A Story of Many Tales

"Perfection...
Is there truly such a thing?
Is it different for each person, or is there some form of standard everyone has instilled in their mind?
Or does society choose for us?
And what if there were a world filled with magic outside these sheltered walls?
What would perfection be then?
Is it truly possible to attain such a state of being?"
A young girl once asked herself these questions.
And she found the answers to all of them -
Destroying herself in the process.

Chapter one: A New Tale Begins

"Snowflakes... There's a very interesting legend concerning them, you know? Some people say that snowflakes aren't just bits of frozen water; some believe that they're little white bees that turn into water once it gets too warm. And as you know, every clan of bees needs a ruler -- their queen. And the ruler of these bees, which we call snowflakes, is a woman with no heart known as Fraza Chichnya, the Snow Queen.

"They say Fraza used to have a heart, but it froze over in her quest to become completely perfect. She used to have a very warm heart, actually. She cared about everyone around her and tried to help others. More than anything, though, her heart yearned for the love of a boy named Mikhail. But no matter what Fraza did, Mikhail ignored her, claiming that she was too plain for him. After hearing this, Fraza worked non-stop, day after day, perfecting herself until not even the shallow Mikhail could resist her.

"But at that point, she found that she couldn't care less about Mikhail. After all, Mikhail was not perfect, and now -- now she was. With that thought in mind, she left the sheltered grounds that surround the non-magical city and entered the magical world outside. There, she only continued to perfect herself further, gaining praise from every creature. Until one day, the snowflakes found her, and they were stunned by her perfection. They begged her to be their queen, promising to follow her without question. Fraza quickly agreed to this pact. After all, the snowflakes were perfect as well. She deserved the best.

"And now, it is said that the Snow Queen flies around the magical world outside our walls, freezing the hearts of any being that dares rival her in any level of perfection. Many beings fear her, while others can't help but stare at her in amazement and praise her name. Humans have nothing to fear, though, since we are far from perfect, just as she had been once, eons ago. ...Sorry, I'm babbling now, aren't I?"

The boy who had been telling the tale let out a small, sheepish laugh, his right hand drifting to the back of his head out of nervous habit. A small freckle of pink made its way across his fair, lightly-tanned face and his shut his one visible eye, as though prepared to be hit.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't even realize," He trailed on, opening his emerald eye slowly and looking to the side before turning his back to the window so that he could face his guest, hoping she wasn't too annoyed with him. To his relief, that didn't seem to be the case. He brushed some the long blonde bangs away from his right eye, while making sure his left eye was still covered with them. Ensured that half of his face was hidden, he let his hands fall to his sides, giving his full attention to his guest.

"There is no need to apologize, Lord Zurineno, I love all of your stories," the girl let out a small sigh, her eyes closed and her hands on her cheeks, attempting to hide her blush. It was not difficult, considering the severity of her tan. The only part of her face that wasn't dark was a small, silver twelve-pointed star in the center of her forehead. It glistened slightly as she tilted her head to the side, as did her pure-white hair, cut perfectly-straight at her waist with not a single loose hair in her face.

Her large, dark eyes shot open suddenly, remembering the question that had been burning in her mind before the story had begun.

"But, what is it you wanted me to come for...?" she questioned shyly, pulling her hands away from her face and straightening up, preparing herself for a serious conversation.

"Oh, yes!" Zurineno said, suddenly feeling very foolish again. "Er, well, I wanted to tell you, but seeing as that I overslept..." He trailed off, feeling a familiar burning sensation collecting on his face. "I was wondering if you could wait outside for me, Angi, if it wasn't too much trouble?"

Angi merely giggled a bit, surprised lightly by his nervousness. It wasn't the first time he had overslept and had asked her to wait outside for him. In the twelve years she had known him, it had happened more times than she could have ever counted. He loved to sleep, and had only even gotten to school on time when Angi herself had awoken him.

"Of course, Lord Zurineno," She said before skipping on outside to revel in the snow. It was so incredibly bright and fresh that Angi couldn't help but begin sculpting things out of it the moment she got outside. She was sixteen years of age, but was no taller than five feet, which constantly caused people to assume she was much younger. And habits like playing in the snow didn't help her defense any.

Inside, Zurineno let out a wistful sigh, watching Angi mold the head of a snow-bunny. He had been friends with her since he was six, and she was two years younger than he. The two had gone through a lot together, especially for the area in which they lived: a village called Directus.

Everything that was needed for survival -- crops, medicines, timber, minerals, and cattle -- existed within the village. Everyone anyone needed to know lived within Directus, and everything outside the walls dealt a force humans did not like to bother with -- magic. Or at least, that's what the villagers were constantly told. Very few humans had ever bothered to wander outside of the village to check if any stories were true. Most that did were too horrified with what they saw to ever leave the village again. That was why Directus was closed off -- surrounded by walls from all sides, protected from the horrors of the outside world.

