secrets could be safe in this hall.

    *THOOM*​

    Djarin turned his head in the direction of a sound that entered the room. He soon saw the doors before him had opened, and a person was making their way into the large area. As soon as he stepped inside, the doors behind him closed. The apparent visitor was wearing a hooded cloak over their body, hiding any features that could distinguish their identity.

    "That has to be him," Djarin reminded himself. "But I should still be careful." He took a few steps towards the mysterious stranger, but didn't stand in his path. "Ozpin's been expecting you," he said to the figure.

    "..."

    The hooded visitor didn't acknowledge Djarin's promise, but they had stopped walking. Silence returned soon after, so Djarin decided to introduce himself.

    "I'm Din Djarin, I'm here to-"

    "No more lies."

    The figure revealed itself to be a man; a man who had just spoken to Djarin while waving his hand at him.

    Suddenly, Djarin felt the Magic that was powering his disguise disappear. Instead of regular clothes, the Mandalorian could see his Beskar armor as clear as day.

    "What?" Djarin asked in disbelief. His disguise had never disappeared like this before; only he had the power to activate or remove it. "How did you-?"

    "A Mandalorian," the man said in a voice that showed nothing but disgust. "So, you wish to invade Vacuo after all."

    "No, wait! This isn't what it-!"

    "Silence!"

    The man raised his hand again, and Djarin began to feel an invisible hand around his throat. When he grabbed his throat to break the grip, he found nothing there. And not only was he having trouble breathing, but he was also being lifted off the floor. Not only was the man unwilling to let Djarin go, but he was also walking towards him with a piece of metal in his hand.

    "This was almost too easy," the man said as the metal in his hand sprouted a violet blade. Djarin easily recognized the weapon as a lightsaber, and it was about to be plunged into his side. "I know what you're thinking, Mandalorian; how you believe I need you to find any others hiding in this Kingdom. But don't worry. You're just as easy to find as you are dying."

    The man swung his lightsaber at Djarin, but struck the air instead. He looked around the area to find his prey, who he had inadvertently let go of in the process. Unfortunately for him, Djarin used his Semblance once again to reappear behind him and tackle him to the ground.

    The Mandalorian grabbed the man's arm and twisted it so he could let go of the lightsaber. Once he was disarmed, Djarin turned the man on his back to point his blaster in his face.

    "Listen to me!" Djarin ordered as he pushed the man on his back. "I'm not your enemy, I-!"

    Djarin was at a loss for words when he got a good look at the man before him. Instead of a face like any other, the Mandalorian saw a metal mask that covered the man's whole face. But rather than being surprised at the sight of someone hiding his face, the Mandalorian was surprised that the mask he saw was... familiar.

    "Where did you get that mask?" he demanded.

    "You will never know," the man said as he moved his hand once again.

    Djarin felt another invisible force on his body, one that pushed him backwards and made him slide on the floor. If Djarin had any doubts that this man was using the Force, those were now gone. And if his run in with Nihilus had taught him anything, Djarin needed to think fast if he was to stand a chance.

    The chance came when the masked assassin used the Force once again in an effort to claim his lost lightsaber. Djarin shot his razor wire around the man's hand and used his jetpack to fly in the air. The warrior came with him and barely missed his lightsaber.

    However, the man was also a fast thinker. Before Djarin had a chance to explain why he was in Vacuo, the Force pushed him against the stone wall and broke his jetpack. Both men fell to the ground, but Djarin landed closer to the lightsaber. He immediately took it and stood ready to fight as if he was holding the Darksaber. The only effort he spent was finding out how to activate it.

    "How dare you!" the masked man yelled as he stood up. "You are not worthy to wield such a blade!"

    "This is your own fault," Djarin said as he stood right where he was. "If you had listened to me, we wouldn't be in this situation! Now tell me, who are-?!"

    "Listen? When all I've heard from your kind were lies and empty promises? I think not." The man reached towards his belt and took out another lightsaber. Only this time, the blade was red instead of purple. "I have a much better idea." The man lifted his hand again, and Djarin prepared to teleport once again to avoid the Force.

    *ZAP*​

    Instead of a mere push or grab, Djarin saw pure electricity escape from the man's hand and come directly at him. Before he could teleport away once again, the Mandalorian felt the lightning strike his chest and move all across his body. Each jolt and spark was incredibly painful, and his Beskar armor offered no protect from the violent storm. His Aura broke with ease, but the masked man continued to conjure lightning as he moved closer.

    He only stopped when he was inches from the Mandalorian.

    Djarin fell to the ground and laid in a kind of pain that he didn't even know existed until now. His opponent simply retrieved his first lightsaber and activated it. "I must admit, you fight with a remarkable speed," he said. "But you fight alone. Not very common for Mandalorians."

    "..."

    The man could see that his opponent wasn't feeling well enough to talk. "It doesn't matter." He then raised the lightsabers above his head. "If you fight alone... you will die alone."

    *ZAP*​

    Before the blades could reach Djarin, a green blast of energy hit the man in the head and caused him to fly away from the Mandalorian. The attack was easy to recover, but the surprise to see Ozpin himself defending a Mandalorian could not be recovered easily.

    "Enough!" he screamed.

    "..."

    The masked man didn't say anything, but he did stand once again. Ozpin could see that he was in no danger now, so he ran over to Djarin and helped him stand up. "I'm sorry," he said. "But I tried to warn you. You should have waited."

    "..."

    Djarin could see how foolish he was for being so impatient. While he was grateful to Ozpin for saving his life, his head was racked with questions about his opponent's identity and powers.

    But he was ready to defend himself as the man walked closer.

    "Stand down," Ozpin said as he moved in front of the Mandalorian. "Now."

    "I do not take orders from you anymore, Ozpin," the man warned as he prepared to use one of his lightsabers.

    "Yet you know that I am not easily defeated. Now stand down."

    "..."

    The man didn't respond to the command, but turned to look back at Djarin. The Mandalorian could tell that nothing would please this assassin more than cutting his head from his body, yet he seemed to show some compliance.

    Albeit with sheer reluctance.

    Nonetheless, the figure lowered his lightsaber and put it back on his belt. He also kept his distance from the Mandalorian. "What is this?" he asked. "You befriended a Mandalorian? Have you gone mad?"

    "I may have," Ozpin declared. "I seem to recollect that I befriended a former Sith as well."

    "..."

    The man lowered his head with a grunt, clearing showing annoyance at the word. Djarin immediately wanted to know more, and he wasn't in the mood for Ozpin to delay the inevitable any further.

    "Who are you?" the Mandalorian asked. Before the man could reply, Djarin pointed a gauntlet full of Whistling Birds at the man's hidden face.

    "Djarin, wait!" Ozpin pleaded. "I can explain-!"

    "I want him to explain." Djarin pushed the gauntlet further. "Who... are you?"

    The Mandalorian couldn't tell if the man before him was afraid or angry at a weapon being pointed at him, but he didn't care. Djarin wanted to know who he was and why he should have any reason to consider working with him.

    "I... am Revan," the man finally admitted. "Jedi Knight, and veteran of the Great War."

    "..."

    The man now known as "Revan" could see that the Mandalorian was not impressed or intimidated. Not that he was trying to impress the Mandalorian.

    "Where did you get the mask?" Djarin asked without moving his gauntlet.

    "The fields of Cathar," Revan replied. "From another unique Mandalorian. But she was far more unique and honorable than you could ever be."

    "Revan, please," Ozpin begged as he moved closer to the Force-wielder. "We summoned you here to talk, not to fight. I may not be your master, but I am aware of your-"

    "Hand it over."

    Both Ozpin and Revan looked to see that Djarin was still pointing his gauntlet at the masked man. While Ozpin was surprised to see that Djarin was still willing to fight, Revan knew that this could be expected of Mandalorians; defiant until the bitter end.

    And judging from how this one was holding his side in pain, it seemed this end would come very fast if Revan wished for it.

    "Hand it over," Djarin repeated.

    Revan wasn't ready to finish the Mandalorian yet. Instead, he removed the mask to reveal his face; one with brown hair, a beard, brown eyes, and four scars that looked like brands. Revan then moved the mask towards the Mandalorian.

    "Come and claim it," he challenged while readying his lightsaber.

    "..."

    The reveal of the man's face, as well as his combat prowess, made Djarin realize that there was more to Revan than more meets the eye. Someone who claimed to be a veteran of the Great War, a war that ended eighty years ago, was looking rather young.

    Before either man could do anything, Ozpin raised his cane and struck the Mandalorian's chest. Djarin flew backwards and hit the ground while continuing to hold his body in pain. Nevertheless, he was able to speak.

    "What... are you... doing?" Djarin asked Ozpin.

    "Saving your life," Ozpin firmly declared before he looked back to the self proclaimed Jedi. "Revan, all I want is a moment of your time. To show how you are needed now more than ever."

    "..."

    Ozpin followed Revan's gaze to see him looking at Djarin. "This one is not your concern," Ozpin professed. "The ones in Vale, however, are exactly like the Mandalorians you've slain during the war. Please, grant me an audience to prove this."

    "..."

    All three warriors felt that an eternity had passed before Revan placed the mask back on his face and spoke. "I will attend," he agreed. "But should your lapdog follow us or attack me again... I will destroy him."

    Ozpin nodded after he let out a sigh. He then began to walk to a more private place in Shade Academy, but not before he looked down to Djarin one last time. "Stay out of our way and heal yourself," he implored. "It's for your own good, please."

    "..."

    Djarin became silent once again, but he had begun to move off of the ground. He even moved out of Ozpin's way, as well as Revan's.

    "You would be wise to listen to your master," he said as he also stopped. "Or you will see how I earned the title of the Mandalorian Butcher."

    "..."

    While both Revan and Ozpin could see that Djarin had no intention of following them, they couldn't see his dropped jaw when he heard the title. Even after they left, the Mandalorian couldn't help but repeat it over and over again in his head. And soon enough, it came to his lips.

    "...Butcher?"

    "-and now, Djarin and I are in search of reinforcements in this war. If there is anyone on Remnant who can deliver the blow we need, it is one that is connected to the Force. I know you understand."

    "..."

    Professor Ozpin had finished explaining the last five years of his life with Revan, the mysterious Jedi Knight. Ozpin made sure to add emphasis and extra details about Djarin and Cinder, as well as the service they provided to Vale before the Fall of Beacon. While he did nothing but listen carefully to this story, not everything was to Revan's liking.

    "...And what of this 'Din Djarin?'" the Jedi asked skeptically. "How sure are you of his allegiance?"

    "As sure as I am of yours."

    "..."

    Revan thought back on his first meeting with Djarin. The Mandalorian was a capable fighter, but this was to be expected of all Mandalorians. He had fought enough battes to know that their allegiance could be bought, never earned. Only in war did the devils show their true colors.

    "Why is that?" Revan finally asked.

    "Because, as I mentioned, Salem is responsible for the state his daughter is in," Ozpin restated.

    "Ah, yes. The Fall Maiden. The Mandalorian Fall Maiden." Revan stood up from his seat and moved to a nearby window. "Tell me, when he first saw the power of the Maidens, was Djarin blinded by its potential?"

    "...Blinded?"

    Revan turned to Ozpin. "Paralyzed? Dumbstruck?"

    "Possibly. Is this relevant?"

    "It is." Revan looked out the window again to see the sun that burned twice as bright on Vacuo. "What was his first instinct when he met her?"

    "To bring her to me. So I can-"

    "No more lies."

    Ozpin quickly felt a strong compulsion to tell the truth. It normally wouldn't be so hard, but this was how Revan used his Semblance; given that he had been lied to and taken advantage of more times than he could count, Revan was not a man who trusted others easily. He could detect lies with ease and squeeze the truth, whether it be words or removing a disguise, out of anyone he desired when he spoke those three words.

    And try as he did to fight it, Ozpin spoke the truth.

    "He... brought Cinder... to his tribe." Revan hummed in understanding and dropped his hand. "But then he brought her to me. I've been training her for the past five years."

    "And then she fell in battle."

    "She is still alive, Revan. And she retains part of her powers."

    "But she still fell. And the rest of those powers are in her hands."

    Ozpin sighed as he fixed his glasses. "I didn't summon you here to be reminded of my failures."

    Revan turned to Ozpin once again. "I only wish to understand where we stand in this new Mandalorian war. And now I know." Revan moved to the desk Ozpin was sitting at. "Overwhelmed and outmanned."

    Ozpin sighed again. "Which is... why I came to you, Revan."

    Revan hummed once again. "A wise decision." He then moved back and turned around. "What is it you would have me do?"

    "Vale is under siege by a group of Mandalorians. The Saxon Clan."

    "And these 'Children of the Watch.'"

    Ozpin was beginning to lose patience. "No, that's not true."

    "No?" Revan turned again. "Did you not learn that they splintered from Death Watch? And did you not say that they splintered again in favor of fighting with their kin?"

    "That may be so, but-"

    "Then why should I simply wait for them to splinter a third time, to let them join the ones who started this war?"

    Ozpin immediately stopped being calm and rational with Revan. "Because you will be a slave to yourself once again!" he yelled. "Your anger and hate will leave you right where I found you!"

    "..."

    "Think, Revan! Think of the people who need your help, not your vengeance!" Ozpin stopped yelling when he made a final argument. "Think of the boy. Would you strip him of the value he holds you in?"

    "..."

    When his thoughts drifted to the boy Ozpin was referring to, Revan easily recollected how much of an impact he left in the child's life. It was true that he was only supposed to watch him from a distance, but there were times he had to intervene.

    In those times, he became a role model and a hero to the boy. Even though he had the confidence and wisdom to stay away from the dark path, Revan was forced to ask himself what would happen if he fell down it again.

    He had to ask what would happen to Luke.

    "...The Saxon Clan," Revan stated. "They are the Mandalorians attacking Vale."

    "They must be stopped," Ozpin said as he began to calm down. "Local Huntsmen and Huntresses are doing everything they can against the Grimm, but the Mandalorians are too formidable for them. But not for you."

    "..."

    "Please, Revan. You are our only hope."

    Revan considered the truth behind Ozpin's sentence, but there was one more thing preventing him from agreeing. "The boy will be left undefended," he said. "The war will not end tomorrow, Ozpin. He may be without a teacher when his time comes."

    "I know," Ozpin admitted. "But perhaps it would be for the best. He may be one of the defenders of Remnant, but for now... he is just a child." Ozpin's time with Cinder had taught him a valuable lesson, one that he was ready to share with Revan. "It will not be a role he will have forever."

    "...No. It will not."

    "..."

    "Very well." Revan moved closer to Ozpin. "You've convinced me, Ozpin. I will depart for Vale immediately."

    Ozpin felt a strong weight come off his shoulders when he heard those words. His faith in Revan was strong, and he was proud of his ability to convince him to fight once again. Although he was sad that Revan seemed to feel forced to use his Semblance once again, Ozpin was expecting him to not have the Jedi's complete trust yet. Perhaps once all of this was over, things could change.

    "There will be a price."

    Ozpin's dreams were shattered when he heard an unfamiliar phrase come out of Revan's mouth.

    "I beg your pardon?" Ozpin asked.

    "I will go to Vale and purge it of the Saxons," Revan promised. "But I will need something from you in exchange."

    Ozpin firmly gripped his cane. While he refused to raise his voice once more, his anger could hardly be contained. "Since when did a Jedi Knight expect to be paid for keeping the peace?" he asked.

    Revan let out a dry chuckle. "Odd how you assume you know everything, and yet you know nothing at all," he said. "I do not want your Lien."

    "Then... what do you want?"

    "First, I expect to conduct this crusade alone. Nobody must know of my existence. Not until I allow it."

    "Very well. What else?"

    "Djarin must tell me everything he knows about every Mandalorian clan in existence."

    "Does that include beyond Vale?"

    "It does."

    Ozpin considered the idea, but only saw one objection. "Should you find them, there are two clans that are to be treated as the Children of the Watch. They are not to be harmed."

    "So be it. I will also-"

    "Before you continue, I will only accept one more condition." Ozpin gently tapped his cane on the floor to add emphasis. "Then you will depart for Vale."

    "Then it's fortunate that I have only one more condition," said Revan. "Tell me, what do you know of the current holder of the Maiden powers?"

    "Cinder is a very special child," Ozpin began. "And I don't mean the fact that she-"

    "Not her. The one who took them."

    Ozpin's confusion disappeared immediately. "Oh. You mean Aurora." Revan nodded. "I'm afraid I don't know much about her. Merely that she is a Faunus who serves Salem, and that she was chosen to be her Maiden."

    "It's likely power is her ultimate goal. I would know."

    "I wouldn't be surprised. Do you intend to find her yourself?"

    "No. But I do plan to lure her out."

    "How do you mean?"

    Revan moved his palm to form a small amount of lightning for Ozpin to see. "If she only possesses part of the power, nothing would please her more than to absorb the whole thing. Only then will she reveal herself. No... only then will Salem allow her to reveal herself."

    Ozpin agreed with Revan's logic, and he began to form the basis of a plan. "You wish to make Cinder easier to find?" he assumed.

    "No," Revan said as he closed his fist. "I wish to give Aurora what she wants. I will kill the Fall Maiden."

    "What?!"

    Ozpin almost dropped his cane when he heard the declaration. Revan, however, remained as calm and collected as he was when he begun the conversation with Ozpin. He expected this reaction, as he expected an argument to follow.

    "That is my final condition, Ozpin," Revan began. "Then I will depart for Vale."

    "You can't be serious!" Ozpin shouted. "You can't!"

    "I am. If you wish for Aurora to reveal herself, the Fall Maiden must die."

    "You're wrong! Aurora must be the one to die, not Cinder! She needs the powers, not Aurora!"

    "Aurora will die, whether it be my hand or your own. But if you wish for her to leave Salem's lot of darkness, we must sacrifice the child."

    "You dare speak to me of sacrifice?!" Ozpin sharply pointed at Revan. "Revan, the man who tried to sacrifice his own people for what he believed to be 'the greater good?!'"

    Revan himself began to grow angry once again. "I too do not need to be reminded of my failures, Ozpin," he warned. "The Dark Lord Revan is dead. I am a servant of the light now."

    "Then serve it by making sure that Cinder will not be harmed!"

    While Revan was angry at being reminded of his past, he was confused at the fact that Ozpin wasn't agreeing with him. "This wouldn't be the first time you sacrificed a Maiden," he said. "What makes this one special?"

    "..."

    "You remember. You watched them all transfer their powers. You made sure the next shared their predecessor's responsibilities. So tell me; why is the Mandalorian special? Does she hold a different power? Is she connected to the Force?"

    "..."

    "Or have you lost your resolve?"

    Ozpin pointed at Revan and shouted as he lost his patience. "I have not!" he declared. "And I certainly have not lost my mind, unlike you!"

    "I've lost my mind before. I assure you, it's not been lost again. I found redemption, and I wouldn't trade it for the world."

    "Then surely, you were listening to yourself! If you kill Cinder, how are you any better than the one who took her powers?"

    "I'm doing this to save lives, not for glory! I will mourn for the dead and do what I must." Revan had enough of this argument, so he laid down his terms again. "I will kill the Maiden as well as the Mandalorians and whatever legions of the Dark Side await me. If you will not accept my decision, so be it." Revan placed a hand on one of his sabers. "But you will not stop me."

    "..."

    To say that Ozpin was stuck between a rock and a hard place was the understatement of the century. He knew that he could not change the course of Revan's mind, nor risk losing his one advantage over the Mandalorians. But Ozpin had known and cared about Cinder for a long time, much longer than Revan. He knew how to look past her Mandalorian beliefs and he knew that she was a good person.

    However, he also knew that Revan was right about the previous Maidens.

    Every time one of the Maidens was close to the end of their service, Ozpin would almost always be there to see the transfer through. Despite his heart weighing heavily over each and every one of their deaths, Ozpin did not do anything to stop the process. There were even times when he would have to... accelerate it.

    And yet, there was indeed something special about Cinder. However, it would not be enough to Revan to stop him from making his sacrifice.

    "...Go," Ozpin said as he turned away. "I will not stop you."

    Revan could sense that Ozpin was racked with shame and guilt, but also a lack of resolve to continue this fight. Revan had won, and now he was free to continue his fight against the Mandalorians.

    But first, he had to make sure nobody would interfere.

    "It would be in our best interest not to tell the Mandalorian here," he said. "I will deal with him myself when I am-"

    "I said go!" Ozpin yelled.

    "..."

    Revan knew this wasn't a direct answer, that he could simply use his Semblance and assure himself that Din Djarin would stay in the dark about his plans.

    But a part of him was telling him that this would be akin to beating a dead horse.

    So instead, the Jedi took his leave.

    Fire and ash was spreading as far as the eye could see. Trees and buildings were all ablaze as yet another city outside the capital of Vale had fallen to the Mandalorians. The Huntsmen and Huntresses of the Kingdom did what they could to stop the Saxons, but out of an entire battalion, only two were dead and ten were injured.

    This battalion had travelled a long way across the Kingdom of Vale, conquering city after city in the process. While they had failed to take Vale on the night Beacon fell, not all the settlements outside the capital were prepared. Women, men, and children all faced the wrath of the Saxon Clan as they built up their forces and confidence in what they considered to be the final piece of their conquest: the capital.

    Gar Saxon knew that when the capital city fell, any free and heavily defended city would fall with it. Vale would be his for the taking, and nobody would question his rule as Mand'alor. He knew he would face more citizens, both human and Faunus, as well as adults and children.

    If they needed to die to solidify his rule... it would be a small price to pay. And he was planning to pay it with pleasure.

    But one man refused to let this price be paid.

    True to his word, Revan had arrived in Vale. His first action was to observe the enemy, see what they had done to the once peaceful Kingdom and how they did it. Although he may have given off the impression that all he was capable of feeling was hate and spite, Revan silently mourned each and every victim of the Saxon Clan.

    Despite the overwhelming losses, patience proved to a virtue for Revan this day. This was due to the fact that he was able to see how well these Mandalorians fought, communicated, and dealt with damage to their own ranks. Based on what he had previously seen in Mandalorians, Revan concluded that Mandalorian strategy had changed very little. It was as potent as ever, but simple to break when given the right time and energy.

    When he finally found the next village on the Saxon Clan's list, Revan arrived before them. The first thing he did was stay out of sight so that he could meditate. It was true that his meditation was once used to focus on channeling anger and devotion to the Dark Side of the Force. Not Salem or his other masters, but to the Dark Side.

    This was because those who used the Dark Side are also bound to serve it. To understand this is to understand the underlying philosophy of the Sith. That was how Revan was taught and how he taught others.

    But no more.

    Now, Revan was meditating to become an instrument of peace, just like the Jedi. He refused to forgive the Mandalorians for their atrocities, both now and during the Great War. But Revan knew that he shouldn't be fighting so his enemy would die; he had to be fighting so that peace could return to this Kingdom.

    He would meditate a certain way to to prepare for battle, but that strength laid with someone who was unfortunately not with him anymore. Instead, where he once sought power for power's sake, Revan sought power for the sake of others. That way, he could use it to save lives in the city. And then, he could go forth and spread that peace further. It was the duty of a Jedi to be a peacekeeper, and know Revan was ready to take on that role once again.

    The meditation helped Revan clear his mind of any negativity, albeit temporarily. Anger always returned to a person like him, but Revan promised himself that he would be a force for peace during his time in Vale.

    One other promise he made was resting right next to him.

    Revan reached over and picked up the Mandalorian mask he wore in Vacuo. He had worn it for many years and during many battles. The one who wore it before him gave her life to save the innocent, which served as an inspiration for Revan to continue his fight in the Great War. While he held no loyalty or beliefs in the polices Mistral and Mantle wanted to enforce, Revan knew the world couldn't be safe with Mandalorians. Even the ones who killed their own kind.

    So when he first found the mask, Revan promised not to remove it until the Mandalorians were vanquished. And now, Revan had made that promise once again. Until the Saxons were dead and this war was at an end, Revan swore that the mask would stay with him.

    And now, it would be the last thing the Saxons would ever see.

    [Play "Star Wars: Darth Revan Theme" on YouTube]​

    Revan placed the mask on his face and removed his lightsabers from his hilt. A door behind him opened with the Force, where the sounds of screams and blaster fire could be heard outside. Revan immediately took off running and jumped off the roof he was meditating on.

    When he jumped, Revan landed on a Mandalorian he had sensed just before. And know the Jedi was going to put him to good use.

    "Hey, what the-?"

    *HISS*​

    Revan decaptiated the Mandalorian with a single blow and felt the body become limp. But rather than falling to the ground, the corpse's jetpack was still active and being guided by the Jedi.

    And right now, Revan had guided it to a group of Mandalorians ready to execute an innocent family.

    "Oof!"

    "Gah!"

    "Ugh!"

    Revan did not share the pain he inflicted on the Mandalorians, but he was ready to inflict more. But one look at a little girl with her parents made Revan hesistate for the briefest of moments.

    "Look away," he warned. The parents were too shocked by his sudden arrival to do anything, but Revan didn't warn them again. Instead, he used both his lightsabers to go on the offensive.

    The Mandalorians were no strangers to resistance, but they knew that this was a different kind. Their instincts, however, did not falter as they assumed Revan was merely a Huntsman that needed to be put down.

    But as they fired their blasters, Revan took this opportunity to prove their instincts wrong. He deflected every blaster bolt with ease while also making sure not to hit the family behind him; each blast either hit the ground or the Mandalorians instead.

    And if the blasts didn't kill them, Revan killed them with his lightsabers.

    The Jedi didn't look back at the family he had just saved, for new screams had filled the air. Once again, Revan leapt towards the sight of innocents being killed. When he landed in front of them, Revan began to lay waste to the Saxons.

    Multiple blasts were fired, but the ones that made it past the lightsabers merely left scratches on Revan's body. All the while, the Jedi moved closer and aimed the lightsabers for the body parts that were not protected by Beskar. Whether it was arms, legs, hips, or even necks, Revan made sure his swords would penetrate or remove something.

    Revan had slaughtered almost five waves before one Saxon was able to escape the onslaught by taking flight. The last thing she saw before her escape was her comrades and brothers being consumed in a storm of electricity. The sight disturbed her greatly, but she continued on her path towards the forest bordering the city. And soon enough, she found the second half of the battalion.

    "Commander Saxon!" she said as she landed right in front of the leader. "We need immediate assistance in the city!"

    The leader of the group, a Mandalorian in white armor with red and gray pauldrons, listened carefully to this message. His name was indeed Saxon, but he was not the Mand'alor. This man was Gar Saxon's brother, Tiber Saxon; someone who believed in the cause his clan had taken and was currently skeptical of his comrade's claim. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "Resistance out here should be minimal."

    "We encountered some new Huntsman! He's unstoppable!" The Mandalorian looked at her gauntlet to see the number of forces that she was a part of. "Only... Only a few of us left..."

    The leader of the battalion wasn't entirely convinced, but he could see the number of his forces was dwindling fast. This could not stand.

    "You two, come with me," the commander said as he addressed two other Mandalorians. "We shall see what ails our compatriots." He then took flight away from the woods and made his way towards the city.

    And sure enough, Revan was still fighting the Mandalorians. Some of them had abandoned their blasters and fought either hand-to-hand or with melee weapons. However, the result was still the same; Revan was killing them all and saving hundreds.

    And yet, Revan's next plan was to leap close to the smaller buildings in order to put some distance between himself and the Mandalorians. Despite the fact that he had proven his title, Revan was vastly outnumbered by the Saxon Clan. And given that three more had just emerged from the forest, others were not far away.

    "Thank you!" a voice from behind called out. Revan turned around to see a man dressed in a gray shirt and black pants run up to him. "Please, tell me your name! Who are you?"

    "That doesn't matter now," Revan insisted. "We need to get everyone out of here and half the Mandalorians."

    "What can I do to help?"

    "Are all the citizens evacuated?"

    "I think so." The man pointed towards the woods. "I saw a big flock run that way while the Mandalorians took the south."

    "You would be wise to join them. Right now."

    The man obeyed as Revan lowered his blades. As he made sure the man he spoke to was far from damage, Revan turned to the sight of the new Mandalorian advancement. He could see streets burning, bodies under their feet, and multiple buildings they were either passing or flying by.

    The sight of said buildings was giving Revan an idea. It would require a sacrifice, but the part of the town he was looking in was already lost. Nothing mattered now than purging this once peaceful city of these invaders.

    And so, Revan reached out with the Force for one last attack.

    *RUMBLE*​

    The ground beneath the Mandalorians had started to shake, which made them all stop in their tracks. Since they were unfamiliar with Revan's power, they assumed that an earthquake had begun. Everything around them was shaking, and a few Mandalorians had used their jetpacks to get off the ground.

    *CRACK*​

    Instead of the ground cracking, the tallest buildings around the incoming invaders had started to fall. The multiple support beams and bricks they held them together all began to break and bend to the Force, and the buildings themselves all began to fall.

    The Mandalorians that were still on the ground all began to panic as they began to take flight, but it was too late. If they were not engulfed in a cloud of dust and rubble, they were crushed by the incoming buildings.

    *CRASH*​

    Everything that once rested on the ground, corpse and Mandalorian, was now buried deep by mighty buildings that were once homes and offices. Truly, the town outside the capital of Vale had experienced the horrors of war.

    Not just the town, but Tiber Saxon himself.

    "Sir, what do we do?" one of the commander's guards asked his leader.

    The commander removed his helmet and brushed it free of dust. "Contact my brother," he ordered. "He must know what has happened."

    "And the attack?"

    "...Order the retreat."

    [End music]​

    The battle between Revan the Mandalorians felt like it had lasted for hours, which it did. The Butcher had lost count of how many warriors had been felled, but all around him was silence. Buildings may have been turned to rubble, but there were no more screams or any sounds of fear.

    Peace had finally returned to the outskirts of Vale.

    But it would take much time for a city like this to be repaired. While the Mandalorians failed to kill their new enemy, they succeeded in bringing destruction to a once prosperous city. The people here would need a new place to stay.

    Fortunately, everyone seemed to be warming up to Revan. In fact, a majority of the citizens were gathering around the Jedi and praising his efforts.

    "Whoa, that was incredible!"

    "Thank you so much!"

    "You saved our lives!"

    "I thought we were goners!"

    "How can we repay you?"

    The genuine question was Revan's opportunity to relay instructions to the people. "You must leave this place," he said calmly. "The Mandalorians are gone, but they will return in greater numbers." After he deactivated his lightsabers, Revan pointed to the east. "The capital city of Vale is a day's journey from here, but the patrolling airships should see you earlier."

    "...He's right," an older man said after he took a look at the ruined city. "We can make it only if we stick together. We can come back and fix the town when it's safe."

    "That is for the best," Revan agreed. "Now, go. I will make sure you are not followed."

    Despite some protest, the people began to flow towards the east and leave the city that once served as their home. They were sad, of course, given that they had no idea when or if they would return.

    But they were certainly grateful to be alive. And they made sure Revan would know.

    As the masked warrior watched the innocent citizens of Vale run for safety and heard their thanks and praise, Revan began to feel a sense of pride in himself. Not in an arrogant way, however. But rather, Revan felt that he was starting to get back in touch with his Jedi roots.

    Of course, protecting Luke in Vacuo was a step in the right direction. But this was something else. Something that required a true Jedi, something that acquired a true balance of the Force.

    Truly, this was a job well done.

    "I hope I have made you proud, Bastila."

    *CLICK*

    *CLACK*    ​

    An unfamiliar sound from behind him caught the Jedi's attention. As well as the sound of something fast coming towards him. Yet Revan was able to catch it with ease.

    The Jedi looked to see that he was holding some kind of... tendril. A long, black tendril that held a sharp stone at the end.

    *THWIP*

    *THWIP*

    *THWIP*

    *THWIP*    ​

    Revan quickly heard the same sounds behind him, but the Force stopped them from moving an inch further. He turned around fast to see that he was in the presence of a Grimm unlike any other. It had multiple tentacles instead of just one, and it seemed to be floating in the air.

    And for a head, the creature had a glass dome filled with red smoke.

    "Ah... a Seer," Revan noted. He was familiar with the Grimm when he was a Sith, as well as its capabilities. "It must have been watching the Mandalorians during their conquest. And now it saw everything." Revan increased his use of the Force on the Seer, causing it to let out an inhuman shriek. "Salem cannot know I was here." Revan began to form his hand into a fist, which made the dome begin to crack. Soon enough, the crack moved deeper.

    And deeper.

    And deeper.

    And deeper.

    "No."

    The Jedi moved his palm outward and relaxed his hold on the Force. The creature was somewhat free, but it was rendered too weak to attack or defend itself. And Revan was still holding its tendrils.

    "Maybe I should let you tell Salem after all," Revan decided. He then moved his hand across the orb, which resulted in the Seer making a series of clicking noises. Revan recognized these sounds as a means of communication. Seers worked two ways, and Revan was making sure the person on the other side, who he was sure was Salem, was listening carefully.

    He couldn't see it, but he could feel much anger on the other side of the Seer. Whoever was on the other end was loathing the fact that they were disturbed, as well as that the Mandalorians had experienced their first failure.

    The last thing Revan felt on the other side before killing the Grimm was fear.

    "Hmm..." Revan said to himself as he watched the withering creature disappear. "Not exactly HK-47's methodology, but it won't trouble me anymore."

    It was clear that the Grimm's master knew that Revan was back, but he didn't care. Like the Mandalorians, he had his own reasons for hating Salem as well as the other Sith she had taken under her wing. What he did today would surely get under her skin.

    And now that she knew he was back, Revan knew that Salem would most likely stay at her castle and send others to do her work. Perhaps it would be more Mandalorians, or better yet, the pretender Maiden. Revan didn't care who he had to kill during this time.

    However, there was only one thing that concerned the Jedi when Salem was involved. It was something he had desired for a very long time. And fortunately for him, Salem knew this as well.

    The only question was... would she be willing to give it to him?

    Would Salem unleash the one thing, the only thing, that could possibly stop him?

    Revan admitted that he didn't know the answer to this question. All he could do was bide his time and see when Salem would retaliate against him. In the meantime, he would do what he was born to do; kill every Mandalorian that he laid his eyes on.

    But now, there was only one Mandalorian Revan believed he had to kill.

    Night had fallen on the Kingdom of Vale, and all of the cities that made up the nation. Most of its people were asleep, but others were keeping close watch in this time of war. Nobody was willing to take any chances against Grimm or Mandalorians tonight.

    One individual had decided to do neither.

    After his most recent encounter with the Mandalorians and his older encounter with Djarin and Ozpin, Revan found himself to be on the hunt once again. While he hadn't seen any sign of the Saxons in a matter of hours, Revan was still looking for other Mandalorians.

    Normal methods of tracking Mandalorians weren't in favor with Revan at the moment, given that the ones he was searching for knew how to hide themselves. Fortunately, one factor remained in play: the Force.

    Revan was currently sitting in the woods, the Emerald Forest to be precise. He appeared to be in a meditative state, but appearances were deceiving in this case. Instead of resting his mind, Revan was putting it to work by connecting with the Force around him.

    Nobody could see or feel it, but Revan was sending a sort of signal through the Force, similar to an electronic radar. Each time he sent a wave, it returned with a multitude of information.

    Life.

    Death.

    And death that sprang new life.

    To say that Revan was a master of the living Force was an understatement. Experiencing both spectrums, light and dark, had opened doors that Revan once believed didn't exist. His knowledge was almost unlimited, as well as his abilities. Now both of them were helping him find a particular Mandalorian, one that had a very distinguishing feature.

    It took time, but Revan was able to find this feature amongst the other life in the Force. It was weak, but it was just the thing Revan was searching for. And when he found it, Revan used the Force to travel at unfathomable speed.

    Soon enough, Revan found himself in the outskirts of a small village. Unlike the ones he had returned from, this village was comprised of fully structured buildings and clean streets. Not only that, but the gates were guarded by a human and a Mandalorian.

    "So... this is a place of coexistence," Revan thought to himself. He had heard stories of the settlement known as Nevarro, how humans, Faunus, and Mandalorians lived in peace ever since an Atlesian staged a failed coup on the leader of his Kingdom's army. Now he saw that the rumors were true; children walked the streets with their parents, greeting Mandalorian guards with smiles on their faces. And the Mandalorians who were outside the perimeter were teaching humans and Faunus how to kill Grimm. The sights were almost enough for the Jedi to question his current plans.

    Almost.

    Revan jumped into the trees bordering the town just as silently and quickly. He then travelled through the forest while staying off the road he could see below him. His instincts and the Force led him to another village, one that was much smaller than Nevarro.

    One that proudly displayed the symbol of the Mythosaur.

    "She's here," Revan sensed with ease. He was careful to stay above the ground as he moved past the entrance and its guards. A few more jumps through the branches were required until he found himself above a certain hut. The energy he sensed was much stronger here, despite the weakness he detected.

    Nonetheless, Revan jumped down and became aware of his surroundings. When he was sure that no Mandalorians were close to him, Revan entered the hut and looked inside.

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    Revan had been in Vacuo for a long time, a time in which technology was either scarce or broken. However, he was no stranger to the sound of medical technology. More specifically, life support.

    Before him, resting in a bed, was a teenage girl with hair black as night. A patch of scarring was on her left eye, and there appeared to be something attached to her arm. While he could not recall the girl's name, Revan knew exactly who was before him: the Fall Maiden.

    Revan looked outside the hut one more time to make sure that he was still alone. The area was just as empty as before, so Revan looked back towards Cinder.

    "It is truly unfortunate what happened to you, young one," he said as he took out his lightsaber. A purple light shined on the girl as Revan moved it upwards. "But perhaps you can take comfort in knowing you served Ozpin and Remnant well. And your sacrifice will not have been in vain."

    "..."

    Revan raised the blade higher. "I do not know your name, but I take up your cause. I will not rest until there is justice, until Salem's Maiden has been defeated once and for all." Revan raised the blade high enough for him to plunge down. "So swears-!"

    *SHICK*​

    "..."

    Revan's silence was replaced with a heavy cough. He couldn't see it, but the inside of his mask had just been sprayed in blood from that cough.

    A sharp amount of pain rested near the Jedi's heart. When he turned to look at it, Revan saw the hilt of a knife embedded into his side. And the owner of the knife revealed himself in a familiar voice.

    "Get the hell away from my daughter."

    Din Djarin ripped his knife out of Revan's side and watched as the "Jedi" stumble as he dropped his lightsaber. Djarin could see the pain and surprise Revan was in, but he wasn't satisfied with his attack.

    Which was why he stabbed Revan two more times in his chest.

    On the third time, Revan was able to catch the blade. But Djarin was able to kick Revan out of the hut and retrieve the lightsaber. As he watched the Jedi move across the ground, Djarin pulled out his blaster and fired it in the air.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    The two blasts altered every ear in the camp. Mandalorians and even some of the people of Nevarro, who were carefully hiding, came out of all directions and pointed their weapons at the Jedi.

    "Everyone stay back!" Djarin warned. "He's not finished yet." The crowd obeyed, and as Djarin looked upon the wounded "Jedi," one thought came to his mind.

    The reason he was here in the first place.

    "Thank you, Ozpin."

    Hours ago​

    "He's going to what?!"

    The Mandalorian felt like his head was about to explode when he heard terrible news from Ozpin.

    "Revan intends to kill Cinder," Ozpin sadly repeated. "He wants to sacrifice her to lure Aurora out of Salem's keep."

    Djarin was feeling a multitude of negativity, with the main one being anger. "You should have let me kill him!" he declared. "You should have     never called him in the first place! You should have-!"

    "I know, Djarin! I know!"

    "..."

    "I know I should have expected this, I know I should have done something earlier. That's why I'm risking my alliance with Revan by telling you all of this. I don't care how he tries to put it or how many Mandalorians he kills; I will     not sacrifice Cinder."

    "..."

    Djarin began to see that Ozpin was telling the truth. Recruiting Revan may have been a mistake, but it was apparent that Ozpin was not willing to let this mistake reach devastating potential. And now Djarin was ready to prevent another mistake. Instead of wasting time with anger and recklessness, the Mandalorian decided to spend what little time he had on saving his daughter's life.

    "What can we do?" Djarin asked. "Is there any way to stop him?"

    "There may be, but I must not be directly involved," Ozpin confessed. "If Revan knows I betrayed him, this would mean more than losing an ally. He would not hesitate to kill both of us. Cinder will be alone when she wakes up, and it could be years before my next host becomes ready to fight."

    "So what do we do?"

    "Something... unexpected." Ozpin stood up and moved closer to the Mandalorian. "Djarin, I need you to fight him again."

    "    Me? But I was child's play for him back there."

    "I know, but we can improve that. What you did was reckless, and I'm sure you won't intend to fight him like that again."

    "...I need to fight him on his terms, don't I?"

    "Indeed. Sit down."

    Djarin didn't see a chair behind him, but he did as he was told. He then listened carefully as Ozpin shared his plan.

    "It is possible for a normal person to stand against a Jedi," he explained. "But it is far from easy. Jedi can sense practically anything in their path or in their proximity."

    "So what can I do?" Djarin asked. "How do I stop him?"

    "By gaining the element of surprise."

    "..."

    Ozpin joined Djarin on the ground. "The Jedi have a habit for meditation. They can use it to connect to the Force, prepare for battle, and even see visions of the future. What you need to do is meditate in order to completely clear your mind."

    "But I'm not a Jedi."

    "That doesn't matter. If you can clear your mind, make it a state of absolute nothingness... you may be able to camouflage yourself."

    "Thus giving me the element of surprise."

    "Precisely. You must use this meditation exactly where Cinder is. Hide yourself, and attack at the very moment Revan tries to take Cinder's life." Djarin nodded, but Ozpin wasn't finished. "This will not be easy. Revan may be quick to anger, but he is capable of holding his emotions when the time calls for it."

    Despite the stakes being as high as the death of Cinder, Djarin couldn't help but feel his curiosity about Revan growing by the second. Someone who claimed to be a Jedi and being called a Sith at the same time didn't offer any answers. And his apparent age made it difficult to believe that he fought in the Great War.

    "If I'm going to fight him, I need you to tell me more about him," Djarin declared. "Why did you call him a Sith back there? And how could he have fought in the Great War?"

    Ozpin mentally sighed at the questions. "Djarin, I will tell you more, but now doesn't seem to be the time," he insisted.

    "I was once reminded that I have to know an enemy before I defeat them." Djarin leaned closer. "Tell me more about Revan."

    "..."

    Ozpin sighed out loud this time. "Revan was once a Jedi, that is true. He was trained by many masters, myself included."

    "..."

    "But he was seduced and twisted by Salem and the Dark Side of the Force. The Great War and his hatred of Mandalorians proved to be the elements that contributed to his downfall. He spent many years as a Sith... and even more trying to climb out of the pit he dug himself in. I respected the actions he took to redeem himself, but he still possesses... unfavorable qualities."

    "If that's true, why was he allowed to fight?"

    "He wasn't. When he heard the Jedi planned to stay neutral and hidden in the Great War, he left the Order."

    "And they just welcomed him back?"

    "Not quite. There were some... special circumstances in regards to Revan's return to the Order. Luck, mostly."

    "And... his youth?"

    "A story for another time. Not even     I understand all the details. Please, let us practice. There isn't much time."

    Djarin agreed, but he had one more question. "Wait; one more thing."

    "..."

    "Revan called himself... the Butcher. I'm familiar with the legend, so I have to know; is he what he claims to be?"

    "...I am aware of the Mandalorian legend," Ozpin confessed. "And yes; one of the titles he earned in the war was... Revan the Butcher."

    "..."

    Djarin nodded in understanding and closed his eyes. "Let's practice. I have a promise to keep."

    Present time​

    Ozpin was right; the meditation that Djarin needed for a perfect ambush was far from easy. Every second of every hour he spent practicing was almost never good enough. Firstly, clearing his mind of any kind of intrusion was easier said than done. Whether it was internal or external, something tried to break Djarin's focus.

    Next, keeping a clear mind while trying to attack someone was a near impossible task. Ozpin was able to sense Djarin wherever he was, until they had finally arrived in Vale.

    Enough motivation and enough practice resulted in Djarin getting the upper hand in a surprise attack at least five times before the Razor Crest touched the ground. In short, Djarin was ready to ambush a Jedi.

    As luck would have it, Revan was still fighting the Saxon Clan when Djarin arrived in Nevarro. He was able to warn everyone that trouble was coming while Ozpin returned to the capital. Though the warning reached everyone's ears, plans on evacuating were put on hold due to two things.

    First, the lack of people would make the trap obvious.

    Secondly, Greef Karga wasn't ready to abandon two of his friends in the process. Fortunately, there were enough people loyal to Karga and the remaining Children of the Watch to stay and help. The Armorer, who still retained her leadership over the tribe, agreed to stay as well.

    But she made sure to warn Djarin that a private discussion would follow a successful defense of Nevarro.

    Djarin was willing to make that sacrifice, just as he was willing to lay his life down if it meant protecting Cinder. And given that Revan was slowly getting back up, it was easy to see that the time would be coming very soon.

    Despite being stabbed close to his heart and losing an alarming amount of blood, Revan refused to die. Instead, he focused all of his energy on the Force around him. One of his hands was creating a force field around him to deflect any other attacks while the other was close to the stab wounds.

    What he was doing was an ancient practice of the Jedi, one that required a strong amount of concentration and an even stronger connection to the Force. Fortunately, Revan was able to do both and create a miracle: Force healing.

    All of his wounds were not only disappearing, but they were healing in the process. Any kind of bleeding, internal and external, ceased to continue as Revan's body returned to its previous physical state. All the while, Djarin simply stood and watched. For he was unsure if he could hurt Revan once again, even if he wanted to.

    Also, Ozpin had personally requested Djarin to not kill Revan... unless he absolutely had to.

    "Was that your attempt at an assassination, Mandalorian?!" Revan angrily asked as he ceased using the Force. The act left him with a painful headache, but the Jedi did the best he could to focus on Djarin.

    "No," Djarin replied while remaining as calm as possible. "If I wanted you dead, my blade would have found your heart with ease."

    "..."

    Revan wasn't using his Semblance, but his experience with Mandalorians told him that Djarin was telling the truth; for whenever a Mandalorian had the perfect opportunity to take a life, they did it without hesitation.

    So why didn't Djarin do it? After all, he had plenty of reasons for wanting Revan dead. One of them was resting right behind him.

    "Then why am I still alive?" Revan asked.

    Djarin had to swallow his pride before he answered that question. While he believed he and Cinder would be better off without the self-proclaimed Jedi, the rest of Vale couldn't say the same after what he did today.

    "Because I want to give you a chance," Djarin said, though "want" wasn't the right word in this case. "A chance to leave us in peace, to continue fighting the right fight."

    "..."

    Djarin was never good at negotiation, but he was good at threatening others with their lives.

    "And to give you a warning; a warning that should I or my daughter find ourselves at your blade, you will never raise it again."

    Revan was never one to ignore threats, whether it came from the strongest combatant or the weakest coward. Which was why he needed to make sure that the Mandalorian was serious. So as he approached closer, Revan took note of how Djarin never fired at him or activated the lightsaber he was holding.

    "And do you wish to continue this battle?" he asked calmly.

    This time, Djarin activated the purple blade and pressed his blaster against Revan's chest. "Only if you intend to harm Cinder," he replied. "I don't care how you try to justify your plans; I will kill you if you touch her."

    "..."

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*    ​

    Before Revan could respond, the sounds of multiple guns at the ready reached his ears. As he looked around, Revan took note that both Mandalorians and commoners were ready to fire at him. It seemed that the threat Djarin was making was real.

    But that didn't make it right in the eyes of Revan.

    It wasn't his fault that Djarin and the people around him couldn't see the bigger picture. If the cycle of Maidens did not repeat itself, Revan and Ozpin couldn't make the power find a more suitable host than Aurora. If he were to walk away now, the war would reach a mighty standstill that was unacceptable.

    Then again... this was an awfully large crowd to protect one child. Either they knew Revan was a Jedi, or they truly didn't want Cinder to die.

    After weighing his options carefully, Revan was more than sure that he could carry on with his mission. He could still sacrifice Cinder to lure out Aurora, and he could kill Din Djarin right where he stood. And yet, there was something holding him back. And it wasn't the fact that the people he swore to defend were ready to throw him out.

    "...Very well," Revan agreed. "I will leave."

    "..."

    Djarin had to admit that he was expecting more defiance and another brutal fight. But now, he couldn't help but lower his blaster in confusion.

    "I cannot agree with your decision, Djarin... but I will respect it," Revan said in defeat.

    No.

    Not defeat.

    Surrender.

    The Mandalorian realized that this was a surrender, even though the Jedi before him could undoubtedly be victorious if he stayed the course. It would be foolish to ask, but Djarin had to receive an answer for the question he was about to ask.

    "...Why?"

    Revan looked over Djarin from head to toe before he used the Force to reclaim his blade. "You... are not like the other Mandalorians I have killed," he declared as he turned off the lightsaber. He then looked behind the Mandalorian, specifically at the hut where Cinder was resting. "I have met countless Mandalorians who rarely saw others as allies, who would always find something to fight against. But you... you have something to fight for."

    "..."

    Djarin was sure that these would be the last things he expected to hear from someone like Revan. And he was sure that a peace agreement was the last thing to expect tonight. And yet, Djarin watched Revan slightly bow his head, as a sign of humility; a trait Revan hadn't known in a long, long time.

    "I will leave the Fall Maiden in your care, Djarin. You have earned my respect."

    "..."

    "But heed my warning; should you delay the inevitable, our enemy will grow stronger every day."

    "..."

    With that, Revan didn't wait for an answer or any other arguments. He simply leapt into the forests that bordered the Mandalorian camp, not to be seen again for much time.

    Greef Karga was the first to take action by running over to Djarin. "Should we go after him?" he asked.

    "He's not a threat right now," the Mandalorian assured his friend. "And he's too dangerous for any of us."

    "If you say so." Karga turned back to his people, as well as the Mandalorians. "Show's over, folks! Let's go home!"

    One by one, the mass of people who came to defend their land all went to their respective homes. Djarin and Karga, however, moved into the hut where Cinder was resting.

    And sure enough, she was untouched.

    "Oh, that's music," Karga said in relief, referring to the sound of Cinder's heartbeat through the machines that kept her in a stable state of being.

    "That was close," said Djarin, who had the unnerving feeling that a moment too early or too late would have ruined everything. "Too close."

    Karga turned back to his friend. "I can go after him. Make sure he stays out."

    "He's not worth the time. Right now, I have to get Cinder out of here. I'm not sure I can trust Revan to keep his word."

    Karga was told about the Mandalorian's plans to temporarily live in Vacuo. While he spent some time to make sure his friend would return at the first sign of trouble, Karga respected Djarin's decision to leave. "I'll call the doc, make sure he gets Cinder on your ship without so much as a scratch," he promised.

    "Thank you," Djarin said.

    "My pleasure." Karga turned to leave the hut, but stopped when a hand touched his shoulder.

    "Greef... I wasn't talking about Cinder."

    Karga simply smiled and patted the Mandalorian's back. "I know. What I said still stands. You two are worth going the extra mile."

    "..."

    Karga left the Mandalorian alone with his daughter. This wouldn't be the first time he stayed by her bedside; Djarin spent every chance he could with Cinder, talking to her and sleeping in a chair he would always bring with him.

    But not tonight.

    The mere sight of Cinder resting, which usually made the Mandalorian sad beyond belief, was a miracle that Djarin welcomed with open arms.

    "You are leaving."

    A new voice behind him caused Djarin to turn around. Instead of Karga or any of the villagers that took a stand, the Mandalorian found himself in the presence of the Armorer.

    "Yes," Djarin confirmed. "I'll be taking Cinder with me, naturally. I'm unsure when I will return, but-"

    "You misunderstand, Din Djarin," the Armorer stated. "Karga may welcome you to the town, but there will be no welcome for you in this tribe."

    Though he didn't know the Armorer's intention behind her declaration, each word she said had sent a knife into Djarin's heart.

    "...What?"

    The Armorer continued to speak. "You have forgotteneverything you learned, when you joined our ranks," she said. "Our secrecy is our survival; our survival is our strength."

    "But... But Karga and Nevarro-"

    "Their acceptance of us was not an easy one. Yet it was necessary because of you. I was willing to look past this due to our gains, but that time has past."

    "I-"

    "First, you brought us the Power of Old. In turn, that brought Atlas upon us. When you returned again, you brought false accusations and the Saxons. When you returned again, you brought war to our doorstep."

    While Djarin was shocked by the Armorer's declaration, he quickly became insulted by this claim. "Vizsla divided our ranks," he reminded his leader. "Not me."

    "Yet the division started when you brought your child to us. And when you returned again, you brought the Butcher of the Great War."

    "..."

    "Yes, I know who he is. And what he is. Which is why I cannot allow you to return once again."

    "...It was never my intention to bring harm to the tribe," Djarin said in his defense. "I hoped to-"

    "The tribe?" the Armorer asked. "Time and time again, you have put the needs of others above the needs of the tribe. Whether or not you believe your heart is in the right place, it is with the tribe no longer. Neither is it with the Way of the Mandalore."

    Djarin felt insulted once again. "I have done nothing but fight for the honor of the Way of the Mandalore. It is the one thing, the only thing I know."

    "Yet you did not waver from endangering both Founder and Foundling tonight. Nor did you waver from removing your helmet to your daughter."

    "We are our own clan."

    "Only until one or the other dies. This is the Way."

    "..."

    Djarin wasn't lying when he claimed that the Way of the Mandalore was everything he knew. He even knew that the rule the Armorer said was true; a clan like his would only last until he or Cinder would die. And since Cinder's condition was obvious, one could argue that the existence of the clan of two was fragile.

    And if it wasn't clear that the Armorer believed this now, what she said next solidified her beliefs of the future.

    "Where the tribe is concerned... you are a Mandalorian... no more."
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 45: The Mind
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 45: The Mind​

    "It's true, I was the first one of us to be a Fully-Realized Maiden. It must have taken half of my life to get where you are. You should be proud."

    While she still found herself in the void, Cinder also found herself to be in pleasant company. As she previously promised, Fall took it upon herself to introduce Cinder to all of the past Fall Maidens. Together, they shared their wisdom and experience with the young girl in the hopes that she could return to the real world and become a great Maiden.

    Right now, Cinder was talking to a woman named Mary. Mary was a sheep Faunus with hair as white as snow and a heart as big as Remnant itself.

    "Oh, that," Cinder said as she remembered the first time she felt her powers become what everyone called "Fully-Realized." She was slightly bashful at being called a rather advanced Maiden, since Mary spent many years as a Fall Maiden before she was Fully-Realized. And so, Cinder decided not to rub it in and simply be humble before a far more experienced Maiden. "Thank you, but it was nothing."

    "Nonsense," Mary said with a smile. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to get where you are? I don't mean to pry, but I saw every step you took with Ozpin while you grew up. You're well on your way, Cinder."

    "Thank you," Cinder said again. "Well, what about you? Do you remember how you became Fully-Realized?"

    "Yes, I do." Mary thought back to a certain day in her life. "I like to think I was in my prime, but I also like to think that strength alone wasn't the cause of it."

    "Oh?"

    "It was a day when Vacuo had a horrible sandstorm. By the second, almost a dozen villages packed closely together were being swallowed whole by the ground. I reached into the sand with my powers to keep them standing until the storm was over."

    "But you said there were more than one. It... sounds like it was a strain."

    "It was. I could feel all kinds of pressure in my arms, like every muscle and bone was about to break. But the word to evacuate never reached those villages. So I had to stay, do something while they were all there."

    Cinder thought back to the night she started to become a Fully-Realized Maiden. She too was under a lot of pressure, due to being weakened by Aurora. So she found Mary's experience to be relatable.

    "I was under a lot of strain too," she said. "My powers were being stolen and I needed to act fast."

    "Yes, you mentioned that," Mary remembered. "I still can't believe the nerve of that woman. It's people like her that give the Faunus a bad-!" Mary quickly realized how angry she was getting, and how needless it was. And so, she took a deep breath to calm back down. "I'm sorry, I just... get a little emotional when some Faunus fight hate with more hate. You may not have seen it, but behavior like that simply gives some humans the belief they can treat Faunus however they want."

    "No, I understand," Cinder admitted honestly. "I've seen Faunus who never got the respect they deserve. I can't imagine what that's like." While Cinder herself was discriminated by people who thought themselves above her, her situation was never as bad as what the Faunus had to endure.

    "I hope you don't have to," Mary said calmly.

    As Cinder thought about all the times she had to see the Faunus go through such hardships, a good memory came to her. "But you know, there are still people who fight a different way. I've seen peaceful protests in Vale that got the right kind of attention and responses."

    "I went to a few of those myself when I was alive. I couldn't use my Maiden powers, but I like to think I was fighting the good fight."

    "Trust me, you were. And when I get back, I'd be happy to continue that fight for you."

    Both women smiled and relaxed as the comfort of the Faunus' situation getting better began to seep in. It was indeed a slow path, but results were visible. When Mary realized this, she decided to continue her story.

    "Anyways, I had to dig deep to find the strength to hold on to those villages," she said. "At first, I didn't think I was going to make it."

    "So, what happened?" Cinder asked.

    "There was this... this little girl, staring at me through a window. She was no older than six, but she was just like everyone else who didn't get the chance to evacuate. She wasn't crying, she wasn't screaming, she was just... staring at me. Like she knew what was going to happen." Mary had to rub sweat off her forehead as the memory returned to her. "I was never scared easily, but that face... it terrified me."

    "..."

    Mary looked down at her hands. "Something changed after I saw that face. I felt... different. Not like that I could keep doing it, more like... I had to do it. My powers came back to me tenfold that day. Not that I lost them, but they came to me at a time when I needed them most. The villages felt as light as paper when I got that feeling, and not a single one sunk beneath the sand."

    Cinder had only heard this story once, and she only used the powers of a Fully-Realized Maiden once; but she was starting to understand why this power came to be in the first place.

    "You knew what you had to do as the Fall Maiden," Cinder declared.

    "Exactly," Mary said as she reflected fondly on the day she saved those villages. "Ozpin already told me what I was expected to do, who I was expected to be... but doing what I did that day was different. I had to grow stronger, become wiser. And more importantly, I had to see for myself what I had to do. I think 'Fully-Realized' is one way to put it, but the way I see it... I needed to fully understand who I needed to be. The only way I could do that was by pushing myself past what I thought was my limit."

    "..."

    The more Cinder thought about it, the more sense Mary's story made. A Fall Maiden needed all the necessary experience and strength to truly understand who they needed to be. Many things could be said and explained, but it took something else to fully realize what the power of the Maidens meant.

    Only then could their true potential be unlocked.

    "I couldn't have said it better myself."

    Both Cinder and Mary turned to see Fall approaching them with a soft smile on her face. She had left Cinder in the company of Mary, but she had just heard the ending of the Faunus' story. Fall knew that she would be the perfect woman to explain the concept to Cinder, since she didn't have to fight like the two of them had to. Fortunately, Cinder agreed as she stood up to talk to Fall.

    "You were right about Mary," Cinder said as she turned to the Faunus. "She and I have a lot in-" Cinder saw that she was talking to nobody. She was slightly upset, but this wasn't the first time a previous Maiden disappeared when she reunited with Fall.

    "Oh, don't worry," Fall said as she understood Cinder's disappointment. "She's still with you, Cinder. We all are."

    "I know," Cinder said as she began to walk away. "I'll see them all again, won't I?"

    "Of course. When you leave, you can talk to any one of us." Fall began to smile more. "I actually know someone else who wants to talk to you. Are you ready?"

    While Cinder was grateful for the chance, and that she wanted to learn more about being a Maiden, she couldn't bring herself to have another long conversation.

    "I'm sorry," Cinder said as she moved away from Fall. "I can't."

    Fall immediately became concerned for the young Maiden. Ever since she met her, Fall could tell that Cinder never wanted to stop learning. She wanted to know anything and everything she could about the Maidens, about their powers and their respective histories. She had offered to give Cinder a break after meeting a few Maidens, but Cinder insisted that they press on. Which was why Fall was concerned as to why she wanted to stop all of a sudden.

    "Are you okay?" Fall asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overextend-"

    "No, it's not you," Cinder insisted. "I just... don't understand."

    "Understand what?"

    "...Why do they keep leaving?"

    Fall could tell that there were some aspects of the void that Cinder didn't understand, so she was happy to explain them. "They're not being cruel, Cinder," she explained. "They just... know when they're needed. The void knows it too."

    "So... the void makes them leave?"

    "Sort of. I know it's hard, but we're all still with you. And we'll never leave you."

    Cinder appreciated the sentiment, but she couldn't shake the feeling that each departure had left her. "I know, but... all of this coming and going... it's starting to get kind of lonely."

    "..."

    Fall was saddened when she knew that Cinder had a point. She hadn't seen her father or any of her friends in the longest time, it seemed that loneliness was inevitable. And with everyone coming and going, it seemed that a real connection was complicated to make.

    Despite the fact that she was feeling lonely, Cinder decided to clear her head on her own. "Look, I'm going to do a little exercise," she said as she began to walk away. "I'll find you and the other Maiden when I'm done."

    "Alright, then," Fall said as she watched Cinder leave. When the young girl left her sight, Fall immediately gained a sense of empathy with Cinder. No friends, no family, all with the promise to one day return to the real world must have been taking its toll on her.

    The worst part, however, was that Fall had found someone to help Cinder get back home faster.

    Fall taught Cinder that the Maiden powers were connected to her mind and soul as well as her body. And in order to reclaim the part that was lost and return home, the young girl had to reestablish a connection with all three. Cinder was able to partially connect with her physical body again, but now Fall was ready to teach Cinder how to connect with her mind.

    And based on the sounds of footsteps behind her, Fall knew that Cinder's new teacher was here. And so, after reassuring herself that Cinder would welcome the lesson, she smiled at the new company she found herself in.

    "Perfect timing. She went that way."

    When Cinder realized that she was alone, she set off to do what she said she would. In the early days of her training, Din Djarin introduced Cinder to a multitude of rigorous exercises. They were the same ones he would have to do on a daily basis when he was a Foundling, and he easily discovered how much stronger it had made him. Which was why he decided to help Cinder keep up with Ozpin's training and make her body's strength match the strength of her will.

    And so, Cinder began to perform a series of clapping push-ups. Just as she did before, Cinder then moved on to burpees and sit-ups. The exercises were indeed powerful, but Cinder found herself unchallenged today.

    "It's time for a change," she thought to herself as she moved off her back. Cinder then moved into a push-up position, but moved her arms closer and turned her palms into fists. The current Fall Maiden found herself to be in a plank position, an exercise that would strengthen her spine and abdominal muscles.

    "Gods, I hate this," Cinder cursed as she began to feel the exercise taking its toll. It was true that the plank was one of her least favorite exercises, but she was disciplined enough to include it in her routine. The last time she did a plank, Cinder managed to hold it for five whole minutes; now she was ready to see if she could break this record.

    But she wasn't concerned with breaking the record for its own sake; deep down, Cinder hoped this exercise could build the connection she needed to return home.

    "Nice day for a workout, huh?"

    Cinder moved her head upwards when she heard a voice. She expected it to be Fall, but the voice and the lower half of the woman were both different from the first Fall Maiden.

    "Looks like I'm meeting another Maiden," Cinder realized. It would have been nice to have a longer break from training, but everyone seemed to think that there was no time like the present for her. So Cinder reached out her right hand while maintaining her plank position. "I'm Cinder," she said without looking up more. "It's nice to meet you."

    The woman before her didn't shake her hand, but she still addressed Cinder. "It's nice to see you again, kiddo," she replied.

    Cinder immediately became confused. "Again?"

    "We've met before."

    This time, Cinder moved her head to get a good look at the woman. And then she fell to the ground when shock overcame her body.

    Standing in front of Cinder was a blonde woman with amber eyes, wearing a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt. She looked like a regular woman in her early thirties, but Cinder knew there was much more to this woman than an average person.

    She knew her.

    Five years ago​

    This was it.

    This was     finally it.

    After years of pain, suffering, forced labor, and immediately after a rather uncomfortable flight, a little girl was experiencing freedom for the first time in her life.

    A ten-year-old Cinder had just been given the chance of a lifetime, one that she didn't waste. For reasons currently unknown, a man in rusted armor had released her from the pain of a shock collar she was still wearing. Only now, should someone try to activate it, the collar would vibrate without delivering pain.
    It could be assumed that the armored man merely attempted to let her live and work without pain, but Cinder saw a bigger picture. Nothing could stop her from running out the door of the hotel that served as her home and running far away from the woman who tortured her rather than loved her.
    Rather than take any chances, Cinder ran so far from the hotel that she had made it to what looked like some kind of garage. And by pure coincidence, the man that saved her was also there with an airship and a mechanic.

    Once again, Cinder saw a chance to get as far away from her master as possible. So when his back was turned, Cinder slipped onto the ship and waited for the armored warrior to fly away.

    The ship had landed somewhere in the woods, far away from Atlas and the woman of the hotel. And so, when she was certain that the Mandalorian was gone, Cinder got out of the ship and tasted a new sense of freedom.

    And it was perfect.

    Unfortunately, the taste of freedom was not enough to satisfy Cinder's grumbling stomach. All she had to eat recently were bread-crusts that one of the hotel's customers left as trash. The young girl was in such a rush that she didn't even bother to take anything with her. With that in mind, Cinder knew that she had to find her own food now.

    The search, however, didn't take as long as she expected. After a few minutes of walking through the woods, Cinder found a promising sight: an apple tree.

    At first, Cinder took one apple off the ground and looked it over. But when she saw a worm inside a small hole, Cinder chose to pick another apple off a branch. This one was whole and fresh, and it was a delicious treat for the hungry girl.

    After finishing the scrumptious fruit, Cinder came to believe that the apples at the top of the tree would taste even better. In order to test this theory, Cinder began to climb the tree all on her own. Her pants got stuck on a branch or two, but she simply pulled them free and made her way to the top. It was there that she decided to rest and pick another apple.

    *GROWL*​

    An unfamiliar sound from below caught Cinder's attention, and the sight she looked upon almost made her fall off. Right at the base of the tree was a Beowolf, one of the feared Creatures of Grimm

    Cinder had heard of the Grimm before, but she had never seen one up close. It was enough to make her panic as she kept a firm grip on the tree, but the panic seemed to do nothing but attract the Beowolf. It soon began to claw at the bark as it attempted to climb, but the attempt was to no avail.

    In an act of desperation, Cinder grabbed an apple and threw it at the Grimm. She missed, but the Grimm didn't seem to care. After she repeated the action two more times, Cinder was able to hit the Beowolf's nose. Unfortunately, it only made the Grimm angry.

    Cinder was about to grab another apple, but she instead lost her grip on the tree and slid downwards. She was able to catch herself on a branch, but she had merely succeeded in coming closer to the Grimm. Fear was practically coursing through all of the child's veins, and she knew her last hope was a desperate one.

    "Help!" Cinder screamed at the top of her lungs. "Anyone!     Heeellllpppp!"

    "..."

    The only response to Cinder's cry for help was the sound of claws scratching the tree. Along with that, the branch began to move downwards because of the child's grasp. When Cinder saw how close she was to the Grimm's open jaw, she closed her eyes and held even tighter as tears moved down her face.

    *WHOOSH*

    *BAM*    ​

    Cinder felt like she had been trapped in the tree for hours before a new noise approached her. She couldn't see anything, but the source of the sound seemed to have collided against the tree, where the Grimm was. While she was curious as to what happened, Cinder couldn't bear to look.

    "Hello up there!"

    Cinder finally opened her eyes when she heard a voice. Unlike the Madame at the hotel or the armored man, this voice sounded friendly and somewhat playful. The source of the voice was a woman with blonde hair and amber eyes, who was simply waving and smiling as she walked over to the tree.

    "How's the view up there?" the woman asked while continuing to smile.

    "..."

    Cinder wasn't used to being talked to like this, which was one reason why she was confused. The second was that the Beowolf was nowhere to be seen. So Cinder decided to focus on what she could actually see.

    "Are... Are you talking to     me?" she asked skeptically.

    The woman looked away from Cinder for a few seconds and around the tree before she answered. "I don't see any other kids up in trees, do you?"

    "..."

    Cinder looked around and indeed saw that she was alone.

    "Hey, I'm just kidding!" the woman said. "Yes, I'm talking to you."

    Cinder looked down at the woman and continued to hold the tree as tight as she could. Given her earlier experience with people older than her, the child wasn't ready to come down. "Who are you? What do you want?"

    The woman stopped smiling. "I'm sorry,     what?" she asked in disbelief. "You were the one calling for help, remember?"

    "..."

    Cinder indeed remembered calling for help, but she wasn't expecting someone to come and save her. She was almost expecting the armored man to come back, but it seemed fate had defied her expectations.

    The woman could easily tell that Cinder was confused and unsure about everything, so she decided to show that she meant no harm. "Come on down," she said with a hand gesture. "We'll talk some more."

    Cinder looked around the base of the tree again. "Wh-Where's the wolf?"

    "It's gone, don't worry."

    "..."

    "I promise, I'm not going to hurt you. Come down, I can help you."

    "..."

    Despite the promise and the fact that the woman wasn't lying about the Grimm, Cinder refused to come down from the tree. The woman wasn't offended by the apparent distrust, she simply believed the child was scared to come down. "Okay," she said. "Don't worry, I'll come up."

    Suddenly, the woman's eyes gave off a strange light, almost like fire. The woman then lifted herself off the ground and floated in the air, where she found herself closer to Cinder. She then reached out her arms toward the scared child. "Come with me," she said. "I'll get you down."

    "..."

    Cinder was astonished by the display of power before her. She was familiar with the concept of Auras and Semblances, but the only one she ever saw was her own. However, she was still reluctant to let go of the tree.

    "You're in safe hands," the woman said as she moved her hands closer and smiled. "Trust me."

    "..."

    Cinder wasn't entirely sure if she was ready to trust someone. The last time she did, she found herself as a slave while being uncared for by anyone.

    Then again... she didn't want to be in the tree anymore.

    Slowly but surely, Cinder let go of the tree and reached out towards the woman. And to her surprise, the woman held her close as she moved past the tree.

    "There," she said as she continued to float in the air. "That wasn't so hard."

    Cinder looked down at the ground and desperately wanted to go back there. If she needed to, she could run back into the woods. "Put me down," she said.

    "Good idea," the woman responded. "I don't think I should be using them anyway." With that, the woman moved back to the ground as the fire disappeared from her eyes. "So, where are we going?"

    "...We?"

    "I have to get you back to your parents, don't I?" The woman looked around. "Are they around here?"

    "..."

    Cinder wasn't sure how to respond to that question, so she simply looked down in silence. Unfortunately, the silence left the woman to draw her own conclusions.

    "Oh, no," she said as she looked around again. "Were there more Grimm?"

    "..."

    The woman suddenly gained a new insight as she looked down at Cinder. "Are you... alone out here? You came here all by yourself?"

    "..."

    Cinder continued to stay silent, but hoped a nod would make the questions stop. But the woman was rather resilient with finding the truth.

    "Kid, you can't be out here alone! What were you thinking?! What would your parents say?!"

    The word immediately brought a surge of anger to Cinder. "Stop it!" she screamed as she backed away. "You don't know anything about me, just stop it! Leave me alone!"

    "..."

    The silence and the request started to make Cinder cry. She was free, far away from any kind of harm for now; but that didn't change the fact that she     was alone. And the Grimm taught her that this wasn't a world where one could survive on their own.

    Free or not, Cinder was doomed.

    "I'm sorry."

    Cinder looked up at the woman again when she heard an unfamiliar phrase. "Wh... What?" she asked.

    The woman kneeled down in front of Cinder as she brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset," she said. "I was just confused, that's all." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small handkerchief, one that she handed to Cinder. "You were the last thing I was expecting to see today, you just... surprised me."

    "..."

    Cinder looked at the handkerchief, but wasn't sure what to do with it. And so, the woman moved it closer to Cinder's face and wiped off a tear rolling down her cheek. The child hesitated for a moment, but quickly understood that the cloth was harmless.

    "Why were you in that tree?" the woman asked when she was finished. "Did the Grimm chase you up there?"

    "I..."

    Cinder wasn't sure what to do at this point, since she met someone who defied all of her previous thoughts of people. She didn't want to risk being sent back to the hotel of all places, but she didn't want to be abandoned either.

    "I was hungry," she said.

    The woman looked back at the apple tree and understood a child on their own would surely be hungry after a while. "I see," she said. "Well... what are you doing out here?"

    "...Hiding," Cinder replied.

    "..."

    The child immediately regretted answering the question when she saw the look on the woman's face. A million questions about her future swirled in her head, but she was certain that her freedom was over now, that this woman wouldn't stop until she was back at-

    "I guess I am too."

    Cinder slightly gasped when she heard this. Once again, the woman defied any expectation the child had about people older than her. And she was even more surprised when the woman offered her a hand. "Why don't you come with me?" she asked. "We'll figure out what we can do from there."

    "..."

    Despite the fact that this woman was nothing like she was expecting, Cinder couldn't find it in her heart to trust her acquaintance just yet. She was grateful to be alive, but she wasn't ready to relinquish her freedom just yet.

    The woman wasn't offended by this, however. It was common sense not to speak to strangers after all.

    "Maybe we should try this again," she said as she offered her hand again, but for a handshake this time. "My name's Lila. Lila Birch."

    Present day​

    It didn't take long for Cinder to realize who she was with, which was why she immediately stood up and pointed at the woman. "It's you!" she finally said without breaking her gaze. "The Maiden before me! You're Lila Birch!"

    The woman smiled and laughed at Cinder's surprise. "Yep," she replied calmly. "Good ol' Lila Birch, that's me."

    From the woman's appearance to the almost carefree attitude she had while socializing, Cinder knew that nothing had changed about Lila since the last time they met. Just like before, Cinder's head became filled with a million questions about her immediate future. The first one was hard to ask, since she felt like she was experiencing an overdrive of emotion.

    "I-I-I don't believe it!" Cinder finally said. "I can't believe it's you!" Without warning, Cinder embraced the woman who saved her life with a hug, something that she should have done the first day they met.

    Lila kindly returned the hug to ease whatever tensions could have existed based on what Fall had told her. Her original plan was to give Cinder the perfect amount of space she needed, but she was happy to see that she provided a semblance of comfort for Cinder.

    "I can't believe it either," Lila said as the two women let go of each other. "I mean, look how you've grown!" Lila was impressed by how much bigger and stronger Cinder had become. It was obvious that she wasn't the same girl she had met five years ago. "And a Fully-Realized Maiden no less! That's really impressive, Cinder."

    Cinder stopped smiling when the familiarity and reality of the situation kicked in. "Oh... right," she said as she began to calm down. "Is that why you're here? You wanna hear about that?"

    "No, there's no need for that," Lila replied with a smile. "Fall filled me in before I came to see you. I think you helped enough Maidens gain some knowledge for today. Now it's my turn to help you, just like I did before." Lila stopped smiling. "Well, I mean... tried to help. I'm... I'm sorry about what happened."

    The memories of their first meeting were unforgettable for Cinder. From bringing brought to a mountain camp to being saved from IG-11 by her father, all the details of the incident stuck with her for many years. Not long after she began to train, Cinder wished there were some things she did differently with Lila.

    Which was how Cinder knew exactly what to say next when the rare opportunity presented itself.

    "No, Lila," she began. "I'm sorry." Despite not being in her actual body, Cinder felt rather hot and uncomfortable as she recounted her meeting with Lila in shame and self-loathing. And yet, she continued to speak from her heart to the previous Maiden. "You were just trying to help when we met, you were just doing what you thought was right. But I wasn't being fair to you. I was mean, closing myself off, I didn't give you the chance you-"

    "Cinder, I understand now." Lila put a hand on Cinder's shoulder as she continued to speak. "You escaped one horrible woman just to encounter someone else who wanted to take you with her. How could you not be distrusting?"

    Cinder's eyes widened when Lila recounted the exact thoughts she had on the first day they met. She was certain it had something to do with the void, since she never mentioned who she was hiding from.

    "Yeah... I saw it all when I came here," Lila confirmed. "It's easy to understand why you weren't so trusting."

    Cinder was glad to see that she was being understood, but she still felt the need to make amends. "Now it's easy to understand why you helped me," she said. "You must have been a great Maiden."

    Lila chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far. I'll have to tell you about it sometime."

    "I'd like that." Cinder smiled and extended a hand to Lila. "Friends?"

    Lila smiled back and shook Cinder's hand graciously. "Friends."

    After the duo stopped shaking hands and took a seat on the invisible floor, each of them shared their own story. Lila had seen Cinder's memories when she came to the void, but wanted to hear what she had to say about it all. She was mostly interested in the Mandalorian who adopted her, since he and IG-11 were the last opponents she faced in her life. Cinder wanted to know more about their encounter as well, since Lila hid her in a cave when the sound of gunfire reached their ears.

    "I was in Atlas on a special assignment," Lila explained. "The Winter Maiden had a problem of her own, so I was called in for this one. But when I was using my powers, I didn't use them too carefully. Some Atlesian Knights belonging to some scientist saw me and tried to take me when I was weak."

    "Watts," Cinder remembered. "His name was Watts."

    "Yeah, that's right. I found out later that he had his eye on the Maidens for a while, for you-know-who. And after I finished my mission, he took his chance and had his droids attack me. I was lucky he underestimated how fast my powers came back to me, even when I was at my weakest. I got away, but I guess he had some kinda tracker on me."

    "How did you end up in Vale?"

    "I was on my way to Beacon, but didn't want to attract more attention to myself. I had some friends who took me to the mountains to lay low for a while. One day, I went out hunting, and... Well, I think you know the rest."

    Cinder immediately knew where the story was going. She remembered being brought to the mountain with Lila, despite some protest from her friends. She made sure to keep out of their way to dampen said protest, but things changed when the Mandalorian and IG-11 found them.

    "I'm really sorry about that day," Cinder said. "My dad had no idea about the rest of the story, he thought it was just..." Cinder knew that no matter what she said, nothing could make up for the fact that Lila died much sooner than she was supposed to.

    Lila sensed these feelings within Cinder, so she decided to change the subject. "Never mind that," she ordered. "I'm here to help, just like I said. Fall told me that you're trying to reconnect with your powers."

    "That's right. She said the best way I can do that is to connect my body, mind, and soul together." Cinder tapped her hand to her chest. "I mean, this is supposed to be my soul right now. At least, that's what Fall said." The teenager let out a small sigh. "It's still pretty confusing."

    "I know it is. But maybe I can make this next part less confusing."

    Cinder looked up from her chest. "What do you mean?"

    "Fall did a good job helping you connect to your body. She said it needs a little more work, but I'm gonna do something different." Lila moved closer to Cinder. "I'm going to help you connect to your mind."

    Cinder immediately became surprised at the idea. She knew what Fall had said, how connecting with all three aspects could help her regain her powers and return home, but the very idea of connecting to her mind seemed foreign and impossible.

    But it also sounded incredible.

    "You... You can do that?" Cinder asked in astonishment. "How?"

    "I'll show you," Lila said as she put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "If you're ready."

    The opportunity to reclaim her powers and return home faster was too good for Cinder to pass up. So she eagerly accepted the offer and told Lila that she would do whatever she needed to do.

    "I was hoping you'd say that," Lila said. "Okay, the first thing you have to do is relax and close your eyes." Cinder immediately did so and took a deep breath to relax. With that, Lila closed her own eyes and focused on her hand. "Just one thing; this might feel... funny."

    Before Cinder could ask what that meant, she soon began to feel a slight tingling sensation in her shoulder. A few seconds later, the tingling traveled across her shoulder and towards her neck. It then moved upwards until it reached her forehead. The sensation wasn't harmful, but it was indeed something her body wasn't meant to feel. Cinder grit her teeth and narrowed her already closed eyes as she tried to adjust to the feeling, but it was to no avail.

    Fortunately, Lila told her that it was fine to open her eyes.

    When she did so, Cinder noticed that the strange feeling had fully vanished from her body. She then became aware of her surroundings, which seemed to tell her that she was still in the void. Whiteness continued to entirely surround her.

    But there was one significant change. The ground beneath her seemed... different.

    The young Maiden looked around once again as she stood up, but at the ground this time. As far as she could see, the ground was covered in unique cracks. Parts of the ground were even in the sky. Not only that, but the surfaces were also moving very slowly in various directions. It seemed the ground had broken apart and transformed into unique islands. And Cinder just realized she was standing on another island.

    "What the-?" Cinder asked as she fully observed the differences. "What is this?"

    "This?" a familiar voice asked from behind. Cinder quickly turned around to see Lila Birch once again, staring at the pieces of white ground that were in the sky. "This is it, kid," she said with a smile. "Welcome to your mind."

    "My-?" Cinder looked around her once again while getting over the shock of Lila's declaration. "My mind?" she asked in disbelief. "This is it?"

    "Actually... more like your subconscious mind," Lila replied as she moved towards Cinder. "Lemme guess; you were expecting your mind to be a little more than this?"

    "..."

    Honestly, Cinder was thinking that her mind was going to be more than empty spaces. She was expecting private thoughts and ideas to be manifesting around her, like she had seen in cartoons and movies. Since Cinder wasn't ready to show those private thoughts, she began to feel grateful that this wasn't the case.

    "I mean, yeah, a little," she meekly answered. When the embarrassment died down, Cinder began to absorb the reality around her. "So, this is my subconscious mind, then?"

    "Yep," Lila bluntly answered. "This isn't like the void. Nothing's shared with the other Maidens right now; this is all you, Cinder."

    Cinder remembered what Fall said about being able to see her life and memories, and she was somewhat relieved to have a semblance of privacy again. However, this didn't answer her next question.

    "But how did we get here?" she asked. "I never heard about this being a Maiden power before."

    "It's not," Lila confirmed. "I'm using my Semblance right now."

    "Your Semblance? What does it do?"

    "It wasn't much when I discovered it. I could detect hidden emotions with people I connected with. I could see if they were more vulnerable to attracting Grimm, lying about something, even see who had a crush on who." Cinder couldn't help but chuckle at the last idea. "But as time passed, and as I used my Semblance more, I was able to make it evolve."

    Cinder hummed in understanding. "I heard about Semblances evolving," she said. "I don't think mine's grown too much, though."

    "Give it time, it'll grow. In my case, I was able to do more than make bonds; I was able to make emotions manifest themselves. That way, I could make negativity decoys for the Grimm. Later on, I managed to use others' emotions to cloak them from the Grimm. By the time I graduated, I made a new connection that I hadn't even imagined." Lila spread her arms. "I connected with others mentally."

    "Ooooh." Cinder couldn't help but be impressed with the possibilities Lila's Semblance offered. "So that's how we got here, to my mind."

    "That's right."

    Cinder immediately had a bad thought. "But... you're um... you're dead," she said. "How can you use your Semblance?"

    "Remember when Fall said the void makes manifestations of our souls?"

    "Yeah."

    "And when you learned that Auras are also manifestations of souls?"

    "..."

    Cinder's eyes widened as she began to put the pieces together. "So... what you're saying is..." Cinder looked at her hands before she spoke again. "This is my Aura?" She then looked over to Lila. "Our Auras?"

    "Sort of," Lila replied. "Our souls manifest through Auras in the real world. But here, our souls aren't limited by the body. So we can use our Semblances without worrying about our Auras breaking. I guess you could say we're goddesses in the void."

    Cinder's eyes began to light up with the information she was absorbing. It seemed that there was indeed more than met the eye where the void was concerned.

    "Cool..." she whispered. Suddenly, Cinder shook her head as she told herself to focus on the task at hand. "So what are we doing here? How is this supposed to help?"

    "Fall's been trying to reconnect your mind, body, and soul together," Lila explained. "While you can see your soul and your mind right now, it doesn't mean they're connected."

    Cinder looked at the islands around her. "Is that why everything here looks like a mess?"

    "You got it. That's why we're here; to rebuild connection. And I'm gonna help you."

    Cinder, while grateful for the much-needed assistance, couldn't help but ask one more question.

    "Where do we start?"

    Lila looked towards the floating pieces of ground before her. "There's a theory about Auras and Semblances," she began. "One that I really like. Some people think that one's personality and character can define their Semblance; I also heard it works the other way around. And given what my Semblance can do, it's a valid theory."

    "So you think my Semblance is a result of who I am?" Cinder asked.

    "It's possible. So, here's what I want you to do." Lila moved closer. "We're going to explore the emotions that make up your Semblance. Since it's related to your Aura, we can connect your soul to your mind. Then we'll work our way up to the Maiden powers."

    "Okay. But how's my mind related to this?"

    "It'll be easier if I show you." Lila put a hand on Cinder's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Now, think about the time you first used your Semblance. How were you feeling that day?"

    "..."

    Cinder closed her eyes and thought back onto the day she unlocked her Semblance. It wasn't hard, the memory was a very significant one. However, the circumstances surrounding it were also significant.

    "You missed a spot!"

    "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

    "Say it!"

    "Without you... I am nothing."

    Cinder's memories brought up one certain emotion, which answered Lila's question. "Oh..." she said with a certain degree of sadness and pity. "Were they-?"

    "Yes," Cinder replied as she opened her eyes. "That was them, okay? The people I ran away from."

    Lila easily saw how offended Cinder was, which was the exact opposite of what she had planned for. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

    "Its fine." Cinder was obviously lying, since her time at the Glass Unicorn was the last thing she wanted to think about. "Look, can we just-?"

    *RUMBLE*​

    A soft but evident tremor in the ground caused Cinder to stop talking and look down. Lila followed suit, but the two of them didn't see anything happening beneath them. And so, Lila looked beyond at one of the floating islands to see a smaller one move upwards and closer to it. They were both far away, but they were still there.

    "It worked," she said in disbelief. "I didn't think that anger would do it, but-"

    "What, what happened?" Cinder asked as she looked where Lila was looking. "Wait... was that island there before?" Cinder pointed to the smaller island touching the larger one.

    "No, it wasn't." Lila looked back to Cinder. "That's why we're here, Cinder. See, these islands represent certain things you hold close to yourself. When you channeled your emotions, and with my Semblance, we just created the cornerstones for a bridge."

    "A bridge?" Cinder briefly glanced at Lila in confusion before she looked back to the island. "A bridge to where?"

    "Those things that left an impact on you. The mind holds and remembers all of these things easily. It could be a favorite memory, a favorite toy, or someone very special to you. So when we make a bridge to those things-"

    "I'll be making the connection!" Cinder blurted out. She then pointed to her own chest. "If this is my soul, and everything here is my mind-!"

    "Now you're catching on." Lila patted Cinder's shoulder in approval. "Your mind and soul will be connected. And then a connection to your body won't be as hard."

    "Okay, I get it." Cinder prepared herself to conduct the experiment again. However, she couldn't help but open her eyes when she realized what she had just done. "Wait. If I just used my anger to start building a bridge..." She turned her head towards the large island. "Does that mean... they're at the other end?"

    Lila looked back to the end and nodded slowly. "These islands represent impactful people in your life, Cinder. For better or worse. I'm really sorry, I just didn't think-"

    "No, it's okay," Cinder said. "Really. But... I don't think making a connection with them will help with my powers."

    While Lila didn't want to offend Cinder even further, she didn't necessarily agree with that idea. She believed that a balanced mind, one that connected to both the good and the bad, was a sign of growth and maturity. Nevertheless, she was prepared to accept Cinder's request.

    However, her eyes fell on to something of great significance.

    "You sure you don't want to work on your Semblance?"

    Cinder looked back to Lila. "Yeah, I think so," she said. "Why?"

    "..."

    Rather than answering, Lila pointed to where she was looking. When Cinder followed, she saw another island that was much closer than the one she believed belonged to the Madame and her family. All it needed were three more pieces of land before it could be completed.

    "My Semblance helped with that?" Cinder asked. "What's on the other side?"

    "My best guess is something... or someone... that's really special," said Lila. "Someone you might have used your Semblance with. You wanna try thinking about it again?"

    Cinder looked back at the close island. One idea as to who it represented came to mind, and it was indeed someone she used her Semblance with. It was Din Djarin, and Cinder used her Semblance on his arm to heal him.

    Cinder was expecting to see some kind of remnant of her father in her subconscious mind, but she wasn't expecting him to be so close. Then again, with all the adventures and memories they shared, it made sense. How could he not have played an important part in her life?

    "Well..." Cinder began nervously. "What happens when I build the bridge? What happens when I step on the island?"

    "Ah, that's the best part," Lila said excitedly. "You know how I said my Semblance is about connections? Well, once you step on that island, you'll connect to whoever or whatever the island represents. You can see where they are, what they're doing, and how much they're thinking about you."

    Cinder gasped at the revelation. "You mean... you can help me see where they are? And what they're doing?"

    "Exactly! It was hard to do when I was alive, but it's easy when I don't have any limits." Lila put her hand back on Cinder's shoulder. "So, you wanna think about your Semblance again? It might build that bridge faster."

    "..."

    The logic of Lila's idea was simple, and it seemed to have given Cinder a great opportunity. She had previously stated how lonely the void was, and the young girl knew she would love to see her family and friends again.

    But Cinder believed that it was unlikely that Djarin would say the same.

    "Um... maybe we should try my powers," the Fall Maiden replied.

    "Really?" Lila asked calmly. "...Okay. I'm ready when you are."

    Cinder closed her eyes after taking a deep breath. "I'm ready."

    With that confirmation, closed her eyes again and spoke. "Okay, Maiden powers it is. When you first realized you were using them, how did that make you feel?"

    "..."

    Cinder thought back on the first times that she used her powers. Once again, the memories came back with clarity. She remembered accidentally destroying a part of Pietro Polendina's house as well as Djarin holding a mirror close to her face. In simpler words, Cinder was confused and scared the day she was granted her powers.

    But then, she remembered how she used them to save her father from a wild Rinocer. While she didn't know exactly how she did it at the time, Cinder felt something that she hadn't thought of before that day.

    Pride.

    *RUMBLE*​

    The ground shook again, but with more force than last time. Three more islands rose from the invisible ground and moved to two different islands. Two of the three moved to one island to form a longer bridge than before while the third moved to the same island as before.

    "I see," Lila said as she looked around. "I guess those are valid feelings for what happened."

    Cinder, while proud of herself once again for starting two different bridges, found herself feeling one more emotion. She hadn't felt it before, but it was easier now that Lila Birch was here with her.

    Cinder felt guilty for what happened the day she got them.

    "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Lila said as she let go of Cinder. "Why are you feeling guilty?"

    After Cinder realized that Lila's ability to sense her guilt was obvious, she decided to take another break from connecting her mind and soul to answer the question.

    "You're here because of me," the young girl replied. "I knew that my... that Djarin was in Vale, but I didn't say anything. If I hadn't been there, at the mountain, you might have lived. I wouldn't have held you back." Cinder looked down in shame. "Maybe you would've helped at Beacon better than I did."

    "..."

    It would've been a lie if Lila said she didn't mind being in the void, or that Cinder was now the Fall Maiden. Her death was untimely and she too experienced the panic of being in the void like every Maiden before her. There was even a time when she wondered what could have happened if she had survived and beaten the Mandalorian and the droid.

    However, these thoughts were put aside when Lila visited a memory of her own. One that she was ready to share with Cinder.

    "It's okay, kiddo," she said. "You probably won't believe me, but I know how you feel."

    Cinder looked up from the ground and dried one of her eyes. While this was a typical thing for a person to say, Cinder was expecting an agreement or a reminder that there was nothing she could do about it now. However, Lila's reply was so unexpected that Cinder almost believed her.

    "...You do?" she asked.

    "Sure, I do," Lila replied. "When I became the Fall Maiden, I had trouble sleeping for weeks. You see, the previous Maiden and I were really close. She was actually my mentor." Lila began to smile. "One of the best Huntresses I've ever met. So, when she and Ozpin told me about the real fight at hand, I was honored when she asked me to be her replacement. I said 'yes,' mainly because I thought we'd have more time together before she died." Lila stopped smiling. "I was wrong. She died right by my side."

    "...Oh," Cinder whispered. "Lila, I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't know."

    Lila slowly nodded before she spoke again. "When the powers came to me, I wasn't sure what to do. I wasn't sure I could ever be the Maiden she was. I couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened if she lived or if I managed to protect her. But in the end... I just had to accept the fact that she was gone. That I was the Maiden now." Lila made eye contact with the girl in front of her to emphasize her next point. "Cinder, like it or not, there's nothing you can do for me now. All you can do is what you promised earlier; be the best Maiden you can possibly be."

    "..."

    Cinder remembered her promise, but hearing it come from the Maiden before her gave her a new sense of confidence and inspiration. She was saddened to hear that there was nothing she could do to help Lila now, but the sadness was replaced by hope when she knew that Lila now believed in her.

    Maybe it was time for Cinder to start believing in herself from now on.

    "But... I wasn't chosen," Cinder replied, feeling one last twinge of doubt. "You didn't choose me to be the next Maiden."

    "...No," Lila confirmed. "No, you weren't chosen like I was. When I remembered you were in the cave right before I died, the power came to you." Despite this being the truth, Lila refused to let it hold Cinder back. "But think about all you did, Cinder. You've saved dozens of lives, mastered every element known to our powers, and you're going to be a Fully-Realized Maiden. Besides..." Lila put her hand on Cinder's shoulder again. "You're not the first person to gain the Maiden powers through chance or coincidence."

    Cinder welcomed the surprise with a pair of widened eyes. "I... I'm not?"

    "No. And those who did left their own impact on the world, like you did."

    Cinder swallowed the truth without a single problem. At first, she began to think that maybe she shouldn't doubt herself any more. But now, that idea was completely tossed out the window.

    Now it was definitely time to stop doubting herself.

    With that, Cinder closed her eyes and concentrated on Lila's hand on her shoulder. "Ready when you are," she said.

    "That's the spirit," Lila thought proudly to herself. She then closed her own eyes and began to use her Semblance again. "Think of a time when you used your powers the way you think they should have. How did that make you feel?"

    "..."

    Cinder looked back on the time she used her Maiden powers. An argument could be made that she used them wisely when she began to train with Ozpin, but there were times before they met when Cinder used them to help and defend people. Whether it was her father, her friends, or complete strangers, Cinder had used the power of the Fall Maiden to help those who needed it most.

    In those times, Cinder felt pride once again. However, she also felt brave and confident, like she could do anything she put her mind to.

    *RUMBLE*​

    Cinder opened her eyes once again to see various pieces of rock move towards different islands. Some had more than others, but the bridges that Cinder was going to use to connect her mind and soul together were growing by the second.

    "That's good," Lila said as she watched the bridges grow.

    "Let's keep going!" Cinder said with enthusiasm. "I don't need to stop now!"

    "Okay, let me think." Lila pondered on points in Cinder's life where both the Maiden powers and strong emotions were present. Fortunately, she was able to find a good idea. "Think about the people in your life who know about your powers and what you can do with them. What's the one feeling you have with them?"

    "..."

    Cinder mentally named all the people who knew she was the Fall Maiden. They were few in number, but strong in sprit and their dedication. And that's exactly how Cinder felt with them: strong.

    *RUMBLE*​

    The strength Cinder felt for her comrades was even strong enough to lift a multitude of stepping stones. They went in various directions once again, and some of them did exactly what Lila wanted; they formed a bridge.

    "Oh-ho, look at that!"

    Cinder opened her eyes to see the same thing that Lila was looking at. There were three bridges that connected to three different islands, including the one that she believed connected to Djarin. But rather than crossing that bridge, Cinder decided to travel up to one of the other islands.

    "Let's save the best for last," Cinder said as a temporary excuse. She then began to climb multiple stones with Lila by her side towards one island in the sky. The stones were simple to cross, as if an invisible force beneath it made it act as solid ground. When they got to the large island, it appeared to be similar to the first piece of land the duo found themselves on.

    Until a green orb with a yellow light emerged from the ground.

    "Whoa!" Cinder said in surprise as she slightly flinched back. "Where did that come from?"

    "Ah, that's the best part," Lila explained as she moved closer. "This is what we're looking for, kiddo."

    "What is it?"

    "A manifestation of the emotions you used to make the bridge, as well as your connection to the person this island represents."

    "Who is it?"

    Lila gestured to the orb. "Let's find out. All you have to do is touch it."

    "..."

    "Go on, it won't bite."

    Cinder approached the glowing orb and reached out towards it. When she touched it, the orb remained right where it was. Rather than moving or falling back into the ground, the orb began to pulse as a voice sounded all around Cinder.

    "You told me you believed you could do more as the Fall Maiden. And I now see you were right."

    Although the voice disappeared, Cinder easily matched it with its owner. "It's Ozpin!" she said with glee. Suddenly, the orb began to show an image of Ozpin himself, similar to how Salem used a Grimm of her own to meet Cinder. At the moment, Cinder could see that Ozpin was sitting at a desk while looking over some kind of documents. He appeared to be overworked and tired, but he was still alive.

    Which made Cinder very happy.

    Lila smiled at the sound of the voice and the emotions that matched how Cinder viewed the Headmaster of Beacon. "You hold him in really high standard," she said.

    "Yeah, Ozpin's great," Cinder agreed with a smile. "He's wise, kind... he taught me everything I know about my powers. I don't know where I'd be if he didn't teach me."

    "Same here." Lila looked down the bridge. The cracks that made up each small stone disappeared as the bridge became whole. Cinder's connection with Ozpin was whole once again. Lila smiled in pride as she gestured for Cinder to join her. "Come on, let's see who's on the other bridge."

    Cinder obeyed and noticed how the bridge was in one whole piece rather than multiple stones. Taking this as a sign of progress, Cinder walked at a faster pace towards the center island. Once again, she decided to wait to build her connection to her father and see who was on the next bridge.

    Once again, the path to the island was long. But when Cinder saw another orb, a red one this time, she touched it without hesitation and heard another voice.

    "You haven't seen it, but I think I've done a good job at putting Salem's plans at a halt. Oz knows that's the best way we can hurt her. And you better believe you hurt her in those tunnels."

    Cinder recognized the new voice and welcomed it gladly. "It's Qrow!" she said as she looked at the orb. Once again, Lila's Semblance allowed her to see an image in the orb. This time, it was Qrow enjoying a drink after killing a pack of Ursai. "That's Qrow Branwen!"

    "Oh, yeah," Lila said as she recalled the voice. "I met him once or twice. But it looks like you know him better than I did."

    "Yeah, I saw him almost every day. He and Dad are friends, but he likes to hang out with me too. And he taught me how to be brave when I thought I couldn't be." Cinder thought back on the day when she wasn't sure if she could tell Djarin about her desire to find her birth-parents, and how Qrow gave her the courage she needed to do so.

    Once again, the bridge that Cinder made became a solid piece rather than floating pieces of debris. It was starting to become clear that Cinder's subconscious mind was slowly coming to order compared to the silent chaos she observed earlier. And now it was time to see who else Cinder was connected to in her mind.

    "Let's try something a little more basic," Lila said as she joined Cinder at the center island. "You've done a lot with your Semblance and the Maiden powers. How about we see what you're capable of."

    "Um... what do you mean?" Cinder asked as she failed to understand Lila's plan.

    "You've done a lot in your life without both of those things. You've been with friends and lots of people who had to be kept in the dark. We should see how they've impacted your life and vice-versa."

    "Oh, so what I did by myself? Without my powers?"

    "Exactly. Wanna give it a shot?"

    "Sure." Cinder moved closer and closed her eyes as she felt Lila put a hand on her shoulder.

    "Okay, let's see..."

    Lila thought on everything she did without her powers when she was alive and tried to connect those experiences with Cinder. When she thought of the friends she made herself, Lila soon had an idea.

    "How would you say you try to act with your friends?" she asked. "What do you think they admire you for?"

    "..."

    Cinder easily found herself puzzled by the question. Not that she had trouble understanding it, but rather that it was a very good question. The circumstances of her life had forced her to discover what it meant to be a friend to others, and how to do so without her powers.

    The people she considered to be her closest friends were Djarin, Winter, and Korkie. She had been through so much with them since she met them, and she thought about how she impacted their lives.

    The best answer, one that Cinder wasn't trying to brag about, was that Cinder made sure to be there for them when they needed it. She was with Djarin with almost every battle he needed to fight, she was with Winter whenever her cruel father loomed over her, and she was with Korkie whenever he needed her.

    And so, Cinder liked to think of herself as a loyal friend. She believed her loyalty was something her friends respected about her.

    And according to the new pieces of land, Cinder was right.

    "Good," Lila said proudly. "That's a good feeling. Okay, let's try something else; do you think you can tell me what your friends mean to you?"

    "..."

    "I'm sure they're all different, but can you think of the strongest feeling you have for them?"

    "..."

    Once again, Cinder believed the question to be a good one. There was once a time where Cinder had no friends at all, where she only had herself to depend on. And yet, she welcomed the friends she made with open arms when she had the chance. Each of them presented Cinder with new aspects of enjoying life, from Djarin teaching her about the Mandalorians to Winter simply enjoying her company.

    All of this and more was how Cinder was able to resonate one emotion with all of the friends she made.

    Love.

    *RUMBLE*​

    Cinder and Lila opened their eyes and looked to see that more and more pieces of land had risen from the invisible ground and connected to the larger islands. Not only that, but they also connected to the island Cinder and Lila were standing on.

    "That did it," Lila said in satisfaction. "So, where do you wanna go first?"

    Cinder examined each of the islands. One was closer than the others, and she had a good idea as to who it represented. "Let's go to that one," she said as she pointed to the island.

    Rather than waiting for acknowledgment, Cinder made her way to the island as fast as she could. There, she saw a blue orb in the center. Hesitation was nowhere to be seen as Cinder eagerly pressed the orb.

    "I don't know what's gotten into you, Cinder. But when things are under control, I'm making sure you stop talking nonsense and get your head out of your behind."

    Cinder couldn't help but laugh at the memory. Winter was always a no-nonsense type of person, but this was one of the times Cinder took inspiration from this quality.

    "Who's that?" Lila asked as she caught up to Cinder.

    "Her name's Winter," the Maiden replied without looking up from the orb. "She's my best friend. Well, besides my dad. She's from Atlas, and-Wait, what's that?"

    Once again, the orb moved to show an image of the person that Cinder shared a valuable bond with. However, there was something different about Winter that Cinder couldn't ignore.

    Where one of the girl's eyes should have been, there was an eyepatch instead.

    "Oh, my Gods," Cinder whispered in shock.

    With the first two islands, Lila let Cinder look at the people alone, since the bonds she formed with them were hers and hers alone. But the surprise Cinder was expressing was making her nervous enough to see what was going on.

    "Is something wrong?" Lila asked as she moved to the image.

    "There!" Cinder said as she pointed at the orb. "Winter never wore an eyepatch before! Something must have happened to her!"

    "Oh, you're right."

    Despite the fact that Winter appeared to be unharmed otherwise, and she was currently practicing her Semblance with her swords, Cinder became extremely worried about the well-being of her other friends. And so, she quickly ran over to another island, one that had another green orb in the center.

    "Thank you, Cinder! You're the best friend anyone could ever have!"

    "...Penny?" Cinder asked out loud. "That's... weird." As she began to calm down, Cinder turned to see that Lila had joined her once again. "Um, Lila? Does your Semblance work with people in my life who died?"

    "Who died?" Lila repeated. "No, I'm sorry. I can only use it for people who are alive. Why do you ask?"

    Cinder looked back to the orb. "This one's about a girl named Penny. I didn't know her for too long, but she was someone I could open up to."

    Lila remembered seeing Penny in Cinder's memories, but she also remembered something else. "I'm sorry, but isn't she the one who-?"

    Cinder nodded. "She was murdered by the Mandalorians. So why would my mind be able to-?" Cinder stopped talking when an image in the orb formed. And sure enough, there was Penny Polendina.

    And she was with her father.

    "That's it, sweetheart," said Pietro Polendina. "Take it slow. Nice and easy."

    Penny began to walk towards the aging scientist, one step at a time. When she made it to the other room, her familiar smile seemed to brighten the entire room. "I do not want to speak too soon... but it seems I am as good as new, Dad!" she said with glee.

    "That's my girl!"

    Now it was Cinder's turn to smile, since she understand what was going on. "Oh, my Gods," she said. "He rebuilt her. He actually brought her back!" Cinder moved away from the orb and began to laugh. "This... This is the best news I've heard in forever!" Lila decided to stay silent and let Cinder enjoy this moment.

    The moment ended surprisingly fast, as Cinder decided that she had been granted enough courage to do something she had been putting off for far too long. Lila seemed to recognize this as well, and decided that the other islands could wait.

    "You got this, kid," she said as she led Cinder back to the mainland. The teenager simply nodded after she took a deep breath.

    As Cinder walked across the bridge she made to her father, her nerves and excitement grew with each step she took. She loved the idea of seeing if he was safe and sound, but she was still unsure about the status he held her in. Perhaps Djarin would still consider Cinder his daughter, just like Fall believed. Or Djarin could understandably hold a grudge like Cinder believed.

    Nevertheless, there was only one way to find out.

    Cinder stepped onto the large island and moved towards the center. And just like before, there was another glowing orb in the center. Unlike the ones she saw for everyone else, this orb was gold. It was shining even brighter than the other orbs.

    "I told you your bond was strong," Lila said proudly as she joined Cinder. "Go ahead."

    "Okay," Cinder said with a deep breath. "Here I go." With that, she moved her hand forward to touch the orb. When it disappeared, she once again heard voices. Now she was hearing the voice of her father.

    But what she heard only confused her.

    "I have done nothing but fight for the honor of the Way of the Mandalore. It is the one thing, the only thing I know."

    "Huh?" Cinder asked out loud. "I don't remember him saying that."

    Just like before, the orb began to show an image of who the island represented. Din Djarin was indeed talking, but he was also with someone else; it was the Armorer, the leader of the Children of the Watch.

    "Yet you did not waver from endangering both Founder and Foundling tonight," the Armorer boldly declared. "Nor did you waver from removing your helmet to your daughter."

    "We are our own clan," Djarin argued.

    The Armorer appeared to be unaffected by the argument. "Only until one or the other dies. This is the Way."

    "..."

    As she watched the Mandalorians talk, Cinder became more and more confused about the nature of this argument. What started it? And did Djarin really endanger the people around him?

    Silence soon fell on the area. Cinder had known her father for a long time, including how he could express emotions despite hiding his face. Right now, Djarin's body language displayed a sort of surrendering, akin to being beaten and left without many options.

    But more importantly, Cinder was seeing her father feel hopeless and alone.

    And that was making her very, very angry.

    "Where the tribe is concerned... you are a Mandalorian... no more."

    "..."

    Din Djarin felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest.

    Shame, devastation, and uncertainty swelled in its place as the Armorer's claim repeated itself in his head. While it was true that he had been away from the tribe for a long time, it was the first home and family he ever knew since he was an orphan.

    Now, it had all been taken from him.

    It was never Djarin's intention to hurt the tribe by accepting Cinder, but the Armorer's words were true. Maybe it would be best to leave the tribe alone and focus on Salem.

    But to be a Mandalorian no longer? To be some pretender wearing armor that didn't belong to him? To be some... apostate?

    Djarin didn't know if he could do anything or say anything to argue otherwise. The last time he argued with the Armorer, the truth was on her side. And her mind was very hard to change. How could Djarin continue to live like this?

    Of course, the truth seemed evident.

    For better or worse... this is the Way.

    *BAM*​

    Djarin turned at the sound of something moving behind him, but it appeared that he had looked too late. The small hut he was standing in had not appeared to have changed; nothing had fallen over, nothing had been dropped, and Cinder was still asleep.

    But she wasn't resting like before.

    When the Jedi Knight Revan came into the hut, the only thing that was visible beneath a blanket over Cinder was her head. Now, Cinder's right hand was hanging over the side of the bed. And the blanket had apparently been shifted by the young girl beneath it.

    "What?" Djarin asked out loud as he rushed over to the bed. The Armorer's words felt equivalent to prattle when Djarjn realized that the only person that could have caused this was Cinder.

    She had moved. All by herself.

    "She moved," the Mandalorian realized in a mixture of hope and uncertainty. Since his back was turned, he needed some kind of confirmation as to how she moved. So despite the new relationship the Armorer had established between them, Djarin turned to the clan's leader. "Did you see her move? What did she do?"

    "..."

    "Tell me, what did she do?!" Djarin implored.

    "..."

    The Armorer remained silent, but she began to back away. Djarin's eyebrows moved upwards in surprise since he had seen this kind of movement before. The Armorer wasn't moving naturally, she wasn't moving like a person who wanted to go somewhere else or had something to do.

    The short, rapid movement of feet while hitting the wall behind her told the Mandalorian that the Armorer was also surprised. Not just surprised, but afraid. Cinder had done something to scare the Armorer.

    But what was it?

    "Cinder?" Djarin asked as he looked back to his daughter. "Cinder, can you hear me?"

    "..."

    Before he could ask again, a new but familiar voice reached the Mandalorian's ears. Greef Karga had returned with Nevarro's best doctor.

    "Here we are," Karga said as he moved past the Armorer. "So, how do you wanna do this, Mando? Try to move the whole bed or-?"

    "She moved," Djarin quickly replied.

    "Huh?"

    "Cinder moved, Greef!"

    The doctor quickly rushed over to Cinder and examined both the machine she was connected to and the bed. "What do you mean she moved?" he asked calmly. "What happened?"

    "I... didn't see it," Djarin admitted. "I was talking to the Armorer, my back was turned. But she moved! I heard it!"

    Greef began to turn to the Armorer. "You saw it? What ha-?" Greef realized that he was talking to nobody when he turned his head. He looked around his entire surroundings before he saw her back at her armory, which was about twenty feet from Cinder's hut. "How did she-? Jeez, she can really run when she needs to."

    The doctor finally stopped looking at Cinder and looked back to Djarin. "Her vitals are still normal," he said. "I'm sorry, Mr. Djarin. But I don't think this means too much."

    "But she moved by herself!" Djarin insisted.

    "Brief spasms and spontaneous movements aren't uncommon for comatose patients. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but this isn't a good or bad sign. Unfortunately... Cinder is still in her coma. I'm sorry."

    "..."

    Djarin's hope began to fleet as fast as the blink of an eye. Despite the apparent movement, the clan of two wasn't out of the woods yet. Perhaps it would be best to forget the whole thing for now.

    "Let's just get her to the Razor Crest," Djarin said as he moved downwards. He saw four wheels on the bottom of the bed and he moved a switch by each one of them. "Greef, can you steer while I push?"

    "Sure, no problem," Karga replied as he took the other end of the bed. The doctor moved out of the way and began to push the medical equipment as the friends pushed the bed. "Don't look so glum, Mando. Maybe she's getting used to not moving her body for a month."

    "...Maybe."

    Karga looked back towards the camp, specifically to the armory. "I could ask the Armorer what she saw before we go. What did you say you two were talking about?"

    Djarin looked back to the armory and each Mandalorian he saw as he walked. To think that this would be the last time he could do so freely made his heart weigh even heavier in his chest. Nevertheless, he was able to hide these emotions well.

    "Nothing important."

    "Whoa-ho! Easy there, killer!"

    Cinder and Lila were currently kneeling on the ground of the island. There was nobody else with them, there was no sign of a strong wind; but something had knocked them over.

    It was an invisible force, like an earthquake had just occurred beneath their feet. Neither of the women were hurt, but Cinder was feeling different. When she learned what was happening to her father, how he was reportedly no longer a Mandalorian, Cinder felt a multitude of emotions. The emotions seemed to have served as a sort of rejuvenating force, one that made her feel a surge of strength that she hadn't felt in a long time.

    And judging by the moving image of her father claiming that she moved on her own, Cinder began to understand that there was more to the surge than she believed.

    When the shock died down, Lila quickly moved to Cinder to help her stand. "Did... I do that?" she asked as she came off the ground.

    "Uh-huh," Lila said as she let go of Cinder's hand. Despite her feelings of the Mandalorian's involvement in her death, Lila couldn't deny the truth. "Your dad's a really special guy, huh?"

    "What do you mean?" Cinder asked.

    "I've seen reactions like this before. Usually when the body comes under stress or some kind of outside force. Especially when a bond like this is strong."

    Cinder's eyes widened as Lila made her point. "Wait, did you say... my body?"

    Lila sensed the hope in Cinder's voice and was happy to confirm it. "That I did. You just went the extra mile, Cinder."

    Cinder's smile began to grow wider and wider. "You mean... I reconnected with my body?"

    Lila looked around the islands for any more activity, but nothing was to be found. "Looks like it was temporary, but yes."

    As Cinder understood that her connection to her mind, body, and soul was getting better, a wide smile spread across her face. Her time in the void had taught her much, mainly how to never give up when all seemed lost. She also gained much wisdom from the past Maidens, which provided comfort she desperately needed. But now, Cinder's heart was filled with something she had almost forgotten.

    Hope.

    Cinder's activities today sparked hope within her, hope that she could return home, continue fighting, and possibly being one of the best Maidens Remnant had ever known. Cinder had made promises like these in the void before, but now she had every confidence that she could make these promises a reality.

    But first, she had to make this connection permanent.

    "Let's do it again!" Cinder enthusiastically requested. "What do we do?! Where do we start?!"

    Lila looked around Cinder again. "Doesn't look like we can do much more around here," she said. "Everything's looking better than it did before."

    "But we can't stop now! I'm so close!"

    "I know, and I'm proud of what we did. But as far as I'm involved, I've done all I can."

    While she was beginning to understand that her quest in her own mind was complete, Cinder's spirits began to fade as a bad thought came into being.

    "Is it... because I was mad?" she asked. "That I didn't control myself?"

    "What the-?" Lila thought in astonishment. "No, of course not! You did good, we did good!" Lila soon realized why Cinder was upset; she was getting the idea that only negativity could restore her body. "Cinder, I get why you were mad. You recognized a threat to someone you hold dear, and you reacted. I mean, you weren't going to hurt... whoever was talking to your dad, were you?"

    "No," Cinder replied. "I was just going to tell her off, that's all. I did it before, and I wanted to do it again. I mean, this was kinda impulsive, but my dad needed help."

    "And you'll give it to him. But right now, we gotta focus on yourself. Know what I mean?"

    "...Yeah. Got it."

    While she was still happy at the progress she made, Cinder wished she could help her father here and now rather than in the future. Lila recognized this, so she offered a hand to Cinder with a smile. "Come on," she said politely. "Let's tell Fall how close we are to getting you home."

    "Okay, just a little more to the left... There! That's perfect!"

    Djarin and Karga moved away from Cinder's medical bed and looked at the position she was in. Her bed was against the wall of a slightly larger room than before, one that had a window that would give the sleeping girl fresh air and sunlight. The owner of this room was a woman with green eyes and brunette hair that was slightly beginning to gray. She owned many rooms like the one Cinder was residing, since it was part of an inn she ran by herself.

    Her name was Emily, but everyone always called her "Auntie Em." And she was a friend of the Mandalorian, one that Cinder knew herself.

    "You were right," Djarin said as he looked at the room. "This is perfect for Cinder." He then looked at his old friend. "I'll have the rent for our rooms at the end of each week."

    "Oh, don't pay for both rooms, Mando," Auntie Em insisted. "Your room will be enough. This one's on me."

    "Are you sure? You might need the money. And I might be drawing unnecessary atten-"

    "That's nothing I haven't handled before Mando. Besides, this place has seen worse than what's going on right now."

    "...Thank you."

    "My pleasure."

    "..."

    Auntie Em quickly noticed that Djarin wanted to be alone for a little while, so she excused herself and left the room. Karga, however, stayed behind for a minute longer.

    "You sure you wanna stay in Vacuo?" he asked. "I'm sure this is the best place to lay low, but I never heard the safest things about this place."

    "Neither have I," said the Mandalorian. "That's what makes it perfect. Besides, Ozpin said he needs my help with the surplus of students coming this way."

    "Ah, point taken." Greef felt a soft vibration in his pocket and took out a Scroll he was carrying. "Good news; the doc said he'll have someone from the city check on Cinder when they can. But he needs to get back to Vale. I think I do too."

    "..."

    Greef took another look at Cinder before he changed his mind. "I can try to stall if you-"

    "Go where you're needed, Greef," Djarin said politely. "We'll be fine."

    "You got it." Karga made his way to the door. "Take care, Mando."

    "You too."

    Djarin soon found himself to be alone with not just a comatose Cinder, but his thoughts as well. The Armorer's words still haunted him, as did the "Jedi" who came close to making sure that Cinder would never wake up. But he could deal with Revan another day; right now, Djarin needed to think what he could do now.

    The Armorer wasn't lying when she said that Djarin and Cinder's presence in the camp had risked their safety more than once. But there were times when they didn't bring war to the tribe. Perhaps it was the war that Vizsla and Saxon started that had the Armorer on edge.

    But Djarin still believed banishment was an overzealous punishment. After all, had he not fought to defend the tribe whenever conflict arose in Nevarro? What would Cinder say about this?

    "..."

    Or rather... what did Cinder try to say about this?

    The Mandalorian looked back to his daughter, who was still comatose. And yet, something happened in the hut after the Armorer made her declaration. Djarin and the Armorer knew that Cinder moved on her own, whether it was a spasm or intentional. While the former seemed to be the most logical assumption, Djarin couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than that. After all, whatever happened was enough to scare the Armorer of all people.

    Maybe, just maybe... Cinder heard what the Armorer said. And maybe she was trying to fight for him.

    "He may not have been born on Mandalore... but he did a lot to show that he'll always be one of your kind."

    The memory of Djarin claiming Cinder as his daughter and Cinder's defiant spirit came back to the Mandalorian naturally. He then thought back on all the times he proved himself to be a Mandalorian. Djarin was a proud warrior against humans, Faunus, and Grimm alike, and nothing could change that. Before he left, Djarin always defended his home and his people from any force that tried to eradicate it.

    But more importantly, the Mandalorians were a people who respected tradition and honor above all else. While he was trying hard to do so, Djarin could not recall a time when he ever broke his word or did the opposite of what was asked of him. Even Ozpin once mentioned how Djarin understood honor towards his people and their code.

    The only time he chose to break the Way of the Mandalore was when he became Cinder's father.

    Cinder, however, was a Mandalorian unlike any other. She was indeed a Foundling and now an armored warrior, even the Armorer believed so. But Cinder possessed certain traits that did not fit an average Mandalorian.

    Where most adhered to the Way of the Mandalore, Cinder carved her own path.

    Where most saw glory in their kills, Cinder found glory in doing what she believed was right.

    Where most chose loyalty to their own kind and themselves, Cinder chose to be loyal to the people counting on her to help, Mandalorian or not.

    And where most were obedient to whoever they considered their leader, Cinder could be stubborn and defiant when her heart didn't agree with certain declarations; this was possibly what happened earlier.

    But who could say that these traits were wrong to have? What was wrong with someone seeing a bigger picture instead of a narrowed mindset? And why should that declare who was a Mandalorian and who was not?

    Djarin had heard stories of disgraced Mandalorians seeking redemption, by seeking the "living waters" beneath the mines of Mandalore. The mines were all destroyed now, but Djarin didn't believe redemption was necessary for him. In fact, it was the last thing on his mind.

    For it was at this moment that Djarin had a very important epiphany.

    "The Way is wrong," Djarin thought to himself. "The Way is cruel, biased... unfair." Djarin stood up and began to pace the floor. "The Saxons, the Vizslas, the Wrens, the Carids, they're all Mandalorians. But there's no way they follow the Way of the Mandalore. They didn't let it stop them from being who they are. Why should I let that stop me from being a Mandalorian? Why should that stop Cinder from being one too? She knows who she is." Djarin stopped walking. "I have to remember who I am too. The Way... can't stand in my way."

    Djarin quickly walked over to Cinder and grasped her hand. "Cinder, I know you're in there," he said. "And I'm sure you can hear me too."

    "..."

    "I've been a fool, all these years. I raised you to know that the Way of the Mandalore was sacred, the one thing that sets us aside from any one else who called themselves Mandalorians. I taught you to honor it, follow it without question. But I was wrong."

    "..."

    The Mandalorian refused to let Cinder's silence stop him from sharing his epiphany. "Cinder, I had no idea how cruel and biased the Way actually is. How it made us... made me... appear to everyone else."

    "..."

    "Since the day I swore it, I became stubborn, closed off from anything and anyone that I didn't consider Mandalorian. Even when you told me you wanted to join us, I narrowed my sights on making you just like me, for better and worse. But I am so proud that you didn't let the Way change who you are. You became better than any Mandalorian back in Nevarro... including me."

    "..."

    Djarin held Cinder's hand. "I thought the Way of the Mandalore and the... the Way of the Maiden... could coexist. That we could use both to our advantage. But I was wrong. We need to be better, be open to whatever future lies ahead."

    "..."

    Djarin immediately stood up without breaking his grasp on Cinder's hand. "In fact, I'll start right now," he promised. "My eyes are open, thanks to you. This will be my new beginning. I'll get us started down the right path, and then... together... we'll make every Mandalorian walk it with us."

    "..."

    Before he began to make good on his promise, to set out into the world with his new code of honor, Djarin had one more thing to say after he remembered the last thing Cinder said to him.

    "Thank you, Cinder. For everything."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 46: The Pool
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 46: The Pool​

    Today seemed to be like any other day on Remnant. The sun was shining, the people were attending to their own business, and airships moved to and fro across the sky.

    But above all else, the Creatures of Grimm were roaming all across the land to destroy everything within sight.

    At the moment, a pack of Ursai and pack of Beowolves had their eyes set on a group of people who had just lost their homes to one of many Mandalorian raids. A call for help was made, but scarce Huntsmen and Huntresses made the odds of survival very limited. And missions such as these seemed to be taking a long time to reach the right people.

    One particular Huntsman was reminded of both of these factors when he found the packs of Ursai and Beowolves; he also found himself to be too late to save anyone.

    "Here we go again," the tired Huntsman said after he took a drink from a metal flask he was carrying. Once he finished his drink, he removed a piece of metal from his back and felt it transform into a large sword. He swung this sword at remarkable speed when a single Beowolf lunged towards him.

    This proved to be a fatal mistake, as Qrow Branwen had managed to cut the Grimm in half.

    One by one, the pack of Beowolves began to fade into smoke when they met the blade of Harbinger. Qrow had to make the weapon transform from a sword to a large scythe when the Ursai joined the Beowolves. It was a war on two fronts, but Qrow simply spun the large weapon and did his best to block out the horrid smell of the dying Grimm.

    Just as he thought the beasts of the land had been finished, Qrow failed to notice a spinning object coming towards his back.

    *CRASH*​

    Qrow fell forward and activated his Aura to block out the pain he felt. When he turned around, the Huntsman came face-to-face with a Boarbatusk. It was less common than a Beowolf or Ursa, but it was just as dangerous.

    To prove its ferocity once again, the Creature of Grimm charged at Qrow rather than spin towards him like before. Now fully prepared, Qrow transformed himself into a bird to avoid the charge. He then landed behind the beast to retrieve Harbinger, which he had dropped when he was hit. The Boarbatusk was quick to change its direction, but Qrow was fast to change Harbinger into a gun and fire two shots.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    The Dust rounds were close to the Grimm's eyes, which made it charge blindly into a tree and fall over. The action revealed the beast's belly, which was unprotected by armor or bone. Qrow wasted no time to stab the belly and watch the Grimm squeal and disappear into nothingness.

    When Qrow examined his handiwork and made sure there were no other Grimm around him, he began a routine that he had gotten himself into ever since he became a Huntsman.

    First, he would examine the remains of the group he needed to help. While there were survivors the majority of the time, today wasn't so lucky.

    Second, Qrow would go back to the village or city that the civilians originally came from. The destruction of this city didn't seem any different from any other time he conducted a Search and Rescue. And as he expected, no other survivors were in sight.

    Thirdly, Qrow would use his Scroll to close the mission and report the details. After this disaster of a Search and Rescue, this mission marked the fifth failed mission in a row today. And Qrow had a good idea as to why he was failing so often.

    The fourth and final step of the routine was something the Huntsman would always do after every mission he conducted. No matter the outcome of any mission he performed, Qrow would remove his flask from his pocket again and drink to his heart's content.

    But even after the flask had been emptied, Qrow did not find himself content.

    "Ugh," the tired Huntsman groaned as he put his flask away. "Well, I gotta tell someone how screwed up our mission system is now. Guess I can fill this along the way."

    Qrow's trip to the capital city Vale was an easy one, given that he traveled using his transformation ability. As he flew over the dirt roads and forests that made up the majority of the Kingdom, he began to feel a sense of ease. His purpose as a bird was originally to spy on Salem and her underlings, but it came with the benefit of getting it away from it all.

    Soaring through the clouds gave Qrow a sense of freedom, one that he enjoyed very much. He was not only free from the Grimm below, but he was free from all the world's worries. People rarely bothered any kind of bird, and a bird didn't have much impact on the world itself. So Qrow was free from anything that would be thrown in his way if he was a human. It was nice, even thought it could be somewhat lonely. But Qrow ignored the feelings of loneliness with ease as he flew in the sky.

    But sadly, the feeling of freedom would always pass when Qrow became human again.

    Qrow was forced to transform when he landed in an alley in between a Dust shop and a post office. When he left the alley, Qrow was welcomed with a reminder of how he was not the only one who was having a bad day.

    The street he was walking on was filled with nothing but tents, boxes of supplies, and hundreds of people who had been left homeless after the cities they resided in were destroyed by the Mandalorians. The safe zone that once existed during the Fall of Beacon had been transformed into a camp that took in refugees and survivors. Many people were injured while they tried to escape from Mandalorians and Grimm, and were currently being treated by overworked medics. Those who weren't injured were either trying to assure their children that everything would be fine or trying to assure themselves that everything would be fine.

    It seemed that the capital city of Vale had become a new Mantle.

    Qrow made his way through the horde of scared and confused people until he came across a building that once served as deluxe apartments. But it could be just about any building in Vale, since there were medics and homeless people on every floor. Two people emerged from the building; they were two Huntsmen that Qrow knew well, who had stopped to talk with their acquaintance.

    "Hey, Qrow," said the first man, a thin one wearing a suit of armor over a pair of jeans and a dress shirt.

    "Dean, Seamus," Qrow addressed the Huntsmen. "Any luck today?"

    "Not a chance," said the second man, a larger one wearing a black hoodie and a belt with pouches of explosive Dust on them. "We just got back from a botched Search and Destroy. You?"

    "Same old. Nobody to rescue for a Search and Rescue."

    "Join the club."

    The first one known as "Dean" spoke again. "Lemme guess; Mandos?" he asked.

    "Nope," Qrow replied. "If you wanna blame something, blame the new mission system. Again."

    "Got on your Scroll too late?"

    "Mm-hmm. Same happen to you?"

    "Nope. We got just as it was posted, actually. But only because we were notified of another mission nearby."

    "Only this time, we met Mandalorians instead of Grimm," said Seamus. "Ron tried to take two of them on, but now he's somewhere in one of these tents."

    "How bad?" Qrow asked sympathetically.

    "Just a few scars and a concussion. Lucky bastard."

    "Really lucky," Dean included. "I can count on all our hands how many of us I've seen killed by those freaks."

    "Say 'Hi' to him for me, will ya?" Qrow asked as he walked up the stairs. "I gotta talk to someone about the mission system."

    "Good luck with that," Seamus said. "The new one we got in there is just as bad as the Scrolls."

    "Yeah," said Dean. "Nothing but missions that come in too late or don't come in at all."

    "Well, Glynda's been doing anything but be a Huntress ever since this whole thing started," Qrow said with malice. "If anyone has to know what's going on, it's her." He then left the Huntsmen without a proper goodbye or a wish of good luck.

    Qrow entered the building and moved past even more wounded and scared people. The building was considered to be the new operating base of Huntsmen and Huntresses, but it was nothing compared to Beacon. No supplies, no forge to repair broken weapons; only a few staff members of Beacon to run the place and a team of software engineers attempting to make the mission system like Beacon's was. Their idea to have Scrolls access missions outside the city was good in hindsight, but the product was heavily flawed.

    Qrow knew that serious work had been put into getting the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Beacon back to fighting speed, but there was little to show for it. If she wasn't trying to repair broken buildings in the attack or keep the Vale Council up to date, Glynda Goodwitch was overseeing every piece of Huntsman and Huntress activity. This was mainly with establishing the same means of obtaining missions that Beacon Academy did, but the lack of the CCT and its capabilities made this very difficult for the overworked engineers.

    To Qrow, all of this mounted to excuses, excuses, and more excuses. Something had to happen, and it had to happen now.

    His objective led Qrow to a room that served as a temporary office for Glynda. He knocked on the door furiously and then heard a familiar voice, one that told him to come in. But before he did, he took a large drink of the flask he had managed to refill.

    "Okay, listen up," Qrow said as he took the first steps into the office. "We need to do something about the-"

    "Good afternoon to you too, Qrow."

    Qrow stopped walking and talking when he heard the familiar voice again. Only now, he was able to recognize who it belonged to. Just like he was able to recognize the person sitting close to the far wall of the room.

    "Oz," Qrow addressed the man in mild surprise. Without a second thought, he removed his flask from his pocket for a drink. "I thought you were in Vacuo with Mando."

    "I was," Ozpin said as he watched Qrow drink. "My return is temporary. Just to settle some affairs before I begin teaching at Shade."

    Qrow suddenly stopped drinking. "Oh, yeah? I know a great place you can start."

    "Yes, right." Ozpin fixed his glasses before he continued. "While Mr. Djarin has his own matters to deal with, the negotiations with Theodore and the Vacuo Council have made some leeway. Vale can expect a dozen more Huntsmen and Huntresses by-"

    *THUMP*​

    Ozpin's news came to a halt as he watched Qrow fall to his knees as he attempted to reach a chair in the middle of the office. Despite the fact that he had just refilled his flask, Qrow was on the verge of being drunk. But after the initial failure, the Huntsman managed to muster the strength to climb up and sit in the chair.

    "It's not just the numbers, Oz," Qrow replied as he took out his Scroll. "It's the mission system too. It doesn't work for shit out there or in here."

    Ozpin was used to Qrow's antics and occasional profanity by this point, given how long the two had known each other. Which is how the old Headmaster was incredibly patient with him by now.

    "I was told Vale's software engineers have been working around the clock to resolve the issue," he said calmly. "That a Huntsman's Scroll should be able to detect any mission created when they were in close proximity."

    "Yeah, yeah." Qrow threw his Scroll on the desk between him and Ozpin. "It does the job it's supposed to, but not good enough. Every time I come into 'close proximity' of any mission, it's already too late. Like today, there was nobody to rescue when a Search and Rescue got on my Scroll. The call for help comes too late."

    "Reception has always been a problem with places outside the capital, Qrow. The engineers are doing the best they-"

    "Well, it's not good enough!"

    *BAM*​

    Ozpin remained silent as he allowed Qrow to release his anger.

    "The mission system doesn't work without a base of operations!" Qrow yelled. "We knew when and where we were needed, we knew how many we needed, and we knew exactly what we needed for the job! How the hell do they expect us to do all of this on the fly?! When we're scarce and broken down enough as it is?!"

    "..."

    Qrow exhaustedly sat back down after he finally finished his tirade. As he did, Ozpin did nothing but sympathize with his friend. In all honesty, he had hoped the idea of Huntsmen and Huntresses seeing missions when they were close to their origin would be a good idea. But it seemed the Mandalorian war had made that harder; perhaps it would have worked better if the Kingdom was still at peace.

    And he knew the current "base" in Vale was nothing compared to what Beacon Academy used to be. It seemed that if the Huntsmen and Huntresses of the Kingdom were to get back at fighting speed, they needed Beacon back.

    Fortunately, this was exactly why Ozpin came back to Vale.

    "It seems I came at the right time," the Headmaster finally said.

    "...Huh?" Qrow asked in confusion. "You deaf, Oz? This is a terrible time to be here."

    "Not exactly." Ozpin stood up. "I just received word of a successful attack on the Saxon Clan, one that I believe could be a turning point in the war."

    "...You don't say." Qrow stood up as well. "What kind of attack? Huntsmen?"

    "No. The... leader of the counterattack wishes to remain anonymous. And I wish to pick up where he left off before I return to Vacuo."

    "How?"

    "The Council of Vale has recently acquired vital intelligence regarding the exact damage of Beacon. After reviewing said intelligence, I believe we may be able to restore a portion of its former glory." Ozpin walked over to Qrow. "I know how hard this has been for you Qrow. And I understand if you wish to refuse my proposal. But I wouldn't have come to you if I didn't think you would be the best choice for this."

    "..."

    "I can find someone else. I'll understand."

    "..."

    Ozpin was right about one thing; Qrow did want to turn down whatever mission was about to be asked of him. He was tired, he was barely sober, and he had failed too many missions already. All he wanted to do now was get some rest and wait for the next mission.

    Which according to him, would be just as successful as his life had turned out.

    "...I need some sleep, Oz," Qrow finally said as he made up his mind. "Just gotta... rest until..."

    True to his word, Qrow had fallen asleep in the chair he was previously sitting in. Ozpin understood his friend's decision, so he simply left him be.

    Qrow's sleep was a godsend in the man's opinion. It was enough to get five failed missions in a row off his mind, albeit temporarily. It would be logical to conclude that he would once again use alcohol to try and permanently rid the experience from his memory. But he would have to wake up first.

    More specifically, wake up from a dream that he wasn't ready to have.

    In his dream, Qrow found himself in a peaceful field. The field was covered in perfect green grass and a soft breeze seemed like it was hugging him. Qrow looked across the tranquil valley to see that he was its only one who could enjoy the peaceful, easy feeling it offered.

    Until he saw what appeared to be a white cloak at the edge of a cliff.

    "...Hello?" Qrow called out as he began to approach the cloak. Not only did he believe that someone was wearing the garment, but Qrow also came to the idea that the cloak was familiar.

    As he walked towards the person, Qrow began to see that part of the valley extended to a cliff. The person was on the edge of said cliff, simply staring at the sunset before them without a care in the world. Qrow joined the figure and called again.

    "Hello?" he asked calmly.

    This time, instead of standing still while remaining silent, the figure turned around to reveal the face of a younger woman. The woman's skin was somewhat pale, her head was covered with black hair that was red at the tips, and she was wearing a black corset with a black combat skirt.

    And she was staring at Qrow with large silver eyes.

    "Hello yourself," the woman jokingly replied with a small laugh. "It's good to see you, Qrow."

    "..."

    Qrow backed away in shock as he looked upon the woman. Not only did he know her, but he also knew that something wasn't right. This valley, this woman, it was all impossible. He knew this shouldn't be happening, but here it was, as clear as day.

    "What's wrong, Qrow?" the woman asked with a smile. "Cat got your tongue?"

    Qrow even knew the voice that came out of the woman's mouth. And now, it was his turn to speak.

    "...Summer," he whispered.

    "..."

    Sure enough, the woman before him was Summer Rose; an old friend of Qrow's, someone he held in very high regard and someone who he mourned dearly when she... passed away.

    "Is... Is this a dream?" Qrow guessed. "Or... are you-?"

    Summer laughed again. "Don't be silly," she said. "Of course this is a dream." She then moved towards the right to reveal something on the ground. "I mean, why else am I here with this?"

    "..."

    Qrow moved closer to the cliff once again to see what Summer was blocking. It was an exquisite stone, one that was carved with writing.

    Summer Rose

    Thus Kindly I Scatter    ​

    Qrow sighed as he stopped looking at the gravestone. "Yeah..." he said. "Yeah, I know." He then reached into his shirt. "I thought there'd at least be some-" He stopped talking when he realized that something was missing.

    "Looking for this?"

    Qrow turned around to see Summer holding his cherished flask. Instead of drinking from it, she began to spin it between her fingers as she continued to talk.

    "What are you doing with this thing, Qrow?" she asked. "Can't we have a normal conversation without it?"

    The feeling that Summer was giving off immediately gave Qrow an idea as to why he was dreaming of her at her grave. "If you're gonna torture me, can you at least wait until I'm dead?" he asked sarcastically. "Don't worry; it'll be sooner than you think with this damn war going on."

    Summer stopped spinning the flask. "Who said anything about torture? I was just asking you a question." She then opened the flask and smelled its contents before she quickly turned away. "Oh, gosh. It's still as bad as I remember."

    Qrow couldn't help but chuckle at Summer's reaction. He had seen it before, when they were students at Beacon. "I think that uniform still smells like beer after you spit your drink out on me."

    Summer laughed once more. "I'll take that bet." The laughter died out after a few seconds. "But really, you're smart enough to know this and avoiding your work isn't helping you."

    Qrow let out an exhausted sigh. "It does when you drink enough of it."

    "It also gets you in more trouble than you were before."

    The Huntsman was starting to grow just as impatient as before. "Right, 'cause you're one to talk, aren't you, Summer?" he asked. "You're not the one having to deal with failures handed to you on a silver plate while the Kingdom's being ransacked by crazy Mandalorians!"

    "That's not an excuse to just give up!"

    "Oh, yeah?! Well, if you're so smart, then how did you end up-?!"

    "..."

    Qrow looked back to the grave, since he was too ashamed to look at the woman he had just insulted. Despite the anger and exhaustion he was suffering from, he knew better than to disrespect the dead.

    Especially Summer Rose.

    "...Sorry," he said without looking. "I... I just-"

    "I'm sorry, too," Summer said. "I, uh... guess this wasn't how I was expecting things to go."

    "...I was." Qrow turned around and extended his hand for the flask. "I got nothing left, Summer. Please, let me just... handle this on my own terms. Oz'll will find someone else to help him."

    Now it was Summer's turn to back away. "Qrow... there is no one else," she said. "I know you don't want to hear this, but... you have to keep on living. We both know you can do so much for Ozpin and the Kingdom." The way she was talking was akin to a parent trying to scold their child and remind them to see the bigger picture, but Qrow either didn't notice or didn't care.

    "You're wrong," Qrow said as he looked back to the grave once again. "This isn't my fight anymore, Summer. It... It should be yours. You'd know what to do."

    Qrow felt a hand on his shoulder, which gently pushed him and made him look back to see Summer smiling. "That's... why I'm here, Qrow."

    "..."

    Even though this was simply a dream of Summer, most likely a manifestation of how Qrow remembered her, the woman continued to do what Qrow knew she could do best.

    She pressed on until her friends saw the light.

    "Qrow, I know you've been mourning the loss of a friend these five years," she began. "And in a way... I've been mourning the loss of three."

    "..."

    Qrow had to admit that he didn't think of things in that sense. If this was true, then Summer must be truly missing him and the other two members of their team; wherever she may be.

    It must have been just as hard on her.

    "Everyone mourns, Qrow," the dream version of Summer continued. "But when the time comes, they don't feel as sad when they look back on those they lost. So please..." Summer then took Qrow's hands in hers. "Please don't feel sad for me, or block out the pain you've been feeling. I've had no regrets since the day I met you, Tai, or Raven. They were the best days of my life."

    "..."

    Qrow did nothing but listen as tears poured from both of his eyes.

    "And don't go thinking that you haven't given anyone else the best days of their lives," Summer said sincerely. "What about Ozpin? Or Mando? Or Cinder? They need you more than anything right now." Qrow opened his eyes and was ready to ask Summer how she knew about that, but she answered him right before the question came out. "Dream, remember?"

    "..."

    Qrow couldn't help but let go of Summer's hands and wipe his eyes. "Summer... are you really here?" he asked as he finally broke his streak of silence.

    Summer continued to smile as she wrapped her arms around Qrow and leaned onto his chest. "I don't mean to be corny, but... I'll always be with you, Qrow."

    "..."

    For the first time, in a long time, Qrow felt better about himself. So much better that he smiled for the first time in what felt like forever, and he happily reciprocated the hug. Summer's words rang throughout his head as he no longer cared if this was a dream or not. For right now, he was simply receiving help from a friend who knew he was having a hard time.

    If that wasn't real... then Qrow didn't know what was.

    "Qrow! Qrow, wake up!"

    The sleeping Huntsman was suddenly awakened by a sharp yell and a constant tapping on his shoulder. He couldn't help but groan as he opened his eyes, which wasn't something his present company was ready to see.

    "This is hardly the place and the time for this, Qrow," said a woman with blonde hair that was usually tied in a bun and eyeglasses that were crooked. "I have enough to deal with, already."

    "...Glynda?" Qrow asked as he got off the chair. When his vision was clear, he saw the state that Glynda was in. "What happened to you?"

    "The same thing as you, actually," Glynda explained as she fixed her glasses. "I finally found the time to help with a mission, but the number of Grimm was double than what was originally reported. But given the lack of proper timing and updates... Ozpin said you wanted to talk about it."

    "Yeah, I-" Qrow snapped out of his daze at the sound of the name. "Wait, where is he?! Is he still here?!"

    Glynda was taken off guard by the complete turnaround in Qrow's attitude. Nevertheless, she answered his question. "Um... yes," she said after the surprise disappeared. "He's still here. He's on the floor above-"

    Once again, Qrow surprised Glynda as she watched him run out the door and fly up the stairs. She called his name out twice, but it was to no avail as Qrow opened the first door in his path. There, he saw Ozpin standing in front of a projected image of Beacon Cliff, waiting for someone to come.

    "Ah, good," Ozpin said as he began to turn around. "I've been expecting-" Ozpin had to pause for a moment to determine if his eyes were playing tricks on him. "Qrow?"

    "Been expecting what?" Qrow asked as he walked inside. "Someone else?"

    "Well, I... Yes. As a matter of fact, I was."

    Qrow gave a confident smile as he moved closer to the image of Beacon. "I figured." He then pointed to the image. "Any room for another?"

    Ozpin followed Qrow's finger as he once again felt the unexpected feeling of a welcome surprise. "I... Of course, but-"

    "Yeah, yeah," Qrow did quickly. "I wasn't exactly Mr. Optimistic a while ago. But I'm here to help, Oz. Anyway you need me."

    "..."

    "I know I'm not the best candidate, but there's not really anyone left. I get that now. So please, tell me how I can help."

    Ozpin mentally sighed in relief as he formed a small smile. He knew the choice Qrow made wasn't an easy one, and he was surprised he was willing to rise up to the occasion so suddenly. But whether it was luck or destiny at play, the Headmaster found himself incredibly grateful for the assistance.

    "Thank you, Qrow," Ozpin finally said as he gestured for his friend to come in. "This... This is..."

    "You don't have to say anything, Oz," the Huntsman insisted. "I wanna help."

    "I'm very glad to hear that. However, I wouldn't exactly say that there isn't anyone left."

    "Oh, yeah? Why's that?"

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*    ​

    Qrow and Ozpin turned to the door. "That would be why," the Headmaster replied. "Come in." The door opened to reveal a younger woman, someone who Qrow believed that he had met before. Ozpin, however, knew the woman well and was willing to introduce her. "Qrow, you remember Gretchen Rainart, do you not?"

    The face of the woman immediately clicked with Qrow when Ozpin said her name. "Oh, yeah," he said as he extended a hand. "I've seen your work. Glad to have you onboard."

    "I'm glad to be here, sir," said Gretchen, who immediately shook Qrow's hand and smiled. She too had heard and seen the Huntsman's work, and to say that she was honored to meet Qrow Branwen was an understatement.

    "Qrow's good enough," the Huntsman corrected the rookie before he turned back to Ozpin. "This it?"

    "Where Huntsmen and Huntresses are concerned, yes," said Ozpin. "So I believe we can begin." He then turned towards the projected image of Beacon Cliff. "As you are already aware, Beacon Academy lies in shambles. The school, the adequate Huntsmen mission system, and the CCT have all fallen apart."

    Qrow and Gretchen nodded in silence. They were all too familiar with the Fall of Beacon, regardless of whether they were there or not. But they gave their confirmation, which allowed Ozpin to continue the debriefing.

    "While we cannot restore the school to its former glory, I believe we may be able to reclaim a portion of its land and prestige," Ozpin said, hoping the good news would lift the spirits of his companions. "At the very least, we can establish a proper base for the Kingdom's Huntsmen and Huntresses."

    "We can do that?" Gretchen asked. She couldn't help but jump in the air. "That's great!"

    "Whoa, there," Qrow said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "We got Grimm to clear out, don't we, Oz?"

    "Indeed," Ozpin said as he took out his Scroll. The image changed from the cliff to the grounds where Beacon once stood. "After all this time, we were able to recover proper intelligence regarding the current state of Beacon." Multiple images flashed before everyone's eyes, from ruined buildings to multiple Grimm. But the second to last image caught the eyes of Qrow and Gretchen.

    "What the-?" Gretchen asked in disbelief. "More Mandalorians?"

    "They're not killing any of the Grimm," Qrow noted as he turned to Ozpin. "They're at the cliff to keep people out?"

    "It would appear so," Ozpin said. "There have been attempts in the past, but these Mandalorians have held them back. And given the Saxon Clan's use of Grimm prior to the Fall, they may be using the Grimm here to their advantage."

    "They might know how messed up our mission system is."

    "And our need for a proper base. They will have to be stopped too. But I'm afraid that's not the only problem." Ozpin prepared to show Qrow and Gretchen the final piece of information he had acquired. "We all know there is a considerable number of Grimm on top of the cliff. But now, we also know how their number doesn't appear to be dwindling."

    The next image Ozpin planned to show the Huntsman and Huntress was a video this time. When he played it, Qrow and Gretchen saw a pool of what appeared to be tar in the midst of rubble. But unlike tar, something seemed to be moving from within the substance. Said thing also seemed to be emerging from the liquid. When the object was about two feet away from the liquid, it revealed itself to be a Beowolf; and more were following it.

    "Wh-What?" Gretchen asked in shock as she stared at the video. "Is... Is that a-?"

    "Indeed," Ozpin sadly replied. "I'm afraid this is exactly what you think it is, Ms. Rainart. This is a Grimm pool."

    "A Grimm pool..." Gretchen looked back to Professor Ozpin after she repeated the phrase. "I heard stories at school and from Beacon's survivors, but I... I thought they were a myth!"

    "I wish they were." Ozpin played the video again. "A Grimm pool is currently on the grounds of what was formerly Beacon. Which would explained the current presence of Grimm after the Fall."

    "I saw the kind of things that Wyvern made before it died," said Qrow. "Did it make this big one too?"

    "Most likely," the Professor replied. "But all we know is that more Grimm will follow as long as this pool is active."

    Both the Huntsman and Huntress understood this circumstance well. Not only would there be more Grimm coming, but the pool would do nothing but delay any attempts at creating a proper base or rebuilding the school.

    Which left only one question to be asked.

    "...How do we stop it?"

    Ozpin and Qrow turned to Gretchen, who was staring at the paused image once again. "How do we stop it from making more Grimm?" she asked.

    "That is our mission," Ozpin said as he turned the video off. "We are to destroy this pool and establish our new base here. As for how, I have reached out to the only person who I believe can help us."

    "We might need more than one guy for this, Oz," said Qrow.

    "Normally, I would be inclined to agree. But there is actually more to our ally than meets the eye." Ozpin turned to Gretchen. "He is also a friend of Professor Djarin, Ms. Rainart. So there won't be any cause for concern when you meet him."

    Qrow was itching to know who this unseen assistant was, especially if his friend knew him. "Who's the guy?"

    "His name is Sun Jabbid. You've met him before, Qrow. You helped Djarin save his life."

    The name and the description of their meeting brought back a specific memory for Qrow; the memory of fighting a man with an incredible ability to drain Aura while saving the life of a Mandalorian with orange armor.

    And the memory of a special trait he possessed.

    "Sun... what color are your eyes?"

    "They're... silver."

    As soon as Qrow finished replaying the memory, he snapped his gaze back in Ozpin's direction. "Mr. Jabbid is capable of destroying the Grimm pool," he said. "And he has a plan how to stop the Mandalorians."

    Qrow couldn't help but flash a toothy grin as the news seemed to be getting better and better. "Let's meet the man," he said confidently.

    After the debriefing, Qrow and Gretchen found themselves on an airship heading towards Beacon Cliff of all places. The pilot of the ship admitted her fears of the numerous avian Grimm, specially large Nevermores, but Qrow gave her the assurance that he would protect the ship at all costs.

    Along with the fact that he and Gretchen would be practicing their landing strategies today.

    After he made the promise to the pilot, Qrow discovered that the second woman on the airship was also afraid. Gretchen was currently sitting down while biting her nails; she made no attempt to hide her fears in any way. So Qrow decided to help his newest partner quell any fears of a failed mission.

    "Hey," he said as he joined her. "Penny for your thoughts?"

    "Heh," Gretchen chuckled. "That obvious, huh?"

    "Nail-biting's always obvious, kid. A friend of mine did the same thing on our first mission together. But worse."

    "How could it be worse?"

    "He denies it to this day, but I could've sworn I saw a puddle where he was sitting."

    Gretchen knew the accusation wasn't very nice, but she couldn't help but laugh at the idea. Her nerves had softened from the story, so she decided to open up a little more.

    "I think... I was one of the lucky ones until today," she said.

    "Oh, yeah?" Qrow asked curiously.

    "My team and I haven't seen a lot of Mandalorians since the war began. We knew what happened at Beacon, but we were too far away to do anything. But despite it all, we saw about three Mandalorians. Five at the most."

    "Did you fight 'em?"

    "No, we got lucky. They never spotted us, since they were all in the air."

    "Mind if I ask where your team is?"

    "At their home town, actually. They all grew up together at a place called Elysium, and hardly left it since the war began. It's one of the few the Mandalorians never hit, but the Grimm had only gotten worse. I understood and wanted to help, but I felt... I don't know, like I was compelled to come here."

    "How'd your team take it?"

    "They didn't understand, really. But after I assured them I was coming back and the Grimm were under control, they were fine with it." Gretchen looked out the window. "I just hope they don't hate me for leaving."

    "..."

    The promise of returning and the idea of a team splitting up opened even more memories of Qrow's past. Specifically how his team went their separate ways after graduation and how Summer failed to keep her promise of a safe return. Needless to say, these memories weren't very welcoming for the Huntsman. He figured that a drink from his reliable flask would make the feeling go away.

    But as he stared down at the bottle, he started to feel sick in his stomach. Almost as if his body was already gonna reject it.

    "Look, kid..." Qrow began as he looked away from his hand. "I gotta say, it's pretty impressive you and your team have stuck together this long. It's been, what, a year since you graduated?"

    "A little over a year, but yeah," Gretchen replied.

    "And you've gone solo before, haven't you?"

    "Oh, yeah. My team and I took separate missions when Ozpin announced early training for the students this year."

    "And you got back together after?"

    "Uh-huh."

    Qrow smiled at the notion. "Sounds like you lasted longer than my team did after graduating. Look, nobody's gonna resent you for going on one mission on your own. But take my advice..." Qrow took a deep breath before he shared his advice. "A job like this isn't easy. I think the war taught us that. So don't make promises... you're not sure you can keep."

    Gretchen looked back to the window again as she slowly nodded. "Yeah... I may have been a little too optimistic today. You know, about Beacon coming back and all." Despite the shift in attitude she had, Gretchen was feeling confident about asking Qrow a question. "Qrow... have you ever... listened to your gut? You know... after you decided to take a mission?"

    "Um... I guess," Qrow replied, unsure as to where this was going. "Why do you ask?"

    "Well... since we got on this ship..." Gretchen continued to look out the window, seeing that the city below was becoming smaller and smaller. "I don't know, I just have this... feeling. That I'm going to see something at Beacon. Something that I won't like."

    "What, like the Mandos?"

    "I don't know. I just feel like something's up there... waiting for me."

    "..."

    Qrow never experienced a feeling like this, like something was expecting him on whatever mission he chose. Unless it was an obvious trap, of course. But since he didn't have this feeling at the moment, he shared another piece of advice with Gretchen.

    "This is one of the times you gotta trust what's in front of you, kid," he said. "If you can do that, we'll be home before you know it. Got it?"

    Gretchen stopped looking at the window to see that Qrow was just as serious as he sounded. "...Yeah," she said as she put her feelings aside. "Yeah, I understand."

    "Hey, you two!"

    Qrow and Gretchen looked towards the front of the ship to see the airship pilot looking back at them. "The LZ's too hot!" she yelled back. "You gotta drop now!" The pilot opened the side door of the ship and was welcomed by the familiar sound of the Grimm screaming and howling below.

    Qrow and Gretchen wasted no time in moving to the open door. Qrow was the first to jump, but not before he told his partner that he would meet her below him. After he jumped, Gretchen followed just as the airship turned around.

    As she fell, Gretchen saw multiple Beowolves right where she was about to land. Wasting no time at all, the Huntress reached into her pocket and took out two brown Dust crystals. Rather than injecting them in her arms like she normally did, she stabbed the Dust into her legs. The Dust made her feet as hard as stone and allowed her to not only land safely, but also create a crater that killed the Beowolves that were in her path.

    *CRASH*​

    Gretchen removed the crystal when the dust and smoke disappeared. When she became content with her work, Gretchen looked around to see rubble on the ground and a cloud of fog around the campus.

    But she didn't see Qrow with her.

    "Qrow?" Gretchen softly called out as to not draw any attention. "Qrow, where are-?"

    *SWISH*​

    "Mmph!"

    Gretchen could only let out a muffled yell as something from behind grabbed her arm and cupped her mouth. She was then pulled behind a pile of rubble, where a familiar voice whispered to her.

    "Stay low," Qrow ordered as he pointed to the sky.

    Gretchen followed Qrow's finger to see two sets of orange lights in the foggy sky. When the lights came closer to the ground, they revealed themselves to be the fire of two jetpacks, which were following two white-armored Mandalorians.

    "Over here," one said as he pointed to the crater. "There's Grimm smoke all around it."

    The second Mandalorian kneeled down by the crater and examined it. "Could be a bombing run," he said. "We saw an airship turn around just now."

    The first Mandalorian shook his head. "Beta squad just reported in. They shot it down."

    "Good. Whoever dropped that bomb should be sleeping with the fishes."

    Qrow and Gretchen silently mourned the loss of their pilot as the Mandalorians continued to talk.

    "No, something's not right," the first one said. "That was hardly an explosion. And there's no sign of shrapnel or any metal."

    The second Mandalorian stood up. "What kind of airship was it?" he asked.

    "A Bullhead. Vale origin, if I'd have to guess."

    "Those ships can transport Huntsmen and Huntresses. And drop them off for missions."

    The first Mandalorian pulled out two pistols from the holsters on his side. "We've been infiltrated," he said.

    The second one removed the safety from a rifle he was carrying. "Should we call it in?"

    "They can't have gone far." The Mandalorian turned around and gestures to the left with his pistol. "Go that way."

    The Mandalorians split up as they searched the immediate area. Qrow realized that the only way they could move any further was if they took out the duo. So he carefully took a rock from the rubble and threw it to his right.

    *PLUNK*​

    The closest Mandalorian heard the noise and immediately followed it. When he saw that the enemy had taken the bait, Qrow pointed to his chest before he pointed to the Mandalorian. Gretchen understood the plan well and pointed to herself before she gestured to the second Mandalorian. When Qrow gave a nod of approval, the Huntsman and Huntress carried out their attack.

    Qrow silently turned into a bird to give himself the element of surprise. The strategy proved itself to be wise, as Qrow was able to fly close enough to the Mandalorian from behind and grab him in a headlock. The Mandalorian struggled hard in the grasp, more specifically on tightening his neck to prevent Qrow from breaking it. So Qrow instead applied enough pressure and force to knock the Mandalorian unconscious rather than kill him.

    Gretchen chose a more direct approach in fighting, given her supplies and experience as a Huntress. After she injected herself with two small Fire Dust crystals, she emerged from her hiding spot and delivered a hard punch to the second Mandalorian.

    The blow was definitely unexpected, but it wasn't strong enough to damage the Beskar or the man inside the suit of armor. When he recovered from the punch, he was able to fire his rifle and land two hits at Gretchen before she could throw another punch.

    Even though she had been hit and her attack was prevented, Gretchen's Aura protected her and allowed her to send a kick to the Mandalorian this time. But the warrior easily dodged the attack and fired a wire from his gauntlet. The wire found it's way around Gretchen's neck, which the Mandalorian used to choke his opponent without a second thought. And when he heard the sound of rapid footsteps thanks to the enhanced audio sensors in his helmet, he was able to shoot Qrow in the chest and make him fall to the ground.

    Gretchen could feel the air being trapped in her neck, and could feel the pressure of the wire growing tighter and tighter. She grabbed the wire and began to pull on it, but a kick to the face made her let go and fall backwards. The Mandalorian then stomped on her chest and retracted the wire part way, making it even tighter. Blood began to seep from the wound as her neck grew even tighter.

    All the while, Gretchen kept telling herself to do anything besides black out.

    Ironically... it was the one thing she was about to do.

    *BANG*​

    In a twist of fate, the Mandalorian found himself feeling a sharp pain in his neck. Blood poured from a small wound that had all but destroyed a critical artery, one that an Aura couldn't heal. Desperation caused the Mandalorian to grab his neck with both hands in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but the only thing he succeeded in doing was succumbing to his wound.

    With no one to stop her now, Gretchen yanked the wire off her neck and breathed heavily as the pressure in her neck disappeared. After she managed to breathe normally again and use her Aura to heal the cut on her neck, Gretchen was joined by Qrow. He too had used his Aura to heal the blast mark on his chest, and he quickly helped his partner off the ground.

    "These aren't Grimm, Gretchen," Qrow reprimanded the inexperienced Huntress. "It takes a lot more to kill a Mandalorian."

    Gretchen let out a cough before she answered Qrow. "...Right," she said in understanding. "I understand." When she had a controlled sense of breathing and the cut on her neck had faded away, she turned to look at Qrow. "Good shot."

    Qrow looked at the dead Mandalorian. "It... It wasn't me."

    "..."

    Qrow and Gretchen quickly moved back-to-back as they engaged their Auras and scanned the area. The fog around the former campus was still dense, so it was hard to see much.

    But the fog did nothing to affect their hearing. And they heard something as clear as day.

    "Alpha."

    Qrow and Gretchen turned to the sound of the soft yell, but Qrow was the only one who let his guard down. "Omega," he responded in the direction. When the sound disappeared, another Mandalorian emerged from the fog. Gretchen immediately dug another Dust crystal out of her pocket, but Qrow quickly stopped her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Friendly! He's friendly!"

    "..."

    "Call sign, remember?"

    "..."

    Gretchen cautiously placed the Dust back in her pocket as the Mandalorian approached closer. Even though he remembered the white and orange armor since the day they met, Qrow allowed the Mandalorian to introduce himself.

    "I'm Sun Jabbid," the Mandalorian said with an extended hand. "I remember you, Qrow Branwen."

    "And I you," Qrow said as he shook the Mandalorian's hand.

    "Ozpin said you were bringing another." Sun then looked over to see Gretchen examining him from head to toe. And from under his helmet, Sun was doing the same with Gretchen. "Is she the one?"

    "Yeah, this is Gretchen." Qrow gestured to his ally. "We would've brought a whole team, but we're not exactly up to speed right now."

    "That is for the best. This mission requires very few of us. For now."

    "Yeah, no doubt." Qrow looked over to the Mandalorians. "Think anyone else heard us come in?"

    "Whether or not they did, they will notice two of their numbers have not reported back. We should go." Sun took the lead into the fog, where he was soon followed by Qrow. Gretchen, however, took a few seconds before she eventually joined them.

    "Sir, this is our mission," Gretchen reminded Qrow, not caring about calling him by his first name anymore. "We shouldn't just put him in charge."

    "He's not in charge," Qrow assured her. "But he knows these Mandos like the back of his hand. He'll know when to stop scouting and let us take point."

    Gretchen was taken aback by how much trust Qrow placed in Sun, though she was fairly sure it was due to Ozpin mentioning that he was a friend of Professor Djarin. She respected Djarin, since he was around for the entirety of her time at Beacon. But her recent encounter with the Saxon was obviously leaving her on edge.

    "Do you trust him?" she asked.

    "We need him," Qrow replied, even though it wasn't a direct answer. "Let's just say he's one hell of an ace in the hole."

    "What about the rest of his... plan? Didn't Professor Ozpin say-?"

    "Yeah, I remember that. But that doesn't change much. Guess we just gotta wait and see."

    "..."

    Despite the easy part being over, Qrow was somewhat disappointed with the turn of events; mainly how a Mandalorian nearly killed Gretchen. But he remembered that there weren't many Huntsmen or Huntresses in Vale who could do what he was doing. So he decided to take what he had and make the best of it. Gretchen simply needed to work on killing Mandalorians, but stealth was of the essence today. And with the careful way Gretchen and Sun were moving, it seemed they understood this as well. All seemed to be well at the moment.

    Unfortunately, luck wasn't entirely on their side.

    At the sight of the trio's departure, a lone Mandalorian literally came from nowhere. Unbeknownst to anyone, he was watching silently and invisibly from a pile of rubble. His Semblance had proved useful for him, as he had just seen two of his comrades fall at the hands of intruders.

    But rather than give away his position and take his vengeance, the Mandalorian pressed a hand on his helmet and spoke after a static noise disappeared.

    "Surge to Highest Tower," he said as he turned towards the direction of the school. "Surge to Highest Tower."

    "This is Highest Tower," a low and gruff voice responded. "Report."

    The Mandalorian obeyed. "We have a breach on the cliff side. Three intruders." He then turned invisible once again. "Currently in pursuit."

    "Understood."

    The Mandalorian moved across the land and debris as his eyes fell on the three intruders that killed his allies. As he followed, he also took a rifle from his back and aimed at Gretchen.

    "I have the intruders in my sights," he said over the radio. "A Huntsman and Huntress, along with another Mandalorian. He's not one of our own."

    "Let me see for myself," the low voice ordered.

    The Mandalorian lowered the range finder on his helmet and aimed it at the trio. His helmet then began to transmit a signal, a live feed to share with his commander.

    "Transmitting now," he said as he raised his rifle once again. "I have a clear shot, and-"

    "Stop!" the voice screamed in his ear. "Do not fire on any of them."

    The Mandalorian recovered from the abrupt scream and spoke into his radio again. "Sir, they've already killed two of our own. If we let them continue-"

    "I said hold your fire! This will be your only warning!"

    "..."

    The Mandalorian finally lowered his rifle as he heard new orders.

    "Follow them if you must, but do not engage them. I'll deal with them myself."

    As the trio moved deeper into the fog surrounding the campus, they all began to understand what the hard part of their mission was. If they weren't trying to stay low enough to avoid the Mandalorians overhead, they were trying to remain as calm and quiet as possible to avoid the Grimm that roamed around the grounds.

    "There's so many of them," Gretchen whispered as she saw what felt like the millionth Beowolf. "That pool made a lot more than we thought."

    "It's been here over a month since the Fall," said Qrow. "Enough time to make an army of Grimm."

    Gretchen continued to talk when she saw nothing around them or above them. "Have you ever seen anything this big?"

    "Once, in the outskirts of Mistral. We needed dozens of Huntsmen for that-"

    Sun stopped moving and quickly raised his fist. Gretchen and Qrow stopped moving, but Gretchen held on to another Dust crystal just in case. Both of them looked past Sun to see what he was looking at, and they saw even more Grimm.

    But they also saw more Saxon Mandalorians fighting them with their bare hands.

    "What's going on?" Gretchen asked.

    "Looks like they can't control all of them," said Qrow. "They're killing them."

    "No," said Sun, who stared intently at the Mandalorians. "They would use their armor and weapons if they had too. And look." Sun pointed to a Mandalorian with a staff. Instead of stabbing the Grimm, the Mandalorian used the staff to push the Grimm back into the apparent fighting ring.

    The Huntsman and Huntress looked at each other before they looked back to the fighting Mandalorians. "What are they... doing?" Gretchen asked.

    "...Practicing," Sun replied. "The Grimm have always proven themselves to be the best opponent. It makes killing Huntsmen easier."

    Qrow looked at a Mandalorian who managed to gain the upper hand on a Boarbatusk. But instead of finishing it off, the Mandalorian simply punched and kicked the Grimm while it was down. "Why not just finish it off?" he asked. "That thing's wide open."

    "The training's only just begun," Sun explained. "The Saxons never preferred a quick kill. They exploit whatever weakness their opponent has and use it to make them suffer."

    Both Qrow and Gretchen turned to Sun and asked the same thing.

    "Why?"

    Sun looked back to his company and shook his head. "All I know is that this is but one of many ways the Way has been perverted by the others." He then moved away from the Mandalorians' sight. "Come with me. We should be close to the school."

    Qrow and Gretchen obeyed, and soon saw that Sun was right. Gretchen recognized the path she walked on, she must have walked on it a hundred times when she was a student. She was so close to the school, she could feel it. Qrow sensed the same feeling as well, and knew that they should be seeing Beacon Academy in a matter of seconds.

    He was wrong.

    They all saw what was left of it.

    The trio finally laid their eyes on what was once Beacon Academy to see nothing but craters in the ground and piles of debris that was once the infrastructure of buildings. Here and there, the remnants of tattered symbols, the rusted metal of lockers and weapons, and, most of all, the sight of Beacon Tower reduced to rubble and ash.

    The Fall of Beacon certainly lived up to its name here.

    "My Gods..." said Gretchen, who couldn't take her eyes off of Beacon Tower. Or rather, what remained of it. "It's... It's worse than I heard."

    "Same here," said Qrow. "I got knocked out during the middle of it all... but I heard what happened. Grimm, Mandos... Atlas tried to blow it up to make sure none of them got to the city."

    Sun nodded as he listened to the talk behind him. "Din told me everything," he said calmly. "He saw it all happen in front of him."

    As Gretchen became more and more aware of her surroundings, a bad thought came to her mind. "Are we sure we can do this?" she asked. When Sun and Qrow turned towards her, she asked the question again. "Are we sure we can do this?" She then pointed her finger all across the campus. "This... This is too much damage to work out. How are we supposed to make it like it was?"

    "We can't," Qrow bluntly replied. "Not right now. But remember what Oz said? We want a base, not a whole school right now."

    "Yeah, but look!" Gretchen pointed to Beacon Tower and some of the buildings. "That was the CCT, remember? And those buildings were where we got our missions! There's nothing left!"

    "Keep your voice down, kid!" Qrow moved closer. "Look, we'll figure it out, okay?! Let's just-!"

    "No."

    Qrow looked to see Sun walking towards them after he killed a Beowolf with a hunting knife he had. "She's right," he began. "We can destroy the Grimm pool, but we don't know the extent of the damages here. At least, that was what Ozpin told me. Perhaps we can find out while we're here."

    Despite the fact that she didn't fully trust Sun, Gretchen had to admit that what he proposed was a good idea. "Why not?" she asked in support. "If we leave after we destroy the pool, we'll have no idea what to bring or how long it'll take to get some of Beacon back."

    Qrow saw that he was outvoted on the matter, so he decided to follow along on his terms. "...Okay," he reluctantly began. "I'll take a quick look around and meet you at the pool."

    "I know the campus pretty good," Gretchen reminded Qrow. "Maybe I should go."

    "No, stay with Sun. He'll need some backup. Besides, I can make my way around much faster."

    "I may have to destroy the pool before we reunite," said Sun.

    Qrow easily understood. "Then do it. Don't wait up for me." He stood up straight and prepared to move into the fog. "Good luck."

    With that, he disappeared from sight.

    As soon as he couldn't see Sun, Gretchen, or anyone for that matter, Qrow transformed himself into a bird once again. The feeling of freedom in the air returned naturally to him, but the problems of the world didn't leave him this time. Instead of looking what was directly in front of him, Qrow looked down to see more Grimm and more ruined buildings below him.

    The Huntsman wasted no time at all after he chose one building to be his first stop. Unlike the majority of the buildings, this one was somewhat standing. The only kind of damage that was obvious was a large portion of the ceiling and a wall missing. It was too much to fix at the moment, but having proper guards at the wall would make the building safe enough to be part of a base.

    Qrow searched the immediate area to examine the damage and see if he could scavenge anything useful. When he saw that nothing remained, Qrow made a mental note of the building's potential usefulness and transformed once more.

    His next stop was one of the student dormitories. Some of them had been blown to bits, though it was impossible to tell if this was the work of the Mandalorians or Atlas. The Grimm had helped themselves to making the places their roaming grounds, so Qrow settled on another building that appeared to be in one piece.

    But as soon as Qrow transformed, the floor underneath him gave way.

    Qrow fell through two floors until he landed on something solid. Unfortunately for him, the Grimm heard the noise and were pleased to see a vulnerable Huntsman for the taking. Qrow was quick to stop a Beowolf inches from his face, and he was able to push it away before its fangs could bite his flesh. His Aura helped him with this strength and his recovery, but using Harbinger was the only thing that required his own skill. And in a flash, Qrow killed a pack of Beowolves and its ferocious Alpha.

    Qrow turned into a bird once more and decided to approach the buildings with more caution. With this in mind, the Huntsman decided to search for any sign of higher ground. He found it at what remained of Beacon Tower, much to his surprise. The majority of the building was gone, but there was one tower that seemed to be standing. It wasn't Ozpin's old office, but it was a place that allowed someone to see the campus from high above.

    And though he had a hard time believing it, Qrow could swear that he saw a light coming from the tower.

    With his curiosity piqued, Qrow made his way to the tower and perched himself on the windowsill. The glass that once stood between it had been destroyed, so it was easy to enter whenever Qrow pleased. And rather than seeing more debris and destruction, Qrow saw life inside the building.

    Mandalorians were the current inhabitants, and they seemed to have made the tower a sort of camp or base. There were people polishing their weapons and armor, drinking, and talking amongst themselves. Some were even playing a game of cards while betting on Lien and jewelry, most likely souvenirs from conquests across the Kingdom.

    The one thing that got Qrow's attention was a large computer screen that was fully operational. Next to it we're smaller screens, but they were still in working order. The larger one showed a map of Vale covered in red dots while the smaller screens had writing that was too small to read.

    But Qrow didn't need to read the screens to know what all of this meant.

    "There's still electrical power here," Qrow thought to himself. "And those look like Beacon's systems! If all of these can still work... the mission system could be just like what it-"

    "Hey!"

    Qrow's train of thought was cut off by a hand waving right at him. "Get outta here!" a male voice commanded as he continued to swat at the bird. Qrow let out two yells at the Mandalorian before he flew away, since he had no reason to stay any longer.

    Now he had good news he could share with Ozpin.

    "Excuse me, Gar Saxon."

    Qrow couldn't help but overhear the Mandalorians talking again. He looked down from where he was currently perched and looked to see a Mandalorian in red and white armor talking to someone in plain white armor.

    "One of our own just reported in from the outskirts," he said while handing his leader a piece of paper. "She had a message from your brother."

    The red and white Mandalorian, the one Qrow assumed to be "Gar Saxon", took the piece of paper and read it carefully in silence. But as he continued to read, the hand holding the paper began to crush it. Whatever was on the paper seemed to be displeasing.

    "What?!" Saxon asked as he read the paper one more time. "How can one Huntsman do this?!" He threw the paper aside as he looked back to the Mandalorian. "Is my brother's messenger still here?"

    "I believe so," the Mandalorian replied.

    "Take me to them. I need to join our newest enforcer outside afterwards." Gar Saxon quickly followed the Mandalorian as he asked another question. "Did you check in with the excavation team below us?"

    "Yes, sir. Still nothing to be found."

    "I'll have our enforcer tell Her Grace when he departs."

    "If it's urgent, sir, should I join you both as well?"

    "You may as well. He knows where the intruders are."

    *CLICK*​

    The door closed behind the duo and the voices of more Mandalorians drowned out anything else they could have been saying. Qrow's head was filled with so many thoughts that he needed a second to think. There were many questions that needed answers, and they were needed right away.

    Did Ozpin really send one Huntsman to deal a blow to the Mandalorians? And how could a single person do that?

    If it wasn't obvious before, it was clear now that the Saxons were working for Salem. And she had apparently sent one of her minions to oversee the efforts to keep anyone out of Beacon. Who was it?

    And what was going on with an "excavation team" at Beacon? What could the Mandalorians possibly be digging for?

    Lastly, it seemed that his presence, along with Gretchen's and Sun's, had not gone unnoticed. They were all in immediate danger, and the mission was in extreme jeopardy if measures had already been taken.

    With that in mind, Qrow decided to stop his spying here and now. It was rather fortuitous that he listened to Gretchen and Sun, since he now knew that power could be restored at Beacon. The buildings merely needed some extra security and caution, so there seemed to be good news all around.

    But now, all that mattered was destroying the Grimm pool and leaving while they still could.

    While Qrow was successful with his spying, Gretchen and Sun had gotten much closer to the large Grimm pool. Based on the images she saw in Vale, Gretchen knew the pool was located well past Beacon Tower. This was a piece of land that was well past the school and dorm rooms; it was mostly a place for students to hang out and watch the stars overhead. Besides traveling to Vale or enjoying the safety of their rooms, this was one of the places of recreation for Beacon students.

    At first, it was easy to either slip past or quietly kill the Grimm that stood in their way. Now, it proved to be rather a challenge to cross the field since there were more Grimm and Mandalorians walking around and absolutely nothing but free space as far as the eye could see.

    "We can't sneak past that many," Gretchen said.

    "No, we can't," Sun agreed. "But perhaps..." He looked up into the sky. "I can fly us over them. I'll have to carry you."

    "Won't the Mandos see us?"

    "Most likely. But this fog is dense enough to hide us both. They may think I'm one of their own."

    Gretchen would have gone along with this idea, if there wasn't one other factor to remember. "But Mandalorian helmets have thermal vision. They'll see me with you."

    Sun was surprised by Gretchen's knowledge of Mandalorian armor, but he had a good idea as to how she possessed it. "Did Din share that with you?"

    "Um..." Gretchen wasn't expecting to hear Sun mention her old professor, but she didn't see any reason not to answer the question. "Yeah, that's right. He told us about it in one of his demonstrations."

    Sun looked back to the Mandalorians and Grimm while he created another idea. "...What do you think he would do in this situation?" he asked. While he had a good idea about the best course of action, Sun was curious as to what Djarin had taught the students at Beacon.

    Gretchen looked at the numbers before her one more time as she wondered what Djarin would do. He had taught her many lessons during her time at school, but one lesson stood out when she thought about how many enemies laid in her path.

    That day, Djarin had Gretchen and her whole team fight him in hand-to-hand. The fight was in their favor at first, but the tide changed when Djarin used his flamethrower to set off the classroom's sprinkler system. It was enough to make them lose focus and for Djarin to take the advantage away from Gretchen's team and claim victory.

    "He would distract them all," Gretchen said confidently.

    "Indeed he would," Sun said in approval. "Is there anything close by that could work as a distraction?"

    "No." Gretchen reached into her pocket. "But I have some Dust crystals that could do the trick." She handed them over to the Mandalorian. "Be careful, they're agitated."

    "These will be perfect." However, Sun chose to hand them over to Gretchen. "I need you to throw them over there." He pointed towards the fog before he took out a rifle he was carrying. "I'll shoot them with this."

    Gretchen prepared to throw a single Dust crystal. "I'll do them one at a time. It might make the Mandos spread out more."

    "Unless some of them stay behind, throw each one in a single direction. So we can stay out of sight."

    Gretchen understood the logic of the idea and threw the first crystal to the left. When it was at a safe distance, Sun raised the rifle and fired at the crystal.

    *BOOM*​

    Some of the Grimm were caught in the explosion and turned into ash, but the Mandalorians were merely stunned and fell over. When they recovered, a myriad of questions and speculations arose as they tried to find the cause of the explosion and determine if they were under attack.

    Gretchen threw another crystal and Sun fired.

    *BOOM*​

    The blast was farther away this time, but it still knocked some of the Saxons over. But now, they saw the explosion and where it was coming from. The duo was forced to retreat into the fog further as the Mandalorians searched their immediate surroundings before they followed the explosion in the hopes of finding the source. Sun was ready to fire at another crystal, but Gretchen put her last one away with care.

    "Just in case," she said. Sun silently agreed as he began to quickly move in the direction of the pool. Given that there were more Grimm in their way, Sun and Gretchen were certain that they were heading in the right direction.

    "That was a decent plan," Sun said as he finished off an Beowolf by slicing its neck. "Din seems to have taught you well."

    Gretchen looked back to the Mandalorian after she dealt a fatal punch to a large Ursa. "...Thanks," she said as she felt pride in herself. "So, you two really know each other, huh?"

    "Indeed. We grew up together along with the other Foundlings of the Tribe."

    "Foundlings?"

    "Orphans saved from the Grimm."

    "..."

    Gretchen stopped moving when she heard what Sun said. When he wasn't teaching excessive hand-to-hand combat, Professor Djarin had shared stories from his past. He told them in the hopes that his students could learn what to do and what not to do when their Auras had been depleted and they were alone against the Grimm.

    And yet, she had never heard that he was an orphan.

    Gretchen rejoined Sun and processed the news she received from him. Despite his odd behavior, such as wearing his armor at all times, Gretchen respected Professor Djarin. He was an excellent teacher and mentor, but she couldn't help but be a little unnerved every time she saw his armor. She had learned much about Mandalorians from her classes and society's views, mainly how they prioritized war and combat above all else.

    But if Professor Djarin was an orphan, the Mandalorians were the only family he ever knew. Yet he was willing to go beyond that to teach people what he knew and use this knowledge to save lives. If one Mandalorian could do that... why couldn't someone who Professor Djarin considered a friend do the same?

    Or any Mandalorian for that matter?

    "Stop!"

    Gretchen came to a halt when heard Sun's voice and saw his arm block her path. Rather than asking why, she looked down to see a black, tar-like substance below her. The substance appeared to be a few feet deep, but it stretched as far as the eye could see.

    This was it.

    This was the pool of Grimm they were searching for.

    "We made it," Gretchen said as she surveyed the abnormal sight. "It's so... big."

    "Yes," said Sun, who was also taking note of the size of the pool. "It's hard to believe."

    Gretchen agreed, but there was something else she had a hard time believing. "Sun... you can destroy this thing. Right?"

    Sun looked over to Gretchen and gave her a single nod. "Yes, I can."

    "How?"

    "..."

    Sun was unsure how to answer that question, since his secret weapon was still a secret. Ever since he learned the true nature of the power within him, which he previously believed to be his Semblance, Djarin and Ozpin persuaded him that it was necessary to not use it so freely and keep it hidden. But Ozpin understood that there would be times when he needed to use it, which was why he had previously met him earlier.

    Sun understood the need to keep his power a secret from his enemies... but didn't an ally, someone who had already risked her life by coming here, deserve to know the truth?

    "I-"

    "Destroy it, already!"

    Sun and Gretchen looked around when they heard a new but familiar voice call out to them. Their search for the owner ended when Qrow emerged from the fog and met them at the edge of the pool.

    "Qrow, you're back!" Gretchen exclaimed in pride. "Are you okay?"

    "Hunky dory, kid," Qrow quickly replied. "But they know we're here, we gotta destroy this thing now!"

    "What? How?"

    "Never mind that!" Qrow turned to Sun as he began to calm down. "If you're gonna destroy this thing, you gotta do it fast."

    "Alright, then," the Mandalorian said as he moved close to the pool. "Stand back. And cover your eyes."

    "..."

    The Huntsman and the Huntress obeyed, even though Gretchen was confused by the order. Nonetheless, she followed Qrow's lead. With that, Sun closed his own eyes and concentrated. As he did so, the Mandalorian tried his best to think about all the people in his life he was willing to protect. This was what he did every time he used his Silver Eyes, and Ozpin even encouraged this behavior.

    The first thing Sun thought of was his home. He had been a part of the defense against those who wished to secede from the Tribe and the one Djarin warned everyone about. The success of both made him feel proud.

    The second was the friends he had made with the tribe, specifically Djarin. They were inseparable during their youth, and they overcame almost any kind of challenge together. He was sad to learn his friend left to raise Cinder somewhere else, but no amount of distance could break their friendship.

    The last, and most important thing, that Sun thought about was someone young and special. One similarity that Sun shared with Djarin was that he became a Founder himself, and with a little girl too. Djarin and Cinder knew about this, they even met the child that Sun had found. He couldn't explain why, but he felt a sense of duty and belonging with the child as he got to know her. For better or worse, the child he found was his responsibility.

    And now, she was depending on Sun to protect her from the monsters at Beacon and come home safely.

    "Get away from her."

    The light within Sun, which had increased at the thought of his Foundling, died when a new voice came to his ears and caused him to open his eyes. He turned around fast, as did Qrow and Gretchen. When they did, all of their eyes fell upon a tall figure standing behind them. A large cloud was covering more distinct features, but the figure's voice revealed itself to be a man.

    "What the-?" Qrow asked in confusion.

    Sun moved away from the pool and towards the Huntsman. "Who is that?" he asked Qrow.

    "I was wondering the same thing," Qrow answered. His unfamiliarity with the tall man was the reason Qrow decided to keep his distance and keep a firm grip on his weapon. Sun was doing the same thing while preparing himself for anything unexpected.

    "I said get away from her," the man repeated. "Now."

    Qrow and Sun couldn't help but look at the Huntress as the figure before them gave his order. "Wh-What?" Gretchen asked in fear. "Why?"

    Qrow noticed something else in the fog. He saw flames coming closer and closer to the ground, and they immediately disappeared. Given his experience at the cliff, he knew what it meant. "It's them," he said to Sun. "We're out of time."

    "I know," Sun firmly said. "Give me a minute." His eyes were closed once again as he tried to bring the light back.

    Qrow didn't doubt the Mandalorian's powers, but he did doubt the idea of finishing the mission. "There's no time!" He grabbed Sun's shoulder and reached towards Gretchen. "We gotta get outta here! Come on!" He watched as Gretchen moved closer and reached for Qrow's hand.

    "Gretchen, stop!"

    Everyone stopped moving when they heard the man yell Gretchen's name. All of them looked towards the man, but Gretchen was the only one who spoke. "What?" she asked in disbelief. "How do you know my name?!"

    Something new came out of the fog this time, and made itself clear to see since it was coming towards the trio. It was a simple hand, a large one that held its open palm towards the Huntress. "Come with me," the man ordered calmly.

    "..."

    Qrow finally found his voice again, and used it. "Gretchen, what's going on?" he asked.

    "I don't know!" the young Huntress insisted. "Really!"

    Qrow could see that his first companion wasn't going to be of much help at the moment. But he had a hunch that whoever wanted her was an enemy; he might even be the one Salem sent to oversee Beacon's occupation. If that was true, then only one kind of response was necessary.

    "If you want her..." Qrow said as he moved in front of Gretchen while he reached for Harbinger. "You gotta go through me first."

    While he owed no loyalty to the Huntress, Sun joined Qrow and pointed his gauntlet at the man in the mist. "And me," he said.

    The figure lowered its hand before it spoke again. "...Nobody has to die today," he warned and offered at the same time.

    While everyone understood the nature of the threat, Gretchen was the one who was afraid the most. Not just for her safety, but for the lives of her companions. She knew her duty as a Huntress meant to save lives, not sacrifice them. There was no way she could let them take on the Mandalorians and this man on their own just to protect her.

    But that wasn't the only reason she wanted to stop this.

    "...Who are you?" Gretchen asked.

    The man in the mist didn't move, but Gretchen was sure that he was looking at her. "...Step away from them, Gretchen," he ordered again.

    But Gretchen wasn't in the mood to be taking orders like this. "Who are you?" she asked again as she attempted to show some kind of dominance.

    "..."

    Despite the silence, Gretchen again tried to show that she wasn't afraid. "You're right. Nobody has to die. So come out of the fog and talk to us."

    "..."

    Qrow and Sun looked at each other once more, and they shared the same kind of uncertainty and doubt. They didn't think Gretchen could negotiate their way out of this, regardless of how the man in the mist knew her. Qrow was even considering that this mission was another failure and that they needed to leave.

    Sun had the same idea about leaving, and he considered grabbing Gretchen and using his jetpack to fly over the pool and escape. He didn't have enough strength to carry two people, but he did have an idea as to how he could come back for Qrow.

    But any attempts at strategy were put to a halt when the hidden man did something unexpected; he obeyed Gretchen and came out of the mist.

    The man was indeed very tall, which gave off a very intimidating aura. He was wearing a green trench coat over a black shirt and black pants, but everyone was drawn to the brutal expression on his face. The circles under his eyes would give the impression that he was exhausted, but the scowl he was wearing made a strong chill go down everyone's spines.

    Sun could confirm that this man was a complete stranger to him, but Qrow was starting to believe that he had seen him at least once.

    Gretchen, however, was the only one who knew who he was.

    "...Hazel?"

    "..."

    The Huntsman and Mandalorian looked at each other for the umpteenth time, but they were both surprised by Gretchen's familiarity with the man to do anything.

    "Hazel, is that you?" Gretchen asked again. This time, she gently moved past Sun and Qrow as she moved closer to the person she believed to be her twin brother.

    "...Hello, Gretchen," Hazel replied with the smallest hint of a smile.

    Gretchen smiled herself, given that it had been a long time since she had seen her brother. The last time she did was in Vale, when she was recovering from nearly fatal injuries on a training mission. When he came to see her, Hazel was ready to take Gretchen away from Beacon and her dreams of being a Huntress. She had argued about this before, and she wasn't going to let a failed mission stop her from staying.

    The argument must have lasted hours before it was over. Hazel's final attempt was to show how much Gretchen needed to be protected, that the mission should have showed her that. Gretchen agreed, but chose to trust her teammates and Ozpin, people who treated her like herself rather than a child, with her safety instead. She then went into a tangent as to how Hazel's "protection" was akin to total, domineering control.

    And how nobody would ever want to be with someone like that.

    Needless to say, Gretchen felt horrible about saying that. But before she could apologize, Hazel decided that he was tired of arguing as well. He left his sister without another word, and didn't bother to see her again ever since. Gretchen began to wonder if he was even alive, or if he was willing to talk again.

    It seemed that today had answered both of Gretchen's questions. She had so much she wanted to say to Hazel, but the emotions she was feeling were too much for words to express. She decided to show this emotion through a hug, one that Hazel willingly reciprocated.

    "I have you, Gretchen," Hazel said calmly. "It's going to be okay."

    Gretchen looked up at Hazel and dried a tear in her eye. "Hazel... I-"

    "He has her!"

    "Do it now!"

    *THWIP*

    *THWIP*

    *THWIP*

    *THWIP*    ​

    Through the mist, multiple metal wires flew as fast as lightning towards the Grimm pool. One just missed Gretchen's arm, but the rest all made direct hits at Qrow and Sun. The Huntsman found his arms caught in the wires and he was pulled to the ground. As he fell, two of the Mandalorians ran over and pointed their rifles at his face. Sun was also ensnared in wires, and a Saxon Mandalorian cam from the sky and tackled him in order to remove the jetpack on his back.

    Gretchen was horrified by the turn of events. She felt like a complete fool when she forgot about the Mandalorians, and now she was about to pay dearly for her mistake. But rather than watch as the savage Saxons lay one more finger on her allies, Gretchen let go of her brother and grabbed one Mandalorian.

    "Stop it!" she yelled. Having learned from her initial mistake, Gretchen held the Mandalorian in a headlock as she prepared to grab a Dust crystal from her pocket.

    *BAM*​

    Another Mandalorian hit Gretchen with the end of his rifle and watched as she fell to the ground. Fortunately, her Aura was strong enough to heal the bruise so she could prepare to roll out of the way of what she expected to be blaster-fire.

    But the end of the blaster was grasped by Hazel's hand, who then threw it away like it was a toy.

    "I said nobody would harm her!" Hazel screamed as he looked down on the Mandalorian who was about to attack her. "No matter what happens! Do you understand?!"

    "..."

    Hazel's disappointment at the turn of events began to disappear when he saw the Mandalorian comply. Whether it was out of fear or duty, it didn't matter. He then turned to Gretchen and offered his dumbfounded sister a hand. She took it and felt herself rise while she continued to stare at the Mandalorian who attacked her.

    Gretchen also saw the other Mandalorians that were waiting behind her brother. Not simply waiting for something else to happen, but almost as if... they were waiting for orders.

    Hazel's orders.

    "Hazel... why are they listening to you?" Gretchen asked.

    "..."

    Gretchen was forced to draw her own conclusions from her brother's silence, but she still needed to hear the truth from him. "Why are they listening to you? Hazel... what are you doing here?"

    "...Giving you the life you deserve," Hazel replied, finally breaking his silence.

    "..."

    Gretchen lost her voice when she heard the phrase. It was familiar to her, it was something Hazel had said before he disappeared. Once again, she was forced to draw her own conclusions from her observations.

    But Sun was the first to bring the conclusion out in the open.

    "By siding with the enemy?" Sun declared as he struggled in the grasp of the other Mandalorians.

    "You're one to talk, apostate," another voice called out. Only this time, it was from a red and white Mandalorian who had joined the crowd with two personal guards. It seemed that Gar Saxon had finally joined in the capture of the intruders. "We are on the verge of greatness!" he continued. "There can be no room for weakness in our return to glory!"

    Sun ignored the accusation, but used it to his advantage. "Listen to them!" he yelled at Hazel. "The Saxons are savages who bring nothing but chaos wherever they go! Look at how they destroyed this place!"

    "This was more than necessary," Hazel replied before he looked down to his sister. "Gretchen, I've learned things since the day I left. Meet people I never even imagined could exist. Saw things I still can't explain. And they all pointed to the same thing; you can't be with these people, you can't risk your life like this anymore."

    Gretchen had heard this expression a dozen times over, and she was just as tired of it as the first time. But now, she was starting to feel sick. She was sick by the sight of Hazel siding with thieves and murders, all just to emphasize his beliefs.

    Nevertheless, Hazel continued to talk.

    "Being on our own, all those years ago... the things we had to do to survive... you were what held me together, Gretchen. But I wasn't the brother you needed. Now I'm here to help you. And I'll start by getting you out of here."

    Sun had stopped talking when he saw that breaking free would be no easy task. While he pondered a new strategy, Qrow voiced his own opinions. "Hazel, I don't know half the stuff you're talking about, but Gretchen's doing fine," he insisted as he tried to restore order amidst the situation. "Look at her! She just tried to manhandle a Mandalorian and she can kill any Grimm in her way. She's a great Huntress, and she-"

    "She shouldn't have been a Huntress!" Hazel yelled to Qrow. "She shouldn't even be here, taking all these risks! Look what's happened to you because of them!"

    "Well, whose fault is that?! You're the one giving these bastards orders, aren't ya?!"

    "The Mandalorians have always been like this. Ever since their birth. But you..." Hazel pointed a large finger at Qrow. "You allow Ozpin to send children to their deaths! For a cause that holds no victory! And for what?! To put yourselves on top of the pyramid your Headmaster made?!"

    Hazel stopped talking when he felt someone shove him from behind. When he turned around, he saw Gretchen on the verge of tears. "Dammit, Hazel!" she cursed loudly. "That's not why I do this!"

    "Gretchen, please! You don't know what you're doing!"

    "I know exactly what I'm doing!" Gretchen took her chance and moved closer to Qrow and Sun. She then raised her fists and prepared to fight their captors head on. "I'm doing what's right! And that doesn't include joining the same people who already killed so many others!"

    Blasters and gauntlets were raised towards Gretchen in order to show her that there was no way out. She understood this well, but there was never a time in her life when she backed away from people who needed help. And today wasn't going to be one of those days.

    But that didn't stop her from turning back towards Hazel with tear-filled eyes. "I don't know what's happened to you, or whose been putting these ideas in your head, but you're still my brother," Gretchen insisted as she stood her ground. "But if you really want to help me, Hazel... help me now."

    "..."

    Gretchen was right; she didn't know everything that happened to her twin. But Hazel knew well, and he knew that his master wouldn't be happy if he didn't act now. Even though she had promised the hulk of a man the chance to save his sister in the midst of war, Salem would accept no objectors to her cause.

    Hazel knew this well, as did Gar Saxon. And now, the leader of the Mandalorians was ready to put his master's thoughts into actions.

    "That's enough," he said as he also raised his blaster. "If you don't control that brat, I will."

    Hazel was confident he could swat Saxon away like a fly, but that wouldn't change the situation. "...Nobody has to die today," he said again, in an attempt to calm the situation down on both sides.

    "Oh, yeah?" Qrow asked before Gretchen could say anything else. "Well, I wouldn't be here if I didn't know the risks." He looked towards the nearest Mandalorian who was keeping him captive. "If I'm gonna die today... it's as good as any other day."

    The white-armored Mandalorian grinned under his helmet as he pulled out a hunting knife and pressed it against Qrow's throat. "Sounds good to me," he sadistically replied as he watched a drop of blood fall on the metal.

    "..."

    For lack of a better word, Qrow knew that he was screwed. He was inches away from a liquid that was still spawning Grimm, being held captive by warmongering slaves of Salem, watching more Grimm being drawn towards the negativity Gretchen was giving off, and now he had a knife on his throat that was drawing blood. But for one reason known to him, Qrow wasn't despairing or giving up hope just yet.

    He was praying that his Semblance would pay off for once today.

    Misfortune, as Qrow named it, had seemed to do wonders today. First, Qrow failed the missions that he was assigned on the failure of a Huntsman mission system. Then, he had nearly lost Gretchen when he was shot in the chest. And now, two others and himself were just seconds away from being killed. Qrow could amount all of this bad luck to his Semblance, since it was one that he couldn't turn off or fully control.

    But if it could do all of this for him and his allies... Qrow hoped that it would do something even worse for his enemies.

    The Huntsman couldn't see any answer to his prayers yet, but he could see that the Saxons next to Sun seemed to have gained an inspiration from their partner's actions. For they too had taken their own knives out and pressed them against Sun's throat.

    "What about you, apostate?" the first one asked. "Is today the day you join our ancestors?"

    "I can think of no greater honor," the second one said as he stared at Sun.

    "..."

    The Child of the Watch said nothing as he remained completely still. The Mandalorians next to him weren't intrigued by the silence, but one of them was intrigued by something else.

    "I can," he said as he remembered his partner's statement. He then grasped the bottom of Sun's helmet. "Let's see if this one can look his killers in the eye."

    The statement immediately set Gretchen off, but all she could do was turn to her brother since he was the only one who could stop this madness. "Hazel, please!" she begged.

    Gar Saxon gave the Huntress a response by pointing his blaster at her chest. "Any day now," he warned Hazel as he prepared to fire.

    The Mandalorian unmasking Sun had pulled the mask enough to see his chin. "Almost there..." he said.

    Qrow closed his eyes and concentrated. "Come on," he thought. "Please!"

    "Almost there..."

    "Stop it, Hazel! Now!"

    "That does it!"

    "No, wait!"

    Chaos was all around Qrow, but he refused to look at it. And he refused to give up on his Semblance. If someone like Summer Rose could still believe in him, after everything that happened, then he had to believe in himself too.

    The Mandalorian removing Sun's helmet had just gotten towards his lower lip, and he was more than ready to move in for the kill. His partner was ready to, and he was looking right into Sun's visor as he prepared to watch the life fade from his eyes.

    But from the darkness of the visor, the Mandalorian could see something growing from underneath the helmet. From the blackness there appeared to be... a light.

    "Wait, what's tha-?"

    *WHOOSH*​

    After what felt like an eternity of blocking out noise and deep concentration, Sun Jabbid had finally accomplished what he had set out to do. The Creatures of Grimm and the Grimm pool behind him could now feel the power of his Silver Eyes, the weapon that Sun now used to protect the ones he called allies.

    As the light spread from his eyes to the entire field, Grimm gave out a pained roar as they either turned to crumbling stone or turned to ash in an instant. And as luck would have it, the light of Sun's eyes seemed to be having an effect on everyone close around him, even as it began to fade.

    "My eyes!"

    "I can't see!"

    "It burns!"

    Sun was aware that the light could only prove lethal to Grimm, but it seemed those within tight proximity were susceptible to its brightness. When the Mandalorian finally saw something other than white, he could see every Mandalorian, including Gar Saxon, rip off their helmets and cover their eyes in an attempt to see again.

    Even though he missed the spectacle from his closed eyes, Qrow could see the wonderful aftermath. The Saxons holding him and Sun down were too busy trying to recover from the light that they had inadvertently freed their prisoners. Qrow was a free man once again.

    And to make matters better, the Grimm pool behind him had became nothing but crumbling stone. The threat of the Grimm was gone from Beacon.

    "Son of a bitch, you did it!" Qrow yelled as he slapped Sun's back in pride. His hand hurt from hitting his Beskar armor so hard, but Qrow was too happy to care about pain.

    "It's over..." Sun said as he began to take deep heavy breaths. It was clear this amount of light was a strong one, even for him. "I didn't think... I could do it with... everything going on."

    Qrow laughed as he helped Sun stand up. "Never doubted you for a second!"

    Sun began to feel proud of himself for destroying the Grimm pool, but he didn't let his pride cloud his senses. And one of those senses told him that the Saxons wouldn't be down for long. "We have to go, now!" he said as he pointed in the direction he originally came from. "Quick, to the cliff!"

    Qrow began to follow the triumphant Mandalorian's lead, but stopped when he saw an unarmored woman kneeling on the ground next to a larger man while rubbing her eyes. "Kid, get up!" he yelled as he grabbed her arm. "We gotta go!"

    "Wh-What happened?!" she asked as she continued to rub her eyes.

    "No time, just go!"

    Qrow continued to hold Gretchen's arm as he ran across the campus. With the lack of Grimm, the blinding of Hazel and the Mandalorians, and the fog beginning to disappear, Qrow had some time to process everything that happened. If he was begin honest, he was happy that his Semblance seemed to have worked in his favor. This wouldn't be the first time, but it was indeed a rare occurrence. Most of the time, Misfortune would bring bad luck to just about everyone around him.

    It was also something that Qrow believed to have played a role in Summer's death.

    But this was one of the times that everything seemed to work out in the end. While Qrow couldn't shake the feeling that blinding the Mandalorians may have been going overboard, since he was never blinded by Summer's light, he felt extremely happy that he had used it to accomplish this mission. And perhaps this could be the first of many more lucky missions to come.

    "We're almost there!" said Sun, who continued to run towards the edge of the cliff. Qrow didn't know what was awaiting for them there, but he continued to run towards it.

    "How're you holding up, kid?!" Qrow asked as he turned around for a split second. "You good?!"

    Gretchen needed a few moments before she could answer. "...Yeah," she began. "Yeah! I-I can see okay!"

    Sun also made a brief turnaround when he heard what Gretchen said. "You may not be the only one!" he said as he picked up his pace. "We have to hurry!"

    Qrow let go of Gretchen and did his best to keep up with the surprisingly fast Mandalorian. "Whatcha got at the cliff?! Another ship?!"

    "Not quite! Let's just say our work here isn't finished!"

    "What do you-?!"

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Multiple blaster shots hit the ground besides the trio, which caused them to stumble when they were close to their feet. After he realized they were coming from above rather than behind them, Qrow looked overhead to see a few Mandalorians flying overhead and shooting at them

    "It's them!" Qrow called out. "They're coming!"

    "We're almost there!" Sun yelled as he kept moving forward. He then pressed a button on one of his gauntlets. "Hurry!"

    The Saxons above could see that their continued efforts to shoot their enemies were either missed shots or merely hitting the Auras of the ones below. So one of them opted to use the missile on his jetpack to land a more devastating blow. But Qrow looked up just in time to see the missile heading right for him.

    *BOOM*​

    Thinking quickly, Qrow turned into his avian form and received only a small dusting when the missile landed on the ground. When the dust was cleared, Qrow transformed into a human again before anyone could notice.

    When they had enough of the chase and realized where their enemies were going, the Saxons increased their speed and soon found themselves at the cliff before anyone else was. They then landed back on the ground and pointed their blasters back at the trio who dared to invade their claimed land.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Gunfire and blaster-fire flew on both sides as Qrow and Sun used their own weapons to defend themselves. Gretchen took cover from the firefight, but included her own efforts as she emptied her pockets of Dust and threw them in the direction of the Saxons. Fire Dust exploded when it hit the ground, and the other crystals that followed were either shot at to unleash powers of nature or simply hit the ground. With each one that hit the ground, Gretchen mentally cursed herself to work on her aim.

    But her powers of observation hadn't failed her yet. And they let her see that Gar Saxon and his other Mandalorians were joining the fight. And along with them, Hazel had also decided to fight with them.

    Despite her heart breaking even more, Gretchen moved out of her cover and made her way to her allies. "Qrow! Sun!" she called out. "They're coming!"

    Qrow turned around fast and starting firing at the incoming army.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*    ​

    Qrow looked at the twin barrels of Harbinger when he heard the familiar clicking sound three times in a row. "I'm out!" he said as he turned to Sun. "Can you spare?!"

    Sun looked down at his rifle and removed an empty magazine from it. When he began to search for another, three yellow blasts hit his chest and caused him to fall to the ground. Qrow turned around to see not another yellow blast, but a surge of black matter strike him down. His Aura finally shattered as he looked up to see Gar Saxon holding the Darksaber inches away from his face.

    "You!" Saxon screamed as he stomped on Qrow's chest and pushed the Darksaber close to his face. "You began as a thorn in my side, but now you have cost us dearly!" The heat of the sword was already burning Qrow's face, and he could feel the burn spreading across his cheek. Saxon would have let him suffer more, but he instead raised the sword and spoke again. "Prepare to join your Fall Maiden, wherever she may-"

    "Lord Saxon!"

    Gar Saxon kept his foot on Qrow's chest, but looked towards one of his guards. At the moment, he was pointing to the edge of the cliff. "Multiple contacts incoming!" he said.

    Gar looked away from his guard and towards the edge of the cliff. The fog had completely dissipated, leaving room to see the sun shining down on the former campus. Along with the sun, there seemed to something floating in the air.

    Not just floating, but coming closer and closer.

    "Ram'or!" (Attack!)

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BOOM*

    *BANG*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Gunfire and explosions fell onto the cliffside like lighting as the skies and land became overrun with more Mandalorians. But unlike the Saxons, these Mandalorians were covered in golden armor. And they appeared to be defending the trio that were at Saxon's mercy.

    As she helped Qrow get back on his feet, Gretchen watched in surprise as the tide turned against the Saxon Clan. Qrow was also at a loss of words, as he was not expecting this to be part of the plan. As to why Sun kept it from him, Qrow couldn't tell for sure.

    But Qrow was simply glad that all of this was in the plan.

    The sound of jet fire from behind caught the attention of the Huntsman and Huntress, and they turned to see a golden Mandalorian land before them.

    "Fight with us if you want to live," she said as she joined her brethren in battle.

    Qrow and Gretchen looked to each other as they began to comprehend the situation they were in. Qrow understood it first, and he transformed Harbinger into its large scythe. "You heard her," he said as he charged at a Saxon. Gretchen firmly nodded and took out one fire Dust crystal and one electric Dust crystal before she fought for her survival.

    Sun collided into a Saxon Mandalorian and threw him aside before he fired at the exposed pieces beneath his armor. He then fired at every Saxon he saw, despite some of the shots hitting Aura and Beskar. But when he was joined by another golden Mandalorian, his contribution doubled against the Saxons.

    "Well done, my friend!" Sun said as he continued to fire his weapon.

    "Well done yourself!" said the golden Mandalorian. "You were the mastermind of this plan after all!"

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    "I only regret the tardiness on my part!"

    "All in the past, Jabbid! This is our future now!"

    *BAM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    "Is Clan Vizsla ready as well?"

    "They are! They're approaching from the south as we agreed!"

    "Then our enemy has no place to go!"

    Sun looked over to Qrow and Gretchen, who were doing their best to hold their own against the Saxons. Qrow's scythe was keeping them at a distance while Gretchen's powerful punches were breaking anyone who dared to cross her path.

    His concern for his allies was true, but the golden Mandalorian's eyes were set on Gar Saxon. At the moment, he was using the Darksaber to defend himself, but the Mandalorian knew it would only be a matter of time before the warlord would unleash his deadly Semblance. "We have to take out Saxon!" the Mandalorian said. "Or we'll be done before we even begin!"

    Sun understood the danger of Saxon's Semblance, but he also saw a chance to break the seemingly impenetrable defense. "Let me worry about Saxon!" he said as he took to the air. But rather than going to Saxon, he landed in between Qrow and Gretchen. "Not bad, you two!"

    "Not bad at all!" Qrow said with a laugh. He then swung his weapon just in time to hit a Saxon's jetpack. The Mandalorian was sent flying in the air before it exploded.

    Gretchen knew Qrow's Aura had shattered, so she was doing her best to take the majority of the blaster fire while she fought the Saxons. But she couldn't take her eyes off the golden Mandalorians. "Friends of yours?!" she asked.

    "Indeed!" Sun confirmed. "Clan Tenau, nomads who know Din very well! And who hold a grudge against the Saxons!"

    "Well, that's just fine and dandy!" Qrow said as he took a shot that grazed his arm. "But next time, how about you fill us in before we think we're gonna die?!"

    "I never meant to deceive you! After the Fall of Beacon, Clan Tenau chose to hide in the one place nobody would think to look; they used their weapons to make tunnels and caves in the cliff itself while the Grimm were destroying what remained of the school!"

    "Wait, what?!"

    "Exactly! I feared if we were captured, the Saxons would pry whatever information we had prior to coming here! I couldn't take the risk!"

    *BAM*​

    Gretchen punched more Mandalorians as she listened to the logic behind Sun's secret. "Water under the bridge, Sun!" she said. "Let's just focus on getting out of here alive!"

    *BANG*​

    Another Saxon was killed as he tried to stab Sun in the neck. "That's actually why I'm here!" he said as he pointed to the false Mand'alor. "Gar Saxon may be distracted now, but he'll use his Semblance when he thinks he has no choice! My brethren and I cannot risk a close encounter anymore than we already have, but you two may have a chance!"

    "What's his Semblance do?!" Qrow asked as he tried to catch his breath.

    "He can destroy Beskar! And anyone wearing it!"

    Qrow only needed a second before he decided what to do next. "Then get your people outta there! Gretchen and I will-!"

    "RRRRRAAAAAAAGGHHHH!"

    The most inhuman, memory-haunting scream reached the trio's ears and caught them completely off-guard. They turned around fast to see multiple gold Mandalorians being thrown in the air and spun around as if they were puppets. Gretchen had seen something like this before, when she needed protection against more Grimm than she could count.

    Only now, Hazel wasn't trying to protect her anymore.

    Sun saw the sight as well, and felt nothing but pity for his ally as he put a hand on her shoulder. He gently pushed her closer to Qrow so she wouldn't have to see Hazel fighting against people who were just trying to help. "Go where you are needed," he said calmly. "I wouldn't want to fight someone I considered 'brother' either."

    "..."

    Gretchen took a look back towards her brother one more time. She knew that she was the only one who stood a chance against him, given the fact they shared the same Semblance. But she didn't have the heart to fight him.

    But she was willing to give Sun a secret weapon.

    "Use this... only if you need to," Gretchen said as she placed something in his hand. When Sun opened it, he saw that it was the last remaining piece of agitated Dust she had. It was a fire Dust crystal, one that could create tremendous explosions like they did earlier. With that, Qrow and Gretchen charged towards Gar Saxon while Sun joined the effort to subdue Hazel.

    Gar Saxon had just killed a Mandalorian from Clan Tenau and easily noticed that Qrow and Gretchen had their eyes on him. He effortlessly blocked Harbinger's sharp end with the Darksaber and dodged Gretchen's punch with ease. Gretchen made sure to put two Dust crystals in her arms before she tried again, but she and Qrow were held off by two of Saxon's guards.

    "I got them!" Gretchen said as she charged and collided into the Mandalorians. "Just go!"

    Qrow obeyed and launched himself over the guards. He soon found himself in front of Gar Saxon, and so did another Tenau Mandalorian. But the leader decided to make this battle end swiftly, so he focused his Semblance on the Mandalorian next to Qrow. It had evolved from using a lot of energy to simply being a handheld ball that he could throw, which he did as he watched the Mandalorian turn to ash.

    "They were wise to send you against me," Saxon said as he raised the Darksaber towards Qrow. He then looked Qrow from head to toe. "Then again... I've lost count of how many Huntsmen I've killed."

    Qrow transformed Harbinger into a sword and moved it towards Saxon. "Oh, yeah?" he asked sarcastically with a grin. "Well, I know how many times Cinder's kicked your ass. She said you had more ego than skill."

    Gar moved into a different fighting position as he fumed at the insult. "I'll make you choke on those words, Huntsman." He then launched himself towards Qrow with his jetpack and clashed with his sword.

    Qrow pushed on the Darksaber as hard as he could, but it was hard since he was moving backwards because of Gar's jetpack. So he turned himself into a bird once again and sacrificed a few feathers to move behind the false king. When he turned human again, he swung his sword at Saxon's back.

    *CLASH*​

    Unfortunately, Saxon was able to meet Harbinger with the Darksaber. He then took the precaution of deactivating his jetpack before he sent a wave of fire towards Qrow. The Huntsman rolled under the flames, but was forced to abandon the cape he was wearing when it caught on fire. Realizing that this fight wouldn't be easy, Qrow let go of any restraint and dealt every blow imaginable towards the Mandalorian.

    Saxon was immediately put on the defense as he was forced to jump from place to place with Qrow, but he was successful in blocking the majority of the strikes with his sword. Some of Harbinger's strikes hit his torso and head, but his Aura and armor provided more than enough defense.

    *HISS*​

    Given his lack of Aura at the moment, Qrow wasn't as lucky with defending himself from the Darksaber's blade. His clothes and limbs became riddled with new cuts, but they weren't enough to make him give up.

    He soon thought his luck turned for the better when Gretchen Rainart finally joined him. She had just finished with Saxon's guards and injected herself with new Dust. Now with fire and electricity at her disposal, she prepared herself to do battle with the leader by charging directly at him.

    The false Mand'alor was struck by two blows as soon as he made contact with Gretchen. The Darksaber wasn't strong enough to break her Aura, and the power of two elements had just drained him much of his own. When he recovered, Gar didn't let this Dust-infused Huntress intimidate him. Instead, he saw an opportunity before him to use his enemy's strength against them.

    *BANG*

    *BOOM*    ​

    A yellow blast from Gar's wrist gauntlet made a direct hit with one of Gretchen's Dust crystals and caused an explosion around her. Qrow and Gar were caught in the blast and were dealt some damage; while Qrow collided into hard stone, Gar Saxon's Aura finally shattered. Gretchen was also injured from the blast, which had left her with a bad burn and exposed flesh on her arm. She was forced to use the remainder of her Aura to heal the wound before it became infected, or possibly cause irreparable damage to her arm.

    Saxon emerged victorious over Gretchen and Qrow. Once again, he stomped on Qrow's chest and swung the Darksaber downwards. Fortunately, Qrow grabbed Harbinger and used it as his last form of defense. Qrow knew this wouldn't last long, so he used quick thinking to save himself.

    "Hey, you guys!" Qrow called over to a group of Tenau Mandalorians that had just beat a few Saxons. When he saw that he had their attention, Qrow exposed Gar's weakness. "This asshole's got no Aura left!"

    "..."

    When Gar remembered that this claim was true, he looked back to see the Tenau Mandalorians charging and shooting at him. The Darksaber and his armor provided some protection, but he soon found himself outnumbered by the multiple Mandalorians. After taking some hits, Gar took the skies like a coward and tired to avoid both the Tenau and Vizsla Mandalorians as they swarmed like locusts over the battlefield.

    Naturally, the Tenau Mandalorians gave chase. Qrow stood up, but it took some effort due to his cuts and other injuries.

    "Need a hand?" a voice asked with a lowered hand. Qrow took it and felt himself come up off the ground thanks to Gretchen. "You okay?"

    "Yeah," Qrow said as he caught his breath. "What about you? That was a hell of a hit."

    "Yeah..." Gretchen looked at her other arm, which still had a deep bruise and some blood. "I don't think I'll be doing any heavy lifting for a while."

    A dry chuckle escaped Qrow's throat. "I don't know if I'll be doing too much of anything for a while."

    Gretchen noticed the peaceful moment she was sharing with Qrow, which made her wonder why she didn't have to fight for her life right now. But when she looked around to see multiple dead Saxons and the Tenau Mandalorians charging somewhere else, she had the answer to her question.

    "I don't think you have to," she said as she took another look around. "I think... I think the mission's over."

    Qrow was ready to call the mission accomplished as well, but screams and a disturbing sight in the distance caught his attention. "Uh, I wouldn't say we're done yet," he said as he pointed ahead. "Look."

    Gretchen followed Qrow's finger to see multiple Mandalorians being thrown aside and being dealt unbelievable amounts of damage. The sight was a familiar one, for both of them knew the man responsible for this was Hazel. After everything they did, everything they endured, Hazel refused to give up.

    Qrow let out a sigh as he looked to Gretchen. "Kid... I'm sorry," he said sincerely as he picked up Harbinger. "I know he's your brother, but he's standing in our way."

    "..."

    Gretchen didn't say a word, but she nodded as she dried her eye. Qrow took this as permission to join the fight, even though he was tired and feeling weak. But before he could charge once again, Gretchen moved her arm in his way and pointed towards one particular Mandalorian.

    True to his word, Sun Jabbid had joined the fight against Hazel Rainart. He had used everything at his disposal to fight, but he emerged quite the worse for wear. His helmet had multiple dents, his gauntlets were broken, and his chest plate was hanging on by a thread. All the while, Hazel had only one drop of blood while he fought and killed the other Mandalorians.

    Sun knew what he had to do, and he was saving it as a last resort. He had been keeping Gretchen's agitated Dust crystal safe from harm and now he was ready to use it. He was sure that there was no other way to finish off Hazel, albeit temporarily. And yet, he couldn't help but look at Hazel's twin and wait for any sign of confirmation or permission to use the Dust.

    Gretchen acquiesced to his request and gave him a slow but reluctant nod. With that, Sun ran over to Hazel one last time and injected the dangerous crystal right in the man's back.

    All of a sudden, Hazel's veins turned a bright red. Not like the red from normal fire Dust, but a color to show that it was burning and ready to explode. Hazel looked at his arms and let out an agonizing scream of pain; not even his Semblance could block out something this strong, not in the current condition it was in.

    The Mandalorians saw this change in Hazel, and knew that some kind of explosion was imminent. They all participated in a calculated retreat, as did Qrow and Gretchen. Hazel knew the source of the pain was coming from his back, but his arms were too large to reach and grab it.

    Despite the pain, Hazel was able to think of another plan of attack. If he charged right now, he could take a number of Mandalorians with him, whenever the crystal was ready to explode. And yet, he found himself charging in the opposite direction. For even though he found himself hating the Mandalorians who attacked him, Hazel knew his sister would be caught in the blast.

    *BOOM*​

    Hazel was blasted forward when the agitated Dust exploded. Not just forward, but everyone surmised that he had been launched at least ten feet forward. And when the smoke finally cleared, they could see Hazel laying limply on the ground.

    "Is he-?" Gretchen asked as she began to choke on her words.

    Sun lowered the range finder on his helmet to get a better look at Hazel. He was still on the ground, but he could see the large warrior doing his best to stand back up. His legs were moving, but standing up would be a great effort.

    "He's badly wounded," Sun reported as he moved his range finder upright. "And it seems he will not be fighting again for quite some time."

    Qrow was happy to hear that another victory was secured today, but he wasn't willing to take any chances. "If he recovers, he'll come back," he said. "And he won't fall for the same trick twice."

    "That may be so, but look around." Sun turned to see multiple injured Mandalorians behind him. From broken arms to bleeding heads, it was clear that the agitated Dust came in the nick of time. Anything less would have spelled the downfall of Clan Tenau. And the lack of ammunition and missiles wouldn't be doing anyone any favors. "We were lucky to escape with our lives."

    "He's up," another Mandalorian said before Qrow could argue. "And he's retreating."

    "..."

    Clan Tenau weren't the only ones who watched Gretchen's brother give up fighting. One of Saxon's guards saw Hazel staggering on the battlefield while he saw more and more of his comrades fall at the hands of the Vizsla Mandalorians. Though it wasn't his place, the Mandalorian made his choice when he saw an opening back towards the ruins of Beacon Tower.

    "Retreat!" the Mandalorian called out to anyone else listening. "All those loyal to the Mand'alor retreat!"

    All of the remaining Saxons took heed of the advice and took the opening to retreat back to Beacon Tower. While they held no chance of holding what remained of the tower, the Saxons had an airship waiting for them there. And now, it was their only chance to escape.

    The Mandalorian who ordered the retreat immediately found his master swinging and kicking at the Vizsla Mandalorians who had joined the fight. When he saw that the enemies were keeping their distance, the guard grabbed his master and began to pull on his arm.

    "What are you doing?!" Saxon angrily asked. "No! We will not retreat!"

    The guard refused to let go and run. "The battle's lost, Lord Saxon!" he insisted. "We must leave and rally the others if we are to survive!"

    "..."

    Saxon may have won the battle against Qrow, but his Aura was broken and he found himself too exhausted to handle the rest of the Mandalorians from what remained. And so, he found himself flying in the air once again to evade the Mandalorians.

    Those who were on the ground were not only being shot at while they made their escape, but they were also joined by Hazel. He had recovered from the agitated Dust, but he too knew when it was best to retreat.

    But before he did, Hazel couldn't help but share one last stare at his twin sister. Despite the Mandalorians and Qrow giving up, Gretchen couldn't resist running after her brother when she was sure she wasn't in danger.

    As she made eye-contact with her brother, Gretchen had a million things she wanted to say to him. These ranged from heartfelt pleas about coming back and salvaging what they had of their relationship to feelings of anger and betrayal that could not be easily forgiven. The worst part of it was that Hazel seemed to be conveying the exact same emotions she was feeling. Gretchen only grew angrier, as she wanted to know how could he have the audacity to say that she betrayed him after everything that happened today.

    But Gretchen never got her chance. Hazel joined the Saxons without another word, leaving her all alone.

    Qrow, Gretchen, and Sun returned to Vale victorious about an hour after lunchtime. They were all welcomed as heroes by Ozpin and Glynda, who refused to do anything else until they heard the outcome of the campaign at Beacon. Ozpin gave many thanks to Sun for his cooperation and ability to rally Clans Tenau and Vizsla at Beacon. Sun humbly accepted the gratitude and rephrased how much respect he and the other clans had for Djarin, and how he would have wanted to see the mission through. With that, Sun decided to take his leave, stating that the Armorer was not always forgiving of exposure such as this.

    "Well... I can see why Mando likes him," said Qrow. "They're more alike than I expected."

    "Indeed," Ozpin confirmed as he watched Sun leave. "I am pleased to have made his acquaintance through Djarin."

    "How's he doing, by the way?"

    Ozpin looked to his friend as he continued the conversation. "Surprisingly well. Before I left, all he seemed concerned about was his village as well as the other clans you met."

    "Oh, he knew about them?"

    "He did. They told him where they would be hiding before his departure." Ozpin looked back towards Beacon Cliff. "Ingenious of them, really. Risky, but ingenious. Not even I would have thought to search for anyone there."

    "Neither did the Saxons, apparently. Still, pretty risky to hide right under someone's nose."

    "Clan Tenau thought so too. Apparently, they had learned the Saxons came to claim Beacon as their own very recently."

    "Oh, yeah? Guess they didn't like to share."

    "Certainly not with them. Clans Tenau and Vizsla stayed in contact with Sun, per Djarin's suggestion. When Sun came to Glynda and informed her of the Saxon's presence, we all made the plan to counterattack. We had to make a deal with the other clans so they were willing to risk their lives to clear the land."

    Qrow was surprised to hear that, and also curious. "Huh. You know, I thought I heard one of them mention something about a deal. What'd you do, say you'll wax their armor?"

    "Qrow, please." Ozpin rolled his eyes in annoyance of Qrow's joke. "But if you must know, in exchange for their aid in reclaiming Beacon, I promised them hospitality on the school grounds. Along with our new base, the clans will live at Beacon as long as they desire. We will share whatever supplies we have with them."

    Qrow's eyes widened as his jaw dropped in response to hearing the truth. As soon as he did, Qrow couldn't help but think of how that sounded. Unfortunately, the prospect of Huntsmen and Huntresses sharing land with Mandalorians of all people didn't bring any hope or good faith to mind.

    "Uh... I'm not sure everyone's gonna like that," Qrow finally said. "I mean, don't get me wrong; I'm glad they came to help. But not everyone's gonna know or care that our guys aren't with the Saxons or Death Watch."

    "Which is why I will need your help again," Ozpin confessed with a heavy heart. "You and Ms. Rainart can prove that not all the Mandalorians are our enemies. You can share your exploits with the Huntsmen and Huntresses here." Ozpin sighed as he began to clean his glasses. "My deal was the only way we could reclaim Beacon. And I know I've asked more than enough from you, but I don't know how to-"

    Qrow flashed a toothy grin as he playfully slapped Ozpin's arm. "Say no more. I gotcha covered."

    "..."

    Ozpin was at a loss for words for Qrow's continued generosity. He was almost certain that such an impossible task would be refuted and that Qrow would say all he needed was rest. But the opposite was yet another godsend, given everything that had happened today.

    "Thank you, Qrow," Ozpin said sincerely. "I... I know I'll be leaving this in good hands."

    "No worries, Oz," Qrow said as he began to reach into his pocket. "I hope you'll forgive me for saying this, but... all of this is what Summer would've done."

    Ozpin was still sad about Summer Rose's untimely departure, but he understood that Qrow was right. "And I hope you'll forgive me for saying that she would be very proud of you today."

    Qrow smiled as he took out his trustworthy flask. "I'll drink to that."

    But as soon as Qrow looked at the metal in hand, he started to feel sick in his stomach. It was as if his body was telling him that he didn't need to drink what was in the flask; like Qrow would be better off without it.

    His dream, it would seem, was right in more ways than one.

    "Qrow? Are you alright?"

    The Huntsman looked away from his flask to see Ozpin giving him a concerned look. "Uh, yeah," Qrow replied as he put away his flask. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just not as thirsty as I thought."

    "...Really?"

    "Yeah, I'm good."

    Ozpin now knew that there was something definitely off about Qrow today. He couldn't tell what it was, in between taking a mission he wasn't ready for and deciding not to enjoy a drink afterwards. It was almost as if Qrow Branwen was turning over a new leaf. Ozpin wasn't necessarily suspicious of the whole thing, but he couldn't help but wonder what it was that caused this turn around.

    "Qrow."

    The duo then saw Glynda joining them, who had fixed her hair and attire after she tried to help the people of Vale earlier. She seemed to be fine physically, but there was something on her mind that she needed help with.

    "Gretchen Rainart wasn't injured during the mission, was she?" Glynda asked calmly.

    "She took a good hit to her arm, but that was it," Qrow replied honestly. "Her Aura healed the majority of it." He then pointed to the new scar on his cheek. "Anything else is probably something like this at the most. Why do you ask?"

    "She was completely silent when I met her just now. And rather than accepting her payment, she left without a word."

    While Ozpin shared Glynda's confusion, given how she was willing to take the mission when Ozpin informed her of it, Qrow knew exactly what was going on.

    "I think I know," he sadly admitted. "Grimm and Mandos weren't the only people on the cliff."

    "What?" Glynda asked. "What do you mean?"

    Qrow took a second to become aware of his surroundings, all in order to make sure he was alone with Ozpin and Glynda. When he was sure, the Huntsman shared a terrible truth. "You might know that Salem's the one in charge of the Saxons and Death Watch."

    "Yes, we're aware," said Ozpin.

    "Yeah, but... she has someone else helping her too. Not a Mandalorian, just a man."

    "What? Who?"

    "...Hazel Rainart."

    Ozpin and Glynda shared a soft gasp and widened eyes. The name was a surprise to be sure, given that neither of them had seen the man in years. Ozpin even thought that he was dead, given how he never returned to Beacon to see his sister.

    "I'll go talk to her," Qrow offered as he began to leave. "I'll leave the mission report with Glynda, if that's okay."

    "That's fine," Ozpin said as he looked at his Scroll. "I should be getting back to Vacuo, anyway."

    "Well, good luck to ya. Say 'Hi' to Mando for me." Qrow began to take his leave, but he was stopped by Glynda.

    "Perhaps Ms. Rainart needs some space, Qrow," she suggested. "I can't imagine what's going through her head."

    "...I can," Qrow said sadly. "I know what's it like to have a sibling on the wrong side."

    "..."

    With that, Qrow finally took his leave. Ozpin and Glynda were alone once again, but Ozpin was right when he said he needed to be going back to Vacuo with Djarin. After he thanked Glynda for her continued efforts and felt confident that she could handle the rest of Vale's affairs, now that a valuable part of Beacon could be fully restored, Ozpin walked alone to his awaiting airship.

    As he walked, Ozpin couldn't help but feel that today's victory didn't do as much good as he initially hoped. Beacon Cliff belonged to Vale once again, but there was still much to do. Glynda may have said that she could handle it, but she couldn't hide how tired and overworked she was. Qrow may have changed for the better, but there were still other Huntsmen and Huntresses that had already given up hope. And learning how to share with Mandalorians of all people would be easier said than done.

    But above all else, Ozpin felt personally responsible for what happened to Hazel Rainart. Of course, Salem was the one who burrowed her way into the man's head and directed his anger towards the rest of the world. It was something she did a thousand times over, and her skills in manipulation showed no sign in faltering.

    And yet, if Salem had been stopped earlier, if Ozpin could have done things differently... none of this would have happened to begin with. In conclusion, today's battle was just like any other time Ozpin fought Salem.

    For though she had lost the battle... the war was far from over.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 47: The Smuggler
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 47: The Smuggler​

    "-and with the current contract with the Atlesian military, that brings our total distribution to roughly... one thousand tons of Dust. When combined with the stocks moved to the rest of the Kingdom, it totals to nearly five thousand tons. This brings our distribution rates down by nearly ninety percent. In other words-"

    "We're mining more than we're selling."

    "We've held out this long, but the company will face decline by next week."

    "Not to mention how our revenues have dropped since this damned embargo started. I've lost track of how many of our shareholders have called us with nothing but complaints and worries."

    "Our only hope is to either find some way to increase Dust distribution or lay off the workers in the mines. Of course, the decision is yours, Mrs. Schnee."

    "..."

    "Mrs. Schnee?"

    Willow Schnee looked up from the glass table she was staring at and towards multiple men and women looking at her. "Yes?" she asked politely. "I'm sorry, what was the question?"

    "No question, ma'am," said a man in a suit with glasses. "I was just reminding our fellow board members that any course of action needs your approval."

    "..."

    Willow had been dreading this day ever since General Ironwood announced an embargo on Dust trade. She had been walking a dangerous line, but the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company continued to stay her current course and make every employee work as if nothing changed. But without anyone to distribute Dust to, besides the Kingdom of Atlas, the company's stability was at an all time low. Every kind of percentage either rose or fell in the worst way possible; from excessive production and mining to low sales and distribution, the future of the company looked bleaker by the day.

    And yet, Willow refused to change how things were going.

    "As I was saying, Mrs. Schnee," the man continued. "We have two options now. Either we distribute more Dust and empty our stockpile or we shut down the mines."

    "We've never shut down before," Willow declared.

    "Um... I'm aware, ma'am. But these are certainly trying times. We can't even ponder the idea of lowering costs or earning any more Lien until we make the necessary changes to hold out."

    "With that being said, all logic points to closing the mines," another man in a purple suit jacket with a black undershirt said firmly. "We also cannot consider the idea of mining until more Dust is distributed."

    "Which is why we're all here," Willow reminded the board member. "Our goal, ladies and gentlemen, is not to close anything or lay off anyone. Until we find a way to distribute more Dust-"

    "If I may, Mrs. Schnee," the man in purple interrupted as he stood up. "I believe I speak for the board when I ask what the logic behind our current course is." Heads across the table nodded together. "At this rate, we will lose more than just profits."

    Despite her spirits being at a point where hardly anything could raise them, Willow spoke up in a confident and declarative tone. "The logic, Mr. Burton, is that we have too many people that rely on all of us to keep their jobs. Not all of our employees are well off like the rest of us. Some of them even need to work triple shifts. And I cannot, in good conscience, shut down and leave said workers to fend for themselves."

    "..."

    Willow remained firm and unwavering as she watched the board members of the company look at each other. And her altruism for the miners wasn't false. Even before she took charge of everything, Willow made a habit of visiting the Dust mines, the very foundation of the Schnee Dust Company. In that time, Willow had gotten to know a large number of people and see what drove them to work for her. She had done this long enough to know that shutting down, no matter how long, would do nothing but hurt the people who needed their mining jobs more than anything.

    Despite the silence from the rest of the board, nobody seemed to be supporting her decision. The first one to deny it was Mr. Burton, who seemed to be backed by over half of the board members.

    "Mrs. Schnee, I admit that our large corporation has an abundance of workers in the field," he began. "But we have more than our workforce to consider. Our entire Kingdom, Atlas and Mantle, are in no need of anymore freshly-mined Dust. There is more to the picture than just our workers." Before his manager could reply, the purple-dressed man turned to the the rest of his board members. "Do I hear a second on this?"

    "Aye," a vast majority of the table said as they raised their hands.

    "And against?"

    "...Nay," a minority of the table said with more raised hands. But their voices were not enough to shake the majority.

    "The ayes have it, ma'am," Mr. Burton said. "We-"

    "Hold on, hold on!"

    Everyone turned towards a man with a suit with glasses who had spoken earlier. "Nobody called for a vote!" he said. "Even so, we can't just make a decision without Mrs. Schnee's approval!"

    "I'm afraid we can," said Mr. Burton. "It is a rare occurrence, but the SDC board can overturn any decision by the CEO in events of an emergency. And I, for one, cannot think of a larger emergency than the stake of our company." He then looked over to his manager. "Am I mistaken, Mrs. Schnee?"

    "..."

    Willow dreaded this part of the board's contract today of all days. Of course, she understood the idea when it was on paper. But now that she saw what it looked like in reality, Willow wished the rules were different. Changing them now would only create more chaos, so she decided to admit a temporary defeat.

    "You are not, Mr. Burton," she said. "But a overturn vote won't be necessary. I'll let you know whatever decision I make tomorrow."

    "But you said you wanted to stay the course," Mr. Burton argued.

    "I did, but thanks to your... persuasion, I'd like a little more time to consider the other ramifications."

    "There's no time like the present, ma'am."

    Willow looked at her watch. "I would agree, but I have a pressing matter to attend to. And I think our meeting has actually overrun its course."

    Some of the board members agreed, given that they too had meetings with various people in the company. Despite their main responsibility with the company board, the members had to meet with those who reported to them as well. And so, the meeting was adjourned, which left Willow feeling both relieved and defeated at the same time.

    But she wasn't sad enough to give credit where it was due.

    "Excuse me, Mr. Bell," she said to the man wearing glasses who spoke earlier.

    "Yes, ma'am?" he addressed as he looked back. "Is something wrong?"

    "No, no. I just wanted to thank you for speaking in my defense."

    "Oh." The man was a recent addition to the board of directors, so he wasn't properly used to receiving credit from someone with such power over him. Nonetheless, he chose to be humble in the face of his superior. "It was nothing, ma'am. I was just following the rules."

    "I see." Willow approached the man. "But there are times when ethics supersede business. Try to remember that."

    "Oh, um... Of course, ma'am." Despite not wanting to overstep his boundaries, Mr. Bell couldn't help but take an opportunity to pursue a certain curiosity. "Is that what you were doing, ma'am? Bending the rules to help our miners?"

    "Indeed. Well, trying to do, anyway. But the rest of the board, Burton especially, aren't usually open minded when it comes to savings."

    "I don't think that's the problem, ma'am. I overheard a few of them sharing some fears about the future. They're just worried, that's all."

    "Hmm... I understand."

    Mr. Bell could tell that Willow was also afraid of the future. He was grateful that she of all people took some time to congratulate him on his performance, given that he was recently promoted. And to him, it didn't seem right to leave someone like the CEO of the SDC in a bad mood.

    "However, I think Mr. Burton may have been exaggerating a bit," he said.

    "Oh?" Willow asked. "What makes you say that?"

    "Well, if you truly wish to stay our current course, I think we can hold out until next month if we empty a few of the warehouses."

    "Is that so?" Willow was willing to see the statistics to prove this, but she decided to take her board member's word at the moment. "How much would you say?"

    "Two, at the very least. And they're all filled with various kinds of Dust, as I'm sure you're aware."

    "Of course. Do you think it's possible to have them emptied by next week?"

    "Um... I'm not sure, ma'am. I only know inventory. You'll have to talk to Ms. Blu, she deals with shipping information."

    "I see." Willow looked at her watch again. "I'm sorry, I have to be going."

    "Yes, of course. Good day."

    Sadly, the rest of Willow's day didn't go as well as her conversation with Mr. Bell. Along with her other responsibilities, which included handling short-term outcomes for the company and signing her name on enough operation documents to make her hand sore, the CEO of the company had a lengthy conversation with the director of Dust distribution. Unfortunately, Ms. Blu declared that moving Dust was impossible at the moment. Every Dust shop the SDC either owned or worked with was full to the brim with Dust. Sales were going as well as could be expected, but new Dust wasn't needed at the time.

    Willow was at her wits' end by the time the workday was over. A solution to her problem was so close yet so far away, and the cons of the solution outweigh the pros. While empty warehouses could result in the miners of the company keeping their jobs and earn their pay for a little while longer, the company would still continue to spend money instead of earning it. Willow had already noticed a significant dent in her own amount; not enough to throw her and her family out on the streets, but enough for Willow to understand that things would only get worse before they got better.

    The one upside of the situation was that the Kingdom's borders had extended their deadline to close. General Ironwood decided to send representatives and ambassadors from Atlas to speak with the other Kingdoms, to reinforce his decision to close Atlas off from the world. Furthermore, the entire military that was outside the Kingdom at certain bases had been recalled to Atlas. So rather than closing earlier, Ironwood chose to wait a few more days until everything and everyone had been accounted for.

    Willow had another meeting with Ironwood after she met Professor Ozpin and Djarin. And despite her continued attempts to make him see that more Dust would be needed to protect others from the Mandalorians' savage war, Willow failed to convince Ironwood to lift the embargo.

    But the worst of it was that Winter had chosen to side with Ironwood in the matter. In fact, she started cutting ties with her mother altogether without explaining why.

    Since the day was over, Willow decided to leave her office and begin her journey home. The main headquarters of the Schnee Dust Company was extraordinarily large, even bigger than her own house. The first piece of ground she covered was a simple hallway, painted in white and gray and decorated with various pictures on the walls. The pictures were mainly of company events and certain people, something that Willow had seen a hundred times over. But a look at all of these people reminded Willow of the responsibilities she had providing such hardworking men and women with adequate working environments and time.

    Willow reached an elevator at the end of the hall, one that was covered with gold-colored walls on the inside. Since she was in no mood to stay longer than she had to, Willow took the elevator to the ground floor. But as she took the first steps and looked at her watch, Willow got a message from Klein, the family butler. It said that he was running a few minutes later today. So, Willow had to wait a little longer for her ride home.

    Fortunately, the ground floor was home to the building's cafeteria, which appeared to be still open. Since she had some time to spare, Willow decided to order herself a drink before she left. She wasn't very hungry, and she enjoyed having dinner with her family.

    *DING*​

    "Be right there!"

    A few seconds after Willow rang a small bell on the counter top, she was greeted by one of the company's oldest employees; a large black haired man named Dexter, who had been in the food business for a very long time.

    "Ah, Mrs. Schnee!" Dexter greeted with a smile. "What can I get you?"

    "Hello, Dexter," Willow greeted the man with a smile. "I'll just have an iced tea."

    "Sure thing!" Dexter moved behind the counter and towards a drink dispenser. "You taking it to go?"

    "I think I'll have it here. I'm not in as much of a hurry as I thought I'd be."

    "Sounds good." Dexter came back to the counter with a glass of ice tea for the CEO. As he did, the cook began to wipe a grease spot off the counter. "Rough day, my friend?"

    "Nothing but rough days this week," Willow replied after she took a sip of the flavorful beverage. She had known Dexter for a long time, long enough to know that he was quite the conversationalist. Not that she minded; talking with someone like Dexter was a welcome experience, no matter how rare or common it was.

    "Ah, I figured as much," said the cook. "I've heard nothing but venting and rambling about how messed up things are here since I opened for the day."

    "Oh, I've heard my share as well," said Willow. "And from the board of directors of all people. They're actually trying to make me shut down until the embargo's lifted." The CEO saw an opportunity to ask an employee, regardless of what kind of work they did, about the situation. "You don't think I'm making a mistake by keeping us open, do you, Dexter?"

    "A mistake? Who told you that?"

    "The board, mostly. But honestly, is this a mistake?"

    "I don't think so. I mean, my dream diner still needs the money I'm earning here to make it. If anything, you're doing people like me a favor."

    "Oh, right. You said you finally found a place for it?"

    "Yep. It's a fixer-upper, but nothing I can't bang out over the weekends. And like I said, the money I'm earning helps with that. So really, ma'am, you and your father have been helping me by keeping the place open. And there's no way everyone else thinks the opposite."

    The thing that Willow loved the most about talking with Dexter was how he always found a way to make her feel better. Even when she was feeling fine, a simple talk with the cook brightened her day even more. And he was right; there were still people who she was helping by keeping the company fully operational.

    However, there was something else that started to bother her.

    "Oh, dear," she began after she took another drink of her iced tea. "If Father saw the show we're trying to run, he'd probably roll over in his grave."

    Dexter began to wipe another part of the counter. "Aw, it's not your fault, ma'am," he said sincerely. "All those soldiers and generals breathing down your neck is enough to drive anyone mad. That's what's wrong with this Kingdom; the army always gets their nose in any kind of honest business."

    "Well, the Council trusts James. For better or worse." Willow took another sip of her drink. "I suppose Father would've trusted him too if they ever met. Hell, he'd probably made sure none of this ever happened in the first place."

    "Well, this wouldn't be the first time we found ourselves stuck between a rock and a hard place." Dexter threw the towel on his shoulder. "You remember that Dust shortage we had a while back, right?"

    Willow took a second to search her memories. "Oh, that's right." She took another drink. "I must have been six years old when it happened. It had an... effect on him, from what I recall."

    "Yep, sounds about right. I heard all kinds of chatter from this side of the counter. Resignations this, and layoffs that. Everyone was scared. Not all that different from today, it looks like."

    "...I hadn't thought of that." This was true, but Willow thought of something else. "I think we were using more Dust from other Kingdoms at that point."

    "Yep, that's right. Didn't really put us on good terms with the world back then. It even caused almost all of Vacuo's natural resources to disappear."

    "So I've heard. Although, that shortage disappeared by luck. When more mines were found across Solitas, things went back to normal." Willow took another drink. "I don't think luck will save us this time, do you?"

    "Well, let's just say that some people know how to make their luck. That's what I heard at least."

    "..."

    Willow was about to take another drink of her iced tea, but stopped herself when she heard what Dexter said. Not just what he said, but how he said it as well. It was almost as if he knew what he was talking about, like it had happened before.

    "...Pardon?" she asked. "I'm sorry, what are you talking about?"

    Dexter was ready to answer honestly, but the look on Willow's face made him change his mind. The confusion and uncertainty she conveyed told the cook that this was something she shouldn't be hearing.

    And he shouldn't be talking about it.

    "Um..." he began. "Nothing. I'm sorry, I was just kidding." He then turned to the clock on the wall, though he didn't care what time it was. "I should get going, it's-"

    "No, wait," Willow said as she reached over the counter. "What is it?"

    "Nah, it's nothing. Just some rambling and-"

    "Dexter." Willow looked at the cook dead in the eyes. "Don't make me order you to talk to me."

    "..."

    When he realized that he had gone too far, Dexter weighed his options. He indeed knew something about the Dust shortage that nearly ruined the Schnee Dust Company, but what he knew was mostly a pack of rumors. Nevertheless, he knew that there was no turning back in this situation, so it would be best to just spit it out.

    "Okay, okay," Dexter relented as he moved back to the counter. "But lemme just start off by saying this is what I heard. You know, just rumors and small talk I hear all around." Dexter moved his finger around the immediate area, which was the cafeteria.

    Willow was starting to understand that being around countless important people, in any capacity, meant that one could hear a great many things. "Alright," she began. "So what were these rumors and small talk you heard?"

    "Well, it all started about a week after the shortage was announced. I heard everyone talking about all sorts of things. Layoffs, revenue loss, I could go on forever."

    "But you heard something else..."

    "Yeah, that's right." Dexter took a quick look around to make sure nobody else was listening. "The first time I heard something was right over there." Willow followed the cook's finger towards a table to the right. "It was a couple of accountants, who said there were a few discrepancies with some of the Dust that was left. Something about it not all being accounted for. Like it disappeared out of thin air."

    Willow was quick to dismiss the idea. "Accounting errors aren't uncommon," she said. "Especially with a company as large as ours."

    "That's what I thought too, so I ignored it. But for the past few days, the same accountants were talking about it with a few others. It was all the same thing; they were either lying or just bad at their jobs."

    "...Really?" Willow took a moment to think. "Such a case would have to be brought up sometime. Was it?"

    "Oh, I'm not sure. I only know the problem was that the Dust supposed to go to the shops around the Kingdom never made it. It wasn't just the shortage, it was making things worse."

    "So the Dust was stolen."

    "That's what I thought."

    "I suppose it's possible. Was there any investigation?"

    "Not that I know of. But things were looking bad for the people. Above and below."

    Willow took another drink as she contemplated how bad things must have been with little to no Dust. "I can imagine. No heat, no source of energy. Isn't it true the mortality rate rose around that time?"

    "Mm-hm. And if that wasn't bad enough, the disappearances started a couple of weeks later."

    "Disappearances?"

    "It took me a little bit to notice it at first. But some of the employees I used to serve just stopped showing up. I thought they quit at first, but then I heard something else through the grapevine."

    "What's that?"

    "Apparently, one of the higher ups was going on an expedition. The first one of its kind in a long time."

    "And that would be?"

    "An attempt to find more mines out in the tundra. Pretty far from the Kingdom."

    "How far?"

    "Far."

    "...Is that so?"

    "Yeah, but here's the thing. By the time I got wind of these rumors, the shortage was over. Military and SDC ships were moving from the Kingdom, but they all went to new mines that were found in the tundra. You've seen them before, haven't you?"

    "..."

    Willow was indeed aware of all the Dust mines the Schnee Dust Company owned. She had them all memorized from the smallest one to the largest, and from the closest one to the farthest one. And Dexter was right; some of those mines were located in the tundra, and they were made to be suitable for miners.

    But this fact didn't answer all of Willow's questions.

    "Dexter... what exactly are you saying?" she asked.

    "Well, between the missing Dust, the missing employees, and the new mines..." Dexter began. "A few theories came to mind among the masses."

    "...Give me your favorite."

    "Like I said, ma'am, some people know how to make their own luck. Whoever it was seemed to have plenty of resources too."

    Willow was beginning to piece everything together. And what she believed wasn't something she liked. "Are you saying my father did all of this? That he used his own Dust and people for such a... such a reckless mission with nothing but hope to rely on?"

    "No, I'm not saying that! I'm just saying what I heard, honest!"

    "..."

    "Besides, it could have been another one of the higher ups! They had just as much access to Dust as your father did."

    "..."

    Willow began to calm down as she remembered what Dexter had said earlier. But still, such an accusation like that was hard to swallow.

    "But where your father is concerned, I do know this," Dexter said. "If there was ever something like this, or if there was someone who made all of this happen... Nick knew everything that happened in his company."

    "..."

    Willow wouldn't expect anything less from her father, but there was one of two ways that the idea could be taken. The first was that her father eventually found out about this conspiracy. And whoever they were, they were certainly punished.

    The second, and more terrifying, was that her father was somehow involved. With the shortage and the people needing more Dust, such desperate times would certainly require desperate measures to be taken.

    But Willow knew that he wouldn't consider such a thing.

    Would he?

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Willow was broken out of her trance when the sound of her Scroll reached her ears. When she saw that it was another message from Klein, Willow stood up from her seat. "I'm sorry, I have to go," she said.

    Dexter looked at the clock behind him. "Yeah, I gotta close up," he said. "Listen, I hope I didn't rattle you or anything with the story. It's all just speculation at this point anyway."

    "Oh, no. I was the one who asked. And like you said, it was just rumors and nonsense."

    "Yep, nothing but."

    Willow reached into her pocket and took out two pieces of Lien. "One's for the iced tea, the rest is for you."

    "Well, thank you kindly. Have a good one, now."

    "You too, Dexter."

    Try as she did, Willow couldn't seem to forget everything that she had heard from Dexter. Of course, it wasn't really his business to be saying such things. But then again, he was never one to tell any lies. And with the logic thrown in as well, Willow couldn't help but find the story... plausible.

    So as soon as she returned home, Willow confined herself to the study she and her father used for work and conducted her own research into the matter. Because everything that he said was based on rumors, Dexter was right about one thing; Nicholas Schnee knew everything that happened in the company while he was in charge.

    And if he found out about it, there was a chance it was documented.

    Willow began her research by going back in time, so to speak. She used her computer to examine every file associated with the Dust shortage that happened when she was a child. The most memorable part of that time was the hours her father would spend in the study as he tried to figure everything out. There was no way he wouldn't use his own computer while doing so.

    Sure enough, Willow found everything that had transpired at the company during Atlas' Dust shortage. The size of it all was certainly too much to handle in one night, so Willow decided to start small.

    "Let's see," she mentally commanded herself. "What was the first thing Dexter told me? Something about missing Dust?" When she realized that was correct, Willow looked into the accounting department to see what exactly was missing.

    "Ah, here we go. According to this report, the company was missing about... Oh, my. That's a lot of Dust." Willow needed a second to collect her thoughts after the surprise came. "Okay, a report like this would certainly have to be sent higher. Who made this?"

    Reported by: Ophelia Blight

    Issue Number: ACC-3320    ​

    "Looks like I have to search by the number." Willow made a search in the computer's task bar and found the report in greater detail, as well as who inspected the report.

    Report Status: Resolved

    Reviewed by: Nicholas Schnee    ​

    "...What?"

    Willow rubbed her eyes and looked at the screen again to see if she was mistaken. But her father's name was listed as the one who reviewed and resolved the accounting report. But there didn't seem to be any detail as to how it was resolved, only that it was classified as an accounting error. And that it seemed to be resolved after the shortage was declared to be over.

    "Father wouldn't take something like this lightly," Willow assured herself. "There has to be something else here."

