(Disclaimer at the bottom)
The Cast of Sailor Moon Presents …
The Nutcracker
A tiny black cat with a crescent moon upon its' forehead, and a collar around its' neck which reads "Luna," steps forth. Behind her is a spacious room laced with all the holiday trimmings. A large, decorated Christmas tree sits in the corner, near a burning fireplace. As she sits on her haunches, she clears her throat. "The tale I am about to tell is one which shows the true meaning of Christmas spirit," the cat, Luna, begins. "It is a tale about my young charge, Usagi, and the wonderful adventure she experienced."
"Luna," a girl's voice calls out. At the sound of the voice, the cat's ears perk up. She looks over her shoulder as a door leading into the room slowly opens.
"However, I am getting ahead of myself," the cat continues, speaking quietly. "Though this only occurred last night, I'm sure to my charge, it seems like a distant dream." Luna begins to purr as a blonde teenager enters the room, and picks her up.
"There you are, Luna," the girl, Usagi, gushes. "I've been looking all over for you."
"Usagi," a woman's voice calls out. "You have company, dear."
"I'm coming, Mother," Usagi answers back. She looks back towards Luna and smiles. "That must be my cousins," she exclaims. "Come on, I want to tell them what I've told you already." She sets Luna on the ground, and runs towards where she entered the room. Luna follows the girl to the doorway, and watches as she and four other girls her age rush up the stairs.
"It looks like the tale is about to be retold," Luna states, before heading up the stairs, after Usagi and her cousins …
…the previous night, Christmas Eve…
"Mom, when will dinner be finished," Usagi whined, laying her head down on the counter top miserably. "I'm starving!" She began to pet Luna absently as the cat stretched lazily on the stool she was laying on.
"Usagi, please don't whine," her mother, Ikuko Tsukino, replied. "Dinner will be done soon enough. We have to wait for our guests to arrive before anything is served. Besides, you'll forget all about your hunger once your cousins arrive to keep you company." She looked away from her cooking to look at her daughter. "Usagi!"
"I know what you're going to say," Usagi replied.
"You march yourself upstairs, young lady," Ikuko stated. She frowned at the robe Usagi wore. "If your father saw you like this, especially with those boys in the house, he would be quite upset. You're just lucky they're in the living room, helping your father finish putting up the decorations! You need to …"
"… finish getting ready," Usagi finished. "I know, Mom. But I can't do anything on an empty stomach. Isn't there anything to eat at all?" Mrs. Tsukino sighed and handed her daughter a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl. "Oh thanks, Mom," Usagi squealed, hugging her mother tightly.
"You're welcome, dear," she replied. "Now go upstairs, and make sure Shingo and Chibi-usa are dressed, too." Usagi grumbled her complaints as she left the kitchen, however they fell upon deaf ears as her mother returned to her cooking.
"Mrs. Tsukino," a deep, masculine voice said from behind her several minutes later. She turned around to see four young men standing there. She smiled as she recognized the men. It was Mamoru, the dark-haired man that had spoken to her, and his three friends; Tora, who had a shade of long, brownish-orange hair, Sakana, who had long, light blue hair, and Taka, who had short, spiky pink hair.
"Oh, Mamoru, Tora, Sakana, and Taka," Mrs. Tsukino exclaimed. "What brings you in here?"
"We just wanted to know if there was anything else we could do to help," Mamoru replied politely.
"If Kenji doesn't need you for anything else, you can just relax until the guests arrive," Mrs. Tsukino replied.
"We don't want to impose, Mrs. Tsukino," Taka insisted. "Are you sure you don't need our help with anything else?"
"I'd be happy to help you out in the kitchen," Sakana added.
"No, I'm doing fine in here, thank you," she replied with a wave of her hands. "Why don't you four just go and finish getting ready for tonight?" The four men nodded their head in agreement, and Mrs. Tsukino watched as they left. "Such nice, polite young men," she thought, returning to her cooking.
"I feel as if we should be doing more," Tora said, as he and the others took their dress jackets from the closet they were hanging in. Sakana smoothed down his rather dressy suit as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
"Well, Ms. Ikuko said she didn't need any more help from us," he stated. "I must agree with her, we should be more concerned with our appearances." Tora rolled his eyes.
"It's a wonder you weren't born a woman, Saka," he teased, poking his friend.
"Oh shut up," Sakana retorted. "A man that cares for his appearance shows he has a high level of maturity." The four men turned towards the stairs as they heard a giggle.
"Well, you certainly do look nice," Usagi stated, as a slight blush crossed her face. She looked at Mamoru and glared slightly as she came to stand next to them. "Even you, Mamoru." Taka quickly stepped forward before a fight could ensue between the two.
"And you're truly a vision of loveliness, Usa-chan," he stated, taking her hand, and kissing it lightly. She blushed as she regarded the long, semi-form fitting, white dress she wore.
"Thank you, Taka," she murmured. "I …"
"I have to agree with him," Mamoru interrupted, smiling slightly. "You look very nice… That is, when you're not tripping over your own feet." Usagi glared at him as a laugh came from the stairs.
"That was a good one, Mamoru," Shingo exclaimed. He was wearing simple black slacks, and a white button-up dress shirt. "Usagi is a klutz!"
"Oh, be quite, Shingo," Usagi hissed, blushing furiously.
"He's right, Usagi," Chibi-usa chimed in as she, too, came down the stairs. As she skipped down the last two steps, her footing slipped, causing her to gasp. As she began to fall, Mamoru rushed forward and caught her.
"Are you alright, little one," he asked, smiling kindly at her. She blushed as she straightened herself up. She smoothed down her pink dress and gave a small curtsy towards Mamoru.
"Yes, thanks to you," Chibi-usa replied quietly. Usagi rolled her eyes, and she saw this from the corner of her eye. "Usagi's clumsiness must be rubbing off on me."
"That's not surprising," Mamoru said with a laugh. "It'll rub off onto anyone, if they're around her long enough!" The two shared a laugh as Usagi visibly fumed with anger.
"I don't have to stand here and listen to this," she exclaimed indignantly. "I think I'll go see if Mother needs any help." She gave Taka, Tora, and Sakana a small smile, and threw Mamoru, Shingo, and Chibi-usa a disgusted look before turning to go into the kitchen.
"Honestly, the three of you never get enough of teasing that poor girl," Sakana stated, shaking his head slightly.
Within the hour, most, if not all the guests, had arrived at the Tsukino residence. Everyone was family, with the exception of Mamoru, Taka, Tora, and Sakana. Usagi looked around the spacious room, a worried expression on her face. "Where are the girls," she asked inwardly. "I thought they'd be here by now." She sighed out of boredom, as a voice spoke behind her.
"Looking for someone, odango atama," the voice stated. Usagi spun around with an angry look on her face, however it softened slightly as she realized whom it was that had spoken.
"Rei, you're so mean to me," Usagi whimpered. The girl, Rei, smiled and gave Usagi a hug. Rei was wearing a dress similar to Usagi's, only hers was red.
"You know I only do it out of love, Cousin," Rei stated. "Where are Amy, Minako, and Makoto?"
"I haven't seen them, yet," Usagi replied. "I think you're the first to arrive." She looked around the room, and spotted three girls hanging up their coats. "I was wrong, Rei-chan! They're over there, hanging up their coats."
"Hello Amy, Minako, Makoto," Rei greeted as the three girls walked up to them. "You all look very pretty."
"Rei, you didn't compliment me on my dress," Usagi complained, pouting slightly.
"Don't be silly, Usa-chan," Amy said with a smile. "We're all practically wearing the same dress, just different colors."
"I don't see why our parents think it's such a cute idea to have us all wearing the same dress," Minako chimed in. "I saw this beautiful dress at the store, but I was stuck wearing this." The other girls looked at her, and she gave them a sheepish smile. "No offense you guys, but it was a lot prettier!"
"Hey, there's Mamoru," Rei exclaimed, a blush covering her face. "What is he doing here? I thought this was a family affair!"
Usagi wrinkled up her nose at the mention of his name. "It is supposed to be just family," she replied.
"Then why is he here," Makoto asked.
"Well, you know my father works at the University," Usagi began. "And Mamoru and his friends take one of his classes. Well, they didn't have any plans over Christmas, and Daddy told them they could come over."
"Well, at least things will get interesting now," Minako stated. "Where are his friends?"
"Shouldn't you be more concerned with family," a voice teased from behind. The girls spun around, and a smile lit their faces.
"Hotaru, Professor Tomoe," Minako exclaimed. "It's good to see you."
"Please, just call me Uncle," Professor Tomoe replied with a chuckle.
"S-sure, Uncle," Minako replied.
"Usagi, where is Chibi-usa," Hotaru asked, looking around the room.
"Closer than you think," Usagi replied, watching as a pink head darted in between relatives.
"Hotaru," Chibi-usa exclaimed as she hugged the taller girl. "I'm glad you're here."
"Me, too, Chibi-usa," Hotaru replied. "Daddy, can we give everyone their presents?"
"Sure sweetie," he replied with a smile, chuckling again, only this time for no apparent reason.
"Come on, Chibi-usa," Hotaru exclaimed, pulling the younger girl towards the Christmas tree. She turned around when she realized that the teenagers weren't following them. "Aren't you coming?" The girls looked at each other, and then followed the two eager children.
"Uncle Tomoe is so eccentric," Makoto whispered as soon as they were out of hearing range.
"That's not very nice to say, Mako-chan," Amy scolded. "He's just, uh…"
"Go ahead and say it, Amy, because you think the same thing," Makoto pointed out, causing the blue-haired girl to blush.
"Do we even know his first name," Minako wondered out loud, causing the others to laugh. The girls reached the tree, to find that Shingo had joined Chibi-usa and Hotaru.
"You have a present from me and Daddy here, too, you guys," Hotaru stated as she noticed the teenagers. The five girls stopped beside Hotaru, and she gave them each a gift.
"This is a beautiful dress," Minako exclaimed as she pulled the silky material from its' box, after opening the gift. "Hotaru, thank you!"
"Mr. Takashi Saito's cookbook," Makoto exclaimed. "Hotaru, how did you know I wanted this?"
"I overheard you talking about it one time," Hotaru replied. "I was hoping you didn't have it already."
"Well, I didn't," Makoto replied, trailing a finger across the glossy surface of the book. "Thank you!" Hotaru tilted her head to the side with a smile on her face, and then she looked over at Amy as she gasped.
"Do you like your present, Amy," Hotaru asked kindly.
"Yes, it's the best gift I've received so far this year," Amy exclaimed. "It wasn't too much trouble for your father to let me have the book he wrote? I thought it was exclusively for his students?"
"It is, Amy-chan, but Daddy assumes you'll be in his classes one day," Hotaru replied. "He just wanted you to have an early look at the material." Amy sat in stunned silence, a happy look on her face.
"What a beautiful feeder," Rei said quietly. "It's perfect!"
"It is," Hotaru asked uncertainly. "I really didn't know what we could get you, and I was worried you wouldn't like it."
"It's perfect, Hotaru," Rei exclaimed, giving the younger girl a hug. "Phobos and Deimos will love it! I've been meaning to get another one for them, but I just hadn't found the time."
"What did I get, Hotaru," Usagi asked, bouncing up and down excitedly. Hotaru handed Usagi her gift, and she ripped the wrapping paper off. She pulled the lid off of the box, and carefully removed the doll, which lay within. "He's beautiful," she breathed. She ran her finger across the soldier's uniform he wore. Wisps of short, light colored hair could be seen peaking from underneath the hat, and in his hand, he held a tiny musket. "Tell me, Hotaru, what kind of doll is he?"
"He's a nutcracker, Usagi," Professor Tomoe answered, joining the small group. "When I saw him, I knew he'd be a perfect gift for you." He paused, rubbing his chin. "There's even a tale that goes along with him."
"There is," Usagi exclaimed, turning her attention away from the doll, her eyes shining. "Can you tell it to me?"
"Well, of course," Professor Tomoe replied with a chuckle. "The story tells of a soldier Prince and his enemy, the Rat King, and also of the maiden the Prince swore to protect."
Several hours passed, and the Tsukino's guests slowly began to leave. Mamoru and his friends had left earlier in the night, to join Christmas carolers that had stopped by the house. Usagi helped her four cousins find their coats, and walked them to the door.
"I was glad you guys could come," Usagi said from the door. "I guess we'll see you tomorrow, for Christmas dinner."
"Alright, Usagi," Makoto replied. "Good night, then." The others chorused their good-byes, and as Usagi closed the door, she caught part of their conversation.
"Do you think that tale Uncle told us is true," Minako asked. "It sounded so real!"
"Don't be silly, Minako," Rei chided lightly. "The looks on yours and Usagi's faces were priceless! I can't believe you actually believed him!" Usagi didn't hear the rest of their conversation, as they were too far away. Usagi sighed, slightly disappointed.
"That story has to be somewhat true," she thought to herself. "Uncle Tomoe is a little absent-minded, but not even he could come up with a story like the one he told, right?"
"Usagi," Mrs. Tsukino said, breaking through her thoughts. "Dear, why don't you go ahead and go to bed? Your father has already taken Chibi-usa upstairs, and Shingo is on his way. You have an early day tomorrow, so get some sleep."
"Okay, Mom," she replied, giving her mother a kiss on the cheek. "Good night. I love you."
"I love you too, dear," Mrs. Tsukino replied, watching as her daughter picked Luna up off the stair as she made her way to her bedroom. Usagi sighed as she walked up the stairs.
"You don't think I'm silly, too, do you Luna," she asked her cat. "Didn't that tale sound real to you, too?"
"Meow," Luna replied as Usagi entered her room, closing the door behind her. She placed the cat on the bed, and put her nightgown on.
"Even if the tale was fake, it's still nice that the Prince would battle for the maiden," Usagi continued with a wistful sigh. "He sounded so… handsome." She switched the light off, and then climbed into her bed. Luna jumped on after her, and settled down. "Those four guys were cute, too," Usagi continued, reflecting on four of the carolers she and the other girls had noticed. "I liked the one with blond hair, but then again, so did Minako! The other three had long hair, but they looked good with long hair, unlike most guys. Mako-chan seemed to like the one with platinum white hair. And Rei had her eyes on the one with the auburn hair… Even Amy-chan found the guy with honey-blond hair cute!"
"Meow," Luna seemed to ask, sticking her head up and looking at the girl.
"I just can't believe Mamoru knew them," she continued, a frown appearing on her face. "I don't understand how someone like him could have friends like Sakana, Tora, Taka, and those four guys! They're so much nicer than Mamoru is, don't you think?" Luna yawned, and put her head back down. "I must be boring you," Usagi exclaimed as she, too, yawned. "Good night, then, Luna." Usagi closed her eyes, and was soon soothed to sleep by the purring sounds coming from her cat …
"Serenity," a voice asked, shaking Usagi's shoulder lightly. "Serenity, wake up." Usagi sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. When she opened them fully, and her sight came into focus, she froze completely. The room she was in was not her own room, and the people standing around her bed were completely unfamiliar. "Serenity, are you alright," the voice asked again. Usagi looked up into the blue eyes of a man with concern written over her face.
"He's so handsome," she found herself thinking unconsciously. He had short blond hair that curved around his ears, and short, heart-shaped bangs. "He seems so familiar." Usagi opened her mouth to say something, however all that came out was a blood-curdling scream.
To Be Continued . . .
I do not own the rights to the characters in this fanfic. They belong to the appropriate creators/companies. I also do not own the rights to the original story of The Nutcracker, nor do I claim them.
Later, I will write a complete cast of characters list. If I did so now, it would just be a little confusing. Just know that none of the characters are made up, and that they are all characters from SM. I will try and hurry these along, because I want them done before Christmas. Spread the holiday cheer, and leave a review!