Chapter 6: Once Upon a Dream
Rapunzel sat on the balcony looking over Corona, it had been what felt like weeks, and she could feel her memory fading away of the life she thought she had before. Rapunzel was starting to believe that she was dreaming of that life she talked about before, it would make more sense, right? Jack Frost wasn't real, nor was any of the other mystical beings. The doctor told her this would be normal symptoms, judging by the bump on her head, it would take some time for her to collect herself. She had been with Eugene and the girls for the past few days now, and she was starting to remember some of the memories she shared with them. Yesterday she went with Eugene and the girls on a picnic, the oldest daughter whose name was Elise caused Rapunzel to have a flashback of another girl with white hair, but she couldn't remember the name of the child.
Rapunzel felt the presences of someone behind her, slowly turning to see Eugene with a platter of breakfast in his hands. "Thought you might be hungry, so I had the chef whip you up your favorite breakfast." Eugene sat the platter down and sat down beside her, releasing a sigh, "You know, I think your starting to remind me of your old self." He stated looking out at the city.
Rapunzel raised an eyebrow at him, "What do you mean?" she asked curiously. Eugene didn't look at her, he just kept staring out at the city, "I mean, for the past couple of days you're not talking nonsense about this Jack guy. Or calling our children the wrong names. I'm not sure how to explain it, I just like that your coming back to me." Eugene said turning to meet Rapunzel's gaze. She looked into his brown eyes, her emotions began to stir inside her. Rapunzel leaned closer to Eugene, she breathed in his scent of patchouli cologne, closing her eyes as her lips neared his own.
'You know your not the only one whose been alone for a thousand years, I have been too.' Rapunzel heard a familiar voice in the back of her head. It was deep, emotional, and loving all at the same time. She could see the face the voice belonged to, his eyes were as blue as ice, his skin was silver, and his hair was as white as snow. He wore a blue jacket with a bit of frost at the top, and he looked alone.
'But I promise you, it gets better. I'll show you blondie," She watched as the young man pulled out from behind his back a snow globe. Watching him smile up at her before continuing, 'I know what your thinking but watch, just imagine a place you've always wanted to be. Paris, London, anywhere your heart desires and this snow globe will transport you there.'
"Home…" Rapunzel said as she leaned herself away from Eugene. Eugene opened his eyes, feeling frustrated at not being able to kiss Rapunzel yet again. Running his hands through his brown hair he looked over to see Rapunzel's eyes locked in a daze.
"Home? You are home." He told her not understanding what she was talking about.
Rapunzel ignored him and tried to remember more of the man, but she couldn't. "There was a man, he said he knew what it was like to be alone, and he offered me a snow globe. I remember that the place I wanted to be at most was here. If only I could remember." She placed her head in her palms, trying to go back into her head.
Standing up Rapunzel walked over to edge of the balcony. Feeling another flashback hit her, this time it was of a very tall man who wore an old Russian outfit with a long white beard. His eyes were soft, but he was brawny and without fear. The man sat her down in a chair, kneeling down on one knee and whispered something in her ear. Rapunzel couldn't make out what the man said. All she could remember was smiling, as he pulled out a snow globe and pointed to her heart.
'I have made this a place for you to escape to, a place that will remind you of your home. No one but you and I know about this place. It was my home so long ago when I was a boy, and I was able to use some of my magic to preserve it. Now, there are only two ways to get to this place, your special gift, and my snow globes. You must never tell anyone about this, not even Jack." Rapunzel listened to the man as he pulled her down into a secret room with a hidden door, gesturing for her to go into the portal, she was transported to a place that was like corona, but so much different.
"Arendelle…" Rapunzel whispered to herself.
Eugene walked over to her, grabbing her by the arm roughly and pulled her against him. Rapunzel fought against him, "Let me go Eugene your hurting me!" She yelled at the man. Suddenly everything began to crumble around her, turning to see Eugene become taller, his hair turned black, his brown eyes changed to yellow, and his skin changed to grey.
"Is that where your hiding them Rapunzel? This place that you call Arendelle?" Pitch yelled, watching Rapunzel's facial expression become horrified of what was happening. She reached for her long blonde hair with her other hand only to find that it began to turn brown and dropped to the ground. Pitch threw her on the balcony floor, shooting black spikes out of his hands at her. Rapunzel was too quick, rolling out of the way, and leaping to her feet.
"Tell me how to get there Rapunzel and you can stay here forever. I can give you the man you have always loved, your parents, and everything your heart desires. You can stay here with me forever." Pitch said holding out his hand to Rapunzel. Rapunzel narrowed her brows, unable to find a weapon to fight the monster with she ran back into the crumbling castle, away from him.
