"I want to see the floating lights!"-Tangleds- Princess Rapunzel
There was a loud Crack. Jack closed his eyes, preparing for the impact. He stood over Rapunzel, unsure how much good it would do. But nothing happened, he looked up, the girl and Rapunzel looked up.
Above looking as though suspending in thin air was the chunks of wood and plaster. They never fell. How was that...then he noticed the sheet of ice that was under it, a thick, crystal clear sheet of ice, like a ceiling, blocking everything from falling down. He looked at Rapunzel and the girl who all looked up at the ice shocked and amazed.
Jack looked at his hand, "Did I do that?" he asked. He had always been able to make frost and ice. With his hands he could make a little frost, or his feet, he freeze water when he touched it. He often froze the pond back home. And with his staff he could freeze things amazingly solid, entire statues. But never, ever, with out touching something, or with out using his staff had he ever created something like that. So precise, and strong. He brought his hand down and felt a wave of exhaustion hit him.
What ever he had did, it had taken allot out of him. He wasn't sure how he did it, or even if he could pull it off again. Already, in the hot stuffy summer air the ice was beginning to drip. He turned to the girl, "Hurry up kid, I can't do it again, you have to dig." he sighed and collapsed in a heap. One second he couldn't use his staff the next he didn't need it. What was going on. He remember what the guardians had told him about changing. There powers grew stronger as the need in them increased or as more kids believed in them. But he hadn't expected a surprise like this.
He leaned against his pile, Rapunzel right next to him, unsure on what was going on, still staring at the ceiling. The little girl had gone back to digging, fear driving her to move. Rapunzel finally looked away from the roof. She whispered something under her breath that Jack couldn't understand. It was too quiet. Besides, he didn't care, he was too tired. Without thinking he closed his eyes and fell into a deep dreamless sleep.
Rapunzel watched the girl, looked back up at the ceiling and then back at the girl. What was going on. This was impossible. Ice ceiling didn't just come to being for no reason. There had to be an explanation. But the only one that popped into her head was Jack Frost.
"But that's impossible." she whispered, "Jack Frost didn't save people, he froze crops, killed people." she frowned. It was one of Gothel's favorite stories to tell her when she was young, winter never came to that tower, it was hidden from it. But Gothel warned of winters beyond, dark winters, where seas froze and people never escaped blizzards.
She had seen these winters first hand now. It was one of the only things that Gothel had told the truth about. People died year after year for freezing to death, for lack of food. Rapunzel had discovered some new ways to store food, to fix things and work them together so that everyone had food. But it still didn't work perfect. The death count had lessoned but was still there.
Besides, he wasn't real. He was a fairy tale, to make sure kids came inside when it was dark in the winter.
Rapunzel's head was swimming, nothing made sense. It couldn't be Jack Frost. Could it? She looked down at her ribs, what had taken away the pain. The snow she saw drift down from the ceiling, she had told herself it was dust. But it had gleamed do prettily, not like dust. And the frost that grew around them, while they had dance, there one second and gone the next like twisty foot prints. But it was all so delicate so soft and pretty. Nothing like what she had been told about winter, what she had seen about winter.
"Jack Frost." she whispered. It was so low nobody could have heard it. No body. But the next second she felt the cold presence grow stronger and she turned. Leaning against the pile was a boy, white hair sloppy made. What looked like a blue frost covered tunic, with a hood, and a pair of rough brown pants. His pale, ice white hands gripped the staff frowning, his eyes were closed. He looked so tired. Like the world had just been placed on his shoulders.
It took her five seconds to realize who she was looking at. The next five seconds she used to hold back a scream of surprise. This was Jack Frost, a boy, nothing more. But that was impossible. He shouldn't exist. She shook then turned to the girl. Had he been here all the time? Helping them, comforting them. She touched her side, and she realized he was the one who had taken away her pain. He had numbed it. She reached out and brushed his white hair out of his face.
"Thank you." she whispered. Then she swirled around to the girl. "How's it going?" she asked.
"Slow." the girl said, she carefully pulled aside another chunk, there was a rumble and she looked up. She could see things fall but the ceiling held. Then she looked at Rapunzel, "How did that happen?" she asked.
Rapunzel looked at Jack, " A friend helped." she said, unsure about what she said, but still not willing to take it back.
"What friend, there's no one else here." she blinked and then laughed, "Use my imagination!" she laughed, "Fun..." she looked down and things grew awkwardly quiet again.
Rapunzel frowned, she hated awkward silence, "How about I tell a story. To pass the time."
"What kind of story?" said the girl.
