Disclaimer in prologue.
Rini in Toyland
Chapter 2 - Toyland Town
Serenity, Rini, and the sheep watched Diamond Barnaby's carriage until it vanished between two huge candy canes that held gates that glistened like spun sugar. "That's Toyland Town," Serenity told Rini. Rini's eyes were big and round. She never saw candy canes that size before! They towered over the river and the carriage. Serena wouldn't be able to steal those off the tree!
Serenity looked up at the sun. "Oh, no! I'm going to be late! I was supposed to put the sheep in their pen and get home to help Mama before three o'clock. It's almost three now!"
"I'll help you!" Rini exclaimed, trying to stall another cloudburst from Serenity. "I told Mr. Barnaby I was your helper, anyway."
"You will?" Serenity gave the girl a hug. "Thank you!"
Rini sighed. "No problem, Serenity. Maybe you can help me, too. I don't know how to get back to Tokyo from here."
Serenity put her arms around the pink-haired child. "Mr. Claus might be able to help you. He knows where every child in the world lives. Surely, he could take you to Tokyo."
"Mr. Claus? You mean Santa?" Rini raised her eyebrows. "Santa Claus is real?"
"Of course he is!" Serenity laughed. "What makes you think he isn't?"
Rini kicked a rock as she and Serenity walked down a dirt path. Woolie the lamb hopped around them, and the other sheep followed in a messy group. "Some of the kids at school told me that Santa Claus was just made-up, so people will buy stuff for Christmas. No one can deliver presents in such a short time! How can reindeer fly? And why have we never seen the real Santa? I've seen department store Santas, but they don't look like the one in movies and magazines."
"Rini, there are just some things you have to have faith in," Serenity insisted. She waved her cane. "Like air. Even though you can't see air, you know it's there, and that you're breathing."
They were almost at the gate when Rini heard the sound of bumping and someone saying things she probably didn't need to hear. A black-haired girl in a red fairy-tale-like dress chased a boy with long brown hair that hung over his eyes. "Jill, honestly, I'm sorry!" the boy wailed, covering his head as Jill swung a bucket at him. "Ow! Ooohh, I think I broke my crown!"
"Jack, you idiot!" Jill shrieked. "All we had to do was go up the hill, fetch a pail of water, and walk back down. You had to knock us the rest of the way! We lost the water, and Mr. Barnaby's probably going to make us lose our jobs, too!" She took another swing at him with the pail. The boy ran behind Serenity, quaking with fear.
Serenity rolled her eyes. "Hi, Jill. You guys spilled the water again? That makes the third time this week!"
Rini giggled. "Don't tell me. This is Jack and Jill, who went up a hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown."
".And I came tumbling after!" Jill wailed. "At this rate, we're never going to get the water!"
"Jill," Serenity insisted, "why don't you and Jack go back up the hill? Mr. Barnaby doesn't need his water until later. Are you going to attend the Christmas festivities in Moonglow Park?"
Jack rubbed his head. "If I'm up to it," he muttered. "I've got a splitting headache."
Jill took his hand. "Come on, Jack. We're going to get Mr. Barnaby's water if it takes us all year!" The two briefly waved good-bye before they started back up the hill.
Rini and Serenity ran to catch up with the sheep and Woolie, who were on their way through the gates. "Jill has a nasty temper, doesn't she?"
"Yes," Serenity agreed, "but she means well, and Jack adores her. She can be very sweet when she wants to be."
She and Rini herded the sheep through the gates. Rini held Woolie, afraid that the little lamb would get crushed in the crowd going to Toyland. Rini was surprised that she recognized the guards at the gate. One had long, black hair that looked like cat's ears. The other had short, blue-white hair and twinkling blue eyes. Both girls wore high black hats, red jackets with gold braiding, black pants, and shiny black boots. Each had a sword at her side and carried a tall flag, with a crest of crossed candy canes and peppermint sticks.
Serenity grinned. "Berthier? Catzy? Is that you? I thought you were working for Mr. Barnaby!"
Berthier beamed. "My sisters and I got jobs with the King and Queen's royal guards after we left Mr. Barnaby's service. Prisma still goes to Nemesis Manor every now and then, though." Berthier dropped her voice a level. Rini could barely hear her over the crowd. "Don't let this get around, but Prisma is sweet on Sapphire Barnaby, Diamond Baranby's younger brother."
"She's at Nemesis Manor now," Catzy added as she flipped through a wad of paper she had hanging at her side. She nodded at Rini. "Who's she? A friend of yours, Serenity?"
Rini smiled. "I'm Serenity's new helper. I'm going to help her make sure the sheep don't wander off." She laughed as Woolie nuzzled her chin. "Woolie, stop! You tickle!"
Catzi giggled. "She can use all the help she can get with that! Her sheep always wander away! She had everyone in Toyland Town chasing after them last Monday!"
