Mika Moose: The Great Nutcracker Rescue THANOS KALAMIDAS MIKA MOOSE The Great Nutcracker Rescue MIKA MOOSE The Great Nutcracker Rescue THANOS KALAMIDAS Thanos Kalamidas An Ovi eBooks Publication 2024 Ovi eBookPublications - All material is copyright of the Ovi eBooks Publications & the writer C Ovi ebooks are available in Ovi/Ovi eBookshelves pages and they are for free. If somebody tries to sell you an Ovi book please contact us immediately. For details, contact: ovimagazine@yahoo.com No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the writer or the above publisher of this book Mika Moose: The Great Nutcracker Rescue MIKA MOOSE The Great Nutcracker Rescue THANOS KALAMIDAS Thanos Kalamidas An Ovi eBooks Publication 2024 Ovi eBookPublications - All material is copyright of the Ovi eBooks Publications & the writer C Mika Moose: The Great Nutcracker Rescue S anta’s workshop hummed with excitement. Toys whirred, sang, and chattered as the elves packed them in shiny red and green boxes, prepping for the big night. Among them stood Nutty, the proud wooden nutcracker sol- dier with a perfectly painted moustache, a bright red uniform, and a hint of mischief in his wooden eyes. Nutty was no ordinary nutcracker. While his friends were perfectly content waiting to be delivered to homes, Nutty dreamed of adventure beyond the workshop. Every night, he would gaze out the frosty windows, imagining the vast world outside. “Just look at those colours, would you?” Nutty said one eve- ning to a teddy bear beside him. He pointed a stiff, painted finger toward the sky, which was swirling with the northern lights, green, purple, and blue dancing together like magic. Thanos Kalamidas “Yeah, yeah, beautiful,” mumbled the teddy bear, too tired to pay much attention. Nutty huffed. “Can’t you see? It’s calling to me! I’m meant to see more than the inside of this workshop!” Just then, Nutty overheard an elf speaking about how the northern lights were the most magical sight in all of Lapland. His eyes widened with excitement. That was it ...he had to see those lights up close! And so, with a determined look and a hearty “Onward!” to himself, Nutty tiptoed past sleeping toys, slipped through the workshop doors, and marched out into the snow. Inside the workshop, Santa soon realized one of his favour- ite toys was missing. “Where’s Nutty?” Santa asked, his voice booming like a jolly thunderstorm. “He was just here!” squeaked an elf, scratching his head. Another elf chimed in, “Maybe he’s... exploring?” The elf sounded doubtful, but everyone knew Nutty had a wild streak. Santa sighed, shaking his head with a chuckle. “That rascal! He could get lost out there.” He turned to Mika Moose, his loyal friend who happened to be there, next to him at that Mika Moose: The Great Nutcracker Rescue moment. “Mika, my boy, I need you to find Nutty and bring him back.” Mika stood tall, puffing out his chest. “You can count on me, Santa! I’ll bring him back in no time!” Then, he glanced over his shoulder. “Uh... can I take Matti with me?” Matti the magpie, who had been perched on a candy cane, chirped in surprise. “What? Out in the snow? Do I look like a penguin to you?” “Come on, Matti,” Mika pleaded, nudging him gently. “We’ll be in and out. Quick as a flash! And I need your sharp eyes out there.” Matti sighed dramatically, ruffling his feathers. “Alright, alright. But I’m not flying if it’s snowing. I just polished my feathers, you know!” The very same time, outside, Nutty marched confidently through the snow, his painted mouth set in a brave smile. “I’ll just follow these tracks... hmm, now which way did those lights go again?” He squinted at the sky, trying to pick the northern lights out from the many stars. But the sky was vast and unfamiliar, and soon, Nutty realized he had no idea where he was going. “Blast it! How hard can it be to find a little colour in the Thanos Kalamidas sky?” he muttered, stomping his wooden foot in frustration. The crunch of his step startled a tiny snow hare, which darted away with a squeak, leaving Nutty more alone than ever. Meanwhile, Mika and Matti were hot on Nutty’s trail, or at least, what they thought was his trail. “Look, Matti! Footprints!” Mika said, his eyes lighting up as he saw a set of tiny, wooden footprints leading away from the workshop. “Those are just... dots, Mika. Wooden dots in the snow!” Matti squawked, trying not to laugh too hard. “You call that a trail?” “Oh, be quiet. We’re following them anyway!” Mika said, keeping his nose close to the ground. Mika Moose: The Great Nutcracker Rescue II. With the snow crunching under their feet and ...wings, Mika Moose and Matti the magpie ventured deeper into the snowy forest. The trees around them were frosted like they’d been dusted in powdered sugar, and the cold air sparkled as they moved through it. Mika led the way, his antlers deco- rated with twinkling snowflakes, while Matti fluttered along beside him, doing his best to avoid the falling snow. “Alright, Matti,” said Mika, squinting into the distance, “if we follow Nutty’s little footprints, we should be able to catch up to him soon!” Matti huffed, folding his wings tight against his body. “Easy for you to say, Big Antlers! You don’t have to worry about freezing feathers. If I get caught in a snowdrift, I’m