The Way of the Maiden

by The Court of Talons

The world of Remnant is notable for warriors such as Huntsmen and Huntresses. It is also notable for the Mandalorians, groups of mysterious and nomadic warriors just as ruthless as the Grimm. This is the story of one particular Mandalorian, and how a chance encounter with a child leads to the adventure of a lifetime.

21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Academy

"Well Ms. Rainart, that appears to be all the time we have."

"Thank you, Professor. I think all of this is starting to make sense."

"Good. But just to make sure it is, read pages 300 to 325. I want an essay on my desk when the weekend is over."

"Of course. Have a good night."

A young woman with long black hair and green eyes walked out of her teacher's office. Just as she opened the door, the nametag on the door fell off. The girl picked it up to see the name "Glynda Goodwitch" carved on it.

"Ugh," mumbled Professor Goodwitch. She moved her hand on her desk to pick up a riding crop. Pointing the crop at the student and flicking it, Glynda saw the nametag fly out the student's hand and find its way to Glynda's other hand. "I've been meaning to fix this. Run along." The student left the office in a hurry.

"Hmm..." Glynda looked over desk. Her student's most recent tests had been graded, her pens and pencils were in their proper place, and all of the day's paperwork was folded and put away. It seemed the Professor of Combat at Beacon Academy had some time on her hands before going home. She could call it an early night if she wanted to. But instead, she turned on a holographic screen and pressed a few keys on her keyboard. The screen changed from the default blue to Lisa Lavender, the top anchorwoman of the Vale News Network.

"And in other news, General Ironwood has just announced that the former Major Gideon has finally been arrested. Earlier today, the Atlesian military discovered Gideon and the remains of his insurrection in Argus. Huntsmen and local militaries across the globe have been working tirelessly to bring his soldiers to justice, but we can all rest a little easier knowing the Atlesian military is whole once again. The citizens caught in the crossfire claimed that a group of Mandalorians also aided Gideon. When confronted about this, Atlas officials said they could neither confirm nor deny their presence. Gideon's court marital will take place-"

The computer screen suddenly stopped playing the news. Instead, a message in red flashed on the screen over and over again.

PROXIMITY ALERT

"What?" Glynda jumped off her seat at the sight of the message. Someone was trespassing on the school grounds, and she needed to stop them quickly and efficiently. On a hunch, Glynda decided to look at the cameras in the school's courtyard. And sure enough, there were two intruders staring at the statue in the courtyard. The sight of a little girl confused the professor, but that didn't stop her from zooming in on the other intruder.

Time seemed to freeze for Glynda Goodwitch as she got a good look at the Mandalorian.

A cold sweat ran down her forehead.

Her hands began to shake.

And a strange chill ran up Glynda's spine, lingering at each vertebrae.

Once the chill disappeared, Glynda regained her focus. A scowl formed on her face as she gained a tight grip on her riding crop. The first thing she did was use her Semblance to summon her Scroll to her palm and send a quick message.

"Intruders in the courtyard, I may need your help."

Glynda put down her Scroll and ran out of her office, slamming the door behind her.

---

"How about... now?"

"...No."

"...Now?"

"...Nope."

Cinder groaned and rolled her eyes at the Mandalorian's response. "Don't take this the wrong way, Mando, but I think there's something wrong with you," she said.

The sound of a dry chuckle made Cinder look away from the statue and up at her father. "If by 'something wrong,' you mean that art doesn't 'speak to me,' then yes," said Djarin. "I'd have to agree."

When the clan of two first arrived at Beacon Academy, they knew their main mission was to find Ozma. Or rather, Ozpin. While Djarin had his mind set on going inside the castle, Cinder was entranced by the architecture and art. Especially the statue of a Huntsman and Huntress standing over a Grimm, going in for the kill. Djarin stopped for a moment to join her, as she insisted she could hear the statue 'speak to her'. She said it was telling her that Beacon would be a place of greatness, how its students would know no fear.

Djarin stared at the statue with her, but only saw a rock. And that idea slightly annoyed Cinder.

"Remind me why I waste my time opening your mind," said Cinder.

"Maybe you're the stubborn one," he jokingly retorted. He chuckled again and rubbed her head. "Alright, we should head inside."

"Is that the main door?" Cinder pointed to a large door behind the statue.

"Has to be." Djarin began walking to the door, Cinder slowly followed him.

"I didn't think about it until now, but I am a little nervous about meeting Ozma."

"He might want to see your powers, but you'll do great." Djarin got closer to the door. "You have nothing to worry about." He prepared to open it. "It's not like all of this will blow up in our faces."

*BOOM*

The door exploded in Djarin's face, knocking him backwards. Cinder was a couple of feet behind him, and was knocked back by the sudden shockwave. Djarin slid on the ground and came close to the statue. His armor protected him from the debris, the only thing bothering him was the ringing in his ears.

Once the ringing died down, Djarin saw Cinder slowly stand up. He quickly teleported himself to her and helped her stand. "Are you okay?" he quickly asked.

"I'm fine," Cinder said. She had a small cut on her forehead, but her Aura quickly healed it. "What just happened?"