    Willow dug deeper and deeper into the documents that she had unearthed. Each one she saw all shared a similar pattern, that had reviews and signatures by her father. The pattern was shocking and making little sense, but it didn't appear to be coming from a source. Willow was about to give up, since the shock of something like this was hard to swallow.

    As she prepared to get her mind sorted out before looking more, Willow found one certain folder in the company's records. The only distinction it had from everything else was the size of it. It was rather large for an ordinary file, but it had a timestamp that corresponded with the Dust shortage.

    Willow saw folders like this during her search, all of which entailed that production, revenue, and other business was beginning to rise once again. Nevertheless, Willow decided to take a look at the folder.

    "Hmm... sealed," Willow observed as a sign-in page appeared. She had seen sealed documents like this before, so she simply entered her credentials.

    Access Denied​

    "...Strange," Willow confessed as she stared at the screen. "The CEO should be able to open any sealed file." Willow tried to enter her credentials again, but the screen said the same thing. When she tried much slower, believing that she made a mistake while typing, Willow was greeted by the same message.

    Access Denied​

    Despite feeling frustrated at the sight of the continued anomaly, Willow was more determined than ever to see what contents the folder was hiding.

    "I'll bring this up with IT tomorrow," Willow decided as she prepared to turn the screen off. "Although... Maybe it will work with Father's credentials." Willow easily remembered the passcode; it was her mother's birthday.

    Access Granted​

    When the folder opened, Willow realized that she had hit the jackpot. The folder was filled to the brim with all sorts of documents, from maps of the uncharted tundra to a list of Dust quantities.

    "Is that... the missing Dust?" Willow hypothesized confidently. "But, if Father knew where it was, why would he keep it a-?"

    Willow had pieced everything together by now. Everything she heard from Dexter was true; her father saved the company in one of the worst ways imaginable. And if these documents weren't living proof, one file certainly was.

    For Willow​

    "..."

    The shaken woman had no idea what was on the file that rested at the bottom of the list, but she certainly knew who it was from. Despite the obvious fact, Willow couldn't bring herself to click into it. The last words she ever heard from its author were more valuable than any amount of money. What if she didn't like what she saw?

    What else did Nicholas Schnee have to say?

    Despite not wanting to know, Willow clicked into the file to see a note. She knew she had to read it, whatever it said.

    "Hello, my darling.

    If you're reading this, you've heard whatever rumors or allegations are being thrown around about me. And you've seen the other files in this folder. You have questions, I'm sure, and that's why I wrote this. So, before I explain myself, let me be blunt.

    Yes.

    The missing Dust, the new mines, the secret expeditions, the employees who went missing. The answer is yes, Willow. It was me.

    I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. That Big Nicholas, someone who countless people looked up to, had a dark secret. That he made a decision to lie, steal, and risk lives all to get the company where it is today. I confess, I did it all. I kept the Dust that was supposed to go to the people who needed it, I planned dangerous expeditions across the tundra all in the hopes of finding new sources of Dust, and hired Huntsmen and my own employees to find said mines.

    I know I let you down, darling. That I made the company where it is on top of thievery and bodies. But believe me, I hated myself for doing all of it. I've tried to make up for it, so many times. Charities, payments to their families, but I don't think I'll ever wash my hands of all this. Hell, I can't even forgive myself.

    But this isn't just a confession. I know you'll hate me for keeping this from you, for taking this secret to my grave. But I don't think I could allow myself to not explain things to you. So, I beg of you not to close this or delete this without finishing it to the end.

    The truth is, Willow, the company at the time was more than just a business. It was a service that our Kingdom depended on, that its people depended on. When the shortage hit, the Council and the military believed taking what wasn't ours to begin with was the best course of action rather than finding new mines. I was eventually forced to comply with this request, and I told myself a hundred times that this was for the good of us all.

    But then, Vacuo was practically drained. Their shortage was worse than ours, in fact. I didn't know how much more it would take for war to be declared, or how many lives I was ruining because of it. Enough was enough.

    So, I made a choice. Either I could keep stealing from the other Kingdoms, or I could steal from our Kingdom instead.

    And so, after acquiring the Dust necessary for excavating mines, I carefully planned several expeditions outside the tundra and hired multiple Huntsmen to carry them out. Some of my workers volunteered, saying they knew the risks. So after I rewarded them in advance, the expeditions began.

    Needless to say, my plan worked. The Huntsmen reported their findings of new Dust veins to their superiors and new mines were made for the Schnee Dust Company. But sadly, not everyone made it back.

    I know I shouldn't hate myself for saving the company, maybe even our entire Kingdom. If I did nothing, there may have been another war. But I hate myself for stealing what should have belonged to the people, and I hate myself even more for knowing I sent my own employees to die.

    But there was one person who told me not to feel guilty. He honestly told me that this was what needed to be done. That this was the only way to save the Kingdoms. That the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few... or the one.

    He was right, of course, though my conscience isn't entirely clear. What I did saved more lives than I initially expected. I know I should be telling you all of this in person, but I don't have the strength. Just like I didn't have the strength to stand up to the Council and the military.

    The reason I want to share all of this with you is to ask you one thing: don't do everything I did. Don't feel the need to lie or steal what rightfully belongs to others. And don't risk lives, no matter how they feel about the situation.

    But there is one thing I would like you to do, Willow. Despite this crisis being averted, I can't help but feel something like this will happen again. If there is ever a time when the Kingdom, or the world, is in trouble, don't let our Council or the military stop you. If you feel that corners need to be cut to save lives and save the Kingdom for what it should be, do it. If there is ever a shortage or, Gods forbid, someone is making us keep more Dust for ourselves, help the people who need it the most.

    But don't take this as permission to do the big things, Willow. All I ask is that you do the     right ones, regardless of whatever law stands in your way. This I know, in my heart, to be our main responsibility to the people.

    Take care, darling. I love you with everything I have.

    Father.

    PS, don't show Jacques this message. Something tells me his sense for business wouldn't prevent him from doing what I did, but bigger.    "

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*    ​

    Willow shot up from her seat and shut off her screen. "Yes?!" she yelled without thinking.

    The door to the study opened to reveal a visibly-shaken Klein. "Mrs. Schnee, are you alright?" he asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you-"

    "No, no, I'm fine!" Willow insisted. "I'm sorry I was just..." Willow looked over to her desk. "Reading. Yes, I was reading something... unexpected. I wasn't paying attention." She then looked down and rubbed her forehead. "I'm sorry, Klein, I don't think I can be disturbed right now. Why are you here?"

    "Well, I only wished to tell you that Mr. Djarin is here."

    "Tell him I'm not-Wait a minute." Willow looked up. "Did you say Djarin?"

    "Yes, ma'am. He told me you were expecting him today."

    "I was?"

    Willow remembered the last conversation she had with Djarin, how he needed help and that he would have to come back at the end of the week.

    And the end of the week was today.

    "I mean, I was!" Willow said as she returned to her senses. "Yes, tell him I'll be right down."

    True to Klein's words, Din Djarin was indeed in the Schnee manor. He was currently using his disguise of Magic, the one provided by Ozpin to hide his true identity. Given the strings he had to pull with General Ironwood to land his ship, and the ongoing war going on outside Atlas, the Mandalorian knew hiding his armor was the best thing to do.

    Djarin wouldn't be here if his current mission wasn't of the upmost importance. His most recent visit to Atlas didn't work well where Ironwood was concerned, but it proved rather fortuitous with Willow Schnee. After she expressed her sympathies for Cinder's condition, Djarin asked her for a personal favor. He asked if it was possible for her to obtain a special kind of Dust, one that Djarin used to help Cinder during the Fall of Beacon.

    The Dust was known as Cobalt Dust, a very rare and powerful substance that could help a person heal from sickness or wounds they obtained. The Mandalorian knew that it helped Cinder once, and he was fairly certain it could help her again.

    Willow knew this as well, and the first thing she did was go over her reports of mined Dust to see if there was any sign of Cobalt Dust in the mix. Luckily, a small vein was mined dry and taken back to Atlas. And Willow was currently carrying it in a small case for her friend.

    "Hello, Djarin," Willow said as she saw a man in her foyer. This was the second time Willow had seen what she believed to be Djarin without his armor, and she was still getting used to seeing his shaven face with black hair.

    Even though this was a false face, Djarin was able to show proper facial expressions; Ozpin's Magic was a rare and powerful sort indeed. "Hello, Willow," the Mandalorian replied. "It's good to see you."

    "Believe me, you have no idea how mutual the feeling is." Willow stopped walking for a moment and gestured into a different room with chairs. "Please, let's sit."

    Djarin would normally be welcoming of the hospitality, but he wasn't sure how much longer he should overstay his welcome in Atlas. "Um, I don't think-"

    "Trust me, I'm in no hurry to wrap this up. Are you?"

    "I just don't know how Ironwood will-"

    "Oh, I've had my fill of Ironwood and his ideas for one lifetime. I'm in no hurry to do right by him." Willow began to walk into the next room. "Please, sit."

    "..."

    Djarin believed Willow at the moment, since he was well aware of the impression the General had on people. However, there was something about his hostess' attitude that seemed more... desperate. It was almost as if she was begging him to stay for a little while longer.

    Since he didn't want to be rude, and he didn't want to leave without the Cobalt Dust, Djarin complied to the request and sat down. Once he did, he turned towards the small case Willow was carrying.

    "Is that-?"

    *THUD*​

    Willow placed the case on the table and opened it just as quickly. She and Djarin looked inside to see not one, not two, but three small vials of Cobalt Dust with the SDC logo on each one.

    "We got lucky during our excessive mining," said Willow. "One of the teams hit a small vein of Cobalt Dust, and now..." Willow closed the case and pushed it to Djarin. "Now it's yours. I think... I hope it helps you and Cinder."

    Djarin reached towards the case and moved it closer to him. "Thank you," he said. "I... I can't tell you how much this means to me."

    Before tonight, Willow was pleased at the mere prospect of helping a friend, regardless of how many people thought badly of the Mandalorians. It may have even ruined her reputation, if news of Mandalorian help arresting Major Gideon was never revealed. But now, Willow thought of this gift as more of an exchange, given that what she really needed right now was a friend.

    "You're welcome," Willow began. "I meant what I said, Djarin. But... I don't think I can give it to you for free."

    Djarin was taken aback by the claim, but his earlier intuition of Willow had told him that she was desperate. If she was desperate for money, he was about to find out.

    "I... don't think I have much on me." Djarin stood up and reached into his pocket. "But I can transfer some money if that's alright you-"

    "No, no, wait." Willow rubbed her forehead and mentally cursed herself for being stupid. "Djarin, I don't want your money. I just... What I meant was that I'd just like you to stay a little longer. I want to talk to you."

    "...Oh." Djarin sat back down. "Um... sure." This behavior only raised more questions than answers for his earlier perception of Willow. "Is something wrong?"

    Willow sighed. "Everything's wrong. I'm trapped in the Kingdom I was raised in, I'm hoarding Dust when I should be giving it, and now my own people are turning against me!" Willow took a sharp breath as she tried to relax. "...I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just-"

    "You need to vent. I understand." Djarin wasn't familiar with Willow performing the action, but allowing people to vent was a trait he picked up as a parent. After all, there were times when the stress of being a Maiden and growing up with few friends got to Cinder's head. The Mandalorian was always there for his daughter, and now the new code of honor he made was telling him to be there for someone as generous as Willow. "Tell me everything."

    Willow wanted to do so, but there was something else on her mind. "Actually... I was wondering if you could tell me everything," she requested. "Is the war still ongoing?"

    "It is. I wish I could say it wasn't."

    "And the effort? Has there been any kind of counterattack?"

    "In Vale, from what I've heard. But the Mandalorians there are strong, and they grow stronger with every city they conquer. Mistral has the worst of it, but I haven't seen it myself."

    "Why not?"

    "Ozpin sent me to Vacuo. He needs my help with the Beacon students transferring there."

    "I see." Willow soon took a different stance in the conversation when she heard the word "help." She wasn't sure about her plan at the moment, but she had to start somewhere. "What kind of help do Vale and Mistral need? How can they deal with the Mandalorians?"

    "Ozpin and Headmaster Kenobi of Haven both told me how thin their forces are spread across Sanus and Anima. The people are caught in the middle, but I think they could hold their own if they had the right supplies."

    "Such as Dust."

    "That's one of them, yes."

    Willow had tried to present this point to Ironwood multiple times, and she was glad to hear that she was right. She knew that he wouldn't change his mind about the embargo, but she also knew that Djarin was right as well. From Huntsmen to mere citizens, having enough Dust for their weapons and energy could potentially make things better; as well as fulfill her responsibility.

    She had a plan to do so, but she needed to clear her conscience first.

    "Djarin... you're going to hide the Dust, aren't you?" Willow asked. "When you leave?"

    "Of course," Djarin replied as he tapped the case. "With this embargo, I expect Ironwood to want every piece of Dust to stay here."

    "Indeed. I think I have a way to help with that, but I need you to do two things for me."

    "Two things?"

    Willow sensed the uncertainty in her friend's voice, but she stayed her course. "Feel free to say no, but the bottom line is... I need your help, Djarin."

    "..."

    When Djarin met Willow a week earlier, it was he who said those words to her. The tables had turned in a very unexpected way, and Willow's desperation showed itself once again. Djarin had heard the phrase "cabin fever" before, but he had no idea closing a Kingdom's borders could result in a similar situation.

    He had no idea how he could help, but that didn't stop him from asking.

    "How... can I help?"

    Willow took a deep breath as she answered Djarin's questionwith a question. "Djarin... have you ever broken the law?"

    Djarin couldn't help but back away in his chair. "What?"

    "Have you ever broken the law? Before we met?"

    Djarin began to feel insulted by the question; it seemed that Willow was playing into some kind of stereotype with him. "Wait, is this because I'm a Mandalorian?" he asked angrily.

    Willow could already see that her plan had backfired. "No, no, of course not!" she answered.

    "..."

    It was clear that Djarin was unconvinced by the claim, and it was clear that Willow had to be upfront and honest with him. "Djarin, I swear that's not why I asked! I asked because... because I'm thinking about breaking the law."

    "What?" His anger began to subside as he saw the look on Willow's face. She appeared to be vulnerable, discouraged, and more importantly... she was at her wit's end. "What do you mean?"

    "I just found out that... someone I respected broke the law for a seemingly noble cause. There were consequences, but their plan worked. I need to know if it's possible.

    "If what's possible?"

    "That one can break the law for a noble cause. I think I can do the same thing, but only if it's possible." Willow reached for Djarin's hand, which felt somewhat cold and somewhat rubbery. She ignored the feeling and looked at Djarin. "You once told me that you were a bounty hunter, and I merely assumed some lines had to be crossed in a profession like that. I'm not asking to insult you or think differently of you, Djarin. You're the first friend I've seen in a long time, and maybe one of the only people I can trust right now."

    "..."

    Willow could tell that she had already crossed a line, and Djarin appeared to be unconvinced of her claim. After all, this was the first time she acted in such a manner. So she let go of Djarin's hand and stood up.

    "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm being ridiculous. Please, take the Dust, forget this ever happened."

    "..."

    Willow turned around fast and prepared to go to bed rather early for tonight. A million ideas as to what to do rang through her head, starting from taking every document her father had of his plan and wiping them off the face of Remnant.

    "I remember one time."

    Willow stopped walking and turned around once again. She saw that Djarin hadn't left, and that he was walking towards her.

    "There were times when I broke the law," Djarin admitted. "And there was a time when I did it for a noble cause. Do you remember the insurrection Major Gideon planned? How he almost killed Ironwood?"

    "Of course," Willow replied. "It was all over the news."

    "I met him during that time, but it wasn't exactly the first time I heard of him." Djarin stopped walking when he was close to Willow. "Five years ago, I learned that Major Gideon had captured a group of Mandalorians who used to live in this Kingdom. He took them prisoner to a facility in Anima. They escaped... with my help."

    Willow couldn't place her finger on it, but something about this story sounded... familiar. Nevertheless, she drew her own conclusions. "So you wanted to help them," she believed.

    "Well... not at first," Djarin confessed. "See, this was around the time I took in Cinder. She heard about the Mandalorians too, we actually heard it together. I was skeptical about going after them, since my mind was set on keeping Cinder out of danger. But she was stubborn, and she was starting to learn how to be like my people."

    "How do you mean?"

    "I was teaching her about the rules my tribe followed, along with how to defend herself. Don't ask me how or why, but Cinder took those rules to heart. And when she heard about the Mandalorians, she felt the same rules applied when it came to rescuing them."

    "Really? Why was that?"

    "They actually helped us before. They didn't even know who we were at the time, but they still helped us. When Cinder reminded me of that, we snuck in and broke all of them out."

    "I see."

    "..."

    Despite the somewhat neutral response she gave, Willow reminded herself that this was why she liked Djarin in the first place; despite his initial appearance and background, Din Djarin understood honor.

    This reminder and Djarin's story actually helped Willow answer her question. It also helped her see that her father was indeed on to something in his letter. In her mind, Willow understood that laws were made to keep order and peace in one place. But now, she was beginning to understand that strict observation of the rules had a habit of preventing noble outcomes.

    Now it was time to stop that.

    "Thank you, Djarin," Willow said gratefully. "I'm sure that wasn't easy to say."

    "Not really," Djarin admitted. "Though it does feel good to get off my chest."

    "..."

    "Is there... something you'd like to get off yours?"

    Willow nodded. "There is. And I need your help."

    Willow had taken her guest to her study, where she finally revealed her idea of breaking the law for a noble cause. First, she shared the fact that the Schnee Dust Company was mining more Dust than they were selling across the Kingdom. And then she reminded Djarin about giving the Dust to the citizens who needed it most. The last thing Willow said was the same thing Djarin was thinking.

    "I want this Dust to be taken far away from Atlas," Willow said. "And be brought directly to Vale and Mistral."

    Djarin understood what Willow was saying, and he knew the term she was describing. "You want me to smuggle your Dust out of Atlas," he said.

    Despite her assurance her plan could work, Willow didn't like the use of that term. "No, don't think of it as smuggling. Think of it as taking my Dust directly where it needs to go without anyone else knowing that it's gone. And by anyone, I mean Ironwood, or the Council, or the board of-"

    "..."

    Willow could see that Djarin was unconvinced, so she admitted defeat. "Alright, fine. Yes, I would appreciate it if you... smuggled my Dust out of the Kingdom."

    "Heh, heh." Djarin couldn't help but find the situation somewhat comical. "So, while I'm taking it, you can make it disappear?"

    "On paper, yes. Someone I know did something similar before, and I'm sure I can replicate it. And since the excess Dust is mine, nobody else will need it at the moment."

    "..."

    Willow was certain this could work, but she couldn't help but feel the need to clear her conscience of the whole thing. Djarin, however, seemed to have no problem with the idea.

    "I'm impressed, Willow," he admitted. "You put a lot of thought into this. You even have some false covers for the Dust crates."

    "Not right now," Willow confessed. "But I know where to get some. And you may not even need that many, if you show your ship's guards one of them before you go."

    "I think I should still have them all. Just in case."

    The statement began to warm Willow's heart. "So... you can do it? You will do it?"

    "I will." Djarin allowed a smile to reach his face. "Something tells me Cinder would do this too, if she knew what was going on."

    "Believe me, I definitely agree. But really, you think this could work?"

    Djarin pointed to one part of the plan Willow had written up. "Actually, there was one thing I wanted to talk to you about." When Willow moved closer to the paper she had written on, the Mandalorian explained himself. "The Razor Crest is a big ship, but I don't have the room to empty two warehouses of these sizes."

    Willow knew to expect drawbacks with her plan, but she wasn't quite ready to compromise just yet. "How much can you move?" she asked.

    "If I use the cargo hold and the rest of the lower half... maybe a dozen cases. Two dozen at the most."

    "Two dozen?" Willow knew her warehouses were large enough to store more Dust than that, and her mind was still set on emptying at least two of them. "Are you sure? Is there anything you can do?"

    "I'm sorry, my ship's just not big enough. But at this point, two dozen cases would be a godsend for the Kingdoms."

    "That may be so, but I don't think that solves the other half of the problem."

    "...Other half?" This was the first time the Mandalorian heard something about another half to Willow's situation. So he moved upright and gave his complete attention to his friend. "Which is?"

    "Well, you see, I'm trying to keep the company running during the embargo," Willow confessed. "But the board of directors wants us to stop mining and production completely."

    "I... don't understand," said Djarin. "Wouldn't it make more sense to stop?"

    "In hindsight, maybe. But do you know how many of the company's employees are Dust miners?"

    "..."

    Honestly, Djarin had no idea how many people were working in the several Dust mines owned by the SDC. Willow expected this ignorance from just about anyone, so she was willing to explain.

    "My house could only fit about half those people," Willow said without any attempt to exaggerate. "Almost ninety percent of them are from Mantle, and Gods know how different Atlas is from Mantle."

    "..."

    Djarin was well aware of the economic disparity between the two cities, so he didn't interrupt Willow. In fact, he was starting to understand how bad things would be if the board of directors shut down production.

    "Thousands would be left on the streets," Djarin concluded.

    "Exactly!" Willow said passionately. "I have to make sure that doesn't happen. If I empty two of my warehouses, I can continue production for another six months. Hopefully something changes in that time, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

    "And if you don't empty the warehouses?"

    Willow rubbed her arm and looked down at the floor. "I don't even want to imagine what'll happen."

    Djarin quickly decided that such imagination was better off when it was left alone. However, he was able to use his imagination to realize that there was one other possibility.

    "I can't help you move that much Dust, Willow," Djarin confessed. "But I think I know someone who can."

    "Hold on. You want me to risk my entire reputation in Atlas to help Willow Schnee of all people smuggle almost a million Lien's worth of Dust out of the Kingdom? And under General Ironwood's nose, no less?"

    "..."

    "I love it!"

    The disguised Mandalorian rolled his eyes out of a mixture of annoyance and amusement. The annoyance was due to the fact that the person he was talking to was his best hope for his mission, and the amusement was that he had finally started getting used to his friend's sense of humor.

    At the moment, Djarin and Willow Schnee were talking to a man Djarin knew well and worked with in the past. Lando Calrissian was his name, and he always had a keen eye in the business Djarin and Willow were offering. On one hand, Lando was in charge of a joint Dust mining operation between Atlas and Mistral, one that made him rather wealthy. On the other hand, he had smuggled just about every known kind of merchandise throughout each Kingdom. Whether it was goods, people seeking to leave a Kingdom, or weapons, he did it all.

    Fortunately, Lando didn't fit in the stereotypical depiction of a smuggler. Not only did he know which jobs to take and which ones were too much to handle, but his only reason for smuggling was simply because it was fun. There was never any malice in his actions, it was simply to see what kind of adventure he would get roped in to. But needless to say, his new job had made smuggling more of a rare occasion like today.

    Lando's work made it rare for him to leave Atlas since the operation saw more profits in that Kingdom. So he was trapped when General Ironwood announced the closing of borders. So the job Djarin was offering was a clear opportunity to leave before things got worse. Djarin was glad his friend saw this opportunity and was willing to take it.

    "I knew you would," said the Mandalorian. He was currently taking to Lando via a Scroll call, so Djarin was able to put it on speaker phone and send over Willow's plans. "Did you see everything we sent you?"

    "Yep, just about," said Lando. "I'll meet you at one of those warehouses you two mentioned. You on your way now?"

    "Yeah, we'll be there soon."

    "Sounds good. See you in a bit."

    *CLICK*​

    Djarin put away his Scroll and looked over to Willow. They were currently in the Razor Crest, under the ruse that it needed repairs before it could leave the Kingdom. In reality, this was where Djarin would store as much Dust as he could while Lando took the rest. Willow came along so she could see everything go and offer a kind of excuse if security saw her.

    "Sounds like he's on board," said Djarin. Willow was in the seat next to him, so talking to her was easy. "Knowing him, moving Dust without anyone knowing should be easy."

    "Mm-hm," Winter responded halfheartedly. Truth be told, she was still unsure about her plan. She knew Lando Calrissian by name only, given that someone within the SDC made the decision to hire him. But she had no idea that he was a smuggler as well.

    Then again, she had no idea that her own father had secrets of his own either.

    The Mandalorian could tell that something was on Willow's mind. "Don't worry," he said. "This will work."

    "I'm sure it will," Willow said. "I just can't believe we're actually doing this."

    "Are you having second thoughts?"

    "I'm surprised I even had a first thought."

    Djarin understood, given that this was the first time Willow was breaking the law for the first time in her life. The Mandalorian had seen this kind of person before, someone who was on their first underground job. Whether it was bounty hunting or training Foundlings in the tribe, Djarin sometimes found himself alongside someone who was... innocent, for lack of a better word.

    He was usually dismissive of this fact, and would usually resort to teaching on the spot or telling them to stay the course. But given that this was friend of his, Djarin chose to appeal to Willow's emotions.

    "We all have to do things we'd rather not," he said. "When there's not really another way."

    Willow sighed. "I know," she said. She knew this was the only option to help the company and the people fighting the Mandalorians, but she felt incredibly wrong doing so. "I mean... how am I supposed to truly know if this is the right thing or not?"

    "...You don't." Djarin paused for a brief moment before he continued. "Sometimes it's not really about right things or wrong things; it's about the only things you can do."

    Once again, Willow knew that this was the only way to help the people she wanted to help. But there was so much she couldn't help but think about. What if someone found out? What if Ironwood found out and had everyone arrested? Or worse... what if her children had to find out like she found out about her father?

    What would they think of her then?

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    Djarin looked at the computer screen in front of him, as well as the sight in his window. "Looks like we're here," he said.

    "Remember to use my credentials," Willow said. "They should fend off the security."

    Djarin pressed a few buttons on his screen as he searched for a spot to land. He found it just behind one of many warehouses. This was the spot where Willow had sent all of her Dust reserves, and where she planned to conduct her work. She didn't have any preference as to which warehouse she emptied, so the one Djarin landed behind would be a good place to start.

    "I'm going to wait for Lando here," said Djarin. "Maybe you should scout ahead, see if anyone or anything can see us moving the Dust."

    "Very well," Willow said as she got out of her seat. This was a good idea, and she needed some brief time alone.

    As she left the Razor Crest, Willow moved inside the warehouse through a side door. Inside, she saw dozens of Dust crates that were all stacked up on one another. As she looked at the sight and made sure she was the only one there, Willow realized that the Razor Crest was indeed too small of a ship to take all this Dust.

    It seemed everything was in order. All the Dust was here, there was no sign of any security, and Djarin's assistant would be here any minute. Now all she had to worry about was figuring out if this was really the right call.

    Willow still believed in her epiphany about strict observance of the law, but putting her words into action was something else entirely. It may be the only thing she could do to help everyone, but Willow couldn't help but wonder what would happen if she was caught. Obviously, she would be arrested. But that would mean leaving Weiss and Whitely all alone. They had already lost one parent, even though he was the worst father in the world. But still, Weiss and Whitely shouldn't have to see their mother behind bars.

    Even worse, Winter would probably want nothing to do with her even more.

    Despite all of this being true, Willow couldn't help but wonder something else. "Is this what was going through Father's head?" she asked herself. "Was he worried that someone else would find what I found?"

    "..."

    The second epiphany Willow had seemed to do nothing but set everything back on track. Nicholas Schnee obviously knew what he was doing, based on the letter he wrote for her. Consequently, he had to know what could have happened to him if he ever got caught. Perhaps he would have to see his daughter grow up on the other side of the glass, and he may have spent a lifetime behind bars.

    However, none of that ever stopped him from doing what he did when the Dust shortage got too much to handle. He was brave, unwavering, and willing to see things through to the end. Because Nicholas Schnee truly believed that it was the only way to set things straight.

    And if he could do it... so could his only daughter.

    *ROAR*​

    "Aaah!"

    Willow had been lost in her own thoughts long enough to forget her surroundings. So when she turned a corner, she was greeted by something that roared at her of all things. The scare she received was enough to make her fall to the floor and scramble to get back up.

    As she did, Willow caught sight of what scared her.

    A large man, perhaps the tallest man she had ever seen, was also in the warehouse. Not only was he extremely tall, but he was also covered in enormous amounts of hair. From head to toe, the man was completely covered in long brown hair. He was also wearing what looked like some kind of worker uniform, but it hardly fit over his body. Based on the roar and the physical appearance, Willow immediately believed the man was a Faunus; but he was unlike any Faunus she had ever seen.

    He also appeared to be angry, as he seemingly moved quickly towards the frightened woman with killer instinct.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Two red blasts hit the floor just between Willow and the Faunus, while the third one hit the man in the foot. He didn't appear to have an Aura, given that the Faunus howled in pain as he grabbed his foot. Willow looked up to see a man in chrome armor fly to the ground and land just in front of her. The armor was very familiar to her, and she was able to guess who was underneath it.

    "Djarin?" she asked.

    "Run!" the Mandalorian told her as he quickly looked back. "I'll hold him off!" He then raised the small blaster he had and prepared to fire once again.

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey!"

    When they heard a new voice, Djarin and the Faunus turned to see that someone else was in the warehouse as well. It was another man, but he didn't appear to be an employee. He was wearing a simple blue shirt and dress pants, similar to what most people from Atlas wore. He was currently running towards the duo while waving his hands and yelling more.

    "Hold it, hold it!" he said. When he finally stopped in front of the Faunus, he began to explain things. "Mando, he's with me!"

    Despite the fact that Lando could vouch for the... unique Faunus, Djarin was far from satisfied. "I heard screaming and found your 'friend' about to attack mine," he said angrily while holding his blaster still.

    "Sorry, sorry! That's on me." Lando looked back to the injured man he considered an ally. "I told him to scout ahead, he was only trying to give anyone inside a scare."

    Willow, who had managed to catch her breath, finally stood up and offered her own concern. "Well, he seemed to be doing a little extra there!" she said in anger.

    Obviously, this wasn't how Lando wanted his first meeting with Willow Schnee to go. And yet, all he could think of doing was apologizing once again. "Ma'am, I apologize," he said again. As he looked back to his partner, he had an idea how to show that he meant no harm. "Hey, buddy. Can you walk?"

    "..."

    The Faunus nodded as he stood up.

    "Okay, good. Listen, I can clear things up here. Maybe you should start loading the Dust."

    *GROWL*​

    The Faunus made similar grunting noises while moving his hands a certain way. Willow had no idea what he was doing, but Lando seemed to understand the gestures and grunts. "What do you mean no?" he asked.

    The man responded with more grunts and hand waves.

    "Look, I know this guy. If he knew who you were, none of this would've happened."

    *GROWL*

    *GROWL*    ​

    "Uh... I mean, I was going to tell him about you. I just thought we'd meet him together."

    *ROAR*​

    "Okay, okay! I screwed up, you got me! So don't be mad at him or Mrs. Schnee, you can be mad at me."

    *GROWL*​

    "No, not mad enough to leave! Remember why you wanted to do this in the first place?"

    "..."

    "Once we get across that border, we'll be on the straightest path possible back to that island of yours. You still got family there, don't you?"

    *GROWL*​

    "...Okay, true we'll have to unload the Dust. Then we'll be on the straightest path possible."

    As Lando continued to negotiate with the Faunus, Djarin looked back to Willow. "You okay?" he asked sincerely.

    "Yes, I'm fine," Willow said. "He just scared me, that's all."

    The Mandalorian looked back towards the Faunus. "I can see why."

    Willow focused less on the man's appearance and more on his method of communication. "Is he really understanding what he's... saying?"

    "I doubt it. But I think Lando understands the sign language."

    Willow looked closer at the man's hands as he made more noises. The way he was moving them seemed to indicate some sort of pattern; it seemed it really was sign language. "Can you understand it?" Willow asked.

    "Yeah," Djarin confirmed. "He's not happy about being shot. Or Lando keeping him from us."

    "I think I see that. But was Mr. Calrissian really going to tell us about... him?"

    "Hard to say." Djarin saw Lando moving closer to them. "Stay behind me." Willow remained silent as Lando approached her again.

    "Mrs. Schnee," Lando said with a bow, attempting to be polite. "I'm very sorry about all this; it's my fault he was here in the first place. Are you alright?"

    "She's fine," Djarin answered for Willow. "Just got spooked from your... friend."

    Lando awkwardly chuckled. "Yeah, I can imagine. Look, I was gonna introduce you to him personally, but I didn't think you'd be here yet. And I didn't see the harm in scoping this place out."

    "That's why I was here," Willow answered for herself. "It seems we were both at the right place, just the wrong time."

    "Yeah, that's what I said. Like I said, this is really my fault. Perhaps I can make it up to you by getting straight to work. I mean... we still have a deal, right?"

    Between Willow hardly knowing Lando Calrissian and the fact that he had made one mistake already, the CEO's opinion about Lando's ability to accomplish this plan wasn't very high. However, she needed all the help she could get.

    "Djarin tells me you've done something like this before," Willow began.

    "Uh... I have," Lando awkwardly confirmed. "I hope this won't severely impact the work I've done for your company and Kingdom, ma'am. You see, I-"

    "That's not important right now. I'm more... curious as to how you can... help me."

    Lando immediately saw an opportunity to get everything back on track. And so, he began to make his way towards the main entrance of the warehouse. "Allow me to show you," he offered as he gestured for Djarin and Willow to follow.

    "..."

    Djarin led the way towards the main entrance while Willow followed. As he did, the Mandalorian saw an opportunity of his own. "I hope you can forgive the armor," he said. "I heard you screaming and I-"

    "Actually, I'm glad to see you with it," Willow admitted. "Not just because you helped me, but I don't think I was ever used to you without it."

    Djarin couldn't help but chuckle. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it may have taken you longer to get used to me wearing it."

    "..."

    Willow remembered the first day she met Din Djarin; after Winter had told her mother everything that happened at Satine Kryze's party, the first thing Willow did when she got home was call the Councilwoman and see who exactly her temporary bodyguard was. When she found out, Willow made it her mission to seek him out personally to thank him for everything he did.

    And as Djarin said, she had a hard time getting used to him wearing his armor at all times.

    "Well... I like to think it wasn't too long," she said. "Was it?"

    "No, it was fine," he said. "Trust me, I'm used to it."

    After he turned a corner, Djarin gestured for Willow to go first. As she did, she saw Lando Calrissian waiting for her. The Faunus, on the other hand, was hard at work placing Dust into an airship.

    Only it wasn't the kind of airship she expected to see.

    In front of Willow was a simple Manta-class airship, one that was used primarily for the Atlas military and something that Djarin himself used to own. And Lando was staring at it with a wide smile.

    "So, what do you think?" he asked.

    Djarin looked closely at the ship. "Yeah, that's it," he said. "This will definitely work." Just one look at the airship was enough to satisfy the Mandalorian.

    Willow, on the other hand, was far from pleased.

    "Djarin, you can't be serious," she said. "That thing is smaller than your ship!"

    "Huh?" Djarin asked. "What are you talking about? It's the perfect size for-"

    "..."

    The Mandalorian looked back to Lando as he remembered what Willow had said. "Oh, wait a second," he said. "Okay, Lando. You made your point, go ahead and show her."

    The man laughed as he looked back to the ship. "Alright, alright," he said. "How about this?"

    Willow was still looking at Djarin at the moment, so she wasn't prepared to see a much larger ship when she turned around. Instead of a simple Manta-class fighter, Willow was now looking at one of her own Schnee Dust Company transport ships. Not only could this one hold a massive amount of Dust, but this one seemed to appear right where the Manta was.

    "What the-?" Willow asked in amazement. She looked up and down the path that rested between this warehouse and the next one, but she couldn't see the Manta from earlier. "Where's the Manta?"

    "Oh, there was never a Manta, ma'am," Lando explained as he tapped the side of the ship. "See, that's how I can help with this little thing you're doing."

    Willow was still confused by what she had just seen, so the Mandalorian decided to explain. "Lando was using his Semblance," he began. "It's how he was such a good smuggler. He can make anyone see exactly what he wants them to see."

    "Given the ridiculous amount of security I've seen, it's easy to guess that General Ironwood wants some kind of escort for Mando here," said Lando. "I can make this ship here look like a Manta to whoever looks at it with no trouble at all."

    "Really?" Willow asked. As she remembered how real the "Manta" looked earlier, it seemed that Lando Calrissian would be a great addition to this plan of hers. "That's... incredible!"

    Lando smiled in satisfaction as he approached closer. "I suppose this means I'm hired?"

    "Oh, most certainly." Willow looked over Lando's shoulder to see the Faunus loading more Dust onto the spacious ship of hers. "I imagine you'll need to borrow my ship. And take your... friend."

    "Yes on both accounts. All that we have left to discuss is my fee."

    "Oh." Willow had to admit that she forgot about the matter of payment. But her father admitted that he had to hire Huntsmen to perform his expeditions, so she would have to make a payment of her own. "How much?"

    "Fifty thousand. No less."

    "..."

    One look on Willow's face told everyone that this wasn't very suitable for her. So before anything else could happen, Djarin moved Willow's shoulder so she could turn around with him. "Just a second, Lando," he said as he took a few steps back. He then began to whisper. "What's the matter?"

    "Fifty thousand?" Willow whispered back. "That's a lot of Lien."

    "What, you can't afford it?"

    "Of course I can. What I mean is that it's noticeable. If I were to write a check for fifty thousand, I'm sure someone will ask questions. The bank has some business with the military, you know."

    Djarin mentally sighed. "Of course they do. Okay, how much wouldn't be a big issue?"

    "Oh, I'm not sure. Maybe... twenty? Twenty five?"

    The Mandalorian had an idea as to what to do next. "Follow my lead." The first thing he did was turn around back to Lando. When Willow followed suit, Djarin spoke clearly and loud enough for everyone to hear. "Thirty thousand," he said. "And you can keep the ship."

    "..."

    Lando turned back towards the ship just in time to miss Willow staring daggers at Djarin. "I'll cover the extra," he said. "If anyone asks, you sold a faulty ship for parts."

    "..."

    Willow silently nodded before she turned back to Lando. "Will he really want the airship?" she asked.

    "Let's find out," Djarin replied. "I know it's not the Falcon, Lando. But I don't remember you owning a ship this big before."

    "You know... I don't either," said the businessman. "Big enough for just about anything. And not just for storage. I know the kind of people who'd like to enjoy themselves with so much space."

    "..."

    The last part didn't exactly play well with Willow, but she didn't voice this opinion. It was wise to keep her mouth shut, given that Lando turned around with a smile on his face. "This alright with you, ma'am?" he asked.

    "I have no objections," Willow said.

    "Then what you do have..." Lando stuck out his hand. "Is a deal." He watched Willow shake his hand graciously.

    *GROWL*​

    Everyone looked back to see the Faunus still hard at work, but he was also waving his hand. "We'll be right there to help!" Lando promised. "We're just finishing up here!" The Faunus went back to work.

    Despite the deal being finished, both Djarin and Willow were equally curious about the Faunus.

    "Mr. Calrissian, you said he's a friend of yours?" Willow asked politely.

    "Oh, yeah," Lando replied. "He works for me in Mistral, but I convinced him and a few others to come work in Atlas. Now he's just itching to leave. Again, I'm sorry about what happened."

    "That's fine. But may I ask... what kind of Faunus he is?"

    "Uh..." Lando looked back to see the Faunus again. "That, I'm afraid I don't really know. All I can tell you is that he's a rare sort."

    "Where's he from?" Djarin asked.

    "An island off the coast of Mistral. It's filled with more Faunus like him."

    "Do they all share his... instincts?" Willow asked.

    "You mean the growling and roaring?" Lando asked. "I gotta say, I'm not really sure. I've heard a few of his people doing it before, but that's about it. Besides, that's the only way he can talk after what he's been through."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Poor guy was in a big accident in Mistral. He and a few more of my guys got caught in a cave-in. Everyone was spread out and digging their own way out, but he got his legs and arms caught in all kinds of rocks and crystals down there."

    Based on the picture Lando had painted for his company, it was clear that one false move would have killed the poor Faunus. "How'd he get out?" Djarin asked.

    "Well, that's the crazy part," Lando explained. "His arms and legs were trapped... but his mouth was wide open."

    Djarin's eyes widened under his helmet. "Wait, you don't mean-"

    "That's right. The big guy chewed his way out of that mess. Went through rocks and Dust to free his limbs, and then he began to dig. We got to him as fast as we could, he's just lucky to be alive."

    "But chewing through rocks and Dust?" Willow asked. "That's extremely dangerous."

    "And not without consequences. We saved him, but his throat was badly hurt. The doctors and surgeons had to dig a lot out of his throat, including his vocal cords."

    Willow softly gasped. "That's awful," she said.

    "Must be hard," Djarin included.

    "Yeah, well... he's managed to cope with it," Lando explained. "It's kinda funny, actually. When everyone I worked with heard what happened, they treated him like a god for having strength like that."

    "Is that right?"

    "Yep. They even gave him a nickname he likes: Chewie."

    With the combined efforts of Djarin, Lando, and Chewie, two warehouses of Dust were successfully emptied and stored on both the Razor Crest and Lando's new ship. Willow had to leave for a moment to withdraw some Lien from the bank, and Djarin fulfilled his promise of using his own personal savings to pay as well.

    A half hour after they started, everyone was ready to go their separate ways.

    Lando and Chewie chose to take the SDC airship while Djarin took the Razor Crest. Before he left, Willow said goodbye to the Mandalorian personally.

    "Djarin, I can't thank you enough," she said sincerely. "This is a lifesaver, this is-"

    "My pleasure," the Mandalorian said as he extended his hand. Willow shook it as he continued to talk. "A lot of people need this Dust, Willow."

    "Yes, I know. But are you sure you're okay with this? If James finds out what we did tonight, he'll throw the book at us."

    "None of this is really new to me or Lando. We're both in good hands, I assure you." Djarin had one more thing to say before he made his way to the Razor Crest. "We won't be able to talk when I leave, but all you can do is stick to your side of the plan."

    "Understood. Good luck."

    "You too."

    Willow and the Mandalorian finally parted ways. While she couldn't travel via the Razor Crest again, Willow knew a restaurant within walking distance of the warehouses. So she would go there and call for Klein there. Djarin, on the other hand, prepared to take flight.

    "Wow," said Lando, who was watching the conversation from afar. He couldn't hear everything they said, but he knew one thing. "Never knew they were such good friends."

    *WUG*​

    Lando turned to Chewie, who was moving his hands while making noises again. "No, I didn't know Mrs. Schnee was willing to resort to smuggling either. I mean, who would've thought?"

    Chewie and Lando shared a brief laugh before the Faunus made more noises and hand movements again.

    "Yeah, you're right. We should get moving." Lando made his way to the cockpit of the ship and got inside. "Looks like there's an extra seat if you want it, pal. Or do you wanna watch the Dust in back?"

    "..."

    Chewie replied by moving up into the cockpit with him. Lando smiled at the notion and prepared to take flight.

    *WHOOSH*​

    The airship came to life after Lando pressed certain buttons on the console. The engines hummed perfectly and all the lights in the cockpit shined like the stars above. When he saw the Razor Crest overhead take lead, Lando slowly moved a handle close to him to take the airship off the ground. And soon enough, he and Chewie were flying.

    When they were high above the warehouses, Lando pressed a button close to a speaker. "Cargo ship to Razor Crest," he said calmly. "You read me, Mando?"

    "Loud and clear," the Mandalorian said on the other end. "How's your Aura?"

    "Ready to go. Just say the word."

    "Got it. I know where Ironwood wants me to go, I just need you to follow for now."

    "Lead the way, my friend."

    *WUG*

    *GROWL*    ​

    Lando looked over to Chewie as he started his method of communication with him again. "Uh, no," he said calmly. "No, I don't wanna start tricking the army just yet."

    *WUG*

    *WUG*

    *WUG*    ​

    "Yeah, I could make it look like we're not here to anyone looking. But this ship will still pop up on their radar. It's best to make us look legit."

    *WUG*

    *ROAR*    ​

    "Of course we can trust Mando. He needs this as much as we do. And he has some of the Dust too, you know."

    *GROWL*​

    "What? No, he's not gonna do that."

    *GROWL*

    *ROAR*    ​

    "Because I know him! We were in a spot like this before, where we split up our cargo. He didn't rat me out then when he had the chance."

    *ROAR*​

    "He doesn't have nearly as much Dust either. If he wanted to take his portion and run off, he'd have done it already."

    *GROWL*

    *WUG*    ​

    "Why is he doing this? Hmm..." Lando took a moment to think before he snapped his fingers. "I think I have a good idea. Here, lemme show you." Lando turned on the radio again and began to talk into it. "You know, Mando, I was starting to get worried about you."

    "Is that so?" Djarin asked on the other end.

    "Oh, yeah. Between this war going on and the fact I haven't heard from you in who knows how long, I was thinking something bad happened to you."

    "Like joining the warring clans?"

    "That or you got killed by them. Also, I was wondering if that job you got at Beacon set you straight."

    "I can admit to neither of the first two. As far as Beacon goes... you could say something like that."

    "Yeah, but not too straight, am I right? I mean, look at us right now."

    "I'm still hunting bounties when I have the time. And as you can see, I'm open to work like this on occasion."

    Lando flashed a grin, even though his friend couldn't see it. "That's what I like to hear," he said. "What about that kid of yours? How's she doing?"

    "...Not too good, Lando," Djarin replied after a moment of silence. "Cinder's... sick."

    The smuggler stopped grinning as he stared at the radio. "What? Oh, no." Lando then slumped in his chair, feeling guilty for brining Cinder up in the first place. "I'm sorry, Mando. I didn't know, really."

    "I understand."

    The idea of Cinder being sick gave Lando another idea. "Is that why you're doing this job? Is Schnee supposed to do something to help Cinder?"

    "In a way, yes. That's why I'm here." Djarin let out a noticeable sigh in his end. "So we have to make sure we do it right."

    "Of course. Let me know when I need to use my Semblance."

    *CLICK*​

    Lando rubbed his hands on his face as he let out a pained groan. "Great," he said sarcastically. "Just great."

    *WUG*​

    Lando had forgotten that Chewie was still with him, and that he had just heard everything he and Djarin were saying. Since the cat was out of the bag, Lando didn't have much of a reason to lie or change the subject.

    "Yeah," he began. "Mando's got a kid. Her name's Cinder, I've met her before."

    *WUG*

    *WUG*    ​

    "About fifteen, I think. I always meant to drop by and see how she and Mando have been, but I never got around to it."

    *WUG*​

    "What's she like? Um, I guess you could say she's your average teenager. Going on about her hair, clothes, boys, that sort of thing. But she also knows how to fight too."

    *WUG*

    *WUG*

    *WUG*    ​

    "Oh, you better believe she means a lot to Mando. He actually adopted her. If that's not love, I don't know what is."

    "..."

    Chewie had no response for Lando at the moment, given everything he had just heard. So he simply left things as they were and turned his attention towards the control panel.

    "Careful with that," Lando warned. "Just about everything here keeps this ship in the air."

    *GROWL*

    *ROAR*    ​

    "Since when did you fly one of these?"

    *ROAR*​

    "What? No way."

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    Lando turned to see a red light flashing near the radio. "Hold that thought," he said as he pressed a button near the radio. "That you, Razor Crest?"

    "It's me," the Mandalorian replied. "We're about to reach the city outskirts."

    "Here we go."

    Lando took a deep breath as he imagined the large cargo ship transforming into a small Manta-class airship. His Semblance activated to make this imagination a reality. He couldn't see the results of his action, but Lando had performed the feat enough times to know that everyone who could see the ship was seeing exactly what he wanted them to see.

    Especially the real Manta that had just moved close to the Razor Crest.

    The Mandalorian had patched his radio and Lando's together in a way that they both could hear what the Atlesian pilot could say. "Attention Razor Crest," a male voice said. "This is Manta 2-4 of the Atlas air fleet. Come in, Razor Crest."

    "This the Razor Crest," said the Mandalorian. "I'm on my way to return to Argus. General Ironwood can confirm my intentions."

    "We're aware of the General's orders. But it would seem you're late."

    Lando and Chewie turned to each other as they thought the same thing; trouble was already starting for them.

    "Um, could you say that again?" Djarin asked calmly.

    "According to General Ironwood, you were permitted to stay in Atlas for one hour to conduct personal business," said the Atlesian pilot.

    "Yes, that was our arrangement. And I've honored it."

    "On the contrary, you arrived in Atlas approximately one hour and ten minutes ago. You're overdue for departure. Care to explain?"

    The Mandalorian thought of a lie very quickly. "Sorry," he began. "My ship needed emergency repairs. I had a breach in the hull."

    "Say again; your ship needed emergency repairs?"

    "That's right. The Manta next to me can confirm this."

    Lando quickly hopped on the radio again. "This is Manta... 3-1," he said. "I had orders to find the Razor Crest when it didn't leave on schedule."

    Neither Lando or Djarin could see it, but the Atlesian pilot was seeing another Manta close to the ship he was questioning. "...I see," he said. "Atlas is a big city, though. You found the Razor Crest on your own?"

    "Well, it is one of a kind," Lando replied.

    "I suppose. Razor Crest, what is your cargo and destination?"

    "No cargo," Djarin lied again. "But my destination is Argus. Your people should see me there."

    "They will. Manta 3-1, did you inspect the ship prior to its departure?"

    "I sure did," Lando replied. "It's as clean as a whistle."

    "...Alright, you're free to go."

    "Thank you," said the Mandalorian. "Have a... nice day."

    "You too."

    All three of the smugglers felt relieved that their plan had gone perfectly. Given how things were beginning to run very tightly in Atlas after the Fall of Beacon, Djarin and Lando knew security would be very tight. From the Manta expecting detailed results to the multiple larger airships overhead, nobody believed this would be easy.

    "Manta 3-1, you're clear to return to base."

    "..."

    Lando felt a cold shiver go up his spine as he turned to the radio. "Um... say that again?" he asked.

    "You're clear to return to base," the pilot repeated. "Nothing more you can do here."

    Lando remained close to the Razor Crest as he tried to think of a lie as well. Fortunately, Chewie had a plan. Instead of moving his hands and making noise, the Faunus moved his hands after he got Lando's attention. When he was done, Chewie pointed to the radio.

    "Okay," Lando whispered as he understood Chewie's plan. "Thats's a negative. I'm also en route to the Argus base."

    "Say again?"

    "I'm en route to the Argus airbase."

    "For what purpose?"

    Lando remembered Chewie's idea vividly. It was a long shot, but practical in this case. "Parts and technical supply," he said. "For fixing the other airships stationed there."

    "I didn't hear about anything like this."

    "The orders are brand new. Since Man... I mean, since the Razor Crest was being fixed, I received new orders to gather parts and technical supply while I escorted him from the city."

    The radio was silent for a few seconds after Lando shared this lie. He wasn't sure if it would work entirely, but it was the best option at the moment. And he was sure that the Mandalorian would say the same.

    But the large airship overhead wasn't doing them any favors right now.

    "I'll have to confirm these orders," said the pilot. "Razor Crest, you're free to go. Manta 3-1, continue at your current pace." The ship then flew back towards Atlas, back towards the rest of the fleet. Given that all three ships were still flying out into the tundra, the radio signal wasn't strong enough to contact the rest of the fleet.

    "Mando, you there?" Lando asked as soon as the pilot turned around.

    "I'm here," Djarin replied on the other end. "This isn't going to work. He'll be back and drag both of us with him."

    "So what do we do? Make a break for it?"

    "Not with those airships above us. I've seen their firepower, they can hit anything out here."

    "Well, we don't have a lot of other options."

    The radio was silent as Djarin weighed his options. He soon came to the realization that his friend was right. "...Let's pick up the pace," he said. "Not too much, though."

    Lando obeyed and made the ship fly at a faster pace. The Razor Crest followed suit, and they were soon flying at the same speed. This new speed covered more ground, and the airships overhead weren't firing on them.

    But two Mantas were coming closer a little too fast for comfort.

    "Unidentified Manta, stand down," the pilot from before ordered. "Or we will fire."

    Lando quickly tried to continue his lie from earlier. "I'm not unidentified!" he quickly argued. "This is Manta 3-1!"

    "No," a female voice called out. "This is Manta 3-1."

    "..."

    Everyone knew that they were exposed, but they knew this was bound to happen. In fact, Lando was even surprised they held out for this long.

    "Unidentified Manta and Razor Crest, stand down," the female voice ordered. "Stand down or we will fire immediately."

    Lando and Djarin were currently weighing their options. Right now, they knew they could either surrender and face the music, or go down fighting. Both of them were certain that they could take down the Mantas, but the larger airships behind them would destroy them for sure.

    Chewie, however, didn't weigh any options. He simply took matters in his own hands.

    *WHOOSH*​

    All of a sudden, the disguised SDC ship veered to the right at an alarming speed. The pilot didn't have enough time to react, and he also lacked the knowledge that this wasn't another Manta.

    "What the-?! Hey!"

    *SCREECH*​

    Metal crashed against metal as the ships moved closer to each other. The contact wasn't enough to break the side of the cargo ship, but it was enough to break the tip of the Manta's left wing. When it did, the airship flew out of control towards the ground.

    *CRASH*​

    The other airship took the sign as an obvious act of hostility. "Weapons free!" she said as she flew away from the cargo ship before it could crash into her. As she did, two missiles shot out towards the smugglers.

    Chewie, however, was ready for this.

    "Chewie, wait!" Lando yelled as he was far from ready. He didn't even know if the Faunus could fly a ship.

    But he was about to know from first-hand experience.

    Chewie made the ship move to the left this time as he dodged the missiles. The Razor Crest also had to move quickly, since the missles were now heading for him. But they both missed completely.

    This left the Atlesian unsatisfied, as she fired more missiles at the ships.

    The Mandalorian was always a skilled pilot, so he was able to dodge each projectile with ease. He even had a counter measure when some of them got too close. With the press of a button, the Razor Crest released a series of flares that the missles flew towards instead.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    With each missle that missed or exploded from the flares, the Razor Crest averted destruction for a little while longer.

    The SDC ship didn't have any built-in defenses, so the Faunus pilot was left to improvise. With each movement he made, Chewie caused the ship to sway back and forth at an unpredictable manner. All the while, Lando was trying to get back to his seat in one piece.

    Needless to say, he wasn't having much luck.

    "Dammit, Chewie!" Lando yelled. "If we get out of this in one piece, your share of the Lien's going to my hospital bill!"

    Little did he know, the improvised and reckless movements were doing both of them a favor. The pilot couldn't get her missiles to lock on to the ship, which she could see was changing between a Manta and a cargo ship.

    "What the hell?" the pilot asked. "What's going on here?" Since nobody could answer her question, she turned to her radio. "I'm gonna need some backup here!"

    The air fleet got her message, and they sent help in more ways than one.

    *CHOOM*​

    A red blast of energy emerged from the weapons of one large ship and made its way towards the escaping cargo ship and Razor Crest. It didn't hit the targets, but it served as a good warning shot.

    *ROAR*​

    Chewie began to feel afraid as he saw the red blast barely miss the ship. It was enough to make him stop flying in an unorthodox manner, and it was also enough time for Lando to get back on the radio.

    "Mando!" he cried. "Mando, what do we do?!"

    "I'm thinking!" Djarin yelled back as he recalled the red blast almost hitting his ship. "Just give me a second!"

    *CHOOM*​

    "Yeah, we don't have a second! Those lasers are looking to make a big explosion and take us with it!"

    Djarin normally tuned out people talking out of panic like this, but he knew Lando was right; the Atlesians wouldn't stop shooting until they saw an explosion.

    "They want an explosion?" the Mandalorian asked rhetorically. "I say we give them one. Lando, I need you to drop one of the Dust crates. Rig it to blow."

    "Do what?!" Lando asked. "Are you nuts?!"

    "The explosion will cover our tracks! They'll stop shooting at us, just do it!"

    *CHOOM*

    *CRASH*    ​

    This time, part of the laser hit Lando's new ship. It was enough to make him realize that Djarin's plan was their only option at the moment, so he agreed. "Okay, okay!" he said. "Chewie, see if you can find a way to make a Dust crate blow up! I'll drop it out when we're ready!"

    *CHOOM*​

    The laser was enough to make Chewie play his part in the crazy plan. And so, he moved as fast as lightning to the Dust crates he had previously stored on the ship. When he found one that was close to the hanger door, he opened it to find multiple kinds of Dust. But he simply took one Fire Dust crystal and broke it, causing sparks to form from the shard. He then threw it into the crate and closed the top after he moved it right on top of the door.

    He then ran back to the cockpit to avoid a possible premature explosion.

    *ROAR*​

    Lando didn't need to see any sign language to understand the roar. "Mando, we're ready!" he shouted into the radio.

    "So are they!" said the Mandalorian. He could see that the large airship in the distance was ready to fire again. "Drop it now!"

    Lando obeyed, just as the Manta behind him came closer and the laser fired.

    *CHOOM*​

    Once again, the energy hit the side of his new ship. But it was also close enough to cause the already ignited Dust to become even more agitated.

    *BOOM*​

    The explosion was loud enough for everyone to hear, and close enough for the Manta to be caught in it. The airship plummeted towards the ground and caused another explosion once it crashed on the white tundra.

    *BOOM*​

    Even though the two ships were far away from the air fleet, Lando had the foresight to use what remained of his Aura to cloak himself and the Razor Crest. He also knew the Mantas that would come after them would become a salvage crew instead of backup.

    Lando sighed in relief as he also started to laugh. He couldn't explain it, but there was something about being shot at that seemed to make him feel excited afterwards. "Mando, you there?" he asked on the radio.

    "I'm here," said the Mandalorian. "How are you holding up?"

    "Not bad. Though I gotta say... that was pretty fun." Lando laughed again. "But let's not do that again, okay?"

    "Works for me. We should be approaching Anima in about an hour."

    "I don't think going to Argus is such a good idea. They may not find what they're looking for from what we left behind."

    "Don't worry. I know another place we can go."

    Years ago​

    It had been about an hour since Djarin had left Nevarro with Cinder in tow. And instead of Sanus, they had traveled to the coast of Anima. As the Armorer had said, it was now his mission to properly escort the young girl to a man named Ozma. For it was Ozma who could train Cinder with the strange and extraordinary powers she possessed. It would be a hard and long path to take, but the clan of two had faith that they could rely on each other in these uncertain times.

    Once again, it was Cinder relying on her fellow Mandalorian. Not just for deciding where to go, but training her with the two swords she had just been gifted. Djarin had no sword of his own, but his Beskar gauntlets granted him protection from each strike.

    "Solus."

    *CLASH*​

    "T'ad."

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    "Solus."

    *CLASH*​

    "T'ad."

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    "Ehn."

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    With each command Djarin spoke, Cinder either struck him with one blow or two. "Solus" meant to strike with one sword while "t'ad" meant to strike with both. "Ehn," however, was meant to strike immediately after two strikes for a third.

    Cinder was about to strike for the third time, but she was slow this time. Djarin grabbed her wrist and pushed her aside, which made her fall to the ground and drop both of her swords.

    "We'll have to work on three," Djarin said as he offered a hand to Cinder. The young girl took it and came off the ground.

    "How'd I do with one and two?" she asked as she picked up her swords.

    "One is good, but I had enough time to defend myself from two."

    Cinder looked down at her swords. "I don't understand," she said. "You told me my punches were fast, but not strong enough. How am I getting slower with my swords?"

    "Have you ever used a sword before?"

    "Um... no."

    "Well, there you go. You just have to be patient, Cinder."

    Cinder looked up at her guardian. "But I don't want to be patient, Mando! I want to be good at this! The Armorer gave me these swords, I have to show her I'm good with them!"

    "You will, but only if you keep practicing." Djarin put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "The finest blades in all the land are useless in untrained hands."

    "..."

    Cinder was starting to understand, but she wasn't very confident in her abilities. Djarin suspected this, but there was something else in her eyes; something that she may have just revealed.

    "Did you say you wanted to show the Armorer you can fight with these?" he asked calmly. Cinder looked up to him and nodded. "We might not get a chance like that. We still have to find Ozma."

    "I know," Cinder replied. "But if I can fight with these... maybe she'll let me come back. We might not find Ozma, you know."

    "..."

    The cat was let out of the bag now. And so, Djarin kneeled down to Cinder after she looked down to the ground. "Cinder... I'm sorry things didn't work out in Nevarro. Really, I am."

    "..."

    Cinder didn't respond, but the teardrops hitting the ground was a good response as any. "I wish things went differently," he said. "But this sounds bigger than just the two of us. Staying at Nevarro with a burden like this goes against the Creed."

    Cinder nodded as she dried her eyes. "I know," she repeated. "But... did they have to kick us out?"

    This time, Djarin held Cinder by the shoulders. "No. Nobody kicked us out, Cinder. We were given a mission, a purpose. One that we have to accomplish." He then let go of her.

    "But what about you? You were from Nevarro before we met. You shouldn't have had to leave."

    "This is my mission too, Cinder."

    "I know, but..."

    "..."

    Cinder knew what she wanted to say next, but it was mostly a risk. Given that she hadn't really said something like this before, but she really wanted to say it.

    And so she did.

    "Mando... I like you," she began. "I really like you, and I'm really glad you did a lot for me already. But all of this, taking me who knows where, it's just... I don't like how I feel."

    Djarin was taken aback by what Cinder said first. He couldn't remember the last time someone said they held him in high regard. But he believed he understood how Cinder felt now. "You mean... you're nervous?" he asked.

    "...No." Cinder looked down again and rubbed her arm awkwardly. "What I mean is... none of this feels right. It doesn't feel... fair. I mean, fair to you."

    Djarin stood up again, but also rubbed Cinder's head. It was meant to be a gesture of how much Djarin appreciated Cinder saying all of that, but he knew he needed to say something.

    "Thanks, kid," he began. "I have to admit, I'm starting to like you too. So listen; I don't see you as cargo or anything like that. We're in this together. Loyalty and solidarity are the way we're going to follow."

    "..."

    "Besides, it's my job to worry about you. Not the other way around. Understand?"

    Cinder smiled at the belief, and then offered her own insight. "Yeah," she said. "I guess fathers are supposed to be like that."

    "...Fathers?"

    "Yeah. The Armorer said that you would be my father now."

    Djarin remembered what Armorer said before he and Cinder left the village. While he needed a minute to remember that she said he would be like Cinder's father, the Mandalorian believed in something different.

    "I think she was saying I'm supposed to act like one," Djarin said. "She said I would be     as a father, that I need to look after you like one."

    Cinder's smile slowly vanished. "...Oh," she said as she remembered the exact words the Armorer used. The truth began to rang in, and they guided Cinder's next words and actions. "I mean, that's right. That's what she said." She then looked upwards. "Wow, it's getting late. Maybe we should get back to it."

    Djarin noted Cinder's quick way of speaking and reaching for her sword. It seemed like she was trying to forget everything that she said, but Djarin didn't seem to know why. "Cinder, I-"

    "You said I need to work on two." Cinder picked up her swords. "So should we do both again, or-?"

    *SNAP*​

    The Mandalorian and Foundling quickly looked at the tree line that bordered their temporary camp. They had previously made sure there were no Grimm inside, so they knew something was wrong. "What was that?" Cinder asked.

    Djarin immediately expected to see Grimm emerge, so he moved his hand towards the blaster in his holster. "Stay behind-"

    "Help!"

    Out of the trees, a man dressed in dirty clothes came out limping on one side. The man was looking at the ground while holding his side as he attempted to walk. He briefly looked up when he saw Cinder and the Mandalorian.

    "Please," he said. "Please help!"

    "Oh, no," Cinder whispered as she began to move closer. "Are you-?"

    Djarin quickly moved his arm in front of the child. Once she stopped moving, the Mandalorian gently pushed Cinder backwards.

    "Get back to the ship," he ordered firmly.

    Cinder began to walk backwards due to the Mandalorian moving her, but she wasn't ready to go. "Aren't we going to help him?"

    "He's not hurt." Djarin quickly removed his blaster and fired close to the man. "Go!"

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    "Aw, dammit!" the man yelled as he stood up straight and ran for cover. As he did, the stranger removed his own pistol from his shirt pocket and returned fire at the Mandalorian.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    When Cinder heard the shots, she finally started running back towards the Manta that formerly belonged to the Atlas military. It served as a temporary home of sorts for the clan of two, and now it was about to be Cinder's sanctuary.

    But now, it appeared three more men were after the same thing as her.

    "Mando, there are more!" Cinder shouted back as she stopped in her tracks.

    Djarin turned around to see the men that Cinder was talking about. When he saw that they were very close to his ship, he knew that he had to beat them.

    Fortunately, his Semblance could do that in the blink of an eye.

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    The Mandalorian used his Semblance twice in one second. The first time was to grab Cinder and the second was to teleport her to the ship. Once he found himself inside the airship, Djarin quickly closed the doors as he jumped into the pilot seat.

    "Dammit!"

    "Open up!"

    "Shoot the windows!"

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Djarin ignored the gunfire and focused more on getting the ship off the ground. Cinder, however, looked to see gunshots hitting the glass. There wasn't much damage, due to the glass being bulletproof. And in less than a minute, the ship was off the ground.

    "They're getting away!" one of the bandits yelled as he continued to fire.

    "Get the big gun!" another shouted to his companions. "Who's got the big gun?!"

    "Here, it's right here!"

    Another bandit looked up at the     Razor Crest while holding an enormous weapon. It was similar to Cara Dune's Dust Repeater, but this one was twice as lethal. Not only did it fire at twice the rate, but the explosive rounds could bring almost any airship down to the ground.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Despite their destructive capabilities, the projectiles were unable to hit the airship above. Some of the bullets were close, and they did manage to scratch the hull. But the airship continued to fly, and it was soon far enough to be out of range.

    Once Djarin and Cinder realized this, they both heavily sighed in relief.

    "You okay?" the Mandalorian asked his companion.

    "I'm fine," Cinder said as she collected her thoughts. But there was one thing that was bothering her. "So... they were bandits? All of them?"

    "All of them. Something like that happened to me before. Someone begging for help while the others closed in for an ambush."

    Cinder sighed once again, but it wasn't out of relief. "Darn it. I should've known."

    Djarin recognized the tone of Cinder's voice, and immediately knew what to say. "Now you do. Like I said, something like this happened before. And that ruse is a good one. Use this experience as a teacher, and you'll be ready next time."

    Cinder nodded as she understood. "Okay. Let's just hope there     isn't a next time."

    "There always is. Just remember that-"

    *CLANK*

    *CLANK*

    *CLANK*

    *CLANK*    ​

    The clan of two immediately heard an unfamiliar noise as they flew above the trees. Cinder didn't know where it was coming from, and neither did Djarin. But he did know one thing.

    The sound meant trouble.

    After he landed in a clearing that was close to a dirt road, the Mandalorian and Foundling exited the ship to take a closer look. While Djarin focused more on the cause of the noise, Cinder spent her time watching the road.

    She also traveled on it for a short distance, but turned back when she felt the time was right.

    "How does it look?" Cinder asked the Mandalorian after she returned.

    "Not too good," said Djarin. "Looks like these scratches are worse than I thought."

    Cinder approached closer and looked where her guardian was looking. "It doesn't look so bad."

    Djarin pointed to a certain scratch, one where smaller pieces of metal could be seen. "It's bad. Some of those bullets cut through to the inner workings of the ship. Leaving something like this exposed to nature is a bad idea."

    Cinder looked upwards to see a darkening but clear sky. "It doesn't look like it's gonna rain," she said.

    "No, but the air and wind aren't good for this either," Djarin explained. "That's why we heard that noise."

    Cinder was beginning to understand what Djarin meant by "nature" now; just about anything would negatively impact the ship.

    "So... what do we do?" Cinder asked. "Can you fix it?"

    "If we were closer to a village or city, I could do it properly," Djarin explained. "But right now, we just need something to cover these spots. I have the tools, but I don't know if I have the metal." The Mandalorian moved inside the ship. "Why don't you come in and lend me a hand?"

    "What are you doing?"

    "If I can't find spare metal, I'll have to take some from the inside. Most likely the floor."

    "Won't that be bad too?"

    Djarin looked back to see Cinder standing outside. "It may sound counterintuitive, but we don't have much of a choice. When we fly to the nearest city, I'll fix it properly." Djarin looked back inside. "Come on. You'll make this faster."

    "..."

    Cinder stayed where she was, and she also looked down the road. She had just traveled up it before, but now she was ready to do it again.

    The only thing was that she promised herself she wouldn't go far.

    After a few seconds, Djarin finally noticed that Cinder wasn't with him. Instead, she was walking up the dirt road. "Hey!" Djarin called out to make the child stop. "Where are you going?"

    Cinder gestured for her guardian to join her. "I have another idea!" she called out. "Follow me!" Cinder continued to walk down the dirt path until she disappeared from view.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Djarin joined her using his Semblance, and he soon saw Cinder's other idea.

    At the end of the dirt path, about a hundred feet in front of them, was an old and decaying farm. Or rather, what was left of a farm. A white farmhouse was beginning to have leaves growing on its side along with the red barn close beside it. The nature of these structures, along with the broken pieces of wood and glass on the ground, appeared to be telltale signs that the farm was abandoned.

    "There might be something in there," Cinder suggested as she pointed to the farm. "It would be better than taking apart the ship. I... don't think anyone's there."

    Djarin used his helmet's sensors to zoom in on the place, where he saw no signs of anyone inside. "I think you're right," he said. "Come on, let's take a look." Djarin began to walk towards the barn.

    But once again, Cinder didn't follow.

    "Um, that's okay, Mando," she said timidly. "I'll stay and guard the ship."

    Djarin turned around. "No, it's okay," he said. "I made sure nobody could steal it after you left. We can go inside."

    Cinder stepped back. "I... I can't."

    "What?" Djarin moved closer. "Cinder, you have to come with me."

    "I... I don't want to."

    "Why not?"

    "..."

    She may not have wanted to talk about it, but Djarin could guess Cinder's reason. One look on her face told the Mandalorian that she was... afraid of going. Which was a rare sight, given everything they had gone through so far.

    "Cinder, there's nothing to be scared of," he said. "If there are any Grimm inside, I know we can handle them."

    "I... I don't know," Cinder replied after she took one more look at the farm. "I don't-"

    Djarin put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "Here, look."

    *WHOOSH*​

    All of a sudden, Cinder found herself right in front of the barn. As she did, she couldn't help but push Djarin's arm off of her and back away. The Mandalorian was planning on showing her there wasn't anything to be afraid of, but Cinder's actions had taken him off guard.

    But he didn't have any time to waste.

    "Fine," he said impatiently. "Just stay here. I'll be back."

    "..."

    Djarin walked away from Cinder, but not without looking back to her once or twice. The direction he walked in was towards what appeared to be a tool shed, one where a rusted tractor was located. The tractor was completely incapable of operating normally, but the hood cover would be perfect to cover the scratches on the hull.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    Djarin was moving the hood up and down a few times, but it finally broke off. Once it did, the Mandalorian carried it back to the entrance of the farm.

    But Cinder wasn't there.

    "Just great," Djarin said to himself. First Cinder didn't want to go to the place she found, and now she left without saying anything. He was going to have a talk with her once he got to the ship.

    *WHOOSH*​

    The Mandalorian found himself back at the Razor Crest with the metal hood, but Cinder wasn't there.

    "Cinder!" Djarin called out.

    "..."

    "Cinder!"

    "..."

    The Mandalorian sighed as he dropped the hood. Once again, he used his Semblance to go back to the farm. When he found himself at the decaying barn, the Mandalorian looked around for any sign of Cinder.

    "Please be here, please be here."

    The Mandalorian's helmet picked up a small whisper coming from inside the barn. Once he recognized the voice as Cinder's, Djarin walked inside and looked around. There was a dirty hallway and a small furnace inside, and there were a few rooms as well. One room at the end had an open door, and the sound of something moving caught his attention.

    Djarin walked over to the room and found the one person he expected to see. But what he didn't expect to see was Cinder moving plywood off the floor and digging inside.

    "Yes!" Cinder whispered as she took her hand out. "It's still here!" She quickly hugged something against her chest as she formed a large smile on her face.

    *CREAK*​

    The child quickly looked up to see the Mandalorian looking at her. "Cinder?" he asked as he looked at the plywood. "What are you doing?"

    "Uh... nothing!" Cinder said as she stumbled to move the wood back in its proper spots. As she did, she was forced to drop the thing she was previously holding.

    "Is that a book?"

    Cinder stopped moving as she realized her secret was out. "...Yeah." She then leaned over to pick up the book. "Yeah, it's just a book."

    Djarin moved into the room once he heard this confirmation. "How'd you know that was there?"

    "..."

    "Cinder, I heard you looking for it. You knew it would be there."

    "..."

    The look on her face was just like the one Cinder had when she said she didn't want to go into the barn. When Djarin put two and two together, he kneeled down to look at her.

    "Cinder... do you know this place?"

    Cinder let out a heavy sigh as she trusted Djarin once again. "...Okay," she began. "Okay, yes. Yes, I've been to this farm before." Cinder moved off her knees and sat down more comfortably. "That's how I knew it was here."

    "But if you knew it was here... why didn't you want to come inside?"

    "Because... I never liked being here."

    "..."

    Djarin remained silent and hoped that Cinder knew that he was willing to listen. Cinder knew he was listening, but she believed that the Mandalorian wasn't satisfied with the answer. And so, with reluctance, she told him more.

    "This farm is an orphanage," she continued. "I mean,     was. I didn't know it would be abandoned."

    "So... you lived here?" Djarin asked. "You were raised here?"

    "I lived here. But it was just another     Glass Unicorn." Cinder leaned over and picked up a bucket with a brush in it. "Do you know what I mean?"

    "..."

    Cinder threw the bucket away after she relived her experiences with it. Djarin watched the bucket fall to the floor and understood why she didn't want to come here.

    But there was something he didn't understand.

    "Cinder, why didn't you tell me so?" Djarin asked. "I would've understood."

    "I     did tell you," Cinder insisted. "I mean, I tried to tell you. I'm sorry, I just... wasn't ready to talk about it, I guess."

    Djarin sighed. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to ignore you or anything, I was just thinking about the     Razor Crest."

    "I know you were. Did you... find what you were looking for?"

    "I found a good piece of metal, and I have the tools to put it on the hull."

    "So we're ready to go?"

    "Just about." Djarin pointed to the book. "You can take that if you want."

    Cinder looked down for a brief moment before she looked back to her guardian. "Really?" Djarin nodded. "Thank you." She quickly picked up the book and opened it. "This was something I found and read when I was sad. Do you know what kind it is?"

    "No."

    "I'll show you." Cinder looked at the first page. "What is the leading cause of divorce in long-term marriages?"

    "...Huh?"

    "A stalemate! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

    Djarin didn't join in the laughter, but he understood what kind of book it was. "Oh. It's a joke book."

    "Yeah!" Cinder looked back at the book. "I heard a joke about amnesia. But I forget how it goes!" She then laughed some more.

    Djarin rolled his eyes under his helmet. "I've heard that one before."

    "Okay." Cinder looked back at the book. "When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds." She let out a small giggle while Djarin simply looked at her.

    "Oh, I get it," he said. "Right, for and four."

    "Uh-huh!" Cinder looked back in her book. "A moon rock tastes better than an earthly rock because it's meteor."

    Djarin once again understood the joke. "Right, meatier."

    Cinder noticed that her caretaker wasn't laughing at the jokes. Whether he didn't like them or he was still upset about the ship, Cinder wasn't sure. But she was determined to lighten the mood, so she looked down the page for a good joke.

    "I was addicted to soap," she said. "But then I got clean!"

    A small and brief chuckle escaped the Mandalorian's throat. "Okay, I never heard that one," he confessed.

    Cinder took her victory of laughter, no matter how small, with pride as she decided to keep her streak going. "Do you wanna hear a joke about pizza?" she asked.

    "What is it?" Djarin asked.

    "No, wait. Never mind."

    "What, it doesn't say in the book?"

    "No." Cinder smiled again. "The joke was too cheesy!"

    "...Of course it was."

    Cinder laughed more at the reaction rather than the joke, but she was still enjoying herself. So she decided to read another one. "What's a pirate's favorite letter?"

    "Oh, wait. I know this one." Djarin felt this joke was child's play to him. "Arrr?"

    "No!" Cinder said with a smile.

    "What?" Djarin asked in surprise. It wasn't every day when a children's book of all things made him confused. "Really?"

    "No, 'tis the C!"

    "Ohhh." Djarin let out a small laugh as the logic of the pun became clear."Yeah, I get it now."

    "Yeah, like the sea!" Cinder said as she laughed some more.

    Djarin chucked again. "I think that's the best one in there."

    "Okay, how about this one?" Cinder looked at the book again. "It's not that the guy didn't know how to juggle. He just didn't have... the balls to do it?"

    Djarin quickly looked back to the book. "Okay, that's enough," he said as he took the book. "I'll look at it with you later."

    "I don't get it."

    "It's not for children your age."

    "Oh, okay." Cinder looked back inside. "I think there were a few others in there."

    "Let's see." Djarin reached his hand inside the small space and felt a book that was much thicker than the joke book. When he pulled it out, he saw that it had a brown cover with no title.

    "That's weird," said Cinder. "I don't remember a book like that."

    "Well, let's see," Djarin said as he opened the book. Once he did, he saw that it was full of maps. Now it was his turn to be satisfied with what he found. "Oh, it's an atlas."

    "Atlas? Like the Kingdom?"

    "Not exactly. This is a map book, something pilots used to chart their course. Let's read this."

    "But that's not fun. Can't we go back to jokes?"

    "You could learn a lot from something like this. Here, I'll teach you how to read it."

    "Do we have to?" Cinder was willing to do anything to get out of reading a book of maps. So she stood up and moved her arms up. "Maybe you can teach me some more fighting moves. Like how a Mandalorian should learn."

    Djarin remained sitting. "Being a Mandalorian's not just learning about how to fight, Cinder," he said calmly. "You also have to know how to navigate the globe."

    Cinder lowered her arms and moved closer again. "What for?"

    "The Children of the Watch always had to move from place to place. And I always had to find my way back when I left. How do you think I knew where to go when we left Atlas?"

    "..."

    Cinder slowly sat back down. The Mandalorian sensed that he was getting through to Cinder, but he had one more thing to say.

    "Our journey won't be easy, Cinder. Should anything... happen to one of us, we'll have to find our way back together again."

    "..."

    Cinder moved back close to Djarin again. "So... studying this will help?" she asked hopefully.

    Djarin nodded. "That way... you'll never be lost."

    Present day​

    "Hey, not bad. Kind of a fixer-upper, but this'll do."

    True to his word, Djarin knew the perfect place to hide out after the Dust smuggling inevitably hit a bump in the road. He remembered the run down farm ever since Cinder showed it to him, even though he never returned after that day. But since it was so isolated and relatively close to the coastline, coming here was the best option. And given that even more grass had grown on the barn, it provided the best kind of camouflage.

    "We'll be safe here," said the Mandalorian. "And when we're sure we weren't followed, I'll lead the way to the city."

    "Sounds like a plan," said Lando. "Though we might wanna keep our distance. Word might travel fast about our... escapade."

    "Fair point." Djarin took his weapon out of his holster. "I'll scout ahead, just to make sure no ships caught our trail."

    "I'll watch the Dust, then."

    With that, the smugglers went their separate ways. Djarin used his jetpack to move high into the trees to see if any ships were nearby while Lando went to go check on the remaining Dust.

    "How's it looking, Chewie?" Lando asked the Faunus.

    *GROWL*​

    Lando studied the hand movements while paying attention to the carefully made noises his friend was making. "Good," he said with a smile. "I was worried that some of the gunfire hit the cases."

    *GROWL*

    *WUG*    ​

    "Yeah, no doubt we got lucky. But I gotta say, you make a good copilot."

    *WUG*

    *GROWL*    ​

    "Oh, yeah? I guess the controls aren't too different from the ships I used for Dust."

    *WUG*

    *WUG*    ​

    "You found a difference?"

    Chewie led Lando into the airship, where they could see all the Dust was accounted for. Along with that, Chewie had spotted a wall of handheld machines. They appeared to be special mining tools rather than simple drills and pickaxes. The large Faunus had his eyes on a tool that looked like a crossbow.

    "Oh, nice Line Gun you got there," Lando commented. "I've been meaning to order some of those for the Mistral team."

    *WUG*

    *GROWL*

    *ROAR*    ​

    Lando saw more hand movements when the noises came. "You wanna use it against anyone who comes after us?" he asked. "Yeah, that could work. Though it may be hard to use a weapon." Lando suddenly got an idea. "You know, Mando knows a thing or two about weapons. He actually has a special kind of ammo, maybe he can-"

    *ROAR*​

    Lando immediately moved backwards. "Okay, okay!" he said as the shock of Chewie's roar began to die down. "You don't have to ask him! I was just giving a suggestion."

    "..."

    Despite being somewhat scared of the roar, Lando was also beginning to grow impatient with his friend. "Look, Chewie, you gotta cut Mando some slack here."

    "..."

    "I mean, he stuck with us since we met in Atlas, he helped us with those other airships, and now he led us to the best hiding spot I've seen!"

    "..."

    Lando began to calm down when he saw that he was getting through to Chewie. However, he was still unsure about why the Faunus was against the Mandalorian. "Really, though. What's your deal with him?"

    *WUG*

    *WUG*    ​

    Lando studied the hand movements and noises. "Join the club, Chewie," he said. "I wouldn't like to get shot either."

    *GROWL*

    *ROAR*    ​

    "No, Mando doesn't have anything against Faunus. Is that why you think he shot you?"

    "..."

    "Chewie, listen to me. What happened in the warehouse was my fault. If I knew Mando and Mrs. Schnee were in that warehouse, I would've met them with you instead of sending you in by yourself. Because of me, it was a case of wrong place and wrong time. Know what I mean?"

    "..."

    The large Faunus nodded slowly. Just as he did, Lando noticed that Djarin had returned from his scouting mission. "Here, I'll show you there are no hard feelings," he said as he walked closer to the Mandalorian. "How's it look so far?"

    "Not bad," said Djarin. "Just some small Grimm, but no Atlesians from Argus. Any trouble while I was gone?"

    "Not really. But we could use your opinion on something." Lando turned to Chewie and gestured for him to come over. When he did, the Faunus knew what Lando expected him to do. So he showed the Mandalorian the Line Gun he was holding.

    "Is that a mining tool?" Djarin asked.

    "It's called a Line Gun," Lando confirmed. "Just in case the Atlesians come, Chewie wants to defend himself."

    *WUG*

    *GROWL*    ​

    Lando was about to answer for his friend, but Djarin was also looking at Chewie's hand movements. "I think it could make agood weapon," he said. "What does it do?"

    "..."

    Chewie was surprised by the Mandalorian's answer, since he wasn't aware that Djarin knew sign language. But after Lando gestured for him to show what the tool did, Chewie raised the large device and pointed it towards a tree.

    *BANG*​

    A large, horizontal line of energy escaped from the end of the gun and moved towards the tree. Once it made contact, the energy dissipated as the tree fell over.

    *CRASH*​

    Lando and Djarin examined the act of destruction the Line Gun had left behind. "Impressive," the Mandalorian said.

    "Wow," said Lando. "I knew they worked pretty good for cave excavation, but I never saw it out in the field."

    "Definitely powerful." Djarin looked back to the Faunus. "How does it feel?"

    Chewie put down the gun and used his method of communication to describe how the gun felt. As he moved his hands and growled, Chewie described that the gun was heavy and cumbersome when used outdoors. In the mines, it was usually pressed against a rock or cart to support the weight.

    "I see," Djarin noted. "Were you aiming for that tree?"

    *WUG*

    *ROAR*    ​

    "So you can shoot fine." Djarin noted how the Faunus' large size must contribute to his strength. "What about carrying it around?"

    Chewie looked at the gun and shook his head. Despite his ability to point and shoot, this tool wasn't very practical to carry around.

    "That's what I thought," said the Mandalorian.

    "I was thinking you knew weapons pretty good," said Lando. "I mean, they're a part of-"

    "A part of my religion, yes." Djarin approached the tool and looked at it again. "Are there any parts of the metal you don't need?" Chewie pointed his fingers towards specific parts of the gun, ones that were mainly used for support. "Okay. If you were to trim these down..." Djarin pointed to the two sides of the bar at the front of the gun. "Maybe that could lose some weight."

    *WUG*

    *GROWL*    ​

    Djarin studied the Faunus' hand movements. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Working on something like this by yourself might be dangerous."

    "Chewie's pretty good with mechanics," said Lando. "I've seen him take apart tools like these before."

    "Alright." The Mandalorian pointed to one piece that was sticking out. "What's this?"

    *ROAR*​

    "Oh, that's what you load it with. Can I see it?" Chewie took off the magazine and handed it to his acquaintance. "Too bad. This thing's pretty heavy. Without it, the gun could weigh less."

    *WUG*

    *WUG*    ​

    The Mandalorian looked to see Chewie was pointing at his blaster. He didn't see the sign language, so he wasn't exactly sure what he was saying.

    "He's wondering if regular bullets would work," said Lando. "I was actually telling him about those special bullets you have. You think those could work instead of that thing?"

    Djarin took out his small blaster and unloaded one of his modified Dust rounds. "Only one way to find out," he said as he handed Chewie the bullet. Chewie took it and carefully loaded the bullet into the weapon. Fortunately, part of the barrel was just the right size for a bullet instead of the original ammo he had. So once again, he stood up and pointed the gun at another tree.

    "Heads up," said Lando as he pointed towards the forest. A single Beowolf emerged from the tree line and set its red eyes on the trio.

    *BANG*

    *BOOM*    ​

    A red laser fired from the Line Gun and hit the Beowolf right in the chest. An explosion followed suit, one that turned the grass black and the Grimm into nothing but Dust.

    "..."

    All three men looked at the weapon in amazement as they witnessed the act of destruction. It seemed when combined with Djarin's modified Dust rounds, the Line Gun was capable of a feat that was equal to its original ammo.

    "Now that's a gun," Lando said with a laugh.

    Chewie turned to Djarin and made more noises and hand movements; he was asking how the Mandalorian was able to modify Dust rounds. It was obvious that he was interested in using this gun as a means of self-defense, once the right modifications were made.

    "It's a long process," Djarin explained. "I actually showed some of my students at Beacon." He then tapped a screen on his gauntlet. "I think I have a recording on here." Djarin found it a few seconds later and showed the large Faunus. "I could send it to your Scroll if you want."

    *WUG*​

    Djarin looked over to Lando. "Can I share it with you instead?"

    "Go ahead," he said. "Chewie, I'll show the video to you when you get your own Scroll."

    "..."

    All of a sudden, Chewie took off and moved back to the SDC ship. Both Lando and Djarin were wondering what he was doing, but his intentions were revealed when Chewie returned with another gun. He then laid the gun down at the Mandalorian's feet.

    "You want me to look at this too?" Djarin asked.

    *WUG*

    *GROWL*

    *WUG*    ​

    The noises and hand movements gave a different story.

    "This is for me?" Djarin translated. "You want to trade for the bullets and advice?"

    Chewie nodded slowly. Then, the Mandalorian moved to pick up the new tool that the Faunus believed to be a future weapon. It appeared to be long and lightweight, similar to a rifle. It didn't look much of a gun, given the strange design of the barrel and the multiple pieces of curved metal at the end.

    "Oh, wow," Lando said with curiosity. "Would you look at that?"

    "What?" Djarin asked. "You know what this is?"

    "Yeah, I ordered a lotta these for my team here in Mistral." Lando examined the device closer as he took in every detail of its chrome features. "They're called Rivet Guns, they're mainly used to hold the supports in the mines."

    "Could it be a weapon?"

    Lando looked back to the tree line again. "Why don't you let it speak for itself?" He then pointed at another lone Grimm. When the Mandalorian saw it, he raised the tool and aimed it as best as he could; there wasn't really much of a scope on it.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Multiple small pieces of metal shot out from the device, all of which were heading straight for the Beowolf. Some of the metal hit the bushes and trees, given the lack of a scope. But the majority of the projectiles were direct hits against the Grimm's skull, arm, and torso.

    One shot even stuck the Creature of Grimm against the tree itself. It was trapped with no place to go. Along the metal in its head and chest, the Grimm did nothing but turn to Dust.

    "So that's what it does," the Mandalorian said as he examined the gun.

    "That's right," said Lando. "What do you think?"

    "Promising." Djarin removed a piece of the gun that he knew was the place where ammo was stored. In this case, there was nothing but small pieces of metal as well. "It doesn't seem to rely on Dust to fire. We could use more weapons like this."

    "What can I say, Mando? It's the little things that count."

    Djarin did nothing but hold the rifle at his side. When he found the time, he planned to attach a rope on the bottom so he could place it on his back. Of course, it needed other modifications as well; including a scope.

    But as of right now, it was a suitable addition to Djarin's arsenal.

    "I'll take it," Djarin said as he extended a hand towards the Faunus. "Thank you, friend."

    "..."

    Chewie didn't shake the Mandalorian's hand. Instead, he let out a triumphant roar and scooped Djarin into his arms.

    The Mandalorian was caught completely off guard by the bear hug, but Chewie didn't seem to mind. Before today, like any Faunus, he was thought of a lesser being and something monstrous. Ever since Djarin shot him, Chewie believed that this out of malice as well. But the offer of friendship had warmed the man's heart so much that he let go of any grudge he had and was willing to hug the man tightly.

    Lando didn't seem to mind either, given that he was laughing uncontrollably.

    "Aw, he likes you, Mando!" Lando said as Chewie finally let Djarin go. The Mandalorian fell to the ground, which only made Lando laugh even harder. Chewie even began to chuckle.

    Djarin found it hard to breathe while he was caught in the hug, so he was breathing heavily. "You... didn't say... he was a hugger," he said as he stood up.

    "This is how he shows love! Can't hold anything against that."

    Djarin began to wipe brown hair off his armor. "A little warning would have been nice." As his friend laughed a little more, Djarin looked around the immediate area. "You know... we made a lotta noise out here."

    Lando stopped laughing after a few seconds. "How's that?" he asked.

    "Between the Line Gun and Rivet Gun, anyone would know where we are." Djarin briefly spread his arms. "But all we have to show for it are a couple of Grimm."

    Lando began to understand what the Mandalorian was saying. "Yeah, that's true. You don't think any Atlesians are coming?"

    "I don't think anyone's coming. I could have heard them from a mile away."

    Lando knew from experience that Djarin's helmet contributed to enchanted sight and hearing, so it was easy to take his friend's word on the matter. "So we're good to go, then?"

    "I would say so." Djarin began to walk back to the Razor Crest as he made up his mind.

    "It wouldn't be a bad idea to split up from here," Lando said as he made his way to the cargo airship.

    "That's what I had in mind," the Mandalorian confirmed. "I'm taking my Dust to Vale. Mistral needs your Dust more."

    "Are you sure? Didn't the Fall of Beacon do a number on the Kingdom?"

    "Yes, but I heard Huntsmen and Huntresses here are spread thin. They'll need more supplies."

    "Yeah, I guess that's fair. But where should I take stolen Dust to?"

    "Probably right on the city's doorstep, I'd say. Unpack it and give them a signal as you fly away."

    "Yeah, alright."

    *WUG*

    *ROAR*    ​

    Djarin and Lando looked to see Chewie moving his hands once again. "Good to hear," said Djarin. "You see that, Lando? He'll make sure you get to Mistral."

    "I'm still going, don't worry," Lando replied. "I got some business to check up on. And Chewie's itching to get home."

    "Better not keep him waiting." Djarin began to move away from Lando and the cargo ship. "It was good to see you again, Lando."

    "Always a pleasure, my friend. Next time you're in Mistral, don't be a stranger."

    "I won't."

    With that, Djarin entered the Razor Crest and flew off into the calm blue sky. Lando and Chewie were ready to go too, after they rechecked the remaining Dust.

    "I gotta say, Chewie, you did pretty good for your first time smuggling," said the businessman. "I'm impressed."

    *GROWL*

    *ROAR*    ​

    "Trust me, I'm not pulling leg. I mean, that flying was off the rails. And we got the majority of the loot safe and sound. You actually remind me of another friend I have in Mistral."

    *WUG*

    *WUG*

    *WUG*    ​

    "You want my advice? Don't stop while you're on a roll." Lando pointed to another box that was close to them; instead of Dust, this one was full of Lien. "Especially when there's Lien to be made."

    *WUG*

    *GROWL*    ​

    "Um... not that I know of. No, I don't really have any other jobs lined up. Unless you wanna go back to the mines again."

    *ROAR*

    *GROWL*    ​

    "I thought so. Sorry, pal. But listen; any time I got something lined up, you'll be my backup."

    "..."

    As Lando prepared to take the ship off the ground, he paused when he remembered the words he just said. He said them once before, to someone else he knew to be a good smuggler. "Although... you're not in a big rush to get home, are you?" he asked Chewie.

    *GROWL*​

    "I'm just saying, I think I know a good way to put your talents to good use. It might even help me out too."

    "..."

    Chewie decided to remain silent as Lando continued to talk. While he wanted nothing more than to drop off the Dust and go home, the offer of more money was too good to pass up at the moment.

    "Remember how I said you remind me of someone I know in Mistral? See, he's got an eye for smuggling too. Not to mention quality airships." Lando mentally sighed as his thoughts turned to a particular airship. "It will be mine again, I promise."

    *WUG*​

    "Ah, sorry! Just thinking out loud. As I was saying, he's a smuggler too. A good one. But he'd be better if he wasn't so cocky. And having a copilot like you wouldn't hurt either."

    With each word Lando said, which Chewie certainly believed to be true, the Faunus' interests grew.

    *WUG*

    *GROWL*    ​

    "Well, he usually flies solo. It's gotten him in trouble before. Like I said, having a partner would make his life easier. He just doesn't know it yet. So what do you say? Want me to introduce you to him?"

    *GROWL*​

    "Yes, properly. It won't be like Atlas. I've learned my lesson, believe me. Interested?"

    *ROAR*​

    "Perfect! Let's meet the man!"

    Things didn't go exactly as planned for Djarin and Lando. But Willow found herself to be quite lucky in the matter of Dust smuggling.

    Her side of the plan went off without a hitch. As soon as both ships left, Willow used her access to change certain records of the Dust stored there. With careful precision, Willow made her own Dust seem like it was never there to begin with; in other words, "mistakes" were made with the paperwork.

    The board of directors accepted these findings, as well as proof that the Dust was never in the two warehouses to begin with. However, they were still adamant about stopping the continuation of mining Dust, not when they weren't selling as much as they had hoped.

    Willow expected this, and she knew that a vote could overrule her decision to stay the current course. So instead of fighting tooth and nail with the board, the CEO offered a compromise to the situation. Work in the mines and the office would continue, but only part-time. The average workday at the SDC would be cut in half until the embargo was lifted. The employees wouldn't be receiving their full pay, but they would not be left empty-handed either. At this current pace, the company could hold out for even longer than predicted. But should this time run out, Willow planned to deal with that when the situation arose.

    A new vote was held on the matter, and the majority of the board was in favor with the decision. All of the employees were still worried about the future, but they knew this decision was better than completely shutting down or losing their jobs. Lien would have to be saved carefully, but it wasn't the end of the world.

    The one who seemed to like this decision the most was Willow herself. Not just because she brought order back to the company, but because her first half day left her with time to make a special visit.

    After she purchased a bouquet of flowers and gave Klein a new route for the ride home, Willow found herself in a graveyard. She walked along the tombstones alone until she found herself standing in front of two special stones on top of a hill. The hill was a peaceful place, one where a field with a small pond was visible. Willow liked this place, and she knew her mother and father would enjoy seeing it as well.

    This was, of course, where they chose to be buried.

    "Hello, Mother," Willow began. "Hello, Father." She then put down the flowers and talked some more. "I know, I should be at work, shouldn't I?" Willow hummed and smiled at the joke she made before she talked again. "You see, I'm not exactly sure if you can tell, but the company is... Well, it's in some trouble."

    "..."

    Willow wasn't really expecting a response, so she continued to talk. "You see, the Council... Well, mainly one of its members, made the decision to place an embargo on Dust shipping and close the Kingdom's borders. They're not closed yet, but it won't be much longer until they do. Father, I'm sure you've heard stories about the Mandalorians. They actually started a war with with all the Kingdoms. And rather than fight them, General Ironwood thinks it's best to shut ourselves in. From what I've heard, Vale and Mistral are in trouble."

    "..."

    "A friend of mine told me about it yesterday. When I heard everything, I made a decision. A decision to..."

    "..."

    Willow took a breath as she kneeled down. "Mother, I'm not sure how much you know, but I have to talk about this with Father."

    "..."

    The silence was strangely welcoming for Willow, so she spoke her mind again. "Father, I found out how you stopped the Dust shortage that happened when I was young," she confessed. "And I found your note too."

    "..."

    Willow stood upright and looked around once more to see that she was alone. "Needless to say, I was... shocked, when I found out about it. I was a little angry too, but mostly shocked. To be honest, I thought it meant that everything you did and stood for went straight out the window." Willow sighed as she recalled her own emotions. "But I was wrong."

    "..."

    "I was so wrong about you, Father. I did some research and truly saw how bad the Dust shortage was for Atlas and the other Kingdoms. And I saw how what you did was the only way to stop it. And I'd like to apologize for doubting you."

    "..."

    Willow would have liked it if she knew for a fact that her father would be willing to forgive her, but she knew that was impossible. So she continued to talk. "Truth be told, I actually did the same thing with the help of a friend. All in order to get our Kingdom's Dust where it needs to go. I just hope it got there in one piece."

    "..."

    Willow looked to the other tombstone. "Once again, I'm not sure how much you knew about this, Mother. But I think it would be a mistake to be mad at Father. He did the right thing."

    "..."

    Willow let out a heavy sigh. "I hope I did the right thing too. But I have to say, I'm at my wit's end right now. I hardly have anyone on my side, I have a prison for a home, and now I have no friends."

    "..."

    Willow had to admit, save for her loyal butler and youngest children, life had become quite lonely in Atlas. The only people who helped her today were either acquaintances or employees who weren't ready to lose their jobs. And General Ironwood, who was once a friend of the family, had done nothing but undermine her.

    Not only that, but he had apparently stolen her eldest daughter, who refused to come home or even visit.

    As she reflected on her loneliness at the tombstones, Willow couldn't help but think back on the time when both her parents were alive. The companionship, support, and love the two of them offered meant the world to her.

    Not only that, but Willow had friends while she was growing up. Not just children of her father's business partners, or people from "suitable families," but actual friends.

    One of which... was still living in the Kingdom.

    "Wait..." Willow said as she went through her memories once again. "That's... not true."

    "..."

    Willow began to smile as she looked back to the waiting limousine. It seemed this visit had paid off in more ways than one. "I'm sorry," she said as she looked back to the gravestones. "I have to go. I have a call to make... to an old friend."

    With that, Willow kissed the palm of her hand and gently tapped it on both of the stones. As she turned to leave, she had one more thing to say.

    "Thank you for listening. Talking with you always seems to help."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 48: The Exercise
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 48: The Exercise​

    "Once more. Left."

    *BAM*​

    "Again."

    *BAM*​

    "Right."

    *BAM*​

    "Again."

    *BAM*​

    "Again."

    *CRACK*​

    "...Very good."

    Din Djarin was currently watching a Beacon student breathing heavily as she shook her fist. He was in the middle of a lesson in combat, one that emphasized the use of hand-to-hand without the assistance of an Aura. Only now, instead of another opponent, Djarin was having students test their might on a wooden dummy.

    The only obstacle was that the dummy was wearing Mandalorian armor.

    Shade Academy had managed to acquire old suits of Beskar armor in the past, after the Great War ended. When he discovered this after he decided to help Ozpin teach at the academy, Djarin was insistent about it being returned to its proper owners. However, a reminder of the recent events at Beacon not only made Djarin forget about giving it back to the Mandalorians, but it also gave him an idea of putting it to good use.

    After he uncovered a wooden dummy used for target and combat practice, the Mandalorian dressed it in the old Beskar armor and presented it to his students. He knew that encountering another Mandalorian in these dark times was likely for them all, so Djarin decided to show them all the weakest points in Mandalorian armor. And he was also teaching them how to exploit them all.

    Right now, Lilith Gelb had just broken a piece of the dummy's arm with nothing but her bare hands. She once would have thought the task impossible, but Djarin's instructions provided her the means of doing so. Even with the Beskar, she had done it.

    Djarin picked up the arm and gestured for Lilith to take a seat. As she did, the Mandalorian looked to see more Beacon students sitting and watching him. "As you are well aware, a left and right uppercut are powerful strikes," he began. "While normally reserved for strikes to an opponent's chin, they can be used anywhere above the waist. If used correctly, they have the ability to break bone as well as Aura. An uppercut with an Aura engaged is also powerful, but we'll get to that when you can do what Lilith just did. Any questions?"

    "..."

    The silence left Djarin content with the lesson. "Then practice now. I want to see your recordings by next class. Dismissed."

    All of the students began to leave the area. They understood Djarin's assignment, and they were prepared to begin on their own. Since the Mandalorian rarely had any written assignments in his class, he settled for students making recordings of themselves fighting either against dummies or other opponents. In turn, Djarin would review these videos and present something that was done well and something that could have been improved. Today, he had improved on the uppercut punch.

    But Lilith was still feeling unfulfilled with the lesson.

    "Professor Djarin?" she asked as every began to leave. "Can I ask you something before I go?"

    Djarin put down the dummy arm and gestured for Lilith to join him. "Yes?" he asked calmly.

    "Well, first off, I hope it's okay that I broke the dummy."

    "Shade has ten more of these stored away. It's no problem."

    "Oh, that's good. But, I was a little concerned about the last few punches I threw."

    Djarin turned towards the dummy and remembered how many times Lilith punched it. "I thought you would," he said as he looked back to his student. "I noticed you struggling with your right side."

    "Yeah," Lilith confirmed. "I had that problem when I first started at Beacon, but it's back again. Am I doing something wrong?"

    "With your arms? No. But with your feet? Yes."

    Lilith looked down at her feet and began to have the same idea as her teacher. Instead of solid ground, she was standing on soft sand. The Mandalorian had decided to hold his class in a sand arena at Shade that was used for combat practice, and now he was seeing students struggle in it. Lilith wasn't the first to do so, and she wouldn't be the last.

    "I've noticed this before," Djarin continued. "The rest of the class isn't very adjusted to fighting in an environment like this." He turned around and picked up the dummy arm again. "We'll be discussing this later in the week."

    "I see," Lilith said as she remembered herself struggling to keep her feet firm on the ground. "If I can ask, is there any way I can practice right now?" she asked. "Do you have any suggestions or tricks that can help?"

    "It's simple, Lilith; you have to adapt to your surroundings." Djarin put the wooden arm on the dummy's shoulder. "You have to work with the environment when you can't change it."

    "I see." Lilith was wondering how she could best adapt to the sands of Vacuo. She had heard about the harshness of the desert before she made the decision to study at Shade, but the young woman refused to let that stop her from going. And now, she refused to let the desert get the best of her.

    "Do you know how I can do that?" Lilith asked. "How to adapt to the environment?"

    "It's not something you can learn on a whim," the Mandalorian answered. "One day it could be the desert. The next day it could be the tundra. Or the swamp. You have to be adaptable, to flow with change. This has to be instinct." Djarin knew this to be true, but he also knew that Lilith and the other students from Beacon would be here for a while. "Maybe you can ask some students from Shade how they fight here and see if they'll help you."

    Lilith opened her mouth to share her thoughts on the idea, but a new voice spoke instead.

    "Fat chance."

    Djarin and Lilith turned around to see a new body of students were approaching the sand arena. Only they weren't from Beacon; these were students from Shade, and they were all staring at Lilith with skepticism and annoyance.

    "Why are you two still here?" the first student, an able-bodied boy with brown hair asked. "Your time's up, and our professor is on his way."

    "I'm leaving," Lilith assured the boy. "I was just talking to my teacher about something."

    "And you're both taking up our time here, so move it."

    "Alright, alright!" Lilith began to walk. "I'm leaving, jeez."

    Djarin was starting to leave to, but he looked back to the boy. "Impatience will get you nowhere fast," he said. "You should remember that."

    "Oh, yeah?" the student asked. "Well, it got you and her outta here."

    "Yeah, and what was that about helping her?" a girl with jet-black hair asked. "Why bother? This isn't a place for softies like her and the rest of Beacon."

    Lilith stopped walking and turned around. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked the girl.

    "What do you think?"

    More students began to join in on insulting Lilith, and she seemed to be powerless to stop it.

    "This place isn't big enough for all of us."

    "The way I see it, you haven't done much to prove you belong here."

    "Clumsy and weak. Can't even fight in the desert."

    This wasn't the first time Lilith had heard people from Shade talking about her and her friends behind their backs. Their welcome to the school wasn't the best, after all. Only now, the young girl had put up with it long enough.

    "I'm not weak!" she said. "I'm not! And neither are any of my friends or anyone else from Beacon!"

    The Shade students weren't impressed with the declaration, and one student brought this to light. "If that's true, then why are you short one teammate?" she asked rudely.

    "..."

    The student was referring to a young man named Garrett, who was a member of Lilith's team. Sadly, he died fighting the Mandalorians at Beacon Academy. Now she and her friends were an incomplete team, one that probably would never be whole again.

    The loss had hit the rest of her team, Max Bolt and Andrea Gloss, very hardly. It was so hard that the simple mention of it was enough to make Lilith shed a tear.

    Djarin was quick to put a stop to any more insults. "That's enough!" he said angrily. "One more word from anyone gets a week's detention."

    "..."

    Everyone had stopped talking, but Lilith still ran away so she could mourn her friend in private. Djarin was also saddened by the loss of students at Beacon, but he simply expressed this with a disappointed sigh as he teleported away.

    Three more classes later, the school day at Shade Academy was over. Most of the teachers would have found themselves at the faculty dorms that Shade provided. They weren't exactly as stable as the ones at Beacon, but the teachers were able to make the best of it all. Other teachers found themselves living in the city of Vacuo, despite having to walk through a giant maze just to get home.

    Djarin was one exception who refused to live at Shade or in Vacuo. Instead, he traveled via the Razor Crest to an inn for weary travelers of the Kingdom. This was not only owned by a friend of the Mandalorian's, but it was also where he could find his recuperating daughter.

    When the Mandalorian entered one of the rooms, he was welcomed by the sounds of life-support technology. He had heard it many times, and he knew that Cinder, who was attached to the medical equipment, was in an unchanged state.

    "Hi, Cinder," Djarin said as he removed his helmet. "Sorry I'm back late, things got... a little busy."

    "..."

    "But don't worry, I'm not going anywhere right now." He then walked over to the bedside. "How're you feeling?"

    "..."

    Djarin looked at the machine's screen to see multiple lines and numbers. "Vitals look the same as before." He then turned his head towards an IV bag above. There was plenty of fluid inside, but there was something missing. "No Cobalt Dust." Djarin reached towards his belt and removed a single vial of the substance.

    But he didn't administer it.

    "This... is the last one, Cinder," Djarin said as he turned towards his daughter. "Should we save it? Or use it now?"

    "..."

    Djarin took a moment to think about it. "The doctor said your vitals are improving. And you haven't been experiencing anything negative in a while." Djarin turned towards Cinder's left arm, where a small Grimm was still resting. "Not to mention this damn thing."

    "..."

    The Mandalorian stood up and placed the vial in his belt once again. "Willow warned me that using too much at once could be dangerous," he said. "Better to be safe than sorry. Let's save it for later."

    "..."

    Djarin wasn't exactly expecting a response from Cinder, even though he was hoping for one. He couldn't explain it, but something about walking into the room while staying silent didn't feel right to him. He had tried it before, but the nagging feeling he had was difficult to ignore. And so, he made it a habit to talk to Cinder whenever he could.

    And despite the situation, it was a comfortable experience. If things at Beacon were different... there may not have been anyone for Djarin to talk to. But still, he wished Cinder could respond to him.

    After all, they had plenty of great conversations together.

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*    ​

    Three knocks on the door easily caught the Mandalorian's attention. "Coming," he said calmly as he put his helmet back on. He then moved towards the door and saw a very unexpected visitor.

    "Hello, Djarin," said Professor Ozpin, who looked more dead than alive at the moment. "Pardon my unannounced visit, I just happened to be in the area."

    "...This inn is miles from the city," said Djarin. "It's not the best place to be wandering 'in the area.'" Nevertheless, the Mandalorian stepped aside and allowed Ozpin to enter.

    "I suppose it wasn't the best cover-up. I simply didn't want to inconvenience you at this hour." Ozpin looked at the resting Maiden before him. "Both of you, I mean."

    "I wouldn't call it an inconvenience." Djarin shut the door behind him and moved towards a chair. "I wasn't doing anything anyway. But if you wanted to see me and Cinder, you could have always asked."

    Ozpin joined his colleague at another chair, one that was in perfect view of Cinder. "It does bring me good to see her, you're right. Especially after Revan's ungodly attempt on her life."

    "Agreed. I never told you that your meditation helped me save her life. It seems I owe you a great debt."

    "Seeing her alive is enough repayment, I assure you. But what of your efforts with the Cobalt Dust? I heard you paid Atlas a visit not too long ago."

    "...Let's just say I probably shouldn't be going back there anytime soon."

    "..."

    Djarin could easily tell that Ozpin was curious as to what he meant by the statement. Since he wasn't exactly ready to discuss his smuggling misadventures with Lando and Chewie, the Mandalorian played the situation carefully.

    "Ironwood may not like the fact that I took Cobalt Dust from the Kingdom after he allowed me to land," Djarin explained. He believed some truth of the matter would be enough for Ozpin to not probe any further.

    "Agreed," said Ozpin. "Then again, I don't believe James would like anything taken from the Kingdom without his permission. Wouldn't you say so?"

    "..."

    Whether Ozpin knew about the smuggling or not, Djarin decided to change the subject. "Other than Ironwood's paranoia, he's keeping the Kingdom in one piece," he said. "I'm not sure how well Mistral is doing."

    "Neither am I," Ozpin concurred. "However, did I tell you about Qrow's success in Vale?"

    "You did. Glynda should be able to pick up where Qrow and Sun left off."

    "She will. And that just leaves Vacuo. What exactly is your opinion of the situation?"

    "...Wanting. At best."

    "..."

    Ozpin remained silent so as to hear Djarin's full explanation. "I may be teaching students solely from Beacon, but I'm not blind to their... relationship with the students of Shade. They're practically at each other's throats."

    "Yes, I've noticed," Ozpin sadly admitted. "Shade has been extraordinarily unwelcoming of the Beacon students that came here."

    "That's putting it lightly. I had to break up a fight before it could begin earlier today."

    "Oh?"

    "It happened after my class ended. One of my students was talking to me before the next class began, but some of the students were expecting her to leave. When I left with her, they were insulting her right to her face. How Beacon students are weak and taking up space."

    "Yes, I've heard the same. I may have mentioned this before, but the people of Vacuo are... wary of outsiders."

    "Indeed." Djarin sighed. "This may not have been the best idea, Ozpin."

    "We don't have that many options, Djarin. Mistral hardly has anybody teaching and Atlas won't accept anyone else with the closed borders. All we can do is find a way to make both student bodies work together."

    "We already tried merging some of the classes. It seems the only objections that stand are jointing together in combat."

    "Which greatly concerns me. After Theodore and I confirmed how many students Shade now holds, we feel it may be necessary to recreate the teams. Many of the former teams are... incomplete."

    "..."

    Ozpin was referring to the fact that many students lost their lives at Beacon. Whether it was by Grimm or Mandalorian, dozens of students were killed that night. And now, many of the student teams were left in shambles. The only way to have proper teams of four again would be to create new ones.

    But as Djarin and Ozpin noticed, nobody was willing to trust one another in a fight.

    "That's true," Djarin finally said. "But we can't have new teams if nobody works together."

    "I know," Ozpin admitted. "I've been trying to think of a way to show how much they need each other. On one hand, Shade doubts the capabilities of our students."

    "I've noticed. Some of them even think their survival was dumb luck."

    Ozpin nodded. "Which brings me to the other hand. Our students are strong, but they lack the experience to adapt to fighting in such a place. The students from Vacuo could teach them how to adapt, if only they could."

    Djarin had to admit that was true. He noticed this when he chose days to spar outside rather than inside, at a sand arena on the school grounds. His students could hardly catch themselves from falling or hold their own in the sand and humid air.

    Ozpin's idea could fix that, but it would only bring about more hostility among their ranks.

    "The students from Beacon could teach everyone here something too," Djarin said calmly. "I've taught them how to fight like me, like Mandalorians. The students at Shade might find that useful, if they would be willing to learn."

    "Like I said, we need to find a way to work together," said Ozpin. "I may have another idea, and your assistance would be helpful."

    "What is it?"

    "It seems out of all the remaining student teams at Shade, one is the most widely known and respected. They are, for lack of a better word, the Alpha of Shade. Every other student, from first year to fourth year, seems to take their word as law."

    "Who are they?"

    "A team of fourth years called Team IRON. Since their formation, they've risen in rank and expectations. I must admit, I was impressed by the accomplishments I've read about them."

    "Which are?"

    "They include encounters with a band of dangerous people called the Tuskens and aiding in the arrest of drug smugglers. Apparently, there is a substance in the sands of Vacuo that many people crave to have themselves. Not just as a drug, but also something that can substitute Dust for airship travel. I believe it's commonly known as... Spice."

    Djarin was familiar with the substance, as well as the smugglers who used it as their main source of income. "Wait a minute. Are you saying that these students helped arrest members of the Pyke Syndicate? Ozpin, I've heard of those Faunus. They're ruthless."

    Ozpin wasn't too familiar with this syndicate, but he trusted Djarin enough with knowledge such as this. And given what he had heard of Team IRON, their reputation was forged ferociously. "Hence their popularity and status here at Shade," Ozpin said. "If there is any chance of getting through to the student body, it seems to lie with Team IRON."

    "Let's see what happens."

    The next day, Ozpin and the Mandalorian found Team IRON during the day's final activity: team sparring. So it was easy to pull them aside and discuss how all four of them may be able to encourage their fellow Shade students to work more closely with the students from Beacon.

    But changing their minds proved to be a more difficult challenge.

    All four of them gave their reasons for their unwillingness to help in such a matter. The first one to do so was Randall Sepia, a tanned young man with light brown hair. He explained that such a matter would be a distraction to him and his team, given that they were very close to graduation. Not to mention that it was already impossible in his mind.

    The second member was Olivia Rouge, a red haired girl with a temper. She said she would be willing to help if she received help in return. But the question of what she needed help with turned into a tirade of how she and her family were worked to the bone to make ends meet in their home, and how her father had died protecting her and her mother. And with her mother working two jobs on her own, Olivia said she didn't see any help from the outside Kingdoms when she needed it. She then stubbornly refused to listen to anything else the professors had to say.

    The third member of the team was a tiger Faunus named Nero Slade, who had more of an obvious reason for not helping. His Faunus traits were never looked at fairly whenever he left the Kingdom. He and his team even completed in one of the Vytal Festival tournaments outside Vacuo. There, he received discrimination from just about every other group of students. Olivia and Randall backed him up on this, and they also questioned why he should help when he never received it. Inspired by his friends' words, he ended the conversation abruptly.

    The fourth and most challenging member of Team IRON was their leader, Ivanna Vantablack. She was the tallest member of the team, possessed long black hair, and her ruthless nature made her status as team leader unquestionable. After their failures with the rest of the team, Ozpin and Djarin decided to go a less civil route and warn her that there could be consequences to refusing their request. They even threatened to refuse giving her and the rest of her team their licenses.

    Unfortunately, the young woman was able to call out this bluff perfectly.

    Not only did she list her victories with her team, but Ivanna reminded both Beacon teachers how many members of Shade's staff she had worked with and how they would refuse to hold off giving her license. She even went as far as reminding Djarin that she knew he was a Mandalorian; and one word from her to the right people would see him imprisoned or banished from the Kingdom. After all, Shade had more power than the Kingdom's Council.

    With the discussion now over, Team IRON took their leave. Djarin and Ozpin took their defeat hardly, and they decided that some space would be good. The Mandalorian found himself walking around the whole campus before he went back to the inn. He was angry, tired, and growing impatient. The defeat even left him wondering why he was at Shade in the first place. Ozpin might need him, but Cinder needed him more. Djarin knew that he should be on the hunt rather than being confined at another school.

    Above all else, Djarin wanted to find Aurora and make her return Cinder's power. Though he had no idea where she was, Djarin knew that the Saxon or Death Watch Mandalorians could tell him where to look. All he had to do was travel back to Mistral or Vale and use all of his skills as a Mandalorian to take a prisoner. As for how he could obtain the information he needed, the darker side of Djarin's imagination would take care of that.

    However, leaving without changing anything at Shade would be a colossal failure. And not only was Djarin not allowed to leave a mission in failure, but he also couldn't break his word when Ozpin asked for his help. This is the Way.

    Oddly, the new code of honor Djarin swore wasn't the only reminder he was given in this matter. For it was the strange sight of Mandalorian armor that helped as well.

    Djarin's walk across the campus had led him to a classroom that was mainly used for teaching history. Shade Academy had an unusual habit of presenting old relics and artifacts for students to get a closer look at. One of these artifacts was a large and impressive collection of Mandalorian armor, which was what Djarin had just found. He had been here before, and now he was here again.

    All of the armor was painted differently, but Djarin recognized the sigils painted on them. Based on said sigils, this armor belonged to a clan of Mandalorians believed to be extinct known as Clan Ordo. This particular group existed during the Great War, and they were arguably one of the more well-know. clans.

    During the war, many attacks were made on Mandalore. Some Mandalorians were either ordered or chose to leave in order to survive. The would-be successor to the throne, Canderous Ordo, was tasked to find the departed Mandalorians and bring them home. Instead, he unified them as a single front and new clan, with the purpose of bringing the fight back to Mistral and Mantle. He was known as a preserver of the Mandalorian people and culture, and someone Tarre Vizsla trusted greatly.

    Before their untimely disappearance, Clan Ordo had strategy on their side. Namely, their leader used a strategy that involved retreating when his forces were diminished. Only when the clan's enemies pursued them, they were lead into an overwhelming ambush and total defeat. In turn, the defensive positions the enemy once held would then belong to Clan Ordo.

    The clan had many other strategies that allowed them to triumph over the forces of Mistral and Mantle, and they would certainly prove effective if they were used today.

    It was bad enough that the students of Shade thought that the students of Beacon were weak. But they also refused to have Djarin teach them to fight like Mandalorians. He wished that the students would understand the dangers of this clan and any other clan. Despite their skills, the students at Shade weren't prepared to fight Mandalorians yet.

    Djarin also wished that Shade would see the potential of the Beacon students who survived the Vytal Festival, and he wished these lessons could make them work together.

    If only clans such as Clan Ordo existed today. Perhaps then they would learn.

    The next day, Professor Theodore and Ozpin announced that there would be no classes held the following day. Instead, time would be taken to go on training missions with the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Vacuo. The news was somewhat a surprise to everyone, but there were no objections to the executive decision.

    Students from Shade were happy as long as they didn't have to partner with any people from Beacon.

    And so, the necessary preparations were made for teams to take on a real mission. After classes, they all went to train on their own. There were a few arguments between Shade and Beacon as to who would get to train in designated areas, but these were stopped by teachers before they turned physical.

    By the time the following morning arrived, all of the students were ready to carry out their missions. The main atrium in Shade was rather full, but a clear distinction was made by students who stood on the left and right sides. Shade students were expecting Professor Theodore to make a short speech regarding wishes for good luck to all.

    But Ozpin spoke instead.

    "I'll keep this brief," he said through a microphone as he stared at the two student bodies. "As you are all aware, much has changed at Shade Academy. I understand that not everyone here has accepted or understood recent events, but this has affected everyone in this room. Shade and Beacon students alike."

    "..."

    "That being said, I believe the best we can do at the moment is to flow with this change. And perhaps change ourselves as well. Your missions today, whatever you choose, may help you in this endeavor. You will learn more about the Kingdom of Vacuo, more about your team, and perhaps... more about yourselves. I hope whatever you learn, you take it close to heart."

    "..."

    After Ozpin's speech, all of the students set off on their training missions. Team IRON was the only team who couldn't choose their own mission, given the fact that one had been chosen for them. Under normal circumstances, they were allowed to choose their missions. But today, one such mission needed the kind of skill this team possessed.

    The mission was known as a "Protect and Transfer," in which essential supplies such as water and clothes were transferred from Vacuo to the settlements outside the main city. Avian Grimm were seen on the airship's destination path, so protection was essential.

    But not everyone was happy about that.

    "Man, this sucks," said Olivia, who was walking with her team towards the airship they needed to protect. "I could do a mission like this on my own. And it still would be a complete waste of my time."

    "Yeah, I'm with Olivia," said Randall, who was also unhappy with the mission. "I saw a few Search and Destroy missions on the board. Why couldn't we take those?"

    "It doesn't matter," Ivanna said with an authoritative tone. "We have a mission, a job. We're doing it quickly and efficiently."

    "..."

    Both Olivia and Randall submitted to their leader's declaration. This wasn't the first time she made a sweeping declaration such as this, and they knew better than to make Ivanna change her terrible mind.

    In turn, Ivanna knew when to boost her teammates moral and keep them in the right direction.

    "At the very least, it'll get us away from the Beacon stench," she said with an intimidating smile.

    "Finally, someone says it!" said Nero, who shared his leader's sentiments tenfold. "Can you believe the nerve of those professors? Saying we need to tell everyone to work with people like them? I'd sooner cut off all four of my ears."

    "Same here," said Olivia. "Minus the other two ears. No offense."

    "None taken."

    "What would the point be anyway?" Randall asked sarcastically. "None of those city-lovers would last a day in the desert, even under our tutelage. They're too weak for their own good."

    "Exactly," said Ivanna. "They want someone to help them? I say let them help themselves. Whoever survives here will learn. They always do."

    "But you don't expect them to survive, do you?"

    "Of course not. Like you said, they're as weak as they come." Another scary smile came to Ivanna's lips. "I wonder how many will make it back from their missions. And who knows? Maybe the terror they'll feel from a day in the desert will make them easy to control." She then turned to her team. "We can end our last few months here with a bang."

    It was truly a wonder as to how someone as terrible as Ivanna was on the right side of the law. The same could be said about her underlings.

    "I'm game," said Olivia. "Dammit, we should've placed a few bets on them."

    "It's not too late," Nero chimed in. "I know a few of their names. And I know not all of them are gonna come back."

    "Ain't no time like the present to have a good time," Randall suggested. "And speaking of a good time, the airship might be using Spice instead of Dust. We can have ourselves a party on that thing."

    "..."

    One cold glare from Ivanna made Randall remember that they were on a mission.

    "I mean, after the mission's over."

    Ivanna nodded. "Good boy," she said as she looked forward again. As she did, her eyes landed on the airship that she and her team would be protecting. Given that it was from Vacuo, it wasn't much to look at. It had a brown and dirty exterior, multiple wings that would move up and down to fly, and it appeared to have enough size to store supplies for three towns outside the city. The method of flight was similar to a passenger airship from Vale, but the overall design of the ship was unique in its own way.

    After they met the pilot and the Huntsman who would be supervising Team IRON, the students moved inside to see what they would be protecting.

    There appeared to be multiple jugs of water and multiple crates inside, which didn't appear to be unordinary for a supply run. Randall was looking at the crates closely; not to take inventory, but to see if there was one particular item on board.

    "Let's see... Dust," he began after he opened and closed one metal crate. He then repeated the action with more small crates. "Dust. Dust. Dust." He approached one last crate and opened it. "Oh, look at that. Dust." He closed it and sighed. "Sorry, guys. No after-party for this team."

    "Aw," Olivia said as she slumped against the wall. "Not even one bag of Spice?"

    "Maybe the pilot's using it," said Nero. "I heard people like him use Spice while flying airships. Supposedly it makes them chart their course better or something."

    "Is that even legal?"

    "I don't know. You think us having some Spice is legal too?"

    Ivanna moved in between her teammates. "Okay, that's enough," she said. "Let's review the inventory."

    "On it," said Olivia. "Got a few jugs of water..." She then opened a few more crates. "Some clothes and blankets here. They look pretty worn."

    "What do you expect from hand-me-downs?" Nero asked as he opened another box. "We got some food here. Not too much, though."

    "Got some more here," said Randall. "But it looks like that's it."

    "Alright then," Ivanna said calmly. "Let's get to work."

    The airship took to the skies at approximately eight o'clock. As the academy and city grew smaller and smaller behind them, Team IRON and the Huntsman kept their eyes on what was ahead of them.

    The one who was doing a good job of this was Nero, who was using his Semblance to look out for danger. His Semblance granted the young man the ability to see further than anyone else. His eyes were, in a way, like an adjustable scope on a sniper rifle. While he couldn't harm anyone with his ability, Nero was able to see multiple bat-like Grimm approaching from the west.

    "Ravagers at nine o'clock!" Randall warned his teammates as he pointed in the distance.

    Olivia opened the side of the airship and took out her weapon, which was a sniper rifle. The bullets inside were regular Dust rounds, given that she and many other students refused to be taught by the Mandalorian. But they were lethal nonetheless, as she saw Ravagers turning to black ash with each shot.

    "Oh, yeah!" Olivia yelled with pride. "In your face!"

    "Nero, Olivia's got this," Ivanna said to her Faunus teammate. "Keep an eye on the other side and let us know if there's trouble."

    "On it!" Nero complied as he moved towards the other side of the ship.

    "Randall, secure the supplies," Ivanna ordered. "We can't let them fall out with these doors open."

    "Got it, boss," Randall said before he moved towards the back of the ship. There, he used a series of ropes and chains to tie the crates together and attach them to a series of hooks in the back. The crates would swerve from side to side, but they didn't move away from the back.

    "More on the way!" Nero yelled.

    Before anyone could respond, the Huntsman on board opened the next door and reached into his pockets. As he took them out, a pair of throwing stars emerged and escaped his hands when he threw them. As they came closer to the Grimm, the shurikens appeared to duplicate and create more than just two. And before they returned to their master, each one struck the Grimm in fatal positions. All of them returned, but the duplicates disappeared and left the Huntsman with the original two.

    "Not bad," Nero said as he looked at the throwing stars in the man's hand.

    "I can make the best out of what I have," the Huntsman replied as he put away his weapons. "With some help from my Semblance."

    "Pretty impressive," said Ivanna, who joined the two as she looked out the door. "Looks like you missed some, though. I got them." She then reached towards her back, where a metal spear was resting. Once she removed it, Ivanna pointed the tip of her spear towards the incoming Grimm. But instead of throwing it, Ivanna watched the tip of the spear turn red. A whirlwind of flame emerged from the tip and engulfed all the Grimm as a result. But rather than simply letting them burn, Ivanna twisted the bottom half of her spear and watched electricity and wind emerge from it. The Grimm were blown away as they were electrocuted, where they turned to nothing but ash.

    "Heh, heh," the Huntsman chuckled as he closed the door. "You kids are as good as everyone says."

    "We never said we weren't," said Ivanna.

    "Yeah," Olivia said as she began to clean her rifle. "You had doubts, buddy?"

    The Huntsman shook his head. "Not really," he said calmly. "But I've heard what's been going on at Shade. I'm surprised you're not taking the chance to be better."

    Now it was Nero's turn to laugh. "What, you mean those Beacon kids?" he asked as he stopped laughing. "You heard Oz's speech too, huh? How about you give us a good reason to work with them?"

    The Huntsman took a drink from a canteen he was carrying. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not one for getting mixed in another Kingdom's business. But I was talking more about that Mandalorian back there. Djarin, I think?"

    "What about him?" Ivanna asked.

    "Well, from what I saw at the Vytal Festival, it's not everyday when a Mandalorian wants to help you out. You know, teach you something new. Sometimes the enemy of an enemy can be your friend."

    Ivanna recollected the conversation she had with the Mandalorian. "Well, he wasn't looking so friendly the last time I saw him."

    "Same here," said Randall. "Besides, I don't think this 'war' is gonna reach Vacuo any time soon. There's no possible way they can survive out here like us."

    "Well, that's a little presumptuous, don't you think?" the Huntsman asked.

    "Eh. Whatever happens, we'll be ready."

    With that, the Huntsman and students got back to work. More Ravagers came in their way, but not as many as they initially expected. Weapons and Semblances were used accordingly, and the sky was clear of Grimm once again.

    "Looks like that's the last of 'em," Nero said after he stopped using his Semblance. He and his team had just killed another group of Ravagers and a lone Nevermore. "How are we doing for time?"

    "The pilot says we should touch down in about ten minutes," the Huntsman replied as he emerged from the cockpit. "Then it's just a matter of getting back in one piece."

    "That shouldn't be hard," said Randall. "What was that, like our twentieth Grimm killed so far?"

    "Eighteen by my count," said Olivia. "But you're right, it won't be hard."

    "Too bad." Randall pulled out two handguns he had been using to kill Grimm. "I was just getting warmed-"

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    Everyone looked above as a series of loud beeps rang out and red lights flashed all around the cabin. As a result, everyone was caught off guard.

    "Uh, what's that?" Randall asked.

    Olivia readied her gun as she watched the flashing light. "More Grimm?" she said. "I'm game!"

    Ivanna raised her spear and twisted it again. "That makes two of us," she said as she prepared to open the door again.

    "No, wait!" the Huntsman said as he moved his arm in front of Team IRON's leader. "This shouldn't happen with Grimm. Something's wrong." He then turned towards the cockpit and ran. "Vantablack, with me!"

    "..."

    Ivanna turned towards her teammates, who seemed to be just as confused as she was. All they could do was shrug and gesture for her to go forward. Ivanna found herself complying with their request and soon found herself in the cockpit of the ship. There she found the Huntsman with the pilot of the ship, a younger man dressed in a brown jumpsuit.

    "What's going on?" she asked.

    "Something's come up on the radar!" the pilot said apprehensively. "Something big!"

    Ivanna didn't share the pilot's fear when she heard this news. "Um... okay? So what, there's a bigger Grimm?"

    "No," the Huntsman replied as he tapped the radar screen Ivanna couldn't see it, so she let him explain. "This isn't a Grimm, this is... something else."

    *WHOOSH*​

    All of a sudden, a new noise reached everyone's ears. They all looked to their left to see another airship, a chrome one that was roughly the same size as their own. The dirt on the windows made it hard to distinguish any other key details, but Ivanna could have sworn that there were two guns on the front of the ship.

    This led her to make one idea about the identity of the ship's passengers.

    "Pirates," she whispered.

    The pilot appeared to have the same idea as her. "I don't have any weapons of my own," he said.

    "That's why you got us," said the Huntsman. "Vantablack, get your team ready. Pirates out here like to board ships instead of making the crash."

    "Looks like they'll be getting a surprise," she said as she moved back. "Pilot, if they come closer, don't make any attempt to fly away or fight."

    "Yes, ma'am," the pilot said as Ivanna disappeared.

    The rest of Team IRON heard and watched the alarm fade as their leader returned. Once she did, Ivanna relayed the situation and told them what to do.

    "Nero, keep an eye on the door," she said to the Faunus. "If they move close, open it up. I'll blast them away with Divining Rod."

    "Got it," Nero said as he moved to the door that was closest to the pirate ship.

    "Olivia, Randall, you're my backup. Get behind me in case I can't blow them away." Olivia and Randall immediately moved behind their leader as she pointed the tip of her spear at the door. "Nero, let me know when they're coming."

    The Faunus looked out the window and immediately saw the ship move towards them. "Okay, here they come!"

    Ivanna pointed her spear at the door as she heard Olivia and Randall draw their weapons. As soon as she was ready, she gave her teammate another command through her scary smile. "This is gonna be good. Open it on 'three,' Nero."

    "..."

    "One..."

    "..."

    "Two..."

    "..."

    "Three!"

    Nero opened the door and waited for his leader to blow them away with the Dust in her weapon. Instead, he received a deadly surprise.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    A series of red and yellow blasts found their way inside they ship and struck the three members of Team IRON. Nero was out of the way, but all he could do was watch as the blasts hit his teammates.

    "Holy shit!" he screamed as he immediately closed the door. As he did, everyone beside him had fallen to the floor and used their Auras to heal the blasts. "Guys, are you okay?!"

    "Uhh..." Randall groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "Wh... What happened?"

    "Is that what it feels like to be shot?" Olivia asked as she stood up. She then slammed her fist against the side of the ship. "Whoever did that is gonna pay!"

    "How... How did that happen?" Ivanna asked. "What kind of pirates have weapons like that? One of them's gotta have a Semblance or something."

    "Uh, guys?" Nero asked as he stared out the window. "I think it's worse than a Semblance. Look!"

    Ivanna did as she was told and looked out the same window as Nero. There, she saw that the next ship had their door still open, and there were three people pointing guns at them and shooting again. The metal door protected them for now, but Ivanna was able to see exactly what she and her team was up against.

    It caused her to run back to the cockpit and tell the two people in charge.

    "The ship's full of Mandalorians!" Ivanna screamed.

    "What?!" the pilot shouted as he nearly lost his grip on the steering controls.

    "Oh, shit," the Huntsman said before he turned to the pilot. "Get us out of here!"

    The pilot jerked the ship away from the other one and made it fly even faster than before. Ivanna struggled to get back to her team, but she was able to find them hanging on to something.

    "They're still on our tail!" Nero yelled. "They're not letting up!"

    Ivanna was expecting this to happen, and she was expecting the ship to start shooting at them soon. "We gotta buy the pilot some time!" Ivanna said as she moved to the door again. "Nero, get the door open!"

    "But they'll just shoot at us again!"

    Ivanna activated her Aura, which made a black light shine around her entire body. "I'll be ready this time." She then twisted her spear to make it shine blue. "Open it!"

    Nero did as he was told and Ivanna came face-to-face with the front of the ship. There were indeed cannons at the front, but they still didn't fire on her. Ivanna took this opportunity and unleashed a storm of lightning and wind at the ship, which began to veer off course and fly away.

    "Woo-hoo!" Randall yelled.

    "Oh, that's right!" Olivia joined in. "Suck it, Mandos!"

    "Nice work, Ivanna!" Nero said. "We are outta here!"

    Team IRON was joined by their Huntsman, who heard how their leader blew the ship away. "Good work," he said calmly. "Now listen up; we're going back to Shade and warning them what's going on."

    "But we're nowhere near Shade!" Randall protested. "And that ship won't be gone for long!"

    "We might get close enough to get a warning out over the radio, even if we don't make it."

    "..."

    Team IRON had been through countless things together. Whether it was Grimm, drug smugglers, and even other students, they all survived together. Each of them knew the risks, each of them knew that there were no guarantees about coming back home.

    But today may have been the first day where they truly felt their lives were on the line. And hearing that they may not be coming home sent a shiver down all their spines.

    "They're back!" said Nero, who was looking out the window. "Looks like they're going for the side again!"

    "They might be trying to board us," said Ivanna. "Nero, open the door again."

    "Hold it," the Huntsman said as he moved in front of Ivanna. "Something tells me the same trick won't work twice on these guys."

    "I know." Ivanna twisted her spear to make it have a red end this time. "But we don't have much of a choice."

    "Maybe my Semblance can help!" Olivia suggested. Her Semblance was that her strength would increase tenfold whenever she became angry. One good punch or kick at a person would deplete a good portion of their Aura or leave a large dent in anything metal.

    Ivanna recognized Olivia's potential, but saw one problem with it. "We'd need you to get closer first. Right now, you and Randall get ready to shoot at anything that moves." She then prepared to shoot fire from the tip of her spear. "How close are they, Nero?"

    "Pretty close," the Faunus replied. "I think they're gonna fire again."

    "I'm ready. Open the door... now!"

    Nero obeyed and watched as a wave of fire escaped from Diving Rod. Ivanna moved closer to the door in the hopes that the Mandalorians would burn or break off once again.

    While she couldn't see what was happening on the other side, Ivanna could hear everything. More blaster fire came through the door, but Olivia and Randall returned fire with their own weapons. Suddenly, a metal wire came out of nowhere and latched itself onto Ivanna's spear.

    "What the-?"

    Ivanna felt the string pull quickly, and she unfortunately lost her grip on the weapon. The fire from it died as it flew out of the ship, and Ivanna desperately tried to grab it. But Divining Rod made its way out of the ship and began to fall down to the ground.

    "Fire!" one of the Mandalorians yelled as he pointed his rifle at the ship.

    Ivanna was vulnerable at this point, as was everyone else. But the Huntsman was prepared to do his job. "Kids, get back!" he yelled as he grabbed Ivanna and got in the way of the blaster fire.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    The Huntsman's Aura protected him from receiving any fatal wounds, but he couldn't stop himself from falling off the ship while screaming. Again, Ivanna tried to reach down. And again, she was too late to save him.

    "Oh, shit!" Nero yelled as he closed the door again. No blaster fire hit the ship this time, but more metal wires were shot and attached to the side of the airship. The Mandalorians then tied the other ends of the wires around their own ship rather than holding it by their arms.

    "Dammit!" Ivanna screamed in fury. "Goddammit!" She slammed her fist against the metal floor as she grew even angrier. "I'm gonna kill them all!"

    "Ivanna, wait!" Randall said as he stopped her from getting to the door once again. "We can't fight them like this!"

    Ivanna pushed her teammate aside. "You got any other ideas?!"

    Randall had one idea, despite all the chaos. "We gotta fight them on our terms. Let's land the ship and fight them man-to-man!"

    "You mean get up close and personal?" Olivia asked as she formed two fists. "Now you're talking my language!"

    "But we can't land now!" Nero protested. "We have to get back to the academy! And there might be Grimm in the sand!"

    Ivanna was still angry at just about everything right now, but she was able to see that there would be no chance at victory in the air. "We fight or we die," she said to Nero. "We gotta land." She immediately ran back to the cockpit to tell the pilot to land.

    "Uh, I don't like this," Nero said as he took out his own weapons. They were a pair of chrome sais with a crystal of Dust in each one.

    "Hey, man, this is nothing!" Randall said in an attempt to boost his friend's spirits. "We took down the Pykes! Did a number on the Tuskens too! We can handle a bunch of Mando clowns!"

    "Damn right!" Olivia said as she transformed her sniper rifle into a club. "Especially ones in armor that looks like it hasn't been worn in centuries!" As she laughed at the joke, Olivia remembered what she saw through the window of the ship. While she couldn't put her finger on it, there was something about the Mandalorian armor that seemed familiar.

    "We're landing!" Ivanna yelled to her teammates. "There's a canyon up ahead we can box ourselves in! Once we beat them, we'll take their ship and whatever's inside!"

    "Got it!" said Nero. "I'll get the door open and you all run out!"

    "We gotta be quick! The Mandos are gonna leave their own ship too!"

    As soon as the ship landed, Nero swung the door open and watched his friends escape. Randall was covering Ivanna with his handguns since she had lost her weapon earlier, and they were followed by Olivia. Nero was ready to jump out too, but a voice from behind stopped him.

    "Wait up!"

    The Faunus turned around and saw the pilot running towards them. "Take me with you!" he said.

    "No, stay here!" Nero argued. "This isn't a place for you to get involved!"

    "But I'll just be a sitting duck here! Just take me-!"

    *BANG*​

    A blast from the other side of the ship made its way through the window and struck the pilot in the back. He immediately fell forward and crashed limply on the ground. Nero watched in shock as the pilot didn't move from where he was; was he still alive?

    "Nero, come on!"

    The young Faunus snapped out his daze and took off running. He was just in time, as more blaster fire ripped through the ship. As he ran, more blasts flew past him and he could hear the Mandalorians gaining on him.

    Ivanna and Randall were far ahead and making their way towards large rock. Olivia saw her teammate was having trouble keeping up, so she transformed her club back into a sniper rifle and aimed it towards the group behind her.

    "Nero, drop!" she yelled. When the Faunus fell to the ground, Olivia opened fire on the Mandalorians.

    The armored warriors had stopped running when the young redhead started shooting at them, but their armor was granting them protection from the bullets. They fired with their own weapons, but moved back towards the ship they originally came in.

    Nero had used the opportunity his teammate had just given him to join the rest of Team IRON at the rock they were waiting at.

    "Thanks, Olivia," Nero said as he caught his breath.

    "No worries," Olivia said. "How are you holding up?"

    "Not too good. Pilot's down. I don't know if he's gonna make it."

    "Dammit!" Ivanna cursed as she punched the rock. "Then it looks like we're making our stand here. We'll go for help once these guys are out in their place."

    "Think the home-field advantage will give us an edge?" Randall asked as he loaded his handguns.

    "Let's hope so," Olivia replied. "These guys aren't like the Tuskens or the Pykes."

    "Maybe we can use that to our advantage," Ivanna said as she looked around the canyon. "Olivia, think you can make an avalanche with your Semblance?"

    "Just say the word."

    Ivanna nodded and looked past the rock she was using as cover. "Seems like these nobodies like using their guns. Let's see how they can handle a fight when it's up close and personal. Nero, can you lend me a sai?"

    "Take this one," Nero replied as he handed a sai. "It has some Fire Dust, but it won't be there forever."

    Ivanna understood perfectly. "Okay, here's the plan; we're gonna charge straight at them to get close. They did a number on my Aura, but you guys look fine. Just engage it as you run, then let our fists do the talking. Got it?"

    "Got it," everyone replied.

    "They're coming," Nero said as he pointed towards the ship. "Looks like four of 'em."

    "Let's do it," Ivanna said as she stood up. "Go!"

    Team IRON leapt over the rock they were hiding under and charged directly at the Mandalorians. Blasters were fired, but they either missed or were blocked by the students' Auras. Randall and Olivia returned fire, but stopped when they saw their bullets weren't having much of an effect. Ivanna's Aura broke just as she met one Mandalorian, but she refused to yield.

    Fists and blades met together in the canyon as the fight for survival truly began. Olivia had turned her sniper rifle into a club once again and was swinging it as hard as she could. While her strikes made contact with her Mandalorian, the armored foe easily got off the ground and delivered a set of fast punches and fire from one of the gauntlets.

    Randall was using the blunt ends of his handguns to strike his foe, but the Beskar armor did nothing but block out the pain. However, the Mandalorian seemed to be having trouble keeping up while fighting in the sand. The kicks he was sending were slow, and they were leaving openings for Randall to strike. He had just pinned the Mandalorian to the ground, but he was forced to let go when hidden blades emerged from the gauntlet and struck him across the torso.

    Nero managed to see that the Beskar armor had openings in between it, and they appeared to be the right size to stick his sai inside. Ivanna realized this too, but she chose to focus on the neck rather than the arms or legs; she had chosen to go in for the kill. However, the Mandalorians seemed to expect strikes like these. They knew where their weaknesses were, and they chose to go on the defensive.

    Nero remained calm and patient with this, but Ivanna was mad. She was sure that the fight would be over if she still had Divining Rod, and she was mad that she lost it. The young leader swore she would make the Mandalorians pay for making her lose her weapon, and that they would pay with their lives.

    But her opponent was proving to be rather stubborn. The Mandalorian was easily blocking the strikes, even though he was having trouble finding proper footing in the sand. He may have had to keep wiping his visor clean of the sand that was blowing in his face, but he appeared to be holding his own. Some of the punches he sent missed, but he was able to catch Ivanna off guard a few times.

    Team IRON could see that this fight wouldn't be won easily. And so, after making a opportunity to break away from their foes, they met together while their backs were against the canyon wall.

    "How are you all holding up?" Ivanna said as she caught her breath.

    "I almost had my guy," Randall said furiously. "Lucky bastard got away from me."

    "I can't land a hit on my guy!" Nero screamed. "It's like hand-to-hand is his second-language!"

    "I think I got my Mando on the ropes," Olivia said confidently. She had been using her Semblance to wound her opponent, but she was running low on Aura. "I used up a lotta Aura. I can't keep this up forever."

    Ivanna understood this and understood exactly where she was. When she looked upwards, she saw the rocky wall seemed to be the best place for an avalanche. "Then don't," she said to her teammate. "The word's given, Olivia. Make it rain."

    The redhead turned around and saw the rocks overhead. With a smirk and a swift concentration of her anger, Olivia used her Semblance one last time and struck the natural wall with all her might.

    The heavy strike may have been enough for Olivia's Aura to break, but it was also enough for multiple large rocks to come crashing down.

    "Out of the way!" Ivanna screamed as she ran from the wall. Her teammates obeyed, and the Mandalorians also began to run away. One of them was unfortunate enough to get hit by a rock, but the armor and their Aura seemed to make the wound less fatal than it would have been. But either way, all of the Mandalorians began to run far away from the rocks and Team IRON.

    "I don't believe it!" Randall yelled as he began to fire upon the enemy. "The Mandalorians are retreating!"

    "We did it!" Olivia yelled as she joined her comrade in shooting the Mandalorians. "We got 'em on the run!"

    "Don't let them get away!" Ivanna yelled as she began to give chase. "We can't let them fly outta here!"

    Ivanna Vantablack was immediately followed by the rest of her team. Each of them began to envision themselves back at Shade and hailed as heroes. The Tuskens and Pykes were notable foes, but a defense against Mandalorians would secure their status as some of the strongest Huntsmen and Huntresses the Kingdom had ever known.

    "They're headed for the other side of the canyon!" said Nero, who watched the Mandalorians ignore their ship and run back towards the rocks.

    "We're almost there!" Ivanna yelled as she ran faster. She saw the Mandalorians turn a corner by the rocks, which made her believe that they had found an exit to the canyon. "Let's finish this!"

    "Here we come!" Olivia yelled with a smile. "You hear that, Mandos! Ain't nothing you can do now!"

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*    ​

    As soon as Team IRON turned the corner, they were met face-to-face with the same Mandalorians as before; only this time, they were with far greater numbers.

    About ten armed and ready Mandalorians were pointing blasters at the practically defenseless students, and they silently acknowledged the fact that their plan had worked. By simply feigning a retreat and uniting with greater numbers, the Mandalorians had the edge over Team IRON.

    And before the students could run away, more Mandalorians jumped down from the rocky side of the canyon and landed behind Team IRON. They too were armed with blasters, and they were all pointed directly at the team.

    With the reality of the situation now presented to them, Nero was the first one to speak for everyone else.

    "Oh... shit."

    After meeting almost twenty more Mandalorians without any more ammo or Aura, Team IRON knew that they had been beaten. And so, they found themselves kneeling in the middle of the canyon at the mercy of all the Mandalorians.

    At the moment, they were all bound by their hands in metal wire and listening as one Mandalorian was talking to them.

    "You fought well," she said calmly. "Almost like true Huntsmen and Huntresses. We, on the other hand..." The Mandalorian gestured to her allies. "Know forms of combat you could never understand. And almost isn't good enough."

    "Spare us the dramatics," Ivanna said. "What are you doing here?"

    "What do you want?" Randall asked.

    "What do we want?" the Mandalorian asked with a laugh. Her comrades joined her in the laughter. "The same thing when Beacon was destroyed!" The Mandalorian pointed directly at Nero. "And guess what? You're next!"

    Nero was the first of the team to show fear, as he began to panic and whisper to himself. "Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit."

    "And you're just the beginning," the Mandalorian said as she snapped her fingers. Just then, three more Mandalorians approached the kneeling students. Two of them were wearing the old and deteriorated armor as everyone else, but one appeared to be a prisoner wearing chrome armor.

    "You?" Ivanna asked as she watched the Mandalorians drop him to the ground. She recognized him instantly.

    "Yes," Djarin replied as he watched the Mandalorians hover around him. "They found me before I could warn anyone." Djarin looked at the rest of the members of Team IRON. "I had hoped you and your team would do better. It seems I was wrong."

    The Mandalorians laughed again. "Indeed you were," said the one closest to Team IRON. "But don't feel bad. We were going to catch up to you anyway." She then turned to the students. "But you could have done so much better." She laughed again as she reached for a pistol in her holster. "But we'll never know."

    *CLICK*​

    The Mandalorian pointed the gun at Nero's head, who had stopped whispering and started screaming. Pleas for mercy reached everyone's ears, and now they were all as scared as him

    "Stop!" Ivanna yelled. "Let's just talk about this!"

    "No," the Mandalorian said. "I don't think so."

    Nero's screams and pleas were becoming hard to endure. There may have been times when Ivanna heard this from the people she fought, but hearing it from someone close to her wasn't the best thing to hear. And so, she tried again to make it stop.

    "You'll only catch Hell if you kill us!" she said. "And if you try to invade Shade! There are more Huntsmen and Huntresses there than I can count, people with more than enough experience to break all of you!"

    "Yeah!" Randall said. "It took a lot of you just to beat four of us!"

    "This won't end the way you think it will! It won't!"

    "..."

    The Mandalorian looked at her blaster, which was still pointed at the scared student. She then looked back towards the defiant one, who was scared to a lesser degree. After she looked back and forth between the two students, the Mandalorian made her decision.

    "...No," she said. "I guess it won't."

    "..."

    Suddenly, Djarin stood up from where he was kneeling and approached the apparent leader. With a shared nod between them, the Mandalorian put away her blaster. Djarin then turned to one Mandalorian standing behind the four students. "That's enough," he said calmly. "Let them go."

    "Yes, sir," the Mandalorian said as he moved towards the students. He then took out a small knife and cut the binds that were tied on each student.

    All of the kneeling students felt the metal around their wrists fall to the coarse ground. The Mandalorian who had just cut them loose joined Djarin as they watched the students look at their hands. It seemed their newfound freedom had resulted in a collective confusion amongst the beaten students.

    "Um... that worked?" their leader asked as she looked at her hands.

    "Indeed it did."

    The students and Mandalorians turned to see a new person had joined them in the canyon. Rather than another Mandalorian, it was none other than Professor Ozpin. And he was walking towards the students without any concern for his own safety.

    "But it would not have worked against the true enemy," Ozpin said as he turned around. "Would it, Professor Djarin?"

    "Absolutely not," the Mandalorian agreed. "This would be even worse than the Fall of Beacon."

    "Wha... Wha... What?!" Olivia yelled. "What are you two doing?! Ozpin, aren't you gonna arrest him or something?!"

    "On what charge?" Ozpin asked. "Teaching everyone here an important lesson?"

    "...Huh?"

    Ozpin nodded to Djarin, who in turn looked back to all of the other Mandalorians. "Okay, everyone," he said. "It's over. Take off the armor."

    The armored warriors obeyed and revealed a shocking truth to the Shade students. Instead of scarred or battle-hardened adults, the Mandalorians revealed themselves to be children. Not just children, but teenagers who could pass as Huntsman and Huntress students. And as a matter of fact, Team IRON recognized them as students.

    Beacon students.

    "Finally!" said Max Bolt, who moved closer to Djarin. "It's hot in this thing!"

    "Maybe so," said Lilith Gelb, who also moved closer to the real Mandalorian. "But it's also effective. Some of the equipment in mine still works."

    "Same here," said Andrea Gloss, who was removing all of her armor from head to toe. "You would think the academy would remove weapons like these before putting them on display."

    All of the students from Vacuo watched as every Mandalorian before them revealed themselves as students from Beacon. And yet they fought and acted just like Mandalorians. The defeated and kneeling students began to stand up and realize what exactly was going on, but their leader was the first to put it in words.

    Or rather, attempt to put it in words.

    "This was all a... a..."

    "A training exercise," Ozpin confirmed. "One that could have gone better."

    This was indeed all a training exercise. The Mandalorian had gotten the idea when he came across Clan Ordo's armor after talking to Team IRON. The group may not have existed anymore, but their lessons in strategy and battle still lived through each Mandalorian. When Djarin realized this, he knew that the students of Shade needed to see and feel what battling a Mandalorian was like. Ozpin believed the idea would be a lesson learned the hard way, so he agreed to Djarin's plan.

    First, Djarin had to convince the staff of Shade to let him borrow the armor of Clan Ordo. It was enough for a small army, and exactly what he needed to show Team IRON how deadly real Mandalorians could be. Next, the Mandalorian approached multiple Beacon students and asked them for help in teaching the students of Shade a much-needed lesson. Many students agreed, and the ones who weren't wearing armor were recording the fight for everyone to see.

    Djarin had planned everything perfectly, and now he saw that his efforts had paid off.

    The beaten and humiliated members of Team IRON either groaned or remained silent as the truth sank in. Not only did they lose the fake battle, but they also lost to people who they initially believed to be weak and nothing more than a waste of space. Their embarrassment was as strong and unforgiving as the desert itself.

    "So... you were all... and they were..." Ivanna was too surprised to form a complete sentence.

    "Wait a minute!" Nero yelled. "You shot the pilot and killed our Huntsman! We saw it!"

    "Ah, yes," said Ozpin. "It was a bit dramatic, I know. But they're both fine, I assure you." He then stepped aside to let two more people walk towards Team IRON. And sure enough, it was the same pilot and Huntsman who everyone previously assumed to be dead. The pilot then took out a piece of scorched metal out of his shirt; it had saved him from the blaster shot he received.

    "Hey, kids," the Huntsman said. "What's new?"

    Randall pointed at the team's supervisor in shock. "You... You were in on this too?" he asked.

    "Yeah. Professor Djarin caught me after you shut the door again. Sorry for the lies, but this was for your own good."

    Despite the truth being revealed, Ivanna wasn't completely won over. After she found her voice again, she stood up and looked at everyone. "No," she said. "No, this isn't possible! There's no way we fought all of you and lost! We were fighting Mandalorians, not students! You shouldn't have been able to do this!"

    "Why not?" Lilith asked. "I tried to tell you and everyone else at Shade." She then moved close to the girl's face. "I'm. Not. Weak."

    "..."

    Djarin put a hand on Lilith's shoulder and gently pulled her away from the irate team leader. "No, you're not," he said before he looked back to Ivanna. "You were right about me, Ivanna; I'm a Mandalorian. Weapons and combat are a part of my religion. I have years of experience that helped me get where I am today. And you know what I did with it?"

    "..."

    "I passed it down to them." Djarin turned around to face the rest of the students. "All of them. And the students who came before me. They'd be willing to teach you as well, they can help you be better than today. But only if you let them."

    The rest of the team was silent, but Nero regained his confidence and chose to be stubborn. "I don't need your help," he spat.

    Djarin quickly turned around again and pointed the end of his blaster right in the young man's face. "That's not what you said a few minutes ago," he reminded the Faunus. "Don't you remember?"

    "..."

    Djarin lowered the gun and looked back to all his students. "You have a lot to learn here too," he said. "I watched your battle in this canyon. You remembered everything I taught you, but you failed to apply it all properly. Collectively, I counted eighteen missed strikes in this canyon. Obviously, the harshness of this place limits you."

    "..."

    All of the Beacon students listened carefully in silence as they recollected the fight with Team IRON. They may have won, but their fight was close. The sand beneath them made it hard to keep their balance and the brief avalanche was difficult to withstand. The Beskar served its purpose for protection, but they wouldn't be wearing it any time soon.

    But there was one student who had a different idea.

    "With all due respect, Professor Djarin, you're wrong," said Max, who took a few steps forward.

    "..."

    All eyes were on the young man as he said his piece.

    "...We made nineteen."

    The Mandalorian nodded slowly. "And you'll make many more if you're not prepared," he said as he looked back to Team IRON. "If you're still unwilling to help, don't worry. I made a recording of everything on the ship and in this canyon. Soon, the rest of Shade will know how to fight like a Mandalorian. But now that you know what it's like... are you willing to learn as well?"

    "..."

    In the days that followed Djarin's training exercise, everythingchanged at Shade. Those who didn't hear about Team IRON's defeat at the hands of Beacon students were shown it in class the next day. And just like the famous team, they were taken aback by how people such as Beacon students could do this to a team of their own.

    Team IRON's shame weighed heavy on them after the battle. Ivanna took it the worst of all and decided to train herself and her team harder than before. They trained long and hard, but everyone knew that their training wouldn't amount to the Mandalorian training they could learn from Beacon.

    Ivanna's pride told her to not resort to asking people from Beacon for help, but everyone else wasn't as foolish. An argument was the result, but the decision to watch and learn from Djarin and the Beacon students was made. Ivanna chose to work alone.

    However, the rest of Team IRON and many more students from Shade found themselves in closer contact with the students from Beacon. More than anything, they wanted to learn how to fight like a Mandalorian. In exchange, the Beacon students wanted to learn how to adapt to the environment of Vacuo.

    As a result of this arrangement, combat classes were combined with both student bodies. Each time a combat test occurred, one student would either learn how to fight like a Mandalorian or learn how to properly fight in the coarse and uneven sand.

    Many people were happy about this change, especially Ozpin. He knew that a few students such as Ivanna weren't participating in this new unity, but he was confident that they would come around when they realized how they couldn't keep up with people who fought like Mandalorians. And given the amount of students working together, Ozpin easily took this as a victory.

    One that he was eager to share with Djarin.

    Ozpin found himself at the inn Djarin was staying at once again. He knocked on the door, but it opened by itself a few inches. Ozpin gently pushed the door open all the way and found the Mandalorian staring back at him.

    And he seemed to have a strange surprise for Ozpin.

    "You're packing," said Ozpin, who saw a bag being filled on the Mandalorian's bed.

    "Yes," Djarin confirmed as he closed the bag. "That's what people do when they're leaving."

    "Leaving? Were you going to tell me?"

    "I was. I need someone to look after Cinder while I'm gone. Can you do that?"

    "I... Of course." Ozpin invited himself into the room as he further interrogated Djarin. "But... where are you going?"

    "Mistral. Or Vale. Anywhere I can find Death Watch or Clan Saxon."

    Ozpin stopped walking when he received his second surprise from Djarin. "Death Watch? The Saxons? Djarin, you can't go after them."

    "I can and I am." Djarin put his bag over his shoulder and picked up his new rifle. "I can't stay here anymore, Ozpin. I've done everything but join the fight since the war began. It's time to change that."

    Ozpin took one step towards the doorframe to block Djarin's path. "Djarin, you can't leave now," he insisted. "You're needed here, with the students."

    "No," Djarin disagreed. "I've taught our students everything I know. And now they're teaching everyone at Shade. It's time for me to move on, and to focus on the fight at hand." He walked to the door, but Ozpin stayed where he was. "Step aside."

    "No, wait a minute. What do you hope to achieve with this? One man can't win a war alone."

    "I know. But Death Watch and the Saxons know one thing that we don't; where I can find Aurora."

    "Aurora? Djarin, that's too-"

    "Too dangerous, I know. But I don't have a choice." The Mandalorian looked back towards Cinder. "She's still not waking up, and I just used my last vial of Cobalt Dust. If I don't do something now, nothing will change." Djarin used his Semblance to teleport himself behind Ozpin, into the hallway. "So I'm going. And I'll be back as soon as I hear anything."

    Ozpin turned around and followed Djarin to the door. It seemed unwise to stay in the path of an unforgiving Mandalorian at the moment, but the professor had doubts about this mission. "Djarin, wait," he requested before Djarin left the inn.

    "..."

    "What happens if you can't find her? Or anything about her?"

    The Mandalorian moved his head back towards Ozpin; not fully enough to face the man, but enough to answer the question while ready to close the door.

    "...I will."

    *SLAM*​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 49: The Soul
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 49: The Soul​

    The sands of Vacuo were as unpredictable as they were long and arduous. When one day would offer a tranquil environment with the only burden being a scorching sun, the next would produce sandstorms strong enough to make the ground swallow people and villages alike.

    The nights were often the most unpredictable, mostly due to the change in temperature. Where one night could be just as hot as the day, the next could also be cold enough to rival the climate of Argus. Tonight proved itself to be rather moderate and safe enough to travel, which was what one man was doing.

    From the city of Vacuo, one man traveled alone with nothing but a black case and a brown trench coat for protection. He traveled across a well known path, one that was commonly used by the people of the capital city and one that was safe from bandits or Grimm.

    The man wouldn't normally make trips outside Vacuo at this hour, but he knew his services were needed somewhere else.

    As he came across a fork in the road he was traveling, the man turned left towards a building that stood out amongst the sand. Unlike most villages outside the capital, this building appeared to be in a more solid condition. Its main purpose was to give shelter for the weary traveler, but the man's visit would be a short one. After he shook the sand off his coat and shoes, the man opened the door to hear a bell jingle above his head.

    "Be right there!" a voice called out.

    The man removed his jacket and waited beside a counter for the owner of the voice. And soon enough, a woman with graying brown hair emerged from another door and welcomed her guest with a friendly smile.

    "May I help you, sir?" she asked politely.

    "Yes," the man replied. "I'm Doctor Ball, from the capital. I was told about a patient here."

    "Oh, yes." The woman pointed her finger towards the stairs behind her. "First door on the left. You'll see her with Professor Ozpin."

    "Thank you."

    The doctor moved away from the desk without hesitation and climbed each wooden step until he came across the first door on the left side of the hall. Since he heard that the patient he came to see had company inside, the doctor gently tapped on the door rather than walking inside.

    "Come in," a man's voice said from the other side.

    The doctor gently opened the door and saw an older man with gray hair and tinted eyeglasses right beside a young woman in a bed. He had been told the identities of these people before coming here, and he was aware that the girl wasn't simply sleeping.

    "Hello, I'm Doctor Ball," the man said as he put down the black bag he was carrying and extended his hand.



    ​
    "Good evening," said Professor Ozpin as he shook the doctor's hand. "I'm Professor Ozpin." When he stopped shaking, Ozpin gestured towards the teenager in the bed. "And this is Cinder."



    ​
    "Very good." The doctor opened his medical bag and began to remove a series of tools from it. "Are you her father?"

    "No, her father's not here." Ozpin looked back towards Cinder. "I was just about to tell her, actually. I got here just before you did."

    Talking to comatose patients was a common thing for people to do, so the doctor understood that Ozpin might have done the same with Cinder. "No matter," he said as he took out a small flashlight and stethoscope. "We can still get started."

    Ozpin moved aside so the man could do his work. The first thing he did when he came to Cinder's side was examine the medical machine she was connected to. Despite the fact that the machine appeared to be working as intended, the doctor chose to rely on his own equipment to give Cinder a proper checkup.

    The first thing he did was check her heartbeat.

    "Hmm..." the man hummed as he listened to Cinder's heart and looked at the machine. He then looked at a watch he was wearing on his left hand. "Heartbeat sounds normal," he said as he moved the stethoscope across Cinder's chest. He then paused as he listened to her lungs. "Breathing as well as one can expect."

    "..."

    Ozpin chose to watch in silence as the man conducted his work. But he had to answer a question the doctor asked.

    "Um, Professor... are you aware that there appears to be a Grimm on her hand?" the doctor inquired.

    "I am," said Professor Ozpin. "There was an earlier incident with this. The last doctor said it wasn't hurting her, however."

    "..."

    The next thing the doctor did was open Cinder's eyes, one at a time, while he shined his flashlight directly into her pupils. "No reaction," he said as he closed Cinder's eyes. He then used his stethoscope again and placed it on both of her wrists. "Moderate pulse."

    "..."

    The doctor then moved back to his bag to take out a device that tested blood pressure. He had to assemble part of it, given the size of the machine, but he was able to use it to check Cinder's blood pressure. Once he saw that there were no irregularities, he then moved Cinder's arms and legs. The last thing he did was look at Cinder's back.

    "When he returns, you should tell Cinder's father to be more careful about moving her," the doctor said as he moved away from Cinder. "There are some early signs of bed sores on her back."



    ​
    "Understood," said Ozpin. "Is there anything else you require?"

    "Just one thing." The man began to disassemble his blood-pressure device and place it back into his medical bag. "When I agreed to come here, I was told that Cinder's previous doctor had left some notes about her vitals."



    ​
    "Ah, yes." Ozpin moved towards a small desk in the room. He then took a piece of paper that was left directly on the center of the desk and handed it to the doctor. "I believe these results were mostly positive."

    "Let's see now," said the doctor. He examined the paper carefully and compared it to the results of the tests he had just run on Cinder. "Her vitals appear to be normal. More or less the same as what this says here."

    "Are there any improvements at all?"

    The doctor hummed once again as he reflected on what he observed with Cinder. "Some. I can assure you that she's not getting any worse. In terms of getting better... it seems this is rather slow." He then put down the paper and looked at Ozpin. "How long did you say she's been like this?"

    "Over a month, sadly. About... five weeks, I believe."

    "Five weeks..." The man looked back towards Cinder as he pondered this information. "Just about the same time as this Mandalorian war started, I believe."

    "Oh, yes. She actually fought at the Fall of Beacon."

    "My word..." The doctor couldn't help but look back at Cinder with a different point of view. "She must have been very brave. Is that how she became comatose?"

    "It is." Ozpin had hoped for an opportunity where he could hide the truth about Cinder's coma since it happened. "And you're correct about her bravery. If she were awake now, I have no doubt she would be right at her father's side."

    The good doctor hadn't exactly heard what happened to Djarin, and Ozpin's sentiment had piqued his curiosity. "Meaning?" he asked calmly.

    "He recently decided to return to the front line of the war," Ozpin explained. "He believed his skills could be put to more use fighting as opposed to teaching here at Vacuo."

    "Oh, dear. I hope he doesn't mistake bravery for foolishness."

    "As do I."

    When the doctor realized that he may have overstayed his welcome, he finished up packing his equipment and moved towards the door. "Here's my card," he said as he gave a small card with a name and phone number to Ozpin. "In the meantime, I'd like to prescribe an ointment for Cinder, should the bed sores on her back grow larger. I'll come back in another week."

    "Thank you, sir. Good night."

    Ozpin chose to stay behind as the doctor took his leave. As he looked at the card and the prescription he had been given, Ozpin made a mental note to pick up anything Cinder would need in the morning.

    Right now, he simply chose to reflect on recent events.

    "I must apologize, Cinder, for this change," Ozpin began calmly. "While Djarin is away, I'll be looking after you. Sadly, I don't know when he will return. But I hope you can take comfort in knowing that he left to help you."

    "..."

    The silence was as disheartening as always, but Ozpin continued to speak. "Try as I did, I couldn't stop your father from going after Aurora," he said. "He believes killing her is the key to restoring your power. I can't say that I disagree."

    "..."

    "But whatever happens, Cinder, know that I'll be here for you." Ozpin gently took Cinder's hand in his as he made his sincere promise. "We'll... I'll... find a way to help you. You have my word."

    "..."

    The saddened professor let go of Cinder's hand and sighed. "I just wish you could hear me, is all."

    "..."

    Ozpin had no idea that his wish had come true the moment he walked inside the room.

    In the void, Cinder had been hard at work rebuilding herself from the ground up. She had been told about the possibility of reconnecting with the power of the Fall Maiden, and how that possibility could only be achieved through a connection with her body, mind, and soul. Cinder was now focusing on her body and repeating a feat she had learned from the original Fall Maiden.

    By focusing on what power she had, Cinder had been able to partially reconnect her body and soul together. She had mainly used it to listen to the world around her, and she had heard a lot. She had heard every conversation Djarin had started whenever he walked into the room, heard every blast of wind strike the windows, and now she had just finished hearing Ozpin and a doctor he was with.



    ​
    More importantly, she had just heard that Djarin had left to find Aurora.



    ​
    Cinder opened her eyes quickly when silence reached her ears. "Dad," she said nervously. Fear and concern grew within her as she stood up and processed everything she heard from Ozpin and the doctor. The spark within her died down and cut the connection to her body, but that was the last thing on her mind.

    As soon as she learned what her father planned to do, Cinder knew that only disaster could follow. Even if Aurora had a fragment of the Maiden powers, she still posed a great threat. It would probably be difficult to find her, but it would be close to impossible to beat her alone.

    Cinder knew that she had to help her father before he hurt himself. After all, she knew it was the least she could do ever since she had pushed him away for her own beliefs and self-interests. But in order to help him, there was only one thing to do.

    Cinder had to leave the void.

    "Fall!" Cinder called out into the blank environment. "Fall, where are you?! I need your help, please!"

    "Hey, hey, no need to shout," a calming voice said from behind. Cinder turned around fast to see a glowing woman behind her. And sure enough, it was Fall; Cinder's mentor in the void. "I'm right here. What's wrong?"

    "It's my dad," Cinder began. "He's going after Aurora, alone. He thinks it'll help me, but it's going to get him killed! I have to help him!"

    "Whoa, whoa, slow down!" Fall waited a minute for Cinder to relax and catch her breath. "Are you sure about this?"

    "Yeah. I... I heard it from Ozpin. I was meditating and focusing on the power I still have, just like you taught me. I used it connect back to my body, and I heard Ozpin mention that my dad's trying to find Aurora. But if he does that, who knows what she'll do to him with my powers?"

    Fall understood Cinder's fear and she was prepared to help. But she needed to know what she needed. "You're right. How can I help?"

    "I need to get out of here."

    "..."

    Cinder could see that Fall was about to protest, so she decided to explain herself further. "I know, I know I still need to do a few things. Connecting to my body, my mind, and my soul. All of them should be able to help me get my powers back, right?"

    "That's right. But Cinder, this isn't something we can just rush. You've done a great job connecting your mind and soul together, and you're still working on your body and soul. But the connections you've made aren't strong enough to help you regain your powers. There's still a lot of work to do."

    Cinder had trusted and followed Fall's advice and wisdom for quite some time. So she knew what the woman was saying was true, but that didn't set her worries at ease. "So let's get to work again," she said. "I can work on my body and soul. Just tell me what to do."

    "Cinder, it's not that simple. And rushing into this could lead to more harm than good. We need time."

    Cinder felt a tear fall down her cheek as she listened to her mentor. While she wasn't willing to argue with this idea, Cinder hated the idea of her father risking his life for her. "Fall, please. There has to be something I can do. I... I don't want my dad to get hurt because of me."

    Once again, Fall understood how Cinder was feeling. The fear of losing a family member was very familiar to her, since she knew the dangers her sisters faced when they were still alive. She wished that she could help Cinder, but the ability to reclaim her powers and make certain connections wasn't something to take lightly or finish right now.

    However, that didn't necessarily mean that Fall didn't know a way to help Cinder.

    "There might be a way to help you," Fall finally answered. "A way to make your inner connections stronger than they ever were. And maybe, just maybe, they can help you reconnect with your powers."

    "Really?" Cinder asked optimistically. "Where do we start?"

    "I know another Maiden who can help you, someone who understands this better than me." Fall began to walk away from Cinder, but gestured for her to come along. But rather than walk, Cinder practically sprinted over to her mentor.

    "Are you sure about this?" Cinder asked. "I'm sure you can teach me about this, or maybe Lila. Everything you two did has helped, I can feel it."

    "Thanks for the compliment," Fall said with a smile. "But like I said, the Maiden we're meeting has more experience and a better understanding with what I want to show you. And we're all unique, you can still learn something from all of us."

    "But what are we doing, exactly?"

    "I'll let her explain that."

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't explain it, but there was something about Fall and her presence that would always make her feel better. When she first arrived in the void, Fall helped Cinder see that she would be fine. And then, when she was on the verge of a panic attack after finding out what the void was, Fall once again calmed her down. And now, when her father was in imminent danger and Cinder couldn't do anything about it, Fall went out of her way to help her see things differently; to see a new kind of hope, to be exact.

    Cinder didn't know how long she had been in the void for, since there didn't really seem to be any concept of time here. In fact, she didn't even need to sleep or eat anything since she arrived. But Cinder believed that the time she had gotten to know Fall felt like an eternity, that she had known her practically her whole life.

    It was almost like Fall was the mother Cinder never had.



    ​
    After about a minute of walking, Cinder and Fall were greeted by the sight of another woman. And one look at her told Cinder that she wasn't like the other Maidens she had met. Unlike them, this woman appeared to be much older. Her face showed signs of extreme age, as did the gray streaks in her hair. She also appeared to be shorter as well, despite the fact that she was sitting in a meditative state on the invisible floor. She was wearing a white robe tied with a purple sash, one that appeared to be very long in both the arms and legs. At her feet rested a simple walking stick.

    When she opened her eyes, it was revealed that the woman was also blind. But she didn't appear to be mute.

    "Ah, there you are," the woman said as she stood up with the stick. She was indeed shorter than Cinder and Fall, but nobody pointed this out. "I was wondering if I would ever meet the new Fall Maiden." Before Cinder could introduce herself, the woman moved her head up and down. "Hmm... very young, I see. Such a striking appearance too."

    Cinder looked at the woman's face again and saw that her eyes were completely gray. And yet she seemed to be looking right at her and describing what she was "seeing." Cinder was profoundly confused by this, so she looked over to Fall. "Is... she blind?" she asked. "Can she see-?"

    *WHACK*​

    "Ow!"

    Cinder grabbed her arm after the woman's walking stick had just struck her. "Blind, yes," she confirmed. "Deaf? Not even close. You'd do well to respect your elders, young lady."

    Cinder looked back to Fall, who simply shrugged. "Don't look at me," she said. "I didn't say anything."

    This was true, so Cinder decided to make up for the insult she inadvertently made towards the woman. "Um, I'm sorry," she said as she let go of her arm. "I didn't mean to offend, I just-"

    "You have a lot to learn," the woman said. "I agree." She took a few steps back while looking at Cinder. "Appearances can be deceiving, my young friend. As for what I can or can't see..."

    "I'm sorry, I-" Cinder gasped when she suddenly saw something unexpected. "Oh, my Gods!"

    On top of the woman's forehead, right in the center, was a third eye. It seemed to have opened like a sideways eyelid, but the eye was glowing brightly. And it was staring right at Cinder.

    "There's more than one way to see things, Cinder," said the woman. "You'll realize that soon enough."

    "..."

    Cinder was beginning to recover from the shock she had just received, so Fall took this chance to introduce her to the woman. "Cinder, this is Karma," she explained. "Out of all the Fall Maidens, she's had our powers practically all of her life. And she lived for quite a long time."

    Cinder looked back at Karma, whose age showed that Fall was telling the truth.

    "Her Semblance allows her not only to see what's around her, but also see on another level of perception. Namely, into our very souls."

    The last part immediately caught Cinder's attention. "Our souls?" she repeated. "That's..." Cinder was immediately reminded that appearances could be deceiving. She would have said that such a thing would be impossible, but the third eye on Karma's head was already defying what was possible.

    "Yes," said Karma. "In your case, dear, I can see that you're very worried about your father. Perhaps I can be of assistance."

    "How did-?"

    "..."

    Cinder chose to cast aside any doubt that she had at the moment. Instead, she cleared her throat and spoke calmly. "I'd be very grateful, ma'am," she said sincerely.

    "Of course." Karma's third eye closed, as she didn't need it at the moment. "Fall, dear, I'll take it from here."

    "Thank you, Karma," said Fall. "But could you do me a favor? I'd like to talk to Cinder before you do too much."

    "Very well. Off you go."

    Fall nodded and smiled at Cinder. "I'll be right where I found you earlier. We'll have a talk." With that, she walked away into the whiteness of the void and faded from sight. Cinder stopped looking towards Fall at this point and turned to her new teacher.

    "Now, then," Karma began. "Do you know why you're here, Cinder?"

    "Um... not exactly," Cinder explained as she moved downwards. "But Fall said that-"

    "Don't sit!"

    Cinder practically jumped back on her feet as she obeyed the loud command.

    "Not just yet," said Karma. "Now, you were saying?"

    It seemed that Karma was a very strict person, given that she chose a time for sitting and standing. All Cinder could do at the moment was respect her wishes and explain herself further.

    "Well, Fall said that you might help me connect back with my powers," she said. "So far, I've been making new connections between my body, mind, and soul."

    "Ah, yes. A very wise decision. And have you succeeded in this matter?"

    "I, uh... I've made some connections, yeah. My mind and soul worked really well, actually. I managed to find out what power I have and make it connect my soul to my body."

    "Hm. Are you sure about that?"

    "...What?"

    "You said you found out how much power you have. Please, show me."

    "Um... okay."

    Cinder closed her eyes and focused on the portion of the Maiden powers she had left. Normally, she used them to listen to the world around her. But now, she decided to see how well they worked in the void. Her eyes began to burn just as they always did, and Cinder lifted her hands forwards. As she did, a series of sparks formed in each hand and soon died down.

    But she could have sworn that the last spark almost made a fire.

    Cinder found this process to be both distressing and a step in the right direction, given that she could only make sparks when she first came to the void. She still wanted to make fire, but Cinder was forced to stop and take deep breaths when pain began to arise.

    "That's... all I have right now," she said. "It's not much, I know. But Aurora doesn't have everything."

    "..."

    Much to Cinder's discomfort, Karma's third eye had opened again to see the sparks. When they were gone, the eye moved up and down to look at Cinder. It then glowed a different color before it shut.

    "You have more power than you think, Cinder," said Karma. "If you didn't... would I not be able to do this?"

    All of a sudden, Karma's blind eyes began to burn a blue flame. As they did, Karma's hands erupted in flame and created a circle around her and Cinder. The elderly woman then floated above the ground, seemingly with air instead of fire. And for her final act, Karma created a halo of ice that fell and extinguished the fire around her.

    "..."

    Cinder watched in awe and shock at each of the three miracles and found herself at a loss for words when Karma lowered herself to the ground and smiled.

    "Cat got your tongue, dear?" she jokingly asked.

    Cinder found her voice again, but she wasn't able to form a complete sentence. "You... How did... But... I can't-"

    "Appearances can be deceiving, Cinder. Not just in my case, but yours as well." Karma raised her stick and gently tapped Cinder's chest. "We all share the same amount of power you have right now. But in your case, your body and soul don't have the energy to use it. That will all change once we finish your next lesson."

    Cinder began to grow hopeful once again. It seemed that Fall was right about Karma helping her in this case. As for what this next lesson was, Cinder had no idea. "...Which is?" she asked.

    "We will be unlocking all seven of your chakras."

    Hope turned into confusion for the young Maiden. "Uh... my what?"

    Karma slightly frowned at the question. "They never taught you this at school?" she asked.

    "If you mean the Huntsmen Academies, no," Cinder replied.

    Karma sighed and muttered to herself. "Such a wasted opportunity." She then cleared her throat and spoke normally. "Let me explain." The old woman used her Maiden powers again, but all she did was make a small ice cube. "Imagine this ice cube represents your body. The water inside is all your energy, which is manifested through your Aura."

    Cinder silently paid attention and followed along with the example.

    "A chakra is a specific spot in your body where a vast amount of energy resides." Karma placed her second hand under the hand with the ice cube. "In its current state, the energy is locked in your body and restricted from your soul. Just like the water in this cube. But when it's unlocked..." Karma used her powers again to melt the ice cube and let the water flow to her second hand.

    "The energy flows!" Cinder realized as she watched the water move freely from one hand to the other.

    "Very good. You're a smart one." Karma let the water fall to the invisible ground as she dried her hands. "Now, we'll be unlocking all of your chakras, to let all your energy flow freely through your body and soul. Only then can you, the living Fall Maiden, reconnect with your powers and send yourself back home. But first, I'd like to take a moment to see how much energy you have."

    "Okay. How do we do that?"

    "Just stay still. And take a deep breath."

    Cinder complied with the woman's request.

    Karma raised her hands above her head and slowly moved them downwards. Her Semblance unlocked her third eye yet again, which now glowed a shade of violet. As her hands moved downwards, the third eye moved with them and allowed Karma to see directly into Cinder's soul.

    What she found was enough to leave her somewhat puzzled.

    "Hmm..." Karma hummed as she repeated the motion once again. "Curious."

    Cinder's first feeling evoked from the experience was confusion. "What?" she asked nervously.

    Karma lowered her hands and stopped using her own Semblance. "It would seem you have already opened one of your chakras," she said. "Impressive."

    "I have?" Cinder looked down at the rest of her body, but didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. "Are you sure? I don't feel any different."

    "I wouldn't expect you to." Karma walked up to Cinder and firmly poked her chest. "Need I remind you that appearances can be deceiving?"

    Cinder recovered from the pain instantly. "Sorry!" she said. "I just... wasn't expecting to do something like this already."

    "Neither was I." Karma calmed down as she moved her blind eyes downward. "It would seem you have unlocked your root chakra, right at the base of your spine." Karma hummed again. "Do you think you can explain how you may have done this?"

    "Um..." Cinder looked down where her new teacher was looking. "I... I don't know," she admitted. "How is it... unlocked?"

    "The root chakra deals with survival, and it is blocked by fear. Was there ever a time when you needed to conquer a certain fear? This would need to be an extraordinary amount."

    "..."

    Cinder paused to think of a time when she was incredibly afraid. The most recent time was when she learned what the void was, and how she was stuck here now. But that fear died down with Fall's help, and Cinder wasn't as scared anymore.

    She then thought about the time when Beacon was attacked, how she learned the truth about her teammates and how her power had been stolen. But this evoked more anger and determination than fear.

    Cinder decided to think further back this time; back to when she was a little girl. There were many times when she was afraid for her life, whether it was from bounty hunters, Mandalorians, and Salem herself.

    And then there was the time she went to train with Obi-Wan, when she had to face all of her fears in the strange cave.

    "I can't be sure," Cinder replied honestly. "But it might have happened when I was ten. I had to do something in Mistral that involved me confronting... basically all of my fears at once."

    "Did you succeed?" Karma asked curiously.

    "...Yeah." Cinder remembered the three trials she had to pass, and how she had managed to let go of her greatest fears. "Yeah, I did."

    "Well done, then." Karma walked away from her student and sat in front of her. "Now... shall we begin?"

    Cinder sat down in the same manner and began to listen carefully. She began to feel calmer than before, given that she now understood chakras and had already unlocked one of them.

    Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.

    "This next chakra, Cinder, is called the sacral chakra," Karma began. "Located at the abdomen. It focuses on pleasure, and is blocked by guilt. Tell me, what have you done that you feel guilty about?"

    "..."

    Cinder took a second to think of a response. "Well, I-"

    "Don't be so quick. Meditate, and explain when you're ready."

    Cinder obeyed and began to think deeply about anything she felt ashamed of. Recent events made this easy for the young girl, and she began to speak from her heart.

    "I think... I'm ashamed of the times that I failed as a Maiden," Cinder began. "I still don't know if I saved anyone at Beacon. The people at the arena, my friends, or even... my dad." Cinder took a breath as she thought of something else she was ashamed of. "I've been looking for my birth-parents for a long time. When I thought I caught a break, that I finally found my real mother, I neglected everything else. I ignored my dad, shouted at him, and I think I was ready to focus less on my ties with him. But he didn't deserve that, he didn't-"

    *WHACK*​

    "Ow!" Cinder yelled as she rubbed her head. Once again, Karma relied on physical pain to teach Cinder. Only now, the young girl couldn't explain what she did wrong. "What was that for?!"

    "Too many words!" Karma replied. "Explain... simply."

    Cinder calmed down and came up with a better way to express her feelings. "I just... wasn't focusing on what I already had. And now, I feel that I lost it."

    Karma nodded. "There. Much better." After sharing the compliment, the old woman guided Cinder into unlocking her sacral chakra. "Cinder, whether this idea is true or not, you must accept the fact that this thing happened. Take responsibility, and forgive yourself. If you can't, how do you expect to seek forgiveness from others?"

    "..."

    The wisdom was greatly appreciated by Cinder. Ever since she found herself in the void, all she ever wanted was her father's forgiveness for being so blind. And yet, Cinder never actually tried to forgive herself. She regretted what happened, but she never believed that she could be worthy of forgiveness.

    But now, Cinder knew that forgiveness was necessary. For every mistake she made as the Fall Maiden, as a friend, and as a daughter, Cinder knew that she had to do better. That she had to be better.

    And the first step was to be better at forgiveness.

    "It's okay," Cinder told herself as she focused on her guilt. "It's going to be okay. You'll be okay."

    "..."

    As Cinder assured herself that everything would be okay in the future, with the mistakes she made along the way, something happened. Cinder was being overcome with a feeling of warmth, as if she had been freed of any coldness life could throw at her. All of a sudden, she began to feel stronger as well; it was almost as if she had been granted a new life.

    But that wasn't all.

    When she opened her eyes, Cinder saw her hands had been engulfed in a small but noticeable orange light. While she wasn't sure what this meant, Cinder wasn't afraid of the light. It was warm, and it was around her entire body as well. It also seemed that it shined the brightest at her abdomen.

    "Well done, Cinder," Karma said proudly. "You've unlocked your sacral chakra."

    "..."

    Cinder prided herself in her ability to open the chakra, and now she could see how helpful it was. She felt warm and strong, and she felt happy as well. Perhaps it was due to the energy of the sacral chakra, but Cinder was glad she did what she did. And now she was ready to open another one. Karma seemed to sense this, so she explained the next task.

    "The third chakra is called the solar-plexus chakra," she explained. "Located directly at the stomach. The energy of this chakra focuses on willpower, but it's blocked by shame. When have you ever felt ashamed of yourself?"

    "..."

    Once again, Cinder closed her eyes and meditated on something she felt ashamed about. Of course, it was easy to compare her shame to her guilt, given that she felt ashamed of herself when she thought about her last encounter with her father. But even still, there was something that made her feel ashamed of herself. More than casting her father aside, Cinder felt that she had made a mistake that was worthy of shame.

    "I trusted them," Cinder finally answered as she opened her eyes. "I opened myself up to them, let them know what I was trying to do... and they used it all for Salem."

    "Who?" Karma asked.

    "The Blair sisters. My teammates at Beacon."

    "Ah... I see."

    Cinder let out a heavy sigh as the shame of her misguided trust weighed down on her. "I just feel that a lot could have been different if we never met."

    "Perhaps. But we can't focus on the 'what-ifs' for a situation such as this." When Cinder nodded in understanding, the old woman offered more of her exquisite wisdom. "Cinder, there will always be things in life beyond your control. What these sisters did to you was reprehensible, and they're the ones responsible for manipulating you. The actions with your father may have been your own accord, but you don't have to blame yourself for what they did to you or the people around you."

    "So... what should I do? Accept that this all happened? Forgive myself again?"

    "Indeed. But also, don't burden yourself with the actions of your enemies. Focus on your actions, and promise yourself to do better in the future."

    Cinder closed her eyes and did her best to let go of her negativity. It was hard, given that the weight of it all was heavy. But when she remembered Karma's advice, the weight began to disappear. Cinder accepted the reality that what the Blairs did wasn't her fault, and she was able to promise herself that she would do everything she could to make sure they wouldn't hurt anyone else again.

    As she made this promise, Cinder's body began to shine even brighter as another surge of energy from within warmed her. This time, it seemed to shine brighter at her stomach. When both of the women saw this, Karma congratulated Cinder for unlocking yet another chakra.

    "Now then, I have one more chakra for you to unlock," the old woman continued. "Once you do, we're going to take a break."

    "We are?" Cinder asked. "But this isn't so bad. I can do the rest now."

    "No! You've merely unlocked the basic chakras in your body! The next ones will be harder. Much harder. We will rest after one more."

    Cinder's gut was telling her not to question the woman again, so she reluctantly complied with the request. Maybe a brief rest would be better, as well as not rushing though a task as important as this.

    "Which chakra?" Cinder asked.

    "The heart chakra," Karma replied. "The energy in this one deals with love, but it's blocked by grief. Lay all your grief out in front of you."

    Cinder closed her eyes and reflected on what Karma said. "Okay... grief."

    "..."

    "Grief..."

    "..."

    Cinder was starting to see what Karma was saying, about how hard the next chakras would be. She couldn't explain it, but Cinder was having a hard time thinking of anything in her life that dealt with grief. This was because Cinder couldn't think of anyone in her life that died. Djarin, Qrow, Ozpin, and Winter were all alive and well, despite what happened at Beacon. Even Penny had been rebuilt after she was cruelly torn apart.

    Then again... that didn't necessarily mean she never lost anything.

    Cinder felt somewhat guilty about this, but she came to believe that her greatest loss was Beacon Academy itself rather than a person. She had seen the Atlas air fleet destroy it in the hopes of eradicating any Grimm there and protecting the people in Vale. And right now, Cinder realized how much she really missed Beacon.

    To her, Beacon wasn't a school, or a Huntsmen base, or even a place rich with opportunities to learn. To Cinder, Beacon Academy was her home. She had lived there for five years, training and growing alongside Ozpin and her father. Her best memories came from Beacon, and it was perhaps one of the only places on Remnant where she felt safe.

    But now, Cinder was sure that Beacon was a pile of ash. Now, Cinder had no home to call her own.

    "Before I came here... I saw Beacon Academy destroyed," Cinder explained. "I lived there for five years, it was my home. And now it's just... gone."

    "Ah," said Karma. "Your home." The old woman was expecting an answer involving specific people in Cinder's life, but she understood how such an event could cause Cinder grief. "It's not easy to lose something like that within the blink of an eye. Tell me, did anyone else make it out like you did? Did they see Beacon Academy destroyed?"

    Cinder took a moment to think about this. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, there were a bunch of people who saw it. Students, mostly."

    "Then I'm sure they feel the same way as you. It's been a while since I saw the Huntsmen Academies, but students still live there, don't they?"

    "Oh, yeah. I was just... different. Dad was a teacher there, so we lived at Beacon together." Cinder decided to express another feeling involved with her grief. "Karma... should I feel guilty about this? Grieving a home instead of people? It's just that... I can't think of a time when someone I cared about died."

    The blind woman shook her head. "Loss and grief come in many shapes and forms, Cinder. Some lose people, others lose homes."

    "..."

    "Now that we know about your grief, your loss, I'd like you to think about something. I'd like you to think about the love you had for your home."

    "..."

    Cinder obeyed the command and thought about how much she loved Beacon Academy. She thought about the things she loved about it and the things she did there. These thoughts soon moved towards the people she was always with at Beacon, namely Ozpin and her father. Her feelings towards Beacon were connected greatly with how she felt about the two, and how well she displayed these feelings to them.

    "There, you see?" Karma asked. "Your love for Beacon has helped you reaffirm your love for the people around you. Your friends, colleagues, and especially your family. This love swirls all around you, as well as them. And while Beacon may be gone, the love you have is in your heart. I'm sure it will be there forever."

    As she pondered the idea, Cinder smiled when she realized that Karma was right. Beacon Academy was gone, but the impact it had left on Cinder wasn't going to leave any time soon. Thanks to Karma, Cinder could see that her grief couldn't stop her from sharing the love that she felt. Instead, she chose to let it out.

    And once again, warmth and energy engulfed Cinder as her heart began to shine as bright as the sun.

    "Very good, Cinder," said Karma, who had stood up and looked down at Cinder with her third eye. "That's another chakra opened. How do you feel?"

    "...Better," Cinder honestly replied as she stood up. She then flexed her arms for a couple of seconds as she felt the strength in her body. "Much better. I think I see where this is going now. So once I unlock all my chakras, I'll wake up?"

    "You'll have the strength to reconnect with your powers, yes. Back in my day, opening chakras helped strengthen your Aura. They still do, but the new connections in your body will help you find your powers. Once you make this connection, once you take back what was stolen, then you'll return to the world." Karma pointed towards the white void beyond her. "Right now, I think you should go talk to Fall."

    "..."

    "Go on, no dilly dallying!"

    Cinder quickly understood and moved quickly towards the void to find Fall. "I'll be right back!" she promised. "I'll unlock the rest of my chakras!" She then smiled and waved at the blind woman before she went away.

    But Karma didn't smile back.

    "We'll see," the old woman sadly whispered when she saw that her student was gone. "Be strong, Cinder."

    After Cinder left the company of her new teacher, she eventually found herself back with Fall. The woman's smile and waving arm were extraordinarily comforting, given that the same kind of positivity couldn't be seen with Karma.

    "Welcome back," Fall said as she stopped waving. "How'd it go?"

    "Uh... pretty good," Cinder replied slowly. She was proud to have unlocked four of her chakras, and she had witnessed the potential of unlocking all of them. But there were times when she found her teacher to be a little... uptight.

    Fall had known Karma long enough to realize this was true, but she also knew that the woman meant well. "She's very wise, isn't she?" Fall asked in an act of encouragement. "I know she runs a tight ship, but she means well."

    "Oh, I know," Cinder said with a smile. "And you're right, she's really smart. A little weird, but smart."

    "She made you unlock your chakras, is that right?"

    "Uh-huh. Apparently, an Aura has concentrated energy in the body that's just waiting to be spread out."

    "Yes, I heard. The other Maidens and I remember when she unlocked all of hers. Did you just unlock all of yours?"

    "No, I've gotten up to four right now. She wanted me to take a break after I unlocked the heart chakra."

    Fall thought back on the time Karma went through the process of unlocking her own chakras. As she did, she remembered what came after the heart chakra. "That's probably for the best. The other ones weren't so easy for Karma to unlock." She began to look worried. "I don't think they'll be easy for you either."

    "Yeah, Karma was saying the same thing, but I'm sure I can-" Cinder stopped talking when she saw how Fall expressed her thoughts. It almost seemed like the task was... impossible. "Wait... why not?"

    "Well... the next ones aren't really as personal as the other ones were," Fall explained. "They require insight, an extraordinarily open mind, and above all else... truth."

    "..."

    The mere mention of these qualities made Fall let out a heavy sigh. The look on her face told Cinder that she appeared to be burdened by something, and that burden was making her depressed. Cinder had never seen Fall look so sad before, so she was immediately concerned.

    "Are you okay?" Cinder asked. "What's wrong?"

    Fall took a deep breath before she answered the young Maiden. "Cinder... there's something we have to talk about," she said as she slowly moved to the invisible floor. "You might want to sit down."

    "Um... okay." Cinder joined Fall on the ground and gave her first teacher her undivided attention.

    With that, Fall prepared to share a terrible truth with Cinder.

    "Cinder... the other Maidens and I have seen a lot of things in our lives," she began. "We've seen everything and everyone we've lived with and fought against, and we've seen the world change countless times. I think for me, the biggest change was when Ozpin found all four Maidens and shared the truth for the first time. About his origins, the Gods, the Relics, and... Salem."

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't remember the last time Fall had mentioned Salem or anything else regarding her current mission. In fact, this may have been the first time Fall had even said Salem's name. Cinder wondered what was so important about her that Fall needed to say, so she continued to listen carefully.

    "The fight against Salem was after my time, after the power had been passed down... about two or three times, I think. After that, each Maiden, one way or another, found themselves fighting against Salem and whatever she sent after Ozpin. And for a while, it worked. The Maidens that started fighting, and every Maiden after them, all believed that they could beat her, no matter what happened." Fall was smiling as she recollected these memories, since she found them so inspiring and wished she could have done something before she passed away.

    But she stopped smiling very quickly.

    "But then... one day, a Maiden found out something she... she probably shouldn't have discovered," Fall continued. "And when she learned it, we all learned it too."

    The look on Fall's face began to worry Cinder. "What?" she asked. "What did she learn?"

    "..."

    "Fall, what is it?"

    The first Fall Maiden let out a deep breath. "Cinder... what do you expect to happen when you fight Salem? After you wake up?"

    Cinder needed a second to think about an answer to that question. "Well... I expect to be with my dad and Ozpin," she began. "I haven't really thought about how we'll retaliate, but I'm expecting when we meet face to face, we just... fight. And honestly, it'll end with one of us still standing." Cinder clenched her fists. "I'll kill Salem if I have to."

    "..."

    The look on her mentor's face made Cinder regret that she had to hear the last part. "I'm sorry, I know that's probably not what you'd expect from a Maiden," she began. "But I-"

    "No, it's not that," Fall interrupted. "You're not the first person, let alone Maiden, to think that killing Salem is the only way to stop all of this." Cinder was a little relieved to hear this, so she let Fall continue. "Even I think Salem needs to go to fully stop her. So... I need you to listen carefully."

    "..."

    Fall was still unsure how she wanted to share the news with Cinder, but she managed to do it regardless.

    "There is no killing Salem."

    The statement was very blunt, and also a little strange to hear. Cinder couldn't help but briefly chuckle for a second. "What do you mean?" she asked.

    "I mean that Salem can't be beaten in a fight," Fall explained. "She can't be stopped, she can't be beaten, and she can't be killed. Not by any power on Remnant, at least." Fall took a breath again as she finished her point. "Cinder... Salem's immortal."

    Cinder stopped smiling when she saw how serious Fall was being. "Im... Immortal?" she repeated. "Bu... But how?"

    "Do you recall what Ozpin told you about the Gods? The two Brothers?" Fall didn't wait for Cinder to respond. "They met Salem before they left Remnant. As punishment for defying them, the Gods cursed Salem with immortality."

    "You mean... like Ozpin?"

    Fall shook her head. "Ozpin can reincarnate, but he can still die. Salem can't. She can't age, she can't be killed, she... she just can't die."

    "..."

    Fall couldn't tell if Cinder was paying attention or if she was too dumbfounded to speak. She expected the young girl to ask how she knew all this or insist that she was lying. In order to deal with both possibilities, Fall continued to explain.

    "One of the Maidens met Salem personally. She allowed her to do everything in her power to kill her. When everything failed, Salem told her the truth. It was all an attempt to win her over, but it didn't work. After she heard and saw everything about Salem... that Maiden took her own life."

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't explain it, but hearing this terrible truth made her feel incredibly weak. She was feeling dizzy, and was even having a hard time hearing Fall talk to her.

    "Cinder? Cinder?!"

    For the young Maiden, everything had gone completely black.

    "-the only way she could unlock the rest of her chakras. And we both knew something like this would happen."

    "I'm not doubting your logic, Fall. But I'm unsure of what path she will choose now."

    "We can't just stop now! We need her, and she needs us more than ever."

    These were the first few words that Cinder heard as she began to open her eyes. Rather than sitting on the ground like she was earlier, Cinder was now laying on her back. It seemed that someone had moved her to be more comfortable after everything went black.

    As she lifted herself off the ground and rubbed her head, Cinder saw that she was still in Fall's company. However, she saw that Karma had rejoined them as well.

    "Cinder!" Fall exclaimed, who was the first to see that the young girl was recovering from her ordeal. "Are you alright?"

    "I... I think so," said Cinder.

    "..."

    But she wasn't.

    Cinder may have been able to recover from passing out, but she still remembered what she had learned. The truth about Salem, something that she wasn't expecting to hear, weighed heavily on the young girl. She couldn't believe that it was true, that she had been fighting against an unstoppable force ever since she met Salem.

    "So... it's true?" Cinder asked as she looked at both women. "Salem... can't be killed?"

    Fall nodded. "Yes," she said. "It's true."

    Cinder looked up at Karma next. "You knew about this?"

    "I've known for a while," said the old woman. "In here... we all know. Each Maiden found out one way or another."

    "..."

    As she grabbed the sides of her head, Cinder felt like she was about to pull her own hair out. She was angry, confused, depressed; she felt every negative emotion known to man. All of these emotions were focused on the Maidens she had met, Ozpin, but most of all, herself.

    "I should have known," she said. "I should have seen it."

    "Cinder, no," said Fall, who put a hand on the child's shoulder. "This isn't your fault. You didn't-"

    "No!" Cinder shot up from the ground and began to pace around. "I knew something was going on, I knew it! But why didn't he tell me?! I... I... I-"

    "Cinder, wait a minute!" Fall stood up and grabbed Cinder so she could stay in one spot. "Just talk to us! What are you saying?"

    Cinder was nowhere near being calm, but she complied with the request. "Five years ago, I talked to Ozpin about Salem," she began. "I told him how I figured that Salem must have been around for a while, ever since I found out about the fairy tale she wrote!"

    "What? When?"

    Cinder began to tear up, but she wiped them away before they could fall down her cheeks. "That was the day she and I first met! When Major Gideon kidnapped me! Salem told me that she wrote a really old story, so I knew she must have been alive for a while!" Cinder smacked her forehead in frustration. "I knew it! But I never imagined..."

    "..."

    Cinder fell to the floor as she refused to hold back her tears. It was true that she had her suspicions about Salem ever since she learned that her enemy was the author of The Girl in the Lonely Tower. These suspicions grew stronger when she learned about Ozpin's curse. However, she never imagined that immortality and invincibility were at play as well. She never imagined that the source of all evil on Remnant could never be destroyed.

    She never imagined that Remnant was doomed from the start.

    "Ozpin... why didn't you tell me?" Cinder whispered as her tears hit the invisible ground.

    "He was afraid you'd lose hope," said Fall, who could hear what Cinder had said. "I'm not saying what he did was right, but he-"

    "Right? Right?!" Cinder backed away from Fall. "He knew all of it! He knew how badly I wanted to fight, and he still kept all this from me! And what about my dad?! He's out there now, putting his life on the line so Salem can just bounce right back and wait another five years to get what she wants!"

    "..."

    Cinder had stopped crying at this point, but she grabbed her head again as the stress of her situation came down on her like a hurricane. "What... What am I supposed to do?"

    "..."

    "You tell us."

    Cinder and Fall looked back to Karma, who was slowly walking over to her fellow Maidens while speaking. "You know the truth now, Cinder," she began. "And you also have a choice. You can continue your training and leave this place, be the Fall Maiden once again." Karma stopped right in front of Cinder as she presented the second option. "Or you can sit here and cry like a baby just because you think you've already lost!"

    Cinder was immediately hurt by the blunt attitude of Karma, and so was Fall. After a gasp escaped her throat, Fall began to scold the old woman. "Karma, what's gotten into you?!" she asked in shock. "There's no need to upset her more than she already is!"

    "Why not? We all learned the same thing about Salem, didn't we?" Karma turned back towards Cinder. "Well, now it's her turn! Now we need to know if she has what it takes to be like the rest of us, or if she'll give up and let us start all over again!" Karma raised two of her fingers. "She needs to see that it's one or the other, Fall! We all did, didn't we?"

    "Not like this! I don't care how you're trying to spin it, but you're not helping!" Fall pointed at Karma as she made her declaration. "I know how much all of this means to you, but that's no excuse for-!"

    "Give up?"

    Fall and Karma stopped arguing when they saw that Cinder was staring right back at them. "...Who said anything about giving up?" she asked slowly and bitterly.

    Fall didn't like where this was going, so she attempted to restore order between her fellow Maidens. "Cinder-"

    "I don't know what it is you doubt about me," Cinder accused the old woman. "You've doubted me ever since you met me, I know." The negative words Karma had said to Cinder earlier rang through her head, and now she decided that she had her fill of it. "I don't know what it is you don't like about me, but I don't care. If you think I'm just gonna sit here and die because I have no idea how to stop Salem, here's a news flash." She immediately pointed at the blind woman. "This isn't how I'm going to die! Doubt me all you want, but this isn't how I die! I know how I'm going to die, and you better believe me when I say it's not gonna be from being patronized by some old crone who thinks she knows me! You got it?!"

    "..."

    Neither Fall or Karma were expecting such a reaction and response from Cinder, especially after what she had learned. Both of them had seen such resolve from a Maiden come much later after they discovered the truth about Salem, never this early. Between the two, however, Fall was more concerned about Cinder. She didn't want to see Cinder rely on anger like this, to keep fighting for the wrong reasons instead of the right ones.

    Karma, however, felt nothing but pride as she listened to Cinder.

    It was true that the wise Maiden had her doubts about Cinder, given her age and loss of powers. However, that didn't mean that Karma didn't have any hope for Cinder. When she first used her Semblance to see into Cinder's soul, she saw more than just memories and emotions. Deep inside Cinder, there seemed to be something else about her. Something... special.

    Cinder had this... flame inside her soul. Something that had been weakened since she arrived in the void, but something that refused to be extinguished altogether. It seemed to be a strong-willed fighting spirit, something that Cinder may have had her entire life.

    Ever since she saw it, Karma decided to make it her mission to make this flame burn as bright as possible. It was connected to many things in Cinder's life, namely friends and family. And if she was going to be the next Fall Maiden, Karma knew that Cinder would need it for the rest of her life.

    Unfortunately, the greatest risk to this flame's existence was Salem's immortality.

    Fortunately, Karma was ready to make Cinder continue her current course. She understood that her strict disciplinary methods and cruel words would result in Cinder having a negative opinion of her, but Karma knew that this didn't matter in the long run. What mattered was Cinder returning to the real world, reuniting with her father, and continuing to fight the good fight while protecting as many people as possible.

    And now, thanks to these methods, Karma could see the flame in Cinder's soul was strong enough to melt any opposition in its path.

    "...Very well," Karma said calmly as she sat down. "Sit down, Cinder. Let us continue."

    "..."

    Cinder and Fall were surprised to see that Karma had taken the outburst remarkably well. Cinder was surprised most of all, especially since she had just insulted the woman right to her face. While she was still angry about Salem, Cinder had calmed down enough to see that Karma didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of that anger.

    "Karma, I-"

    Karma raised her hand and pointed at the ground. "No dilly dallying!" she said. "Sit down."

    Cinder looked at Fall, who also seemed unsure as to why Karma was willing to continue Cinder's lesson. However, she simply gestured to the ground to show that continuing would be the best course of action in this case.

    So Cinder sat down and listened carefully to the old woman.

    "There are three chakras you have yet to unlock, Cinder," Karma began. "The first of which is located in your throat. This chakra represents truth and is blocked by lies."

    "Lies?" Cinder asked.

    "Yes. More specifically, the lies we tell ourselves. In order to unlock it, we must stop lying to ourselves."

    Cinder gasped as she looked back to Fall. "That's why you told me about Salem." She then turned to Karma. "You want me to see if I can stop Salem."

    Karma briefly hummed at the idea. "Not quite," she said. "We know how hearing all of that felt, Cinder. Now that Fall shared the truth with you, we both need to know what you're going to do. You said you wouldn't give up, but be honest. What will you do when you return? Will you still oppose Salem and everything she stands for? Or will you concede?"

    "..."

    Cinder now understood what Karma was saying. It wasn't simply a matter of stopping Salem, it was a matter of what she planned to do with this knowledge, what she truly meant to do. Anyone could say that they would keep fighting, but this could easily be a lie.

    More specifically, a lie Cinder would be telling herself.

    "..."

    Both of the older Maidens weren't exactly sure how much time had passed, but they knew that they had been in the same spot for a while. Fortunately, they were patient enough to know that Cinder needed a while to figure out the truth about herself.

    And ultimately, she did.

    "I... I don't know about Salem," Cinder confessed. "I might never know."

    "..."

    "But I do know this." Cinder stared firmly at Karma as she made a promise. "Whatever happens out there, there's only one thing to do. I... will keep moving forward. Until everyone I care about is safe. If Dad can do it, so can I."

    Suddenly, the feeling of warmth and strength came back to Cinder. She welcomed it with open arms and felt much better as the energy of her chakra spread throughout her body. And once again, the light around her continued to shine brighter.

    "I wouldn't have it any other way," said Fall, who could see that Cinder had unlocked another part of her soul and body.

    "Nor would I," said Karma. "That's five down, and only two to go. Are you ready?"

    "Yes," Cinder stated firmly.

    "Now, the next chakra is located at the forehead. The energy inside deals with insight, but it's blocked by illusion." Karma opened her third eye again and looked at Cinder. "I don't see any illusion specifically blocking anything in your life, so I'd like to share another secret with you."

    "About Salem?"

    Karma slowly shook her head. "About the world."

    "..."

    "Cinder, there is another reason why Ozpin was prevented from ascending into the afterlife. While stopping Salem remains his top priority, he has another mission. All of mankind lives under the illusion that they are separate by nature. Humanity and the Faunus share this illusion more than anyone. Some have pushed for unity, others embrace this separation. Whether it be by race, Kingdom, or power, all of mankind tell themselves it is better this way."

    The young girl had a good idea as to where this was going. "But it's not?" she asked.

    "No, it's not."

    Despite being aware that this lesson was far beyond her knowledge and power, Fall decided to share something with Cinder. "Ozpin wants to change that, Cinder," she said calmly. "He wants to show the people of Remnant that they belong together."

    Cinder believed her teachers, but she didn't understand the purpose behind this goal. "But... why?" she asked. "That sounds... challenging."

    "Oh, it is," said Karma. "Ozpin's spent all of his lives pushing for unity. What the world has right now is perhaps the closest thing to it."

    Cinder thought about the state of the world right now, and how people still chose to separate themselves. If the current state of Remnant was the closest Ozpin had ever been to unity, then he still had much to do.

    "So why does he want to change that?" Cinder asked again.

    "I'd suggest you ask him yourself," said Karma. "Right now, to unlock your soul even further, ask yourself another question. Do you accept the reality that mankind belong together? Do you wish to see our world united?"

    "..."

    "Or do you believe that this separation is for the best?"

    "..."

    Cinder understood that the separation of mankind was the illusion Karma was referring to, but she had to admit that this was a good question. Did mankind belong together or not?

    Cinder hadn't thought of it before, but she could see how the separation of Kingdoms and people had shaped most of the world. There was peace before the Vytal Festival attack, but there was still conflict among the people. Cinder had heard all about the division between humans and Faunus from people like Mary, and she had seen this first hand as well.

    One of the greatest divisions, however, was between the people of Remnant and the Mandalorians.

    Cinder had seen and learned how this division existed between the two factions. The Mandalorians may have been on the right side during the Great War, but she had learned how they were considered to be a black sheep of the allies. How they were never fully trusted by the majority of the people.

    Now that division still existed today. There was hardly any welcome for Mandalorians anywhere, even though it was never a crime for them to wear their armor in public. Cinder recalled many times when people gave her father dirty glares simply because he refused to remove his armor. The descendants of Mandalore were never recognized or respected by anyone.

    Perhaps that was why some declared a war on the world.

    Cinder began to see how this new war was caused by illusion, how one side believed they were better than the other. The Mandalorians believed they had the right to conquer the world because mankind believed that the Mandalorians weren't worthy of respect. And now, Ozpin's work was becoming undone right before his eyes.

    There was only one way to change that.

    "Mankind belongs together," said Cinder. "Human, Faunus, Mandalorian... everyone belongs together."

    Karma and Fall witnessed Cinder shine once again as her sixth chakra had been unlocked. Both of them were proud to see how far their student had progressed since coming here. First it was the ability to hear the world around her, then it was connecting to her mind, and now the task of making new connections to her body and soul was almost complete.

    Almost.

    "Then there is only one chakra left," said Karma. "This one is unique among the rest, Cinder. Unlike the others, unlocking this one... comes at a price."

    "A price?" Cinder asked cautiously. She knew unlocking the chakras in her body required hard work and concentration, she was living proof of that. But this was the first time she ever heard of a chakra being unlocked by paying a price. "What kind of price?"

    "The crown chakra, located at the very top of your head, is perhaps the most powerful and important," Karma explained. "The energy there is said to be purely cosmological, meaning it's existed since before you were born. In the case of the Maidens, unlocking this makes us even stronger and powerful than we once thought possible. In some cases, it makes us Fully-Realized Maidens."

    Cinder gasped at the sound. She had heard what it meant to be a Fully-Realized Maiden, someone whose powers and abilities transcended anyone or anything on Remnant. It was perhaps the closest thing to obtaining real Magic. Ozpin and some of the other Maidens Cinder had met emphasized what it meant to be a Fully-Realized Maiden, and they all knew that Cinder was close to making this dream a reality.

    Cinder remembered what it was like to tap into the power of the Fully-Realized Maiden at Beacon. And now she was sure she was ready to obtain it once again.

    "Yes, it can help you on your way, Cinder," Karma confirmed, even though Cinder never put her thoughts into words. "However, you must make a choice."

    Cinder had to remind herself what Karma had said about the chakra requiring a price. "What do I have to do?" she asked.

    "As I said, the crown chakra possesses cosmological energy. However, it is blocked by earthly attachments."

    Cinder's brow furrowed as she attempted to make sense of this factor. Her mind, however, came to a blank. "I don't understand," she confessed.

    "Everyone attaches themselves to something on Remnant during their lives," Karma explained. "Objects, places... people. Am I correct that you are attached to your friends? To the people you've met and lived with throughout the years?"

    "Um... yes. I mean, of course I am." Cinder thought back on all of her friends and her father as she answered Karma's question. "I mean, the whole reason I started this was to help my dad. Is that... blocking me?"

    "It is. The attachments you have to the physical world leave you incapable of reaching your true potential."

    As Karma was explaining this, Cinder closed her eyes and awaited instruction.

    "In order to fully unlock your Aura, to regain the strength you need to connect with your powers, you must let those attachments go. They have to be free, they have to be separated. But most of all, they have to be forgotten."

    The last word was strong enough to break Cinder's concentration. "Wait, what?" she asked as she opened her eyes. "What do you mean forgotten?"

    "I mean you can't let them hold you back anymore. You have to let them go."

    "Hold me back? They're not holding me back! They're the reason I'm moving forward!" Cinder looked towards Fall and hoped that she could be of some assistance. "Fall, tell her she's wrong!"

    Fall had been a passive observer for this lesson, given that she had never gone though the process of unlocking her own chakras while she was alive. While the wisdom behind them was out of her jurisdiction, she had seen what unlocking each of them required.

    And she knew that Karma was right.

    "I'm sorry, Cinder," Fall said calmly and sincerely. "But Karma's right. The only way to unlock this chakra is to give up what keeps you connected to Remnant."

    Cinder couldn't believe what she was hearing. About two chakras ago, she had said that it was her connection to her friends and family that made her keep moving forward. Now they just expected her to let it all go?

    "Can I get back home without it?" Cinder asked hopefully. "With the chakras I've unlocked? Their powers should've helped me!"

    Karma couldn't deny that Cinder had grown stronger with the six chakras she had unlocked. "Your Aura has gotten stronger, you're right," she admitted. "But you have to understand that the crown chakra won't just help you get home faster, but it will also help you on your path to becoming a Fully-Realized Maiden."

    "..."

    "The Maidens you met who became Fully-Realized took years to master their powers, to be strong enough to control it. The cosmic energy in the crown chakra will make obtaining this power and control easier and faster. Cinder... it's for your own good."

    "..."

    Fall could see that Cinder still wasn't sure about this course of action, and she could tell that Karma was expecting Cinder to put in the same amount of effort she did with the other chakras. And so, rather than wait for the teacher in Karma to reveal itself on an unappealing level, Fall decided to step in and try to reason with Cinder.

    "We're not trying to be cruel, Cinder," said Fall. "And we wouldn't be asking this if we didn't think it would help you get home. Can you at least try?"

    "..."

    Cinder still had mixed feelings about this part of her lesson. While she wanted to get back home now, the young Maiden wasn't sure if she could pay the price Karma demanded. Nevertheless, Cinder decided to humor both Maidens by closing her eyes and concentrating.

    When she envisioned the attachments she had to Remnant, Cinder pictured everyone important to her, the people who had the most impact in her life. Each of them had their significance, whether it was big or small. And right away, Cinder could tell this would be hard.

    Professor Ozpin may have been keeping a big secret from her, but Cinder knew that she wouldn't have learned anything about being a Maiden without his help.

    Seeing Qrow Branwen may have been a rare occurrence, given how often he left for missions. But he had been a friend to Cinder's family for a long time.

    Obi-Wan Kenobi was also someone Cinder didn't see often, but he had put aside his own time to help Cinder control her emotions. Forgetting him wouldn't be fair.

    Winter Schnee wasn't only Cinder's best friend, but she was also her first friend. And Penny Polendina still wanted to be friends with her too. What good was life without friends?

    Each time Cinder thought about these connections, she tried to let them go. However, each reason she had for doing the opposite made Cinder stop and move on to someone else. The last person she tried to let go of was her own father, who perhaps gave Cinder the strongest attachment to the world.

    "If this is where you feel your place is, then this is where you belong."

    "Have faith in the Way of the Mandalore. Have faith in me."

    "I can be your father, Cinder. Would you like that?"

    "Wherever she goes, I go."

    When her most cherished memories of her father came to her tenfold, Cinder opened her eyes and felt them tearing up once again. As she looked to Fall and Karma, she made a decision.

    "I can't."

    Karma slowly opened her third eye again to look into Cinder's soul. There, she saw why Cinder decided to refuse to unlock her crown chakra. "You mean you won't?" she asked.

    "No, I..." Cinder sighed as she stood up. "I mean yes," she said. "I won't do it. I'm sorry."

    "..."

    Seeing that her lesson was over, for better or worse, Cinder turned heel and took her leave. Neither Fall or Karma chose to stop her, since they figured some time alone after such an effort was something she deserved.

    Fall immediately felt a sense of pity towards Cinder. She knew how desperately she wanted to get home, and yet there were some lines that she wasn't willing to cross. Fall had seen Cinder struggle on her path to becoming the Fall Maiden, as well as how she reacted to those struggles. But deep down, Fall knew that Cinder had done the best she could. And that had to count for something.

    Shouldn't it?

    "That girl is going to be the best of us."

    Fall escaped her thoughts as Karma's voice rang through her ears. To her surprise, Fall looked down to see that Karma was smiling as she looked in the direction that Cinder had left in.

    "I'm sorry?" Fall asked out of confusion.

    "I said she's going to be the best of us," Karma repeated as she stood up. "I'm proud of her, Fall."

    The first Fall Maiden looked back towards the void and wondered if she misremembered something from a few seconds ago. "Why are you saying that?" Fall asked. "I'm sorry, I just... I thought you'd be upset."

    "It is a shame she didn't unlock the crown chakra," replied Karma. "But didn't you see why she chose not to do so? Didn't you hear her earlier?" Karma looked back towards the direction Cinder ran off in. "I did. Do you know what I saw?"

    "..."

    "I saw that, according to Cinder, there's more to life than simply obtaining power. Perhaps even more to being a Maiden than obtaining power." Karma's smile grew wider at the mere idea. It was true that the teacher in her would be more strict and demanding of Cinder unlocking the crown chakra, but the Maiden in her could see the true measure of the child's soul.

    And to her, that measure looked beautiful.

    Fall was glad to see that Karma held Cinder in such high regard all of a sudden. Hope for the immediate future, namely Cinder's life on Remnant, had been restored to a degree. And she could see that the wise woman was right; Cinder cared more about life and Maiden-hood than simply obtaining more power.

    Such a way could be opposed to what a Sith valued.

    However, there was one part of it all that Fall remained unsure about. "Do you think they should help?" she asked. "The chakras?"

    "Only one way to find out," Karma replied as she pointed outwards.

    Fall understood and began to walk away from the wise Maiden. "Whatever happens next, Karma, I'm glad you were here to help." With that, Fall walked back towards the rest of the void to find Cinder.

    "So was I."

    Finding Cinder wasn't as hard as Fall initially expected. The only thing she was having trouble with was figuring out what she would be saying to her after what happened.

    Fall knew that Karma had been hard on Cinder from time to time, but Fall was wondering if she had also been hard on Cinder. She was beginning to feel ashamed of herself for asking Cinder to give up something she clearly valued more than the Maiden powers.

    If it had been her who was asked to give up what attached her to Remnant, Fall knew that she could never forgive herself if she had to forget about her sisters.

    When she saw that this would be a good point to bring up, as well as an apology for what happened, Fall walked over to Cinder. She was currently sitting on the invisible floor, doing absolutely nothing but stare at the empty ground before her.

    "Can I sit here?" Fall asked cautiously.

    "..."

    Cinder said nothing, but she replied with a simple nod. Thankful that she didn't seem angry with her, Fall took a seat at the spot Cinder was generously providing. Once she did, Cinder opened her heart to Fall.

    "I listened to you ever since I came here," Cinder began. "You've been helping me get better and stronger for a while now. And I know you weren't trying to hurt me back there, but... it's not worth it, Fall. It's just not worth it."

    "It's okay," Fall insisted. "I understand. If it were me back there, I'm sure I would have said the same thing."

    Cinder had heard Fall talk about her sisters countless times, so she believed her when she said this. "But it's not okay." Cinder clenched her fists around the dress she was wearing. "You and Karma gave me a chance to be stronger, to be one of the Fully-Realized Maidens. And I said no." The young girl let out a sigh. "I'm not good enough. And I never will be."

    "But that's not true."

    "..."

    "Cinder, look at me."

    When Cinder obeyed, Fall spoke again. "Do you have the slightest idea of how proud I am of you?" she asked calmly. "Karma was the one who put it in perspective, but she showed me that you had good reason not to open the crown chakra. She showed me that you think there's more to life than obtaining power, and you're right. And that was after you unlocked all the other energies in your body and Aura."

    Cinder's eyes widened at the idea. "She... She said that?" she asked. When she saw Fall nod, Cinder couldn't help but feel better about herself. "But... I was just thinking about going home."

    "No." Fall gently tapped Cinder's chest when she pointed at her. "You were thinking like a Maiden. If you only cared about power, you would have been less than that. You would have been like... like a Sith."

    "I... hadn't thought of it like that," Cinder said as she agreed with Fall. "Do you know about the Sith?"

    "Only what Headmaster Kenobi told you. But it think it's enough to know that you're their complete opposite." Fall was starting to see that she was getting through to Cinder, so she had an idea. "And let's not forget why you unlocked the other chakras in the first place." She immediately stood up and offered a hand to Cinder. "The energy should help you tap in to your remaining power."

    "..."

    Cinder had indeed forgotten what set her on the path to unlock the power within her body and soul in the first place. As she took Fall's hand and stood up, Cinder considered the possibility of seeing her current potential. She couldn't remember the last time she had used her Maiden powers to a full extent, and she began to see how good it would be to have them back. It would be like welcoming an old friend she hadn't seen for ages.

    Cinder imagined the possibilities before her. Instead of a simple spark, it was possible that she could make a warm fire around her, summon a cooling breeze to ease her troubled mind, or maybe she could make the invisible sky produce rain; all of which she hadn't seen in a very long time.

    Perhaps she would be just like Karma and Fall when they showed her the power they still had.

    Or maybe... the energy wouldn't be enough.

    Cinder stopped smiling as she saw that the this was definitely possible. Whatever power she unlocked in herself might not be enough to reconnect with what she lost, to get back home. She could be stuck here.

    Forever.

    "I... I don't know," Cinder said as she let go of Fall's hand. "It might not be a good idea."

    "Why not?" Fall asked.

    "..."

    Cinder was confident that she could make up a lie or claim that she was tired after spending all that time unlocking the energy within herself. But instead, she decided to be honest and upfront.

    "I'm scared it won't be enough to get home."

    Fall was sad to hear this, but she was also a little relieved. "Oh, okay," she said reassuringly. "We can work on that. I'm sorry, I was just expecting an answer involving Salem. I mean, after what I told you."

    Cinder mentally sighed as she remember what Fall told her about Salem. "I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm stuck in here, but I don't feel as scared as I should be about that. Her being immortal, I mean. I just... want to get home. Salem can wait another day."

    "I understand. But you're being braver than you might think. The other Maidens and I have seen people give up completely when they heard the truth. That's why Karma was so hard on you; she didn't want you to give up."

    "I see that now. She was right to be hard on me." Cinder began to see how everything her new teacher had done, strange or not, was because she saw a bigger picture. "Do you really think I'm being brave?"

    "Of course I do." Fall offered another one of her friendly smiles to show that she was telling the truth. "Especially after standing up to Karma like you did." She and Cinder shared a small laugh as they recalled the event. "Actually... there was something I wanted to ask you about that."

    "You do? What?"

    "What exactly did you mean back there? When you said you knew how you were going to die?"

    "..."

    Cinder stopped smiling as she remembered saying that. It was mostly an impulse, something that she said out of anger. However, she did have a reason for saying it.

    Back then, she actually meant what she said.

    "No, it's nothing," Cinder insisted. "I mean, it's stupid. You don't have to worry about it."

    "No, it's not stupid," Fall replied. No matter what it was, she was willing to listen. "If it's about Salem, we can talk-"

    "It's not that."

    Cinder was beginning to see that Fall wouldn't be satisfied unless she got some semblance of an answer. But instead of leaving it at that, given how much Fall had done already, Cinder decided to share the truth with someone who deserved it.

    "Fall... do you still sleep?" Cinder asked as she sat down to be more comfortable. "I mean, after you..."

    "After I died?" Fall responded as she joined her friend. "No, not really. Sleep's not really something I need anymore."

    Cinder understood this idea, even though she didn't know what death could do to a soul. "Well, before that, did you dream? I mean, a lot?"

    "...Not really. But I still dreamed, on occasion." Fall didn't really see any sense in answering these questions. "What exactly are you getting at?"

    "Well... I don't dream frequently either," Cinder admitted. "But there was this one dream that I had when I was a kid. One that, back there with Karma, just seemed... relevant."

    "..."

    Years ago​

    Words couldn't describe how happy Cinder was feeling right now.

    Hours ago, she and Obi-Wan Kenobi had returned from the cave that had once meant nothing but fear and failure for the young girl. But now, she had emerged from the cave victorious and transformed. She felt braver, stronger, and much happier than when she had come to Mistral.

    And now, after one more night's rest, she would be returning to Beacon Academy. Cinder would be going home.

    Cinder was so happy about this that she actually couldn't get herself to sleep. She had brushed her hair, brushed her teeth, changed for bed, and carefully put away a gift she planned to give her father when she returned home. Now all Cinder had to do was calm down and fall asleep. But she was too happy and excited to go to sleep.

    To resolve this issue, Cinder decided to make herself tired by counting sheep. It was a trick she once thought was silly, but she couldn't think of any other way to fall asleep. Despite the concept being a strange one, Cinder started to grow tired after she counted about fifty sheep.

    Not only had Cinder fallen asleep, but she had also begun to dream.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Cinder awoke with a jerk as the sound of explosions reached her ears. As she moved up, Cinder saw that she was no longer at Haven Academy. In fact, she didn't know where she was.

    All around her were stars, but it didn't exactly look like the night sky of Remnant. It looked like something new. And across the sky, there appeared to be some kind of glowing bridges that led to glowing platforms.

    And just below her, there appeared to be a larger platform with a large portal in the center.

    Cinder stood up as she tried to make sense of this change, but then she saw that she had changed as well. Instead of her regular clothes, Cinder saw that she was covered from head to toe in armor. It looked just like her father's armor, but it was sleeker and colored in red, black, and orange.

    *BAM*​

    Cinder fell down to the ground again as something crashed into her. When she looked back to see what had knocked her down, Cinder saw that it was a person. And instead of apologizing, the person got off the ground and ran towards the platform with the portal. And they were followed by a large crowd of people who were screaming and appeared to be in a panic.

    Cinder looked around her to see that dozens of people were running and screaming. All across the bridges, they appeared to share a common goal of getting to the platform with the portal, seemingly to reach safety.

    But safety from what?

    "There she is!"

    Cinder turned around again to see two people who weren't running. Unlike the rest of the people, who were wearing casual clothing, these people were covered in an armor of their own. It was mostly white, save for the black eyes and mouthpieces on their helmets. Both of them were pushing past the running crowd as they moved closer to Cinder, and they suddenly raised two objects that looked like guns.

    "Blast her!"

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Red bolts, very similar to the blasts a Mandalorian gun could make, fired from the soldiers' weapons and flew right at Cinder. Her armor protected her from being hurt, but they succeeded in making her take a few steps back. Suddenly, Cinder felt that she had lost control of her actions; she leapt into the air and raised her right hand at the soldiers, where a wave of fire engulfed them both.

    Cinder's actions became involuntary as she saw the bodies hit the floor. It was almost as if she was in a movie, that her actions were preordained. This was proven when Cinder saw herself fighting more white-armored soldiers who were trying to shoot at her. And just as she was about to stop the last one in the squad, a blue Mandalorian appeared from underneath the bridge and shot the soldier right where he stood.

    "There you are!" the Mandalorian said as he landed next to Cinder. "Come on, we have to go!" He began to run towards the platform that connected to the large portal.

    "No, wait!" Cinder protested as she stopped running. It seemed that her own words were involuntary as well. "What are you doing here?! I told you to stay with -!"

    "She went back for her friends! I couldn't stop her, I'm sorry!" The Mandalorian pointed down towards the portal. "But I can still get you out! We have to go, now!"

    Cinder stayed right where she was. "No, you go! Protect the people! I have to go back for her! Which way did she go?!"

    "She went-!"

    The Mandalorian suddenly lost his voice as he was in the middle of talking. His hands immediately grabbed his throat, as if he was trying to break a grip around his neck.

    But there was nothing there.

    *CRACK*​

    It was almost like Magic, but the Mandalorian's neck let out a painful snapping noise before his body fell sideways. Cinder ran towards the Mandalorian to help him, but he fell off the bridge and disappeared into a void down below the bridge.

    As to what caused this to happen, the answer revealed itself with another noise.

    *KOOOOHHHH*

    *PEEEEHHHH*    ​

    Cinder turned around slowly to face the source of the intimidating noise. There, she met a tall, humanoid figure dressed in black from head to toe. The figure possessed black gloves, black metal boots, a black cape, and a striking black helmet over its face. It was this helmet and the panel on the figure's chest that gave the impression that it was more machine than man.

    As did the modulated voice that it spoke in.

    "Will you run away once more... Maiden?"

    "..."

    All Cinder could do was stare at the man before her as fear completely surrounded her. And yet, this ended when an apparent sense of resolve caused Cinder to involuntarily speak again. "Where is she?!" she yelled as she reached for her belt and took a metal hilt in hand.

    The man before her removed a piece of metal from his side as well, one that created a red blade. "Surrender, or she dies," he ordered as he held the lightsaber in both hands.

    Rather than comply with the order, Cinder activated her own weapon, which was revealed to be the Darksaber. "...No," she refused. "If I know her, she's doing everything in her power to stop you." She then raised the sword up towards her head. "Now it's     my turn."

    The figure didn't show any signs of fear or surrender; it seemed that he was just as brave as Cinder was. "Then now you will share her fate."

    With an unwavering yell, Cinder used the power of the Fall Maiden to launch herself forward and swing the Darksaber at the man's head. The strike was effortlessly blocked by the lightsaber, but that didn't stop Cinder from trying again.

    And again.

    And again.

    And again.

    But after the fifth strike, Cinder's opponent chose to go on the offensive and strike her chest. Her Beskar armor prevented any lethal damage, and she decided to retaliate with a wave of fire from her hand. The man before her didn't move out of the way, but instead emerged from the flames and continued to swing his red lightsaber. He was burning, but he didn't appear to be in any pain.

    Cinder blocked each strike with the Darksaber, despite the fact that the man's physical strength surpassed her own. She went on the offensive once again by using her powers to make the wind knock her opponent off balance. When she saw her opening, Cinder cut the man's side with a proud yell.

    The man grunted in pain, given that his Aura appeared to be contained in the lightsaber he held. But he was still able to fight, given that he had swung his blade in anger.

    Cinder was able to evade this swing by taking to the sky, but she felt herself trapped in one spot.

    "There is no escape," the robotic man declared as he held out his free hand towards Cinder. It was clear now that he was using the Force; first it was with the previous Mandalorian, and now he was using it to keep Cinder right where she was.

    But Cinder didn't allow herself to be caught in this trap anymore. Instead, she focused on all her power to summon fire, wind, and even lightning to break the hold the Force had on her. When one bolt of lightning hit the armored man, he was forced to let Cinder go and let the elemental power explode from where she stood.

    *BOOM*​

    Cinder was free, and her first instinct was to flee instead of fight. Not because she was afraid, but because out of all the people who were trying to run, there was one person she wished to save.

    But as soon as she flew across the bridge, Cinder felt herself caught in a strong grip once again.

    "Still running, Maiden?" the fearsome man asked as he got back to his feet. He had the ability to crush her if he pleased, but he had another idea. "If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny!"

    The last thing Cinder saw before she woke up was a flash of red coming right for her.

    Present day​

    "That was when I woke up," said Cinder. "And that's about everything I remember."

    "..."

    Cinder hadn't noticed that she wasn't looking at Fall when she described her dream to her; she had gotten so wrapped up in the story that she had turned towards the void instead. So Cinder turned around to see that Fall was silently giving her full attention. Realizing that she didn't have anything left to describe, Cinder decided to bring the conversation back to the present.

    "So... does that make sense?" she asked calmly.

    Fall took a second to process everything she had just heard. In order to rationalize this dream, she decided to ask Cinder a few questions. "Who was he?" she began. "The man in black?"

    "I... I don't know," Cinder replied honestly. "I never saw him before that night. But I'm sure he was a Sith. Like the one I met in Mistral."

    Fall had seen this memory of Cinder's, the day she helped Obi-Wan kill Nihilus. But based on what Cinder saw in her dream, the second Sith was different. "And you think it's true?" Fall asked. "That the dream was showing you... how you died?"

    Cinder heavily sighed. "Not at first," she replied. "I mean, it's been at the back of my mind for a while. I almost forgot about it, actually. But ever since I came here, since I learned that this is what happens when a Maiden dies... I've been thinking about it. I mean, I've had dreams before. But this one felt... real."

    "..."

    "But like I said, it's stupid." Cinder stood up again. "I know dreams can't tell the future, that's not how they work."

    Fall stood up as well. "Perhaps," she said as she joined Cinder again. "But I understand how you're still worried about the future. Am I right?"

    "..."

    This was indeed the case for Cinder, but she couldn't find the right words to describe how she was feeling. So she decided to simply nod instead.

    But this was enough for Fall to help.

    "A wise man once told me how we react to certain times," Fall began. "And how we should try to live. He said if you're sad or heartbroken, you're living in the past. But if you're afraid or worried, you're living in the future. Do you know how he said we can be at peace?"

    "..."

    "We have to live in the present." Fall took Cinder's hands in hers as she hoped that her pupil was listening. "Let's just live in the present right now, Cinder. Let's see how strong you've gotten today."

    Cinder understood the idea this man had told Fall, and she could see that she was living in the future rather than the present. However, she couldn't help but feel that there was one thing holding her back.

    "I want to see," Cinder began. "I really do. But it's like... a flame. All this time, I've been able to create and control fire. Even my Semblance helps me make fire of any size. And none of it ever hurt me. Not even once."

    "..."

    Cinder looked at her hands as she imagined making fire once again. "But I feel like this is different. For the first time in my life... I'm scared that I'll burn."

    "..."

    The analogy was strangely beautiful, according to Fall. Describing a fear such as this was very well done, and something that the first Fall Maiden could easily understand. Of course, wind was always her natural element. But she had watched and learned how Cinder used the element of fire, and to say that it was her expertise was an understatement.

    And the idea of one's own expertise being turned against them was a horrible thing to think about. If such a thing would happen, only disaster could follow.

    If Cinder defined herself by what she had, and then lost what she had... who, then, was she?

    "Cinder, I see why you're afraid," Fall replied honestly. "But you've never let your fear control what you do. Not since you came out of that cave so long ago."

    "..."

    "And maybe you're right. Where there's a flame, someone's bound to get burned." Fall gently squeezed the child's hands. "But just because it burns, it doesn't mean you're going to die. You just have to... try."

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't tell what it was that made her let go of Fall's embrace. Maybe it was because she got all of her fears out in the open, or maybe it was because something about her mentor's words made her see things from a different angle. But now, Cinder knew there wasn't anything else she wanted to say or anything else she wanted to do at the moment.

    Anything else but try.

    "You better stand back," Cinder said as she began to walk backwards herself. When she saw the woman before her heed this warning, Cinder saw that she had put enough distance between herself and Fall. And so, Cinder knew there was only one thing left to do.

    Cinder closed her eyes and remembered what it was like to use her powers. Whether she learned it from Fall, Ozpin, or herself, Cinder focused on what it was like to use her power over fire. And so, she spread her arms out and waited for the warming flame to come.

    *FLICK*

    *FLICK*

    *FLICK*    ​

    The young girl didn't need to open her eyes to see what was happening. Instead of fire, Cinder was creating small sparks. This was just like what she could do ever since she came to the void.

    Frustration came easily from this failure, as did self-loathing. Failure wasn't something Cinder learned to live easily with. She had failed many times in her life, whether it was as a Maiden or a person. And now this failure, after everything she had done in the void, felt like a stab to the heart.

    And yet, Cinder didn't show any sign of resignation in her attempts.

    Cinder knew she had failed before, and the times when this happened frequently were when she was a student; when she trained to use her powers with Ozpin. She had slipped and fallen many times, but she always got back up. She always tried again and again to get every lesson he taught right, and Cinder promised herself that this time wouldn't be any different.

    And despite the fact that she had been lied to, Cinder used Ozpin's last lesson to guide her through this time.

    "You've become a worthy Fall Maiden, not Aurora. These powers belong to you, not Aurora. You have to fight for them, Cinder."

    Cinder continued to fight, each time she created more and more sparks.

    *FLICK*

    *FLICK*

    *FLICK*    ​

    Each time she heard the sparks strike against her body, Cinder did nothing but try again and again. Nothing was going to stop her until she got it right.

    Not Aurora.

    *FLICK*​

    Not Salem.

    *FLICK*​

    Not even the nightmare she described.

    *FLICK*​

    The one thing Cinder allowed to stay with her as she tried again and again was Ozpin's final lesson. And with that came a father's promise.

    "You're stronger than her, you're stronger than either of us. And if there's any hope of us winning against Salem, it's with you. Trust me, Cinder. Trust yourself. You can do this."

    *FLICK*

    *FLICK*

    *FLICK*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    And just like that, there was fire.

    Fire surrounded Cinder in a bright halo, one that made her open her amber eyes and examine her handiwork. When she saw what she had done, Cinder began to swell with pride. With that pride came a new resolve; a resolve to see what else she could do.

    As another fire began to burn around Cinder's eyes, the girl pushed her hands to create a wind strong enough to extinguish the fire. She then lifted her hands again to make the fire return in the form of whips, which she crashed on the ground while being careful not to hit Fall.

    When she saw the fire continue to burn, Cinder had the idea to put it out once again. But this time, Cinder lifted her hands to create a small cloud above her to let lightning and rain fall from it. When the rain touched her skin, Cinder couldn't help but spin and dance in the falling water as she welcomed her powers back with open arms.

    And for her final trick, Cinder allowed a mixture of fire and wind to form at her feet so she could take to the air in a fiery tornado. As she hovered above the invisible ground, Cinder began to relax as she realized that she had a stronger connection to her powers after all.

    Now all that remained was taking back what Aurora had stolen.

    "Cinder?"

    The young girl looked down to see Fall proudly looking up and smiling at her. "...You're ready."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 50: The Deal
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 50: The Deal

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BOOM*

    *ROAR*

    *WHOOSH*

    *BOOM*

    *BANG*    ​

    A multitude of sounds travelled across the normally quiet landscape of Anima. Unfortunately, they were not only uncommon to the land, but the sounds belonged to something that never should have been here in the first place.

    War.

    The Mandalorian conquest of Mistral had taken its toll on the land, as well as the people who were charged to defend it. Right now, a group of Huntsmen, Huntresses, students, and an exhausted militia of civilians were making a last stand in the forest just beyond the large lake that divided the city of Mistral from the western part of the continent. There was no defense across this lake, and it was the easiest path the Mandalorians could take to the capital.

    Needless to say, it had to be defended at all costs. Unfortunately, the fighters in the woods couldn't seem to do this.

    The Mandalorian ground troopers, which were led by Bo-Katan Kryze, were making quick work of the civilians who didn't possess Aura of their own. Blasters and hidden blades in their gauntlets were responsible for this.

    Some of the ground troops were also engaged in combat with the Huntsmen and Huntresses, though it was taking longer for them to kill. Despite being drained of most of their Aura, their Semblances were a good means of defense against the Mandalorians. In these dark times, the Huntsmen and Huntresses had proven themselves to be a sign of hope for the people.

    However, the swift arrival of Mandalorians from above told everyone that there was no hope for this battle.

    Along with Mandalorians who flew by jetpacks, the armored warriors revealed themselves in a new kind of airship. It was one of a kind, built by the Mandalorians who showed more prowess in mechanical engineering than they did on the battlefield. Captured airships from all Kingdoms served as a means for both material and the foundation of what was known to be a drop-ship; a ship that literally dropped Mandalorians into the battlefield.

    One of the Mandalorians who joined in this drop was Paz Vizsla, who had been a pivotal part of the war effort for quite some time. Ever since he joined Death Watch, he had proven himself a force to be reckoned with. If it wasn't by the large blaster that would normally require three men to handle, it was by the brute strength he possessed. Paz Vizsla had made it a habit of beating the Huntsmen and Huntresses, whether it was by his gun or his bare hands.

    And while the Mandalorians who fought by his side found his beliefs to be strange, they accepted Paz's assistance on the battlefield.

    But it wasn't the only thing they accepted.

    The forces of Mandalore were also joined by the Creatures of Grimm. It wasn't that they had captured Grimm and were using them to attack the Huntsmen, but rather that the Grimm in the surrounding woods had come to the aid of the Mandalorians. Beowolves, Ursai, Creeps, and even Nevermores had come out of nowhere to kill anyone who wasn't wearing Beskar armor. Nobody seemed to notice or care why this was happening, since they were focused on staying alive. But the Mandalorians knew all too well who was controlling the Grimm and bringing them to their aid.

    More specifically, to the aid of Pre Vizsla.

    The leader of Death Watch was also with the forces in the woods today. Rather than fight with the Basilisk droid he had been gifted, Vizsla chose to rely on his own combat prowess and the Beskar spear he possessed. Many warriors had been either stabbed or burned to death by the unique weapon, and today was no different for the people who chose to defend Mistral. No human, Faunus, or even Huntsman could touch the man as he violently swung his spear and shot at every foe in his path.

    *BOOM*​

    "Dammit!" a Huntress yelled as she watched a missile kill two of her comrades. "Run! Get outta here!" She was the first to run deeper into the woods, and she was soon followed by the remaining humans and Faunus that tried to defend their home from the Mandalorians.

    Bo-Katan and Paz Vizsla were ready to give chase, but they were stopped by Pre Vizsla. "Let them go," he said. "But send the Grimm. They'll let us know what resistance lies at the Great Lake."

    The Mandalorians agreed to this strategy; the pawns were always the first to move, after all.

    So as the Creatures of Grimm advanced deeper into the forest, the Mandalorians began to fall into a situation of habit. After they won a significant piece of land, unless there was a city or village to make into a temporary base, the Mandalorians would implement a scorched-earth strategy. Namely, they would burn the ground, grass and all trees in sight until the once peaceful fields were nothing more than wasteland burnt to a crisp.

    Vizsla had a habit of calling this tactic "justice;" given that the same thing had happened to Mandalore, the warlord could think of no greater way to display his victory. While the aftermath of his earlier conquests could be repaired by the people of Remnant, the war Vizsla had started with Saxon and Salem made healing the land nearly impossible.

    And the Mandalorians wouldn't have it any other way.

    After today's victory, Vizsla patiently waited outside the burning forest for news about the Great Lake. When none of the Grimm returned, he sent two Mandalorians to scout ahead and assess the last line of defense for Mistral. There, they saw that the resistance there was the strongest; the militia and the rest of the initial defense they fought was merely a fraction of the strength and numbers they saw at the Great Lake.

    With this in mind, Pre Vizsla decided to create a new strategy to win the Great Lake. Given that there were Huntsmen, Huntresses, and even airships at the water, the fight wouldn't be won in a day like this forest was. So the warlord decided to take a temporary leave from Mistral, where he was followed by Bo-Katan and Paz Vizsla. The others that followed comprised of Vizsla's personal guard, the Wraiths.

    The new airship the Mandalorians had created could take them far with just a short supply of Dust, and they had chosen to return to one of their many bases. Unlike this one, it was fit for a king.

    When she joined Vizsla and his fight, Bo-Katan was willing to give the warlord sanctuary at the one place besides Mandalore that she called home. Miles from the once prosperous continent, there were a few islands that Mandalorians claimed as their own. The first was called Concordia, which was where the Children of the Watch resided before they took their leave. Nobody knew it, but they made a habit of returning on occasion so the Foundlings could learn about Mandalore's history and traditions from a safe distance. They always left soon after they found what they sought.

    The second island was a place called Kalevala, where Bo-Katan lived ever since she was a child. She was raised there and trained there alongside her sister Satine. But unlike Satine, Bo-Katan never left the island.

    When she made it her mission to rebuild and reclaim Mandalore, Bo-Katan and the few who followed her lived at the Kryze Castle; her childhood home. Her friends Axe Woves and Koska Reeves lived there as well, along with the Mandalorians who followed her cause.

    Nobody knew it at the time, but Bo-Katan had amassed a small army during her attempts to rebuild Mandalore. Her clan had been reduced significantly, but there were still Mandalorians from long extinct clans who believed in her cause. They followed her example of piracy by stealing from Atlesians and anyone else who crossed their path. It was for a greater good, according to them.

    However, when Din Djarin claimed the Darksaber instead of Bo-Katan, everyone left the so-called "heiress" alone. Koska was the only witness to the event, given that Bo-Katan's small army was plundering airships for supplies at the time. Bo-Katan lived alone in exile at the castle for quite some time as a result, but she found her will to fight again when she was introduced to Pre Vizsla and Salem. With this new cause to follow, Bo-Katan and Pre Vizsla made sure to recruit all of her former followers. Per Salem's advice, Gar Saxon helped with this task by showing that he held the Darksaber.

    Two of the Mandalorians who rejoined Bo-Katan were her friend Koska Reeves and Hatch Woves; Axe's twin brother. It was these two Mandalorians who greeted Pre Vizsla and Bo-Katan when they returned. They paid Paz no heed besides a simple nod, given that the large Mandalorian refused to give up the Way that he swore when he was young.

    "You're early," Koska said calmly.

    "We won early," said Bo-Katan. "We're one step closer to Mistral."

    "What's our next move?" Hatch asked.

    "I have business with our benefactor," Pre Vizsla declared. "I'll be meeting with her in the throne room. I think you should all join me." Pre turned towards Paz, who were both descendants of the same house. "You're welcome to join as well."

    "I would prefer to see the Foundlings," the large Mandalorian requested.

    "Very well. Take your leave."

    Paz obeyed and walked around the perimeter of the castle. When he reached the backside of it, he found many Mandalorians training together. They were all of different clans and ages, but Pre Vizsla had managed to unite them under his cause. The union wasn't perfect, given how different each clan had their own culture and way of doing things. But dissent was handled swiftly, whether it was by Pre Vizsla's hand or their own hands when a challenge was declared.

    As he initially said, Paz Vizsla made his way towards the Foundlings. Each clan had their own children, and they were made to train together like everyone else. Paz looked upon them all, but not to study them or see how well they fought.

    There was one particular Foundling Paz was looking for.

    Before he joined the war, Paz Vizsla was granted the chance to take in a Foundling of his very own. It all started when Greef Karga offered the Children of the Watch work involving bounty hunting. With Din Djarin spending most of his time at Beacon, Karga decided to see if any Mandalorians would be willing to pick up where his friend had left off. He still had some ties with the Bounty Hunters Guild, though Karga never hosted any more meetings with them in Nevarro.

