Chapter 27: The Eyes

"So the wife says she had the repairmen come to her house. The only payment they would take was either a cake or having sex with them. When the husband asks what kind of cake she made, all she says is, 'What do I look like, the master chef?'"

The table Greef Karga was sitting at erupted in laughter at the joke he just told. The citizens and Mandalorians he was sitting with were enjoying some downtime from work in the city and work abroad. However, Karga's break ended when he recognized a woman that just walked into the bar. "Sorry, my friends," he said as he stood up and showed his Scroll of bounties. "My next hunter's here." He stood up and walked over to the bounty hunter, prepared to make a deal. On his way, he accidentally bumped into another woman. "Oh, excuse me."

"Don't worry about it," a low voice said. Rather than walking to a crowd of people, the woman chose a very isolated spot in the bar and removed a hood. The woman revealed herself as a Faunus with ears and stripes, and very annoyed. She had come back to this town every day and still hadn't found what she was looking for. So she decided to call the operation off when she made a call on her Scroll.

"Report, Aurora," a voice ordered.

"I'm back in Nevarro again," the Faunus replied. "Still no sign of them."

"How can they be gone for this long and not come back from time to time?"

"You got me. And the people don't know where she is, no matter how I push them."

The voice on the other end sighed. "Alright, pack it up. This is a waste of time."

"Oh, I'm done with this hick town. But if you think I'm done with finding the girl, you got another-"

The windows and open door of the bar suddenly let in a large white light, blinding everyone inside. Even Aurora had to cover her eyes when she lowered her Scroll. Once it died down, everyone rushed outside to see what was going on. A large crowd formed in the center of the town, and Aurora pushed her way through to see what was going on. And she was amazed by what she saw.

"Sorry, everyone," a white and orange Mandalorian said as he walked around a stone Beowolf. "This thing found a way inside, had to use my Semblance to stop it."

"Dammit," said Greef, who saw the whole thing. "Can you show me where this thing came from? I'll send some extra security to that spot."

"Right this way." The Mandalorian led the Magistrate of Nevarro to where he saw the Grimm. Everyone began to disperse when they saw everything was under control.

Aurora, however, stood and carefully examined the stone Grimm. Just one look at it told her this was no Semblance. That, and the light that found its way into the bar, told the Faunus that something else was going on.

"Aurora? Aurora, are you there?"

The Faunus put her Scroll pack to her ear. "I think I need to stay a little while longer. And I'm gonna need some backup."

Djarin had just finished another Combat Class with the first year students. Ever since the threats to suspend him stopped, the Mandalorian noticed some improvements with the ones who signed the petition. Corvo Nightshade, the student Cinder fought, was taking the lessons more seriously. He confessed that he started to feel less tired a week into his new training, that he could keep up and stay on his feet despite being hit harder than usual. A few of the students said the same thing, and Djarin was starting to feel proud of himself. Even Glynda was impressed with the progress, so impressed that she let Djarin teach during her scheduled time.

As the Mandalorian made his way to the exit of the room after dismissing the class, a student walked in front of him and blocked his path. "Excuse me, sir?" she asked politely. "I was wondering if I could ask a few questions before we leave, is that alright?"

Djarin recognized the student as Gretchen Rainart, one of the more vocal students in his class of first year students. Whenever Djarin gave a lecture and asked a question, she was always the first one to raise her hand. It was clear she wanted to learn anything and everything she could from Beacon, so Djarin decided to spare a few minutes of his time and hear her out. Stepping back into the room, Djarin let Gretchen speak her mind. "What is it?" he asked.

"Well..." Gretchen began to fix her hair and stand up a little straighter, it was clear she was nervous talking to Djarin. He didn't mind, however. Most students and some of the faculty were still unsure about talking to him. After a couple of seconds, Gretchen began to talk again. "I was just wondering if you could tell me how I've been doing," she politely asked.

"With your combat?" Djarin assumed.

"Yeah. Is there anything I can improve or do better?"

"You seem to be learning at the same pace everyone else is. Build up your stamina and practice more sparring with your team." He began to walk back to the door.

"No, no, wait!" Gretchen yelled as she blocked the Mandalorian's path again. Djarin was caught off guard by this, and had to suppress his instincts to fight whenever someone stood in his way. "I mean, there's more to it than that, isn't there? Like, I have to be doing something wrong, right? Tell me what I'm doing wrong and I'll improve it!"

"Gretchen, I'm not seeing anything wrong. Just build up stamina and keep practicing. It's as simple as that."

"But it can't be! I need to do better, and I-"

"Relax," Djarin ordered. He already made his point and didn't see a need to repeat himself. But seeing Gretchen nervous and a little aggressive made him wonder why she wanted to improve so badly. "You're in the same spot everyone else is. There's nothing new you need to learn here, and I wouldn't say you're failing my class. You don't need to overwork yourself."

"With all due respect, sir, I don't think so." Gretchen pulled out a piece of paper she had in her pocket and handed it to Djarin. He opened it to see that it was a letter addressed to Gretchen. "This came from my brother, Hazel. He's coming to see me, my team, and each of my teachers."

"It sounds like he wants to know how you're doing at Beacon," Djarin said as he read over the letter.

"He does, but it's not a visit. It's almost as if... he's looking for a reason why I shouldn't be at Beacon."

Djarin looked up from the paper. "Why's that?"

"It's not how it sounds, really. Hazel's always looked after me since our parents gave us away. He's been a little overprotective, especially when I enrolled at Beacon. He did everything he could to talk me out of it, to make sure I wouldn't go. But that was the only fight we had that he lost, and I got to come here. But he said he'll be coming to see how I'm doing."

"And you don't want that."

"Not at all. So, I've been talking to each of my teachers, to see if there's anything I can do to... boost my rep, you know?"

Djarin handed Hazel's letter back to Gretchen. "The only advice I can give you is what I already told you. That's the only thing you, and everyone else in this class, can do." He made his way back to the door, leaving Gretchen to think about what her teacher just told her. But just before she joined him, Gretchen had one last idea.

"Can I talk to your daughter?"

Djarin stopped walking and turned around. "What?"

Gretchen walked closer to the Mandalorian, excited at the possibility of learning how to fight better. "She beat a student who was older than her in practically no time at all. And she's been learning way longer than the rest of us. It would just be for a minute, I can-"

"Cinder can't see anyone right now," Djarin said with a sigh. He couldn't explain where she was or what she was doing, so Djarin quickly thought of a lie. "She's... not feeling well."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Djarin didn't say anything else after Gretchen's apology, he just made his way to the door. "I hope she feels-"

Djarin vanished.

As soon as he used his Semblance to return to his room, Djarin did nothing but remove his helmet and sit down to think. He had been in the same routine ever since Cinder said she needed to stay at Haven alone. He was still proud of her for making a very difficult choice, but that didn't help how he was feeling.

