Hey guys! This is my last night to post something new as I go back to school on Monday. That means I will not be updating this story for like a week until Friday. So, I need to post this! I can't believe I have to go back to school. Plus, me going back means I only have a few weeks until semester finals. In my school we take the fall semester final before Christmas break so we don't have to ruin our holiday by studying. But that means I have to take them in like two, maybe three, weeks! God! Sometimes I hate my school.
Anyways, mini freak out behind, hope you all enjoy this chapter!
The mice soldiers in front of the Delancies' thrones were shaking, literally shaking in their armor. If looks could kill, the soldiers would've been dead about two minutes ago with the glares the kings were giving them. They had just told the brothers how Jack and Katherine had escaped. "So," Oscar started in a dangerously calm voice, "You're telling us that the nutcracker, a wooden utensil, managed to escape a well-trained army without a single scratch?"
The two mice nodded, "And instead of fleeing for the hills," Morris continued, "You decided to come back to us and report your incompetence?" The two mice swallowed hard and nodded yet again.
"Well, we'll have to take care of you." Oscar mused while Morris went back to the piles of books on the floor. "Primm, what do you suggest we turn these two imbeciles into?"
"How about bookends since there's two of them?" The bat suggested mischievously.
"That's a great idea." Oscar complimented. He raised his scepter at the two soldiers. "Since other tasks posed a challenge to thee, you shall be bookends for eternity!" A red blast shot from the scepter and struck the two soldiers. Within seconds, they were matching white stone bookends. Oscar sighed and turned to his brother, "Anything, Morris?"
"I think so." Morris came over with an open book in his hand, "'The Sugarplum Princess: kind, clever and brave.' That's all it says? We need to find her!" Morris threw the book down on the floor. Suddenly an idea struck him, "We'll just have to reduce the nutcracker to a pile of splinters before he can find her." Morris turned to a stone pillar. Raising his scepter to the rock, he said, "Rock that will walk, destroy whom I seek, carnage and havoc will be yours to wreak!" The pillar fell apart, only to come to life again as a rock monster. The monster let out a roar and Primm screamed in fright. "Find the wooden man and destroy him!" The monster roared again, and clambered out the door, crushing some of it in his path.
Oscar turned to Primm. "Follow him." He ordered, "He's still rough around the edges and may need some guidance."
"You want me to babysit a rock?" Primm asked. The Delancies pointed their scepters at him and he raised his wings in surrender, "Alright, alright" He flew off, following the monster. "Better than being a rock."
The next day, Davey, Les, Katherine and Jack were headed down a path. Davey was glancing between the map and the area around them, looking for something and seemed to have found it, "Ah! There's our bridge."
The other three looked at where he was gesturing. In front of them was a bridge of floating rocks that seemed very unstable. They floated above a ravine that was so deep, the group couldn't even see the bottom. "Uh…" Jack started, uncomfortably. He scratched the back of his neck nervously, "Maybe we should find another way across."
"Maybe you should remember who's in charge of this expedition!" Davey snapped. He timidly stepped onto the first rock. It wobbled slightly and Les and Katherine gasped. Ultimately, he got his balance on track. "There! Not so hard. Come on, Les."
Les bit his lip and shakily hopped onto the first rock after his brother as Davey jumped onto the next one. Davey lost his balance slightly, effectively knocking Les off the rock. Davey didn't seem to notice as Katherine and Jack rushed to the edge. He continued on his way. Les was hanging onto a branch a few feet into the ravine when Jack and Katherine found him. He called for help as the branch cracked under his weight. His backpack fell off and dropped into the ravine. Just then, Jack's wooden hand appeared in front of him. He grasped the hand just as the branch gave way, falling endlessly into the ravine. Jack pulled him onto the ledge and Katherine breathed a sigh of relief. "Sorry." Jack apologized sheepishly showing his hand grabbing onto his dismembered second arm, "didn't have any rope." Les nodded his thanks as Jack clicked his arm back into place.
The three crossed the bridge with little problems, other than Jack having to steady Katherine a few times. Once they reached the other side, Les collapsed onto a rock. "Are you sure you're alright?" Katherine asked, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He responded. Jack smiled at the kindness Katherine was showing the people she barely knew.
"Bad luck about your backpack." Davey interjected, "Now we'll be needing me more supplies."
"Supplies?" Les repeated in shock, standing up from the rock. "Thanks to you, I almost fell into the ravine!"
"Don't blame me for your clumsiness." Davey shot back.
"I'm clumsy? You're the bumbling clod-hopper!" Les practically shouted.
"Who was the one dangling from a branch?"
"Whose leadership skills put me there?"
As the brothers continued to argue, Katherine placed a gentle hand on Jack's arm. "That was very noble of you." She said quietly, so that only he could hear, "Very prince-like."
"Don't start with that." Jack laughed a little, eliciting a giggle from Katherine. "And it was the least I could do for an old friend." Katherine smiled at how Jack still treated everyone with kindness and nobility no matter what they had said or done to him.
The pair followed Les and Davey down the path, making small talk between them. Katherine noticed how Jack could make her laugh and smile more than anyone else ever could. Jack saw how Katherine made him feel more human than he had felt in the years since the curse was placed on him. After a few hours of walking, they reached the coast of the sea of storms. Katherine could see the lightning and hear the thunder rumbling in the distance. "Okay. Les and I will build a sea-worthy boat while you two gather supplies." Davey instructed and walked towards the sea. Les mimicked his brother's walk by puffing out his chest and walking stiffly behind him. Jack and Katherine laughed a little.
