Cinderella was rolling around in the fireplace like usual, with her stepsisters looking on. “Ellaaaa,” they said (for that was her name), “come out of the fireplace. This is why you can’t have nice things.” Cinderella stopped briefly and sat up to face them. “My stepsies, how many times must I tell you? I am to be addressed as THE DARK QUEEN CINDERELLA, MISTRESS OF ASH!” Her father, hearing the commotion, came down to investigate.

“Ella, what’s all th-”
“DARK QUEEN CINDERELLA, MISTRESS OF ASH!”
“ELLA. What is the meaning of this? Why are you in your rags again? We’re going to the prince’s ball tonight - wash up and get properly dressed!”
“I am properly dressed, father. Only these tattered wraps and the ashes of my dear mother are capable of sealing my-”
“YOUR MOTHER’S ASHES?!”

Long story short, the Dark Queen Cinderella was grounded and sent to her room without supper while the rest of the family went out that night for an episode of royal gallivanting. As she lay moping on her floor, her fairy godmother snuck in through the chimney and squatted next to the girl. “Heyyy, what’s the matter, Duck Queen Sanderella?” Cinderella explained her situation to the magic woman in a manner very favorably biased towards herself. “Well shucks,” said the godmom, “that blows balls. But you know what? I think I might have a spell for you!” And with that, she transformed Cinderella into a pile of ashes.

Apparently, the fairy godmother had been larping with her friends earlier that afternoon, and had swapped out the macro for Princess Spell with Fireball. WHOOPS. She still had other enchantments, though, so she cast another one to transform Cinderella into an infernal apparition - much to the girl's excitement. Cinderella thanked her accidental murderer and dove into the crust of the earth, because that’s a thing she could do now.

She then erupted from of the ground outside the palace where the ball was being held, and waltzed in on a path of molten glass. Everyone stopped dancing and looked at her and was like “Hey, is that a fire person?” and then she was like “IT IS!” and everybody screamed and ran while she had a great time. She kept this up until midnight, after which the enchantment wore off and she turned back into a pile of her own ashes. And her father, who had recognized his daughter, was like “No, Ella! Not you too!” because this was the same way he had lost her mother.

“Curse you! I swear, I shall have vengeance, fairy godmother Dracula!” and so the man left to avenge his daughter - Ella Belmont.

Epilogue: Cinderella’s enchantment is a recurring one, and she terrorizes a different ball every night until her father learns of this and seals her in an urn.

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Well, that was what I was up to this week. I had fun writing this story, right up until the end where I just kind of gave up because I didn't know how this would actually conclude. I feel like this is typical of my written work - I can write up to what is depicted in the picture, but not much further beyond that.

Cinderella's outfit is very plain. I've come to realize that I don't make very elaborate costumes (vast spans of unpatterned cloth), so I suppose I'll have to try to work on that a bit more in the future.

I think I might try making a couple more of these pieces inspired by folk tales, since they provide an interesting framework of themes to try to design around. Well, we'll see what the future holds!

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