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Chapter Text

Christmas Eve is supposed to be a time of magic and wonder, especially for little children who've yet to understand life's cruelties. But instead of listening for the sounds of reindeer hooves on the rooftop, one particular child was sitting by the window and awaiting the sound of a motorcar. Snow had begun to fall outside and it became harder to see what was coming down the worn-down road, though the little girl was certain she'd still hear her uncle's car, since it made noise like its own mechanical parade. It was getting late, however, and she knew her her foster parents would beckon her to bed soon.

Quietly she pleaded to Santa Claus that she didn't need a single present except to see her beloved uncle. Although, if Santa was also going to give her new ballet shoes and a pretty doll, she certainly wouldn't complain. Her eyelids began to droop, but before her body could fall into slumber, a jarring clattering erupted from outside. There was no mistaking that sound, and she jumped to the floor in joy. “Donald!” she called out, continuing to hop up and down in delight. “Donald, he's here! Uncle Ludwig is here!”

Like a bolt of lightning, her elder brother raced into the room, almost knocking down the ailing Christmas tree in the corner that took up most of the room. He ignored the pine needles sticking to his sweater and white feathers, moving past his little sister to look out the window. “Are you sure, Minnie? Are you absolutely sure?”

The tiny mouse tugged on Donald's shoulder. “Listen! Can't you hear his motorcar?” They both went quiet to make sure of what they were hearing and even when the engine was turned, off it still rattled, as if the car itself was shivering from the cold. Footsteps crunched in the snow and at last the door opened to reveal the man they'd been waiting for far more than Saint Nick.

Yet in a funny way, Ludwig Von Drosselmeyer did look similar to the jolly gift giver of old. His puffy red coat made him seem bigger than he really was and the snow falling off his beak nearly resembled a white beard. Once he shook both off, the only remaining hints to his old age were the graying tuffs of hair jutting from both sides of his head, and the bags under his eyes. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, and set down a white and gold suitcase by his side. “Mister Claus is going to need help seeing through that mess, I tell you.”

“Uncle Ludwig!” Both children cried out at once, dive-bombing into his arms and almost knocking the old man over. They peppered him with questions, not even bothering to wait for Ludwig to answer them. “Did you bring us something?” “Can we go home with you now?” “Can we leave right now?” “Did you remember your promise?”

“Easy, easy! I haven't even closed the door yet!” Ludwig had to shout to be heard, and once the children had settled down, he lifted each one to kiss the top of their heads. Donald pretended to be disgusted – he was eight years old, he didn't need kisses anymore. Ludwig slapped the door shut with his foot, and then ruffled the space between Minnie's ears. “My Minnie, did you get even prettier than the last time I saw you?”

She giggled. “You saw me two weeks ago!”

“It's still true.” Ludwig then patted Donald's head. “And you've been staying out of trouble, dear Donald?”

“I never get into trouble,” Donald lied easily, crossing his arms and glancing away.

Ludwig chuckled, but his voice didn't contain as much mirth as the children were expecting. He looked back and forth between the two of them, and then sighed heavily, the guilt of what he was about to say making him feel twenty years older. “Meine kleinen...I know when your parents died, I promised I would take you in-”

“And take us home to the Kingdom of Mausekönig!” Minnie finished for him, hands clasped and her eyes full of starry wonder. “Where everyone is happy, the hot cocoa never ends, and magic is everywhere!” She and Donald had heard Uncle Ludwig's tales about the legendary kingdom ever since they could remember, and each adventure he spun was more fantastic than the last. When they asked their parents when they could go to the Kingdom, they had smiled and said when the children were older.

But their parents never had a chance to explain why. Three months ago, on the way to pick Donald and Minnie up from school, their car had slid on a hidden patch of ice. Both had been killed instantly. Their only living relative left was Uncle Ludwig and he had told the children time and time again that he'd take to them to the Kingdom of Mausekönig. Because of this, Minnie and Donald did their best to hold back their tears over their lost parents. Surely once they were living with their uncle in this enchanted place, all the pain would go and they'd live happily ever after.

But Donald, older than Minnie by two years, was getting wary of his uncle's uncomfortable pause. “You are taking us there, right?” His hands balled up into fists, daring his relative to say otherwise. “You promised, and we've been really good! I've been taking care of Minnie and not gotten into any fights! …Any big fights!”

“And I've been practicing my ballet every day!” Minnie added, leaning on her tippy-toes, ready to show off if need be. “Do we get to leave tonight, Uncle Ludwig? Please?”

Ludwig swallowed the lump in his throat and knelt down. Donald sucked in a hard gulp of air – when grown-ups got down on one knee to talk to kids, things rarely ended well. “Do you remember how I told you it is the duty of Drosselmeyers to serve the Mausekönig royal family? Our lives are connected. Your parents wanted you to live a normal life before seeing it all for yourself, but...I'm afraid just as we have suffered a loss, so did the royal family. The young prince's parents have also passed away.”

As he continued, he laid the suitcase down and began to unlock its many hatches. “He's about your age, Donald. A fine boy, but he can't be expected to rule yet. So I must go and help him with the kingdom. With all the duties that entails, I can't bring you with me just yet. You'll have to wait a little while longer.”

“But you promised!” Donald snapped, stomping the floor hard with one foot. “You promised you'd take us with you! These grown-ups aren't our family, you are!” He could see Minnie had ducked her chin and shut her eyes tightly, the standard move when she was trying and failing not to cry. The image made his infamous temper grow even hotter. “You can't just leave us! We don't have anybody!”

Ludwig finally opened the suitcase and inside were two objects in last minute gift wrapping. “Now, now, that's not true. You'll always have each other. Minnie will always have Donald, and Donald will always have Minnie. Until I'm ready to come get you, you have to be there for each other.” He lifted his head, his eyes unusually serious. “No matter what happens, you'll always be together in your hearts. All right?”

Minnie said nothing, because she knew if she opened her mouth she'd never stop bawling. Deep down, she had to wonder if maybe she'd been a better girl, been better at ballet, been someone who wasn't a crybaby, that maybe her uncle would have taken them.

“But I didn't come empty-handed,” Ludwig announced, taking the first bundle out of the suitcase. “Minnie, this is from Prince Mickey.”

Thankfully, that was enough to distract the girl from her tears. She blinked away her tears and then rubbed her eyes. “Huh?”

“When he found out he'd be 'taking' me away from you, he was very sad.” Ludwig began to unwrap the present for her. “This is his way of saying sorry. It's his most favorite toy in the whole wide world, and he wants you to have it until you can come to the kingdom. It's always made him happy, so he hoped it would make you happy too.” Donald pretended not to be interested but he was glancing over.

Minnie had never seen a doll like this before as all of hers were female with curly hair and lacy dresses. This looked more like a regal soldier, with a hand-stitched turncoat of blue and leather shoes on its wooden feet. Cotton made for a shaggy beard and white hair tucked under a tall yellow and black hat. Dull blue eyes stared back at her, and paint had been chipped around its cheek.

“Why does the mouth look so funny?” Donald couldn't help but ask. “It's creepy.”

“This is a nutcracker!” Ludwig held up the doll and showed the children that the back had a small lever. Upon moving it up and down, so too did the doll's jaw move up and down. “The Kingdom of Mausekönig is famous for its nutcrackers! They come in all shapes and sizes, and this one is a soldier, ready to protect the fair maiden.” He offered it to Minnie, even imitating the nutcracker's mouth with his own in an attempt to make her laugh.

She cracked a hint of a smile and delicately took the nutcracker into her hands. This was not a new toy at all, and years of hugs and play had worn down its shine. Yet the nutcracker seemed to wear the chips and scrapes it had like badges of honor. This was a loved doll, and in a way that only children can, Minnie understood the weight of what had been given to her. “I'll take very good care of him,” she mumbled, pressing the nutcracker to her chest. “Can you...can you tell Prince Mickey 'thank you'?”

Donald snorted, but Ludwig smiled. “Of course I will. He'll be so happy to hear you like it. When you meet Prince Mickey, you'll be best of friends. I know it.” Satisfied, he took out the second present and offered it to Donald. “And now for the young man of the family.” He raised an eyebrow, noting Donald's still sour face. “If he still wants it?”

Donald hesitated, but he snatched the gift anyway. “If it's someone else's crummy toy, I don't want it.” He huffed, but he was still eager to see what now belonged to him, the wrapping meeting the floor in the seconds. His wasn't a toy that had stood the test of time, but instead smelled like freshly carved wood. He held in his hands a perfectly crafted wooden sword, with a bizarre insignia on the “blade” that Donald couldn't decipher. His mouth moved around, unsure of the expression to make – he wanted to remain furious at his uncle, but this was an excellent gift. “Wow.”

Ludwig grinned at his victory. “As I said, it is the duty of Drosselmeyers to serve the royal family, and that means protecting them too. I want you to practice every day so you can protect Prince Mickey, and of course, your sister.”

Donald moved the sword around, adjusting to the weight of it in his tiny hands. It took him a moment to remember that he was supposed to be angry. “Well, I don't care about any prince,” he replied defiantly. “But I am gunna protect Minnie, since you won't.” He hadn't meant to say those last three words out loud and regretted the sting it left on his uncle's face. Yet stubbornness wouldn't allow him to apologize, and he held his sword to his body in case his elder tried to take it away.

Ludwig rose back to his feet. “It won't be forever, meine kinder. I promise I'll write to you every week, and tell you everything that's happening in the kingdom. And I'll make sure Prince Mickey writes to you too, so you can all be friends.” Minnie smiled at the idea of being friends with a fairy tale prince, but Donald kept his eyes away. The older boy was beginning to wonder if the Kingdom of Mausekönig was even real. “But I don't have to leave until the morning. Tonight, I am all yours! Let's stay up all night and wait for Santa Claus!” He took each child by the hand, heading for the kitchen so they could start cookie preparations for the mythical man. The foster parents had patiently waited for them in the kitchen, not wanting to interfere this sad little moment. They kept their pity to themselves, not wanting to question the truth about such a fairy-tale kingdom on a magical holiday.

When the children were eventually tucked into bed, they would not wake up wholly the same. From then on, Minnie worked herself to the bone to be the perfect girl who no one would ever abandon. Donald never picked up his toys again, deciding to become the parent they both needed. Had Ludwig Von Drosselmeyer known this would happen, he might have stayed longer.

But Minnie and Donald wouldn't see their uncle again for twelve years, until another broken promise brought them together.

Chapter Text

It had finally stopped snowing but the remains of white blocked many roads and made walking anywhere difficult. Going to one's mailbox was still easy enough to do, however, and as Minnie checked the contents of the hand-painted mailbox, she knew what to expect. She took out the single letter and flipped it over, the big black stamp glaring back at her – RETURN TO SENDER.

She'd known this was coming as it was the fourth time in four months, and yet she'd still held onto a tiny hope that things would change. However, there was no time to be upset because this returned letter also meant something else. Minnie pulled her coat tighter, shivered a little, and headed back inside. She had to be very careful when she closed the door, as the very tiny home seemed to shake from every door slam. It wasn't a great place to live, but it had been the best Donald could afford. The moment he'd been able to work, he jumped at the chance and insisted on getting a place for him and his sister.

Minnie had tried to get her own job in order to help, but Donald had refused – she was allowed to enjoy her youth, and he wasn't. She felt guilty about this burden, but thought Donald would feel worse if she voiced her feelings. Good girls didn't complain too much. Good boys took responsibility for everything. That was the mindset they'd forced upon themselves for years.

Donald was bringing in chopped wood for the fireplace and after he set it down he rubbed his hands, hoping new blisters hadn't appeared. He'd been let go from his latest job due to his fiery temper, and times were tight. He'd been about to search his pockets for matches when his little sister's voice rang out in triumph. “It came back!” She marched into the living room with the letter held high.

“I could've told you that,” Donald huffed, finding the matchbook in his left coat pocket. He frowned to see he only had three matches left. “We'll have to take another trip to the market once the snow melts.”

“And do you know what else you told me?” Minnie poked Donald with the letter, trying to make him pay attention. “If this happened four times, we would pack our things and go see Uncle Ludwig ourselves!” She then pulled back, ready to use the magic words. “You promised.”

Her older brother grumbled deep in his throat, his fingers pressing tightly into the matchbook. “Hmph. You still want to go? He abandoned us and now can't even bother to write anymore. If he doesn't want to see us anymore, why should we go see him?”

“You don't know that! He could be ill or his fingers could be broken!” Now Minnie used the letter to poke at his head, mostly as punishment in case he was going back on his word. “We're adults now. We can make our own choices, so we don't have to wait for him anymore!”

Donald snatched the letter out of his sister's hands. He was slightly taller than her and enjoyed using this to his advantage, such as now dangling the letter out of her reach. “I'm an adult, you're eighteen. You're still a kid. It's my responsibility to take care of you and make sure you don't do stupid things.”

“I am not a child!” Minnie told herself that kicking Donald in the shin would only serve his point so she tried to remain in place. “And if you won't go with me, then I'll just go alone.”

Donald looked Minnie right in the eyes and he could see that she was serious. He had to wonder if stubbornness was a family trait or if he'd somehow rubbed off on her. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot, willing to wage war if that meant keeping her safe. “You'd never be able to find it. I've checked the maps and the supposed 'Kingdom' of Mausekönig is deep in the mountains. There aren't even any paved roads there, you'd have to go by sled!” He huffed and tossed the letter into the fireplace. “Can you believe that in this day and age, there are still places that don't have roads?”

Instead of appearing defeated, Minnie grinned from one big ear to the other. “So you looked into it! So you were ready to go!”

The duck choked and his cheeks flushed. “W-well, I...I...” He rubbed his beak, trying to pretend she hadn't caught him off guard. “I knew you'd throw a big hissy fit if I said no, so maybe I looked around.” And maybe he'd cleaned and checked the sled in the backyard, and maybe he'd checked their food supplies to see what would last, and maybe he'd been missing his uncle just as much as Minnie had. But unlike his younger sister, who embraced her feelings without hesitation, he hated how much he missed the man who had betrayed them.

Donald ripped off a match and ran it across the matchbook. “You know all the things he said about Mausekönig were hogwash, right?” He tossed the lit match into the fireplace, and the minuscule flame waved. “Where everyone is happy, the hot cocoa never ends, and magic is everywhere!” He imitated his sister's squeaky voice, earning a glare. “Anyone who's ever heard of the place says no one is allowed in or out of there.” Which puzzled him every time he heard it – if that was the truth, how were they getting letters all this time? But Donald didn't want to admit he was curious.

“I'm sure they'll let us in,” Minnie countered, trying not to watch her heartfelt letter go up in flames. “We're Drosselmeyers. We're supposed to be there for the royal family.”

“I bet that was another fairy tale too.” Donald wagged a finger at her. “As if us ordinary folk would have anything to do with a royal family! It was probably just some excuse so he wouldn't have to take us in.”

“Now that's not true! Prince Mickey would write in Uncle Ludwig's letters!”

“At Ludwig's age, he probably knows how to fake handwriting.”

These kinds of arguments had gone back and forth throughout their lives. Donald saw them as an effort to protect his sister and make her accept reality. Minnie saw it as Donald being a pessimist and denying any enjoyment in life. Donald often was the victor in these fights, having logically destroyed notions of Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, and other mythical moments of childhood. Minnie was afraid if she told him she had a special someone in her life (and she was certain she had one) Donald would try to tear apart the magic of true love as well.

But Minnie knew she wouldn't lose this time, and repeated the phrase that had the weight of the world. “You promised.”

Donald sucked on the insides of his cheeks and exhaled loudly after. There was no logic to break down when it came to promises. He didn't want to become his uncle. He then held up one finger. “One day, we'll visit him for one day, and then-”

“Oh thank you, bruder!” Minnie threw herself into Donald's arms, but she was as light as a feather and not a single one of his was knocked off. Donald rolled his eyes, but a smile came upon his beak. Though he believed few things in life were true, he did truly love his sister and knew she truly loved him back. It was one of the few things he counted on. The hug was over as soon as it began as Minnie bounced back. “I've got to go pack! I'll bring my ballet shoes so I can show Uncle Ludwig and Prince Mickey how much I've improved! Oh, and my best dress!” She rattled on about what she'd bring as she pranced into her room.

“Just one day!” Donald shouted to remind her, though he speculated she was past listening now. “Then we'll have a proper Christmas here at home.” He headed into his own room and decided to bring a few extra things in case the journey was longer than expected. These days, the weather was impossible to predict.

Minnie knew she couldn't possibly bring everything she owned along, so she only took what was most important. This included the aged nutcracker that sat atop her desk drawer and kept watch over her as she slept. “Not to worry,” she chirped at the doll, lightly poking its hat. “Of course you're coming with us. You have to go back to Prince Mickey, after all.” Aside from one disastrous Christmas where Donald jammed too many nuts into its mouth, the nutcracker had been taken care of perfectly. Minnie cleaned it almost daily and as a child, she'd taken it everywhere she'd gone. She'd told it her secrets, confided her fears, and gave it as much as love as its previous owner had.

Speaking of which, Minnie pulled out the drawer where all the letters from her Uncle and the Prince rested. They were in two piles to separate them, and she debated if she should bring them along to show how valuable they'd been to her. But as much as she valued her family, as she'd grown older, she'd begun to prefer Mickey's letters. In turn, Mickey's letters to Minnie and Donald had slowly shifted just to Minnie. She sat on her creaky bed and took out the last letter she'd gotten from him, which had been about five months ago. Minnie read it again for the hundredth time.

Dear Minnie,

I hope our letters find you well, as always. I couldn't wait to write to you about this – we've gotten a troupe of famous dancers to come perform! Maybe you've heard of a Miss Daisy Duck? She's absolutely amazing when it comes to dancing, it's almost like she's flying! I've told her all about you, but of course I've told everyone all about you. Even sourpuss Mortimer, Ludwig's assistant, brightens up when I talk about you. It's like you're already part of the magic of Mausekönig.

I really can't wait until the day you and Donald arrive. To be honest, I'm a little lonely these days. I'm trying to be a better prince, and I've stopped going out to see the people so I can spend more time studying. The dancers are the last thing I'm going to let myself see before I devote myself wholly to the kingdom. I hope that when you come see me, I'll be a perfect prince.

