Phasma lead them down the hall to the largest sleigh Rey had ever seen. It was made of black molded sugar with silver foil trim and runners, with three very big reindeer pulling it. Leia cast the mouse spell on them again, making them all resemble the Mouse Army. Rey wasn't sure she liked that. Her short brown fur itched, people kept stepping on her tail, and she had a weird craving for Gouda the entire trip.
She looked over the side as the landscape rushed by her. She'd had no idea what time it was when they found her, but from the looks of things, it was the middle of the night when she left. The winged horses that pulled the carriage just couldn't go fast enough! Her head was too filled with thoughts to enjoy the beauty of the landscape below her as it changed from the blacks and browns of the Land of the First Order to the brilliant pastels of the Land of Sweets. She tried to sleep, but her dreams were filled with mice in black robes stabbing fairies in the heart while she watched and the Nutcracker burned.
“Foil-covered chocolate coin for your thoughts?” The Nutcracker's gentle voice nudged her back into wakefulness. “Are you ok? You were sort of moaning in your sleep.”
“No, not really.” She shifted in the carriage. “Aren't you tired?”
He shrugged. “I'm a toy. We don't need to sleep. Besides, I think we're almost there.”
The light outside was getting brighter and brighter. She could see the sun slowly rising over the Dark Chocolate Mountains. The early morning sun cast long, deep shadows over the biggest castle Rey had ever seen. It was made entirely of gingerbread, from the walls to the peaked roofs that were covered in pale green icing. Candies of every description decorated the sides. Two black licorice ropes held up the long drawbridge.
The whole town was gingerbread houses. They put the small cottage she, Maz, and Jess had worked on at home two days before to shame. There were great mansions, stables, churches, and even department stores and businesses, every last one made of gingerbread and icing. The pine trees were piles of green whipped cream. The cobblestone streets were hard candy. Rey was getting hungry just looking at it.
As soon as they landed, they managed to separate themselves from the rest of the group down an alley. “What are we going to do with her?” The Nutcracker still held Phasma's arm.
Leia's dark eyes glittered. “Where's the nearest opening to the sewers?”
The Nutcracker echoed her grin. “Down by Cadbury's Department Store.”
“Good.” Leia waved her wand. The first wave restored them to their regular forms. The second lifted Phasma in the air, ignoring her angry squawks. They followed Leia's light until it reached a thick foil-covered circle in the road. The glittering purple light surrounded the lid until it was large enough for Phasma. The other deposited her in it and slammed the lid shut.
Leia put her wand away. “There! Took out the trash.”
Rey and the Nutcracker followed her down the alley. The girl grinned at her. “Where did you get that idea?”
The older fairy hovered just a few centimeters off the ground as she lead them down dark back streets. “I was held prisoner by King Vader many years ago. He destroyed Alderaan, the Land of the Fairies, in order to get me to tell him the location of the First Candy Army. Han, Chewbacca, and my brother tried to rescue me, but they weren't very good at it. I lead them out through the sewers.”
“Speaking of...” The Nutcracker pushed the two women aside as more mouse troops marched past them. A tall figure covered in a heavy black wool cape was being lead by a masked Kylo Ren and the red mouse...who looked, Rey thought, an awful lot like her brother's friend Hux with whiskers and round ears.
Leia closed her eyes, her hand held over her heard. She lifted her wand, letting a thin stream of purple light go to the cloaked figure. It turned around...and Rey could see the bumps on his back that the cape smothered and a few wisps of silver and white hair. She swore it actually stared right at them. When the light tried to flow around the cape, the fabric absorbed it instead.
“Han,” Leia whispered. “That cloak is made from no-magic velvet. It smothers and absorbs any magic or light that tries to penetrate it. Ben...Kylo Ren is taking no chances.”
“Make way for the King!” The largest carriage Rey had ever seen, lead by a team of six reindeer, followed the prisoner and his guards. The girl's eyes widened when she saw who sat in the back with Hux and Ben.
Rey gasped. “Snoke!” It couldn't have been anyone else. Even as a mouse, he was old and gray and wrinkly. His beady black eyes were sharp, though, and his crooked whiskers twitched. His eyes darted here and there, seeing all. His guards lead him to two gingerbread thrones, one smaller than the other, on the back of the platform. He settled down, leering at the crowds. He held a long, heavy black rock candy staff with a mouse head carved on the end.
“How are we going to get to him?” The Nutcracker poked his head out. “This place is swarming with soldiers. It's three-fourths mice.”