"Don't move!"

Djarin and Cinder turned back to the door to see a blonde woman wearing a white long-sleeved, pleated top and a black high-waisted pencil skirt. The woman was pointing some kind of stick at the duo with the intent to hurt someone if she deemed it necessary.

Djarin slowly put his hands up and began to stand. He saw Cinder reach to her waist to get her swords, but he stopped her. "Cinder, put your hands up," he said. She looked back at him in disbelief, wanting to fight the woman for hurting them. The Mandalorian knew this was true, so she needed to be stopped. "Just do it. Please."

"..."

Cinder reluctantly raised her hands, but didn't remove the anger on her face.

"Who are you?" Glynda asked, her crop still pointed at the intruders. "What do you want?"

The Mandalorian had been on the wrong end of a person's weapon before. People had pointed it at him out of fear, anger, and a pure desire to kill. So he could see the woman was clearly angry at him. But her green eyes displayed the smallest amount of fear. Djarin didn't dig deeper into this, he simply answered her question. "We're looking for Professor Ozpin," he said. "We don't mean any harm."

"...Are you Mandalorian?"

"We are."

"Then I'm going to give you your first and final warning. Leave."

"We can't do that."

Glynda looked down at the little girl, who followed the man's lead and had her hands in the air. "Young lady, I'd strongly suggest you slowly walk over to me."

"And I'd strongly suggest you stop pointing that at my father," Cinder coldly replied. Her anger burned within her, and it was hard to maintain her current composure. But for Djarin, she held on as long as she could.

"Your-?" Glynda looked back at the Mandalorian in surprise. She recomposed herself before looking back at Cinder. "Your father?"

"That's right. He brought me here to see Ozpin. We have something he wants."

"...In that case, it seems this is your lucky night." Glynda used her crop to point at the area behind the duo.

Cinder and Djarin turned around to see a man in black clothes. The man had silver hair, a small pair of glasses on his face, and a cane in his hands. He was also wearing a very neutral expression on his face. "How can I help you two?" the man asked politely.

"...We've come a long way looking for you," Djarin replied. "You are Ozpin, aren't you?"

"I am. And what is it you want from me?"

"We don't mean you any harm. We've been quested to find you."

"Why is that? Are you a bounty hunter?"

"Yes, but that's not why we're here." He looked down to Cinder, and nodded. "She's my reason for being here."

Cinder moved forward, still keeping her hands up. Glynda shifted her crop, but Ozpin extended his hand to her. "It's alright, Glynda." He kneeled down to the child and asked her a question. "Young lady, do you know this man?"

Cinder looked back at Djarin with a smile. "Yes," she replied. Cinder turned back to Ozpin. "He's my father." Djarin softly smiled under his helmet.

"I see." He stood back up and looked at the Mandalorian. "I couldn't help but overhear that your daughter is the reason you're here."

"Then you also heard we have something you want," Djarin reminded him.

"Which is?"

Djarin turned back to the angry Huntress. "Tell her to leave us. This might... surprise her."

"No deal," said Glynda. "Whatever you want to show him, you show me as well."

"Don't be alarmed," said Ozpin. "But she's right. You can show me what you have with her."

"...At least tell her to put down her weapon," Djarin requested.

"..."

Ozpin took a moment to consider the request, but looked back at Glynda and nodded. She slowly lowered her crop, but didn't take her eyes off the Mandalorian.

Djarin, on the other hand, turned to Cinder. "It's alright," he assured her. "Show him."

"..."

Cinder took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She then extended her hands, which caused a soft wind to form around her. The wind became stronger, and Cinder felt herself come off the ground. Once her legs touched nothing but air, Cinder opened to her eyes and felt the familiar heat come to her. The first thing she saw was Glynda move closer to her with an open jaw and Ozpin's eyes slightly widen.

"By the Gods," Glynda said in disbelief. "You're the..." She trailed off and turned back to the Mandalorian. "You found-"

"The Fall Maiden," said Ozpin, sharing Glynda's sentiments. He turned back to the Mandalorian. "But... how?"

"That's... a long story," he replied. "One we can share with you if you're willing to let us stay."

"Of course." Ozpin moved away from Djarin, towards Beacon Tower. "Come inside, both of you. We can talk more in my office." Glynda followed him back to the door, waving her crop at the debris. It suddenly flew in the air and reformed the door she broke.

Djarin stayed behind to watch Cinder come down and her fire disappear. "Looks like you blew their minds," he said. Cinder chuckled at his joke and watched the Huntsman and Huntress walk towards the tower.

"I don't like her," she confessed.

"I don't either. And I don't think she likes me."

"She seemed angry when you said you were a Mandalorian. Is that why?"

"Maybe. But we can't worry about that now." Djarin extended his hand to Cinder. "Let's head inside." She took it without hesitation and Djarin proudly led his little girl into Beacon Academy.

---

Ozpin and Glynda led Djarin and Cinder through the halls of Beacon. Cinder took in every detail, her amazement of the art made her forget about the incident from earlier. Djarin's memory was harder to erase, which was why he continued to hold her hand throughout their journey. He even held it when they all went into a small elevator.

