Chapter Text
Vi used to love Christmas.
Now that she was fourteen, however, the holiday had lost its magic. She had outgrown the toys that were too childish and the sweets that were too sugary. Too old to believe in a mysterious entity leaving presents under the tree on Christmas Eve but still too young to be treated like one of the adults.
Plus, having her parents die when she was ten years old made every holiday feel a lot less magical.
Her adoptive father, Vander, still tried to make Christmas special for Vi, her younger sister Powder, and their adopted brothers Mylo and Claggor. Every year on Christmas Eve he closed down his bar, The Last Drop, and had the kids help decorate the bar while he cooked a big roast turkey dinner. It had been a tradition started by Vi and Powder’s parents when they were little, and Vander made it his mission to keep his best friends’ Christmas magic alive.
Since Vi’s siblings were a few years younger than her, it was still a season of joy for them. Not wanting to ruin the magic, Vi opted to just grit her teeth and play along, secretly wishing it was the new year already so all the silly decorations would go away.
Vi was gritting her teeth now, plastering on a fake smile as she helped Powder drape a string of popcorn around the Christmas tree. Their brothers were nearby, attempting to put the star on top. Mylo was perched precariously on Claggor’s shoulders, arms outstretched to their fullest extent towards the top of the tree which remained just out of reach.
“A little higher Clag, I’m almost there!” Mylo said through his teeth, the star mere inches away from its destination.
Vi watched as Claggor raised up on his tippy toes and leaned forward, giving just the boost Mylo needed to place the star on its perch.
“Wahoo…uh oh.” Mylo’s celebration was cut short as the momentum of Claggor’s final push sent him careening off balance. The brothers tumbled into the tree, scattering ornaments and bits of popcorn across the floor.
Vi jumped out of the way just in time, pulling Powder with her. She rolled her eyes as the brothers disentangled themselves from a heap on the floor. Powder, for her part, was furious.
“We worked really hard on that popcorn string, and you ruined it!” she cried, stamping her foot.
“Sorry Pow,” Claggor replied, always the placater in their family. “I’ll help you fix it.”
Powder sniffled and nodded, and together they began picking up the popcorn pieces, Mylo joining them after receiving an incentivizing glare from Vi.
Leaving her siblings to their cleanup, Vi strode towards the back of the bar to find Vander. He was in the bar’s kitchen pulling the roast turkey out of the oven, setting it on the stove with a clang. It smelled incredible. If Vi still loved one thing about Christmas, it was the roast dinner.
Vander looked up and gave Vi a kind smile.
“Everything ok in there? That was a pretty loud crash,” he chuckled, a low, booming sound that came from deep within his chest.
“Yeah,” Vi replied, shrugging. “Mylo and Claggor were just being idiots as usual. They’re cleaning it up now.” She sat on a stool at the counter with her arms crossed, resting her chin on her elbow.
Vander’s face softened. “I know the holidays aren’t your favorite, Vi. I can see how it weighs on you.”
They’d had this talk before. Vi stared at the counter, not meeting Vander’s eye, and began picking at some melted wax at the bottom of a candle.
“It means a lot to them that you still put on a happy face this time of year,” he continued. “But you deserve to enjoy the holidays too, Vi.”
Vi sighed. “I just want to be older so I don’t have to do all this kid stuff anymore,” she grumbled. Technically she was older, having just had a birthday a few days before, but that wasn’t what she meant, and hoped Vander didn’t point it out.
Vander reached across the counter and put his hand on her shoulder. “Violet, I-”
He was interrupted by the sound of the front door bursting open, and Vi was saved from a repeat lecture as he stepped away to greet the new arrivals. A few moments later, Vander’s voice boomed from the doorway.
“Benzo and Ekko are here!” he called.
A thunder of footsteps clattered across the floor as Powder, Mylo and Claggor ran to say hi to their friends. Vi remained on her barstool, but turned towards the door to offer a wave.