Sincerely,
Prince Mickey.

With a sweet swoon, Minnie flopped onto her back, pressing the letter to her heart. Each letter was always so adorable, with Mickey eagerly talking about how much he adored his people yet was afraid to let them down by being himself. Minnie had been worried he'd turn out just like Donald, someone cynical enough to push through life without stopping to smell the roses. Instead, Mickey kept up a peppy attitude, trying to do his best, and Minnie was always relieved that his letters never mentioned a girlfriend.

Minnie held up the letter above her face, imagining what the first meeting would be like. He'd thank her deeply for taking good care of his beloved nutcracker, and as she handed it over, their hands would brush – she'd turn her cheek away demurely, and then he'd lead her around the beautiful castle, stopping at a moonlit balcony where they'd lean on one another – she would shiver from the cold, and he'd put his arms around to keep her warm – and then they'd look deep into each others eyes – and then – and then -

“So that's why you want to go, huh?”

Minnie yanked the letter from her face, hoping Donald hadn't seen her about to kiss it, but judging from his smirk, it'd been too late. “I-I-I-No!” she squeaked, scrambling off the bed, her cheeks hotter than the fireplace. “I really do want to see Uncle Ludwig! I do! Prince Mickey is just...a nice little bonus?”

Donald knew some day boys would be a factor in his sister's life, given how gorgeous she'd become over the years. He also knew he couldn't prevent her from having a love life, despite how he'd given up any chance of his own to take care of her. But he sincerely doubted some snotty, possibly made-up Prince was good enough for his little Minnie. “If the guy exists, he's probably got a dozen girlfriends or fiancés.”

“Oh hush, you.” Minnie stuck her tongue out at him and returned the letter to its rightful place. “Don't tell me you finished packing already?”

“Like I said, we're only going for one day and we only need the essentials. We don't need to bring toys when we could be bringing blankets.”

Minnie knew exactly what he was referring to and picked up the nutcracker. “I promised Prince Mickey that I'd take good care of it and bring it back to him. You could've brought along your sword, if you hadn't put it in the fire years ago.”

“What did I need that stupid piece of wood for? I bet if we put that nutcracker on the fire, we'd be nice and toasty in no time.” He laughed when he saw Minnie hold the doll closer. “I'm just kidding! Come on, we should have a hot meal in our stomachs before we go.”

“How come you're only happy when you're making fun of me?” Minnie shot him a look as she left her room.

“That's the rule of big brothers,” Donald teased, but he suspected she wouldn't like the real answer. Very few things brought him happiness, and now that he was grown he believed it was the way all adults were. Constant joy was only for children.

There were still things to do – prepare the horses for the sled, track their route on the maps – but neither of them rushed through their meal. As excited as Minnie was, and as reluctant as Donald was, both of them carried a fear of what would greet them in the Kingdom of Mausekönig. There had to be a reason why the letters kept returning, and neither was sure they wanted to know the answer.

In an effort to distract herself from any negativity, Minnie thought back on the last letter that Ludwig and Mickey sent – but a question puzzled her, thanks to something Donald has said.

If Mausekönig wasn't letting people in or out, what happened to Daisy and the other dancers?

Chapter Text

Donald liked animals since they couldn't speak, therefore he couldn't get into an argument with them. In turn, animals seemed to like him as well, as the horses pulled the sled with nary a complaint through the snow. It still hadn't melted and although the sun was out, there was a hard chill in the air. He tried to keep his eyes forward so he could spot any sign of problems from the horses, but his eyes kept going back to his sister at his side.

Minnie was rereading a few of the letters she'd brought along, as a refresher course on Mausekönig. She'd also begun reading some of the key details out loud, despite Donald continuously rolling his eyes and claiming every word to be a lie.

By the time Minnie had gotten to a letter delivered six months ago, Donald estimated night would fall in a few hours. Minnie tried (and failed) to imitate Ludwig's voice when she read his part first. “In a few years, Prince Mickey will be old enough to wear the crown of Mausekönig and be taught how to wield its amazing power. Until then, it's kept under lock and key. No one is even allowed to look at it, save for myself. That includes you, no-longer-little ones! Not even if you ask nicely.”

“A magic crown.” Donald snorted. “I bet he cooked up that last part in case we actually wanted to see it. Did he forget how old we are?”

Minnie ignored him and skipped ahead to Mickey's section, though she decided not to imitate a guess of his voice. “Whenever Sir Ludwig isn't around, his assistant Mortimer is downright rude to all the female servants. The only way he takes no as an answer is when it comes with a slap.When I told him to knock it off, he said I wasn't a real ruler yet and couldn't boss him around. I guess I can kind of understand it because he's a couple of years older than I am. But whenever we talk about the crown, he becomes as nice as a saint. I don't get this guy at all.”

“Uncle Ludwig can keep a rude assistant, but couldn't handle a couple of kids?” Donald snorted again.

This time Minnie placed the letter down on her lap, where the blue nutcracker sat on her legs. “Are you going to be this rude when we see him? He's not going to tell us anything if you talk to him like that.”

“Maybe I don't want to hear what he wants to say.”

The little sister looked away, crossing her arms but because of the cold. “Maybe you don't want to hear what anyone has to say,” she mumbled to herself, sick and tired of his so-called older sibling wisdom. Donald didn't quite catch it, but he spared her another glance, wondering why she suddenly looked extra bitter. But he didn't ask and she didn't answer.

The silence that followed was unbearable. Donald sighed heavily, watching his breath form into a temporary puff of fog. “Might as well finish the letter. If I just listen to myself think, I'll turn this sled around in no time.”

Minnie doubted he would since they'd come so far in one day, but she resumed reading. “Mortimer says if I really want to be a better ruler, I should try the crown on now instead of waiting. The worst part is I think he might be right. Am I really going to change in a few years? I didn't do it, but I can't help thinking about it. I really want to be a good ruler for my people as soon as possible, no matter what it takes.” Minnie folded up the letter and thought out loud. “I hope this Mortimer is much nicer by the time we meet him and everyone else. He sounds like a bully.”

“Don't worry about him. If that guy bothers you, I'll get rid of him, like that.” Donald snapped his fingers for emphasis.

“I don't need you to protect me all the time, you know,” Minnie replied, shifting around in her coat. “And you'd better not do anything like that when we meet the prince!”

“If we meet the prince,” Donald pointed out. “If Uncle Ludwig didn't make all this up, and those are big ifs, his royal brattiness wouldn't take time out of his busy schedule for a couple of abandoned peasants. I said we'd go visit our uncle for a day, I never said we'd see anyone else.”

“But that's not fair, Donald!”

“Life's not fair, Minnie. It's about time you understood that.”

Minnie clenched up, wanting to yell and scream and stomp her feet about the indignity of it all. But good girls didn't yell and scream and stomp their feet, even when they were shaking with anger. He'd never take her seriously if she acted like the child he saw her as, but that raised the question of how he'd ever take her seriously at all. Tears of frustration were beginning to build up, but that's when an unusual sight caught her eyes – after miles of nothing but white, she'd spotted gray. “Donald, look!”

Donald quickly saw what Minnie was referring to. It was difficult to really see what it was, and while he told Minnie not to be excited, he tugged on the reins harder and harder with every passing minute.

As they approached their destination, they found that both of their ideas of what Mausekönig would look like didn't quite match up to what they were seeing. Minnie had thought it'd be an open, colorful array of different shaped buildings with the scent of gingerbread wafting through the air. Donald had thought it'd be an absolutely average town, just like the one they left, with a few decorations for the holidays and tiled roofs with smoking chimneys.

Instead what they saw was a very, very, very, very, very tall wall of gray bricks. Once they got closer, the siblings kept leaning back to try and see the top of it, but wound up falling out of the sled. The horses trotted to a stop as the duck and mouse dizzily sat up. She thought she'd gotten a glimpse of the top, but she couldn't believe it.

“Was that...glass?” Minnie asked as she stood up, dusting snow off of the nutcracker. “On the very top? Like a snow globe?”

“Of course not,” Donald immediately dismissed, shaking his head. “The sun got in our eyes, that's all.” How would a wacky kingdom would have a glass dome over its top? It was impossible, that's what, so they must not have seen anything. “For a kingdom where everyone's happy, this place doesn't look that inviting.”

Minnie had to reluctantly agree. The dark colors and shadows the wall cast made her want to step backwards. Yet her eyes searched for a door, and found a wooden pair that was guarded by one man. He was a tall, lanky dog wearing a silver uniform that had seen better days – it was tattered and haphazardly stitched together, and even the tall cap he wore appeared to be lopsided. He was using a worn out shotgun as a backscratcher – Donald assumed it was empty or else that man had to be a complete moron.

Despite the man's morose appearance, Minnie was suddenly filled to the brim with cheer. This was their first meeting with a citizen of Mausekönig, and first impressions were everything! After making sure her coat and dress were smoothed down, she happily skipped her way over. “Guten tag! How are you, sir?”

The dog was so startled by noise that he dropped the shotgun and then he grabbed his hat as if he could hide under it. When he did finally look at Minnie, his eyes were wide and full of horrified shock, as if not only did he not expect to see anybody, he didn't want to. “Aw, no! You get on out of here, missy! Both of you, get on, get!”

“What a charming welcome.” Donald rolled his eyes, sticking by the sled.

Minnie paused, searching for the right words to this odd reaction. “Oh. I, um. I think there's a misunderstanding here, sir...” Up close, she could see the name tag “Goofy” printed on his uniform. “Sir Goofy! My brother and I would like to go inside!”

“And I'd like you both to leave!” Goofy held out his hands, and even his gloves were in tatters. “Especially you, missy! Pretend you ain't ever heard of this place!”

“Especially me?” Minnie repeated in confusion.

“Yes, you! His Highness likes pretty girls, and things never end well with whatever his Highness likes! So move on out!”

Donald was tempted to sit back and relish how right he'd been about everything, but he made a promise to Minnie. “Then we won't see his Highness.” He walked up beside his stunned sister. “We just need to see Ludwig Von Drosselmeyer. We're his nephew and niece.”

This time it was Goofy's turn to repeat something in surprise. “Nephew and niece? Ludwig told us that he made you up! Then again, he only told his Highness that, after everything happened...” He scratched his noggin, and then exhaled hard, groaning. “And if His Highness asks me what happened today, I ain't ever been a good liar...but don't you tell him I tried to warn you away!”

As Goofy turned his back to his siblings, Donald frowned, remembering what he'd been told from those he asked. “Wait a minute. I heard that Mausekönig wasn't letting anyone in.”

Goofy slowly rolled his shoulders as he began to open the creaky doors. “I do my best to keep folks away from here for their own good. But his Highness says anyone can come in...but no one can come out.”

Nothing good could have possibly come from that ominous wording, yet Minnie still held onto a shard of hope in her heart. Prince Mickey must have had his reasons for what was going on. If she didn't understand what those reasons were, Ludwig or Mickey would explain them. Yet she held the nutcracker close to her chest as if it was a shield. Donald grabbed the horses' reins and they all went inside the walls.

Maybe once upon a time Mausekönig was a happy, enchanted place, but it sure wasn't at that moment. The homes and businesses were old and decrepit, with window shutters falling off and roofs caving in. Oddly there was no snow to be found, despite the outside covered in several thick inches. What few sidewalks there were had been cracked and the grass was brown and dying. It was difficult to tell if people couldn't afford to make things look nicer or if they'd simply stopped caring.

“Yeah, we're outta here,” Donald decided. “So about that 'no one can come out' deal-” He turned to ask Goofy about that, but Goofy had already slammed the doors shut, and there was the sound of a key turning a lock. “Hey!” The duck dropped the reins to pound his fists against the door. “What's the big idea?! Why you doggone no good jerk! Come back out here so I can make you eat your hat! I'll throttle you until there's nothing left to throttle!”

While Donald continued threatening the guardsman who was clearly ignoring him, Minnie continued observing the kingdom that was killing her fantasy. Even the people walking around didn't bother to clean themselves up all that much, their clothes sagging and dragging along the ground. Those that noticed Donald's temper tantrum soon shook their heads in pity. Minnie glanced here and there – there were very few women, she soon noticed. Men appeared to outnumber women ten to one, and most women were either very young children or very old grandparents.

Good girls had to look on the bright side of things, so that's what Minnie did. “Well, we're already here, so let's go see Uncle Ludwig.”

Donald gave the doors one last kick before giving up. “We're prisoners! Doesn't that bother you at all?!”

“I'm sure once we talk to Uncle Ludwig and Prince Mickey, this will all be settled.” Keeping her spirits and her chin up, she began to walk forward. “Their letters say that Uncle Ludwig lives in a quaint little house next to the castle. Let's go! Maybe we'll be in time for family dinner!”

“With how this town looks, we might be having the horses for dinner,” her brother grumbled, but was quick to pet them to assure them he was only joking. They made their way through the kingdom, with Minnie trying to be friendly to everyone she saw. But no one responded to her hellos, and whenever she introduced herself as a Drosselmeyer, a few actually glared at her with hatred. She could've sworn one man was going to spit at her.

The castle was easy enough to spot, as it was not only the largest building in the kingdom but the only one with life and energy to it. It was a beautiful blue color, with red banners hanging off from the balconies. The window frames sparkled with gold, and a fresh garden of flowers was blooming all around. Minnie thought she spotted movement behind one of the windows, and her heart tightened at the idea of it being Prince Mickey. But whoever it was left before she could affirm it. She tried spying him at the other windows, and it was only because of this that she spotted Ludwig's house.

This was because Ludwig's house was so abysmally small that one could have mistaken it for a tool shed. All of the other homes were in terrible shape, but Ludwig's was taking the grand prize of worst home in existence. The windows were broken, one room seemed to be inexplicably torn off from the rest of the house, and Donald was sure if he knocked on the front door, it'd topple over.

“This can't be Uncle Ludwig's house!” Minnie declared, despite seeing that it was the house closest to the castle as per the letters description. “Prince Mickey would never let him live like that!”

“I'll give him this,” Donald replied as he tied up the horses to what he hoped was a steady pole. “It doesn't look like a good place to raise kids.” It didn't look like a good place to raise anybody. He steeled himself, brushed down his brown winter coat, and approached the door. He held up his fist, and hesitated. Goofy would have mentioned if Ludwig was ill – but just as importantly, Goofy said Ludwig had “made them up”. Was a loving family member going to be on the other side of this door or an indifferent jerk who just happened to share their blood? Donald inhaled as deeply as he could, and knocked twice.

The door fell over on the second knock. “Gott im himmel!” a familiar voice shouted in the next room. “Not again! I am starting to think I should just leave it there. Not like anyone else knows you're here. And no offense, but you'd hardly sell much at the market even if you were stolen.”

Minnie leaned in closer to Donald and whispered, “Who's he talking to?”

Donald shrugged one shoulder. As far as he could hear, there was no one else in the house. To add onto their pile of misery, maybe their uncle had lost his marbles. They could hear him muttering something about apologies and then he walked into their line of sight. Ludwig lifted his eyes, and the family saw each other.

Had the bags under his eyes always seemed so dark, or had nostalgia brightened his face before? His hair was grayer and thicker than twelve years ago, and he'd gotten remarkably thinner. Much like everyone else in the village, his clothes were barely hanging onto him, though he'd at least made the effort to clean them. The spectacles that rested on his beak had a crack in the left lens and loose feathers falling from his head almost made him look as if he'd been balding. Donald was sure that he was almost as tall as his uncle now or perhaps a good inch taller. A long silence stretched between them, with Ludwig not daring to blink lest the illusion vanish.

But Minnie wasn't going to wait for an invitation. “Uncle Ludwig!” Just as she had when she was a little girl, she ran to her relative and threw her arms around him. But this time, all that saved him from falling over was his back meeting a wall. “We missed you so much! Are you okay? Why didn't you write back? Why did that guardsman say we couldn't leave? Is Prince Mickey all right?”

Ludwig didn't answer any of this as he appeared to be grappling with the very idea of his niece being right there in front of him. He blinked slowly and turned his head to double check that Donald, too, was there. The elder brother had come inside and was trying to put the door back up, although he assumed it would do no good. He honestly just didn't want to see his uncle so frail and thin – it was haunting.

“Uncle Ludwig? Are you okay?” Minnie asked again, pulling back.

Ludwig blinked again, and then a withered smile appeared across his beak. “My Minnie, did you get even prettier since the last time I saw you?” He fondly petted her between the ears, and it took Minnie great emotional strength not to burst into tears at this act of familiarity. “And you've been staying out of trouble, dear Donald?”

With the door back up, Donald faced his elder and buried his hands in his pockets. “I'm...fine. I guess.” All those fiery speeches were stuck in his throat. It was hard to yell at man who looked like he could collapse if you hugged him too tight. “We're just here for the day. I don't care what that guy says, we're out of here tomorrow. So if you've got anything to say to us, you'd better do it now.” He eyed his uncle, awaiting apologies or anything that would have made the whole trip worth it.

The old man steadied himself, but then spied the nutcracker in Minnie's hands. He gently touched its cheek, a hint of old paint chipping off on his finger. “You kept this? All this time?”

“Of course I did.” Minnie smiled proudly. “I promised you I would. I'm going to deliver this to Prince Mickey just like you told me to. Remember?”

If Ludwig heard her, he didn't acknowledge it. There was something working in his eyes, a glimmer of color in faded loss. “You've been a very good girl, mein kind. Come with me.” He took her by the arm and led her in the next room over.

This was what had to be a bedroom, judging by the dingy torn mattress lying in the middle of the floor. Crumpled up pieces of paper lined the floor, and Donald picked one up when he noticed they were written on. As he began to unravel the mess, Ludwig led Minnie to the mantle above his bed where another nutcracker stood. “Perhaps you can take care of this one as well, little Minnie.”

