The Way of the Maiden Chapter 35, a Star Wars + RWBY Crossover fanfic

Chapter 35: The Introduction

Last night's ordeal and conversation with his daughter made it difficult for Din Djarin to get a lot of sleep. He had heard from Ozpin that his conversation with Cinder went well, but his other concerns were still lingering in his mind. The idea of another, and even larger, attack after Mountain Glenn and his allies disagreeing on a solution made the Mandalorian wonder if he could think of a plan.

When he awoke the next morning, Djarin simply sat at his table and thought some more. His ideas varied from leaving Beacon with Cinder to taking the fight directly to Salem. Leaving wasn't something he wanted to do, but Djarin knew it would be worth it if Cinder could be properly guided and follow her own instincts about using her powers. On the other hand, taking the fight to Salem with Mandalorians fighting behind the one who wielded the Darksaber could prove fruitful. Hurting her directly rather than delaying her plans could yield the results everyone wanted.

*BEEP*

These ideas fled the Mandalorian's mind as he looked at his gauntlet, which had a message on the screen.

Incoming Call: General Ironwood

Djarin considered ignoring the call. He knew that both Ozpin and the General had gone through enough yesterday, and that a call at this time of day was serious. He found himself weary from both maintaining the peace between the two and his conversation with Cinder.

And yet, Djarin knew that ignoring a call like this would be unwise. So as he planned to keep the conversation brief, the Mandalorian reluctantly answered the call.

"Good morning, Djarin," said General Ironwood, who seemed to be in a rather pleasant mood. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"Good morning, General," said Djarin. "And no, you didn't." Intrigued by both his politeness and calm demeanor, the Mandalorian decided to probe further. "You... seem different."

Ironwood chuckled. "Not entirely. But change is actually what I'm calling you about. My morning wasn't very... ordinary. I can't remember the last time I had a conversation with Oz like the one I had earlier."

"You spoke with Ozpin?"

"I did. And thanks to the slap to the face Cinder was kind enough to provide... we've begun to collaborate on a better plan."

"...Is that so?" Djarin was sure that Glynda and Cinder would have been happy if they heard this. But Djarin didn't want to jump to any conclusions until he heard the details of this plan. "Tell me more."

Ironwood cleared his throat and straightened his collar before continuing, as if he was having trouble saying what he felt. "While Ozpin was able to convince me that my fleet is... excessive, I was able to convince him that we require a certain degree of force to contain this threat."

"I see. What did you decide to do?"

"Well, we decided to include two people into our efforts. We believe you're one of them."

"Me? How can I help?"

"Ozpin mentioned something about the Mandalorians you helped at Mountain Glenn, Clan Tenau. He said they were able to observe and predict the Grimm's next actions. He said that you studied this technique well. Is this true?"

"It is." Djarin had studied and practiced this technique, which helped him avoid danger a few times during his hunts. He was able to teach a few things to Cinder, and made sure to hone the technique whenever he could. Reflecting on this gave the Mandalorian an idea as to where the General was taking this conversation.

"Is something wrong?" Ironwood asked, taking note of Djarin's silence.

"No," Djarin answered quickly. "It's just that this technique isn't something that can be taught overnight. I don't think even Professor Port knows it. I struggled with it for a month before being able to see the Grimm differently."

The news seemed to have no effect on Ironwood's attitude, as he continued to discuss his plan. "Understandable. Which brings me to my second point. My fleet is comprised of competent officers who graduated from Atlas Academy with honors. One of them is known for his ability to see a... bigger picture, when it comes to strategy. I'd like you and Ozpin to meet him."

Djarin pondered the idea of inviting a new member to Ozpin's circle, and wondered how a common Atlesian officer could turn the tide. "Do you trust him?" he asked.

"I trust his ability to succeed," the General answered. "So far he has yet to disappoint me."

*KNOCK*

Djarin looked towards his door, curious as to who would be knocking so early. But before he answered it, Djarin looked back to his wrist. "I'm sorry, General," he said calmly. "I'll have to call you back."

"Don't bother," said Ironwood. "We can talk more aboard my ship, if you're interested in meeting with us."

"I am. I think this idea might be a push in the right direction."

"Good. Oz just walked in, we'll see you shortly."

"Alright, then." Djarin turned off his screen and moved to the door. Opening it, he was greeted by his daughter once more, with a big smile on her face. "Cinder. Back so soon?"

"I had to come," she said. "There's something I wanted to talk about."

Djarin stepped aside to let her come in once more. "If it's about Ozpin, you did a great job with him. He and General Ironwood began to collaborate this morning. It's about time, if you ask me."

"Amen to that," Cinder said as she sat down. "I'm happy to hear that, but there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

Djarin sat down across from her and took off his helmet. "Go ahead."

Cinder took a deep breath before she spoke. "Okay. After I talked to Ozpin, Merri and her sisters found me outside his office."

"I figured as much. They came here last night, looking for you."

"They said they wanted to help me after our mission, while I was resting."

While Djarin was talking to Cinder, he was also paying attention to her obvious mannerisms. While she usually sat still, Cinder was practically jumping up and down in her seat. And her fingers were quickly tapping the tabletop. She seemed to be impatient and excited about talking right now. This and her wide smile were showing a complete opposite to her earlier nature.

"How exactly did they... 'help' you?" Djarin wondered.

"Well..." Cinder tapped her fingers faster and continued to bounce in her seat. "Don't ask me how they did it, but..." Cinder suddenly jumped off the chair. "My teammates found my parents!"

To say the news surprised the Mandalorian would be an understatement. He too had spent whatever time he could to help his adopted daughter find her birth parents, to find out who she was. And to think that three young girls did it in less than a day compared to the year he had worked on left Djarin completely off guard. Which was why he asked another question.

"They... They what?" Djarin asked calmly.

"They found my parents!" Cinder said again. "Well, my mom, actually. They said they picked up where I left off and used their Semblances to probe harder than I ever could. And they found them!" Cinder's excitement caused her to have some trouble breathing, so she sat down again to catch her breath.

Djarin was still surprised at the news, which led him to investigate further. "Cinder, that's... great news," he said with a small smile. "But... are you sure? That it's-?"

"Really her?" Cinder finished as she began to calm down. "Yeah, I'm... I'm sure." Cinder pulled out her Scroll and showed Djarin an image of a beautiful woman with long golden hair. "This is Sandie Collins, a social worker in Vale." Cinder showed a different picture, a paper record of names. "Fifteen years ago, she gave a baby girl up for adoption at an orphanage in Mistral, the Swan Lake."

"The timeframe fits," said Djarin. "But we searched through the orphanages in Mistral, I don't remember a place called the Swan Lake."

"That's because a fire burned it down a long time ago." Cinder paused for a moment. "A lot of children... didn't make it out." Cinder cleared her throat after pausing a second time, feeling saddened by the idea of someone dying at a young age. "But the ones who did were sent to different orphanages. These didn't go recorded, since most records were burnt in the fire."

Djarin pointed at the picture. "Except this one."

