Izzy: Hey! Here's another story inspired by a childhood classic. If you haven't guessed it, it's based off the Nutcracker.
Roecliff: I think everyone got it from the title.
Izzy:Hope you enjoy this story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda!
"At last! It's Christmas!" Zelda said with a sigh.
The little girl stared outside her window at the new fallen snow. She couldn't wait for the party to start! She had been waiting all month for it. Soon, family and friends will be over, including Godmother Impa, whom she admired dearly.
She then saw people approaching her house. Excited, she ran toward the door. Her father was already there, welcoming them as they came in.
She greeted them as well as she curtseyed in her festive dress. Gifts and food poured in through the door and music began to play.
She then saw her cousin Groose with his two brothers, Cawlin and Stritch, running in with wooden birds.
"Out of the way!" Groose shouted as he pushed passed Zelda.
She huffed in annoyance. She never liked her cousins. They drove her nuts!
Soon, the party was booming. Adults danced the night away and everyone had their share of delicious foods and decadent desserts. Zelda got to try a Christmas tart made by Mr. Talon's daughter, Malon. They were delicious.
Then, the door opened, and Godmother Impa walked in with a smile.
"Greetings, everyone!" she said. "Sorry I'm late."
"No worries, madam," Zelda's father replied as he took the woman by the hand. "Glad you could make it."
"And where are the children?" Impa asked. "Gather them around so I may give them their gifts!"
The children ran to her so that each could receive their gift. Zelda waited impatiently behind her cousins and friends for hers.
Finally, her turn came, and Impa looked down at her and smiled.
"Ah, yes! My Goddaughter, Zelda," she said as she pulled out a box. "This one, I specially made for you."
Zelda quickly opened her gift. She lifted the lid and found inside a nutcracker. It had a giant head with blue eyes and a green cap on its head. It wore a green tunic and possessed a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.
"Oh, he's handsome!" Zelda said admiring the gift.
"Oh, my!" her father commented. "What an extraordinary gift!"
Soon, everyone was admiring Zelda's nutcracker. It certainly looked wonderful. Zelda smiled as she hugged her gift close.
She stood up and began to dance with it. As she twirled around, she gazed upon her doll and his handsome blue eyes. Something about those eyes seemed so real to her.
"A nutcracker?! Get real!"
Her cousin, Groose, came up from behind her and snatched the toy away.
"Groose! Give it back!" Zelda yelled.
"Oh, you want it back?" Groose said with a teasing look. "Come and get it!"
He then threw it to Cawlin, who caught it.
"Can't catch it! Can't catch it!" the boy taunted with his tongue out.
He then tossed it to Stritch. He caught it with a stupefied laugh, then tossed it back to Groose.
The tossing game kept going and Zelda's patience began to wear thin.
"Groose, this isn't funny!" she reamed.
"Catch, Cawlin!" Groose said as he threw the nutcracker again.
Cawlin missed and the nutcracker fell on the floor.
"NO!" Zelda shouted with tears in her eyes.
She ran over to her toy and picked it up. Its jaw was cracked and hanging out.
"You moblin bullies!" Zelda cried.
It was then that her father stormed in followed by the cousins' mother. When they saw the situation, the mother grew angry and grabbed Groose by the ear and dragged him into the kitchen. The other two boys followed cringing.
"I'm sorry about your nutcracker, Zelda," her father apologized. "Perhaps it can be fixed."
"Here, my dear," Godmother Impa told her as she took the doll.
She pulled out a handkerchief and tied it around the nutcracker's head. "There! That should hold it."
"Thank you, Godmother Impa," Zelda thanked.
She placed the precious doll under the tree and watched it for the entire party.
After the celebration was over and everyone went home, Zelda's father sent her to bed. She tossed and turned, but couldn't get her mind off of her nutcracker. She decided to sneak downstairs to see it.
When she got to the tree, she saw that the nutcracker was still there. She picked it up and cradled it in her arms.
"Oh, nutcracker," she whispered as she struggled to keep awake. "I wish you were real! Then we could have...yawn...lots of fun together...and I wouldn't...feel...lonely…"
The clock suddenly rang as Zelda snapped open her eyes. She then noticed that the nutcracker was gone and the tree she was under seemed to have grown very...very...very big.
