This is what happens when I'm working with a ton of fics at once and I'm bored at work when my work is completed - which usually doesn't take long. It was literally written yesterday and today. I wanted to do some sort of Christmas fic and well, this idea just happened to burst in my head. It's basically a Steam Powered Giraffe version of The Nutcracker. Merry Christmas everyone!
Your uncle, Peter Walter Vi was a rather strange one in the family. Then again, the majority of them were strange and you were no exception. He never showed his face due to some temporal rift incident that occurred, causing him to wear a keyhole mask for face. You had grown used to it over the years, despite causing people to look his way during the Walter family Yulemas ball. Peter would usually appear once throughout the night, showcase his new displays, and converse a little bit with the guests before disappearing into the lab. He always seemingly joined the party when the clock struck nine and the owl's wings on the old grandfather clock would flap nine times. It was something eerie, albeit unique about Peter and you wondered if the man had it planned all these years. At this time, he would welcome and thank everyone for coming to the Walter Manor to partake in the Yulemas Ball. He didn't speak much and when he did, it was rather casual which exposed his true age beneath the mask.
As you stood beneath the towering Christmas tree and sipped your drink, your eyes scanned the now parting crowd who gave way to Peter Walter VI clad in a dark suit – a bit off setting from the lab coat he would normally wear, but it was for a ball and it would be a crime to not look formal. Chandeliers glimmered overhead causing his mask to shine as though it were recently polished and making the dark hole in the center seem as black as the night just beyond the window panes. The soft light also caused the ornaments to dazzle, shining bright as diamonds and even the glass for the punch bowl to seem incredibly radiant.
Peter observed the family and spoke with them, sometimes running his hands through his blonde hair. His family (and you as well) lauded Peter Walter VI (if not the entire Walter lineage) for his work in the scientific field. He had made many advancements with Blue Matter and even continued to work on a few singing automatons that his great Pappy Walter had constructed. While the bots were complete, Peter Walter VI always believed there was room for improvement and would immediately offer it to the bots. The family wasn't as big as some wealthy families you had seen in the past, but it was a fairly sizeable amount to throw a party. After a while, Peter Walter VI gestured to two Walter Girls clad in crimson who presented the young inventor with a sack. From the bag he withdrew miniature gadgets and toys he had created for those who had come to the ball as a way of saying thank you.
"I'm sorry, (_)." Peter's concern and sincerity rang through his mask as your crestfallen eyes gazed upon the empty sack.
"I have nothing left to-"
"It's okay." You reassured him. "I'm here with my family, it's all I could ask for. College gets incredibly lonely, you know?"
Peter mused your answer and nodded before giving you a hug as a way of apologizing once more. Turning to Walter Girls Gabi and Chelsea, he nodded to them. Looking at each other, they knew what to do and scampered off for a few moments only to return with two rather large boxes. They pushed with all of their strength as the boxes made their way onto the polished floor where the crowd parted and you stumbled to the side, curiosity taking hold of you and causing you to wonder what Peter had in store.
Once there was enough space, Peter gestured to Walter Girl Chelsea who curtsied and stepped away from the large, lidless box. There was no need for her to do anything to the box before her. The innermost wall was adorned with a blue vortex design glimmering with lights and before it stood a little robot who was once an oven. Clad in crimson and gold for the holidays, he marched out of the box with his glowing green photoreceptors. Each step of his fancy shoes set the beat for his song where he sang about those who wore fancy shoes and how they were different from everyone else and what destruction and pleasure the shoes brought. His movements were erratic, but his eyes never left the crowd as you watched the automaton sing and dance about in wonderment. His name was Hatchworth, you recalled, and you grinned at how amazingly precise his movements were with his song.
Like most of Peter's creations and enhancements, you were spellbound by his work. You didn't see much of the man's creations, having lived away from Walter Manor and being nothing more than a distant cousin studying archaeology in New York. It was a thrilling field and experience, yes, but nothing could ever compare to seeing his steam powered inventions and bots move about as though they were human.