"Yeah." Cinder turned off her Scroll. "And according to the medical report I've kept when I started looking, we're... a perfect match!" Cinder began to grow excited again. "Oh, I can't wait to meet her! To know what's she like! Maybe I can even meet my father! I wonder if I have anything in common with her, or if..."

The rest of Cinder's curiosity faded out to the Mandalorian. Djarin understood how excited Cinder was, how happy that months of hard work and determination finally had a reward for her. He knew that this was something she wanted for a very long time, so much that she would sometimes lose sleep while searching whatever lead or record she found.

And yet, Djarin couldn't share her enthusiasm. He couldn't feel the need to be as happy as the day he officially adopted Cinder or when she earned her own armor. In fact, he felt the opposite. Doubt seeped it's way into Djarin's mind, made him wonder if there was room in Cinder's life for more than two parents.

"-ad! Hey, Dad!"

The Mandalorian stopped thinking and looked back at Cinder. "Huh?" he audibly asked.

"I asked if you wanted to meet my mom with me," said Cinder. "It would make sense that the two of you meet, right?"

"Um... right," the Mandalorian answered. "It makes sense, you're right."

Cinder stopped smiling. "Dad, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Djarin lied. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about what the General said." He then formed a smile and held Cinder's hand. "I'm happy for you, Cinder. I know you've wanted this for a while."

"I have," she confirmed. "I'm gonna meet her after school today."

"Wait, I wouldn't do anything yet."

"What? Why not?"

"Showing up unannounced might scare this woman. And I should be there with you. I'm not teaching Combat today, not after the missions everyone went on. I'll be meeting the General instead."

"Oh, um... okay. Let me know how it goes."

"I will." Djarin stood up and opened the door again. "Have a good day at school."

"Thanks." Cinder stood up and hugged Djarin. "See you later." She then made her way towards her first class, leaving Djarin to lock his door and teleport away.

Djarin had teleported himself to the Razor Crest, which he flew to the flagship of General Ironwood's fleet. He was greeted with the usual stares and gasps of surprise from Atlesian officers. Some of them had never seen a Mandalorian before while others were still on edge about the incident at Mountain Glenn. And yet, Djarin paid no attention to any of them. He simply followed the instructions Ironwood gave him when he landed on the ship, and found himself right where he wanted to be; the ship's bridge.

"Djarin!" Ironwood exclaimed in pride as he offered a hand out to his guest. "Glad you could join us!"

"General," the Mandalorian replied calmly as he shook the General's hand. "I came here as soon as I could."

"And for that, we are grateful," said Professor Ozpin, who was also in the room with Ironwood. "Glynda sends her greetings."

"We hope the time you took to arrive was enough to think about our idea more," said Ironwood.

"It did," Djarin confirmed. "But I'd like to meet this officer first, see what it is we can achieve together."

"Understandable. He, Ozpin, and I just spoke. He'd like to meet you as well." Djarin looked around the vast space, seeing officers all over the place. Ironwood noticed this and stated the misunderstanding. "Oh, he's not here. He decided to get a head start in his office. You can take the elevator five floors down."

Djarin nodded and walked back to the elevator. Before he entered, however, Ozpin walked up to him and said one more thing.

"He knows what we're trying to fight, not who we're trying to fight."

Djarin nodded once more, promising to keep Salem's existence a secret for the moment. He then stepped into the elevator, making his way five floors down from the bridge. The silent ride and attitudes of his allies began to make the Mandalorian feel more optimistic about his future, as well Cinder's. While leaving Beacon was out of the picture, he still had the idea of taking the flight to Salem. Perhaps after meeting this Atlesian officer, the idea could be brought to light.

And the only other thing that could be brought to light was the room the elevator had just stopped at.

Djarin looked inside to see a very dim room, the only light present was something in the center. The surrounding space was nothing but darkness, leaving Djarin confused and on edge.

"...Hello?" he called out.

"..."

Djarin took a risk and stepped into the room. When nothing happened, he took another step. "Hello?" he called out once more.

"Mandalorian."

A low gruff voice caused Djarin to immediately look to his right. Two hands quickly pressed against his upper chest and pushed him, causing the Mandalorian to fall to the ground. As he did, Djarin saw something jump over his body and land directly behind him.

The Mandalorian quickly got back on his feet and pulled out his pistol. Firing two shots made the shape retreat by jumping once more.

Deciding to level the playing field, Djarin used his helmet to see in the dark. His thermal vision revealed a humanoid figure standing on all fours, one that charged at him once more. Seeing two feet prepared to kick him, the Mandalorian grabbed them and used all his strength to swing and throw the body against the wall.

The figure appeared to be disoriented from the crash, but it was only for a moment. It quickly stood back up and leapt at the Mandalorian, who teleported away. While the figure was able to catch itself before crashing into another wall, a wire shot around its legs and caused it to fall down. When it turned around to see a dark blade at its throat, the attacker finally conceded by slowly raising its arms.

Djarin was able to see his attacker in a different light, and came to see that he was fascinatingly ugly. His dark gray skin covered him from head to toe, seemingly hairless all over. And his mismatching eyes seemed to be the icing on the cake.

*CLAP*

The sound of hands clapping against each other made the Mandalorian slightly turn to his right, back to the middle of the room. In order to see both people, Djarin picked up the attacker and dropped him closer to the shape.

"Impressive," another voice from the center of the room called out. "Very impressive." The fixture in the middle revealed itself to be a chair, one that spun backwards and revealed another abnormal man. One with blue skin and hair that contrasted with his dark red eyes, who was wearing a white uniform. "General Ironwood said you were a competent warrior, as did the legends surrounding your people. But I did not expect my friend's test to end so quickly. It has certainly done you justice."

"..."

The Mandalorian didn't give up the position he had over the apparent officer's "friend." And yet, seeing someone wearing the Atlas uniform and the idea that this was simply a test made Djarin feel somewhat relieved, as did the man's next small speech.

"I am Admiral Thrawn," the blue man introduced himself as he stood up. "Second in command to the Atlas air fleet. And... you are?"

Djarin finally lowered the Darksaber and released the officer's friend, who quickly ran towards the chair. "...Din Djarin," he reluctantly said.

Thrawn began to walk closer to the Mandalorian. "Your appearance is... very striking. Not too different from the Mandalorians we have in custody."

The Mandalorian heard whispers and rumors on the airship before, that some officers were worried that he would be like the Saxon Clan or share their goals. "I'm not like them. Though that may be hard to believe."

Thrawn formed a small grin as he stopped in front of Djarin. "Much easier to believe than you might imagine," he said calmly. "I have seen enough of this world to expect the extraordinary. And you are extraordinary." He then pointed to Djarin's hand. "You must be, if you're able to wield a weapon such as the Darksaber."

Djarin looked at the metal in his hand, and then back to the Admiral. "You know this?"

"I do. And much more." Thrawn walked back to his chair and pressed a button, which caused the light around it to expand across the entire room. The revealed images of Mandalorian armor, old paintings, and numerous weapons surrounded everyone. "I have to know more, mind you."

Djarin looked away from the pictures and back to the Admiral. "Why's that?" he asked.