Rey agreed. “We're going to need a distraction.”
The twang of a guitar and castanets in the center of the square answered that question. A group of toys in fancy Spanish costumes were dancing to a lively tune. “Citizens of the Land of Sweets!” The short man strumming the guitar hid his curls under a wide-brimmed black hat, but the laid-back smile gave Commander Poe away. “We have gathered some of our finest performers to put on a show for our great leader King Snoke!”
Kylo Ren turned his intimidating helmet to the performers. “Oh please. We need to get on with the execution.”
Snoke's nasty little smile chilled Rey to the bone. “Why not? We'll need time to set up the execution and ceremony, and Father Christmas has yet to arrive. Perhaps a little amusement might be in order.”
Rey didn't know how Poe had gotten the toys from the mines in time, but she was glad he had. He played a Spanish folk song while dancing with a lovely lady in a frilly red gown. Chinese soldiers jumped out of giant teapots. Jessika and the Candied Fruit Soldiers played reed flutes while they danced. Snap and the Russian Trepak officers performed a wild folk dance. Mother Maz arrived with her cookie children under her cake dress. They tumbled and spun dizzily into each other. Two Arabian Coffee dancers slinked around each other in a pas de deux that was so sensual, Rey blushed.
“I wish they could keep distracting them forever.” The Nutcracker managed a grin as he clapped for the Coffee dancers. “They're really good! Poe should take them on the road after this is all over.”
“Look!” Rey pointed to the square. The mouse soldiers had moved away from Han to watch the show. There were only two holding onto him now.
Leia nodded. “Let's go.”
They stuck to the shadows as much as possible, even as they grew longer in the early morning light. “We have to go fast!” The Nutcracker grabbed Rey's hand. She looked down at it, frowning. “The moment it gets to Christmas Day, they'll start the ceremony!”
“Wait!” Leia hurried to them. “There's something wrong here...”
But Rey was already disarming one of the mice. The Nutcracker smacked the other over the head with the butt of his sword. “Han! Cavalier! Are you all right?”
“No!” Leia's shocked voice was loud enough to hear over the music. “That's not him! It's...”
“Hello, Nutcracker.” Kylo Ren...Prince Ben...removed his hood. “I had the feeling you'd be coming back to us.”
“Han! Where is he?” Leia raised her wand...but a dull black light yanked it out of her hand.
“I wouldn't do that if I were you, Your Majesty.” Her wand flew into Snoke's grasp as he stood. Leia's eyes were filled with an furious fire, even when the ugly old mouse kissed her hand. “I would be honored if you'd become my queen. You're an uncommonly strong fairy, with a good head for ruling. Between the two of us, we could bring our two lands to their knees!”
“After everything you've done, to my family, our land, and our people?” The dark eyes glared daggers that would have cut Snoke in the heart, if he had one. “I'd rather die!”
He raised Leia's chin. “That can be arranged, my dear.” He grabbed her shoulders and forced her into the smaller throne.
Rey started towards them, but she was immediately surrounded by fifteen rock candy swords and lances. The Nutcracker was luckier. He decked Ben in the face and took off into the shadows. She hoped he was getting help.
Ren narrowed his eyes as he rubbed his chin. “Just for that, I think we can eliminate those performers. I know they're the Candy Army in a rather bad disguise. We just got word that there was a break-out at the salt and pepper mines. Many toys were freed, including members of the Army.” The black-clad fairy raised his red wand. Bright red lights swirled around the candy dancers. Poe managed to hurry into an alley, but Jessika, Snap, and the remaining soldiers stiffened and became wooden toy dolls, animals, and nutcrackers.
“Is that what you did to the Nutcracker?” Rey stared at Prince Ben in horror. “He got in your way, so you turned him into a toy? Was he human once, too?” She suddenly wished she hadn't eaten all that cheese. Every morsel seemed to tighten in the pit of her stomach.
Prince Ben only gave her a lopsided smirk that looked remarkably like his father's. “Maybe.”
Another cloaked figure was dragged from the crowd and onto the platform. “Leia!” Han Solo's unmistakably gruff voice croaked from under the hood. “Are you all right? Have they hurt you?”
“No, they haven't.” Leia gazed longingly at her husband. “Han, what have they done to you? Your wings...”
Han gave her a weak version of his famous smile. “I'll be ok, sweetheart.”
“This is so banal.” Hux rolled his eyes as he removed the mouse mask and black tunic he'd been wearing. He and Prince Ben shoved Han onto the platform. The red-furred mouse whipped the cloak off. Han's blue and red wings unfurled...butt they were limp and faded, a far cry from their glistening beauty in the ballroom. His wrists remained bound in iron chains and manacles.