This nutcracker was painted in regal red, with gold trimmings around the hat and black boots covering its wooden feet. Unlike the blue nutcracker which had dulled with time, this one looked brand new as its golden buttons shined in the dim daylight. Instead of a fluffy wad of white for a beard or hair, this doll had black mouse ears similar to Minnie's, and sad eyes staring at an endless horizon. This one also didn't come with a working mouth, nor did it appear to have any mouth painted on at all. Instead, the lever went through its chest, though there was no hint any nut had ever been placed there.

“What a handsome soldier,” Minnie chirped. She was still anxious about getting her questions answered, rocking on her heels with anticipation, but surely it was all in due time.

“No, no, this is no soldier,” Ludwig said as he took the blue nutcracker from Minnie's arms and replaced it with the red one. “This is a prince. He's been quite upset, but maybe you can be the one to cheer him up.”

“Of course, Uncle. I'll love him as much as I did the soldier!” She pressed the new toy close, and even gave it an affectionate kiss on the cheek. She noted that the nutcracker's paint must have been hidden in the daylight, because she didn't see the blush to its cheeks seconds before.

“You still haven't answered us,” Donald grumbled, smoothing out the piece of paper. Instead of revealing any answers, it only brought forth more questions – it had the name PRINCE MICKEY written on the top, and crossed out sentences below. Donald could only make out a few words from beneath the lines and they looked like names of women. A few hadn't been crossed out, like a Miss Clarabelle Cow, and it looked as if Ludwig had begun writing Minnie's name's before hurriedly stopping himself. Donald raised an eyebrow. “And what is all this about? You couldn't take us in because you were crazy?”

“Donald!” Minnie huffed, hugging her new friend tighter. “I told you not to be rude! I'm sure Uncle Ludwig will explain everything if you give him a chance!” After a beat, she glanced back to Ludwig. “You will explain everything, right?”

Ludwig calmly stepped over a few of the paper balls, searching for the right ones. He then found the exact one he was looking for at the corner of his mattress, and lightly tossed it to Donald. After Donald rolled his eyes, he smoothed it out and read the contents out loud. “I have been spelled to no longer answer questions in any form.”

Even though Minnie could guess what was coming, she still winced as Donald threw the paper back at Ludwig as hard as he could. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! That's your excuse for not answering us?! A MAGIC SPELL?! Do you think we're still children?” Furious, he stormed over to Ludwig and grabbed his shoulders, slamming him into the wall, ignoring Minnie's cry. “Why can't you just be a man and admit you never wanted us? You've been stringing us all along for years and you just can't admit you made everything up! Did you ever really love us, even when we were kids?”

Ludwig's old eyes never strayed from Donald's face, yet he didn't say a word until Donald had finished. A mistiness built up, threatening to spill into tears, yet when the uncle opened his mouth, all he said was, “Let me put a fresh pot of tea on the kettle. I think I've got a few leftover bags.”

Donald's fist slammed into the space besides Ludwig's head, rattling the mantle above. No one in the room was sure if Donald missed on purpose or not. After several heavy breathes, Donald pushed himself away. “I'm getting the horses and we're leaving now.” He didn't wait for his sister, instead heading straight out and slamming the front door, which predictably fell over again. Minnie sat on the bed, ducking her head like she used to do as a child in order to hide her tears. Ludwig gently pet Minnie between the ears again, his cheeks as wet as hers.

Instead of untying the horses right away, Donald spent his remaining anger kicking the sled over and over, howling swears he'd kept a secret when Minnie was around. As he continued his violence against the sled, their suitcases fell out and opened in the snow. There-in lay Donald's wooden sword. When Donald saw it and remembered why he had brought it, self-loathing came with choked sobs. He never should have done this, never should have believed in the absurdity of hope, never should have subjected Minnie to these fantasies of family. Men weren't supposed to cry, so he hid his face, trying to rub away his shame. Like magic and love, the tears of men were not supposed to exist. It was time to leave.

That's when he heard the scream. He had no way of knowing then, but Clarabelle's name would be scratched out that day.

Chapter Text

Donald and Minnie's hometown had always been relatively peaceful. Typically, the only screams they ever heard came out of Donald after he had been fired from another job. But now he was in Mausekönig and someone else was screaming. The noise was so jarring that Donald completely forgot his well-placed anger. He didn't realize he'd grabbed the wooden sword as he began running toward the source, as whoever it was – a woman – kept screaming.

The villagers were doing the opposite of what Donald was, choosing to flee inside their homes and lock their doors as best they could. The screamer was trying to do the same, running as fast as she could. But the tall cow tripped on her ratty dress, sprawling onto the ground. Donald slowed his run as he looked around – there was no criminal with a weapon as far as he could see. The sun was setting, but he could still see. There was nothing there to fear.

That's when a shadow passed over from above.

It's incredibly difficult to describe the feeling that went through Donald's brain at the exact moment he looked up, as few people ever come across a sight that defies their reality. It was as if all his brain functions down at once, save for breathing. He blinked hard – he made it a big, long one – but it was still there. Flying in the sky was a white creature with no face except for yellow pupil-less eyes. It had a wave of pink hair swirling around a white crown accented with a red jewel in its center. It appeared to be wearing a white dress, adorned with red jewels and a pink underskirt – except the white part of the dress seemed more like an insect’s exoskeleton, a part of the creature rather than clothing. Large solid wings jutted from its back, allowing it to glide through the air, its legs and arms outstretched.

Within seconds, Donald understood it wasn't flying aimlessly, as it was heading down and towards the cow. Its slender arms had no hands at the end, but it was reaching out towards her as it flew ever closer. The woman was in danger and she wasn't going to get away in time.

But... she's not in danger because that creature can't possibly exist. That's what rang through Donald's head over and over. It couldn't be happening so it wasn't happening. The toy sword in his hand felt hot and his chest tightened. It wasn't happening, this wasn't real, none of this was real, he was going to blink and he'd be home -

“Someone, help me!” the woman cried out, tears running down her face. “Please! Don't let her take me to that awful man! Please!”

She wasn't asking for his help because she wasn't in danger because this wasn't real – and that's when the creature scooped her up in its arms. The woman kicked and bit but the monster didn't flinch. It simply flew back into the sky and headed towards the castle. Donald slowly turned around to watch the creature head to a gigantic open window, the screams dying off. He stood there for what felt like an eternity, his body rattling like the engine of his uncle's motorcar. His very mind felt broken in two.

His body took over, running back towards Ludwig's home and slamming the door shut. But instead of allowing it to topple over, Donald grabbed it in place and held it there, willing it to stay. His legs lost the rest of their strength and he fell to his knees, gripping his chest. That didn't happen. It couldn't have happened. If Donald didn't know what it was, then it didn't exist and he should have no reason to feel guilty.

“Donald?” Minnie walked out into the hallway, her eyes red and puffy. “What was all that noise?”

“It was-It was-” Donald gasped for air and words, but he couldn't describe the impossible. If he told someone what he'd seen, he'd have to acknowledge that it happened, and it couldn't have happened. Magic and monsters weren't real. There was no logic to what he'd seen. His mind battled with his memories. “Nothing! It was nothing!”

Minnie walked up closer, trying to see her brother's face. “I heard someone screaming, what happened?”

“Nothing!” Donald repeated, managing to uneasily get back on his feet. “If I said it was nothing, then it was nothing! We...we'll leave in the morning.” He wiped the sweat off of his face, his heart pounding so hard he wouldn't have been surprised if Minnie heard it. “I'll figure something out. Go to bed.”

His sister noticed the familiar toy in his hand. “Wait a minute, isn't that-”

“Go to bed!” Donald snapped, pushing past her to search the house for a guest room. Unfortunately, that was the room that had been torn off from the rest of the house, but it'd have to do. Ludwig quietly stood in the doorway to his room, looking far too calm about the entire situation.

Minnie turned to her uncle. “Do you know what that screaming was all about?”

Ludwig winced, as if he was frustrated she'd asked another question. He ran a hand through his remaining head feathers, looking around for words he was allowed to say. “Do us all a favor, mein liebes kind. Do not leave this house alone, under any circumstances.”

Minnie held her new nutcracker tighter to her chest. “Why? Is it dangerous?”

Her uncle slapped his hands to his face, and then dragged them down his beak. He pointed hard back to his room, trying to make her remember a vital fact they still didn't believe. “My little Minnie, please just do as I say, no questions asked. Literally, ja?”

“But...” Minnie trailed off, helpless and annoyed. Just what she needed, someone else to boss her around for no reason. “Uncle Ludwig, I just want to understand what's going on! Donald may have given up on you, but you're my uncle and I love you! I know you must have your reasons for all that's going on, and I just want to hear them! Is that so wrong?”

Ludwig threw his hands up in the air, giving up. “I'll go start dinner. It's not much, but it's enough to survive on. These days, that makes every meal a masterpiece. Can't afford any picky eaters here. I hope Donald got over his distaste for string beans.” He headed for his messy excuse of a kitchen.

Minnie made one last try to get any piece of information. “Can you at least tell me if Prince Mickey is okay?”

Luwig stopped for a moment. He turned around and his eyes fell on the nutcracker. He then looked back at Minnie's face, then back to the nutcracker. He did this four more times until Minnie said, “Well?” upon which Ludwig gave up again and looked for spare forks.

Donald refused to come eat, which was well enough since he was sure he'd throw up anything he ate. Minnie kept asking questions to both men and got nothing in return. Ludwig was the one to get their suitcases from the sled since Donald wouldn't leave the house and Minnie had now been forbidden to go. After slipping into their night robes, everyone made an attempt to sleep, though it was difficult.

Without a clock, it was difficult to when Minnie had woken up as she could only rely on the hints of a rising sun. She and Donald had been forced to share a mattress and a blanket. Because of their bitter attitudes, they'd kept their backs to each other the entire night. It was still dark out, but Minnie couldn't fall back asleep. There was too much on her mind. While she still couldn't figure out how Donald was going to get them out of there, it was a possibility. She'd go home with no answers and a broken heart. How was she supposed to live the rest of her life like that?

Good girls weren't supposed to complain, so she wouldn't. That gave her an idea., though, and she smiled, sitting up in bed. All right, she wouldn't complain – but she wouldn't let things end so easily either. She slowly got out of bed, tip-toeing around the room while her brother snored. The red nutcracker was still safe in her arms, as she'd slept with it all night – funny, had the blush to its cheeks gotten bigger and brighter? Minnie slipped her white ballet slippers from her suitcase and laced them on. She always felt better after dancing, and she had promises to keep.

To her luck, Ludwig was also a deep sleeper, and she managed to enter his room and snatch the blue nutcracker. She could almost feel the red nutcracker's eyes bore into it and she whispered, “I'm not leaving the house alone. I have the two of you.” Satisfied with her logic, she left.

It was too early for any of the stores to be open and the streets were devoid of people. She walked up to the castle, only then noticing it had no guards around the entrance. Yet Minnie knew she couldn't just casually stroll inside, even if she did have a special connection to the prince. She wasn't sure what to do exactly, but an idea would manifest eventually, she was sure of it. She walked into the palace gardens, appreciating the smell of fresh flowers. She gently placed the blue nutcracker down so it could watch her.

“One day, I hope to have a really big audience, but you'll have to do,” Minnie teased, lightly bopping the nutcracker on the hat. “As for you,” she addressed the red nutcracker, holding it high. “You'll be my dance partner for today. At least I won't have to worry about you stepping on my toes!” After giggling at her own joke, she arched her feet and began to dance, her frilly nightgown swaying with her.

Ever since she could first move, Minnie had wanted to dance ballet. It felt as beautiful as it looked, a language without words that could be understood universally. It had been hard work to master precise steps, but she'd thrown herself into practice every day as a way to vent out her daily frustrations. In dance she could be anyone – a fairy, a spirit, the prince's lover. Sometimes she wished she could dance forever and not feel the pain of the world around her. With every moment, her emotions calmed and quieted. She planned to do this until her grievances against her family were gone, which could take a while.

Minnie's modesty never allowed her to think of herself as a perfect dancer or a gorgeous beauty, but up in the castle, someone saw her as both. His fingers tapped on the windowsill, smiling darkly at this morning surprise. “Well, well, well. If I'd known someone like that lived here, I wouldn't have wasted my time with Clarabelle. But I guess a prince can't have too many servants.” He snapped his fingers. “Horace! Go invite that tasty dish to see my gracious self.”

The horse that wore the same outfit as Goofy, even with the same stitching, groaned inwardly. “Me? What about the Sugar Plum Fairy? Ain't that her job?”

“First, your job isn't to ask questions,” said a voice to the left of the ruler.

“Second, even fairies need to rest,” said a voice to the right of the ruler.

“Third, if I say jump, you ask how high!” said the man in the middle of it all.

Horace paused, raising an eyebrow. “Didn't you just say it wasn't my job to ask questions?”

“MOVE!” the man barked, and Horace jumped before rushing off to obey.

Outside, Minnie had no idea about her fate, practicing her favorite routine from Swan Lake. Just as Odette was about to meet Siegfried, she heard a voice call out, “H-Hey, you, miss! In the garden!” She turned and saw a worn out black-furred horse, dressed just like Goofy. He even had a similar name tag, which read “Horace”. Instead of a shotgun without bullets, he had a sagging sword's scabbard on his belt. The hilt of the sword, however, was clean and pristine. He tugged hard on his collar, every word dripping with reluctance. “Um...his Highness would like you to meet him. I'm sorry.”

“Oh!” Minnie gasped with sheer delight. Despite all the horrible things she'd heard about Prince Mickey, her heart still fluttered. Once she spoke with him and understood his rationale, things would be all better. “This is wonderful! Tell him I'm – no, no, keep it a surprise, I want to tell him!” Giggling gleefully, she picked up the blue nutcracker. “You're finally going home!”

Horace stared at her, tilting his head. “You must be new around here.”

“Should I go home and change?” Minnie asked, looking down at herself. In the many fantasies she'd had of first meeting Prince Mickey, none of them had involved her wearing her short pink nightgown. That was saved for fantasies of second meetings.

“He won't have the patience for that!” Horace grunted. “C'mon, let's get moving before we're both in trouble.” He opened the front doors with a hard push, and Minnie skipped along behind him.

“Thank you, Horace!” she chirped.

“I wouldn't say that just yet.”

The inside of the castle was just as impressive as the outside. Golden tapestries hung from the wall, statues of past rulers stood on the corners, and it seemed as if every room they passed was filled with treasures. Unfortunately they also passed several miserable looking women scrubbing the floors and windows, each of them wearing chains around their ankles. They all wore identical maid outfits, but each woman had a unique yet disturbing aspect about them. Some of their eyes were oddly bigger or smaller than the woman next to them. Others were impossibly thin, one had hair that was so long it dragged on the floor, and yet another had feet so small she needed help from another maid to move around.

Where Donald's mind had simply shut down in denial, Minnie focused on finding some kind of answer. “They're – they're criminals, aren't they? That's why they're wearing the chains?” As for the physical strangeness – there were millions of people in the world, surely there were plenty of odd looking people. They just happened to all be working in this one castle. Sure. All right.

“If you want a criminal, I'm takin' you to one,” Horace said under his breath as they approached the throne room. Other uniformed men stood at the doorway and their faces all showed instant pity when they saw Minnie. Horace nodded once and they understood, opening the door. It was difficult to see the entire throne room, as there were lit candles in the front but none in the back, making the room halfway dark.

“Great, he's doing that stupid dramatic reveal thing again.” Horace rolled his eyes. “Okay boys, ready the ear plugs.”

From what Minnie could see, a man had been sitting in the gigantic throne, but was now standing up to see her. He was much taller than she expected, which was odd since Mickey's letters often spoke of being teased for his shortness. A spiked crown sat on top of his head and a flowing ermine cape followed his moments.

Minnie walked inside, steadying herself. The moment she'd been waiting years for had arrived, and her sweetest dreams were about to come true. She breathed deeply, her lips trembling. Today she would be something other than a sister and a niece. She'd be her own person to someone else. “I've...I've waited so long...Oh, I'm sorry!” She couldn't curtsy with her arms full of nutcrackers, but she did her best as she lowered herself. “I am Minnie Von Drosselmeyer. It's an honor to finally meet you, your Highness.”

“So this is the famous Minnie!” said a voice to the left – Minnie stopped her curtsy attempt, as she didn't see anyone to the left.

“Boy, those letters didn't do you justice,” said a voice to the right, but no one was there either.

The prince clapped his hands together and rubbed them as he walked closer, a voice in the middle speaking. “Who would have thought someone from the Drosselmeyer line would be this cute? If I'd known someone like you was out there, I would have ordered for you months ago. But we can make up for lost time!” He stepped into the light and when Minnie saw him, she screamed – just as every woman had screamed when they first saw who had been ruling Mausekönig these past five months.

His clothes were normal for a prince, regal red robes adorned with gold lining with short sleeves. He was a mouse with big black ears and a honker of a big nose jutting from his face, buck teeth showing off in front of his mouth. But what had sent Minnie and the rest of his prisoners into fearful hysterics was the smaller head growing out of the left side of his neck and the larger face growing out of the right side of his head.

“Well, she's already doing better than most,” said the right face.

“They faint nine times outta ten!” said the left face.

“Easy boys, I got this.” The man in the middle waved them off before addressing Minnie. “I know it's a little more than what you're used to, but think of it as more lips to kiss! Just call us all Mortimer, it makes things easier.”

Minnie's feet frozen to the floor and the nutcrackers banged against each other as she shook. “M-M-Mortimer?! But...that's Uncle Ludwig's assistant! Where's Prince Mickey?” Regrets piled on top of each other and she'd never wished so hard for her brother's presence in her entire life.

“He's old news, babe!” Mortimer laughed and his faces laughed with him, echoing across the room. “Guess the old man didn't explain everything...my bad, I did enchant him so he'd never answer questions.” He shrugged and tapped the crown to his head. “But that means you get to hear more of my amazing voice, so it's a win-win!”

Winning was the absolutely last thing Minnie felt she was doing. She looked behind her, but any chance of running was blocked by all the guards standing in a line. Since Minnie had stopped screaming, they popped out their ear plugs, as this was, sadly, just another day for them. “The...the crown...it really is magic?”

