For the two kids, I hope it's ok that I just call them Peppermint and Gingerbread. It makes things a lot simpler and easier for me when I'm writing instead of just writing Peppermint Girl or Gingerbread Boy every time.

Anyway, on with the show!

...

..

(Y/N) and Nutcracker continue walking through the woods side by side, the ground and trees around them covered in snow.

They come across a small clearing, and arrive at a small village made of gingerbread, left in ruin.

Buildings damaged, homes ransacked. Pieces of candy and gingerbread everywhere. And no one in sight.

Nutcracker face falls, looking around at the deserted village. (Y/N) frowning as well, a sad expression on her face. "What happened here?" She asks warily,

"It's what's left of the gingerbread village. The Mouse King's work, no doubt." He frowns, his brows arched at the thought of what the Mouse King had done.

"That's... that's awful." (Y/N)'s heart sinks at the thought of what may have happened to everyone. "Where is everyone?"

"I don't know... I hope they are somewhere safe, away from the Mouse King's clutches." He sighs, (Y/N) nods in agreement.

They both enter the village, and Nutcracker's heart grows heavy as they look around at the destruction around them.

"I didn't know things had gotten this bad," he says, looking out for anything or anyone that may still be there.

(Y/N) stops and looks down, and her heart aches when she spots a homemade doll sitting in the snow. She picks it up, and they both look at it sadly.

"How long has it been like this?" (Y/N) looks at Nutcracker, a sad expression on her face,

"Way too long, we have to stop him before he hurts anyone else,"

The two look up when they hear a horse whinny in the distance, and they spot a stable up ahead. They look at each other, and Nutcracker shrugs.

As they approach the stable, a pink horse nickers and back up defensibly.

"Hey, hey, it's ok!" (Y/N) coos, slowly walking up to the frightened horse. She holds her hand out, and lets the horse sniff it. "It's ok, we won't hurt you."

The horse sniffs her hand, and nuzzles her snout in her hand. (Y/N) lightly pets her blonde mane and smiles.

"She's beautiful," She admires as the horse closes her eyes and leans into the pets.

Suddenly, a snowball strikes (Y/N)'s back, and she yelps in surprise. "Ow! What the–?"

"It's an ambush! Take cover!" Nutcracker shouts, and the two duck behind a small wall.

Nutcracker peaks over the top of the wall, and smiles with a chuckle when he sees two small children throwing snowballs at them.

One girl in a pink frilly dress with candy cane stripes, and one boy wearing a gingerbread styled onesie.

"It's alright, they're just children." He yelps in surprise and both duck back down when the young girl snips his hat off his head.

"With very good aim!" He can't help but grin as he puts his hat back on, and (Y/N) gets an idea.

She picks up the doll, and holds it up for the kids to see.

"Wait, wait! We mean no harm! We found this doll, is she yours?" She asks, the two slowly looking over the wall.

The young girl's eyes grow wide, and a smile grows on her face. "Patty!" She exclaimed with joy, and ran over to them. (Y/N) hands the girl her doll, and cradles it in her arms lovingly.

The Gingerbread boy with her slowly comes out, and walks over to join his sister.

Nutcracker kneels down to the girl's level, "What happened here?"

"Where is everyone?" (Y/N) asks, looking down at the girl.

Peppermint gestures to the horse, "We don't know! We went out with Marzipan to gather Candleberries," she begins to explain, her brother walking up and petting the horse's muzzle.

"...We came back, and everything..."

"And everyone..."

"Were gone!"

"It was the Mouse King's army!" Peppermint exclaims, both of them worried about their loved ones. Gingerbread crosses his arm and scowls,

"This is all Prince Eric's fault!"

Nutcracker's face falls, looking down at the ground with a sad expression on his face. (Y/N) notices,

"Who's Prince Eric?" She asks him,

"The son of the king who ruled before the mouse took over" He says,

"Yeah, but he wasn't much of a prince!" Gingerbread places his hands on his hips with a frown,

"The king left his throne and the golden sceptre to his royal adviser–"

"The mouse–" Peppermint continues,

"Until the prince could prove himself worthy," Nutcracker tells her, and (Y/N) frowns.

"Oh gee, let me guess. The little rodent decided HE liked being king, and would never let the prince take the throne,"

(Y/N)'s brow furrows in thought, "But, what happened to Prince Eric?" she asks curiously,

"Don't know, don't care!" Gingerbread waves his arms in front of him, a frown still on his face.