The ride on the elevator wasn't very long, and it led everyone to an extraordinary office. Large, rotating cogs filled the entire ceiling and floor, leaving nothing but a desk and a small swivel chair in front of a window. Ozpin immediately walked over and poured a brown liquid out of a teapot into a mug.

"Would either of you like a drink?" he asked calmly.

The clan of two said the exact same response. "No, thank you."

Ozpin took a sip of his drink and sat down. "Well then, I believe introductions are in order." He gestured his hand to Glynda. "This is Professor Glynda Goodwitch, and it seems you know that I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy."

"We do," said Djarin. "I'm Din Djarin. This is my daughter, Cinder."

Ozpin took another sip. "Before we begin, I'd like to apologize for the... welcome you received. We're wary of intruders, but..." Ozpin turned to Glynda. "I think we may have crossed a line."

Glynda turned to Ozpin, understanding by "we," he meant her. She was still wary of having a Mandalorian at Beacon, but she understood her retaliation was brutal. "...I'm sorry as well," she said.

"...I accept the apology," said Djarin. Cinder nodded, the chip on her shoulder didn't leave her just yet.

"Thank you. Now, I hope you don't mind if we ask you some questions."

"I don't mind."

Ozpin turned to Cinder. "Would you mind answering some as well?"

Before she answered, Cinder turned back to Glynda. "Mando, te dala ru'kir ba'slanar." (Mando, the woman should leave.)

Djarin turned to Cinder. "Cinder, vi liser't vaabir ibac," he said. (Cinder, we can't do that.) He understood Cinder wanted to speak Mando'a for privacy, in order not to reveal too much. But he changed his mind when he saw Glynda staring daggers at him. "I'm sorry, she doesn't want your friend here."

"I'm afraid that's out of the question," Glynda retorted, earning a glare from Cinder. "I have-"

"Actually, that may be for the best."

Everyone turned to Ozpin. "Glynda, perhaps you should go home a little early tonight," he suggested. "I'll tell you everything in the morning."

"...Yes, sir," the professor replied. She then walked to the elevator door without a word. She only looked back to the Mandalorian with a small scowl.

Once the door closed, Ozpin spoke again. "She's really not that bad once you know her."

"A lot of people hurt me before I came here," Cinder retorted. "It's... easy to see similarities."

"I understand. But no one will hurt you here. I'll make sure of that."

Cinder began to smile. "Thank you."

The Headmaster nodded. "Now, Cinder. How did you manage to obtain the power of the Fall Maiden?"

The direct shift in the atmosphere caught Cinder off guard, so Djarin leaned over to her. "Vaabir gar copad ni at jorhaa'ir par jii?" he asked calmly. (Do you want me to talk for now?)

"Elek... gedet'ye," Cinder said. (Yes, please.) She would be able to answer questions, but she wanted to follow the Mandalorian's lead first.

Ozpin didn't speak Mando'a that well, but he didn't interrupt Djarin's answer. "Cinder gained the powers... because of me. I mentioned earlier that I'm a bounty hunter. One of the bounties I hunted was the previous Maiden."

"Lila Birch." Ozpin knew the woman well. He personally chose her as the next Fall Maiden, she was just like the first Fall Maiden he met. When news of her demise reached his way, Ozpin was heartbroken. Unfortunately, he had no leads of who killed her.

Until now.

"Were you the one who killed her?"

"No. I was hired by an Atlesian named Arthur Watts. He gave me specific instructions to bring her back alive. Another bounty hunter, a droid with different orders, killed Lila. That was when the power transferred to Cinder."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to ask Cinder a question."

"..."

Djarin turned to Cinder, who nodded to say that she was willing to answer now. She turned to Ozpin as he asked the question. "Did you have any previous interaction with Lila? Before she died?"

Cinder had been following Djarin's lead since the beginning of the interview. She knew everything he just said was the truth, so she told the truth herself. "...I did," she answered. "I met her after she saved me from a Grimm. She hid me from the droid and my father before she died."

"She... hid you... from your father?"

"He wasn't my father then." Cinder reached out for Djarin's hand. Once she touched it and he returned her embrace, Cinder smiled. "He found me hiding and saved me from the droid. He adopted me right before we came here."

"Ah, I see. So, you two must have been traveling together for a long time."

"We have. Once he saved me from Watts, we had to go into hiding. That's when I started training to be a Mandalorian."

"And she's gotten good," Djarin included. "Very good."

"Well, then. Perhaps she could fit in with some of the students here." Ozpin slightly chuckled at the joke. "But I must admit, I'm surprised you came here instead of your people."

"Actually, my goal was for Cinder to join my clan. She was welcomed by my people after we helped defend our village from the insurrection. But, we found out her place wasn't with us."

"Your people quested you to find me."

"Yes. A Mandalorian Armorer told us to find you, Ozpin. Or should I say 'Ozma?'"

"..."

Djarin saw his eyebrows slightly rise, but the man's facial expression was mostly neutral. It seemed he was choosing his next words very carefully. After about a half minute of thinking, Ozpin made his choice. "Ozma. Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time."

