“Well, it’s gonna have to be my turn one of these days. Might as well be now,” says Vin. He seems a little subdued and doesn’t show too many emotions but anyone who looked his way as the previous transformations were happening could see the fascination in his eyes. He has been looking forward to his turn, even if he doesn’t want to admit that.

To stop the Rat King’s army and keep his evil at bay

We need a brave soldier to defend us come what may

Eliza perks up. “Oooh, I love that story!” she cheers excitedly.

    Vin has a puzzled look on his face. “Story?” he asks while he slowly begins shrinking down a little.

    Emilia, who has been happily admiring herself a little with her new sweater that had been Lisa on the day before, now looks a little shocked. “You don’t know it?”

    Upon Vin’s blank stare, Serena speaks up. “The Nutcracker, dude,” she says.

    “Oh! Isn’t that just a song?” Vin asks while his shrinking continues. He is already at least a head shorter than before and it shows no signs of stopping any time soon. At the same time, his clothes are even starting to change a little as well. His shirt and vest are merging together into a red outfit while his hair begins forming what looks to be a hat.

    “It’s a ballet, and a story,” says Vin.

    “Really? Huh… and I’m becoming this nutcracker?” asks Vin. It is beginning to look quite obvious that his skin is also shifting into wood. His fingers merge together into an approximation of a hand while all of his joints are turning into literal ball joints. He is now about half of his original size but unlike all of the shrinking the previous transformers have done, his clothes are simply shrinking with him.

    “Look at your hip,” says Johann.

    Curiously, Vin looks down. He seems to have a little bit of trouble doing so as his neck has started vanishing while the conversion into wood spreads over his body and just barely he is able to spot the sword that has appeared on his hip. “Cool!” he says as he uses his wooden arms to reach for the sword. However, his hands are kind of useless as hands now and so he can only really hold it on the sword’s hilt.

    His legs are stiffening more and more as the wood continues to spread. His outfit is fully merging into his body, turning wooden as well. Of course, this results in further restrictions of his movement. As the transformation spreads into his face, it is becoming quite clear that his voice is going to be taken away from him soon. Something that Vin realizes as well himself. All the while, he is shrinking down until he is but a foot in length.

    While his mouth is starting to turn wooden and is forced open, he speaks his final words. “I’ll… defeat… the Rat…. King.” With that, the transformation sweeps over the rest of his face. His eyes become painted on imitations and there is even the inclusion of a moustache now. His mouth is big enough now for walnuts to be inserted into, just to crack them.

    The curious thing is the fact that his limbs are actually still mobile. The wooden ball joints are movable by anyone. Well, anyone but Vin himself. He no longer has the ability to move on his own. A frozen doll to be used as a nutcracker. A novelty item based on the ballet of the nutcracker, ready to fight the Rat King.

    “So,” I say while I bring out a bowl of walnuts. “Anyone hungry?”

    Chloe is the first to step forwards. “I am!” she says. She grabs the former Vin and uses him to crack open the first walnut with his mouth. Afterwards, most of the remaining people here follow suit.

    “He could make a nice gift under the Christmas tree, huh?” says Helen.

    “I couldn’t agree more,” I respond to her.