Chapter 2

"And then, the King and Queen entrusted their children to their closest friends until such time as the kingdom could be saved and the throne restored! The evil Rat King's army never stopped looking no matter how much time had passed. But pass, time did, and the task of restoring the kingdom came down to five young men, each as clever and skilled as the other but none more so than their leader, The Nutcracker Prince."

"No, Godfather! You've gotten ahead of yourself! He wasn't the Nutcracker Prince yet!" Relena chastised the old man with a smile. She had heard the story so many times, it was ingrained in her memory. Her Godfather chuckled; a twinkle in his eye.

"So I did! So I did! Very well then! Where was I? Oh, yes!" He paused and leaned forward on his cane and Relena took in the enraptured faces of the little ones around her. She could remember many years in the past being one of the children and jumping up to correct him in his mistellings, eyes wide and mind eager.

"No, no! Godfather! Tell it right!" She clung to his arm, pouting at the indignation of the changes in her favorite story. He picked her up and sat her in his lap, bopping her softly on the nose.

"Such a precocious child you are!" He tickled her and she giggled. "Now, where was I?"

It was a sweet memory. Oftentimes, her fondest memories involved nights like this with her Godfather telling her the story as the other children played with their toys and engaged in general merriment.

"And so, five young men were chosen to save the kingdom, one from each province, but none so brave and strong as the Perfect Soldier! He had been trained from childhood and sworn to find the princess and protect her at all costs! He did not know it then, but he was her destined true love and she, his. And through the ages, their hearts called to one another as he valiantly protected her people in her absence until the day he could be united with her at last and restore her birthright." He paused before continuing, and Relena felt the same excitement for the continuation that she felt the very first time. The story never ceased to captivate her!

As a child, she would imagine that she was the missing princess the soldier fought so hard for. He would defend her across the candy cane planes and the eggnog sea, fighting off the RAT's and sweeping her off her feet. As she grew older, the dreams became less frequent and far less detailed but still memorable…

"Princess…" his voice called to her, a whisper on the wind. "My princess…"

"Where are you?" She called out into the void around her. Finally, he appeared before her, deep blue eyes shining with an intensity just for her...

"I will find you… princess…" He reached for her and she tried to get to him, but she could not move. She tried to call for him, but, as suddenly as he appeared, he disappeared into the void - leaving her on her own. His words echoed in her ears.

"I will find you…"

"However," Her Godfather's dramatic tone pulled her back to the present, but her heart still raced at the memory…

"The evil Rat King had other ideas, and, one day while the soldier was fighting nearly an entire army single-handedly - the Rat King used the magic he stole from the Sugarplum Fairy to turn the brave young man into a Nutcracker. Little did he know, that would not be the end of the story, but rather an interlude before the true story can be told." The hush in the room hung thick in the air as the children waited with baited breath.

"Is that it?" One of the little boys asked.

"Yes! Is there more?!" A girl chimed in.

"Will he ever find her?" another child piped up.

"Will he defeat the Rat King?"

"Will they truly fall in love?" Another added, eyes sparkling.

"Are they going to get married?" The third little one nearly jumped up, clapping her hands in excitement.

"Children, please!" J answered. "That is all a story for another day. For now, it is getting far too late and I believe there are gifts to be handed out!" The children cheered as J motioned to Relena to begin to distribute the packages under the tree.

'I'll never tire of this." She thought, watching their faces light up as the contents of each package was revealed.

There had always been one element of the story that always bothered her. In all the years he had told it, the story never changed. Details here and there would fluctuate but the story itself always began and ended in the same place. She found herself agreeing with the children, echoing their thoughts for more.

Curiosity finally won out. She made her way over to him.

"Godfather?" He turned to face her, hands on his cane.

"Yes, my dear?"

"It appears as though the story was a big success with the children, as always." Her Godfather grinned and flexed his metallic, clawed hand.

"Of course, dear girl. Stories of that caliber never fail to impress the listeners and spark imaginations."

"Of course, Godfather, but I was wondering if it might be more entertaining if the story continued? You always say that the rest is a story for another time but you never seem to tell it."

