Cradle of Black and White

The White Witch

In the world of Dreams, Charlotte was not alone. During that one time of the day, she could indulge in endless company of characters she loved and adored. And in return, they would love and adore her. In her dreams, she had completely forgotten the burdens of real life. And so they would serve as her sanctuary, the one thing that kept her sane for all these years. Abandoned by her parents right after she was born, she was always alone. A tiny little human life, lying in the crib of an abandoned room. Abandoned house. She was not meant to survive without any care, but she did.

Because someone made sure she would. The Observer. A mysterious figure wearing a black suit and w mask made out of goat’s skull. She never even learned his true name, but here he was. Taking care of the baby clad in white colors, making sure she would not starve and that she could grow into adulthood. Was this done of his own will? Or the will of the puppeteer… a question that she could never possibly find an answer to. But regardless, she was grateful. Grateful to be alive and well at this very moment. With a loud yawn, she would realize that yet another day came to a close.

She remembered how her life changed when she was but eleven years old. 「Seth」 entered her life. A puppeteer that she belonged to. The way she saw it, humans of this world were nothing more than that. Puppets controlled by the puppeteers that remained in the True Realm. As such, she and everyone else had absolutely no free will. Some would find such story absolutely ridiculous. Others would succumb to it and lose all sense of self, their ego crumbling under the idea of their whole existence being controlled by someone else. But Charlotte did not mind it one bit. She was told she had no free will. And yet, she felt all the same.

Nothing changed for her. If she had no free will, to begin with, then there was no point even thinking about it. After all, she knew not how it was to have free will. Or, if it was all a lie, how it was to not have free will. With no way to verify one or the other, there was truly nothing else left for her but to accept what she was told. And she was happy. Because she was alive and could now talk to her puppeteer at any moment. She was no longer alone even in the waking world. And as such, she would no longer spend all of her days sleeping away all her trouble.

Instead, she would stay awake and aware of the reality that was around her. And with the invisible and untouchable stings attached to her, she would eventually start learning how to deal with it all. She would be told of her impressive lineage and the fact that she is quite special, even among the pathetic puppets. She was told that her story would be quite an impressive one, so she should prepare for it. For it would soon start. Those were four more years of her life where she learned how to live like a proper human being. And at the age of fifteen, it all began.

「Seth」 would tell her to join a guild named Black Rose, one that resided in the very same town as she did. It was convenient, and the guild had a great variety of people to meet and work with. At the start, the girl was very timid and shy. She would rarely interact with others, and when she did, she would have great difficulties doing so. This went on for a while, but she started improving eventually. Now, she can talk even to complete strangers. And although she still stutters from time to time, she has come a long way from the beginning of her story.

With all this progress made, it was only natural that the puppeteer would decide that another chapter of this story should be accessed. A part closely tied to the girl’s lineage. As she would enter her own room, all the walls painted in the same white as her hair, she would smile. There was a sole magcat lying on the floor, meowing loudly. With a faint giggle, the puppet would pick up the creature, feeling it’s soft and squishy skin on her palms and fingers. And with it by her side, she would slip beneath the thin covers of her bed and close her eyes. Goodnight, Charlotte.

Her eyes opened again. It was not morning yet, but it was quite bright. It was not Earthland where she was, that much was for certain from moment one. She stood in the middle of a giant white room, one that was filled with countless bookcases that were filled with books, all colored in shades of gray. They would go as far as one’s eye could see and there would be nothing else around, nothing at all. Only shelves and bookcases filled to brim with books of all shapes, but only that one shade of color. This was quite unusual indeed, even for a dream of Charlotte.

The girl also noticed that she did no longer have her pajamas on, but was dressed in the usual. It was less comfortable than what she fell asleep in, but that did not seem to matter in this dream. She felt so light that she might have as well been wearing nothing at all, to begin with. But while indulged in these observations, she suddenly felt a presence she did not know. Her body would quickly tense up as she started turning around slowly, her pure white eyes gently taking a peek at what was behind her. To her surprise, it was something she did not expect. It was… a boy?

