Negima 2: Our Beautiful Christmas Dream

Chapter 14: Konoka's Nutcracker Adventure

While Rose warmed up in the future, returning to the past, Konoka was sitting by the fireplace admiring the Christmas tree. She smiled as she looked at the beautiful Christmas decorations that were hanging from the branches. The one that caught her eye in particular was the nutcracker hanging near the bottom of the tree. Setsuna came into the room with a cup of cocoa in both of her hands.

"Hey Konoka. What ya doing?" Setsuna asked. Konoka looked up at her and smiled.

"Oh. I'm just admiring the Christmas tree is all." Konoka said "It's really beautiful." Setsuna agreed as the girls worked very hard on it together. Setsuna handed Konoka one of the cups in her hand.

"It's getting late. Are you coming to bed soon?" Setsuna asked "Everyone is already asleep." Konoka looked up at Setsuna.

"I will. Just give me a few more minutes." Konoka said. Setsuna chuckled and walked off. She reminded Konoka not too late and Konoka told her to stop acting motherly to her. She put her cup down on the nearby table and laid down on her stomach to see the nutcracker.

"This is such a cool nutcracker. You know something? You're a lucky little ornament to be apart of Nekane's ornament collection for so long. She must REALLY care about you a lot." Konoka said. She sighed and looked at it's face.

"Oh. If you were real, I would really love to meet you." Konoka said. She slowly picked the nutcracker off the tree branch and she sat up with it still in her hands. Just then, Konoka's eyes were starting to droop a little. She could still see the nutcracker in her hands but it was blurry.

"Wow. I.....really am tired." Konoka said dazed. She yawned and said maybe a little snooze couldn't hurt her. She put the nutcracker on the ground and Konoka laid down and fell asleep. The next time she opened her eyes, everything had grown larger! She sat up and yawned. She stretched her arms out wide and looked around. When she saw everything, she shrieked in fear.

"Wha....what happened?!" Konoka said. She saw a giant clown doll that was under the tree and ran off. She crashed into a giant stuffed bear and shouted as she ran. But she accidentally tripped on some dangling tinsel and her foot was caught. She could hear someone coming towards her.

"Please! Don't hurt me! I come in peace!" Konoka said putting her arms up. But when she looked again, she saw Setsuna in a nutcracker soldier uniform and she was smiling at her.

"Huh? Set....Setsuna?" Konoka said.

"Who?" Setsuna said. She drew her sword and cut Konoka's leg free. She tipped her hat to Konoka and bowed.

"Thank you for your kindness Konoka. It made me feel good to hear such kind words." Setsuna said. She put her hat back on and the two looked at each other. Konoka still had an after shock after seeing Setsuna the same size she was.

"Setsuna? Is that....really you?" Konoka said feeling her face. Setsuna chuckled and held Konoka's hand.

"I do not know who you are speaking of. Do I remind you of someone perhaps?" Setsuna said. Konoka wasn't sure if this was the REAL Setsuna or someone who sounded and looked like her. But she didn't care. All Konoka knew was she felt much safer with her around.

"Oh.....you kind of do. But...it's OK. Thanks for.....helping me free." Konoka said. Setsuna asked Konoka if she would like to look around with her and she said she would love that. So, for the next half hour, the two of them played and laughed as they explored the magical place that the bottom of the tree was. They skated with candy cane skates, they climbed on top of some boxes and leaped onto a soft bunny doll stomach and other fun games.

"Wow! This is so much fun! Thanks!" Konoka said. Setsuna smiled and said she was welcome.

"Just remember Konoka. I'm always here.....to protect you." Setsuna said. As Konoka and Setsuna looked at each other smiling, they heard a wild shaking coming from one of the presents. As the sound intensified, Konoka hugged tightly on Setsuna. When the box bursted open, out came a giant rat in a crown and cape! It was the Rat King!

"Ha ha! Konoka! There you are!" the rat said. Setsuna told Konoka to stay behind her. She drew her sword and pointed it at the rat king. He started charging towards the two of them.

"Don't worry Konoka! I swear to protect you!" Setsuna shouted. But the rat king used it's tail and smacked Setsuna away. She landed on top of a jack-in-the-box and it's top popped. She went flying into the tree and got caught in a light strand. The rat king laughed and pulled out some kind of magic sceptre. And in a flash, he trapped Konoka in it and made a run for it! Setsuna got down quick enough to see the rat king running away.

