As they flew over the landscape, Celestia peered over the side of the sled. She saw fields of peppermint and sugarcane, orchards of cocoa trees, all farmed by toy stallions and mares. Their villages were made of charming gingerbread houses, the streets paved with pieces of hard candy. Soon, the walls of the magnificent castle were in view. Celestia stared, enchanted, at the sparkling, sugar powdered towers that rose up on top of the hill before them. As they flew over the streets, she could see people packed into each and every one, making their way to the heart of the castle. The angles guided their sled to the very middle of the central courtyard, landing in a neat circle around them.
The crowds gathered around in the courtyard cheered as Celestia and Nutcracker stepped out of the sled. He looped his front leg around her waist and hugged her tightly to his side.
"This will probably get a little overwhelming for you," he whispered to her. "Just try to remember that they are all very excited by the Rat King's defeat. I will be right here beside you."
She nodded and looked up into his beautiful face. Suddenly, she was very glad she had kept on her makeup. It was bad enough that she was attending a party in only her nightgown, and there was no way she could compare her own face to Nutcracker's smooth, pale skin and gorgeous eyelashes. Riveted by his handsome features, she couldn't make herself look away.
He smiled gently under her gaze. "Ready, my love?" he said, gesturing to the path that had opened up through the crowd. Startled back to reality, she moved his front leg so that she could link hers through it.
"Ready."
They both moved through the narrow corridor of ponies, smiling and waving to as many as they could. The pathway led to the largest doorway Celestia had ever seen. It took three stallions to open each door, pushing them inward to reveal a magnificent glittering hall.
The huge room was painted in the palest pastels and decorated with copious amounts of gold and crystals. On the far side of the room, atop a raised dais, stood two ornate gold thrones. In them sat a mare and a stallion, both equally dazzling in their beauty. Celestia could only guess that they were the queen and king of the kingdom. As she and Nutcracker approached the dais, the stallion stood, offering his hoof to the mare.
"That is the Sugar Plum Princess and her consort," Nutcracker whispered in Celestia's ear. "Her Majesty rules the Land of Sweets." He stopped them just before the steps up to the dais.
With her shimmering violet skirts rustling, the Sugar Plum Princess stepped daintily down to meet them. Her delicate mouth spread into a smile as she left her consort's side to embrace Nutcracker.
"My dear Nutcracker," she sang, "it is so lovely to see you this way at last. I feared you would remain wooden forever!"
"I would have, if not for Celestia," he replied, taking hold of Celestia's hoof again.
The Sugar Plum Princess turned her sweet smile to her. "This must be your dearest Celestia, then, yes?"
She curtsied deeply. "Your Majesty."
The Sugar Plum Princess tutted. "I'll have none of that. You saved our dear friend in that battle. The angels told me the whole story!"
Celestia couldn't help but blush. "All I did was throw a slipper. The Rat King would have killed Nutcracker without even giving him a chance to fight."
Nutcracker took both of her hooves in his own. "And for that I owe you my life," he said gravely.
The Sugar Plum Princess hummed happily as Celestia's blush deepened. She moved back to her consort and slipped her front leg back through his.
"Let in the guests!" she called to the guards at the door.
Once again the impossibly huge doors were pushed open, and people began to pour into the hall. They were all dressed in candy hues, the vivid dresses and suits clashing against each other as the people wearing them mixed and mingled. Celestia had never seen such a dizzying riot of color in all her life.
"Representatives from all of the different territories have arranged to come pay their respects," the Sugar Plum Princess informed them. "Best to stay put for the time being and let them find us."
Nutcracker nodded in agreement. They only had to wait a moment before a page dressed in light purple livery came to announce the first distinguished guest.
"The Andalusian chocolatiers," he said, bowing out of the way.
The couple moved forward, bowing and curtsying first to the Sugar Plum Princess and her consort and then to Nutcracker and Celestia. They wore matching outfits of deep red and black that made their tanned brown skin glow. The stallion held out a large box to Nutcracker.
"It gives us great pleasure to be able to offer these chocolates to our dear Cascanueces, our dear Nutcracker," he said. "The whole kingdom would have felt your loss."
"Gracias, Gustavo, Aleta," Nutcracker said, graciously accepting the box of chocolates. "It gives me much pleasure to be able to receive them."
Everypony had a laugh at that, and the conversation turned to the cocoa farms that Gustavo and Aleta ran. Celestia listened to the sincere questions Nutcracker asked, admiring his genuine interest in the chocolatiers. He seemed to know them and like them well.
Eventually, the page approached again and the couple took their cue to leave. The page stepped up in their place.
"The Saddle Arabian coffee growers," he announced.
Celestia couldn't help but stare in wonder at the fine features of the mare who stepped forward. Her elegant maroon hijab accentuated her high cheekbones and her wide eyes sparkled with warmth. She was flanked by two incredibly large stallions, their muscles visible even through their thick woven robes. As one, they all bowed to The Sugar Plum Princess and her consort and to Nutcracker and Celestia.
The mare produced a small tin from the folds of her kaftan and offered it to Nutcracker.
"Some of our very best coffee to celebrate your success," she said.
