The Heartless Soldiers

Once there was a kingdom faraway, where lonely toys wandered the countryside. In this kingdom there were no sunny days or bright flowers. Skies were always gray or a bloody red. The toys were miserable living in such a place. Though it was dark, there were still remains of a once peaceful kingdom. Before, a loving king and his family ruled over a beautiful land. It was known as Toyland, where toys lived happily. They spent time playing with each other in parks and plazas. In forests lived the most mysterious toys, and on hot days, toys would enjoy time on the sea shore. Everything changed when a witch came along. Her name was Carolina. The king’s brother knew her and welcomed her into their kingdom warmly with a big diamond ring. With bad intensions, Carolina gladly accepted and, with her manipulative ways, seduced herself into the royal family. From that day forth, she was the queen of Toyland.

Before long Toyland had become a nightmare. As queen, the king’s brother was kicked out of the toy factory for good. Worst of all, the king’s daughter, Princess Porcelain, was robbed of her heart. Carolina locked it away in her toy chest on the highest floor of the factory. It would stay there forever. Heart broken, the king fled from Toyland, leaving his daughter and the kingdom he had built.
One heart wasn't enough for Carolina. Next she took the hearts of everyone in Toyland. Carolina started taking the hearts of the King’s soldiers first. Each and every one of the poor soldiers were locked up in dungeons. They all feared Carolina’s wrath as they awaited their fates. The first soldiers to be left heartless went quickly by the cold hands of the Queen herself. A few nights after Carolina’s domination, while the soldiers were sound asleep across cold floors, the first was taken. As the soldiers slept uneasily across stone floors she slipped in and took him. The soldier’s name was Ian. He had always stood bravely with his war drums before all the soldiers, declaring the name of his beloved king. He fought for peace in the land of the toy king, but with no heart he would be the mindless servant of Carolina. Nothing he could think of was more tragic than willingly serving evil for the rest of eternity. As he lay tied down before the queen, strained across a table, Ian cried helplessly, knowing it was his end. His heart had broken before Carolina even touched it.
Many more soldiers were left heartless after Ian. Soon the heartless soldiers were commanded to go into the dungeons and finish the queen’s job. Very slowly, as the solders lost their hearts one by one, her army began to grow. Soldiers that once stood strong begged and screamed fearfully for mercy. They all wanted to keep their hearts and protect Toyland, not meet a numb end. Carolina watched all the soldiers as they were carried away from their cells and laughed menacingly as they all fought against for freedom. Nothing in the kingdom could stop her or her army as she sent them out into the countryside to next take the hearts of all the toys in Toyland.

Soldiers filling the dungeon decreased every day that passed. They watched their friends go and waited to finally be taken themselves. Some soldiers lost hope and miserably awaited their turn. Others remained optimistic that someone from somewhere would save them. Until that day came, the soldiers dropped their guards and spent their time locked up with the friends and brothers who they loyally served their king with for so long.

When the very last few were left, hope was lost. Hearts were near broken as the dungeon cells emptied slowly. Two of the remaining soldiers sat up against their lonesome cell together awaiting their turns. Their names were Mike and Matt, a couple of the king’s kindest and bravest soldiers. They had been in the cell for so long they lost count of the days. When their friends were taken away they had begged and cried for their release, but the heartless soldiers couldn’t hear anything but Carolina. As the cell emptied the two had established a close friendship. They spent all their days and nights together in the small cell. On cold nights or dark days they huddled together. When one of them felt sad, which was most of the time, they would comfort each other. They looked out for each other in the short time they had.

Mike had been assembled by the young king long ago, and served him ever since. He was rewarded for bravery. War after war he led armies into battle. Soldiers that marched behind him would trust their leader wholeheartedly as they fought with him for their home and their king. Somehow, Mike still glistened like a new toy, though he should’ve been destroyed many times over. There wasn’t another soldier braver than Mike. He had a real passion for protecting Toyland; a real asset to the king’s army.

