Bittersweet house of candy

A Rayearth/ Hansel and Gretel Crossover

by Scandiadream scandiadream@hotmail.com

Disclaimer- CLAMP owns Magic Knight Rayearth. The Grimm Brothers wrote Hansel and Gretel.
Not sure who painted the guardian angel picture of Hansel and Gretel escaping. I concocted this fic.

Rating- PG, witch is still wicked

Once upon a time, in a village near the deep woods of Cephiro, there lived a logger named Clef, his wife Presea, and their two children- a teenage daughter named Emeraude, and a little boy named Ferio. The economy was very tough at the moment, and thus the family was having financial trouble even though they were very hard working and responsible.

One day, a nobleman and his page arrived on horseback in front of the cottage.
"I will take your family out of debt if you allow me to marry your daughter. She is the most beautiful person I have ever seen. Otherwise, your property will become mine and you will be my serfs."
the young man stated. Clef and Presea looked clearly uncomfortable and thought they had no choice.

But Emeraude and Ferio were eavesdropping from the corner.
"Forget it. I am not marrying someone I could never love. There has to be some other way." Emeraude said.
"Sister, we could run away. We could go to the city and get jobs and bring some money back home."
Ferio replied.

That night, Emeraude and Ferio took a few of their belongings and escaped into the woods. Ferio took one of the bread pieces he carried and began throwing crumbs onto the floor woods in order to be able to find the way back. They decided to rest under a tree for a while. But that morning, they realized that birds had eaten the bread crumbs.

"What are we going to do now? We have walked a lot and have no way to know which way is home."
Ferio was in tears.
"Do not worry, little brother, God will keep us safe. But, why do I smell chocolate cake in the middle of the woods? Guess I am just hungry." Emeraude answered.
"I smell it too- it is coming from that direction."

Emeraude and Ferio walked towards the smell. And to their surprise, they saw that it came from a little hut made out of candy! The kids had tried to save the food they had taken from their home, so when they saw all those sweets, they immediately took some and devoured them.
"These candies are so good, I could eat the whole house!" Ferio shouted.
"I think there is enough for a year. But does anyone live here?" Emeraude wondered.

The kids noticed two dogs exiting the house. The dogs sniffed the kids, and wagged their tails at them while the kids petted them.
"Little dogs, who is your owner?"
Was it their imagination, or did the dogs begin crying when Emeraude asked this question. But she did not think someone evil could own those two beautiful dogs.

A woman exited the house. She was very attractive, yet gave the children the creeps.
"I see you have found my house of delight. You could not resist the temptation. Now you will PAY!"
The dogs trembled.
"Ma'am, we are very sorry. We were just hungry, although we should have asked permission. We will help you cook everything again." Emeraude apologized.
"Not exactly what I mean. You girl are too old, but the little boy looks just right."
"Right for what?" Ferio asked with fear.
"For me to EAT you! If I eat a tasty little boy, I will become invincible! And you are the first one to come by who is just quite right!"
"No please, don't eat me! I am all bones and a bit of muscle and though I must taste horrendous!" Ferio did know the facts.
"Hence I will fatten you! You will eat whatever you wish, and do nothing other than eat and sleep". the witch, Alcyone, said as she locked up Ferio.

"Well, at least Mama and Papa will be relieved that I died a happy and full boy. You escape, sister."
Ferio resigned himself.
"No Ferio, I will not abandon you. There has to be another way. I may not be able to pick the cage's lock or escape from the door, but I will figure something out."
Emeraude noticed someone tugging at her skirt. It was the larger of the two dogs. He had Alcyone's glasses in his mouth.
"Little dog, why do you bring me that woman's glasses? Can she not see without them?"
The dog shook his head. He clearly understood what Emeraude asked him.
"So she will not see Ferio get fat from all the food!"

The next day, Alcyone was pretty angry that she could not find her glasses. But she took care of feeding Ferio and checked if he had gained weight by touching his finger.
"Still thin- needs more calories"
"Now what are we going to do?"
As soon as Alcyone left the room, the larger dog yelped at Emeraude. The smaller dog was giving Ferio a chicken bone.
"You mean I can stick this bone out so that she thinks I'm skinny even though I will get pudgy?"
"That will fool the witch for a while. And hopefully Mama and Papa will find us soon."

"Those dogs are way too smart to be normal dogs. And why is the bigger one always following my sister?"
Ferio wondered. The larger dog indeed always accompanied Emeraude and guarded her sleep.

A couple weeks went by. Alcyone was sweeping under a bookcase one day when she found her glasses.
"So that's where they were. But how did they get there? Let me see if that girl knows anything."
And when she entered the room where the children and dogs rested, she saw that Ferio had gained weight.
"Alas, you tried to fool me. Well, now I can see again. Either you have skinny fingers or...you must have used this chicken bone!" But you seem ready to be eaten tomorrow for lunch, and after that I will have enough power to take over the world!
"Not if I can prevent it!" Emeraude yelled.

The two dogs immediately jumped on Alcyone, biting every inch of their body.
"You two ungrateful curs! I spared you, yet you pay me this way?" That only made the dogs bite her harder.
Emeraude snatched the key from Alcyone and unlocked Ferio's cage.
"You cannot escape! I can outchase you on my broom!"
"Quick sister, we have to think of something!"
The big dog yelled at the fireplace, while the little dog brought in matches and fuel.
The two kids just lit up the fireplace with extra fuel. A cloud of smoke rose from the chimney.

And the smoke quickly alerted the police to where danger was.
"Children, you are safe!" Presea and Clef yelled when they saw their children. They had alerted the police about the disappearance, and the law already had a suspect.
"That witch tried to eat me!" Ferio cried.
"Alcyone Borgia, you are being arrested on four counts of kidnapping and one of attempted cannibalism."
said chief Eagle Vision. The assistant chief, Geo Metro, led her away and locked her up in the wagon.
"Four counts? There are just two children here- Ferio and myself- and apparently she just needed to eat one in order to accomplish her goal." Emeraude wondered.
"Mademoiselle, the two sons of a baron were lost in the woods less than a year ago. No matter how lost they were, a logger or hunter would have quickly found them. So the only possibility was that they were kidnapped by someone who lived in the woods. And there was only one person living here- and what better way to lure children than with a house of candy. Her motives were not known back then, but now we know the sinister truth." Eagle shook his head.
"But where are those two boys? We did not see anything." Ferio was afraid the witch had killed them.
But the two dogs showed up next to the police chief. The larger one was carrying a locked box. He signaled, as if asking that it please be opened. Eagle broke the lock, and found a bottle saying "Antidote" inside. He poured some for each dog...and they turned out to be the baron's sons, Zagato and Lantis!

"Why were you turned into dogs?" Emeraude and Ferio asked.
"The witch decided we were too old to taste good, but that if she let us go, we would inform, and if she killed us they would find our remains and track her too." Zagato said.
"Glad she is gone! And we are going home now! There is plenty of good food there!" Lantis said.
"Would you like to come with me?" Zagato asked Emeraude.
"Oh no, I cannot. I will earn my living by working the honest way." Emeraude replied unsuspecting, yet Lantis knew what Zagato meant.
"I mean, will you marry me?"
"Yes I will!" Emeraude hugged Zagato. He had loved her since he saw her (even as a dog), and he was happy that she loved him back.
"You're much better than that arrogant nobleman who threatened to serf my parents if my sister did not marry him." Ferio said. Clef and Presea could not help but agree.

And they got married and lived happily ever after.

(I just HAD to finish it that way).

PLEASE review this fic. And my previous one. And all of mine.