Benzo was Vander’s best friend, and the kids fondly called him ‘Uncle Benzo’ even though he wasn’t related by blood. He owned a pawn shop down the street, and always brought unique gifts around the holidays from his trading. His adopted son Ekko was the same age as Powder, but was best friends with Mylo and Claggor. Powder, who was always tired of being seen as the baby, tried her best not to be left out. Vi often had to play referee to stop the boys from ganging up on their little sister.
Ekko joined Vi’s siblings to finish decorating the tree while Benzo followed Vander behind the bar, setting a large burlap bag on the bartop next to Vi with a dull thunk. Vander slid two glasses out from under the bar before reaching up to grab a bottle of whiskey as the two men chatted, quickly delving into topics of business that Vi found immensely uninteresting.
Vi sat silently, caught in the middle once again between the younger kids decorating the tree and the grown-ups enjoying a pre-dinner drink. Bored, she looked over at the bag Benzo had left on the bar, seeing all kinds of strange lumps protruding from the sides.
Benzo always brought interesting things to Christmas, but this year’s bag was bigger than usual. Curious, Vi inserted herself into the adult’s conversation.
“What did you bring this year, Uncle Benzo?” she asked.
He turned towards her and smiled. “You’ll see,” he replied with a wink.
Disappointed at the lack of a sneak peek, Vi rested her chin back on her arms, grumpily awaiting dinner.
*
After everyone stuffed themselves full of turkey and roast potatoes, it was finally time to exchange gifts. Vi had gotten Powder a new set of wrenches for working on the gadgets she liked to make, and her brothers each a winter hat that had flaps that folded down over their ears. They both worked as errand boys around Zaun, and winters were brutally cold.
“Thanks, Vi!” they all exclaimed before digging back into their gifts.
Vi had gotten a book from Vander, the second in a fantasy series she loved. Powder had made her a toy rabbit out of various pieces of scrap metal, resembling the stuffed rabbit Vi had had as a kid. There was a small crank on the back that when wound up, made the rabbit’s ears lift up and down.
“This is genius, Pow,” Vi offered genuinely. “Thank you.” Her little sister beamed at her before turning back to inspect her new wrench set.
Vi’s brothers had gotten her a box of delicious looking chocolate cupcakes. The box looked fancy, too fancy to have been made in Zaun, but Vi knew better than to ask.
“Thanks, boys,” she said with a mouthful of chocolate. The cupcakes were delicious, rich and velvety, and Vi silently took back everything bad she’d ever said about Christmas sweets.
Once everyone had opened their gifts, it was finally time for Benzo to reveal this year’s bounty of oddities. He sat next to the tree with the bag at his feet, slowly untying the string at the top with dramatic flair. The bag of gifts coupled with his large belly and small glasses always reminded Vi of Father Christmas, even if she didn’t believe in him anymore.
“First, for the girls,” he began, pulling out two dolls that had certainly seen better days. Their clothes were covered in dust, and one was missing an eye. He handed one each to Vi and Powder, who were unable to hide their confusion. Neither had ever been particularly fond of dolls.
“These dolls were once a very popular toy in Piltover,” Benzo said in response to the looks on their faces. “And very valuable. If they can be fixed up…” he trailed off, seeing the lightbulb go off in both the girl’s heads.
Not as skilled in the fixing-up department as her sister, Vi handed her doll to Powder, who smiled at her with a glint of mischief in her eye.
“And for the boys,” Benzo continued, sliding a large box out of the bag with a flourish and turning it around for everyone to see.
Vi leaned forward to get a closer look. Inside the box were two dozen toy soldiers, also heavily used like the dolls. They had red pants and white jackets with matching hats and rosy red cheeks, carrying a long sword on their hip. There were a number who were missing limbs, or their weapons, but the toys were otherwise mostly intact.
