A/N: I don't own Hetalia or any of its characters, or any fairytale I use. Dedicated to Trisana Tennant, who wanted some love for Russia!

Guide

R = Russia

A = America

Clara and the Nutcracker Doll

It was Christmas Eve, in a certain year, and a young girl named Ivana (who may just grow up to be an enchantress, you never know…) and her brother Nat.

R: O-oh no… B-Belarus…?

No, no, you'll be fine. She's not a main character in this story either.

Both children were excitedly waiting their Uncle Morozko*, and they jumped up when they heard a knock on the door. Then their uncle came in, smiling and shaking the snow from his coat. In each hand he carried a box, tied up brightly with paper and ribbons.

R: Presents, da?

A: I love presents!

R: Ah, but they are not for you.

A: Well, eah, so? I'm he hero in this one! So ha! And you have to be the girl.

R: So Amerika will be rushing to my rescue, then, da…?

A: W-well, th-that is, I…

I think that's about enough… I'll keep going and save you the embarrassment, America.

Let's see… Nat's present was a brightly-painted sailboat, and Ivana's was a doll with very long legs, painted like a soldier. It was detailed and lovely, with bright blue eyes, and a small bit of blond hair peeking from the painted cap.

A: Hey, wait a minute…

"Oh, but who is he?" Ivana asked her uncle curiously.

"He's a nutcracker doll," he responded, smiling. "Watch."

Then he went into the kitchen and grabbed a nut from a bowl on the table. Next, he placed it in the doll's mouth, then pushed his legs tight together. The shell cracked neatly in two, and Uncle Morozko handed Ivana the nut, and she ate it, delighted with her present.

"He's wonderful, Uncle!" she grinned, purple eyes shining.

And Nat scowled. He didn't like how happy his sister seemed with her new toy. Like she liked it better than him. So he ran over and snatched the doll away, and then stomped on it.

"No!" Ivana cried, eyes tearing up. "Stop, you'll break him!"

Uncle Morozko dragged Nat from the room, frowning. As Ivana bent down and picked up her nutcracker doll carefully, she could hear her uncle scolding Nat in the other room. There wasn't even a scratch.

A: Whew!

"Oh, you're not broken!" Ivana exclaimed, smiling and cradling the nutcracker close to her.

Then, the poor girl yawned, tired from staying up so late to wait for her uncle to show up. She curled up on the couch and fell into a deep sleep.

She woke up with a start, hearing the clock in the family room chime midnight. Ivana had been asleep for some hours, and a large quilt had been draped over her, and a pillow set beneath her head. Butas she looked around for her nutcracker doll, he was nowhere to be found.

R: Oh no… He is lost, da?

Oh, I don't think you'll need to worry. Because…

Just at that moment, Ivana heard the stamping of many feet. And from one side of the room came an army of mice, led by a very large rat king with glittering eyes, like flashing jewels. And then, out of Nat's room marched all of his toy soldiers, led valiantly by the nutcracker doll.

A: Aha! The hero has arrived!

And then, right before her, the two armies began to fight; and soon, the mouse king had the poor nutcracker doll backed up right against the couch that Ivana was sitting on.

"No you don't!" Ivana snapped at the mouse, taking off her slipper and throwing it right at the mouse king.

It hit him in the head, and he hit the floor heavily. The nutcracker toppled as well.

R: It seems as if I have saved you, da?

A: Sh-shut up! I'll probably save you later! A-and from something waaaaay more dangerous than a silly mouse! Y-yeah!

R: …

I-is he laughing… How strange. I-I think I'll get back to the story…!

Anyway, Ivana reached down to pick up her nutcracker doll, but he grew before her eyes, and was transformed into a handsome young man with sparkling blue eyes and soft blond hair.

"You saved my life…" the man said softly, picking up Ivana's slipper, and kissing it softly before placing it back on her foot. "I'll never forget it."

"B-but who are you?" Ivana questioned, face flushed and red.

"I'm Alfred, the Nutcracker Prince," he explained, smiling. "Will you come visit my kingdom? It's the Kingdom of Sweets; no human has ever been there before!"

A: Hah! I'm a prince! Finally!

She nodded mutely, taking his outstretched hand. And then, they were inside a boat, sailing off across snowy water. But with Alfred still holding her hand, Ivana felt warm, as if wrapped in the thickest of furs. When they arrived at a dock, Ivana looked up at the huge castle before her, and was dazzled immediately.

The palace was made of frosting and sugar, with chandeliers of sparkling lemon drops. And, to her surprise, Prince Alfred led her to a large peppermint throne.

A: Now that would be just about the best palace ever!

R: It sounds nice…

"You can sit here," he told her sweetly. "The show is about to start."

"Show?" Ivana questioned, purple eyes wide.

"All of your favorite sweets will dance for you!" Alfred explained.

And as he said so, dancers twirled into the middle of the room. Two in the center wore costumes of brown velvet.

"Oh, they're chocolates, of course!" Ivana grinned, clapping.

And the dancers became chocolates!

Then, young girls trooped in wearing rounded, candy-colored dresses.

"Fruit drops!" Ivana whispered in wonder.

Then, a pair of tall, thin men in black wobbled around the ballroom, two and fro. Licorice!

"And now…" Prince Alfred said softly.

And as soft music tinkled in the background, a lovely, dainty woman in a sparkling dress whirled around, toes pointed delicately as she danced ballet.

R: Ballet… How lovely it must have looked, da?

"Who is she?" Ivana asked breathlessly.

"That's the Sugar Plum Fairy," Alfred told her.

And as the Fairy finished her dance, Alfred held out his hand to Ivana. Surprised, she accepted; and then she was twirling across the sugared floor with the prince, dancing just as gracefully as the Fairy had. It was glorious! Everything around her spun and blurred, and all she could see was Alfred's smiling face.

And then, all at once, she awoke. Ivana was tucked into her bed, with the nutcracker doll in her arms.

"What a lovely dream…" she murmured.

A: D-dream? What?

R: Shhhh. The story is not over yet, da?

No, it's not quite done yet…

Because as Ivana drifted off to sleep again, the little nutcracker doll smiled.

And he thought, perhaps she will come back to the Kingdom of Sweets soon.

A: Yeah… I like that ending better.

R: Me too.

The End

* Morozko is another name for Old Man Winter/General Winter, in Russian folklore. I found it fitting; so yes, General Winter cameo!

PS: Anyone else find it funny that even though America is actually the guy in this story, he's STILL the one getting saved/in distress…? Poor Alfred…