The School for Good and Evil: Return of the School Masters (fanfic)

Chapter 1

In the forest primeval

A school for good and evil

Two towers like twin heads

One for the pure

One for the wicked

Try to escape you'll always fail

The only way out is

Through a fairy tale

"The School Master's dead. Why do we still have to go to the stupid ceremony?"

"Because it's tradition, Maverick. If you cared about anything, you'd know that."

Katrina rubbed her temples with a moan. She and her twin brothers walked up a hill toward their village in Cadia Haven. Dust flew off the path with every step, floating into the swaying grass. Delicate daffodils and pastel flowers dotted the ground. The trees lay in the distance, a ring that wrapped around the old brick and wood buildings of Tenmire.

Her brothers, as always, bickered. Though they were twins, they always acted like adversaries. Malcolm with his clipped white-blond locks and crystal blue eyes retained a smile and tried to put a good spin on life. Maverick with his unruly black hair and intense brown eyes kept his frown and told things like they were. Complete opposites.

Except when she stepped in. Their little sister, the mediator of every fight and argument. How they survived the four years before she was born mystified her. Regardless, they were here and forever her problem.

Walking between them, Katrina waited until their voices quieted and gazes dropped to her. "Finally. You two have been going round in circles for hours."

Maverick blew a strand of hair out of his face huffily. "Excuse me for not wanting to dress like Lady Una's pampered pup and spend the night avoiding Laura. I swear, she came up with a plan to try and dance with me during the feast."

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "Then maybe you should give her a dance. Agree to one and she'll leave you be."

"Agree to one and she'll try to weasel another. No way."

Katrina's teeth ground against each other, hurting her jaw. "You're worried about a dance when there's a chance of being invited to the School for Good and Evil?" The twins kept quiet.

Despite the demise of the School Master almost two decades ago, the School for Good and Evil had continued to accept one Ever and one Never from each kingdom. Though no one was sure how the students were chosen, kids were invited every four years to attend. At the School Master ceremony that evening, a skeletal bird would collect the Never. At the end of the evening, he or she who found a Flowerground ticket on their windowsill would be the Ever and were expected to leave that night.

"It's not like they'll choose any of us," Maverick said.

Katrina nodded slightly. "Well you're both too old. I'd make a pretty good princess though." The silence preceded the disappearance of their presences beside her. She turned, both boys frozen at the top of the hill. Grave expressions marked both of their faces. "What's wrong?"

"You wouldn't leave us, would you?" Malcolm asked.

"We won't be there to protect you and. . . stuff," Maverick said.

She laughed. They were taking this event a little too seriously. "Guys, it was only a statement."

"But would you leave us?"

She let the thought hang for a moment. "I guess. Who can say no to destiny?" She walked off. They'd catch up soon enough. Though the idea of getting the Flowerground ticket stayed on her heels. Not a terrible thought, leaving this dusty town and becoming a princess far away. No brothers to deal with, no fights to break up. Playing mediator lost its joys after the first two petty arguments. Maybe they could learn to get along without a mediator. The thought slipped away as soon as it came as the odds of being the one piled on.