Snoke clutched Leia's hand in a vice grip. Two mice had already thrown the black cloak over her shoulders. It took two more to hold a horrified Rey back. “Citizens of the Land of Sweets!” The evil Mouse King raised his staff. “Today, Christmas Day, marks the beginning of a new era for our lands, one in which the Land of Sweets and the Land of the First Order will be united!” He nodded at Ben, whose candy wand grew into the jagged red sword. “There will no longer be room for useless malcontents like this weak creature before me. All Christmas magic will belong to the mice of the First Order!”
As the Mouse King droned on, Rey thought she saw three figures – one wooden, one tall and furry, one small, with curly dark hair and wearing a red bolero costume – trying to sneak along the edges of the crowd. A black-painted wooden mitt pointed at the platform. She swore she heard Chewie's distinctive roar over the crowd.
“No!” Leia and Rey shrieked at the same time as Ben raised his sword over Han's wings. Leia turned to Snoke. “I won't let you do this!” She tried to run to Han, but Snoke threw his wand in front of her. “I love him! I've never loved anymore more!”
Han only gave her a small smile. “I know.”
“Agree to be my queen, then.” Snoke's toothy smile was cruel. “Become my bride, and I'll set him free. We could use strong bodies like his in the salt and pepper mines.”
Leia pushed Snoke aside. “Never! I'd wouldn't marry you if you were the last available male in both lands! I wouldn't marry you if you were young and handsome, which you probably never were. The only man I ever wanted is kneeling on that platform.”
“Leia!” Han tried to stand, but Hux and Ben forced him back down. “Forget it, Snoke. We ain't gonna give you what you want.”
Snoke wrapped his arms around Leia, holding his staff to her throat. “Do it, Ren!” he hissed over his shoulder. “Cut the Cavalier's wings! Kill him!”
Ben's slender white hands were shaking, but his face was impassive. His sharp sword hovered over Han's back. He raised his sword...the red light flashed...Rey screamed...Han gasped...
There were shocked yells in the crowd. A candy cane arrow whizzed over her head. Ben barely managed to duck away from it, but it did manage to scratch his shoulder. Blue lights flashed as the Nutcrackler leaped onto the platform, using Anakin's blue rock candy sword and his hardened body to protect the helpless male fairy.
“Oh no, you don't.” Poe rushed in after him, holding a candy cane bow and arrow of his own. “You will never take us alive, Snoke! We will fight you until the Sweet Soda Pop River goes sour!”
Rey raised her eyebrows. “What are you doing here? How did you all get here from the salt and pepper mines?”
Poe gave Chewbacca a scratch on the back that made him nearly purr. “We convinced Chewie's fellow stuffed animals to help us save others. Mother Maz gave us ride. You never lived until you have seen world from the top of a cake dress!”
“You!” Ben glared at the Nutcracker. “You've interfered for the last time, you useless piece of trash!”
“I'm not afraid of you anymore, Ren.” The Nutcracker somehow managed to grit his wooden teeth. “This fairy is one of the few beings who was ever good to me. I won't let you hurt him!”
The Nutcracker wasn't a bad swordsman, but Rey suspected he wasn't at Ren's level. Even with a damaged shoulder, Ren was still too fast for the wooden soldier. She gasped as the two leaped over the platform, fighting in the shocked crowd.
The two mice who were supposed to be holding onto her were as entranced with the duel as the rest of the toys and candy in the square. She took advantage of the distraction to elbow one of the mice, then step hard on the other's foot. The moment they squawked, a pair of furry paws grabbed them and knocked them together. Their heads clattered, leaving them both unconscious.
Rey grinned as Chewbacca appeared behind the now-sleeping mice. “Thanks, Chewie! You were wonderful.” The giant bear nodded and gave her a great big hug.
Poe tossed her the candy cane bow. “Here you are, Senorita Rey! I fight better with fists!” He proceeded to prove this by decking three mice into each other like dominoes.
“We'll go get Han.” Rey almost literally shoved Chewbacca to the back of the platform. “We'll need help to get to Leia and the rest of the Candy Army.”
“You watch out, Senorita.” Poe frowned. “That Ren, he is full of tricks. Snoke is too. Don't let them get in your head.” Chewie growled his agreement.
“I'll be all right.” She gave them a lopsided smile that looked a great deal like her father's. “I can take care of myself.”
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