Scarlet (An SGE Fanfic)

A Bad Feeling

I knew I shouldn't be surprised that Sophie had gone missing once again, but after everything that had happened, I had a bad feeling that something terrible was about to go down. Hester and I were both uptight the entire day of the circus, constantly checking the door for any sign of Sophie's return. However, in time, it became clear that Sophie wasn't coming back to our room. As the wolves came to fetch us, the two of us shared an uneasy grimace. This was really beginning to feel like a fairy tale.

“Where’s Sophie?” Hester hissed to me after we’d taken our seats.

“You think I know?” I hissed back. “She never came back from Lesso’s!”

“Maybe Lesso cured her?”

“Or maybe her symptoms got worse,” I suggested, glancing anxiously toward the door. “Suppose she attacks Tedros!”

“But he doesn’t have any symptoms, Ani,” Hester said, glancing toward Tedros, who was slumped in his pew, scratches marring his face and chest. “When a villain’s symptoms start, their nemesis grows stronger!”

My heart began to race, the pieces coming together. Tedros wasn’t Sophie’s Nemesis. But who was?

Then the Ever doors opened one last time, and Agatha walked into the room in a midnight blue dress, a smile on her face for the first time since I’d met her. I barely stopped myself from gasping as understanding dawned. I should have known.

The doors slammed shut, and Hester and I exhaled in relief, seeing Agatha and Tedros do the same across the aisle. Of all the talents we’d see tonight, Sophie’s wouldn’t be one of them.

Of course, like every year before, the Nevers lost every battle, suffering the School Master’s punishments. Even I failed my classmates, as my talents were still locked beneath the school, and suffered a stink bug swarm as punishment. I endured it as well as I could, schooling my face into its familiar neutral expression. I knew the bites would hurt like hell later, but it’s my fault for trying to intervene in a fairy tale.

After Hort’s pitiful display and Beatrix’s vomit inducing song, it was Hester’s turn. The other Nevers seemed to think she was their last hope, but both of us knew better. Her demon only managed a sooty firebolt before collapsing back to her neck. Even potions couldn’t completely fix the damage she’d inflicted on herself. It seemed we’d all made mistakes this year.

However, our idiotic classmates had no intention of giving up. As Agatha took the stage, Vex, huddled over a red Spells textbook, raised a glowing finger and shouted an incantation. Agatha collapsed, unconscious. Chaos ensued, Evers and Nevers tackling each other over the pews. A whip crack of lightning erupted through the aisle, shocking everyone still.

“Sit down,” Agatha commanded. There was a moment of silence. “We think we know what sides we’re on,” she said softly. “We think we know who we are. We tear life apart into Good or Evil, beautiful or ugly, princess or witch, right or wrong. But what if there are things in between?”

Her words sank in, Evers and Nevers sombered. My conscious mind, everything I’d ever been taught, rejected what she was implying. Since I, we, were children, us Nevers had always been taught that we must hate, destroy, hurt anyone who stood in our way to solitary power. But deep in my subconscious, I had known all along that it was a lie. There’s no such thing as pure Good or Evil. We are what we make of ourselves, and this year, I’ve made mistakes, tried to help people. And maybe, just maybe, made a friend.

Agatha thrust out her hand, and human spirits appeared above the heads of the wolves and fairies, spirits in the uniforms of Good hovering above the wolves, and ones of Evil above the fairies. 

“If you fail, you become a slave for the opposite side. Eternal punishment for an impure soul. That’s what he thinks will fix these bad students. Putting them in the wrong school will teach them a lesson. It’s what this world teaches us. That we can only be in one school and not the other. But that leaves the question: Is it true?” Her hand wavered, the spirits retreating back into their respective bodies. “I’d set them all free if I could, but his magic is too strong,” Agatha confessed, voice cracking. “I just wish my talent had a better ending.”

For the first time in years, I felt tears threatening to spill over. Agatha had said what I’m sure we’d all been thinking: the world isn’t as black and white as we once thought. There are shades of gray within all of us, but if we let them out, well, it’s game over for us.

Hester met my eyes, then Agatha’s, smiling through the tears that streamed down her face. Usually, she’d scoff at such ‘weakness,’ but now, she didn’t seem to care. 

“Makes me wonder whose side I’m really on,” she said softly. With a miserable sigh, she stood, ready to face her punishment. A jet of boiling oil gushed from the ceiling, hot enough to end her life…

It struck fur instead. Wolves glared at the ceiling of the theater, showing the School Master that they had seen enough of his punishments. The jet stopped, and the wolves stumbled away, fur singed.

“F-f-final duel,” the white wolf stammered. “Ever Tedros versus Never Sophie. With Sophie absent, we’ll proceed to Tedros.

“No.” Tedros rose from his seat. “The Circus is over. We’ve seen Good that cannot be matched.” He bowed in defeat to Agatha. “There is no doubt of the winner.”

We all looked at the crown, waiting for it to bless the prince’s verdict. 

Instead, there was a very loud knock.