Vincent smiled in his sleep as he had a wonderful and slightly romantic dream. Vincent and Jenny were all grown up and dancing together like at a royal ball that Cinderella would have with her prince charming.
"You look very beautiful." Vincent smiled.
"You look so handsome..." Jenny smiled back as she wrapped her one arm behind his back and her other held his hand in the air.
Vincent dipped her in the dance with a charming smile. Jenny giggled from the dip. They were now about to kiss.
"Um, Dad?" Vulpix's voice said in confusion.
Vincent's lips were puckered in his sleep.
"PAPA!" Vulpix yelled.
Vincent still did not wake up.
"Oh, please don't get mad at me for this..." Vulpix silently prayed before launching a fireball onto Vincent to wake him up.
And which did indeed wake him up.
"Sorry..." Vulpix told his trainer.
Vincent winced, but luckily it didn't hurt too bad or leave a mark. "What is it, boy?"
"I had to wake you up, you were making fishy faces." Vulpix said.
"Fishy faces?" Vincent asked.
"Yeah... Were you dreaming you were a fish?" Vulpix asked.
"Um... Sure... Why not?" Vincent chuckled.
The sun was now slowly coming up outside.
Vincent sighed. "I miss alarm clocks right about now..."
"Why? They are so annoying with that stupid noise." Vulpix said.
"Well... Yeah... But I wish I knew what time it was..." Vincent explained.
"It's morning." Rapunzel said, not giving a designated time.
"Well, I guess that's as close as a time as I'm going to get." Vincent shrugged.
Rapunzel looked surprised at the new bed. "Where did that come from?"
"Oh, I, um, used my magic." Vincent said.
"You have magic?" Rapunzel asked.
"Yeah, kind of a long story..." Vincent said. "To make it short and sweet... My father's a Wiccan... Kinda..."
"That's amazing." Rapunzel smiled.
"Yeah..." Vincent smiled back. "In fact, if it wasn't for Dad or Cousin Thorn, Sarah Ravencroft would've destroyed the world in Oakhaven."
"Your family sounds amazing, Vincent." Rapunzel was very amazed to hear of Vincent's home life, even if he hadn't been apart of those certain adventures, except for the one he told about when he was kidnapped at a young age from his own family.
"I wonder what the others are doing." Vulpix wondered while looking outside.
"Probably getting breakfast..." Vincent said, as soon as he got out of bed, he was changed by magic into his day clothes somehow. He wondered about it, but then shrugged it off. "Saves me the trouble."
Vincent was right, except they kept on having a problem, a certain rabbit kept on eating berries.
The dragons and one rabbit were going around the manor's garden. Matches was keeping the egg warm while Spike, Penelope, and Hobie went on without her.
"Do you think we have enough berries?" Penelope wondered.
"Oh, I'm not... Not sure..." Hobie said as he ate the berries.
"Well, we would if you would stop eating them." Spike glared at the rabbit.
"Who says I'm eating them?" Hobie asked as he picked another berry and ate it.
"Because you just ate one of the berries in the basket." Spike said.
"Heh?" Hobie chuckled nervously.
Penelope had idea about their trapped friends. "Wait a minute, wait a minute!" she spoke up. "We bust them out!"
"And how do we do that?" Hobie asked.
"... I haven't figured that part out yet..." Penelope said weakly, then looked to the basket of the fruit. "But... We can bring them this!"
"How's about we turn the berries into paint?" Spike suggested.
"Hey, you might be onto something!" Penelope smiled, she then crushed the berries with her foot to squish them.
"This will be her new paint since Gothel destroyed her last ones." Spike smiled as he crushed the berries with her.
"Yeah." Matches smiled.
"What are you two doing?" Hugo's voice came behind the purple dragons.
"Father!" Spike and Penelope cried.
Hugo sat on a building in front of the two of them.
"Um... We're making paint for Rapunzel." Spike explained.
"Yeah." Penelope added.
"That girl is none of your concern." Hugo did not approve.
