Prologue
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there was an enchanted stone castle, sitting atop a hill. An iron gate surrounded it, marking the border between the rest of the land, and it's ample property. It sat there, looking bleak and dreary, and was vacant for many years. The People, whom lived in the little Village below the hill had heard many terrifying rumours about the spells that were put on the ample property; the warts that you could possibly acquire, the way your hair would turn many different shades of grey, regardless of your age, and, if you were really unfortunate, an incurable disease that would haunt you for the rest of your life. To them, it seemed as if the castle towered over them. It appeared quite intimidating.
And so, people stayed away from it.
One autumn morning, a wizard from the nearest town came to the People's tiny village. They greeted him warmly, for magic-users were very well respected in those days, and they gave him a place to sleep. The People were hospitable towards him, and he was grateful.
On the second day of his stay, the wizard noticed the castle, and the powerful magic it held. He saw that the People lived in constant fear of the castle; their eyes seemed to continuously flicker across it, no matter where they were, or what they were doing— even during the harvesting months, when they were much more joyful than they usually were. They were wary of it.
The Wizard understood this all, and knew what had to be done.
He called a meeting, and all the villagers attended, gathering around the bonfire pit. They were all confused, for the Wizard had not told them the reason for this assembly. As they glanced at each other uneasily, they wondered what they had done wrong.
Surely, they thought, we made a mistake. Why else would a wizard ask for all of us together? For what are we, but lowly villagers?
The Wizard cleared his throat, hushing the crowd. The People looked up at him anxiously, their eyes silently imploring him to put them out of their misery.
"I have called you all today, to discuss something important," the Wizard spoke clearly, his voice drifting across the Village.
The crowd stirred fretfully, but did not speak.
The Wizard waved his arm in the direction of castle. "That. This castle. It beams with powerful magic. Even the most inexperienced and novice wizard can feel it. We must talk of this castle of yours."
"'Tis not our castle!" a voice cried out indignantly, as if owning a castle were a sign of impurity.
"Oh, yes?" the Wizard said questioningly. "Then why, may I ask, is this castle here? Why is it so— attached to this village?"
"'Twas just— there." The same person spoke. "From the beginning, for as long as we can remember, 'twas there. We lack fables and stories about how that castle came to be. Though," he added after a brief moment of silence, "we do have many about the horrid things that could happen if thou entered it's gates."
The Wizard pondered at these words. "I see. Thou humble villagers have no recollection whatsoever about how the castle appeared?"
Each villager shook their head. There were many collective sighs, and murmurs of, "no, none at all Wizard."
He nodded. "I see. I understand why you live in fear, but I believe that this is unnecessary. I have analysed the magic on the property, and have come to a conclusion. This," he declared, flourishing his hand, "is a school."
The People glanced at each other in bewilderment. "A school? This castle is a school?"
"It is a school," the Wizard confirmed. "But it is not a normal school. 'Tis a perfect school."
"A perfect school?"
"When thou steps inside the gates of that castle, thou becomes perfect," the Wizard explained patiently.
The audience was listening with rapture now. "We can be perfect," they marvelled.
"But, be warned," the Wizards voice turned ominous. "Once thou set foot in there, thou will never desire to leave. And though the magic may make thou perfect, it will not keep thou that way. Thou will have to go through vigorous training to maintain your state."
But he had the people entranced, and they took no heed of the warnings. They wanted to go. They wanted to be perfect.
"We will all go," they proclaimed. "We will start a new life in this perfect castle."
The Wizard hesitated before speaking. "I tell you, I am sorry, but only young ladies are allowed in."
The audience quickly snapped back to reality. "Only ladies?" they asked. "Why? 'Tis not fair!"
The Wizard shrugged. "Do not ask me why the castle acts this way. I only tell you about the magic."
The People grumbled to each other about the unfairness of it all. The boys wanted to live in the castle, but were not allowed to. The girls wanted to live in the castle, but did not dare leave the People behind.
"All ladies from ages thirteen to twenty are possible candidates," the Wizard continued, ignoring their complaints. "The castle may reject you; it seems that it only accepts a few people each year, during the beginning of the harvesting months. Do you understand?"
"We understand," the crowd muttered, still miffed.
"Now, if any young ladies wish to come live and become perfect in this castle, please step up. I will walk you to the gates of the castle, and you will go on your own from there." The Wizard waited.
Some girls fidgeted, and glanced at their parents, only to quickly look away. They wished to go, but would miss their parents. No one volunteered.
"Is there no one?" the Wizard asked, secretly relieved.
"I will."
The first girl had volunteered.
"So shall I."
"And I."
Several more girls spoke up after the first. They stood up, and walked towards the wizard. In total, there were twenty-two.
He sighed. "Alright. As you wish. You must all say good-bye now. You shall bring nothing; the castle shall provide for you."
The girls looked back at their parents and friends for the last time. There were tears in their eyes, but their strong determination and the temptation to become perfect kept them going.
"Good-bye," they murmured, and turned to face the castle. They did not look back.
They walked up to the castle, along with the Wizard. The girls could not help but feel a spark of excitement, despite the part of them that was mourning in mounting homesickness. As they parted with the Wizard, they thanked him for all he had done, and he, in return, wished them luck.
They were seen no more of in the village, for all had been accepted. The People mourned for them. The Wizard left the village, and did not return for many decades. Their lives went on.
And so, thus began the School of Mary-Sues.
A/N: I've been writing this for awhile now and decided to put it up. So please, review and point out mistakes!