When he was finished, the crowd applauded him greatly and he bowed low to show his utmost of thanks. Walter Girl Chelsea escorted the box out of the room and nodded to Walter Girl Gabi who curtsied and whipped out a drill as she undid the second box. The innermost wall of the container was adorned with a large pair of brass goggles rimmed with gold and lights. Standing in front of them, was a rather gorgeous female bot clad in a red and ebony dress. Her head jolted upward, bearing her silver face plates and possibly the prettiest smile you had ever seen a woman bear. She moved mechanically as she was designed to do and stepping out into the room, the chandelier's glow was captured in her strawberry red hair and her raging electric blue core. Once in place, a cloud of steam shrouded her from her face vents and she carried a beautiful melody.
She sang a song of someone who she affectionately called Honeybee and how the crimson haired bot could not bear to live a life without them. Her movements open and inviting so that people would continue to listen to her and you smiled, her name was Rabbit as a gold automaton next to you whispered her name. You had remembered his name as The Jon, who would travel from Kazooland just for the Walters' Yulemas Ball. He knew how important this event was to everyone in the room and how, despite his departure, he was still considered family – especially to Rabbit. He swayed softly to her song like a few other people in the room and not once did his eyes leave her, recalling the first time she ever crooned this tune. Those were the days when they were performing, away from the war, but always in the eyes of the fans and public. It was days like those that The Jon missed terribly, even while exercising his rightful position as the mayor of Kazooland.
When Rabbit finished, Walter Girl Gabi removed the box from the room as Rabbit ran into the crowd and embraced The Jon with a tight, but loving embrace.
"J-J-Jon, you made it!"
"I wouldn't miss this for the world." He spoke softly and you smiled at the bots' happy reunion. It was a rarity to see The Jon other than Yulemas time, but whenever he appeared it was always welcomed warmly by Rabbit and the other bots. Even Hatchworth hugged The Jon who returned the gesture and beamed at him. However, Hatchworth's grin suddenly faded as his eyes scanned the room and noticed one rather obvious person that was missing.
"Where is The Spine, Rabbit?" Hatchworth asked in his factual tone and Rabbit paused, the cogs turning in her head and upon remembering, she smiled.
"Y-y-y-y-you know, he was up in his room a while ago. He-he-he'll probably be down in a bit."
The Spine never came. 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 45 minutes, and the tall silver bot did not show. Causing some alarm to emerge from Rabbit who knew her brother was a rather punctual bot and that this was incredibly strange of him. Granted, he did enjoy presenting himself in a rather neat fashion, but even so he knew when he was ready to roll. Rabbit informed Peter Walter VI who, if he had eyebrows, would probably raise them in concern and his eyes would widen in the same fashion.
"Listen up!" Peter called from the centermost point of the room and all eyes were on him as the crowd could feel worriment radiate from his frame.
"The Spine is missing! He was last seen in his room! Everyone split up and look for him!"
Without another word, Rabbit, Hatchworth, and The Jon set off into the manor to search for their brother. You joined the search with the rest of the family. Peter knew them all well enough to search through any room of the manor. The basement, everyone knew, was off limits because of the Blue Matter and the vaults being located down there. Were anyone to become trapped in those vaults, you weren't sure what would happen. It was a scary notion to think of and yet you knew you had to search that area. What if The Spine somehow managed to get stuck down there or was being held captive in one of those vaults by some mysterious force? Some items of the Walter Manor were cursed and it wouldn't surprise you if a vault door felt like being a little sneaky toward the good natured automaton.
Whipping out your phone you logged onto the Walter Wifi in case something would occur. You also detested the basement because dark places weren't exactly your forte, especially when it came to cramped locations. Poking your head inside the vaults, you swallowed hard. You couldn't remember why these vaults were constructed, but all you knew was that you could understand Hatchworth's fear of coming down here. He never stepped foot into this place unless need be, but you knew he was searching the manor with the others.
