Part two of the Nutcracker AU.

(Judy sleep in her bed, dreaming of the story Xavier told of. she even dreamed of a young boy, in her age, with black hair with a turquoise streak, cloudy blue eyes, freckles, pale tan skin and dressed like her nutcracker. he bow before her, smiling as snow fall around them. then she woke up. she look outside her window, still night. She get off of her bed, put on a dark teal sleepjacket that match her teal sleepgown and her new slipper. she quietly walk downstairs, careful to not wake her family up. She open the door to the living room, close it. The tree is lift, but she head to the cabinet, open and pull out her nutcracker.)

Judy: Hello there. Are you enjoying your stay here? I'm so sorry about Bridget, she doesn't understand real beauty like me and my friends. I'll be sure to take real good care of you.

(She walk to the couch with her nutcracker, sat and stare at it.)

Judy: It's kinda funny. I know you're only a doll, but you feel almost human to me. I wonder why. (yawn) I feel tired, would you stay with me to protect me?

(She could sworn she saw a gleam in it eyes, but she think she's too tired to think. She lay on the couch, and fell asleep with the nutcracker close to her. The grandfather clock chime, then Xavier appear. He smile at Judy sleeping, but he hear sounds of mice. With a puff of magic, he disappear and magic fill the room. A dust of magic fell on Judy and shrink her to the size of her nutcracker, not only that, it made the nutcracker come to life. He open his eyes, blink then gasp.)

Varian: I...I'm alive? Amazing!

(He stood up, but feel a weight on his chest. He look down and see Judy still sleeping. He let out a blush of this.)

Varian: Uh..W-Well..this is..unexpected.

(He heard sound of mice. He look down to see a hole open from a wall and scouts of mice and rats. They must be the servants of the Mouse King he thought. He pick up Judy from his chest and place her on the couch as she curl up in her sleep. He brush a strand of hair from her face, just when the mice and rats came.)

Mouse 1: You!

Rat 1: The Mouse King turn you into a full nutcracker! How are you alive?!

Varian: You don't know my Uncle Xavier that much.

(He pull out his sword and fight them off. Judy woke up to the sound of fighting, She get up and see the nutcracker fighting the mice and rats, then she look at her surronding.)

Judy: H-How? I'm..I'm the size of a doll!

(She get up and hide. She watch the nutcracker fighting them off, but they're too many. She look for something, when she see a pillow on the couch. She push it and it fell on the mice and rats. They start retreating back to the hole. Judy hide again. The nutcracker turn to her hideout, she peek in, staring at him. )

Judy: A-Are you real?

Varian: Well, I can talk and move, so yeah. Thank you for stopping them, I be dead for good.

Judy: It's nothing. W-Who are you anyway?

Varian: I'm Varian, a young clockmaker. Or at least I was till i got turn into a nutcracker Judy.

Judy: How did you know my name?

Varian: I heard it from several. I may be a lifeless piece of wood, but I can still hear and see. Oh, and thanks for healing my jaw. That girl is more bratty than Staylan.

Judy: Staylan.. You're the boy from Uncle Xavier story!

Varian: Wha? You know Uncle Xavier? And did you call him "Uncle"?

Judy: Yes. He's not my real uncle, He let us call him that. But if you're my nutcracker, then...oh dear. Xavier never told us how old he is. And those mice and rats, they are..

Varian: Servants to that Mouse King who put this curse on me. All because of a prophet by the Sugar Plum Fairy. But they'll be back and this time with that big ugly rat.

Judy: Oh dear. How do I turn back to my normal size?

Varian: I wish I knew. Uncle Xavier try magic to turn me back, but this curse is too strong for him. The only one who can know the answer is the Sugar Plum Fairy. But all the entrance to the Land of Sweets is blocked by that rat.

Judy: There must be something.

(Then a owl from the grandfather clock came flying to them.)

Owl: There is a way, you will find the Land of Sweets through the Winter Forest, where the Mouse King curse can never touch. But you must be careful, The Mouse King will do anything to stop you two from reaching the Land.

(Judy look at Varian, he seems scared. She grab his hand and held it, he let out a blush of this.)

Judy: Thank you.

(The owl nodded and fly back to the clock. The two look at each other, then nodded. They climb down and start heading to the hole. The hole inside is dark and hollow, Judy grab on to his arm and stay close.)

Varian: Hey, it's okay. I'm here.

Judy: Sorry, it's so dark. How can you not be scared of it?

Varian: Well, in truth I am. But we need the Sugar Plum Fairy help in finding out what that prophet is and why it involved me.

Judy: I dont know either. Maybe she made a mistake.

Varian: No way, Hazel never make mistakes in her life. She's wiser than anyone. At first, I never wanted to be a part of it. I was so scared and confused, that..I ran away. Heh, guess it what got me into this mess, I ran like a scared coward.

Judy: You are not a coward.

Varian: Thank you Judy.

(Then Judy feel something on her feet, she look down and see snow. she look around and see that they are in a forest.)

Judy: Where are we?

Varian: The Winter Forest, the only place the Mouse King spell haven't touch and lead us to the Land of Sweets.

Judy: It's strange. it's snowing but it's not cold.

Varian: That's because it's Christmas snow. Christmas is suppose to be filled with warmth and joy. Uncle Xavier told me that Christmas is filled with magic, something the Mouse King hate.

Judy: He hate Christmas? Why?

Varian: From what Uncle Xavier told me, he spend so long in the dark of black magic, that he forgot what real magic feels like. And on Christmas, is where all the magic feels like and that's something he can't feel.

Judy: That's sad. that you spend so long in the dark with no light to call your own.

Varian: It is.

(They walk through the forest, snow falling over them. Watching them is a mouse. He watch them and then he run off, to the Mouse King castle. The Mouse King paced, till he hear the mouse came in.)

Mouse King: Well?

Mouse: I saw him! That nutcracker! And he got a girl!

Mouse King: What?!

Mouse: They're in the Winter Forest, if they reach the Land of Sweets-

Mouse King: They'll get help from that meddling fairy and all will be gone for me. Stop them from reaching the Land of Sweets!

(The mice and rats all run out to stop the two. with Varian and Judy, they stopped by a fork in the road. each have signs that are blank.)

Judy: Which way is the Land of Sweets?

Varian: Let me think.

(He look at the three roads. He think for a momnet, he pointed at differnt ways, till he point at the middle.)

Varian: This is it!

Judy: How did you kow?

Varian: Just a thought.

(They walk down the middle. Peeking out, a rat shinker and wipe the signs. the left said "Light Path", the right said "Land of Sweets" and the middle, lead to the Mouse King castle. They walk down the path, when the air got colder and colder, snow falling harshly. Judy is shivering, rubbing her arms to get warm.)

Varian: Judy, are you okay?

Judy: It's..it's so cold. Are you sure this is the way to the Land of Sweets?

Varian: If this is, the air would be wamrer. Maybe we should turn back, this is the wrong way.

(Judy nodded, everyhting to get warm. They turn around and walk back to where they come from, that is, till the path is blocked by the mice and rats. Varian held Judy close to him as he draw his sword and glare at them.)

Mouse 3: You two walked right in our trap!

Rat 4: The Mouse King wants a word with you boy!

Varian Tell him no thanks!

(All at once, the mice and rats surround them and soon everything went black.)