Charlotte, Alastor, and Anthony peered through the trees, seeing mouse soldiers with weapons entering the area and looking for something. Or rather someone.
"So what are we looking for again?" One of the mice asked.
"A nutcracker and a girl." The captain of the troops said. "They can't be that difficult to find in these parts."
"What do they want us for?" Charlotte whispered.
"I have a few ideas." Alastor whispered back. "They probably want to have a barbecue where I'm the fuel for the fire."
"So um...What's the plan?" Anthony asked.
"Jump straight into battle?" Baxter suggested.
"No. Actually we were going for a less violent option." Charlotte said. "Find Princess Mimzy so her and Alastor's love for each other could change him back and destroy Vox's power."
"Oh, how romantic." Niffty sighed dreamily. "True love does conquer all, you know."
"Right, so all we have to do is get to the Sheltered City." Charlotte said.
"One problem though." Alastor said. "How are we going to get there, undetected by those mice?"
"Leave them to me your highness." Baxter said. "My fellow soldiers and myself will distract them while you and your lady friend flee."
"Baxter are you crazy?" Anthony asked him. "You just got fixed, you want to get busted all over again?"
"Yes Baxter, you mustn't do this." Niffty agreed. "You're still far too weak. You may end up being destroyed."
"Perhaps, but if it will give our prince a chance to escape and save us all." Baxter said. "Anthony you should probably go with them. You know this forest better than anyone and I know you have some magic left."
"I do but I'm not sure what I can do with what I've got." Anthony said.
"In my opinion, any kind of magic is useful, and if it's not too much your highness, could you please take Niffty with you?"
"What?" The shepherdess said.
"She's made of china, she's so much more fragile and breakable than the rest of us.. It would be better if she went with you all."
"I don't see any harm in bringing her along." Alastor said.
"Wait a minute, I'm not going." Niffty protested. "I don't want to leave you Baxter, or the others."
"Don't worry about us, we maybe toys but we're still highly trained in combat and even if we are broken up again, we'll be instantly restored once Vox is defeated."
"I should stay and help you fight."
"Absolutely not. I'm not going to watch you go to pieces. Now be sensible Niffty, you and I both know it's safer for you to go with them."
"But I'd feel like a coward for leaving."
"You're anything but that."
They shared a parting hug.
"Keep an eye on her, will you Anthony?" Baxter asked with his arms around Niffty.
"Don't I always?" The snow fairy doll chuckled.
When they ended their embrace, Baxter kissed her forehead. Then with one hand he drew his sword and with his other, he held Niffty's hand and they slowly parted with their fingers lingering.
"Go." He told her. "I'll be okay."
In the end, Anthony had to gently pull Niffty away from him and the group waited for the distraction to take place.
"Hey you miserable mice!" Baxter taunted. "I know where the nutcracker prince is but I won't tell you and you can't make me!"
The mice lunged for him, the other toys instantly came to his defense, and a dreadful brawl broke out. Charlotte and Alastor were so touched by their courage and selflessness, that they almost felt guilty for leaving. But they both knew that the best way to help them was to put an end to Vox's power and they couldn't do that if they were captured. So reluctantly, the two of them and their new traveling companions slipped away unnoticed.
The citizens who had been turned into toys fought bravely and surrender was no option. Alastor was their last hope and they would do whatever it took to protect him, even at the cost of their lives. Baxter was the one who fought the most valiantly, he was a man completely devoted to the safety and well-being of all who once resided in the Kingdom of Sweets. For their sake, no trial or danger was too great.
Tragically though, despite his and his comrades best efforts, they ended up failing and getting captured. Taken to Vox's castle and thrown into the dudgeon where they would wait to be tortured and/or eliminated. However this successful capture did not please Vox because his troops had failed to bring him the two prisoners he had wanted.
"You incompetent cheese eaters!" He raged at the troops. "How dare you return here without the nutcracker and my bride!"