"Ah, I see." His brow furrowed and he looked toward the tree. "You wish to know what becomes of the soldier and his princess?" She nodded and he smiled, turning to face the tree. "Well, dear child, I am afraid you are going to have to wait." His smile widened to a smirk and, for the first time, Relena felt her face fall in disappointment. Something told her that there really was more to all of it than she could ever know.

"Please, Godfather." She placed her hands on his arm in askance.

"I'm afraid, Relena, that some stories are best left up to the imagination of the listener." He put his good hand over hers. "It's your story. The only one who will know how it ends is you."

The children played with their gifts as the party continued late into the night with much merry making and games and laughter. By ten o'clock, however, most of the guests had already left. Only the Noventas and the Duke and his granddaughter remained along with her Godfather. It had been an evening to remember. She stifled a yawn and began to make her way out of the parlor.

"Miss, Relena! There you are! The party is nearly over and I hardly got to spend any time at all getting to know you."

"Miss Catalonia, is it?" Her Godfather acknowledged the visitor. "I had heard you and your grandfather were in attendance. I do hope this was a pleasant trip for you both."

"Drosselmeyer." Relena looked back and forth from the girl to her Godfather and back. They seemed to know one another, though his introduction had led her to believe otherwise. "We did not realize you were in attendance either."

"I must apologize for stealing my Goddaughter from the ballroom, but she was assigned to help me with the children this year by her parents." Again, Relena could hear some underlying meaning behind the tone of their words, but could not make it out. She made a mental note to discuss it with him later. For now, her attention was drawn to the tree and the earlier conversation faded from her notice. The bows of the great pine were decadently and flawlessly decorated with care and precision. However, one spot seemed to mar that perfection...

"That's odd." Relena paused as that spot on the tree came to her attention. One of the branches seemed to be crooked. The ribbon and garland had fallen slightly loose and the ornament was beginning to dislodge from the branch. She reached up to fix it when something caught her eye. In the back of the branch there was a doll-sized figure that also hung precariously. Risking the wrath of the pine needles, she reached back and maneuvered her hand through and -with great care- plucked the figure from his place. She pulled him free and was captivated by what she saw.

"A Nutcracker!" She gasped. It was, indeed, a common wooden figure, but one the likes of which she had never seen. The care and detail put into the carving and the paint job made him seem as any other toy soldier save for how his jaw was jointed on his face. His green uniform was accented with golden spangles and trim and his white pants were met with black boots lined with the same golden trim. "Such messy brown hair… so different from the usual white…" She noted, in addition, he lacked the characteristic beard. What captivated her the most, however, were the eyes: deep blue crystal orbs inlaid on the wooden surface. They made him seem almost... "lifelike..."

"I will find you…"

The voice of Her Dream Soldier came back to her. She traced the sides of his face with a tentative finger. Feeling that such an impressive figure deserved the utmost respect, she cradled him close to her.

"Godfather, look!" Relena called to him and made her way over, clearly interrupting a conversation he had been having with Dorothy.

"Ah! I see you found your present, my dear! I do apologize. I had meant to make you find him as a sort of game, but it seems you are even more perceptive than I had imagined."

"What a lovely little doll, Miss Relena. Truly the work of a master craftsmen! I must add him to my collection." Dorothy chimed in.

"What do you mean?"

"I have a rather large doll collection at home, you see, and I would love to make him the crowning jewel. Truly he would be their prince!" Dorothy stroke one of her long eyebrows and her lips curled into a smile that gave Relena the chills. Relena paused, taken aback by the forwardness of the older girl.

"You cannot have my Nutcracker."

"Come now, Miss Relena, I am willing to pay whatever you ask. I simply must have him." Dorothy reached out her hand and Relena pulled him closer and took a step back.

"I'm afraid, Miss Catalonia that the answer is no. I gave this Nutcracker to my Goddaughter because of how special it is. Surely you understand?" Dorothy lowered her hand, her eyes narrowing for a moment or two before returning to a pleasant smile.