Charlotte

1 / 10 POSTS (989 WC)

The White Witch

When witnessing something that is known to them, people do usually have a moment of realization. Charlotte did not have such thing even though she recognized the individual in front of her. So when the boy spoke out suddenly, she would get slightly startled and jump back. Though she also managed to trip over her own legs whilst at it and fall down onto her bottom, her hands covering her face defensively on instinct alone. It took her few moments to look through the gap her arms created in front of her and finally properly realize who was standing in front of her, a young and familiar face.

“Mr. Kensho…?” She was quite sure that it was him. A boy she met at least once in the past. The one time she recalled was on a battlefield with another member of the Fairy Tail guild. They were to drive back the advancing army of monsters and she was to serve as a support and healer for one of the teams. There was another man that showed later as well. But it seemed that only Mura Kensho was currently present in this space, for some strange reason. The girl would stare at him for a good bit before she would open up her mouth again, clearly wanting to say something.

But she was just as quickly stopped by the sound of approaching footsteps. “I believe I can answer your questions. Ah, my bad. You’ve not asked them out loud yet, have you? My, my. Seems like even I am getting ahead of things these days, it must be contagious. Where am I right now? Why, it's Miss Charlotte’s Mind Library of course! Why am I here? No particular reason. You were just chosen to be here by Miss Charlotte’s puppeteer. How unlucky indeed. Must be fate.” A tall figure emerged from between the bookcases, his voice deep and quite manly. And judging by his words, someone important as well.

“Mr. Observer!” Charlotte recognized him right away as she hastily picked herself up and narrowed her body while looking at him. In front of them was a tall gentleman wearing a fancy black suit, a folded umbrella of the same color in his hand being used as a walking cane. His hair was sleek and short while his eyes were sharp and colored eerie gold. It was almost as if his gaze could pierce them without effort, leave them to bleed out on the floor. None of that happened, however. He simply walked forward some more and then remained stationary a safe distance away from them.

He was The Observer. And unknown force in Charlotte’s life and one that made sure she had survived her early years. This man who’s look did not change one bit no matter how many years passed and that look of his that could see into souls with ease. Whatever he was, he clearly held great power. And his presence was both soothing and unsettling at the same time. But there was one detail that had the young White Witch very confused. Up until this point, she was the only one who could see him. But the way he spoke just now, it seemed as if he was addressing Mura Kensho as well. And thus, the boy must have been able to see him here, too.

Charlotte

2 / 10 POSTS (559 WC)

The White Witch

The observer sneered as he suddenly started walking to the side, approaching one of the many lines o bookshelves that were packed to the brim with different books. “There is absolutely no need to be so confused, Mura Kensho. We are not in Miss Charlotte’s mind, but her Mind Library. That is something quite different. Why don’t you explain yourself, dear?” His golden eyes would redirect at the young White Witch for a moment as he grabbed one of the many books and opened it to peer at it’s content. When asked, the girl nearly jumped out of her skin from the sudden attention.

“T… that is… a Mind Library is not quite a place in one’s mind, despite the name. It is a realm that exists more within one’s soul than anywhere else. It is a place where all memories of the person are stored in forms of books like this.” A loud noise echoed through the library as the man suddenly closed the book he was holding. “Indeed. No matter which one of these books you would open, you would see and read a story from Miss Charlotte’s past. Be it pleasant, unpleasant, or even forgotten by her.”

In other words, they were in Charlotte’s memory made manifest. “Nothing is ‘random’, Mura Kensho. You were chosen my Miss Charlotte’s puppeteer. Of course, your own agreed to this. You ask where they are now, but what does that really matter? Puppeteers are beings above your comprehension. They live in the true realm and simply observe this world for entertainment, as well as create stories for it on their own from time to time. Oh, but perhaps I should stop talking about that now. Some people are sensitive about their ‘free will’, so I’d rather not break your mind on accident.”

Saying that last sentence out loud, he clearly mocked Mura at least a little bit. “Ah, and as for your body… well, I cannot actually answer that one right now. But I’d imagine someone saw it collapsing and took it to the nearest hospital, where you will surely wake once you leave this place.” He would smile at the both of them, his mouth wide and eerie with the expression. Charlotte would finally start looking around a little bit herself, eying her friend in this place for a little bit. “That’s strange… Seth doesn’t normally put other people into a situation like this.”