Each vault seemed more gloomy and dark than the last and you swore that if you stared into the shadows long enough you would see a face. It would emerge like some horror story and you would scream and hopefully, not die. The very thought sent shivers down your spine and swallow hard as the air grew colder. Gripping the phone in your hand, your fingers itched for the keyboard. Upon uncovering the last vault, nothing was to be found other than a pair of beady white eyes.
Fear had its ways of manipulating the mind. You knew this based on your psychology courses and your fear of the dark was tantamount. You suddenly regret coming down here, but you knew no one else would come and if they were to, they would be too valuable to lose. You were a cousin of the family who, while loved dearly, was nothing short of something less extraordinary than the bots and Peter Walter VI. Were you to be lost it would be no great concern and so, staring at those white dots you wondered if fear was manifesting yourself in your brain. Logic failed you as you nearly forgot to breathe and tripped over your own feet. The shock of the ground jolted your mind and you began to scramble backward like a disoriented crab.
"S-Spine?" Your voice trembled and you grasped the wall. Your fingers fumbled causing your phone to slip and you prayed your brain was playing tricks on you because it appeared that the eyes were getting closer to you. A sliver of a grin emerged from beneath those eyes and bore the same, soulless shade as you stumbled back.
"Spine?! Stop this, it-it's not funny!" Come to think of it, didn't The Spine have emerald eyes? Your brain began to slightly work properly as you knew the only bot who had ivory dots for eyes and a lethal grin was-
"Oh no…" The Skull. Your phone fell from your fingers and your back hit the wall. There was nowhere else to run and nowhere else to hide and in knowing this, you did nothing more than suck in your breath. Your heart was pounding wildly like your brain and drawing your knees up on yourself, you prepared for the worst. You couldn't bring yourself to scream because of how your teeth chattered in fright and how your lips fought to stay closed into one straight line. Even your throat ran dry as you swore you heard footsteps getting closer and closer to you.
"(_)….(_)," its voice was like the sound of metal clashing with metal and you cringed. Its twang reverberated down the halls as you drew your hands to your ears, not wanting to hear it again.
"(_)…don't be scared. It's just me."
The lights went on, but you still trembled with terror. Your ears stayed on guard in search of any vocal solace while your brain and heart pounded furiously in fright. The world around you seemed nonexistent, even with those lights on. You heard something whirr and kneel before you and you dared not look, believing it was The Skull ready to strike.
"H-h-h-hey, (_)," you recognized that voice as Rabbit's and without hesitation you looked up. Meeting with the blue and green photoreceptors, you felt your heart thrum, no longer beating but thrumming like the wings of a petrified hummingbird.
"It's g-g-gonna be all right." Rabbit cooed and you couldn't help but to wrap your arms around her and bury your head into her chassis. She could feel your pace and her eyes widened, pulling you closer like a mother to a terrified child. Holding you she hummed 'Honeybee' gently which caused your brain to slow and logic to return.
What you had seen in the dark was probably nothing more than fear manifesting itself and playing tricks on you. You had encountered The Skull once long ago when you were a child and to this day, the Becile Bot still scared you. You remembered how tall he stood over your little frame and you knew that he could probably snap your neck in an instant, especially with knowing your relationship to the Walter lineage. In the past, the Becile Bots were attempting to overthrow Walter Manor with their own Wifi and control. When their electronic plan had failed, they resorted to physical tactics and attempted to take any visible human hostage. The Skull had captured you and thrown you into a dark room, albeit only temporarily when a Walter bot emerged and rescued you from any more harm. You couldn't recall who it was, but whoever they were, you owed your life to them.
"Did," you spoke against the fabric. "Did you find The Spine?"
"Not yet."
