Chapter 4: The Return
"So that's it?"
Djarin turned around to see Cinder standing behind him. "Cinder. I-"
"You're just giving me away?" Cinder asked with anger in her voice.
"It's not like that," he replied calmly. "I was sent here to bring Lila alive to my client. I think I know why he wants you now."
"So do I." Cinder's hands balled into fists, her nails digging into her skin. "You're sending me back to the hotel, aren't you? That's why you're being paid."
"No, you don't understand. I-"
"Stop lying to me!"
Djarin saw her eyes begin to flame again, just like she did on the mountain. It seemed this power came to her when anger was present. It was directed at the Rinocer at first. And unless he could calm her down, Djarin was about to suffer the girl's wrath. "Cinder, listen to me. You can't be angry. Just let me-"
"Why not?!" Cinder yelled. "Why can't I be angry?!" She suddenly began to levitate off the ground, but she didn't even notice.
"Cinder, listen to me!"
"No, you listen! I spent years working and suffering at my so called 'home.' Now, when I finally have a way to get out of it, you want to send me back just to make some easy money?!"
"It's not like that! I know how you've suffered, and-"
"You don't know how I suffered!" Cinder yelled at the top of her lungs as her eyes burned brighter. She jabbed her finger in the Mandalorian's direction as she continued her tirade. "What gives you the right to say that?! And what gives you the right to tell me I can't be angry?!"
A ball of fire launched from her hand and barely missed the Mandalorian. The projectile hit the door to Pietro's cabin instead.
*BOOM*
Cinder covered her mouth in shock at the sudden act of destruction. It was at that moment she realized she was flying. She suddenly began to panic as she fell to the ground, her eyes still aflame.
The Mandalorian turned away from the door and saw a small mirror on Pietro's workbench. Grabbing it and holding it in front of Cinder, he began to explain what was going on. "This... is why I didn't want you getting angry," he calmly said, confident she wasn't going to attack him again.
Cinder looked closer into the mirror, observing the fire coming out of her eyes. "What... What is it?" she asked.
"I don't know. All I know is that the woman who saved you could do the exact same thing. And use the same powers you just did. I think-"
"What is going on out here?!"
Djarin and Cinder turned to see Pietro walking out of the room, his jaw dropping as he saw his destroyed door. "What happened to my door?" he asked.
Cinder tried to explain her mistake, but was so nervous that she couldn't form a complete sentence. "I... It was... I didn't mean..."
She suddenly ran out of the house. Djarin immediately gave chase. It wasn't hard to follow Cinder, the Mandalorian's thermal vision was able to find her in the dark forest.
"Cinder, stop!" he pleaded.
"Leave me alone!" she yelled back.
As she passed by a tree, Cinder failed to see one of its large root in her path. Tripping and falling on the ground, Cinder began to cry. The Mandalorian lowered himself to her level. Just as he did, Djarin was surprised to feel Cinder wrap her arms around him. "I'm... I'm sorry," she said as more tears fell down her face.
The Mandalorian didn't want to upset the scared child even more, so he slowly wrapped his arms around her to calm her down. "It's okay," he replied.
Cinder let go and looked at her hands, the events from earlier replaying in her mind. "I don't like this."
"Neither do I," Djarin admitted. "We'll figure this out."
"How?"
"My client wanted Lila for a reason. The fact that you have her... power... and now he wants to see you can't be a coincidence. I think he can help you."
"Really?"
"He wants to meet me again, at the Glass Unicorn. He's not going to give you back to your guardian, he's just a guest there. But if you don't want to go, we can meet somewhere else."
"...I'll go."
Djarin stood up and extended a hand to Cinder, which she slowly took and came off the ground. He led her back to Pietro's cabin to explain the situation. He was waiting outside on the front steps. "Is she alright?" Pietro quickly asked.
"She's fine," Djarin answered. "Sorry about the door."
"It's no problem, I can fix it." Pietro turned to Cinder. "Sorry for scaring you, I didn't know what was going on."
"It's... It's okay," Cinder replied, staring at the ground.
Djarin turned back to Pietro. "We're leaving."
"Well, good luck to you. And thanks for the droid."
The Mandalorian and Cinder were standing outside the Glass Unicorn. It was 11:00 in the evening. Cinder was taking deep breaths as she began to walk up to the door. Before she opened it, Djarin placed a hand on hers.
"We can meet somewhere else," he reassured her. "I'll understand."
Cinder took a look at the door. "I can do this," she bravely declared.