“Smart as she is pretty! Did I score the jackpot or what?” The faces glared at him, and he winced. “Right, sorry guys. Did we score the jackpot or what?” He then cleared his throat, lowering his head so the ruby-studded crown could be shown off in all its glory. Each ruby was carved with the same symbol that was on Donald's wooden sword. “See, this baby allows me to make any changes I want. If the gal I like is a little on the chubby side, I get rid of all the flab. If I think the villagers have a nicer place than I do, I make sure to put a stop to that. There's nothing I can't do.” He then straightened up, and waved to the soldiers. “Hey, one of you come over so I can show it off! Who wants to lose a nose?”

“Stop!” Minnie suddenly screeched, finding the ability to start walking backwards. “This is why Mausekönig looks so awful and everyone's so miserable? This is-” She sucked in air as things came together. “This is why Uncle Ludwig stopped writing to us? Why Goofy tried to keep us out? Why all the women are gone?”

The left face clicked its tongue. “That Goof tried to disobey us? We gotta teach him a lesson.”

“I say we make those big teeth of his ten feet tall!” the right face suggested with a twisted grin.

“All in due time, fellas.” Mortimer clapped his hands, eyeing Minnie up and down, trying to see past what the nightgown wouldn't reveal. “This may be a first for us, cause I can't think of what to change about her. Unless she turns out to be a bad kisser, so let's find out!” He reached out to snatch her arm, but Minnie shrieked and ran around him. “Oh, a chase, huh? A little exercise won't kill us!”

While the throne room was large, it offered no escape for the trapped ballerina. The guards were in no rush to help her, though at least they looked guilty for standing still. Minnie met a corner and turned around, tears forming in her eyes. Donald told her all their lives that he'd protect her from dangers that never actually came. But now she was alone when she needed him most and it was her fault. Even Ludwig had tried to help in his own way. Yet she had wanted to believe in Mickey, someone she'd never met, over her own flesh and blood.

As Mortimer approached her, he held up his hand – the crown and his hand began to glow dark red. “On second thought, maybe I should make you slower...Nah, that'd ruin that pretty dancing you do. Better idea! I'll just make you fall in love with me.”

When Minnie was very young, she was told that good girls didn't throw their toys. But Minnie decided that there were some things that weren't worth being a good girl over. “Stay away from me!” She threw a nutcracker, not bothering to check which one. The blue one smacked Mortimer in the head, knocking off his crown. When it hit the ground, one of the delicate rubies was smashed instantly.

“My crown!” Mortimer yelled in horror, kneeling quickly to grab it. “You're going to pay for that, you-” But now all three faces shut up as the shattered remains of the ruby suddenly lifted up, swirling around in the air before flying towards Minnie – specifically towards the red nutcracker in her arms. She dropped it in surprise and the shards touched it – there was a puff of red smoke, causing everyone to cough momentarily. When it cleared, the nutcracker stood on the floor – except it was now as tall as Minnie, if not a few inches taller. It continued to surprise as it stepped forward, and a boyish squeak came out of the body. “You're not going to lay a finger on her, you rat!”

“Your Highness!” all the guards called out at once, some wearing smiles of relief while others were still in shock.

“WE are your Highness!” Mortimer snarled, slamming the crown back on his head. “That is a toy! Now get rid of him! Or I can remove a lot more than a nose!”

The men collectively gulped and Horace took the charge, drawing out his sword. He seemed to mumble an apology before he ran forward, but the nutcracker didn't move as Horace cracked the sword into his wooden hat – he didn't need to, as the sword got stuck in the wood. Horace left it in there, and Mickey pulled it out, holding it in his wooden hands. Horace glanced at Mortimer. “Didn't think this through, did you?”

“ALL OF YOU, GET IN HERE!” All three voices roared, with the main body hopping up and down in anger. This time they all called to attention, drawing out their swords.

The nutcracker kicked Horace away, which sent him back further than a flesh foot would have. “We gotta get out of here, Minnie!” He leaned back, grabbing her by the arm before running headfirst into the group of soldiers. Minnie managed to yank the blue nutcracker into her arms as the red nutcracker literally bowled all the men out of his way, sending them flying across the floor.

“After them!”

“Don't let them escape!”

Minnie was more grateful than confused, so she let the now walking, talking red nutcracker take the lead. Other guards were alerted to the unusual escapees, and the girl and the nutcracker saw flashes of grey near the castle entrance. But the nutcracker seemed to know the place well as he ducked around a corner and headed to a room while footsteps sounded off behind them. After circling two more corners, and going up a flight of stairs, he threw the both of them into the laundry room, where the lights were off and it was easy to hide behind mountains of old clothes that Mortimer was no longer interested in. They sat and waited while catching their breath – though it was really only Minnie doing that, since the nutcracker couldn't breathe.

The footsteps got louder and then faded off into the hallway. The red nutcracker leaned back, a hand where his heart was supposed to be. “That was close. But they'll be guarding the entrance so we gotta find a different way out of here.”

Minnie knew that was what they should have been doing, but now that she had a second to absorb all that had happened, her emotional floodgate opened. She burst into big tears, though she had enough sense to cover her mouth so her sobs wouldn't leave the room. Instead of ducking her head and pretending she wasn't affected, she let herself sob and wail at the horrible situation she'd found herself in. It was refreshing.

“Aw, gee, um,” the red nutcracker stuttered, at a loss as what to do. “I-I'm sorry!” He frantically looked around, and spotted a cape that Mortimer decided had gone out of style after wearing it for three days. “Here you go. It'll have to do for right now.” He pulled it aside and dabbed at Minnie's cheeks. Minnie took it out of his hands to blow her nose. “Feel better?”

“Not really,” Minnie admitted, sinking into the floor even more. “I can't believe this is happening...I should have listened to Donald, he was only looking out for me. I put myself in so much trouble over nothing.”

The red nutcracker almost touched her shoulder but didn't. “Don't go thinking like that, it's not your fault.”A pause, and his painted eyes met the floor. “It's mine. All of this is my fault. Everyone's suffering because I was the biggest fool in the whole wide world.”

At this, Minnie finally looked at him. “Who are you?”

The nutcracker took a long, agonized moment to raise its eyes, meeting hers. Though they were made of lines and ink, Minnie saw a shame that was alive and well. Her own eyes began to widen with slow understanding, and she began to reach out her bare fingers to brush his cheek. He pulled back at first, reluctant, but when she tried again he didn't stop her. Her palm held what could count as his cheek, and she whispered softly. “You...You're Prince Mickey.”

“Not much of a Prince these days.” He closed his eyes, sighing without breath.

“Did Mortimer do this to you?”

“Yeah, but you could say I also did this to myself.” Mickey leaned back against the laundry pile, looking at his hands. “Mortimer kept telling me I should put on the crown of Mausekönig so I could be a better prince faster. No one's worn it since my parents died. With it, you can change anything. But they're supposed to be good changes! Not for hurting people or making them your slaves!” He slammed his hands onto the ground, his voice breaking. “I just wanted to be a good prince as soon as possible! I should have listened to Ludwig! He probably knew this would happen...”

Minnie sat on her knees, the blue nutcracker in her lap. “How did Mortimer get his hands on the crown?”

“Ludwig had the key to the castle vault in his house, and I...” Mickey winced, as much as his painted face would allow. “I stole it. Mortimer and I went to the vault and I opened it up. But Mortimer grabbed the crown first, and that's when he turned me into this.” He helplessly gestured to his whole body, shaking his head side to side. “He can use magic endlessly on stuff like clothes and houses, but he can only enchant a living thing once. I don't know if I still count as that. I don't even know how I got my size and voice back.” Unable to stand looking at himself anymore, his eyes bounced all over until they saw the blue nutcracker. He blinked slowly. “Hey...that's...”

“Hm? …Oh, of course!” Minnie picked it up and held out. “This might not be the best time for it, but, well, I kept my word. I brought it back to you. That was kinda what I was doing before I got captured, I suppose.”

Mickey reached out with both hands to take it, moving the nutcracker around. A crack of happiness slipped into his tone. “He looks just like how I remembered. Aw, Minnie, you didn't have to do this.” But it was obvious he was touched she did. If he could cry, he might've then. “You...you deserve so much better than this. I'm so sorry that I put you into this trouble. I promise, I'll find a way to keep you safe.”

Though he was made of wood and cloth, Minnie saw exactly who she'd written to for all those years. Her heart felt as if it'd begun to heal from the horrors that happened moments ago. She chewed her lip. “So, almost everything and everyone is under a spell, just like a fairy tale.” With that came what she thought was a brilliant idea. “Wait, I know exactly what to do! I can cure you!”

Befuddled, Mickey raised his head. “What do you mean-” That's all he got out before Minnie threw herself at him and kissed where she assumed his lips would be.

She then sat back, clapping her hands once. “There! True love's kiss always cures everything in the fairy tales, so you should be as right as...rain. Oh dear.”

No, Minnie hadn't cured him. If anything, she suddenly cursed him with a stupor, as he fell over with a familiar blush to his cheeks. It was a small comfort that it also seemed to resonate with his personality in the letters. She leaned over his body, picking the blue nutcracker up again. “Sorry. I guess it's not that easy. But maybe Uncle Ludwig and Donald can help!” She wasn't entirely sure he could hear her. It was kind of flattering.

Any more moments of fanciful romance would have to wait as one of the maids opened the door further. Clarabelle's ears were now so small it was easy to guess she didn't have any. As a recent slave of the castle, she too wore a maid outfit and chains on her ankles. As she blinked rapidly at the incredibly unusual scene before her, she suddenly recognized the dizzy figure on the floor. “Oh my goodness! Your Highness? I mean, your real Highness?”

Flustered, Mickey was quick to sit up. “W-we weren't doin' nothin'!”

“Trust me, my inner gossip is killing me, but we need to get you out of here! The guards are looking everywhere for you!” She looked around the hallway to make sure the area was currently clear. “These chains won't let me leave, but I know a way you can get out!” She ushered them out of the room and quietly guided them to a window on the second floor. “No time to make a bed sheet ladder, that cliché doesn't count on laundry day.”

“No problem!” Invigorated, Mickey threw open the window and jumped down. He had no worries about broken bones or even pain, and he smiled up at the ladies, offering his arms.

Minnie sat on the windowsill, but she turned to Clarabelle sadly. “Isn't there any way we can bring you with us?”

Clarabelle shook her head. “The moment I try, these chains will make me feel more pain than you can imagine. But you've still got a chance, get out of here before it's too late.”

Minnie drew herself up, nodding once. “I'll find a way to save you and everyone else, or my name isn't Minnie Von Drosselmeyer!”

The maid stopped and her hopeful face abruptly turned sour. “You're a Drosselmeyer?”

“...Yes?” Minnie didn't have to worry about jumping because Clarabelle pushed her hard soon after she replied. She yelped, but Mickey easily caught her, wasting no time before he broke into a run. Minnie held onto him, looking back at the window. “Why does everyone here hate the Drosselmeyer name?!”

“I'll tell you the long story when we're safe! The short one is the Drosselmeyers created the crown of Mausekönig!”

Chapter Text

Upon waking, much to Donald's displeasure, he found that the past twenty-four hours hadn't been a dream. He laid there on the old mattress, eyes closed but mind active as he tried to think. He had to get himself and Minnie out of the kingdom, but how? They couldn't climb over the walls and they couldn't break the doors down. He sighed heavily and began to sit up, rubbing his temples. The toy sword was tucked into his coat, which he hadn't taken off since they arrived as it was so chilly. He could feel it there, and thought of his uncle, and thought of Ludwig's broken promises, and thought of the white creature – nope! He did not think of that because it didn't exist.

Donald shook his head hard in an effort to think of something else, and he glanced behind him to check on his sleeping sister. Except his sister wasn't there.

“Minnie!” he shouted instantly, jumping to his feet in panic. “Minnie, where are you?!” She had to be in the house, she wouldn't disobey Donald or Ludwig, she wouldn't go outside where that thing could get her – except that thing didn't exist so what was he worried over? His mind fought itself, creating a headache that rattled his brain over and over. He wasn't sure he could take anything else that would disrupt his logic and he bolted out of the room.

Ludwig had woken up when Donald yelled, but when he asked what was wrong, Donald merely pushed him aside, running for the door. He was going to find Minnie and save her, no matter what it took!

But when he opened the door, there was Minnie, comfortably sitting in the arms of a gigantic nutcracker. “Donald!” She clapped her hands together as she saw him. “This is Prince Mickey, and he was enchanted, and Uncle Ludwig's really enchanted too, and his assistant took over the kingdom using the magic crown!”

Donald promptly closed the door. “That didn't just happen,” he declared more to himself than anything else. Is this what going insane feels like?

“DONALD! You open this door right now!” Minnie snapped from outside.

Her brother reluctantly opened the door, forcing himself to admit that not only was the horrific creature from the day before a being of reality, so was this giant wooden doll. Despite Minnie having “explained” everything, all he could say now was, “What.”

Ludwig had a little more to say than that. “Oh mein gott!” He ran forward, this time pushing Donald aside as he grabbed Mickey by the arm and pulled him inside. The door fell over again, and Donald put it back in its proper place so he could thud his forehead against it repeatedly. “Prince Mickey! You're cured!” A pause, and then Ludwig rapped his knuckles against Mickey's shoulder, feeling that he was still wooden. “Sort of! How did this happen? Was it true love's kiss? I was trying to find any eligible women who would kiss a nutcracker, but they all acted like I was kooky.”

“No, and believe me, I tried,” Minnie replied. “And I tried again several times on the way over, just in case.” Donald began to thud his forehead harder on the door.

Mickey cleared his throat in an effort to change the subject. “I'm not really sure what happened. Mortimer was trying to use the crown's magic on Minnie, but she managed to knock it off his head.”

Minnie held up the blue nutcracker in her arms. “With this! And...And I think I broke one of the rubies.”

“The rubies!” Ludwig exclaimed, slamming a fist into an open palm. “That's it! Those rubies have the Drosselmeyer symbol! Minnie, my clever girl, you've done it!”

Mickey chuckled proudly. “She is awful smart, ain't she, she-”

“WILL YOU PUT HER DOWN ALREADY?!” Donald suddenly shouted, throwing the entire conversation off. The three of them had almost forgotten he was there, but doing that again would be impossible since his glare could cut through wood.

Mickey's painted cheeks flushed. “Whoops. Sorry.” He gulped and gently placed Minnie down, though she'd hardly been complaining.

Donald's anger kept bouncing from person to person, as he glared daggers at all of them. “Will someone start explaining to me why in the world this giant doll can talk and move?”

“Technically, I'm a nutcracker,” Mickey pointed out.

“You're a toy that looks like a person, that makes you a doll!”

“No, there's a big difference! I'm not a doll!”

“IS THIS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO ARGUE ABOUT RIGHT NOW?!”

“My nephew has a point,” Ludwig announced, raising his hand. “Mortimer will be coming after all of us soon, now that he knows Mickey's alive and well. Or at least alive. Or at least alive-ish.”

Donald whipped his head toward Ludwig, ready to start a whole new screaming match. “And you! How in the world did you-”

“No no no!” Mickey grabbed Donald's beak and shut it. “Don't ask him any questions! He won't be able to answer them! That's why the entire village turned against him and blamed him for all of this, because they don't know he's enchanted! They just think he let everything happen without a fight!” In retaliation, Donald tried to punch Mickey's arm, but wound up with a very sore fist instead. “Once you ask him something, it gets sealed off, and he can't reveal it on his own. You have to find another way to get information out of him.”

Minnie tried to think, nestling the blue nutcracker in her arms. “All right, um...I wonder, no...It would really be nice to know why those rubies give Mortimer magic power.” She gave Ludwig an encouraging smile, which was returned.

Ludwig rubbed his hands together, glad he could finally be of use. “The Drosselmeyer line and the royal family of Mausekönig have been connected ever since the kingdom was first founded! On that day, the first Drosselmeyer, your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-”

“Ludwig,” Mickey interrupted, rolling his free hand. He still hadn't let go of Donald's beak, which was well enough since the duck had several swear words left in him.

“Okay, our ancestor, you get the picture! He was a wizard, ja? And he figured running a kingdom would be hard, so he promised his best friend, the first king, that he'd do whatever it took to make the job easier. And so he made the crown! And since then our family has served their family.”

“But how-I mean-” Minnie stuttered, trying to ask without asking. This was already confusing on a number of levels. “I've never used magic in my life, and neither has Donald. Right, Donald?” Donald grunted.

“Ja, ja, about that,” Ludwig twiddled his thumbs, looking away. “The magic in our bloodline got weaker and weaker with each generation. I don't think any of us have magic at all, to be honest. The last time a Drosselmeyer showed any kind of magical talent was our great-great-great-great...” Upon getting three pairs of rolling eyes, he decided to skip ahead again. “A-hem. And even when the Drosselmeyers did, it only came out when we wanted to help someone we cared about with every fiber of our being. And as much as I care about everyone in the kingdom, I guess it's not enough to call up any potential drops of magic left, because believe you me, I would have kicked Mortimer's behind a long time ago!”

Donald finally managed to wrestle Mickey's hand off his beak, rubbing it afterward. “All right, I've got a question that's not a question for you,” he growled. “If this Mortimer guy is the one who's kidnapping women and turning this whole kingdom into a wasteland, then I'm ever so curious why you let someone like that work for you in the first place!”

Ludwig hesitated for far too long and then headed for the door. “Speaking of him, him, and him, we've got to get moving before he comes after us!”

“Oh no you don't!” Donald yanked Ludwig by the shoulder, turning him around. “This time you're actually avoiding the answer!”

“He's an awful man, Uncle Ludwig!” Minnie joined in, shivering as she remembered his lewd eyes crawling all over her. “I can't believe you let someone that terrible near you!”

“I've kinda been wonderin' about that myself, y'know,” Mickey added sheepishly, spreading out what he could of his hands. “He was rude to everyone even before the crown gave him all that power. Out of everyone in the kingdom, you chose the guy who thought a girl saying 'no' was flirting.”

Ludwig tried to avoid looking at each of them but his eyes could find nowhere to rest. “I...I'm not a perfect man.”

“Tell us something we don't know,” Donald huffed. Minnie nudged him so he would hush and let their uncle finish.