"We're better off without him!" Peppermint agrees with her brother. Nutcracker thinks for a moment and looks around, his expression somber.

"It's dangerous here. We'll travel together until we can find you a safe home." He assures, caring very much about their safety. As well as (Y/N)'s.

Marzipan trots over to them attached to a carriage, and Nutcracker lifts them into it. (Y/N) and him sit up front, and Nutcracker takes the reins. With a toss of her head and a whinny, they take off to find somewhere safe.

...

..

The sun begins to set over the horizon. They stop by a cliffside, and look down to see mouse soldiers hauling carts filled with candy and gingerbread.

"The Mouse King's army," (Y/N) speaks up, glaring down at them in disdain.

"Carrying what's left of our village!" Peppermint says, glaring at them as well,

They suddenly hear Marzipan whinny behind them, and they turn to see two mouse soldiers tugging at her reins. She's able to break free and takes off, trampling over them.

"There they are!" A soldier from below bellows, spotting the gang up on the cliff pointing at them.

"Come on!" He calls upon his fellow soldiers, and they all charge towards them, weapons drawn.

(Y/N) looks around in a panic, and looks into the woods nearby,

"Everyone, into the woods, now!" She yells, waving her arm towards the woods, and takes off towards it. The others follow behind,

They all run as fast as they can through the woods, all of them panting as they use all their energy to keep the soldiers from catching up.

But it wasn't enough. The soldiers were catching up to them, fast. Peppermint looks over her shoulder and sees them getting closer.

"They're getting closer!" She exclaims,

"What do we do?" (Y/N) yells out in fear,

Suddenly, a rope ladder falls in front of them out of nowhere from the trees above. The gang are unsure whether to trust it, but they didn't have any other choice. It was either this, or the mouse soldiers.

"Up here!" A voice from above yells, encouraging them to climb.

"Get 'em!" They look back as the herd of soldiers is quickly approaching, and take the chance.

Everyone quickly climbs up the ladder, Nutcracker being pulled up at the last possible moment, avoiding the soldiers just in time. They all run past where they used to be standing, completely losing them.

Nutcracker climbs all the way up the ladder to find everyone surrounded by village folk, pointing weapons at (Y/N) and the kids.

"Is everyone alright?"

"Uh, I'm gonna go with no." (Y/N) replies, looking around warily at the villagers pointing weapons at them.

"Well, what have we here?" Two men in uniform approach, both pointing swords at Nutcracker.

"A wooden spy? Some new kind of Mouse King trap?" Captain Candy ponders, cautious of the strangers,

"No! Leave him alone!" (Y/N) yells, catching Major Mint's attention.

"Kidnappers as well!" Major Mint accuses, looking at the children behind (Y/N). She holds her arms out in front of them protectively,

"No! They helped us!" Peppermint defends them, trying to convince them of the truth.

"If you have anything to hide, you won't mind answering a few questions." Captain Candy insists, Nutcracker standing beside (Y/N).

"Come, children! Masha will take care of you," Major Mint says, pointing to a woman nearby. Unsure, the two kids look back at (Y/N) and Nutcracker. (Y/N) smiles at them, in hopes of assuring them everything will be ok.

Captain Candy gestures into a room inside a large tree, (Y/N) and Nutcracker walks towards it. (Y/N) looks back at the children with a sad frown that the two didn't see. The four of them walk inside the tree, Major Mint staring at them.

Major Mint wore a red coat with gold stripes at the end of the sleeves and two gold buttons on the collar, with two white sashes with gold trim across his chest, and golden applets resting on his shoulders. He also has a golden monocle and a green hat with a white and yellow striped ribbon around the brim, and a golden star on the front like on Nutcracker's hat. And he wore green pants and brown shoes.

Captain Candy wore a white long sleeved shirt with a gold button on the collar and matching white pants, a blue sash across his chest and another around his waist like a belt. He wore a white turban on his head with a rainbow colored feather on the front that's held in place by a gold button. And he wore blue boots with gold trim.

"Right, let's start with who you are and what you're doing here." Major Mint demands, glaring at Nutcracker more than (Y/N).

"I'm Nutcracker, and this is (Y/N). We're both victims of the Mouse King's magic." Nutcracker explains, and (Y/N) gives a small wave, a friendly smile on her face

"We are trying to find the one we believe can stop him for good, the Sugar Plum Princess. Do you know anything about her?" (Y/N) asks. Captain Candy's eyes go wide,

"The Sugar Plum Princess?" He says, looking at them curiously.

