The Wolf who fell in Love with Red Riding Hood

The Last Page

Once upon a time… there was a girl who wore her red hood so much that she gained the name 'Little Red Riding Hood.' One day, her mother told the girl to deliver some food to her sick grandmother. The only way to her grandmother is through the woods, and so the girl went.

On her way, the girl encountered a wolf. In a strange twist of Fate, the two fell in love despite knowing the tragic end to their story. As each day pasted, the girl's inner fear of her lover's role faded and she grew to love him even more with him returning her feeling with the same amount of passion.

Despite the many struggles they faced, the two remained side by side. However, according to the tale of 'Little Red Riding Hood', the wolf must die.

A truly tragic ending indeed…

Zatsune stared with her face stained in blood, not her blood but the blood of the person who had shielded her from a fatal bullet; Zeito. He stumbled backwards with one hand at his stomach before collapsing to the ground. Red was pooling around his hand.

"Z…Zeito?" Zatsune whispered, "…W…Why?" She slowly crouched down beside his body and stretched out one shaking hand.

Upon seeing this, Neru threw the rifle into the bushes and scrambled over to her friends.

The huntsman gave her a small weak smile as his scarlet eyes started to cloud over. He weakly lifted a hand to take Zatsune's shaking one. "No…matter what…," he rasped, "I'll stay by you…"

"But… Why?" Zatsune's voice began to break. But before he could answer, Zeito's hand lost its grip on the witch's hand and fell down limply. His eyes had drawn to a close, never to open again. A single tear escaped Zatsune's eye, resulting in a tiny river flowing down her dry cheeks.

"Rin! Len! Are you okay?!" gasped Neru.

Rin gave a small nod as she held Len. "His arm has been dislocated…," she softly replied. Red Riding Hood then turned to the silent witch who was still kneeling beside the decease huntsman.

"I see…," Neru bit her lip nervously, "Just hold him still and I'll relocate-" Neru's voice came to a halt and she fell forward.

"Neru?!" cried Rin. She paled at the sight of a knife in Sleeping Beauty's back. Rin swiftly turned and saw Zatsune standing; her hair covering her eyes.

"You shall all die" she said softly, "Die!" The witch pulled out another knife and charged at Red Riding Hood, her ruby eyes glowing dimly in the dim light.

"Get back, Rin!" Len shouted as he, despite the pain, pushed his dear out of the way then, supporting himself with his good arm, swung his legs and tripped Zatsune.

"Len!" cried Rin as Len struggled to get up successfully. Pain was clearly etched in his face. "H-Hang on Len!" She had her hand on the hilt of her dagger and was about to run forward when she felt her body freeze. What…? Her brain urged it to move but her body refused to heed to command. This feeling… Rin then noticed Zatsune standing with a small doll in her hand, a doll that has been sewn to look identical to Rin.

"…The wolf's stomach was cut open," whispered Zatsune. A chill was sent down Rin's spine. The witch dropped the Rin doll to the floor before stepping on it. Rin's cry was knocked out of her as she fell and the sensation of a heavy load being crushed onto her ribs befell her.

"Rin…!"

Zatsune looked up so her red eyes were fixed on Len. The boy got up to his feet with his left arm dangling uselessly yet his azure eyes burned with anger. "The wolf must die," Zatsune finished.

Len gave a soft growl, "The characters don't have to follow the story Zatsune so I refuse to allow that to be my fate!"

He charged. Len lashed out at the witch with punches and slashes from his capable arm and kicks however Zatsune masterfully evaded all his attacks while being careful to step on the Rin doll to ensure Red Riding Hood stays in one spot. Suddenly Len was able to tackle Zatsune to the ground but she was able to throw him off.

"I'm coming Len!"

Zatsune swiftly turned around. Rin was running towards them with determined look. She then looked at the doll; she was too far away from it to immobilize the approaching girl in red. Everything went in slow motion: Rin running, Len struggling to get up with wide eyes, Zatsune raising her hand…

Rin falling.

"Rin…?!"

A dagger shone in the dim light, impaled in the petite body of a rag doll. A girl collapsed on the floor, her gold hair covered her face. Zatsune turned to Len, whose face was frozen with shock.

"Now for the wolf." She aimed the pistol Zeito once held at Len. A few metres separated the two. "This shall be the end for the wolf… This shall be the end for all the stories!"

BANG!

Len's eyes widened. Red was splattered on his face. A shadow was casted over him. A red cloak fluttered past him.

"How did she…?" muttered Zatsune as she stared

"RIN!" screamed Len.

Rin stumbled backwards and fell. Len scrambled to her side and held her in his arms. She was bleeding from the shoulder; what looks like a stab wound and at her stomach… a gun wound.

"Rin!" cried Len, "Rin, say something! Say something my dear!" Tears threatened to fall from his eyes. She opened her lips yet no words came out instead a small smile took place. Rin weakly lifted her hand and stroked his cheek, leaving red smudges from her holding at her stomach wound. Len tightly held her cold hand to his face, ignoring the sticky red liquid.

"Rin…No, you can't…," he choked, "You can't leave me… Not after what we've been through. Please don't…"

Tears pricked her eyes, "Go…mene…," she rasped. Her eyes were beginning to become dull. "Fare…well." Finally the tears escaped as her eyes closed and she became limp in his arms.

Len's eyes widened as his body stiffened. "Rin…?" he whispered, "Rin? Rin!" He shook her body in hope those beautiful eyes will open. In hope she'll smile and laugh, "Just kidding!" Her eyes… Her smile… Her laugh… He wanted to see them again, hear them once more. But she had left little of her warmth in his arms.

Suddenly Len felt a drop then another. The heavens above him opened and a great downpour fell. He sat there, allowing the cold water to seep into his skin. The cold must have knocked him back into reality for he suddenly held Rin's body close to him before throwing his head back and letting out a cry of despair.

His cry echoed throughout the empty forest, a lone wolf's howl.

"So it was Little Red Riding Hood who died in the end instead of the wolf," muttered Zatsune. Len inhaled sharply at the sound of her voice over the falling rain. "I didn't expect her to somehow overcome the marionette spell."

A low growl escaped his curled lips before Len swiftly grabbed Rin's dagger and threw it at the witch. This time, she didn't dodged. It struck her spot on in the chest, in the heart. As Zatsune fell back, her mouth curled. However, it wasn't a sinister smile or crazed grin.

It was a sincere smile.

The wolf panted heavily. His long blonde hair clung to his face in wet strands. This is it… It's over. The witch is gone but… He looked back at Rin then slowly hugged her cold wet body. Her comforting orange blossom scent was barely there anymore. He could only smell rain and blood.

Even when the wolf survived, in the end, it's still not a 'Happily Ever After'…

Rain engulfed the area around the cave as the wolf sobbed. He was once again alone.

THE END

I have nothing to say except for one word; "wait"