Penelope looked miserable again. "But, we just thought-"
"A dragon should be terrifying!" Hugo stopped her right there. "Feared by everyone who sees him! And what do you do? Fool around? Play games? Especially you, Spike, you grew up around ponies and they made you all soft and fluffy like one of them, you should be ashamed to be a dragon!"
"I'm not ashamed of who I am!" Spike glared.
"B-Besides," Penelope spoke up. "I'm not sure that I wanna be... Ya know... All that terrifying, or even scary, or mean, oh, definitely not mean..."
Matches's eyes matched the fire from her breath, she did not like how Hugo was treating his children.
"Enough!" Hugo silenced Penelope and Spike. "Have you turned your back on our code of honor? For ages, a mighty dragon stood for power, courage and loyalty!"
"We know, we're sorry." Penelope and Spike frowned.
Hugo glanced to them and flew off, leaving them in their own mess.
"Seriously," Spike said to his sister. "What's his problem? Was he always like this?"
"I don't know." Penelope sighed.
"Oh... Come here..." Spike gave Penelope a hug.
Matches smiled that Spike did that. That was the reason she fell in love with him. He was always so kind, thoughtful, and helpful and would make a wonderful father to their future children. She then blinked as she felt a shake inside the egg shell. "Ooh, the babies are kicking!" she announced, knowing that would brighten the mood a little.
"Does that mean the egg is about to hatch?" Hobie asked.
"Not quite, just kicking, it's still early before the egg hatches." Matches informed.
Spike took the egg and held it up to his ear. "Hello, there..." he said in a small and shy nervous voice. "You don't know me yet, but my name's Spike... You can call me 'Daddy', and maybe when you're older, Dad, and someday if you have babies of your own, I'll be Grand-... Spike again." he then narrowed his eyes about the idea of being a grandfather.
"Alright, can we go now?" Penelope asked.
"Come on then." Spike climbed onto his mate's back, handing her the egg back.
Matches took the egg back and she flew up with Spike to the high tower. Hobie got onto Penelope's back and Penelope flew with him as well.
"We brought you something, Rapunzel." Hobie said to the blonde girl as she was sitting with Vincent and Vulpix.
"Is it breakfast?" Vulpix asked.
"Um... No?" Spike and Matches said softly.
Penelope tried to squeeze through the window, she flopped in, but luckily, didn't make a mess. "See?" she gestured to the berry paint she and Spike had created.
"Here, you can start painting again!" Hobie smiled.
"We would have had more if Mr. Eats-A-Lot didn't eat any." Spike said.
"But it's my snack time!" Hobie frowned.
Rapunzel picked up the basket, she was deeply touched that they went through that trouble just to make her happy. "I... I don't know what to say."
"A 'thank you' will do." Spike smiled.
"'What would I do without you?'," Hobie added. "And stuff like that, you know."
Matches glanced at him, but smiled to the blonde girl. "You're welcome, Rapunzel."
"Oh, we forgot one teeny-tiny detail," Penelope noticed nervously. "The paintbrush."
"If only we had a paintbrush around here." Vulpix said dramatically, before winking to his trainer.
"How about this one?" Hobie asked, bringing over a silver-colored paintbrush. "Now, I know my eyes are tricking me, I could have sworn this use to be a hairbrush."
Rapunzel took the paint brush, quizzically. "I don't understand..."
"Come on, Rapunzel," Vulpix encouraged. "What're you waiting for? Dip it in and paint, paint, paint!"
Rapunzel didn't know where to paint since she now longer had a canvas, but she settled for the wall, she dipped her brush in the berry paint and it appeared to be magical.
"How'd you do that?" Penelope asked.
"I just thought of the blue sky and there it was." Rapunzel answered.
"I wonder." Vincent said before bringing out his paintbrush.
Rapunzel stepped back and allowed Vincent to have a turn. Vincent had a thought before he started to paint with his own brush. And where just like what happened when Rapunzel painted, more scenery appeared.
