Yo!

Welcome again to the monthly Grimm chapter. We are a bit before the schedule, but whatever (No, this doesn't mean you're getting another chapter on the 1st of February).

Enjoy the chapter.

Yes, the title was supposed to be like that.

Chapter 32. Nim zajdzie słońce

I tried to peek inside through a few windows, hoping to see any movement. Yet, no matter the angle or place, I didn't see anything. This house might be well preserved, but it didn't seem like anyone was inside. I could be wrong, though...

Deciding to leave my stalker behavior behind, I approached the shed at the back of the house. It was a little wooden thing with a wide open door. I didn't even feel bad for intruding as I stepped into the dark structure.

My eyes instantly adapted to the new light, and I squinted, scanning everything inside. To no one's surprise, the shed housed many different tools for work in the gardens and the like. But apart from that, I also spotted some weapon parts and even a bit of ammo.

Some of it looks used. I mused, trailing a finger across a blade placed on one of the many shelves. Barely any dust. Someone was here. Maybe this month or even week.

Tsking, I stepped outside. My new discovery didn't prove anything we didn't already know. The house and area around it were just too well-kept to be abandoned.

Well, hopefully, you had more luck, Summer. Without further ado, I slowly walked towards the front of the house. Just as I was rounding the corner, a muffled sob reached my ears, then another, and a few more. Fucking hell...

I frowned as my gaze fell on the porch, or rather the woman sitting on it, arms wrapped around her knees. Evidently, Summer had even less luck than me, wonderful.

"Hey," I called out, dropping to sit next to her. "Come on, we talked about this. Them not being here doesn't mean anything. Maybe they just went to visit the village or went to Vale? The house is definitely not abandoned. I had a look inside the shed. There are still some fresh Huntsman supplies back there."

Slowly, Summer raised her head, meeting my gaze. "I want to believe you, I really do," she wiped her tears. "But it's been ten years. My mind cannot stop conjuring all the worst scenarios."

I sighed. "I get it." No, I really didn't. "But you won't give up now, right? Even if they no longer live here, they must be somewhere out there. The search continues until we run out of possibilities, got it?"

Finally, Summer nodded and rose to her feet. "You're right... thanks," she gave me a weak smile. "For a Grimm, you're really a good person. You could have left me behind. Yet here you are, helping a woman on the verge of depression."

"I might be a Grimm, but I have a soul," I chuckled, stepping off the perch. "You're not my enemy, so I had no reason to leave you to die. Hell, you guys probably saved my ass back there... Besides, I know how it is to be separated from your family."

The woman looked like she wanted to say something, maybe question me about what I meant by that. Thankfully, she didn't and just settled for a searching gaze, one I decided to ignore. No one needed to know about my messed up past.

"I want to ask around in the village," Summer stated, seeing as I stayed silent. "Someone has to know something. Do you want to go with me or..."

I shook my head. "Not this time. I have something to take care of while you do that. We can meet back here... say in two hours. Who knows, maybe they will come back in that time."

"Okay," she said, taking out her new scroll. "I will call you if I find anything. You have my number, right?"

"Of course I do. I was the one to add both our contacts to the scrolls," I rolled my eyes just as a thought struck me. "Hold up a second. Why haven't you called Ozpinn yet? If there is someone who will know what happened to your kids, it's him."

It was a reasonable question. I already tried calling Neo, but she obviously changed her number in those ten years. That or the scroll I gave her died back on Vytal.

Summer colored slightly. "I... well, I always had a hard time remembering names, dates, or scroll numbers... I guess I could try calling Beacon's official number, but that won't help much if the administration hasn't changed since I disappeared."

I quirked an eyebrow, suddenly curious. "Why?"

"Let's just say they aren't too quick with passing information to higher-ups," she scowled. "Trust me, we can get to Vale, spend a day or two exploring, go to Beacon, and Ozpin still won't know about our call... I will still do it in a minute, but I don't expect anything."

Bureaucracy at its finest. Lovely. I grumbled in the safety of my mind. "What if you tell them who you are? You got to have some pull there."

Summer gave him a blank look. "I was gone for ten years, Umbra. Even if people in administration cared about my name back then, they definitely don't do now."

Okay, that's fair. I conceded the point. "If you say so. You know better than me about this kind of stuff." My body began to glow, the initial stage of transformation starting. "Anyway, I'm off. Till later... and Summer? Good luck."

With that, I shot toward the sky, heading for the forests far away from any population. I had a territory to reclaim and a cave to check. Two hours should be more than enough to do that and more; I just had to keep up the pace.

Major Territory No.1 reclaimed. You can now manage your claimed land. No experience granted.