Thrawn simply stared at each picture. "To defeat an enemy, you must know them," he replied calmly. "Not simply their battle tactics, but their history. Philosophy. Art." Just as he said the final word, Thrawn turned his eye to Djarin, specifically his shoulder. "Such as the piece you wear on your shoulder. A Rinocer, if I'm not mistaken. Not a very common symbol with the clans that remain." Thrawn pointed to the picture behind Djarin, which showed multiple symbols. Some of them Djarin recognized from meeting Clans Vizsla, Saxon, and Eldar. "Which can only mean you are an outsider, are you not?"

"...You could say that." Djarin could see that the Admiral was definitely one who conducted long research, but that wasn't very unexpected for someone in his position. Nevertheless, the Mandalorian decided to humor Thrawn to clear the air. "I'm a member of my own clan, a clan of two. Myself and my daughter." Before the Admiral could respond, Djarin made his point. "But I didn't come to talk about the Mandalorians. There's another threat."

"Indeed," Thrawn confirmed. After pressing the chair's button once more, the images changed from art to charts, reports, and images of Grimm. "Ever since the failed attack by the Saxon Clan, Grimm activity has surged alarmingly. From the citizens to the Vale Council, everyone has asked how we intend to respond. After all, the Vytal Festival tournament cannot be broadcast, let alone held, if we are unable to maintain peace."

"Agreed," Djarin bluntly replied. "But I'm sure General Ironwood feels his fleet is the correct option."

"From a certain point of view." Thrawn walked over to a certain image, a Beowolf lunging at the screen. Thrawn simply put his hand to his chin, meeting the red eyes with his own. "As I said, everyone wants to see how to contain this threat. However, I am more curious as to why it's happening to begin with. The attempted breach may have caused unrest, but this is different. Or so I believe." The red eyes moved from the Grimm to Djarin. "I also believe you are the perfect person to confirm my theory."

When Admiral Thrawn introduced himself, Djarin was beginning to piece together what it was that he wanted. But now, the Mandalorian was able to put it all together and come to a logical conclusion. "You want to understand the Grimm better," he realized.

"Yes," Thrawn confirmed as he walked over to a different screen. "You should have everything you need here. Please, demonstrate for me how you can understand the behavior of these creatures."

Djarin walked over to the screen, which had multiple reports and video footage of Grimm packs. While he was happy to help, Djarin knew that what the Admiral wanted to achieve would take time and patience.

"What you want to learn can't be done overnight," said Djarin. "It takes discipline, patience, and time."

"I am a careful learner, Din Djarin," said Thrawn. "My mind is open, and we have a few days before the tournament begins. In short, I am ready whenever you are." Thrawn gestured to the screen once more, leaving Djarin to make his choice.

"In that case... let's get started."

The afternoon had arrived, leaving all the students to eat lunch. The Blair twins had just come back from their room with plates of meat for Team CMFF to share. As they were eating, Flora pointed something out to her sisters. "Look alive, ladies," she said. "We've got company."

Merri and Fauna looked in the same direction as their sister and locked their gazes on something new. Today was the final day that students from every other school were allowed to come to Vale and compete in the Vytal Festival Tournament. Many different uniforms were present at the scene, from all across the world. Other students, mainly boys, were wearing regular clothes, but it didn't matter to the sisters.

"Look at all of them," said Merri, who just finished a bite of meat. "I could eat them up."

"Check out the blonde," Fauna said as she pointed to a blonde boy from Vacuo wearing a ripped shirt. "Oh, man. I want that for my birthday."

Flora whistled as two Faunus walked by. "Never tried a Faunus before," she said. "First time for everything."

Merri hummed at the idea. "Beacon's having this dance tomorrow. Looks like you'll get your chance."

"I wonder which one I should pick."

"I wonder what I'm gonna wear."

"I can whip something up after school. You want in, Cinder?"

"..."

The team leader's silence caught everyone's attention. Each sister looked to see Cinder sitting in silence, simply poking her food.

"Hey, Remnant to Cinder!" Fauna said as she nudged her leader's arm.

"Huh?" Cinder audibly asked as she looked over to her friend. "Did you say something?"

"We've been saying things ever since we sat down," Fauna confirmed. "You okay?"

"Ah, it's no big deal, sis," Flora insisted. "Cinder's already got a man of her own." The comment caused Merri to pull on her hair. "Ow! Hey!" She turned over to her sister. "What was that for?"

"Forget the boys," Merri ordered as she turned over to Cinder. "Fauna's right to be worried, Cinder. Something got you down?"

"...Yeah, actually," Cinder confirmed. "I, uh, told my dad what you told me last night."

Merri and Fauna looked at each other, seemingly reading each other's thoughts. However, Flora wasn't entirely understanding. "You told him we almost burned our room cooking?" she asked, earning another hair pull from Merri. "Ow!"

"No, you dunce!" Merri said.

"I think Cinder's talking about us finding her mom," Fauna deduced. She turned back to her leader. "Is that true?"

"Uh-huh," said Cinder.

"Oh, right," Flora said as she got her hair free from Merri's grasp. "So, uh... how'd it go?"

"That's what I'm thinking about." Cinder put down her fork and looked at everyone. "I was pretty excited when I first told him."

"Well, duh," said Merri. "You had a right to be excited."

"But your dad wasn't excited, was he?" Fauna asked.

"Not really," Cinder admitted sadly while looking down at the table. "I didn't see it at first, because I was so excited. But looking back made me see that... he wasn't just not excited. He wasn't too happy, either."

"Really?" Flora asked.

"Why not?" Merri asked.

"I don't know," Cinder said as she held back tears. "I can't figure out if it was something I said, or the way I said it." She looked back to her teammates. "The day I told him about this, I feel that I made it clear I'm not trying to get away from him. But I don't know if he believes that."

The sisters looked at each other for a few moments. Suddenly, they all leaned closer to each other, huddling up away from Cinder. Just as she was about to lean closer and try to hear what they were saying, the sisters looked back to Cinder.

"You want our advice?" Flora asked.

"We can see where you're coming from," said Fauna. "And we might be able to help."

Merri quickly wrapped her arm around Cinder and pulled her close before she could respond. "Just ask yourself a simple question," Merri said.

"A question?" Cinder asked in confusion. "What question?"

Merri took a deep breath and bluntly asked Cinder the question. "Who cares what he thinks?"

Before Cinder could respond, Merri's sisters quickly backed up the idea. "Merri's right," said Flora. "We don't care what your dad thinks. Why should you?"

"You worked so hard for this," said Fauna. "So what if you had a little help along the way? You still found your mom."

"And if Mr. Djarin's not happy, don't let that get you down."

"It's not his mom we're talking about here."

"Didn't you tell us you wanted to find out who you were? And why you were taken to an orphanage?"

"Now's your chance. You shouldn't let anyone stop you."

Merri quickly silenced her sisters, seeing that they did a good job to enforce her point. "Does your father want you to wait before meeting her?"

"Um... yeah," said Cinder, who was thinking about what her teammates had suggested. "Yeah, he said he wants to be with me."

"Screw that!" Merri said. "Who knows how long he'll keep you waiting?"

