The Shadow of Grimm (Rewritten)

Chapter 14: Moving Forward

(Second Opening Theme: Naruto Shippuden Opening 3-Bluebird Performed By Ikimono-Gakari)

Just on the other side of the once great village Kuroyuri, Melody sat on the staircase of what once was a simple little home as a set of crows gathered around it; some of them had been around her. Her knees had been close to her chest as she played with the cross around her neck. There was nothing but silence, all except for the wind that often blew in her direction. She would occasionally flinch from the cold, but... She didn't mind it a lot.

The words of her father kept repeating the back of her head. She had been in a turmoil about what happened. She had been trying to decide what it was she wanted to do. She desperately wanted to control the creature that had been inside her; hell, she wanted to tell them.

Her friends... Ruby... But... She couldn't.

She was... Scared.

Too scared to tell them, too scared to hear what they would think of her.

She resented her mother--No, Celia leaving sur, but she still blamed herself, for not even realizing it was there in the first place. She saw the way they looked at her, when she went to Jaune.

And... She hated it.

Melody sighed as she laid back on the wooden porch, running her fingers through her hair. Frosty who had been by her side the whole time crawled over her and sniffed the cross around her neck. A single crow sauntered over to her before it pecked at the cross a little.

She couldn't help but chuckle slightly, "You like it huh?"

Frosty tilted his head, while the crow let out a curious noise.

"It was a present from my dad when I got into Signal." Melody explained, "My sister has one like this too. Even after I left home, I still kept it. Funny thing is... I always thought it was protecting me, since--I've been alive out here for two years."

Her expression changed as she looked to the sky above.

"You know--" She started to say, "--Sometimes I wonder if I ever made the right choice. About leaving Patch. I want to see my Aunt sure, but..." She only groaned, as she collected her thoughts, "... I don't want to hurt them. Or worse--Kill them. Though... Sometimes I lie awake at night... Wondering if I made the right call. I don't regret not going to Beacon. I've seen too much of the world to know that it could use more people like me. But... What if the rest of them hate me for leaving so suddenly? What if--They decide, I'm not family anymore... You know what I mean?"

Frosty let out a yawn while the crow only ruffled its feathers. She only chuckled slightly at this sort of thing.

"Thanks--You guys are a huge help." She said amusingly, before she looked at her hands, "... Maybe I should tell them about the Creature. I kept it from them long enough... Even from Ruby. After what I was about to do to Jaune... They have the right to know at least."

Suddenly Melody felt the ground shake as the crows took to the skies and flew away; Frosty's ears perked up as he looked in the direction.

"The hell--?!"

She sat herself up as she looked to the direction of the noise. She could hear the sounds of gunfire, and saw the smoke. Her eyes widened in realization, as her body shook.

"Ruby--Dad--!"

With only that, she grabbed her weapon and ran towards the sounds; Frosty followed close behind as she hoped and prayed, they were all still standing.

***

Team RNJR, Roman, Cristal, Scout, and Rosario all flew back as each of them nearly slid across the concrete floor; though some of them had slight difficulty since some were still injured from the previous fight. They all caught their breath and turned their attention to what had hit them exactly.