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Chapter Text

It was the middle of November in the kingdom of Askr, and all its inhabitants could feel it. Weather was colder every day, businesses started to decorate their windows with wintery details, and people seemed to move and do things faster but, at the same, time, in a more joyful and enthusiastic mood.
In the castle from that kingdom, princess Sharena was starting to coordinate some members from the Order of Heroes to place the Winter Festival decorations for this year. The Winter Festival was Sharena’s favorite holiday.

   - “Atlas! Let’s place the tree right here, please.” – Sharena said with a joyful voice, pointing out with her fingers the center of the lobby, the most popular place in the castle.

   - “Of course, Princess.” – the lumberjack replied to her, carrying on his left shoulder a beautiful pine, about two and a half meters tall.

Atlas carefully placed the tree over a tree stand, where the princess indicated, and Sharena’s face lit up.

   - “It’s time, flying team!” – Sharena to a group of heroes capable of flying by themselves.

Myrrh, flying delicately, circled the tree, laying a beautiful bright golden garland from top to bottom. After her, Leanne placed crystal baubles as white as her wings; Naesala added beautiful glittery gold and silver decorations shaped as candy canes, stars, and snowflakes; finally, Peony crowned the tree with a shiny, gold metallic star.

   - “It’s your turn, mages!” – the princess of Askr indicated.

Lilina, Micaiah, Azelle, and Lysithea gazed at the tree and cast a spell, lighting it up with tiny sparkles flickering in different rhythms and intensities.

   - “These sparkles are safe, Princess Sharena. No one will get burned if they try to touch them.” – Micaiah explained.

   - “And we’ll magically put them out when we remove the tree.” – Lilina added.

   - “Thank you so much for your effort!” – the young princess replied to them enthusiastically and with gratitude. – “The Winter Festival decorations are ready!”

A few moments later, Kiran walked into the lobby, approached the beautiful, decorated tree, and they found Sharena there.

   - “Kiran!” – Sharena exclaimed. – “What do you think about this year’s Winter Festival Tree?”

   - “It’s wonderful! I can see that everyone involved went to great lengths to decorate it.” – they told her, with sincerity. – “I’ve always thought it’s funny that Winter Festival trees are almost the same as Christmas trees from my world.”

   - “Christmas?” – the young princess asked with curiosity in her voice. – “Is it similar to the Winter Festival?”

   - “You’re right, Sharena.” – the summoner replied. – “Just like the Winter Festival, Christmas also occurs at the end of the year. Other similarities between Winter Festival and Christmas include decorating trees, exchanging gifts with the people you care about, and eating cookies and other tasty dishes, among others. Personally, when I was growing up, one of my favorite traditions was attending, a few days before the big day, a ballet play based on a Christmas tale named ‘The Nutcracker’.”

   - “A tale!” – Sharena exclaimed. – “What is this tale about, Kiran?”

   - “Well, the story starts when…” – the summoner started to tell.

   - “Wait!” – the blonde princess stopped them. – “I wish a few more heroes could hear your tale. Can I go get them?”

   - “Sure, Princess.” – Kiran kindly replied to her. – “Bring all the people you want, and I will tell you the story.”

   - “Thank you so much!” – the princess exclaimed. – “Wait for me here, please.” –  immediately after saying that, she moved away from her tactician.

Fifteen long minutes passed while Kiran waited for the princess, and in the blink of an eye, the whole Order of Heroes arrived at the castle’s lobby, ready to hear Kiran’s Christmas tale. Since their audience was so large, they had to move to the Aether Resort auditorium.

   - “Thank you so much for coming.” – Kiran said, on the stage, a little bit nervous. – “I assume Princess Sharena had already explained to you why we’re reunited here today.” – they sighed to calm down their stress. – “The story I will relate today is a tale from my world, and I used to watch it as a ballet presentation during this time of the year. Ballet is a dance style from my world.” – they closed their eyes for a moment. – “This tale is called ‘The Nutcracker’, and this is how it starts…”

Using all their memories and basic acting skills, Kiran told a magical tale about a night in December. It was about a girl, her family, a mysterious family friend, a wooden nutcracker, a mouse with seven crowns, a lost princess, a land made of candy, a majestic fairy, destiny, and how, sometimes, a dream can come true.
More than six hundred heroes carefully listened to their strategist’s words, being quiet for most of the time, except when there was a funny or dramatic moment. That little fairytale didn’t seem to have a cultural equivalent in other worlds; that simple tale was, definitively, a new concept for most of the audience.

   - “…And that’s how the story ends.” – Kiran concluded, sighing to catch their breath.

A few seconds later, resounding applauses were heard inside the auditorium. Kiran was genuinely surprised by the acceptance their favorite Christmas story seemed to have among the members of the Order of Heroes.

   - “Wow! You did like it!” – Kiran exclaimed, still on stage. – “I didn’t think you would like it that much.” – they grinned.

   - “Kiran!” – a sweet voice shouted from one of the middle rows. – “I want to ask you something!”

   - “Please stand up from your seat so I can see you.” – Kiran encouraged the person who spoke to them.

   - “Thank you!” – young Fae stood up. – “Fae wants to know if we could make a play about The Nutcracker, just like ones from your world, Summoner. We could be the performers. That would be so much fun!”

There was a murmur throughout the auditorium, with voices that seemed to approve of the idea.

   - “A play?” – Kiran asked from the stage. – “I would love to, Fae, but staging a play like The Nutcracker requires a lot of preparation and time. Also, although I like it, I don’t know how to dance ballet, so I couldn’t teach you how to dance, not to mention I don’t have the music, and I don’t know how to play it.”

   - “It doesn’t need to be exactly as the play from your world.” – Hilda Valentine Goneril expressed, also from her seat. – “We could adapt it to make it a normal play. The important thing here is the plot.”

   - “It might be…” – it started to sound like a tempting idea for Kiran.

   - “What if we did the play to help the people?” – a mature female voice resounded from the front rows.

   - “Your Majesty! Please come to the front.” – Kiran invited Queen Henriette to join them on the stage.

The Queen of Askr got up from her seat and walked up to the stage with Kiran.

   - “Members of the Order of Heroes, I’m aware I’m not an official member of the Order, but I would like to propose that, if you could stage the play, it should be carried out in favor of the people of Askr.” – Henriette suggested. – “You have made a heroic effort to keep our kingdom safe from the dangers it has faced in recent years, and I know all the inhabitants of Askr will be forever grateful to you. However, everywhere, some people need more support, and more always needs to be done.” – the queen admitted. – “It would be great if the play could benefit, in particular, the orphans, who are always the most innocent and who suffer the most in these conflicts.”

   - “I agree with you, mother.” – Prince Alfonse added, who came on stage to join the queen and his strategist. – “We must help in every way we can, including bringing joy to the Askrian people.”

   - “I have an idea.” – Kiran indicated. – “I once attended a Christmas concert, and the ticket consisted of bringing a gift for a child, such as a toy, children’s books, new clothes or shoes, or even blankets.”

   - “That is a magnificent idea!” – the queen exclaimed. – “Anyone who wants to see the play will have to donate a gift for the orphans. And we could do it right here, in the Aether Resort auditorium.”

   - “Commander Anna, do you know how many seats are available here?” – the prince of Askr asked.

   - “This auditorium’s maximum capacity is 20,000 spectators.” – Anna replied to him, also joining them on the stage. – “The only thing that worries me is that theatrical productions can be expensive, and the budget of the Order of Heroes is not that abundant at this…”

   - “Do not worry, Commander.” – the queen interrupted the red-haired gal. – “I will finance the play personally. It is my contribution so that this project prospers and can help many more people.”

   - “You’re so generous, Your Majesty!” – Kiran exclaimed.

   - “It’s the least I can do, Strategist.” – Henriette put her hands in a pleading position and met Kiran’s eyes. – “Can I count on you to make the play a success?”

   - “Me?” – Kiran was surprised by her request.

   - “Yes. You’re the one who knows the story, so, logically, you’re the one who will direct this project.”

   - “… Of course, Your Majesty.” – Kiran bowed their head. – “I will do everything in my power to make a successful play and be able to bring a moment of happiness to those who need it. I promise you, and all the members of the Order of Heroes.”

   - “And, on behalf of all members of the Order, we promise to help in any way necessary.” – Alfonse declared ceremonially.

   - “So, it’s confirmed.” – Henriette smiled. – “The work will be carried out!”

A thunderous applause was heard throughout the auditorium, accompanied by other celebratory noises. When they finished, Kiran addressed the members of the Order of Heroes.

   - “Starting tomorrow, we will begin defining the script and other technical details. When the details are ready, we will start with the auditions for all the roles in the play… which will be starred by members of the Order of Heroes.” – the summoner emphasized. – “We’ll have open auditions for everyone, but I’ll let you know the dates we’ll be doing them and what days the auditions for certain characters will be, so don’t rush.”

That was so crazy! Kiran went from, simply, wanting to share a Christmas tale from their world with Sharena, to overseeing administrating the planning, organization, direction, and execution of a play which, to add more drama, was financed by Queen of Askr herself, and it would be a charity.

But first, the priorities. A play, no matter how simple it may be, can’t happen if it does not have a script. To write it, Kiran knew exactly who could help them in this imperative task… but that would be the next day. Everybody, including the summoner, needed to rest.

Chapter Text

The morning after, Seteth, Itsuki Aoi, and Eleonora Yumizuru were called to Kiran’s office.

   - “Thank you for coming.” – Kiran told them while taking a seat at their desk. – “I’ve summoned this meeting because I need your help.”

   - “How can we help you?” – Itsuki asked his strategist.

   - “Itsuki and Eleonora, does The Nutcracker also exist in your world?” – Kiran questioned them. – “As far I know, your world is the most similar world to mine, compared with the rest of the world the heroes come from.”

   - “That’s right, Kiran.” – Eleonora replied in a cheerful voice. – “I have also seen live performances of The Nutcracker, and a couple of movies.”

   - “I’ve never seen it as a play, but I do remember seeing an animated movie about the Nutcracker.” – Itsuki added. – “The plot was slightly different from the tale you told us, and the protagonist was Barb…”

   - “What is a movie?” – Seteth asked the young man. – “I don’t recognize that word.”

   - “I will explain it later, Seteth.” – Kiran tried to cut the conversation. – “Thank you, guys! I’m glad to know I’m not the only person on Askr who knew about the tale until yesterday.” – they took some sheets of paper, an ink bottle, and four quills. – “If you agree, the four of us will adapt the tale as a script for the play. Do you agree?”

   - “Summoner, the only thing I know about the tale is what you related to us yesterday.” – the green-haired man seemed worried. – “What could I contribute to the creation of the script?”

   - “More than you could imagine!” – Kiran tried to calm down his anguish. – “Your skill to write tales and stories is amazing, and I know that, with your help, we will be able to write a magnificent script.” – they smiled at him. – “Or have you already forgotten the amazing fables you wrote when you had little time to have arrived in this place?”

   - “They were written for children.”

   - “The Nutcracker is a story for everyone, no matter how old or young the audience is.” – Kiran made a pleading gesture with their hands. – “Could you help us, please?”

   - “… I will try my best.” – Seteth could not resist the strategist’s persuasive power.

   - “Doesn’t matter if we have seen different adaptations of the Nutcracker? – Itsuki asked.

   - “I think it’s a good thing, actually.” – Eleonora answered him. – “If we compare different versions, we can create a script with the best bits. We could even suit it for the people of Askr’s preferences.”

   - “Excellent point!” – Kiran’s voice sounded enthusiastic as they handed each one a quill and a sheet of paper. – “Itsuki and Eleonora, please, write down what you liked the most from the adaptations you have watched.” – they turned to see the bearded man. – “Seteth, from what you might remember of the tale I told you yesterday, please write down what you think were the most interesting parts.”

   - “Understood.” – the three said in unison.

The four began brainstorming what elements should be included in the play’s script. Kiran and Eleonora mentioned that the ballet performance included a lot of characters, but since the play would omit the dance elements, it was better to leave out those characters who didn’t add much to the plot.

Around an hour later, Kiran read the summary of the basic ideas for the script, ensembled by the whole team.

   - “After all we have discussed, the plot will be this one: Clara lives with her parents and younger brother. It’s Christmas Eve, and there’s a Christmas party at her house.”

   - “Party guests don’t need dialogue.” – Seteth emphasized.

   - “Indeed.” – Kiran nodded. – “Then Godfather Drosselmeyer arrives at the party and delivers presents for everybody. The last gift he delivers is a wooden nutcracker for Clara.”

   - “How old should Clara be? – Itsuki questioned. – “In the movie I watched, Clara was an older teenager, almost an adult.”

   - “In theory, Clara should be a 10-year-old girl, or younger, but for convenience and economy, our Clara will be a young woman. This is valid for Fritz and the Nutcracker, too.”

   - “I agree with that casting choice.” – Eleonora said.

   - “Fritz accidentally breaks the nutcracker, Clara fixes it, Drosselmeyer congratulates her for healing him because the Nutcracker can feel, and the party is over a few minutes later.” – the summoner paused. – “Everything OK so far?”

   - “Yes.” – the three heroes said.

   - “All right.” – the strategist continued. – “Clara falls asleep in the living room, wakes up and sees that the Nutcracker is alive, fighting against the Mouse King and his army.”

   - “How many mice should there be?” – Eleonora asked.

   - “I think there should be six mouse soldiers and the Mouse King.” – Seteth added. – “It matches with the seven crowns motif.”

   - “Excellent contribution.” – the summoner smiled. – “Before Clara can do anything, the Mouse King ‘shrinks’ her, and he leaves with his entire army back to his world. The Nutcracker introduces himself to her and apologizes for the situation. He tells her that the only person who can return her to her size is the Sugar Plum Princess, who lives in the Land of Candy.”

   - “Just like in the movie!” – Itsuki joyfully pointed out.

   - “Yeah!” – Kiran indicated. – “When they arrived at the Land of Candy, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and her Knight, along with a group of candy people, greet them. They inform them the Sugar Plum Princess has disappeared, as well as the Blueberry Prince, whose position was usurped by the Mouse King through trickery.” – they gazed at the bearded man and smiled at him. – “I loved the name, Seteth.”

   - “It matches with the princess’ name.” – Seteth gave a slight smile.

   - “Clara asks the Nutcracker if he knows the Blueberry Prince, and he’s about to say something when the Sugar Plum Fairy interrupts him. The fairy is about to point out that they look a lot like someone she knows when the Mouse King arrives with his army, and she is taken to his before anyone can do anything.”

   - “We’re parting a bit from the original story, don’t you think?” – the young actress protested.

   - “Indeed! But remember we’re writing an adaptation.” – Kiran clarified. – “The Sugar Plum Knight tells Clara and the Nutcracker they’re the only ones who can save the Sugar Plum Fairy because he must watch over the candy people.”

   - “Good justification for not intervening.” – Itsuki indicated.

   - “He shows them the way to the Mouse King’s castle and suggests they fight together. The Sugar Plum Knight lends Clara his lance, though she tells him she doesn’t know how to use it. Clara and the Nutcracker arrive at the castle, where the Sugar Plum Fairy is locked up, and the final battle begins.”

   - “Oh yeah!” – Itsuki expressed.

   - “Clara, surprisingly, can use the lance, and they both defeat Mouse King’s army. When only the Mouse King remains undefeated, he approaches Clara to attack her, but the Nutcracker gets in his way and is wounded on his chest.”

   - “Oh no!” – Itsuki expressed again.

   - “Wounded, he tells her that he did that because, although they have been together for little time, she has become someone important to him. Clara cries and tells him he has become important to her.”

   - “Their feelings’ nature remains ambiguous, so every viewer can interpret them in their own way.”– Seteth clarified.

   - “That’s the idea.” – Kiran said. – “After that, they both undergo a transformation, and it turns out that they were the Sugar Plum Princess and the Blueberry Prince all along.”

   - “Surprise!” – Eleonora almost seemed to laugh.

   - “Together, they defeat the Mouse King and free the Sugar Plum Fairy. She tells them she was about to reveal who they really were, but the Mouse King intervened at that moment. The three return to the town from the beginning and the Sugar Plum Fairy announces they must be crowned as the King and Queen of the Land of Candy. Unfortunately, when they are about to get crowned, Clara disappears.”

   - “Surely more than one person will think this is a sad ending.” – Seteth affirmed.

   - “It may seem like it is, but it turns out it’s not the end.” – Kiran replied with a smile on their face. – “Clara wakes up in her living room, confused about whether what happened was a dream or if it did happen. She sees her parents and tells them her story, but they tell her it was just a dream. She’s still thinking about it when the Godfather Drosselmeyer arrives at Clara’s house with his nephew Paris, who turns out to be… the Nutcracker!”

   - “What a twist!” – the archer laughed. – “Thank you for allowing me to name the nephew.”

   - “It’s a lovely name.”– Kiran smiled at her. – “Clara and Paris look at each other, and he asks her if they hadn’t met before. She tells him they had not, so he tells her that, in that case, he would love to know her. They are called to have breakfast. They go there while holding hands… and the end.” – Kiran concluded, sighing to catch their breath. – “What do you think?”

   - “Fantastic!” – Eleonora’s eyes lit up. – “It’s simple, direct, and very fitting. The tale’s original essence is still there, but with a new twist.”

   - “I liked we decided to have Clara fight as well.” – Itsuki added. – “There are many female warriors in Askr, and the play could now feel closer to the reality of this world.”

   - “I found it highly satisfying.” – Seteth said solemnly. – “I am sure that, from these basic ideas, we can start to write a script for the play.”

   - “So, can we start writing?” – Kiran asked him.

   - “It seems wise to start right now.” – the bearded man told them with a slightly joyful voice.

   - “Let’s go!”

For the next fifteen hours, the quartet locked up in Kiran’s office while they were writing, reading, editing, and confirming the script for the play.

   - “Why is writing so hard!?” – an agonic scream was heard from outside Kiran’s office, towards the afternoon.

   - “Time is running up!”

   - “We must go on! Don’t give up!”

It was an exhausting day, but they needed to ensure the script, or at least its first draft, was ready as soon as possible.