It had only been four days since she left, but the truth was evident; Djarin missed Cinder. He missed hearing her voice, seeing her smile, helping her train, and reading to her. He never pictured being without her, even if she left for one day. The Mandalorian wasn't worried she would be in trouble at Haven, she seemed like she wanted to stay and Obi-Wan said he would watch over her. But everywhere he went, there were reminders of her. Beacon Academy, his class, even the room he was sitting in all reminded him of all the time he spent with her.

Of course, Djarin tried to get his mind off how he was feeling. If he wasn't focused on his job at Beacon, he was hunting small bounties in Vale. His goal wasn't to forget about Cinder, but forget about how sad he was. The hunts and work helped, but they always ended the same way: going back to Beacon and being reminded that Cinder wasn't waiting for him.

The only difference today was that Djarin was getting tired of it. He knew he couldn't see Cinder right now, and nothing could change that. All he could do was wait until she was ready to come home. And he wouldn't let his feelings take over anymore, it was time to get back to his old self. And to start, Djarin decided to talk to Ozpin. Perhaps he could do something involving Salem, to lighten the burden Cinder and everyone else was carrying. So Djarin used his Semblance to go straight to Ozpin's office.

*CRASH*

Djarin was welcomed by the sound of glass breaking and two people screaming.

"I told her! I told her it wasn't safe!"

"Qrow, calm yourself!"

Ozpin was sitting down while an angry man was hovering over him, as if he was ready to attack. His right hand was bleeding, it seemed he punched a hole in the window and didn't bother to use his Aura to heal it. He also seemed to throw Ozpin's desk against the wall, since that's where it was at the moment. And he looked like he was about to throw another punch as he moved closer into Ozpin's personal space. "Don't you see it's all gone to shit?!" he yelled. "I had to be there, while you sat on your ass in your big tower!" He then grabbed Ozpin's collar and formed his right hand into another fist.

That was when Djarin used his gauntlet's wire to stop the fist. The man turned to see what was keeping his arm from moving rather than applying force, which caused him to be pulled back and grabbed by his throat. The Mandalorian pushed the assailant into the elevator door as he continually threw his fists at the Beskar.

"Let me go!" he screamed.

Djarin only held his throat tighter and pointed his blaster at the man's head. "Don't move!" he ordered.

"Djarin, stop!"

The Mandalorian turned around to see Ozpin walking towards him. "He's not our enemy," the Headmaster assured him.

"..."

Djarin looked at the broken window and misplaced desk, which made him find Ozpin's claim to be dubious. Ozpin seemed to understand what the Mandalorian was thinking, so he continued his efforts to save the man's life. "Just let him go, I can explain."

Djarin looked back at the man, who seemed to be in a hazy state of mind. His dark red eyes were half open and his head was spinning. It was as if he was in some kind of trance or he was drunk. "Do what... he says," he said, now talking in a slurred speech. "I ain't... gonna hurt you, trash can."

As Djarin let him go, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a metal flask, which he drank from for five seconds. He then walked to the side of the room, but fell down. Rather than getting up, he drank some more. Djarin turned to Ozpin, who was walking towards the drunk. "Who is this?" he asked. "Why did he attack you?"

"Don't worry," Ozpin said. "He's a friend." He picked up the man by placing his arm over his shoulder. "Could you lend a hand?"

Djarin silently picked up the man's other arm and followed Ozpin's lead, who was walking to the desk's chair. After sitting him down and watching him drink some more, Ozpin explained the situation he found himself in. "This is Qrow Branwen, one of my most trusted allies. Please, don't judge him by his destructive tendencies. He's... mourning." Ozpin walked to the broken window and sighed. "As am I."

"She's not... coming back," Qrow said, taking another drink from his flask.

"Who's 'she?'" Djarin asked the Headmaster.

"One of Beacon's most exceptional graduates. Summer Rose."

"Summer-?" Djarin heard the name before. It was the Huntress he met in Argus, the one he learned had helped the Atlesians destroy the Leviathan. From what he heard when he arrived at the base, she stopped the Grimm just by looking at it. If it wasn't for her, the Leviathan would have killed him and Cinder. The news that she was gone made Djarin look at Qrow in a different way. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said, even though he was doubtful the drunkard could understand him.

"As am I, Qrow," said Ozpin, who also shared Djarin's doubts.

"I met her before. She saved my life."

"That doesn't surprise me. Summer was very special. Not just as a Huntress, but a human being. Her kindness and willpower were unlike anything I had ever seen before. And her efforts against Salem inspired Qrow and I to not give up easily."

"She knew about Salem?"

"Yes. She was, perhaps, one of Salem's most powerful enemies. Her and the rest of her kind."

"Her... kind?"

"Yes." Ozpin turned back to Djarin. "You said you met Summer before. Do you remember anything about her? Anything that stood out?"

Djarin thought back to the day he rescued Cinder, to the moment he met Summer Rose. "Other than the fact she was unarmed, there was nothing special about her," he said. "She was wearing a cloak, had black hair, and..." He began to trail off as he described her. He didn't think about it until now, but staring at her face brought a sense of tranquility and peace. Except... it wasn't her face that had these feelings. "She also had-"

"Silver eyes. A very rare trait."

"So?"

Ozpin couldn't sit down in his chair, so he continued to speak standing up. "I understand Cinder has a love for fairy tales. Remnant is full of legends and stories like the ones she's heard. There's actually one such story I wanted to tell her... before she left."

"..."

Ozpin didn't want to upset the Mandalorian more than he already was, so he continued with the story. "Back before Huntsmen, before Kingdoms, it was said that those born with silver eyes were destined to lead the life of a warrior. You see, the creatures of Grimm, the most fearsome monsters mankind had ever encountered, were afraid of those silver-eyed warriors. It was said that even a single look from one of those warriors would defeat a Grimm where it stood." Ozpin began to smirk. "And from what I recall, you met Summer Rose the same day a Leviathan was turned to stone."

Once upon a time, Djarin would have dismissed the story. There was nothing more fearful to a Grimm, or anyone for that matter, than a Mandalorian. But from what Djarin saw with his own eyes... it seemed hard to disbelieve anything the Headmaster shared with him. "...So she did kill it," Djarin concluded.

"Yes," Ozpin confirmed. "The power she was born with is special, and spread far and wide. It requires no Aura to use, and is capable of defeating any Grimm. And quite capable of being a thorn in Salem's side."

"That's why she's gone."

Ozpin sighed again. "I'm afraid so." He turned back to the window. "It seems her greatest gift turned to be her greatest curse."

"And there are others like her?"

"As I said before, it's a rare trait. But yes, I've met many people who share what Summer had."

"Including her powers?"

Ozpin turned back to Djarin. "Of course."

"I have to go." Djarin immediately made his way to the elevator, having a clear destination in mind.

"Djarin?" Ozpin called out. "Is something wrong?"

The Mandalorian stopped walking and quickly turned around. "You said Summer was killed because of this power. That means Salem is willing to kill anyone who shares it."

"That is one of her goals, yes." Ozpin's eyes widened as he began to put pieces together. "Djarin... do you-?"