    Paz rarely left the small town, but he saw a chance to hone his skills further when Karga offered him a mission involving a deadly assassin by the name of Marcus Black. He wasn't difficult to find, but he was difficult to kill.

    Marcus Black had a unique Semblance, one that allowed him to utilize other Semblances that he stole from Huntsmen and Huntresses he killed. Paz had no Semblance of his own that Marcus could steal, but the ones he had proved to be useful against fighting a Mandalorian.

    Each warrior succeeded in holding their own, and the battle seemed that it could last for hours. But as luck would have it, Paz was given assistance by an unlikely ally; Marcus' own son, a young boy named Mercury.

    Mercury had lived with his father all of his life, where he had learned nothing but pain and fear from the man who was supposed to care for him. Marcus was an abusive man, one who mislabeled the abuse as "training" for his son. While he did teach the boy everything he had learned about being an assassin, Marcus held no respect or regard for Mercury.

    He even stole his own son's Semblance when he unlocked it.

    So when Paz Vizsla found Marcus, Mercury saw a chance to end his father's abuse once and for all. He aided the Mandalorian as best he could, but it only resulted in Marcus suffering from a wounded leg and some lost Aura. Marcus retaliated severely, but Paz put an end to it by slitting the assassin's throat with his large knife.

    When it was over, Paz couldn't help but feel impressed with the boy's bravery and basic knowledge of combat. As he looked at Mercury's wounds with pity, Paz Vizsla chose to repay the boy's assistance with assistance of his own. Along with Marcus' body, Paz took Mercury back to his tribe so he could recover.

    Given his experiences with his father, young Mercury couldn't help but feel distrustful of the Mandalorian who saved his life. Nothing was free in the world, and he was certain that the large warrior wanted something in return. Or worse, he had simply been imprisoned by someone else who was stronger than him.

    Instead of more pain and suffering, however, Paz Vizsla offered the boy a chance to be a part of something larger than himself, to learn how to acquire the strength that he desperately craved. Seeing that he had no other place to go, Mercury accepted the offer and joined the Children of the Watch. Paz took it upon himself to train the boy, where he was sure to give Mercury something Marcus had denied him; a fair chance to grow and learn along the way.

    The relationship they shared was mostly that of a master and apprentice, but Mercury slowly started to trust the man who took him in. Paz, on the other hand, was starting to learn how to respect someone other than himself.

    Not long after Mercury swore the Mandalorian Creed and was gifted with a blue and silver helmet, Death Watch and Clan Saxon started their war with the world. Paz was inspired by this and he rallied other members of his tribe to a new cause. Mercury was the first to follow him, despite that it meant cutting ties with the Children of the Watch. Now he spent his days on Kalevala, training and waiting for a chance to join the fight.

    And now, while he believed his teacher was still fighting abroad, Mercury was training with a skill he was having trouble with: darts.

    The challenge was a simple one. Two Foundings were given a wrist-bound weapon, one that shot paintballs when a trigger was pressed. The paintballs could be fired in any order, and one Foundling would have to hit the other with three paintballs in order to win.

    Mercury had two spots of paint on his shirt while his opponent was as clean as a whistle. This was his last chance to earn a point.

    One older Mandalorian served as a referee and prepared to give the Foundlings the order. "Ready," he said. "Begin!"

    Mercury and his opponent raised their fists and fired.

    *SPLAT*

    *SPLAT*    ​

    Both Foundlings fired their paintballs, but there were different results; Mercury had missed his shot completely while he felt a third paintball hit his chest.

    "Point!" the referee declared as he pointed at Mercury's opponent. "Winner!"

    Mercury took the loss very badly as he angrily stormed away from the area. The other Foundling paid him no heed, given that she was being congratulated by her adoptive mother. The only one who paid attention to Mercury was Paz, who followed the young boy towards a beach.

    Since Mercury believed he was alone, he tore off the helmet he was gifted and threw it aside. He never liked the idea of hiding his face in the first place, but he did it anyway. He had a habit of throwing it aside whenever he was angry or frustrated, and today was no different.

    Except for the fact that Paz was right behind him.

    "Cover your face," the Mandalorian said to get Mercury's attention. He had only seen the back of the boy's head, so he looked aside when he spoke. That way, he wouldn't see the boy's face when he turned around.

    Mercury wasn't expecting someone to be with him, let alone Paz Vizsla. Nevertheless, when he saw that his head was turned away, Mercury acquiesced to the Mandalorian's request. After all, it was the only way the two of them could have a conversation.

    "I thought you weren't gonna be here," the boy said as he cleaned some dirt off his visor.

    "I just returned," Paz replied. "We won sooner than we expected."

    "You won, huh?" Mercury turned to look at the water. "Well, that makes one of us."

    Paz walked towards Mercury and stood close to the water with him. "Self-loathing does not suit our kind. Or you."

    Mercury sighed as he reminisced on his failure. He had stumbled on his path of training like a Mandalorian before, but nothing like this. Not only was he disappointed in himself, but he was also scared about being in Paz's company at the moment. His father was never one to accept mistakes or failure during his son's training. Punishment was always brutal for this.

    What kind of pain did Mercury have in his future.

    "Enough time has passed," said Paz, who gently pushed on Mercury's shoulder. "Come here."

    Mercury slightly jumped at the touch as his fears grew. "Wh-Where are we going?" he asked timidly.

    "Nowhere." Paz stopped walking and let go of Mercury. "That rock, there." He pointed at a particular boulder where the sand met the grass. "Shoot it."

    Mercury saw the rock, but he didn't understand what was going on. "What? Why?"

    "You want to win next time, don't you?" Paz reached into his pocket and took out a few more paintballs. "You can reload the weapon. Try again."

    "..."

    Mercury looked at the launcher before he reloaded it. He wasn't sure what to expect from his failure, but he wasn't expecting an immediate chance at redeeming himself. His father would simply beat him.

    "Don't look at me," the Mandalorian calmly ordered. "Look at your target."

    "..."

    Mercury obeyed and looked at a specific spot on the rock. With the target in mind, he raised his fist and fired.

    *SPLAT*​

    The paint hit the rock in the general area Mercury was looking in.

    "You see?" Paz asked. "You can shoot. Now, try to hit it in the same spot."

    "..."

    Mercury raised his fist again and fired.

    *SPLAT*​

    Green paint hit the rock again, but it was far from Mercury's original shot.

    "Hmm," the Mandalorian grunted. He wasn't angry with Mercury, but he could definitely see a problem the boy was having. "How well can you see in your helmet?"

    "My helmet?" Mercury asked. "It's okay, I guess."

    "There are no blind spots? Or anything else covering your eyes?"

    "Not really."

    Paz looked at the rock again. "It seems you need to work on your aim."

    "...Sorry." Mercury lowered his hand. "I never learned how to shoot a gun."

    "You will." Paz put a hand on Mercury's shoulder. "But we learned nonetheless."

    "What did we learn?"

    "How best to help you." Paz let go of Mercury's shoulder. "Let's join with the others." He began to walk back towards the other Mandalorians since he was content with what he learned with Mercury.

    Mercury, however, was more confused than ever.

    "Wait, that's it?" Mercury asked as he ran up to Paz.

    "Yes," Paz replied honestly. "It's unwise to be too hasty with your training."

    "But... you're not mad?"

    Paz looked down at the child while he continued to walk. "Why would I be mad?"

    "Because I... Never mind."

    Paz stopped walking as he began to have an idea why Mercury believed he would be angry with him. "You believed I would have a similar reaction as your father?"

    "..."

    Paz and Mercury had talked about a lot of things since they met, mainly with Paz teaching the child about the Way of the Mandalore and how to fight like a Mandalorian. Mercury would always listen and ask questions whenever he had them. However, the one topic they didn't choose to discuss was Mercury's father, given how close he was to killing the both of them.

    But now, Paz had decided that enough time had passed to address the Goliath in the room.

    "What happened to you was wrong, I wouldn't argue otherwise," Paz began as he kneeled down to Mercury. "But you needn't fear the ones that surround you now. We're loyal to each other, and the Foundlings we take in. This is the Way."

    "This is the Way," Mercury repeated. He had been taught to make this a habit whenever someone uttered those four words. But there was one thing he had to make sure of when he thought about it. "But we still had to leave our people in Vale. And I heard how the other clans talk about us."

    Paz was familiar with how the other clans saw him. He had spoken with Pre Vizsla about this. And while the advice he shared wasn't exactly to Paz's liking, he was willing to share it with the child before him. "We must be patient," he said. "Once we reclaim Mandalore, Pre Vizsla will lead us all and make every tribe swear the Creed. Soon, our brethren in Vale will see that the Armorer was wrong; our secrecy will no longer be our survival." Paz struck a fist on his armor. "Our strength will be our survival." He then slowly moved this fist to Mercury's chest. "As will yours be, one day."

    Mercury's conscience became clear as he understood each word. He also came to appreciate everything his mentor had said. "Thanks," he said. "I get it now."

    "Very good." Paz stood back up as he shared one more piece of advice with the child. "I know you don't like to talk of your father. But perhaps we can relate what you learned from him with your training now."

    Mercury took a minute to think about this advice, and he recalled how he never learned how to shoot a gun. This was because Marcus' training consisted of hand-to-hand combat.

    More specifically, with kickboxing.

    Mercury could throw a good punch, but he was better when he fought with his feet. He could jump high and deliver strong kicks; some of them were strong enough to break pieces of wood. He also knew how to quickly get back on his feet so he could fight some more.

    It was this experience that had just given Mercury an idea.

    "Wait a second," he requested as he stopped walking. "I think you're on to something. Do you have any more darts?"

    "You want to try now?" Paz asked. "You should work on your aim first."

    "It'll just take a minute. I wanna try something else."

    "..."

    Paz was reluctant to let Mercury try something he needed to work on. He was ready to refuse the request, but something about Mercury made the large Mandalorian decide to humor him. And so, after handing him a few more paintballs from his belt, Paz watched Mercury take them and load his launcher.

    But instead of putting it around his wrist, Mercury tied the weapon around his ankle.

    "What are you doing?" Paz asked as he watched Mercury perform the unorthodox action.

    "I think you're on to something about learning from my dad," Mercury said as he finished tying the launcher on his leg. "I'm good with a kick. Maybe it can help."

    "But that's not how it works." Paz Vizsla was always one to follow traditional ways of doing things, and this action was no different. "If you want to learn, you have to do it the right way."

    "My dad once had me kick a tree in the same spot for hours." Mercury pointed to another boulder close to the shore. "I bet I can hit that rock in the same spot three times."

    "You have to wear it correctly."

    Mercury was unsure if arguing with Paz was a good idea, given what happened whenever he talked back to his father. However, Mercury had the Way of the Mandalore on his side.

    "Isn't it the Way of the Mandalore for someone to accept any challenge?" Mercury asked calmly.

    "..."

    Paz had his misgivings about the idea of firing darts from a leg, but he had to admit that Mercury was right. If this was a challenge, Paz was honor-bound to accept it.

    Even if this was highly unorthodox.

    "Very well," Paz agreed. "Hit the rock in the same spot."

    "..."

    Mercury nodded as he took one step towards the rock. He knew that a gentle squeeze of the trigger would cause the launcher to fire, so he was careful not to step with his right leg. His plan was indeed irregular, but he was confident in his ability to perform a kick several times in the same spot. His punches were different, but he could kick in the same spot.

    And he did.

    *SPLAT*

    *SPLAT*

    *SPLAT*    ​

    Mercury kicked the air in the same spot three times, which caused a paintball to shoot out from the launcher each time his leg hit the trigger. And just as he promised, Mercury hit the rock three times to make a small shape of paint. Given how small each splatter was from each other, this proved that Mercury had hit the rock in the same spot three times.

    More specifically, the spot where he had been aiming for.

    "Yes!" Mercury shouted in pride as he turned back towards Paz Vizsla. "Did you see that?!"

    "..."

    Paz had indeed seen what the Foundling had done. And to say that he was surprised would be an understatement. He had been proven wrong by someone far younger than him and in such an unorthodox way. Mercury's trick had worked, and it made him think outside the box.

    Similar to how Din Djarin and his Foundling thought about things.

    Paz immediately grew uneasy at the idea of someone thinking differently than what he was taught, especially with someone he chose to watch and train. Thinking in such a manner was dangerous to him, and he had to put a stop to it.

    However, the Mandalorian was able to calm down when he saw that he had made a small error in judgement. Not just with doubting Mercury's ability, but also in being too quick to judge. It was the Way of the Mandalore for one not to speak unless one knows. He had been taught this lesson long ago, and now Mercury had taught it to him once again.

    One way or another, Mercury was learning what it meant to be a Mandalorian who walked the Way of the Mandalore. Though Paz would have to work on getting him to think in what he perceived to be a better manner.

    Besides, he couldn't find it within himself to be angry at Mercury.

    "We'll work on you training with a gun," Paz finally said. "But that..." He put a hand on the boy's shoulder and gently shook it. "That was good."

    Mercury proudly smiled under his helmet. For once again, his faith in the large Mandalorian wasn't misplaced. "Thanks."

    In the throne room, Bo-Katan sat on a stone chair with blue padding on the back. She wasn't the leader of the warring Mandalorians, but the castle was still hers. Pre Vizsla accepted this reality, so he stood towards the middle of the room with his guards and Bo-Katan's friends.

    In the center of the room was a Grimm unlike any other, a Seer. Vizsla had seen this jellyfish-like Grimm multiple times and he understood what it did. This Grimm acted like the Cross Continental Transmit System, where it could communicate with others of its kind across the globe. Today, like many days before, Vizsla was using it to speak directly to Salem.

    "The Basilisk droid continues to serve us well," Vizsla reported. "And our numbers grow every day in Anima."

    "My daughters will be most pleased with your continued use of their creation," said Salem, who smiled at the news. "What is your progress in marching towards Haven Academy?"

    "My spies tell me that the last pocket of resistance rests at the Great Lake dividing the west and east of Anima. Once we take it, we should arrive in Mistral in two days time."

    "Excellent. When do you plan to attack?"

    "The resistance there is the strongest. It was strong enough to eliminate the Grimm you sent to aid us. And our remaining forces say they will need a day to establish control over their new sectors before they can rally together again. But I can tell them to work faster if that is your wish."

    "That will be unnecessary, Vizsla. Let your forces rest. I have a task for you and you alone."

    This was the first time Salem had given such a task to Pre Vizsla. Every battle he fought was always with his army, and that was how he always won. But even though this time would apparently be different, he didn't back down from the challenge.

    "What would you have me do?" Vizsla asked.

    "You may recall a conversation we had one month ago," Salem explained. "About an agreement you and I came to."

    Vizsla needed a moment to search his memories, and he managed to recall such a conversation. "Is this regarding Saxon?"

    "It is. One month ago, you expressed your distaste with his claim to the Darksaber. Rather than heed your warning immediately, I promised you the chance to claim the sword and its responsibilities as your own. In turn, you promised me results in Anima." Salem smiled again. "Exactly one month has passed today. And I see you are one to keep your word."

    Vizsla prided himself in his recent victories, as well as being able to please someone with such power at their fingertips. "And what of you?" he asked boldly. "Do you intend to give me my chance to earn the Darksaber justly?"

    "I do," said Salem. "One of the reasons I am here with you now is to inform you that your chance has come. I find myself to be most displeased with Saxon and his forces. Perhaps the time has come for new management."

    Vizsla, and the rest of his allies and subordinates, were pleased to hear this. Soon their leader would be the one to leadall Mandalorians towards a new future. Bo-Katan was especially pleased, given how she saw Pre Vizsla as the rightful ruler of Mandalore.

    The warlord was pleased himself, but he was more curious about this potential change of events.

    "May I ask what's happened to make Saxon earn your ire?" Vizsla requested.

    "Too much," Salem replied. "First, almost half of his forces have been killed."

    "Half?"

    Vizsla could hardly believe such an idea. He was familiar with the size of Clan Saxon, and he knew they were enough for an army. Whether they were led by Gar Saxon or not, Clan Saxon was a force to be reckoned with. But how could Gar Saxon lose almost half of his forces?

    "And that's not all," Salem continued. "His hold on the once prestigious Beacon Academy has been lost as well. Our work in Vale is becoming undone as each day passes." The Queen looked at each Mandalorian that was accompanying Vizsla at the moment. "We will regain our advantage. In order to do that, the Mandalorians need a new leader."

    Vizsla smiled as he realized that his chance had finally come. And if his string of victories in Mistral had taught him one thing, it was that he could replicate his work anywhere in the world. Perhaps he could even place Bo-Katan in charge of the new attacks he would plan.

    Salem sensed the Mandalorian's satisfaction with her plan; now at that remained was to put it into action.

    "Saxon is with me now," she said. "Come to me. Claim your prize."

    "It will be done," Vizsla promised.

    The journey was rather long, but Pre Vizsla and his forces found themselves at the Land of Darkness by sundown. There, the airship Bo-Katan flew landed on a platform high above the ground and even higher above the numerous Creatures of Grimm below. The sight of many Grimm in one spot was astonishing at first, but the Mandalorians had grown accustomed to it now.

    Pre Vizsla was joined by his Wraiths and Bo-Katan on his journey to Salem's castle. As soon as they all left the exquisite ship, they were greeted by a young woman in a black dress and black hood. Vizsla recognized her as one of Salem's daughters, but he wasn't sure which one it was; given that her hood covered most of her hair, the young lady looked the same as the rest of her sisters.

    With a slight bow, the daughter of Salem silently led the Mandalorians into the castle and past various corridors. Vizsla and Bo-Katan knew what to expect as they walked through the dark halls, given that they had been here before.

    However, they were both taken aback by the number of Saxon Mandalorians that were either walking around or training together.

    "This is new," Bo-Katan whispered to Vizsla.

    "Salem said that they lost their hold on most of Vale," the warlord replied. "It seems they had no other place to go."

    The daughter of Salem led the Mandalorians up a flight of stairs, which led them to the second floor of what appeared to be an amphitheater with a large window. She suddenly raised a finger to her lips and pointed downwards. At the lower floor of the room, Salem was with two Mandalorians dressed in red and white armor. She was currently speaking to the Mandalorians, and her daughter silently urged Vizsla to watch and listen for his opportunity to strike.

    "You come bearing excuses," Salem said without looking at the two Saxons. "Share them."

    One Mandalorian, who revealed himself to be Gar Saxon, spoke first. "We lost Beacon because we were outnumbered," he began. "The forces you put in charge of excavating Beacon were outnumbered when Mandalorians who denied my rule attacked us all."

    "And tell me again why you believed the countless Grimm my daughters left behind were insufficient material at your disposal."

    "Because they were all gone. One of those Mandalorians, the zealot, did... something to make them all disappear. When we all recovered from the light he used to blind us, we saw that only my smaller forces and I were left alive."

    Salem mentally took note of the mention of the light Gar Saxon had mentioned. If the Grimm had disappeared along with the light, it seemed that Ozpin had found himself yet another Silver-Eyed Warrior to use. Whoever he was, he would have to found and destroyed.

    But that wasn't an excuse for Saxon's recent failures.

    "And what of you, Tiber?" Salem asked as she looked over her shoulder. "What excuse do you wish to share?"

    The man next to Gar Saxon was his brother Tiber, a Mandalorian in white armor with red and gray pauldrons. Just as Salem had said, his role in the conquest of Vale had suffered drawbacks.

    "The foe we faced was something we never saw before," he explained. "He wiped out entire battalions like they were playthings."

    Despite the relation he shared with Tiber, Gar Saxon saw a chance to make himself look better in Salem's eyes. "I gave you everything you asked for, Tiber," he said. "How could you lose half of it, and then more, to a simple Huntsman?"

    "As I already told you, Gar, this wasn't a simple Huntsman," Tiber argued. "Huntsmen can't withstand the force of an entire building on them and simply lift it above the ground. This strength and speed wasn't something one could learn at any academy."

    "So what was it then?"

    "You spoke to my men, you heard what they all said about him. They said 'Butcher.'"

    The Mand'alor indeed heard what his people had said when he reunited with his brother. He also heard the tale of the Mandalorian Butcher; every child of Mandalore heard it at least once in their life.

    But that didn't mean he believed it.

    "You can't be serious," said Gar. "I don't know who you're trying to fool, but I don't plan to believe that a fairy tale jumped out of the pages of a book and killed my people, who I entrusted you to lead them."

    Salem had finally turned away from the window and addressed the two Mandalorians. "And I don't plan to believe that either of your excuses can pardon any of your failures," Salem warned adamantly.

    "..."

    Salem turned to the Mand'alor. "Do you remember when we first met, Saxon?" she asked. "I remember. I remember your ambition, and your desire to be more than you were at the time."

    "..."

    Saxon also remembered when he first met Salem; it was a time when he was one of the lowest members of his tribe, when he wanted more out of life. He wanted strength, victory, and power. Salem knew this, and so it wasn't a mystery as to why Saxon took Salem's offer to join her and gain everything he ever wanted.

    "Since that day, you've grown incredibly strong and powerful," Salem continued. "I won't forget everything you've done for me. But I also won't forget everything you couldn't do for me."

    "..."

    Salem formed a scowl on her face. "I was counting on you, Saxon. I gave you everything, and this is how you repay me?"

    "Your Grace, our war isn't lost," Gar insisted. He wasn't used to begging for his life, but he was well aware of how little tolerance Salem had for failure. His only hope was to humbly request the witch to spare him. "Grant me a chance of redemption, and I won't fail you again."

    Salem expected an offer like this; it wasn't akin to begging, but Gar Saxon was always one to preserve his life and wants above all else. However, her mind was set on her next plans for Saxon.

    "Your offering is highly dubious," she began. "But I may be willing to grant you this chance. However, you must earn it." Salem raised her hand towards the balcony above her, specifically to her daughter.

    "It's time," the girl whispered to Vizsla. "Go now." She then watched the warlord and his present company fly down and land in front of the Mand'alor.

    "Vizsla?" Gar asked in surprise before he turned back to Salem. "What is this?!"

    "Your test," Salem said calmly.

    Pre Vizsla readied his Beskar staff and pointed the end of it towards Saxon. "I challenge you, Gar Saxon," he said boldly. "One Mandalorian to another. And only the strongest will rule Mandalore."

    Salem walked away from the window and moved in front of the dumbfounded Gar Saxon. "I trust it's no secret that Pre Vizsla has become a valuable asset to us," she said. "His deeds in Mistral and his ability to gather more forces to our cause have convinced me to grant him a chance to earn his claim to the Darksaber."

    Saxon was infuriated with this betrayal, and he was ready to show it. "I-!"

    "But I have been proven wrong before." Salem stepped aside so Gar could see his challenger. "Defeat Pre Vizsla, and I will forgive your humiliating defeat in Vale." She then turned to Vizsla. "Defeat Gar Saxon, and the throne will be yours."

    "I will," Vizsla promised as he remained completely still. His followers, on the other hand, moved back to give their leader some room to fight. "If Saxon accepts my challenge, that is."

    "..."

    Gar Saxon now recognized the situation before him. He was well aware that if he should deny a challenge for the Darksaber, nobody would respect his rule. Not even his own brother would follow him into battle for denying Vizlsa's challenge. For this was a very well known and very traditional custom of the Mandalorians.

    Simply put, it was do or die.

    "Before I accept, answer me one question," Gar Saxon requested as he lowered his hand towards the Beskar hilt at his side. "We conquered Beacon together, started this war together. Does our alliance mean nothing to you now?"

    "Not when the future of Mandalore is at risk," Vizsla bluntly replied.

    "...So be it." Saxon removed the Darksaber from his side and activated its blade. His helmet was hiding it, but his face formed a bloodthirsty scowl as he relished in the idea of killing his opponent.

    The sentiment was more than mutual for Pre Vizsla.

    "For Mandalore!"

    The warriors charged at each other without hesitation. Saxon immediately moved on the offensive as he struck at Vizsla's head, but the warlord moved his staff to defend himself. The staff that doubled as a spear was made of Beskar, so the Darksaber didn't cut through the metal.

    But that didn't stop Gar Saxon from trying again.

    The Mand'alor was proving himself to be quite component with a sword, let alone the Darksaber. Each swing and attack he made was not only strong, but also quick and calculated. He even wasn't afraid to use his jetpack or weapons in his gauntlets to aid him.

    Pre Vizsla had expected this, and he was fully prepared for whatever came next.

    Ever since he lost his duel to Din Djarin on the island of Vytal, something changed inside Pre Vizsla. He had been humiliated in front of his own men, despite the unknown fact that Glynda Goodwitch had helped Djarin. It was this humiliation that led Vizsla down a spiral of anger, hatred, but most of all, an obsession with destiny. He believed the Darksaber belonged to him and him alone, and he was willing to do whatever was necessary to claim it as his own and restore his honor. While he was able to kill any Mandalorian who challenged his leadership after this failure, Vizsla was left unsatisfied.

    To him, the Darksaber was his only hope.

    Fortunately, Vizsla's hatred for Din Djarin and his desire to restore his honor did not hinder his judgement or ability as a conqueror. But rather, it only made him more patient, cunning, and dangerous.

    As to how dangerous, Gar Saxon was about to find out.

    The Darksaber had clashed against the Beskar spear about ten times before Saxon realized that he would need a new approach. He had used his gauntlet's hidden features before, but now he decided to rely on them a little more than usual. Flames from a flamethrower nearly engulfed Vizsla, but he was able to duck just in time. But Saxon took this chance to launch his wire at the spear Vizsla was holding and pry it from his grasp. As he watched the metal fall to the ground, Saxon swelled with pride as he began to believe that this challenge would be easier than he thought.

    That would be the case, if Vizsla hadn't been counting on a move like this.

    The metal wire inside a Mandalorian gauntlet was mainly used to ensnare a Mandalorian's prey, either by the arms and legs. Since Vizsla's limbs were free, and Saxon's wire was still around the spear, the warlord took advantage of this and flew right into Saxon. The motion and Vizsla's strength were enough to make Saxon lose his footing and feel himself collide into a wall behind him.

    *BAM*​

    Vizsla let go of Saxon when he crashed into the wall and flew up towards the ceiling. Rather than attack, Vizsla simply waited for his foe to stand up and attack back. This wasn't really a battle tactic, but rather, Vizsla wanted Saxon to understand something at the present moment.

    The Mand'alor's jetpack had been broken in the crash.

    As soon as Saxon realized this, and as soon as Vizsla could almost taste the fear his opponent possessed, the man in the air took out two blasters of his own and opened fire.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Saxon was able to duck and weave past some of the yellow blasts, but he was forced to attempt to block the others with the Darksaber. While some of Vizsla's shots hit Saxon's body, as well as his Aura, Saxon refused to give up.

    So Vizsla decided to make things even more unfair by firing the missile he had on his jetpack.

    *BOOM*​

    Saxon wasn't in the middle of the explosion, but he was launched forward and hit by some of the flames as he lost his grip on the Darksaber. The Mandalorians who joined Vizsla averted their gaze from the explosion, but Salem simply brushed some dust off her dress as she looked at the hole in her floor.

    "I'm almost impressed," the witch said to herself as she looked at Saxon and Vizsla.

    The dueling Mandalorians realized that the Darksaber was resting on the floor between them. After they quickly looked at each other and almost read each other's mind, Saxon and Vizsla charged towards the spot on the ground where they Darksaber was resting.

    *BAM*​

    Instead of recovering the sword, the Mandalorians collided into each other and began a violent hand-to-hand combat experience. Vizsla recklessly threw both of his fists at Saxon's helmet multiple times, which eventually caused it to fly off his head. Saxon, however, managed to grab the next fist and twist Vizsla's arm. The Mandalorian couldn't help but scream in pain, and Saxon was able to kick Vizsla off of him.

    Vizsla recovered from the kick and arm twist, and he ran right back towards his foe. More punches and kicks were delivered on both sides, and damage was certainly done to both parties. After he was knocked back again, Vizsla was able to use one of his gauntlet's accessories against his foe. Pointing his gauntlet right at Saxon, Vizsla pressed a button that launched two razor-sharp discs at the unmasked Mandalorian.

    The first disc formed a cut on Saxon's forehead. The second cut right into Saxon's eye.

    The Mandalorian screamed in pain as he attempted to use his Aura to heal the pain he had been inflicted. While this worked, Saxon had become blind in one eye. Rage swirled within him as he decided to use what Aura he had left to trigger his Semblance; something that his brother Tiber shared.

    Vizsla began to see a bright flash of light, one that was being made by Gar Saxon himself. He was familiar with the man's Semblance, and how deadly it was when applied to fellow Mandalorians. Perhaps it was his way of staying in power, but Vizsla wasn't concerned about that. When he saw the ball of energy, Vizsla knew that Saxon had exhausted all of his other options, as well as a majority of his Aura. One touch from the ball that was heading straight towards him would end this battle, despite the fact that his own Aura levels were high.

    But if Saxon was willing to use his Semblance to end this fight, Vizsla decided that perhaps it was finally time to use his own.

    The ball of energy was moving as fast as lightning, and it was a danger to all Mandalorians in the immediate area. Tiber, Bo-Katan, and the other Mandalorians all backed away out of fear and self-preservation, but Pre Vizsla stood right where he was.

    For when the energy finally reached him... the dangerous object moved right through Vizsla.

    "..."

    The Mandalorians all gasped in surprise as they witnessed Vizsla standing right where he was, alive and unharmed. Gar Saxon was also shocked at the phenomena, but he tried using his Semblance again. Not only did it have the same result, but Pre Vizsla began to move forwards towards his foe. Saxon tried two more times to make Vizsla stop, but nothing seemed to be working.

    On the fifth attempt, however, there was an unintended consequence. Pre Vizsla was standing right in front of Gar Saxon, and Saxon had formed yet another ball to make the warlord fade away. However, since he too was in the immediate area of the attack, Gar Saxon experienced a severe blowback as his own energy was turned against him.

    With his Aura broken and his own Beskar transforming into ash, Gar Saxon couldn't help but scream as his attack made him suffer. Vizsla, on the other hand, watched and smiled as his Semblance protected him from any harm.

    Despite being a warlord for so long, Vizsla had unlocked his Semblance fairly recently; any time a weapon or attack came close to him, Vizsla could make his body transparent. He could make any sword, bullet, or any other attack pass right through him with no harm inflicted.

    In other words... Pre Vizsla was untouchable.

    After about twenty seconds of screaming and burning, Gar Saxon fell limply to the ground. He was still breathing, but his torso was riddled with severe burns. He couldn't even move his own arms without feeling a tremendous amount of pain. Content with his work, Vizsla opened his right hand and held it towards Bo-Katan.

    He then felt the hilt of the Darksaber, which the woman had picked up and thrown, come right where it belonged; in his grasp.

    The black light shined upon Saxon's face, but the warrior made no attempt to reclaim it. Whether he liked it or not, Gar Saxon had lost the duel. He had lost his clan, he had lost Salem's favor, and now he was about to lose his own life. He understood this well and he did nothing else but accept his fate.

    But before he landed the killing blow, Vizsla had one thing to say.

    "You made many mistakes during your 'rule,' Saxon," Vizsla began. "Let me show you one thing you did... that I don't intend to do."

    "..."

    Vizsla drew his blaster and pointed it directly at Saxon's face. "I will never suffer rivals." But rather than fire at the broken man, the warlord raised it right towards Tiber and pulled the trigger.

    *BANG*​

    A yellow blast made its way through Tiber's neck, which caused the man to bleed and feel himself choking on his own blood. As he fell to the ground and desperately tried to stop the bleeding, Tiber felt the essence of air flee from his body and leave him behind.

    With that, Tiber let go of his throat... and died.

    Gar Saxon groaned not in pain, but in anger at the ruthless action. While they recently had a disagreement, Tiber was still Gar's brother. And he would never forgive Vizsla for robbing him of family.

    "You were there when our people needed you, Gar," Vizsla said as he lowered his gun." But they need me now. I'm sorry you couldn't see this through to the end." He then lifted the Darksaber above his head. "But only the strongest... shall rule."

    "..."

    *SWISH*​

    Vizsla, Bo-Katan, and Salem watched Gar Saxon's head roll on the floor in silence. Vizsla was the first to lift his own head from the floor, where he was soon met with a smile from Salem and kneeling from Bo-Katan and the other Mandalorians.

    This would be a day to go down in history. For today, Gar and Tiber Saxon felt the wrath of the one, true Mand'alor. And soon, Vizsla promised himself, Mandalorians like Din Djarin would be next.

    The new Mand'alor acted swiftly when he claimed his new weapon. Bo-Katan saw to it personally that the bodies of Gar and Tiber Saxon were thrown into the nearest Grimm pool, which she was told was the best place for disposal. Afterwards, she proudly watched her new ruler assert his claim to the Darksaber in front of the Saxon forces at the Land of Darkness.

    After they heard that Salem herself acted as a witness to the duel, and after Vizsla shared the truth at how Gar Saxon stole the Darksaber rather than earn it, the Mandalorians saw that they had little choice but to respect Vizlsa's rule.

    If they wished to live, that is.

    While she was more than pleased with this turn of events, Salem was aware that this was no time for celebration. She had led Vizsla back to her meeting room for a private conversation, where she planned to restrategize her efforts in Vale. Vizsla's Wraiths waited outside the room, but Bo-Katan was given the honor of joining the two rulers.

    "The sword suits you," the witch declared as she watched Vizsla finally turn off the Darksaber.

    "I couldn't agree more," the Mandalorian said as he put the sword on his hip. "As I said to my people, the curse is over. Know that I intend to repay you for the chance you gave me by launching a new counterattack in Vale."

    Salem saw that possessing the Darksaber was starting to get to Pre Vizsla's head. He needed to be more calculating in this matter. In order to do that, he needed to fully understand what he was up against.

    "Counterattack?" Salem asked as she took her seat on the throne of crystal. "Perhaps you forget what Tiber Saxon said about his failures in Vale. Namely, the one who cut his forces down to size."

    "The Butcher is a nothing more than a fairy tale," Vizsla countered. "A boogeyman meant to scare disobedient Foundlings."

    "Beware of your pride, Vizsla. And listen when I tell you that the Butcher is no mere story."

    "..."

    The Grimm Queen could see that she had the attention of both Mandalorians. "His real name is Revan," she explained. "A former pupil of mine before he betrayed me. His strength and skill surpasses any Mandalorian. And now he has chosen to prove his mettle to you. And me."

    "Is he like you?" Vizsla asked as he began to heed Salem's warning. "Can he not be killed?"

    "He is strong, but not immortal. I have trained him, but he does not possess the same amount of power I do."

    "But he's still powerful."

    "He is. And while he fights with Ozpin and the forces of Remnant, he proves himself to be a thorn in our side." Salem mentally sighed as she felt the sting of the thorn that was Revan. "I must find a way to tip the balance of power back in our favor."

    Vizsla agreed and he began to strategize with Salem. "You claim to be more powerful than the Butcher," he said. "We would welcome your aid on the battlefield as we welcomed your control over the Grimm."

    "I will join you, but not yet. Should the knowledge of my existence come to light before the time is right, any hope of division will be rendered void. I must wait until humanity is at their most vulnerable before I reveal myself."

    Vizsla understood Salem's strategy of dividing humanity, so he began to think of a different plan. "Do we not also possess someone of great power? A Faunus disciple of yours, to be exact."

    "Indeed. Aurora has grown to master what she has been given, but she is not yet to full strength. In her case, the Power of Old remains divided while its previous wielder lives. If we are to defeat Revan, we need someone who is much stronger than Aurora."

    The new Mand'alor didn't know anyone else who was as strong as Salem or Aurora, so the problem he shared with Salem only continued to grow. And there didn't seem to be any solution in sight.

    "I think I can help."

    Salem and Vizsla turned towards Bo-Katan, who was standing right next to her new Mand'alor. "You need someone like Aurora, but stronger," she said. "You ever hear of the Branwen Tribe? Last time I checked, they had someone like you were describing in their ranks."

    "...Is that so?" Salem asked curiously. "I'm familiar with the name 'Branwen.' And this tribe... bandits, are they not?"

    "That's right. One of their own helped us lay down the foundations for the project I was working on before I joined you. They called her a 'Maiden.'"

    At first, Salem was mildly curious when Bo-Katan said that she knew someone like Aurora. But as soon as she heard the word "Maiden," Salem gave Bo-Katan her full attention.

    As well as her anger.

    "A Maiden?!" Salem asked in shock as she stood up and struck her palms on the stone table before her. "You fool! You've known where another Maiden has been all this time and choose to tell me now?!"

    Bo-Katan and Pre Vizsla were both surprised by Salem's change in behavior, and also intimidated by it. But Bo-Katan was quick to defend herself. "W-Wait a minute!" she began as she moved her hands up in defense. "How was I supposed to know you knew about this?! You never said anything to me or Vizsla about Maidens or anything like that!"

    "..."

    Salem knew that Bo-Katan was right. She may have made the decision to share the existence about what the Mandalorians called the Power of Old, but she had also chosen to keep the concept of the Maidens and their purpose on Remnant a secret. After she chose to not let her emotions overpower her sense of reason, Salem knew that she had little choice but to give some form of explanation for her actions.

    "The Maidens are also wielders of the Power of Old," Salem explained. "Currently, it is Ozpin's goal to band them together and use them against me. I must beat him to it. I must have the Maidens on our side." Salem looked at Bo-Katan again. "So if there is anything else you feel that I must know, speak now."

    "..."

    Salem was confident that she had scared Bo-Katan into enough submission to the point where she knew lying or withholding information would be unwise. And she would make sure to keep a close eye on the Mand'alor's lieutenant in the future.

    For now, Salem chose to focus her immediate efforts on seizing the Maiden.

    "Where is the Branwen Tribe?" Salem asked calmly.

    "Um..."

    "..."

    Bo-Katan needed a second to find her voice again after the outburst. "I met them in Anima," she finally said. "In the area that our forces control."

    "I see," Salem began. She could see that Bo-Katan had met the Spring Maiden. And given that Death Watch was close to Haven Academy, acquiring the Relic stored there would be easier than she thought. "And what are the chances they are still there?"

    "Their leader stated their intention of moving camp when I met her. But I know they don't leave Anima when they relocate."

    "..."

    Bo-Katan suddenly remembered something else that could prove to be useful. "Didn't some of our forces say they saw a few camps during one of their raids?" she asked her leader.

    "Quite a few," Pre Vizsla replied honestly. "One of them could be the Branwen Tribe."

    "Find out for sure before you leave," Salem ordered. "And I will have the Grimm aid you in taking the city of Mistral in the foreseeable future."

    "As you wish."

    Mistral was one of Mandalore's enemies during the Great War, so the idea of conquering it was music to Vizsla's ears. He then took his leave when Salem waved her hand towards the door.

    Once she was alone, a Seer emerged from the shadows and moved to Salem's side. No clear image formed in the smoke, but Salem spoke to it as if she was talking to someone else.

    "Aurora, come to me. And bring my daughters. I have a task for you."

    "Yes, Your Grace."

    It has been said that one learns something new every day. Today, for a particular Faunus and the young hybrids Salem called her daughters, they had learned that patience truly pays off.

    Salem's daughters had been confined to the Land of Darkness for a very long time. This time was spent training as well as assisting the Mandalorians who were fighting in their master's war with the world. Other than that, Merri, Flora, and Fauna mainly worked on building more weapons and devices for the Mandalorians. Their skill in combat had grown, as did their skill in the field of mechanical engineering.

    The one person who went through the most change was Aurora.

    Nobody in the castle, save for Salem, had seen or heard from Aurora ever since she returned from Beacon. When she wasn't overseeing the war efforts or the efforts of her daughters, Salem had turned Aurora into her... personal project, of sorts. This included experimenting with the portion of the power that the Faunus had gained from the previous Fall Maiden.

    All Salem could say from the results was that she had severely underestimated the idea of Aurora gaining a portion of the power. For now, after a whole month of training, the power Aurora held was miraculous.

    Each of the three daughters was curious as to what happened to Aurora when they finally reunited with her. Given that she didn't appear to look any different, save for the black clothes she was wearing, it was almost as if Aurora was never gone in the first place. But there was one thing that stood out about her; a black glove was covering her left arm, which ended right at her elbow.

    Aurora paid the glove no heed, and neither did Salem's daughters. They instead followed her lead in silence as she walked into Salem's meeting room and bowed. "You summoned us, Your Grace?" Aurora asked as she stood upright.

    "I have," Salem confirmed. "It seems we have been granted a rare opportunity. Children, you wish to leave the castle, do you not?"

    "Yes, Mother," said Merri, who spoke for her sisters. She didn't notice, but this action had earned a dirty glare from Flora.

    Salem nodded and turned to Aurora next. "And Aurora, you once said you wished to claim all the Maidens' powers. Is that correct?"

    Aurora looked at the glove over her left arm. "Indeed, Your Grace," she said. "Your latest gift will make this all too easy."

    "..."

    Aurora was sure that Salem knew what she was talking about, but she wasn't sure why this was being brought up. "Why do you ask?"

    Salem smiled before she answered her servant. "As I said, a rare opportunity has been brought to my attention," she repeated. "The Mandalorians have just informed me that they have located a Maiden."

    "A Maiden?" Salem's children repeated in surprise.

    Aurora was also surprised by this news, and she had an idea as to who this Maiden was. "Cinder?" she guessed.

    "No," Salem quickly denied. "This is Spring. It would seem she is in Anima, and a member of the Branwen Tribe."

    "The bandits?"

    "Indeed. Pre Vizsla and Bo-Katan Kryze have just informed me of their exact location. I'd like you to go to them."

    While she was disappointed to learn that Cinder was still at large, Aurora was pleased to know that another Maiden was apparently hers for the taking. She had been training long and hard with Salem ever since the Fall of Beacon, and now she was ready to show the world what she had learned.

    "Yes," Aurora agreed with a smile. "I'll leave for Anima at once, Your Grace, and return with the power of the Spring Maiden!"

    "I am certain of that, Aurora," Salem said as she took note of the Faunus' obvious ambition. "But not yet. I require that you go to the Branwen Tribe, and extend a hand of truce."

    Aurora immediately stopped smiling. "...Truce?"

    "You and my daughters will convince Raven Branwen that the survival of her people depends on her cooperation. Once you have Spring under control, escort her to the Relic and bring them both to me. You will then leave for Vale and kill Revan with Spring."

    Merri took this chance to set things straight for herself and everyone else. "What about the invasion of Mistral?" she asked.

    "The Mandalorians were promised the destruction of Mistral, and they'll have it once we have what we need. And what we need is the Relic... and Revan's head."

    "Meaning... you wish for us to secure the Relic before the invasion. And eliminate any potential threats that exist."

    "Precisely," Salem confirmed. "Once the Relic is ours and my former disciple is dead, Mistral will fall. The victorious Mandalorians will retake Vale, and then we'll take the Maiden's power." Salem looked over to the Faunus. "I trust you can handle the negotiations, Aurora?"

    "Of... Of course," Aurora confirmed. "Doctor Watts and I managed to convince Gideon to join us, after all. Bartering with the bandits shouldn't be difficult."

    Salem nodded at the idea and then studied the body language of everyone before her. The witch was able to see that nobody was confused or uncertain about their mission anymore. In fact, they seemed eager to leave the castle and see the rest of Remnant once again.

    Everyone except Flora.

    Salem was unsure what it was with her daughter that made her appear conflicted and angry about this course of action, but she knew there was only one way to find out. "You're free to speak your mind, Flora," she said calmly.

    Everyone turned to the redhead as she voiced her opinion on this mission. "I don't understand," she said. "Working with bandits? Keeping the Spring Maiden alive? What's the point? We're strong enough to take what we want by force!"

    Salem didn't doubt the strength she possessed, and she knew that force was also an option in this matter. But that didn't mean that she should rely solely on this opinion.

    "Never underestimate the usefulness of others," the witch explained. "Take Vizsla; he was once a prisoner with almost nothing to his name, and yet now..." Salem chuckled as she remembered the pleasure she gained from watching Gar Saxon die. "We will have the power I promised, when the time is right. First, we must safely procure the Relic, and kill Revan. Only then, will we be able to take what belongs to us."

    Flora had spent the same amount of time in Salem's castle as her sisters, but she had grown impatient with the concept of leaving. And she was growing even more impatient at the idea of being subtle when they left.

    "But I-"

    "We'll leave at once," said Merri, who put a hand on her sister's shoulder and spoke quickly. Once again, this earned the redhead's ire towards Merri.

    Aurora silently took the lead out of the meeting room, where she was followed by the three daughters of the Grimm Queen.

    "Fauna."

    The brunette girl turned around at the sound of her name to see that Salem was rising off her throne.

    "Before you join your sisters, I require your assistance with a different matter."

    Aurora and the sisters easily acquired an airship that one of the Saxon Mandalorians was piloting. Without question or a second thought, the Mandalorian charted a course that his passengers had been given by Vizsla and Bo-Katan. Soon, they would reach the outskirts of Anima.

    The trip had been a silent one for quite some time, which led to Merri and Fauna making two observations. While Merri couldn't take her eyes of Aurora and the black glove she refused to remove, Fauna was noticing how angry Flora appeared to be. She had done nothing but make faces as she sat in silence and twirled the sickle she used as a weapon.

    Fauna was mildly concerned about this, but her curiosity about Aurora was predominant in this case.

    "She's been awfully quiet," said Merri, who whispered to her sister. "Have you noticed that?"

    "I have," Fauna confirmed by whispering as well. "I know we don't talk personally, but it's been a whole month since we saw each other. Doesn't she have anything to say?"

    "I don't know." Merri took another look at Aurora before she turned to her sister. "It doesn't look like it."

    Fauna agreed, but there were still unanswered questions she had. One of them even had the power to scare her. "What do you think Mother did to her?" she asked.

    Merri couldn't say for certain, despite the fact that she only heard that Aurora was simply training with Salem. One look at the Faunus told Merri that perhaps it wasn't a good idea to think of such things, and that she should focus on her current mission.

    "I'd imagine she'll do the same to us if we come back empty handed," she said. "Let's just think about how we can get this 'Raven Branwen' onboard with us."

    "Aurora said she got other humans to join us," Fauna pointed out. "She looks like she's sure that she can do it again."

    "True, but it wouldn't hurt to have a backup plan."

    "No, it wouldn't. Did you have something in mind?"

    Merri was about to answer, but another voice asked a question that stopped her from talking.

    "Why are you asking her?"

    Merri and Fauna turned to see that Flora had risen from her seat. And she was staring daggers at both of her sisters. Merri and Fauna were taken aback by their sister's apparent anger, but Fauna was the first to speak.

    "I was just-"

    "Because she's the leader?" Flora asked sarcastically. "Because we're just supposed to do every little thing she says?" Flora looked over to Merri. "Well, we're not."

    Merri stood up from her seat as well so she could be on the same level as her sister. "Do you have something to say, Flora?" she asked. It was a rhetorical question, but it was one that would get immediate results.

    Which it did.

    "You're damn right I do," Flora spat. "We're not at Beacon anymore. And we're not working on your little pet project you got us roped into. Things have changed, Merri."

    "Not everything," Merri argued back, well aware of where this was going. "And that 'pet project' helped us get where we are in Mistral. Maybe it even helped us get us to the Maiden."

    "Then it looks like you've done your part." Flora pointed to her chest. "Maybe it's time I pick up where you left off."

    Merri scoffed at the idea by gasping quickly. "What are you basing this off on? Mother didn't put you in charge of this."

    "She didn't put you in charge either."

    "Well, I haven't led us astray recently. So why shouldn't I-?"

    "Are you forgetting what happened at Beacon? What we were supposed to do?" Flora jabbed a finger at her sister. "Killing Cinder was supposed to be your job!"

    "We left Cinder with Aurora and you! What were you doing back there, huh?! What would you do differently?!"

    "Unlike you, I would stop screwing around, hiding in the shadows, and do my damn job!"

    *ZAP*​

    A single bolt of lightning landed close to the girls' feet, which caused them to jump back and yelp at the unexpected occurrence.

    "That's enough."

    All three sisters looked towards Aurora, who was pointing at them with burning eyes. Her fingertip was creating sparks, as if an electrical shock had just escaped from it.

    "..."

    This was the first time Aurora had nearly attacked each of the girls. She was normally a caretaker for the girls, but now she appeared to be keeping them in line. Such a thing was bold to do, given their rank over the Faunus. But none of the girls said or did anything to accuse Aurora of overstepping her bounds.

    Much had changed within Aurora. Maybe too much.

    The Mandalorian airship had finally arrived in Anima, about two hundred feet from the coordinates Vizsla and Bo-Katan had specified. It would be best to travel on foot rather than alert the bandits that they had company.

    Nobody had forgotten the mission as they stepped out into the wilderness. Aurora's actions may have been a surprise, but they weren't enough for the three daughters of Salem to lose their resolve. It was simply enough to make them stop arguing and focus on the task at hand.

    Nobody knew how much Aurora had changed since she had undergone new training with Salem. But when they arrived at a wooden gate with three men guarding it, the Faunus was ready to show her present company how she had... grown.

    "You," Aurora said to get the attention of the three men. "Is this where we can find Raven Branwen?"

    One of the guards, a middle-aged man with a beard and dirty clothes, took a few steps towards Aurora. "You know... I've had a really bad week," he said with a sigh.

    "..."

    The man looked at Aurora from head to toe and formed a smirk on his face. "So I think I'm going to take it out on you and your pretty little friends." The guards behind him chuckled as they took out knives and guns of their own.

    The sisters quickly took out their sickles as they prepared to fight, but Aurora raised a hand towards them to make them wait. Once she saw that they had stopped, Aurora walked forward and slowly moved her arms upward. "...Your move," she said calmly.

    The man smirked as he reached towards his waist. He possessed a brass revolver in a holster, and now he was taking his time to draw it. He was fairly confident that he could kill a Faunus like this woman, as well as the young girls by the trees.

    Or rather, he was overly confident.

    "Too slow."

    Aurora stopped moving her hands when they were in front of her chest. Her eyes began to emanate a pink fire once again, which allowed her to unleash a deadly surprise.

    *ZAP*​

    A barrage of electricity found its way to the overconfident bandit, who helplessly came into contact with the lightning and felt himself be thrown onto the wooden gate. He screamed like a banshee as the lightning burned his flesh and made his entire body spasm uncontrollably. His friends could only watch in horror as they realized they were no match for this woman's powers.

    As Aurora continued to electrocute the bandit, she formed a sadistic smile as she relished in the feeling of her powers. It was no easy task, but unlocking the potential of the Maiden powers Aurora possessed had wonderful results. Salem spent nearly every waking hour with her disciple, training her to tap into the Magic of the Maiden powers she had. Not all elements were fully unlocked yet, but Aurora had a talent for producing fire, ice, and lightning. She had come to relish in the feeling lightning had in her body, how it crackled and sparked within her very soul.

    And how strong it made her.

    Aurora's powers were promising, but the training she had to do was difficult, and she could almost feel a part of herself being split away each time she tried to unlock her full potential. But despite these losses, Aurora's resolve had never been stronger. She didn't care what it took or how many people she had to kill; one way or another, whether it took a minute or a year, Aurora promised herself that she would possess all of the Maidens' powers.

    It was the only way to keep another promise she had made.

    Aurora finally let go of the man she had been electrocuting. More specifically, she let the charred corpse drop to the ground. She then looked to the other two bandits who were guarding the gate.

    "I asked you nicely if this was where Raven Branwen is," she said as her eyes continued to burn. "I don't like asking twice. Then again..." She then moved her hands up once more. "If you want to see your friend again... I could arrange that."

    "No, no, no, wait!" the first bandit said as he dropped a knife he was holding. "Sh-She's here! Raven's right inside!"

    "Y-Yeah!" the second bandit said as he began to open the gate. "G-Go right in!"

    Aurora smiled as she watched the wooden gate open wide. On the other side were makeshift areas that housed a variety of things. There were tents that stored food, weapons, and other items in large chests. Aurora gladly made her way into the camp, where she was met with more bandits that were shooting her dirty glares. It seemed Aurora would have to demonstrate the same powers she did before if she wanted to see their leader.

    "I'm here to speak with your leader," Aurora declared. "You can either take her to me or you can never see her again. Your choice."

    "..."

    A few of the bandits chuckled as they looked at each other while others armed themselves. Some of the bandits had to move to the tent with weapons to arm themselves, which gave Aurora an idea how to best demonstrate her powers.

    *WHOOSH*​

    A wave of fire escaped Aurora's hand and moved right towards the tent with weapons. The bandits close to the tent saw this and jumped out of the way, but they were too late to stop the flames from reaching the tent. Soon, the whole structure was set on fire. All the weapons in there were being burned, but the real concern was that they were loaded with Dust. And the crates inside were filled to the brim with Dust crystals.

    This amount of fire would ultimately lead to-

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Detonations.

    Bandits were either burned or pushed by the explosion onto the ground, but fire soon began to spread along the path as smaller explosions created an even deeper crater in the earth.

    "Do I need to repeat myself?" Aurora asked as she lowered her hand.

    "..."

    Nearly all of the bandits who were still standing began to walk deeper into the camp. "Th... This way," one man said as he gestured for Aurora to join him. He had to avoid a few small spots of fire, but he still walked into the camp.

    Content with her work, Aurora began to follow the bandits inside. "Come on, girls," she said without looking behind her.

    "..."

    Aurora expected to hear footsteps behind her, but she heard nothing of the sort. When she turned around, the Faunus saw that her companions were making no attempts to walk into the burning camp.

    "What are you doing?" Aurora impatiently asked. When she saw that the girls were still standing where they were, Aurora walked over to them. "What's the matter with you? Don't you remember why we're here?"

    Merri pointed inside the camp. "Aurora, we... we can't go in there," she said. Aurora followed her finger to see that she was pointing at the small fires that were continuing to burn.

    "What? What are you-?"

    "..."

    Aurora lost all her anger when she realized what the problem was. "Oh," she said calmly. "Right. Just a second."

    "..."

    Aurora turned around and waved both of her hands as fire burned in her eyes. A small gust of wind emerged from her hands and soon extinguished the fire on the path. As she watched the flames disappear, Aurora reminded herself that the Botflies were extremely vulnerable to fire; that was why none of the sisters walked inside.

    "There we go," she said without an apology. "Let's get to it."

    "..."

    A minute of walking through the camp led Aurora and Salem's daughters to a much larger tent. This one almost looked like a small house, and it was slightly raised off the ground by pieces of designed wood. There were also a few steps at the front to enter the tent, given that it was slightly above the ground.

    After everyone stopped walking, two women stepped out of the large tent. One of them appeared to be a teenaged girl, no taller than any of Salem's daughters. She dressed in a similar apparel to the rest of the bandits; a pair of ripped jeans and a brown long-sleeved shirt. She was a redhead like Flora, but her hair was much shorter. She looked intently at the four women before her, but she didn't say a word.

    The second woman was much taller, and most likely older. Her face was hidden behind a complex mask, a white one tinted in red paint. It almost made her look like a Grimm; a Creep, to be exact. But nobody was afraid of the the woman dressed in red and black. They simply looked at her as she looked back at them.

    "I don't recall inviting so many guests into our home," the masked woman said. "Either I'm losing my memory..." She then looked at the other bandits. "Or you've all lost your spines!"

    Aurora took one step forward. "Don't be too upset with them, Raven," she confidently assumed. "Your people simply recognized the power of a Maiden when they see it." Her eyes burned again to prove her words. "Which is why we'd like to have a word with you."

    Raven looked at the woman's burning eyes. She had been told that these people worked for Salem, but she wasn't aware that this woman was a Maiden. So before she dealt with this intrusion, Raven made a choice.

    "Leave us," she told her fellow bandits. "Pack your things, then break down camp. We're moving."

    The bandits obeyed without hesitation. They all knew the sooner they were away from the Faunus, the better.

    "That won't change a thing," said Merri. "You've been on our list for a long time. So we can't just let you leave."

    "I know all about your master, and her enemies," Raven said with confidence. "But I don't believe we've met."

    "We're the people you should be afraid of," said Flora, who twirled her sickle with an evil smile.

    This wasn't the first day Raven met someone as arrogant as Flora. "I doubt anyone should be afraid of you."

    Flora stopped smiling. "Oh yeah? Tell that to-"

    *BAM*​

    A strike to her side, courtesy of Merri's shoulder, caused Flora to stop talking. "Quiet," the eldest sister said.

    "..."

    Flora relented, but not without shooting her sister an angry look.

    "That's what I thought," said Raven.

    "My name is Aurora," the Faunus introduced herself. "These are Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather. But I'd be careful how you treat them. Salem would hate to see anything bad happen to her daughters."

    "..."

    About a minute ago, Raven was confident that she could look right through these children and this Faunus and tear them apart simply by talking. However, the mere idea of Salem having "daughters" was enough to unsettle her. Whether or not they were her biological daughters, Raven had no idea.

    Then again... their skin appeared to be just as pale as the Grimm mask she was wearing.

    "I once heard that 'Aurora' referred to the lights you could see in Atlas," Raven finally said. "And now you serve someone like Salem? A little ironic, if you ask me."

    Aurora chuckled at the idea. She was well aware of the meaning of her name. "Aren't you perceptive," she sarcastically observed.

    Raven made a small shrug. "It's what's kept me alive."

    "No, see... that's the thing. The only reason you're still alive is because you have something our master wants." Aurora looked over to the red haired girl standing by Raven. "Is that her?"

    Everyone looked over to the silent redhead. Raven understood that she would have to prove the girl's worth to Aurora or risk Salem's wrath, so she gave the girl a simple nod. The girl then walked down the steps and stopped almost immediately. She then closed her eyes and extended both her hands with her palms facing the ground.

    *THOOM*​

    The skies overhead transformed from a calming blue to a disturbing gray. Wind began to blow from all directions as thunder reached everyone's ears. After a few seconds of this demonstration, the silent girl lowered her hands and opened her eyes. And just like that, the storm was gone.

    "She has done well under my guidance," Raven declared as she looked at the young bandit. "I'd take that into consideration before you try anything."

    Fauna and Merri brushed themselves off of dust and dirt as Aurora spoke again. "If I wanted to try anything else than giving your bandits a show, I would have done it already," she said.

    "..."

    "But I will try to make you see reason. There's almost no chance you and your Maiden could escape today, but if you know our master as well as you claim to, then you know you could never truly escape her." Aurora smiled again, but this one wasn't laced with any malice or evil. "But we come bearing a peace treaty."

    "..."

    Raven was doubtful that Salem was a woman of mercy, but she didn't voice these doubts. Instead, she decided to hear the intruders out.

    "The Maidens are just a means to an end," said Merri. "Mother's true desires are the Relics locked inside the Huntsmen Academies. Come with us. Allow Spring here to unlock the Relic of Knowledge, and all previous acts of defiance against Salem will be forgiven." Merri walked closer so both women could hear a whisper. "It's the best deal either of you are going to get."

    "..."

    It was clear that Raven would need a minute to think of this offer, so Merri walked back to her sisters.

    Despite her misgivings with Salem, the bandit leader knew that this girl was right; this was indeed the best deal she would be getting from Salem of all people. While Salem wasn't one to be trusted easily, Raven knew that taking the offer would be the best way to live and see another day.

    There was just one problem.

    "You talk as if walking straight into Haven will be easy," Raven pointed out.

    "That's because it will be," Aurora pointed out. "The Mandalorians have been pushing Haven's forces to the breaking point. They're stretched thin across Anima, and you know it. At worst, the only kind of security will be the Headmaster. And now, all we need is the key to the Vault." Aurora paused for a moment. "What do you think Ozpin would do if he were you?"

    The mere mention of that name was enough to make Raven grip the hilt of the sword at her side and yell. "I'm not helping Salem, I'm not helping Oz!" she yelled. "I don't want a part in any of this!"

    Aurora rolled her eyes at the pathetic display of apathy towards the bigger picture. "That ship sailed when you chose to harbor a Maiden. But if you come with us to Haven, we'll leave you, your tribe, and your little secret to live out the rest of your lives squabbling in the wilderness." Aurora decided to make her last point while patronizing Raven. "We just... need... the Relic."

    "..."

    Raven could see that she had been backed into a corner. Any attempt to declare neutrality would only look like defiance to Salem's followers. There was indeed a slim chance that she and her bandits could escape today.

    Even though they were looking for a deal to be made, Raven knew she could at least attempt to make a delay.

    "I need time to think this over," she said. There was a lot Raven needed to think about, so she didn't specify how much time would be necessary.

    "You don't have time," said Fauna. "We have other problems to worry about, so we need an answer, and the Maiden, now."

    "...Backed me into a corner, huh?" This was obvious, but Raven had to say it.

    Aurora knew that she had done this the second she walked into the camp. "So, what's it going to be?" she asked. "Do we have a deal... or not?"

    "..."

    After a tense moment of silence and thinking, Raven removed her grip from her sword and took her mask off. Her scarlet eyes took one clear look at Aurora and her companions before she made a declaration.

    "Agreements like these are built on trust," she pointed out. "And forgive me for saying, but I don't trust a single one of you." She wasn't sure what had happened, but Raven was certain that they were responsible for the explosions she heard. "You're going to need to give me more."

    "You're not in the best position to negotiate," said Merri. "You're either in or you're-"

    "I want my brother dead."

    "..."

    Nobody knew what they should expect to hear from Raven, but this certainly wasn't it. The declaration was enough to stun everyone and cause the sisters to look at each other in confusion. Aurora was also confused, and she was the first to bring it out in the open.

    "You... what?" she asked.

    "My brother," Raven repeated. "Qrow Branwen." Raven looked over to Merri. "I know all about your master's list. And I know my brother's on it."

    "..."

    Raven could see that she would have to explain a little more. "He knows I have Spring," she began.

    "How?" Aurora asked.

    "I've paid him a visit once or twice after the Mandalorians started a war with the world. I may not be working with Oz, but I've been curious about what he's been up to." Raven took a minute to recall her last meeting with her brother. "It seems he was curious about me too."

    "..."

    Aurora could see that this was going to be a problem. If Qrow Branwen, one of Ozpin's most trusted lieutenants, knew where Spring was, there was no doubt that Ozpin knew as well. This was a complication they couldn't afford to have.

    Fortunately, Raven had a solution.

    "And if I help you get your Relic, he's going to become a problem," Raven continued. "I have enough problems to deal with. Qrow doesn't trust me, but he does trust Ozpin's other lieutenants. If the Headmaster of Haven is the only security Haven has, we could get his attention. He calls Ozpin, Qrow arrives at Haven, we take him down. You get your Relic, and we all leave happy."

    "..."

    Aurora knew this was a concrete plan. She was confident that she could get the Headmaster's attention through an attack close to Mistral. This would be enough for Ozpin to send someone he trusted, most likely Qrow, to help. When he arrived, Raven and two Maidens would be enough to kill him.

    But this wasn't a part of Salem's plans.

    "Now this is a proposition I can get behind."

    Aurora turned around to see Flora was smiling as she began to twirl her sickle once again. To her, this sounded much better than sneaking around when they could take what they wanted by force.

    "Wait a minute," said Aurora. "We were sent here to do one thing: retrieve the Relic of Knowledge."

    "That's right," Merri agreed. "Now, Qrow Branwen might be on Mother's list, but he's not why we're here; and he's not going to fight quietly." Merri remembered that Salem still needed the Maiden to kill Revan, so this took more priority over killing Qrow.

    "Our advantage here is just as you said," Fauna pointed out. "We walk straight into Haven, no resistance, no one the wiser. A battle with your brother throws that all out the window."

    "He's good, but not that good," Raven promised. "All of us against him? It'll be over in a heartbeat."

    Aurora was sure of this, but there was one other possibility. "What if Ozpin doesn't send Qrow?" she asked. "What if he wants to send everyone else who works with him? What if he wants to come himself?"

    "The more, the merrier," said Flora.

    "Are you kidding me?" Merri asked in disbelief. "If we leave the school riddled with bodies, we'll get more than we bargained for! Forget helping the Mandalorians, the whole Kingdom will be on alert! You'll screw us all over!"

    Flora wasn't ready to back down. She had been put down too many times already, but this time was going to be different.

    She had thought this through.

    "Then let's give the Mandalorians what we all want," she said. "We find a way to sneak some of them in with all of us and ambush whoever Ozpin sends our way." Flora turned to Raven and Aurora. "Once the school falls, the Mandalorians attack Mistral from the inside. They destroy the Kingdom, we get the Relic... everyone wins."

    Raven liked where this was going. "Then, Salem leaves my people alone," she said. "For good."

    Flora smiled as she held out her hand. "Then it's a deal."

    "No, it's not!" said Aurora, who pushed Flora's arm down.

    "Yes, it is." Raven walked towards Flora with an extended hand. "My Semblance can take us and however many Mandalorians you plan on taking. It's like you said; everyone wins." Once she stopped walking, Raven extended her hand even further. "Take it or leave it."

    "..."

    Flora smiled at Aurora and her sisters, but they didn't return the expression. They all seethed at the young hybrid as she shook the bandit's hand. Despite the fact they had a deal with Raven, this insane plan of Flora's was enough to put everything in jeopardy. She had gone against their master's plan just to serve her own ego.

    Whether or not this plan would work, one thing was for certain; Salem would hear of this.

    After the deal had been struck with the Branwen Tribe, Aurora and the triplets returned to Salem's castle. Since Merri and Flora were still at odds with each other, Aurora decided that it might be best for them to make the report to their mother personally. In turn, she would prepare herself for what was about to happen at Haven. Fauna also wanted to talk to Salem, but she believed it would be best to wait until she was done with Merri and Flora.

    Both Aurora and Fauna were wise to stay clear of Salem. For when she heard what had happened, she was far from happy.

    "You did what?" Salem asked while she sat on her throne of crystal.

    "There's no harm done, Mother," Flora insisted. "With this plan, the Mandalorians can take Mistral and we can take the Relic. Raven's Semblance will let us kill two birds with one stone."

    "If this will work," said Merri, for what felt like the millionth time for Flora. "We had everything we needed, we had a plan, and now you go ahead and do this." Merri walked over to Flora very quickly and got in her face. "What were you thinking? Why couldn't you just let me do the thinking?"

    Flora had been waiting for a chance to speak her mind in front of her mother, and now she took this chance as fast as she could. "Because the last time you did the thinking, we lost the first Maiden," she said. "We did things your way from the start, we even hired that con artist you wanted us to get. And what did we get? Half of a Maiden!"

    "We broke Beacon Academy because Mother put me in charge! My plan helped us make Atlas run away with their tails between their legs! Mother was right to put me in charge, because we would have nothing if it weren't for me! And Pre Vizsla would have nothing if I didn't give Mother the idea for the Basilisk! This is why I'm in charge!"

    "Well, if it weren't for me, we wouldn't have Raven fighting with us! I made the deal, I got us the Maiden! When you see what happens at Haven, you'll see that I can call the shots just as good as anyone else!"

    "Listen, you-!"

    Merri suddenly stopped talking when she felt her mouth close. Her body suddenly felt incredibly stiff; she couldn't move. Flora was wondering why her sister appeared to be frozen, but then she also felt the same feeling. Her arms collapsed by her side and her legs were stuck to the floor. And she couldn't speak either.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Some of the Botflies on both of the girls' bodies began to buzz in pain before they tried to fly away. But as soon as they left their host, they were crushed in the air. Only a few more tried to escape, but they too were crushed. It was almost as if the air around them had come alive and sought to exterminate them.

    "Let me make one thing clear."

    Merri and Flora looked back to their mother, who was lifting one hand off the table and staring at her daughters with glowing eyes. Whatever was happening to them, it was Salem's doing.

    All they could do was listen and pray that they would be released.

    "As far as you two are concerned, I am in charge," Salem began. Since this was the basis of her daughters' argument, the witch knew it would be wise to remind them of this. "You will perform no action unless ordered by me. You will respect my judgement and carry out any decision made... by me."

    "..."

    The daughters felt the pressure that was crushing them slightly weaken, specifically around their mouths. As to why, Salem answered this with a question.

    "Is. That. Clear?"

    Flora gulped before she answered. "Ye... Yes, Mother," she replied.

    "Ab... Absolutely, Mother," Merri answered.

    "..."

    Salem lowered her hand and released the hold she had on her daughters. Each of them took deep breaths as they felt their bodies become free once again. The Botflies Salem had killed could easily be replaced, given that only a few left their bodies had been killed.

    "I am most appreciative of your loyalty, Merriweather; and you are wise to remember that I was the one who put you in charge at Beacon," said Salem. "But I have given you no authority over your sisters for quite some time. You will know when, or if, I will put you in charge of another operation. Until then, you will hold no authority in any matter unless I specifically allow it."

    "Of course, Mother," Merri said with a bow. "Forgive me."

    Salem recognized the small act of loyalty and pardoned her eldest daughter with a nod. Merri returned the nod right before her mother addressed Flora next. "I would say the same to you, Flora," she began. "But I have witnessed no display of loyalty from you in weeks." Salem furrowed her brow at her daughter. "Only arrogance."

    Flora gulped again before she spoke again. "Mother, I-"

    "Need I remind you that I decided to put Merri in charge of the operation of Beacon? Do you mean to question my judgement in that matter? Or any matter?"

    "No, of course not! I was just-!"

    "And then you go ahead and make such a unilateral decision without my permission." Salem finally stood up from the table and walked over to Flora before she spoke again. "Now we have little choice but to see what lies in store for this uncertain future you made."

    "..."

    Being this close to Salem and remembering how much Aurora had changed since she last saw her made Flora lose any resolve she had for defending her actions. All she could do was listen as she lost her voice.

    "Strange," Salem said. "Not five minutes ago, you were confident that your plan would succeed. And now you have nothing to say?"

    "..."

    "Well, then. I think it's time we see what consequences your actions have brought." Salem finally stepped backwards, but just by one step. "I'm having you reassigned. You will travel to Haven Academy with Branwen and Vizsla. You will oversee their attack personally and ensure that everything goes as you have said, to the letter. And you will either return with the Relic... or you will not return at all."

    "..."

    Flora couldn't believe what she had just heard. It wasn't even in motion yet, but her plan to recover the Relic was being turned around on her. It was not only unbelievable, but it was ironic too. Once upon a time, Flora was complaining about how she wanted to leave the castle more than anything.

    Now it was possible that she might not be returning to it at all.

    Flora looked over to Merri, hoping that she would say something or do something to help her. But all Merri could do was share the same look of shock and disbelief her sister had. But she did make a small gesture towards Salem, to make Flora look back to her.

    Salem, while not showing it, seemed to be content that Flora now understood the stakes that were presented before her. With that, she had one final thing to say.

    "Now... get out of my sight."

    Salem quickly pointed to the door behind her, which Flora looked at. She once again looked to Merri, who once again found herself unable to provide any aid or comfort to her sister. Flora was about to say something else in an attempt to save herself, but Merri shook her head and hands to stop her; anything other than obedience would simply make things worse.

    With that, Flora accepted her fate with a bow and two words.

    "...Yes, ma'am."

    "..."

    And just like that, Flora was gone. Merri could sense the sadness and fear emanating off her sister as she left, and she could have sworn that a teardrop had touched the ground where she once stood.

    Salem sensed this sadness and fear too, as well as the uncertainty from her eldest daughter.

    "Do not pity her, Merriweather," Salem ordered. "Your sister made her bed. Now she must lie in it."

    Merri looked back to the door and told herself that nothing would be changing her mother's mind at the moment. Flora's fate was sealed, but nothing had been said about her own fate.

    "I... understand, Mother," Merri said. "And... what would you have me do?"

    Salem returned to her throne of crystal as she pondered the idea. However, she didn't have any plans for her eldest daughter right now.

    "Nothing for the moment," Salem declared. "See to your duties here for now. And please inform Fauna that I would like to speak to her."

    "Of course."

    With the final word and a simple bow, Merri finally took her leave from the meeting room. Salem was met with silence once again, which led to nothing but reflecting on the day's events.

    She was extremely disappointed in Flora's actions today. Putting the Relic and the Maiden at risk were inexcusable, not when Salem needed both to see her plans through to the end. Revan aside, having two Maidens at her side would make conquering the world easier. And having a single Relic, something she had hoped Gar Saxon would find at Beacon's ruins, would push this war in the right direction.

    And so, Salem stood by her earlier decision; Flora would either return with the Relic, or she would not return at all.

    "..."

    Even though she believed what she said, Salem couldn't help but wonder if, maybe, she had been too hard on Flora. Her actions would indeed have consequences, but Salem couldn't help but wonder what would become of her own actions. She was certain that Flora's recklessness would only end in ruin, but the last thing Salem wanted was for Flora to be ruined too.

    Such a thing would break her heart.

    "I'll contact Vizsla," Salem decided. "I'll inform him of Flora's arrival and tell him to protect her. Yes, that will work." Salem leaned back in her throne. "Flora will see what consequences her actions will have, but from a safe distance. And one way or another, she'll bring back the Relic. I'm sure of it. She is my daughter, after all."

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*    ​

    Three knocks at her door returned Salem back to reality and away from her machinations. "Enter," she said. The door opened to reveal one of Salem's daughters, but not one who bickered with the other. And seeing her face had given Salem some relief. "Ah, Fauna."

    "Mother," the brunette girl addressed with a small curtesy. "You wished to see me?"

    "Yes, come in. I apologize for keeping you waiting, I was merely lamenting on how childish your sisters are being."

    Fauna entered the room and closed the door behind her. "I was there for their... disagreement. I tried to make them settle their differences, but they wouldn't listen. I apologize for my incompetence."

    "This required a mother's touch, my dear. Not a sister's." Salem gestured towards a seat to her right, which Fauna took. "But perhaps you could shed some more light on the subject, before we discuss your other mission."

    "Of course." Fauna knew the perfect place to begin. "You see, Flora's become... ambitious, ever since the Fall of Beacon. She believed following Merriweather's lead was the reason we have half a Maiden with us instead of a full one."

    "Yes, I heard. Has she ever spoken of me in such a manner?"

    "I... can't say I recall such a time, Mother."

    "Hmm... I see."

    "..."

    Flora's earlier argument was a passionate one. Despite the fact that she appeared to have been put in her place, Salem couldn't help but think about one question that was left unanswered. Particularly, did her own daughter really believe that every decision that had been made was the wrong one?

    Salem was also worried about Merriweather when it came to this. The eldest of her daughters was incredibly intelligent and resourceful, but the witch had noticed that Merriweather could be closed minded and possess a sharp tongue when she was upset or distracted. And Salem couldn't afford to have Merriweather be acting this way at a time like this.

    "I'd like you to keep an eye on both of them," Salem declared. "Merriweather is in the castle, but I have sent Flora back to Mistral. Send a Botfly to keep tabs on her."

    "As you wish," said Fauna. "I think I saw her packing her things a moment ago. I can send the fly now."

    "Just a moment. First, what can you tell me of Bo-Katan?"

    "I just reunited with the Botfly I placed on her armor. It's not much, but I've seen a few things."

    This was the reason why Salem asked to see her in the first place; ever since it was revealed that Bo-Katan knew a Maiden, Salem decided to see if there was anything else she was keeping to herself. In order to do that, she told Fauna to send a Botfly with Bo-Katan just before she and Pre Vizsla left with the Darksaber. And now, as Fauna said, that Botfly had returned with all the information she needed.

    "You definitely scared her after you spoke to her," Fauna explained. "What happened between the two of you was enough for Vizsla to talk to her privately, to warn her not to keep any more secrets."

    "And is she?" Salem asked.

    "No, Mother."

    Salem gently smiled. "Very good. Did you hear anything else?"

    "I did. Firstly, whatever you said to them made both the Mandalorians curious as to what a Maiden actually is. And what you want with them."

    Salem gently nodded at the idea. "Perhaps I was... overzealous, when I learned what Bo-Katan knew," she admitted. "I'll have to think of something before the untimely attack on Haven. What else?"

    "Bo-Katan may have been withholding information, but she wasn't lying to you. Neither was Pre Vizsla. Resistance in Mistral is mainly at the body of water dividing the capital from the west of Anima. Everything else has been destroyed or conquered."

    Salem smiled once again when she heard the news. "Excellent. Is that all?"

    "No."

    "..."

    "The resistance there is also the strongest. I saw the new waves of Grimm you told me about. They were completely destroyed in less than ten minutes when they came at the lake."

    Salem stopped smiling. "I see. Huntsmen and Huntresses?"

    "Most of them. There was one with a lightsaber like Aurora's, a blue one. Every Huntsman and Huntress at the Great Lake obeyed his every command."

    Salem didn't need much time to figure out who this Huntsman was. "Obi-Wan Kenobi. It seems the Headmaster of Haven has finally taken an active role in the war."

    "That's not all, Mother," Fauna reported. "They were aided by Mandalorians."

    "Mandalorians?" Salem asked. "Our Mandalorians?"

    "No, these were different. They were wearing white and black armor, they were a different tribe. I can't remember, but I think I saw gold Mandalorians too. But their leader was special. Someone you might be interested in."

    "Why is that?"

    "It's Cinder's father."

    "..."

    This was but one of many surprises that Salem had received today. But the news of the Fall Maiden's father, the one who altered her plans many years ago, was a more welcome surprise than the previous ones she had received.

    "Is that so?" Salem finally asked as a smile formed on her face. "Then perhaps Flora's meddling could be useful after all."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 51: Defense
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 51: Defense​

    Between the capital city of Mistral and the western part of Anima rested a Great Lake, one that was a host to many tourists as well as businesses. The main business in this lake was fishing, which was why many ships could be seen acquiring scores of fish that would be sold throughout the Kingdom.

    But now, the only company that the Great Lake had was a group of battle-hardened warriors at the western side. And sadly, they couldn't afford the luxury of enjoying the sights of the lake and adjacent forests.

    Ever since the Mandalorian War began, the Council of Mistral knew the easiest way for the conquerors to take the capital city would be to traverse the lake. Such a journey, by sea or by air, would approximately take two days time. However, it was still the best way for anyone to invade the prosperous city.

    Naturally, the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Mistral were sent to the western part of Anima so they could defend the entire land. When the beach between Sanus and Anima had fallen, the defenses at the lake were fortified to prevent anyone from entering.

    And there was only one person the Council trusted enough to protect this passage: Obi-Wan Kenobi.

    The Headmaster of Haven Academy originally chose to stay at the school to ensure that it had not been breached like Beacon had been. His main task was to protect the Relic of Knowledge, but the Council wasn't aware of this. But when news of the Mandalorians arriving at Anima reached Mistral, Obi-Wan knew he had to make sure the Mandalorians couldn't enter the city.

    The task had been hard at first, since the Mandalorians kept coming closer and closer to the Great Lake. Obi-Wan was able to join the battles at times, but the ones he didn't partake in usually resulted in catastrophe. The wisdom of the Jedi Order and the protection of the Force were helpful, but nothing short of a miracle would save Mistral now.

    That miracle came in the form of Din Djarin, who was accompanied by members of Clan Vizsla.

    The Mandalorian had come to Mistral in hopes of finding Aurora, the Faunus who was responsible for putting Cinder in a coma. If he could find and kill her, Djarin was certain that the power of the Fall Maiden would return to its rightful owner. He knew this task would be difficult, and the Mandalorian conquerors would only make it even harder.

    Fortunately, Djarin was able to sway the minds of Clan Vizsla, an old ally he had crossed paths with many times. They had originally evaded the war due to their past experiences with someone claiming the Darksaber and enslaving them, and they weren't looking forward to that again. While they were honor bound to follow whoever wielded the sword, Clan Vizsla had not been sought out just yet. They were safe, more or less.

    But since they knew they could not hide forever, and after they helped Clan Tenau retake Beacon Academy for Vale, Clan Vizsla agreed to help Djarin in his time of need.

    Djarin made contact with Obi-Wan as soon as he came to Mistral, and he was practically welcomed with open arms. However, the Mistral Council wasn't very favorable when it came to trusting Mandalorians. Fortunately, Councilwoman Satine Kryze was able to vouch for Djarin and his intentions. She reminded the Council how he had prevented a massacre at her home five years ago.

    But this wasn't enough.

    "If what you're saying is true, then defend the Great Lake," the Council ordered Djarin. "Perhaps then we'll believe you are who you say you are."

    That was how Djarin and members of Clan Vizsla found themselves at the Great Lake of Mistral. Obi-Wan did his best to convince the Huntsmen and Huntresses there that Clan Vizsla was on their side, but this didn't work as he planned. A few brief fights between the two parties, which were caused by small disagreements and spite, occurred throughout the day. And when there wasn't fighting, a silent but noticeable grudge existed between the two.

    All of that changed when reality kicked in. When the true enemy revealed themselves.

    *BOOM*

    *GROWL*

    *BANG*    ​

    The sounds of Grimm and incoming Mandalorians had drawn everyone as far away from the body of water as possible, so they could face the threats head on. The Creatures of Grimm, mostly Beowolves and Ursai, were the first to come into the fold. There, they were met with nothing but opposition by the well-trained Huntsmen and Huntresses. Their experience at Haven Academy and their past missions made killing the Grimm easy, almost like child's play.

    The Mandalorians, given their culture of combat and warfare, also made this look easy. In fact, it really was easy for them.

    Clan Vizsla had many weapons on their side, from blasters to the equipment within their armor. Blasts, razor wires, flames, and miniature projectiles were all used against the Grimm and were all just as effective as the unique weapons the Huntsmen and Huntresses were using.

    But when they challenged the Grimm to hand-to-hand combat, that was when they showed their true potential.

    "Are they out of their minds?" a Huntress asked after she and two Huntsmen finished off a pack of Beowolves. "I mean, those knives should help, but some of them aren't using anything!"

    "Forget about 'em," said one of the Huntsmen. "If they wanna kill themselves, that's their problem."

    "Don't be so sure," said the other Huntsman as he pointed ahead. "Look."

    "..."

    A group of Mandalorians was ahead of the Huntsmen and Huntress, and they too were fighting with their knives and fists against the Grimm. The knives had proven to be efficient in cutting the creatures deep enough to make black blood spray on their armor, and eventually they died.

    The Grimm took this attack personally and retaliated with bites and scratches, just like they always did. But the Beskar armor was strong enough to make these attacks mostly ineffective, as long as they did not strike the spots not covered by armor.

    And while the number of Grimm was formidable, the Mandalorians held their own.

    The warriors were able to hold the Grimm back with their hands and even push back hard enough to make them lose their footing. Even their fists and kicks were strong enough to make them fall down. Only when they were on the ground did the Mandalorians choose to use their weapons against the Grimm.

    But their choice of combat was doing wonders for them.

    The Huntsmen and Huntress couldn't help but look at the Mandalorians who fought with their fists and held their own. It had been said in the past that Mandalorians were the only rivals Huntsmen and Huntresses had when it came to killing Grimm, and today seemed to prove that this was a fact.

    However, they still had their unique weapons and knowledge in this line of work on their side. The weapons of a Huntsman and Huntress were an extension of themselves, just like their Semblances were. They were a part of themselves, a part that thrived when it came to defending cities and people from the Grimm. They did their job with pride, and that pride extended to their Semblances and the unique weapons they crafted themselves.

    The Mandalorians of Clan Vizsla noticed this as well, and were equally impressed with how individualistic the Huntsmen and Huntresses were while fighting. Clan Vizsla trained together and fought as one, just like they followed their own code of honor. It was a difference they had with the Huntsmen and Huntresses, this was true.

    If there was one thing both parties could learn today, it was that the differences in combat did nothing but serve them all well.

    "Ram'or!" (Attack!)

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Everyone suddenly noticed that the Grimm had been depleted. As a consequence, the enemy Mandalorians emerged from the woods and charged at the combined army of Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians.

    Every warrior that was an enemy to these Mandalorians suddenly moved to defensive positions. Rifles and blasters alike returned fire against the invaders, where they did their best to repel the enemy. While some of the charging Mandalorians fell, most of the gunshots and blasts hit the Beskar armor without much damage being inflicted.

    Close ranged combat inevitably started between the two factions. Huntsmen and Huntresses relied on the secondary melee form of their weapons to fight the Mandalorians, which proved effective. The exposed pieces of armor were easy to notice at this distance, so the Huntsmen and Huntresses did everything in their power to strike where it hurt.

    The Mandalorians of Clan Vizsla knew this as well, and they too were striking where they knew it would hurt.

    The conquerors, which looked like both Saxon and Death Watch Mandalorians, wasted no time defending themselves and striking back. Wires were fired at their enemies in order to prevent them from using their unique weapons. If they didn't ensnare the Huntsmen of Huntresses, the wires were able to snatch their weapons away.

    Aura and Semblances were used on both sides, where each fighter could see how unique their opponent really was. From manipulating water to create sharp projectiles to bringing shadows to life, the battle took on many shapes and forms.

    At first glance, it appeared that this battle was a stalemate. The Death Watch and Saxon Mandalorians were strong enough to kill Huntsmen and Huntresses, but they were outnumbered. Fortunately for them, a solution announced itself in the form of what sounding like stomping feet.

    *THOOM*

    *THOOM*

    *THOOM*

    *THOOM*

    *CRASH*

    *CRASH*    ​

    From the forest the Grimm and Mandalorians emerged from came a large, hulking mechanism. It stood on six legs, possessed a metal exterior, cannons on its sides, and a single Mandalorian riding on top of it.

    The Basilisk war droid had joined the battle. And it was out for blood.

    *CHOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *CHOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Rockets and red blasts emerged from the cannons and descended on the forces protecting Mistral. Only now, all they could do was run away from the droid before it killed them. The Huntsmen, Huntresses, and members of Clan Vizsla were never people to run away from a fight. However, they knew self-preservation was the only chance at surviving the wrath of a Basilisk; not even their Auras or Beskar could withstand its powerful blasts.

    One Huntsman turned around to see that some of his comrades were trying to hold their ground. If they weren't shooting at the Basilisk, they were trying to fight the new Mandalorians that emerged from behind. "Fall back!" he called out to save his friends. "Fall back! Fall back!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    Above their heads, everyone could see a blue light move almost as fast as lightning. When it landed on the ground in front of them, everyone could see that the blue light was a sword that was being held by none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. And right by his side was Din Djarin, who had not only joined the Headmaster via his Semblance, but he had joined with a rifle in hand that was pointed at the invaders.

    Help had arrived.

    "Hold your positions!" the Headmaster and Mandalorian said at the same time as they began to fight. Obi-Wan moved to a defense position, where he was able to block the yellow blasts being fired at him. If he wasn't making the blasts hit the ground around him, Obi-Wan was moving his lightsaber so the blasts could hit the Mandalorians back.

    Din Djarin, on the other hand, was on the offensive. In his hands was a weapon he had acquired quite recently. Instead of regular or modified Dust rounds, this gun fired small pieces of metal that were normally used to hold things together. Only now, the metal was used to hit the Mandalorians where their armor couldn't protect them. Djarin even discovered that the rivets could crack the visor of a Mandalorian helmet and blind the enemies before him.

    And when he had the chance, with the simple flip of a switch, Djarin made his new weapon transform into a staff with electric rods at the sides. He had made these modifications per Obi-Wan's advice, given what the Headmaster had seen his students do with their weapons. And so when Djarin approached his blinded enemies, he struck each electric end at them and watched them fall.

    The sight of the conquerors being taken out by Obi-Wan and Din Djarin was enough for the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Clan Vizsla to regain their confidence. And so, they charged again and fought with everything they had.

    The Mandalorian on top of the Basilisk saw this, and opened fire at the two men who began to turn the tide.

    *CHOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *CHOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Despite his best efforts, the Mandalorian seemed to hit everything except Obi-Wan and Djarin.

    This was the first day Djarin had seen the Basilisk war droid, and now he saw how it had gotten its name. He was familiar with the story of the Basilisk, a Grimm that was native to Mandalore and second only to that of the Mythosaur. Many tried to fight it, and many were killed as a result. But one Mand'alor managed to defeat it and claim it as their own. It wasn't easy, and keeping it under control was no simple feat as well. But with electric restraints, and sheer willpower, the Mand'alor claimed the beast and rode it into many victorious battles.

    And now, the robotic weapon seemed to be doing its best to live up to the legend. Only now, Obi-Wan and Djarin had a plan.

    At first, the duo did their best to draw the Basilisk's fire away from their allies. Obi-Wan's Jedi training and use of the Force made him incredibly fast, and Djarin's teleportation Semblance allowed him to move out of harm's way with no trouble at all.

    Once he had the Mandalorian's attention, Obi-Wan reached out with the Force and made the droid stay still. The pilot was doing everything in his power to make the droid move again, but the sound of crushing metal told him that there was nothing he could do to regain control.

    He could, however, fire everything the droid had at the defenses by the Great Lake.

    Just as the Mandalorian pushed the button, multiple blasts and rockets flew out of the cannons and made their way towards the water. The Mandalorian was prepared to do it again, but Djarin used his Semblance to teleport himself to the top and electrocute the pilot. As he watched the enemy fall, Djarin stuck his weapon into the control panel and let the Electric Dust destroy the controls.

    As for the blasts and rockets, Obi Wan used the Force to divert them back to the Basilisk.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    A few explosions later, all that remained of the Basilisk war droid was wire and scattered parts.

    After he watched the explosion, Obi-Wan couldn't help but kneel to the ground and gasp for breath. He may have been a Jedi Master, but using the Force on so many projectiles left its toll on him. It took a vast majority of his strength to catch the projectiles, and some of them even escaped his grasp. He needed to rest.

    But it seemed the conquerors had other plans for Obi-Wan.

    "He destroyed it!" one Saxon Mandalorian yelled.

    "I thought Vizsla said it was invincible!" said a Bralor Mandalorian. He and his clan had been promised much if they followed Pre Vizsla, but today was the first day that doubts began to set in.

    "It doesn't matter how they destroyed it!" said a member of Death Watch. She pointed to Obi-Wan, who was starting to recover from his ordeal. "He's the one who stopped it! Now we can make sure that doesn't happen again!" She then raised her right arm, which had a flamethrower in its gauntlet. Without a word, the Mandalorian prepared to fire upon Obi-Wan.

    *ZAP*​

    The woman was suddenly electrocuted by Djarin, who had evaded the Basilisk's destruction in time. He had used his Semblance to come closer to Obi-Wan and stop the Mandalorian from attacking him. He then unleashed a fury of strikes at the other Mandalorians, who had also tried and failed to kill Djarin.

    Obi-Wan had recovered from his strain by this point, and now he was able to leap over Djarin and strike at the Mandalorians who were about to aid their comrades. His lightsaber couldn't cut through Beskar, but he was able to strike at the exposed pieces between the armor; these cuts either dismembered the Mandalorians or wounded them fatally.

    The Huntsmen and Huntresses joined the Headmaster of Haven, as well as Djarin, and they began to repel the conquerors. The Mandalorians of Clan Vizsla also came from above and engaged in combat. The combined efforts resulted in the deaths of the invading Mandalorians, and one Huntress was able to notice something.

    "Look!" she said as she pointed to the forest. "The Mandalorians are retreating!" Everyone looked in the direction the Huntress was pointing at to see that Mandalorians were either running or flying away.

    "We did it!" a Huntsman yelled in pride. "We turned the tide!"

    Cheers from everyone erupted as the last Mandalorian escaped their sights. With that, Obi-Wan and Djarin shared a glance at each other.

    "Nice job, my friend," said the Headmaster. "Nice job."

    After the Mandalorians had been drawn back from the lake, Obi-Wan met with several Huntsmen and Huntresses. A few Vizsla Mandalorians joined them as they assessed the damages and current condition of the forces that were remaining.

    "We took some damage on the east side," said a large Huntsman. "Some of our munitions were there, but there were more to the west. We didn't lose too much."

    "But we did lose too many," said a blonde Huntress. "Some of our best were on that side. We found about thirty of their bodies. The rest..." She suddenly began to shudder. "All we found were pieces."

    Obi-Wan mentally sighed as he understood the situation. The Basilisk droid may have been destroyed, but it took its toll on everyone. Despite the fact he had seen reports like these, when the Jedi were at war with the Sith, Obi-Wan was never used to them.

    There was a difference between being a peacekeeper and a soldier. The former always suited Obi-Wan better, but he understood that he had to do whatever was necessary to protect everyone.

    "On the bright side, we took down a lotta Mandos," said another Huntress. "We didn't get a good count, but I think today was the day they lost the most people."

    "We'll know later, I'm sure," said Obi-Wan. "Has the scouting party returned?"

    "Not yet," said the Huntsman. "But they didn't leave too long ago."

    "Some of us joined them," said a Vizsla Mandalorian. "They should be able to assess the situation better when above ground."

    "Agreed," said Obi-Wan. "We'll need every advantage possible."

    The Huntsmen and Huntresses present for the conversation were now aware that these Mandalorians were here to stay; their actions demonstrated that their current plan was to help defend the Great Lake.

    While they were all unsure about the future of this alliance, pragmatism overruled the bigger picture.

    "We lost a lot of good men and women today," one Huntress said to the Mandalorians. "We need to fill up that gap."

    "If you're still planning to help us, we could use some more of you," said a Huntsman. "Your people are still in Vale, aren't they?"

    "They are," one Mandalorian confirmed. "But I don't know how many we could spare."

    This idea wasn't taken very lightly. "So that's it?" the Huntsman said. "They're just happy where they are?"

    "I didn't say that," said the Mandalorian.

    "Well, it's true." The Huntsman moved closer to the Mandalorian. "Beacon must be a great place to stay, huh? You'd better remember it's not a place you belong."

    The Mandalorian moved closer as well. "Reasoning such as this is why you're having a war. You'll be fighting us too if you're not careful of your pride."

    "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

    "That's enough, thank you," said Obi-Wan. He gently moved in between the Huntsman and Mandalorian. "We'll figure out if reinforcements are possible." He then turned to the Mandalorian. "You said you were unsure how many you could spare?"

    "Djarin might know," the Mandalorian said. "He spoke to our leader, and then he spoke to all of us."

    "Then I'll talk to him." Obi-Wan looked around, but he couldn't see the specific Mandalorian. "Has anyone seen him?"

    "I think I saw him sparring with a few of us," said a brown-haired Huntsman. "He's going pretty hard at it."

    "I saw him out there," one of the Huntresses said as she pointed in one direction. "Yeah, he was sparring. But his partner was in pretty rough shape."

    "I saw him too," said a Mandalorian. "The way he was fighting... it was like he was fighting the enemy."

    "I'll go and find him," Obi-Wan promised. "We'll send the official report to Mistral later." With that, the group split apart and went their separate ways.

    Finding Din Djarin wasn't as hard as one would think. Obi-Wan could sense his negativity from miles away.

    The Mandalorian was indeed sparring with some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses, but he was completely dominating them. Every time he struck with his staff and fists, it was with the intent to make sure getting up again was no easy task. It had gotten to the point where the forces of Mistral needed to engage their Aura to block out the pain.

    "Again," Djarin said to a kneeling Huntsman.

    "Again?" he asked. "You just knocked me down! What more do you need to do?"

    "I said again." The Mandalorian readied himself to attack with his new electric staff, despite the fact that the Huntsman was ready to walk away.

    "You're crazy," he said as he stood up. "Find someone else to spar with."

    Djarin was not ready to accept "no" as an answer. This Huntsman was the fifth sparring partner who walked away from him, but he was going to be the first to receive a jolt of electricity to get him back in the fight.

    That would have been the case if Obi-Wan hadn't pushed him with the Force.

    "Let him rest, Djarin," Obi-Wan ordered as he activated his lightsaber. "I could use a quick match."

    "..."

    Djarin silently leapt at Obi-Wan and swung his staff.

    *ZAP*

    *ZAP*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    The sounds of Obi-Wan's lightsaber crashing against Djarin's weapon traveled across the field. As they did, the Mandalorian let his anger and frustrations out with every swing and thrust he made. When he saw that they were having no effect, either on Obi-Wan or his own feelings, the Mandalorian reluctantly began to open himself up.

    "Your Huntsmen and Huntresses aren't ready," he began as he spun his staff. "They need to learn how to fight like the Mandalorians."

    "They are learning," said Obi-Wan. "Today was a great lesson at that. But let's not pretend what you're doing is a learning opportunity." Obi-Wan swung his lightsaber and held it above his head with the tip pointing at Djarin. "I could sense your anger all the way back at camp."

    Djarin rushed forward again and made contact with the sword. "I'm fine."

    Obi-Wan pushed back. "You will be. Once you release what holds you back."

    With each missed strike he made, and after Obi-Wan managed to leap behind him and strike his back, the Mandalorian finally realized how distracted he was by his own emotions. They weren't going away any time soon, but talking about them might help regain his focus.

    "I've been here longer than I should be, and I still haven't found Aurora," the Mandalorian said as he blocked a strike from Obi-Wan. "I've been wasting time at Vacuo when I should have been here."

    *ZAP*​

    "But I don't understand what I'm doing wrong!" Djarin used his Semblance to move away from Obi-Wan and turn his staff into a gun. The metal that shot out was deflected effortlessly by Obi-Wan. "I was a bounty hunter, and it never took me this long to find someone! I have to stop Aurora! It's the only way I can help Cinder!"

    Obi-Wan leapt into the air and felt his lightsaber hit Djarin's staff when he came down. "I understand your frustrations, Djarin," he said. "I understand how you may believe you are failing Cinder by being unable to find Aurora."

    "..."

    Djarin said nothing, but he pushed harder on his staff when he heard this. Obi-Wan was telling the truth, but he needed to say one more thing to make the Mandalorian see this truth.

    "My own master was cut down in battle... right by my side."

    "..."

    Djarin felt himself lower his staff as Obi-Wan continued talking. "It was my duty to protect him," the Jedi explained. "I too failed."

    Djarin finally put his weapon away when he heard this. "I... I'm sorry," he said. "Cinder told me a long time ago, but... I forgot all about that."

    Obi-Wan nodded and lowered his lightsaber. But before he turned it off, he looked at the blue light emanating from it. "I used my own Aura to kill the man responsible for my master's death," he continued. "But not out of duty; out of rage. And hatred."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan finally turned off his lightsaber and looked at Djarin. "The Jedi taught me that feelings like these, while natural, are the first steps towards the Dark Side." He then put a hand on the Mandalorian's shoulder. "Which is why you must be careful. We cannot lose ourselves in our quest to protect our loved ones."

    "...I know," Djarin admitted. "I just wish that-"

    "Headmaster Kenobi!"

    The Jedi and his Mandalorian friend turned to see a Huntsman pointing towards the camp. "The scouts came back with a prisoner!" he said.

    "..."

    Djarin and Obi-Wan shared a brief glance of surprise at each other before they followed the Huntsman. After walking down a narrow path and past a few tents, the duo saw that the Huntsmen and Mandalorians that were sent as scouts had indeed returned with a prisoner. He didn't appear to be anyone of importance, but the black one-piece that he was wearing as clothes definitely stood out.

    "He's from Clan Bralor," said a Vizsla Mandalorian as he threw a sack on the ground. The sack opened and a bronze Mandalorian helmet rolled out onto the ground. "We shot his jetpack before he could take off."

    "Well done, my friends," Obi-Wan said to everyone. This was the first day since the war began since anyone had captured a Mandalorian and taken them prisoner; it was more common to kill them rather than capture them. "Let's bring him to my tent."

    "I got him," said Djarin, who grabbed the Mandalorian's tied arms and twisted them. The member of Clan Bralor groaned in pain as he was led to the empty tent by Djarin.

    The Huntsmen and Mandalorians seemed content with this handling, but Obi-Wan frowned as he sensed the anger within Djarin. But rather than repeat his earlier point, Obi-Wan followed his ally into a tent he had set up for himself. Djarin pushed the prisoner into an empty chair in the center and took a step back.

    "There were rumors that Vizsla was recruiting other clans," the Mandalorian said as he crossed his arms. "I thought you would know better. That he would abandon people like you at times like this."

    The prisoner chuckled without attempting to stand up. "Is that right?" he asked. "Well, you're one to talk about abandoning people, zealot. Why do you stand with people like them? The people who took our home?"

    "That was not us," said Obi-Wan. "The people you met today and the rest of Remnant have done Mandalore no harm."

    "No harm?!" The unarmored Mandalorian leaned forward at Obi-Wan. "They took everything from us and left us with nothing! Nothing!"

    "..."

    The captured conqueror formed a smirk on his face. "Now it's our turn. Now we get to even the score."

    Djarin grabbed the Mandalorian's hair and pushed him back into the chair. "Not today," he said as he pulled out his knife. He hadn't used it in a while, but he still kept it sharp. "Today is the day you tell us everything you know about Vizsla's plans."

    "I'll never talk," the Mandalorian promised. "Especially to traitors like you."

    Djarin pulled the man's hair and pressed the blade against his neck. "I can bring you to Mistral warm... or I can bring you there cold."

    The Mandalorian smiled again. "Go ahead. Make my day."

    Djarin was ready to cut the prisoner's throat, to show that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to get what he needed. But as soon as a drop of blood touched the metal, Djarin felt a hand grab his arm and pull.

    "No, wait!" Obi-Wan implored as he looked at Djarin.

    "Heh, heh," the prisoner chuckled. "I knew you didn't have it in you."

    This wasn't the case for Djarin, and he was ready to prove the Mandalorian wrong. However, Obi-Wan wasn't going to let him.

    "There are alternatives to interrogation," the Headmaster said as he gently pushed Djarin aside. When he made eye contact with the smug prisoner, Obi-Wan gently waved his hand. "You will tell us everything you know about Vizsla's plans."

    The Mandalorian stopped smiling as he sat upright. "I will tell you everything I know about Vizsla's plans," he repeated.

    Djarin was astonished by the immediate compliance, as well as the Mandalorian's next words.

    "Pre Vizsla knows he can't break your defenses easily. But he has a plan to attack the city of Mistral from the inside. The attack will take place on the next full moon while our forces keep you occupied here at the lake."

    Djarin and Obi-Wan looked at each other when the other Mandalorian finished talking. While he couldn't see it, Obi-Wan was sure that Djarin was just as surprised as he was.

    "An attack from the inside?" Djarin repeated. "How is he going to do it?"

    "I... I don't know," the Mandalorian replied.

    Djarin took out his knife again, but he was once again stopped by Obi-Wan. "He's not lying," the Headmaster said. "It's impossible for him to lie when his mind is being influenced."

    Djarin reluctantly accepted this reality when he saw the state the Mandalorian was in. "Vizsla must have kept them on a need-to-know basis," he said. "Can you make him tell us anything else?"

    Obi-Wan waved his hand again. "You will answer all of our questions."

    "I will answer all of your questions," the Mandalorian slowly repeated. Djarin quickly took this chance to learn everything he could from the prisoner.

    "When did you say the attack will take place?"

    "The next full moon. In two days."

    "How many Mandalorians?"

    "Enough."

    Djarin pulled out his knife again. "Give me a number."

    "About a hundred."

    "Will Vizsla be with them?"

    "Who else is supposed to lead us?"

    "Will Aurora be there too?"

    "Who?"

    "A tiger Faunus working with the Mandalorians."

    "Never heard of her."

    "How will they get into the city?"

    "We found a way through Haven Academy. That's where we'll strike first."

    "What about the Huntsmen here?"

    "We'll keep them busy."

    "..."

    Djarin finally backed away from the Mandalorian and left the tent. As Obi-Wan joined him, two Huntsmen came inside the tent and took the prisoner away. Now that they were alone, the two could share their thoughts and plans.

    "We have to go to Haven," said the Mandalorian. "We have to protect the school."

    "I agree," said Obi-Wan. "But I don't understand. How could they possibly find a way to Mistral through Haven Academy? The security there isn't perfect, but it's enough to keep any intruders out."

    Djarin pointed back towards the direction the Huntsmen had taken the prisoner. "We should bring that one back," he said. "Ask for ourselves."

    "Save your breath," Obi-Wan ordered. "Vizsla didn't share everything about his plan with that one. He's nothing more than a pawn who knows as much as we do."

    "We should still go back to Haven. Cover every square inch and prepare for the worst."

    "I'll go, but this couldn't have come at a worse time. Our forces are already spread thin across the continent, and there aren't many of us. Though nobody will admit it, the clan members you convinced to join us were a gift from the Gods."

    Djarin understood this well and he agreed. Mistral needed them more than Vale did at the moment. But that didn't mean they should all stay here.

    "I'll see if the Mandalorians here can spare a few of their numbers," the Mandalorian said. "An attack from the inside will be enough to convince them."

    "And I'll see what I can do with the Huntsmen and Huntresses here, but it won't be enough," said Obi-Wan. "Not against a hundred Mandalorians."

    This was sad, but it was also true; the forces of Mistral were having enough trouble with the Mandalorians, and today's forces were roughly half of the army Vizsla planned to send to Haven.

    "You're right," Djarin finally said. "What do you propose?"

    "Only one thing," Obi-Wan began. "I will return to Haven with as many Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians as I can. You, on the other hand, must find Ozpin. Tell him what we learned and bring back whatever help you can. The more, the merrier."

    "I can do that. But Ozpin shouldn't be the only one to know about this. Then I can go to Vale and speak with the Mandalorians at Beacon."

    "Very good. We should be ready by the time you come back."

    Djarin silently agreed and used his Semblance to teleport himself away. Obi-Wan was confident that the Mandalorian had gone back to the Razor Crest, just as he was confident that he would return with the help they needed. But he wished Djarin could have stayed just a second longer.

    Just long enough for him to hear Obi-Wan say one more thing.

    "May the Force be with you."

    Once again, Din Djarin was alone.

    He was currently in the Razor Crest, which was now flying over the sea that divided Anima with the western part of Sanus. Most didn't think it was a wise route to take, due to past conflicts under the water and in the air. But between this being the fastest way to Vacuo and the fact that the Mandalorians controlled most of Anima, Djarin knew flying this way was the best course of action.

    Besides, it would be good to see Cinder again.

    "..."

    The Mandalorian let out a heavy sigh as he thought about his daughter. The frustrations he had earlier came back to him naturally, given that he had hardly anything to show for his departure. Djarin had promised that he would return with something for Cinder, whether it was a small lead on Aurora or the powers of the Fall Maiden.

    And here he was, coming back with absolutely nothing.

    But that didn't mean he didn't try. Djarin's efforts may have been spent defending the Great Lake, but he spent his free time asking anyone if they had heard any news about a Faunus working with the Mandalorians. He asked Obi-Wan, he asked the Huntsmen and Huntresses, he asked the Council, and he even asked the common criminals of lower Mistral.

    The last place was the most difficult, given that Djarin had to rely on his combat skills to "convince" the people of lower Mistral. But the result was still the same.

    "How can they not know?" Djarin asked himself. He knew these were all the right people to ask and interrogate, especially the Mandalorian that had been captured at the Great Lake. Djarin just couldn't understand how someone could be so good at hiding from him like this.

    But the answer was obvious.

    "She's with Salem," Djarin concluded. "And nobody knows where she is."

    "..."

    Djarin suddenly realized that this might not be true. After he put the Razor Crest on autopilot, he used the screen on his gauntlet to send an important message to the person who he was going to see.

    Now seemed like a good time as any.

    "Meet me at the inn. We need to talk."​

    "..."

    Djarin didn't receive a response to this message as he continued to fly to Vacuo, but this happened before. Any time he needed to talk to Ozpin, the wise Huntsman would always be waiting for the Mandalorian in the exact spot they had agreed to meet.

    And just as he expected, Ozpin was at the entrance to the inn when the Razor Crest finally landed.

    It was roughly in the middle of a school day when Professor Ozpin got Djarin's message. He was overseeing a joint sparring session between the students of Shade and Beacon, one that he was hoping to share with Djarin. Ever since the occasion between Team IRON and the students in Mandalorian armor happened, many students were willing to see how it was possible to fight like a Mandalorian. And consequentially, many students from Beacon wanted to learn how to fight in the sands of Vacuo.

    The lessons shared between the students were exactly what Ozpin wanted: unity. This was something he always strived to create with the Huntsmen Academies, and seeing such interactions like this were doing wonders for the body of students. Even Ivanna Vantablack, the leader of Team IRON, saw that she needed to work with Beacon to improve herself.

    Ozpin may have been looking for an opportunity to share this news with someone like Djarin, but he was sure that what the Mandalorian had to say was more important.

    Rather than the inn's dining room, where some of Auntie Em's guests were walking about, Djarin and Ozpin met in Cinder's room for privacy. Ozpin was willing to share his meeting with Vacuo's doctor, but Djarin shared his news first.

    "A surprise attack?" Ozpin repeated. "At Haven Academy?"

    *BUZZ*​

    Djarin waved his hand to move a fly away from his face before he answered Ozpin. "That's what the prisoner told us," he insisted. Djarin was currently sitting next to Cinder, who was still in her coma. "And he wasn't lying, according to Obi-Wan."

    Ozpin knew firsthand that a Jedi mind trick, the feat Obi-Wan had performed, couldn't result in an influenced mind lying to anyone. So he took the idea seriously.

    "But how?" the Headmaster wondered. "Obi-Wan told me that compromises to Haven's security had to be made, but an attack originating from within is unlikely.

    "He said the same thing," Djarin replied. "We don't know how they're going to do it, just that the attack will happen."

    "We must act swiftly. Did your prisoner say anything else?"

    "Just that the attack will take place at the next full moon. That's less than two days away."

    "Then we still have time. I'll join you, and see how many Theodore can spare. Have you told anyone else yet?"

    "I was going to Beacon next, to talk to Clans Vizsla and Tenau. The Mandalorians helped us defend the Great Lake, but we need more to fight a hundred Mandalorians just like them."

    "Agreed. I'll join you, but you should come to Shade so Theodore can hear all this for himself."

    "Fine. Let's just make it quick."

    Ozpin moved to the door quickly, just as Djarin requested. The Mandalorian, however, stayed where he was just for a moment. He couldn't resist the urge to look down at Cinder and take her hand in his as he silently promised to try harder next time. He was still angry at himself for not being able to find Aurora, but Djarin was in no position to give up.

    And today he planned to gain the best possible lead for making everything right.

    "The Razor Crest needs to refuel," Djarin explained as they passed the airship. "I'll use my Semblance to take us to Shade when we're close enough."

    "Very well," Ozpin said with no objections. "Let's be on our way." He led the Mandalorian down the road he had originally travelled to arrive at the inn, which was free of Grimm at the moment.

    Djarin's plan was going well at the moment. He was telling the truth about the Razor Crest needing more fuel, and his Semblance indeed required him to be close enough to Shade to be directly at the school. Its true power was still hampered after his mission with Qrow, but the Mandalorian didn't plan on telling Ozpin when they were close enough to use it.

    Not until he said his part.

    "The doctor from Vacuo came recently," Ozpin began. "I was able to follow his instructions and recommendations after he examined Cinder."

    "I saw the notes you left behind," said Djarin. He was expecting an appointment with this doctor, and he was grateful that Ozpin left a note to keep track of his daughter's current state. "Thank you for watching her."

    "My pleasure. She isn't getting worse, thank the Gods. But unfortunately, she isn't getting any better."

    "I noticed. There's only one thing that can make her better."

    "...Yes."

    "..."

    Ozpin remembered Djarin's reason for leaving Vacuo, and he was aware of how dangerous it was. While he was happy to see his friend appeared to be unharmed, Ozpin sensed that this meant he wasn't successful in finding Salem's Maiden.

    "You had mentioned you helped defend the Great Lake," Ozpin recalled. "Were you able to find Aurora?"

    "No," Djarin bluntly stated. "Not a trace of her."

    "I see." Ozpin fixed his glasses before he spoke again. "It's not your fault, Djarin. Salem knows Aurora's not at her true potential with the Maiden's powers. She won't let Aurora out of her sight any time soon."

    "Actually..." Djarin immediately stopped walking. "I wanted to talk to you about that."

    Ozpin had noticed Djarin's immediate halt, just after he saw the city of Vacuo within sight. "We can talk when we get to Shade," he insisted. "We're at the city, we can-"

    "Not yet." Djarin moved closer to Ozpin. "Not until I've had my say."

    Ozpin wasn't expecting this complete turnaround from the Mandalorian, and it was starting to make him concerned. But the only way to defuse the situation was to let Djarin speak.

    "Very well," Ozpin said calmly. "What do you have to say?"

    "I may not have found Aurora," the Mandalorian began. "But that doesn't mean I don't know where she is."

    "Oh?"

    "It's like you said; she's with Salem. And she's not going to be leaving any time soon." Djarin knew what he was going to say next wouldn't be easy, but he wasn't looking to make any compromises. "I want you to tell me where I can find them both."

    Ozpin was never a fan of surprises, and he hated the surprise he received about the Mandalorian attack. But this one... this was just ungodly.

    "What?" Ozpin asked, even though he heard Djarin as clear as day. "Djarin, that's madness!"

    "So you know where it is, then," the Mandalorian observed. If he didn't, Ozpin would have said so. "Just tell me, I have to know."

    "For what end?! To go off on your own and die?! Leave Cinder alone?!"

    Djarin immediately teleported in front of Ozpin and moved his helmet close to the old man's face. "Do not bring her into this," he warned.

    "..."

    The Mandalorian sighed as he backed away. His goal wasn't to do any harm, but he knew he had to think about his emotions rather that let them take control. "I just... I just need something, Ozpin. I need something to at least make a plan."

    "..."

    Djarin could see that his actions had done some harm at the moment. "I'm sorry, I-"

    "I understand," said Ozpin. Qrow had his fair share of bad days with the Headmaster, and this day was no different. Fortunately, Ozpin knew just how to deal with them.

    The first step was to bring everything out into the open, so Djarin could be open to reason.

    "Djarin, I know how frustrated you are," Ozpin began. "I wouldn't dare try to fault you for simply concerning yourself with Cinder's health. I would give anything to see her awake, to see her healthy again. And though it may not have sounded like it, I wish to help you. Through any means necessary."

    "I... appreciate the thought," the Mandalorian admitted. "I just... I think it would help knowing where I can find Salem. She knew you were at Beacon, she's had her eye on you for years. I've seen and heard all the things Qrow did for you, I know you know where she is."

    "..."

    "Ozpin, I have to know."

    "..."

    Ozpin nodded as he began to walk on the road again. After he beckoned Djarin to join him, Ozpin decided to answer the Mandalorian's question.

    But not in the way he expected.

    "I can tell you we are closer than you may think," the old man said. "I've walked on the surface of Remnant countless times, but I've only been to Salem's domain once. It is a dark place, a place where the rules of the world are not so straightforward."

    "What do you mean?" Djarin asked.

    "You recall what I told you of the Brothers? How they once lived among mankind until Salem rebelled?" Ozpin didn't look to see if Djarin was nodding, since he had told this story before. "The Brothers lived on two separate corners of the world, where their powers were at their strongest. When they left, Salem claimed the Land of Darkness as her own."

    "Wait a minute." Djarin stopped walking. "Are you saying that Salem's base is where the God of Darkness lived?"

    "Yes, Djarin. That place is where the second Brother performed his most powerful experiments, created his most powerful creations." Ozpin stopped walking and turned around. "The Dark Lord's domain was where he originally created the Grimm. And after he left, Salem took his role."

    "...How many Grimm?"

    "Thousands." Ozpin moved closer. "Tens of thousands."

    "..."

    Ozpin didn't need to see the Mandalorian's face to see that he had his full attention. And so, the Headmaster decided to finish with one final thought. "At the risk of sounding cliché, Djarin... that place is where everything goes to die. Don't go thinking you will be an exception."

    "..."

    Djarin understood everything now. The main thing he understood was that finding Aurora and killing her was growing close to impossible. If she was surrounded by that many Grimm, and if Salem could control all of them, then simply breaching the Land of Darkness and tracking her down would be suicide. And all Ozpin wanted to do was to keep Djarin safe.

    But he had also kept him in the dark.

    "Wait," Djarin said as he took a step back. "Why haven't you told me about this before?"

    "Because the last time someone learned about the land's existence, they never returned," Ozpin confessed. "They did the same thing you were thinking of doing."

    Djarin admitted that this was a good point. "Well, you can forget it." He began to walk again. "That sounds like the last place I'll be going. But still..." He turned around again. "You didn't have to hide this from me. Or Cinder."

    Ozpin cleared his throat as he mentally sighed. "Djarin, you and Cinder have stood by me for a long time. You two have earned my respect and my trust. And while I did keep this from you, and while there are still things I prefer to keep to myself, everything I do is backed by experience."

    "..."

    "I have, and never had, any reason to believe you would throw your life away or do anything drastic. But my years living on Remnant have taught me that care and precision are of upmost importance in this conflict." Ozpin put a hand on Djarin's shoulder. "For myself and my friends."

    "..."

    The Mandalorian didn't have a response he deemed suitable for this. Instead, with Ozpin's hand on his shoulder, Djarin decided that now would be a good time to go to Shade and talk to its Headmaster.

    And with the help of his Semblance, that's exactly what Djarin did.

    When they arrived at Shade, the Mandalorian and Ozpin immediately talked to Headmaster Theodore. Djarin shared his side of the story, as well as his interrogation with the Mandalorian from Clan Bralor. When he was done, Djarin excused himself from the conversation and allowed Ozpin to handle the details of how many Huntsmen and Huntresses Vacuo could spare.

    For in his mind, the Mandalorian had other things to think about.

    When he conducted his interrogation, Djarin had to admit that he was expecting Ozpin to give an answer the way he did. Not just the support he planned to provide, but also his attempts to keep the Mandalorian away from a direct confrontation.

    Djarin had known Ozpin long enough to know that he always preferred discretion. Only today, Djarin could see that maybe Ozpin preferred this method a little too much. Of course, directly going to this "Land of Darkness" and facing thousands of Grimm would be a fool's errand. But if one were able to gather the necessary resources and create the necessary strategy, an attack on Salem had the potential to hamper her efforts just like she was hampering theirs.

    And yet, Ozpin seemed to think that any effort, reckless or thought out, would be a bad idea. It seemed hard to believe but... it was almost as if there was something that Ozpin wasn't telling the Mandalorian. He may have said that there were still things he wanted to keep to himself, but Ozpin seemed to have secrets about Salem that he didn't want to share.

    But what were they? And why did Ozpin want to keep them secret?

    "Perfect, thank you."

    The Mandalorian snapped out of his thoughts and looked to see Ozpin walking towards him while closing the door to the Headmaster's office. "Theodore managed to convince some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses to join us," he shared. "They'll be leaving for Haven first thing tomorrow."

    "Good," said Djarin. "That's enough time before the full moon."

    "Indeed. Are you still planning to go to Vale?"

    "That's right." Djarin extended his hand. "My Semblance should be able to take both of us to the Razor Crest."

    "Actually, I think it would be best if I stay. Some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses joining us are teachers here. Theodore will need my help organizing the departure and explaining why they're needed elsewhere."

    Djarin was familiar with the kinds of questions students and people asked when it came to matters like this. "That's fine," he said. "It might be faster for me to go alone, anyways. I'll meet you and everyone else at Haven."

    "Very good," Ozpin said with an extended hand. Djarin didn't hesitate to shake it. "Safe travels, Djarin."

    "You too, Ozpin."

    As soon as he let go, the Mandalorian found himself back at the Razor Crest. It was refueled and ready to go, but Djarin made sure to say one last goodbye to Cinder before he left. His earlier promise to find Aurora seemed almost impossible to keep now, but Djarin didn't take it as a sign to give up.

    "I don't have a plan, Cinder," Djarin confessed. "I... don't know what the best thing to do is right now."

    "..."

    "But I'll find a way. Whatever it takes, we'll get you back on your feet. I don't know how soon... but it'll be soon. I promise."

    "..."

    Djarin wasn't expecting a response, but he was content that he was being honest with his daughter. All that he hoped was that somehow, in some way, Cinder understood.

    The Mandalorian had no intention of letting her down like he did before.

    So with a kiss on her forehead and a final goodbye, Djarin left Cinder and made his way back to the Razor Crest.

    *BUZZ*​

    "Hmm," Djarin grunted as he brushed a fly away from his face. "I forgot how bad the bugs are here." The sentiment was easily forgotten as the Mandalorian turned his attention to the airship. Once it was off the ground, Djarin set course for the city of Vale.

    This trip wouldn't take as long, since Vacuo and Vale were located in the same continent. But once again, the voyage gave Djarin the opportunity to think about everything. The first of which was something that Ozpin had told him about Salem's lair.

    "I can tell you we are closer than you may think."

    Djarin wondered what Ozpin meant, if Salem's lair was as close to Vacuo as the old Huntsman implied. In a rare turn of events, Djarin began to grow curious about this. So much so that he was willing to look at a map of Sanus on his computer screen to see if he could find anything close to Vacuo.

    More specifically, anything that resembled an ideal home for Salem.

    "It looks like nothing's around here but the desert," the Mandalorian thought as he looked at the surrounding area of Vacuo. "Perfect for the Tuskens, but not for Salem." Djarin pressed the screen so he could make the map zoom out. Now he was looking at the continent of Sanus.

    "I've been around this continent dozens of times. Nothing really strikes out as a 'Land of Darkness,' or whatever Ozpin said it was."

    Djarin always relied on his past experience as a bounty hunter and as a Mandalorian to guide him when he was lost. And so, after he expanded the map to make it show the whole world of Remnant, Djarin decided to see where in the world his experience had taken him.

    Or rather, where it hadn't.

    "There's been a few places on Remnant I've never seen," Djarin told himself. "I've never been... here." He pressed a part of Sanus that had a mixture of grass and desert. The spot he tapped showed a red dot for future reference. "Or... here." He then pressed a part of Anima that he had never explored and saw another red dot. "And I've never been outside Atlas whenever I went to Solitas." This time, Djarin moved his finger in a circle to encompass the whole continent.

    One look at the map told Djarin that Salem could be just about anywhere in the world.

    "No, this isn't right," Djarin thought. "Ozpin said Vacuo was close to her. There has to be something I'm missing." After he zoomed back towards Sanus, and after he looked out the window to make sure nothing was coming towards him, the Mandalorian took another look at Sanus and the lands closest to it.

    "Hold on... what's this?"

    The Mandalorian found himself looking at a piece of land to the northwest of Vacuo. The map was capable of showing the general colors of the land, from green trees to brown mountains. But what struck Djarin as odd was that the land northwest of Vacuo was black.

    It didn't look like the colors of dirt or mountains. This land was colored in nothing but black.

    "Is that it?" Djarin wondered as he encircled the piece of land with his finger. "Is that the Land of the Darkness?" He then took note of how close it was to Vacuo. "Ozpin was right. We were close to it. But why would Salem stretch her forces all the way to Vale and Mistral? If this is her base, then she's right on top of Vacuo. She could take it by surprise if she wanted to. And that's where Ozpin told me the Sword of Destruction is! There's no way she would pass a chance to steal that."

    "..."

    The Mandalorian leaned back in his seat as he shook his head. Djarin's quest to find Salem's lair had only raised more questions than answers. Nothing was making sense. Not with Salem, and definitely not with Ozpin.

    Djarin was starting to see that all of his time working with Ozpin while he trained Cinder had only amounted to realizing that he knew practically nothing about Salem. He was confident that his sense of logic and reason had pointed him in the direction of Salem's home, however.

    And if it wasn't his brain, it was also the fact that the rest of the land looked like a large and intimidating dragon when the map was zoomed out.

    "Never noticed that before," Djarin realized. "That has to be Salem's base." Djarin let out a groan, despite the accomplishment he had made. "But that doesn't change how much we don't know about her. If she's helping Vizsla attack Haven, we have to know how she thinks. We have to see what kind of angle she's playing at."

    The concept of "we" in this case had actually given Djarin an idea.

    "Maybe I can talk to Qrow. He's worked with Ozpin longer than I have. Maybe he knows more about her than I do. Or... Ozpin told him the same things he told me."

    Djarin groaned again as his frustrations grew by the second. The idea that Qrow knew as much as he did was not only possible, but also incredibly likely. Not only would this help with finding Aurora, but it also wouldn't help with bringing the fight to Salem. Djarin believed such an action would help, but he couldn't find anyone who could tell him anything else.

    It seemed the only people who knew Salem the most were Ozpin, her followers, and all those Sith warriors Cinder talked about with Obi-Wan.

    "Wait a minute," Djarin thought as he stopped being angry. "The Sith..."

    "..."

    After Djarin met Obi-Wan, he had learned that the Jedi had crossed paths with the Mandalorians before. Confrontation happened as it always did, and Obi-Wan mentioned a few of these fights before. However, Cinder told the Mandalorian that both the Jedi and the Sith were all too familiar with Salem.

    And Djarin recalled one person who possibly knew Salem inside and out. Although talking to him was the last thing Djarin wanted to do, he saw it was one thing he had to do.

    "I have to find Revan."

    *BAM*

    *CRACK*    ​

    "Come on, kick his ass!"

    "Show him what you got!"

    A group of people were currently encircled around two combatants, who were giving it their all to make their opponent fall. One combatant was a Huntsman, and the people around him were all Huntsmen and Huntresses. He was currently fighting a Mandalorian, who was joined by two observing members of his clan.

    The fight was currently taking place at Vale, where the ruins of Beacon Academy were standing. However, they weren't entirely ruins now. Ever since the Saxons and Hazel were forced to retreat, the Huntsmen and Huntresses of the Kingdom were able to make the school a working base once again. Now they could train and receive notifications of missions much easier than before.

    Given that Clans Vizsla and Tenau were the ones responsible for this liberation, they were rewarded with a temporary portion of the land for them to live on. Once the war was over, they would leave and let the Kingdom of Vale not only rebuild Beacon, but also create reservations for the Mandalorians in places such as the Forever Fall. These lands would be, although reluctantly, recognized as Mandalorian territory by the Council.

    Unfortunately, the agreement at Beacon wasn't perfect.

    The grudge between the two factions, and the pride they both held, resulted in many small skirmishes and fights. Today was no different, and nobody really remembered what started the fight in the first place. All that mattered was that the Huntsmen and Mandalorians were willing and ready to defend their integrity through someone who had insulted them simply by being in the same area.

    The Huntsman fighting the Mandalorian in this case had a unique advantage on his side. He could make his skin as hard as metal, even though it appeared the same as it always did. So every punch and kick he threw would deal twice the amount of damage and he would remain protected. It was like he was wearing a suit of armor like his Mandalorian opponent.

    But he didn't have the same weaponry and abilities Mandalorian armor provided to its wearer.

    Both combatants were starting to show signs of exhaustion and depleted Aura, but they still fought. It had even gotten to the point where the Huntsman began to use his weapon when the Mandalorian took out a hunting knife.

    Blood was going to be shed, if a black shape hadn't swooped down and knocked both combatants off their feet.

    After he used his avian form to fly closer and downwards, Qrow Branwen used Harbinger to swipe at the combatants' feet to make them stop fighting. When he had captured everyone's attention, Qrow stood up straight and looked at everyone.

    "That's enough!" he declared loudly. "If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times! We're on the same damn side! And don't go telling me that this is a sparring match!"

    "..."

    Ever since Beacon had been won, Qrow had taken it upon himself to maintain order between the two parties with Glynda's help. He had seen and stopped fights like this before, and he had a good idea how he could stop it from happening again.

    "The next person who throws a punch or starts a fight is outta here," he said. "You'll be on cleanup duty for a month. Got it?"

    "..."

    Qrow took this silence as understanding, so he transformed his weapon into its inactive form and put it away. "Now get outta here."

    One by one, everyone left the area in silence. The threat Qrow gave, cleaning up the rubble of Beacon that the Saxons left behind, wasn't serious, but nobody wanted to do it for a whole month. And since the fight was over, nobody had a reason to stay around.

    "Ugh, jeez," Qrow moaned as he moved some hair out of his face. A few weeks ago, he would have decided that now would be a great time for a drink. But ever since he helped win Beacon back, Qrow didn't have the heart to find himself alcohol anymore. Now all he could do was try and clear his head before the next fight started.

    "Welcome to my world."

    Qrow turned around and expected to see someone who either needed something from him or wanted an explanation as to why he stopped a fight. He was ready to deal with both, despite the fact that it was something he didn't want to do.

    But when Qrow found himself looking at a chrome Mandalorian with a marked pauldron on his shoulder, his behavior made a complete turnaround.

    "Holy crap," Qrow said with a smile. "Mando, is that you?" Qrow didn't waste a second to greet his old friend, someone he hadn't seen in over a month. "I thought you were never gonna come back. Man, it's good to see you again."

    Djarin shared this sentiment as he firmly grasped Qrow's hand. "It's good to see you too, Qrow," he said as he let go. He then focused his eyes on something new about Qrow; something on his face. "Is that new? Did someone here give you that scar?"

    "What, this?" Qrow rubbed his cheek, where a noticeable scar ran down. "Nah, this is just a goodbye gift from Gar Saxon. He didn't take the eviction notice very well."

    "I wouldn't expect him to." Djarin remembered that this was the first time that he had come to Beacon since the war started. He was expecting scorched earth and broken buildings as far as the eye could see, but the sight of multiple tents, supplies, and working Huntsmen terminals caught his eye.

    "Nice work, huh?" Qrow asked as he showed the Mandalorian around. "As soon as we got that Grimm pool and the Saxons outta here, Glynda didn't waste any time with getting Beacon back up to speed. We managed to recover and rebuild some of the old terminals, so we got the mission board back just like it used to be." He then pointed to some of the buildings. "We're also working on getting all the debris out too, but we're mostly making the buildings livable again."

    Djarin silently observed how much debris had been moved and how the Huntsmen and Huntresses were walking about as if nothing had changed.

    "Unfortunately, Beacon Tower's one of the places that isn't easy to work around. It took the majority of Atlas' strikes, so we can't get the CCT up and running yet. We took over a Saxon base in there, but that's about it." Qrow sighed as he looked around at the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians walking around. "And then there's the people to worry about."

    "Where did you say you were keeping the Mandalorians?" Djarin asked.

    "They got a few tents set up over there," Qrow said as he pointed towards the grassy fields. "Don't ask me how they do it, but everyone here finds something to fight over. One way or another."

    "I know what you mean. Obi-Wan's been breaking up enough fights and stopping them before they begin. It's not my place to break up challenges like that, but I remind everyone that we're on the same side."

    "Not your place, huh? Wait, don't tell me." Qrow chuckled as he lowered his voice. "This is the Way, right?"

    "..."

    Qrow chuckled again; he had a habit of repeating this phrase back to Djarin whenever he said it, though it was always a joke. Djarin made it a habit to make Qrow see that he didn't find the joke very funny, which was why he was staring at the Huntsman in dead silence.

    "Okay, okay," Qrow said as he stopped laughing. "How are things in Mistral, by the way?"

    "That's actually why I'm here," Djarin replied. "I should talk to Glynda."

    "Mind if I come with?"

    "We're gonna need all the help we can get."

    As Qrow said, everyone at Beacon managed to include a portion of the tower as a part of their base. It was here that Djarin found Glynda Goodwitch, who was more than surprised to see that Djarin had returned. Just like Qrow, Glynda was also happy to see the Mandalorian.

    But she wasn't happy with the news he brought from Mistral.

    "They're going to attack Mistral?" Glynda asked. "From Haven itself?"

    "Mando, you sure about this?" Qrow asked. "That sounds kinda far-fetched."

    "I know how it sounds, but it's true," Djarin insisted. "Obi-Wan made sure that the Mandalorian we captured wasn't lying. I don't know how Vizsla's going to do it, but that's his plan."

    Glynda was very disappointed by this turn of events. Things were starting to become better at Beacon, which caused the Huntress to almost forget how bad the war was for the rest of the world.

    And for that reason, Glynda planned to make sure that Haven wouldn't become another Beacon.

    "Does Ozpin know?" Glynda asked.

    "He was my first stop," the Mandalorian confirmed. "He's working with Theodore to send as many Huntsmen and Huntresses as he can to Mistral."

    "Then we have to do the same." Glynda took out her Scroll and began to type on it.

    "How many do you think you can spare?" Djarin asked.

    "I can spare enough. The situation in the Kingdom is under control, for the most part. We have enough Huntsmen and Huntresses to spare for a mission like this." Glynda put down her Scroll and looked up to Djarin. "I just made a mandatory mission for all Huntsmen and Huntresses in the city to join you. We were able to increase border patrol enough to cover this loss."

    "Mandatory, huh?" Qrow asked as he looked at his Scroll. He had just gotten the notification from Glynda about Haven's need for guardians. "Been seeing a lot of those lately."

    "So have I." Glynda fixed her glasses before she spoke again. "I'd almost forgotten how much we take the concept of choosing our missions for granted. I hope we don't need missions like these again."

    "Agreed," said Djarin. "Glynda, I can see how you've managed to hold the fort down. But is there any way you can join us too?"

    "I'm sorry, Djarin, but I'm needed here." Glynda pointed at the floor she was standing on. "After we reclaimed Beacon, Qrow and I found signs of excavation in the Vault."

    "Excavation?"

    "The Saxons were trying to find the Relic we have here. Aurora must have told them where to start looking. And if those Mandalorians come back, I have to make sure they won't have a chance to find it again."

    "I understand." Djarin looked back to Qrow, who had just cracked his knuckles.

    "I'm not missing this for the world," he said. "Let me know when you're ready to leave."

    "Thank you," Djarin said sincerely. It had been a while since he and Qrow fought side-by-side; such an experience would be welcoming. "I need to talk to the Mandalorian leaders, see if they can spare anyone."

    "Sounds good to me." Qrow began to make his way to the stairs he took to get to this room. "I'll find the Crest, just meet me when you're-" Qrow suddenly stopped walking and turned around once again. "Wait a sec. Glynda, you still got the box?"

    "The box?" Glynda asked. "Oh, right!" She suddenly looked under the desk she was standing behind. A second later, the Huntress emerged with a cardboard box that she placed on the surface.

    Qrow moved back to the desk and gestured for Djarin to join him. "Me and Glynda found a few things of ours that survived the explosions," he said. "When we found more things that belonged to the students and staff, we returned most of it to everyone who was here that night. This box came from your old room."

    "..."

    The Mandalorian looked at the contents of the box that Qrow and Glynda had generously made for him. The contents inside were a multitude of things, mostly things that Djarin hadn't seen in a while.

    The first was a pair of training knives that he had since he was a Foundling, and something that he passed down to Cinder. The second was a burned but mostly intact photograph of him and Cinder in front of Beacon Academy. The third was a set of chainmail armor that belonged to Cinder. It was actually a birthday present Djarin gave to her, but she had outgrown it now. The rest comprised mostly of books and belongings that Cinder had outgrown and that Djarin had placed away. The largest of these books was the one of Mandalorian culture that Djarin gifted Cinder a few days after they met. She didn't outgrow it, but the young girl has read it enough times to almost memorize each page.

    All of these things had their individual purpose, but they all helped make Beacon feel more like a home for the clan of two.

    "And there's one more thing," Qrow said as he dug his hand into his pocket. "I found this in the dorm Cinder moved into. I forgot you saved her armor before you left, but I figured this was something else that didn't need to get lost."

    "..."

    Djarin couldn't believe his eyes.

    In his hand, Qrow was holding a metal necklace, one that Djarin knew all too well. In the center of the necklace was a small symbol, the skull of the Mythosaur. It was the necklace that belonged to every Foundling of the Children of the Watch.

    Djarin had been gifted the necklace a long time ago, and he continued the tradition by gifting it to Cinder. Ever since then, the young girl hardly took it off. It became a part of her, something that became her most prized possession.

    Cinder wouldn't allow herself to be seen without this piece of jewelry.

    The Mandalorian gently took the necklace from Qrow and looked it over. As he familiarized himself with its feeling and weight in hand, Djarin remembered why Cinder had removed it in the first place; it was the night she believed that the whole world hated people like her.

    Djarin felt sorry for Cinder that night, and he felt even more sorry for her now. In the time she had been in her coma, Djarin never noticed that her necklace was missing. He felt ashamed, and he felt that the jewelry needed to be returned to its rightful owner as soon as possible.

    "Mando? You okay?"

    Djarin had forgotten that he was with Qrow and Glynda. The Huntsman and Huntress easily noticed how silent he had become, and they were wondering if they had done something wrong.

    "I... I'm okay," the Mandalorian finally said. "I just... I never noticed that Cinder wasn't wearing it." He opened a small compartment in his belt and carefully put the necklace inside. "You're right, Qrow. This doesn't need to be lost again. Thank you."

    "No problem," the Huntsman replied. "And hey, we're burning daylight. Let's get packed up and get outta here."

    "I can take you to the Razor Crest now. I should take all of this with me too." Djarin gently took the cardboard box that Glynda had made. "Thank you, Glynda."

    "You're welcome," Glynda said with a rare smile. "Good luck to you."

    "Thank you."

    As promised, Djarin took his recovered belongings and took them to the Razor Crest with Qrow. The Huntsman decided to wait in the ship while the Mandalorian left to speak with the rest of his kind.

    At the camp in the fields, Djarin managed to make contact with Pax Vizsla, the leader of Clan Vizsla. He and Djarin had been on good terms since the defeat of Major Gideon, and this relationship refused to change when the Darksaber was stolen.

    It may have changed if Djarin lost it in combat, but Pax believed Djarin's story about it being stolen. This was one reason that he was willing to go to Mistral with the Child of the Watch, but there was also another.

    "Pre Vizsla has been a thorn in our side long enough," Pax said to Djarin. "The leader who banished him from our ranks was too merciful with him. I feel it is my duty to correct that mistake."

    "I'm glad to hear that," said Djarin. "We'll find and fight him together. Hopefully his defeat will be enough to end the war."

    "We must hope for the best, but expect the worst." Pax looked back at the camp behind him. "My brothers and sisters haven't seen an attack from the Saxons in days. And given the recent... altercations, perhaps it would be best if we all joined you."

    "All of you?" Djarin would welcome the assistance, but he couldn't help but doubt the wisdom of this. "Are you sure you won't be needed here?"

    "All too sure. I've seen the way these Huntsmen and Huntresses fight." Pax looked back to Beacon Tower. "I have confidence in their ability to stop people like the Saxons. And our training and disagreements have honed both of our skills." Pax looked back to Djarin. "Ironic, isn't it?"

    Djarin couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. "You have no idea," he said. "How soon can you and Clan Tenau leave?"

    Pax looked behind him once again. "We'll require some of the Kingdom's airships to take us all to Mistral. Between finding them and packing... I believe it will take about an hour. But you should know that Clan Tenau won't be joining us."

    "What?"

    "I spoke with Mi shortly after you arrived. They've decided to move to the new reservation early." Pax pointed off into the distance. "You can say your goodbyes, but I wouldn't expect any corporation any more."

    "..."

    This was a surprise to Djarin, given what he had heard Clan Tenau did for Vale. Taking Beacon back with Clan Vizsla was no easy task, and Djarin was positive that they could help with Haven. But giving up like this? Just going away after a single battle?

    This seemed so unlike a common Mandalorian.

    In a quest for answers, Djarin sought out Mi Tenau, the leader of the clan. She wasn't hard to find, given that she was helping her brothers and sisters gather their belongings for the trip to their new home.

    Mi seemed fully prepared for the departure, and she was prepared to share the reason behind this decision with Djarin.

    "It is the same reason we took solace at Mountain Glenn," she said. "The reason why the rest of our people are scattered all across Remnant." Mi gestured towards the rest of the school. "We attempted to bridge the gap between Mandalore and the rest of the world, just as our ancestors did when they allied with Vale in the Great War. But the rest of the world, while grateful, are not ready to accept us. I doubt they ever will be."

    "..."

    Djarin had to admit that he was sad and angry at Clan Tenau for seemingly giving up at first. But the explanation was not only understandable, it was also relatable for the Mandalorian.

    Djarin had forgotten that the fight he witnessed earlier, the one that Qrow had stopped, was between a Huntsman and a Tenau Mandalorian. And rather than training or sparring, that fight was a brawl. The Huntsmen and Huntresses, who practically represented the safety of the people at this point, weren't ready to accept the Mandalorians as one of their own.

    Djarin reminded himself of all the times he had been treated as an outcast, and how it took to be accepted at Beacon. It took Glynda approximately half a year before she could accept the Mandalorian as an ally, despite helping her with Death Watch.

    And the worst part was that this brought a bad memory back to Djarin.

    "Dad, I was able to figure out who I was, just like I wanted to. But I also learned how bad Mandalorians can be. I don't like hurting people, but now I see I'm the minority."

    Djarin reached inside his belt and took out Cinder's necklace. As he looked at the symbol in his hand, the memory of Cinder's lamentations intensified.

    "I get it now. Where I see strength, everyone sees spite! Not just Atlas, but people all over the world!"

    "..."

    "I just... How can I undo so much hate?"

    Djarin slowly shook his head as he looked at the necklace. "I don't know, Cinder," he said to himself. "I don't know."

    "..."

    All of a sudden, the Mandalorian closed his fist and looked back up. "But I'm going to try."

    After running across the school grounds, and after he made a call to Glynda, Din Djarin found himself in front of a large mass of people. He had managed to summon Clans Vizsla and Tenau before they left and Glynda had been able to summon the Huntsmen and Huntresses together in the same area. Now all they were doing were standing and watching Djarin climb on top of a few boxes and stand over them.

    "What's going on?" a Huntress asked.

    "I don't know," a friend of hers replied. "I just got the call."

    "Looks like one of the Mandos wants to talk," said a Huntsman.

    "Oh, great."

    "They already got some of Beacon. Now what do they want?"

    "..."

    Djarin didn't know what he was doing. Honestly, he didn't have the slightest clue as to what he was going to do next. And yet, he refused to climb down and forget the whole thing.

    He wasn't going to move until he had his say.

    "For those who don't know me, my name is Din Djarin," the Mandalorian introduced himself. "I'm the one who discovered the planned attack at Haven. And if we want to win... we have to fight together."

    "..."

    Everyone looked at each other in uncertainty. They understood what Djarin was saying, but they seemed more neutral to the idea rather than satisfied and in agreement.

    Even Qrow and Glynda, who had joined Djarin, seemed somewhat disillusioned with the small sentiment.

    "Is that the best you got?" the Mandalorian asked himself. "Cinder's done things like this a hundred times. Make them see the bigger picture."

    "..."

    After he cleared his throat, Djarin spoke again. "I never thought the truce here would last," he said. Whispers and murmurs soon filled the area, some of which sounded more hostile than they should be.

    But Djarin didn't stop talking.

    "I thought that if we managed to survive, if the people of Vale and Mistral take back what was stolen, it would only be a matter of time before we were back at each other's throats. I believe this because in my eyes... everyone thinks the person standing next to them is the enemy."

    "..."

    Everyone looked around at the people next to them, specifically to the people they held a grudge against. As Mandalorian turned to Hunter, and vice versa, everyone subconsciously agreed with Djarin.

    "To you they're evil. To you, they're sub-human." Djarin looked around at everyone he could see, and the attention was back on him. "To you, they're a reason to let all of your pride, rage, and fear out on. To you, they deserve it."

    "..."

    "Because if that's not true... then what does that make you?"

    "..."

    Everyone looked at each other again after Djarin asked this question. Nobody could see it, but the back of their minds told everyone that this was true. That they saw each other as an enemy because it was the only thing they could do right now. They couldn't give each other a chance, because they were too afraid to admit that their actions as of late were the wrong ones.

    But at the front of their minds, everyone had a good reason for thinking that the people they were sharing Beacon with was an enemy. Djarin realized this, and used this opportunity to present the truth.

    "Let me tell you what you are," the Mandalorian continued. "You're all different, you're all looking for something and someone to fight. Because you all had something taken from you." Djarin pointed to Beacon. "We're all here because we lost a home. The Fall of Beacon took the Vale we all knew away from us. It's become a center for the refugees, for the dispossessed. It's not a part of civilization anymore." Djarin turned back to everyone. "Just. Like. Mandalore."

    "..."

    The Mandalorians easily noticed the similarities between Beacon and their once prosperous home. And the Huntsmen and Huntresses were all too familiar with the state their Kingdom was in.

    "We all lost a home. That's perhaps one of the things we have in common. But it's easy to forget that every fight we fought, before and after we all came together, it was all done so we could find a home. Just like it's easy to forget that Remnant itself is our home. Huntsman, Huntress, and Mandalorian alike."

    "..."

    Nobody dared to argue against that. Though there were some on both sides that thought that it would be best if this wasn't true for some people.

    Djarin placed a hand on his chest. "I am a Mandalorian," he said. "That's something I refuse to change. But I'm something else too. I... am a father."

    "..."

    Djarin took out Cinder's necklace and showed it to everyone. "I adopted and raised a girl named Cinder, who took what she saw with the Mandalorian culture and greeted it with open arms. But at the same time, she saw something that I was reluctant to admit. She saw that the Mandalorians are hated. And feared."

    "..."

    "Most of all, she saw that this needed to change."

    He didn't notice it, but Qrow and Glynda were nodding when Djarin said this. Glynda even dried a tear from her eye when she remembered what happened to Cinder.

    "My daughter tried her hardest to change what she thought it meant to be a Mandalorian," Djarin said. "She wanted to be a warrior, but she wanted to fight so others could have peace instead of war. Our ancestors saw glory in their kills and conquests, but Cinder always saw glory in protecting the people she loves. Even the people she hardly knew!"

    "..."

    "But most of all, the one thing Cinder wanted to do was to see the best of both worlds. To bring these worlds together, and show how much we actually need each other. Now more than ever."

    "..."

    Clan Vizsla and Clan Tenau were no strangers to Cinder. They knew who she was and even had the honor of seeing her fight once or twice. They all saw how Djarin raised her, how she chose to learn about Mandalorian culture, and how she tried to share this culture with the world.

    The Huntsmen and Huntresses of Vale remembered seeing Cinder at the Vytal Festival. Namely how she fought with and without the set of armor she owned. Most thought it was a dirty trick to bring out a set of armor like that, when they first saw the fight. But when they listened to Djarin's speech, and when they thought back on that night, they saw how honorable Cinder chose to fight. She even displayed respect towards the other fighter that she tied with.

    Cinder wasn't an evil person or a delusional one. Maybe, just maybe... she was the bridge between the Kingdoms and the Mandalorians.

    Djarin turned to a group of Huntsmen and Huntresses as he placed a hand on his chest. "If the Kingdoms can't accept that Remnant is our home too, then they're unwittingly giving people like Vizsla a reason to spill more innocent blood." He then turned to the Mandalorians of Clan Vizsla and Tenau. "And if we can't accept the fact that we have to change, if we don't stop Mandalorians like Pre Vizsla and Gar Saxon from becoming the warlords our ancestors were, then we deserve extinction."

    "..."

    Djarin focused his attention on the entire group before him. "And if none of us take the fight to the Saxons and Death Watch, if we choose to leave or keep fighting amongst ourselves, we're just standing in the way of the progress and peace that we all need. That we all deserve."

    "..."

    "I know how hard it is to let go of it all, to put your lives on the line against a seemingly impossible force." Djarin looked at the people of Vale again. "But you're Huntsmen and Huntresses. You've never stopped protecting the people who need you the most." He then looked at the two clans. "And we're Mandalorians. We may know only war and combat, but we know how to direct it at the people we need to fight."

    Nods and small shouts of agreement soon spread across the field, and it gave Djarin the motivation to finish strong.

    "And that's why I'm asking all of you to come to Haven with me. To fight with me." Small shouts emerged again, and Djarin looked at everyone in front of him one more time. "Fight to see Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla locked away for the rest of their lives! Fight to do away with conquest and intolerance! But most of all... fight because you deserve to win!"

    The nods and small shouts soon turned to cheers and applause. Agreement and unity spread throughout the crowd, and some people even fired their guns in the air to express their enthusiasm.

    One member of Clan Tenau could sense how inspired his brothers and sisters were, so he turned to his leader. "He's right," he said to Mi. "We have to fight."

    "I know," Mi said with a changed mind. "And we will."

    Qrow and Glynda also clapped as they witnessed the newly united army in front of them.

    "Not too shabby," said Qrow.

    "Now I'm really sorry I can't go," said Glynda.

    "Don't worry." Qrow flashed the teacher a toothy grin. "I'll send Vizsla your regards."

    As the cheers and gunfire erupted from the land, Djarin smiled under his helmet. What he once thought was impossible now had the potential to be a reality. And while he wasn't the Mand'alor, Djarin knew that this a step in the right direction.

    But this victory didn't belong to him.

    Djarin reached into his belt again and took out the small necklace that had recently been rediscovered. Without it, and without the fears and hopes of a special girl, none of this would have been possible.

    "We did it, Cinder," Djarin proudly whispered. "We did it."

    One night had passed since the Mandalorian had left Anima. When he returned, when all had been prepared and done, it was obvious that he had fulfilled his promise.

    In the late afternoon, many airships found themselves at Haven's doorstep. The first to land was the Razor Crest, where Din Djarin stepped out with Qrow Branwen and the Mandalorian volunteers that accompanied him.

    The next ones to land were all from Vale, where the summoned Huntsmen and Huntresses came out and observed the area. They all walked inside Haven's doors, one by one. Djarin recognized a few of them from past missions, but he was able to recognize a group of former students he taught; it was Gretchen Rainart and the rest of her team.

    "Wait until you see what she can do to the Saxons, Mando," Qrow insisted. "She packs a punch when she needs to."

    The airships that followed were all from Vacuo, where Ozpin led more volunteers out into the academy grounds. The reunion he shared with Djarin and Qrow was long overdue, especially with Qrow. Djarin was also happy to see Ozpin, but he was surprised to see that some of the company he brought comprised of students.

    "As soon as I explained what was happening, almost the entire student body volunteered to join us," the Headmaster explained. "Theodore and I did our best to sway their minds, but they wouldn't budge."

    "Uh, are you sure about this?" Qrow asked. "One would think we should draw the line with kids."

    "Agreed, Qrow. But I don't think I could have stopped them. Almost half of them threatened to give up their path of education if they weren't allowed to come."

    "Whoa. Okay, point taken. But maybe we should-"

    "We shouldn't worry too much," said Djarin, who pointed out to a group of students he recognized. Lilith Gelb was walking inside with some of the students who wore Clan Ordo's armor and fought like real Mandalorians. "We'll be careful where we assign them, but they'll be fine. They can handle themselves."

    Between the two reassurances, Qrow simply shrugged as he walked inside. "Alright," he said calmly.

    Ozpin and the Mandalorian followed Ozpin inside, where they found themselves in the main auditorium of Haven Academy. A few other Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians were already inside. They were the only ones who could leave the Great Lake without compromising its entire defenses. And so, they gladly greeted the new arrivals and talked amongst themselves as they waited for something to happen.

    Their waiting ending when a loud voice sounded throughout the large room.

    "Hello there."

    Everyone turned and looked at a large statue just a few feet from the center of the room. On top of it was a small walking area where Headmaster Obi-Wan Kenobi was standing and looking down as he spoke through a microphone.

    "Welcome to Haven Academy," Obi-Wan continued. "Thank you all for coming... though I wish it was under different circumstances."

    "..."

    The entire audience remained silent as they gave Obi-Wan their full attention.

    "I'm quite certain that many things have been tossed around as to why we need quite so many guardians. So allow me to clear any confusion. Professor Din Djarin of Beacon Academy and I recently discovered that the Saxon Clan and Death Watch, the main perpetrators behind this senseless war, plan to launch a full-scale attack on the city. And they mean to strike from within Haven itself."

    Everyone reacted to the news differently. The students that joined Ozpin couldn't help but whisper amongst themselves and wonder how such a thing was possible. Some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses looked around the area to familiarize themselves with part of the Academy. The Mandalorians remained silent, but they noticed a few people staring at them.

    "Now, I'm sure you all have your questions and concerns," Obi-Wan calmly continued. "But I assure you that this threat is very real. Both Haven and Mistral will be at serious risk tonight. Which is why we are all needed here. Huntsman, Huntress, and Mandalorian alike."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan turned to the group of Mandalorians next. "We're joined today by Mandalorians who oppose Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla, Clans Vizsla and..."

    "Tenau," Djarin said for all to hear.

    Obi-Wan looked over to Djarin. "Thank you," he said before he continued his speech. "Clans Vizsla and Tenau, who have provided their assistance to us in these dark times. My gratitude, and the Council's, goes out to Clan Vizsla, who today helped us repel an attack on the Great Lake. And to Clan Tenau, who assisted Professor Ozpin in retaking Beacon Academy from the Saxons."

    Whispers and chatter engulfed the auditorium once again, where people from Vale and Mistral confirmed that what Obi-Wan was saying was true. The war had divided them long enough to make news travel at a very slow pace, especially without the CCT working.

    "My gratitude goes out to each and every one of you as well," Obi-Wan continued. "This war has challenged each and every once of us. Our strength, our courage, and our friendships have all been put to the test. Many lives have been lost, but you have all made sure that this war has not been lost as well. Which is why it pains me to tell you that you must all be put to the test once again."

    "..."

    "The impending attack we must work against will not be a simple one. Failure will result in the Fall of Beacon all over again. I cannot stand here and assure you that victory will be certainly attained... nor can I assure you that everyone will be returning home when we are done."

    "..."

    "I am not a warrior like the Mandalorians under the command of the Saxons or Death Watch. I do not wish to rule or conquer anyone. I would like to help everyone if possible. Human beings and the Faunus are all like that. We wish to protect the ones we love, to fight so that we may have peace rather than war. That is why I am a Huntsman, why I am a peacekeeper. And that is why I would like to invite anyone who feels they are not prepared for this conflict to leave. There is no shame or dishonor in abstaining. Only in retreat."

    "..."

    It was so quiet in the auditorium that one could hear a pin drop.

    The choice Obi-Wan was giving everyone was fairly simple, but it wasn't an easy one to make. The warriors in the room agreed that defeat would result in another Fall of Beacon, as well as the city of Mistral falling as well. However, they also agreed that this wasn't like killing the Grimm. This war had taken many lives, and their lives were quite possibly at more risk than they ever had been before.

    Opinions were ranged all over the place. The Mandalorians and battle-hardened Huntsmen and Huntresses had no intention of leaving. Leaving such a fight went against everything a Mandalorian believed in. And the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Mistral were unwilling to let the Saxons and Death Watch take their homes.

    The Huntsmen and Huntresses of Vale knew how hard it was to withstand the Fall of Beacon. They also knew how hard it was to reclaim it from the Mandalorians, despite the fact that they didn't fight to take it back. Only Qrow, Gretchen, and the allied Mandalorians did that. Now they had a chance to make sure Mistral didn't suffer the same loss they did, and they were going to take it.

    The Huntsmen and Huntresses of Vacuo were mostly skeptical about this fight. Like the majority of students of Shade, most of them didn't feel any attachment or sense of duty to another Kingdom. This was mainly due to Mistral and Atlas being responsible for draining their natural resources. But given that they had been ordered by Professor Theodore to come here and help, these Huntsmen and Huntresses knew they didn't have the luxury to back down. They were fairly certain such an action would result in them losing their licenses.

    The students who had come from both Beacon and Shade were the most skeptical of all the groups in the room. While none of the students from Shade never fought a Mandalorian before, the students from Beacon remembered the night their school fell. They knew how powerful the Mandalorians were, and how a force like the one on its way to Haven wouldn't be stopped easily.

    More importantly, they remembered all of the people who were murdered by the conquering Mandalorians.

    It was for this reason that the only person who walked to the exit of the auditorium was Max Bolt, Lilith Gelb's teammate. He had lost one of his teammates at the Fall of Beacon, and that loss shook him to its core. It even made him have second thoughts about being a Huntsman, to include himself in this fight. But his time at Shade and his time with his surviving friends helped him find his courage again, as did Professor Djarin's exercise with the suits of armor.

    It was for this reason that Max stood in front of the large doors of the auditorium and closed them.

    *THOOM*

    *THOOM*    ​

    When the echoes of the closing doors disappeared, Max turned back to see that everyone was looking right at him. The looks on their faces showed that they were thinking the same thing he was, but Max went ahead and shared his answer to Obi-Wan's offer.

    "With all due respect, Headmaster... we're not going anywhere tonight."

    The auditorium was filled with chatter once again, but it was united this time. Just about everyone in the room raised their voices and agreed with the brave young man. Djarin, Qrow, and Ozpin said nothing as they proudly watched the warriors become united by the choice they made.

    "Thank you all," Obi-Wan said with a smile. "Let is not delay." He then pointed to a door to the side of the room. "You'll find a planned schedule and your duties listed in their. Any questions or concerns can be addressed to Professor Oak, he'll be glad to help you."

    The massive body of guardians moved inside the next room in an orderly fashion. Obi-Wan moved down the stairs rather quickly in order to reach Ozpin.

    "Well said, my friend," said Ozpin. "Very well said."

    "Thank you," Obi-Wan said as he turned to the other Headmaster's company. "Djarin, Qrow, just a moment. I'd like to speak with you and Ozpin in my office."

    "..."

    Qrow, Ozpin, and the Mandalorian let Obi-Wan take the lead through the halls of Haven as they made their way to an office at the top of the school. Everyone had been in the spacious room before, and they saw that nothing had really changed. There was still a large desk in the center of the room, which was in front of a large window and a bookcase. Obi-Wan took a seat behind the desk and poured four cups of tea from a teapot on the desk. He then used the Force to hand the drinks to everyone before he spoke again.

    "I was never much of a General, but I am proud that we were able to assemble this... army, for lack of a better word," said the Headmaster. He took his role of a peacekeeper very seriously, so he was opposed to being anything remotely close to a soldier. "But I believe we require something up our sleeve to truly prevail. An ace in the hole, of sorts."

    Ozpin lowered his cup after he took a sip of tea. "I was hoping we could discuss this," he said. "You are referring to her, are you not?"

    "I am." Obi-Wan looked to the Huntsman and Mandalorian. "Qrow, Djarin, I believe you two may be able to help us find and reason with her."

    "Who?" Djarin asked.

    "The Spring Maiden," Qrow said with a sigh. "And Raven."

    The Mandalorian easily understood the situation now. If his memory served him right, Djarin had met the Spring Maiden when he met Raven Branwen's tribe. And he was well aware that Raven was Qrow's sister.

    "I've met them before, you're right," Djarin said. "But I haven't seen either of them in years. I don't even know if they're still in the same spot I met them."

    "They're not," Qrow declared confidently. "Brothers know I'm not Raven's biggest fan, but she and I have been keeping in touch with each other. I know where to find her, but getting Spring here won't be easy."

    Djarin turned to Ozpin this time. "How did Hera even end up with Raven in the first place?"

    Ozpin mentally sighed as he lamented on the events that led to the young woman's departure. "She was determined, at first, when she inherited her powers," he explained. "But the weight of responsibility proved to be too much for her. She... ran. Abandoned her training, everyone. That was a long time ago. I had no idea where she was before you told me about your quest to bring Cinder to me." Ozpin sighed out loud this time. "It feels like yesterday, actually."

    Djarin nodded, but he didn't agree. "It feels like forever ago to me."

    "..."

    Qrow walked over to Obi-Wan's desk and placed his Scroll on it. A holographic map of Remnant appeared and zoomed in on a specific spot in Anima.

    "That's about where they've set up their main camp," Qrow explained. "It's where they fall back to after raids and scouting missions. Raven's managed to gain a lot of followers over the years, and I'm sure Spring's only made things easier."

    "These coordinates will be useful," said Obi-Wan. "The hard part will be organizing a retrieval force to obtain Spring."

    "Why's that?" Qrow asked as he took his Scroll back. "We have all the manpower we need and then some."

    "We have the numbers, yes." Obi-Wan moved towards the large window behind him. "But the Council is the main problem. They've declared a city-wide curfew for everyone, including our forces here. They may have gone into hiding, and they may have some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses I've spared, but they're still scared." Obi-Wan turned around. "Bandit tribes aren't very high on their list of priorities when the threat of war is just on the horizon."

    "Then damn the Council!" Qrow moved back so he could look at everyone in the room. "We'll do it ourselves. The three of us are all trained Huntsmen, and Mando's never been a pushover."

    "I won't back down from a fight," said Djarin. "But there might be a better way to do this." The Mandalorian moved back as well so he could see everyone, just like Qrow did. "Raven knows who all of you are. If she sees any one of you, all bets are off." Djarin looked over to Ozpin. "She was dead set against me bringing Cinder to you when I met her."

    "That doesn't surprise me," Ozpin said. "She and I were never on good terms. What do you propose?"

    "My Semblance can take me to Qrow's coordinates in just a few jumps. If I go alone, Raven might lower her guard. She might think that I want something from her just like I did before. And if I play my cards right, I might be able to convince her to let Spring join us."

    "That's a big chance," said Qrow. "No offense, Mando, but it'll take a lot more than talking to let us have Spring."

    "But she's done it before. When I told her that Cinder was kidnapped by Gideon, she let Spring come here and unlock the Vault. It was the only way I could find Cinder, and she knew it."

    Ozpin remembered the day he learned that Spring briefly returned to Haven; it was also the day that Professor Lionheart, his old friend had been killed. It was enough to make him extremely concerned for the immediate future, but Djarin's explanation was enough to ease his troubled mind.

    Though it was hard to learn that Leonardo had betrayed him.

    Ozpin remembered everything that Djarin told him, so he knew where the Mandalorian was going with this. "If you mention Cinder's safety again, it may be enough to sway Raven," he said. "But Qrow is right. Talking, although preferred, may not be enough in this case."

    "Then I'll come back," the Mandalorian decided. "If Spring's not with me, I'll take all of you back to Raven's camp so we can ambush her together."

    "That'll work," said Qrow. "Raven will have her guard down when you leave."

    "Then it's decided," said Obi-Wan. "We'll remain here and stay vigilant. Can you leave soon, Djarin?"

    "I can leave right now," the Mandalorian replied.

    "That would be for the best."

    Djarin looked to Qrow, who immediately texted him the coordinates to Raven's camp. And as soon as he got them, Djarin disappeared from sight. Everyone silently prayed that the mission would go well, but they knew standing around wouldn't be helping.

    "I'll make a quick sweep outside," said Qrow. "It wouldn't hurt." After he opened the window, Qrow transformed into a bird and flew into the sky.

    "This is a decent plan... considering," said Ozpin. "But even the best laid plans often go awry."

    "I know," said Obi-Wan. "I only wish this chance came earlier." The Headmaster finished his tea and sighed. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

    The Mandalorian found himself in the middle of the woods with a nearly depleted Aura. He needed to make a few jumps to reach this exact spot, and it would take some time for his Aura to fully charge.

    Unfortunately, time was of the essence.

    "It's getting late," the Mandalorian thought to himself as he looked upwards. The sky was a beautiful and captivating orange, since the sun was beginning to set. Unfortunately, it also meant that the full moon would be rising soon. And with the Saxons and Death Watch coming tonight, Djarin couldn't afford any distractions.

    And so, the Mandalorian began to walk the rest of the way to the coordinates Qrow had given him. The walk was not only allowing his Aura to recharge, but it also allowed Djarin to think things over in private. The first thing he thought about was the best way to convince Raven to let Spring leave her camp again. Given that she showed great concern about Salem having at least one Maiden, Djarin believed he could say that Spring would be next on the witch's list.

    By extension, that put Raven on the list as well.

    The second thing on Djarin's mind was that he could turn this mission into an opportunity. Given that he wasn't able to find Revan before he left Vale, the Mandalorian wasn't able to gain any more knowledge about Salem. Given that Raven was able to confirm Salem's existence, Djarin believed that Raven might be able to shed some more light on this matter.

    The Mandalorian wouldn't rest until he found out everything he could about Salem.

    The third thing that came to the Mandalorian's mind was how quiet it was. The silence of the night was unusual, and the opposite of what he expected. These coordinates put Djarin in the middle of Mandalorian territory, so an ambush was expected.

    And yet, just like the flight here, there was absolutely no threat to be found. Even when Djarin used his thermal vision, he couldn't see anything or anyone with him.

    "This doesn't make sense," he thought to himself. "We should have seen at least one Mandalorian on the way here. They had the perfect chance to attack us, but there's nobody here. What's going on?"

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    The sound of blaster fire caught Djarin by surprise. Instinct kicked in as he reached for his own pistol and dived behind a large rock for cover. But as he heard the gunshots continue to ring out, the Mandalorian realized that he was nowhere near them. Looking over the rock and seeing no signs of an enemy was able to prove this point further.

    "It's coming from over there," Djarin realized as he looked down a small path. He followed it as quick as he could, and the Mandalorian soon found himself coming up on a large wall made of wood.

    He also came upon the sounds of screams.

    "Gaaahh!"

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    "Aaaah!"

    *BANG*​

    "Hrrrraaaaah!"

    *BANG*​

    "Aaaaaugh!"

    "..."

    When Djarin finally reached the wooden gate, which had been torn off its hinges, the screams fell silent. Nevertheless, Djarin rushed inside with his blaster and scanned the area. All around him were tents ablaze and Grimm stalking the area. After Djarin made short work of the Grimm, he moved deeper inside to see what was the cause of the screams; if Raven Branwen was in trouble, Djarin believed helping her might make her look more favorably towards him.

    Unfortunately, there was nobody to help. Nobody alive at least. But what surprised Djarin the most was that the ground wasn't littered with the bodies of bandits or thieves.

    The ground was covered with dead Mandalorians.

    Djarin kneeled down to the closest Mandalorian and pushed them onto their back. "Death Watch," he surmised from the gray and blue armor. He looked around and saw that not only the other Mandalorians were all Death Watch, but they were also large in number. "Raven or the bandits couldn't have done this."

    "They didn't."

    The Mandalorian quickly stopped kneeling and spun around with his blaster in hand. Standing about five feet behind him was a man in black robes with a black hood over his head. Two swords in his hands shined purple and red, which revealed an iron mask covering the man's face.

    "I did," the man said as he stared at the Mandalorian.

    "Revan," Djarin said as he stood up straight. He was familiar with the Jedi standing in front of him, but it wasn't enough to make him lower his weapon.

    "Yes," Revan said as he deactivated his lightsabers. "I remember you too, Din Djarin." He looked at the blaster that was pointed at his chest. "You won't have any more use for that."

    "..."

    Djarin couldn't help but disagree with this idea. He knew that he wasn't on Revan's list for Mandalorians to kill, but he still held a grudge with the violent man. Not just for their initial meeting at Shade, but also for the time that Revan nearly sacrificed Cinder to lure out Aurora.

    But even though he refused to let his guard down, Djarin was willing to hear Revan out.

    "What are you doing here?" he asked.

    Revan simply spread his arms, specifically to the dead Mandalorians around him. "Hunting," he said calmly.

    Djarin took another look at the Mandalorians on the ground and realized that his question was a little foolish. But he made up for this mistake by asking another one. "Ozpin sent you to Vale. What brought you to Mistral?"

    "I sensed that I would be needed here, through a disturbance in the Force." Revan placed his lightsabers on his waist. "Though I wouldn't expect you to understand what that's like. Call it... a hunch."

    "...Right." The Mandalorian finally put away his blaster. "Well, I guess it paid off."

    "Indeed." Revan slowly approached the Mandalorian, slow enough to show that he meant no harm. "How did you know these Mandalorians were here?"

    "I didn't." Djarin quickly remembered why he was here. "I came here looking for Raven Branwen. And the Spring Maiden."

    Revan looked around the immediate area as he stopped walking. "There's no Maiden here," he said. "The Mandalorians were the only people I found."

    "Dammit," Djarin said as he looked around. "They got here before me, must've taken the Maiden to Salem."

    "Perhaps, Djarin. But perhaps not."

    "..."

    Djarin turned back to the Jedi and listened carefully. "I saw signs that someone had left this place in a hurry," Revan said. "If what you said is true, then it seems Spring knew they were coming."

    "Then she could be anywhere," said the Mandalorian. "I was counting on her to be here, we all were."

    "...We?"

    "..."

    Djarin realized that he had made a mistake with that word. But rather than lament on this mistake, the Mandalorian saw a chance to make the best out of a bad situation. It was a calculated risk, but having the Butcher on his side would be better than returning empty handed.

    "Ozpin's in Mistral too," he began. "We came to help Haven prepare for an attack the Mandalorians are going to launch tonight. Vizsla's going to send over a hundred of his Mandalorians to the school and attack Mistral from the inside."

    "Over a hundred?" Revan repeated. "That'll make for a busy night." He walked again until he was close to Djarin. "I will help you defend the city from Vizsla."

    This was good for Djarin to hear, but he didn't mention this. "We better get back, it's getting late," he said. He then took the lead out of the burning camp, where he and Revan walked in silence. But the Mandalorian broke this silence when he said a few things.

    "I can get us back to Haven, but my Aura has to finish recharging," Djarin began.

    "Very well," Revan replied.

    "When we get there, you'll see more Mandalorians. They're from Clans Vizsla and Tenau. And they're our allies."

    "Understood."

    The third thing Djarin wanted to say was enough to make him stop walking. Claiming Revan as an ally wasn't the only opportunity he saw, and he wanted to take the second one right now. He just hoped that earning the Butcher's respect would earn him an answer.

    "Revan... I have to ask you something," the Mandalorian said.

    The Jedi preferred to keep walking, but he had a good feeling this question would take time to answer. "...Ask your question," he ordered calmly.

    "I want to know more about Salem."

    "..."

    Djarin didn't know it, but this was a very sensitive topic for the Jedi. It was true that he once served Salem as a Sith Lord, and it was something that was hard to let go of. The things he did under her tutelage was enough to make Revan hate Salem, and he hated everything associated with her. He wanted nothing more than the Dark Lord Revan to die and become a servant of the light.

    But people couldn't always get what they wanted.

    "...What could you possibly want to know?" Revan asked. "And why can't you go to Ozpin about this?"

    "I did," Djarin confessed. "All I managed to get out of him was that Salem lives in the Land of Darkness, with thousands of Grimm living with her."

    "That is true."

    "Right, but I need to know more. I need to know everything I can about Salem."

    Revan slowly turned to Djarin. The things he was saying were almost... intimidating.

    "...Why?" he asked.

    "So I know how to stop her," said Djarin. "So I can make a plan to fight her on her terms instead of ours. Ours haven't worked. You've... You've seen what they did to my daughter."

    "..."

    Djarin didn't know it yet, but he had just gained Revan's respect once again.

    "Your ambitions are impressive, Djarin," he said. "Foolish, but impressive. I know why Ozpin chose to withhold the majority of his knowledge regarding Salem. Even I think it would be unwise for someone like you to learn everything. But I will share what I can, what I know to be... enough."

    "..."

    Once again, the Mandalorian was frustrated that he wouldn't be learning everything about Salem. He was beginning to grow tired of secrets, so much that he was growing increasingly close to resorting to violence to get everything he wanted. But once again, Djarin knew his emotions couldn't overpower his sense of reason.

    And on the other hand, Djarin was somewhat happy that Revan was at least being honest with the idea of keeping secrets.

    "...Fine," the Mandalorian agreed. "What can you tell me that's... 'enough?'"

    Revan started walking again so he wouldn't waste any more time. "Ozpin is right about the Land of Darkness, that it is inhabited solely by Grimm," he began. "But there is another reason why going there is dangerous."

    "I know Aurora's with her." Djarin was currently moving behind Revan. "She still has the Maiden powers, and-"

    "I wasn't speaking of her." Revan quickly turned around. "The Land of Darkness is not just a breeding ground. It's a prison."

    "..."

    Djarin didn't like being cut off like this, but this was the first time he heard someone call Salem's base a prison. With his curiosity piqued, as well as his concerns, Djarin let the Jedi continue.

    "Hundreds of people, even Jedi like myself, came to her in the past. She took them, locked them away to break their will, and turned them into Sith. And when they became too powerful to control, when they became nothing more than tools she could use, Salem locked them away again. But this time, in a place she made with her own Magic. A place where the Dark Side freezes individual moments to suspend people in time... forever."

    "..."

    Revan took a breath as he finished recalling Salem's prison. "She calls it the 'Fermata Cage.' If you go to the Land of Darkness, the cage will break you endlessly."

    "..."

    The Mandalorian didn't know what to say. He believed Ozpin when he talked about the Land of Darkness and the thousands of Grimm that inhabited it. He even believed in the Relics and the powers they possessed.

    But to believe something like this... it was almost impossible to fathom.

    "Believe what you will, Djarin," Revan said as he walked again. "But it's true. All of it."

    Djarin snapped out of his daze and rejoined Revan. "You... saw this?" he asked. "This... Fermata Cage?"

    "Saw it?" Revan looked behind him as he continued to walk. "I suffered in it. Just like every Sith has. Past and present. Salem knows when and how to use their rage and power to her advantage. When she needs someone killed or something destroyed, Salem releases a Sith or two into the wild and leaves them to die."

    Djarin suddenly remembered something. "I met a Sith like that once," he said. "He drained people of Aura to make himself stronger."

    Revan stopped walking again as he turned around in surprise. "You met Nihilus?" he asked. "Consider yourself lucky. He was one of the Fermata Cage's most secured prisoners. After Coruscant fell, he became a wound in the Force. Something that needed to feed on everything the Force touched just to survive." Revan hummed as he thought this over. "I sensed his demise, but I would not think a Mandalorian would play a role in such a thing."

    "It wasn't me. Cinder helped Obi-Wan kill him."

    "...Is that so?" Revan hummed again. "Perhaps I did doubt the strength of the Maiden after all."

    Djarin didn't know if this was supposed to be an apology or not, but he didn't say anything.

    "My point is, Salem is someone who is always one step ahead. Her greatest strength is to take the powerful, break their will, and use whatever remains to her advantage. Whether it be Mandalorians or the Sith still locked away, Salem will use rage and ambition like yours to make it serve her." Revan began to walk again. "You would be wise to make sure that never happens."

    "..."

    As Djarin walked with Revan once again, he couldn't stop thinking about everything he had just heard. It was still unbelievable, it was still something that the Mandalorian couldn't possibly imagine to exist. However, he didn't have any reason to think that Revan was lying about this. After he met Nihilus and heard Cinder's story about the Jedi, Djarin came to believe that there were still some Sith that survived.

    As to where they were, Revan seemed to answer that question.

    In a way, the Mandalorian was grateful to Revan for sharing all of this. Now that he knew both Grimm and Sith were at the Land of Darkness, Djarin knew he would need a new approach to this battle. The new approach would be extreme and require just about everything the world had, but it was more than necessarily.

    Especially if more than one Sith was still alive.

    "Revan," Djarin called out as he caught up to him. "You said that Salem can unlock the cage? That she lets Sith out one at a time to do what she wants?"

    "Yes," Revan replied. "The battle-scarred, the insane... the ones she can barely control. When she lets them out, they all die out here. One way or another."

    "What about you?"

    "..."

    Revan wasn't sure if he wanted to answer this question, given what had happened when he escaped Salem's clutches. It was hard to give an exact answer, since so much had happened.

    But he decided to give a simple and satisfactory answer.

    "I was released," Revan declared. "After I was stripped of my power and memory, I was released back into the world. To be taken by the Jedi and be trained as one of their own."

    "You mean... you were an experiment?" Djarin asked.

    "That is one way of looking at it, yes. When I left the Order and joined the Great War, I used my power for Salem. And when she saw an opportunity to do more, she took my memories and let me be a Jedi again. It was her goal to destroy the Order from within."

    "So... what happened?"

    "It didn't work. Not with me, at least." Revan suddenly didn't feel like answering any more questions, so he decided to speed this process along. "Is your Aura fully charged?"

    The Mandalorian looked at his gauntlet to see a green bar. "Yes," he said. "We can go to Haven now." He then extended his hand for Revan to take. But just when he was about to take it, Revan saw Djarin move it back. "One more thing."

    "..."

    "If Salem can send more Sith out into the world... don't you think she might do it again soon? If the war isn't going as she planned?"

    "..."

    Revan had just about lost his patience with questions, even if this one could be answered easily. To make this point, Revan moved closer to Djarin's face as he answered the question firmly and honestly.

    "I'm counting on it."

    "..."

    When Djarin and Revan arrived at Haven, it was already night. The full moon shined down on the school grounds with its silver light and revealed many Huntsmen and Huntresses standing guard and staying vigilant. The Mandalorian walked through like a normal person to ease any tension, and he was forced to introduce Revan once or twice. But when he made his way into the auditorium once again, where his three closest allies were waiting, everyone knew who was with Djarin.

    "By the Gods," Ozpin whispered. "Revan?"

    "Revan?" Qrow repeated. "Wait, that's the guy who's been killing the Mandos in Vale?"

    "Revan, is that you?" Obi-Wan asked as he looked down from the platform he was standing on. "It's been a long time."

    "Too long, Master Kenobi," Revan said with a small bow. "Though it is good to see another Jedi again."

    "I couldn't agree more."

    "Wait a minute," said Qrow. "What's going on here? Where's Spring?"

    "Gone," said the Mandalorian. "The entire camp was abandoned. Death Watch took what was left from the bandits, but they're gone."

    "Dammit." Qrow looked at the ground and looked at his fist. "We needed her more than ever."

    "It was worth a try," said Ozpin. "But there's nothing we can do now. We can't afford to leave tonight of all nights."

    "We didn't get any trouble on the way back," the Mandalorian declared. "Was there anything while I was gone?"

    "No," the Headmaster confessed. "And I just checked in with the Huntsmen outside. Nothing to report."

    "I haven't seen anything either," said Qrow. "Aside from the people we brought here, there's no sign of any Mandos here."

    "We must stay alert," said Ozpin. "Nothing can be allowed to breach the school."

    "So what's the plan?" Djarin asked. "Step up our game?"

    "More or less," said Obi-Wan. "I've already instructed Mistral's Huntsmen and Huntresses to continuously sweep the area."

    "Then it wouldn't hurt for the Huntsmen and Huntresses from Vacuo and Vale to do the same," said Ozpin.

    "Maybe, but not that way," said Djarin. "The Saxons, Death Watch, and whoever's fighting against us might have secondary locations to strike first. How about we send the Huntsmen and Huntresses out in the city while Vizsla and Tenau stay here?"

    "You think they'd try something like that?" asked Qrow.

    "I've seen Mandalorians do this in Vale," Revan answered for Djarin. "I wouldn't be surprised if they did it here as well."

    "Agreed, old friend," said the Headmaster of Haven. "We better make the order soon, if this is our plan. Then, we must-"

    Obi-Wan suddenly stopped talking as he grabbed his head. He staggered backwards from where he was standing, but he caught a railing before he could fall.

    Djarin was about to ask the Headmaster what was wrong, but a groan to his left caused him to turn and see that Ozpin was also holding his head in pain. He was also putting more pressure on his cane as he attempted to continue standing. Revan repeated this motion as well.

    "Whoa, Oz!" Qrow said as he rushed over to his friend's side. "You okay?"

    "Something is... wrong," said Ozpin.

    "I... I sense it too," said Obi-Wan. "We're not alone here."

    Djarin immediately pulled out his rifle and looked around the large hall. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, and the thermal vision his helmet provided Djarin showed him that nobody was hiding in the shadows.

    But there was something that caught his eye.

    "Where did that bird come from?"

    Everyone quickly looked over to the Mandalorian and saw where he was looking. Up on a banister sat a lone raven, who was looking down at the group of men in silence.

    Everyone stared at the bird, but Qrow was the only one who drew his weapon and fired.

    *BANG*​

    The bullet hit the banister, but the bird was unharmed. Instead of flying to another banister or out the window, the bird made its way to Obi-Wan. Sensing a threat, Obi-Wan reached for his lightsaber and prepared to turn it on.

    But a red katana blade pointed at his throat prevented the Headmaster from doing anything.

    The bird was in fact Raven Branwen, who shared the same ability as her brother. It was a gift from Ozpin, one that she utilized extremely well in the past. And just a few minutes ago, Raven was able to use her gift to slip past Haven's new security.

    Now she was ready to do what she did best: cause trouble.

    Raven stared at Obi-Wan through the white and red mask on her face. She made a quick head gesture to the left when she saw the hilt in Obi-Wan's hand. Rather than risk confrontation, the Headmaster tossed the lightsaber aside and began to walk down the stairs towards his allies.

    He could use the Force any time he wanted to retrieve his weapon.

    Raven finally lowered her sword and took off her mask as she looked at the group of people now below her. "If you're going to shoot me, shoot me," she taunted her brother. "That was insulting."

    Qrow had transformed Harbinger into its sword form as he stared daggers at Raven. "What are you doing here?!" he demanded.

    Raven began to walk down the opposite set of stairs that Obi-Wan had come down. "I could ask you the same thing," she said as she continued to descend down the stairs. "You've been scheming, little brother. Planning to attack your own sister."

    "..."

    Nobody knew how or when Raven managed to accomplish this, but their secret plan had just been uncovered by the one person who wasn't supposed to discover it. Everyone knew this wasn't a good look for them, that obtaining Spring was becoming more impossible by the second.

    But that didn't stop Qrow from trying.

    "You have the Spring Maiden," he said.

    "I do," Raven confirmed. She had stopped walking and was now in front of the statue that she once stood on top of.

    Qrow continued his efforts to sway his sister by putting away his weapon and talking. "Then hand her over and let's work together. We can beat Salem!"

    Raven had lost count of how many times she heard this argument, but she made her stance on the matter clear. "All that time spent spying for Ozpin and you still have no idea what you're dealing with. There is no beating Salem!"

    Qrow quickly grew angrier by the second. Over the years, he had tried incredibly hard to change his sister's mind. To open her eyes to the fact that they needed to work together, that they needed to stop Salem. But it seemed the answer was still the same as the last million times Qrow and Raven had this discussion.

    Qrow didn't believe in miracles, but he knew he needed one now. Because if there was one thing he didn't want to do tonight, despite planning it earlier, it was fighting his own sister.

    "Why?"

    All eyes fell on to the Mandalorian as he moved closer to Raven. "Why can't we beat Salem?" he asked rhetorically. "Because she lives where a god lived? Because she can control thousands of Grimm? Because she has Sith like Revan all locked away just to send out one at a time?"

    "..."

    Raven didn't have an answer for this, but she was surprised to hear all of these facts. She was also mildly impressed that Djarin had his own knowledge regarding Salem, despite the fact that he wasn't a spy like she used to be.

    "This isn't the first time she's attacked us like this," Djarin continued. "Whether it's Grimm, Sith, or even Mandalorians, all of this has happened before." Djarin stopped moving when he was in front of Qrow. "Salem attacks, we retaliate, and we win. All of this has happened before. And now it can happen again."

    "..."

    "I have no idea what it takes to beat Salem, I don't!" Djarin clenched his fists as he admitted this fact. "But if I were to stop now, I might as well strip off this armor so I can lay down and die! And if you do anything else other than work with us, Raven, you might as well do the same." Djarin put a hand on his holster as he said this. "One way or another."

    "..."

    Raven looked at the Mandalorian's hand and understood that he was willing to fight. But since he made no attempt to remove the gun, Raven knew that a peaceful solution seemed to be an option he was considering. It seemed Ozpin had rubbed off on him.

    The bandit leader couldn't help but respect what she had just heard. The Mandalorian's will was strong, and the same could be said for everyone else standing behind him. Raven didn't know who the masked man in the hood was, but she was certain that he stood with Ozpin as well.

    They were all being incredibly brave... but Raven knew this bravery was simply a mixture of foolishness and ignorance.

    "Spoken like a true Mandalorian," Raven said respectfully. "I would know."

    "..."

    Raven quickly drew her sword, but she didn't use it to attack the men before her. Instead, she swung it behind her and watched as a red portal opened behind her. Qrow and Ozpin recognized the feat as Raven's Semblance, that she could open portals that led to anyone she formed a connection to.

    As to who this connection was formed with, nobody could know for sure. But at the back of their minds, everyone couldn't help but wonder who or what was on the other side of the portal.

    *ZAP*​

    A barrage of lightning erupted from the portal and found its way towards the group of unsuspecting heroes. Djarin and Qrow were immediately knocked back by the electricity and they soon found themselves on the floor. But the lightning continued to strike them.

    Ozpin, Obi-Wan, and Revan were also hit by the lightning, but they were able to hold their ground. Rather than fall with Djarin and Qrow, the older men pushed their hands forwards and soon found themselves holding some of the lightning in their palms. The Force was enough to hold this power, and it was enough to protect both Djarin and Qrow.

    Eventually, the electricity became too strong for them to handle in this manner. And so, each of the Force wielders fired it in different directions. Ozpin fired it at the wall, out of harm's way. Obi-Wan also fired it at the wall, and nobody was hurt.

    Revan, however, turned the lightning in two directions. His left hand fired the energy back at the portal, but his right hand hit Raven's shoulder.

    "Gah!" Raven yelled as she shook off the pain. Realizing that the initial attack was now indifferent, Raven focused on her Semblance once again. But rather than making another portal or closing the first one, a single strike with the katana known as "Omen" had made the portal larger and wider.

    It was enough for a small army to enter.

    "Now!" Raven yelled. "Move!"

    The lightning had stopped at this point. But in its place emerged multiple people armed to the teeth with all kinds of weapons. Some moved to the doors in the room, others took to the air, and the rest formed a large circle around the five defenders of Haven.

    Everyone had been caught off guard by the attack and recovered too late to stop the surprise. Now they were all surrounded by none other than armed and ready Mandalorians. Saxons, Bralors, Carids, and Death Watch all raised their weapons at their shared enemy and watched the rest of their comrades emerge from the portal Raven had created.

    Djarin and Qrow were off the ground at this point, but they joined their allies in standing still and assessing the danger. Djarin immediately realized that the prisoner he and Obi-Wan captured was right; over a hundred Mandalorians had successfully invaded Haven Academy, and now they could attack Mistral from within.

    Despite their best efforts, despite the fact they tried so hard to prepare for the worst, everyone in the circle realized that the worst had come to pass.

    They had been tricked.

    Duped.

    Taken by complete and total surprise.

    Like sheep to the pen, everyone in this school had been herded right to the slaughter.

    "Well, well, well."

    Underneath his helmet, the Mandalorian's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. Shock and disbelief overcame him and prevented him from moving as he witnessed many Mandalorians step out of the way of the portal. The voice he had recognized and the three people he saw walking out of the portal had proven to be the final nail in Haven's coffin.

    The last people to arrive at Haven were two Mandalorians and a Faunus. The Mandalorians were Pre Vizsla and Bo-Katan Kryze, who looked in approval at the army they had amassed and brought to Haven.

    The third, ironically, was the one person Djarin had come to Mistral to find. But now, with a smug grin and sadistic delight, she had found him instead.

    And she did nothing but revel in her victory.

    "Din Djarin," Aurora said as she looked at the Mandalorian with bright burning eyes. "So good to see you again."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 52: Offense
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 52: Offense

    Two days ago​

    The Mandalorian island of Kalevala was full of armored warriors who were training and sparring with each other. The sights and sounds resulting from this training traveled throughout the island, from blaster fire to Beskar striking against Beskar.

    Two Mandalorians were currently watching their brothers and sisters from a balcony on the Kryze Castle. Pre Vizsla and Bo-Katan watched the training with pride, as each warrior showed the Mand'alor and his trusted lieutenant that they were ready for anything that came their way.

    The day didn't come with just training and preparing for battle, however. Today, the Mandalorians welcomed two representatives of Salem that came with news of the future.

    "So, you've allied with Raven Branwen after all," said the Mand'alor. He and Bo-Katan walked back inside to see Aurora and Flora standing in the middle of the room. "If she's as powerful as you believe, she should prove useful."

    "Not just her," said Aurora. "She also has the Maiden your friend conveniently forgot to mention." The Faunus stared daggers at Bo-Katan when she mentioned the Spring Maiden.

    "I thought we were past that," Bo-Katan said in annoyance. While she didn't recall hearing anything about Salem's forgiveness, Bo-Katan was still alive. That had to mean something.

    "Just consider yourself lucky Her Grace was able to find the Maiden where you said she was," Aurora declared. "With that in mind, Branwen's cooperation came at a price. Something it seems you must pay."

    "Us?" Pre Vizsla asked in surprise. "I don't deal with common bandits. What did Salem offer them?"

    "Not Salem." Aurora jabbed her finger in Flora's direction. "My friend here saw it necessary to promise your people's assistance in killing Raven Branwen's brother."

    Vizsla turned towards Flora. "Is that so?"

    "..."

    Flora remained silent as she noticed the Mand'alor's displeasure. Besides the physical violence, the atmosphere of displeasure seemed very similar to the annoyance and disappointment Flora's mother had shown her. And now she was just as sad and angry as she was earlier.

    "Doesn't your mother know that we're not simple mercenaries?" Bo-Katan asked furiously. "What gives you the right to think you can use us like some rich fool? Flaunting us around like Lien and-!"

    Pre Vizsla raised his hand in Bo-Katan's direction to silence her. While he too was angry, he didn't want to risk losing anything he gained with Salem. She was already angry about Bo-Katan not mentioning anything about the Maiden, after all.

    But Flora's action was still insulting.

    "I'd suggest you answer the question," said Pre Vizsla. "I would hate to feel the need to renegotiate our deal with your mother."

    Flora saw, and loathed, the circumstances in front of her. She was starting to see that her arrogance and ambition had gotten the better of her, and now both were coming close to costing Salem the loyalty of the Mandalorians.

    Fortunately, Flora had been given enough time to prepare a good answer for Pre Vizsla. Whether or not he liked it was up to him, but Flora told herself that it would work.

    "You'll be lucky if Salem doesn't feel the need to do the renegotiating," she said. "Now that we've given you the chance to destroy Mistral from the inside."

    "..."

    Pre Vizsla and Bo-Katan couldn't help but share a glance at each other when they heard this. The whole point of their crusade in Anima was to reach the city of Mistral and conquer it. The war had been in their favor for quite some time, but reaching Mistral from the Great Lake had become a challenge. Both the Mandalorians knew it could take weeks to conquer the force that had amassed at the body of water.

    Destroying the city from within, which sounded too good to be true, would be the silver bullet Vizsla had been searching for.

    "...I'm listening," Vizsla said calmly, with a hint of skepticism.

    Aurora reluctantly stepped aside so that Flora could speak to Pre Vizsla. "Raven wants her brother dead, that's true," she said. "But it's also true that her Semblance can send us straight into the city of Mistral. Even to Haven Academy, the heart of our shared enemy."

    "..."

    "I proposed that we work together in this. Raven showed us that she can create portals that connect back to her. She's already formed a connection with Aurora. If you were to gather an army of your finest warriors, have them meet us where a portal will be waiting, Raven can send us all straight into Mistral with nobody being the wiser."

    "..."

    Pre Vizsla and Bo-Katan looked at each other again. While they couldn't be precisely sure what their partner was thinking, the looks on their faces showed that they were interested in the plan.

    All they needed was to put it into action.

    "An ambitious plan, I have to admit," Vizsla began. "I can't argue against its potential, no. But I     can argue about the risk it presents."

    "And the fortifications of the school," Bo-Katan included. "We have no idea what kind of defenses Mistral has there."

    Flora was expecting arguments like this, but her initial proposal had the potential to quell this dissent. "So you prefer to waste your time and resources at the Great Lake?" Flora asked rhetorically. "It's taken an entire month for you to get where you are right now, and you're only     this close to Mistral!" Flora moved two of her fingers close together, just barely apart, to emphasize her point. "You scorched the entire continent in that month! Imagine what you can do in a single night."

    "..."

    Vizsla and Bo-Katan couldn't deny the truth behind Flora's statement. After they looked at each other once again, the Mandalorians finally nodded and found themselves in agreement.

    "You overstepped your boundaries with us," said Vizsla. "But your plan has merit. And it seems we have no choice but to give Branwen what she wants."

    "But we still don't know what kind of security the school has," said Bo-Katan. "We could be walking into a death trap no matter where Raven sends us."

    Vizsla moved closer to Bo-Katan. "You're not wrong." He then looked over to Flora and Aurora. "But maybe we can find out ourselves."

    "You mean with my Botflies?" Flora asked as she extended her hand. Multiple flies flew off her palm and moved around the area. "I can send a few to the lake and make a good headcount."

    Vizsla nodded. "Yes... but also no."

    "..."

    The Mand'alor turned to his first lieutenant. "Bo-Katan, go outside and bring me some of our least experienced brothers."

    "You mean the Foundlings?" Bo-Katan asked.

    "No, I mean those who recently acquired their armor. Those who haven't seen any combat outside of their training. I'll be sending them to the Great Lake."

    Bo-Katan nodded before she left the room. As Flora watched her go, she immediately had doubts about this plan. Not because she wasn't the one who thought of it, but because she knew what happened to the rookies at the Fall of Beacon.

    "Are you sure about that?" Flora asked. "They'll probably get killed out there. Or at the very least captured."

    Vizsla turned to his guests with a smile. "I'm counting on that."

    Present​

    As Pre Vizsla watched his brothers and sisters surround the would-be defenders of Haven Academy, the Mand'alor took pride in the simple yet eloquent plan he had created.

    The day Bo-Katan brought him some of the least experienced Mandalorians in his army, Vizsla shared an idea of a planned invasion with them before he sent them with new orders to attack the Great Lake. He knew that these Mandalorians, which he falsely claimed to have potential to bring glory to their clans, would be sent off to their deaths or their imprisonment.

    Just one Mandalorian needed to be spared in order for the Huntsmen and Huntresses to spread the fear of an incoming attack.

    By deliberately sharing the possibility of an attack, while keeping the details of its success a secret, Pre Vizsla was able to scare his enemies enough into taking action. He knew that they would waste no time in refortifying the school's defenses, and he knew that it would be the perfect place to herd his enemies like sheep to the slaughter.

    Now that they were all here, Vizlsa was able to send twice the manpower that Haven had amassed.

    As he looked at the fear on the faces of his enemies, save for Din Djarin, the Mand'alor knew nothing would please him more than squeezing the life out of all of them. But he knew that his allies had deserved their chance to revel in their victory, given that they were the masterminds behind this plan. Flora wasn't with them tonight, but Aurora happily took the chance to act on her behalf.

    "I heard you've been looking for me, Djarin," the Faunus said as she walked closer and closer to the kneeling Mandalorian. When she was about three feet in front of him, Aurora moved her arms up and mocked her enemy further. "Well, here I am. Hit me with your best shot."

    Djarin immediately stood up and prepared to attack, despite Aurora being at a distance. But when he was forced to the ground by three Mandalorians, Djarin growled as he tried to get back up. He knew that it wouldn't be wise to attack now, to kill one person in a room filled with people that could kill him in an instant.

    But Djarin was too angry to care.

    Revan also shared in Djarin's anger, but he was surprisingly calm and still at the sight of Mandalorians all around him. However, he was able to lean over to Obi-Wan and whisper to him. "You, Ozpin, and I make three Jedi," he said. "We can use our power to blast these warriors away."

    "Not so fast," Obi-Wan replied. "Trust me." Revan reluctantly obeyed and remained still.

    Qrow Branwen was the next person to share his anger. "Raven... tell me," the Huntsman demanded firmly. "How long have you been working with them?"

    Aurora saw another chance to mock the people in front of her. "Aw, don't be upset, little bird," she said in a false motherly tone. "Your sister was a recent addition."

    "..."

    Raven made a glance at her brother, but she didn't say anything to him. In her mind, there was nothing that needed to be said.

    But the Faunus had plenty to say.

    "Djarin, on the other hand..." Aurora gestured to the Mandalorian that was being held on the ground. "Bringing all of our enemies to us was a generous gift, but that's not the only thing you gave to Salem." Aurora smirked at Djarin. "Isn't that right?"

    Everyone that was being held at gunpoint turned to their friend in surprise. None of them knew what Aurora meant, but Ozpin feared the worst. He had been in situations like this before, and Aurora's words brought only one idea to mind.

    Did Djarin betray him?

    "What... are you... talking about?" Djarin angrily asked. He was still being pinned to the floor, and one hand had a firm grip on his neck. So even though it hurt to talk, the Mandalorian demanded an answer.

    Aurora feigned a surprised gasp. "How silly of me," she said. "I forgot it was still with you." She then extended her left hand, which was hidden under a black glove, to the Mandalorian. "Come back now."

    *BUZZ*​

    A familiar buzzing noise rang through Djarin's ears. He was able to turn his head ever so slightly in order to see that a small fly had crawled off his armor and onto Aurora's hand.

    "There you are," the woman said. "Just like Flora said."

    Ozpin softly gasped as he realized his mistake. Djarin hadn't betrayed him, but he had been used like a pawn. "A Botfly," the Headmaster said. "Just like the ones the triplets could make."

    Aurora laughed at Ozpin before she turned back to the fly in her hand. "Looks like she learned something after all," she said.

    Qrow was familiar with the Botflies, given that Ozpin had told him what happened in the Beacon Vault. Now that he understood everything, the Huntsman drew a logical, and terrible, conclusion. "If they put that on your armor... that means..."

    Djarin knew exactly what this meant. And it caused him to be on the verge of tears as he whispered a single word.

    "No."

    Two days ago​

    Aurora and Flora silently watched and listened to Pre Vizsla addressing the Mandalorians before him. They had been told of his plan to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies, and now they were seeing it being put into action.

    With every word of flattery he shared with the Mandalorians, Pre Vizsla easily secured the future of the war with Mistral. He could see that each of these Mandalorians were swayed and now willing to die to see this attack through.

    But all the Mand'alor needed was for just one person to be captured. Given how young and weak his present company was, Vizlsa knew it wouldn't be hard for them to break.

    Along with the Mand'alor, Aurora was pleased with this decision. Once fear and uncertainty led to the forces of Remnant to band together, it would be easy to divide and destroy them.

    Salem would take all that remained and make it serve her.

    "You see, Flora?" Aurora asked as she pointed at Pre Vizsla. "    That is how a leader makes a plan and ensures victory."

    Flora indeed saw the events unfold, and she began to feel more relieved than pleased. Victory at Mistral, just as she had envisioned it, would bring her back into Salem's favor.

    This relief gave Flora the confidence to talk back to Aurora.

    "I'm watching, Aurora," she said. "Sure, Vizlsa's gonna draw them all to us. But don't forget that this all happened because of me."

    "I'm not forgetting," said Aurora. "I'm not forgetting how much of a mess you almost caused us." She leaned closer. "You might be a Grimm... but you're not the only one who can detect fear."

    Flora furrowed her brow as she pointed at the Faunus. "Careful, Aurora. You're going too far."

    "Going too far with someone who's on Salem's bad side? I don't think so." Aurora looked back to Vizsla and played off the nerve she struck with Flora. "So keep watching. You could learn a thing or two from this. And we both know you're here to learn."

    "..."

    Flora became angrier by the second. Ever since she left Salem's castle, the young hybrid had been constantly reminded of how her plan and deal with Raven had nearly cost them everything. And how it was up to people like Pre Vizsla to pick up the pieces and play the hand that Flora had recklessly dealt them.

    Aurora was confident that she could kill Qrow Branwen herself, that they didn't need the entire Mandalorian army to do it. But thanks to Flora, she had to work hard to ensure the victory of her master. And now she wasted no time in reminding Flora of this, in the hopes that she would remember, or perhaps learn, her place.

    Flora was indeed learning today.

    Based on her recent conversation with Pre Vizsla, Flora had come to believe that regaining one's favor wasn't as hard as she believed. It was clear that the Mand'alor believed in her plan; otherwise he wouldn't be spending this much time putting it into action. And she was sure that this victory would help her regain Salem's favor.

    Now, Flora had an idea how to regain Aurora's favor.

    "Do you really think I'm     that bad at making a plan?" she asked the Faunus. "You haven't even heard my plan how to kill Cinder."

    Aurora rolled her eyes as she believed Flora was continuing to learn absolutely nothing from this. "Do you think I'm an idiot?" she asked. "Or are you just being stupid?"

    "Neither. Trust me, you'll thank me later."

    "..."

    Aurora was in no mood to hear another one of Flora's plans. Not when her previous one had come incredibly close to losing more than they would be gaining. But right when she was about to tell the hybrid to stop talking, Aurora heard something that caught her attention.

    "Din Djarin is at the Great Lake," Flora said. "Fauna told me that she saw him with her flies."

    "..."

    Aurora wasn't aware of this, and she couldn't think of a reason why Flora would lie about this. Given that Djarin was playing the role of Cinder's father, it was clear that he was one of the few people on Remnant who knew where she was.

    And now, Flora knew just how to gain this knowledge for herself and Aurora.

    "You heard Vizsla," she began. "He's going to launch another attack on the Great Lake so one of those rookies can get caught. We both know I'll be sending some of my flies to see how many people we should expect at Haven. When the fear of an attack sets in... Djarin will be afraid too."

    "..."

    If humans, especially parents, were as predictable as Aurora believed them to be, chances were that Djarin wouldn't hesitate to check in on the Fall Maiden.

    But if recent events taught Aurora something, it was that Flora's arrogance had the potential to jeopardize everything.

    "You think you can keep an extra set of eyes on him?" Aurora asked skeptically.

    "An attack on the lake is the best distraction I can think of," Flora replied confidently. "All I need is a second to latch a fly on him. So, you can say that I'll keep an extra set of eyes     on him."

    "..."

    Even though she believed she could have easily made a plan like this if she knew about Djarin, Aurora was impressed by Flora's idea. The Mandalorian would have a spy right under his nose; and from a certain point of view, he would be unwittingly helping her finally claim the power of the Fall Maiden.

    Auroa may have been impressed with Flora, but she had seen enough of Remnant to know that the world had three kinds of people; those who made plans, those who put them in action, and those who did both. The Mandalorians could do both, and so could Salem. That was why Aurora respected them more than anyone.

    So now she decided to see what kind of person Flora was. And the best way to do that, she believed, was by taking a page out of the hybrid's book.

    "Not bad, Flora," the Faunus said with a smile. "Pulling that off might actually bring you back in Salem's favor. But you know what would be even better?" Aurora went in for the kill after she watched Flora shake her head. "Going out and killing Cinder yourself."

    While Flora liked the idea of killing Cinder, she remembered her mother's orders. "But... Mother said for me to-"

    "Let me worry about the Relic. I'll put in a good word to Salem for you. Then everything will be forgiven."

    "..."

    As she watched Flora smile in approval, Aurora looked to the side as a manipulative smirk formed on her face. She felt proud that she had managed to accomplish much more than she had originally hoped today.

    Soon, after all this time, the power she had been promised would finally be hers. Her power would be second to Salem, but it would be everything the Faunus had ever wanted.

    And with Flora as far away from the Relic as possible, securing it without any more problems would be much easier than Aurora previously believed.

    It seemed that this untimely deal and turn of events was for the best after all.

    Present day​

    "If you go near her... I swear to the Gods... I will-"

    *CRUNCH*​

    Djarin couldn't help but growl in pain as the force on his neck became harder and more painful.

    As she smiled at the pain her enemy was in, Aurora almost found it hard to believe how easy it was to strike a nerve with the Mandalorian. She had been around the Saxons, Death Watch, and all the other Mandalorians they had recruited to their cause to see that making them this angry was a hard thing to do.

    But then again, not all of them were parents. Or fighting to defend the rest of the world.

    "Big talk, Mando," Aurora said as she removed a knife from her side. "But that's all it is." She moved closer and closer until she kneeled down in front of the Mandalorian. "At least you can look on the bright side." The Faunus aimed her knife at the Mandalorian's neck before she raised it. "You'll be seeing herreal soon."

    "Wait!"

    Aurora turned towards the sound of Pre Vizsla's voice. The Mand'alor was wielding the Darksaber as he quickly moved over to the Faunus. "You had your moment," he said firmly. "Do what you want with his girl, but he's mine."

    "..."

    Aurora was taken by surprise by Vizsla's immediate insistence that he would be the one to kill Djarin, but she didn't have any objections. After all, it was only his daughter that Aurora wanted; killing Djarin, in her mind, was simply a bonus.

    But rather than upset her ally more than he might be after Flora's untimely plan, Aurora stepped aside and watched Vizsla remove his helmet.

    "You know who I am?" the Mand'alor asked as he looked at Djarin.

    The Mandalorian holding Djarin's neck slightly moved his arm so his prisoner could speak. "Yes..." Djarin weakly confirmed.

    Vizsla moved the Darksaber closer to Djarin's helmet. "Then you remember what you did to me."

    "..."

    Djarin was surprised to see Vizsla holding the Darksaber instead of Gar Saxon, who was nowhere to be seen, but he didn't dignify the assumption with a response.

    But that didn't stop Vizsla from continuing.

    "I was humiliated, locked away, and nearly stripped of my rank because of you," Vizsla said through anger and grit teeth. "For five years, I was denied freedom, yet constantly challenged because through some miracle, you bested me." Vizsla had to use all of his willpower and rational thought to not let his anger overtake him and make a mistake.

    Tonight was the night he corrected his mistakes.

    "Brothers and sisters!" Vizsla called out to his allies. "I am not so prideful and vain to admit when I have been defeated! I may have been locked away and thought of as nothing more than a wild animal, but five years was a long time ago! Have I not shown you all that I am the warrior I have claimed to be?! Have I not shown you all that I alone am worthy of this sword?!" Vizsla held the Darksaber high and listened to the cheers of his comrades.

    Even Bo-Katan was cheering as she listened to her leader.

    "No challenge has been declared tonight, but I have already bested this Mandalorian and his friends!" Vizsla gestured towards Djarin and the people in the circle. "You've all seen how I changed in five years. Let us see how the once self-proclaimed Mand'alor changed as well!"

    *SNAP*​

    After he saw and heard Pre Vizsla snap his fingers, Djarin immediately felt the pressure on his body disappear. His captors had let him go, but only so Vizsla could kick him while he was down.

    *BAM*​

    Despite wearing armor, Djarin could feel the strength of the kick and feel his back now lying on the ground. But rather than give up and let himself be attacked again, Djarin quickly stood up and used his Semblance to teleport behind Vizsla so he could have the element of surprise.

    But this element was on Vizsla's side, given that he had just used his Semblance to make Djarin's fist phase through his chest. Vizsla quickly turned around and struck Djarin again, without even breaking a sweat.

    Djarin wasn't hurt from the blow to his chest, but he had stumbled back into another Mandalorian. When he did, Djarin felt two large arms grab him and begin to squeeze the air out of him. The Mandalorian was forced to use his Aura to protect himself instead of teleporting once again, and he heard a familiar voice speak to him.

    "You chose the wrong side, Din Djarin," said Paz Vizsla. "Now you will learn."

    Vizsla was content to see Djarin trapped and proven to be weaker than he was five years ago. So now, all that remained was for the Mand'alor to finish his speech.

    "And he's just the beginning!" Vizsla roared as he readied himself to use the Darksaber again. "Once we finish Djarin and his friends, their blood will sanctify our final step of the war! Haven will fall just as Beacon fell, and the Kingdom of Mistral will be-!"

    "Ahem."

    Silence fell upon the auditorium when Pre Vizsla was interrupted. Aurora and all the Mandalorians turned back towards the circle of prisoners to see Obi-Wan Kenobi standing up straight and looking at Pre Vizsla. The Headmaster of Haven Academy was truly unafraid of the warlord, despite the genius move he had made in invading this school. The time for waiting had almost passed, but now Obi-Wan was ready to speak.

    "That, my friend, was your first mistake," he said calmly.

    Vizsla still had his mind set on killing Djarin, but he wasn't able to find any flaw in his plan. "Mistake?" Vizsla asked sarcastically. "You're completely surrounded and outnumbered, and you speak to me about mistakes?" Some of his fellow Mandalorians couldn't help but laugh at this idea, but Bo-Katan and the rest of Death Watch remained silent. "Surely, you're joking, Headmaster."

    "Oh, no," Obi-Wan replied. "It's clear to me that the error in judgement is yours, Pre Vizsla."

    "Really, now?" Vizsla walked over to Obi-Wan as he asked this question.

    "Yes, really." Obi-Wan remained still as he looked the warlord in the eye. "You seem to believe that this school is just like Beacon Academy. While you may have slipped past our defenses, you seem to forget that this is Haven Academy. Not Beacon."

    Laughter filled the area again, and Vizsla remained unchanged in his beliefs. "I'm not lost, if that's what you're thinking. I know where we are, and what lies beyond this place. Your guardians are stretched thin across this land, just like they were at Beacon. They will die unprepared and alone, just like they were at Beacon." The warlord leaned a little closer to make a final point. "You have no weapons. No defenses. No plan."

    Obi-Wan hummed at the idea. "Not at the moment, no." He then lifted a single finger. "But I do have one thing you lack. Something you gave us the night you attacked Beacon."

    "..."

    "Knowledge."

    Aurora's Faunus ears perked at the sound of that word. She knew from Salem that the Relic of Knowledge was somewhere at Haven, and she could take it with the help of the Spring Maiden. Her eyes burned as soon as she turned her sights to Obi-Wan, as she was prepared to use any means necessary to make him tell her where the Relic was.

    But the Mandalorians weren't done yet.

    "Let me guess," one of the Mandalorians guarding Ozpin said. "Knowledge is power, or something like that?" He and the other Mandalorians guarding Ozpin and his friends let out a chuckle.

    "More powerful than you might believe," said Obi-Wan. "You see, your unprovoked attack on Beacon taught us much. It taught me that it wouldn't be long before you turned your eye to Haven. And while I couldn't predict the nature of your invasion, I predicted an invasion nonetheless."

    Pre Vizsla was growing impatient with this conversation, but he became slightly concerned with the steady confidence Haven's Headmaster possessed. "...How so?" he asked cautiously.

    Obi-Wan wasn't as impatient as Vizsla was, but he sensed that the time for waiting had finally passed. "You seemed to know that we would all be here," he said. "But did you know that the Fall of Beacon was the inspiration I needed to install a silent alarm throughout the school? An alarm that I activated the moment you stepped through Raven's portal?"

    The sounds of a collective shock and Mandalorians looking around the area were all everyone could hear after Obi-Wan shared this information. Even Obi-Wan's allies were surprised to hear such an idea.

    Vizsla, however, wasn't swayed.

    "You're bluffing," he said as he moved the Darksaber to the Headmaster's neck. "You're just trying to buy yourself some time."

    "I think this conversation has bought me all the time I needed," Obi-Wan replied calmly. "Because everyone should be arriving... now."

    *THOOM*

    *THOOM*

    *CRASH*

    *THOOM*    ​

    Large doors opened with a crash and windows shattered from above as all of Haven's guardians began to enter the auditorium. The silent alarm Obi-Wan had mentioned was indeed real, given the sudden arrival of multiple Huntsmen and Huntresses. Obi-Wan indeed oversaw the installation of such an alarm, one that he could easily trigger through any part of the school with the Force. Once he did, the Scrolls of every student and warrior in Haven were notified of an intrusion, as well as the location the alarm was triggered in. And when the group of new allies and friends arrived, Obi-Wan instructed Haven's professors to pair everyone's Scrolls with the alarm as well.

    And now that nearly everyone in Haven had answered the call, there was only one thing left to do.

    "Attack!"

    Nobody knew who gave the command, or which side it came from. But as soon as the order was given, the auditorium erupted into violence and chaos. Vizsla and Obi-Wan watched as bullets and blaster fire rang out on all sides as weapons clashed against Beskar.

    Just as Obi-Wan believed, the time for waiting had ended. Now was the time for action.

    "Revan, now!" Obi-Wan shouted as he pushed his hands forward. The masked Jedi repeated the motion, and the power of the Force knocked back all the Mandalorians that were close to them. Vizsla didn't have time to activate his Semblance, so he too was knocked backwards. And Obi-Wan was able to summon his lightsaber back to his hand.

    Paz Vizsla fell with his comrades as well, which made him loosen his grip on Djarin. Now that he was free, Djarin used his Semblance to teleport himself right above the large Mandalorian. And with his new staff, the Mandalorian electrocuted his rival before he was forced to avoid danger in the form of blaster fire.

    Djarin used his Semblance to rejoin his four other allies, who were in the midst of battle. Obi-Wan and Revan had activated their lightsabers, which they used to strike hard at the Mandalorians who dared approach them. Ozpin didn't have a lightsaber, but his cane had never failed him before; and it refused to fail him as he struck the blunt end at the flesh and bones that Beskar armor couldn't protect.

    Qrow was constantly changing Harbinger in between its sword and scythe form as he too kept the Mandalorians at bay. The scythe was large enough to strike at two armored warriors and keep them away. And his Semblance, though he always had trouble controlling it, found itself to be useful in either jamming the Mandalorian blasters or making their jetpacks fail when they needed them most.

    But despite these setbacks, and the multiple hits they took, the Mandalorians just kept getting back up when they could. The lightsabers and electricity were able to put down some of the warriors for good, but not all of them.

    And to make matters worse, Qrow and Djarin were the first people who decided to leave.

    "I'm going after Raven!" Qrow shouted as he broke a Mandalorian blaster with his sword. After he swung his sword again to make the Mandalorian fall, Qrow turned into a bird and flew towards Raven.

    "I'm going back to Vacuo!" Djarin declared as he watched Qrow fly away.

    "Djarin, wait!" Ozpin pleaded. "You're needed-!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    "...here."

    The Mandalorian had used his Semblance once again, but now he had left the battle. Ozpin, while disheartened by the fact that Qrow and Djarin were no longer at his side, was forced to focus on the battle at hand as he joined his fellow Jedi once again.

    Pre Vizsla and Aurora were the first to notice that Djarin and Qrow were gone. And so, after they killed a Huntsman and Huntress respectively, the Mandalorian and Faunus made their own plans to turn these events in their favor.

    Pre Vizsla joined Bo-Katan and grabbed her shoulder after she had just slit a student's throat. "Take as many of us as you can and spread out beyond this room!" he ordered. "Don't let anyone leave or anyone else come in here!" Bo-Katan quickly obeyed as her leader let her go.

    "Get up!" Aurora yelled to the large Mandalorian that Djarin had electrocuted. She used her Maiden powers, specifically her limited power of wind, to make Paz Vizsla stand up. "Don't let Djarin leave! Get to whatever ship he came in and destroy it!" Aurora would be willing to do it herself, but she knew the Relic took priority.

    Which was why she had her eye set on Obi-Wan.

    Raven Branwen also had her eye on Obi-Wan, since she also knew that he was the only one who could lead her to the Relic. Since she never intended to let Salem have it in the first place, despite the deal she made, Raven wanted the path to the Vault opened as soon as possible.

    The Huntsmen and Huntresses she had just killed with Omen were distracting enough, but Raven knew that a bigger distraction was coming towards her in the form of a lone crow.

    "Join the Mandalorians," Raven ordered the young girl who had accompanied her from the camp. "Don't bother wasting your power, these people aren't worth it." As soon as the girl left, Raven raised her sword to block the blade in Qrow's hands.

    And Qrow was more than willing to use it to kill his sister.

    "Running away was one thing!" Qrow angrily said as watched sparks fly from Harbinger and Omen. "But this... you've crossed the line!"

    Raven could tell how much she had hurt Qrow, but she hardly cared. "Sorry, brother," she said calmly as she pushed back against Harbinger. "Sometimes family disappoints you like that."

    Qrow was used to Raven speaking of "family" whenever he crossed paths with her. She always used it as an excuse to ask Qrow for information about Ozpin and Salem, but tonight Qrow realized that enough was enough.

    "...We're not family anymore," he said as she pushed against Omen.

    Once again, Raven was hardly affected by her brother's declaration. "Were we ever?" she asked sarcastically.

    "I thought so..." Qrow pushed harder and harder as he prepared to fight on another level. "But I guess I was wrong!" Now Qrow knew that nothing was going to hold him back now.

    And Raven knew the same.

    "Come on, kids! It's this way!"

    "Are you sure?!"

    "Positive! Let's go!"

    When news of an intrusion reached them, every Huntsman, Huntress, and Mandalorian who chose to defend Haven Academy stopped their patrol and made their way to the auditorium where they originally came from.

    While most were able to find their way back without much trouble, there were some who were unfamiliar with the directions on getting back and had gotten lost.

    These included Gretchen Rainart, Lilith Gelb, and their respective team of Huntsmen and Huntresses. They were on the other side of the school grounds when the alarm reached their Scrolls, so they moved as fast as they could to try and find the auditorium they were previously in.

    Gretchen wasn't the leader of her team, but she was able to remember most of the way back to the auditorium. That was why she was currently leading her team and the team of students back the way they originally came. They all got turned around once or twice, but the end of the journey was in sight.

    "There it is!" said Nerissa, a woman with long red hair in turquoise clothing. She was Gretchen's partner and best friend at Beacon, so it was easy for her to trust Gretchen's judgement and ability to guide her and the others.

    "Should I use my Semblance?" a man named Yuri asked his friends. He was the fastest of his team and the students, which was courtesy of his Semblance. He knew that he could run straight to the auditorium and back in a matter of seconds to let his team know what was happening.

    But there was one person who didn't like the idea.

    "We don't know what's going on!" said Bailey, a tall and muscular man with brown hair. He was the leader of the group, Team BGNY, and he was a shrewd leader at that. "We can't risk running straight into danger without knowing what we're up against!"

    Lilith and her teammates agreed with the Huntsman. Not only because what he said was true, but also because they were incredibly scared. Lilith, Andrea, and Max had already lived through one invasion and destruction of a school. When they heard the alarm on their Scrolls, each child immediately knew that they weren't ready for another one.

    Especially not after they tragically lost one of their team members.

    However, this fear intensified when Max looked up towards the sky. "Um... I think I know what we're up against," he said as he pointed up. "Look!"

    Everyone obeyed and saw a series of lights flying in the sky. Closer inspection revealed them to be jet-fire, coming from what appeared to be jetpacks strapped to the backs of multiple people.

    Multiple armored people.

    "Mandalorians," Gretchen realized. "Those are Mandalorians!"

    "Are those our guys?" Nerissa asked optimistically.

    "They might have turned on us!" Bailey pointed out. He was always one to err on the side of caution, but he was no coward. Everyone on his team knew this to be true, and they also didn't fully trust the Mandalorians just yet.

    Gretchen was the only exception, given her experience with Sun Jabbid.

    However, all doubt was cast aside when Lilith was able to make out some distinguishing features about the Mandalorians overhead. Their armor wasn't white or gold like Clan Vizsla or Clan Tenau, but it was silver with blue accents.

    "Those are the people who attacked Beacon!" Lilith finally pointed out. "It's them!"

    The Mandalorians above were indeed members of Death Watch. Some of them were from other clans such as Clan Bralor, but the majority of the warriors comprised of Death Watch. And they were led by Bo-Katan, who easily saw the group of Huntsmen and Huntresses below her.

    "Take them out!" Bo-Katan ordered a group of Mandalorians to her right. "Everyone else on me!" The warrior's obeyed the right hand of the Mand'alor and split apart. Some of the warriors moved down to face the Huntsmen and Huntresses while Bo-Katan and the rest would sweep the rest of the campus grounds.

    Team BGNY saw the Mandalorians descend and begin to fire upon them. "Kids, get down!" Bailey ordered as he saw the blaster fire. "Everyone else, spread out!" His team obeyed so that they would give the Mandalorians multiple targets instead of one. The Mandalorians recognized the strategy, so they divided themselves as well.

    But the Huntsmen and Huntresses were ready.

    Bailey reached for his back and removed his weapon. At first glance, it appeared to be a simple pitchfork. The Mandalorians didn't question this choice of weaponry, they simply fired at the enemy in front of them.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    The red blasts moved towards the Huntsman very quickly, but the man's reflexes and reaction were faster. With the simple flick of a switch, the pitchfork transformed into a shield that was big enough to block the blaster fire. When he jumped in the air, Bailey was able to slam his shield down to knock the Mandalorians off their feet.

    The armored warriors quickly recovered from this attack and decided to use hand-to-hand to beat their foe. However, Bailey turned his shield into a pitchfork again and stabbed it into the ground. He then spun himself on the handle to repeatedly kick the Mandalorians, which was a common attack he used for multiple Grimm.

    The Mandalorians were knocked back again, but they began to recover quickly. Bailey was forced to use the ends of his pitchfork to try and stab the exposed pieces of flesh between the armor. But when his weapon was grabbed by a wire, this became easier said than done.

    Nerissa had a similar fighting strategy as her leader, given that her weapon of choice was a metal trident. She also spun herself around with the handle and tried to stab the Mandalorians she was fighting, but it was harder than killing Grimm.

    Fortunately, her trident doubled as a gun that she could use. But rather than simple Dust bullets, Nerissa fired a stream of water at the Mandalorians. Given that her Semblance allowed her to manipulate water in any shape or form, the woman was able to make waves and projectiles that did some harm to the invaders.

    She was even able to knock some of their armor off.

    Yuri relied on his expertise in kickboxing to fight the Mandalorians. His weapon of choice were boots that fired a blast of air at anyone he kicked via Wind Dust built into the boots. However, most of his attacks were dodged and his legs were even grabbed before the Mandalorians countered with their own attacks.

    Gretchen was the only member of her team with experience in fighting the Mandalorians. She had plenty of Dust crystals in her pockets, and she decided to infuse two of them into her arms. Her role in retaking Beacon Academy taught Gretchen that close ranged combat with Mandalorians wasn't very favorable. Nerissa appeared to be the only exception, given her trident and her Semblance.

    But Gretchen decided on a different approach.

    The Dust in her arms enhanced her strength tenfold, which allowed her punches to do more damage despite the protection Beskar provided. When she hit the metal, the Mandalorians could feel the force of enhanced strength and Dust against their bodies and Auras. Gretchen was even able to launch balls of fire at the Mandalorians as well.

    A few more strikes like these were what finally made Gretchen's Mandalorians stay down rather than get up and fight again. The Huntress took this opportunity to see how well her friends were holding up. Nerissa was able to hold her own with her trident and the water she was bending, but Bailey and Yuri were the ones who needed help. Bailey was able to regain his shield and defend himself, but Yuri wasn't so lucky.

    Gretchen's enhanced punches and a few more Dust projectiles were enough to save her friends. Nerissa managed to beat one Mandalorian on her own, but Gretchen got the second one before he could stab her in the back.

    "Whoa," Nerissa said as she looked at the Mandalorian who almost ambushed her. "Thanks, Gretchen."

    "Don't... mention it," the Huntress replied as she caught her breath. She was used to having multiple Dust crystals in her arms, but fighting this many Mandalorians was already tiring. However, it wasn't her own exhaustion that Gretchen was worried about. "Is everyone okay?"

    "We're good," said Bailey, who helped Yuri off the ground. "For now."

    "This is bad," Yuri said as he used his Aura to heal the bruises he received from the Mandalorians. "How did they get here? How did they break our defenses?"

    "That doesn't matter now," said Nerissa. "We have to stop them before they hurt anyone."

    One look overhead was enough for Gretchen to agree with her friends. "Then I guess we're only getting started," she said as she pointed upwards. "Look."

    The rest of Team BGNY followed Gretchen's finger to see even more Mandalorians flying in the sky. Some of them moved down towards them while others continued to fly. Not only that, but they were all flying in one single direction: Mistral.

    "They're getting ready to attack the city!" Yuri realized.

    "If they can pull that off, there's no telling what happens next!" Nerissa said as she began to panic. "Here or back home!"

    Bailey was growing afraid himself, but he didn't let this fear shake his resolve. "That's why we're not going to let that happen," he said firmly. "Gretchen, Nerissa, shoot them down!"

    The Huntresses obeyed and turned their attention to the sky. Nerissa fired regular bullets instead of water from her gun and aimed for the jetpacks while Gretchen threw balls of fire. She was forced to infuse more Dust into her body, but it was worth it if it meant everyone in Mistral would be safe.

    Gretchen even threw agitated Dust into the air so Nerissa could shoot them and cause bigger explosions.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    While some of the Mandalorians were shot out of the sky, others were protected by their Beskar armor. However, they turned their attention away from the city below the school and looked down at the Huntresses shooting at them. In their minds, a threat to their plans such as this needed to be stopped now.

    "We got their attention, get ready!" Bailey ordered as he readied his pitchfork again. "Gretchen, you've dealt with guys like these before! Take point and we'll follow your lead!"

    "Got it!" Gretchen said as she hit her fists together. "Here they come!"

    A group of Mandalorians twice the size of the one Team BGNY had just fought landed on the ground and opened fire upon the Huntsmen and Huntresses. Just as Bailey said, he and his teammates followed Gretchen's lead in the hopes that they would learn how to best fight the invaders and keep the Kingdom safe. It wasn't easy, given that the arsenal and combat prowess of the Mandalorians rivaled that of the the team. Gretchen proved herself to be a force to be reckoned with, but her friends were easier to fight when the Mandalorians took away their weapons.

    The Huntsmen and Huntresses of Team BGNY were incredibly brave, but there were three students who were becoming more and more fearful of the future.

    "Look at them!" said Max Bolt, who was hiding with his friends behind a wall. "There might be more than last time!"

    "It's Beacon all over again!" said Andrea Gloss. "But we're even closer to the city!"

    Lilith Gelb was also afraid of the growing army she was witnessing. But beneath that fear was a wish to do more than simply take cover. "Guys, come on!" she said. "We're not doing anything good by hiding!"

    Max looked back to his teammate and saw the determination on her face. A look like the one Lilith had was enough to make him see that something had to change. "You're right," he said. "We can take these guys. We have to!"

    "No, no, wait!" Andrea begged as she grabbed her leader's arm. "We can't just run out there!"

    "Don't worry, I have a plan." Max turned to Lilith. "Lily, we're not gonna have the advanced students on our side. Let's make sure we-"

    "That's not what I meant." Andrea stood in between her friends. "We have to find backup, we're close to the auditorium."

    Max and Lilith easily disagreed with this idea. "But that's where they all came from!" Lilith pointed out. "Everyone's probably fighting for their lives there!"

    "Lily's right!" Max said. "It's up to us right now!"

    Andrea felt a very cold chill move up her spine. She couldn't help but shiver and tense up as she looked at her friends and remembered familiar events occurring over a month ago.

    "Guys... that's what Garret said that night," she said timidly.

    "..."

    Neither Max or Lilith could deny the truth behind this statement. Garret was their fourth teammate from Beacon, and their close friend. When the Mandalorians first attacked, nearly everyone refused to leave Professor Ozpin behind while he bought his students time to escape. Andrea and the rest of her team were among these students, and they fought as hard as they could against the invaders.

    Unfortunately, Garret was killed that night. And he died right in front of the rest of his team.

    Everyone took Garret's death to heart, which was why Max and Lilith felt that they had to make sure the Mandalorians couldn't hurt anyone anymore. Andrea, however, took this death the hardest. She always felt that she could have saved her friend, that she could have done more to help.

    And now Andrea was afraid of the past repeating itself.

    "...I know," Max finally said. "But he'd say the same thing tonight."

    "Yeah," Lilith agreed. She could tell that her friend was hesitant to fight against real Mandalorians once again, and she knew that arguing or dragging Andrea out of hiding would only have negative consequences. "Stay here, we got you covered."

    "Wait, what?" Andrea asked in surprise. Her two friends turned around and began to walk away. "No! Don't... Don't leave me."

    Max and Lilith shared a sigh as they moved closer to the Mandalorians. They didn't want to leave Andrea behind, but they couldn't let her fears weigh them down either.

    "You remember how we fought hand-to-hand during the Fall?" Max asked his teammate.

    "Yeah," Lilith replied. "We fought like Professor Djarin that night." The young woman clenched her fists. "Now we gotta do it again."

    Max easily agreed and pointed at two Mandalorians preparing to ambush Team BGNY. "We each take one. I got the one on the left."

    Lilith remembered her training and the Fall of Beacon as she patiently prepared to attack. "On your mark."

    Max did the same thing as his friend and gave the order. "...Now!"

    The students quickly attacked the Mandalorians and engaged them in hand-to-hand combat. They had the experience to prove that relying on their weapons to penetrate Beskar would be pointless, so they had decided to strike hard at the exposed flesh and bones that the armor didn't protect. The Mandalorians fought back just as hard, but Max and Lilith still had their Auras to protect them.

    Team BGNY welcomed the assistance from the students and began to see what they were doing. Gretchen was also aiming for the spots that the Mandalorian armor didn't protect, and everyone could see how hard the Mandalorians were trying to protect themselves. And so, the experienced warriors followed this lead and did everything they could to hurt their foes.

    The Mandalorians didn't make this fight easy, however. If they didn't use their razor wires to ensnare the unique weapons or arms of their enemies, they used flamethrowers and small blades in their gauntlets to fight back. Soon enough, some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses felt their Auras breaks and their blood spill on the ground.

    Max and Lilith were expecting this to happen, and they had been trained to withstand this pain. Gretchen still had her Aura, so she could block out the pain the Mandalorians inflicted upon her. Flames burned her and knives cut her side, but she refused to yield.

    The rest of Team BGNY were familiar with pushing themselves past their limit when it came to fighting Grimm, but no Grimm ever put up a fight like the Mandalorians were. And yet, they continued to fight with their weapons as well as their fists. Teamwork was heavily utilized in this fight, which was something that Djarin had taught his students; Mandalorians would always fight when the odds were against them, but attacks from their blind-sides would be the most palpable.

    Max and Lilith remembered these lessons well, which was how they managed to help Team BGNY knock out multiple Mandalorians when they struck hard from behind.

    It was the sight of Mandalorians falling and the Huntsmen and Huntresses struggling that seemed to breathe a new life into Andrea. On one hand, she began to feel confident that the Mandalorians could be beaten when she saw some of them laying on the ground with broken arms and blood dripping on the fabric between the armor. On the other hand, seeing her friends and allies struggle to keep this up reminded Andrea of what happened to Garret.

    All this time, her greatest fear was the past repeating itself. She was afraid of more mistakes happening and more defeats occurring in this war. And as she saw her friends fight while she remained on the sidelines, Andrea could see that her fears were coming true. However, it wasn't because the Mandalorians were the superior foe. But rather, it was because Andrea used this fear as an excuse to seemingly give up and not join the fight.

    If she did nothing now, the past would indeed repeat itself.

    And so, Andrea quickly moved out of her cover and jumped towards an unconscious Mandalorian. Another experience from the young girl's past inspired her to strip the warrior of his gauntlets and his chest plate. She had worn similar armor in Vacuo, where she helped her friends teach Team IRON a valuable lesson about Mandalorians and students like her. Andrea knew the armor would protect her, and now she was ready to see what the gauntlets could do for her.

    *SHING*​

    A small blade emerged from one of the gauntlets, and Andrea looked at it carefully. She easily noticed the dried blood on it, and she had to remind herself that more blood would follow if she didn't do anything.

    When she looked up, Andrea could see that a Mandalorian had gotten the upper hand on Lilith. Her face was bleeding heavily, and she was leaning against a wall as she tried to recover from her wounds. But the Mandalorian was ready to kill her, and she was going to do it soon.

    Andrea had to muster all of her courage to stop standing still and letting the coldness within her prevent her from moving. It wasn't easy, given how terrified she was of these armored invaders. But eventually, with a loud yell, Andrea ran towards the Mandalorian and cut his neck just as he noticed her running towards him.

    *SHICK*

    *PLOP*    ​

    When the blade made contact with unprotected flesh, the Mandalorian realized that he could do nothing else but fall backwards and bleed excessively.

    "Whoa!" Lilith yelled as she watched the Mandalorian lay on the ground. She turned to her savior in disbelief, but it quickly disappeared when pride took its place. "Holy crap, Andrea!"

    Max and Team BGNY had just finished off their Mandalorians, and they too saw what the young girl had done.

    "There you are!" Bailey said in relief.

    "Did you take that one down?" Yuri wondered. "Nice job!"

    "Andrea!" Max yelled with a smile. "You did it!"

    Pride and relief came over Andrea as she helped her friend off the wall. Lilith had to breathe heavily over and over again as she dried the blood off her face. And as she looked upon her savior, Lilith's pride increased drastically. "Thanks, Andrea," she said. "I owe ya one."

    Andrea wasn't one to take glory in killing people, even if they were her enemy. But the fact that she had prevented the past from repeating itself, especially with a close friend, was enough to make her smile and laugh.

    "How do you like that?!" Andrea yelled at the dead Mandalorian. "We got you now! And if you don't like it, you can just-!"

    "Whoa, easy there, killer!" Max said as he gently grabbed his friend. He understood the adrenaline was taking its toll on Andrea, but he knew that trying to calm her down was for the best. And when he saw the fragments of armor she was wearing, Max found the perfect opportunity to divert attention of the dead Mandalorian. "Hey, you're wearing Beskar!"

    "Oh, yeah!" Lilith said as she looked at Andrea's arms and chest. "Just like in Vacuo, huh?"

    Max immediately took inspiration from this. "That's right!" He quickly turned to Team BGNY. "Grab some of the armor and put it on! It'll help if you break your Aura again!"

    The Huntsmen and Huntresses saw no fault in this logic, so they obeyed the children. It was a first time that something like this happened, given that they were the ones who usually helped students on their training missions. But this wasn't exactly a normal night, and they were open to any suggestion for survival.

    "The chest plate and gauntlets are enough," said Bailey. "We don't want everyone to think we're Mandos by wearing these helmets." The older man immediately threw a helmet behind him as he put on the gauntlets.

    "I've seen knives and flamethrowers in these things," Gretchen noted. She saw this back at Beacon as well as tonight. And as she looked across the distance, there was something else she saw. "Looks like we're gonna need a quick field test."

    Everyone looked where Gretchen was looking and saw more Mandalorians moving towards them. And when they saw what they were doing, the Mandalorians found a new reason to kill the Huntsmen and Huntresses.

    "They're stealing our armor!"

    "Thieves!"

    "Stop them!"

    Max sighed as he readied himself for yet another fight. This was getting old fast, and this fighting showed no signs of stopping. Part of him wished that he wouldn't be the one fighting right now, not after he nearly exhausted all of his Aura on the Mandalorians he helped kill.

    Fortunately for him, his wish was about to come true.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    When four small pieces of metal shot out from behind the Huntsmen and Huntresses, they found their way into the necks and flesh of the Mandalorians who were about to attack. They all fell to the ground and slowly began to die as the blood from their necks stained the ground.

    The source of the miracle revealed itself to be Din Djarin, who was quickly running towards the group of students and experienced warriors.

    "Professor Djarin!" Max said as he waved. "Thanks for the save!"

    "Yeah!" Lilith said. "Maybe you can help us find some-!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    "...more?"

    Djarin had just used his Semblance without a word, and he had vanished without a trace. He didn't do this to kill another Mandalorian who was about to ambush them or move someone out of the way of danger; he simply just disappeared.

    "Whoa, where'd he go?" Nerissa asked as she looked around the area.

    "Did he just leave us?" Lilith asked in disbelief.

    "What's he doing?" Max wondered.

    "What do we do now?" Andrea asked.

    Before panic spread in the group, Bailey naturally took charge. "No, he's got the right idea," he said. "We can't let any of these guys leave. We'll spread out and see where else they might try to attack."

    "Works for me," Andrea quickly said.

    Max and Lilith saw no problem with this logic. "Split into pairs of two?" Lilith asked calmly.

    "Me and Bailey will head for the landing pads," said Yuri. "Make sure nobody tries to fly outta here."

    "There's an odd number of us," Nerissa pointed out. "I'll go with Gretchen and one of you."

    "I'll go," said Max. "Andrea, you look after Lilith."

    "Jeez," Lilith sarcastically said with a smile. "One kill and you're already one-upping me." She nudged her friend's shoulder playfully, which caused Andrea to roll her eyes.

    But she returned the smile as her fighting spirit returned to her.

    "Let's go."

    Djarin knew that he had just saved someone, but he didn't stop to find out who it was. Instead, he simply kept running and running.

    The Mandalorian was no coward, but he knew that he couldn't stay at Haven Academy for a second longer. Not because he was afraid of the army that had come here, but because he was afraid of what would happen if he didn't reach Vacuo in time.

    Ever since he learned that Aurora had helped one of the Blair sisters put a Botfly on his armor, a tiny piece of themselves that could see and hear everything, Djarin knew that he had inadvertently exposed Cinder's location.

    And there was no doubt that Aurora sent Flora to Vacuo to kill her. Djarin knew that he had to stop her, no matter the cost.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Despite the fact that he planned to leave the battle, Djarin was forced to defend himself against the Mandalorians who had spotted him. He wasn't holding his blaster, but the rifle he had personally modified was perfectly capable of inflicting damage and harm to others. If he didn't hit exposed flesh and bone between the armor, Djarin was able to blind his foes when the metal from his rifle cracked their visors.

    Soon enough, all of the Mandalorian's running and teleporting had paid off. He could see the Razor Crest sitting on a landing pad just a few yards away, ready for takeoff at a moment's notice. Djarin used his Semblance once again to reach the landing pad, and he ran as fast as he could towards the door on the hull.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    "Stop!"

    Djarin stopped running when he saw two red blasts hit the hull of the Razor Crest and heard someone yell to him. While he stopped moving, Djarin spun around and removed his own blaster to fight back instead of his rifle.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Four Mandalorians were behind Djarin, and they quickly dodged the blaster fire and moved for cover. One Mandalorian moved behind a wall and looked at a screen on his gauntlet.

    "We have him, Paz!" he said. "East landing pad!" Instead of waiting for a response, the Mandalorian returned fire with his own blaster.

    Another Mandalorian joined the effort and aimed for Djarin. But when her target was nowhere to be found, she had another idea. "Aim for the ship!" she yelled to her allies. "Don't let him leave!" The present Mandalorians obeyed and fired at the Razor Crest.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Djarin was outside the ship when the Mandalorians fired upon it, so he was safe from harm. Unfortunately, he had to watch the Razor Crest become scorched with blaster fire and watch one of the engines ignite into flames.

    *BOOM*​

    Black smoke rose from the left engine after a small explosion occurred. The Razor Crest wasn't completely demolished, not like the first one that Major Gideon and the Saxons destroyed. However, there was no possible way that the ship could take off from the ground now.

    "Dammit!" Djarin yelled with a growl as he emerged from cover and fired at the nearest Mandalorian he saw.

    *BANG*​

    The shot was a direct hit at the head, which gave Djarin the chance to run inside the open door to the Razor Crest. He knew he couldn't make it fly, but he had an idea to better defend himself.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    The Mandalorian had to avoid blaster fire from behind as he ran, and some of the blasts hit his Beskar armor. But he had reached his ship without any harm, and he closed the door behind him before he carried out his plan.

    While he was always preferred to carry a small blaster and he had just started getting used to his new rifle, Djarin had a wall of other weapons inside the Razor Crest. They ranged mostly from other pistols and rifles, and Djarin made sure to clean and use them on a regular basis.

    Tonight, he planned on using a new weapon that he recently acquired.

    While he wasn't welcome at his Mandalorian tribe anymore, Djarin was still welcome at the city of Nevarro. He paid Greef Karga a visit before he went to Mistral to see if anyone was willing to join the fight at Haven. But sadly, the only warriors Karga had were more needed at Nevarro. Djarin easily understood this, so he took his leave.

    Before he left, however, Marshal Cara Dune decided to spare some of the city's weapons for the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians that were defending the school. She even gave Djarin her own Dust Repeater, which she hardly used anymore.

    Djarin planned to use this large weapon to blast his way out of the Razor Crest and back into Haven. It normally required more than one person to handle, but Djarin was able to mount the weapon on a tripod and point it at the door. Once it was locked and loaded, the Mandalorian was ready to use it on everyone outside.

    "Have to make this quick," Djarin thought to himself as he finished loading the gun. "I have to get out of here."

    Djarin could hear footsteps and more blaster fire from the outside. He also heard the sounds of jetpacks overhead, and Djarin was sure the Mandalorians would soon be coming from more than just one side.

    And rather than wait to see this happen, Djarin opened the door and pulled the trigger of Cara's Dust Repeater.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Djarin had only seen Cara Dune fire this weapon, but now he could see how it earned the name "Dust Repeater." The weapon fired bullets at a faster rate than he had ever seen or felt before, at a rate that put nearly all of his weapons to shame. And the power of this gun was enough to blast the Mandalorians away. Some of the bullets were even strong enough to knock pieces of armor off their bodies.

    Screams and gunfire was all Djarin could hear, and the sounds were almost deafening. The Mandalorians outside the Razor Crest attempted to return fire, but they couldn't get a good shot at their enemy. All they could do was hide behind their cover, but the Dust Repeater destroyed this cover and left them exposed.

    Many Mandalorians fell to the might of the Dust Repeater, but others ran away from the landing pad. And soon enough, the weapon ran out of bullets to fire.

    "..."

    Djarin moved the weapon away from the door and stepped outside once again. Debris, scorch-marks, and bodies littered the entire landing pad and the immediate area, and silence had returned to the once quiet place.

    After he took one look at all he had done, Djarin once again marveled at the power of the Dust Repeater. He knew it was capable of destruction, and now he could see how useful it was against Mandalorians.

    The awe and wonder Djarin felt wasn't strong enough to make him forget why he was here in the first place. And it wasn't enough to make him neglect his surroundings, which was why he turned around, quickly drew his blaster, and fired it at the top of the Razor Crest.

    *BANG*

    *PLOP*    ​

    The shot he fired made direct contact with a Mandalorian that was on top of the Razor Crest, and Djarin spun the small pistol before he finally put it away.

    "I have to get out of here," the Mandalorian told himself as he looked at the Aura he had left. There wasn't enough to teleport himself again, but Djarin knew that there were a few more ships left at Haven. If he could reach the next landing pad in time, then maybe he had a chance to leave for Vacuo.

    The thermal vision in his helmet showed Djarin that he was alone. He could hear more gunshots and destruction around him, but they were far from where Djarin was. The Mandalorian was safe... for now.

    Djarin needed some time to catch his breath, so he walked across the landing pad as he prepared to run again. As he walked, Djarin couldn't help but look at the carnage he had inflicted just now. He had left a pile of bodies like this many times in his life, usually when he conducted bounty hunts. He also left piles of decaying Grimm when he finished missions Ozpin assigned him, so he was never affected by the death that surrounded him.

    Tonight, however, proved to be different. Because Djarin had made a fatal mistake by choosing to walk instead of run to the next landing pad he could find. As he looked upon the armored warriors he had just killed, Djarin noticed that something was wrong.

    The armor of all these Mandalorians was different in color.

    Djarin had seen multiple Mandalorian clans lately, mostly at the Great Lake. He had seen Death Watch, Clan Vizsla, Clan Tenau, Clan Saxon, Clan Bralor, and even Clan Carid over the past few days. Each of these clans were different, especially their armor. However, each of these clans chose to unify themselves with a specific color when they painted their armor. Clan Tenau mostly wore gold armor while Death Watch painted themselves in a dull gray.

    But these Mandalorians, they were all of different colors. There was no single color they wore, it was a wide variety. One was mostly red, another was mostly blue. And some of their pauldrons didn't even match the rest of their armor.

    "Oh, no," Djarin whispered as he stared at the bodies. "No, no, no, no..."

    Not only was the armor different from other clans, but it was also familiar to Djarin. He had seen people like this before, wearing the exact same armor. He recognized them as former Children of the Watch, Mandalorians who had left Nevarro to join Pre Vizsla and his war against the world.

    Din Djarin had just killed his own people.

    The revelation and realization were enough to make Djarin's legs turn into jelly. He fell to his knees and looked upon the people he once called his brothers and sisters. He fought side-by-side with them on multiple occasions, when their home was under attack by outsiders and other clans.

    They were like family to him, and Djarin had just killed them all.

    The worst part, however, was that this wasn't the first time this had happened. On the day Paz Vizsla created a breakaway group of Mandalorians and attacked Nevarro, Djarin was forced to fight for his life and that of his daughter's. That day, Djarin was forced to fight and kill the people he once cared about to protect himself, and he succeeded. One of the reasons he fought against Vizsla was so Djarin would never have to do something like that again, to end this senseless violence and hopefully make the Children of the Watch one clan again.

    But here he was doing the same thing he did again. In the Mandalorian's mind, there was no end in sight in this matter.

    "Look what you did."

    Djarin looked up to see Paz Vizsla standing a few feet in front of him. More Mandalorians from the Children of the Watch joined him, but they kept their distance between the two rivals. Paz felt safe where he was, given that Djarin didn't teleport away or reach for a weapon. So he approached closer as he continued to speak.

    "Look what you did to our brothers and sisters," the large Mandalorian said as he walked among the rubble and bodies. "Can you truly call yourself a Mandalorian after doing this?"

    "..."

    The last conversation Djarin had with the Armorer began to replay in his mind when Paz asked this question. Given what she had said to him and what he had just done, Djarin was unsure how to answer that question.

    Paz could tell this was the case, so he continued to speak and walk.

    "You betrayed everything we stood for," the large Mandalorian said. "You even led a Foundling down the same path as you. And for what?" Paz spread his arms. "The Kingdoms who stole our home? The warriors they create to spite us?"

    "..."

    Since he was directly in front of Djarin, Paz stopped walking. And the members of the Children of the Watch who joined him began to surround the kneeling Mandalorian. "You have lost, Din Djarin. You have lost this battle, lost this Kingdom, and most of all... you have lost your way." Paz leaned closer to Djarin. "Our way."

    "..."

    Paz looked around at his fellow Mandalorians. "The Way has been our guide for hundreds of years. Even before the Great War divided us. It is what separates us from the world, it is what makes us who we are. We have all been challenged before Pre Vizsla found us, but we have all remained Mandalorians. This is the Way."

    "This is the Way," every Mandalorian repeated.

    After what felt like an eternity, Djarin looked up from the ground. "The... The Way..." he whispered.

    The whisper was soft, but Paz was close enough to Djarin to hear what he said. "You remember," he said. "And do you remember what you swore to the Armorer? What you swore to us all?"

    Djarin stared into Paz's visor. "...I remember."

    Paz reached down to his side and pulled out a large hunting knife. The blade vibrated in his hand as he held it, and he readied to strike. "You stand on the precipice of doom, and it is still not too late," he said. "I do not believe in redemption, especially for apostates such as yourself. But should you repent now, admit your misdeeds and dishonor... I will grant you a quick and merciful death."

    "..."

    Djarin continued to look at Paz Vizsla, as well as the knife in the warrior's hand. He indeed felt the shame of killing the people he once fought beside, and he knew that the Mandalorians around him could justify their next action. For while redemption could be found, according to the Way of the Mandalore, banishment or death were also common for apostates.

    Din Djarin couldn't deny that he had abandoned the Way of the Mandalore... but he also couldn't deny that there was a reason behind this choice.

    That reason was in Vacuo, in a deep sleep that had the potential to end at a moment's notice. That reason was someone who saw the world through different eyes, someone who had helped Djarin see a new way to live.

    And someone who taught Djarin to live to a new code of honor.

    "I abandoned it," Djarin admitted. "I abandoned it all."

    Paz looked back to his brothers and sisters. "He admits it," he said firmly. Nods and small shouts of agreements surrounded him, which filled the large Mandalorian with pride as well as resolve. It was this resolve that guided his right hand towards Din Djarin. His hand moved towards his rival's neck very quickly, and he readied himself for blood to be shed.

