Soli Deo gloria
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Tangled or Aladdin.
Eugene led the four of us to a pier—attached to the dock was a floating wooden container. Rapunzel looked at him curiously and I turned to look at him as well. What the heck was it?
"What is it?" Rapunzel stated uncertainly.
Eugene looked at her, bewildered, "It's a boat, a canoe, or need we be elegant, a gondola. You go in it and it floats on the water."
I liked the word gondola; I liked elegance. But before Eugene said anything else, we heard a THUMP! Eugene and Rapunzel looked around for a moment before they shrugged at each other.
"Oh, okay," Rapunzel blushed and he carefully helped her into the gondola. She carefully placed a hand on the seat and steadied herself as he let go of her hand and she sat down. She shifted around a bit to get comfortable and smiled.
Eugene carefully got himself into the gondola and my stomach shifted a little. I hoped this was going to go well; though I hate to admit it, sometimes I turn even greener than usual. Once he was settled, however, I felt my stomach turn to normal and I sighed in relief. He then grabbed an oar, as it was called, and stuck it into the water. He lifted it in and out slowly as the boat began to move. Rapunzel bounced a bit, excited as usual.
We heard a sad sigh and turned to see the forlorn horse on the dock. Maximus was sad at seeing us go out into the lake and sighed melancholily.
Eugene, for once, noticed the stallion and actually smiled at the guy. "Hey, Max," he said to him. The horse looked up to see the thief toss him a bag of apples. I was kinda touched at how Eugene was actually being nice to Max.
Of course, Maximus snarled at this gesture. I'm pretty sure he was pretty sure that the fruit was stolen.
"What? I bought them," Eugene told him, which immediately made the horse shrug, let down his guard, and chomp down on the apples.
"Most of them," Eugene then called over his shoulder, causing me to laugh at their game. Rapunzel giggled as Maximus's face dropped; he frantically searched the pile of fruit to see if he could distinguish which ones had been swiped.
Rapunzel turned to Eugene and asked him, "Where are we going?" I was wondering the same thing; he had left us in the dark about this plan concerning this gondola.
"Best day of your life?" he asked Rapunzel as he stuck out his hand in my direction. I smiled as I descended into his hand; he gently set me down on a golden colored pedestal that was on the stern of the boat. I settled down on the nice flat surface and he answered, "Figured you should have a decent seat." Oh, decent seats! Sounds awesome! He then started rowing with the oar until we reached the middle of the vast lake. It had gotten late and the sun had set when he finally stopped.
We sat there for a few moments, just waiting for the lights. Rapunzel got a little sad looking, and I was getting concerned as to why. Apparently so was Eugene, for he turned to her and asked, "You okay?"
Rapunzel gave him a little weak smile and said miserably, "I'm terrified."
"Of what?" I wondered. Rapunzel hadn't shown signs of sadness all day; she had had the most wonderful time. We had already done the hard part—the whole blackmailing the thief, escaping the mother, thugs and death part; so why now was she so scared?
So, of course he asked her, (I would have as well if I could to speak human), "Why?"
Rapunzel dipped her hands into the water and splashed quietly with her fingers as she sighed and explained, "I've been looking out a window for eighteen years, dreaming of what I might feel like when those lights rise into the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed they would be?" Oh, I understood now. Rapunzel was scared of disappointment.
Over her small lifetime, she had suffered disappointment. When Gothel promised her something and she didn't keep the deal; that was why Rapunzel never went back on her promises. There had been those times when Gothel had told Rapunzel if she was very good, she might go outside. Rapunzel had told me she was perfection for Gothel, who never let her out. When she had gotten older, Gothel told her she mustn't go outside. I was so sad to think that Rapunzel was instead of thinking of her dream coming true, wondering if it would come true at all.
Eugene understood her depression and said encouragingly, "It will be." I could have hugged him for that.
Rapunzel smiled and looked up at him, "And what if it is? What do I do then?" That was a very good question. Eugene?
He smiled and thought a second before he told her, "Well, that's the good part, I guess. You get to go find a new dream."
Rapunzel was comforted by his words, and somehow, so was I, for I suddenly knew, by the way he was looking at her, he wanted to be a part of her new dream.
Silence engulfed us and we sat in a bit of boredom. I searched the dock for Maximus, but he was too far away. When I turned back, I smiled. Rapunzel had taken some of the assorted flowers from her fancy braid and let them gently float on the water, and who was holding the pile of flowers but the thief. I smiled at them when Rapunzel's quick eyes darted up. I followed her gaze to see the first floating light, that lantern, rise into the sky.
Rapunzel thus dropped what she was doing and leaped up. She grabbed the polished stern of the boat to balance herself; her eyes never left that lantern. Her quick movement, however, threw Eugene and me for a loop. He nearly fell out the side of the boat and I was thrown from my pedestal. I was able to find my footing and take my seat back as Eugene straightened up and watched her.