She opened the door and walked inside with her companion. They both heard laughter coming from behind them as soon as they walked in. Turning around, they came face-to-face with two girls older than Cinder. One was a brunette whose long hair reached behind her head, wearing a white shirt, a black headband, and gray jeans. The other was a blonde with a black headband in her curly hair, wearing a long gray skirt under her shirt. They were both had a look of sadistic glee on their faces.
"Well... look who's here," the brunette said.
"Mom's been wanting to talk to you," the blonde said with a smirk.
Cinder held her neck, afraid of what the Madame would do once they were alone. Her fears, however, were cast aside when the Mandalorian stepped in front of her. "I'm taking her to my client," he said.
The blonde dropped her smile and walked towards the elevator. "He's waiting for you. Follow me."
Djarin already knew the way to room 467. He had a feeling the girls knew that too. They just wanted to see what would happen to Cinder. As they exited the elevator, the blonde led the Mandalorian and Cinder to the room. The brunette pushed Cinder behind her back, causing the young girl to stumble. "Slowpoke," she said as she joined her sister, who was giggling in her hand.
"Easy with her," Djarin warned.
The brunette turned back. "Don't tell me what to do."
The group stopped as the blonde knocked on the door to room 467. "Enter," the client's voice said.
The blonde opened the door and they all walked inside. The settings were similar to when the Mandalorian first entered the room. The robots were in the same position and the client was sitting at his table. The only difference, however, was the Madame standing next to him, staring at Cinder.
The client got up and walked up to Cinder, holding a device in his hand. Pressing a button, a red light shined in Cinder's face. She closed her eyes to avoid the light burning her eyes. "Very healthy," he said as he put the tool in his pocket. "And this is the one I'm looking for."
"You know what happened to her," Djarin said.
"That piece of scrap metal showed me."
Djarin realized he was talking about IG-11. "You knew the droid would be there."
"Not quite. I learned it had been activated by someone and I was curious as to where it was going. I hacked into its visual processors as it carried out its mission. I could only observe its actions, not control it."
"So you couldn't stop it."
"I tried everything, but to no avail," he responded. He turned his eyes to Cinder. "But that's not important."
"...You can help her?"
The client turned back to the Mandalorian. "How uncharacteristic of one of your... reputation. Is it not the code of the Guild that these events are now forgotten?"
Cinder spoke up. "He's my... friend."
The girls laughed when they heard this. All eyes in the room landed on them. "Who'd want to be friends with you?" the blonde asked.
"That's something I can't understand," her sister included.
It was at that moment Djarin lost his patience with the girls. "You understand this?!"
He raised his arm and his flamethrower activated. The girls screamed as they dropped to the floor, narrowly avoiding the fire that scorched the wall. The robots armed themselves and the Madame grabbed his arm. The client simply sat down and smiled. "You son of a bitch!" the woman yelled as the Mandalorian turned off his weapon. "Are you out of your mind?!"
"Maybe it would be best if your girls wait outside," the client said as he waved his hand at the robots. They lowered their guns and the woman turned to the client. "We're almost done here."
The Madame turned to her scared daughters. "Go downstairs," she ordered. The girls immediately ran out the door.
"You're right about the code of the Guild," Djarin said to the client. "These events are to be forgotten once I receive commission... and payment."
The client stood up as he reached below his desk. The Mandalorian slowly put his hand over his pistol, but let go as he saw two large briefcases. The client opened them both to reveal a large amount of Beskar. "This is including the inconvenience with the droid," he said. "Such a large bounty for such a small package." The client turned to the Atlesian Knights. "Take her outside."
The robots walked over to Cinder. Before she left with them, Cinder reached for her neck and tore off her shock collar. She handed it the Mandalorian, who looked it over. "In case I don't see you again," she said. "I won't be needing it anymore."
The robots began to walk out of the room, Cinder following them.
"...Good luck," the Mandalorian said.
Cinder looked back at him and smiled, a tear falling down her right cheek.
Before he could do anything else, the Madame pointed a finger to the door. "Get out," she furiously ordered. "And I suggest not coming back."
The Mandalorian didn't need to be told twice. He vanished without a trace. Before she left the room as well, the client slid a few Lien her way. "I haven't forgotten our deal," he said, referring to the fact that the woman wanted to be paid for losing her only servant.
The woman looked at the Lien and smiled. "Pleasure doing business with you, Doctor Watts," she said.
"Likewise," he said as he left the room. Before the Madame joined him, she got a good look at the scorch mark on the wall. It wouldn't cost much to repaint the wall, but the loss of her servant would need to be dealt with soon.
