In the legend of Grimm, it is said that there are always five special fairy-tale holders called the Cinder Tales. According to the legend, these fairy tales will either bring peace—or chaos.
After the first one has appeared, it is now time for the three to choose which group they will join.
Two Ages: "Alright… this is how it works. Your group will be chosen by the Speaking Apple. It will decide where you belong."
There are four groups: Twittle Twittle, The Clovers, Magiya of Alice, and The Silence.
Two Ages: "You must take a bite of the apple, and it will give you the information. You start, Kisa."
Kisa: "Okay."
She took the apple.
Apple: "Hello there! Go ontake a bite of me!"
Kisa: "Won't it hurt you?"
Apple: "Oh, don't worry!"
She bit into it.
Apple: "Hmm… you are kind, caring, but strong. You like abilities that use clothes or wearable items. You're brave but also shy… greedy too… naïve… hmm… you belong to The Clovers."
Kisa: "Alright."
Apple: "Next!"
Two Ages: "Diego, your turn."
Diego took a bite.
Apple: "Hmm… perverted… a jerk… an idiot… but also brave and protective. You belong to Magiya of Alice."
Diego: "(Sweating… what… okay then.)"
Two Ages: "Now you, Nacht."
Nacht bit the apple.
Apple: "Oh my… what an aura. You dislike talking, you only care about achieving your goals and earning money. You're not someone who enjoys interacting with others. You belong to The Silence."
They each went to their assigned group.
Kisa: "Looks like I'll have to manage without those two for now…"
Mona: "Hey."
Kisa: "Oh Mona! You're in The Clovers too?"
Mona: "Seems like it… and you as well."
Kisa: "Hmm… Mona?"
Mona: "Yes?"
Kisa: "May I ask… why you have those wounds on your face?"
Mona: "So you noticed that my body has bad injuries?"
Kisa: "Your face, your hands… I thought you might even have something inside your head… a wound…"
Mona: "I guess I don't look very pretty to you, huh?"
Kisa: "What? No! I think you look wonderful."
Mona: "If you say so… hmm."
Kisa took her hand.
Kisa: "I mean it. I think you look beautiful. Your yellow eyes are gorgeous."
Mona: "Hah…"
Mona raised her hand—one of her stitched wounds opened, revealing teeth inside her flesh, biting continuously.
Mona: "Do you still think I'm pretty?"
Kisa: "…That's not a problem. Your abilities…"
Mona: "Hah… you're strange. I give up. My powers are songs—cursed songs. My body is cursed."
Kisa: "Just like me."
Mona: "…Hmm?"
Kisa smiled.
Mona: "…I must admit you're cute."
Kisa: "Huh?"
Mona sat down next to her.
Mona: "…Aren't you angry at me? About the village…?"
Kisa: "Hmm… but you weren't the one who did it."
Mona: "Still…"
Kisa: "No. I don't think I should be angry at you. Tell me—do your wounds hurt?"
Mona: "…Yes. Sometimes they hurt a lot."
Kisa: "Hmm."
Mona: "My fairy tale is The Town Musicians of Bremen."
Kisa: "I don't understand… back then you used another fairy tale."
Mona: "That wasn't mine. It belonged to someone else. In the group I worked with, there was someone named Nerascha she could lend her fairy tales to others. She believed mine wasn't suitable for that kind of work. A crazy ability, right? Lending fairy tales like a rental contract."
Kisa: "Hmm… One question, Mona. Your real name is Mona—should I call you Mona or Mona?"
Mona: "Whatever you like."
Mona stood up and stretched.
Mona: "Come with me. Your room is the same as mine."
Kisa: "Oh! Really? That's nice."
They walked into the room. It was large enough.
Kisa: "Wow."
Mona: "Hmm… Tell me how old are you?"
Kisa: "Me? I'm 15… but I'll turn 16 soon."
Mona: "Hmm… that makes you three years younger than me."
Kisa: "Oh! So that means you're like an older sister!"
Mona: "W-what? Huh?"
She blushed.
Kisa: "Can I call you big sister?"
She looked at her with a cute face.
Mona: "(Damn it… she's adorable…) Fine. You can call me big sister."
Kisa: "Yay! Big sister with an amazing body!"
Mona: "(Sweating)… Excuse me?"