   - “We’re done!” – Kiran sighed, fatigued. – “The first draft is ready.”

   - “And now what should we do?” – Eleonora asked.

   - “Tomorrow, we will leave it in the library so those who are there can read it and tell us what they think.” – Kiran told them. – “We will leave it there for a couple of days, with sheets of paper for those who read it can give us their opinions, and when we come back for it, we can read what our readers think.”

   - “Do we need to do that?” – Itsuki questioned.

   - “I believe doing that can be a positive experience.” – Seteth pointed out. – “When someone reads your work before publishing it, it can further enrich the writing. Someone could find a plot hole, suggest, add, or delete something that could improve the plot, and even find grammar mistakes.”

   - “Indeed.” – Kiran indicated. – “I’ll take it to the library tomorrow, and we’ll meet again to review the feedback if needed. For now, go rest. Thank you all for your support! Take the day off tomorrow, please.”

   - “Thanks to you, Kiran.” – the three heroes said in unison as they were leaving the summoner’s office.

The next day, after leaving the first draft at the library’s front desk, Kiran had several meetings in their office to resolve other technical details.

The first thing they needed to resolve was the art design of the play, so Kiran hailed one of their most artistic heroes to their office.

   - “Did you call for me, Kiran?” – Ignatz Victor asked while opening the office’s door.

   - “Yes, Ignatz.” – his strategist replied to him. – “Please come in.”

   - “How can I help you today?” – the young man with glasses asked as he entered the office and took a seat.

   - “As you probably know, we’re staging The Nutcracker play, hoping to premiere it next month, and I need someone to help us with the art design for the play.” – Kiran smiled at him. – “Could you help us with the scenography, please?”

   - “It would be a privilege!” – the artist’s eyes lit up. – “I feel so honored that you considered me to be in charge of this important task.”

   - “I have seen your art, and it’s wonderful.” – Kiran handed him a few pieces of paper with blue ink sketches. – “I tried to draw how The Nutcracker scenography looks like in my world. I know they’re terrible, but…”

   - “Thank you for this material.” – Ignatz grinned. – “I can use these as references and inspiration. Thank you so much for trusting me!”

   - “Thanks to you, for accepting my request.” – Kiran spoke serenely. – “Please, make a list with all the supplies you need and how many people you could need to help you. I’m sure there are heroes willing to support you, as Sharena.”

   - “I will do it and hand it to you.” – the young man promised his strategist.

   - “And could you also create a poster, please?” – the summoner asked him. – “You can design it as you want.”

   - “Of course! It will be a wonderful opportunity to try a new art style.” – the artist seemed enthusiastic. – “But I will design it until the cast has been defined. You don’t mind, do you?”

   - “I don’t mind.” – Kiran smiled. – “I know you will do a great job.”

An hour after meeting with Ignatz, Kiran received two more heroes in their office.

   - “Thank you for coming.” – Kiran greeted them.

   - “I think I know why you’ve requested our presence here, strategist.” – Oboro told them. – “You need our help for the play, don’t you?”

   - “Am I that obvious?” – the summoner admitted. – “Yes, it’s about the play. You are the most talented seamstresses and fashion designers who live here, so I thought that, if you wish, you could help us to design and create the costumes for the play.”

   - “I will be delighted to participate!” – Forrest exclaimed.

   - “Me too.” – Oboro added. – “Can you give us an idea of how you visualize the costumes?”

   - “Everybody in the Order knows I suck at drawing, but I drew sketches of how the costumes look in my world.” – Kiran handed them some simple black ink drawings, colored with color pencils. – “Some costumes are simple, and there is inspiration here, like the costumes for the party guests. Others are more elaborate, but I trust you, and you have my permission to come up with your original designs.”

   - “I can already feel the ideas!” – the young designer exclaimed. – “I’m already thinking about colors and fabrics for the outfits.”

   - “There’s a lot of work to do, but we can’t get the measurements for the costumes yet, can we?”

   - “I’m afraid not yet, Oboro.” – Kiran clarified. – “We will start with the casting selection tomorrow.”

   - “All right.” – the seamstress said. – “That will give us time to get supplies.”

   - “Thank you so much for considering us for the costume designing!” – Forrest thanked his strategist.

   - “Thank you for your amazing support.” – Kiran smiled at them.

An hour after the tailors visited them, Kiran now had two beautiful white-winged beings in their office.

   - “The music for the play? Us?” – Reyson gave his strategist an annoyed look. – “Why?”

   - “Because your voices are magnificent, and I believe you’re perfect for the play.” – Kiran explained.

   - “You said that, in your world, this play was a dance performance. Will be there dancing here too?”

   - “No.” – they told the heron. – “First of all, I don’t know how to dance ballet, so I can’t teach it to those who will participate, so there is no point in including the dances. Secondly, although music is a vital part of the original work, I know it can’t be like that this time. But, despite that, I think it would be nice if there were some music.”

   - “How… is… music?” – asked Leanne.

   - “One of my favorite pieces from the ballet is something like this.” – Kiran hummed the “Marche” from The Nutcracker ballet.

   - “Oh! It’s… pretty.” – the winged maiden started to sing, replicating the melody that Kiran was humming.

Kiran kept humming what they remembered from the song, and Leanne sang it almost as her strategist.

   - “Pretty… song!” – Leanne smiled. – “Is… just… that?”

   - “There are a lot more, but I don’t know very well all of them.” – Kiran replied to her. – “This one is one of my favorites, and I know it by heart.” – they whistled the “Chinese dance”, also known as “Tea”.

   - “Pretty… too!” – the heron followed the melody again.

Kiran hummed and whistled a few more pieces of music, such as the “Russian dance”, the “Dance of the mirlitons”, the “Waltz of Flowers”, and the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”. Each time, Leanne followed her tactician’s clumsy attempts to show her what the music of their world sounded like, and each time, the laguz followed the beat she heard.

   - “The play’s music in my world is, generally, like this, but…”

   - “I want… to help!” – Leanne interrupted her strategist. – “That’s… lovely… music. My heart… joyful.”

   - “Thank you so much, Leanne!” – the summoner smiled at her.

   - “If my younger sister wants to collaborate with this project, I can do nothing but join her.” – Reyson stated, clearly disappointed.

   - “You don’t have to participate if you don’t want to, Reyson.” – Kiran clarified after seeing his reaction. – “I don’t want you to do it just because you feel compelled to do it.”

   - “No, it’s OK.” – he replied. – “After all, I can tolerate being on stage for a few hours, especially if it’s just one performance.”

   - “… What?” – Kiran questioned, genuinely surprised. – “Reyson, you wouldn’t be on stage, where the action takes place. There is a hidden section below the stage, where the orchestra position during the play.” – they turned to see the laguz with an expression of dismay. – “Where did you get the idea that they would be on stage?”

   - “Ummm… Tibarn told the performances made by the beroc were like that.” – he excused. – “So, if we don’t need to be on stage, it’s better for me, and I will feel more relaxed.” – he turned to see his sister, smiling at her. – “Do you agree with this, Leanne?”

   - “Yes!” – she exclaimed. – “I will… help… no matter… upside or below… the stage.” – the winged maiden smiled.

   - “Thank you so much!” – Kiran bowed at the laguz. – “I promise you I will do my best to make it a pleasant experience for everyone.”

There was only one loose end left in the technical details of the staging: the special effects.

Due to the plot itself, there was no need to use several special effects, except for the moments where there was some magic involved, such as the scene in which Clara “shrinks” or when Clara and the Nutcracker’s true identities are revealed. As it was not feasible to choose only mages as performers, who could do magic by themselves, if it were necessary, Kiran called to their office some mages who, due to their personalities and profiles, probably would not be interested in acting in the play.

   - “Thanks to all four of you for coming. I know you’re all busy, but there’s something I want to ask you.” – Kiran indicated.

   - “How do you want us to collaborate in the play?” – young Erk asked directly.

   - “There are no secrets in this castle, aren’t they?” – Kiran expressed with a little ironic and charming voice. – “Yes, I called you to ask if you want to participate in the special effects for The Nutcracker.”

   - “Could you, please, define exactly what special effects are?” – Lute asked. – “Depending on your definition, I will assess if my interest in participating in the staging is sufficient to decide to do so.”

   - “For the play, special effects include lighting and some basic spells, such as creating a little smoke and colored sparks.” – they detailed. – “The most elaborate special effect for the play would be a spell to change the costumes of the male and female protagonists, which happens during the final battle.”

   - “Would it be a spell to transform their clothes?” – Miriel questioned.

   - “Not necessarily. In fact, I think it would be more like swapping outfits.” – the summoner clarified. – “I had thought that Clara and the Nutcracker would rise, a light would surround them and, while the light would surround them, they could change costumes, return to the ground, the light would fade, and appear on stage with their new outfits.” – they sighed to catch their breath. – “Is it too much?”

   - “I have heard what you describe as special effects. They seem simple things that I could easily do.” – Lute replied to the summoner. – “Although, for a better performance, I would suggest creating a team to do that elaborated special effect, with a mage creating the light, one lifting the performers, and one to change their costumes, preferably one per actor.”

   - “It’s just how I imagined it, Lute.” – the summoner smiled at her. – “So, would you be interested in participating?”

   - “You have made it sound like an interesting project.” – the purple-haired mage said. – “I am willing to participate.”

   - “I want to join you, too.” – Erk added. – “It’s a good chance to practice my spells, and it’s different from doing it on the battlefield. There’s no real danger here.”

   - “For my part, participating in an event like this is a fascinating opportunity.” – Miriel pointed out. – “As Erk said, we will not face a life-or-death situation, and it would be a way to make the show more eye-catching.”

   - “Thank you so much!” – Kiran smiled at them and turned to see the mage who still hadn’t said a word. – “Do you also want to participate? I’d understand if you don’t want to do it, and I promise I won’t be angry if you chose don’t participate.”

   - “Magic is everything, strategist.” – Reinhardt replied. – “I will be happy to collaborate with the noble work that you are about to start.”

   - “Thank you so much!” – Kiran exclaimed. – “And, as you already said you want to help, there is one more thing I would like to ask you to do in the play besides helping with the special effects.”

   - “How can I help you?”

   - “Your voice is so beautiful and distinctive that I would like you to be the one to tell the audience the show is about to start.” – the summoner explained. – “It would only be a moment, just before starting the play, but…”

   - “… It will be my pleasure.” – the black-haired mage said, slightly stunned, with a dash of red over his cheeks.

After a long day searching for those who could help get the technical details of the staging off the ground, Kiran could breathe peacefully for a few minutes before having dinner, taking a bath, and getting some sleep.

They knew they had to take advantage of every quiet moment because the next five days would be even more chaotic than the last two. The days of auditions were about to begin, and once the cast was complete, their calm would return until the play premiered.

Chapter Text

Once all the technical details were resolved, Kiran, through flyers posted throughout the communal areas of the castle, announced the day that the auditions for the play would begin. The auditions were open to all members of the Order of Heroes and would take place in the Aether Resort auditorium.

The ones in charge of the casting sessions would be Kiran, Itsuki, and Eleonora. The last two, in addition to knowing the original plot and participating in the final script’s development, had the experience of having worked at the Fortuna Entertainment agency. That was especially true for the young actress.

Of all the characters in the play, there was special emphasis on finding the performers for nine of them:

• Clara
• The Nutcracker
• The Mouse King
• The Godfather Drosselmeyer
• Fritz, Clara’s brother
• Clara’s parents
• The Sugar Plum Fairy
• The Sugar Plum Knight

The first day of the auditions was the easiest because it was focused on finding who would play the supporting roles, such as the guests at the party, the Land of Candy inhabitants, and the Mouse King army.

Since there weren’t that many applicants for those roles, basically all they had to do was introduce themselves, show their acting abilities, and if they fit the profile of one of the supporting characters, they were accepted as cast members.

At the end of that day, the performers for the supporting roles ended in this way:

• Adult Christmas party guests: Juno, Zelot, Finn, Minerva, Seth, Manuela.
• Young Christmas party guests: Nino, Fir, Ross, Donnel, Nah, Caspar.
• Mouse King army: Matthew, Navarre, Caellach, Ogma, Helbindi, Balthus.
• Candy people: Gaius, Lysithea, Raphael, Fae, Ilyana, Sakura.

That night, Kiran took the script they left in the library, as well as the notes the heroes left as feedback. In general, the comments received were positive and about supporting the project.

The most “controversial” comment they received was one from someone, probably Soleil, who suggested that instead of a prince and a princess, there should be two princesses… something that wasn’t a bad idea, but, as it was the first time they produced a play, the plot should remain the same as it was originally written. 

The next day, after a brief meeting with Seteth, Itsuki, and Eleonora, where they concluded the script seemed to be well accepted and ended that topic, the auditions for Godfather Drosselmeyer and Clara’s parents began.

When they narrated the tale, Kiran mentioned the Godfather Drosselmeyer was an older man, probably older than Clara’s parents. Naturally, among those who auditioned for that role were some veteran heroes, such as Jagen, Gunter, August, and Wrys. Besides, the last contender for that role was not like the rest.

   - “Who’s next?” – Eleonora asked.

   - “According to the list, the last applicant for the Godfather Drosselmeyer role is… Lord Sigurd!?” – the surprise in Itsuki’s voice was obvious.

   - “Sigurd!?” – Kiran was as surprised as the young man. – “But he’s too young for this role.”

   - “Don’t you want him to audition?” – Eleonora questioned them.

   - “… I want to talk with him.” – Kiran made a signal to Draug to open the door so Sigurd could enter.

The blue-haired knight entered the auditorium and went on stage, placing himself in the center of it with a steady and serene.

   - “Good morning. My name is Sigurd, and I’m auditioning for the Godfather Drosselmeyer role.” – he expressed with great confidence.

   - “Hello, Sigurd!” – Kiran greeted him, from their seat in the front row. – “Thank you for coming.”

   - “Greetings Kiran, Itsuki, and Eleonora.” – he said gently.

   - “Before we start with your audition, I need to ask you something, Sigurd.”

   - “Tell me.”

   - “Why would someone as young and gallant as you want to play Godfather Drosselmeyer? Surely you noticed you were the youngest contender for that role, right?” – Kiran wasn’t subtle.

   - “In effect, I did notice it.” – Sigurd spoke serenely. – “I know you mentioned that Godfather Drosselmeyer was an older man, but something inside me told me it would be a good idea to audition to play him.” – he blinked slowly. – “The opportunity to live a new life here in Askr, just being another member of the Order of Heroes, has made me want to venture into new experiences, such as acting.”

   - “Have you never acted, Lord Sigurd?” – Itsuki asked him.

   - “I’ve never acted in a play, but I want to try it. I consider I can bring an interesting twist to the play.” – he smiled at his three spectators. – “Maybe the fact the Godfather Drosselmeyer is a man not that old, but not that young, could add a layer of mystery to his already interesting character. And besides, I thought you said it would be an adaptation of the tale you told, right Kiran?”

   - “You’re right.” – Kiran admitted humbly. – “Things won’t be exactly the same as the play I know, so there’s no reason not to change Godfather Drosselmeyer as well.” – they smiled at him. – “Go ahead, Sigurd! Start your audition.”

   - “Thank you.”

Kiran asked Nino, who was backstage, to come forward to support Sigurd in his audition. The young mage already confirmed her participation in the play as one of the guests at Clara’s parents’ party. Although she had an impeccable audition, playing Clara or the Sugar Plum Fairy involved learning many more lines, and Nino was still learning to read.

   - “Hello, Lord Sigurd.” – Nino cheerfully greeted him. – “To help you with your audition, I will interpret Clara. Good luck!”

   - “Thank you, Nino.” – the knight smiled at her.

   - “…”

   - “…”

   - “Uncle! You’re here!” – the girl told him, exaggerating her joy a bit.

   - “Good evening, my dearest Clara.” – Sigurd’s attitude seemed more relaxed. – “I wouldn’t have missed this Christmas party for anything in the whole world.”

   - “Did you bring a gift for me?”

   - “Of course, my child.” – Sigurd improvised and took his lavender ribbon. – “This is for you.” – he put it gently in Nino’s hands. – “I hope you like it.”

   - “This is so cute! But what is this, Uncle?”

   - “It’s a nutcracker, Clara.” – the warmness and mystery in his voice were present. – “This nutcracker is not like any other you have seen.” – he winked his right eye at Nino. – “This nutcracker is magical.”

   - “Magical!?”

   - “That’s right.” – he smiled at her. – “Something special will happen to whoever receives it on a night as magical as this one.” – he raised his arm and moved it, indicating his surroundings. – “Tonight is the most magical night of the year, my child, and on this night, miracles happen.”

   - “Thank you so much for my gift, Uncle!”

Itsuki, Eleonora, and Kiran, from their seats, began to applaud.

   - “Sigurd, that was amazing!” – Kiran congratulated him euphorically.

   - “I can’t believe you have never acted before!” – Eleonora told him. – “You have a hidden talent, sir.”

   - “Thank you so much for your words.” – Sigurd bowed. – “I appreciate the opportunity to audition.”

   - “Sigurd, the role is already yours!” – Kiran was sincere.

   - “What?” – the blue-haired knight was in shock.

   - “No other aspirant for the Godfather Drosselmeyer role has ever moved us as you did.” – Itsuki added.

   - “That’s true.” – Nino assured him. – “I helped all the other contenders, and none of them were as liked as much as you did.”

   - “It’s a unanimous decision, sir.” – Eleonora stated.

   - “The role is yours if you wish.” – Kiran offered him. – “The choice is yours.”

   - “… I humbly accept the role.” – Sigurd bowed again. – “Thank you!” – a smile and a small tear at the edge of his right eye appeared, with applauses from Itsuki, Eleonora, Kiran, and Nino as background sound.

The second day of auditions ended with the happy finding of the performers for the main “adult” characters, with Lord Sigurd as Godfather Drosselmeyer, Lord Pent as Clara’s father, and Lady Louise as Clara’s mother.