You weren't sure how long Rabbit held you while you calmed down by the vaults, but after a while Rabbit had suggested that you'd both return to the ballroom. Everyone was meeting up there anyway to discuss The Spine, theorize where he could be if they hadn't found him already, and why he would suddenly be missing. Upon arriving, the family looked at you with worried eyes and watched how you met their stares with a somber, saddened glance of not finding The Spine, but rather a terrible fear of yours.
"(_) was in th-th-th-the vault. I-I-I found 'em."
"Are you okay?" Peter asked with concern and you nodded, the stare still resting on your face. Quickly looking around, Peter knew of your fear and what happened the day the Becile Bots stormed Walter Manor. His mask fell upon a small figure sitting on a present beneath the Yulemas tree and rushing to it, he picked it up and examined it. There appeared to be nothing wrong with it and looking over his shoulder, he saw how you tried to make conversation with Rabbit as your mind still rattled from the experience in the basement. This gift would do or so he believed and he hoped that it would divert your mind from what you had endured.
"Here, you can have this." Peter gently reassured you and handed you a miniature figure of The Spine. He knew it would help calm you some and alleviate the guilt that had been resting on his mind in knowing he didn't have a gift for you.
"I've been working on action figures of everyone to help the band's revenue. And for fun." You swore if he could, Peter would grin at his last statement.
Looking down at the figure in your hands you smiled at how incredibly detailed it was. The slender frame, the emerald photoreceptors, the outline of each fold in his outfit, even the little fedora came off, and exposed his dark hair. It was as though The Spine was shrunken down into a miniature version of himself. Smiling, you embraced Peter and his hands trembled, not used to the gesture, but instantly returned it to avoid awkwardness.
"Thank you, I love it!"
He could hear the remaining fear slither away from your voice and his mind instantly relax. He was able to help someone, he was able to stir you from your terror. Now it was time to tackle locating The Spine. The only thing anyone had found of him was his last Walter Wifi message on December 23rd, while decorating for the Yulemas ball. All it read was: Rabbit, can you get the garland please? I'll be right back.
After that there was nothing more than silence and confusion. Rabbit hadn't seen him after that. Nor did Hatchworth nor any of the Walter Girls (who were helping Peter with the action figures) nor did the band members (who were out Yulemas shopping) nor did Steve (who was testing out sound equipment) nor did QWERTY nor did Bebop. They could only assume that he had been reading somewhere, but where no one knew. The bot tended to cloister himself when it came to reading, wanting nothing more than to be alone while he read, but of course he didn't mind the company.
So they searched on into the night and so did you. It was well into the night when everyone began to grow restless and in need of sleep to which Peter could not blame them for. He then offered the notion of people rotating shifts so that the investigation would never end and people would get some sleep. Rabbit, Hatchworth, and The Jon required no sleep, only water which there was more than enough to be found. When it was your turn to search, you took The Spine figure with you, your brave little figure to help you stand up against the darkness of the night. Walter Manor did look rather terrifying at night, especially when the skies were so pitch black that you couldn't even see your hand in front of you. Tonight was that type of night, despite the candlelight that glowed down the hall or on Yulemas decorations. Their light could only illuminate so much before reverting to darkness and it was in these shadows that you roamed about the manor, searching for the actual Spine.
When you reached the main stairs, you nearly bit your tongue in fear. There were those beady eyes again and your heart stopped beating. The East Wing Hall was ominous and seething with shadows, giving the perfect disguise for those white dot eyes and you stumbled backward. Keeping The Spine figure close to your heart, you stared beyond those eyes in an attempt to see any trace of The Spine or anyone down that hall. You knew people were resting down there if not searching and you swallowed hard, how could they not see these abomination eyes?
Your legs longed to stay rooted to the ground, to show you bore no fear. Yet your feet refused to follow through with that lie and slowly you walked backwards, swearing to your God that those eyes were drawing closer. You could feel your heart reeling once more and your brain scrambling to discern logic from mind games. Your grip on The Spine figure grew tighter as you stumbled back into Hatchworth who was also roaming about this hour, also playing the role of investigator. He caught you with his quick reflexes and you spun to face him.