“Cool!” Mylo chanted, taking the box. “Thanks Uncle Benzo.” He began unboxing the soldiers as Claggor and Ekko looked on excitedly, while Benzo pulled yet another large, awkwardly shaped object out of the bag.
“Since I know yours stopped working on Thanksgiving,” he said as he handed a heavy, ornate clock over to Vander. It was made mostly out of wood and metal, with a beautifully carved owl sitting on the top.
“Yeah, it stopped working because you had too much whiskey, tripped, and smashed my old one trying not to lose your balance,” Vander replied with a hearty laugh. “Thanks, old friend.” He wound up the clock carefully to set its time before placing it on the mantle above the fireplace.
As the two men reminisced about their Thanksgiving shenanigans, Vi noticed that Benzo’s bag still wasn’t empty, with one more lump remaining at the bottom.
“What else you got in there?” Vi asked.
Benzo turned and looked in the bag, as if surprised there was still something inside.
“Ah, yes,” he finally said, raising his eyebrows. “I almost forgot.” He reached inside, pulling out a wooden object carved in the shape of a person.
“I believe it’s called a nutcracker,” he said, handing it to Vi. “They’re traditional Christmas decorations in Piltover. I don’t see them down here very often, they’re usually very specially crafted and quite expensive. The few I’ve seen before were all men, so you can imagine my surprise when I found this one.”
Vi looked down at the nutcracker, mesmerized. The nutcracker was about the length of Vi’s forearm, carved intricately, with the wood smooth and delicate and painted in an array of colors. It was a girl, clad in black trousers and a navy blue double-breasted uniform with gold trim. She had long, raven hair that almost looked blue in the firelight. In her right hand she held a sleek rifle, and a small object that looked like a key sat in her left.
But what caught Vi’s attention most was her eyes, which were a startling, stunning blue. Nothing Vi had ever seen in Zaun before had come close to being as beautiful as that color. Inexplicably, she felt her cheeks starting to get warm.
She was awakened from her stupor by the sound of Powder shrieking.
“Cool! Lemme see!”
Yanking the nutcracker out of her hands, Powder began to play with the lever in the back that opened and closed the toy’s mouth.
“Be careful!” Vi exclaimed before she could stop herself. “It’s fragile.”
“It’s made of wood, it’s fine,” Powder shot back, before starting to play with the rifle. “Can I keep it?” she asked Benzo.
Vi was having none of it, having suddenly never wanted a Christmas gift so much in her life. “I gave you both dolls, so I think it’s only fair…” she stammered.
Powder looked up at her with a pouting frown. Vi reached for the nutcracker, but Powder yanked it away.
Thankfully, Vander came to Vi’s rescue. “Vi has a point, Pow. Let her have the nutcracker.”
Powder frowned even further, making the face she often wore when she was about to have a tantrum.
Not wanting to let it escalate that far, Vi opted for the element of surprise, and reached over to snag the nutcracker back from Powder’s grasp. She managed to get it out of her sister’s hands, but only for a moment as Powder squealed and reached back for it. Her hand clasped around the rifle, pulling it off the toy with a resounding snap.
Vi looked down at the broken nutcracker, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes before she could stop them. She wasn’t sure what was causing her to have such a strong response to a piece of carved wood, and felt embarrassed at the display of emotions she was usually quite adept at keeping to herself.
“You broke it,” she mumbled, trying not to cry.
Powder must have picked up on Vi’s emotion, because her response was quiet and remorseful.
“I’m sorry, Vi,” she whispered, handing Vi the broken rifle piece.
Vi stared at her hands for a few more moments, willing the tears to suck themselves back in her eyes when Benzo’s voice broke the stalemate.
“Hand it here, kiddo,” he said gently, and Vi gave him the pieces. He looked at them carefully before smiling.
“I can fix this no problem,” he stated. “I’ll go run and grab my tools.” He moved to stand up, his knees creaking with the effort. “It’ll be all nice and new under the tree for you in the morning.”