"Of course." The older girl took a step back. "Please, excuse my rude behavior. It is quite impolite to ask for someone else's gift." Dorothy gave a tight-lipped smile. Relena could feel the tension radiating off of the older girl but tried to ignore it. There was no need to get defensive over what might have simply been embarrassment. "Please, excuse me." Dorothy hastened away without another word and Relena couldn't help but feel a little bit awkward.

"Don't mind her, child. When someone is used to getting what they want, it can be hard to take 'no' for an answer." J rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Godfather, is this Nutcracker modeled after the soldier from your stories?" J smiled at her, his amusement evident.

"No, my dear. He IS the soldier from my stories. And he's been waiting for someone like you with a pure heart to help him complete his mission."

"Don't you think I'm a little old to believe such a tale?"

"That, my dear, is entirely up to you."

"But, mystical lands and magic spells aren't real."

"Who is to say what is real and what is not?" J walked up to the mantle of the fireplace and turned to her; the way the light cast shadows across his face made him look like a magical mischief maker from one of his tales.

"Hear this now, child: our dreams are part of what makes us unique. If one cannot believe in their dreams, then one may as well let the monotony of the world fade them into commonplace obscurity. Remember that if nothing else." She looked down once more at the face of her Nutcracker. Perhaps it was a trick of the firelight, but she could have sworn she saw a flicker of something in the doll's glass eyes.

"I will, Godfather. I promise."

"Good girl." He walked toward her and patted her head as if she were a child. "Now, I must be getting back to my shop. Walk me to the door?" Relena nodded and J put his good arm around her shoulder as they made their way to the entrance. "I do hope you enjoy my gift. May he bring you all the magic and adventure you have always wished to find." With that final statement, he patted her on the back and left the house, leaving her alone with her thoughts, and her precious Nutcracker.

Relena could not sleep. She kept having the strange feeling that someone was watching her and could hear movement in the night all around her. This was hardly the sort of Christmas Eve most people longed for. The room was dark save for the shards of moonlight leaking in through the gaps in her drapes. She tossed and turned, in and out of slumber as her mind pieced together random visions from bits of dreams - mixed disturbingly with reality.

The tree loomed before her, the room lit by warm lights as she cradled her Nutcracker. Dorothy was there… Her eyes narrowed as she reached for him. Relena pulled away just to find herself in the hall of flames once more. Screams echoed around her as the mysterious woman called her name… A hand reached for hers and she took it, desperate to leave the horrors behind her. It was him: blue eyes warm and soft.

"I found you…" He pulled her close to his chest; so warm and gentle… She tried to speak to him, but no words came out...

Just as suddenly as he had appeared, she was alone again, in the darkness. A dark shadow growing ever larger as an evil laugh echoed around her...

She bolted upright; sweat beading on her forehead. Her dreams had always seemed so real to her, like something from a lost memory. But, for some reason, this night's dream had shaken her more than any. Each time she woke and went back to sleep, it continued, picking up where it previously left off… She pulled her knees to her chest, placing her head on top.

"This is silly…" she said to the night air. "They're just dreams… aren't they…?"

"Who is to say what is real and what is not?"

Her Godfather's words haunted her. All her life, she had felt a bit off. Something about her life, pleasant though it was, had seemed unsettled. There was an emptiness and longing that her dreams seemed fit to reawaken every night. That something called to her sounded louder than ever tonight and, try as she might, she could not shake it off.

"Our dreams are part of what make us unique. If one cannot believe in their dreams, then one may as well let the monotony of the world fade them into commonplace obscurity. Remember that if nothing else."

The truth of his words hit her like ice water and she sat up and looked at her bedside table for her Nutcracker. She had placed him there before bed in a sort of childish tribute to her waning beliefs. Somehow she knew she would be safer with him there...

But he was gone.

"That's impossible…" The fact that he was missing alarmed her more than she cared to admit. Slipping on her robe and slippers, she lit the candle by her bed and searched the room. A few of her items had been tipped over and scattered about. Her mind automatically returned to the sounds she'd thought she had imagined. Another loud noise came from the hall, and she found herself needing to check it out. Grabbing a parasol as a sort of defense mechanism, she took the candle in the other hand and made her way out of her room. The noise continued and grew louder as she neared the parlor where, just hours before, she had been listening to her Godfather's tales. The sight that greeted her had her questioning her sanity.

