The Nutcracker (Flash Fic)

There was laughter and merriment. Smells of cider and smiles. Your Nutcracker construct clacks away and your friends cheer. The memory passes as a chill wind brings you back. A tower of wood and paint clacks before you. You force back the memory of their screams. Time to end it.

You lead it here, to the Glass Reaches. It followed the bodies, your brutal sins to fix your biggest mistake. One wrong rune, that's all it took to change your life, the world. Each new victim you fed it made it stronger but if you failed here at least it could feed no longer.

With a blade made of blessed walnut wood, coated in blood enchanted almond shells, you strike. It creaks with effort and smashes you back. Hunger and fury radiate from it, creating vortexes of snow around you. It is stronger than you expected and you are old; heavy with regrets.

The goliath nutcracker slowly opens it's maw. crunching the air with a blast of soul energy. There are ghostly screams as the wave of crushed life energy blasts you further back. You're not strong enough, it's too large, too strong. The mouth slowly pulls open for another blast.

Your mind pulls back your friends, your found family. The last night before this abomination ruined it all. There was love among all but you remember the courage, the fear, the kiss most of all. One wrapped you up in them, pressing you close, and loving you deeply that night.

Courage. You remember it and it carries you. The mouth of the fiend is nearly a full scream when you rocket towards it, calling on your own soul to feed the magic lift. You barely land as the teeth click into place. It is wet, hot, alive. Down to a knee you brace the blade upward

The jaw clicks, and rockets up, impaling the sword in the roof of the mouth. The energy would have blasted you out if it didn't crush you body inside. The colossus shakes and screams. It doesn't matter, you can't hear, can't feel anything in your broken frame. It falls back.

There is only cold wind now. You're broken, dying. There is no forgiveness for what you have done, no acceptance for the means, no retribution in the end. There is only an end and a memory. You feel the warmth of them, the softness of their lips as the snow buries your mistakes.