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Chapter 5, Part 1: Candy Companions and Crooks

The white light vanished, and __________ opened her eyes.
She and the nutcracker were standing in the middle of a pine forest. Snow covered everything in a frosty blanket. _________ looked down at her slippered feet, and shook off the layer of snow that covered them.
She looked back up at the trees surrounding her, then gasped.
“What is it?” Gamzee asked, looking at her curiously.
__________ walked over to the nearest tree and touched it.
The tree was completely made out of peppermint. The trunk was striped white and red, while the pine needles were white and green.
“Wow,” _________ breathed, taken aback by its beauty.
Gamzee approached her from behind and prompted, “Go ahead. Try one. They’re quite delicious. Motherfucking fireworks to the tastebuds.”
_________ tentatively leaned forward, then licked the trunk of the tree. She pulled back and licked her lips.
“Wow, that’s good!” she gasped, happy.
Gamzee smiled at her, overtaken by her joy. He looked around them and observed, “By the looks of it, we’re in Peppermint Pines. This is one of the territories on the edge of the Candy Kingdom. We’re in Monsieur Mint’s territory!....If he’s still in power,” he added gravely.
“Where do we need to go?” ________ asked, walking away from the tree to join Gamzee.
Gamzee wet his finger and held it up in the air, testing for the wind’s direction. He pointed straight ahead and told __________, “The wind is blowing North. That’s where the King’s castle will be. C’mon!”
He held _________’s hand and led her through the forest.
___________ was thankful that she had worn something warm to bed, or else she would be freezing. Her thermal tights kept her legs warm, while her long sleeved nightgown kept her torso and arms warm. She wished she had a coat, but she would worry about that later.
___________ couldn’t get over how spectacular the forest was! An entire forest made out of peppermint! It was beyond her wildest dreams.
“Are the people fat here?” ________ asked on a whim.
“Huh?” Gamzee asked, startled by her random question.
“Well, since there’s so much candy here, don’t the people eat it all the time? I know I would. I kind of want to right now….”
Gamzee suddenly stopped and ________ bumped right into him.
“Oh well, we don’t have to stop right now, it was just a joke….” _______ said, rubbing her sore nose.
“Look,” Gamzee said, nodding ahead.
_________ peered around him and gasped.
Before the nutcracker and __________ was an entire village made out of peppermint bark. Gumdrops and frosting decorated the cute houses and buildings. The place smelled glorious.
It would’ve been the quintessential definition of “cute”, had the whole place not been completely empty.
“Where….where is everybody?” _______ asked, peering around to see if she could locate anybody.
“Hmmm….strange,” Gamzee muttered. He turned to _________ and said, “Let’s investigate.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if whatever got them gets us?!” ________ worried, clutching Gamzee’s uniform tightly.
“We won’t let it catch us. We’ll be sneaky, like kit-cats,” he said, trying to ease her mind.
“Kit-cats?” she asked, confused. “Do you mean cats?”
“You don’t call them kit-cats?” he asked, shocked.
She giggled and walked ahead of him, stepping into the village. He shook the shocked look on his face and followed her.
They walked through the village cautiously. It looked like the villagers had just vanished; cooking fires were still burning and lights were still on. It was creepy, to say the least.
Suddenly, they heard a rustling noise inside one of the buildings.
Gamzee drew out his sword and scanned the area, on guard.
They waited.
Five soldiers burst out of the building, startling __________ and Gamzee. The two of them screamed and ran through the village. They noticed that the soldiers were wearing black uniforms; the Troll King’s soldiers.
They almost reached the end of the village when three more soldiers darted out of an alley and blocked their path.
Gamzee skidded to a halt and ran to the side, pulling ________ with him. They ran up to a house and tried to open the door, but it was locked. Gamzee tried kicking it, but the peppermint bark was too solid to break.
__________ looked behind her and saw the soldiers closing in. Gamzee noticed this too and put _________ behind him, blocking her from the soldiers.
“Hey, I can protect myself too, you know!” she said, indignant.
“Who has the motherfucking weapon?” he retorted.
She grumbled, mad he won the argument.
“Well, look who we’ve got here?” one of the soldiers taunted. “The Nutcracker and his companion.”
“Troll King Kurloz will be pleased with us if we bring the nutcracker back to him,” another soldier said giddily.
“What about the girl?” another asked.
“We’ll dispose of her,” the first soldier said, laughing wickedly.
Gamzee growled at them. “You will do no such thing!”
“You’re outnumbered, boy,” the soldier reminded, drawing out his sword. “Now, we’re going to arrest you two and bring you to the Troll King. Nothing’s going to save you now!”