Even though she wasn't facing us, you could tell that she was in a state of pure joy. Speechless—a good word to describe this usually talkative girl—was what she was as she stood there in the starlight.
Casting my gaze from Rapunzel, I turned and gasped. I was so stunned, much more surprised than I had ever been in my whole life.
That one lantern had started a lantern chain, causing a myriad of lanterns to start to rise into the sky. Shining, shimmering, splendid, each one so carefully crafted to honor their lost princess. Some had suns on them and other flowers; all glowed and flew slowly into the darkness. All of them together, there must have been thousands! Hundreds came from the boats, the citizens letting them loose. Others, from that beautiful lakeside village. They were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
They were like the sun, the stars, the moon, casting new light over the poor kingdom. I silently asked God to bring those people, those devoted and honorable people, their princess back.
My thoughts were interrupted when Rapunzel turned from her position to stare at the thief. Lost in my own little world of thoughts, I hadn't seen Eugene take out lanterns from under the seat and light them. Now, he offered them to Rapunzel, as a birthday gift.
She eagerly sat down to face him and gave a little giggle before she told him, "I have something for you, too," and she reached behind her and took out the satchel. Eugene looked so stunned, I'll tell you that much. While he had explained to Rapunzel what a boat was, Maximus had taken the satchel that Rapunzel given him to hold for the day (she didn't explain to him what was inside and he had had it hidden in one of the pockets on his saddle) and had thrown it into the boat without the thief looking. I had to admit, he did a good job not letting a thief know about it.
Back to the subject at hand.
Eugene looked at her, astonished, as she explained, "I should have given it to you before, but I was just scared, and the thing is, I'm not scared anymore. You know what I mean?"
He smiled and did the most wonderful thing I ever saw him do. He set aside the satchel, his most prized and honored possession, and said, "I'm starting to," and with that, they each took a lantern and let it rise into the sky.
It was amazing, I'll tell you. The lanterns were everywhere now and they surrounded the gondola. But the two lanterns I was watching were the two the thief and captive released. The lanterns never separated, never flew away; they just went straight up, in a straight line.
I looked back at the two and sighed. That description also fit them as well. Rapunzel had nearly fallen out of the boat trying to reach a lantern floating her way and managed to grab it lightly and send it up into the air. Eugene never took his eyes off her, and he gently caught up her hands with his, and she turned to him and smiled broadly. And then they started singing.
And for once, I didn't mind.
"And at last I see the light," the two sang together in perfect unison. Their eyes never strayed from each other as he added, "And it's like the fog has lifted." All the lanterns seemed to disappear as I watched those two sing together.
"And at last I see the light," they repeated. Together. I smiled at them, so happy for them, having the most wonderful time of their life.
"And it's like the sky is new!" Rapunzel cried excitedly. Together now. "And it's warm, and real, and bright, and the world has somehow shifted."
If you had told me 48 hours ago that a thief would be made to guide Rapunzel and me to see the lanterns, that we would have charmed dozens of pub thugs, escaped from drowning, and spent the best day of our lives in the village, I would have told you that you were crazy, then I'd run away from you for I'd never have met you before—but now, anything was possible, because they're together and. . .
They're in love.
Love, what a mysterious thing. Gothel 'loved' Rapunzel, but never like this. I knew this was love, the way they looked into each other's eyes. My eyes were almost brimming over with shining tears as together they quietly sang, "All at once, everything is different, now that I see you." I instantly covered my eyes with my hands and turned dark pink, but I peeked, because that's how I am. I knew what they were going to do.
"Now that I . . . see you. . ." They finished the most beautiful song I had ever heard.
They were going to kiss. On the lips. Not on the cheek like Gothel sometimes kisses Rapunzel on, but on the lips. They must really, really love each other. But . . . I'm okay with that.
Eugene gently placed a bit of Rapunzel's stray hair behind her ear, and then he placed his hand on her neck and drew them closer. My eyes grew wider as theirs grew smaller as they closed them. They got nearer, and nearer, until it was the near perfect moment.
And then that moment ended.
Eugene hadn't closed his eyes all the way after all, and peeked over Rapunzel's shoulder. I straightened up to see what he was staring at as Rapunzel asked him, "Is . . . is everything okay?"
He almost didn't seem to hear the question and was startled when he noticed she was looking at him.
"Huh? Oh yes, yes, of course," he stuttered, and then he frowned to himself. Not one of us said one word as he let go of Rapunzel's hands and rowed us across the water to the shore opposite the kingdom. Rapunzel and I exchanged worried glances as he jumped out of the boat and brought it ashore. He reached into the boat and—my eyes bulged—seized the satchel and looked into Rapunzel's eyes.
"I'm sorry, everything is fine. There's just something I have to take care of," he said slowly as he looked at her to say something. Anything.
She answered with an, "Okay." With a weak smile, he turned his back to us and walked away.