“I thought, maybe...” Ludwig hung his head. “That maybe if I could turn Mortimer around and make him a better man, then I would be ready to be a real parent to the two of you. If I could handle a challenge like that, then I didn't need to worry about how I would handle you both.”

“Well, you failed. Big time.” Donald jabbed his finger into Ludwig's chest, pressing in as hard as he could. “People aren't experiments for you to guess over! If you wanted to try raising us, you should have done it when we were kids! I am taking Minnie and we are leaving, and you can clean up the mess you started!”

“Now hold on a minute!” Minnie interjected, grabbing a fistful of Donald's jacket. “We can't leave them behind! Mickey's still a doll-”

“Nutcracker.”

“-And this whole kingdom is a prison! They need our help!”

“This place isn't our problem!” Donald easily turned his anger onto his sibling, towering over her. “We should never have come here! I've spent my whole life protecting you, and that's what I'm going to do now!”

“I never asked you to protect me!” Minnie argued back, stamping her foot. Years of repressed anger were choosing a very unfortunate time to spill out. Even Mickey and Ludwig were taking a step back at how heated this was getting. “I am an adult! I can make my own choices, and I'm choosing to help them!”

“You are a child! You don't know anything!” Donald shoved Minnie's hand off his coat, his shaking hands balled up into fists. He didn't want to be angry at her, but in the confusing mess of magic and mayhem, this was the last straw. “Quitting school, all those extra jobs, getting us a house away from our foster parents, it was all for you! I've dedicated everything I've earned and done to make sure you were happy and safe! I'm not going to let you throw that all away over Ludwig's broken promise!”

“Then you've done a really lousy job, because I'm not safe, and I'm not happy!” Good girls didn't scream at their brothers, good girls simply bowed their heads and let their family do what was best, but being good had long since stopped being important. Now more than anything she wanted to be heard, no matter what it took and no matter what ugly came thing came out of her mouth.

“You're leaving with me and that's final!”

“I hate you, bruder!”

The chill in the air felt as if it had dropped ten degrees. Donald slowly lowered his raised fists, letting empty hands drop to his sides. Mickey looked away uncomfortably and Ludwig touched Minnie's shoulders as tears ran down her cheeks. Donald's chest shook before he spoke again, his voice in a quiet tone that Minnie never believed her brother capable of. “That's fine,” he whispered. “It's fine if you hate me. Because...I'll still protect you. You're my family.”

Though Mickey's big ears were wooden, they still worked, and he jerked his head up. “I hear a whole lot of footsteps coming this way!” He leaned towards a broken window, and his fears were confirmed. “It's the castle soldiers! Ludwig, what do we – ah, um, we should think of something to do!”

Ludwig ran a hand through what remained of his hair. “We can't stay in the kingdom, we'll be putting anyone we're in contact with in danger! We just need to get away for a little while – the mountains have forests and caves, we can hide in those!”

“B-But how do we get through the kingdom's doors?” Minnie asked, still hiccupping from the fresh fight.

Donald, too, was trying to put aside the fact his sister ripped out his heart, but when he looked at Mickey, an idea sprang to life. “Hey, doll!”

“Nutcracker!”

“How much pain did you feel when I hit you?”

Mickey paused in confusion. “None at all. Why? …And why are you looking at me like that?”

~*~

Since visitors rarely came to Mausekönig anymore, Goofy often felt free to take long naps at his post. He mastered the art of sleeping while standing up, and since sleep was the only peaceful respite he had from his duties, he did this often. At this moment, he was dreaming of an earthquake that was making everyone in Mausekönig jump around like they were on fluffy mattresses.

After a few seconds, he realized the rumbling he was hearing wasn't a dream. He blinked, trying to clear his head and looked at the doors which were still locked shut. He slowly took a step to the side, which was the smartest thing he'd done in his entire life – and in the next second the doors were ripped off their hinges when a gigantic wooden nutcracker ran through them. Goofy blinked again, making sure that was exactly what he saw, when a sled full of Drosselmeyers passed by him. By the third blink, Goofy decided there was absolutely nothing he could have done to prevent this. So he fell asleep again.

Once the sled caught up to Mickey, he jumped inside. “Well, so far I've made a better battering ram than I've been a prince.”

Minnie had given up her seat so Mickey could take it, and now she sat in his lap, much to Donald's annoyance. “Oh, don't say that, Mickey. Once we get the crown back on your head, you'll have learned so much from all of this! You'll be a great prince.”

“Aw, you're just sayin' that.”

“No, I mean it!”

Donald made sure the horses ran over a particularly bumpy area of snow so that sappy conversation wouldn't go any further. “Look, I got you and Ludwig out of there, but once we get far enough, you two are on your own, and Minnie and I are out of here for good!”

Ludwig was hanging onto the edge of the sled, as it had only been designed for two. “Head for the forest! I have a theory that the Sugar Plum Fairy won't be able to find us in there!”

Donald was about to ask what in the world a sugar plum fairy was, but Mickey answered first. “That's the monster that's been capturing Mortimer's women.” Again, Donald was tempted to ask something, this time “Why in the world would you name a monster something so ridiculous?” but decided he didn't want to make the effort to care.

But Mickey did care, and he leaned back a bit in thought. “Something about that name rings a bell. Where have I heard it before?”

Ludwig pointed up ahead, where a dark and thick forest spread out across the land. “There! If we stick to the right, there's a frozen pond. That'll slow us down. But if we stick to the left, it's a shortcut to the caves, and past them is a road back to the nearest town. Once you and Minnie make it there, don't stop for anything!”

“But we can't leave you, Uncle Ludwig!” Minnie cried out, sitting up straight. “I refuse! I won't do it!”

But Donald was caught off guard by something else. “Me and Minnie?” he repeated, despite knowing Ludwig's question limitations. His grip on the reins began to loosen in surprise. “You're-You're okay with us leaving you behind.”

“Of course I am!” Ludwig shouted, as the hooves of the horses began to beat louder on the ground. “I'm not going to lose my only family if I can help it! You two should leave and forget you ever heard of Mausekönig!”

Right then, Donald realized that not once during their entire visit had Ludwig encouraged them to stay. If anything, perhaps he'd been trying to drive them out. How much had he exaggerated or purposely annoyed Donald in order to make him leave as soon as possible? Donald was so distracted by this revelation that he almost didn't hear Minnie scream.

That's when the familiar shadow cast over them, and Donald's fear kicked in. There flying overheard was the Sugar Plum Fairy, its yellow eyes watching them down below. Donald jerked in his seat and then whipped the reins into a frenzy, yelling “Go, go, go, go!” as if that would make the horses any faster.

“My theory!” Ludwig announced again as the sled raced into the forest, broken twigs snapping under its weight. “The branches will pester and hurt the Fairy so much that it will give up and leave us alone!”

For a faint second this appeared to be true, as the shadow was gone when they entered the thick of the forest. Then the theory was utterly demolished as the Fairy smashed through the branches, wooden splintering off and the Fairy itself not flinching as it dove forward, arms outstretched.

“You know, adding this to what I thought I'd do with Mortimer, I'm starting to think I'm not so good at this theory business,” Ludwig quipped to himself.

Minnie clung onto Mickey, who held her tightly in return. “Just keep going!” Mickey called out, trying to see ahead. “The trees might slow it down!”

“There's too much weight!” Donald cried back, noticing how much his horses were struggling. “The horses can't go as fast as they normally could! We've got to ditch something or we're caught!”

“But there's nothing to ditch!” Minnie raised her voice. “We left everything back in Uncle Ludwig's house!”

“Think of something!” Donald snapped. “Someone, think of something!”

Ludwig squeezed Donald's shoulder, and he repeated Donald's own words. “It's fine if you hate me. Because I'll still protect you. You're my family.”

Donald tried to look back. “What are you talking about-” But the squeezing sensation was gone, as was his uncle.

Minnie looked over Mickey's shoulder and shrieked in horror. “Uncle Ludwig!”

The elderly duck had not only jumped off the sled, but now he was heading toward the Fairy, brandishing a stick he'd found on the ground. “Come at me, you bug-eyed beast!”

“Uncle Ludwig!” Minnie screamed again, this time joined by Mickey once he understood what had happened. She grabbed Donald's arm, hysteric in her tears. “We have to go back for him!”

“I-I can't!” Donald breathed hard, the sled already beginning to swerve here and there due to the horses' fright. “The forest is too thick, I can't go any other way now, the sled's too big!” At the rate they were going, they would reach the caves, and the other town, and they could forget all about the magic kingdom and that they ever had an uncle.

And for the first time in Donald's life, he didn't want to forget.

He tugged hard on the reins, making the horses slam the sled into a tree as they stopped, almost knocking Mickey and Minnie out of it. Donald jumped out of his seat, grabbing the wooden sword out of his coat, and sliced the reins and harness holding the left horse – though it shouldn't have had the ability to do so. Whatever actions were driving him now were not by logic or by what he knew was possible. He climbed onto the horse's back, clutched the remains of the harness, and drove it back around towards his uncle. The wooden sword felt hot, so hot, in his hand, it was if he was holding onto fire, yet it didn't burn.

The Fairy had a grip on Ludwig's neck, unable to tell it was choking him or perhaps unable to care that it was. In seconds, it would fly off with its prize, and Donald found himself eight years old again, watching his uncle leave their house for the last time. “Get-” He wouldn't let himself cry, for Minnie's sake. He wanted to be brave, and strong, and not want anyone's help. “Get-” But in that moment, both here and in his youth, he wanted to grab Ludwig's hand and beg him not to leave.

“GET AWAY FROM MY UNCLE!”

Donald leapt from the horse and threw his arms around the Fairy's neck, jabbing the wooden sword into its shoulder – except the sword was no longer wooden, it was steel and fire and the symbol engraved upon it shone like the first star in the night's sky. The Fairy made no sound, but it dropped Ludwig like a stone, its whole body spinning around erratically. Donald held on, refusing to let go, even as the Fairy shot up into the sky. This time it appeared to smash into the branches on purpose, perhaps to try and scrape Donald off, but even then Donald wouldn't let go. For every act of resistance it showed, Donald only held on tighter, his own eyes as hot as the sword in his hands. It then began to shoot down again, plummeting toward the frozen pond Ludwig had warned them about. Yet even then Donald wouldn't release it, for he had to be sure the deed was done and that this nightmare was over.

He had to make it up to the woman he'd seen become a prisoner, had to make up for his sister's hatred, had to ensure the safety of his Uncle, and each and every one of these feelings rushed throughout his body. Donald let out an angered shout, trying to drive the sword in deeper as they continued to plunge downward. If this was reality, then he would accept it, and change it with his own hands.

The sword's flames crackled, and suddenly the flames expanded, beginning to cover the Fairy from head to toe yet never touched a single feather on Donald's body. When the two smashed into the pond, the ice instantly melted, and Donald sputtered as water entered his mouth. He gagged – and that's when fear and logic took their usual footholds back in his head. With the murky water clouding his panicking vision, he couldn't see that the fire had stopped cleansing the beast – which was no longer a beast. He pulled away and flailed for the surface, coughing and spitting once his beak hit the air. Donald then scrambled for the surface, and once his fingers gripped onto grass he pulled himself up, hacking up spots of water. He laid on his stomach, trying to understand the past five minutes, the sword dropping to his side for now. It was wooden again.

Before Donald could analyze what he'd done and how it was possible, someone else had started to cough up water as well. Fearing that it was the Fairy ready for round two, Donald snatched up the toy sword and turned around, ready to finish the job.

But what was crawling up on the ground beside him was in fact a girl. She was a pretty young duck with white hair done up in red jewels, and a pink ballet outfit that now clung to her wet, cold body. His eyes widened, and it finally dawned on him that he apparently had just used magic. He looked back at his wooden sword, and blinked. And blinked. And blinked.

“You've got to be kidding me,” he said. Because in that moment, the sword no longer had the odd insignia that he'd never understood.

It now bore his name.

Chapter Text

Donald Drosselmeyer was exhausted in every sense of the word. Mentally, physically, emotionally, he wanted nothing more than to lay down and catch his breath for a few minutes. Lately, he felt like every time he learned a shocking new fact about his life, he didn't have time to absorb and accept it before another new surprise reared its ugly head. This was the case at the pond, where Donald wished he had time to study his newly labeled toy sword, but there was a surprise rearing its – well, not ugly, not ugly at all – head right in front of him.

He dropped the wooden sword to reach over and lightly smack the girl's back as she was having trouble coughing up the last remnants of water in her lungs. “Hey, hey,” he said gently, taking her shoulders and helping her sit up. “If you're okay now, we've got to get moving before the Sugar Plum Fairy gets us!” Which brought up the question of why it hadn't. He looked at the pond, where the ice was gone but nothing appeared to be lurking for them underneath the surface.

Once the girl cleared her throat, she opened her hands slowly, her eyes widening in shock. “I'm...free! I'm finally free!” She stretched out her arms, gasping in glee. “I can move on my own! And my body's normal! It's over, it's really over!”

Donald began to let the girl go, blinking at her sudden joy. “What are you talking about?”

The girl abruptly paused in her celebrating and she glanced back at Donald. “It was you. You saved me!”

Donald was tempted to look behind him just to make sure she wasn't referring to anyone else. “Uh. Me?” He pointed at himself.

“You saved me!” the girl shouted again, and then launched herself at Donald, covering his face in grateful kisses.

Growing up, Donald had put aside all wants of dating and girlfriends in order to take care of his younger sister. There were times he was envious of happy couples on the street, but eventually he had accepted that wasn't the life for him. Because of this, he was entirely unprepared for a beautiful woman literally throwing herself at him and giving him his first, second, and at this rate thirtieth kisses. So he reacted the way he reacted to all the other surprises he'd been given the past few days - with a temper tantrum.

“HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON!” he yelled at the top of his lungs, his cheeks steamy red. “Back up, lady - who are you?!”

“I'm yours, that's who I am!” Undeterred by his roaring, the girl clasped his hands in hers, her eyes shining. “For your bravery and heroic actions, I will give you my hand in marriage!”

“ARE YOU NUTS?!”

Thankfully Donald's classic squawking was loud enough to tell Ludwig, Minnie and Mickey exactly where he was. Each of them ran as fast as they could, hoping to save Donald from the terrors of the Sugar Plum Fairy, but instead came upon the terrors of a boy drowning in even more kisses. Suffice to say the trio weren't sure what to make of it, aside from tilting their heads in unison.

Upon seeing his stupefied family, Donald managed to grab the girl by the shoulders and shove her back for a few seconds. “Will someone tell me why this gorgeous broad keeps coming on to me?!”

Mickey moved his head as much as his lack of a proper neck would allow, and as he observed the girl from head to toe, recognition hit him as. “Wait a minute! Now I remember why the Sugar Plum Fairy sounded so familiar – that's Daisy Duck, the lead dancer of the Sugar Plum Dancers! That was the dancing troupe that came to visit the kingdom!”

Daisy blinked several times, snapping out of her romantic reverie. “Prince Mickey! Is that you? I thought you vanished!”

“I could say the same thing about you,” Mickey shrugged helplessly. “Once I got turned into a nutcracker, I never heard about you again. And I guess no one ever heard about me again either.”

“Can we catch up on everything later?” Minnie asked, moving forward and helping Daisy to her feet. “They're soaked to the bone! And what a shame, this dress is so pretty...” She trailed off, remembering where she'd seen those familiar colors before, and when she looked into Daisy's yellow eyes, it all became clear. “Oh my goodness! Mortimer turned you into that awful Fairy?”

“Quite right, my dear.” Daisy patted Minnie's hand to thank her for the help. “I've been trapped in that form for months now, like a prisoner in my own mind. It was a living nightmare... until this brave hero came to my rescue!” Donald had finally managed to stand up, but Daisy's tight hug almost knocked him back down. He gave up fending her off, feeling too tired to put up the effort.

“Donald, you're soaked too!” Minnie exclaimed, reaching out towards her brother. But she pulled back at the last second, and the siblings locked eyes, the fresh words of her hatred ringing clearly in their minds. Shame covered her face as she lowered her arm and Donald turned his head away. “Um...Donald...about before, I...I didn't mean-”

Donald sneezed, cutting off whatever amends she was trying to make. Ludwig clapped twice to get everyone's attention. “All right, let's get to the caves! We'll make us a nice fire and get all the questions answered. Except for me, because you can't ask me questions. Unless the question is, how much firewood can I gather, because I can tell you right now, it's a lot!”

Donald and Minnie both wondered if he was trying to make light of a bad situation, but no one felt like chuckling. Donald was the first to move, sneezing all the way, and each followed one by one. The journey felt longer by foot, and sometimes Minnie would swing her arm in the hopes that someone would take her hand. But now everyone was so deep in their own troubling thoughts that the idea of comforting someone else didn't come right away. The small group managed to catch both horses who had been practically spooked out of their horseshoes, but the sled had been smashed and now laid on its side. Lacking the tools to repair it, they had no choice but to leave it behind as they headed for the caves tucked in the underside of the mountains. They were quiet and hollow, with sheets of fresh ice coating the walls like unwelcome mirrors to their misfortune.

Donald tried several times to make his sword ignite again, but nothing came. Ludwig managed to get a small fire going after several failed attempts at the classic rubbing technique, and the band of misfits sat around it, trying to decide what to say first. Mickey cautiously parked himself further away from the group, not wanting to catch on fire. Silence hung over them until Donald grabbed another branch to toss into the fire, and almost tossed his sword by accident. He looked at his name, and then sighed heavily. “So why can't I -” He cut himself off, rolled his eyes, and then tried again. “I know I used this to free Daisy, so it'd be nice to know why I can't do all that hocus-pocus right now.”

“It's as I said, nephew,” Ludwig explained while taking the sword and examining it up close. “Our magic only comes out when we want to help someone with every fiber of our being. So right now, if I had to guess, something is blocking you from putting more 'umph' into it. Are you distracted by anything?”

“You're kidding me, right?” He knew Ludwig couldn't answer and didn't care. “Of course, the one advantage we have and I can't use it when I want to. This magic stuff is a bunch of trouble! None of this would have ever happened if our great-whoever left things alone.”