"A thousand apologies your majesty." The captain said trembling. "But there was a little complication."
"I don't want to hear your excuses! You all must be punished!"
He chanted some words and pointed his clawed fingers at two of the mouse troops. In a puff of smoke and flashing light, they were shrunk and transformed into bookends, much to the horror of the captain and the remaining mice.
"Finally something new." Velvette said. "I don't think the gardens can take anymore lawn ornaments."
Everyone but my sister, leave me or I'll turn you all into paper weights!"
The mice did as they were told, bolting out of the throne room at almost light speed. Now alone with his sister, Vox sat himself down on the throne and tried to subside his anger.
"They're a disgrace!" He declared. "Damn, worthless, fools! How Mother could have ever relied on them is a complete mystery to me!"
"So what now brother dear?" Velvette said. "Since it's obvious you can't trust our staff to follow simple orders."
"Bring me Mother's spell book."
Velvette walked over to a shelf full of books and pulled out the biggest one which she then handed to her brother. Vox opened the book and flipped through the pages rapidly until he stopped on page 34. Written on this page was a spell for a snow storm. One that was so cold that you would feel as though shards of glass were cutting your skin and fog so thick that you would almost go blind.
"This should slow them down long enough for my men to catch them." Vox declared. "And since my guards have fur and fatter bodies, the cold shouldn't effect them much."
"Not a bad idea, but I think you're overlooking something."
"What? The snow fairies? Please, their power is close to useless since I turned them all into dolls. They won't be able to clear away the storm."
"That's not what I was referring to."
"The flower fairies are no help to them either. Not only were they turned into dolls too, But I've trapped them and with that storm, they'll never reach Flower Valley anyway."
"That's not it either."
"There are no more toy allies to help them either. They're all in a jail cell."
"You seem awfully sure of yourself. But are you sure that there's something you haven't considered?"
"My dear sister, you need not doubt me. I am clever and crafty, I consider every possible flaw in a plan. Why else would Mother have chosen me as her heir?"
"Because I didn't want the job and you're half rat which makes you technically bigger and stronger."
If Velvette had not been his sister, Vox would have not allowed her to get away with saying such a thing. In fact he would have turned her into a mouse toy for a cat had they not shared a mother. However he still looked at her with those crazed, yellow eyes of his.
"I am not a rat!" He screeched in her face.
"I didn't say that." Velvette replied calmly and without fear. "I said that you were half rat which is true."
"You don't know that for sure! There's no undeniable proof of it!"
"Oh please, you were born a year after she met that sewer rat. You think no one did the math?"
"There's still no evidence to prove that an uncultured, uncouth, and unrefined rat was my father! And that I'm anything like a rat! I have wealth, position, class, and personality. Now are those traits commonly used to describe a rat?"
"Not until now." Velvette thought.
"And once I have disposed of that nutcracker and have that charming little beauty on my arm, I shall finally get the respect and adoration that I deserve."
"Forgive me my much larger sibling, but this obsession with trying to prove yourself better than a rat is not very good for you. You are becoming what the Germans call a total verrückt."
"Huh?"
"Nutty as a fruitcake."
"I am not nutty! I am perfectly sane. I am the king and I wish to be treated as one." He insisted. "Now go find the captain, tell him my new plan, and be sure to stress the consequences of failure."
"Alright but I still think you're forgetting something
"Now! Go now!" He said impatiently.
Velvette rolled his eyes but did as she was told, leaving Vox to open the castle windows and conjure up a winter storm with conditions so awful that it could rival the soul-crushing depths of hell. He was so sure that this storm would make his rival so cold and be in such pain that he wouldn't be able to move. He'd just stand there and freeze, making it almost too easy for his troops to grab him.
But Velvette was right, he was overlooking one very important factor in his plan.
"I wonder how long before it occurs to him that nutcrackers are made of wood, therefore they cannot feel cold." She had muttered under her breath.