Something hit the back of his head, and he passed out, falling to the ground.
The soldiers, spooked, looked around them, trying to figure out who had thrown that.
Suddenly, a triumphant crowing echoed through the village.
One of the soldiers pointed to the building across from them. “Up there! On the roof!”
Gamzee and _______ looked up at the building across from them. Two figures stood on the roof, but it was hard to make out their silhouettes.
One of them tossed what looked like a rock up and down in their hands. “Now, I suggest you leave these two alone, or else you’ll end up like your little friend there,” the figure with the rock called out in a masculine voice.
“You will pay for assaulting the Troll King’s army!” one of the soldiers cried, approaching the building.
A smaller figure next to the first pulled a slingshot out and pelted the soldier with a rock. The soldier collapsed on the floor.
“Who’s next?” the figure said teasingly.
The soldiers ran at the building. The two figures jumped down its’ side and disappeared into the alley. All the soldiers ran into the alley. There was the sound of struggle and fighting, then it stopped.
Gamzee and _________ cautiously stepped away from the building, approaching the alley.
Two victorious cries were heard and the mysterious figures ran out of the alley.
____________’s eyes bugged out of her head when she saw that the figures looked exactly like Rufioh and Nepeta.
The Rufioh figure was wearing his typical outfit, but the color scheme was white, gold, and dark brown. He wore a Peter Pan like cap on his head; it was tan and it had an orange feather sticking out of it.
The Nepeta figure wore dark gold cowhide pants and a maroon long-sleeved blouse. She also had a brown leather vest over her blouse, brown leather gloves, and brown boots. A beige mask covered her eyes, and a utility belt hung at her hips. Her claws were attached to her gloves, out from her recent scuffle.
“Are you two okay?” the Rufioh guy asked, panting.
“We’re fine, thanks to you guys!” _________ thanked, smiling at him.
“No problem, doll,” he replied, grinning sheepishly.
“We would’ve been diced licorice if you hadn’t shown up,” Gamzee said, putting his sword away.
“Anyone who’s an enemy of the Troll King is a friend of ours!” the Nepeta look-alike said, sheathing her claws. She held her hand out for Gamzee to shake and greeted, “I’m Nuget Nepeta, and this is my partner Rootbear Rufioh.”
“Nice to meet you,” _________ said, shaking Nepeta’s hand instead.
Rufioh got a closer look at Gamzee, then gasped. “Oh my god, it’s you!”
Gamzee gave him a confused look. “It’s...me?”
“You’re the nutcracker! The former King’s Captain who rebelled against the Troll King!” Rufioh recapped. He got down on his knees and bowed into the snow. “I worship you!”
“Uh……” Gamzee trailed off, not knowing whether to be flattered or creeped out.
“What he means is,” Nepeta interjected, “you’re a legend! You’ve inspired people all throughout the land to rebel against the Troll King and his followers. We’re following your footsteps!”
“Wow, I’m….so motherfucking honored,” Gamzee said, placing his hand over his chest.
“So, where is everybody?” ________ asked Nepeta and Rufioh.
Rufioh got up and brushed the snow off his horns. “We don’t know, doll. They disappeared about a week ago. Nep and I were out getting some firewood for the village, and when we got back, everyone was gone. We’ve been waiting here since, in case someone came back.”
“That’s awful. I’m sorry,” _________ apologized sympathetically.
“It’s alright. We’ll find them,” Nepeta said hopefully.
“Do you know your way out of the forest?” Gamzee asked.
“Does a fruitcake rise with plums?” Rufioh asked sarcastically.
Gamzee laughed and said, “Right, well, would you please show us the way?”
“Sure!” Nepeta agreed. “As sure as powdered sugar tops cookies!”
I don’t understand a single word these people are saying, _________ mentally griped.
Rufioh and Nepeta started walking to the edge of the village. “C’mon!” they called.
Gamzee and _______ began to follow them; _________ noticed a piece of cloth sticking out one of the ground windows of a building. She approached it and pulled the cloth. It was a __(favorite color)___ coat. She put it on; it fit her perfectly. She also noticed a pair of black hiking boots hidden under a pile of logs. She pulled them out, observing that they were her size. She put them on and walked back to the road. Ah yes; much better than her flimsy slippers.
“Coming?” Gamzee asked her.
She turned to him and nodded, happily flushing now that she was warm.
He liked how her blush colored her face.
The four new companions set off, on their way out of the forest.
Unbeknownst to them, a soldier stumbled out of the alley. He looked at their retreating figures, then fled the opposite way.
He had some news for the Troll King.