Vi looked up at him, beaming, her Christmas restored. “Thanks, Uncle Benzo.”
Vander clasped his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I’ll crack open the good stuff for when you get back,” he said with a mischievous chuckle, and Vi knew that meant their special bottle of whiskey they only drank on Christmas after the kids had gone to bed.
“Only if you promise not to have any while I’m gone,” came Benzo’s retort from the doorway.
After he shut the door, Vander looked down at the kids. “Alright now, everyone. Off to bed.”
Mylo, Claggor, and Ekko were deep in a heated battle with their soldiers. Ekko looked up, his big, dark eyes pleading.
“Do we have to?” he whined.
“Do I have to?” Vi added, hoping she could stay up a little later than the younger kids, and maybe hang out with Benzo while he fixed the nutcracker.
“Yes, and yes,” Vander replied, ignoring Vi’s frown. “C’mon. Upstairs you get.”
Consoled only by the prospect of getting her fixed nutcracker back in the morning, Vi acquiesced. “Let’s go, guys,” she said, using her parental tone.
Mylo opened his mouth, presumably to say something like “You’re not my mom!” but Vander must have given him a stern look because he clamped his mouth shut without uttering another word.
The group trudged up to the apartment above the bar, including Ekko who often crashed in the boys’ room on holidays. As they neared the top of the stairs, Vi saw a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head just in time to see a rat scurry across the bar floor, making her shudder. Rats were a fairly common sight in Zaun, but they still freaked her out.
*
Vi had a hard time falling asleep, the events of the day still swirling in her mind. She couldn’t seem to figure out why she was so attached to the nutcracker. It was just a piece of carved wood, after all. Well, the most beautiful piece of carved wood Vi had ever seen.
It dawned on Vi, then. While she was close with her siblings, Vi didn’t have any friends her own age. Having been focused on helping take care of Powder after their parents died, Vi had missed much of the socializing that came with youth. Now, all the kids in her neighborhood of Zaun, the Lanes, had formed their own tight-knit groups, leaving Vi to watch from the wings.
Along with the impermeable cliques came a complete lack of dating prospects. Vi had known she liked girls for a long time, but fourteen was an awkward age where social rules governed with ferocity, so even if she did encounter a cute girl, she couldn’t ask out anyone outside her own circle without risking complete and utter embarrassment. And given that her circle currently only contained one person (herself), she decided it was better to just keep her head down.
While that kept her protected from social humiliation, Vi had come to realize that she was incredibly lonely. As silly as it sounded, having this nutcracker was almost like finally having a friend.
After a few hours of tossing and turning and getting nowhere near sleep, Vi noticed that downstairs was completely quiet, which meant Vander and Benzo had gone to bed, and the repairs to the nutcracker were likely complete.
Vi slid out of her bunk, careful to avoid the squeaky floorboard near her bed. Clad in her flannel pajama pants and a black t-shirt, she put on her slippers and her robe and crept out of her room, past the snoring Benzo on the couch, and down the stairs.
There was just enough glow left from the fireplace to illuminate the base of the tree, where sure enough the repaired nutcracker stood waiting. With a grin, Vi crouched down to pick it up gently, taking it over to one of the booths near the fireplace and sitting down.
She set the nutcracker carefully on the table before leaning her head on her arms and looking at it wistfully, watching the last of the flames from the fireplace flicker across those perfect blue eyes. She felt her eyes start to droop, as her long awaited drowsiness finally caught up to her.
A chime from Vander’s new clock startled her out of her dozing, and she nearly knocked over the nutcracker, catching it just in time. She sighed deeply in relief as the clock continued to chime, and she turned to see both hands on the clock pointing upward for midnight, the owl sitting atop screeching as it counted down the new day.
One…Two…Three…
As Vi counted down the hours til Christmas morning, she looked back at the nutcracker in her hands. The glowing embers from the fire continued to reflect in the nutcracker’s blue eyes, making them look incredibly lifelike.