"My people said you could train Cinder."

"I can. And I will."

Cinder smiled at the promise, and Djarin felt relieved that the main part of his quest was finally over. But they still had questions to answer.

"...Mr. Djarin, I think you should know that I have some good relations with a few Mandalorians," Ozpin confessed. "Tell me, are you of Clan Vizsla?"

"No. I was a Child of the Watch before Cinder and I became our own clan."

"...The Watch? I don't believe I'm familiar with that group."

"We live in secret, watching the rest of the world."

"I see. So, you trained her in the ways of the Mandalorians. But I find it difficult for you to train her with the Fall Maiden powers."

"I never had a teacher," Cinder spoke up. "My powers have been a trial by fire." Cinder opened her palm and a ball of fire appeared. "Everywhere we went, we were hunted. Watts was working with the Atlesian insurrection, who wanted to steal my powers. So I had no choice... but to stop them."

"...I understand. But Cinder, you can trust me when I say you will be safe here." He turned to Djarin. "And your father seems to have done a good of protecting you."

"...Not all the time," Djarin softly whispered.

Cinder heard this and saw his head lower. "Mando, that wasn't your fault."

He turned to Cinder. "I'm sorry, I know you're right. But it'll... take some time for me to believe that."

"Excuse me, but what are you talking about?" Ozpin interrupted.

Djarin sighed before explaining. "Cinder was kidnapped a few hours before we came here. It took me some time, but I found her. But not before some... things happened."

"What 'things?'"

Cinder quickly answered. "I met Salem."

Ozpin's eyebrows raised higher again, and he stared at Cinder with sympathy. "Oh, dear," he said as his heart ached. "Did she hurt you?"

"No. She wanted me to join her. She tried to convince me my father was dead, and the best thing to do would be to join her. Either that, or they could try to steal my powers again."

"And how exactly did they plan to do that?"

Djarin was taken aback by the question, and didn't want Cinder to relive what Watts did to her. "Cinder, you don't have to answer that."

"...You're right," said Ozpin. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"It's okay," Cinder said, but not to Ozpin. She turned to Djarin to reassure him that she would be fine answering. So, she turned back to the Headmaster. "Watts believed he could steal my powers by taking my blood. He had been giving it to a Faunus named Aurora."

"...It is possible to transfer the powers to another, Cinder," Ozpin said. "It's how the Maidens have existed this long. But I never thought of a method like this. Was he successful?"

"Aurora said the power died within her. I don't think my blood is the key."

"I'm sorry that happened to you." Ozpin took another sip of his drink, but it was starting to turn cold. So he put the mug down and turned to the Mandalorian. "You must have gone to great lengths to find her."

"I did. It's... actually how I was able to find out more about the Maidens."

"Oh?"

"Before coming here, I learned about another Maiden who lived with a tribe of bandits. Their leader was Raven Branwen. She said-"

Ozpin suddenly leaned forward and interrupted the Mandalorian. "This was... earlier today?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Forgive me for asking this, but where were you around 4:00 this afternoon?"

"...Haven Academy."

"...I was told the school had been attacked around that time. You were there, weren't you?"

"I was." Djarin remembered his promise to Raven, but he knew Ozpin had used the Relic of Knowledge before, so he believed it was safe to talk about it here. "I used the Relic of Knowledge to find Cinder. It was my only way."

Ozpin was surprised to hear this. From what a little bird told him, the Vault was still closed. Nobody had taken the Relic, but now the Headmaster knew that someone had used it.

But there was one other thing on his mind.

"So, you murdered Professor Lionheart?" he asked, leaving no hint of subtlety or sympathy.

"...Yes," Djarin replied.

Ozpin reached for his cane. Djarin and Cinder noticed this, and mentally prepared themselves for an attack. But the Headmaster asked another question first. "...May I ask why?"

"Because he helped hurt Cinder."

Ozpin didn't take his hand off his cane. Djarin turned to Cinder, who was oblivious about who they were talking about. "Professor Lionheart was one of the men who helped Watts. You met him the night I came back for you."

Cinder's eyes winded at the realization. She remembered that Faunus, how he claimed to have protected her. But when in reality, he just begged Watts to stop. Rather than dwelling on one of the worst nights of her life, Cinder vouched for Djarin. "He said he was protecting me, but he was wrong. If he really wanted to protect me, he would have stopped Watts."

"..."

Given his experience, the apparent betrayal of one of his most trusted colleagues wasn't entirely hard for Ozpin to believe. But he had a really hard time believing Leo of all people would be willing to abandon him like this. A small part of him had hope, however, as he asked his next question. "Do you... have proof of this?"

Djarin stood up and pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet. A blue screen appeared with an image of a whimpering Professor Lionheart holding a barrel. Djarin pressed another button, and it played a video. "No, please! She's just a child!" the video of Lionheart said. The video moved to show Cinder, scared and shaking. The little girl turned away from the video and covered her ears, hoping to tune it out.

After a few more seconds like this, Cinder felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Djarin looking down to her. She lowered her hands and smiled at him, glad that it was over.

