Hello everyone and welcome back! I'm so sorry about how late this chapter was. I haven't had internet access for the past few days and somehow I forgot on Monday and Tuesday.

This chapter is a little longer than the others, but its not too bad. Its not particularly exciting either, but it does contain some important information.

We had been walking for hours without a break, but as aspiring huntsmen and huntresses that didn`t bother us one bit. Normal people would have collapsed from exhaustion, but we were trained to be able to withstand it.

The land around us was pretty much completely flat, so the terrain didn`t contribute to the drainage of our energy either. The path to Barcombe wasn`t an exciting one.

The Grimm themselves never showed either, so a few hours in it started to get more boring than it was tiring. Some people seemed to wish for exhaustion because it`d at least be a challenge.

Night finally fell and we set up camp. It was done almost immediately, as everyone was so excited for something to do. In the center of the camp we set up a large fire and roasted various meats over it.

"Does anyone want to hear a ghost story?" a boy asked.

Everyone replied in various ways of agreement such as "Alright" or "Sure" or "Whatever"

The boy leaned forward and started to tell the story, "It was a dark night, just like this one, and someone had gotten up to take a leak."

Someone had stood up and started walking away, but upon hearing that turned back and sat down by the fire.

"Language, Almond." Lime said, "That was a very rude way of putting it"

"Whatever," Almond continued, "Anyways, so the guy had gotten up to pee, leaving his campmates behind. However, he never returned."

Some people sighed.

"What a cliché ghost story" Someone said.

"Yeah, tell something less cliché and stupid!" Someone else said.

"Guys!" Almond called, "I'm not done. If I'd left it there it'd so cliché that I'd have cried"

"Good." Someone said, "Cliché stories suck"

Almond cleared his throat, "So," he continued, "After a few minutes when the guy didn't return, one of his campmates went after him. That man never returned either. A few minutes later the last man went out to search for them, wondering if the Grimm had gotten to them. However, as he wandered farther and farther out into the darkness, he lost track of where he was, and eventually could no longer find where the camp was. Hours went by, and not once did he ever see his comrades again…"

All of sudden he was cut off again, "That's still pretty cliché"

"Totally cliché"

"Such cliché, much wow"

"Guys!" Almond called again, "Please, I'm still not done"

"Well go on then," someone said, "finish your cliché story"

Almond cleared his throat, "So," he continued, "He never saw his comrades again, however, sometimes he felt like their ghosts were speaking to him, guiding him along. Days seemed to go by, and the sun never rose. Until one day, when the Grimm arrived."

Someone sighed.

"The Grimm, however, did not attack him. Instead, they took him under their wing, literally. He began to live from then on with the Grimm, specifically a nest of Nevermores. The sun never did rise for him again, but it is said that he still lives with the Grimm, and worships them, with an army of the beasts at his command"

Everyone was silent.

"That was an interesting tale of fiction, Almond" Lime said.

"It's not fiction," Almond said, "it's true"

"Oh please." Hippo said beside me, "The sun never rising for one person ever again? Puh-lease"

"It's true!" Almond burst out, "I know it is"

"How do you explain the sun never rising again?" Hippo challenged, "It was up just a few hours ago"

"For him," Almond replied, "the sun never rose for him, and him alone"

"How?" Someone else asked.

"The Grimm infection," Almond replied, "obviously, it makes you see things the way the Grimm do"

"The Grimm infection is just a stupid wife's tale to scare children out of hunting" Someone said.

"No its not!" Almond burst out.

"Almond!" Lime snapped, "Quiet down!"

"It's true" Almond said.

"Not everyone believes that" Lime said.

"Well they should," Almond said, "because it's true"

Lime didn't know what else to say, and no one else said anything. Clapping her hands together, Professor Acid told everyone to head to bed.

Everyone stood, finishing off their suppers as they walked to their tents, leaving the fire to burn itself out.

Undoing my green cloak and laying it down on the ground by my sleeping bag, I lay down and got into the bag itself.