done for!” Mika laughed, his breath forming puffs of mist. “If that hap- pens, I’ll just dig you out, like a feathery snowball!” Thanos Kalamidas Matti rolled his eyes but smiled, fluffing his feathers. “I’m serious, Mika. I’ll hold you to that. A snow-magpieis no joke!” They continued, following Nutty’s faint tracks through the winding forest, when they suddenly reached a large, glittering snowdrift. The tracks disappeared into the snowy mound and out the other side. “See, that looks like a cosy place to hibernate for the winter,” Matti teased, eyeing the fluffy drift. “Maybe we’ll find Nutty curled up with a cup of cocoa.” “Nutty, hibernate?” Mika chuckled. “He’s made of wood! Not exactly the type to settle down for a long winter’s nap.” The two friends started clambering over the snowdrift when Matti suddenly gave a startled chirp and zipped up into the air. “Hey, watch it! These branches are practically smacking me in the beak!” he squawked, dodging a low-hanging, snow-cov- ered branch. “Honestly, Mika, sometimes I think this forest has it out for me.” “Maybe it’s because you talk so much,” came a deep, chuck- ling voice from above. Startled, Mika looked up and saw Ollie the owl, perched on Mika Moose: The Great Nutcracker Rescue a branch, peering down at them with wise, twinkling eyes. “Ollie!” Mika called up. “Maybe you’ve seen him—a little nutcracker soldier marching through here?” Ollie blinked slowly, as if savouring every second of their anticipation. “Oh, yes,” he finally said. “I saw your little wood- en friend earlier. Brave one, that nutcracker. He was heading for the northern lights. Said something about ‘the adventure of a lifetime.’” Matti nearly fell off his branch in surprise. “The northern lights? He’s really going for it, isn’t he?” Mika sighed, though he couldn’t help but admire Nutty’s bravery—or maybe foolishness. “He doesn’t realize how cold and far away those lights are. If he doesn’t get there soon, he’ll be frozen into a nutcracker popsicle!” Ollie chuckled. “I’d hurry if I were you. Follow the trail of pine needles—he seems to have snagged a few on his soldier’s hat.” Ollie winked and took off into the night, vanishing into the snow-speckled sky. “Come on, Matti! We’ve got a pine-needle trail to follow!” Mika said, bounding through the snow with renewed excite- ment. Thanos Kalamidas III. They followed the trail of pine needles for what felt like miles, until they reached a frozen pond hidden beneath a lay- er of snow. “Whoa, whoa, WHOA!” Matti flapped his wings wildly as he nearly skidded across the slippery ice. He looked down, glaring at his reflection. “See? This is what happens when I follow you on these wild goose chases, Mika.” “Relax, Matti. It’s just a little ice. Watch me ...I’ll show you how it’s done!” Mika planted his hooves firmly on the pond’s surface and began to skate, gliding smoothly like he’d been practicing for years. Matti watched, thoroughly unimpressed. “Oh sure, because every deer is secretly an ice dancer,” he muttered. Mika Moose: The Great Nutcracker Rescue But just as Mika was about to show off a fancy twirl, he lost his balance and ended up in an ungraceful heap on the ice. Matti cackled so hard he nearly toppled from his perch. “Very graceful, Ice King,” Matti snickered, fluttering down to give Mika a tiny winged nudge. “Shall I get you some skates?” Mika grumbled but couldn’t help laughing too. “Alright, al- right. Let’s get going!” After a bit more slipping and sliding, they made it past the pond and back onto solid, snowy ground. As they trudged on, they came across a small den nestled beneath a tree root, where a young fox with bright eyes popped her head out to greet them. “Well, hello there!” she said with a grin. “A moose and a magpie, out here in the cold? You two must be looking for someone special!” “That’s right!” Mika said eagerly. “Our friend Nutty, have you seen him?” “Oh, I have!” the fox said, her eyes twinkling with excite- ment. “He was marching along, looking quite determined. I asked him what he was up to, and he said something about seeing the northern lights for himself. Then he told me he’d make it there before anyone could say ‘jingle bells.’” She gig- gled. “Such a funny fellow, that Nutty.” Thanos Kalamidas Matti sighed, feathers puffed against the cold. “That nut- cracker’s got a head full of splinters if he thinks he can make it on his own.” The fox nodded and gave them a playful nudge. “You’re not too far behind. Keep following the tracks up the hill, and you’ll find him soon enough. Good luck!” “Thanks, Lila!” Mika called as they continued up the snowy slope, Matti grumbling under his breath the whole way. Mika Moose: The Great Nutcracker Rescue IV. After trudging up steep hills, slipping on icy patches, and dodging snow-laden branches, Mika and Matti finally reached a snowy hilltop. There, under the vast northern sky, danced the most breathtaking sight they’d ever seen: ribbons of green, purple, and pink light swirled through the heavens, filling the world with a soft, magical glow. And right in the middle of it all stood Nutty, the nutcracker soldier, gazing up in awe. “Nutty!” called Mika, his voice echoing through the still night. Nutty turned around, his wooden face lighting up with ex- citement. “Mika! Matti! Look at