"I was thinking of the grass in the village." Vincent told them.
"Here, you don't even need paint," Hobie smiled. "See? I could eat more berries!"
Matches glanced to her mate with a teasing smirk. "It's like when we visit Rarity and she has jewels for her new ensembles."
"Yeah." Spike nodded.
Vincent and Rapunzel continued to paint on the wall. The more the painted, the more it looked like they were there. A butterfly even came to life and flew out of the wall. Vulpix watched the butterfly and looked cross-eyed as the butterfly landed on the bridge of his nose.
"Wow, it looks..." Matches smiled.
"Amazing." Spike added.
"Show us all the places you've been!" Penelope got excited again once the painting finished itself and it looked like a map of the village. "I wanna see them all!"
"Okay, well, there's the blacksmith and the baker shop." Vincent said, pointing to different spots of the painting.
"There's the main square..." Rapunzel added.
"Oh, don't forget about the garden outside the castle." Vulpix sat up slightly.
"Where?" Penelope came closer, her tail accidentally swinging. "Where!"
Hobie yelled out as he flew off the floor and ended up going through the wall with a glow around him like he could transport into the painting somehow.
"Whoa!" Spike's eyes widened.
"Hobie!" Rapunzel pulled the rabbit out.
Hobie stammered, unsure of what to say or do about the situation he was just in.
"Are you okay, Hobie?" Vincent asked.
"I thought I was a goner..." Hobie stammered.
Rapunzel looked curiously to the painting.
"Well, twist my tail!" Penelope was amazed.
Rapunzel came close, she put her hand in through the wall and took it back out to show a tweeting bird.
"That's amazing." Vulpix smiled.
The bird flapped its wings and flew out the window to freedom.
Rapunzel smiled back. "I have a good feeling about this."
"Are you crazy!?" Hobie looked at her. "You could turn into a blob of paint!"
"That's better than being a prisoner." Rapunzel said.
"I'm coming with you." Vincent said.
"Me too." Vulpix said.
Penelope, Hobie, Spike, and Matches were staying behind. Rapunzel caressed them and even kissed Spike and Matches's egg before stepping through the painting portal with Vincent and Vulpix. And where as if by magic, all three of them walked into the painting, taking them to the village. Penelope, Hobie, Spike, and Matches watched and stood close together. Matches hummed a soothing lullaby as she cradled the egg.
The three adventurers opened their eyes and they were exactly where they were when they came yesterday.
"Is that you?" the young man noticed them and stood up from the spot he was sitting on, though he seemed more focused on Rapunzel. "I've been looking everywhere!"
"We've been..." Rapunzel said, unsure what to say.
"Well..." Vulpix said, also unsure.
"It's hard to explain." Vincent told him.
"It's a long story..." Rapunzel concluded.
"I hoped you might come back here," the young man came closer to them. "I've realized I don't even know your names."
"Rapunzel." the blonde girl introduced.
"Vincent." the lost boy introduced.
"Vulpix." the fire fox Pokemon introduced.
The young man nodded, repeating their names, feeling glad he finally knew. "My name is-"
"Please, don't tell us." Rapunzel stopped him.
"Why not?" the young man frowned.
"It's better we don't know." Vincent and Vulpix smiled.
The young man shook his head. "You're full of surprises."
Rapunzel looked to her paint brush and held it out to the young man. "Can you help us find the maker of this brush?"
The young man took it and read the inscription. "Don't your parents know?"
"I have not seen my parents since I was a baby." Rapunzel explained.
"I'm sorry." the young man handed the brush back.
"Whoever made it might be able to help you find out where your parents are." Vincent smiled to Rapunzel.
"That's what I'm hoping for." Rapunzel agreed.
The young man went into a deep think to help them out. "I'd say we start with the silversmith."
"Perfect." Vulpix smiled.
The young man led them through the village and decided to help them.
"So, is this silversmith that big, muscular guy we saw last time we were here?" Vulpix asked him.