Her Nutcracker was alive! He seemed to be locked in combat against a group of mice and rats all bearing tiny weapons. The speed and ease with which the small soldier moved seemed hampered only a little by his wooden frame. He blocked one attack only to roll out of the way of another.

"Nutcracker?" Relena rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times to reassure herself she was merely dreaming, resorting to pinching herself. It didn't work. She wasn't dreaming.

"There she is! Attack!" The command came from a rather large rodent standing on the edge of the fireplace mantle. He wore a military uniform of some sort and carried with him a scepter with a glowing green crystal at the top. At his instruction, the small attack force turned their attention to her. She had no idea how much damage they thought they could do to a human but she wasn't going to wait to find out.

"This can't really be happening." She took her parasol and began to swing it strategically at the incoming rodents. Her Nutcracker jumped and used the area around him to catapult his way in front her where he continued his fight.

"You must get to higher ground!" Relena heard the Nutcracker yell up at her and she wasn't going to argue. She made her way quickly to the ottoman and climbed up, keeping her parasol at the ready.

"A valiant effort, you wooden nuisance! But it will do you no good! The king will have her head as a trophy and use your broken body as kindling in his celebratory bonfire!"

"What is going on here?!" She shouted as she landed another steady blow against her minuscule attackers. One by one, they fell: a few ran for cover to nurse their wounds from the impact. Some had been knocked unconscious or killed. She and her Nutcracker were winning.

Her wooden protector defeated the last of them and the commander yelled in pure anger. The Large Rodent slid his way down the garland to the floor, clearing the space between them in a few long bounds. He stood and turned, handing his scepter into a holster at his side before pulling his sword out from a sheath on his back.

"I'll chop you into splinters and use them as the stakes I'll drive into her heart!"

Relena was so confused. If this was a dream, it was the strangest she'd ever had. If it was truly happening, however, then all of her Godfather's tales were true. Who were these rodents? What were they and why did they want her dead?

"I won't let you have the chance to touch her!" Her Nutcracker almost growled in response. Their voices sounded tiny as one would expect. It might have been amusing were it not for that fact that her life seemed to be in danger.

They continued fighting, covering more distance across the floor than she thought possible for such small creatures. It became very clear that the commander was leading him close to the fireplace where the glowing embers still burned hot. He was so preoccupied protecting her from the commander; he didn't see the rats behind him. They were out of reach of her parasol and there was not time to warn him. They knocked him down, clearly about to deal the finishing blow. 'I have to do something!' Panicked, she looked for something—anything—to throw. Her eyes fell on the one easily thrown thing within her reach.

"This will have to do!" She took off her slipper and aimed for it. "Please let this work!" With that soft prayer, she tossed the slipper with all she had at the commander.

The slipper found its mark, hitting the commander with such force that he fell and slammed into the solid stone of the hearth. The scepter broke! The top half flew into the fire, causing sparks to fly across the room in a dazzling shower of green and purple. One of the fragments of light hit her night dress and, as she reached to check on it, she began to slowly find herself becoming smaller. As distracting and disconcerting as it was, she still managed to see the two rats carry their leader away toward a hole in the trunk of the Christmas tree.

She had little time to ponder how and why that hole existed as the pace of her shrinking increased. She hopped down from the chair, laid her parasol beside the settee, and ran to her Nutcracker who lay motionless on the ground. By the time she knelt by his side, she was nearly his size, if, perhaps, a little shorter. She reached out and pulled his head into her lap, taking the hat off of his head so that the chin strap wouldn't hinder his… breathing? Dolls couldn't breathe… could they?

She studied him closely, caressing his hair. He had protected her. He was hurt, because of her. Before she could give it too much more thought, however, her rescuer's eyes shot open. He rolled away from her and jumped to his feet.

"Did you see?!" He declared, eyes wide as he glanced around.

