Melancholia

Remnants 28 - Christmas Toys

Marie fell asleep under the Christmas tree once again, one year after her first journey.

She woke up once again, tiny as a doll, under the Christmas tree. As she woke, she noticed the Nutcracker standing beside her, in his gorgeous red suit as always.

"Good morning, Marie."

"Good morning."

"Shall we go off to the parade?"

"Parade? What parade?"

"Remember the last time you came here? I killed the Mouse King, thus ending the war. Now, every year, they have a commemoration for the event, the end of the war."

"Oh, yes. Let's go, then."

"Well, I don't suppose you could go in that nightgown, could you?"

"Well, no I can't."

"Then come with me to the castle," said the Nutcracker.

"Alright!"

"Hop on my carriage!"

So she hopped on, and the horse pulled carriage arrived at the castle quickly.

"We're here. Here, let me help you off. You do know where is the dressing room, right? I'll be in the garden, waiting for you."

"It has been such a long time since I have came here," said Marie as she walked down the long corridors, walls lined with decorations and ornaments, floors covered with red carpets. "Ah, there's the dressing room."

After some time, she exited the castle to the royal garden, and greeted the Nutcracker. "Hello! I'm finished!"

"Wow, you look gorgeous!"

"Thank you," Marie said, curtsying with her blue dress. "Shall we go now?"

"Let's enjoy a view in the garden first, it's still early."

"Alright then," she said, linking their arms together.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"It sure is! All the flowers and the trees, and my, my, such lovely statues!"

"Those statues?" he pointed towards the pond.

"Yes, those."

"Those... Those just suddenly appeared one day and we just didn't bother to do anything with them."

"What? Appeared suddenly? You mean overnight?"

"Yeah, out of the blue. A peculiar thing it is."

Marie looked at the statue, and it looked back at her, which creeped her out. "Can we go to the parade now?"

"Alright then. It's about time we leave anyway."

So they rode on the carriage to the parade. It had not started yet, and they stood in the crowd waiting for the parade.

"When's the parade coming?" "Are there many balloons?" "Just a little longer, my dear." The crowd grew impatient.

Not long after, the parade started.

"Here comes the grand marshal!"

"Look at the floats!"

"Yeah!"

"Here come the cars!"

"Hold on, who is that? Is that the Mouse Queen?"

"Run!" the Nutcracker said, holding Marie's hand.

"Pant... pant... What was that for?"

"Don't you get it? She wants revenge!"

"Umm... There's a weird green beam coming towards us!"

"Move!"

The green beam hit the Nutcracker, and he suddenly grew stiff.

"Are you okay!?"

The Nutcracker didn't reply, and just started marching. As he marched, he stiffened. He couldn't reply Marie, for his mouth was painted on him.

Slowly, his shirt was melding with his body, painting his body the uniform colours. His hat stuck to his head, he couldn't control himself, marching and giving salutes.
He stopped after the seventh salute, a perfect toy soldier he became.

Soon, another green beam was fired. Marie tried to block it using the Nutcracker's stiff body, but it was not perfect. She was hit at her hand, slowly stiffening from there.

"I can't... I can't control myself," she said, as she started pirouetting. Her body moved on her own, without even losing balance. Luckily, no one was around there to see, for she was very embarrassed.

As she turned and twirled, she got stiffer and stiffer, with her slowing down every round. It wasn't long till she came to a stop, and by then, she was a beautiful ballerina, in her blue dress, with both hands high above her head and her standing properly, be it on only one leg.

Her face couldn't move, for it wasn't supposed to. She couldn't turn, she couldn't look around, only looking in front.

"Help us," she thought.

"Merry Christmas!" shouted the Mouse Queen, waving at them in their petrified demise.

Suddenly, she felt very sleepy, and her vision turned black. When she woke up, she was still in the same unmovable pose, but this time only able to see a dirty blue cloth. No sounds of celebrations or parades could be heard, and it was deathly quiet.

After a few hours, she heard loud banging sounds, and a booming voice. "Who left these toys under the tree unwrapped? I never even bought these."

"Mom! It's Mom!" Marie thought.

The giant picked up both of the toys, the Nutcracker in her left hand and Marie in her right. "You two look like splendid dolls! Though, the ballerina looks like my daughter, Marie. Should I give you to her?"

"Mom, it's me!" Marie tried to scream.

Marie's mother could never notice the thoughts of a doll, and said to herself, "Oh, never mind. You will do well for my niece, Peggy. I'll bring you to her. Let me get some wrapping paper..."

"Peggy!?" Marie thought. "Whatever could they do?"

The Nutcracker, on the other hand, was trying to keep calm, but it was hard. "Marie? Marie?"

"Yes?" replied Marie.

"You can hear me?"

"As much as you can hear me."

"What happened?"

"I don't know, and I don't like it! I feel terribly stiff, and I'm stuck dancing."

"Ugh... That Mouse Queen..."

"At least we'll get to spend Christmas together?"

"I'm afraid that'll be every Christmas, this may be permanent. Nobody can rescue us, anyway."

"Oh no!!!"

"I'm back!" Marie's mother put both of them in a cardboard box and wrapped them up.

It wasn't long till they were given to Peggy, who squealed in delight at the sight of new toys.

"Merry Christmas, new toys!"