“Today is quite special, it seems. After all, you don’t normally even visit this place on your own, do you?” It was true. Charlotte had many strange powers and abilities, but she wasn’t actually able to access her own Mind Library out of her own will, much like most living creatures. After all, it was a place that could easily interfere with the active memory of a person. It contained information that they might have already forgotten long ago and were not meant to remember. Even those who lost all of their memory could easily regain it if they had access to their Mind Library.

In other words, it was like a personal archive for each individual being. “Then, was I called here in order to find something I’ve forgotten?” The Observer stared at her for few moments before he giggled. “Perhaps. It would be no fun if I spoiled the secret, however. But surely, if you were to merely search for something, then you wouldn’t need a help from another person?” With those words, Charlotte turned toward Mura again and approached him timidly. Mister Kensho, I apologize for this… I didn’t think my story would involve someone like this…”

Charlotte

3 / 10 POSTS (604 WC)

The White Witch

The Observer’s expression twisted somewhat all of a sudden as he looked over in Mura’s direction. “Oh dear, a butler..? I’d much prefer to be seen as a business man rather than a servant of another. A business man with very exquisite goods.” At the last part, he would chuckle menacingly and creepily. From his words, it was clear that he meant it seriously and that whatever his ‘business’ was, it was probably for the best to stay clear of it. “It would also appear that there is plenty of things you have yet to learn about souls, despite being able to see some of them.”

He would also direct at Mura before looking for another book. In that time, Charlotte would look to the side and cup her chin her the pale and slender fingers she possessed, thinking about what her new companion asked. What exactly did she forget about? That question in itself was rather stupid, as she would never be able to remember what she forgot about. But on the other hand, they were in a very special kind of situation, so just about anything could be possible. That said, the girl did not recall anything. “I don’t really know. I don’t even really feel as if I was forgetting something…”

As far as she was aware, her memory was just fine. There didn’t seem to be any gaps in her memories as far as she could tell and everything made sense to her one way or another. Though some of the sense was just a bit twisted in the way of Charlotte. Everything the girl was involved in seemed to have grown far more complex than it needed to sooner rather than later. “Maybe I’m not here to remember anything? This place is my Mind Library, but perhaps it could house more than just my memories. I wonder if there is any way to find out…”

Charlotte

4 / 10 posts (320 WC)

The White Witch

Charlotte turned her meek gaze to the Observer who was standing some distance from them, then at the different books, and finally back at Mura. She tilted her head to the side slightly after what he said, closing her eyes as she frowned and moved her hand with an index finger extended over her chin. Clearly, she was trying to figure something out and hoping assuming such posture that many would associate with deep concentration would help somehow. Then again, maybe she was just distracting herself more than anything by having to focus on maintaining such pose in the first place.

Finally, a sigh would escape from her as she opened her eyes again and looked at the boy in front of her. “These books do contain my whole life written down, yes. But they are also just that, books with my life written in them. Aside from that, they do not have any special magical powers at all.So reading them would only bring about the knowledge I already have. Actually, there is something… if we’re here rather than anywhere else, then there must be a purpose to it, right?” The observer would lean his back against one of the tall shelves as he looked into the distance.

There was something else in this library, somewhere. A terrible dark that would color everything in the shades of ink. But where, they had to find. “I think that instead of trying to get out, we should maybe try to search for a way further in! Surely we wouldn’t have been brought here if there was no purpose to it. I can feel it. Something very familiar is here.” Though while she described this something as familiar, her body was notably shaking and sweat pouring from her forehead. She would look up at Mura again. “If it’s not much to ask… would you come with…?”

Charlotte

5 / 10 posts (313 WC)

The White Witch

Reassurance was probably the one thing this young White Witch needed most in life. And she did not get it very often, so when she did, it made her rather happy. A genuine smile appeared on her face, before it would be brushed away momentarily as she prepared herself for the impact of Mura’s hand on her head. It was a gesture she was obviously not used to, so the fact he closed the distance and reached out his hand toward her scared her for a moment. But the fear of being hurt for an unknown reason quickly faded away, as her hair was ruffled instead, making the smile return.