Pent and Louise got the roles by accident. They were in the line for couples who were looking to play those characters, thinking it was the line to buy tickets for the play. When they realized that they were, in fact, in line for the auditions, they were close to arriving with Kiran, so they decided to participate by auditioning, and, to their surprise, their natural chemistry for being a loving couple made them worthy to play Clara’s parents.

When they confessed to Kiran that it was all a mix-up, they laughed and told them it must have been fate for them to take part in the play.

The next day, four important auditions were scheduled: Clara’s younger brother, also known as Fritz, the Mouse King, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the Sugar Plum Knight, in that order.

During the Fritz audition, several youthful-looking heroes auditioned, including Azelle, Asbel, Siegberth, and Shiro. After the auditions of those and other heroes, a young dragon was ready to try out.

   - “Good morning! My name is Nils, and I’m auditioning to play Fritz in The Nutcracker.” – the young bard introduced himself.

   - “Hello, Nils.” – Kiran greeted him back. – “You can start when you’re ready.”

   - “Sure, but there is something I need to clarify before starting my audition.” – Nils pointed out. – “I think I can’t play Clara’s younger.”

   - “Huh? Why not?” – Kiran thought that statement was strange. – “We haven’t yet decided who will play Fritz…”

   - “No, it’s not that.” – the boy clarified. – “It’s just, unless my actual sister or other manakete plays Clara, the one who ends as the female lead, probably will be younger than me, even if she looks older.”

Kiran, Itsuki, y Eleonora burst out laughing for a few seconds; the young dragon seemed mortified at having caused such reactions.

   - “I’m sorry, Nils!” – Kiran apologized. – “We didn’t mean to laugh, but we thought your comment was adorable.”

   - “Don’t worry about that, lad.” – the young actress told him, with a kind voice. – “That’s something usual in theatrical performances. Sometimes the actors play characters younger than their actual age. Occasionally, some actors play as a character’s parent, but they’re almost the same age as their ‘child’, and nobody worries about it. We all know that a play is not like real life.”

   - “So, is it OK if I get the role and whoever plays Clara is actually younger than me?” – the dragon’s voice seemed more optimistic.

   - “Everything will be fine.” – Kiran assured him. – “We promise you.”

   - “Great!” – Nils sighed relieved.

After they cleared up that topic, the young bard began his audition as Clara’s younger brother. Since he was already Ninian’s younger brother, his audition to play Clara’s younger brother was flawless.

Although there were a couple of contenders after him, the casting team had already chosen the young manakete, and when they announced he had been cast in the play, Nils was overjoyed.

   - “Thank you so much! I promise you I will give my best effort.” – the dragon exclaimed.

The auditions for the Mouse King had been the most complicated so far. The ideal performer for the Mouse King should be someone charismatic enough, with a certain air of smugness and pride, able to use a physical weapon, and enjoying the attention his role as the play’s main antagonist would bring him.

   - “Who is the next for the Mouse King audition?” – Itsuki asked.

Before Kiran or Eleonora could answer his question, a general from Bern strode to the front of the stage, with a marked, cocky stride.

   - “I have arrived!” – a blond man announced, almost exclaiming.

   - “Narcian, a pleasure as usual.” – Kiran greeted him in a bored voice. – “Please introduce yourself and tell us which character you are auditioning for today.”

   - “You already know who I am and my reason for coming to this place today.” – the general replied.

   - “Yes, we already know, but all applicants must do it.” – his strategist refuted. – “It’s like a sales pitch about why you should get the role.”

   - “As you please.” – he answered, resigned. – “I am General Narcian, and I have come to get the role of the Mouse King!”

   - “Welcome, Narcian.” – Eleonora greeted him. – “Could you tell us why you have chosen to audition for the Mouse King?”

   - “Of course!” – he enthusiastically exclaimed. – “The Mouse King is ambitious and proud, just like me. He didn’t care about expelling a legitimate heir from his land to get the power he deserved, and he fought until the end to keep it. It’s an admirable quality, and I think only someone worthy could represent it on stage.”

   - “You know the Mouse King loses, right?” – Kiran questioned him. – “And he’s the villain.”

   - “Who cares if he is the villain of that version of the story!? We are the heroes of our own stories, and I’m sure that was his reasoning.” – he stated. – “Also, while it’s true that he loses, Clara and the Nutcracker only won because they faced him together. If they hadn’t teamed up, or if Clara hadn’t decided to fight, the Mouse King would have won.”

   - “… That’s a good point.” – Kiran admitted. – “Please, show us what you can do.”

   - “It will be a pleasure for you.” – Narcian smiled proudly.

The blond-haired general started with his somewhat exaggerated audition. While Narcian’s histrionic quality wasn’t the best, hearing him speak so passionately about the Mouse King and how he identified with him, was enough for the casting team to give him the role.

   - “You have the best taste in the whole Order of Heroes.” – Narcian praised those who selected him for the role, implicitly expressing his gratitude.

After choosing the Mouse King’s interpreter, it was time to choose the Sugar Plum Fairy and her knight. Before the calls began, the casting team was discussing a possibility for that pair of characters.

   - “What if we cast one of the real fairies for the Sugar Plum Fairy role? I mean, the Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar.” – Itsuki suggested. – “The Sugar Plum Fairy is a magical being, like them.”

   - “Although I like the idea, I don’t know if it could be possible.” – the summoner refuted.

   - “Why do you say it?” – he asked them.

   - “There are two Dökkálfar and two Ljósálfar living here. Trianda is hostile to almost everyone, Plumeria doesn’t feel comfortable around most humans, Mirabilis is always half asleep, and Peony, as she might be the best candidate for the role, has specifically asked me not to consider her anything for the play.” – the strategist enlisted.

   - “And why did she ask you for that?” – Eleonora questioned them.

   - “She told me she prefers to help children anonymously, giving them beautiful dreams.” – Kiran explained. – “I find it absolutely sweet of her, and I must respect her choice.”

   - “So, do we go ahead with the audition as planned?”

   - “Yes, Itsuki.” – they told him. – “But thank you for sharing your ideas.”

As the doors to the auditorium opened, the contenders started to appear. In the details listed in the announcements for the Sugar Plum Fairy auditions, it was noted that this role allowed double auditions to select, too, a Sugar Plum Knight who already had chemistry with the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Some of them heeded that suggestion, bringing their actual partners to the audition, such as Mathilda and Clive, Est and Abel, and Tanya with Osian.

   - “Good afternoon! I’m Celica.”

   - “And I’m Alm.”

   - “And we’re here to audition for the Sugar Plum Fairy and Knight roles.” – they said in unison.

   - “Welcome, guys!” – Kiran greeted them. – “I’m surprised to see you today. If anything, I thought I would see you in Clara and the Nutcracker auditions.”

   - “We did consider auditioning for Clara and the Nutcracker, but it was more likely that we could be in the play together if we auditioned as a couple.” – the red-haired lady explained.

   - “Also, the leading roles are way more popular, and there will surely be more candidates.” – Alm added. – “We like these roles better.”

   - “I understand.” – Kiran replied to them. – “Go ahead, start your audition, please.”

The Valentia couple started with their audition, and their natural chemistry made their performances feel authentic. Although there were other applicants after Alm and Celica finished their tests, the casting group didn’t need to see any more couples to decide who would get those roles.

   - “This has been a productive day!” – Eleonora exclaimed. – “We are almost done with the cast selection!”

   - “I didn’t expect this would be so fast.” – the strategist admitted. – “We have only been casting for three days, and the only roles without performers are Clara and the Nutcracker.”

   - “Being the leading roles in the play, their auditions will be the most crowded of all.” – Itsuki adverted. – “Tomorrow, we will only receive those who want to play Clara, so we must be well-rested to pay attention to all the candidates.”

   - “You’re right.” – Kiran affirmed. – “Go rest, please. Thank you so much for your hard work, and I will see you tomorrow.”

   - “Good night, Kiran.” – Itsuki and Eleonora said in unison.

The next day, the search for Clara’s interpreter finally began. Just as Itsuki predicted the day before, more than forty names were written on the list of applicants, ranging from well-known dancers and singers to princesses from infinite kingdoms, noble ladies, swift mercenaries, and skilled female warriors. Each of them did their best during their auditions for the casting team, and all of them had something they could bring to the play. It was, undoubtedly, the most exhausting and longest audition day Kiran, Itsuki, and Eleonora had had so far.

One of the last prospects for the role of Clara, a beautiful woman with long, light blue hair, took the stage in the auditorium.

   - “Good afternoon. My name is Rinea, and I’m auditioning to play Clara.” – she said in a soft voice.

   - “Welcome, Rinea.” – Kiran smiled at her.

   - “And I am Berkut, Rinea’s fiancé, auditioning for the Nutcracker role.” – the dark-haired prince stood next to his girlfriend.

   - “Berkut, if you want to audition for the Nutcracker role, you can come tomorrow.” – the summoner rebuked him gently. – “Please get off the stage.”

   - “I would do it, Kiran, but I’m here specifically to support Rinea with her audition.”

   - “You can’t audition together.” – the strategist was getting impatient. – “Only those aspiring to play Clara’s parents or the Sugar Plum Fairy and Knight were allowed for double auditions.” – they said in an annoyed voice. – “In addition, no other candidate for the role of Clara has taken the audition accompanied.”

   - “Please, Kiran.” – Rinea gently insisted. – “I know I’m asking too much, and no one else has auditioned for Clara with a partner, but my lord Berkut wishes to join me and help me. That’s how he shows me he wants to support me in my desire to participate in the play.” – she put her hands in a pleading position. – “Please allow us to audition together, and we will accept the result without complaining.”

- “…” – Kiran’s face was serious. – “Give us a moment, please.”

Kiran made a hand sign to Itsuki y Eleonora to come to them, and they formed a circle.

   - “Should we let them audition like this?” – they asked, almost whispering.

   - “No other aspirant for the Clara role brought a partner to support her.” – Eleonora replied. – “I think that would not be fair.”

   - “I agree with you.” – Itsuki affirmed. – “Besides, I don’t think Rinea is the one who wants to audition as a couple, but rather Berkut.”

   - “Why do you say that?” – the young actress questioned him.

   - “I know that, in a different world from which these Berkut and Rinea come, he went berserk and performed an atrocious act against his fiancée when he was trying to get more power.” – Itsuki narrated.

   - “That’s true.” – Kiran confirmed his words. – “The Berkut who performed that terrible act is filled with guilt and self-hatred, to the point he had said he wishes he were dead, and his life is meaningless.” – the summoner’s gaze saddened. – “I’m sure this Berkut, who came at the same time as Rinea, found out about that possibility and, perhaps to ensure he will never do the same as his other version, he’s willing to do everything he can to make Rinea happy.”

   - “That’s so sad.” – Eleonora lamented. – “Considering this, I think we can let them do the audition together.”

   - “Do you agree, Itsuki?” – the summoner asked him.

   - “Yes.”

   - “All right. Let’s notify them.” – their strategist concluded.

The group broke the circle they formed and, from their seats, informed the couple they had permission to audition together.

Rinea, with a gentle and caring nature, began to recite a few lines from the copy of the script she had read in the library.

   - “Are you really OK, my dear Nutcracker?” – the lady asked her fiancé.

   - “I am thanks to you, my sweet Clara.” – he replied to her, already in character. – “Thanks to your care, I will be even better.” – his gaze got sadder. – “I’m sorry I got you involved in this war, and you got hexed.”

   - “I will be fine.” – she assured him. – “I’m sure there is a way to reverse it.”

   - “There is one, but it is dangerous.” – the dark-haired man indicated. – “The only person who can return you to your real size is the Sugar Plum Princess, but she lives in the Land of Candy.”

   - “Is that the world you come from?” – the young lady questioned.

   - “Yes.” – his voice was full of grief. – “It used to be a wonderful place, but since the Mouse King took it over…”

   - “Let’s go together.” – she interrupted him. – “Something inside me tells me that, if I am by your side, everything will be fine. Guide me to the Land Candy, Dear Nutcracker. Please.” – a warm and sincere smile appeared on her face.

   - “I will protect you, my sweet Clara!” – the young man raised his fist with determination. – “Let’s go to the Land of Candy.” – he offered the young lady the same hand that closed just a few seconds ago.

   - “Let’s go.” – Rinea took his hand, and they started walking.

A few seconds later, the pair stopped, turning to Kiran and the rest of the group. Silence.

   - “Thank you so much for letting us audition together.” – Rinea thanked them, and they bowed.

   - “Don’t thank us… Clara and the Nutcracker!” – Kiran exclaimed, followed by a round of loud applause.

   - “Does that mean…?” – the blue-haired maiden asked with disbelief.

   - “We saw a lot of contenders for the Clara role, but you were amazing, Rinea. The tenderness, warmth, and gentleness in your performance are palpable.” – Eleonora commented. – “And if we consider Berkut’s good performance and the undeniable chemistry between you, we have a duo that should not be separated.”

   - “We will announce the final cast list tomorrow, and you will be our protagonists.” – Itsuki confirmed. – “Congratulations!”

Rinea’s blue eyes filled with tears of joy. The young woman embraced her fiancé and covered him with cheek kisses. He reciprocated her kisses giving her one on her lips.

   - “My lord Berkut!” – she exclaimed, still holding him. – “I’m so happy! We did it, my lord Berkut!” – Rinea started hopping joyfully.

   - “You did it, my dear!” – he spoke to her affectionately, took her by the waist, lifted her, and twirled her around in his arms.

Berkut twirled his fiancée around for about a minute, making her laugh during most of that time. When he put her down, Rinea swayed slightly and seemed a little dizzy.

   - “Thank you so much for selecting us for the roles!” – Rinea said while taking wide strides on the stage, a bit disoriented. – “I know everything will be wonder…!” – she stopped stepping on the stage. – “AAAAAAAAAA!” – she fell from the stage, which was a meter and a half from the floor.

   - “Rinea!” – Berkut ran to the stage stairs to approach his girlfriend and check on her.

   - “Rinea!” – the casting team got up from their seats and approached her.

Berkut scooped up his fiancée, who complained of “not feeling her arm”, and carried her back to the castle to find a healer for her. Kiran accompanied them, leaving Itsuki and Eleonora temporarily alone.

The summoner and the couple made it as fast as they could to the castle, and the first healer they encountered was the Exalt Emmeryn, who quickly checked on Rinea as she listened to what happened.

   - “I don’t feel my right arm!” – Rinea cried in pain.

   - “Calm down, love.” – Berkut tried to calm her down. – “Emmeryn is already checking on you and will heal you.”

   - “Will she be OK, Emm?” – Kiran asked in a worried voice. – “Is this serious?”

   - “I’m almost done checking on her.” – Emmeryn told them serenely as she passed her healing staff over the maiden’s right arm. – “Miss Rinea, this is going to hurt for a moment, but I promise it will help you.” – she pressed her healing staff on the middle of Rinea’s right forearm.

Rinea cried out in pain and squeezed Berkut’s hand with her left hand. When Emmeryn stopped pressing, Rinea’s pain eased.

   - “Oh! It hardly hurts anymore!” – Rinea smiled. – “Exalt, you’ve healed me! Thank…!”

   - “No, Miss Rinea.” – Emmeryn interrupted her with a resigned voice. – “I’m afraid I only helped to calm the pain and adjust your radius so it will begin to heal.”

   - “Radius?” – the young lady didn’t recognize that word.

   - “It’s one of the bones in your arm. You suffered the fracture of your right arm, and that’s why you didn’t feel it a few moments ago.”

   - “Oh…” – she sighed, surprised. – “But you’re going to cure it, right?”

   - “Bone fractures are tricky, even if a healer uses a healing staff.” – Emmeryn was sincere. – “As the bones are so delicate, the safest way to achieve a successful recovery is to leave them in a cast and let them heal by themselves as they remain immobile for a while.” – she smiled to inspire her confidence. – “I’ll put your right arm in a cast, and I’ll explain to you how to take care of it to speed up your recovery.”

   - “How long does it take for a bone to heal completely?” – Berkut asked.

   - “It depends on the kind of fracture, but the standard time is approximately two months.” – the Exalt answered him. – “In fact, that’s how long Rinea will have her arm in a cast.”

   - “Two months…” – Rinea’s face seemed slightly concerned. – “It seems like a long time, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll be fine.” – she smiled, trying to remain calm. – “With all the preparations for the play, time will pass…”

   - “I’m afraid, for the sake of your recovery, you must not take part in the play, Miss Rinea.” – Emmeryn suggested with grief in her voice.

   - “… What?” – the young woman was in shock. – “But… why? I can still move, so…”

   - “It’s not because of lack of mobility.” – the Exalt replied. – “You can move freely, of course, but it’s not the same moving with your daily routine, such as moving inside the castle as you would normally do, compared with moving around a small stage, making sudden movements during the rehearsals and in the final presentation.”

   - “But I broke my arm!” – Rinea exclaimed desperately. – “If I had broken my leg, I would understand I shouldn’t participate in the play, but…”

   - “I know it doesn’t seem logical, Miss Rinea, but taking part in the play could backfire on you. It’s not convenient for you to make quick movements, as something could bump into your arm and delay your improvement. It can also be more tiring for you to move nonstop for a long time.” – Emmeryn said with a gentle harshness. – “Also, I remember reading the first draft of the play in the library, and I read that your character fights using a lance, which usually is wielded with both hands.” – the Exalt patted Rinea’s head. – “I’m truly sorry.” – she sighed with grief. – “I will bring the supplies to cast your arm. I’ll be right back.” – Emmeryn left the room.

   - “Thank you…” – tears began to flow from the maiden’s eyes. – “I’m so sorry, my lord Berkut!”

   - “My poor little songbird.” – he kissed Rinea’s head. – “Don’t apologize, love. It was an unfortunate and terrible accident.” – he kissed her forehead. – “I’m deeply sorry you broke your arm, but I am even more sorry that, due to that injury, you will no longer be able to participate in the play.”

   - “I did my best in the audition, and I ruined it by taking the wrong step.” – Rinea kept weeping. – “I’m devastated.”

   - “I promise you we’ll audition for the next play announced.” – Berkut threw an annoyed gaze to his strategist. – “There will be more plays in the future, right?”