Serenity turned beet red and Rini figured it was time to get the sheep in their pen, before they had to chase after them once more. She ushered Serenity and the sheep through the gates, giving Catzi and Bethier a quick good-bye. She stopped suddenly when she got through the gate, ignoring the people and the carts around her and Woolie bleating in her ear.
She and Serenity emerged in a large circle. The roads were made of sparkling rock candy. The houses were gingerbread and icing, with the occasional thatched roof cottage. All were decorated with ivy, holly, and pine garlands. Wreaths hung on every door. The biggest Christmas tree Rini ever saw loomed majestically in the middle of the circle. It was three times as tall as the tallest human. A star as big as those in the sky glittered on top. Cookies, glass balls, silver tinsel, and ornaments hung from every branch.
There were people, carts, and animals everywhere. The people were dressed like fairy-tale characters, the way Jack, Jill, and Serenity were. The river flowed through the circle, near the tree, and out of sight. Two little girls fed chickens. A young man with blonde hair sold pies. A girl in a red cape and hood carried a large wooden basket. If Rini hadn't known any better, she would have thought she walked into one of the old fantasy books that Neo-Queen Serenity read her every night in Crystal Tokyo.
"I don't think I'm in Tokyo anymore," she whispered to Woolie. Every street sign was a peppermint stick and a piece of hard candy with the street name painted on it. The mailboxes were toffee, and the trees were laden with oranges, apples, and sugarplums.
Someone shook her arm. "Hey, Rini, are you feeling all right?" Serenity's blue eyes were a little worried. "You act like you've never seen a town before."
"Not one like this!" Rini exclaimed. "At home, the only place you'll find candy is in the candy shops," she giggled, "and in Serena's stash!"
Serenity shooed the sheep into a large, grassy square surrounded by a gingerbread fence. Rini put Woolie down inside the fence. She bleated happily and hopped after two other lambs. Serenity gazed at a large clock near a barn in one corner of the circle. "We'd best be getting along," Serenity insisted. "Mama will be expecting me." She sniffed the air. "Would you like to stop at Simple Simon's first, though? He makes the best pies in town!"
Rini rubbed her rumbling stomach. She hadn't had anything to eat since that morning. "Sure," she agreed. "I love pies!"
As they pushed their way through the throng, Rini heard a voice she knew very well call Serenity's name. Two strong arms lifted Serenity and swung her high above the crowd. Serenity laughed and Rini gasped. She did know this person! "Darien!"
Rini in Toyland
Chapter 2 - Toyland Town
Serenity, Rini, and the sheep watched Diamond Barnaby's carriage until it vanished between two huge candy canes that held gates that glistened like spun sugar. "That's Toyland Town," Serenity told Rini. Rini's eyes were big and round. She never saw candy canes that size before! They towered over the river and the carriage. Serena wouldn't be able to steal those off the tree!
Serenity looked up at the sun. "Oh, no! I'm going to be late! I was supposed to put the sheep in their pen and get home to help Mama before three o'clock. It's almost three now!"
"I'll help you!" Rini exclaimed, trying to stall another cloudburst from Serenity. "I told Mr. Barnaby I was your helper, anyway."
"You will?" Serenity gave the girl a hug. "Thank you!"
Rini sighed. "No problem, Serenity. Maybe you can help me, too. I don't know how to get back to Tokyo from here."
Serenity put her arms around the pink-haired child. "Mr. Claus might be able to help you. He knows where every child in the world lives. Surely, he could take you to Tokyo."
"Mr. Claus? You mean Santa?" Rini raised her eyebrows. "Santa Claus is real?"
"Of course he is!" Serenity laughed. "What makes you think he isn't?"
Rini kicked a rock as she and Serenity walked down a dirt path. Woolie the lamb hopped around them, and the other sheep followed in a messy group. "Some of the kids at school told me that Santa Claus was just made-up, so people will buy stuff for Christmas. No one can deliver presents in such a short time! How can reindeer fly? And why have we never seen the real Santa? I've seen department store Santas, but they don't look like the one in movies and magazines."
"Rini, there are just some things you have to have faith in," Serenity insisted. She waved her cane. "Like air. Even though you can't see air, you know it's there, and that you're breathing."
They were almost at the gate when Rini heard the sound of bumping and someone saying things she probably didn't need to hear. A black-haired girl in a red fairy-tale-like dress chased a boy with long brown hair that hung over his eyes. "Jill, honestly, I'm sorry!" the boy wailed, covering his head as Jill swung a bucket at him. "Ow! Ooohh, I think I broke my crown!"
"Jack, you idiot!" Jill shrieked. "All we had to do was go up the hill, fetch a pail of water, and walk back down. You had to knock us the rest of the way! We lost the water, and Mr. Barnaby's probably going to make us lose our jobs, too!" She took another swing at him with the pail. The boy ran behind Serenity, quaking with fear.