“Thank you!” A voice much sweeter and kinder than before, the girl might have felt an actual euphoria for a moment. But the time for pleasantries was soon gone, as she started turning in circles where she stood in search of the right direction. It took a moment, but she eventually stopped and look dead ahead. A path between the many bookcases. And without a word, she started marching forward, hoping that the swordsman would indeed stay right behind her in case they would find something unpleasant. The Observer merely showcased his wide and creepy smile one last time before he would be left behind among the books.

Despite this place appearing as a fairly standard room with many spaces for books, now that they walked, it actually appeared as if it continued off into infinity. But the further they walked, the darker the environment became. Until eventually, they came across some black pulsating growth, similar to mold, that started slowly adorning the floor and bookshelves around. It was obvious that whatever it was, it would grow greater the further they went in. But from where they stood, it was impossible to see the source of whatever this was. Charlotte stopped, her body momentarily frozen, as were her eyes open wide in shock and a fake smile pasted on her face. Now was the time when she could probably use some more moral support.

Charlotte

6 / 10 posts (344 WC)

The White Witch

The young girl remained completely frozen even as she felt the boy’s hand on her body once more. It was a gesture of comfort, but what was ahead might have been more powerful than any gesture in the world. Charlotte’s smile would waver with nervosity and anxiety. While she could not see what was ahead of them, she got a fairly good idea. And she did not want to move one step closer. Oh god, she did not want to move forward. And so she started walking again, straight ahead toward the darkness, reminiscent of a puppet on strings. And as she walked, she would start nodding profusely, as if trying to desperately confirm what Mura said.

The mold around them writhed, pulsating to the beat of the witch’s heart. And finally, they got close enough to see what was at the center of it all, the source of this inanimate darkness and a horrible feeling gathering in Charlotte’s stomach. It was a humanoid figure. However, it’s body was made out of the pulsating blackness, almost like muscles and pieces of flesh robbed of skin and subjected to constant electrical shocks. A horrid sight of what served as clothes for this mysterious creature. And it’s head, formed out of fleshy appendages with eyes looking into all different directions at once.

A halo of angelic beauty swirled around the being’s head as it slowly, oh so slowly turned toward the due that came to this place. The look of its eyes pierced without mercy, making Charlotte, and probably Mura as well, feel so sick that they might have thrown up at any moment. How exactly could anyone identify this uncanny evil? Actually, the white witch knew precisely what this was. But her brain, it was in chaos just from looking at it. She could not put it into words. “I… it… ah… a..a…ahhh… dark… liiiiiiiiight-” She would grasp her head in her palms and fall to her knees. And then, the being replied.

Charlotte

7 / 10 posts (332 WC)

The White Witch

However they felt, there was also something else in this atmosphere. A feeling, or perhaps a hunch, that if one of them were to actually try and attack, it would not end well. And indeed, if Mura Kensho were to try and attack this being, he would find out that his weapon would do no damage to it at all. But there was no need to fight. It was not that kind of situation, even if it looked like that. The mass of black and red muscles started approaching them, its movement erratic and inorganic. But there was nothing actually hostile about it all.

Charlotte was still holding her head, but her eyes rolled up to see the creature approach. And as it did, it would also lover to the ground. She heard Mura’s question, but did not answer… as if she were in a trance. Getting into a seemingly more relaxed position, she would place her hands onto the blackness-covered ground instead as she tried to narrow her body a bit more, watching how the godly formation got on her eye level. She was staring into all of those eyes as if she could see a different story in every single one of them.

And finally, she would extend her hand forward. The mass would do same, showing a hand moving from the blackness, one that had a completely gray and cold skin. And in a heartbeat, their palms would connect. “Mar… Margery, the first White Witch. She… is the one we were supposed to find. Her.” What was in front of them was no monster. It was indeed Margery, the very first White Witch. The one who started Charlotte’s lineage. And the woman that tapped into a forbidden black magic in order to protect her people. A magic that eventually completely consumed her soul and made her look like this.

Suddenly, Charlotte would leap forward and hug Margery the Black. As if she was no longer afraid at all. Strangely enough, the creature shivered and its movements slowed down, calm now. Even the atmosphere grew much warmer, the fear slowly disappearing. But there was something going on. As the young girl continued to embrace the mass of muscles and darkness, some of the black started staining her clothing, spreading across the pure white fabric at constantly increasing speed and not slowing down at all. Was it something bad going down?