Should have expected that. I snorted, dropping right into front of the cave that I once shared with Neo. As I expected, the cover I had created with dust was gone, a human-sized entrance left in its wake.

I stepped inside and frowned when my eyes found nothing but empty space. Either Neo came back here and took everything with her, or someone else discovered this place and decided to claim what was left behind. I would prefer the former to happen, but who could really know.

Well, that's another thing to cross off the list. Time to go back...

I watched through a small window as we left the ocean behind, shores and the first green trees replacing the scenery. Looking to the other side, my eyes widened a bit. I knew Vale was big, but I had never seen it from this close.

Buildings of all kinds stretched in all directions. Yet, it was easy to recognize the segregation into different districts, especially when the industrial part of the city produced more smoke than all others combined.

Not that I cared much about those places. No, my eyes stuck like glue to the hill in the distance where Beacon Academy stood, its tall towers glinting within the evening sun. It would have been better to see it all without the glass in my way, but even now, the sight was breathtaking.

Still...

"Are you sure we can't get a Bullhead straight to Beacon?" I asked for probably the fifth time.

Next to me, Summer sighed, her own cloak hiding her body from the other passengers. "Yes," she almost growled. "Like I already told you, if you're not a student, don't have special permission or Huntsman license, then you're not getting to Beacon by anything but your feet. And no, I don't have my license!"

As a few people looked in our direction, I quickly raised my hands, trying to placate the woman. "Okay, okay, calm down. I was just making sure. I have no idea how those things work."

"You already asked that. Four. Times," she grumbled, her fist clenching visibly. "I'm even less happy than you are about it, so can you give me a break? Shitty administration," she mumbled the last part.

I winced and fell silent. Guess my plan to distract her failed. Again...

At this point, I should have stopped, but I was never someone who gave up easily. Nonetheless, I needed another subject to talk about or at least wait until we landed.

Which should be right about... now. I grinned as the Bullhead's floor shook gently, the constant thrumming of engines fading. Nice, now I only have Vacuo left on the list of kingdoms I didn't visit. Maybe I can go there when I find Neo and Bob...

The ramp opened right then, a mash-up of noises filling the newfound silence. I breathed in the smell of the city and smiled at Summer.

"Ladies first."

The woman just shook her head and left the Bullhead, with me joining her side in a moment. There were more aircrafts in the area, and a bunch of people were walking around. It was a bit like an airport, just weirder.

"Alright. I've never been to Vale before, so lead the way," I spoke again as we stepped onto a busy street. "I just hope you won't have us walk all the way there. I mean, I can, but it's going to be dark soon. We should probably hurry."

Summer nodded absently. "I know... We can catch a bus. There is a stop around the corner."

I blinked. "Right, a bus," I murmured, glancing at the various vehicles passing by.

Why had I thought that there wouldn't be public communication in this world? I didn't know.

"You sure it can get us close to Beacon?"

My companion barely spared me a glance. "Umbra, ten years passed since I was last here. I'm doubting everything I do. So, no, I'm not sure. I just hope that the bus lines didn't change too much."

Okay, again, fair. I sighed and just followed Summer. Staying silent for the time being might be the wisest option. It seemed like the closer we got to Beacon, the jumpier the woman became.

Can't even fault her for that. If Ozpin doesn't know anything about Ruby and Yang, she might not survive it.

With a light shake of my head, I followed Summer onto a bus that just pulled up. She paid for us with the money I gave her, and then we were off.

All the way, I stayed silent, enjoying the sights outside. A small smile pulled at my lips as I thought about all the similarities Vale had to my old world. Neither Atlas nor Mistral felt like that. The former resembled some kind of a futuristic city, while the latter sometimes looked like it was stuck in the Dark Ages.

But this? I mused as we passed a playground filled with kids. This is nice. If I ever need a place to settle, this is definitely it.

After a while, I pulled out my scroll and searched the Vale news just to confirm what I knew again. When I last checked, I found nothing about a blocked tunnel to Mountain Glenn exploding or Grimm sightings in the area. The White Fang was also quiet, and while dust thefts still happened, those didn't seem as bad as in the canon.

It's too quiet, or I'm too paranoid thanks to the worst canon event being around the corner. I furrowed my brow, depowering the scroll. What if Amber is already dead, and Cinder has no reason to attack? No... Ozpin and the relic are still here. She must strike Vale sooner or later, and the coming Vytal festival is still the best occasion.

I shook my head. With all the changes my short existence caused, Cinder might as well forgo her old plan and do something completely different. I really hated time travel. Everything was so simple before, but now I was walking in almost blind.

