Once upon a time, there lived a happy little family. A father, mother, and two twin boys. They lived comfortably together in a small hut. Until a famine came over the land that is. The family became poor and hungry.
The mother of the family had sandy blonde hair pulled into two pig tails and distinctly large eyebrows. She was a nice woman before the famine, but as the family got poorer and poorer she began to blame her children. The twins were cute, innocent little boys. For the most part, the two looked exactly the same. Dirty blonde hair, white dresses with red bows around the collar, and glasses covering their wide eyes. However, the two had a few differences. The older of the two was a shy boy named Matthew. His hair was longer and wavier than his brother's, and there was a odd curl sticking out. His brother was an outgoing child named Alfred. He had messy hair with a cowlick, unlike his brother.
The mother seemed to take out her anger on the oldest. Matthew never took the yelling very well, but Alfred always came to his rescue, always shouting about being 'the hero'. Oh, how Mother hated them... She tried her best to keep her anger, but the stress was always to much. There was only so much that she could take... Now where is their father, you ask. He desprately works in the city, only to be paid enough to buy a single loaf of bread a week. He trudges home every evening his wavy hair falling out of its low ponytail, and his french blue eyes dreary. Every night he hid his tiredness from his beloved wife and children.
Eventually, Mother couldn't take it anymore. She wanted the children out of the house. No questions asked. Father pleaded and begged with her, but even he knew that it was hopeless. No way to stop his wife when she set her mind to something. Little did the couple know that they were being listened to. Two pairs of glasses-clad eyes exchanged glances.
"Oh, Alfred! What will we do?" Matthew sobbed in despair. "Mama and Papa are going to leave us!"
Alfred put finger to his mouth and shushed his little brother, "Shhh~ Don't cry. I'll figure something out. I'm the hero after all."
Later that night when his parents fell asleep, Alfred sneaked out of the house. While he was outside, he noticed something glowing in the dark. He approached the glowing object to find that it was a tin hamburger wrapper. How did that get there? Alfred smiled as a plan formed in his mind, which is very unusual... He grabbed the wrapper and stuffed it into his coat pocket.
The next day, the family made an outing into the forest. Alfred was acting his usual self, pulling Matthew's hand and pretending to be ignorant of what is to happen. He did make sure to look back every couple minutes. His father noticed this, but thought it was just Alfred being Alfred, promptly ignoring it. Matthew on the other hand was a nervous wreck, clinging tightly to his stuffed bear, Kumajiro. Who could blame him? He is unaware that Alfred is carrying out his plan right beside him. Tearing off bits of the reflective wrapper, Alfred dropped the peices behind them.
The FACE family made it to their destination as the sun just started to set. Mother told her boys to gather fire wood to make a fire. The boys did as they were told. And they soon had a fire.
"Okay, boys. You are to stay here while your father and I collect wood further in the woods. Understand?" Mother asked in a strict tone.
"We understand, Mama~!" The twins chorused, Alfred with a cheeky grin as their parents walked away. Matthew looked weirdly at his brother. Why is he so carefree when Mama and Papa are going to strand them in the middle of the scary woods? His brother grinned at him, giving him a thumbs up before mouthing 'The Hero's got it'.
As soon as they were out of sight, Matthew glared at his brother with teary violet eyes. "W-why did you just let them leave?"
"Don't worry, Mattie. We have to wait 'til its dark, or else the hero's plan won't work," Alfred beamed at his crying brother. The 'hero' always has a plan, but that doesn't mean he would tell his 'sidekick'.
The moment the sky grew dark, Alfred stood up and pulled Matthew down the road. Protesting, Matthew attempted to pull him back.
"Alfred! S-Stop it! We're going to get lost!" Mattie struggled against his brother, wanting desprately to stay where they were.
Alfred stopped and turned back to his brother. "Mattie... We're not going to get lost. I promise. Just follow me for a little and you'll see what the hero planned, okay?"
Matthew stared at him for a while. "Fine, Alfred... I-I'm trusting you..."
"Good~" Alfred grinned as he continued to lead his brother down the path. As they went on, Matthew noticed the reflective peices on the ground and smiled. His brother really did have a plan. That smile turned to a frown quickly when Alfred stopped walking. The first thing Matthew noticed was the end of the reflective trail.
"W-What happened to the..." Matthew started, worried and on the verge of tears.
"Something must of picked them up!" Alfred exclaimed. "Let's just keep going, Mattie! We'll find our way home from here!"
"But... Alfred..." protested Matthew as his brother pulled him down the path.
"It's'kay, Mattie~ Let's just keep going!" ignoring his brother's protests, Alfred continued to pull Matthew. It was like this the whole trip, until they reached a house in the shape of a bright pink and blue cupcake.
"Alfred... I d-don't like this..." Matthew stated shakily when they arrived. "It doesn't l-look right..."
"Stop being such a worry-wart!" the younger grinned. Then Alfred's stomach growled loudly, causing the boy to laugh. "Maybe we can find something to eat!"