Zurineno touched the horizontal scar behind his hair with a sad smile, remembering the one time he had left the walls. Though it had lost him his eye, he regretted nothing. He had met Angi, which, in his opinion, was worth any part of his body. The only reason he had grown his hair out was to make the poor girl stop blaming herself for the physical harm it had caused.

Zurineno kept watch of Angi's movements, feeling something in his chest tighten in yearning. She was so kind, so caring, so innocent... Not to mention beautiful, no matter how she tried to hide it under layers and layers of baggy clothing, such as the enormous sweater and pair of white slacks she had opted to wear that day. She was very intelligent, as well as naturally talented at everything she tried. Zurineno loved everything about Angi, honestly.

He took a deep breath, tearing his attention away from the girl to pull something out of his pocket. It was a small blue box, which inside of it, hid a golden ring with a small diamond on the top, encrusted with sapphires.

Yes, today was the day Zurineno was finally going to tell Angi how he felt. He had been keeping his mouth shut since he had been fourteen, never thinking she could have felt the same about him. The only reason he had suddenly gained some courage was because a few nights before, he had heard her mutter his name in her sleep. It had caused his heart to race, and flooded his veins with what was probably false confidence. But false or not, it had been enough to give Zurineno the gall to not only finally tell Angi how he felt, but also to dare to ask her to become his own.

She had been asked many times before, and by some of the richest men in Directus, but she had always kindly refused. Zurineno had been overwhelmingly glad every time she had done so, but it had also made him all the more unsure. After all, what could he have offered her that the richer men couldn't? He wasn't too wealthy, and it wasn't as though he was the best looking boy in the village, either. But Angi had always been friends with him, no matter what, and that small fact was his glimmer of hope.

Zurineno swallowed at a lump in his throat and turned around to pick up a light-gold sweater. It was hand-made with x-shaped designs on the collar and sleeves. Before putting it on, he took a moment to take in its scent -- no matter how many times he washed it, it always smelled of jasmine. And not just any jasmine; the heavenly aroma that Angi always emitted. She had knitted the sweater for him herself, and because of this, it was Zurineno's very favorite. He pulled it on over his shirt and looked at himself in the mirror, doing his best to make his hair look as tamed as he could. The back was simple, since it was short, but his long bangs were sticking up in an annoying manner. His heart was racing, but he felt that it was best to just do what he had planned.

With one final deep breath, Zurineno walked outside to find Angi still playing innocently in the snow. She had already built the torso, ears, paws, and tail of her snow-rabbit, and was now merely adding details with a twig. Despite his better judgment, Zurineno ended up losing himself as he gazed at her face, once again feeling horribly undeserving of such a girl. He squeezed the small ring-box tightly in fear, and had half-a thought to simply turn around, toss it back inside and forget about ever doing such a silly thing. But before he could, Angi looked up and her beautiful eyes locked onto his.

"Lord Zurineno, you're ready!" She said happily, hopping to her feet. He was wearing she sweater she had knitted him... She always felt very fulfilled whenever Zurineno used anything she had given him. "What is it you wanted to tell me?"

"U-Uh," Zurineno stuttered for a moment, but shook his head, ridding it of all other thoughts. "Well, Angi, the thing is...You see..." Why had this been so much easier in his head?

"What is wrong, Lord Zurineno?" Angi's eyes widened in worry. He never stuttered around her. Whenever he did, he usually ended up not looking her in the eyes for the next few days, and she didn't like that. Angi loved to have his eyes on her, no matter how shallow and greedy it made her feel.

Zurineno cleared his throat, trying to go for a second attempt. "Well, Angi, we-we've been friends for so long, and, well, I think it's about time I told you something very...very important," With this, Zurineno pulled out the ring box and showed it to her.

Just as Angi tilted her head in confusion, and Zurineno was swallowing again to choke out his proposal, he noticed something odd, something silvery-blue in the sky. "What...?" Zurineno's expression went from a nervous one to a suspicious one instantly, and he clenched the box in his fist, feeling his body tense.

What happened next happened too quickly for either of them to have stopped it. The snow at their feet suddenly rose up without any warning, completely obscuring all vision.

Instinctively, Zurineno leaped to Angi's side, holding her in his arms, shielding her with his body. They both heard a loud cackle, and suddenly, Zurineno a felt a white-hot sting of pain on his arm. He yelped and felt his knees buckle, unsure as to what had just happened. He struggled to stand back up, but the pain was too great. His vision doubled, and he felt light-headed. The next moment, he was face-down in the snow, and he was no longer conscious.

Angi, on the other hand, was perfectly alert when the snow suddenly cleared to reveal a gorgeous woman floating freely above the ground. The woman's skin was snow-white with light-blue markings under her icy-blue eyes. Her blue-silver hair was long and shimmered like the moon-light. Her outfit, consisting of a knee-long skirt and shirt with separate sleeves, accentuated every luscious curve on her body. A crown rested in her hair, and she gave off a regal aura, causing Angi to cower slightly, not feeling entirely worthy.

