The castle was filled with tons of toys, minus a ballerina with caramel colored skin, long black hair with brown hints, and a tiara. She seemed like an ordinary human, and she approached them gracefully. "Hello. Welcome to the Candy Kingdom. I've never seen you around here before." She scanned them both over, her eyes lingering on the Nutcracker. "...he's a blonde beefcake..." She blinked.
Dino blinked, but Chero said, "Well..I was looking for another shoe...and a way to change him back into a normal human."
"Mafia boss." Dino whispered, pulling down his Nutcracker hat.
"I mean, mafia boss."
"Oh! Well, I can help with the shoe!" The ballerina said, gesturing to one of her attendants, "As for the curse, I'm not sure. Who bestowed it?"
"King Mukuro."
The ballerina's eyes narrowed. "Mukuro? 'Kufufu' Mukuro?"
The two nodded, wondering why she was asking.
In a split second the ballerina became more like a bloodthirsty soldier than a princess. "When I get my hands on him...I'll wring his skinny little neck and hang him out to dry! HE JILTED MY KINGDOM FROM ME!"
The couple blinked in shock. "...mi...dispiace?"
"Huh?" The ballerina turned back to them. "Oh, it's nothing...just...settling scores." She pointed down a long hall inside the doors of the palace. "You may be able to find a way to break your spell in there."
"Grazie."
"Hm? Spell? Well, a kiss of course. Kisses always work." A half-angel, half demon with long black hair was busy with something the two couldn't see. "I'm not an expert on spells, but you can give it a try, can't you?"
Instead of agreeing with the girl- whose name was Chyrsta- both Chero's and Nutcracker Dino's cheeks flushed a deep crimson. "But...um..."
"We just met." The Nutcracker coughed out- though he had no qualms with kissing his adorable shoe-throwing savior.
"It's...not proper." Chero managed to say, though she too had no problem with kissing her mafia-boss nutcracker.
"Well I guess he'll be stuck like that forever." Chrysta said, hands on her hips.
"When you put it that way, it sounds like a kiss is the only magic that could fix them."
All eyes turned to the pineapple king tyrant Mukuro, walking into the palace with his illusion making device and magic at his fingertips. "Hello all. Did you miss me? Kufufu..."
"Mukuro..." The Nutcracker cracked his whip and stood in front of Chero. "Haven't had enough yet?"
"Dino," Chero whispered anxiously, "Don't you need your family around to use that properly?"
He turned back to her and smiled. "Ah...well... I think of you as part of my family now, Chero. I should be fine."
The brunette's cheeks colored. "That's..sweet." >///<
"Now, Mukuro, any last words?"
"I believe we've already gone over this." Mukuro smiled, "I have words but they won't be my la-" Before he could finish, a ballet shoe- foot and all- slammed into his face, propelling him across the room.
Behind him stood the ballerina princess from before, cracking her knuckles. A strange aura danced around her, soaked in pure killing intent. "Ohhhh....So you think you can take my kingdom from me again?" She tilted her head, making her look like a yakuza leader, "Why don't we see what my fists have to say about that?"
Chero and her Nutcracker watched as the ballerina disposed of Mukuro, sending him flying out of the window, never to be seen again. Dino rubbed the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. "Well...that was...anticlimactic." He looked into Chero's eyes. "If a kiss was really what broke the spell, would you kiss me?"
Chero tried to keep herself from blushing again. "Are you flirting with me?"
"Maybe." He grinned, leaning close, and she leaned in for her first kiss...
"CHERO! IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY! HURRY UP AND GET YOUR PRESENTS BEFORE YOUR BROTHER NARUTO GETS INTO THEM!"
Chero hit her head on the bed's headboard as she woke up on Christmas day. It was normal as it had been when she'd left the night before; she was normal sized and so was everything else. Even worse, she wasn't even sleeping on the couch. Had she gone anywhere at all last night?
She chewed her lip. "Was it all a dream?" A sudden fire burned within her heart. "I have to know." She raced downstairs, looking in the cabinet for the nutcracker, only to find- "Nothing. He's not here. Where is he?!" She swallowed, holding back her tears. "Did the spell break? Was it real?"
"Chero-dear, are you alright?" Her mother, a short blonde named Chi, showed concern for her daughters' well being as Chero ran around the tree frantically, checking the mouse hole.
"Nothing..." She whispered, and tears flowed down her cheeks. She collapsed on the ground, her eyes cast downward.
"Honey? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, mom." She sighed, and the doorbell rang.
"Coming, coming!" Her mother called, running to the door. Chero didn't pay any mind. Her Nutcracker was gone. There was no telling what could have happened to him...
"Chero!" Chero lifted her head at the sound of her mother's voice, "We have a very important guest. He's the son of your father's business partner and he'll be taking over for his father when he retires."
She glanced at the door and her eyes suddenly became as wide as saucers as she took in the guests' appearance. He was tall, blonde, and had warm brown eyes; familiar eyes that Chero knew she'd seen before. "Ciao. My name is Dino Calvallone. It is...nice to meet you." He resisted the grin that was tugging at the corner of his lips, and Chero stood up, walking to the door, and smiled.
"Nice to meet you too...Nutcracker."