"Are you okay, (_)?"
"Yeah, sorry, I'm-"
"It is all right." Hatchworth was possibly the most robot of them all when it came to his voice. It was something rather endearing that could easily be overridden by his grasp of humanity when he joked around with his siblings. Upon seeing The Spine figure in your hands, he had an idea to cheer you up. Asking to see the figure, you gave it to him to which he positioned the figure so that The Spine looked like a zombie.
"Braaaaaaiiiiins," Hatchworth groaned like the undead and made The Spine walk like one, causing you to giggle. Your fear began to subside as he made the figure crawl up your arm, causing you to laugh harder. He continued this action for a few moments before Rabbit appeared and asked to see it. Rabbit changed the zombie position so that The Spine's arms were over his head and she made whooshing noises while making him fly like Superman. You laughed harder at this and nearly doubled over as Rabbit smiled at Hatchworth who in turn bore the same emotion, content to see you less fearful of the dark. Rabbit ran towards you with The Spine in Superman position, but as she swooped her hand over the steps, The Jon playfully bumped into her causing her grip to loosen on The Spine figure.
Your eyes widened in horror as you watched the figure tumble down the stairs, your heart cracking with every thud. Rabbit too felt her core shatter, not meaning to cause you any harm as she reached for you. The Jon reeled on his heel with his hands covering his mouth as he felt what appeared to be guilt wash over him.
"Spine!"
Everyone came bolting from their rooms as they heard you scream his name. It was though they weren't asleep, but rather lying in bed waiting to hear of any word about their friend. Even Peter Walter VI came running as he grabbed Rabbit who gripped the railing, terrified of what she had accidentally done. The Jon had pressed himself tightly against a wall as you charged down the stairs and gripped the figure close to you. Peter appeared at your side quietly like a cat and knelt down, taking the figure into his hands. Only the jaw was broken off and the clothes were a bit scuffed with white marks, but both injuries could be easily repaired. Rubbing the marked figure against his jacket, he noticed the spots had faded. Ripping off a shred of his coat, he tied the jaw to the figure and once more you hugged him with all the gratitude you could muster.
"Listen, maybe you should get some sleep. You look exhausted and I know how you're scared of the dark. I'll put him in the ballroom and fix him up later once we find The Spine."
Maybe you should go get some sleep. The Jon and Rabbit apologized profusely for what had just unraveled, but you embraced them dearly and told them that it would be all right. This seemed to calm them and with this, you decided that it would be best to sleep and so returning to your room, you crawled into bed. However, like everyone else in Walter Manor you found that sleep was impossible to attain. Every so often you could hear the creaking of footsteps of people passing by, searching for the automaton or even the brief conversations about him in the halls. None of these things were helping you and so you crept out of your bedroom, seeking solace from your action figure.
Upon entering the ballroom, you found The Spine figure resting beneath the tree. Your only relief in this long night, you raced forward and took him into your arms and held him like a child that had been reunited with their favorite toy. Behind the tree rested a window pane with cushioning and you snuggled up in the corner with your still broken action figure. It was chilly here, but you didn't mind it. Even the falling snow offered some comfort as you rested your head against the pillowed nook.
The grandfather clock chimed nine and your body jolted upward, the figure still secure in your hands. Rushing to the clock you had found it rather odd that the clock had chimed nine when in actuality it was three am last you checked before you entered the ballroom. Furrowing your brow, you wondered what had happened. There was no way it was already Yulemas evening, surely someone would have - from the clock's frame emerged a man you had known all too well, breaking your thoughts. The only one without a face and for some reason, you couldn't help but to slowly retreat from Peter Walter VI. His mask seemed much omniscient with its vacant stare tinged with something foreboding. It was as though his mask was attempting to replicate the leery, sinister glare of the owl as you found yourself retreating from the clock and hitting the chaise that suddenly appeared behind you.
