The Crimson Moon

Episode 80

“Grimm, didn’t you have a little sister?” A young girl cloaked in a red hood asked. In the sky above her, hanged the Crimson Moon that had once brought unrest to the world. “Where’d you hear that from? I’ve always been a only child, ever since I can remember. I mean, I always had my fairy tale buddies to play with so I wasn’t lonely or anything. Why’d you ask? Something up?”

“No, for some reason I just felt like asking... hehehe, it’s not lie you know.” The girl herself had not known what brought about such a question. The only thing she cared about was helping Grimm save the world. “Just a bit farther to the top of this tower, then we can finally reach the Castle in the Sky.”

Grimm and the hooded girl were making their way up a tower to reach the Castle in the Sky. 

At first, they set off to defeat the legendary resurrected vampire Dracula at his tower, only to find nobody there. Instead, a message written in blood remained on the wall. “I’ll be waiting for you at the Castle in the Sky.” “There’s some transmission magic here, with it we should be able to reach the Castle in the Sky.” The red hooded girl said, pointing to a magic circle on the ground.

“You sure know a lot. Just who exactly are you?” Grimm asked, dubious of this mysterious girls resourcefulness. “Hehehe… I’m just your ordinary Red Riding Hood, you know?” The girl said as she crossed her arms and gave a proud smile. A figure appeared from the shadows.

“Hehehe…still lying like always, aren’t you? What took you two so long? I’ve been waiting forever!” A girl clad in white called out to the two in a overly familiar manner. Her clothes were such a pure white that one could easily mistake her for a saint. “Who are you?” Grimm questioned.

“Have you forgotten me? How mean of you...brother.” “Brother? Just what in the world are you saying? Both you and Red Riding Hood.” Grimm looked over to see the always whimsical Red Riding Hood holding a serious expression for the first time. “Grimm. Use the magic circle and go to the Castle. I get this feeling this is someone you shouldn’t face quite yet.” Grimm casted a worried look towards Red Riding Hood. “Bu-”

That soft heartedness of yours Grimm, I never really hated it. “Go, Grimm! I’ll be fine. I’m the great Red Riding Hood after all hehehe...” Yet, the hooded girl knew, this opponent before her was on a level unlike anything she fought before. This one wouldn’t be as gentle as the wolf from the fairy tail. Hadn’t I done something like this happened before? 

Hehehe… starting to distrust my own memories, how unlike me. The girl allowed herself a wry smile. She would see to it that Grimm reaches the Castle safely. Even if it would cost her own life. “Alright... I’ll be waiting for you at the castle, ok?” Grimm said, before being transported by the magic circle.

As the hooded girl watched Grimm disappear, she had a feeling she would never see him again. The girl in pure white began to exclaim, “Aaah… this Crimson Moon. How nostalgic… It makes me want to cover this world in despair.” The girl’s clothing began to turn black. As if one’s heart had lost all hope, the pure white inverted into a pitch black.

“Hehehe, so now the wolf sheds her disguise.” The red hooded girl joked. “Hehehe…so I’m the wolf now? Funny as always, Red. There were so many things I wanted to talk to you about before you left... come now, join me. You belong by my side again…” “I’m afraid I’ll have to turn you down! Didn’t you know? The big bad wolf always gets hunted down in the end!”

“My names Aimul. Now, let us sink into despair.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before he knew it, Grimm arrived at the Castle in the Heavens. Waiting for him there was a vampire girl. “Welcome, King of the Fairy Tales.” The vampire greeted Grimm politely. An aura of mystery shrouded the girl, giving Grimm an impression she was not from this world. “You once had a little sister in this world. 

A sister who loved this world dearly, who wished for peace more than anyone else. You had once fought together with her to obtain that peace. Yet when the world began to invert from hope to despair, that girl too began to be swallowed by despair. Her existence then disappeared from this past and you were born into this world alone. But if it’s you, you should still be able to remember her.”

“What are yo-” Grimm began to ask, but a name Grimm had never heard before had surfaced to his mind. “...Lumia?” As he said her name, memories of his sister began to flow into his mind. “You remember now.” “Yes… then earlier that was my...what should I do?” “Return further into the past with me, together with the real Red Riding Hood, and we will defeat the source of all this despair together.”

“The real Red Riding Hood? Then who was I wish until now?” “A fake, one that believed she was real. She was merely the ‘Red Riding Hood’ that existed to protect you. That is all.” “Ok, I’ll go, to the past with you.” “You trust me?”

“Yeah, I don’t get the feeling your lying. So, I’ll work with you, to save the ‘Red Riding Hood’ that saved me, and to save my sister Lumia. I’ll be entrusting myself to you until the time is right.” The light of the Crimson Moon shined down on Grimm. There was no uncertainty in his eyes.