A Little Bit of Christmas Magic
Do you ever wonder if there are forces that are beyond your control? That maybe, if only you'd look a little but more closely, then maybe you would be able to catch that glimpse of mystical prowess that you had been searching for? If your immediate answer was along the lines of an absolute negative then you have something in common with Sakura Haruno.
Sakura was sinfully practical in every aspect of her very predictable life. There was no spark of adventure or hint of mystery. Her life was simply and very painfully…boring. It was a tragedy really. It had to be because no single person's life could so hideously average. However, no amount of arguing could change the fact of the matter. Every aspect of her life radiated her lack of pizzazz. From her shoulder length bone straight bubble gum hued hair, to her five foot three stature, to the plain neutral colored clothes that she wore this very moment.
Sakura believed in being practical. There was absolutely no time for such foolish things as frolicking in the fresh powdery white snow, or taking the time to sit in front of a cozy fireplace while watching the flames dance across the hickory wood that lay in the hearth. There was no point in wasting the precious moments of her pitiful existence by stopping to take a sip of the inviting hot chocolate that bid her to come and partake of its rich goodness. There was no time to waste in daydreaming about fantasies that would never come true. No, time was a precious commodity and she would never spend it on such whimsical and trivial pursuits.
She was a social worker after all. There were things to be done and people to be saved from the evil corporate America. She knew for a fact that a three hour's worth of stacked papers cluttered her desk and were demanding for attention. But sadly, she could not attend to them at the present moment in time.
Frustratingly, Sakura picked up the pace as she made her way through the streets of the small rural town where she lived. The sullied snow crunched under her boots seemingly understanding of her irritation as she aggressively pursued the path ahead of her. The pedestrians around her seemed to gravitate away from her and the dark feelings that she was emitting wondering what on earth a young twenty year old woman would have to worry about.
Yes, it was one of those towns. It was one of those classic small towns with the quaint shops and town square that were absolutely cute when decorated for the holidays. It was also notorious for the lack of population, therefore the constant need for gossip and other semi interesting news. In a couple of days, miraculously, the whole town would know exactly what was wrong with the infamously single bachelorette. Or the more probable option would be some other twisted tale of sorts. But now was not the time to think of those things, Sakura reminded herself. She had more pressing and yet annoying matters to attend to.
At this very moment, she was on her way to a toy shop by the name of Drosselmier's. What a weird name isn't that like from a play or something? Sakura thought to herself. Personally, she was impressed. She had never heard of the store's name before, and that was saying something, since she was under the impression that she knew every town in Whisper Bend. Sakura shrugged it off and continued onward in her quest to find the store. She had been sent from her agency to deliver a form of some kind for him to sign. At first, she had protested and inquired as to why they couldn't just send it to his house. The odd response was that they had no kind of address and that if sent in the mail it somehow always failed to reach him. Well that certainly is strange. I mean, what kind of guy is this. He's probably some kind of psychopath. Oh great, that mean's I'm going to see him…alone. Yeah, I'm dead. She thought sarcastically to herself. In all reality, he was probably just some kind of perverted lonely old man who just wanted some attention. Sakura put her hand on her purse thinking of her fully loaded pepper spray. Well he is very mistaken if he thinks for one moment that he is going to get that kind of attention.
After another five minutes of trudging through the icy night air, Sakura stopped in front of her destination. Sakura raised an eyebrow at the odd sight in front of her. Uncle Drosselmier's she mentally read while looking at the old wooden sign that hung against the display window. The whole shop gave off this eerie feeling when she gazed at it. The shop itself had to have been built at least in the eighteen hundreds. Still, the shop itself was in no disrepair. A strong mahogany door with a pleasant welcome sign beckoned the customer to come inside if only to seek shelter from the harsh winter outside. For some reason, Sakura felt a tugging at her heart to satiate this unknown desire and venture inside. That foreign feeling escalated her anxiety. Maybe, she could just say that she lost her way and couldn't find the shop. Yeah, that would work…Wait a minute! What in the world was going on here?! She was acting totally ridiculous and irrational. Nothing was going to happen. This was just an ordinary shop with just another typical shop owner. Why in the world would anything happen to her. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happened to her. So why should she worry?
Without further adieu, Sakura built up the confines of her scattered courage, took a deep soothing breath, and then proceeded to grasp the door's pewter handle. Once she cracked the door open, the warm soothing smell of some kind of baked cookie wafted into her nose. There were also the comforting dimmed lights that were being emanated from the inside of the store. Upon entering, Sakura felt her breath hitch in her throat. The toy store she had entered was something out of a dream. All of the toys that were showcased were made out of a variety of different kinds of wood. Each toy told of a craftsmanship that rivaled prodigious. The soft touches of paint and hand woven clothes accented the fact that this crafter took large amounts of time to accentuate the intricacies of each toy.