Words couldn't describe how Ozpin was feeling. He had just witnessed this stranger present him with proof of a terrible truth. He had trusted Lionheart for years, and the Faunus had done so much good in all his years of service. How could he do this?

"Leo... what happened to you?" Ozpin whispered.

"We're sorry you had to find out like this," Cinder said sincerely. "But I meant what I said. He just watched and begged, all he cared about was his own safety."

Ozpin stood up, taking the handle of his cane in his left hand. Rather than attacking, he simply walked with it. "I think... I've asked enough of you tonight," he said. "If you'd still like to stay here and let me train your daughter, I can show you where you'll be staying."

The clan of two stood up and followed Ozpin to the elevator. It descended back to the entrance of Beacon Tower and they all walked outside, with Ozpin leading them down another path down the avenue.

"Our student dormitories are over there," Ozpin pointed to another building not far from Beacon Tower. "But we also have dormitories for faculty who choose to live on campus." The avenue stopped at a white brick building with two floors. After they stepped inside, Ozpin led them to the first room on the second floor. Opening the door, he revealed a room with two beds, a table, and a window with a perfect view of the rest of the Academy. "I hope this room is to your liking."

Djarin opened his mouth to reply, but Cinder rushed inside and jumped onto the bed. She took a moment to enjoy the mattress before turning to the window. "It's perfect," she said as she admired the view. She then turned back to Ozpin with a smile. "Thank you."

Djarin turned back to Ozpin. "You heard her," he said as he entered the room. "This will be fine."

"In that case, I'll see you in the morning." Ozpin began to close the door, but stopped himself. Djarin eyes were locked on the Headmaster.

"...Is something wrong?"

"Before I go, Mr. Djarin, I have one more question for you."

Cinder looked to see Ozpin and Djarin whispering. Djarin then activated his gauntlet's screen and pressed on it. After he turned it off, Ozpin felt his pocket vibrate. He pulled out a Scroll and looked at an image. "Thank you. Good night." This time, Ozpin fully closed the door, leaving Cinder and the Mandalorian to enjoy the room. Cinder remained motionless on the mattress and Djarin pulled up a chair.

"So far, so good," said the Mandalorian. He removed his helmet and placed it on the nightstand.

Cinder immediately looked at his face. "Are you okay?" she asked as she looked for any bruises and cuts.

"I'm fine. My armor took the majority of the blast." Djarin took this time to talk to Cinder about Glynda. "On that topic, we should probably talk about what happened."

"I don't like her." Cinder sat up, not taking her eyes off him. "She could have killed us."

"You're right, but we were trespassing. She was defending the school."

"By blowing up the door? She's dangerous."

"Not anymore. Glynda answers to Ozpin, and won't do anything without his say. Once he explains everything, she won't attack us again. She might even start to trust us." He put a hand on her knee. "We'll need to start trusting her too."

"I... I don't know." Cinder shifted to her side, staring at the wall. But Djarin didn't give up.

"Cinder...I know it seems hard right now. You'll need time to let this go, I get it. But we can't force her to leave us alone whenever we want." Cinder looked back at him. "Sometimes, we don't get to choose our allies. Especially in times of conflict. Ozpin and Glynda are on our side, and we're guests here. We need to follow their rules. Okay?"

Cinder sighed, but smiled at the Mandalorian. "I'll do it for you."

Djarin smiled. "Thank you, Cinder." He stood up and moved the chair back. "We should get some sleep."

"I wish I brought my book." Cinder remembered she left her Mandalorian book back in Nevarro, planning to get it back once the new Razor Crest was ready. "I mean, I'm tired now, but it would pass the time for other days."

"I can get it tomorrow if you-" Djarin suddenly remembered something else. He reached to his belt and felt a small book tucked between his waist and the belt. He took that book to show the Armorer The Girl in The Lonely Tower, and he just remembered he still had it. "I still have this."

Cinder gasped at the sight of Djarin holding her book of fairy tales. "My book!" She quickly sat up and took it, flipping through the pages. Seeing that none of them were damaged, she hugged the book to her chest. "Thank you, I thought I lost this."

"You're welcome." Djarin moved a little closer to her bed and kneeled. "Do you want me to read you one before you go to bed?"

Cinder yawned in response. "I'm actually pretty tired right now." So she pulled up the covers and slid into the bed.

"Alright, then." Djarin leaned down and kissed her forehead before picking up his helmet. "Good night, Cinder."

"Good night, Mando." Cinder smiled at him before turning to her side.

Djarin put his helmet back on and turned out the light, sliding onto the other bed. Before he drifted off, he began to replay the evening's events in his head. He wasn't expecting their 'welcome' to go poorly, but the rest of the evening went better than he thought. He played his cards right, and now Ozpin was willing to train Cinder. The only thing was... it seemed their quest was over. Now, he wasn't sure what the future held for the clan of two.

But Djarin quickly reaffirmed that his future was with Cinder, wherever she went and whatever happened to her. And now, he wouldn't have it any other way. He was confident things would go safely at Beacon. He had become the father she needed. Now, Djarin promised himself that he was going to be the father Cinder wanted him to be. He didn't know what that meant, and a small part of him believed Cinder didn't know either.