"Miss Nutcracker! Help me!" Konoka shouted as loud as she could. Setsuna drew her sword and chased after him. But the rat king hopped in a passing toy train and he looked back with a evil grin. He laughed triumphantly as the train magically vanished! Setsuna stopped in her tracks.

"Huh? What? But how?!" Setsuna said "Something's fishy here." Just then, she heard someone say "You're telling me." right behind her. Setsuna looked and she saw Asuna as a tiny faerie with wings!

"Huh? Asuna?" Setsuna said. Asuna told her this was Konoka's dream and she could make ANYTHING happen. Setsuna asked why she was a faerie and Asuna shrugged. She said that this felt SO wrong being this small.

"So, what kind of faerie are you?" Setsuna said.

"Me? I'm the magical snow faerie that can help you reach the rat king's secret hideout." Asuna said. Setsuna said that was handy and asked for Asuna's help. Asuna agreed and she used her powers to make them vanish. When they re-appeared, they were higher up in the tree and they saw the rat king tied Konoka up in rope against the middle of the tree. He had a crown with him and he was trying to crown her!

"I know I like shiny jewels like any other girl....but I don't want that on my head! I CAN'T be your queen!" Konoka said.

"Yes you ARE! Now let us reign together!" the rat king said. He tried to crown Konoka but she kept moving her head quickly. The rat king was getting very annoyed. He told her to stay still but Konoka said she would never. The rat king hooked her head under one of his arms and he was about to crown her! But just then, Setsuna leaped onto the branch they were on.

"Halt! Release that girl you filthy excuse for royalty!" Setsuna shouted pulling her sword out. The rat king grabbed his sceptre and went to battle with Setsuna. As the two of them clashed, Asuna reached Konoka.

"Asuna?" Konoka said. Asuna told her that she would have to make up BIG time for this. She tried to make the rope vanish but she either made it tighter or made the knot worse!

"Stupid stick!" Asuna shouted. Meanwhile, Setsuna was winning the clash with the rat king. But the rat king was not the kind to play fair. He knocked Setsuna's sword away and clawed at her uniform. Setsuna growled and kicked the rat straight in the jaw! He lost some teeth and growled. He lunged at Setsuna and pinned her down.

"Ha! Who's going to help you now fool?!" the rat king snarled. Konoka shouted that she was and the rat king looked back. Asuna had gotten her free and Konoka looked at the rat king angrily. She saw a red wagon ornament hanging above and she got it down.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" the rat king said in a slightly different voice. Konoka pushed the wagon towards the rat king. He yelled in what sounded like Ayaka's voice as he rode down the light strands and the popcorn paths. He fell off the wagon and bumped into several ornaments as he fell towards the ground. His sceptre broke free of his hand and it fell behind him. When he hit the ground, his head popped off and it was Ayaka in a rat costume! The sceptre's tip hit the ground and fired at Ayaka.

"Oh no!" Ayaka shouted as she was getting sucked in. Konoka and Setsuna watched the entire thing from the branch. And it seemed clear to them that the rat king Ayaka was now trapped in her own sceptre.

"Hey! Let me out! This is NO way to treat a class representative!" Ayaka shouted as she banged on the glass ball at the top of the sceptre. Konoka thought that was weird but she looked at Setsuna's outfit.

"Do not worry. At least you are all right." Setsuna said. Konoka hugged Setsuna tightly and Setsuna smiled. She rubbed her back while saying her name constantly. In reality, Setsuna was shaking a sleeping Konoka to wake her up. Konoka woke up and she looked up at Setsuna.

"You fell asleep. Are you all right?" Setsuna said. Konoka looked out the window and it was daylight. Setsuna and Konoka were the only ones awake. Konoka said she must have fell asleep downstairs. Setsuna chuckled and said she'd meet her in the kitchen.

"What a dream. Well, at least it was a dream." Konoka said. She joined Setsuna in the kitchen as Asuna came in with a yawn.

"Hey Konoka, how are....hmm?" Asuna yawned. Just then, she looked by the tree and saw a tiny stick. It was the rat king's sceptre with Ayaka still trapped in it!

"Hey! Be a friend and let me out?" she said in a squeaky voice. Asuna's eyes widened with a freaked stare. She flicked the sceptre away like a used toohpick with Ayaka's squeaky voice yelling.

END OF CHAPTER