Foreword: From a young age, I have always been fascinated with fairy tales and folklore. I decided to write a collection of stories from the Grimm Brothers fairy tales featuring the Kingdom Hearts cast. Due to the fact that I will be using Kingdom Hearts characters in the stories instead of their originals, the stories have been slightly altered and the characters may be altered too although I have tried my hardest to keep some of their traits the same. Also, since these stories are based off of the Grimm ones, there will be character death, most of them gruesome, and other dark themes. I will also try my hardest to update under a week, but I am a very busy person. If you have a fairy tale, Grimm Brothers ones preferred, you may PM me your idea. Otherwise, you may take the poll on my profile on which Grimm stories you'd like to see appear. If you have any questions on why I chose a specific character to play that role in the tale, I will answer those too. Please, no rude or mean comments. Thank you and please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, the Grimm Brothers fairy tales, or any of either's characters or storyline.
Hello, dear reader, my name is Sora Grimm. My brother, Vanitas Grimm, and I, have travelled the worlds in search of fairy tales and folklore which we later recorded in this book. You seem tired, why not take a seat and listen to one of our tales? This first tale is known as Little Kai Riding Hood. Enjoy, dear reader, and remember to always stay on the path and never talk to strangers.
Little Kai Riding Hood
Once upon a time, there lived a young girl by the name of Kairi whom everyone adored. But her grandmother loved her most of all, and gave her a red velvet riding hood thus causing the neighbors to refer to her as "Little Kai Riding Hood."
One day, her dear mother Namine came to her and said, "Little Kai Riding Hood, here are some treats and tea for your grandmother. Take them to her, for she is ill, and these will make her better." Namine handed the woven basket to Kai, who accepted it.
"Remember," Namine instructed, "Set out early, and walk carefully so you don't break the tea pot. When you reach her home say 'Good morning' properly, don't talk to strangers along the way, and, most importantly, stay on the path."
"Yes, mother." Kai nodded, setting out for grandmother's house.
Kai's grandmother lived far out in the forest, and Kai would need to pass through there on her way to the house. When Kai came to the edge of the forest, she heard a rustling noise. She turned toward the sound to see a wolf emerging from the bushes.
He was tall, with long, silver fur. His green-blue eyes pierced through her soul. His pointy silvery ears were sharp and alert, and his tail swished back and forth like a silver ribbon being waved in the wind.
"Good day, Miss Riding Hood." purred the wolf, his tail flicking.
"Why thank you, Mr. Wolf." Kai replied politely.
"Please, call me Riku." The wolf smiled, showing off his pointed fangs. "And where are you off to at this early hour?"
"To grandmother's house," Kai explained. "She is very ill."
"And may I guess that basket you're carrying is for her?" Riku inquired.
"Indeed, treats and tea for my ill grandmother." Kai answered.
"And where does she live, your grandmother?" Riku's mouth carved into a wolfish grin as he leaned against a tall tree close to the path.
"Just through the woods, following this path to a clearing with thirteen tall pines, and a babbling and bubbling small brook." Kai replied.
Riku walked away from the tree, and began to pace across the path. He circled Kai, studying the young redheaded girl. She would be a nice meal, he thought to himself.
"Mr. Wolf, I mean Riku, if you'd like you may walk with me a short while." Kai offered.
"That would be nice," Riku agreed, offering a large silver paw to the young girl.
As the couple walked down the path, trees loomed on either side, casting shadows over them. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Riku saw a patch of colorful flowers a little ways off the path.
"My dear," he said, stopping her. "Look out, a little ways beyond the path." Kai looked to where the wolf pointed with his paw, and saw a lovely patch of flowers growing. "I'm sure your grandmother would love some sweet smelling spring flowers to cheer her up." The wolf suggested, his eyes dancing with their bluish-green shade.
"But mother told me," Kai began.
Riku waved his paw as if warding off the statement as one would a bug. "I'm sure your mother would approve of bringing dear old granny a bouquet of flowers. Besides, it's just a little ways off the path."
Kai considered his statement. "You're right, Riku!" she exclaimed after a moment. "Mother would be glad I brought grandmother flowers to cheer her up." And with that, she stepped off the forest path toward the flower patch.
