On the dark side of the world of Mona…
(Step) (Step)
The Tower of Nightmares.
A tower around four hundred meters tall, surrounded by dark clouds and giant bones scattered all around.
(Step) (Step)
Franzoa: "My lord… I bring you news."
(Gulp)
Two glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness.
Gargamel: "How dare you disturb my sleep, Frandriskus."
Frandriskus: "Please forgive my rudeness… but my brother Franzoa has discovered something important. Or rather, his right hand, Palante Malante."
Gargamel: "Hmm?"
Frandriskus: "The five Cinder Tales… have appeared."
Gargamel: "What!"
(Dark aura)
Gargamel: "That is impossible… after five thousand years… they finally show themselves!"
Frandriskus: "Yes, my lord. What are your orders?"
Gargamel walked deeper into the shadows.
Gargamel: "What are their names?"
Frandriskus: "According to Two Ages, they are two boys and three girls. Diego, the fairy tale of Gluttony. Nacht von Zephyr, the fairy tale of Corruption. Kisa Pushkin, the fairy tale of Spirits. And the other two… one of them is… your daughter, my lord."
Gargamel: "What?"
Frandriskus: "Yes. She lives. She survived. Mona. Mona is alive. She is the fairy tale of Song."
Gargamel: "…And the last one?"
Frandriskus: "Her name is Charlotte."
Gargamel: "Hmm… the last Cinder Tale represents curses, does it not?"
Frandriskus: "Yes, my lord."
Gargamel: "Tell Two Ages she is to find out immediately who that last one is. And she must find a way to kill the five Cinder Tales at once."
Frandriskus: "As you command, my lord."
Meanwhile.
Two Ages: "I understand. I will keep searching."
(Step) (Step)
Two Ages: "I think I already know who she is."
She looked at a student.
A girl with dark, medium length hair. One eye purple, the other green. Her name was Charlotte.
Charlotte: "Hmm?"
Two Ages: "Yes… and she is in the same class as the three. If I'm not mistaken, her ability is curses."
Meanwhile.
Diego: "Hmm…"
Nacht: "Hmm…"
Kisa: "Hmmmmm." (Blub)
Nacht: "Seriously… did she fall asleep again?"
Diego: "Just let her."
Nacht: "Tsk… three whole years…"
Diego: "It's great, isn't it? Three years…"
Nacht: "Yeah, great. Three years of raising our hands to ask teachers if we can use the bathroom."
Diego: "That's hell."
Nacht: "For once, we agree."
Diego: "At least the girls look good."
Nacht: "Do me a favor and don't get half the female students pregnant. That would be a nightmare, them coming to class with big bellies."
Diego: "(Sweating) Don't exaggerate."
Nacht: "Hah…"
Kisa: "I already think it's a lot."
Nacht: "You're awake."
Kisa: "Mhm… What was Miss Isolde thinking?"
Nacht: "No idea. With her, you never know."
They sighed. Then Mona appeared.
Mona: "Hey. What's with those faces? Did someone get pregnant?"
Nacht: "No. It's just a matter of time until Diego sleeps with one of the girls here. Maybe he already has."
Diego: "(Sweating) Hey, what's your problem?"
Nacht: "Hmm."
Mona: "Anyway, I actually came to warn you."
Nacht: "Hmm?"
Mona: "There is a student you should be careful around."
Diego: "What?"
Nacht: "No, Diego. Be quiet."
Diego: "(Sweating) I didn't even say anything."
Nacht: "Go on. Who is it?"
Diego: "(Sweating)"
Mona turned and looked toward a girl. It was Charlotte.
Mona: "Her. Charlotte Eichenwald."
Nacht: "Hmm?"
Diego: "Hmm?"
Kisa: "Huh?"
They looked at her. She was floating in the air with her hands folded behind her head.
Kisa: "Wow, she can fly."
Mona: "That's Charlotte Eichenwald. She's dangerous."
Nacht: "Her name worries me more than she does."
Diego: "Why?"
Nacht: "Eichenwald is a family known for curses and powerful magic. I actually know a few of them. They used to be the second strongest mage family after ours and belonged to another kingdom, Delerosso, which now only consists of two cities."
Diego: "What?"
Kisa: "Oh… Delerosso…"
Nacht: "Hmm…"
Mona: "Hmm."
Charlotte: "Am I interrupting you?"
Nacht: "Ugh."
Mona: "Ugh."
She appeared behind them.
Charlotte: "Oh dear, I didn't mean to scare you. Li-hahaha. Sorry. I just wanted to ask something. Hey, you. You're from the Zephyr family, aren't you? Hehehe. I thought you were all dead."
She looked at him while floating, holding a staff. She had a star drawn on her cheek, lines around her eyes like makeup, a dark outfit with only an undershirt beneath, and a purple hat.
Charlotte: "Do frutan le flo… depieste."
Nacht: "Ugh… that's… the extinct language of the Fairy Tale Forest… but…"
Charlotte: "No need to panic, my dear. I just said that I will kill you."