"Blacksmith." Vincent corrected, knowing which guy he meant.
"Oh..." Vulpix pouted. "What's the difference?"
"Um, well, uh..." Vincent said, unsure of how the blacksmith and silversmith were different.
"A blacksmith works with iron and steel," the young man explained for him. "A silversmith makes art out of the metal they work with, like making dishes, bowls, or even cups... Or in this case, paintbrushes."
"Ohh, do most blacksmiths have muscles?" Vulpix asked.
"Well, the one around here does..." the young man chuckled. "Let's go see the silversmith though."
"Oh, all right..." Vulpix pouted.
There was an elderly man at work as the young man led them into his shop, he then saw them come, but mostly the young man. "Oh, Your High-Hi... Hi! Hello! How are you?" he asked casually. "Erm... What can I do for you, erm, gentlefolk?"
"Do you know who made this?" Vincent asked, showing him Rapunzel's paintbrush.
The man gently took the paint brush for a closer look. "Yes, I do!" he cheered slightly. "Look at the fine details... Very fine work."
"You made it?" Rapunzel asked hopefully.
"Oh, not me," the silversmith handed the brush back. "My brother."
"That's wonderful, can we speak with him?" Vulpix asked.
"Oh, I'm afraid not I haven't spoken to him in years." The silversmith sighed.
"Why not?" Vincent asked.
"Oh, the feud I'm afraid..." the silversmith sighed. "He lives in Wilhelm's Kingdom."
"Can't you visit him?" Rapunzel suggested.
"Nobody has gone back and forth between the kingdoms since the feud started." the young man explained to them.
"You must miss him." Vincent frowned.
"More than I can say, young one, more than I can say." The silversmith sighed.
Vincent frowned, he nearly had a feud with Akito back in the days of the Loonatics thanks to the negative influence of Captain Pollution, but luckily it was resolved before it could get serious, though it was pretty serious at the time since they were only children and all.
Back in the Tower...
"Do you think they're really there?" Penelope asked.
"You're guess is as good as mine." Hobie said.
"Oh..." Penelope pouted. "I miss them already."
"Don't worry, Penelope..." Spike soothed. "They'll be back fast!"
"Uh-Oh, not fast enough!" Hobie's ears twitched. "Big Bad Gothel on the horizon!"
"What?!" All three dragons asked out of shock.
"What're we gonna do!?" Matches panicked. "If Gothel founds out Rapunzel, Vincent, and Vulpix are gone, who knows what she'll do to Hugo!?"
"Nothing more than he deserves." Hobie scoffed since Hugo was a rather crude dragon due to how he treated his own children.
"Hobie, this is serious, we have to get Rapunzel, Vincent, and Vulpix back!" Spike told the rabbit.
"In three minutes?" Hobie replied. "That's how long it takes Gothel to get here!"
"We have to do something. Our father!" Penelope and Spike begged.
"Hmm..." Hobie tried to think up a plan. "Okay, here's the plan. We'll stop Gothel and we'll find the others."
"We!?" Matches glanced at him.
"Just trust me, okay?" Hobie said to the green dragon.
"Great, you guys stop, we both go," Penelope agreed. "I like it, it's a one thing. Come on, Spike!"
Spike kissed Matches before going with his sister.
"I'm going to become ferret food." Hobie said, worriedly.
Matches rolled her eyes and sat on the egg again.
"No!" Penelope just remembered something. "I can't fly over the magic wall and I don't know where the village is. How are we gonna find them? I mean, they went through there!" she then pointed to the painting.
"There's your answer!" Hobie smiled.
"U-Us?" Penelope trembled. "Go in the painting too? Isn't it... Us?"
Hobie nodded, urging for them to continue on.
"Come on, sis, let's go." Spike said.
"Oh... All right..." Penelope agreed.
"Be good until I get back..." Spike gently stroked the egg before leaving with Penelope.
While that was going on, the young man, Rapunzel, Vincent, and Vulpix were now in front of the castle.