"Blah, I've never heard such a ridiculous story!" He grumbles and crosses his arms in front of him.

"It's the truth, told to me by Prince Eric himself." Nutcracker says confidently,

The Major chuffs at the mention of the Prince,

"Prince Eric? He's the reason we're in this mess! If it weren't for that reckless boy, the Mouse King wouldn't be turning everyone into knick-knacks!" He exclaims, holding his fingers up close together to emphasize his point.

"You make the Prince sound pretty awful..." Nutcracker's face falls, looking away from the Major, sadness in his eyes.

(Y/N) noticed. The Major scoffs,

"Awful! Puh! That's a compliment! He was useless, lazy, and irresponsible!" He spits how he feels in Nutcracker's face, making him feel even worse.

(Y/N) had just about enough of his attitude, and the way he was speaking to Nutcracker. (Y/N) steps between the two, holding her arms out in front of Nutcracker protectively.

"Hey, now that's enough! You may feel that way about Prince Eric, but you have no right to take it out on Nutcracker." (Y/N) glares sternly at Major Mint, making him glare back just as much in response.

Nutcracker's eyes go wide. He was amazed by the way she stood up to him, how she protected him. He couldn't stop looking at her...

Captain Candy speaks up, breaking the tension between the two.

"Major Mint, you're forgetting that Prince Eric was my friend." He smiles, fondly remembering his friend.

"Captain Candy! You're forgetting that I am your superior!" Captain Candy rolls his eyes,

"I had high hopes for that boy..." Major Mint looks down for a moment, before shaking his head.

"No matter... I've got more important things to think about, like keeping what's left of our subjects safe from the Mouse King!" He says, and walks over to a table in the room.

(Y/N) steps forward, "Well then, you should consider looking for the Princess as well. She's the only one who can stop him," The Major looks up at her,

"I don't have time to search for some... Sugar... Pie..." he mumbles gibberish, looking back down at the table.

"Sugar Plum," (Y/N) corrects,

"Imaginary princess!" He says in frustration, stepping away from the table.

"Wait, Major. They may be telling the truth," Captain Candy interjects, stepping in front of the Major, "I once overheard the King telling Prince Eric about this powerful princess. The king himself believed in her magic... and we've tried everything else to defeat the mouse." He says, trying to make a point, and the Major rubs his chin in thought.

He was right. They had tried everything, but nothing worked. Everything they tried failed.

He hums, and looks at the two. "Do you know where she is?" He asks them,

"We've learned she's on an island, across the Sea of Storms." Nutcracker replied,

The Major spouts nonsensical gibberish, sputtering at the notion of the mission.

"Oh, very well. We'll all go looking for the Sugar Plum Princess... but I'll be in charge of the expedition!" He says sternly, his hands on his hips.

"Of course," Nutcracker agrees, believing it would be best if he takes the lead.

"Alright then," (Y/N) agreed reluctantly, not sure how to feel about the Major just yet.

As (Y/N) and Nutcracker turn to leave, Captain Candy catches Nutcracker by the arm.

"Do you know what became of Prince Eric?" he asks them, eyes hopeful.

"The Mouse King destroyed him..." Nutcracker says sadly, looking down with pain in his eyes.

That's when it hit her. (Y/N)'s eyes widen in realisation, and looks at Nutcracker sadly.

The Captain hangs his head low somberly as (Y/N) and Nutcracker leave.

...

..

Two soldiers responsible for the hunt for Nutcracker and (Y/N) stand before the Mouse King, questioning them in anger.

"So, you're telling me that the Nutcracker... a wooden utensil... and that pesky girl... managed to escape a well armed fighting squadron unharmed? And, instead of fleeing into the hills, you chose to return to me and report your incompetence?!"

The two soldiers before the king shutter in fear. One barely able to speak, the other completely frozen in fear.

"Uh–huh..." the one soldier looks to his left at the other soldier, seeing how petrified he is, then looks back at the king, unable to stop shaking.

"Why don't you just blast them with your sceptre, sire?" Pimm suggested, laughing.

"I suppose I could..." the Mouse King ponders, standing up from his throne. He swings his sceptre, transforming it into a sword, causing the two soldiers to gasp nervously, holding their hands up in front of them in fear.