Seven…Eight…Nine…
Vi looked closer, swearing she could see something moving in the nutcracker’s eyes. Her own eyes began to swim with the effort of her concentration.
Twelve…
As the final chime rang out, a flurry of things happened at once.
The floor beneath her began to shake, and everything around her started to get bigger.
Vi was so startled that she fell out of the booth and onto the floor at the foot of the tree, the nutcracker somehow landing upright on the ground next to her. She watched, stunned as the tree seemed to grow taller and taller before her eyes.
Then, everything stopped moving, and Vi found herself standing amongst the toys they’d opened earlier. She was now their size, the Christmas tree looming above them like an entire forest by itself. Overcome with shock, Vi turned around, finding herself face to face with the nutcracker who was now a few inches taller than she was.
To Vi’s utter shock, the nutcracker started to move. First her arms stretched out, then her head tilted down to inspect her rifle, and finally turned around to look back at Vi, who stood transfixed by the magic unfolding in front of her.
The nutcracker’s wooden mouth opened, speaking to Vi for the first time.
“Hello,” she said, her voice mellifluous and kind, laden with an unmistakable Piltie accent.
Vi opened her mouth to reply, but all that came out was a faint squeak. She swallowed, and then tried again.
“He…Hello,” she rasped quietly, stunned. The nutcracker, while still made completely of wood, was disarmingly handsome. Awkwardly, Vi brushed her unruly pink hair off her face, suddenly self-conscious.
The nutcracker reached a wooden hand forward, which Vi hesitantly shook, her hand meeting a smooth, round piece of wood, the sensation strange as the nutcracker had no fingers.
Vi had so many questions, each fighting so strongly for the upper hand in her mind that she was rendered speechless once again as another voice rang out from under the tree.
One of the toy soldiers stepped forward. “Awaiting your orders, Captain,” he stated with a salute.
The nutcracker turned to him. “Assemble everyone,” she said. “There were only two here, but there are bound to be more. We must take the battle to them.”
Vi managed to get her thoughts in order enough to interject. “Take what battle to who?” she asked.
The nutcracker turned back towards her and opened her mouth, but the answer instead came from the other side of the room in a flurry of movement.
The soldier and the nutcracker turned towards the sound, and Vi followed their eyes. Once she saw what they were looking at, her stomach clenched in fear.
There, on the other side of the bar, stood the largest rat Vi had ever seen. It towered on its hind legs, holding a long spear, its red eyes glimmering with malice.
“The rats,” the nutcracker said, hoisting her rifle into her arms. “We’re battling the rats.” She then fired a warning shot at the rat’s feet, and it glared at her before retreating backwards and out the door.
Before Vi could reply, the nutcracker looked over her shoulder at the other soldiers. “Follow me,” she announced. “We must eradicate them all before they have a chance to amass too large a number.”
She took her left arm, still holding the strangely shaped key, and pointed it toward the door.
“Move out!”
The soldiers began marching to the door, with the nutcracker at their heels. Vi stood frozen in place, unable to make sense of what was happening.
In the doorway, the nutcracker paused and turned around, looking at Vi expectantly.
“Well, are you coming?” she asked.
Deciding to follow along and ask her million questions later, Vi tied her robe tightly around her waist and followed the nutcracker outside.
*
Vi followed the soldiers through the streets of Zaun for what felt like ages, pausing at every corner with the occasional “halt” sign that had everyone freeze until an all clear signal was given by the nutcracker.
The nutcracker politely gave orders throughout. Vi gave her some space, not wanting to hover despite her many questions, but was close enough to overhear some of her conversation with who Vi soon realized was the head toy soldier.
“We should have found more of them by now,” the nutcracker whispered worriedly. “I’m afraid we’re going to be too late.”
Looking up to try and find any sort of landmark as to where they were, Vi eventually recognized a building that indicated they were nearing the top of Zaun, close to the border with Piltover.