Mona sighed.
Mona: "I'm going to shower. Try getting to know the others in our group. You do realize we're staying here for three years."
Kisa: "…Wait. What did you just say?"
Mona: "Three years."
Kisa: "…Huh? …Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"
Meanwhile:
Nacht looked around. Unfortunately, he had landed in the same group as the boys who always annoyed him.
Nacht: "Great."
They leaned on his shoulder.
"Well, well… looks like you're in our group."
"We'll make sure you feel miserable here."
Nacht: "Remove your hand."
"Huh?"
He looked into Nacht's eyes—and suddenly his arm split open.
"AAAAAAAH MY ARM—MY ARM!"
"What happened?! Hey—what—"
He looked again. The arm was still there.
He stared at Nacht, pale.
"It… wasn't real…? It was like seeing what would have happened… if I kept touching him…"
Nacht wiped his shoulder as if the boy had dirtied him.
Nacht: "Next time… I won't be so gentle."
Ichabod appeared behind him—a tall, pale face with black eyes, claws extended.
Nacht: "Ichabod doesn't like it when people touch me from behind. After all—he lives on my back."
Ichabod: "Now, now, children… I normally kill anyone who sees this form. But let's say I'll be nice today. Just forget what you saw. If you tell anyone… well… then I'll have to eat you. So be good little children, or the fairy tale monster will gobble you up."
"Ugh… are you kidding? We have to deal with THIS for three years?!"
Nacht: "Wait."
Ichabod: "Huh?"
Nacht: "What did you just say? Three years?"
"Uh… yeah? What did you think?"
Ichabod: "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"
Nacht: "Noooooooo!!!"
Meanwhile:
Diego: "Hmm…"
"Welcome to Magiya of Alice, darling."
A woman greeted him.
Diego: "Ugh… you have huge… uhm… sorry."
"Hehehe. You're cute. Thank you. If you like, you have a little Talk at night."
Diego: "Huh?"
"I mean, since you're staying here for three years, we should have some fun, right?"
Diego: "Wait—three years?! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
(Why three years?!)
Later:
Two Ages: "Oh my, did Isolde not tell you?"
Nacht: "No."
Kisa: "She didn't."
Diego: "How can a blind person be this cruel…"
Nacht: "For once, I agree with the idiot."
Diego: "I'm always right."
Nacht: "Sure. And I'm the queen."
Two Ages: "Listen, all three of you. You're not wasting your time here. This school is excellent for learning to control your magiya and your fairy tales."
Nacht: "I need no one to control me! This is nonsense."
He walked away.
Two Ages: "Nacht, you're in a school. Behave."
Nacht looked back.
Nacht: "I'm not here voluntarily. If you want to blame someone for me being forced here, blame the woman you called your best student."
He left the room.
Nacht (thinking): "Three years… how long must I wait… until I finally find you… witch?"
Memory:
Nacht: "Damn it… three years…"
Ichabod: "Calm down, Nacht. You couldn't beat her now anyway. Maybe this is your chance."
Nacht: "Is that a joke?"
Crane: "Crane thinks Ichabod is right. Crane thinks you must wait."
Ichabod: "Don't forget—you want revenge. To get it, you must become stronger."
Nacht: "Fine… fine. And what about the ring?"
Ichabod: "No, Nacht! No matter how desperate you get, without that ring, you cannot—no, you must not attempt it. It would kill you."
Nacht: "Alright… I get it."
Meanwhile:
Two Ages: "Finally… finally I found them… the five Cinder Tales…"
She entered a chamber below the school.
Two Ages: "Hehehe… it is here. It's time. I can finally return to them… King of Nightmares, Apocalypse of Wrath—Gargamel… Futra… Dursean… Labroth… Drakon, Forserer!"
Her body transformed into a woman with four arms and three heads.
Two Ages: "Hehehe."
Voice: "Master Franzoa."
Franzoa: "Ah… there you are, Falante Galante."
Two Ages: "Master, it's Palante Malante."
Franzoa: "Irrelevant. What is it?"
Two Ages: "I found them. The five Cinder Tales."
Franzoa: "They're in the school… unbelievable… hehehe. Good work. Kill them all—for the King of Nightmares and the Apocalypse of Wrath: Gargamel!"