Ex Tenebris, Lux
is a Cinderella fanfic by afterandalasia created for the Disney Kink Meme.
The story is a one-chapter continuation of the Disney film. It focuses on Cinderella's mental health after the film. Cinderella's recovery after years of familial abuse isn't quick or easy. Even after becoming a princess and settling down with her husband, she's still troubled by her past.
This fanfic provides examples of:
- Bittersweet Ending: Cinderella is still traumatized from her own horrific upbringing and it is implied that she'll always be not entirely stable, especially after having a traumatic miscarriage. However, she is surrounded by people who love her, her husband puts in a better effort in helping her with parenting, and the story ends with her giving birth to a girl that she happily names Liberty, to represent her own freedom from her past.
- Continuation: The story starts off after the end of the first Cinderella film.
- Dark Fic: The story explores Cinderella's recovery from her abusive childhood in depth. The abuse left a prolonged impact on her life.
- Deliberate Values Dissonance: Prince Charming offhandedly claims that child-rearing is a mother's job.
- Kid Fic: Downplayed. Cinderella being a parent is important to the story, but it's not the driving concept.
- Mental Health Recovery Arc: The story courses the first several years of Cinderella and Prince Charming's marriage, and a portion of her trauma recovery.
- Neat Freak: Played for Drama. Due to her abusive past as a servant for her step-family, Cinderella sometimes gets upset about cleanliness. She gets better as time goes on.
- No Name Given: Cinderella's husband is unnamed.
- Tragic Stillbirth: Cinderella loses her second pregnancy after weeks of being all-but bed bound. She eventually recovers, but the loss makes her focus on her son more.
- Trauma Button: Due to her experiences being locked away, Cinderella hates locked doors. She also gets worked up about the smallest messes.