From Peter Walter VI's hands emerged what appeared to be some sort of handheld game controller. You knew the man was a geek at heart and if he could, he would grin like the Cheshire Cat. His hands were idle at the controls as his inventions that he had distributed as presents came forth from beneath the tree. Silver ballerinas with miniature steam boilers twirling, tiny metal men with steam powered marches, miniature metal mice that scurried about, and caused you to curl up on the chaise. He watched you emotionlessly, allowing the scene to play out of those toys parading and dancing around you before activating the controls.
Those toys began to slowly grow, the mice now bearing all four feet, the metal men now donning intricate medals, and the dancers gaining detail in their tutus. They whirled about your position on the chaise before fleeing and roaming about the ballroom, admiring the growth of their environment. Even the walls seemed to reach higher and higher, making you feel incredibly small as you felt the need to escape. Placing the figure on the chaise, you knew he would be safe as you started to search for some sort of exit while the clock that Peter stood upon only climbed higher. Walter Girls Chelsea and Gabi appeared alongside of him, bearing clipboards and marking down the happenings before them. You reached for them, uncertain as to what was happening. His fingers fiddled with the controls more as you felt your heart pound in confusion as to why he was doing this.
"Hope you don't mind, I'm just testing some things out." He called down to you and you sort of did mind, but for the sake of Peter's strangeness and Yulemas you allowed the experiment to unravel.
The presents stretched now with the furniture, except for the chaise which the girls marked down as a 'failed' experiment. Your eyes widened with every growth of each object as even the window pane seemed to be dragged upward by some transparent puppet strings, followed by the Yulemas tree which once towered over the ballroom now grew exponentially in size. You wondered how far it would stretch and if it would even shatter the roof of the manor. Laughing softly at the notion, it wouldn't surprise you given the wondrous yet weird antics of the Walter family. The ornaments were quadrupled and bloomed like flowers, giving way to more glimmer and glow. Even the lights seemed to burst and grow like a thousand stars in the darkness. You didn't care if you were the size of a mere thimble now and that all the toys were the same height as you. It was too wonderful and strange to question as you stared upward into the endless boughs of the decorated tree and wondered how exactly Peter managed to accomplish all of this.
"Everything worked but the chaise….good to know." Peter called out. You confirmed his words with two thumbs up as your eyes marveled at everything around you. Yet your beloved Spine figure was nowhere to be found. You searched everywhere but couldn't locate it as your heart sank some – first The Spine himself was gone and now the figure.
It was at then that your crestfallen eyes fell upon something rather…..strange. From a present box emerged a line of copper African elephants, their trunks looped around each others' tails as they marched from an open present box. You had heard of those elephants before from the Weekend War where the Walters fought against the Beciles. You couldn't recall much because no one had really spoken of it, but you knew very well who the Becile Bots were. The Skull had never left your memory since that fateful day and you feared him terribly. Those elephants from the present box like soldiers, one foot after the other with their eyes glowing green. They weren't the soft green that had dominated The Spine's optics, but rather a harsh shade that sent you reeling on your heels.
You retreated as quickly as you could to avoid the march of the elephants. Some had cannons strapped to their sides while others bore military metal men and elephant drivers ready for action. Their emerald eyes were just as cold as their mounts as you tripped over your feet, unnerved by their prowess and the possible power they held. You watched as more of them emerged from other opened boxes as though their chains were never going to end. The floor was dominated with pachyderm masses as they stood as still as the hills.
From the shadows a silvery action figure's eyes began to glow green. The miniature sculpted power core began to glimmer faintly as though starting up, though its jaw still could not lower or bite. Its optics darted about and seeing the throng of elephants approaching you it moved as quietly and quickly as it could, deeper into the shadows waiting for the perfect moment to strike.