    But Paz wasn't ready for Din Djarin catching his hand and holding it tight.

    "I abandoned cruelty," the Mandalorian said as he lifted himself off the ground. "I abandoned bias, stubbornness, and prejudice against anyone who chose not to be like us."

    Djarin squeezed and twisted Paz's hand, which caused the knife to fall. The Mandalorians around him pointed their rifles and pistols at their shared target, but Djarin didn't falter.

    "The world was right to hate us," Djarin continued. "They were right to hate the Mandalorians who use our history and culture as reasons to spill blood. I abandoned it all not for them... but for the one who taught me to be better than that." Djarin fought against Paz trying to break out of the grip and only made it tighter. "And I'll be damned before I let you or anyone you stand with take her away from me."

    Paz was angered by this defiance, as well as the iron-like grip he found his hand caught in. The speech he interpreted as disrespectful for the Mandalorians as a whole made him hate Djarin even more than he did already, and he used this hatred to finally break the grip and push Djarin back.

    The Mandalorians all fired their blasters at close range when they saw Djarin stumble, but they fired at thin air as their target teleported away. As a result, the shots they fired hit each other instead of Din Djarin.

    Paz screamed in fury as he turned around to see Djarin wielding an electric staff in his hands. "I'll kill you!" he screamed as he charged at the man he deemed an apostate. Djarin charged back, despite the fact that he wanted to save Cinder. But he had made a promise to do away with cruelty and prejudice in the world, and he made it to Cinder.

    Getting rid of Paz Vizsla was a perfect way to keep this promise.

    Djarin easily dodged the reckless swings his opponent was making with his hunting knife. When he dodged the fourth strike, Djarin pushed one of the electric ends at Vizsla's chest. Electricity took the large man in an instant, which caused him to scream in pain as his body absorbed the painful lightning. But he eventually pushed the staff away and swung his knife at Djarin's helmet, which scratched the metal and glass.

    Multiple strikes, dodges, and grabs at weapons were made as Djarin and Paz fought. Each warrior had their strengths and weaknesses, and each of them knew how the other would fight. Palpable hits were made on each side, and each warrior grew frustrated as they hoped the battle would end.

    The end of this fight came in a very unexpected way.

    More Mandalorians had found Djarin and Paz while they were fighting. These Mandalorians recognized Djarin as an enemy, and they knew that he had to be stopped.

    One Mandalorian who was ahead of the others decided to end the fight with a rocket on his jetpack.

    "I'll get him!" he said as he prepared to fire the rocket.

    "Hold your fire!" said another Mandalorian who tried to run and stop the rocket from firing. "You'll hit Vizsla!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    Despite his best efforts, the Mandalorian arrived too late to stop his ally from firing a rocket right at Djarin and Paz. Each Mandalorian recognized the danger, but they were too late to move out of the way.

    *BOOM*​

    The explosion caused both warriors to fly away from each other. Paz slid close to the Mandalorians who joined him, and they moved quickly to help him off the ground while the smoke cleared.

    "Get off me!" Paz yelled in anger as he searched the area for Djarin. "Where is he?! Where's Djarin?!"

    The Mandalorians raised their guns and moved closer into the smoke. The black cloud disappeared after a few seconds, and all that stood in its place were the Mandalorians who were looking for Paz's opponent. When they looked around one more time, all they could do was say one thing to answer Paz's question.

    "He's... gone."

    As Din Djarin and multiple others discovered, the Mandalorians under Salem's command spread themselves far across Haven Academy in an attempt to destroy the entire school. Once the school was gone, the rest of Mistral would be easy to conquer.

    That was the basis of Flora's plan, after all.

    While there was indeed fighting across the entire campus, the majority of the fighting was still in the auditorium where Raven Branwen had created her portal. Raven was still fighting her brother, Obi-Wan had engaged in a duel with Pre Vizsla, and Ozpin was helping Huntsmen and Huntresses fight the enemy Mandalorians. Revan had joined Ozpin's efforts as well, given his title of the Mandalorian Butcher.

    As he fought and killed members of Death Watch, the Saxons, and every other Mandalorian he perceived as an enemy, Revan was taken back to the time he had earned his title. He recalled the start of the Great War, and how the Jedi chose to abstain from the conflict. While the Council sent a few of their Knights and Masters into battle on occasion, the Jedi did not reveal themselves to the rest of the world.

    This choice didn't sit well with some of the Jedi. Revan was amongst them.

    The day the Mandalorians joined the war was the straw that broke the camel's back for Revan. Given that the Jedi had previous conflicts with the Mandalorians, Revan chose to leave and fight them all. He knew they were on the side of Vale and Vacuo, but he also knew that the Mandalorians were never allies of the Jedi.

    And so, Revan left the Jedi to fight in the war. He was followed by others soon after, so the former Jedi never fought alone. Even the soldiers of Mistral came to his side, where he helped win victory after victory for the Kingdoms.

    In that time, Revan and all who followed him lost their way. They became bitter, merciless, and everything else that the Jedi opposed. Even Revan's brother, who he took as his apprentice prior to leaving Coruscant, grew more ambitious with every victory he and Revan secured for Mistral.

    The battles he fought made Revan invincible, but not satisfied. He was indeed a strong warrior and a tactical genius, but Revan knew that there was only one enemy who had the power to stop him; the King of Vale, who was also the current incarnation of Ozma. Revan knew that with the power of Magic, the Relics, and the Force on his side, Ozma could end Revan's assault and bring victory to Vale and Vacuo.

    And by extension, this would bring victory to the Mandalorians and Tarre Vizsla.

    Revan spent many days trying to strategize and think of a way to beat Ozma. He knew that Ozma could summon the full might of the Jedi Order if he wished to. Revan would be defeated in an instant if this happened. However, he was reminded by his ambitious apprentice that they were not the first Jedi to leave the Order. That others turned to a darker master, a more powerful one at that. Power such as this would destroy not only the Mandalorians, but the Jedi as well.

    The war had indeed changed Revan, but he was initially reluctant to follow in the footsteps of these Jedi. But when he felt a strong disturbance in the Force, a surge like he had never felt before, Revan changed his mind. He sought out the source of this disturbance in the hopes that it would grant him the power to end the destructive ways of the Mandalorians, to bring order back to Remnant.

    But when he and his brother found themselves before Salem, they soon discovered that all that glittered was not gold.

    Salem had much greater plans for the Jedi instead of winning the Great War. Though it was indeed the division of mankind she always wanted, Salem sensed that the war would be over soon. And so, she took it upon herself to hasten Revan's fall to the Dark Side. With her powers, her loyal Sith, and the power of the Fermata Cage, Salem preserved Revan's twisted self and used it in her secret war against the Jedi. And just as they did before, Revan and his apprentice won many victories for the Queen of the Grimm.

    It wasn't until Salem placed him back in the Fermata Cage and allowed his mind to be wiped that Revan found himself to be free. Salem's intention was to break the Jedi Order from within, but multiple adventures across Remnant with new friends made Revan rediscover the Jedi Knight within himself. And when his memories eventually returned, he stayed right where he was instead of falling back into Salem's clutches.

    Revan's mind returned to the present after he killed a Mandalorian by decapitating her. The similarities between tonight and years ago were as plain as the nose on his face, but there was one difference. There was a time where Revan would have found glory and satisfaction in these kills, where he would unleash all of his power and kill everyone in sight. However, Revan now understood the virtue and strength behind self-control and putting the lives of others before his own. He understood that killing these Mandalorians would save lives, and that was more important than obtaining power or glory.

    A certain Jedi who saved him long ago had taught him that.

    Ozpin sensed this resolve within Revan as he too fought the Mandalorians, and he was proud of the old Jedi. While he himself wasn't killing the Mandalorians with his cane, Ozpin understood that Revan's way of thinking wasn't entirely wrong. All other options had been exhausted, and Ozpin accepted this. But he still chose to simply incapacitate the Mandalorians instead of kill them. His cane wasn't much to look at, but each strike with the blunt end was a powerful one.

    When he wasn't disarming Mandalorians by striking their rifles and pistols, Ozpin was able to break Auras and bones when he used the blunt end of his cane. Years of experience and the Force allowed him to send a series of quick jabs and strikes at multiple Mandalorians, which severely dented the armor his opponents were wearing. The damage was so intense that the Mandalorians found themselves either unconscious or entirely unable to stand up again.

    Qrow found himself to be evenly matched with his sister, which made him only angrier. His dislike and disagreements with her were nothing compared to how betrayed he felt by Raven. He didn't know what he would do after he killed her, but he didn't care. All he did was use Harbinger multiple times in an attempt to finally break his sister's guard, but Raven was always able to defend herself.

    She may have found herself having the same problem Qrow was having with this fight, but Raven was much more calm and collected. She still planned to kill her brother, and she was incredibly confident in her ability to do so. All Raven had to do was hold her own while jumping across the auditorium and wait for the perfect opening to land a fatal blow.

    In a strange twist of fate, Obi-Wan Kenobi found himself repeating this strategy in his duel with Pre Vizsla.

    The Jedi's blue lightsaber found itself facing off against the black blade of the Mand'alor's Darksaber. No formal challenge had been declared, Obi-Wan and Vizsla simply had their eyes on each other when the battle broke loose. Vizsla had to admit that Obi-Wan was wise to stall him, but the warlord refused to let the Jedi have the last laugh. Many Jedi had fallen to the blade he possessed, and now he was ready to see Obi-Wan join them.

    Despite the fact that Obi-Wan was a Jedi Master and the Headmaster of Haven Academy, he found the Mand'alor to be a challenging opponent. Pre Vizsla had decided to rely on his jetpack, his gauntlets, his Semblance, and his natural skill in hand-to-hand combat to go up against Obi-Wan. His arsenal was much larger than Obi-Wan's, and he wasn't afraid to use it to his advantage.

    However, Obi-Wan saw the reason behind these multiple attacks. His time in war, however unfortunate, had made Obi-Wan aware of the art of strategy. He could see that Vizsla was very comfortable with using his jetpack and Semblance, as well as everything else his armor offered him.

    But it was clear that Pre Vizsla wasn't using the Darksaber as much. He only seemed to be using it to defend himself instead of attacking the Jedi.

    Obi-Wan remembered Djarin telling him that Gar Saxon was the last one he saw with the Darksaber. It seemed possible that Vizsla had gained the sword fairly recently, and he had not yet mastered the art of fighting with such a blade. Djarin also told him that he fought Vizsla with a special staff, which made their first fight all the more difficult.

    Obi-Wan didn't see any staff for Vizsla to use; it seemed his pride and ego made the warlord abandon it altogether just so he could wield the Darksaber. The Jedi knew he could use this to his advantage, and so he did.

    After Obi-Wan blocked a strike from the Darksaber, the Jedi used the Force to push Vizsla against the wall. The power behind this attack was enough to break Vizsla's jetpack, so he had no means of catching himself when he fell to the ground. Some of his Mandalorians tried to help him up, but the Mand'alor angrily shook them off as he charged again.

    Obi-Wan decided to put himself on the defensive once again, and search for an opening. Raven and Qrow were doing the same thing, but Obi-Wan found it easier with Pre Vizsla. Each strike with the Darksaber showed how much training Vizsla needed, especially after he almost lost his footing after he tried to decapitate the Jedi.

    Obi-Wan managed to catch Vizsla's hand when he stood back up, and the Mand'alor threw a fist at the Jedi. Obi-Wan moved out of the way in time and he was able to push Vizsla back. The Mandalorian jumped in the air as he tried to strike Obi-Wan again, but the Jedi was able to block each attack with his lightsaber. He was even able to use the Force on him once again when he saw an opening.

    As Vizsla gently collided into his fellow Mandalorians again, he sensed that the Jedi was toying with him. His frustrations and denial of being beaten again drew the Mand'alor into attacking Obi-Wan again. He jumped and spun in the air in an attempt to fight like he fought with his staff, but this proved to be a mistake.

    For Obi-Wan not only dodged these predictable strikes, but he also disarmed Vizsla after he kicked him.

    Vizsla was horrified that he had been disarmed. Being disarmed of his weapon was common in combat, and he had lost his spear and pistols before. But when he lost the Darksaber, Vizsla knew that this was unacceptable.

    Fortunately, he was able to counter the kick to his face with his own hand-to-hand combat. After he landed a good punch to Obi-Wan's stomach, something the Jedi couldn't use his Aura to protect, Vizsla grabbed his opponent and punched him twice. The second strike knocked Obi-Wan back, which forced him to remove his Aura from the lightsaber and use it to heal himself.

    Vizsla quickly grabbed the Darksaber again, but Obi-Wan had recovered from the attacks. He stood up again and placed his Aura back into his lightsaber, but he didn't see Vizsla turn on the Darksaber again.

    Instead, Vizsla ordered his men to finish off the Jedi.

    Three warriors closest to Vizsla quickly kneeled and fired rockets attached to their jetpacks. Obi-Wan dodged them and expected them to explode behind him, but he discovered that these were heat-seeking missiles.

    And they were coming straight for him.

    Rather than let the rockets hit him, Obi-Wan jumped to the nearest window he saw. After he used the Force to blast it open, the Jedi jumped out and the missiles hit the wall behind him.

    *BOOM*​

    Nobody could see past the flames, but they were certain that Obi-Wan had evaded the rockets they fired.

    "Should we go after him, sir?" one Mandalorian asked as he turned to his leader.

    "No," Vizsla replied. "There's no time." He was well aware of how much time and energy he had already spent at Haven. The smoke and explosions would eventually be heard by the rest of the city, and Vizsla knew he couldn't waste any more time here than he had already.

    If he was going to destroy Haven Academy, Vizsla needed to unleash his secret weapon.

    "Aurora!" the Mand'alor yelled to his Faunus ally. She had been using her knives and the powers of the Fall Maiden to kill multiple Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians who stood with the enemy ever since the battle broke out. Her victories and sadism were quite enjoyable for the mad Faunus, but they weren't enough to cloud her reality. So she was able to hear Vizsla and hear his next command.

    "It's time!" the Mand'alor said. "Call them in now!"

    The Faunus quickly cut the throat of a student who had tried to ambush her before she opened her Scroll. After she quickly pressed a few buttons, she put the device to one of her human ears and spoke.

    "We're ready for you," she said calmly. The Faunus then formed a twisted smile on her face. "Do your worst."

    About ten seconds had passed since Aurora made her call. In that time, Obi-Wan jumped back into Haven the same way he had left. Ozpin and Revan were continuing to fight the Mandalorians, and Qrow was still fighting his sister.

    However, a loud noise made everyone stop in their tracks.

    *THOOM*

    *THOOM*    ​

    The doors to the auditorium had opened again, but not like they normally did. Instead of simply opening, the doors flew off their hinges and flew across the room. Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians quickly moved out of the way of the doors, and they broke into pieces after they crashed into the ground.

    A small cloud of dust covered the spot where the doors flew off, but everyone could make out the shape of a large man in this cloud of dust. The man looked at the people before him, and then screamed a single name at the crowd.

    "OZPIN!"

    Everyone silently turned to the Headmaster of Beacon, who stared at the cloud of dust in shock. It was easy for him to match the voice to the identity of the man, which allowed him to see that only trouble would come from this new arrival.

    "Oh, no."

    The dust finally disappeared when Hazel Rainart stepped into the auditorium. Two crystals of Lightning Dust were infused into his left and right arms. The large man didn't feel any pain from this Dust, it had only made him stronger.

    His anger, on the other hand, was natural.

    "You'll pay for what you did!" Hazel promised as he curled his fists. "You'll pay for taking her away from me! You'll die over and over again!"

    With another yell, Hazel charged at Ozpin like the speed of lightning. The Headmaster was able to move out of the way in time, as was Revan. Obi-Wan and Qrow also looked at the new opponent and shared a mutual disappointment.

    "Aw, no!" Qrow groaned. "Not him again!" He was about to join Ozpin and help fight Hazel once again, but he had to protect himself from Raven almost ambushing him. His sword was locked with hers once again, and he was unable to help Ozpin.

    "I'll get him!" Obi-Wan promised as he ran towards the center of the room. "Ozpin, get down!"

    *CLASH*​

    Hazel's abnormally large arm had collided into Obi-Wan's lightsaber. His Aura didn't seem to do anything to the flesh, however. But Obi-Wan was able to hold his own as he attempted to use the Force to stop Hazel.

    "You don't want to hurt anyone," he said as he gently moved his hand. "You want to stand down immediately."

    Hazel growled as he grabbed Obi-Wan's hand. "I want... to stand down... after I kill Ozpin!" he said before he threw the Jedi away from him.

    *BAM*​

    Obi-Wan collided into Revan, who in turn crashed into multiple Huntsmen and Huntresses. Obi-Wan once again moved his Aura into his body and used it to heal his wounds, and then he helped Revan stand up. The Huntsmen and Huntresses had fallen unconscious from the collision.

    "I sense much hatred in him," Revan said as he stood up. "And such a strong will." He looked back to Obi-Wan. "Strong enough to resist a Mind Trick."

    "I used it once on him before," Obi-Wan confessed. "I was hoping I could do it again." He turned around fast to see Ozpin slowly backing away from Hazel while he prepared to fight back. Obi-Wan knew that his friend would need help, and that he would need it now. "No Mind Trick will stop Hazel now."

    "Agreed." Revan took his lightsabers in his hands once again and activated them. "If these fail, the Force will allow us to-Aaugh!"

    Revan dropped his swords and nearly fell to the ground as he grabbed his head. Obi-Wan repeated the motion, for he had grown incredibly weak for seemingly no reason at all.

    The reason, however, was that the two Jedi had sensed a disturbance in the Force. Like Raven, they sensed the presence of a new foe at Haven Academy. But this wasn't Raven, and it certainly wasn't Hazel. For unlike the two of them... the Force was with this new arrival.

    Some of the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians defending Haven also sensed the new intruder. But rather than sensing it though the Force, they could see a bright red light outside the auditorium. Screams soon found their way through the doorway, as people outside immediately fell under attack. The red light cut through weapons and bodies as it moved across the outside grounds, and showed no signs of stopping. The warriors who saw the light and heard the screams rushed outside to help, but they couldn't do anything to help.

    If they hadn't been caught by their throats and hoisted into the air, they were electrocuted and burnt to a crisp.

    Revan had fallen to his knees because of the disturbance, and it had troubled him greatly. "No," he whispered as he looked at the ground. "Not here. Not now."

    Obi-Wan had recovered from his ordeal, and he quickly moved to help Revan stand. "Revan, what is it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

    "..."

    The masked Jedi lifted his head off the ground, but he didn't look at Obi-Wan. Instead, he was staring towards the entrance of the room, in the direction of the CCT towers that many Huntsmen and Huntresses were trying to defend.

    The screams he heard and the flashes of red he saw were alarming to both Jedi, but they meant much more to Revan than Obi-Wan had previously thought.

    "...He's here."

    Hours ago​

    The final preparations were underway for Pre Vizsla's invasion. Many Mandalorians on Kalevala were inside the castle, waiting and watching for a red portal to open. Flora was preparing to leave for Vacuo with some of Vizsla's guard, given that the Botfly she placed on Djarin's armor had shown her where Cinder was.

    And Aurora was making one final report to Salem.

    The witch had found herself more annoyed than concerned that she had to wait and watch as this uncertain plan her daughter recklessly created began to take form. However, as she sat on her crystal throne and listened carefully, Salem found her confidence rising by the second.

    "So, Vizsla wishes to fight this battle after all," Salem concluded. "You have done well, Aurora."

    "    Thank you, Your Grace," the Faunus said on the other end of a Seer. "We expect to leave for Mistral within the hour."

    "Excellent. And you say you have finally found what remains of the Fall Maiden?"

    "    We have. Vizsla will send his best men to find and kill her." Aurora believed it would be wise to leave out the fact that she had sent Flora as well, given that they had not obtained the Relic just yet. Once they did, Aurora planned to explain everything.

    "Good," Salem continued. "And once you have the Relic in your possession, Spring will be yours for the taking.    "

    "Of course," Aurora said with a slight bow.

    "..."

    As the Faunus lifted her head once again, Salem couldn't help but notice a certain look on her disciple's face. There appeared to be a trace of uncertainty on it, as well as slight concern. The Queen of the Grimm initially believed that this was due to Flora's rash planning, but it seemed that Aurora had everything taken under control.

    There was something else about this plan that Aurora seemed uncertain of.

    "Aurora," Salem began. "Do you have something you wish to tell me?"

    Aurora looked back at the crystal ball before she spoke. "    Our preparations are nearly complete," the Faunus said. "But there seems to be one small problem."

    "..."

    Salem had to admit that she was expecting many flaws with Flora's plan of an attack so soon. When she saw that her expectations had been met, Salem knew that she had no choice but to let Aurora present this problem to her. And hopefully, a solution could be found swiftly.

    "Yes?" Salem asked calmly.

    "    Do you recall how all of this started with the hopes of defeating the Jedi you call 'Revan?'" Aurora asked. "The one who's been killing the Saxons in Vale?"

    "I do," Salem confirmed.

    "    Flora and I believe that Djarin found him. And recruited him to his cause."

    "...Are you certain?"

    Aurora nodded slowly. "    Flora said she heard his name as clear as day."

    "..."

    As her black fingernails scratched the armrest of her throne, Salem immediately found herself to be frustrated with this. Aurora was correct that all of this started when Salem tried to work with Pre Vizsla and find a way to kill Revan. Now that he was apparently joining the defense of Haven, Salem knew this plan was a much greater risk than it was earlier. A partial Maiden and the Spring Maiden were powerful tools, but Salem was sure that Raven didn't teach her Maiden to be like Aurora.

    Salem needed someone just as powerful as Revan, perhaps even more powerful, to ensure tonight's victory.

    "I see," Salem finally replied. "I will be sending Hazel to assist you. He and another agent of mine will meet you at Haven."

    "    Your Grace, is it possible for you yourself to join us?" Aurora asked. "With you on our side, the battle could be won before it even begins."

    "I cannot. Mankind is not yet ready for my appearance. Not while they all see the Mandalorians as a common enemy." Salem lifted herself off her throne and made one last command. "Maintain your course and conduct the attack. I will send my agents to Haven soon."

    "    As you wish, ma'am."

    Salem quickly broke off contact with Aurora and left the room. She was all alone in her castle, so she walked its halls in silence and made her way towards a specific room.

    It was this silence that allowed her to think of a proper plan to deal with Revan. She knew that Aurora wasn't powerful enough to deal with a Force-wielder, given her experience with Nihilus. Salem knew that Nihilus could hardly be controlled or contained within her castle, the man was practically a loose cannon.

    However, there was someone else that Salem could control. And she was on her way to meet him now.

    Salem descended down a flight of stairs in her castle, which led directly to the basement. When she reached the bottom, there appeared to be nothing at all. The room appeared to be dull and empty, and it seemed that it served no purpose at all.

    But Salem knew that this wasn't true.

    There was something else down in the basement. At first, there was a red transparent wall that Salem stopped in front of. Not only was the wall made of her own Magic, but it also served as one part of a prison Salem had created many years ago.

    With a wave of the witch's hand, the wall opened and began to transform into something new. The physical Magic rose above the ground and created cube-like shapes on the ceiling as well as the walls.

    In the center of these shapes were people. They were all wounded, mutated, and some of them seemed to lack any sign of humanity whatsoever; but they were still people.

    The one thing they all had in common was the amount of hate and rage they held towards Salem.

    The part of the castle that Salem was walking through was something of her own creation. She called it the Fermata Cage, a place where she imprisoned all of her Sith Lords. At first, the prison was meant for the Sith who had become too powerful and too unstable for Salem to control on her own. Now it served as a place that all Sith shared after the Battle of Coruscant. The battle had left them broken and changed, but their connection to the Force was just as strong as ever.

    It was this connection that allowed them to live for so long, isolated and alone.

    Each time Salem entered this place and looked at the Sith she was preserving, she felt pride and satisfaction in creating both the Sith and the Fermata Cage. Nobody in the world had seen power such as this, and it was all hers to command.

    Salem usually came to see her Sith for one of two reasons. The first was that there was still one Sith Lord who was loyal to her and served as her confidant. Salem would pay him a visit whenever she faced an obstacle in her goals.

    The second reason was that Salem had found an opportunity to unleash a Sith into the world and let chaos reign. They would die sooner or later, but the damage would be done quickly and efficiently.

    Salem had come to the Fermata Cage for the second reason, and she was now staring at the Sith she planned to release.

    "There you are," Salem said to a man who was facing his back towards her. The man was sitting on the ground and hiding his face, but Salem could see his bald, pale head. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

    "Kill me or release me, 'Your Grace,'" the Sith ordered in a raspy and almost mechanical voice "Do not waste my time with talk."

    Salem easily sensed the anger and hate within this Sith. He had been down here for so long, and death almost seemed like a blessing. However, Salem had other plans for her prisoner.

    "There is     much we must talk about, I'm afraid," she said. "After all, we must come into agreement about your return to my service."

    The Sith laughed in the same raspy voice, which had the ability to send shivers down the spines of the strongest Huntsmen and Huntresses. "I may be your prisoner, but my power does not come from groveling at your feet," he said. "If that was what you wished to see, you'll have to try harder than that."

    Salem hummed as she considered the idea. She could make the prison more painful if she wished to, she could unleash more Magic that would have the strength to kill the man. But she had taught the Sith to resist pain such as this, and to use it to fuel their hatred.

    Salem couldn't have this Sith's hatred focused on her.

    "There is something I want to see, you're right," Salem confessed. "I simply believed you were the right person to make my dream a reality."

    The man couldn't help but slightly lift his head when he heard this. The promise of freedom was tempting, just as tempting as the power of the Dark Side. However, this Sith had seen and felt what happened to Sith that Salem had released. Being set free only to be sent to die later on wasn't something he would like to do.

    "So, you wish for me to go out in the world once again," the Sith said. "To destroy whoever or whatever stands in your way." The Sith found the situation to be slightly humorous. "I almost thought you had forgotten my role in the Great War. Or is there another reason why you sent fools and weaklings out before me?"

    Salem hummed again before she spoke. "We both know their instability would only get them killed. You, on the other hand, were not like them. No, you may be the first Sith who wants the same thing as I do."

    "Your life and your powers?" the Sith asked causally. He knew nothing would please him more than finally killing Salem and taking control over her Magic and the Grimm, but he also knew this was impossible.

    Salem was well aware of the man's grudge against her, but she knew how to make him see reason.

    "No," she said casually. "I am not so arrogant to forget that you and everyone in here hates me. But I know you too well." Salem moved against the side of the cube to get a better look at the Sith. "If there's one person you hate on Remnant more than me... we both know it's Revan."

    "..."

    The silence and the gray eyes looking at her told Salem that she now had the Sith's full attention. Rather than wait to hear any questions or doubts about this claim, Salem got straight to the point.

    "He still lives," Salem promised the Sith. "He is out there now, free and working with Ozpin. Hate me all you want, but we know I am not as deserving of death and suffering as your former Master." Salem hummed once again. "It's easy to forget that he is your brother."

    The Sith finally stood up and took great offense to this claim. "We share blood," he said. "We are     not brothers."

    Salem smiled at the Sith. "Then I will have no doubt what you will do once I release you."

    "..."

    Salem placed her hand on one side of the cube as she continued to talk. "I believe it would be good to know that Revan will no longer be a thorn in my side. And I also believe you are the perfect candidate to do so."

    "Release me," the Sith said as he slammed his palms against his cage. "Release me and I will kill him within the hour!"

    Salem doubted that such a thing would be possible, but she was confident that the Sith could kill Revan. "He is working with Ozpin and Obi-Wan Kenobi at Haven Academy. Kill them if you must, but I want Revan destroyed tonight."

    "It will be done!" The Sith hit his hands against the cube again. "All you have to do is release me!"

    "Excellent."

    Salem closed her eyes and concentrated on the Magic wall she was touching. It soon disappeared, and the Sith was free for the first time in years. When she opened her eyes, Salem found herself looking at a pale man with a bald head. He was wearing a red tunic with a red cape, and he was still staring at Salem with bright yellow eyes.

    The reason his voice sounded so abnormal was due to a piece of metal he was wearing over his mouth.

    "I have allies at Haven Academy," Salem said. "Do what you please with Revan and the Jedi, but I want my servants alive and unharmed."

    "Very well," the Sith said as he basked in the feeling of being outside the Fermata Cage. "Am I free?"

    Salem smiled once again. "You will be, Malak. Once you kill the one who holds both of us back."

    Present day​

    "RRRRAAAAAHHHH!"

    Obi-Wan lost focus on Revan when he heard a familiar yell. When he turned to the direction of the yell, Obi-Wan saw Hazel continuing to fight Ozpin. The Headmaster of Beacon Academy was doing his best to hold his own, but Hazel's brute strength and durable Aura had rendered all of Ozpin's attacks practically useless. Ozpin tried to use a series of fast strikes to break Hazel's defense, but the large man only got angrier.

    Obi-Wan knew he had to act now, and he hoped that Revan would be able to help him. However, he saw nothing next to him when he turned to the spot where Revan had once been resting. Rather than question where he had gone, Obi-Wan returned his Aura to his lightsaber and lunged at Salem's newest servant.

    Hazel felt a sharp cut at his torso and found Obi-Wan in a defensive stance at his side. Although he found himself on a war at two fronts, Hazel threw his fists and balls of lightning at both men in an attempt to kill them.

    Ozpin and Obi-Wan fought and defended themselves as best as they could, but the only success they had was evading Hazel's fists and lightning.

    Ozpin knew he and Obi-Wan couldn't keep this up forever, so he tried a new approach.

    "Hazel, stop!" the Headmaster furiously demanded. "These are the same people who wish to kill people like your sister! What could you possibly achieve by working with them?!"

    "I'm here because of you!" Hazel replied as he pushed against Ozpin's cane. "You brought Gretchen here of all places! Where you knew an attack like this would happen! You've been hiding behind children like her for years!" Hazel grabbed Ozpin by the neck and squeezed. "A monster like you must be stopped!"

    Obi-Wan broke Hazel's grip on Ozpin by using the Force. A simple push was enough to break the grip, and Ozpin used another push to create some distance between himself and Hazel.

    "He's too far gone," Ozpin noted as he looked at Hazel. "Whatever Salem's done to him has only made him worse."

    "Agreed," said Obi-Wan. "He's been manipulated past the point of seeing reason."

    Before Ozpin could reply, Hazel yelled as he walked over to the two Headmasters. "I can see everything now!" he claimed. "I see how you've been lying to people like Gretchen, how you've made the world revolve around you and you alone!" Hazel pointed at Ozpin when he made this claim. "Salem helped me see what you've done, and I'll be damned before that happens to Gretchen too!"

    "..."

    Hazel pointed to Obi-Wan next. "You... I have no quarrel with," he said. "Show us where the Vault is and your life will be spared."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan almost forgot that while Mistral was Vizsla's endgame, obtaining the Relic of Knowledge was Salem's ultimate goal tonight. Thankfully, Obi-Wan could see that its location was still unknown to her and her enforcers. And now Obi-Wan intended to keep it that way.

    "You will never know," Obi-Wan promised as he raised his lightsaber again.

    Hazel could see that he would simply have to beat the information out of Obi-Wan and Ozpin. He gladly accepted these circumstances as he reached into his pockets and took out two more Dust crystals. They were Fire Dust this time, and Hazel jabbed them into his arms before he let out a mighty roar.

    "Oh, dear," Obi-Wan said as he looked at the Dust. "That's unnatural."

    "It's his Semblance," Ozpin explained. "He can block out pain. That's how he's able to handle injecting so much Dust into his body, just like Gretchen can."

    Obi-Wan understood this and tried to think of a solid strategy. "We may not need him to feel pain." His eyes turned to Hazel's arms and legs. Ozpin sensed his friend had a plan, and the Headmaster soon shared it. "If we aim for his arms his legs, perhaps his elbows and knees..."

    "He won't be able to stand. Let alone fight." Ozpin spun his cane as he prepared to follow Obi-Wan's lead. This was a sound plan, though he wished he could have been able to help Hazel see reason. He understood the fear of losing someone close to him, but Hazel was too far gone to see that he had become the very thing Gretchen wanted to stand against.

    As Revan realized with the Mandalorians, Ozpin understood that Hazel and his allies had to be stopped by any means necessary.

    *ZAP*

    *ZAP*    ​

    The plan was simple, but it had been prevented when both Ozpin and Obi-Wan were struck by lightning.

    The electricity came without warning and it came too fast for either of the Headmasters to do anything to protect themselves. Obi-Wan dropped his lightsaber and Ozpin dropped his cane as they fell to the ground and screamed in agony. Both men tried to fight back, to use the Force to move the lightning away, but their efforts were in vain.

    When the lightning finally disappeared, Hazel stood over both men in triumph. He was content with what had happened to his opponents, but he was not the cause of the surprise attack. The source was Aurora, who joined Hazel and looked down at both men with burning eyes and a cold smile on her face.

    "Nice plan," she sarcastically said. She was referring to their planned attack with Hazel, which couldn't happen now. "Did you expect it to work on a Maiden too?"

    "..."

    They were still recovering from the electric blast, but neither Ozpin or Obi-Wan were willing to dignify the question with a response. Aurora didn't care about this, but she did care about one thing.

    "Now... where did you say the Vault was?"

    "..."

    Both Aurora and Hazel weren't planning on taking silence or "No" for an answer in this case. Hazel turned to Ozpin and clasped both of his hands together. He raised them above his head and prepared to send them downwards, which he believed would result in cooperation.

    "No," Aurora said as she slapped Hazel's chest. "Not him."

    "..."

    The Faunus planned on killing Ozpin, but there was one other person who could tell them where the Vault was. And unlike Ozpin, he wouldn't be coming back from the dead.

    "Him," Aurora said as she pointed to Obi-Wan. Hazel understood his partner's logic and silently picked the Jedi off the ground. Obi-Wan moved too late to retrieve his lightsaber, and now he found himself in Hazel's iron grip. "Where is it?"

    "..."

    Aurora and Hazel glanced at each other when they heard silence once again. After she gave a simple nod, Hazel squeezed his hand around Obi-Wan and began to crush him. The pain was unbearable, especially without an Aura. Obi-Wan felt bones begin to crack and he could even feel them start to break.

    Obi-Wan wanted to scream in agony, but all that came out was a soft whimper. He tried using the Force again, but Hazel's grip felt like he was caught in the Force itself. There were times when he was almost crushed by the Force, but Qui-Gon and Anakin had a habit of saving him when he needed it the most.

    Sadly, nobody could save Obi-Wan this time.

    "The Vault," Aurora ordered through grit teeth. "Now."

    "..."

    In a moment of weakness and desperation, Obi-Wan couldn't help but glance his eyes in a certain direction.

    Aurora easily noticed this and turned around fast. The spot that Obi-Wan quickly glanced at was the pedestal he was standing on when everyone first arrived. In the front was a statue of a woman seemingly holding the weight of the pedestal above her. Aurora didn't hear or see anything behind her that would have caught Obi-Wan's attention, so she knew that the statue held the answer she sought.

    "There," she said as she pointed to the statue. Hazel understood and applied his pressure even tighter. He even stepped hard on Ozpin's chest, but Aurora stopped the large man from doing anything else. "Keep them alive. It could be a trick."

    "..."

    Hazel threw Obi-Wan aside and kicked Ozpin across the floor in obedience. They were alive, and they were too hurt to do anything to stop Salem's servants. Obi-Wan was able to use the Force to retrieve his lightsaber and reclaim his Aura, but all he could do was watch as Hazel broke the statue and throw it at a group of Huntsmen.

    Aurora and Hazel didn't see anything unusual behind the statue, but they noticed a large hole in the ground where it once stood. Aurora created a small ball of fire and threw it downwards to see how far it would go.

    And it went far.

    "That's it," Hazel said as he watched the ball fall down further and further. "The Vault is there."

    Aurora nodded and looked around for Raven. "Get the girl," she told the large man. "I'll find Raven." Hazel moved across the battlefield in search of the girl while Aurora scanned the area for Raven.

    The bandit didn't prove herself to be hard to find, given that she was jumping across the area with Qrow directly in front of her.

    The siblings had been at their battle ever since the invasion started, and they showed no signs of stopping. They were evenly matched, and one sibling would always get the upper hand before it was snatched away at the last second. They were both sweaty and breathing heavily, but neither of them were going to give up any time soon.

    This would have been the case for Qrow, if he hadn't been electrocuted and blasted away by Aurora.

    After she watched her brother slide across the floor and scream in pain, Raven turned around to see Aurora with burning eyes and a hand covered in electricity. The intent to kill was written all over the Faunus' face, but Raven stopped her.

    "He's mine," she insisted as she prepared to strike again.

    "Not right now he isn't," Aurora insisted. "We found the path to the Vault. Have your Maiden open it and you'll be free to kill your brother."

    "..."

    Raven looked back towards Qrow, who had started to get off the floor. He had heard what Aurora had said, and it caused him to look towards his sister. He didn't speak, and he didn't do anything to try and stop her. All Qrow did was look at his sister in disgust and disappointment.

    Raven closed her eyes and shook her head to return the disgust and disappointment to Qrow. She silently followed Aurora to the path to the Vault, where she found Hazel waiting with the girl she brought from her camp.

    "The statue was an elevator," Hazel said calmly. "I can't fix it now."

    Aurora looked down the hole again and believed that Hazel was right. "Looks like we'll make one," she said as her eyes began to burn. She spun both of her hands around to make a disc of air, one that soon grew in size and shape. As it moved towards the hole in the ground, Aurora groaned as she felt the strain of being a partial Maiden take hold on her.

    "Flora still hasn't killed her?" Aurora wondered as she tried to use the full powers of the Fall Maiden. "Damn it, Flora. If you fail or make things even worse for us, you'll be locked in that castle forever." The Faunus managed to create the disc of air, which took longer than she had hoped. Raven and the young girl by her side glanced at each other in uncertainty at the limit of Aurora's powers.

    Once Aurora was done, all three women stepped on to the new platform and looked down. The platform began to descend like an elevator, which pleased the Faunus greatly.

    "Keep the Headmasters alive for now," Aurora ordered Hazel. "Salem warned us that there could be more than meets the eye with the Vaults." Hazel nodded and reached for more Dust in his pockets before he turned around to face the Headmasters.

    Hope was fleeting the moment the three women moved down the hole in the ground. Obi-Wan expressed his sorrow over his failure, but Ozpin blamed Hazel's apathy towards them and tried to stop them all. Obi-Wan joined him and tried to run towards the new elevator, but they were stopped by the Mand'alor and his subjects. The Force was on their side, but Vizsla's Semblance prevented the Jedi from pushing or grabbing him. They knew they had little choice but to fight the madman in order to get to the Vault, but they were outnumbered and had already lost most of their energy and Aura.

    In short, the only thing that could save the Relic of Knowledge, and maybe even Haven Academy itself, was a miracle.

    Ozpin had been in situations like this before, where a divine act could save the day. In those times, he was forced to make the miracle himself. He would have to summon all of his willpower and energy to bring about a wondrous outcome. After all, even a miracle needed a hand.

    But other times, miracles indeed came to save Ozpin. And while the Headmaster of Beacon didn't know it, there was one miracle that was in the making for him and the people of Mistral.

    "Are we all here?"

    "Looks like it."

    "And we're all ready too."

    "Yep. Today's the day."

    "I'll go find her."

    A woman that was shining from head to toe in a bright orange light began to walk across an invisible floor beneath her feet. The surrounding white area made it appear that each step she took led to nowhere, but the woman knew that this wasn't true. She knew that with each step she took, she was growing closer and closer to finding someone very special.

    Someone that was finally ready to do what she was meant to do.

    *WHOOSH*

    *SPLASH*

    *THOOM*    ​

    The woman stopped walking when she came across a multitude of miracles. Just in front of her, floating above the ground, was a young girl who marveled at her latest creations. Her eyes were burning incredibly bright, and she watched the void become filled with fire, water, and electricity. Ever since she discovered she could do all of this, the girl refused to stop. She welcomed the feeling of her powers and created more elemental feats within the blink of an eye.

    The woman who found the child was incredibly proud of what she was witnessing. So much so that she was saddened by the fact that she had to make the child stop.

    "Cinder."

    *WHOOSH*

    *THOOM*    ​

    The woman had to speak a little louder. "Cinder!"

    The fire, water, and lightning all disappeared as Cinder looked down to see Fall standing below her. With a smile, Cinder lowered herself to the ground and felt the fire around her eyes disappear.

    "Hi, Fall," she said as she moved a strand of hair out of her face. "Sorry if I didn't hear you, I was just..." Cinder looked back at the smoldering remains of her fire. "I was getting back in touch with my roots."

    Fall chuckled at the idea. "I saw," she said. "You almost made it look easy."

    Cinder couldn't help but laugh. "I might've gotten a little carried away." Cinder sighed as she looked at her hands. "All of this, getting my powers back, it just feels... amazing."

    "I'm sure it does."

    "..."

    Fall saw an opportunity to bring up why she had come to find Cinder in the first place. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that," she said as she began to walk back the way she came. "Come this way."

    Cinder complied with the request and found herself right behind her mentor. "Where are we going?" she asked. "Are you going to teach me something?"

    "Well... no." Fall looked over her shoulder. "There's not really anything left we can teach you, Cinder." Fall couldn't help but reflect on how much Cinder had learned and grown ever since she had come to the void. "It's time for you to move on."

    "Move on?" Cinder stopped walking. "What do you mean by-?" She suddenly gasped as she realized one possibility. "Wait... you mean... I'm finally-?"

    "Yes." Fall turned around fully this time. "You're finally ready, Cinder. Ready to return home."

    "Home..."

    A million thoughts and feelings raced through Cinder's mind as she heard that word. She had lost track of how long she had been in the void, how long she had been working to rebuild herself from the ground up. But now, as just about every adult in her life always said, patience had finally paid off.

    Fall had done everything to earn Cinder's respect and trust, so the young girl trusted Fall when she said that she was ready to go home. Not just that, but Cinder could feel that she was ready to go. Ever since she rediscovered her spark, her ability to fully tap into the Maiden power she still had, Cinder felt like she could do anything. She felt strong, brave, and ready to do something good with all she had done.

    But more than anything, Cinder was ready to see her father again.

    "There's just one thing we have to do first."

    Cinder snapped out of her daydreams and looked back to Fall. Unfortunately, she wasn't smiling. She appeared to be very serious, that she needed to do something very hard.

    Fortunately for Cinder, Fall was more than willing to explain.

    "I've gathered all the other Maidens, Cinder," she explained. "We're going to work together, to guide you into finding the power that Aurora took from you. Only then, can you return home."

    "..."

    Cinder easily understood this necessity, but she didn't understand why Fall looked sad about this. Not just sad, but also... disturbed.

    "This isn't going to be easy, is it?" Cinder asked.

    "No, it's not," Fall sadly admitted. "And I'm afraid that you're not the only one who's grown with your powers."

    Cinder softly gasped at the idea. "Why do you say that?"

    "I don't know." Fall looked down at her own hands. "It's... just a feeling."

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't help but wonder if the part of the Maiden powers Aurora stole was still connected to Fall. If she could feel Aurora grow stronger with them.

    And Brothers forbid... hurt people with them.

    "We can stop her," Fall promised. "We can all help you, Cinder. But we can't do anything if you won't let us. So... are you ready?"

    "..."

    Cinder looked back at her own hands as the memories of her powers came back to her. The last time she talked about them with Fall was when she doubted herself, when she was afraid that she would burn away with them. Cinder remembered those fears as if they were yesterday, and how they almost ate her up like a Grimm would eat anything in its path.

    But now, all Cinder could feel was an extraordinary amount of courage and a desire to do the right thing. And there was only one way she could do that.

    "Yes!"
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 53: Memory
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 53: Memory​

    As she walked across the invisible floor at her feet, Cinder could hardly contain her excitement. After spending what felt like an eternity in the void, rebuilding herself from the ground up, the young Maiden had finally regained enough strength to make her way back home.

    In her mind, this wasn't going to be a simple attempt. This wasn't going to be another lesson or an experiment to see how much power she had or how she could grow. Cinder felt unstoppable today, perhaps for the first time since she found herself in the void. In her mind, there was nothing that she couldn't do. This wasn't smugness or arrogance on Cinder's part, she simply felt stronger and better than the day she was defeated.

    And when she would return to Remnant, Cinder believed that she would be just as strong as she was now.

    Cinder didn't know all the details on how she was going to leave the void, but her plans included a bigger picture. Once she returned home, Cinder planned to turn Remnant upside down until she found her family and friends. She would find all of the people Lila Birch helped her see and she would do everything in her power to help them just as they helped her.

    And most of all, Cinder was going to redeem herself in the eyes of her father. She may have forgiven herself for her past mistakes, but Cinder was uncertain of how Djarin's opinion of her had changed since she had been gone. But whatever had changed, Cinder promised that she was going to set things right.

    She was going to make Djarin proud.

    "Well... here we are."

    Cinder returned to reality when she heard Fall calmly speaking to her. Cinder instinctively looked at her mentor, but changed her mind when she saw Fall's hand gesturing towards the void. Cinder turned to see what Fall was looking at, and the sight immediately took her by surprise.

    Standing before the young girl was a large group of multiple women, and each of them were smiling and clapping as they stared at their newest arrival. Cinder knew that they were all previous Fall Maidens, but the sight of this many people in front of her was a surprise. She was usually in the company of at most two older Maidens whenever she was learning or exercising, and Fall was usually among them. So it was a great surprise to see this many people in front of her.

    And it was a pleasure to see that some of the Maidens closest to her were acquaintances that she had made.

    "Hey, kiddo," said Lila Birch. She immediately wrapped her arms around Cinder with a smile as she greeted her friend. "Good to see you again."

    "We're so proud of you," said Mary. She was the Faunus Maiden that Cinder met before Lila, the one who first tapped into the powers of the Fully-Realized Maiden.

    Cinder hugged the kind woman back, but she couldn't keep her eyes of the smiling Maidens in front of her. "Wh-What is this?" she curiously asked. Lila let Cinder go, but she allowed some of the other Maidens to explain themselves.

    "Well, after today, we probably won't be seeing you for a while," said Mary. "We all wanted to say goodbye, and thank you for being the Fall Maiden." Mary walked closer to Cinder and dried her eyes. "You've been so brave ever since you came here, and we know you'll be just as brave when you leave."

    "That's true," said Karma. "But our main purpose here to do what we were always meant to do; help the people who need it most."

    Fall put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "We've all been talking about how we can help you reconnect with your powers," she said. "Karma said she could feel the part that was missing through meditation, and we all sensed it too. But there's only one person who can fully connect to it."

    Cinder knew it didn't take a genius to know who Fall was referring to. "Me," she said. "Because I'm alive."

    "That's right," said Lila. "Now I know we've never done something like this before, but how bad could it be?"

    "You've come so far already," said Mary. "And we're ready to help you go even further. You're worth going the extra mile, Cinder."

    "None of this will be easy," said Karma. "It took all of my focus and willpower to sense a fragment of your powers. Reuniting with it will be much harder."

    "If we all work together, and focus on the same thing, we should all be able to help you leave the void," said Fall.

    Cinder was starting to understand the plan. She was well aware of the fact that each and every Fall Maiden was a part of her, and they all shared a special bond with her. By sharing a session of meditation, by focusing on the same thing, it could be said that Cinder's mind and the minds of all the Maidens would become one.

    They would find the remaining powers of the Fall Maiden, wherever they were.

    Cinder was familiar with the practice of meditation, given her experiences with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Karma. However, this was mostly done to let go of negativity and discover how much energy resided within her. She was able to discover the spark within herself that served as her only connection to the physical world, but it was only a part of herself.

    To concentrate on a much larger part of herself would undoubtedly be a challenge. Fortunately, Cinder felt the same way she felt when Fall found her moments ago.

    Unstoppable.

    "I'll find it," she promised everyone. "I'll find it, and I'll make it whole again."

    Fall gently squeezed Cinder's shoulder in approval. "We know you will," she said.

    After Cinder looked back at Fall with a smile, the young girl looked back to the crowd of previous Maidens. While she was willing to reconnect with her powers and go home, Cinder wasn't quite ready to leave just yet.

    Not without saying goodbye.

    "I know you said you wanted to help me and thank me... but I think I'm the one who should be thanking you," she said as she stepped forward. "All of you."

    "..."

    Each Maiden smiled and gave Cinder their full attention as she paced around the area and continued to talk. There was a lot she wanted to say to each Maiden, to signify their individual contributions as a Fall Maiden. But since she didn't get the chance to meet all of the Maidens, and since her gut was telling her that time was of the essence, Cinder settled for speaking about the Fall Maidens collectively.

    "Because of all of you, the power of the Maidens was able to continue growing and changing the world," Cinder continued. "I know being the Fall Maiden was never easy, but you all did it anyway. You let this power help you see who you are, like it showed me who I am. Or rather... who I wanted to be."

    "..."

    Cinder cleared her throat before she finished strong. "So thank you. Thank you for rising up to the challenge, for letting the world have its Fall Maiden." Cinder smiled as she remembered why they were all here in the first place. "And thank you for being here with me."

    "..."

    Cinder received more silence from her peers, but the smiles they all wore and the looks in their eyes showed the young girl how much all of that meant to each and every one of them. Some of the women even had tears in her eyes.

    Fall took the chance to speak for everyone with her right now. "Thank you, Cinder," she said as she hugged the current Fall Maiden. "That was lovely."

    Cinder hugged Fall back with a smile of her own. "It was nothing," she insisted. "Just the truth."

    Fall gently squeezed Cinder for a moment. "Well... take it from someone who's only remembered in a fairy tale; what you said meant the world to us all."

    "..."

    Cinder let go of Fall and looked back at the Maidens again. She hadn't thought about it until now, but there were so many of them before her. Some were young, and some were old. Some were tall, and some were small. They were all different people, they were all individuals with something special to offer as the Fall Maiden. But they were also past Maidens, people who had passed down the power for centuries and centuries before that.

    Cinder felt horrible for realizing it now, but there was a chance that not all of these Maidens were remembered back on Remnant. Their work and their deeds could have disappeared into legends and fairy tales.

    They deserved better.

    "The world may have forgotten everything you did," Cinder said calmly. "But I won't forget. And I'll make sure nobody after me forgets either."

    "..."

    Fall took these words to heart, since she knew Cinder was someone who kept her promises. And just by taking another look at all the other Maidens who had become nameless as history passed, they also took these words to heart. And it was clear that there was something else they took to heart.

    If there was anyone on Remnant who was worthy of the powers they were going to reclaim... it was Cinder.

    "...Thank you, Cinder," Fall said one more time. "Thank you."

    *TAP*

    *TAP*

    *TAP*    ​

    The sound of a walking stick dimly hitting the ground behind her caused Cinder to turn around and see Karma standing closer to the center of the circle the Maidens had made. "Time we get started," she said in her natural authoritative voice. "Come on, no dilly dallying!"

    All of a sudden, each of the Maidens moved closer towards the center of the circle. Mary and Lila also moved closer, and Fall was preparing to join them. But first, she gestured for Cinder to move into the very center itself. Once she did, each Maiden stopped moving and watched as Cinder awaited further instruction from Karma.

    Before more instruction was given, however, Fall said one more thing.

    "Goodbye, Cinder. I won't forget you either."

    With a smile and a nod, Cinder stepped forward and joined Karma at the center of the circle. Fall then felt a hand on her shoulder, which gave her some comfort in the moment.

    "Like we said, Cinder, we'll be meditating once again," said Karma. "I hope you're ready."

    "When you are," Cinder said firmly.

    Karma nodded in approval and took charge of the final meditation sequence. "Sit down, relax," she calmly ordered. Cinder obeyed and sat in a meditative position. But rather than join her, Karma moved towards Cinder's left side and stood right where she was. "Close your eyes, Cinder."

    Cinder obeyed and began to clear her mind of any distractions. She prepared to focus on herself and the remaining power she had, which she confidently believed was the first step to leaving the void.

    However, it was hard to clear away distractions when she felt multiple hands on her back and shoulders.

    "Huh?" Cinder asked as she opened her eyes. When she did, the young Maiden saw that the Maidens closest to her all had their hands on her. "Um, what are you-?"

    "This is a group meditation, Cinder," Karma quickly replied. "We will all meditate as one to reconnect with your power."

    "..."

    When Cinder noticed that the other Maidens also had hands on their shoulders, she began to understand that they were all linking themselves to each other. Headmaster Kenobi once told her about how the Jedi would sometimes meditate as a group to connect their minds on a single thing. They usually did this to sense the origin of disturbances in the Force or locate lost Jedi, and Cinder became confident that this idea would work.

    "We can help you discover the power's location," Karma continued. "But the path to recover them is one you must walk alone. Until then, we will meditate as one."

    "..."

    Cinder didn't need any further instruction at this point. Her intuition told her to activate the powers of the Fall Maiden, to focus on everything she had left. Once she did, the young girl felt the same spark within herself as her eyes began to burn. She didn't see it, but the eyes of the rest of the Maidens also began to burn.

    Fall, Mary, Lila, Karma, and the other Fall Maidens were pleased to have the first step over and done with. Now, they had to connect with Cinder just as they had just connected to each other. Because they were using the same power, their minds soon became connected as well.

    Now they needed to connect with Cinder.

    However, Cinder began to feel lost. She could feel the spark within herself and the fire across her eyes, both of which always happened when she connected to the power of the Fall Maiden. But nothing was changing for her. Cinder didn't feel like she had regained her powers.

    And she was still stuck in the void.

    Cinder concentrated harder and harder on her remaining power in the hopes that it would give her a clue about the remaining power, but nothing was happening. She began to feel frustrated, that she was doing something wrong.

    Fortunately, Cinder had the right people to help her.

    "Body, mind, and soul, Cinder," said Fall. "Remember the connections you made. Use them."

    "..."

    Rather than break her concentration, Cinder began to calm down and focus on Fall's words. The whole reason that she was in the void in the first place was to get in touch with the body, mind, and soul; all of which were touched by the power of the Fall Maiden.

    Cinder had almost forgotten about these connections, but she wasn't going to forget them now. With a deep breath, Cinder remembered all of her hard work to reconnect with her body, mind, and soul.

    She remembered everything she had seen in her subconscious mind with Lila's help.

    She concentrated on the energy from the chakras Karma helped her unlocked.

    And more importantly, Cinder remembered the small spark that created the fire within herself that Fall had reminded her.

    With all of these new connections, Cinder felt herself grow stronger. She couldn't see it, but her body was growing a bright orange as she opened herself to her powers and each of the Maidens that she was connected to. Her mind became one with all of theirs, and she could sense that they all shared the same thought.

    They were all reaching out and searching for the remainder of the Maiden powers.

    Cinder felt herself sharing this exact process, as well as asking herself this same question. However, when she opened her mind, Cinder found out that she was asking herself the wrong question. She had the experience and the memories to not only answer the question, but also find out what else needed to be asked.

    The powers that had left Cinder weren't lost, they weren't wandering around aimlessly. They had been stolen and claimed by someone else. Someone who planned to use them in ways that stood against everything a Maiden believed in.

    Someone that Cinder both knew and hated all too well.

    "Aurora," Cinder said to herself and the other Maidens. "Aurora has the power. She's the key."

    Cinder knew that she needed to be asking herself a different question; where was Aurora now?

    Cinder and each of the Maidens knew that they had to reach out to Aurora. As Cinder recalled a few moments ago, Headmaster Kenobi said that it was possible to find people through a group meditation. Cinder wasn't a Jedi, let alone a Force-sensitive, but she had faith that her Maiden powers would be able to sense their lost fragment when she and everyone else reached out to Aurora.

    Her mind became filled with images of the evil woman. Her sadism and hunger for power were always evident, but Cinder told herself that all that mattered was her hold on the powers. Cinder thought back to the night that she last met Aurora, after she had stolen her powers. She imagined Aurora craving more, but she also imagined Aurora controlling the fire Cinder once knew as her own.

    It was this fire that caused a new spark to ignite. The powers that Cinder and her fellow Maidens possessed soon understand where the fragment it had lost now was. It was odd, but Cinder sensed that the power within her seemed to have a mind of its own. She never noticed it before this group meditation, but she could sense the power calling out to its lost brethren. It was calling out directly to Aurora.

    Cinder was expecting to see Aurora in the present, to see her using the power for her own selfish desires. But nothing prepared her for what actually happened.

    A cold chill on her back was enough to make Cinder open her eyes and become aware of her surroundings. But rather than the calm and white void she had grown used to, all Cinder could see was darkness and a thick fog around her. She couldn't help but jump up with a gasp as she grew unfamiliar with this place, a place that did nothing but terrify her and raise questions.

    But what scared her even more was that all of the past Maidens seemed to be vanishing right in front of her.

    "What?" Cinder asked as her fears grew. "No! No, don't go!" Cinder rushed towards one Maiden, but she disappeared without a trace. The young girl looked back at the rest of the group, who either waved at her or shared a saddened look at her before vanishing. "Come back! Please come back!"

    "We can't."

    Cinder turned to see Fall, Mary, Lila, and Karma all looking at her as the other Maidens vanished.

    "We have no power here," Karma sadly replied. "We helped you reach this place, but you must walk the path alone." With this sad reminder, Karma began to vanish herself. "I'm sorry."

    "Wait!" Cinder pleaded as she watched Karma vanish. "Where am I?!"

    "Aurora," said Mary. "That's all we know. All you need to know, Cinder." She too vanished like a ghost.

    "It's like you said, kiddo," said Lila. "Aurora's the one who did this to you. And if there's any chance you can find your power, it's here." Before she disappeared, she smiled at Cinder and firmly nodded. "You got this."

    Cinder was appreciative of the support, but she was still afraid of the darkness and fog around her. "But where am I supposed to go?" Cinder asked. When she saw that Lila had disappeared, Cinder desperately turned to Fall. "Please... tell me what I'm supposed to do."

    Fall knew she couldn't stay for long. But she also knew that there was one thing Cinder could do. Her intuition told the woman exactly what Cinder needed to hear in order to find her powers.

    "What anyone does when they're lost in the darkness," she said as she raised her hand. "Look for the light."

    "..."

    A small ball of fire formed in Fall's open hand, which she extended to her pupil. Cinder understood that this would serve as a source of light until she found another one, so she graciously accepted the gift and found herself holding the small fire and basking in its warmth.

    And so, with a heavy heart, Cinder took the next steps on her new journey. The first step was looking to Fall with a grateful smile and one final word.

    "...Goodbye."

    While Cinder had found herself in a strange new place, the woman she was searching for was in the same place she had been for the past half hour.

    Aurora was still at Haven Academy with Pre Vizsla, Hazel Rainart, Raven Branwen, and the Mandalorians who had joined them tonight. The invasion had turned into a large-scale battle after Obi-Wan Kenobi summoned his fellow guardians, but Aurora wasn't concerned.

    Ever since she found the path to Haven's Relic, Aurora was quite pleased.

    Hazel was the first to discover the path, though he inadvertently removed the elevator mechanism when he destroyed a large statue covering the path. Fortunately for her, Aurora was able to make an elevator of air with her part of the Fall Maiden's power. As soon as Raven and the Spring Maiden joined her, Aurora let the elevator descend towards the Vault.

    The only downside to this plan was that Aurora was forced to make the elevator move rather slowly. Her control of the Fall Maiden's power was still weak, which made the Faunus infuriated at both Cinder and Flora. Flora had been sent to kill the Maiden, but Aurora never sensed herself reaching her full potential. Either Flora had yet to arrive at Vacuo, or she had somehow managed to fail and make things even worse.

    But whatever the case of the matter was, Aurora knew she had little choice but to proceed to the Vault as planned. In order to pass the time, Aurora spoke to Raven's fellow bandit.

    "Are you nervous, girl?" she asked calmly. "The first Maiden in..." She couldn't help but briefly laugh to herself before she talked again. "I don't even know how long, is about to open a Vault."

    "..."

    The girl remained silent as she stared at Aurora. When she turned away without a word, Aurora became curious.

    "I would say it's quite an exciting time. Don't you feel honored?"

    "..."

    Aurora would have been honored if she was in this girl's place. She was meant to open the Vault at Beacon, to be the first Maiden to open a Vault and retrieve the Relic inside. When she found nothing at Beacon, she was angry at everything and everyone around her. Salem used that anger to fuel Aurora's new training, and Aurora was starting to remember this anger when she once again heard silence from the girl.

    Aurora quickly stopped the elevator and stepped towards the girl. As fast as lightning, she grabbed the girl's throat and pressed her against the stone behind her.

    "Speak when you're spoken to, girl!" Aurora said as her eyes burned brighter. "Or I'd be happy to tear out your tongue!"

    Raven quickly stepped in and pulled Aurora away from her companion. "That's enough!" she demanded as Aurora looked at her. "You won't be getting an answer from her anytime soon."

    "..."

    Now it was Aurora's turn to be silent, but the anger on her face spoke for her. Fortunately, Raven was able to calm her down by explaining why her Maiden wasn't talking.

    "She lost her voice when a Grimm cut her throat," she said. "She can't talk even if she wanted to." Raven looked at the young bandit. "Show her."

    "..."

    The girl remained silent, but she pulled at her shirt's collar to reveal a scar on her neck. It was a scar that was as clear as day, just like the sadness on the girl's face. Whether it was from being attacked just now or relieving the memory from her past, the Maiden was clearly upset about her condition.

    "...Alright," Aurora said as she backed away from the young bandit. She then looked at Raven with a casual shrug. "Just curious, is all."

    Raven didn't bother with harboring a grudge at the moment, not with something as important as the Relic on the line. So in order to get back on track, Raven answered for the Spring Maiden.

    "She thinks what I'm thinking," she began. "That we're not concerned about any of this. All we care about is our tribe... our family. The powers are a burden, not an honor." Raven looked to her Maiden. "Am I right?"

    "..."

    The girl remained silent, but she slowly nodded at Raven. Both Raven and Aurora were satisfied with this idea, but Aurora was curious about something else.

    "You've conditioned her quite well, Raven," Aurora began. "But I remember Bo-Katan describing her as a little more polite. And younger." Aurora looked closer at the girl. "She seems... different, from what I expected."

    Raven moved to the side of the elevator. "You're talking about Hera," she said. "She's no longer with us."

    "...I see."

    "..."

    Aurora decided that enough time had passed to get to know the apparently new Spring Maiden. She indeed spoke to Bo-Katan before arriving at Beacon, about a young girl named Hera who helped lay the foundations down for a new Mandalore. Aurora did this so she knew what to expect, but she didn't bring up these differences from her memory until now.

    However, all that matter was that this girl had proven herself to be the Spring Maiden. She was the only one who could open the Vault and claim Haven's treasure for Salem.

    With that, Aurora allowed the platform of air to descend once again. As she did, Aurora lamented on the fact that she still didn't have the full powers of the Fall Maiden. She was waiting for anything to give her a sign that Cinder was dead, that she had finally let go of the powers. At this point, Aurora was just waiting to receive any news about Cinder. Not just if she was alive or dead, but also if she was still in Vacuo like Flora said earlier.

    But what Aurora didn't know was that Cinder was closer than she currently believed.

    Despite her best efforts, Cinder was still lost in the darkness.

    She didn't know where she was, she didn't know where she was going, and she had no idea what was going to happen to her here. It had been this way ever since Cinder left the void, which could be called a paradise when compared to this cold and desolate place.

    Cinder had been walking aimlessly in the fog for what felt like hours. As she did, memories of her time at Haven Academy with Obi-Wan Kenobi came back to her. Memories of how she disobeyed his orders and ventured into a forbidden cave all alone, and memories of seeing nothing but fear and anger that overwhelmed her.

    In that time, Cinder felt alone and depressed. She felt so far away from the people who loved her and that she couldn't do anything right. Whether it was as a Maiden or as a Mandalorian, Cinder felt like the world's biggest failure.

    And as she walked deeper and deeper into the never-ending darkness, Cinder felt that way once again.

    Cinder couldn't help but fall to her knees and lament at her failure and her isolation. It was almost like this place was a prison, like a different kind of Hell. Obi-Wan once told her that Darth Nihilus, the Sith she fought in the woods, compared himself as the darkness where the light would die.

    And in Cinder's mind, this was that place.

    A part of herself told Cinder to get up and keep moving, but it wasn't loud enough. The part that told her to lay down and die, on the other hand, was growing stronger by the second. She didn't realize it until now, but Cinder saw that this place was also a depiction of her worst fear. The fear that resided within her ever since she was born and ever since she was found by the Mandalorian.

    Deep down, Cinder was afraid that she would be alone in the world. That one day, she would return to living the same lonely life that she lived when she was an orphan. And something about this place made this fear seem incredibly real.

    Cinder wished it all back. She wished that she was in the void with the previous Fall Maidens and the woman who should have been her mother. She wished that she could be where the sun was shining and she was supported by the people who she loved.

    But most of all, she wished that Din Djarin was with her. More than anybody in the world, Cinder would give anything to be with her father again.

    "You'd know what to do, Dad," Cinder sadly whispered. "You'd know what I should do."

    "..."

    Cinder knew this to be true, that her father was the best teacher and friend she could have ever asked for. He taught her dozens of life's lessons ever since they met, and Cinder believed that she could use that wisdom now.

    Luckily for the young Fall Maiden, it did.

    "You're in a tunnel right now, Cinder. You think everything is hopeless and dark, since that's the only thing you're seeing. But there's something else in that tunnel."

    "..."

    Cinder finally stopped looking at the ground and focused on the ball of fire in her hand. The idea that she remembered her father sharing with her once upon a time was mostly a metaphor, but the hopelessness and darkness around Cinder was very real. And something else that was real was right in front of Cinder.

    "A light," she said to herself. "You won't see it right away... which is why you need to find it for yourself." Cinder finally got up and looked at the ball of fire in her hand before she looked up at the new void again. "You're right, Dad. There's a light somewhere in here... and I'm going to find it."

    Cinder had an idea on how to find this light. It wasn't the best idea, and it was incredibly risky. She would be vulnerable to anything that came her way, but Cinder knew she had to find her light at the end of the tunnel.

    In order to do that, there was one thing Cinder needed to do.

    "When you're lost in the darkness..." she repeated to herself. "Look for the light."

    With that, Cinder made her ball of fire, the only source of light in this terrible place, disappear.

    It seemed counterintuitive in hindsight, to remove the only source of light she had to guide her through this place. However, Cinder knew that there was another light waiting for her here. The Fall Maiden knew that she needed darkness in order to truly see this light, to let it reveal itself all on its own.

    And whether it was by chance, or something even stronger... Cinder caught a brief glimpse of this light.

    The young girl had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't just seeing things. She even pinched herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. But nothing she did changed the fact that there was a small orange light about twenty feet in front of her. Cinder cautiously moved closer and closer to this light, which began to shine brighter with each footstep.

    It was almost like a fire, the way that the light stood and shined in the immediate area. It wasn't in a ball or in any shape she recognized, but Cinder knew what this light was right from the start.

    "The rest... The rest of the power," she said as tears of joy spread down her face.

    It was almost impossible to believe, but Cinder knew that she had done it. Within this darkness was indeed a light, and that light was indeed the missing piece of the Fall Maiden's powers. With it, Cinder could finally be the Maiden she was always meant to be and finally return home. All she had to do was reach out and let it return to her.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Rather then returning to her hand, the immeasurable power flew away. The girl's tears of joy had just been replaced with tears of fear as she watched the light travel across the fog.

    "What?" Cinder asked as she watched her powers move away. "No! No, no, no!" The young girl instinctively ran after the light and tried reaching out once again to reclaim it. Chasing the power of the Fall Maiden wasn't hard, since it wasn't moving very fast. However, with each attempt she made to grab it, Cinder found the power constantly evading her.

    Cinder had forgotten that the power of the Fall Maiden seemed to possess a will of its own, that it could almost think for itself. This was what happened when she participated in the group meditation, and now it was happening again. The concept was very strange, but it had just given Cinder an idea.

    Maybe, just maybe, Cinder could reason with the power.

    "Wait!" she desperately called out as she stopped running. "Stop!"

    "..."

    There was no sound or voice that replied to her pleas, but the power stopped moving just as Cinder had stopped. It was incredible and unbelievable, but it seemed that the floating light understood her. But rather than question this phenomena, Cinder snapped herself out of her daze and spoke again.

    "I have the other half of the power!" she said as she closed her eyes. When they opened again, fire burned just as bright as the other half of the light. "I need to be whole again!" Cinder reached out again. "Please... come back to me."

    "..."

    Once again, this new void remained silent. The power was remaining just as still as Cinder was, which made Cinder even more confused than before. She believed that she had proven herself to be the Fall Maiden, the one person who should have both halves of the power.

    But if that was true, why did the light make no attempt to reunite with her?

    Suddenly, the light began to split down the side. It wasn't breaking up, but Cinder noticed that the light was changing right before her. The piece that had just split from the center then raised itself horizontally, at a very slow pace. It almost looked like a human arm, one that was pointing out in the distance. More specifically, towards Cinder's left.

    When Cinder looked to her left, at the direction the light was "pointing" at, she almost didn't believe her eyes. Across the foggy distance, there was a brick building standing tall and completely isolated. It was covered in vines and had multiple windows, it seemed to look like an apartment complex. This was the first building Cinder had seen in the void, the first one she had seen in a long time. She didn't believe that such a thing could exist in the void, but there it was.

    Cinder suddenly saw the orange light fly towards the building at an incredible speed. When she realized that she had gotten distracted, Cinder tried to make it stop. "No, wait!" she yelled in desperation as she lunged forward. "Come back!"

    "..."

    There was no audible response to Cinder's plea, but she saw that the light she had been following had disappeared into the building. Seeing little choice but to follow it inside, Cinder hurried towards the building and stopped when she reached the front gate.

    There were two supports on the sides of the open gate, both of which were made of brick. Cinder marveled at the sight of the place and even touched the support on the right. When she felt the cold and hard structure of the brick for herself, Cinder knew that this was real. It had been so long since she felt something like this, something that she could touch with her own hands.

    Cinder suddenly realized how much she missed this feeling people normally took for granted.

    As she slid her hand against the support, Cinder found what appeared to be a plaque on it. When she moved her hand, she indeed saw a bronze plaque with a few words written on it. Cinder's curiosity made her momentarily forget about the orange light she saw and led to her reading what the plaque said.

    "Ms. Lavell's Boarding School for Young Girls," Cinder read slowly. "Boarding school?" The young girl looked back at the tall building in awe as well as confusion. "Why would my powers be here?" Cinder looked at the plaque again and silently read it once more. "Why would this be here?" Cinder had no memory of ever being at this place, and its identity had only led to more questions than answers.

    It seemed there was only one way Cinder could find these answers.

    With a deep breath, Cinder took the first steps toward the building. She ascended a flight of stone steps and found herself at a wooden door. Instead of opening it right away, Cinder pressed her ear against the door and listened for any signs of danger. She could hear something muffled on the other side, but she couldn't make out exact details.

    With this in mind, Cinder braced herself for whatever came next as she slowly opened the door.

    "Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

    "I got you!"

    "No, you didn't!"

    Cinder didn't know what she was expecting before she opened the door, but it surely wasn't this.

    Inside, the Fall Maiden could see around seven little girls playing and laughing. There were girls playing tag, there were girls watching TV, and there were even girls reading and drawing on paper. She had just opened the door and stepped inside, and all Cinder could see or hear was happiness. The lights were even on inside the building; it was a sharp constant to the cold and darkness outside.

    A million questions came to Cinder's mind, and she had no idea what to say or think about this. But since she was here to get her powers back, Cinder decided to see if the children could help her.

    "Um... hello?" Cinder called out.

    "Come on, let's play something else!" a girl with dark hair said.

    "Wanna play rock, paper, scissors?" a blonde girl asked.

    The children didn't seem to notice Cinder or even hear her. Rather than wonder why this appeared to be the case, Cinder spoke a little louder. "Hello," she said as she walked closer. "I'm sorry to barge in, I just need some help." Nobody looked up at Cinder, but she didn't stop talking. "Have any of you seen-?"

    "Hey, everyone!"

    Cinder suddenly saw a young girl run straight towards her with no signs of stopping. But instead of crashing into Cinder, the girl passed right through her as if she wasn't there. Cinder gasped at the sight and put a hand to her chest, which didn't pass through her body. Cinder grew even more confused by this, but she was able to hear the girls talking.

    "It's dinner time!" the new girl said to her friends. "Come on!"

    All of the girls suddenly ran towards their friend and passed through Cinder again in the process. Cinder was once again surprised by what she had just seen, and it even started to make her doubt the reality she was witnessing.

    But this all seemed to be real. Cinder was indeed in a building, a school of sorts. And the girls she was talking to seemed to be the right age for "young girls." And right now, the young girls were all gathered at a large table where food was set up.

    And standing at the end of that table was a woman in gray clothes.

    "Hmm..." the woman hummed as she looked at the girls and table. "Something is not right."

    "..."

    Cinder felt drawn towards the table and found herself walking into the dining room. She tried to make sense of what was going on and even felt tempted to call out to Fall or the other Maidens for help. But before she could, the woman clapped her hands to get the attention of the girls.

    "That's what's missing!" the woman said as she pointed to an empty seat. "There's supposed to be twelve of you, but I only see eleven. Has anyone seen where Ms. Adeline has gone?"

    "...Who?" Cinder asked herself.

    "I think she's upstairs," said a girl with brown hair. It was the same girl Cinder had seen summon the other children in the playroom. "I'll find her!"

    Cinder watched the young girl run towards a flight of wooden stairs, which she assumed would lead to another part of this building. But rather than paying attention to the child, Cinder found herself looking up towards the top of the stairs. There was a light shining across the wall and on top of some of the stairs. The light wasn't the same color as the numerous lightbulbs and lamps across the immediate area, but this was an orange color.

    A familiar orange color.

    Cinder realized that the light she had been following was now upstairs. She had almost forgotten about it when she saw all of these children, but Cinder now knew that she had to go upstairs to find her powers.

    And hopefully, some answers about this place.

    Cinder wasted no time in moving towards and up the stairs. She was behind the young girl who promised to find her friend, but the girl still didn't notice Cinder's presence. As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, the girl began to open door after door and looked inside every room she could see. Just as she had promised, the child was looking for her friend in all of the rooms.

    Cinder, on the other hand, was drawn to one room in particular; the room that shined orange through the cracks of the door.

    Cinder gently pushed against the door to open it, and she found herself in a room with multiple beds. On one of the beds was another little girl who appeared to be drawing in a coloring book. Multiple crayons were thrown across the bed, and the girl was using each and every one of them. Like some of the other children, this girl was a Faunus; she had a pair of tiger ears on her head.

    But what struck Cinder as odd was that the child was glowing the same orange color as the Fall Maiden powers.

    "What the-?" Cinder asked as she looked closer. There was no denying that the child was glowing orange, and Cinder was determined to find out why. "Hello?"

    "There!" the girl said as she looked at her picture. Just like the other children in the building, the Faunus didn't notice Cinder. "All finished!"

    "..."

    Cinder looked closer to see that the girl had been drawing two people on a piece of paper. From the looks of it, it appeared to be a mother and daughter with tiger ears as well. Cinder only glanced at the picture and tried to look at the girl's face, to get a clue as to what was going on.

    The clue, however, came in the form of the little girl who had originally come upstairs. She had just stepped in the doorframe and was now looking at the Faunus on the bed. And what she said next took Cinder's breath away.

    "Aurora, come on! It's dinner time!"

    "..."

    As soon as Cinder heard that name, she snapped her gaze at the young Faunus on the bed. She was now looking up at the young girl and revealed her face. Despite the fact that she was young, Cinder was able to recognize the young girl and the fear that travelled throughout her body at the sound of the name.

    "A-Aurora?" Cinder uttered as she stared at the glowing child.

    "Yay, finally!" the glowing girl yelled as she jumped off the bed. Cinder's body tensed up as she tossed her fists to defend herself, but the young Faunus simply ran past her and out of the room.

    "..."

    Cinder needed a moment to breathe and recompose herself after what happened. Nervous sweat came down her forehead and her chest became as hard as Beskar as Cinder remembered everything that happened when she last saw Aurora. She remembered pain, fear, and hopelessness when Aurora stole her power, and Cinder felt all of them again as she looked at the direction the child ran in.

    She needed to sit down in order to recompose herself, and Cinder was beginning to calm down once again. As she did, Cinder did her best to try and rationalize the events around her. The school, the children, Aurora... it was becoming even more difficult for Cinder to see the meaning behind it all, to know why she was here.

    "Aurora has the power. She's the key."

    When Cinder remembered what she had said a few minutes ago, everything began to make sense. Aurora indeed had the power, she had it since the night she stole it for herself. And if that was the case... maybe that was why the powers didn't reunite with Cinder. Maybe the glowing was a sign that the powers couldn't leave Aurora.

    "That makes sense," Cinder said as she stood up. "If Aurora has the power, I'm going to have to take it from her."

    "..."

    Cinder didn't like hurting people, but she knew that it was the only way she could return home and protect the people she loved. Just as Ozpin and Djarin had said, Aurora was an unworthy Maiden; she was going to use it to bring death and destruction to all of Remnant.

    And Cinder had to stop her.

    "But why am I here?" Cinder asked. "This school? Aurora as a kid? What's all this supposed to mean?!"

    "Ha, ha, ha!"

    "..."

    The sound of laughter reached Cinder's ears and caused her to look back towards the stairs. In an attempt to regain her powers, as well as make sense of all this, Cinder walked out of the room and slowly walked down the stairs back to the first floor.

    When she reached the bottom of the steps, Cinder found Aurora with the rest of the girls at the dinner table. The table was covered with bread, salad, and roasted chicken that a cook had just brought out. All of the children, even Aurora, looked at the meal with joy and excitement. But before they ate, all of the girls lowered their heads and clasped their hands together.

    And all together, the girls began their own version of saying grace.

    "We love our bread, we love our butter. But most of all, we love each other!"

    With more laughter, each of the girls began to eat their dinner. As they did, Aurora turned to some of her fellow Faunus and began to talk to them.

    "This is delicious!" Aurora said with a smile.

    "I know!" said a young cat Faunus. "I never had chicken like this before!"

    "It's fine, I guess," said a Faunus with fangs. "My daddy makes chicken like this when I'm home for vacation."

    "Really?" Aurora asked. "That sounds great!"

    "Yeah, you're really lucky!" said her cat friend.

    "I don't know," said the other Faunus. "When you've had one chicken, you've had them all."

    Aurora and her friend laughed at the idea as they continued to eat. "Well, I'll tell you what," she said after she took another bite. "I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life!"

    "Yeah, me too!" said her friend.

    "..."

    It all made sense now.

    The children, the school, and the young version of Aurora all made sense now. Aurora was truly the key to all of this, to Cinder reclaiming her powers and returning home. It seemed in order to find Aurora, Cinder had to understand her. Not just her skills or her battle tactics, but who Aurora truly was.

    And the powers of the Fall Maiden seemed to know the best way for Cinder to do this.

    "Oh, my Gods," Cinder said as she watched the children eat. "I'm... I'm in Aurora's memories."

    Cinder's conundrum was a very unique one, but she wasn't the only one who had found herself walking down memory lane.

    He had just been blown away by a dangerous explosion, but Din Djarin was starting to awaken once again. At least, he believed that he was awake.

    The landing pad the Mandalorian was at was surrounded by darkness, given that it was nighttime in Mistral. However, when he opened his eyes, all Djarin could see was whiteness that was engulfed in a soft light. There didn't appear to be any defining features of this place, given that all he could see was the single color of white.

    This changed, however, when the silhouette of a person appeared before him.

    "Easy, now," a woman's voice said as Djarin felt soft hands on his back and his head. "I got you."

    "..."

    Djarin didn't fight the woman who was helping him off the ground. His body felt exhausted to the point of being unable to stand, so he settled on sitting upright. He didn't care about being exhausted, and he didn't care that his armor had been scorched from the explosion he had been caught in.

    The one thing he did care about was that the woman was starting to take off his helmet.

    "W-Wait," the Mandalorian ordered as he took the woman's arms. "Don't... do that."

    "..."

    While he didn't mean to sound ungrateful, and he didn't follow the Way of the Mandalore anymore, there was only one person Djarin allowed to see his face. Revealing himself to anyone else, especially while Cinder was still comatose, didn't feel right to Djarin.

    "Come on, Din," the woman said calmly. "You don't have to hide from me."

    Djarin was still tired, but he couldn't help but quickly look at the mysterious woman. "...What?" he asked. "What... What did you call me?"

    "..."

    Djarin was no stranger to the sound of his own name, but the only people who called him "Din" weren't alive anymore. When this was combined with the woman's voice, the Mandalorian couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity.

    An impossible familiarity.

    The woman's shadow-like appearance began to disappear and reveal her more detailed features. She was a fair-skinned young woman, who looked about the age of a late teenager. Along with a soft smile, she possessed a head of black hair and a pair of amber eyes; all of which resembled someone Djarin held close to his heart.

    "Cin... Cinder?" Djarin asked hopefully.

    The teenager laughed as she shook her head. "No," she replied. "But you have the right idea about family, buddy."

    When all of the pieces came together, Djarin couldn't help but release a small gasp under his helmet. The appearance was one thing, but the use of his name and the familiar term of endearment were used by one person only. Not even Cinder said it to him.

    But his older sister always did.

    "Ikki," Djarin corrected himself as he realized the truth.

    The young woman confirmed this assumption with another smile and a hug Djarin hadn't felt in years. "Hi, Din," Ikki addressed her brother.

    "..."

    Djarin had fallen silent from the shock and joy he was experiencing, but he was able to return the hug. A part of him was even unwilling to let her go, given how long it had been since he lost her.

    The Mandalorian's mind became flooded with memories of the night he lost his older sister. He remembered the Grimm, the fear, and the solitude that he had been forced in to be kept alive. And one look on Ikki's face showed that she too remembered everything. She showed Djarin how the heartbreak she received the night she protected her brother from the Grimm had finally passed when she looked upon his face.

    She wanted Djarin to see this with his own eyes, so she once again moved her hands against the Beskar helmet

    "Wait," the Mandalorian pleaded as he stopped her once again. "I... I don't-"

    "It's okay," Ikki said calmly. "You don't have to hide from me."

    "I'm not hiding, I-"

    "Din." Ikki lost her smile as she attempted to convince her brother to let her see his face, but she didn't give up. "Please."

    "..."

    It had been so long since he had seen his sister that Djarin had forgotten a few things about her. It was mostly what her favorite food was and what kind of things she would always do for fun, but Djarin realized that he had also forgotten how much he hated seeing Ikki feel sad. One look of sorrow on her face used to be enough to make him cry, which would usually result in the siblings trying to comfort each other.

    The Mandalorian didn't have any tears to shed right now, but he knew how to comfort his sister. It took him a few seconds, but Djarin let go of her hands. With that, Ikki removed the iron helmet and saw the true face of her brother.

    "Oh, my Gods," she said as she studied his face. It was completely different from that of a child's, given the age and the facial hair Djarin had grown. Her brother had changed drastically since she last saw him, but Ikki didn't mind. In fact, she seemed to be proud at the sight as she gently caressed Djarin's face. "Look how big you've grown."

    Djarin couldn't help but smile as he leaned his cheek against Ikki's hand. It was a simple touch, but it was just as heartwarming as the day Cinder saw his own face and accepted it in the same manner his sister was accepting it. And now that she did, Djarin realized that he had his own observations to make about Ikki.

    "Look at you," he said. "You... haven't changed at all."

    Ikki laughed again as she recognized the awkward situation she was in. Despite the fact that she was Djarin's older sister, he was the one who appeared to be the eldest sibling. "No, I guess not," she said with a smile. "We don't really age anymore, not since we came here."

    "...We?" Djarin asked.

    Ikki didn't answer him right away when he asked this. Instead, she turned around and looked at the empty space in front of her. Djarin followed her gaze to see that there were two more silhouettes out in the distance, that there were two more people with them. They were two far away to make out any features to identify them, but the Mandalorian could guess who they were.

    "Wait," he said as he tried to get a closer look. "That's... Those are-"

    "Yeah, Din," Ikki confirmed. "It's Mom and Dad."

    "..."

    Djarin was taken by surprise once again, which caused him to momentarily lose his voice. He almost didn't believe his eyes, but he believed his ears when Ikki spoke again.

    "Mom and I found Dad, after we came here," she said. "You remember all that stuff we said about Vale? How great it was going to be?" Ikki made Djarin look at her so he could see that she was telling the truth. "It's ten times the place Vale could be, where we are."

    Djarin remembered all of the talks he had with sister about leaving Mantle and going to Vale. It was this dream that inadvertently led them to meeting the Grimm, but they left Mantle for good reason.

    When the events of that terrible night occurred, Djarin couldn't help but feel depressed about it all. Survivor's guilt easily took him when he was found by the Mandalorians, and it got even worse when Djarin left Nevarro to see the city of Vale itself. He had been carrying this guilt for years and years, even when he adopted Cinder. But now, Djarin couldn't help but feel comforted by the idea that Ikki herself said that she was in a better place. He was never very religious, but he trusted his sister.

    And he felt even happier when he heard what she said next.

    "And we've been waiting for you too, Din."

    The Mandalorian quickly turned back to his sister. Things began to make sense and feel better as he understood what this place was and what she said. "You mean... I can come?" he asked.

    "Yes," Ikki confirmed. "Of course you can come."

    "..."

    For the first time, in a long time, Djarin began to feel an innate sense of hope. Not determination, not pride, but actual hope. Things had gotten worse for him since the Fall of Beacon, and Din tried his absolute hardest to make the best out of it and keep moving forward. But given where he was now, and the Mandalorian invasion of Haven, it seemed that all these actions were in vain.

    But now, Djarin could tell that all of his hard work wasn't without reward. Nothing mattered more to Djarin than family, and now he had finally been given the chance to be with his family again. Though he initially didn't believe in the afterlife, the Mandalorian was happy to admit that he was wrong. And he was even happier as he stood up and took his first steps towards his family.

    "But not yet."

    Djarin's heart sank into his stomach as his sister spoke and put a hand on his shoulder. "What?" he asked. "No, I'm... I'm ready."

    Ikki slowly shook her head. "I know you might think you are," she said. "And I know you've had such a hard time. But big things are coming." Ikki's hand moved towards Djarin's chest. "And you're going to want to be there."

    Djarin lowered his head in shame. "That's not true," he insisted. "Things haven't been hard. They've been impossible." He clenched his fists. "I could've stopped a war. I could've joined the real fight sooner. I could've done everything differently. But I didn't. I didn't!" Djarin quickly hit his leg in frustration. "I'm not cut out for this."

    "..."

    "If I'm not ready... then why am I here?"

    A hand on his chin gently pushed Djarin's head up, and he didn't do anything to stop it. The Mandalorian didn't feel like doing anything except taking the next, and final, steps forward. In his heart, he felt that nothing was going to make him change his mind or how he felt about himself.

    But that didn't mean Ikki wasn't going to try.

    "Because it's about time someone helped you," she said as she took her brother's hands. "It's time someone told you how much you mattered right now. I mean, do you even know how far you've come?"

    "..."

    One look on her brother's face told Ikki that she had his full attention. Now that she had it, Ikki planned to tell Djarin the whole truth. And nothing less.

    "I know that Mom and I never prepared you for anything like this," she began as she looked at Djarin's armor. "I don't think we prepared you for anything at all. But that's not your fault."

    "..."

    "I never planned on you becoming a Mandalorian of all things, but I know that they're some of the strongest warriors the world has ever known. Even if they lost their way or not, they grew stronger every day." Ikki squeezed Djarin's hands. "You've grown stronger. Stronger than anyone I've ever known. And that strength hasn't vanished since this war started."

    "..."

    Djarin was somewhat happy to know that he had made Ikki proud, but his heart still weighed with his previous failures. Ikki knew this, which was why she didn't finish.

    "I think I know why this has all been hard for you," she continued. "Because unlike those people who nearly killed you... you took what the Mandalorians gave you and shared it with the world. You shared it with Huntsmen, Huntresses, students, and even that amazing little girl you have." Ikki couldn't help but smile at the mention of Cinder, but it quickly vanished. "So I understand how it feels when you can't always protect everyone."

    Djarin softly gasped at the mention. "You mean... you've seen it all?" he asked. "And you've... seen Cinder?"

    "Not here," Ikki confirmed. The last thing she wanted her brother to think was that Cinder was dead. "But I've seen her, yes."

    It was hard to describe, but Ikki was able to watch over Djarin ever since she left him. And more importantly, she was able to see her brother adopt a unique little girl.

    "I saw how you met her," she said. "And raised her. But most of all, I've seen how much you love her." Ikki continued to smile. "And for good reason."

    Djarin couldn't help but smile. "She's... really special, Ikki," he said proudly.

    "I know she is. So don't you think it'd be unfair to leave?"

    The smile on the Mandalorian's face vanished as quickly as it arrived. "Even if she woke up... she'd be better off without me," he said. "I was trying to make her like me. Even after we found out about Salem. I wasn't the father Dad was." A tear moved down Djarin's cheek. "I'm not the father she needs."

    "No," Ikki said. "You're the father she deserves, Din. Do you know why?"

    "..."

    Silence gave Ikki all she needed to answer her own question. "It's like I said; I've seen how much you love her." As a frown came to Ikki's face, she reminded Djarin of what she had seen of Cinder. "That poor little girl had nobody in her life. And the people around her couldn't have cared any less about her."

    "..."

    "Do you remember the Marigolds? How I had to be their slave to make ends meet?" Ikki wiped her eyes as she recalled her job in Atlas, how she had to work for a rich family who kept her in line through methods like Cinder had to endure. "Cinder had it worse than I ever did. And she had nothing at all. Not even love. Can you imagine what that's like?"

    "..."

    In all honesty, Djarin couldn't imagine what such a thing was like. He was loved by both his parents and Ikki, despite the fact that he was never close to his father. And the Mandalorians treated him like he was one of their own while he lived among them.

    Cinder didn't have any of that, not until Djarin came into her life.

    "You changed her whole world, Din," Ikki said. "I know you think it was just a small kindness. But that small kindness led to a change of heart. And that change of heart led to a courageous act." Ikki found it within herself to smile once again. "Do me a favor, buddy. Take a good, hard look at what all of that did for the both of you. Really look for me."

    "..."

    Djarin recalled the small kindness, change of heart, and courageous act that Ikki was talking about. The time he saved Cinder from IG-11, decided to save her from Watts, and defied the Bounty Hunter Guild to keep her safe were all what Ikki said they were. And because these things happened, a lot more happened afterwards.

    Because these things happened, Djarin and Cinder travelled the world to find Ozma and did good along the way. They saved lives and protected others, which made Cinder feel a new sense of purpose and made Djarin see how much he needed her. More acts like these followed, even though there were failures along the way. Cinder failed just as Djarin failed, but she always got back up. Djarin taught that to her, and now he was being taught the same lesson right now.

    And because Cinder kept getting back up, she did remarkable things. She grew as a Maiden, saved lives, and even helped kill a Sith Lord. All of this happened because Cinder knew she had to pick herself up off the ground.

    Just like Djarin needed to do right now. Because if he gave up...

    "Nothing good would happen," he said.

    Ikki didn't exactly agree, even though she couldn't deny that this was true. "Don't think of it like that, Din," she said. "The way I see it, you'll be missed if you leave now. The world deserves more of what Din Djarin and Cinder can offer."

    "..."

    Djarin and Ikki smiled at each other as they felt proud of themselves. While Ikki was proud to see her brother again and be his teacher once more, Djarin was proud of all that he had done. Where he was once ready to die, the Mandalorian was now more than willing to keep on living.

    "Thank you, Ikki," the Mandalorian said sincerely. "I... I really needed to hear that."

    "It needed to be said," his sister replied. "And no matter what happens, Din... don't forget that we love you. Just the way you are." Ikki pulled her brother into another hug. "Always."

    Djarin happily returned the hug. "I... I love you too."

    When Ikki let go, she quickly moved to the ground and picked up his helmet. "I think you're gonna need this," she said. Din lowered his head down so Ikki could put the helmet where it belonged. "Huh." She let out a small chuckle as she looked at her brother. "It actually looks good on you, buddy."

    Djarin chuckled as well. "That's a first," he said.

    Suddenly, the light around the Mandalorian began to shine brighter. It became so bright that Djarin was beginning to have a hard time seeing his sister again. It was sad to see her go, but he knew it was necessary. He knew that he had to be like Cinder and pick himself up off the ground. He remembered how strong she was, and how strong she believed him to be.

    Now was the time to live up to these expectations. And no matter what happened next, Djarin knew that he was going to see her again.

    And the lesson he learned from his sister would be something he would remember for the rest of his life.

    While Djarin found himself to feel much better about his situation, Cinder found herself feeling worse about her own.

    When she learned that she was in Aurora's memories, Cinder became angry. Not only because she couldn't regain her powers immediately, but because she was stuck with the one person Cinder could call her nemesis. To Cinder, Aurora was a cipher. She was a sick woman who could only get joy out of life by hurting and stealing from others without remorse. And to make matters worse, Aurora was the one responsible for Cinder's condition. And the young girl was sure that she had perverted the portion of the powers she had, that she used it for evil.

    And yet... here she was looking at little girl who apparently had done no wrong.

    Cinder watched Aurora and all the other little girls do things that were considered normal with the woman in charge of this school. They would have lessons, have meals, and have fun together. They had a routine of leaving the house at half past nine, in two straight lines, to walk around the city of Vale in rain or shine.

    But Cinder couldn't care less about any of this.

    "Why are you doing this?!" Cinder angrily screamed at the glowing girl. She wasn't yelling at Aurora, but the powers she had instead. "What am I supposed to get out of all this?! Do you expect me to just forgive her?!"

    "..."

    Cinder grew even more frustrated when she received no answer from her powers. And even if she did, Cinder knew that seeing these memories wasn't going to make her forgive Aurora or try to help her. She was a servant of Salem, and she was too far gone to be considered a possible ally. Nothing was going to change Cinder's mind about Aurora being anything but her enemy.

    And yet, this little girl was a complete stranger.

    Each time Cinder saw Aurora smile, it was genuine. Instead of enemies, she had friends. Instead of pain, she caused joy in others. It was almost like this little girl was the complete opposite of the enemy Cinder had made in real life.

    Maybe there was something she was supposed to get out of this.

    As she calmed down and looked through memory after memory, Cinder remembered that there was more to being a Maiden than simply power. She had asked the other Maidens she met what it meant to be a Maiden, how one should think and behave as a defender of the world. Fall taught her that kindness and selflessness had a larger impact than one might initially think, which was something that Cinder learned through her conversations with the other previous Maidens. And while she never asked Karma what it meant to be a Maiden, the old woman taught Cinder to always have an open mind and to never stop learning.

    So maybe there was something Cinder was supposed to learn through these memories. Not just to understand her enemy, but to know her as well. So when Cinder thought about what she could learn from all of this, she eventually had one idea. While she could never forgive Aurora for what she had done to her, Cinder began to understand that not everyone really started off evil.

    But if that was true... what changed with Aurora?

    "Hey, over here! Check it out!"

    Cinder snapped out of her thoughts when she saw all of the girls rush towards a window. She hadn't noticed it before, but Cinder was now in a bedroom. Memories had been playing for her, and each one brought Cinder to a different place. Sometimes it was inside and sometimes it was outside; now Cinder was inside again.

    All of the children, who appeared to be in their pajamas, were huddled around a large window. Since Cinder was much taller than the girls, she could see what they were all looking at.

    The headmistress of this school, Ms. Lavell, was outside at the front gate of the boarding school. There was a black and white car parked out front, and there were two uniformed police officers talking to her.

    "Wow, it's the cops!" a little brunette girl said.

    "What are they doing with Ms. Lavell?" a blonde girl asked.

    "Do you think she's in trouble?" a black haired girl, the tallest among her friends, wondered.

    "No way!" said Aurora, who was the smallest of the children. "She's never done anything wrong!"

    "Yeah!" said another Faunus. "Where've you been?"

    "Look, she's coming in now!" said the brunette girl.

    A few seconds later, the door to the large room opened and the school's headmistress stepped inside. Before she spoke, the woman dried her eyes with a small handkerchief. It seemed that she had been crying, though Cinder didn't know why. She was always happy with her students whenever Cinder saw her, so something bad must have happened outside.

    And she was about to find out what it was.

    "Girls, get away from the window," Ms. Lavell ordered calmly. As she watched each child move away and get into their own beds, the woman's eyes fell onto one girl in particular. "Aurora, I need you to come with me."

    The young Faunus stopped in her tracks and looked to her teacher. "Me?" she asked as she pointed to herself. "Why?"

    "I... I'm afraid... the gentlemen outside need to speak with you."

    The room filled with gasps and whispers very quickly. Each of the girls were surprised at such an idea, at one of their fellow students needing to talk to the police. While each of them wondered what was going on, Cinder's mind quickly drew to the conclusion that this was Aurora's first crime. Even though the Faunus was a child at the moment, Cinder knew what Aurora was capable of.

    And she had a bad feeling about this.

    "Girls, that's enough!" the headmistress said firmly. When silence fell upon the bedroom, Ms. Lavell offered her hand to Aurora. "Come with me, dear."

    "Wh-What's going on?" Aurora asked as she stepped forward. From the sound of her voice, she sounded terribly afraid. "I-I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything!"

    "I know, sweetheart. I know." The woman had to dry her eyes again. "But we have to talk outside."

    As she watched Aurora follow her teacher, Cinder rolled her eyes and let out a grunt. "Didn't do anything," she said sarcastically. "Yeah, right."

    Suddenly, the light that was enveloping Aurora grew brighter as she left the room. Cinder was the only one who noticed it, just like she noticed how the light grew brighter with each step the girl took.

    It seemed the power of the Maidens wanted Cinder to follow Aurora, whether she liked it or not.

    And so, reluctantly, Cinder followed Aurora and her teacher down the stairs and outside the old building. There, she saw the duo standing in front of two police officers.

    "Is she the daughter?" one of the officers asked.

    "Yes, this is her," the headmistress sadly replied. She suddenly turned around and let tears fall down her eyes. "Oh, Gods. How could this be happening?"

    Aurora looked up to her teacher with more confusion and uncertainty. "Wh-What?" she asked. "Ms. Lavell, why are you-?"

    "I'm sorry, young lady," the second police officer said to get the girl's attention. "But we need to talk."

    Aurora looked back to the police officer and once again stated her innocence. "But I... I didn't do anything!" she said before she turned back to her teacher. "Ms. Lavell, I didn't do anything!"

    The teacher finally turned around and looked back at the officers. "I'm sorry, I couldn't do it myself," she said. "I just-"

    "It's alright, ma'am," the first officer said. "We understand."

    The second police officer kneeled down to Aurora's level and spoke. "Aurora... I'm afraid we have some bad news," he said.

    "..."

    While she was still hesitant about being in Aurora's company, Cinder began to grow somewhat curious about this turn of events. The look on the officer's face showed that he seemed rather reluctant to talk more about this "bad news;" perhaps it was because he never had to do it with someone as young as Aurora. Ms. Lavell, however, was incredibly heartbroken over the current experience.

    Cinder immediately found out why, though she wished she hadn't.

    "It's about your mother, Aurora," the officer said. "You're... the only one we can talk to about it."

    "My... My mommy?" Aurora asked. "Well... she's going to be here in a few days. You can talk to her then if you want."

    "..."

    Ms. Lavell cried even more as the officer braced himself before he spoke again.

    "Aurora... you're mother's not coming," he said. "I'm sorry."

    "..."

    The officer didn't seem to have the heart to break the news even further, so his partner took over.

    "Aurora... your mother was running errands for her boss earlier today," he said. "She was buying groceries when a... a bad man came in."

    Aurora still didn't understand everything, but she was starting to have a very bad feeling about all of this. "Is... Is she okay?" she asked with a trembling voice.

    The officer slowly shook his head. "...No," he said. "I'm sorry, but... your mother is dead."

    Besides anger and sadistic pride, Aurora was always one who hid her feelings well. After all, a tragedy such as the one she had been dealt as a child would have broken anyone.

    It was breaking Gretchen Rainart right now.

    She and the rest of Team BGNY, as well the students who accompanied her, had just reached the main auditorium where Pre Vizsla began his invasion. There, they witnessed many Huntsmen and Huntresses locked in combat with more Mandalorians than she had ever seen. It was clear that while the defenders of Haven were still standing, the Mandalorians had an edge over them. Even Headmaster Kenobi and Professor Ozpin were starting to tire as they held on.

    But unlike the common Huntsmen and Huntresses, Obi-Wan and Ozpin were trying to hold back an abnormally large man with Dust in his arms. While his face was hidden from the group of Huntsmen and Huntresses that had just arrived, Gretchen recognized the shape of the man and his inhuman yells.

    "Oh, no," she said in a whisper. Tears came to her eyes as she prayed that she wasn't seeing what she was seeing "No, not again."

    The woman's mind became flooded with dozens of memories she shared with her brother. While some of them were good, mostly the time they spent as children together, Gretchen's most recent memories of her brother were bad. They were so bad that Gretchen could predict Hazel's intentions of killing everyone here with the Mandalorians. It was a terrible thing to ponder, but Gretchen's memories didn't lie.

    And neither did the actions of her brother.

    Gretchen's present company easily noticed her despair, but her best friend was the first to see why she was so distraught. "Gretchen... is that Hazel?" Nerissa asked in disbelief.

    "No way," said Yuri, who watched in shock as the large man continued to beat Obi-Wan and Ozpin to their breaking points. "He's still fighting us?"

    The students who had joined Team BGNY were unfamiliar with the man, so they had no choice but to ask what was going on. "Wait, who's Hazel?" Lilith asked.

    Everyone had almost forgotten that the students were still with them. Bailey turned to them all and answered. "Gretchen's brother," he sadly replied.

    "Her brother?" Andrea asked. This was the last thing she expected to hear, and the last thing she expected to see. It was rare for her to see members of the same family apparently take different sides in battle.

    Max agreed with Andrea and voiced his confusion. "What the hell's he doing fighting Professor Ozpin?" he asked.

    Bailey was sure that his teammate was still upset, so he answered for Gretchen once again. "He joined the Mandalorians," he said. "Gretchen found out when we took back Beacon. Don't ask me how or why, but he wants to finish what they started."

    "Th-That's crazy!" Lilith continued. "Doesn't he know they're trying to kill us all?!"

    "It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not," said Max, who realized what he had to do. "We can't let him kill Professor Ozpin!"

    "Or the Headmaster!" said Andrea. "Do you have a plan, Max?"

    Max was taken aback by the man's stature and his use of Dust, but he easily saw that his team and Team BGNY outnumbered him. "We can rush him together," he said. "If we just-"

    "No."

    Everyone turned to Gretchen, who had dried her eyes and looked at everyone as seriously as she could. It was hard for her to contain her emotions, but she was doing the best she could. Fortunately, her emotions didn't hamper her logical thinking.

    "I saw what Hazel did to people at Beacon," she said. "If you three try to fight him, he'll break you like sticks."

    "Gretchen's right," said Nerissa. "We've fought bigger Grimm than him before. We'll take care of this."

    Max couldn't deny that Team BGNY was probably better equipped to fight Hazel. However, he didn't feel that he and his friends would be very helpful by simply abandoning the elite Huntsmen and Huntresses. Fortunately for them, Bailey had an idea.

    "I saw Mandalorians by the CCT towers," he said to the students. "The Huntsmen and Huntresses might need help defending them."

    "Got it," said Max, who quickly moved toward the twin towers close to the auditorium. His two friends were right behind him, and Lilith wished the team good luck before they charged towards Hazel.

    Given the state the man was in, Team BGNY would definitely need luck.

    The more time he spent fighting Ozpin, the angrier Hazel got. He had already injected himself with enough Dust to render a Goliath unconscious, but all it did was give him strength.

    And yet, Ozpin continued to fight.

    Along with his trustworthy cane, which he constantly used to send a series of quick jabs at Hazel's chest, the former Headmaster of Beacon Academy had Magic on his side. The fight had reached the point where Ozpin knew he needed his own Magical abilities to defend himself, and he had used it to create an energy shield as well as blast a beam of pure energy at his foe. And with Obi-Wan at his side, Ozpin refused to fall.

    But then again, neither did Hazel.

    All three warriors stopped fighting as they caught their breath. This was quicker for Hazel, since his Aura recharged at an alarming speed. And when it was fully charged once again, he found himself walking towards Ozpin after he struck Obi-Wan.

    *BAM*​

    The Aura-boosted strike was strong enough to not only deflect Obi-Wan's lightsaber, but it sent Obi-Wan sliding across the floor and next to Ozpin. The old man was about to help his friend, but Hazel's footsteps and his voice immediately captured his attention.

    "Is he still in there, Ozpin?" Hazel asked as he marched forward. "The one whose body you stole?"

    "..."

    Ozpin said nothing as he prepared to defend himself, even though he knew what Hazel was talking about.

    "She told me what to you are," the large man continued. "How you steal more and more lives when your past ones end." Hazel cracked his neck as he moved closer. "But that wasn't enough, was it? When you weren't stealing bodies, you convinced people like my sister to fight for you. You disgust me."

    "..."

    Ozpin knew that Hazel was broken in a way that couldn't be healed, and he knew that robbing others of their freedom was the last thing he wanted. But with every word Hazel said, a wave of guilt and remorse came crashing upon him.

    "Your current body, whoever he was... their blood won't be on my hands," Hazel said as he lifted his arms up. "It will be on yours." When the speech ended, Hazel sent his arms crashing down towards Ozpin.

    *BAM*​

    Ozpin found himself on the floor with Obi-Wan, but it wasn't two fists that had knocked him down. Instead, a small shockwave that resulted from a collision had sent him on one knee. When he realized that he wasn't hurt, that something had protected him, Ozpin looked up and received a welcoming surprise.

    "Gretchen..." Ozpin whispered.

    Hazel was also taken aback by what had just happened; Gretchen was not only at Haven as well, but she was holding his fists back with her own hands. She had injected Dust into her own arms to withstand the force behind Hazel's strike, and now she had him right where she wanted him.

    *SHICK*

    *SHICK*    ​

    "Aaugh!"

    Hazel looked behind him to see a trident and a metal pitchfork embedded into his back. Nerissa and Bailey had joined together to attack the man, and together they threw him away from Ozpin while Gretchen pushed against her brother.

    When he was out of her way, Gretchen helped Ozpin and Obi-Wan back on their feet. "We'll handle him!" she said after she pulled them off the ground. "Protect the rest of the school!"

    Ozpin was the first to object when he saw Hazel get back up and scream in fury at the sight of his sister defending the person he wanted to kill. Not only did Ozpin not want Gretchen to learn about his past, but he also felt that Hazel's presence here was his fault.

    "Save yourself, Ms. Rainart!" Ozpin insisted. "Your brother justly blames me for you being here. He is my responsibility!"

    "No," Gretchen retorted. "He's mine."

    Nerissa quickly joined her best friend's side. "And if she wants to fight, we're in this together."

    "We got this!" said Yuri, who pushed on Ozpin's chest. "Just go!"

    "..."

    Ozpin and Obi-Wan turned back towards the broken statue and realized that they didn't have a moment to lose. The Relic was more vulnerable than ever, and it was more important that Ozpin keeping his past a secret.

    "Thank you," the professor said as he rushed towards the statue. Obi-Wan followed closely behind him, but both of them were forced to stop when the Mand'alor and his Wraiths stood in their way.

    And to make matters worse, Bo-Katan had just returned as well.

    "Not so fast," she said as she and her comrades unleashed a barrage of missiles upon them.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Ozpin and Obi-Wan were able to use both the Force and their own natural speed to evade the missiles, but Ozpin knew a group of Mandalorians like this would require better help.

    "Find Revan and bring him here," Ozpin said to Obi-Wan. "He'll make short work of these invaders."

    "He hasn't returned from his escapade," said Obi-Wan. "I fear he's found more trouble than he can handle."

    "Then go to him." Ozpin readied himself for battle with his cane once more. "And may the Force be with you."

    Obi-Wan's memories served him right. Revan was indeed outside with multiple Huntsmen and Huntresses, where Mandalorians were attacking the Kingdom's CCT towers.

    Haven was unique among the other Huntsmen Academies for various reasons, but one thing that distinguished it from the others was that it housed two CCT towers instead of just one. They weren't as tall as the others Atlas created, but they were just as capable of sending communications across the Kingdom as the others were. While the destruction of Beacon Tower put worldwide communication to a halt, the Mandalorians knew that destroying these towers would be disastrous for Mistral.

    But all of the Huntsmen and Huntresses were prepared to make sure they didn't fall.

    The Mandalorians had managed to shoot a few blasts rockets at the towers, but the damage wasn't enough to disrupt communication. The Huntsmen and Huntresses prevented this from happening as they focused on taking out the airborne Mandalorians, which was what one Huntsman was doing with his Semblance.

    At least, that's what everyone believed.

    Revan was using the Force to make the Mandalorians either fly out of control or crash into the ground. When they did one or the other, a Huntsman or Huntress would finish the job.

    Revan knew that this was what he did best, but each Mandalorian he killed left him unsatisfied as well as impatient. He came out here for one reason only, and that reason was somewhere near the towers. But no matter how hard Revan searched and how many Mandalorians he killed, the Jedi couldn't find what he was looking for.

    Which only meant one thing.

    "He's watching me," the masked Jedi realized after he pushed one Mandalorian towards a group of Huntsmen with the Force. "It has been a while since we last met. He would want to know what I'm capable of."

    *SWISH*​

    The quick swing of his purple red lightsaber and the sight of heads rolling on the ground signified Revan's frustration. "I must remember everything he is capable of. He's already lured me out here, but that never satisfied him." Searching through more memories of his apparent enemy made Revan realize what was about to happen. "If he's still as much a Sith as I recall, he'll go after the weakest link. And let the fear from his enemies sink in."

    Based on his own experiences as a Sith, Revan was confident that this was true. He remembered times when those like him would start their battles by killing the weakest member or the closest ones to them. The Sith would then feel a new sense of pleasure and invigoration from the fear of their enemies, and then they would work up the chain. Anger and hate would do the rest.

    But the only question was... who among these brave Huntsmen and Huntresses would be the weakest? Who would a Sith attack first to reveal themselves?

    While Revan desperately searched for an answer before it was too late, the Huntsmen and Huntresses were joined by three young students from the auditorium. True to their word, Max Bolt lead Andrea Gloss and Lilith Gelb out towards the CCT towers. There, they found themselves fighting against the Mandalorians with their own weapons and their improved hand-to-hand combat.

    They stopped going on the offensive when Andrea needed to recharge her Aura. Max and Lilith covered her to the best of their ability, and they found themselves observing the battle outside.

    "This is nuts," said Lilith. "How can there be so many?" She was taken aback by the untold number of Mandalorians, as well as their ability to kill some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses.

    Max was also surprised by the size of this invading force, but he focused more on the fact that he and his friends were still standing. "You know what's even more nuts?" Max asked. "How we've managed to hold out this long."

    Lilith began to look on the brighter side of things. "Yeah, no kidding." Her eyes fell on the red and purple lights in the hand of the hooded warrior. "I think that guy's mostly to thank, though."

    Andrea was starting to feel better, even though her Aura wasn't fully charged. But she felt strong enough to keep fighting. "Yeah," she agreed as she stepped forward. "Who is he?"

    "I don't know," Max replied. "Was he on our ship?"

    "No way," Lilith replied. "I'd remember someone dressed like that."

    "And I'd remember a mask like that," said Andrea. "He kinda looks like a Mandalorian with that thing."

    "Who cares about the mask?" Max asked as he pointed towards Revan. "Those are some awesome weapons." The young man looked at the weapon he had on his back. He hadn't used it in a while, since he knew the Mandalorians usually fought with hand-to-hand. "I wish I thought of something like those things."

    Lilith was also mesmerized by Revan's lightsabers. "I think Headmaster Kenobi has something like those," she said. "Maybe they created them together?"

    "Probably," said Andrea. "I wish we had more weapons like that."

    *HISS*​

    Lilith turned around when she heard what sounded like something activating behind her. The night cast parts of the school grounds in shadows, but a red light stood out like a sore thumb amidst the darkness.

    "Looks like you got your wish, girl," Lilith said with a chuckle. "We're in luck."

    Max and Andrea turned around to see the red light behind them. They could see a human silhouette behind the red light, as well as a single hand grasping the sword.

    "Oh, thank God," Max said as he waved at the person with both arms. "Hey, there! We could really use some help!"

    "..."

    It was hard to make any features of the new warrior, but everyone was sure that they were making eye contact with the person. And yet, the silence they received was unexpected and a little strange.

    "Uh... hello?" Andrea called out in an attempt to make contact.

    "..."

    Andrea was still feeling brave from her earlier confrontation with the Mandalorians, so she took a few steps forward. But when she took a fourth step, the figure lunged towards her as fast as lightning.

    *WHOOSH*​

    "GET BACK!"

    *CLASH*​

    Sparks and an invisible push caught Andrea off guard as she flew backwards. Her friends fell with her, and they soon looked up together to see what had just happened.

    As Revan locked his blades with the one before him, he praised the Force for his swift speed and clairvoyance. He had spent enough time studying both light and dark to uncover numerous abilities in the Force, as did the other Jedi and Sith. But one of his greatest strengths was his skill with "Force Sense;" it was an ability to sense other beings, their feelings, impending danger, or even the future. And Revan had just used it to sense that three young students were in danger.

    Unfortunately, the Force was also with Revan's enemy. And he had just used it to relentlessly attack the masked Jedi.

    *ZAP*​

    Electricity escaped the man's free hand, and it immediately crashed into Revan. The Jedi tried to block it with the Force, but he quickly found his abilities to be hindered. The attack was lethal and powerful, but it wasn't the first time this man used the Force.

    As he suffered from the electricity coursing through his body, Revan cursed himself for forgetting something important. He had forgotten that his enemy possessed a unique Force power as well. Namely, that he could suppress the abilities of another Force user.

    Revan was feeling suppressed now, which allowed the Sith to make him suffer in more ways than one.

    All three teenagers were now on their feet, but they couldn't find it within themselves to run. The sight of a bald man with metal over his mouth was strangely intimidating, as well as the dull gray in his angry eyes. But what was most intimidating of all was his raspy, almost mechanical voice; a voice that he directed towards the students rather than Revan.

    "First blood."

    *WHOOSH*​

    The Force augmented the man's speed once again, and allowed him to strike hard at Andrea with his lightsaber. The girl's Aura shattered upon impact and left a large, burning cut on her torso. She screamed in agony as she fell to the ground, which brought a sinister laugh from her attacker.

    Max was about to reach towards his wounded teammate, but then he saw that the warrior had a shell-shocked Lilith in his sights. He raised the lightsaber once again and moved it towards her head, but Max was fast enough to intervene.

    "Lily, look out!" he yelled as he pushed her aside.

    *SLICE*​

    "AAAAAAHHHH!"

    The lightsaber had missed Lilith's head, but it had severed Max's left arm.

    Both of the children fell to the ground, and the collision was able to knock Lilith back into her senses. She looked at her wounded friends in horror, especially the stump where Max's arm used to be.

    "Seventy years," the warrior said to get Lilith's attention. "And this is supposed to be Mistral's future?" He wasn't aware that Lilith was from Vale, but he didn't care. "Truly pathetic."

    "..."

    Lilith did nothing as she watched the lightsaber raise above her head once again.

    "Alek, stop!"

    The warrior stopped moving his lightsaber and turned to the sound of the voice, which had apparently spoke his name. Revan was standing up slowly, but the lightsabers in his hands told the Sith that he was ready to strike back.

    "Your fight is with me!" Revan insisted.

    "You're next, Revan," the Sith said in his raspy and mechanical voice. "After these fools remember their history." He turned towards Lilith once again. "There's nobody left who remembers who I was before. Who we were, Revan. But they'll remember Malak." He raised the sword again. "I'll make sure of that!"

    "No!"

    *CLASH*​

    The lightsabers made contact once again, for the second time in almost seventy years. Darth Malak became angry at the interruption, at the man who stood between a Sith Lord and his prey. But Malak was able to use that anger to increase his own strength. His own anger and resentment towards Revan had returned tenfold, and all it did was increase his strength and strike once again at Revan.

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    Each blow was more powerful than the last, but Revan was able to block and push against each one. With each one, Revan remembered that Malak was always more headstrong than him. It was this trait that often led Malak into recklessly charging into danger, which was what he was doing right now.

    It was sad to recall, but Revan remembered that he would always have to rescue the man that was once his brother when he found himself in such danger. Now the Jedi was forced to inflict this danger upon the Sith.

    While he was blocking and dodging the strikes, Revan used the Force to heal the wounds he had received. It took a considerable amount of power, but it was better than retracting the Aura in his lightsabers and leaving him defenseless. But now he was able to return the strikes as he leapt and spun in the air.

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    The blades of Revan and Malak crashed against each other over and over again as they traversed the grounds of Haven Academy. Both warriors ran across the ground and leapt in the air as their battle continued, and their unique blades cut through numerous objects as well as people. Revan was able to kill two birds with one stone when he reached out with the Force and pulled a Mandalorian towards his side. And when Malak swung his lightsaber, he made contact with an unsuspecting Mandalorian instead of Revan.

    Each Mandalorian he inadvertently killed made Malak angrier by the second. He didn't care whether or not the Mandalorians died, since he still harbored a grudge against them during the Great War. In fact, it was the Mandalorians themselves who destroyed his home village and left him and his brother as immigrant orphans. However, what Salem said to him was true; he wanted to kill Revan more than anyone.

    And it was this anger that allowed Malak to influence the Force once again to increase his strength and power. Revan didn't have this ability anymore, but he still had his strategic mind.

    During the Great War, the brothers were known for their swift victories and intimidating body count. Many in Mistral credited Revan's military strategies for the Kingdom's success, but others considered Malak's fierce courage and relentless fury at the forefront of every battle as the key to the victory. Revan knew all too well that this was true, and he was trying to think of a sound strategy to beat his former friend and ally.

    Unfortunately, Malak wasn't planning to give Revan the time.

    "She said you would be here," Malak said as he weaved past Revan's red blade. "To save the weak!"

    *CLASH*​

    When Revan lunged at Malak with his red lightsaber, the Sith saw an opportunity to disarm the Jedi. He struck hard at the sword, which in turn twisted Revan's hand hard enough to drop his lightsaber and watch it bounce out of reach. He was about to use the Force to retrieve it, but he was forced to block another powerful strike from Malak.

    "I sense no weakness here, Malak," he said as he pushed against the red blade. "Only your fear."

    "..."

    Revan may have been restraining himself at the moment, but his connection to the Force allowed him to sense what his enemy was hiding. "You can be angry all you want, but I see you brother. You remember what it was that caused Salem to lock you away with the rest of her lunatics."

    This was true, that Revan played a hand in Salem deeming Malak unworthy of remaining free. And a part of Malak did fear what Revan was capable of, given what he just saw and remembered of his brother's abilities. But there was something else about this fear.

    "It is a necessary fear," Malak said as he watched sparks fly from the lightsabers. "A fear that does nothing but gives me strength. It gave you strength once."

    Revan used the Force to push against Malak so he could break the hold. "The Dark Lord Revan is dead," he insisted as he spun his purple blade. "I am a servant of the light now." He reached out with the Force and saw his other lightsaber fly off the ground.

    But rather than come to him, it remained still in the air.

    "A servant that does not hesitate in striking fear in the hearts of his enemies," said Malak, who was preventing the lightsaber from returning to Revan's grasp.

    "..."

    Revan pulled harder on the lightsaber, as did Malak. But as he pulled in silence, Malak spoke from underneath the metal over his mouth.

    "These Mandalorians are all different in origin, but I sense their fear. A fear they felt for you in combat."

    "..."

    Malak's hold was strong on the lightsaber, and his next words were even stronger.

    "Well done, Revan. I was certain that you were only helping Ozpin defend places like this. But after what you did to those worthless Mandalorians... I see there is more of your old self in you than I expected. You are stronger than I thought; stronger than you ever were during your reign as the Dark Lord. I did not think that was possible."

    Revan wasn't one to waste time talking when he was supposed to be fighting, but a part of himself told him that he needed to beat Malak, his former apprentice and brother, in more ways than one.

    "It is as I said," he insisted. "I serve the light now. It is stronger than you know."

    Malak remembered that Revan once said the opposite, when Salem captured him and molded him into a Sith. If it could be done once, it could be done again.

    "I came here to kill you... but I am tempted to try and capture you alive, Revan," Malak admitted. "Then I can break your will and bind you to me as my apprentice, as Salem did."

    "You do not have the power."

    "Do you not recall my work with Bastila?"

    *CRACK*​

    The metal of Revan's lightsaber began to break when he heard Malak say that name. Malak sensed that he had struck a nerve, which was why he continued to talk.

    "You'll be a far greater asset to me," he said. "Than even Bastila and her battle meditation. If I could control you... but is it worth the risk?"

    "..."

    Malak took great consideration into this idea. He wanted nothing more than to see Revan suffer as he had suffered, but the sense of self-preservation revealed itself.

    "Perhaps you are too powerful to be my apprentice. I betrayed you, when I realized my own strength was greater than yours. In time, you might try to do the same to me."

    "Such is the way of the Sith," said Revan. The lightsaber was cracking even more, but he paid no heed to the weapon. "You may be powerful, but you will never be strong enough to make me serve the darkness once again."

    "Foolish words."

    *CRACK*

    *CRACK*    ​

    Both Malak and Revan could see a red glow emerging from the breaking lightsaber, and still they pulled on it. A broken lightsaber was useless in battle, and the consequences of losing one would be dire. And so, it was Malak's goal to make sure his brother never retrieved the weapon. Instead, he made it crack even more as he spoke.

    *CRACK*

    *CRACK*    ​

    "The darkness and the light wage a constant war within you," the Sith continued. "The balance is tipped one way now, but it can easily be tipped back."

    *CRACK*

    *CRACK*    ​

    "Savior. Conqueror. Hero. Villain. You are all things, Revan. And yet, you are nothing. In the end, you belong to neither the light or the darkness. You will forever stand alone."

    With that, Malak did something that not even Revan could have predicted. Rather than continue to hold the lightsaber, Malak pushed it towards his former brother as the red light continued to shine brighter.

    A light that soon became a small yet powerful explosion.

    *BOOM*​

    Revan was knocked back by the explosion, and he felt most of his strength leave him. The power that had erupted was deafening and capable of breaking any human or Faunus in its path. And now, Revan was laying on the ground in a weakened state that only his Aura and the Force could heal.

    But neither was fast enough to rival Malak's speed as he leapt into the air with his sword in hand.

    "And now, you will die alone!" the Sith shouted as he moved downwards.

    *CLASH*​

    Both Revan and Malak expected the burning lightsaber to have stabbed into the Jedi's chest, where it would bring a slow and painful death. But instead, the red blade had made contact with a blue one; a blue one that was held by none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi.

    "Not tonight, Sith," the Jedi Master promised as he used the Force to push Malak away from him and Revan. Malak fell to the ground and rolled on it a few times, which gave Obi-Wan the chance to quickly help Revan stand.

    But while he was grateful for the assistance, Revan was skeptical about having someone else fighting this battle with him.

    "Leave me be, Obi-Wan," Revan ordered. "This is my fight."

    "The Jedi have spent far too much time fighting their battles alone," Obi-Wan insisted. "We must fight them as one, as the Order did before its fall."

    Revan immediately sensed the rage coming from Malak, who was now standing with his lightsaber in both hands. He screamed in fury as the chance to swiftly kill his brother had failed, and he had lost any interest in breaking Revan's will. Now all the Sith wanted was to see Revan die the worst death imaginable.

    Obi-Wan sensed these feelings as well, but he still refused to leave Revan's side.

    "Very well," Revan agreed as he reactivated his purple lightsaber. "Together."

    Along with violence and death, there was much hatred at Haven Academy. Gretchen hated her brother for attacking what should be defended, Malak hated the Jedi that he swore to kill, Qrow hated his sister for siding with the enemy, and Din Djarin still hated Aurora for what she did to Cinder.

    And he wasn't alone.

    Cinder was still in Aurora's memories, she was still exploring the origins of her nemesis. She understood now that not everyone started off as bad or evil, but this didn't diminish the hate Cinder felt for Aurora.

    And yet, there was something about these memories that made Cinder falter in her hatred.

    The last thing the Maiden had just witnessed was the police arriving at Aurora's boarding school and delivering bad news. Cinder learned more from the memories, that Aurora's mother worked for a wealthy family in the Kingdom of Vale. She had used her wages and savings to enroll Aurora in a fine school, so she could hopefully have a bright future ahead of her.

    Unfortunately, that ended tragically when Aurora's mother arrived at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Her job was, on paper, somewhat simple. She was somewhat of a caretaker, she would perform various tasks and chores around the house. And on occasion, she would go shopping for the family and buy whatever they needed.

    And according to what the police said, her last shopping trip ended when a robbery went wrong.

    As Cinder watched the young girl cry her eyes out and be comforted by the friends she made at the school, she couldn't help but notice the similarities between the child and her own younger self. They were both orphans, though Cinder never had the luxury of knowing her parents. But she knew what it was like to be alone, without anyone to properly take care of her. And it seemed Aurora knew that too.

    That was when Cinder began to feel incredibly afraid.

    "This isn't right," she thought to herself as she ran away. "This isn't right!"

    Cinder charged out of the house and back into the darkness and fog as she breathed heavily. She was feeling nauseous, breathless, dizzy, and incredibly disoriented.

    She wasn't a doctor, but Cinder felt like she was having a panic attack.

    "Why is this happening?!" she yelled. "Are the powers trying to tell me I'm like Aurora?! That I'll be like Aurora?! Like Salem?!" Cinder once had a fear of this when she was a child, that she would be like the evil people she knew and heard because she shared similarities to them.

    Her father once comforted her about this, but Cinder had nobody now.

    "No!" she screamed. "I don't wanna be like them! I hate them!" She began to slap herself in the face as her panic made her act on impulse. "I hate them! I hate them! I hate them! I hate them! I hate them! I hate them!"

    "..."

    Silence was her only company in the void, and it was this silence that made Cinder realize that the only person she was talking to was herself. As she regained her senses, Cinder breathed slowly and turned back towards the school.

    But there was something else behind her now.

    Instead of an old building covered with vines, Cinder was standing in front of a large house. It was mostly white, had multiple windows, and a much larger flight of stairs than the school had. In fact, the doors appeared to be made of metal with illustrious carvings on it. It appeared to be similar to Winter's house, which she had visited dozens of times.

    But such a place couldn't be involved with Aurora... could it?

    The sound of a car caught Cinder's attention, which caused her to turn once again to see a white limousine pull up to the front of the house. The driver stepped out and moved towards the passenger door without a word.

    "There they are!"

    "Quickly!"

    Cinder was caught off guard by the sounds of voices and suddenly flashes, which blinded her. She was forced to step aside to avoid the flashes, where she soon regained her vision. Once she did, Cinder saw multiple people with cameras and Scrolls taking pictures and asking various questions at the passengers of the limousine.

    The first passenger was a tall man with brown hair, who was wearing a suit as black as his eyes. The second was a woman who also had brown hair, but her eyes were almost as white as her irises. There was a third passenger, who turned out to be none other than Aurora.

    Aurora was also caught off guard by the sudden flashes and she also closed her eyes. The two adults seemed more accustomed to the flashes and apparent reporters, as they slowly made their way to the front of the house without a word.

    Cinder grew more curious by the second, since it was clear that she was wrong about Aurora not being involved with this house. She was also curious when she heard one of the reporters call the man "Mr. Vayne." Out of all the names she heard when she arrived at the new void, "Vayne" was the only one that sounded familiar to Cinder.

    The next thing Cinder heard was a rather moving speech from the man, which answered many questions she had. As he stood before the reporters and photographers, Mr. Vayne told the crowd that he and his wife were the employers of Aurora's mother, and that they were devastated when they heard the news of her passing. And so, the couple said they would make amends by not only welcoming Aurora into their home, but also by promising change for the Kingdom of Vale.

    That is, Mrs. Vayne said, if she was "elected."

    "Oh, wait a minute!" Cinder realized. "That's right!" Her eyes fell on Mrs. Vayne as she posed for the cameras. "That must be Odile Vayne! She served on the Vale Council years ago!" Cinder remembered hearing about her from one of Doctor Oobleck's lectures, how she earned her seat by her promises to bridge the gap between humans and Faunus.

    It made even more sense when Mrs. Vayne started posing with Aurora directly in front of her.

    "Doctor Oobleck said she earned a lot of votes from the Faunus community from promises she made and stuff she did," Cinder thought as she looked down at the glowing Faunus. "And some of that stuff... was adopting Aurora?" Cinder never heard anyone mention this, and the reporters didn't seem to get any other information from the Vaynes; they retreated into the house with Aurora.

    Cinder knew her powers still had a reason for showing her all of this, and she knew that she couldn't be separated from them any longer. So, she ran straight to the door and stepped inside just before it closed.

    It was at this moment that everything changed forever.

    "Excellent work, dear," said Odile's husband. "They ate it all up."

    "They always do," said the future Councilwoman. "If this won't get me a seat, then nothing will." The couple shared a smile at each other before Odile spoke again. "I still have that charity dinner to prepare for, I'll have to practice my speech."

    "I'm sure you do. But first things first."

    Odile watched her husband point towards her leg. When she looked down to it, she saw a young Faunus staring back up at her with wide eyes.

    "Oh, right," Odile said. "Aurora, did your mother ever tell you what her role in this house was? Before her passing?"

    "Um..." Aurora nervously uttered. All of this, being brought to a big house and being in front of multiple cameras was all very vexing for her. And at such a young age, she didn't understand what all of it meant.

    "I'll take that as a 'No,'" the woman said as she stared at Aurora's innocent face. "Allow me to be crystal clear." She didn't kneel down to Aurora's level to speak to her. Instead, she leaned forward while she looked down. "You're to make sure the laundry is folded, the dishes are spotless, and the floors are clean enough to eat off of."

    "..."

    Odile's husband, who also looked down at Aurora in the same manner, picked up where his wife left off. "Let this be a lesson," he said. "Nothing in this life is free. Especially our house."

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't believe what she had just heard.

    By taking Aurora into their home, the Vaynes had a responsibility to her. To make sure she was well-raised and given the attention and support her mother couldn't provide her anymore. But now, these people were throwing any idea of responsibility out the window. Everything that had just happened outside was an act, one that hid a sinister truth.

    A truth that Cinder knew all too well.

    Suddenly, the motion of memories and past events began to move a little faster. Cinder saw Aurora's life "fast-forward," in a sense. Just as she was told, Aurora became a slave for the Vaynes. While she was in the house, she attended to all of her masters' needs with her only reward being a roof over her head and what passed for food.

    While she was outside, on the other hand, Aurora was a pawn. The Vaynes would flaunt her to the public and make her appear that she approved of the work her "parents" were doing for the Kingdom. The Vaynes called it "progression," but they were simply mimicking the values that society was starting to develop.

    At heart, they saw the Faunus and their political movements as an opportunity to gain power for themselves. And Aurora was simply their tool for business as well as leisure.

    When she didn't do what they said... consequences followed. It seemed that "Vayne" was the right name for the two humans.

    Cinder grew angrier and spiteful by the second. She knew what it was like to be a slave, and she was horrified to learn that it was happening all over the world. All her life, Cinder believed that what happened to her was an isolated incident. That someone in Atlas found a way to bend the rules despite the fact that slavery had been made illegal after the Great War.

    But it seemed she had more in common with Aurora than she previously thought.

    Despite the fact that she was witnessing flashbacks of Aurora's memories, Cinder began to have flashbacks of her own. There was a time in her childhood when she shared something with Djarin. A fear, to be exact. Cinder told him how she believed she shared similarities with Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi who turned to Salem. He was also a slave, and he also had issues with his own anger.

    And now it seemed Aurora was the same way.

    Djarin was able to convince Cinder that it was choices, not similarities, that made people who they were. The idea made Cinder feel better, since she chose to be with her father and she chose to stay at Beacon. But she wasn't so sure if those words held any merit anymore.

    If they did, then why was the power of the Fall Maiden showing her all of this? Was it trying to warn Cinder? Was it trying to tell her that she was going to end up like Aurora? Like Anakin?

    Did that mean... it was too late?

    "Hey! There she is!"

    The voice of a man caught Cinder's attention. Even though she wasn't in the mood to watch more memories, Cinder knew that wallowing in self pity while asking questions wasn't going to help either. And so, she dried her eyes of tears and turned around.

    Aurora had grown into an older woman, a little older than Cinder to be exact. Whether or not she was still a servant of the Vayne house, Cinder had no idea. All that she could see was darkness and trees.

    This memory appeared to be in the middle of the night, and Aurora was running. Not just running, but sprinting as if her life was depending on it. She appeared to be in the middle of the woods and she didn't seem to be on a path. Instead, Aurora was moving deeper and deeper into the woods.

    "We're getting paid tonight, boys!"

    "I'm gonna mount her ears on my wall!"

    Cinder turned around fast to see that Aurora was running because she was being chased. There was a group of men holding guns and flashlights following Aurora's trail, and they were closing in fast.

    Once again, Cinder became horrified at what she was witnessing. She had heard of things like this in the news, across various Kingdoms. They were unspeakable and they were unlawful. But above all else, they were wrong.

    Aurora was trying to run from a lynching mob.

    *BAM*

    *CRACK*    ​

    A human tackled Aurora and sent her rolling down a hill. Her leg hit a rock as she fell, and she let out a scream of agony. The human was mostly unharmed, and he was on top of Aurora with a knife in his hand.

    "You really thought you could do it, huh?" he asked sarcastically. "You really thought you could just walk away? Think again, freak!"

    *SMACK*​

    Aurora was able to hit the man's knife away from her face, but the grip she was in was as hard as iron. But that didn't stop Aurora from fighting. Based on her age, it seemed she had lived through so many years of pain, isolation, and cruelty. And now, one look on the Faunus' face told Cinder that Aurora was ready to show this man how much she had suffered. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to have the strength or Semblance that Cinder was all too familiar with.

    "Hold it, buster," said another man on top of the hill. He and his fellow humans came down the hill as fast as they could. Once they did, the leader smirked as he looked at the position Aurora was in. "Mr. Vayne said to get creative. And we're not in a hurry. Right boys?"

    "..."

    Even though she didn't want to, Cinder began to think about what was going on. It seemed that Aurora had tried to escape her "home," to stop being a slave to very powerful people. But rather than let her go, it seemed that the Vaynes preferred to teach her a lesson.

    Cinder couldn't bear to watch what happened next. She knew Aurora was putting up a good fight, but she was outnumbered by people who were much stronger than her. She closed her eyes and covered her ears, but Cinder could still hear the sounds of Aurora being tortured.

    Cinder had heard the phrase "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy" before, but she had no idea how much weight the phrase had until she heard what was happening to Aurora. While it wasn't as extreme, Cinder had been tortured before. It was terrible, something she believed no person should have to endure. And yet, not everyone thought as Cinder did.

    Through it all, Cinder asked herself once again what all of this was supposed to mean. She could draw similarities to her own experiences in Atlas once more, but what happened to Aurora was far more brutal and extreme.

    And it seemed to get even worse when the Grimm came.

    *GROWL*

    *ROAR*    ​

    All of the men quickly looked away from Aurora and towards multiple Beowolves and Ursai. Some of the men fired their guns at the beasts, but cowardice overtook the cruel men and caused them to run away. They weren't Huntsmen, they were just hired muscle.

    Hired muscle without any spine.

    "Leave her!" said the leader. "Let the Grimm have her!"

    Cinder saw that Aurora had indeed been left for the Grimm, and she had certainly seen better days. Her clothes were all in tatters, and her body was riddled with deep cuts. Her face was bruised, but every other part of her body was cut deeply. Red blood covered all of her clothes and the soil beneath her; the humans indeed got creative with her.

    The majority of her cuts were on her belly, and they bled just as heavily.

    But what struck Cinder as odd was that none of the Grimm seemed interested in finishing the job the hunters had started. Instead, they were simply smelling her and all around. They obviously sensed the pain and negativity from this act, so they should have been causing more. Cinder had seen enough Grimm and been to enough of Professor Port's lectures to know that it was their nature to cause nothing but harm.

    Unless... they were told not to?

    The memories and scene changed for Cinder once again. Aurora was still laying on the ground, she was still covered in cuts and blood. However, she wasn't in the middle of the woods anymore. Instead, she appeared to be on a cold and rocky beach. The ground was covered in red rocks instead of gray ones, however.

    Aurora awoke with a jerk and slowly raised her head off the ground. She couldn't help but gasp and flinch in pain as she moved, and she couldn't even scream. She moved her hands across each of her cuts, and flinched back as soon as she touched each one. Eventually, she crawled over to the shore and felt the cold water slowly hit her body.

    Aurora moved to her knees as quick as she could, since the saltwater hurt each of her scars. As she did, the Faunus looked at her reflection in the water to see what the humans had done to her. She saw each cut and wound she had received, and each one made her feel disgusted and angry.

    But when she saw the numerous wounds on her stomach, the sight was enough to make her cry. She didn't want to get up or do anything else, she just kneeled on the ground and continued to cry. She cried because there was nothing she could do to change what happened.

    Because she was weak.

    Because she was afraid.

    But most of all, because she was alone.

    "..."

    Cinder never stopped hating the Faunus, but she couldn't help but feel pity for Aurora. Losing her mother, becoming a slave, and being tortured just because she wanted a new life were all terrible and undeserving. Cinder knew Aurora was a criminal and a terrorist because of what happened in Vale, but she hadn't committed any crimes in the memories she saw.

    It was at this moment that Aurora hated the world. Not just the people who wronged her, but the whole world of Remnant. Aurora couldn't remember the last time the world gave her anything good or wonderful in her life. Instead, the world took her mother, her freedom, and her body. And Aurora hated the world for all that had been done to her.

    Cinder understood it well, and so did the figure that stood behind the Faunus.

    When Aurora felt a cold palm on her shoulder, she didn't turn around immediately. Instead, she looked at her reflection in the water to see another woman standing behind her. The shock she received was what caused Aurora to turn around and face a woman with pale skin and dark eyes.

    "I know it's dark," said Salem, who was smiling an almost motherly smile. "But you'll get used to it."

    Aurora was still wary of humans but seeing a woman appear as more Grimm than human was a sight to behold. "Wh... Who are you?" she asked.

    "A lost soul," Salem replied. "I was shunned away from the world too, once upon a time." Salem began to walk away from the water and Aurora, but she didn't seem interested in leaving her behind. "Come with me."

    "..."

    Cinder watched Aurora take one last look at this place. It was clear that she wasn't going to be leaving any time soon, and she wasn't in the shape to leave alone. Even if she was, she had no place to go to. The world had already rejected her... so now Aurora decided to reject it as well.

    And she did that by following Salem.

    Everything began to move fast once again for Cinder. Multiple memories unfolded at the same time, and Cinder saw how Aurora changed under Salem's tutelage. She saw how Salem reminded Aurora of her past and her suffering every day, and she saw how Salem convinced Aurora to use that hatred to become a warrior. Not just a warrior, but an assassin as well.

    Aurora carried out many deeds and missions for Salem. She killed humans, Faunus, Huntsmen, and Huntresses all for the purpose of getting Salem what she wanted. Salem told her every mission was meant to make her stronger, but Cinder knew better.

    She knew Aurora's life was Salem's to command.

    And it didn't stop with Aurora. Cinder saw how Salem made the Faunus her envoy, and how she was able to convince the Mandalorians to join her. Both Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla were impressed and intimidated by her abilities and power, but Salem used more than that. She used Aurora as an example, as to how the world rejected everyone that stood with her, and that it was the whole world that deserved to be burned away.

    In the end, hatred won them over.

    "Oh, my Gods," said Cinder, who had just watched Pre Vizsla submit to her will. "I... I get it."

    All of a sudden, the memories became still. Darkness overtook the environment until it became like the void Cinder originally found herself in. Darkness and a thick fog surrounded her, but Cinder wasn't afraid.

    Everything she saw was strange and unbelievable, but Cinder had emerged with understanding and clairvoyance. Both of these factors not only made Cinder see what she had to do, but they also allowed her to see the floating light once again.

    The powers of the Fall Maiden had returned.

    "I get it now," Cinder repeated. "That's why you showed me all of that."

    "..."

    "Fall and everyone else... they helped me see what a Maiden is," she continued. "But you... you wanted me to see what a Maiden isn't."

    It was strange, to say the least. Seeing Aurora's entire life had put everything into a better perspective for Cinder. Even screaming and shouting how much she hated Aurora and Salem made Cinder understand what all of this was about.

    All of her time spent in the void was amounted to Cinder rebuilding herself from the ground up. To reconnect with her powers by opening herself in ways she never thought possible. She had to find herself, to know who she really was and what made her the way she was. Cinder even learned what it meant to be a true and worthy Maiden, she learned who she had to be to properly bear the title.

    And now, after everything she had just witnessed, Cinder learned who she wasn't supposed to be.

    Watching Aurora lose everything and grow to hate the world taught Cinder that this was what Salem thrived on. It was hate that had led Aurora to Salem, it was hate that led her to become the witch's most faithful servant. And it was hate that led Aurora to stealing the powers of the Fall Maiden.

    If Cinder let hate be her motivation to fighting, she would end up like Aurora. And also, she would end up like Pre Vizsla and the other Mandalorians. She would end up as a slave once again. Not just to Salem, but to her own rage as well.

    That had to stop right now.

    "I... can't forgive her," Cinder said to the floating light. "What happened to Aurora was wrong. And I'm sorry that she had to go through all of it. But all she cares about is making the world feel how she feels. She already did it at Beacon, at Vale. I can't let her do it again."

    "..."

    The light gave Cinder no answer. However, that didn't stop Cinder from continuing to share her lesson.

    "I'll stop her... and I'll do it the right way," Cinder promised. "If it means that it'll drive me straight to Salem, then I won't let anger or hate guide me."

    "..."

    Cinder was extremely confident that she had learned her lesson. After he shared his story about Anakin Skywalker with her, Headmaster Kenobi told Cinder that every Jedi faced the dark side of the Force once in their life. She knew that it happened to Anakin, but now Cinder truly understood what he meant by that.

    She wasn't a Force-wielder, but Cinder understood that she had to push her own dark side as far away as possible in order to stop Aurora. And fortunately for her, the fragment of the power seemed to understand this as well.

    Of course, there didn't seem to be any other reason why the power was extending an "arm" once again. An arm towards her, to be exact. Now, after all this time... Cinder and the power were ready to be made whole again.

    "Let's do this."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 54: Revival
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 54: Revival​

    It had taken more time than any of the women would have preferred, but the end of their voyage was finally within sight.

    Aurora's makeshift elevator, the one she created with her fragment of the Fall Maiden's powers, had finally reached the ground. She had been descending with Raven Branwen and her fellow bandit towards the Vault of the Spring Maiden for almost ten minutes. Aurora was angry at this pace, given than it was proof that she still didn't have the full power just yet. But all of her anger washed away when she felt her elevator touch the ground.

    All three women were now on a stone bridge, one that led towards a natural stone wall at a considerable distance in front of them. Aurora needed a second to relax and regain her strength, but she refused to take her eyes off the center of the stone wall.

    At the center of the wall, at the very end of the bridge, was a group of jagged stones in front of what appeared to be a tree. The tree had glowing leaves that did nothing but fall and shine the immediate area along with the blue light at everyone's feet.

    Rather than the tree or the stones, Aurora's eyes fell onto a large door that stood tall against the wall. It was a door unlike any other, one that was carved and entirely made of gold. Neither Aurora, Raven, or the nameless Spring Maiden had seen a door like this before. However, they all knew what was waiting for them behind it.

    The Relic of Knowledge was theirs for the taking.

    The young bandit couldn't help but gently catch one of the falling leaves. She curiously stared at the plant as well as the tree. Raven had told her that the Vault existed, but she never knew what it was like. Hera, the previous Spring Maiden who took the Mandalorian to the Vault, was the one who opened it. But she and Raven never spoke of the experience; when they did, they said that they simply helped Djarin get what he wanted. And after he left the object where it was, the secret was sealed away along with the Relic.

    So seeing all of this firsthand was interesting, to say the least.

    "Having fun?"

    The bandit looked back to Aurora as the leaf in her hand dissolved into nothingness. She didn't reply, since she had lost her voice so long ago. But the glare she gave Aurora spoke for itself.

    "Stay focused," Raven ordered. It was clear that she didn't want to be in here any longer than she had to. Not while Qrow and Ozpin were still above her.

    "Come on, Raven," Aurora insisted. "Let her enjoy this. It's a once in a lifetime experience."

    The bandit decided to take Raven's advice and stay focused. Once she shook her hand free of any particles the leaf left, she pointed to the Vault. Aurora took this as a need for instruction on how it worked.

    "Once the Spring Maiden places her hand on the door, it'll open," she said as she looked at the bandit. "For you... and only you." Aurora had learned this from Salem, who had given her an explicit instruction for Raven. "Then I'll walk inside and retrieve the Relic. You two stay here. Understood?"

    The bandit nodded, but Raven didn't. "It doesn't matter to us," she said. "Let's get this over with."

    "That's what I like to hear." The smirking Faunus turned to the bandit. "Whenever you're ready."

    The bandit slowly approached the golden door with the intention to open it for the first time in five years. Aurora was the only one who was unaware that it had been opened before, but Raven and her accomplice were aware of the experience. Raven had been told that nothing dangerous resided behind the door, but she placed her hand on Omen just in case.

    This action was caught by Aurora, who immediately expected betrayal. She was prepared for this, since she didn't fully trust Raven. So rather than let the bandits take the Relic and use a portal to never be seen again, Aurora took her chance.

    "Salem told me a lot about you, Raven," she said. "She said you're a cunning leader, that you're strong, that you're clever."

    "..."

    The girl's hands were hovering over the golden door, and Aurora looked back to Raven.

    "I think I wanna test those stories."

    *WHOOSH*​

    "No!" Raven called out as she lunged forward.

    *SSSSS*​

    When a blue ball escaped Aurora's hand and made contact with the bandit leader, Raven found herself frozen in place. Aurora had been testing her Maiden abilities with Salem ever since she left Beacon, and that was how she knew that she could create ice. However, her control over ice wasn't as strong as electricity or air, so Aurora knew that she had to act quick.

    Fortunately, a gift from Salem made acting quick easy.

    *WHOOSH*

    *SHICK*    ​

    The young bandit had turned around when she heard her leader being encased in ice. But when she turned around and reached for a weapon at her belt, the feeling of sharp claws in her chest made it impossible for her to move.

    The glove on Aurora's left arm had been discarded, but her arm was still black. In fact, her arm looked like that of a Grimm's. And just like the creatures that roamed the world, the arm was just as lethal.

    The origins of this arm were unique. When Aurora returned to Salem's castle after the Fall of Beacon, she reported the failures of the Grimm Beetle. Namely, how Cinder was able to fight it. Salem took this lesson to heart, and sought to improve the process of stealing a Maiden's powers rather than let the same thing happen again. Her next creation was meant to serve as both a solution and a punishment for Aurora; she removed the Faunus' arm and attached the arm of a Geist in its place.

    The Geist was a Grimm known for possessing inanimate objects to make a bigger body for itself. Its arms were able to take control over anything, and this trait was the inspiration for Salem's methods of stealing the Maiden's powers. It was impossible to fight the action, and Aurora could see that when she watched the bandit become paralyzed.

    "It's nothing personal, kid," Aurora said as she stepped forward. "It's just that I was promised these powers a long time ago." She stopped walking when she was in front of the scared young girl. "It's time to make good on that promise."

    *SHICK*​

    The girl fell to the ground and grabbed the black arm. Her mouth was open and tears were coming down her face, it was obvious that she was afraid. But the worst part was that she couldn't scream. She had been left mute practically all of her life, and she couldn't even use her voice to signify how much pain she was in.

    Aurora didn't need a voice, however. All she needed now was the power of the Spring Maiden.

    "If it makes you feel any better... it'll be for a very good cause," Aurora said as she dug her new claws deeper into the girl's chest. Squirming and hitting the arm didn't help the young girl, and it only made Aurora smile even more.

    Aurora's swift attack was something the Faunus was proud of, especially since she was finally able to test her new arm. She was easily impressed by the fatal powers it possessed, along with the fact that it was beginning to draw Aura as well. Aurora planned to place this Aura into her lightsaber, and then kill Raven with it.

    However, beneath the pride and sadism, Aurora began to feel confused as she looked at the young girl. It was clear that life within her was fleeting... but there was no sign of the Maiden powers leaving with it.

    "What?" Aurora asked as she stared at the dying girl. "What is this?"

    Aurora knew the arm was working as intended, since she was able to steal the girl's Aura. But no matter how hard she tried, Aurora couldn't make the power of the Spring Maiden come to her.

    "That's impossible!" Aurora shouted. "How are you still holding on to the power?!"

    *CRASH*​

    The sound of something breaking behind her caused Aurora to turn around. The Faunus grabbed her lightsaber as she did, and she was met by none other than Raven. She was expecting the bandit to break out of the icy prison she made, since ice wasn't Aurora's strongest element. However, Aurora knew something was wrong when she saw Raven breathing heavily.

    There was a warm feeling in the air. Something that hadn't been here earlier.

    "You won't find it, because she isn't the Spring Maiden!" Raven said as she tossed her Grimm mask aside. When she made eye contact with her new enemy, Aurora was welcomed with a red fire surrounding both of Raven's angry scarlet eyes.

    "I am!"

    Aurora wasn't the only combatant to receive a deadly surprise. Above her, the battle for Haven continued fiercely. Both sides sustained casualties and caused great destruction, but the battle showed no signs of stopping.

    And there were more surprises left for the defenders of the prestigious academy.

    The first came for Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had joined Revan's battle against Darth Malak. It had been five years since he fought a Sith, since he had slain Darth Nihilus. As he deflected lightning and a red blade with his own lightsaber, Obi-Wan couldn't help but wonder if his earlier duel was only luck. Not only was he aided by Cinder that day, but Nihilus had been severely weakened since Coruscant fell.

    Malak, on the other hand, was in his prime state.

    Revan took note of how fast and strong Malak had become. It wasn't just his own emotions and negativity that was giving him strength, but also his age. Unlike Obi-Wan and Revan, Malak possessed a young and able body. Nobody would believe his real age, if they really knew what it was. His youth served him well, as did his imprisonment.

    As Revan told Djarin, the Fermata Cage that Salem created was capable of suspending people in time. Their bodies would refuse to age, since Magic and the Force preserved them. When Revan had been freed, he was able to age normally again like any human or Faunus. He had aged years since his release, approximately two decades. Malak, however, retained the youth he had in the Great War; the speed and strength of a Sith his age were still with him.

    Experience and strategy, however, stayed on Revan's side.

    It was his experience and strategy that told Revan that something was wrong. With each strike he sent towards his former apprentice, Revan realized that Malak had gone on the defensive. He returned strikes of his own, mainly with the Force and his lightsaber, but they weren't like the strikes of a Sith. With each block and Force push he sent to his former master, Malak seemed more concerned with defending himself against Revan.

    The same, however, could not be said with how Malak fought Obi-Wan.

    The Headmaster found himself on the receiving end of Malak's lethal attacks rather than Revan. The Force lightning and the strikes from a red lightsaber were all directed at him rather than Revan. Obi-Wan was able to defend himself, but he couldn't understand why Malak was attacking him more than Revan.

    Revan couldn't understand it as well. He had been on the receiving end of Malak's anger and hatred five minutes ago, and Revan had to admit that his former apprentice had briefly gotten the better of him when he destroyed one of his lightsabers. Malak had already lured Revan to him when he attacked the students, he had what he wanted.

    On the other hand, Obi-Wan inserted himself in their battle. Perhaps Malak simply sought to eliminate any further interruptions. But to do that, he would have to go after Ozpin as well, and maybe anyone else who tried to defend Haven.

    So the question remained. Was Malak simply trying to make sure that his duel with Revan wouldn't be interrupted again? Or was there an ulterior motive at play?

    Oddly enough, it was Malak who answered this question when he found his blade locked with Obi-Wan's. He had sent another push with the Force to Revan, and he also threw a few students on top of the Jedi so he would be distracted.

    "I'm impressed," the veteran said to the Headmaster. "You are stronger than I had anticipated. Though I should have expected as much from a member of the Jedi Council."

    "Rank does not concern me," Obi-Wan countered. "I've simply let go of my fear." Obi-Wan used the strength his lack of fear gave him to push Malak back and strike at his arm.

    Malak groaned as he grabbed the burning cut on his arm. The pain wasn't enough to make him stop fighting, and he soon found himself embracing this pain with a laugh.

    "Not for long, you haven't." Malak laughed even harder. "He was right about you. So naïve."

    Obi-Wan had moved to a defensive position again, but the Sith's words caused him to briefly stumble. He remembered the Sith he had faced were known for trickery and deception, as well as for running their mouths. However, the word "he" had caught the Headmaster's surprise. He had expected Malak to speak only with Salem, not another "he." But Obi-Wan was able to brush it off.

    At first.

    "Manners maketh man, Malak," Obi-Wan sarcastically replied. "Should I be telling Revan that it's impolite to talk about others behind their back?"

    "I can assure you, Revan has done far worse behind the backs of others," Malak replied. "But I wasn't referring to my new apprentice." Malak was still under the delusion that he could make Revan a Sith once again. "No, I was referring... to yours."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan lowered his lightsaber when he heard this. His intuition was telling him that this was a Sith trick, that Malak wanted him to lower his guard so he could be vulnerable. But the mention of Obi-Wan having an apprentice was too tempting for the Jedi to ignore.

    Especially since Obi-Wan only had one apprentice in his life.

    "Mine?" he asked.

    "Come now, Headmaster," Malak replied. "You knew Salem was aware of your presence here. Did you really think she would only send one Sith to finish what she started all those years ago?"

    "..."

    "Search your feelings, Jedi. Surely you know who she would send to get under your skin."

    Obi-Wan found it within himself to stop believing the idea. "You're lying!" he said. "If he was really in Mistral, he would be here instead of you!"

    Malak didn't need the Force to sense Obi-Wan's anger. Now it was time to make that anger regress into fear.

    "Yes, we did have to draw lots to see who would be here first," Malak continued. "He was angry when I won, of course, but not after I promised to give you his regards. Along with a message."

    "Message? What message?"

    "Anakin Skywalker was unable to keep his promise to you... but Darth Vader never fails."

    "..."

    It was at this moment that Obi-Wan knew that not only was he still alive, but Anakin's journey to the dark side was complete. The name "Darth Vader" was one he had never heard of before, but it was obvious that Malak was using it to refer to Anakin.

    As for what he had promised the last time they met, that too was obvious for Obi-Wan.

    "Satine... No!"

    Obi-Wan lost all control as he lunged towards Malak. Just as the dark lord had wished, the Jedi gave in to fear and let it turn into anger. His strikes became more powerful and fast, but also predictable. Obi-Wan had let this happen before, when he watched a Sith murder his master in cold blood. That day, his emotions caused him to nearly be fed to a Sarlacc.

    Tonight, his emotions caused him to be wide open for Malak to strike his chest and stab him in the leg.

    Obi-Wan fell to the ground in pain. The cut on his chest wasn't near his heart or any other vital part of his body, but the wound in his leg made it difficult for Obi-Wan to stand up. His first instinct was to retract his Aura from his lightsaber to heal himself, but Malak made this impossible when he summoned the weapon to him.

    Malak kept his eyes on the blue blade in his hand, he almost became mesmerized with it. It had been ages since he saw a lightsaber of this color, when it was carried by a hundred others in a different time. And to think that there was only one left.

    "I cannot recall the last time I slayed a Jedi with their own lightsaber," he admitted. "Perhaps this will jog my memory." Malak moved the blade so it would be in a stabbing position, and he moved it quickly towards the defenseless Obi-Wan.

    *CLASH*​

    Revan had recovered from Malak's diversion and he was just in time to knock the blade away from Obi-Wan's chest.

    "Ah, there you are," the Sith Lord said as he struck at Revan again. The strikes made Revan walk backwards as he deflected each one, now he and his former apprentice were about two yards away from Obi-Wan.

    "Still fighting like a Jedi, Revan?" Malak taunted. "Aren't you going to destroy me?"

    "...I would certainly like to," Revan admitted as he locked blades with Malak.

    "I know you would." Malak pushed against the blade. "I can feel your anger. An anger all too similar to Obi-Wan's."

    "..."

    Revan looked upon the wounded Headmaster with pity. Obi-Wan had not fallen to the dark side in his attempt to stop Malak, he had just lost control when fear overcame him. Malak sensed how this fear turned into anger, and he was sure that it could have turned to hatred in due time.

    But Malak didn't care about Obi-Wan; he was here for Revan and Revan alone.

    "You saw how he faltered," Malak continued. "But he does not know how to use his feelings. You and I, on the other hand, are all too familiar. Use them, Revan. Use them, and take your rightful place at my side."

    "..."

    Revan had to admit that he was strongly tempted. Killing a Sith was no easy task, even for a Jedi Master. Revan knew that using his own feelings and passion in combat would help him bring this conflict to a swift end, and it would decimate the Mandalorians even faster. Haven would be safe; all he had to do was fight like he did during the Great War, like he did under Salem's tutelage.

    "You are brave... and some would say foolish. But you are also right. The dark side has not wholly consumed me. I cannot raise my blade against you. You will go on to defeat Malak, of this I have little doubt. You will have gone from being the Sith Lord himself to the savior of our world. And you said you loved me... This may not be the best time to say it but... I love you too. With all my heart."

    "..."

    Revan almost didn't believe what he heard. He initially believed that someone had whispered in his ear, but Revan told himself that he heard a memory. It was a strong one at that, from a time where he had faced Malak before. The voice belonged to the person that Malak had mentioned, someone Revan cherished with all his heart.

    It was this memory that told Revan what he would be giving up if he gave in to Malak's wishes. He had given it up once before, and he would be damned before he did it again.

    *CLASH*

    *WHOOSH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    The use of the Force and remarkable speed allowed Revan to wound Malak severely. Now the Sith Lord had a mark on his chest just like the one he had given Obi-Wan. He was able to retract his Aura to heal himself, and Revan gave him time to do so by talking.

    "No," he said. "That time is over. I cannot fully return to the light... but I will not let the darkness take over once more. Not even for you, brother."

    "..."

    "I am not perfect... but I am a Jedi. Like Bastila."

    *HISS*​

    Malak took his failure personally, and he signified this by activating his lightsaber once more and staring at Revan with an intimidating scowl.

    "So be it... Jedi."

    Inside the school's auditorium, Professor Ozpin also received a surprise. But unlike Obi-Wan's, this surprise was a welcome one.

    Ozpin was engaged in a war on two fronts at the moment. Vizsla and his guard of Wraiths were still guarding the Vault, and Hazel had his eyes set on Ozpin. His sister and her teammates were able to capture his attention, but Hazel struck at Ozpin whenever he could.

    And though he was the Headmaster of Beacon, Ozpin found this to be one of the hardest battles he had ever fought. Hazel's physical strength was nearly unmatched, not even Ozpin's Magic could do the man much harm. And nearly every attack he made on Vizsla had been ineffective due to the Mandalorian's Semblance. Vizsla anger had faded since he learned his lesson with Obi-Wan, and he decided that the ability to become invulnerable would aid him well.

    When he saw the Headmaster gasping for breath and clutching his side, Vizsla knew that he had made a wise decision.

    A single glance at Ozpin was enough to tell Vizsla and his guards that the Huntsman had been defeated. Ozpin still had his Aura on his side, but it wasn't enough to defeat this many foes. The Force was still with him, as was his notable cane. The cane was starting to give Ozpin an idea on how he could fight back, on how he could end this destructive conflict once and for all. But doing so would require an enormous sacrifice, something that the Headmaster wasn't entirely sure he was ready to make.

    And yet, the sight of Vizsla and his men approaching closer with the Darksaber in hand made his idea more tempting by the second. Vizsla had even managed to best Qrow, who was pinned to the wall by small saw blades and bleeding heavily.

    Only a miracle could save them now.

    "And to think Haven's Headmaster said this wasn't like Beacon," the Mand'alor said as he approached Ozpin with his guards behind him. "I've lost count of how many Huntsmen and Huntresses I've killed tonight."

    "As have I," said a Wraith. "And the night is still young."

    Ozpin looked up at the Mandalorians and tried to stand back up. But Vizsla simply raised his blaster and fired it directly at Ozpin's chest. When that happened, the last of the Headmaster's Aura disappeared. Qrow watched his mentor hit the floor, and he tried to get up to help him. But the saw blades were too deep into his shoulder and arm to move; not even the ability to turn into a bird could help him.

    Qrow and Ozpin both felt equally frustrated and hopeless. They both knew their natural speed and fighting prowess could help them right now, if they weren't incredibly injured. The Mandalorians had taken all of their strength, and now they were going to take their lives. Just as Ozpin believed, only a miracle could save him and his ally now.

    And to his surprise, the miracle came in the form of a welcome surprise.

    *WHOOSH*

    *SNAP*

    *WHOOSH*

    *SNAP*

    *WHOOSH*

    *SNAP*    ​

    The repetitive sounds of air striking his back and bones breaking caused Vizsla to turn around and become speechless. Where he was expecting to see his guards, the Mand'alor was now seeing the bodies of his Wraiths with broken necks.

    "What?" Vizsla quickly asked. "How did-?"

    *WHOOSH*​

    The sound of air hitting his head caused Vizsla to turn around just in time to see a Mandalorian standing behind him. But unlike the Mandalorians in his service, this one was entirely chrome and carrying a staff on his back. He was also extremely adaptable, which was why he settled for punching Vizsla in the face instead of breaking his neck when he lost the element of surprise.

    Ozpin, however, had more surprise than the Mand'alor when he recognized his savior.

    "Djarin..."

    Din Djarin had indeed returned to the fight. His encounter with Paz Vizsla and the former Children of the Watch didn't result in his death, but rather falling onto a ledge beneath the landing pad. When he awoke, the visions of his sister and her words of wisdom stayed in his mind and guided him towards his new path.

    Djarin had not only decided to stay at Haven, but he also decided to join in the fight rather than run from it. It was true that Flora and whoever else was with her were closer to Cinder than he was, and he had no wish to abandon his daughter. However, Aurora showed no signs of leaving as well. Staying at Haven had made her a target of the Mandalorian, and his revived will to fight told him that Aurora had to die tonight.

    It was the only way to save Cinder, and the only way to end this madness.

    On his path back to the auditorium, Djarin relied on his speed and his Semblance to either evade or kill the Mandalorian invaders. He chose to kill whenever a defender of Haven was in trouble, and he showed no hesitation in doing so.

    He didn't even hesitate to use his Semblance to break the necks of Vizsla's Wraiths. The Mandalorian knew that he couldn't fight them head-on, so he relied on the element of surprise to save Ozpin.

    "Get up," Djarin ordered as he grabbed Ozpin's arm and pulled. "This isn't how we die." Once he was off the ground, Ozpin watched Djarin disappear again.

    *WHOOSH*​

    This time, instead of trying to kick Vizsla while he was down, the Mandalorian found himself in front of Qrow. He was ready to help his friend stand back up again, but Qrow's current condition would make this harder.

    And yet, Qrow regained his optimism when he laid eyes on the one person he was hoping to fight side-by-side with.

    "You're a sight... for sore eyes," Qrow said as he tried to move. "I thought... we lost you."

    "You're not wrong," Djarin admitted. "But I know that I'm supposed to be here, going after Aurora." He kneeled down to Qrow and placed a hand on one of the circular blades. "And I need to help you too."

    Qrow looked at what his friend was holding, and he knew his plan to help wasn't going to be pleasant. "I picked... the worst time... to stop drinking."

    Djarin rolled his eyes at the joke as he prepared to pull. "Here we go," he said.

    *SHICK*​

    "Hrrr!"

    *SHICK*​

    "Grrr!"

    *SHICK*​

    "Aaugh!"

    Qrow couldn't help but scream as the last blade was pulled out. Each one took Djarin a certain amount of time and effort, since the blades were previously pinning Qrow against the wall. But when the Mandalorian was successful and Qrow shook off the pain, Djarin helped his friend stand up. Once he did, Djarin rejoined Ozpin with Qrow in tow.

    The brief but welcome reunion made Ozpin and Qrow happy that they wouldn't be fighting alone, and it made Vizsla mad that this unexpected return had just cost him his bodyguards. After he quickly killed a Huntsman and Huntress with the Darksaber, the Mand'alor began to create a plan to deal with the trio of defenders.

    "Hazel!" he yelled. "Join me!"

    The large man Vizsla was referring to was already locked in combat with Team BGNY. Gretchen and her friends were giving their all to stop her brother, who was already getting the better of them.

    During their fight, Hazel used his enhanced strength to break both Bailey's and Nerissa's weapons. Nerissa tried to continue the fight with half of her trident, but Hazel broke it again with a combination of Fire and Lightning Dust.

    Yuri was able to use his speed to trap Hazel in a cyclone, one that had the potential to sweep him off the ground when it gained the right momentum. But before it could do so, Hazel stuck out his arm in Yuri's circular path to stop him in an instant. The Dust in Hazel's arm stabbed Yuri when he crashed into the large man, and the Lightning Dust coursed through his body in a harmful and potentially fatal method. When he fell, the Huntsman couldn't find the strength to get back up.

    As she watched her friends fall, Gretchen felt more and more guilty. She had tried countless times to make her brother stop this fight and see reason, but Hazel kept refusing to do so. He did show a willingness to leave during the fight, however. He told his sister that all she had to do was leave with him and give up being a Huntress.

    Gretchen knew that this was the only way to stop Hazel, but it wouldn't have stopped the rest of the battle. The Mandalorians were seeking a prize bigger than herself, so removing herself from Haven would be meaningless. And if she refused to fight for her friends and every other person that was trying to defend Haven, how could she live with herself? So she naturally declined Hazel's offer and continued to fight him.

    The fight stopped, however, when Pre Vizsla called out to him.

    Hazel turned around fast to see that Ozpin, the man who he held responsible for Gretchen's status as a Huntress, was still alive and with friends. Rather than let him live, Hazel decided that he would be the one to kill the Headmaster of Beacon. And based on what Salem told him, he could do it over and over again.

    But first, he grabbed his sister by the neck and threw her towards a broken piece of a wall with debris. Some of the debris had a piece of rebar sticking out, and Hazel twisted the metal so it wrapped around Gretchen's arm like a handcuff.

    "Don't even think about it," Hazel said as he watched Gretchen try to break the metal. "We're leaving when I'm done."

    "Hazel, come back!" Gretchen yelled as she watched her brother walk off towards Ozpin. "Hazel!"

    "..."

    The brother paid no attention to his sister as he stuck two more pieces of Dust in his arms. When he let out a mighty yell from the energy flowing within him, Ozpin and his companions noticed that their fight was going to be even more difficult.

    But that didn't stop Djarin from stepping up when he saw the state Ozpin and Qrow were in.

    "Leave this to me," the Mandalorian ordered as he prepared his staff. He then moved in front of the injured warriors, which put him in the path of both Vizlsa and Hazel.

    The two warriors were both strong in their respective natures. While Hazel was strong both physically and emotionally with the anger that burned within him, Vizsla was strong with his Semblance and the art of Mandalorian combat.

    But Djarin found himself to be feeling just as strong as the two of them put together. He didn't know it until now, but he had lost something since the Fall of Beacon. He had been fighting time and time again, against Grimm and Mandalorians alike. But through it all, he was fighting without something that was instinctual, something that came without thought.

    Passion. And heart.

    Din Djarin was taught that these factors were wielded by all Mandalorians who came before him, that they were the sole reason of how they knew they were fighting for the right reasons. When Djarin lost that, he simply became a ghost. He became a shell of his former self, one that was never content with teaching, or fighting, or even living.

    The moment he shared with Ikki helped Djarin reignite his warrior's soul. One look at Hazel and Vizsla told the Mandalorian that neither of them possessed such a thing, only anger and greed. Because of this, Djarin had the confidence to put his skills to work.

    And when all three warriors charged with a yell, all Hell broke lose.

    Djarin once again relied on his Semblance to gain the element of surprise. Since his brief rest allowed his Aura to recharge, Djarin could use it as many times as he needed to. And so, the first thing he did when he teleported was strike Vizlsa from behind with his staff.

    When Vizsla felt the pain of the electricity, he immediately relied on his Semblance to make himself transparent and grab the staff as it moved through his body. Djarin quickly caught on to this ability before Vizlsa could strike back, and he teleported once again.

    Djarin knew that his Aura was fully charged, but he also remembered how it needed to be altered in order to save his life after a mission with Qrow went awry. So the Mandalorian focused on short range distance when he used his Semblance, which was why he landed on Hazel's back and stabbed him with his knife.

    Hazel growled as he felt the knife enter his flesh. Using his Aura and Semblance spared him death and pain, and he reached up to try and pry the Mandalorian off him. But when he saw Vizlsa prepare to shoot him with his gauntlet and blaster, Djarin wrapped his wire around Hazel's neck and pulled. Hazel used his Semblance to block out the pain once again, but he moved with the wire and thrusted his chest forward as his head moved back.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    Fire and two blasts from Vizsla's weapons struck Hazel instead of Djarin, which caused the man to scream in fury and impulsively swat Vizlsa like a fly to make him stop. And when he finally got a grip on Djarin, Hazel threw him off his back and felt the wire move back into the Mandalorian's gauntlet.

    But Djarin simply teleported again so he wouldn't have to hit the ground. When he did, he found himself in front of Hazel and striking him in the face repeatedly with his staff.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    Multiple strikes of electricity hit Hazel in the face as the Mandalorian lunged forward. He had drawn inspiration for this attack from Ozpin, when he would use the same motion to strike multiple times at an enemy. Though his strikes were nowhere near the same speed as Ozpin's would be, Djarin could tell that his strikes were doing damage as well.

    But they stopped when Hazel grabbed the staff and crushed the end in his hand.

    Djarin teleported once more to avoid a fist from Hazel, but he found himself close to Vizsla and Mandalorians who had joined him. Vizsla swung the Darksaber multiple times at Djarin, but the Mandalorian blocked each strike with his gauntlets. He was, however, forced backwards when Vizsla settled for kicking him in the chest.

    "RRRRRAAAAAHHH!"

    A familiar scream made Djarin turn around fast and see Hazel begin to charge at him. An unstoppable force was to the left of him, and a squad of Mandalorians were too his right. Djarin knew that he was now stuck between a rock and a hard place, but he didn't relent.

    Instead, he teleported once more after he fired multiple whistling birds at Hazel. And after each one exploded, Hazel grabbed his face as he blindly charged and collided into each of the enemy Mandalorians.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *CRASH*    ​

    All of the Mandalorians, Vizsla included, were knocked away and injured as they found themselves in Hazel's path. Vizsla walked away with a shortness of breath after he was hit in the chest, but the Mandalorians behind him suffered from broken bones and bodies on the verge of being crushed. And it all ended when Hazel crashed into a wall.

    The brief reprieve Djarin had been given allowed him to see what kind of damage each of the Mandalorians had done. Very few Huntsmen and Huntresses were in the auditorium now, since they were either dead or trying to make sure the CCT towers wouldn't fall. Djarin could also see that the bodies of Mandalorians were also on the ground, even though they still outnumbered the defenders of Haven.

    However, it became obvious to Djarin that their greatest strength at the moment was Hazel. If he went down, handling the Mandalorians and Vizsla would be easier. Fortunately, Djarin wasn't the one only to see this.

    "No use standing around much longer," said Qrow, who changed Harbinger into its scythe form.

    "I'll aid Djarin," Ozpin decided. "Focus on the Mandalorians."

    "Right." Qrow was about to take off after the armored warriors, but he quickly remembered that his sister was at the Vault. "Wait a minute. Raven's down in the Vault, we should stop her and Aurora."

    *BOOM*

    *RUMBLE*    ​

    An explosion from below and the sensation of the ground shaking caught everyone by surprise. Everyone wondered what had just happened, but Ozpin's connection to the Force gave him a clue. He could sense another conflict at hand, one that was miles below ground instead of in front of him.

    "Not yet," Ozpin said. "I sense there's been a delay in Salem's plans." He quickly spun his cane as he prepared to face Hazel. "Let's not waste the opportunity."

    Qrow agreed and locked eyes on a few Mandalorians who had avoided Hazel's failed charge. "Good luck." With that, he turned into a bird to move faster as Ozpin joined Djarin against Hazel.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    Quick strikes against his back caught the hulk of a man off guard, which gave Djarin an opening to strike with his own staff. He had retrieved it while Hazel was recovering from hitting the wall, and Djarin waisted no time in using it.

    And with the distraction Ozpin gave him, Djarin jabbed the functioning end into Hazel's chest. Unfortunately, all of these strikes only made Hazel angry. And in order to stop the attacks, Hazel struck the ground and watched as a fiery shockwave hit both Ozpin and Djarin.

    *BOOM*​

    The shockwave was short-lived, but it was effective against Djarin and Ozpin. But when the Mandalorian recovered, he teleported himself to Ozpin to help him up.

    "I was wondering if you wanted to help," he said sarcastically.

    "I apologize for the delay," Ozpin apologized. "I may be a Headmaster, but I too need my rest."

    Djarin gestured towards Hazel. "If you were up against him, I'm sure you did."

    Ozpin quickly refocused on the situation. "Hazel's Semblance makes him immune to pain, but he's not invincible. We need to make him incapable of movement."

    Djarin looked at his gauntlet. "I have my wire, but I don't think I should risk tying him up."

    Ozpin took one look at Hazel's bulging arms as he injected even more Dust in his body. "I agree," Ozpin admitted. "And I have an idea. Can you tie his legs together?"

    "On your mark."

    Ozpin watched Hazel inject himself with a final piece of Ice Dust, which caused him to scream even louder and raise his head up as the energy coursed within him. As he watched this, Ozpin knew that the experience was the perfect distraction.

    "Now!" he ordered.

    *THWIP*​

    Djarin fired his wire at Hazel's right leg. He needed to fly around the man to tie both legs together, so he used his jetpack to do this. Qrow helped stop two members of Death Watch from taking flight and pursuing Djarin, so the Mandalorian was able to do his work quickly.

    So when Hazel's legs were tied, the man couldn't move out of the way in time to avoid a strike against his forehead.

    *BAM*​

    Ozpin settled for hitting Hazel in the head rather than his chest. The strike and his tied legs had finally made the man fall and feel incredibly lightheaded, even though his Aura protected him from a fatality. If he didn't have such a fast-charging Aura, the strike would most likely have killed him.

    Unfortunately, he wasn't dead yet.

    Gretchen knew this better than anyone, since she and her friends tried a similar strategy with rendering him immobile. And just like their plan, the one Ozpin and Djarin made had ultimately failed. Because as soon as he recovered, Hazel grabbed the wire and Ozpin's arm while the Headmaster was hitting him again.

    And with Hazel's new control over ice, he made both the wire and Ozpin's arm freeze.

    Hazel threw Ozpin and heard him scream from the freezing sensation as he focused on breaking Djarin's wire. Once he did, a fireball from his other fist made contact with the Mandalorian and made him slide across the floor.

    Ozpin looked at his arm to see that the spot Hazel grabbed was completely frozen. He tried to thaw it out to stop the pain, but it wasn't going away anytime soon. And Hazel took this chance and prepared to finish what he started.

    As she watched Hazel move closer and closer to Ozpin with curled fists, Gretchen felt incredibly scared and guilty. Her fear for Ozpin's life grew with each passing second, and she blamed herself for being unable to stop or reason with her brother. However, her guilt wasn't enough to make her give up.

    Gretchen's arm was still trapped in the rebar, but both of her feet were free. She used her feet to latch on to the end of Bailey's pitchfork and move it towards her. When she picked it up with her free hand, Gretchen noticed that the compartment that allowed for Dust to be inserted was still there; and she still had a piece of Fire Dust with her.

    And so, she inserted the crystal and let the pitchfork break the metal with a small explosion.

    *BOOM*​

    The explosion not only freed Gretchen from her prison, but it also awoke her team from their forced slumber.

    "Gr... Gretchen?" Nerissa asked as she saw her friend stand. "What-?"

    "Don't worry!" Gretchen said as she got up. "Stay down! I'll go after Hazel!" She quickly took off running, even though Nerissa was begging her to wait. It was a logical request, since Gretchen didn't exactly have a plan to stop her brother.

    But all that she knew was that she had to stop him.

    Hazel had come much closer to the weakened Ozpin now. He was forced to briefly stop so he could shove Djarin and Qrow out of his way, but he didn't kill them. In his mind, Ozpin was the one who deserved to die. He deserved to die for taking Gretchen away from him, to let her continue on her path to becoming a Huntress after she nearly died on a training mission.

    But most of all, Hazel believed Ozpin deserved to die for putting Gretchen at risk of Salem, of being a soldier in his impossible war. He planned on protecting her with everything he had, even if it meant that she didn't want him to.

    In order to do that, Hazel knew that he had to kill Ozpin here and now. That was why he raised both of his large and empowered fists over the weakened Headmaster.

    "When you die... don't come back," Hazel warned as he made eye contact with the scared Headmaster. And with another loud and animalistic yell, Hazel lunged forward and brought both of his fists down in an unstoppable manner.

    Ozpin believed he would have died from such a strike, if Gretchen didn't push him out of the way in time.

    "Hazel, that's enou-!"

    *BAM*

    *CRACK*    ​

    "..."

    "..."

    For the first time tonight, the auditorium fell into silence. All eyes fell onto a spot where the sound of breaking bones echoed throughout the room. Nobody could explain why or how the sound drowned out all of the earlier sounds of combat and bloodshed, but they did.

    And when all heads turned towards they source, multiple eyes could see Hazel Rainart standing still with a blank expression and blood coated on both of his hands.

    "GRETCHEN!"

    Nerissa broke this silence when she laid eyes on Gretchen's bloody body. She was still in pain, but she rushed over to her wounded friend as fast as she could.

    Ozpin was the first to hold the young Huntress, who had received a terrible wound from her own brother. When she pushed the Headmaster out of the way, Gretchen set herself up to be attacked by Hazel instead. She had tried to use her Aura to protect herself and catch Hazel's fists, but she was too slow and her Aura was too weak to protect herself.

    Her efforts had led to her receiving a cracked skull and being surrounded by three people in shock.

    Ozpin was cradling her body and trying to think of a way to help. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind.

    Nerissa was crying her eyes out as she tried to stop the bleeding and cover Gretchen's wound, but nothing was working.

    And Hazel found himself unable to do anything.

    All his life, Hazel only desired to protect his sister. This was something he did for years, against Grimm and people alike. So it came as a shock to him when she decided to be a Huntress, to dedicate herself to a life where she had to fight every day to survive. On the day he disappeared, Hazel told himself that he would do whatever he felt was necessary to get his sister back, that he would hurt anyone who stood in his way.

    But he never imagined the person he would hurt the most would be Gretchen herself.

    Nobody around the poor Huntress would say it, but they all knew that the wound was too severe for any of them to do anything. Gretchen even knew that she was about to die, even though she struggled to hold on to life and breathe. It was all in vain, however, as her vision became darker and her head became incredibly weak.

    And yet, Gretchen was able to make one final move, muster a single ounce of strength to look at the large man before her and speak. Blood now came out of her mouth while doing so, but she still spoke.

    "H... Ha... Hazel. W... Wh... Why?"

    "..."

    With that final moment of confusion and heartbreak, Gretchen Rainart died.

    She wasn't the first Huntress to have died tonight, but her death had caused much distress and sadness to everyone who witnessed it. Djarin and Qrow were even watching from afar, and they both took their frustrations and sadness out on the Mandalorians who were distracted from the sound of Hazel killing his own sister.

    Ozpin took out his frustrations differently. He continued to cradle Gretchen's body out of regret. He knew that his death would have been inconsequential, since his curse of reincarnation would start over again. Ozpin didn't like the idea of inhabiting yet another body, but as he cradled the poor Huntress, the old man told himself that the strike was meant for him and that he should have been the one who died.

    Hazel was still in shock of what he had just done, and especially what he had just heard his sister say. However, he agreed with Ozpin's sentiments. The fatal blow was meant for the Headmaster, and Hazel intended to deliver it again. It was easy for him to blame Ozpin, since Gretchen saved him at the last second.

    But the idea became hard when the third person closest to Gretchen screamed.

    "GOD DAMN YOU!"

    Nerissa moved in between Ozpin and Hazel with tears in her eyes and began to hit Hazel's chest in fury. "You murderer!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "You... you monster! You called yourself her brother! How could you do this to her?! What kind of human being are you?!"

    "..."

    Nerissa continued to strike at Hazel's chest and demand an answer, but the man had none to give. The pain within him was much stronger than his hate, but his hate still remained. However, instead of Ozpin, all Hazel could do was hate the one person that Gretchen really needed protection from.

    Himself.

    "A... AAAAAAAAUUUUUUHHHHH!"

    *BOOM*​

    The Dust within Hazel's body ignited all at once as the man let out a pained howl. Everyone around him were all knocked back from the explosion, and even the people farther away from him were taken off their feet.

    Everyone outside the auditorium, Revan and Malak included, all witnessed a bright light escape the ceiling of the building and quickly fade away.

    Surprisingly, nobody was seriously injured from the explosion. Ozpin, Nerissa, Djarin, and everyone else inside stood back up to see a large scorch mark on the ground and a hole in the ceiling.

    And Hazel was nowhere to be found.

    "Oz? Oz!"

    His ears were ringing from the explosion, but Ozpin could see that Qrow had rejoined him and was helping him off the floor. Nerissa couldn't find it within herself to stand and fight, since she was now holding Gretchen's body and crying.

    Qrow shared Nerissa's pain, even though he didn't know the Huntress as well as she did. Djarin also mourned her loss, even though he could see more pressing issues at hand.

    "Where'd he go?" Djarin asked as he looked at the spot where Hazel was. "Oz? Where'd he go?"

    "..."

    Despite the fact that death was a most logical conclusion, Ozpin had to admit that this was a good question. He had heard of accidents with Dust before, with Huntsmen and civilians alike. However, he never heard of Dust being capable of disintegration such as this. And he had heard of Hazel surviving much worse.

    Was Hazel truly dead? Or was he simply not here right now?

    Whatever happened just now, everyone could tell that Hazel was no longer fighting anymore. Vizsla took this news very poorly, since he also knew that Hazel was the greatest asset he had tonight. And if he planned on conquering Haven and Mistral, he needed reinforcements.

    "Kryze, we lost Hazel!" Vizsla shouted after he put his helmet back on. "Forget the rest of the school, I need all our remaining forces in the auditorium now!"

    "On our way!" Bo-Katan said over the radio.

    Ozpin was the only one who heard Vizsla call for backup. He knew that it would take time to arrive, and he knew that stopping Vizsla while he was weak was a top priority.

    Unfortunately, so was obtaining the Relic of Knowledge.

    "Djarin, take Qrow down to the Vault!" Ozpin ordered. "The delay we were granted was only temporary!"

    "The Vault?" Djarin asked as he looked back towards the Vault. The last time he was here, Djarin remembered that the path to the Vault was an elevator that led down into a tunnel beneath the school. Only now, Djarin only saw a hole and a broken elevator. He hadn't noticed it when he returned, but the Mandalorian could see that someone was down in the Vault.

    And he was certain it was Aurora.

    "Qrow, he's right!" Djarin said as he grabbed Qrow's arm. "We have to stop Aurora!"

    Qrow knew that his sister was also down in the Vault, but he wasn't sure if going down was the right call. "Are you sure, Oz?" he asked. "We can take Vizsla together!"

    *BOOM*

    *RUMBLE*    ​

    Another explosion and the ground shaking again was enough for Ozpin to decide that protecting the Relic was a top priority. However, Djarin had another idea.

    "Oz, you go!" Djarin ordered. "You might be the only one who can stop Aurora!" He quickly spun his staff and looked at the Mandalorians. "Vizsla's mine."

    Ozpin had initially wanted to stop the Mandalorians with a plan of his own, with a secret weapon he had been holding on to for years. However, the memories of the Fall of Beacon told Ozpin that perhaps he was the only one who could stop Aurora. He was unable to at first since he had learned a horrible truth about the Blair triplets, something that made him vulnerable and weak at the time.

    But now, Ozpin knew he couldn't let anything hold him back. And perhaps his secret weapon would help him against Aurora. However, he was unsure about leaving someone as mortal and limited as Djarin against multiple Mandalorians.

    "You sure about this?" Qrow asked.

    "I have a score to settle with Vizsla," Djarin insisted. "Go."

    Qrow and Ozpin looked at each other and nodded. "We'll be back as soon as we can," Ozpin said as he moved towards the hole.

    "Good luck," Qrow said as he joined Ozpin. The duo both jumped into the hole that led to the Vault, which left Djarin alone with the Mand'alor.

    Vizsla and Djarin stared at each other intently as they walked across the floor. As they locked their gaze upon each other, each warrior felt a sheer amount of contempt towards each other. For years, Vizsla had to rot away in a prison and fight to survive because of how Djarin beat him. He had to grow stronger and stronger to see the next day and assert his status as leader of what remained of Death Watch. Vizsla wanted the man dead here and now.

    And Djarin knew that Vizsla was not only responsible for what happened to Beacon, but also to Cinder. He held the Darksaber now, something that had been stolen from Cinder on that night. One way or another, he was going to get it back.

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    The sounds of jetpacks in the air made Vizsla briefly turn around. The hole in the ceiling and the open doors showed him that multiple lights were in the sky and coming straight towards the auditorium. The sign of reinforcements gave him the assurance to believe that the future was his for the taking.

    "You have no idea what kind of trouble you're in," Vizsla said with a sinister chuckle.

    "Alright," Djarin said as he swung his staff. "Me first."

    When Qrow and Ozpin jumped into the hole that led to the Vault, each of them had their own unique landing strategy. Qrow naturally turned himself into a bird so he could fly down and land without any trouble. Ozpin, however, used his own Magic to create a green shield that protected himself from the ground.

    Qrow was easily impressed with what he had seen. He had only seen Ozpin's Magic a few times in his life, so he never saw its true potential. Each time he saw it, he was surprised by what else Ozpin could do. Tonight was the first night he saw a shield such as this, and this was the first time that Qrow believed nothing else could surprise him right now.

    But when he looked at the state the Vault was in... Qrow realized that he was terribly wrong.

    Multiple stalactites and part of the natural ceiling had fallen from above, which left fragments of rock on the broken ground. Qrow and Ozpin were easily able to determine that these were the effects of the underground explosions and the cause of the quakes they felt.

    As for the cause of the explosions themselves, two powerful women answered that question.

    Ever since Aurora had learned that Raven's fellow bandit was simply a decoy, that she had fallen into a trap, Aurora knew that she had to kill Raven if she wanted the Relic of Knowledge. Raven also wanted the Relic, it was actually her plan all along. She knew that Salem would discard her and her tribe when the witch believed them to have outlived their usefulness. If she had any hope of defending herself, Raven knew she needed that Relic.

    So only one woman was going to walk away with it.

    Raven released Omen with its red blade while Aurora activated the lightsaber she had been gifted by Salem, which was fully charged with the Aura of Raven's decoy. They immediately began to trade blows and display their strength in swordsmanship.

    Sparks flew as the energy in Aurora's lightsaber made contact with Omen's red blade. Neither of the combatants showed any signs of weakness, until Raven was able to push Aurora's lightsaber against her Grimm arm.

    Aurora was forced to shout in pain as she stepped back and looked at her arm. Raven observed the pain her enemy was in, and she drew a logical conclusion. "Aura can't protect your arm, it's Grimm," she said. Everyone knew that the Creatures of Grimm had no soul, so they couldn't create a manifestation of one.

    And everyone also knew that the Grimm were nothing more than monsters.

    "You turned yourself into a monster just for power," Raven observed.

    Aurora watched the ash stop moving on her arm and looked at Raven with a smile. "It doesn't look like I'm the only one," she said as she reactivated her lightsaber.

    The two women traded blows once again, and Raven showed the true potential of Omen. She was able to use her hilt to summon more blades like her first one. Each blade was meant to counter Aurora's strikes, which was done successfully. However, Aurora was able to break each of them with her lightsaber and electricity she created.

    The bandit couldn't remember the last time she saw one of Omen's blades become broken. It seemed she underestimated Aurora's ability to fight with a blade. It also seemed that she would have to change her strategy.

    Raven unleashed the true amount of power she had, which allowed her to fly and manipulate the environment around her. Aurora immediately joined the bandit, even though her power of flight was as limited as the rest of her powers. But surprisingly, she was able to hold her own quite well.

    Raven had used her powers and the atmosphere around her to create a large and mighty sword of ice. And surprisingly, Aurora used her blade and her limited control over fire to break the sword without much effort.

    Raven was taken aback by this experience, but she recreated her sword again to fight the Faunus. Aurora was able to block and weave past the strikes, which was how the explosions started. Raven's strikes had hit rocks and stalactites, as did Aurora's. Rocks and debris fell from above and crashed on the ground, but the two women kept fighting.

    Raven decided to rely on Omen when Aurora broke her ice sword again. The battle changed into one of speed rather than power, since it was clear that Aurora was seemingly learned in her limited abilities. It even turned into a battle of improvisation, which was how Raven and Aurora switched their weapons in midair.

    With Raven now holding the lightsaber and Aurora holding Omen, Raven hoped that she could deprive Aurora of the blade like she had destroyed multiple others. However, she quickly learned that the lightsaber alone didn't account for Aurora's ability to shatter metal; her own strength and powers allowed this to happen.

    Aurora was finally able to use her newest power on Raven, after they both dodged a stalactite. When the dust settled, Aurora extended her Grimm arm at Raven's neck and pinned her to the wall.

    Red energy began to leave Raven's body and move up Aurora's arm. She began to absorb Raven's Aura as well as the powers of the Spring Maiden. The energy was rejuvenating for the woman, but Raven planned to make this action temporary. When she saw rocks falling over Aurora's head, she smirked and threw a blast of Magic at Aurora's feet. Aurora looked up just in time to see the rocks come down on her.

    *CRASH*

    *BOOM*    ​

    More dust engulfed the area, and the rocks were all over the ground. It was clear that the spot where Aurora had been standing was covered in stone, but something was wrong.

    Raven could still feel the cold, iron-like grip of the Grimm hand on her neck. But Aurora should have been killed in the cave in, there was no way she-

    *RUMBLE*​

    The rocks and debris began to shake and move upwards from the spot where Aurora had been standing. After a few seconds, Raven could make out another hand that was generating a gust of wind that was pushing the rocks up. A few more seconds later, and all of the debris was thrown away to reveal Aurora taking flight once again.

    "Did you think it was going to be that easy?" she asked as she partially hovered over the ground.

    "..."

    Raven had to admit that she was taken aback by Aurora's ability to survive. She appeared to have been struggling to hold the rocks, but the Faunus clearly possessed the strength to do so. And with only the partial powers of the Fall Maiden, Aurora should have been much weaker than she appeared to be.

    Especially with all of the scars that her tattered clothes were revealing.

    But Raven quickly focused on survival, and remembered that Aurora couldn't protect her Grimm hand with Aura. And so, she created a knife of ice in her hand and stabbed it into the flesh. This, and a jolt of electricity for extra measure, were what made Aurora finally let go of her enemy.

    Raven felt a sudden urge to get away from Aurora despite the fact that she had wounded the Faunus. But rather than retreat back above ground, Raven jumped onto a falling stalactite so she could buy herself some time to hopefully find a way to beat Aurora.

    Unfortunately for her, Aurora wasn't planning on giving Raven this time. She had jumped onto a few stalactites that were closer to her so she could catch up to Raven and unleash a fury of elemental energy. Raven defended herself with energy of her own, which spread throughout the entire chamber.

    Fire, ice, wind, lightning, and earth were all around the warriors as they fought, and neither of them showed no sign of stopping. Raven determined this after she blasted Aurora with Magic from her hand and witnessed the Faunus brush off the attacks.

    "You're gonna have to do better than that," she said as she returned fire.

    Time passed quickly for the Maiden and partial Maiden as they fought. They had each reclaimed their own weapons and they continued to use the elements to their advantage, but all they succeeded in doing was making more stalactites fall to the ground.

    When the final one fell, so did Aurora and Raven.

    *CRASH*​

    The minute the last rock fell was when Qrow and Ozpin had entered the area of the Vault. There, as the dust settled, they saw Aurora standing proudly over an exhausted Raven. Both women had fire in their eyes, but only one of them was ready to use their powers again.

    Qrow wasn't concerned about Raven's well-being, since she had previously tried to kill him. However, he was more focused on her burning eyes.

    "Raven..." Qrow whispered as he stared at the red fire on her eyes. "You're the Spring Maiden?"

    "..."

    It was true that Qrow checked in with his sister every now and then, with the last time being a week after the Fall of Beacon. That was how Raven learned that the Fall Maiden wasn't entirely dead, and Qrow had thought their last meeting left him with enough knowledge of his sister's current status.

    Again, Qrow had been proven wrong.

    He quickly turned to Ozpin and was prepared to ask his mentor if he knew anything about this. But one look on Ozpin's face told Qrow that the Headmaster was also unaware of Raven's secret; he had assumed Hera still possessed the power, but he too had been proven wrong.

    The bandit didn't seem to notice Qrow's presence, or that of Ozpin's. She was instead more focused on how Aurora was still standing after such a long duel. She had given this battle her all, nearly all of her Aura and her own energy. And yet, Aurora was standing like nothing had happened to her.

    Such a thing against a Maiden should have been impossible.

    "Dammit!" Raven groaned as she began to stand up. "You're... You're not even a full Maiden! How are you-?"

    "This strong?" Aurora finished with a smirk. "Ever since I met her, Salem trained me day and night. She broke me over and over again as I fought all of her Grimm and her."

    As she explained herself, Aurora recalled her training with Salem. The witch had rebuilt the Faunus from the ground up, in a way. Aurora had been attacked with Magic so many times that she learned to embrace the pain and keep moving forward. And Salem was never one to hold back her own attacks.

    And that was only part of her training.

    "I had to kill every kind of Grimm known to man," Aurora continued. "And when that was done, I had to fight her over and over again." Aurora looked down at her scar-ridden body. "Fighting like that doesn't just take something from you. It prepares you."

    "..."

    Ozpin and Qrow looked at each other as they understood the intensity of Aurora's "training." Salem was known to be many things, such as twisted and evil. But Ozpin told his allies how she possessed strength much like his own. She had the power of a goddess, Magic like the world had never seen. And Aurora had to face that Magic over and over again, just so she could be on par with a Maiden.

    And now that she was...

    "You're nothing, Raven," Aurora said as she spun her lightsaber. "You're not strong, you're not even worth the time it's taking to kill you." A fire formed in her eyes and her right hand. "I'm prepared for anything you've got."

    Raven was still struggling to stand, but her eyes were still working normally. And she was using them to see something behind Aurora that could work to her advantage.

    "Were you prepared... to watch your back?" she asked.

    *CLICK*​

    Aurora's puzzled look disappeared when she heard something behind her. The sound of a weapon, some kind of gun, had caught her attention and made her realize that the bandit she wounded was still alive.

    Raven quickly observed this and made a plan of her own. When her fellow bandit raised her gun, Raven expected Aurora to turn around and make sure she was dead. When that happened, Raven would use her last amount of strength to attack Aurora and send her over the side and into the abyss.

    But the plan failed as soon as it began.

    One thing Raven forgot to account for was Aurora's enhanced hearing. The tiger ears on her head had given her an edge, and she heard the gun clicking before the girl behind her could raise it. Natural instinct kicked in when she heard the girl slide her finger over the trigger, and that was how Aurora managed to flip in the air and avoid a bullet with her name on it.

    *BANG*​

    Instead of Aurora, the bullet made its way towards Raven. She was able to engage her Aura to save her life, but it completely shattered when the bullet disappeared. And to make matters worse, her ally had lost all the strength she had to keep on living.

    "No..." she whispered.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Raven lost all hope when she felt Aurora's Grimm hand latch onto her neck. But instead of draining her powers immediately, Aurora angrily pulled on the arm and made Raven spin around.

    *CRASH*​

    Aurora pinned Raven against the door to the Vault and began to strangle her. This time, she began to absorb the power of the Spring Maiden as she screamed at Raven.

    "Did you really think you could beat me because you had power?!" Aurora screamed. "That you could beat Salem because you had power?! You don't know what strength is!" Aurora squeezed tighter. "You don't know how many times I had to pick myself up off the ground, even before I met her! You don't know the first thing about strength! I embraced everything Salem did to me, and you just ran away! I embraced pain every day, and now I'm going to embrace everything you're giving me! I'm going to-!"

    *CLICK*​

    Aurora stopped talking when she heard another clicking noise. But rather than behind her, this sound came directly in front of her. Raven heard it too, and she suddenly felt the surface behind her begin to move.

    She couldn't see it, but Raven was right on top of the door to the Relic. And she was touching it with her bare hands.

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*    ​

    Aurora couldn't help but drop Raven when she saw the door to the Relic begin to open in an unorthodox manner. Pieces of the door were moving into the left and right sides until a straight path into what appeared to be another world opened up. There was sand and stone, the room appeared to be a path in the desert.

    A path that led directly to the Relic of Knowledge.

    "There it is," Aurora thought to herself. "I did it. I-"

    "Stay back!"

    *ZAP*​

    Aurora couldn't help but kneel in pain when she felt something hit her back. When it disappeared, Aurora turned around fast and let electricity escape her hand so she could defend herself.

    That was how she learned that Qrow and Ozpin were in the Vault with her.

    "Oh... there you are," Aurora said as she let the electricity die down. Ozpin had created another shield to defend himself and Qrow, but both warriors were ready to go on the offensive.

    "Yeah, here we are," said Qrow, who had turned Harbinger into its gun form. "And I don't care what Salem taught you. I don't think you're ready to deal with two Huntsmen and a Maiden."

    Aurora turned around to see that Raven was standing back up once again; it seemed the stories she heard of Raven's inner strength were somewhat true. The vengeful Faunus also saw that she was outnumbered and quite possibly overpowered.

    But that didn't mean she didn't have a way out of it.

    "You're probably right," she said as the fire in her eyes disappeared. "I still have no idea how Flora hasn't killed Cinder yet."

    Qrow and Ozpin quickly became angry at the mention of Cinder and Aurora's plans for her, but they refused to let this anger control them.

    "But I do know one thing," Aurora continued as she looked at Raven. "You all look really tired right now. Why don't you get some nice, long, sleep?"

    Three of Aurora's fingers shined pink, the same color as her Aura, and all three of her enemies fell to the ground. Once again, Aurora's Semblance saved her a lot of trouble. She began to wonder why she hadn't used it earlier.

    "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Aurora laughed as she reveled in her victory. She had just bested three opponents, two of them being the most powerful people on Remnant, in one fell swoop.

    As she rejoiced in her success, Aurora quickly became unsatisfied with what she had done. It wasn't that she wasn't proud of herself, but rather that she believed she could do better. She had been working on her Semblance, she had been trying to make it into something more than a means to kill someone while they slept. That was how it evolved, how it became a means of torment as well as vulnerability.

    And so, with a simple movement of her right hand, Aurora enhanced her Semblance. While they all slept before her, Aurora's victims began to suffer horrible nightmares. They witnessed things that scared them the most, and they found themselves unable to escape the dreams that scared and tortured them.

    "No... Not... my children," Ozpin muttered as he thrashed on the floor.

    "Salem... Have to... get away," Raven mumbled.

    "No.. stop... Please," Qrow begged an unforeseen force.

    Aurora enjoyed her victory once again, since it came with a bonus this time. However, after a brief moment, she still decided that she was unsatisfied. Once again, she believed that she could do even better than before.

    The idea of improvement led Aurora to remember that Qrow and Ozpin were Huntsmen of Beacon Academy, they were its defenders that night. Now, Aurora decided that she would be pleased when she destroyed the last remnants of the school.

    That was how Aurora decided to test the limits of her Grimm arm. She knew it was capable of obtaining the power of the Maidens, just like it was capable of reaching farther than a normal arm. But just how far, Aurora didn't know.

    She decided to test this by making the arm move up the elevator shaft. Her target in this case was a specific Mandalorian.

    Djarin had been holding off Pre Vizsla for a considerable amount of time. Both warriors had been displaying their prowess in hand-to-hand combat, as well as with the weapons they possessed. In this case, a staff and the Darksaber.

    But through it all, there didn't appear to be any signs of a winner. Djarin and Vizsla appeared to be evenly matched, as they had done nothing but trade blows and use their Semblances in similar manners. Djarin used his own to get behind or above Vizsla, while the Mand'alor did his best to make Djarin's attacks ineffective. And yet, there was no end to the duel in sight.

    It had even reached a point where both warriors abandoned the idea of using weapons and fought each other with their bare hands. This had led to them tackling each other on the floor and rolling around. One moment, Djarin would be on top of Vizsla and punching him, but the next moment would result in Vizsla rolling on top and doing the same exact thing.

    It was a stalemate like nobody had ever seen before.

    It briefly ended, however, when something long and black reached out from the elevator shaft and moved towards the Mandalorians. Djarin and Vizsla were forced to stop fighting when they looked upon an unfamiliar shape, one that moved quickly towards them. Neither combatant had the time to move or get away, since the object had just wrapped the both of them in its grasp.

    "What?!" Vizsla shouted. "What's happening?!"

    Djarin had a brief moment to look and see that there appeared to be a clawed hand at the very tip of the object, which looked like that of a Grimm's. Both warriors didn't know what was going on, but they prepared to use both of their Semblances to escape.

    But once again, time wasn't on their side; they had just been pulled down into the shaft with the arm.

    Djarin and Vizsla fell into the hole at an alarming speed. Vizsla was able to make himself transparent and escape the rope-like hold the arm had on him, and he was about to use the Darksaber to slow his descent. But before he could stab it into the wall, Djarin grabbed his arm and made the Mand'alor lose his grip on the weapon.

    Both Mandalorians began their fight again, and they each threw punches at each other. Once again, the Mandalorians were evenly matched and unable to beat each other. But Vizsla had a plan when he saw the ground approaching fast. Instead of throwing more fists, he grabbed Djarin and pushed down so he would take the impact of the fall.

    Djarin couldn't see the ground, but he expected that this was why Vizsla had changed strategies. But rather than crash into the ground, Djarin used the last remnants of his Semblance to teleport himself directly above Vizsla.

    *CRASH*​

    Vizsla immediately collided with the floor, which shattered his Aura upon impact. Djarin's Aura had also broken, but he was relatively unharmed. By letting Vizsla take the brunt of the impact, he had been spared any serious injury.

    He quickly learned, however, that Aurora was planning on giving him serious injury when she retracted her arm and looked at him with burning eyes.

    "Let's end this here and now," the Faunus said to the vulnerable Mandalorian. "I'm not leaving without that Relic and certainly not without ridding the world of everything Beacon had to offer." Aurora gestured towards Qrow and Ozpin, who were still suffering from unexplainable nightmares. But she quickly looked back to Djarin. "The more..."

    *THOOM*

    *ZAP*    ​

    "The merrier!"

    Aurora had created a thunderstorm over her head and lightning in her right hand. She immediately unleashed this energy upon Djarin, who ducked out of the way and fired his blaster at the Faunus. Unfortunately for him, Aurora took her lightsaber in her Grimm hand and deflected each shot.

    Djarin changed strategies and unleashed whistling birds and his flamethrower upon Aurora, which momentarily blinded her. Before the Mandalorian could use this distraction to his advantage, Aurora unleashed the power of the thunderstorm overhead and let two strikes of lightning hit Djarin where he stood.

    The Mandalorian slid across the floor as the electricity painfully travelled through his body. He was dangerously close to the side and at risk of falling into the abyss below. He didn't know what was down there, which made staying on the bridge a priority.

    But sadly, the attack he received had left Djarin immobile. Without his Aura to protect him or heal his wounds, the Mandalorian was extremely vulnerable and badly hurt.

    *ZAP*

    *ZAP*    ​

    More lightning struck Djarin where he was laying down, and he screamed in agony. Aurora simply moved closer as she extended her hand and let the electricity flow.

    The Faunus was extremely pleased with her latest victory, especially when it was over someone like Din Djarin. She had heard that he had been looking for her, that he was turning the Kingdom upside down in his attempt to do so. Aurora was well aware that Djarin intended to kill her so Cinder could regain her powers.

    But the tables had turned against the Mandalorian now. The hunter had become the hunted. And as Djarin felt every jolt, every surge of electricity, he believed that there was no end in sight for his torture and Aurora's victory.

    But he was wrong.

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    Aurora suddenly stopped her attack with a gasp. She couldn't explain it, but she suddenly felt the fire around her eyes burn brighter. It wasn't from her use of electricity, this was different.

    Aurora couldn't help but bring her hand to her eye when she felt the sensation. It wasn't painful or burning her skin, but something was different. The Faunus began to embrace the feeling as it travelled inside her entire body, and she began to laugh.

    "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

    Djarin was able to fight the lingering pain and look up at Aurora. He could see that her eyes were burning brighter than before, which was incredibly alarming.

    "No..." he whispered.

    "Finally!" Aurora screamed. "I can feel it! I can finally feel it!"

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    Pink fire arose on both of Aurora's hands as she proudly held her arms over her head. "The power of the Fall Maiden! The power to change everything!"

    Aurora indeed felt the power course through her body. Pride and joy overcame her along with the renewed energy, and she finally felt satisfied with her actions. And she was definitely going to rub it in.

    "It's over, Djarin!" Aurora screamed. "Your brat of a daughter finally gave up! She has finally given me what's mine!"

    "..."

    Silence fell upon Djarin as he looked away from Aurora. He couldn't believe what she was saying was true, that Cinder was actually gone.

    But Aurora could believe it. In fact, she enjoyed it.

    "And she was just the beginning!" Aurora screamed as she looked at Raven. She and Djarin's allies were still suffering in painful sleep, and the nightmares refused to stop. "Raven's just as much of a fool as Cinder was, Djarin! And now that she's in the same state that brat was in, her power is mi-!"

    *WHOOSH*

    *FWOOSH*    ​

    "Aaaaah! Bleeeaaaugh!"

    Aurora was forced to stop her rant as she let out screams of agony. The fire in her eyes and on her hands not only burned brighter, but they began to move down to her arms and across her whole face. The heat began to grow and burn Aurora, which should have been impossible.

    And where Aurora was once standing proudly, she was now kneeling down and feeling nothing but pain.

    The Mandalorian looked at Aurora once again when he heard the screams. When he saw her kneeling, he was now seeing that the fire was engulfing her whole body instead of her hands and eyes.

    "What?" Djarin asked himself. "That... That never happened to Cinder."

    "Eeeeeaaaauuuh!" Aurora screamed as she looked at her hands. "What's... happening... to me?!"

    Aurora couldn't see it now, but something else was happening to the fire. Rather than the bright pink of flames that Aurora had been previously making, the fire around her was orange. It was the normal color of fire, the same color as the fire that Djarin recently made with his flamethrower. So Aurora wasn't making the fire on her own.

    Whatever was happening to her... someone else was making it happen.

    Someone who was ready to finally come home.

    Aurora had to close her eyes when she fell to the floor in pain. But when she opened them again, she saw that much had changed. She wasn't burning anymore, so she didn't feel any physical harm. However, she felt incredibly cold as she quickly stood up.

    This was because instead of the Vault of the Spring Maiden, Aurora was in a dark place covered in a cold mist.

    "What?" Aurora asked out loud. "Where am I?"

    "..."

    Silence was the only answer Aurora received, which didn't do her any good. She looked all around her to get a clue as to what exactly was happening, but all she could see was darkness and fog.

    "How did I-?"

    "Aurora!"

    A voice from behind caught the Faunus off guard. After she recovered from the brief shock, Aurora turned around fast to see that she wasn't alone in here. An orange light was the first thing that got her attention, one that looked like an open fire.

    The second thing that caught the woman's attention was a young girl standing on the other side of the light; a girl that Aurora knew all too well.

    "Cinder?"

    "..."

    Aurora's present company was indeed Cinder, who had come a very long way in her journey.

    Ever since she left the void of the Fall Maiden, Cinder learned what had truly happened to Aurora to make her the way she was. She saw her past, her pain, and her ambition to make the rest of the world feel the way she felt. More importantly, Cinder saw how Aurora felt the need to gain more and more power so she could stand against a world she deemed unfair and cruel. Cinder grew to understand her enemy, and how to defeat her.

    When she made contact with the fire that she had been following in the desolate void, Cinder witnessed new memories. She witnessed each time the power was used to bring death and destruction to Remnant, from Beacon Academy all the way to Mistral. Cinder learned that people were in danger at Haven Academy, that her own father needed help now more than ever. Cinder planned to give him this help, and the first step was stopping Aurora here and now.

    "Stand down!" Cinder ordered.

    "..."

    "..."

    Aurora didn't care where she was anymore. She now knew that she was wrong about Cinder being dead, but she didn't care about that either. What mattered was that the child had revealed herself to her, and was giving her a rather comical demand.

    "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Aurora laughed. "To think that I went through so much trouble to find you, only to have you deliver yourself to me." She then let out a sigh. "Flora really blew her chance at killing you, huh?"

    Cinder was confused as to what Aurora was talking about, but this confusion didn't hinder her resolve. "I know what you're trying to do at Haven," she said. "What you've been doing with the Fall Maiden's powers. It's not right, Aurora." She pointed at the flame that was resting at a distance from her. "It was never meant to be used for destruction or revenge. You can't use it so everyone can feel the way you feel. No matter how bad you're hurting."

    "What's that supposed to mean?"

    "I know you've suffered. You were tortured, held captive by the people who were supposed to take care of you after your mother died."

    "..."

    Aurora lost her sadistic demeanor when she heard all of this. She had never told a soul about her past, except for Salem. It was this pain that Salem used to train her, mold her in her own image and into someone that could become strong enough to seize the power of the Maidens.

    So hearing someone else talk about her past, trying to use it against her, was making Aurora very angry.

    "Aurora, what happened to you was wrong," said Cinder. "I don't know how you survived living through all of that, but you can't make it go away by serving Salem! Using the power to hurt and kill people is only corrupting it! Two wrongs don't make a right!"

    Cinder knew that this was true, but she was making up her words as she spoke. She had no plan, no strategy on how to stop Aurora before she made things worse for her and everyone on Remnant. She was hoping her words would help, since Cinder chose to abandon her hate and do things the right way.

    She was wrong.

    "You want to know how I survived?" Aurora asked as she moved closer. "I survived... because every night, I dreamed of the revenge I'd take on them!" Her eyes began to burn. "And this godforsaken world!"

    "Aurora-"

    "Do you know why I tried to escape?! Why they hunted me like a dog?!" Aurora suddenly stopped walking and calmed down. "I met someone who knew what was going on. He was probably the only one who said what you just said. And he promised to find a way out of it." Aurora found herself placing a hand close to her stomach. "I wasn't going to be alone anymore..."

    "..."

    "I never saw him again. He couldn't get me out of there." Aurora stopped reflecting on her past and looked at Cinder. "I can see it in your eyes, Cinder. You really think there's something here worth a damn, something you wanna save. But take it from someone like me; everything pure in this world dies." Her eyes began to burn once again. "I don't see why I shouldn't help it along its way with Salem. It's just the law of nature."

    Cinder mentally sighed as she recognized her failure. She pitied Aurora now more than ever, but this pity wasn't enough to stop her from doing what she was about to do.

    "No... it's not," she said as her eyes began to burn as well. She spread her arms out as she prepared to attack. "I'm taking the power back, Aurora. One way or another. I'm sorry."

    Aurora chuckled as she mimicked Cinder's movements. "I'm not."

    *WHOOSH*

    *ZAP*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Fire and lightning flew across the area and met each other in the middle. Both women seemed to have the same idea about their initial attack, so they decided to try something new. Cinder used both of her hands to create a large fire, one that took the shape of a blade. Aurora did the same as well, which was an inspiration from her battle with Raven. Neither of their weapons were as big as Raven's, but Aurora could make a sword of her own.

    Because strangely, being here gave the Faunus an energy that wasn't with her at Haven.

    Cinder and Aurora immediately charged at each other and made contact with their swords. Sparks flew as fire struck lightning, and this happened multiple times as they moved across the invisible floor. Aurora began to feel a sense of familiarity with the situation, so she became calm and confident in her ability to succeed.

    Cinder was also confident, since she had reconnected with her own part of the powers. And she was ready to display this connection.

    *WHOOSH*

    *ZAP*    ​

    Fire, wind, ice, and lightning escaped Cinder's hands as she fought. Aurora was immediately taken aback by Cinder's power, which she tried to block with her own powers and her sword. The Faunus had power now, but she lacked experience on how to wield it. Cinder, on the other hand, knew how to balance each of the elements. Years of training taught the young girl when the right time was to trade fire for ice, how to use wind to lift herself and others off the ground, and when one was vulnerable to the power of a small thunderstorm.

    Cinder also possessed Mandalorian training, which allowed her fight fluently in hand-to-hand combat after Aurora was stripped of her sword. She was able to strike where Mandalorian armor wouldn't normally cover, and they proved to be effective against an armor-less warrior such as Aurora.

    Without her sword or much breathing room, the sadistic Faunus began to feel a twinge of fear for herself. But her fear soon turned to anger as she reached out with her Grimm arm and took hold of Cinder.

    "Oh, my Gods!" Cinder thought as she looked at the abnormal hand. "What is that?!" She didn't get much of an answer, but she soon understood its capabilities when she felt energy leave her body. Aurora's arm began to glow orange as Cinder's energy left her, but the young girl didn't give up.

    Instead, she quickly grabbed Aurora's arm with both of her hands and activated her Semblance.

    *SSSS*

    *SSSS*    ​

    "Aaaah!" Aurora screamed as she threw Cinder away. The pain of burning alive returned to her from this attack, but she once again used the attack as an inspiration for one of her own.

    "Well... this has been fun, Cinder," Aurora said with a wicked smile. "But I'm not in a mood to play any games." She quickly pointed at the girl and watched her finger glow pink. "Sleep."

    "..."

    Despite that fact that her Semblance was activated, it wasn't working. Cinder was still standing where she was.

    "Huh?" Aurora asked as she looked at her hand. "Sleep!"

    "..."

    "Sleep!"

    "..."

    "Sle-!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    Cinder used her portion of the powers to fly towards Aurora and punch her in the face. The speed and strength Cinder had caught the Faunus completely by surprise, along with the fact that her Semblance wasn't working.

    "This isn't possible!" Aurora shouted. "How are you fighting my Semblance?!"

    "I'm already asleep," Cinder replied. "You did a number on me at Beacon, and now I can't wake up. But it's okay." Cinder looked at the fire that was resting away from her. "I think I'll be waking up soon."

    Cinder wasn't making this claim to Aurora out of malice or arrogance. It wasn't her goal to taunt her enemy or do evil to her. But rather, Cinder noticed that the flame resting before her was extending itself once again.

    It was reaching towards her rather than Aurora.

    The power had done this before, when Cinder promised to let go of her hatred towards Aurora. As soon as she renounced using hate to fight her battles, the power extended a sort of arm towards her. When she took hold of it, Cinder and Aurora formed a special kind of link. That was how Cinder saw what Aurora had been doing since the Fall of Beacon, and how Aurora had been engulfed in flames at Haven.

    When Cinder made this connection, it was her goal to rejoin herself with the full powers of the Fall Maiden. However, Aurora had a stronger hold than she initially believed. Rather than rejoining the power, Cinder had inadvertently summoned Aurora to this place. This was where the connection had to be broken, where Aurora would be making her last stand.

    This last stand wasn't working in Aurora's favor, however. Now, after the mad woman had been swiftly beaten, her hold over the fragment of the power had been weakened. Now it was feeling drawn to Cinder. And if they connected now, Aurora wouldn't be strong enough to stop Cinder becoming the Fall Maiden once again.

    And she would burn in the real world.

    *ZAP*​

    Rather than let this happen, Aurora struck Cinder with lightning and watched her slide across the floor. She then ran over to the girl and pinned her on the ground.

    "You can't do this to me!" Aurora yelled as she held Cinder to the ground.

    "Let go of me!" Cinder demanded as she pulled on Aurora's arm.

    "I've waited too long for this! I won't let you have it!"

    "I said let go!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    Cinder used a gust of wind to push herself and Aurora off the floor. Both of them landed far from the flame now, but Aurora could feel herself growing weaker. When she tried to create lightning again, it wasn't as powerful as the lightning she used at Haven. In fact, if felt like the first day she trained with the powers; she wasn't as strong as she was anymore.

    And it was needless to say, but Cinder was feeling herself grow stronger by the second. The flame was once again extending itself towards Cinder, and Aurora was once again unwilling to let that happen.

    *WHOOSH*

    *SHICK*    ​

    "Aah!"

    Cinder fell to the ground again when she was struck by something sharp. Aurora was still growing weaker, but she wasn't entirely powerless. She was able to use a small control over ice to create a knife for herself, which was always her preferred weapon. Once she had her blade, Aurora threw it and made a direct hit with Cinder.

    The knife had stabbed Cinder's lower right side, and it barely missed her spine. And when Aurora picked herself up and landed on Cinder again, she pulled this knife out and tried to stab her again.

    Fortunately, Cinder was able to turn around and stop the knife with both of her hands.

    This was a training exercise that Cinder had done with her father a hundred times. When someone was trying to stab her while they were on top of her, Cinder had to move her hands a certain way to grab her opponent's writs and stop the blade from moving down. It was hard at first, like every exercise Cinder had to do. But it became easier over the years.

    And Cinder knew that she had to give it her all when her life depended on it.

    Aurora and Cinder had both been pushing on the knife for almost an entire minute. Aurora had put both of her hands on the blade and screamed at Cinder, but the girl didn't relent. Aurora told Cinder over and over again to just die, to give up and let go of the power that was hers.

    But Cinder knew that she would be pushing on this knife forever and ever if she had to. If it meant that Aurora wouldn't be using the power for her own selfish desires, if it meant that Salem wouldn't achieve her goals, then Cinder would fight back for all of eternity.

    Fortunately, Cinder's predicament wasn't going to last long anymore.

    *WHOOSH*​

    The fire that was resting in the dark void had finally stopped playing the role of a neutral bystander. The hold that Aurora had on it was finally starting to waver, ever since Cinder had been fighting her. Their duel had come to a stalemate now, but Aurora wasn't strong enough to hold on anymore.

    The fragment of the power was free. And now, it was using that freedom to move towards Cinder.

    *WHOOSH*​

    A bright light shined for a brief moment as the fire moved. Aurora was forced to let go of the knife and cover her eyes, and Cinder found herself covering them too. However, Cinder was able to open her eyes first when she felt a surge of energy. Her eyes began to burn once again, but they were burning brighter than they ever had before.

    And when this burning came, a gust of invisible energy forced Aurora off Cinder and onto the ground.

    *BAM*​

    Cinder found herself moving off the ground as soon as Aurora landed on it. She began to hover over the ground and shine as elemental energy swirled around her. As she embraced the warmth and the sensation of this energy, Cinder felt amazing. She felt... whole.

    And most of all, she felt happy that the fragment had not only been reunited with her, but the fact that it had chosen her. Cinder felt that the power had been freed moments ago, and it could have done anything. But instead, it chose Cinder as its vessel. It allowed Cinder to use it and become a force for defending Remnant once again.

    Cinder was very happy about this, but Aurora wasn't.

    "What?!" the crazed Faunus screamed. "No!" She quickly got back to her feet and started running towards Cinder. "I'll kill you! I'm gonna rip your throat out and feed it to that bastard father of yours and-!"

    *THUMP*​

    Aurora fell to the ground again, but Cinder hadn't touched her. It felt like both of her legs had given up on her, which they actually did.

    When Aurora turned around, she saw that both of her legs were turning into nothing but glowing embers.

    "What the-?!" Aurora screamed. Fear had returned to her instantly, but it was much stronger than the twinge she felt earlier. "No, no, no, no, no!" She quickly turned back to Cinder. "What are you doing to me?!"

    "Nothing," Cinder said with a small degree of pity. "Two people can't have the power, Aurora. You should know that better than anyone."

    Aurora indeed knew this, since Salem herself said that Cinder wouldn't be able to survive for much longer while the power was split apart. Aurora wanted to expedite this progress by killing Cinder, but it seemed the tables had turned on her.

    And now that they had, Aurora was incredibly afraid.

    "No!" she screamed. "Make it stop!" She crawled closer to Cinder and grabbed her legs. "Make this stop! Send me back!"

    "..."

    "You-You-You can keep the power! Take it! Do whatever you want with it, I won't come after you!"

    "..."

    As she looked at the decaying woman, Cinder remained silent. Nobody had told her that something like this would happen, but Cinder knew that death would follow when it was time for the power to move on.

    Now that it was moving on from Aurora, her death was about to come.

    "You're making a mistake!" Aurora said as she continued her attempts to bargain with Cinder. "I-I can help you! I'll-I'll give you the Darksaber! I'll give you anything you want! Just stop this, please!"

    "..."

    Aurora remembered a time when she was this afraid. It was the night she was hunted and tortured, right before she promised to serve Salem. Pain and fear were present that night, just like they were right now.

    There seemed to be no escape for her.

    Aurora was sure she was going to die, but there was something else that scared her. She was told that by serving Salem, she would be given everything she dreamed of. She would be given strength, power, and the ability to triumph over anyone without worrying about her own future again. Aurora had served Salem and followed her order's to the letter, but it was all in vain.

    Her final moments weren't spent trying to make amends or repent for her actions. Instead, Aurora tried as hard as she could to understand where everything had gone wrong. She wanted to know why she had failed to live up to the expectations and dreams she had for herself.

    This desire to know and understand became Aurora's last words before she withered away.

    "What... did I... do wrong?"

    "..."

    That was the last thing Cinder heard before she saw the end of Aurora. Her entire body had become embers that turned to ash in the void, and Cinder was free from the woman's wrath.

    And yet, Cinder couldn't find it within herself to express any joy or pride in watching Aurora die. She had let go of her hatred towards the woman, and witnessing such a death looked painful and scary. Cinder realized that she wouldn't wish such a prolonged and torturous fate for anyone on Remnant, whether or not they were a friend or a foe.

    It seemed that the kindness and gentle nature of all the past Fall Maidens began to rub off on Cinder. Because at that moment, she wished she could have prevented Aurora's fate. Maybe if she had been stronger the night Beacon fell or maybe if she hadn't escaped the day Major Gideon was captured, Aurora could have faced justice and lived.

    But this... this wasn't justice. Not to Cinder.

    Suddenly, another bright light began to reveal itself. It conquered the darkness very slowly, and Cinder looked around in awe and wonder. She suddenly remembered that she had fulfilled her promise to the previous Fall Maidens; she had found Aurora and reclaimed the lost fragment of the power.

    And with that, there was only thing Cinder could do. There was only one place that she could go to now that she was complete.

    Cinder could finally go home.

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    As the darkness around her vanished, a soft and mechanical sound was the first thing that Cinder could hear. The sound became much more clear and louder as the young girl opened her amber eyes and became aware of her surroundings.

    She could see a light covering her environment, but not like the white light of the void. This light was somewhat yellow, like the light that would come from a lamp.

    In fact, it was coming from a lamp.

    Cinder looked to her left to see a desk with a lamp on top of it, which made her nearly lose her breath. Not because she had never seen a desk or a lamp before, but because this was the first piece of furniture she had seen in what felt like forever.

    Cinder moved herself upwards and felt herself laying on something soft. She quickly put her hands down to feel a mattress underneath her, something that she hadn't felt in forever. Once she became familiar with the bed, Cinder looked around to see that she was in a small room with furniture and pictures on the walls. She then turned towards the source of the noise, which revealed itself to be a monitor with lines that detected her heartbeat. And close to that machine was an IV bag, which brought fluids directly into her arm.

    Tears filled her eyes as a smile naturally found its way to Cinder's face. She took in every sight and feeling that she was experiencing, and they all told her one thing.

    "I'm... I'm back," Cinder whispered. "I'm back."

    Cinder could tell that she had returned to the real world, that this room wasn't a part of any void or illusion. But to make sure that this was real, that she had succeeded in her quest, Cinder concentrated on her Maiden powers.

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    And sure enough, two small fires formed around the young girl's eyes.

    "Yes!" Cinder said as she felt the warmth of the fire. "I did it!"

    *COUGH*

    *COUGH*    ​

    Cinder felt two strong coughs escape her throat after she spoke. Her throat felt slightly sore after she spoke, which made sense since she technically hadn't been talking for... who knows how long?

    Cinder didn't feel thirsty, but she was sure that getting herself a glass of water from a pitcher on the table would make her throat feel better. So she slowly and carefully moved out of the bed and made an attempt to walk again. She had to grab the IV pole for support, since her legs felt like jelly. It was clear that all of her movement in the void didn't reflect movement in the real world.

    Cinder could see that she was dressed in a set of pajamas she had owned for a long time. Given the fact that she wasn't in aqua robes and the room was tan instead of white, Cinder came to believe that she wasn't in a hospital. However, between the IV tube and the medical machine, someone had been taking care of her. Cinder made a mental note to thank whoever had been helping her, but first she took a drink of water after she poured herself a glass.

    "Ah," Cinder gasped as she finished the water. She took another drink and embraced the feeling of cool water in her throat, something that she had taken for granted in the past. She then tried to move to the door, although she stumbled once or twice. She would really have to get used to the feeling of walking again.

    However, Cinder knew that she didn't have much time for practice. The first idea of this came from Cinder's memories, how she saw Aurora fighting her father and Ozpin at Haven Academy. Cinder knew that she had to go there and help.

    The second idea, however, came in the form of sounds from outside.

    *CRASH*

    *BANG*    ​

    "Get out! All of you!"

    "We're not leaving until you tell us the truth!"

    Cinder jumped at the sounds of voices and something breaking outside the room she was in. Caution seemed appropriate at this time, so Cinder carefully opened the door and let the fire come to her eyes again. Once she did, she carefully walked across the hall and towards a flight of stairs.

    "Come on, already!" a familiar voice said. "You're just waisting my time here!"

    "I told you, I don't know what you're talking about!" another familiar voice said. Her voice, however, was immediately replaced by sounds of pain.

    "We've wasted enough time as it is," another voice said. This one, however, was unfamiliar to Cinder. "Let's just tear this place down until we find her."

    Cinder had reached the stairs now, and she was able to kneel down to see what was going on. The first thing she saw was a large group of tables below her. It looked like a dining room that could seat multiple people.

    *CRASH*

    *CRASH*    ​

    Cinder then saw some of these tables being tossed around by a man in white armor. As soon as she recognized the armor, Cinder moved back and covered her mouth.

    "A Saxon!" she thought to herself. "What are they doing here?!"

    "Stop, please!" said one of the familiar voices. "There's nobody here!"

    Cinder was able to become brave enough to look down the stairs once again. She could see that there were two Mandalorians in the room below her. One was destroying the place while another was holding a scared, older woman at gunpoint. Cinder hadn't seen the woman in a while, but she was able to recognize her immediately.

    "Auntie Em?" she thought to herself. She knew the woman was a friend of her father's, and they had seen each other more than once. Cinder knew that she owned a small inn for people who needed to rest while traveling, and she knew where this place was.

    "Wait... am I in Vacuo?" Cinder asked herself. "I can't be in Vacuo, Mistral's under attack! I have to-!"

    "She's not around here," said the second familiar voice. A young girl, roughly the same age as Cinder, in a black dress came out of a room that was on the same floor as the dining room. "Hold on to her, I'm going to look upstairs."

    "Let's just kill her!" the Mandalorian demanded as he pushed his blaster closer into Auntie Em's face.

    "No!" the girl said. "If she's not here, we'll need this one to make her tell us. Keep her alive... for now."

    The Mandalorian began to relax. "You're the boss."

    "That's right," the girl said as she turned towards the stairs. Once she did, Cinder was able to see a face with a twisted smile that she remembered all too well.

    "Flora!" Cinder said as she covered her mouth. "She knows I'm here!"

    Flora had known ever since she planted one of her bugs on Djarin's armor. As soon as Aurora left with the Mandalorians to invade Haven, Flora had left with the information she needed and two Mandalorians. Their plan was sound; while Aurora secured the Relic of Knowledge from Haven, Flora would travel to Vacuo to kill Cinder so Aurora could become a full Maiden.

    Aurora had been wondering what was taking Flora so long to achieve her part of the plan, but it was actually simple. Aurora had underestimated the time it would take for an airship to travel to Vacuo, which was the only flaw to her plan. While she was fighting at Haven, Flora was impatiently waiting for the Mandalorian airship to land in Vacuo.

    As soon as she landed, however, Flora wasted no time in reaching the inn that she saw Djarin come to when he visited Cinder. Now she just had to find her and slit her throat.

    Cinder quickly made her way back to her room, but she stumbled once again. Flora and everyone else could hear the shuffling of feet above them, which made the color on Auntie Em's face disappear. Flora simply smiled as she turned into multiple bugs and flew upstairs. The Mandalorians followed closely behind her with Auntie Em in tow.

    Cinder was able to make it back to her room and close the door before Flora or anyone else could see her, but this only delayed the inevitable. Flora knew that she was here, and she would be coming through the door at any second.

    Cinder knew that she had to fight back, and she had made a plan to take Flora by surprise.

    *CREAK*​

    Flora slowly opened the door with her sickle in hand. Once she did, the hybrid saw a girl her age laying in a bed. Flora immediately recognized her as Cinder, which caused her to smile even more.

    "Ah," she said as she stepped inside. "There you are!"

    The Mandalorians joined Flora upstairs, and one of them was holding Auntie Em back. "Don't you lay a finger on her!" she said as she abandoned the idea of lying. "Don't you dare!"

    "Shut up!" the Mandalorian said as he grabbed her by the throat. He then turned to his partner and asked a question. "Did you reach Pre Vizsla?"

    "No," the second Mandalorian replied. "Our comms are useless. And we left that seeing Grimm on the ship."

    "We're wasting time." The Mandalorian was well aware of the invasion of Haven, and he wanted to rejoin his brethren as soon as possible. "Flora, whatever you need to do to that girl, you better do it fast."

    "Sorry, boys," Flora said as she walked towards the bed. "I'm taking my time with her." She stopped at the foot of the bed and looked at Cinder from head to toe. "Can you hear me, Cinder? Can you?"

    "..."

    Flora immediately laughed at the silence. "Wow. I knew Aurora did a number on you back at Beacon, but I wasn't expecting to see you like this." She had seen that Cinder was sleeping from the fly she placed on Djarin's armor, but she believed Cinder was simply resting. "Never thought I'd see you in a coma. Too bad." Flora raised her sickle. "I was really hoping you'd be awake for this."

    "..."

    The Mandalorians were growing impatient while Auntie Em was growing desperate. She had promised to look after Cinder ever since Djarin brought her to Vacuo for safety. She cared about Cinder just as much as Djarin did, and she didn't know what she would do if any harm came to her.

    Let alone death.

    Flora raised her sickle higher and planned to bring it down into Cinder's neck. "I hope you're ready, Cindy," she said mockingly. It wasn't as much fun for her since Cinder was supposed to be unconscious, but Flora kept going. "I know I am. Because here... it... co-"

    *WHOOSH*​

    "AAAAAAAHHHH!"

    Cinder knew that it was time to stop pretending to be comatose and defend herself. When she opened her eyes, she pushed her hand forward and let fire escape from it. Fire was her natural element, which was why she chose this attack. However, she had forgotten how lethal the flames were for someone like Flora.

    The young girl dropped her sickle and screamed as she burned. Her chest and arm were on fire, and the Botflies that comprised them were falling to the ground and turning into ash.

    "What the-?!" the first Mandalorian screamed as he saw the fire. He dropped Auntie Em in shock, and the woman grabbed her neck as she kneeled down and breathed.

    "Dammit!" the second Mandalorian yelled as he reached for his blaster. "Get her!" He and his partner aimed their weapons at Cinder, but she turned around just in time to see that she needed to defend herself again.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Instead of fire this time, Cinder created a gust of wind strong enough to knock the Mandalorians over. One hit the wall and fell to the ground while the other flew into another room while breaking the door.

    Auntie Em looked off the floor when she felt better and saw that she was relatively safe. When she did, she felt immense joy when she saw that Cinder was indeed awake and that she had just saved her life. She was confused as to how the girl awoke at her time of need, but Auntie Em was happy to see Cinder nonetheless.

    Cinder was also happy, but she knew her work wasn't over yet.

    "Get the gun!" Cinder yelled. "Auntie Em, get the gun!"

    Auntie Em looked to see that the first Mandalorian was standing back up. He had lost his helmet and blaster when Cinder blasted him with air, but he was mostly unharmed.

    He quickly reached for his gun, but Auntie Em grabbed it first and backed away. The Mandalorian took out a knife from his arm and rushed towards Auntie Em in order to do what he should have done a long time ago.

    Unfortunately for him, despite having never fired a gun, Auntie Em pulled the trigger to defend herself.

    *BANG*​

    As soon as the gun went off, the woman was forced to grab her ears in pain. The sound that had erupted from the barrel was making her ears ring very painfully. She closed her eyes as she tried to wait for the pain to stop, which made the woman oblivious to the fact that she had shot the man in the face.

    It also made Auntie Em oblivious to the fact that the second Mandalorian had emerged from the room that he was thrown in. When he saw that his partner was dead, his immediate reaction was to use his own gun to kill the woman who had wronged him.

    *SHICK*​

    When she opened her eyes again, Auntie Em began to hear normally now. Her ears had stopped ringing, and she could see that Cinder had just saved her life by stabbing Flora's sickle into the Mandalorian's neck.

    When the Mandalorian's body slid to the floor, Cinder finally took the time to see if Auntie Em was okay. "...Hi," she said with an awkward smile. "Are... Are you okay?"

    "Cinder..." Auntie Em whispered. "Oh, my goodness! You're awake!" The woman found herself unable to care about her own shock and minor injuries at the moment. Right now, she expressed her joy at seeing Cinder alive and well by smiling and hugging the young girl where she stood. "I don't believe it! It's a miracle!"

    Cinder quickly embraced the feeling of being hugged by someone on Remnant again, and she found herself hugging Auntie Em in return. Once they let go, the woman put a hand to Cinder's cheek and spoke again.

    "I... I don't understand," she said. "You were still asleep the last time I saw you. How are you awake?" She turned over to the broken door and the deceased Mandalorians. "And how did you do that? With the fire and... and the wind? That was-"

    "I'll explain later," Cinder promised. "But I don't think it's safe here. There might be more of them." Cinder had to move slowly to get back on her feet, but Auntie Em provided a shoulder for her to lean on.

    "We'll go to the city," Auntie Em decided. "We'll be safe there. Animals, all three of them. I tried to tell them you weren't here, but they wouldn't believe me."

    "So... So you were taking care of me," Cinder realized as she walked with Auntie Em.

    "Not much, I'm afraid. The doctor from Vacuo kept you in good condition, I merely gave you a room." Auntie Em kicked a broken chair out of her way. "Trying to kill a girl in her sleep? What's the matter with people?"

    Cinder immediately felt guilty about everything that happened. "I'm sorry, Auntie Em," she said. "This was my fault. I shouldn't have-"

    "Nonsense, dear," the kind woman said. "Your father told me that someone had tried to hurt you before, I knew all the risks about taking you in." She smiled at Cinder. "A few chairs and a door can be replaced. I'm just so glad to see you again."

    Cinder smiled at the friend she hadn't seen in ages. "It's good to see you too, Auntie Em."

    The two women had emerged outside of the inn, and this was where Auntie Em gasped. "And your father's going to be so happy to see you too!" she said. "He's been worried sick about you!"

    Cinder still harbored guilt and shame about the last days she spent with her father, so this came as a surprise to her. "He has?" she asked.

    "Of course! He came here whenever he could, and he always talked to you when he had the time. And let me tell you, he spent hours in there at a time. I think I heard him reading to you a few times. And that Ozpin fellow too." Auntie Em stopped walking and took a few breaths. "Sorry, just need to catch my breath, dear. I think we're safe out here."

    *CRASH*​

    "AAAAAAAAHHH!"

    Cinder and Auntie Em turned around fast to see that someone had jumped out one of the inn's windows. A black shape immediately hit the ground and smoke began to rise off of it. The shape stood on two legs, and it was soon revealed that the shape was Flora. She had survived Cinder's attack, although she was burnt and missing a majority of flies.

    But this didn't stop her from attacking again.

    Flora transformed into a swarm of Botflies and flew directly at Cinder. The Maiden pushed Auntie Em out of the way just in time, and Cinder was immediately covered in the flesh-eating monsters.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    The constant buzzing and the sensation of being bit over and over again were more than Cinder could bear in her current state. She was still getting used to being awake, in a body that had done nothing but rest for an uncertain amount of time. Cinder was able to engage her Aura, but it didn't protect her whole body. And the pain she received was making it harder and harder for her to keep standing.

    And yet, just like before, Cinder found a light in the tunnel she was trapped in.

    "Your father's going to be so happy to see you too!"

    The mere mention of her father had given Cinder strength. And then she remembered the promise that he made her.

    "You're stronger than her, you're stronger than either of us. And if there's any hope of us winning against Salem, it's with you. Trust me, Cinder. Trust yourself. You can do this."

    With that promise came the reminder of Cinder's promise; that she would be better the second she returned to Remnant. And as her eyes began to burn once more, Cinder told herself that the promise she made would start now.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Fire arose from Cinder and expanded across the immediate area. The swarm of Botflies felt Cinder's wrath and fiery passion, and they all began to wither away and die. Flora desperately tried to reform herself so she could get away, but Cinder concentrated her fire on the human form that she could see.

    *WHOOSH*​

    "AAAAAHHH!"

    Flora began to burn once again, and she became angry as she felt her entire body turn to ash. She was still holding her sickle, and she charged forward in a blind rage as she struck at the fiery air. But all the hybrid could do was miss Cinder completely and scream as her Botflies withered away.

    "AAAAAAHHH! AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaahhhhh..."

    "..."

    And with that final scream, Flora was gone from the world of Remnant.

    Once again, Cinder took no pride or joy in what she had done. She wasn't a friend to Flora anymore, but Cinder refused to see any glory or honor in killing someone. Instead, Cinder sought glory in honor by doing the one thing she set out to do on Remnant.

    Find and save her father.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Power and strength came to Cinder in the form of fire once again. But this time, Cinder's fire had taken her off the ground, and it was making her ascend higher and higher into the air. When she became comfortable with the altitude she had achieved, Cinder turned towards the direction of Mistral and flew as fast as she could.

    "Hang on, Dad," Cinder said as she flew through the sky. "I'm coming."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 55: Victory
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 55: Victory

    *WHOOSH*

    *CRASH*

    *WHOOSH*

    *CRASH*

    *WHOOSH*

    *CRASH*    ​

    This had been a repetitive cycle for about ten minutes. And it wasn't a very pleasant one.

    When Cinder found herself outside Auntie Em's inn, after she killed Flora Blair, Cinder impulsively flew into the sky via her Maiden powers. Rather than walking to the city of Vacuo with Auntie Em or waiting to get an airship, Cinder decided that she would fly all the way to Mistral with the full might of the Fall Maiden's powers.

    But sadly, this was proving to be a terrible plan.

    *CRASH*​

    This was the fourth time Cinder had fallen to the ground after she took flight. She may have regained full control of the Fall Maiden's powers, but Cinder was tired and weak. Being in a coma had left her with bedsores and stiff muscles, and those were only part of her current symptoms of waking up from a coma.

    Flying and crashing into the sand four times had told Cinder that she hadn't fully recovered from her ordeal. She would most likely require a medical examination, maybe even physical therapy in order to be healthy once again. Right now, the best form of treatment Cinder needed was a long rest.



    ​
    The only problem with that was there wasn't enough time for Cinder to rest. Not while her father was in an entirely different Kingdom, and in great danger.



    ​
    And so, after getting off another sand dune that she crashed into, after shaking more sand off her body, Cinder let the fire in her hands and feet take her off the ground once again.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Even though she was tired and constantly falling to the ground, Cinder had travelled a great distance across the land. Her powers had taken her far, and now they were taking her to the place where the land met the sea. The location of Auntie Em's inn was a three-day trip to the ocean, but Cinder had made it in less than that.

    But she was still tired, and her powers were once again beginning to fail.

    "Come on, come on!" Cinder begged as she concentrated harder. The fire around her eyes and hands were beginning to fade, but Cinder pushed herself to go even faster and to keep burning.

    But while she was indeed going faster, all this did was expend all of her energy. She was running as well as an generator on its last bit of fuel, and that fuel finally expired.

    Ash and embers followed Cinder as she fell down once again. She momentarily caught herself with fire a couple of times, but the fire disappeared as quickly as it came.

    "No, no, nooooooo-!"

    *SPLASH*​

    Instead of another dune, Cinder fell into the saltwater below her, which was freezing cold. Not only was she unable to create more fire to launch herself out, but Cinder was having trouble swimming as well. Her body was still recovering and she was still tired, and the cold wasn't doing her any favors.

    The best she could do, however, was get her head above the water.

    "GUUUUUUHHHHH!" Cinder yelled as she gasped for air. She then fell into a fit of coughing as she did her best to stay above the water.



    ​
    The Fall Maiden immediately found herself stuck between a rock and a hard place. She was too far away from the mainland to swim back to shore, and all that was in front of her was the vast ocean. And when she tried to create fire once more, the water put it out in an instant.

    It was at this moment that Cinder regretted her impulsive choice.

    "No," she said as she shivered from the coldness of the water. "I... I have to do this." Cinder closed her eyes and tried to find her strength again. "I can't stop here. I can't... fail."

    "..."

    Cinder may have told herself this, but the silence and the freezing nature of the water were telling herself otherwise. And Cinder would have believed what both of these forces were telling her, if she didn't hear another voice.

    "You haven't failed, Cinder. Far from it."

    Cinder looked up when she heard the voice, which caused her to doubt her own eyes. At first, she saw only the night sky and small waves gently hitting her face. But after a few seconds, Cinder saw a soft orange light shimmering above her head. She initially mistook it for the light she saw in the void, but the light soon took on a human form and revealed itself to be Cinder's mentor.

    "Fall?" she asked. The only place Cinder saw the first Fall Maiden was in the void, but she was clearly freezing to death in the ocean. "Wh... What are you doing here? I'm not in the void."

    "No, you're not," Fall confirmed. "But we've always been with you, Cinder. Just like we are now."

    The idea was very comforting to Cinder. A moment ago, she believed herself to be alone in the world. She believed that she had dug her own grave by running off like a child, despite her good intentions. And before she even learned about the void, there were times when Cinder felt alone, even at Beacon.

    So it was comforting for Cinder to know that she wasn't alone anymore. In fact, she found it hard to believe that she would be alone again. However, this didn't fix the mess she found herself in.

    "I made a mistake," Cinder said to the spirit. "I guess I just got... caught up in the moment and tried to get to Mistral the only way I knew how."

    "I understand," said Fall. "I would've done the same thing if I were you. Mistakes like burning yourself up are inevitable."

    "Inevitable..." Cinder repeated to herself. "But I can't afford to make mistakes now! My dad's in trouble, everyone I know is in trouble! And here I am in freezing water with a body that wasn't ready to start fighting again!" Cinder lowered her head in shame. "What... What's that supposed to say about me?"

    "A lot."

    Cinder looked up at Fall once again, who simply smiled and spoke softly towards the Maiden who needed her guidance.

    "I guess all that firepower burned your brain, too," she said with a small laugh. "Your body gave up on you before, Cinder. But that didn't stop you from taking the power back, did it? You know what I think this is supposed to say about you?"

    "..."

    "It's that what you think you lack in stamina, you've been making up with willpower. So you might need to get back into physical shape. But that fire you've been burning within hasn't gone away yet. And when you let that fire out, you saved someone's life." Fall smiled a little wider. "I'm proud of you, Cinder."

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't help but smile when Fall finished talking. She had to admit that she needed the encouragement, that someone could see that she hadn't lost her way. Obi-Wan once told her that bravery could lead to foolishness, and Cinder easily understood that lesson. But another lesson she learned was that it was never too late to get up and try again.

    Only now, Cinder needed to know what exactly she could do.



    ​
    "Thank you, Fall," she said. "But I still need to get to Mistral. I don't know what to do."



    ​
    "That's why I'm here," Fall declared calmly. "What happened to you now is also supposed to say that you need a hand."

    "Can you do that? From beyond the void?"

    "I know you haven't seen it until now, but we've always been helping you with your powers. And now we can do it again."

    The next minutes of their conversation involved a plan and helpful reminders. The plan was actually a feat performed by many Maidens in the past, by all four of them. Fall explained that it would surely get Cinder to Mistral in no time at all.

    The reminders, on the other hand, were meant to serve as the fuel and energy Cinder needed to perform this feat. Fall's main piece of advice for the girl was to remember what she had learned. To remember and use it wisely.

    Most students and disciples would be slightly annoyed by a vague idea, but Cinder remembered everything that she had learned. And with Fall's reminder and her plan to perform an extraordinary feat, Cinder knew exactly what to do and how to do it.

    The first thing Cinder had to do was get out of the water. And though she couldn't do it with fire, Cinder started to think outside the box and let her problem become her solution. That was how she used her powers to make the water ascend high into the sky.

    *FWOOSH*​

    Cinder found herself right on top of a spinning current, similar to that of a tornado. Now that her arms were free, Cinder used the air around her to stay floating while the water moved back to the sea.

    *SPLASH*​

    Cinder was now floating in the air by a means of air instead of fire. Fire was her primary element, but she was going to have to use fire in a different way if she wanted to get to Mistral. So right now, Cinder was letting the air hold her above the ground. This was easy for her, due to everything she learned at Beacon.

    And right now, she was ready to use what she learned in the void.

    Fall's description of the ability she wanted Cinder to use included using something that Cinder had worked very hard on in the void. One of her last lessons, which proved to be the most important, was unlocking the energy within each of her chakras. Her crown chakra was still locked, since Cinder didn't want to abandon everything she had on Remnant. Unfortunately, this would make becoming a Fully-Realized Maiden very difficult.