Diego: "Ugh."
Nacht: "Ugh."
Mona: "Hmm."
Kisa: "Huh."
Charlotte: "Kiahahahaha. Relax. I only said I'm happy to meet you. That's all."
Nacht: "You're messing with us, aren't you?"
Ichabod: "(She's telling the truth, Nacht.)"
Nacht: "I see."
Charlotte: "So you're Nacht."
She moved closer and stood in front of him.
Nacht: "Hmm."
Charlotte: "You're cute."
Nacht: "Huh?"
Charlotte: "Hehehe."
She put a finger lightly to his lips.
Charlotte: "Shhhh. Be a good boy, little Nacht."
Nacht: "Huh?"
Kisa: "Hmm?"
Charlotte: "Oh, you must be little Kisa. Hehe. Pleased to meet you. And you… Oh, you're Diego. You look perverted."
Nacht: "He is."
Mona: "Hmm… Charlotte, what are you planning?"
Charlotte: "Huh? I know what you're hinting at."
She looked back at her. She was pretty, with a decent figure. Her voice sounded innocent. She smelled like strawberries around her mouth, and her skin like flowers.
Charlotte: "Are we jealous, maybe?"
Mona: "Hehe… are you looking for a fight?"
Charlotte: "Oh dear. I'm so scared. Do you want to fight my beast?"
She took out her fairy tale: Alice in Wonderland.
A figure appeared, a rabbit, with a monocle and a blue suit.
Charlotte: "Hehe."
The puppet shook and rattled.
Charlotte: "Calm down, Roland."
Roland: "Well, what do we have here, hehehe… hehehe… nehehe. Hello, my dears. My name is Roland, Roland Donald Berghaus."
A cat appeared behind Charlotte, grinning widely. It was huge, grey, with green eyes.
(Meow)
Charlotte: "This is Mr. Herold. Isn't he beautiful? Say hello."
(Meoooow)
When it opened its mouth, they saw multiple heads moving inside.
(Roar… Aaaah! Help!)
Charlotte: "Oops, those are the people he ate. Don't worry, they were bandits. As for you, my dear Nacht… the Fairy Tale Forest isn't angry with you. I also have no intention of hurting you. Even if Mona sees that differently."
Mona: "Hmph."
Charlotte: "Maybe she's just jealous because of those scary wounds that make her look like a zombie."
Mona: "What did you just say?"
Charlotte: "Oh, come on. Blah, blah, blah. You know you can't beat me. Because I'm stronger. So, in other words, just shut your mouth. Otherwise I'll get angry. And I don't think anyone wants that… right, dear Nacht?"
She looked at him, lying on her back in the air again, hands behind her head.
Charlotte: "Hehehe. Don't you think so?"
Nacht: "Hmm."
Charlotte: "Hehe."
(Whoosh, whoosh) (Ding) (Dong)
Charlotte: "Oh, class time. Sigh… alright, see you."
She headed back into the building.
Charlotte: "A member of the Zephyr family…"
She clenched her fist.
Charlotte: "Nacht… (smiling) Frutan depreo fa marcarte. I will make you suffer and then kill you."
She grinned darkly.
Charlotte: "Nehehehe."
Meanwhile in class.
Serwald: "Hello, hello, my dear children. My name is Serwald. I am your drink mage. This drink here is something that can heal people. It is called the Blood of the Fairy. It is indeed made from a fairy's blood. What makes poison powerless are the tears of a fairy. You just have to do this."
He took out a fairy, pricked her lightly in the neck with his fingernail and let a little blood drip into a vial.
Fairy: "Ugh… gah…"
Serwald: "And there we go… the blood. The fairy does not die from it."
He set her down on the table. From the pain she started to cry. He collected the tears, then tossed her back into a small cage.
Kisa: "Ugh…"
Mona: "Horrible…"
Diego: "What is this?"
Nacht: "Fairies are magical beings. But they're often hunted by humans and used to make medicine."
Diego: "Excuse me?"
Kisa: "That's awful."
Nacht: "Hmm?"
Nacht suddenly felt killing intent. He turned around and saw Charlotte. She was glaring at Serwald.
Charlotte: "…Ghhhh…"
She noticed Nacht looking at her, snapped out of it and smiled again.
Charlotte: "Hehe."
She waved.
Nacht (thinking): "(Right… the Fairy Tale Forest… that's where fairies come from…)"
Serwald: "So, what do you think? Brutal? Shocking?"
One of the students raised his hand.
Serwald: "Yes, Sebastian?"
Sebastian: "I don't think so. They're just creatures we use for this kind of thing. Otherwise they're annoying and just sing."
The students nodded.
"He's right. It's not our fault their blood heals and neutralizes poison."
Serwald: "Hmm…"
Charlotte: "So you're not that different from the Vinka, are you?"
Sebastian: "What?"
Serwald: "Huh?"
