The Atlantean Nutcracker (A TSONA Holiday Special)

Chapter 1: Godpapa Poseidrosselmeyer's Gift

It was December 24th, Christmas Eve. The snow fell lightly on the house on the hill near the Northern Sea. Young Maria had been waiting excitedly outside the door to the living room for this moment. Everything inside shone and glittered in the loveliest manner. Any moment now, the doors to the hall would open, and the Christmas festivities could begin. 

"It's so beautiful..." she sighed dreamily. As the youngest of the Mermana family, Maria was a dreamer, lovely and naive. Her fantasies involved dancing sugarplums, toys that came to life, and most of all, her Prince Charming. 

At last, the doors burst open to reveal Godpapa Poseidrosselmeyer, her godfather. "Ho-ho! Christmas is right around the corner!" he said proudly. Maria always enjoyed being her godfather's visits. It was said by all the children of the family that he was granted to the power of magic to entertain them during the Christmas holiday. 

Excitedly, Maria gave her godfather a quick hug and dashed inside, viewing the inside, from the Christmas tree to the stockings to the blazing fire to the presents that sat under the tree. Who could describe it all?

"I can!" Poseidrosselmeyer piped up, holding a doll. "This here's a nice dolly, a wacky cuckoo clock, and a choo-choo train!"

Uh...I was being rhetorical. 

"Well, you ASKED someone to describe everything, didn't you?"

Look, I'm trying to get this holiday spiel out on time, buddy, just ignore me.

"How am I supposed to ignore a big booming voice coming in out of nowhere?"

You're a god in the canon series, figure it out! Just ignore me!

"Alright, alright, have it your way."

*ahem* This year, Godpapa Poseidrosselmeyer had made a special gift for young Maria. He bent down to receive her and gave her a warm smile.

"Alright now, little one. This has taken me-"

It had taken him all year to build. 

"...Yeah, that long. It's a-"

It was a beautiful, hand-crafted Nutcracker doll.

"Ex-CUSE me, but I'm pretty sure narrators aren't supposed to be surprise-spoilers!" Poseidrosselmeyer snapped.

Goddammit, ignore me and give her the stupid doll!

"Fine, fine. Alright, here's the no-longer-a-surprise nutcracker doll. TAKE it already."

Rather begrudgingly, Poseidrosselmeyer handed a brown-haired doll with sea-blue eyes to Maria. He wore a bright red suit with golden shoulder pads and deep blue pants. Maria was enchanted by the design and detail. The thing that caught her eye the most was the gleaming yellow crystal that sat in his chest.

"Oh...he's just so handsome..." she sighed in wonder. Without a moment to lose, Maria turned the metal key on the nutcracker's back and set it on the floor to watch it walk. However, it did so much more. The steadfast nutcracker man stood up straight, bowed to her once with a tip of his hat, then starting dancing about, going this way and that in graceful movements. Maria almost felt tempted to copy his movements. 

He bounced over to the coffee table, where a bowl of walnuts sat. With a swing of his sword, he chopped the shells in half to reveal the nutmeats inside. Maria caught them as they fell and popped them in her mouth with a smile.

Once the bowl was empty, the nutcracker made yet another graceful dismount off the table and returned to the ground, bowing once and finally resting in place.

"I just love it!" Maria squealed with glee as she hugged the nutcracker's tiny form. "Oh, thank you, Godpapa Poseidrosselmeyer!"

Poseidrosselmeyer, who was covered in walnut shells, shook them off and took the doll from Maria. "Hold on a second! It's not supposed to dance! Must be a loose cogwheel in here somewhere!" He shook the doll to check for any loose gears, then pulled his head clean off to inspect it.

Maria gasped in horror. "You broke him!"

Indeed he did. Just for that, I'm booting you out of the story. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Poseidrosselmeyer screamed as he...left the house. Rather violently, actually.

With Poseidrosselmeyer gone, Maria carefully placed the nutcracker's head back on his body and cradled him gently. "I'll take the greatest care of you and nurse you back to health until you're right as rain again," she promised, taking a pretty white bow and tying it on the nutcracker so his head would stay in place. She then laid him to rest on a doll's bed nearby and sat by its bedside, her eyes glittering dreamily.

"Oh, if only you were real..." she sighed. "Maybe then, I could dance with you..."

She was so lost in her feelings of love and wonder, Maria's head nodded and she drifted off to sleep. However, just before she lost consciousness, she thought she saw the nutcracker smile. Perhaps it was a trick in the firelight. Or maybe...something else.

Hey, guys! Just thought I'd drop in with a holiday story you could read to your friends and family during the season! If you don't know what "TSONA" is, check out my reading lists and learn the story for yourself! It's actually really cool!