"A fun kind, would you like to hear it?"
"Yes please." she answered, pushing another piece away.
"Once upon a time," Rapunzel began, she leaned up against the wall, "A drop of sunlight fell to the earth."
The woman pounded on the palace gates. Pascal bounced all over, he looked from her to the door and scowled as he tried to grip the woman's smelly clothes. "Let me in!" she bellowed.
Pascal rolled his eyes, oh for goodness sake.
The man from the tower looked down. "Go away old woman, we have no want for your business here." shouted the man.
"But I have news of the lost queen!" she shouted.
The gate mans eyes widened he disappeared for a moment and the gates opened. The woman never had to go past the gate. Standing there already was Eugene, running up to meet them. He hadn't even come off of Maximus, he simply turned Maximus around. He soon was right next to the old woman. He didn't care how she looked or where she had come from.
"Where is Rapunzel?" he asked.
The woman paled, she hadn't thought about what she was going to say when she was in front of him, "I-I." she began.
Pascal rolled his eyes again and appeared on the woman's shoulder.
"Pascal!" Eugene jumped from Maximus. He picked Pascal off the woman's shoulder. " Pascal, where's Rapunzel? Can you tell me?" Pascal looked at Eugene, he nodded, but even that seemed to tire him out, he flopped his little head on Eugene's thumb. "Come on Pascal." he said.
"You're Majesty, if I may." the old woman said, "The lizard-"
"Pascal."
"Pascal, did tell me where to find her Majesty." the woman said frowning. "I can show you."
"And how do we know we can trust you." said the Guard, seemingly coming from no where," You have always hated the couple, how do we know your not leading him into an ambush, perhaps you did the same to the queen."
"I did nothing to the queen, not on purpose, but I know where she is because the lizard told me." she pointed to him, "I had blacked out right next to where she disappeared, for reasons I don't know." she frowned deeper, the wrinkles on her head more prominent. "And as for can you trust me, who else had been able to give info."
"Exactly," said the guard, "You could be leading us-"
"No, I trust you." Eugene said, he put Pascal on his shoulder. "Take me to her."
The guard stepped in front of him, "With all do respect, your Majesty, I do not think you should trust this woman."
"Why do you care all of a sudden," Eugene retorted, "Wasn't it you who were supposed to watch my wife, and yet you failed. An old woman who has hated me has paid more attention and more thought then any of you." Eugene's stare could have killed if given the chance. But the Guard had gotten the warning and turned quickly away.
Eugene turned back to the woman, "Take me to Rapunzel, and don't cross me Berta."
The old woman paled, but bowed and said, "Yes your majesty, follow me."
Berta ran, Eugene got on top of Maximus and they both followed the old woman into town.
Rapunzel finished the story, she leaned back and smiled. The girl plopped down on the ground tired, but smiling too. "That was a nice story, when I get out of here I'm going to tell it to my friends."
Rapunzel looked at the hole, "How much more do we have to go."
"Too much, I wish there was someone else here to help."
She was tempted to say there was, but quickly stopped herself. If she hadn't been able to see him before, and if the girl couldn't see him, maybe he didn't want to be seen. She sat back and sighed. She looked up at the icy ceiling, it was beginning to thaw more, water dripping down on there heads and soaking into there clothes, making all the dust into mud. They needed to get out of here quick.
"Rapunzel!"
Rapunzel sat bolt upward, grabbing her ribs in pain regretting the sudden movement. She looked at the girl, "Did you hear that?"
The girl nodded, "I thought it was just me."
"Rapunzel!" the shout came again more urgent.
"Eugene?" Rapunzel shouted, she tried to stand but stopped quickly.
"Rapunzel, you are in there!" he shouted, "Is anyone else in there?"
"A little girl." Rapunzel said, she almost said boy too but stopped herself in time.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm hurt, the little girl has been trying to dig us out." she looked back up at the roof, "But you have to hurry we don't have much time."
"We're working on it Rapunzel." he shouted.
Rapunzel heard the sound of things being moved little by little. The girl kept working, cutting her hands, covering her hair in dirt and dust and mud. She tore her dress, her hair had fallen out of it's braids and all over her face. She coughed dust as she worked. But never stopped once, focused on the sound no too far away of other workers.
There was a loud crack and the two of them looked up simultaneously. Another chunk fell on the ice and a huge web of cracks formed. "Hurry!" She shouted. The girl didn't stop, she looked through and saw light, it was small, but there, and then they saw a hand pull away another chunk and light poured in. Eugene on the other side.
"Come on!" he shouted, to the girl.