   - “I hope so, Berkut.” – they said deadpan. – “Maybe we can organize more plays if this one is successful.”

   - “That’s a relief!” – Rinea exclaimed. – “With my lord Berkut as the Nutcracker, the play will be a complete success.”

   - “Actually, my dear, I’m going to quit the play.” – he admitted in a pacific voice.

   - “Why!?” – Kiran and Rinea asked in unison.

   - “Personally, I’m not interested in taking part in the play if you’re not in it, sweetie.” – his voice was sincere. – “I auditioned with you, and I was willing to act in this thing only for you, my dearest Rinea. The only thing I wanted was to make you happy and support you in what you are passionate about.” – he caressed his fiancée’s left hand. – “It doesn’t make sense for me to take part in the play if you don’t take part in it.” – he turned to see his strategist. – “Do you accept my resignation, Kiran?”

   - “Yes, Berkut.” – Kiran answered him with an understanding voice. – “I know your reasons to quit, and I accept them.”

   - “Thank you.” – Berkut replied to them, almost smiling.

   - “My lord Berkut…” – Rinea’s eyes filled with tears again.

   - “Don’t feel sad about me, honey.” – he smiled at her. – “Now your priority is your recovery, and make sure there will not be sequels in your arm.”

   - “You’re right.” – she smiled back. – “I must recover soon and prepare myself for the next audition.”

Assuring Rinea was already being treated and, unable to do more, Kiran left the couple alone and left the room to return to the auditorium and notify their team about the changes in the situation about the cast for the play.

The casting process had suffered a major setback. Not only they didn’t have a female lead, but neither did a male lead.

When the summoner returned to the auditorium and told Itsuki and Eleonora everything that happened, Kiran asked their opinion on what they, as a team should do now.

   - “I propose that tomorrow, the auditions for the Nutcracker role just as we had it scheduled.” – Eleonora suggested. – “Anyway, no one knew that we had already chosen the performer for the Nutcracker.”

   - “And what are we going to do with the auditions for the Clara role?” – Kiran questioned them.

   - “Do you still have the list we wrote before Rinea did her audition?” – Itsuki asked the summoner.

   - “Yes, I left it in my seat.” – Kiran told him.

   - “What if we call the first option on the list? Anyway, she was already considered for the Clara role before Rinea, and she was already the first substitute.” – Itsuki said.

   - “So, we’re not making more auditions for Clara?”

   - “I don’t think we have to do it, Kiran.” – Eleonora replied to them. – “It’s common for substitutes to take the place of the protagonists if they cannot continue in the project.”

   - “All right. In that case, we will call her into my office tomorrow morning, before the Nutcracker auditions begin, and we’ll offer her the role.” – Kiran said enthusiastically. – “If she doesn’t want it, we will ask the next option, until we finish with the aspirants on the list.”

   - “Excellent!” – Eleonora replied to them. – “That’s the way.”

   - “Thank you so much for all your support.” – the summoner thanked humbly. – “I don’t know how I could do all this if you weren’t helping me.”

   - “Don’t thank us, summoner.” – Itsuki smiled at them.

   - “I’ve had lots of fun during this process.” – Eleonora replied with a gentle smile on her face. – “Thank you for trusting us, Kiran.”

   - “This has been a long day. Go rest, and I will see you tomorrow.” – their strategist told them.

   - “See you tomorrow!” – they both exclaimed in unison.

Kiran was right: it had been a long day, and everyone needed to rest and prepare for the next day, as it would be the last day of the auditions and a turning point for the development of the play. It would be the day Clara and the Nutcracker would finally be found.

Chapter Text

The morning after, Kiran, accompanied by Itsuki and Eleonora, called their office to the one who had been chosen as the first substitute for Clara. Someone knocked on the door and Kiran authorized them to enter.

   - “Good morning, Kiran. Did you need me?” – a light blue-haired and golden-eyed maiden asked as she entered the office.

   - “Good morning, Azura. Thanks for coming. Please, take a seat.” – Kiran welcomed her.

The songstress took a seat, not sure why her strategist needed her in their office.

   - “I will be sincere with you, Azura.” – Kiran talked with a serious voice. – “Yesterday, we chose Rinea to play Clara.”

   - “Oh.” – she sighed, disappointed.

   - “Unfortunately, Rinea had an accident a few minutes after landing the role and broke her arm.”

   - “That’s terrible!” – Azura seemed genuinely concerned. – “Will she recover in time?”

   - “She will recover, but it will take at least two months, so she won’t be able to play Clara.” – Kiran tried to calm her down.

   - “I’m glad to know she’ll recover, but I’m sure Miss Rinea saddened.” – the songstress replied in a compassionate voice. – “I heard she was talking about the play days before the audition, and she was seen practicing with her boyfriend a couple of days before.”

   - “If this play is successful, we’ll stage another play next year, and she will have the chance to participate in it. She’s stronger than she seems.” – Kiran smiled at her. – “But I’m getting off topic.” – they sighed. – “Due to that unfortunate accident, we have gathered here this morning.”

   - “What do you mean?”

   - “We would like you to play Clara, Azura.” – Kiran admitted, with a gentle voice. – “Itsuki, Eleonora, and I agreed that you would be a wonderful Clara, but only you can decide if you accept the role or not.”

   - “I will be delighted to participate!” – the light blue-haired lady exclaimed. – “Thank you so much for considering me and choosing me for this role. I promise I will give my best effort.”

   - “We’re sure you will do it, Azura.” – Eleonora told her.

   - “And have you already chosen who will be the Nutcracker?” – Azura asked as if she expected a certain answer.

   - “We’ve organized auditions for the Nutcracker role for today. It’s the last role remaining without a performer.” – Itsuki replied. – “You will know who he is when you see him during the first rehearsal.”

   - “All right. I will be ready for the first rehearsal.” – the songstress said politely. – “Is there any other matter you need to discuss with me, Kiran?”

   - “That’s all, Azura. You can leave now. Thank you for coming.” – the summoner answered her question. – “In fact, it’s time for us to head to the auditorium and start today’s auditions.”

They all filed out of Kiran’s office. Azura made her way to the castle garden, and the rest moved to the auditorium for the last audition day.

To prevent an incident like the one that happened the previous day, the distance where contenders could walk was marked on the floor, twirling on stage was forbidden, and double auditions were no longer allowed. Also, if all else failed, Mist and Brady were sitting in the second row, ready to help anyone in need.

Kiran took the list of applicants and, just by looking at it, they realized that more than forty heroes had signed up. Like the day before, it would be a long day of auditions.

The auditions went smoothly, as no one got hurt. Unfortunately for the casting team, more than half of the applicants did good auditions, so it was still hard to choose one of them to offer him the role.

   - “We need to organize a second filter.” – Eleonora suggested. – “If their performances are not enough to help us to decide, we should ask them to do something else.”

   - “What else could they do to help us decide?” – Kiran wondered.

   - “Oh! I know!” – Itsuki exclaimed. – “In the play, the Nutcracker has two battles against the Mouse King and his army. I propose that, for the second filter, the contenders could show us their hand-to-hand combat skills.”

   - “Excellent idea!” – Kiran told him. – “It doesn’t matter if they use swords, lances, axes, or other weapons. All candidates must use a prop weapon and test their physical combat ability.”

   - “How can we test them?” – Eleonora asked.

   - “They could take on me.” – Itsuki offered. – “They could ‘attack’ me, and thus personally check their skills.”

   - “Thank you for volunteering, Itsuki, but it would be better if you just watched them.” – Kiran warned. – “Also, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt if someone overdoes it.”

   - “Well, if they don’t fight with me, who could help us with the practice combats?” – he questioned.

   - “Excuse me…” – Mist, who was sitting in the back row, intervened. – “I don’t want to seem nosy, but I know someone who didn’t come to the audition, and maybe he could help you.”

   - “Really, Mist?” – Kiran’s voice seemed hopeful. – “Could you convince him to come to help us, please?”

   - “Sure!” – the healer exclaimed. – “I will come back with him in a moment.” – Mist left the auditorium.

   - “Who will he be?” – Eleonora wondered a few seconds after the young healer left her sight.

   - “I think I know who she was talking about.” – Kiran smiled. – “Let’s wait for them.”

About ten minutes later, Mist returned to the auditorium accompanied by the oldest version of her brother.

   - “Good morning, Kiran.” – Ike greeted his strategist. – “Mist told me you need a helping hand. What can I do for you?”

   - “Hello, Ike!” – Kiran greeted him back. – “We are conducting auditions for the role of the Nutcracker, but we still cannot choose one of the candidates. To define who will be the Nutcracker, we made a second filter with those who passed the first round, and we’ll test their combat skills.” – they paused. – “The only thing you will need to do is defend yourself against the direct attacks the aspirants make against you. And don’t worry, they’ll all be using prop weapons, so it’s safer than doing it with their actual weapons.” – the summoner joined their hands and placed them at the level of their chest. – “Could you help us, please?”

   - “…” – the legendary hero didn’t answer immediately. – “All right. I will help you with the task you’re assigning me.”

   - “Thanks a lot, Ike!” – Kiran felt optimistic and turned to see the swordsman’s younger sister. – “And thanks to you, Mist.”

   - “You don’t need to thank me.” – the healer smiled at them.

After Kiran handed Ike a prop sword, the legendary hero walked onto the stage and stood in the middle. Itsuki congratulated the contenders who made it to the second round and explained how the second selection phase would be, clarifying that it was necessary to use prop swords, lances, or axes, all of them made of wood, to make the process safer for everyone involved.

One by one, the contenders headed towards Ike, who received them with the same attack intensity. Although Kiran only asked him to “defend” against the attacks, Ike was not only defending himself, but he was also reciprocating the applicants’ frontal attacks.

After a dozen candidates passed, including Marth, Roy, Byleth, and Corrin, the casting team members, without having discussed it beforehand, already had an idea of who they should choose.

   - “What do you think of the contenders in the second filter?” – Itsuki asked Kiran and Eleonora.

   - “Everyone is doing great.” – Eleonora gently declared. – “But… no, forget it.”

   - “What are you thinking, Eleonora?” – Kiran asked her.

   - “Well, don’t mind me, but my favorite contender so far … is General Ike.” – the young actress was sincere. – “I know he is a consummate warrior, as are most of the candidates, but when I see him fight, there’s something in his combat style that tells me ‘I fight for my friends’… I don’t know how to explain it.”

   - “I know what you mean.” – Itsuki added. – “Although it’s just a practice, and he has nothing to gain, General Ike is putting up a formidable fight. But I don’t think we can offer him the role.”

   - “Why not?” – Kiran questioned. – “If we all agree that Ike is doing a great job, and we can ask him if he would like to be in the play, I see no reason not to.” – they smiled at them. – “When the tests are over, we’ll ask him.”

   - “What if he declines the offer?” – Itsuki asked.

   - “Then, we’ll offer it with whoever’s at the top of our list, but we’ll decide who it will be that aspirant until everyone finishes their audition.” – Kiran stated.

Casting Ike as the male lead in the play was a great idea. He was not only a dedicated professional and skillful warrior, but he was a popular hero in Askr, so his presence could make the play more widespread, and more people would want to attend and donate many more gifts for the children. However, that wasn’t the only reason Kiran had in mind to justify incorporating Ike into the play.

About four months had passed since that storm caused Ike to stay outside the castle at night and return the day after. That morning, Kiran found Ike in the Azura’s cottage. The story the legendary hero told to explain why he was there was detailed and coherent, but… Kiran suspected something else had happened.

That day, when they returned to the castle, the summoner noticed Ike and Azura, known to be somewhat stoic and reserved with those outside their inner circle, seemed to find any excuse to be physically near each other. Since they had barely exchanged words before that day, those subtle hints set off an alarm in Kiran’s head.

From then on, Kiran began sending them on missions together. Although the summoner couldn’t detect such signs during missions, they noticed that, at times, Ike and Azura gazed each other in a certain way, and they tended to protect each other during combat. The strategist also remembered the Heroes Journey they made together a few weeks ago, how Azura herself chose Ike as her traveling partner, and how they returned from that journey holding hands. Additionally, Kiran and other heroes had seen that, once a month, they were found in the west garden of the castle, drinking tea. During those times, they were sitting close to each other, looking at each other with a softer gaze than they usually see most members of the Order of Heroes.

Considering all those details, Kiran couldn’t miss the opportunity to have this pair of heroes spending time together in a much more relaxed environment, under their supervision… and wait to see what would happen between them.

After all the candidates finished their tests, Kiran thanked them for their efforts and announced that the contender selected for the role of the Nutcracker would be notified privately. When all the candidates left the auditorium, Ike was also about to leave with his sister, but Kiran stopped him.

   - “We need to talk with you, Ike.” – Kiran intercepted him before he left the auditorium.

   - “Is everything OK?” – he asked with an intrigued voice.

   - “Everything is fine, but we need to ask you something. Alone.” – Eleonora clarified.

   - “I see.” – Ike turned to see his sister. – “Mist, come back without me, please. They need to talk with me. Will you be fine?”

   - “Of course, brother.” – she smiled at him. – “I think I know what they want to talk to you about, but I’m not going to tell you.” – she winked her right eye at him. – “I will see you later.” – the young healer left the auditorium.

After Mist left the auditorium, they were alone.

   - “So, what do you need to tell me?” – Ike questioned them.

   - “First of all, thank you for helping us with the tests for the applicants.” – Eleonora told him. – “With your help, we made a decision.”

   - “I’m glad I could help you.” – he replied. – “And you want to tell me who you chose, right?”

   - “Yes, actually.” – Itsuki affirmed.

   - “Our choice for the Nutcracker performer … it’s you, Ike.” – Kiran expressed sincerely.

   - “… Excuse me?” – Ike seemed stunned. – “Me?”

   - “That’s right, Ike.” – Kiran smiled at him. – “The role is yours if you wish.”

   - “But I have never acted.” – Ike was still surprised. – “Besides, I didn’t even audition. Everyone else did, and I think choosing me over any of them would be unfair.”

   - “We know, but we already discussed it, and probably most of the contenders who dueled with you will agree with us.” – Itsuki clarified. – “Also, don’t worry about your lack of acting experience. All the other cast members are also amateurs.”

   - “And I will train all of you!” – Eleonora exclaimed. – “With a teacher like me, surely everyone will be able to do a great job.”

   - “Are you sure? I mean, in the tale you told us, Kiran, you said the Nutcracker, secretly, was a prince and… I’m not the most princely-looking man in the Order of Heroes.” – Ike pointed out with a humble voice. – “Lord Marth and Lord Seliph look more princely. I…”

   - “We’re not looking for a prince, Ike.” – Kiran interrupted him. – “This play is an adaptation from the tale, and not everything will be the same as what I told you the other day.”

Kiran noticed Ike didn’t want to participate in the play, so, using their strategic side, they decided to change their tactics and use an irresistible secret weapon.

   - “Ike, I feel you don’t want to take part in the play.” – Kiran gazed at him with understanding. – “I can’t force you to participate if you don’t want to.” – they said, apparently, with a resigned voice. – “Thank you for helping us today. Thanks to you, and with the notes we wrote about the contenders, we’ll analyze who will be the candidate who will join Azura as the male protagonist.” – the summoner knew he couldn’t resist that bait.

   - “… Azura?” – he took the bait. – “Is she going to play Clara?”

   - “That’s right, although she wasn’t the first option.” – Kiran admitted with a serene voice. – “The truth is that yesterday, we chose Rinea and Berkut as the protagonists, but she broke her arm and will need two months to recover, and he resigned because he wasn’t interested in continuing in the play without Rinea. Azura was, at first, cast as the first substitute, and when we offered her the role this morning, she accepted in a heartbeat.”

   - “…” – Ike thought for a few seconds, stroking his chin, almost smiling. – “… I will accept the role. I don’t know anything about acting, but I promise you I’ll do my best.”

   - “I know you will, Ike.” – Kiran replied to him in a satisfied voice. – “Welcome aboard!”

When Ike was confirmed as the male lead, the cast was, at last, complete. After a busy week of preparations, the theatrical production could start in full.

   - “How did you know mentioning Azura would convince him?” – Itsuki asked his strategist. – “Are they…?”

   - “No, Itsuki.” – Kiran quickly clarified. – “They’re just friends. Let’s just say… there’s a reason I was chosen as the strategist for the Order of Heroes.”

   - “I thought it was because you were summoned from your world a few years?” – Eleonora questioned.

   - “Yes, but that’s not the only reason.” – they smiled, pleased.

It was the afternoon of November 22nd, so there were 31 days left before the date the play would take place, December 23rd. The next four weeks would take a lot of effort from everyone involved, but there was confidence that everything would work out… probably.

Chapter Text

Two days after the last audition day, on November 25th, all cast members were summoned to the auditorium to attend the first read-through, officially kicking off rehearsals.

Azura, trying to be nice to her fellow cast members, was talking with Narcian, though he had practically turned her talk into a monologue about him, naturally. Suddenly, the songstress’ golden eyes lit up when the sight of a blue-haired man entering the auditorium came to her.

   - “Would you excuse me for a moment, Narcian?” – Azura told him, starting to move without paying him attention.

   - “Hey, where are you…?” – the blond general seemed somewhat offended by the songstress’ actions.

The blue-haired maiden headed straight for her target.

   - “Ike!” – the surprise and joy in her voice couldn’t be hidden. – “What are you doing here?”

   - “Hi, Azura.” – he smiled at her. – “Didn’t they tell you? They offered me to be the Nutcracker, and I accepted the role.”

   - “The Nutcracker!? You!?” – she was euphoric. – “Oh my! So, you and I are…”

   - “… We are the leads.” – Ike added, almost guessing what she was going to say.

   - “You and me… the leads.” – her smile was unusually radiant.

As they continued to gaze at each other, Kiran, accompanied by Itsuki and Eleonora, arrived where the cast had gathered and began handing out copies of the scripts.

   - “Good morning, everybody!” – Kiran greeted them enthusiastically. – “Thank you so much for coming to the first day of rehearsal. The first activity we’ll have today is our first read-through, so everyone will know the play entirely and will learn what will happen before, during, and after their participation.”