"Merri's right," said Fauna. "Did he give you a timeframe?"

"Well... no," said Cinder.

"Then let's not have one!" said Flora. "We can find her address before next class starts. Then we'll go after school."

Cinder couldn't explain it, but she was having a hard time finding a way to argue against her teammates. They were trying their best to help her, making a plan that would happen almost immediately. Cinder loved her father, loved him enough to obey his orders when they both deemed it necessary.

But now, Cinder knew that finding her mother when answers were within her grasp was more important than being obedient. With or without any approval, she would meet her mother today.

"You know what?" she asked. "You're right. If you're all willing, let's do it."

"We've got no place else to be," said Merri. "Right, girls?"

"Right!" Flora and Fauna replied simultaneously.

"Okay, then," Cinder decided. "For better or worse... I'm meeting my mom. Today."

When the afternoon had arrived, Djarin found himself still aboard Ironwood's ship. He hadn't left the room he met Thrawn in, and neither had the Admiral. In that time, Djarin had discovered that the lessons Clan Tenau taught him were more difficult to teach than learn. But the Admiral had not wavered once in the hours of instruction, and he didn't waver when Djarin decided to put the lessons into action.

"Let's review," said Djarin, who played a video of soldiers shooting Grimm. In the video, the soldiers had just killed a pack of Beowolves. The Alpha, however, ran away before being shot. When the soldiers gave chase, the screen cut to black after a minute. The Mandalorian turned to the Admiral, who didn't take his eyes off the screen.

"That was all the footage we could find of their bodies," said Thrawn.

The Mandalorian nodded. "It tells us a lot. What do you think it tells?"

Thrawn stroked his chin and continued to stare at the screen. "Their fatal error was chasing after the Alpha. It is the reason they're no longer with us."

Djarin could see that as well, and continued to test his student. "Why?" he asked calmly.

"Their are subtle detections left by the Grimm." Thrawn rewinded the video and stopped on the Alpha. "This Alpha appears to be... lazy, if you will. It simply led its pack to attack these men and stood back."

"Correct," Djarin noted. "But an Alpha is much more deadlier than a common Beowolf, it should have no problem joining the carnage."

"Indeed." Thrawn played the video once more. "But there's something else... here." Thrawn watched the Alpha stand still while its pack was being decimated. "See here. It's smelling the ground, attempting to detect a scent." Just as the Admiral said, the Alpha was smelling the ground. First, it smelled the left. And then it smelled the right. After this, it took off running towards the right.

"This was when the soldiers died," Djarin reminded his student.

"Because... this was not a retreat," said Thrawn. "This was... a reunion. One with larger numbers than before. One that could easily decimate these soldiers."

Djarin turned off the screen and looked back to the Admiral. "Well done," he said. "This is the third video that you've seen and successfully analyzed. It seems I misjudged you."

Rather than accept the compliment, Thrawn focused on the second part of that sentence. "It's the skin, isn't it?" he replied.

Djarin looked back in confusion, but then realized what he said. "I meant with learning Grimm behavior. It takes a long time to learn, but you've been successful in putting it to practice."

Thrawn realized his error and began to correct it. "Ah, I see. My apologies, Mr. Djarin. I'm simply used to the shallow comments of my peers and subordinates, as well as their initial misjudgment of me."

"I always knew the Faunus were never treated fairly in Atlas. Even after the war, Mandalorians were still treated as enemies of the Kingdom. General Ironwood once hunted me, along with Major Gideon."

"Major Gideon?" Thrawn grinned. "Now that is a name I haven't heard in a long time."

"You knew him?"

"I did. His actions of betrayal and secession were understandable. Respectable, even. It takes courage to see Atlas as it is and try to make such a... drastic change."

"Perhaps I could have respected him." Djarin looked down. "If he didn't try to kill me."

Thrawn looked back at the Mandalorian. "Well, there's that. Unfortunately, his master plan was destined to fail, given his failure to assassinate the General."

"I know. The odds of accomplishing that were hardly in his, or anyone's favor." Djarin looked at the metal hilt on his belt. "Even when he wasn't using this weapon, he came closer than anyone I know to killing him."

"And yet, there is something Ironwood has, the one law he allows himself to be governed by; the right of survival. One I know myself." Thrawn smiled as he saw an opportunity to educate Djarin as he had educated him. "Nobody can guess what kind of Faunus I am. Perhaps you can, Mr. Djarin?"

Djarin couldn't see the relevance behind the exercise, so he decided to get back on track. "Let's not... get off topic," he suggested.

"I won't be offended, if that's what you're worried about," the Admiral promised. "Besides, I wish to know."

Djarin reluctantly humored Thrawn and looked closer at his skin. "I once knew a man who came close to dying by going into the woods. The reason was because a small but poisonous animal had made contact with his exposed skin. It was called a 'dart frog,' and it was the same color as you."

Thrawn grinned once more and hummed at the idea. "I'm also familiar with that kind of frog," he said. "A very good guess. But, I'm afraid you're wrong."

"No other blue animal really comes to mind, then. Except aquatic life. But I wouldn't label you as such."

"That is wise. As I mentioned, nobody else can guess what kind of Faunus I am. Do you know why?" Djarin shook his head. "It's simple, really. I am not a Faunus."

"You-You're not?" Djarin asked in surprise. The Admiral simply shook his head. "But... how did-?"

"This happen?" Thrawn asked. "Like I said, Mr. Djarin. I am governed by the will to survive. As well as my open mind." The Admiral walked over to the wall, specifically an Atlas flag that was hanging on it. Moving the flag, the Admiral looked at the wall and spoke at it directly. "Mitth'raw'nuruodo."

An electronic voice suddenly rung out. "Access granted," it said as the wall opened.

Thrawn looked back to Djarin. "My family name," he explained. "Come here." Djarin walked over to Thrawn as he reached inside. "I am grateful to you, for sharing your secrets. As a sign of good faith, I am giving you my word that I am prepared to put this knowledge to good use. Furthermore, I'd like to share a secret of my own with you." He then pulled out his hand to reveal a small glass bottle, filled with a blue substance. "Here."

Djarin took the bottle and carefully opened the lid. As it moved when the bottle moved, it gave away its identity. "This is Dust," the Mandalorian observed.

"Not just any Dust," said Thrawn. "This is Cobalt Dust. Very rare, but very powerful. And not just as a fuel source."

Djarin pondered the possibility of making it like his blaster ammunition. But first he wanted to see what it was like. "What does it do?" he asked calmly.

"When it comes into contact with another substance, it takes over and splits apart rapidly," Thrawn explained. "Like a cancer, it divides uncontrollably. However, it has the ability to heal rather than destroy."

"Heal?"

Thrawn nodded and continued to explain. "My family was known for two things in Atlas. One was that they had quite the reputation in the military, as common soldiers or officers of the fleet. I naturally joined, and my father taught me everything he knew. However, some of us had a rare genetic disease that proves fatal. Unfortunately, I inherited it."

"And the Dust helped you?"

"A very skeptical idea, I know. Given the amount of deaths caused by close contact with Dust, it only seemed natural that I would die regardless. But I didn't let that stop me. I received weekly treatments of Cobalt Dust until my disease was eradicated."