“Don't you worry none,” Mickey made an effort to join in. “Once I get the crown back, I'll undo everything. You'll see what a real prince is like!”

Minnie uncomfortably made a long “hmmmmm” noise, hugging her knees while looking at Mickey sympathetically. “Prince Mickey, um. Well. I've been thinking about that. Not that you wouldn't be a great prince, or someone I wouldn't mind marrying-” Donald made a loud “HEY!” at this and was soundly ignored - “But are you actually sure you can undo everything Mortimer's done?”

Mickey swiveled his head around, startled by such a question. “Whaddya mean? Of course I can! The crown of Mausekönig can change anything! It has endless power!”

Minnie began twiddling her thumbs, reluctant to cast doubt on the one she'd given her heart to. “But didn't you and Uncle Ludwig say it can only change people once? You can fix all the buildings and streets, but what about all the people Mortimer changed? Daisy was only cured thanks to Donald. What if you get the crown back, but you can't even become a real person again?” She waited, and then very quickly added, “Not that it'd matter because you'd still be a wonderful person and still someone I'd want to marry!”

Though Mickey's eyes were painted now, the sudden anguish they held was wholly real, and though his body couldn't shake, it was easy to imagine his wooden hands going through tremors. Apparently Minnie's revelation had never occurred to him during the months of wooden imprisonment, although judging by Ludwig's guilty expression, someone had certainly thought of it before. “But...But...But I can't stay like this forever! I can't be a prince this way! My people need me to fix their problems with the crown!”

“If you ask me,” Donald interrupted, snatching the toy back from his uncle, “The crown should be destroyed. Good riddance to bad rubbish.”

“No!” Mickey cried out, as if they could destroy it with their mere words. “I need the crown! I can't be the prince without it! Every ruler of Mausekönig has used the crown, so if I don't use it, I'm not a real ruler!”

“I have to agree with Donald on this one.” Daisy wagged her finger, having calmed down considerably. “And that's not because I was trying to make out with him an hour ago. Sorry about that, by the way.”

“Eh, it didn't kill me,” Donald mumbled, blushing.

“If stopping Mortimer means getting rid of the crown, I'm all for it,” Daisy continued, hands on her lap. “Before all this happened, I agreed to go on a date with him just to make him shut up and stop pestering me. But even when we were together, he wasn't satisfied. He kept pointing out other women and hitting on them while we were out! He even tried to make me go after them so I'd tell them how great he was.” She snatched up a tree branch, but instead of tossing it into the fire, she began breaking it over and over. “Nothing was good enough for him! When I broke it off, I told him I wasn't going to fetch other girlfriends for him at his command! And of course, once he had the crown, that's exactly what he made me do.”

Ludwig took off his spectacles to clean them with his thumb. “And that's what he'll keep doing to everyone in the kingdom. This may be a lost cause. Which is why I want you all to take the horses and get into another city.”

Donald looked up, but it was Minnie who vocally objected again. “Absolutely not, Uncle Ludwig! We are not-” She stopped, sparing a glance at Donald before she went on, “I am not leaving you behind! Just because Mortimer can't enchant you any further doesn't mean he can't hurt you in other ways!”

“Which means he can hurt us too!” Daisy interjected, emptying her hands of the broken branch pieces. “If Donald can't control his magic, then we have no way of stopping Mortimer.”

“I can't leave my people to suffer!” Mickey began to stand up, his voice more desperate than angry. “I need to get the crown back!”

“You don't need the crown!” Now Minnie was up, pleading with fright for the future. “Please, if we all just stick together, we can think of something!”

“The longer we stay here, the more danger you'll be in!” Ludwig jumped up, ready to physically push them away if need be. “It's a miracle that this woman didn't capture us in the first place!”

“Hey, it's not like I wanted to be transformed!” Daisy put her hands on her hips.

The four of them bickered back and forth, pushing what they thought was most important, yet, for once, Donald was not among the screamers. Instead his eyes were on the toy sword, on the name now emblazoned on it, and he thought of what it meant. He touched his chest, still feeling exhausted in every way, despite having time to sit down and process everything. There was a piece to the puzzle still missing and as he traced his finger on his name he rolled his tongue around in his mouth. Why did it have his name now? Why would it need his name? Names were important, they held power, and perhaps power itself was the name of the game. Maybe even literally. He thrust his hand into the pile of burning sticks and took one out, holding it up to stop the squabbling going on. Everyone was cut off, eyes on Donald.

He took his time to face his uncle, his voice tired but serious. “The crown of Mausekönig. It didn't have anyone's name on it. Right, Minnie? Mickey?”

The mice looked each other, and then nodded. “No, it didn't,” Minnie answered out loud as she remembered. “It had some weird symbols, like your sword used to have.”

“But if our ancestor made that crown, his name should've been on it, like this sword has my name.” Donald gestured to the name, never taking his eyes off his uncle. “Anyone can use magic. Drosselmeyers can make magic. But you don't want me to even try doing it again. You want us to get out of here, despite knowing full well I can cure people now.” He then pointed the sword at his uncle, narrowing his eyes. “Ludwig...Correct me if I'm wrong. The Drosselmeyers pay a price for magic.”

Donald had expected an answer. He didn't expect Ludwig's eyes to fill with tears, nor for him to grab the sword out of his nephew's hand. “This stupid thing...I never should have given it to you! What was I thinking? Can't I do just do something right for once in my life - !” He clutched it so hard in his old hands that the others thought he might get a splinter. “...The insignia is the Drosselmeyer family crest, and we carve it on things we can imbue with our magic. I thought – I thought, if you or Minnie were ever in danger, you could-” He bit the inside of his cheek, dropping to his knees. “Donald, promise me you won't ever use it again!”

“Not until you tell me why!” Donald grabbed Ludwig by the arms, forcing him to stay up right. “Whatever's going to happen to me already happened to my ancestor, and that's why his name isn't on the crown! Just tell me!”

Ludwig choked and closed his eyes, his weary bones rattling under Donald's hands. “Creating our magic...takes up part of our soul.”

Maybe a day or two ago, Donald would have scoffed at the very concept of a soul. But now in the company a freed “fairy” and a talking nutcracker, he was willing to believe anything, which was why he felt dread pounding in his heart. “My soul?”

“Magic isn't a normal thing, nephew! That's why so many people don't believe in it! Creating magic takes too terrible a toll...And when we use it too much, we die! Your ancestor used up every part of his soul to enchant all those rubies! And if you use it again, you could...” Ludwig suddenly threw his arms around his nephew, sobbing hard. “I just got you back! I can't lose you again, Donald! I'll damn every single citizen of Mausekönig before I let you and Minnie come to harm!”

Daisy had turned away, unable to witness this scene, while Minnie began to cry into Mickey's wooden chest, his heavy arms the only consolation he could provide. Donald had no words, feeling his uncle's body wracked with agony against him. This frail old man had seemed so much stronger when Donald was a child, as if he could do anything he wanted and merely chose not to. Life was simpler when the heartbroken boy had started accepting things at face value without trying to look any further.

Donald had begun to lift his arms when a sneering voice cut through. “Good thing I didn't give myself three hearts or they'd be breaking. What a sob story, boys!”

There at the cave entrance stood Mortimer and his unwilling guards, each of them now awfully disfigured to better “warriors” under Mortimer's multiple eyes. Some had new muscles ready to rip out from under their skin, others were burdened by fists so heavy they dragged on the ground. But while their bodies were tangled messes, it was clear from their faces that they were still the same frightened men underneath. Donald's eyes flew from Mortimer and his men, back and forth, horrified at each abomination before him. This was how he spotted the footprints in the snow his group had made, and he mentally swore at leaving the clues for the wretched prince. Minnie hid behind Mickey, as if by doing so she could unsee these terrors. Mickey couldn't move, stunned with anger at what had happened to his guardsmen. Daisy would have fainted had Ludwig not caught her, but even as afraid as he was, he could still place his body in front of hers to offer any protection.

Mortimer right face found Daisy first and announced, “Hey! So that's where the Sugar Plum Fairy went!”

“First the nutcracker's still around, and now the dame's done too?”tThe left face growled, annoyance spreading across all the faces. “We've got to do something! Ever since these two came to our kingdom, they've been ruining things for us!”

“We'll fix this and get back to our fun, everyone,” Mortimer declared to himself, rubbing his hands together as he looked upon the escapees. “But I think this time, instead of making any big changes, we should just get rid of them all at once.” He clapped his hands hard, all three faces grinning. “Let's start with Ludwig Von Dumbdumb!”

“Back off, Mortimer!” Donald rose up, having taken the toy back from Ludwig. “I'm not afraid to use this!” Except when he shook the toy, he found the exact opposite to be true – he was terrified to use it again now that he knew the cost, and it was certainly creating one gigantic distraction.

All three of Mortimer's faces laughed. “Is the big bad duck going to poke our eyes out? You'd make a great jester, kid! In fact...” His eyes gleamed, the rubies beginning to glow atop his head. “I'll get rid of the rest, and save you as one big laugh!” He snapped his fingers, and one by one the men reluctantly began to enter the cave, about to enact their master's orders.

“Oh no you don't!” If Prince Mickey had learned one thing during his time as a giant nutcracker, it was that he was an excellent battering ram. He decided to put that useful skill to the test once more, running forward and plowing through the guardsmen with a hard and heavy THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD. They toppled over like dominoes, and Mortimer wasn't finding this funny anymore. He really didn't think Mickey smacking into him was funny either, especially as he felt the crown pop off his head and land on the ground nearby.

“The crown!” Daisy shrieked, flailing her hands wildly about. “Get the crown! Go, go, go!” She would have gladly done so herself, but the pile of men made for an unusual obstacle. Ludwig, Minnie and Donald also made attempts to help, but found themselves backing up as the guardsmen regained their footing.

They cheered Mickey on as he spotted the fallen relic, but as he bent over, he stopped, his large wooden hands hanging. “W-what if I crush it by accident? I gotta...I gotta be real gentle...” He could hear his friends yelling at him to just stomp on it, with Donald using some very colorful expletives to get the point across, yet he didn't move. If one little nutcracker could destroy one ruby, how much damage could a fully-grown one do? And he needed the crown whole, needed to be a perfect prince, needed to fix things, needed-

“Thanks, chump!” Mortimer's right face cackled as he snatched up the crown, putting it on his head again. “Good thing your brain is wooden too!” Unlike Mickey, there was no hesitation for Mortimer to take action – as the rubies glowed again, the ice on the wall adhered to his will, sliding down the wall and grabbing ahold of Mickey, Ludwig, Donald, Daisy, and finally Minnie. The ice began to crawl and climb up their legs, freezing them solid.

Mickey smashed his heavy fists into the ice, but it wouldn't even crack. Daisy shrieked, trying to grab onto someone to help her, but all it did was help the ice on her attach itself to Donald. Minnie had started to cry, but she brushed her face hard, needing to think past her fear. Ludwig made no attempt to help himself or anyone – it was too late to do anything more, as far as his old eyes could see. All he could do was watch and listen to his loved ones scream as they tried to claw out their freedom.

But just as it was making their way up their hips, Minnie found the strength to use her voice. “W-wait! Don't kill them, Prince Mortimer!”

This gave the false royalty pause – despite his demanding so, very few people actually called him a prince. He held his hand in mid-air, the ice itself also pausing on Minnie's body while it grew on the others. “And why shouldn't I, little lady?”

“Because...” Minnie looked around, and then gulped heavily. “Because if you leave them alone, I'll go with you willingly.” Naturally that brought about a chorus of dismayed objections, but she willed herself to be louder than them all. “Instead of having women forced to you, I'll be yours of my own choice!”

All three faces “hmm”ed this choice, each one filled with pride. Mortimer cupped his middle chin, smiling darkly as he considered her words. Everyone had to be dragged kicking and screaming to his castle, often literally, so to actually have someone wanting to be on his arm was a temptation too grand to deny. “You might be the smartest one out of the whole bunch, babe.” He clicked all three tongues, and snapped his fingers again – the ice had touched the necks of the other prisoners and now stopped there. “All right, we've got a deal. They live, and you become my favorite out of my entire collection.” He bowed like a pompous gentleman, and offered his hand to her.

“Minnie!” Donald managed to yell, despite his cold throat throbbing in pain. “Don't do this! You can still get away! Minnie!”

Minnie turned enough so Donald could see one tear falling down his younger sister's cheek. “It's okay, Donald. Now you can stop sacrificing everything for me. You can live for yourself now. You're free of me.” She smiled sweetly, making the words all the more painful for her big brother to hear. “It's not like I didn't know what you were doing for me all these years...and I hated it. I didn't want to be a burden, or a big blockade for your happiness. But this is all I can do to repay you.”

She took the edges of her nightgown to curtsy. “You were right. Fairy tales and true love, that's for children. And I'm just a child who doesn't know any better.” She stood straight up again, looking at her brother – specifically at what was frozen in his hand. “Goodbye, bruder.”

With that settled, she took Mortimer's hand, and with the dizzy soldiers collecting themselves, they all left the cave, even as Daisy, Ludwig, and Mickey begged them to stop and think about what they were doing. But again Donald didn't join them. He watched them leave until his little sister was a speck on the horizon. Though the ice had long since stopped growing on his body, he felt numb from head to toe, and he allowed his very mind to go numb as well.

He finally got a moment's peace when the world went black.

Chapter Text

Christmas Eve is supposed to be a time of magic and wonder, especially for little children who've yet to understand life's cruelties. But instead of listening for the sounds of reindeer hooves on the rooftop, one particular child was sitting by the window and awaiting the sound of a motorcar. Snow had begun to fall outside and it became harder to see what was coming down the worn-down road, though the little girl was certain she'd still hear her uncle's car since it made noise like its own mechanical parade. It was getting late, however, and she knew her foster parents would beckon her to bed soon.

Something's not right.

Quietly she pleaded to Santa Claus that she didn't need a single present except to see her beloved uncle. Although, if Santa was also going to give her new ballet shoes and a pretty doll, she certainly wouldn't complain. Her eyelids began to droop, but before her body could fall into slumber, a jarring clattering erupted from outside. There was no mistaking that sound, and she jumped to the floor in joy. “Donald!” she called out, continuing to hop up and down in delight. “Donald, he's here! Uncle Ludwig is here!”

Haven't I seen this before?

Like a bolt of lightning, her elder brother raced into the room, almost knocking down the ailing Christmas tree in the corner that took up most of the room. He ignored the pine needles sticking to his sweater and white feathers, moving past his little sister to look out the window. “Are you sure, Minnie? Are you absolutely sure?”

No...No, I know how this ends.

Donald stood in the doorway, watching his younger self and his little sister happily pounce on their uncle on that Christmas Eve so long ago. It was this night that changed everything, and he slapped his hands over his ears in a desperate attempt to drown it out. He didn't want to go through this again. He didn't think he had the strength. Yet he could still hear his smaller self ask, “You are taking us there, right?"

But this time Ludwig's face brightened and he took Minnie by the hand. “Of course I am. I'm taking Minnie with me.” With a hearty laugh, he picked her up into his arms, and she snuggled up to him. “Well, have a nice life, nephew. We'll be sure to write.”

The adult Donald dropped his arms in shock, before bowling over his past image and trying to snatch Ludwig by the arm. “What do you think you're doing!” he snapped, his infamous temper threatening to boil over. “You can't just leave me behind!”

Ludwig smiled with hauntingly empty eyes, and Minnie copied the lifeless expression, tilting her head. “Isn't this what you wanted?” Ludwig asked cheerfully, not even blinking. “No more broken promises, no more family to tie you down. You can live exactly as you want.” He then held up Minnie by an extra inch. “Isn't that right, mein kind?”

Little Minnie waved her hands about like a conductor would, repeating the words she'd said in the cave. “It's okay, Donald. Now you can stop sacrificing everything for me. You can live for yourself now. You're free of me,” She said in a sing-song manner, even kicking her feet about. “Bye-bye, bruder!”

“But I didn't - ” Donald faltered, his hands shaking as he tried to find words to match his inner horror. “I didn't mean – That's not what I wanted! I never asked you to go away!” He made a desperate grab for his sister, but his hands passed through her like wind. He tried again and again, yet for every attempt, they seemed to drift farther and farther away from him, their smiles painted on without a hint of fabrication. “It's not true! I didn't want this! I never wanted-”

“Then what do you want?” Ludwig and Minnie asked in union, before suddenly vanishing and leaving both Donalds alone in that cold room with a dying Christmas tree. The little one hadn't said a word, and merely watched his older counterpart with an unreadable look.

What did Donald want? He felt something ugly and horrible welling up inside him, but he covered his face, not wanting anyone to see it. “I just – I just wanted - ” he stammered, feeling shameful hot tears begin to slide down his feathery cheeks. “I just don't want to be alone!” he howled in agony, falling to his knees, and burying his forehead in the carpet. He had tried for so long to act as if losing his parents hadn't hurt, as if Ludwig's abandonment was a mere obstacle on the path of true happiness, but they'd hurt, they'd hurt so deeply, and now he was losing his sister. Now he was crying like some stupid kid, all dignity and hope lost.

Then he felt a tiny hand touch his fingers. “What's so bad about that?”

Donald had completely forgotten this other one was there, and he was slow to open his fingers and looked upon his past. Yet his past didn't seem to mind the elder's behavior. “What's so wrong with not wanting to be alone?”

“I...” Donald stammered, trying to clean his face. “I'm an adult. I'm not supposed to need anyone. I have to be strong for Minnie.”

“Then who's going to be strong for you?”

A stretch of silence passed between the past and the future, unsure of what to say. Donald couldn't believe he used to be so small. He almost felt like he should have apologized for never giving his childhood a chance. Yet the little one held no resentment, and eventually smiled, reaching over to pat Donald's forehead. “The world's a big place, I think. Even in that tiny kingdom, there's a whole bunch of people. Can't you make some friends?”

Donald snorted, turning his head away. “Who'd want to be friends with me? No one can stand me. I can't even stand me anymore. My own sister hates me. She...wouldn't even look right at me when she left.” He began to stand up – and that's when his younger self kicked his shin. “OW!” Donald yelled, grabbing his leg and hopping up and down. “Why you doggone stubborn little brat!”