Overwhelmed with curiosity, Sakura roamed around the shop, her eyes glancing at the various dolls and toys that adorned the red velvet covered display tables. For some reason, these dolls attracted her attention. Why this was, she wasn't able to decide. But it felt like some uncontrollable force was driving her to search for something. What it was, she had no idea, but ever since she had opened that door, she had felt this soft yet insistent tugging at her heart that urged her to continue onward in this spontaneous quest. Slowly she made her way forward barely glancing at the toys at her side, somehow knowing that this was not the treasure that she had been seeking.
This continued until she reached the very back of the store. There, in the back of the store was what she was looking for. True she had not yet laid eyes on it, but that nagging voice at the back of her mind was almost screaming at her that this was it, her holy grail, the end of her search. Finally, she stopped in front of the table which held the object of her interest. It was funny really, how something so seemingly ordinary had been the sole reason behind the insistent tugging at her heart. But when she gazed upon it, it was all worth it. It was like love at first sight. But no, this wasn't love it was some strange kind of entrancement. Her eyes were fixed upon it, and she could not for the life of her tear her gaze away from it. But why, it was…it was just a toy.
To be more specific, it was a nutcracker. It's just a nutcracker… For some reason, those words seemed like an underhanded insult that was given from someone of high standing to that that of some insignificant commoner. But this was no common man. He was…he was extravagant, intricate, and strangely enough, more mysterious than anyone she had ever met in her entire life. His eyes. Yes…his eyes, they…they seemed to exude the fact that he held a secret, a secret that would not be told even to the most trustworthy of stewards. No, this secret was meant only for one person.
Sakura tried to regain her wits. This was just a simple nutcracker. He was, no, it was just a toy. It was not mysterious, and it certainly did not have secrets. It was just a nutcracker. But despite all of her mind's rationalizations, she simply could not deny the fact that those charcoal painted eyes did indeed hold some kind of an air of mystery about them. Everything about him radiated beauty and mystery. From the obsidian wisps of "hair" that adorned his head to those haunting charcoal eyes, to his perfectly rosy cheeks, to his ornate red prince's outfit, with all of its trimmings. He was nothing short of perfect. He was…
"Excuse me miss, is there something I can help you with?" The sound of a foreign male voice behind her startled Sakura so bad that she literally jumped, gasping in fright. Trying to compose herself, Sakura turned around with the most grace that she possessed. Sakura now looked upon an old man who was exactly her height. The first thing about him that she noticed was the fact that this elderly man had the most peculiar golden colored eyes. They were like molten amber, holding within them the same mysterious secret that the nutcracker had. What? Sakura couldn't help but want to look closer hoping to find the answers in his eyes which she so longed to find. But alas, reason's restraint held her at bay. Her long dormant imagination was getting its revenge on her for lack of use by making her look like a complete fool in front of this old man whom she had never met. Shaking her head, she took in his other features. He had short grey messy hair almost rivaling that of Einstein's. He also had the same type of goatee on his thin wrinkled face. He was a thin man over all. It was a wonder he did not require the use of a cane. The other odd thing about this man was the clothes he wore. They were in a style that clearly spoke of the eighteen hundreds even though they were that of a meager toy shop keeper.
Again, the sound of his voice startled her. To be more precise, it was that of his hoarse chuckle. Sakura blushed embarrassedly when she had figured out that he had caught her staring at him.
"Um, I'm terribly sorry. I just couldn't help but admire this nutcracker. Tell me, did you make this?" Sakura asked curiously. It would be an honor to meet someone who was capable of creating such a work of art. The old man's honey hued eyes held a glint of mischief before he gave a mock bow.
"Miss, you give me too much credit. I am but a simple toy maker, and teller of stories, that is all, if my name isn't Drosselmier after all." Sakura's eyes widened in realization.
"Oh, Mr. Drosselmier, it's a pleasure to meet you." Drosselmier smiled in return.
"So what is it that I can interest you with today? The nutcracker perhaps? You seemed to be quite taken with it." Drosselmier said watching as Sakura instantly glanced back to the nutcracker, a fond look etching itself across her features. Before falling under its enchantment once more, Sakura looked away. Smiling she shook her head.
"Oh no…it's just…there's something about his eyes that I just can't seem to place. It's like… it's like he has some kind of secret that he's holding. I just…wish I knew what it was." Sakura blushed violently when she realized all that she had said.
"Oh please forget what I just said. I must seem terribly silly to you." The mischievous look in Drosselmier's eyes grew ten fold, his eyes sparking with an intense fire.
"Oh no, it rare when one can see beyond the basic appearance of this nutcracker. In truth, I did not create this nutcracker. I had simply…come across it…a long long time ago. Once in my possession, I could never bring myself to part with it. Tell me, do you know the legend of the nutcracker?" Drosselmier inquired, his voice almost lowering to a whisper. Sakura almost laughed.
"You mean like, the play or whatever it is?" Drosselmier almost looked insulted at her response.
"No, that rubbish is only a knock off of something that is not even the legend itself." Sakura's eyes widened. This was getting good. Her whole task for the agency was long forgotten.
"You mean, there's a different one?" Drosselmier smirked.
"Of course my dear, now tell me, would you like to hear it?"