Remember Me: A Nutcracker Story | ✔

X. Hostage

Mary hurried back to her room and fell on her bed. She didn't understand why she got so mad at Sticks as well, and now that her air was clear and the drummer boy was out of sight, she wondered what got her so worked up.

Since when was he such a jerk? 

Then after a moment's thought, she added, since when was I so annoyed with him?

She sighed loudly and cleared her mind, washing away the angry thoughts with cool water from the bathroom sink. When she deemed that it wasn't enough, she took a shower and changed her clothes. Then she sat on the window's ledge with her knees to her chest, overlooking the kingdom and the mountains in the distance.

And then she began to think.

This can't go on, she thought. The Sugar Plum Fairy might already be in danger. If it gets worse and NC brings the Rat King and his army into the land, the Rat King might dispose of NC and make himself king. NC needs to wake up!

Mary got up and paced even as her mid stretched and whirled with potential plans. She had always annoyed her roommate in university because of this habit, but it really did help her thought process when she moved.

How do I wake NC up from this daze? I'm sure it's not just the mere truth that made him like this. He can't just forget me because of that; there's got to be some magic at work here.

"NC..." 

Suddenly, Mary stopped pacing and with a click remembered something her late Uncle Albert had told her when she woke up the Christmas morning after her adventures with NC and the toys. It has been so long ago, but now, in that candy-walled room in a land which she once thought was make-believe, her memories flashed before her eyes so rapidly and clearly that she had to sit down.

"Here it is," she muttered to herself, as if trying to rein in the thought and make it tangible. "Here's a way to wake NC up. I don't know if it will work, but I have to try."

Mary waited in her room and ate dinner when it was sent up, but only when the moon was high and the sky ink-black that she put her plan into action. She took a small letter knife in her pocket to defend herself — it was too blunt to create any real damage, but there was nothing better of use in her room. Then she found a thick, dark-colored cloak, wrapped it around herself, and escaped through her bedroom window.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

NC's castle was only a short distance away from the Land of Sweets, and Mary kept to the shadows to avoid being seen. Ever since the curfew was implemented, the Sugar Plum Fairy spared no effort in stationing candy all over the kingdom. However, when she got to NC's castle, it was a lot easier to hide in the shadows because there were no soldiers walking around. This was outside of the Sugar Plum Fairy's jurisdiction now.

Creeping as would a mouse, Mary got as close to the castle as she could and observed.

There were two guards stationed by the front doors, and every few moments a guard would walk past them. 

There must be at least two guards circling the grounds. 

Looking up, she saw a window on a tower with light pouring out of it, and it was the only window like that. Growing beside and beneath it, much like her own window in the Sugar Plum Fairy's castle, was a thick tangle of vines and — even better — a metal trellis. She had to smile to herself at the convenience of it.

That must be NC's room, or at least the place where he would be working. It's so late; he must be working alone.

Mary timed the coming and going of the guards circling the grounds and dashed toward the window the moment the first guard disappeared around the corner. Already used to climbing her window, she scaled the trellis as fast as possible. Then she heard a scuffle right from under her and froze.