Charlotte

8 / 10 posts (402 WC)

The White Witch

Perhaps this scene really was heart-warming. However, the life of Charlotte was a cruel one. And her life was often seen as nothing more than a curse. Even right now, all of that had to run its course. As the young White Witch embraced the black mass, she would slowly start sinking into that ever-changing black body. She would be soon absorbed completely, Margery’s body starting to convulse rapidly, expanding and consuming everything. Even if Mura tried to run, he would be consumed by it as well soon enough. And then, the whole world turned pitch-black, endless and cold.


“Charlotte is the girl that exists, yet does not exist. Her existence extends beyond the reality and all that we know. She is the one chosen by the puppeteers. She will not merely ascend, she will become absolute. One day. I thank you for your participation, puppet - designation ‘Mura Kensho’. You have done well in giving her the courage she required in order to elevate even higher above the meaningless existence. I have no reward for you, but I am sure you will go on living happily regardless, knowing that you helped the poor and helpless girl.”

The voice spoke to him out of nowhere, as she floated in the eternally dark, with no body and nothing to see. It was but few seconds of nothingness before the whole world would turn completely white. Then, the young swordsman would find himself standing in the center of the world. There were no walls, but all was pure white. The floor he was on, the skies, the distance… it was impossible to measure any manner of length at all. Was he in an enclosed room? Or perhaps somewhere outside? It was impossible to tell. But in the distance, there was a girl crying.

She had a long and surprisingly fluffy white hair. She wore a black tight-fitting formal dress that was very much like the one that Margery seemed to have worn beneath that black liquid-like form. But it was not where the similarities ended, for the girl’s eyes were of bright golden color and a third eye opened on her forehead, all of them shedding tears. She also had a halo above her head, much like Margery herself and many flesh-like appendages behind her back, adorned with many, many beautiful eyes. Charlotte the White wept and muttered to herself quietly in a pained voice. “It hurts…” over and over again.

Charlotte

9 / 10 posts (409 WC)

The White Witch

The girl cried, but for what reason? Mura Kensho asked, but did not receive his answer right away. Only more sobs were his reward for helping, at least until the girl finally regained some sense of self. Her own self, for this very moment in time. “It hurts… this world… hurts. Why is it so? I can see it all, it’s so painful.” She held her head in her firm, almost painful grasp. The eyes on the flesh connected to her, eyes forming on her black clothes, the golden eyes… they were all crying in unison, from what they saw, the saddening horrors.

“CI can see the whole world… why is everyone hurting others? Why are people harming themselves? Why, why, why?! It hurts so much… the world is in pain. The people are in pain. Why are they destroying themselves?!” This was the power she had gained. The most dominant magic of chaos forming inside of her being. The eyes of a god that allowed to the girl to see the entire world. No, they did not just allow her… they forced her to observe the most negative part of humanity, watch it without pause with all of her eyes.

And she felt it all. The despair, pain, disgust. A living, waking nightmare. She could not handle it and the world around them started falling apart. The white world that they were now it, its structure an sense. The ground would start falling apart into small cubes, falling into oblivion. The walls and skies turning into white ash, fading away. Without a stable mind at its core, this place could no longer regain its structure. And if Mura were to turn around, he would see Margery standing tall right behind him. But she was human, rather than whatever she was before.

And she was smiling at him, kindly. No words needed to be said. She would take care of the crying child who could not bear the weight of hate of the entire world alone. The hate directed at the White Witch, who turn to the forbidden black arts out of desperation. The true curse of Charlotte’s lineage brought about by this woman, who only wishes to protect her people. Somehow, Mura knew all of this, the information transferred to him directly by the woman. But all was fine now. The two of them were linked, they were one.

And so, all had disappeared into pure white once more. And before long, Mura had probably awakened in the real world, wherever he was by this point. Of course, as they were only connected mentally until now, Charlotte was nowhere to be found. She was most likely somewhere completely else. And now, life was fairly different for her. With the Black Witch inside of her, the White Witch had finally ascended to the pedestal created for her. And what she would do with this power, only the puppeteer knew and were to control. But surely, all of this, it would turn out rather interesting.

Charlotte

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