A Nutcracker and the Beast

Chapter 5: Sugar Plum Fairy Dance

Junior wanted to know what happened yesterday. He was worried sick when he saw Peach faint as his dad took her back to her room. He wanted to know, but no one was telling him anything. Neither his dad nor Peach hasn't told him anything once she worked. Junior was increasingly upset by this, and Luigi picked up on it.

"Hey, little guy, something troubling you?" Luigi asked, looking up at Junior as he sat on his bed. Junior sighed as he looked down at Luigi, wondering why no one would tell him.

"I was worried about Peach...and no one will tell me what happened." He said. He watches as Luigi's face grows worried before it turns guilty. Luigi turned away before he spoke, making Junior confused.

"I...may know what happened to her...." Junior jumped off his bed, grabbing Luigi and making him yelp.

"What happened?!" He yelled, shaking Luigi.

"Please-stop-shaking-me!" Luigi yelled. Junior did as told, waiting for Luigi to stop spinning in his hand.

"Thank you, but please don't do that again." He said before continuing, "Remember how I explained how everyone only gets one wish?"

"Yeah"

"Well there are more rules to those wishes."

"What kind of rules? What are the rules with you?!" Junior asked, shaking him again. Luigi was whipping, starting to cry. Junior stopped, feeling bad that he began to shake him again. "I'm sorry..." he said, putting Luigi down. Fearful, Luigi ran behind the dresser in case Junior tried grabbing him again.

"I-it's fine. I understand w-why you're mad...b-b-but! I can explain it a bit more." Luigi said, shaking as he tried to calm down. "With a wish...depending on what kind. It can give others an...effect."

"What kind of effect?"

"Well, for starters, one of the effects is that no one remembers me" Junior stopped to think about that. If no one remembers Luigi, then what about him?

"That makes no sense. I remember you, is it because I wish you were alive?"

"Sort of... it's because of the gem I gave you," Luigi said, "When you wish me alive I need...a heart! And the gem is just that, it keeps me alive and it makes it so that only you know I'm here and it gives people...negative effects."

"Like how no one can remember you."

"Yes, right on the nail," Luigi said with a smile. Junior sat on the floor thinking, did seeing Luigi yesterday cause Peach to faint? After all, it was just Luigi and him in the garden, but this brought up another question, what about his dad? What negative effect does seeing Luigi have on him? Not to mention the gem that Junior now holds. What will happen if he loses it? What would happen if he gave it to his dad and Peach? So many questions were going through his head that he didn't know which one to ask first.

"Ouchy, my head hurts from all this info and all these new questions I have!" Junior said as he rubbed his head.

"We don't have to talk about it!" Then, as he emerged from behind the dresser, Luigi said, "Why don't we do something else? Like, um...a dance?"

"Hmmm, it would be a nice break for my head. But dancing? Really?" Junior asked. He was a bit self-conscious due to the shape of his body. He loves to move and shake his tail to the beat, but when people start staring, he becomes self-conscious.

"We don't have to!" Luigi corrected him, "It was just my first idea that I thought of...what do you want to do?"

Junior thought of some ideas. Checking on Peach, pulling pranks on people around the castle, staying in his room and painting, planning how to help his dad with Peach, and even taking his Clown Car and flying out to the nearby village to show Luigi more of the Darkland. But his ideas kept going back to dancing, then to the thought that he and Luigi were just doing what he wanted. Junior has been carrying him around to show him his home in the last week and a half. Luigi followed along with his ideas of setting his dad up with Peach or the little pranks they had already done. This was the first time Luigi suggested something.

"Tell me about yourself." Junior said Luigi was caught off guard by this. He pulled a worried face before looking up at Junior.

"There's not too much to know but I'll try to give as much info as I can..." Luigi trails off, waiting to see what Junior asks.

"You suggest we dance. Do you like dancing?" Junior ask

"Very much so," Luigi said, his face a little less stressed. "I know a few dance styles."

"What kind do you know?"

"I know, tap dance," Luigi said as he tapped his feet on the ground. "A folk dance we call the tarantella, waltz, and swing. All which need more than one person. And my newest favorite, Ballet."

"Ballet? You mean the one where they wear tight and on their tippy toes?"

"Yes, that's the same one," Luigi said, as he couldn't help and get on his own tiptoes. Junior watches as Luigi kicks his leg slightly, always going out slowly before he pulls them back up to his knees. His arms are out in a circle by his hips, and his feet go up and down as they cross one another. Junior got to his own feet when Luigi started to spin, kicking his leg out, seeming that he'll never stop spinning. Finding this fascinating and exciting, Junior wanted to copy Luigi. He stood up as straight as he could, put his arms in a circle, and tried to do what Luigi had done with his feet. So far, Junior was only going up and down on his toes, unable to cross them.

"How did you do that? The whole crossing your feet?" Junior ask

"Watch this," Luigi said, putting his heels back to back. Junior did the same, finding it odd to do it like that.

"First, you go up with your toes," Luigi explained, as he did as he said by going up, "and when you come down, bend the knees and put your right heel in front of your left heel."

"Like this?" Junior asked as he went up on his toes, almost falling over but catching himself, as he bent his knees and placed his right heel in front of his left.

"That's it!" Luigi said, both of them sharing a smile. Junior copies Luigi again when he goes up and places his left heel in front of his right. Both could be heard giggling and laughing as Luigi showed Junior some easier ballet moves. Finally, Junior fell to the ground as he tried to spin, letting out a giggle as he stayed sitting.

"Who knew that this girly dance was so fun!" Junior said, catching his breath.

"It's not girly if everyone dances," Luigi corrects him, "it's only girly if you let it be."

"Can you keep dancing for me? I want to see you perform!" Junior asked him, which made Luigi bow.

"Of course, this dance is called...' Sugar Plum Fairy,'" Luigi told him as Junior clapped his hands. It was slow and elegant as Luigi danced at first, only picking up slightly as the dance ended. Junior claps as he asks for an echo, making Luigi dance again. He even throws in some other dances, all of which Junior watches.

It was the first time in years that Luigi felt like a Human. There's been a lot of down, but today was by far his favorite day, to the point that if he were to die that night or no one ever remembers - at least there will be one who remembers. Junior would remember that Luigi was smiling till the end.