"That's... quite the cure."

"Indeed. But as you can see, there were... side effects."

"Are they lethal?"

"Quite the opposite, actually." Thrawn pulled out something else from his wall safe; a picture of a young man with chalk white skin and hair. "I was an albino before receiving treatment. The Dust appeared to see my albinism as cause for treatment. Although why... I still have yet to learn. I wasn't ashamed of it, nor am I ashamed of my current appearance." Thrawn moved away from the wall to show Djarin that the safe was filled with multiple vials of Cobalt Dust. "Forgive my paranoia, but I don't take chances with my life."

"Nor do I," Djarin said as he handed the now sealed vial back to the Admiral.

"It is for you to keep," said Thrawn.

Djarin looked back at the vial, and then the safe. "No, I-"

"Take it." Thrawn closed the safe and moved the flag back. "It is my gift to you, as a token of my sincerity. Use it wisely."

Djarin looked at the unique Dust. Seeing no reason to turn it down, the Mandalorian placed his gift inside his utility belt, making a reminder to take it out once he returned home. "Thank you," he said.

"No. Thank you." Thrawn began to walk back to the elevator. "These past few hours have been very educational, Mr. Djarin. I look forward to seeing what I can learn on my own."

"You want to stop?"

"Stop learning?" Thrawn softly chuckled. "Never. However, I'm currently conducting an investigation that requires my full attention. Your lesson will make this task far less tedious, I assure you." Thrawn stopped at the elevator and pressed its button.

"If you insist," said Djarin, who stood still and waited for the elevator. "If your investigation is what I think it is... let me leave you with another lesson. Some advice, actually." Thrawn looked at Djarin, giving him his full attention. "When it comes to the Grimm, we Mandalorians don't bite off more than we can chew. Even when we're ready to put what we've learned into practice."

"... I can't help but feel excited, you are correct," the Admiral confirmed. "But I will be patient. Thank you, Mr. Djarin." As the two shook hands, the elevator arrived. "Safe travels." The Mandalorian stepped inside, leaving Thrawn to walk back to his chair.

"Don't bite off more than you can chew?" a voice from behind called out. Thrawn turned around to see his gray friend step out of the darkness and into the light. "Does he think we're children? Or just stupid?"

"Neither," said the Admiral. "He simply urges caution. Which is something you failed to do, Rukh."

"He only won because he had the armor."

"He won because you had no strategy." Thrawn walked over to his companion. "Your agility and strength are not as intimidating as you believe." He then placed a hand on Rukh's shoulder. "Your mother and father, both different Faunus, gave you those abilities, but they also gave you a brain. Remember to use it, and you will succeed."

"..."

Content that Rukh had learned his lesson, Thrawn sat down and pressed a button on his chair. A screen appeared with General Ironwood's face on it. The Admiral stood up and saluted the man before him. "General Ironwood."

"At ease," the General said as he saluted. Thrawn sat down and listened to Ironwood speak. "How did everything go?"

"Very enlightening. You were right about the Mandalorian. I'm confident that his knowledge will help with my investigation."

Ironwood smiled. "I knew it would. Along with the Grimm, I have new orders. Professor Ozpin and I were able to work together and determine how the... excessive fleet can provide Vale the security it needs. I'd like you to rearrange the fleet according to the instructions I just sent you."

Thrawn heard the Scroll in his pocket vibrate, which caused him to open it and look at the instructions. "Consider it done," he promised. "While this is happening, I'd like to request permission to leave the ship."

"For what purpose?" Ironwood asked.

"Mr. Djarin and I were able to use recent recordings in our lesson. Based on what I learned, I believe there may be more to the Grimm's presence than meets the eye. I'd like to personally prove this idea."

"Very well. Is there anything else you require?"

Thrawn took out his Scroll and tapped the screen three times. "I've just sent you what it is that I require." He then saw Ironwood take out his own Scroll and look at the screen. When he saw the General slightly turn his head and furrow his brow, Thrawn spoke again. "Is something wrong?"

"Admiral, I can give you the Atlesian Knights," Ironwood promised. "These should reduce casualties. But this list says you want cadets, namely Cadet Schnee to accompany you."

"Yes, that is correct. I merely wish to provide the cadets an example of military operations."

"I see. But Cadet Schnee is our youngest cadet."

"I am aware. However, I am unaware of the potential you see in her. I'd like to see it for myself."

Ironwood hummed as he stoked his chin. "Alright, then. They'll be reporting to you in a half hour."

"Very good, sir." The screen changed from Ironwood to a blank page. Rather than turn off the screen, Thrawn pressed a button to make contact with the bridge. Specifically, another officer with a brown mustache. "Captain Pellaeon."

"Yes, Admiral?" the officer replied, ready for orders.

"I will be taking my leave from this ship in a half hour. You are to take temporary command until I return."

"Very good, sir."

As promised, Ironwood delivered the cadets and Atlesian Knights to Thrawn's personal airship. While she was waiting, Winter took a seat and listened to the other cadets talk. However, she decided not to join them for good reason.

"All droids," said one cadet, a girl with dark brown hair. "Kinda weird we don't have any soldiers with us."

"I guess we don't need them," said another cadet, a red haired boy hypothesized. "General Ironwood said he wanted to reduce human casualties with these things."

"There's that," said another girl, a blonde with blue eyes. "But we also have the supposed prodigy on board."

"Shh! She might hear you."

"I don't care. What's she gonna do? Tell her mom to stop selling me Dust?"

The first girl quietly laughed. "Still think she bought her way in?" she asked.

"There's a good chance," said the boy. "Everyone has their price."

"She's been hanging around with the General a lot," said the second girl. "Maybe her mom is involved, if you know what I mean." The comment made the first girl laugh again.

Winter had the hearing of a hawk, which allowed her to hear everything the cadets were saying. She was doing her best to pay no attention and keep her anger in check, and she was being successful. Since she had received similar comments back in Atlas, doubting her potential and singling her out for being a Schnee, Winter had grown used to it. Even though she proved her worth to Atlas Academy's professors, young Winter was having a hard time making friends among her peers. She had Penny and Cinder, but she chose not to disclose her personal feelings to them.

And now she had a chance to put her anger aside when a man in a white uniform stepped aboard. Everyone stood at attention, but they couldn't maintain a straight face when they saw the officer's blue skin.

"Good Gods," Winter thought to herself. "It's him."

"At ease," the officer said as he approached the door to the cockpit. Everyone sat down, but the cadets continued to stare at him. "Our mission will be conducted just outside the Vytal Festival fair grounds. Unless I say otherwise, this mission is strictly reconnaissance. Our exact time of arrival is five minutes, I advise you to prepare." The man stepped inside the cockpit of the airship as it took off.

"Oh, God," said the second girl. "And I thought this couldn't get any worse."

Winter couldn't help but overhear and now she was curious to see what her fellow cadet meant. "What was that?" she asked.

The girl turned to Winter and sighed. "I wasn't talking to you," she replied.