“No, YOU'RE the doggone stubborn little brat!” the child growled, hands on his hips. “I don't care what she said! Do you love her or not?”

“Of course I love her, but that's-”

“Then shut up and go after her!” The little one grabbed two fistfuls of Donald's coat and refused to let go. “You don't wanna protect Minnie just because she's your sister. You love her for who she is! She's nice and smart and she has hope even when everyone else would give up! And she didn't give up this time either! If she wasn't looking at you, dummy, then where was she looking?”

Donald grabbed his younger self by the wrists in an effort to pry him off, but as he looked upon his hands, the memories returned as crystal clear as clean ice. No, she hadn't been looking at him in her final moments as she gave herself away. Her eyes had been down, but not out of pathetic sadness. They weren't on the ground, not on the ice, but on -

On the magic sword that had been frozen in his hand.

No, she hadn't given up on him, had she? Minnie believed in things when no one else would. For so long he'd seen that as a weakness, as a childish folly – but perhaps that optimism had taken true strength, more strength than it took to see the world only for its disappointments. They both had every reason to keep their heads down and trudge on in life, but she'd chosen to keep her chin up and look for light in a dark world, and now, Minnie was counting on him.

“It's not too late,” the younger Donald murmured gently, placing something into Donald's now open palms – the same toy sword with his name. “For Minnie, for Ludwig, for that doll of a prince, for Daisy, for everyone in the kingdom. And it's not too late for you.”

Donald clutched the sword tightly in both hands. If he continued using this magic to save the kingdom, he could die. Yet he lowered his shoulders and held his sword high. “Well, I'm not dead yet,” he declared. “No more promises! I'm doing what I have to with my own strength!”

“HANG ON, MINNIE! YOUR BRUDER IS COMING!”

And that's when he woke up from his dream, the ice around his body cracking. Donald's eyes snapped open in time to see the ice falling off into melting chunks, his sword lit aflame once more. Within seconds, the same freedom happened to Ludwig, who cried out in shock, to Daisy, who would have jumped in glee if she could feel her legs, and for Mickey, who toppled over due to his wooden weight. Donald stumbled once he was wholly able to move and stared intently at his sword. It still burned, and he could feel the same overwhelming exhaustion that had come when he cured the Sugar Plum Fairy.

“Gimmie a minute,” Daisy said as she leaned on a wall for support, “And I'll kiss you in gratitude all over again!”

Ludwig knelt down to help Mickey up, but his eyes never left his nephew. Though all he could see was Donald's back, he could see from the strength in his body that a fight had begun. “You're going to go back for her, aren't you?”

“Not just her.” Donald could hear his horses outside the cave, knocking their hooves on the snow. “I'm not leaving until all of Mausekönig is free from that rat king. And I don't want you to tell me to run away or to not use magic, because you know me. I don't listen to anyone.”

“H-Hold on!” But the objection didn't come from Ludwig – it was Mickey who shuffled to Donald's side. “You've gotta let me come with you! This is my fault, I have to fix things!”

“Count me in too!” Daisy smacked her palms together, eyes burning with the intensity of revenge. “I owe Mortimer a lifetime's worth of punches to his big fat nose! If he can't change me again, then I'm invincible!”

That just left the oldest member of the heroic band, and all turned to look at the quiet Ludwig. He adjusted his spectacles – it was difficult to tell when exactly it had happened, but one of the lenses had popped out. “I'm not sure how much help I can be to any of you. I've done nothing but burden you all, and you can't even ask me for advice.” He even took a step back, ready to wander further into the dark cave. “I've been a lousy uncle. I've been a lousy royal aide.” he shoved his cold hands into his empty pockets. “Tell...Tell Minnie I do love her.”

“Aw, tell her yourself, you sad sack,” Donald huffed, marching forward and yanking Ludwig by the shirt collar. “I didn't get off the pity train just so you could take my seat. You're coming with me.” Unwilling to hear any further resistance, he began to drag Ludwig to the horses.

“Didn't you hear a single word I said!” Ludwig struggled to reason with him, and when he looked for help from Daisy and Mickey, they merely shrugged. “I can't do anything for you!”

“You're not going to escape your responsibilities if I have anything to say about it!” Donald only released Ludwig once they were outside, but then he turned and jabbed his sword near Mickey's chest – the wooden prince would have jumped had he been able to. “That goes for you too, doll face!”

“Nutcracker!”

“You gotta apologize to your people for what you did! Maybe even get on your knees!” Donald paused in his rant to inspect Mickey's legs. “If you can kneel. Or lay on your face.”

“But-” Mickey held up his hands defensively, knowing Donald had amazingly good points but afraid of where they would lead. He was also afraid of catching on fire, which is why he kept backing away every time Donald got closer. “What if they don't forgive me? What if they don't want me as a prince?”

“Doesn't matter!” Donald kept poking Mickey until the mouse was also outside of the cave. “You should want to apologize because it's the right thing to do! Both of you! It's about doing the right thing, and darn the consequences! We have to save everyone, then we can care about what they think! Now get moving!” He then whipped around to address the last member. “And you!”

Daisy blinked rapidly. “What did I do?”

“Don't kiss guys like crazy until you know their first and last names! And you're both dating! Now get on the horse!” He yanked her by the wrist, but he honestly didn't have to. Daisy would have happily done whatever he asked – this side of him was quite enjoyable.

“Does this mean we're dating?”

“If I live through this, sure! Whatever!” The fire on his sword began to die down, but Donald knew it would live again when the time was right. He swallowed down his weariness and climbed atop his horse, with Daisy choosing to climb up as well. Ludwig uneasily sat on the second horse, taking a guess at how the remains of the reins were supposed to work. That left Mickey to jog behind, as they didn't want to risk the horse's bones breaking. Mickey watched Donald as he rode on ahead, knowing he was risking his life and going forward nonetheless.

Mickey felt jealous, but in a strange way, it felt good. For so long he only had old rulers in textbooks to admire and look up to, but now there was a man of flesh and blood who was showing him what it meant to be a leader. No wonder Minnie wrote so fondly of Donald in her letters.

~*~

Once when Minnie was little, she'd worn her ballet shoes all day from morning to night. She had thought doing so would improve her steps and make her a better dancer. But it wasn't long before she'd gotten blisters and her feet were in agony. Her ballet instructor warned her over doing something so foolish ever again and Donald carried her around until he was completely sure her feet were healed. His arms felt so strong and secure, she could fall asleep in them.

“C'mon, don't tell me you're tired already!”

In the present, Minnie felt she could have fallen asleep because of how drained she felt. Ever since she had returned to the castle, Mortimer had ordered her to dance – and he hadn't let her stop. Not to eat, not to rest, not even when she inevitably fell over on the floor. In the corner, Mortimer had used his magic to enchant instruments to endlessly play, and he treated himself to a feast fit for a king. Minnie was his entertainment, and he didn't care that the average person wasn't built to dance for hours on end.

She crawled onto her arms, her face dripping with sweat. “P-Please, your highness...I just need a few minutes...” Minnie could only hope blood wouldn't show through her ballet shoes. If he became disgusted with her, that could put her on his next-to-enchant list.

All of Mortimer's eyes rolled and he slumped in his seat. “Well, now I'm bored. Why do the best toys break so easily?”

The right face clicked its shorter tongue. “Real shame we let those ducks go, they could've made for some really funny jesters.”

The left face snorted through its bigger nostrils. “Good riddance to 'em, I say! We don't need anybody who'd get in our way.”

“Easy, fellas!” Mortimer of the middle interrupted, holding up his hands. “What's past is past, so let's find something fun for the here and now! Let's forget all about those trouble makers.”

Minnie didn't want to look up and see Mortimer's disfigured faces, but as she lifted her head to do just that, she could see he wasn't even looking at her. His narcissism kept his attention almost 24/7, even to the point of stupidity. Even though he possibly had three brains, it didn't make him any smarter. If anything it made him greedier. As Minnie's eyes moved from one face to the other, she saw that maybe there was a way to use this obvious overconfidence.

She sat on her knees, cocked her head back, and let out the most pitiful wail she could muster. “Oh, no! This is awful!” she cried, pretending to wipe away tears instead of sweat.

Mortimer suddenly sat up right, surprised by the outburst. “What are you going on about?”

The ballerina placed her arm over her forehead. “My poor bruder! Why, oh, why didn't I see this coming?” After a quick glance to make sure Mortimer was paying attention, she made her fake cries even louder. “He's going to come back for me! I'm sure of it!”

Now the false prince narrowed all his eyes, trying to decipher what her sobs were saying. “Whaddya mean he's coming back? Didn't you tell him he could get lost? Who would be foolish enough to come back when I could turn them into potted plants?”

“Oh, but my bruder is so very foolish!” Now that the fish had noticed the bait, time to make it wriggle. “Most people are so very foolish when it comes to you, your highness, but he is the dictionary definition of foolish! I'm sure he'll come right here and try to save me, and you'll have to wait until he comes right into the castle before punishing him!”

“We will?” the right face asked immediately, puzzled.

“Of course you will! Because someone as brilliant as you would want to see him fail in front of his darling little sister, so it'll hurt all the more!”

“We would?” the left face questioned, but now it was starting to sound interested.

“Absolutely you would!” Minnie flopped onto her back, rolling back and forth, breathing hard through her nose for extra authenticity. “And you wouldn't need any of your guards, because you're such a genius! And I'm just a good girl who can't do anything but watch as all three of you defeat him! I'm sure it'll break my heart so much I could never love anyone again!” After a few unnecessarily loud chokes, she made sure to turn her head towards him. “Except for you, obviously.”

The middle Mortimer slapped his hand on the arm rests of the throne. “Gentlemen, I have an idea! I say we let that troublemaker right back in here! We'll show him that no one can defeat us!”

“What a great idea!”

“Glad we thought of it!”

Letting out a sigh of both relief and exhaustion, Minnie hid a tired smile as she lay still on the floor. While she had been trying to point Mortimer in a certain direction, she hadn't entirely lied either. Her brother would absolutely come after her, as would her dear uncle, as would her dear prince, and though she had only met Daisy briefly, a woman with that amount of anger wouldn't turn back and hide. Though she had said harsh things to Donald, they were family, and more importantly they loved each other. Donald was many things – ill tempered, overprotective, and a downer. But he was also stubborn where it mattered most, and he cared for her when it could have been easier to live only for himself.

Yes, Donald would come and save her. It was just a matter of time and patience. But she would also have to do some work in saving herself. If Mortimer hadn't noticed this trick, he hopefully wouldn't notice another. He had infinite power atop his head – up to a point. It became harder to think of plans when her feet throbbed in pain though. Minnie grunted as she sat up, looking at her ballet shoes that seemed tighter than ever. Just as she reached over to pry one off, she stopped – infinite power up to a point.

Minnie gulped. She didn't want to do this. She was afraid, and there was a good chance this could wind up killing her. She shut her eyes tightly, but wound up seeing images of the sad mutated servants, of her princely nutcracker who didn't have the courage to defy tradition, and of her brother with a target on his back. With all of these in mind, she spoke again. “If only I could dance forever and ever.”

All of Mortimer's pupils centered on her, latching onto the idea without giving it another thought. “That's perfect! You CAN dance forever and ever! See, aren't I good to my girls? Besides, I need something to pass the time while your idiotic brother gets here. So, on with the show!” He clapped his hands together loudly, and the rubies atop the crown emitted a harsh glow. Violent red light shot out from the crown, striking Minnie's ballet shoes and turning them as red as the blood pooling inside them. Minnie bit down on her tongue to keep from screaming as she felt the magic enter her very feet – it was as if worms with vicious teeth were crawling through her skin and taking ahold.

There was no time to adjust to this terrible sensation as she found herself propelled upward by her own feet. Though each and every step was excruciating torment, she couldn't make herself stop. Her feet were under another's command, instructed to dance until, well, forever and ever. Eventually Mortimer would summon his guards and give them the odd order to let any intruders in, but until then, he laughed with a child's delight at his whirling toy. What did he care if it broke? There were plenty to pick from afterward.

As Minnie twirled and twirled in dizzying torture, she repeated three words over and over in an effort to keep herself awake and sane. The words she had to say Donald to make up for the pain she'd caused him back in their uncle's cold torn apart home.

I'm sorry, Donald.

Chapter Text

Goofy wasn't one of the guards who had been given the strange order to let any intruders in, but it was probably for the best. If he'd thought about it too hard, he might have gotten a headache. He was in the midst of taking yet another nap at his post when he heard hoofbeats, and when he woke up he saw exactly what he was expecting – horses. Though he certainly hadn't been expecting the riders – hadn't those people escaped before? What in the world were they doing coming back?

He stood up straight, holding the empty shotgun and mulling over his options. He'd been trying to prevent people from entering the kingdom so they could avoid Mortimer, but with the destruction of the doors, there was honestly very little he could do about it. He was tempted to simply take another nap, but curiosity overwhelmed him, and he shouted towards the oncoming stampede, “What do you think you're doin'!”

“Saving Mausekönig!” Donald yelled right back, with Daisy cheering behind him.

“Or die trying!” Ludwig added as they galloped on past.

“Nice to see you, Goofy!” Mickey was the last of the group, but he was running as fast as his body could go while offering a friendly wave to the befuddled guard.

“Huh. All right, then.” Goofy nodded once and was going to continue his nap – but if they were going to save Mausekönig, then that meant they were going to confront Mortimer, and Mortimer would get mad, and then – and then EVERYONE would be in trouble. “No, that's not all right!” He chased after them, swinging his shotgun in the air. “You can't do this! You're gunna get us all transformed!”

Those that were out in the dirty streets had to stop and look at the world's most bizarre parade – ducks on horses, a running nutcracker, and a disheveled dog wielding a useless weapon. All it needed was a partridge in a pear tree and it could've been Christmas.

But as the band of heroes, plus one frazzled guard, raced toward the castle, they were forced to halt before a line of disfigured guardsmen. Horace was at the forefront, holding his hand out – which now held five extra fingers. “Oh no you don't! That rat king might want you in there, but you've caused enough damage!”

Donald held out his toy sword, but he didn't will for it to be of any use yet. He'd have to save that. “Out of the way! I've got the only thing that can stop Mortimer and save everyone here!”

“Save us!” an indignant woman from the village shouted, and others began to angrily join her. “You've got Ludwig with you! It's thanks to those rotten Drosselmeyers we're in this mess!”

“Yeah, we don't want your help!”
“I don't wanna be turned into...into...anything!”
“If you keep this up, we'll all be suffering!”

Mickey stepped out of the shadows, his wooden fists clenched. “Aren't you already suffering?!” It was difficult to tell what ultimately silenced the mob – that point of fact or seeing their prince as a gigantic talking nutcracker. He took advantage of the confusion to march forward, though inside he was shaking like a leaf. “This isn't the Drosslemeyers' fault! They've done nothing but try to help this kingdom since it was first founded! And...And maybe it didn't work out exactly as they planned...but doesn't effort count for anything?” He glanced at Donald for additional support, but Donald merely crossed his arms and lifted an eyebrow. No, this time Mickey was on his own.

The prince wanted to keep his eyes down and avoid the same of looking at the people he'd hurt, but instead he gazed straight ahead. “Maybe...Maybe the first Drosselmeyer did exactly what I did – try to avoid the real work it takes to build and lead a kingdom. I-I was the one who gave Mortimer access to the crown, because I wanted the crown before I was ready.” In turn, Mickey got exactly what he expected – furious shouting, cries of how he had doomed them all, demanding he leave at once, and he could have sworn he saw one large cat grabbing a stone to hurl towards him. Mickey embraced each stinging word, and didn't budge from his spot.

“AW, SHADDAP!” Donald roared from atop his horse, wildly swinging his sword around. Even his horse appeared to be affected, kicking its front legs about to keep the crowd away from his masters. “Like none of you have ever done one wrong thing in your rotten stinkin' lives! Let him finish, jerks!”

Daisy happily laid her head on Donald's shoulder. “I really like this side of you, y'know.”

“Daisy. Time. Place. This is neither.”

But the villagers weren't the only ones affected by Donald's bravery in the face of so much opposition. Ludwig had taken his time to dismount from his horse, and he joined Mickey at his side, touching the young man's shoulder. “My boy is right. None of us are without fault. And I've got more than enough faults for one lifetime. I was too afraid to look after my own blood and I tried to make up for it by redeeming a man who never showed any signs he wanted to change. I've been running away for a long time. I won't beg for forgiveness from anyone.” To this he locked eyes with Donald, who turned away uncomfortably. “But I'll apologize all the same. To my dear nephew, my sweet niece, to the true prince of Mausekönig, and to all of you...I'm sorry for all the pain I have caused.”

Mickey didn't kneel down as Donald had ordered him to do – he doubted his body could – but he took one large step after another, though the guardsmen wouldn't budge. “Please let us through. Please let us fix this once and for all. We have to put an end to this, and I have to make up for what I did to each and every single one of you. Even-” How could a wooden nutcracker feel pain? It didn't make sense, but it burnt his insides to speak it. “Even if it means you don't want me as prince anymore, I have to do this. I'm sorry too, but my words will never be enough. I have to do this. We have to do this. I'm not ordering you as the real prince of Mausekönig. I'm...I'm just Mickey Mouse, asking you to let me right these wrongs.”

Of course the entire kingdom didn't collectively forgive the two sinners instantaneously. But the need for revenge and blood had begun to cool, as each man and woman exchanged looks from one to another, quiet murmurs debating about the future of their lives. Those with raised fists began to lower them, and quite a few took steps back to clear the way. Even a number of the guardsman began to shuffle away, but Horace stood his ground, a large lump in his throat. “Look, what you guys said is nice and all, but what happens if you lose? Mortimer's gunna change us all into whatever he wants!”

Daisy poked her head out from behind Donald. “Doesn't he do that...kind of already? If we lose, how much are things going to change around here, really?”

The horse needed to pause and process this. His eyes bounced around, trying to find a counterargument, and none came. “Might be one of those 'stuck between a rock and a hard place' kinda situations, I suppose.”