The girl didn't question it, she crawled through the hole, to the other side into the light. On the other side was her mother. She burst into tears and wrapped her arms around her. "Mommy!" the girl cried, "We were trapped I was so scared but Rapunzel-"
"Oh, my sweet little girl!" the woman shouted, but she knew her daughter would be alright. She just squeezed her closer crying.
Inside the hold Flynn called out to her, "Rapunzel come on." he held out his hand. Another crack and they both looked up, Eugene couldn't understand what he as seeing but he would question it later.
Rapunzel tried to move but screamed in pain and collapsed, "I can't, I broke a rib."
"You have to." Eugene shouted, he pushed himself through.
"No Eugene." she said.
"I'm not leaving you." Eugene ran up to her.
Rapunzel looked up at him. Dust ran down. Jack woke up he saw Rapunzel, crying, Eugene trying to lift her, and the ice roof he made caving in. It hit him like a bolt, he sat up. Eugene wrapped his arms around Rapunzel, "We have to help the boy," she said.
"What boy." Eugene said.
"Jack Frost."
"Me?" Jack couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"Stop playing games Rapunzel, we have to get you out." He tried to lift her up again and she let out a scream of pain. Eugene placed her back down. Then he reached into a pocket and pulled out a bottle, it was small, no bigger then your pointer finger, gold glass with a tiny purple stopper.
Rapunzel gasped. "I told you not take that with you anywhere!"
"I thought you might be hurt and this can help, all it takes is one drop and a song. Come on Rapunzel."
"It won't work on me." she said.
"You haven't even tried Rapunzel." Eugene said, he took off the topper, "Your hurt. We have to get you out-" CRACK! They both looked up, Jack jumped to his feet, the roof caved in, ice, wood, plaster, all came tumbling down. Jack wasn't sure if he could stop it again like he did before. He wasn't even sure how he did it. He held up his staff over his head. Eugene covered up Rapunzel.
And everything came down.
They all stared in stunned silence, watching as the entire house caved in. Beams collapsed, walls caved, dust and ash rose. The king stared horrified, helpless to the disaster. A cloud of dust rose and they turned away coughing. When the dust had cleared the building was down. The old woman stared at the rubble and took a step back. She was too late, too late to make things up to the king, to the kingdom, to king and queen. Pascal crawled onto the girls shoulder and stared, he panted and then looked at the girl with his sad brown eyes. The little girl cried. She hugged her mom, "Rapunzel," she whispered. The girl looked up at the king.
Tears filled his eyes, "My baby girl." he said, choking. It was hard, so many feeling filled him, anger, madness, sadness, distress. He turned away, he couldn't stand to see the rubble. He had his daughter and lost his daughter all over again. Now all he had was his wife and granddaughter and this blasted kingdom. But how long before he lost them too. He couldn't protect his family. That was all to clear.
But the guard who had been insulted before, felt a strength to prove himself. He jumped to his feet, his eyes cleared and he stood proud. "Come on men, we can still save them." He and the other soldiers began to work through the rubble, one after the other. Digging there hands into dirt, mud, ash, plaster, wood, and strangle enough ice. They pulled things out piece by piece.
Covering themselves in dirt. They looked terrible, there armor dented, there face smudged with dirt. But they didn't stop, they cut there hands but didn't stop. The girl jumped to her feet, still tired, she wiped away her tears and joined them, the mother joined them, the old woman joined them. Even Pascal helped.
But no one worked as powerfully as the king. Moved by a new hope, and unwilling to give up his daughter a second time he pulled away more chunks then thought to be humanly possible. Before long his royal garb would have been taken as a beggar mans rags. Ripped, sweaty, his crown on the side, covered in cuts. But he never gave up, not once.
Then someone shouted. They all turned, the former king staring in there direction. It was one of his guards, he pointed to a mound that was glowing blue. "What the-" but he never finished. The king pushed past him and pulled boards off the glowing mound one...two...three.
The bound burst open in a explosion of dust and ice, and inside surrounded by a glowing icy dome was Eugene and Rapunzel eyes widened at the bright sunlight. Eugene looked around and saw Jack next to them, a boy, sweating, holding up his staff over head. Face scrunched in the effort. Jack dropped the staff and the ice shattered. All the people stared at the two of them stunned silence.
Jack fell on his knees and let out a breath of relief. He looked at the people gawking and then at Rapunzel his eyes sparkling, "Well that was fun." he said sarcastically.
Rapunzel giggled, "Okay..." Eugene said, turning to Rapunzel frowning, "I believe you now."
