Tale of Abandonment on a Moonlit Night (story)

Abandoned on a Moonlit Night is a short, illustrative story included in Waltz of Evil: The Deadly Sins of Evil Guidebook, released on December 24, 2013. It was illustrated by Mizutame Tori. It follows the events of the song of the same name, portraying Hänsel and Gretel's abandonment by their parents and subsequent return home.

Plot Summary
On a night, a boy and girl are taken on a stroll through a forest with their foster parents. The two try to speak to their parents but are ignored, and soon come to the realization that they are being abandoned in the forest. Although frightened when left behind, the two use the light of the moon caught inside a glass bottle to find the path home. The boy holds the girl's hand and leads the way through the woods.

Eventually the children reach a small house, realizing that it is the house of a witch. Their foster father and mother sit sadly in the house, comforting each other. They hear a knock on the door and open it, finding the children they deserted standing outside with a crazed look in their eyes. Declaring their intention to defeat the "evil witch", the twins go inside and kill their foster parents. As they die, the boy and girl laugh while asking for praise from their parents for defeating the "witch" and her "henchman". The duo then decide that the witch's house feels similar to the home they were raised in. After resting, they conclude that they should look for their "real" parents, and proceed to set out on a search for them. In order to watch over the twins, a mysterious shadow flickers.

Characters

 * Hänsel
 * Gretel
 * Adam Moonlit
 * Eve Moonlit

Conceptualization and Origin

 * The story's title is based upon the song sharing its name.
 * Like the song, the story is based on the Brothers Grimm tale "Hänsel & Gretel".
 * Like Moonlit Bear, Full Moon Laboratory, and Escape of Salmhofer the Witch, the story takes place on a moonlit night; the moon is often associated with madness and is the origin of the word "lunacy".

Curiosities

 * The glass bottle present in the song seems to be the same one seen in Moonlit Bear; a similar glass bottle appears in Regret Message.
 * In Chrono Story, the twins seem aware that the "witch" they killed was their foster mother, contrasting their apparent ignorance or denial in the short story.

Gallery
Illustrations=