Serenity rolled her eyes. "Hi, Jill. You guys spilled the water again? That makes the third time this week!"
Rini giggled. "Don't tell me. This is Jack and Jill, who went up a hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown."
".And I came tumbling after!" Jill wailed. "At this rate, we're never going to get the water!"
"Jill," Serenity insisted, "why don't you and Jack go back up the hill? Mr. Barnaby doesn't need his water until later. Are you going to attend the Christmas festivities in Moonglow Park?"
Jack rubbed his head. "If I'm up to it," he muttered. "I've got a splitting headache."
Jill took his hand. "Come on, Jack. We're going to get Mr. Barnaby's water if it takes us all year!" The two briefly waved good-bye before they started back up the hill.
Rini and Serenity ran to catch up with the sheep and Woolie, who were on their way through the gates. "Jill has a nasty temper, doesn't she?"
"Yes," Serenity agreed, "but she means well, and Jack adores her. She can be very sweet when she wants to be."
She and Rini herded the sheep through the gates. Rini held Woolie, afraid that the little lamb would get crushed in the crowd going to Toyland. Rini was surprised that she recognized the guards at the gate. One had long, black hair that looked like cat's ears. The other had short, blue-white hair and twinkling blue eyes. Both girls wore high black hats, red jackets with gold braiding, black pants, and shiny black boots. Each had a sword at her side and carried a tall flag, with a crest of crossed candy canes and peppermint sticks.
Serenity grinned. "Berthier? Catzy? Is that you? I thought you were working for Mr. Barnaby!"
Berthier beamed. "My sisters and I got jobs with the King and Queen's royal guards after we left Mr. Barnaby's service. Prisma still goes to Nemesis Manor every now and then, though." Berthier dropped her voice a level. Rini could barely hear her over the crowd. "Don't let this get around, but Prisma is sweet on Sapphire Barnaby, Diamond Baranby's younger brother."
"She's at Nemesis Manor now," Catzy added as she flipped through a wad of paper she had hanging at her side. She nodded at Rini. "Who's she? A friend of yours, Serenity?"
Rini smiled. "I'm Serenity's new helper. I'm going to help her make sure the sheep don't wander off." She laughed as Woolie nuzzled her chin. "Woolie, stop! You tickle!"
Catzi giggled. "She can use all the help she can get with that! Her sheep always wander away! She had everyone in Toyland Town chasing after them last Monday!"
Serenity turned beet red and Rini figured it was time to get the sheep in their pen, before they had to chase after them once more. She ushered Serenity and the sheep through the gates, giving Catzi and Bethier a quick good-bye. She stopped suddenly when she got through the gate, ignoring the people and the carts around her and Woolie bleating in her ear.
She and Serenity emerged in a large circle. The roads were made of sparkling rock candy. The houses were gingerbread and icing, with the occasional thatched roof cottage. All were decorated with ivy, holly, and pine garlands. Wreaths hung on every door. The biggest Christmas tree Rini ever saw loomed majestically in the middle of the circle. It was three times as tall as the tallest human. A star as big as those in the sky glittered on top. Cookies, glass balls, silver tinsel, and ornaments hung from every branch.
There were people, carts, and animals everywhere. The people were dressed like fairy-tale characters, the way Jack, Jill, and Serenity were. The river flowed through the circle, near the tree, and out of sight. Two little girls fed chickens. A young man with blonde hair sold pies. A girl in a red cape and hood carried a large wooden basket. If Rini hadn't known any better, she would have thought she walked into one of the old fantasy books that Neo-Queen Serenity read her every night in Crystal Tokyo.
"I don't think I'm in Tokyo anymore," she whispered to Woolie. Every street sign was a peppermint stick and a piece of hard candy with the street name painted on it. The mailboxes were toffee, and the trees were laden with oranges, apples, and sugarplums.
Someone shook her arm. "Hey, Rini, are you feeling all right?" Serenity's blue eyes were a little worried. "You act like you've never seen a town before."
"Not one like this!" Rini exclaimed. "At home, the only place you'll find candy is in the candy shops," she giggled, "and in Serena's stash!"
Serenity shooed the sheep into a large, grassy square surrounded by a gingerbread fence. Rini put Woolie down inside the fence. She bleated happily and hopped after two other lambs. Serenity gazed at a large clock near a barn in one corner of the circle. "We'd best be getting along," Serenity insisted. "Mama will be expecting me." She sniffed the air. "Would you like to stop at Simple Simon's first, though? He makes the best pies in town!"
Rini rubbed her rumbling stomach. She hadn't had anything to eat since that morning. "Sure," she agreed. "I love pies!"
As they pushed their way through the throng, Rini heard a voice she knew very well call Serenity's name. Two strong arms lifted Serenity and swung her high above the crowd. Serenity laughed and Rini gasped. She did know this person! "Darien!"