I have a bad feeling about this. Gonna need to warn Ozpin and his little group of misfits about Cinder and her possible plans. No reason to risk it.

"Umbra," a voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "We're here. Come."

Taking a deep breath, I followed Summer out of the vehicle. We moved in silence until we came upon a pretty long path full of stairs. I grimaced and gave my companion a look.

"Really?" I asked, my voice dry as a desert.

Summer shrugged and took the first step on our journey to the top. "It makes people less willing to bother anyone at Beacon if they have to use this path each time. I mean, there is a road, but without a pass, you're not getting past the gate."

That's... smart, dare I say. Still hate it, though...

For a moment, I entertained the idea of transforming and carrying us to the top of the hill, but I quickly discarded it. We were trying to keep a low profile, especially with my unique features. From what I found, the Cursed population was quite disliked everywhere, and we didn't need anyone mistaking me for them.

Stairs it is... I swear, I will murder someone for this.

"Welcome to Beacon, Umbra," Summer muttered when we reached the top of those damned stairs. "One of the four academies where true Huntsmen and Huntresses are born."

It definitely looks better in real life than it did in the show. I mused, taking a second to burn the image into my memory.

We stopped just in front of a straight path leading right to the entrance. Two rows of white arches surrounded the area in a circle. At the same time, a small pond waited at the end of the road, separated into two perfect halves. Of course, behind it all, the Beacon Tower loomed over them, joined by the faculty buildings on each side.

It's like some fantasy castle. Though with Ozpin as a headmaster, it seems fitting... Fucking Wizard of Oz...

"Looks cozy," I finally commented with a grin, but a quick glance at Summer showed she wasn't listening. Her face remained blank of emotions, but her clenched fists gave her away.

"Alright, enough of this," I muttered, grabbing her wrist and dragging her along the path. "Everything will be fine. Ozpin will know where your kids are, and then you will have your big reunion. Trust me."

Summer didn't answer, but considering she took the lead, my short pep talk must have worked.

With the pace returned, we quickly made our way inside, ignoring the few students who were still in the halls. Some people even tried to call us out, but Summer always sped up and lost them within seconds. She definitely knew her way around this place.

"Here," she muttered as we stopped right before the entrance to the Headmaster's tower. No one was there, and the doors were closed, but it didn't stop the woman.

No, she just approached the security panel next to the entrance and punched in a code so fast that I almost missed it. The door slid open, and Summer rushed in, not even waiting for me.

"Hold up!" I shouted just as she reached the elevator and put in another code. "I thought you were bad at remembering stuff!"

As we entered the lift, she turned to me, taking a deep breath. "I'm. This is one of the things I had to remember. Ozpin forbids us from ever writing it down. I literally had to spend hours memorizing it. Please don't ask why."

I nodded. Even if I was curious, this just wasn't the time for that.

Here it goes. The elevator dinged, and the doors slid to the side, giving us a perfect view of the Headmaster's office. An office that, just like we hoped, wasn't empty.

"Step out of the lift and get your hands where I can see them!" A woman, with her traditional riding crop out, shouted. "One wrong move, and you won't like the consequences."

I chuckled, but it went unnoticed when Summer stepped forward and, with a single move, removed her hood. "Glynda," she muttered. "Professor."

Behind the Headmaster's desk, Ozpin sprung to his feet while Glynda stood frozen, her weapon clattering to the floor. I smiled slightly.

Yeah, it was worth coming here just for this.

"S-summer?" The Headmaster stuttered, coming closer and closer. "Is it really you? By gods, you look so young..."

"As if I haven't aged a day," Summer finished in a whisper. "That's because I didn't professor. For you, it might have been ten years, but for me... not even two days."

At this point, Glynda awoke from her shock and rushed forward, pulling Summer into a tight hug. The smaller redhead squeaked but returned the embrace, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"We had hopes you would return, but after ten years..." Ozpin trailed off as he watched the duo finally separate. "Yet you are here, alive and well."

"I almost didn't make it," Summer admitted, her gaze going to me. "Umbra took care of me after we dropped out of the timestream. If not for him, I would be stranded on Anima without a weapon and only Aura to keep me alive."

I took it as a cue to pull off my hood. "I heard you were looking for me. It took only ten years, but well, you got me."

Making a joke maybe wasn't the best way to introduce myself, but the atmosphere here could use some lightening up. And going by Summer's snort and the light smile on Glynda's face, it worked.

"Indeed," Ozpin chuckled. "It's really a huge weight off my shoulders to see you two alive again. You both had people hoping for your return. I won't lie and say this hope hasn't dimmed over time, but at least no one ever gave it up."