"No, Ozpin. I don't have silver eyes." The elevator opened and Djarin stepped inside. "But I think I know someone who does."

Years ago

"Come on, Din! Race you to the clearing!"

"Wait up, Sun!"

Two young children were running through the woods, their destination was a clearing in the middle of the trees. These children were wearing regular clothes for children their age, but their distinct features were two masks on their heads. They were Mandalorian Foundlings, young and in training. Their training had just finished, so they had the rest of the day to themselves. And Sun Jabbid decided to test his improved speed against his best friend, Din Djarin. And with the clearing in sight, Sun knew he won the race.

"Yes!" the young boy yelled as he jumped into the clearing and began to turn around. "Looks like I-!"

Sun was taken off guard when he didn't see his friend behind him. One would think he fell behind, but Sun knew Djarin was a few feet behind him. He should have come into the clearing by now. So Sun stood up to look for Din, in case he got hurt when running.

"I win."

Sun jumped back to see Din Djarin standing right behind him. But that was impossible, he didn't see the other Foundling catch up to him. This caused Sun to wonder how this was possible. "How'd you get here so fast?" he asked out loud. "You were still behind me when we got here. Wow, you must be fast!"

A strange noise echoed through the clearing as Din Djarin disappeared. Sun looked behind him once again to find Din standing behind him. "Not really," he said as he disappeared once again. Sun turned around once again to find his friend right in front of him. "I've been meaning to tell you, I finally unlocked my Semblance."

"You did? When?"

"A few days ago. An older Mandalorian took me hunting one day, but we ran into Grimm. He told me to run back home, so I did. But when I thought of home, I found myself back here rather than a mile away."

"That's incredible." Sun was both impressed and proud of his friend for unlocking his Semblance. Most Foundlings unlock it at their age, given the training they go through, but it was still an admirable trait with the tribe. "How does it work?"

"I thought it could only take me home once I tried it a few more times. But if I have an idea where to go, something I've seen before, I can send myself there."

"Wow." Sun sat down in the clearing so he could learn more. "So if you travel to somewhere in Mistral, you can send yourself back home at any time?"

"Well, I have to be careful were I go. I ran out of Aura one time, and my leg was really stiff. If I run out of Aura, I could hurt myself again."

Sun suddenly realized something else about the news. "So I guess I'm the last one, right?" he wondered.

"For what?" Din asked.

"To find my Semblance. The rest of the Foundlings our age found theirs. Now its my turn."

"That's... That's right. Do you think you're getting close?"

"Maybe. I heard an idea about Semblances once. Some say your personality and character can define your Semblance while some claim that it is the other way around. Do you think your Semblance is something about you?"

Djarin took a minute to think about the idea. "I think it's because I've been travelling a lot," he theorized. "My Founder never got the chance to train me or take me with him across Remnant. Some of the older Mandalorians take turns training me and taking me places. I guess I wanted travelling a lot to be easier."

"That's a good idea. I'll think about it some more."

Din and Sun walked back to the village after talking some more. When they got back, Sun decided to do some more research into unlocking Semblances. But the books he could lay his hands on didn't teach him anything he didn't already know. So he tried a few practices to see what it was about him that stood out. He tried meditating, thinking about all the traits he had, but nothing seemed to work.

One day, when Sun finished his physical training, he decided to try the same things he had done before. During his meditation, however, a new idea came into his mind. The theory of Semblances being connected to personality and character seemed to focus on any trait a person might have. But Sun began to question if there was more to his character than he was now. He thought that maybe if he found a new thing about himself, something he would be good at, maybe his Semblance would be connected to that trait.

So that night, Sun decided to test a quality all Mandalorians valued: bravery. Taking a pistol from the armory, the Foundling went hunting alone. Not for food, but for Grimm. He had heard there were a few Beowolves outside the village that may be part of a pack. So he went in the direction of where they were seen.

Although he killed a couple with his blaster, Sun didn't feel any different. Maybe what he needed was a challenge, to do something brave that no Foundling had done before. And fortunately, he got his chance when a new kind of Grimm approached him. An Alpha Beowolf, taller and covered in more bone-like armor, came in front of the child and lunged.

Sun raised his pistol and fired, but the shot barely missed the Beowolf and it landed on the child. Sun used all of his strength to keep its jaws open and move his pistol closer to its mouth. But Sun lost his grip and the pistol was crushed in the Beowolf's mouth. Without a lot of options, Sun got up and began to run away. Unfortunately, the Grimm was much faster than the child.

Once the Grimm pounced again, Sun ducked and hid in the trees. The Beowolf turned around to see nothing, but its sense of smell didn't fail. The creature knew the Foundling was close, and it was only a matter of time before he was found.

Suddenly, a twig snapped and caused the Beowolf to focus on the noise. It jerked its head to see two more Foundlings with other weapons. They were awoken by the blasts and Grimm howling, which told them danger was close. However, when they went into the woods to find the Grimm themselves, they had no idea just how close the threat actually was.

Sun looked from behind the trees to see the Grimm moving closer to the Foundlings, who he knew as his friends. Once he saw that they were in danger, Sun knew they would be in the same position as he was in. And that it may not have happened if he went hunting for Grimm alone. Armed with a rock and a desire to protect his friends, Sun threw the rock at the Grimm. Once its attention was on him, the Alpha Beowolf ran towards Sun. With a yell and another rock, Sun rushed towards the Grimm.

That was when everything went white and he fell unconscious.

When he woke up the next morning, the Foundlings and older Mandalorians showed Sun what he did; the Beowolf had been turned to stone after being engulfed in a white light. The only explanation anyone could offer was that Sun Jabbid had finally unlocked his Semblance. And with it, the Children of the Watch would no longer have to be worried about the Grimm overtaking their home.

Present

Din Djarin had seen Sun use his "Semblance" multiple times during his time with the Mandalorians. He never imagined it was actually some kind of power that was independent of Aura. In fact, it seemed this could be more powerful and beneficial than any Semblance. People would kill to have a weapon that the Grimm couldn't destroy easily.

Or in Salem's case, she would kill to make sure a weapon like this was wiped off the face of Remnant.

Summer Rose might be gone, but Djarin still had a chance to warn Sun. So with the Razor Crest, Djarin made his way back to Nevarro. There, he would not only be able to warn Sun and the other Mandalorians about the threat of Salem, but also check in with Greef about some bounties. If he had some new ones, then Djarin could go on another hunt.

Once the airship touched down outside Nevarro, Djarin used his Semblance to take him outside the Mandalorian village. Once there, he was greeted by the red and blue guards. "Welcome back, Djarin," said the red Mandalorian. "You were gone for a long time."

"Did you succeed in your quest?" the blue Mandalorian asked.

"Yes," Djarin replied. "The Foundling is safe."

"So you've come back to stay?"

"No. The Foundling is my daughter now. She is in my care."

"This is the Way."

The red Mandalorian and Djarin repeated the phrase, giving Djarin a chance to state his business. "I need to speak with Sun Jabbid. Is he here?"