Donald finally climbed down from his horse and helped Daisy do the same, allowing her to keep holding his hand for the time being. “Rock nothing! What can he do to YOU? Unless you were born with those extra digits, he can't do squat. Now move!”

Daisy triumphantly waved her hand in the air. “Exactly! We're unstoppable! In fact, so are most of you, if you bothered to think about it! Tell them, Ludwig!”

Ludwig moved his head around, and began counting out loud all of the already transformed people around him. Not everyone who had been struck had to stay in the castle, and as he added the guardsmen, he ran out of fingers to count. “Meine Güte! She's right! If we took everyone who's already been hexed by that heretic, we'd have our own small army! It actually works out for us if we got more people transformed!”

This made Horace slowly lower his changed hand and blink three times in a row. “You mean I could've punched him extra hard this time, and he can't do nothin' else to me?”

Donald hadn't felt himself smile in what seemed like a century – but now a wide, deep, eager one graced his face. “Well then, what are we waiting for?”

Mickey had never felt his spirits rise so high, and he pumped a fist in the air before sprinting ahead, joined by more and more people with every passing second. “Down with the false prince! CHAAARGE!”

~*~

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner no longer had any real meaning to Mortimer since he could eat whenever he wanted. He had ordered the oppressed chefs to cook up a lavish meal for one of his most entertaining shows, and he chewed cheerfully through some chicken as he watched Minnie continued to pirouette in pain. “Hey, babe, I can't see your pretty face if you wilt like that! Don't you dames do this for fun?”

Minnie had to wonder if she'd ever want to dance again once this was all over. Her arms hung lifelessly at her side and her breathing was labored. It was probably because of her extreme weakness that she didn't hear the sudden repetitive thuds of footsteps further along in the castle. But Mortimer did hear, and he stopped mid-bite into a piece of ham to try and guess what it was. Last he checked, Donald had only two feet.

The doors to the throne room burst open, and even Minnie was stunned to see Donald joined by a horde of villagers and guardsmen, each one shouting cries of “Usurper, ursuper!”

“Uh-oh,” Mortimer's left and right faces whispered together, but Mortimer's middle remained defiant. “I don't know what that means, but it doesn't sound pleasant! You'd better learn some manners quick, before I start getting creative!”

“Give it your best short, Mortimer!” Mickey shouted, banging his fist to his chest. “You can barely touch any of us now! Don't you remember Ludwig's lessons about the crown's magic? Or were you really that lousy of an assistant?”

“Hey, I was a fantastic assistant!” Mortimer stood on his feet, hissing through his teeth. “Of course I remember! You can change objects as much as you want, but you can only change people...” He trailed off, making same counting motion Ludwig had done mere moments before. “...Once. Hm. This is...mildly unfortunate...” He dragged each word out as the mental counting got higher and higher.

As much as Donald wanted to start the beat-down, the second he saw his sister his priorities changed. “Minnie! Are you okay? I'm here to – to – will you stop moving for one second? I'm trying to say something here!”

“Enchanted feet!” Minnie shouted back, trying to get his attention returned to Mortimer.

As Mortimer heard her, for a fraction of a second he wondered if she planned this – no, impossible, no one was more clever than he was! She was just a good little girl, and probably without a single thought in her head. All she was good for was dancing... and that's when he recalled the instruments still playing in the corner, the silverware resting on the throne's arm rests, and the throne itself. His multiple faces sneered and he rubbed his hands together. “So, you've got yourself a little militia? I've got my own!” Before anyone could think to stop him, the rubies shot out red light toward the instruments, the silverware, and the throne. With horrendous creaking noises, they began to twist and turn until they faced the rebels – in an explosion of energy, all of them countercharged the onslaught of commoners.

The violin strings tried to tie up tangled fists, the forks and knives cut across skin and fabric, but the throne was made into a living battering ram – and as a former battering ram, Mickey was using all of his strength to hold it in place. There were many frightened cries from the unprepared band, though many refused to give up. Donald didn't care how many knuckles he bruised and bloodied as he knocked a towering tuba out of his way – he was going to get to his sister!

Mortimer's faces laughed in wicked amusement, his arms outstretched and ready to wield his magic once more. “Did you morons think you stood a chance against my power? I can have curtains strangle you, windows wham you, I could even make the entire carpet capture you! I'm the most amazing person who has ever lived!”

Minnie could feel her heartbeat in her big black ears. Mortimer was right, in his own twisted way. He was amazing in many ways – amazingly creative, amazingly cruel, and amazingly selfish. She'd already proven to herself that as long as he believed in himself, he was capable of anything – so it was time to make one last gamble. If she was wrong about this, she hoped this constant dancing would kill her. It'd be better than the alternative.

Though she could no longer will her feet to stop, she could lean towards a direction and they'd follow suit, dancing all the while. Gritting her teeth and fighting through the aches, she spun and jumped in Mortimer's direction, until she had somewhat gracefully landed in front of him. “Mortimer, I don't understand!” She arched her back, pushing her chest out. To heck with acting like she believed any of this, all he needed was words. “You of all people should be able to change people more than once!”

The right face furrowed its brows, fooled once again. “We should?”

Daisy, who was avoiding a shower of broken plates, tried to shout to Ludwig and others to gain their attention. “What is she saying!”

Minnie touched her cheeks, trying to get the point across as fast as Mortimer's brain cells could connect. “With all those faces of yours, you're almost three people! So you – you could – you could have the other parts of you change people, since it'll be their first time!” She had never wished so hard for someone to believe as much she did right now.

“We could?” The left face was liking the sound of this, and why shouldn't he? It was appealing to what he loved the most – himself.

“Minnie, what are you doing?!” Even Mickey was having trouble concentrating on pinning the throne down. “Don't give him any ideas!”

She heard each of their shouts of pleas and protests, but like the tragedy in the caves, she wouldn't budge. “You could do anything you wanted to, your highness! You could even make me fall in love with you!”

Was it the last stroke of luck in Mausekönig that Mortimer never thought of enchanting someone's mind and emotions before? The seed that had been planted bloomed in his mind, and his eyes widened with new possibilities. The idea of making people believe they wanted to love him, obey him, respect him – it was enough to make him drool. Turning Daisy into an obedient monster of a servant had been close, but this was on a whole new level of loyalty. “Yes...Yes I can! I'm the ruler of Mausekönig! I can do anything I want! I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT! I'M AMAZING!”

Donald screamed for his sister, trying to reach for her through the binds of a resistant harp, but the crown was glowing, and the lights came, and no one could stop the frightening transformation taking place before them. Minnie found herself lifted an inch off the ground, and that wormy feeling of knives digging through her skin now plowed itself through every cell of her body. She opened her mouth but nothing came out, nothing could be done. The nightgown that had begun this adventure grew longer and darkened until it resembled a queenly gown that trailed on for ages. Her ballet shoes grew sharp dagger-like heels, with the strings looping around her body in a tightening imitation of a corset. When she floated back to the ground, her head was tilted to a side, listless and lifeless.

Mortimer bent down to inspect his work, licking his lips. “So, how's it feel to love someone as amazing as I am, Minnie Drosselmeyer?”

Only he could see the expression Minnie was making, and he was wholly convinced it was one of sweet devotion, a smile that could melt the coldest ice. “Amazing, of course,” she murmured with a genuine sunniness. She threw her arms around his neck, and he picked her up into his arms, laughing over and over, ignoring the fact that her feet were still moving this way and that. “All hail Prince Mortimer!”

Upon hearing that, several villagers raced for the door to avoid being struck next, but a grand piano was blocking them from any escapes. Daisy felt ready to cry, and Ludwig pulled out his hair, gasping for words that wouldn't come. Mickey dropped the throne in complete shock, and Donald was losing the strength in his legs. Had this all been for nothing? Were they really so powerless? Had the Drosselmeyers actually doomed them all?

Upon meeting less and less resistance, several of the utensils and instruments began to back up, awaiting more orders. Mortimer let go of Minnie and sat back down on his throne, trying to catch his breath after all his jubilation. “I've got to say, this has been fun. But you really should've thought twice before trying to take what I took. There's nothing this crown can't do, which means there's nothing I can't do. Now, maybe if you all formed a neat little line, I can start improving you one at a time. Let's start with the old man.” He raised a hand to adjust the crown so one of his faces could take over -

Except it wasn't there anymore.

“You're amazing, all right – an absolutely astounding amazing fool!” Minnie's dancing feet kicked Mortimer soundly in his big nose before jumping gracefully off of him. With the crown of Mausekönig in her hands, she raced toward her brother. The new outfit made it harder to move swiftly, but it was the only thing the crown could change about her as her body had already been enchanted. Mortimer had failed to change the most powerful aspect Minnie had – her faith. Faith in her family, faith in tomorrow, and now more than ever, faith in herself. She spun, she pirouetted, she twirled, closer and closer to her shocked sibling. “DONALD! NOW!”

For the briefest of moments, Donald felt guilty for doubting his brilliant, clever, wonderful sister. Was it really so surprising he'd done all he could to protect her throughout life? She didn't have his love merely because they happened to have the same blood – Minnie was Minnie, and Minnie was someone to be proud of. With this love pouring through his very soul, the sword in his hand ignited. Whatever came after this, they would always be brother and sister, Minnie and Donald Drosselmeyer. The name no longer brought shame. Donald was proud to be a Drosselmeyer, proud to have Minnie as his sister, and proud to be the one to save this imperfect kingdom.

“This is the end – of magic in Mausekönig!” He raised his arms high, and brought it down upon the cursed crown – when flames met rubies, they both erupted into a hot fury of volcanic proportions. The heat made Minnie and Donald drop their enchanted objects, watching in astonishment as the swirling flames rose up in the air, destroying each ruby one by one. Within the flames, they thought they saw – and it may have just been their imagination – an old, familiar soul smiling at them in gratitude. Yet this flicker didn't last, and spirals of flames began to fly off toward anyone who needed its touch.

Now this warmth felt welcome, like a mother's embrace to her tender child – Minnie's nightgown was its white pureness again, and her feet stopped their eternal tumbling. Ludwig's throat was engulfed in fire momentarily, freeing his voice to answer whatever it pleased. The servants, the guardsmen, the villagers – all were cured, with tears of joy streaming down their faces, followed by joyous dancing and jumping into the arms of loved ones. The flames vanished through the windows, removing the walls and the glass dome that had loomed over the kingdom. The buildings were restored to their natural hard-earned beauty, and even the castle itself was less pompous than it had been before. No perfection could be found in the kingdom naturally, but it now looked like a place one would be happy to live in.

Mortimer's extra faces howled in terror as they burnt off his cheeks, scrambling to undo what couldn't be undone. The final transformation was for the nutcracker prince himself – light obscured his entire body, and when people could open their eyes and see him for himself, he was flesh and blood, breathing and blinking, and a little shorter than they remembered. Mickey was overwhelmed by the return of his senses, and began to pinch every inch of skin he could find so he could remember what he felt like.

The almighty fire began to die out, whispering into smoke and ashes that littered into Donald's empty hands. The weariness deep within him was gone, and while he couldn't be sure if he had regained what had been lost, he decided to be an optimist for once. He held his hands up, and blew the ashes away.

Though Minnie longed to sit and rest, she found herself hugging her brother, flopping onto him as the last of her vigor left her worn out body. “I love you, bruder.”

“Yeah. I know.” But it was soothing to hear, and Donald ruffled her fur between her ears, unable to stop smiling. He wasn't sure if he could ever stop. “I love you too, schwester.” He didn't want her to let go, but he knew she would have to. He'd have to let her go and make her own choices, as good or bad as they were.

Mortimer tried to take advantage of everyone's partying celebration by sneaking away, but Daisy put a stop to that via smashing a now lifeless trumpet to the back of his head. The “OW!” caught everyone's attention, reminding them there was one thing they needed to do before they could properly congratulate their heroes. He rubbed the large lump on the back of his head, sitting on his knees as everyone glared into him. “Uh...Oh! Would you believe me if I said the crown was evil, and it possessed me into doing those awful things?” Daisy smashed the trumpet into his head again. “OW! OW! I...wasn't hugged enough as a child?” Smash. “I have a split personality?” Smash. “Sleepwalking?” Smash.

Before Mortimer could suffer a concussion, Mickey calmly touched Daisy's shoulder to make her stop playing whack-a-rat. “Mortimer, for your crimes against the kingdom, I sentence you to the dungeon!”

“Hold it!” Donald held up a flat hand, allowing his sister to lean on him while she caught some much needed rest. “Dungeon? What is this? Some kind of wacky fairy tale? This isn't a dictatorship, you can't send him to the dungeons!”

Mortimer wiped his forehead. “Phew. Thanks!”

“You send him to jail, like a normal person! Sheesh.”

The guardsmen had to shove each other aside for the prestigious honor of dragging the kicking and crying Mortimer off, but it was Horace who happily won the fight. He even began to hum as he grabbed Mortimer by the wrist and dragged him along. Not once did Mortimer ever apologize as he went to meet his just punishment, and the people of Mausekönig doubted he ever would. However, they never needed to hear it. With the menace out of range, hugs and kisses were tossed about once more, with those in the village streets running up and down to see that their homes had been restored, that businesses were open and ready, and that Mausekönig was indeed Mausekönig once more.

As the merriment went on, Mickey timidly approached the siblings, a hand on his beating chest. “I can't ever thank you both enough for all you've done. This isn't about what your ancestors did, or even Ludwig. You both did what no one else could. How can I ever repay you?”

Donald looked down at his sister, afraid that she'd ask for Mickey's hand in marriage. Minnie herself appeared to be contemplating it, but she shook her head, smiling through a weary face. “I think I'd like to get you know you better, Mickey. I feel like we still don't know each other very well.” Instead of covering his face in kisses or offering him a tackle of a hug, she merely held out her hand. “Maybe when you get a chance, we can go on a date?”

Mickey could now blush naturally, and boy did he ever, with puffy pink cheeks. “S-Sure! I'd love to! I mean, that'd be great! That'd be...” He stopped himself, feeling Donald's narrowed eyes boring into him. But Donald rolled his eyes and waved a hand – Mickey chuckled quietly and kissed Minnie's cheek. She grinned, squeezing his hand and holding onto it longer than necessary.

“Well now!” Ludwig announced loudly, having popped up next to Donald and almost shattering his eardrums. “Now that I am free, I can finally answer your question!”

Minnie and Donald blinked, looked at each other, and then shrugged. Donald was the one to ask the obvious. “What question? I'm pretty sure we've asked you, like, a hundred of them.”

“Don't you remember, nephew? On your first day here, you asked me if ever really loved you.” He cupped Minnie's cheek in one hand, and Donald's in his other. “Of course I love you. I've always loved you both. Leaving you behind was the worst decision I ever made and I'll always regret it. You've turned into spectacular adults.” He nestled his head between theirs, a bit of mist in his eyes. “Can you ever forgive your uncle for how awful he's been to you?”

Donald breathed slowly, looking down at the withered old man. He was as human as anyone else, he supposed. The pain from Donald's childhood still lingered, but it was no longer an open wound. A scar would always be there to remind him of what had happened, but it wouldn't be as painful to look at. “No promises,” he muttered, and he saw a crack of a smile on Ludwig's beak.

Minnie didn't instantly forgive her uncle either, though she did kiss his sagging cheek fondly. She had warped her life to be the good girl she thought he wanted instead of being the kind of girl she wanted to be. But it wasn't too late to change things. For Minnie, things were never too late as long as you had faith and trust.

As much as everyone wanted to take in this adorable family moment, there was work to be done, as evidenced by Mickey taking the fallen throne and trying to prop it back up. “I might not be the prince anymore,” he huffed – this body was much weaker than one of wood, “But I think there's still some things we gotta fix.”

The throne became easier to push when a second pair of hands joined in. “Who says you're not the prince?” Daisy asked sincerely. “Anyone here got any objections?”

After a moment, more hands began to grab the throne. “We've gotta rewrite the laws Mortimer made up,” from Clarabelle Cow. “And I bet our economy's not that great right now.”

“Wouldn't hurt to have someone tellin' us how to do all that,” Goofy was the last shove needed to put the throne up right. “Long as you don't go rushin' things this time.”

“But this time,” Donald picked up his sister, guessing she wasn't going to stand for much longer, “You're getting a whole family of Drosselmeyers to keep your head on straight.” He walked forward, and plopped Minnie into Mickey's befuddled yet open arms.

Minnie tittered, snuggling up to her beloved. “No more magic to cheat! We're all going to work hard to make this the kind of kingdom I dreamed about!”

“More doing, less talking.” Donald shoved his empty hands into his pockets. Funny, he'd only held the sword for less than a day, but now his hands felt bare without it. Maybe in a silly fairy tale they'd spend the whole day and night hooting and hollering for their victory, but they wouldn't know what needed fixing without actually taking a good long look at everything. Christmas had probably passed in the time they spent here, but it would come by next year. Time would move on, and it wouldn't wait for anyone.

As he headed for the door, ready to make himself useful and find out what else Mortimer had done, Daisy skipped to his side, anxious to see what she could do. Mickey would join them, after putting Minnie to bed so her aching feet would know relief. Yet there was no doubt once she felt better, she'd work alongside them. Ludwig answered question after question, now unable to shut up even when people asked him to. All the while Donald found himself surrounded by people offering their thanks and their help. He didn't see his sister for quite some time – and found he could survive.

There was no happily ever after to be found. Life wasn't like a fairy tale, where every broken promise was healed by true love. There would still be people who didn't trust the prince or the Drosselmeyers, and it would take years for the ill rumors of the kingdom to die out in other lands. But with every setting sun, the villagers who were no longer transformed found less nightmares waiting for them in sleep. Donald never said out loud if he forgave his uncle. Minnie waited three months before marrying Mickey – well, all right, maybe that part was a bit like a fairy tale. You can't change a girl that much, to Donald's annoyance.

Not everyone was happy, the hot cocoa would end in empty cups, and magic was never used again. But nutcrackers would be built once more, standing like guardians before closed windows, and each one held a smile of love and pride.

It wasn't happily ever after, but it was close.