Matt was a very different soldier. The very last toy ever assembled with the king’s own hands, and the first in a long time. Shortly after the king adopted Porcelain, he needed a faster way to make toys. Thus the assembly line was created. Toy soldiers were built that way for years, until Carolina joined the royal family and took over. Then the creation of toys ceased immediately under her command. She forced the king to shut down the factory. It didn’t stop the king from making one last soldier. Behind Carolina’s back, he took unused toy parts and assembled Matt secretly with his own two hands. This shiny new soldier was built for more than just serving his army. If the king himself couldn’t stop Carolina from taking his land, Matt was going to lead a rebellion and save Toyland, at least that was the plan. The soldier was given strength, bravery, intelligence, and loyalty like all the other soldiers. But Matt was a special solider. A heart two times the size of others’, for care and compassion, was given to him by the king. With a heart so big, the bright eyed soldier was the kindest and most loving toy in the army.

Sadly, Carolina dominated the kingdom sooner than the king anticipated. He thought there would be time to prepare Matt’s heart for leading a rebellion. The king was banished long before Matt was ready. Without proper training he didn’t know what to do with his heart. Now he was left feeling lost, with more feelings than he knew what to do with, from a vulnerable heart. He was useless in this dark era. No one in Toyland could stand against the evil Queen Carolina.

Marching feet echoed through the dungeon. Soldiers were coming to take another one of their old comrades, chanting “Carolina, Carolina” as they went. Matt huddled closer to Mike as the noise got louder. They were afraid that one of them would be taken. The fear never went away or got easier, no matter how many times the soldiers went marching in. Matt cried when the heartless soldiers approached their cell, at first scared that they would stop there, but they passed them.

The soldier in the cell next to them was dragged out shouting “My king will be avenged, and the Princess, Porcelain, will rule beside her father, with the savior of Toyland! Carolina is not my Queen!”
Mike sighed and hoped it were true. The land they were living in was not the land he defended.

“Shh, they weren’t coming for us,” Mike soothed the crying little soldier in his arms.

“I-I know…” Matt sobbed shamefully “I just can’t help feeling scared,” a disadvantage of having such a large heart was the lack of control he had over his emotions. His heart was meant for being filled with courage, not overwhelmed with horror.

“You’re a special toy,” Mike said.

Matt clung to the joint of Mike’s arm and asked if he could please telling a story from war. All the veteran soldiers were telling war stories from the good old days, when the skies were always blue and the toys lived knowing they were protected by the soldiers in the king’s army. The younger soldiers loved them, especially Matt, the only soldier who never had the honor of fighting for Toyland. Mike was always happy to tell him stories.

“A long time ago,” Mike started, “the king ordered the toy soldiers out to the sea side…

We didn’t know why, but we never defied orders. So I lead all the soldiers out to the shore, with our guns and armor. Ian marched beside me as he beat the war drum loudly. Flags being carried by bearers waved in the wind as we marched, letting every toy know we were coming. I hoped our reason for marching out to the sea would know it too.

I stopped my soldiers at the top of a cliff, the drumming ceased and the flags waved wildly in the wind. When I over looked the shore I noticed it was unusually empty for a beautifully sunny day. Then I saw it in the water. Three pirate ships were sailing towards the sea. Canons were being fired from the ships and splashing into the water, threatening us. If they were looking for a battle, then so was I. So, against my better judgment, I ordered the soldiers to follow me down the bluff immediately. They all climbed down with me. With guns it was harder than I thought it would be. Many of the soldiers fell before reaching the shore; my army was reduced by a nearly third. The rest of us marched on anyway. I could see a little row boat full of pirates approaching so I ordered the soldiers to halt. They obeyed and we waited for the boat to come.

When the boat stopped at the sea’s shallowest point the pirate captain hopped out, making a small splash. I stood firmly before my army as he walked towards me. We stood face to face, not more than a foot from each other.

“State your business,” I demanded.

“Aye, this land has a heap of treasure we been lookin’ for. Surrender it to us, or we’ll fight ya for it.” The captain said. He wasn’t a well-kept man, as you would expect from a pirate. He was filthy. His hair was long and un-brushed, with half his teeth, the remaining teeth were yellow and decaying. He looked worse than the oldest, most torn toy in the land. Not to mention he smelled horrible.

Anyway, I couldn’t let the pirates steal from Toyland so I told that pirate “The treasure in Toyland belongs to the king of Toyland. We will defend his royal highness and what is his. You won’t take a single piece of his gold!” I shouted back at him. We were prepared for a fight to keep peace in Toyland.

“Then so be it! We’ll battle for the riches!” the Captain declared. He turned around and walked through the water back to his row boat full of pirates. I also turned around to my soldiers. I commanded Ian, who was standing next to me, “Beat the drums! We’re fighting!”