"No, sorry, "said the blue Mandalorian. "He went on a hunt that Nevarro's Magistrate gave him."

"...How long ago?"

"About an hour."

"Thank you." Djarin immediately used his Semblance to take him to Nevarro, specifically the bar where Karga spent his time. And sure enough, he was handing out bounties like they were candy. But he stopped once he saw a familiar man walking towards him.

"Welcome back, my friend," Karga said with an extended hand. Once Djarin shook it, Karga offered his friend a seat. "Back for more work?"

"Not exactly," Djarin replied. "I heard you gave a bounty to a friend of mine, Sun Jabbid."

"Mando, I've been giving bounties all day. I know, I got other things to do since I'm in charge here. But why quit something you're good at?"

"Do you remember what you gave him?"

"I do, but I can't tell you. It's not the Guild Code. And I'm sure you remember what happened last time you broke it."

"..."

"Hey, now. I ain't gonna do anything again. I'm just trying to warn you about what could happen if I were somebody else."

"Right. Listen, I'm not looking to steal his bounty. I think he's in danger."

"In danger? Well, I'm sure it's nothing a Mandalorian can't handle."

"Don't be so sure."

Karga leaned a little closer, observing his friend's behavior. "Mando, there have been times where you made me happy, angry, even excited. But now... I think today might be the first day you're actually scaring me. What's got you upset?"

"Do you remember the story the Armorer told before Cinder and I left Nevarro for the first time?"

"Yeah, about the wizard and witch. Ozma and... Salami... or something like that."

"Salem. And she's not just after Cinder anymore. I think she wants to kill Sun."

"Wait, what? Why?"

It's... a long story. But I need to find him."

"Now?"

"Now."

"Sun's the white and orange guy, right?"

"Yes."

"...Alright, tell you what. I can tell you where he went, but I'll have to come with you. That's the only way I can keep my position in the Guild."

"...We'll take my ship." Djarin stood up and made his way back to the Razor Crest with Karga. Once they took to the air, Karga told him they needed to go to a small village on the southern coast of Anima. With the new airship, the trip would take half the normal amount of time.

Djarin just prayed nobody got there first.

Aurora was looking down from a cliff to see a small village. It didn't take long to track the Mandalorian she was looking for, and the trail she was following was far from gone. But now, Aurora decided that she was going to ask around until she found him. As she walked down the cliff, the Faunus was reciting what she was going to demand while she was sharpening one of her knives. She was confident in her ability to pry information from the grasps of most people, including Salem's enemies. However, there was something about the village that was interfering with her job.

There was a crowd of people in the town square, partially surrounding three men with various weapons standing over an old man in a red robe. He was bleeding while being beaten. "Please... no more," the man begged in vain.

"Where is he?!" a man in a hoodie with a broadsword asked. "We know you're the people who hired him!"

"Tell us and this can all be over!" the second man, who was holding a large axe and wearing a denim shirt, yelled.

"I... don't know," the old man said.

"Guys, hold up!" the third man said as he backed away. "I think we're asking the wrong guy." Taking a whip off his belt, the man cracked it at a child, who fell on the ground. "Any of y'all know where that Mando is now?!"

Aurora, who was walking closer to the brutality, stopped in her tracks. It seemed these people, whoever they were, had their eyes on the same Mandalorian she had been tracking. Rather than trying to claim his life as her prize and hers alone, Aurora began to think how these three could be useful. She was sure that all they wanted was that Beskar suit, but she only wanted him dead. A little extra help and a fair deal wouldn't hurt anyone's chances.

But before she attempted to make a deal, Aurora though it would be smart to let her new ally know what was going to happen. So she took out her Scroll and put it to her ear after making a call. "Saxon here," a voice said on the other end.

"It's me," said Aurora. "Listen, maybe you should stay put for today. I found these guys who can help kill that Mando, but they want his Beskar."

"Thanks for the warning, but I'm actually not coming. When I told Salem what you saw, she said she was going to send someone else."

"Someone else?" Aurora didn't know a whole lot about Salem's other servants, just that they existed. "Who?"

"Didn't ask. But according to his latest report, he's with you now. Can you see him?"

Aurora looked around her immediate surroundings, but didn't see anyone that looked like another servant of the Grimm Queen. "No, but I think you're right," she eventually said. "He's probably hiding. Tell him not to do anything until I give the signal. He'll know what it is."

"Done. Proceed."

Aurora hung up and walked towards the mass of people, who still didn't notice her. Only when she moved past the crowd and spoke did she finally get some attention. "Howdy, boys."

All three men looked away from the crowd to see Aurora walking up to them. They saw she was armed, so the men with the broadsword and axe stood in front of her while the man with the whip grabbed the old man off the ground and used him as a shield. "Stay back, little lady," he ordered. "Or I'll-"

Aurora threw the knife she was holding, which landed right in the old man's skull. The men turned back at the old man and watched him limply fall to the ground. The crowd gasped at the murder and were about to run away. "If you wanna live, I'd strongly suggest you don't move an inch," said Aurora, who casually walked over to the dead man and took her knife back.

"So... you don't live here, do you?" asked the man with the whip.

"Nope." Aurora began to polish the blade. "I've been tracking the same guy you're looking for. A Mando with orange and white armor."

"Hey, now. That armor's ours," said the man with the sword, whose shock finally died down.

Aurora turned around. "Oh, you can keep the armor once we catch him. All I want is his life."

The man with the axe noticed how the Faunus said "we" instead of "I," which made him curious. "So you wanna come with us," he said. "What makes you think you can help?"

"Well, for one thing, I can tell you where he went." Aurora walked over to the crowd, but stopped in front of a piece of the dirt that was scorched black. "Judging from the ash, I'd say he flew the first chance he got. As for which way he went, it looks like he flew..." She moved closer to the people and pushed them aside. Looking at the nearby small houses, she saw that a tree in front of one house had a few leaves that were burnt. "That way." Aurora pointed outside the town.

"Hmph, not bad," said the man with the whip. "So you can lead us to him. What's the catch?"

"No catch. The opposite, actually." Aurora turned around. "You really didn't think this through, did you? I'm guessing you saw the Mandalorian a few minutes ago and did this whole spur of the moment thing."

Aurora's observations and intuition only succeeded in making the men angry. "Hey! You don't a know a thing about-!"

"A sword and an axe." Aurora pointed at the two men holding those weapons. "I can buy those at that vendor over there." She moved her head to an empty blacksmith shop. "And a whip? Come on, you think you can trap or hit someone with Beskar and more weapons than you can imagine." She moved closer to the men, who silently stared at their weapons. "Now, I'm not saying they won't work. I'm just saying you need to be pushed in the right direction for fighting Mandos."

"So you've fought them before," the man with the whip said.

"Once or twice. But I can definitely provide a little guidance. And some muscle."

"Well, a little guidance wouldn't hurt. But you don't look very muscular, no offense."