    However, Cinder had unlocked all of her other chakras. And now she had to concentrate on the new energy flowing within her in order to reach Mistral. It took time of course, since Cinder wasn't familiar with the newly found energy.

    But once she connected with it, a miracle occurred.

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    The fire on Cinder's eyes changed from a bright orange to a beautiful blue flame. And when she let go of the air around her, more blue fire came to her hands and feet. And the fire within her began to burn just like the fire on the outside. The blue flames soon began to cover Cinder's entire body, which was exactly what she wanted.

    Behind the scene, each of the Fall Maidens were giving their own strength to Cinder. This, combined with the energy of the chakras, was very close to what could be considered the power of a Fully-Realized Maiden. It was close, but it wasn't exactly the same kind of power. However, the power everyone was giving was enough for Cinder to make her move.

    "Ready?" Fall asked Cinder.

    The young girl moved out of a hovering position and into a flying position. Once she did this, and focused on her current destination, Cinder gave her confirmation to her mentor.

    "Ready," she firmly said.

    "...Go."

    *WOOOOO*

    *CHOOM*    ​

    Cinder moved like a speeding bullet as everything around her went blue. Not only was she moving like one, but the young girl was now traveling at a speed that would rival any bullet, airship, or anyone with a Semblance that allowed them to fly.

    This speed was exactly what Cinder and the other Maidens were hoping for; a feat that was long forgotten, an ability that would take any Maiden anywhere across the planet in a matter of minutes instead of hours or days. The term for the speed wasn't scientifically correct, but one look at the flying Maiden made many people decide that the name did the feat justice.

    Those who witnessed the power for themselves named it... "Lightspeed."

    Nobody at Haven was aware of the events that transpired in the Kingdom of Vacuo. Nobody knew that the true Fall Maiden was finally awake, and nobody knew that two of Salem's closest underlings had been killed.

    Aurora and Flora were the first of Salem's warriors to die during this brutal conflict, but they weren't the last.

    *CLASH*

    *WHOOSH*

    *BOOM*

    *CLASH*    ​

    Revan and Malak had been engaged in battle for several minutes, and the result appeared to be a stalemate. Each opponent was capable of striking and wounding the other, but neither of them could land a killing blow.

    Revan hadn't lost his mask in battle, but his head was bleeding from an attack from the Force that may have left him with a concussion. He had several cuts on his torso, as did Malak. And yet, the Force provided both warriors with enough strength to keep fighting and do nothing else.



    ​
    It was quite possible that at this rate, the warriors would be fighting until Judgment Day.



    ​
    However, Malak had been so focused on Revan that he had forgotten that Obi-Wan Kenobi was still on the battlefield. He had used his Aura to recover from Malak's attacks, and now he was ready to rejoin the fight. But instead of relying on his lightsaber, Obi-Wan used his greatest ally: the Force.

    Malak had found an opening against Revan and planned to strike hard in an effort to decapitate him. However, his arm became caught in Obi-Wan's invisible grip. The Sith Lord groaned in fury as he tried to swing the blade, but nothing was going to break Obi-Wan's grip.

    And once he saw the chance his ally had given him, Revan struck hard at Malak.

    *CLASH*​

    "Aaargh!"

    Malak dropped his lightsaber when Revan's blade struck him. The strike wasn't lethal, but it was quite painful. So much so that Malak jumped back in retreat as he tried to work through the pain. He had fallen to his knees when he jumped back, and the burning sensation refused to leave his body.

    The pain and the sight of the Jedi drawing closer were making Malak angry once again. To display this anger and hopefully defeat his foes, the Sith let out a scream as he unleashed a barrage of lightning upon the Jedi.

    *ZAP*

    *ZAP*    ​

    Revan quickly raised his lightsaber to deflect the electricity while Obi-Wan used the Force again. He once saw Master Yoda catch Force lightning in his hands, and the Headmaster did it to save his life. It was incredibly difficult, but Obi-Wan did the best he could.

    After about ten seconds of standing still, the Jedi began to slide back as the pressure of the lightning overtook them. Malak's attacks were always strong and powerful, and he was quite proficient with the ability to conjure lightning. He primarily used it for torture, but Malak planned on using it for murder tonight.

    Revan knew that he couldn't hold on to the lightning forever, but he also knew that he had to hold his ground. He could see that Obi-Wan was losing his ground as well, so he decided to help with this.

    It was a risky move, but Revan reached out with the Force while he kept only one hand on his lightsaber. His free hand held Obi-Wan and himself in place so they could stop sliding and start fighting against Malak.

    *ZAP*​

    Revan was hit by some of the electricity, but he was able to push the majority of it with his lightsaber. And Obi-Wan was able hold his ground once again. Together, the Jedi resisted the attack and held on with everything they had.

    Malak was able to see that Revan and Obi-Wan were able to resist the attack, and his first instinct was to increase the amount of energy he was putting into the lightning. The Jedi were still able to hold on, which made Malak even angrier.

    But when he saw that his lightsaber was directly behind Revan, the Sith Lord had another idea. The first step of his plan was to stop the lightning and use the Force in another manner.

    "Godspeed, Revan," he said as he pulled his arm back, bidding farewell to his former teacher.

    *HISS*​

    The sound was the only clue Revan and Obi-Wan received for Malak's intentions. Revan knew he was in more danger than Obi-Wan, and he also knew that he didn't have enough time to react with the Force.

    He did, however, have just enough time to jump out of the way of whatever danger was behind him.

    *WHOOSH*

    *HISS*    ​

    Just as Revan hoped, Malak's lightsaber missed him when he performed a somersault in the air. It wasn't an easy feat, since he needed to act at a moment's notice. But the jump had saved his life, and the lightsaber found a new target instead of Revan.

    "Im..."

    *COUGH*

    *COUGH*    ​

    The coughing and the sight of Malak kneeling before him told Revan that he had won. Because Revan had jumped out of the way, the lightsaber stabbed Malak in a place that was vital to survival itself.

    And now that he had, there was nothing left for Revan but to watch as Malak left this world. But the Sith didn't leave in silence.

    "Impossible," Malak finally uttered as he attempted to hold on to life. "I... I cannot be beaten. I am a Dark Lord... of the Sith."

    As the Jedi stood over their foe, Revan and Obi-Wan silently reached an agreement on how they were able to beat Malak. It wasn't simply because they outnumbered him or they were more experienced than him. But rather, Revan and Obi-Wan knew that something like this was always inevitable for a Sith.

    Before he declared this to be true, Revan decided to remove his mask. His emotions were vulnerable, as his face now showed sadness and pity towards the Sith. Malak could try to use that in his final moments, but Revan didn't care. If he was going to watch Malak die, he planned to see it face-to-face.

    "It is the way of the dark side, Malak," Revan finally said. "All things end in death."

    Malak coughed again before he replied. "Still... Still spouting the wisdom of the Jedi, I see," he said. "Maybe there is more truth in their code than I ever believed."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan and Revan were surprised to hear this; it was rare for a Sith to admit their wrongdoings.

    But Malak knew that he had been defeated, and that he had been humbled before his former master and brother. All the anger and hate in the world couldn't save him now, since he could feel himself growing weaker and weaker.

    He didn't have much time now, but he had time enough to think on it all. What Revan said was true, and his inevitable death would do nothing but prove the Jedi's point. So Malak knew there wasn't any reason left to fight.

    But there was still enough time to talk.

    "I... I cannot help but wonder, Revan," Malak said. "What would have happened had our positions been reversed? What if fate had decreed I would be captured by the Jedi? Could I have returned to the light, as you did? If you had not led me down the dark path in the first place, what destiny would I have found?"

    "..."

    Revan had asked this question more times than once. When Salem broke his mind and released him, he was indeed captured by the Jedi. His new path and new training weren't easy, nor was his return to the light. But Revan was able to surpass all the challenges he faced, and he had hoped the same could be done for Malak.

    As for the final question, Revan knew that one thing was true; he should have never let his pride and lust for power drive him and Malak to Salem in the first place.

    "I am sorry I started you on this path," Revan said as he kneeled down to Malak. While it was true that Malak gave him the idea to follow in the footsteps of the Jedi who fell to the darkness, Revan was the one who made the decision. He blamed himself for becoming a Sith, along with Malak.

    However, this wasn't an excuse for Malak refusing to turn back.

    "But you chose to continue down it," Revan reminded his former apprentice.

    As he coughed once more, Malak found himself unable to deny this claim. "I suppose... I suppose you speak the truth," he said. "I alone must accept responsibility for my fate."

    "..."

    Even after his brother refused to join him, even after Salem locked him in the Fermata Cage, Malak refused to abandon the way of the Sith. Just as Revan's lust for power made him into a monster, Malak's personal ambitions led him to his death.

    "I wanted to be Master of the Sith and ruler of the world," the Sith confessed. "But that destiny was not mine, Revan." He looked at Revan to make eye contact with him. "It might have been yours, perhaps... but never mine. And in the end, as the darkness takes me... I am nothing."

    "..."

    And with that single, and final act of regret, Darth Malak finally died.

    Revan and Obi-Wan stood completely still after the Sith Lord fell to the ground and refused to move. Obi-Wan would have moved back to Haven Academy, but the feelings he sensed within Revan made him stay and do whatever he could to comfort his fellow Jedi.

    Revan didn't know what to think as he stared upon the corpse of his brother. There were times in the past where he believed he would be at peace with the passing of Malak, that he would be proud that the Sith could do no more harm to Remnant. He wanted this to happen, he even prayed to the Force that it would happen.

    But as he stared upon his handiwork, Revan felt hollow. Empty. His goal had been achieved, but nothing about him or Remnant changed. He was still feeling the pull of the dark side despite his renewed fealty to the light, and Remnant was still at war. Salem lived and plotted like she always did, and Ozpin did the same.

    In Revan's mind, nothing good arose from this duel.

    "It's hard to remember without the help of the Order."

    Revan finally turned away and looked at Obi-Wan, who was staring at him instead of the body. "What?" Revan asked.

    "Why the Jedi were created," Obi-Wan replied. "I once said that Sith like Nihilus were beyond our help. As I watched him fade away, I knew that the Force couldn't help him." Obi-Wan looked down at Malak. "He was different. I sensed something within him, right before he died. As soon as you gave your apology."

    Revan was unable to sense anything from Malak, besides pain and despair. But based on what Obi-Wan was implying, there seemed to be something that he was missing.

    "What?" he asked inquisitively.

    Obi-Wan put a hand on Revan's shoulder. "Peace," he replied. "Malak... Alek... was at peace with what happened. You gave him peace."

    "..."

    Revan couldn't sense it now that his brother was dead, but he never had a reason to doubt Obi-Wan; especially when it came to the wisdom of the Jedi. It was their goal to use their knowledge and skills to bring peace upon the world, to spread understanding and put an end to conflicts wherever they arose.

    If Alek was at peace, then Revan had performed the duty of a Jedi well. It was true that violence and death were only to be used as a last resort, but tonight they managed to put an end to more pain and suffering.

    If he hadn't died, the Sith Lord would only continue to spread and feel pain and suffering wherever he went. When Revan put a stop to that, he saw that Alek didn't resent him for what he did. He accepted it instead, and he let go of any anger and hate he had.

    Obi-Wan was right. In the end, Revan had given his brother peace.

    *THOOM*​

    Obi-Wan and Revan turned to the sky when they heard what sounded like thunder. But it hadn't been raining at Haven, and there didn't seem to be any lightning as well.

    However, they were able to catch a glimpse of a blue light in the sky that suddenly changed into an orange one.

    The blue light was a fast one, it almost looked like a shooting star that was very close to the ground. But when the light changed from blue to orange, the Jedi could see that it wasn't a shooting star. It was something else.

    Something that quickly flew down from the top of the academy and into the auditorium.

    The Jedi shared a brief glance of confusion and uncertainty at each other before they rushed over to the broken entrance. But when they returned to the auditorium, they discovered that they were too late to discover what the light was. Mandalorians of Clan Vizsla and Tenau were also in the auditorium, and they too were captivated by the light. They were previously fighting Pre Vizsla's Mandalorians, but now they were all staring down the hole that led to the Vault.

    "What was that?"

    "I don't know. It went down there."

    "Should we follow it?"

    "It could be dangerous. I saw Vizsla and Djarin get dragged down there by something."

    "Well, what do we do?"

    Obi-Wan and Revan stared at each other as they also wondered what they do. With Malak dead, an immediate threat to Mistral's safety was put to an end. However, the sight of more Mandalorians landing near the entrance to the auditorium reminded everyone of the threat that still existed.

    So the question remained; should they all investigate the light, or should they stay the course and defend Haven?

    Obi-Wan and Revan suddenly sensed something when they looked back to the hole. They each sensed a presence, as if someone or something had just arrived at Haven. The presence was foreign to Revan, but it was familiar to Obi-Wan. However, it was a presence he hadn't felt since...

    "Defend the school!" Obi-Wan ordered as he turned towards the invaders and activated his lightsaber. "We've lost too many Huntsmen and Huntresses, we are all Haven's last line of defense!"

    The Mandalorians of Clans Tenau and Vizsla quickly agreed when they looked at the number of Saxons, Bralors, Carids, and the remaining members of Death Watch. Most of them were reinforcements that Pre Vizsla had called, but they were still a threat.

    "Attack!" a Mandalorian from Clan Vizsla ordered. His brethren and the members of Clan Tenau obeyed without question and charged at the invaders.

    "Don't worry about the Vault!" Obi-Wan said to Revan. "Our only threat is what's in front of us!"

    Revan was willing to comply with the order of killing more Mandalorians, but his mind wasn't quite at rest. "I don't understand," he admitted. "We still don't know what that light was, the Relic could be at risk."

    "We have no reason to fear it, Revan. I know what it was."

    "You do? What?"

    Obi-Wan smiled at Revan before he joined the defenders of Haven. "Hope, my friend. Hope."

    Inside the Vault, Raven was the first to awaken. When she did, the first thing she noticed was how quiet everything was. Her dreams were loud and terrifying, and she was expecting reality to be just as loud with Aurora in it.

    But Aurora was nowhere to be seen. All Raven could see was two unconscious Mandalorians, two sleeping Huntsmen that were close to waking up, and the dead body of a young bandit.

    In a rare moment, Raven looked at her fellow bandit in pity. She didn't intend for one of her own to die, as she had a responsibility as a leader to look out for her entire tribe. And so, she silently walked over to the unfortunate girl and shut her unseeing eyes. It was the least she could for her.

    "Uh... what? What happened?"

    Raven turned around fast to see that Qrow was starting to recover with Ozpin. Both of them were no longer suffering from Aurora's nightmares, they were free. But rather than let them enjoy their freedom, Raven decided to let them sleep a little longer.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    Two quick strikes to the back of their heads were enough to knock Qrow and Ozpin unconscious. Once she saw the results of her handiwork, Raven sighed in relief and welcomed the returning silence.

    "Sorry, Qrow," Raven said. "But it's like I said; sometimes family disappoints you."

    "..."

    The continuing silence had given Raven some time to think about her next move. The whole reason she was at Haven to begin with was to kill Qrow. He may have been her brother, but he had caused her enough trouble for one lifetime. Raven knew that one quick slash with Omen would be enough to cleave Qrow's head off his shoulders.

    On the other hand, the Vault was open. The Relic of Knowledge was Raven's for the taking. And even though she didn't have an exact plan for the lamp, Raven knew that keeping it away from Salem was for the best. And having something powerful with her was bound to be useful one day.

    And so, Raven saw that she had a choice. She could either kill Qrow now and leave while she could, or take the Relic and vanish without a trace.

    "Hm..." Raven hummed to herself as she analyzed her situation. She placed a hand on Omen and activated her Maiden powers once again. When she felt the fire come to her eyes, Raven knew that the speed of a Maiden was still with her. She could make a quick, clean cut at Qrow before flying to the Vault and taking the Relic. And there was a little bit of Aura recharged after she took her untimely nap.

    "Why not do both?" Raven asked herself as she began to remove Omen from her sheath.

    The question was intended to be a rhetorical one, but something came into the Vault to answer that question.

    *WHOOSH*

    *THOOM*    ​

    All of Raven's plans disappeared when she caught a glimpse of an orange light and heard something hit the floor. Valuing self-preservation over murder, Raven turned towards the spot where she entered the Vault in the first place. There, she saw a cloud of smoke and dust slowly disappearing and revealing a young girl with black hair who looked like she had just gotten out of bed.

    Raven wouldn't be intimidated by the sight at first, but she knew that she had to take the girl as a threat when she saw an orange fire on both of her eyes.

    Just as Obi-Wan had predicted, Cinder had indeed arrived at Haven Academy. Lightspeed had served her well, as did the assistance of all the previous Maidens. When they sensed that they had arrived at Haven, Fall and her allies slowly took their strength back to let Cinder safely exit the speeding force she found herself in. Once that happened, Cinder knew that everything was up to her now.

    The memories of Aurora gave Cinder a path to follow in order to find her father. She saw Hazel destroy a statue leading to a chasm and she saw Aurora led two other women down into the chasm before she witnessed a large fight that left Aurora victorious. And so, Cinder followed Aurora's steps and flew into the chasm that led to the Vault.

    There, she was met with four unconscious warriors and another Maiden.

    "So..." Raven began as she held on to Omen's handle. "Can I safely assume that Aurora's dead?"

    "...Yeah," Cinder replied. "I'm the one she-"

    "I know who you are."

    Raven possessed a strong memory, one that rarely forgot anything she deemed important. One of these memories was the chrome Mandalorian showing her a video of a young Cinder utilizing her Maiden powers. The Mandalorian showed Raven this video when he came to her for help, to prove that aiding him was very important. Raven saw the child's face that day, and she saw that it was an exact match to the girl who was standing before her.

    "I also know that you're his ward," Raven said as she gestured her head to Din Djarin. He had seen what was happening to Aurora, but the pain she inflicted on him was enough to make him fall unconscious.

    Cinder looked where Raven was looking, and she softly gasped. She wasn't afraid that Djarin was dead, since she could see his chest rising and falling at a steady pace. But rather, this was the first time in what felt like forever that Cinder had seen the Mandalorian again. There was so much she wanted to tell him, so much she wanted to do to help him.

    But first, Cinder made a proud declaration that she hoped Djarin could hear.

    "No," she said. "I'm his daughter. And damn proud of it."

    "Hm," Raven hummed, unimpressed by the heartfelt gesture. However, she saw an opportunity to make this meeting a brief one. "He'll live, but he needs help." She turned back towards the Vault. "I suggest you take him and go."

    Raven was confident with her plan when she heard quick footsteps stop at a certain distance. She expected Cinder to be kneeling by her father's side while she walked towards the open Vault. She planned to simply take the Relic and go, since it didn't seem anybody would be stopping her.

    She was wrong.

    "You opened the Vault," said Cinder, who was indeed kneeling close to Djarin. After she quickly checked his pulse with her right hand, Cinder gave Raven her full attention.

    "Thanks to the chaos your attempted successor created," Raven confirmed. "She almost got away with it too. I guess I have you to thank for not letting that happen."

    Cinder stood up as Raven stopped walking. "Qrow and Ozpin told me about the Vaults," she said. "That the Relics are there for a reason."

    Raven grew very annoyed with what Cinder was saying. "I'm sure they told you plenty, and you just sat and obeyed."

    "They told me how badly Salem wants to open them." Cinder began to walk forward, very slowly. "That's why Aurora was here. But what about you? What are you doing here?"

    Raven turned around once again, after she took a few more steps towards the Vault. "What does it matter to you?" she asked.

    Cinder wasn't afraid of Raven, and she let the older woman know this. "I don't want Salem to have the Relics... but I wouldn't trust them in the hands of someone who helped crazy Mandalorians invade the school," she said. "Or someone who thinks killing their brother is a good idea."

    Raven understood that Cinder wasn't going to let her take the Relic, and now she took the chance to let the child know that she wouldn't let anything stop her.

    "And I wouldn't trust them in the hands of a child, Maiden or not," she said as she took a battle position.

    Cinder immediately followed, despite the fact that she didn't have a plan of attack. Judging from the state that Raven was currently in, bleeding with her clothes in tatters, it was possible that Raven was tired and not capable of fighting for long.

    Then again, Cinder was still recovering from her coma. So she knew that her chances of beating her opponent were slim.

    But they got a little better when Cinder heard an invisible voice.

    "Cinder, we can help you."

    Cinder looked around for the source of the voice, but all she could see was Raven preparing for battle. "Fall?" she whispered. "Where are you?"

    "I'm still with you," said Fall. "And we can still help you. This will be over before you know it."

    Cinder prepared for battle as well when she saw Raven approach closer. Flame naturally came to her eyes and hands as she waited for her opponent to make the first move. "What do we do?" Cinder asked her invisible mentor. "Another hidden power?"

    "Sort of," Fall replied. "Just grab and hold her when you're close enough."

    "What? Why?"

    "We need to make contact with her to help."

    Cinder didn't have enough time to ask another question or agree to the plan. Raven had just lunged at her with Omen, and Cinder had to dodge the red blade that nearly cut her face.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Cinder threw fire at the Spring Maiden, and Raven moved as fast as she could to avoid the flames. She took cover near the rocks so she could recover, since she was still wounded from her battle with Aurora.

    Cinder still needed time to recover as well. She couldn't fight with her fists or another weapon, since she didn't have Midnight or her armor. Her powers, however, were as strong as ever. So she flew close to Raven and blasted more fire at her.

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    Raven created fire of her own to counter Cinder's flames, and the two elemental waves came at a standstill when they met. Cinder pushed on the fire with both hands to intensify the flames, and she began to walk closer towards the Vault in order to prevent Raven from acquiring the Relic of Knowledge.

    But Raven wasn't going to be stopped that easily.

    *WHOOSH*​

    The fire completely vanished when Raven unleashed a gust of wind from her hands. Some of the fire reached her body when she was forced to let go of it, but she wasn't badly hurt. And now that the flames were gone, Raven flew to Cinder and grabbed her by the throat.

    Cinder stopped just in front of the open Vault, but this was because Raven had stopped flying. She lifted the child slightly off the floor as she continued to hold her throat, but she didn't plan to choke Cinder.

    Instead, Raven took Omen in her other hand and prepared to stab Cinder in the chest.

    The Fall Maiden immediately saw what was happening, and she acted quickly. Rather than punch Raven's arm or try to use her powers again, Cinder followed the order of her mentor and grabbed Raven's arm. Nothing happened at first, so Cinder turned her thoughts inward as she saw Raven release Omen from its sheath.

    "Fall, Lila, Karma... I could really use your help!" Cinder thought as she held Raven's arm. She didn't know what to expect from this small prayer, but Cinder knew she didn't have many options. It was clear that Raven was powerful, and she was playing for keeps now that the Vault was open.

    Cinder was ready to rethink her strategy, since nothing seemed to happen when she called out to her allies. This idea changed, however, when everything went white.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Cinder and Raven were both blinded by a white light that seemed to have come out of nowhere. When she opened her eyes again, Cinder saw nothing but whiteness all around her.

    "I'm... I'm back?" Cinder guessed as she familiarized herself with her surroundings. And when she looked down, she was wearing her red dress instead of the pajamas she had in Vacuo. It seemed that she was back in the void, and it also seemed that her call for help had worked.

    But nobody was around.

    "Hello?!" Cinder called out. "Fall?! Lila?! Karma?!"

    "..."

    "Anybody?!"

    "..."

    The silence and uncertainty transformed Cinder's confusion into fear. She had just returned to the world of Remnant, and she wasn't looking to be trapped in the void once again. Cinder realized that she should have expected to be here when she called for help, but she wasn't sure why she couldn't see anyone.

    Cinder was able to hear, however. And right now, she could hear what sounded like somebody crying.

    The Fall Maiden looked around when she heard this sound, and she soon found herself looking in a certain direction. Across the endless distance, Cinder could see what looked like somebody kneeling down on the ground. When Cinder moved closer, the sound of crying became much louder as the person became clearer.

    Cinder could see that the person kneeling was a younger girl, someone wearing a plain dress and what appeared to be a crown of flowers on her head. But what captured Cinder's attention the most was that this girl was glowing like Fall was. But instead of an orange color, this girl was glowing a bright green.

    "...Hello?" Cinder asked when she stopped in front of the girl.

    The girl looked up at Cinder with tear-filled eyes and a gasp. She quickly moved backwards in fear, which led Cinder to put her hands up and take one step back.

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Cinder said quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" When she looked at the girl's face, it became clear to Cinder that the two of them were strangers; she didn't even see this girl when Cinder said her goodbyes to all of the previous Fall Maidens.

    "Who... Who are you?" the girl asked. "Who... Who sent you?"

    "N-Nobody. I was just looking for-"

    "The power?" The girl looked at Cinder from head to toe and sighed. "Fine. Just take it and go. If she's dead, then it's yours." She looked away from Cinder and began to cry again. "There's nothing I can do about it now."

    Cinder became more confused than ever. She still had the Fall Maiden's power, she was sure of it. So why was this girl talking as if Cinder still needed it? None of this was making sense.

    "What?" Cinder asked. "But... I already have the Fall Maiden's power. I just got it back."

    The girl looked up at Cinder again, very slowly. "Did... Did you say... 'Fall?'" she asked. "The... The Fall Maiden?"

    "Well, yeah. I was here before, working to get it back. I mean, you saw me training here... right?"

    The girl stood up on her feet and looked at Cinder once again. "You're... Why are you here?" she asked.

    "I was looking for Fall," she explained. "And the other Maidens. I came here for help, and-"

    "She's here?!" The girl dried her eyes and looked around the white space. "Where is she?!"

    Cinder was taken aback by the girl's surprise, and it only made her more confused. If this girl was a previous Maiden, then she should have known that Fall was with her in the void.

    Unless...

    "Who are you?" Cinder asked calmly. "What's your name?"

    "My name?" the girl asked. "My name is-"

    "Spring?"

    Cinder and the girl turned towards the direction of a new voice. They saw another girl before them, one that was glowing orange and wearing a shirt and a skirt. She had a surprised look on her face and widened eyes, but Cinder was paying more attention to the fact that she was here.

    "Fall!" Cinder said with a smile. "I was looking for-"

    "Spring?" Fall asked without paying attention to Cinder. "Is... Is that really you?"

    Cinder looked at the green girl, who seemed to be just as surprised as Fall was. Cinder found herself sharing this surprise with a gasp when she put the pieces together. Just as she hypothesized, this girl wasn't a previous Fall Maiden.

    She was a previous Spring Maiden. And based on what Fall had said, she wasn't just any Spring Maiden.

    This girl was the Spring Maiden.

    "Fall?" Spring asked. Her apparent despair soon turned to joy as she charged towards the girl with a big smile and open arms. "Fall!"

    The sisters embraced each other in an instant and basked in the warmth of their reunion. Fall made a complete spin since Spring had her feet off the ground, and the sisters did nothing but laugh and smile as they kneeled down and hugged each other.

    "I missed you so much!" said Spring.

    "I missed you too!" Fall said as she brushed her hand agains the back of Spring's head.

    "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

    "I never doubted it."

    When the sisters stopped hugging, Fall looked over to see a surprised and smiling Cinder. She was glad to see the sisters reunited, but she was surprised to see that she had somehow found herself in the void that connected the Spring Maidens together.

    Fall was also surprised, since she didn't believe her idea would work. But once again, the previous Fall Maidens came to Cinder's aid and allowed themselves to connect with the Spring Maiden, courtesy of the presence of Raven Branwen. And because of these efforts, Fall and Spring were reunited once again.

    "This is Cinder," Fall said when her sister finally laid eyes on the living girl. "She's the current Fall Maiden."

    "Hi," Cinder said with a smile and an extended hand. "It's nice to meet you."

    Spring looked at Cinder and her friendly gesture, but she didn't shake the girl's hand. "You mean... you're not here for the power?" she asked.

    "What? Me?" Cinder moved her hand back and quickly denied the idea. "Oh, no, no, no. I'm fine with just one part of the power. You see, I was fighting Raven Branwen, but I needed help because she was a Maiden too. I thought your sister could help, and then-"

    "So she still has it? The power?"

    "Um, that's right." Cinder looked over to Fall. "Unless you did something just now?"

    "Not to Raven, no," Fall explained. "But my plan to bring us to this void worked. I was hoping to bring Raven too, but-"

    Fall stopped talking when she heard the familiar sound of sobbing. She and Cinder turned and saw Spring had stepped away from her sister and moved to the floor once again. When she did, her tears and despair returned in an instant.

    "...Spring?" Fall said as she kneeled down to her sister. "Spring, wha... Why are you crying?"

    "Look at me, Fall!" Spring replied. "Look what I'm doing!" Spring gestured towards the empty void, but she was referring to everything that Raven had done in the Vault. And based on her current attitude, it was possible that Spring was referring to everything Raven had done with the Maiden's powers.

    "Hey, that's not true," Fall insisted. "Raven's the one doing all of this, not you."

    "But it's my power! I'm the reason Raven has it in the first place!"

    Spring was referring to the fact that the power of the Maidens moved to another person when the previous Maiden died. Just like it did with Cinder, the power moved to the last person the Maiden held in her thoughts.

    But there was a special circumstance in Raven's case.

    "Do you know what happened to the last Maiden?" Spring asked. "How she ended up in here like the rest of us?"

    "..."

    Fall and Cinder shared a brief glance at each other. The sight of Spring crying and lamenting over the fact that Raven was using the powers for evil gave them one idea as to how she acquired them in the first place.

    Fall was the first to respond to her sister, as well as the first to try and comfort her. "Spring, you don't have to-"

    "She killed her!" Spring lamented. "She stabbed that poor girl in the back! She might have been a bandit too, but she didn't deserve that!" Spring smacked her forehead in sorrow. "None of this should have happened! It's unforgivable!"

    "..."

    "I'm unforgivable..."

    Spring fell to the floor again, but Fall joined her and hugged her once again. Now she found herself hating Raven just as much as her sister did. She promised herself that Raven would pay for what she did, how she used her sister to carry out terrible crimes.

    And fortunately for Fall, Cinder was willing to help.

    "It's okay, Spring," Cinder said calmly with a bit of assertion. "We're here to help you, both of us. Fall brought us here, and she knows the void better than anyone. We can stop Raven."

    Fall continued to cradle her sister, but she looked up at Cinder and nodded. "That's right," she said. "We're not leaving until we stop Raven." She then turned back to her sister. "And that's a promise."

    Spring looked up at both of the women before her and dried her eyes. "...Thank you," she said. It was nice to see that she wouldn't be alone in this. "So... what are we going to do?"

    "Yeah," Cinder said. "Do you have a plan, Fall?"

    Fall stood up and looked around. "I did," she said as she turned back to her friend and sister. "I was hoping we could bring Raven to the void and use all of the Maidens to stop her. But it doesn't look like her connection to the void is strong. Cinder was strong enough, but she needed a push to get here."

    Cinder immediately knew that slipping into a coma was the "push" Fall was referring to.

    "She got the powers fairly recently," Spring pointed out. "So that makes sense."

    "Hmm." Fall paused and raised a hand to her chin. "Let me think for a minute. We'll find a way."

    Cinder began to think with Fall, but no ideas came to her mind. Fall's initial plan sounded like it would have worked, but it didn't seem like Raven would be coming here any time soon. Still, Cinder had faith in Fall.

    And yet, Cinder began to wish that Karma was here. She was a very strict and blunt woman, but she was also a very wise Maiden. After all, it was Karma who showed Cinder what chakras were, and how there was much more to the power of the Maidens than met the eye.

    "Wait a minute," Cinder said as she recalled Karma's lessons. "That's it!"

    "Huh?" Fall asked as she snapped out of her thoughts. "What is it, Cinder?"

    "Remember when you introduced me to Karma? And how she wanted me to unlock my chakras?"

    "Yeah, of course."

    "Before that, she actually showed me how strong the piece I had was! She used it better than I could at first!"

    Fall didn't witness Karma doing this, but she took Cinder's word for it. "Well, people like Karma and I have had the powers longer than most."

    "Yeah, exactly!" Cinder pointed directly at Spring. "Spring's like you, Fall! She's had the powers longer than Raven! She might be able to use it in a way that Raven can't!"

    Fall took a moment to think about this. "That's true," she said. "Spring would know about the powers better than Raven."

    Spring stood up again and moved to her new allies. "What are you thinking?" Spring asked. "That I attack her from the inside?"

    "That might be hard," Fall replied. "Cinder did that to Aurora, but only because she had a part of the power. And she had to leave the void to face her."

    "Okay, maybe we don't have to attack Raven," said Cinder. "What if we did what Aurora did to me? What if we took the power away from her?"

    "What do you mean? You want to split Spring's powers up like yours?"

    "Not split it up, no." Cinder turned to the second Maiden. "Spring, you're stronger than Raven. You can do anything you put your mind to with these powers." Cinder gently held Spring's arms. "So, I want you to take them away from Raven. If you can give the Maidens their powers... that means you can take them back."

    Both Fall and Spring widened their eyes as they heard this plan. It was true that Spring could use her powers in ways that Raven couldn't just yet, but to take them back was a very drastic thing to do. She and the other Maidens had never tried anything like this, and neither had Fall.

    "I'm sorry, what?" Spring asked. "You want me to take back the power?"

    "Raven wouldn't be able to use them anymore," Cinder explained. "She won't be able to abuse them again."

    Spring was about to say something else, but Fall put a hand on her shoulder and spoke first. "Cinder, that might be true," she confirmed. "But nobody's ever tried to take the power back from someone on Remnant."

    "But that doesn't mean it's impossible."

    "No, it doesn't. But it won't break the connection Raven has with Spring and the others. They'll stay with her until she dies."

    "That's fine. Spring doesn't have to leave, she just has to make sure Raven can't hurt anyone with her powers again. And when the time comes, somebody better than her will be able to take it."

    Fall and Spring were following along with Cinder's logic, and Fall was starting to believe that the plan would work. It was just like Cinder said; Raven wouldn't be able to abuse the powers anymore, despite the fact that she would still be connected to Spring.

    But Spring didn't like the sound of that.

    "I... I don't know," the younger girl said as she turned away. "Ozpin told us that we had a responsibility with our gifts. If I did this... I'd be taking a Maiden away from Remnant. Nobody's ever done that before."

    "..."

    "I've already done more harm than good with this. I just... don't want to cause any more."

    Fall immediately began to sympathize with her sister. While she still believed that Raven was the one responsible for doing more harm than good, Fall could see why Spring was hesitant about removing a Maiden from Remnant. All four Maidens weren't just the key to the Vaults, but they were supposed to be the guardians of the world. Raven wasn't a guardian, but Remnant still needed the Maidens.

    Cinder agreed, but she had a different point of view on the matter.

    "Spring... Ozpin was right about your responsibility," she said. "But that doesn't mean he has all the answers. Trust me, I know."

    "..."

    Spring turned around and was immediately met with Cinder taking her hands and continuing her speech. "I don't know you as well as Fall does, but I know you were once a great Maiden. You proved yourself worthy to bear the title, not Raven. You've grown strong enough in mind, body, and soul, not Raven. You're just as important as me and Fall, being here doesn't make you powerless or responsible for what happens out there. And it doesn't leave you without the ability to make your own choices."

    "..."

    Cinder was well aware of how the power of the Maidens transferred from one person to another, and she believed that it was time to change that. And Spring deserved to be the first to do that.

    "You're a Maiden too, Spring," Cinder continued. "You have the right to choose who deserves your power and who doesn't. You and everyone else in the void deserve to make your own choice. And if what Fall told me about you is true... there's no doubt that you'll make the right one."

    "..."

    For the second time upon their arrival, Spring smiled at Cinder and Fall. The point Cinder had made was true, and it left Spring with a new feeling of self-worth and self-confidence; something that Raven had taken from her.

    Now it was time to take it back, as well as everything else.

    "You're right," Spring said with a determined yet humble look on her face. She then looked to her sister. "She's right, Fall. We have a choice too."

    "...Yeah," said Fall. "Yeah, we do." She approached her sister once again and put her hand on Spring's cheek. "I know you'll make the right one. I know you'll find the next Spring Maiden."

    "I will. That's a promise."

    The sisters hugged each other one last time as they prepared to go their separate ways once again. Neither of them wanted to leave, since they had been apart for so long. But neither of them forgot the responsibility they had.

    And neither of them would forget what Cinder had taught them.

    After she said her goodbyes, Spring faded away from Fall and Cinder. Fall was prepared to let Cinder depart as well, but she had one final things to say.

    "Thank you, Cinder," she said with a heartfelt smile. "You were absolutely right. We have just as much of a choice as everyone else on Remnant."

    "You don't have to thank me," Cinder said with a blush. "I, uh, kind of learned that from you first. You and everyone else chose to help me get back on my feet."

    "You're one of us, Cinder. Don't ever forget that." Fall put a hand on Cinder's shoulder and smiled. "And when you come back, we'll choose the next Fall Maiden. Together."

    Cinder smiled and nodded. "Then I'll be sure to find a few good candidates when I get back," she joked. "Maybe it'll make the job easier." She and Fall shared a brief laugh and one final hug before everything began to go white.

    "Goodbye."

    *WHOOSH*​

    When the white light disappeared, Cinder found herself back in the cave where the Vault was located. And instead of being held slightly above the ground, Cinder found herself with both of her feet on the floor and able to breathe normally.

    Raven, on the other hand, was the one who was in pain.

    She had dropped Omen on the floor and she was holding both hands on her head. One would think that she was suffering from a migraine, but Raven felt like her head was on fire. Cinder easily noticed this, but she didn't want to take any chances.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Cinder let a gust of wind escape her palm and collide into Raven, who flew backwards and slid across the ground. When she stopped sliding, Raven was able to regain control of herself and feel relieved of any pain. When she realized that she had been attacked and stripped of her weapon, Raven stood back up and thrust her arm forward.

    Her goal was to create another gust of wind, but nothing happened.

    "Huh?" Raven mumbled as she looked at her hand. She looked back up at Cinder and tried again, but nothing happened. When she took a step forward and tried again, the same result was achieved. On a fourth try, Raven tried to create fire and lightning in contrast to air.

    But all she did was fall to her knees when nothing happened once again.

    After she spent a few seconds taking deep breaths, Raven looked up at Cinder with a scowl on her face. "What... What have you done?" she angrily asked. "What's happened to me?!"

    "I didn't do anything," Cinder replied. "I just reminded the Spring Maiden that she still has a choice about her powers." A confident smile came to her face. "And she made the right one."

    Since she was unaware of the true connection she had to Spring, Raven was confused and angry by the idea. "What? I'm the Spring Maiden!"

    Cinder shook her head. "Not anymore. And frankly... I don't think you ever were." To make her enemy even weaker than she was now, Cinder moved her foot against Omen and kicked it towards the abyss to her left.

    Raven lunged to the side quickly, despite the fact that she didn't have her powers anymore, and managed to catch Omen before it fell off the bridge. Her first reaction was to attack Cinder once again, but she changed her mind when she saw fire in the girl's eyes and hands.

    "Don't. Even. Think about it," Cinder warned as she began to walk backwards. "I'm taking the Relic. If you try to stop me, I'll cremate you and throw your ashes off this bridge. Got it?"

    "..."

    Raven didn't say a word. Instead, she used her newfound Aura to create a portal and disappear. When the portal closed, all that stood in Raven's place was a black feather that gently floated to the ground.

    Cinder sighed in relief as she lowered her hands and let her fire die. Her first idea was to turn back towards her father, who was still laying on the ground. She checked his pulse again to make sure he was still alive, and smiled when she felt a stronger pulse than a few minutes ago.

    Cinder decided to check on Qrow and Ozpin as well, even though she wasn't too fond of Ozpin at the moment. Fall sensed this when Cinder spoke to Spring, but she never brought it up before she left the void. And after she saw that both Huntsmen were still alive, Cinder considered the idea of waking her father up. But when she reminded herself of how she treated him at Beacon, the Maiden decided to practice an apology before she woke him up.

    This idea, however, was blocked out by the temptation of the open Vault.

    When she saw the open doorway and a golden lamp inside, Cinder felt compelled to step forward and get a closer look at the Relic. The first thing she noticed was how different the environment of the Vault was. The ground was comprised of stone and sand, like the desert of Vacuo. The area appeared to be somewhat blurry as well, a feature that made Cinder almost disbelieve her eyes.

    When she stopped in front of the Relic, Cinder stood in awe as she inspected it. Djarin told her about the lamp before, as well as the spirit that rested inside. Cinder believed that the Relic was beautiful, the gold and blue colors she saw were very entrancing.

    Cinder remembered what she said about the Relics staying the Vault, but she also remembered that the door was wide open. If she left the Relic without a means to close the Vault again, anyone could just walk in and take it. And if Raven changed her mind, she could create another portal and ambush Cinder from behind before taking the Relic for herself.

    And so, Cinder took a bold yet calculated risk and took the Relic of Knowledge off its resting place.

    "Just in case," she said to herself. Cinder couldn't attach the Relic to her waist since she was still wearing pajamas. So she held on to the lamp very tightly as she walked along the path again.

    As Cinder began to emerge from the Vault, she was welcomed by something she had been waiting an eternity for.

    Din Djarin had finally started to recover from Aurora's attack. This wasn't the first time he was struck by lightning, and his armor had protected him from fatal injuries. The pain he felt now was mostly stiffness, which was starting to heal as he moved his limbs. He could feel the remnants of the electric shocks, but they would pass soon.

    But Djarin stopped focusing on the pain when he saw a familiar person walking out of the Vault.

    The Mandalorian initially believed that it was Raven, since she also possessed black hair. But upon closer inspection, Djarin saw that the girl walking out of the Vault was too young and shorter than Raven. The sight was a familiar one to Djarin, which caused him to make an assumption about the girl's identity.

    "Ikki?" Djarin asked as he recognized the appearance of his sister once again. He had seen her once tonight, so it would be reasonable to assume that he was seeing her once again after enduring a lot of pain.

    But something was different about this time. Djarin was familiar with the girl, he had definitely seen her before. He had seen that particular hairstyle, a particular patch of scarring on her left eye, and the clothes she was wearing.

    Every detail screamed at Djarin as he stared at the young girl. She had stopped walking now, as she appeared to be just as dumbfounded as he was. And he had seen that look on her face before, as well as many other expressions too. But now, his gut and his heart were telling the Mandalorian that the girl was someone else he held dear to him. He would call the idea impossible, since she was supposed to be asleep and in danger.

    And yet, he couldn't deny the reality before him. Not even after he removed his helmet to look upon her.

    "...Cinder?" he whispered in disbelief and hope.

    Cinder wasn't far from the Mandalorian, so she could hear the whisper. A multitude of thoughts and emotions came to her mind, most of which were regret and shame from their last days at Beacon. She was so absorbed by possibly finding her mother and on the verge of giving up her Mandalorian heritage, and Cinder kept telling herself that her chances of forgiveness were slim.

    But she still tried.

    "...Dad," she said timidly. "I-"

    "CINDER!"

    Djarin ran like a speeding bullet as adrenaline pumped through his veins. It was this adrenaline that made his pain completely disappear and allowed him to wrap Cinder in a tight hug when he stopped in front of her. Joy, relief, and true happiness overcame him greatly and caused him to express all of these emotions at once.

    As he held his daughter and felt tears pour down his eyes, Djarin knew that without a doubt that he wasn't dreaming or experiencing any hallucinations. This was real, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

    Cinder had heard the term "heartwarming" many times in her life, and she always thought it was simply a figure of speech. But the moment her father wrapped his arms around her, Cinder could feel her heart become warm from the joy she shared with him. Her heart felt like it was sitting by a fireplace, and that soothing feeling spread throughout her entire body.

    When she reciprocated the hug, Cinder felt all of her sorrow and fear fade away. This reunion was something she had hoped would come, it was something she had been looking forward to ever since she arrived in the void. And in the end, she did what she set out to do.

    Cinder saved Djarin.

    It wasn't until Djarin placed a kiss on her forehead and made eye contact with her that she finally let tears of joy stream down her face. When they hugged once again, and sat and cried for well over a minute, the clan of two finally found the right words to say to each other.

    "Buir." (Father.)

    "Ner ad." (My daughter.)

    Cinder tightened her embrace when she heard this. The confirmation, despite everything, was something she didn't think she would hear. And yet, it meant the world to her. So much so that Cinder wanted this moment to last forever.

    And yet, Cinder eventually let go when Djarin let go first.

    "I can't believe it," the Mandalorian said with a smile as he dried his eyes. "You're awake." He then put both of his hands on Cinder's cheeks. "And you're here!" The smile disappeared as Djarin created an expression of surprise. "But how?"

    "It's a really, really long story," said Cinder. "But I heard you were in trouble, so I came right away."

    "Me?" Djarin suddenly believed that his life and well-being were meaningless when compared to Cinder's. "I heard you were in trouble. Aurora said she sent Flora to kill you! Are you okay?"

    "I'm fine." Cinder continued to smile as she explained herself. "You were right about Flora, though. I met her and a couple of Saxons when I woke up."

    Djarin suddenly became worried. "And you were all alone." He immediately resented himself for not being at Vacuo. "Where is she now?"

    "She's dead. And so are those Saxons. Oh, and don't worry about Auntie Em. She's fine."

    Djarin looked around the Vault as he remembered what happened to the mad Faunus. "And Aurora?"

    "She's dead too."

    "...Good." Djarin hugged Cinder again. "I'm so glad you're okay. I wanted to go to Vacuo to help, but then I thought if I killed Aurora, I..." Djarin stopped trying to make any excuses when he saw that Cinder was alive and well despite everything he tried to do. He regretted everything that he couldn't do. "Cinder, I-"

    "I'm so sorry!"

    Djarin almost didn't believe his ears when he heard what Cinder just said. He looked at her once again, which caused him to see that Cinder was crying again. But these weren't tears of joy.

    "What?" he asked out of confusion. He had to, since he couldn't think of anything Cinder should have been sorry for.

    But Cinder could.

    "I was so horrible to you!" Cinder said as she continued to cry. "When Merri and the others got in my head, when they made me think I found my mom, I pushed you away! I even pushed you away when you tried to help after I got hurt!"

    Djarin started to recall the experiences that Cinder was talking about, but he didn't feel that he was being pushed away. "Cinder, no," he said. "That's not-"

    "I don't know what I was thinking!" Cinder continued. "How could I do that to you?! After everything you sacrificed for me?! I'm a terrible daughter! I shouted at you, I argued with you, and I was about to give up everything the Mandalorians believed in!" Cinder reached for her neck to find her necklace, something she wished to return to Djarin in a sign of atonement.

    But when she felt nothing, save for her skin and a deep scar, Cinder felt even more ashamed.

    "Wha-?" she asked. "M-My necklace!" She let go of Djarin and looked at the floor. "Wh-Where is it?! I had it when I-!" Cinder suddenly remembered taking it off at Beacon when she felt ashamed of her heritage. "Oh, no! No, why did I take it off?! Oh, Gods, what have I done?! I'm sorry, Dad! I'm so, so-!"

    "Cinder, don't you dare be sorry."

    Djarin's request and another hug were enough to make Cinder stop yelling and regain a sense of calmness. However, this wasn't the reaction she expected from her father.

    "W-What?" Cinder asked as she looked at his face. "But... I don't-"

    "A terrible daughter?" Djarin asked as he held the Fall Maiden. "Cinder, I was a terrible father. It was my job to take care of you, to protect you. And I let you get hurt, I let you fall into your coma! I wasn't strong enough to stop Aurora that night, or even tonight!"

    Cinder hugged Djarin again and prepared to tell him that everything that happened to her wasn't his fault. "Dad-"

    "I tried so hard to get you back! To find and kill Aurora! But I couldn't! I couldn't!" Djarin squeezed Cinder a little tighter as he cried again. "I'm not as strong as you! I'm just an old man who can't even use his own Aura like I used to!" Tears continued to fall down his face. "I'm not the father you deserve, Cinder. I'm so weak."

    Cinder turned so she could look at her father. "What?" she asked. "That's not true!" Cinder dried her eyes so she could see her father clearly, but she continued to cry. "You're the strongest person I know, Dad! You showed me how to be strong! Every day when we were together made me as strong as you! I couldn't have come back if it wasn't for you!" Her crying intensified when she remembered her own failures. "And I was going to throw it all away! I'm a mess!"

    Djarin shook his head. "You're perfect," he said. "You're better than me. You should throw away everything I taught you, because you believe in something better! You... You showed me how to care about all of Remnant. Not just the Mandalorians. And not just myself." Djarin dried Cinder's eyes to relieve her of any pain. "You're the better person, Cinder. And you're..." Djarin reached into his belt and gently took out Cinder's necklace. "You're the better Mandalorian. I'm so proud of you."

    Cinder gasped as she took the necklace. She was relieved to see that she hadn't lost it after all, and even more relieved to see that Djarin wasn't rejecting her. And she didn't plan on rejecting him any time soon. Which was why she took the necklace with a smile, gently caressed the symbol of strength it wore, and placed it back on her neck where it belonged.

    The Mandalorians hugged each other once again. When they realized that they had let all of their pain and shame out, and when they realized that they would be there for each other, the clan of two felt better about themselves.

    "I love you, Dad," said Cinder. "I love you more than anything."

    "I love you too, Cinder," Djarin said. "I love you so much."

    "..."

    After another minute of silence, the duo stood up and dried their eyes. When Djarin did so, he noticed that the Relic of Knowledge was on the floor. "Is that the Relic?" he asked.

    "Oh, right." Cinder began to reach down and take it. "Raven disappeared, but I wanted to hold on to it just in-Oh, my Gods!"

    Cinder jumped back and looked at her left hand. She hadn't noticed it when she woke up or when she was fighting Raven, but there was a small Grimm attached to her left hand.

    And it was alive.

    "Ah, get off of me!" Cinder said as she pulled on the Grimm Beetle. It shrieked in pain as Cinder pulled, but the young girl began to feel pain of her own. Her head began to burn as her blood boiled; something was terribly wrong.

    "Cinder, wait!" Djarin said as he grabbed her arms. "Don't touch it!"

    When Cinder let go of it, she felt her pain disappear. She shook her head as she stared at the Grimm, which made her incredibly confused. "Wh-What is it?" she asked.

    "It's the Grimm Aurora used to take your power," Djarin explained. "It latched on to you when she cut the connection. Do you remember that?"

    Cinder took a moment to think, and then she remembered what Djarin was describing. She had been reinvigorated by what Djarin and Ozpin said, and she began to take her powers back from Aurora. But rather than let her have them, Aurora cut the cord connecting herself to the Grimm Beetle.

    "It... It latched itself on to me?" Cinder asked. "I-I gotta get it off!"

    "We can't," Djarin said regretfully. "We tried everything after you fell into your coma. But every time we touched it, you got hurt too. The doctor said that it's attached to your veins. Removing it could have killed you."

    "What?" Cinder believed her father was telling the truth, but it was hard to believe that a Grimm was using her as a host. "So it's stuck to me like a parasite?!"

    "Actually, it's not hurting you. It needs you to survive, but it's not doing anything to hurt you. It's called 'commensalism,' a symbiotic bond that doesn't result in the host organism being hurt or benefitted from the second organism."

    "Host organism? That's what I am to this thing?"

    "Apparently. But don't worry; when we get out of here, we'll find a doctor. We'll find someone who can get it off for you. I promise."

    Djarin always kept his promises to Cinder, which made the young girl happy whenever he made a promise.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    The clan of two looked over their heads when they heard explosions from above. Djarin suddenly remember that he was still fighting in a war. "Oh, no," he said. "They're still fighting up there!"

    Cinder also remembered the battle, given that she had seen everything in Aurora's memories. "Can we stop them?" she asked. "I have all of my powers back. I can help!"

    Djarin was about to think what he could do in this situation. But a new sound caught his attention.

    "Uhh..."

    Djarin and Cinder turned to see that Qrow was once again starting to regain consciousness. Ozpin was joining him, despite the fact that they both had terrible headaches. The Mandalorians looked at each other and nodded before they rushed to help their friends; Djarin helped Ozpin after he put his helmet back on while Cinder helped Qrow.

    Because of this, Qrow was the second person to see that the Fall Maiden had returned.

    "Huh?" Qrow said as he jumped back. But when he saw that the smiling face wasn't a hallucination, Qrow began to share the same joy Djarin had. "Cinder? Cinder!"

    Cinder was tackled to the ground in another hug, one that she eagerly reciprocated. "Hey, Qrow!" she said as she laughed. Djarin laughed too as he looked at his friend and daughter.

    "You're here!" Qrow said as he let go of Cinder. "I can't believe it! Mando, do you believe it? She's here!"

    "I noticed," Djarin replied with a chuckle. "Incredible, isn't it?"

    "You're damn right." Qrow looked back to Cinder. "Aw, man. It's good to see you, kiddo."

    "You too, Qrow," Cinder said as she helped the Huntsman on his feet. "Sorry I'm late, though."

    "You kidding? Better late than never." Qrow rubbed Cinder's head before he looked around. "Wait... what happened? If you're here, then where's Aurora?"

    "She's dead."

    "And Raven?"

    "...Gone."

    Qrow sighed as he shook his head. "Typical."

    Cinder immediately felt sympathetic to Qrow. She didn't have any siblings of her own, but she understood how Qrow felt. "I'm sorry, I-Whoa!" She raised her hand to Qrow's face when she saw a new scar on it. "When did that happen?!"

    "Oh, this?" Qrow rubbed the scar on his cheek. "Just a going away gift from Gar Saxon. He didn't take the eviction from Beacon too well." Qrow looked at the patch of light scarring on Cinder's left eye. "What about you? Can you see okay?"

    "Me?" Cinder touched the spot that Qrow was looking at. "Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, I got a Grimm stuck to my hand, but I'm-"

    "Cinder?"

    The young girl softly gasped at the sound of her name. When she turned around, she saw Djarin helping a conscious Ozpin stand back up. He was the third person to see that Cinder had returned, and his heart swelled with pride and joy as he looked upon her.

    Unfortunately, Cinder couldn't say the same about seeing him.

    "It's a miracle," Ozpin said as he stepped forward without his cane. "Thank the Gods you're-"

    Cinder backed away with a small gasp before Ozpin could hug her.

    "..."

    As everyone shared in a moment of silence, Cinder looked upon the three confused men in contemplation. She wanted to say that it was good to see Ozpin as well, but she couldn't forget what Fall had told her in the void.

    Namely, how Ozpin had been keeping a big secret about Salem that jeopardized everything.

    "Cinder?" Djarin called out as he gently pushed Qrow and Ozpin aside. "Are you o-?"

    *BANG*​

    Djarin was forced to stop talking when something hit the back of his head. It was fortunate that he was wearing his helmet again; otherwise, he may have been killed by a yellow blast.

    Everyone turned around to see that Pre Vizsla had also regained consciousness. The moment he did, Vizsla took his blaster and fired it upon Djarin.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    As the yellow blasts hit Djarin's Beskar armor, everyone reacted differently. Qrow dived to the floor so he could retrieve Harbinger, Ozpin reached out with the Force to take Vizsla's weapon away, and Djarin moved directly in front of Cinder to protect her from whatever came next.

    "Djarin!" Vizsla cried as he tore off his helmet pulled and out the Darksaber. "Face me, you coward!"

    Cinder gasped when she saw the Darksaber in the Mandalorian's hand. She remembered the night it was stolen from her, when Djarin trusted it with her. She wanted to redeem herself for this failure, but she became confused when she realized something was wrong.

    "Wait a minute," she said. "That's not Gar Saxon!" She saw Gar Saxon's message to the world at the Vytal Festival, when he said that he claimed the Darksaber fairly. But this Mandalorian was somebody else.

    "That's Pre Vizsla," Djarin told his daughter. "He must have killed Gar Saxon and took the sword for himself."

    "That's right," said Vizsla, who could hear what Djarin was saying as he walked closer.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Qrow tried to put a stop to Vizsla by shooting at him with Harbinger. But both of the bullets passed through the Mandalorian due to his Semblance. In retaliation, Vizsla aimed his gauntlet at Qrow and fired one blast from it.

    *BANG*​

    Qrow stumbled back when the blast hit his chest, but his Aura prevented him from being killed. Vizsla didn't seem to care, since his eyes were on Djarin.

    "Wait, Pre Vizsla?" Cinder asked as she pushed past Djarin. "The leader of Death Watch?!"

    "And Mandalore," Vizsla said as he pointed the blade at Djarin. "Right now, my people are burning this monument of lies to the ground. You may have found a good hiding place down here, but that won't stop my people from completing our conquest."

    Cinder's eyes began to burn when she heard this. "You can't do this! I won't let you!" Despite the fact that she wanted to fight, Djarin put his arm in front of Cinder so she wouldn't get hurt.

    "It's already done." Vizsla readied himself for combat. "Haven is ours."

    Djarin was well aware that Vizsla was expecting him to continue their duel, to keep fighting until one of them was left standing. In the past, Djarin would have accepted this challenge in a heartbeat in order to defend his honor.

    But now, Djarin had a better idea.

    "That... is for her to decide," Djarin said as he finally moved his arm down. He then turned to Cinder, and so did Qrow and Ozpin.

    "What?" Cinder asked. "Dad, what do you mean?"

    Djarin answered Cinder's question, but he looked at his enemy to do so. "You're wrong, Vizsla. And you're forgetting something."

    The last time Vizsla was told that he had forgotten something, he fell right into a trap. Rather than risk the same thing again, the leader of Death Watch entertained Djarin to see if the claim was true.

    "What?" he asked.

    "Our duel is over," the Mandalorian declared. "It ended when I made you take the impact when we fell. You were knocked unconscious."

    Vizsla recalled his great fall, but he was far from willing to admit that he had been defeated. "I never yielded. And as you can see... I am not dead."

    "You don't have to die or yield for a fight to be over." Djarin learned this from his time with Cinder and the teachers at Beacon, though there were times when the Armorer declared a duel to be over. "You were unconscious. You couldn't fight."

    "..."

    Rather than wait for a response, Djarin continued to talk as he slowly turned to Cinder. "After I fell, Aurora bested me herself. I was left too weak to stand, and I nearly died. But I was saved. Cinder saved me the moment she killed Aurora."

    When she looked upon her father and heard these words, she couldn't help but gasp. She was aware that she had killed Aurora and that the Faunus was about to kill her father, but she was unaware that Djarin beat Vizsla before that.

    And given the sequence of events, that meant...

    "Cinder is my savior... and our new Mand'alor."

    Cinder gasped once again, much louder this time. She and Djarin talked about this, how it was possible that he was only carrying the sword for her. Cinder's head was filled with hopes and dreams that night, and she truly believed that she could do something good with the Darksaber if she was to be Mand'alor.

    It was only hypothetical at the time, despite Djarin's insistence that it was the right idea. But now, the idea was a reality. Cinder realized that she was the new ruler of Mand'alor. And with her new claim to the Darksaber, all of her dreams for Mandalore and its people would come true.

    Djarin, Qrow, and Ozpin all liked the sound of Cinder being the ruler of Mandalore. But Vizsla didn't.

    After he processed Djarin's logic, after he heard that his chance to be a ruler had been taken once again, Pre Vizsla began to suffer a mental breakdown. His mind took him back to his days in prison, where he was forced to fight practically every hour of every day to assert his position and survive.

    All of this had happened before, and now it was going to happen again.

    "RRRRRAAAAAAAAUUUUUUHHHHH!" Vizsla screamed as he allowed rage and a thirst for revenge to fill the cracks that had been created in his mind. "I'LL DESTROY YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!"

    With that, Vizsla charged at Djarin like a wild animal and jumped in the air. Fire from his flamethrower and the black light of the Darksaber spun in the air as Vizsla set his eyes on the Mandalorians.

    Djarin moved in front of Cinder to protect her from whatever came next, but Cinder raised her hands and let her eyes burn.

    "No!" Cinder yelled as she let an elemental blast escape her hands. She wasn't thinking at the moment, since she was only focused on keeping her father safe. Impulse was her guide instead of rational thought, and she didn't know what to expect next.

    *BAM*​

    "Aaaugh!"

    *CRASH*​

    "..."

    When Cinder saw what she had done, impulse and determination were replaced with shock and disbelief.

    The element that the Fall Maiden unleashed wasn't fire, but ice. And when the blast struck Vizsla, the ice spread across his entire body and encased him in a cold prison. He had been frozen solid, but the ice didn't stop him from falling downwards.

    And when he hit the ground, Pre Vizsla's entire body shattered into dozens of pieces.

    "..."

    Cinder fell to her knees in shock as she covered her mouth. While it was her every intention to protect her father, just like he was protecting her, Cinder never meant to kill Vizsla.

    But she did. And Cinder felt terrible.

    This had been the third time Cinder had killed today, maybe the third time in the past hour. It was becoming easy for Cinder to see herself like the Mandalorians upstairs, and even like Aurora. All of them were killers, murderers who carried out their deeds just to get what they wanted. Cinder couldn't think of herself as any different than any of them.

    What would Fall think of her? What would the world think of her?

    "Cinder? Cinder, can you hear me?"

    Djarin had kneeled down to Cinder's level when he saw her fall to the ground. He easily recognized the distress on her face, and now he was prepared to help her find her way back to the light.

    "I didn't... I didn't mean to," Cinder said as she stumbled on her words. Tears were starting to form in her eyes. "I didn't think, I wasn't thinking, I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have-"

    "Cinder, listen to me," Djarin calmly begged as he gently moved Cinder's chin so she could see him. "This isn't your fault. He was crazy, he was going to kill us. That was self-defense, you were protecting yourself." He gently put both of his hands on her cheeks to calm her down. "Do you understand? You did nothing wrong."

    "..."

    Cinder remained silent, but the sound of her father's voice was incredibly soothing and helpful. She couldn't help but let tears fall down her eyes, but Djarin remained right where he was.

    "It's okay, Cinder. Everything's okay."

    "..."

    Djarin could tell that Cinder was suffering from serious stress, due to the sweat on her forehead and her rapid breathing. But he remained completely calm and helped her through the ordeal.

    "Cinder, take deep breaths. Watch me." Djarin took a deep breath, in and out, and urged his daughter to follow in the exercise. She eventually did, and their breathing became in sync. With each breath, Cinder began to regain her composure and her rational sense of thought.

    Djarin couldn't explain how he knew to help Cinder in this manner. Perhaps it was from a similar experience he had when he was training to be a Mandalorian, a time when he was around Cinder's age. But Djarin didn't care where the advice came from, all he cared about was helping his daughter on her feet.

    "I-I'm sorry," Cinder said in a calmer voice. "I don't know what happened. I was just-"

    "It's okay," Djarin promised. "We're okay."

    Cinder had fully calmed down at this point. She still regretted what she did, and she took no pride in her recent actions. But she was comforted by the fact that her world hadn't caved in on her, that her father was still there for her.

    Qrow and Ozpin had remained completely silent when they watched Vizsla shatter like glass. When they saw Cinder suffer from a breakdown similar to his, they continued their streak of silence as Djarin did everything he could to calm his daughter down.

    Ozpin reached out towards her when he believed that she had calmed down, but he quickly retracted his hand back when Cinder moved away from him. Qrow looked down at the ice to see that it was already melting. Soon, there would be nothing left of Pre Vizsla other than his helmet.

    But there was one more thing that survived.

    "Mando," Qrow said after he retrieved something from the ground. When the Mandalorian turned around, he saw Qrow holding the Darksaber in his hand. Djarin silently took it with a nod of gratitude before he turned back to Cinder.

    It wasn't his goal to cause her more pain by handing it to her, Djarin simply knew that the sword was Cinder's property. She had earned it.

    Fortunately, after a few seconds of silence, Cinder began to understand this as well. She slowly held her hand out towards Djarin, who gently placed the metal hilt in her hand. She held it once before, but this time was different. She hadn't earned it at Beacon, but now Cinder realized that the sword was hers.

    And so was the badge and the burden that came with it.

    But Cinder wasn't afraid of either of those things. With a glare of determination and courage, the Fall Maiden lifted the sword over her head and activated it. The dark blade shined on her like the sun, and Cinder didn't dare turn away or reject the Darksaber.

    Whatever came next with her role as Mand'alor... Cinder was ready.

    *BOOM*​

    An explosion from above reminded everyone that a war was still going on at Haven. But one look at Cinder was enough for Djarin to gain the belief that this war would end tonight.

    "We can end this," he said as he turned towards the exit. "Just like we did on Gideon's ship. Once they see Cinder with that sword, they'll follow her orders. She can make them stop." He offered his hand to his daughter. "Are you ready?"

    Cinder looked down at his hand and thought about her next move. She wasn't afraid of the Mandalorians above her, and she wasn't afraid to assert her new authority to make the fighting stop.

    But she couldn't agree with Djarin.

    "Dad, we can't," she said. "We need another plan."

    "What?" Djarin asked as he lowered his hand. "What do you mean? Cinder, they'll listen to you when you tell them to stop."

    "Yeah, but only for a little while. Remember how all of this started? You won the sword, everyone stopped fighting, but they just waited for a chance to steal it. What we did on Gideon's ship was only temporary."

    "Cinder's right," said Ozpin. "There are dozens of people like Saxon and Vizsla up there. They could all bide their time until we're vulnerable again. And with Salem and her minions standing with them, she'll be keeping them in her grasp."

    "..."

    Ozpin wasn't Cinder's favorite person at the moment, but she was glad that someone else accepted her logic. And after a few seconds of contemplation, Djarin agreed.

    "So what do we do?" he asked. "How can we make all of this end permanently?"

    Ozpin looked to the side as he attempted to think of a solution, but he was suddenly distracted by something else. He was staring at the wall where the door to the Vault should have been. Only now, it had been replaced by another large stone. The golden door was gone, and the only reason that would happen was that someone had taken the Relic.

    "Where's the Relic?" he asked as he looked around the area. Qrow and Djarin joined him when they also saw the disappearance of the door.

    Cinder suddenly remembered where she had left it. "Oh, it's... right here," she said. She used her powers to gently float over towards the spot where she dropped the Relic. It was the spot where Djarin embraced her as they fell to the floor. When she landed there, Cinder gently picked up the Relic and showed it to everyone.

    Everyone was grateful to see that the Relic hadn't been lost. "Please, hand it over," Ozpin said as he extended his hand.

    But Cinder didn't let it go.

    "So if the Mandalorians are working for Salem... would she have told them about this and the other Relics?" she asked as she stared at the golden lamp.

    "Possibly," Ozpin replied, even though he remained unsure as to where Cinder was going with this. "But not likely. Only Aurora and Raven came down here. Salem most likely entrusted Aurora to bring the lamp to her."

    The more he and Cinder thought about the situation, it didn't seem very likely that the Mandalorians were told about the Relics. They were simply a means to an end.

    And this gave Cinder an idea.

    "Dad, you said you used this Relic before?" she asked as she walked towards her father. "The day Gideon kidnapped me?"

    "That's right," Djarin confirmed. "It told me how I could find you."

    "Do you remember how to use it?"

    "Yeah, all you have to do is say her-"

    "Wait a minute, wait a minute," said Ozpin, who stood directly in Cinder's way. "Cinder, what are you saying?"

    "I'm saying we can put a stop to all of this," Cinder said. "To the war, to violence, and any dream Mandalorians have of being conquerors." Cinder lifted the Relic. "I don't know what Salem told them, but if she's anything like the day I met her, then she'll be using the Mandalorians' emotions against them. She knows they're angry, that they feel some sort of claim to the Kingdoms. But they're just a means to an end to her, she doesn't care about helping them."

    "It's a classic power play," said Djarin. "When she's done with the Mandalorians, she'll cast them aside. Maybe even kill them all. Either way, it'll be the Fall of Mandalore all over again."

    "But if they see what Salem's really after, they'll stop fighting for her," said Qrow. "If we hurry, we can get up there before they destroy the-"

    "We can't use the Relic."

    Everyone turned towards Ozpin when he made this declaration. They were all surprised to hear an immediate decision be made, and even more surprised when Ozpin explained himself.

    "If we show them the lamp, if we show them what powers the other Relics have, they might turn their eye towards the other Academies," he said. "It will be a war on two fronts."

    Djarin immediately declined this idea. "Not with Cinder holding the Darksaber," he said. "If she shows them the truth, she can tell them how important it is that the Relics stay where they are. That we can't let Salem get them for herself."

    "Yeah, Oz," said Qrow. "I know you're not a fan of using them, but I think stopping a war is a good reason to use that thing."

    "Not just stop a war," said Cinder. "I want the Mandalorians to see what their anger and greed is costing them. How they're killing themselves by letting these feelings take over."

    Ozpin fixed his glasses as he made another declaration. "We're not using the Relic," he said. "We can't cause a panic. We'll find another way."

    Djarin and Qrow looked at each other in confusion. "Cause a panic?" Djarin skeptically repeated. "The war's taken enough time and lives to cause plenty of panic."

    "And it took Beacon," Qrow pointed out. "It's gonna take Haven in a few minutes. Don't you want to stop that, Oz?"

    Ozpin sighed as he stepped forward. "I need you to listen to-"

    *WHOOSH*

    *HISS*    ​

    Ozpin stopped moving when he found himself stuck to the floor. When he looked down, he saw that both of his feet were coated in ice. Djarin and Qrow were surprised by this, and they both turned around to see Cinder with burning eyes and an open palm.

    "That's enough," she said as she quickly wrapped an arm around her father. "Sorry, Qrow."

    *WHOOSH*​

    "What the-? Hey!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    Qrow's words fell onto deaf ears as Cinder flew upwards with her father in tow. She couldn't carry him, but she allowed her powers of levitation to extend to Djarin's feet as well when she made contact with him. The Mandalorian stumbled a little at the unfamiliar feeling of flying without his jetpack, but Cinder held on to him.

    "Whoa, Cinder!" Djarin yelled as he flew up towards the hole in the ceiling. "What are you-?!"

    "I'm sorry, Dad!" Cinder yelled down to Djarin. "I'll explain later! I just need to know how the lamp works!"

    "Keep pushing! Fire! Fire!"

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Back in the auditorium, Bo-Katan took command of all of Vizsla's Mandalorians. There were still others outside fighting Huntsmen, Huntresses, and the clans who didn't serve Pre Vizsla. However, the majority of them were in the auditorium and ready to destroy the school.

    A Mandalorian had told Bo-Katan that something had pulled Vizsla and Djarin into the hole by the stairs, so her plan was to go down and retrieve her leader. The only things that stood in her way were two Jedi and members of Clan Vizsla and Tenau. Her allies were able to engage with the enemy clans and create a path for her, so Bo-Katan could focus on Obi-Wan and Revan. But the Jedi were strong, and they had been holding Bo-Katan back with all their might.

    *ZAP*​

    Revan unleashed a storm of lightning that either vaporized the enemy Mandalorians from prolonged exposure or kept them at bay. Obi-Wan reached out with the Force to push them aside, but they kept getting back up.

    "We cannot keep this up forever!" said Revan. He was forced to stop the storm and unleash his lightsaber to deflect blaster fire.

    "Just a little longer!" Obi-Wan said as he followed Revan's lead. "We'll go back on the offensive if we have to!"

    "I don't have the Aura for a full-scale offensive!" Revan's lightsaber was beginning to flicker as he said this. His Aura was very close to giving up on him.

    And when Obi-Wan saw the blue light on his sword flicker as well, he realized that going on the offensive would be unwise. Not even the Mandalorians of Clan Vizsla and Tenau could go on the offensive.

    "Obi-Wan, are you familiar with Jedi protocol?" Revan asked as he deflected more blaster fire. "As well as Ozpin's?"

    "Of course!" Obi-Wan said as he also deflected blaster fire. "Why?"

    "It would be wise to follow it in a time like this! If the Spring Maiden is already down there, the Vault must be open by now!"

    Obi-Wan knew that Revan had a point. He had sensed that the conflict that gave him and Ozpin a fighting chance had ceased, so there was no more distraction to be had. Given that he sensed something else down below, far less volatile than before, seizing the Relic and taking it out of enemy hands was a top priority.

    Unfortunately, it meant abandoning Haven.

    "You may be right," Obi-Wan decided. "But a task like that doesn't require two Jedi."

    "Meaning?" Revan asked.

    "I made an oath to protect this school just as much as the Relic. I'll buy you whatever time you need."

    Revan didn't dare question Obi-Wan's decision. The man was governed by the traditions and the beliefs of the Jedi Order, and staying behind to defend the lives of others was certainly a part of what the Jedi believed in.

    So it was only natural that Obi-Wan would choose to stay.

    "Very well," said Revan. "May the Force be with-"

    *WHOOSH*​

    The Mandalorians were knocked back once again, but the Jedi joined them this time. A large amount of fire had erupted from the hole, and Djarin had come out with it. The Mandalorian had fallen to the ground when he came out of the hole, but he wasn't hurt. Obi-Wan was about to yell out to his ally and ask what was going on, but another voice silenced his own.

    "Stop!"

    "..."

    When the fire died down, everyone could see a teenage girl standing at the top of the staircase. The Mandalorians all wondered who she was, but Obi-Wan recognized her in an instant.

    "By the Force," he said as he stood up. "I knew I sensed her presence." When he remembered this, the Headmaster couldn't help but smile as he stared at Cinder.

    Revan also stared at Cinder, but he was more surprised and shocked instead of overjoyed. "Is that her?" he asked his fellow Jedi. "The Fall Maiden?"

    "Yes. That's Djarin's daughter."

    Revan was at a loss for words at this revelation, as well as what Cinder did next.

    After she looked upon her father to see if he was okay, Cinder raised the Darksaber over her head and spoke. "This war is over!" she declared. "Pre Vizsla is dead! And if you want to survive, you'll listen to me as you listened to him."

    "..."

    All of the Mandalorians, enemy and ally to Haven, were standing in silence as they looked at Cinder holding the Darksaber. Everyone didn't know what to say, but they all shared the same disbelief and shock from Cinder's appearance and declaration.

    "I defeated Pre Vizsla in the cave below us," said Djarin, who walked up the stairs to join Cinder. "And when Aurora bested me, I was saved by Cinder." He stopped walking when he was right next to the Fall Maiden. "This is my daughter, and our new Mand'alor."

    Cinder smiled at Djarin, who proudly nodded at her. "We're stopping this fight," she declared. "Right now."

    Everyone looked around at each other when they heard this. They were all still surprised to hear that the war was apparently over, and Revan was arguably the one who was the most surprised. He was familiar with the title of "Mand'alor," the ruler of all Mandalorians. Most Mand'alors would rally their people together and fight, but now he was witnessing a Mand'alor who called for the fighting to stop.

    It was at this moment that Revan realized he had made a terrible mistake by nearly killing her.

    "No!"

    *BANG*​

    Djarin heard the scream and gunfire just in time to step in front of Cinder and let a yellow blast hit his armor. When he and Cinder looked towards the source of the blast, they saw Bo-Katan with her pistols in hand.

    "No outsider will ever rule Mandalore!" the zealot declared.

    Djarin kept Cinder behind his back as he spoke to the mad woman. "Cinder is more Mandalorian than you could ever be," he said. "If you want to walk away from here alive, you'd better remember that."

    Bo-Katan raised both of her pistols now. "Give me one good reason why I should follow someone who wants to abandon the fight."

    *WHOOSH*​

    Another light emerged from the hole in the ground, as did a black bird. The light was green this time, and it was in the form of a shield. When it disappeared, Ozpin stood in its place with his cane in hand. And the bird suddenly transformed into Qrow, who was wielding Harbinger in its gun form.

    "You're outnumbered, for starters," said Djarin, though he wasn't expecting to see Ozpin again so soon. He was still wondering why Cinder of all people froze him in place, but that was the least of his worries now.

    "And more than that..." said Cinder, who gently pushed past her father with the Relic of Knowledge in hand. "Fighting right now will only kill us all."

    All of the Mandalorians looked at the golden object in confusion. A few voices called out and asked what it was, but most of the present Mandalorians believed it was a weapon or a bomb. This fear caused some of them to back away and raise their weapons, but Cinder wasn't afraid of this.

    "I know you're working for Salem, Bo-Katan," Cinder said. "That she's been helping you with her Grimm and helping you destroy everything."

    "Working with her, not for her," Bo-Katan corrected. "And so what if I am?"

    "She wanted you to destroy the school, didn't she? Just like she wanted you to destroy Beacon."

    "We share a common goal."

    Cinder shook her head. "No, you don't. Because if she got her hands on this, if you let Aurora take this to her while you destroyed Haven, you'd all be in big trouble. You'd all probably be dead."

    Bo-Katan shook her heads. "More fancy talk," she said. "You're still not giving me a reason to give up."

    Cinder furrowed her brow. "You want a reason? Fine. I'll give you a reason." She looked at the Relic, deep into the blue light that was pulsating. She could hear Ozpin running up the stairs with Qrow in tow, but that didn't stop her from speaking. "Jinn."

    "..."

    All of a sudden, everything went quiet. Not just the Mandalorians, but everything went quiet. The crackling of fire inside the auditorium ceased, and the fighting outside had fallen into silence. Everyone looked around when they saw what was happening, and they especially looked at the Mandalorians outside who seemed to be frozen with the Huntsmen and Huntresses.

    It was almost as if the whole world had stopped.

    Suddenly, Cinder felt the Relic of Knowledge float out of her grasp. She reached for it so she could retrieve it, but she quickly moved her hands back when she saw blue smoke begin to emerge from it.

    All of the people inside the auditorium could see the Relic moving and smoke moving around it. Some raised their weapons to prepare for whatever was going to happen, Bo-Katan being one of them.

    Djarin once told Cinder what had happened when he used the Relic of Knowledge, so she knew what to expect. She expected to see the smoke take form, to take the shape of a blue woman with golden chains appear before her.

    And that's exactly what happened.

    "Why, hello, Mandalorian," Jinn said after she stretched her arms and legs. She was looking at Djarin when she said this, since she remembered him from their last meeting. "I see my knowledge has greatly aided you."

    Djarin awkwardly chuckled as he gently waved his hand at the spirit. He was the only one to do this, since everyone else was at a loss for words as they stared at the spirit. Obi-Wan, Revan, and Ozpin weren't as surprised as the Mandalorians and Qrow, but it wasn't every day when they saw the Relics being used.

    "Wow..." said Cinder, who began to smile at the spirit. She saw that her father's story didn't do Jinn justice, as she was incredibly amazed by her presence and appearance.

    "Did you have another question for me?" Jinn asked Djarin.

    "Uh, no," Djarin replied. "Not me." He gently nudged Cinder to get her attention.

    "Oh, right!" Cinder said as she remembered what was going on. "Um..." She then extended one finger. "Just a minute."

    "..."

    Jinn patiently waited for Cinder's question, or another chance to speak, as the Fall Maiden made her point.

    "Salem doesn't care about you," she said to the Mandalorians. "She doesn't care about Mandalore, or honoring any deal she might have made. All she wants is power." Cinder pointed at Jinn. "This power. And she'll kill whoever's in her way to get it. One day that will be you. All of you."

    "..."

    "Your new ruler speaks the truth," said the spirit. "I am Jinn, a being created by the God of Light to aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Many people, including Salem, have sought my siblings and my power. I have been graced with the ability to answer three questions every one hundred years."

    The Mandalorians all looked at each other again when they heard this. Even Bo-Katan didn't know what to think.

    "You're in luck," Jinn said to Cinder. "As I am still able to answer-"

    "That's enough!"

    Cinder, Djarin, Qrow, and everyone else all turned to Ozpin, who looked like he had seen a ghost. All of his allies were confused, since Cinder's plan was working. And given what Jinn said next, it would surely succeed.

    "One question this era," she finished. Jinn then let out a small laugh as she stared at Ozpin. "It's a pleasure to see you again, old man."

    Unfortunately, Ozpin couldn't say the same.

    "Cinder... please," he implored. "Don't do this. We'll find another way."

    "Oz?" Qrow finally asked. "What are you talking about? This is the best shot we got."

    "What's going on?" Djarin asked. "Why don't you want us using the Relic?"

    Ozpin looked to Cinder while he ignored the questions. "Cinder, please," he repeated. "Don't ask her anything, you won't like-"

    "Shut. Up."

    "..."

    This was the first thing Cinder said to Ozpin upon ascending from the cave, which confused everyone who was standing close to her. This confusion, however, was minuscule compared to the shared disbelief and uncertainty all the present Mandalorians had. And one by one, they all shared how they needed answers.

    "Will someone tell us what's going on here?"

    "What is that thing?"

    "What's it got to do with us?"

    "And where's Pre Vizsla?"

    Questions like these, and more, soon engulfed the whole auditorium. Each and every Mandalorian tried to make sense of it all, which only caused more disorder and chaos. Djarin also wanted to make sense of everything, but he was much more calmer and sensible. And he knew the right person to ask.

    "Cinder, what's going on?" the Mandalorian asked his daughter.

    "Yeah," Qrow included. "What's your problem with Oz?"

    Cinder looked at Jinn and quickly extended her pointer finger, silently asking for one more minute before she could ask her question. The spirit nodded in approval before Cinder turned around.

    "Dad, I can explain," she said. "When I was asleep, I... I learned something. Something about Salem. You need to know that-"

    "You know?"

    Djarin and Cinder turned to see Ozpin looking directly at the child. "You know?" he repeated. "But... I never said... Cinder, how did you-?" Ozpin quickly looked at Djarin, Qrow, the Mandalorians, and Jinn before he tried to lunge towards Cinder and the Relic. "I have to stop this!"

    "Hey!" Djarin yelled as he stood in Ozpin's path. The look on the Headmaster's face was beginning to scare him. "What are you doing?!"

    "Oz, what the hell?!" Qrow asked as he joined Djarin.

    The two Jedi looked at the Relic as well. "He's right," said Revan. "If she wants to ask what I think she wants to ask... none of them are ready for such knowledge."

    Obi-Wan sensed the growing impatience and anger within the Mandalorians. This was the first time the fighting had stopped all night, and it was just about to start up again.

    If Cinder really was going to ask what Revan thought she was going to ask... it seemed to be the only hope of Salem losing the Mandalorians.

    "Were you ready for it?" he asked Revan. "Were any of us?"

    "..."

    Obi-Wan took Revan's silence as a satisfactory answer before he yelled up to the Maiden. "Cinder! Do it! Ask your question!"

    Ozpin was the first to look down at Obi-Wan, and hearing what he said made the Headmaster feel shocked and even more desperate than he was before.

    "Cinder, no!" Ozpin begged once more. "You don't understand!"

    Cinder ignored Ozpin's warning and spoke to her father again. "Dad, the Relic can explain!" she said. "You deserve to know what's going on! And so do they!" She pointed down to the Mandalorians, who looked up at their new Mand'alor when they heard this. "Please, let me do this!"

    "..."

    Djarin couldn't think of a time when he felt more conflicted than he did now. Holding Ozpin back as if he were an enemy was something he never thought he would do. But his behavior had become sporadic and unpredictable, which was beginning to scare him.

    And it was all to cover up a big secret, something that Ozpin clearly didn't want uncovered. Djarin couldn't understand why he would want something like this, and he didn't understand how Cinder knew it without telling him.

    But what he did know was that he had lost his daughter once. And Djarin wasn't going to let that happen again.

    "Do it," the Mandalorian said. "Do whatever you have to do, Cinder."

    Cinder was incredibly grateful for this trust, despite the fact that she was asking for it instead of doing anything to earn it. However, she refused to let this act be in vain.

    "Jinn..." Cinder began as she turned to the spirit. "I have a question on behalf of my father, my friends, and every Mandalorian standing before you right now."

    Jinn looked at the immediate area to see a large number of Mandalorians. The ones who weren't present were currently frozen in time, fighting Huntsmen and Huntresses. But the group before her was certainly a large number.

    And Cinder wouldn't want it any other way. A number this large would send word far and wide, so every Mandalorian could understand.

    "Very well," Jinn calmly replied. "And what is your question?"

    After she took a deep breath, Cinder asked her question. "What are Ozpin and Salem hiding from everyone?"

    "NOOOOOO!"

    Cinder turned around just in time to see that Ozpin freed himself and he was running towards her with an extended hand. She didn't have enough time to react or defend herself, all she did was cower behind her hands and close her eyes.

    When she opened them again, all she could see was white.

    "Wha... What?" Cinder asked as she recovered from her scare. "I'm back in the void?" Cinder was all too familiar with the white light, so it was only natural that she would assume that she had returned to the void once again.

    But when the sight of blue smoke appeared, Cinder knew that something was different.

    "Once upon a time, there stood a lonely tower..." said Jinn, who was nowhere to be seen. When Cinder followed the smoke, she saw an image of a large castle before her. It looked similar to Beacon, but it possessed some differences.

    *WHOOSH*​

    The smoke blew into Cinder's face, which made the castle disappear.

    "That sheltered a lonely girl."

    Cinder turned around to see a woman sitting in front of a large mirror, who was fixing her hair while looking into it. The woman had blonde hair, aqua eyes, and she was wearing a long white dress. Cinder didn't know who she was, she believed that she had never seen the woman before.

    She was wrong.

    "Named... Salem."

    "..."

    When Cinder received this surprise, she received many more for the next twenty minutes.

    The Fall Maiden learned that Salem's story was indeed that ofThe Girl in the Lonely Tower, something that Salem claimed on the first day they met. She was locked away from the world by her cruel father, in a time when Gods lived among men and gifted them with Magic.

    Salem was eventually rescued by Ozpin, who went by the name "Ozma." It seemed the Armorer had told Cinder the truth about this idea. After he rescued her, Ozma and Salem planned more adventures around the world, where they expected to stay together forever.

    These plans changed, however, when Ozma died from an unknown disease.

    Salem was plagued with grief and sorrow, which caused her to seek out the God of Light and beg him to bring Ozma back. The God was sympathetic to her cause, but he refused to break a balance he had delicately created.

    Rather than accept this answer, Salem sought out the God of Darkness and made the same request while keeping his brother's answer a secret. He eagerly agreed to help her, but changed his mind when the God of Light revealed Salem's deception. And rather than learn from her mistake, Salem renounced the Gods and demanded that they bring Ozma back again.

    In retaliation, the Gods cursed Salem with immortality until she learned the importance of life and death. But instead of taking her chance to fix her mistake, Salem led humanity in a rebellion against the Gods with the promise that they too could live forever.

    Cinder immediately saw how this rebellion was similar to the war the Mandalorians started. Salem used all those people like she used the Mandalorians, just to serve her own needs.

    And in the end, humanity followed Salem to their deaths; the God of Darkness saw fit to kill every person on Remnant before he and his brother abandoned the world.

    Salem was left alone to curse the Gods, to curse the whole universe while she walked the empty world. She still couldn't find it within herself to accept her failings, but she was able to think of an idea on how to end her suffering. The pools of life had given her immortality, so Salem believed that the pools of Grimm could take it away.

    She was wrong.

    Rather than destroy her, the pools of Grimm changed Salem into a monster with a desire to destroy everything. She had discarded her humanity at this point, which led her to become the force of evil that Cinder met five years ago.

    But this wasn't where the story ended.

    In the afterlife, the God of Light met with Ozma to give him a task. Despite letting his brother eradicate humanity, the God of Light told Ozma that humanity had somehow returned to Remnant. But unlike their predecessors, they possessed no Magic of their own or any knowledge of the Gods. And it was the God of Light's goal to change that.

    He told Ozma that he had created and scattered four powerful Relics across the world of Remnant, each with unique powers of their own. But if brought together, the Relics would act as a beacon and call the Gods back to Remnant. And when they returned, they would come to judge the world.

    If humanity was united, if they had learned to live together as friends and allies, then the Gods would restore humanity as they once were and live on Remnant again. However, if humanity was divided and only cared about gaining power for themselves, then mankind would be considered "irredeemable."

    If that were to happen, the world would come to an end.

    Ozma was tasked with uniting humanity together, just like Fall and Karma said to Cinder. And once he learned that Salem was alive, Ozma took the offer in a heartbeat. He returned to Remnant with the ability to reincarnate upon death, where he not only learned that the world had produced Dust and the Faunus, but he also reunited with Salem.

    The duo basked in the warmth of their reunion and lived together in the woods for some time. One day, Salem proposed that she and Ozma could take the place of the Gods, since they possessed Magic and their souls transcended death. Ozma was hesitant at first, but Salem swayed him to her cause.

    Their rule over Remnant led them to creating a prosperous Kingdom, as well as a happy family. But that changed when Ozma eventually told Salem about the Relics, after they witnessed one of their daughters wield Magic. When Salem saw this, and when she heard what the God of Light had planned for Remnant, she proposed an alternate course of action.

    She proposed that she and Ozma could finish what the God of Darkness started. And when they were gone, Ozma and Salem could create a new race of Magic-wielding humans.

    Horrified by this idea, and horrified by the woman Salem had become, Ozma rejected his wife's wishes and tried to escape with his daughters. But rather then let him leave, Salem attacked Ozma and their fight destroyed their Kingdom.

    As well as their four daughters.

    Ozma's death was the catalyst of his new war with Salem, where he eventually took on the mission the God of Light bestowed upon him. His lives were filled with hardship and challenges, but the old man refused to give up. He eventually found the Relics and learned how to use them, with the Relic of Knowledge being the first.

    Ozma asked Jinn his three questions, the first two being the location and powers of the other Relics. His third question, his most important one, was how he could destroy Salem.

    Sadly, the spirit of the lamp told Ozma that such a thing was impossible.

    Cinder thought that she had seen everything when she saw Ozma fall to his knees in despair. She felt like falling too, since the reality of her situation had been shown to her. However, Jinn still had one thing left to show her.

    Jinn showed Cinder that Salem also sought out the Relics, but for an entirely different reason. After her battle with Ozma, Salem discovered that her daughters had been killed. She found three of their bodies, but there was nothing left of her fourth daughter. With a heavy heart, Salem took their bodies, created coffins out of stone for them, and laid them down to rest in the Land of Darkness.

    After she concluded her small memorial service, Salem found herself blaming Ozma for what happened. Not just with her daughters, but she blamed the man for every wrong that had been done to her. She wanted him to pay, she wanted him to suffer, but most of all... Salem wanted her life to end.

    Instead of acknowledging her faults, however, Salem created a plan of action. She vowed that she would one day find the Relics and bring them together herself. In the meantime, she vowed to do everything in her power to divide the world beyond repair. She would bring the Gods back to not only destroy the world, but destroy her along with it.

    The last thing Cinder saw before she returned to Haven was Salem scream into the sky and promise to destroy everything.

    When she returned to Haven, Cinder was met with silence. Everyone close to her and standing before her were all silent after they heard Jinn's story. The silence was deafening, and it refused to hide the shock and disbelief everyone had when they heard the truth.

    Ozpin, however, wasn't shocked or confused. The tears falling from his eyes displayed nothing but sadness and regret.

    "Salem... wants to destroy the world?"

    The first thing that broke the silence was a question from a Mandalorian in the crowd. He and his fellow warriors were all dumbfounded and confused, despite the fact that they had seen everything. Cinder heard gunfire outside and fire crackle again, but nobody before her lifted any weapons.

    They were all too surprised to do anything else but feel the truth sink in.

    Djarin and Qrow were also letting the truth sink in, as was Cinder. The Mandalorian was the first to turn to Ozpin, and he was the first to display his anger.

    "Salem can't be killed?" he asked. "You knew about this?"

    Ozpin looked up at Djarin with a regretful look. He felt as if all of his mistakes and hardships had come crashing down upon him. "I-"

    "You knew all along!" Djarin yelled without giving Ozpin a chance. "And kept it all to yourself?! How could you do this to us?!"

    "..."

    Cinder spoke after her father. "You once told me that we had to stop Salem together," she said. "Did you ever have a plan to do it? To work around her curse?"

    This time, Ozpin replied. "...No," he confessed as he looked down. "Never."

    Djarin's anger intensified when he heard this, as did his feeling of betrayal. But more than that, he couldn't help but wonder how Cinder knew about this.

    "Cinder, how did you-?"

    "RRRRAAAAAAHH!"

    *BAM*​

    "Aaah!"

    Djarin was interrupted by a loud yell from Qrow, who had punched Ozpin in the face and watched him tumble down the stairs. When he stopped falling, Ozpin looked up at Qrow with a heartbroken expression. He didn't know what to expect from all this anger, but he didn't expect Qrow of all people to hit him.

    Or say what he said next.

    "No one wanted me," Qrow lamented as he looked to the ground. "I was cursed. I gave my life to you because you gave me a place in this world. I thought I was finally doing some good."

    "But... you are," Ozpin insisted. He hoped that Qrow would see that, but the old man was proven wrong.

    "Meeting you... was the worst luck of my life."

    "..."

    *BANG*​

    "Traitor!"

    Everyone stopped looking at Ozpin and back towards the Mandalorians. Cinder didn't know what to expect when she revealed this truth. She almost believed that people would say the lamp was lying or that this didn't change anything.

    But she was wrong. What she saw instead was an army of Mandalorians turning against one of their own: Bo-Katan.

    "You!" a female Mandalorian said as she pointed to Bo-Katan. "You were closer to Pre Vizsla and Salem than anyone!"

    "Did you know about this?!" another Mandalorian asked.

    "Did you want this to happen?!"

    "What else are you hiding from us?!"

    Bo-Katan was holding her shoulder and laying on the ground after she had been shot. She too was unhappy with what the lamp showed her, but she was more upset to see that her brothers and sisters had turned against her.

    "No, wait!" Bo-Katan pleaded. "I didn't know any of it! I swear!"

    "She's lying!" a Mandalorian yelled. "She and Vizsla told us that Salem couldn't be beaten!"

    "They knew she was immortal!" another Mandalorian accused. "They knew everything!"

    "They used us!"

    "They were going to kill us all!"

    "Vizsla's dead! Bo-Katan should be dead with him!"

    "Get her!"

    All of the Mandalorians yelled as they charged toward Bo-Katan. She tried to fend them off with her own blasters, but she had run out of bullets. She then tried to back away, but she remembered there was a hole behind her when she almost fell into it. She considered flying out, but multiple wires wrapped around her arms and her leg. It was clear the Mandalorians wouldn't be letting her leave alive.

    Bo-Katan would have been as good as dead, if Cinder hadn't created a small wall of fire and cut the wires after she jumped down.

    "Stop it!" Cinder yelled when the fire died down. All of the Mandalorians took a step back before Cinder continued talking. "Don't you get it?! This is exactly what Salem wants! To turn everyone against each other until we're all dead!"

    "..."

    Cinder had a good feeling that she was getting through to the Mandalorians, but she was too angry to stop now. "Gods, do you really think you're making our ancestors proud?! Did you really think starting a war with Salem's help was going to make things better for us?! All you did was play right into her hands, you nearly ruined everything!" Cinder pointed at Bo-Katan. "It didn't matter what she knew or didn't know! You all did Salem's work for her! You're all just as guilty as Bo-Katan is!"

    "..."

    Everyone remained silent as they listened to Cinder, but Bo-Katan was the only one who lowered her head in shame.

    "How many more lives, huh?!" Cinder asked as she looked around at the bodies of Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians on the ground. "How many more lives will it take for you to see what's in front of you?!"

    "..."

    Cinder had to take a breath before she spoke in a calmer voice. "Salem doesn't help people; she uses them. Don't let her use you anymore."

    The request was enough to give one Mandalorian the courage to ask a question.

    "Well... what do we do now?" he asked.

    To answer this question, Cinder raised the lamp over her head. "We keep this out of her hands," she said. "We protect it, and we protect the other Relics. But in order to do that, we can't be fighting amongst ourselves. We can't give Salem what she wants. We have to end the war."

    "..."

    Everyone became silent as they contemplated the idea. Djarin didn't need to think about it, however, since he agreed with everything Cinder said. With each word she uttered, he became more proud of her. She was close to ending the war without spilling any more blood, or fighting until the last man was standing.

    Just as he said in the cave, Cinder was being the better person.

    "To Hell with that!" a Mandalorian suddenly said as he raised his blaster. "Let's destroy the damn thing!"

    *BANG*​

    A red blast hit the Relic, which caused Cinder to drop it. Suddenly, more red blasts hit the Relic as the Mandalorians desperately tried to destroy it.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    "Enough!" Cinder yelled. "Enough!"

    Once the firing stopped, everyone could see what Cinder was seeing. There were multiple marks on the ground, and the Relic itself was partially burnt.

    But it hadn't been destroyed.

    "It's not that simple," Cinder said as she picked up the lamp. "The Relics can't be destroyed. But they can be protected." Cinder extended her arms wide. "That's why Haven was built, why the other Huntsmen Academies exist. They're all meant to protect each and every one of the Relics. But because Vizsla attacked Beacon, because you attacked Haven, we're all in terrible danger."

    "..."

    Cinder let this thought sink in before she made her final point. "But it's not too late. We can fix this. We can fix Beacon and Haven. We can make sure we all live to see tomorrow... but only if you let us." Cinder began to pace around the area. "If you want to live, if you want to see our children grow, and if you want these Relics as far away from Salem... then you'll lay down your weapons. And stop. This. Fight."

    Once again, all the Mandalorians looked at each other in uncertainty. They believed Cinder, since they were unable to destroy the Relic. They didn't know how she planned to protect the Relic, but all they knew was that they couldn't let Salem have it.

    But to give up the fight wasn't as easy as it sounded.

    "We didn't start this war... for Salem," said Bo-Katan, who finally started to get back up. Cinder turned around to give the Mandalorian her full attention and listen carefully. "We did it... for Mandalore." Bo-Katan held her shoulder as she talked. "They took everything from us. They looked down on us. When we helped them end the Great War, they left us with nothing. You can't ask us to give up! You can't expect us to just forgive them all!"

    Cinder groaned. "You still don't get it!" she said. She pointed to multiple bodies as she talked. "This, this, this is what makes the world think they can exclude us! Pretend like we don't even exist! It's not hatred that gives the world their excuse! It's fear!"

    "..."

    Cinder looked at the other Mandalorians again. "They're afraid of us! They afraid of whatever fight we might try to start whenever we show our faces, whenever we show our armor! We've built a legacy of warmongering, destruction, and killing even before the Great War started! What you all did tonight just makes them even more afraid! And they'll use that fear to fight back ten times as hard! All because you fired the first shot! And all because you came this close to helping Salem destroy the world!"

    "..."

    "But it's not too late." Cinder looked at Bo-Katan again. "If you stop fighting now, then Salem loses. All of her work will be for absolutely nothing. She'll be back at square one, you'll be striking harder than you might think. She might be immortal... but that doesn't mean she can't be hurt."

    "..."

    Cinder looked back at the army before her. "As for the rest of the world... leave that to me." Cinder activated the Darksaber again. "The leaders of Mistral will hear about this. They'll hear that the war was stopped by a Mandalorian. They'll see that their fear and anger can't apply to everyone." She then gestured to her father and her allies. "And I'll have witnesses. Nobody will deny the truth."

    "..."

    The more they thought of it, the Mandalorians began to see that this was a decent plan. Bo-Katan even admitted that nobody could deny such a story, not with the witnesses and the soon-to-be cooperation.

    But there was one thing she didn't like.

    "So you want us to run away," she said to Cinder. "To retreat in shame."

    Cinder shook her head. "No," she said. "I want you to live." She quickly turned around. "I want all of you to live, whether you attacked Haven or not. You can trust me, you can let me assure your safety... or you can die in vain."

    "..."

    Cinder looked from the left and to the right before she made a final remark. "Well? What's it going to be?"

    "..."

    Silence filled the auditorium once again. There was much contemplation with the armored warriors, from each and every clan that was present. Cinder looked to see that Clans Vizsla and Tenau, both of which she was familiar with, were nodding their heads in approval. And when she looked back to the stairs, Cinder could see that Djarin was nodding as well.

    But the real sign of good faith came in the form of distinct noises.

    *CLANK*

    *WHOOSH*

    *CLANK*

    *WHOOSH*

    *CLANK*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    All of the Mandalorians were following their Mand'alor's orders. They were dropping their weapons to show that they were stopping the fight, and they were leaving while they still could.

    Cinder gasped at the sight, since she wasn't expecting everyone to leave so soon. But when she saw more and more Mandalorians leave, the gasp was replaced by a sigh of relief.

    "We'll make sure they leave," said a Vizsla Mandalorian.

    "And that they take their comrades with them," said a Tenau Mandalorian. "Those who weren't present for Jinn's truth."

    Cinder nodded at both Mandalorians. "Yes," she said. "Thank you."

    "Of course... ma'am."

    When the members of Clan Vizsla and Tenau followed their former enemies, Cinder turned back towards Bo-Katan. She was expecting more defiance, or an effort to join the right side in this conflict.

    But instead, she saw Bo-Katan fly away as quickly as she could.

    *WHOOSH*​

    The Mandalorian disappeared through a hole in the ceiling, and Cinder believed that this would be the last she would see of Bo-Katan for a while. But she didn't care too much.

    Because when she saw her father nodding once again, Cinder's world became whole.

    "There you go. Comfortable?"

    "Yeah. Thanks, Dad."

    After the enemy Mandalorians disbanded, and after Revan volunteered to stay with Ozpin, everyone went their separate ways. Obi-Wan said that he would go to the main city in case the Mandalorians tried anything else.

    That, and he said he wanted to check on something personally.

    Cinder said that she wanted to do whatever she could to help, but Djarin decided that she needed rest when he watched her stumble on the stairs and grab her head. It was obvious that she needed rest.

    Qrow didn't say where he was going.

    Before he left, Obi-Wan provided Djarin and Cinder with a room for the two of them. Djarin practically carried Cinder to the room, since she was tired and still recovering from a coma. Djarin was still recovering from his wounds as well, but he was more concerned about Cinder's well-being. Besides, his Aura was starting to work again.

    Despite the fact that she was comfortable in the bed Djarin took her to, she was rather distressed. Given what Jinn showed her and everyone else, this was the first time Djarin had spoken since the incident.

    And Cinder could imagine why.

    She had lived with the Mandalorian long enough to tell when he was angry, distressed, and disappointed. His body language was the key here, and Cinder could tell how upset Djarin looked after he left the auditorium.

    He had every right to be upset, Cinder thought. She was upset too, since Ozpin had been lying to everyone from the start. And given what Cinder was saying earlier, how she learned about something Ozpin had been keeping to himself, the young girl was afraid Djarin distrusted her now.

    "Are... Are you okay, Dad?" Cinder asked. "After, um... After all of that?"

    Djarin sighed as he removed his helmet. He and Cinder were all alone in the room, so he could talk about what he and Cinder saw. "It's that obvious, huh?" he asked as he took a seat by her side. "I, um... I don't think I'm okay."

    "I don't blame you. For being angry." Cinder looked to the side. "I... I'm angry too."

    Djarin nodded slowly. "It's just... How could he keep all of that from us? And expect us to work with him?!" Djarin clenched his fists in frustration. "This isn't right, Cinder. None of this is."

    "..."

    All Cinder could do was stay silent, since she had no rebuttal to this claim. But she found her chance to speak when Djarin asked a question.

    "Cinder... did you know?" he asked. "Back in the auditorium, you said... you said you learned something. Did Ozpin tell you? Did he make you keep this a secret?"

    "No!" Cinder quickly declined as she sprang out of bed. "No, Dad! I know how it all sounded, but I swear, I didn't lie to you! I would never lie to you!"

    "..."

    The Mandalorian was surprised by the quick and passionate reaction. He couldn't deny that the possibility of Ozpin telling Cinder was real, but Djarin abandoned these thoughts when he heard Cinder deny it.

    If her words weren't enough, the look on her face certainly was.

    "You believe me... right?" Cinder asked hopefully. The silence was very intimidating for her.

    "Of course," Djarin said as he moved closer. "Of course I believe you."

    Cinder sighed in relief. "Thank you. I know how it sounded, when I said I knew something. But it's not what you think, I swear."

    "So, what happened? Did you learn it from someone else?"

    "All I knew was that Salem couldn't be killed. I didn't know about everything else Jinn showed us."

    "But how did you know?"

    "I, uh, kind of suspected it for a while. Remember when Salem told me that she wrote that fairy tale I read? The Girl in the Lonely Tower? It's been around forever, so I, uh... I kind of knew something was going on."

    Djarin could accept this logic, and he was surprised he didn't think of it before. But that still didn't answer his question of how Cinder knew that Salem was immortal.

    Fortunately, Cinder was more than willing to tell him.

    After she relaxed in her bed, and after she made sure they were alone, Cinder told Djarin everything. She told him how she met the first Fall Maiden, how she had to rebuild herself from the ground up so she could be strong enough to take back her powers. Lastly, she told him how she learned of a Fall Maiden who sadly took her own life after discovering that Salem was immortal.

    And Djarin believed it all. He still couldn't explain his encounter with his sister, which was something he didn't feel ready to talk about just yet. But it sounded all too similar to Cinder's experiences with Fall and the rest of Cinder's predecessors.

    "So... what do you think?" Cinder asked as she finished her story.

    "The first Fall Maiden..." Djarin whispered as he processed everything. "That's... incredible. So she taught you a different side of the powers."

    "Yeah, she and everyone else did. All of my training at Beacon made me strong enough to connect with Fall in the void. Fall took it upon herself to show me how to build new connections to my body, mind, and soul."

    "Right, you mentioned that. Was it hard?"

    "Oh, super hard. I almost gave up a few times, especially after I decided not to open my last chakra."

    Djarin sighed again, but not out of anger or frustration. "Cinder, I'm sorry," he said. "I wish I could have been there. I mean, I was there. I stayed with you every night, and I-"

    "I know, Dad." Cinder moved closer with a smile. "Thank you for being there for me. I didn't see or hear you, but... I think I knew you were there. I mean, all I wanted to do was come back home. Come back to you."

    Djarin smiled for the first time since he left the auditorium and took Cinder's hand. "I'm proud of you."

    "Thanks." Cinder suddenly had an idea. "Hey, maybe I can show you what I learned back there! I can help you unlock your chakras too!"

    "Me? But I'm not a Maiden."

    "No, that's okay. Chakras are more about Aura and the body. Your Aura could be stronger with them. I can show you what I mean later."

    "That... would be a great honor. I can't wait."

    Cinder smiled at the idea as she reflected on her time in the void. She was grateful to Fall and Karma for helping her connect to her body and soul, and she was also grateful to Lila for helping her connect to her mind.

    The idea of this connection suddenly made Cinder remember something.

    "Hey, Dad?" she asked. "There was something else too. When I was making connections to my mind, I saw you there."

    "You saw me?" Djarin asked. "Oh, wait a second. Was that the whole memory thing you were talking about? How you saw Winter, Penny, and Qrow?"

    "Yeah, that's right. I saw you too, but I don't think it was a memory. It looked like you were arguing with someone. The Armorer, I think. What was that all about?"

    Djarin didn't need much time to search his memories for an explanation. "Oh, that. Well, I have a story for you too."

    In exchange for Cinder's story about the void, Djarin explained what he had been doing while she was comatose. He explained how it all began when the Children of the Watch split apart, when Ozpin recruited him to travel across the world and stay in Vacuo.

    And how that led to an unfortunate encounter with Revan.

    "He tried to what?!" Cinder asked as she clutched her bedsheets.

    "I know," Djarin sadly replied. He had just finished telling Cinder how Revan tried to kill her when he joined the fight. "He wanted to use you to lure Aurora out of hiding."

    "What the hell kind of excuse is that?!" Cinder hadn't been in the man's presence for long, but it was scary to think that he could have stabbed her in the back. "I thought the Jedi were supposed to be against that kind of stuff!"

    "I don't care what he might say; he's not a Jedi. I just hope he leaves us alone now that the war is over. If he doesn't, stay close to me." Djarin took Cinder's hand in his. "I have a promise to keep."

    Cinder couldn't help but laugh a little when she heard this. She remembered being scared of the Butcher on a Halloween night when she was a little girl. But she felt better when Djarin promised to protect her.

    It was silly to think of it now, but it was also sweet to hear that Djarin took the promise seriously.

    On the other hand, it wasn't sweet to hear that the Armorer accused Djarin of bringing trouble to the clan over and over again. And the punishment of being banished wasn't very sweet either.

    To hear that Djarin was declared to be an outsider, to be something other than a Mandalorian, broke Cinder's heart.

    But her spirits picked up when she heard how Djarin took care of her, from moving to Vacuo and actually stealing from Atlas of all places.

    "You smuggled all that Dust?" Cinder asked when she heard how much the Mandalorian took.

    "Not all of it," Djarin replied with an awkward chuckle. "We had to let some go so we could cover our tracks with an explosion. But we split the remains between Vale and Mistral. And, well... you as well."

    "Me?"

    "Willow promised me some Cobalt Dust for smuggling her own Dust. Since it helped you at Beacon, I figured it could help you again."

    "Wait a second." Cinder sat up in her bed. "You stole that Dust... for me?"

    "That's right. If it meant I could help you, smuggling a few crates wasn't too much to ask for."

    "Whoa... Dad, I... I don't know what to say."

    "You don't have to say anything, Cinder." Djarin gently rubbed the top of his daughter's head. "I'm just happy to have you back again."

    Cinder embraced the feeling and smiled. "It's good to be back." She stopped smiling, however, when she remembered the Armorer. "But you shouldn't have been banished like that. That's so unfair!"

    "Honestly, Cinder, it's fine. I don't think I was going to accomplish much by staying there during the war."

    "Still. You shouldn't have been banished for helping me." Cinder suddenly felt guilty for what happened. So much could have been averted if she hadn't fallen into her coma, she wished she could fix it all.

    While she couldn't fix everything, Cinder had an idea how to fix what happened to her father.

    "Hey, could you hand me the Darksaber?" she asked.

    Djarin looked towards the desk he had taken his chair from. The Darksaber was on the desk, as well as the Relic of Knowledge. Djarin believed it would be best for Cinder to carry it since she used its knowledge to reveal a truth that everyone needed to hear. And since Cinder was the Mand'alor, the Darksaber stayed with her too.

    "The Darksaber?" Djarin asked. "Why, what for?"

    "I got an idea," she said. "Can I see it?"

    Djarin didn't know where this was going, but he acquired to Cinder's request and handed her the Darksaber. After she sat up, Cinder activated the blade and brought it towards Djarin's left shoulder.

    "I'm the Mand'alor," Cinder began. "Just like we saw before, every Mandalorian listens to me now. So as Mand'alor, I pardon you of whatever crimes or accusations the Armorer and any other Mandalorian charged you with." She let the blade hover over Djarin's left shoulder before she moved it to his right. "There you go." Cinder turned it off when she was done. "As far as anyone's concerned, you're an honest to Gods Mandalorian."

    Djarin was honored by the small favor, and proud to see that Cinder chose to use the power of her title with humility and wisdom. Many words of gratitude and joy came to mind, so many that they never escaped Djarin's throat. He hadn't thought of it before, but hearing the opposite of what the Armorer told him felt really good.

    "Cinder, I... Now I don't know what to say," he said with a chuckle.

    "Aw, it's okay, Dad," Cinder insisted. "It was nothing. Just something that needed to be done."

    "Still. Thank you, Cinder. That was... something I needed to hear."

    "You're welcome." Cinder cracked a smile as she thought of something else. "But let me know if you need anything else. You know, a Mandalorian island, a new clan, or if you want everyone to bow before you. Say the word."

    Djarin couldn't help but laugh at the joke. "Let's not start abusing power now. We've already had plenty of mad rulers."

    "Yeah, no kidding. But really, I can help with whatever you need."

    Djarin was about to thank her once again and insist that he didn't need anything. However, something came to mind when he remembered that Cinder was the ruler of Mandalore. He remembered that there was something he wanted to change.

    Something he wanted his daughter to change.

    "Dad?" Cinder asked. "You okay?"

    Djarin looked over to Cinder and made a request. "Cinder, could you... could you make a promise for me?" he asked.

    "A promise? Um, okay." Cinder didn't see the harm in a promise, even though she didn't know what it was. "What is it?"

    "When I trained you as a Mandalorian, I taught you everything I knew. And everything I believed in."

    "Right, like the Way of the Mandalore."

    Djarin flinched when he heard that phrase. "Cinder... I was wrong to make you believe in all of that."

    "What?"

    "The Way itself is wrong. It's cruel, biased, and completely unfair. I can't believe I was like that in the past."

    "What? Wait a minute." Cinder sat up in her bed once again. "Dad, is this about what the Armorer said to you?"

    "No, this is something I learned myself. There are aspects I still believe in, but the Way of the Mandalore has only made the Mandalorians look out for themselves. Vizsla, Saxon, even the Children of the Watch only cared about themselves. Because of that, they started and joined a war that nearly destroyed everything."

    "Yeah... I guess that's true. But you said Pre Vizsla and Gar Saxon didn't follow the Way of the Mandalore. Not like you do."

    "That doesn't change the fact that we've let the past and tradition lead us to the point of ruin. If we don't change, if we just let the past define us and let it repeat itself over and over... then we deserve extinction."

    "..."

    Djarin took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Do you remember what we talked about at Beacon? How we could create something new for the Mandalorians?"

    "Um... yeah," Cinder replied. She was somewhat in shock of how passionate Djarin was, but she answered his question. "Yeah, I think we called it..." Cinder couldn't help but smile when she remembered how funny it sounded. "We called it 'the Way of the Maiden.'"

    "That's right," Djarin said as he took Cinder's hand again. "I want you to promise me, Cinder. Promise me that you won't live or rule by the old ways, the ways that did nothing but hurt us and the world. Promise me you'll start living by the Way of the Maiden."

    Cinder was surprised by how serious Djarin was taking that phrase and idea. She liked the name, even though it sounded a little silly to her now. But one look at Djarin's face and the memory of his request told Cinder that this was no laughing matter.

    "Dad, I... I don't know if I can," she reluctantly admitted. "I don't even think I know what it is just yet."

    "Yes, you do," Djarin calmly declared. "You taught it me from the moment I met you. The Way of the Maiden is selflessness. It means looking out for everyone else just as much as your own people. It means defending peace, freedom, and justice for all of Remnant. But most of all... it means believing in yourself. Inspiring others like you inspire me."

    "..."

    Cinder was surprised once again. It seemed that tonight was full of surprises. But along with that, Cinder felt incredibly honored by what Djarin said. They were merely strangers, once upon a time. He was just a bounty hunter who lived for himself and his tribe, and she was just a little girl who ran away from her problems the first chance she had.

    But now, to hear how much the both of them changed and grew... it was a wonderful experience. And if everything Djarin said was true, then sharing this with the world would be doing everyone a favor.

    "We can work out the details later," Djarin said. "But right now, all I know is that I want to live like that. I want to live my life the way I've seen you live yours. So please... promise me you'll keep living like that. Promise me you'll follow the Way of the Maiden."

    "..."

    Cinder let go of Djarin's hands, which surprised and slightly scared the Mandalorian. But when he received another hug from his daughter, and when he heard something whisper into his ear, Djarin was happy.

    "I promise."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 56: The Recovery
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 56: The Recovery​

    "What... did I... do wrong?"

    "This war is over!"

    "This is my daughter, and our new Mand'alor."

    "Meeting you... was the worst luck of my life."

    "I promise."

    Cinder awoke with a jerk when the memories of last night came into her mind. When she looked around, she saw herself in a mahogany room much like the one that she was in when she awoke in Vacuo. In fact, the rooms were so similar that Cinder almost believed that last night's events were merely a dream.

    But when she noticed her father sleeping on a chair right beside her, Cinder smiled as she happily accepted the truth of her situation.

    "It wasn't a dream!" she yelled with glee as she got out of bed. She immediately took in the sights and feelings of the real world once again, and welcomed them just like she did in Vacuo. And when she looked out her window, the mountains and trees that she could see told Cinder that there was much more here to offer than Vacuo.

    And Cinder wouldn't have it any other way.

    "Good morning, Haven!" Cinder screamed as she gratefully welcomed the feeling of being in the real world once again.

    "Hey, screw you!" a random voice yelled out to Cinder. It seemed not everyone was enjoying the day like she was.

    But Cinder couldn't care less.

    "Yes! Yes!" she screamed with a smile. "Screw you, too!" She wasn't one to insult people very often, but today was the day Cinder stopped taking everything in the world for granted.

    Especially her father, who was starting to wake up due to Cinder's joyful yelling.



    ​
    "What the-?" Djarin said as he sat up, where he immediately felt Cinder tightly hug him. "Oof!"



    ​
    "Good morning, Dad!" Cinder said before she kissed his cheek.

    "Good morning to you too," Djarin said with a laugh as he returned the hug. "You're in a good mood today."

    Cinder let go of her father. "Yeah, don't ask me why, but last night kinda felt like a dream. For a second, I thought I was still in Vacuo."

    "That's easy to understand."

    "Yeah. Hey, what were you doing here? I thought you went into another room."

    "I did. I came back to check on you..." Djarin rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I fell asleep. Sorry."

    Cinder gently laughed when she heard this. "That's okay. You're the first person I wanted to see today."

    "Same with you." Djarin suddenly had an idea. "How are you feeling?"

    "Great!" Cinder twirled her arms and slightly kicked her legs as she relished the ability to move again. "My leg feels a little stiff, but I'm feeling better than I was last night."

    "Good. Because something tells me I have a lot of work to do today. How about we grab some breakfast before I get started?"

    "Sure!" Cinder gently hit Djarin's arm. "But don't you mean we have work to do?"

    Djarin laughed again. "Should've known you wouldn't wanna sit this out. Just take it slow, okay?"

    "Promise."

    Cinder understood that a lot of damage had been done to the school, despite the fact that Haven had been saved. It would take a lot of work to get it back up and running, as well as making sure that there were no enemies hiding. Cinder was more than willing to help, and she was even happier to be able to have breakfast with her father again.

    There was just one problem.

    "Hey, uh... you didn't happen to save any of my clothes, did you?" Cinder asked as she looked at her dirtied and ripped pajamas.

    Djarin looked at Cinder from head to toe and immediately understood her problem. "I think we got some of your clothes," he said as he put on his helmet. "Be right back."

    *WHOOSH*​

    Djarin used his Semblance to travel to the Razor Crest, which was still at the landing pads. It was still damaged from the firefight he had with the Mandalorians, but he could fix it later.

    Right now, Djarin picked up a small cardboard box and took it back to Cinder's room.



    ​
    "Qrow and Glynda saved a few of our things at Beacon," he said as he put the box down. "I think I saw some of your clothes in here."



    ​
    "Oh, that was nice of them," said Cinder, who took a look inside the box. She didn't see any clothes right away, but she saw a few memorabilia inside.

    The first of which was a small set of chainmail Djarin had gotten her.

    "Hey, I remember this," she said as she picked up the metal and placed it against her torso. "Wow, I haven't worn this thing in years."

    "Well, it's too small for you now," Djarin joked as he looked with Cinder. "They found this too." He handed Cinder a burnt photograph. "Remember that day?"

    "Oh, yeah." Cinder took the photograph and remembered the day it was taken. "That was a good day." She looked back into the box where she saw more items such as books and relics from her childhood.

    The last thing she saw was the dress Winter had gotten her for her birthday.

    "Oh, perfect!" Cinder said as she took out the dress. "Yeah, this is much better."

    "I'll let you get changed," Djarin said as he took the box.

    "Wait, could you leave it for a second?"

    Djarin looked back to Cinder. "You looking for something else?"

    "You didn't see my pauldron in there, did you?"

    "Your pauldron?" Djarin immediately knew what Cinder was talking about. "Oh, your Rinocer pauldron. Yeah, we still have it. I actually got your armor out of Beacon too."

    "You did?" Cinder smiled as she let out a gasp. "Oh, my gosh, that's amazing! But you could've been killed in the fire!"

    Djarin shrugged off the idea. "It was worth it. Your suit's in the Crest whenever you need it. And your pauldron too."

    "Oh, thank you! I'll put it on after breakfast!"

    "No hurry."

    *WHOOSH*​

    Djarin used his Semblance once again to teleport himself outside the room so Cinder could change. Once she emerged in a more appropriate attire, the new Mand'alor followed her father's lead towards the cafeteria.

    As they walked, Djarin kept a close eye on Cinder. She needed a little help going down some stairs, but she was mostly alright. In fact, her smile refused to leave her face with each step she took throughout the school.

    Djarin realized that perhaps it was that smile that he missed most of all while Cinder was in her coma. And it was also that smile that was giving the Mandalorian hope.

    Last night was the first night in a month that Djarin had slept well. He had no worries, no fear of the future, and he had no reason to believe that things were going to be bad. With the war apparently at an end and with his daughter back, Djarin felt whole. He felt that he and the world itself had been given a second chance to survive, to pick up the pieces and heal from the war.

    But even though she was smiling, Cinder didn't necessarily feel the same way.

    The Maiden was very happy to be with her father again, but she had many questions and concerns at the back of her mind. Last night was a major victory for Haven and the world, but Cinder didn't know what today would bring her. She had been so focused on reuniting with Djarin that she didn't think what to do next.

    There was still Salem to contend with, after all. And her immortality wasn't doing her any favors.

    Along with that, Cinder had been granted an enormous responsibility to lead all of the Mandalorians. She had managed to end a war, but the fear and hate she described last night would surely be present. Cinder had mentioned it once before, but she had no idea how to undo so much hate. She had no idea how to show the world that not all Mandalorians were like Vizsla or Saxon, or that they shouldn't have to be excluded from civilization.



    ​
    Cinder was sure that having her father by her side, someone who believed in her and helped her countless times, would help ease the burden. And it was true that she was ignoring the problem at the moment, but the questions still lingered in her mind.

    Fortunately, an answer to these questions came to her when she and Djarin finally reached the cafeteria.

    The clan of two had walked past the auditorium, which was being guarded and cleaned by Huntsmen. They had also walked through multiple hallways that were littered with debris and scorch-marks from blaster fire. Each scar Haven had been given served as a reminder for Djarin and Cinder that they had much to do.

    But when they saw multiple Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians all eating together in the cafeteria, Djarin and Cinder remembered that they weren't alone in this endeavor. And it only got better when a Huntsman from Haven turned to the clan of two.

    "Hey, look!" he yelled as he jumped out of his seat and pointed at the pair of Mandalorians. "There they are!"

    All eyes fell upon Djarin and Cinder. And once they did, the cafeteria erupted in a sound of unity and pride.

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*    ​

    Everyone was standing and applauding at Djarin and Cinder, which caught both of them off guard. Djarin's helmet was hiding his face, but he was wearing a look of surprise along with Cinder. They said nothing as they looked at the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians who were applauding and commending them for last night.

    And it only got better when the clan of two was approached by Pax Vizsla and Mi Tenau.

    "Good morning, Djarin," said Pax. "And Cinder."

    "It's a pleasure to see you both today," said Mi.

    "Yeah, I'm kinda getting that," Cinder said with red cheeks as she awkwardly waved at the people.

    "What's all this?" Djarin asked as he listened to the applause.

    "Everyone saw the enemy retreat last night," Mi explained. "Your command to withdraw saved all our lives."

    "And one of my scouts arrived this morning from the Great Lake," Pax included. "All of Vizsla's forces, Death Watch and others, have laid down their weapons and disbanded. As far as we're concerned, the war is over."

    Cinder gasped when she heard this. She knew ending the fighting at Haven was a success, but she had no idea it would stop as far as the Great Lake. Djarin had told her how he fought there and destroyed a droid that resembled a Basilisk, so she knew the fight was difficult.

    So to imagine that the entire fight was over was almost hard to believe. It was just as hard to believe as people sitting and eating with Mandalorians, and that was all Cinder could see in the cafeteria.

    "I can't believe it," she said as she looked around. "This... This is happening. It's actually happening."

    "That's right," Djarin said as he proudly put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "You did it, Cinder. You made this happen."

    Cinder smiled at the idea, but she was forced to shake her head. "No, Dad. I remember what you said last night, what you did at Beacon. You're the one who brought them all together."

    Djarin remembered this event, as well as the inspiration for his speech. "Maybe so, but they wouldn't be here if we hadn't won last night. And I gave that speech because of you." Djarin gently squeezed Cinder's shoulder. "It's all thanks to you, Cinder."

    "You too, Dad."

    After the Mandalorians shared another hug, Djarin and Cinder finally got some food to eat. Djarin elected to sit with the Mandalorians so they could be reacquainted with Cinder. She had met Clans Tenau and Vizsla before, but only a few times. So this was the best chance for everyone to get reacquainted, and for Vizsla and Tenau to be the first clans to swear their allegiance to their new ruler.

    Cinder was grateful for this sign of respect, and she promised that she would make sure the Mandalorians would be treated as equals. And based on what she was seeing in the cafeteria, that wouldn't be much of a problem anymore. But Cinder knew that this was only the beginning, that she would have much to do in the future if she wished to keep this promise.

    In order to do that, Cinder decided that she would she to look her part as the Mand'alor.

    After a good breakfast, Djarin took Cinder to his ship so she could retrieve her armor. When she saw it, Cinder felt incredibly grateful to Djarin that it was still in one piece. He had taken very good care of it after he risked his life to get it out of Beacon.



    ​
    After she examined the entire suit, Cinder promised to not let Djarin's actions be in vain. She promised that she would wear the armor just as often as he did, that she would protect and treasure it until the day she died. Djarin was hesitant about this promise, since he didn't want Cinder to live by the old ways anymore. Cinder agreed, but she wanted to show her father, and the world, how proud she was to be a Mandalorian.

    More importantly, how proud she was to be his daughter.

    And so, Cinder proudly put every piece of her armor on in front of Djarin. She started with her boots and knee-pads, which were called the "cetar'bur" and "tadun'bur." Then, she put on the "motun'bur" and "ven'cabur," armor on the upper-leg and her belt. Next, Cinder placed the pieces of armor on her chest, three plates that surrounded a small piece called the "Kar'ta Beskar."

    Cinder then put on her two gauntlets, her "kom'rks." She put them on carefully so none of the weapons would go off. After that, she took her special pauldron, her "bes'marbur." It was the one that was marked with a Rinocer, and she had her second one as well. This one was blank, but it was still important.

    The last part Cinder had to wear was her helmet. However, she decided to refrain from using it at the moment. Instead, she held it at her side and presented her entire suit of armor to her father.

    "How do I look?" she asked.

    "Like a Mand'alor," Djarin proudly replied.

    When she heard this, Cinder put her helmet down and hugged her father. It was a little uncomfortable to do so in a suit of armor, but she wanted to show Djarin how much his faith meant to her. After he hugged her back, the Mandalorian led Cinder outside and took a toolbox in hand. Before they could go anywhere, they had to fix the Razor Crest and make it fly again.

    The process took a little over an hour, but Djarin and Cinder repaired the damages the airship had taken last night. Cinder was no stranger to working on the Razor Crest, even though it wasn't her favorite thing in the world to do. But her Maiden powers made it a little easier, mainly with how she could use her fire like a blowtorch and weld metal together.

    Once the damages were repaired, Djarin led Cinder back into the ship and prepared to make it fly. Cinder crossed her fingers as she took her father's hand in hers and Djarin used his other hand to power up the Razor Crest.

    "Here we go," Djarin said as he squeezed Cinder's hand.

    "Here we go," Cinder repeated as she also squeezed her father's hand.

    *CLICK*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    "YES!"

    Djarin and Cinder reveled in their victory as they felt the Razor Crest leave the ground. They had a working airship once again, and now they could go anywhere they wanted. It even began to feel like the old days, when Djarin and Cinder travelled together five years ago.

    Now they had the chance to recapture that magic.

    "So, where do you want to go first?" Djarin asked.

    "Hmm..." Cinder hummed as she took a moment to think. "Well, we just checked in with the Mandalorians. They seem to be doing okay."

    "They'll be fine for a little while."

    "And we already saw the damages here at Haven. Maybe we should go into the city, see if we can get some supplies."

    "And see how the city is holding up."

    Cinder didn't want to neglect the city's needs, but she was confused by the idea. "I thought Headmaster Kenobi said he was going into Mistral. You didn't hear from him?"

    "No, I don't think he came back last night. All the more reason we should see what's going on."

    "He didn't come back? That's weird. Hope he's okay."

    "Only one way to find out." Djarin saw that the ship had reached a good altitude for flight, so he began to steer towards the city. "We'll find the nearest landing pad in Mistral."

    Cinder suddenly had an idea as she looked out the window. "Maybe you could land at Councilwoman Kryze's house," she suggested.

    "Oh, yeah?" Djarin asked as he continued to steer.

    "Yeah, it's close to the city. And we're not strangers to her. It's practically the best spot in Mistral to land."

    "Sure, it is."

    Cinder was no stranger to sarcasm, or when her father was playfully addressing a Goliath in the room. And she was a hundred percent sure that he was smirking under his helmet.

    "Okay, okay," Cinder said as she felt a heat rise to her face. "I admit it, I'd feel a lot better checking in on Korkie. I haven't seen him since-"

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Cinder looked to her arm when she heard a familiar buzzing and saw a blue light on her armor. This was a function similar to her father's armor, where a Scroll was linked to her gauntlet. It was a very useful asset, when compared to constantly taking a Scroll out of her pocket or her belt.

    So Cinder tapped the screen to see who was calling her.

    Incoming Call: Korkie Kryze​

    "Huh, speak of the Devil," Cinder said as she looked at her screen. "That was fast."

    Djarin looked at Cinder's gauntlet. "That was fast," he agreed. "Guess he wants to check in on-" Djarin took another look at the screen. "Wait a minute. How does he know you're here?"



    ​
    Cinder took a second to think of an answer. "Maybe Headmaster Kenobi told him?" She then gave her father a shrug. "Only one way to find out." She accepted the call and began to speak. "Hi, Korkie. How are you?"

    Cinder was expecting to hear that Korkie, her boyfriend, was doing fine. She was also expecting to hear that he heard about the attack and was worried sick. She was even half expecting to hear that he had an encounter with a Mandalorian.

    What she heard instead not only shattered her expectations, but it also made her worried sick.

    "Cinder, it's Obi-Wan," said a male voice on the other end of the call. "I have terrible news."

    "What?" Djarin asked. He was able to listen in on the call as well, so he could hear the Headmaster of Haven Academy. "Obi-Wan? Is Ozpin with you?"

    "No, he's not. I can't explain everything, but it would be best if you and Cinder came to Mistral's hospital immediately."

    "The hospital?" Cinder asked. "Wait, why are you there?" Her face began to grow pale. "Is Korkie okay?"

    "..."

    "Headmaster Kenobi, is he okay?!"

    "...I'm afraid not."

    Last night​

    Obi-Wan had just witnessed a miracle. Due to Cinder's intervention, the Mandalorians under Pre Vizsla's command had abandoned their fight and fled into the night. And rather than going into the city for another attack, they flew in the opposite direction and vanished without a trace.

    The Headmaster of Haven wasn't a greedy man, and he knew that miracles such as the one he witnessed didn't come very often. However, he couldn't help but pray for another miracle as he left the school grounds.

    Despite the fact that the fight was over, Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel a disturbance in the Force. Peace had emerged at Haven, but there was a growing darkness somewhere in the city of Mistral.

    At first, Obi-Wan didn't know how there could be such a thing in the city. Darth Malak had been killed and Revan had remained as a servant of the light. However, it was this mention of Malak that caused Obi-Wan to remember something. Namely, that Malak had been tasked to give Obi-Wan a message.

    And when he remembered this message, Obi-Wan knew that someone he cared about was in grave danger.

    As soon as he put the pieces together, Obi-Wan informed his allies that he was going to Mistral before he quickly ran through the halls of Haven. He eventually found himself at the elevator that led to his office. But rather than going up, Obi-Wan used a secret button to move down.

    And when the doors opened, Obi-Wan was greeted with the sight of a Jedi airship.

    It was this airship that Obi-Wan had used to flee Coruscant. He had kept it hidden in a secret cave beneath Haven in case of a similar incident at Haven.

    But thanks to Cinder, that didn't happen.

    And yet, Obi-Wan knew that this airship was the only way he could reach his destination in time. He just hoped that he wasn't too late to prevent a terrible tragedy.

    The fear of this terrible tragedy was what brought Obi-Wan to Mistral. Namely, to the mansion of Councilwoman Satine Kryze.

    Darth Malak's words about Anakin and "Darth Vader" rang though Obi-Wan's head in a twisted loop. He had never heard that title before, but he was well aware of what "promise" Anakin made to him. On Coruscant, Anakin confessed that he blamed Obi-Wan for driving Padmé away from him, for turning her against him. And as revenge, Anakin promised that he would pay Satine a "visit" after Coruscant fell.

    Anakin never got the chance to keep that promise when Coruscant was destroyed. And it was almost easy to see Malak's words as an empty threat or a way to get under Obi-Wan's skin. However, when he came across the sight of a door blown off its hinges and multiple bodies across the floor, Obi-Wan knew that Malak wasn't lying.

    The dead people were members of Mistral's police force, who had been assigned as bodyguards to the Council in this time of war. It was expected that they would die at the hands of Mandalorians if they ever invaded. However, the wounds that had killed them were from a lightsaber instead of gunshots. And not only that, but the wounds were fresh as well.

    There was no point in denying it now.

    Anakin was here.

    And he was ready to make due on that promise.

    "No..." Obi-Wan whispered as he realized the truth.

    *CRASH*​

    "No! No!"

    Obi-Wan turned his head upstairs when he heard a familiar yell. "Satine!" he yelled as he rushed up the stairs. "    Satine!"

    Obi-Wan had to jump over more bodies and debris from a major skirmish as he ran upstairs. He then used the Force to slam open every door he could see in the hopes that he would find Councilwoman Kryze.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    On the third door he opened, Obi-Wan found a single person laying on the floor. But rather than another dead bodyguard, Obi-Wan found himself staring at a blonde boy around Cinder's age. His eyes were closed and his face was heavy bruised, but Obi-Wan recognized him as Satine's nephew.

    He also recognized that he was badly hurt.

    "Korkie," Obi-Wan whispered apprehensively as he rushed over to the boy. He fell to his knees in horror, but the horror began to fade when Obi-Wan failed to find any lightsaber wounds on Korkie's body.

    And after he felt a weak pulse on the boy's neck, Obi-Wan finally sighed in relief.

    *CLICK*​

    Obi-Wan turned around fast when he heard the familiar sound of a gun behind him. He quickly drew his lightsaber as he looked up, but he couldn't help but find himself surprised at his new foe. Rather than a man in robes like himself, Obi-Wan was staring at a woman in Mandalorian armor.

    But it wasn't Satine. It was Bo-Katan.

    "    You?" Obi-Wan asked as he recognized the woman. "What are you-?"

    "What did you do to him?" Bo-Katan sternly asked as she stared at the boy. Given that she had only just arrived at Satine's house, in the vain hope that she would find shelter so she could recuperate, it was easy for Bo-Katan to assume that Obi-Wan was responsible for this destruction.

    "What?" Obi-Wan asked. "You think     I-"

    "What did you do to him?!" Bo-Katan asked again. "Where's Satine?!"

    The answer to her question didn't come from the innocent Headmaster. But rather, it came from the voice of the women both Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan cared about.

    *CRASH*​

    "AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

    The blood-curdling scream drove fear into the hearts of Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan. They quickly ran out of the room Korkie was in and ran down the hall where they heard the scream. Their previous battle and relationship with each other had been forgotten in that moment, given that they shared a common goal; the safety of the Councilwoman.

    "Satine!" Bo-Katan yelled as she crashed into a locked door. She was certain that the scream came from behind the door, but it was locked with a deadbolt. She tried to kick it open, but the deadbolt lock didn't break.

    Obi-Wan was certain that Bo-Katan was at the right door as well, since he heard a familiar but deadly sound.

    *SSSSS*​

    Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber when he heard the sound of another one on the other side of the door. He needed to be ready for combat again, but he had to open the door first.

    "Stand back!" he yelled to the Mandalorian. When she saw the blade in hand, Bo-Katan obeyed and let Obi-Wan take the lead. But rather than his blade, Obi-Wan used the Force to blast the door open.

    *BAM*​

    Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan rushed inside and prepared to face whatever was on the other side of the door. However, nothing could prepare them for what they saw.

    Just as the Headmaster predicted, there was a man in black robes standing in the room. And just as he heard, the man was holding a lightsaber. This weapon had a red blade instead of a blue or purple one, which gave the indication that this man was clearly a Sith. Which, again, was something else that Obi-Wan had predicted.

    What he     didn't predict, however, was that he and Bo-Katan had arrived too late. The red blade of the Sith was lethally embedded inside Satine's chest. And the Councilwoman had just drawn her last breath.

    "..."

    Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan couldn't do anything else but stare in horror at the sight of this murder. They couldn't find it within themselves to act, or even speak. It was at this moment that they knew this would be the final memory they had of Satine Kryze.

    Bo-Katan had just lost her sister, someone she hoped would come around to her way of thinking and help repair the bond they once had as children. And Obi-Wan, despite knowing the Jedi laws against attachment, lost something dear and sacred to him. Something he wouldn't be able to replace.

    And though he couldn't see the assassin's face beneath his hood, Obi-Wan recognized the voice that filled the room.

    "I keep my promises... Master."

    The assassin suddenly grabbed Satine by the throat and threw her towards Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan. Her body didn't collide into them, but instead made contact with a desk that had a lamp on it.

    *CRASH*

    *CRACKLE*    ​

    Electric sparks flew across the area when Satine's body hit the lamp, which burned her face. The crash and sparks were enough to make Bo-Katan go wild, which was why she raised her blasters with a yell and fired.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Unfortunately, each of her shots missed the assassin as he ran for the window and jumped.

    *CRASH*​

    Bo-Katan immediately gave chase. Her grief and sadness had manifested through her Mandalorian training and instincts. Namely, the instinct to find her enemy and kill him. The tears underneath her helmet were somewhat obscuring her vision, but she continued on her pursuit.

    Obi-Wan, however, didn't have the heart to join the Mandalorian. Instead, he rushed over to Satine's body and picked her up. Once again, there were no words he could say. There was no strength within him to join in Bo-Katan's chase or call for help.

    All the Headmaster could do... was mourn.

    Present ​

    "Oh, my Gods."

    "No..."

    Just as they were requested, Djarin and Cinder had arrived at Mistral's hospital. Upon arrival, they were greeted by Obi-Wan and his terrible news.

    Satine Kryze was dead, and her nephew Korkie was confined to a hospital bed. Though he was still alive, the attack on his house and his injuries had left him in a deep coma.

    Just like Cinder once was.

    The Fall Maiden couldn't bear to look at her sleeping boyfriend any longer. His condition and all of the medical equipment made Cinder think back on how she fell into her own coma, how everything was going dark and that she felt that she was dying. The memories and the sight were too much to bear, so she turned away in horror.

    Fortunately, she found herself in Djarin's embrace for comfort.

    "I don't understand," the Mandalorian said as Cinder softly wept into his chest. "How did this happen? The Mandalorians were all at Haven last night."

    "It wasn't the Mandalorians," Obi-Wan replied. "The Sith infiltrated Haven along with Vizsla."

    "Right, you mentioned that before you left." Djarin had heard about Revan's duel with Malak, and how Obi-Wan helped. "You're saying that Sith you helped kill did this? Before he came to Haven?"

    "...No. Not him."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan felt just as weak as he did last night. He was able to get Korkie to the hospital and report the death of Satine to the proper authorities, but it did nothing to ease his pain.

    The pain was so deep that Obi-Wan had lost all of physical strength. He was sitting in a chair while he was speaking with the clan of two, and he hadn't moved since. His eyes were left red from his mournful tears; tears that he used to cry himself to sleep last night.

    Tears that were now shared by Cinder.

    "I... I'm sorry," she said as she moved her head off her father's chest. She turned her head to Korkie once more, but the mechanical beeping and his lack of movement were very unpleasant. "Dad, I... I can't be in here. Not now."

    It didn't take a genius for Djarin to see that Cinder was uncomfortable with comas. "Go," he calmly said as he released her. "Get some air. I'll find you later."

    Cinder left the room as she wiped her eyes of tears. Djarin would have left with her, but he wanted to speak with Obi-Wan first.

    "I'm... sorry," he said as he turned his gaze to the tired Headmaster. "About Satine. I heard you two were... close." Djarin had heard this from Ozpin, but he didn't feel like bringing up his name. He hadn't thought about it now, since he had such a great morning with Cinder, but the Mandalorian was still very angry with Ozpin.

    And Obi-Wan, while exhausted and in mourning, could sense this anger.

    "...Thank you," he said as he sat up. "And yes, I'm sure Ozpin told you we worked closely together. In public work, yes."

    "..."

    Djarin couldn't help but tense up upon hearing Ozpin's name. Jinn's story and the confession of lies were enough to make Djarin lose trust in the man he had followed for years. Not only did Djarin follow Ozpin, but he had trusted him to help his own daughter. That was the whole reason Djarin took Cinder to Beacon, to train her with her powers.

    But now, all Djarin could feel was that Ozpin was setting Cinder up to fail. She once said that she had risked her life simply to gain information at Mountain Glenn, and she was unhappy with being an apparent sacrifice. Djarin now saw the merit in Cinder's words, since Ozpin explained her role as a Maiden.

    All of her work, all of the blood and sweat she spilled... it wasn't meant to become someone Ozpin would replace as he continued down his cycle of reincarnation. Cinder was far more important than that. She wasn't supposed to be a sacrifice.

    "I know how you feel, Djarin."

    The Mandalorian snapped out his thoughts and turned to Obi-Wan. The Headmaster was only trying to help, but Djarin didn't believe him.

    "No, you don't," he said. "I heard you last night. What you said to Revan. You were never lied to, not like Cinder and I were. You knew about this, didn't you?"

    Obi-Wan sighed before he spoke again. He was wise enough to expect anger and animosity from Djarin, but Obi-Wan wouldn't be leaving this room until he mended the relationship he had with the Mandalorian.

    "...Yes," he said. "I learned it on the day I joined the Jedi Council." The Jedi Council was the highest executive branch of the Jedi Order. Ozpin trusted them with dangerous tasks and sinister secrets.

    Including Salem's past.

    "You bastard."

    *SLAM*​

    Djarin slammed his open palm on the wall above Obi-Wan as he lunged towards the Headmaster. The Mandalorian was invading Obi-Wan's personal space, but he didn't care.

    "I had to watch Cinder work every day to get where she is right now," Djarin sternly began. "I watched her fall and get back up again and again while Ozpin lectured her. And now, when she's finally ready to save the world, you're telling us that we can't win?! That she did all of this for nothing?!"

    "No," Obi-Wan replied. "That's not true-"

    "Yes, it is! I let you use my daughter as a goddamn sacrifice! Just a means to delay the inevitable!" Djarin pointed to the door. "She's not some tool, Kenobi! Not some label you can just throw on to anyone! Do you hear me?!"

    "Djarin, please-"

    The Mandalorian was far past the point of reason, not while he and Cinder were on the line.

    "I came to you for help, you son of a bitch!" he continued. "I let you keep her at Haven for almost two weeks and told her to listen to you! And all we got were lies and false hope?! We worked on that hope for five years! We did what we were told, we listened to you, and we get this?!"

    "I understand-"

    "No, you don't! How could you even say that?! You don't even have children!"

    Many people would have risen from their seat by now as they listened to Djarin. For they didn't possess the level of patience and discipline Obi-Wan had been taught and given since he became a Jedi. But the Mandalorian's last argument made something in Obi-Wan snap. It made him finally get out of his seat and push Djarin back.

    "How do you think I felt?!" he screamed as he gave in to his pain. Djarin stumbled back a few feet, but he regained his footing when he hit Korkie's bed. Obi-Wan would normally have been concerned and apologetic for this action.

    But not right now.

    "You think I wanted to lie to you?! You think that keeping secrets from people as selfless as Satine and Cinder was my decision to make?! Do you know how many people I wanted to tell, Djarin?! How many times I wanted to take Satine and Korkie away from all of this?!" Obi-Wan pointed at Korkie as he spoke. "I would have left it all for her! If she had said the word, I would have told her and Korkie everything and left Ozpin alone!"

    "..."

    Obi-Wan grabbed his head in frustration as he made his final argument. "I'm sorry you feel that your hope was false, but you're not the only one who's hurting from these secrets! Do you hear me, Djarin?! You're not!"

    "..."

    The Headmaster finally began to calm down and take his seat again. He had felt the familiar pull to the dark side before, when Malak informed him of the danger Satine was in. But now, Obi-Wan found the strength to hold back his feelings and attempt to find balance again.

    Djarin, however, wasn't ready to balance his emotions just yet.

    He wanted to believe Obi-Wan, when he said all of that. And he had known Satine and the Headmaster long enough to know that there was something... personal between them. On the night of her party, Satine had even given Djarin instructions to inform her if a man fitting Obi-Wan's appearance arrived.

    So, he wanted to believe him. He wanted to believe that Obi-Wan hated the secrets and lies so much that he was just one request away from giving it all up and leaving.

    There was just one thing Djarin couldn't understand.

    "If you hated it so much... then why did you do it?" he asked. "Why did you hide so much from us?"

    Obi-Wan sensed that much of Djarin's anger had passed. And this was a very reasonable thing to ask, let alone believe. One would think a man who hated secrets would let them out, after all.

    But Obi-Wan had his reasons.

    "I've felt it for a while," he began. "I didn't know if I could believe it at first, but... his feelings are as clear as day."

    "Whose?" Djarin asked.

    "Ozpin's. He may still fight, he may still wish to defend places like Haven, but... he's lost hope. He lost it a long time ago."

    "..."

    Given what Ozpin learned from Jinn years ago, it was easy to understand that he had lost hope in victory.

    "Because of this, I've seen him... change." Obi-Wan stood up again, much slower this time. "Most of the time, he keeps secrets. Other times, he attempts to find hope in things he sees for the first time. For better or worse."

    "..."

    The idea made Djarin remember the night he met Ozpin, how he allowed Cinder to demonstrate her powers. Ozpin was taken by surprise, just like Glynda was. But looking back, Djarin could see that there was something else about Ozpin's attitude that revealed itself.

    He believed that he had found hope again.

    "If there's one thing I learned from Jinn last night, Djarin... it's that Ozpin is not the same man he once was," Obi-Wan said as he stepped forward. "His loss of hope changed him. And I feared that the same thing would happen to Satine. And Cinder." The Headmaster placed a hand on Djarin's shoulder, which was rather risky at the present time. "And you as well."

    "..."

    "The truth is, Djarin... I didn't want anyone to share Ozpin's pain. I cared too much about my allies and friends."

    "..."

    Djarin's feelings were more mixed at the moment. Obi-Wan was right about Ozpin, how he was different from the man Ozma used to be. The loss of hope had indeed brought out some negative qualities in the once noble hero. To see Cinder do the same, and to see himself do the same... would be unbearable.

    "I just..." Djarin uttered. "I wish I knew what I was getting myself in to. And Cinder too."

    "I know," Obi-Wan said as he let go of Djarin. "I hope you can forgive me."

    Djarin's feelings had softened towards Obi-Wan. They weren't like the ones he had a few moments ago, and they certainly weren't like the feelings of pain and disgust he held towards Ozpin. He could tell that Obi-Wan was being sincere.

    But he needed time before he could fully forgive the Headmaster.

    "I just... need to wrap my head around this," he said. "I need to think about what to do next." He moved to the door and opened it. "I'll find you later today."

    "Of course," Obi-Wan agreed. "Perhaps we could meet at the city hall. The Council wishes for me to give a full report about the defense of Haven at noon. You and Cinder could speak on behalf of Clans Vizsla and Tenau."

    Djarin took this offer as a step in the right direction. "That... would be good for both of us," he decided. "I'll tell Cinder." Djarin walked out into the hallway and prepared to close the door. "And... I am sorry. About Satine."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan gave the Mandalorian a nod before he returned to his solitude.

    As she walked through the hospital halls, Cinder found herself feeling the same feelings her father had. Seeing Korkie in such a state, a state that Aurora and Salem put her in, caused enough heartbreak in Cinder to make her think about everything she saw last night.

    The Mandalorians at Haven had given her reassurance about her people, but Cinder was forced to think back on Salem. The fact that she was immortal was troubling enough, but to see that her teacher and one of her closest allies had been lying to her for years was even more troubling.

    It also made Cinder feel insignificant. Namely, she believed that when she was dead and gone, Ozpin would simply find another body to possess and continue "fighting" against Salem. Her role as the Fall Maiden felt inconsequential at this point. She felt that she wasn't doing enough at Mountain Glenn, but now Cinder didn't think she could do anything at all.

    How could she? If defeat was already assured?

    Cinder found a chair for herself to sit on and think some more. Like Djarin had said, Cinder began to wonder if she was supposed to be some sacrifice for Salem. If her only purpose was just to delay the inevitable until Salem found what she was looking for. The speech she gave to protect the Relics was very moving, but Cinder could see that another attack on the academies was possible. It was possible that her edict and her rule would all be forgotten one day, and Salem would use that to pick up where she left off.

    Or worse... she would take this failure and strike back even harder.

    Cinder didn't want that to happen. Just like she said last night, she wanted the Mandalorians to live. She wanted Remnant to live. And like she said in the void, she wanted to keep fighting. In order to unlock one of her chakras, Cinder decided that she would keep moving forward to defend the world and its people.

    The only problem was... Cinder wasn't sure how to take the first step.

    "Holy crap! Cinder?!"

    The young Maiden returned to reality at the sound of her name. At first, she was expecting to see that her father found her as he promised. But instead, Cinder was approached by a girl slightly order than her with golden hair. Her face and arms had gauze and multiple bandages on them, but Cinder was able to recognize the girl in a heartbeat.

    "Lily?"

    The girl in bandages was indeed Lilith Gelb, a close acquaintance of Cinder's from Beacon Academy. She had been brought to Mistral hospital, along with many others, after the battle at Haven was over. She was one of the lucky few who had relatively minor injuries and was expected to make a full recovery, so she could walk around the hospital as she pleased.

    And this walk had led her right into Cinder, who was just as surprised as she was.

    "You are here!" Lilith said as she moved closer. Cinder immediately stood up and found herself hugging Lilith. "I mean, I heard you were here, but I didn't think it was true!"

    "I can't believe you're here too!" Cinder said as she and Lilith let go of each other. She then looked at Lilith from head to toe and examined her bandages. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

    "I'll be okay. I just can't believe you're here! I didn't see you last night, but some of my friends at Haven said they saw you this morning!"

    "Yeah, I was there." Cinder quickly came up with a way to bend the truth. "I, uh, I came a little late. Right before the fighting ended."

    "But is it true?"

    "What?"

    Lilith grabbed Cinder's shoulders. "My friends said you made all the Mandalorians stop fighting! That you were the one who told them to leave! Is it true?"

    "Oh! Um... yeah. Yeah, that's true." Cinder didn't see any point in lying about this idea, since everyone at Haven knew it was true. And so, she stepped back two feet and showed Lilith her new sword. "This is how I made them stop."

    Lilith examined the black blade Cinder was holding and realized it looked familiar. It appeared to be the same one a Mandalorian was holding at the Vytal Festival, the one who declared war on the Kingdoms. "I've seen that before," she said.

    Cinder nodded in understanding. "It's called the Darksaber," she explained. "It's one of Mandalore's oldest and most precious artifacts."

    "What's it for? Fighting?"

    "Yeah, it's a sword. But I guess you could say it's also a king's scepter. Every Mandalorian sees it as a symbol of authority. Whoever holds it has power over everyone, and can sit on the Mandalorian throne."

    Lilith's eyes widened as she listened to the explanation. "Is that how that guy made his army? The night Beacon fell?"

    Cinder nodded. "That's right. And when I got it..." Cinder's cheeks became red as she explained herself. It was still rather awkward to call herself a ruler. "I, uh... I made them... stop."

    "..."

    Lilith could see why Cinder was feeling awkward. If what she said about holding the sword was true, then she and she alone had power over everyone Mandalorian in the world.

    She was their queen.

    "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Lilith laughed happily. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Oh, God, I'm-I'm sorry!" Lilith had to wipe her eyes before she talked again. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be mean! It's just... I can't believe I'm friends with a goddamn queen! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

    Cinder's cheeks grew even more red as she listened to the laughter and heard the word "queen." She was forced to hide her face from the embarrassment. It was easy to understand where Lilith was coming from, but Cinder didn't know if she was ever going to get used to being called a queen.

    Even though it was technically true.

    "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lilith said as she continued to dry her eyes. "I'm sorry."

    "No, it's okay," Cinder insisted. "I get it, really."

    "No, that wasn't nice." Lilith hugged Cinder once again. "Thanks for your help, Cinder. You saved all of our lives."

    Cinder was happy for this act of gratitude, and was glad to see that there were some people who treated her normally as well. So she returned the hug with a smile.

    "But I don't have to bow or anything when I see you, do I?"

    This time, Cinder couldn't help but laugh at the joke. "No, you're fine," she said as she let go.

    "Still. Thank you for doing what you did. You're a hero."

    Cinder softly smiled at the word. She had been called a lot of things by the Mandalorians, mainly "Mand'alor" and "ruler." But being called a hero felt different.

    It felt... special.

    "And you're sure they're gone?" Lilith asked. "They're not gonna start fighting again?"

    "I'm sure," said Cinder. "I heard that their retreat went as far as the Great Lake. And it's still going."

    "Good. No offense, Cinder, but a Mandalorian army was bad enough. But those mercenaries they had working for them were even worse."

    The Mand'alor immediately became perplexed. "Mercenaries?"

    Lilith gestured for Cinder to follow her as she walked down the hall. "Take a look."

    Cinder followed without question and found herself in another room. Unlike Korkie's room, there were two beds with two resting patients. One of them was awake, and she too was familiar with Cinder.

    "Andrea?" Cinder asked as she made eye-contact with Lilith's teammate.

    "Cinder?" Andrea Gloss asked as she looked at the familiar face. "Oh, my gosh! It's really you!"

    "Yeah, it is!" Lilith said proudly. "And she really did stop the fighting! Isn't that great?!"

    "That's amazing!" Andrea moved up on her bed, to show that she too had bandages and gauze like Lilith. "It's really good to see you, Cinder."

    "You too, Andrea," Cinder insisted with a smile. She then saw that it was another member of Lilith's team, Max Bolt, who was sleeping in the bed next to Andrea's. "Hey, Max!" Cinder approached the sleeping boy. "It's great to you aga-!"

    Cinder stopped talking and smiling when she noticed that Max was missing an arm.

    "Oh, my Gods," she said as she covered her mouth. When she turned around, she saw that Lilith and Andrea were wearing saddened expressions of heartbreak and despair. "Wh-What happened?"

    "The same thing that happened to us," Lilith said as she pointed at her bandages. "But worse."

    Andrea nodded as she shifted her position. "There was this guy," she explained. "This pale bald guy with a sword. He cut right through us like we were nothing."

    Cinder realized that one member of the team was missing. "And Garrett?"

    Andrea slowly shook her head. "He died at Beacon."

    Between Max's missing arm and Garrett's permanent absence, the Fall Maiden felt enormous pity for the entire team. "I'm... so sorry," she said.

    Lilith, while appreciative of Cinder's condolences, suddenly remembered something that made her curious. "You know, Cinder... that guy's sword actually looked like the one you showed me," she said.

    Cinder looked down at the metal hilt on her side. "Wait, what? It did?"

    "Yeah, it did. I mean, it was red instead of black."

    "I think Headmaster Kenobi had one too," said Andrea. "A blue one."

    Cinder suddenly understood that Lilith and her friends had met a Sith. Fortunately, that Sith was dead and unable to hurt anyone else.

    "I've seen more swords like this one," Cinder confessed as she tapped the Darksaber. "But this is the only one with a black blade. All the others I saw were blue and red."

    "Oh, okay," said Lilith. "How'd they make something like that?"

    "I'm not sure. All I know is that the people who can make them are really good warriors. Maybe even better than the Huntsmen and Mandalorians combined."

    "Jeez. Kinda scary."

    "Maybe that's why the Mandos hired him," said Andrea. "That guy was really strong. And crazy."

    This was easy for Cinder to understand. The Sith were as crazy as they were dangerous, and they were very dangerous. The mention of one Sith and Cinder's memories of Darth Nihilus made her worried.

    "I'm glad you're okay," Cinder began. "You didn't see any more people like that guy, did you?"

    "Just one," Lilith replied. "He actually saved us from that guy. His name was... Ray? Ray Van?" Lilith quickly shook her head. "No, no, that wasn't it. It was, uh..."

    Cinder immediately knew the name; it was the name her father told her last night. "Revan?"

    "Yeah! Revan!"

    "Your dad brought a whole lot of people with him to Haven," said Andrea. "Us included. Was Revan a mercenary too?"

    "Uh... I don't know," Cinder said. She didn't mention the Jedi or Sith by their titles, and she decided to let the "mercenary" idea play out. "I didn't meet Revan. My dad just told me about him."

    "Oh, okay."

    Lilith approached Cinder again. "Well, if you meet him... tell him we said thanks," she requested. "For saving our lives."

    Cinder softly smiled. "Yeah, of course." She looked over to Max and immediately lost her smile. "I'm sorry about Max. Do you know what's gonna happen to him?"

    "As soon as we make sure the Mandos are gone, they're gonna ship him back home to his family," Lilith replied. "I think we're gonna head home with him. Back to Vale."

    "Yeah," said Andrea. "I don't think any of us are totally out of the woods just yet. But it could have been a lot worse."

    "No kidding. I mean, poor Gretchen."

    "Yeah, poor Gretchen."

    Cinder's curiosity was immediately piqued by the name. "Wait, what?" she asked. "Gretchen who?"

    "Oh, right," Lilith sadly replied. "You knew Gretchen Rainart, right? And Team BGNY?"

    "Yeah, I know Gretchen. She took me on my training mission to-" Cinder suddenly realized what Lilith said. "Wait... what do you mean by 'knew?'"

    Andre took the burden of telling Cinder off Lilith's shoulders. "She... She's dead," she sadly replied. "She died last night."

    "What? Oh, no..."

    The news of Gretchen death hurt Cinder more than the news of Garrett's death. Not many knew this, but Gretchen Rainart wasn't just a Huntress to Cinder.

    In fact, Cinder considered her a friend. Because she was one of the kindest people she ever met at Beacon.

    Five years ago​

    "Oh, my Gods. We left the hospital for this?"

    "Two essays     and a test? How is that fair?"

    "I miss the hospital already."

    "Well, welcome back, guys. We're here to stay."

    Gretchen Rainart and the rest of Team BGNY had just been released from the hospital after their deadly training mission. They had each fully recovered from the unexpected attack, and they each believed that they were ready to go back to school.

    But the day was only halfway done, and they were already missing the hospital. They weren't looking forward to catching up on their schoolwork.

    "Well, at least we're done with hospital food," said Yuri. He and his friends had just gotten food and found a place to sit in the cafeteria.

    "Yeah, that's true," said Nerissa. "I was gonna puke if I ate one more bite of that crap."

    Bailey agreed, and he happily took a slice of pizza off his plate with a smile. "I've missed you," he jokingly said. "But now, I must destroy you." With that, he took a bite of the pizza and hummed in delight.

    Soon, all of his friends were joining him. But as soon as Gretchen took a bite of her food, she saw something that caught her attention.

    "Hey, guys," she said as she pointed towards the wall. "Check it out."

    The rest of Team BGNY looked in the direction where Gretchen was pointing. They saw a table right next to a wall that had only one person sitting at it. But rather than a student, it was a little girl with black hair that was picking at her food.

    "Is that a kid?" Bailey asked.

    "No, it's an alien from space," Nerissa sarcastically replied. "Yes, of course that's a kid!"

    "Guys, that's not just any kid," Gretchen said. "That's the girl who helped me in Mistral. The one who got us help."

    "Wait, that's her?" Bailey asked. "I don't believe it."

    "Hey, I think you're right," said Yuri. "And isn't she the new professor's kid? You know, that Mando guy?"

    "Yeah, that's her," said Gretchen. "She's the reason we're sitting here."

    Everyone believed Gretchen and immediately shared the same level of gratitude towards the girl. Nerissa, however, felt something else as well.

    "Aw, she looks sad," she said as she noticed Cinder's melancholy attitude. "Why is she eating alone?"

    Gretchen immediately stood up. "I'm gonna go and see," she decided.

    The decision caused Gretchen to become acquainted with Cinder. After she thanked the young girl for getting help, Gretchen asked her if everything was okay. Cinder was fine, but she explained that her father was away on a mission that was supposed to last for days.

    And she missed him very much.

    Gretchen understood the child's loneliness, and she immediately became sympathetic. "Do you want to come sit with me and my friends?" Gretchen asked as she pointed to her teammates. "We got enough food to share."

    "That's okay," Cinder insisted neutrally. "Professor Ozpin said he was going to come here. But thank you."

    Gretchen accepted the answer and sat back with her friends. However, she couldn't help but look at Cinder with a mixture of sympathy and gratitude. There was more to the child than meets the eye, she realized as she looked at her. And Gretchen couldn't stand the sight of someone feeling out of place and without many friends.

    Gretchen knew what it was like to be alone, and she didn't want anyone else to share that feeling.

    So when she came to the cafeteria the next day to find Cinder eating alone once more, Gretchen had an idea to change this.

    "Hey, guys," she said to get the attention of her team. "Come on. Let's eat over here today."

    Without waiting for her friends, Gretchen sat right next to Cinder after she asked to join her. Cinder was taken aback at first, but she decided to practice the good manners Djarin wished for her to have and let Gretchen sit down. After her teammates joined her and began conversing with each other, Cinder found herself able to smile.

    This one small kindness served as a catalyst for the young girl. Cinder started to break out of her shell and socialize with others at Beacon, even though they were older than her. She talked about fighting, lessons, Grimm, and everything else that was normal at Beacon.

    And she would mostly have these conversations with Gretchen, who willingly took it upon herself to befriend the young girl who saved her life. She did, of course, deserve to have friends around her when family wasn't around.

    What Gretchen did taught Cinder that Beacon was going to be great. She was confident that along with the dormitory she shared with her father, the school itself would feel like a home.

    Present​

    "Oh, there you are."

    Cinder turned around to see her father standing in the doorway of the room. She smiled as she stepped aside to let him in.

    "I just ran into some friends," Cinder explained herself.

    Djarin stepped inside and got a look at the students Cinder was visiting. "Lilith, Andrea," the Mandalorian said calmly.

    "Hey, Professor," Lilith acknowledged with a wave.

    "Good to see you again, sir," said Andrea.

    "You as well," Djarin replied before he turned to Max. "How's he doing?"

    Andrea and Lilith looked over to Max again. "He's resting," Andrea replied. "I don't think he even knows what happened."

    "Yeah," said Lilith. "It really sucks, you know? He saved my life and he gets that?"

    "Come on, Lil. It wasn't your fault."

    "I hope he doesn't think that."

    Cinder put her hand on Lilith's and smiled. "I'm sure he won't," she said. "He needs you. Now more than ever."

    "Oh, I'm not going anywhere," Lilith firmly replied. "Not a chance."

    "And I'm staying too," Andrea said. "I wouldn't leave him for the world."

    Cinder happily accepted this promise, and she was sure that Max would appreciate it too. It would definitely take time for him to accept what happened, but Cinder knew Max was strong. He survived both Beacon and Haven, after all.

    Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do for him now.

    "You ready to go?" Cinder asked her father.

    "I think we should go, yeah," Djarin replied. "I have something from Headmaster Kenobi I want to talk to you about."

    "Okay." Cinder turned back to Lilith and Andrea. "It was really good seeing you two again. Thanks for everything you did."

    "Take care of yourself, Cinder," Andrea said with a wave.

    Lilith hugged Cinder one more time before she could leave. "Come see us again if you can," she offered. "We're gonna be here for a while."

    "Of course," Cinder promised. "See you later."

    With that, Cinder left the hospital room with her father. He explained to her that Headmaster Kenobi had given them the chance to speak to the Mistral Council at noon. There, he would give a full report on the defense of Haven and the end of the war. And he had given Djarin and Cinder a chance to talk on behalf of the Mandalorians.

    "He wants us to talk to the Council?" Cinder asked.

    "He thinks it would be good for us," Djarin replied. "We can assert your role as the Mand'alor and assure them that there won't be a counterattack."

    "..."

    Cinder didn't give her answer right away. Instead, she was captured by the details of the hallway she and Djarin were walking through. Unlike the previous ones, that were either empty or had patients and nurses walking around, this one had multiple beds with blankets over them.

    But under those blankets, the shape of a person was completely visible.

    Djarin quickly noticed the bodies and how they were upsetting Cinder. He had noticed them earlier, but he didn't think they would leave a big impact on her. "Come on," he said as he gently held her shoulder. "Let's go a different way."

    "Okay..." Cinder said as she moved down a different hall.

    "...Sorry about that," Djarin said after a moment of silence. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. It was just an idea."

    Cinder wiped her eyes before she replied. "No, it's okay," she insisted. "I can go."

    "You sure?"

    "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm sorry, I just... I just learned that Gretchen Rainart died last night."

    Djarin suddenly remembered Gretchen. "That's... That's right. She died protecting Ozpin."

    Cinder sighed at the mention of Ozpin. Lilith's distraction was welcoming, but she immediately remembered the bigger picture at hand. However, it was hard for her to forget about Gretchen.

    "Maybe we should go to the Council," Cinder said. "And we could talk to everyone at Haven too." Cinder tapped the Darksaber on her waist. "I could probably issue a mission or post a bounty for the Mandalorian who killed her. Maybe someone knows what happened."

    Djarin could tell that Cinder was upset by all of this, and he immediately knew he could help. "I know what happened," he said.

    Cinder immediately stopped walking. "You do?"

    "I saw it. She wasn't killed by a Mandalorian. It... It was her brother. Hazel."

    Cinder's eyes widened in shock. "What? Her brother?" She was having a hard time believing such a thing, given that Gretchen said that she loved her brother very much. "I don't believe it!"

    "I couldn't believe it, either. But it was him."

    "What happened?"

    "Hazel was trying to kill Ozpin. Gretchen jumped in the way and took the blow. She died a few seconds later."

    Cinder frowned as she looked to the ground. "Poor Gretchen."

    "I'm sorry, Cinder."

    Cinder nodded before she asked another question. "Why was he there? At Haven?"

    "He was helping the Mandalorians. Qrow said he was at Beacon, too. He... He was working for Salem. I don't know where he is now, but... he was at Haven for Salem."

    "..."

    As promised, Djarin and Cinder arrived at the office of the Mistral Council a little before noon. Obi-Wan was waiting for them outside, and he led them inside immediately.

    Many people couldn't help but stare at the clan of two as they walked through the halls with their armor. Djarin considered using the disguise Ozpin had given him, but Obi-Wan assured them that nobody would be calling security or anything like that.

    Simply put, they needed time.

    Cinder understood this better than anyone. She began to think back on what she thought at Haven, how hard she believed her rule would be. All she wanted was to make everything right once more, between the Mandalorians and the people of Remnant.

    But that would be easier said than done.

    "Here we are."

    Obi-Wan had led Djarin and Cinder to a room with a circular desk with empty chairs. There were two chairs against the wall for the clan of two, since it was obvious that the desk was for the Council.

    In fact, each spot had a name for each Council member. Everyone couldn't help but look at the name-tags, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but linger on that spot that read Councilwoman Kryze.

    Unfortunately, that seat would be empty today.

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    Obi-Wan looked to his Scroll to see a message from one of the Council members. "They're ready for you," he said calmly. "I'll bring everyone in."

    "We'll be here," Djarin promised.

    Obi-Wan turned to the door, but stopped himself before he opened it. "Oh, one more thing. I recently heard that one of our patrols found Qrow Branwen after he disappeared last night."

    "They did?" Cinder asked. "Oh, that's a relief."

    "Where was he?" Djarin asked.

    "Walking on the streets alone." Obi-Wan suddenly felt awkward for saying his next part. "Well... trying to walk. It seems he wasn't really... himself last night. He's resting at the academy now."

    "..."

    Sadly, Djarin and Cinder were familiar with this kind of behavior. Djarin even heard that Qrow was doing better before he met him in Vale. However, given what he saw last night... Djarin wasn't sure if he could blame Qrow for such a reaction.

    There was no doubt that he was mad at Ozpin as well.

    When the Headmaster finally left, Cinder decided to get her mind and her father's mind off Ozpin for a little while. "So, uh... what do you think they're gonna ask us?" she asked.

    "The Council?" Djarin asked. When Cinder nodded, the Mandalorian gave her an answer. "They might ask about last night, how you gained the title of Mand'alor. I wouldn't use that exact word, though. They might not understand right away."

    "Okay."

    "And they might wonder what we're gonna do next. We'll just have to tell them that we're on their side. Do you want me to do all the talking?"

    "No, it's fine. I'll be fine when I get a feel for them."

    "Okay."

    *CLICK*​

    Djarin and Cinder turned to the door to see Obi-Wan step inside once again. But this time, he was followed by two men and two women. Each of them were dressed in different clothes and colors, but they were all dressed in an appearance suitable for business.

    Djarin and Cinder didn't know their names, but they knew they were in the presence of the Mistral Council.

    When they all took their seats, each of the members looked upon the clan of two and wondered the same thing. One of them, a man with chestnut hair in a dark gray suit, brought this question to light.

    "Headmaster, who are our guests?" he asked.

    Djarin slowly stood up with Cinder and introduced himself. "I am Din Djarin," he said. "An Atlesian by birth, and a Mandalorian by right."

    "And I'm Cinder," the Maiden introduced herself. "His daughter."

    Obi-Wan nodded at the two before he turned back to the Council. "They're both friends, Councilman Noire," he insisted. "It was Djarin who brought reinforcements from all over the world to Haven. And it was Cinder who brokered the surrender and disbandment of the enemy Mandalorians."

    Each member of the Council was impressed and pleased with this information. Reports of the disbandment of the enemy Mandalorians from the lands they conquered were still coming to them, and they showed no signs of stopping.

    "I see," said Councilman Noire. "Din Djarin, it seems the whole of Mistral owes you and your daughter a great debt."

    "Some of our Huntsmen and Huntresses are returning from the Great Lake with news of the enemy's abdication," said Councilwoman Redding, a woman with orange hair. "Your work was very... impressive."

    "Indeed," said Councilman Brown, a man with a rather large mustache. "Headmaster Kenobi explained what had happened, but we would be very interested to hear your side of the story."

    Councilwoman Blanca was rather quiet, but she too was interested in hearing the Mandalorians' perspective of what happened at Haven.

    "Of course," said Djarin. In order to give Cinder the chance to know what the Council was expecting, he decided to speak first and give Cinder time to prepare herself. "As Headmaster Kenobi explained, I believed it necessary to travel to Vale and Vacuo to gather reinforcements for Haven. They were Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians alike."

    "Is that so?" Councilman Brown asked. He and his fellow members were sure that the Huntsmen and Huntresses helped last night, but the idea of Mandalorians being brought before the attack was strange.

    "It is. I am close allies with two clans who were opposed to the Mandalorians who attacked last night. They are Clans Vizsla and Tenau, people I trust with my life."

    "They're currently at Haven now, helping to rebuild the damages inflicted by the enemy last night," Obi-Wan explained.

    "I see," Councilman Brown replied.

    Councilwoman Blanca found her chance to speak. "Mr. Djarin, I feel that the name 'Vizsla' is rather familiar," she said. "I believe one of them was one of the main assailants at the Vytal Festival. Pre Vizsla, am I correct?"

    The Councilwoman's skepticism was clear, and it was easy for her to misunderstand the difference between Pre Vizsla and Clan Vizsla. Fortunately, Djarin was able to explain himself.

    "Pre Vizsla was one of the Mandalorians who started the war, yes," Djarin confirmed. "But he was in no way affiliated with Clan Vizsla. He was a heretic in their eyes. And if you were familiar with him, you may be familiar with Death Watch as well."

    Councilwoman Blanca thought back on the declaration of war Pre Vizsla made with Gar Saxon. "...Yes," she admitted. "He did mention that name, yes."

    "His loyalty was to Death Watch, not Clan Vizsla. There are over a dozen members of Clan Vizsla dead by his hands at Haven."

    Councilwoman Blanca nodded and returned to silence once again. This gave Councilman Noire a chance to speak.

    "May I ask how you were made aware of the attack on Haven?" he asked. "Did Headmaster Kenobi tell you? Did he give the order to seek reinforcements?"

    "We actually found out together," Djarin explained. "I was at the Great Lake with Headmaster Kenobi and helped him interrogate a prisoner."

    "Once we found out Pre Vizsla's intentions, Djarin proposed that we return to Haven," Obi-Wan explained. "I gave him the idea to seek out Professor Ozpin and request help. And Djarin saw it fit to seek reinforcements in other places. I agreed and stood by this decision."

    Councilwoman Redding decided to take the meeting in a different direction. "And what about the surrender?" she asked. "May I ask how you accomplished this?"

    "I'd also like to know," said Councilman Brown. "Though we weren't on the front lines, the reports from this last month show that the Mandalorians can be... stubborn."

    This time, it was Cinder who stood up and spoke. She understood that this whole meeting was to serve as a chance to prove herself to the Council, to let this be the first step to uniting Mandalore with the rest of the world.

    And she took that chance in a heartbeat.

    "I accomplished it with this," Cinder said as she quickly took the Darksaber off her side. She didn't activate it just yet, but explained even further. "This is a symbol of authority in the eyes of all the Mandalorians. They see it as a sign of being a ruler." Cinder lifted the hilt above her head and showed everyone the dark blade.

    "Do not be alarmed," said Obi-Wan, who sensed the Council's fear of seeing a weapon in their meeting room. "This is only a demonstration."

    Cinder quickly deactivated the Darksaber and explained herself. "Gar Saxon had this weapon first, before it passed down to Pre Vizsla. It's a weapon, but it's also a sign that someone has the right to command all Mandalorians. That was how Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla built their army."

    Councilwoman Blanca silently acknowledged that she had seen the sword before; Gar Saxon had shown it to everyone when he made the declaration of war. "And you gained it yourself," she realized. "Saxon and Vizsla used it to command their army..."

    "And I used it to make them stop fighting," Cinder concluded. "After I earned it."

    The Council understood this, but they had more questions.

    "What about Clans Tenau and Vizsla?" Councilwoman Redding asked. "Surely they were aware of the announcement from Gar Saxon."

    "Were they not also bound by this rule?" Councilman Brown asked. "Were they expected to follow?"

    "Um... yes," Cinder said nervously. "They were aware. But they had a similar experience with someone abusing the power of the Darksaber. They didn't want a repeat of that."

    "They were rebels," said Djarin. "Like we were."

    The Council understood once more, but they had other questions.

    "And what exactly are your plans?" Councilwoman Blanca asked. "With this... Darksaber?"

    "I... I don't have any plans," Cinder confessed. "Not yet. All I wanted to do was to stop the war."

    "And are you certain that all the Mandalorians will stop fighting?" Councilman Brown asked. "If the clans you fought alongside with were rebels, how can we be sure that there won't be anyone rebelling against you?"

    "If that were the case, what would you do then?" Councilman Noire asked.

    "I... Um..."

    Cinder had to admit that these were all very good questions. Unfortunately, she didn't have any of the answers. And they were making her rather uncomfortable. She just hadn't thought that far ahead, despite the fact that it was necessary.

    Djarin didn't think this far as well, but he had an answer for the Council.

    "I'm afraid Cinder and I will have to cross that bridge if we come to it," he said. "All we can offer is our word that we will continue to defend Mistral against Mandalorians like Pre Vizsla."

    Obi-Wan quickly defended this point. "Mr. Djarin and Cinder are perfectly capable of preventing another conflict and maintaining peace," he said. "Now, they only need the chance and opportunity to show that."

    "..."

    Cinder easily agreed with Obi-Wan. After all, her father once told her that actions spoke louder than words. And fortunately, the Council agreed.

    "Perhaps..." said Councilman Brown. "Perhaps so."

    The rest of the Council decided that they needed to think this over. "I think we're about done right now," said Councilman Noire.

    "Yes," said Councilwoman Blanca. "We do have more pressing issues at hand."

    "Thank you for your time," said Councilwoman Redding.

    With that, Obi-Wan led Djarin and Cinder outside once more. The meeting could have gone better, but it wasn't because the Council was skeptical. But rather, Djarin and Cinder still needed to figure out what to do next.

    With both the Mandalorians and Salem.

    "Are you okay?" Djarin asked Cinder when they found themselves outside.

    "Yeah, I'm fine," Cinder insisted. "I mean, those were just some good questions. I just didn't have all the answers."

    "Nobody expected you to, Cinder." Djarin placed a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "It's okay."

    "Yes," said Obi-Wan. "Nobody has all the answers, Cinder. Especially in times of conflict."

    Cinder was appreciative of the support, but she had another idea in mind. Something that might disagree with Obi-Wan's idea.

    "Thanks," she said sincerely. "But there might be a way to get some of the answers we need. And maybe come up with a better plan too."

    "Meaning?" Obi-Wan asked.

    "Headmaster... I need to talk to Ozpin. Can you tell me where he is?"

    After the meeting with the Council was over, Djarin and Cinder returned to the Razor Crest. Obi-Wan had given them the coordinates as to where Ozpin and Revan were, so that was their current destination.

    Cinder had previously placed the Relic of Knowledge in a secret compartment of the ship before she helped her father repair it. While it was no longer useful to anyone, Djarin and Cinder knew they had to protect it with their lives.

    A plan to do that, however, was still in Djarin's mind.

    Djarin wasn't sure that going to see Ozpin would be the best course of action, even though he doubted that his life would be in danger. He just didn't think he could be capable of working with the Headmaster once more.

    He believed it was time for a new approach. And he believed Cinder should understand this too.

    "Cinder, we need to talk," Djarin said after he engaged the autopilot of the Razor Crest. "About Ozpin."

    Cinder was expecting this topic to arise, so she didn't question it. "I just want to talk to him," she insisted. "That's all."

    Djarin nodded. "I know. But whatever happens next, I don't want either of us to just fall back in line. We need to decide for ourselves what to do next. Not Ozpin."

    Cinder nodded this time. "I'm not gonna fall back in line. I'm just hoping a talk could help us decide what's next."

    "I have a few ideas what we could do. The way I see it, we have three options. Some are easy, some are hard. But I just want you to hear me out before we see Ozpin."

    This was a reasonable request, and Cinder was glad to see that she could still count on her father to strategize and come up with ideas. "Okay. Sure, let's hear them."

    Djarin moved his chair fully so he could look directly at Cinder. Once he did, he pointed to the Relic at her waist. "Without the Vault, that thing is vulnerable," he said. "Just like you said last night, we have to protect it."

    "Of course," Cinder replied.

    "And Salem took a big blow when she lost the Mandalorians. She'll only have the Grimm on her side, and she'll be expecting us to put the lamp back."

    "Uh-huh."

    Djarin slightly tensed up as he continued. "We can't... We can't kill Salem. But we can make sure she never wins. Ozpin was full of it, but his idea with the Relics was effective."

    "Okay. So what can we do?"

    "My first idea... is to go back to Nevarro. Salem knows that each of the Huntsmen Academies has a Vault, but she won't expect the lamp to be in the middle of nowhere. If we go to Nevarro, use your status as the Mand'alor to make the Armorer follow us, we can hide the Relic forever. And Salem loses."

    Cinder could easily follow along with this logic. In hindsight, it was a decent plan. "Okay," she said. "And that's the easy option?"

    "That's right," Djarin said. "If what we saw about Salem is true, then she'll be too obsessed with Ozpin to think of any other locations for the Relics."

    Cinder nodded in understanding, but she wasn't ready to commit to this plan. "What's the second option?"

    "It's a little harder. But it's not impossible." Djarin took a breath before he explained himself. "If we find all of the Mandalorian clans, everyone who saw Jinn's warning, then we can unite them together. We make an army of Mandalorians who know Salem is the enemy and make them protect the Relic. And after we're gone, the next generations of Mandalorians will carry on the mission."

    Cinder nodded once again and smiled. "That's not a bad idea," she said. "Wow, look at you. Thinking so far into the future like that."

    "Yeah, well... there's a bigger picture with all this," Djarin said. "That plan's not gonna be easy, but it'll help us in the future."

    "What's the third option?"

    Djarin sighed before he explained his third option. As he implied, this one was the one that was going to be the hardest.

    In more ways than one.

    "...We stay the course," Djarin said. "We take Ozpin's mission as our own, hide the Relic back in the Vault, and try our best to stop Salem from making another attack like Beacon and Haven."

    "..."

    This was a good idea on paper, but both Djarin and Cinder could see how difficult the task would be.

    Just as Djarin said, Ozpin's efforts to prevent global destruction by hiding the Relics was effective. In the Mandalorian's mind, it was probably the only effective thing Ozpin did. So if he and Cinder took the mission as their own, Djarin believed they could learn from Ozpin's mistakes and do better.

    However, the plan wasn't without drawbacks. For starters, the Fall of Beacon and the attack on Haven proved that Ozpin's methods were heavily flawed. Without an academy to protect the Relics, without a base of operations, Salem would have the advantage.

    Along with that, it would mean putting the fight at a halt. Djarin and Cinder would be on the defensive and fighting only when it was necessary. Djarin may have wanted to follow the Way of the Maiden over the Way of the Mandalore, but he believed that taking a more neutral stance in battle was unwise.

    Cinder knew this as well, but it wasn't tradition that made her see this. But rather, it was the damages Haven endured and the numerous bodies at the hospital that told Cinder that the third option wasn't effective. In fact, the other methods all had one problem.

    They wouldn't be stopping Salem from fighting.

    It was this fact that made Cinder feel something different. Just like she said in the void, she wanted to keep moving forward in this conflict. She wanted to keep fighting until she won and everyone she cared about was safe. But she couldn't do that simply by protecting the Relics.

    Instead, Cinder would have to take the first steps at moving forward.

    "...I have a fourth option," she said. "It's part of your second option, though. But it's something I really want to do."

    Djarin wasn't expecting the idea of a fourth option. In most cases, he wouldn't be as open minded if a partner on a mission or bounty hunt suggested another idea. However, Djarin was always open-minded with his daughter.

    And simply hearing Cinder out wouldn't be much trouble.

    "Well, let's hear it," he said.

    "Your second option is a really good idea," Cinder began. "It's like you said last night, the Mandalorians have to change. If we were to go out there and unite them against Salem, unite them with Remnant, that will make things better for everyone."

    "If that's what you want to do, we'll do it," Djarin decided. "Was there something else you had in mind along with that?"

    "Well... yeah." Cinder was starting to doubt herself on this, but she stayed her course. "I don't want the army we make to be just about protecting the Relic. I think... I think it's time we go on the offensive. I think it's time we take the fight to Salem."

    Djarin almost didn't believe what he heard. But once he saw how serious Cinder was, Djarin was ready to decline the idea. Not because he didn't believe in fighting anymore, but rather that he knew that fighting someone with immortality didn't have many chances at victory.

    "Cinder, we can't do that," Djarin began. "You said it yourself; Salem's immortal."

    "I know," Cinder replied.

    "And she's stronger than Ozpin with her Magic!"

    "I know."

    "And she has an army of Grimm on her side!"

    "I know!"

    "..."

    Cinder didn't mean to lose her temper, but she knew that she had to make her point here and now.

    "Dad, I know Salem's a lot more powerful than we thought!" Cinder insisted. "All of your ideas might keep the Relics safe, but they won't stop Salem from coming back again and again until she gets what she wants! And when she does, more people are going to die! Like Satine! Like Gretchen! And every Mandalorian who died last night!"

    "..."

    Cinder began to calm down when she heard silence. "Dad... you raised me better to know that we can't be on the defensive forever. And we can learn from Ozpin's mistakes, you're right. And his mistakes included thinking we only had to hold the line forever."

    Djarin was beginning to see Cinder's point. "...Salem will just keep coming," he agreed. "She might even wait until we're gone."

    "Yeah, exactly!" Cinder fully relaxed as she continued to make her point. "I don't know how we can stop her. Really, I don't. But what I do know is that the only person who knows her better than we do is Ozpin." Cinder pointed out the window. "He's been hiding everything he knows about Salem for years. And something tells me we only saw a portion of what he knows last night."

    Djarin looked out the window and agreed with Cinder. Only the gods knew how many secrets Ozpin had been hiding over the years, but Djarin knew that it was time to let them out.

    "You think we should use him," Djarin concluded. "Use whatever he knows to make a proper counterattack."

    "Um... I wouldn't say 'use him,'" Cinder corrected. Hearing it out loud sounded strange and a little cruel. "But yeah. It's time we found out his secrets."

    Djarin nodded slowly. "I had the same idea when you were in your coma. I wanted to go straight to Salem's lair and kill Aurora for you. Ozpin was trying to warn me against it... but I think he was trying to protect his secrets." Djarin became a little angry when he thought back to that time in Vacuo. "And it worked."

    "That's okay, Dad." Cinder pointed out the window again. "You were on the right track. You wanted Ozpin's knowledge to help you see how to counterattack. You know just like I do that fighting back is the only way we can win."

    "..."

    "So we can do what you said. We can build an army of Mandalorians, and we can use them to counterattack instead of just defending the Relics." Cinder became a little anxious when she asked her next question. "Can you... Can you help me do that?"

    Djarin immediately gave Cinder a reason not to be anxious. "I can," he said as he took the ship out of autopilot. "And I will."

    Cinder smiled as she shared her father's determination. "Thanks, Dad."

    Djarin realized that he should have been the one to thank Cinder. She was right that he had been thinking like she was, but she provided the spark for him to think like that again.

    And against a foe who seemed all too powerful.

    "How'd I get such a brave girl?" Djarin asked as he rubbed Cinder's head.

    Cinder giggled as she accepted the gesture. "I was raised by a brave dad," she insisted.

    Ozpin had chosen the perfect place for solitude and tranquility. One would think that he was running away from his problems by going where he was at the moment, and perhaps they were right.

    But Ozpin knew that he had to clear his mind.

    After the battle ended and most of his allies turned their backs on him, Ozpin retreated into the mountains of Mistral. Haven was built on the side of a mountain, so traversing it was easy for the old man. He knew he had to clear his mind of what happened, but nothing could change the fact that he had left in shame and cowardice.

    That was all he could think about in the countless hours of meditation he engaged in.

    Rather than sleep, Ozpin spent the hours of the night and the morning by meditating long and hard on what had happened. He had been dreading this day for centuries, despite the fact that he had prayed that it would never come.

    And yet, he was unprepared when it came at last.

    All of his work, all of the effort he put into keeping his unbearable secrets, had become undone. Ozpin's true nature, and that of Salem's, had been exposed in the worst way possible. And just as he feared, the truth had drove off nearly all of his allies, the source of refuge he had for the longest time.

    Ozpin didn't need the Force to sense the feelings of people like Djarin, Cinder, or Qrow. They had lost hope, they had lost their faith in him, and they had lost themselves. Ozpin knew the secrets about Salem would cause this to happen, which was something he couldn't afford. He was alone once more, left to pick up the pieces and reflect on all that had happened to him.

    And even though Revan was still with him, Ozpin felt more alone than ever.

    After his final duel with his brother, Revan realized that he could benefit from meditation as well. And so, he joined Ozpin in the woods so he could reflect on the battle. And even though Ozpin's feelings and aggravations were distracting, Revan was able to meditate.

    The first thing that came to mind was his childhood. Revan reflected on how he and his brother survived an attack by Mandalorians that devastated his home and left him without parents. He and his brother were eventually found by the Jedi, after they felt his awakening in the Force.

    Revan then thought back on all of his teachers in the Order. Zhar, Dorak, and Master Kae were among those teachers, and he learned much from them. And it was Master Kae's departure for the Great War that inspired Revan to follow in his footsteps.

    When the Mandalorian clans announced their intention to fight for Vale and Vacuo, Revan and Malak were eager to defeat the people they deemed enemies. But the Jedi Council thought it best if they moved with care and caution. The true threat, the Council feared, had not yet revealed itself.

    Looking back, Revan couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had listened to the Council.

    But instead, Revan left with many Jedi to defeat the Mandalorians. Alek was the first to do so, and he was joined by others. Both of the Jedi could be considered to be blind by their hatred of Mandalorians to see the right and wrong sides of the Great War, but the brothers knew that the only good Mandalorian was a dead one.

    Victory after victory led Revan not only to be praised, but also worshipped by others. He didn't hide the fact that he was a Force-sensitive, and this led to the superstitious people of Mistral to consider him a god. Dubbing themselves "Revanchists," they prayed to him for victory over any person they deemed a foe.

    It was this worship that not only fed Revan's ego, but also left Alek jealous. And hungry for power.

    And so, when he sensed Salem's presence, Alek was able to convince his brother to join him in learning from her. Revan believed he could defeat her and become even more powerful than ever, as did the Jedi who left with him.

    But all that managed to become of his meeting with Salem was corruption.

    In time, Revan found himself new masters within the darkness. He learned much about the Sith, before and after he left the Fermata Cage decades later. And in time, he used this knowledge to lead multiple attacks against the Jedi Order in the secret war on Remnant. He had multiple victories and conquests, but that all ended when Salem decided to infiltrate the Order.

    Revan remembered how dazed and confused he was after his memories had been erased, how he found himself on an airship being attacked by Grimm and Sith. After he helped defend the airship, Revan eventually found himself back within the Jedi Order.

    Only this time, he believed that he was a new recruit instead of an experienced Jedi Knight.

    His time relearning about the Jedi and the Force introduced Revan to new teachers, as well as new friends. One of these friends was actually a droid Revan built when he was a Sith Lord. That droid and its series, the HK assassin droids, were meant to be an army for the Jedi to fight along with the Sith. It was meant to be a war on two fronts.

    But Revan didn't make too many of these droids. The last one that existed was something he built personally: HK-47.

    And this droid served Revan well as both a Jedi and a Sith. This was because HK-47 also lost his memories and found himself with Revan.

    Another one of these friends, someone who became more than just a friend, was a Jedi named Bastila Shan.

    The airship Revan was on when he lost his memories was already en-route to find Bastila in the hopes of escaping Malak, who was preparing to destroy a city. Once they found her, Revan and his friends escaped and he found himself being trained as a Jedi Padawan.

    Revan went on many adventures with Bastila and HK-47. Not only did these adventures help the Jedi, but it also forced Revan to discover and confront his past. After Bastila had been corrupted by Malak, the Sith revealed the truth of Salem's plans and attempted to coerce him back to darkness alongside Bastila.

    Revan had regained all of his memories and understood Salem's plan. It was a genius one at that, and it was even something Bastila and the Jedi Council once considered to do for Sith Lords they had captured: erase their memories and let them redeem themselves. And while this plan was Salem's instead of the Jedi, Revan found himself redeemed. And soon, he helped Bastila see the light and defeated Malak before he could destroy an entire continent.

    Unfortunately, Malak escaped before Revan could kill him. And around that time, Coruscant fell alongside the Order.

    Revan and Bastila received Obi-Wan's warning and fled together. They lived happily for a while, until Revan received an important mission from Obi-Wan and Ozpin. They requested him to travel to Vacuo and protect a child. Not just any child, but perhaps one of the most important children the Jedi had ever known.

    Revan understood the importance of protecting the boy, but Bastila was reluctant. She insisted that she needed Revan more than ever, with the Order gone and Salem's strength growing. Revan understood where Bastila was coming from, but he had been told what made this child so important.

    If Salem discovered him... all would be lost.

    And so, with a heavy heart, Revan left his wife behind. Not long after that, Bastila passed away with a broken heart.

    Revan had many more memories he could meditate on, including that of Malak's death. However, his departure from Bastila and the echo he sensed of her death were all he could focus on right now. Not because he wanted to, but because Ozpin's negativity was a cesspool for bad memories.

    And after hours of this negativity, Revan couldn't take it anymore.

    "Enough!" he shouted as he stood up. "How am I supposed to meditate if all you're doing is feeling sorry for yourself?!"

    Ozpin opened his eyes as soon as Revan lost his temper, and attempted to explain himself. "I-"

    "How could you be so ungrateful?! The war is over, the Mandalorians are gone, and all it cost you was a hard truth! Which, if you ask me, is a small price to pay for this peace!"

    Ozpin indeed felt sorry for himself, but he disagreed with Revan. "Nobody was supposed to find out!" he insisted as he stood up. "You heard what Qrow and Djarin said! They'll give up the fight when they're needed most! And so will every Huntsman and Huntress they tell!"

    "What about the Jedi Council?! They were the only ones who knew about you and Salem! And they lasted until the very end!"

    "This is different, Revan! The Huntsman and Huntresses aren't Jedi, they're not concerned with the restraint of their personal feelings like they were! They'll feel exactly how Qrow and Djarin felt! They'll give up! All of them will give up! And with the Order gone, there will be nothing left to defend against Salem!"

    "..."

    Ozpin slowly moved back to the ground in defeat. "...Maybe there never was."

    "..."

    Revan felt conflicted about this. His fight with Salem was more personal, and he wished to fight until the end. Malak was gone, but Revan wouldn't be satisfied until Salem was gone with him.

    This was a feeling every Jedi, including the Council, felt for generations. As Ozpin had said, their restraint over personal emotions allowed them clairvoyance as well as an ability to succeed in dark times.

    However, the Huntsmen and Huntresses were different. They were more... human, for lack of a better word. They listened to their hearts, used their feelings as most people would. And given what Revan felt within Qrow, it was easy to see that he had lost hope.

    Perhaps Ozpin had a point.

    Or perhaps... not.

    "No. You're wrong."

    Revan and Ozpin turned to see Djarin and Cinder in the clearing with them. The Razor Crest had landed close by, but Revan and Ozpin were too distracted by their own negativity to hear or sense anything.

    But Djarin and Cinder had heard everything.

    Ozpin's tirade made Djarin see that Obi-Wan was right; Ozpin's loss of hope had changed him, made him lose faith in everything. The old man had either done a brilliant job of hiding this fact, or maybe he had found hope once more with him and Cinder.

    But just as Djarin had promised, he wasn't going to let Cinder be Ozpin's sacrifice or anything like that. He was going to show once and for all how things were going to change.

    "Cinder," Ozpin said as he stood up. "Djarin, I-"

    "Shut up," Djarin ordered. "And listen."

    "..."

    Ozpin did as he was told, and found himself listening to Cinder as she spoke next.

    "I'm not giving up," she said before she gestured to her father. "We're not giving up. You're wrong about us, Ozpin. The truth isn't going to make us lose our resolve. Shake it, maybe. But it didn't make us lose it."

    Ozpin was surprised to hear this. And even though it was out of turn, but he spoke again.

    "So... you'll keep fighting?" he asked. "You still want to help me?"

    "No," Djarin declared. "We're going to keep fighting... but you're going to help us now." Djarin pointed straight at Ozpin. "You're going to help us do what I wanted to do in Vacuo. You're going to help us take this fight to Salem."

    "That's right," said Cinder. She could see the look on Ozpin's face when her father made this declaration, how Ozpin was about to argue against such a plan. Fortunately, she was ready to defend the idea. "We tried it your way, and it made us fight blindly. Against an enemy we didn't understand."

    "And it cost us Beacon," Djarin included. "It almost cost us Haven and all the Mandalorians."

    "Even worse, it got this out in the open." Cinder lifted the Relic to show Ozpin and Revan. Even though she was the one who took it out of the Vault, it was Aurora who made Raven unlock the door. "Holding the line isn't the solution, Ozpin. Lying and keeping secrets isn't the solution either."

    "This is our new approach." Djarin pointed to Cinder as he continued to talk. "Cinder and I are striking back against Salem. And if you want us to succeed, you're going to follow us like we followed you. You're going to tell us everything else you've been hiding from us."

    Cinder took one step forward before she asked a rhetorical question. "Got it?"

    "..."

    Ozpin didn't know what to say.

    Every instinct within him was telling him to refuse this idea, to take the fight to Salem. He was able to warn Djarin against it earlier, but he wasn't expecting the Mandalorian to change his mind. All he expected from this was a defeat far worse than what happened at Beacon.

    However, Djarin and Cinder weren't wrong when they said holding the line wasn't enough.

    This strategy indeed cost them Beacon Academy, and it came close to costing them Haven as well. And if the lamp was in Salem's hands, things would be even worse. A new approach was indeed necessary.

    But to take the battle to Salem... Ozpin didn't know if he could do that.

    "How do we do it?"

    Everyone turned to Revan, who was slowly approaching the two Mandalorians. The idea had piqued the curiosity of a warrior like him, since he was the catalyst of taking the fight to the enemy Mandalorians. To do the same thing to Salem, an immortal with Magic, was interesting.

    Risky, but interesting. As to how risky, Revan wished to find out for himself.

    "How do we take the fight to Salem?" he asked again. "What do you propose?"

    Djarin answered for Cinder, since he was still unsure if he could trust Revan. "Cinder's the new Mand'alor," he began. "We're going to assert this new authority to every Mandalorian on Remnant. Those who were at Haven or not. Either way, every Mandalorian will know Salem is the enemy."

    "And when they do, we're going to raise an army," Cinder continued. "We're going to build a force strong enough to stop whatever Salem does next. If it's Salem herself, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

    "..."

    "But we'll be ready." Cinder looked at Ozpin. "If you tell us all your secrets, we'll be ready. Our army will know Salem better than she knows herself."

    "And when we're gone, they'll still be ready," Djarin insisted. "Cinder's decree will live in their memory, and it will pass on to the next generation of Mandalorians. And the generation after that. Remnant will have a new fighting force against Salem."

    "..."

    The more he heard, the more Revan was interested.

    What Djarin and Cinder were proposing sounded just like the Jedi Order. But unlike the Jedi Council, each and every Mandalorian would be aware of Salem's secrets and powers. They would be ready for anything, rather than just a select few. And in time, it was possible that those Mandalorians would become what Revan respected about Djarin and Cinder.

    The fact that they had something to fight for rather than fightagainst.

    It was clear that Ozpin still had a decision to make, if he would help or not. Revan, however, felt that he had a clear mind. And so, he made a decision that he was proud of.

    "I will join you," the Jedi said.

    Djarin and Cinder shared a surprised glance at each other. They hoped they would convince Ozpin, but Revan's quick decision was better.

    "You... You will?" Cinder asked.

    "But you hate the Mandalorians," Djarin insisted.

    "Only those who wish to follow in Salem's footsteps," Revan corrected. "Not like you, Djarin. Or you, Mand'alor."

    "..."

    Cinder realized that she still needed time to get used to that title.

    Revan suddenly bowed his head. "I wish to fight by your side. And I wish to help strengthen this army you will be building." He lifted his head and stood upright. "I followed Salem for years. And though Ozpin knows her better, I know some of her secrets. And I know how her Sith will fight."

    Cinder suddenly had an idea. "Can you... help us train the army?" she asked cautiously. "To fight a Sith? To fight Salem?"

    "I can." Revan stepped closer. "And I will."

    "..."

    Djarin was still cautious about Revan, since he tried to kill Cinder. However, the more he thought about it, the more he believed a new kind of training would be beneficial. Djarin was aware that Revan had killed many Mandalorians last night, that he had caught them completely by surprise. So if Revan trained them, prepared them to counter this surprise, then things would be better for the army.

    Cinder realized the same thing.

    "I'd like that," she decided. "I really would."

    "As would I," said Djarin. "But Cinder and I are in charge." He needed time before he could completely trust Revan, so setting boundaries would be wise.

    Fortunately, Revan understood that perfectly. In order to display this understanding, he extended a hand of friendship to both Cinder and Djarin. Once they took their turns shaking it, the clan of two welcomed the first addition to their force.

    "So that's your decision?"

    Everyone turned to see that Ozpin was starting to approach them now. And while Djarin and Cinder were reluctant to welcome him back, they let him speak.

    "That's the new approach you'll be taking?" he asked calmly. "Regardless of what I say or do next?"

    "That's right," Djarin firmly replied. "That's what we're doing. With or without you."

    "Yeah," said Cinder. "Unless you have any better ideas." The last part was rhetorical, since Cinder was sure that Ozpin's ideas would be about keeping more secrets or simply holding the line.

    However, they were something else entirely.

    "I won't stand in your way," Ozpin promised. "But I believe I have a better course of action."

    Djarin and Cinder were surprised once again, but not very welcoming like they were with Revan.

    "Did you hear what we said?" Djarin asked. "Holding the line is not an option! Not anymore."

    "I know," Ozpin said as he stopped walking. "Building an army may be wise, as well as effective. But perhaps we could use an existing army rather than take the time to build one."

    At first, Cinder shared her father's thoughts when it came to accepting Ozpin's ideas. However, he seemed rather confident about the idea of an army. And he seemed to have one ready.

    One that she and Djarin really needed.

    "What are you talking about?" she asked cautiously.

    "I'm talking about Atlas," Ozpin replied. "James has an army at his disposal, much larger than the Mandalorian force we encountered last night. And with much more advanced and effective weaponry to handle the Grimm." Ozpin walked closer to Djarin and Cinder until he was in front of them. "Your idea has merit, but perhaps we should have an army in our back-pocket before we try to build another."

    "..."

    Djarin and Cinder opened their mouths to rebuff the idea, but no words came out of their mouths. Neither of them could argue or deny the logic of Ozpin's idea, to seek out an army rather than build one. The army of Atlas wasn't comprised of Mandalorians, but it was present and strong.

    They would be fools not to use it.

    "That's... true," said Djarin. "But we may not be in a position to use it. Something tells me nobody's happy about the Dust I helped smuggle out of Atlas."

    "Yeah, and aren't the borders closed?" Cinder asked. "We can't use the army if we can't get to Atlas."

    "Perhaps I could be of some assistance," Ozpin suggested. "I believe the closest border of Atlas is located in Argus. If I were to travel there as a Headmaster and representative of Vale, I could convince the officials that we must get to Atlas."

    "..."

    Ozpin looked to Cinder, the one person who could give him a semblance of hope in this fight. "And if you believe you can utilize the army against Salem... I will support you in any way I can."

    "..."

    Djarin trusted Cinder's judgement in most situations, but he realized that he would feel a lot better talking it over before making any rash decisions. And so, he gently pulled Cinder aside so he could talk to her.

    "What are you thinking?" the Mandalorian asked calmly.

    "I mean, he's not wrong," Cinder replied. "The Atlesian military is just an airship away. They're not Mandalorians, but they're something. What do you think?"

    "The army is there, you're right. But they may not be ready like you and I are. This might be my pride talking, but the Mandalorians might have an edge compared to Atlas."

    "No, I get that. Knowing about Salem and all is great. But we might not have the time to build an army. Who knows how long Salem will take to pick up where she left off?"

    Djarin believed this was a good point, and he saw one person who might help him make a decision faster.

    "Revan," he called out with a gesture. "I have a question for you."

    The masked Jedi walked over to Djarin and Cinder and spoke calmly. "Yes?" he asked.

    "You said you knew some of Salem's secrets. Do you know how long it would take for her to strike back against a setback like this?"

    Cinder followed what her father was saying and asked a question of her own. "Or what she might do next?" she asked.

    Revan took a moment to think of a time when Salem's back was up against the wall, and when she suffered a major setback. It was hard, given that Salem had accomplished much when Revan was in her service. However, he was able to think of a memory when Salem had lost and wanted to recover swiftly.

    "It was a month, at most," he stated. "Before she retaliated against a failure. When she didn't have much to work with, she would always turn to the Grimm. She would use thousands to do her bidding. And she would act all over the world."

    Djarin and Cinder were easily intimidated by the idea. "You said something like this would take a month?" Djarin asked.

    "At most," Revan repeated. "The fastest I've seen her recover and retaliate was less than a week."

    Cinder softly gasped at the idea, but she found something to counter it. "What about Coruscant?" she asked. "She waited a while after she lost her Sith, right?"

    "Yes, but she considered the attack a victory. She was willing to bide her time before striking again. And she didn't lose the Sith. She keeps them locked away until she finds a use for them again."

    Cinder had one more question to ask before she could make a decision. "Dad... Ozpin might be right about finding an army rather than building one," she began. "Unless you might know where all the Mandalorians from last night would go?"

    Djarin sighed before he shook his head. However, he wasn't ready to entirely abandon the plan he made with Cinder.

    "Maybe we can do both," he suggested. "When we have Atlas' army on our side, we can start to make another. We can rally the Mandalorians with Atlas as a backup."

    Cinder agreed to the plan with a smile and a nod before she turned to Ozpin. "...Okay," she said. "We'll go to Atlas."

    Ozpin opened his mouth to answer, to express gratitude to Cinder for trusting his judgement. However, Djarin's voice filled the immediate area.

    "You can come with us," the Mandalorian decided. "But we're not taking orders from you anymore. You'll be a consultant, when it comes to Salem."

    "And no more lies," Cinder insisted. "No more secrets, half-truths, or whatever you call it. If we find the smallest thing wrong with what you say, you're on your own."

    Ozpin slowly nodded before he replied. "All I wish is the opportunity to work with you again," he insisted. "And perhaps I'll regain your trust along the way."

    "You want to work with us?" Djarin asked. "That's fine. But you want us to trust you again?"

    "Earn it," Cinder ordered without hesitation.

    "..."

    Ozpin knew that the road ahead of him would be difficult, if he chose to traverse it. He wouldn't necessarily be in enemy territory, but he would be in an unfamiliar place. When someone usually lost faith or trust in the old man, Ozpin had to watch them leave and never see them again. He would be alone once more to pick up the pieces.

    However, this was different. This was, perhaps, the first time he would stand against Salem without taking the lead. Djarin and Cinder had a place for him in their plan, but it was one he had never tried before. He would always be in the front line or working behind the scenes to protect Remnant from Salem.

    And yet, every time he did, disaster eventually followed.

    Ozpin couldn't deny that he had given Djarin, Qrow, and Cinder false hope when he took them under his wing. He gave them places in the world, important roles to play, but he kept secrets and lied to them along the way. And the hope they had was indeed false.

    However, Djarin and Cinder seemed to have a new hope with them. A hope that would include Ozpin, but in a spot where he could potentially do more good and less harm.

    He had tried everything else to keep everyone safe. So he couldn't think of a reason why working underneath someone would be a bad idea. If others wished to lead while using his wisdom and knowledge... Ozpin saw that perhaps such an idea would be for the best.

    "Understood," Ozpin replied calmly. "I'll follow your lead, Djarin. And yours too, Cinder."

    The clan of two liked the sound of that. And with Obi-Wan and Qrow by their side, things were starting to look good.

    Now it was time to decide where to go from here.

    "Revan," Cinder asked calmly. "How long do you think we could stay and help Haven for?"

    "Before Salem recovers from her loss here?" Djarin included.

    "..."

    Two weeks later​

    It took time and effort, but order was finally reestablished at Haven and the Kingdom of Mistral itself. Haven had been fully repaired, the wounded were fully recovering, and the news of the war finally being over spread far and wide across the continent of Anima. It would reach the rest of the world soon, courtesy of messengers taking the place of the CCT.

    Peace had found its way to Mistral once again, so the Council thought it best to have a celebration in honor of everyone who risked their lives to defend the Kingdom. And since the Huntsmen and Huntresses worked the hardest, the celebration was held at Haven Academy.

    The whole Kingdom was invited, the capital and the villages alike. Many people came, and all were welcomed. The Kingdom actually recognized humans and Faunus alike for their contributions in fighting against the invaders, which made everyone feel honored. Food, drinks, and music were all a part of the auspicious occasion, but the best part was saved for last.

    Along with the reconstruction of Haven's auditorium, Obi-Wan planned the creation of a memorial for all of the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and citizens who took up arms against the Mandalorian warmongers. Before it was unveiled, however, Obi-Wan had prepared a speech and an award ceremony for the brave warriors.

    And now, he was sharing that speech in front of multiple people and multiple cameras. The entire Kingdom of Mistral was listening to what Obi-Wan had to say.

    "Many greetings, citizens of Mistral," the Headmaster began. "It has been two weeks since the attack on this school. Two weeks since our dreaded conflict with the warmongering Mandalorians has ended. This is truly a time to rejoice, a time where we can enjoy the peace we hoped would return to our Kingdom."

    There was a brief applause from the audience, from students and adults alike. Cinder, her father, Ozpin, and Revan were currently sitting to the left of Obi-Wan while the Mistral Council sat to the right. Each and every one of them were smiling as they listened to their friend and ally speak.

    Qrow was also present, but he wasn't smiling.

    "As I reflect on the war... I can only think of the truth," Obi-Wan continued. "Namely, how it is true that the war was very a brief one."

    "..."

    "But its brevity does not excuse its significance. We have all been tested, each and every one of us. Our faith, our trust, our friendships have all been tested. Huntsmen such as myself have been pushed to their limits, our officials of law and order have been keeping the peace in our capital for as long as they could, and you..." Obi-Wan looked directly at the citizens. "Yes, you, have done things most would consider impossible."

    "..."

    It was clear that Obi-Wan was talking about the people, the backbone of society and the Kingdom itself. And he had nothing but the truth to say.

    "Most of you had to abandon your homes," Obi-Wan said. "And some of you had to rise to the task of defending them, just as our Huntsmen and Huntresses have sworn to do. Many lives have been lost, and all of us have lost something important along the way."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan looked down for a brief moment as he said this. He couldn't help but think of Satine, how he wished that she could be standing here with him. It was this feeling that allowed Obi-Wan to empathize with the people of Mistral, those who had lost everything important to them.

    And these feelings allowed Obi-Wan to continue his speech.

    "We were all wronged by this war, we were all robbed of many things and people we held as sacred. But we have not let these losses define us. We have preserved through the dark times... and we have emerged victorious and alive!"

    Applause filled the area once again as everyone agreed with the Headmaster.

    "We are victorious, and we are alive," Obi-Wan repeated. "But I understand that this cannot apply to everyone. The losses we endured are a result of murder and sacrifice. Whatever the cause of their loss may be... I will not let their names and significance to Mistral be forgotten."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan gestured behind him towards a large drape covering something. The Council and Obi-Wan's friends were sitting on opposite sides of the curtain, and they knew what was underneath it.

    Now it was time for all of Mistral to know as well.

    "I choose to believe that they will not only live on, but be commemorated," said the Headmaster. "Commemorated with this memorial."

    With that, two Huntsmen worked together to move the tarp and reveal a piece of art.

    The memorial was a carving made from metal, and it shined brightly under the sun. It was a circle of sorts, though it didn't connect at the very top. At first, the people believed it to be a lob-sided crescent moon with a sort of trident at the top. It almost looked like a bird with great wings, and the symbol at the top almost looked like a star.

    After a few moments, Obi-Wan could sense that many people believed it was beautiful. There was some confusion amidst the crowd, but they liked what they saw. Nevertheless, Obi-Wan explained what the symbol meant to him.

    "This is an icon I encountered on my many travels, prior to becoming Headmaster of Haven," Obi-Wan explained. "It is a icon once forgotten due to the Great War, but its meaning remains the same. It is a symbol of hope. Of a phoenix that has risen from the ashes to see peace and prosperity once more. A peace that all of us had hoped to see once again. And so we have."

    Applause filled the area once more, and everyone decided that the symbol of the rising phoenix was a perfect way to commemorate their rise from the ashes of war and destruction.

    As for who the people could thank for achieving this peace, Obi-Wan had prepared that in his speech as well.

    "We continue to witness this peace because we did not act alone," Obi-Wan continued. "Huntsman and Huntress, human and Faunus, the high and the low... we have all worked together to see this day. If there is one thing that this war has taught me, it is that hope and allies can be found even in the darkest and most unexpected places." Obi-Wan gestured towards his left, specifically at Djarin and Cinder. "That was how I have found my closest allies and friends in this conflict. Two people, two Mandalorians, who dedicated their hearts to seeing the war come to an end."

    "..."

    There wasn't much applause from the audience this time. There was confusion and uncertainty, as well as much skepticism. Obi-Wan could even hear whispers about how such a thing was even possible.

    Cinder couldn't hear the whispers, but the silence scared her greatly.

    Not only was she and her father invited to the ceremony, but they were also about to be given awards for their role in defending Haven. The Council even decided that Cinder could give a speech to ease everyone's minds about the future.

    They believed it would make a lot of people happy, and it would give Cinder the chance she had asked for.

    And yet, Cinder couldn't help but have second thoughts. The silence was making her very uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but sweat under the sun. She had practiced her speech countless times with her father and friends, but Cinder felt that all of the sun's energy was being cast down upon her.

    And yet, she received some comfort from her father, who was holding her hand and nodding very calmly. Djarin didn't speak, but he was telling Cinder that she wouldn't be alone up there.

    And Obi-Wan made the effort to make Cinder feel more welcome.

    "I understand there have been many reports in the news and the media about the attack on Haven," Obi-Wan began. "There has also been some conflicting information passed around in the two weeks since the war's end. So allow me to be the first to clear away any and all confusion."

    "..."

    The audience was completely silent, which gave Obi-Wan his chance to explain everything.

    "As all of you are aware, the war started when Pre Vizsla and Gar Saxon of Death Watch and the Saxon Clan of Mandalorians attacked Vale during the Vytal Festival. Their attack then moved to Beacon, which served as a catalyst to its untimely fall. The two warlords spread far and wide to recruit other Mandalorians to their cause, people who harbored the same animosity against us. Many sided with Gar Saxon, who asserted his role as leader of all Mandalorians. And when he died, many followed Pre Vizsla in his stead. Many... but not all."

    "..."

    "There were those who rebelled against Death Watch and the Saxons. Those who turned the conflict into a Mandalorian Civil War. Between those like Saxon who wished to destroy our way of life, and those who wished to fight with us and for us."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan gestured towards Djarin and Cinder once more. "Today, I am joined by two of those Mandalorians, those who stared at tyranny and genocide with defiance and resistance. Din Djarin is a man who risked life and limb to warn Vale and Vacuo of the attack two weeks ago while I prepared our defenses at Haven. Without him, we would have neither the knowledge or the reinforcements to defend Haven or the capital itself."

    "..."

    "And it was his daughter, Cinder, who faced Pre Vizsla to revoke his title as leader of the Mandalorian people. When she defeated him, she earned his title in the eyes of all Mandalorians. And with her new power, it was Cinder who declared that the war was over and that all Mandalorians were to cease hostilities with the Kingdoms effective immediately."

    There wasn't much silence in the audience anymore. There were mostly whispers, mainly at how someone as young as Cinder could stop a war.

    "Wait, what?"

    "It was her?"

    "Isn't she a little young for a Mandalorian?"

    "The Headmaster wouldn't lie about this."

    "Who were the other Mandalorians?"

    "Is she really supposed to be their ruler or whatever?"

    "What's she gonna do next?"

    All of the whispers stopped when Obi-Wan continued talking again. "And so, on behalf of the Council and the staff of Haven, it is with great honor that I bestow onto these two Mandalorians... these two heroes, with Mistral's highest honor, the Medal of Bravery."

    A softer but audible applause filled the area when Djarin led Cinder up to the podium where Obi-Wan was speaking. On the podium were two small boxes that each contained a golden medallion that Djarin and Cinder could wear if they chose to.

    After he presented them with the awards, Obi-Wan proudly shook hands with the Mandalorians and said one last thing. "And now, I invite the new ruler of the Mandalorian people to come and say a few words."

    "..."

    Cinder was feeling nervous once again as she heard the silence. This silence was more respectful than the last, since the audience was giving her a chance to speak. However, Cinder was able to read the room and see that there was still much skepticism and distrust among the crowd.

    But as he promised, Djarin wasn't going to let Cinder do this alone. Instead of taking his seat, he stood to the left of the podium and whispered to Cinder.

    "Don't worry," he said. "I'll be right here beside you."

    Cinder smiled at her father and welcomed his support. And she felt even better when Obi-Wan gave his support as well.

    "Speak from your heart, Cinder," he advised. "And they too will have faith in you."

    "..."

    With that, Obi-Wan took his seat and gave Cinder her well-deserved chance to speak.

    "Um..."

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't help but stutter as she prepared herself. Fortunately, the speech she had prepared and practiced was on her Scroll in front of her. But first, Cinder expressed her gratitude after she cleared her throat.

    "Thank you, Headmaster Kenobi, for this most sacred gift," she began. "And thank you, esteemed Council members. I assure you that I will keep this medal in a place of honor."

    "..."

    Silence, save for a cough from the attending citizens, was Cinder's only reply. With that, Cinder turned her eyes to the speech she had prepared and spoke into the microphone.

    "Citizens of Mistral... like the Huntsmen and Huntresses, I stand before you humbled and at your service," she began. "It is true that I sought to put an end to Pre Vizsla's war and rule, and I did that the only way I knew how. It is true that in the eyes of the Mandalorian people... I am their leader."

    Silence didn't fill the audience this time. Instead, whispers from the crowd returned.

    "That's their leader now?"

    "Like the Huntsmen? She's old enough to be a first-year student!"

    "She's no older than my sister!"

    "So what, she's like a queen or something like that?"

    "What is she gonna do?"

    Cinder was nervous once again when she heard some of these questions. However, they came at a rather good time, since the next part of her speech would answer some of them.

    "I understand how... skeptical you all must be," Cinder continued. "After all, each of the four Kingdoms abolished their monarchies after the Great War. They chose to utilize democracy, and for good reason. I too believe in the power of the people. Which is why I promise that I... I..."

    "..."

    Cinder had decided to look up from her Scroll and address the people, but this proved to be a mistake. One look at every child, adult, human, and Faunus told Cinder that she wasn't getting through to anyone. It was her goal to touch their hearts and let them know that the Mandalorians wouldn't be hurting them anymore. That she was going to change all of that.

    Unfortunately, nobody believed her.

    In fact, Cinder was on the verge of not believing herself anymore. Just as she believed two weeks ago, it would be hard to assert her rule, to make change where change needed to be made. And if she couldn't get through to the average citizens of Remnant, how was she supposed to get through to the Mandalorians?

    So it made sense for her to lose faith in herself. However, a small whisper from her father made her find faith once more.

    "Remember the Way of the Maiden," he said calmly. "Believe in yourself. I believe in you."

    "..."

    That one small kindness made Cinder's mind clear. She remembered the Way of the Maiden, as well as her promise to follow it, as clear as day. This new tradition was meant to inspire others, which was why Cinder was standing in front of everyone now.

    And so, by following the Way of the Maiden, Cinder was able to finish her speech without her Scroll. Along with that, she did what Obi-Wan advised her to do: speak from her heart.

    "Look, I get it," Cinder said bluntly and honestly. "I get how all of this sounds, how a kid is supposed to be in charge of a broken civilization."

    The change in attitude and the description of the Mandalorians caught everyone by surprise. Nobody would have expected a person to disrespect or downplay their own culture. In fact, the Mandalorians who invaded seemed proud of who they were.

    But Cinder decided to tell everyone otherwise.

    "Yes, I admit it," she continued. "The Mandalorian civilization is broken, its people are in complete disarray. And hell, we don't even have a place to call home!"

    "..."

    "Actually, that's why I'm here right now, talking to all of you. It's because my people are broken enough to think that starting a war was the answer they sought! They believed hurting you would make all of their problems go away! But I'm here to tell you that I know that's not the case! I know that two wrongs don't make a right!"

    "..."

    Cinder lowered her voice when she saw that she had everyone's attention. "Headmaster Kenobi was right. We are all alive, and we have all witnessed peace return to this Kingdom... but that doesn't mean all is forgiven." Cinder moved her head from left to right. "I know you're all still hurting. You're all mourning the loss of something or someone you hold dear. Most of you lost your homes, and some of you lost your families. The pain is there, and nothing in this world could ever replace what you lost."

    "..."

    Cinder took a deep breath before she shared a truth about herself. "For those of you who feel this pain, for those of you who lost your homes and families... I know how you feel," she said. "I don't mean to say I understand or that I see your pain, I mean I know how you feel. I know this because... because I'm just like you."

    Whispers filled the area again, but Cinder didn't pay attention to them. Instead, she explained herself in full.

    "I'm not a real Mandalorian," she confessed. "I wasn't born on Mandalore, and I wasn't born from Mandalorian parents. I'm an orphan from Mistral. For ten years, I lived without a family and without a home that made me feel warm and safe. I lost faith in everything... until I met Din Djarin."

    "..."

    Everyone turned towards Djarin, who remained silent as Cinder took his hand and spoke again. "Din Djarin decided to adopt me, to take me in and raise me as his own daughter. He sacrificed his own freedom, his independence, just to find me a home. To find me a place and people where I truly belonged. In his mind, that place was with the Mandalorians. I've been his daughter for five years, and I know that I couldn't have asked for a better father." Cinder hugged Djarin tightly, which evoked a reaction from the audience.

    Cinder could hear brief sounds of joy and satisfaction from her hug and affirmation.

    "Because of this, I was given everything I wanted and then some," Cinder continued after she let go of her father. "I've been living happily for years... but I still know the pain you're all feeling. It's a pain I had to live with for years, something I wouldn't dare to wish on my worst enemy. Because you all deserve better than that pain. And to know that it was caused by Mandalorians, the people I associate myself closest with, breaks my heart. And so, from the bottom of my heart, I wish to apologize. To beg your forgiveness for the atrocities committed against you."

    "..."

    "Not only do I wish to apologize, but I also wish to tell you why this happened. You all lost so much, you've been hurt in ways you've never been hurt before, and now you deserve to know why this happened."

    "..."

    "This war, these acts of conquest, were all driven by hate. Hate, and an inability to let go of the past."

    "..."

    "It's no secret that the Mandalorians were the black sheep of the victors of the Great War. They only chose to fight after they had been provoked. But even though they fought and won... they never healed or recovered from the war."

    "..."

    "The Mandalorians were shunned away from society after the war. Whether this was intentional or not, they believed they had no place in the Kingdoms that emerged from the war, new and old. This led them to creating a misplaced hatred for you, because they refused to heal. They demanded that the world accept them for who they are, but they did this without accepting who you are as well."

    "..."

    "The Mandalorians who started this war did so out of intolerance. Prejudice. And hate."

    "..."

    "But what they failed to understand is that the Kingdoms didn't hate the Mandalorians before our civil war began. No... they feared us. You feared us. And you were right to fear us. You had every right to fear what we would do, what would happen every time we walked down the streets, every time we would cover ourselves in head to toe with battle armor. They thought this war would change all of that! They thought this war would put them above everyone! But they were wrong!"

    "..."

    "This war, all of this bloodshed and pain, the only thing it did was show us that you! Were! Right!"

    "..."

    "But that changes today." Cinder cleared her throat once more before she spoke again. "As leader of all Mandalorians, it is my duty to look after their best interest. And today, I stand here to tell you that their best interest is change. I believe it is time to change how my people think and act. I cannot deny the Mandalorians' right to exist, to live on this world with the rest of you. But I can make them change. And I will."

    "..."

    "When I leave Mistral today, I will seek out every Mandalorian on Remnant. I will create change that will prevent warlords from attacking the innocent, prevent forests and cities from being burned to the ground, and prevent another war like this one from happening!"

    "..."

    Cinder suddenly had an idea on how she could show this change. "In fact, when I come across more of my people, I will leave them with that!" Cinder pointed behind her at the symbol of the rising phoenix. "This is a symbol of hope and peace, one that every Mandalorian, myself included, will wear on their armor! From this day forward, the Mandalorians will not be people who fight to have war! But rather, they will fight to defend the peace we have today! This phoenix, this starbird, will be proudly shining on all of Mandalore!"

    "..."

    "So I'm going! I will accept the responsibility to make this change happen, make the Mandalorians who invaded your home face justice, and I will do this now! Because a peace such as this, a world as great as Remanant, is what all of you rightfully deserve! Have faith in me, and I will never let you down!"

    "..."

    After what sounded like an eternity, a single voice arose from the audience. And it said exactly what everyone was thinking.

    "...I like the sound of that."

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*    ​

    Applause, cheers, and loud whistling followed the voice, and it was all directed at Cinder. Just as she wished, she touched everyone's hearts and proved that she was worthy of their faith. But more than that, Cinder kept the promise she had made.

    She had followed the Way of the Maiden. And it had led to such wonderful results, as well as a hug from Djarin.

    "I am so proud of you," the Mandalorian said as he led his daughter back to her seat.

    When the applause finally disappeared, Obi-Wan took Cinder's place. Even though he knew that Cinder's speech was a rather tough act to follow.

    "Thank you, Cinder," he began proudly. "Well said."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan turned to the crowd once more. "And thank you all, as well. With the support you have just given to these brave people, I can assure you that their quest will not fail."

    A brief but heartfelt applause followed this promise. But the reason it was so brief was because of what Obi-Wan said next.

    "And even more assurance, I have decided to join Cinder on this noble mission."

    "..."

    Everyone was surprised and confused by the idea, since nobody had ever announced their intention of leaving. However, this was a decision Obi-Wan made to the Council as well as Ozpin, and now he was about to explain why.

    "Along with Cinder, I too feel a sense of responsibility right now. Not for the war, but for the loss of one esteemed and irreplaceable member of Mistral's Council. Satine Kryze."

    "..."

    "It is true that I attempted to save her the night of the attack, just as it is true that I arrived too late. But not before I discovered the identity of her assassin, someone who I believe was in league with the enemy Mandalorians. Therefore, I feel it is my responsibility to find the perpetrator and bring him to justice. In order to do that, it is with a heavy heart that I must announce my resignation as Headmaster of Haven Academy."

    There was no applause in the audience, but everyone could hear small groans and sounds of disappointment and sadness. It seemed that Obi-Wan had left quite the impact on Haven and its students.

    "But do not despair," the former Headmaster commanded. "I have reached out to an old colleague of mine. A man of utmost honor, discipline, and excellence. I do not expect you to know his name, since he spent every waking hour defending his home, a vital part of Mistral itself, from the Mandalorians who wished to see it destroyed."

    Many people were impressed by the idea, mainly the Council. They were aware of who Obi-Wan had suggested would replace him, and they too believed he was a man of honor and discipline.

    "And so, I take great pride in informing you that in my stead, Count Dooku of Serenno will be Haven's newest Headmaster," Obi-Wan declared. "Unfortunately, he could not attend today's celebration, as he is currently making the necessary preparations to succeed me. I ask that the student body of Haven Academy respect and obey him as you would me."

    A soft applause served as Obi-Wan's response to the declaration, which made him faithful that the students of Haven would accept his request. And now, with a heavy heart indeed, Obi-Wan began the final part of his speech.

    "And so, it is time for me to take my leave," the former Headmaster declared. "But do not despair. Rejoice, enjoy your celebration, and most of all... be proud. Be proud of what you have accomplished, be proud that you finally saw this day, and be proud for being who you are. Farewell."

    The area became engulfed in a loud applause, as loud as it was for Cinder's speech. Obi-Wan was also proud as he stepped off the stage, after he shook hands with the Council and bid them farewell. Once he did, Obi-Wan found himself following Cinder, Djarin, Ozpin, Revan, and Qrow to the Razor Crest so they could begin their quest.

    But Obi-Wan allowed himself one more look at the proud people of Mistral, the people he was proud to defend. The applause continued as he looked at everyone, and it was loud enough to drain out one more thing Obi-Wan had to say.

    "The Force will be with you. Always."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 57: The Departure
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 57: The Departure​

    There was much celebration in Mistral to be had, before and after the former Headmaster Kenobi had taken his leave. The people of the Kingdom became united in peace once more, from the highest point in the capital to the smallest village in the outskirts. And just about anywhere a person went, they could hear the sounds of cheers and joy.

    But in the Land of Darkness... there was only melancholy and the screams of Grimm.

    Besides the Queen of the Grimm, Merri and Fauna were the only people in Salem's castle. Two weeks had passed for them as well, and they had discovered that something was very wrong.

    Fauna first noticed it when she lost contact with the Mandalorians. She had been charged with overseeing the multiple Seers that Pre Vizsla had. Some were with the Mandalorians in Anima and some were at the Kryze Castle on the island of Kalevala. She had heard multiple reports the night of the attack, but everything suddenly fell into silence.

    The young hybrid had tried incredibly hard to reestablish contact, but she received no reply to her calls. Which either meant the Mandalorians were all dead... or they were ignoring the Seers.

    And given that some of the Seers on the receiving end had been destroyed, it was easy for Fauna to believe betrayal had occurred. But just to be sure, she sent a single Botfly out to Anima to know what was going on.

    Merri had also noticed something was wrong, but it wasn't in the same manner as Fauna discovered. Instead, Merri noticed that Salem had locked herself in one of her personal rooms in the castle. This had occurred the night of the attack, and Salem hadn't left since.

    Merri had tried to reach out to her mother, to find out what was going on, but she received no reply from Salem.

    Until now.

    Salem had called her daughters into her meeting room, which was vastly empty. Merri and Fauna had seen multiple Mandalorians in this room along with them, but it was only Salem who sat in the room.

    Salem's eyes were closed and her hands were close to her face, it was almost like she was meditating. However, Merri and Fauna knew that Salem was preparing herself to speak, so they quietly sat down.

    The silence was broken not by Salem, but by the sisters.

    "Where's Flora?" Fauna whispered to her sister. This had been a question Fauna had asked herself and her sister before, but she couldn't help but ask again when she noticed Flora wasn't present.

    "I don't know," Merri replied honestly. This was the same answer she had given her sister when she asked the question before, but she shared her sister's concern. "Aurora's not back either."

    Fauna easily noticed this, and drew a conclusion she first had a couple of days after the attack. "I knew something went wrong! Does Mother know?"

    "Shh!"

    Merri and Fauna saw that Salem had opened her eyes and was looking at them both. The sisters immediately fell into silence and awaited any confirmation Salem might have had.

    The wait didn't take very long, as Salem immediately spoke when silence returned to the room.

    "We... have lost," she began. "The attack on Haven... has failed."

    "..."

    This seemed rather obvious at this point, and the sisters shared a brief glance of confirmation at each other before Salem spoke again.

    "The Mandalorians have abandoned our cause," she continued. "And... your sister..." Salem felt a large lump in her throat when she spoke of Flora, since she still wasn't ready to admit what had happened.

    But she eventually found the willpower.

    "Your sister is dead."

    Merri and Fauna received a sudden shock from this news. They knew that Flora wasn't supposed to return without the Relic, and that how they accepted the fact that Flora wasn't in the castle.

    But to hear that she wouldn't be retuning at all was something they didn't expect.

    "What happened?!" Fauna blurted out, despite the fact that she had just spoken out of turn. She couldn't help it, since Flora had been in her thoughts for some time.

    Salem knew that her daughter had spoken out of turn, but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything at the moment.

    "I... felt her essence cease to exist," Salem replied. She could feel this with any Grimm she had created, since she shared a connection to them. Her connection to her daughters, however, was much stronger than any of the other Grimm.

    Both as a Queen... and as a mother.

    "How?" Merri immediately asked. "Who could have done this?"

    "She died... by burning alive," Salem explained. "But not by any fire. The fire she was burned in... was Magic. It was a Maiden's fire."

    Merri and Fauna gasped at the idea of a Maiden killing Flora, and there was only one Maiden that they knew. "Aurora?" Merri asked. "She betrayed us?!"

    "No. Aurora is dead as well. The power of the Fall Maiden has become one. This was Cinder."

    Merri and Fauna gasped once again at the news. They didn't know what to expect from the rest of this meeting, but they certainly weren't expecting news of Cinder's survival.

    "She's alive?!" Merri asked. "And Flora tried to kill her?! She was supposed to take the Relic, not hunt Maidens! What was she-?!"

    *BAM*​

    "SILENCE!"

    Merri and Fauna immediately became afraid and at a loss for words when Salem lost her temper. Slamming her palms on the table and raising her voice came at a surprise, and it almost appeared that Salem was going to throw the table to move closer to Merri.

    But this was a rare time for Salem. Rather than feeling rage at the failure of retrieving the Relic and the betrayal of the Mandalorians, Salem was focused more on the loss of her daughter.

    For the first time, in a long time, Salem was in mourning.

    "Flora... was your sister," Salem said as she restrained herself. "The disagreements you had with her are null and void." Salem made sure to look at both of her daughters rather than just Merri. "The next time either of you speak of your sister, it will be of the utmost respect. Do you understand?"

    "Y-Yes, Mother," Merri replied as she calmed down.

    "Of course, Mother," Fauna followed.

    "..."

    The obedience from her daughters helped Salem calm down. As she did so, Salem believed it was important to take the next steps in securing the future. In order to do that, she would have to learn from the past.

    "You were not wrong, Merri," the witch said calmly. "Flora's greatest liability was her ego. It led her astray, and it led to her untimely passing."

    "A tragedy beyond tragedy, Mother," said Fauna, who was starting to see that she would also miss her sister. Merri said nothing, but she was starting to feel the same way.

    "It's important not to lose sight of what drives us," Salem continued after the brief interruption. "Love. Justice. Reverence." These were feelings that had driven Salem to pursue the resurrection of her daughters, and her future endeavors to conquer Remnant.

    Merri and Fauna felt the same way. They were many things, but they didn't deny that they were bonded to each other. They were, in their own way, a family.

    "But the moment you put your desires before my own... they will be lost to you."

    "..."

    "This isn't a threat; this is simply the truth."

    Merri and Fauna continued to remain silent, but they understood what Salem was saying. Flora had let her ego help her create a half-baked plan to attack Haven, and then it led her to dying at Cinder's hands. She placed herself over the importance of the Relic, and she paid with her life. Salem wanted her remaining daughters to learn this, as well as one more thing.

    "The path to our desires is only found... through me."

    "..."

    Merri and Fauna understood perfectly, and they displayed their understanding by slowly nodding. They would stay with their mother until the end, and they wouldn't make the same mistakes Flora did.

    As Merri once learned, Salem was in charge. She was going to take the first steps in their quest, and everyone else would follow.

    Salem looked down at the table and thought back to Flora. She was angry with her daughter when she left, but now she missed her greatly. It would be very hard to live with the pain, one of the only things within Salem that remained human.

    But the idea of pursuing vengeance and victory helped Salem achieve her previous state of mind.

    "And so we must press on..." she slowly said before she looked up from her table. When she did, her daughters were patiently waiting for her next command. And so, after she finally relaxed in her natural position of authority, Salem began to discuss how she and her daughters would continue their work.

    How they would recover and attack once more.

    "The Sword under Vacuo's academy, Shade-"

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Everyone turned to the wooden doors of the meeting room when they heard a small but distinct buzzing noise. It was hard to see at first, but Salem and her daughters could make out what appeared to be a single Botfly flying in the room.

    After it captured everyone's attention, the insect flew into Fauna's open palm and let it rejoin her body. The Botfly had just returned from a mission of espionage in the Kingdom of Mistral. It had taken a long time to make this voyage, but now it had returned with vital information for Fauna.

    And by extension, Salem.

    "...Speak," Salem sternly ordered.

    After Fauna saw through the eyes and memories of the Botfly that had rejoined her body, the hybrid spoke to her mother. "...Ozpin is taking the Relic to Atlas," she reported.

    Salem didn't react to this news immediately, but Merri did.

    "Atlas?" she asked. "But the borders are closed! He can't get inside alone!"

    "He's not alone," Fauna replied. "Headmaster Kenobi and Revan are with him. And so are Qrow, Cinder, and her father."

    "..."

    Salem continued to remain silent, which left the room open to Merri.

    "This is bad," she said. "Ozpin and Kenobi are the only ones who can get through to Ironwood. If he knows how vulnerable we are, we're done for!"

    "And Cinder has the full power of the Fall Maiden," said Fauna. "If Flora couldn't kill her, what chance do we-?"

    *CRACK*

    *CRACK*

    *CRACK*    ​

    Merri and Fauna ceased their conversation when they heard the sounds of glass cracking. They looked around the room to see that each of the windows were starting to crack and break, and they were apparently being caused by an irate and fuming Salem.

    "Leave," she ordered.

    Fauna immediately saw that she had repeated Merri's initial mistake. "Mother, I meant no disrespect to-!"

    *CRACK*

    *CRACK*

    *CRACK*    ​

    Fauna once again stopped talking when Salem callously stared at her and broke more glass. The eye-contact was broken between them, however, when Merri took her sister's hand.

    "Fauna, let's go," the eldest sister implored. She had been on the receiving end of Salem's rage before, and she didn't want her or her sister to face it again.

    And so, the sisters quickly moved to the doors and took one more look at Salem before they loudly closed.

    *THOOM*​

    "..."

    Silence hadn't completely returned to the room, since Salem was taking quick and sharp breaths in an attempt to calm down. She ceased, however, as she let her thoughts linger in her head instead of letting them out again.

    However, Salem couldn't find any peace of mind. Merri was correct that bringing Ironwood into the fold at a time like this would be disastrous. Without the Mandalorians, Salem had no army to fight against him.

    Salem had absolutely nothing right now. No army, no Relic, no Maiden... and no Flora.

    It was all too much to bear.

    "RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUHHHHH!"

    *CRASH*

    *CRASH*

    *CRASH*    ​

    Back in Mistral, everyone was ready to leave. Cinder was the only one who had any goodbyes to say, since Lilith Gelb and her friends were still recovering in Mistral's hospital. They had all seen her speech, and they also had the same support that Mistral had given her. They wished her luck on her quest and said that Cinder could find them in Vale. They would be staying with Max while he recovered; neither Lilith or Andrea would leave his side for a second.

    And though he was still saddened by the loss of a limb, Max Bolt was able to feel happy about what Cinder planned to do. He was able to smile and say that he couldn't wait to see what Cinder did next.

    After saying goodbye and wishing her friends from Beacon good luck, Cinder rejoined her father at the Razor Crest. The first thing she did was recover the Relic of Knowledge which had been safely hidden aboard the ship. Once she secured it to her waist, Cinder looked around to see her allies were all present in the Razor Crest's cabin.

    Obi-Wan and Revan all acknowledged Cinder's presence with a small nod. Obi-Wan smiled at her, but Revan's mask hid his face. They were currently sitting at a table with Ozpin, who was staring at the surface in silence. He didn't even look up at Cinder.

    And Qrow was also on board. He too didn't look at Cinder. Instead, he sat by himself in a corner while staring daggers at Ozpin.

    While this silent anger was directed at Ozpin, Cinder couldn't help but feel uneasy by the sight.

    "Ready for takeoff," said a voice over the ship's intercom. Cinder recognized it as her father's voice, and he was saying that the Razor Crest was about to take off from the ground. Cinder would normally join her father in the cockpit, to see the ship rise off the ground and fly into the sky.

    But not right now. Right now, Cinder had a lot on her mind.

    She had felt like this for quite some time now. After the shock and anger of Ozpin's secrets and lies had passed for the young girl, Cinder began to feel a sense of guilt. Namely, how she and her father demanded that Ozpin would tell them everything he knew. They weren't asking anything of him, they weren't trying to understand why he did what he did, they were demanding his assistance.

    And Cinder began to see that she had made a mistake.

    Her speech to the Kingdom of Mistral had helped Cinder see this. She had done nothing but express her desire for change, to make the Mandalorians be better than they were two weeks ago. It was true that she wanted to make sure the Mandalorians wouldn't be fighting to conquer anymore, and she fully intended to let Obi-Wan's symbol at Haven be a message of this change.

    But Cinder began to believe that she needed to change as well. She saw that she couldn't let her anger or any other feelings of negativity cloud her judgement, she couldn't allow them to lead her down a wrong path.

    Aurora had let her own anger and hate be her guide in life, and she had made so many wrong choices that eventually led to her demise. And Pre Vizsla led by making demands instead of leading by example.

    Cinder didn't want to be like either of them. She wanted to be better, to show the world that Mandalorians wouldn't be tyrants and murderers anymore. And she believed the first step towards this change would be making amends to Ozpin for her earlier hostility.

    But on the other hand... Cinder didn't know if she could fully trust him again.

    If she made peace with him, would he lie to her again? Would he continue to keep secrets that resulted in false hope? Cinder knew this was an inadvertent reaction, but it still happened.

    And more than that... would anything change after she was gone?

    "..."

    After a minute of thinking this way, Cinder decided that talking to someone about this would help. So she climbed up to the cockpit, stepped inside, and closed the metal door.

    *CHOOM*​

    Djarin turned around when he heard the door connecting the cockpit to the ship's cabin close. Along with a closed door, Djarin could see Cinder wearing a rather melancholy expression on her face as she walked inside.

    "Hey, Dad," she said calmly as stepped inside and sat down. "Can I talk to you for a minute? Or is this a bad time?"

    "No, it's fine," Djarin said as he gestured to the window. "It's been nothing but clear sky so far." He knew that he could spare a minute to talk to her. "What's going on?"

    "I was thinking a lot about the speech I gave in Mistral. You know, about wanting the Mandalorians to change and all."

    Djarin was proud of Cinder for making that speech, but he understood how daunting the task sounded. "That was very ambitious of you to say all of that," he replied. "I know it's going to be hard, but you don't have to do it alone. I'm going to change too. You know that, right?"

    "Yeah, of course," Cinder said. "And, I've been thinking... I might have to change too. With a lot of things. A lot of... recent things, actually. I was wondering if I could get your opinion on something."

    Djarin immediately became confused, namely with what "recent" things Cinder was talking about. Regardless, he was willing to help. "Sure, let me hear it."

    "Well... it's just that... do you think we were too hard on Ozpin? When we found him with Revan?"

    "..."

    Djarin could see that this talk would take more than a minute. So he turned on the Razor Crest's autopilot and fully turned his chair towards Cinder so he could give her his undivided attention.

    "...It sounds like you do," he replied. This was a rather safe answer, since Djarin hadn't really thought about Ozpin for a while. He had merely accepted the man's presence, and nothing else.

    Cinder, on the other hand, felt differently.

    "Yeah... I do," the Maiden confessed. "I mean, I was just as angry as you when I found out everything. I was even mad at him when I found out about Salem in the void. But... I don't think I can afford to be angry."

    "What?" Djarin asked. "Cinder, of course you can."

    "No, I can't." Cinder turned towards the window, towards the endless sky, as she explained herself. "When I saw Aurora's memories, the power of the Maidens was trying to teach me something. It wanted to show me that I can't let anger, fear, or whatever negative feelings affect my decisions. Aurora did that, and it ended up getting her killed."

    "..."

    Cinder took the Darksaber off her waist as she looked at it. "And Vizsla did the same thing. His hatred of the Kingdoms started a war, and hundreds of people paid the price. He used the Darksaber to demand loyalty, just like I did with Ozpin. I can't be like him. Either of them."

    "..."

    "So... I think I should try to patch things up with Ozpin. Now that we know what we're up against, it might be easier to work together again. I shouldn't be demanding things of him, or anyone else."

    "..."

    Cinder felt proud of what she had said, but this pride was wavering with Djarin's silence. "You... don't agree," she calmly assessed.

    Djarin took a mental breath before he answered his daughter. "You're right about Aurora and Vizsla. We shouldn't let our feelings get in the way of our missions. The Mandalorians taught me that ever since I joined them." Djarin turned to the window. "But with Ozpin... I don't know about that."

    Cinder wasn't ready to give up. "Dad, I know he lied to us. I don't know what was going through his head, but that... life, we saw... it couldn't be easy. Everything that happened to him must've had a bad effect on him."

    Djarin wasn't going to argue otherwise, but he still had misgivings. "You might be right. But there's a lot more, Cinder. I... don't think you'd understand."

    "No, I do. I know he shouldn't have lied to us, that it'll be hard to trust him again. But I just think, as a Maiden, I should-"

    "Cinder, that's the thing," Djarin said sternly, which made Cinder fall into silence. "Look, lying and hiding secrets is one thing, but that doesn't change what he did to you over the years."

    "..."

    Djarin could see that Cinder was confused by his statement, since he had been thinking long and hard about something regarding Ozpin and his daughter. And he feared that it would start all over again by Cinder making up with Ozpin.

    In order for his daughter to understand that, there was something else Djarin had to help Cinder understand.

    "I don't know what it was that made me keep it in all this time," he began. "I hadn't thought about it for a while, but Jinn's story finally made me able to say it. Ever since we first went to Beacon... I've hated the image Ozpin's been projecting on you."

    "Wait... what?" Cinder asked. She couldn't think of a time when Ozpin hurt her in a way that Djarin was implying. "What image? What are you talking about?"

    "I always thought that he was going to just train you with your powers when we met him. But over the years, he's done more than that. I get the feeling that he's been telling you who you're supposed to be, all this time."

    Cinder couldn't help but disagree, but she wanted to know what her father exactly meant. "How so?" she asked.

    "Remember when you first started school at Beacon?" the Mandalorian asked. "He didn't know the Blairs would want you to be team leader, but he told me that he was 'hoping' that would be the case. We've seen him pull strings before in the past, he could have done it again."

    This was true, especially in the case of Cinder and her father. Not many people, mostly parents of students, weren't too pleased when they learned a Mandalorian was teaching at Beacon. But Ozpin pulled some strings with the Council of Vale and they allowed Djarin to stay.

    And Djarin believed that he was going to do it again when she started school.

    "Well... I guess," Cinder replied. "But I mean, the Blairs said they chose me. They were spies, I know, but Ozpin wasn't really involved."

    "It wasn't just that, though," Djarin insisted. "That time you lost your temper in his office, he said that he was sending you out as a 'scout.' And I know I chose that mission for you, to get you far away from Beacon and the Chill, but he was still going to go through with the idea he made. Even Glynda said that you should be what Ozpin said you were."

    "Okay, that's true. I remember that day. But I shut the idea out."

    "I know, but then it was this idea of becoming... what did he call it?" Djarin suddenly remembered. "A Fully-Realized Maiden. He was the one who gave you the idea. He gave you that image."

    "Um... I mean-"

    "And he did that again while Aurora was taking your powers. I know he was trying to help, but it almost sounded like he was projecting the image of being a 'worthy' Maiden on to you. I don't know what that means to him... but I don't like it."

    Cinder was slightly hurt by the idea. "Wait, you... you don't think I'm worthy?" she sadly asked.

    Djarin quickly realized that he made a mistake. "No, no, no!" He moved closer to Cinder. "No, that's not what I meant. Of course you are, I know you are. What I'm saying is that Ozpin and I have different ideas of who you're supposed to be. I just didn't see it until two weeks ago."

    "..."

    Djarin made every effort to fix his mistake. "Cinder, I wish I said this earlier, but you've never had to be perfect for Ozpin. Because you're perfect to me. And I don't think he realizes that you're still young, that you still have a lot to learn. Obi-Wan even said that you were Ozpin's hope. That you were supposed to be there for him. That's not right."

    "..."