I couldn't help but frown. Why was he talking to us both? He couldn't mean...

"Neo?" I uttered, not really believing what I just said.

Yet Ozpin smiled and nodded. "She has been waiting all this time, searching for a way to get you back harder than anyone else on Remnant. You left a mark on that girl, Umbra, and she dedicated almost half of her life to you."

My heart stopped at the news. Hell, even my soul froze as shock coursed through my body. I just couldn't believe what I heard.

I hoped to find Neo, maybe reconnect with her, and see what she did over the years. But to hear she was searching for me? For ten years at that?

Why? We barely knew each other for a few months.

I tried to find an answer, a reason for her actions, but I just couldn't. There was nothing that could explain this. Or at least nothing in my head. I needed Neo to tell me herself, to tell me why she sacrificed ten years to search for someone so insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Soon. I vowed and let my mind return to reality just in time to hear Summer speak up.

"Professor, I need to know... What happened to Ruby and Yang? Where are they? We tried looking for them on Patch, but no one was home. Please, professor. You have to know."

Ozpin placed a hand on the woman's shoulder while the other fished a scroll out of his pocket. "Relax, Summer. Your girls are fine. They are here at Beacon. I can get Qrow to take them here if you want to see them now."

"Yes!"

The Headmaster chuckled, raising the scroll. For a short moment, nothing happened, but then. "Oz?" A voice came out from the device. "Do ya need something? I thought we agreed I could take a day off."

Ozpin shook his head. "I know Qrow. But please, just listen to me and get Ruby and Yang to my tower."

Even without the Branwen being here, they all heard his sigh. "What did they do this time? I swear, it's all Raven's fault."

Summer stiffened at the mention of the other woman, but Ozpin just powered through. "Nothing like that. I just need to have a talk with you three. So please be quick."

"Whatever," Qrow grumbled. "See ya in five."

The moment the line went silent, Summer couldn't hold it any longer. "Raven? She... she came back?"

Ozpin sighed and motioned them to follow him to his desk, where they all sat down. "Partially. Most of the time, she is away, doing whatever she wants. However, a bit after you disappeared, she contacted Qrow, and from there, she has been a constant visitor to Beacon. I'd love to tell you more, but Raven and I don't get along too well."

Glynda chortled. "She hates you."

"Yes, that too," Ozpin closed his eyes momentarily. "You are better off asking Qrow about her."

"I see," Summer muttered. "Does that mean that Qrow and Raven took care of the girls?"

Here, Glynda took over. "Qrow did most of that, with a bit of help from everyone here and Raven. I do not say it lightly, but he did his best to raise them like you and Tai would have wanted. He struggled at times, but in the end, he performed better than any of us expected."

Huh, so miracles can happen.

"And his Semblance?" Summer prodded. "He never wanted to stay around the kids because of it."

Ozpin smiled. "Like Glynda mentioned, Qrow struggled at first. He thought there was no way to control his power, and yet, over the years, he managed it — just so he could take care of your children properly."

"And Ruby and Yang? How are they now? Are they trying to become Huntresses?" Summer paused for a moment, hesitating. "What happened when they learned that... that Tai and I are gone?"

Even if he tried to hide it, Ozpin grimaced. "We could tell you all of that, but I think it's best if you hear it from the source this time. Or at least from Qrow."

Summer gulped, her gaze falling to her knees. "Can you at least tell me how bad it was?"

Ozpin nodded sadly. He opened his mouth, ready to speak, but just then, the elevator dinged. We all turned to face it as the doors slid open, revealing the trio we had all been waiting for.

"Yo Oz! What's the sitch? And what's going on with this little gath..." Qrow trailed off as he froze midway across the room, the two girls beside him not faring any better.

"M-mom?"

Summer's eyes filled with tears as she stood up. "M-my girls, all grown up. I'm so sorry..."

And that's it for today.

Yeah, I made another cliffhanger, or at least a partial one. Sorry, but it was this or end the chapter after they arrived at the tower and surprised Ozpin and Glynda. I thought that you guys would at least like to see a glimpse of the true first reunion, so I made the chapter quite longer than usual.

Now, why is the title in Polish? Well, why not? Gotta give my home at least a small shoutout. lol.

Anyway, like always, thank you all for reading! And if you are searching for something else to read that has a few similar vibes to Grimm's Evolution, then check out my original story on RoyalRoad called "A Universe of Bloody Evolution." It's completely free to read, so no worries about that. Link to that along with the discord code below. Have a good day/night. See ya in a month.

My Original story: royalroad(.com)/fiction/58667/a-universe-of-bloody-evolution (Delete the brackets)

Discord code: b7JaQcpuc7