"You can't escape fear Rapunzel!" Pitch yelled. Rapunzel needed to escape, she couldn't fight him without her hair and without a weapon. She needed to escape this nightmare. As Rapunzel ran out the castle doors she stopped in her tracks when a cloud of black smoke began to consume everything in its path.
"You see Rapunzel," Pitch grabbed her arms behind her back and held her still. Rapunzel struggled in his grasp but found fighting to be useless as the smoke drew closer, "there is no escaping fear. You have helped me in finding your children. Now I'll need you to do me one more favor." Pitch whispered into her ear as they were consumed into the darkness.
"Are you sure about this?" Gothel asked as she handed Pitch a potion containing a purple liquid. Pitch grabbed the potion from Gothel's hand and opened the capsule that held the sleeping Rapunzel. Pitch opened her mouth and began pouring the liquid in, making her drink every last drop. Pitch then laid her down on the ground and stepped back standing beside Gothel again. "Positive, Rapunzel will be an excellent piece of this little adventure. She just needs a little push." Pitch said watching as Rapunzel's body started to glow and she began to awake. Rapunzel steadied herself as she rose to her feet and faced Pitch and Gothel. Smirking at them, she curtsied, "I will take you to the portal boss, and I will take down anyone who tries to get in your way." Rapunzel said looking up to pitch still smirking. Gothel raised her brow, "What did you do?" Pitch walked over to Rapunzel and wrapped his arm around her waist and his other hand under her chin. Pitch stared into Rapunzel's eyes and answered Gothel question, "Simple, I turned her from good to bad. She is willing to do whatever I ask of her now. Those Guardians don't stand a chance." Pitch began to lead Rapunzel out of the room arm in arm, "Now Gothel, lets go, we have some children to find." He said with an evil laugh.
"Now does everyone understand what their part of the plan is?" Hiccup asked, they had gone over this plan a hundred times so far. They were all now in the workshop going over strategies, the outcomes, and everything Hiccup could possible think of since he was of course the 'brains' of the group. Merida was over in the corner shooting her arrows into the wooden pole, Sandy had passed out a long time ago but who could blame him Hiccups lectures were so long. Jack walked up to Hiccup, his staff over his shoulders, "I think we get it man, the main goal is getting Pitch here." Hiccup rolled his eyes at Jack, "No. The goal is getting your family back and not letting Pitch through the door." As the two began to share words back and forth North was up in his office looking into a snow globe.
Tooth flew up into check on him, "North? Is everything ok?" She asked lingering near the door. The tall man was standing in front of the window over looking the North Pole. Releasing a deep sigh, he began to speak, "You know I never thought that he would return. I never thought that Rapunzel or the girls would ever be in danger. Perhaps it would've been best if I had not given her a choice all those years ago. I should've left her in Arendelle all those years ago." Norths voice was full of regret as he clutched the snow globe tightly and brought it to his chest. Tooth frowned and flew over to her friend, "None of this is your fault, you couldn't have known any of this would've happened." She said placing her hand on his. North looked down to see her smiling face, he knew she was trying to make him feel better but he couldn't help but feel worse. "I knew that it was a bad idea for Jack to get involved with her. I knew she belonged back in her time frame. I should've done something." He placed the snow globe back on his desk and walked over to look down at the other guardians, Jack and Hiccup arguing back caused him to release a chuckle. He always found it amusing to see them bickering like brothers.
Tooth followed North and watched as Jack formed a snowball and threw it at Hiccups face, "You know, if you had done that, he wouldn't be happy. Those kids are like family, they have been through so much together, and through it all they grew an everlasting bond. Jack in the end found love and a family that he never thought he would have again. "North watched as Jack began to laugh as Hiccup picked up the remains of the snow ball and threw it back at Jack. North knew Tooth was right, looking back at her he smiled, "You are right. I love Rapunzel like my own daughter, I just wanted to keep them safe. I never imagined any of this happening. If the girls are trapped in Arendelle we need to find them soon."
Tooth looked at him weirdly, his tone of voice was odd, "Why would we need to get them back soon? Wouldn't they be safer in the realm until we defeat Pitch and his team?" She asked. North lowered his gaze and closed his eyes, "You must not tell Jack this, or any of the others. Arendelle is strange with time. Time there goes by much faster than it does here. If we don't hurry, the girls will be lost forever." Tooth covered her mouth, she looked horrified, "You mean they could be…" North nodded his head. Tooth shook hers not wanting to accept it. "What if we find them and bring them back, what happens then?" North rubbed the back of his neck, "I am not sure. They could go back to the way they were before they left or they could remain grown up. I have never stayed more than a few hours in the realm to test it. I just hope for Jack's sake that everything goes back to the way it was before." North and Tooth looked down at Jack who was laughing and having fun with the others. Jack turned to see North looking at him and Jack smiled and gave a salute to the old man before waving for them to come down and join them.