The war drum was beaten as all the pirates approached. All the toy soldiers, including myself, drew their weapons, prepared for fighting. The gun I used was the first gun the king gave me. It had gotten through the toughest battles and I loved it. I stood before my entire army with the gun displayed across my chest, ready for battle. The other toy soldiers stood at attentions, also with their guns held across their chests. We were ready to defend Toyland.

Canon fire sounded, followed by pirates charging through the water as they screamed a battle cry and waved swords in the air. I ran towards them fearlessly with the soldiers following. I raised my gun and aimed for the first pirate I saw, then fired. I shot the first pirate down where the water met the land. I didn’t stop to see if I destroyed him, I kept fighting for the king I loved, like a loyal soldier.
We fought on the sea shore for hours. Many pirates were shot down by our superior weapons, but many toys were also disassembled beyond repair by the pirates’ sharp blades and the occasional cannonball. I’m afraid my own weapon wasn’t much use to us in its already worn state. By the time the sun set over the ocean my old gun was wearing down. The thing was used beyond what it should’ve. I prayed I could get it through this battle because I didn’t have another weapon. “I need more gun powder!” I commanded. One of the younger soldiers came shortly with gun powder. Quickly I reloaded my weapon, just in time to avoid being beheaded by the sword of a dangerously close pirate. Another toy shot him before I had the privilege to. I was proud of him.

I lead the soldiers into battle through most of the night. We couldn’t see a thing in the dark. Our only light was from the moon and stars. Everything was blue outlines. I couldn’t see where I was shooting half the time, I swear I hurt some of the toys trying to get the pirates. Sadly, there was never a way to know, not even today, maybe not ever.

Suddenly, a cannon set off and we toys took cover behind the rocks at the bottom of the cliffs. It had been hours since canons fired. Usually it was one or two cannon balls, but this time it was more than that. The cannons went off like fireworks, one after the other onto the sea shore. I hadn’t been scared until this point, but no matter how scary it was, we couldn’t stop.

“Keep shooting for Toyland!” I demanded as I fired my weakened gun over the rock I was sitting against. The guns of other soldiers also went off. Toys kept fighting from behind the rocks until they couldn’t anymore. I would make sure every fallen soldier would be honored for their bravery.
When the cannon fire stopped so did our guns and we all peeked over the rocks. Pirates weren’t on the shore anymore. We hadn’t noticed it right away, but they all got back on board their big pirate ship while the cannons went off. They had given up! I was so happy that climbed on top of the rocks and I raised my worn gun for the last time. I shot in into air and screamed victoriously and so did the other toys.

“… Toyland was safe and at peace again, and we would keep it that way until we couldn’t anymore. The end.” Mike finished his story with a sad smile. The days of victory were far gone, Mike knew that, but he would do anything to have those days back.

“I wish I was brave like you,” Matt said sadly. He wasn’t crying anymore, but still horribly distraught. “I’m always sad or afraid. I’m a disgrace!”

“No, never say that! The king made an excellent soldier when he assembled you. You were just built differently than the rest of us, and different is not bad.” Mike said sternly.

“But what good is a big heart if I couldn't protect my king?”

“It’s not your fault. Carolina was sure no one could save us, the king, or the princess.”

“But now…. Now there’s no hope for us or even for Toyland,” Matt said.

Mike stood up from the cold floor and urged Matt to do the same, and he did. They looked out the barred window. The plazas, parks, and streets where toys used to happily walk, and run, and dance were abandoned. The skies were bloody red, with dark gray clouds coming from the factory above them. Green leaves had fallen from their branches, leaving trees barren. Once vibrant flowers and berry bushes had withered away into the dried, brown grass and over shadowed by big ugly weeds. It was hideous to say the least. To see their once beautiful home so desolate was heart wrenching. They longed for the glory days of their king to return, but with every day that passed, hope slipped away from the toys still with hearts.

Mike sighed sadly. “There may not be any hope for us anymore, we’ll be gone before we know it… I can’t lie to you. But maybe there’s hope for Toyland. If we die tonight, then we die, but I can only hope that Toyland will live on, just long enough for someone to save it and lead the land away from the dark era.”

Matt looked past the bars and tried to remember what Toyland looked like before Carolina destroyed everything. It was hard for him to recall what everything was like. He was practically born into the nightmare. Troubled days and dark times were all he knew. Matt didn’t really understand hope. What he did know was that the dungeon was emptying quicker everyday. He knew there were very, very few toys in Toyland with beating hearts. There was no hope knowing that everyone’s ending was cruel because no one could save them.