"That kid though," Hippo said, "Almond, he's so dumb. You don't believe it, right?"

I pulled my sleeping bag over my body, "I don't know," I replied, "after all, I don't have any proof against it"

"But it's a stupid idea," Hippo said, "I mean, how could a Grimm, a living thing, produce a virus like that?"

"Who ever said the Grimm are living?" I asked, "Besides, there are plenty of plants that release viruses"

"Whatever." Hippo said, "You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"I do," I replied, "but I don't think that your evidence is good enough"

Hippo sighed, "So you do believe in it?" He asked.

"I never said that." I replied, "I'm neutral towards it right now. There is no strong evidence in either one's favor"

Hippo rolled over in his bed, "Good night Grizzly" He said.

"Good night" I said, closing my eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep.

The next morning we awoke early in the morning. It was still somewhat dark, but we were able to see well enough to pack everything up, eat breakfast, and continue walking.

The hours once again dragged by, the same as the day before. However, I found myself thinking about the story Almond had told the night before. Was it possible for people to be infected by the Grimm? There wasn't anything against it, nor was there anything supporting it (other than Almond's story, of course, but it's hardly evidence).

In the distance I saw a large, tall pile of rocks.

"We're almost there," Lime announced, "just up that cliff"

However, as we continued to walk I thought I saw something moving in the distance. Some others seemed to do the same, whispering amongst themselves.

"What's that?" Hippo asked, leaning over to me and pointing.

I shook my head, "Not sure" I replied.

"Well," He started, "focus. Figure it out"

Staring hard at the shape in the distance, I tried to activate my semblance. My semblance was called 'focus'. It allowed me to focus on one thing and raised my senses towards it dramatically. It was convenient for fighting, but oftentimes I'm only able to focus on one opponent at once. It's good for writing tests though, as I can dedicate every part of myself to getting one-hundred percent.

My eyes began to glow yellow as I focused (it's a side-effect of using it). Soon the light began to drift off my eyes, as if they were on fire.

I focused on the shape in the distance, starting to make out what it. I deactivated my semblance, realizing what it was. It was a person.

"Well?" Hippo asked.

"It's a person" I replied.

It was a woman to be more specific. She wore an old brown jacket and faded blue jeans. Her head was covered by a hood, but I could tell that she had pink hair.

Catching up with Lime, I told her what the shape was.

"A person?" She asked, "Perhaps we should go speak with her"

"I'll go" I volunteered.

"Go right on ahead" She said. Despite being a huntsman in training I was very capable of defending myself, and Lime knew that, which was why she allowed me to go ahead alone.

Turning back in the woman's direction, I started running forward. Reaching her, I saw that she wasn't much taller than I was.

"Are you alright miss?" I asked. She seemed to be hunched over and gripping her gut.

She didn't reply.

"Miss?" I started, "We're on our way to Barcombe, is there anything we can help you with?"

Just then she dashed forward, grabbing my shoulders, "Don't you dare go there!" She cried.

"Why?" I asked.

"They'll kill you," she replied, "They're Grimm worshippers. Hunters like you will be killed"

"How did you know I was a huntsman?" I asked her, changing the subject.

"Your pistols give it away" She replied.

Glancing down at myself, I realized for the first time how windy it was. My green cloak was blowing behind me, revealing Barbed Gustav, my dual pistols.

"Whatever. What do you mean by 'Grimm worshippers'?" I asked.

"As in they believe that we, as hunters, are evil because we hunt the Grimm" She replied.

"That's absurd" I said.

"But it's true," she replied, "They just tried to kill me!"

"Prove it" I challenged.

I was surprised when she opened her jacket and lifted her shirt just enough for me to see a stitched up wound on her abdomen. It looked fairly recent, and barely healed. Dry blood surrounded its choppy edge.

"Whoa" was all I could say.

"The people who stitched it up were killed because they helped me." She added, "Please, don't go there"

I paused to think, then grabbed her hand and dragged her back to the group. "You can talk with Professor Lime about this" I said.