She counted her money again and again as she entered the elevator, her wide smile displaying her greed. As the Madame exited the elevator, she saw her daughters were waiting by the front desk.
"Mom, Cinder and that bounty hunter are gone," the brunette one said. "But something happened."
"Did he hurt you?" the woman asked calmly.
"No," the girl replied.
"Did he vandalize the lobby?"
"No," the blonde replied.
"Then what happened?"
The girls answered simultaneously. "He stole something."
The Madame immediately looked under her desk, where she kept her Lien. But it didn't look like any of the money was missing. So she looked back at her daughters. "What did he steal?"
The girls pointed at a vase at the side of the room. The Madame had placed a bouquet of lily flowers in the vase earlier. They were gone.
Years ago
"It's a beautiful night, buddy. You sure you don't wanna come out?"
A teenage girl was looking inside a horse-drawn carriage at a young boy wearing a red hood. He turned away from his book and looked at the girl. "No thanks, Ikki. I like it here."
Young Din Djarin was with his mother and sister at the moment, traveling with others from Mantle. Ikki had finally managed to save enough money from her job to afford an airship to the continent of Sanus. Now, they were traveling to the kingdom of Vale, where they would all make a fresh start. Starting with Din.
Ikki knew her brother had a fear of the dark. He told her he never felt alone when he was in a dark room, that someone or something was always watching. He was currently reading near a lantern, away from the dark woods. Ikki always hated seeing him afraid, but she hated it more when he wasn't living his life to the fullest.
So, she decided to change that.
"You'll like it even better out here," she said as she grabbed his arm.
"Wait! What are you doing?"
"I want to show you something." Ikki led her brother past the two men who were standing guard and went into the woods.
"Ikki, I really don't like this," Djarin said.
"I know, but trust me. You'll like what you see."
After a few minutes, Ikki stopped at a pond. She led her little brother to the side and he got a good look. The water was capturing what little light the stars were giving off. As the boy was entranced by the sight, he failed to notice Ikki wave her arm across the grass.
He spun his head around as he heard the noise, and dropped his jaw at the sight of dozens of fireflies around his younger sister.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Ikki said.
"Yeah," Din said as he waved his hand through the air.
"See? Things don't look so scary now, do they?" The boy shook his head. Ikki then kneeled down to Din.
"Din, I brought you out here because I want to ask you something," Ikki began. "I promised things would be different for us, but I want you to promise me the same thing."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I want you to be happy here, I want to make this a new start for all of us. Look what happened when you let go of your fear; you found a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter where you go, no matter what happens, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. Now it's time for you to find that light on your own. Live your life to the fullest and find the light, no matter what kind of trouble you're in."
"...There's always a light?"
Ikki smiled. "Always."
Din nodded and hugged his sister, who eagerly returned the hug.
"Aaaaahhhh!"
A loud scream caused the siblings to let go and turn in the direction of the scream.
They ran back towards the camp and stopped in their tracks. A pack of Beowolves had managed to sneak into their camp and attack the unsuspecting group.
"Oh, my God," Ikki said as she covered her mouth.
"Grimm," Din whispered.
"Ikki! Din!"
The siblings turned to see their mother run up to them. "We need to get out of here, follow me!" the woman ordered.
"But-" Djarin began. The woman grabbed her son and started running down a path with Ikki following her.
"Mom, we can't be out in the open like this!" Ikki said.
"We'll find help!" she explained. "There should be a town around here, right?"
"Not for another five miles! We can't-!"
A Beowolf landed in front of them and swiped its hand at the trio, slightly cutting Ikki's arm. Seeing no other choice, the women ran into the woods, hoping to lose the Grimm in the tall trees. As they stopped running and looked around, Ikki held her arm.
"Are you alright?" her mother asked.
"It's nothing," she replied, lying about the pain in her arm. In all honesty, it felt like a cheese grater had just sliced her arm and she was pretty sure it cut her bone. It was hard to keep back her tears. But she had something else on her mind. "How's Din?" she asked.
The boy was still in his mother's arms, tears falling down his cheeks. The women heard a howl and a growl not far from them. Ikki and her mother looked at each other, understanding their situation well. They were lost, being hunted by monsters, and there was no civilization for miles.
They were doomed.
But not all of them had to die.
"Mom, come here." Ikki ran to a tree and moved a few leaves, revealing a hole large enough to hide one person. The women knew exactly who that hole was meant for.