“I can’t remember it. I don’t know what Toyland was like before…” Matt said.
“It was beautiful,” Mike sighed, now getting emotional. He pressed his forehead against the metal bars as silent tears rolled down his shiny cheeks. “I wish you could remembered it.”

Silence fell upon the two soldiers as they look on. Mike continued to weep quietly. He remembered all the battles he led and the toys outside the factory he knew and thought of them being hallow shells, much like the soldiers. Carolina’s soldiers stole everybody’s hearts and locked them away. Sometimes from their small window they watched it happen. Soldiers marched outside, like they did in the dungeon halls, and arrested toys. The toys were then taken to Carolina. Mike wished more than anything that the king’s army of toy soldiers had been able to stop Carolina and protect Toyland; just do the job they were created to do!

“Carolina, Carolina…” loud voiced echoed off the stone walls of the dungeon again. Mike gasped and looked down at Matt. He seemed to be in a trance as he stared outside the window.
“Get down!” Mike exclaimed quietly. He pulled Matt down to the floor by the shoulders. Poor Matt landed uncomfortably on top of Mike’s legs. “They’re coming!”

“Are they coming for one of us?!” Matt shrieked.

“Shhh, I don’t know,” Mike said quietly.

The soldiers marched through the halls loudly, and passed the cell again. Matt and Mike held their breath as they did.

“No! Don’t take me!” a voice pleaded in the distance moments later. “You can’t do this! You were my friends!!!”

The soldier being taken away was fighting to be free. Mike recognized him. He was a toy Mike had trained a long time ago and ever since fought together at the battle front. A tough soldier, Mike wasn’t surprised to see him fighting like he was. Sadly, Carolina’s soldiers were stronger.

“You can’t take my heart!”

The heartless soldiers dragged him in front of Matt and Mike’s cell before tackling him to the floor.
They started beating him with their weapons. Matt had cried as the soldiers got more violent.

“Don’t watch!” Mike begged Matt. He grabbed Matt’s face by the rosy cheeks and forced him to look away “Just look at me, please,”

Matt obeyed, but still heard the soldier desperately bargaining to be set free, even as his voice weakened. That was the kind of thing that made Matt think his heart would break before he was taken away. His heart was throbbing violently and ached hearing a good soldier fighting when hope seemed to be lost for good.

“You’ll never-“ the soldier started to say weakly, but there was a sudden cracking sound before he finished. A scream followed, then brief silence. The heartless soldiers carried on, dragging then other soldier behind them. When the marching quieted, Matt sobbed again. The crack was the sound of a toy’s arm being ripped from its socket. That soldier arm was disassembled.

“I think my heart is breaking!” Matt cried. It startled Mike. If Matt’s heart broke he’d be lost forever.
“Don’t let it break, okay? I’ll be here for you until I can’t be anymore,” Mike said, like he had a choice. “Don’t fail me now…” Matt nodded but still cried. All Mike could do was hold Matt close, and wait for their time to run out. It would take a miracle for Toyland to be saved.

Matt and Mike sat pressed against each other in silence for the longest time. They were comforted the silence. The only things heard was the factory sirens occasionally. After the soldiers were long gone, Matt began listening to Mike’s heartbeat until his was calm again, their hearts soon beat in unison. The dungeon was so quiet that they beat like drums. Eventually the two lonely soldiers drifted off to sleep together, lulled by the sound of their hearts.

________

“Carolina, Carolina…..” quiet, distant voices chanted late during the night. The voices woke Mike up from his sleep. He blinked his eyes open, then realized he had fallen asleep. Outside the window the moon was at its peak, telling him that it was the middle of the night. In his sleepy state Mike could barely tell up from down. Fighting grogginess was a daily struggle, especially in the horrible living conditions of the factory dungeon.

“Carolina, Carolina,” the chanting was louder now. Those deep voices… and the synchronized marching… it was familiar to Mike. He had to think for a second. It suddenly registered in Mike’s head that Carolina’s soldiers were marching down the halls again.

“No! No, no, no, no, no!” Mike gasped.

Instinctively, he held tightly onto Matt, waking him up abruptly. His head was also fuzzy after waking up.