"Oh, none taken. I was referring to my friend." Deciding that now was a good time to see what kind of help her Queen sent her, Aurora raised her fingers and snapped them.

Silence followed for a few moments. However, the silence disappeared and was immediately replaced by coughing. Aurora looked to her left to see two of the hunters grabbing their collars. They seemed to be pulling on them, as if they were too tight. However, one fell to the ground and grabbed his entire throat, desperately trying to draw breath. The other attacker did the same motion, except he was lifted in the air.

Aurora and the villagers looked around for a source of the power being demonstrated. But there was nothing to be found, and they were too late to stop the sound of their necks snapping and their bodies falling to the ground.

The leader of the group looked back to Aurora. "Wha... What the hell did you do?!" he screamed as he grabbed his whip.

"Wha... I didn't do it!" Aurora tried to defend herself, unable to explain what just happened. But her efforts were in vain, as the man unraveled his whip and sent it in Aurora's direction.

Only for it to freeze in place, just inches from Aurora's face.

The human felt the same feeling as his friends and was lifted in the air. Instead of his neck snapping, the man was thrown towards a house. The front door smashed as he crashed into it. Just then, a red light flashed through the windows and broken doorframe. The man screamed as the light moved quickly, and silence followed after that.

Aurora was so surprised by the terror she seemingly unleashed onto the small town that she didn't notice one of the townsfolk whisper to her friend. "Can we run now?" she asked, afraid of what else the unknown force would do. Some of the people seemed to share her sentiments as they began to run in various directions. But the red light returned and flew out of the house. It seemed to be spinning as it barely missed Aurora and struck some of the townspeople. Once the light fell to the ground and disappeared, leaving a strange metallic object in its place, a black shape flew out of the house and stopped close to the mass of people.

Aurora was able to get a good look at the shape, and saw that it was... human. It was a figure wrapped in black, starting from their small hood and ending to their feet. The only thing that wasn't black, the one feature that stood out, was a mask. The facemask was a white one with red paint at the top of the eyeholes. A metal ornament divided the mask, where another slit left room for the wearer's nose. All facial features of the figure were hidden under the mask, leaving a barely visible nose and two hidden eyes.

Aurora was in too much shock to do anything else but watch as the figure continued the brutal massacre. She saw the red blade cut more people down, severing body limbs and cutting people in half. And to deal with the ones who were further away, the figure raised his hand. But rather than lifting them in the air, blue lightning flew out of the hand and traveled across the square and collided into the civilians. The intense pain left them helpless to do anything else other than scream as the electricity burned their skin. And for the ones who were even farther, houses began to rise and crush them all.

Once the screams died down, Aurora felt her shock disappear. Never, in all her life, did she ever witness such destruction, such brutality. Aurora thought she could one day be capable of performing such feats when she joined Salem. This power might even rival the power of the Maidens, and the thought made Aurora do nothing but... laugh.

Before meeting Salem, Aurora was a capable hunter and killer. Watching this mysterious figure carry out their work brought back memories and ambitions for the Faunus. The fear, the destruction, and the agony were everything that these pathetic people deserved. And now, after watching them get their just deserts, Aurora felt truly inspired. So inspired that she was ready to kill the sole survivor, another old man.

But the figure beat her to her prey, as they moved closer without their blade.

"You... You will not have me!" the old man said as he grabbed the broadsword off the ground. The blade was out of the masked figure's reach, but he continued to swing. "You... behemoth! Barbarian! Monstrosity!"

The figure lifted its right hand at the old man, who activated his Aura for the first time in years. He was a retired Huntsman, but he was having a bad feeling that his skills left him a long time ago. And the masked figure didn't need to worry about that, as another electric jolt escaped his hand. However, this lightning wasn't blue, but orange instead. Once it touched the old man's Aura, the light began to quickly flicker. The flickering spread across his body, and then the Aura began to... move. It was moving towards the masked figure, separating itself from the old man. The retired Huntsman screamed out in pain, and it only got worse when his Aura left him. The old man had received such a trauma on his body that his heart began to hurt. Grabbing it, the old man felt the pain grow worse as he fell to the ground. Weak breaths escaped his throat before his body stopped moving. He was dead.

The figure, satisfied with its work, turned back to Aurora. Her sadistic glee at the destruction turned to fear as she wondered what it would do next. Once it stopped walking until it was in front of her, she got her answer when a male voice rang through her ears. "Tu aras Aurora," it said. (You are Aurora.)

"..."

The Faunus had absolutely no idea what the deep, distorted voice had just said, but nodded when she heard the sound of her name.

"Tikurzi kash tave wo mes lezkon?" (Where is the one we seek?)

Once again, Aurora was lost in translation. "Wh... What?"

The man lifted its weapon again and activated it. Aurora grabbed the handle of one of her knives, prepared to defend herself. But rather than attacking, the man plunged the red blade into the ground. Moving it with his hand, the figure drew a large "T" in the ground, along with two curves underneath it. Aurora's confusion was lifted when she realized the picture was reminiscent of a Mandalorian helmet. Between the man knowing her name and that they were after the same man, Aurora pointed in the direction she tracked earlier. "He's this way," she said. "Let's go."

The man immediately took the lead. Aurora was annoyed when he pushed her out of the way, but kept her mouth shut so not to upset him. And she was more than pleased to see that she had made a powerful ally, more competent than the three idiots who just wanted Beskar. The hunt would be much easier now, but she would make sure to have some fun before this man moved in for the kill. Although she couldn't understand what he was saying, Aurora could still tell him the plan she had in mind. "I have a plan on how to do this," she said. "But first, you should tell me your name."

The figure stopped walking and turned back to Aurora. She sensed that he didn't see the point in telling her his name, so she explained herself. "I'll need it when I call out to you, when we're fighting that Mando. Trust me, they don't go down easily."

The figure stared at Aurora for a few moments. She was about to give up on finding out the man's name and go with the flow, but he nodded before she could walk away. With that, the man said what the Faunus believed to be his name.

"Nihilus."

Greef Karga walked over to the cockpit's main seat. "This is the place," he said to the Mandalorian flying the airship. Djarin used this confirmation to land the Razor Crest in a clearing in the woods. Once the ship touched the ground, Djarin got off his seat and prepared to leave the ship.

"So what's the target Sun's looking for?" Djarin asked as he moved down the ladder.

"A murderer who's been moving around Anima," Karga answered as he followed Djarin. "You know, I think you almost took that job before-"

"Quiet."

Karga stopped moving and looked down to Djarin, who had a finger up to the lower part of his visor. He pointed to the other end of the ship, where Karga could see what looked like a pair of legs sticking out from behind a box. Djarin took out his pistol and moved slowly towards the apparent intruder. Karga stepped off the ladder and put a hand on his holster. When Djarin quickly moved to the other side to get a good look, he quickly lowered his pistol and sighed. "Unbelievable," he said.

"What is it?" Karga asked, not taking his hand off his pistol.