"Many thanks, my Lady Senada. It is so lovely to see you again," he responded. Once again he delved into sincere conversation that surprised Celestia. She wondered if he knew all of the dignitaries of the Land of Sweets as well as he knew the chocolatiers and the coffee grower. The two stallions remained silent while Nutcracker spoke to Lady Senada, only coming to whisper in her ear and lead her gently away when the page advanced again. Nutcracker kissed her hoof softly and gave her a bright smile as she left.
"The Ferghana tea-blenders," the page said, introducing the next guests.
Two tiny mares and two spindly stallions shuffled forward, bowing profusely to everyone in turn. Nutcracker was forced to give the box of chocolates and coffee tin to the toy servant who appeared at his elbow as the tea-blenders each presented their own tiny silver box to him.
"Please accept our gifts of tea, Nutcracker," said one of the stallions, tucking his hooves back inside his long sleeves. "They are four of our rarest blends."
"It is an honor to receive such fine offerings from the Lian family," Nutcracker replied, managing to balance all four of the boxes in his hands as he bowed. The siblings looked suitably impressed.
"Each of the teas strengthens important parts of your qi," one of the sisters told him. "The first tea influences your heart, where yourshén, your consciousness, lives."
"The second will strengthen your lungs, which contain your po, your physical soul," the other sister said.
"The third affects your spleen and your yì, or your thought," the first brother said.
"And the final tea will influence your kidneys, which house your zhi, your will," the last brother finished.
Nutcracker nodded respectfully. "I will be sure to drink them wisely. It would be a shame to waste such a gift."
The siblings exchanged another round of bows with the Sugar Plum Princess, her consort, and Nutcracker before taking their leave.
When they had gone, the pagepony once again stepped up to introduce the next dignitaries. Before he could open his mouth, though, Nutcracker broke into a wide grin.
"Mikhail! Valentin!" he said, gripping the two young stallions who had stepped forward in a rough hug. They all laughed, loud and boisterous, and clapped each other on the back.
When they broke apart, the Kabarda brothers turned to the Sugar Plum Princess and her consort and bowed solemnly, their hooves fisted over their hearts.
"It's so delightful to see you boys." The Sugar Plum Princess smiled sincerely. "Well, now, don't let me get in the way of your reunion."
Mikhail once again clapped Nutcracker on the shoulder. "It's good to see you, my friend. Didn't I tell you he'd be handsomer than either of us, Val?" he said, nudging his brother with his back.
"I was so hoping you'd be wrong," Valentin pretended to pout. "Here I always thought I was the attractive one."
When their laughter had died down, Nutcracker slipped his hoof around Celestia's waist. "Celestia, these are my very good friends, Valentin and Mikhail. Their family is in charge of the peppermint production here in the Land of Sweets."
Each of the brothers stooped to kiss Celestia's hoof. "You said she was pretty, but I didn't think she'd be this beautiful," Mikhail said with a wink. She blushed.
Nutcracker pulled her away from the young stallion with mock indignation. "And just when did I give you permission to flirt with my… my…" He trailed off, uncertain what to call her. But before anyone had a chance to say anything else, they were interrupted by a loud and incredibly high-pitched "Yoo-hoo!"
Barreling towards them was a mare who could only be described as enormous. All of her mane was piled up on top of her head, making her already considerable height seem even taller. Her voluminous skirts created a good three-foot barrier around her, pushing the other guests out of the way. She nearly bowled over the Kabarda brothers before they could jump out of the way.
Ignoring them as well as the Sugar Plum Princess, she tottled straight up to Nutcracker.
"Oh my dear boy!" she exclaimed, extending her hooves as far as she could in an attempt to grasp Nutcracker's hooves. He still had to meet her halfway. "How wonderful to see you! The children and I were so worried about you going into battle."
As she spoke, her wide skirts started to rustle. To Celestia's amazement, little children began to emerge from under them. Half a dozen toddlers poked their heads out, running out to hug Nutcracker's shins. He smiled at them and patted their heads as they clung to his pant legs. Mikhail coughed pointedly and inclined his head toward the Sugar Plum Princess, who was looking on somewhat disgruntledly.
The mare put a hoof to her mouth. "Oh, dear, I've been terribly rude, haven't I? Please excuse me, Your Majesty. The children and I were just so excited to see Nutcracker, we couldn't wait any longer!"
"No need to worry, Mother Ginger, you are forgiven," she said sweetly.
Mother Ginger smiled broadly and squeezed Nutcracker's hand that she still held.
"Is this your lovely Celestia?" she asked, turning her smile onto the young mare. "My, my, isn't she pretty as a candied peach! What do you think, my little polichinelles? Come say hello to Nutcracker's pretty friend!"
Releasing their hold on Nutcracker's shins, the children ran to clutch at Celestia's skirts. They murmured tiny hellos as they looked up into her face.
One of the youngest tugged on her sleeve. "Can I touch your mane?" he asked.
"Why, of course you can," Celestia said, bending to pick him up. He grasped a single curl in his little hoof and began to pet it gently. "What do you think?" she asked.
The colt regarded the lock of mane solemnly for a moment. "It's soft," he said.
This earned a chuckle from Mother Ginger and Nutcracker, and a warm smile from Celestia.