As they rounded yet another corner, the nutcracker and the head soldier froze in their tracks. Once Vi caught up, she understood why, her stomach dropping once again.
On the other side of the street stood a line of rats, each armed with a spear, glowing red eyes magnified by the foggy winter air. Behind the army of rats sat a large shadow, looming menacingly in the background.
The nutcracker immediately began barking orders, sending groups of soldiers in various directions, and they followed her directions with practiced precision. Finally, she turned to Vi.
“You go back into that alley and hide,” she ordered.
“But…I…” Vi stammered. She hated rats with a passion, but she wanted to help. Plus, she found herself desperately wanting to impress the nutcracker. “I can help,” she managed to finish.
The nutcracker smiled politely. “I know you do. But you have no weapon, and I haven’t had time to train you. It’ll be safer for everyone if you stay hidden.”
Regret began mixing in with the fear in her stomach. Vi wanted to say she was a good fighter, with plenty of boxing experience to bring to the battle, but knew deep down that would be no match for the rat’s spears. So she nodded, biting her lip in frustration.
The nutcracker offered Vi another reassuring smile before leaving her at the edge of the alleyway, moving to join her troops. All at once, chaos ensued as the rats charged forward. The soldiers were ready with their swords, while the nutcracker took her place at the back of the group and raised her rifle once more.
Looking to her left, Vi saw a wooden crate whose slats were spaced perfectly for her to climb. Thinking the higher vantage point would allow her to see the battle clearly but be well out of the way, Vi climbed up and sat down.
The battle raged on ferociously, the rats lunging forward with their spears as the toy soldiers parried with their swords. From the back, the nutcracker fired her rifle expertly, not missing a single target. When she was forced to stop and reload, a rat surged towards her with his spear raised, and Vi felt her stomach drop. She wanted to yell out and warn the nutcracker, but didn’t want to reveal her position.
Thankfully, the head soldier turned around just in time to stab the rat in the stomach, and he fell in a heap at the nutcracker’s feet. Seemingly unfazed, the nutcracker nodded at her soldier, finished reloading her rifle, and continued to shoot.
Vi watched intently for what felt like hours, neither side having gained much of an upper hand. Out of the alleyway to her right emerged what Vi initially thought were more soldiers, but she was stunned to see the dolls that Benzo had given her and Powder joining the fray, not to fight but to lift wounded soldiers onto a stretcher and carry them back into the alley for treatment.
Turning back towards the battle, Vi saw the head soldier was now fighting three rats at once, and was struggling. Seeing his distress, the nutcracker left her position at the back of the fray to go assist him. She leapt over a few fallen bodies, ducked under a spear that was jabbed at her head, then rammed the butt end of her rifle into the offending rat’s skull. Using the now unconscious rat as a shield she continued forward, firing her rifle one, two, three times over the rat’s shoulder, dispatching more enemies without a second thought before reaching her comrade and helping him finish off the rats he’d been battling.
Another strange feeling joined the anxiety in Vi’s stomach, warmth climbing up her neck and onto her cheeks. That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, Vi thought, her face burning, grateful the nutcracker couldn’t see her blushing.
The nutcracker’s boldness had turned the tide, the soldiers now advancing on the rats. Then, without warning, the large shadow in the background began to move.
Horrified, Vi watched as a colossal rat stepped forward. He was at least three times the size of the others, wearing a golden crown and carrying a shield alongside a sword that was large enough to slice through multiple soldiers in a single swipe. His eyes were red like the others, but one had a jagged gash through it, making him look all the more terrifying.
“The rat king!” the nutcracker called to her soldiers. “Everyone, follow me!”
They charged at the rat king, who wasted no time swiping through the first group of soldiers with his sword, sending pieces of wood and metal flying. The nutcracker aimed her rifle towards him, but he blocked the first three shots with his shield before taking another swipe with his sword. The tip of the sword managed to catch the nutcracker on her hip, and she doubled over in pain.