Djarin leaned down and picked up a person who looked like he was asleep. Karga seemed to think he looked familiar, but Djarin knew this intruder; it was Qrow Branwen, the drunk Huntsman who worked for Ozpin.

"Uh... What am I doing here?" the man groggily asked as Djarin kept a grip on his collar.

"Was he sleeping here?" Karga assumed, confused about what made someone decide to stow himself away on Djarin's ship.

"No," Djarin said with another sigh. "He's drunk." He then threw Qrow into the corner of the hull, his head colliding into the wall. The Mandalorian assumed the drunkard wandered into the Razor Crest before he left Vale, but he couldn't understand how he could travel so fast out of Ozpin's office. Djarin's best guess was that Qrow had a Semblance that was like his, that could move quickly, and that's how he found the ship before it took off.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," said Karga, who walked over to the Huntsman. "Should I, Qrow?"

"You know him?"

"He comes by Nevarro sometimes, always going straight to the bar." Karga opened the ship's door and began to walk outside. "Don't worry, he's not going anywhere in that state."

Djarin took one last look at Qrow, who continued to try and reorient himself. Deciding that Karga was right, he followed the Magistrate out of the ship and walked towards the town that Sun was supposed to be at. As they walked, Karga passed the time as he always did; by talking.

"Yeah, I guess I've always felt bad for that guy," he said, referring to Qrow. "Always trying to drink away whatever's bothering him."

"He recently lost a friend," said Djarin, thinking back on Summer Rose. "But you've seen him before?"

"He usually rambles on about his sister or his Semblance. I could never make heads-or-tails of it before, but I guess his life's never been easy."

"Is anyone's life supposed to be easy?"

"I guess not. Remind me to get some water and a rag when we get into town. Having a cold rag and something else to drink helped me when I was in a... similar spot in my life."

"You went through something like him?"

"More or less. Kinda got me thrown out of my first job."

"And you still drink now?"

"Hey now, I'm a responsible drinker. And you're one to talk, I never see you get anything at the bar."

"I don't drink. I can't risk it affecting my skills."

"Well, I can't argue against that. Still, you shouldn't take everything in life so seriously."

"That's... something Cinder's been teaching me. One way or another."

Karga smiled at Djarin. "Good to know she's taking care of you. And I'm sure you're taking-"

Djarin suddenly stopped moving and put an arm in front of Karga's way. He stopped walking and got the same feeling as before, that something was wrong. And when he turned to see what his friend was looking at, Karga knew the feeling was right.

The two were standing outside the small village Sun was supposed to be at. But now, all they could see was smoke in the air, houses destroyed beyond repair, and nothing but dead bodies littering the streets. Once they glanced at each other, sharing the exact same thoughts, Djarin and Karga ran towards the village and looked for any signs of Sun and other survivors.

"No good," said Karga, who was looking at the pile of bodies in front of him. "They're all dead."

"Over here!" Djarin called out as he signaled for Karga to join him. The Mandalorian's thermal vision in his helmet showed a faint source of heat that took to the sky, indicating that someone or something flew into the air. And close to that trail were two sets of recent footprints. Someone was following Sun, and the trail was leading towards a vast forest.

"What is it? Did someone survive?"

"I don't know. But Sun was here. And he's in trouble."

Sun Jabbid had just touched down on the soil, close to a set of broken twigs. Kneeling down, he could see that the sticks had fallen off a tall tree. Given that there were more sticks like the ones in front of the Mandalorian, he could see this wasn't accidental, though. Someone was leaving an obvious trail for the hunter, and they could jump out at any given moment.

Rather than that, the trail ended in a small clearing, where a rock formation formed a natural cave. Sun slowly moved towards the cave, keeping his hand on his blaster. Suddenly, a low grumble from the cave made the Mandalorian stop dead in his tracks. A faint glow in the cave began to appear. Two more followed suit, and Sun realized they were the eyes of Grimm. And they suddenly leapt out of the cave to claim their new meal.

But Sun had other plans.

Instead of wasting any ammunition, Sun closed his eyes and concentrated. Once again, the power within him began to shine. And as he opened his eyes, the Mandalorian felt the light inside him begin to shine all across the surrounding land. "Here comes the Sun," he jokingly thought to himself as the light expanded across his immediate surroundings. Once it died down, the light left nothing behind except three stone Beowolves that landed on the ground, crumbling to rock. With the Grimm out of the way, Sun proceeded with his hunt.

His attention was suddenly taken by the sound of something fast moving in the air. Moving to the left and extending his hand, Sun caught a throwing knife.

"Nice trick."

Moving his eyes away from the knife, Sun Jabbid saw a Faunus woman with tiger ears twirling another knife in her hand. She was casually walking in a semicircle in front of the Mandalorian while wearing a confident smile. "Though I'm afraid it comes with a price," she said.

Sun twirled the knife in his hand to hold it in a stabbing position. "I don't think you know who I am," he said. "Or what I am."

"Really?" The woman began to laugh. "Because that armor says it all."

"If you want my armor, you'll have to peel it off my dead body."

"Well, then..." The Faunus pulled out another knife from a sheath on her leg. "I'm ready when you are."

Sun pulled out his hunting knife and held it in his other hand. Using his jetpack, he flew over to the woman and slashed both knives towards the woman's head. They only made contact with the air, as Aurora ducked down and slashed her knives at the Mandalorian's chest. The Beskar protected him well, forcing Aurora to focus her attacks on the exposed parts of his body. But she didn't get the chance as her opponent kneed her in the face.

Aurora recovered quickly and was about to throw another knife towards the Mandalorian's throat, but a razor wire around her legs caused her to fall when Sun pulled on it. Quickly cutting the wire with her knives, Aurora put her arms up to avoid the Mandalorian from plunging his knife into her chest. When he was about to send the second knife down, Aurora used her left arm to grab it. But she instead felt the force counteract her strength as the knife came closer to her neck. Without many options, Aurora bit into the exposed wrist, causing Sun to drop the knife and back away.

Sun quickly activated his Aura to prevent any more bleeding and pulled out his blaster. He fired two shots at the Faunus, but she was able to evade them by doing multiple somersaults in the air. On her final somersault, Aurora threw another knife that scratched the Mandalorian's visor. Thinking quickly, the Mandalorian took to the air and fired more shots towards his opponent. The Faunus was able to avoid each shot, so Sun predicted her next landing point and fired there. Once Aurora landed on the ground after jumping in the air, she felt a blaster bolt hit her leg and another hit her head. Her Aura protected her as she fell, so she quickly rolled away as Sun stayed in the air.

As she stood up, Aurora began to laugh off what just happened. "Okay, this has been fun and all," she confessed as she pointed to the Mandalorian. "But something tells me you're not gonna come down for a little while. And I don't think my knives are gonna do much to hurt you."

"Are you saying you want to surrender?" Sun asked.

"No, I'm saying I wanna rest." Aurora leaned up on a tree as she continued to point at Sun. "And I'm also saying that you're going to... sleep."