"But I find its power to transform the incompetent much more gratifying," He looms over the two, an evil sneer on his face, sending chills down the soldier's spines, and they gulp nervously.

"The trick is making you useful." He tosses his sword into the air, transforming it back into a spectre.

"Pimm, how are we doing with statuary?" he asks, and Pimm opens a closet door, revealing it to be completely full of stone statues of frozen soldiers, all in different poses.

"Er full up, your lordiness," Pimm said,

"Lawn ornaments?" The Mouse King smirks at Pimm as he pulls back a curtain, revealing the courtyard completely filled with more statues of soldiers and people.

"Too much ornament, not enough lawn." the Mouse King scratches his cheek in thought,

"Paper weights?" He said, Pimm flying onto a large cupboard completely filled with stone paperweights of more mouse soldiers.

"Covered!"

The Mouse King groans, "What does one create for the palace that has everything?" he said, trying to rack his brain for an idea. Pimm lands next to the two petrified soldiers.

"How 'bout bookends, since there's two of 'em?" Pimm suggests, lighting up the Mouse King's eyes. The soldiers shiver at the sound of that and try to say no.

"Wonderful idea, Pimm! I do believe I'm starting to rub off on you." Pimm is flattered,

The Mouse King begins to wave the sceptre in a circle, the gem glowing with a golden light as he chants his spell.

"Since other tasks posed a challenge to thee, you shall be bookends for eternity!"

He smiles maliciously, the two mice begging to be spared, only for him to cast his spell upon them, turning them into a set of matching bookends, their petrified faces set forever in stone.

The Mouse King returns to the desk near his throne, and opens up the registry. As he flips through the pages, Pimm stands on top of one of the bookends, only for it to fall over, making Pimm lose his balance and fall onto the floor.

"Here it is– the Sugar Plum Princess. Kind, clever, and brave." He looks up, confused.

"That's it?" He scowls in anger, and throws the book across the room against a tall stone column, causing a few cracks to form, and making many pages fall out of the book and flutter to the floor.

"Where is she?!" He sneers, staring at the column before getting an idea. With a dark chuckle, he picks up the sceptre.

"I suppose I'lll just have to reduce the Nutcracker to a pile of splinters before he can find her!" He points his sceptre at the column, and begins casting another spell.

"Rock that will wall, destroy whom I seek! Carnage and havoc will be yours to wreak!" He thrusts the sceptre forwards, golden magic blasting from it and into the column.

The column begins to glow as it falls apart, then begins to transform into a towering stone monster, and Pimm yelps in fear.

The monster lets out a terrifying roar, Pimm screaming in fear and running away and hides behind another column.

"Find the wooden man, and that pestilent girl with him... and crush him!" The Mouse King demands, and the monster turns and lumbers away. Pimm peaks out from his hiding place, watching him leave.

"Follow him, Pimmy. He's a little rough around the edges and may need some... guidance." The Mouse King asks, and Pimm raises a brow,

"You want me to babysit a rock?" Pimm muses, almost laughs at the idea. The Mouse King glares at him, tapping the sceptre against his hand impatiently.

"Alright, alright! Better than bein' a rock..." Pimm holds his hands up in surrender, then takes off to the stone monster to help find its target.

...

The sun had set, the full moon shining bright in the sky.

Back at the hidden village, inside one of the hollow trees, (Y/N) is tucking the two children into bed.

"What about Marzipan?" Peppermint asks, worried and concerned for her. (Y/N) sits on the edge of the bed next to her,

"Don't worry, I'm sure she's ok. We're heading out in the morning, and you'll be staying here with Masha where it's safe until we get back. Ok?" (Y/N) smiles reassuringly, the two smile back.

"Ok," Peppermint says, both of them getting sleepy from the adventure today.

"Goodnight, you two." (Y/N) said, standing up.

"Goodnight, (Y/N)." Both of them said, watching her leave for the night.

Once outside, (Y/N) sees Nutcracker sitting on a balcony at the end of the small village. She looks down at him and slowly walks towards him. He hears her, but doesn't look up.

"Can't sleep?"

"I'm a Nutcracker. Sleep seems kind of pointless," He chuckles to himself, and (Y/N) sits next to him.

"Hey, you are so much more than that. Prince Eric." Nutcracker's eyes widen in surprise, and he looks up at her.

"I don't get it. Why haven't you told anyone you're alive? Wouldn't your friend be happy to know you're ok?" (Y/N)