The ornaments and presents seemed like giants.
"What happened?" she thought aloud. "Why are they so big?! Or...am I just small? Oh dear!"
Suddenly, in stormed an army of moblins with clubs and swords. Popping out from behind the moblins came a man dressed in a gray furred cloak and a crown on his head. His pants was lined downward with a pattern of diamonds. His short, white hair covered one side of his face, but his sharp, gray eyes shined like steel from the purple makeup under his eyes.
"Go forth, my minions!" he declared merrily. "You must capture the sweet maiden with the golden hair so she will become my queen! I, Ghirahim, the Moblin King, command it!"
Maiden with the golden hair? Zelda thought. The Moblin King?
Ghirahim turned and spotted the girl.
"There she is!" he said while placing his white gloved hands over his heart. "Get her for me! Get her!"
"ME?!" Zelda declared in fear.
She turned to run. She didn't want to become anybody's queen, let alone this freak. But the moblins were gaining on her.
"HELP!" she shouted. "HELP! SOMEBODY!"
She was suddenly surrounded by the ugly creatures and grabbed by them, then shoved forward to meet the Moblin King.
"Ah, young princess!" Ghirahim greeted. "You are very fair to look upon. I've heard so much about you and your beauty! And, now, seeing you for the first time with my own eyes has filled my heart with rainbows! You need someone just as glamorous to be your devoted spouse and I'm very glamorous, indeed!"
"No! I don't want to be your queen!" Zelda said with tears in her eyes.
"Hold it right there, Moblin King!" shouted a male's voice.
Zelda looked behind beyond the moblins. Leading hundreds of tin soldiers was her beloved nutcracker. His head still had the handkerchief tied above his head. His sword was drawn and his shield was in front of him in defense.
"Release the fair maiden or face my blade!" the nutcracker warned.
"Hmph!" Ghirahim the Moblin King huffed. "You certainly are persistent. You make me feel sulky! Frowns all around!"
The Moblin King whipped a sword out of nowhere, and swung it toward the nutcracker.
"Such behavior," he said in an unsettling matter. "A mischievous nutcracker like you needs to be dealt with firmly!"
The evil king sped towards him and attacked the nutcracker. The doll defended himself with his tools quickly.
As for the tin soldiers and the moblins, they attacked each other with full force.
Zelda stood stunned at the scene. She watched, most of all, her precious toy fighting an evil man that wanted to marry her. The nutcracker seemed strong, but the evil king was going to overtake him. The nutcracker fell to the ground, almost defenseless. Zelda had to come up with something quick.
She then pulled off one of her shoes and threw it at Ghirahim's head.
The Moblin King stood stunned at what happened, then the nutcracker stabbed him in the gut.
"NOOOO!" Ghirahim gasped. "But I'm...fabulous! I must not...be defeated by...a puny...nut...cracker…"
Then, the evil king fell to the ground. The moblins upon seeing this ran off in fear of the nutcracker's sword.
Zelda walked over and retrieved her slipper and put it back on. She watched her nutcracker rise, but his head suddenly changed to something more human. Underneath the hat was golden brown hair and his blue eyes sparkled with life. He smiled at the girl.
"Thank you, fair Zelda, for saving my life," he said gratefully. "I am Link, Prince of the Sugar Plum Kingdom."
"A prince?" Zelda said in surprise.
"My sweet maiden," Link said. "I have been under the curse of being a nutcracker for many years. Because of you and your help in defeating the Moblin King, I am now free from the curse. Come with me to my kingdom."
"Where is your kingdom?" Zelda asked. "And how do we get there?"
"My kingdom is beyond the world of dreams," Prince Link replied. "And we will get there by a flying loftwing."
"A loftwing? What's that?" Zelda asked again.
Then, from out of nowhere, a crimson colored loftwing appeared above them and landed on the ground before them.
"Climb on, my lady," Link said as he hopped on and offered his hand.
Zelda took it and was hoisted upon it. Then, the majestic bird took off toward the ceiling. The girl was afraid of them crashing into it and quickly closed her eyes. When nothing happened, she opened them and saw that they were flying in the night sky. Stars and clouds flew by them.
Then, a large star rose before them, appearing like the sun rising off the horizon. Then, when the blinding light subsided, Zelda saw a glistening city before them.
