Summary-ish: Like I said. I recently (and by recently I mean, just fours days ago bought the book and just finished reading it yesterday) got the book. I got the idea for this story after five pages of disappointment. The book's attempt at its premise disappointed me but it did bring in a new factor that even I hadn't thought of. However, I digress. The story goes like this, every four years two children are kidnapped to this school for good and evil and never seen again. Only come back as fairy tales. So these two girls end up getting kidnapped and the rest is history. That's the original. For this story it happens every year. The end.
A/N: Please Read! I'm sorry for the lame opening chapter, it's really just to get a feel of why this is going on and how. The book did the same thing. Speaking of the book it's actually a trilogy, and currently I don't have possession of them, but once I do- here's to (read as: trying and failing to)"read four books in a day" like Prussia! To be inspired is not to plagiarize, so hopefully I don't/won't overlap, but due to lack of inspiration or reason I might borrow some ideas. As for OCs, I don't like them. Usually, to me, they're bland and/or lack personality or self inserts, however for this story it'll be a 1:1 ratio of OCs to Canon, minus the teachers, for interacting purposes. For OCs, a brief description will be available at the bottom.
Original Post Date: 8/6/15
Prologue
The Good and the Bad. The Hero and the Villain. Good vs Evil. In fairy tales there is a hero and there is a villain. The good and the bad. Good will always win and the bad are always punished. Sin and Punishment, where the Sin represent the Evil and Punishment represents the Good.
Those who Sin are the bad of this corrupted world. Those who are Punished are the saviors who offer all the good left to protect. They are the driving force of the world. They are the balances that keeps the world as it is. In Good there exists Bad, and in Bad there exists Good. One cannot exist without the other, but the tragedy is that Good will always triumph. But that wasn't always the case.
Back when the calamity struck Evil had won. No matter how good Good was, Evil had triumphed. Now it is a happy time. Now Good are the victors. Balance had been restored and Good will always triumph. But not all agree.
Who is to say Evil cannot triumph again? Who is to stop them from trying. And who is to prevent Good from obliterating all Evil? So the people had decided, with the help of three elders, they had entrusted the power to bind the destiny and balance of Good and Evil in a book. The book that writes out the significant history of Good and Evil. The book that binds the lives of the people involved. The book of Fairy Tales.
The book was all seeing. It told of the great battles held between both sides. It wrote of what would happen. It predicted the future. But not enough for either sides to know what is to happen. Not enough to prevent it from writing out their fates. The Book of Fates. It's other well known name. A powerful book that can predict but will never chance victory to either side.
As time went by centuries had passed. The book predicted being stored away in a tower. No, a building. A library. Of a school to be exact. The book had been stored away in a school. A school that will house those who participate in the tales. A school of Good and Evil. The Academy of Sin and Punishment.
Chapter One
Once upon a time is where our story begins. In a land known as Deutschenland, the people live very ordinary lives as peasants could. They are neither poor nor rich, but they get by enough to live a fulfilling life. The adults work day and night to provide enough for themselves and the children, while the children enjoy their childhoods playing all day and night. The innocence of childhood the adults called it. They let them be free as much as they can before they turn twelve.
That is how our story begins. You see, where the kingdoms of far and wide hope to get their children into the Academy of Sin and Punishment, the lesser lands pray their children will never get picked. Every year, children across the land, a pair is picked to attend the school, and every day after they never see them again. Only when they graduate do they return. However, for the less fortunate of those chosen from the lower class the children never see graduation. And so the adults let them do as they please.
This year, the same as any other, the adults have dressed their children in the best of their clothes and pray that they won't be taken away. It is not always clear who gets taken away but they know it's always one good child and one bad child. Gender, age, experience, it all differs from each year. Only when they turn eighteen are the children really ever safe from this tradition. This Ritual.
As for the who and when of our story, a boy and a girl watch from the outskirts of town as the panic settle in. The girl, a mere fifteen year old, with hair as red as blood and skin as fair as swan, prayed for the safe return of the next chosen pair as she overlooked the town. The boy, sixteen years of age, with skin as pale as death and eyes so rare even the animals fear, scowled at the people of the town.
"It's so stupid." He said to no one in particular.
"What is?" The girl asked in that solemn tone of hers.
"The fucking Ritual!" He spat. "The adults think we don't know, but all they're doing is sending us to our graves. They don't care at all."
The wind blew north and blood locks swayed with the wind. A moment of pause as the girl took in the fresh scent that was carried off. "You don't mean that."
The boy looked down from the branch he was sitting on at the girl standing next to the tree, scowl in place. "Of course I do! Why else would I say it if I didn't mean it!" He paused for her to retort, but it never came. "Why else would they dress us up like dolls and put us on display. If they really cared they'd do everything they could to stop it."
This time she did speak with that unchanging monotony. "They did. Remember? Many years ago. The people have given in to the book. They dress us up so we could be presentable if and when we are taken. That way there is no remorse."
