Elections… Somewhere in distant ethereal realms, so that later the 'chosen ones' could manifest in our earthly fairy tale world, elections are happening today.
Thousands of fairy tale characters — Kolobok characters and Snow Maidens, Elves, Trolls together with a multitude of new, daring, sometimes still little-known 'Superheroes' were putting forward their candidacies for the elections, promising top-quality fairy tales and 'stories'.
In case of victory, each of them promised all, even the most inconspicuous inhabitants of the ethereal realm, the opportunity to participate in the plot and materialisation on the pages of earthly books, in theatre, in cinema.
One of the first, waving a white-striped flag and frightening the young inhabitants with piercing screams, Baba Yaga appeared above the polling station.
Despite the ban on campaigning and counter-campaigning on election day, Baba Yaga loudly expressed her displeasure towards one of the candidates — the 'corrupt' Water Spirit. According to Baba Yaga, he, for the umpteenth time, only promises to take 'a pair', but always deceives: he recruits all sorts of relatives, cheap small fry like stupid marsh mosquitoes.
And he takes a bribe for the promise, and a considerable one — ten plots each featuring himself and his 'electorate'. 'He himself is absolutely useless for ideas'!
"Freeloader!" — Baba Yaga hollered from her mortar, spiralling down to the ground.
According to the rules, each candidate, putting forward their candidacy for the lead role in the future fairy tale, had to vote for two: most often, of course, for themselves, and the second could be anyone who was sympathetic to them or who could bribe them (which is what Baba Yaga did).
The absolute winner presented a plot with themselves in the lead role and, besides the 'pair', recruited an unlimited number of 'electorate'.
At the polling station, quite a lot of fairy tale folk had gathered: an ageing Batman, SpongeBob SquarePants, Cheburashka, a whole crowd of Gnomes. Many of the old heroes, being quite conservative, adhered to old traditions in their clothing.
The appearance of others reflected the spirit of the times. Thus, Cinderella, unlike in previous elections, arrived on a Tomahawk in a cool outfit 'from the Fairy Godmother'. Leather, belts, studs and rivets, mirror surfaces of a super-powerful 'bike' — all this promised new plots with breathtaking adventures and a meeting with the Prince on such a 'steed'; painted like an Avatar on an eagle, as if on a screen, little Myu arrived.
Registration of participants was coming to an end when an unusual sphere the size of a carriage rolled up to the station. It shimmered with silver, then disappeared from view altogether. Soon from the sphere, like from a ball of yarn, a trail of silvery sand began to unwind, twist into a spiral, rise upwards.
Rising and falling, it revealed now a lovely face in golden curls and delicate lace of a princess, now, having shot upwards like a cloak covering an old hero, it fell again, presenting a new one. Sometimes the sand, as it fell, left a group of heroes, only to mix everything again and create someone anew.
Three heads of the Serpent Gorynych flashed, whereupon the real Gorynych, realising what was happening, breathed combustible gas at the impostor, threatening to strike a spark with his tooth at any moment. The 'Virtual' one, quickly realising the danger, immediately changed the subject: 'Chip and Dale', 'Lolek and Bolek'…
What on earth is this! Two — that's a ready-made plot! And here you wait! And if he impersonates me — that'll leave me without a crust of bread!
Baba Yaga started hollering.
The crowd supported Baba Yaga with an indignant murmur. The chairman of the commission intervened — the experienced Old Raven.
Now then, son, make up your mind who you are and don't break the rules, or there'll be almost no time left, I'll be finishing registration soon.
Or maybe you're a Haemorrhoid?
Baba Yaga quipped.
The clock began striking the final seconds before the elections began.
The candidate for the main hero in the new Fairy Tale, seeing time running out, began frantically changing images, unable to decide on any one. After a magnificent seven-petalled flower, Don Quixote appeared, immediately replaced by Petka with Chapayev. Clearly not managing to model something 'more fairy-tale-like', the future hero discarded Petka and finally appeared in the firm form and image of Chapayev in a papakha and with a long sabre at his side.
"Oh, this youth! — grumbled the Old Raven. — It's always like this: they think they're cool, think they can do everything, rush to create a fairy tale, and it all ends up as a joke».
"Not a contender! Absolutely not a contender! — Baba Yaga smirked and sighed with relief. — Thank God! Maybe I'll finally get into the Fairy Tale again!»
The elections began. There was less and less time left until the birth of the new story…
