"Pitch Black?" she said. "The boogieman?"
"Wha-you know who he is" I spluttered. This conversation got more surprising and confusing as it progressed.
All children-even those who don't believe- have heard of The Boogieman. He has many different names, from all different cultures. He is called the Sack Man, El Coco, and Babau. I've never heard a mortal before though, refer to him as Pitch Black.
"I was warned about him as a child." Rapunzel said "My mother-" She broke off looking pained "Well not my mother. She was my…" She struggled to find a word. "...Caretaker. Anyway she warned me of a Demon named Pitch Black who hid under childrens beds to scare them. She told me that I was safe from him up in the tower."
"The tower?" Jack asked
"It's a long story" Rapunzel said "Is that who you're talking about."
"Er- yes." I said. I was thrown, not only by the fact that she knew who Pitch was, but also that she was talking about this without thinking we were crazy. "Your...Caretaker was very well informed. He is the Spirit of fear and Darkness. We belong to a group called the Guardians. We fight Pitch to protect children." I said "My name's Breeze Fever. I'm the Spirit of Summer and my center is Laughter."
"Your center?"
"It is the core of our being." Jack said "It's what we protect in children. That's what North says at least. I'm Jack Frost and I am the Spirit of winter and my center is Fun."
"I'm the Spirit on Magic and my center is Bravery." Merida said "Pitch Black has gathered followers and is bent on destroying childhood happiness. We need your help."
"How can I help you?" She asked "You have more power than I ever had"
"Wait... you had power?" Jack asked
"Yes. I had magic hair that glowed and could heal anything." She said "My mother was healed by a magic flower, while she was in labor. As a result I was born with hair that had the same powers as the flower."
"You lost it?" I asked
"Yeah. I was kidnapped at birth by moth-Gothel. She had found the flower centuries before and had been using it to keep herself young. She found out that I had the same powers and took me away. She kept me in the tower until my 18th birthday when I went to see the floating lanterns. A man named Eugene Fitzherbert led me there. She found me though and tricked me into coming back. Eugene came back for me though and he cut my hair to stop Gothel."
I let out a low whistle. "That was one messed up lady"
"No kidding" Jack muttered
Merida frowned "Gothel...that name sounds familiar" She looked at us "Doesn't it"
"Yeah" I said slowly "Yeah it does. Can't think of why though"
She snapped her fingers "I've got it! It was the name of the lady with Pitch in the Warren" She turned to Rapunzel "She didn't happen to have black curly hair and blue eyes, did she?"
"And a red dress and black cloak." I added.
Rapunzel looked startled "Yes, that's her. But she died."
"Many spirits are mortals back from the dead" I said grimly "Us three are. Gothel must have come back as a Spirit."
"The Man in the Moon has chosen you as a new Spirit and Guardian" Jack said "You are the new Spirit of Light and Healing if you accept."
Rapunzel looked shaken at the news of Gothel, but straightened and looked determined. "What do I need to do?"
Merida opened her mouth to speak, but I interrupted. "This is kind-of off topic, but you said that the flower and your hair could heal anything, right?"
"Yes" Rapunzel said confused
"Could it even heal your hair?" I asked "Could it give you back your power."
"I guess so." She said "I really don't know. It doesn't matter though, the flower's gone and so is the power my hair had."
I grinned. "Maybe now." I said "But it wasn't 70 years ago" Rapunzel still looked confused but Jack and Merida had caught on. I held up the watch "This is a time travel device. It allows us to as far back in time as we want. We can go back a time when the flower still existed and get back your powers and your youth." I stopped realizing what I had just said "Er-no offence"
"None taken" she said smiling. "I need some time though, to say...goodbye"
We went with her back up to the Castle and gave her some privacy as she said goodbye to her family. When she came back I asked a question that had been nagging at me for some time.
"Punz, where did you say you were going? If you told them the truth they'd think you were crazy"
"I told them I was going to pay a visit to my cousins in Arendelle" she said "There's actually a ship that's leaving to go there. By the time that they find out that I'm not there, I'll be gone." There was a note of sadness in her tone.
"Are you sure you want to accept, Punz" Merida asked
"Yes" Rapunzel said "I can't Pitch or my moth-Gothel, destroy the world."
"It's not the world they want to destroy." I said darkly "They want to destroy hopes and dreams, so the only thing that kids believe in are themselves and the dark centers that they control."
Of that happy note, I set the watch to a time about 70 years ago and we all joined hands.
"I have to warn you" I said "Time travel-at least this kind- is very unpleasant." We all joined hands and I set the watch. The portal opened and were all sucked in the colorful wonderland of doom.