Din's mother lowered her son and looked into his eyes. "Din... sweetheart... go in the hole." The boy did as he was told, and his family began to put the leaves back on. He stopped them.
"What... What are you doing?" he asked. Ikki kneeled to his level.
"We're... We're going to get help," she lied. "We need you to stay here. The Grimm won't see you."
"I'll go with you."
"Sweetheart, we need you to stay here," his mother replied.
"But I wanna help."
The woman smiled as a tear fell down her cheek. "You can help. Just stay here and don't move."
"I... I can't!" Din started to cry even more. "I'm scared."
Ikki began to put more leaves on her brother. "So am I, buddy. But listen. Everything's going to be fine, as long as you stay absolutely still. Trust me."
Din began to move back into the tree, as the two put more leaves on him. A low growl caused them to move even faster. Before they left to let the Grimm follow them, far away from the scared little boy, Ikki whispered a promise to him.
"We love you, Din."
The two ran as fast as they could, with the sound of paws not far behind them.
Din continued to cry, unsure of where his family was or what was going on. He couldn't remember a time when he felt so lost and alone. And the worst part was that Ikki wasn't there to comfort him. All he could do was think about what Ikki had told him earlier, how there was always a light at the end of the tunnel. And he prayed that she was right.
The silence of the forest was broken by the sound of gunfire.
Din exited his tree and could still hear the gunfire. But he couldn't see anyone. A roar from behind caused the boy to fall to his feet and turn around, facing a Beowolf ready to pounce.
It disintegrated and revealed an armored warrior staring down at the child with an extended hand. Djarin took it, and the Mandalorian took off in the air with his jetpack, carrying the new Foundling home.
Din Djarin had found the light at the end of his tunnel. Or more accurately, it found him.
Present day
The Mandalorian found himself in the middle of a forest. The time he spent with Cinder, helping her and doing his best to comfort her when she was scared, it reminded him of something he needed to do. Something he hadn't done for a while. Something that weighed on his mind just as heavy as Cinder's current whereabouts.
[Play 'Transient Life (Romei)' on YouTube]
Still holding the briefcases and the flowers he took from the Glass Unicorn, Djarin walked over to a tall oak tree, its dead leaves covering the ground. He knelt down and placed his items to the side as he began to move the leaves. The cleared space revealed a granite headstone with a name carved into it.
Ikki Djarin
Some time after Djarin was found by the Mandalorians, he had returned to the site where his life changed forever. He found the destroyed carriage, the rotten supplies of food that had been left behind, but more importantly, Djarin found one body. The only one that wasn't devoured by the Grimm. His sister. After he gave her the burial she deserved, the Mandalorian purchased a headstone, carved her name into it, and placed it over her grave.
Removing his helmet, Djarin removed the remains of the old flowers he left once upon a time and replaced them with the new ones. He lowered his head as he silently paid his respects to the sister he loved. The Mandalorians, specifically the Children of the Watch, became his family after he became a Foundling. They taught him everything he knew, trained him to be the man he is, and welcomed him, a mere outsider, with open arms.
But Djarin couldn't simply forget about the family he lost. Doing so would be an insult to their memory, to all the love and help they gave to him. And Ikki...she meant too much to him. When she died, a small part of him felt hollow. Empty.
He had mostly recovered from the trauma as he grew older, and he willingly accepted the Mandalorians as his new brothers and sisters. But the hole in Djarin's heart never filled again. It probably never would. Djarin accepted this as a constant part of his life and learned to live with the pain of losing his only sibling. It started to become numb as time passed.
But he still had his bad days.
Standing up, the Mandalorian placed his helmet back on and picked up the cases. Taking one last look at the grave, Djarin saw a Beowolf approach it and sniff the headstone.
He shot it without hesitation and watched it disappear.
"Good to see you again, Ikki."
He vanished.
[End music]
The Mandalorian had returned to his village and was greeted by the same two guards. However, they began to follow him once he crossed the gate. The Mandalorians that saw their returning brother began to follow him as well.
Djarin had unknowingly became the talk of the town. His new pauldron had caught the attention of everyone. They knew Beskar was very rare, and that he had somehow managed to find some on his own. If he was returning with more, this was something they had to see.
The Armorer was kneeling in front of her furnace, in a meditative state. Her attention shifted to the two briefcases of Beskar Djarin placed before her.
As he sat down, more Mandalorians approached behind him, getting a good look at his reward.
"This amount can be shaped many ways," the Armorer observed. "And for many others."