"Yeah, well they should have tried harder! And what nonsense is it that we have to look our best! If they want to remember us then remember us in what we wanna wear. Remember us for us."
For the first time in a long while the girl looked up at the boy, her voice sympathetic.
"Gil. You don't mean that. Our parents look after us the best they can. When the time comes we'll never see them again, and they'll never see us. The least we can do is be the best they want."
The boy looked at his fiddling hands in thought. He was contemplating of the girl's words. It hurt, and he hated to admit it.
"It's still stupid after all." He said as he jumped down from the branch.
"Gilbert!" The girl called after him. "Where are you going?" She asked, walking along side the boy.
"Home. My brother's probably missing me, and my father's just waiting for me to get home so we can get this over with."
The girl smiled as she understood what he really meant. Every child is worried they might never see their parents again and they are no different. As they entered the town borders again, they went their separate ways.
Along the way home the whispers of the adults with children too young to be chosen, and lucky enough to not be chosen, can be heard
Who do you think will be chosen?
Maybe Martha's boy.
Little Ben?
Little? That boy's not little anymore. He's always messin' with my hens. It'll be good riddance once he's gone.
What about sweet little Elaine. That girl is always bringin' everyone flowers. She even cooks for the less fortunate around here. What a heart of gold. It'll be a pity when she's gone.
And saint Ellis.
Oh, that girl really is a saint. Feeding the strays and always helping the elderly.
She's a smart one too. Always able to keep that boy at bay.
That boy?
Aldrich's boy.
Ludwig? Why he's as kind as any good little boys should.
No, no, no. Thank goodness he's not old enough yet. The other one. The ghost.
Him? It'll be good riddance if we could get rid of him. Always picking fights with everyone.
He's already been skipped for three years. And if we wait another three more he'll no longer qualify.
Shh. Shh. There he is.
The boy was in a foul mood from all the whispering gossip in town. And today was an even worse day to be about. He dreaded the way the adults talked about the Ritual. It was always more like an offering than a tradition. The way they were put on display for a shadow to take them away. And the gossip of who was to be taken like it were a show for the more fortunate. It was as if they look forward to losing more children to the book than preventing it.
Upon arriving home he was greeted with an iron grip hug. His younger brother, only eleven, had always clung to him, but today was special. Like the past three years after the boy had turned twelve the younger worried that he'd never see him again. This year he had a feeling and decided to be together for as long as they could, but it was a bit suffocating for the elder boy. Today he had left early leaving the younger to worry.
"Hey. It's alright. I'm still here, I'm right here." He said petting the young blonde. The younger boy didn't look up, not even when his father came up from behind.
"Gilbert. You should get dressed." The stoic tone his father possessed was emotionless as ever.
"I am dressed."
"That's not what I meant."
The boy didn't want to fight. So he blew out from his noise and tapped the younger boy still attached to his torso.
"Come on, Luddy, ya gotta let go, 'else I can't move."
The boy shook his head in refusal.
"Ludwig." Their father commanded. It wasn't a command, but the boy understood and reluctantly let go. The door closed behind them as they entered the house readying for the night.
Eleven o'clock, the tower chimed. Only one hour before midnight when the shadow would choose it's prey. The girl had readied herself in her best dress. A pretty little floral dress, patterned with lavender and white cherry blossoms over white canvas, and a pair of white slippers with a little bow on top. Her long red hair was let down from her pony tail and it trailed down to her ankles. She looked herself in the mirror to make sure all was in place. She checked and checked, but there wasn't much to look at. A small smile graced her lips as she looked in the mirror again. She placed a set of small blue flowers in her hair, it was a sharp contrast to her red, but a piercing resemblance to her eyes, and she loved it.
By eleven thirty all the children of eligible age were lined up by the clock tower. The parents prayed, and so did the children. Some however looked excited. Some were freshly turned of age, and some hoping tonight would be their last. They waited in silence for the time to pass, but with each minute they only wished much more that time would move backwards or just stop completely so midnight would never come.
Only five minutes till midnight. And with each second passing parents began preparing themselves to never see their children again. Taking last glances and hoping that this won't be the last they counted the seconds remaining.
Only two minutes left. Any last words were said between loved ones as they waited for the fated hour.
One minute and the girl turns to see the boy comforting his younger brother. The younger picks forget-me-nots growing nearby and gives them to the boy.
~Gong…Gong…Gong~
Midnight. The children look up at the clock tower. A shadow.
-Blink -
And two are gone.
1. Deutschenland is on purpose.
2. The Girl (Ellis Knight): 15 going on 16. Her birthday is June 26th. She has long red hair all the way to her ankles when let down and blue eyes the color of a bachelor's button. She is the same height as the boy (Prussia aka Gilbert Beilschmidt). An understanding and sympathetic girl whose patience is incomparable. She loves flowers and has many flower dresses to go with her appreciation. [For character design think Yuuko from xxxHolic with red hair and blue eyes while serious/sober.]