Riku grinned, his fangs glinting, then turned and dashed down the path, his silver tail swishing all the way like a silvery beacon. He came to a small cottage surrounded by thirteen pines, and waded through the little river which brushed against his back paws like a gentle breeze, up to the front door where he knocked upon its wooden surface.
"Who is it?" called a tired, old voice from inside.
"It is I, Little Kai Riding Hood." Riku purred in an imitation of Kai's voice.
"Come in, dear." Grandmother called from inside the house. Riku opened the latch, and entered the house. It was a simple and clean room. In the corner sat a bed where grandmother lay. Riku leapt, devoured her, and, dressing in her clothes, lay down in the bed.
Meanwhile, Kai was picking flowers from the small patch. She had a collection of daisy yellow, sunset orange, snow white and lilac flowers with little green stems.
"Oh dear, it's getting late into the afternoon." Kai exclaimed, noticing the warm afternoon sun through a patch of blue sky. "I best be on my way to grandmother's."
That's when Kai noticed the wolf, Riku, was no longer accompanying her. "He must have gone home for lunch." She thought aloud, picking up her array of flowers and setting off.
When she arrived at the cottage, Kai was quite surprised to see the door open, and as she entered the room she felt a wave of unease nauseate her.
It's just my imagination, Kai thought to herself. "Hello? Good morning, grandmother." She called into the seemingly empty room, but upon receiving no answer she made her way to her grandmother's bed. Once there, she pulled back the covers to a peculiar sight.
"Grandmother!' Kai exclaimed. "Your ears, why are they so large?"
"The larger the ear makes it easier to hear your sweet voice like the gentle breeze." The voice from the bed countered.
"But your eyes, they are as large as orbs." Kai gasped.
"The larger the eye, the easier it is to observe your beautiful self." The voice replied.
"Grandmother, your hands, they are the size of a gray wolf's paws!" Kai cried.
"Doesn't the larger hand have an advantage over the smaller one?" The voice questioned.
"But, your mouth," Kai started.
Riku lunged out of the bed, pinning Kai against the wall, his blue green eyes twinkling with a spark of mischief.
"Don't you know the larger mouth and sharper tooth makes it easier to devour a pretty creature such as yourself?" Then, he swallowed her.
Tired, the wolf curled up on the bed, and fell under the spell of sleep.
In this time, there lived a huntress by the name of Aqua. She happened to be good friends of young Kairi's grandmother, and often checked up on her. As she happened to be passing by that day, she decided to stop in.
When she saw the wide open door, she knew at once something was terribly wrong. She entered the room, and made her way to the bed where she saw none other than the wolf lying on it, fast asleep. She readied to shoot, but halted, just in case grandmother could be saved. Aqua, removing a knife from her pouch, cut the stomach of the wolf. Suddenly, a young Kai sprang out, tears trickling down her face. A few moments later her grandmother was removed.
"Thank you, kind Aqua, for saving us." Kai's grandmother exclaimed.
Kai held out the bouquet of flowers she'd picked earlier. "Here, Miss Aqua." She smiled, handing them to her.
"Thank you," Aqua replied, accepting the gift. At that moment, a huntsman by the name of Terra entered. He was tall with dark hair, and smiled at them.
"Hello Aqua and friends," he greeted. Then, he saw the wolf. "And what is this vile devil doing here?" He questioned.
"He devoured this elderly woman and her granddaughter, but I was just in time to rescue them." Aqua explained.
"Young girl," Terra addressed Kai. "Fetch some stones from that brook outside." Kai quickly obeyed, and returned, moments later, carrying a pile of stones from the brook. The four then filled the wolf's body with the stones, and grandmother sewed his stomach shut. When the wolf awoke, he attempted to escape, but was weighed down by the stones in his stomach, and fell dead.
Aqua and Terra took the wolf skin, and set off with many thanks from Kai and her grandmother. Then the pair sat down at the small wooden table placed in the room's center and ate the treats and drank their tea. And Kai vowed never to stray from the path again…
And thus concludes our tale of Little Kai Riding Hood and the wolf. How was it? My brother and I hoped you enjoyed our little story. Please, stop in again sometime, and perhaps there will be another tale from us waiting to be discovered.
Sincerely signed,
Sora and Vanitas Grimm
