A Nutcracker and the Beast

Chapter 2: A Wish for a Lonely Prince

Like Luigi thought, Junior played with him for the next few days in his bedroom. It wasn't bad; it was actually lovely for him. No one was running away from him or trying to throw him away or in a fire, and Junior would talk to him about pranks or his father. Which was a surprise from what Junior was telling him. Luigi thought Junior would speak about his father as a badass monster that would one day rule the world - which he did. Still, Junior mostly talked about Bowser as if he was just a lonely single dad. Kidnapping Princess Peach and letting her spend time with Junior that way, he could feel like he had a mom. Junior made it sound like the more time he goes behind his father's back, the more the Princess would like it here and would marry Bowser. Which Luigi knew was never going to happen, not as long as Mario saved her.

Of course, not everything he said about Bowser was good, like how he was always busy or how they fought when Bowser told him not to visit Peach. With all the good things Junior said about Bowser, something bad followed. Today was slightly different, as Junior came running in, crying instead of annoyed. He jumped into his bed, crying into his pillow; Luigi felt terrible as he watched that he wanted to move and comfort the little Koopa. Luckily the little Koopa did that himself, grabbing Luigi and placing him on his lap.

"Mr. Wood-Doll, I wish you were alive," he shifted his tears back, "That way, you can help me and my dad." Junior looked heartbroken, and Luigi wanted to know what had happened. After all, Junior would talk to him if Bowser yelled at him or ignored him because he was busy, but this time it was different, and Luigi wanted to know.

"Aw, what happened, Junior? What did you and your dad fight about?" Junior said in his fake voice again he always used it for Luigi.

"Dad was mad at the Princess. She had told him something that really made him angry; I only came in towards the end. She said, 'The only good thing about this place is your son. How I pity the boy for having an awful father like you.'" he said, holding back tears, "Dad is known to fight that Red human Mario and hurt him but I've never seen him hurt the Princess before. He always broke an item or shot fire outside - shot, I've even seen him punch the wall. But he grabbed her and shook her so badly that I think he bruised her from how he grabbed her." he said, tumbling as he spoke. Luigi saw a side of the Koopa prince that he never knew, the side of being scared of his dad for the first time that broke even his own heart.

"I tried pushing him away from her but he told me that this was between them. I got mad and yelled at him to stop hurting mom. That made them both stop, and the Princess told me that she would never be my mom. Dad pushed her back in her room before locking it, and tried to make me happy by saying that she was just mad but I didn't believe him." he started to cry again, "Mr. Wooden-Doll, I just want to have a mom sniff I just want my dad to be happy" he cried hugging Luigi as he got under the cover and cried himself to sleep.

Luigi's heart broke even more for Junior. He and Bowser were lonely people who felt the same way Luigi did; they were just going about it the wrong way. Luigi let out a sigh before he made a decision: he was going to move around Junior. The Koopa had magic, it wouldn't be odd if he came to life, and it would be nice to talk to someone - even if it was just a kid. So tonight, he would stay as Mr. Wooden-Doll; tomorrow, he would be Luigi the Nutcracker.

Junior woke up late, not in the mood to wake up. He could smell the food they brought in while asleep, but he didn't want food either. So instead, he pulled the cover over his head, moving his tiny arm to find Mr. Wooden-Doll, but when he couldn't feel him, he got up from bed.

"Mr. Wooden-doll, where are you?" he asks as if the doll would answer him; he jumps to the floor and looks under his bed to see if it is down there.

"Why are you down there? I'm up here," said a voice that sounded like the red human but on a higher pitch. Junior got to his feet and looked on his nightstand; he saw his food and Mr. Wooden-Doll with a fork in its hand. "Morning, Junior," he said

"Oh wow, Mr. Wooden-Doll! You can talk!" Junior said with joy, happy his wish had come true. "I can do more than talk," Luigi said, "I can move, jump, and help with your problems," he said with the same accent that the Red human uses. Junior jumped up and down joyfully, thinking this was the answer to all his problems.

"Mr. Wooden-Doll, I'm so happy! Let me take you to my dad, that way you can help him too!" he said, but before he could grab Luigi, he moved back.

"Hold on Junior. There are some rules and something you should know about first." Luigi explain

"Like what?" he questions

"Well, for starters, my name is Luigi. That way you don't have to keep calling me Mr. Wooden-Doll." he said, as Junior said, 'Ah.' "Second, I know that Koopa can use magic but if anyone else sees me then they may think I'm evil."

"But grandpa said that's why we use magic."

"But that doesn't mean that your grandpa was the one that brought me to life."

Junior was a bit confused by that. What does Luigi mean that magic wasn't used for evil? Or the fact that maybe it wasn't his grandpa that brought him to life? Does that mean that someone else can use magic?

"I don't really understand what you're trying to say, Mr. Wood- I mean Luigi, but we can skip that part for now. What else do I need to know?" he asked; he never really had a toy that came to life or one that had someone else magic, but he'll work with it.

"I have three simple rules; One, you can't tell anyone that I can talk or move. That way no one can take me away from you. Two, if you leave me anywhere - and I mean anywhere - let me come back to the room by myself. I don't want you to get in trouble if you left me somewhere you shouldn't have left me. And the last rule is, "he said as he took his wooden hat off and pulled out a tiny purple gem to hand Junior, "Don't ever let the glow from this gem go out or I go back to being a normal Nutcracker."

Junior looked at this tiny gem he had to hold with his claws. It was old and looked like it was broken off of something else, but he mainly relied on the fact that the gem was weak. Its light was fading to the point that there was almost no more light; it fleshed very slowly as if it would stop any moment; this made Junior worried.

"How am I supposed to keep it glowing if it looks like it's about to go out?" he said with a sad voice.

"With magic," Luigi said, "it doesn't matter what kind, as long as it has magic. If you or your dad breathes fire on it once a day - even a little then it shows work," he explained. Of course, Junior can't really breathe fire, but he'll think of something. After all, He can lie a little to his dad and grandpa. He nodded to that before putting out his hand so Luigi could stand on it. When he did, Junior shared a smile with him.

"Ok Luigi, I promise to keep this between us. For now let's get a bit more magic before I show you the castle. Don't want you getting lost." he said as he ran out of his room to start the day.