Rapunzel grasped the stern on the gondola; I took the opportunity to climb the shining wood and crawl onto her shoulder. She wasn't looking too good. Her eyes were sad and she seemed rather stricken. She noticed me looking at her and smiled. "It's all right, Pascal," she tried to console me. No, I didn't need consoling as much as she did. She was heartbroken. It was the perfect moment. Even the wrath of Gothel couldn't have disturbed it, and yet, they didn't kiss.
"Don't worry, he'll come back," Rapunzel tried reassuring me. I then realized that she wasn't even trying to comfort me as much as herself. I patted her sympathetically as she said to herself, "I trust him."
Minutes felt like hours as they passed as slowly as they could. The seconds trickled away like molasses as Rapunzel searched the fog (that had set in ominously) for him. I sighed as I watched the last of those glorious lights disappear to who knows where. I turned back to reality when I heard a branch break.
Footsteps grew closer as Rapunzel and I looked through the mist to see a tall figure coming towards us.
I can tell you, Rapunzel and I were so relieved. I exhaled with a smile on my face to see him come back and Rapunzel smiled as she said, "I was starting to think you ran off with the crown and left me." Frankly, so was I.
In this darkness, things were hard to make out. So, when two burly figures emerged instead of a slightly smaller built one, Rapunzel and I were more than slightly horrified and confused. Instead of Eugene, we were approached by two hefty men with dark orange hair and big muscles.
The older and more scary looking one smiled evilly at Rapunzel and me and said, "He did."
Those two words took the two of us back as Rapunzel summoned her courage and said bravely, "No, he wouldn't."
The evil men's grins widened as the one without an eye patch (why did the other one have an eye patch? I wondered worryingly) gestured toward the water and chuckled, "See for yourself."
Don't even try to imagine Rapunzel's broken heart as she gazed out on the water and called frantically, "Eugene?" There he was, steering a boat; against the mast, he was steering away from us. When he didn't respond, she yelled out at the top of her lungs, "EUGENE!"
The men drew closer to us as Rapunzel looked out on the water with despair. The coward I was (I kicked myself for doing it later), I shrank back on Rapunzel's shoulder and behind her braid. At that moment, the man without the eye patch touched her hair, examining it, and Rapunzel didn't even notice. I promised myself that I'd bite that guy the first chance I got.
"A fair trade, a crown for the girl with the magic hair," he said slowly. Rapunzel turned to look at him in horror. Eugene had told them about her hair? Oh no. But it got worse as the man continued, "How much do you think someone will pay to stay young and healthy forever?" His eyes grew with greed as he drew out a bag. They went after the poor frightened girl.
"Please, no!" Rapunzel pleaded, but it was no use. I gulped as she ran; as hard as she could, she ran. Her terrified feet carried her around the bend, but, oh, it just kept getting better. As she rounded the turn, her long braid got caught in a pile of branches. I held on for dear life as she jerked the braid as hard as she could, gasping and grunting as she tried.
I was sure the menacing men would be here any minute until we heard such a racket; whacking and pounding as we heard the men groan, and then it was quiet. Rapunzel stopped tugging at her braid when she and I heard a voice that startled the heck out of me.
"Rapunzel?"
It was . . .
"Mother?" Rapunzel uttered slowly. She dragged the braid away to where the boat was, and we saw her.
Gothel was holding a stick (a large one at that), and at her feet were the men who tried to kidnap Rapunzel. Groaning and bruised, I could tell that Gothel had pounded the living daylights out of them. Gothel herself looked older than she had last night. Her already greying hair was more grey than black now, and her wrinkled hands trembled as she turned to us and held out her arms and said in a motherly tone, "Oh, my precious girl."
Poor Rapunzel, on the brink of tears, gathered her skirts and ran into her arms. Gothel quickly hugged her and then examined her frantically as she asked things like, "Oh, are you hurt?" while Rapunzel tried to ask, "Mother, how did you—?"
Gothel interrupted by explaining, "I followed you, and then I saw them attack you—!" She wrapped Rapunzel into a quick hug and then quickly told her, "Quick, quick, before they come to!" and she let go of Rapunzel's hand and slipped into the woods. Rapunzel didn't immediately follow her. She turned back to the lake and watched the boat grow dimmer and dimmer as it disappeared. I watched as well, and could tell that Rapunzel was crying due to the choking sob she let escape.
She turned back to Gothel, who had lit a lantern (a regular lantern), and held out her arms in a sympathetic way. I had to admit, Gothel was being particularly nice to the heartbroken teen, and I was grateful to her for that.
Rapunzel caught a sob before it slipped and ran into Gothel's waiting arms and cried, "You were right, Mother," and she started weeping as she tearfully made out, "You were right about everything."
Gothel held the girl close with one hand as she stroked her hair and held the lantern with the other. She said quietly, "I know, dear, I know," and led us down the path.
Before we turned the corner, I came out from behind the crying girl's shoulder and peeked out at the water and sighed. Eugene was gone, and he was gone for good.
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