   - “Kiran, I’m just learning to read.” – Nino quickly pointed out, a little worried.

   - “Don’t worry, Nino. Your role has no dialogues.” – Kiran reassured her. – “The only thing you have to do is listen to what happens in the story and remember when you should leave the scene.”

   - “Lucky me!” – the mage replied with relief.

   - “Now, please, everybody, sit down on the floor, and let’s make a circle.” – Eleonora indicated. – “As this is just a read-through, the only thing you need to do is read your dialogues aloud, so pay attention so that you know when it is your turn to speak.”

The heroes obeyed Kiran and Eleonora, making a circle on the stage floor. Kiran began the read-through reading the play’s title, and everybody started to say their respective lines.

After finishing the script reading, Oboro and Forrest arrived with measuring tapes, a notebook, a pencil, and some samples.

   - “Please line up in front of Oboro and Forrest and tell them what role you’re going to play.” – Kiran asked them. – “They’re going to make your measurements for your costumes, and for some of you, they will check which colors are the ones best for you.”

Within seconds, the entire cast followed their tactician’s instructions, and they queued.

   - “It seems our roles are the ones with the most dialogue, Ike.” – Azura told him, behind him in line. – “It makes sense because we’re the protagonists, but I didn’t think there were so many.”

   - “Yes, but those are short dialogues.” – he assured her as he turned his head to look at her. – “We can practice them together.”

   - “That would be wonderful.” – she smiled. – “It’s almost our turn.”

After the tailors took all the measurements they needed to start with the costumes, Eleonora stood center stage, beckoning the cast to her.

   - “We know almost no one here has participated in an event like this before, so you don’t have acting techniques.” – Eleonora pointed out. – “To help you to improve your performance, I will give you a little acting class before we start with the rehearsal, OK?”

The young actress talked about the basics of acting, such as voice, mimicry, tone, coordination, memory, and especially, the will to give a good performance. She also mentioned that, since a cast ensemble is a team, they had to trust each other, so she suggested an exercise to improve trust.

   - “Let’s make a circle again and look to your right, please.” – Eleonora asked them. – “When I say your name, drop on your back, and the person behind you must catch you.” – the actress explained. – “And, please, don’t get hurt in the process, shall we?”

The cast ensemble settled as their instructor asked, and starting with Fae, one by one, all the cast members began to fall into the arms of whoever was behind them.

   - “Good job catching Nah, Nils!” – Eleonora congratulated the young bard. – “Now, please, let yourself down so Azura can catch you.”

   - “Yes.” – the dragon answered, falling backward into the songstress’ arms. – “Thank you for catching me!”

   - “Good job, Azura! Now, please, let Ike catch you.”

   - “I will do it.” – she replied.

The songstress didn’t need to do a trust fall to know Ike would catch her, but she did anyway. The light blue-haired lady closed her eyes, leaned back on her heels, and inclined back. Before she felt she was falling, two warm hands were already holding her back.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the swordsman’s face, warmly smiling at her.

   - “I knew you’d catch me, Ike.” – she smiled at him.

   - “I could never let you down.” – he replied, looking at her for longer than they should have remained in that position.

   - “OK…” – Eleonora said, trying to cut that long interaction. – “Thank you for catching Azura so quickly, Ike. Now, please, let her go and fall on your back for Lord Sigurd to catch you.”

   - “… Yes.” – Ike softly pushed the songstress so she could step up. – “Here I go.” 

The swordsman fell backward into Lord Sigurd’s arms, who also quickly caught him.

   - “Done, ‘nephew’.” – the knight from Jugdral smiled at the one he held in his arms.

After that, Sigurd got caught by Alm, who got caught by Celica, and the exercise continued.

After all the cast members caught someone, Eleonora gave them a few minutes to rest. In that short space of time, Lord Sigurd approached Ike.

   - “Ike!”

   - “Yes, Lord Sigurd?”

   - “You can call me Sigurd.” – he clarified. – “I don’t know if you know it but, since I was summoned to Askr, I have befriended several heroes, including your father.” – he told him in a gentle voice.

   - “I think he did tell me that you became friends.” – Ike replied politely.

   - “We met through Lord Eliwood and became good friends.” – Sigurd smiled. – “He has told me a lot about your sister and you. I’ve heard so many things that I almost feel like I already know you.” – he sighed. – “I know that we are not close, and we haven’t interacted more than a few times, but I feel so much respect and admiration for your father and you, that I see you as a real ‘nephew’, Ike.”

   - “A nephew?”

   - “Yes.” – Sigurd got a little nervous. – “Well… you’re going to play my nephew and…” – he averted his gaze, a little embarrassed, but didn’t blush. – “I’m sorry, I got carried away. Please forget what I…”

   - “I have never had an uncle.” – Ike indicated. – “I wouldn’t mind having one.” – he smiled at him.

   - “Thank you so much, lad!” – Sigurd exclaimed, smiling back.

On December 1st, Oboro and Forrest finished the first costumes, the ones for the party guests and Clara’s parents. To ensure their efforts were on the right track, they brought Kiran a few pieces for evaluation.

   - “You’re so fast!” – Kiran praised the tailors. – “And the costumes are amazing!”

   - “Lady Ethlyn has helped us a lot. She offered to help us when she found out her brother would be in the play. She’s fast and precise with the stitches.” – Oboro pointed out. – “Right now, she’s in the workshop, finishing Mouse King’s soldiers’ uniforms.”

   - “And in a couple of days, the costumes for candy people will be ready.” – Forrest added. – “I’ve felt truly inspired! I have let my imagination run wild, and I feel motivated.”

   - “Thank you so much for all your hard work. Thanks to Ethlyn, too, even though she didn’t come with you today.” – their strategist stated. – “So, who doesn’t have their costumes started yet?”

   - “We still need to make the costumes the Mouse King, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Sugar Plum Knight, the Godfather Drosselmeyer, and Fritz. Clara will need two costumes, and the Nutcracker will need three.” – the Hoshidian seamstress clarified. – “And now we mention it, can you call Azura over here, please? We need to see what color looks best on her to start making the Sugar Plum Princess dress.”

   - “Let’s see where she is.” – Kiran turned their head to seek her and grinned. – “She’s practicing with Ike. I’ll be right back.”

Kiran approached the protagonists, who were reading the script on a stage corner, and asked the songstress to follow them. The swordsman silently followed her with his eyes.

   - “I’m here, Oboro.” – the light blue-haired lady announced. – “What do you need to check with me?”

   - “We’re going to start making the Sugar Plum Princess dress, but first of all, we wanted to see what color best matches your skin tone and hair.” – Forrest explained to her as he held fabric samples colored with different shades of lavender in front of Azura’s face. – “Mmm… what do you think?”

   - “This one is adorable.” – Kiran opined as they pointed out one of the intense lavender fabric samples. – “Her face looks more illuminated. But don’t mind me. You are the professionals.”

   - “It’s a great option, actually.” – Oboro conceded. – “This color matches her skin tone and her golden eyes.”

   - “I agree!” – Forrest added. – “Your eyes seem shinier than normal. What do you think, Azura?”

   - “It’s a lovely color.” – the songstress pointed out. – “I’m not used to wearing these colors, but I trust your good taste.”

   - “All right!” – the young tailor exclaimed. – “Then we will use this fabric for your dress, combined with these.”

As the tailors, the summoner, and the songstress continued discussing the Sugar Plum Princess’ dress, Ike watched the situation from a moderate distance.

   - “The one Kiran chose. That’s the one that looks best on her.” – he thought to himself, without taking his eyes off her. – “Oh! It’s the one they chose. She will look gorgeous wearing that color.” – a small smile spread across his face and closed his eyes.

On December 3rd, Ignatz asked his strategist for permission to spend the day with some cast members, so he could design the play’s poster, using them as his models.

   - “Please, Lord Sigurd, stand on this side, looking slightly down.” – the young artist indicated.

   - “Of course.” – the blue-haired knight obeyed him. – “Is this the right pose?”

   - “Excellent!” – Ignatz exclaimed. – “Please, make the same position as Lord Sigurd, but facing him.”

   - “You better get my best angle, kid.” – the blond general grumbled.

   - “With a model like you, getting it won’t be difficult.” – he told him with a diplomatic voice.

   - “I like this kid.” – Narcian smugly smiled.

Ignatz continued to accommodate the main cast of the play. He positioned Sigurd, Pent, Louise, Nils, Nino, and Caspar facing to a side, and Narcian, Alm, Celica, Lysithea, Gaius, and Fae facing the other side, facing both groups.

   - “General Ike, please stand here. Princess Azura, stand here, please.” – he placed them one in front of the other, at the center of the composition. – “Now, please, don’t move. I’m going to start sketching.” – Ignatz went to his easel and canvas and began to work. 

A few minutes later, the artist stopped his hands and watched the progress on his canvas.

   - “I think there is a gap here.” – the artist whispered to himself. – “General Ike, Princess Azura, can I ask you for a favor?”

   - “Sure.” – the swordsman replied to him. – “What do you need?”

   - “Could you hold hands, please? There’s a gap between you, and I think it might look splendid if I fill it with your hands.” – Ignatz suggested. – “Please, intertwin your hands and raise them to chest height.”

   - “Of course.” – the leads said in unison.

As if they were each other’s reflection in the mirror, Ike and Azura raised their hands and intertwined their fingers. Doing that was not difficult for them; they had already held hands many times before. And, although they kept the same expression they had before the artist gave them the indication, they treasured that moment, holding hands once again.

   - “Awww! They’re holding hands!” – Fae stated the obvious.

   - “Yes, but only because they were asked to, Fae.” – Celica clarified.

   - “Be quiet and don’t move, please.” – Ignatz asked everyone. – “When I finish with the sketch, you can resume your activities.”

An unspecified amount of time later, the painter finally finished putting together the play’s poster composition and invited his models to view the first sneak peek.

   - “Ignatz, It’s amazing! And if this is just the sketch, I’m sure the final piece will be fantastic.” – Lysithea congratulated her classmate.

   - “You didn’t lie about getting my best angle.” – Narcian admitted. – “Your skill is impressive.”

   - “Your talent is a blessing, young Ignatz.” – Sigurd added. – “Thank you for sharing it with us.”

   - “We can’t wait to see the result.” – Alm commented.

   - “Thank you so much for all your encouraging words.” – the painter smiled.

On the afternoon of December 8th, Ike and Azura met in the west garden to practice their dialogues. Following their tradition, when they met in the garden, he had a cup of coffee, and she had a cup of tea.

   - “Since the weather is getting colder, the idea of tea is more welcoming than it was during summer.” – Azura, wearing a long navy blue knitted sweater, took a sip from her cup. – “Do I detect a minty flavor?”

   - “You’re right.”. – Ike, wearing a red sweater, conceded and took a sip of coffee. – “I wanted to give it a different twist when compared to how I usually prepare it, and since people associate the taste of mint with this season, I thought it would go well with ginger tea.”

   - “It tastes so good!” – she drank more tea. – “You didn’t have to brew it for me, Ike. You already taught me how to brew it, and I can make it by myself. In fact, since I started drinking it the way you brew it, I have no longer had bad cramps.”

   - “I’m glad you don’t suffer from that anymore, but I’ll keep making it for you anyway.” – he smiled at her. – “And now, let’s practice.”

They both looked for one of their dialogues in their respective script copies and read them.

   - “Now we have read them, let’s say the dialogues, just trying to remember them, OK?” – Azura proposed. – “I will start.”

   - “Yes.” – Ike gazed at her.

   - “…”

   - “…”

   - “The Land of Candy is adorable!” – she exclaimed, getting into character. – “This is the first time I see a place like this one.”

   - “And it was even more beautiful before the Mouse King usurped the throne.” – he replied to her, already in character. – “You would have loved to see it in all its splendor.”

   - “Why did this happen, Nutcracker? Why is the Mouse King in power?”

   - “Because the prince who ruled this land was tricked into re… re…”

   - “Resigning.” – she whispered.

   - “Resigning! He was tricked into resigning.” – he ended. – “Azura, do you think I’m going to give a decent performance?”

   - “Of course!” – the songstress encouraged him. – “I’ve seen you’ve worked hard to learn your dialogues and the choreography for the battles, so I’m sure your performance will be wonderful.”

   - “Perhaps, but at times, I have trouble remembering words like that one.” – the swordsman reproached himself. – “These aren’t the kind of words I usually say.”

   - “I know. But don’t worry and remember a piece of advice Eleonora gave us.” – Azura said. – “If you can’t remember the word you have to say, but you remember its meaning, change it to the word you remember.”

   - “When did she say that?”

   - “A few days ago, when she was helping Nils.” – the lady said. – “So, if you can’t remember the word ‘resigning’, but you know the word you need to say means ‘quitting’, you can say ‘quitting’, so the play’s plot won’t be affected at all.”

   - “A good piece of advice.” – Ike admitted and smiled at her. – “That’s what I’ll do if I forget a word.” – he took his cup of coffee to his mouth. – “My coffee got cold.” – he put on a disappointed face and stuck out his tongue for a fraction of a second.

   - “Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to practice in the garden in early December.” – Azura commented. – “The first snow hasn’t fallen yet, but the days are getting colder and colder.” – she took her already empty cup of tea. – “How about we go to the library to practice? If you want to, we can brew more coffee and tea.”

   - “We’re not allowed to bring food or drinks into the library. Not even coffee or tea.” – the swordsman clarified.

   - “Right.” – the songstress conceded. – “Better we just go to the library, and when we finish our practice, we can have some cookies for our tea and coffee. Are you OK with that plan?”

   - “Certainly.” – he offered her his hand. – “Let’s go to the library.”

   - “Let’s go.” – she took his hand, they stood up, took the cups and the scripts, and, guided by the songstress, they walked towards the library.

Holding hands when they had to go somewhere together was already a habit for them. There was something about those little moments of physical contact that made them feel good, but neither of them had said it to the other explicitly… and that day would not be the day they would do it either.

On December 12th, the tests to coordinate the dialogues and actions with the special effects began.

   - “All right, let’s rehearsal the scene where the Mouse King shrinks Clara, shall we?” – Kiran indicated. – “Narcian, Ike, Azura, and the Mouse King’s army, take your positions, please.” – they turned to see the violet-haired mage. – “Lute, prepare yourself, please.”

The ten heroes took their respective positions and began the rehearsal after the strategist’s command.

   - “We meet again, wooden head!” – Narcian exclaimed.

   - “This time, you won’t win!” – Ike replied with a challenging voice.

   - “Let’s find it out!” – the blond man made a sign with his hand. – “It’s time, gentlemen!”

The Mouse King’s army began the battle choreography against Ike. After her signal, Azura, lying on the prop couch, “woke up” to the commotion.

   - “What is…?”– Azura asked in a sleepy voice.

   - “Do not intervene, child!” – Narcian yelled as Lute, behind the scenes, sent some harmless sparks toward the songstress, who fell to the ground, pretending to have been hexed.

   - “Clara!” – Ike exclaimed while approaching her. – “Are you OK?” – he looked at Narcian angrily. – “You beast!”

   - “Cut!” – Kiran yelled. – “Excellent work! Your performances have improved a lot!” – they turned to see the young mage. – “Good job, Lute! You did a great job on your first rehearsal.”

   - “Naturally, strategist.” – Lute replied to them. – “A prodigy like me must do everything right the first time.”

   - “I see, and I think that’s amazing.”. – Kiran smiled at everybody. – “Let’s continue with the rehearsals, please…”

On December 18th, just five days before the premiere, the general wardrobe test was held. Oboro, Forrest, and Ethlyn delivered the pieces and, although exhausted, they were proud of how much they accomplished in less than a month. Their strategist asked them to stay with them.

   - “Please, everyone, dress up in your costumes. All the costumes have a tag with your name, so don’t get confused.” – Kiran indicated. – “Ike and Azura, as you’re the only ones with more than one costume, please try on your first outfit. After we see what your first costumes look like, I’ll ask you to change to see what the rest of your costumes look like.”

Obeying their strategist, the cast members took their respective outfits and headed to the auditorium changing rooms.

While he was finishing changing, Sigurd tapped his “nephew’s” shoulder with his right index finger twice.

   - “I can see it. And clearly.” – Sigurd commented, not offering context.

   - “What can you see?” – Ike turned to see him.

   - “You know what. I can see it in your eyes.” – the knight insisted.

   - “Do my eyes have rheum?” – the swordsman rubbed his eyes. – “Is that what you mean, Sigurd?”

   - “No, Ike.” – he said patiently. – “It’s not something that is literally in your eyes. I’m talking about your gaze.”

   - “What’s with my gaze?” – the legendary hero questioned, getting worried due to the words he kept hearing. – “Do I look tired?”

   - “…” – Sigurd wasn’t sure if his adoptive nephew really didn’t know what he was talking about or if he was just avoiding him. – “Don’t move…” – he stared into his eyes for a few seconds. – “Oh, I see! You really haven’t realized it yet.” – he smiled slightly. – “But I’m sure you’ll realize it soon.”

   - “What am I going to realize soon, exactly?” – he was getting impatient. – “Sigurd, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

   - “I already noticed it, but it doesn’t matter. Don’t mind me, lad. I’m sorry I overwhelmed you.” – the knight from Jugdral placed his right hand over Ike’s hand and gently patted him. – “You’ll know it when you’re ready, I guess. I just hope that, for your sake, you’ll realize it before she finds out. I can see it in her eyes too, but unlike you, it seems she’s already aware of that, and she has accepted it.” – he put on his top hat as he walked out of the dressing room. – “I will see you on the stage, nephew.”

   - “She?” – that last part intrigued him. – “Who is she, Sigurd? Sigurd!” – Ike sighed, slightly frustrated, and finished getting dressed.

Sigurd wasn’t the kind of man who liked to create intrigues or cause trouble to others, so Ike assumed that, if he was telling him that “he could see it”, he was probably well-intentioned, but… what could be what, according to him, “he could see clearly”? Also, who is “she”? That unusual chat left the blue-haired hero moderately confused, but he knew that was not the time to be distracted by such thoughts.

All the cast members, already wearing their costumes, arrived on stage and surrounded their strategist.