Sun's armor felt incredibly heavy all of a sudden. He felt the uncontrollable urge to close his eyes, so he did. His entire body went limp and his jetpack stopped working. Fast asleep, Sun could do nothing as he fell to the ground. The Faunus smiled as she continued to point at the Mandalorian and pick up one of her knives. Kicking him on his side and kneeling close to him, Aurora felt a sense of pride at her soon-to-be victory. Salem would be most pleased that her servant killed a Silver-Eyed Warrior, and that she did it without the help of that freak in the mask. Her pleasure continued to grow as she lifted the knife in the air and prepared to plunge.

A scream filled the forest and Aurora felt herself slide away from the Mandalorian. Once her back and head collided into a tree, Aurora was knocked unconscious. In doing so, the Mandalorian had awoken from his forced slumber. "Huh? What happened?" he asked as he looked around. Seeing his enemy defenseless in front of him gave Sun the idea to grab his blaster and aim at the Faunus.

But as he grabbed the weapon, a pressure built up around Sun's throat and lifted him in the air. Looking directly in front of him, the Mandalorian saw a robed man in a mask walk out of the woods with an extended hand. The man walked closer to Sun as he flew closer to the extended hand. Once they were arm's length from each other, an orange jolt of electricity struck Sun's chest. His Beskar did nothing to protect him from the pain, so Sun tried to use his Aura instead. However, his Aura began to fade away and seemed to be leaving his body, leaving the Mandalorian vulnerable to all kinds of pain.

As the light reached his hand, Nihilus began to feel strong. The power the Aura gave him satisfied a need for power and energy, and it only got better when Nihilus sensed a new kind of energy. This power wasn't Aura, but something the young man had carried within him since he was born. This power had only grown stronger throughout the years and was more pure than Aura itself. This realization made Nihilus crave the energy. Once he began to taste it, Nihilus knew he was going to savor every last bit.

Suddenly, a disturbance caught the man's attention. Something was coming towards him, and it was coming fast. So the fearless thief raised his hand and stopped a small projectile from reaching him. The projectile seemed to be Dust-based, but it wasn't a normal bullet or blast. From what he sensed, Nihilus seemed to believe that anything this small piece of energy touched would be turned to dust. Just then, three Dust rounds flew out of the trees and also stopped in the air.

"We're not doing any good here!" a voice from the trees called out.

"Hold on!" another voice ordered.

Just then, Nihilus sensed a new presence in his immediate surroundings. Turning back to his prey, he saw another Mandalorian holding onto the one floating in the air. Before Nihilus could do anything to his new foe, the Mandalorians vanished.

After Djarin used his Semblance to rejoin Karga, who was hiding in a ditch close to the clearing, he laid Sun up on a tree in order let him rest. "Sun?" Djarin whispered to his friend. "Sun, are you alright?"

"D... Din?" Sun weakly asked. He felt incredibly weak from the trauma he just endured, it was almost as if the figure was tearing into his heart and soul. But he had managed to catch enough breath to form complete sentences. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm getting you out of here." Djarin grabbed Sun once again and turned to Karga. "Greef, do you remember how we got away from Gideon in Nevarro?"

"Yeah," the Magistrate replied as he pointed his pistol towards the clearing. "But you better make it-"

An invisible force pushed all three fighters deeper into the woods, knocking them into trees. A loud scream and something falling to the ground caught their attention and caused them to look up. All they could see and hear was a red flash of light and trees falling to the ground. Nihilus appeared in the empty spaces with a red blade in his hand, looking across the vast array of trees. Karga, without thinking, got off the ground and ran towards Djarin. Nihilus rushed forward with his sword and prepared to strike Karga.

But the red blade collided into a black one, keeping Nihilus at bay. Djarin turned back to Karga. "Get Sun and run!" he yelled. Karga did as he was told while Djarin continued to push with the Darksaber.

As the blades were locked, Djarin couldn't help but see the similarities between this assassin and Obi-Wan. He seemed to use the Force against Sun and his blade, save for the color, acted just like the Headmaster's lightsaber. Fortunately, it was this comparison that gave Djarin the idea to take his own knife out of its sheath and stab it into the masked man's side.

Nihilus screamed in pain as he was defenseless against the attack. With his Aura locked in the blade and the Darksaber's energy distracting him, Nihilus left himself vulnerable. But he was ready to fix his mistake when he sent more orange lightning to Djarin. Once it made contact, Nihilus felt life return to him.

But Sun could see what was happening and fired a blast towards Nihilus. He let go of Djarin and turned back to Sun. "Din, get away from him!" Sun yelled as he fired more blasts. "Whatever this thing is, it can feed on Aura! Don't let him-!"

"Get back!" Karga yelled as he pulled Sun out of the lightsaber's reach. Nihilus pushed Karga once again and plunged his lightsaber down when the Magistrate hit the ground.

But Djarin quickly teleported himself to Karga and then teleported again. Nihilus quickly pulled his blade out and swung at Sun, who used his gauntlets to block each strike. Just as he was about to swing his blade again, a blast hit his back. As the assassin fell to the ground, Sun could see Djarin limp towards him. "I don't have... much Aura left," he said. "We need to go. Now."

Just as Sun was about to reach out to Djairn's hand, blue lightning travelled across the ground and engulfed the Mandalorians. They felt the electricity travel up and down their bodies, weakening them to the point of their Auras breaking. Sun fell to the ground, but Djarin fell to his knees. He activated the Darksaber once more, just as Nihilus struck at him.

When Djarin used all his strength to push the assassin away, he noticed something. Nihilus fell to his knees as well, as if he was feeling tired. But this was impossible, as the man was winning the fight so far. And yet, he was on his knees and breathing heavily. Djarin took this opportunity to stand on his feet and ask himself a question. "What... the hell... are you?"

The masked menace seemed to hear the question, as he offered a response that Djarin couldn't understand. "Nu sua... tave jena'tes... tkurzi tave irus'... mrias!" (I am the darkness where the light dies!)

The response seemed to give the man new life, as he leapt towards Djarin again. Once their blades touched, Nihilus was able to knock Djarin backwards. Nihilus prepared himself to end the fight while Djarin prepared to defend himself one more time.

A new sound filled the air, one much closer and one that rang through the ears of both combatants. They both turned to the source of the sound: a crow flying in two arcs above them while staying in the trees. The crow flew closer to the duo and disappeared into a bush. However, what came out wasn't a crow, but a man with an oversized sword that struck Nihilus where he stood. Djarin watched the masked man fly backwards and then turned to his savior, who appeared to be a sober Qrow Branwen.

"You don't look so hot," said Qrow. "Get out of here, don't look back!" Qrow lunged himself towards Nihilus and swung his sword, which Nihilus blocked. Before Qrow could strike again, Nihilus sent another orange bolt into his chest, leaving Qrow to scream in agony.

However, Djarin made the Huntsman's pain temporary as he launched his wire and pulled Qrow away from the assassin. Once his apparent ally stood up, Djarin explained the situation. "He can steal Aura, it's almost as if he's... feeding on it."