"You," The beautiful woman turned to Angi, her voice filled with venom. Angi squeaked, flinching at such a tone of voice, expecting to be hurt. But to her surprise, the woman merely gave a sly smile. Her tone changed from a threatening one to one of a person who had just won a battle. "You think you're amazing, don't you? Well, let's see how things are without your little lover around."

"Wh-what?" Angi asked in shock. Lover? She didn't have one... But before Angi could ask what was meant, the woman had lifted her hands, causing the snow around her to swirl and lift her higher into the sky. Angi attempted to call out to her, but in a minute's time, the woman was already over the gates of the village.

Angi stared blankly in confusion, but then suddenly remembered something far more important. When the snow had obscured everything, Zurineno had put his arms around her...Where was he now?

Angi looked frantically around her, and then gasped in horror.

There lay Zurineno, unconscious, with blood discoloring the snow all around his arm. The gash was very deep and cut into the shoulder of his sweater. His face was drenched in sweat, and he looked as though he was in the middle of a terrifying nightmare.

Angi didn't waste a second. She bolted into Zurineno's home, quickly emerging seconds later with bandages. But when she got past the door, panting from running and pale from horror, she found that Zurineno was already sitting up. His expression was very blank, with the only hint of emotion being mild confusion. As Angi jogged over, Zurineno stood up as though he felt nothing.

"L-lord Zurineno?" Angi squeaked, unsure. "Are you alright?"

She gently brushed her fingertips against his wounded arm, trying to figure out how it would be best to wrap up the wound. But before she could, Zurineno sent her a glare and whirled around, suddenly slapping her hand away. Angi gasped and grasped her fingers, shocked that Zurineno would ever do such a thing.

"Don't touch me!" Zurineno barked in a tone Angi had never before heard from him. He glared at her, and as Angi cowered, she noticed that his eye-color was no longer a kind green. It was as icy blue - the same color the beautiful woman's had been.

"L-Lord Zurineno!" Angi stuttered, now too worried to care about the pain in her hand. "Something is wrong! You...your eyes-!"

"Where is she?" Zurineno cut her off.

"...'She'? Lord Zurineno, who do you mean?" Angi questioned nervously, edging closer. She was more concerned with the fact that Zurineno was still hurt. "Lord Zurineno, you should get inside-"

Suddenly, the back of Zurineno's hand connected with Angi's cheek. She was sent into the snow, skidding a few inches back, leaving a deep imprint in the fresh snow. Her cheek was searing in pain, but that pain was nothing compared to the sudden pang in her heart. Out of everyone in the world, Angi had never thought that Zurineno would do such a thing for her, especially for merely thinking that he was hurt. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and a hand on her cheek, hoping for some sort of explanation, but instead receiving a shout of rage.

"The Snow Queen!!" he cried, sounding almost insulted that Angi did not realize who he had meant. "The most perfect woman in the world! She was so wonderful... Where is she!? Where did she go!?"

"I...I do not know," Angi said, still in a state of shock. Before she could do anything else, Zurineno pulled his leg back and landed a blow in her stomach.

Angi gasped in pain and gripped her abdomen, gasping for air, but unable to breathe. He had knocked the wind right out of her.

"You're useless!" Zurineno snarled, turning his eyes to the sky with a desperate, pleading expression on his face. He looked back and forth across the grey heavens for any sign of the beautiful woman, but he couldn't find so much as a hint. When Zurineno noticed this, he gave a small whimper and fell to his knees, as though he was chanting a desperate payer.

"Snow Queen, Fraza, please, accept someone such as myself! Let me be your knight, or even your slave! I will do anything just to be in the presence of you and you alone! Please, I beg you to have pity on a lowly man such as myself!" He called out, sending echoes all throughout the village.

Once Zurineno was finished with his pleading, there was a moment of silence. But a wind blew by once the echoes faded, and the snow began to pick up. Just as before, the snow obscured everything from vision, and it was all Angi could do to shield her eyes from the harsh change in weather.

When she felt the wind stop, she pulled her hand away to see Zurineno and the Snow Queen towering over her. Angi tried to choke something out, but she was still unable to talk after Zurineno had kicked her.

"Here, take this," Zurineno said with a disgusted tone as he pulled his sweater off -- the sweater he had loved so dearly -- and tossed it into the snow before Angi. Angi's eyes widened in disbelief and she tried to choke out Zurineno's name. But it was too late. Zurineno had his back to her, and the snow had risen up again, stinging Angi's eyes, forcing her to shut them.

When the last snow flake landed back on the ground, Angi opened her eyes to see that there was nothing left but Zurineno's sweater and a sheet of ice where Zurineno's blood had stained the snow.