"Whoa, hang on," said the boy. "I wanna know what you're thinking too."

The girl relented. "First, we need to work with someone who's still a kid. And now we have to take orders from a Faunus."

"Hey, that's enough!" Winter demanded. Quickly realizing her outburst, she cleared her throat and remembered her manners. "For your sake, I'd advise you to be careful who you talk about."

"The Schnee's dead on," said the first girl. "That wasn't some run of the mill Faunus. That was Admiral Thrawn."

"Who?" the blonde girl asked.

"Admiral Thrawn," said Winter. "You know, the Defender of Argus? The Grand Admiral of Atlas?"

"She's right," said the boy. "He has a reputation back home. General Ironwood promoted him personally."

Despite the nicknames and the supposed reputation, the girl found herself unimpressed. "If he's so great, why isn't he teaching in Atlas?"

"He can do more good than staying at the Academy," said Winter. "His reputation and name are at the top of Atlas."

"Oh. Like your family?"

Winter furrowed her brow. "If you're in a mood to learn rather than talk, you'll see what's behind the surface."

The girl stood up. "Are you saying I'm dumb?"

Before anything could get out of hand, the other cadets stood up and pushed the girls back.

"Hey, hey, cool your jets!" said the first girl.

"We're supposed to be Atlas Academy cadets," said the boy. "Arguing over who can do what isn't acting like proper cadets."

The two girls silently sat back down, not saying a word until the ship landed. Everyone exited the ship and began to survey the area. Winter first noted how close they were to the fair grounds, causing a sense of unease.

"Stop."

Everyone stopped walking and looked out into the distance, following Admiral Thrawn's gaze. About twenty feet away was a vast tree line, and there were two Grimm emerging from the woods.

"Disappear," Thrawn ordered as he moved to cover. The cadets and the Knights followed his order and did nothing else. Thrawn was the only one moving, who had just turned to one Knight. "Emerge just above this cover. Begin recording." The droid obeyed and moved its head just above the wooden stand it was hiding behind.

"Begin recording?" Winter wondered. Her curiosity and confusion about the mission were about to emerge, but then she shut them out. One thing she learned as a cadet was to obey orders rather than waste time understanding them. She could understand orders when she would be the one giving them.

"Cadets, hold this position," the Admiral commanded as he began to walk back to his ship. "Cadet Schnee. Follow me."

Winter lost her composure at the order. She looked back to her fellow cadets, who had an equal amount of surprise. But the arrogant girl simply rolled her eyes and looked back to the Grimm. Winter quickly looked back to Admiral Thrawn and ran up to him.

"Ah, there you are," he said calmly.

"Yes, sir," Winter said as she followed him back to the ship. Deciding that he may need protection, she began to draw her sword.

"You won't be needing that," the Admiral said as he pointed to the small pistol he had on his side. "And it is highly unorthodox for a future officer to be at the ready in the presence of their superior."

Winter quickly moved her hands behind her back. "Apologies, sir."

"I didn't say it was an error. I simply said it was unorthodox. However, a sense of ease can hide your capabilities. Make your allies believe there is more to you than a simple ready for battle."

"...Understood."

The Admiral and young cadet had finally approached the ship. The pilot turned around and watched his superior officer approach. "Put me through to the second squadron," he ordered. The pilot pressed two buttons on his control panel and handed a radio speaker to Thrawn. "Rukh, are you in position?"

"Yes," a low voice replied on the other end.

"And the Knights?"

"Where I told them to be."

"Good. Maintain position. And don't let your target see you." Thrawn handed the radio back to the pilot and looked back to Winter.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" she asked calmly.

"Granted," Thrawn replied. "You wish to understand our mission, do you not?"

"I do. From the sound of it, there are other teams like us, out here."

"Correct."

"And they share the same target as us. The Grimm."

"Correct."

"And we're... watching them? Why can't we eliminate them while they're here? Before they can hurt any-"

"Because I know these Grimm, I've studied them." Thrawn pulled out his Scroll and showed Winter live footage of the Beowolves they were watching earlier. "Already, they are defying convention and attempting something unexpected." He showed the footage to Winter, who was watching a Beowolf rip and tear a lone deer that had come across its path.

"U-Um..."

Winter was having a hard time deciphering what it was that the Admiral was seeing. She knew that the Creatures of Grimm would destroy anything they pleased, her Grimm Studies classes have proven that. So to watch a Grimm conduct it's methods of destruction was nothing unordinary.

"Your classes in Grimm Studies have gone well, I imagine?" Thrawn asked calmly.

Winter looked back at the Admiral. "Um, yes," she replied. "Yes, sir. They have."

"I trust they have taught you that the Grimm are more than willing to attack anyone and anything they please."

"Yes, sir. That's why we have Huntsmen and Huntresses. To protect those who cannot protect themselves."

"Would you say that protection would apply to a common deer?"

Each question raised more confusion from Winter, who kept failing to see the Admiral's point. "...Sir?"

Thrawn put away his Scroll. "In my experience, I have seen Grimm attack Huntsmen, Huntresses, and average citizens simply to destroy. But I recently learned that attacking an average wild animal is rare. It does not convey fear like we do, or get angry easier. So what negativity is there to convey?"

"...None?" Winter guessed.

"Precisely. So why kill a deer? Something that should have displayed no negativity whatsoever, besides the pain it is currently suffering?"

"Um... hunger?"

"Not quite. If that Grimm kills anything that gets in its way, and refuses to advance, then there is something in that tree line worth protecting. And I, for one, would like to find out what it is." Thrawn began to walk back towards the tree line. But when he realized that he was walking alone, he turned back to see Winter standing in the airship. "Are you coming, Cadet Schnee?"

"...Permission to remain aboard, sir?" she replied.

Thrawn narrowed his eyes and moved back to the ship. "For what reason?"

"To prevent making any more mistakes that may jeopardize this mission."

Thrawn hummed at the idea. "Is that so? And what exactly were the previous mistakes?"

Winter, having lost her initial confidence after succumbing to the comments of her peers and failing to see what was right in front of her, felt that she had nothing else to contribute to the mission. She didn't even feel that she had the right to speak her mind to the Admiral.

"Speak freely, Winter. I insist."

The sound of her first name was rare, especially from a high ranking officer. So she decided to comply with the request.

"You were able to find a surprising amount of mistakes I made in only two minutes," she said. "My form, my ability to understand the Grimm, and my insistence on ignoring the bigger picture. I think I can learn from these mistakes and try again, but not at the risk of jeopardizing the mission." She looked down at her seat and began to sit down.

Thrawn finally stepped inside the ship. "If I may be blunt, Winter... I only see one mistake when I look at you," he said.

Winter quickly looked back at the officer. "Sir?"

"Don't misunderstand, you have made multiple errors. But do you know what the difference between an error and a mistake?"

"Aren't they... both the same?"

"One would think. But you see... anyone can make an error. But that error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it." Thrawn pulled out his Scroll once more. "Let me show you one of the biggest mistakes I noticed today." He quickly pressed the screen and heard a voice ring out.

"First, we need to work with someone who's still a kid. And now we have to take orders from a Faunus."