   - “First of all, please give a round of applause to our tailors. Let’s thank Oboro, Forrest, and Ethlyn, who designed and made all the costumes and props for the play.” – Kiran turned to see them. – “Thank you so much for your hard work!” 

The cast applauded and praised the work of the tailors, who only nodded their heads.

   - “Now, one by one, show us how they look when wearing them, and if you have any concerns about your outfits, please share with us.” – a tiny hand raised among the crowd. – “Yes, Fae?”

   - “Fae wanted to ask who came up with the design for my dress.” – the divine dragon said.

   - “That was me, little one!” – Forrest hurried to answer. – “Why do you ask?”

   - “Because I liked it a lot!” – the girl giggled. – “Fae had never had a dress that looked like a pastry.” – she twirled. – “When I wear this, I feel like a cute cinnamon roll. Thank you!”

   - “It’s the best compliment anyone has ever given one of my designs.” – Forrest smiled at her. – “Thank you, Fae.”
 

One by one, the cast members marched in front of Kiran and the tailors to check if their costumes fitted them correctly and if they didn’t have any minor flaws, such as loose buttons or pulled threads.

   - “My outfit is the most splendid of all you made!” – Narcian began to chatter. – “It certainly is a worthy outfit for the performer of the Mouse King, and I look stunning wearing it.” – he wiggled his index, middle, and ring fingers of both hands. – “Wearing rings like the other six crowns was a clever detail.” – he smiled satisfied. – “I am absolutely pleased.”

   - “We’re glad you liked it, Narcian!” – Oboro replied with a gentle voice, trying to cut their conversation before it became one of his monologues.

The group moved on to continue the inspection, getting excellent results. Among the comments the designers received was one from Nino, who was surprised at how pretty her dress was, especially considering she would only appear in the play for a few minutes. Balthus was grateful his uniform showed off his muscles, and Sakura was delighted to see they incorporated details from the Hoshidian culture into her costume.

   - “I think I look a little weird wearing pink clothes.” – Azura pointed out, while she was wearing a pink carnation party dress. – “The dress is precious, and it suits me well, but I rarely wear warm colors. I don’t look weird, do I?”

   - “You look adorable!” – Ethlyn replied to her. – “That shade of pink looks lovely on you. Oboro did a magnificent when she designed your dress.”

   - “And we haven’t seen you wearing the Sugar Plum Princess dress yet!” – Kiran added. – “Please try it on and come back with it so we can see how it looks on you.”

   - “I will do it.” – the songstress moved to the women’s dressing room.

As the tailors and the summoner waited for Azura to return, they continued to check on the remaining cast members. When Ike arrived wearing the Blueberry Prince outfit, which was like the Nutcracker’s normal outfit, but with a white jacket with gold trim and pants hued in a darker shade of blue, he noticed one of the buttonholes on his jacket was too wide for the button, and it could open during the play.

   - “I will repair it.” – Ethlyn offered. – “I just need to make the buttonhole smaller. If the buttonhole is smaller, the button will not be at risk of unbuttoning. Ike, please give me the jacket, and I’ll fix it right now.”

   - “All right.” – he replied to her and took off his jacket, leaving only his undershirt to cover his torso.

   - “Ethlyn, while you fix his buttonhole, we’ll see the next person.” – Kiran indicated. – “Is it OK for you?”

   - “No problem. I will fix it in a few minutes.” – the pink-haired lady expressed as she put on her glasses, took out her sewing kit, and sat in a corner. – “Ike, you don’t have to stay with me. You can join Kiran and the others to see the next person. I will let you know when the buttonhole is ready.”

   - “Thank you, Lady Ethlyn.” – he thanked her and sat in her chair.

   - “Next!” – Kiran yelled, and the next person in line came up to them. – “Huh? I thought the next person was Gaius.”

Instead of the candy fanatic showing off his costume to the group, it was Azura who arrived, wearing the beautiful lavender dress she would wear after she was revealed to be the Sugar Plum Princess. It was a splendid piece, with a long skirt reminiscent of a flower, becoming lighter colored as it got closer to the ground, studded with tiny, gleaming colorless gems at the chest, and tulle sleeves in the same color, subtly splashed with glitter.

Ike couldn’t believe his eyes. If he was already aware of Azura’s beauty, seeing her wear a dress designed specifically to highlight her best physical qualities were almost madness.

   - “Gaius gave me his place in line.” – Azura explained. – “He needed to go to…” – she noticed a pair of familiar eyes. – “Oh! Hi, Ike!” – she twirled. – “Look, this is the dress I will wear when I would be the Sugar Plum Princess.” – she smiled. – “What do you think? Does it look good on me?”

   - “Wow…” – Ike, slightly blushing, couldn’t articulate more words.

   - “I will assume that was your way to tell me it does look good on me.” – she answered him, still smiling.

   - “You look amazing!” – the summoner exclaimed, standing up and approaching her to check the dress from a close distance. – “This is definitely my favorite outfit of all the costumes you designed for the play. You’re amazing, guys!”

   - “We designed it together.” – Forrest added while he and Oboro approached them. – “It was the most difficult dress to make, but it was worth the effort.”

   - “Certainly, Forrest.” – his strategist admitted. – “It’s a spectacular dress. And it makes sense because, since Azura is the female lead, she should wear the most beautiful outfit in the entire play.”

While Kiran continued praising the fashion designers, Ike, still sitting where he was, was still enraptured by Azura’s appearance. There was something captivating about seeing her wear such an unusual color for her. It was as if the violet part of a rainbow had come down from the sky.

Without taking his eyes off her, the swordsman caressed his already warm right cheek, trying to rationalize why he couldn’t give her a proper answer. He was so focused on the songstress, that he didn’t hear Ethlyn’s voice, who was trying to tell him she had already fixed the buttonhole.

   - “Ike!” – the pink-haired lady remarked energetically to get his attention. – “I’m done with the buttonhole.” – she handed him the jacket.

   - “…” – he blinked quickly, shaking his head. – “Thanks. I’m sorry, Lady Ethlyn.” – he took the white jacket. – “I…”

   - “No biggie.” – Ethlyn looked at him with an understanding look. – “I don’t blame you for giving all your attention to Azura. She looks gorgeous!” – the pink-haired lady laughed subtly. – “You look at her in the same way my brother looks at Deirdre when she’s wearing a cute dress.” – she said as if nothing. – “Excuse me, but I will join the rest.” – she went to where the group was.

And, after hearing those simple words, Ike finally understood what Sigurd was trying to tell him in the dressing room. His gaze seemed a little more surprised than usual but, other than that, his face didn’t show changes.

   - “Oh no!” – Ike thought silently, still gazing at the light blue-haired lady, as he got up from his chair. – “So… is this…?” – he placed his left hand on his heart while walking at his usual pace. – “I think this time is for real…” – he sighed as he walked away from there. – “I need to get out of here discreetly.”

Still surrounded by her strategist and the tailors, Azura noticed that Ike looked dazed as he walked away. Since his countenance did not seem normal, the songstress was a little worried about him.

   - “Ike?” – she asked in her mind. – “Where are you going? Are you OK? What’s going on?”

After the praise storm ended, Azura left to change her clothes and search for Ike to find out what had happened… but she couldn’t find him for the rest of the day. Why? The swordsman returned to the castle and locked himself in his room for a few hours. He needed to think a lot.

The day after, the songstress tried to find out the swordsman to ask him what had happened to him the previous afternoon. Fortunately for her, it didn’t take her long to find him.

   - “Good morning, Ike!” – Azura greeted him, touching his shoulder. – “Are you OK? Yesterday you left with a more serious face than usual.”

   - “Azura!” – he replied to her with surprise in his voice. – “Hi! Ummm…” – he thought for a moment and spoke serenely. – “Sorry for worrying you. I’m OK, and yesterday I was OK, too.” – he rasped his voice. – “I was just waiting for Lady Ethlyn to repair one of the buttonholes in my wardrobe, and…” – his gaze moved to the songstress’ soft, pink lips, which he had never paid attention to. – “And…”

   - “And…?” – she asked him. – “And what happened? Did Lady Ethlyn repair it?”

   - “Yes, she did!” – Ike nodded. – “She fixed it, and then I left. I had no reason to stay there, especially since there were still more people to be seen.”

   - “I see.” – the lady sighed in relief. – “I’m glad it was just that! Shall we go to the auditorium together?” – she offered him her hand. – “We are in the final stretch and, today we begin with the general rehearsals. Will you come with me?”

   - “Of course.” – he took her hand, and they headed to the auditorium.

He didn’t say it, but holding her hand that morning made him feel something different. It was a pleasant feeling, as usual, but now there was a new layer of excitement in doing it. That excitement was the result of being aware of an emotion he had begun to accept the previous afternoon.

It was the evening of December 22nd and, finally, the last general rehearsal was over, followed by a round of applause from everyone in the auditorium.

   - “We’ve finished!” – Kiran joyfully yelled. – “That was our last rehearsal, and it turned out fantastic! You all have done an amazing job!” – they sighed to catch their breath. – “Now, everybody, go get some rest. Sleep well, don’t eat fatty food, and try to be relaxed. Tomorrow, I need you to arrive at the latest, four hours before the premiere, to prepare everything and be ready for the show.” – they smiled, pleased. – “I will see you tomorrow!”

   - “Yes, Kiran.” – everybody, on stage and behind the scenes, answered them.

There was no turning back. The play was a few hours away from opening. The next day would be the final test for Kiran and those involved in their stage production. If everything worked out the way it did in the last general rehearsal, there was nothing to fear, but there was no guarantee that things would work out the following night.

That was, without a doubt, the longest night of the entire year, literally and figuratively, because it was the day of the winter solstice… the shortest day of the year.

Chapter Text

After exhausting weeks of rehearsals, preparations, and deadlines to meet, the day of the presentation finally arrived. The 20,000 seats in the auditorium were occupied, and no one else would fit.

Among the attendees in the auditorium were all the members of the Order of Heroes who didn’t participate in the play, Askr inhabitants, and children from the orphanages near the castle, who were sitting in the front row.

   - “I can’t believe it! The auditorium is at its maximum capacity!” – Kiran told Sigurd, who was already wearing his Godfather Drosselmeyer costume, peeking out onto the stage behind the scenes. – “I will only stay on stage for a moment, but I feel butterflies in my stomach.”

   - “Everything will be fine.” – Sigurd tried to calm them with an almost fatherly voice. – “All your efforts achieved this moment. Be proud of yourself for what you have done, Kiran.”

   - “You’re right, Sigurd. But this achievement is not only mine.” – Kiran smiled at him, calmer. – “Everybody, come here, please!” – they called the cast and the staff members.

A few moments later, everyone involved in the play, whether onstage or behind it, surrounded Kiran.

   - “First of all, I want to thank you for your amazing work during the last weeks.” – Kiran talked with a humble voice. – “Today is the day our efforts culminate, and no matter what happens tonight, I feel so much pride and admiration for all of you.” – a tear seemed to flow over Kiran’s right cheek. – “I’m talking as your strategist, as the person who directed all of this, and as someone who cares about you and appreciates you.” – the summoner clapped once. – “I believe in you!”

Cast members and supporting staff gave a discreet round of applause, then dispersed around the stage and backstage, depending on their duties.

A few minutes later, an elegant male voice echoed throughout the auditorium.

   - “Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.” – Reinhardt’s melodious voice enunciated. – “The play is about to start. Please take your seats and direct your attention to the stage. We appreciate your collaboration. Please, be quiet during the presentation. Thank you for joining us on this magical night.”

After hearing him, the noisy audience fell silent almost immediately.

Light focused on the stage, still with the curtain down, and Kiran, wearing their best coat, stood there.

   - “Good evening, everybody!” – Kiran greeted their audience. – “Welcome to the Askr’s Nutcracker premiere! First, I want to publicly thank Queen Henriette because, without her invaluable support, this play would never have gone beyond being a simple story. Thank you so much, Your Majesty!”

Another light illuminated the queen, who, from her seat, saluted elegantly while the crowd applauded at her.

   - “I want to thank all of you, too, on behalf of all of us, for coming to our production.” – Kiran bowed, and the audience reciprocated it with applause. – “This auditorium can hold 20,000 spectators, and it’s at its maximum capacity. We have collected 20,000 gifts for the children! Thank you so much!” – the applauses got louder. – “Finally, I hope all of you enjoy our little play. All of us who participate left a part of our hearts there. Please, enjoy the show!” – the summoner bowed for the last time and left the stage.

The light in the center of the stage went out, and the curtain rose.

The beautiful scene of an elegant Christmas party came into view the public. Lord Pent, Louise, Juno, Zelot, Finn, Minerva, Seth, Manuela, Nino, Fir, Ross, Donnel, Nah, Caspar, Nils, and Azura roamed the stage, wearing elegant custom-made outfits. They were conversing and all of them seemed to be having a good time together, accompanied by a cheerful melody in the voice of the herons. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

   - “That must be him!” – Lady Louise indicated and opened the door. – “You’re finally here, dear friend!”

   - “Merry Christmas Eve!”– Lord Sigurd took off his top hat, bowed, and stepped through the doorway. – “I apologize for being late. To make up for my lack of punctuality, I’ve brought gifts for everyone.” – he opened the bag he was carrying on his shoulder.

The Godfather Drosselmeyer began handing out small objects to partygoers, throwing a few more offstage; that last thing was Sigurd’s idea.

   - “Clara, my child!” – Sigurd approached her.

   - “Uncle! I’m glad to see you!” – Azura exclaimed.

   - “My dear, you’re the only one that hasn’t received a gift.” – he took out of his bag a blue-haired nutcracker, craved by Atlas, specially made to be used in the play. – “This is for you.” – he put it gently in Azura’s hands. – “I hope you like it.”

   - “Thank you so much, Uncle!” – she smiled at him. – “It’s an adorable nutcracker!”

   - “This nutcracker is not like any other you have seen.” – he winked his right eye at her. – “This nutcracker is magical.” – he smiled back. – “Something special will happen to whoever receives it on a night as magical as this one.” – he raised his arm and moved it, indicating his surroundings. – “Tonight is the most magical night of the year, my child, and on this night, miracles happen.”

   - “Thank you so much for my gift, Uncle!”

The female lead in the play started to twirl around the stage, holding the wooden doll in her arms.

   - “I just met you, and I already feel that I love you, Nutcracker.” – she kissed the doll’s forehead. – “I wish you could talk to me.” – she said with a nostalgic voice.

   - “Sister! What did our uncle give you for Christmas?” – Nils asked. – “He gave me an army of toy soldiers.”

   - “Look at my gift!” – Azura showed him the nutcracker. – “Don’t you think it’s divine?”

   - “He’s amazing!” – the lad exclaimed. – “Could he be my soldiers’ general, please? He is much taller than them.”

   - “How do you know he’s a soldier? Perhaps he only dressed like this for the occasion.”

   - “He is a soldier, sister.” – Nils pointed to the doll’s waist. – “He has a sword, so he sure knows how to use it.”

   - “He doesn’t need to fight while he’s here.” – she smiled, still holding it.

   - “So, can I borrow it for a moment, please?” – the young dragon insisted.

   - “… All right.” – Azura gave in. – “But promise me you will be careful while using it.” – she handed the toy to Nils.

   - “I promise you I will take care of it with my life!” – the boy exclaimed.

Nils took a few steps, tripping over Nah’s feet. When he ended up on the ground, he wasn’t the only one ending up there.

   - “Nutcracker!” – Azura ran to pick up her doll, which caused laughter among the audience. – “Oh no! His left arm has fallen off!”

   - “I’m fine, sister. Thank you for asking.” – Nils told her, slightly annoyed, causing even more laughs.

   - “You can get up on your own, and you didn’t get hurt!” – she claimed. – “My dear Nutcracker needs my help.” – she took one of the white ribbons from her hair, arranged the doll’s arm, and made a bandage around his arm. – “You’re ready, my dear Nutcracker. You will recover soon.” – she kissed the doll’s forehead.

   - “Kudos for healing him, my dear.” – Sigurd congratulated her. – “Although he has a wooden body, he has feelings, just like you.”

   - “Really?” – the maiden asked him.

   - “I can assure it.” – he affirmed. – “And I know, if he could talk, he would thank you for taking care of him.” – he patted his fake niece’s head. – “It has been a lovely evening, but I have to go.”

   - “Are you leaving early?” – Azura felt sad. – “Mother hasn’t cut the cake yet.”

   - “I would like to stay longer, but my nephew Paris will arrive at my house around midnight, and I must be there to receive him.”

   - “Your nephew?” – the songstress was intrigued. – “I didn’t know you had an actual nephew.”

   - “Paris is my brother’s eldest son. He’s coming to town to start in a new school next year, and he’ll live in my house while he’s studying.” – he sighed. – “Unfortunately, the only stagecoach that comes from his area to ours only makes one trip every three months, and his next chance to come would have been until late March. He needed to arrive today, or he wouldn’t make it to register for school on time.”

   - “I understand, Uncle.”

   - “But don’t worry, I will come back tomorrow for the Christmas breakfast your parents organized, and I will bring Paris with me.” – Sigurd smiled. – “You will meet my nephew tomorrow.”

   - “Of course!” – Azura hugged him. – “Thank you so much for coming to our Christmas party!”

   - “Thanks to you, dear.” – he hugged her back. – “Good night, Clara.”

   - “Good night, Uncle.”

After Sigurd said goodbye to his friends, the party went on a little longer. One by one, the elegant attendees at the party left the scene until the titular family remained on the stage.

   - “It’s bedtime, kids.” – Lady Louise announced to her fake children. – “Tomorrow is Christmas day, and you need to sleep.”

   - “Can I stay a little more here, mother?” – Azura asked. – “You told me I can’t take the nutcracker to my room, so I want to see it in the living room just a little more.”

   - “It’s OK, Clara.” – the blonde lady agreed. – “But just a little more. As soon as you finish, you must go to sleep.”

   - “Thank you so much, mother!” – she smiled. – “Good night, everyone!”

   - “Good night, Clara!” – her on-stage parents and brother told him as they left the scene. 