Charlotte: "Hmph."
They looked at her.
Charlotte: "Vinka kill us because we're good for their health. Our blood heals them and makes them stronger. Isn't it strange? We call them monsters. Then we come along and do the exact thing we fear from them, but to other living beings. Isn't that a little weird?"
Sebastian: "Do you have a problem?"
"What is she talking about?"
Serwald: "Silence. Silence. She's not entirely wrong. But Charlotte, look. She healed right away. See?"
The fairy's neck wound was closed.
Sebastian: "See? She heals."
Charlotte: "So what. She cried. Just because they heal doesn't mean they don't feel pain."
Sebastian: "So you're on the side of those nature spirits?"
Kisa: "I think she's right. Just because they heal doesn't mean we can torture them. It's sad. Shouldn't we look for a way that doesn't hurt them?"
Sebastian: "Nonsense. We mages have the right to do this. We humans…"
Nacht: "You talk as if you were the strongest mage of all. But you can't even take down a Vinka. Yet you play the tough guy with creatures that can't fight back. Typical noble. That's why you're weak. Anyone who boasts about beating weaker beings is a mage who can't truly fight."
Sebastian: "What did you say? You want a fight?"
Nacht: "Gladly. We'll see if you still act tough. That is, if you're still alive after our duel."
Serwald: "Enough! I understand both sides. But you must understand this is how things work here. They can heal us and neutralize poison, and we send them back into the forests afterwards. Sit down, all of you."
Charlotte: "(Hmm…)"
After class.
Sebastian: "Hehehe."
"Hehehe."
Fairy: "…What do you want?"
Sebastian: "Stupid fairy… the teacher is gone. I need more of your blood. But when you're alive, you give too little."
Fairy: "Hey… what are you—"
He grabbed the fairy and crushed her head.
(Splat)
Sebastian: "Oh… is she already dead? Hehehe. They're so weak."
He didn't notice Charlotte watching him.
Charlotte: "Gghhh…"
That evening, at sunset.
Sebastian: "Hah…"
He walked along the school hall and suddenly noticed a hat on the floor.
Sebastian: "Huh?"
He walked closer.
Sebastian: "What's this…"
The hat moved and jumped up.
Sebastian: "Huh?"
He stepped closer.
Suddenly a huge hand appeared.
Sebastian: "Ugh!"
It grabbed him and pulled him into the hat.
Sebastian: "Aaaaaaaaaaah!"
He fell through a strange space. While falling, he saw the sun glaring at him angrily and the stars staring down with furious faces. Then he landed in a chair. The chair immediately bound him.
Sebastian: "Hey! Hey!"
Charlotte: "Well, well. Look who we have here."
Sebastian: "You?"
Charlotte sat in front of him.
Charlotte: "Welcome to the Fairy Tale Forest."
She leaned back in her chair.
Charlotte: "You've made a mistake, my friend. You dared to kill a fairy. You made the Queen of the Fairy Tale Forest angry. Alice is furious. You made the witch of the Fairy Tale Forest, who happens to be my friend, very angry."
Sebastian: "What… Let me go!"
Charlotte: "Oh, are you scared? How cute. So cute. Did you hear that, everyone? He's scared. Friends, he is scared. How about we give our guest a bit more fear?"
The trees and flowers around them suddenly began to dance.
Tree: "His legs are shaking."
Flower: "He made the witch of the Fairy Tale Forest angry."
(Boom, boom, boom)
Rabbit: "May you always tremble."
Bear: "May you be torn by my teeth."
Raven: "May you be shredded by my beak."
Fish: "May you drown and rot. This is the punishment of a wicked villain."
(Boom, boom, boom)
Fire: "May my flames burn your skin, may you scream and cry, until you wish you had never been born."
They danced and sang, their voices echoing in a strange rhythm.
Charlotte: "How should he die? Should we cut him into pieces?"
Creatures of the Fairy Tale World: "Yes!"
Charlotte: "Should we suffocate him?"
Creatures: "Yes!"
Charlotte: "Then let us make him understand that death is a mercy."
She opened her mouth and pulled out a sword. The chair reshaped itself into a coffin.
Charlotte: "Hehe."
Her smile turned cold, inhuman.
The sun and moon above wore twisted faces, laughing silently, their eyes and mouths dripping red in his imagination.
The coffin closed slowly.
Sebastian: "Aaaaaaaah! Please, I'm just a child!"
Charlotte: "In our world there is a rule. Naughty children are punished. And you were very naughty."
Sebastian's screams echoed as the lid shut completely.
Then everything went quiet.
The coffin opened again. Sebastian lay lifeless, his body limp and still.
Charlotte: "Oh, oh. Dinner time for you, Mr. Herold."
She tossed the body to the giant cat. Mr. Herold devoured what was left.
Charlotte: "Thank you, my friends. We'll see each other again."
She threw the hat into the air, jumped onto it and rode it like a broom back toward the school.
Charlotte: "Hehe…"