So he would find that out with her. And along the way, he knew they would be a good family.

The thought of this was enough to make Djarin sleep well during his first night at Beacon Academy.

---

"She's gone."

Ozpin sighed at the message on his Scroll. After he heard about Raven obtaining the Spring Maiden, he was hoping to use Djarin's knowledge of her camp to regain the power. But his field agent, who shared a history with Raven, had just reported that she was gone, having moved camp somewhere else.

The news Ozpin received disappointed him, but the Headmaster focused on his current mission: training the Fall Maiden.

The elevator Ozpin was in had just touched down to Beacon Tower's entrance, and he came face-to-face with a stern Glynda Goodwitch. Not only did her anger show, but it also looked like she hardly slept. Her glasses couldn't hide the circles under her eyes, and her hair was poorly tied in her usual bun. "Glynda," he addressed his colleague after taking a sip from his mug. "You look... unwell."

"I was hoping we could talk about last night," Glynda said.

"How much sleep did you get last night?"

"I got enough."

"I highly doubt that." The Headmaster began to walk towards the door. "I'm going to speak with our guests now, but you should-"

*SLAM*

The door slammed shut by itself, right in Ozpin's face. He didn't need to turn around to know that Glynda had her crop pointing at the door. But he slowly sighed and turned back to the angry woman. "Glynda, I-"

"You're letting him stay?!" Glynda yelled at the top of her lungs. "Why?!"

Ozpin calmly sipped his drink and answered her question with another question. "Would you rather that I separate a child from her father?"

"..."

"The Maiden is the Mandalorian's adopted daughter, and from what they told me last night, the bond they share is no different than that of a father and his biological child."

"...Ozpin, I've trusted your judgment for years, and-"

"So trust me now, Glynda." He walked up to Glynda and put a hand on her shoulder. "And know that my main concern is with our new Fall Maiden. Should things turn out... dangerous with the Mandalorian, I am prepared to act." He then turned back to the door. "But I can't know more about him if you won't let me."

"..."

Glynda used her Semblance to open the door, and Ozpin began to walk back to the faculty dormitories. His second-in-command followed to his left and spoke again. "Can I at least know what he told you last night?"

"He told me much, and detecting a lie from him and the child proved to be nearly impossible."

"What did he say about Lila?"

"It appears Salem's forces hired him to bring Lila alive. They planned to use his previous ignorance of the Maidens to their advantage."

"Did it work?"

"Almost. According to them, another bounty hunter killed Lila, who was hiding the child from harm. Once the powers transferred to Cinder, Djarin saved her from the hunter and Salem."

"If he didn't know about the Maidens, then why didn't he just bring her back to his people?"

"He did. That's when he learned who I am and why Cinder had to come here."

"Is that so? I'm surprised they didn't use their power for themselves."

"That reminds me; he told me that Raven Branwen is using the Spring Maiden for herself."

"How could he know that?"

"She told him. Cinder was kidnapped before they came here, and another Mandalorian told our friend about Raven. So he went to her for help, and apparently she let her Maiden lead him to the Vault."

Glynda took a moment to process this. If he was at Haven Academy recently, then that meant the Mandalorian may have been involved with its Headmaster. She grew angry again and quickened her pace.

"There's something else you should know." Ozpin stopped walking and sighed. "Leo betrayed us."

Glynda's pace came to a halt at the sound of those words. "...What?"

"Djarin had proof that he helped Salem's forces study Cinder. It was their goal to see if they could divide the Maiden powers among other people using her blood."

"..."

Glynda put a hand on her open mouth, speechless at the terrible truth.

"Before Djarin used the Relic, he confronted Leo. While I don't agree with what he did, I can understand he saw Leo as a threat." Ozpin looked down at the ground. "I just... wish things ended differently."

After what felt like an eternity, Glynda spoke again. "Oz... you may be right. But we can't trust him... can we?"

"I trust that he wishes to do what he thinks is best for his daughter. And right now, he thinks Cinder needs to stay here and train with her powers. And I agree."

Glynda agreed as well, finding it hard to argue with Ozpin's logic. And given that he apparently rescued her before coming to Beacon, the Mandalorian seemed to regard Cinder's safety as his top priority. If he didn't believe Beacon to be safe, they wouldn't have come here.

"So, what now?" Glynda asked. "What do we do?"

"I wish to see how strong Cinder is with the power of the Fall Maiden. And you're going home."

"But, Oz-"

"Glynda, please. I think you can rest a little easier now, knowing the Mandalorian isn't an immediate threat. If something goes wrong, you'll be the first to know. But you can't do anything in your state."

Glynda sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Very well. Just... be careful."

"Thank you, Glynda."

The teachers began to go their separate ways, Glynda heading to the landing zone, planning to take an airship back to Vale. And she began to think about Ozpin's choice. She knew Leo betrayed them to Salem, but did that really justify the Mandalorian killing him? She didn't know the answer, but that made her think about his actions at Haven. He could have stolen the Relic for Salem or himself, but he just put it back after asking his question.