"See… what?" Relena was perplexed.

"Did you see where they went? What direction did they go?" He jerked around quicker and easier than she expected for one made of wood as he surveyed his surroundings.

"Take it easy. You took a nasty hit. You need to rest." He seemed to ignore her words and walked up to her. He wasn't at all the gallant young man she had imagined.

"Did you see where they went or not?"

"They went through a hole at the base of the tree, but—" he spun on his heel, picked up his sword and began to make his way over to the tree.

"Wait!" She shouted after him and began to follow. "Who were those rodents? What were they doing here?" He continued to ignore her. "How are you alive? How is any of this possible?" Again, he gave no response. He continued toward the tree.

"At least tell me what is going on?" He suddenly stopped and turned to her, his eyes locking with hers in an intense stare.

"The less you know the better."

"But Nutcracker—"

"My name is Heero." A fitting name given the situation. "You will be better off staying here where it's safe. You will be back to your normal size by morning. The magic of that scepter will not last long in your world."

Relena felt her ire rising. She needed answers and he was just going to leave her confused and a fraction of her normal size? 'I deserve answers!'

"Why were they trying to kill me?" He stared at her for a moment and she could see the unspoken thoughts flashing in his eyes.

"That was a regiment of the RATs army sent to your world to find and destroy you through whatever means necessary." Heero turned to the tree again and made to leave her behind.

"Destroy me? Why? What have I done? I didn't even know they existed."

"It's not what you've done. It's what you are." Relena stared at him, more confused than she was before.

"What do you mean?" She could swear he rolled his eyes as he sighed.

"Your real name is Relena Peacecraft: Princess of the fallen Kingdom of Sanc in the land of Etheria." He turned to her, eyes locking with hers once more. "And you are the heir to the legacy of the Sugarplum Fairy."

'A princess? Heir to the Sugar Plum Fairy?'

She heard him say it but could barely believe her own ears. Her Godfather had mentioned the Sugar Plum Fairy and her wretched fate at the hands of the dictator and the royal family of Sanc that had been casualties of the totalitarian power-grab. Her Nutcracker was real. The soldier from the story was her Nutcracker. The soldier from the story was real. The stories were true. And she was… a princess…? It was all so overwhelming. She began to feel dizzy.

Those dreams—those nightmares had been memories. The people screaming, the flames, the woman who held her close and cried when they were parted… they were her people. That was… 'my...mother…?' In spite of herself, she felt her knees begin to buckle. He was there beside her almost instantly, supporting her.

"I am sorry if this information overwhelmed you, but you did ask." He helped steady her and once she was, he stepped back. "And now that you know, you can rest easy here where you'll be safe."

"Safe?" She thought back to the mice that had attacked her. Those creatures were intelligent enough to talk, and to give and obey orders. They could easily find a way to kill her. "Those rodents broke into my house and tried to kill me while I slept. I'm sure they might have succeeded too if you hadn't stopped them…" she paused, suddenly feeling very sheepish and ungrateful. She looked into his eyes and found herself hypnotized. "Thank you, by the way… for saving me." He nodded.

"You did a fairly good job defending yourself as well. You will be fine if you stay here."

"Nutcracker… Heero… If what you say is true; if I really am the missing princess then I have a duty to help reclaim my kingdom."

"Princess—"

"My name is Relena." Heero stared at her for a moment before sighing.

"It will be dangerous." She knew that. Giant rats were hardly a laughing matter especially when they are out for blood. It would be easier to stay; safer. If she went with him there was no guarantee that she would ever return. What would her parents think? She could hardly wait for them to wake up and even so, how would they respond to her being the size of a doll?

"It's your story. The only one who will know how it ends is you."

Her Godfather's words echoed in her mind again. If she was really the princess, then it really was her story. Her choice was clear.

"I know, but… If I can help them; if I can save them from the monsters who destroyed my family, then I will do all that I can." There was a brief moment of awkward silence as though he was considering her words. Finally, he nodded.

"Very well." Heero turned toward the tree. "Stay close behind me and keep up. I have some friends I have to find, if they are still alive."