Qrow suddenly leapt to a nearby tree and pointed his sword at Nihilus. The blade suddenly dropped down and revealed a small barrel, where Dust rounds were sent towards its target. "In that case, I say we let him starve!" Qrow yelled as he kept firing at Nihilus. Djarin saw his enemy block each strike, but his reaction time was much slower than before. Without any source of Aura, Nihilus was weak. So Djarin followed Qrow's lead and fired more shots with his blaster.

As Nihilus grew exhausted, he realized that each attempt to gain power gave his enemies a clue on how to beat him. It was also clear that this battle was lost, his hunger was too powerful to ignore. And if he couldn't have the Huntsman or Mandalorians, then he would have to find another source of replenishment. So with one more invisible push, Nihilus leapt back to the clearing and then on top of the cave, giving him a chance to run away.

Qrow lowered his weapon and jumped off the tree, prepared to give chase. "Let him go," said Djarin, who was trying to pick up Sun. "I need your help."

Qrow rushed over to Sun, who whispered something to Djarin. "Did we... get him?" he asked.

"No," Djarin replied. "He's gone." Rather than discuss their enemy, Djarin got right to the point he wanted to make earlier. "Sun, I need to ask you a few things. Have you ever removed your helmet?"

"...No."

"Has it ever been removed by others."

"Never."

Djarin took a deep breath before asking his next question. "Sun, I need you to tell me the truth."

"I am telling-"

"Not about that." Djarin stopped walking. "Sun... what color are your eyes?"

"They're... silver."

Qrow and Djarin carried an exhausted Sun back to the Razor Crest, where Karga was waiting for them. Seeing the state they were all in, Karga volunteered to fly the airship back to Nevarro and let his saviors rest. This gave Qrow the chance to let the Mandalorians know that the Faunus who attacked Sun seemed to have escaped in the chaos, and for Djarin to explain who Aurora was and why she attacked Sun.

"You mean my Semblance isn't really a Semblance?" Sun asked. "That I possess some... power against the Grimm?" Sun looked back at Djarin. "But that's... completely impossible!"

"Let me show you." Djarin turned on his gauntlet's screen to show an image of a Leviathan. "This was the day I saved Cinder from Gideon. He was hoping to use the Leviathan to kill us all." Djarin pressed another button to make a video play. The video Djarin's helmet recorded showed a blast of white light come and disappear, leaving a stone Leviathan in its place. Djarin let the rest of the video play to show Summer Rose and her big silver eyes. Once he stopped there, Djarin looked back to Sun. "She was the one who stopped that Leviathan," he explained. "She did the same thing you did to that Alpha Beowolf."

"And I've seen her use it before," Qrow included. "It's the real deal."

"So it's true," Sun said as he looked down. "By the Gods..."

"Yes. That's why I came back to find you. I learned that the one who tried to take Cinder, Salem, also wants to kill everyone who has silver eyes. Their power is capable of stopping whatever Grimm she controls."

Sun looked up. "What must I do?"

"Come with me," Djarin said as he slowly stood up. "Let Ozpin explain the rest, and the people who share your gift."

Sun took a moment to consider the offer. Since it was possible that Salem might try something again, maybe even closer to Nevarro, Sun agreed to meet Ozpin. So once Karga landed in Nevarro and went back to his duties, Djarin flew the Razor Crest back to Beacon Academy. Ozpin was waiting for them, and decided to talk with Sun privately.

Which left Qrow Branwen with Din Djarin.

"So, uh, how ya holding up?" the Huntsman asked, referring to the attack they all suffered earlier.

"I'll live," Djarin said. "Yourself?"

"Eh, I guess I'm gonna live too." Djarin walked past the Huntsman, but turned around when Qrow continued to talk. "Listen, I just wanted to say sorry about earlier."

"About attacking me? Or by stowing away on my ship?"

"Both. And thanks for saving my life." Qrow stuck out a hand, hoping it would ease the tension between him and the Mandalorian. Fortunately, Djarin didn't see a reason not to shake hands.

"You're welcome," the Mandalorian said as he shook Qrow's hand. "And thank you for saving mine."

"It's part of my job. I'm sure I introduced myself already, but name's Qrow. Qrow Branwen."

"Din Djarin."

"Right, Oz told me about you. That you're the Maiden's dad."

"That's right."

"I was hoping on meeting her, telling her that you guys do a hell of a job hiding. But Oz told me she was off somewhere else."

"Haven. She needs..." Djarin suddenly recoiled. "What do you mean by that? Have you been looking for us too?"

"Well, that's another part of my job." Qrow sat down on an empty chair. "If I'm not gathering intel about Salem, I'm keeping an eye on the Maidens. After Lila died, nobody knew who the next Fall Maiden was. I looked for weeks, flying across each Kingdom to see what I could find. When Oz told me you've been keeping her safe and hidden, I had no idea you guys could hide yourselves so good."

"It's what my people do now. When we're not fighting Grimm or a Kingdom's authorities."

"Yeah, I know some things about Mandos. So, where'd you say the kid was?"

"Haven. She needs a new kind of training. And I... can't see her right now."

Qrow felt a sense of sympathy for the Mandalorian. He knew how sad a family being split apart was. But suddenly, he had an idea. "Maybe... you actually can."

Author's notes: hope you enjoyed this chapter. Really sorry for the long wait, this chapter was long and I've been a little under the weather this week. But I'm feeling better now and I was able to finally finish this off. I know you'll have a lot of questions about the Sith here, but I promise all your questions will be answered in a few chapter.

To Blitzkriege37, there will be more lore on both sides, you'll enjoy it. I can't say too much about Luke and Leia, but you'll see later on. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading.

To Mandalorian00, Cinder will learn about control through the Jedi way. While she can't use the Force, she is capable of meditation practices the Jedi value. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading.

To The Avenging Titan, really glad you like my idea about the Jedi Order. I felt bad about Cinder too, it was a shame what she had to go through. As for Anakin, I can't say too much now. But you'll have lots of answers in a few chapters. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading.

To GojiraFan455516, glad you did. Thanks for your support, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To keeganweretiger, I have a plan for Anakin, you'll see sooner or later. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you for reading.

To 54godamora, I hope this chapter was the treat you were expecting. As for Vader, you will see in time. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading.

To FlashFreeze0, I'm really glad I captured your interest. You'll see more about Anakin and the other heroes/villains soon. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you for reading.

To I Fredric I, I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. Thank you for your compliments, they mean the world to me. As for the mistypings, I'm sure you're right. I've been editing some of my earlier chapters, and I will look over the last chapter. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, you're awesome. And I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading.

To Rook435, the separation hurt, but I promise it won't last very long. You'll see more about the Jedi soon, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading.

Once again, thank you for waiting so patiently. You'll see another update sooner or later, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave reviews, hearing from you is always a pleasure. Even if you didn't like the chapter or haven't left one before, I'd really like to hear your thoughts. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you for reading, and I'll see you next time.