Happily Ever After? You know, that sounds ridiculous, Little Red.

Ever After

The Blacksmith, a woman who looked like a machine that was in disrepair with rust, exposed internals, and mismatched parts making up her body wearing a blacksmithing apron, continued to hammer away at her latest work. The sound of metal clanking echoed throughout the hidden space that was the Blacksmith's forge or, rather, workshop. Since she does more than simply hammer creations into existence, she dabbles in various crafts.

All of a sudden, she stopped as she felt an intrusion in her domain. Setting aside her hammer and latest work, she went to investigate. At the edges of her workshop, she saw something unexpected: a soul not part of the Ever After. It was naught but a flickering flame with black and light blue colors raging in defiance as it tried to stay alight. The Blacksmith kneeled and scooped up the flaming soul gently, then quietly asked.

" How did you get here?"

The soul could not reply, not that she expected an answer in the first place. The soul noticeably dimmed ever so slightly, and the Blacksmith decided.

" I can't leave you like this, now can I?"

With a gentle smile that hid her burning passion and love of creation, she went to forge her next creation.

________________________________________

Ever After

The Jinxy Peddler, a raccoon walking on his hind legs in purple harem pants and beige robes, sneaked as he saw the next item he was going to sell. A great golden... Thingy? Well, it was shiny and big enough for him to swipe, and that was enough for the Jinxy Peddler. However, acquiring this item was wrought with perils as the current owner held on to it tightly with its razor-sharp claws, but thankfully, the New Guy was asleep.

The New Guy, aptly named such by his fellow Afterans because he was new and a guy that did very little and talked even less. The Jinxy Peddler crept closer and closer, and as he could almost touch the great golden thingy but froze as he heard a voice like thunder and honey melded together.

" Give me a few good reasons why I should not make you my next meal for trying to snatch my pillow, Little Raccoon."

The Jinxy Peddler looked up at the towering figure, the New Guy, humanoid in appearance but with light blue skin and jet-black hair. The Jinxy Peddler gulped as he stared into the abyss-like eyes of the New Guy and stuttered a reply.

" I-I... T-taste terrible... Yes, I taste terrible; I mean, look at me all covered in fur and clothes with barely any meat on my bones!"

The Jinxy Peddler soon got into his fast-talking groove as he tried to talk his way out of becoming lunch for the New Guy. It was known that the New Guy sometimes ate other Afterans to sate his hunger or, more often than naught, deal with any unfortunate enough to earn his ire. The New Guy gave the Jinxy Peddler a toothy smile that revealed his rows of silvery white teeth and said.

" That's one; now give me a few others."

The Jinxy Peddler gulped and tried to come up with another reason to spare him.

" Um, well, you see, I, ah..."

" Run."

The New Guy said with a grin as he examined his long finger-like claws that were metallic gray from his palms and claws up to his biceps. The Jinxy Peddler took a moment to process what he had heard and turned tail and ran like the wind. The New Guy's grin disappeared after his intruder left like it was a lie, and he plopped back down while cradling his gold-spun long-body pillow. He rested his head against it and tried to go back to sleep.

The New Guy does not dream but instead remembers bits and pieces of his past life that continuously nags him in the back of his mind as it feels like there is something important he needs to remember as he sleeps. The New Guy felt he was close to remembering something crucial from his past life. As his mind faded away into darkness, sparks of a past that were his in another life started a fire to light his way into what he wanted deep down in his heart.

________________________________________

Flashes of faded memories rushed through without end.

Two people who were together and hugged a young child with warmth and happiness.

Again, the two people appeared, but there was no warmth but simmering anger and distrust apparent with the child feeling unease

The two became one and left with the child to a new environment where things were different than before.

The child was sent away from their new home and lived with other children wearing the same clothes as them.

Violence, hate, anger, boredom, and tiredness were the cycle that repeated on end.

Excitement, joy, sorrow, and hope appeared as stories unfolded for the child.

Soul-crushing day-to-day to live for tomorrow continued without end.

A new story began of girls with weapons.

A girl of red and black being socially awkward with silver eyes trying her best to lead.

A girl of white standing defiant against a predetermined path.

A girl of black, oppressed and lost, running away until she realized she should not run but stand her ground.

A girl of fiery yellow being strong and free with a warm and care for others.

Then, a cold darkness creeps in.

________________________________________

The New Guy woke up with a start and, in a cold sweat as he remembered, he was now part of a story, but one he only remembers in fragments. He sighed, then cursed.

" F*ck my life."

The New Guy cursed because he felt a need or want to head to that world and get involved with that story when he usually just wants to sleep and occasionally eat. He got up and stretched before finding himself at the Mother Tree, leaving behind his residence. He grabbed one of the multicolored leaves and put it in his mouth, then chewed. He then found himself in front of his mother in this life, the Blacksmith. She smiled at her latest creation slash son, and the New Guy said with a lazy drawl.

" I remember a lot more now, and I need to leave for the world of Remnant."

" Are you certain?"

The Blacksmith asked, and the New Guy shrugged as he replied.

" As I will ever be. Heading to Remnant might be my best chance to understand why I am here and why I have these memories in the first place. Plus, it does not help that I have this nagging feeling I would regret it if I didn't go."

The Blacksmith smiled as she reminisced.

" When I first created you, I had no idea what you would become or what sort of reaction the Ever After would have. I was surprised that you mainly isolated yourself and slept deeply to try and pull the few fragments of your previous life together. Aside from some stories to scare some of the more inexperienced residents of this world, you had no impact on this world."

The New Guy then retorted with a tired look.

" And?"

" And nothing; you are free to be as you wish like all my creations."

The Blacksmith said with a gentle smile and then added.

" I am curious about how active you are now being and what sort of changes you will now go through as you are now seeking out the world instead of closing yourself off."

" Who's to say? Only time will tell."

The New Guy said nonchalantly, and the Blacksmith smiled as she replied.

" All too true. I look forward to seeing how you will change and what you will change."

" See you when I see you."

The New Guy then left as the Blacksmith opened a portal to Remnant.