Glynda stopped walking.

The Mandalorian... asked the Relic of Knowledge a question.

"Ozpin!"

The Headmaster turned around to see Glynda walking back towards him. But rather than a look of anger, Glynda's eyes spoke confusion. "Are you sure the Mandalorian used the Lamp?"

"That's why he was there," he answered. "Why do you-?"

"I thought you said all the questions were used up?"

"That's... right, I did. I'm sorry, but-" Ozpin took out his Scroll and pressed a few buttons. Glynda could see that he was looking at his calendar and could hear him mumbling to himself. "I suppose I made a mistake in my calculations. When I told you about the Lamp, new questions could be answered the following week." He quickly put away the Scroll. "Then this means Haven needs extra security."

"But, Oz-"

"Don't worry, Glynda. I'll take care of everything. Run along." Ozpin walked back to the faculty dorms at a slightly faster pace, leaving a confused and speechless Glynda.

---

Ozpin went back to his guest's room to find the Mandalorian performing maintenance on his rifle and pistol and Cinder eating a bowl of cereal while reading a small book. He explained that today would be a good day to see what Cinder could do with the power of the Fall Maiden. They agreed and followed the Headmaster back to Beacon Tower.

"I was hoping you could show me what you've learned so far," said Ozpin, who opened the door to the tower.

"She's learned a lot on her own," said Djarin, who was holding Cinder's hand. "But how do you plan on training her? And where?"

Ozpin looked down to Cinder. "Like you said, this test will be a trial by fire. As for where we'll train..." The trio stepped into the elevator and Ozpin pushed a button. "I know the perfect place."

Djarin and Cinder immediately felt the elevator descend rather than rise to a higher floor. Cinder realized there was more to Beacon Tower than meets the eye. The possibility excited her, which caused her to look up at Djarin and smile. Djarin rubbed her head right before the elevator stopped moving.

The doors revealed a large empty room. The dimmed lights barely shone on the walls, and nothing stood in their way. The room gave the Mandalorian a sense of familiarity. "Is this Beacon's Vault?" he asked. The only thing missing from this scene was a large golden door, but the space was the same as Haven's Vault.

"Not quite," Ozpin answered. "Let's just say the Beacon Relic will be hard to find."

"..."

Ozpin took two more steps before putting his arm in front of the clan of two. Once they stopped, Ozpin moved away from them. He took about six steps before turning around. "Cinder, this will be your first trial. I want you to attack me."

"You?" Cinder asked.

"Yes. Do not feel the need to hold back."

"But I might-"

"Don't worry about me. If you recall..." Ozpin began to spin his cane. "I am the Headmaster at Beacon Academy. And I have trained both Huntsmen and Maidens since before you were born." The Headmaster turned to the Mandalorian. "This fight will end once one of our Auras break. I'd suggest you stand back."

Djarin looked at Cinder. "Don't worry," he assured her. "Just do your best." He stepped back to the wall.

Cinder felt her confidence come naturally to her with her father's words. Once Ozpin held his cane so that the blunt end was facing her, Cinder took this as a sign to begin. And her first action was to float in the air. Her eyes burned as fire escaped from her hand.

Ozpin was quick to move out of the way, as if he expected this to be Cinder's first attack. He continued to move as more jets of flame scorched the floor where he once stood.

He switched to the offensive and jumped in the air, preparing to strike Cinder. But Cinder was quick to stop floating, and the cane just missed her face. She used her wind powers again to shoot herself away from Ozpin. The wind hit his chest and knocked him back a few feet.

Cinder landed with ease while Ozpin regained his balance by slamming his feet on the ground. But he remained unfazed as he charged towards Cinder. The child used fireballs this time, sending four at her opponent.

Ozpin stopped running and watched the fire move closer. Rather than dodging each one, he moved at seemingly inhuman speed, deflecting them all. Just as the last ball exploded, Ozpin charged at Cinder.

She raised her hands in the air for another attack, but regretted her decision once she felt multiple strikes to her torso. The last one was powerful enough to send Cinder sliding on the floor and break her Aura. And as promised, Ozpin stopped fighting.

Djarin teleported himself to Cinder and helped her stand. As she stood, Cinder looked at her torso. "He... That wasn't even a full minute," she said, unable to believe how her Aura broke so quickly.

"Cinder, it's okay," said Djarin, sensing her disappointment. He tried to stop her disappointment from turning into self-loathing. "He's the Headmaster, he's had more experience with this. And you did good."

"Your father is right," Ozpin said as he stopped walking. "Your ability to act quickly is impressive, Cinder. I wasn't expecting you to strike me so quickly."

"...I still have a lot to learn, don't I?"

"Everyone does. Don't judge yourself so harshly." He kneeled down to her level. "If anything, I should blame myself for ending the battle so quickly. I wish I learned more about your abilities."

"She's able to do more," Djarin included. "I've seen her create thunderstorms and sandstorms."

Ozpin hummed to himself before answering. "Thunderstorms? That's very advanced work, Cinder."

"I was trying to create one in here," Cinder confessed. "But it takes a lot of energy."