    "The reason I might have been... hard on him, as you put it, is because I don't want him to decide who you are. I don't want him making all of these steps in your life for you. I want you to take them. It's your life, Cinder. Not his."

    Cinder let out a heavy sigh before she replied. "I appreciate the thought, Dad," she said. "I really do. But this..." The Maiden stood up. "This is for me. I have to know if I can be better than Vizsla and Aurora. I have to make sure my emotions don't lead me down the wrong path. And to do that..." Cinder shifted her head towards the door. "I have to start somewhere."

    "..."

    Djarin was extremely reluctant in this matter. He still harbored mixed feelings regarding Ozpin, but he couldn't deny that Cinder had made a strong case. To see if she could be a good ruler, to see if she could lead by example rather than make demands like Vizsla did, was an ambitious but necessary goal to Cinder. After all, she did say that change had to happen within the Mandalorians.

    And it seemed, Cinder would have to make that change first.

    "...Okay," Djarin decided. "I understand. But just be careful, Cinder. Don't let Ozpin make you feel you have to be different."

    "I won't," Cinder promised. With that, Cinder turned to the door once more and pressed a button to open it.

    Only to find Ozpin on the other side, who was just about to knock on the door.

    "Oh!" the old man said as he lowered his hand, seeing no door to knock on. "Hello, Cinder."

    "What are you doing here?" Cinder asked. Djarin also wanted to know, but he remained silent. Fortunately, Ozpin could explain himself.

    "I was looking for you, actually," he said before he looked to Djarin. "Both of you."

    "..."

    Cinder and Djarin shared a brief glance of uncertainty at each other before Ozpin spoke again. "I do wish to help you on this mission, I do. And I believe the best way to do that is to earn your trust once more."

    "..."

    "You both said that I would have to earn your trust once more. And though I may be out of turn, I wish to give myself a chance to do that now. For both of you."

    "..."

    Djarin and Cinder looked at each other once again and wondered the same thing. They were wondering if this was a coincidence or not, since they had just finished talking about Ozpin moments ago. Neither of them had heard the Headmaster approach the cockpit, and there was a chance that he had been listening on the other side.

    But Cinder was telling the truth about her feelings towards Ozpin. She didn't want to be cruel or unforgiving like the other rulers of Mandalore had been. And the refusal of rebuilding trust didn't seem right to Cinder.

    "What is it?" Cinder asked. "How do you want to use your chance?"

    Ozpin took a breath before he explained himself. "I won't deny the severity of the secrets I've been keeping from you, Cinder," he began. "I know that I should have told you the truth about Salem, about everything. I... I used to think I knew why I was keeping them from you. But now... I'm not so sure."

    Cinder was calmly listening to Ozpin while he was saying this. While she was doing so, she couldn't help but think that this was a good thing. Ozpin wasn't one to back away from his mistakes, he could admit that he had made errors in judgement. So it was good to see that he was doing this again; it helped reinforced Cinder's feelings that she didn't have to be hard on him.

    Djarin, however, was a little more impatient. His conversation with Cinder helped ease his feelings, but he wasn't afraid to voice his displeasure with the current conversation.

    "That sounds more like an apology," he said. "That doesn't exactly rebuild trust."

    Cinder turned around at her father. "Dad," she said. "Let's just-"

    "No, no, he's right," Ozpin admitted. "I do wish to apologize, Cinder, but that's not how I planned to use my chance. I planned to use it by doing what you said two weeks ago. No more secrets, lies, or half-truths. And I believe I should start... with that."

    Ozpin pointed towards Cinder's waist, where the Relic of Knowledge was safely secured. Djarin looked at the Relic along with Cinder, and they both wondered what Ozpin was talking about.

    "The lamp?" Cinder asked. "What about it?"

    "There has been something about the Relics that I hid from you," Ozpin confessed. "I most likely would have justified myself in the past, but that time is over. Cinder, you of all people deserve to know that holding the lamp, holding any Relic, carries a risk."

    "What risk?" Djarin asked as he stood up. "What are you talking about?"

    "Carrying any of the Relics outside the Vaults unfortunately paints a target on one's back." Ozpin looked to Cinder. "I'm afraid that target is now on you, Cinder."

    Cinder looked down at the Relic again, but she wasn't afraid. "Well, yeah," she said. "I understand. Salem's gonna want this thing more than anyone."

    "We all know that," Djarin insisted. "That's why we want an army to help us."

    "True, but I wasn't talking about Salem," Ozpin confessed. "I learned, many years ago, that the Creatures of Grimm are attracted to the Relics."

    "Wait, what?" Cinder asked. "What are you talking about?"

    "It's faint, but undeniable. The Grimm are somehow drawn to the Relics, and whoever holds them. I believe it has to do with their origin, but I'm not entirely sure. Nevertheless, you deserve to know that whoever holds the Relics is at greater risk of an attack from the Grimm."

    Djarin and Cinder looked at each other before they looked back to the Relic. Neither of them could have imagined something like this would be possible, but they could see how dangerous such an idea was.

    "You waited to tell us this now?" Djarin asked.

    "Again, I would have tried to justify myself for keeping that secret," Ozpin confessed. "But I won't. However, I didn't feel that I had much of an opportunity to share anything at Haven."

    "..."

    Neither of the Mandalorians could deny this idea. Between rebuilding Haven and the wall that had been built between Ozpin and his allies, Ozpin didn't really have a chance to talk to anyone about their quest.

    Until now.

    "I believed it would be for the best if you two knew, now that we won't have Mistral's protection anymore," Ozpin said. "If you choose to continue carrying the Relic, you must tread carefully."

    Cinder and Djarin understood the warning, but there was something odd about what Ozpin had just said.

    "What do you mean 'if' she chooses to carry it?" Djarin asked.

    "I will assist you in any way I can," Ozpin replied. "If you feel this may be daunting for you, Cinder, I would be willing to relieve you of the burden. I would be willing to carry it in your stead."

    Djarin and Cinder glanced at each other once more. The Mandalorian didn't reply or answer for Cinder, since he wished for her to make her own choice. Though he was also willing to carry the Relic, regardless of whether or not this danger was true, Djarin wanted Cinder to be able to choose for herself.

    And she did.

    "Thank you for telling me," Cinder gratefully said. "But I'll be okay. I recovered from my coma, I should be good to fight off some Grimm."

    Ozpin was indeed concerned for Cinder's safety, but he didn't want to speak out of turn. Instead, he accepted the Maiden's decision. "Very well," he said. "But if you ever change your mind, or if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help you." Ozpin turned to Djarin. "Both of you."

    "..."

    Djarin didn't say anything, but he nodded at Ozpin before he left. Once he did, Djarin looked at Cinder and asked a question. "Do you believe him?" he asked.

    "That's a weird thing to lie about," Cinder replied as she looked at the lamp. "And I never really thought about the Grimm being able to track the Relics."

    Djarin was well aware of Ozpin lying to him and Cinder, but he had to agree that the Grimm being able to sense the Relics was indeed a strange thing to lie about. Along with that, the Mandalorian had a logical assumption as to why such a thing could exist.

    "It might be Salem," he theorized. "If she can control the Grimm, she might have given them the ability to sniff the Relics out."

    "That's true," said Cinder. "You didn't see any Grimm when we took off, did you?"

    "None." Djarin looked towards the ship's radar. "And we haven't hit a single spike yet. Then again, the Huntsman and Huntresses would have cleared out any avian Grimm where we are right now."

    Cinder looked at the radar with her father. "How long until we get to Argus?"

    "A little over an hour."

    "So... you think there's a chance?"

    Djarin didn't know what to think regarding Ozpin, but he wasn't one to ignore the potential of danger.

    "I think we should be prepared. Just in case."

    The Razor Crest had entered the outskirts of Anima, where a never-ending forest and numerous mountains could be seen by anyone. Djarin had lost count of how many times he had flown over these parts of Anima, how many times he let the airship's engines break the natural silence of the environment. It was always the same for the Mandalorian, each and every time he came to Anima.

    There was, however, one noticeable difference that Djarin and his passengers could see if they looked out the window. The forest was still below them, but it was scorched.

    As was the earth.

    This was one of the many results from the Mandalorian Civil War. Acres of forest were scorched and burnt while the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and civilians all tried to keep the invaders at bay. Holding the line wouldn't be much of a problem anymore, but it would take years before the effects of the scorched earth tactics could be reversed.

    And to think that this was only a portion of the damage Saxon and Vizsla did during their reigns was very depressing for everyone. However, nobody had time to reflect or mourn at the moment.

    The Razor Crest wasn't flying alone anymore.

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    Djarin and Cinder both looked to the console to see that the ship's radar had detected something behind them. There were three incoming objects flying towards them, and they were gaining fast.

    So fast that one object was now visible to the right.

    Djarin and Cinder turned to see a large Grimm flying to their side. It looked like a large cat-like beast, one with talons and sharp fangs that gave a rather intimidating factor. But the one distinguishing factor was that the beast had wings. And it only took one look for experienced Huntsmen and Huntresses, as well as Mandalorians, to know what kind of Grimm it was.

    "Manticores," Djarin and Cinder said at the same time.

    *ROAR*

    *BAM*    ​

    The creature struck the right side of the Razor Crest with its entire body, which shook the entire ship. Cinder was knocked out of her seat, but Djarin kept a firm grip on the steering mechanism.

    "Taking evasive action!" the Mandalorian yelled as he manually moved the ship.

    Nobody could see it, but the Razor Crest was involved in a sort of high-speed chase in the air. It made many sharp turns in the air, and even backtracked at some points, all in hopes that it could shake the Manticores.

    And while the Manticores occasionally crashed into each other due to the movements of the Razor Crest, they continued their pursuit and continued to hit the right side.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *SCRATCH*    ​

    The sound of claws striking against the metal of the ship made Djarin and Cinder concerned. They were surprised to see that the Grimm were more concerned about one side of the ship rather than the rest of it. It wasn't uncommon for Manticores to attack from all sides in order to bring an airship down.

    But this different.

    Both Mandalorians knew that something was wrong, but Cinder was the first to discover what it was. When she felt something on her hand, she looked down to see that the Beetle attached to her was acting wild. It seemed to have been awakened in the presence of other Grimm, and it was reaching for her right side.

    Right where the Relic of Knowledge was resting.

    "The Relic..." Cinder whispered in realization. She was sitting on the right side of the cockpit, which was the side the Manticores were hitting. "Dad, it's the Relic! They're trying to get it!"

    Djarin looked to Cinder to see that not only was she sitting on the same side that the Grimm were sitting, but that the Beetle on her hand was trying to reach it. "Ozpin was right," he said in surprise. "It's drawing them here!"

    Both Mandalorians were surprised by the realization that Ozpin was telling the truth, but they weren't unprepared.

    "You remember the plan?" Cinder asked.

    "Yeah," Djarin replied. "You sure you can handle it?"

    "Definitely. Just remember to fly on a straight path."

    "I will. Be careful."

    "You too."

    After Cinder removed the Relic from her side, she exited the cockpit and moved down to the cabin. There, she saw Qrow, Ozpin, and the Jedi all holding their weapons and staying at the left side of the cabin.

    "We can use the Force to keep them at bay!" said Revan. "We were just about to give it a try!"

    "Don't worry about that!" Cinder insisted. "Dad and I have this covered!"

    *BAM*​

    After another Grimm hit the right side, Cinder stumbled with everyone else before she moved to the side door. "Stand back!" she said before she opened the door. Cold air came into the cabin and wind blew everywhere.

    "Cinder, what are you doing?!" Ozpin yelled.

    Cinder turned around and explained herself. "Following the plan. Be right back!" With that, Cinder let herself fall out of the ship.

    *CHOOM*​

    The door closed behind Cinder, so everyone rushed over to the window to see what was going on. It was hard to see at first, but they could make out the sight of Cinder using her Maiden powers to fly. She had missed the Manticores and their sharp claws, and they seemed to have missed her.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    The Grimm continued to hit the side of the Razor Crest. They paid no attention to Cinder, who was flying right behind them, and they paid no attention to the fire in both of her hands. Because of that, and because Djarin kept flying the ship as best as he could, Cinder was able to send her fire at the Grimm.

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    Two of the beasts felt the fire at their backs too late, and their bodies were beginning to burn. One Manticore lost control of its wings, which were becoming charred stumps due to Cinder's fire. It fell to the ground at an alarming rate, and its companion had been reduced to ash.

    The last Grimm, however, was able to avoid the fire. Instead of burning, it flew at Cinder and tried to strike her with its sharp tail. The Maiden was expecting at least one Manticore to survive her flame, and she danced in the air as she dodged each jab.

    "No, you don't!" she said as she flew under its belly. Once she did, Cinder unleashed a barrage of icicles at its exposed flesh. Each sharp projectile struck through the Grimm's flesh, and it began to fall as it turned into ash.

    "Yes!" Cinder screamed triumphantly. "The Fall Maiden is back!"

    Cinder was proud to see that she was still fluent with her powers when it came to killing Grimm. And she was proud that the plan she had made with her father had worked. After Ozpin divulged the secret that the Grimm were attracted to the Relics, Djarin and Cinder prepared themselves to face off any Grimm that might try to steal the lamp.

    At first, Djarin planned to rely on the Razor Crest's multiple weapons. But Cinder recalled a time when avian Grimm were able to avoid the bullets and rockets as they flew around the ship. When that happened, Cinder persuaded Djarin to let her fly outside so she could destroy them head on.

    The steps they took together were gradual, at first. Cinder would fly outside the ship for a brief time while Djarin flew on a straight path. The Grimm would be focused on him and miss Cinder blasting them from behind.

    They would usually notice the flying child, but Djarin and Cinder hypothesized that the Relic of Knowledge would make them oblivious to her presence this time. And they were right.

    Because of their plan, the Razor Crest would live to fly another day. That is, until the new company was destroyed.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Cinder had to cover her ears when she heard the large guns firing into the distance. When she looked to see what her father was firing at, Cinder saw that more Manticores were coming at the front of the ship this time. They were within the targeting system of the Razor Crest, so the Mandalorian could destroy the Manticores easily.

    The Sphinx, however, was a different story.

    The larger Grimm, much larger than the Manticores, was able to evade the blasts Djarin was firing at it. And when it noticed Cinder, it swooped down and made it harder for the Mandalorian to shoot at.

    "Whoa!" Cinder yelled as she dove down to avoid the beast. She had just missed its teeth and claws, but now it was coming back for more.

    The Fall Maiden knew that she was outmatched by the larger Grimm. She had killed Nevermores and Manticores before, but a Sphinx was a different story. They could rip metal off any ship without much effort, so flesh and bones weren't much different.

    And it was only fazed by the fire Cinder shot at it. It was able to shake off the small flames on its body when Cinder stopped, which made the Maiden decide to retreat instead of fight.

    Fortunately, Djarin noticed Cinder's plight and opened the door to the cabin once more. Cinder flew inside just in time before the Sphinx hit it.

    *BAM*​

    Everyone stumbled when the Grimm hit the ship, and Cinder almost fell out. The door was still open, since Cinder entered just before the Sphinx made its attack, so she was vulnerable to falling out and into the Grimm's hungry mouth.

    Fortunately, Ozpin grabbed Cinder's hand and pulled her back.

    "I got you!" Ozpin said as he pulled on Cinder. When she moved deeper into the cabin, the Headmaster looked outside and saw that the Sphinx was ready for another attack.

    To prevent this, Ozpin used his remaining Magic to fire a green blast at the beast before he closed the door.

    *ZAP*

    *BAM*    ​

    The Magic hit the beast's face, which fazed it once again. When it regained its bearings, it began to chase after the airship with all its speed. But the Mandalorian was prepared for this, and he activated the Razor Crest's rear weapons and opened fire.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Multiple bullets rang out from the weapons, but the Sphinx was able to duck and weave past them all. The weapons hampered its progress and kept it at bay, but the Grimm wasn't ready to give up.

    And everyone inside knew it.

    "We gotta stop that thing!" said Cinder. "It could rip the engines to shreds!"

    "Don't go back outside, Cinder!" Ozpin protested when he saw Cinder about to open the door again. "It's too dangerous!" He was about to propose that he use his Magic again, to strike at a more vulnerable position than he did before.

    But Revan had another idea.

    "Leave it to me," he ordered calmly as he moved to the door. "I will finish this."

    "..."

    Neither Cinder or Ozpin protested. Obi-Wan didn't protest either, as he had confidence that Revan could end the Sphinx's life quickly. In order to do that, Revan lifted his hand to the door and reached out with the Force.

    Rather than use the Force to open the door, Revan reached out and made contact with the Grimm. He could sense its feelings, its hunger and desire to destroy the ship. It was gaining fast, and it was ready to complete its mission.

    But Revan stopped the beast by slowly closing his hand.

    *CRUNCH*

    *CRACK*

    *ROAR*    ​

    Outside the airship, the Sphinx was being crushed. Its legs and wings were closing in on its body very painfully as the invisible Force surrounded itself around the Grimm. Revan was drawing the Force closer and closer to the Sphinx so he could crush it, and he was doing the job perfectly.

    *ROAR*

    *HOWL*    ​

    The cries and bowls of pain didn't distract Revan from breaking his concentration. Instead, he kept crushing and crushing the Grimm until all that was left was ash that disappeared into the wind.

    Djarin heard the cries as well, and he noticed that the weapons had stopped firing. They were designed to keep firing until whatever was behind the ship was destroyed, so the Mandalorian could tell that the Sphinx was no more. He could see more Manticores approaching from the front, but they immediately broke off pursuit when they noticed what happened to the Sphinx.

    "They're smart," Djarin noted. He had seen Grimm learn from battle before, and they did this mainly by keeping their distance or retreating. The Grimm knew that they were outmatched, and that they could fight another day. Djarin was sure to fire his weapons at two Grimm within his sights, but he let the others go.

    When the Grimm finally disappeared, Djarin placed the ship in autopilot and rushed into the cabin to find Cinder recovering from her fight.

    "You okay?" Djarin asked as he moved to his daughter.

    "Yeah," Cinder replied. "I got inside just in time."

    The Mandalorian sighed in relief. "Good. Let's stay inside for the rest of the flight, okay?"

    "Sounds good to me."

    Obi-Wan looked out the window to see that the sky was clear once again. "It seems we're in the clear," he said. "There's nothing else behind us."

    "And there's nothing in front of us," Djarin informed the passengers. "The other Manticores disappeared after the Sphinx was killed. We should have smooth sailing for the rest of the trip."

    Everyone either nodded or returned to their seats in silence. But before Ozpin could return to his, Cinder put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

    "Thanks for grabbing me," she said. "I was this close to that thing."

    "You're very welcome," Ozpin humbly replied.

    Cinder turned around to face her father and explain herself. "I almost fell out when that Sphinx hit the ship. Ozpin pulled me inside and used his Magic to hurt it."

    Djarin immediately looked at Cinder from head to toe. "You sure you're okay?" he asked.

    "Yeah, I'm fine. It didn't bite me or anything."

    Djarin mentally sighed in relief before he turned to Ozpin. "Thank you," he said calmly. "We were lucky this time."

    "Very lucky," Ozpin agreed. He didn't want to speak out of turn, but he was curious about what had just happened. "Did you plan this out, may I ask?"

    "We did. It was actually because you told us about the Relic."

    "We figured the Grimm would be more worried about the ship instead of someone like me," Cinder explained. "And we were right. Those Manticores didn't know what hit them."

    "I see," Ozpin replied in mild surprise. He believed divulging such a secret would cause even more trouble, since he neglected to tell them earlier.

    But now, it was clear his honesty had been necessary to survival. And his allies were more than willing to accept and use that honesty when they needed it.

    "I'm glad I was able to be of assistance," he replied as he took his seat. Cinder and Djarin were also glad, since they were well prepared for an attack by the Grimm. Cinder was probably the most proud of the trio, since she still believed that she had been too hard on Ozpin and that working together would be for the best.

    Obi-Wan and Revan sensed Cinder's feelings, and they too were proud that things were starting to change between them all. Qrow, however, rolled his eyes and looked to the wall as he ignored everyone in the ship.

    And he was like that for the rest of the voyage.

    About twenty minutes after the encounter with the Manticores, the Razor Crest arrived someplace new. The snowy forest was still below them, but there was also a large wall that stood amongst the trees. On the other side of that wall were multiple houses, buildings, and people. And just beyond the large town was a vast ocean, as blue as the sky itself.

    After an intense flight, the crew and passengers of the Razor Crest had arrived in Argus.

    While the hybrid city mostly welcomed ground vehicles such as cars and motorcycles, Argus possessed a landing pad for merchant and military airship. Djarin was required to transfer a payment to land his ship, but it was a small price to pay to take the next steps to Atlas. Once he landed, everyone exited the ship and found the nearest trolley car.

    Before traversing the city, Djarin had advised Cinder to remove her armor while he used the disguise Ozpin had given him. While the war was over, there was bound to be some hostility regarding Mandalorians in Mistral. So they boarded a trolley car, the common transport system of Argus, in normal clothing.

    Their next stop was the Argus military base, the place that served as the border between the Kingdoms of Mistral and Atlas. Djarin and Cinder had been there before, after she had been rescued from Major Gideon and his insurrection. That was the day they found out about Ozpin and where they had to go to finish their quest.

    Looking back, it was easy to see that the quest had only begun for them that day. It had expanded, grown past what either Mandalorian thought was possible. The two of them had certainly grown since that day, they had faced many challenges and adversities that they either surpassed or were trying to surpass.

    And now, there was one challenge right in front of them: a closed gate that refused to open.

    "Look, you don't have to let us in!" Cinder insisted to two guards on the other side. "Can we just talk?!"

    The guards on the other side were tall and wearing the uniforms of an officer rather than a foot soldier. They both wore large hats that obscured the upper half of their faces, which revealed only their mouths.

    Which were, as Cinder found out, rather big and loud.

    "Our orders are clear!" the first guard said. "The Mistral-Atlas border is closed!"

    "Please!" the second guard yelled before his partner finished the sentence.

    "Have a good day!"

    Cinder wasn't ready to give up. "But I-!"

    "A good day!" the soldiers yelled in unison.

    "..."

    Most would think the loudness and the unity of their voices were intimidating. Cinder was even starting to see that their ability to finish each other's sentences was a bit scary.

    But everyone behind her did their best to help.

    Djarin moved close to Cinder to assist her. "Look, if you don't want to believe that we know Ironwood-"

    "General Ironwood!" the guards corrected in unison.

    "...Right, General Ironwood, that's fine," the disguised Mandalorian insisted. "But we're on official business with Headmasters Ozpin and Kenobi." Djarin gestured to the Huntsmen behind him.

    The guards shared a reluctant glance at each other after they got a look at Ozpin and Obi-Wan. They were well aware who the people before them were, and they were well aware that it wasn't every day when two Headmasters came to their base.

    "Approach!" they ordered in unison.

    Ozpin and Obi-Wan obeyed so the guards could have a better look at them. There was silence for the next few moments, which gave the indication that the guards were deciding what to do. But after Ozpin and Obi-Wan shared a glance and a nod, they made the decision for the guards.

    "We must speak with your commanding officer," Obi-Wan said after he waved his hand.

    "You must speak with our commanding officer!" the first guard said.

    "You will bring your commanding officer at once."

    "We will bring our commanding officer at once!" the second officer replied. He and his partner turned around and set off to find their commanding officer.

    They did this by marching and chanting rather than walking in silence.

    "Hup, hup, hup, hup, hup, hup, hup!"

    "Atlas, Atlas, Atlas, Atlas, Atlas, Atlas!"

    "..."

    Cinder and her father couldn't help but look at each other after they stared at the marching soldiers for twenty seconds straight.

    "...Okay," Cinder finally said. "They were super weird."

    Djarin turned to Obi-Wan. "You sure you didn't mess them up with that thing you did?" he asked.

    "No, it appears that was their nature," Obi-Wan insisted. "Strange, but also loyal. It's commendable."

    "Indeed," said Ozpin. "Though I can't help but wonder if that... behavior was something James tried to teach all of his students."

    "Gods, I hope not," Cinder insisted. "If I ever see Winter like that, I'm not sure if I could be in the same room as her."

    Djarin chuckled before he decided to remove his magical disguise. "Probably for the best they know who we are," he insisted. "If they found out later, that could cause trouble."

    "Most likely," said Revan. "We'll have to reveal our truth in Atlas when we arrive." Cinder, Ozpin, and Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.

    "Do you think the news of Mistral's party got televised here?" Cinder asked.

    "Maybe," Djarin believed. "If it did, that should help our case."

    "Indeed," said Ozpin. "And also, you and Cinder were here before, weren't you, Djarin?"

    "That's right."

    "Did you, by any chance, happen to meet the commander of this base when you were here?"

    Djarin took a minute to think back on the day he was at this base. "Uh... no. No, I don't think I did."

    "I don't think I did either," said Cinder. "All I remember are a bunch of soldiers and Dad being taken to the infirmary."

    Obi-Wan looked towards the gate after the Mandalorians explained themselves. "I believe our chance to become acquainted has arrived," he said as he pointed to the gate, which was starting to open.

    When it fully opened, the two officers returned with their commanding officer.

    "Introducing!" the first officer said.

    "Special Operative!" the second officer followed.

    "Caroline Cordovin!" they said together.

    "..."

    Everyone saw another officer walk past the open gate. She was a woman of short-stature and graying brown hair, which gave the indication that she was somewhat old. It was quite possible that she had served in the Atlas military her whole life.

    She was wearing a white uniform with a black stripe on her left side and a pin indicating rank on her right side. Along with this uniform, the woman wore a rather serious and unwavering look upon her face as she studied the base's guests.

    She couldn't help but linger at Djarin, since he had chosen to present himself in his armor. However, she didn't make any attempt to arrest him or call him an enemy to the Kingdom. Instead, she made rather large strides towards Ozpin and Obi-Wan when she confirmed their identities.

    "Headmasters," she addressed them casually.

    Ozpin and Obi-Wan felt at ease when Cordovin finally spoke, so they spoke as well.

    "Greetings," Ozpin replied casually.

    "Hello there," Obi-Wan replied in a similar manner. "Pardon the intrusion, but we-"

    "Or should I say former Headmaster," said the elderly officer. "You did, as I recall, resign from your post earlier today."

    Obi-Wan was caught off guard by the interruption, as well as how quickly word of his resignation had travelled. "Oh," he said. "That's correct, yes. I'm only a Huntsman now."

    Cordovin nodded before she turned to Cinder. "And you. The recipient of the Medal of Honor. And 'leader' of Mandalore."

    Cinder wasn't expecting the spotlight to be cast on her, but she didn't deny this truth. "Um... hello," she said with a friendly smile. "Yes, my name's Cinder. And me and my friends were wondering if you would hear us out about-"

    "Seeking out every Mandalorian on Remnant?" Cordovin confidently asked. "That was what you said in your speech, yes?"

    Cinder was once again surprised by the woman's knowledge. However, she was able to see that an opportunity had been presented to her. "Um, yes!" she said. "Yes, those are my plans right now. As you may have heard."

    "Oh, I have," Cordovin replied bluntly. "Yes, very ambitious and inspiring." She suddenly turned to Djarin and looked at the Rinocer he was wearing. "On the other hand, I don't see a 'starbird,' as you put it, on this one."

    Djarin looked at his armor and remembered what Cinder had said in her speech. He was very proud of her and willing to wear a symbol like she described, but he hadn't found the time to do so.

    "I haven't-"

    "What a pity," Cordovin interrupted. "I would hate to think that speech was just words, in the end."

    "..."

    It was clear that Cordovin was making an attempt to take control of the situation. It was clear that she wished to establish dominance over her "guests," since they had so brazenly arrived at the base and wished to open the gates. If she was going to meet with them, it was important for Cordovin to establish boundaries.

    Her plan was working, of course. But it was also making Cinder somewhat upset. She wasn't crying or saying anything, she simply showed her hurt feelings by looking down.

    But Ozpin and Obi-Wan were ready to come to her aid.

    "That's why we're here, actually," the Jedi insisted. "We all wish to put Cinder's words into action."

    "And we believe you may be able to help us," said Ozpin.

    Cordovin couldn't help but hum in interest. Her guests simply had her attention a few moments ago, but now they had her curiosity. "The Kingdom of Atlas is ready and willing to assist in any way possible," she said proudly with a hint of smugness. It was clear that she valued the Atlesian military. "Proceed."

    "Haven Academy makes the second school that has been viciously attacked," said Ozpin. "Beacon was the first, and I am certain you are aware of its untimely fall."

    "Quite aware. Just as I am aware of Atlas' valiant efforts to defend the school and its students." Cordovin began to stare off into space. More specifically, towards the mountain that the base was built into. "I often wonder what would have happened if I were present for the defense. How well it could have served Beacon."

    Ozpin couldn't help but glance at the mountain, though he was unsure what the Atlesian was talking about. "Excuse me?" he asked.

    Cordovin quickly looked back to Ozpin. "Never mind," she insisted. "You were saying?"

    "We wish to ensure the safety of Atlas Academy, as well as the entire Kingdom. Our minds would be put at ease knowing that Atlas is safe."

    "I can assure you that Atlas is more than well-protected. Our only concern is following our current orders: keeping the borders closed."

    Ozpin fixed his glasses before he spoke again. "Quite right. However, this was the same goal the capital city of Mistral had. The main passage to the city was closed off and well guarded, but the Mandalorians were able to find a way inside."

    "Maybe so, but they did not have Atlas' protection, now did they?"

    "No... but the threat still exists. Beacon and Haven were attacked from the inside, and we believe the same could happen to Atlas Academy. The Mandalorians had people on the inside helping them. My present company and I believe it would be wise to see James personally and help root out this attack before it happens."

    "..."

    This seemed like a reasonable thing to ask for. And Ozpin knew what he was talking about, given how the Blairs infiltrated Beacon and Raven infiltrated Haven. Both parties were not only responsible for bringing the Mandalorians with them, but they were also still at large.

    The Headmaster wanted to explain this, but he was cut off by laughter from Cordovin.

    "Ha, ha, ha!" she laughed sarcastically. "Personally? That's completely out of the question! No one is allowed beyond this base, regardless of status! As my conscientious allies have said..." The two guards immediately stood at attention. "The border is closed."

    Ozpin was prepared to say more, but Obi-Wan had another idea. When he stepped closer to the short woman, Obi-Wan waved his hand and spoke calmly. "We can be an exception," he said as he began his famous mind trick. Now, he was sure that Cordovin would be agreeable.

    He was wrong.

    "No, you can't," she insisted stubbornly.

    Obi-Wan and Ozpin were surprised by the response, since the former did his trick perfectly. "We can be an exception," he said again.

    "No, you can't!" Cordovin yelled. "What are you doing with your hand?! Are you trying to use a Semblance on me?!" She was jumping in the air as she yelled, since she had lost her temper.

    Djarin and Cinder were surprised by the woman's rather quick movements, but they were more surprised by the fact that Obi-Wan's mind trick had failed.

    "That's a first," Djarin whispered to his daughter. "That usually works."

    "I know," Cinder replied slowly. She was still processing how the Force had failed to work on the officer.

    Cordovin had stopped jumping and stood at attention again. "If you are incapable of comprehending the importance of our mission here in Argus, then allow me to say this slowly, with small words," she insisted.

    Ozpin and Obi-Wan looked at each other in confusion, as did Cinder and Djarin. Suddenly, they watched Cordovin point at various things as she spoke.

    "This base, that relay tower, the very safety of Argus are all gifts from the glorious Kingdom of Atlas!" She then spread her arms out. "And it is my duty to uphold them, as only I have the wit and tenacity for such a task."

    "Such wit!" said the first guard.

    "Such tenacity!" said the second guard.

    "..."

    Cordovin put her arms down. "So, do we understand each other?"

    "..."

    Nobody knew what to say next after the demonstration. And yet, everyone seemed to be believe that nobody as old as Cordovin should have this much... energy with her job. And the old woman took the silence as understanding and prepared to close the gates once more as she walked away.

    "Wait!" Djarin insisted as he stepped forward. "You don't understand. We know closing the borders seems like the right move, but the people who helped the Mandalorians can work around that."

    "We've seen it!" said Cinder. "They could already be in Atlas, for all we know! Please, we know General Ironwood is worried enough about-"

    "The General is no coward!" Cordovin replied harshly. "Atlas is strong. If someone wishes to make us their enemy, then so be it! Atlas will prevail!"

    "Atlas will prevail!" the two guards followed in unison.

    "Will you stop doing that?!" Cinder asked as she finally lost her patience. "You're freaking me out!" She originally thought the guards were strange, but their continued unison in speech and patterns were starting to scare her.

    "..."

    Cordovin calmed down and gave the group a rather forced smile as she delivered an ultimatum. "If Professor Ozpin and the former Headmaster Kenobi have information that will help us, then, of course, the Atlas military will gladly listen. But the Kingdom will not be responsible for any guests of..." Cordovin locked eyes on Djarin. "Questionable character."

    "..."

    Djarin had to admit that he was expecting a worse reaction to his appearance. He had dealt with prejudice and animosity like this in the past, and he was used to it.

    But his daughter wasn't.

    "What's that supposed to mean?" Cinder asked the woman in a hostile manner.

    "It means we're done here," Cordovin said before the gates closed.

    *CLANG*​

    The sound of the metal gates closing was deafening, as was the group's apparent defeat. Cinder was perhaps the only one who took the defeat as a personal attack, given Cordovin's prejudice against Mandalorians. And while Cinder was unsure how she could create change for the people, she knew that she wouldn't accept any prejudice or anything else like the stubborn woman had said.

    Especially when it was directed at her own father.

    "Dad, are you okay?" Cinder asked. "That was-"

    "It's okay, Cinder," Djarin insisted. "I've been called worse." He looked back to the gate. "Though it looks like diplomacy isn't going to work."

    "And neither will subtlety," said Obi-Wan. "The Force is capable of influencing weaker minds, but it has its limits." It seemed that Cordovin, while incredibly stubborn, possessed a strong-willed mind that a Jedi mind trick couldn't work on.

    "It's true," said Revan. "Cordovin is surprisingly strong."

    "Looks like we'll need a new plan, then," said Djarin. "I could use my Semblance to get inside. Qrow, maybe you could use your-" Djarin suddenly saw something unordinary. "Qrow?"

    Everyone looked where Djarin was looking. When they did, they all saw that Qrow was walking away from everyone. They all shared the Mandalorian's surprise, as well as his concern.

    "Qrow?" Ozpin called out. "Qrow, where are you going?"

    "Anywhere but here," Qrow replied.

    "What?" Cinder asked. "But we need a plan!"

    Qrow stopped walking. "A plan? The plan just got shut on our faces for the millionth time! I'm going for a drink." He immediately began to walk away from the group while he ignored the looks of disbelief everyone was giving him.

    But he couldn't ignore Cinder blocking his path with a scowl on her face.

    "Hey!" she said crossly. Her encounter with Cordovin had tried her patience, and now it was vanishing with every word she said next. "What is your problem?"

    "Get out of my way, Cinder," Qrow demanded. His patience was fleeting as well. "And don't worry about it."

    But Cinder was worried about it.

    "Oh, I'm sorry!" she said sarcastically. "But we all can't survive on beer, you know!"

    "I said beat it!" Qrow angrily ordered as he prepared to walk away when Cinder moved.

    "Hey!" said Djarin, who used his Semblance to teleport right next to Cinder. "Don't talk to her that way!"

    "Don't tell me what to do, Mando! Just mind your own damn business!"

    "Cinder is my business! And so's making sure we get our heads together!"

    "Yeah!" said Cinder. "I'm sorry things aren't going smoothly for you, but that's part of the job!"

    "Are you kidding me?!" Qrow yelled. "You don't know what the job is, Cinder! You might have that laser sword or whatever you call it, but you're just a damn kid! The sooner you realize that, the better!"

    Djarin pushed on Qrow's chest. "I said don't talk to her like that!" he said.

    Qrow pushed Djarin back. "Don't touch me!"

    Before the confrontation could get even more physical, Revan jumped in and kept both warriors at bay with his extended hands. "Enough!" he said.

    Obi-Wan knew it was wise of Revan to step in and stop the fight, just like he knew it would be wise to try and be the voice of reason. He had sensed what was troubling Qrow ever since the night Jinn spoke to them all, and Djarin was also afflicted by it. Not in the same way as Qrow, but he was still afflicted.

    But now it had to stop.

    "What's done is done," he insisted. "The sooner we can move on with it, the sooner we can keep moving forward."

    Cinder nodded. "That's right," she said. "If we keep moving forward, we can find a solution."

    Cinder and Obi-Wan were right, of course, but not everyone agreed with them.

    "Oh, so that's the plan from our great leader!" said Qrow, who was being sarcastic and rather cruel. "Just keep beating the dead horse!"

    Djarin and Cinder were growing very angry, but neither of them wanted to be physical again. "I never said I was your great leader," Cinder insisted.

    "Really?" Qrow moved close to Cinder again. "Well, you sure act like it sometimes!"

    Djarin once again defended Cinder. "Well, you act like an ass sometimes!" he said. "Your attitude, or whatever you call it, only makes you a liability!" The Mandalorian had lost count of how many times Qrow had become irrational due to his alcoholic behavior, just like he was being irrational now.

    Qrow didn't have a worthy response to Djarin, but he was able to end the argument. "Well, why don't I just take my attitude and leave?!" he said as he pushed against the Mandalorian's side and walked away.

    "Fine!" Djarin yelled. "Go, then!"

    Enough was enough for the Mandalorian. His life as a bounty hunter taught him how to tell when a partner wasn't reliable. When they were in over their heads, inexperienced, or just not up to the job. And sadly, Qrow had spent the past two weeks telling everyone that he wasn't up for the job.

    Nobody wanted to admit it, and nobody wanted to see him go, but everyone knew that they couldn't allow Qrow to distract them anymore. They couldn't let his anger and grudge against Ozpin hold them back anymore. Djarin still had mixed feelings, but he could control his emotions. And Cinder still wanted to make things better.

    Sadly, it seemed they would have to make things better... without Qrow.

    Everyone, minus Qrow, were all making their way towards the Razor Crest. Each of them were taking their dead end at the base very hardly, especially Djarin and Cinder. They knew that there was something wrong with Qrow, but it had never reached a point where he would abandon them or hurt them like he did.

    The only time Djarin remembered Qrow ever getting physical with him was when they first met. He never did it again until a few minutes ago.

    Ozpin was also upset with Qrow, since he was well aware what was causing his behavior to begin with. He felt more and more guilty with every step he took, and he also felt responsible for everything that was happening. That was why he wanted to focus all of his energy on finding a way to Atlas.

    Obi-Wan and Revan were also wondering how they would be going to Atlas, but they couldn't help but feel distracted at the moment. Not by the environment around them, but a rather unique presence.

    Someone was watching them.

    Ozpin needed more time before he could sense the presence, but he felt it as well. He turned around to the Jedi and saw that each of them were ready to split away from the group. Ozpin nodded at them slowly before he rejoined Djarin and Cinder; whoever was watching them, Ozpin trusted the Jedi to find them.

    Their chance to break away from the group came when they came to a crowded trolley car. They said they would take the next one and set off on their hunt.

    Obi-Wan and Revan hadn't worked together very closely in the past. Their first real assignment together was actually defending Haven from the Mandalorians and whatever else Salem sent to the academy. Regardless, they trusted each other's instincts and abilities. And right now, they trusted each other to identify this mysterious stalker.

    "This isn't Anakin," said Obi-Wan. "I've sensed his presence before."

    "And this isn't another Sith," Revan included. "Their connection to the Force is... marginal. And yet... this feels-"

    "Familiar, yes. We've met them before."

    Obi-Wan and Revan looked around to see multiple people, young and old, all minding their own business. Nobody was looking in their direction, but they knew they were being watched.

    Now it was just a matter of finding out who.

    "They won't come out," Revan insisted. "Not here."

    Obi-Wan spotted an alley not far from where he and Revan were. He immediately had the idea to go inside and allow the stalker to find him and Revan, which would go one of two ways. Either they would have an audience with the stalker, or they would be attacked.

    The risk was present, but Obi-Wan knew that he and Revan would discover the identity of their stalker no matter what happened.

    "In there," Obi-Wan decided as he pointed to the alley. "Let our friend come to us."

    Revan looked at the alley and agreed with Obi-Wan. He was also aware of the risks, but the identity of the stalker would be revealed no matter what happened. And so, he moved to the alley with Obi-Wan and awaited what came next.

    Silence was the first thing the Jedi encountered, but the former Headmaster broke it quickly.

    "If you're going to kill me, would you kindly do it right away?" he sarcastically asked. "It might be the only end to my stressful day at this point."

    Revan wasn't always fond of Obi-Wan's occasional humor, but he was expecting the stalker to take the challenge in a heartbeat.

    The challenge to kill a Jedi, however, wasn't taken by the stalker. Instead, she revealed her presence by flying down with her jetpack.

    "I'm stressed too, believe it or not," said a Mandalorian in blue and gray armor. "Being on the run's harder than it looks."

    Obi-Wan moved his hands away from his lightsaber as he relaxed. He silently instructed Revan to do so as well by moving his other hand towards his companion. "Bo-Katan," he addressed the Mandalorian.

    Bo-Katan removed her helmet to reveal a completely different person than she used to be. Her hair was unkept, there were circles under her eyes, she looked... tired.

    "You look unwell," said Revan. "Certainly in no position to fight."

    "I've been worse," said Bo-Katan. She was indeed tired, but her Mandalorian training was nothing compared to how she was feeling right now. She once had to camp in the woods for two days, and she was left in a much worse condition than she was in today. "And you're lucky you're not the ones I want."

    "Is that so?" Obi-Wan asked. "Then why have you been following us?"

    "How'd you know I was following you?" the Mandalorian asked. "Most people don't know where I am until it's too late."

    Revan immediately took the idea as a threat, but he noticed that Obi-Wan was rather calm. He wasn't looking to attack just yet; perhaps it was the Jedi in him.

    Revan realized that perhaps it was time to rekindle certain aspects and traits he possessed within the Order.

    "We have our ways," the warrior calmly replied. "And I've been hunting Mandalorians for quite some time."

    Bo-Katan suddenly remembered that the man before her was the one Salem was talking about. She also remembered that Pre Vizsla and Gar Saxon once called him "the Butcher." She was all too familiar with the tale, and she saw the numerous bodies of fallen Mandalorians to prove the man's words.

    And so, rather than look for a fight, Bo-Katan reluctantly took a page out of her sister's book as she spoke.

    "I was hoping to keep watching you from afar," she said. "But I guess I have to talk to you instead."

    "Regarding?" Obi-Wan asked.

    "We both want the same thing, Kenobi. Don't bother denying it."

    Revan was still distrustful of Vizsla's former lieutenant, but he was curious as to where this was going. Perhaps this would be the catalyst for the new army Djarin and Cinder wanted to create.

    "You wish to help us fight Salem?" he asked calmly.

    "No!" Bo-Katan immediately rebuffed. "Salem can go to Hell, but I'm not going to fight her. If that's what you're doing, then that's your problem."

    "Then what do you want?" Obi-Wan asked. "Who are you hunting?"

    "You know damn well who."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan indeed knew. He had been trying not to think about it, but the memory of Satine's death plagued his mind and his dreams. And based on what he sensed within Bo-Katan, it seemed that she was also haunted by her sister's death.

    And in her mind, there was only one thing she could do to stop herself from being haunted. There was just one person she had to find to make her pain disappear. In order to do that, she had to follow Obi-Wan until that person revealed himself.

    It was a simple plan, but Obi-Wan was against it.

    "No," he said. "Bo-Katan, you don't know what you're doing."

    "Yes, I do," the Mandalorian insisted. "I've been trying to find him for two weeks. It's not easy for someone to just up and disappear like that, especially from me. I don't know where he is, but I know you do."

    Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't know where he is. I haven't seen him since that night."

    "Fine. Then I'll wait for him to come to you. He's not finished yet. Not until he comes after you."

    "And then what? You'll just follow me until he attacks me?" This was a rhetorical question, since this was clearly the plan.

    But it was a terrible plan.

    Obi-Wan knew that Anakin wasn't finished with him, that was true. The anger he sensed within Anakin the night Satine died was very evident, and it was all directed at him. Obi-Wan couldn't sense Anakin's presence, but it would only be a matter of time before he revealed himself again and tried to kill him.

    Bo-Katan was confident in her predictions, just like she was confident in her victory. So much so that she was willing to use force to make Obi-Wan follow her lead.

    "You can hate it all you want, but you're going to help me," she said as she took her pistols in hand. "You're going to walk away and pretend we never met. And when he comes, that's when I'm going to strike. Whether you like it or not."

    Obi-Wan could tell that Bo-Katan wasn't bluffing, but he wanted to set the record straight. "You're making a mistake. I want to stop him as much as you do, but I can guarantee you that you don't stand a chance."

    Bo-Katan took great offense to this claim, since she didn't understand the full extent of Anakin's might. He may have been good at hiding, but Bo-Katan was sure she could win.

    "No, I'm not!" she insisted. "I'm the only one who can do this! I'm the only one who cares! If you cared, you'd be hunting him down like I've been trying to!"

    Now Obi-Wan was the one who was offended. He cared greatly for Satine, but he was wise enough to not obsess over Anakin like Bo-Katan was obsessed. He opened his mouth to tell the Mandalorian that she was wrong, but Revan's voice filled the air.

    "Prove it," he said as he walked forward. "Prove you're the only one who can do this. If Satine's assassin was here now, what would you do?"

    Bo-Katan raised her guns at Revan and prepared to fire. "The same thing I'm about to do to you!" she angrily replied.

    *FWOOSH*​

    Bo-Katan felt and watched her twin pistols leave her hands and fly towards Revan. The Jedi didn't make any attempt to catch them, he simply used the Force to disarm the Mandalorian. "You would lose," he insisted.

    Bo-Katan angrily ran towards Revan with two fists. "I can stop him!"

    *FWOOSH*​

    Revan used the Force once again to catch Bo-Katan in mid-air. "You can't even stop me," he said as he threw her against the walls.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    The fifth time Bo-Katan hit a wall was the one behind her rather than to her left or right. She didn't get up from the ground after she fell, since her pain and exhaustion were too much to deal with at once.

    "You're tired," Revan said as he moved forward again. "Outmatched. Satine's assassin is just as strong as Obi-Wan and I. You can't stop me... and you don't have to."

    "..."

    When Bo-Katan was done panting, she looked up to see Revan was standing before her. It was a very familiar situation to the warrior, where he would stand over an exhausted Mandalorian and kill them in an instant. He had been fighting for so long, it became second nature for him to kill a Mandalorian when they were beaten.

    But now, Revan had decided to reawaken the Jedi within himself, to be like Obi-Wan. Now, he had decided to extend a truce rather than extend his rage. That was why he was holding a hand to her instead of a lightsaber.

    "We're not your enemy, Bo-Katan," the Jedi insisted. "Search your feelings, you know this to be true."

    Bo-Katan didn't have any other blasters, but she had a blade built into her gauntlet that she could use to defend herself. After she ejected it and pointed the end at Revan, she stared at him with defiance and made a declaration.

    "You don't know anything about me," she insisted.

    Revan was ready to say that this wasn't true. He had encountered many Mandalorians like Bo-Katan, all of which were willing to defend themselves as well as their honor. They were all willing to die to see their goals through to the end, and they even welcomed death when their goal was out of reach. The latter was what Bo-Katan was doing now, and the only thing she was expecting was death.

    But Revan had a different idea. If the Mandalorian wasn't going to search her own feelings, the Jedi decided to do it for her. He closed his eyes under his mask and reached out to Bo-Katan with the Force.

    Once he finished, Revan proved Bo-Katan wrong.

    "You loved your sister," he began calmly. "In a way, you were from different worlds. Complete opposites. But she was the only family you had. You made a new family with the remnants of Clan Kryze, but they were not as special as your sister."

    "..."

    "You couldn't understand why she chose to leave everything your parents taught you behind, but you came to envy this ability. Sometimes, when you felt most alone... you wish that you were good at things other than war. Like Satine was."

    "..."

    "You feel that you have been cast out from your people, after they wrongly accused you of helping Salem end the world. You cannot find it within yourself to return. And the only family you had left was taken from you. Stolen. Now your only wish is to repay Satine's murderer in kind."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan was willing to let Revan do all of the talking, but he was able to sense these feelings as well. He couldn't do it as easily as Revan was doing it, since Bo-Katan was trying extremely hard to hide her feelings. But once he was able to validate what Revan had said, Obi-Wan saw his chance to help the Mandalorian.

    "We both have a similar goal, Bo-Katan," Obi-Wan insisted. "Satine's murderer was an agent of Salem. You wish to avenge her, and we wish to rob Salem of any more allies. That is why I let Cinder share the truth with you."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan didn't believe in vengeance, even after Satine had been murdered. He knew that revenge wouldn't return her to life, it wouldn't change how much he missed her. But Obi-Wan knew how to read a room; he couldn't convince Bo-Katan that vengeance was pointless, but he could show her that their interests aligned.

    "We can help you Bo-Katan," Obi-Wan promised. "Perhaps you can help us as well."

    Revan was able to see what his fellow Jedi was talking about, and he saw that it was a great idea. And so, he helped Obi-Wan make this dream a reality.

    "Come with us," Revan requested as he held his hand out once more. "Help us on our journey to Atlas, and I promise no harm will come to you. It is true that you may be arrested for your involvement at Haven, but you will live to fight another day. You will be fed, be given a place to rest, and time to prepare for what comes next. And when the day comes, when Anakin Skywalker reveals himself, I will see to it personally that you are released. I will give you what every Mandalorian wishes: a warrior's death."

    "..."

    "You have my word as well, Bo-Katan," said Obi-Wan, who joined Revan by his side. "I could not help your sister... but I can help you. If you let me."

    "..."

    "Do it," Revan ordered as he extended his hand further. "For Satine."

    "..."

    Words couldn't describe how conflicted Bo-Katan Kryze felt right now. She had been humiliated once more, just like she had been humiliated when her own people turned against her. The circumstances were different, but she had the same goal she had that night.

    Survival.

    Bo-Katan ran away that night, all in order to survive. And she could do so right now, and she would survive once more. One would call it a cowardly retreat, but Bo-Katan believed that the real cowardly move would be to surrender. She was a warrior, a Mandalorian. She had been taught to never surrender, to keep moving forward in her goals, and to bring honor back to her people the only way she knew how.

    And Bo-Katan wanted to do that more than anything. She wanted to flee from the Jedi, find Anakin, and then work towards rebuilding a new army of Mandalorians. However, there was one thing that was stopping her.

    Revan was right.

    She didn't think it was possible, but Revan had proven Bo-Katan wrong when she said the Jedi didn't know her. The feelings he described were all correct, especially regarding how she missed her sister.

    That, and how she sometimes wished that she was good at things other than war.

    Bo-Katan somewhat envied Satine's ability to walk away from the fight and find something better. Bo-Katan occasionally considered the idea of following in her sister's footsteps, but she would always return to her current state of mind. And yet, the thoughts would always return.

    If Satine were here now, she would undoubtedly try to convince her sister to stand down. She would tell Bo-Katan to do "the right thing" and surrender. And Bo-Katan was sure that she would argue with Satine and remain right where she was.

    But as Revan had just proven to the Mandalorian... she was in no position to fight. And if she wanted to survive, she had to take the Jedi's hand and walk with them.

    For the time being.

    "This isn't a surrender," Bo-Katan told herself as she slowly reached for Revan's hand. "And this doesn't mean that kid is right. This is just a means to an end."

    Revan could sense the Mandalorian's reluctance and justification, but he didn't turn away or take back his offer. Instead, as Bo-Katan took his hand, Revan gently helped her off her feet and put aside any animosity.

    "So... where do we start?" she asked.

    "As Revan has said, we are trying to reach Atlas," Obi-Wan began. "And wherever we go, Salem's allies will follow. You can help us reach our destination, and we can bring our enemy right where we need them to be."

    "..."

    Qrow had no regrets walking away from everyone and giving them a piece of his mind. For the life of him, he couldn't understand how they were all still on board with the plan to get to Atlas.

    More specifically, how they decided to keep working with Ozpin.

    The reveal of his secrets hit Djarin and Cinder hard, but it didn't hit them as hard as it did to Qrow. They had started this fight five years ago, but Qrow felt like he had been fighting his whole life. He had worked with Ozpin for a long time, even before he graduated from Beacon. Like he said at Haven, Qrow felt that his cursed Semblance made him a cipher to the world. To everyone around him.

    But Ozpin claimed that he saw the best in Qrow when everyone saw the worst. He said that some good could come from his time at Beacon, as well as the fight against Salem.

    This had been the truth for Qrow for years. Every time his Semblance malfunctioned, every time he brought bad luck to his friends as well as his opponents, Qrow told himself that he was still doing good with Ozpin. He told himself that he was hurting Salem.

    So it was only natural for Qrow to abandon this belief when he learned all of the secrets and lies.

    Not only did he abandon this belief, but Qrow also believed the opposite. He believed that all of his years as a Huntsman and a defender of Remnant had only done more harm than good. The reduction of Djarin's Aura was a good example, since they were on a mission together when it happened.

    But before that, it was when Summer vanished and was never seen again.

    And before that, Qrow had severed all ties with his sister. A sister that had not only attacked him, but also tried to warn him of the truth.

    "All that time spent spying for Ozpin and you still have no idea what you're dealing with. There is no beating Salem!"

    Qrow sighed as he stopped walking and smacked his head when he thought about this conversation.

    "Dammit, Raven," Qrow thought to himself. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

    "..."

    The pain Qrow was dealing with was too much to bear all at once. And sadly, there was only one solution that he could think of in his angry state.

    Numbing his pain by drinking.

    Qrow had initially abandoned the idea after he helped secure Beacon, after the dream he had of Summer. But there hadn't been any dreams to comfort him in the past two weeks, not even when he decided to pick up his dangerous habit. It seemed that Summer, like Raven, had abandoned him.

    But in Qrow's mind, he didn't need anyone. He didn't need Raven, or Summer, or Ozpin, or Djarin, or anyone. In his mind, all he needed was a drink.

    And it seemed the universe had provided him with a once in a lifetime chance as he passed a sign in front of a bar.

    "War with Mandalorians over! All Huntsmen and Huntresses drink free!"​

    "Finally," Qrow said as he looked at the sign. "Some good news."

    Qrow stepped inside to see that the bar was actually more of a restaurant. There were numerous people laughing, eating, and all having a good time. There was no doubt that they too were celebrating the war coming to an end, though they all looked like families instead of Huntsmen or Huntresses. Nevertheless, Qrow took up the offer he saw outside when he took a seat at the bar.

    "Hey, barkeep," he said to a blonde woman behind the counter. "Is that sign out there for real?"

    "Oh, yeah!" the bartender replied with enthusiasm. "We can finally sleep easy again now that those crazy bastards stopped fighting! If you got a Huntsman's license, all drinks are free!"

    Qrow couldn't help but smile at what he perceived to be good news. The next thing he did was show the bartender that he indeed possessed a Huntsman's license.

    "You came all the way from Vale?!" the bartender asked as she looked at Qrow's license. "The news said Huntsmen and Huntresses from all over fought at Haven! Were you there?!"

    "Yeah," Qrow replied with a sigh. Despite the fact that he had helped save Haven, Qrow believed that night was the worst night of his life. "Yeah, I was there."

    The bartender could see that Qrow was sad, which she believed came from the fact that he had fought long and hard at Haven. And in her mind, there was something that could cheer the man up.

    "Well, thank the Gods you got out okay," she said. "So, what'll it be?"

    "Whiskey sounds good."

    The bartender reached beneath the bar and took out a small glass for Qrow. But before she could reach a bottle of whiskey, the bartender watched Qrow gently push the glass away from him.

    "You'd better make it a double," he said.

    "Sure thing," the bartender said as she took out a larger glass. Once she did, she reached for a bottle and poured Qrow a drink. "Here's something from the top shelf." She then winked at him. "Enjoy."

    Qrow nodded at the woman before he stared at the alcohol in front of him. Normally, he would take the glass and swallow its contents in one drink, but he couldn't help but linger back on the people he was just thinking about. He thought about Raven, Ozpin, Djarin, and especially about Summer.

    It was Summer, or at least the memory of her, that made Qrow initially stop drinking. That dream he had came to him in a time when he was ready to give up, to let someone else join the fight for him. Now, he was in a similar spot. He was ready to give it all up, to drink himself into oblivion.

    But there was no Summer this time.

    "So, that's how it is?" Qrow asked an invisible Summer. "Fine. Forget it." The Huntsman immediately picked up his glass and was ready to swallow its contents in a single gulp.

    But something stopped him.

    "Excuse me, sir?"

    Qrow stopped moving his arm when he heard a voice in his ear and something tap his shoulder. When he turned around, Qrow saw a brown-haired man about his age with a shorter woman by his side.

    "I'm sorry to bother you, but did I hear that you're a Huntsman?" the man asked with a faint quiver in his voice.

    Qrow wasn't expecting anyone to approach him, but he didn't see the harm in answering the question. "Uh, yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'm a Huntsman."

    The woman let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the Gods," she said. "Listen, we could really use your help."

    "I don't think the police can help us," the man said to support the woman's claim.

    Qrow immediately wanted to abandon the idea. "Look, I've had a shitty day," he said. "I'm sure the police can-"

    "Please!" the woman begged. "It's an emergency!"

    "We could all be in danger!" the man insisted.

    Whether it was the fear on their faces or the fear in their voices, Qrow finally put down his glass with a sigh. "What's the problem?" he reluctantly asked.

    "My wife and I were sitting at that table over there," the man said as he pointed towards an empty table. "She saw someone in the corner."

    "And?"

    "We think he's a criminal," the woman replied. "We saw his face on the news." She and her husband were walking away from the bar, but they were gesturing for the Huntsman to follow them. "We can show you!"

    Qrow got off his chair, but only to put the issue to rest. He had been in a similar situation in Argus before, when someone asked him to apprehend an apparent criminal. However, the "criminal" was just an innocent Faunus that the people were prejudiced against. The Kingdom of Mistral had been known for people with limited tolerance for Faunus, despite everything.

    And as he walked with his glass in hand, Qrow was ready to give the couple a piece of his mind.

    "Look, I don't care what you think of them," he said as he prepared to see another innocent Faunus at the corner. "You can't call every Faunus you see a..."

    *SMASH*​

    The sound was a result of Qrow dropping his glass. He lost his grip, as well as his voice, when he laid eyes on the patron in the corner. It wasn't a Faunus minding their own business, and it certainly wasn't an innocent man.

    Sitting in the corner of the restaurant was Hazel Rainart.

    "Oh, my..." Qrow said as he looked at Hazel. "He's alive?"

    The couple stood behind Qrow as they talked to him. "We saw his face on the news this morning," the husband said. "They said he attacked Haven."

    "That's him, isn't it?" the wife asked. "Isn't he still at large?"

    The last time Qrow had seen Hazel, he had disappeared in a tremendous explosion. The authorities never found his body at Haven, or anywhere near the campus grounds. It was easy to assume that he was dead, but it seemed the Huntsmen and Huntresses who survived reported that he was missing instead of dead.

    And he wasn't missing anymore.

    "Get out," Qrow said as he pushed against the couple. "Get out!"

    The couple immediately ran for the door, but Qrow wasn't satisfied. There were multiple people inside the restaurant, and his gut was telling Qrow that Hazel wouldn't be going down without a fight. Qrow could live with himself if he died during a confrontation with Hazel, but he couldn't bear the thought of innocent people dying as well.

    "Barkeep!" Qrow yelled as he slammed his palms against the counter. The woman from earlier let out a surprised yelp at Qrow's sudden appearance, but Qrow didn't care. "You gotta get everyone outta here! One of the people who attacked Haven is sitting in your corner!"

    The bartender gasped when Qrow pointed towards the corner. "Oh, my Gods!" she whispered before she turned towards a bell on the counter. This bell was normally used by all bars, to tell customers that it was closing time. But now, the bartender knew it would help her now.

    *RING*

    *RING*

    *RING*    ​

    "Everybody out!" she yelled as she aggressively ran the bell. "Everybody outside!"

    All of the patrons were confused by the aggressive ringing and yelling, but they all began to move towards the exit of the restaurant and bar. Qrow, however, ran back towards the corner of the room.

    And as luck would have it, he caught Hazel right before he could stand up.

    "Hold it right there!" Qrow said as he pulled out Harbinger. "Don't even think about trying anything."

    Hazel remained silent for a moment before he looked up at Qrow. When he did, the man stared at Qrow's face for about ten seconds before he finally recognized him.

    "You!" Hazel said as he slowly got off his chair. "I... I remember you! From... From Haven!"

    "Yeah, I know!" Qrow said impatiently without noticing Hazel's slow speech. "And I remember you too, you bastard! You're coming with me!" His first thought was to bring Hazel in to the authorities rather than risk him hurting anyone in the city.

    Qrow had seen firsthand the kind of damage someone like Hazel Rainart could do, and he didn't want to see it again. Regardless of his earlier depression, Qrow knew he had to prevent Hazel from causing any more destruction and death.

    And at first glance, Hazel didn't seem like he was going down without a fight.

    "Go ahead... and try!" the large man slowly replied as he stood up straight. "I'll be... be right here..."

    *CRASH*​

    "..."

    Qrow became at a loss for words when he saw Hazel fall backwards and break the chair he was previously sitting on. He was expecting Hazel to fight back, to unleash all kinds of Hell upon the restaurant and Argus itself. But instead, Qrow received an anticlimactic surprise in the form of a dazed and confused Hazel.

    Who was simply resting on the ground without a care in the world.

    "Is that... all you got?" Hazel asked through a slurred speech. "I can... do this all-"

    *BURP*​

    "Day..."

    "..."

    Qrow didn't know what to think of Hazel's words and his lack of manners. He began to feel sick to his stomach as he looked upon the man. This wasn't the same warrior he met at Haven, the one who fought and killed dozens of people with no regard for his own safety.

    This was someone who looked like a broken shell of a man.

    "What the hell?" Qrow asked as he stared at Hazel. "What's gotten into you?" He didn't think it would do much good, but Qrow looked around the area for clues regarding Hazel's current condition. His initial ideas included that Hazel had either been drugged or he had taken a bad hit before he left Haven.

    But when he saw the numerous glasses at Hazel's table, Qrow knew exactly what was going on.

    "Oh... wow," Qrow said as he picked up a glass. "I never, uh... I never knew you liked to drink too."

    "What's it... to you?" Hazel said as he climbed back up and found another seat. He immediately grabbed the glass Qrow was holding and finished its alcoholic contents in a gulp.

    And the Huntsman did nothing but stare at Hazel in his pathetic state. Numerous questions filled his mind at the moment, like how someone could be reduced to... this.

    And the more he thought about it, the more disgusted Qrow felt.

    "Wait a second," Qrow said to himself. "Am I that pathetic when I've had too much to drink?" Qrow looked back to the table and counted the numerous glasses. "No way. I haven't drunken that much."

    "..."

    "Right?"

    Qrow put his introspection on hold when he turned back to Hazel. As much as he hated to admit it, he was going to have a hard time taking someone as large and heavy as him to the authorities alone. He hoped that someone outside had called the police, since it was obvious that he needed backup.

    However, the idea made Qrow even more introspective.

    "Aw, man," he said to himself. "Mando and Cinder could have gotten this guy outta here in two seconds flat." Qrow let out a sigh as he realized that he had made a big mistake pushing them out earlier. "Me and my big fat mouth."

    "What are you... looking at?"

    Qrow realized that he was looking at Hazel when he was thinking. "Don't mind me," he said. "I just thought I was gonna have a hard time with you. But I guess I was wrong."

    "Shut up." Hazel took another drink from another glass he had. "You're no... better than me. Stinking... Huntsman."

    Qrow didn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you still on that? Even after the war? Even like this?" Qrow pointed at all the glasses. "Never thought I'd see someone stoop so low."

    "I said... you're no better-"

    "Oh, don't play that card!" Qrow didn't know why he was getting so angry all of a sudden, but he gave in to the feeling. "You don't get to just sit here and drink yourself to death after what you've done! I saw it all at Haven, what you did to those people! Especially what you did to your sis-!"

    "Rrrrahhh!"

    Hazel threw a fist at Qrow, but it was slow and sloppy. Qrow was able to dodge it in an instant, and he didn't even have to retaliate. Hazel had fallen to the ground once again, and he didn't get up once more.

    In fact, Hazel was doing much more than laying on the floor. Now, he was sobbing.

    "I... can't believe it!" he said. "She was... my sister! The only thing... I ever loved! Now... it's gone! It's all gone! It's over! I'm... I'm nothing without her!"

    "..."

    All of a sudden, everything made sense.

    Hazel may have escaped Haven, but he didn't escape the horror of what he had done. But rather than own up to his mistakes, rather than admit his faults and missteps, Hazel believed that he could drown all of his guilt and shame in alcohol. It was strange, since Hazel was always strong-willed and stubborn in his normal state of mind. But now, his entire world had fallen apart and he wished to make it all go away.

    It was easy for Qrow of all people to understand; he was planning to do the same thing the moment he stepped into the bar.

    Now, more than ever, Qrow felt immense sorrow. Not for Hazel, since he was still an enemy, but more for himself. Qrow now saw that he was about to do the same thing Hazel had done to himself. He would have had so many drinks that he would be in the same pathetic state as Hazel.

    The sight was making Qrow sick to his stomach, and it was making him feel ashamed of himself. There was no denying that he had acted like Hazel in the past, he had gotten drunk so many times and only hurt himself in the process. He would ramble about Summer and Raven, just like how Hazel was rambling about Gretchen.

    Qrow was staring right into a mirror, and he hated what he saw. He hated seeing what kind of man he was about to be, he hated seeing how lowly he was about to act, and he hated being alone.

    Hazel had nobody to comfort him or help him. And Qrow once had Djarin and Ozpin to help him, before he shut them out.

    At that moment, Qrow found himself learning a rather valuable lesson about himself. He couldn't afford to keep shutting people out or walking away, especially if he didn't want to end up like Hazel. And that lesson made him say only one thing.

    "Ugh... dammit."

    Djarin, Cinder, and Ozpin had finally returned to the Razor Crest. Nobody said it at first, but they all needed some space to calm down and relax after what happened at the base. So after Djarin removed his disguise once more, he shut himself in the cockpit of the ship. Ozpin took a seat at the table in the cabin, where he began to sit in silent contemplation.

    Once again, Ozpin was feeling sorry for himself. He was even feeling sorry for Djarin and Cinder, who were on the receiving end of misplaced anger. If anything, he was the one who should have received that anger. Ozpin knew that Qrow was angry at him, not anyone else.

    And Qrow, ironically, was also someone Ozpin felt sorry for. Before the defense of Haven, Qrow was a distinguished Huntsman and a loyal friend. Ozpin didn't know where he would be in his current incarnation if Qrow hadn't joined him. There was so much that he had done for Beacon and the world, so much good that he helped bring to people who needed it most.

    And now, Qrow was choosing to let the man he used to be go. And Ozpin couldn't help but blame himself.

    Ozpin had said that he should have told everyone the truth about Salem, but he knew why he kept it a secret. There were other secrets he kept that seemed pointless now, like how the Relics could attract Grimm. But Salem's immortality was a secret Ozpin kept for a reason.

    The reason was that all of this had happened before.

    When the truth about Salem came to Ozpin's past allies, many people resigned and called him a fool and a traitor. There was even a Maiden who had taken her own life after what she learned. And now, with Qrow's apparent resignation, the past was starting to repeat itself.

    However, there was a single difference this time: the clan of two.

    Ozpin genuinely believed that Djarin and Cinder would resign as well. The harsh conversations he had with them after that night were expected, since they happened with others in the past. But Djarin and Cinder kept moving forward. They had a plan, they had knowledge, but they also had each other. They wouldn't let themselves give up, or let each other give up.

    And so, it was easy for Ozpin to find some hope in that. If they didn't feel the way they felt now, it was possible that Ozpin would have left them behind and start anew. It wouldn't be a very smart thing to do, but Ozpin didn't know what else he would do.

    That was why Ozpin was grateful to Djarin and Cinder. He still had hope, just like they did. He had so much hope that he was going to help in any way he could, whether he was at a lowly place or standing with his allies as equals.

    And right now, Ozpin believed that Cinder needed help. Not just because of everything he just thought, but also because she wasn't present in the airship.

    Ozpin was nervous at first, he almost believed that Cinder had left as well. But when he found her sitting outside by herself, the old man was able to calm down. He was, however, concerned by her inclination for solitude instead of being with her father.

    Djarin had invited Cinder to join him in the cockpit of the Razor Crest, but Cinder decided that she wanted to be alone. While sitting down, Cinder couldn't help but stare at the objects in her hands. In one hand, she was holding the Darksaber. Its weight felt even heavier after what Qrow had said, how she was only a child who didn't understand the job she had signed up for.

    She was still mad at him, but Cinder was starting to believe that Qrow was on to something. She felt that she had made a mistake with her initial reaction to Ozpin's lies, and she still had no idea how she was going to reform the Mandalorians.

    That was why Cinder was holding the Relic of Knowledge in her other hand. She wished she could ask Jinn what to do, how she might be able to stop Salem and make the Mandalorians better. She wanted the Relic to be able to solve all of her problems.

    But the Relic, while powerful, wasn't exactly a miracle worker. Cinder knew that she had to rely on herself. But how was she supposed to do that if people who didn't believe in her abandoned her in the end?

    Ozpin didn't have all the answers to Cinder's problems, but he was willing to lend a hand.

    "It's not exactly warm this time of year in Argus," Ozpin said to get Cinder's attention. When he had it, the Headmaster gestured towards the Razor Crest. "Why don't you come out of the cold?"

    "I'll be okay," Cinder insisted as she put down the Relic and sword. Once she did, her eyes burned as a small fire came to her palm. "I got all the warmth I need."

    Ozpin suddenly realized how foolish he sounded. "Oh. Of course. How silly of me."

    Cinder could see why Ozpin might think so, but she didn't mind. "Thanks, anyway." She let the fire disappear and began to think to herself again.

    But Ozpin gave her a chance to let these thoughts come out into the open when he joined her and sat down.

    "I see you believe there is much more to worry about than the cold," he said calmly.

    Cinder sighed before she talked once more. "Yeah, I guess so," she replied. As she said this, however, a spark of anger and hurt feelings returned to her. "I don't get it. How could he just say all of that and take off?"

    Ozpin was sympathetic to Cinder, especially since he felt responsible for Qrow's outburst. "Qrow was always someone who had trouble managing his feelings," he said. "His mechanisms for coping are also unfortunate."

    "You mean shouting and drinking? Yeah, that's gotta be really helpful for depression."

    The sarcasm had proven Ozpin's point, but the old man still felt miserable. "You have every right to be upset, Cinder," he insisted. "I'm sorry."

    "Why?" Cinder asked. "You didn't say any of that."

    "Maybe not. But Qrow's behavior is no doubt a consequence of my choices. He trusted me, and I chose not to repay that trust. Now he thinks the whole world is against him. It's all my fault, Cinder."

    The guilt and the shame Ozpin carried was evident to Cinder. It made her think back on what she tried to tell Qrow about working together, as well as what Obi-Wan said about putting it all behind them. She also thought about what she said to her father, how she believed she shouldn't have been so hard on Ozpin due to the fact that she wanted to be a good ruler.

    But now, Cinder was starting to have a different reason for why she should accept what happened and move on from it. It was perhaps the same reason Fall and the other Maidens continued to fight after they learned the truth.

    "Listen, Ozpin... I'm sorry about my reaction too," she said. "I was a lot like Qrow the day I told you what I wanted to do. That wasn't right."

    Ozpin was surprised to hear that Cinder felt that she had to apologize. He couldn't find any fault within her or blame her for what she and Djarin had said to him; nothing at all.

    "There's no need to apologize, Cinder," he insisted. "I was the one who was dishonest. The blame is mine."

    "Maybe about lying, sure," said Cinder. "But Dad and I forgot that you're still on our side. I mean, you saved me from that Sphinx earlier. And you protected us by telling us about the Relic. I know Dad's still a little on edge, but I know you want to stop Salem as much as the rest of us." Cinder began to smile. "Obi-Wan was right. We have to put it behind us. Or else we're just asking for trouble."

    Ozpin was still surprised to hear this, but he was pleased as well. He was proud and happy to see that Cinder was willing to let go of any animosity she may have had against him, whether it was justified or not. It made Ozpin feel special, like he was in a place where he actually belonged.

    Ozpin couldn't remember the last time he had been vulnerable like he was now, when he had all of his secrets exposed. He felt weak, that he was lesser than what he used to be. So to hear someone accept him, a Maiden of all people, was very special and exactly what Ozpin needed to feel better about himself.

    "...Thank you, Cinder," the Headmaster said gratefully. "That... That means a lot, coming from you."

    Cinder smiled and nodded. "Well, since we're all going against Salem, it had to be said," she insisted. "We have to put it all behind us and keep moving forward."

    "Agreed. But I want you to know, I understand why your father may still be on edge, as you put it. If there's anything I can do to help you, just say the word."

    Cinder stopped smiling. "Actually... I know why he's on edge. It's something I was hoping to talk to you about."

    "Certainly. What is it?"

    Cinder felt rather awkward divulging the truth of her father's feelings, since she didn't know what to make of them all. Nevertheless, she knew a resolution would help everyone move forward. So, she explained what she could.

    "It's... more of a question, really," Cinder began. "I wanted to know... how you see me. You know, as the Fall Maiden. Like, what do you think I should be doing with my powers?"

    Ozpin didn't see the harm in answering this question, since the answer was the same as it was before. "Well, the Maidens are meant to be protectors," he said. "We all have a role to play in defending the world, and the Maidens best do that when they're protecting the Relics and academies. That is where they are at their best." Ozpin began to smile as he saw that Cinder had done both when Raven refused to do so.

    But Cinder wasn't smiling.

    "Do you know that for a fact?" she asked. "Or is that just your opinion?"

    Ozpin stopped smiling when he saw that Cinder didn't exactly agree with him. "Well... from my experience, it always seemed to be a wise strategy. I mean, Lila met her unfortunate demise when she left to help Atlas."

    Cinder had to admit that Lila Birch's presence beyond Vale played a role in her death; Lila even said so when Cinder met her in the void. However, Cinder remained strong with her own feelings and opinions as she explained herself.

    "Ozpin, my dad isn't just upset about what happened at Haven," she said. "You see... he feels that you might have influenced my status as a Maiden... in a bad way."

    Ozpin became even more confused by the idea. "How do you mean?" he asked inquisitively.

    "He, um... He thinks you might have been... projecting an image on me. He thinks you might have been trying to make me see things the way you did at Beacon."

    "..."

    Before Ozpin could protest or ask why Djarin would think like that, Cinder stood up and explained herself further. "I mean, I know how that sounds, but he kind of had a point. Remember when you were telling General Ironwood how we should do things at Beacon? How I was sort of a scout for you? Dad had a few other examples, but he feels that you were trying to tell me how to live my life."

    Ozpin remembered that day, and how angry Cinder had gotten when he proposed the idea. He thought it was simply water under the bridge since he and Cinder talked about it, but it seemed that it had a larger impact than he initially believed. And to think that there were more examples of him trying to tell Cinder how to live was very surprising.

    "It's just that you and Dad might have different ideas about me," said Cinder. "I mean, I needed you to teach me how to use my powers, but I just can't... live my life the way you might have wanted me to."

    "Cinder... that was never my intention," Ozpin calmly insisted. He was surprised to hear such a thing, but he remained as calm as possible. "I only wished to describe the role the Maidens had, I never wanted you to try and be somebody you weren't. I would never try to interfere with your life like that. If I ever came across as too forceful, I'm sorry."

    Cinder was happy to see that Djarin's feelings were mostly a misunderstanding, given what Ozpin had said. "Thank you for saying that. But there's something else I need you to understand."

    "..."

    "I'm going to be the Fall Maiden. I'll be the best Maiden I can be. If that includes Salem and trying to unite the world, then I'm all for it. But... I don't think I'll be very... orthodox."

    "..."

    Cinder took the Darksaber in her hand once more. "I have another responsibility. To Mandalore and its people. I have to be a ruler. I have to be there for them too, and for everyone else. Not just Vale, not just to the academies,everyone."

    "..."

    "I'm not a hundred percent sure how I'm gonna do that, but I know the other Maidens can help. I learned a lot while I was in the void, and I have to put that into practice. It might not always be what you taught me, but I have to do this."

    "..."

    "So... I'm going to be different," Cinder finished. "I have to be. For Mandalore and the world. Can you... Can you accept that?"

    Ozpin immediately stood up and extended a hand to Cinder. "Of course," he replied honestly. "Of course I can accept that. And I will."

    Cinder smiled once more. "Thank you."

    "..."

    Cinder and Ozpin began to talk some more after the Maiden made her declaration. Ozpin was even willing to give Cinder advice about being a ruler; one of the past lives he lived was actually that of the King of Vale, the one who ended the Great War. So he was more than willing to talk about that.

    But through it all, neither of them had noticed that Din Djarin had been listening to the first part of their conversation. And now that he had, the rest of their words were falling into silence as the Mandalorian fell into a state of introspection.

    While he was calming down inside the cockpit of the Razor Crest, Djarin noticed that Ozpin was talking to Cinder outside. He decided to join them, since he believed they were attempting to make a plan to get to Atlas. But when he heard Cinder relay the thoughts and opinions he had of Ozpin, Djarin remained silent and let the duo clear any misunderstanding and patch things up.

    When they were done, Djarin realized that he had made a mistake. He could see that Ozpin wasn't lying when he said he never meant to project any image onto Cinder; Djarin was simply seeing something that wasn't there.

    Because of that, Djarin could see that his mistake almost cost him dearly. He too had forgotten that he and Ozpin were on the same side, and he had almost lost a valuable ally. Djarin could see that he needed to move past what happened at Haven, just like Cinder had said. She had tried to tell him that they needed to do this, but he didn't listen at the time. But now that he had, Djarin could see that he needed to do this for Cinder.

    And for himself, as well. If he didn't, then it was possible that he would make the same mistakes Qrow made.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Djarin looked to his gauntlet when he heard a familiar sound. When he tapped the blue screen shining in his face, the Mandalorian was greatly surprised by what he was seeing.

    So much that he moved outside and made his presence known to Cinder and Ozpin.

    "Oh, hey," Cinder said as she saw her father. "What's up?"

    "Ozpin..." Djarin began as he stepped towards the duo. "I think you should look at this."

    "What is it?" Ozpin asked as he looked at the screen.

    "A message I got... from Qrow."

    Cinder stood up as well. "Wait, Qrow?" she asked. "What does he want?"

    Djarin would have shared Cinder's skepticism under normal circumstances, but he could see there was a severity in the message he received. "Cinder, you might want to see this too," he said.

    "Huh?"

    Cinder and Ozpin both huddled to the screen on Djarin's arm. Once they did, they saw a few... surprising things.

    "Look what I found in the city."​

    Along with a sentence, the message contained an image of Hazel Rainart himself.

    "What the-?" Cinder asked. "Is that Hazel?" She remembered the picture Gretchen showed of her brother, and she had seen his face all over the news.

    "He's alive?" Ozpin asked. "And he's in Argus?!"

    Djarin nodded as he tapped the screen. "And look at this," he said as he moved the screen downwards. Once he did, Cinder and Ozpin could see another sentence.

    "I just talked to the police. They all agreed someone like Hazel should be in Atlas."​

    As soon as she saw the word "Atlas," Cinder began to lose any skepticism she had. After it left, an idea came to her mind.

    "Dad... are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    The Mandalorians turned to Ozpin, who had just taken his own Scroll out of his pocket. "You... may not be the only ones," he said to his companions. "Obi-Wan and Revan say they have an idea. Involving Bo-Katan Kryze."

    When the groups reconvened after contacting each other, they were surprised to see that they both had the same idea. They were both prepared to use a prisoner to give Cordovin a reason as to why they should go to Atlas.

    In Qrow's case, it was Hazel. And in Obi-Wan's, it was Bo-Katan. The police had been informed of both of their identities, and they too believed that prisoners like them would be better secured in Atlas.

    Obi-Wan and the other Jedi were surprised to see that Hazel was very much alive. He looked rather unwell, given the amount of alcohol he had consumed, but he had indeed survived the defense of Haven. And the clan of two was surprised to see Pre Vizsla's own lieutenant apparently surrendering and agreeing to go to Atlas. She had been stripped of her weapons and armor, all of which were in a sack Revan was carrying, but she was still willing to go.

    Obi-Wan promised to explain why later, but everyone decided that returning to the military base was their top priority.

    When they arrived at the spot where the city met the sea, the mechanical gate closed in their faces once again. Obi-Wan briefly considered using the Force to influence the two familiar guards to open the gate, but the presentation of Hazel and Bo-Katan served as a reason for them to find Cordovin.

    All while repeating the same annoying march and chant for reasons unknown.

    "There they go again," Cinder said as she watched the guards ridiculously move into the base.

    "They are super weird," Djarin joked, recalling Cinder's earlier assessment of the guards.

    "I've seen weirder," said Qrow, who immediately walked up to the gate to get everyone's attention. "And dumber too."

    "..."

    Everyone remained silent, as they were unsure about Qrow at the moment. They were also unsure as to where he was going with the idea of seeing something strange and dumb at the same time.

    But Qrow indeed saw those things today. He saw them in himself.

    "Cinder, Mando, I'm sorry about earlier," he said. "I was a jerk, I had all this crap in my head. I was thinking that... that, uh..."

    "..."

    Qrow was sincere with his apology, but he was unsure as to what he could say next. "Sorry, I... don't have the right words," he confessed.

    "Perhaps I do," said Ozpin, who moved closer to the trio at the gate. "I'm more to blame for this than anyone. I should have trusted you all with the truth. I... I failed you all." Ozpin turned to Qrow. "I failed you, Qrow. And I'm sorry."

    "..."

    Everyone was expecting Qrow to keep giving Ozpin the cold shoulder, but it was this apology that helped Qrow find the right words he was trying to say.

    "Yeah, well... join the club, Oz," he said. "I was ready to call it quits, even before we came here. I was just going along for the ride, I guess. Not really caring what came next, or anything like that. That was my failure." He suddenly turned to Djarin and Cinder. "I failed you guys... and I guess I failed you too, Oz."

    Qrow was sincere with these words. He was done hating Ozpin, he was done hating himself, he was just done hating. If he kept doing that, he would have been where Hazel was: drunk, depressed, and ignoring the bigger picture. And he would be in a repetitive cycle, wasting time in drinks and sorrow.

    Qrow saw that he had wasted so much time by hating, just as Ozpin saw that he had wasted time by keeping secrets. And apparently, they weren't alone.

    "I failed too," said Djarin. "I was mad like Qrow was, but I was afraid too. I was afraid of what came next for me and Cinder, now that we know what we know." Djarin turned to Ozpin. "And that fear started to make me see something in you that wasn't there. I'm sorry."

    Cinder stepped up next. "I failed too," she admitted. "I said a lot of things at Mistral, and you too, Ozpin. But looking back, I think I was in over my head." She took the Darksaber off her waist. "I want to make change, I want to prevent another war, but... there's a bigger picture. I need to figure out how I can make the first step. How I can stop myself from taking the steps Vizsla and Saxon took when they had this."

    Surprisingly, it was Obi-Wan who stepped up next and shared a confession of his own. "I failed as well," he said. "I haven't told anyone this, but... it was Anakin who killed Satine. I made many mistakes when he was under my tutelage. If I had been more attentive and less secretive... perhaps Satine would still be alive today."

    "..."

    The brave souls that had laid their failures out into the open began to feel a little better about themselves. Their failures still weighed on them, as did their feelings of remorse and pity. The recent events had been filled with missteps and mistakes, all of which they wished they could rectify.

    Revan, however, had a different idea.

    "You may be asking too much of yourselves," he said as he remained close to the two prisoners. "We all wish to succeed in our endeavors, all people are like that. We want to see ourselves free of error and fault, when we wish to see our goals through to the end. And there are some who believe they are free of any error or fault. I was, of course, once like that."

    "..."

    Revan regretted much of his time as a Sith Lord, someone who arrogantly believed he was perfect and that obtaining more and more power to unleash upon the world would prove this perfection. His brother was like that, as was Anakin Skywalker.

    But Revan's entire past, good and bad, had taught him something he wished to share.

    "Most people see failure as the mistakes they have taken on their journey," he said. "But I see it differently. I believe the only true failure is in defeat. Defeat is where your goal is lost, when your destination is completely out of your reach. Defeat... is where everything ends."

    "..."

    "There have been mistakes, there have been missteps and poor judgement. But not failure. Because this battle is far from over. Our chance to see it through to the end is not lost. It is here, waiting for us to seize it."

    "..."

    Everyone began to see that those were very wise words. The battle was far from over, and their mistakes didn't necessarily contribute to a devastating defeat. If anything, acknowledging all of their recent mistakes and faults made the path to victory much easier.

    And it was going to be even easier when everyone seized the chance they had right now.

    "Then let's take it," Cinder said to everyone. "Together."

    Djarin was the first to agree with Cinder. "Together," he said.

    "Together," said Obi-Wan.

    "Together," said Qrow. He immediately turned to Ozpin and made space for him to join everyone. And the Headmaster eagerly accepted the invitation.

    "Together," he said as he shared a nod with Qrow. "And this time, I know we will win. I don't care how long it takes, or who else must know the truth... I will find a way to defeat Salem for you."

    Cinder appreciated the thought and promise, but she had a better idea. "We will," she said. "We all will."

    "..."

    A moment of silence was shared between the group, but not out of hopelessness. Their faith in themselves, each other, and the future had all been renewed now that they saw their chance wasn't gone. Now, they could keep moving forward.

    And with enough time and energy... they could win.

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*

    *CLAP*    ​

    Everyone turned around to see Bo-Katan slowly clapping her hands with a look of disapproval on her face. "Well done," she said sarcastically. "Now are we going anytime soon?"

    It was easy for everyone to ignore Bo-Katan's sarcasm. "We will," Djarin promised. "Just as soon as the gate opens."

    "Just do us all a favor and keep quiet, will ya?" Qrow requested.

    "Yeah," Cinder said slowly. "We were here before, but the commanding officer isn't very... open-minded."

    "That's why you're here, my dear," said Obi-Wan.

    "You mentioned that," Bo-Katan said as she looked at her handcuffs. "So, what am I supposed to expect?"

    Ozpin was about to answer, but the sound of the gates opening behind him caught his attention. Everyone looked to see that the two guards had returned with Caroline Cordovin, and they expected to hear another introduction.

    But instead, they received impatience.

    "What are you doing back here?!" the short woman angrily yelled. "I thought I told you to leave!"

    Everyone was caught off guard by the loud and uncomfortable greeting, but they quickly recovered and explain themselves.

    "We don't want any trouble," Djarin insisted. "We're just here to help." He stepped aside so Cordovin could get a look at Hazel and Bo-Katan.

    "These two are some of the main perpetrators who attacked Haven Academy," said Obi-Wan. "And Beacon, as well."

    "And as you can see..." Ozpin said as he pointed to the restraints on their hands. "They are our prisoners."

    "Prisoners that we know would be safer in Atlas," said Cinder, who used her memory of Cordovin's speech in an attempt to change her mind.

    "With the right escorts," said Qrow, who was finally helping his friends once more. Revan was the only one who remained silent, but he was watching Hazel and Bo-Katan like a hawk.

    And so was Cordovin, who was observing each of the apparent prisoners to verify the claims of her guests.

    "Ah," she said as she looked at the hulk of a man. "Hazel Rainart, yes. Your face has been plastered all over the news." Cordovin then turned to the unarmored Mandalorian. "And who is this?"

    "Bo-Katan Kryze," Revan introduced the prisoner. He then reached into the bag he was carrying and pulled out her helmet. "A Mandalorian. And Pre Vizsla's former lieutenant."

    Cordovin hummed again as she understood that these two were indeed quite the prisoners. "Well, then," she said as she turned to her guards. "Take them away." She also waved towards a group of armed soldiers inside the base, who all ran towards her and prepared to assist in the arrest.

    "Wait, hold on a minute," Djarin calmly requested. "I think it's going to take more than that to handle these two."

    "Quite right," said Ozpin. "They were formidable warriors at Haven, and they are just as formidable now."

    "You're gonna need escorts for them," Qrow said.

    "Oh, I concur," Cordovin said. "Don't think I can't see what you're trying to do." She looked up at Qrow with a scowl. "Your efforts to bring these criminals to justice are appreciated, but they end here. They'll be quite secure in the hands of Atlas."

    "Please, you don't understand," Cinder insisted. "Even the police said that Huntsmen should be escorting them. They're too strong for-"

    "We're no weaklings!" Cordovin insisted. "My soldiers are capable of escorting these criminals better than anyone! Perhaps you require an explanation as to why once more?"

    "Oh, no," Djarin thought to himself as he watched Cordovin give the same speech she did before.

    "This base, that relay tower, the very safety of Argus are all gifts from the glorious-!"

    *BAM*​

    "Oof!"

    One of the soldiers made Cordovin stop talking when he fell on top of her. Not only was the action purely accidental, but it also helped prove the point everyone was trying to make.

    "Get off me!" Hazel growled as he pushed another soldier away with ease.

    "Whoa!" one of the soldiers yelled as he raised a weapon.

    "Back up, back up!" one of his allies said.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    Both soldiers were hit by Hazel before they could back away in time, and now they were on the ground with Cordovin. Fortunately, Djarin and Qrow put a stop to Hazel's drunken rampage together.

    *ZAP*

    *BAM*    ​

    After Djarin used his staff to send an electric shock to Hazel's back, Qrow hit the man with enough force to make him kneel on the ground. Once Hazel was kneeling, the Mandalorian and the Huntsman brought their weapons to his neck to make him stay still.

    "Don't," Qrow warned as he kept Harbinger's blade close to Hazel's neck.

    "..."

    Despite still being in a poor state of mind, Hazel could see that he couldn't push Djarin or Qrow away like he did to the soldiers.

    And he wasn't alone.

    Cinder, Obi-Wan, and Ozpin were all helping the soldiers get back on their feet. The soldiers were grateful for their help, and they could see that escorting Hazel would be harder than they believed.

    "What was that?!" Cordovin yelled as she got up on her own. "You were supposed to take him away!"

    The soldiers braced themselves to be on the receiving end of Cordovin's rage. But one look at Hazel made them see that an irate commander wasn't so bad when compared to Hazel.

    "Now do you believe us?" Cinder asked as she stood behind Cordovin.

    "..."

    Everyone, including the commander of the base, was now aware how dangerous Hazel Rainart was. And based on the stories they heard, a Mandalorian like Bo-Katan was equally as dangerous. One look at the prisoners and themselves told everyone that simple guns and soldiers wouldn't be enough for a transport like this, just like Cinder and everyone else had said.

    Fortunately, one brave soul was able to point this out to Cordovin.

    "Ma'am, these two could break out at any time," a soldier whispered to his superior officer. "And we have no other Huntsmen or Huntresses to stop that from happening."

    "..."

    One look at the tall man, his fellow accomplice, and everyone who had brought these prisoners to the base finally made Caroline Cordovin see reason.

    "...Very well," she reluctantly decided. "Very well!" She turned towards the group of heroes and made her decision. "You will be given clearance... to escort these prisoners to Atlas."

    "All right!" Cinder cheered as she reveled in her victory.

    "Thank you, Special Operative," Ozpin humbly replied. "I promise you will not regret your decision."

    Cordovin turned to Ozpin, very slowly. "I better not," she warned.

    As she promised, Special Operative Cordovin gave the Razor Crest clearance to leave Argus and fly to Atlas. She had given the Mandalorian a special code clearance that was to be transmitted to the first airship they saw.

    And under no circumstances were they allowed to take a Manta from the base. Cordovin believed it would be wise for her comrades in Atlas to see that an unfamiliar ship would appear before them. That way, they would be ready for anything that the Razor Crest might do.

    Djarin didn't see any point in trying to convince the stubborn officer that he wasn't going to invade the Kingdom. Instead, he took the code clearance and left.

    "Looks like we're out of firing range," said Qrow, who was looking out one of the back windows of the Razor Crest. "I didn't see any big guns back there, but you never know."

    "Yeah, and I don't see any airships on our tail," said Cinder.

    Qrow turned to Cinder and smiled. "Looks like we're in the clear."

    Cinder smiled back at the Huntsman. "Good, because that was not fun."

    Qrow chuckled as he leaned against the wall. "No kidding. But it looks like your dad can fly a little easier now. They're really letting us go."

    "I'll go and tell him." Cinder turned around to travel to the cockpit, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

    "Wait, kid," Qrow requested before Cinder could go anywhere. Once she turned to him, Qrow spoke again. "I know I said it earlier, but I'm sorry about what happened back there. And I'm sorry about leaving."

    Cinder smiled at the man. "It's okay, Qrow," she said. "I'm just glad you're still here."

    "Yeah, but it's not okay. I shouldn't have done all that. But I just want you to know, I don't have a problem if you wanna try and start calling the shots from now on."

    Cinder stopped smiling. "Oh, uh... I don't know about that. I was just-"

    "No, I mean it." Qrow pointed at the sword Cinder was carrying. "You're gonna be in charge of the Mandos, right? Maybe this'll be good practice."

    "Yeah, but nobody put me in charge. Like I said, I can't just force myself on people like Vizsla did. Besides, we're all gonna be working together now."

    Qrow casually shrugged. "Alright, then. But just so you know, you got my vote."

    Cinder smiled again. "Thanks, Qrow." With that, Cinder walked away and made her way to the cockpit of the ship. On her way, she passed Ozpin and the two Jedi. They were currently staying close to Bo-Katan and Hazel, who still had their hands tied together.

    Bo-Katan was passing the time by fiddling with her fingers. And Hazel was currently unconscious.

    "He fell asleep as soon as we left," said Obi-Wan, who noticed Cinder's presence. "Perhaps it's for the best."

    Cinder agreed that Hazel was less trouble when he was sleeping. However, she couldn't help but feel somewhat uncertain about his current state.

    "Uh... is he going to be okay?" she asked.

    "He will be," Ozpin assured the young Maiden. "Once he wakes up. Don't worry, I've seen Qrow in both similar and worse situations."

    "It's true!" the Huntsman called out to his allies. "He'll be alright, Cinder!"

    Cinder smiled at the exchange, since she could easily detect the humor within it. What was even more humorous was that everyone had Hazel to thank for getting them out of Argus.

    "I still can't believe Hazel was our ticket to Atlas," she said with a small laugh. "If the stories from Haven were true, I doubt he'd help us under normal circumstances."

    "Quite right, Cinder," Ozpin agreed. "And something tells me it will be harder to control Hazel once he awakens with a stable mind. But we'll be ready once he does."

    "Perhaps this is our chance to gain more information regarding Salem," said Obi-Wan. "He may not be in her service anymore."

    "That's true," said Cinder. "Let's just hope he's willing to talk. Which reminds me..." Cinder looked to Bo-Katan. "You seemed rather willing to help, let alone surrender. What'syour story?"

    Bo-Katan gestured her head to Obi-Wan. "We have a deal," she said. "Wherever he goes, I go."

    Obi-Wan took over the Mandalorian's explanation. "Like I said in Argus, Anakin was the one who murdered Satine. All just to get back at me. And we both know he's not finished yet."

    Cinder suddenly remembered something. "That's right!" she said. "Councilwoman Kryze was your sister." Everything made sense now. "So you think-"

    "I don't think," Bo-Katan rudely cut off the Maiden. "I know being close to this one will help me avenge my sister."

    Cinder understood Bo-Katan's quest for revenge, as well as her reason for staying close to Obi-Wan. If Satine was only a means to hurt him, then Obi-Wan was surely next on Anakin's list of targets.

    But there was just one problem.

    "He might come after you," Cinder confirmed. "But it might be hard with Argus' security. Not to mention Cordovin."

    Obi-Wan hummed as he shook his head. "I'm afraid Atlesian security is child's play to Anakin, Cinder," he said. "I taught him too well, and I'm sure Salem taught him how to have a Sith's disregard for innocent people like Satine. Which is why I'll be warning James about him upon our arrival to Atlas."

    "This time, we will be ready," Ozpin promised. "For anything."

    Cinder nodded, understanding that Ozpin had a lot to talk about with General Ironwood. After she told herself that the prisoners would be fine, Cinder left to join her father in the cockpit.

    "So that's it," Cinder said after she finished explaining everything. "Nobody from the base is following us, Qrow's doing fine, and Bo-Katan's out for revenge."

    "That figures," said Djarin. "She's not thinking like us yet."

    "Yeah, well, hopefully that changes when we gather the other Mandalorians and make an army."

    "It will. Don't worry." Djarin looked at the control panel before him. "And don't worry about Argus either. We'll be out of their radar right about... now."

    Cinder listened to the silence for a few seconds. "Alright, then. Atlas, here we come." When she sat down next to her father, Cinder noticed that the cardboard box of her belongings from Beacon was at her feet. She reached inside and took out her book of Mandalorian culture, which she planned to use to pass the time.

    It was going to be a long flight, after all.

    "You feel like hearing a story to pass the time?" Cinder jokingly asked.

    "Maybe later," the Mandalorian replied. "I'm gonna keep my eye out for the first Atlesian airship we see."

    "Okay. But it'll be your funeral when you die of boredom."

    Djarin chuckled as he continued to look out the window. As he did, he decided that doing so in silence wasn't the best idea. And so, he broke the silence by talking to Cinder.

    "So, how are you feeling?" he asked. "About going to Atlas?"

    Cinder put her book down. "Not bad," she replied. "I know we'll be working hard, but it'll be really good to see Winter and Penny again. So, you know, every cloud has a silver lining."

    "That's true. You said you saw Pietro fixing Penny when you were in the void?"

    "Yeah, and that was a while ago. I think he should be done with her now. So I should be able to see her." Cinder looked towards Djarin as she asked a question. "How areyou feeling?"

    "Okay. I want to check in on Willow when I can. I haven't seen her since I helped her smuggle Dust out of Atlas."

    "Oh, yeah, you mentioned that." Cinder looked to the window again. "So you went to Atlas before the borders closed, then?"

    "That's right."

    "I guess that means you know what we should expect when we get there."

    Djarin hummed as he considered the idea. "Not really. I have no idea how much has changed. Or what will change."

    Cinder turned to Djarin again in confusion. "Meaning?" she asked.

    "You know how we all reacted to the truth," Djarin explained. "How we all felt about it. Something tells me... Ironwood's gonna feel the same way."

    "..."

    "..."

    The idea soon became scary for the clan of two to think about. They were both well-aware of Ironwood's behavior, and how he let this justify all of his actions. The closing of the borders was proof enough of that.

    So one had to wonder how he would react when he found out what he was up against.

    "You know what?" Djarin asked. "Maybe a story would be good after all."

    "Yeah, you're right," Cinder said as she opened her book. Upon doing so, she turned a few pages until she found a story to read. "A long time ago, in a land far, far away..."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 58: The Arrival
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 58: The Arrival​

    "So after I heard Ozpin talk about Dad looking for Aurora, I knew I needed a faster way out of the void. That's how I met Karma, and how I learned to unlock my chakras."

    "You said you heard me, Cinder?"

    "That's right. One of the first things I learned to do was connect back to my body. I couldn't move, but I knew what was going on around me. I could hear it too."

    "And these 'chakras?' They're connected to Aura?"

    "Aura and the body, yeah. They're focal points of energy waiting to be released."

    "No way. I don't believe it."

    "I do. I believe I saw the word 'chakra' mentioned in the Jedi Archives."

    "Hm. Go figure."

    While the Razor Crest was still en route to Atlas, Cinder passed the time by talking to everyone. After she read some of her book with her father, Cinder decided to talk to everyone in the cabin. When she was asked about how it felt to wake up from her coma, Cinder decided to tell her allies the whole story. She told them about the void, about Fall, and all the other Maidens that helped her reconnect to the missing fragment of the Fall Maiden's power.

    Djarin had already heard the story, so Cinder shared it again with Qrow, Ozpin, Obi-Wan, and Revan. Bo-Katan and Hazel were present, but Hazel was still unconscious. Bo-Katan was awake and being watched by Qrow and Revan, and she couldn't help but listen to the story.

    Bo-Katan was never Cinder's biggest fan, even after she helped the Mandalorians learn the truth about Salem. In Bo-Katan's mind, Cinder was a child; an idealistic, pacifistic child who only got where she was now because of the Darksaber. She didn't agree with the idea of surrender, even though it saved her life. More than anything, Bo-Katan wanted to get the Darksaber back and bring it to her people.

    However, as she listened to the story, Bo-Katan could see that there was more to this child than meets the eye. She had fought long and hard to get out of a supposed coma, and even harder to get all the way from Vacuo to Mistral. Bo-Katan may not have respected Cinder, but she knew it was wise to acknowledge the fact that Cinder was strong.

    Maiden or not.

    "After all that, I finally had my chance to get my powers back," Cinder continued. "The other Maidens lended me their strength and knowledge to find out where the other fragment of the power was, and that's how I found Aurora. It took some digging, but I found it again."

    "What happened to Aurora?" Revan asked.

    "When I took the powers back, Aurora died. I mean, I wasn't trying to kill her, it's just... I guess taking the power from someone can kill them."

    Ozpin could see how quickly Cinder became dejected and disappointed in herself. It seemed that it was truly her goal to only defeat Aurora rather than kill her. It wasn't Cinder's proudest moment, so Ozpin took it upon himself to clear things up.

    "Do not condemn yourself, Cinder," he said. "It's true that a Maiden cannot survive when their power is completely taken away. What happened to Aurora was truly unavoidable."

    "Yeah, I guess so," Cinder replied.

    Qrow decided to help Cinder as well. "Yeah, you did the right thing, Cinder," he said. "I mean, we'd take you over Aurora any day." He looked over to his allies. "Right, everyone?"

    "Absolutely," said Ozpin.

    "Of course," said Obi-Wan.

    "Indeed," said Revan.

    "You see?" Qrow asked after he looked back at Cinder. "It's good to have you back, kiddo."

    The support and acceptance from her allies made Cinder smile and feel better about herself. "Thanks, everyone," she said. "It's good to be back."

    Ozpin smiled as he nodded with everyone, but he wasn't done talking. "Tell me something, Cinder," he inquired. "You said the other Maidens helped you reach Aurora?"

    "That's right," Cinder confirmed. "We worked together to focus all of our energy towards reaching the power Aurora had."

    "...All of the Fall Maidens?"

    "Uh-huh."

    "..."

    Cinder's story had done more than to impress Ozpin or increase his understanding of how she awoke from her coma. When he heard about how all of the past Fall Maidens helped Cinder, Ozpin couldn't help but think about the quest the God of Light had given him. It was his goal to unite all of Remnant, to help mankind live in harmony with one another. Cinder seemed to understand her own way of unity, given that she had worked with a united group people.

    And it had achieved wondrous results.

    Ozpin took Cinder's example and achievement as inspiration for a new idea. He had been thinking about it since he left Mistral with everyone, but Ozpin was ready to put it into action. But first, he needed everyone around him.

    "Cinder, would you mind asking your father to join us?" Ozpin asked the Maiden. "I'd like to speak with everyone."

    "Sure, just a sec," Cinder replied before she moved to the cockpit. When she returned, Din Djarin was with her.

    "I put the ship on autopilot," he said. "But I shouldn't be away for too long."

    "My apologies, Djarin," Ozpin replied sincerely. "But I'd like everyone to hear what I have to say."

    "..."

    Ozpin cleared his throat before he spoke again. "We have... been going about this wrong," he began. "I mean... I have been going about this wrong. Again, the truth should have been shared with you long ago."

    "..."

    Everyone remained silent as they patiently listened. They weren't going to call Ozpin out or be angry with him anymore. After they had the chance to lay their own failure out into the open, all was forgiven between the small group of defenders.

    And now, they could finally move forward.

    "Not just in the sense that you all deserved to know the truth," Ozpin continued. "But also that we may be able to work together. It's time to think long-term, to think bigger." Ozpin gestured towards Cinder. "Cinder was able to do that with the past Fall Maidens. And now, I believe it's time we do the same with Salem."

    "..."

    Nobody said anything, but they all liked where this was going. Thinking long-term and thinking bigger were the basis of the idea Djarin and Cinder had about building an army of Mandalorians. And now, they could think that way with Ozpin and his vast experience.

    "We all know Salem cannot be killed or destroyed," Ozpin confessed. "But if we come together now, if we brainstorm any ideas we might have, defeating her may be possible."

    "..."

    Everyone was still silent, but they liked the idea of brainstorming. They all once believed that killing Salem or keeping her at bay were the only options to take. But now, a new approach was indeed necessary. The idea of gaining an army would help, but brainstorming other ideas was even better.

    And it was Djarin who decided to be the first to share an idea.

    "When I found Cinder in the Vault, after she had taken the Relic, I noticed that the golden door had disappeared," he began. "That it ceased to exist without the Relic. We all know Salem's after the Relics, so I was thinking... maybe we could lure her to an open Vault. And once she's inside, we can lock her in."

    Everyone either hummed or nodded at the idea. It was risky, given that Salem would have to go past the defenses of a Kingdom and a Huntsmen Academy. But the prospect of locking Salem away was interesting.

    And it had inspired Obi-Wan to speak next.

    "I remember an ancient text in the Jedi Archives, before the Order fell," he said. "It spoke of a group of Jedi who combined their powers together and sealed Salem in a prison of the Force. It wasn't permanent, they apparently lost their strength after a few days. But they imprisoned her nonetheless."

    "The Fermata Cage is still in use," said Revan. "It is the perfect prison. Perhaps, if we had its blueprints, we could make a replica and seal her away forever."

    Ozpin began to smile as hope filled his heart. "Yes," he said. "This is what we need. We need to be communicating. Thinking as one."

    Qrow agreed before he shared his own idea. "Oz, I remember the day you gave me the power to turn into a bird," he said. "I know it's not permanent, and your Magic isn't strong like before, but maybe you could do something like that to Salem. And maybe make that permanent. Maybe even lock her in a birdcage when we're done."

    "Maybe I can help with your Magic, Ozpin," said Cinder. "I have a fragment of your power, so let me fight with you and make it stronger again. In fact, if we find the other Maidens, they'll give you their strength too."

    Ozpin liked each and every idea that was being offered. "This is the right way we should be handling Salem," he said. "When we get to Atlas, we should try to put all of these ideas into strategy. Then we can find the best course of action."

    "Agreed," said Djarin. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

    "Yeah, but who knows?" Cinder asked. "Maybe General Ironwood has a plan too. I mean, it's not like he closed the borders so he could do nothing."

    "..."

    Cinder looked around when she noticed the silence and skeptical looks everyone had. "...Right?" she asked hopefully.

    Ozpin took it upon himself to speak again. "I met with James before he closed the borders," he said. "His main plan was to prevent infiltration rather than fight in the war."

    "And he put up a fight when I smuggled that Dust," said Djarin. "He was already at odds with Willow at that point."

    "It seems his primary focus is to save what he has instead of utilizing it," said Revan. "He did call all of his forces back to Atlas, did he not?"

    "That's right," said Qrow. "Can't really imagine why."

    "Stranger things have happened with James," said Obi-Wan. "However, we don't have any way of knowing what he's been up to. I suggest we hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."

    Everyone nodded in agreement, but there was someone in the cabin that found the whole exchange of ideas and discussion about Ironwood to be terrible.

    "You're all idiots."

    Everyone turned to Bo-Katan, who was still sitting where she was. It wasn't her intention to escape, but she wasn't going to follow this plan without speaking her own mind.

    "You actually think Ironwood is gonna be on your side?" she asked. "You think he's gonna like your far-fetched ideas about someone who can't be killed? You're out of your mind if you think Ironwood actually cares about this fight."

    Everyone quickly disagreed with Bo-Katan and began to share their opinion with her.

    "You don't know what you're talking about, Bo-Katan," said Obi-Wan.

    "James is a great many things, but he's not someone who doesn't believe in our cause," Ozpin included.

    "He cares about saving Remnant just like we do," said Cinder.

    It was clear that everyone had turned against Bo-Katan and her idea of General Ironwood, but that didn't make her give up.

    "Really?" she sarcastically asked. "If he cares so much, then why did he blow up one of your Huntsmen Academies? Why did he turn tail and go straight back to Atlas rather than help Vale or Mistral?"

    "..."

    Nobody could deny that this was the truth. Ironwood indeed destroyed Beacon in the hopes of killing the Grimm and Mandalorians, and then he went straight to Atlas in order to close the borders.

    And leave the rest of the world to fend for themselves.

    The adults in the room immediately said that Bo-Katan shouldn't be one to talk, given that the attack happened because of her and Vizsla. And Bo-Katan acknowledged this, after she admitted that their plan for Beacon was to become a base after everyone had been killed or fled.

    The argument was an interesting one, given that the Razor Crest was going straight towards the man who made these decisions. However, Cinder didn't have the heart to continue with the debate. Hearing about Beacon and its destruction made her incredibly sad, and she decided to deal with this sadness alone.

    Djarin was the first one to notice that Cinder had left, and he became concerned when she ignored him calling out to her.

    When she reached the cockpit of the Razor Crest, Cinder stared into the sky and reflected on Beacon Academy. It was more than just a school to her, it was more than a place that trained some of the greatest warriors on Remnant. For five years, Beacon Academy was Cinder's home.

    And now it was gone.

    Cinder felt incredibly homesick as she thought about Beacon. Just as she once told Karma, Cinder was mourning the comfort, security, and positivity she felt every day at the school. She missed her old room as well as the people she knew, student and teacher alike.

    Cinder knew that Bo-Katan was right, that Beacon's destruction was caused by Ironwood. Winter said that it was part of Atlesian protocol, to destroy any place that had become overrun by Grimm in order to protect the people.

    But Cinder didn't know how she was supposed to accept that. She didn't know how she was supposed to approach Ironwood after what he did. Was she supposed to forgive him? To see the bigger picture and help him with what came next? Or was she supposed to condemn his actions and show him that he needed to do better?

    "Cinder? You okay?"

    Cinder turned around to see her father had joined her in the cockpit. Seeing that he was willing to talk, Cinder answered Djarin's question.

    "Yeah, sorry," she said. "I was just... thinking of home, that's all."

    "Home?" Djarin asked. He hadn't thought much about a home recently, given that he had been recently traveling from one place to another. The nomadic nature of the Mandalorians resonated within him greatly.

    But when he remembered Beacon Academy, Djarin understood why Cinder was upset.

    "Oh," he said as he approached closer. "You're thinking about Beacon?"

    "Yeah," Cinder confessed. "I hadn't thought about how it was destroyed for a little while." She looked out the window again. "I just... I miss it."

    Djarin put a hand on his daughter's shoulder and shared her feelings. "I miss it too," he said. "It was a great home, wasn't it?"

    "It was the best." Cinder smiled as she remembered Beacon. "I loved that room we had together. I loved the fields at springtime, the size of the library..."

    "Remember when we would go see the sunrise on top of Beacon Tower?"

    "Oh, yeah. That... That was beautiful."

    "..."

    Cinder sighed as she made another confession. "I learned in the void that everything that was shared at Beacon isn't really gone. Everything we created there, the strength and feelings everyone shared is all there. But still... it's hard to think that I don't have a home anymore."

    "I understand," Djarin honestly admitted. "I felt that way when I joined the Mandalorians. I just had to make due and make a home out of something new."

    Cinder could imagine how hard it was for Djarin to fit in with the Mandalorians when he first joined, since she heard about it so many times. So she could take solace in knowing that she shared the same feelings her father had once upon a time.

    "Do you think we can do it again?" Cinder asked. "Something tells me Atlas is gonna be home for a while."

    "We can," Djarin replied. "But it doesn't have to be permanent in Atlas. With the war over, and with a new plan against Salem... we could look for a chance to rebuild Beacon. Maybe even upgrade it a little."

    Cinder smiled as she thought about the idea of an upgrade for Beacon. "You know... Bo-Katan might have been on to something. About a base for the Mandalorians. I mean, once they think like us."

    "They will. I mean, not everything will go back to the way it was, but..." Djarin smiled under his helmet. "It'll be home again. I'm sure of it."

    Cinder smiled a little wider as she silently thanked her father for his rare optimism. He always knew what to say to make her feel better and get her out of a rut. And not only was she impressed to see him thinking long-term, just like Ozpin had wished, but Cinder was also happy to know that some things could possibly stay the same.

    Djarin was right about some things changing, mainly with Ozpin and the fight with Salem still continuing. But Cinder began to see that once a new Beacon was constructed, she could recapture the magic that existed there.

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    The clan of two turned towards the ship's console when they heard a beeping noise. Djarin quickly moved to his seat and looked at the coordinates of his current location.

    "We're here," he said as he took manual control of the Razor Crest. He wanted to be prepared for anything, to do exactly what Obi-Wan had advised. "We should see the Kingdom soon."

    Cinder kept her eyes on the window while Djarin looked at his control console. And after a couple of minutes, the Mandalorian's prediction came true. "There it is," Cinder said as she pointed out into the distance.

    The clan of two immediately found themselves looking upon the Kingdom of Atlas. They had been to this place many times in the past, but seeing a floating city in the clouds was always able to capture their eyes each and every time they saw it.

    Despite this amazing sight, as well as the technological advancements Atlas possessed, the Kingdom wasn't really the clan's favorite. In Cinder's case, despite the fact her best friend lived in Atlas, she never forgot the kinds of abuse she had to endure at the Glass Unicorn. In Djarin's case, the living conditions he had to endure in Mantle weren't always the best.

    And in the case of the Mandalorians, Atlas was the least tolerant place in the world for people like them.

    But Djarin and Cinder knew there was a bigger picture in mind. They knew that now wasn't the time for any ignition of past rivalries or disagreements. Now was the time for unity and working together in order to achieve a better tomorrow. The clan of two and their current allies had all done their part by securing the Relic of Knowledge and seeking out reinforcements. Now it was time to see how well Atlas could play their part.

    However, one look overhead made Djarin and Cinder feel that this was going to be hard.

    "Whoa," said Cinder, who couldn't take her eyes off the sky. "That's... That's not normal."

    Djarin also couldn't take his eyes off the sky, since he had a similar feeling. He also knew that such a feeling had to be shared with everyone else. "Get Ozpin," he ordered as he flew the ship in a straight and slow path.

    Cinder immediately did as she was told. Not only did she return with Ozpin, but Qrow and Obi-Wan came into the cockpit as well. Revan had elected to stay with the prisoners, since he didn't feel the need to see what was happening.

    The Force was telling him something wasn't right.

    When they reached the cockpit, all the adults looked up to where Djarin and Cinder were looking to see a rather unexpected surprise.

    "It's... the Atlas air fleet," said Ozpin.

    The sky was currently acting as a home to the entire Atlas air fleet, where numerous airships were resting overhead and making their presence known to everyone on the ground and visitors like the Razor Crest. Nobody had ever seen Atlas filled with this many airships before, but that wasn't the only thing that surprised them. The crew of the Razor Crest could easily see a pattern amongst the ships. There was organization, a hierarchy of sorts.

    "They're set up like they're expecting an attack..." said Qrow. "From the Mandalorians, maybe?"

    "Maybe..." said Djarin. "But I was here before the borders closed. There was nothing like... this."

    Expecting an attack from the Mandalorians was a very logical assumption, given that they had penetrated Atlesian defense before. However, nobody could shake the feeling that there was something off about all of this. Perhaps it was because the war was over, since they had been living in relative peace for two weeks in Mistral.

    Or perhaps... there was more to this fleet than meets the eye.

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    Djarin looked down to see that two objects were on his radar. They were coming straight for the front of his ship, and he looked up just in time to see two Mantas flying right towards him. And then, a voice came over the radio.

    "Unidentified vessel, you are trespassing in Atlesian territory. You have ten seconds to explain yourself before we open fire."

    The Atlas air fleet comprised of over a hundred ships in the sky. Most of them were Mantas, the common fighter-class airship that could handle the occasional small Grimm. Along with the Mantas, there were over a dozen larger airships that served as gunships when they were needed most. The larger airships were the pride and joy of the entire fleet.

    One particular airship, the Chimera, was known to have two responsibilities. The first was serving the role as the flagship of the air fleet, and the second was serving as the headquarters of Admiral Thrawn.

    Thrawn was currently aboard the Chimera with his second in command, Gilad Pellaeon. Pellaeon was the captain of the Chimera, but Thrawn controlled the entire fleet. The duo had served together at the Fall of Beacon, in which Thrawn took the man under his wing. It was true that Pellaeon was initially skeptical of being under the command of someone as... abnormal as Admiral Thrawn. But after they survived the Fall of Beacon, and made it back to Atlas while defending themselves from more Mandalorians, Pellaeon found himself working closer with his intelligent commanding officer.

    And for the past month, they worked together in relative peace. However, this peace did not come without challenge.

    Thrawn was never one to question orders, and he refused to do so when he heard that General Ironwood was going to close the Kingdom's borders. It was Thrawn's responsibility to oversee the fleet and make sure nobody tried to enter or leave the Kingdom, and Thrawn took this responsibility seriously.

    He wasn't present when two airships were involved in a certain incident with Dust, but Thrawn made sure such an incident never occurred again when he and the rest of the fleet were called back to Atlas.

    Thrawn kept to his duties with every passing day, but he recently started to notice a certain weariness of keeping the peace. The weariness wasn't within him, but rather the men and women under his command. They were all starting to lose their morale, given the fact that a war was going on outside their Kingdom while they were apparently doing nothing. One would think that their orders had been fulfilled, and it was time for new orders. However, Thrawn was aware of a plan Ironwood had to fix what had been broken when the war started, and it was imperative to hold the defensive position.

    Thrawn would normally pass the time by studying, going over reports of dissent in the Kingdom, and training in martial arts with the Atlesian Knights. But now, the rituals provided no comfort. Not because he didn't believe in Ironwood's plans, but because the lack of morale had a negative affect on his fellow soldiers.

    There were even whispers of revolution from Mantle.

    The latter was a concept that tested Thrawn's patience. He could handle a lack of morale and insubordination, but he drew the line at rebellion. He and his family had lived by the values of Atlas, mainly its military culture, for generations. The Admiral could tell that the system wasn't perfect, but it was essential to keeping peace and order when they were needed most. Thinking otherwise would be blasphemous, and in Thrawn's mind, treasonous.

    This had to change.

    And so, Thrawn was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He had no intention of breaking orders, but he needed to find a way to make his fellow officers and soldiers see the light once more. He needed to show them how the temporary mission of holding the line was necessary and effective. Thrawn was never one to back away from a challenge, but a task such as this was proving to be difficult.

    His only idea at the moment was to find an opportunity to show everyone that the future was secure.

    At first glance, there wasn't much opportunity to be found within the Kingdom. It had even reached the point where Thrawn and his allies discussed the possibility of making an opportunity. There were others in the fleet that were aware of the situation, and some of them were even blaming Ironwood. It was easy to see that they were thinking as Major Gideon once did, arguing that Ironwood's time was coming to an end.

    Thrawn stood with Ironwood during the time of the insurrection, given his disdain for rebellion. However, it was becoming harder for the Admiral to defend the General, given how the situation in Atlas was... taxing on Ironwood's mind.

    Regardless, Thrawn had decided to make it his mission to create an opportunity to show his fellow soldiers, and the people of Atlas, that there was no future without the military. He planned to create an example within the Kingdom that military order was absolutely necessary.

    This plan changed, however, when the Admiral received an unexpected surprise.

    "Admiral."

    Thrawn looked away from the Chimera's window to see Pellaeon standing behind him. "Yes, Captain?" he replied calmly.

    "Two of our Mantas have encountered an intruding airship within our airspace," the Captain reported.

    Thrawn raised an eyebrow as he listened to the news about an intrusion. He wondered how an airship could have slipped past the borders, but there were other things to be more concerned about.

    "Where is this ship now?" Thrawn asked.

    "In a holding position outside our main defenses," Pellaeon replied. "We have a technical readout over here."

    The Captain led the Admiral towards a computer screen that was controlled by another officer. Most officers would have given the order to shoot on sight, but Thrawn believed differently. He knew he couldn't destroy it just yet, given that there was much he could learn about its ability to move past the borders.

    That was why he looked close at the screen to study the trespassing ship. When he did, he could see that the ship was known to the fleet.

    "That ship is the Razor Crest?" Thrawn asked. "The same ship involved in the Dust incident?"

    "Yes, sir," Pellaeon confirmed. "I was also confused as to why it would think to return, but then I learned who its pilot was." The Captain pressed a button on the computer that controlled a radio. "Razor Crest, this is Captain Pellaeon of the Chimera. Identify yourself in the same manner as you did with our Mantas."

    "This is Din Djarin of Beacon Academy," a familiar voice replied. "My passengers and I come in peace with permission from Argus."

    "Standby." Pellaeon took his finger off the radio and turned back to Thrawn. "The pilot has confirmed himself to be Din Djarin moments ago, sir. The same Mandalorian you met at Beacon."

    "I see," Thrawn replied calmly. He was familiar with Din Djarin, as well as his services to Beacon and Vale when the Mandalorian war began. He wasn't expecting a reunion such as this, under these circumstances. Thrawn was aware that the Razor Crest was involved with a crime, so it would be foolish for it to return.

    But Thrawn knew of the Mandalorian's capabilities, as well as where his loyalty was. While an attack or trap wasn't necessarily expected, Thrawn had to know what he was potentially dealing with.

    "And where are they going?" the Admiral asked.

    Pellaeon turned back to the console and pressed the same button. "Razor Crest, what is your cargo and destination?" he asked.

    "Two prisoners who helped the Mandalorian cause," said Djarin. "Along with four Huntsmen and a Huntress in training, who were all given permission to deliver the prisoners to Atlas."

    Pellaeon looked back to his commanding officer, who had another question for him.

    "Do they have a code clearance?" the Admiral asked. This was the only kind of "permission" protocol could accept.

    "It's an Argus code, sir," Pellaeon explained. "And it's valid. It also came with an encrypted message from Special Operative Cordovin."

    "Saying?"

    "How she had no choice but to allow the Huntsmen to escort these prisoners. She also urged caution, which is why I was prepared to escort them onto this ship."

    "..."

    Thrawn looked out towards the main window of the airship. He couldn't see the Razor Crest, but he only looked so he could think. This was certainly an unexpected arrival, something that he couldn't have predicted. In fact, one could even describe this encounter as some sort of great joke.

    But in Thrawn's mind... he could describe it as a great opportunity.

    "Shall I send the order?" Pellaeon asked.

    "...No," Thrawn replied after he turned back to his Captain. "Allow them to land."

    Pellaeon didn't mean to question the Admiral's order, but he had one more question before he could carry out the order. "Yes, sir," he began. "Where shall I direct them?"

    Thrawn was hoping for a question like this. "Can you tell me where Task Force 99 is currently located?"

    Pellaeon looked at a different computer screen, one where a roster of active soldiers was listed. "They appear to be in Mantle, sir. North district."

    "Direct the ship to land there."

    "Yes, sir."

    After Captain Pellaeon gave the two Mantas new orders to escort the Razor Crest to a set of coordinates in Mantle, the orders were carried out. Everyone aboard the Razor Crest was curious as to why they were going to Mantle instead of Atlas, but they played along and flew towards the city on the ground.

    "Okay, let's not panic or anything," Djarin advised. He could sense the confusion and uncertainty in the cockpit, and he was feeling it as well. But the last thing he needed was to panic. "All of this is just for the war. It has to be."

    "Yes," said Ozpin. "We were all expecting James to take matters in his own hands. But that should change when we speak to him."

    "I actually have a video of me talking at Haven," said Cinder. She saw that a recording of her speech had been made when she arrived at Argus, so she downloaded it onto her Scroll. "That should help."

    "Perhaps this is a good thing," said Obi-Wan. "Now we know the Atlas air fleet is well-prepared for anything. Perhaps we can divide the forces across the Kingdoms, if need be."

    "If we're going after Salem this time, we're definitely gonna need it," said Qrow. "Right, Mando?"

    "Definitely," the Mandalorian replied. "So let's keep our heads together and-Wait, what's that?"

    Everyone turned to see what Djarin was looking at. They were in Mantle now, where they could see a few taller buildings among the smog and smaller buildings. One of those buildings had a large holographic screen, which was playing a recording of General Ironwood.

    A very different General Ironwood.

    "Many describe these as uncertain times, and while that may be the case for the rest of the world, I can tell you what is certain. The Kingdom of Atlas will remain strong, and it will remain safe. That is my promise."

    The recording was playing on a loop, so everyone heard the message a second time. But they were more concerned about Ironwood's current appearance. He was wearing a different uniform than the one he wore at Beacon, one with a white overcoat over a white suit, and he also possessed a large black beard.

    Along with deep circles under his eyes.

    "General Ironwood..." said Cinder, who couldn't take her eyes off the screen. "He looks..."

    "Tired," said Obi-Wan. He didn't need the Force to tell him that Ironwood was different from the last time he saw the man.

    "James, what have you been doing?" Qrow asked as he stared at the recording.

    "Let's hope we can find out," said Ozpin, who put a hand on Qrow's shoulder to comfort him.

    When they finally looked away from the recording of General Ironwood, the crew of the Razor Crest looked down at the streets below them. Djarin had been in Mantle enough times to know what "normal" looked like for the city, so he expected to see people dressed in coats walking the streets or huddled around public heating systems.

    While he saw this, the Mandalorian also noticed several patrols of Atlesian Knights patrolling the streets. Not only that, but the robots were taking up the entire street as they marched in unison. And he even saw what looked like a drone flying close to the sidewalk.

    Normally, it would be the police that would patrol the city. Djarin knew that the military rarely made their presence known in Mantle; all of this was different to him.

    And not in a good way.

    "A reminder."

    Everyone looked to see another holographic screen on a large building. But instead of General Ironwood, the screen was showing Admiral Thrawn.

    "Failure to cooperate with Atlas military personnel is a punishable offense," the recording said. "If your sector is under lockdown..."

    "They're everywhere," said Djarin. "They're all over the city."

    "This isn't right," said Cinder. "None of this is right."

    "No, it isn't," Ozpin agreed.

    "What do we do?" Qrow asked. "Still try to see Ironwood? Or try to find out what's going on?"

    Everyone was wondering the same thing. They were all having misgivings and second thoughts about seeing Ironwood now, given how much had changed in Mantle. The threat from the Mandalorians made sense, but there was much dread in the air. It was almost as if the military had formed a tight grip around the entire Kingdom.

    And the crew of the ship was wondering if they should try and squeeze out of the grip. However, their plans changed when they heard something as clear as day.

    "Razor Crest, do you see the vacant lot beneath you?" a voice on the radio asked.

    Djarin looked out the window to see an empty lot towards the left. It was next to an apartment building, but it looked mostly rundown and vacant. But the Mandalorian was more concerned with the lot.

    "Uh, yes," he replied over the intercom. "Yes, I see it."

    "You are to land in the lot and shut down your primary engines immediately. A security team is en route to meet you. Prepare to be boarded."

    Djarin took a look at everyone to see if they all understood. Nobody objected to the orders, so Djarin moved towards the lot and began to set the ship down. "Understood," he said. "Landing now."

    The Razor Crest slowly touched the ground and became absolutely still. The airships that escorted them didn't land, however. They remained in the sky so they could keep an eye on the foreign airship.

    It seemed that the security team was coming from somewhere else.

    After Djarin turned off the ship's engines, he took another look at his present company. He could sense the atmosphere of uncertainty and concern from them, which was a result of the military broadcasts and presence of Atlesian Knights in the city. Like Cinder had said, none of this seemed right. Much had changed since the last time any of them were in Atlas.

    As for how much, Djarin was prepared to find out before he acquiesced to further orders.

    "Ozpin, I'm going to have a look around," Djarin decided. "Maybe I can find out what the hell is going on around here. You'd better stay with the ship and everyone else."

    "Very well," Ozpin agreed. "If our welcoming party arrives before you come back, I'll keep them busy for as long as I can."

    The Mandalorian grabbed his rifle and began to strap it to his back. "I saw a big hole in the wall around the city. Try saying that I saw a Grimm roaming around. That should do it."

    Cinder immediately grabbed her father's shoulder. "Dad, let me come with you," she said. "They might try to take the Relic along with our weapons."

    Djarin looked at the Relic hanging on Cinder's side and quickly agreed that it would be better in her hands than anyone else's. "Okay. Hold on to me, we'll use my Semblance."

    "Good luck," said the Headmaster. "And be careful."

    Cinder and Djarin nodded in confirmation. "Be back soon," Cinder promised before she disappeared with her father.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Qrow decided to take a seat where Cinder had just been sitting while he looked out the window. "Now we wait," he said as he watched another party of soldiers march down the street.

    Ozpin and Obi-Wan saw an opportunity to speak in private while Qrow kept an eye on the streets. They were both wondering what was happening, there was one thing they could agree on.

    "I've got a bad feeling about this," said Obi-Wan.

    "As do I," said Ozpin. "We were at war, but there's something off about all of this."

    "The city of Mistral never had... defenses like this."

    "Neither did Vacuo. Vale had something similar, but only because of the attack. As far as I'm aware, the Mandalorians never came close to Solitas."

    "It's a wonder the base at Argus didn't try anything like this. I don't like it."

    Ozpin also didn't like this, but there was a glimmer of hope he was able to find in this dark time. "James is unaware that the war is at an end," he said. "Perhaps after Djarin returns with news, we can tell him and restore some normalcy to Atlas."

    Obi-Wan accepted this logic, but he had a question. "Would you prefer to do this before or after we tell him about Salem?"

    "..."

    Ozpin suddenly lost his resolve. He had almost forgotten about telling Ironwood the truth about Salem, how he had been lying to him and giving him hope under false pretenses. And given the Fall of Beacon, as well as their last conversation, Ozpin was sure that Ironwood wasn't going to be very accepting of the truth.

    And it was entirely possible that he would... overreact.

    Obi-Wan could sense much conflict within Ozpin. Because of this, he began to have an idea of a third possibility. It was a possibility he didn't like, but the Jedi could believe that Ozpin would consider it.

    "Or will you not tell him at all?" he asked.

    Ozpin shot his head upwards in surprise. He could see why Obi-Wan would say this, but the idea disgusted Ozpin. Fortunately, he put the issue to rest as he made a brave but hard decision.

    "I've learned my lesson, Obi-Wan," Ozpin said calmly. "I've seen the consequences of my actions, and I won't repeat them again." After he said this, Ozpin looked down once more. "No matter what happens next."

    "..."

    "But before I do, I have one request to make." Ozpin looked at his friend once more. "Should anything happen to me after I talk to James, watch over everyone else. And follow the lead Djarin and Cinder are creating. I have faith in them."

    "As do I," said Obi-Wan, who was proud to see that deception and secrecy weren't going to be used again. "Don't worry. I'll help them in any way I can."

    "Uh, Oz?"

    Ozpin and Obi-Wan turned to Qrow, who was pointing at something out the window. "We got company," he said without turning away from what was outside.

    Ozpin and Obi-Wan quickly moved to the window to see what Qrow was looking at. There, they could see that a new airship had landed about twenty feet in front of them. And there appeared to be a group of soldiers walking straight towards them.

    Nobody could make out clear details about these soldiers, but they could tell that something was strange about them. They had seen enough Atlesians to recognize their signature metal armor, the suit that had a helmet covering their eyes and a gray chest plate with either blue or red stripes.

    But they could tell that the soldiers approaching the Razor Crest were different. Their armor was completely white.

    "Who are they?" Obi-Wan asked.

    "You're seeing them too?" Qrow asked. "They're in white suits, right? I'm not going crazy?"

    "You're perfectly sane, Qrow," Ozpin replied honestly. "I've never seen soldiers like those before. They may be-"

    "Warning. Console firewalls breached."​

    Everyone turned to the console of the Razor Crest, which was flashing red and displaying a warning on the screen. It was the same warning that an electronic voice had said, so everyone knew that there was an emergency.

    "What the-?" Qrow asked as he looked at the terminal. "What just happened?"

    The red lights began to move across the entire electronic terminal, which made everyone feel even more distressed.

    "What's happening?" Ozpin asked. "Is there a malfunction?"

    "I don't know!" Qrow replied as he looked over the console. "Man, of all the times Mando had to leave!" Qrow immediately reached into his pocket so he could contact Djarin via his Scroll.

    But when he saw his screen glitching with multiple lines of what appeared to be computer code, Qrow saw that the situation had become worse.

    "My Scroll's not working!" Qrow told his company.

    Obi-Wan and Ozpin reached for their Scrolls, but they saw that the same thing was happening to them. Their first guess was that there was some kind of computer interference with their Scrolls. However, they saw the same lines of code and messages of access to their Scrolls being "denied." That was when everyone saw that this wasn't a coincidence or interference.

    Someone had hacked into their Scrolls and the computer of the Razor Crest. And now, that hacker had just remotely opened every door of the ship so the soldiers could board.

    Whoever the hacker was... they had the ship and its crew right where they wanted them.

    Djarin and Cinder found themselves in a vacant alleyway after Djarin used his Semblance. As soon as he put on his magical disguise, Djarin led Cinder to the streets of Mantle.

    Cinder hadn't been to Mantle as many times as her father, so she didn't really understand how the streets usually looked. Djarin had actually grown up on these streets, before he and his family attempted a better life in Vale. He remembered having a few friends here and there to play with and looking at various shops with his sister.

    But now, all Djarin could see were people walking in silence, trucks driving dirty and tired Dust miners, and more Atlesian Knights standing on the sidewalks. Much had changed from his childhood, and it appeared this change was for the worse.

    Cinder would have been looking at all the details all well, but another holographic screen had caught her eye. Instead of a recording from Ironwood or Thrawn, this one had various news articles with large titles.

    "Missing Journalist Found Slain"

    "Election Imminent

    Mantle Hometown Hero vs. Atlesian Politician    "

    "Embargo: The Right Call?

    Pressure and Criticism Continues to Mount on Council    "

    "Outer Wall Damaged

    Resources Stalled    "​

    "Cinder."

    The Fall Maiden immediately moved to catch up to her father. As she did, Cinder noticed a drone flying very close to her. She tried to ignore it, but the drone kept invading her personal space.

    And it got worse when the drone took a picture of her.

    *SNAP*​

    "Hey!" Cinder said after she recovered from the flash. She took a step towards the drone, but Djarin quickly put an arm in front of her.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Djarin used his Semblance again to transport himself and Cinder into another alley. He knew he had taken a risk by teleporting in an open area, but he hated that drone as much as Cinder did.

    "We need to get off the streets," he said as he looked out towards the sidewalk.

    "Yeah," Cinder agreed. "Should we head back to the ship?"

    "We might have to. We're not gonna get the answers we need like this."

    Cinder agreed with her father once again, given that everyone they had passed were keeping their heads down and trying to avoid the robots. And since some of the the robots were clearly pushing their boundaries, Cinder knew that they wouldn't be much help either.

    However, she became hopeful when her eyes landed on a small complex with a green medical sign on it.

    "Hey, Dad," Cinder said as she pointed towards the smaller building. "Isn't that Dr. Polendina's place?"

    Djarin looked where Cinder was pointing and saw the same thing. He and Cinder had been in that place before, so he was able to recognize it.

    In more ways than one.

    "...Yeah," he said. "Yeah, that's it."

    "Well, let's go!" Cinder said as she moved closer. "If he's there, maybe he can tell us what's happening."

    "..."

    Djarin couldn't disagree with Cinder's logic, but he was rather reluctant to enter the complex. He never told this to anyone, but the complex Dr. Polendina had made into a pharmacy was actually the Mandalorian's childhood home. His father was a Huntsman, so he could afford to rent the small complex for himself and his family. After he died, Djarin's mother and sister made the decision to leave for Vale.

    The complex held some of Djarin's best and worst memories, and the latter only grew after his family had died. And given that he still couldn't explain what he saw at Haven, Djarin didn't entirely like the idea of going into a place with so many memories.

    However, Djarin was able to put these feelings aside so he could complete his mission.

    "You're right," he said as he walked towards the complex. "Let's go."

    When they left the alley, the clan of two could see more unhappy people and more robots patrolling the streets. Cinder was more focused on the former, since she couldn't remember the last time she saw this many unhappy people.

    "Jeez," she said as she walked towards the complex. "Was Mantle ever this depressed when you lived here, Dad?"

    "Not always," Djarin explained. He never told Cinder about his childhood home, but he told her that he was from Mantle. "You have to remember, the Kingdom had just lost the Great War. The people of Mantle needed a sign of a brighter future, and that sign was Atlas." Djarin pointed at the city overhead. "A home in the clouds is as bright as it gets."

    Cinder looked overhead before she looked at the people around her. "Unless you're the one having to look up at it."

    Djarin nodded. "Everyone figured that out later." He took another look at the people and robots. "And now it's only gotten worse."

    "..."

    Djarin didn't feel the need to explain anything else, just like how Cinder felt that she didn't have anything else to ask. And so, they continued on their path to what they hoped would be answers.

    When Djarin and Cinder approached the building, they saw someone walking out with a bionic arm. Not only was she a Faunus, but she also appeared to be the only one person in Mantle who was wearing a smile as she waved to someone inside the building.

    "And no more heavy-lifting, you hear?" a familiar voice called out.

    The girl waved again as she walked away from the pharmacy. After she left, Djarin and Cinder prepared to take her place.

    "That sounded like Dr. Polendina," said the Fall Maiden. "We might be in luck."

    "Let's find out," Djarin said as he opened the door.

    The clan of two stepped inside to see a familiar setting. It had been a while since Cinder had been in Mantle, but she remembered her last visit to Pietro Polendina's pharmacy; it was the day she learned about his plans to create Penny out of Beskar. So she was able to remember a few things.

    And Djarin recognized the lobby that once served as his living room. He didn't hold a grudge against Pietro for the conversion, but it was a little hard for him to look at.

    However, it was easy to look upon the kindly old man that was sitting on the other side of the counter.

    Cinder remembered that Pietro had a hard time remembering her when they saw each other last, so she decided to help him in case today would start off similarly.

    "Um... hello, Dr. Polendina," she said as she approached the counter. "I'm not sure if you remember, but my name's-"

    "Cinder!"

    The clan of two were surprised to see Pietro's quick and positive reaction, just like how the scientist was surprised to see Cinder once again. He recognized and welcomed her as an old acquaintance, and for very good reason.

    "Of course, I remember you, dear!" Pietro said as he moved from behind the countertop. He wasn't walking, he was in a mechanical chair that had four moving legs. "I don't think I'll ever forget that day in Vale!"

    Cinder smiled as she awkwardly chuckled at the kind doctor. She wasn't sure if Pietro was referring to the time she accidentally destroyed his cabin door with her powers or how he almost died in Nevarro, but she was glad he remembered her.

    And she became even more glad when she heard what Pietro said next.

    "And I heard all about how you helped my daughter at Beacon," Pietro continued. "Bless your heart, child. You really mean a lot to Penny."

    "Thank you, sir," Cinder began before she gasped. She had almost forgotten about Penny, given what she saw all across Mantle. But now, since she believed that Penny had been rebuilt, Cinder wanted to hear all about the friend she thought she had lost.

    But when Djarin closed the door and got Pietro's attention, Cinder remembered that there were more important things to do.

    "I hope you remember me too," the Mandalorian said as he revealed his armor. This was a big risk, since nobody in Atlas knew that the Mandalorian Civil War was over. But Djarin knew he needed Pietro to recognize him before they could talk.

    Fortunately, Pietro recognized the Mandalorian before him. As well as the danger he would be in if people saw his armor.

    "Mando?" Pietro asked as he looked upon Djarin. "You can't be here wearing that!" Pietro looked towards the windows to make sure nobody was looking inside. "If anyone sees you, who knows what'll happen to you?!"

    "I know," Djarin said as he put his disguise back on. "I'm sorry to alarm you."

    Pietro sighed in relief, despite the fact he didn't know how Djarin just did what he did. However, he had other questions regarding the Mandalorian's presence.

    "Wait a minute, what are you two doing here?" he asked. "I mean, it's good to see you again after so long, but how did you get past the Kingdom's defenses?"

    "It's a long story," Djarin replied. "But we're here with good news."

    "The war is over," said Cinder. "It ended at Haven when the Mandalorians surrendered."

    Pietro's eyes widened under his glasses. "They surrendered?" he asked. "It's over? You're sure?"

    "We were there," Djarin confirmed. "The Mandalorians surrendered after Pre Vizsla died, and Mistral's begun to rebuild."

    "My word," the scientist said as he widely smiled. The excitement he felt from the wonderful news was enough to make his forehead sweat, which caused him to remove his burlap cap and wipe his brow. "That's the best news I've heard all month." Pietro put his hat back on. "The situation here hasn't been going very well, as you might have noticed."

    "We noticed," said Djarin.

    "We came here with Headmasters Ozpin and Kenobi," said Cinder. "We were going to tell General Ironwood what happened, but then we saw..." Cinder pointed above. "What we saw. Can you tell us what's going on?"

    Pietro let out a strong cough before he explained the situation in Atlas. "Well, the Fall of Beacon took a toll on all of us," he began. "James was no different. I couldn't tell you exactly what it was he saw there, but it changed him. He's…"

    "He's scared," said Djarin. Between the destruction of Beacon and the borders closing, the Mandalorian could tell how Ironwood was feeling.

    "Paranoid would be the more appropriate term," Pietro corrected. "You have to understand, it wasn't just the Grimm. When the Mandalorians declared war, everyone in the Kingdom believed it was going to be the Great War all over again. When they saw the massacres at Vytal and Vale, nobody in Atlas felt safe. Not even James himself."

    "He's desperate," Djarin concluded. That explained the massive amount of airships and security; desperate times called for desperate measures. "Cinder... Atlas might not be as safe as we thought."

    Cinder was starting to understand that, but she had a hard time giving up. "After we came all this way..." she said somberly. "We can't just leave... can we?"

    "..."

    Djarin's silence was awfully telling, and Cinder couldn't blame him for thinking what he was thinking. However, after everything she promised and planned to do for Remnant, Cinder knew she couldn't give up.

    "How does the Council feel about all of this?" she asked. "Do you know anything about them?"

    "Well, the Council's so scared, they'll agree to whatever he wants," Pietro explained. "Though, some representatives from Mantle are trying to change the status quo. I don't suppose either of you know Robyn Hill?"

    Djarin recognized the name. He hadn't seen her in years, but the Mandalorian remembered how Robyn and her team of "Happy Huntresses" helped him rescue Cinder. "I know Robyn," he insisted. "We've met before."

    "Oh, really?" Pietro replied with mild surprise. "Well, she's going to be running for a seat on the Council. One of the members' had a heart attack two weeks ago. He survived, but his health forced him to resign."

    The Mandalorian began to have an idea. "I haven't seen Robyn in a while, but I know her. And I've worked with Boba on occasion too."

    "Boba? Who's that?"

    "Her brother. Well, sort of brother."

    Cinder was following along with her father. "Do you think she can help us?" she asked.

    "If she gets the seat," Djarin replied. "If we talk to her, let her know the war is over, that could convince the rest of the Council to move the fleet."

    "Interesting idea," said Pietro. "Though I wouldn't count on James wanting to move the fleet, regardless of the war's current status."

    "Why's that?"

    Pietro scratched his head, almost like he was pondering what to say next. "I, uh... don't think I should have told you that."

    After they heard this, Djarin and Cinder couldn't help but share a glance at each other. Pietro was never one to keep secrets, even sheepishly so. However, it seemed that their earlier hypothesis was right; there was more to the fleet than meets the eye.

    "Dr. Polendina, we're just here to help," Cinder insisted. "Is the fleet trying to protect something other than the Kingdom? Maybe we can help."

    "I'm sorry, I've already said too much," said Pietro. "If you end up speaking to the General, perhaps he'll tell you more."

    "More about what?" Djarin asked. "What's going-?"

    *WOOO*

    *WOOO*    ​

    Everyone looked towards the door and windows when they heard sirens outside. The sound and the sight of street lamps turning red gave only one indication as to what was happening outside.

    "Trouble!" said Cinder, who rushed towards the door. Djarin quickly followed behind her, despite Pietro's plea to wait and come back.

    When Djarin and Cinder found themselves outside, they immediately armed themselves. Cinder didn't take her armor, since she didn't have a disguise like her father's, but she had the swords the Armorer gave her long ago. Djarin had his rifle, which he pointed down the empty street when he heard the sounds of Grimm.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Djarin and Cinder saw two Atlesian Knights shooting at something down the street. Suddenly, two black shapes jumped on the robots and ripped them apart. When they turned towards the two Mandalorians, the warriors could see that the shapes were Grimm. But not just any Grimm.

    "Sabyrs," Djarin said as he raised his weapon. "Remember how we handle these things?"

    "You call it," Cinder insisted as she readied herself for combat.

    Djarin and Cinder had dealt with Grimm like these, and just about every other Grimm, about a hundred times together. They had developed strategies they learned from Beacon and Mandalorian tradition for every monster they encountered, and now they were ready to do it again.

    "Now!" Djarin ordered as he peered through his rifle's scope. When Cinder charged, the Sabyrs charged at her in return. When they were at a considerable distance, and after more Grimm joined their two comrades, Djarin pulled the trigger and killed the first ones he saw.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Djarin hit the Grimm in the right spot to make them turn to ash immediately. When a small cloud formed on the street, Cinder used her Maiden powers to launch herself over the smoke and let the Grimm charge towards nothing. The confusion they felt when they saw their prey disappear in the smoke was enough time for Cinder to attack from behind and stab them with icicles.

    *SHICK*

    *SHICK*

    *SHICK*    ​

    Six Sabyrs had just been killed, but more came from the left. The Mandalorian immediately used his Semblance to appear next to Cinder, which broke his focus on his magical disguise. But when the clan of two reunited, they used their rifle and bow to kill the incoming Grimm.

    Arrows and bullets found their prey easily, but a few survivors came dangerously close to Djarin and Cinder.

    "Going up!" Djarin said as he activated his jetpack.

    "Right behind you!" Cinder called back as she activated her Maiden powers. She prepared to unleash another element at the Grimm, but Djarin stopped her.

    "Not too much! We're still in the city."

    Cinder recalled that she and her father were still in Mantle, as opposed to Beacon or an open field outside the Kingdoms. There were sure to be eyes everywhere, and neither of the Mandalorians were ready for anyone to see that Cinder was a Maiden.

    But they knew they could let one element destroy all the Grimm below: fire.

    Cinder pulled out an arrow that would explode after a few seconds while Djarin pulled two small explosives from his belt. When they saw that all of the Grimm below them were jumping up towards them, the clan of two moved their explosives downward and let fire destroy the newly formed pack.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    When the sound of the explosions disappeared, Djarin and Cinder noticed the sounds of the Grimm disappeared as well. Content with their work, Djarin and Cinder moved back to the ground and admired their handiwork.

    Djarin was arguably the one who was the most proud. He took his role as a warrior and a hunter of Grimm very seriously, but he had just learned how much he missed doing it with Cinder. He had either been killing Grimm by himself or with complete strangers for too long now. It was much better when he had Cinder with him.

    He wouldn't want to fight with anyone else by his side.

    "Great job, Cinder," the Mandalorian said as he rubbed her head.

    Cinder smiled as she accepted the gesture Djarin gave her since she was a child. She would be embarrassed by it if there were other people around, but Cinder happily accepted the hand on her head. She had missed fighting by Djarin's side as well.

    "You too, Dad," she insisted with a smile.

    *GROWL*​

    The Mandalorians turned around just in time to see more Sabyrs coming towards them. Neither of them were ready to back down, however. They each raised their weapons and prepared to fight once again.

    But a green beam of energy stopped them.

    *WHOOSH*

    *HISS*    ​

    Djarin and Cinder almost didn't believe what they saw. More specifically, they didn't believe that a green beam that came out of nowhere had just cut one of the Sabyrs in half. And they didn't believe it when two more beams killed two more Grimm in a similar manner.

    *WHOOSH*

    *HISS*

    *WHOOSH*

    *HISS*    ​

    When the street was cleared of Grimm, Cinder looked around her to see what could have caused the miracle to occur. She couldn't see anything at first, but Cinder immediately listened to her father when he saw a clue.

    "Up there!" he said as he pointed to the night sky.

    Cinder looked up to the sky and saw what Djarin was pointing at. She briefly doubted her sight once again, but Cinder soon realized that what she was seeing was true. There was a person flying in the sky, someone who almost looked like they were dancing. The person wasn't wearing a jetpack like Djarin was, they appeared to have some sort of... boosters on their feet. And just like the energy, the fire in the boosters were green.

    Neither Djarin nor Cinder could make out any details about the identity of this person. But Pietro, who had left his pharmacy when he noticed the green lights, recognized who it was that was slowly descending towards the ground.

    And in due time, so could Djarin and Cinder.

    "Wait," said Djarin, who was starting to make out some familiar details. "Is that-?"

    Cinder softly gasped when she had the same idea as her father. She could see that the figure was a girl, one wearing a white blouse and a green skirt. Her legs looked more machine than human, since she had metal knees and metallic boosters above her feet. But Cinder didn't treat this as an abnormality; when she got a good look at the girl's face, her long orange hair, and her metallic pink bow, Cinder knew exactly who the girl was.

    "Penny," she whispered with a smile.

    Pietro also recognized his creation and daughter, and he too was glad to see her. Not just because she had just killed numerous Grimm with ease, but also because Penny had a wonderful opportunity.

    "Darling, look who decided to pay us a visit," the scientist called out to Penny.

    When Penny turned towards her father to see what he was talking about, she immediately made eye contact with Cinder. The sight of a friend she hadn't seen in a month was enough to cause the robotic girl to gasp with an wide smile and shining eyes.

    Cinder smiled as well, and started to grow just as overjoyed as Penny was. However, she was unprepared for how Penny planned to greet Cinder.

    "Sal..." she said as she straitened her posture.

    "Huh?" Cinder asked.

    "U..." Penny said as she took a running position.

    Cinder became more confused as to what was happening.

    "Tations!" Penny shouted as she took off running.

    Cinder immediately understood that Penny planned to greet her with a hug, and she was ready and willing to reciprocate the gesture. However, as Penny moved closer and closer at an alarming speed, Cinder suddenly remembered that Penny's body was made entirely out of metal.

    Strong metal.

    "Whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wai-!"

    *CRASH*​

    Cinder slid on the ground as she became trapped in an iron-like grasp. She had no choice but to activate her Aura to block out any pain, but her friend made sure that the hug was rather brief.

    "It is such a pleasure to see you again!" said Penny, who was the first to stand back up.

    Cinder got off the ground quickly and recovered from Penny's... enthusiastic greeting. "It's great to see you too," she insisted. "I knew you were gonna get rebuilt, I just knew it!"

    Djarin was also happy to see Penny, despite the fact that he never officially met her. But he had heard enough from both Pietro and Cinder to know that she was quite extraordinary.

    And anyone who made his daughter happy was certainly a friend of Djarin's.

    "How did you do this?" Djarin asked Pietro. "I saw the footage from Amity, the Mandalorians took everything after they... Um..."

    "Broke her?" Pietro finished for the Mandalorian. "Yes, it's true every part of Penny was taken by the Mandalorians. I suppose using Beskar wasn't such a good idea after all. But I programmed Penny to upload her software into the nearest Atlesian computer system for emergencies. Which happened to be Amity Arena."

    "Oh, I see!" Cinder replied. "So when it came back to Atlas-"

    "Penny came with it so I could recover her. It took me some time, but-"

    "I'm as good as new!" said Penny. "Better, even! And now, just as General Ironwood promised, I'm the official protector of the city!"

    "That's my girl!" Pietro said proudly. "We're not going to let a little ripping to shreds stop us, are we?" Pietro let out another cough as he laughed, but he didn't let that stop Penny from answering him.

    "No, sir!" she said as she tapped her head. Metallic clanks were a result of this tapping, to show that Penny was as strong and sturdy as she could possibly be.

    Djarin remained silent as everyone spoke, but he was smiling under his helmet. He found the situation to be rather wholesome, especially since Cinder was reconnecting with a friend. The last couple of weeks for her weren't normal for a teenage girl, having to defend a school, rebuild a school, and promise to the world that she would be a good ruler that served Remnant.

    To have a moment with a friend, however brief, was something Djarin believed Cinder deserved. And after everything that happened, she had earned a right to be happy.

    "We have so many things to catch up about," Penny insisted with a smile. "I cannot wait!"

    *WOOO*

    *WOOO*    ​

    Everyone heard more sirens in the distance, which were a result of more Grimm. It seemed that Mantle's defenses weren't doing a good job keeping the beasts out.

    "It seems we will have to wait!" Penny said before she took to the air. As she flew higher and higher, Penny said a very fast goodbye to the Fall Maiden.

    "Let's talk more later! I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures and tell you how I have been and I am just very excited about the whole experience!"

    Cinder's friend disappeared, but the young Maiden simply waved at the sky and smiled. "...See you later," she happily whispered.

    Djarin put a hand on his daughter's shoulder and smiled under his helmet. "That was unexpected," he said. "But not unwelcome."

    Cinder continued to smile as she looked away from the sky. "Yeah, no kidding. I didn't think I would ever see her again."

    "Me neither. But between her and Pietro, I was honestly expecting things to go a lot rougher."

    "Well, for what's it's worth, I'm glad they didn't," said the elderly scientist. "Now how about we get out of this weather?"

    Djarin and Cinder immediately agreed to the idea and moved back to the pharmacy. As they did, both of the Mandalorians began to believe that staying in Mantle for a little while might be the best course of action. They would be able to find out everything that was happening, and they could even help out when they needed to. And along the way, they could figure out what to do regarding Ironwood.

    So, Djarin looked to his gauntlet and prepared to send a message to Ozpin for everyone to join him. But as he did so, the Mandalorian suddenly noticed something odd. For a brief moment, he saw a light flash on top of a building. But the building didn't have any lights on in the windows, and the flash looked more like a reflection.

    More specifically, the reflection a scope would have when light hit it.

    "Cinder, look out!" Djarin screamed as he pushed his daughter to the ground.

    *BANG*​

    From the top of the building, a red bolt of energy flew towards the ground and hit Djarin right where he stood. His Beskar armor offered some protection, but the shot, which was very similar to the blasts of a Mandalorian blaster, hit a spot where metal met flesh. Because of that, Djarin couldn't help but fall to the ground in pain.

    "Dad!" Cinder screamed as she scrambled to her feet. "No!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    Suddenly, a wave of fire came out from an alley close to Pietro's pharmacy. The fire rested between Djarin and Cinder, which caught the young girl immediately by surprise. She was about to use her powers to blow the fire away, but her arms became wrapped in a tight wire and caused her to fall down.

    "Aah!" Cinder yelled as she hit the ground. Her first reaction was to try and get back up, but she couldn't push herself off the ground due to her arms being tied.

    As for who or what did this, Cinder got the answer when she saw a pair of feet by her head.

    Standing just above Cinder was a person wearing what appeared to be armor. But it wasn't like any other armor she had ever seen before. The person was covered in head to toe with white armor and black padding under the pieces of armor. It was rather shiny, and the streetlights were reflecting off its surface.

    The person also had a red and blue sash on their right shoulder, with what appeared to be a pin of a clover. They were twirling what appeared to be a horseshoe in their left hand, and they were looking down on Cinder with a rather unique helmet.

    The helmet almost looked like a gas mask, since the mouthpiece appeared to be a respirator for breathing. There was also a black spot where the nose of a person would normally be, and a single visor at the top. It also contained a raised ridge that ran from directly above the visor to the back of the helmet; it almost looked like two helmets were combined into one.

    "Good work, team," a male voice said from beneath the helmet. Cinder couldn't see it, but there were more soldiers behind her wearing similar armor.

    "Hey!" Cinder yelled. "What's going on?!"

    The fire between Djarin and Cinder had finally subsided, so Djarin was able to see the soldier with his daughter. "Hey, you!" he called out. "We just helped save every-!"

    *BAM*​

    "Oof!"

    "Shut your mouth!"

    Cinder gasped in horror as she saw an abnormally large man, also dressed in white armor, slam his foot down on Djarin's chest. Before she could react, she was hoisted off the ground by a soldier with a tubes on the mouthpiece.

    "What did you say?" he asked. "You said that tin can is your dad?"

    Another soldier, one with red stripes on his armor and a different helmet than the others, stepped out of the alley while holding what looked like a flamethrower. "I heard her," he said. "We got two of them now, sir. This isn't looking good."

    The soldier with the sash leaned down and picked up the Relic of Knowledge, which had fallen off Cinder's side. After he examined it, he made a decision.

    "Hm... let's give it a minute before we load them on the next transport," he said. "Anyone got eyes on Cav and Misty?"

    "They're on their way," said a soldier with a glowing blue visor. "Had some Grimm up the street to handle."

    Cinder was able to move her head to see two more soldiers walking up the street. One was wearing a brown cloak and holding a long rifle while the other was holding two knives while cleaning his armor of ash.

    They had just passed Pietro, who was very concerned with the unfolding situation.

    "What is the meaning of this?!" he asked angrily before he let out a cough. "What's SCAR Squadron even doing down here in Mantle?"

    "SCAR Squadron?" Cinder asked herself.

    "Doctor, good to see you," said the soldier with the sash. "Well, we heard a report of a foreign airship making an illegal arrival in Atlesian airspace, followed by a direct violation of orders to stay with said ship by two Mandalorians."

    "Looks like the war finally made its way to Atlas, sir," said the soldier with the knives. "You want me to find out how?"

    Pietro was even more concerned, given the reputation of this particular team of soldiers. "If we could just talk this out-"

    "That's what we're gonna do," said the apparent leader. "I hate this as much as you do, but Cav's not wrong about the war." He looked to the soldier with the knives. "Interrogating won't take long, will it, Cav?"

    "No, sir," the soldier replied as he spun his knives in hand. His eyes were set on Djarin, who had been picked up off the ground by the large soldier. "Not long at all."

    It was true that the leader didn't like what he was implying, but he was aware of the war going on outside the Kingdom. And now, he had to know if there were any more Mandalorians roaming the city.

    But he wasn't the only one who didn't like the idea.

    "Dad!" Cinder yelled as she squirmed in her wire. "Let him go!"

    The soldier holding Cinder tightened his grasp while the one with the glowing eyes stepped closer. "Can it, kid," he ordered firmly.

    But Cinder didn't do that. Instead, as her eyes began to burn, she made the demand again.

    "I said let go!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    A halo of fire escaped from Cinder's hands, which knocked Djarin and the soldiers backwards. The fire also melted the wire around her body, which freed the Fall Maiden.

    The soldier with the sash was the first to recover from the blast, and he was the first to see that Cinder was free. Hoping to detain her once again, the soldier immediately pulled a metal object off his side, which immediately sprung out a whip-like line with a hook on the end. He cast the line out to Cinder and prepared to wrap her once again, but Cinder caught the line and sent a ball of fire to the soldier.

    *BAM*​

    When he was hit, the soldier was thrown back against the wall of another building. Seizing her chance, Cinder threw a ball of ice and froze the soldier against the wall, eliminating him from the fight.

    His squad, however, was a different story.

    "Weapons free!" said the soldier with tubes on his mouthpiece. He immediately raised a rifle of his own and shot two blasts at Cinder. Luckily, he missed, and Cinder was able to run for cover.

    Which prompted Djarin to teleport to the man, transform his rifle into its staff, and stick the electric end at his back.

    *ZAP*​

    The armor didn't offer much protection from electricity, and the soldier didn't have time to engage his Aura. All he could do was spasm for a few seconds before he hit the ground.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Two more blasts hit the Mandalorian's back and caused him to turn around. The larger soldier and the one with knives were running towards Cinder, but Djarin had the attention of the sniper and the one with the flamethrower.

    *WHOOSH*​

    When more fire came Djarin's way, the Mandalorian activated his jetpack and took to the air while returning fire.

    "Mic, hack that jetpack!" the sniper yelled as he continued to shoot at Djarin.

    The soldier with the glowing visor looked at a computer screen, which immediately turned red. "No good!" he said. "It's not run by a computer!"

    "Dammit! Just keep firing!"

    While Djarin had the attention of the three soldiers. Cinder had the attention of the large one and the one with knives. The one with knives came into close contact and started slashing at Cinder's face with them. Fortunately, avoiding knives like these were a part of Cinder's Mandalorian training, so she was able to duck and weave past them.

    But when one blade cut some of her hair, Cinder knew she couldn't dodge forever. So when the knives came to her at the same time, Cinder removed the Darksaber from her waist and sent the blade at the man.

    *SSSS*​

    The soldier was able to dodge the attack, though his armor was slightly cut. However, he was unable to prevent the energy from cutting the blades off both of his knives. He was about to retrieve another one from his chest, but Cinder sent a gust of wind at both soldiers.

    *WHOOSH*

    *BAM*    ​

    The large soldier was relatively unaffected by the wind, but the smaller one flew backwards and hit his head hard on the sidewalk. The force was strong enough to crack his helmet, which left him with a bad head injury.

    "Okay, that's it!" said the larger soldier as he grabbed Cinder.

    *BAM*​

    Cinder was struck by the man's fist, which caused her to engage her Aura to block out the pain. But before she could counterattack, the soldier grabbed her again and squeezed her tightly.

    *CRACK*

    *CRACK*    ​

    "Aaah!" Cinder yelled in pain. She began hitting the man's face, but his helmet protected him from any pain. Instead, he was delivering as much pain as he could to Cinder. She used her Aura to block some of it and focus, but it was hard to do so with everything going on. Being caught in an iron-like grip and seeing her father being attacked was enough to make her angry. And she was trying to use that anger again and again as she tried to hurt the soldier with her fists.

    But when she raised her left fist another time, something very strange happened.

    *SPLAT*​

    All of a sudden, the front of the soldier's helmet was partially covered in a strange, tar-like substance.

    "Aw, gross!" the soldier yelled as he dropped Cinder. With his free hands, the soldier grabbed the substance on his face and tried to pull it off. "What's this?! Faunus spit?!"

    Cinder was also wondering what had splattered all across the soldier's faceplate. When she studied the substance, Cinder noticed that some of it was leading down to the ground. But even stranger, it was going towards Cinder's hand.

    The hand where she had the Beetle latched on to her.

    "What?" Cinder asked as she looked back to the soldier. She had just put the pieces together, that the Grimm was attacking the Atlesian just like it once attacked Cinder. But it didn't make sense; that soldier was certainly no Maiden, he had no powers whatsoever.

    So how was it possible that the Grimm was attacking the soldier?

    Unfortunately, Cinder didn't have any time to answer the question. Because not only has the soldier ripped the Grimm off of his face, but he had just grabbed Cinder and threw her a few feet away from him. This caused the young girl to not only hit the pavement multiple times, but also land close to the rest of the squad.

    "Zuke, get that kid!" said the sniper. "We got the Mandalorian pinned on the roof!" This was true, but the situation was mostly a stalemate; Djarin could return fire from the roof, but he couldn't leave with the multiple blaster shots hitting his place of cover.

    Fortunately, Cinder was about to give him an opportunity to do so.

    As she got off the ground, Cinder could feel blood on the top of her head. It seemed that the cut to her hair was closer to her head than she thought. And to make matters worse, the large soldier was charging at her like a wild beast. Cinder almost panicked when she saw the sight, but then she saw that she was right in front of the rest of the squad.

    These circumstances gave her an idea.

    *WHOOSH*​

    After she blasted another element on the ground between her and the soldiers, Cinder looked back just in time to see that the large soldier was almost on top her. She had enough time to jump out of the way, which made the soldier fall right into her trap.

    He had just ran onto a thick patch of ice, which caused him to slip and slide right into his comrades.

    *CRASH*​

    All three soldiers were hit by the large man and fell over. Not only did this finally give Djarin some reprieve from being shot at, but it also gave him the chance to finish the fight. The soldier with red stripes on his armor had just dropped his flamethrower, which Djarin shot at immediately.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BOOM*    ​

    The weapon exploded, which made all of the soldiers fly in various directions. Their armor protected them from the fire, but the force from the explosion had knocked them unconscious and unable to continue the fight.

    The clan of two had won, but just barely. Both of them were somewhat hurt, and they needed to focus on healing with their Auras. Djarin flew down to the ground to help Cinder on her feet, and they immediately went into Pietro's complex for shelter. The scientist had moved inside to avoid the firefight, and he had just beckoned for his friends to join him inside when the fight was finally over.

    *SLAM*​

    The door to Pietro's shop slamming shut was enough for one soldier to regain his senses. After he looked around and saw the rest of his squad laying painfully on the ground and his commander frozen to the wall, he knew what to do.

    "Command... this is Task Force... 99," he said through painful grunts. "We apprehended the crew... of the Razor Crest. But the others, they-"

    *CRACK*​

    "Ugh," the soldier grunted as he tried to push through the pain. "Just send us some goddamn backup."

    Penny's role as the protector of Mantle had put her in a rather predictable routine. Whenever there were the sounds of alarms and Grimm, she would always fly to the ground and stop the Grimm from hurting whoever was in their path. Once that was done, she would return to the skies and resume her patrol. She had done it with Cinder, and now she was doing it again with everyone in Mantle.

    Penny was very happy to see her friend once again, after such a long time. She wanted nothing more than to catch up with Cinder and talk about how she had been doing for the past month. She also hoped that Cinder could tell her what was happening outside of Atlas, given that she hadn't left the Kingdom since she had been rebuilt.

    However, Penny knew that her duties to Mantle came first. Just as Cinder once said, Penny had a tremendous responsibility that she couldn't run away from. Instead, she was going to do her job with pleasure and pride, no matter where it took her.

    So it came as a great surprise when Penny received orders to return to her father's pharmacy to speak with Cinder.

    "Sir, yes, sir!" Penny happily yelled on the radio before she made her way back to Pietro's pharmacy. The trip didn't take long, and Penny soon found herself right where she started. "Dad, I'm back! Is Cinder still-Oh, my goodness!"

    Penny couldn't help but notice the numerous soldiers in white laying on the street. And based on their groans, it was clear that they were all hurt. Penny immediately released her numerous swords from her back and prepared for a fight, but she became calm when she heard her father's voice.

    "It's okay, Penny," said Pietro. He opened the door as soon as he saw Penny land once again. "There's no danger here."

    "Oh, good!" Penny replied as she put her weapons away. As she did, Pietro invited her inside to see Djarin and Cinder. "Yay, you're still here!"

    "Hello, Penny," said Djarin. Cinder smiled and waved as she felt calm with Penny's presence.

    "I am so happy to be back so soon!" Penny turned towards the door and pointed to it as she asked a question. "What happened to the squadron?"

    Cinder stopped smiling when she remembered the battle. "They slipped," she lied sarcastically.

    Penny wasn't used to feelings such as sarcasm, so she innocently believed Cinder. "Oh. Well, I think you will be happy to know that I have been ordered to escort you both to Atlas Academy!"

    "..."

    Djarin and Cinder couldn't help but be skeptical at the idea. Between the numerous airships, Pietro's description of Ironwood, and the soldiers that came to arrest them, neither of the Mandalorians could see how a visit to Atlas Academy would be good for both of them.

    "Um... thanks, Penny," Cinder began. "But, uh... I don't think that's such a good idea."

    "We've been having some trouble with Atlas ever since we got here," said Djarin. "We're not looking for anymore."

    Penny could tell that Cinder and her father were nervous, but she didn't take her offer back. In fact, she even offered some closure to their feelings.

    "If you are referring to the airships that escorted you or Task Force 99, I am sorry to say that whatever treatment you received was a result of miscommunication," Penny explained. "When Admiral Thrawn told General Ironwood that the Razor Crest had arrived, he wished to treat you as guests once he was sure that there was no threat detected. Unfortunately, his wishes were not relayed to Task Force 99 in time."

    "Task Force 99?" Cinder repeated. "Wait, you mean those white soldiers?"

    "Affirmative! They are being recalled back to the academy and sending you a proper escort. Along with your friends that Task Force 99 mistakenly detained. Don't worry, I will be with you every step of the way!"

    Djarin and Cinder were starting to feel better about the situation. The white soldiers were clearly out for blood, so he was relieved to know that they were going to be at a relative distance from him. And Cinder felt a sense of security knowing that Penny would be with her. After all, she wouldn't lie about something like this.

    There was just one question left.

    "What do you mean 'detained?'" Djarin asked.

    Penny answered this question by personally escorting the Mandalorians back to their ship. There, they found an Atlesian transport with a few soldiers close to Qrow, Ozpin, Obi-Wan, and Revan. They appeared to be removing what looked like handcuffs off their wrists and offering apologies while doing so.

    The only ones who weren't accounted for were Bo-Katan and Hazel, who were about to be taken into custody with a civilian of Mantle. Obi-Wan had used the Force to influence the minds of the soldiers, to let them know that he would be seeing Bo-Katan later; in order to keep her on the same side as him and Cinder's group, Obi-Wan knew he had to keep his promise.

    And so, Ozpin took it upon himself to explain what had happened while they were waiting to leave.

    "All of a sudden, the ship's computers were being overridden," he explained. "We tried to warn you, but our Scrolls had also been compromised. That was right before the entire ship went dark."

    "And then those boys in white showed up and stuffed us on that ship," said Qrow. "They were good, I'm telling you. That big guy got Hazel off the Crest all by himself."

    Djarin was aware of how unique these soldiers appeared to be. Even though Cinder had bested them all, Djarin knew that Cinder usually didn't need her Maiden powers to handle common warriors. These soldiers required more strength, energy, and strategy to be taken care of.

    But he didn't care about them at the moment.

    "Does Ironwood have any idea how much damage he might have done to the Razor Crest?" he asked with a sigh. "It probably won't even fly again until I fix those computers!"

    Cinder also shared her father's anger, but she was more surprised by the incident. "I can't believe they hacked into it," she said. "One of those special soldiers did it?"

    "Yeah," said Qrow. "The one with the blue eyes, I think. He kept looking at some screen on his arm."

    Djarin sighed as he shook his head. A million thoughts were racing through his head, mainly with how hard it was going to be to fix the ship and how much it would have to cost.

    But there was one thought he could express right now.

    "The Razor Crest was our only way out," he whispered. "If it's dead... we're trapped here."

    Everyone understood where Djarin was coming from, but Obi-Wan stated the obvious. "I doubt James had any plans for us leaving so soon," he stated.

    "And I doubt he has plans for us to stay in Mantle any longer," said Revan, who was pointing into the sky. "Look."

    Everyone looked up to see a lone Manta approaching the ground. When it landed, two more soldiers walked down the ramp and prepared for the crew of the Razor Crest to board.

    But Cinder didn't like that.

    "No, no, no," she said as she walked over to her friend. "Penny, we just want to take our own ship to Atlas." She was still angry about the Razor Crest and she hoped it could be fixed immediately. "We don't want any more soldiers or arrests or anything like that."

    Penny was about to promise Cinder that no harm would come from boarding the ship, but another voice reached everyone's ears.

    "What about friends, Cinder?"

    Cinder softly gasped as she turned towards the Manta. She could see another soldier walking down the ramp, a younger one wearing the gray and white uniform of a military cadet. She had a patch of scarring on her face, over her left eye, but the cadet looked upon Cinder with two blue eyes and a rather neutral gaze.

    "...Winter?" Cinder asked in disbelief.

    The cadet was indeed Winter Schnee, who had also been tasked by General Ironwood to escort Cinder and her allies to Atlas Academy. She was surprised to hear that her friend was in the Kingdom, and she had missed her very much. But Winter remained as calm and emotionless as possible when she accepted the mission, and she continued to do so now.

    "A pleasure to see you again, Cinder," she said. "Now, if you don't-"

    "WINTER!"

    Cinder wrapped Winter in a tight hug as soon as she reached the bottom of the ramp. A wide smile came across Cinder's face as she held her best friend in her arms. She didn't think she was going to see Winter again so soon, but she was happy that she was wrong.

    Winter was taken aback by this embrace, and she wanted to return it as well. But the presence of two other soldiers made her reluctant to do so.

    "Cinder... I'm on the job," Winter said hesitantly.

    "I don't care!" Cinder insisted as she began to sway from side to side. "I've missed you, I haven't seen you since Beacon, and I am giving you a hug! So get used to it!"

    Winter finally gave in to the gesture and gave her own hug. She smiled while doing so as she realized just how much she had also missed Cinder. The month in Atlas had been busy for her, and it also had been rather lonely.

    But Cinder was starting to fix that.

    "I've missed you too," she said as she continued to hold her friend. "I've been worried about you, ever since I heard about your coma."

    Cinder let go of Winter and looked at her face. "Oh, my Gods, I've been worried about you too! I saw you being attacked at Beacon, I know that something happened to your... eye?"

    Cinder immediately became confused when she looked at Winter. The last time she saw her, Winter was wearing a eye patch over her left eye. She knew something bad must have happened, but besides the patch of scarring, Winter's eye appeared to be fine.

    But then Cinder noticed a small piece of metal on Winter's skin.

    "Oh... you've noticed," Winter said as she touched the small strip of metal. "You're right about my eye, Cinder. One of those Botflies got me and... Well, you know what they eat for food."

    "..."

    Cinder was all too familiar with the Botflies' taste for human flesh, so she could only imagine what happened to Winter when one of them burrowed into her head.

    "Fortunately, Dr. Polendina was able to replace it with this artificial eye," Winter explained. "It's funny, actually. His work with Penny actually opened some doors to medical implants and surgeries."

    "That's right!" said Penny. "My father made an eye for Winter using the same way he made my new eyes!" Penny wrapped her arm around Winter's shoulder and pulled her closer. "We are practically like twins!"

    Cinder couldn't help but giggle at the idea, and Winter's cheeks began to grow red. "I... wouldn't say that, Penny," Winter insisted.

    "Ahem."

    The three girls looked at one of the soldiers, who had cleared his throat to get their attention. Winter immediately moved away from Penny and stood close to the ramp. While she wanted to reconnect with Cinder, she knew her job came first.

    "Now, if you and your friends don't mind?" Winter asked calmly as she gestured towards the airship.

    Penny was the first to board the airship, but Cinder didn't join her just yet. She was so excited about seeing Winter again that she almost forgot about her father and their allies. She remembered that they were all skeptical about going to Atlas Academy, but now Cinder really wanted to go.

    And she was hoping everyone else would say the same.

    Djarin still had a bad feeling about all of this. He believed the second he was on that airship, he would either be arrested or attacked. But his doubts were being replaced with a sense of security when he saw Winter here. Like Cinder believed with Penny, Djarin believed that he could trust someone like Winter. He had known her for years, ever since she and Cinder decided to be friends. And given that he was concerned about Willow, Djarin believed Winter could answer his questions.

    So, he decided to take his chances and board the airship.

    "Mr. Djarin," Winter addressed proudly. "It's good to see you again, sir."

    "Good to see you too, Winter," said Djarin. "I'm glad to see you're doing better as well."

    "Thank you, sir. The same goes for you and Cinder."

    Djarin briefly smiled under his helmet. "How's your family doing?"

    "Fine, sir. All fine."

    "Your mother too?"

    Strangely. Winter couldn't help but flinch when Djarin mentioned her mother. "She's... fine as well," she insisted. "Just busy with the company."

    "..."

    Djarin decided to join Cinder on the airship while Winter greeted everyone else. She was familiar with Qrow and Ozpin, as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi. She didn't know Revan, however, but she tried to be polite.

    Even though his mask was unsettling.

    With everyone aboard, the Manta took off on a destination for Atlas Academy. Nobody was put in handcuffs or placed under arrest, so they began to relax. Cinder tried to talk to Winter, but the cadet reminded her friend that she was still on the job.

    But she promised that they would talk later.

    The Manta soon found itself at Atlas Academy. When it landed, everyone was escorted out to see an extraordinary sight.

    "Whoa..." said Cinder. She had never seen Atlas Academy before, and she was immediately taken away by the lights and unique architecture she could see.

    "It's pretty big, huh?" Djarin asked. He had been at the school before, but he knew this was Cinder's first time.

    "Are you kidding? It's huge!"

    Winter and Penny were leading the way inside, but Winter briefly turned around and spoke to Cinder. "Wait until you see the library," she said with a small grin.

    Cinder couldn't help but moan with delight with wide eyes as she pictured how big the library would be. She had talked about it with Winter before, when they were comparing Atlas Academy to Beacon. And now, she was excited to see it more than anything.

    But first, Winter and Penny had to take everyone to the top floor. To the office of General Ironwood.

    Djarin and Ozpin had been here before, so they familiarized themselves with everything. Djarin remembered hearing about the embargo in the elevator while Ozpin remembered being angry with Ironwood regarding the borders closing. But now, all he hoped for was a chance to resolve everything. So when he and everyone else reached the top floor via an elevator, Ozpin watched Winter and Penny lead their guests to a small staircase that led to the main office.

    And at the top of those stairs was General Ironwood himself.

    The first thing everyone noticed was how Ironwood looked exactly like he did in the broadcasts. He was wearing the same uniform, standing in a similar posture, and he wore a large black beard on his face. But other than that, he looked just as tired as he did on the big screens in Mantle.

    But when he took one look at the group before him, specifically Ozpin, Ironwood found the strength to smile.

    "Hello, Oz," he said pleasantly. "It's... It's good to see you."

    Ozpin wasn't expecting a greeting such as this, since he and Ironwood had left on rather poor terms. But when he saw how relieved Ironwood appeared to be, Ozpin began to feel comfortable in the man's presence.

    "You as well, James," he said politely.

    In a rare display of emotion, which came as a surprise to everyone, Ironwood hugged Ozpin. It seemed he really was happy to see his ally.

    Ozpin was arguably the most surprised out of everyone, but he returned the hug. It was odd to comprehend, but Ozpin could almost feel a large weight push itself away from Ironwood. It was as if his presence was a godsend for the General.

    Winter was surprised as well, but her surprise turned into mild embarrassment when Cinder whispered to her. "And to think you gave me attitude for hugging you," she joked.

    Once Ironwood released Ozpin, he gestured towards the open door. "Please, come in," he offered. Everyone took their turn walking inside, with Ironwood being the last. As he walked inside, he couldn't help but lay eyes on the Jedi. "Obi-Wan. It's been a long time."

    "Indeed," Obi-Wan agreed before he gestured to his fellow Jedi. "This is Revan. A colleague of mine." Revan slightly bowed his head at the General, which Ironwood acknowledged with a small nod.

    "Mando, Cinder, I'm happy to have you both here," Ironwood continued. "It's good to see Mandalorians that I can trust."

    "...Right," said Djarin. The thought came to him as a surprise, given that he couldn't recall the last time Ironwood said he trusted him and Cinder.

    Ironwood looked upon his last guest with a smile. "And Qrow. It's good to see you too."

    Qrow massaged his wrists, which still hurt from the handcuffs he was previously wearing. "Our reception didn't really convey that," he said.

    Ironwood sighed as he moved towards his exquisite desk. "I sincerely regret how you treated by my team," he began. He missed Qrow rolling his eyes as he made his way to his desk, which he sat at while Penny and Winter moved to both sides. "When a foreign airship entered our airspace, it raised some… red flags." Ironwood looked at Djarin. "And according to reports, that ship was involved in a situation with Dust."

    "..."

    Everyone looked at Djarin, who remained absolutely silent. He expected Ironwood to bring up the Dust he smuggled, but he didn't know what to say. He had no idea if Willow had been questioned about the Dust, and he had no intention of causing her any more trouble.

    After a moment of thinking, he decided to address and change the subject, hoping it would help.

    "I wouldn't have been involved if it weren't necessary," the Mandalorian insisted. "And I wouldn't have come back if I didn't have any good news I thought you'd want to hear."

    Djarin wasn't aware that Ironwood wasn't too concerned with the Dust. Not anymore, anyways. But now, his curiosity was piqued by the mention of good news. "Oh?" he asked calmly.

    "The war with the Mandalorians is over. They surrendered after they were defeated at Haven."

    Ironwood, Penny, and even Winter were all taken aback by the claim. The borders to the Kingdom may have been closed, but everyone was aware that a war was going on beyond Atlas. So to hear that it was apparently over came as a shock to every Atlesian in the room.

    "It is?" Ironwood asked. "It's really over?" His hopes had been raised when he heard of the Razor Crest's arrival, but now they were starting to go through the roof.

    "They surrendered?" Winter asked. "You're sure about this?" She was also hopeful about the news, but she erred on the side of caution.

    "I'll prove it," said Cinder, who took the Darksaber off her belt. Once she activated the blade for everyone to see, Cinder explained herself. "Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla used this sword to assert their rule over every Mandalorian. After I claimed it, I made everyone loyal to them surrender and cease hostilities."

    All of the Atlesians were familiar with the Darksaber. They saw the announcement Saxon and Vizsla made, before and after the Fall of Beacon. They remembered how Saxon said that he was the ruler of Mandalore because of the sword, and that there were people who believed this.

    So to hear that Cinder now held it, and used its power to make the Mandalorians end the war, was amazing.

    "We even had a celebration in Mistral," said Obi-Wan. "After we repaired Haven Academy. I believe Cinder said she had a recording of it on her Scroll."

    "Oh, right!" Cinder said as she took out her Scroll. "Do you want to see it?"

    Djarin lowered Cinder's arm. "Let's show them later," he said.

    "Yes," said Ozpin. "We have other information for you, James. Information that's... confidential." He believed that speaking about Salem would be unwise in the presence of Penny and Winter.

    But he was wrong.

    "Oh, is it about the Relics?" Penny asked confidently.

    "Or perhaps the Winter Maiden?" Winter followed.

    "..."

    Everyone had their jaws dropped when they heard what Penny and Winter said. That was indeed what they all wished to talk about, but they never would have expected such questions to come from people like Penny and Winter.

    In other words, they never expected Ironwood of all people to share such a big secret with them.

    "You told them?" Qrow asked after he recovered from his shock.

    Ironwood briefly hummed in amusement as he stood up. "Did you really think you were the only one who got to work on a new plan after Beacon?" he asked. "Without you or Ozpin, I needed my own team of people I could trust. So yes, I told them. And SCAR Squadron too. Which is why I'm so glad you're here… with that."

    Ironwood had his eyes on the Relic of Knowledge, which was resting on Cinder's side. Everyone else looked at it as well before they turned back to the General.

    "Until now, I believed it was impossible to truly turn the tide against Salem. Oz has pushed her back, has kept victory out of her claws, but she will keep returning stronger and stronger… unless we destroy her."

    "..."

    Ironwood's brief monologue was meant to spark agreement and resolve within his allies. He truly believed that Salem wouldn't be stopped unless she was completely removed from the equation, and he was expecting everyone to agree with him.

    But given everything that had happened at Haven... nobody could find it within themselves to support the idea. Not anymore, at least.

    "What about the Atlas Relic?" Djarin asked, changing the subject.

    "You mean the Staff of Creation?" Ironwood asked.

    "It's safe within the Vault!" Penny replied with enthusiasm.

    "And the Winter Maiden?" Qrow asked.

    "She is secure and in stable condition," Winter reported.

    Ozpin was glad to hear this, but sad to hear about the current Winter Maiden. Fria was a very powerful Maiden, but she had received a rather unfortunate diagnosis before the Fall of Beacon. She would need medical care more often now, which was very sad.

    Ozpin promised that he would see her after he was finished talking with Ironwood. And Ironwood was ready to continue the conversation.

    "I know how this all looks," he said. "Recalling my military? The embargo? I probably don't seem the most trustworthy right now." The General looked at the Headmaster of Beacon. "I think you understood that better than anyone, Oz." He remembered how unpleasant their last conversation was.

    "No, that's okay!" said Cinder. "Now that the war's over, we can fix that! Maybe lift the embargo and send the fleet to Vale and Mistral. I'm sure they need help rebuilding after the war."

    "I agree, Cinder. But I'm afraid that's out of the question."

    At first, when Ironwood said that he was untrustworthy, Cinder believed it was because of the war. But now, she wasn't so sure. And she was starting to think the idea was slowly becoming a reality.

    "What?" she asked out of disbelief. "Why?"

    "I needed to ensure Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas," Ironwood explained. "And I wanted my military here, protecting my people."

    "But the war is over! There's nothing that needs to be protected now!"

    "If I may, General," said Revan. "The people don't feel protected at the moment. They feel trapped."

    "I sensed this as well, James," said Obi-Wan. "And quite frankly, the people also feel... disappointed in you."

    "It's a price I'm willing to pay," Ironwood replied calmly. As he moved over to a glowing panel of buttons on his desk, everyone began to believe it would take more than words to make Ironwood change his mind. "Just as you all have been entrusted with the knowledge of Salem's existence, I need you all to trust me. I have a plan."

    "..."

    Now everyone knew it would be hard to change Ironwood's mind. They had a plan of their own they wanted to share as well, but they decided to hear Ironwood out on this one. Perhaps there was a chance they could combine their ideas.

    Shutters began to come down from outside the windows, which darkened the room. A circle in the center of the floor bearing Atlas' emblem began to rise up, which prompted Djarin and Cinder to step off of it. The circle continued to rise until it transformed into a table, which Ironwood looked at while he continued to talk.

    "Ozpin always believed the best way to fight Salem was to do so in secret," he began. "While I haven't always agreed with this strategy, I can't deny its results. But we find ourselves in a position of needing, well, a new approach."

    Surprisingly, Ozpin was the one who couldn't agree more with the idea of a new approach. After what happened at Haven and Argus, Ozpin was willing to accept other ideas that weren't his own. And now, he was ready to see what Ironwood's idea was.

    "What did you have in mind, James?" he asked calmly.

    Ironwood took out a small remote and pressed a button on it. When he did, a holographic image of Amity Colosseum appeared and lit up the room.

    "Hey, it's Amity," Cinder noted as she pointed at the hologram.

    "Indeed," Ironwood confirmed. "When Beacon fell and everyone on Remnant lost contact with one another, I knew our current system was outdated. Amity was built to bring the nations together, and it will serve that purpose once again."

    Ironwood pressed another button on his remote. Once he did, an antenna appeared on top of Amity. When everyone looked at it, and then at each other, they all began to see what Ironwood's plan was.

    And Penny was the first to put it into words.

    "Isn't it great? We're not going to just replace Beacon Tower. Building a new tower on top of Amity Colosseum will reestablish global communications!"

    Winter spoke next. "By launching the tower high into the atmosphere, our scientists believe we can create a sort of… satellite out of reach of the Grimm and capable of maintaining global communications even if we were to lose another tower," she explained thoroughly.

    "That is great," said Cinder. Djarin nodded in agreement.

    "James... you don't need the entire military for this," Qrow insisted.

    "I will for the next part," Ironwood countered. "When I finally tell the people about Salem."

    "...Huh. So that's why you withdrew your troops, to handle the panic that would break out in Atlas."

    "Yes, panic is inevitable, and panic brings Grimm. But I believe we are ready. Once Atlas has come to grips with the fight ahead, I'll use Amity Tower to spread the message to all of Remnant."

    Everyone else was silent as Ironwood explained himself, mostly because they were surprised to hear the idea of telling the world of Salem. This was a major expansion of having an army of Mandalorians and Atlesians know about Salem and be prepared for her. And while the idea sounded promising, and it would greatly reinforce their numbers, not everyone was ready to commit to Ironwood's plan.

    "But everything will fall apart," Cinder insisted. "Grimm will be everywhere!"

    "You're right," Winter confirmed. "But Atlas is willing and prepared to assist."

    "Trying to hide the truth from the world will eventually kill us all," said Ironwood, who pressed another button on his remote. The hologram immediately disappeared, the table moved back into the floor, and the shutters pulled away from the windows.

    Thoughts and feelings about the idea were spread all across the room. General Ironwood, Penny, and Winter we're all confident in the plan, and they were expecting their friends and allies to be confident as well. While there was some hope among the crowd, there was also some reluctance in sharing the news and spreading panic.

    Especially where Salem's immortality was concerned.

    Qrow was about to stand up for Ozpin, to remind Ironwood that he had spent his whole life, multiple lives, keeping Salem's existence a secret. However, Ozpin chose to speak for himself and express his thoughts before Qrow could speak.

    "I couldn't agree more, James."

    "..."

    Ironwood was immediately taken aback by the claim. He expected protests about revealing this secret, as well as reminders as to why it was a secret in the first place. Ironwood was willing to defend himself and hoped to convince Ozpin, since he couldn't handle such a task alone.

    So to hear that Ozpin agreed with the idea was certainly unexpected.

    "If you wish to do this, all I ask is that you listen to what Djarin and Cinder have planned as well," Ozpin said as he gestured to the Mandalorians. "But first, I'm afraid I must speak with you. Alone."

    Ironwood was once again surprised by the request. Not that he had any qualms about listening to another idea, since he needed all the help he could take. But he didn't feel the need to talk in private about something concerning the new approach.

    "Oz, I'd be happy to hear them out," he insisted. "But if you have something to say, you don't have to hide anymore." Ironwood gestured to his companions. "You can trust them."

    "I do, James," said Ozpin. "I will. But I must insist that we talk. It's very important."

    Ironwood realized how serious Ozpin was being about this. And while he didn't want to keep anyone else in the dark, the General could see that his friend wouldn't be taking 'no' for an answer.

    "Penny, Winter, would you give us the room, please?" Ironwood asked calmly.

    Winter didn't dare object her superior officer. "Of course, sir," she said as she moved to the door.

    Penny suddenly had an idea. "May I show everyone where they will be staying, General?" she asked.

    "That would be perfect," Ironwood replied. "Thank you, Penny."

    The two Atlesians led their friends to the door. One by one, everyone shared one look at Ozpin as they understood what he wanted to talk to Ironwood about. They offered nods and pats on the shoulder, but Obi-Wan offered a wish of good luck.

    "May the Force be with you."

    When everyone, save for Ozpin, left Ironwood's office, they walked down the stairs towards the elevator they initially arrived in. Besides the elevator, the first thing they could all see was the group of soldiers that "welcomed" them to Atlas.

    The group Pietro called "SCAR Squadron."

    "Yeah, so I start off with about a thousand push ups," said the abnormally large soldier. "Then, it's a thousand sit ups, pull ups, then I end it with-"

    "Alright, cut the chatter," said the soldier with the red and blue sash. He had noticed the arrival of Djarin and his allies, so he decided to have a word with them all. He had removed his unique helmet to do so, which revealed the face of a man with fair complexion, brown hair, and teal eyes.

    "I take it he's the leader?" Cinder whispered to her father.

    "It seems that way," Djarin whispered back.

    "I'd like to sincerely apologize for the miscommunication down in Mantle," said the apparent leader. "We didn't intend for things to get out of hand. And if we knew who you were, we wouldn't have treated you like we did." He turned back to his squad. "Isn't that right?"

    "Yes, sir," said the soldiers behind the man.

    Djarin had received a very poor first impression of these soldiers, but he knew that he would be working closely with them during his stay in Atlas. So it would be best to try and make peace with... whoever these soldiers were.

    "I understand," Djarin reluctantly said. "You were just... following orders."

    Cinder could see that her father was playing it safe, but she wasn't very satisfied with the explanation. "I mean, youcould have asked us some questions first," she insisted.

    Before Djarin or the squad leader could say anything, the soldier with knives on his chest stepped forward and spoke. "You're not supposed to question orders, kid," he said. "You're supposed to follow them."

    "..."

    Cinder began to feel the same nervous feeling she had in Mantle when the soldier said his piece. The other soldiers didn't say anything, they instead let their silence support the claim the soldier made. However, the leader of the squad was the only one to reestablish order.

    "Settle down, Cav," he ordered calmly. "We're all on the same side here."

    "..."

    To ease any further hostilities and make a better first impression, the unmasked leader extended a hand to Djarin. "Let's start over," he suggested. "I'm Clover Ebi, commander of Task Force 99."

    "Din Djarin," the Mandalorian introduced himself as he shook the man's hand. "This is my daughter, Cinder." The young Maiden nodded her head at the man.

    "Qrow Branwen," said the tired Huntsman with a quick wave.

    "Obi-Wan Kenobi," said the former Headmaster.

    "Revan," said the masked Jedi.

    "Pleasure to meet you," said Clover. He then extended a hand towards his teammates. "This is the rest of Task Force 99."

    "I'm Aero," said the man with tubes on the lower part of his helmet. "Squad engineer."

    "Cav," said the soldier with the knives. "Melee specialist."

    "Mic," said the soldier with blue eyes. "Computer analyst."

    "Call me Misty," said the cloaked soldier. "Team sniper."

    "Shrap," said the soldier with red stripes. "Heavy weapons expert."

    "The name's Zuke," said the abnormally large man. "I'm the muscle."

    "..."

    Cinder had the bruises to prove that was true. She was still a little intimidated by this "Task Force 99," but her fears were slightly surpassed by her curiosity.

    Specifically, with their armor and name.

    "What's that you're wearing?" Cinder asked as she pointed at the white material.

    "Oh, this?" Clover asked. "This is an experimental armor our top scientists made for me and the squad. It's in a prototype stage, so I guess you could say we're the guinea pigs."

    "It doesn't look like metal."

    "That's because it's not. Everyone calls it 'plastoid.' Not bad, overall. Still got a few kinks to work out."

    Cinder couldn't stop looking at the armor, specifically at the helmets. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she honestly believed that there was something familiar about it.

    But not in a good way.

    "And, uh, you said that you're called Task Force 99?" Cinder asked.

    "That's right," Clover replied.

    "It's just that I thought I heard Dr. Polendina call you 'SCAR Squadron.'"

    This time, Penny stepped in and offered an explanation. "Both titles are correct, Cinder," she said. "Operative Ebi and the rest of his team make up the Special Commando Advanced Recon troopers, an elite team handpicked by General Ironwood and Admiral Thrawn."

    "Just call us SCAR Squadron," Cav said impatiently.

    Penny either ignored the impatience or was completely oblivious to it. She was too focused on Cinder to notice anything wrong with the present moment. "C'mon! Let me show you around campus."

    Penny immediately led Cinder and her allies down the halls of the building, where she did nothing but talk about the prestigious Atlas Academy. When they all disappeared from view, Cav looked over to Mic.

    "I thought you were good with computers," he said. "Haven't you found an off switch for that thing yet?"

    "Believe me, I've looked," Mic said as he looked at a screen on his gauntlet. "Hey, Ebi. I got all the files on the Razor Crest here after I hacked its system. You want them now or later?"

    Clover looked down the corridor where everyone had left. "Why don't you go ahead and forget about them, Mic?" he said. "I've got a good feeling about these people."

    "Seriously? Even the kid?"

    "Especially the kid."

    Penny and Winter had led Cinder and her friends through various halls of Atlas Academy. While doing so, Penny was talking nonstop about the details of the school.

    "So that way's the cafeteria, and that way is the training rooms. Oh, and over there are the classrooms!"

    Cinder, like everyone else, were all impressed by what they saw so far. They expected to have their way around the school memorized in a week or two, as there was much to see. However, there was one question on everyone's minds.

    "This all looks great, Penny," said Cinder. "But where are we staying?"

    The girls turned around and saw how exhausted Cinder and everyone else were. They easily understood why Cinder asked about rooms, and Penny began an elaborate answer.

    "Remember, you're in Atlas now," she said. "As the most well-funded school on Remnant, everybody at Atlas Academy gets their own room! And if that wasn't enough-"

    "So we're staying in the dorms?" Qrow asked.

    Penny didn't mind being cut off, especially since this was the correct answer. "It'll be just like Beacon again!"

    "..."

    Cinder couldn't help but think about Beacon as she made her way to the dorms. Despite their initial differences, Cinder noted how similar her situation in Atlas Academy was to Beacon. Namely, how she called one of the most renowned academies on Remnant her home.

    It seemed that she was going to do the same thing with Atlas Academy. However, there was nothing about this place that made Cinder feel at home. She didn't have her books, her old bed, or a perfect view of Vale and the school grounds.

    But fortunately for her, Cinder had her father.

    "Well, look at this," Djarin said as he looked at the dorm he had been given with Cinder. "Looks like we're back to sharing a room. Maybe this will be like Beacon again."

    Cinder chuckled as she recognized the situation. It helped her remember that she did more than just share a room with Djarin; she shared her meals, time, memories, and almost her whole life with her father.

    It was nice to see that some things weren't going to change.

    "It seems everything is in order," said Winter, who watched everyone else take their own rooms. Content with her work, she prepared to leave with Penny. "Good night, everyone. See you in the-"

    "Winter, wait a minute."

    Winter turned around to see Cinder standing in the doorframe of her new room. "Can I talk to you?" she asked. "And Penny too?"

    Winter had no objections to spending a little more time with Cinder. And given the look of excitement Penny was wearing on her face, neither did she. "Certainly," she said as she approached the room.

    After she let her friends inside, Cinder turned around to see her father about to leave. He could tell that Cinder wanted some time alone, just like he could tell that Cinder planned to tell her friends what Ozpin was telling Ironwood.

    "You sure you want to do this?" he asked. He trusted his daughter with this decision, but Djarin wanted to make sure Cinder was okay with it.

    "They should know," Cinder replied after she nodded. "If they're gonna fight with us, I think they deserve to know."

    Djarin nodded and patted Cinder's shoulder in approval. "I'll be right outside." He closed the door on his way out, and Cinder turned to her friends.

    "So..." she began awkwardly. "Do you, uh... know about me too?"

    "That you're the Fall Maiden?" Winter asked. "That you're one of four women that wield a unique power forgotten in time?"

    "Affirmative!" Penny replied.

    Cinder sighed as she lamented on the fact that her friends had to hear her secret from someone else. "Winter, I'm sorry. We've been friends for years, I know you're probably upset that I kept all this from you. It's not that I didn't trust you or anything, but Ozpin always said-"

    "No, Cinder, it's fine." Winter approached closer. "I understand. General Ironwood said Professor Ozpin always had a habit of keeping secrets. And that he expected the same from the people who worked with him."

    "Yeah, that's about right." Cinder knew that the time for secrecy was over, so now she wished to be open with her friends; especially Winter. "Do you have any questions?"

    "I do. As long as you're okay with answering them."

    "I am curious as well," said Penny. "Would it be okay for me to ask you, Cinder?"

    "Yeah, of course," Cinder insisted. "The whole keeping secrets thing is out the window now. So go ahead. Fire away."

    Penny was grateful for this opportunity, since she felt that it would help her grow closer to Cinder. Winter was grateful as well, and she asked the first question.

    "So... what happened?" she asked. "How did you become the Fall Maiden?"

    "Remember when I told you about the Glass Unicorn?" Cinder asked. "After I escaped, I hid on my father's airship and it took me to Vale. I fled the first chance I got, since we didn't really know each other at the time."

    "Yes, I remember." Winter was aware that Cinder was adopted, and this was after she had seen her at Satine's party.

    "Well, I met the Fall Maiden along the way. Her name was Lila Birch. After she saw the state I was in, Lila took me to some friends of hers and helped me. See, she was trying to avoid Salem and her followers after something happened in Atlas. Unfortunately, Salem had a bounty and a tracker placed on her."

    "Oh, no. Wait, isn't your father a bounty hunter?"

    "That's right. He was actually the one they called. He didn't realize what was really going on until Lila died. The powers passed on to me when that happened. One thing led to another, and my dad decided to help me figure out what my powers were."

    Winter realized that she had met Cinder along her way to find out what was really going on, that she had her powers ever since they met. She didn't blame Cinder for keeping them secret, Winter knew she would be trying to figure them out as well.

    Penny asked the next question. "What are the Maiden powers?" she said. "Is it true that they're Magic?"

    "Yeah, that's right," Cinder replied. "A long time ago, Ozpin split his own Magic with four young women. They were the first Maidens, and they were meant to spread Ozpin's powers across all of Remnant, helping whoever they could."

    "Intriguing," said Winter. "And they have power over the elements, is that right?"

    "Yep. Fire, ice, wind, lightning, you name it." Cinder made a ball of fire in her hand. "I was always good with fire. I think it was the element that spoke most to me, you know?"

    Penny asked the next question, but it wasn't about Cinder's powers. "Do you know what has been happening outside the Kingdom?" she asked. "Is everything alright now that the war is over?"

    "Well... sort of," Cinder replied. "I mean, things are going great in Mistral now. We spent a lot of time rebuilding Haven Academy after the Mandalorians launched a surprise attack. I don't know anything about Vale or Vacuo, though." Cinder turned to Winter. "You probably know about my coma, huh?"

    "...I do," Winter replied. "May I ask what happened?"

    Cinder nodded before she replied. "You see, Salem had a bounty placed on Lila because she wanted the power of the Fall Maiden for herself. Not that she wanted to wield it, but rather she wanted one of her followers to have it. There was one follower, a Faunus named Aurora, who wanted the power just as badly as Salem. So they worked together to create something. A Grimm that could transfer the powers from one person to another. Aurora took some of my powers when Beacon fell. Because of that, I was... I was really hurt."

    "..."

    Cinder didn't notice that she was shaking until Winter held her arm comfortingly. Penny immediately did the same thing. "Are you alright?" she asked.

    "Oh, I'm okay," Cinder insisted. She was feeling better now that Winter and Penny were helping her. "It took me a while, but I got my powers back. Unfortunately... I got something else too." Cinder showed her friends the Beetle on her left hand, which caused them to back away and gasp.

    "Oh, no!" said Penny.

    "What is that?" Winter asked.

    "It's what Aurora used to steal my powers," Cinder explained. "Dad stopped her from taking all of them, but this Bettle latched on to me when that happened. And I... I can't get it off. Not without killing me."

    Cinder decided not to tell her friends what happened with the Bettle in Mantle, how it somehow latched itself onto a member of SCAR Squadron's helmet. But that didn't stop Winter or Penny from feeling enormous pity for Cinder.

    "I'm... so sorry," said Winter.

    "Me too," said Penny. "Let me take you to my father's laboratory tomorrow. Perhaps he can help you."

    Cinder smiled as she lowered her hand. "Thanks, Penny," she said. "Maybe that would help."

    Winter was sympathetic to Cinder, but she was starting to grow angry as well. Cinder, like the people of Remnant, had been hurt time and again by someone so cruel and monstrous all for the sake of gaining power. Winter had been told that Salem was responsible for what happened at Beacon, but hearing about Cinder's suffering was making her mad at the witch.

    Salem was starting to sound more and more like her father. And since Winter knew what a monster Jacques Schnee was, she wanted to stop Salem more than anything.

    But first, she needed to understand her enemy; just like Thrawn would always say.

    "Cinder... can you tell us more about Salem?" Winter asked. "Anything that might be able to help us fight her?"

    "..."

    Cinder had been dreading this question ever since she asked to talk to Winter and Penny. She wished they had known about Salem before they signed up to join Ironwood, but there was nothing she could do about that now.

    All she could... was tell the truth.

    After Cinder told Winter and Penny to sit down, Cinder told them everything about Salem. The first thing she told them was the first day she and Salem met, when Major Gideon kidnapped her. She told them how she was part Grimm, and that she could control all Grimm as well.

    After that, Cinder told her friends what she learned at Haven. She told them about Salem's origin, the Gods, and her curse.

    A curse that was still upon her now.

    When they heard about this, Winter and Penny didn't know what to say. They were both equally surprised and full of dread when they heard about this detail. And from the looks on their faces, it was easy to see that they were scared.

    At that moment, Cinder wished she was somewhere else. She wished that she was somebody else, since she couldn't bear to see the looks of heartbreak and fear on her friends' faces.

    She even wished she was with Ozpin, even though he was in a larger situation than her.

    Ozpin was indeed in a larger situation than Cinder. Given Ironwood's amount of power and strength, and his less than desirable qualities, it was hard to talk to someone like the General. But Ozpin pushed on through, even though he made the same wish Cinder had made.

    The first thing Ozpin shared was the situation with Vale, Vacuo, and Mistral. Things were under control, but Vale wasn't in the best position right now. Regaining Beacon was one thing, but amassing enough strength to handle inevitable panic was another. But Ozpin didn't try to sway Ironwood from his plan, not that he could anyway. All Ozpin did was advise Ironwood to send most of his fleet to Vale after Amity went up.

    The next thing Ozpin told Ironwood was the nature of the conflict, how it was more or less a Mandalorian Civil War. There were those who fought for the Kingdoms at Vale and Mistral, how they took back Beacon and defended Haven. Djarin was able to help with this, given his knowledge and relationship with other Mandalorian clans.

    This led to Ozpin sharing the plan Djarin and Cinder made, how they wanted to use the title of Mand'alor to build a new army of Mandalorians that could defend the Relics and be prepared for Salem. Ozpin had advised them to come to Atlas, since they were hoping the Atlas military could be a part of that army.

    As expected, Ironwood was reluctant with this course of action. The only Mandalorians he trusted were Djarin and Cinder, and he doubted that he could do the same with other Mandalorians. And these feelings were obviously spread throughout the rest of Atlas. So a new and combined army of Atlesians and Mandalorians was hard to imagine.

    Ozpin understood Ironwood's reluctance, but he had to tell the General why he believed such a course of action was necessary. More specifically, Ozpin had to tell Ironwood what he had been hiding over the years.

    And just as the Headmaster expected, Ironwood was far from happy.

    "She... can't be killed?" the General asked, breaking a streak of silence he had while listening. He had been sitting at his desk while he talked to Ozpin, which was definitely needed. "She's always been like this?"

    "The Gods cursed her with immortality after her defiance," Ozpin confirmed. "Now, her only wish is to combine all four Relics after she breaks mankind beyond repair." Ozpin knew, just like Ironwood now knew, that the Gods return to Remnant in its current state would only bring death and destruction.

    Ironwood was well aware of this, just like he was aware that Ozpin had been lying to him for years.

    "...Why?" he asked as he slowly stood up with an irate glare on his face. "Why would you keep this from us? From the people who trusted you?"

    "..."

    Ozpin knew he had to offer an explanation to Ironwood. He couldn't do so the night everyone learned the truth, and he wasn't sure he had done so after that night as well. He also knew that being alone with Ironwood in his current state was dangerous. Not that he wasn't allowed to feel hurt and betrayed, however. Ozpin expected this, but now he didn't know what to expect.

    The only way he could save himself, and Ironwood, was to share the truth.

    "...I needed you," Ozpin began. "I needed everyone who was fighting by my side over the years. But more than that... I needed hope. I needed your hope, James." Ozpin lowered his head in shame when he once again realized that the hope he had given his friend was false. "I don't deserve your forgiveness, so I won't dare to ask for it. All I can ask is that you let me help you. Let me aid you in this plan, wherever it may lead."

    "..."

    Ozpin looked up when he heard silence. He was a little surprised to see that Ironwood was sitting down again, thinking about his next move. Ozpin was expecting a refusal, and much worse things to come. But to see that Ironwood was genuinely considering his next move was enough to give Ozpin hope.

    A few moments of silence had passed until Ironwood looked back up at Ozpin. He didn't say anything, so Ozpin decided to break the silence.

    "James?" he asked. "What are you going to do?"

    Ironwood took a deep breath. "I..." he began unsurely. But after a moment, he recollected himself and spoke again. "All we can do for the moment is what we can to get Amity ready. That's what's in front of us."

    Normally, Ironwood would consider talking about how he and his allies needed to think about the future. So this was rather surprising at the moment. And so was one word that Ironwood had used.

    "...We?" Ozpin asked. "You mean-?"

    "Yes," the General replied. "You're still a part of this too, Ozpin. I can't deny that we still need you, even though this is... a lot to handle."

    Ozpin exhaled out of relief when he realized that Ironwood was going to let him help. And even though he was pushing his luck, Ozpin felt that he had something else he needed to say.

    "I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear this from... but I'm proud of you, James," he said. "You're bringing the hope that Atlas was meant to inspire. A city in the sky is held to a higher standard."

    The first thing Ironwood noticed was that something like this would be expected of Ozpin. Not in the sense of being proud, but in the sense of bringing hope to those who needed it most. That was indeed the basis of which the city of Atlas was created on.

    "I'm glad you think so, Ozpin," Ironwood began. "Truth be told, I got some of that hope from you." He suddenly frowned. "Once upon a time."

    Ozpin once again regretted giving his friend and ally false hope. "James, I-" Ozpin had to stop talking when Ironwood raised a hand.

    "If we're going to do this together, you would be wise to remember something," the General firmly said. "This... isnot your academy. This is not your Kingdom. If you want to help with this plan, we're going to do things my way. Not yours."

    "..."

    The warning was very intimidating, but not unwarranted. Ozpin was well aware that this was a symptom of Ironwood's undesirable qualities, but he couldn't deny that Atlas Academy and its military were under Ironwood's direction. He couldn't assert himself here, not that Ozpin wanted to anyway. All Ozpin could do was follow the rules and accept Ironwood's wishes.

    Even though he had no idea where that would take him.

    "...Understood."

    Things were starting to becoming better for everyone in Atlas. While their hosts were having mixed feelings regarding Salem, everyone believed that the plan Ironwood had proposed had some merit. And since nobody said anything about changing it or going back to the drawing board, there was hope in Atlas after all

    But not so much in Mantle.

    "Yeah, thanks for the lift!"

    An Atlesian airship had just dropped an angry citizen of Mantle back where he called home. He had been previously arrested for what he called trying to speak out against Ironwood exploiting Mantle. His method of doing so was throwing a brick at the airship, which led to a swift arrest.

    The man was taken aboard the same ship as Bo-Katan and Hazel, where he saw SCAR Squadron in person. He struck up a brief conversation with Bo-Katan, namely about how Ironwood must have a grudge against her, but Bo-Katan mostly kept to herself.

    After Bo-Katan and Hazel were taken away, General Ironwood decided to give the citizen a slap on the wrist instead of a night in jail. He knew two former servants of Salem were much more important than someone throwing bricks at airships.

    And so, the man was left to find his way home. He began to grow a little nervous about walking the streets alone, given that it was rather late at night. Nothing good happened at a time like this, especially to people who were walking alone.

    The man decided to get off the streets and move towards an alley with a flickering light. He was expecting to be ambushed by a group of people bigger than him, and even Grimm.

    The man was indeed ambushed, but by something completely unexpected.

    "Hi there."

    "Ah!" the man yelled as he fell on the ground. When he looked back up, he found himself in the presence of a younger girl, a brunette wearing a black dress and hood. "Wh-Who are you?"

    The girl approached closer and looked down on the man. "My friends call me Fauna," she said. "How about you?"

    "Uh... Forest." The man stood back up. "I'm Forest."

    "Uh-huh." Fauna moved upright so she could get a better look at the civilian. "So, tell me, Forest... what's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" She moved closer and leaned against the wall. "Hm?"

    "Ugh, not much." Forest pointed to the street behind him. "The boys in blue just dropped me off. I've been speaking out against Atlas' exploitations of Mantle. And General Ironwood tried to silence me!"

    "Oh, you poor thing," Fauna said as she pressed two of her fingers on Forest's chest. "You do this sort of thing often?"

    "Not really." Forest was becoming more and more comfortable in Fauna's company. "I started after I joined the cause."

    "The cause?"

    "Yes, the fight for better conditions in Mantle! Lead by the charismatic, talented, lovely Robyn Hill and her Happy Huntresses!"

    Fauna moved closer to Forest's chest with a wide smile. "That's quite the cause. And this 'Robyn Hill' sounds like quite the woman."

    "Oh, you have no idea! They were all top Atlas Academy graduates, who could've signed up for the military, but Robyn and the Huntresses chose to stay in Mantle. She's gunning for a seat on the Kingdom's council, and when she gets it, she's gonna put an end to Ironwood's tyranny!"

    "..."

    Fauna waited for Forest to calm down until she asked her next question. "Hm... where can I find her?" she asked.

    "Oh, uh... I don't know where she lives," Forest confessed. "But anytime there's trouble down here, you can count on Robyn being the first to answer the call!"

    Fauna smiled even wider. "Is that right?"

    *SHING*​

    Forest looked down at his chest to see not Fauna's hand, but a metal sickle with the tip against his flesh. "Wanna test that theory?" she asked with a giggle.

    Forest immediately recognized the danger he was in, which caused him to back away in terror. "Whoa!" he said. "Look, I-I don't want any trouble!"

    Fauna laughed again. "Don't worry, hun." She immediately put away her weapon. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

    "You... You're not?"

    "No." Fauna pointed behind Forest. "He is."

    *THOOM*

    *THOOM*    ​

    "Huh?"

    Heavy footsteps and Fauna's finger caused Forest to turn around and see a large shadow behind him. He couldn't make out any details about the shadow, but he recognized the sight of two big arms reaching overhead.

    Arms with curled fists about to come crashing down.

    "AAAAAAAHHHH-!"

    *BAM*

    *CRUNCH*    ​

    Warm blood sprayed across the ground and walls. Some of it even hit Fauna's face, but the hybrid didn't mind one bit. She simply rubbed her finger on the blood and stuck that finger in her mouth with delight.

    "Mmm... good boy."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 59: The Mine
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 59: The Mine​

    After Cinder and Ozpin finished their own conversations with their Atlesian friends, everyone decided that they needed some rest. And so, the rest of the night was spent with a good night's sleep.

    Ironwood, however, didn't get much sleep as his allies and subordinates. In his mind, the General had too much to do in order to put his plan in motion. And surprisingly, Ironwood was able to make the necessary preparations before he fell asleep.

    The next morning, Ironwood immediately put his plan into action. The first step he had decided to take was to personally debrief Clover Ebi, the commander of Task Force 99. Clover never questioned any orders before, and he had known Ironwood long enough to trust the man with his life. So he patiently listened and carried out the General's orders.

    And the first order was to share everything Ironwood had told him with the rest of his team.

    Clover found the rest of his squad in a room with multiple chairs and blue screens. One of the screens had a map of the Kingdom of Atlas while the others had mission boards for Huntsmen and Huntresses. Task Force 99 was a special unit, and they were able to carry on these missions as well.

    But right now, all anyone wanted to do was talk about the events that happened last night.

    SCAR Squadron discussed how stopping a rogue airship and ambushing a Mandalorian was easy, but they were all equally surprised by the sheer might and power Cinder carried. They had all been told about the Maidens and their power, but last night served as a lesson that none of them were prepared to face one.

    Cinder was only a child, but she had bested all of them with Magic and her own cunning. Each and every soldier saw a lot of extra training in the future, if they ever wanted to beat another person like Cinder.

    Namely, they would have to prepare to fight Salem.

    The conversation was immediately stopped when Clover made his presence. He was wearing the same armor he had last night, but he had removed his helmet to speak with SCAR Squadron.

    "Good morning, team," he said casually after the soldiers immediately stood at attention. "At ease."

    Everyone immediately moved to a seat in front of the map and mission boards. They were all ready to see what mission they would be taking on today, just as they were eager to prove themselves to the General once more after the incident last night.

    But Clover had some news before he could debrief his team.

    "I just got finished being debriefed by General Ironwood," he said. "I've got some good news... and some bad news."

    This immediately caught the attention of his team. They were familiar with both positive and negative debriefs, and both kinds made the soldiers curious about the situation. However, not everyone liked how Clover delivered news like this.

    "Start with the bad," said Zuke. "Always start with the bad."

    "Why do you say that every time we get news like this?" Mic asked sarcastically. "You know Clover always starts with the good."

    "But everyone knows you start with the bad!"

    "Here we go again," said Cav, who was sharpening one of his blades.

    Clover was also familiar with the situation, which caused him to chuckle a little. "Alright, settle down," he ordered. "Mic's right, Zuke. You know the rules." He then formed a small smile. "We always start with the good."

    Zuke groaned as he leaned back in his chair. "Fine," he reluctantly said. "What's the good news, boss?"

    "Glad you asked. The General had a little talk with Professor Ozpin and his guests last night. Apparently, something big happened at Haven that affects us all."

    "Yeah?" Mic asked. "How?"

    "You know that war the Mandalorians started? Well, it's over now. We won."

    Everyone was surprised by the news, with questions ranging from "What?" to "Seriously?"

    "It's true," said the commander. "Apparently, Cinder beat their leader and made every Mandalorian stop fighting. As far as we're concerned, Remnant is at peace."

    "I'll be damned," said Misty.

    "That's fortunate," said Shrap.

    "Aw!" Zuke groaned. "I didn't even get to kill one of those rust-buckets!"

    "Don't bring your hopes down yet, Zuke," said Aero. "We still got a Mando here to deal with."

    "You mean the guy in Mantle? I thought he was cleared. I mean, I don't trust him, but-"

    "No, no. I'm talking about that 'Djarin' guy." Aero turned to Clover. "What's the story on him, sir?"

    "He's clean, for the most part," said Clover. "He'll still be working with us. General's orders."

    Everyone begrudgingly accepted the idea, since they didn't necessarily trust Djarin yet. However, they saw that the only threat to Atlas would be the Grimm. They could handle Grimm, and they could focus on getting Amity up and running.

    But there was one thing left to wonder.

    "Alright, I'll bite," said Zuke. "What's the bad news?"

    Clover let out a sigh before he answered the question. Part of Ironwood's debrief had very bad news indeed, which was a result of his conversation with Ozpin last night. Ironwood chose to share it with Clover, and now he had to share it with his team.

    "The war might be over, but we still have a mission," the commander began. "The Grimm's leader, Salem."

    "Oh, yeah," said Zuke.

    "Right, right," said Cav.

    "That's not too bad," said Aero.

    Clover immediately disagreed with the general consensus. "I'm afraid it is," he said. "Ozpin shared some news with General Ironwood last night. News that'll make our job... a little harder than we thought."

    "Yeah?" Misty asked.

    "How much harder?" Shrap inquired.

    Clover didn't know how to tell his team what he learned from General Ironwood, but he knew that he had to tell them eventually. So rather than beat around the bush or sugarcoat the problem, Clover decided to be blunt.

    "Apparently, Salem's invulnerable to just about everything we got. She... She can't be killed."

    "What?!"

    "Huh?!"

    "Wha?!"

    "Wait, what?!"

    "Are you serious?!"

    "The hell are you talking about?!"

    Clover focused on the last question, which was asked by Shrap. "According to Ozpin, that's how she's been around for so long. How she's been fighting us for centuries."

    "No way," said Misty. "I don't believe it."

    "Sorry, Misty. You know the General wouldn't lie about something like this. I don't think Professor Ozpin would either."

    "Well... what are we supposed to do?" Aero asked.

    "Yeah, what's the plan?" Cav asked.

    "The plan hasn't changed," Clover replied. "We're going to get Amity up and running as soon as possible. That's our number one priority."

    "And after that?" Zuke asked.

    "That's... up in the air, Zuke. General Ironwood is trying to make a plan. One of the ideas Ozpin had was apparently to make a joint army. Atlesian and Mandalorian."

    "What?!"

    "No!"

    "No way!"

    Clover expected a negative reaction to the news regarding Salem, but not so much as of right now. He knew that he had to restore order.

    "That's enough!" he said to stop everything before it got out of hand. "I'm not happy about any of this either, but screaming our heads off isn't going to help. We're Atlas elite; now we have to act like it. No matter what's thrown our way."

    "..."

    "Is that clear?"

    "...Yes, sir," said the forces of SCAR Squadron.

    Clover nodded as he felt at ease once more. He could sense the reluctance from his team, not that he could blame them. Even Clover, someone who was always loyal to Ironwood, was having trouble processing all of this.

    But everyone would have time to process it during the time they had to defend Atlas.

    "Good," Clover said calmly. "Like I said, our top priority is getting Amity up and running. In order to do that, we're gonna need a few things." Clover turned to the map and zoomed in on a particular spot. "Here's the plan."

    Along with SCAR Squadron, General Ironwood saw fit to invite Ozpin and everyone he brought with him to assist in today's mission.

    And that mission was to secure the launch site for the Amity Communications Tower.

    Given how tensions would certainly rise for everyone, based on the news of Salem's immortality, Ironwood decided to debrief Ozpin personally while Clover would debrief SCAR Squadron. But there would be plenty of time for working together on the battlefield.

    And that field would soon be the launch site.

    "James told me that the designated area is an abandoned Dust mine," said Ozpin. "Since its closure, the Grimm have moved in." He was currently talking to Djarin, Qrow, Obi-Wan, Revan, and Cinder. "According to reports, all of the untouched Dust is still in that mine. James has a team of scientists who'll need it for the first phase of their launch."

    Cinder immediately had a question. "Why is it abandoned?" she asked. "If all that Dust is still down there?"

    "James didn't say. It most likely caved in."

    "So we need to clear out the Grimm?" Qrow asked.

    "Indeed. Atlas Huntsmen are already hard at work clearing out the surrounding tundra. However, they identified a powerful Geist that's managed to evade destruction and take several lives."

    "A Geist," said Djarin. "It's been a while since I've fought one of those."

    "As have we all," said Obi-Wan. "I'm actually surprised there are still Grimm out here. My best teachers at Haven always said that the tundra was cold enough to freeze Grimm."

    "Perhaps they're evolving," said Revan. "Or perhaps this is Salem's work."

    "You think Atlas is gonna be her next target?" Qrow asked. "After Haven?"

    "It's hard to say at the moment," said Ozpin. "But we will be vigilant. And ready."

    "Right. So where's this Geist now?"

    "After the attempts to kill it, the Geist was smart enough to flee into the mines. The military will handle the creatures in the tundra, while we will be working with SCAR Squadron to kill it."

    Everyone understood the objective and were prepared to work with Atlas in an official capacity. Cinder was actually excited by the idea, since she still wanted to create a combined team of Atlesians and Mandalorians. Of course, she agreed with Ozpin that already having an army was a better idea. But she still hoped that a combined force would benefit all of Remnant.

    And now, she was ready to prove it.

    "Cinder, you should stay here."

    The Fall Maiden received a rather rude awakening from her dreams and ambitions when Djarin suggested that she should stay at Atlas Academy.

    "Huh?" she asked as she turned to her father. "No, I want to come. Why should I stay?"

    "Remember the last time we fought a Geist together?" Djarin asked, recalling a time they spent in the woods to help a nearby village. "We needed your powers to beat that thing."

    "Yeah. So?"

    "If this Geist is smart as Ozpin said, it might try to build itself up with the mine's Dust. Like ours did with all those rocks."

    "Indeed," said Ozpin. "And should you require to use your Maiden powers-"

    "Oh," said Cinder. She understood that even a little bit of Magic, whether it was fire or any other element, could lead to a massive explosion. "Okay, yeah. I'll stay."

    "If it's all the same to you, Ozpin, I think I'll stay as well," said Obi-Wan. "I'd like to check in with our prisoners."

    "That's fine," said Ozpin. He remembered the promise Obi-Wan made to Bo-Katan regarding Anakin. Any sign of the promise being broken could lead to trouble that nobody could afford. "James wants me to stay as well. He has a few things he wants to speak to me about."

    "Then it seems the three of us will be going to the tundra," said Revan, who gestured to Qrow and Djarin.

    "Heh," Qrow chuckled. "Just like old times, eh, Mando?"

    "Yeah," said Djarin. This wasn't the first mission the Mandalorian and the Huntsman had teamed up on a mission. "Just like old times."

    With the decisions having been made, everyone began to take their leave. Ozpin went with Ironwood to an elevator, Obi-Wan took a separate elevator to the holding cells, and the team of three prepared to take their leave.

    Before he left, Djarin made sure to say goodbye to his daughter.

    "Be careful, Dad," said Cinder. "If you change your mind, I'm just a Scroll call away."

    "Thanks, Cinder," the Mandalorian said. "You think you'll be okay up here on your own?"

    "Yeah, I'll be fine. Penny's gonna be taking me to Dr. Polendina's lab to look at this." Cinder showed the Beetle latched onto her arm. "And Winter said she wanted to spar later. So I'll be pretty busy."

    "And you'll be with friends." This comforted Djarin, since he was still a little wary about being in Atlas. "Just be careful with that... thing, okay?" The Mandalorian pointed at Cinder's hand. "The doctors in Vale told me that they couldn't get it off without hurting you."

    "I think he just wants to look at it. But I'll tell him."

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Djarin looked at his gauntlet to see a message from Qrow. "Looks like we're ready," he said. "I'll see you soon."

    "Be careful, Dad," Cinder requested. "I love you."

    "Love you too."

    In the tundra, outside of the Schnee Dust mine, multiple uniformed Huntsmen were fighting the small Grimm that were threatening the safety of the latest military project. They were all well-trained and great in number, but they were unfortunately ill equipped to handle the Geist that had flown into the mine.

    Fortunately, two Mantas overhead were prepared to handle the situation throughly and without flaw.

    The team comprised of Djarin, Revan, Qrow, and the members of Task Force 99. They were all prepared to fight and kill the Grimm, and in more ways than one.

    Qrow and Revan had both changed their appearance, mainly their clothes. Instead of his casual gray attire, Qrow was wearing a brown shirt that was gray at the shoulders. The design looked more formal than causal, and it was said that the fabric could withstand bullets and Grimm better. He was still wearing his red cape, which was something Qrow wasn't going to part with any time soon.

    Revan's change in appearance was mostly with his robes. Instead of the black ones he wore in Vacuo, Vale, and Mistral, Revan was wearing white robes with a brown chest plate for protection. This was an appearance Revan had when he was a Jedi, as recent times allowed him to reconnect with the Jedi Master within him. That was why he refused to repair his red lightsaber, something he kept as a sign of atonement and a refusal to forget his past life.

    But now, Revan felt at peace within himself. So now, all he had was his purple lightsaber.

    The new clothes were a part of upgrades Dr. Polendina had made to the arsenal of Djarin's friends. Clover and Ironwood had requested that their attire and weapons would be brought up to Atlesian standards, and they were indeed. Qrow had been given an upgraded version of Harbinger, one were the scythe could change sides with the simple press of a button. Revan oversaw his upgrades, since there weren't many lightsabers in Atlas. But now, he could make his lightsaber double-bladed whenever he wanted.

    Djarin chose to not upgrade anything. He preferred his weapons and armor to stay the way they were. Though he did ask for more ammo for his blaster.

    When they approached the mines, the two airships split up. One ship was to land directly in front of the mine while the other moved towards a cave that would act as an entrance. Clover called the mine a labyrinth, a place with multiple tunnels and chambers that the Geist could move between. So splitting up and cornering it was the decided strategy.

    Djarin was with Revan and the majority of SCAR Squadron, and they were at the mine's entrance. Given that the Manta was ordered to assist the military Huntsmen, Djarin and the others would need to jump out rather than walk out. Djarin and Revan were the first to do so, and the Mandalorian immediately used his jetpack to fly towards the ground and land on both feet.

    Revan jumped out behind Djarin, and used the Force to float through the air on his way down. He landed on the ground on one knee, and the snow beneath him formed a wave before it dissipated.

    The members of SCAR Squadron in the ship were Zuke, Cav, Misty, and Aero. And they were all prepared to show the Mandalorian and Jedi their landing strategies.

    "This is my favorite part," said the large soldier.

    "Let's do it," said Misty, who was the first to jump. As soon as he did, the brown cloak he was wearing immediately expanded. Not from the wind, but it grew to the lengths of a big cape. Misty was using his Semblance, which he called "Shroud," to expand his cloak and allow him to soar through the air and fly to the ground.

    Cav was the next person to jump out, but he didn't use a Semblance. Instead, he tied wire to the end of his knives and threw them at structures that let him swing through the air. After a few swings and soars through the air, Cav landed next to Misty.

    Aero was the next to exit the airship, and he too had a unique landing strategy. After he pressed a few buttons on his chest plate, where the tubes on his helmet were connected, a blue substance moved up the tubes and into the soldier's helmet. After a few seconds, Aero jumped out and his helmet opened at the mouthpiece, where he blew a blue mist across the air. The mist took the form on an ice slide, which Aero slid down to the ground. This was courtesy of the soldier's Semblance, which he dubbed "Breathe."

    Zuke's landing strategy was more practical. In fact, it was a demonstration of the man's own physical strength. He jumped out and refused to do anything that would stop his fall. Instead, Zuke hit the ground with a tremendous thud that took everyone off their feet. A wave of snow much larger than Revan's formed around the soldier, and there were noticeable cracks on the ground.

    "I hate it when he does that," said Misty, who dusted snow off his armor.

    Djarin offered a hand to Aero, who took it and came off the ground. Revan offered his own hand to Cav, but the soldier stood up on his own.

    "Looks like you won't get us killed after all," said Aero.

    "Was that really necessary?" Djarin asked as he looked to the large trooper. He was able to read the room in this situation, so he knew everyone had the same idea.

    "No," said Zuke, who answered calmly. "But it's always fun." He then chuckled as he walked past his allies.

    "It can be helpful at times," said Misty, who turned his rifle towards the mine entrance. "It usually gets the Grimm going."

    Aero and Cav also pointed their weapons towards the cave, but saw and heard nothing for a few seconds. "Looks like we're in the clear so far," said Cav. "Let's move out."

    The second airship was carrying Qrow, Clover, Shrap, and Mic. When they departed, the group immediately slid down a sheer icy incline, which led them to a cliff just outside of a tunnel opening. Qrow immediately brushed off the snow he inadvertently let on his new clothes, and Clover pressed a hand to the side of his helmet.

    "This is Alpha squad," he said. "LZ's clear. Proceeding on foot."

    Mic pointed towards the side. "I guess Shrap and I can split here," he said.

    Clover nodded before he said one more thing on the radio. "We've all got fancy new Scrolls, courtesy of Aero and Dr. Polendina. Don't forget to use 'em. Keep your eyes and ears open. I want an update if you encounter the target. Alpha out." With that, Clover removed his hand and turned to his teammates. "Do your thing, team."

    "See you on the other side, sir," Shrap said as he followed Mic's lead. Qrow and Clover then walked down a tunnel of their own, where the colors of multiple Dust veins dimly lit the area.

    "Gotta say, I'm still not really used to working with other Huntsmen in the field," said Qrow. He had forgotten how well a team like SCAR Squadron could be organized and carry out multiple tasks at once.

    "But you were on a team before, weren't you?" Clover asked.

    Qrow couldn't help but sigh at the idea. "Long time ago. I just found working alone tends to be for the best."

    Clover immediately brushed off the idea. "Well, I think that's a shame." He then had an idea how to satisfy a mild curiosity of his. "You been working with that team of yours for long? With Professor Ozpin too?"

    "Our group's new, more or less. I've worked with Oz a few times, but rarely in the field. Obi-Wan and Revan are kinda new additions."

    "What about your Mandalorian buddy and his kid? Cinder, right?"

    "Yeah, that's right. I've worked with Mando a lot in the past. He's not officially licensed, but he knows what he's doing. They both do."

    Clover tapped his armor a few times. "I think I got a few dents in this to back that claim. Too bad she couldn't join us today. Would've liked to see what else she can do."

    While Djarin's team and SCAR Squadron were conducting their mission and being acquainted with each other, Cinder was going about her day at Atlas Academy.

    At first, the Fall Maiden decided to explore the campus. She didn't have much time for exploring last night, so she decided to look around while she had time. Cinder visited a few empty classrooms and got herself a snack from the cafeteria, but the place she spent most of her time in was the library.

    Just as Winter said, the library of Atlas Academy was enormous. It had every book Beacon had, and then some. Cinder became very excited and decided to reread some of the books she was reading at Beacon, and then she looked at the ones that were new to her.

    About a half hour later, Cinder was found by Penny. And together, they made their way to the laboratory Pietro had in Atlas. Along the way, Cinder couldn't help but notice a few people, mainly students, who were staring at her and Penny. She didn't know why, at first, but then she heard the whispers.

    "Hey, who's that?"

    "Isn't she a little young for a student?"

    "I haven't seen her before."

    "Probably just a tour or something. I mean, she's with the General's top project."

    Penny was a little saddened to be called a "project," but she didn't let this sadness reveal itself. Things were awkward for her when she was rebuilt, given that nobody knew she was a robot. But when she proved herself as a capable and competent protector of Mantle, the tension and awkwardness mostly disappeared.

    Cinder began to relax when she heard the idea of being a potential student, but she decided to pick up the pace when she heard a few more whispers.

    "Wait, doesn't she look like-?"

    "No, that's her! Look at her!"

    "Yeah, that's the girl from the Vytal Festival! The one in the armor!"

    "What's she doing here?"

    One of the students turned around when he saw Cinder pass by him. "Uh, excuse me," he said to get Cinder's attention. He was also curious about Cinder's presence, and hoped to get an explanation.

    But Cinder ignored him and kept walking.

    "Hey, kid!" the student said a little louder. But once again, Cinder ignored him. Luckily, she and Penny had reached Pietro's lab and closed the door before anyone else could recognize her.

    "What is the matter, Cinder?" Penny asked calmly.

    "Oh," Cinder began as she wiped her forehead. "Sorry, I'm just... No, it's nothing." Cinder looked around the room to see multiple tools, circuitry, and projections of blueprints all over the place. "So, this is your dad's lab?"

    "Affirmative!" Penny walked around the area as she explained herself. "This is not like the pharmacy you saw in Mantle. This room is specifically for my father's projects that were commissioned by the General and Atlas' top military officials. He is currently preparing on a new design for a small airship. Would you like to see it?"

    "Oh, I don't want to keep your father waiting." Cinder lifted her left hand. "Especially since he said he'd look at this for me."

    "There is nobody we are keeping waiting, Cinder. My father is concluding a meeting with the commander of the air fleet. He will be here shortly, so we can look around if you'd like."

    "Oh." Cinder didn't know that she and Penny had arrived early, so it seemed that she had time to look around. And the blueprints did look rather interesting. "Did you say it was a new airship he was working on?"

    "Yes, it is! Come and see!"

    Cinder followed Penny to a specific projection that had a set of blueprints. There, Cinder could see the design for a prototype of a new airship. It looked similar to the appearance of a Manta, but it was much smaller. In fact, it looked like it could only fit one person in the cockpit. The nose and wings were about the same size as a Manta, but there was a long piece of metal at the back.

    It almost looked like a small "Y" on the screen, if one looked a certain way.

    "What do you think?" Penny asked.

    "It's... really new," Cinder replied as she stared at the picture. She didn't really know what else to say.

    Penny frowned. "You don't like it?"

    "No, I do! I'm just a little curious about the thought of this." Cinder pointed to the cockpit. "It looks like it can only fit a pilot in here."

    "That is correct! Did you know that when a Manta gets shot down, not many of its passengers have time to evacuate?" Penny pointed to the cockpit. "The smaller space and the ejector seat will help minimize potential casualties should the ship be attacked."

    "Oh, I see." Cinder understood the logic of the design for the cockpit now. "What about the metal back here?"

    "It's mostly for balance. And the size will help circumnavigate places that are too small for a Manta." Penny pointed to the tips of each wing. "And both wings have two guns at the very end for weaponry."

    "Oh!" Cinder took a closer look to see that the tips did look like guns. Between this and the smaller number of people inside, the Maiden believed that Pietro Polendina had done a good job minimizing damage and maximizing potential.

    There was just one more question she had.

    "What's this?" Cinder asked as she pointed just behind the cockpit. It looked like a sort of cylinder, but Cinder wasn't too sure how else to describe it.

    But Penny could.

    "Oh, my goodness!" she screamed with delight. "I almost forgot the best part! Stay right there, I'll be right back!" Penny immediately flew into the other room, leaving Cinder in the dust.

    "..."

    Cinder did as she was told, but looked through other blueprints while she waited. This exploration led to the discovery of a special blueprint, one that Cinder was actually familiar with.

    The armor of SCAR Squadron.

    "Huh," Cinder said to herself as she looked over the design. She could see a few notes written on it, which described the purpose and details of the armor. "Looks like Dr. Polendina was trying to create something that could contend with Beskar. That must have been hard."

    Cinder read how the substance called "plastoid," while still in an experimental stage, had certain advantages. The first was that the helmets could filter out smoke and the bodysuit underneath was capable of protection from dangerous hot and cold temperature. The material was incapable of melting or freezing.

    There appeared to be some disadvantages, however. Cinder read that the helmet could be hard to see out of sometimes, and that the plastoid couldn't really withstand blaster fire from a Mandalorian bullet. It was capable of protection from Grimm claws and regular bullets, however, but not blaster fire.

    "Well, Dad said he shared his technique with the other schools," Cinder recollected. "Looks like they're using blasters for guns to accommodate for the weakness."

    Cinder was intrigued by what she was reading, but there was something she couldn't understand. At the back of her mind, Cinder believed that she had seen an armor like this before. And so, Cinder spent a decent amount of time looking at the helmet and searching her memories, hoping that she would find an answer.

    This search ended, however, when Penny called to her friend.

    "Cinder!" the girl said with enthusiasm. When Cinder turned around, she saw Penny standing by a doorframe and gesturing to it. "I want you to meet someone very special!"

    "..."

    Cinder looked at the spot Penny was gesturing towards, but she didn't see anybody. Penny looked as well, and then beckoned for someone to join her.

    "Come along," she said calmly. "Come and meet my friend."

    Cinder couldn't see who Penny was talking to, and she was about to ask who it was. But before Cinder could speak, a series of strange noises filled the air.

    *TWEEP*

    *REE*

    *WOO*    ​

    "Of course you have!" said Penny. "Father is human, you know. Now you can meet another human. Come on, don't be shy."

    *WHIR*​

    The sound of something mechanical rolling on the floor immediately caught Cinder's attention. A few seconds later, the Fall Maiden saw that Penny was talking to, and now introducing, a very unique robot.

    The robot was definitely unlike the drones in Mantle and the Atlesian Knights. It seemed to move on three legs, it was partially in the shape of a cylinder, and it was very shiny. Most of the robot was painted white, but there were spots of gray on its headpiece and multiple spots of blue across its exterior. There appeared to be a lens on its "face," right above a red light and knob-like object it wore.

    When its third and shortest leg disappeared into its body, the robot stood completely still while Penny gave an introduction.

    "Cinder, this is a Second Generation Robotic Drone of the Series-2 line," Penny proudly introduced the droid. "But everyone calls him R2-D2."

    "..."

    "Go on! Say hello!"

    At first, Cinder believed that Penny was talking to her. She couldn't help but remain silent as she studied the droid, the likes of which she had never seen before. It was hard for her to draw conclusions from what she was seeing, since there was so much about the droid she didn't understand. But at her friend's insistence, Cinder prepared to greet the droid Penny called "special."

    But it seemed Penny was talking to R2-D2, since "he" made a series of noises at the Maiden.

    *WOO*

    *WOO*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    Cinder didn't know how to respond, but she did the best she could. "Um... hi," she said.

    Penny smiled as she kneeled down to the droid. "Isn't he great?" she asked confidently. "He can do just about anything! He can fix circuitry when people can't and link to any computer system. Even me!" Penny immediately hugged the droid. "And we're best friends!"

    *WOO*

    *WOO*    ​

    The droid's head made a complete spin as it shook in place. It even opened a compartment on its side that extended an small arm-like appendage that patted Penny's side.

    The rare display of emotion from the droid was enough to make Cinder warm up to R2-D2; it was clear that he could "feel" things like Penny could. And one look at the airship design was enough to make Cinder understand something else.

    "Is that supposed to be him?" Cinder asked as she pointed to the blueprints. "In the airship?"

    "That's right!" Penny said as she stood up. She moved to the blueprint with R2-D2 at her side. "R2 can be inserted right behind the pilot to provide whatever support he can. Even autopilot!"

    "Wait, he can fly the ship?" Cinder became very impressed. "All by himself?"

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *WOO*    ​

    Penny looked down to see R2 looking at the ground. "Well, not yet," she said as she kneeled down to her friend. "R2's still learning a few things. He has the software, but he hasn't had the chance to practice flying. Like how I did not have the combat experiences I gained upon my creation."

    "Oh. Well, if that's the case, then R2 shouldn't need a lot of time learning."

    Cinder didn't notice that the idea had gotten the droid's attention, but she noticed that Penny was looking right at her.

    "I am sure of that as well!" said Penny. "Though Father has to make a few adjustments here and there."

    Cinder shrugged off the idea. "Still. Penny, whatever Dr. Polendina did to make you what you are... it's amazing. Protecting Mantle is great, and let's not forget you made it to the single rounds at the Vytal Festival." Cinder spread her arms around the area. "It's all just amazing. All of this work, everything I've seen... I know I never came to Atlas Academy that often, but being in a place like this makes me feel that the sky's the limit for anyone here." Cinder smiled at Penny. "Creator and creation alike."

    "..."

    Penny would be blushing if she was capable of doing so. Everything Cinder just said meant the world to her, and it wasn't something Cinder would say out of the blue. Most of her memories of Atlas were sad ones, given her time at the Glass Unicorn. But being at Atlas Academy, surrounded by so many wonderful ideas, gave Cinder a warm feeling. The sky was the limit at a place like this, for Atlesian and foreigner alike.

    And hopefully, Mandalorian as well.

    *WOO*

    *WOO*

    *WOO*    ​

    Cinder and Penny looked to see that R2 was shaking in place while spinning his head, which made Penny laugh. "He says 'Thank you,'" she said. "And I couldn't agree more."

    Cinder gave the droid a friendly smile before she asked Penny another question. "So you can understand R2?" she asked. "What he's... saying?"

    "That's right! Let me show you how."

    Back at the mines, Clover had heard enough silence with Qrow to know that the Geist was nowhere to be found. And so, he decided to check in on his team.

    Starting with Djarin's team.

    "Alpha here," Clover said on the radio. "Give me an update."

    Cav answered for the team. "Bravo checking in," he said. "So far, so good."

    The team had indeed been making progress within the mine. They had searched the entrance high and low, but found nothing to raise any alarms.

    In fact, that was exactly what Djarin was thinking.

    Revan sensed the disturbance within the Mandalorian, so he moved closer to see what was going on. "What is it?" he asked.

    "There's nothing here," said Djarin. "It's giving me a bad feeling."

    Revan looked around the area before he drew a conclusion. "I don't sense any danger."

    "That's just it." Djarin stepped to the side so nobody else could hear him. "You're right, Revan. There's no danger here. No cave-ins, no agitated Dust, and no signs of any Grimm. Which begs the question..."

    Revan immediately saw why Djarin was concerned. "Why did the miners leave?"

    Djarin nodded right before he noticed something that was rather odd. "There," he said as he pointed to a corner. "Do you see that?"

    Revan looked towards a pile of mining tools and equipment. When he approached them, Revan kneeled down and reached out through he Force. Right by the tools was something that no normal eyes could see.

    An echo in the Force.

    "...The mine wasn't just abandoned," Revan said after he listened to the echo. "Someone forced everyone to leave. And in a hurry." Djarin noticed that Revan was looking in the direction of Task Force 99 after he shared the news. "Be on your guard, Djarin."

    "..."

    "Let's pick it up, people!"

    Djarin decided to use his Semblance to transport himself and Revan close to SCAR Squadron.

    "You find anything?" Cav asked.

    "We thought we did," said Djarin. "But it was nothing."

    "No sign of the Geist," said Revan.

    "Then let's keep going," said Zuke.

    Cav, Misty, and Zuke were all focused on the mission in front of them, but Aero was able to pick up that something seemed off with his new allies.

    "Everything okay back there?" he asked calmly.

    "Fine," said Djarin. He hoped a short answer would ease any potential suspicions, given what Revan had implied. However, Aero wasn't entirely convinced.

    "No, something's going on." Despite this idea, he continued to walk. "I think I know."

    "..."

    "You're thinking about your kid, aren't you?"

    The brief paranoia Djarin was feeling from Aero's suspicions immediately disappeared as he saw the opportunity for cover.

    "Uh, yeah," he said. "Yeah, I guess so."

    "Lemme guess," Aero replied confidently. "You're wondering how she's doing on her own? Mission or no mission?"

    Djarin decided to tell the truth this time, since Aero's analysis was surprisingly accurate. "The thought's crossed my mind before. How'd you know?"

    Aero shook his head. "I've lost count of how many times I asked myself when my daughter was on her own."

    "You have one too?"

    "Yep. Her name's Cassandra, but everyone calls her Cassie. I mean, other than 'Cadet Aero.'"

    "She's a student at the academy?"

    "Uh-huh. You might have heard her name tossed around at Vale. She went to the Vytal Festival with the other cadets."

    Djarin didn't know of any "Cadet Aero," but he was all too familiar with the Vytal Festival. Namely, how poorly it ended.

    "Did she survive the Fall?" Djarin asked.

    "Yeah, thank the Gods," said Aero. "But things weren't really the same. She thought about quitting, but I made her stick with it. If there's another situation with the Grimm or Mandalorians again, I'd feel a lot better knowing she's ready to take those bastards next time."

    "..."

    "Uh, no offense."

    Djarin shook his head. "I've heard worse."

    "Still. You know, Clover was telling us how you and your daughter made the Mandalorians stop fighting at Haven. How'd you do that?"

    "It wasn't easy. Pre Vizsla launched a surprise attack on the school. A lot of good people from all over the world died there, but we were able to stop Vizsla."

    "Did your daughter do most of the heavy lifting? With those powers and all?"

    Djarin understood that SCAR Squadron knew about the Maidens, so he indulged the man. "More or less. She was a late arrival, but the tide turned because of her. Now she's got the right to rule all of the Mandalorians. Even me."

    "I'll be damned. Sounds like one hell of a kid."

    Djarin briefly smiled under his helmet. "You have no idea."

    Aero couldn't help but chuckle at the statement. "I think I got some. You and her definitely did a number on us last night. None of us were ready for a Maiden, or whatever you call them. Has she been like that for long?"

    "Cinder's had the power for five years. She spent those years training with me and Ozpin. Like you said, she can do a number on just about-"

    "There it is!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    The sight of a dark shape flying by both Aero and Djarin immediately caught their attention. The shape paused for a brief moment, where it was revealed to be none other than the enemy Geist. It had stopped moving to look upon the people that entered its temporary home before it flew deeper into the mines.

    "Don't let it get away!" Cav ordered as he pulled out a knife and threw it. Unfortunately, it flew through the Geist as the projectile missed its face.

    "There's no Dust!" said Zuke, who pulled out a big gun. "Shoot it!" Everyone around him all pulled out their weapons and fired.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    The blaster fire was close, but the Geist was too fast for anyone to hit. Revan tried to reach out with the Force and block its path with a rock, but the Geist moved past the object with ease.

    And in its place, three worm-like Grimm came out of the ground and moved towards the team.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Once again, blaster fire was delivered into the mine. Revan used his lightsaber to strike at the closest worm, which he killed with ease, right before Aero spoke on his radio.

    "This is Bravo! We found the target, but it fled deeper into the mine. Engaging Centinels!"