“NO!” Vi yelled, unable to help herself. The rat king ignored the noise, instead raising his sword again, poised to finish off the injured nutcracker. The head soldier lunged at the rat, but was swept aside by the shield.
No longer able to sit by and watch the carnage, Vi looked around for something she could use as a weapon. Her fists would be of no use here, but she needed to help somehow. There were no objects nearby that she could throw, but then her eyes landed on her slippers.
Without thinking, Vi took her slipper in her hand and threw it as hard as she could at the rat king. The slipper managed to sneak past the falling sword and hit the rat directly on the nose.
The impact was minimal, but it startled the rat out of his motion, stopping the sword inches from the nutcracker’s head. He looked over at Vi, trying to find the source of the projectile, glaring with his vicious red eyes as if to say “You’re next” before turning back to the nutcracker.
But the distraction was just enough to allow the nutcracker time to raise her rifle, so by the time the rat king raised his sword again, the nutcracker had already fired her weapon.
The rat king wasn’t able to react fast enough to put his shield in front of his face, and the nutcracker’s aim was perfect. It struck the rat square between the eyes, killing him instantly, and his large body crumbled at the nutcracker’s feet.
Seeing their leader fallen, the remaining rats scrambled to run away, chittering in fear.
“After them,” the nutcracker called weakly to her soldiers. “Don’t let any escape.”
Wordlessly, the soldiers charged after the rats, leaving the head soldier to tend to the nutcracker.
Worried, Vi climbed down from her perch and ran over, her right foot cold and wet on the stone ground thanks to the missing slipper. When she reached the nutcracker’s side, she was dismayed to find a deep gash in the wood across her stomach.
The nutcracker looked up at her weakly. “You saved me,” she said gratefully.
“Told you I could help,” Vi replied, trying to keep the mood light, but she could hear the strain in the nutcracker’s voice.
“You would have made a great soldier,” the nutcracker said quietly, before closing her eyes.
“Wait,” Vi cried. “No, come back!”
She felt the soldier place a comforting hand on her shoulder, but it didn’t help.
Vi looked down at the fallen nutcracker, tears spilling from her eyes without warning.
“I didn’t even get to ask your name,” she whispered, reaching down to clasp the nutcracker’s wooden hand.
Then, the air in front of her shimmered. The fog that had been descending slowly during the battle now crept in with force, wrapping around the nutcracker’s body like a cloak, obscuring her from view.
“What’s happening?” Vi asked the soldier, but when she looked over her shoulder, he was gone.
When she turned back towards the nutcracker, she felt a strange sensation in her hands. The wood was shifting, getting softer, then suddenly Vi realized she could now feel fingers intertwined with hers.
The fog began to dissipate, and slowly everything crept back into view. Vi looked down, first seeing that she was still holding the nutcracker’s hand, except now it was a real hand. As more of the fog lifted, she then saw long, slender legs clad in black pants, a torso wearing the same navy uniform, and then finally a face. High cheekbones and a sharp jawline framed in curtains of dark, silky hair. The face of the nutcracker, come to life.
Vi’s breath was stolen out of her chest at the sight of the girl that now lay before her. While she’d chided herself for thinking the wooden nutcracker had been handsome, that had nothing on the real person that had taken her place.
As Vi absorbed this transformation, the girl’s eyes blinked open, radiating the same glorious blue that had been painted on the nutcracker, glimmering with life in the moonlight. She sat up, looking down at her uninjured stomach before looking up at Vi.
A quiet gasp escaped from Vi lips without warning as soon as the girl made eye contact. She smiled up at Vi, her eyes glinting beautifully. Heat climbed onto Vi’s cheeks again, and she hoped that it was still dark enough outside to escape notice.
“Hello,” the nutcracker-now-girl spoke, with the same voice as before. “Thank you, again, for helping me defeat the rat king.”