"Elsa what are you looking at?" The Queen asked going over to sit next to her daughter as she gazed out her window. "Nothing mother just admiring the beautiful spring day. Where is Anna and Father?" Elsa asked turning her attention to the Queen. The Queen grazed the child's cheeks and said sweetly, "Oh they went into town to gather some flowers for the dinner table, you know how your sister loves to get out. It is her birthday today you know."
Elsa smiled, "I know mother, she's turning five today, and I made her something amazing!" Elsa kissed the queen's cheek and ran to her dresser draw, pulling it open to reveal a perfectly sculpted snowflake made of ice. The queen looked both horrified and delighted all at the same time, "Elsa my dear, I think it's a perfect gift…but when the guest come over how about you wait to give it to your sister." The Queen said walking over and shutting the dresser draw. Elsa looked down at her hands, she didn't know why she was so different. Her hair and her skin were pale, her eyes were blue, and she had the ability to create winter. She felt alone and afraid but her parents reminded her that she was loved and she was gifted, and from the day she was born they loved her. The Queen knelt down and raised Elsa's chin to make her face her, "Elsa, your eight now, you know that me and your father love your abilities but the people won't understand them. You must promise me that you will conceal it, I don't want anything to happen to you my love. Do you understand?" The Queen asked, letting go of Elsa's chin.
Elsa looked down, her smile faded away and she couldn't help but feel miserable. "Of course, mother, I understand." The Queen kissed the child's forehead and headed out of the room, "Remember to get changed for the ball tonight, your dress is hanging by the closet door. Don't be late my sweet the guest should be arriving soon." The queen said as she despairs down the hallway.
Elsa shut her bedroom door and went to the standing mirror, she untwined her braided white hair, gazing at her reflection. She touched her cheeks, they felt as they always did, ice cold. She let out a sigh and walked over to grab the dress her mother had laid out for her. It was a light green dress with sunflowers embroider on the trims, it had short sleeves which showed off her shoulders. The bottom of the dress that puffed out like a cinder Ella dress, which Elsa hated because it made her feel like odd. Elsa put the dress on and walked back to the mirror. Elsa grabbed her hair and looked over to see some brown paint on her night stand, she ran over and grabbed the paint brush and began stroking the color on her hair. About ten minutes later Elsa finished with her hair and admired herself in the mirror. She looked normal now, minus the globs of some paint balls on her hair.
The Queen opened Elsa's bedroom door holding onto some sunflowers, "Elsa dear your father and sister just came back are you ready yet- Elsa!" The Queen dropped the flowers at the sight of her Elsa's new hair color. Elsa dropped the paint brush and looked up at her mother, "I…I just wanted to be normal…don't I look normal now mother?" Elsa asked her voice was timid. The Queen smiled slightly and grabbed Elsa's hand and led her to a bowl filled with water and washed the paint out of the child's hair. Drying Elsa's hair off the paint had stained Elsa's hair slightly and the queen brushed the child's hair into a bun. Elsa went to look at her reflection in the mirror, her hair was now slightly brown and for the first time, Elsa felt like a normal girl, like she fit in with everyone else.
The Queen stood behind Elsa and embraced her, "You are normal Elsa, you don't need to change anything. Now let's go find your father and sister, who knows what Anna is getting into." The Queen grabbed hold of Elsa's hand and lead her out of the room. Elsa let go of her mother's hand and ran down the hallway, turning a few corners until she reached the ball room where her little sister with reddish blonde pigtails sat with her dolls. "Elsa!" Anna cried as she leapt of her seat and embraced her sister in a hug. "What did you do to your hair?" Anna asked looking up at her sister. Elsa rolled her eyes, and pushed her little sister off her, "I just got carried away in my art, lets play tag before everyone shows up ok? Your it!" Elsa said as she dashed out of the room with Anna on her tail. The King watched as the girls ran out of the ballroom into the next room, he walked over to the Queen, "How was our girl today?" he asked wrapping his arms around the queen. "Maybe we should tell them love, Elsa is growing up, she will eventually realize she isn't ours. What if she starts remembering her past family or they come for them." The queen whispered worriedly. The king brushed off her worries, "Non-sense, there parents abandoned them long ago, if they wanted them back they would've been here. Plus, Elsa was so young when we found her, she won't remember anything but what her and the people know. Her and Anna are our daughters, I will let nothing separate us." The king gave his wife a kiss before returning to finish decorating for the party.
Authors Note:
Sorry it took so long, Finals have been going on and I've been pretty busy. I hope you enjoy this chapter, don't be shocked if I add or make changes to this. I just wanted to post this for you all as soon as I could. Please review and let me know what you think!