the tale of tristan and ravan

first day of the rest of your life

the castle of evil looked as welcoming as a rattlesnake, but the children who entered didn't seem to be bothered by this. If anything they seemed awed by it, as if it were the most beautiful palace of all. these children were all roughly the same age (fifteen) but the similarities ended there.

One girl had a terrifying overbite, wispy grey hair, and a single red eye. another boy looked like he could have been made of dough with swollen limbs and a bald head. Some of the other students had misshapen bodies, others had spikes and sharp teeth, but all of them had looks of pure cruelty and malice.

Ravan looked around at his soon-to-be classmates, wondering which of them would be his allies and which would be his enemies. As his father often told him, It was best to find a threat when it was just a measly spark and snuff it out before it became a raging fire. That piece of advice had helped Ravan up until this point, so there was no doubt that it would help him now.

As he entered the castle of evil, Ravan stared at the paintings of past students of the school of evil, all now immortalized in fairy tale glory. the big bad wolf, the evil queen of Foxwood, Bluebeard, they were all drawn as if they had emerged triumphant from their fairy tales. Ravan stopped to look at one of the golden paintings.

It showed a terrifying demonic man with ten heads carrying off a maiden. the man himself was laughing madly, while the terrified maiden was screaming for help. Ravan looked at the golden nameplate right beside it.

Ravana of pasha dunes: the story of Rama and Sita (villain)

for a split second, the young man felt his heart tighten, but he just sighed and walked away to join the rest of his classmates.

Never once did Ravan let his face betray the awe and fear he felt, making sure to keep his face in a permanent scowl. One of the things his father had told him is to never show weakness because if you show even a trace, the villain world would eat you alive.

suddenly a slime-green hand grabbed his tan one and he looked up his eyes brightened. A girl with scruffy black hair and ghoulish green skin was standing in front of him. A girl that was his best friend. 

"Hey Ravan, sorry it took so long to find you, you wouldn't believe how packed it is in here."

"I know Mona, it has been a while since I have endured the presence of other people, but everything we endure here will shape us into better villains".

"That it will. That little wimp from Kansas is going to regret the day she showed up in oz. and her little dog too".

"that she will. it looks like this is where we split up, see you at the welcoming ceremony".

As Mona followed the other girls, Ravan followed the boys into the changing rooms. As each boy entered the changing rooms, he had his uniform thrust into his hands by the wolves and Ravan was no exception. it was a putrid black, with fungus blue breeches and torture boots that would make any empty-headed princess run for the hills screaming for her mother.

Perfect.

As he changed into his uniform, however, Ravan heard some of his classmates mutter darkly under their breath.

"He's part of our school? looks too pretty to be a never".

"Your right Brone, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he'd fit in a blue suit".

Ravan looked in the mirror of the changing room and felt rage build up. the mirror never lied, and unfortunately, it showed him as he was. Long, jet black hair, perfect Arabian skin, and large piercing black eyes. In anger he punched his reflection, causing the mirror to shatter and some glass to end up in his fist, but Ravan didn't care.

"It doesn't matter anyway" he muttered as he went to get his books and timetable. he wasn't here to prove that he could look like a villain.

He was here to prove that he could be one.

#########

The castle of good seemed to loom over Tristan but that didn't deter him. As the fairies heaved away his periwinkle trunk, Tristan joined the other boys and wondered if Kiko was doing okay. 

Kiko had been his closest friend since they were little. Since his family always visited Neverland for the summer holidays, he, Kiko, his little brother, and sister William, and Maribel had spent long mornings swimming through the sapphire waters of mermaid bay and playing hide and seek in the numerous pirate shipwrecks.

As he followed the other boys into the changing rooms, Tristen was gently handed his uniform by a blue-haired nymph. The coat was cornflower blue, and the waistcoat was a light grey, both were embroidered with gold. The breaches were slender-fit and were the colors of eggshells. The boots were black with golden details and the gloves were white. It would make any beautiful princess want him as her prince in two seconds flat.

Perfect.

As Tristen changed, he wondered if his chivalry and grooming class gave dancing lessons to boys. Tristen was just placing on his boots when he heard some guy named Chaddick start up the topic about the princesses and soon all of the other boys begin to share their image of an ideal wife with each over.

"I honestly like girls with green eyes"

"I prefer ones with hair as red as a rose"

"My future wife is going to have pink lips, topaz eyes, and blond hair, mark my words"

Tristan rolled his eyes and sighed. Honestly, didn't guys see girls as anything more than potential wives? Then again, he was friends with a girl, so maybe that was Kiko talking.

Ever since he was a child, Tristan felt different from all of the other boys he was made to play with. He didn't know why, but Tristan had always felt more comfortable playing swords with Maribel than with the other boys. His father had tried to get him to be friends with boys, but gave up when he saw that he and Kiko were such good friends.

As Tristen went towards the assembly hall for the welcoming ceremony, he began to think of his sister. Maribel was different from the other princesses as well. while other girls played with dolls and their mother's makeup,  Maribel liked wearing more elegant versions of the guards and fencing. She still embraced her feminity, she just felt more comfortable as an "elegant tomboy" as she called herself.

He smiled to himself as he remembered her excitement when she got a letter allowing her to learn fencing from Lancelot himself. Even their father had been proud of her when she showed him the letter. Tristen's heart ached as he thought about his siblings, but knew that William and Maribel were becoming the best versions of themselves, and so was he. 

He hoped.

suddenly a nymph handed him a beautiful red rose with a smile before moving on to his peers. Tristen looked at the rose and smiled. As part of the welcoming ceremony, he would have to throw the rose toward a girl of his choosing, which would be hard because while he could Identify with them, he never thought of having a relationship with a girl. Then again, maybe during his time at the school for good would awaken that romantic desire.

It had to... right?