The Surviving Twins
is a short story by Anastasia Kharlamova (Autumn Leaves), published by Daily Science Fiction in 2021. It’s a Twice-Told Tale retelling of Snow-White and Rose-Red, focusing on a character called Helmuth who is a complete Canon Foreigner… or so it seems.
Tropes present in the story:
- Bittersweet Ending: The Happily Ever After of the original is still intact, but Helmuth dies and his family never learns of his sacrifice. However, in his final moments, Helmuth gets his memories back and is able to have a last look at his daughters and be happy for them.
- Disabled in the Adaptation: Downplayed. Snow-White and Rose-Red are victims to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, but they are magically healed in infancy and their respective complexions (pale and rosy) are the only thing that remains of that condition.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The crown prince accidentally shoots the dwarf in the arm while hunting, and that’s the reason the dwarf turns him into a bear.
- Dying as Yourself: Helmuth’s memories and personality come back after he receives a mortal wound.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Griselda is astonished that Helmuth’s love for his family survives past his brainwashing.
- The Man Behind the Man: The dwarf turns out to be a servant of the witch Griselda, right until he kills her.
- Named by the Adaptation: Snow-White and Rose-Red’s mother is called Lotte and their father Helmuth.
- Papa Wolf: Helmuth will do anything for his children, including agreeing to become the local witch’s slave and getting turned into a dwarf and completely brainwashed. And even after being brainwashed, he has enough of a Personality Remnant to kill the witch when he sees she wants to do the same to his daughters.
- Peaceful in Death: Snow-White and Rose-Red note how peaceful Helmuth looks when they bury him. They are surprised the horrid-tempered dwarf can look like this.
- Personality Remnant: Even after his benevolent personality is erased completely, Helmuth can't bring himself to harm his daughters.
- Related in the Adaptation: The dwarf is revealed to be the girls' father.
- Twins Are Special: Griselda believes that twins can become especially powerful magicians.
- Walking Spoiler: It’s impossible to talk about Helmuth without revealing he is the girls' father and the dwarf.
- Wicked Witch: Griselda is an old sorceress and an unscrupulous Manipulative Bitch, brainwashing and enslaving Helmuth and planning to do the same to his family.