Thrawn slid his finger across the screen and played another piece of audio.

"If he's so great, why isn't he teaching in Atlas?"

Winter widened her eyes. "That was earlier today!" she said. "You could-"

"Yes," the Admiral confirmed. "Because your fellow cadet refused to correct her mistake, her insubordination will be noted. Your loyalty, on the other hand, will also be noted." Thrawn began to walk outside. "Unless, of course, you do not wish to correct your error."

Winter quickly walked outside while Thrawn grinned. "Thank you, sir," she said.

"Thank yourself. For fixing an error you made. And giving me the chance to see an error of my own."

"Sir?"

"I can understand your earlier behavior. Trying to live up to high expectations for people much older than you are. I hoped to see what it is Ironwood sees in you, to learn why you were accepted into Atlas Academy two years early. But perhaps a simple reconnaissance mission is not the right mission."

"Oh... I see." Winter suddenly got an idea. "If you wish to see, I'd be happy... I mean, honored, to work with you again." Winter quickly cleared her throat and stopped smiling. "Um, sir."

Thrawn looked back at the cadet. "It would be my-"

*BANG*

Winter and Thrawn looked back in the direction of the Grimm. "What in-?" Thrawn couldn't finish his sentence, his blood was boiling at the sound of gunfire. He and Winter quickly ran back to the cadets and droids, who were firing at more Grimm than before. "What is the meaning of this?"

The boy quickly looked back at the Admiral. "Sir, more Grimm are coming this way!" he observed.

"I can see that, cadet. How did this happen?" He quickly observed that one of the cadets was missing.

"Cadet Aero fired on a Grimm when it began to leave the tree line! She ran off after the second one, and we haven't heard from her since! And then these things started coming!"

Thrawn quickly realized that the cadet had just jeopardized the entire mission. Nevertheless, he began firing on the incoming Beowolves with his sidearm. Winter realized the long distance between her and the Grimm made her swords impractical.

But she was able to think of a plan to use them. The first step was to plunge it into the ground. She then concentrated on her Semblance, which led to a white glyph being created on the ground. Multiple white shapes began to fly out of the ground and fly towards the Beowolves. The shapes revealed themselves to be small Nevermores, all completely under Winter's control and currently preventing the other Beowolves from charging.

Both of the remaining cadets and Thrawn turned to see Winter with her sword on the ground. "Shoot them!" she ordered as she felt her Semblance take up her Aura. The ability she had created to summon that many Grimm was one that would take up more Aura than her regular glyphs. Thrawn understood and fired on the remaining Beowolves, followed by the other cadets and droids.

Within half a minute, all the Beowolves, including an Alpha, had been turned to dust. Winter's Aura broke from using her Summoning, which led her to realize that she would need more training with that ability.

"Search the forest," Thrawn ordered. He and his company complied and began to enter the trees, careful to look out for any more Grimm. Within another minute, they found Cadet Aero, who was trying to fight off one last Beowolf. Thrawn quickly shot it and looked at the surrounding area, specifically the cave in front of him. "A den. A place to stay and wait until the right moment to attack." He turned to the cadet on the ground. "I suppose I must thank you. Your recklessness has actually proven useful. Although I wouldn't recommend disobeying orders once again."

"Don't mention it," the blonde grumbled as she had trouble standing up.

"Take her back to my ship." Thrawn watched as the two cadets helped their friend up, leaving him alone with Winter and the droids. "Record the area, leave nothing unexamined." Winter was about to join the droids, but was stopped by Thrawn. "I will not only make note of your attack, Cadet Schnee. I will applaud you for it."

"Thank you, sir," Winter said in surprise. "But I need to work on my strength for my Summoning."

"Make sure you do. The attack and your Semblance are quite the pieces of art. I would hate to see less of it. And even less of its potential."

Winter was beyond happy to hear that. She promised herself that she would work harder than ever, and not just in her combat. She remembered what Penny said about her being a Specialist, and the Admiral's interest had given her more than enough motivation to keep working.

And it even gave her a reason to call Cinder once she was relieved from Admiral Thrawn.

"Winter, that's great news! An Admiral said that?"

"Not just any Admiral. Grand Admiral Thrawn himself. Wait, did I just say that out loud?"

Cinder laughed into the Scroll she was speaking on. "Come on, it's not big deal," she said. "It's just us talking. No Generals, no other cadets. Besides, you have a right to be excited. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," said Winter. "I think I should be thanking you for more than that, though."

"Why's that?"

"You kept telling me the people who don't like me at my best don't deserve me at my best. Admiral Thrawn's one of the people who wants me at my best."

"Well, I think he's gonna get it pretty soon. You ready for the tournament?"

"I think so. I'm still working on my Semblance, mainly my Summoning. How about you?"

"I don't mean to brag, but Team CMFF is ready for anything. The training we did outside of class finally whipped these girls into shape."

"Oh, so you've finally taught them discipline?"

"I can't say too much, but you'll see in the tournament. How about Penny?"

"She keeps telling me she's 'combat ready.' Speaking of which, she also told me she wants to talk to you. I think she wants one last gathering before we all fight each other."

"Well, that sounds great. But I can't meet right now."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you still training?"

"No, I'm actually-" Cinder gasped when she made a quick realization. "Oh, my gosh! I didn't even tell you!"

"Tell me what?" Winter asked.

"My teammates helped me find my mother! We're going to meet her right now!"

"They did? That's... wonderful news! Congratulations, Cinder."

"Thanks. We're actually in a cab right now, on our way to meet her now." Cinder looked out the window. "Actually, I think we're here. I'll call you back, we'll talk about meeting up later."

"Good luck, Cinder. Goodbye."

"Bye."

Cinder ended the call on her Scroll and stepped out of the taxi she just took with the rest of Team CMFF. She then walked over to the driver and handed him two pieces of Lien. "Thank you," she said as the driver took the Lien. The car drove away, leaving Team CMFF to look at a small apartment complex.

"35 Evergreen Avenue," said Merri, who was looking at her own Scroll. "Yep, this is the place, alright."

"And it looks like Ms. Collins lives in apartment 2A," said Fauna. She looked over to Cinder, who was staring at the building. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Cinder assured her friend. "I just can't believe it's happening. I'm going to meet my mother."

"I'm pretty excited too," said Flora. "I wanna see what happens."

"Me too," said Merri. "So, uh... have you decided what you're gonna say to her?"

Cinder looked back to Merri. "Well, I... Um..." Her mind was drawing a blank at the idea, given that her mind was racing with over a hundred possibilities. She had so many things she wanted to talk about that it was hard to find out where to begin.

"Looks like you need a little time," said Flora. "Hey, how about this? Ms. Collins might be taken by surprise with all this. Why don't we go in ahead of you and warm her up for you? Give both of you some time to be ready."

"At long last, you have a good idea," said Fauna, which earned her a shove from her sister.

"Better late than never," said Merri, who shared Fauna's sentiments. "How about it, Cinder? Want us to go first?"

"If... If you don't mind," Cinder shyly replied. "I'm sorry, I just need to figure out what to say."

"Yeah, sure. Just text us whenever you're ready."