"True, and it works much better when you're outside. Using clouds rather than making your own is much easier. And less strenuous."

"So I do have a lot to learn."

"This was a good start. I see you like to use fire. Perhaps we could expand beyond your walls and balls of flame."

Cinder took a moment to consider the idea... but then she had a better one. "Mando, can we do some hand-to-hand instead?"

Djarin was taken aback by this. "Now?" he asked. "Don't you want to learn more about your powers?"

"I do, but this was the reason I was taken in the first place. My Aura broke, and I was ready to fight without it. But someone hit me from behind." Cinder got into a fighting stance. "I need to get my body stronger before I can consider my powers."

"...In that case, it sounds like a good idea." Djarin turned back to Ozpin. "If you don't-"

"I don't mind at all. This may actually help me learn more about Cinder." Ozpin stepped back to the wall and Djarin prepared to fight.

"One more thing," Cinder said. "Don't hold back."

"...I won't."

Cinder rushed to the Mandalorian, sending a kick to his chest. Djarin caught her leg and lifted it up, planning to swipe her other leg. But Cinder jumped on her other leg and kicked his side. Once he let go, Cinder crouched and charged again.

Djarin was quick to recover and he grabbed Cinder's fist. Honoring her wish, Djarin didn't hold back as he sent a fist at her cheek. Cinder stumbled, but was quick to catch his next fist. But once she caught it, her arm moved back, she was struggling to keep it back.

Djarin activated his flamethrower, and Cinder's reflexes kicked in. She immediately dropped to the floor and swiped Djarin's right leg. He stumbled, but didn't fall. Nevertheless, Cinder was able to send a quick fist to his neck, careful to avoid the Beskar.

Djarin backed up, but was able to block each quick punch she sent his way. He grabbed her left fist and prepared to catch her second one. But Cinder sent an uppercut under his helmet instead.

Cinder had been caught in that trick a few times before, when she trained with Djarin in Anima. But now, Cinder planned her next attack carefully. Her hand was starting to bleed, but she still prepared to attack.

A cane in her path made her stop.

Djarin and Cinder looked back to see Ozpin blocking their path, ending the spar. "Impressive," he admitted. "Most impressive."

"We've been training like this for a while," Djarin said. "We had to build up her strength through exercise, but her speed is natural." He looked back at Cinder when he gave Ozpin the summary of her training, and his eyes landed on her hand. "Cinder, you're bleeding."

"Oh," Cinder said while looking at her hand. "I must have scratched it on your helmet. I'm fine."

"Fine?" Ozpin asked in shock. "Young lady, you scratched your hand on metal. And your father struck you in the face."

"I know. When we trained like this, it hurt at first. But now, I'm used to a few bruises and cuts."

"I only stopped when she asked me to or when she was hurt badly," said Djarin. "I was taught that it's important to learn to fight when your Aura broke."

"I learned that, too." Cinder rubbed her cheek. "Your enemy isn't going to wait for your Aura to build itself again."

"..."

Ozpin had found some surprising wisdom from the Mandalorian and Cinder. He was concerned about how her hand-to-hand combat with a Mandalorian was, but he could tell Djarin was no child-beater. And the training seemed to have good results. A child, no older than ten, still standing after a fight like that?

"Mr. Djarin," Ozpin finally spoke. "While you're staying here, and while Cinder continues her training, what are your plans?"

"I was hoping to continue bounty hunting," Djarin responded. "I can pay you with the money I earn, if that's what you're wondering."

"There's no need to pay. But I may know a way for you to work while staying close to Cinder."

"What is it?"

"Well, you seem to have taught your daughter well. Do you believe you can teach things like this to other people?"

---

Author's notes: hey everyone. Sorry this chapter is a little short, I'll be sure to make the rest as long as possible.

To D.N Works, glad you liked the ending to the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one.

To TheStrangerThatCameFromNowhere, everything will be original. Hope you enjoyed the first original chapter.

To 54godamora, glad you like the new family, and I'm glad you liked Marcus/May.

To aklike95, glad you liked last chapter. As for a time-skip, you'll have to wait and see.

To MessyMark, not just yet. You'll understand why later on, hope you're enjoying the story.

To CamoMurf, yep, she is.

To joeyginise, hope you like everything I had, glad to hear from you again.

To Rook435, I'm really glad you like everything. I think you'll like my original take on this, and thank you for everything you said. I fixed the grammar mistakes you mentioned, those were hard to find. Thank you very much.

To NacNak, thank you so much! Hope you're enjoying this!

To GojiraFan455515, glad to hear that. And I'm glad you liked last chapter, hope you liked this one.

To Mandalorian00, another happy letter. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To I Fredric I, glad you liked last chapter. I hope I didn't kill you with this update.

Again, sorry this chapter was short. The others that follow will be longer, and thank you all for reading and reviewing. If you haven't already, please consider adding this story to your Favs/Follows list, it helps me see if I'm doing a good job. Also, please leave a review.

One last thing, you may see some grammar mistakes here. But I'll fix them when I have time tomorrow.

That's all I have. Until next time!