this! Isn’t it magnificent?” He spread his little wooden arms as if he could scoop up the lights. Thanos Kalamidas Matti fluffed his feathers, shivering. “I hope it was worth freezing your wooden boots off. We’ve been chasing you through half the forest!” he grumbled, though his eyes couldn’t help but widen at the sight above. Nutty, still gazing at the lights, sighed. “I always wanted to see the northern lights, just once in my life. It’s everything I imagined and more.” “Well, it’s certainly something,” Mika agreed, watching the colours swirl. “But don’t you think Santa and everyone else might be worried back at the workshop? Christmas Eve’s coming up soon, and they’ll need you!” Nutty’s face fell, realization hitting him. “Oh no... I didn’t think about that. I was so focused on getting here, I didn’t consider how far I’d gone...or how long it would take me to get back.” Matti raised an eyebrow. “And did you think you’d just march home without getting lost in a snowstorm or turning into a little nutcracker ice sculpture?” Nutty laughed sheepishly. “Maybe I got a bit carried away. I thought, ‘Nutty, if you can crack a nut, surely you can con- quer a little snow!’ But I guess I didn’t think it all the way through...” Mika Moose: The Great Nutcracker Rescue “Just a little, huh?” Matti huffed, though he was trying not to smile. Nutty looked back at the lights, then down at the ground. “Well, maybe it’s time to head back. I’d hate to miss Christmas Eve.” “Now you’re talking sense!” said Mika, patting Nutty on the back. “Come on, we’ll all make it back together. We just need to follow our tracks down the hill.” But as soon as they turned to head down, a gust of icy wind swept over them, kicking up a flurry of snow. A few flakes soon turned into a blizzard, swirling around them until they could barely see each other. “Oh, great,” Matti grumbled, tucking his head under his wing. “Now we’re stuck on the top of a hill with a storm blow- ing in. This is just perfect.” Nutty gripped Mika’s side with a wooden hand, his eyes wide. “What do we do, Mika?” Mika squinted through the storm. “Alright, team. No need to panic! Matti, you’ve got the sharpest eyes. Can you see any trails or landmarks to guide us?” Matti peeked out from under his wing, trying to spot any- Thanos Kalamidas thing through the swirling snow. “Hmm...there! I think I see a faint path on the left, down by those rocks. If we’re lucky, it might lead us back toward the forest.” “Good eye, Matti!” said Mika. “Alright, let’s follow it. Stick close together, everyone!” With Matti flying just ahead, scanning the trail, and Mika leading Nutty by the arm, they made their way slowly down the hill. But the snow was getting deeper, and Nutty’s little wooden legs kept getting stuck. “Uh, Mika?” Nutty asked, struggling to pull his foot out of a snowdrift. “I think I need a bit of help here. These boots weren’t exactly made for winter hiking.” Mika chuckled and scooped Nutty up, setting him on his back. “Hang tight, Nutty! You’re riding first-class now.” Nutty clutched Mika’s antlers for balance. “Wow, this is ac- tually kind of fun!” he laughed, bobbing up and down as Mika trudged through the snow. Matti snickered. “Look at you, Nutty, getting the royal treat- ment. Next thing you know, you’ll be asking for a cup of hot chocolate up there.” Nutty grinned, raising a fist triumphantly. “If I’m going to go back, I’m going to go back in style!” Mika Moose: The Great Nutcracker Rescue V. Just then, a particularly strong gust of wind sent snow flying into their faces, and Nutty gripped onto Mika’s antlers with all his might. “Maybe not too much style...” he mumbled. As they pressed on, the storm seemed to only get stronger. The snow piled up around them, and the path Matti had spot- ted was starting to disappear. “Mika!” Matti squawked, struggling to stay in the air against the wind. “We’re going to lose the trail if we don’t move fast- er!” “Hang on, Matti! We’re almost there!” Mika called back. But with the snow so deep, even his strong legs were struggling. Nutty looked around, worry creeping into his usually steady gaze. “Mika, is there anything I can do to help?” Thanos Kalamidas Mika thought for a moment, then grinned. “Actually, Nut- ty, you’ve got one thing we don’t have—a head that can’t feel cold! Can you look around and see if there’s anything that might help us shelter from the storm?” Nutty straightened up, scanning the area with a soldier’s discipline. After a moment, he pointed toward a small, hol- lowed-out tree trunk half-buried in snow. “There! That tree could shield us for a bit until the storm dies down!” “Good spotting, Nutty!” said Mika, turning and leading the way over to the tree. Once they reached it, Matti perched inside, shaking off snow. “Finally! Some peace from that blizzard. I thought I was about to be a sparrow-sicle!” Nutty climbed off Mika’s back and tapped his wooden fin- gers together nervously. “Thanks for coming to find me, guys. I don’t know if I would’ve made it back without you.” Mika nudged him reassuringly. “That’s what friends are for, Nutty. And besides, we couldn’t have you missing Christmas Eve! Who else would lead the nutcracker march?” Matti grinned, puffing out his little chest. “And don’t for- get—without you, who’d crack all those nuts?”