“Mike?” the young soldier asked as he tried to wake up. “What’s the matter?”

“Don’t make a sound. Just go back to sleep…” Mike whispered frantically. Matt closed his heavy eyes and quickly fell back to sleep.

Mike stared outside the cell door and waited to see where the soldiers were marching this time. The beat of his heart sped up uncomfortably as the soldiers marching became louder. They were getting closer and never stopping. He shut his eyes tightly, hugged Matt close, and silently pleaded for the soldiers to stop and for a moment it seemed that someone had listened to him. The steps stopped, as well as the monotonous chanting. Mike opened his eyes to see why the soldiers stopped.

“No!” he screamed. The soldiers were opening their cell door!

“Carolina….” They soldiers said as they approached the sleepy soldiers. Mike’s grip on Matt tightened, waking the soldier up again.

“Mikey? What’s going on?” Matt asked. Mike paid no attention and kept Matt from seeing the soldiers. He didn’t want Matt seeing the soldiers coming closer and closer. As the soldiers marched closer into the moonlight their faces were reveal. Mike’s world seemed to end when the face of the soldier on the right peeked from the dark shadows. The curly hair, his voice; the soldier marching towards him was Ian. The red uniform he wore before was replaced with a black one. Glassy eyes, bordered by black circles, stared at them coldly. That wasn’t the Ian that paraded at the front of the battle grounds for so long, his best friend. That thing was Carolina’s puppet. Mike closed his eyes again and wished it was a dream.

When cold plastic hands gripped his arms he knew it was far too real. Now Matt was screaming; they had him too.

“Mike!” Matt cried from the top of his lungs as his weight was lifted from Mike’s legs. Mike opened his eyes to see Matt was struggling against the strength of the hallow shells of soldiers. Big tears rolled down his rosy cheeks as he thrashed his weight around and kicked his legs. Even as tired as he was, he mustered up what energy he could to try to slip away. In the heat of the moment Mike couldn’t physically bring himself to move, he was stunned to see Matt being taken.

“Mike, help me! Don’t let them take my heart!!” Matt screamed desperately. He was still fighting against the soldiers with all his strength. In that moment, Mike realized how helpless and tired he was. It was the middle of the night, he was weaponless, weakened, and overall defenseless against even a teddy bear. “I can’t help you anymore…” Mike said sadly, tears were forming in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Matt.”

“Mike, please!” Matt screamed hysterically. He was getting weaker the more he fought against the heartless soldiers. He threw his weight to the side again, but much weaker. Sobs wracked his entire body. Matt’s cries were breaking Mike’s heart. Every scream made Mike want to be sick; he was paralyzed in fear. All he could do was watch Matt struggle against Carolina’s soldiers.
Matt had to give up eventually, and he did. His knee joints gave out under his weight and he crippled to the floor. Now he allowed them to take him away. “Mikey… you said you’d protect me…” Matt cried as the soldiers got their best grip on him.

“I can’t anymore,” Mike also cried “I tried!” But it wasn’t enough to save anyone. Mike had saved Toyland countless times before. Seeing that he couldn’t anymore destroyed him, now more than ever. Two of his best friends, his king, and the whole countryside trusted him and his army. This was the greatest defeat he could ever imagine. The struggle Matt had living with himself suddenly made sense to Mike. He was a soldier built to lead an army. When it really mattered he failed that army, his king and all of Toyland. What importance could he have if he failed to do the one thing he was made for?
“I’m sorry!” Mike called as Matt was taken away. He was dragged out of the blue moonlight and into the shadows. Matt’s emotional cries echoed over the soldiers as they began chanting the name of their queen once again.

“I tried…. I tried so hard!” Mike screamed after the cell door slammed shut. Mike winced and shrunk back into the wall like he were a newly assembled toy. Tears freely flowed down his face as he tried to comprehend what had happened. Moments ago he was sleeping with Matt safely under his protection, and in an instant he was gone. Mike was alone in the cell.

He didn’t know it, but he wasn’t just alone in the cell. He was alone in the entire dungeon. All other soldiers had been ridden of their hearts, leaving a once beautiful kingdom defenseless against Carolina. Throughout the entire countryside, Mike was by himself. The toys who had once lived happily in the countryside were now hallow shells. Toys walked around like puppets. Every heart in Toyland was locked up in a toy chest with Carolina, except for one. Mike’s heart was still his. He was the last soldier.