Vi nodded as she tried to find the words to respond. “Um…no problem?” she managed, before looking down and noticing their hands were still clasped together. Regretfully she slid her hand free, missing the connection but not wanting to make the girl uncomfortable.
An awkward silence hung between them, and Vi took a moment to look around for the soldiers again, but they were gone. What she did notice was that at some point during the girl’s transformation, they had shifted back to being regular human sized again.
She looked back down at the girl, who was now sitting up and meticulously cleaning her rifle.
“That was some battle,” Vi muttered, breaking the silence.
The girl ran her hands through her hair and sighed. “Tell me about it. My soldiers and I were cursed by the rat king about a month ago. It took us this long to develop a plan of attack, and even then we almost didn’t make it. Your distraction gave me just enough time to get rid of him for good, and break the spell.”
She glanced at Vi again, a softness in her eyes. “So for that, I owe you my thanks. And my life.”
Vi felt her face burn even hotter. “It was nothing,” she mumbled.
“Oh, don’t be bashful,” the girl said, reaching forward to place her hand on Vi’s arm, her skin warming at the touch. “You would make a fine soldier. In fact…”
She released Vi’s arm and moved to stand up. Vi tried to follow her, but the girl held out her hand to stop her. “Stay kneeling for one moment,” she instructed. Picking up her rifle, she gently laid the end of the barrel on Vi’s shoulder.
“I, Crown Prince of Piltover, do declare that…” she trailed off, looking at Vi expectantly.
Vi was almost too hung up on the word Prince to respond, but she caught up just in time. “Vi. Er…Violet,” she whispered.
The girl continued, seemingly unaware of Vi’s inner turmoil. “...do declare that Violet of Zaun has hereby proven herself worthy of the title of Knight. She will now be known as Sir Violet, and will always have a place at my table.”
Upon conclusion of her speech, she raised the rifle to tap Vi’s other shoulder, and then gestured for her to stand up.
“We need to leave now if we’re going to make it to the party on time,” the girl, who was a Prince, Vi reminded herself, said matter-of-factly.
“Party?” Vi asked.
The Prince nodded, then began walking down the street. “This way,” she said, tossing her rifle over her shoulder and onto her back.
They were close to the border of Piltover, Vi knew, and she had never been to the wealthier city before, but curiosity got the better of her. She found her stray slipper near the rat’s head and slid it back on her foot, and followed.
As they rounded the corner, they had reached a bridge between their two cities. Vi looked out into the fog, doubt swirling in her stomach. Her parents had died on another one of these bridges, and the thought of crossing one of them had always made Vi feel sick.
But tonight, she was not alone. She was with her new friend. Her new friend who was a Prince, who had just made Vi one of her knights. Surely I’ll be safe with her? Vi thought hesitantly.
“What’s wrong?” the Prince asked, a worried look forming on her brow at Vi, who stood frozen in the middle of the road. “Are you alright?”
Before she could respond, something soft and cool landed on her forehead. Looking up, Vi saw that it was beginning to snow. They rarely saw snow in the Lanes, due to being so far underground. The little white flakes danced down from the sky and onto her warm cheeks, melting on impact. Before Vi knew it she was laughing, caught up in the moment between the swirling flakes and the beautiful girl that wanted to take her to a party.
The Prince joined her in her merriment, laughing as she watched Vi spin in circles under the fluffy white flakes, trying to catch one on her tongue. Vi finally stopped her spinning, reeling until she found the Prince’s piercing gaze, bringing her back to solid ground. As soon as their eyes met, the Prince offered her a broad smile.
This was already shaping up to be Vi’s favorite Christmas in a very long time, and she didn’t want the night to end. It was then that she made her decision, answering the Prince’s earlier question with a smile.
“I’m more than alright,” Vi replied, her earlier trepidation long gone. “Where to now?”
The Prince offered her hand to Vi. “Follow me,” she said. “Let me show you my kingdom.”