"Katherine, come with me." Jack said and nodded up the hill. Katherine obediently followed him into a valley that looked like a desert. The trees were bare and the ground was cracked and dry. "The well used to be over here." She followed him to a pile of stones. Brushing them away, they found a steel cap covering something. Unsheathing his sword, Jack used it to lift the cap up. Bright multi-colored sparkles flew into the air, turning into different fairies with flower petals as skirts. "Garden fairies." Jack explained as he sheathed his sword.
"They're amazing." Katherine breathed, watching the fairies swirl around in the air.
One small fairy with brunette hair, similar to the snow fairy Katherine had helped, flew over to Jack and spoke to him in the same way the snow fairies did. A small tinkling was all Katherine heard, but apparently Jack could understand them perfectly. "You're welcome." He said to the fairy, "The Delancies' army destroyed the valley and trapped them all in the well."
Katherine felt sympathy towards the small creatures. No one deserved that kind of treatment. The garden fairies swirled around her, speaking the language Katherine could not understand. "What are they saying?" She asked Jack.
"They say you're beautiful." Jack translated. "And I can't deny that I agree with them." Katherine blushed at the comment and mumbled her thanks. Jack wasn't lying. He didn't care how beautiful this Sugarplum Princess was told to be. No beauty could compare to Katherine. In the early afternoon sunlight, she seemed to emit an almost angelic glow without even trying. And Katherine's personality matched her looks. Jack could see himself keeping her around for as long as he could just to spend time with her. But she would never feel the same way towards him. He was a nutcracker for Christ's sake!
The garden fairies giggled at the exchange between them. They flew off towards the parched valley. Just like the snow fairies, the garden fairies created their own music to a breath-taking ballet dance. Everything they touched came back to life. The grass regrew on the ground. Flowers of all shapes and sizes bloomed. The trees became luscious and green with small blossoms dotting them. Katherine and Jack walked through it, taking in the beauty. Suddenly, an apple fell on Jack's head. Katherine caught it before it could reach the ground.
"Supplies." She smiled at him. Jack snorted a laugh. They started collecting the apples growing from the blossoms on the trees. Jack spotted Katherine admiring some flowers with midnight blue petals, turning into black as they reached the center of the flower. She gently touched a petal before returning to the apples.
Jack waved over a few garden fairies and whispered something in their ears, pointing to Katherine. The fairies giggled and nodded. They waved their hands together, creating a small ball of light. In a few seconds, the light had turned into one of the blossoms Katherine had been looking at attached to a chain made of sturdy green stems. Jack nodded and the fairies dashed off. While Katherine was distracted by reaching for an apple, the fairies delicately wrapped the necklace around her throat. She gasped with a smile and looked at the fairies. They pointed towards Jack. She smiled her thanks at him which he gladly returned. Katherine didn't think she could ever get enough of Jack's smile. It was the most beautiful thing she'd seen.
The fairies started swirling around her again. Katherine was swept up in the music and started doing delicate ballet steps. Her grace amazed Jack in so many ways, he lost count. He noted how the midnight blue in the flower brought out the dazzling color of her auburn curls. He also saw the glint of the locket resting just above the blossom. The thing that once their journey was over, would take her away from him. Somehow, the thought of losing Katherine broke his heart. He didn't want to part from this girl who had so suddenly come into his life. He was supposed to be a gift to Katherine from her aunt, but for some reason, Jack felt as if the aunt had given him a gift in Katherine.
Katherine let her feet lead her in an exquisite dance she sure she could never replicate if she tried. Looking down at the flower around her neck, she was reminded of Jack's kindness to everyone he met, even after all he's been through. Then she saw the gold heart laying right above it. The thing that would take her home. Away from Jack. Katherine felt her heart break at the mere thought of losing Jack, her nutcracker.
Apparently, all fairies think alike because the garden fairies had the same idea as the snow fairies. They swirled around Katherine's foot, making her stumble. Jack rushed over and steadied her. His hands were placed gently on her waist and hers was on his shoulders. He reached for her hand slowly, fully prepared to lock their hands together and dance with her. But the moment was shattered by a sound that shook the ground. The fairies squealed and flew off into the sky. Katherine and Jack looked up in time to see a rock crush their apples. The rock was connected to even more rocks before they saw the giant rock monster standing in front of them. The monster let out a roar that caused the trees to sway.
"Run!" Jack yelled. She didn't need to be told twice.
Jack grabbed Katherine's hand and sprinted out of the valley, her right on his heels. He pushed her in front of him but she only stayed a few feet ahead. As she climbed the hill, she spotted Les and Davey with an impressive looking boat. "Les, Davey!" She shouted.
"What's she going on about now?" Davey grumbled. "Probably saw a snake or a spider or…" But Les interrupted him with his cries.
"Rock giant!"
How'd you guys like that? I swear, this is like my favorite story to write right now. Don't worry. I will be going back to my other three. Just wait a little bit until I finish this one. You can survive… I hope.
Anyways, I know Davey's a little out of character, but I needed someone for that part and I obviously wasn't gonna place Davey and Les as the evil mouse kings. So, I'm sorry but in this story, Davey's gonna be a little OC. My dearest apologies.
Any who, R&R please!
Quote of the Day: "I need a weapon," Valkyrie muttered.
"You're an Elemental with a Necromancer ring, trained in a variety of martial arts by some of the best fighters in the world," Skulduggery pointed out. "I'm fairly certain that makes you a weapon."
"I mean a weapon you hold. You have a gun, Tanith has a sword... I want a stick."
"I'll buy you a stick for Christmas." –Derek Landy, (Mortal Coil) (Well that was a long one. I don't even know why I chose it. Eh. Enjoy it)
Song Suggestion: Beautiful (ft. Wayne Brady) –John Brickman