"The Grimm Child" is the first episode of RWBY: Fairy Tales and adapts the fairy tale The Grimm Child from the book RWBY: Fairy Tales of Remnant. It premiered on the Rooster Teeth website on October 30th, 2021 for Rooster Teeth First members, and on October 31st, 2021 for the public. It was later re-released on the Rooster Teeth Animation channel on April 22nd, 2023 and was also included on the Volume 9 Bluray release on October 3rd, 2023.
Summary[]
The episode begins with Professor Ozpin narrating about how people identify evil and how all good stories are not what they suspect while a young woman named Poppy enters a forest. After being scared out of the forest by a shadow moving close to her, she dares her younger brother Oak to enter the forest despite them being told they aren't supposed to go in there and he reluctantly enters it.
After waiting for Oak for a few hours, Poppy begins to worry about him and goes into the forest to find him herself. When she finally finds him however, Oak is lying on the ground with pale white skin, red veins and pitch black eyes with Poppy horrified. After noting how cold he feels, she brings him back to the village while hiding his appearance. After Lorimar and another villager ask where they were, Poppy tells them that they were in the forest and that Oak had just caught a Chill with Lorimar saying that they aren't allowed to go into the forest.
After bringing Oak back to their home and Poppy goes to bed, she later wakes up when she heard a loud noise. When she went to go ask her parents what it was however, she found them both dead and noticed that Oak was missing. When she noticed one of the villager's houses was opened, she found that they were also dead too and that Oak's corpse was there as well. After realizing that the entire village was killed, Poppy went back to her house and prepared to pack and leave to avoid being killed. Before she did however, she wonders why she wasn't killed and discovers Lorimar's corpse under the bed and ends up being possessed by the Chill while Ozpin narrates how people are slow to identify and realize the evil within themselves.
Transcript[]
Ozpin: (narrating) Many stories explore innocence as a blessing and a curse. A blessing to not understand evil, and a curse to not recognize it. However, all good stories do share one thing in common. They are not what to expect.
Poppy walks throughout the forest and stares at the sunlight. She inhales deeply.
Oak: Poppy? Where... where'd you go? Come back, Poppy!
Poppy: What a coward.
Poppy notices a shadow overshadowing the forest and stares at the dark fog. She gasps as she quickly runs until she's out of the woods.
Poppy: See, Oak, told you so. Your turn.
Oak: But, but it's dangerous. Mother and father say so.
Poppy: (scoffs) Come on, are you scared of trees? I double dare you.
Oak turns around, still afraid to enter the forest.
Poppy: If you don't do it, I won't be your friend anymore.
Oak: You have to. You're my sister.
Poppy: Not the same thing.
Poppy shoves Oak into the forest as she watches her brother traverse the forest all by himself. Poppy waited and waited for Oak until sunset.
Poppy: Oak, you there?
There is no response from Oak. The coyote howling is heard. Poppy groans. Poppy walks through the woods looking for Oak. As she traverses, Poppy gasps to find Oak half-dead on the ground, his eyes turned black and his skin is covered with red veins. Poppy approaches her brother, horrified of his state.
Poppy: Oak! (touches Oak's shoulder, but pulls her hand away) You're cold.
Poppy hears something as she gasps when she looks back.
Poppy: Let's go home.
Poppy holds Oak's hand after they return to the village. Poppy notices two children and tries to move Oak in front of her, not letting them know what happened to him.
Lorimar: Poppy, what is it? Is Oak okay?
Poppy: Just got a chill in the forest, it's nothing.
Lorimar: The forest? But we're not supposed to go in there.
At Poppy and Oak's bedroom, Poppy watches Oak with worry. Oak is wrapped with his blanket, shivering and breathing heavily.
Poppy: Sorry, love you.
Poppy blows out the candle and goes to sleep.
The sound of the window breaking is heard. Poppy gasps and quickly sits up from her bed and turns to her right side to find Oak nowhere to be seen.
Poppy: Oak?
Poppy exits the bedroom and slowly walks through the hallway.
Poppy: Mother? Father? Have you see-- (gasps in horror)
Poppy finds her parents lying on the ground, dead with horrified looks on their faces. Poppy hears a door thudding and gasps but covers her mouth. The door is open as it creeks. She checks outside and finds snowy footprints leading across to the another house. Poppy finds the residents of this house lying dead on the floor. She enters the room to find Oak's lifeless body against the foot of the bed. She approaches Oak and touches his face, only to realize that he's already dead. Poppy breaks down in tears as she holds Oak in her arms.
Poppy: I'm sorry... I love you...
A shadow moves quickly, the sound of the glass breaking is heard. Poppy gasps once again and finds the broken window. She stares outside and finds the glasses that belonged to Lorimar.
Poppy goes to the other houses one by one, finding the villagers in the same lifeless states as her parents. As she enters another house, she finds more villager lying dead with the fireplace lit. She stares at the corpses. One of the corpses suddenly opens their eyes, scaring Poppy. Poppy quickly runs away.
Poppy hurriedly heads back to her house and looks back to find darkness chasing after her. The darkness engulfs Poppy as she runs.
Poppy finally opens the door and quickly shuts it as she's in the bedroom. Poppy goes to the cloest and digs out of her clothes.
Poppy: Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go.
Poppy turns to Oak's bed.
Poppy: Why not me?
Poppy slowly approaches the bed and looks under. She moves her hand under the bed. She gasps when she felt a hand under the bed. She slowly pulls someone out from the bed to find the lifeless corpse of Lorimar. Lorimar sends a horrified glare at Poppy. Poppy whimpers and backs away from Lorimar's lifeless corpse. Poppy slowly stands up, her body is covered with red veins and her hair covers her eyes.
Poppy slowly walks towards the broken window, her feet step on the glass shards. The broken reflection of the window reveals Poppy's eyes white with red veins as she blankly stares outside.
Ozpin: (narrating) We all have a certain natural inclination. We expect that evil should be easy to recognize rather than accepting it can lurk behind any face. And yet, we are often the slowest to see the darkness within ourselves.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- This Fairy Tale can be considered a Halloween special due to the theme of horror and the YouTube release date for the episode being on Halloween.
- The episode was also released on Ruby's birthday.
- There are major differences betweens the book and show version of the story:
- Oak's hair didn't turn pale after being possessed by the Chill.
- Poppy has a completely different appearance when compared to her description in the book version.
- In the book, Poppy is portrayed as a child; in the show, she is instead portrayed as a pre-teen.
- In the book, Poppy has auburn/brown hair; in the show, she has bright wavy red hair.
- In the original tale, when Poppy looks at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes are completely black, red veins ran through her skin and her hair had turned white after being possessed by the Chill. In the animated adaptation, her eyes are completely white without pupils, her hair has not changed color, she still has the red veins and her reflection is seen in a broken window instead of in a mirror.
Image Gallery[]
- Main article: The Grimm Child/Image Gallery
Video[]
RWBY Fairy Tales- The Grimm Child (Series Premiere)
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