    *WHOOSH*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Djarin had just teleported behind Aero to stop another Centinel from trapping him in its two front pinchers. Two shots in its mouth were enough to kill the beast, and let the Mandalorian focus on the other threats.

    Zuke and Misty were able to hold their own rather well. When he saw that his gun was having no effect, Zuke grabbed the nearest Centinel as it spun towards him. He then proceeded to hit it against the walls before it turned to ash.

    Misty focused on firing from afar, which was his specialty. He had just killed two Centinels before his weapon ran out of ammo, which left him vulnerable to an attack from a Centinel that came from behind.

    Luckily, Cav was able to stick a knife in its underbelly and pull on it. This cut the beast wide open, which led to its swift demise.

    Revan was swinging his lightsaber to fend off more Grimm, and now he decided to test his new secondary blade. Now, he was able to spin the weapon like a fan and slice a single Grimm apart at a much faster rate than before. After it was left defenseless, Revan threw the weapon and watched as it cut the Centinel in half before his lightsaber returned to him.

    Hisses and the sound of decaying Grimm all filled the area as the team finally took their pause and wondered if their warning reached the right people.

    "This is Alpha! We've engaged the target!"

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Qrow fired multiple bullets at the Geist, but the Grimm managed to swerve and spiral past each one as it fled. Clover saw this and pressed his radio again. "All squads head toward our position!"

    The leader of Task Force 99 decided to help Qrow in his efforts. After he took his his fishing rod in hand, Clover sent the hook out at the Geist, but barely missed it.

    And to make matters worse, the Grimm was done running.

    The Geist swooped into a giant chunk of ice with a mine cart imbedded in it and rose up to gather more ice, rocks and metal to form a brand new body. Clover was ready to face the monster head on, but Qrow didn't follow. Instead, he noticed a chunk of ice pressing against a metal support beam, one that was steadily pushing the beam off of the tunnel wall.

    "Wait, stop!" Qrow warned.

    Clover turned to look at Qrow, which led him to noticing the falling beam.

    *CRASH*​

    The beam landed between Clover and the Geist, and the impact created a large cloud of dust. When the cloud settled, Clover could see that the ground beneath the Geist had collapsed. Clover frowned when he looked at the hole as Qrow ran up beside him.

    "Darn it," he said before he used his radio. "Target escaped, last seen headed east." Clover then took off his helmet to wipe some sweat off of his forehead. "Thanks for the call-out. That could have been bad."

    Qrow knew that he had helped, but he was never one to accept gratitude; especially when he knew why the beam had collapsed.

    "I wouldn't thank me," he said with a sigh. "My Semblance brings misfortune. Sometimes I can't keep it under control."

    "That so?"

    Qrow looked at Clover, who was looking back at him with a slight smile. This was strange and unusual, since just about everyone who heard the idea kept themselves at a distance from Qrow. But Clover stayed right where he was as he checked his Scroll. Then, he looked up at a bent support beam next to the hole in the ground.

    "Well, hey, don't beat yourself up about it," the commander advised before he cast his line. The cord wrapped around the beam and pulled it down, which led the beam and a large amount of rock to come falling down.

    *CRASH*​

    Content with his work, which had led to a new kind of ground being formed, Clover looked at Qrow with a smile.

    "My Semblance is good fortune," he said with a wink. "Lucky you, huh?"

    "..."

    Qrow couldn't help but be amazed by such a simple idea. All of his life, his Semblance had done nothing but bring bad luck to others and himself. And the inability to fully control it was enough to make Qrow think that there wouldn't be a reprieve to his condition.

    So to hear that there was an antithesis, a complete opposite to his Semblance, was something that Qrow had been waiting all his life to hear.

    Clover didn't think too much of the idea as he walked on ahead and got on his radio again. "Charlie, Bravo, you should be able to cut off the target at the heart of the mine. Qrow and I won't be far behind."

    Back in Atlas, Pietro had arrived at his lab to see Cinder become acquainted with R2-D2. He was proud to see that there were people who liked his creations, and R2 was arguably the easiest to like. After all, Penny seemed quiet taken with the droid upon its creation. It was done after she was fully repaired, so Penny was able to serve as a companion and friend to the droid. And Penny being Penny, she had done the job very well.

    And apparently, so was Cinder.

    However, further conversation was put on hold when Cinder remembered why she had come to Pietro in the first place. The old man remembered the reason as well, since Penny told him last night. And so, the Fall Maiden was taken to a part of the laboratory with a medical chair. There, the scientist took a proper look at Cinder's hand.

    "Oh, my," he said as he first looked at the Beetle. "It's just like Penny said."

    "Yes, sir," said Cinder. She didn't know what Penny had told Dr. Polendina, but she was sure he knew the general idea.

    Pietro reached for his workbench and continued to talk. "How did this happen?"

    "Um... I'm not too sure. I was unconscious when it happened. All I know is that it was on another woman's hand while it latched on to my face." Cinder pointed to the scarring on her left eye. "After it left her, it made itself at home on my hand."

    "I see." Pietro came back to Cinder with a pair of tweezers. He gently poked at the Grimm, which caused it to hiss as it moved its pinchers and legs at the tool.

    "Be careful, sir. It's still a Grimm."

    "Indeed."

    Pietro remembered his studies with Grimm in Vale, even though it was a brief project. He remembered how to be very careful when he needed to be, so he kept his distance.

    "Can you feel that?" Pietro asked as he poked the Beetle.

    "No," Cinder replied.

    Pietro poked a little harder in a different spot. "What about that?"

    Cinder winced for a second. "A little."

    "Hmm..." Pietro decided to take a calculated risk as he made the tweezers squeeze the Beetle. "And this?"

    "Ah!" Cinder yelped as she grabbed her arm. "I feel it, I feel it!"

    Pietro let go as quickly as he could so he could let Cinder recover. "Sorry, dear," he said sincerely. "So, you can feel when it's in pain."

    "Unfortunately," Cinder replied as she let go of her arm. "I found out about that the first time I tried to remove it. But all it did was hurt me."

    "I see." Pietro took another look while keeping his distance, since the Grimm was hissing at him. "Does this connection go both ways? Can it feel your pain?"

    "I... I don't know." Cinder had never thought about that. "I never really tried it." This was understandable, since there was so much neither of them understood about the creature. "All I know is that it doesn't hurt me unless someone or something hits it."

    "Hmm..." Pietro hummed once more. "Tell me, has it ever done anything to help you? Perhaps heal any wounds or defend you?"

    "..."

    Cinder remembered only one time where she could say that the Beetle actually helped her. When she was in danger in Mantle, when Zuke was attacking her, Cinder remembered how the Beetle latched on to his face in response. Fortunately, Zuke's helmet protected him from any harm.

    Cinder was reluctant to share this information, since she was still in Atlas. She wouldn't know what would happen if news of this incident reached anyone of a higher station. However, she did know that the only way Pietro could help her was if she was honest and answered all of his questions.

    "Well... there was this one time," Cinder began. "I was being attacked, and the... thing, it just... threw itself on whoever or whatever was attacking me. Then they backed off." The avoidance of pronouns and names was Cinder's way of telling the truth without the unnecessary details.

    "Did it now?" Pietro said. "It almost sounds impossible, but it seems that there's a connection between you and the Beetle. It's almost like it's a symbiote, an organism that thrives by bonding with another."

    Cinder remembered what her father had said about the bond she had with the Grimm, which only reinforced Pietro's theory.

    "I'd like to run a few tests, if I may," said Pietro. "Mostly x-rays and blood tests. It would be wise to see what kind of effect, if any, this thing is having on your body."

    Cinder understood the doctor's wish, and she too believed such tests would be wise. "Do you think they'll help me?" she asked. "Could the tests help you see how we can break the connection?"

    Pietro removed his cap and scratched his head. "Hm, possibly," he said. "I'm not a biologist, but I know there are some connections that are rather hard to break. And depending on what effect the Grimm has on your body, removing it may be easier said than done."

    "..."

    "But I promise I'll help you however I can." Pietro's walking chair began to move away from Cinder. "I'll go fetch a needle and some test tubes."

    Cinder was somewhat disappointed by Pietro's uncertainty, even though she understood it. She knew that she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up, but she wanted the Beetle removed immediately. Cinder knew she couldn't hide it forever, and it could even grow stronger as time went on.

    In fact, it could even stay on forever. And Cinder had no idea what would happen.

    "Don't worry, Cinder," said Penny. "We're here to help you too." She was immediately joined by R2, who stopped in front of Cinder and made a few noises.

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *WOO*    ​

    "He says he'll help too," Penny translated.

    Cinder smiled. "I know," she said as she patted the droid's head before she turned to her friend. "Thanks, Penny."

    "You're welcome."

    Cinder sighed as she began her wait for Pietro. "Well, here's to hoping Dad's having good luck at the mine."

    Djarin's luck in the mine was... questionable, to say the least.

    He, Revan, and the members of SCAR Squadron weren't in any danger, but they hadn't managed to find the Geist after they lost it. They had followed Clover's advice and reached the heart of the mine, but there weren't any Grimm there.

    In fact, all they could find was a vast supply of Dust. And two more members of SCAR Squadron just above them.

    "Everyone use caution," Mic said over the radio. "This room is highly active with Dust energy. Triggering it could ruin the launch site."

    "And vaporize us," said Shrap. "That goes double for you, Zuke."

    "I may be big, but I'm not stupid, Shrap," Zuke said over the radio. "But if you're so smart, why don't you find the target?"

    Shrap could see what Zuke meant by that; the room was clearly the heart of the Dust mine, but the Geist didn't appear to be anywhere within sight. Fortunately, he had an idea.

    "Mic, better give this place a scan," Shrap said to his ally.

    The blue-eyed soldier agreed and pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet. Then, the blue light in his visor began to expand all across the heart of the mine. It detected Dust, metal, and everyone below him.

    But no Grimm.

    "Nothing," he said. "I'll call Clover, ask him if-"

    *RUMBLE*​

    The area began to shake all around the team, which caused them to look at the ground and the walls. They expected more Centinels, but no Grimm emerged from the ground.

    Djarin noticed that the rumbling wasn't coming from the ground, but the ceiling instead.

    The Mandalorian saw that the Grimm was now taking the form of a Petra Gigas, when a Geist created a whole body for itself out of anything it could find. And with the Dust it assimilated earlier, the Petra Gigas was clinging to a chunk of ice on the ceiling. It turned to look down at everyone, which made Djarin see purple Dust crystals embedded in its body.

    "Up there!" Djarin warned his team. They all looked to see the Grimm had jumped down from the ceiling and crashed through a stone arch on its way to the ground in front of the team.

    *CRASH*

    *BAM*    ​

    "It added Dust to its body!" Djarin pointed out. "Our guns are useless!" He immediately turned his rifle into its staff form.

    "We'll have to do this the hard way," said Cav, who took out two knives in hand. "Zuke! You're on!"

    The large soldier didn't say anything to acknowledge the order. Instead, he took off running and immediately punched his hands. As he grew closer and closer to the leg of the Petra Gigas, Zuke's entire suit and body began to change into a gray color. When the color reached his legs, the sound of metal crashing onto the ground resounded each time he took a step.

    The last metallic sound came when Zuke grabbed the beast's gigantic leg.

    *CLANG*​

    Zuke's Semblance, "Ironhide," was able to keep a strong grip on the Petra Gigas and limit its movement.

    Cav tied two of his knives together at their hilts before he joined Zuke with Aero. Misty, on the other hand, kept his eyes on the Grimm's arms, as well as Mic and Shrap.

    "Mic, Shrap, there's a thin opening on the Grimm's left arm," he said on his radio. "Take it off while we take care of the legs."

    "Copy," Shrap said as he made a plan. "Mic, I'm gonna go for a Hail Mary. Give me a path."

    "On it," said Mic. He began to look at the distance between Shrap and the Petra Gigas, and he studied it closely. He didn't use his visor or his gauntlet for any calculations, since those tools were useful for computer systems and computer systems alone.

    Instead, Mic relied on his Semblance, "Quick Thinking."

    Mic's Semblance wasn't like Zuke's or Misty's, where it could enhance his strength or leave him with a physical advantage. Instead, the soldier's Semblance enhanced his thinking power.

    It made him smarter.

    Mic was able to perform the necessary calculations for the angle, force, and distance Shrap would need to throw a certain heavy weapon he had. Mic could see the mathematics and every factor his Semblance took into account. He was able to make these calculations at the drop of a hat, which would greatly aid Shrap when he found out where and how he would need to throw his weapon.

    And once he was done, Mic finally created a path on his gauntlet for Shrap to see. And with the press of a button, Shrap could see it through his helmet.

    "Got it!" Mic said as he pressed the button.

    "Me too!" said Shrap, who pulled a small projectile from his suit. It was a weapon he created with Aero, and now he was ready to put it to use.

    Unfortunately, the Petra Gigas was ready first.

    *BAM*​

    The Grimm sent one of its fists to the support Mic and Shrap were standing on, which caused them to fall. Luckily, Revan was able to witness their descent and grab them with the Force. When the shock of floating in the air disappeared, Shrap prepared to do what he was about to do.

    "Wait!" Mic warned. "You need a new pattern!"

    Shrap shook his head. "I'm eyeballing it!" he said as he threw the projectile.

    The object made its way towards the Petra Gigas and landed near its shoulder. It wasn't far from the spot Shrap had been aiming for, so the soldier knew that it would do what he needed it to do.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Instead of an explosion, a small shield of Hard-Light Dust appeared and enveloped part of the Grimm's arm. Most people, like Djarin and Revan, would be confused by the sight. It didn't appear that the projectile was much of a weapon, since shields were always known for protecting whatever was behind or inside it.

    But when the sound of a small explosion was heard and the sight of the shield disappearing was seen, everyone understood.

    *BOOM*​

    The projectile was actually an explosive, and a special one at that. Shrap was the heavy weapons expert of the team, so he knew all about the kinds of damage explosives could do. He also knew that there were times when he would have to minimize the damage, in case civilians or anything else was in the way.

    And so, the shield was able to contain the small explosion without setting off any of the active Dust. And as a result, the Petra Gigas lost an arm.

    But it also caused a few purple Dust crystals to hurtle towards the ground.

    "I got them!" Revan yelled as he reached out with the Force once more. He couldn't really fight at the moment, since his lightsaber could set off the Dust. He managed to catch many of the crystals, and SCAR Squadron was able to catch the rest.

    Mic failed to get one that was out of his reach, but Clover arrived just in time to catch it before it hit the ground.

    "What would you guys do without me?" the soldier asked before he tossed the crystal to Qrow with a nod. Qrow put the crystal out of harm's way before he joined Djarin again.

    "Did I miss much?" Qrow asked as he took Harbinger in its scythe form.

    "A lot, actually," Djarin replied as he spun his staff. "Their Semblances are... impressive."

    *CRACK*​

    Just as Djarin concluded his statement, Zuke had finally managed to rip off the leg of the Petra Gigas. Clover and Cav then worked together to catch the crystals that had broken off the monster.

    "Yeah!" Zuke yelled. "That's what I'm talking about!"

    Revan also caught a crystal right before Clover could. "Your teammates have the right idea," he said. "Dismantling this Grimm before it regenerates may be the only way to stop it."

    "Then let's do it," Clover agreed. "Shrap, Zuke! You two focus on the other arm and leg, and whatever other limbs it tries to make! Everyone else, aim for the chest and face!"

    While Shrap and Zuke followed their orders to the letter, everyone else followed Clover's lead. They each leapt onto the Grimm so they could strike its chest and hopefully knock it down. Djarin and Qrow focused on the face, but the Petra Gigas was able to use its other arm to protect itself.

    But this left an opening for Shrap to throw another one of his projectiles, which caused another controlled explosion.

    *BOOM*​

    With only one limb left, Revan and Zuke were able to work together to make the Petra Gigas fall. While Zuke took its remaining leg and pushed it upwards, Revan pushed against the Grimm with the Force to make it fall.

    *THUD*​

    The Grimm was now out of limbs, but it didn't leave its makeshift torso yet. Instead, it tried to make new limbs out of the metal and Dust that was nearby.

    "Don't let it reassemble itself!" Djarin yelled as he struck the nearest materials away. Everyone followed his lead and used their weapons to strike at anything that moved closer to the Grimm. Clover and Cav used their fishing pole and tied knives to grab the crystals, but everyone else was able to hit the metal away.

    The Geist inside the Petra Gigas finally gave up its attempts at reconstructing its body and decided to retreat. It was fast enough to avoid Harbinger and Djarin's staff, but Cav had a plan as he prepared another knife.

    "Not this time," he said right before he threw the blade.

    Instead of flying in a straightforward path, the knife began to duck and weave past obstacles such as Dust and metal. It even moved at an abnormal speed, one that matched the speed of the Geist.

    And sure enough, the blade made contact with the Grimm's skull before it returned to Cav's hand.

    "Bullseye," he said proudly.

    That was the name of Cav's Semblance, an ability that took much Aura and concentration. It didn't work like Magic, however; instead, Cav needed to guide the knife where to go in order to find its target. As a result, the blade never missed its target.

    Therefore, Cav never missed either.

    With the Geist now dead, the torso of its former body finally gave way. More purple crystals were flown into the air, which would explode if they reached the ground at their current speed. The members of SCAR Squadron all ran reached out to catch them, but they were beaten by Djarin and his two allies. Revan had used the Force once more, Qrow turned into a bird so he could catch up to one crystal, and Djarin used his own Semblance to catch one in front of Aero.

    "Teleportation," said the soldier. "Been a while since I've seen a Semblance like that."

    "Same with telekinesis," said Shrap, who mistook Revan's use of the Force for a Semblance.

    "I don't think I've seen something like that before," Clover said to Qrow, referring to how he turned into a bird. He took off his helmet to get a better look at the Huntsman. "Is there a good story behind that?"

    Qrow was glad to see that he didn't have to hide his shapeshifting ability anymore. "Remind me to tell you it when we get outta here," he said.

    "Deal," Clover said with a nod. "In my experience, the best stories are told with food."

    Qrow chuckled at the idea. "If you're buying, I'm there."

    "What's that now?" Zuke asked as he walked over. "You buying dinner tonight, boss?"

    "I could eat," said Aero. The rest of the squad immediately agreed.

    Clover laughed a little before he replied. "Let's wrap this up first," he said as he put his helmet back on. "Then we'll talk." He then got on his radio. "Atlas Control, this is Clover. Mission accomplished."

    Back in Atlas, Cinder had just finished the tests Pietro was doing for her. He needed time to gather and study the results, so the Fall Maiden left the laboratory and thanked Pietro for his time.

    Before she left, however, Pietro told Cinder about the upgrades he made to Qrow and Revan's weapons. Djarin had declined the opportunity for an upgrade, but Pietro wanted to know if Cinder would like one either to her weapons or her armor.

    Normally, Cinder wouldn't like anyone touching her armor or weapons, but she liked the idea. She hadn't used Midnight, her twin swords, in a while, and a look at her armor wouldn't hurt either. And given that Pietro said the upgrades could probably be done sooner than the test results would come back, Cinder decided to accept the offer.

    And so, Cinder took her upgrades to a place she knew she could practice throughly with: in the training room with Winter.

    "There you are," said Winter, who noticed her friend's presence. "Only seven minutes late."

    Cinder chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "There's late and there's fashionably late, Winter," she jokingly replied. She then put down a bag she had been carrying, which stored her Mandalorian armor.

    Given her recent encounter with other students, Cinder didn't believe it would be wise to walk around in her armor.

    "How about I show you why I'm fashionably late?" Cinder offered.

    Winter took out her sword and patiently waited for Cinder to prepare. "Show me what you can do," she challenged.

    In just two minutes, Cinder was wearing her Mandalorian armor. On the surface, it didn't appear like much had changed. It was still the same color scheme and each of the armor pieces looked just like they did in Vale. Even Midnight, her two swords, didn't look much different.

    But Cinder was ready to show that there was more to her armor than meets the eye.

    "Here we go," Cinder said as she took her swords in hand. The Darksaber was on her hilt, but she decided to not use it just yet.

    Winter lunged forward and began to thrust her sword at Cinder's helmet. Cinder dodged the first lunge, but she defended herself with Midnight on the other strikes. She then returned thrusts of her own, but Winter was able to dodge them.

    In fact, she found the strikes to be somewhat predictable.

    "That armor suits you," Winter said as she clashed her sword against Cinder's. "But it slows you down."

    "Maybe," said Cinder. "But I've got a few surprises to help me catch up."

    "So do I."

    Winter ejected her smaller sword from her larger sword and sent it towards her opponent's chest. Cinder was too late to block the strike with her other sword, but she managed to catch both of them when Winter made another attack. Then, she took the chance to show Winter one of her "surprises."

    The Fall Maiden tightened the hilts of Midnight and activated her Semblance. Normally, her Semblance would simply warm anything Cinder touched, but something different was happening with Midnight.

    The heat that formed at Cinder's hands began to travel up the hilts and at the edges of Midnight's blades. They became hotter and hotter, and Winter could feel that heat. She formed a Glyph at her feet to help her move back, but then she returned swiftly to strike at Cinder's swords.

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    A multitude of sparks, more than there usual, came into existence and blinded Winter. Cinder was partially blinded as well, which proved that her trap worked a little too well.

    She would have to control how much heat she created in the upgraded version of Midnight.

    But since her helmet protected her face, Cinder was able to knock Winter back with a couple of strikes. Winter was able to recover quickly, which led her to making an assumption.

    "Impressive," she said. "I thought I noticed a difference with those swords. Dr. Polendina, I assume?"

    "You guessed it," Cinder replied with a spin of her blades. "I thought I should see what he could do. What about you?"

    Winter looked at her sword, right after she put the smaller one back in its place. "Changes to the wielder rather than the tool are also an option. Let me show you." Winter stabbed her sword into the ground, which led to two Beowolves being summoned.

    "Ooh, Summoning!" Cinder said. "I was wondering when you were gonna play that card!" After she ran towards the Grimm, Cinder jumped over them and turned around in the air. Before she touched the ground, Cinder formed a fist and moved it towards the creatures.

    *WHIR*

    *WHIR*    ​

    Two circular blades shot out of Cinder's gauntlet and struck both Grimm in their backs. They soon turned to dust, which allowed Cinder to take her blades back.

    "Beat that!" Cinder challenged as she turned back to Winter.

    "As you wish," Winter replied calmly before she struck her sword into the ground again. Instead of more Beowolves, however, a large group of small Nevermores emerged from the Glyph and flew directly at Cinder.

    The Mandalorian was able to protect herself with another upgrade Pietro had done. When her father first gifted Cinder her armor, there was a small shield of Hard-Light Dust in one gauntlet that she could use to protect herself.

    But now, Pietro managed to increase the size of that shield. Rather than a shield on the hand, Cinder could create a "bubble" of Hard-Light Dust around herself to protect against a large or numerous foe. In this case, the bubble shield protected Cinder from the Nevermores that were starting to disappear.

    When Winter saw this, she took an opportunity to sneak behind Cinder and attack her from behind.

    *SCRATCH*​

    "Ah!" Cinder yelped as she felt the sword hit her back. Her armor protected her, but the strike came as a surprise. She was now at a distance between Winter, and decided to give credit where it was due. "An ambush. Bravo."

    "I told you," said Winter. "It's good to focus on the wielder just as much as the weapon."

    "Alright, then." Cinder swung her arms a couple of times. "Let's break the tie."

    The training room echoed with the sounds of metal clashing against metal and Semblances being used. Cinder decided not to use her Maiden powers, just in case. So she was able to practice with her Semblance and Midnight, two things she hadn't done since she fell into her coma.

    And Winter was able to show Cinder what she had learned at the academy. When she returned, Ironwood helped clear Winter's name of the attack she inflicted upon Cinder when she was possessed by the Chill. And after her surgery to replace her eye, Winter took the chance to continue her studies in the hopes of defending her Kingdom.

    And those studies served the young Atlesian well.

    After about five more minutes of sparring, the girls decided to end their match. They were both content with how they fought, as well as what they had learned. Winter was the first to make an analysis. "Your technique still has thosemaddening sloppy touches," she began.

    Cinder simply shrugged off the idea. "I guess it's just the Mandalorian in me," she said. "Your technique is pretty rigid. It's easy to tell how it's organized."

    Winter also shrugged off the idea. "Perhaps it's the Atlesian in me." She formed a smile. "And yet, you've learned how to make your touches work for you. You've made them your own."

    Cinder smiled in return. "Right back at you. You're holding your own much better since the Vytal Festival. You're not easy to break."

    "Hm. You make that sound like a compliment."

    "You gave me one first."

    "I never intended it that way."

    "We all make mistakes, I guess."

    Winter laughed as she watched Cinder remove her armor. "You've grown up a bit, haven't you?" she asked. "You were always more mature than most children, but you're not always sticking around with your father anymore. You're becoming a little more independent."

    Cinder moved down to remove the armor at her legs, but that didn't stop her from talking to Winter. "Since Beacon, I haven't really had a choice," she replied. "My coma left me all on my own, to rebuild myself from the ground up. I mean, I had the help of the Maidens, but still."

    Winter had been told about how Cinder met the Maidens, as well as the nature of her coma. She could definitely sympathize with her friend, but she had other feelings as well.

    "Whatever the case, I am glad to see you've fully recovered," she said before she pointed to Cinder's waist. "And I'm proud to see you take such a large step in your life."

    Cinder had completely removed her armor now, and she could see that Winter was pointing at the Darksaber. "Oh, you mean this?" she asked as she gently touched the sword. "Thanks, but... I don't think I'm as great as you think."

    "How so?"

    "I gave this speech in Mistral, how I wanted to make sure the Mandalorians would be fighting the good fight from now on. But now... it just feels like talk. I kind of got that vibe from an Atlesian at Argus."

    "An Atlesian? Who?"

    "Caroline Cordovin. She's the commander of-"

    "Oh, her." Winter immediately understood. "I've heard of Special Operative Cordovin. She's very loyal to the Kingdom, but also... overzealous." Winter moved closer so she could lend a friendly ear. "Did she say something to upset you?"

    "Yeah," Cinder replied. "Mostly that I didn't really keep my promise to have Mandalorians like me and Dad wear that symbol Obi-Wan presented to Mistral. I said I would make them wear it so they could be warriors of peace, but I'm not even wearing it." Cinder sighed. "My 'rule' right now just feels like talk. Not action."

    Winter understood where Cinder was coming from. There were plenty of people she knew, her father included, that always said one thing but meant the opposite. However, Winter knew that Cinder wasn't one of those people.

    Now, she had to make her friend see it.

    "Cinder, progress takes time," Winter began. "And patience. I was completely useless until General Ironwood took me under his wing. Now, look at me." Cinder looked to see Winter slightly extending her arms. "It's like you said; I can hold my own better after the month I've spent training here. Change takes more time than one day after making a speech. Do you understand?"

    "...Yeah," Cinder replied slowly. "Yeah, I think so."

    Winter put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "Remember what you said to me on our first days of school? If people like Cordovin don't like us at our best..."

    Cinder immediately remembered. "They don't deserve us at our best."

    "Exactly." Winter meant what she said, but she immediately made a request. "Just don't tell anyone I criticized a superior officer, okay?"

    Cinder smirked. "Don't tell anyone what?" she asked sarcastically.

    The duo shared a laugh before they finally took their leave from the training area. Cinder began to feel a little better about herself; Winter always had a way to use practical thinking to support anyone around her. Cinder always looked on the positive side of things, and now Winter had taught that back at her.

    And for that, Cinder was truly grateful.

    As they walked down the hall, Winter made one final note to Cinder. "I know it must be hard, having a responsibility as Mand'alor thrust upon you," she said. "But nobody has to rule alone. And if you asked, I'm sure General Ironwood would have a place for you."

    Cinder smiled, but she didn't really like the idea. "I appreciate that," she said. "But I don't think I could accept."

    "Really?"

    "My place is still with the Mandalorians. When all of this is over, I have to find them. Let them know what kind of change is coming."

    "Ah, of course."

    Cinder meant what she said concerning the Mandalorian's, but she had something else on her mind. "But also... I'm not really sure Atlas, or any Kingdom, is supposed to be-"

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Winter looked at her Scroll to see a message from General Ironwood. "Oh, good news," she said. "The mission at the mine was a success."

    "Really?" Cinder asked, forgetting her reluctant thoughts. "They killed the Geist?"

    "Yes. And the preparations for Amity are being made as we speak." Winter put away her Scroll. "General Ironwood says we can join him at the mine."

    "Great! Let me just put my stuff away."

    Cinder and Winter made their way to the dorm rooms that General Ironwood provided everyone. She didn't have anywhere to display her armor like she did at Beacon, so Cinder simply placed the bag by her bed. She decided to keep Midnight and the Darksaber with her, just in case there was still Grimm at the mine.

    Along with her weapons, Cinder realized that she could probably bring people with her as well.

    "Oh, I should probably ask Ozpin and Obi-Wan to come with us," Cinder told Winter. "They'll probably want to know about the mission."

    "Professor Ozpin is going to accompany General Ironwood," Winter replied. "But feel free to invite Headmaster-" Winter suddenly remembered something else. "I mean, Professor Kenobi. I'm sorry, is he a professor now?"

    Cinder shook her head. "I don't think so. He doesn't work at Haven anymore. I think you should call him 'Master Kenobi.'"

    "Why's that?"

    Cinder suddenly remembered that Winter didn't know anything about the Jedi or Sith. "Oh, uh... Forget it." Cinder began to take her first steps, but then remembered something else. "Wait, which way is the detention level?"

    "Five floors down," Winter replied. "I'll find an airship for us."

    After Cinder found the nearest elevator, she followed Winter's instructions and moved down five floors. As soon as the doors opened, Cinder immediately saw that she was in the right place. There were multiple cells with Hard-Light shields acting as walls and doors that opened from the outside. Some were occupied, but most were empty.

    Cinder didn't make eye contact with any of the prisoners on her search for Obi-Wan, even though some of the prisoners were taunting her to do so. However, the Fall Maiden couldn't help but look at the prisoners who were silent. Instead of looking out the doors, they were either laying on the beds or sitting while burying their faces in their hands.

    The ones who were doing this appeared to be wearing civilian clothing, which greatly disturbed Cinder.

    "So that's it? That's why he called you 'Master?'"

    "I'm afraid so. He was a former pupil of mine, before he turned to evil. The details behind are..."

    "Right. 'Complicated.'"

    When Cinder heard familiar voices, she followed them to find Obi-Wan standing on the other side of a particular cell. Inside that cell was an armor-less Bo-Katan Kryze, who was having a private conversation with the former Headmaster. The cell she was taken to was isolated, for the most part. So when Obi-Wan went to see her, in order to prove that their agreement was still active, Bo-Katan demanded answers about Anakin.

    Obi-Wan was always reluctant to talk about Anakin, especially to someone who wasn't a Jedi or who worked with Ozpin. But when Bo-Katan said that it would help the woman they both loved, Obi-Wan's guilt prevented him from keeping his past a secret anymore.

    And so, Obi-Wan told Bo-Katan how he trained Anakin, and how he turned to the dark side.

    How he turned to Salem.

    Bo-Katan was left greatly disturbed by the story. Not because she wasn't used to violence, but because she had inadvertently followed in Anakin's footsteps. She now understood that anyone who helped Salem would help bring about the end of the world, which was the last thing the Mandalorian wanted.

    "So... we're not the only ones," she said. "My people aren't the only ones Salem lied to."

    "...No," Obi-Wan replied calmly. "And I doubt the Mandalorians will be the last."

    "What about Anakin? Did you know about him?"

    Obi-Wan sighed. "I can't deny that the signs were present. But I thought I could help him. Guide him back on the right path." He then shook his head. "I was wrong."

    "And this is the same one that destroyed your home? Killed all your friends?"

    "...Yes."

    Bo-Katan was grateful for the information Obi-Wan had given her, since she wished to understand her enemy. She understood he was a former Jedi, someone who kept the peace before he turned to Salem. She was angry, however, that the signs of his change had mostly gone unnoticed by the people around him.

    "You should have killed him when you had the chance," Bo-Katan firmly said.

    "It's not that simple, Bo-Katan," Obi-Wan replied.

    "Seems simple enough to me." Bo-Katan moved closer and gently touched the Hard-Light Dust for a moment. "And if it means that Salem will have one less ally, I'm going to kill him when I have the chance."

    Obi-Wan could sense the anger, and his next step was to try and reason with Bo-Katan. "I understand, but it wouldn't be easy for-"

    "Just answer me something." Bo-Katan moved away from the door and gestured towards the walls of her cell. "I'm not stupid, I know I'm not gonna be out of here on a whim. So if it's you that finds him first... can I trust you to finish what you started? Like I trusted you on the way here?"

    "..."

    This was a difficult, but good, question to ask. Bo-Katan trusted Obi-Wan to keep his word all the way to Atlas, just like she trusted him to do it while she was in a cell. So it would make sense that she would wonder how far that trust could go.

    Especially now that Bo-Katan was locked away.

    Obi-Wan had asked himself a similar question in the past. He wondered if he could finish what he started with Anakin that night on Coruscant, despite the fact that he said he would do what he had to do.

    There was no denying that Satine's death was tempting him to carry out the deed of finishing Anakin. But Obi-Wan knew he couldn't fall to the dark side; not while there was so much at risk.

    But this question would have an answer another time, since Obi-Wan was able to sense a familiar presence. When he turned to face the presence, the Jedi was greeted by the sight of the Fall Maiden.

    "Ah, Cinder!" Obi-Wan addressed his ally. Bo-Katan also looked at Cinder, but said nothing at first.

    "I'm sorry," Cinder said as she walked closer. "Was I interrupting?"

    "Yes," said Bo-Katan. Obi-Wan turned to look at her, but she resumed her silence; she understood that the conversation would have to wait.

    "No, I think we're done for now," Obi-Wan insisted. He then reached to his waist, where the Relic of Knowledge was resting. "Did you wish to hold the Relic again?"

    "Oh, no, I just wanted to tell you that the mission at the mine is done," Cinder replied honestly. "We're going to see Dad and everyone else down there. I was coming to invite you too."

    "Oh, of course." Obi-Wan looked to Bo-Katan first. "We'll talk later." The Mandalorian simply nodded, which allowed Obi-Wan to join Cinder.

    "Any trouble down here?" Cinder asked calmly.

    "Not from Bo-Katan, no. Hazel, however-"

    *BAM*​

    "Gah!" Cinder yelled when she saw something hit the cell she was standing next to. Inside, she could see Hazel Rainart giving Cinder a deadly glare while curling his fists.

    "Became hostile as soon as he woke up," Obi-Wan finished.

    Hazel growled at the Jedi and Maiden. "You're going to regret this!" he promised. "When she comes, you're all going to die!"

    Obi-Wan sighed once more. "Unfortunately, he seems loyal to Salem. I don't think the events of Haven will change that."

    Cinder looked at Obi-Wan in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Jinn told the truth to everyone there!"

    "Yes, but Hazel must have left before you arrived. Convincing him will be... difficult."

    "Difficult?" Hazel asked as he backed away from the door. "Try impossible."

    Cinder was disappointed by this revelation, since she had done such a good job showing the Mandalorians the truth. She hoped Hazel would understand it as well and try to help them, but that seemed impossible now.

    However, it was true that Hazel had served his purpose. He was to be detained in Atlas, where he couldn't hurt anyone anymore. So it seemed that part of the plan had worked. So Cinder didn't have much to worry about Hazel at the moment.

    Now she just had to focus on her father.

    "Alright," she said as she began to walk away. "Winter should be getting us a ship."

    "Lead the way," Obi-Wan politely replied.

    With the mine and tundra now clear of the Geist and other Grimm, the preparations for Amity finally began. Multiple military trucks and airships came to the mine with enough supplies for construction, mining, and security for the project to begin.

    And when Amity Colosseum finally arrived and rested over the tundra, everyone was ready to start.

    Djarin, Qrow, Revan, and SCAR Squadron all exited the mine proudly and looked upon the supplies in content. They knew that there would be much work ahead of them in the foreseeable future, but they made the project a possibility with the cleanse of the mine.

    And they did it together.

    "Good work, team," said Clover, who took off his helmet once again. The rest of his squad either nodded or patted themselves on the back in content before Clover looked to Djarin. "Good work on your part too. You brought us a really good thing, Mando. Mind if I call you Mando?"

    "Everyone does," Djarin replied with a simple shrug. "Ask Qrow."

    "Yeah, it's true," Qrow replied with a about laugh. "Oh, yeah, nice job back there. You all make quite the team, huh?"

    "Well, Task Force 99 was hand-picked to perfectly compliment one another. So we can focus on our assets and leave our liabilities behind."

    "Yeah," said Zuke. "I mean, look at Shrap here." The heavy soldier slapped Shrap's back. "Poor guy didn't even get a chance to use his Semblance."

    Shrap rolled his eyes while some of his team members snickered. "If you wanna blow up sometime, Zuke, I'll be there," he ordered. "Hell, you don't even have to ask. I'll just do it."

    As the team laughed, Revan moved forward to talk to Clover. "His Semblance?" he asked for clarification.

    "Let's just say Shrap can make a big bang," the leader replied.

    Djarin stepped in as he focused more on what Clover said prior to Zuke and Shrap's banter. "Perfect complementary teamwork," he began. "My daughter and I are kind of like that."

    "It's too bad she couldn't join us today," Clover said as he nodded. "Would've loved to see what else she could do." With that, Clover began to walk towards an airship that was landing.

    "Oh, yeah," said Cav. "Forgot about that."

    "I see a lot of training in our future," said Mic.

    "Yeah," said Zuke. "I can feel it in my gut."

    With that, everyone began to walk away with Clover. Djarin knew that they were referring to how Cinder used her Maiden powers to beat the entire team, which was apparently something they weren't proud of. But Djarin was glad to see that bygones were bygones, that nobody was holding anything against him or Cinder for beating Atlas' best.

    He felt even more glad when Aero patted his shoulder.

    "She's definitely someone to learn from," he complimented. "Maybe it'll help teach my daughter a few things." Djarin nodded right before Aero joined his team.

    "Make a new friend, Mando?" Qrow asked when he, Djarin, and Revan were alone.

    "I could ask you the same," said Djarin. "You seemed to get along with their leader."

    "I sensed that too," said Revan. "You've adapted to working with Atlas rather fast, Qrow."

    "You know something?" Qrow asked after he took a moment to think about what Djarin and Revan said. "I actually did." He then chuckled as he began to walk away. "Guess coming here has perks, huh?"

    "Seems that way," said Djarin. Between new allies and a new plan to combat Salem, coming to Atlas did have its perks for the Mandalorian and his friends.

    However, it also had its downsides.

    "Can we speak to everyone over here?"

    Djarin, Revan, and Qrow turned to see that General Ironwood had arrived at the scene. Clover was with him, talking about new orders he needed to carry out. Ozpin was with him, who looked upon everyone seriously.

    The request to talk to everyone came from Ironwood, so Djarin and his friends started to comply with the request. While doing so, they saw Ironwood talk to Clover.

    "I need you on the ground, but be subtle," he said. "If people see too many Huntsmen milling around, they'll get nervous."

    Clover saluted and nodded at General Ironwood before he prepared to leave.

    "And Clover?"

    The man turned around to see Ironwood give him one more order. "You'd better take Misty," the General suggested.

    Clover turned around to see that Misty was diligently cleaning his rifle. Clover knew that taking Misty would be good for his mission, since the soldier's Semblance could allow him to blend in with any surroundings in addition to making him soar in the air.

    And so, Clover smiled at Ironwood and began to carry out his new orders. Orders that were about to be shared with Djarin, Qrow, and Revan.

    "Good to see you, Oz," Qrow said as he reunited with the Headmaster of Beacon. "But let me guess; new problems?" He had known Ozpin long enough to know what all of his facial expressions meant.

    But now, Qrow was only half right.

    "Actually, James has been sharing some problems he's been facing before we arrived," Ozpin calmly replied. "And it's only gotten worse."

    "Indeed," said Ironwood, who took out his Scroll to show everyone two pictures. On the left side of the projected screen, there was a mugshot of a man with brown hair tried at the back.

    But on the right side of the screen was a dead body. And the body had the same kind of hair as the man in the mugshot.

    "Someone in Mantle is taking out public leaders who speak out against Atlas," Ironwood explained. "Specifically, people who speak out against me. It didn't look like a pattern at first. But this is the third murder of its kind in the last week."

    Revan took a closer look at the man's face. "I know him," he said after a few seconds of studying the picture. "He was on the airship we nearly got sent on." Revan turned back to Qrow. "When SCAR Squadron came for us."

    Qrow looked back at the image and searched his memories of the incident. He remembered being detained and put onto a ship, and he indeed remembered someone else outside his group of allies being on that ship.

    That man was definitely the same one in the picture.

    "Wait, that's right," Qrow finally said. "That's him."

    "We know," said Ozpin. "I too recognized him when the report came to James. After I told him, we came to meet you here and plan appropriately."

    "Your opposition in Mantle dropping dead isn't exactly a good look for you, is it?" Djarin asked confidently.

    Ironwood turned off the projected screen and put away his Scroll. "Not really worried about my public image, but it is causing unrest," he said. "I think someone's trying to frame me and, by extension, Atlas. And it's working."

    "Obi-Wan and I told you that we sensed much unrest in Mantle," Revan reminded the General. "Many people wish to see things change. Specifically, you."

    "..."

    If Ironwood didn't know any better, he would say that Revan was challenging him. Everyone else thought the same thing, and Revan didn't seem to back down from his stance. He was correct that many people were unhappy with the way things were going in Mantle; in turn, this left them with too many suspects and factors to consider.

    But challenging Ironwood wasn't how Ozpin wanted to go about things.

    "Now, Revan," the Headmaster began. "I sensed the same things you did, but there's no need to-"

    "No, you're right," Ironwood said. He couldn't help but pinch his nose out of exhaustion and slight annoyance, since this wasn't the first time he heard about problems in the city below Atlas. "Things in Mantle have been... hard to manage lately. I'm not blind to its issues. In fact, that's what I want to talk to you about."

    "..."

    Ironwood proudly looked up to the sky, where Amity Colosseum was floating and ready for its new upgrade to come. Ironwood was very happy to see that the plan was moving forward, and he expected good things to follow.

    Some of them, he hoped, would come in the form of Djarin and his allies.

    "With the launch of this mobile communications tower and tensions down in Mantle, I think there's a lot of good you can do here," Ironwood declared. "All of you."

    It was a short declaration, but everyone believed that it would have a tremendous impact. Ironwood believed that having three Headmasters, skilled Huntsmen from abroad, and two Mandalorians would definitely make things better and safer for Atlas. The Kingdom would be prepared for just about anything, before and after the fight was over.

    The impact Djarin was thinking, however, wasn't as great as Ironwood was thinking. He had no intention of abandoning Atlas, but he didn't have any intention of abandoning Remnant either. He knew Vale and Mistral would need help getting back on their feet, and he believed he could help with that.

    And also, Djarin knew that the Mandalorians needed Cinder. A true Mand'alor was needed to guide them on the right path, a path where war and conquest would be a thing of the past. And Cinder couldn't do that while staying in Atlas. She had to reunite the clans, and maybe even combine forces with Atlas itself.

    Unfortunately, Ironwood would have a hard time agreeing to this. He saw that enforcing more and more security for the Kingdom was the best course of action. No one in, and no one out.

    But not everyone saw it that way.

    *BEEP*​

    A soft beep in his ear made Ironwood gently press against a communication device he had in his ear. His security team had just reported in with news of an arrival.

    "What?" Ironwood asked. "Already? Here? No, it's fine. Let her land. I'll deal with her myself." Ironwood lowered his hand as he braced himself for what came next.

    "More Mantle problems?" Qrow assumed.

    Ironwood denied the idea as he turned to the sky. "No. This one's an Atlas problem."

    Everyone looked up into the sky to see an airship flying towards a landing pad. It wasn't a military ship, it didn't have any weapons or soldiers onboard. Instead, it was an private civilian airship, one that was transporting an irate passenger.

    Ironwood was the first to arrive at the landing pad, his allies were close behind him. The first thing he saw on the airship was a large snowflake, the symbol of the Schnee Dust Company. The symbol disappeared as a door opened and a ramp descended, which revealed Willow Schnee herself.

    And she was mad.

    "So let me get this straight, James," she began as she descended down the ramp. "In addition to this embargo of yours crippling the Kingdom's economy, you've also decided you have the authority to commandeer private property?!"

    "..."

    Ironwood didn't say a word, and neither did anyone behind him. Though when he laid eyes on Willow, Djarin moved closer to the landing pad to join Ironwood.

    Willow had stopped in front of Ironwood, who was remaining completely calm despite the fact that Willow was giving the man a piece of her mind.

    "When the Council hears about this, you will never-"

    "Actually, I've already informed them," Ironwood said to shut Willow down. "As this is now the site of a classifiedmilitary operation, it didn't even require a vote."

    "Didn't require a vote?!" Willow asked in astonishment.

    Ironwood knew he had won the argument, but he went a step further. "I thought your friend would have reminded you of Council law, Willow. He might want to brush up on it, if he hopes to win this election."

    Willow was aware of her defeat, and also aware of who Ironwood was referring to. And she was more than willing to defend herself. "Oh, he knows more than you do," Willow assured the General. "He also knows that actions have consequences, which is something you've lately been avoiding. I'm warning you, the next time you steal from me, you'll be lucky if-!"

    "Willow!"

    The sound of a familiar voice was enough to make Willow forget about being angry. When she looked behind Ironwood, the businesswoman couldn't help but feel surprised when she saw Djarin walking up to the landing pad to meet her.

    "What the-?" Willow asked as she walked away from Ironwood. "Djarin? You're back?" She would have been happy to see her friend after their last encounter, but she was confused by his presence. "Wh... What are you doing here?"

    Djarin pointed back towards the mine. "I... I was helping with the Geist in there," he said. "We all were."

    "We?"

    Djarin was joined by Ozpin and everyone else, including the remaining members of SCAR Squadron. "Ms. Schnee," Ozpin said politely. "Good afternoon, ma'am."

    "..."

    Willow was very surprised to see that Huntsmen from Vale were in Atlas. And she was more surprised to see that Djarin, her friend and accomplice in Dust smuggling, was among them.

    And to hear that he was working with Ironwood was the biggest surprise of them all.

    "You..." Willow said as she turned around. "You roped my friends into these schemes of yours too?! How long have they been working for you?! Were they involved in that 'evacuation' of yours?!"

    Ironwood didn't dignify Willow's accusations with a response, since they were becoming nonsensical to him. But for Djarin, he was growing more concerned by the second.

    "Whoa, wait a minute," Djarin calmly said as he walked forward. "Willow, what's going on here?"

    "You tell me, Djarin!" Willow snapped. "I thought we were friends! How could you help James steal one of my most important Dust mines?!"

    The Mandalorian was slightly hurt by the accusation, but he was more confused than ever. "Steal? I don't know what you're... No, the mine was abandoned when we got here."

    "..."

    "Right?"

    Under normal circumstances, Willow would see that Djarin's innocence was without question. That he was just as surprised as she was. However, the month being trapped in Atlas under Ironwood's thumb had been stressful and frustrating for the businesswoman, especially since her company was trying to weather hard times.

    So all Willow could feel and convey was anger.

    "Well, it's abandoned now!" Willow insisted before she turned around again. "You had no right to kick my mining team out like that! You said it was just for clearing out the Grimm, not a hostile takeover!"

    "Neither of us wanted to come to that, Willow," said Ironwood. "But we need all the Dust we can get for this operation. I'm sorry."

    Djarin felt a tap on his shoulder, which made him look to see Revan by his side. "The mining equipment," he reminded the Mandalorian. Both warriors remembered what they found in the mine, as well as how the owners of the equipment were escorted out very thoroughly.

    The mine hadn't been abandoned. It was taken.

    "Now. I've allowed you to land here once as a courtesy," said Ironwood. "The next time, it won't be a friendly reception."

    Willow sighed as she began to take her leave. "You'll regret this," she warned the General before she turned back to Djarin. "You all will."

    Djarin was once again hurt by the misunderstanding, and he wished to rectify it immediately. He tried to call out to Willow and ask her to wait, but Ironwood put a hand in front of the Mandalorian to make him stay.

    Djarin could see there was nothing he could do regarding Willow. But there was much he could do with Ironwood.

    "What the hell was that?" the Mandalorian asked Ironwood. "You told us everyone abandoned the mine!"

    Ironwood shook his head. "I said the mine is abandoned," he corrected. "In order to get the Dust we needed for Amity, I had to take control over the biggest mine I could find effective immediately."

    Djarin couldn't believe what he was hearing. "And you're choosing now to tell us?!"

    "That wasn't within your control, Djarin. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

    "..."

    As soon as Willow's airship left, another military truck came towards the spot it once rested on. The truck was carrying Winter, Obi-Wan, and Cinder, who had just jumped out of the car to see her father.

    "Hi, Dad!" the Maiden said as soon as she saw Djarin. "I heard the mission was done!" She looked upon the site with satisfaction, but turned to her father with pride. "Looks like it was a success, huh?"

    Despite the fact that Ironwood was close by, Djarin told Cinder how he was currently feeling. "It could have gone a little better," he said while turning an eye to the sky.

    Cinder immediately stopped smiling. "Why, what happened?" She then noticed that both Djarin and Winter were looking up towards the sky, at the airship that had just left.

    She also noticed that Winter was looking at the ship with a scowl.

    "You okay, Winter?" Cinder asked calmly.

    Winter stopped giving away her emotions. "Yes, I'm fine," she replied calmly.

    "We all are," said General Ironwood, who stepped forwards. "With Amity here, we can finally begin the work to install our satellite array." Ironwood looked up at the sky. "Without interruption, I'm sure." He then turned to the group of non-Atlesians. "I hope you're all up to the task."

    Djarin and his allies were all taken aback by what they had seen and heard. Djarin was mostly feeling guilty that Willow thought he had betrayed her trust, while Qrow was starting to feel angry by the revelation.

    "Hey, wait a sec, James," Qrow insisted. "What was that all-?"

    "We will, James."

    Everyone turned to Ozpin in surprise, who seemed to be the only one keeping a straight face through the occasion. They were all upset by what they had seen, and they were expecting the Headmaster of Beacon to once again voice his displeasure with Ironwood's mannerisms.

    But now he seemed oddly compliant.

    "Oz?" Qrow asked in disbelief.

    "Good," said Ironwood, whose voice captured the attention of everyone. "Then let's get started." He then looked to Winter. "Schnee, I believe Dr. Polendina had an update for me."

    "Yes, sir," Winter replied as she took out her Scroll. "It's all right here for you."

    Cinder watched the Atlesians walk away and discuss the future plans for Amity, which were highly essential. She then watched all of her allies take their leave as well, who were following Ironwood. Many of them had mixed feelings about the brief conflict of interest, but they moved forward nonetheless.

    Which seemed so unlike Ozpin.

    "Dad?" Cinder asked as she moved to Djarin. "What's going on? Did I miss something back there?"

    Djarin took one look at the sky before he looked to Ironwood's back. "...I think we all did," he replied.

    With the mission at an end and the launch site for Amity secured, there wasn't much left for the Huntsmen and Huntresses to do. General Ironwood had set up a perimeter around the site and the mine, so now the only work that had to be done was the construction of the new communications tower.

    SCAR Squadron, save for Clover and Misty, were all dismissed for the rest of the evening, as were Djarin and his allies. This was rather fortunate for them, since they weren't exactly ready for more work concerning Amity.

    When they returned to their room, Djarin told Cinder about his encounter with Willow Schnee. And just like Djarin was, Cinder was surprised to hear about the truth behind the "abandoned" mine. She was even more surprised to hear that it wasn't illegal, that it was more akin to bending the rules.

    But that didn't make it right.

    Given what Willow had done for her, Cinder had been hoping to thank her upon meeting. But now, she believed an apology was warranted, so the misunderstanding could be cleared up.

    Djarin had no objections about Cinder going to the Schnee mansion, but he didn't think his presence would do any good at the moment. Willow sounded like she needed space, but a visit from Cinder was bound to have some affect.

    Before she left, Cinder was about to talk to Ozpin and see what his thoughts were on the situation. This plan, however, was stopped by Qrow. He told Cinder that Ozpin had been acting "kind of weird" ever since he arrived at the mine. The only person who would have a clue as to why would be Ironwood, since they spent most of the day together.

    Qrow even mentioned that if he didn't know any better, he would say that Ozpin seemed nervous.

    And so, Cinder decided to give Ozpin some space and travel to the Schnee manor alone. Instead of an airship, Cinder decided to call a taxi. Though the driver was a little surprised with Cinder's destination, he acquiesced to her request and drove her through the city of Atlas.

    Cinder couldn't help but stare out the window and see the city at night. There were so many lights, so many exquisite buildings, and so many people that made the advanced city feel so alive. Cinder had thoughts like these, before she woke up to reality, when she was brought to the Glass Unicorn so many years ago.

    Cinder never learned what happened to that hotel after she left, since she never went back to find out. It was a different part of her life, one that she definitely wasn't proud of. She once believed that hotel opened her eyes to the reality that was Atlas, that all of its glitters weren't gold.

    However, her friendship with Winter changed this idea for the better.

    Cinder remembered the first time she had been to the Schnee manor, so many years ago. After she and her father settled in at Beacon, Djarin received an unexpected call from Willow Schnee herself. When she had learned about Satine's party, and how Djarin saved Winter's life, Willow asked the Councilwoman for the Mandalorian's contact information so she could thank him.

    The call Djarin received was also an invitation for him and Cinder to come and meet her personally. Willow was also familiar with how her eldest daughter made friends with Cinder, since that was the only thing Winter would talk about upon her return home.

    Winter was somewhat traumatized from the events of the party, as well as her father's role in them. She was mostly withdrawn, spending a lot of time in her room and away from her family. So it was easy for Willow to believe that a visit from a friend would make Winter feel better.

    And she was right.

    As soon as Winter laid eyes on Cinder, she smiled for the first time in weeks. Cinder was also happy to see Winter, to see that their friendship had never been broken. And so, the children spent the day playing throughout the house while Djarin and Willow got to know each other over tea. Though she was somewhat caught off guard with the Mandalorian's mannerisms, like only partly taking off his helmet to drink, Willow was still grateful for what he had done. And she was glad to see that Winter and Cinder were the best of friends.

    That visit made a lot of people happy. And now, Cinder hoped that her visit could do the same thing.

    When Cinder rang the doorbell, she was greeted by Klein Sieben. Klein had been the butler of the house for years, and he was always around when Cinder would come to visit. He too had heard of Cinder's condition, so he was delighted to see that she was alive and well.

    He was also happy to escort Cinder to Willow's study, where she was drinking a glass of wine while looking over certain documents.

    "Pardon me, ma'am," the butler said after he opened the door. "It seems you have company."

    Willow stood up from the table and put down the papers. "Oh, good," she said. "Did you show him in?"

    Klein suddenly remembered that Willow was expecting company, but not in the form of Cinder. So, he had to correct his mistake. "Um, I'm afraid our expected guest isn't here just yet. Our present company is actually a visitor."

    Willow immediately frowned with a sigh. "Klein, you know I'm too busy for visitors. Why did you let them in?"

    Klein simply smiled. "I think you'll like to hear what she has to say, ma'am." With that, he opened the door and allowed Cinder to reveal her presence.

    "...Hello," she meekly said with a small smile and wave.

    "..."

    *CRASH*​

    The sight of Cinder, an alive and well Cinder, was enough to make Willow freeze in shock. She couldn't help but let go of her glass, since her mind came to a halt as well. But when she processed what she was seeing, surprise turned to joy for the tired businesswoman. Cinder's presence wasn't just a relief, but a godsend for Willow.

    "Cinder..." she whispered as she moved away from the desk. "Oh... Oh, my goodness!" Willow immediately moved towards the door and gave Cinder a hug, one that the Fall Maiden reciprocated.

    She too was happy to see Willow.

    "I can't believe it!" Willow said as she got a good look at Cinder. "You're alive! I heard all about the coma, and I saw your father today, I-!" Willow began to calm down when she remembered the events from earlier. "Wait, what are you doing here? How did you get here?"

    Cinder immediately recalled the purpose she had in coming to the Schnee manor. She knew she couldn't tell everything about Salem or her purpose in Atlas, but she could talk about the mine.

    "Coming here... is kind of a long story," she began. "But I came to apologize. About the mine. Dad told me what happened."

    Winter took a moment to think about what was happening. She remembered being so angry with Djarin and everyone else, so angry that she hardly gave him a chance to speak. But Willow was calm now, and she knew that Cinder wouldn't lie about coming to apologize.

    Unless...

    "Wait, did James send you here?" Willow asked. "Did he put you up to this?"

    "No, nothing like that!" Cinder quickly insisted. "The only thing General Ironwood did was tell us that the mine had been abandoned. That's why my dad was there."

    "..."

    Willow began to relax once more. Given her recent experiences with Ironwood, it became clear that saying such a thing, which was technically true, was characteristic of him.

    She had placed false blame on Djarin.

    "Oh, dear," Willow said as she lamented on her mistake. She then recognized the opportunity before her, so she placed a hand on Cinder's shoulder while she gestured towards the study. "Please, come in."

    Cinder happily obeyed and had a seat. Klein would normally offer to bring some water or tea, but he saw a pressing matter at hand.

    "Shall I tidy up, ma'am?" he asked politely.

    "Excuse me?" Willow asked out of confusion. However, she understood what Klein meant when he pointed to the glass that she had accidentally dropped. "Oh! Um, yes, please. Thank you, Klein."

    "My pleasure. Let me go get a broom."

    As soon as Klein left to get what he needed, Willow looked back to Cinder. Right now, there were a few things on her mind regarding the situation. The first of which, was to clear up the misunderstanding.

    "Cinder, please tell your father I said I was sorry," Willow implored. "Gods, I must have looked like a complete lunatic down there."

    "Uh, he didn't say anything like that," Cinder insisted. "Just that you were mad about the mine. He felt really bad, we all did."

    Willow nodded in understanding. "Where is he?"

    "At the academy. He wanted to come, but he thought you could use some space." Cinder began to feel awkward about sharing her situation with Ironwood, fearing that it would make her apology insincere. "We're, uh... kind of staying there."

    Willow was indeed surprised to hear that, but she wasn't doubting the sincerity of Cinder's feelings. However, she did feel that an explanation was warranted.

    "Why?" Willow asked. "Cinder, what are you doing with the General? I mean, what are you doing in Atlas?"

    "Well, we came here last night to share some news," Cinder explained. "To General Ironwood."

    "What news?"

    "The war is over. The Mandalorians surrendered at Haven."

    Willow gasped. "They did? Wait, you mean the ones that started the war?"

    "That's right. We won."

    Willow put a hand to her chest as she gasped once more. "My word... That's the best news I've heard in weeks." Willow suddenly had an idea. "Cinder, do you have proof of this?"

    "Uh, yeah." Cinder took out her Scroll. "There was a big celebration in Mistral. I got the video on my Scroll. Do you wanna see it?"

    "I'll watch it later, if you wouldn't mind sending it to me."

    Cinder pressed a few buttons on her Scroll. "Done."

    Willow took her Scroll out of her pocket to see the message Cinder had shared. Just then, Klein stepped into the room with a broom and dustpan. Willow knew that she had to share the news to anyone she could, so she told Klein what Cinder told her.

    "Why, that's marvelous!" Klein replied. His eyes had turned from a light blue to a soft yellow as he said this, which was easy to notice. "Absolutely marvelous!" Suddenly, as he moved to the door, Klein's eyes turned into a blood red color. "If that doesn't get that pompous idiot to open the borders, nothing will!" He then took his leave to throw away the broken glass.

    Cinder looked back to Willow. "Was he talking about General Ironwood?" she asked.

    "That's all we've had to talk about these days," Willow replied with a sigh. "It's always one thing after another with him."

    "What do you mean? Has it been that bad?"

    "...May I confide in you, Cinder?"

    Cinder leaned a little out of her seat. "Yeah. Yeah, of course."

    Willow was grateful for this permission. She had a lot going on, and the incident with the mine was just an extra layer of problems. Right now, she needed someone to vent to.

    And because of Cinder, Willow was able to let out all of her frustrations and problems.

    "It's been awful," the businesswoman insisted. "I thought I could handle the borders closing and the embargo, but James started going even further! He's sticking his nose in just about everything and everyone in Atlas! He's got those blasted Knights on every street, in every building, he's got the whole Kingdom on lockdown!"

    Cinder cleared her throat before she spoke again. "I saw the drones and soldiers in Mantle," she confessed. "One of them took a picture of me without saying anything."

    Willow shook her head. "Mantle, Atlas, it's everywhere! He's even started pushing them in my shops, my offices, and now he cleared out a whole mine! Do you know how many jobs he took when he gave the order?! I can't just stick them all at another mine, you know!"

    "..."

    Cinder didn't know what to say. It was clear that Ironwood was testing Willow's resolve and patience, just like the people down in Mantle. She couldn't say she knew how Willow felt, but Cinder greatly pitied the woman. She wished she could help, but she just didn't know what to do.

    "...Sorry," Willow apologized. "It's just... been a lot to handle."

    "No, it's okay," Cinder said after she found her voice. "I just... didn't know it was that much."

    "Well, you haven't been here for long. Consider yourself lucky." Willow suddenly had another idea. "I could use your help, Cinder. If you know anything about why James had my largest mine cleared out, I'd be grateful."

    "..."

    To say that Cinder was stuck between a rock and a hard place would be an understatement. On one hand, she wanted to help Willow. She knew that Willow wouldn't lie about something like Ironwood going too far, about having the whole Kingdom on lockdown. Even though she hadn't seen too much of this, Cinder only needed Willow's word that it was true.

    Because of that, Cinder knew such a thing had to stop before it got out of hand.

    However, Cinder knew that talking about Amity was a bad idea. Ironwood had made it perfectly clear that he wanted the project to be classified, regardless of allegiance. And since Ironwood had a great plan against Salem, revealing anything about it would be unwise.

    It would also be unwise to get on Ironwood's bad side.

    "Um... I think you should talk to Winter about it," Cinder said to dodge the question. "I wasn't at the mine when you were there. Winter might know more than me."

    Willow sighed once more. "I would if I could, Cinder," she said. "I would if I could."

    Cinder became puzzled once more. "What do you mean?"

    "I haven't talked to Winter since she went back to the academy. After her surgery, I tried to make her stay with me. To recover and get away from all the chaos." Willow shook her head. "But she said no. That Atlas needed her. So she left."

    Cinder once again felt bad for Willow, but this idea was easier to shrug off. "I mean, she's always been passionate about this kind of thing. You know, being a Huntress."

    "Passion is one thing, Cinder. But this is different." Willow leaned off her seat. "Winter's been ignoring all my calls, my texts, she won't even come home during the weekends! The only times I've ever seen her are when she's with James!" Willow shook her head again. "Cinder, something's going on. And I know James has something to do with it. He's taken my daughter from me."

    Cinder didn't believe what she was hearing. "But... she seemed fine," she said. "I was with Winter all day today. She seemed completely normal, she..." Cinder leaned back in her seat again. "Why would she be ignoring you?"

    Willow sighed. "I wish I knew. I really do."

    "..."

    Cinder saw a long talk with Winter in her future. She remembered what she had done to Djarin, despite the fact that he felt there was nothing to be sorry for. To see Winter doing something similar was heartbreaking, and also very concerning.

    Everything about this was concerning.

    *DING*

    *DONG*    ​

    Cinder turned towards the door to Willow's study when she heard the doorbell. "Were you expecting someone?" she asked. Cinder remembered what Willow had said about Ironwood expanding into every corner of Atlas, so she became nervous.

    But after Willow looked at the time, she became elated.

    "Oh, yes!" she said. "I was, actually." Willow smiled at Cinder. "In fact, it's great that you're here! I'd like you to meet him."

    "Me?" Cinder suddenly began to feel that she had overstayed her welcome, that it was time to leave. "No, I don't want to impose." She began to stand up. "If it's that important, I can-"

    "No, no, stay!" Willow gently held Cinder's shoulder. "There's actually something I forgot to mention. I know I've gone off on how bad things have gotten in Atlas, but I think there's a way I can help. That we can help."

    Cinder still didn't want to impose, but she became curious as to whatever help she could provide the people of Atlas. "Um... what can I do?"

    "You said that the war was over, right? News like this, and proof like the video you shared with me, is just what our cause needs."

    Cinder was even more curious, but also confused. "Your... cause?"

    "That's right. Atlas will be having an election for Council in the coming weeks. You might have heard about the seat that recently opened."

    "Oh, yeah!" Cinder remembered what she had heard from Pietro. "I heard that Robyn Hill was running, and I think I saw a news article about someone else." She suddenly had an idea. "Wait... Ms. Schnee, are you running?"

    "Me?" Willow couldn't help but laugh at the idea. "Oh, no! I could never handle that kind of responsibility. No, I'm using my money to support the campaign for one of the candidates."

    "You are? Who?"

    "He's actually an old friend of the Schnees. Not only does he have the experience that makes him perfect for the job, but he also has a plan for helping Atlas. For all of Remnant."

    The first thing Cinder noted was how ambitious the idea sounded. She too wanted to help all of Remnant, especially after the war with the Mandalorians. It was clear that Ironwood wanted to help too, but his ideas were more... questionable.

    So to hear that someone else wanted to do the same thing, and that Willow trusted him to do it, was something Cinder was very interested in.

    She had no idea what the idea was, but Cinder knew she wanted to meet this potential Councilman.

    The door to the study opened to reveal Klein, who had answers the door and escorted Willow's guest through the manor. He would have immediately let the man in, but Klein didn't know if Willow was ready just yet. Cinder's visit was very welcome, but it did throw off the schedule for tonight's other visitor.

    "Are you ready, Ms. Schnee?" Klein asked calmly.

    "Yes, Klein," Willow said with a smile. "We both are."

    With that, Klein stepped aside to let Willow's friend and guest into the study. He was a man of tan complexion, one with black hair and a thin black beard. Along with a polite smile on his face, the man wore mostly blue clothing that had silver trims. He definitely wore the appropriate clothing for Atlas, and with Willow's introduction, definitely for a man of his position.

    "Cinder, this is the former Mayor of Atlas, Bail Organa."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 60: The Election
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 60: The Election​

    When morning fell upon Atlas Academy, Din Djarin wasn't surprised to hear that he had been summoned to General Ironwood's office. Though he wasn't happy about Ironwood's decision to remove Willow's workers from the mine that served as the launch site for Amity, the Mandalorian knew he still had work to do. And so, he went to the office without much question.

    But there turned out to be much question when Djarin heard what sounded like Ironwood berating someone on the other side of the door.

    "This is inexcusable!" the General sternly said to someone inside. "The last thing we could afford right now!"

    These were a few things Djarin could hear behind the closed door. He became confused as well as concerned, given that he wouldn't want to be in the shoes of whoever Ironwood was yelling at. Regardless, he knocked on the door and watched it open so he could step inside.

    "There you are," said Ironwood, who looked to the door. "Come in."

    The first thing the Mandalorian saw was that Ozpin was also in the room with Ironwood. Given the amount of disagreements the two had prior to the Fall of Beacon, it would make sense that Ironwood had lost his temper at Ozpin once more. However, Ozpin was standing next to Ironwood rather than on the other side of the desk. It almost seemed like Ozpin was supporting Ironwood for his tirade.

    And that tirade was directed at a young girl who looked dejected and upset by the shouting directed at her. And once Djarin saw who the girl was, he was immediately confused.

    Ironwood had been yelling at Cinder.

    "Cinder?" Djarin asked as he stopped in his tracks.

    "..."

    When he saw Cinder silently acknowledge his presence before looking back towards Ironwood, Djarin picked up the pace and demanded an explanation.

    "What's going on here?" the Mandalorian asked.

    "I thought you'd like to know what your daughter has been up to as of late," Ironwood replied sternly.

    "James, perhaps Djarin and I can handle this," said Ozpin. "It may not be as bad as-"

    "It most certainly is," Ironwood declared. "Sharing classified information is always as bad as it sounds."

    "But that's not what happened!" said Cinder. "I didn't-!"

    "That's enough!"

    "..."

    Cinder looked down as she fell silent. She had tried to speak before, but Ironwood was just not having it today. Djarin, however, had no reason to hold back against what he believed to be unfair treatment.

    "Hey!" the Mandalorian said as he stood in front of Cinder. "If you have a problem with Cinder, you come to me." He looked to both Ironwood and Ozpin. "Now one of you better tell me what the problem is."

    Ozpin decided to speak in an attempt to ease tension. "Djarin... James has brought it to my attention that Cinder may have inadvertently shared some classified information with the public," he said. "Mainly, with Willow Schnee."

    Djarin looked over to Cinder in mild surprise. He knew that Cinder had gone to Willow's house to apologize, but he didn't know anything about sharing classified information. This was something he couldn't believe, quite literally. Cinder was a smart girl, she knew better than to talk about their war with Salem to those who didn't know.

    So he calmly demanded an explanation.

    "What did she say?" he asked Ozpin and Ironwood. He didn't ask Cinder just yet, since she was being very quiet.

    "We saw it on the news today," said Ironwood. "Willow and the Council candidate she's supporting shared the news... that the Mandalorian war is over."

    "..."

    "..."

    Djarin looked at a serious Ironwood, a neutral Ozpin, and a timid Cinder when he heard that she had shared the war's status. When he studied their faces and had enough time to process the idea, there was only one thing the Mandalorian could say.

    "...That's it?" he asked out of confusion.

    Ironwood's jaw dropped when he heard the rather uncaring response from Djarin. To him, the news went against the expectations he had for Cinder. He believed that it came at a very bad time, and he was hoping his allies would see that what Cinder did was wrong.

    But it didn't seem that way.

    "Yeah, that was it!" Cinder insisted. "All I did was tell her and show my video, I didn't say anything else about-!"

    "And that's precisely the problem!" Ironwood declared. "The news you shared with me was not something you were free to share!"

    "What do you mean?" Cinder was feeling more confident since her father was in the room, so she decided to speak her mind. "It was my speech! I shared it with Mistral, and we came here to share it with Atlas!"

    "Only when everyone was ready! And we are far from ready!"

    "James, this is getting out of hand," Ozpin insisted. "Djarin doesn't see a problem, and nothing's getting out of hand. Does this matter to us now?"

    Ironwood turned to Ozpin with a glare and a yell that sent shivers down the old man's spine. "Loyalty always matters!"

    "Quiet!" Djarin yelled.

    "..."

    Everyone in the room fell silent, though Ironwood was staring daggers at the clan of two. The Mandalorian easily noticed this, but he remained calm as he made a simple request.

    "Cinder... just tell me what happened last night," he said.

    The young Maiden took a deep breath before she spoke. "Okay," she said. "So, you know that I went to Willow's to apologize. We started talking, and she introduced me to a friend of hers."

    Last night​

    Moments ago, Cinder had just discovered that Willow was involved in a new plan for Atlas. She had decided to pour her resources into funding the campaign of a potential new member of the Atlas Council, someone Willow believed could do a lot of good for the Kingdom.

    And that someone was the city's former Mayor, Bail Organa.

    "Bail, this is Cinder," Willow said as she gestured to the young girl. "She's the family friend I told you about. The one from Vale."

    "My God," the man said in surprise. "Are you really?" Rather than let the young girl answer the question, Bail rescinded and remembered his manners. "I mean, it's a pleasure to meet you." He then extended a friendly hand.

    Cinder was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the politician, but she too remembered her manners and shook the hand. "Hello," she said timidly. Just like in Mistral, Cinder wasn't used to talking to politicians.

    Fortunately, Bail Organa was much nicer than the Mistral Council.

    "Pardon my surprise," Bail politely requested after he stopped shaking hands. "Willow here just told me so much about you, and I expected you to be somewhere that's... Well, not here."

    "I understand," Cinder replied. "Trust me, coming here wasn't exactly easy. But I came with good news."

    "That's right, Bail," Willow said as she sat down again. After she gestured to the empty seats in front of her, Bail and Cinder sat down. "Cinder was just telling me that she helped end the Mandalorian war outside the Kingdom." Willow lifted her Scroll. "I have the proof right here!"

    Once again, Bail was surprised by what he was hearing. And after he heard the whole story, the politician became impressed by Cinder's abilities and title of Mand'alor. To show his gratitude for sharing the video and risking a lot by coming to Atlas, Bail decided to share his plan for helping all of Remnant.

    It was a most ambitious plan, but the prospects of it were undeniable.

    "The war was indeed a tragedy," Bail began. "But it was also a chance for us to learn how to be better. How to be more united."

    The idea of unity was always something Ozpin strived to achieve, so Cinder became more attentive when she heard that word. "How so?" she asked inquisitively.

    "I believe our current systems are... outdated, for lack of a better word."

    "I know what you mean. Losing the CCT in Vale really did a number on us."

    "Indeed. But I believe it showed us how outdated our political system is." Bail took out his Scroll and began to type on it. "As you know, each of the four Kingdoms are governed democratically by a single Council. Their duties to their Kingdoms are evident, but also limited. In times of war such as the Mandalorians, the Councils usually focus on those Kingdoms. Clearly, Atlas is doing this... I wouldn't say 'better,' but the work speaks for itself."

    Cinder silently agreed with both points Bail Organa made. Mantle and Willow's struggles told Cinder how hard Atlas was trying to focus solely on keeping itself safe and free of conflict.

    And it seemed that Bail had a solution to this idea.

    "When I was a younger man, I studied political science at the University of Vale," he said. "That's how I met other aspiring politicians. Willow even went to the school with me."

    "Father always believed that our wealth and our Kingdom could pamper us," said Willow. "So I studied business in Vale rather than Atlas."

    "My parents agreed. Anyway, one of our projects during our final year was to create an improvement on the current system of politics. I worked with other students who would later become Council members across various Kingdoms. Councilwoman Mothma of Vacuo is still a sitting member."

    Cinder recalled the name "Mothma," from a story Obi-Wan told her, about how he met Anakin Skywalker as a child. Cinder didn't pay attention to politics that much, so she took Bail's word that Councilwoman Mothma still sat on the Vacuo Council. Though she was unsure where this idea of Bail's was going, Cinder continued to listen carefully.

    And this patience paid off.

    "We all worked together to create a rough draft of a new governing body," Bail continued. "One of democratically elected officials that represent the interests of Remnant as well as the Kingdoms. Cities and towns would be represented along with Kingdoms, to speak on behalf of everyone on Remnant. If I were elected Councilman, after ensuring the borders of Atlas open again, I will reach out to my colleagues and make this project a reality. The former should be easier thanks to you, so most of my efforts will be with the project."

    Bail Organa had been showing notes and images on his Scroll to Cinder, who was amazed and intrigued by everything she saw and heard.

    "So, let me get this straight," Cinder said as she looked to Bail. "This is a governing body for the entire world? Beyond the Kingdoms?"

    "Precisely," said Bail. "The Councils would still govern the Kingdoms, but every corner of Remnant would be represented through this government. And they would be situated outside the Kingdoms as well. I forget which one of us proposed it back in the day, but we decided to have them meet on the island of Vytal."

    Cinder hummed in understanding before she turned to Willow. "You like this idea, Ms. Schnee?"

    "We've been cut off from the rest of the world for too long," Willow declared. "A governing body like this would prevent something like this happening again."

    Cinder looked to Bail once again. "And people like this too?"

    "It's one of the founding ideas of my campaign," said Bail. "And I've made it this far already."

    "How far is that?"

    "I'm officially on the ballot for the election. And that election will be in two weeks."

    Cinder was happy to hear that Bail Organa was an official candidate for the election. Not only was he polite and sincere, but his political ideas and ambitions were remarkable. If Cinder was allowed to vote, she would definitely consider Bail as one of her top choices.

    There was just one more question she had.

    "What's it called?" Cinder asked. "The new body?"

    "We had a few ideas for a name," said Bail. "But the one we decided on was 'the Senate.'"

    Present ​

    "And that's what happened," Cinder finished. "I didn't mention anything about Amity or Salem; just that the war is over."

    After Djarin took a few moments to think about Cinder's story, something he easily believed, he turned back to Ironwood in disappointment.

    "See?" he asked. "Nobody knows about Amity or Salem. So what if Cinder said that the war is over?"

    "So what?" Ironwood repeated in disbelief. "Do you know what the public's going to think about this? Without a war, there won't be a need to keep the borders closed! Everyone will be demanding that they reopen! If that were to happen, Salem could send anything our way with ease!"

    Djarin understood what Ironwood was saying, but he wasn't satisfied. "But telling everyone that the war is over is why we came here in the first place!"

    "You told me that in secret, in this office! What we talk about behind closed doors cannot be allowed to leave! Everything here is classified!"

    "At what point did our news become 'classified information?' That information isn't just for you to know and keep!"

    "Everything that goes on in Atlas is for me to know and keep!"

    Ozpin immediately put an end to the argument. "Everyone, please!" he said. "You're both correct!"

    "..."

    Djarin and Ironwood were still unhappy with the situation, but they were confused as to what Ozpin meant by that they were both correct. However, Ozpin gave them a brief explanation in order to restore peace.

    "James, nobody is trying to challenge your authority over Atlesian matters," he began. "But Djarin's not wrong when he says that sharing the news was one of the reasons we came here. And we all know that Amity is classified... but I don't recall any specific instruction that our news was to be classified as well."

    "..."

    Ironwood was still disappointed by what had been revealed, but he couldn't deny what Ozpin had said. While it was his wish to keep victory a secret, Ironwood had failed to give the order to not share it with anyone.

    Content with the man's silence, Ozpin turned towards the Fall Maiden. "Cinder, your heart was in the right place with Ms. Schnee, but we must be cautious about what we reveal to the public," he said. "Everyone may be happy about the war ending, but they will ask questions. If we make a mistake answering those questions, Salem will seize her opportunity. I'm not saying you did anything wrong, but we have to take a moment and think before we share anything else. Do you understand?"

    Djarin was about to voice his disagreement with Ironwood again, despite the fact that Ozpin was correct about the situation. But Cinder decided to speak for herself.

    "Of course," she said. "I wasn't going to say anything about Amity, honest."

    "I know you wouldn't," said Ozpin. "And what's done is done. Amity is safe, Salem is still unaware of our endeavors, all we can do is keep it that way." Ozpin turned to Ironwood. "News of the war ending won't get in the way of that."

    "...No, it won't," Ironwood relented. "But the Council is going to ask questions about the borders."

    "Let me help you with that. And let Djarin and Cinder do whatever they can to help Amity."

    "..."

    Ironwood remained silent, but he nodded to give the Mandalorians permission to leave. Seeing no point in arguing any further, Djarin wrapped an arm around Cinder's shoulder and led her out of the office.

    Ironwood let out a sigh before he spoke once again. "I've put off the Council long enough," he said. "Willow knew Cinder was here with me, so they know I'm connected."

    "Let me talk to them with you," Ozpin offered. "I've had my fair share of conversations with the Vale Council before. I doubt Atlas won't be any different."

    "Maybe not. I'll reach out to them now." Ironwood began to type on on a keyboard on his desk. "After this, I think it would be prudent for us to keep a better eye on Cinder."

    Ozpin was more reluctant about this course of action. "James, that might be blowing it out of proportion. You heard Cinder, she has no intention of compromising our objectives."

    Ironwood turned to Ozpin. "I heard her. But we're going to keep an eye on her." He leaned closer to the Headmaster. "Is that a problem, Oz?"

    "..."

    There was indeed a problem with all of this. Ever since he revealed the truth about Salem, it was easy for Ozpin to detect a great shift in Ironwood's behavior and thinking. His grip was extending and becoming as hard as iron itself, all in the name of preserving the Kingdom.

    Ozpin would have been more willing to share his opinion and change the course, but there were a few factors that stopped him. The first was that Ozpin blamed himself, since he chose to keep his friend in the dark for years. The second was that Ozpin remembered what Ironwood had said about being in Atlas, that all of the cards were in the General's hands now.

    And the third, and most disturbing, was that Ironwood was taking even the smallest thing as a threat to his security. The conversation moments ago showed how close Ironwood was to snapping, and Ozpin couldn't risk this snap happening.

    The old man didn't care what James would do to him... but Ozpin knew he couldn't forgive himself if this threat extended to his friends.

    Especially Cinder.

    "...No," Ozpin finally replied. "No, James."

    "Good," the General said in content, failing to notice the fear in Ozpin's heart.

    "So it's not just me, right?"

    "No, I noticed it too. Oz has been acting kind of weird ever since we got here. And James has... Well, you know how he's been."

    After he had left Ironwood's office with Cinder, Djarin decided to tell Qrow what had happened. He was grateful to Ozpin for calming the situation down, but the Mandalorian couldn't help but find it odd that Ozpin was somewhat defending Ironwood and his ideas. First, it was upon learning that the mine hadn't been abandoned in a traditional sense. And now, Ozpin said that Ironwood was also in the right about an argument that the General had started.

    "I noticed," said Djarin. "It just doesn't make sense. I mean, I'm glad Ozpin helped, but things would have been different if we were at Beacon."

    "Yeah, well... maybe that's the thing," said Qrow. "James might feel a little more... comfortable, for lack of a better word, being in his own Kingdom. It might be harder for Oz to get through to him here."

    Djarin knew where Qrow was coming from, but he was reluctant to agree. "I don't know, Qrow. Remember when I told you that I brought Ozpin to Atlas during the war? He didn't like the idea of Atlas closing the borders. He wanted no part of it. But now..."

    "..."

    "It's worse than that."

    Djarin and Qrow were surprised to hear this idea, but neither of them had said it. They turned to look at Cinder, who was sitting on her bed while looking rather melancholy. Djarin knew that she was upset from the way Ironwood yelled at her, which was something he hadn't forgiven the General for. However, she seemed to have found her voice again.

    And in her mind, Cinder had good reason to do so.

    "There were a few things I didn't bring up in the office," she continued. "Ms. Schnee was telling me about how Ironwood has the whole Kingdom on lockdown. With drones and Knights everywhere. Ms. Schnee even said she has a few of them in her offices." Cinder sighed as she put a hand on her chin. "I thought sharing the news would help but... now I'm not so sure."

    Djarin comforted Cinder by sitting next to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Cinder," he said. "We'll figure this out."

    "Yeah," said Qrow. "Don't let James rattle you. He just knows how to make mountains out of molehills. It's not like you put everything we're working on in jeopardy or anything like that."

    Djarin did more than just agree with Qrow. The Huntsman's words had given him an idea. "You know, Qrow and I were gonna help Clover escort some supplies to Amity. Do you want to come with us?"

    Cinder was thankful for the offer, but she felt that most of her energy had been spent from her conversation with Ironwood. "I think I'm gonna rest up," she said. "I'll come next time."

    "Okay." Djarin could tell that Cinder was spent of energy, so he decided to leave her be and check in later. "We won't be long."

    "See you later, Cinder," said Qrow.

    *CLICK*​

    Djarin sighed as he closed the door and walked down the halls with Qrow. "This is a mess," he said. "Where are Obi-Wan and Revan when you need them?"

    "Last I heard, they were talking with Kryze and Hazel," said Qrow. "Trying to get some more intel for us."

    "Oh. Well, maybe Salem's not the one we need to worry about right now."

    Qrow stopped walking. "Whoa, hold on a sec, Mando. Ironwood's a lotta things, but he's not the enemy."

    "..."

    "Look, I've known James longer than you have. Trust me, his bark is worse than his bite."

    Djarin knew that Qrow was telling the truth about knowing Ironwood for a longer time. However, recent events couldn't do anything to calm his mind.

    "I don't know, Qrow," the Mandalorian said as he started to walk again. "Mantle, the mine, and shouting at Cinder like that... I think that bite is starting to show."

    Qrow hadn't forgotten about the situation in Mantle and Willow Schnee's lost mine. But after he took a moment to think about it, he could that Djarin had a point about Ironwood starting to reveal a darker side of himself.

    However, Qrow hadn't forgotten all that Ozpin had done to help manage Ironwood and remind him what the best course of action would be. It was true that Ozpin seemed a little off and Ironwood seemed more comfortable in his own Kingdom, but Qrow had faith in Ozpin.

    He had forgiven the lies and secrets after being shown the light in Argus. And Qrow remembered why he was loyal to Ozpin in the first place; even when things seemed bad, Ozpin was able to turn things around by focusing on the bigger picture. Sometimes it was fast, and sometimes it was slow. But Ozpin always came around and did what he did best.

    In Qrow's mind, this was going to be another one of those situations. Soon, Ozpin would be able to regain his confidence in the situation and help Ironwood see the light.

    He hoped.

    True to her word, Cinder was staying in her room to rest. But rather than sit on her bed, Cinder stared out her room's window and thought about the argument. It was hard not to focus on the events that transpired, since they had taught Cinder so much. Namely, about Ozpin and Ironwood.

    Cinder still trusted Ozpin, that was never in question. However, she could see that his usual authority and power over matters like this were now limited. Whether he had been warned or threatened by Ironwood was uncertain, but Cinder knew that Ozpin may not be able to help as much as he normally would.

    Also, it was clear that Ironwood had some issues involving trust.

    Cinder honestly didn't see any harm in declaring that the war was over, and she was glad that Bail and Willow told the public the first chance they got. And she had no intention of revealing anything about Amity or Salem, at least not yet. But the General's words told Cinder that he didn't fully trust her to keep this secret. In fact, all he seemed to care about was keeping secrets; especially from the people.

    Cinder knew what her duties as both a Maiden and the Mand'alor meant when it came to people. She had to help those who couldn't help themselves, as well as act in the best interest of every Mandalorian on Remnant. Cinder believed she did that by having Jinn show the truth, and she believed she could help people by telling them the war was over. Ironwood seemed willing to share the truth, as long as he was pulling the strings and calling the shots.

    It seemed that Ironwood would only accept a solution as long as he was in charge. Given the outburst she witnessed, and her status as a ruler, Cinder just wasn't sure if she wanted Ironwood to be in charge.

    Not that she wanted to seize power for herself, but rather Cinder wanted to work with everyone. She wanted a team of people she could rely on, a group of equals. But Ironwood was putting this idea at risk by concentrating more effort and power for himself; the incident at the mines was proof of this idea.

    And Cinder refused to forget what happened when two Mandalorians seized power when they saw their chance. She didn't believe Ironwood would kill anyone, but Cinder knew something like this would only cause more harm than good.

    Cinder didn't plan on going straight to Ironwood and challenging him, but she hoped that there would be some sort of resolution to her feelings.

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*    ​

    Cinder turned away from her window when she heard three knocks at her door. She didn't open it immediately, since she expected either Ironwood or Ozpin to be on the other side. Since she didn't feel ready to talk to either of them at the moment, Cinder called out to the person instead.

    "Who is it?" she asked calmly.

    "Winter," a familiar voice replied.

    Satisfied with the answer, and in need of a friendly ear, Cinder opened the door and came face-to-face with Winter Schnee.

    "Hi," she said as she let her friend inside.

    "Good morning," Winter said as she stepped into the room. After Cinder closed the door, Winter turned around. "Though I suppose it hasn't been good so far, has it?"

    Cinder sighed as she stepped away from the door. "You heard?"

    "General Ironwood told me what happened. I came to see how you were doing."

    Cinder could see that, but she had a different idea about the intentions behind this visit. "No offense, Winter, but if Ironwood wants to see how I'm doing, he could at least do it himself."

    "..."

    Winter was surprised by the accusation, but she didn't say anything to deny it. General Ironwood had indeed asked her to see Cinder herself, and Winter was surprised that Cinder had already figured that out. However, that didn't mean that she was here just to carry out orders.

    "I'm here as a friend too, Cinder," Winter insisted. "I know the General can be... hard to handle, when he's upset." Winter took a seat in front of the desk the dorm room had. "If you'd like to talk, I'm right here."

    "...Thanks," Cinder said after she reminded herself that Winter was still her friend. "I'm sorry I said that, I didn't mean to doubt you or anything like that."

    "I understand. Being on the receiving end of tirades takes a lot out of you. Trust me, I know."

    "..."

    It didn't take a genius to see that Winter was talking about her own father, a man who used her time and again just for his own personal gain. And rather than help reopen old wounds, Cinder focused the subject on Ironwood.

    "I just don't get it," said Cinder. "I mean, sure, I get that everyone will have questions about the war ending. But I don't get why he felt people shouldn't know that. Doesn't he trust us to know what we should say and shouldn't say?"

    "It's not that, Cinder. Look, I know the General can be hard to understand at times, but he's doing what he thinks is right."

    Cinder agreed that it was hard to get in Ironwood's head at times, but she didn't agree with Winter's other idea. "That's not justification, Winter. That's a cop out."

    Winter shook her head. "Not necessarily. He-"

    "No, it's a cop out. Here, look."

    Cinder reached to her neck and carefully removed the Mandalorian necklace she was wearing. Once she did, Cinder pointed to the scar on her neck and spoke again.

    "Remember what I told you about this?" Cinder asked. "If she was asked, I'm positive the woman who did this to me would say that what she did was right. To keep me in line. Or to make sure I was providing for her and her family. But it wasn't right."

    "..."

    Cinder put her necklace back on as she spoke again. "She got away with it for years. All because she could say that it was what she thought was right."

    "..."

    "Anyone can say that they're doing the right thing, Winter. But usually, they're just looking out for themselves and their secrets."

    "..."

    Winter genuinely believed that General Ironwood was doing what he thought was right, but now she saw just how hard it was going to be to convince Cinder. She had never met the woman who kept Cinder as a slave, someone who had robbed her of her innocence and most of her childhood. But Winter knew that the woman had many similarities to Jacques Schnee.

    It took time, but Winter had learned to grow past her time with her father. General Ironwood had somewhat filled the role Winter had been searching for, which led to mutual trust and closeness. Cinder didn't have this luxury with Ironwood, so Winter knew convincing her friend would be difficult.

    However, the action Cinder took by showing Winter her scar had inspired the young Atlesian to take a similar course of action. If she was going to help Cinder, Winter knew it would be necessary.

    "Ironwood isn't keeping secrets," she said as she stood up. "Not from me." Before Cinder could ask if Winter was sure, the Atlesian stepped towards the door and opened it. "Come with me. There's something I want to show you."

    "..."

    Cinder had no idea what Winter was planning or where she was going, but she had no objections to the request. Their walk took them to an elevator, which led them to a very highly monitored floor of the academy. The first door was guarded by two soldiers who acknowledged Winter's presence and let her inside. There were multiple cameras and Atlesian Knights as well, all of which were watching the floor carefully.

    Eventually, Cinder found herself in a small room with a glass window. After being told by Winter to wait in the room, Cinder walked to the window after the door closed behind her. Rather than outside the academy, Cinder could see into a much larger room below her. It almost looked like a studio apartment, given there were cabinets and a sink in the room. However, a hospital bed, a wheelchair, and various medical equipment told Cinder that the room was more of a medical space than a living space.

    That, and an old woman with white hair resting on the bed.

    Winter entered the room and initiated friendly conversation with the woman over a cup of tea. The conversation wasn't very serious, it was mostly about the weather outside and how they were doing.

    But Cinder didn't need to listen to the conversation. She understood who Winter was talking to, despite the fact that she had never met the woman before. Ozpin had told Cinder plenty in order to deduce the identity of the woman.

    And that was the first thing Cinder said when Winter returned to her.

    "That's Fria," she said as she pointed at the woman. "That's the Winter Maiden."

    Winter nodded as she let herself inside the room. "She's not safe to live beyond the academy in her state," she said. "General Ironwood moved her here, with the best medical technology should... anything happen."

    Cinder understood perfectly. Fria wasn't necessarily dying, but she wasn't much of a spring chicken either. It seemed Ironwood had been preparing for Fria's passing, which seemed inevitable given her age.

    And it seemed there were other preparations he had made as well.

    "Until that happens, I'm the only person Fria's allowed to see," said Winter.

    Cinder finally looked away from Fria when she heard this. "What?" she asked. "Why?"

    "..."

    Cinder suddenly realized that she knew the answer to her own question. Someone young as Winter, someone as capable at fighting as Winter, it all made sense.

    "Ironwood chose you," she said. "He wants you to be next Winter Maiden."

    "..."

    "How long have you known?"

    "Since Beacon fell," Winter replied.

    "And... you're sure about this?"

    Winter slowly nodded. "I am. When the General first proposed it-"

    "Winter, stop."

    Cinder grabbed Winter's arms and made her friend turn to look at her. "Listen to me," she implored. "Being a Maiden is a lot more complicated than you might think, or however the General made it sound. It's a big responsibility and an even bigger risk." Cinder began to sweat nervously as she continued to explain herself. "You're not just protecting the Relics from Salem, you're protecting all of Remnant."

    "Cinder-"

    "I didn't have a choice when I got my powers, but you do. So you have to be absolutely one hundred percent sure about this."

    "..."

    Cinder didn't care if she was giving away how nervous and worried she was about this. She knew better than anyone what kind of burden wearing the badge of a Maiden had, as well as the fact that the choice was inadvertently made for her. So it was easy to understand why Cinder didn't want her best friend thrust into a role she wasn't ready for, where the risk of the power being stolen and used for Salem existed. Aurora may have been gone, but that didn't mean Salem couldn't replace her if she wanted to.

    Cinder had already been through Hell as a Maiden, and she wasn't willing to drag Winter into that Hell either.

    But Winter was willing.

    "...I wasn't so sure, when the General first proposed it to me," Winter calmly replied. "But the more I thought about it, the more I saw it as a privilege, a chance to do some real good for Atlas. For Remnant."

    "..."

    Cinder began to calm down as she listened to what Winter was saying. This was the first time she heard someone say being a Maiden was a privilege; she didn't even hear it when she was in the void with the other Fall Maidens. So to hear this claim, along with the claim of doing good for Remnant, Cinder began to feel proud of Winter for making this choice.

    But there was still one thing holding her back.

    "Winter... you're the same age as me," she said. "Ozpin once said that was an ideal age for a Maiden. Did... Did Ironwood let you into Atlas Academy because of this? Has he always wanted you to be the Winter Maiden?"

    "Well... yes," Winter confessed. "But that doesn't matter now."

    "Of course it matters. Your destiny was chosen for you,without your input." Cinder braced herself for what she said next. "Winter... that sounds like the same thing your dad was doing to you."

    "...Perhaps," Winter agreed after taking a second to consider the implications. "But I'm choosing it now. I've made my destiny my own. And I take great pride in it. That has nothing to do with Father, or the General." Winter turned to her friend with a look of resolve. "That belongs to me."

    It was at this moment that Cinder understood how much thought Winter had put into being the next Winter Maiden. She had seen looks like the one Winter was wearing on every Fall Maiden she met in the void, which spoke volumes of what they were all willing to do.

    So to see her best friend wear the same face, especially when it came to a matter of being a Maiden, Cinder knew that Ironwood had made the right choice by going to Winter first.

    "Then you're gonna be a great Maiden, Winter," Cinder said with a smile.

    Winter formed a genuine smile of her own. "Coming from you... that means the world," she said. "As a Maiden... and my best friend."

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Winter turned her attention to her Scroll when she felt it buzzing. When she took it out, her face became less neutral and more annoyed by what she saw.

    "Speaking of the family name," she said as she looked at the screen in discontent.

    "What is it?" Cinder asked as she moved closer to Winter.

    "Oh, nothing. Just another text from my mother."

    "Oh."

    Cinder remembered what Willow had said about Winter ignoring her, so she decided to see if this was true. "Don't you want to answer her?" she asked.

    "No," Winter said as she placed her Scroll back in her pocket.

    "Why not?"

    "Because she's the last person I want to talk to right now."

    "..."

    Cinder was surprised to hear this, it practically came out of nowhere. Willow was indeed being ignored by Winter, which seemed so unlike her to do so. The idea disturbed Cinder greatly, since it reminded her of a time when she was like this to her own father at Beacon.

    Back when she had been tricked by Merri and her sisters, Cinder was putting some distance between herself and her father. The idea of being reunited with her blood ties was enough to make her forget the family she already had. Now, Cinder understood what a terrible mistake that was.

    It was a mistake that she didn't want Winter to make.

    "What I mean is that I don't need to hear another repetition," said Winter, who saw the look of confusion and disbelief on Cinder's face. "Ever since I returned to Atlas, Mother has done nothing but call and text me to return home. To forget about the academy and being a Huntress." Winter looked down to Fria again. "That's something I can't do, Cinder. And I can't explain to her why."

    "Oh..." Cinder said as she also looked upon Fria. "Are you going to tell her?"

    "...Maybe. But not today."

    "..."

    With that last remark, Winter made her way to the room's exit. "We should be heading back," she said as she opened the door.

    Cinder began to follow, but she had one last question before she was ready to leave. "Winter... do you think I could meet her?" she asked. "Could I meet Fria?"

    Winter turned back towards the stairway that led to Fria's room. "I'm the only one who's allowed to see her," she repeated. "Those were the General's instructions."

    "Oh. Okay."

    Winter knew that she couldn't break her orders, but she was willing to hear Cinder out. "May I ask why?" she asked.

    "It's just that... something happened at Haven before we got the Relic," Cinder said as she began to walk with Winter again. "Something I think I should try again. Let me explain."

    While Cinder had been spending time with Winter in Atlas, Djarin and Qrow were in a truck that was driving across the tundra. The truck was driven by an Atlesian Knight, and Penny was also a passenger of the truck. She had originally chosen to go on the mission since she was under the belief Cinder would be going as well. However, Cinder's absence didn't change Penny's mind about staying behind. Instead, she saw the mission as a chance to get to know the Mandalorian better.

    But Djarin mostly kept quiet. This was a result of both his stoic demeanor as well as Penny's more... sociable behavior. It was this behavior that made Djarin wish that Cinder had decided to come after all.

    Eventually, the Mandalorian used his Semblance to join Qrow and Clover in the back of the truck, where they were watching the supplies while playing a game of cards. The game they were playing, sabacc, was fairly popular on Remnant, mainly among the high-stake gamblers. Djarin had played the game a few times, and he taught Cinder how to play it as well.

    But the man who loved sabacc the most was Lando; wherever he went, he played at least one game of sabacc before leaving. He was fairly good at it, and he was known to walk away with small fortunes time and time ago. However, he wasn't invincible. His greatest loss was the time when he put his own personal airship, the Millennium Falcon on the table in Mistral. Lando was only one card away from beating his opponent, which was a story Djarin always heard when he worked with the man.

    And whether it was his Semblance or just nature, Clover had won for what felt like the umpteenth time. It was possible that he could even rival Lando.

    "I win again," Clover said as he briefly reveled in his victory. "Maybe we should call it quits?"

    Ever since Argus, Qrow had promised to not quit so easily like he almost quit before. While this attitude was mostly towards being a Huntsman and stopping Salem, Qrow refused to admit defeat in the game he was playing.

    "Shut up and deal," he said jokingly as he prepared for another round.

    Clover laughed as he complied with the request. "I know it's just a supply run, but it's a shame Cinder couldn't join us today."

    "Yeah, I know. I was kinda hoping she'd come, to be honest."

    Djarin also wished Cinder decided to join him, since he believed some time away from the academy would do some good for her. But he understood why she wanted to take it easy, since Ironwood definitely left an impact on her. He didn't know how much Clover knew about the confrontation, so he decided to play the conversation casually.

    And Clover seemed to help with that.

    "You know, Mando, I saw Cinder's fights from the Vytal Festival," he said. "She sure is one of a kind, huh?"

    Djarin chuckled as he thought back on the times he saw Cinder fight in the tournament. "You have no idea," he said.

    "Well, me and the boys are trying to get an idea right now. I got the rest of the squad training to keep up with her."

    Now it was Qrow's turn to chuckle. "She really did a number on you guys, huh?" he asked.

    "You guessed it," Clover confirmed. "And since we might meet more people like her, friend or foe, we all thought it would be best to be ready." The leader of SCAR Squadron turned to the Mandalorian. "You think she has a couple of pointers she's willing to share?"

    "I'll talk to her," Djarin promised. He didn't want to speak for Cinder in this case, even though he was sure that she would be willing to help. "I could give you a few pointers too. I trained Cinder to fight like a Mandalorian. Skills like ours might come in handy."

    "All of that on top of Huntress training? Sounds like a lot to handle." Clover smiled as he looked at both Djarin and Qrow. "It's a good thing she had people to look up to and get her through it. Not everyone is so lucky."

    Djarin briefly thought about the idea before he denied it. "I don't know about all that. She was alone for a while, after she fell into a coma. She woke up not too long ago."

    "Yeah," said Qrow. "She's doing better now, but I guess she has to take it easy every once in a while. Guess that leaves some heavy lifting for us, huh?"

    "Hey, I'm not complaining," Clover replied. "I mean, what good is saving the world without another generation waiting in the wings? Hopefully, kids like her will make Remnant better than we left it for them."

    Djarin became appreciative of the Atlesian's wisdom. He was going to leave a legacy for Cinder, one that would require as much peace as he could achieve. Cinder would still become Mand'alor, but Djarin hoped there would be peace instead of another war.

    And hopefully, a weakened Salem.

    Qrow also appreciated this wisdom, for his own reasons. When Clover mentioned other children who would grow up to inherit whatever he and other Huntsmen would leave behind, the thought of a certain young girl he knew from Vale sounded like the perfect person who would try and do better than he did.

    "Once upon a time, I'd have drank to that," he said as he began to look at his cards

    "You shouldn't do that, you know," Clover said as he frowned.

    Qrow looked back as he thought back to the time he decided to give up drinking. "Don't worry, I-I gave that up."

    "I meant deflect a compliment. I mean, I saw that speech Cinder gave at Mistral on the news. She wouldn't be where they are without you two." Clover turned to the Mandalorian. "You've had more of an effect on her than you realize."

    Qrow and Djarin smiled as they looked at the cards they had been dealt. But before they could play another hand, Penny called out to them when she noticed something in the road.

    "Commander Ebi," she said loud enough for everyone to hear. "There appears to be an obstruction on the road."

    Everyone moved out from the back of the truck to see what Penny was looking at. "What's going on?" Qrow asked. "Grimm?"

    "No," Clover said as he got a good look out the window. "Worse. You two with me. Penny, stay put and keep an eye on our six. We may need an element of surprise."

    "Affirmative," Penny complied. "I will plan for six possible outcomes!"

    "..."

    Everyone paid less attention to Penny and more attention on the objects in the road. True to Clover's word, it wasn't Grimm that was blocking their path. But rather, a large metal door was standing in a path between two large rocks that the truck had to traverse. But now, all it could do was stop in front of the door and two women standing in front of it.

    One woman was a white-haired Faunus with sheep ears and the other woman was Robyn Hill herself.

    "Alright ladies, time to show them our teeth," she said confidently.

    When the truck stopped, Clover and his allies all stepped out. Clover was still in his plastoid armor, but he was holding the helmet by his side in an attempt to ease any tension. This wasn't the first time he had spoken to Robyn Hill, and Clover was sure that this wouldn't be the last. And so, the leader of SCAR Squadron began the conversation.

    "Robyn!" Clover said in a friendly tone. "Well, if it isn't Mantle's home town hero. Is there a reason you're blocking an official military transport?"

    "Clover," Robyn replied calmly, with a hint of sarcasm. "I'm so glad you're here." She then looked over to see a man in a familiar set of armor. "Well, look who it is! Long time, no see, Mando."

    "Same with you," said Djarin. "I'd like to catch up, but answering his question might be a good idea."

    Robyn quickly noticed that the duo, and the other Huntsmen, were on the same side. "How about I answer the question with a question? Could you two help me understand why this truck that's supposed to be taking construction materials to fix Mantle's outer wall, is on its way to the middle of nowhere? Are you lost?"

    Clover laughed off the idea to keep his friendly demeanor. "It's pretty easy to get turned around out here in the tundra, everything looks the same," he said. "Thanks for checking up on us though. We'll be on our way now." With that, he began to walk back to the truck while hoping Robyn would move out of the way.

    Unfortunately, Clover was wrong.

    Robyn let out a sigh as she decided to be more frank. "I was hoping you'd play it straight with me," she said. "What's Ironwood doing with Amity at the SDC mine?"

    Clover stopped walking when he grasped the reality of the situation. Regardless, he continued to play things more casually than a soldier usually would, in order to keep things as civil as possible.

    "Oh, that," he said. "Just giving her an annual checkup." This was a rather obvious lie, one that Robyn wasted no time in dismissing.

    "The next Vytal Festival isn't anytime soon," she said. "Only automated drones and a few select Atlas scientists are allowed out here. And Amity's getting invaluable resources we need in Mantle to protect against Grimm. Seems like more than just a check-up."

    "...You've been scoping it out."

    "We can't fix the wall without the supplies on these trucks. I think Mantle deserves to know what they're being used for. It doesn't have to be difficult. Just tell me."

    Robyn had taken a few steps forward with an extended hand and smile. The gesture didn't look like much to the normal eye, since it looked like Robyn wanted to shake hands. But the Mandalorian was aware of Robyn's Semblance, and he was aware that Robyn was determined to get the truth.

    But Clover wasn't willing to share it.

    "I'm going to have to pass on that," he said sternly.

    Robyn frowned in disappointment, but smiled again when she looked at Djarin and Qrow. "How about you, Mando?" she asked. "Five o'clock shadow?"

    "..."

    Djarin had forgotten Robyn had a tendency for nicknames, one of which she had apparently just given to Qrow. The Huntsman decided to remain silent, and Djarin was willing to follow this strategy. However, Robyn made a point that caused him to give in to speaking.

    "I hate to be that kind of lady, Mando," she began. "But I did you a favor by helping you find your kid. I saw her on the news today, she's looking rather well. I don't think that would have been possible without our help." Robyn gestured to Fiona, who was silently standing next to her.

    Djarin hadn't forgotten the favor Robyn did for him when Cinder was kidnapped. However, he didn't forget what caused her to do this favor in the first place. "And I hate to be that kind of man," he began. "But Boba led you to do that favor after he got his armor back. With my help."

    "..."

    Djarin truly didn't want to be rude to Robyn, but he knew that remaining quiet about Amity was wise. Ironwood had already made a fuss when Cinder revealed the war was over, so news about Amity would only make things worse.

    Clover knew that better than anyone, so he spoke once again.

    "That's enough, Robyn," he said. "As a potential Councilwoman, you should probably focus on the election instead of harassing Huntsmen. Now, it's time to let us pass."

    "I think you've misjudged the situation," Robyn declared. "One way or another, these supplies are going to get where they're supposed to go: Mantle."

    Clover stood right where he was. "Then I suggest you do that through the proper legal channels as a Councilwoman.If you get elected."

    Robyn smiled once more, becoming confident in what she declared just a moment ago. "Now where's the fun in that?"

    "..."

    One by one, all of the warriors prepared for a confrontation. Clover reached down for his fishing pole while Djarin and Qrow slowly reached for their weapons. Robyn was prepared for a fight as well, but she wore her weapon on her sleeve. Nobody wanted it to come to this, but everyone felt like they were ready for anything.

    Except for what came next.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Four shots from behind Robyn caught everyone's attention. Gunfire was to be expected, but the strange part was that nobody had fired a gun. And yet, four distinct blasts that were nowhere near the immediate area caused everyone to look towards the sound and determine the source of it.

    As a result, everyone looked to see that the metal door had started to fall.

    *CREAK*

    *CRASH*    ​

    The path to the SDC mine was now clear of a door, but everyone could see two more things blocking the truck's path. But this time, it was two people holding blasters and wearing protective gear.

    One person was a woman in black, save for a gray and orange helmet she was wearing. The second was a man, who was wearing a complete set of green Mandalorian armor.

    And that man was Boba Fett, someone who was both feared and respected in Atlas.

    Both Clover and Robyn were surprised by the appearance of Boba Fett and his dangerous partner, Fennec Shand. Clover knew that his superiors had an uneasy truce with Fett, given that he had a reputation equal to Robyn's in Mantle. To make a long story short, Boba played an important role in a gang war that nearly destroyed Mantle. When he emerged victorious, Boba's reputation skyrocketed.

    And Robyn was surprised because Boba wasn't a part of her plan. It was true that she helped Boba with the gang war, along with the rest of her friends. However, she wasn't expecting him to be out in the tundra of all places.

    And yet, here he was.

    "Let them pass Robyn," Boba said when he joined the Huntress.

    Robyn softly gasped before she looked back to the truck. The Mandalorian and the two Huntsmen were equally surprised, but they didn't question Boba's apparent willingness to help.

    But Robyn was.

    "What are you doing?" she asked. "I-"

    "Let. Them. Pass," Boba sternly repeated.

    "..."

    Boba looked back to the truck as the antenna on his helmet lowered. He was looking at a specific spot in the back, one that he refused to take his eye off of. "May. Joanna. That goes for you too."

    "..."

    Everyone looked towards the back of the space, but they couldn't see anything at first. However, two other women appeared out of thin air as they relented and backed away from the truck.

    With the cat out of the bag, and her plan falling apart, Robyn reluctantly gave up her endeavor. She and the rest of the Happy Huntresses backed away and watched as the three men stepped back inside their truck.

    Before he took his leave, Djarin looked over to Boba and nodded. And while Boba was curious as to why an old ally of his was helping Atlas, Boba nodded in return.

    And Clover said one more thing before he too stepped back into the truck.

    "Robyn. Good luck at the election."

    "..."

    With that, the truck began to drive away once more. As Clover and Qrow agreed that their situation was a close one, Robyn and the Happy Huntresses turned to Boba with irate glares.

    "What was that?!" Robyn asked. "I didn't ask you to come here! How did you even find us?!"

    "You didn't show up for your campaign meeting today," Boba calmly replied. "When I heard about a truck coming out this way, I had a feeling I'd find you here."

    "I came out here to find out what's so important about Amity! Now we might never know!"

    "Would you prefer to do that as a Councilwoman? Or another prisoner up in Atlas?"

    "We had it under control!" Robyn turned to her fellow Huntresses, who were nodding their heads. "What, you think we can't handle a few Huntsmen?"

    "Huntsmen are one thing," said Fennec. "But Ironwood's robot is entirely different."

    "...Huh?"

    Boba, while grateful for his partner's support, took over and tapped his helmet. "I could see the droid was inside the truck," he said. "Ready for anything you were gonna throw in its path. I'm willing to bet it could see your friends too."

    Robyn finally relented as she and her friends grasped the reality of the situation. If Penny had emerged, chances of winning the fight would have been very slim.

    "The Protector of Mantle, huh?" Robyn sarcastically asked.

    "That's right," said Boba. "And our mutual Mandalorian friend on top of that? An attack like this would have gotten you a one way ticket to prison. And do you think anyone would vote for a Councilwoman who landed herself in jail?"

    Robyn hated being scolded like a child, but it was easy to follow along with Boba's logic. Especially when there was a lot on the line.

    "...No," Robyn relented. The other Happy Huntresses immediately followed suit.

    "I hate it as much as you do," said Fennec. "But none of us will get outta this mess if we don't think things through."

    "..."

    What Fennec said was true, given the woman's background and relationship with the criminal network of Remnant. However, her loyalty to Boba and her grasp of the bigger picture led her to support Robyn's endeavor to become a Councilwoman and make things better for everyone.

    "What now?" Fiona asked her leader.

    Even though Robyn had tasted defeat and had been humbled by her friend, she knew that there was one thing she wanted.

    "I want to know why Amity Colosseum is suddenly so important," she said. "Whatever it takes."

    After the supplies were delivered, Djarin went back to the academy to see how Cinder was doing. Rather than simply talk it over, Djarin gave his daughter the chance to vent over sparring. So they went to an empty and isolated training room so they could talk in private. The Mandalorian also took this chance to see the upgrades he heard Cinder made to her armor. While he wasn't a fan of changing his own armor, he was intrigued to see what Pietro had done for her.

    And so, Cinder fought with her upgraded armor and Midnight to impress Djarin. Alone with the bubble-like shield, Cinder also showed Djarin a pair of blades in her gauntlet after she had been disarmed. The blades were resistant to heat, electricity, and even toxic material. So they were able to help Cinder hold her own against Djarin's staff.

    As soon as she knew they were alone, Cinder immediately told him what she learned about the Winter Maiden and how Winter felt about it. Once he processed the story, Djarin shared his own story about Robyn. Needless to say, the lack of help being sent to Mantle only made Cinder's doubts about Ironwood being in charge grow stronger.

    "So what happened to Robyn?" Cinder asked. "Did she get in trouble?"

    "No, I think she's fine," Djarin replied. "We left Boba to talk to her. I'm sure he's saying what was on everyone's minds."

    "You mean Ironwood?"

    "No, just that getting arrested would only cause trouble for her campaign. You know, for the seat on the Council."

    "Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about the election."

    "..."

    Cinder suddenly paused when she heard herself say "election." When she did, Djarin took his chance to strike at her legs and make her fall.

    *WHACK*​

    "Gah!" Cinder yelled as she felt Djarin's staff hit both her ankles. The Mandalorian had used the momentum to swipe Cinder off her feet and pin her on the ground.

    *BAM*​

    When Cinder felt the end of Djarin's staff, which wasn't electrified, on her chest, the Fall Maiden knew that the battle was over. "I yield," she said.

    "...That was fast," Djarin said as he moved his staff off of Cinder. "And it's been a while since I could take you down like that."

    "I know." Cinder got back on her feet. "I just thought of something."

    "Careful. Thinking that long can leave you vulnerable."

    Cinder removed her helmet and walked to retrieve Midnight. "Thanks for the reminder." After she brushed off her metal chest plate, Cinder continued to talk about what she thought of. "Dad, what do you think about the election?"

    "Nothing much," Djarin replied as he put away his staff. "I'm not one for Atlesian politics."

    "I don't blame you. But maybe they could help us right now."

    "How so?"

    "Bail and Robyn are both aware of how bad things in Atlas are. Bail doesn't like the military being mixed in with civilians and businesses like the SDC, and Robyn doesn't like how Mantle's wall isn't getting fixed. When one of them gets the seat, maybe that could change."

    "Maybe. But don't forget the General has two seats on the Council."

    "Right, right. The other two members, Sleet and uh..."

    "Camilla."

    "Camilla, right! A new Council member would make three votes to Ironwood's two!"

    Djarin could follow with what Cinder was saying, but he decided to make her stop. "Cinder, wait a second," he said as he moved closer. "I don't think we should talk about these things out in the open." He then took her hand and began to walk out of the training room. "Come on, let's go to our room."

    As she walked throughout the halls, Cinder suddenly realized how she must have sounded when she was talking with her father. She had been going on and on about how she didn't believe Ironwood trusted her, which momentarily made her forget where she was and what she was doing.

    Cinder didn't mean to sound disloyal or like she was plotting to overthrow the General. Her goal was still to work with him as part of a team of equals, and all she wanted was for Ironwood to be as calm and collected as he was at Beacon. He had a few ideas back then that were somewhat questionable, but he was able to think rationally before the school fell.

    And the way that happened was by being a part of a team.

    "Sorry, Dad," Cinder said when she returned to her room. "I didn't mean to sound-"

    "I know, I know," Djarin calmly replied. "But we can't talk like we're painting James in a bad light in a place like this. Things here aren't like they are in Vale. Especially politics."

    "..."

    Djarin had a lot of experience in Atlas, before and after he became a Mandalorian. His missions as a bounty hunter and a member of Ozpin's group had taught him everything he needed to be careful of in the Kingdom. Cinder didn't have as much experience, since she only came to Atlas to visit Winter. So she decided to heed her father's warning and speak about such things in private.

    And given that Djarin's heart had been open to the concept of change, he was more than willing to hear her out.

    "What was your idea?" he asked. "About the election?"

    "Oh!" Cinder said as she recalled her earlier idea. "I wasn't trying to throw Ironwood under the bus or anything like that. I was just thinking that-"

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*

    *KNOCK*    ​

    Djarin and Cinder stopped talking and turned to the door of their room. Cinder was a little annoyed that her train of thought had been interrupted once more, but she exercised caution about talking about the election once more.

    But when Djarin opened the door to reveal Ozpin on the other side, Cinder relaxed as she watched him enter the room.

    "Hello, Cinder," Ozpin said calmly as Djarin closed the door. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to speak with you and your father earlier, I was... helping with James."

    "That's okay," Cinder insisted. "I understand."

    "We were just talking about him," said Djarin. "About a lot of things."

    Ozpin believed that one of those things was him, so he decided to cut to the chase. "Yes, well... that's why I'm here," he said as he sat down. "I wanted to apologize about this morning. About James' behavior."

    "You don't have to apologize for that," Cinder insisted.

    "You did what you could," said Djarin. "Thank you for calming him down."

    "I'm glad you think so, but I could have done more," Ozpin declared. "Or maybe I've done too much. Qrow was telling me how he and everyone else noticed how... odd I've been acting."

    "Well... yeah," Cinder agreed. "I mean, we know it's about Ironwood."

    "Did he threaten you?" Djarin asked. "If you didn't go along with his ideas?"

    "Not quite," Ozpin said. "However, he's been... insistent that his way is the best way. And he did remind me that I don't have the same say that I had back at Beacon."

    "..."

    "Don't get me wrong, the idea to reunite the world via Amity is ingenious. I want this to happen as much as James does. However, he's fallen under the impression that the ends justify the means. I've tried to go along with him to keep the peace, but it seems my negotiating skills have their limits."

    Djarin recalled seeing Ozpin go along with Ironwood at the mines, so he knew what his friend was talking about. It was good to see that there was some strategy behind the rather passive behavior, but Djarin could indeed see that there were limits to it.

    Like the idea of using Amity to fight Salem, a new approach was needed for dealing with Ironwood. And Cinder seemed to have an idea for such an approach.

    "Well, maybe you don't have to do it alone," said the Maiden. "I was just telling Dad that maybe the election could help us. Bail Organa and Robyn Hill are two really great candidates, and they both want to help the Kingdom. If Ironwood had some new voices to listen to, I'm sure he could see that working as a team would be better than what's happening now."

    Ozpin hummed at the idea, but he didn't exactly agree. "I'm glad you're optimistic," he said. "But I'm afraid the election is only part of the problem."

    "Meaning?" Djarin asked.

    "Ms. Hill and Mr. Organa want what's best for Atlas, but they both agree on shifting the responsibility to James. They have different policies and ideas, but they both plan to open the borders once they're elected. And that's only adding more stress to James. Because of that, it's hard for James to see either candidate as an ally."

    "..."

    Cinder's heart felt like it had dropped into her stomach when she heard this. All she wanted was for Ironwood to see that working as a team was for the best, but Ozpin's revelation made it seem like an impossibility. Cinder had forgotten how much Bail wanted to open the borders, and the feeling was surely mutual with Robyn. Stress from a war on two fronts made the goal of teamwork sound impossible now.

    However, Ozpin wasn't finished talking just yet.

    "But I was able to offer an idea to alleviate this stress," said the Headmaster. "Something I'd like your help with, Cinder."

    Djarin looked to his daughter, who had a surprised but optimistic look on her face. "Me?" she asked. "What can I do?"

    "Qrow told me that Commander Ebi requested ideas to advance his training. He also shared the idea with James, who is asking you to begin training with the rest of SCAR Squadron. With your talents as the Fall Maiden, we know you could make them all stronger."

    "..."

    Cinder had been told of this request by her father, but she was too busy sparring to actually consider it. Now, Cinder had a chance to think things through. And she definitely had a lot to think about.

    Winter's earlier words stuck to Cinder like glue, how she had chosen her own destiny without other people playing a domineering role in it. And given that SCAR Squadron was supposed to be the best in all of Atlas, making them even better could open the door to bigger possibilities. In fact, Cinder believed it could help pave the way for a combined force of Mandalorians and soldiers alike.

    But there was one thing stopping her.

    "I'm flattered, Ozpin," Cinder insisted. "But... working with someone who doesn't trust me doesn't sound that great." Cinder turned to the ground. "Kind of makes me think coming here wasn't the best option."

    "I understand," Ozpin promised. "And James does too." When he saw Cinder lift her head, Ozpin continued to talk. "After he had some time to relax, James saw that he lost his temper. He'd like to make amends."

    "How?"

    "If you agree to help train SCAR Squadron... James is willing to let you meet Fria."

    Cinder almost didn't believe her ears. She had no idea that Winter had told the General about her wanting to meet Fria, but Cinder wasn't complaining. Ever since she had the honor of meeting Fall and Spring, Cinder knew that there was so much more she could do with her powers. There was so much she could learn about the Maidens and the world itself, and now she apparently had the chance to learn from the very first Winter Maiden.

    And Cinder took it in a heartbeat.

    "Yes!" she said. "I'll do it!"

    Djarin and Ozpin were surprised to hear such a fast response, but they could understand Cinder's optimism. However, Djarin was somewhat reluctant to accept an offer from Ironwood after this morning.

    "Cinder, you don't have to do this if you don't want to," he said. "Ironwood might be-"

    "No, I can do it!" Cinder insisted. "I want to do it! Really, I do!" She then turned to Ozpin. "When can I meet her? Right away?"

    "I'm afraid not," Ozpin sadly replied. "Fria had an... incident about a half hour ago, one that she'll need time to recover from."

    Cinder frowned when she heard the news. "Is she okay?"

    "She will be. She just needs to rest now. However, I'll make sure you're the first to know when she's ready to meet you."

    Djarin put his hand on Cinder's shoulder. "That might take a while, Cinder," he said. "And if something like this happens again, Winter might inherit the power. Are you sure you want to do this?"

    "..."

    This time, Cinder took the necessary time to think about her decision. It was true that Fria was in very bad shape, and that Winter would no doubt inherit the powers should the old woman pass away. However, Cinder remembered how she wanted the Mandalorians and the rest of the world to be brought together. So having a Mandalorian train people like SCAR Squadron, even as a Maiden, would definitely be a step in the right direction.

    "Yes," she said calmly. "I'll do it."

    True to her word, Cinder began to do more with her status as the Fall Maiden. She was free to demonstrate all of her powers to SCAR Squadron, as well as an observant Winter. With Ozpin and her father by her side, Cinder was able to show and tell everyone what to look out for and how to be prepared for anything.

    Djarin and Ozpin demonstrated how to circumnavigate past each element, from fire to air. The lessons were somewhat difficult, since adapting to the environment at a given moment was required. But when they saw what they could do, SCAR Squadron used their own strengths as individuals and teammates to become stronger.

    The plastoid armor was very essential with navigating fire, since the helmets could filter out smoke. And when Misty used his enhanced cloak to extinguish the flames, his team was able to fight back.

    When air was used against SCAR Squadron, Zuke was able to provide cover when he turned his body into metal. It was rather difficult to blow him away, so everyone behind Zuke was able to strategize and attack Cinder from different sides.

    Adaptation to the environment, outside of the cold of Solitas, was noticed by General Ironwood, who looked upon the training in approval.

    Though he didn't say it, Ironwood could see how he had lost his temper and nearly lost an essential ally. Cinder's methods to train the best of the best were certainly paying off, both in the training rooms and on the field. Every time he watched the training or read about successful mission reports, Ironwood confirmed that Cinder's loyalty to the cause was absolute. And he looked forward to the rest of the days she was going to spend in Atlas.

    But today was going to be different from the other days. Today was the day the people of Atlas would decide who would be taking the empty seat on the Atlesian Council.

    As predicted, Bail Organa and Robyn Hill were at the top of the polls for the position. And the decision, needless to say, was not an easy one. On one hand, Robyn was dedicated to fixing society's problems, mostly with Mantle, here and now. And that started with making a more permanent wall, after Cinder provided a temporary solution.

    On the other hand, citizens from both cities were awed and amazed with Bail's long term plan for Atlas and Remnant. Like Robyn, Bail wished for the borders to be reopened. But his new idea of unity and political representation for every citizen in the world were too big to ignore. And once they saw the idea was possible, many in the Kingdom flocked to vote for Bail.

    The election was mostly a question of which solution everyone was focused on; short-term or long-term.

    And so, everyone had gone to the polls to cast their votes. Members of the military even voted as well, either electronically or in person. This included SCAR Squadron, who decided to cast their votes after training with Cinder.

    Zuke was the only member of SCAR Squadron who went to vote in Mantle, given that he had orders to go down to the city.

    Earlier in the day, Robyn Hill announced that she was going to be hosting a rather premature victory party in Mantle. Tensions had been high between Mantle and Atlas, given that more and more people who spoke out against the General were either disappearing or turning up dead. Regardless of the tensions, Ironwood had asked Zuke and Penny to go down to Mantle and act as security in case someone tried something else.

    And since everyone would be waking up to a brand new Atlas in the morning, Ironwood decided to give his allies from abroad the night off. Djarin decided to spend it fixing up the Razor Crest so it could fly again, but Cinder decided to go down to Mantle for the party. She didn't need to act as security, she just thought it sounded like fun.

    And given that Winter heard that her mother was going to be hosting a similar even for Bail Organa at her mansion, Winter decided to join Cinder down in Mantle. She was willing to enjoy herself as well, even though she thought a victory party was premature.

    "Yeah, we're on our way now," said Cinder, who was walking the streets while talking on her Scroll. "Uh-huh, I'll be back by then. Let me know if you need me to pick anything up for the Crest. Alright, see you soon. Night, Dad."

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    "Woo-hoo!"

    As soon as Cinder ended her call with her father, she and Winter turned towards a truck of celebrators holding signs announcing what they believed to be Robyn's victory. However, the polls didn't close for another twenty minutes.

    "Now I'm starting to think Mother's party isn't so bad," Winter said as she walked down the street.

    "Come on, Winter," Cinder said with a smile. "Nothing wrong with a wild party here and there."

    "A wild party? No. But a premature wild party? Yes."

    Cinder looked around at all the other people who were cheering and holding signs. "They look pretty confident to me. What's the percentage right now?"

    Winter took out her Scroll and looked at the screen. "Fifty-two for Bail Organa, and forty-eight for Robyn."

    "Whoa, pretty close."

    "I'll say. It's been fluctuating from one side to the next for the past hour."

    Cinder could understand why. If she was old enough and if she was registered to vote in Atlas, the Fall Maiden was unsure who she would vote for. The bigger picture and the immediate issues were both very tempting, and Cinder liked both candidates.

    She had no idea who deserved the seat more.

    "Who would you have picked?" Cinder asked. "If you could vote?"

    "Bail Organa is the more logical choice," Winter insisted. "His experience as the Mayor of Atlas makes him a very good candidate."

    "And Robyn?"

    "She's very new to politics. Not to mention that she was always one of the more reckless Huntresses Atlas Academy had seen."

    "Well, she makes up for all that with resolve. I saw a few of her speeches." Cinder spread her arms out. "And like I said, everyone down here's pretty confident. This is their one sure thing right now. Probably the last sure thing before Amity Tower goes up and everyone learns about… what we're fighting."

    Winter nodded before she looked around the immediate area. When she saw that nobody was around them, Winter decided to continue the private conversation.

    "We spent so much time preparing for the launch," she said. "I'm confident that we'll be able to finish Amity soon. But... may I ask you something, Cinder?" Cinder looked to her friend and nodded. With this approval, Winter asked her question. "Has anyone considered how we're going to beat Salem once Amity is finished?"

    Cinder took a few moments to think of a good answer. "Well... we were all brainstorming ideas before we came here," she said. "But we don't really have anything definite just yet."

    "Was there anything Jinn may have told you?"

    "Not really. Just that Salem couldn't be killed. Professor Ozpin asked her a long time ago, and she said he couldn't destroy her."

    "...He couldn't?" Winter couldn't help but focus on the details of this idea. "Maybe someone else could?"

    Cinder couldn't deny the possibility, but all she knew was that Salem was an immortal being. "I don't know," she said. "All of our ideas were mainly about stopping her instead of killing her. Master Kenobi said that a few Jedi locked her in a cage before they died."

    "...So it's possible to stop her without killing her." Winter was very intrigued with this idea. "Has anyone discussed your brainstorming with the General?"

    "Not that I know of. But if you have any ideas, I'm all ears. I actually had this one idea of taking Salem and-"

    "Shh. We're here."

    Cinder turned to see multiple people entering a building where Robyn was hosting her rally. When they stepped inside, Cinder and Winter could hear music playing and people cheering as they looked upon a large TV screen. The screen had images of Robyn Hill and Bail Organa with their polls constantly changing.

    Cinder noticed a drone flying above the crowd, and recognized it as a drone that took her picture without permission when she came to Atlas. But when she noticed a sign on the back that said "Kick Me," Cinder couldn't help but giggle while Winter rolled her eyes.

    "Cinder? Winter!"

    The two girls looked to see that Penny had emerged from the group of people with a smile on her face. "Hey, Penny," Cinder said with a smile of her own.

    "I am so glad you made it," said Penny. "It's just Zuke and I tonight, so more friends means more fun."

    "Come now, Penny," said Winter. "You know work and play don't mix that well."

    "Party pooper," Cinder jokingly replied. She and Penny shared a laugh before Winter spoke in her defense.

    "Alright, alright," she said. "Have fun if you'd like, Cinder. I'll just be watching the screen." Robyn's votes were now fifty-one percent while Bail's were forty-nine.

    "Yeah, alright." Cinder looked around the area. "Looks like that's what everyone is doing right now."

    "..."

    As she looked upon the group of voters and the incoming polls, Cinder began to feel a little sad. Not because of the inevitable loss one of the candidates would have, but also because Cinder knew someone who would have loved to be at a place like this.

    Korkie Kryze, Cinder's boyfriend from Mistral.

    Korkie was always studying to be a politician, just like his aunt. He would usually invite Cinder to events such as this, and Cinder would sometimes accept. She wasn't very invested into politics, but it was fun to be with Korkie.

    But now, instead of seeing history in the making, Korkie was fighting for his life in a hospital bed the same way Cinder once was. And Cinder felt very guilty for leaving him there, especially when he had no idea his aunt had died.

    "Cinder?"

    "Huh?" Cinder asked quickly when she heard her name. When she turned around, she could see that Winter and Penny were looking right at her.

    "Are you okay?" Winter asked when she looked at her friend's face.

    "Oh, yeah!" Cinder said as she shook her head. "Sorry, just got a little distracted."

    Winter and Penny were mildly concerned at first, but they became satisfied with the simple answer. Penny then realized she had to go back to work when she heard another voice.

    "Penny, where'd you go?"

    When they saw Penny begin to walk towards the left of a stage, Cinder and Winter followed her to find Zuke waiting for Penny.

    "Oh, it's you," Zuke said to Cinder. "What's up, got a new training exercise or something?"

    Cinder gently laughed before she explained herself. "Nah, don't mind me, Zuke," she said. "I'm just hanging out with a friend while she's on the job." To display this, Cinder formed a fist and extended it to Penny for a fist bump.

    Needless to say, Penny was very excited by the gesture and decided to perform the action. However, she used too much force and left Cinder with a sore hand. Cinder winced from the pain, but quickly used her Aura to make it subside.

    "Right, real cute," said an unimpressed Zuke. "Look, try not to be too much of a distraction. We need to be vigilant in case-"

    *THUD*​

    "In case what?"

    Zuke looked to his left to see May Marigold, a member of the Happy Huntresses and a close friend of Robyn Hill. She had easily noticed the presence of the man in large white armor, and what she saw displeased her greatly.

    And Zuke could say the same about May.

    "In case someone tries to start trouble," he said.

    "Oh, funny," May said unimpressed. "That's why we're here. So feel free to take a hike."

    Zuke was never one to turn away from a challenge, but he had another reason for not liking May. "And let you try to pull something like you did to Clover in the tundra? No, thank you."

    "..."

    All three teenagers became extremely uncomfortable with the following silence. None of them were a fan of how high tensions between Atlas and Mantle had been, especially with the hardships the city had to endure because of the Amity project. Cinder was sure that Mantle would understand that Atlas was trying to help, but the secrecy of Amity wasn't doing anyone any favors. So Cinder knew she had to find another way to make peace.

    Fortunately, an opportunity to do that came in the form of Robyn Hill.

    "What's going on, Jolly White Giant?" Robyn playfully asked Zuke. She had come from another room to see May and Zuke in a standoff, but she quickly focused her attention on one of the teenagers. "Cinder! Hey there, kiddo. Haven't seen you since your pipsqueak days, how have you been?"

    Cinder smiled as she initiated conversation with Robyn. "Oh, I'm fine," she said before she pointed to the TV screen. "I'd ask you the same, but things are looking pretty good for you."

    Robyn turned to the screen to see that the election results were still coming in. "Heh, heh. Yep, sounds about right." She then turned to see the Atlesian company Cinder was with. "Well, there's no need to be paranoid in here, kiddo. I mean, is that why you have all these guards?"

    "Oh, Winter and I just came for the party. Zuke and Penny came because Ironwood asked them too. He's just a little worried, you know, with all the people that have been disappearing. He doesn't want any surprises tonight, especially with a potentially new Councilwoman."

    "Hm, I'm sure."

    "..."

    After taking a few moments to consider what Cinder was saying, Robyn made her decision. "Alright, let them stay. But they can stay out of the way."

    Cinder smiled at Zuke and Penny, and Penny returned a smile of her own. May was a little more confused by the decision, and so was Joanna Greenleaf, who had just joined them.

    "If I get elected tonight, we'll all have to learn how to get along," Robyn explained herself. May rolled her eyes, but she didn't object to the decision.

    Zuke didn't object either, but he wasn't finished talking just yet.

    "Sure, we won't have any problems," he said. "As long as you stay within the law."

    "The law isn't perfect, you know," Robyn countered. "It's certainly not equal."

    "Maybe, maybe not. But it exists for a reason. And I took an oath to uphold it."

    "Still. My only goal is that all the citizens of Mantle and Atlas, human and Faunus, have an equal shot at a good life."

    "Sounds great. And you're planning to do all that legally, right?"

    Robyn and Joanna grinned at each other, failing to notice Fiona fidgeting with a microphone behind them. "Everything I've done is legal," Robyn insisted.

    "Sure," said Zuke. "A hundred percent."

    *REEEEE*​

    Feedback from the microphone Fiona was holding caused everyone to cover their ears and give the young Faunus their attention. "Ha, ha," Fiona laughed. "Well, that worked."

    Robyn and her fellow Huntresses finally left Cinder and the Atlesians alone, which gave Cinder a chance to talk to Zuke. "Wow," she said. "I never knew you took the law so seriously, Zuke."

    "Somebody has to," the large man replied. "Alright, you'd better get going." Zuke gestured to Penny and himself. "We've got a job to do."

    Penny waved goodbye to Cinder and Winter, and they began to move to different ends of the stage. The two girls decided to rejoin the party and talk some more.

    "You make quite the negotiator, Cinder," said Winter.

    "It's not too hard," Cinder replied. "Sometimes, you just have to know when to drop the formalities and build up the relationship you have with people."

    "That's... surprisingly wise. Well, I suppose you'll have more chances to develop skills like that."

    "Meaning?"

    "You're still the Queen of Mandalore, after all."

    "..."

    Cinder remembered that was true. This caused her to remember a lot of things, from her declaration that the war was over to the speech she made in Mistral. And now, Robyn was making her own speech on the stage after everyone had been chanting her name.

    "Thank you so much, everyone, for choosing me," Robyn began. "You said you believe in me. But I'm the one who believes in all of you. You've proven to me that as individuals, we are strong. But together, we're unstoppable." The votes were still switching back and forth, but Robyn paid not attention to it. "So no matter what happens tonight, win or lose, we will continue to fight for our city, because it is this city that brings us together."

    As Cinder listened to the speech, she saw that the spirit Robyn had was similar to the spirit she had in Mistral. Cinder then began to realize that the election and the rise of a new Council member was an opportunity for her. Whoever was going to win was going to make a lot of changes for Atlas, which was what Cinder wanted for the Mandalorians.

    She wished both Bail and Robyn would win, but Cinder knew that she would watch the career of the new politician with great interest.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Cinder lost focus on the screen of votes for a moment when she heard a buzzing in her ear. The buzzing sounded like that of a small bug, so Cinder brushed her ear without a second thought.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    The second thought, however, came when Cinder brushed her other ear.

    Concern and mild paranoia came over Cinder when the buzzing stopped. She didn't know how many insects Mantle had, but Cinder couldn't help but think back on the last time she had a problem with bugs.

    Namely, when she burned Flora and her Botflies to death.

    The crowd had started to count down from ten, since the polls were finally about to close. Winter felt tempted to join in, but she focused on Cinder when she noticed her friend walking away.

    "Cinder, where are you going?" Winter asked. "Cinder?"

    The Fall Maiden couldn't help but ignore her friend as she scanned the area. It was easier said than done to find a fly in a room full of people, but Cinder couldn't help but look around. And rather than look around for a Botfly, Cinder looked for a young woman in a black dress.

    And unfortunately, there was indeed a woman in a black dress with a hood over her face leaning against the wall. To make matters worse, Cinder could see a familiar face under the hood; a brunette who smiled and waved at the Fall Maiden.

    "I got her," she whispered into a Scroll. "Do it."

    Cinder reached towards Fauna and screamed as loud as she could, but the chanting of the crowd drowned out her yell. Winter was the only one who had a clue that something was wrong, but there was nothing she could do about it.

    The room was engulfed in darkness when the lights gave out.

    *THOOM*​

    Everyone became quiet when the lights and the the TV screen went dark. They all looked at the ceiling as they wondered what was going on. Cinder tried to looked for Fauna and Winter, but she couldn't see a thing. And before she could think to use her powers to create a flame for light, Fauna moved towards a door as she listened to a voice in her Scroll.

    "Ready..." said Merri, who had accompanied her sister to Atlas. "Go."

    With a grin, Fauna swung the door open and listened to loud footsteps echo through the room.

    *THOOM*

    *THOOM*    ​

    When the footsteps stopped, chaos began.

    *BAM*

    *CRACK*

    *THOOM*

    *BAM*

    *CRACK*    ​

    Screams and panic filled the air as people were moving left and right. They couldn't see it, but two heavy fists and a blunt instrument were striking everyone in the path of a very large figure. Because of this, blood was being spilt as people fell to the ground either dead or severely wounded.

    Cinder was about to use her powers to create a light, but people began to cage her in and give her less space to move. Winter reached for her sword, but felt thin air before a fist struck her face and knocked her down.

    Penny and Zuke were the only ones who were armed, but they were having trouble finding out who or what was causing the panic.

    "Penny, what's going on over there?!" Zuke said over his radio.

    Penny eyes shifted into night vision, which allowed her to see the people running around. And soon enough, she could see a large figure standing over a bloody man on the ground. Penny couldn't make out many details about the figure, but she could see what appeared to be metal armor.

    "Put down your weapons and surrender!" Penny yelled to what she assumed to be a person.

    The only response Penny got to the order was something metal hitting her in the face.

    *BAM*​

    Penny was momentarily incapacitated, and Zuke was trying to call for assistance on his radio. Robyn soon recognized that something dangerous was in the room.

    "Huntresses, to me!" she yelled. Fiona was still with her, and she believed that getting Robyn out of the building was the best way to help.

    "Come on!" she said. "We've gotta get you outta here!"

    *BAM*​

    "Aaah!"

    Fiona was struck by something blunt and heavy, which caused her to fall down. Then, something crashed into Robyn and also caused her to fall down.

    "Robyn!" Penny yelled as she rushed to the stage.

    "Fauna, get him out of there," Merri said to her sister. "Penny's right on time."

    Fauna obeyed the order and sent one of her Botflies towards her ally. The figure killing and maiming people in the building was indeed a man, someone who immediately heard a voice tell him to leave the room.

    Soon enough, Fauna and the large man were gone. When they finally left, the lights came on to reveal multiple dead people, Penny on stage with her swords floating in the air, and a message on the TV screen.

    "Ans the winner of the Atlas Council election is… Bail Organa!"

    Nobody paid attention to the fact that Robyn had apparently lost the election. And nobody was paying to attention to the victory speech Bail was making to thank his many supporters.

    Instead, along with looking at the dead people on the ground, everyone was looking at Penny with her weapons in the air.

    "It's Ironwood's robot!" a civilian yelled.

    "Penny?" Robyn asked as she stared at the android. She was armed with her crossbow, but she didn't fire at the scared young girl.

    "I... I didn't," Penny said in her defense. But that wasn't enough to make Robyn believe her.

    Cinder had finally managed to get off the ground and see what was going on. After she cursed herself for not being able to use her powers, the Fall Maiden rushed over to help Winter off the ground.

    "Wh... What happened?" Winter asked as she focused on her Aura. She was still sore from being hit, but she was going to live.

    "It's Fauna!" Cinder said as she began to move towards the stage. "Fauna's here!" Eventually, Cinder and Winter reunited with Penny and Zuke and attempted to think of a way to take control of the situation.

    *WHOOSH*​

    A bolt from Joanna's crossbow barely missed everyone and caused them to look at an angry mob. The mob soon charged towards the stage, ready to fight back against the people they thought to be their enemy.

    Cinder was the one who managed to stop the crowd, and she did this by finally using her powers. Without hesitation, Cinder sent a small wave of fire in front of the mob and prevented them from advancing. The fire would disappear soon, and give everyone enough time to leave.

    "Get Penny out the back!" Zuke said as he pointed a blaster at Robyn. He wasn't going to shoot her, unless she shot first. "Now!"

    Cinder was reluctant to leave, since she wanted to help Robyn and Fiona get off the ground. But one look at Robyn spoke volumes to the Fall Maiden, which told Cinder that she had to leave.

    But not without saying one more thing.

    "This wasn't us," she said as she led Penny outside. "I swear."

    "..."

    Whether Robyn believed Cinder or not was unknown, but she didn't fire a single bolt from her weapon.

    When Cinder and the Atlesians all left the building, they were unable to notice that Fauna had reunited with Merri in an alleyway.

    "Well done," Merri said as she looked at her Scroll. "The cameras inside got everything."

    "We still replacing the big guy with Penny?" Fauna asked as she pointed to a large shadow behind her.

    "That's the plan." Merri moved a recording of Penny killing Grimm over to the footage in the warehouse and combined them perfectly. "Done. And it looks like I didn't have to worry about Robyn winning either."

    "Maybe Arthur can teach you to hack bigger things when we break him out."

    "He will. But I think we're done for tonight."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 61: The Setback
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 61: The Setback​

    Roughly three days had passed since Atlas held its election for a new member of the Council. In that time, Bail had been working tirelessly with Willow and the rest of the Council to turn things around. However, recent events in Mantle and recent decisions by Ironwood had made their efforts rather difficult.

    Nobody could possibly forget the events that transpired in the warehouse where Robyn held her party. Survivors walked away with bruises and severe cuts, but many people had been killed. The police and the military were working hard to find the culprit, but the people of Atlas and Mantle had their own suspect.

    Penny.

    Nobody knew how or when, but a video of Penny taking part in the massacre was uploaded and sent all across the Kingdom. Of course, nobody close to Ironwood believed Penny was responsible. Pietro had managed to uncover evidence that the footage was doctored, that someone had placed Penny's combat footage in Mantle over the real perpetrator, but nobody in Mantle was willing to listen.

    That was why Penny found herself confined to Pietro's lab until order was restored. Pietro and R2 were allowed to monitor her and provide comfort, but things weren't going to be the same with Penny.

    In order to keep things in check, and prevent another massacre, Ironwood established a curfew and a restriction on assembly in Mantle. Enforcement of this decision was overseen by Admiral Thrawn, as well as a select few in Thrawn's ranks. Martial law wasn't in effect, but Thrawn had granted the air fleet's top officers emergency powers over Mantle in this time.

    The most swift and thorough of these officers was an ambitious man named Wilhuff Tarkin, who worked with Admiral Thrawn to divide Mantle into sectors that the other officers would oversee. Thrawn and the officers were not given the authority from Ironwood to overstep civilian authority, but they worked closely with the city council and governors.

    More closely than any civilian officer was comfortable with.

    Results varied across the city, but no similar incidents of violence had been reported. However, there was one problem Ironwood was determined to have resolved immediately.

    Namely, a problem with Robyn Hill.

    Robyn was devastated by the massacre in her warehouse, but she was also more resolved than ever. The election had taught her much, mainly that she wouldn't be able to help the city through legitimate means.

    Vigilantism, on the other hand, worked like a charm.

    Robyn wasn't able to find out what was so important about Amity, but she was able to find out the schedules of trucks that were being sent to Amity to deliver supplies. And with the help of the Happy Huntresses, they were able to seize those supplies for themselves.

    The soldiers and the officers deployed to Mantle all tried to stop these thefts, but their efforts were in vain. May's invisibility Semblance was the perfect cover to hide seized trucks, and Fiona was able to use her Semblance to store everything the trucks had within the palm of her hand. And when they had everything they needed, Robyn and the Huntresses moved across the city to deliver the supplies wherever they were needed.

    Because of this, Mantle was able to begin repairing the outer wall. Some of the supplies were given to citizens who needed them, but concentration on the wall was carried out. Along with that, Atlas' suppliers felt the confidence to refuse Ironwood's requests for more supplies until the city was properly repaired.

    Needless to say, Ironwood and his officers were far from happy about this.

    Thrawn and Tarkin had made progress on determining a pattern of where Robyn would be delivering the supplies, as well as the location of where she was storing them. Ironwood would normally praise the officers for their efforts, but he needed Robyn to stop right now. And he needed to know who was responsible for the massacre in the warehouse.

    That was why he invited Djarin, Cinder, Ozpin, and Qrow into his office to work on a plan.

    "This is the worst case scenario!" Ironwood said as he stared at a screen of Robyn stealing supplies "More people are dead, Penny's been framed, and Robyn is stealing from right under our noses!"

    Nobody in the room was a stranger to Ironwood yelling, so they remained patient until he calmed down. Cinder was happy that she wasn't the one being yelled at, but she still remained quiet. However, it was Clover Ebi who spoke after Ironwood was done.

    "That's the second shipment for Amity that was hit today," said the leader of SCAR Squadron. "It seems election night was the last push Robyn needed to go from hometown hero to full-on vigilante."

    "I'm afraid the problem is more complicated than that," said Winter. She had been released from the medical wing of the academy, after she had received minor injuries from the election night. And now, she was ready to get back to work.

    Everyone was glad to see that Winter and Cinder were okay, but today was rather serious. And Ironwood sighed as he began to explain the situation while pacing around his desk.

    "It seems Robyn has emboldened our suppliers in Mantle," he said. "They're refusing to sell us provisions until the city is adequately repaired. With Robyn redistributing the goods her team has stolen, the Amity Project is completely stalled."

    Everyone knew that Robyn stealing supplies was a setback, but to hear that the project was on hold was terrible news.

    "But we're so close!" Cinder insisted. She had been keeping track of the progress Pietro and everyone else had made with Amity, so she knew it was almost ready. "There has to be a way to finish the tower!"

    "There is," said Winter, who was looking at the General. "Declaring martial law."

    "..."

    The silence that followed Winter's proposal told everyone that Ironwood was definitely considering the offer. He hadn't declared martial law when he and his fleet returned to Atlas, but the idea was rather tempting. Admiral Thrawn and his subordinates would be given the power they needed to bring more swift results, and Ironwood believed another incident like the one in the warehouse would be easily prevented.

    But not everyone agreed with him.

    "Heh, heh, heh," Cinder awkwardly chuckled. "Okay, but maybe there's a better way than scaring everyone in Mantle."

    Ironwood turned to look out his window, which was a habit of his when he needed to think about important decisions and reinforce his conviction in doing what he believed was right. "What's more important?" he asked. "Establishing communications, unite the world? Or appeasing a few city blocks?"

    All of Ozpin's allies were growing more uncomfortable with the idea, and Qrow took his turn to sway Ironwood away from it. "Those city blocks are preventing us from getting the comms back up," he said. "You said it yourself, James."

    "Yeah," Cinder agreed. "They're not gonna budge until things get better down there. I'm not saying we can solve all of Mantle's problems, but if we help out where we can, maybe that can help. You keep talking about how we just need a little more time, but we need Mantle to give us that time."

    General Ironwood turned to face Cinder and move back to his desk. "Mantle just needs to hold out a little longer until the tower is ready," he insisted. "We have all had to make sacrifices for the greater good. Mantle has had to bear a lot of the burden, yes, but-"

    "They're bearing all of it," said Djarin, who was invigorated by his daughter's point and recent events. "Ignoring a large group of people is exactly how we got here in the first place. That's why the Mandalorians started a war; they were tired of being cast out into the wilderness, tired of being robbed of a home."

    "Djarin's right, James," said Ozpin. "If we keep ignoring Mantle, we may have a rebellion to contend with." Ozpin pointed to the screen where Ironwood had been looking. "And from the looks of it, Ms. Hill is beginning to ignite the spark."

    "..."

    Between the Mandalorian war, Robyn's bold actions in Mantle, and everyone calmly pointing out the logic of the situation, Ironwood reluctantly pushed the thought of martial law aside. The last thing he wanted was a rebellion in Mantle, which would delay Amity even more. If he didn't tread carefully, another war would be imminent.

    Everyone could see that General Ironwood was mostly convinced, but Winter and Clover were somewhat reluctant to abandon the idea of martial law so quickly. But Cinder was willing to share her opinion once more.

    "Squeezing Mantle this way…" she began. "That kind of division plays right into Salem's hands. That's why Fauna is here framing General Ironwood. And maybe Merri's here too."

    The mention of Salem's daughters brought up some very bad memories for Winter. She couldn't help but raise her hand to her artificial eye as she relived the experience of losing her original one. At the time, she didn't know how or why the Blair sisters were able to do what they did at Beacon. But after Cinder explained who and what they were, everything made sense.

    Now, all she wanted was to make sure nothing like that happened again.

    "Right, the reason we called you here in the first place," said Clover. This was enough to return Winter to reality, and she payed close attention to the leader of SCAR Squadron. "Who did you say you saw in the warehouse?"

    "Fauna Blair," Cinder replied. "My old teammate."

    "Fauna and her two sisters arrived at Beacon early last semester, and Cinder joined their ranks as a complete team of students" Ozpin explained. "But what we didn't know was that they were double agents working with Salem. They helped the Mandalorians invade Beacon."

    "And now they're doing it again," said Djarin.

    "I killed Flora in Vacuo, but I never saw Fauna or Merri there," Cinder declared.

    "If we ever had any doubts Atlas was Salem's next target, I think those are officially out the window," said Qrow.

    "But now we have a suspect," Cinder pointed out. "We can tell the people."

    "That a terrorist is loose in Mantle and the military has no idea where she is," said Clover. "Might make things worse before they get better."

    "With all due respect, I may have to agree with Cinder," said Winter, which surprised everyone. "The Blairs are the reason I lost my eye." Winter pointed to the small piece of metal next to her eye. "If what she told me about them is true, that they can turn into Botflies, that makes them incredibly dangerous." Winter suddenly had a bad thought. "They could be watching us through a fly on the wall."

    The idea unnerved Clover and Ironwood, who were beginning to believe that Amity might be compromised already. Nevertheless, Clover stuck to his original decision. "Telling the people is one thing, but proving it is another," he said. "Nobody else but Cinder could see that girl, and election night didn't exactly paint us in a good picture."

    "But we have to do something!" Cinder insisted. "Fauna's the one who's been killing those people from before! And if Merri's here too, that's twice the damage they could do! We'll be putting Mantle at risk if we don't say anything about them, or Amity, or even about-!"

    "We can't share anything about that!" said General Ironwood. When Cinder remembered what she just said, she could see that she had made a mistake. Talking about Amity was strictly off limits, and now General Ironwood was about to share that.

    "If we talk about Amity now, we risk Salem's forces, who we know are here, working to sabotage it," Ironwood continued. "If we tell them about Salem now, we risk falling to the Grimm before we can reunite Remnant." Ironwood stood up from his desk while slamming his palms on it. "We have to finish the tower."

    "..."

    The silence served as a chance for the General to make a unilateral decision. "I want Robyn Hill in custody. We can offer her a deal if she gets Mantle to cooperate."

    "We'll figure it out," Clover promised.

    "Anyone not assisting with Robyn needs to focus on the Blairs." Ironwood began to move towards the door of his office as he spoke. "I want to know if both of them are here, where they're hiding, what they're planning, and how exactly that video of Penny got all over my Kingdom." Ironwood turned around before he left the office. "Do I make myself clear?"

    "Yes, sir," Winter and Clover responded.

    "..."

    Cinder and her allies couldn't help but read into Ironwood's exact words. His stress about the situation was clear, as was his resolve. It was this resolve and the use of "my Kingdom" that unsettled everyone. Nevertheless, when Cinder recalled that she had inadvertently caused this stress, she decided to do what Ozpin had been doing.

    Play things safe while hoping for the best.

    "...Yes, sir," she said with a hint of timidness.

    After the meeting in General Ironwood's office, Djarin and his allies regrouped in his room to strategize the best way to deal with Mantle's problems. Given that General Ironwood hadn't given them direction on how to deal with Robyn and Salem's daughters, it was implied that they had more free reign in this operation.

    Revan and Obi-Wan had joined their friends to aid in this endeavor. They would normally be talking to Bo-Katan or defending the tundra, but now they wanted to find out what Salem was up to and stop it.

    Now, they just had to see how they were going to do that.

    "It's strange," said Revan, who was the first to speak after he heard what happened in Ironwood's office. "I knew Salem for many years... but I was never aware of these hybrids she made."

    "Well, Professor Port told me that Botflies were a more recent discovery," Cinder pointed out. "And I heard how they called Salem their mother. I guess she wanted to protect them."

    "Heh," Qrow dryly chuckled. "Guess she cares for something, after all."

    "Cinder, you said you killed Flora in Vacuo," said Djarin. "And you have a lot of experience with Merri and Fauna from Beacon. Any ideas on how we can find them?"

    "All I can say is that they don't like fire," Cinder pointed out. "We can use that when we do find them. But as for how, I'm not really sure."

    "If it's the cold they're drawn to, perhaps the damaged part of the wall is our best chance," said Obi-Wan. "Nobody human would dare to go out into the tundra."

    "James has many Huntsmen and Huntresses defending the wall," said Ozpin. "Nothing out of the ordinary has been reported so far."

    "This kind of hunt will take more than just Huntsmen and Huntresses," said Djarin. "I've hunted people with bounties on their heads for years before I met you all. I can do it again."

    "What do you propose, Djarin?" Revan asked calmly.

    "Our best chance is to know how they think. We need to find out what they've done and why. And where they would try to do it again."

    "Revan and I have made progress with Bo-Katan," said Obi-Wan. "If we were to ask her, perhaps she can shed some light on how these hybrids think and act."

    "And who they're working with," said Cinder.

    "..."

    Everyone turned to Cinder with perplexed looks on their faces. The masks Revan and Djarin wore hid their faces, but they too were unsure as to what Cinder meant. Fortunately, the Maiden was willing to explain.

    "Before she was taken where Pietro can take care of her, Penny told me she saw something weird," she said. "That there was a large person in some kind of armor attacking the people in the warehouse."

    "Someone's working with those brats?" Qrow asked.

    "It could be another Mandalorian," Djarin suggested. "I know your speech helped, Cinder, but I think I know a few Mandalorians who might want me dead." Djarin recalled how his last encounter with Paz Vizsla and other children of the Watch went at Haven. Paz sounded like someone who fit the description of a large man in armor.

    "Hang on," said Qrow. "Clover's buddy Zuke has a Semblance that can coat himself in iron. Maybe Penny saw him trying to help and mistook him for the enemy."

    "Hmm, I don't know, Qrow," said Cinder. "Penny's never made mistakes like that in the field before."

    "If someone is indeed working with the Blairs, then there is much we still don't know," said Ozpin. "Djarin has the right idea. We can analyze how the Blairs might be thinking, and where they would most likely go after that. James has a copy of the police and military reports of the incident, we can look there."

    "I can check out the warehouse if you want," said Qrow. He knew his ability to transform into a crow would be the perfect cover for returning to the scene of the crime. "They might have left a trail there."

    "That's a good start," said Djarin. "We'll need to look at every angle for this." The Mandalorian looked over to Obi-Wan once more. "I know you said you could ask Bo-Katan, but is there a chance you could talk to Hazel too?"

    "He hasn't been the easiest person to get through," Obi-Wan replied. "He's as stubborn as a rock, and still loyal to Salem."

    "Even after what happened to his sister?" Cinder asked.

    "Indeed. I thought mentioning Gretchen would help show him how little Salem cares, but it only made him angrier. Reaching him will be difficult."

    Djarin accepted this with a nod as he fell into silence. He was still going to help his allies, but he needed to sit back and think for a moment.

    "So, it's decided," said Ozpin. "We'll retrace the steps of the Blairs and their supposed ally to see where they'll strike next. Which leaves only one more matter: Robyn Hill."

    "..."

    There was no argument that Robyn Hill's actions were very consequential. Stealing was, of course, against the law. Furthermore, while the distribution of supplies was helping people with immediate problems, Robyn was inadvertently putting a bigger picture at risk.

    And while it was difficult to imagine, everyone knew that Robyn had to be stopped.

    "Clover was telling me that he and his squad might be setting up a trap for her," said Qrow. "That they'll be inside some trucks in Mantle, and give her the jump when she opens it."

    "An arrest may stop the seizure of supplies, but it will most likely be temporary," said Revan. "Someone else will follow in her footsteps."

    "I'm afraid I won't be able to get through to James on that," said Ozpin.

    "Maybe I should talk to Winter," Cinder suggested. "She was on our side in the office, maybe she can help us work closer with Clover and the others on this."

    "That could work," said Djarin, who finally broke his silence. "Okay, we should get started. Qrow, you had the right idea about going to the warehouse. We'll start there."

    "I'll let you know what I find," said Qrow, who stood up and moved to the door.

    Content with Qrow's willingness to start working, Djarin turned to Ozpin. "Oz, those police and military reports should help us out. If you can get them and share them with us, we could piece together what happened when the lights went out."

    "I'll have to ask James for them," said Ozpin. "But I'll go right now."

    Djarin nodded before he turned to the two Jedi. "Obi-Wan, Revan, you can talk to Bo-Katan. We might have to take the gloves off for Hazel."

    "Leave that to me," said Revan. He was no stranger to working in ways that were unorthodox. So he would be ready to be less conventional with Hazel.

    Nobody wanted it that way, but they needed all the help and information they could get.

    "Cinder, talking with Winter might be a start," said Djarin. "But if you can think of a way to help find Fauna or Merri, you should go to Mantle. You're our best chance at hurting them."

    Cinder understood what Djarin was saying, given her experience with Flora. And since she was more than willing to stop Flora's sisters, she agreed to her father's suggestion.

    "Okay, Dad," she said. "What about you?"

    "I think I know someone who can help us," the Mandalorian replied. "Whether or not he'll be willing is another thing. But I have to try."

    Nobody was sure who Djarin was referring to. Cinder almost believed her father was talking about their friend Lando, but then she remembered what Djarin had said about the Dust smuggling. Regardless, Cinder simply chose to trust her father and begin her next mission.

    Everyone had gone their separate ways when they left the dorm room. The only ones who were together were Revan and Obi-Wan, who took an elevator down to the holding cells of Atlas Academy.

    Oddly, Djarin took another elevator to the same floor.

    It was true that the Mandalorian would find his potential lead to Fauna and Merri in the brig, but he didn't want to say anything to Cinder. It wasn't that he didn't trust her with important matters and decisions, but rather that he didn't want to open any old wounds for Cinder.

    And so, Djarin set off to examine the holding cells alone. It was easy for him to find his target, since the cells had a terminal to show the location and status of prisoners who were present. Once the Mandalorian knew where he needed to go, he found himself in front of a Hard-Light door with a prisoner staring back at him.

    "...I need your help," the Mandalorian reluctantly said.

    "..."

    The prisoner was sitting on the bed of his cell, with a shadow hiding his face. He was surprised to see the Mandalorian, someone he hadn't seen in ages, pay him a visit. He didn't plan on addressing the warrior, or to move off his bed and give Djarin his attention. But when he heard a surprising demand, the prisoner stood up and let the light shine on his face.

    And that face, a face with a very unsettling smile, was the face of the former Major Gideon.

    "This should be interesting," the disgraced officer replied.

    "I knew those girls. I met them after the Fall of Beacon, when we all left together."

    "We understand they played a pivotal role in infiltrating Beacon, that nobody discovered it until it was too late. We think they're doing it again now."

    "Salem never talked about Atlas to us. All she was focused on was the war effort in Vale and Mistral."

    "..."

    The former Headmaster of Haven Academy slowly nodded his head in acknowledgement; he believed what he had just heard.

    Revan and Obi-Wan were speaking to Bo-Katan Kryze, just as they said they would. And just as they predicted, Bo-Katan was able to confirm that she knew Salem's daughters. She didn't know too much about them, given that they only met a few times at Salem's castle and the island of Kalevala. However, Bo-Katan was willing to share what she did know.

    "The only one that sounded important is the blonde," she said to the Jedi. "Merriweather, I think."

    "Why is that?" Revan asked calmly.

    "Vizsla told me that she was the one who built his robot. You know, the Basilisk." Bo looked over to Obi-Wan. "I heard you met it at the Great Lake."

    Obi-Wan nodded once more as he recalled an experience with a giant war machine. "Yes," he said. "It was very difficult to destroy. You said that Merriweather built it herself?"

    "That's what Vizsla told me."

    Obi-Wan took a moment to think about this idea. The first thought that came to mind was Salem's evolution in combat. She always relied on the Grimm and the Sith to carry out her destructive will. Now she seemed to be relying on droids as well.

    Similar to how Ironwood was relying on them.

    Obi-Wan's next idea was actually a connection. He was well aware of the massacre in Mantle, and how Penny had been framed for it. There was one detail that stuck out to him, how footage of Penny fighting had been doctored and used to make her look guilty.

    "This 'Merriweather' seems remarkably intelligent," he said. "First espionage, then mechanical engineering. It may be possible that she possesses knowledge on creating fake video recordings."

    "Then she is here," Revan concluded. "Cinder confirmed that her remaining sister is here as well." Revan looked back to Bo-Katan once more. "We need to know where they are. How they're planning to destroy Atlas."

    "Don't look at me," said the Mandalorian. "I was Vizsla's second in command, not Salem's. Whatever she shared with them was beyond me."

    "Please, Bo-Katan," Obi-Wan implored, despite the fact that there was logic behind what the Mandalorian said. "You must remember something. Or have any idea behind Salem's motive."

    "..."

    Bo-Katan normally would disregard a request like this if it came from a stranger. However, the fact that she and Obi-Wan both cared about Satine made the Mandalorian decide to grant this request.

    "I learned that those girls posed as students at Beacon," she said. "That's what Vizsla told me. They might be doing something like that here. I mean, they fooled you all once."

    Obi-Wan and Revan looked at each other as they considered the idea. "True," said the masked Jedi. "Ozpin believed they were normal students."

    "We'll speak to Ironwood," Obi-Wan decided. "A review of new Atlesian cadets may be in order."

    "There was something else too," said the imprisoned Mandalorian. "Salem made a fit about something called 'Maidens.' I don't know anything about them, but they seem important."

    This was rather obvious for Obi-Wan and Revan, and they knew the Winter Maiden was in no imminent danger. "Anything else?" Obi-Wan asked.

    "That attack in the warehouse you mentioned." Bo-Katan moved closer to the cell door. "There has to be only one person responsible for it."

    Obi-Wan moved closer to the cell in anticipation. "Yes?"

    "The same person who killed Satine. He's out to get us."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel depressed at the mention of Satine. More than anything, he wanted to find her murderer and make him face justice for his multiple crimes. But justice wasn't going to fix the guilt Obi-Wan felt in his heart.

    And neither would misplaced blame.

    "I am sorry, Bo-Katan," the Jedi said sincerely. "But I'm afraid you're mistaken. The possibility did come to mind, but we were both wrong. Cinder was in the warehouse, and she didn't see Anakin's lightsaber. Whoever was responsible for the attack, it wasn't someone like him or me."

    "..."

    Bo-Katan shared the same disappointment as Obi-Wan. However, she was having a hard time believing the claim. Though she owed her life to Cinder and her use of the Relic of Knowledge, which was in Obi-Wan's possession, Bo-Katan didn't exactly trust the Maiden.

    And now, she was starting to lose trust in Obi-Wan.

    "You're lying," she said. "You just want him for yourself."

    Obi-Wan sensed an anger building within Bo-Katan, but he wasn't expecting an accusation like that. "No," he said. "That's not true."

    "The hell it isn't." Bo-Katan began to pace around her cell. "It's been weeks now. I've been in this cell while you come and go as you please. How do I know you haven't already found him? How do I know this wasn't just a trick to get me where I am now?" The Mandalorian turned around while she scuffed. "I should have never trusted you."

    "..."

    In times of conflict and war, Obi-Wan was always taught to know his enemy. Not just their battle tactics, but know them inside and out. Years of training and fighting was how Obi-Wan was able to understand Bo-Katan now, to understand how betrayed and hopeless she felt.

    And she had a point. Being in a cell was the right place for her, given her crimes in Vale and Mistral. For all she knew, the visits Obi-Wan and Revan paid her were just a distraction, a tool to make her believe that the fight was still at hand.

    While she had good reason to believe this, what Bo-Katan didn't know was that Obi-Wan was always a man of his word. And now, he was going to show her that the faith she placed in him was not misplaced.

    *BEEP*​

    A familiar sound made Bo-Katan turn around and see that the door to her cell had been opened. And after he assured Revan that he would be fine, Obi-Wan stepped into the cell and stared at the Mandalorian very calmly.

    "Look at this face," he ordered. "Take a good, long look at this face."

    "..."

    Bo-Katan had no idea where this was going, and she couldn't really do anything else besides follow the order.

    "Is this the face of a man who's completed his mission?" Obi-Wan asked. "Someone who did what he set out to do long ago?"

    "..."

    After taking time to consider the question, Bo-Katan simply shrugged. "If not, then that's the best sabacc face I've seen in my entire life," she said, wondering if Obi-Wan was hiding his true feelings and intentions behind a mask.

    Obi-Wan decided to take another risk and close the door by using the Force. Once he and Bo-Katan were shut out from the rest of the world, the Jedi spoke again. "This is us," he said as he turned around again. "This is us ever since Satine died. Both of us. Equal. Powerless. Trapped."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan moved to the bed in the cell and sat on it. "I'm just like you, Bo-Katan. I may have been able to come and go as I wished, but ever since that night... I've created my own prison. Perhaps that's why I don't often leave the academy."

    "..."

    "I'd give anything to free myself. To break my chains and remember what it was that made my life worth living. I have my resolve to stop Anakin and Salem... but it's nowhere near as meaningful as being with Satine Kryze."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan finally looked up at Bo-Katan as he made a promise. "I imagine you feel the same way, Bo-Katan. Which is why I'm giving you my word that you will be set free to assist me the moment I find any trace or whisper of Anakin."

    "..."

    In her life, Bo-Katan learned that actions had a much greater impact than words ever did. However, that didn't mean that what Obi-Wan said in order to relate to her wasn't true. And he did take such a great risk to enter the same cell as a Mandalorian just so he could prove a point.

    It was impressive, to say the least. Bo-Katan was sure that Obi-Wan knew how much danger he would be in by stepping inside her cell, how she could try to kill him and make her getaway. And yet, here he was; understanding just how trapped and powerless she felt as well.

    It seemed she was wrong about Obi-Wan after all.

    "If we're going to do this together... I'd at least like to be ready," she said calmly. Bo-Katan wasn't making a threat, but she did have a demand she deemed reasonable. "I haven't really gotten the chance to keep up with my training."

    Obi-Wan nodded before he stood up and opened the door with the Force. "Revan and I are going to talk to Hazel first," he said. "Then we can talk to James about supervised training."

    Bo-Katan didn't thank the Jedi for her efforts, but she nodded in acknowledgement. And with that, Obi-Wan and Revan took their leave.

    "It's strange," the masked Jedi said as he walked with his friend. "There was a time where I wouldn't think twice about killing a Mandalorian like Bo-Katan."

    "And now?" Obi-Wan asked inquisitively.

    "Now I see that warriors like her are unique. Determined and ready, but also powerless. And lonely." Revan looked down at his hands as he thought back on a time when he was like Bo-Katan. "The Fermata Cage has that effect on all who are imprisoned in it."

    Obi-Wan nodded slowly. He wasn't a prisoner of that cage like Revan was, but he understood what an experience it truly was. "You seem to have more in common with Bo-Katan that you may not have believed earlier. Perhaps... that not all prisoners are unworthy of redemption."

    "..."

    "Why would I help you?"

    This was the first question Gideon had asked the Mandalorian, once he finished explaining the situation. Djarin had reluctantly shared the information of the Blairs and their unknown accomplice in Mantle, and how it was obviously part of a grander plan to destroy the entire Kingdom.

    That was why Djarin believed Gideon was the only person who knew how it would be done.

    Gideon's question was definitely not unexpected, given the fact that he was being asked for help by one of the people responsible for putting him away. And this was a rather strange visit, the first one Djarin paid Gideon in five years.

    So it made sense that the former Major would remain skeptical of the whole thing. However, Djarin was far from willing to give up.

    "You're asking the wrong question," he said as he stared at the man behind the frame. "And you know it."

    "...Do I?" Gideon asked with a smirk.

    The Mandalorian moved closer to the cell door and continued to speak. "We both know what Salem's capable of," he said. "You know better than anyone. Controlling Grimm was impressive, but you joined her after you couldn't kill her, couldn't you?" Djarin had been told about this by Bo-Katan during the voyage to Atlas, how she and Pre Vizsla tried and failed to kill Salem. This was a way for Salem to show mankind how powerful she was, and Djarin was sure that she did the same thing to Gideon.

    And he was right.

    "Ah, so you finally figured that out, did you?" Gideon asked as he turned around. "Yes, I tried killing her. I shot her. Stabbed her. Hacked her apart with the Darksaber." Gideon looked back to Djarin when he mentioned the weapon. "Oh, speaking of which..." Gideon noticed that the weapon wasn't with Djarin. "Where is the Darksaber?"

    "That doesn't matter," Djarin said, just to make Gideon refocus on Salem. "I'm here to talk about-"

    "You lost it."

    "..."

    Gideon slowly but surely moved back to the cell door as he talked. "What was that like? Losing the last symbol of authority your people have? How does it feel to know you had all that power... and now you have nothing?"

    "..."

    "My grandfather told me how it felt, after he lost it to my father. He was the one who claimed it after the Great War, you know. When the Mand'alor was slain in battle, when peace was brought to the Kingdoms, my grandfather kept it for himself. Had such grand ambitions for Mandalore. That was how he passed it to my father, and my father passed it on to me."

    "..."

    "I have no regrets, mind you. However short my tenure was, it was a tenure nonetheless. I built an army, hurt Atlas at a very vulnerable time." Gideon leaned closer to the cell and grinned. "What have you done? Hm?"

    "..."

    Djarin could tell that this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. Based on how much he was enjoying this, the Mandalorian saw that Gideon had nothing to lose. He could go off on tangents, get under Djarin's skin, but nothing was going to change that he was still inside a cell.

    Whatever happened next wasn't going to change Gideon's situation. But that didn't mean Djarin couldn't try.

    "That's a question you should ask yourself, Gideon," Djarin replied, taking a page out of the Atlesian's book. "You gave up everything you had just to end up in a cell. And it's all thanks to Salem."

    "..."

    This time, Djarin leaned closer to the cell door to make his point. "You can stop protecting her. Your life means nothing to her."

    Djarin's first statement irked Gideon, but what the Mandalorian just said made him ignore these feelings. "Are you forgetting the time I put a gun to my own head?" he asked. "My life lost its meaning ever since that brat of yours escaped my grasp."

    Djarin shook his head slowly. He indeed recalled Gideon's attempt to kill himself, but the Mandalorian was able to call the former Major's bluff. "And yet, here you are," he said. "Still breathing." Djarin gestured to a pit of bedsheets on Gideon's bed. "You could have hanged yourself by your bedsheets if you really wanted to. No... No, you're itching to get out. Clawing."

    Gideon had to straighten his posture before he could reply. It was true that he wished to escape his cell, to find himself on the battlefield once more, hopefully against Ironwood himself. Gideon would have seized his chance long ago, but there was no chance to be had. The best thing he could do was accept his fate.

    While trying to hurt his enemies even more.

    "I know I'm not going to leave this cell," said Gideon. "And why would I want to? At a time like this? James is squeezing Mantle with a broken wall. Taking supplies into the tundra, restricting assembly... Why would I want to leave now?"

    Djarin was still annoyed at Gideon's apparent stubbornness, but he was surprised at his knowledge of Atlas' situation. He highly doubted that the news reached Atlas' brig, so someone must have told Gideon about this.

    Maybe a fly buzzed into his ear.

    "And before you ask, no, I haven't been in contact with anyone," Gideon quickly denied. "Dozens of 'political prisoners' have been brought here from Mantle whenever they break James' rules. They don't stay for too long, but they're brought here nonetheless." Gideon smiled again as he made a final point. "Seeing them all here, hearing what the guards have to say, is giving me a front row seat to James' downfall."

    "..."

    "So no. I won't be helping you with anything." Gideon turned heel and began to walk back to his bed. "Good day."

    "..."

    Djarin was always familiar with people saying "No" to him. Interrogations during bounty hunts would usually have the word "No" be the first answer. This would lead Djarin to hurting the individual, to beat or scare the information he needed out of them. He couldn't do that with Gideon, and he clearly couldn't convince him to betray Salem because she didn't care about him.

    However, Djarin could see that there was one last card he could play. In fact, it had been played from the moment Djarin met Gideon. He knew just what the former officer wanted out of life right now.

    "Ironwood can't figure it out," Djarin declared.

    "..."

    Gideon had been walking back to his bed after he dismissed Djarin, but he couldn't help but freeze the second Djarin made his point. He didn't turn around, but his stillness showed an indication of curiosity and attention.

    And so, Djarin continued to feed Gideon's ego.

    "He's on the edge of breaking," he continued. "He's desperate. Everywhere he looks, he sees the enemy. Because he knows he can't do this. He can't figure it out."

    "..."

    "That's why you should help me, Gideon. Because helping me, at a time like this, does something rare."

    "..."

    "It proves you're better than Ironwood."

    "..."

    Djarin knew that this wasn't true; he knew that the man who tried to kill him and kidnapped his daughter was in no way better than General Ironwood. It was true that Ironwood was running out of options, but everything else was mostly a lie to feed Gideon's ego.

    And when the former officer finally turned around, Djarin could see that his plan was starting to work.

    "...Come back later tonight," Gideon demanded. "You'll have my decision by then."

    "..."

    Djarin decided that was as good of an answer as he could get from Gideon, so he took his leave. As he walked, he couldn't help but feel a mixture of emotions resulting from the meeting. He didn't know what to expect after seeing Gideon for the first time in years, but he could see that not much had changed.

    The only thing that changed was the place of meeting, which was apparently being shared with people from Mantle.

    Djarin looked left and right when he saw what appeared to be civilians in the cells he passed. He had heard that there were protests and people staying past the curfew in Mantle, but he wasn't expecting a lot of them being here. A place like this was where Gideon deserved to be, not regular citizens.

    He just hoped that whatever Gideon had to offer could lead to a swift resolution.

    "Hello, there."

    Djarin turned around and noticed that he had passed by an elevator. And two familiar Jedi had just stepped off the elevator to apparently meet Djarin.

    "Oh, there you are," the Mandalorian said as he stopped walking. "Where are you going?"

    "To see Hazel Rainart," Revan replied. "We just came back from seeing Bo-Katan."

    Djarin decided to join Obi-Wan and Revan, which led him to walking among the rows of cells with them. "Did she have anything useful to say?" the Mandalorian asked.

    "She believes that the Blairs may have a similar strategy to infiltrating Atlas as they did Beacon," Obi-Wan explained. "I've advised Ozpin and James to check the latest arrival of cadets."

    "Who were you seeing?" Revan asked. He recalled how Djarin said he knew someone who could help, but he didn't expect to find that person here.

    "An ex-officer named Gideon," Djarin explained. "Our paths crossed before Cinder and I met Ozpin."

    "Ah, you mean Major Gideon," Obi-Wan recalled. "Yes, I've heard of him and his insurrection."

    "Salem helped with the insurrection. That's why I came to see Gideon. The war was going to come to Atlas somehow, I think Gideon knows some of the plan." Djarin remembered Gideon denying the idea, but he didn't exactly trust the man.

    "Well, in case he doesn't know everything, we know someone who definitely will," said Revan, who pointed down the hall. "And he's down there."

    Djarin looked to where Revan was pointing and saw a large man inside a cell. Hazel was originally in a cell close to Bo-Katan, but he had been moved to a more secure cell after an incident with his old one. Djarin didn't know exactly what happened, but he didn't want to see Hazel free anytime soon.

    He was right where he belonged.

    When he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching, Hazel couldn't help but look up and become disgusted with the sight of the Mandalorian and the Jedi. "You again?" he grunted. "I thought I'd finally be rid of you when I was moved here."

    "I'm afraid we're far from finished with you, Hazel," said Obi-Wan. "We're here to talk about Salem."

    Hazel grunted as he rolled his eyes. "If she's here, then you're already finished. There's nothing to it."

    "Not quite," said Djarin. "We know her forces are in Mantle. We need to know what they're doing and who else they're working with."

    Hazel didn't take much time to figure out a response he seemed fitting. "Well, you've come to the wrong place. You'll get nothing from me."

    Just like Gideon, Hazel was obstinately pigheaded when it came to giving up information about Salem. Whether it was out of loyalty to the witch or contempt for Huntsmen and Huntresses, Djarin wasn't sure. However, he was willing to keep going, just like he did with Gideon.

    And if his first strategy worked before, the Mandalorian believed it could work again.

    "Salem doesn't care about you," Djarin began. "If she did, you wouldn't be in this cell."

    Obi-Wan agreed with Djarin and decided to build on this point. "You're only helping her bring about the end," he said. "For you. For all of us."

    Revan could see what Djarin and Obi-Wan were doing, but he sensed that Hazel was unaffected by these claims. His idea of persuasion was more of a risk, but Revan was confident that he could expand on it to make it work for him.

    And so, he decided to give his idea a try.

    "Think, Rainart," he ordered. "Think of your sister. What would she say if she saw you like this?"

    It was Revan's goal to get some kind of reaction from Hazel as opposed to stubbornness and silence. He didn't care what emotions the man conveyed, but Revan could tell from looking at Hazel's face that he succeeded.

    And now Hazel was ready to express one emotion he seemed to excel in expressing.

    Anger.

    *BAM*​

    Hazel threw his fists against the cell door, not caring that the Dust was starting to burn. "Don't mention her," he warned.

    "Why?" Revan asked, unimpressed by the threat. "You're the one who killed her."

    *BAM*​

    "Don't you act all high and mighty with me!" Hazel yelled. "That wasn't my fault! If she hadn't gotten in the way-!"

    "She got in the way to stop you. Djarin and Ozpin told us everything."

    "And you believe them? If you want to see what killing someone looks like, take a look at them!" Hazel pointed at Djarin specifically. "His kid had to save his life at Haven! She had to stop the invasion, get the Relic, and she's only a child! What kind of people hide behind the face of a child?! Building her up just to watch her die! And before she does, she'll crumble under the pressure of it all!"

    Djarin took great offense to the claim and was willing to defend it. This wasn't a part of Revan's plan, but he allowed it for a brief moment, since Djarin deserved to defend himself. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said. "Cinder's stronger than either of us. And she's still alive."

    "For how long?" Hazel retorted. "How long will it be until she can't live up to what you and Ozpin want? How long will it be until you give her an impossible mission just to watch her fall? How long will it be until you try to make her fight Salem?"

    "..."

    Djarin wanted to say more, to reinforce the belief he had in his daughter. However, such a question brought memories back to Djarin; mainly, how mildly concerned he was about Ozpin putting too much pressure on her at Beacon. This happened when Ozpin decided to make Cinder the leader of her team, on top of being the Fall Maiden. Ozpin said putting pressure on Cinder wasn't his intention, and he wasn't going to stop helping her.

    But recent events made Djarin wonder just how Cinder was feeling exactly. Did she feel pressured? Was she doing too much?

    "You know now," said Hazel, who was starting to see this as a victory. "So don't try to tell me that Gretchen was my fault. Don't tell me that-"

    "It wasn't your fault," Revan said quickly. "It was Salem's."

    "..."

    Everyone turned to Revan in surprise and curiosity when they heard this claim. Hazel was expecting more hostility from the masked man, just as he received hostility from the Mandalorian. Djarin was surprised too, since he knew that Hazel was the one who landed the killing blow on Gretchen.

    Obi-Wan knew this as well, just like he knew where Revan was going with this. It was easy to sense his friend's emotions; emotions which he was now using in an attempt to reach out to Hazel.

    "Tell me, Rainart... has Salem ever mentioned me to you? Revan, the Butcher of Mandalore? Or perhaps Malak?"

    Hazel had heard the name "Revan" when Salem was conducting her war on Vale and Mistral. He didn't know anything about Revan, just that he was an enemy of Salem. Hazel once believed Salem would send him out to kill Revan, but that didn't seem to be the case. However, he wasn't familiar with "Malak."

    "What do you care?" Hazel asked.

    "Before I met Salem, I had a brother," Revan explained. "His name was Alek. Strong, passionate, and loyal to a fault. We stood by each other's side for years, fighting for a future we deemed worthy. We were always together, always there for each other. A part of me once believed we would be like that forever. We almost were... until we met Salem."

    "..."

    Revan didn't believe he had Hazel's attention or interest, but he continued to talk. "Salem promised us much, if we agreed to be in her service. Power. Vengeance. A new vision for the world itself. Does that sound familiar?"

    "..."

    "In order to achieve that, she said we needed to prove ourselves. How far we were willing to go to seize power and nothing else." Revan looked down to the floor as he continued. "She turned us against one another. We became each other's worst enemy. She broke us down... and made us into what we are now."

    "..."

    "Salem does not care about family, Hazel. Except maybe her own. She doesn't make people stronger. She turns them against each other. She breaks bonds, makes us lesser than ourselves. And when we no longer serve her purpose... Well, I believe you've figured that out for yourself."

    It didn't take a genius to see that Hazel's status as a prisoner was what Revan was referring to. Hazel couldn't deny that his freedom was taken from him, but he could deny Salem's role in his current status.

    "Salem wasn't the one who took Gretchen from me," the man claimed. "Whatever Ozpin said to her made her leave and join his fight. And he wasn't enough of a man to tell her the truth. Coward."

    "Maybe so," said Revan. "But did Salem do anything to convince her otherwise? To make Gretchen join her like you did?"

    "..."

    Revan shook his head slowly in disappointment. "Salem knew you hated Ozpin. That you still do. She didn't seek to reunite you with Gretchen; she sought to exploit your hatred, use it to carry out her will." Revan removed his lightsaber from his hilt and examined it carefully. "Like I did."

    "..."

    The ensuing silence and the memory of Gretchen gave Djarin a chance to build up on Revan's point. "Gretchen wanted to find you," he said. "Qrow told me what happened at Beacon. She wanted to make up for whatever happened between you two. If Salem cared, she would have brought Gretchen to you. But she didn't, did she?"

    "..."

    After he stood in the cell with his thoughts for a minute, Hazel finally found his voice again. "...You," he said to Revan. "You served her too?"

    "I did," Revan confirmed. "A long time ago."

    "And your brother? What about him?"

    "...Gone."

    Hazel took a moment to understand what "gone" really meant. "You... You killed him, didn't you?"

    "...Yes."

    Obi-Wan had been patiently silent during this conversation, but he saw something wrong with what Revan was saying. "No," he corrected. "Revan, Alek threw his own lightsaber at his chest. He killed himself."

    "In an attempt to kill me," Revan countered when he turned to Obi-Wan. "I don't see the difference. My brother's contempt for me was what drove him to his death. Contempt that Salem taught him personally." Revan looked back to Hazel and finished his point. "What has she taught you, Hazel?"

    "..."

    Just like Djarin did with Gideon, Revan could see that his work with Hazel was done. It was clear that Hazel needed time to think about Salem's deception before he could think of helping anyone, so Revan decided to take his leave.

    Obi-Wan and Djarin left as well, satisfied with Revan's efforts. It was clear that they weren't easy, given that Revan's matter with Malak was quite personal. Djarin understood matters of family, and he believed that a talk with Cinder was needed.

    Obi-Wan didn't have much family left, but he understood how Revan was feeling.

    "Nice job, my friend," said Obi-Wan, who put a hand on Revan's shoulder. "Nice job."

    "So that's where we are right now. Just trying to think like Merri and Fauna think. Dad thinks that'll help us find them."

    "Your father was always quite the bounty hunter, from what I've heard. His expertise should help with this."

    "Definitely. But as for Robyn, we're still drawing a blank."

    "..."

    True to her word, Cinder had rejoined Winter Schnee after talking to her father. Now, the two girls were roaming the halls of Atlas Academy while they spoke. Cinder was glad that Winter agreed to Djarin's bounty hunting methods, and now she was hoping they could work something out with Robyn.

    Unfortunately, this would be a little harder.

    "I suppose martial law does pose some negative impact," said Winter. "Especially with the growing tensions between us and Mantle. But General Ironwood is starting to run out of ideas."

    "Yeah, I'm starting to notice that," Cinder agreed. "But if we don't try to help Mantle, we could be facing a war on two fronts."

    Winter could see where Cinder was coming from, but she couldn't offer any new ideas. "Clover and SCAR Squadron are going into Mantle soon," she said. "They're following the orders to place Robyn under arrest."

    "Oh." Cinder looked towards the ground in disappointment. "That's too bad."

    Winter understood Cinder's reluctance, and she tried to boot her spirits. "I wouldn't worry. When she's here, you may have the chance to talk to her again. To prove Penny's innocence at the warehouse."

    "I know." Cinder nodded before she looked up again. "I just wish that-" She immediately stopped walking and became aware of her surroundings. "Wait... where are we?"

    Winter moved in front of Cinder and gestured towards the walls and cameras. "The medical wing." She then moved out of the way to let a uniformed doctor walk by.

    "Oh, yeah." Cinder recalled the appearance of the area, as well as the numerous soldiers and doctors that moved around the area. However, she was confused by her presence here. "What are we doing here? Wait, did something happen to Fria?"

    "No, she's fine," Winter insisted. "And she's why we're here; I thought we could pay her a visit."

    "Oh, okay. I guess we-" Cinder paused once more when she realized something. "Hang on, what do you mean 'we?'"

    Winter simply smiled as she took the lead once again. Cinder followed while she repeated her question, but Winter remained silent. She simply walked with Winter through the familiar corridors, past the various cameras, and towards a single door down a flight of stairs.

    But this wasn't the door that Cinder had entered before; this was the door to Fria's room.

    "No way," Cinder said after she softly gasped. "Is that-?"

    "General Ironwood gave his approval earlier," Winter confirmed. "We can meet Fria together."

    Cinder couldn't help but gasp once more when she heard this confirmation and saw the door open. Ever since she saw the Winter Maiden, Cinder knew she had to meet her personally. She knew that she had to see what possible wisdom and experience she could learn from such an old Maiden, to know if the key to being a better Maiden herself was within arm's reach.

    And now, Cinder was about to find out.

    The first sound Cinder and Winter heard was a soft mechanical beeping. Cinder had heard this before, when she woke up from her coma and encountered Korkie Kryze in his own coma. It was a sound she never got used to, a sound that always seemed to send shivers down her spine. But when she was greeted with a smiling face, Cinder pushed her feelings aside and waited for Winter to introduce her to Fria.

    "Good morning," Winter said politely. "Feeling better?"

    "Yes, dear," said the old woman. She was always used to seeing Winter every time she heard the door open, but Fria welcomed a nice surprise when she saw that Winter wasn't alone today. "Oh, look. You've brought a friend. How lovely."

    Cinder smiled back at the woman as she reveled in excitement. However, she stayed calm as she and Winter approached the sickly woman, careful not to excite her too much.

    "Fria, this is my friend Cinder," Winter said as she gestured to her best friend. Cinder then took over as she offered a hand to Fria.

    "I'm really happy to meet you, ma'am," Cinder said as she shook hands with Fria. She was careful to hide the Grimm on her other hand, which still refused to leave her side. "I've been waiting a long time to see you."

    "Have you now?" Fria asked with a laugh. "I'm afraid I'm nobody special, dear. Just an old woman."

    Cinder briefly shook her head before she corrected the woman. "Actually, we have something in common, you and I."

    "We do?"

    "..."

    *WHOOSH*​

    Cinder decided to let her powers do the talking and let fire come to her eyes. She basked in the warmth of the flames once more, and Fria's eyes widened at what she was seeing.

    "Oh, my..." the old woman began. She then decided to follow Cinder's lead and let blue flames come to her face.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Winter silently marveled at the shared power she was witnessing. She had been told much about the Maidens from Fria and Cinder, but to see them together was an incredible honor.

    And Cinder was just as honored.

    "It's been so long since I've met another Maiden," Fria said as she let the fire in her eyes disappear. She knew she had to be careful with her powers at such an old age, but a little fire in the eyes never hurt her. "And if I had to guess, I would say that you're... Summer?"

    "Fall, actually," Cinder politely corrected. "I'm the Fall Maiden."

    "The Fall Maiden. What a delight." Fria took a good look at Cinder's face before she spoke again. "And such a young lady. How long have you been like this?"

    "Five years. I heard you've been the Winter Maiden nearly all your life."

    "Ah, yes." Fria thought back on the day she first inherited her powers. "I was... eight, I think. When my mother gave me the powers. I was by her side when she passed. And she gave me the chance to protect my family and myself." A tear begins to form in Fria's eye. "Oh, how I wish I could remember what she looked like."

    Cinder silently acknowledged Fria's feelings with a nod before she waited for her to speak again. But when a voice refused to fill the air for ten seconds, Winter nodded to Cinder for her to continue the conversation.

    "I was ten," Cinder said. "When I first got the powers."

    "I see," Fria replied. "Did your mother give them to you?"

    "Uh... no. I got them... I got them from a friend." Cinder recalled how she made friends with Lila in the void, just as she remembered how Lila tried to help her when she was alive. "She couldn't tell me everything, though."

    "Neither could my mother. I had to figure out a lot of it on my own. I imagine you will have to do the same."

    "I think I've been doing that. Ozpin and my dad helped, but I had a... Let's just say something happened to me. I had to pick myself up again."

    "Oh, dear." Fria patted Cinder's hand with a soft smile. "I'm sure that must have been hard for you. But believe me when I say you're not alone." Fria leaned a little closer to Cinder. "The other Maidens are always with you."

    Cinder smiled at the notion, and found it within herself to confirm this. "I... I've met them," she said. "I met all the past Maidens a while ago. Even Fall."

    Fria's eyes widened once more when she realized what that meant. "You have? But that can only mean... you've been to the void."

    Cinder nodded her head quickly with excitement. "Yes! Yes, I have! You know about it?"

    "All the Maidens lie in their own void. I've been there a few times in my life. I... don't remember how many."

    Winter had heard about Cinder's experiences in the void, as did Penny. It was on the night Cinder had arrived in Atlas, when Winter and Penny asked for more information about the Maidens. The idea of being in a sort of limbo state after she died was a little intimidating, but Winter still stood by her decision to be the next Winter Maiden.

    Just as Cinder stood by her decision to try something new.

    "Fria, I'm here because I wanted to ask you something," Cinder claimed. "Back in Mistral, I met the Spring Maiden in the hands of an enemy."

    "An enemy?" Fria asked in surprise.

    "Yes, a woman named Raven Branwen. She used the power to help Salem."

    Fria's moment of joy at meeting Cinder was beginning to pass when she heard this news. "Oh, dear. It's been a long time since a Maiden strayed from the path."

    "I know. But I was able to make sure Raven couldn't use its power to hurt anyone else." When Cinder heard Fria gasp, she quickly corrected herself. "I didn't kill her, but I was able to reach out to Spring. I met her in her own void, I got to meet and talk to her. And I was wondering if..." Cinder extended her hand to Fria once more. "Would you allow me the honor of trying to speak with Winter?"

    "What? Cinder, I'm right here."

    Cinder turned around and saw Winter Schnee was still behind her. Cinder had almost forgotten that Winter was still in the room, so it was easy to understand her mistake.

    "Oh, not you, Winter," Cinder corrected herself with a laugh.

    "Ah, I see," Fria said slowly. "You wish to meet the first Winter Maiden?"

    "Oh..." Winter said as she fell into silence once more. After she cursed herself for forgetting that the first Winter Maiden shared her name, Winter Schnee decided to listen to the conversation again.

    "Yes, I do," Cinder said. "With your permission, of course. In fact, you could probably meet Fall if you want."

    "I don't think that will be necessary," said Fria. "I doubt someone at my age can learn anything new or useful as a Maiden. However, if you wish to meet Winter to learn... then the honor would be mine."

    Cinder gasped when she heard what Fria said and saw her hand extend to her own. Fria then activated her powers once more, just enough to make a connection with Cinder. But Cinder didn't make the connection right away.

    She honestly didn't think she would be making it this far. Meeting another Maiden like Spring was a surprise, but knowing what she was going to do was incredible for Cinder. She couldn't help but hesitate when the gravity of the situation fell upon her, since she had no idea what to expect.

    This wasn't going to be like last time, when Cinder was focused on stopping Raven. This was going to be a learning experience, a chance to listen to wisdom from centuries ago. Similar to how Cinder learned the feat of lightspeed, the Fall Maiden was sure that she was going to learn something else from Winter.

    When she remembered this, and began to relax once more, Cinder took Fria's hand and activated her own powers. Once the connection was fully established, everything began to grow white and bright.

    Cinder was back in the void.

    The first thing Cinder did when she felt herself return to this world between worlds was look around in all directions. It became a habit for Cinder to see Maidens like Fall with her, and she was hoping to see them again. But when she saw nobody around her, Cinder began to feel somewhat sad.

    Even though she came to accept the void, Cinder was never used to being in it alone. Having Maidens around her made the space feel more lively, more peaceful and safe as opposed to a blank nothingness. It gave Cinder a sense of security, but she didn't feel very secure now.

    "Cinder."

    The young Maiden jumped at the sound of her name, but relaxed when she turned around to see a familiar woman covered in an orange glow smiling at her.

    "Oh, Fall!" Cinder said as she relaxed. "I was wondering where you were."

    "I was looking for my sister too," Fall said, explaining her momentary silence. "I haven't seen her yet, but I'm so proud of you for making it this far."

    "Oh, thanks. Have you seen it all? I mean, us in Atlas?"

    "I did. I'm sorry you have a setback. And I'm sorry about your friend Penny."

    Cinder sighed after she was reminded of these unfortunate events. "Yeah... it's been hard. I mean, I want to find out how to stop Fauna and Merri, but I don't know if arresting Robyn is the best idea. Do you have any ideas? I'm all ears."

    "Well, I can see that General Ironwood is a very... stubborn man. Maybe if he took some time to-" Fall stopped talking when she noticed something shining behind Cinder. "Oh, Gods. Oh, my Gods."

    "Huh?" Cinder could see that her mentor's eyes were captured by something behind her, so she began to turn around again. "Fall, what are you looking-?"

    "..."

    There wasn't a chill in the air or freezing cold conditions, but both women were frozen when they saw what was behind Cinder.

    Both of the Fall Maidens could see a soft blue light emanating a small part of the void. And in the center of that light was another woman sitting on the ground. Unlike Cinder or Fall, this woman was dressed in a blue dress with a white trim and sash. Her white hair was tired in a bun and she was currently looking at the pair with big blue eyes.

    For a moment, Cinder believed that the woman looked like an older Winter Schnee. Fall, however, knew exactly who the woman was. And when she and Cinder moved closer to the woman, Fall identified her quickly.

    "Winter," she said with a smile.

    The first Winter Maiden returned her sister's smile as she stood up. And without hesitation, she opened her arms and soon found them around Fall. "Hello, sister," she said fondly.

    Cinder stood in silence as she watched the Maidens reunite. She recalled how Fall and Spring reunited in the void, and how happy she was for that to happen. And now, Cinder was just as happy for the sisters who had spent decades apart. Fall was happy as well, and she made sure to give credit to the young woman who helped her find her sister.

    "Winter, this is my current host," Fall said after she released her sister and gestured to the younger girl. "Cinder."

    Winter smiled at Cinder as she kindly offered a hand of friendship to the young Maiden. "Cinder," she said as she shook hands. "I imagine someone as young as you has only recently acquired the power of the Maidens."

    "Five years ago, actually," Cinder replied.

    Winter's eyes briefly widened when she heard this. "I see. So, you acquired them at childhood. Just like Fria."

    "That's right." Cinder looked left and right when she noticed that Fria was missing. "Uh, where is Fria?"

    "Resting. I invited her to join us, but she believed you needed to speak with my sister and I alone." Winter slightly frowned when she remembered this. "Is that true?"

    Cinder frowned as well when she recalled the series of events that brought her to the void. "Yeah... it's true."

    Fall put a hand on Cinder's shoulder and briefly took over. "A lot's been happening all over the world," she said. "You might have heard about it while being in Atlas."

    "Not exactly," Winter denied. "Ever since Fria had to move into the academy for her health, neither of us have heard a lot of news about Remnant." Winter sat down on the ground once again and invited her company to join her. "Why don't you tell me about it? Tell me how I can help."

    As soon as Cinder and Fall took a seat, they granted Winter's request and told her everything. They told her about the Mandalorian war, Cinder's time in the void, meeting Spring, and coming into a tightly wound Atlas. And recent events have tied things even tighter, which threatened to snap at any moment.

    Winter was greatly disturbed by what she heard. She felt especially disturbed by the woman who abused Spring and her powers, but she took solace in knowing that Fall and Cinder were able to help. Atlas, however, was a different problem.

    "So that's where we are right now," said Cinder. "My friend has been framed, our enemies are working with someone to sow discontent in Mantle, and a Huntress who's just trying to help is going to be arrested. Unless I do something, things will only get worse."

    "I was about to give her some advice earlier," Fall said to Winter. "But as soon as I saw you, I thought we should hear you out."

    Winter slowly nodded as she processed everything her sister and her new friend had told her. It was all hard and unfortunate to hear, since Winter wished that she could be doing more to help. However, she learned a long time ago that she had done all she could and that the time for new Maidens to lend a hand would come. Winter knew how hard Fria had fought to keep peace across Remnant, and now she simply had to wait until Fria was ready to pass on the mantle to her successor.

    Fortunately, this didn't stop her from giving wise advice.

    "Fria's worked with General Ironwood before," she said. "She and I agreed that he can be... stubborn, for lack of a better word."

    "Yeah," said Cinder. "I got that a while back. And I was reminded of that when he talked to me about what I did. You know, with sharing the news about the war."

    "It's like everything just has a way to set him off," said Fall. "Even the small things like Cinder did. And she was only trying to help."

    Winter nodded once again in understanding. "I know all of this may seem rather scary, Cinder. But it doesn't really sound like this is really what General Ironwood wants. He is trying to help, but with his back against the wall, he'll say anything that seems easy and makes the most sense. Perhaps you can find an alternative."

    "Hm, it's not that simple," Cinder politely disagreed. "Ironwood's always been one to call for action. Just earlier today, he was thinking about marital law."

    Winter slowly shook her head as she offered a different perspective. "I don't think he's calling for action. He's worried about Amity's condition. It sounds like he's calling for security. After all, the Amity project is stalled, right?"

    "Yes, that's right."

    "Well, perhaps he needs another idea. One that'll prove Amity is fully secure, as well as Atlas. James was always one to believe in himself, but he's never been one to turn down another idea he thinks is good."

    Cinder and Fall could tell they had the right idea talking to Winter. The assurance and belief that another idea, one that sounded better than arresting Robyn and showing how secure Amity really was.

    While Cinder and Fall didn't really have any ideas at the moment, Winter was more than willing to get them started.

    "You said a Huntress named Robyn Hill is causing this setback?" Winter asked.

    "That's right," said Fall. "She's trying to help Mantle, by stealing supplies from Atlas. Her heart's in the right place, but she doesn't understand the lasting effects her actions have."

    "Well, why is she stealing supplies? What are they for?"

    "Fixing Mantle's outer wall," Cinder explained. "There's a big hole in it that's letting Grimm enter the city, and Ironwood's too focused on Amity to fix it."

    "Oh, I see. And Robyn wants to use the supplies it fix it?"

    "That's right. But like Fall said, it's hurting us in the long run. And Salem's forces are in Atlas already."

    Winter nodded once again before she took some time to think. This was definitely a situation where people were stuck between a rock and a hard place, where there seemed to be very little choice in the matter. Options were running out quickly, and enemies were moving about freely.

    Winter decided that she couldn't help too much with the latter problem. She was the first Winter Maiden, but she was never a warrior. Violence always came across negatively to her, it always made her feel sick. She would usually push enemies away with her powers, but she understood that killing them was a last resort. Nevertheless, Winter felt she couldn't help Cinder with Salem's forces.

    The problem with Robyn, however, didn't seem as hard as everyone was making it out to be.

    "There may be a way you can help, Cinder," Winter finally said. "I would normally let Fria do something like this, but she's much too old to carry out such a task."

    "Wait, really?" Cinder asked. "What task? What do you mean?"

    Winter turned to her sister as she explained herself. "Fall, you remember how Summer inherited Father's community, don't you?"

    "Oh, sure," Fall confirmed. "I told Cinder about it one time. And whenever I went back to visit, the land looked perfect."

    Winter smiled as she recalled the memories of her childhood home. "Indeed it did. Summer knew how to take care of the people, but she reached out to me with a problem she had; the Grimm were always breaking down the community's walls and fences."

    "Wait, really? She never told me that."

    "She didn't want to burden you or Spring. I just happened to be in the area, so she asked me."

    "Well, how bad was it?"

    "Each side had at least two or three breaches. The townspeople were working hard to repair each one, but more just kept popping up."

    Cinder understood how concerned Fall was about her childhood home. After all, losing Beacon had made Cinder feel sad and without a home. Fall may have passed on, but the love for her home refused to die.

    Cinder had to know if it was okay.

    "Did you fix them?" Cinder asked. "The walls?"

    "We did," Winter replied calmly. She then raised her hand and let some snow come into being. "Being Maidens have their advantages after all."

    "Are you saying I can use my powers to fix the wall?" Cinder asked.

    "Well, yes and no." Winter moved her hand to let the snow form a small circle in the air. "We used our influence over nature to create... padding in the walls. Out of solid earth, to be exact. The ground was very thick and dense, so it was hard for the Grimm to come through the padding. It was a temporary solution, though. The Grimm wouldn't be able to come in while we fixed the holes and drove them away."

    Cinder and Fall looked at each other when they heard this story. It seemed like a very easy solution, one that Cinder was surprised that she didn't think of it earlier. She was an able and willing Maiden, someone who could easily do what Winter had done. Cinder recalled how she caused a cave-in underneath Mountain Glenn to prevent the Saxon Clan from leading Grimm to Vale, which took a lot of energy.

    Cinder connected to the earth to protect people. Now she could do it again.

    "Now, mind you, that was just a temporary solution," Winter calmly reminded Cinder. "Without Grimm coming in, the proper repairs were done where they needed to be done. I sense the same will have to be done in Mantle, so there can be an outer wall."

    "But it's just what General Ironwood needs," Cinder said. "A way to buy the time needed to finish Amity."

    "And show Robyn that Atlas isn't out to get anyone," said Fall. "When they see what you can do, maybe they'll listen to you when you say Penny is innocent."

    The more she thought about it, the more Cinder believed that this was a great plan. It was easy to see that Fall was right, that building a temporary wall could ease tensions and give Atlas a chance to prove its innocence. Furthermore, Cinder recalled how she, her father, and her friends managed to convince Ironwood that martial law would only cause more problems. So if he heard this better idea, along with the positive possibilities it possessed there was a chance he could agree to it.

    There was actually a chance to bridge the gap the war had created.

    "There may be one problem."

    Cinder and Fall looked back to Winter when she said this. "I imagine that the hole in the wall is large, yes?" Winter asked. "Well, it's just that everyone noticed what Summer and I were doing to help our town. If you decide to pursue this course of action... everyone might see who you really are."

    "..."

    Cinder understood Winter's concern perfectly. Before the Mandalorian war had ended, Ozpin's first priority was always discretion where the Maiden powers were concerned. No matter how big or small the task was, Ozpin always made sure to keep the presence of every Maiden a secret.

    But Cinder had seen the size of the hole in the wall. The plan Winter had proposed would surely cause much attention to be drawn to her and her abilities. No matter what time of day she would carry out the idea, Cinder knew her secret identity would be shared with most of Mantle; maybe even all of Atlas.

    It was a very big risk. But it was one Cinder was willing to take.

    "There's something I forgot to tell you," Cinder said as she stood up. "I'm not just a Maiden anymore. That night in Mistral, when the war ended, I became something bigger. I... I became the Mand'alor, the ruler of all Mandalorians. And now, I'm going to make sure another tragedy like Pre Vizsla's war is avoidable."

    "..."

    Winter was unaware of Mandalorian culture, but she listened as to where Cinder's declaration was going. Fall also remained silent, but she knew exactly where Cinder was going.

    And she couldn't be more proud.

    "In order to do that... I have to change a lot of the status quo," Cinder continued. "I'm going to change the reasons Mandalorians fight, and I'm going to change the idea that Maidens have to hide. General Ironwood wants to change that too, that's why he's making Amity into a communications tower. I'm going to have to be unorthodox if I want to protect Remnant, I have to show the world who and what I really am. And that includes being the Fall Maiden. One way or another... I have to tell them. And if fixing the wall is going to be a start, then I'll do it."

    "..."

    Neither of the sisters said much after they heard what Cinder said. Fall was already well aware of Cinder's ideas for change, and she supported them through and through. Winter, on the other hand, did nothing but think about everything she had just heard.

    It seemed much had changed already with Remnant, ever since Fria had to step out of the spotlight. Wars starting and ending, secrets being revealed, and they all seemed to be leading up to something... big. Winter couldn't put her finger on it, but she sensed that big things were coming towards the people of Remnant. Whether they were or not, a lot was going to happen.

    Winter wasn't exactly sure if she would be ready, if she were still able to walk the surface of Remnant. However, she understood that this was becoming much larger than herself. Cinder was taking a lot on her hands, all for the sake of protecting others. However she chose to take the advice she was given was entirely up to her. And so, Winter decided that all she could do was let Cinder help let this change come to pass.

    After all, Winter could tell that Fall placed a lot of trust in Cinder. Winter had always trusted her older sister, so she decided to trust Cinder as well.

    Whatever happened next... Cinder was ready.

    After Cinder returned to the real world and reunited with Winter Schnee, she said her goodbye to Fria and went to find General Ironwood. Ironwood was already being debriefed by Djarin, Revan, and Obi-Wan after they talked to Bo-Katan, Gideon, and Hazel. Ozpin was looking over records of new cadets at Atlas Academy, in the case of Bo-Katan being correct about how the Blairs infiltrated Atlas.

    Though there were no answers as to where they were or what they were planning just yet, Ironwood was content with the fact that his allies were trying their hardest to track down the Blairs and their possible third ally. And so, this left Ironwood to contend with Robyn Hill by sending SCAR Squadron into Mantle.

    Fortunately, Cinder was able share the idea Winter gave her before Ironwood could carry out the decision.

    As the first Winter Maiden believed, Ironwood was willing to listen to alternative solutions to securing Amity's status. It was obvious that Robyn wanted the wall fixed, and she wouldn't stop until the city was more secure. Cinder's solution was temporary, but everyone understood that it could buy the time they needed to finish the tower.

    But while Ironwood was willing to listen, he was reluctant to agree to the plan as soon as it was proposed. He commended Cinder for her willingness to act, but he was aware of the risk it posed. Not only would Cinder's status as a Maiden be exposed to anyone who saw her fix the wall, but the Blairs could go after her next. Ironwood believed that the truth could only be exposed when Amity was finished.

    However, Djarin and Ozpin were able to ease his concerns.

    Both men expressed great belief and confidence in Cinder, that she could handle herself should the Blairs decide to act. On the topic of keeping secrets, Ozpin reminded Ironwood that when Amity was ready, Atlas would be the first to learn the truth about Salem. So if they learned, or at least saw things a little earlier than the rest of the world, there wouldn't be much of a risk. Amity's secret would still be kept, and everyone could see that Atlas wanted to help.

    The last risk Ironwood was concerned about was whether or not this would be enough to sway Robyn's mind. He not only needed Robyn to stop, but he also needed her to return the supplies she stole. However, he was able to agree to the plan when he decided on a few precautionary measures to ensure its success.

    The measures were difficult for everyone to swallow, but they agreed to Ironwood's decision and began to carry out their plan.

    When night fell upon the Kingdom of Atlas, the plan began immediately. General Ironwood had dispatched a truck to Mantle, which was following the route towards the tundra, where Amity Colosseum was waiting. However, Robyn and her Happy Huntresses were also waiting. And they took the truck by surprise very easily.

    Once the truck had stopped moving, courtesy of May waving it down, the rest of the Happy Huntresses moved in quickly to seize the supplies. Rather than let Fiona use her Semblance to absorb everything in the palm of her hand, Robyn decided to see what Atlas had brought Mantle tonight. And so, she opened the doors and expected to see brand new supplies for the wall.

    But what she saw instead was absolutely nothing.

    "What the-?" Robyn asked as she looked around. "It's empty."

    Fiona and Joanna were behind Robyn, and they could see that the truck was indeed empty. Because of this, there was only one conclusion that Joanna could draw.

    "It's a trap!" she yelled as grabbed her crossbow.

    Robyn and Fiona quickly followed Joanna's example and readied their weapons. All three Huntresses stood with their backs together as they prepared themselves for what came next. However, to their surprise, there were no soldiers or airships coming to block their escape.

    Something else was going on.

    "Um... where's the trap?" Fiona asked as she waited for someone to come.

    Robyn took one more look at the area before she relaxed. She looked around and listened very carefully, but there was absolutely no reason for alarm. However, there was reason for mild annoyance.

    "If I didn't know any better... I'd say we've been duped," Robyn said regretfully. "They must have sent a fake truck to bait us."

    "Which means the real truck is probably a million miles away," said Joanna, who followed Robyn's logic. "Ugh. That's just great."

    "I don't understand," said Fiona. "They tricked us, but why didn't they trap us? We're wide open."

    That was a very good question, one that Robyn wanted an answer for immediately. Fortunately, one of her friends was able to find a clue.

    "Hey, Robyn," said May, who was walking over with something in her hand. "I found a note in the front seat." May handed a piece of paper to Robyn. "It's for you."

    Robyn took the paper from May and looked at the front. It had her name on it, along with an arrow that pointed to the other side of the paper. And so, Robyn turned it over and read a message written for her.

    "Dear Robyn," the Huntress read. "If you're reading this, then you know that the truck is empty. General Ironwood halted the delivery of more supplies to Amity tonight. You and the Happy Huntresses definitely got his attention."

    "Huh," said May. "Go figure."

    "Well, we don't want his attention," Joanna grumbled. "Just our fair share."

    "And the hole in the wall fixed," said Fiona.

    "Hold on, ladies," Robyn said. "There's more." Everyone fell into silence while Robyn continued to read. "Because of your efforts, General Ironwood is willing to give you what you want. He sent me to fix the outer wall, and it will be fixed tonight."

    "Tonight?" Joanna asked with a laugh. "You're kidding me."

    "I heard it's supposed to take a week to fix!" May pointed out. "How's it supposed to be fixed tonight?"

    "Along with fixing the wall, I want to help you catch the real people responsible for the murders in your warehouse," Robyn continued. "So if you want the wall fixed, and if you want answers, come meet me at the broken piece of the wall. You can bring the rest of the Happy Huntresses if you want, but I need you to come. If I don't see you by midnight, General Ironwood won't let me do anything to help you. I hope to see you soon." Robyn took a closer look at the note when she saw something strange. "Look at that, it's signed by Cinder."

    "Cinder?" May asked. "Mando's kid?"

    "She's gonna fix the wall tonight?" Joanna asked. "As long as we're dreaming, I'd like a million Lien."

    "She wants to help us after election night?" Fiona asked. "I don't get it."

    Robyn took her Scroll out of her pocket and looked at the the time. "Well, we got time to figure this out," she said. "Midnight's not for another half hour."

    "No offense, Robyn, but there's not much to figure out," said Joanna. "It's a trick. Probably a trap on top of that."

    "I don't know, Joanna," Fiona insisted. "This could have been a trap too." She pointed at the empty truck. "We were vulnerable, but nobody came after us."

    Robyn agreed with Fiona, especially about being vulnerable. "We're still vulnerable, trap or not," she said as she looked around. "Come on. Let's get off the streets and talk about it. May?"

    "On it," said the blue-haired Huntress. She used her Semblance to create an invisibility field around herself and her friends, which they used to traverse the city undetected.

    After they spent a few minutes walking in silence, Fiona spoke after she moved a hand away from her ear.

    "Nobody's following us," she said. "I would've heard them by now."

    Robyn looked down at the note May had given her after she processed Fiona's assessment. "Then all of this was just to get my attention," she said. "Our attention."

    "Yeah, so they can tag us and bag us at the wall," said Joanna. "We can just go home and make sure that doesn't happen."

    "..."

    Joanna stopped walking when she heard her friends being silent. "Whoa, wait a sec," she said. "Are we seriously considering this?"

    "It could be real," said Fiona. "The note said we had General Ironwood's attention. He could have stuffed ten Huntsmen in that truck for us, but he didn't."

    "So maybe he wants us to lower our guard. Show up at the wall and get the drop on us there."

    "That's kind of far-fetched. I mean, if it were Boba back there, he would have captured us without a second thought."

    "No arguments there," said May, who was familiar with Boba Fett and his work. "But the last time we trusted Atlas, specifically Cinder, a dozen people paid the price. And so did we."

    "..."

    Everyone was still upset about the injuries and deaths at the warehouse, especially Robyn. Boba had advised her against a premature party, and she too paid the price for going along with it. More than anything, she wanted to make it up to Mantle. And that included doing whatever was necessary to fix the wall.

    Cinder's offer sounded like something on a silver platter, but it also sounded too good to be true.

    "You're all right, everyone," she said as she turned around. "We all know Atlas isn't doing us any favors right now. And what happened at the warehouse definitely didn't help. But they had their chance to bag us back there, and they didn't." Robyn looked at the note one more time. "Something's not adding up with all this. And I, for one, want to know what it is."

    May looked at the paper again before she asked Robyn a question. "Do you trust her?" she asked. "Cinder?"

    "I don't know. I want to trust her, but her being there at election night couldn't have been a coincidence. But there's one thing I think I can buy."

    "What's that?" Fiona asked.

    "She might know who killed all those people."

    Joanna stepped up to Robyn this time. "Yeah, and so do we," she said. "I don't care what those 'officials' might say, Ironwood's robot is involved with this."

    "And Cinder might know that. Or she knows something we don't. I want to know the truth, to know if Atlas is out to get all of Mantle. If getting arrested will prove that to everyone, that's a chance I'm willing to take."

    "..."

    Between the look on her face and the memory of that night, all of the Huntresses could see how serious Robyn was. She was always one to take risks, especially the ones that got her into trouble, that was never new. But this risk was definitely too big for Robyn to take alone. And everyone else shared her dedication to Mantle, so they were also willing to take the chance.

    "Not alone, you're not," said May.

    "We'll follow your lead," Fiona promised.

    "No, it's okay," Robyn insisted. "You three head home, stay out of trouble."

    "What, and let you have all the fun?" Joanna asked as she cracked her knuckles. "Sorry, Robyn. That's not happening any time soon."

    Robyn was deeply touched by the loyalty of her friends. She could see that nothing was going to make them change their minds, so Robyn accepted the decision and took the lead.

    "Then let's show Atlas our teeth," she said as she began to move forward. "We should be at the breach before midnight."

    Just as Fiona promised, the Happy Huntresses followed Robyn's lead and walked towards the broken wall. They were all going willingly, but they were somewhat on edge about the premise of Cinder's offer.

    So much so that they were prepared to take precautions.

    "How about I call up Boba?" May asked. "An eye in the sky wouldn't hurt."

    "We can't," Robyn said regretfully. "He's at the warehouse."

    "Wait, the warehouse?" Fiona asked.

    "What's he doing there?" Joanna asked.

    "He said he wanted a look at the scene himself," Robyn claimed. "After the police looked it over. He said they might have missed something."

    "I doubt it," said May. "But let Boba do Boba, I guess."

    "I guess it wouldn't hurt," said Joanna. "Maybe he found something to pin on Atlas."

    The warehouse where Robyn's party had been held was closed off to the public. Between the yellow tape and the police officers being outside, everyone got the message that the warehouse was completely off limits.

    The police had finished their investigation earlier in the day, and they had gathered the evidence they could. They were prepared to have the warehouse cleaned and reopened once more, but there were two more people who were ready to have a look for themselves.

    Boba Fett and his partner, Fennec Shand.

    Boba was rather well known in Mantle, given his efforts in thwarting a gang war that nearly tore the city apart. The deaths of May Marigold's parents had opened a power vacuum in the criminal underworld that Boba was prepared to seize, but contenders to the throne challenged him for it. But Boba, with the help of Fennec and the Huntresses, was able to suppress opposition before it destroyed Mantle. And so, his status as a major head in the criminal underworld went without question.

    The only people who knew about his ties to the underworld were the Happy Huntresses. Robyn wasn't too pleased with Boba's position, since she still considered him a friend and family. She didn't want to be affiliated with criminals, but she remembered that May Marigold was the child of a major head in the underworld; one that Boba disposed of personally. And given that Boba had helped Robyn during his tenure, she learned to live with her friend's place in life.

    It wasn't easy, but a steady decline in crime across Mantle helped.

    Boba may have had underworld ties, but he wasn't a man without honor or an agent of chaos. And he too had a strong bond to Robyn, one that he didn't plan to jeopardize with his power.

    Boba wasn't a political figure in the city, but his influence spread greatly. It was so great that the two police officers guarding the warehouse were on Boba's payroll. So when they saw a woman clad in black and a man wearing Mandalorian armor walking towards them, the officers stepped aside and allowed the duo to pass.

    "Better make it quick, boss," said the first officer.

    "The Atlas elite are trying to keep a closed lid on this," said the second officer.

    Boba nodded to the officers before he opened the door and stepped inside, with Fennec right behind him. Once they were inside, the duo could see blood scattered all across the floor and the walls. They were indifferent to the sight of blood, and the deaths of innocent people didn't weigh on either of their consciences.

    However, Boba wanted to find out why this happened in the first place.

    "Looks like the cops searched this place clean," said Fennec, who looked at numbered spots on the ground and the walls. "We're probably not gonna find much."

    "Maybe," said Boba. "But maybe not." When he pressed a button on his helmet and then lowered the antenna connected to it, Boba began to see things differently.

    Quite literally.

    The colors surrounding Boba turned from mixed to a singular blue, with white outlines on the floor and walls standing out clearly. This was a kind of vision that Boba relied on to analyze environments differently, which he used to track down people from his bounty hunting days.

    And with the help of his rangefinder, Boba could scan anything he deemed out of the ordinary for additional details.

    "You really don't think they did it, do you?" Fennec asked. She didn't have the resources Boba had in his armor, so Fennec followed his lead while she spoke.

    "It sounds like you do," Boba countered. "Why's that?"

    "The video of that robot speaks for itself. And everyone who got out of the room all said the same thing."

    "I won't argue against that. But this doesn't add up." Boba lifted his rangefinder and looked at Fennec normally. "There were Atlas elite in here. Best of the best. That robot and the giant in white gear."

    "I heard about him. What's your point?"

    "This would have been the perfect assassination attempt on Robyn. I couldn't have planned it better myself. So why let her live? Why let Ironwood's biggest critic live when either of those two could have snapped Robyn's neck in the dark?"

    "..."

    The more Fennec thought about it, the more sense Boba's question made. Robyn and her Huntresses were the perfect targets when the massacre happened, whether they were armed or not. She could have been the first casualty, but she wasn't. She walked away with a few bumps and bruises while others left in bodybags.

    The Atlas military was a lot of things, but Fennec knew they weren't incompetent. This wasn't an attempt on Robyn's life.

    "Now that you mention it... all this sounds like someone's trying to give a message," Fennec said. "Maybe to Robyn. Or you."

    "My thoughts exactly," Boba said as he lowered his rangefinder again. "Nothing happens in Mantle without me knowing about it. Unless it's directed at me."

    "You thinking the Pykes? They still hate you after that war a while back."

    "The Pykes can hold a grudge, but they wouldn't wait years to fight back. Besides, spice doesn't come into Mantle anymore. They gave that up after the war ended."

    "Hmm... Kind of drawing a blank here, boss."

    "Me too. That's why I'm not leaving until I get a clue about all this."

    Fennec always admired Boba's resilience in finishing a mission. It was one of the things that made her decide to stick around with him, after he and the Happy Huntresses saved her life. She and Boba weren't as noble or heroic as the Happy Huntresses, but they always kept a close bond between themselves.

    Boba and Robyn had that bond stronger than anyone.

    Boba talked about it to Fennec once, but she learned that he and Robyn were friends since childhood. Jango Fett, Boba's father, lived in a part of Mantle where it almost always rained. The snow of Solitas always came to Jango's home first, so the heating system would always turn it into rain. But Boba and Robyn eventually met and became inseparable.

    They became even more inseparable when Jango didn't come home from a bounty hunt.

    Robyn's family wasn't exactly wealthy, but they took Boba into their home when he needed it most. And so, he grew under their roof while keeping up with the Mandalorian training his father had taught him. It was years later, and through much difficulty, that Boba finally found his father's armor and learned how he died.

    Boba even watched it happen when he saw Jango's last recording.

    Boba's path was practically chosen for him, and he carried on Jango's legacy through everything he did. But along the way, Boba never forgot how Robyn helped him when he needed it most. Jango was also a man of honor, and he passed these lessons on to his son. And so, whenever Robyn was in trouble, regardless of how it looked for Boba, he would always come to help when his friend needed it most.

    It was a loyalty that Fennec had trouble understanding at times, given that it sometimes made Boba look weak in the eyes of other crime lords around Remnant. But she never questioned it, especially when Boba set the record straight to anyone who doubted his resolve.

    This resolve was what brought Boba to the warehouse in the first place. And now it led him to finding a possible clue.

    "Hmm," Boba said as he looked at the ground. "Strange."

    "What?" Fennec asked when she looked where her boss was looking.

    "These big footprints," he said. "They lead over there." Boba moved to a door in the warehouse, which he opened to reveal the alley between the warehouse and the building next to it.

    "They look the same size as that giant in the white armor," Fennec claimed. "He could have gone out this way after the attack."

    "But he didn't." Boba pointed towards the stage. "Robyn told me that he and the others went out that way."

    Fennec looked at the stage and accepted Boba's word. "Maybe he moved around here in the dark?"

    "Maybe..." Boba looked down and saw that the footprints led out into the alley. "But why would he go outside and come back in?"

    Fennec recalled that the lights went out in the room before the attack began. "Is the fuse box out there?"

    Boba didn't know the answer, but he was ready to find it. "Let's find out," he said as he stepped outside. Fennec followed close behind Boba as he moved to the fuse box, which was indeed outside the building.

    "An older model," Boba surmised as he looked at the power box. Rather than a series of switches on the inside, there was a single lever that controlled all of the lights in the warehouse.

    "Any fingerprints on it?" Fennec asked as she looked at the lever.

    Boba's rangefinder zoomed in on the lever and he examined it carefully. "No. Anybody could have walked over and switched it off."

    Fennec looked up at the walls of the warehouse and the building next to it. "No cameras. And nobody was around here to see anything." Fennec was about to say that she and Boba had hit a dead end, but one look at the barren walls had given her an idea. "You know, boss... I don't think anyone's out to get you with this."

    Boba stopped looking at the fuse box and turned to his partner. "Why do you say that?"

    "Well, if this was a message for you... I would think somebody would have left some kind of calling card. You know, like all those other gangs used to. Or when Robyn's supporters paint that message all over the place."

    "Show Your Teeth," Boba quoted from memory. "You have a point. Maybe there's something inside we missed." He and Fennec moved inside once again, hoping to find some kind of sign that someone had marked their territory. But all they could see was red blood on the floor.

    However, something else on the floor captured Fennec's eye.

    "Hey," she said as she turned to a corner. "That's not blood."

    "What?" Boba asked. "Where?"

    Fennec pointed to the corner of the room and walked over to it. What she saw was easy to miss, since there was so much blood on the walls and floor. However, what caught Fennec's eyes was that a splatter on the corner was black instead of red.

    The light, or lack thereof, had hidden its true color well. But now, Boba and Fennec could see that the black substance wasn't blood.

    "What is that?" Boba asked as he examined the substance.

    Fennec ran her finger against the substance, but it was too dry for it to come onto her glove. But she was close enough to smell the substance, which displeased her greatly.

    "That smell..." Fennec said as she took a step back. "It's not paint or anything like that."

    Boba took Fennec's word for the matter and decided to take a closer look. When he lowered his rangefinder again, he was able to scan the substance and see a message in his helmet.

    "30% human blood

    20% human saliva

    50% unknown substance    "​

    "Whatever it is, someone spit it out," said Boba. "Along with some blood."

    "Spit it out?" Fennec asked. "Some kind of drug or drink, then?"

    "A drug might make more sense. My helmet couldn't pick up-"

    "..."

    Fennec moved closer when she heard Boba fall into silence. "Boss?" she asked. "You okay?"

    "Fennec, back up," Boba quickly ordered. "Get out of the light."

    "Huh? What is it?"

    "Just move! Give me some light!"

    Fennec was caught off guard by Boba's sudden shift in behavior. It was both familiar and unfamiliar to her; she could easily tell that Boba seemed afraid, but she never saw him look afraid before.

    But Fennec moved aside and let the room's light into the corner. Boba then turned on the light on his rangefinder to look at another part of the corner; a part where more of the unknown substance was visible.

    Unlike the first piece they saw, this part of the substance was more splattered and covering a small part of the wall. However, Boba could make something out of the spatters he saw.

    And he didn't like it.

    "No..." Boba said. "It can't be."

    "What is it?" Fennec asked.

    Boba finally stood up and looked back to his colleague. "A sign."

    Fennec looked back at the splatter in confusion. "Doesn't look like any gang symbol I've seen."

    "It's not from a gang. It's not an intentional marking. But I recognize it." Boba raised up his rangefinder. "Fennec... I know who did this."

    "Wait, you do? Who?"

    Boba ignored the question and took his rifle in hand. "Go to the officers outside," he said as he began to walk away. "Tell them to spread the word that a killer's on the loose. If I'm right, this is bigger than either of us."

    Fennec never questioned an order from Boba, but she couldn't help but wonder what the plan was. "Well, where are you going?" she asked as she ran up to Boba.

    "To find Robyn," Boba replied with a sigh. "Of all the times she had to take a page from my book..."

    Boba and Fennec exited the warehouse and found themselves walking outside. But rather than speak to the officers who let them in, Fennec made a request. "Let me come with you," she said. "I can find them easy."

    "No, I'm going alone," Boba said as he readied his jetpack. "I'll be faster that way. Go."

    Boba didn't wait for a response from Fennec or the officers. Instead, he took to the night sky in the hopes of finding his friend before it was too late.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Fennec watched Boba fly into the sky without a word. She still had a lot of questions, mainly about who Boba believed was responsible for the murders in the warehouse.

    And why it scared him so much.

    Regardless, all Fennec could do now was share the news with the two officers near the front door. While they engaged in their conversation, Fennec and the officers failed to notice a small black bird resting on a lamppost above them. The bird was the only witness to Boba's work, since it could see the inside of the warehouse from an open window.

    But now, the bird decided it had seen enough. And so, it flew into an alley and transformed into Qrow Branwen. Qrow was hoping to find clues about the Blairs' whereabouts in Mantle, but one look at Boba flying away showed that he had gotten more than he bargained for.

    "Huh," Qrow thought to himself as he looked at the night sky. "That didn't look good."

    True to her word, Cinder was indeed by the broken section of the wall. Djarin was with her, and together they planned to fix the wall and let Robyn know that she and Mantle were being deceived. Djarin knew he could help more with the latter, since Cinder had the wall covered.

    But Djarin wanted to talk to her about this. Because despite Cinder's plan and confidence, he was having a bad feeling about this.

    "You know, this kind of reminds of that time in Vacuo," said the Mandalorian. "When we took on the SDC."

    Cinder took a moment to consider what her father was talking about. But when she remembered, Cinder began to laugh. "Oh, I remember that," she said. "Yeah, when they tried to take a village for a mine."

    "And you went in, creating thunderstorms and fire... You really scared the crap out of them."

    Cinder laughed once more. "Yeah, I remember. What makes you say that?"

    "Well, it's just that storm was pretty big." The Mandalorian then turned to the broken piece of the wall. "And if what those Maidens said is true... this might be just as big."

    Cinder turned to the wall with her father and saw what he meant. "Yeah... hard to argue with that." She then cracked her knuckles and stretched her neck. "Guess I should probably warm up, huh?"

    Djarin briefly chuckled as he leaned against the wall. "I guess it wouldn't hurt." He then watched Cinder begin to stretch her arms and legs, which allowed him to continue the conversation. "But you don't have to go all out, you know. Just enough for the Grimm not to get in."

    "I know," Cinder replied as she shook her arms. "But I gotta be sure Robyn and Mantle will like it. Anything less, and we might not have a deal for the supplies."

    Djarin nodded, but he still had some reservations about what was going on. "Cinder... before you get into it... I want to talk to you."

    "Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

    "You. I never got the chance to ask you how you're holding up."

    Cinder stopped stretching and gave Djarin her full attention. "Huh? Holding up with what?"

    Djarin sighed as he moved closer to Cinder. "With what, she says," he said sarcastically before he put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "Cinder... you've been working around the clock to help train Clover and his men, defending the mines, and your one night off nearly got you and Winter killed. And now the people who put you in a coma are back. Are you... okay?"

    "..."

    Djarin was right about Cinder's work. She had been so preoccupied with fighting Grimm and working with Ironwood's men that she hardly had any time for herself. The night at the warehouse was scary, and all everyone cared about was Penny being framed and finding the Blairs before it was too late.

    Cinder cared about that too, very much so. But when she heard her father ask if she was okay, something she hadn't done in a while, Cinder began to feel intimidated and uneasy about the situation. She had a lot to contend with, in Atlas and the rest of the world. Things had been going wrong from left to right, which left Cinder feeling like things wouldn't go right until she set them right.

    And she believed she could.

    "...Yeah," Cinder said. "Yeah, I'm okay."

    "..."

    Djarin's parental instincts, something he had been developing for five years, were skeptical of this claim. This was demonstrated by his silence, which made Cinder feel that she needed to convince her father further.

    "Dad, I'm fine," Cinder insisted. "I mean, I'm better now." Cinder pointed to the wall. "This is it! This is how we fix things in Mantle! This is what everyone's looking for, what they need me to do!"

    "..."

    "Yeah, this is what I have to do. What I... What I have to do."

    "..."

    "It just has to be me. It had to be me with training SCAR Squadron, it had to be me to meet Fria and Winter, it had to be me to convince Ironwood, it just always has to beme."

    Cinder was starting to sound less enthusiastic about the wall. Every time she mentioned something she felt she had to do, Cinder came across as annoyed and tired.

    "I mean, it's not just me, right?" Cinder asked as she began to pace around. "I'm not the only one who's noticed it? Everyone looking to me to do all of this? Atlas, Mantle, Mistral, Mandalore, all of it! Why can't Ozpin work his Magic, huh?! Or why can't Ironwood just open the borders to get some help?! Why do they need me all the time?!"

    "..."

    It seemed Hazel was right after all.

    Djarin began to believe himself as a fool when he thought about it. He had seen Mandalorian Foundlings struggle to live up to the expectations older Mandalorians had placed on them. To be a Mandalorian was challenging enough, but Cinder was then expected to be a guardian of the world, a team leader, a ruler, and now the only one who could help Mantle.

    Hazel was right about the pressure building up within Cinder. It was always easy for everyone to forget that she was a child, even Cinder herself seemed to forget that. But Djarin was all too familiar, ever since the day he found her. The last thing he wanted was for her to self-destruct, and recent events showed that this was becoming a reality.

    Fortunately, Cinder had Djarin to make it better.

    Cinder seemed to realize that when she turned around to see that he was standing behind her. She began to calm down, but she couldn't find the right words to say, to apologize for seemingly being selfish. But Djarin decided to speak the moment he gave her a hug.

    "It's okay, Cinder," he said. "I understand."

    Cinder was grateful for the hug, but she couldn't help but disagree. "No, Dad," she said. "I'm sorry, but you don't know what it's like to be a Maiden. Not like I do."

    "...I know." Djarin let go of Cinder so he could talk to her directly. "But that doesn't mean you're alone. That's why I'm here tonight. I couldn't have done anything on election night, I'm sorry about that. But that doesn't mean I won't be there for you. I just... I just need you to know that."

    Cinder nodded slowly. "I appreciate the thought, Dad. But... I don't know, I mean... I'm not sure what you can do. What I could ask you to do, about everything. And even this." Cinder took the Darksaber off her side and looked at it. "It's been weeks now, and neither of us know what's going on with the Mandalorians. Did I... Did I let them down?"

    Djarin quickly took hold of Cinder's shoulders. "No," he insisted. "You've done more than anyone could have asked. So here's what I'm going to do." Djarin pointed to the wall. "When the wall's fixed, I'm going to talk to Robyn. I'm going to convince her to give us back those supplies. Then I'm going to take them all to Amity. And when it's up and running, I'm going to tell every Mandalorian that they should follow us. Not just you, but what you've stood for. They'll follow what you've done and do it ten times better. I'll make sure of it."

    "..."

    With every word and promise Djarin said, Cinder felt a little more weight come off her shoulders. Her earlier statement was being proved wrong, that only she had to do everything to keep things safe.

    Djarin's ideas may have just been words, but Cinder knew that a true Mandalorian never broke their word. And Djarin was the truest Mandalorian the Fall Maiden had ever known. So it was clear that he was going to talk to Robyn and speak to every Mandalorian on her behalf, just so he could share the load.

    And the idea of the Mandalorians following her deeds rather than her was a new and interesting idea. Cinder always believed that Mandalorians would come to her and constantly ask her what to do, which unnerved her greatly. But the idea of following her actions and deeds, which she and her father would share, was an interesting alternative.

    "You'd really do that?" she asked. "Just to help me?"

    "I'd do anything if it means helping you," Djarin assured his daughter.

    The clan of two, more united than ever, shared a hug and felt a little better about things. The wall was still broken and the Blairs were still on the loose, but neither of those situations had the ability to take away what the clan of two planned together.

    However, it seemed that it would have to wait.

    "Djarin, this is Misty," a voice said on Djarin's intercom. "I got eyes on the Happy Huntresses. Right up the street."

    Djarin had to let go of Cinder to answer Misty, who had accompanied him along with the rest of SCAR Squadron. Ironwood had them sent as a precaution, in case Robyn wouldn't be willing to give up the supplies. Djarin and Cinder didn't like the idea, but there wasn't much they could do about it; especially after Ironwood agreed to their plan.

    "Got it," the Mandalorian replied. "We'll be ready."

    Cinder immediately knew what was going on when Djarin spoke on his radio. "Are they here?" she asked.

    "They're up the street." Djarin looked at the screen on his gauntlet. "With about ten minutes to spare."

    "Okay, ten minutes early." Cinder began to stretch her arms once more and take deep breaths. "Okay, I better get ready."

    When Djarin finally saw the Happy Huntresses, he decided to make good on his promise. "Take your time," he assured his daughter. "I'll get them warmed up." After Cinder nodded, the Mandalorian moved to meet the Happy Huntresses halfway.

    Robyn and the Huntresses knew they were at great risk by being at the wall, by accepting Cinder's offer. They all had their reservations and skepticism about the idea, but they felt they had to see such a thing as a repaired wall for themselves.

    Seeing Djarin, who wasn't mentioned in Cinder's letter, was a mild surprise for the Huntresses. They all became wary of the situation, despite the fact that they could see Cinder getting ready. But Robyn was able to hide her mixed emotion behind confidence and an easygoing attitude.

    "Well, what do we have here?" she asked as she stopped. "Mantle's very own knight in shining armor?"

    Djarin simply shrugged at the joke when he stopped walking. He couldn't see the rest of SCAR Squadron, but it was obvious that they were following Djarin's lead. But the moment they saw something they didn't like, they would be following Ironwood's orders.

    So rather than indulge Robyn's easygoing attitude, the Mandalorian got straight to the point.

    "You got our message," he began calmly.

    "We got your kid's note," said Joanna, who looked over to the wall of metal. "Oh, look at that. There's still a big hole in the wall. Great."

    The Mandalorian was no stranger to sarcasm, but he remained completely calm. "We said the wall would be fixed after you got here. Now we can start."

    "Right."

    Djarin finally gave in to the temptation to sigh, right before he made the Huntresses listen to reason. "Look, you got the General's attention. Now he's refusing to transport any materials we have left to the tundra. We can't work on Amity, and you can't get what you need. Everybody loses."

    "..."

    Robyn and her friends started to get that when they came across an empty truck. Though they didn't reveal it, they could understand the fact that their plan had been put to a halt.

    But they didn't waste time revealing their skepticism about Cinder's offer.

    "So how's she supposed to fix this?" May asked. "I don't see any materials or people to get the job done."

    "You'll see that in a minute," Djarin promised. "And just like we said, we'll talk about what's really going on. We can't tell you everything, but we can prove that we're on the same side. That we have a common enemy."

    "..."

    Shared glances and rolling eyes did a good job expressing the collective annoyance of the Happy Huntresses. They came looking for a fixed wall and answers, but everyone could see that this was beginning to look like an empty promise.

    But Robyn saw something else.

    "So you know," she said. "You know who killed those people in the warehouse."

    "...Yes," Djarin confessed. He knew he couldn't reveal everything about Salem, but revealing the fact that he and Robyn shared an enemy was close enough. "But we'll talk about that after we fix the wall."

    "We're waiting," Joanna said as she crossed her arms. But Djarin wasn't quite done yet.

    "Cinder will fix the wall, Robyn. Tonight. But after she does, none of you will have much use for the supplies you stole. If we fix the wall tonight... do I have your word that you'll tell us where the supplies are?"

    Joanna and May laughed at the request, given that they had no intention of returning what they seized from Atlas. They were still mad at not getting any supplies tonight, and they weren't in a hurry to lose what they already had.

    Robyn wasn't in a hurry to lose everything either, but it was Fiona who put things into perspective.

    "Let me guess," she said sadly. "If we don't tell you, there's no deal?"

    "That's right," Djarin replied. "That's the only reason General Ironwood allowed us to come here tonight. He won't let Cinder fix the wall unless he knows where his supplies are."

    "..."

    The choice presented to Robyn was clear, but not easy. There was still a lot of good those supplies could do for Mantle, not just for the wall. Other parts of the city needed them, and the citizens were glad that Robyn was taking such drastic measures to get them.

    Losing those supplies could mean losing everything.

    But Djarin seemed rather confident that Cinder could fix the wall alone. It was a strange thought, one that Robyn couldn't understand. And she needed to know why her people were killed in that warehouse, even if it meant losing her freedom.

    Robyn weighed her choice carefully, and made a unique decision.

    "Take my hand," she said to the Mandalorian. Robyn then extended her open palm, free of any weapons, and waited for a response. "Take my hand, or we're gone. All of us."

    Djarin found that rather unlikely, but he didn't see any harm in taking Robyn's hand. Once he did, he saw a violet and harmless light surround both their hands.

    "Before I make any deal, I want to know a few things," Robyn demanded.

    "I can't tell you about Amity," Djarin quickly declared. "It's classified. For everyone's protection."

    Suddenly, the violet light on Robyn's hand turned green. She was surprised to see this, given that she always believed the opposite.

    "Everyone's protection?" Robyn wondered to herself. "How can that be true?" Robyn suddenly remembered what she was doing and resumed the conversation. "Okay, fine. But tell me this; can the wall really be repaired tonight?"

    "Yes," Djarin replied. The light on his hand still remained green, so he continued to talk. "Cinder can fix it right now, only if you let us."

    When Robyn saw that the light on her hand refused to change colors, to indicate that Djarin was lying, she asked another question. "And then we can talk about the warehouse?"

    "Yes. After the wall is fixed, and after you tell me where the supplies are. In that order."

    The light was still green, which showed that the wall was still going to be fixed. The Happy Huntresses were still surprised by this, and the light was serving as a green flag to take the deal.

    But Joanna had one more question.

    "What if we say 'no?'" she asked.

    "..."

    Djarin's silence made everyone skeptical again, and Robyn could see that it was a good question to ask. "Answer her," she demanded.

    "Djarin, she can't know we're here," Clover said over the intercom.

    "...Let's just say the General would be ready," Djarin replied. "And everyone loses."

    Robyn was slightly annoyed by the open-ended answers, but the green light on her hand told her that Djarin was telling the truth. And she didn't want to know what Ironwood meant by being "ready."

    Just like she didn't want to see the wall continue to be broken.

    "...Okay," Robyn said after she let go of Djarin. "You got a deal. But fix the wall first." Robyn pointed to the large hole that was visible to everyone. "Right now."

    Djarin turned around to see Cinder was waiting for his approval. Once he gave her a single nod, Cinder nodded back and walked over to the hole in the wall. The Huntresses looked at each other once more, with Joanna and May shaking their heads slowly. Fiona simply stood close to Robyn, unsure of what would happen next. Robyn wanted to share in everyone's skepticism, but her Semblance never steered her wrong before.

    She had to see what would happen next.

    When Cinder stopped walking, she closed her eyes and took one more deep breath. The warmth of fire came to her eyes naturally, and Cinder could feel the elements within her and around her. Rather than act immediately, Cinder rubbed her hands together as she concentrated as hard as she could.

    Winter had told Cinder how she and her sister used the earth to seal the walls, what they needed to sense and how they needed to manipulate the environment. It was no easy task, and it came with a few failures along the way. But when she and her sister perfected the technique, the first Winter Maiden practiced it with Cinder before she left the void.

    And now, it was time to see if that practice was worth all the effort. Cinder recalled what Djarin said about her not needing to make a perfect wall, but Cinder was determined to put everything she had in to help Mantle.

    A part of herself was nervous and doubtful, given that Cinder never tried anything like this before. The incident at the tunnels of Mountain Glenn was close, but Cinder was more focused on destruction rather than creation. So now, Cinder needed to focus on creating something with the earth at her feet.

    With this new objective in mind, and with a single assurance that she could do this, Cinder slammed her palms against the ground and focused.

    *RUMBLE*​

    The ground around the wall began to shake, which made Djarin and the Happy Huntresses nearly fall over. The buildings closest to the wall also shook, which caused some of the citizens inside to believe an earthquake was happening.

    They weren't entirely wrong with that assumption. Because when the ground began to quake, it soon began to rise off the ground.

    *RUMBLE*​

    Cinder's feet were still on the ground, but she could feel that ground rising higher and higher into the air. The shaking was still happening, but that didn't break Cinder's focus. She stayed right where she was, and concentrated on the earth as hard as she could.

    Eventually, Cinder began to lose her energy and became exhausted. When that happened, she couldn't help but lose her grip and footing on the earth. Fortunately, Djarin used his Semblance and jetpack to catch her and gently bring her to the ground.

    Cinder opened her eyes to see her father's helmet, which made her smile. "Did... Did it work?" she asked.

    Djarin couldn't help but chuckle as he helped Cinder stand upright. "See for yourself," he said as he pointed to the wall.

    Cinder and the Happy Huntresses, who were recovering from the shaking, all looked to the wall and saw an unbelievable sight. There was a large piece of earth right where the hole was, blocking any kind of easy access for the Grimm to enter. The earth wasn't raised to the exact top of the metal wall, but it was clear that the hole had been vastly improved on.

    And everyone was starting to see that.

    "Hey! What happened to the hole?!"

    Djarin and Cinder turned around to see an ordinary citizen from a building looking out his window to see that the hole in the wall was gone. Eventually, other citizens followed the man's lead and looked to see what was happening.

    "The hole's gone!"

    "They fixed the wall?"

    "That's impossible! There was a giant hole there last I checked!"

    "No, it's real! It's fixed!"

    Robyn and the Huntresses were the only people who were speechless. They didn't care that the height of the earth didn't reach the top of the wall, since they were focused on the fact that the hole had been plugged up.

    Joanna thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her, that she wasn't seeing what she thought she was seeing. But when she rubbed her hands against the soil, the Huntress could tell that the blockage was real.

    And when she punched it, the earth was as hard as the tundra itself. As a matter of fact, the earth was the tundra. The hardened and cold tundra that served as an enemy to the people of Solitas was now its savior.

    "It's rock solid," Joanna informed her leader. "This is real."

    May joined her friend at the wall and felt the earth for herself. "I don't believe it," she said. "This is impossible."

    Fiona joined her fellow Huntresses and felt the wall for herself. "The Grimm can't break through this," she said. "It'd take an army of Grimm to tear this thing down."

    Robyn was the only one who didn't examine the wall for herself. She took the words of her friends, and turned back to the two Mandalorians.

    "You... You just... The wall just..." Robyn was having a hard time finding the right words to express her surprise. She was greatly pleased to see that the wall had been fixed, and she was surprised that a fifteen year old girl had just done what she spent months trying to do. "How did you do that?"

    "Don't worry about that," said Djarin. "What matters is that the wall is fixed."

    "The earth I used is the actual tundra," Cinder explained. "I don't know how the metal broke, but you don't have to worry about any Grimm tearing it down."

    "...Okay," Robyn said slowly, still unsure about all of this. "But how... Why did-?"

    "We're doing the same thing you are," Cinder interrupted. "We're trying to help. Atlas was never out to get anybody. The people murdering civilians in Mantle are just trying to make it look that way."

    Robyn was having a hard time processing all of this. But before she could ask any more questions, the Mandalorian stepped in and reminded the Huntress of their deal.

    "Hold on, Cinder," he said calmly. "Robyn, we upheld our end of the bargain. Atlas needs those supplies more than you do now. Trust me."

    "..."