"There it is," the prince told her. "The SugarPlum Kingdom!"
Zelda had never seen anything like it! The ocean they soared over appeared like glass that reflected the warm colored sky above. The island upon the sea was majestic with a castle that sparkled like sugar.
The loftwing landed before the entrance of the castle. As they got off, a figure in a purple dress with flowing purple and light blue sleeves floated from the castle.
"Welcome back, Prince," she greeted with a robotic voice. "We have been waiting for you."
"Zelda, this is the Sugar Plum Fairy," Link introduced. "She is my right-hand in everything."
"Actually, my prince, I only take care of 93% of the things you command me to do," the fairy corrected.
"No need for specifics," Link said with a grin. " Prepare us a banquet! We are celebrating our victory over the Moblin King, and it will be done in Zelda's honor!"
The Sugar Plum Fairy bowed and quickly, yet gracefully, flew off within the castle.
Suddenly, many colorful balls of light swirled and twirled around like snowflakes. They surrounded Zelda and spun all around her. When they pulled away, the little girl noticed her nightgown had transformed into an elegant sky blue dress. Her wrists had metallic blue bracelets and her head was adorned with a beautiful tiara.
When Zelda looked at the prince, she saw that his tunic looked cleaner and he wore a crown on his head and a long, red cape.
"May I, princess? " he asked while offering his hand.
"Gladly," Zelda replied and took it.
They walked within the castle. The hall they entered was already decorated for festivities. There were many different creatures standing and cheering. The Prince led Zelda to a pair of thrones and both took their seats.
The celebration began!
Zelda watched many dancers come out and perform for them. The first group were a bunch of Kikwi bouncing around in their own special way. Then, there were the Parella who swam through the air. The Gorons came and performed on drums and did strange dances. Mole creatures called mogma trapezed on their hands.
Then, the Sugar Plum Fairy did a number as well. She danced to the harp and lute like a delicate ballerina.
After her, Prince Link stood up and asked for Zelda to dance with him. The young maiden giggled and accepted. She danced with him as if she had always known how to. All she could do was stare into his eyes as they spun around together.
Suddenly, the clock struck!
"It is time, Zelda," Link told her.
"Time for what?" the young girl asked.
"To go home," he told her.
"But why?" Zelda asked upset. "I don't want to go home! I want to stay here with you!"
"It cannot be," the prince told her. "Don't fear. I will always be with you."
The clock struck again.
"Come, I'll take you back on the loftwing," Link told her.
The crimson loftwing appeared right then and both the nutcracker prince and the saddened Zelda climbed aboard. They flew off into the starry night. Zelda held on to the prince within her arms.
The clock struck once more.
Zelda woke up lying under the tree with her nutcracker in her arms.
"Zelda?" she heard her father say.
She looked up at him. He had a puzzled look on his face.
"What are you doing down here?" he asked.
"Well...I…" Zelda started to say. "I didn't...I didn't want to leave my nutcracker all alone."
Her father smiled.
"Oh! And then weird things happened!" Zelda said getting excited. "There was this Moblin King who wanted to marry me! And my nutcracker was really a prince! I met the Sugar Plum Fairy and…"
"Zelda, dear," her father interrupted. "It was probably all a dream. But...it does sound like a magical one."
"But-" Zelda started to protest.
"Go on upstairs and get dressed," Gaebora told her. "Your Godmother Impa is coming over to visit. And she's bringing her nephew from out of town."
Zelda obeyed and quickly ran up the stairs, bringing the nutcracker with her. She changed into a dress and fixed her hair to make it look neat. Just as she grabbed her nutcracker from the bed, she heard the front door opened.
"Gaebora! Zelda!" she heard Godmother Impa say. "We're here!"
Zelda headed downstairs. When she got to the bottom of the steps, she spotted her godmother and a little boy about her age in a green tunic.
Zelda stared at him.
The boy looked a lot like the prince in her dream!
"Hi," she said to him. "I'm Zelda. What's your name?"
The boy blushed a little.
"Link," he said quietly.
"Link…" Zelda said with a smile.
She looked down at her nutcracker and then up at the boy.
"Here, do you want to play with my nutcracker?" she asked.
The boy shrugged. "Sure."
Zelda took the boy by the hand and led him to the Christmas Tree.