Reaching the group, I sent her to Lime, when I tried to introduce them, I felt myself fall short of knowledge.

"Uh, what was your name miss?" I asked the pink-haired woman.

"Nicole" She replied.

I nodded and turned to leave.

"Nicole Rozovyy?" Lime asked.

"That's me" Nicole replied.

"We were called as your reinforcements. What happened?"

"They were Grimm worshippers," Nicole replied, "They think that we're the evil ones"

"Then what about the call for protection?" Lime questioned.

"It's a trap." Nicole replied, "They lure hunters to their village and kill them. It's extremely inefficient but it's what they do"

Lime stared at Nicole for a long while, trying to decide whether or not to trust her.

"Prove it" She finally decided.

Nicole showed her the scar, and after extended inspection Lime deemed it not to be a wound inflicted by the Grimm.

Looking up and around the group of waiting students, Lime tried to decide on her next course of action.

"We don't kill people," Lime said to Nicole, staring at us while she spoke, "unless we absolutely have to." Turning back to her, she said, "We'll have to turn around. Not help these people. You okay with that?"

Nicole nodded, "Absolutely" She replied. I could see what Lime was trying to do. She did it to all the time. She would tell us the consequences of lying, and then ask us if we're okay with it. Oftentimes it guilt-tripped us into telling the truth if we were lying.

"Alright then," Lime announced, turning back to the group, who was already paying attention to her conversation with Nicole, "we're turning around. No testing today!"

There were mixed sighs of annoyance, sadness, and relief. I was one of the sad people. I loved hunting the Grimm.

Turning around as a group, we headed back the way we'd came.

Nicole started walking with us, hanging back. I slowed until I walked next to her.

"Hi," I said, holding out my hand, "I'm Grizzlibear, Grizzly for short"

She looked at my hand for a second, then reached out and shook it, "Nicole," She replied. "But you already knew that"

"It's more official this way" I pointed out.

She smiled, "Right" She replied.

For the first time I saw the two identical suitcases in her hands. Somehow I'd missed them. I was about to ask about them, but decided that it would be rude to ask right away.

"So did you hear about the Hunter's Tournament in a few months?" I asked.

"Yeah" she replied.

"You entering?" I asked. "Or are you not even a huntress?"

She nodded, "I am a huntress." She replied, "And I may be entering. You?"

"Yep"

"Aren't you a little young?"

"Apparently I show exceptional skill in hunting. I've already been accepted into Beacon Academy"

"Really?" She asked, "How old are you?"

"Fifteen" I replied.

"Two years early." She said, "Well done"

"So did you go to Beacon?" I asked.

She shook her head, "I attended Haven in my youth" She replied.

"You say that as if you're super old or something"

"Well," she started, "I'm older"

"Older than me, probably not much more though"

She smiled, "Okay" She said sarcastically.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing"

"Whaddya mean 'nothing'? You are clearly implying something"

"Maybe" She replied.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"That's very rude to ask, considering we've only just met" She said.

I smiled, "Right" I replied.

Nicole glanced over at me for a second, curiosity clear in her eyes, then she turned forward again.

"What?" I asked, looking over at her again.

"Grizzlibear!" Lime called back, "Hurry it up!" Looking up, I realized that we had fallen quite far from the group.

"Come on!" I told Nicole, charging forward.

She smiled, then ran after me.

Like I said, not very exciting right? No epic climactic fight or anything, but don't worry, Grizzly will be a few fights before his time is over.

If you guys remember way back to Pink I you will remember Nicole, and I hope that you all do remember her because she's one of the main characters in the later parts.

Also, Grimm infection. Like it or not, this will come up again, and although I don't like it very much either, it's an idea that supports part of this story so I've decided to incorporate it in.

I'll try to have another chapter up by this Monday, which hopefully won't be too hard, but if I don't then it will be up quicker than this one. I haven't done very much writing this break, despite having loads of time to do so.

Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter.