Hey guys! Here's my newest Christmas story! Ever since I joined this site, I promised myself that I would post at least one Christmas story a year. Even if it was just a one-shot. Lucky for you guys, this is not a one-shot! This is a chapter story based on my favorite ballet, The Nutcracker! My mom took me to see this when I first got into performing and I've been in love with it ever since. Then she got me the Barbie version of this story which I absolutely LOVED! (Don't judge. We've all been a Barbie girl at one point in our lives) So, I decided to mash up my favorite ballet and my favorite musical. And thus, this story was born!
I knew it was perfect for Newsies because the nutcracker and Jack act so much alike and so do Clara and Katherine. Just a note though, I saw this ballet when I was about 9, so I don't remember the actual ballet that well. I mostly remember the spectacular dancing. So, I'm pretty much going off the Barbie movie version. I hope you all enjoy and hope you all get into the holiday spirit!
Katherine Pulitzer smiled as she placed her favorite ornament on the Christmas tree in her father's parlor. It was shaped as a ballet dancer with curled auburn hair almost like her own. She sighed as she remembered the night her mother had given it to her. She had just seen her first ballet and her mother wanted her to have something to always remember it by. This ornament was the perfect thing to do it. Their housekeeper, Bertha saw the girl's melancholy expression. It was the expression she always wore when remembering her mother. "It's beautiful, miss." Bertha told her with a smile.
Katherine's face instantly brightened with a smile. "Thank you." She said, "It was a gift from my mother. After I saw my first ballet."
Bertha gently rubbed Katherine's shoulder in sympathy. Her mother's death had taken its toll on the entire Pulitzer family. Katherine stayed strong as best she could, but couldn't always hold back her tears. Her brother, Tommy, hid his emotions better than anyone ever could. And their father, Joe Pulitzer, became stricter with them. "Oh dear." Bertha groaned, looking towards the coffee table. "The mice have gotten into the Christmas boxes again."
Katherine picked up a gingerbread soldier and saw the bite marks. She smirked as she heard crunching coming from behind the couch. She silently crept towards it and behind it, she found none other than Tommy, devouring a gingerbread soldier. "Hey!" He objected as she snatched the cookie from his hands.
"There's your mouse." Katherine smiled at Bertha. Tommy stood up, frosting all over his face. "You might want to wash up before father's guests arrive." She reached forward to wipe some of the frosting off and he slapped her hand away. "I'm sure father will insist on a bath."
With that one word, Tommy dashed towards the bathroom. Bertha and Katherine shared a laugh at her little brother's expense. The laughter ceased when Joe walked into the room. "The tree looks beautiful girls. The guests will love it." He complimented. Just then, the doorbell could be heard. Joe checked the grandfather clock. "Forty-five minutes early. How disrespectful." He left to go answer the door. Katherine looked at Bertha in question and she merely shrugged in response.
"Katherine, dear!" A voice exclaimed behind them. Katherine turned to see a woman with dark hair pulled into an elaborate braid with red berries decorating it and hazel eyes.
Katherine gasped in delight and immediately ran into the awaiting arms of the woman. "Aunt Marie!" She smiled as she hugged her. "It's been so long!"
"I know, dearie." Marie pulled out of the hug and smiled when she saw Katherine's face. "You look just like your mother. She would've been proud."
Katherine blushed at the compliment but suddenly heard, "Aunt Marie!" She turned to see Tommy, all washed up run into a hug with Marie.
"Hello Tommy." Marie greeted. "My how you've grown."
"Probably from all the cookies he's been eating." Katherine joked and Marie laughed. She then saw the packages at Marie's feet. "Oh Aunt Marie, you didn't have to get us anything."
"Speak for yourself." Tommy objected.
Marie laughed and picked up the packages as she led the two to the couch. Tommy sat on the floor with his toy soldiers while Katherine and Marie took up the couch. She handed the blue package to Tommy and the red one to Katherine. Tommy opened his to find new toy soldiers. He thanked Marie and immediately started playing with them. Katherine opened hers and gasped at the sight. "A nutcracker." She breathed. She gently picked up the wooden figure and examined it. The nutcracker had a mess of brunette hair atop its head and was dressed like a prince in red, white and gold with a sword sheathed at his belt. "I love it." She bent its left arm and the mouth opened and closed.
"I knew you would." Marie smirked. "There's a little bit of a story behind this nutcracker that I learned while I was traveling. Would you like to hear it?" Katherine nodded excitedly. She always loved hearing about her aunt's travels around the world.
"I'd rather you not fill my daughter's head with fairytales, Marie." Joe said sternly.
"Katherine has a right to experience what she wants." Marie argued. Joe opened his mouth to say something, but the doorbell rang once more. "And you have guests to attend to." Joe huffed and left to attend to his Christmas Eve's guests. Once he was out of the room, Marie launched into her tale. She was traveling around France when she was stopped by a royal advisor. He said that he was fixated by her beauty and invited her to the king's ball. When she was there, she was approached by the king himself. "He took me by the hand and asked me to dance."
"And did you?" Katherine pressed, gripping the nutcracker in her lap.
"Well, I couldn't say no to the king." Marie laughed.
"Oh. You must've felt like a princess." Katherine sighed dreamily.
"Yes. I did." Marie confirmed. "Then as the dance was ending, I saw this nutcracker placed as a decoration." She pointed to the nutcracker in Katherine's hands. Katherine's smile brightened at the thought that this nutcracker was owned by a king. "The king saw me admiring it and told me a story about a prince who was turned into a nutcracker by two evil brother kings. He told me I could have it and I knew it was perfect for you." Katherine smiled and pulled her aunt in for another hug. When they pulled away, Marie said, "You know, some people believe that this nutcracker still has the heart of the prince trapped inside him."
"That's amazing." Somehow, looking into the nutcracker's chocolate eyes, Katherine believed it to be true.
"A prince?" Tommy repeated, standing up. "Then I'll use him to command my army."
Tommy grabbed for the nutcracker but Katherine kept her grip on it. They played tug-a-war with it until Katherine lost her grip on it. She heard a slight crack noise and Tommy smiled sheepishly at her. "Oops. Sorry." He apologized as he handed her the nutcracker, his left arm hanging limply at his side, now broken.
"You're…" Katherine stuttered angrily for a response, "impossible." She turned away and sat back down on the couch. "I'm sorry." She apologized to the nutcracker, "I'm sure Tommy didn't mean to hurt you." When she lifted the arm, the mouth no longer opened. Looking around, she found a piece of white ribbon beside her. Gingerly taking the broken arm, she tied it in a makeshift sling with the ribbon. "There. Good as new." She smiled at the nutcracker. Katherine must have hallucinated for a moment, because she swore that there was a sparkle in one of his chocolate brown eyes.
That night, the clock read 11:30. Marie and Joe walked into the parlor to find Katherine fast asleep on the couch, now in her nightgown with her auburn curls pulled up into a ponytail. Marie smiled at the nutcracker wrapped protectively in her arms. "We need to wake her." Joe instructed as he wound the grandfather clock.
"And spoil a beautiful dream?" Marie accused, taking in Katherine's peaceful smile, "No. Let her sleep. She'll have her nutcracker prince to protect her." Joe huffed and left the room, Marie following closely behind after putting a blanket over Katherine's sleeping form.
Half an hour later, the whole house was silent. Not a creature was stirring. (A/N First person who can tell me what Christmas story that's from gets a shout-out in the next chapter) Katherine's arm draped down from the couch, hovering right next to her now standing nutcracker. Suddenly, the clock chimed midnight. The owl on top of the grandfather clock gave a hoot. Clanking metal could be heard coming from a mouse hole in the wall. An army of grey mice stormed in through the hole and stood at attention. The nutcracker blinked and took notice of the army. He unsheathed his sword, poising it at the ready. "Well, well, well." A voice came from the mouse hole. Out stepped two mice, dressed in purple and gold attire with a gold crown atop each of their heads. Each was armed with a golden scepter. "It's seems we've got our kindling, Oscar."
"We do, Morris." Oscar sneered, "We just have to break it." They both glared at the nutcracker, receiving an equally menacing glare back. The three circled each other.
"Gimme your worst." The nutcracker challenged. With that, Morris launched himself at the nutcracker. Scepter and sword clashed, creating sparks. When the nutcracker knocked Morris down, Oscar's scepter magically changed into a crossbow. He shot an arrow at the nutcracker only to have it deflected by the nutcracker's sword. It flew across the room, breaking a low-hanging ornament on the Christmas tree.
The breaking glass was enough to stir Katherine out of her sleep. She groaned and looked around, searching for the source of the noise. Her doe-brown eyes widened at the sight in front of her. Her nutcracker fighting a battle with two royally-dressed mice. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. Obviously this was just a sleep induced hallucination. But when she finished, the sight was still in front of her. This is real life. Katherine mentally realized, This is actually happening. My nutcracker is fighting two mice. Suddenly, her nutcracker's sword was knocked from his hand, lodging itself in the fireplace screen. She gasped in fright as she saw one of the mice's scepter change into a battle axe and him closing in on her nutcracker.
Grabbing a vase off the table beside her, she walked over to the scene. "Leave him alone." She demanded.
The mice and the nutcracker looked up in shock. But instead of looking frightened as she had hoped, the mice merely gave her an evil grin. "Oh look." Oscar mused to the nutcracker, "Your savior is here."
"Not for long." Morris sneered. He raised his scepter to point to her face. "Meddling human, towering tall, let my scepter shrink you small."
"Katherine!" The nutcracker shouted, but it was too late.
A blast of red light from the scepter hit Katherine. In mere seconds, she was face to face with the two mice and her nutcracker. Meaning, she was now two inches tall. Her bravery disappeared as she stood close enough to smell the two mice. She was now in their domain. And they were now in control.
How was that? Cause I am seriously loving this. And I also seriously crave your guy's opinions. I know it's a bit early but I was so excited to start this, I couldn't wait. I was probably gonna post it tomorrow night either way so one extra night won't kill you guys. Anyways, R&R please!
Quote of the day: Christmas doesn't come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more... –Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch stole Christmas
Song Suggestion: Snowflakes –Olivia Holt