"My armor has lost its integrity, I may need to begin again," Djarin requested.
"Indeed. I can form a full cuirass, this would be in order for your station."
The Mandalorians whispered among themselves, slightly excited about the chance to see a full suit of Mandalorian armor being made.
"That... would be a great honor," Djarin replied.
A hand placed itself on Djarin's shoulder. He looked up to see an orange and white Mandalorian patting his shoulder, congratulating him for his success. His name was Sun Jabbid, one of the first friends Djarin made when he was found by the Mandalorians. "This is a generous amount, Djarin," he said. "It will spawn many Foundlings."
"Good," Djarin replied. "I was once a Foundling."
"So was I." Sun patted his shoulder again.
The Beskar had drawn many eyes. But not all of them were welcoming. A large Mandalorian in blue armor with a few dents on it picked up one of the ingots. The first thing that caught his eye was the Atlesian symbol.
"These were cast in an Atlesian smelter," he angrily said. "These are the spoils of the Great War, the reason we live hidden like sewer rats."
The Armorer paid no attention to the Mandalorian's speech as she continued to organize the Beskar.
Jabbid spoke up. "Our secrecy is our survival. Our survival is our strength."
"Our strength was once in our numbers. Now we live in the woods and only come out one at a time," the large one continued. This Mandalorian had heard the stories of Mandalore the Great, how its people stood together against its foes. He took the stories to heart and was determined to show the world the strength of the Mandalorians. He looked back to Djarin and spoke again. "Our true home was turned to sand by Atlas' ancestors, whose descendants this coward shares tables with!"
This deal was a great offense to the large Mandalorian. One he wouldn't take lying down.
He grabbed Djarin's helmet and pulled, causing Djarin to grab his hands in retaliation. The large one pulled Djarin up and Djarin punched his exposed parts. Letting go, the large one backed against a wall as Djarin pulled out his knife. He slashed at his opponent's chest, but the Beskar blocked his attacks.
The large one grabbed both of his hands and they began a struggling match. It ended when they let go and placed their knives at each other's throats. Jabbid pulled out his knife and pointed it at the large one's throat as well.
"The kingdoms of old are no longer," the Armorer said as they froze. She stood up as she continued. "And the Beskar has returned."
The combatants didn't stand down.
"When one chooses to walk the Way of the Mandalore, you are both hunter and prey. How can one be a coward when one chooses this way of life?"
Nobody lowered their blades. The Armorer decided to test Djarin.
"Have you ever removed your helmet?" she asked.
"No," Djarin replied.
"Has it ever been removed by others?"
"Never."
"This is the Way."
"This is the Way," every Mandalorian confirmed. This time, everyone removed their blades.
"...This is the Way," the large one said as he left.
The Armorer noticed the extensive damage to Djarin's armor. "What caused this damage?" she asked.
"A Rinocer," he replied.
"A notable kill. You have earned the Rinocer as your signet. I shall craft it."
"I can't accept," Djarin refused calmly. "It wasn't a noble kill. I was helped by...someone."
"An enemy?"
"...No."
"...Since you forgo a signet, perhaps whistling birds will be in order."
"Whistling birds will do well. Reserve some for the Foundlings."
"As it should always be. The Foundlings are the future. This is the Way."
The group responded again. "This is the Way."
Djarin was last. "This is the Way."
As the Armorer prepared to forge Djarin's new armor, Jabbid tapped his shoulder. "You dropped this," he said, holding something in his hand. Djarin looked to see that he was holding Cinder's necklace. He took it without a word.
"I told you I'm not interested in your excuses."
"Come on, just hear me out!"
"You had your shot, mutt, but you failed. No bounties for you, now get outta here!"
"Fine. I don't need your racist ass anyways."
Greef Karga took a sip of his drink as the Faunus bounty hunter walked away. He wasn't happy to hear that one of his hunters failed, it was a blemish on his record. But he didn't have to worry about that. He would be living like a king soon enough. And the reason for this had just entered the bar.
All of the patrons' eyes landed on a Mandalorian with newly forged armor. If one looked close enough at each patron, they could see that their eyes were green with envy. Karga on the other hand, was more than pleased.
"Ah, Mando!" Karga greeted his friend with a smile. The bounty hunter stood still, looking at Karga. But Karga had his eyes on the other bounty hunters in the bar, who were having a jealous look at the Mandalorian's armor. "They all hate you, Mando. Because you're a legend!"
Djarin replied with a question. "How many of them had tracking fobs?" He was starting to have an idea about IG-11's presence, but he needed confirmation.