The sisters took the first steps to the apartment complex and let themselves in, leaving Cinder alone. She suddenly began to pace the sidewalk up and down as she recited her plan. Deciding to introduce herself with a friendly handshake, Cinder would describe her time leading up to this moment. However, not wanting to hurt any feelings, she decided to leave out the part about being a slave in Atlas. And she wouldn't say a word about being the Fall Maiden, just that she was currently a student at Beacon Academy.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Cinder decided that her introduction and description of her time at Beacon would be enough. Despite her better judgement, she made the choice to see where the rest of the conversation would go, to see what her mother was like. So after taking a deep breath, she walked towards the building and texted Merri that she was ready.

"Ms. Collins is ready too. See you inside."

Cinder smiled at the text and walked upstairs. After arriving on the second floor, Cinder found herself looking at the wooden door that stood between her and her mother. Taking one last breath, Cinder knocked on the door three times.

"It's open," Merri called out.

Cinder slowly opened the door to see her friends sitting in the living room of the apartment. And in one chair was a blonde woman, who looked just like the picture the Blair sisters found for Cinder. Both the woman and Cinder gasped when they laid eyes on each other.

"My word," the woman said. "You look just like your father." Before Cinder could say anything, the woman stood up and gave Cinder a hug. When her shock died down, Cinder smiled and hugged her back, feeling her anxiety fade away like dust in the wind.

"We'll give you two some time," Merri said as she led her sisters out of the apartment.

Cinder let go of the woman and the two made eye contact. "It's... nice to meet you," she said with a smile.

"I would say the same, but..." Sandie slightly laughed. "I think I've already done that, Odette."

Cinder stopped smiling. "Odette?"

"Why, yes. That's your name."

Cinder's eyes widened as a soft gasp escaped her mouth. "I have a name," she thought to herself. "I have a name. I have a name. I have a name."

Sandie however, didn't share her daughter's joy. "Wait. Has everyone called you something else?" she asked.

Cinder refocused on Sandie and answered. "Oh... yes. As long as I could remember, everyone called me 'Cinder.'"

"Cinder. Cinder." Sandie smiled. "That's a lovely name." She quickly looked back to the chair she was sitting in. "Please, sit down."

Cinder obeyed and observed the rest of the living room. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you." Sandie finally sat down. "I can imagine you have questions, about us. Please, don't hesitate to ask."

"Right back at you," Cinder said with a laugh. "Do you want to-?"

"You can ask first. I don't mind."

Cinder took another deep breath. "If you insist. My first question was actually answered when you called me by name. It's a lovely name, really."

"So is 'Cinder.' It really fits with your hair and eyes."

Cinder giggled. "Thank you. Well, my other question is... I really want to know why I was put up for adoption."

"Oh. I see." Sandie put down her cup of tea. "That's... a long story." She then cleared her throat. "When your father found out I was pregnant with you, we decided to buy a house in the city of Mistral. You were going to be the start of our family. The house we bought was perfect. A backyard, three bedrooms... I wish you could have seen it."

"That... sounds wonderful," said Cinder. "So... what happened?"

"We were still moving into the house in Mistral. One day, he took an airship to get more of our things. That ship... was shot down. Nobody survived." As she finished the story, the older woman began to cry.

Cinder felt an enormous amount of guilt when she heard the story. Her heart ached at the idea of not being given the chance to meet her father, but she felt even more sorry for the woman who knew him longer than she did. "You can stop if you want," she said.

"No, no," Sandie replied. "You deserve to know the whole truth."

While she appreciated the sentiment, Cinder could tell her mother would have a hard time letting out her pain. So she decided to help Sandie. "Let me guess; the payments for living that high in Mistral were expensive. Too expensive to deal with while raising a baby."

Sandie nodded. "Eric was... always the breadwinner between us," she said. "I made some money at part-time jobs, but it could never be enough. And I was planning to go into social work, where the salary would be perfect for raising you. But in the meantime, I was forced to move into lower Mistral." Sandie placed a hand on Cinder's. "You have to know, taking you to that orphanage was only temporary. I visited you every weekend, made the administrators promise to keep you until I had enough money to get out of lower Mistral and take you back with me."

"But things changed," Cinder said after she nodded in understanding. "That fire, the one that killed most of the children. You thought I was one of them."

"Either that or you were sent away. I searched every orphanage I could, even ones in other Kingdoms. But I failed. I failed, and I am so sorry."

"That doesn't matter." Cinder hugged Sandie once more. "We're together now. Let's focus on that."

"I will." Sandie hugged Cinder back and then wiped away her tears. "Well... that was a thing." She and Cinder laughed for a moment before she asked another question. "Do you... have any other questions for me?"

"Just one," Cinder replied. "Did you say my father.. Eric... was shot down?"

"I did. Responding Huntsmen and Huntresses came to the scene, and they couldn't find any signs of Grimm."

"How do they know it was shot down? That it wasn't an accident?"

Sandie stood up. "I asked the same questions you did. But a Huntsman found something there, something that I kept." She moved over to a closet close to the bedroom. Opening it led to the woman kneeling down and looking at the bottom. "Yes, this is it."

Cinder stood up and walked over to the closet. "What is it?" she asked.

Sandie turned around and showed Cinder what she was holding in her hands. She couldn't see it, but the object caused Cinder to stop breathing. She didn't blink, she didn't say anything, it was as if her body had turned into a statue. This was because the object had just caused Cinder's world to come crashing down on her. What was once happiness and comfort had just turned to chaos.

Her mother was holding a Mandalorian helmet in her hands.

Author's note: Happy New Year everyone! Speaking of which, it's officially been a whole year since I started The Way of the Maiden. Time flies, am I right? In honor of that, I just want to say thanks to all of you for sticking around after the first chapter. You all made me want to continue this story, even when I was bouncing between school, work, and another story I'm happy to be co-writing. So thanks again, and I really hope you're still enjoying the story. And to all of the new readers since last chapter, welcome to The Way of the Maiden. Glad you found the story interesting.

To 54godamora, Fria is starting to push into her old age, but she's definitely in her prime as a Maiden. Power-wise, I mean. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To GojiraFan455516, my pleasure. Still enjoying your story, you got something good going on. Hope you're enjoying this story too.

To CT7567Rules (indeed he does), I have considered giving Djarin a new weapon besides his rifle and his sidearm. Given the upgrades we saw for RWBY in Volume 7, I think I can give him something new or upgraded. I'll definitely keep the Morph Gun in mind, thanks for the suggestion. As for Rex and the Bad Batch, I've got some surprises planned ahead. Hope you're enjoying the story.

To RagingLizard, I can't thank you enough for your praise. I'm so glad the story got your attention and I was really happy to read what you had to say. I understand why you think some of the pacing is fast and the fights could use work, thank you for the constructive criticism. So glad you like the story, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

I don't have too much to say at the moment. However, I should mention that school recently started for me again. So I won't have as much time as I did before to update, but I'll write whenever I can. Once again, thank you all for reading and helping me create a year-old story. I hope you all have a great day and can't wait to see you all again. Stay awesome!