When Azura was left alone, she sat on the comfortable sofa in her living room. Still enthralled by the wooden doll, she contemplated it for a little longer, until sleep overcame her.

The lights went down, and the curtain closed. Ike, Narcian, Matthew, Navarre, Caellach, Ogma, Helbindi, and Balthus took their positions, while Azura remained on the couch.

   - “Here I go.” – Ike sighed as he placed in front of the sofa.

   - “You will be amazing.” – Azura whispered to him.

The curtain rose again, and as soon as the light hit them, the Mouse King and his army came to invade Clara’s house. Noticing the invasion, the nutcracker doll “came to life” and faced the Mouse King.

   - “We meet again, wooden head!” – Narcian exclaimed when he saw the opposing soldier.

   - “This time, you won’t win!” – Ike replied defiantly.

   - “Let’s find it out!” – the blond general made a gesture with his hand. – “It’s time, gentlemen!”

The battle between the Mouse King’s army against the Nutcracker was lopsided, but the wooden soldier was skilled, even with only one arm available. The noise of the battle was loud enough to wake Clara up.

   - “What is…?”– the maiden wondered while rubbing her eyes.

   - “Do not intervene, child!” – Narcian cast a “spell” on Azura, and she ended up on the floor.

   - “Clara!” – Ike exclaimed, approaching her. – “Are you OK?” – he turned to see his nemesis, fury in his eyes. – “You beast!” – he took the hilt of his sword.

   - “There are too many people in this world.” – the blond man grumbled as he moved quickly. – “We will end this battle in the Land of Candy, wooden head.” – he made a gesture with his hands to his army. – “Time to leave, gentlemen!”

   - “Yes, sir!” – the six mouse soldiers said in unison as they started marching.

A few seconds after the Mouse King and his army returned to their world, Azura regained consciousness.

   - “Uhhh…” – the light blue-haired lady moaned as she came to her senses. – “I just had the strangest dream! I dreamed the Nutcracker was alive and…” – she hadn’t finished speaking when, after turning her head, she saw him. – “Wait… wasn’t it a dream!?”

   - “I’m afraid this is not a dream.” – the swordsman by her side replied to her.

   - “You’re real… you’re real!” – she almost yelled. – “I can’t believe it! You’re alive and… it seems we’re the same height.”

   - “I couldn’t stop the Mouse King from shrinking you.” – he confessed with sadness in his voice. – “I’m so sorry, my sweet Clara.”

   - “Don’t worry. I…” – she noticed he said her name. – “How did you know my name?”

   - “I heard it at the party.” – he smiled at her. – “It’s a beautiful name.”

   - “Thanks!” – the maiden humbly thanked him. – “But, if you were alive all this time, does that mean…” – she turned to see the soldier’s immobilized arm. – “Your arm! Does it hurt?”

   - “No.” – he hurried his answer. – “You put the bandage on just in time, and I will be fine soon.”

   - “Are you really OK, my dear Nutcracker?”

   - “I am thanks to you, my sweet Clara. Thanks to your care, I will be even better.” – Ike made a sad smile. – “I’m sorry I got you involved in this war, and you got hexed.”

   - “I will be fine.” – she assured him. – “I’m sure there is a way to reverse it.”

   - “There is one, but it is dangerous. The only person who can return you to your real size is the Sugar Plum Princess, but she lives in the Land of Candy.”

   - “Is that the world you come from?” – the maiden asked.

   - “Yes.” – his voice seemed sorrowful. – “It used to be a wonderful place, but since the Mouse King took it over…”

   - “Let’s go together.” – she interrupted him. – “Something inside me tells me that, if I am by your side, everything will be fine. Guide me to the Land Candy, Dear Nutcracker. Please.” – a gentle smile appeared on her face.

   - “I will protect you, my sweet Clara!” – he said with a determined voice. – “Let’s go to the Land of Candy.” – he offered Azura his free hand.

   - “Let’s go.” – the songstress took his hand, and they left the stage.

The curtain fell again, and after that, an avalanche of applause appeared in the auditorium.

   - “You’re doing amazing!” – Azura whispered to Ike.

   - “You’re the one doing great.” – he returned the compliment. – “Now, to our places.”

   - “Yes!” – she took his hand and crossed the stage together to take their places in the next scene.

The curtain rose again, and the scenography changed from an elegant living room to an enchanting winter land.

When the play’s protagonists arrived at the Land of Candy, in a seat in one of the rows in the middle, a middle-aged man with brown, short hair gazed at the stage with such dedication, that his interest caught the attention of his seat neighbor.

   - “Which one of them is yours?” – a female voice asked in low volume, distracting him.

   - “Excuse me?” – the brown-haired man thought that was an unusual question and turned to his left.

   - “I noticed you’re paying too much attention to the play.” – the seat neighbor, a light blue-haired, golden-eyed lady, told him. – “When an adult pays so much attention to a play like this one, it usually means someone important to them is participating in it.”

   - “Good point.” – he nodded his head. – “Yeah, someone important to me is acting in the play.”

   - “Someone important to me is taking part in the play, too.” – she admitted in a slightly smug voice and carefully observed her seat neighbor. – “That means you’re, too, a member of the Order of Heroes, right?”

   - “Correct, ma’am. I think we haven’t introduced ourselves yet.” – he extended his hand to greet her. – “I’m Greil, Ike’s father.” – he seemed proud of bearing that title. – “He’s playing the Nutcracker.”

   - “Nice to meet you.” – she shook his hand. – “My name is Arete, and my daughter Azura is playing Clara tonight.” – she stated with a satisfied voice. – “Your son is giving a fantastic performance. I’m sure you’re immensely proud of him.”

   - “I am. He and my daughter Mist are my pride.” – he smiled, pleased. – “Your daughter is doing a fantastic job. Surely, you’re proud of her, too.”

   - “Of course I am, sir.” – she closed her eyes and placed her left hand over her heart. – “The beautiful woman my daughter has become is my greatest source of joy.” – she opened her eyes. – “Seeing her acting on stage is an absolute delight.”

   - “She’s a good performer, certainly.” – Greil turned to see the stage and gazed at how Ike and Azura were interacting. – “The boy had never acted before, and I’m surprised at how well he does it, especially when interacting with your daughter.” – he paused for a few seconds to think about it. – “It seems our children have good chemistry on stage.”

   - “It’s true.” – she agreed with the mercenary. – “They’re doing a splendid job performing in the play. Also, your son is good-looking, and my daughter is gorgeous.” – she smiled as she watched the play. – “It’s almost like they…”

   - “Almost like they…?” – Greil wanted to know what the blue-haired woman suspected.

   - “Don’t mind me, Greil.” – Arete made a denial gesture with her right hand. – “I was thinking nonsense. Let’s enjoy the rest of the play, shall we?”

   - “I agree with you, Arete.”

Thanks to the age and maturity that both carried, Ike’s father and Azura’s mother suspected, each on their own, that their children’s “chemistry” on stage was something deeper.

The play’s last battle was already at its height. When Clara and the Nutcracker finished off the enemy army, the Mouse King grabbed his sword and frantically ran to attack the lady, who was assuring her companion was safe.

When the male lead sensed an imminent frontal attack heading towards the maiden, he pushed the songstress aside, was stabbed in the chest, and collapsed. The silent audience exclaimed during that scene.

   - “Noooooooo!” – Brady yelled from his seat.

   - “Nutcracker!” – the female lead fell to her knees beside him. – “Nutcracker! Resist!”

   - “Now no one who can beat me, twerps.” – the blond man boasted. – “The Land of Candy is mine!”

   - “Clara…” – the blue-haired swordsman whispered, trying to raise his hand to caress her face.

   - “Nutcracker!” – she held his hand. – “Why did you do this!?” – Azura sobbed, kneeling beside him.

   - “Because I couldn’t let him hurt you. I made you that promise.” – he said with a weakened voice. – “Although I haven’t known you for a long time…” – he groaned, and his face showed pain. – “You’re important to me.”

   - “You’re important to me, too.” – the maiden shed a few tears near the wound made by the Mouse King. – “Resist! Stay with me, please…”

Among the quiet crowd, there were some sobs. But those sobs turned into surprise sounds when, thanks to the magic of Erk, Miriel, Reinhardt, and Lute, Ike’s and Azura’s transformation began. Reinhardt lit up Ike and Azura, Lute lifted them, Erk changed Ike’s clothes to the Blueberry Prince outfit, and Miriel changed Azura’s clothes to the Sugar Plum Princess dress. When the protagonists were ready, and on their feet again, a thunderous clap appeared in the auditorium.

   - “Did you see that, Arete!?” – Ike’s father asked his seat neighbor. – “Your daughter looks enchanting.”

   - “And your boy looks radiant, Greil.” – she replied to him with an enthusiastic voice. – “Look! They’re about to fight against the Mouse King!” – in the background of their conversation, Ike and Azura’s battle cries were heard, as well as Narcian’s well-designed defeat screech.

   - “They did it!” – both parents exclaimed in unison, without taking their eyes off the stage.

   - “Greil, you already knew they would win.” – Eliwood, sitting by his right side, commented in a muffled voice. – “Kiran mentioned it when they told us the original story.”

   - “If Roy were the one up there, you would be shouting too.” – the mercenary replied to his pal.

   - “Touché, my friend.” – the red-haired man conceded.

While that tiny group kept talking, on the stage, the Sugar Plum Fairy embraced her knight and the candy people, and the protagonists contemplated themselves and each other.

   - “So… the Sugar Plum Princess?” – Azura asked Celica.

   - “Yes, but only in this world.” – the red-haired lady told her. – “This world is different from the one you came from, but its inhabitants are connected, even if it is not obvious at first.” – she turned to see Ike. – “That’s why you looked for her, didn’t you?”

   - “I didn’t know Clara was the Sugar Plum Princess.” – he admitted. – “The only thing I knew was I had to be close to her and protect her.”

   - “And thanks to her, you’re the Blueberry Prince again, and you can reclaim your position as the legitime ruler of the Land of Candy.” – Celica added.

   - “Our position.” – Ike took Azura’s right hand.

   - “Prince…” – the light blue-haired lady looked at him tenderly.

   - “I can’t imagine anyone else to be with me, my beloved princess.” – his voice was sincere, almost as if he weren’t acting. – “Would you like to stay here with me?”

   - “Of course!” – she smiled at him.

   - “In that case, we must crown you as the King and Queen of the Land of Candy.” – Celica announced. – “Let’s go to the Candy Castle!” – the candy people started to make joyful noises.

   - “Right now? At this moment?” – Ike asked, a little surprised.

   - “There’s no time to lose, Your Highness.” – Alm said while approaching him. – “The Mouse King caused a lot of trouble here, and with your brilliant leadership, I know our world will return to its original splendor in no time.”

As the entire group began to move towards the castle, magical smoke created by Erk, surrounded Azura.

   - “Princess!” – Ike exclaimed, still holding her hand.

   - “That’s what I feared!” – Celica lamented. – “Her world is claiming for her.”

   - “Prince!” – Azura’s voice was in despair. – “I don’t want to leave you!”

   - “Stay with me! Please!” – he pleaded, with a dramatic voice, approaching Azura’s face.

   - “I…” – the lady disappeared before she could finish, behind the smoke.

   - “Noooooooo!” – Brady yelled again.

   - “Princess…” – Ike’s voice was heartbroken while his hand was holding air.

   - “I’m truly sorry, Your Highness.” – Celica told him. – “In a cruel irony, the Sugar Plum Princess can’t stay in the Land of Candy for a prolonged period.”

   - “So…?” – he turned to see her.

   - “The princess, probably, has returned to her world, and if you could find her once, perhaps you can find her there again.” – the red-haired woman smiled.

   - “In her world…” – the swordsman almost whispered as the curtain fell.

In the quick process of changing scenery, Kiran congratulated everyone and encouraged them by telling them the last part of the play was about to start.

Back in the elegant living room of the female protagonist’s family, Azura was still asleep on the couch. Slowly waking up, she realized what had happened to her and went to inform her on-stage parents. As the script dictated, Pent and Louise told her that what she had experienced had been just a wonderful Christmas dream and that she should get ready for breakfast.

As the play’s female protagonist continued debating if what she had experienced did happen or if it was just a fragment of her imagination, someone knocked on the “door”, and Lord Pent opened it.

   - “Merry Christmas!” – Sigurd re-entered the scene with a basket in his right arm. – “I brought blueberry muffins for the Christmas breakfast.”

   - “Thank you, my dear friend.” – Lord Pent thanked him. – “Please, join us in the dining hall. Follow me.” – he invited the blue-haired man as he left the stage.

   - “I will be there in a minute.” – he asked him. – “Ah, Clara! Merry Christmas!”

   - “Merry Christmas, Uncle!” – the young woman replied, approaching him. – “Last night, something strange happened to me, but my parents insist it was just a dream. If I told you what happened, you would believe me, right?”

   - “Of course, my child…” – Sigurd turned to see behind him. – “But first of all, there’s someone I want you to know.” – Ike, wearing an outfit more suitable for the story’s place and time, stood next to his “uncle”. – “Clara, this is Paris, my brother’s eldest son. He arrived last night, and I wanted you to meet him. While you introduce yourselves, I will leave the blueberry muffins in the kitchen.” – he left there with a satisfied smile on his face.

   - “…” – the surprise on the maiden’s face was evident. – “I…”

   - “Miss Clara, my uncle told me a lot about you in his letters.” – Ike made a reverence. – “But… hadn’t we met before? Somewhere else, perhaps?”

   - “I don’t think so, Mister Paris.” – she replied to him, slightly nervous. – “A face like yours is difficult to forget.”

   - “So is yours.” – he told her with an exceptionally flirty voice. – “In that case, I would love to know you more.” – Ike took Azura’s hand and kissed it, improvising that move.

   - “… Of course.” – the lady blushed for real. – “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” – she smiled at him.

A voice called them to the dining room to go to breakfast, and holding hands, they left the scene. As soon as the protagonists were no longer visible, the curtain fell for the last time.

A few seconds after the curtain fell, the auditorium erupted in applause and sounds of approval. Those involved in the play came out on stage, with Kiran in the center of them, joined hands, and bowed.

   - “Thank you! Thank you so much to everyone!” – Kiran exclaimed, with a big smile on their face.

Queen Henriette came on stage and handed a bouquet of a dozen white roses to Kiran.

   - “I knew I could count on you, strategist!” – she told them, almost whispering. – “Thank you for everything.”

   - “It wasn’t just me, Your Majesty.” – they turned to see her. – “It was all of us. The ones you saw on the stage and the ones you didn’t see.”

   - “Thank you, everybody!” – the queen exclaimed.

Chapter Text

The attendees to the play left the auditorium with a smile; the play’s mission was accomplished.

After Queen Henriette’s commander and Kiran’s approval, some heroes took all the collected gifts to the castle to store them for the rest of the night and deliver them the next afternoon to the local orphanage. The auditorium emptied almost completely, with only the cast, support staff, and their strategist remaining inside the building.

   - “I’m so happy!” – Kiran bounced around the stage, with some of the cast members and staff members resting on the stage floor. – “Everything went awesome!”

   - “I knew everything would be great.” – Sigurd, already wearing his usual clothes and a white trench coat, told them. – “Everybody did their best.”

   - “That’s true, Siggy! You did an excellent job, too!” – his strategist exclaimed with relief, letting go of themself from calling the blue-haired knight with an affective nickname. – “Everybody did a magnificent job tonight!” – Kiran stood in the center of the stage. – “Everybody, please pay attention! Since everything went so well, I have a little surprise for you.” – they made a dramatic pause. – “Wrap party at the castle!”

Kiran revealed the surprise, some of the cast members, and staff members sounded excited. Their strategist indicated to them in which room in the castle the party would happen in case they would like to attend it.

   - “Can we bring guests?” – Nils asked, wearing a yellow jacket. – “If you allow me, I would like my sister to come to the party.”

   - “Everyone can bring a guest, but just one per person, please.” – Kiran clarified. – “It’s a small event, and I don’t want to become a big one. And, in case you were wondering, it’s OK if you don’t want to go. I will understand if you’re tired or want to do something else.”

   - “Thank you so much, Kiran!” – the young dragon thanked his summoner. – “I’ll go ahead to tell my sister. I will see you in a moment!” – the boy left the auditorium with an accelerated step.

One by one, the entire play team left the auditorium, and most of them headed to the castle to attend the party their summoner had organized for them. Sigurd, being a gentleman in every way, offered to take his tactician to the castle on his horse so they could both pick up Lady Deirdre, and she could attend the party, too.

Everyone left... except those who played the two most prominent characters in the play.

Foreseeing the night would be colder, Ike left the dressing room wearing a brown coat with gold buttons and a red scarf, the same color as his headband. He thought he was alone until he saw Azura coming from the opposite direction, wearing an elegant light blue coat, a white scarf with two pom-poms at one end, and a beret of the same color as the scarf.

   - “Azura!” – he called her name, approaching her.

   - “Hello, Ike!” – she greeted him.

   - “I thought you went with Kiran and the others to the wrap party at the castle. Will you join them?” – Ike asked her.

   - “I’m heading to the castle, but I won’t attend the party.” – Azura told him. – “I apologized to Kiran before they left, and they told me it was OK if I didn’t want to go to the party.”

   - “If you agree, I would like to escort you to the castle.” – he offered. – “It’s already dark. It’s safer if we return to the castle together. Besides, I’m not going to the party either, so there’s no rush.”

   - “I’d love to go back to the castle with you, Ike.” – she warmly smiled at him.

They left the building and began to walk towards the castle. It was a cold, lightly windy, and somewhat cloudy night, a typical early winter night in Askr. Perhaps it was the hour, perhaps it was the weather, or perhaps it was because they had just completed the whole play matter, but there was a comforting sense of calm in the air.

Ike and Azura were walking side by side, in silence; of course, the silences they shared were never awkward.

   - “I’m glad everything turned out well.” – the light blue-haired lady declared. – “And I’m glad it was just one performance.” – she chuckled for a moment. – “I feel like I had battled in the Arena. I don’t know how the professionals can do this several times a week.”