    Robyn had almost forgotten the deal she made with Djarin. Even though she knew that Djarin was telling the truth, Robyn never truly believed that the wall would be fixed tonight. It wasn't the solution she had in mind, but it was a solution nonetheless. Even though she made a deal, Robyn wasn't sure if giving up the supplies without answers was the smart choice.

    "Robyn?" Joanna asked as she and the other Huntresses joined her. "What are we doing now?"

    "Are we giving them the supplies?" Fiona asked.

    "Hold on," May requested. "What did they say about answering our questions? Are we still doing that?"

    "..."

    For the first time since election night... Robyn didn't know what to do.

    *WHOOSH*​

    The silence of both parties was broken by something above them. The Mandalorians and the Happy Huntresses were never people who lost focus easily, but the sound and sight of someone flying above them was easy to capture their attention.

    Everyone was confused, but they could clearly see that the man landing between them was Boba Fett.

    "Robyn!" Boba yelled after he placed his feet on the ground. "Robyn, stop! Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't do it!"

    Robyn and her friends were surprised by Boba's sudden appearance, and his demand had only raised more questions than answers. "Boba?" Robyn asked as she began to process everything. "Boba, what are you-?"

    "We have to get out of here!" Boba said. "Off the streets!" Boba looked back to the Happy Huntresses, who were close to Djarin and Cinder. "All of us! We need to-!" The man's panic was halted when he realized where he was, and that something was wrong. "Wait a minute, isn't this where the wall was broken?"

    Everyone was taken off guard by Boba's sudden appearance, but they spared a moment to look at the wall with him. But the Happy Huntresses decided to forget about that and talk to Boba.

    And the Mandalorians forgot about it when Djarin heard a voice on the intercom.

    "Djarin, what's going?" Clover asked. "Why's Boba Fett here?"

    "What's got him so spooked?" Cinder wondered.

    Djarin didn't have any answers to both of the questions he had been asked. But he knew that there was only one way to find out. So, he turned to Cinder and gestured towards Boba and the Huntresses. Cinder understood perfectly and followed her father to get a better understanding of the conversation.

    "Forget about the wall," Robyn said. "What are you doing here?"

    "And why were you yelling at us?" Fiona asked. "Sounds like you saw a ghost."

    "...You're not far off, Fiona," Boba replied. "I went to the warehouse where Robyn had her party. There was something there."

    "Wait, you found something?" May asked. "But the police already searched, they said all they found was blood."

    "That's what I found too," Boba explained. "I got a good scan, but if I had someone in Atlas look at it, they could-" Boba stopped talking when he saw that Djarin and Cinder had joined him. The Huntresses were wary of their presence, but Boba saw an opportunity. "You." He gently pushed past Fiona and May to get closer to Djarin. "You're working with Ironwood, aren't you? Could you get me to a lab? Or somebody that can look at what I found?"

    "A lab?" Djarin asked. "What?"

    "Boba, what is going on?" Robyn asked impatiently. "What do you need their help for?"

    The tone of Robyn's voice told Boba that he hadn't done a good job explaining himself. So after he took a second to collect his thoughts, he said what he should have said when he landed.

    "Robyn... I know who did it," he said. "I know who killed those people in the warehouse."

    Robyn gasped at the idea, and so did her fellow Huntresses. Cinder and Djarin looked at each other and shred the same feelings of uncertainty and disbelief. They already knew that the Blairs, particularly Fauna, were responsible for the murders. They didn't have any proof, so they were surprised to hear that Boba may have found something.

    "You do?" Robyn asked.

    "Yes," Boba quickly confirmed. "We have to get off the streets, get somewhere safe, before he finds us." Boba then turned to the Mandalorians. "You're in danger too. He hates Mandalorians, he'll stop at nothing to kill your kind. He'll-"

    "Whoa, whoa, wait a second," Cinder said. "Did you say... 'he?'" Djarin was equally confused, since he and Cinder knew about the Blairs.

    Robyn was also confused, and she was ready for answers. "Boba, who?" she demanded. "Who's behind all this?"

    When Boba turned around one final time, he answered everyone's questions with a single word. He once thought it was impossible, but in his mind, there was no denying that there was only one man that was capable of the events in the warehouse.

    Boba hadn't said the name of the man since he formed his idea, but now, he knew he had to bring it into the open. He had to say his name.

    "Durge."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 62: The Weapon
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 62: The Weapon​

    "This has gone too far. I should have never let it happen."

    "James, we should at least hear them out. They said that they-"

    "You saw what Robyn's been doing with the supplies we desperately need! And don't even get me started on the crime lord she brought here!"

    "..."

    While he was more than used to the General's stubborn mind, Ozpin had to admit defeat when he couldn't disagree with what Ironwood had said.

    About ten minutes ago, Djarin and Cinder returned with SCAR Squadron from a successful mission in Mantle. Just as she promised, Cinder was able to fix Mantle's broken wall with her powers and the very tundra that the Kingdom resided in. However, they had returned with five very unique passengers.

    Boba Fett and the Happy Huntresses had found themselves to be under Atlas' supervision because of what transpired in Mantle. Robyn's appearance at the wall was expected, but Boba made a rather impromptu appearance with alarming news. He claimed that he knew who was truly responsible for the attack on election night, someone who was most likely also responsible for the recent string of murders in Mantle.

    Robyn and her friends had accompanied Boba, to see if his theory was correct. Boba claimed to have a sample of blood from the attacker, and now he needed it to be analyzed for confirmation. And though he was accompanied by the Huntresses, none of them were under arrest just yet.

    The only thing protecting Boba was his theory. And Robyn avoided arrest by reluctantly telling the authorities where she and her friends were keeping the supplies they had stolen.

    Boba and his friends were taken to a lab where they could study the blood sample, while the clan of two reported back to Ironwood. They thought he would be happy with the results of the mission, but Ironwood now had something else to worry about.

    Unlike the other times he was worried and paranoid, however, Ironwood had a valid reason for not trusting someone like Boba right away.

    "General, with all due respect," Djarin began calmly. "You don't know Fett like I do." Djarin gestured towards Cinder. "He and Robyn helped me save Cinder from Gideon. He knows how to keep his word, and so do the Happy Huntresses."

    Ironwood knew that the supplies had been returned, but his mind wasn't swayed just yet. "And with all due respect to you, Djarin, you don't know Fett like I do," the General countered. "I know about his ties to organized crime, how powerful he is in the black market. We tried multiple times to arrest him, and they all ended with my soldiers in body-bags! You can't ask me to trust a known crime lord!"

    Djarin was also aware of Boba's ties to the criminal underworld, but he wasn't willing to give up just yet. "Nobody's asking you to trust him. But if he's right about Durge, then we have a big problem. Bigger than Merri and Fauna combined."

    For the first time since her arrival, Cinder found an opportunity to speak. She remembered how scared Boba Fett was about the name "Durge," and now her father's warning was even more troubling. "Why's that?" she asked. "Who's Durge?"

    Djarin looked at his daughter once more and decided to explain himself. "He's a bounty hunter, like me. Well, according to some, he was a bounty hunter."

    "..."

    Djarin could tell that he had everyone's attention, so he explained himself further. "Most bounty hunters are just in it for the money. It's a profession, like being a Huntsman. But Durge... he was always out for blood."

    "..."

    "Nobody knew who he was or where he came from, but Durge was known for being the most violent and ruthless bounty hunter known to Remnant. He was more of a mercenary than a bounty hunter. He fought in small wars, blew up entire buildings to kill one person, and rarely took a bounty alive. As long as he got to kill, he was happy."

    "..."

    "And Boba was right about one other thing. Durge hated Mandalorians. Every chance he got, he would hunt a Mandalorian and kill them where they stood. He didn't even do it for money, some of his hunts were illegal. And the Mandalorians were hardly known to have attacked or hurt anyone. Teams, entire tribes fell to Durge. He was unstoppable. An oncoming storm. He was so feared that we Mandalorians called him something else."

    "..."

    "The Gen'Dai."

    "..."

    The story was upsetting for both Ozpin and Ironwood, but it greatly disturbed Cinder. She was well aware that the world was scared of Mandalorians, but people never tried to hunt down Mandalorians. What Durge did was cold-blooded murder, without honor and mercy.

    And based on what her father said... Durge sounded like he did it all for sport.

    "Then he would be a grave threat indeed," said Ozpin. "But I thought I heard reports of his demise."

    "That's true, Oz," said Ironwood, who began to type on his computer. When he was finished, a report appeared on a screen with an image of a unique helmet. "It's true that Durge's actions were highly illegal. Years ago, a joint team of Huntsmen and Huntresses from Vacuo and Vale tried to recapture Durge after he escaped an Atlesian compound. They hunted him down north of Vacuo, where he stole an airship and flew northwest. It took the team time, but they eventually found the wreckage of the airship in the ocean. Apparently, he flew too close to avian Grimm."

    "So he's dead," Cinder assumed. "The Grimm killed him."

    "Except for one problem," said Djarin. "They never found a body."

    Instead of questioning Djarin on how he knew such information, Ozpin asked Ironwood a rather important question. "James, you said that Durge's airship was found in the ocean of Vacuo?" he asked.

    "That's right," Ironwood confirmed.

    "Could you show me?"

    Ironwood typed on his computer once more to show a map of Vacuo. When he and Ozpin could see it, Ironwood looked at the report to find the coordinates of the destroyed airship.

    "It was found... there," Ironwood said as he pointed at the screen.

    Ozpin could see for himself, but his mind wasn't at ease. "Oh, dear," he said as he looked at the screen. "Salem."

    Djarin and Cinder were surprised to hear Ozpin say Salem's name. The surprise led them to looking at Ironwood's computer as well, where they saw Ozpin pointing to a landmass close to the northwest part of Vacuo.

    "Durge's airship was found not far from this landmass," said Ozpin. "That's where Salem's lair is."

    "Wait, what?" Ironwood asked. "Right there?"

    "Yes. I've only been there once. It's a place home to thousands of Grimm. Nobody could survive going there... unless Salem wishes it."

    "You think Durge might be involved with Salem?" Cinder asked.

    "It would explain the string of murders Mantle has seen. We already know Atlas is Salem's next target, Durge may be working with her for a monetary reward."

    Ironwood shut down his computer. "Assuming that Durge is alive," he said. "Which is news we can't trust from the likes of Fett."

    Everyone looked back at Ironwood and tried to reason with him. "Fett wouldn't lie about something like this," Djarin repeated.

    "And he seems to have little to gain lying to us," Ozpin pointed out. "When he could have just as easily stayed away from the wall."

    "And we'll find out if he's telling the truth," said Cinder. "Isn't Doctor Polendina looking at the sample Boba brought?"

    "Yes, along with SCAR Squadron," said Ironwood. He had sent SCAR Squadron to keep an eye on Fett and the Happy Huntresses, in case they tried anything that went against Ironwood. "We have Durge's medical file from his time in our compound, so Pietro can cross-analyze it. But that evidence could have been tampered with. And it may not even be evidence. It could be a red herring Fett gave us. He could be the one working with Salem."

    "..."

    Djarin and Cinder couldn't help but glance at each other when they heard this theory. They understood that Ironwood didn't have much reason to trust Boba, but everything he was saying now was sounding more and more delusional.

    And paranoid.

    "Maybe so," said Ozpin, who cautiously played along with Ironwood's thinking. "But that doesn't explain how he would have Durge's DNA. If it's in the sample he found."

    "And when he knew what he was looking for, Qrow found it in the warehouse too," Djarin pointed out. After he listened to Boba's story, Djarin asked Qrow to confirm that the sample actually existed.

    Ironwood sighed as he stood up. "We can rationalize it all we like, but this is not proof," he said. "Until we have proof, Fett and the Huntresses are not leaving the academy grounds."

    "..."

    It was hard to say that Ironwood's decision was unreasonable, given that Robyn's vigilantism had hampered the progress on the Amity project. But everyone hoped that the General would keep his word about offering Robyn a deal since she gave the supplies back. And they also hoped that he would see the possibility of Boba's claim.

    But for now, all they could do was wait.

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    Ironwood reached for his ear when he heard a familiar noise from his earpiece. When he pressed a finger on it, the General walked towards the window of his office and stared at the night sky.

    "Report," he ordered calmly.

    "..."

    "You're sure?"

    "..."

    Ironwood let out a sigh as he listened to the voice in his ear. "Understood. I'm on my way."

    "..."

    When he lowered his hand, Ironwood turned towards his present allies and delivered news.

    "That was Pietro," he said. "The sample Boba gave us... was a match for Durge."

    Cinder gasped when she heard this. "He's here," she said.

    "...Gods help us all," said Djarin.

    "It's what?"

    "It's a match. It was Durge at the warehouse."

    Boba was still with the Happy Huntresses when he heard the news. Thanks to Pietro's efforts, with help from R2 and Penny, they were able to prove that the DNA sample Boba brought back was indeed from the thought-to-be-deceased bounty hunter Durge.

    Not only was he still alive, but he was also in Mantle.

    "Oh, Gods," said May Marigold. "I can't believe it."

    "I know," said Joanna Greenleaf. "This... This is hard to swallow."

    "What about those other murders across Mantle?" Fiona Thyme asked. "Was Durge responsible for those too?"

    "You said they were found with their heads smashed in," Boba reminded his friends. "Durge could do that easily."

    "..."

    One by one, the Happy Huntresses began to realize that they had made a terrible mistake. Everyone had blamed Atlas for the murders in Mantle, specifically Penny, but now they had proof that an armed and extremely dangerous mercenary was responsible.

    And even more proof, Pietro had shown everyone that Penny's footage from the warehouse was indeed doctored while he was waiting for the results of the analysis. The real footage was from Penny's work killing Grimm and protecting the city.

    Everyone could see that the two pieces of footage were an exact match, that someone had cropped out Durge and replaced him with Penny.

    The only thing that didn't make sense to Boba was how this could happen. Durge wasn't dumb muscle, but he wasn't smart enough to create fake footage and make it appear so real. Clover knew about Merri and Fauna, but he explained that Durge's accomplices were still at large.

    He and SCAR Squadron were still watching Boba and the Huntresses, but they had a chance to talk amongst themselves while Boba talked to the Huntresses.

    "Well, I'll be damned," said Cav. "First we have to deal with Grimm, and now we have to deal with ghosts?"

    "What's the matter, Cav?" Zuke asked jokingly. "Scared?"

    "Don't go all superstitious on us," Mic warned. "He's alive, that's all we can say."

    "And he's here," Misty pointed out. "He's been framing Ironwood since day one."

    "Can't believe we gotta thank him of all people for it," Shrap said as he gestured towards Boba. "Isn't he still a wanted man?"

    "Hard to say," Aero replied. "But are we not gonna talk about how the kid fixed the wall in ten seconds flat? That was a solid two week job, at best."

    Everyone had seen how Cinder had managed to fix the wall of Mantle, albeit temporarily. The people had been demanding for it to be fixed as soon as possible, and now they got their wish. Now, the soldiers wished that it would be enough for things to get back on track for Amity.

    They managed to secure the supplies after Robyn told them where it was, and now they were on their way to Amity. Whether or not it would be enough to finish the tower soon was unknown. But Clover Ebi knew one thing was certain.

    "Well, what Cinder did fixed one of our biggest problems," the leader of SCAR Squadron said. "Now it looks like we're on to the next."

    "Fine by me," said Zuke, who cracked his knuckles. "This 'Durge' guy, whoever he is, got by me once. I'm not gonna let it happen again."

    "We gonna do it with him, by the way?" Cav asked after he made a quick gesture towards Boba. He made sure to speak quietly enough for only his allies to hear. "He's still on our radar, isn't he?"

    SCAR Squadron, like General Ironwood, was aware of Boba Fett's ties with organized crime. Whereas Ironwood was more paranoid of letting people know about the larger truth, Clover and his squad didn't feel right about working with a criminal.

    And even though Clover respected Robyn, he hadn't forgiven her for her acts of vigilantism just yet.

    Speaking of Robyn, she became the center of attention when she excused herself from the room. Clover remembered his orders not to let Boba or the Huntresses out of his sight, so he immediately followed her. Boba followed as well, since he was confused as to why Robyn would suddenly want to leave.

    Robyn didn't go very far when she left the room. When she found herself in a hallway, Robyn looked at a garbage can with a piercing glare and a low growl.

    *BAM*​

    "Dammit!" Robyn yelled as she kicked the waste disposal. "Dammit, dammit!"

    "Hey!" Clover yelled. Boba remained silent, but he immediately rushed over to Robyn with Clover to make her stop kicking the can. "Robyn, calm down!"

    "What are you doing?" Boba asked after he watched Robyn hit the wall. "Robyn, we found out what happened! I thought you'd be happy!"

    "I am happy!" Robyn yelled to Boba.

    "Are you sure?! You're not acting like it!"

    "..."

    Robyn leaned against the wall in defeat and ran a hand through her hair. "Clover... on a scale of one to ten, how much trouble are we in?" she asked.

    Clover was surprised to hear a question like this come from Robyn of all people. Between stopping his truck in the tundra and robbing the military, Robyn always came off as a "consequences be damned" kind of person.

    Seeing her concerned about the law was so unlike her.

    "Well..." Clover began unsurely. "General Ironwood hasn't placed you under arrest yet."

    "But what if he does?" Robyn asked. "How much trouble are we in?"

    "Robyn, you know that's not part of my job. I-"

    "Just tell her," Boba ordered. "Just answer the question."

    What Clover was trying to say that he wasn't in charge of carrying out sentences of imprisonment. That was the job of the courts and legal system of Atlas. Nevertheless, Clover decided to do what Boba said.

    "Breaking the curfew wouldn't get you in too much trouble," he began. "But stealing military property... that could be a long time in prison."

    "How long?" Robyn asked.

    "..."

    "How long, Clover?"

    "Ten to... twenty years."

    Robyn grabbed her head as she slid down to the floor. Words couldn't express her anger and contempt, but for the first time in a long time, the anger wasn't towards Ironwood or the military.

    Robyn was angry at herself.

    "I was sure," she said as she grabbed her head. "I was sure they had it out for us. I was so sure they left us without a choice." Robyn hit her head against the wall. "This was my fault. I told them to go through with it. Every time we ambushed one of those trucks."

    This kind of conversation wasn't the kind Clover or Boba were used to. "Look, Robyn," Clover said. "Let's just-"

    Robyn curled her fists and slowly raised them towards Clover. "If you're gonna take anyone in, take me." She moved her hands closer to Clover. "Not Boba. Not my friends. Just me."

    Clover was once again surprised to hear Robyn give up so easily, but he didn't accept the offer. "It's not that simple, Robyn."

    "Yes, it is. The Happy Huntresses were just following orders. Boba was never involved, it was all my decision. So go ahead. Just get it over with."

    "Robyn-"

    Suddenly, Boba stepped in between Robyn and Clover to say his piece. "Nobody's arresting anyone," he declared. "We'll help you with Durge instead. Both of us."

    "..."

    Once again, this was something Clover didn't expect to hear. Boba wasn't known for being the most charitable person on Remnant. He was, however, someone very close to Robyn. So it would make sense that Boba would be willing to help Robyn. And Clover remembered how he helped Robyn avoid a fight in the tundra.

    But on one hand, accepting a deal like this wasn't Clover's call to make. On the other hand, however, Clover didn't have much information on Durge.

    "How could you help us?" Clover asked. "How did you even know he was here?"

    Boba had the perfect answer for both questions. "Because I know him," he said. "I've met him before."

    Years ago​

    It was a dark and stormy night.

    That was almost always the condition of nights in the southwestern district of Mantle. The snow always had a habit of striking that part of the Kingdom first, and the heating grid would always turn the snow into rain.

    Boba Fett had spent ten years, his whole life, in the district of Mantle. He was always warm and safe in the apartment complex he shared with his father, so he didn't mind the rain. His best friend, on the other hand, hated it greatly.

    "You know, Boba," said a young Robyn Hill. "If I had a Lien for every time it rained when I come over, I'd probably have enough to buy a new house in Atlas."

    "Well, the joke's on you, Robyn," Boba said as he walked away from the window. "I already     have that kind of money."

    "What? Nuh-uh!"

    "Uh-huh! Dad lets me see every Lien he's earned when he comes home. We could have moved there yesterday if we wanted to."

    "Why doesn't he want to? You'd be really happy up there."

    "I know. But he said he learned how to live without needing to have too much. He wants me to do that too."

    "My dad says that to me sometimes. That it builds character."

    "Does it?"

    "Nah. He just says that when he wants me to do chores I hate."

    Boba laughed at the joke before he sat on the couch with his friend. "So, what do you want to do tonight?" he asked.

    "That's actually why I'm here," Robyn replied. "My mom heard your dad wasn't home, so she wanted me to invite you over for dinner."

    "Thanks, but he said he'd be home tonight." Boba suddenly reconsidered his answer. "Wait, what are you having?"

    "I don't know. I asked my mom, she said it didn't matter."

    "Why not?"

    "Because I'd still be eating it." Robyn giggled before she spoke again. "I mean, that's fine. As long as it's not stew. Ew!"

    Boba shrugged at the idea. "I think it might be stew. I heard that's the easiest thing to make around here."

    "Yeah, I guess so." Robyn looked out the window and up towards Atlas. "What do you think everyone up there is eating tonight?"

    "I don't know. Something different, I guess? What, are you going to go up there to eat?"

    Robyn shook her head. "I just don't get it. Sometimes, I don't see why it's such a bad idea for everything in Atlas to stay up there." Robyn leaned against her hand as she began to daydream. "Sometimes, I think there's gonna be a day when some of that stuff comes down here."

    Boba listened to Robyn's story, but he didn't think too much of it. "Atlas has been up there for years. If somebody actually wanted to bring stuff down to Mantle, they would have done it by now."

    Robyn shrugged again. "Maybe someone from Mantle could do it then. Someone like you or me."

    "..."

    *CLICK*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    Boba and Robyn turned to see that the apartment's front door had been opened. On the other side was the hallway, and one person who had just opened the door. Most citizens of Mantle would be wearing heavy coats that were usually dirty, but the man entering the complex was wearing something else.

    He was also dirty, but he was wearing silver armor instead of winter clothes. Dirt on his boots and scorch marks on his chest were indicators that the man had seen combat rather than the slums of Mantle. The only thing that wasn't damaged or dirty was a silver helmet with blue accents near a visor that looked like a "T."

    The man underneath the Mandalorian armor was used to seeing people looking upon him in fear or envy, given the rarity of the Beskar armor. But for the young boy in front of him, and sometimes his friend, seeing the armor was a joy.

    He immediately recognized the sight of Jango Fett, one of the best bounty hunters on Remnant.

    And his own father.

    "Dad!" Boba said as he ran over to his father. "You made it!"

    "I told you I would," Jango said as he rubbed the head of his son. He then noticed that Boba had company. "How are you, Robyn?"

    "Fine, sir," Robyn replied. "And you?"

    "Not bad. Just tired."

    Robyn took this as her cue to leave the father and son to their business. "Well, I'd better get home." She then moved to the door while waving goodbye. "See you later, Boba!"

    Boba waved back to Robyn, but only for a moment. His friend didn't notice it, but Jango was putting on an act in front of the children. It wasn't uncommon to see Jango with his armor dirty from work, but his slow movements and hugging the wall were indicators that the bounty hunter wasn't feeling his best.

    "Are you okay, Dad?" Boba asked after he closed the door.

    "Been better, but I'll live," Jango replied as he staggered towards a seat. Once he sat down, Jango began to remove the armor and scatter it around, not caring where it went. He then revealed bloodied hands and a bloodied face, which were also indicators of Jango's poor condition. "Just one of those days."

    "What happened? Did they put up a fight?"

    "My bounty? No. But my competition? Yes." Jango moved his arms until a loud cracking sound could be heard. "Everyone can be after the same prize, Boba. You'll have to watch out for yourself when you're in that spot."

    Boba looked on his father with pity, but also resolve. "I'll go get the kit," he offered. Jango had taught his son how to tend his own wounds without an Aura, so Boba was equally prepared to treat the wounds of his father as well.

    But after Jango let out a groan when he cracked his neck, the bounty hunter had another idea. "I think I'll need the bath tonight, Boba," he said as he extended his hand. "Help your old man up?"

    Boba helped his father off the chair and led him towards a special room of the apartment. Rather than going to the bathroom, the father and son moved to a room where a large cylinder was waiting.

    This was a rather expensive medical tool, which utilized an even more expensive kind of medicine. The machine would take the rare substance known as Cobalt Dust and liquidize it completely. Then, after a person laid down in the machine and connected themselves to an air supply, the liquid would fill the cylinder and cover the person inside it.

    Jango reserved using the tool for when his injuries would usually take weeks to heal. The bath would help make this recovery less than a couple of days, depending on how long he planned to stay inside. Boba never really liked the machine, however. Seeing his father, the strongest and bravest man he ever knew, require something like this to help his wounds, always made a shiver grow up the boy's spine.

    Jango was aware of this, but he told his son the same thing every time he needed to use the equipment.

    "Nobody's invincible, Boba. And there are some things that help us better than Aura and Beskar."

    Boba always understood what his father meant. Whenever he came home from a hunt, Jango's Aura would always be recharging after healing and using his Semblance. The process was rather long, and Jango had been taught to fight without relying on an Aura. Healing, on the other hand, would occasionally require something extra.

    And so, Jango found himself resting in the medical cylinder in a pool of liquidized Dust.

    Whenever Jango needed to use the tool, Boba would leave his father alone and see him in the morning. They would then spend the day together talking about their days apart, train, or go out into the city. But tonight, Boba had a different idea. He didn't know why, but his instincts were telling him to stay in the same room as Jango. That he would have to be there for his father tonight, more than any other night.

    Boba didn't think too much about why he felt this way, but he eventually pulled up a chair and sat by the large cylinder. He wasn't used to sleeping in a chair, but Boba eventually fell asleep. He awoke, however, when he heard an unexpected sound.

    *SPLASH*​

    Boba awoke with a jerk when he heard the sound of water flowing around him. The water touched his feet, which served as an indicator that the water was definitely inside the room.

    As for the cause of it, the sounds of a growl and a struggle answered that question.

    Boba almost didn't believe his eyes, but he could see that a large figure was hovering over the medical bed and strangling his father. Jango was taken by surprise by the sudden attack, and was powerless against the strong grip around his throat.

    This grip didn't last long, however, since the figure threw Jango out of the tank and against the wall.

    *BAM*​

    "Dad!" Boba yelled as he rushed over to his father. He began to help his father stand, but he couldn't help but freeze up when he saw Jango's attacker.

    When Jango hit the wall, he inadvertently turned on the lights in the room. Now that the room was well-lit, Jango and Boba could see that the assailant was a large man covered in steel armor. It wasn't Mandalorian armor, but rather a custom design that struck fear into the boy's heart.

    The man had large arms with red painting on the shoulder pads, a foreign blue symbol on the chest plate, and a helmet with multiple slits that served for both eyesight and breathing. He almost looked like a large knight, but he appeared to be carrying two pistols at his side rather than a sword. He didn't take these guns out, however.

    Durge relied only on his fists for fighting.

    "Boba, get out of here!" Jango yelled as he pushed his son out of the room.

    *BAM*​

    The father and son barely missed a fist meant for the boy when the man's fist hit the wall. Jango moved forward and grabbed Durge's waist in an effort to pin him to the ground, but the assailant wouldn't budge. So Jango resorted to hitting his opponent's sides where his armor wasn't covering him.

    *BAM*

    *CRACK*    ​

    Jango fell to the ground again when a large fist hit his back. He then slid across the ground when an even larger boot kicked him.

    Jango felt himself hit something metal when he slid, but the metal didn't hurt him. Instead, it served Jango a reminder that he had littered pieces of his armor across the apartment when he arrived. He was going to pick them up when he was done in the bath, but now he had the chance to use his weapons to defend himself.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    The red blasts that escaped Jango's weapons all met their target, but Durge was completely unfazed. His armor wasn't Beskar, but it was enough to protect him from each blast that Jango fired.

    The assassin was not only protected, but he was able to hit Jango again.

    *BAM*​

    Jango was thrown across the room when the giant's fist hit his face, and he crashed into a few pieces of furniture before he hit the wall. His eyes needed to readjust to see that Durge was still on his murderous path, which told Jango that he wasn't getting out of this easily.

    Nothing short of a miracle was going to stop Durge now.

    "Leave him alone!"

    Durge was forced to stop moving when he felt something tapping against his leg. When he looked down, he saw a young boy throwing harmless punches against his leg. He didn't care if he caught the man's attention, the boy just wanted Durge to stop.

    But Jango didn't like that.

    "Boba, no!" Jango said after he coughed out some blood. "Get... out of here!"

    The boy was throwing these punches to make Durge stop attacking his father without cause. And while he momentarily succeeded, Boba had unfortunately drawn Durge's attention.

    As well as his fury.

    *BAM*

    *CRACK*    ​

    The punch Durge threw was enough to make the boy stop punching and starting bleeding from his head as he fell to the floor. The strike was one without honor or mercy, which Durge possessed neither.

    He had spent a long time tracking Jango Fett. He almost had him when they were after the same prey, but Jango was able to elude the man. Unfortunately, the escape was only temporary.

    Durge was not only an excellent mercenary, but he was also known for his tracking abilities. It was easy for him to track Jango to Mantle, and it was just as easy to break into the Mandalorian's home and finish him off.

    Whether it was his hatred of Mandalorians or his hatred of Jango in particular, Durge wasn't going to let anyone stand in his way. That was why he sent a head-crushing punch to the boy.

    "Boba!" Jango screamed as he saw his only son fall. His inability to protect Boba and the sight of the boy's apparent death filled Jango with rage and purpose to finish the fight, so he grabbed Durge's blasters and shot at point-blank range.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Jango's shots were at parts of Durge's body where his armor wasn't protecting him, so Durge threw Jango aside with a roar.

    *BAM*​

    Durge wasted no time in striking again after Jango hit the ground. He reached to his side to pull a chain with metal spikes at the end, and he swung it as hard as he could.

    *CRASH*​

    The chain didn't make contact with Jango, who was continuing to shoot at Durge. But the assassin simply swung his chain again and again.

    *CRASH*

    *CRASH*

    *CRASH*    ​

    The flail was destroying the room, but not Jango. And so, Durge was ready to swing his weapon as many times as it took to kill the Mandalorian, but he was unable to swing it a fifth time.

    Someone had caught the end.

    "I said leave him alone!"

    Jango and Durge both looked to see that a young boy had caught the end of the flail. They both shared a feeling of confusion as they looked at the boy, since they believed that he was dead.

    Clearly, they were wrong.

    "Boba?" Jango asked. "But you were-"

    Jango stopped talking when he saw a limp body continuing to bleed on the ground. He couldn't deny that the boy on the ground was his son, but Boba was standing right behind Durge holding the weapon back.

    This was impossible.

    *BAM*​

    Once again, Durge struck Boba hard enough to make the boy fly across the room. He was uncertain if the strike was fatal, but Durge was only concerned with Jango. So he turned back to the Mandalorian and prepared to swing his weapon once more.

    But just like last time, Durge failed to do so.

    "Get him!"

    Suddenly, the room was flooded with multiple versions of Boba Fett. Roughly a dozen of the same boys all grabbed and jumped on to Durge, preventing him from attacking Jango once more.

    Durge was moving and swinging his arms to shake the boys off of him, even though he was confused as to where they came from. But for every child he knocked off his body, two more took his place.

    One version of Boba had even picked up a knife, which he stabbed into the man's neck after two other copies gave him a boost.

    *SHICK*​

    Durge howled in pain as he grabbed the child and his neck. Blood poured off his neck as well as out of his mouth, which he spit out to create a unique pattern on the ground.

    Given that some of the blood had hit some of his mouthpiece, Durge unintentionally created a special symbol on the ground.

    Jango didn't look at the symbol, however. He looked to see multiple versions of his son attack Durge without mercy.

    It was hard to comprehend, at first. Jango knew he only had one son, but now there were multiple versions of that son attacking Durge simultaneously. He was grateful for the salvation, but dumbfounded as to how it was possible.

    After a few moments of thinking, Jango remembered that he had helped Boba unlock his Aura. He helped the boy train with it, as well as train how to fight, but Boba hadn't unlocked his Semblance. No training could help with that, given that Boba had to discover what it was on his own. So ever since he had an Aura, Boba worked hard to unlock his Semblance.

    And now, all that time and patience had paid off. Boba Fett was using his Semblance to make copies of himself; copies that were all fighting for Jango.

    "Well, how about that?" Jango said as he watched the multiple versions of his son take on his enemy. Words couldn't express the pride he had for Boba, nor the joy he had knowing that his son was alive.

    "Psst, Dad!" a young boy's whisper said.

    The whisper was too quiet for the struggling Durge to hear, but Jango heard it as clear as day. He turned towards the door of his apartment, where another version of Boba was sitting. Unlike the copies, the color of Boba's Aura was enveloping him all over. Jango had no doubt in his mind that the glowing Boba was his real son, and he had used his Semblance to save his father.

    "Hurry!" Boba whispered. "I can't... do this forever!"

    It was clear that Boba was struggling with using his Semblance for the first time, so Jango wasted no time in collecting his armor and running out of the room. He had placed the chest plate and helmet on his body, but Jango was forced to leave his jetpack behind when he saw his son faint.

    "I got you, Boba," Jango promised as he lifted his son off the ground and ran. "I got you."

    Present day​

    After Boba explained his story, after he emphasized the part about Durge spitting blood to make a similar shape in the warehouse, Clover didn't know what to say. If it was true, then Boba's Semblance had helped handle Durge before.

    It could be helpful again, along with the experience.

    "I remember that," said Robyn. When Boba looked to her, Robyn continued to speak. "You left Mantle for a while. I didn't know where you went, but I saw your apartment. You never told me it was Durge who did that."

    "We didn't want Durge to know we had friends in Mantle," Boba explained. "My father and I."

    "...So, what happened?" Clover eventually asked.

    Boba looked back to the soldier and answered the question. "We had a safe-house outside the Kingdom, where we planned to stay in case Durge followed us," he replied. "But not long after that, he was captured and taken beyond Solitas. I guess you know the rest after that."

    Clover had read the report on Durge while Dr. Polendina was analyzing the sample Boba found, so he indeed knew the rest of the story. And while Boba and Jango seemed to set off a chain of events involving the mercenary's capture, Clover had to admit something else.

    "You did a number on him, from the sound of it," the soldier admitted. "But that doesn't mean you know how to find him."

    "That doesn't mean I can't help," said Boba. "That we can't help." The crime lord turned to Robyn as he made his point. "Robyn knows every inch of Mantle. She'll know where to look in order to find him."

    Robyn had gotten off the ground, but her confidence hadn't exactly risen as well. "Boba, I-"

    "And I know what kinds of questions you need to be asking," Boba continued. "About how he pulled off a job like the warehouse."

    "We saw the other evidence you brought us," Clover admitted. "He got in through that door to the alleyway and took his chance when the lights went out."

    "It doesn't matter how he got in. You should be concerned with-"

    "How did he get out?"

    Boba, Robyn, and Clover turned to see that they were joined by Djarin and everyone else who was in Ironwood's office. Clover stood at attention and saluted Ironwood, and the General saluted back so Clover could stand at ease. Djarin was the one who asked the question, and Boba had the same thing on his mind.

    "Exactly," said Boba. "Durge was always one to stand out in a crowd. He's big, tall, and covered in armor from head to toe."

    "Which begs the question," Djarin continued. "How did he get out of the warehouse without anyone seeing someone his size walking about?"

    "..."

    Clover had to admit two things. The first was that the question was a rather good one, that nobody on the streets would see someone as big as Durge walking about. And the second was that Clover had absolutely no idea.

    And from the looks of it, neither did Ironwood.

    "We need to find out exactly what happened," said the General. "How Durge has been going about Mantle and killing dozens without being noticed." Ironwood looked towards the door to the lab, where Dr. Polendina was waiting outside with his two droids. "And framing someone else for the job."

    "..."

    Penny looked down to the floor in silence, still feeling ashamed and sad about the night in the warehouse. R2 looked to her and extended a mechanical arm to pat her side.

    "I was able to prove that the footage in the warehouse was doctored," said Pietro. "That someone edited out Durge and put Penny's work across Mantle in its place."

    "Durge isn't smart enough to do something like that," said Boba. "That's way beyond any bounty hunter or mercenary."

    "I'm afraid it's beyond anybody's work," Pietro continued. "Anyone not from Atlas, at least."

    "Meaning?" Ozpin asked calmly.

    "Someone is using our own technology against us. The doctored footage of Penny came from her work all around Mantle, stolen straight from our surveillance network."

    "So Durge isn't working alone," said Boba. "Who would have access to that network?"

    Before Pietro could reply, Ironwood stuck out his hand to make the scientist pause. "We should debrief together," he decided. "With everyone here." Ironwood put a hand to his radio. "Schnee, I'd like to see you in Dr. Polendina's lab."

    "I'll call Revan and Obi-Wan," Ozpin decided as he moved to the side.

    "I'll reach out to Qrow," Djarin decided as he walked towards the lab with Cinder. One by one, everyone moved into the lab, with Boba and Robyn being the last.

    Clover would have joined them as well, but he had to speak with Ironwood first.

    "Are we working with them, sir?" he asked his superior.

    "Not quite," said Ironwood. "Fett has some knowledge regarding Durge that we can use. We'll only be using his advice, and nothing more."

    "So he knows..."

    "Absolutely nothing. And we're going to keep it that way. Just like we're going to make sure he and his friends do not leave this academy. They've caused us enough trouble for one lifetime."

    Clover nodded and promised to relay this decision to the rest of his squad before he and Ironwood stepped inside the lab.

    When Winter, Qrow, Revan, and Obi-Wan found themselves in Pietro's lab to see both new and old faces, everyone summarized what they had learned. Boba once again shared the fact that a mercenary named Durge was responsible for the murders in the warehouse, while Pietro pointed out that someone was using Atlas' own technology to further their agenda. Given that such access would be granted to Ironwood, the Council, and members of the cybersecurity and surveillance teams, Pietro believed that the hacker was either a genius or one of Atlas' people.

    And now Pietro was afraid the answer was both.

    Obi-Wan immediately stepped forward and shared what he had learned from Bo-Katan. He revealed that Merri was responsible for the creation of the Basilisk war droid, that she was quite adept in engineering. And if that were the case, perhaps she was responsible for hacking into the surveillance system.

    "Wait, what?" asked May Marigold. "Merriweather? Who's that?"

    "..."

    Everyone had forgotten that Robyn and the Happy Huntresses were still in the room with them. Robyn was mostly keeping to herself, but she still listened to the conversation. And she too was curious about the possible suspect Obi-Wan had identified as "Merriweather."

    Ironwood was prepared to explain that Merriweather was part of an ongoing investigation, but Cinder replied faster with the truth.

    "She was my teammate from Beacon," she said. "At least, that's what I thought she was." Cinder still felt like a fool for believing everything the Blairs had said to her, and she still hated them for what they did.

    "Your teammate?" Fiona asked. "Wait a minute... are you talking about Merriweather Blair? The triplet?"

    "..."

    All of Ironwood's allies were surprised to hear this fact come from someone outside of their circle. Ironwood didn't know what to think, but he had to press on for more information.

    "You know her?" he asked in disbelief.

    "Well, yeah," Fiona replied. "Not personally, but we all saw her."

    "Yeah, you're talking about the girl from the Vytal Festival, right?" Joanna asked with confidence. "Her and her sisters?"

    May pointed to Winter before she asked a question. "Weren't you involved with them?" she asked. "We all saw you attack one of those girls and Cinder."

    Winter recalled how she had been possessed by a Chill to do what May had said. The white mark on her skin had disappeared, but the experience didn't leave Winter's mind.

    "That's... a long story," she said. "But that wasn't me."

    "No, it wasn't," Cinder said in her friend's defense. "Merri was responsible for what happened to Winter. And Beacon."

    "Wait, what?" May asked. "You're saying she's-?"

    "A terrorist. She and her sisters."

    "..."

    Everyone let this detail about the Blairs sit for a few seconds. Cinder and Djarin turned to Ironwood to see that he was remaining silent and rather calm; given that there was no mention of Salem or the Relics, and that this was still the truth, Ironwood accepted Cinder's actions.

    And it was only better when the Happy Huntresses, and perhaps all of Mantle, knew who they were looking for.

    "And they're here?" May asked. "In Mantle?"

    "I saw Fauna at the warehouse right before the lights went out," Cinder confirmed. "I tried to act, but I was too late."

    "We have reason to believe Merri is here too," said Djarin. "She must have turned off the lights in the warehouse. Obi-Wan was right about the Basilisk, I fought it in Mistral. If Merri built it, she might be smart enough to hack and alter surveillance footage."

    "Do you remember seeing either of the sisters?" Clover asked the Huntresses. "At one of Robyn's rallies, maybe?"

    All of the Happy Huntresses shook their heads, but Robyn was the only one to speak. "There... There were always so many people," she said. "So many faces. Nobody stood out." Robyn didn't look at anyone while she was talking, and she immediately fell into silence again.

    This silence gave Ironwood the chance to talk again.

    "But we know they're in Mantle," he said. "With Amity under control, we can turn our attention to finding them. We'll turn the city upside down if we have to, but we can't let them keep killing people."

    As expected, Clover and SCAR Squadron were ready to carry out whatever plan Ironwood had to finding Durge and the Blairs. The Happy Huntresses, however, were reluctant.

    "Whoa, wait a second," said Joanna. "What do you mean 'turn the city upside down?'"

    "And what's with Amity being 'under control?'" May asked.

    "We can't do anything without telling the people," said Fiona. "We have to tell them what they're really dealing with!"

    Fiona was right, of course, but Ironwood was more focused on the first word she uttered.

    "We?" he asked. "I'm afraid there's no 'we' in this situation, Thyme. The last time you and your friends got involved with military operations, you all played right into the Blairs' hands. Try to interfere again, and you won't be leaving this academy. And we haven't even begun to discuss your acts of vigilantism across the city."

    "..."

    Ozpin and his allies were very upset by Ironwood's unwavering stance on the Huntresses. Ozpin believed that they would be valuable assets in the search for the Blairs and Durge, and the feeling was mutual for his friends.

    Boba and the Happy Huntresses were even more upset by the declaration, and their first instinct was to disagree on it.

    "To Hell with that," said Boba. "I fought Durge before, I can do it again."

    "And this is our home we're talking about," said Joanna. "We're defending it whether you like it or not."

    "All of us," said Fiona before she turned towards her leader. "Right, Robyn?"

    "..."

    "Robyn?"

    The leader of the Happy Huntresses looked away from the floor when she heard her name. "Huh?" she asked. "Oh, uh... do that. That's good."

    "..."

    While they all agreed that fighting for Mantle was good, nobody believed that Robyn ignoring them and giving them a half-hearted answer was very good. Boba and the Huntresses couldn't help but glance at each other as they worried about Robyn, but Clover saw an opportunity to follow Ironwood's lead.

    "Sounds like this is a little too much to understand all at once," he said. "You can leave the rest to us."

    The Huntresses looked back to Clover with skepticism. "To you?" May asked. "But you don't even know how to find them!"

    "Neither do you," said Zuke, who was supported by the rest of his team.

    "..."

    Before anyone else could say anything, Pietro turned away from a computer he had been looking at and turned to Ironwood. "General, I'm getting a call from the brig," he said. "They're asking to speak with you."

    Ironwood didn't know what someone from the brig would want with him, but he decided that he would take the call. "Put it through, Doctor," he said. "Clover, take the Happy Huntresses and give us the room."

    "Yes, sir," Clover replied. "Let's move, team."

    SCAR Squadron moved closely towards the Huntresses and escorted them out with Boba. May, Joanna, and Fiona were all protesting and wondering where they were going, but Boba decided to play things by ear. He still had his armor, so he could fight if he needed to.

    And get his friends out as well.

    Ozpin and his allies remained in the room with Ironwood. Since Djarin, Revan, and Obi-Wan had spent some time in the brig earlier, they wanted to see if one of the prisoners they talked to was causing trouble. Cinder stayed by her father's side, but not without taking a remorseful look at the Happy Huntresses as they left.

    Ironwood nodded to Pietro so he could start the call. Once he did, the moving image of a soldier appeared and saluted the General.

    "General Ironwood, sir," the soldier said as he saluted.

    "At ease," the General ordered after he saluted the soldier back. "Is there a situation in the brig?"

    "Negative, sir. But Inmate 4859 is requesting to speak with you. He says he has something you need."

    Normally, Ironwood would need to check the prison roster to see the name behind the prisoner identification. But this was a special circumstance; Ironwood knew exactly who the soldier was talking about.

    "Gideon?" he asked. "Standby." Ironwood left the view of the soldier and moved towards Djarin. "Didn't you say you tried to get information out of him today?"

    "I did," Djarin replied. "I almost forgot about that."

    "I thought you said he didn't have anything to say."

    "He didn't. But after I talked to him, he said he would make his decision by tonight... whatever that means."

    Ironwood knew better than to trust prisoners who would say anything to get themselves a lighter sentence or a favor. And he thought he knew Gideon, once upon a time. However, Ironwood was certain that Gideon wouldn't do anything that wouldn't benefit himself. And the idea of "helping" was strange to consider beneficial for Gideon.

    Ironwood's curiosity eventually won over and gestured for everyone to join him by the screen. "Put him on," he ordered. "Let's hear it."

    "Yes, sir," said the soldier, who turned away and moved his head towards the screen. Two more soldiers moved with a man in orange suit, who wore a familiar grin on his face.

    "Hello again, James," Gideon said. "It's been a while."

    "...Gideon," Ironwood addressed the man calmly, with a hint of malice in his voice.

    Rather than saying what he wanted, Gideon took a chance to examine everyone who had joined Ironwood. He expected to see the Mandalorian, but the mixture of adults and children was rather unexpected.

    Especially one particular child.

    "I see you're still holding on to the orphan," he said as his eyes locked on to Cinder. "Her power was too tempting to let go of, I understand."

    Cinder growled at Gideon in contempt. Even though she spent years trying, Cinder could never forget everything that Gideon had put her through. Every experiment and every needle sticking into her arm without consent resided in Cinder's mind, which brought her back to a time when she was thought of as less than human.

    And for a while, Cinder believed, she was.

    Djarin stepped in front of Cinder to shield his daughter from Gideon's view; he didn't want to listen to an enemy hurt Cinder again after so many years. "Gideon, what do you want?" he asked.

    "Tell us now or this meeting is over," said Ironwood. He too shared Djarin's view of the man, and also wanted to make sure he couldn't do anything to Cinder.

    "Very well," Gideon replied. "Our Mandalorian friend paid me a visit earlier today, saying that you're looking for terrorists in Mantle."

    Ironwood didn't want to reveal too much to Gideon, especially anything about Amity. But Djarin had told him what he shared with Gideon, so Ironwood knew it was safe to talk about the Blairs with him. "That's correct," he said. "And while you denied it earlier, I'm sure there's something you know about them and their plan."

    "I'm afraid I've been kept in the dark about their details. But one way or another, they'll make Mantle into another Beacon. Maybe even Atlas altogether."

    "..."

    When most people heard silence and saw a concentrated expression from Ironwood, they believed that he was able to brush off comments like the one Gideon made. However, Gideon knew that Ironwood was internalizing the problem; choosing to take it in while trying his best to avoid breaking down.

    Gideon was pleased with this action from Ironwood, to see that there was a grave threat to Atlas and everything Ironwood had built. And based on this reaction, Gideon knew that Djarin was right.

    Ironwood needed help to succeed.

    "What if I said that you could defeat your enemy in one fell swoop?" Gideon asked. "That I had a weapon to erase the terrorists from the face of Remnant?"

    "...I'd say that we already have weapons," Ironwood replied after a moment. "Dozens of them are above Atlas as we speak, ready to fire on command."

    "Yes, I'm well aware of the mechanized war machine you've created. But look how that's been working for you." Gideon turned towards Penny this time. "A robot disguised as an innocent little girl, torn apart by Mandalorians and believed to have killed dozens in Mantle. Bravo, James. Bravo."

    "..."

    Penny looked down as she recalled everything that happened. She still felt saddened by the events in the warehouse, and the incident with the Mandalorians was still in her memory banks. Winter offered a hand to Penny's shoulder for comfort while she listened carefully to Gideon and Ironwood.

    "No, this weapon isn't some machine or gun," Gideon continued. "I have something else, in a vault outside the main cities of Atlas and Mantle. Something that would be very useful to Professor Ozpin's... bigger picture."

    "..."

    Ironwood and Ozpin couldn't help but look at each other when they heard this. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the "bigger picture" Gideon was referring to was Ozpin's fight with Salem. However, it would take a genius to figure out what kind of weapon he was referring to.

    And how it could help against someone like Salem.

    "Not another word," Ironwood ordered. "I'm coming down there now. Soldier, return the prisoner to his cell."

    "Yes, sir," said the soldier who was monitoring the call. He was slightly curious about the weapon and the "bigger picture" Gideon referred to, but the soldier didn't question an order from Ironwood. And so, he turned off the video and left everyone to talk about what just happened.

    "Okay..." said Qrow, who broke the silence. "What the heck was that?"

    "A weapon to use against Salem?" Ozpin asked. "But... that shouldn't be possible."

    "Unless it's a Relic?" Djarin asked. "Could Gideon have one?"

    "Absolutely not," said Ironwood. "With the Winter Maiden here, Gideon has no access to the staff." Ironwood then pointed to the Relic of Knowledge, which was on Obi-Wan's side. "And we still have the lamp. Gideon has nothing to help himself."

    "What was that he said about it being outside Mantle and Atlas?" Cinder asked. "There's nothing there but the tundra."

    "Not exactly," said Winter. "There are three small settlements beyond the two cities that are a part of Atlas; Essen, Crossed, and Dormir. They're not the safest or advanced settlements, but they're all Atlesian places beyond the cities."

    "Could Gideon be hiding something out there?"

    "Not likely."

    "I'm afraid it is likely, Winter," said Ironwood. Everyone was surprised to hear Ironwood admit this, but he explained himself. "I remember reports of Gideon's insurrectionists being near Essen. More specifically, the tunnels around it."

    "I thought those were all filled with Grimm," said Qrow.

    "They are, but it wouldn't be difficult for Atlesian soldiers to clear out some of them." Ironwood looked towards the screen again, even though the call was over. "And given our recent discoveries, we have to consider the possibility that Gideon is hiding something out there. It could fall into enemy hands easily."

    Given that there were three of Salem's agents roaming freely in Mantle, the idea of a weapon in their hands was daunting. However, Cinder couldn't shake the feeling that all of this was a trick.

    "I don't like this," said Cinder. "Gideon will do anything to get his way." She then rubbed her arm as she relieved the experiments she lived through. "I know that better than anyone." Djarin put a hand on his daughter's shoulder, and began to agree with her.

    "I have a bad feeling about this too," he said. "Gideon's always been one to have something up his sleeve. He could have been lying to divert us from Durge and the Blairs."

    "It was hard to determine if he was lying or not," said Revan. "All I sensed from him was confidence."

    "As did I," said Obi-Wan. "It was almost as if he had nothing to fear. He wasn't even afraid of the consequences of helping us instead of Salem."

    "Unless this does help Salem," said Ozpin. "We need definitive proof of Gideon's word before we consider anything else he says."

    "..."

    Everyone wanted to believe Gideon when he said he had a weapon to use against Salem and her allies. They wanted to believe that they had found a way to truly turn the tide against her. But this was easier said than done. Obi-Wan and Revan couldn't determine his lies with ease, and nobody in the room had any reason to trust Gideon.

    But they didn't need to trust him. They just needed proof that his proposal was nothing but the truth. And they needed a way to determine that for sure before going on a wild goose chase.

    Fortunately, Djarin and Cinder had the perfect idea.

    "Come to think of it..." the Mandalorian began. "I was just given a lie detector test not too long ago."

    "Hey, yeah," said Cinder. "The Happy Huntresses had the best lie detector I ever saw. And we have her right here in the academy."

    "..."

    Nobody was aware of what Djarin and Cinder were talking about at first. But when Cinder said "her," Ironwood remembered that Robyn's Semblance allowed her to determine if someone was lying or telling the truth. Ironwood couldn't deny that Robyn was a great lie detector, but he also couldn't deny that she already caused him enough trouble.

    The last thing he couldn't deny, however, was that they needed the truth more than ever.

    "I... I don't know," the General said, completely unsure of himself. Normally, he would refuse an idea of working with Robyn, but tonight had shown that there were so many variables and uncertainties to consider. There were so many that it was hard for him to make a choice.

    Fortunately, he had Ozpin's help.

    "James," the old man began as he approached the General. "A while back, you reminded me that you wished to do things your way. That we would continue with your plan on your own terms."

    Ironwood recalled the conversation with ease, and his declaration hadn't changed. "I still do," he said.

    "I understand. But nobody is asking you to do it alone." Ozpin gestured towards the large group in the room. "We're all your allies, your partners. You've done more than anyone could have asked to recover what we needed for Amity. Let us make the next choices. Let us help you."

    "..."

    Ozpin didn't want to step over Ironwood's authority or take back control of the group, but he did wish to exercise some authority in the matter. Specifically, authority with the Happy Huntresses.

    "I understand you see Robyn and her friends in a more negative light. I can't deny that they caused us enough trouble, but I also cannot deny that they had good intentions for Mantle."

    "Their intentions nearly ruined everything."

    "Indeed. Which proves that when I look amongst them, all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose. Direction."

    "..."

    One by one, everyone could see where Ozpin was going with this. Djarin, Cinder, and Qrow recalled Ozpin making a similar notion to new students at Beacon, while Obi-Wan and Revan recalled similarities Ozpin once spoke to Jedi younglings.

    Winter, Penny, and Pietro also agreed with the sentiment, and decided to follow Ozpin's lead.

    "If I may, sir," Winter spoke up. "You gave me the direction and purpose I needed when you allowed me to attend the academy early. And when you chose me as the next Winter Maiden."

    "And when you gave my father the authorization to create me," said Penny. "I was given the purpose and direction I needed to serve the Kingdom."

    Ozpin was grateful for the Atlesians' help, which gave him the confidence to keep speaking. "If we were to offer the direction they need to best help Mantle, they wouldn't make the same mistakes they've made recently," he said.

    "..."

    With every word he heard, every reminder that he was given, Ironwood was able to make sense out of the situation. Robyn was always one of the more independent Huntresses of Atlas, which had both benefits and drawbacks. And based on what he heard from Clover, Robyn regretted some of the beliefs she had regarding Atlas' view of Mantle.

    With the right direction, Robyn could see where her skills were most needed. And how she could be the best Huntress she could be.

    "We can give them that direction," Ironwood decided. "But let's leave Salem out of it for now. I don't want anyone to know until Amity is ready."

    "..."

    "Or unless I think they should know."

    Everyone was happy to hear that they would be giving Robyn and the Happy Huntresses the direction they needed to help Mantle. And Ozpin's group was happy to hear that Ironwood was still willing to share the truth when Amity went up. And the last sentiment was also good to hear, that Ironwood may be willing to share other information earlier than expected.

    This was great.

    It took some convincing, mainly the idea of a lighter punishment, for Robyn to agree to Ironwood's offer. Though she was hesitant about going to the brig of all places, since she could justifiably be thrown into one of the cells, Robyn understood what everyone was asking her to do.

    And the large group soon found themselves in front of Gideon's cell, where Ironwood made his demands.

    "Robyn Hill is going to help us determine if you're lying or not," Ironwood declared. "And all we want to hear is about your so-called weapon. Nothing more, nothing less. Is that understood?"

    Gideon nodded slowly. "Quite understood," he said. "Now that we have that out of the way, here is my demand. I-"

    "Your demand?" Ironwood immediately shook his head. "That's not how this works."

    Gideon didn't appear to be worried or angry when he heard this. "Very well. Then I suppose we're done here, good day." He then turned around and walked deeper into his cell, back towards the bed he had.

    The message had been sent without error. Everyone now understood that unless Gideon had some kind of repayment for his knowledge, he wasn't going to say a word. Ironwood and Revan believed they could make the man talk, that they had enough drive and resources to make Gideon spill whatever information he was holding.

    But Cinder beat them to the punch.

    "Wait!" she said to make Gideon stop. "Just tell us what you want. I can't promise you'll get it, but just tell us. Maybe we can negotiate."

    Ironwood wasn't happy to hear the offer, but Gideon certainly was. When he turned around with a smirk, the former officer made his demand once again. "I'm so glad you asked," he said. "Because James won't be the one to give me what I want, Cinder. You will."

    "...Huh?"

    Gideon looked to everyone in front of him and made something else perfectly clear. "I'm not asking for a reduced sentence. I'm not even asking for my freedom. I know that there's no way I'll be getting out of here. But there is something I know I can have." Gideon looked to Cinder again. "And that... is a simple favor."

    Cinder was even more confused. "A... A favor? she asked.

    "Yes. I don't know what it is yet, but I'd like to know I can reach out to someone when I need help."

    Everyone had their objections to this plan, especially Djarin. "No," he said. "Absolutely not."

    "If you want to negotiate, you can do it with me," said Ironwood. "You can leave Cinder out of it."

    "I'm afraid not," said Gideon. "If I were to ask someone for a favor, I'd prefer someone with real power." Gideon pointed to Cinder's side, where the Darksaber was resting. Gideon knew that Djarin had lost it, but he wasn't expecting to see it in the hands of Cinder.

    But now that he did, Gideon knew what kind of power Cinder had. And that power was something he planned to use in the future.

    "Forget it," said Ironwood. "Cinder, you don't have to do this. I can make Gideon talk."

    "And so can I," said Revan who cracked his fingers as he prepared to hoist Gideon with the Force. Robyn was surprised to hear this, to see what Ironwood and Revan were implying. She didn't like the idea, but she couldn't find it within herself to ask the men to stop.

    But Gideon could.

    "Is this how you wish to solidify your rule?" Gideon asked the child. "By immediately resorting to violence?" Gideon pressed his hand against the door of Dust. "I guess the apple didn't fall far, now did it?"

    "..."

    Cinder began to feel extremely disappointed with herself. She had no desire to deal with the likes of Gideon, someone who kidnapped her and used her for unspeakable experiments. However, it was true that she wanted her rule as Mand'alor to be different. She didn't want the first resort to be violence, to use physical force and the threat of death to get what she wanted.

    If she did that, how different would she be from Saxon? From Vizsla? Or any other Mandalorian of the ancient past?

    Cinder knew that she would have to create change... and she had to start somewhere.

    "Just one favor?" she asked. "...Fine."

    "Cinder, no," Djarin protested. "You don't have to do this."

    "But he's right, Dad." Cinder turned around to her father and friends. "General Ironwood, Revan, I appreciate the offers, but... I have to be better. I can't let violence be my first resort."

    "..."

    Djarin would have been very proud of Cinder, but he wished her first example of honor as Mand'alor wasn't with someone like Gideon. This made the Mandalorian hate the prisoner even more than he already did.

    "I'll do it," Cinder said to Gideon. "Whatever it is, I'll grant you your favor."

    Gideon heard Cinder loud and clear, but he believed a test was in order. "Swear to it," he said. "Swear upon the Creed."

    "..."

    Djarin and Cinder had almost forgotten that Gideon knew much about Mandalorian culture. If one were to swear upon the Creed, that every Mandalorian was expected to keep, the promise couldn't be broken under any circumstances.

    It would be honored until the deal was done... or one of the parties died.

    "I... I swear upon the Creed," Cinder reluctantly replied.

    "..."

    Without another word, Ironwood opened the cell door and looked to Robyn. When he nodded, Robyn walked up to Gideon and took his hand, which led to a soft purple light enveloping both their hands.

    "The truth," Ironwood demanded. "Now."

    After Gideon took a moment to revel in his victory, he kept his side of the bargain and began to explain himself.

    "I have a virus," he began. "In a vault beneath the Essen settlement. It can be programmed to eradicate anything you wish while leaving others unharmed."

    "..."

    The light on Robyn's hand turned green for everyone to see. Now they all knew that Gideon had a weapon, one that could potentially turn the tide against Salem.

    "...Go on," Ironwood ordered.

    "The virus is a biological weapon, not one for computers," said Gideon. "Cinder is well aware of my works in genetics, so I ordered its creation while the insurrection still existed." His hand remained completely green, which signified the truth in his words.

    "What does the virus do?" Ozpin asked. He wished to know what Gideon meant by its ability to help in his "bigger picture."

    "The virus is meant to target a specific specimen. Its programming will make it seek out a positive match for the target, while leaving those foreign to the programming unharmed. You could unleash it upon two dueling factions, killing one while leaving the other unharmed."

    As they listened to Gideon, everyone began to understand what he meant by Ozpin's bigger picture. And yet, only one person managed to find their voice to confirm the idea.

    "Could it... Could it kill Grimm?" Cinder asked. "Without killing people?"

    Gideon smirked when he saw that everyone was listening to him. "Of course," he said.

    The green light on his hand was like a godsend.

    To say that Ozpin had spent his life looking for a way to defeat Salem would be an understatement. The Huntsmen and Huntresses were the closest thing he had to stopping her, but he could never find a way to completely stop her. But this virus was a silver bullet. If he could send it out against the Grimm, the most powerful weapon his enemy possessed, Salem would be practically powerless.

    This was it.

    "That's... quite the weapon," said Ironwood, who was doing his best to contain the same joy he had as Ozpin. "But if you had it for so long, why did you never use it?"

    "You could have used it against me or Cinder," said Djarin. "Why didn't you?"

    Gideon sighed before he answered the question. "Believe me, you would have been my first target," he said to the Mandalorian. "But I'm afraid the virus isn't complete. Watts made significant progress in the project, but he was just one man." Gideon turned to Ironwood. "If you recover it, bring it to the countless scientists you have under your command, I have every confidence they would finish it."

    "And then?" Obi-Wan asked.

    "And then you unleash it. All you need is a sample of your enemy. Program the virus, tell it who or what to look for, and let it do the rest."

    "Sir," Winter whispered to Ironwood. "We have Durge's sample from the warehouse."

    "Dad," Cinder whispered to Djarin. "I have that Beetle on my arm. We could use that for a Grimm sample."

    "Okay," Djarin said aloud. "So if we find the virus, we can use it against the Grimm?"

    "You can use it on whoever you wish," Gideon replied. "Wherever you wish. Whenever you wish."

    "..."

    After everyone listened on where and how they could acquire Gideon's virus, they all left the brig to discuss a proper plan. They left the brig relatively happy with the silver bullet they uncovered, something they could use against Salem and her forces. Pietro said that he would lead the effort while the technicians under his command handled Amity.

    Ozpin and his allies recalled how they all had a brainstorming session on how to best deal with Salem, but they never imagined something as ingenious as stripping her of her greatest resource. Cinder could use the Beetle on her arm as a way to not only provide a sample of Grimm, but also see if they could finally get rid of it.

    And if it died, the rest of the Grimm could follow suit.

    So everyone was very confident with their approach. Using the information Gideon gave them, Ironwood would send a small force to Essen to retrieve the incomplete virus and hand everything over to Pietro's team of scientists. It was a foolproof plan, one that everyone agreed to.

    Almost everyone.

    Robyn understood that the virus was a good way to deal with the Grimm, but what she didn't understand was why Ironwood wanted to use it on the terrorists responsible for the recent string of murders. Since she wasn't aware that Merri and Fauna were Grimm hybrids, the idea of poisoning who she believed to be people didn't sit well with her.

    Normally, she would fight tooth and nail against such a plan, but that was before Robyn had made a fool of herself. To say that she was lucky that she wasn't in a jail cell was only the beginning of what Robyn thought of her situation, and how it all started the day she decided to challenge Ironwood.

    She still had no idea what he was doing with Amity, but Robyn knew that she had been targeting the wrong man. And Ironwood may have had his secrets, but he and his allies weren't the murderers Mantle believed them to be. If anything, after fixing the wall, they were all heroes.

    Heroes whose only failure was not acting in time. Robyn's failure, however, was acting too much.

    So, in order to redeem herself, to reduce whatever punishment she and her friends would get, Robyn made Ironwood an offer when they got back to his office.

    "You want to go back to Mantle?" Ironwood asked. "You want to try and find them?"

    "I do," said Robyn. "S-Sir."

    "..."

    The word "sir" sounded wrong when it came from her mouth, Robyn thought. But it was very necessary at a time like this. Instead of being brash and brazen, Robyn needed to be more humble and open to cooperating with the man who wielded all the power.

    "With all due respect, I'd like to see if there's a more... humane method of finding the terrorists," Robyn continued. "Rather than gassing them out."

    "..."

    Robyn could see the heads of Ironwood's allies turn to look at each other. Everyone who was in the room was looking at each other and began to understand what Robyn's mistake was; but since they didn't want to reveal anything about Salem, they didn't reveal the true identity of the Blairs.

    But they let Robyn continue to talk.

    "I used to think you were hiding something to protect yourself. But I can tell there's something much bigger going on here. Now I think it's to protect something else. Us… Atlas, maybe even all of Remnant." Robyn recalled the vague information Djarin gave her at the wall, and now she had to admit that he was right. "And now I can tell I got in the way of it. Not my friends, me. So before I go to prison, I'd like to see if I can help too."

    "..."

    Between her remorse and excusable ignorance about the hybrids, Ironwood found himself at a crossroads. He could see that Ozpin was right about Robyn requiring guidance, which was something she was apparently asking for. And she definitely seemed remorseful for the trouble she had caused him.

    But Ironwood wasn't ready to uncover anything just yet. If he were to let Robyn go after the Blairs before they used the virus, there was a chance that she could see them for what they truly were.

    And it was too soon.

    "I'll have to think about it," Ironwood decided before he put a hand to his radio. "Clover, report to my office."

    "Yes, sir," Clover said before the radio went quiet.

    "I need to strategize with my partners," Ironwood said to Robyn. "I'll let you know my decision soon."

    "..."

    Once again, Robyn didn't argue with Ironwood or try to call him out for the continuation of his plan with Gideon's virus. Instead, she quietly let Clover escort her back to Boba and her friends, which left everyone to talk amongst themselves.

    "It's settled, then," Ironwood began. "We'll send a small contingent to Essen. Extract the virus from Gideon's vault and bring it back here to complete it." Ironwood turned to the Protector of Mantle. "Penny, I'd like you to be a part of this mission. If this virus is as dangerous as Gideon said, you'll be safe in case anything goes wrong."

    "Affirmative!" Penny replied, ready to help in any way she could. She had been cooped up in her father's laboratory long enough, and now she was ready to get back out there.

    "I'll most likely send SCAR Squadron to assist you, but they'll be on Grimm detail," Ironwood continued. "If anyone else would like to volunteer, you're welcome to do so."

    "I can go," said Cinder. "My powers can help with the Grimm anytime."

    "I'd like to go too," said Winter. She had only seen Cinder use her powers a few times since her arrival, so Winter would like to see more of them.

    "In the meantime, I think it prudent to bring up what Robyn Hill just taught us," said Ironwood. "I believe it's clear that we can use the virus to kill Grimm like Merri and Fauna. But Robyn and the rest of Mantle clearly have no idea who, or what, they are."

    Ozpin could see where Ironwood was going with this. "And if we were to use a weapon like Gideon's without anyone being none the wiser, there would be nothing but panic," he said. Panic was the main reason Ozpin never told anyone beyond his allies about the Relics. It would indeed cause a panic, and that panic would bring Grimm.

    There would be more chaos and more lives lost than ever.

    "So if we use this virus, we have to be subtle," said Ironwood, who was taking a page out of Ozpin's book. "And we need to figure out where they're hiding with Durge."

    Everyone agreed, but they had some more questions. "Are we sure they're still in Mantle?" Djarin asked. "They've caused enough trouble there, they could move it to Atlas if they wanted to."

    "They could, but they haven't." Ironwood stood up from his desk and showed everyone something from his Scroll. A holographic screen projected in front of them with words and pictures.

    Both of which depicted a crime scene all too similar to the ones before election night.

    "They're still killing people," said Obi-Wan. "They're continuing where they left off."

    "Why stop a good thing they have going for them?" Qrow asked sarcastically. "Makes sense they're still at it."

    "Securing and finishing the virus will take time," said Ozpin. "Time that Salem isn't giving us."

    "And with Amity on top of that, there's still so much we have to do," said Ironwood. "And so little time."

    "..."

    With that in mind, Ironwood made a decision. "Djarin, Qrow. Ozpin always spoke highly of your hunting abilities. I'd like you to pick up where you left off prior to learning about Durge. Search Mantle, find out where the Blairs are hiding, but do not engage them. If we finish this virus in time, we can ambush them right where they're living."

    "Understood," said Djarin.

    "You got it," said Qrow.

    "What about Robyn?" Revan asked. "What will you do?"

    Ironwood sighed before he turned back towards his desk. "That's been on my mind ever since she came here," he said before he sat back down. "Oz wasn't wrong about Robyn needing guidance. With it, we just got the silver bullet we needed against Salem."

    "..."

    Nobody could argue against that. Without Robyn's help, they may have turned down Gideon's offer and learned nothing. She was already proving to be a valuable asset.

    "But I would be lying if I said involving her would sit well with me," Ironwood continued, which saddened everyone. "She caused us a lot of trouble. And one of her friends isn't exactly a model image for Atlas."

    Once again, nobody could fault Ironwood for simply stating the truth. However, Robyn had great potential to help the city of Mantle, just like she always wanted to do. She just needed the opportunity to do so.

    And everyone wanted to give it to them.

    "Clover was telling me what Robyn and Fett were saying," said Qrow. "How they could help and get the Happy Huntresses a lighter sentence. Sounds like a good deal to me. And we could use people who know Mantle well."

    "We have dozens of maps of Mantle," Ironwood countered. "And I have soldiers who've patrolled the streets multiple times."

    "Yeah, but there's the factor of the people to consider."

    "How so?"

    Djarin stepped in for Qrow, since he agreed with what his friend was saying. "I've been on enough hunts in my life to know when to ask for help," he said. "Sometimes, people see something they're too afraid to talk about. I've had to rely on paying them a few Lien to talk to me, but Qrow showed me a different way."

    "Being a Huntsman on the streets has its perks," Qrow explained. "When people see someone who can definitely help, maybe a lot more than they could, they'll lighten up."

    "But that's what my army's here to do," said Ironwood. "Now that we have proof that Penny was framed, the people should see that they were wrong."

    "They won't exactly do that overnight James," said Ozpin. "Qrow and Djarin are right. Seeing people working independently to solve a problem may give someone the courage to talk about what they saw, if anything." Ozpin suddenly remembered something else. "And the people trust the Happy Huntresses. They'd be more willing to talk to them, if you allowed them to help."

    "..."

    Ironwood would have countered the argument once more, if he hadn't spent the time looking over the latest police report. The greatest fact that stood out was that there were no witnesses to the crime, other than the person who found the body.

    So either Durge was good... or everyone was too scared of everything to talk.

    Ironwood knew better than anyone how popular Robyn was in Mantle, as well as her friends. And as much as he hated to admit it, he was aware that Boba was relatively admired by the population. None of them would have much of a problem talking to people, especially people who may have seen something.

    "Djarin... you told me that you didn't know Fett like I did," Ironwood said. "Do you still stand by that?"

    "I do," Djarin replied. "If he were to offer his assistance, he wouldn't back out. And neither would the Huntresses."

    "And you'd be willing to supervise them?"

    "Yes, I would."

    Obi-Wan suddenly stepped forward. "Revan and I are very good at being unseen," he said. "We could keep an eye on them if it would make you feel better."

    "Perhaps we've spent too much time at the academy to begin with," said Revan. "It may be time to put our skills to work once more."

    Ironwood was still reluctant to place even the smallest faith in Fett and the Happy Huntresses, but his confidence in his partners was growing by the second. They hadn't let him down yet, and they knew what was expected of them.

    "...Alright, then," he said. "Let's go break the news."

    The next morning, the plan was put into action. Djarin, Qrow, Obi-Wan, and Revan went to Mantle with Fett and the Happy Huntresses to see what they could find. And in the meantime, SCAR Squadron was to escort Penny, Winter, and Cinder to the city of Essen were Gideon locked his virus in an underground vault. Penny decided to let R2 come with her, who showed great proficiently in unlocking sealed doors.

    Ozpin and Ironwood remained behind at Atlas Academy, where they would observe both teams.

    "Command, this is Team Alpha," Clover said on his Scroll. "We're en route to Essen as we speak. ETA is two minutes."

    "Copy that, Clover," said Ironwood. "I'll be keeping a close eye on our team in Mantle. Your primary point of contact will be Professor Ozpin."

    "Let me know if I can be of any assistance," Ozpin said over the call. "Cinder, you are free to use your powers as you deem fit, but be careful. The citizens of Essen may be following Grimm protocol, but even the walls have eyes."

    "Got it," said Cinder. "I'll be careful."

    "Good luck."

    When the call ended, Zuke moved closer to Cinder. "Finally," he said. "We get to see how those powers of yours work in the field."

    "Yeah, I've only seen them in the academy," said Aero. "We all have."

    "Some of us more closer than others," said Cav, who pointed to a cut on his armor he got from Cinder's training. "Let's see how a Grimm can handle it."

    The last time Cinder had the spotlight on her like this was when she made her speech at Haven. And just like she did then, she wasn't used to it very much. It was at times like these when Cinder couldn't believe that she was going to be leading the people of a nation soon enough.

    It was all so daunting, but the support she got from her two friends reassured Cinder that she wouldn't be doing this alone. And soon enough, Cinder promised that Winter wouldn't have to be alone when she got the powers of the Winter Maiden.

    "Alright, team," said Clover, who gained everyone's attention. "Essen's one of the remote villages outside the city walls. As much as I dislike the idea of anyone living in the tundra, they still fall under the Kingdom's jurisdiction. Fortunately, there's enough Grimm near the settlement to justify our arrival. But our true mission is classified. The less they know about a biological weapon in their midst, the better."

    *BOOP*

    *WHEE*    ​

    Everyone turned to R2, who was able to project a holographic map of Essen through a projector built under the camera that served as his eye.

    "R2 says that he has all the data from Gideon to pinpoint where his vault is," said Penny. A red light soon appeared on the map, in rather uncharted territory.

    "Wait, this can't be right," said Misty. "Sir, this droid's telling us the objective is a click and a half east of Essen and two hundred feet underground. I say we go AI-free on this one."

    "Don't hold your breath," said Mic, who was tapping on the computer on his arm. "Essen's got enough natural tunnels to tempt the SDC into digging. Only problem is that they're full of Grimm."

    "Which makes them the perfect place to hide an insurrectionist vault," said Clover. "We lure them out, clear them out, and have a straight path to the vault." Clover turned to the children. "Cinder, Winter, you're gonna be our lookouts. Make sure no Grimm get past the tunnel we're clearing out so they can't get to Essen."

    "Understood," said Winter.

    "Sounds good to me," said Cinder.

    Clover then turned to one of his allies. "Mic, stay close to Penny and R2. Your tech should help them out with this vault. But once they get that door open, stay close to us." Clover tapped the helmet he held on his side. "Our helmets help us breathe through smoke, but gas is something else."

    "Yes, sir," said Mic. "And the droid's our storage unit?"

    "That's right. Anyone not helping secure the virus will be on Grimm duty. Nothing goes in the vault, and nothing gets out the tunnel. Understood?"

    "Yes, sir!" all members of SCAR Squadron, including Winter and Penny said.

    Clover noticed that the ship was not only touching down, but also that its doors opened to reveal that a few Grimm had emerged from the tunnels and were rampaging across Essen.

    It was time to get to work.

    "Good luck, team."

    Back in Mantle, things were proceeding rather slowly than they were in Essen.

    Boba, the Happy Huntresses, and their temporary allies had finished talking to the officers at the latest crime scene. They understood that the victim was found with a fatal head injury, just like the other ones, and there were no clues as to where the murderer went. Boba and Djarin even used their Mandalorian helmets to scan the area for more clues, but neither of them could find anything.

    Obi-Wan and Revan were keeping their distance as promised, but they were also able to look around without being noticed.

    Djarin and Qrow were right about the factor of people, however. The Happy Huntresses made everyone feel more comfortable with talking to the authorities, along with Qrow and Djarin. Unfortunately, nobody had seen anything of significance.

    It was true that they were scared of the multiple soldiers Ironwood had sent after election night, but that didn't change the fact that nobody had seen anything to help with the case.

    "Thank you for your time, ma'am," said Qrow, who had just finished talking to a single mother with a young boy. After the woman closed the door, Qrow walked back to his allies and shook his head. "Sorry, everyone. Dead end again."

    The Happy Huntresses, save for Robyn, couldn't help but groan in response. "Ugh, great," said Joanna.

    "That's the seventh person in a row by my count," said May.

    "Well, the police were able to track down the victim's family," said Fiona. "They said he would usually walk home from work the same way and make it with enough time before curfew. When he didn't come back, they called the police."

    "So this guy managed to pull it off before the curfew," said Qrow. "Right before the soldiers could practically have the city to themselves. He's good."

    "Too good," said Djarin, who walked over to the group with Boba. "We couldn't find any signs that someone else had been here."

    "Which means this is either a dumping ground, or Durge is covering his tracks," said Boba. "He's smarter than I remember. And more careful." Boba suddenly realized that something was wrong with that picture. "He was never one to be subtle about his kills."

    "We still have his accomplices up in the wind," said Qrow. "Maybe they covered what Durge might have left behind."

    "Or they dumped the body and moved on," Djarin pointed out.

    "..."

    Djarin decided to take a step back and think about this. The crime was all too similar to the ones that have been plaguing Mantle before, the ones that were done in an effort to frame Ironwood. No witnesses, no clues as to where the murderer had went, just nothing at all.

    But there had to be something linking the murders together.

    "We should look at the other murders again," Djarin decided. "There's got to be something we missed. Something's linking them all together."

    "You mean besides the fact that nobody liked Ironwood?" Joanna asked. May nodded with Joanna's sentiment, given that it was a feeling the Huntresses shared.

    "No, he's right," said Boba. "There's something we missed, just like everyone missed what Durge left behind."

    "I don't know," said Fiona. "We all saw the reports during Robyn's campaign. Nothing really stood out."

    "Yeah," said May. "Unless Ironwood has something else he wants to cover up." May was referring to Amity Colosseum, since their new partnership still hadn't revealed anything about its secret. May could tell that Fiona and Joanna had the same idea, so she decided to let the team leader have her chance to speak. "Right, Robyn?"

    "..."

    When they heard silence from Robyn, the Happy Huntresses suddenly realized that they hadn't heard much from her all day. She was being unusually quiet, just like she was last night.

    "Uh, Robyn?" Joanna asked.

    The repetition of her name was enough for Robyn to pay attention, but it wasn't enough to satisfy everyone around her.

    "Huh?" she asked. "Oh, sure... I can do that." Without another word, Robyn began to walk back towards the crime scene, leaving dumbfounded Huntresses and two concerned men.

    "Uh... is she okay?" Qrow asked when Robyn was far away enough to be unable to hear him.

    "I... I don't know," said Fiona, who was just as surprised as Qrow was.

    "She was pretty quiet last night after the wall went up," said Djarin. "Is something wrong with what Cinder did?"

    "The wall's still up, if that's what you're asking," said Joanna. "We don't know what your daughter did, but we're not ungrateful."

    May was starting to feel guilty about what she said. Not that she forgave Ironwood for continuing to be quiet about Amity, but more that it seemingly pushed Robyn away. "Look, I didn't mean anything about Ironwood," she said. "I just thought Robyn would still want to know about Amity, that's all."

    Djarin and Qrow knew they had to keep quiet about Amity, but that didn't mean they couldn't be concerned about Robyn. "James hasn't said anything about Robyn being in trouble, if that's what she's worried about," he said.

    "Is that it?" Djarin asked Boba.

    "Probably," Boba replied. "I'll go talk to her. You all can look at the crime scenes together."

    Djarin had to call Ironwood in order to get the details of the crime scenes to him and Qrow, and Boba silently made his way towards Robyn. He too was concerned about her, since she was never the quiet type of person. But unlike the rest of his allies, he knew what was wrong.

    Boba recalled one of his last conversations with Robyn, how she didn't take the news of being wrong and being manipulated very well. She claimed to be happy about finding out the truth, but she was far from happy. Boba believed it would be an easy fix; he believed that all Robyn needed to hear was that she wasn't responsible for the damage done to Mantle.

    Unfortunately, he was wrong.

    "Don't be stupid, Boba," said Robyn, who just heard what her friend had to say. "Of course I'm responsible."

    Boba wasn't used to Robyn being this negative or hard on herself; if she was out in the tundra, she would have been killed by the Grimm by now. Fortunately, he wasn't the kind of person to give up easily.

    "Okay, sure," he said sarcastically. "You're the one who hunted people like Grimm, killed them, and then attacked your own supporters at your own rally. Yeah, you're the one responsible."

    "Ugh, shut up!" Robyn turned away from Boba and looked at an alley. "You know what I'm talking about."

    "And you think feeling sorry for yourself is gonna change that?"

    "I know that poking our heads where we're not supposed to isn't going to change it either."

    "..."

    A few moments ago, Boba simply believed that Robyn was simply stuck in a rut. That she needed some kind of reassurance that they would succeed in finding Durge and stopping him from attacking the home she shared with Boba. But now, the crime lord believed that he was talking to a complete stranger.

    He had his differences with Robyn, that much was true. But Boba knew that Robyn wouldn't believe that everything she did was meaningless. She always believed she had a purpose, that she was always fighting the good fight.

    But now, that idea seemed to be at risk. And while it could potentially mean that he wouldn't hear any disagreements with her, Boba didn't like the Robyn Hill he was talking to.

    "What's gotten into you, Robyn?" Boba finally asked. He now knew that the question he had to be asking, rather than highlight the fact that this wasn't Robyn's fault.

    Because she believed differently.

    "I'm a fuckup is what!" Robyn yelled at Boba. "I got way in over my head and now everyone's paying the price! I lost the election, I pointed fingers at the wrong person, and I haven't done a damn thing that actually helped anyone! And now that Ironwood's gonna get this secret weapon for the Grimm, I'll be even more useless!"

    "..."

    "Everything I did, everything I believed after Ironwood closed the borders... it was all for nothing." Robyn kicked a can down an alley in her frustration.

    "..."

    Boba was glad that not only was Robyn able to let out her frustrations, but also glad that she kicked a can down a particular alley. Because he saw something that was perfect to show Robyn.

    "They still got those things up," he said as he pointed down the alley. "See the wall?"

    Robyn looked where Boba was looking to see that one of the walls had been spray painted. Spray paintings of gangs or juveniles were rather common in Mantle, but the message Boba was pointing to was something Robyn had said countless times.

    "Show Your Teeth"​

    "...I've seen them," Robyn admitted. "So what?"

    "I've seen a lotta signs like that," said Boba. "Usually from some gang I've had encounters with. When I do, it's not long until they get painted over. Their territory, their legacy... it's all gone." Boba pointed to the message again. "But yours is still there."

    Robyn couldn't recall if she saw any more of her propaganda across Mantle, but she could see that nobody had touched her sign. Nobody was trying to surpass her work in Mantle, according to the sign.

    But it was just one sign.

    "It's just one sign," Robyn said.

    "And it's been days since the election ended," said Boba. "It's still here. And so are you."

    "..."

    "Robyn, nobody's lost hope in what you can do for them. And it's a lot more than I did."

    "Boba, you stopped a war with the Pykes," Robyn argued. "I just hit a few trucks in the dark."

    "You acted when nobody else would. Wrong man or not, acting against Ironwood took courage. Courage that nobody else in the city had. I mean, besides me."

    Robyn resisted the urge to laugh at Boba's last sentiment, but she could see where he was coming from. Boba did have the courage, but he didn't have anything to gain from starting a fight with Ironwood. Robyn believed she did, and her inability to see that she had been played was her main issue.

    However, she had forgotten that her actions got her the results she wanted. Robyn had no idea how Cinder did it, but she was able to create a wall for Mantle in order for Robyn to make a deal.

    "I think Ironwood's starting to see the same thing I do," said Boba. "The same thing my father did when he started giving you lessons. If he didn't, you'd probably be rotting in a cell with your friends."

    "Well... yeah," Robyn agreed. "But I mean, we're just living on borrowed time right now. All of us." Robyn looked to her friends. "If we do this for Ironwood, what's gonna stop him from throwing us in jail? I mean, I can live with it, but them?" Robyn shook her head. "I can't watch them get locked up for something I made them do."

    Boba shook his head in disagreement. "Nobody lives forever, Robyn. You just have to make use of the time you have." Boba looked closer at the Huntresses with Djarin and Qrow. "They knew the risks. And they're using the time they got to look at the crime scenes again. See what's really going on around here." Boba looked to Robyn once more. "All they've been missing is their leader."

    "..."

    Between her sign, her friends working, and Boba's wisdom, Robyn began to stop feeling sorry for herself.

    It was comforting to know that the city hadn't given up on her like she was giving up on herself. And her friends, despite the rather inevitable future, still chose to fight. Robyn suggested they help to get a lighter sentence, but the Happy Huntresses were working because they genuinely believed they could do what they had to do.

    And Boba believed Robyn could too. Such praise was rare from him, since he didn't really wear his emotions on a sleeve. But he was capable of giving commendation and respect when he believed it had been earned.

    As well as comfort.

    "And don't worry about Durge and those Blairs," Boba said as a beginning to finish his conversation. "You know the city as well as I do. We'll find them even if they're hiding under our noses."

    "Heh, heh," Robyn chuckled, finally cracking a smile. "I guess if everyone thinks they can do it, then-" Robyn stopped smiling when she looked upon the crime scene again. "Oh..."

    "..."

    Robyn suddenly let out a gasp. "Oh!"

    Boba looked back at the scene once again, unsure what Robyn was seeing. Before he could ask what had caught his friend's attention, Robyn began to walk back towards her allies. "Come with me," she requested.

    Just as Boba said, everyone was looking over the details of the crimes once more. Ironwood had sent Qrow and Djarin everything the police had, from pictures to names. Everyone was reviewing them carefully, even though May and Joanna didn't see much of a point, but they stopped looking when Fiona spotted her leader's return.

    "Robyn!" she said with a smile. "Are you feeling-?"

    "Are those the crime scene photos?" Robyn quickly asked as she pointed to the screens Qrow and Djarin were looking at.

    "Um, yeah." Fiona also looked to the screens to see that Qrow and Djarin were finally looking up from them. "Did you want to see them?"

    Qrow handed Robyn his Scroll when he saw the Huntress nod. She spent a few seconds looking over each of the pictures and reports, and she began to mutter to herself as she did so.

    "Uh-huh... Right... There's another... Yes! That's it!"

    "Huh?" Qrow asked. "What's it?"

    Robyn looked back to everyone, but she didn't hand back Qrow his Scroll. Instead, she moved towards the center so everyone could see the pictures. "Boba and I were just talking over there, and I noticed something about the scene here. I didn't notice it at first, I don't think anybody did. I mean, you'd have to be nuts to go there."

    "Go where?" Djarin asked.

    "Here, look." Robyn pulled up the first photo. "What do you see here?"

    "Um... just the body."

    "And a few buildings," said May. "They found him near an alley."

    "And so was that guy over there," said Joanna. "These guys thought there was something in common about the scenes, but that's it. Happened near an alley."

    "They're right," said Robyn. "The places are similar, but it's not about the alleys." Robyn tapped an icon that allowed her to draw on the picture, and she drew a circle near an object. "It's about this..." She moved to the next picture and circled it again. "This..." She drew on the next picture. "And this."

    "..."

    When Robyn finished her drawings, she let everyone around her look at what she did. They could swipe to the other photos and see Robyn's other drawings, and they soon saw what she was able to see.

    "Wait..." said May. "You don't mean..."

    "Boba, you were right," said Robyn. "They are hiding under our noses." Robyn ran over to the scene once more, and pointed directly at the sidewalk.

    At a very specific spot where the sidewalk met the street.

    "You see it now?" Robyn asked. "Each of these murders... happened right next to a storm drain."

    "..."

    Everyone looked right at the storm drain, and remembered that they all saw a storm drain in each of the photos Ironwood sent them. Not only was there a storm drain, but there was a large metal grate that workers could use as an entrance.

    Large enough for a man like Durge to enter.

    "They've been hiding in the sewers," Djarin realized. "All this time."

    "That's how he got out of the warehouse," said Boba. "That's how nobody spotted him."

    "I didn't even notice," said Qrow. "I was at the warehouse last night and didn't see it."

    "It's the perfect spot to hide," said Joanna.

    "Robyn, you're a genius!" Fiona said in approval.

    May immediately moved towards the larger sewer grate and jabbed its side with her staff. Once it was in a good spot, May pushed on the lever she made and watched the sewer grate open.

    "We need to get down there," she said. "Find out where they're hiding."

    Djarin looked over to Qrow before he descended. "Call Ironwood," he said. "Tell him to get a man on every sewer entrance in Mantle."

    "On it," said Qrow, who moved aside and put his Scroll to his ear. "James, I think we got something."

    Robyn's hunch was not only enough to make her feel like herself again, but it was also the spark that led to two missions going well.

    In Essen, SCAR Squadron and the younger fighters were all making progress with clearing out the Grimm. Blasters and weapons were used left and right to kill Sabyrs and Beowolves, but the appearance of a Goliath was where things began to get serious.

    Cinder had mainly relied on Midnight, the blades in her gauntlets, and the Darksaber to carry out her work. Each weapon was sharp and powerful enough to cut through the Grimm without much of an issue. She had even managed to swing her gauntlet-blades faster than a Beowolf could swing its claws at her.

    But when she saw a Goliath, Cinder decided to put her powers to work by creating a halo of flame to prevent the Grimm's continued rampage. Penny struck with lasers from above, but all they were able to do was knock some ice off its back. Winter was able to summon a Manticore to take care of the more common Grimm, which left SCAR Squadron to finish off the Goliath.

    With a gust of wind Cinder provided, Misty was able to use his cloak to soar in the air and fire at the creature. His shots made direct hits with the Grimm's eyes, which blinded the beast completely.

    Zuke and Aero were the first to work together. Using his Semblance, Aero breathed a mist of Ice Dust at the Goliath's leg, which turned part of it to ice. Then Zuke charged towards the beast while covering himself in iron to shatter the ice-leg like glass.

    And the leg with it.

    *CRASH*​

    Mic and Sharp worked together to shoot calculated blasts at the creature's rear left leg, as well as the weapon Sharp used in the mines. When a small shield formed on the Grimm's leg, the soldiers watched it explode and take a large chunk of the leg.

    *BOOM*​

    While this was happening, Clover and Cav worked together to tie the remaining legs together. With Clover's fishing pole and Cav's knives with string, they spun around the creature and pulled on the weapons to make the creature stumble and fall as soon as its other legs were injured.

    *CRASH*​

    The Goliath fell to the ground, but it didn't die just yet. Cinder was prepared to finish it off herself, but Sharp jumped in her place.

    "Better get back," the soldier said to the young warrior. Just then, Sharp's body began to glow a bright light. The light was encompassing his entire body, all across his plastoid armor, and steam was even beginning to move off his shoulders.

    "Take cover!" Clover yelled as he began to run towards a large rock.

    When she saw SCAR Squadron and her friends move in various directions, Cinder finally acknowledged the order and took to the air. She flew towards a large windmill and moved behind it, just in time to see a blinding light and hear a resounding explosion.

    *BOOM*​

    Everything began to shake as the sound grew louder and louder, but this was only temporary. The light, shaking, and sound all began to disappear as soon as it came.

    All that was left was a crater with Sharp right at its edge.

    "Clear!" the soldier said to his allies.

    One by one, everyone got out of their cover and regrouped by the crater. It wasn't too big or too deep, but it was definitely something one would easily notice. And based on the amount of ash, it was enough to take out the Goliath.

    "Whoa," Cinder thought to herself. "He can make a big bang."

    *GROWL*​

    Cinder turned around just in time to see a Beowolf was right behind her, ready to strike. Its right paw was lifted above its head and it was about to strike Cinder's Mandalorian helmet off in one fell swoop.

    But it soon stopped itself when blue electricity began to spark from its back.

    *BUZZ*​

    After a few seconds of spams and shocks, the Beowolf fell to the ground and began to dissolve. Cinder was able to see that her savior didn't come in the form of a soldier or Penny, but a small droid with what looked like a shock baton on its side.

    "Phew," she breathed with a small laugh. "Thanks, that was close."

    *WOO*

    *WEE*    ​

    R2 returned his weapon to its compartment and made a spin. After ejecting his third leg, R2 began to move across the tundra and away from the group.

    "That is the direction of the vault," said Penny. "At R2's current pace, it should take us precisely nine point twenty minutes to arrive at the tunnel."

    "Then we have our heading," said Clover, who whipped his fishing line back in place. "Let's move out, team."

    After they caught up to R2, everyone began to walk the tundra at a consistent pace. Everyone had checked their Scrolls to see their current Aura levels, which were bordering the green and yellow zones. Cinder decided to conserve some of her Aura by creating fire on both her hands so the freezing cold wouldn't be too much trouble.

    Unfortunately, the Grimm on Cinder's left hand didn't like that idea.

    "Ah!" Cinder quietly moaned when she looked at her left hand. She had to remove one of her gloves to see what was going on, but she wasn't surprised to see that the Beetle latched on her hand was squirming.

    She was, however, greatly annoyed by the sight and the pain.

    "Knock it off!" Cinder said as she shook her hand. The Beetle had been mostly docile for the past week, but it was prone to hurting Cinder when she used her powers for a long time. And now, it was trying to make sure that Cinder couldn't use her fire much longer.

    Cinder grimaced at the pain she was feeling after she stopped shaking her hand, which was a sign of the Beetle rebelling. "I said stop!" Cinder yelled as she swung her hand again.

    *THWIP*​

    Suddenly, the Beetle threw itself off Cinder's hand and landed on the cold ground. A line of black web followed the Beetle, but that didn't change the fact that it had left Cinder's hand.

    "Whoa!" said Aero, who saw the whole thing. "How'd you do that?"

    The rest of SCAR Squadron turned to see what Aero was looking at, and they were just as surprised as their ally. "Look at that," said Mic, who was studying the substance.

    "Hey, isn't that what you did to me back in Mantle?" Zuke asked when he recognized the black substance.

    Clover was also surprised by the substance, but he was more concerned about Cinder's wellbeing. "Cinder, are you okay?" he asked.

    *THWIP*​

    Cinder looked to see that the Beetle had returned to her hand, as if nothing had happened. Cinder didn't know how that happened, but she didn't feel much pain at the moment. "Uh, yeah," she said. "Sorry, Clover. I'm okay."

    Clover was mildly curious about Cinder's hand, but he remembered that the mission came first. "Alright," he said. "Back to it."

    SCAR Squadron began to walk once more, as did the teenagers in their care. Winter and Penny, however, moved closer to Cinder to see what the matter was.

    "Are you?" Winter asked, easily noticing her friend's distress.

    Cinder sighed as she put her glove back on. "Sorry, Winter," she said as she took off her helmet. "That thing just won't quit."

    "Have you seen a doctor?"

    "I saw Penny's dad, but he didn't really find anything."

    "Actually, Cinder," Penny began. "My father was able to study the results of the tests he performed. Your blood appears to be normal, and the x-rays seem to show no expansion of the Grimm's attachment beyond your hand."

    "Yeah, I remember," Cinder recalled. She and Djarin were happy to hear that the Beetle wasn't developing any other kinds of attachments. "But I meant he didn't find anything about getting it off."

    "Oh. I'm afraid that's true. I'm sorry."

    Cinder shook her head. "No, it's not your fault. It's not your dad's either." Cinder looked at her hand once more, even though the Beetle was hidden. "I just want this thing off. And this virus seems to be my best shot."

    "If our scientists can finish it," said Winter. "It may take some time. And don't jump the gun just yet, Cinder." Winter put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "We don't really know what kind of effect this virus will have on Grimm. Nobody wants to see you get hurt."

    "I know," said Cinder, who was well aware that caution had to be considered. "This thing's just getting on my nerves, that's all."

    Winter was able to understand Cinder's plight, as well as Penny. Though Penny was about to tell Cinder that she had no familiarity with the human nervous system, given her friend's use of the word "nerves."

    However, Penny had a better idea.

    "You know, my father usually says that we must work with what we are given," said Penny. "Perhaps you can make your attached Grimm work with you."

    Cinder understood Penny's good intentions, but she wasn't as optimistic. "Uh, I don't think this is the same thing, Penny," she said. "I mean, it's a Grimm that's hurting me."

    "True, but that web you made was quite remarkable! Perhaps there is a use you can find for it!"

    Winter shared Cinder's opinion about the Grimm, she couldn't deny that the web her friend had made was rather astounding. "She's not wrong, Cinder," she said. "Didn't Zuke say that you used it to fight him before?"

    "Oh, uh... Yeah, I did," Cinder confessed as she looked at her hand again. "I mean, it made him break the grip he had on me. That was kind of useful."

    "How did you do it?"

    "I don't know, I was just shaking my hand." Cinder shook her hand again in a similar manner, but nothing was happening. "Maybe it wanted to do that? As much as I hate to admit it, but this thing has a mind of its own. It must want to shoot itself off my hand."

    "Does it usually do that?" Penny asked.

    "I guess? I mean, Aurora used this to take some of my powers, and she had to throw it off her hand to latch on to me." Cinder let out a sigh as she recalled her last experience with Aurora. "Wish I got to see how she controlled this thing."

    "Does it only work on Maidens?" Winter asked. "Or could you use it on other enemies to drain Aura?"

    "Or maybe even the Grimm themselves?" Penny asked.

    Cinder had to admit that she didn't know if either scenario was possible. But the more she thought about it, she couldn't help but feel that her friends had really good ideas. The Beetle was an irritable Grimm, but Cinder couldn't deny that it was also a weapon. Aurora had used already, and Cinder used it as a means of self-defense.

    And while she thought about it, Cinder began to vaguely recall hearing one of the Blairs say that Aurora transferred Aura to them with the Beetle.

    "Those... might be possible," Cinder surmised as she looked at her hand again. "I hadn't thought of it, but you two might be right." Cinder was starting to see that maybe she could make the best of her situation.

    "Splendid!" Penny said with her usual enthusiasm. "The next time we see a Grimm, we will let you try to kill it with your Beetle!"

    *WOOP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    "And R2 agrees as well!"

    Cinder and Winter each smiled and rolled their eyes at Penny's excitement as they walked. There wasn't much more talking after that, which left a silent and cold walk towards a tunnel out into the distance.

    The tunnel appeared to be similar to a cave, but everyone was aware that it would be taking them underground. So it was very likely that there was a natural ramp that led downwards into the earth.

    The only things they needed to worry about were a steep drop and the presence of the Grimm.

    "Here we are, team," Clover said as he stood in front of the cave entrance. "Our vault's right inside waiting for us. Mic, Penny, see if you can get a scan of the tunnel."

    Mic and Penny moved to Clover and took a look at the cave. Mic had to press the side of his helmet to get a good scan, but Penny simply had to look while her eyes rotated and glowed.

    "Zero Grimm detected!" Penny said loudly.

    "My scan's clean too," Mic reported calmly. "But this looks like the perfect place for an ambush by Centinels."

    "Agreed," said Clover. "Be ready, everyone. Watch your backs." He then turned to Cinder and Winter. "This is where we split up, girls. Make sure that no Grimm get in or out while we're in there."

    "Understood," said Winter.

    "Be careful down there," Cinder said after she nodded. "And good luck."

    "Don't worry." Clover took a horseshoe off his armor and began to swing it. "Got plenty of it already." With that last remark, Clover and the rest of the team began their trek into the tunnel, leaving Cinder and Winter alone.

    "Let's hope they're not gone for too long," Cinder said as she made some fire in her hand. "It's freezing out here."

    "I suppose that armor isn't helping?" Winter asked.

    "Well, it blocks out the wind, but I can still feel the cold." Cinder formed a smirk under her helmet when she had an idea. "Hey, Winter. I'll give you ten Lien to stick your tongue on my armor."

    Winter rolled her eyes at the obvious joke. "Forget it," she said. "I'm not getting it stuck on cold metal."

    Cinder laughed as Winter saw through the obvious ruse she had. "Come on, don't you want to see if it's really true? I've never seen it happen before! Well, except in the movies."

    "Everyone knows that it's true. So let's focus on the mission."

    "Wow. Months apart and you're just as professional as ever."

    "Well, I haven't exactly stopped learning since my return. General Ironwood let me continue being a cadet at the academy, I still have my classes and everything." Winter suddenly remembered that Cinder had been learning as well, but not in the classroom. "I'm sure you can come to the classes too."

    "Uh, no thanks," Cinder replied. "No offense, but I've seen too many rigid things around the academy that aren't really my cup of tea."

    "I wouldn't think of it as 'rigid.' Think of it more like you're always on the job. I know you're the Fall Maiden and Mand'alor, but you still want to be a Huntress, don't you?"

    Cinder had to take a moment to think about that answer. She hadn't really thought about being a Huntress since she awoke from her coma, or when her own teammates betrayed her. And the responsibility of her titles were very large, maybe large enough to not leave room for being a Huntress.

    And there was one more thought that Cinder had that made her reluctant to the idea.

    "Well... I'll still be hunting Grimm as a Maiden and Mand'alor," Cinder admit. "Just as long as there are still Grimm to hunt."

    Winter paused when she heard the answer. She was expecting a "Yes" or "No," but not an idea that there wouldn't be Grimm to hunt. "What do you mean?" she asked.

    "Well, I was just thinking that... No, forget it. It's stupid."

    Winter gave Cinder her full attention. "No, go on. What is it?"

    Cinder took a moment to collect her thoughts once more. "Well... we all know this virus can destroy anything that it's programmed to. Ozpin and Ironwood want to use it on the Grimm."

    "Yes, that's true. When that happens, Salem won't have much to work with."

    "No, definitely not. But... doesn't that kind of leave us in the same boat? I mean, if we try to use this to kill every Grimm... what's gonna be left for the Huntsmen and Huntresses to fight?"

    "..."

    "Hey, Boba? Think you could pop your helmet off for a second?"

    "What? No, why?"

    "The smell down here is killing me."

    "Yeah, me too!"

    "I don't think I can stand it much longer."

    "Keep it together, ladies. The sooner we find them, the sooner we can get out of here."

    The team in Mantle were currently in the city sewers, thanks to Robyn's hunch about the Blairs and Durge hiding underground after committing their murders. Nobody disagreed with Robyn's idea, but they weren't too enthusiastic about excavating the sewers that were flowing with dirty water and city waste.

    The only people who could handle the conditions were Djarin and Boba, who had air respirators built into their Mandalorian helmets.

    "How are you holding up?" Djarin asked Qrow.

    "I'll live," Qrow replied. "But Robyn's friends aren't wrong about the smell."

    "You can say that again," May said as she covered her nose.

    "No kidding," said Joanna. "But Robyn's got the right idea about this. The sewers are the last place I'd think to look."

    "Yeah, and they're big enough to hide an army down here," said Fiona. "My dad and my uncle told me all about it when they worked down here."

    "Wait, that's right," said Robyn. She knew Fiona's family, and she recalled certain stories they told about working in the sewers. "Fi, do you remember hearing about any places that might serve as a hideout?"

    "Or where they might go to strike next?" Boba asked calmly.

    Fiona took a moment to think about the idea. "I think they said something about the heating grid connecting to the sewers," she said. "And the local SDC refinery has waste disposal too. Oh, and there's the central hub for a lot of the tunnels. Nobody really goes there unless something's broken."

    "I got a good feeling about the hub," said Djarin. "I've taken a few Huntsman missions about Grimm in the sewer tunnels, but they never said anything about the Grimm breaking things. Just that the Grimm were running around."

    "We saw those missions too," said Robyn. "We were always more focused on the streets rather than the tunnels, but there was nothing about Grimm breaking anything down here."

    "That's a good lead," said Boba. "Anyone got a map?"

    "James sent me one when I told him where we were going," said Qrow, who took out his Scroll. "Looks like the hub is..." Qrow lifted his head and pointed down one tunnel. "That way."

    "You got the map," said Robyn. "Feel like taking the lead?"

    Qrow smirked as he began to walk through the tunnels. "As long as you all can keep up."

    "Just you watch us." Robyn looked back to her fellow Huntresses. "Let's do this."

    One by one, the group followed Qrow into the first tunnel as the leader watched his map. Djarin was the last one to join them, since he had to answer his radio.

    "Djarin, this is Obi-Wan," said the voice of a Jedi. "Per your instructions, James has his soldiers near every manhole in the city."

    "Most of them are his Atlesian Knights," Revan pointed out. "But every entrance into the sewers is guarded."

    "Copy that," said Djarin. "We're on our way to a central hub that's mostly unoccupied. It's our best lead."

    "Understood. We'll find its entrance and wait above, should you need assistance."

    Djarin acknowledged the idea and set off to rejoin his allies. Once he did, the Mandalorian found himself right behind Boba Fett.

    "Ironwood has soldiers on the manholes," he said. "Escaping won't be easy for them."

    "Good," said Boba. "About time those constant patrols were useful."

    "..."

    Djarin didn't have much of a response for Boba, given that he knew the soldiers were supposed to help for inevitable panic in the Kingdom. But at the same time, he couldn't disagree with the idea that they were rather... numerous.

    Boba easily noticed the silence from the Mandalorian, but it didn't stop him from continuing the conversation.

    "I couldn't help but notice how close you're working with the military," he began. "Fennec and I never took you as soldier-material."

    "And you're right," said Djarin. "I'm not one of Ironwood's soldiers or a Huntsman, if that's what you're wondering."

    "Then what's going on?" Boba had taken a few bounty hunts that required espionage and blackmail, so he knew when secrets were being hidden. It was this experience that gave him an idea. "Does he have something on you?"

    "Ironwood? No, not really."

    "And your daughter? If you're in trouble, maybe I can help."

    "Thank you, but no. It's not like that, it's just that our... interests are aligned."

    "...Is that so?"

    Between recent events and Ironwood's deeds after Beacon fell, Boba knew that there was something going on he didn't like. Ironwood definitely had some "interests" he wanted to keep to himself, especially with Amity Colosseum.

    This led to Boba and his friends not trusting Ironwood completely. And now, the same could apparently be said about a friend.

    Fortunately, Djarin could see that Boba was suspicious. And he also saw a chance to clear that suspicion.

    "You may have heard that the war with the Mandalorians is over," Djarin began. "It was a civil war, actually. It ended with Pre Vizsla's death, but he had allies that escaped capture. You're already aware of their work."

    "You mean... Durge was working with the Mandalorians?" Boba asked.

    "No, not Durge. But the Blairs? The ones who tricked Cinder into thinking they were students? They're the ones who worked with Vizsla. They're the ones we want."

    "Okay..."

    Like the Happy Huntresses, Boba knew the Blairs from the Vytal Festival. He knew that they were terrorists instead of students, and now he knew that Djarin was hunting them.

    But there was something he didn't understand.

    "So these Blairs," he said. "How did they make the switch from working with Vizsla to Durge? My father told me that he hated Mandalorians."

    "That's true," said Djarin. "My people said the same thing. But I have no idea how they met. I'd like to find them before they make any more allies."

    "And Ironwood does too?"

    "He'd do anything to prevent another war from breaking out."

    Boba nodded slowly. He hadn't seen much of the war and its effects on Remnant, but he understood that nobody would want to see another war begin.

    After all, he didn't want to see one either. The Mandalorians were known for warfare, but Jango had taught Boba better than what the Mandalorians under Vizsla had done.

    "Alright, then," said Boba, who was convinced of Djarin's mission. "Guess we better get to it, then."

    Back in the tundra, SCAR Squadron was still descending down the natural tunnel Gideon had guided them to. As they expected there were Centinels that blocked their path and tried to rip them to pieces. But SCAR Squadron and their robotic companions were able to make quick work of the Grimm and keep moving downwards.

    And eventually, they found themselves in front of a large metal door.

    "I'll be damned," said Cav. "It's really here."

    "Yeesh," said Zuke. "Now I wanna know how Gideon built it."

    "Only question is whether or not our weapon is there too," said Aero, who was focused on the mission.

    "That's right," said Clover. "Penny, R2, you're on. Everyone else back up."

    All of the soldiers who were vulnerable to a virus backed away from the door while Penny and R2 advanced. Penny knew that her swords could easily cut through the metal door, but she was aware of the caution she needed to exercise. The last thing she wanted was to unleash an unfinished virus that could hurt people.

    And so, after she looked at the door, Penny decided to let R2 unlock it.

    "R2, you should be able to unlock this door with your scomp link," she said.

    *WOO*

    *WOO*

    *WEE*

    *WEE*    ​

    R2 moved to where Penny was standing and ejected something from his body. Just as his friend had requested, R2 was using a tool called a "scomp link" to open the door. The link acted as a sort of key used to unlock doors with a special lock. Instead of a key card or a special code, the lock required a signature of movements to be unlocked. The gears would have to be turned with a link multiple times until the door was unlocked.

    Normally, locks like the one on the vault were used by Atlesians to secure classified projects or military secrets. Only authorized personnel were allowed access to a scomp link to unlock such a door. Pietro had to go to various lengths to get R2 such an important tool, but the effort was clearly worth it.

    Because R2 had just unlocked the door.

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    Slowly but surely, the metal door of the vault began to open. Penny and R2 stayed right where they were as they marveled at the sight of a secret vault being opened for the first time in years.

    SCAR Squadron, however, kept their distance.

    "Steady, everyone," Clover said as he prepared for a possible trap from opening the vault. Whether it was an explosion or gas, Clover wanted to be ready for anything.

    "Sir, the air readings look normal," said Aero. "My suit's not picking up anything toxic."

    "I'm not detecting anything either," said Mic, who was looking at the computer on his arm.

    Between the clean air and a rather normal environment, Clover sighed in relief before he gave a new order. "Penny, R2, have a look inside," he said. "We'll join you when you give the all-clear."

    "Affirmative!" Penny said as she understood the order. Her Aura and metal body would protect her from immediate threat. "Come on, R2!"

    *WOO*

    *WEE*    ​

    The two droids entered the room and scanned the environment. It was a rather large vault, filled to the brim with multiple papers, mechanical parts, and what appeared to be lab coats. This vault was definitely a place of science.

    While the danger was being assessed, SCAR Squadron followed protocol and made a report to the academy.

    "Come in, Command," said Clover. "This is Team Bravo. We have found the vault, and are currently searching for the objective."

    "..."

    "Command? Please acknowledge."

    "..."

    Clover took his hand off his radio when he continued to hear silence. His first thought was that the radio signal wasn't strong enough to be picked up underground, but he wanted to test this theory.

    "Mic, I'm getting silence on the comms," he said. "Can you check our signal? Maybe boost it?"

    Mic immediately turned to the computer on his arm and began pressing the screen. "Our signal's not perfect, sir, but it's not dead," he reported. "I can try to boost it, but it might take-"

    "Task Force 99, this is Admiral Thrawn," said a voice over the radio. "Acknowledge."

    The rest of SCAR Squadron heard the officer's voice, and they were just as surprised as Clover was. They had worked with Admiral Thrawn before, since he was the one who helped organized their team. However, his presence in their mission wasn't expected.

    Nevertheless, Clover responded to the Admiral's hail.

    "This is Operative Ebi, sir," Clover said after he put a hand to his ear. "Acknowledging."

    "And what is the status of your mission?" the Admiral asked.

    Clover didn't respond right away, given his confusion about a new point of contact. "Forgive me, sir, but I was told Professor Ozpin was our primary contact for the mission."

    "Professor Ozpin is currently engaged with Cadet Schnee and her friend, defending your position against a group of Manticores. I am aware of your mission and will be taking temporal command until the threat outside is neutralized."

    This was easy for SCAR Squadron to believe, so Clover acknowledged the order. "Yes, sir," he said. "We currently have one objective; locate and transport a bioweapon Major Gideon was working on before his arrest."

    "And what is your status?"

    "The vault is open. We're assessing any possible threat before securing the objective."

    "Excellent. Once the package is secure, you may begin your secondary objective."

    "Sir?"

    "In addition to the bioweapon, you are to secure Gideon's research on his other projects and send them directly to me."

    Clover didn't question orders, but the nature of this order was confusing. "Other projects?" he asked. "With all due respect, sir, we were led to believe only Gideon's virus was here."

    "I have reason to believe Major Gideon has more in that vault than he previously admitted," the Admiral explained. "Should that be true, I require you to send whatever else you may find to me. Is that understood?"

    "Understood, sir. We'll send over whatever we find."

    With that, Clover ended the transmission and looked to his team. None of them were willing to question the order, but that didn't stop them from expressing their surprise.

    "Huh," said Aero. "Wasn't expecting that."

    "Me neither," said Cav. "But it's not completely unwarranted. Gideon could have more in there than we know."

    "Didn't General Ironwood say that Gideon was telling the truth?" Shrap asked.

    "About the virus," said Misty. "He could have kept everything else a secret."

    "Not for long," said Clover. "Admiral Thrawn was right. Whatever we find in there will be safer in our hands."

    "Maybe we'll find some plans for new weapons," said Zuke. "Dibs on the prototype."

    Before anyone could reply, Penny stepped out of the vault and waved to the team. "The vault is danger-free, sir!" she said.

    "Good work, Penny," said the commander of the team. "Move in."

    As he walked into the vault, Clover couldn't help but think about his conversation with Thrawn. It was an interesting change of pace, given how much time Clover had been working with General Ironwood. He trusted the General with his life, but having more people noticing him and his team was welcoming.

    After all, Thrawn was the reason Clover was on an elite team. It was comforting to hear that someone as important as the Admiral was still invested in the project.

    It was unusual, however, for Thrawn to ask Clover to send any kind of new intelligence directly to him. Normally, Clover would send it to the academy; to Ironwood's main computer.

    But given the stress of Amity, Robyn, and now Durge, Clover knew that General Ironwood had a lot on his plate to contend with. So sharing the load sounded like a good idea.

    And based on what everyone had found so far, it seemed that Thrawn would have a lot on his plate as well.

    "Looks like Gideon had a thing for airships," said Cav. "I'm seeing a lot of blueprints for different kinds of them. LAAT, Torrent, ARC-170... and something called a 'Venator.' Whatever that means."

    "Found something labeled under 'Watts,'" said Shrap. "A bunch of projects he didn't work on." Shrap opened the file and began to read it. "This one's about something called 'Blackwing.'"

    "I got something about enhancing Aura," said Misty. "It looks like Gideon wanted to make a Semblance stronger."

    "Mine!" said Zuke, who grabbed the file from Misty. "I got dibs!"

    "No, you don't, Zuke," said Clover, who took the file from his teammate. "We have our orders. These are going to Admiral Thrawn." After he brushed off a groan from Zuke, Clover issued a new order. "Penny, Gideon said we need to be looking for a sample in a vial. I think it was called 'Blue Shadow.' There should be a file here somewhere."

    "R2 and I will find it," Penny promised before she turned back to R2.

    "Take your time," Clover replied before he looked back to his team. The job in front of him wasn't the most exciting or dangerous, but it was a job nonetheless. And from the sound of it, the future of Atlas might depend on whatever they find.

    And it was going to be worth every second of digging.

    "Alright, team... let's see what we can find."

    With the mission at Essen close to being accomplished, all that remained was the mission in Mantle. And while progress was being made, working conditions could have been better.

    Nobody was really used to the smell of the sewers, which was getting worse by the minute. Djarin and Boba were mostly unaffected, and Qrow said that he worked in worse conditions as a Huntsman.

    The Happy Huntresses, however, couldn't say the same.

    The Huntresses were no strangers to Mantle; they knew the city inside and out. However, they never had to stay in the sewers for this long. All of the dirty water and waste smelled worse than decaying Grimm, and they were praying for the ability to breathe fresh air again.

    But seeing Robyn act like her old self again was worth the bleak working conditions.

    As she walked with her allies, Robyn made sarcastic remarks about the sewers and made her dedication to the city known to everyone. She mostly did this while talking to Qrow, who she had easily struck up a friendly conversation with. They were mostly talking about their work as Huntsmen and Huntresses, and what was going on in the outside world. Robyn even told Qrow a funny story about Joanna losing a fight.

    While Joanna hated to be reminded of that day, she and her friends could tell that Robyn was out of whatever rut she was in before. Even if they didn't succeed today, they were happy to know that they got their leader back.

    "Hold up," said Qrow, who stopped walking. "Looks like we're right outside the hub."

    Everyone looked at Qrow's map to see that he was right. The central hub Fiona had mentioned was just a left turn down another tunnel. There were multiple tunnels connecting to this hub, which explained how the Blairs could move about the city so easily.

    If they were here.

    "I think Fiona was right," said May. "Look at all these tunnels."

    "They go all over the city," said Joanna. "No wonder we never noticed them."

    "So what's the plan?" Boba asked. "If Durge is with them, we should be ready for a fight."

    Djarin had noticed a ladder that led to a higher tunnel, which gave him the idea to split up. "We have the element of surprise," he said. "We should split up and get the drop on them. Fett, you have your rifle. You can get into a sniping position up that tunnel."

    Boba looked where the Mandalorian was pointing and agreed with the idea. "The Huntresses have their long range weapons," he said. "They'll come with me."

    "I'll take this tunnel with Mando," Qrow decided. "And remember, don't engage them. Unless you have to."

    The Huntresses had their objections about this being a recon mission rather than arresting them, but Djarin and Qrow knew that arresting the hybrids would be difficult. And if Durge was as strong as the Mandalorian legends said, arresting him would also take some effort.

    Robyn had made too many mistakes to not practice caution, so she reluctantly agreed to keeping a distance.

    "Alright," she said as she moved to the ladder. "Race ya."

    The team broke off into their separate groups and moved down different tunnels. Robyn took the lead on the upper tunnel and readied her weapon, just in case someone tried to ambush her. However, she decided to let Boba and Fiona move ahead of her when they shared something.

    "Wait," said Fiona. "Do you hear that?"

    "..."

    Robyn and her friends listened carefully, but none of them heard anything out of the ordinary. "All I hear is running water," she said.

    "Probably from some of this," said May, who looked at the flowing water at her feet.

    "No," said Boba. "I hear something else." His helmet, like Fiona's ears, was capable of hearing things that normal ears would miss.

    "What is it?" Joanna asked.

    "I think... I think it's voices," said Fiona.

    "I hear voices too," said Boba. "Down that way."

    "Mando and Qrow?" Robyn asked.

    "No. Somebody else." Boba readied his rifle and pointed it down the tunnel. "We're not alone here."

    "..."

    Everyone moved slowly and quietly down the tunnel when they realized that someone was indeed in the sewers with them. Eventually, they reached the end of the tunnel to see the large nexus.

    The central hub was akin to a large draining system, where all of the sewage would flow downwards to be disposed of. The ground was a metal frame similar to a cage door for the water to flow down while preventing larger objects from falling with it.

    Directly in the middle of the metal frame was a spire with four bridges that connected to other tunnels. And right on the spire were two young women dressed from head to toe in black.

    "Here you go," said the brunette girl, who dropped a bag in front of the second girl. "I brought us some food."

    "What?" the blonde asked. "I thought I told you we can't use the people we dump! If Mantle sees a body missing pieces, they'll ask questions."

    "No, this is just some homeless human. I found him on my way back. Nobody saw me kill him."

    "Oh." The blonde opened the bag and smiled at its contents. "In that case, thank you."

    As the duo laughed and began to take the "food" out of the bag, Robyn and her friends watched as closely as they could without being spotted.

    "That's them," said Robyn. "The Blairs. I recognize them from the tournament."

    "I think I heard them mention that person we found above us," said May. "They're the real murders."

    "Those poor people," said Fiona.

    "What were they saying just now?" Joanna asked, who was having trouble hearing over the flowing water. "Something about a homeless guy?"

    "...You don't want to know," said Boba, who could hear everything.

    As they ate and laughed, Merri and Fauna began to discuss everything they had done in Mantle. They were completely unaware that they were being watched, which gave them the idea that they could talk about their work without being interrupted.

    "So, that guy up top makes, what, the seventh critic that Ironwood wouldn't mind having killed?" Fauna asked.

    "I've lost count," said Merri. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is how the people are taking it."

    "When I was up there, I heard that people still want that 'Penny' thing Ironwood has shut down. I don't get why he went through the trouble of rebuilding it, but I'm not complaining."

    "Neither am I. Framing her for the warehouse was too easy. And if Ironwood shuts it down, I could reprogram it when we're ready for Atlas."

    "Hey, that's not a bad idea. But are we going to be leaving anytime soon? We've done enough down in this craphole of a city."

    Robyn growled when she heard how little the Blairs cared about what they did to her home, and how little they thought of Mantle. However, she was able to contain her rage as she listened more.

    "Not yet," said Merri. "Mother said we need the people of Mantle to act against Atlas. All we've done is make them mad."

    "Mother?" Fiona asked. "Who's that?"

    "Shh," said Boba. "Maybe they'll tell us."

    "Not all of them," Fauna said after she took a bite of the meat. "I heard Mantle's 'Hometown Hero' is doing a number on some military trucks. Looks like we got her and her friends fooled."

    "Hmm..." Merri hummed as she chewed her food. "I heard about that too. Sounds like she really wants to stop whatever's going on with Amity."

    "Looks that way. What're you thinking? We finally shut it down?"

    "Soon. Just after we're done in Mantle."

    The Happy Huntresses all listened closely to Merri and Fauna, wondering if they knew anything about Amity. They were clearly interested in the colosseum, but they weren't exactly saying why.

    Boba, however, was more concerned about something else.

    "Where is he?" Boba wondered as he looked around the area. "Where's Durge?" He could see the Blairs just fine, but Durge was apparently nowhere to be found.

    "We've spent too long down here," said Fauna. "If we're going to properly prepare, we should move our work up to Atlas. I heard the new Councilman is anti-Ironwood. If he had an 'accident,' that could set everything off."

    "It could," Merri agreed. "But like I said, we're not done in Mantle. If we were to kill someone who's speaking out against Ironwood up in Atlas, the people of Atlas and Mantle might rally together and try to find us."

    "Then what are we supposed to do? How can we make Mantle strike against Atlas?"

    Merri formed a devious and cunning smile at her sister. "It's simple. We kill Robyn Hill."

    "..."

    Everyone turned to Robyn when they heard Merri's plan. They were all surprised, but Robyn was completely dumbfounded. She began to grow pale by the shock she received, given the threat on her life she just uncovered.

    Robyn was never afraid of risking her life for Mantle. But she never thought that she would have enemies that wanted to end her life. She didn't know what it was that drove those people to want to kill her, but a choice had just presented itself.

    Robyn could stay and listen more or leave to protect herself.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    The sound of a small fly in her ear snapped Robyn back to reality. After she brushed the insect away, Robyn moved closer to Boba so she could talk to him. "Did you hear that?" she asked.

    "I heard it," Boba confirmed. "They're going to kill you."

    "Not on our watch," said Joanna.

    "Yeah," said Fiona. "I think we heard enough, we should leave."

    "No," May disagreed. "We can stop them right now. Before they hurt Robyn or anyone else."

    "Mando and Qrow said we shouldn't attack them," said Robyn. "But it's just two of them down there. Right?"

    "I haven't seen Durge yet," said Boba. "He might be above us, looking for you. If we're gonna do this, we have... Wait." Boba looked through the scope of his rifle when he noticed something odd. "What are you doing?"

    The Happy Huntresses all looked back with Boba to see that one of the Blairs was standing up. Rather than continue to eat or talk to her sister, Merri was looking all around her in a state of readiness.

    "What is it?" Fauna asked as she stared at her sister.

    "...We're not alone," Merri said as she reached to the ground. Once she picked up her sickle, Merri examined the tunnels again. "Someone's watching us."

    "..."

    Fauna began to look around as well while Boba and his friends retreated into the shadows of their tunnel. Nobody knew how they had been spotted, but they could tell that the element of surprise was escaping their grasp. They either needed to act now or leave to attack later.

    "There's only two of them," said May. "And their weapons aren't that impressive."

    "Do we fight?" Joanna asked.

    Robyn knew that she had to exercise caution, and she knew what Djarin and Qrow had told her. However, a threat on her life, just like the Grimm, had to be neutralized.

    "Forget waiting," she decided. "We're taking them down."

    All of the Huntresses were happy to hear Robyn sounding like her old self again, and so was Boba. "I have a clear shot," he said. "Say the word."

    "Don't let them see us all yet," Robyn ordered. "Huntresses, go to the other tunnels. Boba and I will take this one while you sneak around."

    "You got it, Robyn," said Fiona, who was already starting to walk back the way she came. "Whatever you're gonna do, you'd better do it-"

    *THUD*​

    Fiona couldn't help but stop walking when she gently bumped into something metal behind her. At first, she thought it was part of the wall or the ladder she climbed up with her friends. But when she turned around, she was met by a shadowy figure who grabbed her throat with a large hand.

    When everyone heard Fiona stop talking and start choking, they turned around just in time to see the large figure charge at them. The figure ran like a Grimm would when charging at its prey, and the strength it hit everyone with was like the strength of a Goliath.

    They were all hit at different times, but everyone in the tunnel fell out and hit the ground hard.

    *THUD*​

    Nobody had enough time to engage their Aura, so they were injured when they hit the ground. Boba was protected by his armor, so he was the only one who could look up and see his attacker.

    And all of a sudden, Boba Fett had a case of déjà vu.

    The armor was covered in dirt and ash, and a strange black liquid was dripping from the mouthpiece of a helmet, but there was no denying that Boba had seen the suit of armor before; as well as the man beneath it.

    Durge was alive. And he was working with the Blairs.

    "Well, well, well," said Merri, who became much more calmer. "Look what the cat dragged in."

    Fauna joined her with a giggle and a twirl of her sickle. "If it isn't Mantle's Hometown Hero," she said as she kneeled down to the Huntress. Robyn had lifted her head to look at her enemy, but all she could see was bloody metal close to her face. "And I thought tracking you down would be hard."

    Boba and the rest of the Huntresses were starting to get up so they could help Robyn, but Durge was quick to stop them. His first instinct was to grab Boba and hoist him off the ground, crushing him in a tight grip while he did so. He began to crush Fiona and May as well, by standing on their backs with his heavy feet.

    Joanna was the only one to escape the grasp of Durge, but she couldn't escape the blasts Durge fired at her from a pistol.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    "Aah!" Joanna yelled as she fell to the ground. The shots weren't fatal, but Joanna was left badly injured with three scorch marks on her torso.

    "No!" Robyn yelled as she tried to get up. But she was met with Fauna's hook around her neck, as well as Merri's.

    "Uh, uh, uh," said Fauna. "Not so fast."

    It was clear that Fauna was toying with Robyn, but Merri wasted no time with starting an interrogation. "How did you find us?" she asked.

    "..."

    Robyn wasn't going to entertain the young girl with an answer. Robyn knew that she was not only a child, but she was the true enemy of Mantle. Someone who had let the giant holding her friends kill dozens of people without a thought. Robyn may have been a vigilante, but she had no intention of talking with terrorists.

    Unfortunately, the Blairs realized that.

    "She's not gonna talk," Fauna said as she moved her sickle tighter on Robyn's throat. "And she just heard everything we said. Let's just kill her."

    "Patience, Fauna," Merri ordered. "I think what our new friend needs... is a reason."

    "..."

    Without hesitation, Merri turned to Durge and snapped her fingers. Once he heard the snap, Durge moved his hands up to Boba's head and threw the helmet off. Now that Boba's head was vulnerable, Durge wasted no time in grabbing both sides and squeezing tightly.

    As he was doing that, Durge increased the pressure his feet had on Fiona and May.

    All three of Durge's victims either groaned or screamed as they felt enormous pain in their bodies. Boba tried to use the weapons on his armor to burn and shoot at Durge, but his efforts barely hurt the man. The Blairs moved away from the flames with a gasp, but that didn't change Robyn's predicament.

    Seeing her friends suffer was certainly making Robyn reconsider her earlier decision to stay quiet. She didn't want to cooperate with terrorists, but Robyn didn't want to see her friends die either.

    Fortunately, she didn't have to make any decision.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Three blasts rang out from another tunnel, and they made contact with the Blairs. Both girls couldn't help but fall back as they were hit, just like they couldn't help but free Robyn from their grasp. Robyn escaped with a small cut on her neck, but she was mostly unharmed.

    Boba soon found himself to be free as well. When Djarin teleported himself and Qrow behind Durge after he fired his rifle, he and Qrow struck Durge with Harbinger and the electric staff.

    *ZAP*

    *BAM*    ​

    The shocks and strike to his back were enough to make Durge release his prisoners, but he was quick to move his arm and strike at his attackers.

    Djarin would have used his Semblance once again, but he lost focus when he believed he saw Durge's arm become... elongated.

    *BAM*​

    The strike was enough for Djarin to return to reality and teleport himself back to Robyn and Boba. Qrow had turned into a bird to recover from the attack, and now he was ready to fight again.

    Robyn was also ready, but first she had to help Boba get back on his feet. Both of them had started to engage their Auras to heal from the attacks, but Boba needed a few seconds. Blood was pouring from his nose and his head was aching; another few seconds in Durge's grasp would have killed him.

    However, he was able to stand up straight and ready himself for a fight.

    The Blairs and Durge had recovered as well, and they reunited on the other side of the central hub. The rest of the Happy Huntresses were still down, which left a fight of four against three.

    However, Merri was confident with a swift victory.

    "Well... this should be interesting."
    Author's notes: hey everyone, hope you're doing good. I hope you're enjoying the story. I have a brief announcement, that I unfortunately won't have consistent updates anymore. I have reached the point where my SB story matched with the story I have on FFN and AO3. I'm still writing the story, but updates will take a little longer. Sorry about that.
    Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 63: The Invitation
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 63: The Invitation​

    Despite the appearance that they weren't doing too much today, Professor Ozpin and General Ironwood were hard at work. They each had a mission of high importance below the city of Atlas that needed high observation. For Ozpin, it was a mission Cinder volunteered to join with SCAR Squadron in the hopes of acquiring a weapon that could help fight back against Salem. And for Ironwood, it was a mission to find the true culprits behind a series of murders in Mantle.

    Both missions had made incredible progress. SCAR Squadron was close to opening Gideon's vault while Ironwood was told of a potential lead on the whereabouts of the murderers. Ozpin had to help Cinder and Winter fend off a group Grimm with strategies that he used in the past, but that was the only major thing that was reported.

    So, while they were waiting for more reports to come through the radio or their Scrolls, Ironwood and Ozpin decided to take a literal walk down memory lane. Instead of an office, the two Headmasters were on a carved stone bridge lit by torches. The end of the bridge rested in front of a large golden door, which was on the other side of a large chasm down below. Multiple pieces of stone, that almost looked like stairs, were floating in place around the bridge and door.

    There were obviously many differences between Mistral and Atlas, and this place was certainly one of them. For this was the Vault built under Atlas Academy, where the Relic of Creation was resting behind the golden door.

    "It's been a long time since I've been here," said Ozpin, who broke the silence within the Vault. "It's remarkable how nothing has changed about it."

    "I hoped bringing you down here might jog some memories," said Ironwood, who also wished to remember different times. "After all, it was your idea to use the Staff to lift Atlas off the ground."

    "Yes, I remember." Ozpin recalled the day he made such a plan, a while after the Great War had ended. "It was easy for me to know the possibilities of the Staff. Having a constant, seemingly limitless energy source in my hands was... powerful." Ozpin looked down at the cane in his hands, which made him remember what it felt like to hold the Staff of Creation. "And tempting. Too tempting."

    Despite seeing it for himself, Ironwood never had the honor of holding the Staff of Creation for himself. However, he understood the temptation power could bring to an individual; Gideon had taught him that.

    "It was definitely the right decision to bring an object of such power here," said Ironwood. "And a unique one to use it as a way to lift the city off the ground."

    Ozpin chuckled to himself as he recalled that choice. "To this day, I still think it could have gone higher," he speculated. "But being high enough out of the Grimm's reach is perfectly satisfying."

    "Indeed, indeed. But to tell you the truth, that served as the inspiration for the Amity Project. Get a communication tower up in the sky, higher than the Grimm can survive so we never lose contact with each other again."

    "A pity the Staff can only perform one job at a time. But we can make do with the old fashioned way."

    "..."

    Ironwood agreed with this sentiment, which led other sentiments to be invoked. Ironwood had expected Amity to be up sooner, since things were making progress a while back. But recent events, mainly with Robyn and the Happy Huntresses, had led to a debacle. The supplies they had stolen may have been returned to Atlas, but progress had been halted nonetheless.

    And knowing that the people responsible were free, working with the people Ozpin had brought with him, just wasn't sitting right with Ironwood. He wanted the choice to feel right, but it didn't. He felt that a different call should have been made, but Ozpin disagreed. He was aware that the Happy Huntresses were trying to help find the real murderers, but Ironwood just didn't trust them.

    And for the life of him, he didn't understand why Ozpin and everyone else did.

    "We... haven't always see eye to eye," Ironwood began. "But... I'd like to ask what you think of all of this."

    When Ozpin turned to his friend, he realized that they hadn't really talked about recent events. At first, Ozpin followed James' plan for Amity after Ironwood laid down the law on working with him in Atlas. However, the situation evolved to the point where one man couldn't make all the decisions without deliberation and convincing counterarguments. That was all the talk everyone had in Atlas, but nothing as personal as what Ironwood was requesting.

    This was perhaps the first time Ozpin had been asked for an opinion ever since he arrived at Atlas. And now, he was more than willing to give one.

    "James... I wouldn't dare to question the ingenuity and strategy behind your plan with Amity," Ozpin began strongly. "With the Mandalorian Civil War at an end, we're more than ready to reunite the world. And Amity is definitely a step in the right direction. I commend... I salute you for this project."

    Ironwood was very pleased to hear this kind of praise. However, Ozpin was known to balance praise and criticism without focusing on one side or the other. Where there was praise to be had, there was also bound to be criticism. Ozpin had spent his whole life, multiple lives, to know the line that existed between the two.

    As well as how to navigate it with care and precision.

    "However... the ends don't always justify the means," Ozpin continued. "I've seen the path you've elected to follow, James. Where you're the only one with the answers, where you do the thing you think is right no matter the cost. This path is why I decided to dissolve the monarchies of each Kingdom, why I embraced the value of a democratic government."

    "..."

    Rather than immediately walk away or turn down the criticism, Ironwood took a moment to think of what Ozpin had said. He could see where his friend was coming from in terms of running a government. However, in his mind, fighting and winning a war did not equate to the value a democratic government held.

    A select few in the army not only knew of Ironwood's opinion, but had similar ideas as well. These ideas and beliefs were never carried out, but Ironwood had good reason to start now.

    "...Do you really believe that, Oz?" Ironwood asked. "The Council doesn't have the big picture like you or I do. They could understand why we have to stop Salem... but they don't understand that nothing else matters more."

    Now it was Ozpin who could see where Ironwood was coming from. Keeping Salem a secret from the rest of the world, especially the governments of it, was a very difficult choice to make. But for better or worse, that choice was going to change now; Amity would make everyone understand.

    Ironically, the one man who didn't understand that was the very man who made Amity.

    Ozpin knew his mission from the God of Light was to unite the world, and he had tried many times to make this a reality. There were many failures along the way, and the status of the world prior to the war was perhaps the closest thing to unity Ozpin ever had.

    But that didn't mean he didn't learn from his failures. One important lesson that Ozpin had learned was that humanity had to be united under ideals and beliefs, not united under one banner or person.

    However, Ironwood obviously disagreed with this notion. And it was up to Ozpin to teach him the error in this thinking.

    "They will understand, James," Ozpin promised. "When Amity goes up, the world will understand what we're fighting. And why Salem has to be stopped."

    "..."

    "But there is something that they do understand. Even if they don't know it yet... everyone understands that there are some things that matter more."

    "..."

    "Cinder reminded me of this when she helped us end the war. She reminded us that keeping our humanity is essential to survival. It's also what makes us different from Salem."

    "..."

    Ironwood began to walk towards an elevator that took him and Ozpin to the Vault. He wasn't trying to be rude or ignore Ozpin's ideas, but he was just ready to leave. Ironwood had been listening to Ozpin, and he expressed this understanding with another idea.

    "Sometimes I worry that's her greatest advantage," Ironwood began. "Without humanity, does she still feel fear? Does she ever hesitate?"

    "..."

    Ozpin once asked himself the same thing, and came to the conclusion that Salem had abandoned her humanity a long time ago. And now, Ironwood understood this as well.

    Along with other things.

    "When Salem hit Beacon, even with all my ships, all of my soldiers... I was no match for her. I've never felt so helpless."

    "..."

    Ironwood was indeed helpless the night Beacon fell. He was taken out of commission the second he had been shot, and he spent the majority of the battle getting his cybernetics fixed. On that table, he could see the losses of soldiers, robots, and civilians that Salem let the Grimm and Mandalorians inflict on the world.

    He felt and saw so much that it stayed with him. The experience, the fear, the disbelief... they found ways to make Ironwood return to that night. To make him forget where he was, and forget that he still had a chance.

    *BEEP*​

    The central panel Ironwood had pressed made a noise to bring the man back to reality. He immediately looked up to see a small elevator lowering down and preparing to take him and Ozpin back to the main academy.

    Ozpin also remembered the night Beacon fell, and he took the loss quite personally. But unlike Ironwood, the loss didn't change how Ozpin felt about the rest of the world. And it didn't change how he thought about the words that he said next.

    "It's okay to be afraid, James," he insisted. "You just can't let that fear control you."

    "..."

    Ironwood suddenly remembered what happened the last time a man's fear took control over him. That day, Haven Academy had lost a Headmaster. As for Ozpin, he had lost a great ally.

    But Ironwood was going to make sure none of that happened again.

    "I am not going to end up like Lionheart," he promised before he turned to Ozpin. "Do you believe in me?"

    Ozpin took a moment to think of an answer before he finally joined Ironwood at the elevator. "I do believe in you, but not only you," he replied. "I think the best thing you could do is sit down and talk with the people you're most afraid to."

    The first thought that came to Ironwood's mind was how he missed Ozpin's advice and ideas. After all, such a statement was typical for Ozpin to say.

    The second thing was mild curiosity. Namely, as to who Ozpin referred to when he said "the people you're most afraid of." However, Ironwood didn't have a chance to ask this question, given that he heard a voice in his ear.

    "James, this is Obi-Wan," the voice said. "We need immediate assistance in Mantle."

    After a successful mission, the airship carrying SCAR Squadron and their Huntresses in-training was on a straight course back to Atlas Academy. With them, they carried two robotic partners, ashes of decayed Grimm across their bodies, and a small metal case.

    The case wasn't much to look at first glance, but its contents were as important as they were dangerous. Perhaps for the first time in his life, Gideon hadn't lied to Cinder or her friends about something. Just as he said, the former Major had a vault in the outskirts of Atlas. There, SCAR Squadron had found a great many things, ranging from prototypes to blueprints for weaponry and military equipment.

    They had taken pictures and recordings of everything they saw, but SCAR Squadron only brought one thing back to Atlas: an unfinished virus.

    The name of the project was "Blue Shadow." And its purpose was to spread an incurable virus to anyone who was unfortunate enough to breathe in the contents. It was meant to be Gideon's masterpiece, a way to make the entire Atlas military grovel at his feet. Fortunately, Gideon was unable to finish the virus before his arrest. He mainly had Arthur Watts work on it in his spare time, if he wasn't experimenting on Dark Troopers or Cinder's blood. However, Watts was only one man; to finish a project of this scale would require a whole team of scientists.

    Furthermore, Watts uncovered a few bumps in the road. The virus was meant to be programmed to a specific target with specific DNA, to spread through the air and affect one individual or a whole army based on genetic similarities. The programming was the easy part, but the artificial virus degraded rather quickly. And it was only prominent when in water, as opposed to the air.

    Gideon was aware of this problem, but he was confident that a team of scientists could remedy this. And now, after five years, it was time to see if his theory was right.

    As soon as Ozpin and Ironwood realized that the Creatures of Grimm, Salem's greatest asset, could be vulnerable to this bioweapon, they deemed it necessary to retrieve it. And so, SCAR Squadron did that successfully while Cinder and Winter defended the vault from the Grimm.

    Needless to say, everyone was happy to see a metal case containing a secret weapon that now belonged in the safe hands of Atlas. The vault had been resealed once everyone had left, while its location and contents were made known to Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn had to take temporary command of the elite team while Ozpin helped Cinder and Winter deal with a group of Manticores. Nobody questioned the order of sending Thrawn a wealth of secrets and knowledge, just as long as they were able to give Ironwood the virus personally.

    And judging by their destination, nothing was going to stop everyone now.

    When the airship landed, everyone on board could see that General Ironwood and Ozpin were waiting for them. Clover took the lead and handed the case to Ironwood, who took it without a word.

    "We did it!" Cinder said with enthusiasm. "This is it, Ozpin! We finally have what we need to... hurt... Salem..."

    "..."

    Cinder was too excited to notice it at first, but now she could see that Ozpin and Ironwood were very unhappy. They didn't look angry or disappointed, but the saddened expressions on their faces told Cinder that something was wrong. At first, the Maiden believed that it had something to do with her mission; that she had made a mistake with her powers or that she said something that made Ironwood upset again.

    These ideas, however, were denied when Ozpin said four simple words.

    "Cinder... it's your father."

    "..."

    Cinder practically flew to the medical wing of Atlas Academy when Ozpin told her that Djarin was there. She didn't wait to hear what had happened to him, just that he was being treated for wounds. She didn't even bother to ask if his mission was a success like hers was.

    But when she slammed a door in the medical wing open, Cinder knew the answer to that question.

    "Oh, my Gods."

    "..."

    Cinder was greeted by the sight of multiple hospital beds filled with friends and acquaintances from Mantle. Each one of them were covered in bloody bandaging, multiple bruises, and numerous wounds that would have proved fatal on any ordinary citizen.

    Qrow had a bandage around his head while his torso had been riddled with scars and bruising. Both of his legs were on ice, but nothing appeared to be broken.

    The Happy Huntresses were the ones who were quite the worse for wear. Fiona's left arm was completely covered in bandages, and her leg was in a cast. Also, it looked like one of her ears had been clipped or cut by something.

    May was no longer wearing her usual attire, but her torso was completely covered in casting. It almost looked like most of, if not all her ribs had been broken. Her face had also been injured, but the damage to her ribs was quite extensive.

    Joanna had both of her arms in casts and bandages covering the entire left side of her face. She didn't seem to care about her own injuries, however, since her attention was on an empty bed next to her. It had been previously used, but its occupant was currently missing.

    Cinder noticed that the bed was empty as well, but she was more concerned about another bed that was currently occupied.

    "Dad?" Cinder said when she saw a familiar helmet on one patient's head. "No! Dad!"

    Djarin's bed had two medics close to it, who were carefully examining the Mandalorian's body. Like the others, he had a series of injuries that his Aura couldn't heal. Djarin's Aura had been strengthened from Cinder's lessons in opening chakras, but it was useless now. All he had to help him was the field of medicine.

    The medics were almost done with Djarin, but they didn't want their work interrupted by a horrified teenager who was rushing to the man's side.

    "Wait, you can't be in here!" a brunette woman said as she stood in Cinder's path. Her partner also stood in Cinder's way, but the young girl was persistent.

    "No, no, that's my dad!" Cinder insisted. "Please, let me see him!"

    *COUGH*

    *COUGH*    ​

    Two coughs escaped the Mandalorian's throat before he spoke. "It's... okay," he choked out before he lifted his hand, beckoning for his child to join him. The medics heard and saw this, and acquiesced to Djarin's request. As soon as they moved out of the way, Cinder rushed to her father's side and grabbed his hand.

    "Dad, are you okay?" the Maiden asked as she moved close to her father. "What happened?"

    Djarin had to resist the urge to cough once more, which led him to answering Cinder's question. "We... underestimated... him."

    Earlier​

    "Well... this should be interesting."

    That was what Merri said when she found herself in the company of two Mandalorians, a Huntsman, and four Huntresses. Not only was she surprised that she and her sister Fauna had been discovered in their base, but also that Robyn Hill was here.

    Just moments ago, she and Fauna were talking about killing Mantle's Hometown Hero. And now, they had the chance to do it.

    "That's one way to put it, Blondie," said Robyn, who was pointing her weapon right at Merri. She may had been discovered, but she wasn't going down without a fight. "But I think things have been a little too interesting. So why don't you and your sister drop whatever weapons you have and surrender?"

    "Oh, you want us?" Fauna asked. "You'll have to get through     him first." Fauna pointed to the large man in armor behind her, who was staring intently at the group of four before him.

    Mainly, at the people in Mandalorian armor.

    "Sic 'em."

    *THOOM*

    *THOOM*

    *THOOM*    ​

    Durge rushed at the warriors with heavy steps and prepared for a fight. Qrow and Robyn ducked out of the way just in time while Boba took to the air with his jetpack. Djarin, on the other hand, used his Semblance to teleport out of the man's path, causing him to run into a wall.

    *CRASH*​

    Rather than groan in pain or take time to recover, Durge turned around and prepared to charge again. He did this just in time to see that Djarin had teleported behind him, where he was ready to strike with his staff again.

    But Durge simply caught the staff and pulled Djarin closer to him. Djarin didn't have enough time to use his Semblance, so Durge was able to land a heavy blow to the Mandalorian's chest.

    *BAM*​

    Djarin fell to the ground, which led to Durge kicking the Mandalorian and then pressing his foot on his head. Djarin's helmet and Aura protected him, but the pressure was intensifying very greatly.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Boba fired multiple blasts from his rifle at Durge, which only succeeded in getting the assassin's attention. Rather than move his foot off Djarin's head or charge again, Durge did something... unexpected.

    Durge extended his arm in a fist and threw it in Boba's direction, despite the fact that the two were at a considerable distance. However, Durge's entire arm extended with the punch, at a length that was physically impossible.

    And it collided right into Boba.

    *BAM*​

    "Ugh!" Boba groaned as he felt the fist. His back flew against the wall and caused his jetpack to break, but Boba was more concerned with the fact that Durge's fist was still on his chest.

    His entire arm had grown just to throw that punch.

    *SWISH*​

    Qrow had swung Harbinger hard enough not to cut Durge's arm, but break the grasp it had on Boba. Now, the mercenary got off Djarin and began shooting at the Huntsman.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Qrow was able to dodge each of the blasts with Boba while Djarin finally got to his feet. And together, the three warriors took their fight to Durge.

    While the assassin was preoccupied, Robyn helped each of her fellow Huntresses stand back up. Once they were all on their feet, they each pointed their weapons at the Blairs.

    "Alright, ladies!" Robyn said as she readied her crossbow. "Let 'em have it!"

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    Multiple arrows were released from the weapons of the Happy Huntresses, and they all flew towards the Blairs. Robyn had justified this action by giving the girls the chance to surrender, but now she understood that her enemies had chosen the hard way.

    But there was just one problem with that course of action: all of the metal arrows had flown through the bodies of the girls, leaving them completely unharmed.

    When the Huntresses stopped shooting, Fauna picked up one of the projectiles and laughed. "Are you done?" she asked with a sadistic grin.

    Robyn and her friends looked at their weapons in confusion, wondering if they had somehow done something wrong. They couldn't make sense of why their weapons had failed, which gave Merri an opportunity to give her sister an order.

    "Alright, Fauna," she said in a mocking tone. "Let 'em have it."

    Qrow was still busy handling Durge, but being pushed back allowed him to see what the Blairs were doing. Once he saw multiple insects crawling off their backs, Qrow yelled as loud as he could to the Happy Huntresses. "Look out for the Botflies!" he said.

    Unfortunately, none of the Huntresses knew what Qrow meant.

    "Bot-what?" Joanna asked.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Before anyone had time to react, Merri and Fauna completely transformed into a large swarm of Botflies. And they formed a great circle around the Happy Huntresses, one that prevented any kind of escape.

    As the flies came closer and closer to the shocked Huntresses, they began to bite and tear at their flesh. They all tried to move the flies away by swinging their weapons, but the Grimm continued to bite at Robyn and her friends. They even took partial form to swing their sickles at them, which led to deep cuts and gashes forming. May even had a sickle in her side, which moved violently against her ribs.

    When Boba saw what was happening, he could hardly believe his eyes. He had been momentarily diverted from the fight when Durge struck him with unimaginable strength, but Boba could only focus on the fact that his friends were in trouble.

    "Robyn!" Boba called out as he readied his rifle. He planned on shooting the storm of insects, but Boba suddenly realized that he might hit Robyn and the other Huntresses. So, despite the fact that they were fighting Durge, Boba called back to his allies. "How do we stop those things?!"

    Djarin and Qrow had managed to block Durge's arms with their staff and sword, which allowed them to turn and see the storm of Botflies behind them. "Go!" Qrow said to the Mandalorian. "I'll cover you!"

    Djarin teleported away from Durge and next to Boba. "Use your flamethrower!" he said as he pointed his arm to the Grimm. "They hate fire!"

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    The cyclone of Botflies immediately felt the heat, which caused them all to shriek and howl in pain. As the Grimm began to die and back away from the fire, they could see that the Happy Huntresses were badly hurt. They had tried to use their Auras and Semblances to fend off the flies, but they still managed to gravely wound them.

    Djarin and Boba didn't have much time to process this, however. After Durge took Qrow out of the fight by grabbing his legs and throwing him against multiple walls, Durge moved to put out the fire by breaking a pipe and letting water flow through the area.

    *BAM*

    *FWOOSH*    ​

    The high pressure of the water caused both Boba and Djarin to be pushed back and flow with the current. Given that Durge destroyed a rather large pipe, the current was strong enough to move both of the warriors.

    Except for Boba, who had been caught by Durge and given a whole new experience of pain.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *CRACK*

    *BAM*

    *CRUNCH*    ​

    Whether it was out of instinct or his orders, Durge unleashed his rage and fury upon the man in Mandalorian armor. Fists, feet, and a chain around Boba's neck did nothing but make the man focus on the pain as he tried to fend off Durge. But all of his armor's weapons were useless against the assassin. Dark blood managed to seep out of spots in the armor, but Durge appeared unconcerned with this.

    His only real concern was making Boba suffer.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    After receiving more ferocious strikes, some of which that caused the Beskar armor to break, Boba fell limply to the ground in defeat. Satisfied, Durge moved to Djarin with a growl and connected his foot to the Mandalorian's neck. Boba's defeat was very fast, but Durge would make sure Djarin would die more slowly.

    Djarin was on his last reserve of Aura, which was the only thing protecting his neck from being snapped like a twig. He could see that nobody in the sewer would be coming to his aid, that they had lost the fight. The Botflies were nowhere to be seen, but Durge was alive and well.

    And he wasn't going to let Djarin get up.

    Fortunately, despite the pain and desperation, the Mandalorian remembered that he wasn't exactly alone. Before he and his allies ventured into the sewers, Obi-Wan and Revan had promised to wait above the sewer nexus in case they needed help. And so, Djarin raised his hand to his helmet and turned on his radio.

    "Back... Backup..." the Mandalorian choked out. "Back... up."

    "..."

    The boot on his neck only increased pressure after Djarin finished talking, which served as the only answer he got for his cry for help. Whether or not his friends heard him was unclear, but all Djarin knew was that Durge and the Blairs had bested him and everyone else.

    But this victory didn't last long.

    *CRASH*​

    Durge looked up to see that the ceiling of the sewers had been demolished to form a large hole that was big enough for a person to fit through. He then saw two robed figures jump through the hole and land on the ground.

    One of them was Revan, who used the Force to push Durge off of Djarin and prevent the Mandalorian's death. And the other was Obi-Wan, who lunged at the assassin with his lightsaber and stuck it in his chest.

    "..."

    "..."

    Not a word was spoken as the duo remained perfectly still. Obi-Wan knew that he had struck a vital part of the human body, and that Durge did not use his Aura to block the strike. At any moment, Obi-Wan expected to hear the man's body fall limply to the ground.

    But what he heard next was something completely different.

    "Hmm... ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

    The Jedi looked up to see that his foe wasn't dead at all. Instead, he was mocking the attack as well as the man who commenced the attack.

    How could he still be alive?

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    Durge didn't let Obi-Wan try to attempt that question; instead, he threw multiple punches at the man and his friend. Both Revan and Obi-Wan were knocked back by the attack, and both of them fell to the ground and began to catch their breaths.

    But Durge wasn't going to allow that. Instead, he raised his right fist and let multiple bullets escape his gauntlet.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Obi-Wan saw the bullets just in time and used the Force to protect himself. Instead of the bullets hitting him or Revan, the projectiles flew until they hit the walls.

    Durge paid no attention to this failure and settled on using a flamethrower he had in his armor. The Blairs were gone, so there was no danger in using fire as a weapon.

    *WHOOSH*​

    This time, it was Revan who caught the projectile with the Force. And when he had the chance, Revan closed his fist to crush the weapon.

    *CRUNCH*​

    With two failed weapons, Durge resorted to using his chain and mace to kill the Jedi. He swung it in the air towards the duo, but Obi-Wan simply retrieved his lightsaber from the man's chest and cut the chain.

    *SWISH*​

    Durge quickly pulled out his two blasters, but a purple blade cut the weapons in two.

    *SWISH*

    *SWISH*    ​

    Now armed with his own lightsaber, Revan turned to Obi-Wan and nodded. When Obi-Wan nodded back, the duo rushed towards Durge with the intent to finish him off once and for all.

    Now desperate to fend off the Jedi, Durge activated two Hard-Light shields on his arms and blocked every strike Obi-Wan and Revan sent his way. He was forced to walk backwards as he found himself on the defensive, hoping that his enemies would somehow make a mistake and allow him to regain the upper hand.

    Unfortunately for him, Durge found his right arm and torso at the receiving ends of a blue blade.

    *SWISH*

    *SWISH*    ​

    Durge fell limply to the ground without an arm or legs. Once he did, the Jedi immediately understood why Durge had not activated his Aura.

    Simply put... he couldn't.

    Black blood that almost looked like tar and black flesh were all that remained within the armor. All this time, it had been acting as a shell for a Grimm. And like the Blairs, this kind of Grimm had traces of humanity within it.

    Whether he liked it or not, Durge had been one of Salem's experiments with Grimm.

    After spending enough time looking at what remained of the assassin, Obi-Wan and Revan looked around the sewers for the Blairs. However, they were the only ones in the sewer nexus.

    "They're gone," said Obi-Wan. "They must have fled while we handled Durge."

    "Then let us pursue them!" Revan insisted as he readied his lightsaber. "They can't have gone far!"

    "No. They need our help." Obi-Wan pointed to everyone who was injured. "We have to get them out of here. I need your help to do so."

    "..."

    Revan knew letting the Blairs get away would be dangerous, but chances were they would be less dangerous without Durge. And so, Revan and Obi-Wan used the Force to lift everyone carefully up to the hole where they came from. Once everyone was on the surface, the Jedi joined them and called for help.

    All while failing to notice Durge's arm moving slowly towards his torso; almost as if it had a mind of its own.

    Present ​

    Djarin couldn't explain everything that happened to him, given his current state. But he was able to say enough for Cinder to understand. After he coughed once more, Cinder decided to stop him from talking anymore and straining himself.

    "Just hang tight, Dad," she said as she rubbed the helmet Djarin was wearing. Cinder then turned to the medics, who were standing over her and Djarin. "How is he?"

    "He didn't break anything," the first medic reported. "That armor of his took most of the damage."

    "But he has some bruises and bad sprains," the second medic reported. "Mainly on his neck and chest. That's why he's coughing so much."

    "He's been denying it, but we think he might have a concussion too. We would look for ourselves, but he told us not to move the helmet."

    Cinder understood the situation perfectly; this wasn't the first time Djarin refused to remove his helmet, and she knew it wouldn't be the last. To this day, Cinder was the only person who had the honor of seeing her father without his helmet. And today wasn't going to be much different.

    "I can look for you," Cinder said as she moved to the left. Right against the wall, there was a curtain she could pull to block everyone's view of the person on the bed. Each bed had one if the patient needed privacy, so Cinder pulled on it so her father would be left alone.

    The medics were confused by this action, but a nod from Ironwood allowed them to look over the other patients they had.

    When Cinder gently removed her father's helmet, she sadly looked upon a bloodied and bruised face. Nevertheless, Cinder used her Maiden powers to cool her hands and stop the swelling on Djarin's face.

    "Is it too cold?" Cinder calmly asked.

    "No," Djarin denied. "That feels... better."

    Cinder turned to a table next to Djarin's bed and saw rubbing alcohol next to a rag. She used both to clean the blood of Djarin's face, after she cooled down the bruises.

    "I'm sorry, Dad," Cinder apologized as she rubbed the rag against the blood.

    "It's... It's okay," the Mandalorian replied. "A few stings... never killed anybody." The alcohol made Djarin wince in mild pain, but he didn't fight Cinder's attempts to help him.

    "I mean about Mantle," Cinder corrected him. "I should have been there with you. If I hadn't gone to Essen, I would have-"

    "You would have been... on a bed... right next to me," Djarin cut off. "Fett was right. Durge... hated Mandalorians. He didn't... hold back at all."

    This was true; compared to the Happy Huntresses and Qrow, Djarin and Boba got the worst attacks from Durge. And given his... abilities, the mercenary was even stronger than the stories said.

    Cinder still felt guilty for not being there for her father, but she understood what he meant. And so, rather than dwell on the past, Cinder continued to clean Djarin's face while tending to the bruises.

    "So... he's dead, then?" she asked.

    "He's dead," Djarin replied. "I heard... that Obi-Wan... cut him up."

    Cinder accepted the explanation, but was confused as to why she didn't see Obi-Wan or Revan in the infirmary. "Where are they?"

    "They're not hurt... like us. Just needed... patching up."

    "And Robyn?"

    "With Fett... at the intensive care."

    "..."

    Robyn Hill was currently suffering from a broken hand, stab-wounds on her torso, and multiple bites on her face that were covered in bandages. Her face hurt the most of all, given that there were strands of flesh torn off it that the bandages and gauze were now covering.

    However, she wasn't the one who needed intensive care.

    Boba had been unconscious ever since his departure from the sewer. Like Djarin, Durge unleashed all his fury out on the man wearing Mandalorian armor. And this fury was enough to place Boba in critical condition. Robyn didn't remember everything, but she knew that her best friend was close to dying.

    And now, despite her best efforts, she couldn't see him.

    Robyn was outside the main operating room, right next to a window. She had to use a wheelchair to get to the room, where she saw the doctors remove Boba's dented and bloodied armor.

    But after a doctor closed the curtains in the room, Robyn couldn't see anything.

    Between the fight in the sewers, the nature of her enemies, and the current status of herself and her friends, Robyn felt utterly defeated. Her spirits and confidence had been risen after a meaningful discussion with Boba, but now defeat had come for Robyn once more.

    This time, however, Robyn felt angry instead of depressed. And this time, her feelings were directed at others instead of herself.

    Robyn was angry that she had been tricked once again by the Blairs. She didn't remember much of the fight's aftermath, but Robyn knew that she had seen the Blairs' bodies turn into flies. And she knew those flies ate at the flesh on her face and the flesh of her friends. It was impossible to deny, just like how Durge had other-worldly abilities.

    However, there was something that Djarin and Qrow had said while they were in the sewers. Something about the Blairs not liking fire, and that the flies were known as "Botflies." Robyn was well aware that they were trying to help, but this would have been useful information to know prior to a fight.

    There was more than meets the eye to the Blairs, and Robyn had been kept in the dark.

    Despite everything that happened prior to the mission, Robyn knew that Ironwood had been keeping secrets from her. From all of Mantle. Robyn had tried to uncover those secrets, but her misplaced blame on Ironwood for the string of murders pushed this objective aside. Robyn was willing to look at Ironwood in a different light now, but now she understood that Ironwood had prior knowledge about the nature of the Blairs.

    If Robyn and her friends knew about that earlier, they could have proceeded with more caution. In fact, they could have avoided being hurt like they all currently were. But because of these numerous secrets, they couldn't avoid anything.

    All in all, Robyn learned a few things about her experience. She learned that Ironwood was willing to protect the Kingdom of Atlas, through and through. But he also believed keeping secrets from the people working with him was necessary to do this.

    But Robyn disagreed. If she was going to help protect the Kingdom, specifically Mantle, Robyn would have to learn everything Ironwood was hiding.

    "Ms. Hill."

    Robyn turned her wheelchair to see two robed men walking towards her. One was a man with brown hair and a brown beard, who was wearing a brown robe over a tan tunic. The other man had his face completely covered by a mask, who was completely wearing black.

    Their presence was unexpected, but not unfamiliar to Robyn.

    "Oh," she said as she turned her wheelchair. "It's you. From the sewers." Robyn recalled seeing the Jedi at Gideon's cell, but she hadn't talked to them before until now.

    "Yes," said Obi-Wan, who gestured to his partner. "This is Revan. I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi."

    "Kenobi? Aren't you Haven's Headmaster?"

    "I was. I abdicated the position in order to come here."

    Robyn immediately understood what that meant. "So you're working for Ironwood, then."

    Obi-Wan sensed Robyn's bitter attitude, so he continued to remain civil. "We've elected to help him, yes. That's why we were waiting above the sewers, until we got your call for help."

    Robyn began to calm down when she remembered how the duo helped her. "Right. Thanks for the backup."

    Revan took over for Obi-Wan as his friend nodded, accepting the gratitude. "We wished to see how you and our other friends are recuperating," he said. "Though I sense you're not worried about yourself at the moment."

    Robyn looked back at the window, which was still closed. "Yeah?" she asked. "What gave that away?"

    Obi-Wan sensed the same thing as Revan, and knew just how upset Robyn was. "Nobody is to blame for this, Ms. Hill," he said. "Not even I expected Durge to be so... resilient."

    Robyn didn't expect this as well, along with what she saw with the Blairs. "What about those girls? Were you expecting that?"

    "..."

    Robyn turned to Revan next. "And you?"

    "..."

    Obi-Wan had been told about the true nature of the Blairs, he couldn't deny that. Revan had also been told, so he knew about the hybrids. However, neither Jedi could deny that they hadn't revealed this truth to anyone outside their circle.

    And Robyn was still angry about that.

    "So that's it," she said while turning her chair. "Keep us all in the dark while we're fighting your battles. Yeah, great plan."

    "..."

    If Ozpin were here, he would have been affected by that statement just as much as Obi-Wan and Revan did. They understood the consequences and failures of keeping a secret like this, as well as a secret like Salem's existence.

    Neither of the Jedi could divulge these secrets yet, but they could at least try and make peace with Robyn.

    "Ms. Hill, we're not trying to be cruel," said Obi-Wan. "Or say that we distrust you."

    "But the truth is... complicated," said Revan. "Not even we understand everything about it." He had no idea that Salem had created a monster like Durge, so this claim was true.

    Unfortunately, this didn't help Robyn. Despite the fact that Ironwood wasn't responsible for the deaths of innocent people, the lack of warning and information had reignited Robyn's criticisms of the General.

    "Is that what you really think?" Robyn asked. "Or did General Ironwood just tell you that? Are you all just letting him think for you?"

    "James isn't involved with that," Obi-Wan insisted.

    "But he's still involved with everything else! I don't know who or what those things were in Mantle, but they're after him too! Just like they'll be after me! If he really wants to win, he wouldn't be hiding things!" Robyn reached to her face and tore off her bandages, displaying multiple stitches and scarring. "Or this happens!"

    "..."

    Robyn's wounds would heal with time, given the work the medics put in, but her message was clear. She knew, without a doubt, that more information about her enemy could have prevented all this.

    Even worse, Obi-Wan and Revan couldn't disagree with her.

    "You tell him that," Robyn said as she began to roll away in her wheelchair. "I don't care what he does with me anymore. But you tell him that."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan wanted to talk more with Robyn, to let her know that he sympathized with her. But Revan stopped him, seeing that much damage had already been done.

    There was no sense in causing some more.

    "Let her go," he said to Obi-Wan. "She needs to heal."

    "You're right..." Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "We can't expedite that healing."

    "Not with talk, no." Revan began to walk down the halls with Obi-Wan. "It seems we must be silent. Robyn and her friends will tell us what she needs if we simply listen."

    Obi-Wan stopped walking when he turned around, towards the closed window. "Perhaps she already told us." Obi-Wan pointed towards the operating room. "If Fett is healed with Atlesian help, Robyn may be willing to talk again."

    "Or we could help with that."

    Obi-Wan turned back to Revan. "Meaning?"

    "I had a lot of time on my hands prior to our reunion. Some of that time was spent practicing abilities that could prove essential."

    "Such as?"

    "...Force Healing."

    Obi-Wan couldn't help but flinch at Revan's words. He was familiar with the concept of Force Healing, but only the concept. According to the archives of the Jedi, Force Healing was an ability that could be used for medical treatment. Wounds from small cuts to large holes in the body could supposedly be healed with the Force, working much faster and more efficient than Aura could work. It could even be used to clear the mind of an individual, as well as poison.

    And while Aura had limits, the Force did not.

    It was true that Force Healing was one of the greatest abilities, but it was also one of the most dangerous. For while a recipient of the miracle could be healed, it would usually come at the cost of the user's own essence. Only the most skilled and experienced Jedi were known to survive the use of the ability, but it wasn't very common.

    Whoever used Force Healing was always putting their life on the line.

    Revan was aware that Obi-Wan knew of the concept, as well as its drawbacks. Rather than wait for him to ask why he would risk his life like that, Revan answered Obi-Wan's question right away.

    "I practiced it for the boy," he explained. "The one who was left in my care. If anything happened to him, I needed to be prepared."

    "..."

    At that moment, Obi-Wan needed no explanation. He didn't need to talk about anything else to justify Revan's actions. The boy Revan was referring to was of upmost importance, someone that mattered more than the two of them combined.

    Which was why both Jedi hated the fact that he was alone now. And which was why they were determined to finish this fight once and for all, in the name of protecting that child.

    As day began to turn to night, and as everyone recovered from the two missions, Ironwood took a step back to reflect on everything.

    On the bright side, the virus had been safely delivered to Atlas' elite team of scientists. And just as Gideon had predicted, the team was confident that they could use the notes and previous experiments to get a working strain in just a few more days. In the meantime, construction on Amity would proceed as planned.

    That was the only good news for Ironwood. Because he had declared the mission in Mantle a complete failure.

    He was well aware that Durge was declared dead, but the Blairs had managed to escape and disappear. None of Ironwood's soldiers had spotted any sign of them, so they were still a threat.

    In his mind, Ironwood believed the situation could have been handled better. In his mind, Huntsmen and Huntresses were ill equipped to handle this threat. Given the success of SCAR Squadron, Ironwood believed they could have eliminated Durge while capturing the Blairs as well. The success and failure were enough for Ironwood to believe a stronger emphasis on his military and the power they held was necessary for the Kingdom to survive. And he was willing to do whatever was necessary to make the military stronger and produce the results he needed.

    However, there was one problem to this plan: the Council.

    After the virus had been safely delivered to the scientists, General Ironwood received a letter addressed to him. When he opened it, he saw that it was from Willow Schnee. She was requesting his presence at her house, where she would be meeting with the Atlas Council.

    In the days since his election, Bail Organa had been a very busy man. Besides his grander ambitions, Councilman Organa was working with his fellow Council-members to undo the damage the military had done to society. They heard about the problems Willow described with the military having a constant presence in businesses and private work, so Bail was working to remove the soldiers from these places.

    Ironwood had been so busy with Amity and capturing Durge that he didn't have enough time to fight these decisions. Otherwise, he would have fought them tooth and nail. However, without the official declaration of martial law, Ironwood had been outvoted and forced to allow a lighter leash on military presence in the city of Atlas. He was, however, able to keep a closed lid on Amity while declaring the military presence in Mantle as an ongoing investigation of the murders in the warehouse.

    But the stalling had finally come to an end.

    The invitation Ironwood received was more of a demand. He was to meet with the Council-members, as well as Willow, to defend his seat on the Council. If he failed, he would not only be removed, but the borders would be reopened and the truth about Amity would be revealed prematurely.

    This was to be Bail Organa's first official act as Councilman. And Ironwood had to attend.

    Fortunately, Ironwood wouldn't be going alone. The invitation had been extended to Ozpin, Djarin and Cinder. Along with them, multiple witnesses would be joining Ironwood to back up his story.

    Winter was among them, who was just as unhappy as Ironwood.

    "Mother... what are you doing?"

    Winter was with Cinder, who had also received word of Ironwood's invitation to the Schnee mansion. She had good memories there, mainly playing with Winter and getting to know her family.

    But this dinner, however, probably wasn't going to be a good memory. Nevertheless, Cinder tried to be optimistic.

    "On the news, she said she just wanted to break bread and hash things out," she said. "Maybe it won't be so bad?"

    "..."

    Cinder turned to Professor Ozpin, who was also with Cinder and Winter. "You said the General should start opening up to these people, right?"

    "I did," said Ozpin. "But James will be locked in a room at his rival's own dinner party. That's not exactly the situation I would expect James to be open to. And while Willow says she can moderate-"

    "All that really means is she'll be the one controlling the conversation," Winter finished. "As if she wasn't causing us enough trouble already."

    "..."

    Cinder and Ozpin shared Winter's sentiments that General Ironwood wasn't going to like the meeting, but they didn't share an opinion on Willow. Ever since the mine, Cinder and Ozpin believed that Willow had a right to be upset. And she wasn't trying to cause any harm to the Kingdom through her efforts, she was simply doing what she thought was right. One of those things was simply helping a progressive Councilman be elected, but Winter didn't think so.

    Cinder had talked about Willow to Winter before, but Winter didn't say too much. Winter had stated that her place was at Atlas Academy, but Willow didn't agree. And it was this disagreement that was driving a wedge between the two.

    Cinder would normally advise Winter to open up to her mother more or maybe talk to her before this dinner party, but a part of her was telling her that her idea wouldn't be a good one. Besides, it was a family matter between the two; something that Cinder didn't have a right to be involved in.

    So, she turned to Ozpin for a new plan.

    "Did you say that you'll be with the Council that night?" she asked. "With General Ironwood?"

    "I will," said Ozpin. "I've had plenty of experience with the Vale Council before. I believe I may be able to ease their minds without revealing too much." Ozpin had to do this numerous times with keeping Salem's existence a secret, which was something he wasn't proud of. Nevertheless, if Ironwood still planned to keep Amity a secret, Ozpin had little choice but to follow this lead.

    "Any chance you might be able to defuse the situation?" Cinder asked.

    "I'll do my best," Ozpin promised. "I'll do whatever I can to make James more comfortable to opening up to everyone." Ozpin suddenly had an idea. "James said he would be letting some of his soldiers serve as witnesses. Perhaps you can join them, along with your father. The more people we have on our side, the greater our chances."

    Cinder found the argument to be quite logical, and she suddenly saw an opportunity before her. "Sure, I can go in with you," she said. "Dad's feeling a little better, I'll see if he's up for coming." Cinder turned to Winter. "What about you, Winter?"

    "I'll be coming too," said Winter. "I don't suppose I have much of a choice. I have to defend the General. And watch Penny, of course."

    "Penny's coming too?"

    "General Ironwood needs her help to assure the Council of her innocence. He thinks her presence, as well as the doctored footage, will do that."

    Cinder agreed with Winter's sentiment; maybe it was time for Penny to be around people again. After all, Penny once confessed to Cinder that she sometimes felt trapped in Atlas. She deserved a chance to be free again, and Cinder was willing to help make this happen.

    After talking with Winter, Cinder and Ozpin went back to the medical ward to talk to their injured allies. Qrow was willing to go when he was back on his feet, and so was Djarin. Their Auras were working to pick up where the medics left off with healing their bodies, and they had enough time before the night of the dinner party.

    Djarin believed serving as a witness would help Ironwood's case, as did Qrow. The Mandalorian was a little unsure as to why Cinder wanted to join them at the table as well, but Cinder explained this quickly.

    "Remember when we met the Mistral Council after the war ended?" Cinder asked her father. "I was completely unprepared for that conversation, and I didn't get a chance to say everything I wanted." Cinder smiled as she made her final point. "Maybe meeting the Atlas Council could be a second chance. Maybe I can earn their trust as the new Mand'alor."

    "..."

    The idea was very easy to follow. Djarin indeed recalled the conversation he and Cinder had with the Mistral Council. There were numerous questions that day, and Cinder couldn't exactly answer all of them. The situation was rather uncomfortable, but Cinder did the best she could. However, she was somewhat disappointed that Obi-Wan had to take over and do the rest himself. So it was easy for Cinder to believe that this meeting could be a second chance; to help both Ironwood and the Mandalorians.

    And there was one more thing she could do to prove herself.

    "There's actually something I want to show them," she said as she reached for her belt. "Something I want to show you too."

    Djarin was able to move a little easier since the fight in the sewers, so he was able to shift in order to get a look at the object in Cinder's hand. It was a small piece of metal, one that Cinder had retrieved from Pietro's lab. She had just been there to check in on Penny, something she hadn't done in a while.

    But also to pick up an object Cinder asked Pietro to make after he made the upgrades to her armor.

    "What's that?" Djarin asked as he looked at the object.

    "It's a brand," Cinder replied. "Dr. Polendina made it with something his team was working on before Amity. He called it a '3-D printer.'"

    Djarin carefully examined the small material in Cinder's hand, as did Qrow and Ozpin. Qrow had agreed to go to the meeting as soon as he was feeling better, but now he was curious about what Cinder was holding.

    "A brand?" Djarin asked. "What does it brand?"

    "This," Cinder said as she moved the material.

    "..."

    On the other side of the piece, which was previously hidden by Cinder's palm, was a symbol Djarin and his friends had seen before. It was a small image of the memorial Obi-Wan had gifted to Mistral prior to his departure; it was the symbol of a rising phoenix, or as Cinder put it, a starbird.

    And it was also the sign of a promise.

    "That Cordovin lady at Argus pointed out what I said at Haven," Cinder continued. "That I made a promise about the Mandalorians being fighters for peace. And this..."

    *SSSSS*​

    The symbol on the brand began to glow orange, courtesy of Cinder's Semblance. Unlocking her chakras had helped strengthen Cinder's Aura, so she was able to heat up the material faster than she could previously use her Semblance. The material didn't melt in the face of the heat, but the symbol of the starbird burned bright enough to capture everyone's attention.

    "This is what I promised the world," Cinder stated. "Starting with me."

    Moving her hand, careful not to drop the brand or burn herself, Cinder lifted the metal to her shoulder, which was covered by one of her pauldrons. Cinder didn't bring her entire suit of armor to the medical wing, but instead wore a single pauldron on her should like she used to as a child. Back then, she wore the pauldron that had the Rinocer symbol on it. Now, she had her other pauldron, which was about to be marked by something else.

    *SSSSS*​

    After a few seconds, Cinder removed the piece of metal and showed her pauldron to her friends. They could see that the image of a starbird had been burned onto the metal, for everyone to see. The design wasn't as perfect or detailed as the Rinocer, given that the Armorer carved around the metal to create the image, but the marking was still there.

    Just as Cinder promised, a symbol of hope and peace proudly being displayed on her armor. And soon, she hoped, that symbol would be worn by every Mandalorian that came across her path.

    "So... what do you think?" Cinder asked as she showed the symbol to everyone.

    Qrow and Ozpin liked what they saw, and found it rather appropriate. Not just because of Cinder's promise, but also because of the way she made the symbol. Cinder was always one to embrace and utilize fire as a Maiden, so seeing a scorched symbol on her armor seemed very appropriate.

    Djarin agreed, and he had one more sentiment he had to share.

    "I think I'm next," he said as he moved his bare pauldron to Cinder.

    After what felt like an eternity for General Ironwood, the night of Willow's dinner party had arrived.

    The Schnee manor was the center of attention tonight, with dozens of socialites and cameras flooding the area. Tonight wasn't just the meeting of the Council, but it was also a party meant to celebrate the election of Bail Organa. He didn't have much of a party to begin with, given that he got straight to work with addressing the problems of Atlas. That was how he and the Council came together tonight, to discuss what they perceived to be the biggest problem of all.

    General Ironwood and his current policies.

    The General and all of his allies, from Atlas and abroad alike, had arrived at the Schnee manor in limousines that utilized Gravity Dust instead of wheels. Ironwood and Winter had rode together with Penny, and they exited the car to see numerous people and numerous cameras.

    "Suppose we should smile for the cameras?" Ironwood asked as he stared at the mansion.

    "Sir, with all due respect, you'd have to pay me," Winter replied after she joined his side. The General smirked at the comment, given that he agreed with Winter's sentiments, before he moved to the door.

    Clover and the rest of his men came in their armor while Ozpin, Qrow, Obi-Wan, and Revan remained in their current attire. Djarin was considering using his Magic disguise to blend in with everyone else, but he dropped the idea when Cinder showed him what she would be wearing.

    Given her status as Mand'alor and desire to have a better meeting with a Kingdom's Council, Cinder decided it best to wear her Mandalorian armor to display her heritage and status. When asked about it, Cinder planned to share what she and her father shared with the Mistral Council before they left Anima.

    Cinder decided against wearing her helmet, though. Instead, she carried it at her side as she walked to the front door with everyone else. Ironwood rang the doorbell, which led to the front door opening and revealing a small man with blue eyes and a smile on his face.

    "Good evening, everyone," said Klein, the butler of the house. He had been in the service of the Schnee family for many years, looking after the house and attending to the children when Willow Schnee was temporarily preoccupied. This was how the man recognized Winter Schnee, and how his smile grew even wider. "Ah, Ms. Schnee! Welcome home, my dear."

    Winter didn't take too kindly to being back at the manor, but it was rather good to see Klein once again. "Hello, Klein," she replied politely. "It's good to see you too."

    Klein chuckled before he looked at the number of guests General Ironwood had brought. "General, will... all of you be joining Mrs. Schnee in the dining room?"

    "Not all of us," Ironwood confirmed, even though he was sure the large dining room table could fit everyone he brought. "Most of my guests will be on standby in case the council requests additional eye witnesses. Until then I'm sure they'll be happily celebrating Bail Organa's victory."

    "Very good. The dining room isn't quite ready yet, but Mrs. Schnee will let us know when it is." Klein stepped aside to let everyone inside. "Until then, please enjoy yourselves."

    Everyone stepped inside to see a lavish party of socialites in the main hall. People were wining and dining from left to right, enjoying the company and music coming from a piano to the right.

    Everyone soon began to separate from the group. After refusing a glass of wine from a waiter, Qrow announced that he would be patrolling the perimeter. Revan and SCAR Squadron joined him as they felt out of place among the socialites. Djarin also felt out of place, until he was greeted by Willow Schnee herself. Out of everyone she had invited, Willow was glad to see Djarin the most.

    This was because she never apologized to the Mandalorian about her behavior at her Dust mine.

    Djarin had been told that Willow was remorseful by Cinder, so it was easy for him to forgive the incident. He too was glad to see Willow, and decided to talk to her privately for a moment. After finding a less crowded space, Willow and Djarin spoke about the Dust they smuggled from Atlas together. Djarin explained that he had to drop some of it, but he and Lando escaped without any more trouble. And Willow explained that she was able to work things out on her end to keep work at her mines going.

    Though the loss of her latest mine was a hinderance she sought to resolve. Nevertheless, Willow thanked Djarin for his risky work and the two friends discussed what the meeting with the Council would be like.

    Cinder decided to seek some privacy herself, away from Ironwood, Ozpin, and Obi-Wan. Between the suits and dresses everyone was wearing, Cinder was starting to feel out of place and doubtful of her choice of attire. She could feel eyes staring at her and catching glimpses at her armor, which made her a little uncomfortable. So Cinder moved to a more secluded area and took a glass of water to relax.

    As she drank the cool liquid, Cinder prepared what she would say, if anything, to the Council when she would meet them. She expected the need to assert her peaceful intentions with Atlas as a new ruler, and her promise to spread her peaceful ways across all Mandalorians. She was confident that the new brand on her armor would help, but the skeptical glares she got from people made her a little nervous.

    But an unexpected encounter soon boosted Cinder's confidence.

    "Hi."

    Cinder turned around when she heard a small voice call out to her. There wasn't anybody else with her, so she was sure the voice was talking to her. Cinder discovered that she was right when she laid her eyes upon a little girl no older than ten, one with tied brown hair and a purple tunic over a long sleeved shirt.

    The last thing Cinder expected to see at this party was a little girl, but she responded as best as she could. "Um... hello," she said.

    The girl didn't pay attention to Cinder's confusion, since her attention was captured by something else. "I like your suit," she said as she pointed to Cinder's armor. "It has pretty colors."

    Cinder looked to her armor and smiled at the compliment. The last thing she expected to hear was "pretty," but she was glad the armor didn't scare her. "Thank you," she said. "You're not scared of it?"

    "No, I think those are a little scary," the girl said as she pointed to a large staircase. There were two statues of a knight's armor with a sword in their hands, which did give off an intimidating factor. Cinder had the same idea when she first saw those statues, so she agreed with the girl.

    And she was glad that she didn't give off the same factor.

    Cinder's joy faded, however, when she wondered what a little girl was doing at a party like this. She was somewhat dressed for the occasion, but that was mostly due to the colored tunic over her white clothes. If Cinder didn't know any better, she would say those white clothes were similar to the clothes she was forced to wear at the Glass Unicorn.

    This scared Cinder greatly, until another voice made a new presence known.

    "Ah, there you are!"

    Cinder and the girl looked to see that a man was approaching them, one who was apparently familiar to the both of them. "Councilman Organa," Cinder greeted the man politely when the two made eye contact.

    "Cinder, welcome," Bail replied in a friendly manner before he turned to the little girl. "I see you've met my daughter."

    Cinder immediately forgot about her past life at the Glass Unicorn when Bail said what he said. "Oh, this is your daughter!" She soon began to feel foolish for thinking that the past was repeating itself at the Schnee manor.

    "Yes, she and my wife came to celebrate along with everyone else here," Bail explained. "Leia, this is Cinder. The lady from the video I showed you."

    The girl, now known as "Leia," turned to Cinder and smiled once again. "Hello, Cinder," she said politely.

    "Hello," Cinder replied, feeling much more comfortable about the girl's presence. "I'm sorry, I just saw her alone, I didn't know she was with you."

    "Yes, Leia has a curious mind," Bail confirmed without breaking contact with his daughter. "One that causes her to wander off. Especially when she's told otherwise."

    Leia knew Bail was referring to the fact that she was told to stay with her mother. But in her mind, she wandered for a good reason. "I didn't wander far, Father," she insisted. "I just wanted to meet someone who stood out among everyone else."

    Bail turned to get a better look at Cinder and her armor, which indeed stood out from the rest of the crowd. Where people were wearing dresses and suits, Cinder elected to wear something that she deemed appropriate. Bail was curious as to why she decided to wear it, but he didn't want to be rude. So instead, he simply addressed the fact that Cinder was wearing it.

    "Yes, it is a fine suit of armor, isn't it?" he said politely. Cinder smiled gratefully at the new Councilman before he looked back to his daughter. "You'd better go back to your mother now, Leia. I'll be meeting with the rest of the Council soon."

    "Yes, Father," Leia obediently replied before she turned to Cinder. "It was nice meeting you."

    "You too," Cinder replied before she watched the child leave. "You have a lovely daughter, sir."

    "Thank you," said Bail. "I'm sorry about the 'standing out' phrase, though. Children Leia's age always like to say the first thing on their minds.

    "No, that's okay." Cinder looked down at her armor and once again noticed how she stood out. "I know it's not the dress code I'm seeing, but I have this on for a reason."

    "I'm sure. May I be correct to assume it's because you're not only here for the party?"

    Cinder expected someone to draw this conclusion based on the stares they were giving her, so there wasn't a point in denying it. "Yes, sir. I'm glad you won the election, but I'll be with my father and General Ironwood at the table tonight."

    "I thought so. But let me assure you that tonight won't be as bad as the General may think. My only wish is to address the concerns of our Kingdom peacefully. I hope tonight will be the right chance to do so."

    Cinder nodded in understanding. "Me too."

    While the duo talked some more as they walked, little Leia found her mother as she was instructed. Breha Organa was currently talking to one of the socialites, but she took note of her daughter's returned presence. She didn't, however, notice Leia looking around at all the people around her.

    Like she did with Cinder, Leia looked for anyone else who stood out among the socialites. The conversations of the adults bored her, and she hoped that a new friend would be within reach.

    This search led Leia to locking eyes with someone else who stood out: Obi-Wan Kenobi.

    Obi-Wan was previously with Ozpin and Ironwood, but he temporarily left their side when he felt a small disturbance in the Force. It wasn't a sign of danger, but one of familiarity. He was confused at first, which led him to searching for the source.

    His search and questions ended the second he saw Leia, someone he was all too familiar with.

    Leia waved to the man after staring him for a few seconds, which led to Obi-Wan waving back. Despite meeting years ago, Leia didn't seem to remember Obi-Wan. The Jedi preferred it this way, and decided to vanish before any semblance of memory or familiarity arose.

    But Obi-Wan also took solace that Bail Organa and his wife were protecting the child.

    While the reception continued, Cinder found the chance to introduce Bail Organa to Djarin. He had followed the man's campaign and heard what Cinder had to say about him, so the Mandalorian made the Councilman's acquaintance quickly. They didn't have much time to talk, however, since it was announced that the meeting would soon commence.

    Qrow, Revan, and SCAR Squadron were still patrolling the perimeter of the Schnee manor, so they weren't at the table. And so, General Ironwood was joined in Willow's dining room by Djarin, Cinder, Ozpin, Obi-Wan Winter, and Penny.

    Willow was at the head of the table, as was the rest of the Council. She looked to Winter with a small smile, but it disappeared when Winter refused to look at her. With that, Willow decided to start the meeting.

    "General Ironwood," the hostess said as she gestured to her large dining room table. "Please, have a seat."

    "..."

    After Ironwood turned to his allies and nodded, everyone took their seats on their end of the dining room table. Ironwood was the last to sit down, after he took note of the appearance of the Council-members.

    "Councilman Sleet," Ironwood said to an older man in a suit before he turned to an older woman in a red jacket over a black shirt and black pants. "Councilwoman Camilla."

    The two Council-members remained silent, but acknowledged Ironwood with a simple nod. The silence was broken, however, when another person made her presence known.

    "Councilwoman Hill would have had a nice ring to it."

    Everyone turned towards the windows in the room to see that Robyn Hill had joined them. Rather than join the party, Robyn stayed in the dining room until everyone else was ready. Now that they were, she walked to the table and sat down.

    "Though I suppose I should just be grateful I got invited to the table," she said as she sat between Ironwood and the Council.

    Sleet and Camilla remained silent once again, but it was Bail Organa who addressed her presence. "And we're grateful to have you, Ms. Hill," he said. "Though you're sadly not a member, the Atlas Council will aid you in your future endeavors."

    "..."

    Ironwood quickly became uncomfortable with Robyn's presence. She wasn't as hurt as she was before, most likely due to her Aura healing most of her injuries. She still had a few bandages on her face and arms, but Robyn wasn't bound to a wheelchair like she was earlier. Her health was still intact, and it allowed her to join the meeting tonight.

    And it was clear that she was against Ironwood once again.

    "What is she doing here?" Ironwood asked everyone. His allies were also curious as to why Robyn found herself at the manor.

    "What we're all doing here, James," said Willow. "Addressing the concerns of our Kingdom, which means we have much to discuss." Willow had the support of the Council tonight, and just as she promised, she would be moderating the conversation.

    Which led to Ironwood with little choice but to accept the fact that his defense started now.

    "Indeed," he said. I was hoping we could start by-"

    "Actually, General Ironwood," said Willow, who cut him off with reason. "The Council elected to start our talks with Ms. Hill."

    "Yes," said Bail. "She says she has information on election night's massacre, which she wished to share tonight." Bail turned to Robyn. "Isn't that right, Ms. Hill?"

    "Yes, sir," said Robyn. "It sure is."

    Ironwood not only knew that Robyn wanted to talk about Durge and the sewers, but also that he had some authority he could practice over the matter. "If you're talking about the mission she and her team of Huntresses participated in, I can speak on her behalf," he said. "Since it was part of a military operation, the details of which are currently classified, Robyn isn't at liberty to divulge those details."

    Despite the feelings of the Council, Ironwood was quite aware of Atlesian law. He was well aware that military operations, carried out by soldiers or Huntsmen and Huntresses, could only be discussed if he allowed it. However, Robyn didn't seem deterred by this idea.

    "Not anymore, General," she said as she pulled out a piece of paper. Without hesitation, Robyn slid the paper across the table to Ironwood. When he picked it up, he saw that the paper was his worst nightmare.

    "What in-?" Ironwood looked at Bail Organa in shock and disbelief. "You gave Robyn Hill immunity?"

    "Yes," said Councilman Organa. "I'm afraid my fellow Council-members and I have reached our limit of the ever-growing list of classified information you seem to be keeping. If granting Ms. Hill legal immunity is the only way for us to hear the truth, then so be it."

    What Bail had done wasn't illegal, and his fellow Council-members supported the action and idea behind it. Once they heard that Robyn had information of her own to share, they decided to grant her the immunity she needed to speak freely.

    Which was exactly what she was about to do.

    "If there are no further objections," Willow began as she turned to Robyn. "Ms. Hill, the floor is yours."

    "Thank you, ma'am," said Robyn, who immediately took the opportunity to speak. "You might be wondering why I have these bandages on. And how Penny here was made to look like she was responsible for the deaths in that warehouse."

    "..."

    Penny looked down at the table, still saddened by the events of that night. Fortunately, it seemed that Robyn was prepared to clear her name.

    "A few days ago, after Din Djarin and his daughter helped Mantle fix its outer wall," Robyn began while gesturing to the two Mandalorians. "After that, they told us that Penny wasn't responsible for what happened in the warehouse. And after receiving proof shown to General Ironwood, as well as myself, we found the true culprits. They were the same people who helped the Mandalorians attack Beacon Academy, and they had help from a mercenary who everyone thought was dead."

    Willow and the Council looked at each other with mild surprise when they heard this. While they believed that Robyn wasn't lying about Penny's innocence, they couldn't believe that the people who attacked Beacon were also in Atlas.

    Such a thing was supposed to be prevented with the closing of borders.

    "Once we found out about it, I worked with General Ironwood and some of his allies to track down and find the real murders." Robyn pointed to the bandages on her face and arms. "That's how I got these. And worse."

    "..."

    As she spoke and reflected on the events in the sewers, Robyn slowly began to realize that she would have to tread rather carefully. Her incident with stealing supplies and believing Ironwood was out to get Mantle had taught her not to be rash or hasty, that she needed to avoid mistakes like that again. She knew Ironwood wasn't a villain, but all she wanted was to show how keeping secrets had led to the present situation.

    Along with that, Robyn had no idea how to explain what she saw in the sewers. It defied all logic itself, and it was a situation that demanded answers. However, Robyn knew she would have to choose her words carefully before the Council dismissed her as a lunatic.

    "It's true we discovered the identities of the real murderers," Robyn continued. "But we were unable to capture them. They were... better than I was led to believe."

    "..."

    Robyn took this chance to close her argument by pointing to Ironwood. "Because General Ironwood didn't tell me or my friends anything about the suspects, even after we knew who they were. Secrets like those are the reason why I failed. And why we're all here tonight."

    "..."

    Everyone in General Ironwood's side were aware of the situation they were in. Robyn's speech, as well as the invitation, made it clear that everyone was expecting answers and the truth for General Ironwood's actions.

    This made Ozpin feel the most for Ironwood, given his own experiences with secrets and withholding the truth. He now knew it was a mistake to do so, which was why he supported Ironwood's plan for Amity. However, Atlas and the Council weren't going to be waiting for much longer. If anything, their patience was wearing thin.

    But despite these odds, Ozpin was ready to defend his friend. And so was everyone else joining him.

    "Is this true, General?" Willow asked Ironwood.

    Ironwood knew that he couldn't hide anything about the Blairs or Durge anymore, so it was best to admit the truth about them.

    "...It is," he finally replied.

    Ozpin didn't mean to be rude, but he decided to speak before Willow or the Council could reply. "If I may," he said to get everyone's attention. "Their presence is actually why we all arrived in Atlas to begin with."

    "That's true," said Djarin. "We have experience with the same people who have been killing people across Mantle. As Robyn said, they were at Beacon."

    "And Haven," Obi-Wan included. "They instigated attacks aimed at tearing down all of the Huntsmen Academies."

    Cinder decided to speak next, and provide a much more detailed explanation. "I have the most... familiarity with them," she said. "They convinced me that they were just regular students before they tried to murder me. But before that, they turned my people against each of the Kingdoms and Huntsmen Academies."

    "Your people," Bail repeated. "You mean the Mandalorians."

    "Yes, sir." Cinder looked at the entire Council, with Sleet and Camilla still remaining silent. "I was able to stop the Mandalorians from doing any more damage by becoming their leader. Under my watch, they're doing no harm to the Kingdoms or Huntsmen Acadmies. Merri and Fauna Blair, however, found a new ally to help them in their mission." Cinder gestured to all of the friends that came with her to Atlas. "And that's why we're here; to stop them from doing it again."

    After Cinder was done speaking, Willow decided to be honest with the Council. "Council-members, I've had the pleasure of knowing Professor Ozpin, Djarin, and Cinder for years," she said. "If they say they came to help, I believe them."

    "As do I," said Bail. "Ms. Hill's story does seem to line up with theirs." As Bail spoke to his fellow Council-members, Ironwood nodded at all of the people who defended him.

    However, the moment of victory was brief.

    "I am concerned, however, that we were not told of such a threat," Bail continued. "Mind you, I was in the process of being elected at the time, but I don't recall hearing anything about terrorists in our Kingdom's borders." Bail looked back to the table. "Whose idea was it to keep this information from the Council?"

    "..."

    All eyes fell onto Ironwood, which brought everyone back to the point Robyn had made.

    The speech Robyn gave was not only enough for Ironwood and his allies to see where this meeting was going, but it also gave Councilman Sleet and Councilwoman Camilla a chance to voice their own concerns. They, like Bail and Willow, believed Robyn's story and decided to pick up where she left off.

    "The fact of the matter is, you've operated with a fair amount of autonomy for the past few years, James," said Sleet. "But we need now is for you to work with us."

    Djarin, Cinder, Ozpin, and Obi-Wan all remained calm under the pressure being brought on themselves. Penny was still nervous, as was the General. However, Winter was the only one who felt angry with everything. She did her best to contain her anger, but a tapping on the table displayed her wearing patience.

    Ironwood noticed this, but he focused on the matter at hand.

    "Sir, I have-"

    "It's obvious that no other threat is present beyond Atlas," said Councilwoman Camilla. "The Mandalorian war has been over for weeks now, and no Kingdom has expressed hostilities towards us." Camilla turned to Ozpin and Obi-Wan. "Unless I'm mistaken? I heard that our air fleet was involved with the destruction of Beacon Academy."

    "That... is true," Ozpin replied regretfully. "I am aware, however, that the numerous Grimm at Beacon called for action." Ozpin didn't want to mention the Mandalorians, given that Cinder was now their ruler. "The Council of Vale was angry, but we were able to retake the cliff and partially repair the school. As far as I know, the Council hasn't announced any hostility towards Atlas." Ozpin hoped this information would ease the Council's minds, as well as Ironwood's.

    "And nor has the Council of Mistral," said Obi-Wan. "I spoke with them prior to my departure from the Kingdom. Their only concern is rebuilding what was destroyed from the war. As well as... As well as electing a new member, given the passing of Councilwoman Kryze."

    Camilla, like everyone else at the table, was satisfied with these answers. "In that case, why not help them?" she asked. "At this point, the closure of Atlas borders is only serving to hurt our relations with the rest of the world."

    Ironwood was ready to defend himself once again, without revealing anything about Salem. "I-"

    "The rest of the world?" Robyn asked. "It's hurting us. The people of Atlas are suffering." She quickly turned to Ironwood. "And they want to know why."

    "..."

    "Quite right, Ms. Hill."

    All eyes fell to Willow, who spoke as the moderator of the conversation. Winter tapped her finger even more against the table, but she didn't turn to look at her mother.

    "The terrorists are one thing, as I have noticed," Willow said. "But their actions aren't the only ones who are doing harm to the citizens of Atlas. When I was financing Councilman Organa's campaign, he had quite the list of complaints and issues against you, James."

    "I did, indeed," said Bail. "While your military experience is most impressive, General, its influence in your political work is... troubling." Bail turned to Sleet and Camilla. "Which is why I would like to propose a new amendment to our Kingdom's Constitution: the separation of military and state."

    "..."

    Ironwood didn't believe what he was hearing.

    If there was one thing he took pride in with the Kingdom of Atlas, it was its military. Even since before he was born, the military of Atlas had embedded itself into the Kingdom's society. While the patrols of soldiers in Mantle and the air fleet above Atlas were new, the military had been an essential piece of the Atlesian state for decades.

    To separate the two, according to Ironwood, sounded like utter lunacy.

    "That's nonsense," said Ironwood, who had lost patience for diplomacy. "Atlas has been dependent on its military since before we were even born. To have one without the other is impossible."

    "No one seeks to dissolve one or the other," said Sleet. "But rather, we wish to have them function without any further merging. Councilman Organa believes it's possible, and we agree."

    "Current events have done nothing but show that combining state matters with the military have become burdensome," said Camilla. "And dangerous."

    "With all due respect, you're forgetting everything that it's done," Ironwood countered. "What it can do."

    "Such as?" Willow asked, waiting to hear an example from Ironwood. "Perhaps you're referring to your work with Amity Colosseum?"

    "..."

    Ironwood recognized that he had inadvertently stepped into a trap, and he defended himself with silence. But Willow wasn't finished.

    "When I heard one of my mines was serving as a base for Amity, I asked the Council here to shed some light on your project," Willow continued. "And, as it turns out, they know about as much as I do."

    "Even you don't know?" Robyn asked, unable to believe that the Council was just as clueless as she was. Robyn now understood that stealing from Ironwood was a mistake, but she still wanted to know about Amity.

    "The Amity Project will help with all of the issues you've presented," Ironwood promised, hoping to win back the support he had prior to this meeting. "But you have to understand that discretion is a top priority at this time."

    Willow spoke once again, and started with a brief but strong opening. "For the last time... no, it's not."

    "..."

    Winter began to tap faster on the table as her mother spoke, but she restrained herself as best as she could. Unfortunately, this grip was breaking with every word that escaped Willow's mouth.

    "Your idea of discretion is what brought us all here tonight," said Willow. "And according to Ms. Hill, your idea of discretion led to her injuries. How on Remnant do you expect us to follow your lead when you have given us nothing in return? Do you believe we'll work with you if you won't let us know what's going on? Do you believe we'll trust you?"

    *BAM*​

    Everyone turned to Winter when she slammed her fist on the table and shot a deadly glare at her mother. "We're not asking anything from you!" she said. "All we want is to be left alone! Did you ever consider that?! Did you?!"

    "..."

    Winter may have directly said "we," but it was clear that there was only one person she was talking to. Her eyes weren't gazing at the entire Council like Ironwood's eyes were, but they were locked on with her mother instead. The shouting and rhetorical question were all directed at Willow, and it all stemmed from the woman's attempts at reaching out to her daughter. Cinder had heard that Willow was attempting to do so, to be closer with Winter once more. But now, all that work had amounted to nothing.

    Which made Willow speechless.

    "I'm afraid that's out of the question."

    Bail had noticed the disbelief Willow was processing, so he decided to speak for her in an attempt to lower the tensions that rose from Winter's outburst.

    "If there's one thing I've learned tonight, we all want to protect our Kingdom," the new Councilman continued. "However, it's clear that we do not currently agree on how to do so." Winter softly gasped when she saw that her outburst was turning things around on Ironwood, even though she left an impact on her mother. "I, for one, would like to reach an agreement tonight."

    "As would I," said Sleet.

    "As would I," Camilla repeated.

    When Winter found her voice again, she tried to undo what she had done. "That's not what I-"

    "Winter."

    The young cadet turned to her superior officer, who wasn't very pleased at the moment. "That's enough," Ironwood ordered.

    "..."

    After taking a look at the table, and everyone sitting at it, Winter decided to take her leave.

    It didn't take long for Cinder and Penny to find Winter. She was standing outside of the dining room in a hallway, far from the party and anyone else. Cinder knew she didn't have a right to be involved in Winter's private issues, but the outburst and was hard to ignore.

    While the adults handled the situation in the dining room, the teenagers decided to see how they could help their friend.

    "Winter?" Cinder called out. "Are you okay?"

    "I'll be fine," Winter insisted when she turned to her friends. "I just let my emotions get the better of me."

    "What do you mean?" Penny asked.

    Winter wanted to be left alone, so she decided to cut the conversation short. "You wouldn't understand."

    "Oh... right."

    "..."

    Penny placed her hands on her skirt as she sadly looked down, believing that Winter's concept was a human one as opposed to a robotic one. Perhaps her father would be able to understand an idea, but Penny's nature prevented her from doing so.

    When Winter realized what she had said, she decided to stop being withdrawn and fix her mistake. "No, no," she began. "What I mean is... this place holds a lot of memories for me, specifically. I thought I was in control, but... you heard me. I sounded like a petulant child."

    "..."

    Cinder remained silent and chose to simply listen to her friend. The idea of memories was strange at first, given that Cinder had memories of playing with Winter at the house when they were children. However, Cinder remembered that Winter lived here with her father for ten years. And it seemed his presence, while gone, was still felt through the place.

    Cinder believed that Willow's presence, as well as the presence of her younger siblings, would help Winter. But it seemed the solution wasn't perfect.

    "I thought you sounded fine," said Penny, who didn't see a problem with Winter's outburst. "You were just speaking from your heart." As she placed her hands on her chest, Penny reflected that she didn't usually express emotions like Cinder or Winter did. What they did was natural, something Penny wished she had at times. So in her mind, saying how one truly felt was a blessing.

    But not for Winter.

    "And that is precisely the problem," Winter argued. "I should have just stayed in line."

    "..."

    Penny tried her best to see why Winter felt this way, but nothing came to mind. "I guess you're right," she relented. "I don't understand."

    "..."

    Penny decided to leave her friends and return to the dining room, since there wasn't anything else she could do. Cinder, however, remained behind in the hopes that she could get through to Winter.

    But Winter decided to rebuild the wall she wished to make between herself and the world, and she started with Cinder.

    "I was right," she said as she turned around. "You wouldn't understand."

    "..."

    Cinder could see where Penny was coming from, that she didn't understand how Winter was feeling. But she understood it rather well, and found herself relating Winter's situation to an incident from her past. It was a story that Cinder believed Winter should hear.

    "Do you know what the biggest lie the Blairs told me to make me trust them was?" Cinder asked Winter, despite the fact that Winter was still looking the other way. "That they found my real mom. And that my real dad was killed by Mandalorians."

    "..."

    Winter didn't show it, but she was surprised that the Blairs had done such a thing. And she grew even more surprised when Cinder continued to talk.

    "It was all a trick, to make me vulnerable," Cinder continued. "The lady they found was actually a con-artist, someone who nearly killed Qrow and my dad. It turns out my real family is somewhere in Mistral. Close to Argus, I think."

    Cinder had been told this by Djarin, not long after she awoke from her coma. Djarin didn't want to keep any secrets from his daughter, and despite everything, Cinder deserved to know where she came from. But Cinder didn't dive deeper into the idea, since she believed she had everything she needed already.

    "That lie, everything that I believed... it made me feel alienated from my dad," Cinder continued. "I had a hard time looking at him and talking to him. For a while, I didn't think I could. That I might have been better off without him."

    "..."

    The final idea was something Winter had admitted earlier. It was something she had felt since she decided to stay with Ironwood at Atlas Academy. Namely, that she didn't feel like she needed her mother. Hearing that idea was what made Winter finally turn around, to finally look at Cinder and listen carefully to the rest of her wisdom.

    "I didn't realize it until it was too late, but that's exactly how the Blairs wanted me to feel. How Salem wanted me to feel. She wanted me to turn my friends into enemies and my enemies into friends." Cinder put a hand on Winter's shoulder as she closed her argument. "If we do that to the people who love us the most, we'll always be alone. Trust me, I know."

    "..."

    Winter pitied Cinder for being manipulated and hurt in such a way. She didn't deserve to be lied to or driven away from the people she loved. But the lesson Cinder learned from it was very wise and a little inspiring. Winter related to the idea that she felt better off without her mother, but she felt that her reasoning made sense.

    And fortunately for Cinder, Winter was willing to share this reasoning.

    "Father never loved me," Winter admitted. "All he wanted was for me to pick up where he left off. He wanted me to stay here and only leave when I had to. And ever since I came back from Beacon, Mother's... been trying to do the same thing." Winter sighed before she continued. "She's done nothing but try to make me come back here to stay, and she doesn't understand that I don't want that."

    "..."

    "I just... don't want a repeat of what happened with my father."

    "..."

    Winter couldn't recall the last time she was ever this vulnerable, just like she couldn't remember that she had done this with Cinder. The friends were children at the time, and Cinder gave Winter reassurance that she could be vulnerable; she showed Winter that she could trust her.

    And now, Cinder was doing it again.

    "Your dad was greedy," Cinder replied. "He only cared about himself. But your mom is different. The meeting, the arguments with Ironwood... I think it's safe to say that she's scared. And she thinks having you back here will help with that."

    Winter let out a sigh of annoyance when she heard this. "But that's not true," she argued.

    "...Maybe it's time she heard that for herself."

    "..."

    Back in the dining room, things weren't getting much better for the General. The Council was still pointing out the flaws in his work, but decided to focus on a more political approach rather than discuss his work in the military.

    "General, since the day you were appointed Headmaster, there have been Atlesians who are skeptical of one man holding two Council seats," said Councilwoman Camilla.

    "Yes, which is exactly why we have checks and balances," Ironwood countered, using his knowledge and experience with Atlesian law.

    "We're supposed to," Councilman Sleet replied. "But lately you've been running roughshod all over them, making unilateral decisions without us."

    "Even before my election, you've been taking more authority away from us and giving it to your army," said Councilman Organa. "The people of Atlas chose all of us to help them, not just you."

    Ironwood could see that he wouldn't win the argument that way. "Councilmen, I never intended to-"

    "What people intend and what they do aren't always the same, General," Sleet insisted.

    "..."

    Willow agreed with everything that was being said, but that wasn't exactly the reason for her silence.

    After Winter's outburst, Willow was disappointed. She had hoped pointing out the flaws in Ironwood's management would be enough for her daughter to see that following him wasn't the best idea. Her efforts, however, only pushed Winter away even further.

    And it taught Willow something new about her daughter.

    She knew that Winter was loyal to Ironwood, that was never a question. And Willow knew that there was something her daughter knew that she didn't want to share. Willow intended to find out what it was and help Winter get away while she could, but she had failed.

    She failed because there was something else about Winter that Willow didn't see until now. The outburst, the emotion... Winter was angry with Willow. She had been holding that anger for a while, probably before Winter even went to Atlas Academy.

    There was something that Winter resented about Willow. And for the life of her, she didn't know what it was.

    Which was why Willow was feeling hurt and distracted. Ironwood's actions were unimportant now, Willow just wanted to know what it was that made Winter feel this way. She wanted to know why she apparently failed her daughter.

    Unfortunately, she didn't have the time to ponder this question.

    "Excuse me."

    Willow turned to her left when she saw a member of the house staff beside her. It wasn't Klein, but a rabbit-eared Faunus who was a more recent addition to the staff team.

    And he apparently had something to say.

    "Yes?" Willow asked in a whisper, not wanting to interrupt the rest of the Council.

    The Faunus understood the need for silence, so he whispered into his employer's ear about something very important.

    "What?" Willow asked when the man stopped whispering. "For how long?" The man whispered into her ear again, which made Willow even more surprised about what she heard. "After what happened?"

    "They just called," the man replied without whispering. "They said they would only talk to you."

    Willow forgot all about her meeting with the Council as she decided what to do next. "Did the call come to my study?"

    "Yes, ma'am. I took the liberty of answering it and came straight to you."

    Willow nodded, but she wasn't satisfied at all. "I'll be right there. See back to our guests, please." The man left without a word, missing the cold sweat look of unease on Willow's face.

    Bail was the only one who noticed that Willow had an unexpected visitor, and the only one who noticed that she was left uneasy. "Willow?" he asked, loud enough for everyone to hear. This was enough to make Willow's focus return to the table, where she made an announcement.

    "Um, I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen," she said as she stood up. "It seems I have a... pressing matter to attend to." She then turned to Bail. "Councilman Organa, would you mind taking over for me?"

    "Oh! Um... of course I can," said Bail. However, the departure Willow was making only raised more questions for everyone. The rest of the Council and everyone at the table were confused, but Bail was more concerned if anything else. So he leaned over and whispered a single question. "Is everything alright?"

    "I need to find out," Willow said quickly as she moved to the door. "I'm sorry."

    After Willow left, Robyn decided to take the opportunity before her and speak again. "I think the Council's made its point," said Robyn. "And based on what I saw when I was at the academy, I have an idea what's going on; you're afraid of something, General. Aren't you?"

    "I think that's pretty obvious, Miss Hill," Ironwood replied. "I'm trying to prevent Atlas from becoming another Beacon, another Haven."

    "Yet, you don't trust your own Council to help you? Operating in secret? Keeping secrets from the people who choose to help you? These are the actions of somebody who's hiding something."

    This was true, but Ironwood felt that he couldn't share that fact. "I'm not hiding anything," he denied.

    "Let's put it to the test, then," Robyn decided as she stood up. She began to approach Ironwood while talking to the Council. "You're all aware of my Semblance. Let's settle it here and now, General Ironwood." When Robyn stopped next to the General, she extended her hand and waited for him to take it. "Here and now."

    "..."

    Ironwood had been expecting this. He had tried his best to delay this moment, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Now, everyone was demanding that Ironwood share everything he was hiding. Nobody was going to let him leave the room until they were satisfied.

    "Wait."

    Everyone turned to Ozpin, who stood up and offered his hand to Robyn. "If you wish to hear the truth in this manner... I believe I should be the one to tell you," he offered.

    The Council was confused by this move, but everyone else knew what Ozpin was thinking. Still, they had their own reservations about this kind of move. And given that Ironwood wasn't ready to divulge anything just yet, he was ready to tell Ozpin to back off.

    "Oz-"

    "General Ironwood's decision to stay quiet stemmed from me," Ozpin declared. "And so, I am responsible for that choice, as well as the consequences that followed." Ozpin extended his hand further. "Let me make it up to you, Ms. Hill."

    Robyn didn't take long to make a choice. While she was mildly curious about how Ozpin had a role to play in this, she didn't take the offer he was making.

    "With all due respect, Professor," said Robyn. "You weren't here when General Ironwood closed the Kingdom's borders. Or when he put an embargo on Dust." Robyn looked back to Ironwood. "If I'm going to hear the truth, it has to be from him."

    "..."

    Ironwood's allies had been expecting this moment too. They were all trying to think of ways to delay it, and Cinder was still hoping that she could talk to the Council instead. But now, all they could do was watch as Robyn prepared to make Ironwood share the truth about everything.

    Nothing short of a miracle would stop this moment now.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Robyn couldn't help but look towards her pocket when she saw it vibrate and glow. "Huh?" she mumbled as she took out her Scroll. She didn't recognize the number, so she declined the call and put it back in her pocket. "Sorry, everyone." She then moved her hand out again. "Well, General?"

    "..."

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    Robyn's Scroll was vibrating again, which began to frustrate Robyn. When she took it out of her pocket, she could see that it was the same number.

    "Ms. Hill?" Councilman Sleet asked, albeit a little impatiently.

    The call was starting to annoy Robyn, but she couldn't help but let her curiosity grow. "Um, I'm sorry, Councilman," she said. "I'll wrap this up." She then answered the call and put her Scroll to her ear. "Look, whoever this is, now's not a good-"

    "Robyn!" a familiar voice called out on the other end. "Robyn, we need your help!"

    "Fiona?"

    Robyn remembered that her fellow Huntresses were still recuperating at Atlas Academy, along with Boba. They didn't have their Scrolls, so Fiona had to use a phone at Atlas Academy to get in touch with her leader.

    And she had a good reason for doing so.

    "Robyn, we need to go to Mantle!" Fiona said. "Something's wrong down there, we have to go now!"

    "Whoa, whoa, calm down, Fi," Robyn gently said to her friend. "I'm still at the Schnee manor, with the Council."

    "Wait, you mean you didn't see the news?"

    "The news? No, why?"

    Everyone in the room was growing curious about Robyn's call. Ironwood was somewhat grateful for this impedance to Robyn's plan, but he had the feeling that something was wrong.

    The rest of the Council had the same feeling, and they all got a sinister clue.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    The Scrolls of every Council-member, including Ironwood, all began to vibrate and display a red message that said "Emergency Alert!" on them. It was Councilman Sleet who put his Scroll to his ear, where he received an alarming message.

    "Wait... Wait, what?" he asked on the other end. "What do you mean the heat has gone off?"

    Earlier​

    Things were dire for businesses in Atlas. Companies that were known to do work beyond the borders were struggling to stay afloat, especially the Schnee Dust Company. However, there were some kinds of work that the border closures hadn't affected.

    The largest one, perhaps, was the heating grid.

    The heating grid was one of the first creations of the Kingdom of Mantle, in order for its people to survive in the freezing cold weather. A separate one had been built in Atlas prior to its ascension off the ground, but they both worked in unison with the SDC. After all, both places were essential for Atlas to survive.

    The heating grid in Mantle worked by having multiple systems run through the city, like the sewers did. Only instead of transporting sewage and waste, the heating grid sent thermal energy throughout the city via heaters found in every house and on every street.

    A mixture of Fire Dust and artificial heat comprised of this energy. And it was the job of the grid's employees to make sure the engines, Dust processors, and pipes were all in working order.

    That was how a single engineer found himself roaming the halls and examining every machine he could find.

    "    Isaac, are you there?" a woman's voice said through a device in the man's left ear.

    "Yeah, I'm here, Kendra," the man said as he pressed a finger to his ear. "Just finished Sector B. You were right, that fluctuation was just a hiccup." The man looked at another door and opened it. "I'm gonna check out Sector C and call it a night."

    "Sounds like a plan. I'm about to clock out too."

    "I thought Hammond wanted you to work overtime?"

    "So? He's not my boss."

    Isaac laughed to himself as he looked at the multiple pipes in the area. "Yeah, that's true. Give me a few minutes in here and we'll clock out together."

    "You got it. I'll keep my eye on you until then."

    Isaac turned to a security camera in the room, where his friend was on the other side. Kendra was a computer analyst for the heating grid, where she would look at monitors and cameras in case anything was out of order. Isaac was simply an engineer, one who had to either fix broken machinery or install new equipment.

    On nights like these, he would have to inspect the current machinery for any abnormalities. Sectors A and B were fine, though there was a small fluctuation with a pipe in B. However, Isaac was able to fix it on the spot, without having to request new parts. Sector C seemed to be in a similar state as the other two, with Isaac's only worry being the heat in the rooms he had passed through. But excess heat was normal in the heating grid, especially for the engineers.

    Isaac had learned to live with it, even though he would prefer a different place of work. But between the border closures, and the fact that his girlfriend worked as a field medic for workplace injuries, Isaac knew he was going to stay right where he was.

    Sector C wasn't too much work for Isaac. Given that it was the only sector that was fully automated by computers, Isaac just had to look at the screens and have faith that Kendra was seeing the same things he was. And given the fact that she was silent on the other end, Isaac was confident that his last rounds were successful. And so, he prepared to end his work for the night.

    Until something behind him caught his attention.

    *REEE*

    *RATTLE*

    *RATTLE*    ​

    The sounds of shaking pipes and escaping heat, similar to what people would hear from a tea kettle, caught the engineer's ear. He turned around fast to see that one of the pipes was indeed shaking and letting out steam, which was far from normal.

    "What the-?" Isaac asked as he rushed over to the pipe. "What's going on?" Isaac looked across the exterior of the pipe, as well as where it was connected to the top and bottom. He couldn't see any cracks or anything broken, so he looked at the screen to see what was going on.

    And to his surprise, the heat was rising.

    "What the hell?" Isaac said out loud. "I just checked this one. How is it-?"

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*

    *BEEP*    ​

    The readings on the screen indicated that the heat was rising. Not just rising, but rising to a point where the pipe couldn't contain it for long.

    "Oh, crap," Isaac said as he began to press the buttons on the screen. It was his intention to turn off the machine, but none of his methods worked.

    In fact, it seemed that the computer was locking him out.

    Isaac was starting to panic, but he didn't give in to his fears. Instead, he pressed his ear again to talk to his friend. "Kendra, I got a pipe here that's out of control!" he said. "I need you to shut it down!"

    "    ..."

    "Kendra? Kendra, are you there?!"

    The lack of answer from his friend made Isaac even more worried. But what finally made him give in to full panic was the multitude of sounds around him.

    *REEE*

    *RATTLE*

    *RATTLE*

    *REEE*

    *RATTLE*

    *RATTLE*

    *REEE*

    *RATTLE*

    *RATTLE*    ​

    One by one, more and more pipes began to rattle and let out excess heat. Isaac once again tried to contact the computer specialist for help, but there was still no answer. Isaac began to run around the room looking for a manual override, one that would shut down all the pipes in the area in the event of an emergency. However, the constant shaking and the alarming readings on the computers made Isaac realize that he wouldn't find one in time.

    So instead of a shutdown, Isaac settled for turning on an alarm before running out of the room.

    *BOOM*​

    Isaac wasn't caught in the blast from the room, but the blast had propelled him forward and left him breathing in a puff of smoke. Blood began to pour from a cut on his head and he began to cough, but it was much better than being burned to death.

    And fortunately, Isaac had help.

    When the alarm was sounded, multiple armed guards under the SDC's command came to see what the situation was. One of them was the commander, Zachary Hammond, who immediately requested a report while two of his security guards helped Isaac off the ground.

    "Isaac, are you okay?!" Zachary asked. "What just happened?!"

    "The pipes... built up pressure... and exploded," Isaac replied with a cough. "I... I couldn't shut it down."

    The commander turned to see the aftermath of the explosion and was incredibly distraught. He knew an accident like this was one in a million, one that would set the heating grid back a while. But rather than focus on what was definitely lost, Zachary focused on the possibilities first.

    "Put that fire out before it spreads!" he ordered his men. Two grabbed fire extinguishers off the wall and ran off before Zachary turned back to the injured engineer. "Isaac, was anyone else in there?"

    "No," Isaac replied. "It... It was just me."

    Zachary accepted the answer in relief and noticed what sector had just exploded. "Isn't this place fully automated? Why didn't Kendra do anything?"

    "I tried to tell her. But... But she didn't answer."

    The commander immediately came to the conclusion that Kendra was somewhat responsible for the accident. Had she responded, she would have turned off the pipes immediately. And so, Zachary sought out answers with Isaac and one of his fellow guards in tow.

    The trio found themselves outside the computer core of the heating grid, where they expected to see Kendra inside. Zachary was prepared to swing the door open and find Kendra, but this plan was put on hold when the door refused to move.

    "It's locked," he said to his companions.

    "What?" Isaac asked. "That door doesn't have a lock." Isaac had visited his friend multiple times in that room, he knew every detail about it.

    Zachary didn't care for details, however. He simply hit his hand on the door and called out for the person inside. "Kendra!" he shouted. "Kendra, open the door!"

    "..."

    "Kendra, are you in there?!"

    "..."

    Zachary stopped hitting the door and groaned in frustration. "Dammit, where the hell is she?!"

    "She might be trapped in there!" Isaac suggested. "We gotta get inside!"

    Zachary agreed with the engineer and turned to his fellow guard. "Chen, help me shoot this door open!"

    "Yes, sir!" the guard said as he raised the weapon he had. Zachary did the same with his weapon and fired upon the knob and hinges.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Between the injury on his head and the fact that he wasn't used to gunfire, Isaac covered his ears to block out the noise. But the efforts proved to be a success, since the door fell to the ground with a loud echo.

    *THUD*​

    Inside, everyone saw a large console with multiple screens that showed numbers and moving images. They also saw a woman lying on top of the console, completely motionless.

    "Kendra?" Isaac called out. He recognized the long hair of his friend, but he didn't understand why she was apparently asleep.

    Zachary was also unable to understand this, but he was more mad than anything else.

    "Kendra, what are you doing?!" he said as he marched towards the woman. "Don't you know that we just had a major accident because you didn't-?!"

    Zachary had grabbed Kendra's shoulder to prop her upright in an effort to wake her up. But when he did, Zachary could see two wide open eyes and an excessive amount of blood on Kendra's neck.

    She wasn't sleeping; she was dead.

    Zachary dropped Kendra with a small yell of surprise, and inadvertently dropped her to the ground. Isaac and Chen looked on in horror and also yelled out of fear. Despite the appearance, Isaac wanted to do whatever he could to help.

    "Chen, get Nicole!" he said to the guard by his side. "She's a medic, she can help!"

    Zachary didn't stop Chen from running out of the room, but he knew he had to help Isaac see the grim reality of the situation. After he placed two fingers on the side of Kendra's neck, the commander finally revealed the truth. "She's... She's gone, Isaac," he sadly reported.

    Isaac walked into the room and stared at the lifeless shell before him. He never would have expected something like this to happen, especially to a close friend like Kendra.

    And in a safe place like the heating grid.

    After he wiped a tear from his eye, Isaac tried to assess what had actually happened. "Wh-What happened?" he asked. "What happened to her? Was it part of the accident?"

    Zachary looked at the blood on Kendra's neck, where he saw a deep cut. "No," he said. "This cut is too perfect. It wasn't an accident." Zachary looked up to Isaac as he explained himself. "She was murdered."

    Isaac couldn't help but gasp when he heard that word. Workplace accidents were common at the heating grid, but murder was something else entirely.

    It didn't make sense.

    "Who would do this?" he asked. "Why?"

    *ZAP*

    *ZAP*    ​

    Zachary looked to his left when he heard electric sparks. And when he did, he could see the situation became much worse. "Whoever did that," he replied. "Look."

    Isaac did what he was told and realized why Zachary was distressed. The console Kendra's body was resting on wasn't only covered in her blood, but it was shooting sparks from broken pieces and loose wiring.

    Someone had sabotaged the heating grid's controls.

    *WOOO*

    *WOOO*    ​

    Another alarm sounded throughout the area, and the screens gave an indication as to why. Just like in Sector C, Isaac could see massive buildups of pressure and heat levels rising past normal and safe boundaries. All around him, and all throughout the building, the heating grid was out of control.

    "Oh, Gods!" Isaac yelled as he rushed over to the terminal. "Everything's going critical! The pressure's building up everywhere!"

    Zachary didn't need to be told how serious this was. "We have to shut it down!" he said. "Isaac, shut it all down!"

    The engineer pressed all the buttons he could see, including the main shutdown. But every time he pressed a button, nothing happened. "It's not working!" he said. "The console's fried!"

    Zachary knew exactly what to do next.

    "RUN!"

    Present​

    The staff and security guards of Mantle's heating grid had managed to save themselves. But sadly, they couldn't save the heating grid.

    That was the story Isaac and Zachary had told Willow Schnee, after she had left her dining room. The story was so horrifying and tragic that she needed to sit down in order to fully process it. After she did, Willow did her best to try and assess the situation. She understood that a massive explosion had engulfed the heating grid, and that emergency response teams were working to put out the fire.

    But as far as anyone was concerned, the heating grid was completely gone.

    It didn't take long for snow to begin engulfing the streets of Mantle, and it didn't take long for its citizens to seek shelter. Rumors spread about Atlas turning off the heat, but the story of the explosion had somehow reached the media.

    And when it reached the media, it reached the Atlas Council.

    Everyone in the dining room knew they needed answers as to why the Council had been informed of an emergency like this. Ironwood and Bail had the idea to seek out Willow, to see if she could shed some light on the situation.

    By the time they found her in her study, Willow had just ended the call with her employees. Because of this impeccable timing, Willow was able to give her guests an explanation.

    "They said it was a pressure buildup in the pipes," she said. "It was one sector at first, but then it spread all over. The heating grid... it's gone."

    Everyone was surprised to hear this, but they tried their best to find a solution and more answers. "Is there any way to fix it?" Bail asked hopefully.

    "It's gone, Bail," Willow sadly reported. "All of it. It's completely destroyed."

    "Has the damage spread to Atlas?" Councilwoman Camilla asked.

    "No, ma'am. Whoever did this, they isolated Mantle from Atlas. The systems up here are running normal."

    "What do you mean 'whoever did this?'" Councilman Sleet asked.

    "My men said that this wasn't an accident." Willow turned to Ironwood. "Someone sabotaged the grid's control systems. Destroyed them to create the pressure buildup that caused the explosion."

    Willow wasn't looking at Ironwood to accuse him of anything. However, she remembered Robyn's story and came to believe it was connected to this new crime. Everyone else believed it too, and it was Cinder who confirmed the truth.

    "The Blairs," she said. "They did this."

    "This is just like the warehouse," said Djarin. "And they said they were going to finish Mantle. But... I never imagined..."

    Robyn grabbed her head in frustration and began to pace. "This isn't happening," she said to herself. "This isn't happening."

    "Without heat down there, people are going to die," said Sleet.

    "If the grid can't be fixed, we have to start evacuations immediately," said Bail.

    Everyone was discussing plans on how to save Mantle, but Ironwood was silent. He knew that the Blairs and Durge were still at large, but he could have never predicted something of this scale. Sabotaging and destroying the heating grid, one of Atlas' most essential operations, sent shivers down his spine.

    If they could destroy that... what else could they destroy?

    "General?"

    Ironwood looked to Cinder, who had easily noticed the look of disbelief and concern on his face. "How bad is it?" she asked.

    Ironwood took out his Scroll and examined the damage of the heating grid. "The entire station has been destroyed," he said. "If they're trying to do the same thing to Amity..." Ironwood examine the present security at Amity, both inside and outside. "No, the secret is safe. For now. But if they learn about Amity, she learns about Amity."

    "..."

    At first, Robyn thought Ironwood was referring to her when he said "she." But something seemed off with his fear at the moment. When Ironwood was in the dining room, he remained calm when Robyn challenged him to take her hand. But now, he was on the verge of panicking.

    So Robyn concluded that there was someone else Ironwood didn't want learning about Amity. But who?

    *THUMP*

    *THUMP*

    *THUMP*    ​

    Everyone looked down the hall to see multiple men in white running towards them. Qrow and Revan were with SCAR Squadron, and they had terrible news.

    "General, the Grimm are all over Mantle," said Clover. "The air fleet's doing everything they can, but they can't easily target Grimm in the city without risking casualties."

    Everyone gasped and looked at each other when they heard more bad news. However, Cinder was the only one who couldn't believe that such a thing was possible. "Wait, the Grimm can't be in Mantle!" she said. "The wall's been sealed!"

    Clover turned to Mic with a regretful sigh. "Show her, Mic," he said sadly.

    The soldier pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet as he spoke. "This is drone surveillance from the wall," he said. "The drone is gone, but its footage was sent to the academy."

    Everyone moved closer to Mic to see what he was showing them. On a holographic screen, they could see the part of the wall that Cinder had fixed with her Maiden powers. There were two young women in black who were talking to themselves.

    Nobody could hear what they were saying, but they could see what happened next.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    The natural wall began to crumble at the feet of the girls, who were greeted by the sight of numerous Grimm running through the wall and onto the streets. Though they seized the opportunity that came to them, it wasn't the Grimm that destroyed the wall.

    It was the large man in armor, carrying a rocket launcher at his side and joining the two girls.

    The last thing everyone saw was the large man taking out a pistol and shooting at the camera, which caused the screen to display static. They didn't need to see anything else, though.

    They had seen enough.

    "Durge?" Djarin whispered in shock. "Alive?"

    "That's impossible!" said Obi-Wan. "Nobody could have survived what happened to him!"

    "He broke the wall?" Cinder asked. Her heart began to break when she saw that her work had become undone. "But... I worked so hard to fix it." Djarin put a hand on his daughter's shoulder to comfort her while everyone else talked.

    "This..." Ironwood said as he put a hand to his jaw and walked away. "This is what I was afraid would happen.

    "Sir, we need ground support now," said Clover.

    "What we need is to start evacuating Mantle," Robyn insisted. She too was sad to see the wall had been breached, but she remained as calm and focused as she could. "If it's completely overrun, it's not going to be safeanywhere. Use the fleet to get-"

    "If I move the fleet, then Atlas is vulnerable!"

    "..."

    When silence fell upon the area, Ironwood found himself leaning against the wall in frustration. Nothing had gone according to plan tonight, and it was only getting worse. All of his plans and work were coming apart, and he had nothing left to work with.

    "I… I tried to keep the Kingdom safe. And now we're losing everything."

    "..."

    After months of work and planning, General Ironwood had reached his breaking point. He had tried everything to get Amity ready and protect Atlas, but everything was coming undone.

    It was all for nothing.

    "James."

    Ironwood looked to see Ozpin had joined his side. "Earlier, you asked for my advice," he said calmly. "Back at the academy."

    "You already gave it to me," said Ironwood.

    "Yes, I did. But now I see there was something I should have said earlier." Ozpin put a hand on Ironwood's shoulder. "You had everything planned out perfectly. Your work has made all the progress it could. But there was one thing you didn't have too much of. Something that the Blairs and Durge are taking away."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan sensed where Ozpin was going with his advice, so he joined his friend and finished the thought. "Time," he said.

    "..."

    Despite the Council, Robyn, and Willow being unsure about all the details, they were certain it had something to do with the Amity project. They could see that Ironwood had been trying to use whatever time he had to finish it, but the terrorists in their borders were determined to take it away.

    And now Ironwood was starting to understand the same thing.

    "She never gave me the time I needed for my plans and ideas," Ozpin continued, picking up where Obi-Wan left off. "She never gave it to anyone."

    "The destruction of Coruscant took away the time we needed with my Padawan," Obi-Wan continued. "Just like the Fall of Beacon did."

    "Yes. And now the same thing is happening here. They won't give you the time to make your plan work perfectly. But it can still work."

    Ironwood immediately disagreed. "It's time to give up on that plan," he said as he stood up straight. "It's all coming apart."

    "Not entirely," said Obi-Wan. "That's what we're supposed to believe, what we let her make us believe. But sometimes... sometimes we can work around it. We can do something unexpected." Obi-Wan reflected on his time with the Jedi when he had this idea, specifically Anakin. Despite his training and the rules the Council gave, there was one thing Anakin excelled in.

    Ozpin understood it well, and he relayed this idea to Ironwood.

    "Improvise."

    "..."

    When they saw Ironwood begin to consider the idea, the clan of two suggested how they could improvise together. "I'll go to Mantle again," said Cinder. "Fix the wall the same way I fixed it before. While all of us, together, fight Durge again." Cinder gestured towards Winter, Penny, and SCAR Squadron as well as Djarin, Qrow, and the two Jedi. If they had a bigger force before them, the Blairs would be more vulnerable while Durge was distracted.

    "And we can't wait until Amity is up?" Djarin asked rhetorically. "Fine." He gestured towards Willow and the Council. "Some of the people you want to tell everything to are here now. Why prolong the inevitable?"

    Slowly but surely, Ironwood was agreeing with this course of action. If Salem was so determined to destroy his plans, then perhaps improvising was the right way to go.

    And Djarin had the right idea with the Council. There wasn't going to be any waiting for Amity to go up. It was now or never.

    "And we don't have to use the fleet."

    Everyone turned to look at Winter, who had just given a strange option. The Council was surprised to hear such an idea, given that the air fleet was above them for a reason. Surely, defending a city from Grimm by evacuating it would call for the use of an air fleet.

    Willow was the most surprised. Despite everything, Willow still didn't understand why her daughter was so loyal to Ironwood. And to agree with not using the fleet just didn't sit right with her. This, after all the other times Winter chose to drift away from her, made Willow think she had lost her daughter for good.

    Until the young cadet finished her thoughts.

    "We have other airships we can use for evacuation while the air fleet defends Mantle," said Winter. "Or rather... you do, Mother."

    This was the first time Winter had addressed her mother that wasn't in a hostile manner or a closed ended answer. Not only was Willow happy to hear that, but she also found herself feeling hope when she knew what Winter was talking about.

    "That's right!" Willow said with a small gasp. "I have rows and rows of cargo ships just sitting in hangars because of the embargo!" Willow rushed into her study and towards her computer. "And I have all those drones in the Snow Shoe Shipping." Willow looked back to her guests. "I can order as many as we need to pilot our ships down to Mantle while the air fleet handles the Grimm!"

    This was the first piece of good news anyone had heard since the declaration of an emergency. That, along with Ironwood finally being ready to tell them the truth, was everything they could have asked for.

    "I'll need the coordinates," Willow said. "To tell my ships where to go."

    "We'll give them to you while we clear out Mantle," said Clover. "As soon as we get there."

    Ironwood, while reluctant, understood that time had never been on his side. If he was going to act, if he was going to save Atlas and Mantle, he was going to have to do everything now.

    "In that case," he said as he looked at everyone before him. "Miss Hill, Councilman Sleet, Councilwoman Camilla, there are some things you need to know about. Let's figure out how we can help Mantle… together."

    The party had ended rather prematurely, given the circumstances. All of the guests had left, and the staff were sent home in case a similar emergency arose in the city of Atlas. But the Council decided to establish themselves in the Schnee manor, since they were already together.

    Though they insisted on staying, Bail told his wife and daughter to return home for their safety.

    Robyn and Winter were going to join the rest of their allies in Mantle, but not just yet. After what had been advised to do, Ironwood decided to tell everything he had been hiding from the Council and Robyn.

    Everything.

    While Ironwood was doing that, Winter made the decision to do the same thing with her mother. She asked Ironwood for permission first, but he allowed it. So, behind closed doors in her study, Winter told Willow what they were truly up against.

    And everything she knew about it.

    When Winter finished, Willow was staring at her desk in total disbelief. Words failed her, as did her intelligence. It was hard to comprehend the idea of the Grimm being controlled by someone who was once human, someone who hated the world with a dark and zealous passion.

    However, Willow knew Winter wasn't lying. She had heard Ironwood saying similar things outside her door, but Willow knew it wasn't like Winter to make up a story of this caliber.

    Especially the final part.

    "She... can't be killed?" Willow asked her daughter. "Cinder told you this?"

    "She saw it for herself at Haven Academy," Winter explained. "As for Salem herself, I was told by General Ironwood. Who was told by Professor Ozpin."

    "So... they know. All of them."

    "Yes, they do."

    Willow took a deep breath to relax before she asked her next question. "Is this... Is this why you haven't been talking to me?" she asked. "You didn't want me to find out?"

    That sounded a little too harsh, even for Winter. Remembering Cinder's advice, and knowing that she needed to patch things up with her mother, Winter did what Penny would have done.

    She spoke from her heart.

    "Mother... it's true that I didn't want you to find out just yet," Winter began. "General Ironwood believed we could tell everyone when Amity went up, and I agreed. But as Mr. Djarin said, I had to tell you now or never."

    Willow nodded. "I understand," she began. "But that doesn't answer my question."

    "I know. It's just..." Winter took a moment to collect her thoughts on what to say next. It didn't take long, however. "Mother, I know how much you want me to come back here. And I know you still don't completely agree with the General. After all..." Winter pointed to the prosthetic eye she had. "You still blame him for this happening to me." After Willow nodded once again, Winter made her point clear. "But the thing is... I don't."

    "..."

    "I don't blame him for this. And I don't see him the way you do. And... I don't want to stay away from the conflict at hand. I... I don't want to stay here."

    "..."

    Winter had tried to let her mother down gently, but the statement hit Willow like a ton of bricks. Not because Winter wanted to keep fighting, but because of something she believed back in the dining room.

    "Was it... Was it something I said?" Willow asked. "Something I did?"

    Winter immediately shook her head. "No, it's not nothing like that," she insisted. "I mean, being here sometimes made me think of Father and everything he did, but it's not like that." Winter put a hand on top of her mother's. "It's not you, Mother. I know you did the best you could for me, between being a single parent and running the company. The truth is... it's me."

    "..."

    "I'm ready, Mother. I know I'm only fifteen, but I'm ready for this. Salem may be immortal, but we have a plan to get around that. And I'm ready to be a part of it. I'm ready for what I decided to do with my life."

    "..."

    When Willow finished listening, she realized that this day had been coming ever since Winter was born. That one day she would realize that she was ready to live her own life, however she saw fit. Every mother knew that this day would come for their children, but Willow had a hard time believing it had come so soon.

    Nonetheless, Willow was prepared to respect this decision; after just one more question.

    "Are you sure?" Willow asked calmly.

    Winter nodded slowly. "I'm sure," she replied.

    "..."

    "..."

    "In that case... it seems all I can do is wish you luck." Willow stood up and extended her arms, sending her daughter off with one final hug. Winter accepted the embrace, as well as the kiss her mother planted on her forehead. "Good luck, darling."

    "Thank you, Mother," Winter replied with a smile. "Thank you."

    When she left her mother's study, Winter found General Ironwood and Robyn Hill waiting for her outside the manor. They had an airship ready to take them away from the house, where they would be taken back to Atlas Academy. They would make a plan there, since Robyn was still processing everything she heard.

    She was still processing it after the ship took to the air.

    "Are you okay, Ms. Hill?" Winter asked.

    "Huh?" Robyn asked when she looked up. "Oh, uh... yeah. Yeah, I'm good." Robyn had to shake her head briefly in order to focus on the present, but she was focused now.

    "I'm sure it was a lot to take in," Winter continued. "If you have any questions-"

    "No, that's fine. I got the picture." Robyn's cheeks grew red when she thought of something else. "I, uh... I guess you really needed those supplies from Mantle, huh?" This was the second time that Robyn felt that she made a fatal error in judgment, even though the secrecy Ironwood was using led her to making her recent choices.

    Winter understood that Robyn felt foolish, but it wasn't as bad as it sounded. "If it's any consolation, our scientists and engineers actually worked at a faster rate when they got the supplies back. We should expect Amity up sooner than we thought."

    "Oh, yeah? Well, that's good."

    Winter nodded as she moved to the cockpit of the ship. Ironwood was talking to someone on the radio, but he paused when he saw Winter approach. "Winter," he said as he lowered his hand from his ear. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to you before we left. How did it go with Willow?"

    "Rather well, actually," said Winter, who reflected on her conversation with her mother. Opening up to her and leaving on good terms was much better than she expected. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

    "Granted," Ironwood replied.

    "It actually... felt good. Getting it all out in the open. Salem, the Maidens, all of it." Winter formed a small smile as she remembered it all. "It felt good to be able to tell the truth to people who needed to hear it."

    "...Yes," Ironwood replied, albeit neutrally. "I suppose so."

    "..."

    If Winter didn't know any better, she would say that the General sounded half-hearted in his response. It almost made her think that she had spoken out of turn. But when she saw Ironwood talk on his radio once again, Winter brushed aside the comment as her superior needing to focus.

    "Is the fleet still in formation, Admiral?" Ironwood asked.

    "Yes, General," Admiral Thrawn said over the radio. "Our Mantas are working in the tundra while Tarkin has his ground forces across Mantle."

    "Tell him to expect Task Force 99 soon. And I want any Mantas you can spare to be sent to Amity immediately. We need the Colosseum secure."

    "If I may, General, I have prepared a... different strategy for Amity."

    Ironwood was used to Thrawn always having something up his sleeve, even though Ironwood never knew what it was. But the Admiral hadn't steered him wrong yet, so Ironwood decided to listen.

    "What did you have in mind?" Ironwood asked.

    "If these saboteurs plan to do to Amity what they did to the heating grid, there may be a way to find them faster than we have before," Thrawn replied.

    "And that would be?"

    "Giving them what they want."

    "..."

    "Whoa."

    "Really?"

    "Yeah. I tested him myself. Whatever this... thing is, it's real."

    "My Gods."

    "..."

    General Ironwood and Robyn had arrived at Atlas Academy, where the Happy Huntresses were waiting for them. They weren't entirely better, but their injuries had healed enough for another fight. They would just have to be more careful than usual.

    Ironwood was in the process of making a plan of defense with his soldiers and requested Robyn's assistance prior to her departure for Mantle. And given everything she had seen and heard, Robyn was in no position to turn down Ironwood's offer.

    But first, she needed to tell her friends what they were all up against.

    "Let me get this straight," said May. "The Blairs and Durge are actually Grimm?"

    "And they were sent here by someone who can control Grimm?" Joanna asked.

    "That's why they attacked Beacon and Haven?" Fiona asked. "To leave the world defenseless?"

    "Pretty much," said Robyn. "There's also something about the academies hiding something the Grimm want, but I don't understand everything about that."

    The Huntresses decided to ignore the idea about the Relics for the moment and focus on what was in front of them. "And now they're doing the same thing in Atlas," said Fiona.

    "How do we stop them?" May asked.

    "By stopping the Grimm," said Robyn. "And protecting Amity."

    "Right, that," said Joanna. "Okay, I get we're supposed to protect it, but why didn't Ironwood just say Amity was a new communications tower?"

    "Because he didn't want to see it blow up like the heating grid did."

    "Oh..."

    With everyone now in full understanding, Robyn decided to focus on the reason she told her friends everything. "Look, everyone... I think it's safe to say that the situation for us has totally changed," she said. "This fight isn't just about Mantle anymore. It's about all of Remnant. And it's a lot bigger than the four of us."

    "..."

    "Between me feeling better after that fight in the sewers, and everything I did and didn't do with Mantle, I'm in it for the long run. Whatever Ozpin and Ironwood need from me, I'm there. But if you don't feel the same way, I understand. I won't stop you if you want to leave."

    "Come on, Robyn," Joanna said sarcastically. "You know us better than that. Why would we leave?"

    "Because..." Robyn took a breath before she fully replied. "Because there's no guarantee we're actually gonna win this. Once we're in... I can't promise that we'll come out."

    "..."

    This was enough to make the Happy Huntresses stop and think for a moment. They were still loyal to Robyn and Mantle, but hearing an uncertainty such as this was enough to make them pause. They were still trying to believe everything they heard, which told them that this fight would be long and arduous.

    And not without sacrifice.

    On the other hand, this wouldn't be the first time the Happy Huntresses had risked their lives for people. Whether it was Grimm or a war, nothing was going to stop them from defending Mantle or the Kingdom of Atlas. And so, with resolute glares, each of the Happy Huntresses put their hands together to show Robyn that they were with her.

    "Let's do this," said Fiona, who was waiting for her leader to put her hand on next. And when she did so, Robyn felt more united with her friends than before.

    "Let's do this," she said with a smile.

    But before she could leave the academy, General Ironwood told Robyn that he was preparing a message for the Kingdom of Atlas; one that he needed her help with. So Robyn would stay a little longer to help deliver this message.

    But first, she decided to visit someone who wasn't with her or the Happy Huntresses.

    Boba Fett was still at the medical center of Atlas Academy, and he was still recovering from the fight in the sewers. The medics had performed successful surgery on him, and his Aura was working, but there wasn't anything else they could do to get Boba off the hospital bed. It would take several weeks before he could fight again.

    But the worst part was that Boba didn't know about the true fight at hand.

    Robyn wanted to tell Boba everything, but he was resting when she visited him. So while she didn't believe she could tell him the truth, Robyn decided to tell Boba what was going to happen.

    "Hey, Shamrock," she said, using the nickname she gave him after seeing Boba's green armor. "You're not dying on me yet, are you?"

    "..."

    Boba was silent, but the machines he was attached to told Robyn that he was still alive. And so, Robyn decided to continue her talk in a more serious manner.

    "Look, about what happened in the sewers... I found out that the fight is a lot bigger than we thought. It's... It's something people have been fighting before. For centuries."

    "..."

    "Believe it or not, Ironwood's been fighting it too. Keeping secrets didn't help that much, but he's been trying to fight the good fight. And I'm gonna fight it too."

    "..."

    "The only problem is... I don't know if I'm gonna make it back. If any of us are."

    "..."

    "Like I said, this fight's been going on for centuries. A lot of people were involved. And it's not over."

    "..."

    "I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it back. And I'm not sure if we'll win anytime soon. But I just want you know that I'll be joining.

    "..."

    "And in case I don't make it back... Well, there's a hell of a lot of stuff I can say to you." Robyn chuckled to herself as she thought of what to say. "Like how proud I am to be your friend. Even before my parents took you in, you were always my best friend. I'm just... sorry we drifted apart for a little while."

    "..."

    "Don't worry, I'm not gonna give you a lecture about choosing the right side or what-not. You made your choice, I respect that. All I'm saying is I'm sorry we won't be fighting together right now. Or... maybe ever again."

    "..."

    "I'm sorry, Boba. Goodbye."

    "..."

    It wasn't much, but it was the best Robyn could think of at the moment. She didn't know when, or if, she would see Boba again, so it was best to say whatever came to mind. As a soldier in this war against Salem, the risks would be even higher than before. But Robyn understood that, and told herself that with each step she took to the door.

    Boba had often helped Robyn out of a bind when she needed it. And now Robyn knew she would have to fight for people like him now.

    "Don't count me out just yet, Robyn."

    The sound of a familiar voice caused Robyn to turn around as fast as she could. As soon as she did, Robyn immediately believed her eyes were playing tricks on her.

    There was a man in the room, wearing a set of green Mandalorian armor. And he was ready for a fight.

    "Boba?" Robyn asked as she turned to the bed. At first, she saw that her friend was still resting on the bed. But when she saw a green color glow across his body, Robyn knew something was going on.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Another man wearing green Mandalorian armor appeared before Robyn and spoke in the same voice. "Or me," he said as he gripped a rifle he was carrying.

    *WHOOSH*​

    "Or me," said a third man.

    *WHOOSH*​

    "Or me."

    *WHOOSH*​

    "Or me."

    Five copies of Boba wearing Mandalorian armor were standing in front of Robyn. The real Boba wasn't using his Aura to heal himself, but rather focus on the Semblance that could create clones. Robyn was somewhat jealous of this ability, since her friend could create a small army for himself. But now, a small army like this was exactly what she needed.

    And while she was concerned about Boba's health, Robyn knew it would be pointless to try and change his mind. He may not have been aware of the fight like Robyn was, but Boba was involved now more than ever.

    "Well..." Robyn said as she examined the clone force before her. "Alright, then."
     
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