Dragging Matthew behind him, Alfred walked up to the house and peeked into the window. Inside the oddly shaped house, he found it was as brightly colored as the outside. The walls were a bright pink and the floor a bright, neon blue. Everything else in the small house was either pink, purple or blue; even the man coming toward the door with a plate of bright cupcakes. Wait, the man coming toward the door! Alfred moved back as the door opened and the man walked out with a bright smile. Matthew just stared at the man with a mix of fear and nervousness.
"Why, 'ello poppets~" the man greeted them happily. "Would you like a cupcake?"
The twins looked at each other before smiling, Alfred grinning as his older brother gave a shy smile. Alfred spoke up, "Really, dude? Really?"
The man laughed, kneeled down to their level, and held out the plate of cupcakes to them. "Of course, poppets~ Take as many as you'd like~"
Both of the boys took a cupcake, saying a small thanks to the man. The man smiled happily as both took a bite from their cupcakes. Alfred quickly finished his first and took another, globbling it down while his brother took small bites of his first. Soon enough, they both started to feel strangely tired. Brushing it off as a long and tiring day, Alfred took another cupcake from the strange man before collapsing to the ground.
Matthew watched with horror as his dear brother hit the ground. Immeadiately after, he dropped his cupcake to the ground. The strange man only laughed and picked up the unconcious Alfred. Carrying him, he dragged a shocked Matthew behind him into the house. Matthew only cried and struggled against him as the door was slammed shut.
The door was quickly locked by the strange man. As the man began to walk toward him, Matthew quickly retreated from his path with cloudy eyes. The man walked straight past him and put the still unconcious Alfred in a cage. Matthew stayed silent other than the small sobs of fear that left his mouth.
"Come here, dearie~ I won't hurt you!" grinning with swirling eyes at Matthew, he approached him slowly. Matthew backed away from him at the same pace until he hit the wall behind him.
It was only a few months ago, that day they entered the cupcake wizard's, whose name turned out to be Oliver, house. And in those some odd months, Alfred and Matthew both worked on a plan to get out. Matthew, unlike his brother, had little time to think as he was always being forced to help Oliver make his cupcakes. So Alfred was left to the planning. Tonight was the night they would escape.
"Mattie! Pssst! Mattie!" Alfred tapped on the bars of his cage to grab his brother's attention.
"W-What is... it, Alfie..?" his brother looked to him a bit jumpy. You see, over these few months of helping Oliver with his special cupcakes, he sustained some mental damage... How couldn't he? Matthew was forced to deal with bodies everyday.
"I have an idea to get out! I'll be the hero and you can be my sidekick!" he grinned weakly, as he was starving himself, against Oliver's wishes, and it took a great toll on him.
"Actually... I have a plan already, Alfie..." Matthew smiled sadly at his weakened brother, "He's p-planning to... bake you cupcakes... We can get rid of the Cupcake Man t-then..."
Just as he finished speaking, Oliver walked into the room with his usual grin.
"Hello poppets~" he sung as he walked to Mattie and Alfred. "How are you doing tonight~?"
Matthew flinched away from him and held his head down. His brother glared at the man that was approaching him. He simply ignored the twins' reactions to him and opened the cage, pulling the weak Alfred out.
"Let go of the hero, Cupcake Man!" Alfred struggled weakly in his grip. Oliver only laughed while carrying him to the kitchen. He smiles happily while humming a familiar tune under his breath. Bending over in front of the bright pink oven, he checks the temprature quickly before turning around.
In front of Oliver stood the small Matthew with a determined expression. His brother sent Matthew a startled look, as if asking what he was doing or where his fragile twin brother went. The only response he got was a shy smile from Matthew. Approaching the confused Oliver, Matthew gave Oliver an unnaturally strong push.
The force of the push sent Oliver falling into the oven. Screaming and twisting in pain, Oliver glared at the small boy that doomed him. Alfred had already squeezed his eyes shut and could only hear the agonizing screams of the Cupcake Man. As Oliver's screams faded, so did his body. His charred remains slept in the small oven. Stepping up to the oven door, Matthew closed it gently and walked over to his brother quietly.
"Come on Alfie... I-Its over now.." he spoke softly. Alfred nodded, still a bit scared of his brother who just pushed someone into a burning oven. The twins then set off, hand in hand, away from the cupcake shaped house and back home.
After hours of walking, the two reached their home. Alfred ran to the door, knocking excitedly. His twin, Matthew, however stood behind him meekly.
"Papa! Mama! We're finally home!" the twins chorused, one much softer than the other. The door swings open and their Mama looks at them with tears welling up in her eyes. Their Papa comes up behind her and picks up the boys in a massive hug the moment he saw them.
Eventually, their shocked Mama joined in the hug, seeing as she regretted her decision to leave them. All four of the FACE family stayed in their group hug for what seemed to be hours, tears flowing and hearts soaring at the fact they're together again.
Only Matthew could hear the bubbling, familiar laughter of the Cupcake Man floating around them and his voice whispering softly in the wind, "It'll never be the same, poppet~"