   - “I thought you already had experience with these things.” – he asked her. – “I supposed that, of all of us, you would be the most experienced in the performing arts.”

   - “Yes and no. Although I had been on stage before, acting is nothing like singing.” – Azura affirmed. – “When I sing, that’s just me. By acting, I become someone else and can experience emotions that are not mine. It’s a fascinating experience, and I would love to do it again.” – she blushed a little. – “I’m sorry! I’m sure I sounded like a freak.”

   - “Of course not.” – Ike assured her with a serene voice. – “I think I understand how you feel.” – a pinch of red dusted his cheeks. – “I must confess I was a bit nervous because I had never done something like this before, and I didn’t think I would do it someday, but it was an incredible experience.” – a little smile appeared on his face, his cheeks a little redder. – “And I must also admit I accepted the role of the Nutcracker because Kiran told me you would play Clara.”

   - “You entered the play for me!?” – she would never have expected the stoic General Ike would be able to do something like that.

   - “…Yes.” – he admitted, a little embarrassed. – “And I’m glad I accepted. Not only did I spend a lot of time with you, but I also had lots of fun.” – he paused for a few seconds. – “Actually, it’s been a long time since I had fun like this.”

   - “I’m glad you had fun, Ike.” – she smiled at him. – “I had lots of fun too, and I loved spending time with you.” – she reflected for a few seconds. – “I did my best, and I hope it showed on stage, even if acting isn’t my forte. Do you think I did a decent job?” – Azura asked him.

   - “You were amazing!” – Ike’s voice sounded unusually enthusiastic. – “The way you brought Clara to life was incredible. Your sensitivity on stage is brilliant, and I find it hard to believe it was your first time acting in a play.” – his smile was sincere. – “I think you were the best of all of us.”

   - “Ike, you’re making me blush!” – she smiled gently, a flush appearing on her cheeks. – “Everybody did a great job. Lord Sigurd, Nils, Narcian… in their own way, they all gave their best, and that’s why the play turned out so well.” – her blush got a little deeper. – “But, in any case, I think the one who gave the best performance was you.”

   - “Me?” – he was surprised by her affirmation. – “I don’t think I gave such a special performance.” – he stated humbly.

   - “Yes, you gave it.” – Azura smiled at him and caressed his hand back. – “On stage, I saw you become that character who, although different from you, has many of your qualities, such as bravery and determination. It was notorious that you left your heart on stage. You even surprised me when you improvised the kiss on my hand.” – she lovingly caressed her right hand back. – “I loved it!”

   - “…”  – Azura’s words took him by surprise. – “Ummm…” – his face went fully red, with an unusually sheepish smile on his lips. – “Thank you so much for your words.”

They walked on for a few more minutes, still talking about the play and how everyone involved had done an excellent job. Their talk reached a point where they began to opine on what changes they would have made if the creation of the script had been up to them.

   - “I’m still thinking about the last scene before Clara woke up.” – Ike reflected. – “Clara and the Prince were ready to start a life together, but they couldn’t do it.”

   - “I asked Kiran why Clara had to leave the Land of Candy like that, and they told me it was because that wasn’t her real ending.” – Azura commented. – “The true ending was in her world, and that’s why the ending in her world was a happy and hopeful one.”

   - “It makes sense, but it’s still a fairy tale.” – he refuted. – “Fairy tales, like The Nutcracker, always end with a kiss. I feel like the script should have included that part because, even though they would no longer be together in the Land of Candy, they would meet again in the real world. It’s their destiny to be together.”

   - “Perhaps. Maybe we should have improvised in that part, but I didn’t want to do something risky.” – she told him. – “Do you think we would have caused a greater impact on the public if we had kissed?” – Azura asked, a little embarrassed.

   - “Probably. People love that kind of stuff.” – Ike replied, putting his hands behind his head. – “But to be honest, I would not have wanted our first kiss to be seen by the entire Order of Heroes and a bunch of strangers.”

Azura suddenly stopped after hearing him talk about “their first kiss”, notably surprised.

   - “What’s the matter?” – he asked her, not understanding her reason to stop.

   - “You said ‘our first kiss’”. – she said slowly, processing what that statement implied. – “Does that mean you’ve thought about kissing me?”

   - “Well…” – he was trapped, and the red on his face was the most obvious evidence. – “Yes, I have thought about that for a while.”

   - “Do you want to kiss me for real?” – she asked with disbelief.

   - “Yes, Azura.” – he caressed his right cheek, as he always did when he felt truly embarrassed. – “… I think I can’t deny or hide it anymore.”

Ike stood in front of Azura. His gaze was soft, his mouth was dry, his cheeks and ear tips were blushing, his hands were shaking slightly, and his heart was beating so intensely he felt it was going to burst out of his chest.

   - “A few days ago, when we started rehearsing together, I began to be aware of something I had suspected for months, especially after our first date, but I didn’t want to accept it.” – he sighed. – “I don’t know how you will react to what I’m going to tell you, or if what I’m about to say will change how you see me, but I want to be honest with you.” – he placed his right hand on his heart. – “I haven’t just thought about kissing you. I…” – Ike took Azura’s right hand with both hands. – “I’m in love with you.”

   - “…” – Azura’s started to blush while she froze due to Ike’s words.

   - “I started to develop feelings for you after the stormy night when I stayed at your cottage.” – he adverted his gaze a little. – “In these months, I believed and wanted to convince myself those feelings were only friendship. After we went on the Heroes Journey together, I started to doubt if what I felt was just friendship because that was the moment, I realized how beautiful you are. Finally, after spending so much time with you these last days, and after someone, whom I won’t name, said something that caught my attention, I began to accept that what I felt for you was something stronger.” – he sighed and released her hand. – “In the past, I thought I had fallen in love with another person, but I quickly understood that feeling was not romantic love. What I feel for you is different.” – he shyly smiled, still looking away. – “I find myself thinking about you several times a day, including when I wake up and when I’m falling asleep. I think of your voice, your eyes, your hair, your laugh, the warmth of your hands, and everything about you. I feel joyful when I am by your side. I long to stay with you.” – his eyes saddened. – “But this feeling is just mine, and I have no right to demand you to reciprocate it. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. You don’t have to say or do anything. I just…”

Before Ike could say anything else, Azura embraced him tenderly and began to cry on his shoulder. He wasn’t sure what that reaction meant.

   - “Azura…?”

   - “I’m so happy!” – she said, still sobbing.

   - “What are you saying!?”

   - “I don’t need to hide it anymore!” – she exclaimed in a relieved voice.

   - “So, you…” – his voice seemed hopeful.

   - “Ike…” – she released him to see him in the eyes. – “I, too, am totally and absolutely in love with you.” – a beautiful smile contrasted with the tears in her eyes.

   - “…” – now he was the one who froze.

   - “I have been aware of this feeling ever since we returned from the Heroes Journey.” – she gently wiped her tears. – “I realized the true nature of my feelings for you when, two days after returning, I began to improvise a song about the most beautiful color in the world and ended up describing your eyes.” – she averted her gaze. – “I also started to develop feelings for you after you stayed at the cottage, and they got stronger after the first time you brewed me ginger tea. Since those events happened, I started thinking about you all the time, and when I found out we would be in the play together, my heart burst with joy. However, although I was delighted at realizing this feeling, I was also overcome with a terrible fear.”

   - “Why were you afraid?” – Ike was intrigued.

   - “I was terrified to confess it to you and that you couldn’t reciprocate my feelings. Or, worse yet, that you would want to cut off contact with me.” – tears welled up in her eyes again. – “I’ve already told you that I don’t want to suffer again, and I couldn’t bear to lose your friendship if I declared what I felt. That’s why I…”

Now Ike was the one who initiated the hug. She reciprocated it, and as on that night, when they allowed themselves to be vulnerable, the comfort they found in each other’s arms was indescribable.

   - “I was scared, too.” – Ike’s voice broke. – “I was not only terrified that you could reject me or that I would lose your friendship if I confessed. I was frightened to accept this feeling and acknowledge how vulnerable I feel about it. When I finally understood how I felt about you, I was overwhelmed, and I didn’t think I could tell you face to face.” – he released her to see in her eyes, with a sincere smile on his face and a tear in each eye. – “But I’m glad I did!” – he held her hand. – “You have no idea how relieved I am for finally telling you the truth.”

   - “I’m glad I confessed it too, and I’m so relieved that I won’t lose you after revealing this to you.” – Azura also had tears in her eyes. – “Our feelings are reciprocated!” – she caressed Ike’s hand while he held hers. – “We are so lucky the person with whom we have fallen in love reciprocates our feelings.”

   - “We are.” – he embraced her again.

They remained embraced for a couple of minutes, silently. They rocked slowly, almost as if they were cooing to each other. It was as if there was no one else in the world, time had stopped, and all the insecurities they had felt during the last few weeks had disappeared… all but one.

   - “Ike.” – she told him, still holding him.

   - “Yes, Azura?”

   - “What will happen to us now?” – her voice sounded worried.

   - “… I don’t know.” – he released her delicately and looked into her eyes. – “I don’t know what we should do now.”

Ike and Azura were silent for a few minutes, pondering what their next step should be from now on. Their relationship could no longer be just a good friendship, but perhaps it was rash on their part to start a formal relationship.

   - “Some time ago, I was in a team with Queen Caeda.” – Azura started to speak. – “On that occasion, I asked her how her relationship with King Marth was able to prosper, despite having gone through such difficult situations.”

   - “And what did she tell you?”

   - “She told me the thing that kept them together was love. She said love is a decision.”

   - “A decision?” – defining love under that concept was new for Ike. – “How is that even possible?”

   - “Caeda explained to me most people confuse falling in love with love.” – Azura related. – “She told me infatuation can be a powerful state, and it may happen after different circumstances and events, but it can eventually fade if those involved don’t decide to do something to make that feeling mature and become love.”

   - “…” – he listened to her carefully.

   - “When those in love decide that, through their actions, they will do everything they can to make their feelings mature, that is when true love can exist.” – she sighed. – “I know it’s a lot less romantic compared to what happens in fairy tales, but it’s more realistic and healthier for everyone involved.” – Azura took his hand. – “And, at this moment, I have decided I want to do everything I can to make this work.” – she smiled. – “I want to know more about you and spend more time with you. I want to love you, Ike.”

   - “I want to love you, too!” – he stated without an iota of doubt in his voice. – “I promise you I will do my best to make this relationship grow and prosper.” – he smiled warmly. – “I want to love you for real.”

They stared into each other’s eyes for a few minutes, smiling without saying a word. That was the moment they knew that what had been planted in their minds and hearts when they were in the cottage was finally growing, and if they both worked hard, one day, they could put a label on it.

   - “There’s something I want to ask you.” – Ike said, ending their silence.

   - “What do you need?”

   - “Since we have decided what we are going to do from today on… do you think we could kiss?” – Ike almost supplicated, his cheeks and ears burning.

   - “Yes!” – she exclaimed, slightly blushing. – “But I have never…”

   - “Neither do I.” – he guessed her thoughts. – “I apologize if my movements are clumsy.”

   - “Mine will surely be awkward, too.” – Azura was sincere. – “But that doesn’t matter at this moment.”

They held each other’s hands and, a little nervous, brought their faces closer slowly. They closed their eyes as they did so, trembling a little until their lips finally touched. It was an innocent, pure kiss that did not pretend to be more than it was, nor did it try to start something else.

It was the first romantic kiss for both, so they had no experience with movements or what they should do, but that was not important at that moment. Regardless of how they executed the act, what made the kiss special was its meaning. That kiss was, first, the confirmation that their feelings were reciprocal; and second, it symbolized the promise that both would fight and strive to make their relationship blossom and mature into something stronger, something beyond a crush.

A few seconds later, their lips parted, and they met each other’s eyes, still not letting go of each other’s hands. Knowing each other well enough, they knew they didn’t always need words. The wind, getting gustier, felt cold on their burning cheeks… and that funny sensation triggered the sweethearts to start laughing, but not in a discreet way, as they typically did it.

They were genuine, sonorous, liberating, and even comical laughs. Those infectious laughs symbolized there was enough trust between them to do something that, most of the time, they couldn’t do even if they were alone.

When they finished laughing, about three or four minutes later, they looked into each other’s eyes again, smiled, and embraced again, rocking in the same way they did it a few moments ago. Still holding him, Azura, who closed her eyes, slowly opened them, and saw a delicate, white fuzz falling from the sky.

   - “Ike!” – she released him to see his face. – “Look, it’s snowing! It’s the first snow of the season!”

   - “You’re right.” – he saw his beloved’s hair beginning to collect tiny, white snowflakes and took some of them with his right hand. – “That means the temperature is dropping faster than it did a few hours ago. We’d better hurry back to the castle, or we might catch a cold.”

   - “It seems you’ve learned from me.” – Azura giggled. – “Let’s go home.” – she offered him her hand.

   - “Let’s go home.” – Ike took her hand, intertwining their fingers, and began to walk, taking care not to step on any frozen surface.

The wind was getting colder and gustier, so Ike and Azura kept close to each other, partly to keep warmness and partly because they enjoyed their physical closeness.

   - “Are you cold?” – Ike asked his beloved in a protective tone. – “I know you’re wearing your coat, but it might not be warm enough, and the weather feels colder than a few hours ago. If you want to, I can lend you my scarf.”

   - “I’m good. Thanks for asking.” – she said with a sweet voice. – “My coat is warm enough. Are you cold, dear?”

   - “No, my coat…” – he needed two seconds to notice an unusual word. – “Did you call me ‘dear’?”

   - “Oh, I’m sorry!” – Azura worried a little. – “I…”

   - “Why are you apologizing?” – he stopped her. – “I loved that you called me like that!”

   - “So, can we use terms of endearment between us?” – the songstress seemed excited.

   - “Of course, my beloved.” – Ike replied to her.

She took his arm, and they continued walking. Although it was slower for them to move forward that way, they didn’t seem to care. The adrenaline they felt contrasted with the nocturnal stillness they found on their way.

   - “There’s something else I have to confess, honey.” – Azura stated.

   - “Yes, precious?”

   - “… I kissed you on the cheek when you were sleeping outside the tent, during the Heroes Journey.” – the songstress confessed. – “I saw you were asleep, I tucked you in, and I gave you a kiss on the right cheek.” – she added, a little embarrassed. – “I…”

   - “I also kissed you when you were asleep, but I kissed you on the temple.” – Ike admitted. – “You fell asleep while we were talking, and I decided to leave the tent. When I was leaving, I saw you were getting distressed, and I gave you a little kiss on the temple.” – his cheeks flushed again. – “I wanted to prevent you from having nightmares, my dear.”

   - “Oh… This is so embarrassing! I fell asleep in two seconds that night!” – the lady exclaimed. – “But…you’re so adorable!” – she squeezed the arm she was already holding. – “Thank you for taking care of me. And now, let me return you that kiss.” – she stood on tiptoe and kissed his temple.

   - “Now I owe you one.” – he kissed her on the cheek, and Azura giggled.
 

Quicker than they imagined, the loving couple arrived at the quiet and lonely castle’s lobby. Many heroes had already returned to their rooms, and a few more were at the party Kiran had thrown. Their rooms were in different wings, so that was the place where they had to part ways… at least for that night.

   - “I guess here we say goodbye for today, love.” – Azura pointed out, holding him with both hands.

   - “Could we meet tomorrow, even if it’s just for a moment? I know tomorrow will be a busy day, but I want to see you and give you a little gift, for the Winter Festival.” – Ike commented, with a hopeful smile on his face.

   - “Of course! From now on, we will meet daily.” – she smiled back. – “I also have a gift for you. What time will it be the right time? Kiran will join Queen Henriette, tomorrow afternoon, to deliver the gifts we got today and, since we were the play’s protagonists, I have a feeling that they will ask us to go with them and deliver the gifts as well.”

   - “How about if we meet at eleven in the morning?” – he proposed. – “It’s a quiet hour, and if Kiran asks us to join them to deliver the gifts, we can see each other again.” – he winked his right eye.

   - “I love the idea!” – the songstress exclaimed in a muffled voice. – “So, I’ll see you at eleven o’clock, in the west garden, where we sit for tea and coffee. Deal?”

   - “It’s a deal.” – he caressed her cheek. – “I’ll see you tomorrow.” – he affirmed, smiling. – “It’s been a long day, and we need to rest. Good night, my dear.” – he approached his lips to her forehead and planted a small kiss.

   - “Sweet dreams, darling.” – she put her lips on his right cheek and kissed him.

   - “I won’t get tired of this.” – Ike, still smiling, caressed the skin portion kissed by Azura.

   - “You better, because it won’t be the last one.” – she winked at him and smiled, as she walked away towards her room.

Without wanting to do it, Ike and Azura set off in opposite directions, heading for their bedrooms. Trying to sleep after what had happened seemed like an arduous task, but they had to try it.

What neither of them realized was that, from the shadows, someone was watching and listening to their little conversation, although they did it by accident, when they left the party to wash their hands.

   - “I knew it! I knew it! I knew it since I saw how they looked at each other that day! Ike and Azura are in love! Merry Christmas to me!” – Kiran screamed in their mind and smirked. – “From what they said, it seems they had just confessed, so maybe they did it when they came from the auditorium. Having them together in the play worked!” – the summoner put their right index finger on their chin. – “I will be benevolent, and I won’t try to make them tell me what happened, but I would love to hear a confirmation from their voices.” – they nodded. – “And, of course, they will come with me tomorrow to help me to deliver the gifts. I had already considered it but, after hearing them speculate it made me want to do it.” – the tactician sighed with relief. – “It has been a day full of emotions. But I need to get back to the party, or they’ll wonder what happened to me.” – the summoner turned towards the direction of the room where the party was taking place.

Kiran returned to the party, as if nothing had happened, and stayed there a little longer, in splendid spirits. No one could have suspected that the real reason for their smile was because their heart had burst with joy.

Despite having over 600 heroes at their charge, the summoner couldn’t help but get emotionally involved with some of them, so when their suspicions about Ike and Azura were finally confirmed, Kiran felt like they woke up on the Christmas morning.

The End, and Merry Christmas!