Karga scoffed before he answered. "All of them. All of them! But not one of them closed the deal. Only you, Mando. Only you. And with it, the richest reward this Kingdom has ever seen." Karga gestured to the empty seat across from him. "Please, sit my friend."
"..."
The Mandalorian removed his rifle and sat across from Karga as he continued to relish in his exploits. "They're all weighing the Beskar in their minds, but not me," he claimed. "No. I, for one, I celebrate your success. Because it is my success as well. Hell..." Karga waited for the patrons to turn away so he could show the Mandalorian his finder's fee: a few pieces of Beskar. "Even I'm rich."
"..."
The Mandalorian wasn't impressed. Clearing his throat and putting the Beskar away, Karga spoke again. "So, what brings you here?"
"I want my next job," the Mandalorian replied.
"Already?" Karga asked. "Come on Mando, enjoy yourself! Have a drink, live a little. I could take you to that place I've told you about! The humans and Faunus there are the best."
"My next job," the Mandalorian requested again.
Karga sighed as he took out his Scroll. "Alright, take your pick. You earned it."
Djarin looked at the new photos Karga had. The bounties came to him naturally when news about his involvement with the Mandalorian reached the right people of the Bounty Hunter's Guild. Djarin pressed a photo of a grinning man with yellow eyes and brown hair in a ponytail.
"A homicidal maniac in Anima," Karga noticed. "That's a good one. Dangerous, but good."
"I'll take it," the Mandalorian said.
"One more thing." Karga pulled out a card and handed it to the Mandalorian. "Check in with the Mistral police force before you go hunting."
The Mandalorian stood up and took the card. Just as he was able to leave, his eyes landed on a news report.
"We have just received confirmation of a freak accident in Atlas this afternoon as General James Ironwood prepared to demonstrate the newest arsenal of the Atlesian military. The machine known as the 'Paladin' malfunctioned and left the entrance to Atlas Academy demolished. Witnesses say that the only known fatality was Doctor Arthur Watts, one of Atlas' finest minds. The accident occurred at 2:30 today, with the General saying..."
The rest of the report faded away as Djarin got a good look at the picture of Watts the news was showing. A million questions ran in his mind as he observed that Watts was the client who gave him the job, who was supposed to have Cinder. The one thing that stood out was the time of death; 2:30 in the afternoon. When Djarin made the exchange, it was 11:00 at night. Something wasn't right. And Cinder might be in trouble.
"What was he going to do with her?" Djarin asked.
"With who?" Karga asked as he took a sip of his drink.
"The girl."
"I didn't ask. It's against the Guild Code."
"That doesn't answer my question, Greef."
Karga put his drink down and stared at the Mandalorian. "This is unlike you, my friend."
"What was he going to do with her?"
"Look, what's done is done. There's no sense in thinking about going back there. Trust me, once you get to Mistral, you'll forget all about it. Besides... there's a bounty out there with your name on it."
Djarin realized he was getting nowhere with Karga. So he left the bar and began to walk the streets, thinking about his current mission. Maybe Karga was right, he had more important things to do. One of them being the job he needed to do.
He reached into his belt as he fished for the card Karga gave him. He found it...but he also found something else. He took out the card... and Cinder's necklace.
She was out there somewhere, with a man who faked his own death. Djarin didn't know why Watts did this, but if he wanted the public to think he was dead... he wasn't up to anything good. And Djarin had roped a young girl in this man's plans.
He looked back at the card.
Then back at the necklace.
The card.
The necklace.
The card?
Or the necklace?
The hunt?
Or Cinder?
Djarin lowered both, he had made up his mind.
He vanished.
Author's notes: hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll be busy with my other story and a few other things, so I hope you don't mind waiting a little bit for the next chapter. It will be at least a few days (a week at most), so not too long.
To 23debal01, you'll have to wait and see.
To 54godmadora, thank you. I'm glad you like it. Your Grimm sounds really cool too, I hadn't even considered any other things mine could do.
To Marc Ello-Re Yes, I'm glad you're enjoying my idea. Yes, some things like the Jedi and Imperials will be replaced, but you'll like what I have.
To D.N Works, yeah that's how Cinder got there. Convenient? Maybe a little. But I think you'll like my choice as the story goes on. Your hunch was right, but you'll have to wait and see what else happens.
To MasterPrince713, Lila is dead, you're right. And you're right, Cinder is no Grogu, but the adventures that will happen will be great.
That's all I have right now. Thanks for reading and your reviews!