Kingdom Hearts: The Next Generation
While we're talking about Tangled, my mom loves that movie. She adores Rapunzel and Flynn and loves to hate on Mother Gothel and the Stabbington Brothers. I once overheard her talking with one of her friends from her college Women's Studies course, deeply analyzing Rapunzel's upbringing and relationship with Gothel. Most of it went over my head, because, you know, she got an A in Women's Studies and I've never gotten an A in jack squat.
But she did mention that, having been raised the way she was, Rapunzel in real life couldn't have possibly grown up into such a sweet and amiable person, and theorized that her incorruptibility is the result of the sun's gift filling her heart with light. This from a woman who claims to be profoundly uninterested in Kingdom Hearts. That was just beautiful.
No Holds Barred
The group woke up to the sounds of Flynn screaming.
Skye, Max, Webby, and Rapunzel burst out of their tents, weapons drawn, to see Flynn being dragged away by a white, armored stallion, gripping Flynn's boot in its teeth.
"Hey!" Skye barked. "Let him go!"
He blasted the horse with a jet of light. The horse snarled and let go of Flynn, then somehow managed to draw an iron gladius, brandishing it in his mouth and glaring at Skye fiercely.
The combatants stood at the ready, shuffling their feet, getting a measure on their opponent. The horse struck first, slashing at Skye before darting to the edge of the clearing, where it circled around before barreling back into the camp, bowling over all four of the defenders at once.
Rapunzel was the first to get back to her feet. She struck the horse across the muzzle with her frying pan just once, and it stopped, staring at her dumbfounded.
"Hi there," Rapunzel said, petting him and checking the nameplate on his armor. "Listen… Maximus… I know it's your duty and your pleasure to bring in this dirty rotten thief…"
"What?" Flynn demanded, lying on his back in the dirt.
"But I gave my word to him, you see," Rapunzel went on. "He brings me to see the lanterns and back to my tower; and in return I protect him."
"Was protecting me part of the deal?" Flynn wondered.
Rapunzel looked over her shoulder at him, smirking. "It is now. Just look at you, you need all the help you can get… Anyway, yeah," she said to Maximus, "I can't let you take him away. I'm sorry."
Maximus scowled suspiciously.
"Also, it's my birthday," Rapunzel said brightly. "Just so you know."
At that, Maximus reluctantly dropped his weapon to the ground.
"There we go," Rapunzel said. "You okay, Eugene?"
She helped Flynn to his feet. "Yeah, thanks," Flynn said, glaring at Maximus, who aggressively glared back.
Max clapped his hands, and the tents disappeared. "All right, team, let's move out!" he said cheerfully. He paused, and turned to Flynn. "'Eugene'?" he demanded. "I thought you were Flynn Rider."
"Okay, 'Eugene' doesn't leave this clearing," Flynn announced. "Are we clear on that?"
"I like Eugene," Rapunzel said simply, walking away with Maximus at her side.
"…Huh," Flynn muttered.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
As they travelled through the forest, a pack of Shadows appeared on their path. Rapunzel, Webby, and Max nonchalantly jumped forward to attack, while Skye took a chance on expecting the Heartless to use a surrounding tactic. He was not disappointed, and found plenty of Heartless to rake through behind the group.
They were all destroyed in a matter of seconds. Skye shared a triumphant grin with Max at the realization: battling groups of small Heartless had become routine, less than a nuisance.
They passed out of the forest, beholding a beautiful stone bridge leading across the sea to an island, where a magnificent kingdom and castle stood.
"Wow," Rapunzel breathed.
"I know," Flynn agreed. "I was just here, stealing that crown from that very tower." He pointed, then chuckled uneasily at the strange looks all the others were giving him. He then ripped a wanted poster of himself off of one of the bridge's supports and crumbled it up.
"Tink, Wally B., scout ahead," Skye said, producing the pixie and bee from his pockets. "If there are any Heartless or soldiers, turn us away."
The two of them flew ahead, and the group followed, crossing the bridge without incident. At the gates to the kingdom, a party was in full swing, with musicians, dancing, and merchant booths. Rapunzel immediately broke off from the group and began flittering around, taking in every sight, and attracting a lot of attention with her long and beautiful braid as well as her sheer, wide-eyed exuberance.
"The festival is for the lost princess," Flynn was explaining to Max and Webby. "She was kidnapped as a baby, maybe eighteen years ago. This celebration lasts all day, and then at night a thousand flying lanterns are released into the sky, in the hopes that the princess will return someday. That's what Rapunzel came here to see: the lanterns, up close and personal."
They all looked back at Rapunzel, who was enjoying a cupcake and chatting up a group of young girls.
"You get that she's about nine different kinds of cute, right?" Skye asked Flynn.
Flynn laughed. "I'm starting to."
There were some surprised and amused gasps from the crowd as Rapunzel abruptly started dancing, right in the middle of the street. Soon, others joined her, and Rapunzel began tugging other people into the dancing circle. Soon, she came after Flynn, who immediately began objecting, until Maximus shoved him and he was carried along into the flow of the dance against his will. Maximus let out a whinny that sounded a lot like laughter.
Skye, Max, and Webby managed to slip away before they too were sucked in. Tinker Bell floated up alongside them, looking indignant.
"Oh, you're just mad because people are noticing Rapunzel more than you," Skye chided.
Tinker Bell glared at him, then vanished in a burst of gold light, which was absorbed back into Skye's necklace.
Skye chuckled. "She'll be back," he muttered.
"I hope so, we kind of need her," Max said. "Guys, look at this."
He pointed toward a large mosaic, decorated heavily with the kingdom's sun motif, depicting a kindly-looking bearded king and beautiful young queen cradling a tiny little girl.
"The king and queen with their lost princess," Max said solemnly. "Everyone in the kingdom is celebrating, but they must be… I mean, just imagine."
Skye looked contemplatively at the lost princess, who had cheerful green eyes and flowing golden hair. "That's… that's Rapunzel," he said. "It has to be, right?"
"Can't be a shadow of a doubt," Max agreed. "As if the hair wasn't enough, look at those eyes. Same eyes as the queen." He chuckled. "Good thing we're here instead of Dad and Don and Sora. Those guys have no powers of observation, they'd never notice the resemblance."
"Should we show this to her?" Webby asked.
"She's seen it," Skye said, remembering that Rapunzel had given it a good, long look as they were walking in. "She's probably mulling over the possibilities… probably doesn't want to think about it too hard. She's so happy right now, let's wait until after the lantern thing to discuss how, you know, her whole life is a lie."
Max nodded. "Good call."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Flynn and Rapunzel got into a little skiff at the castle docks.
"This is it," he said. "You and me, we're gonna have the best seats in the house." He turned to Skye and the others. "You guys don't mind me taking her out like this, do you? Just me and Rapunzel… and Pascal, apparently."
The chameleon glared at him from Rapunzel's shoulder, setting his jaw in a stern expression.
"I think he's got you covered," Skye said.
Flynn started rowing out into the bay. "Hey, Maximus!" he called.
He tossed a sack of apples at the horse's feet. Maximus eyed him suspiciously.
"What? I bought them," Flynn said defensively. "Most of them," he added under his breath.
"You stay here and enjoy those, Maximus," Skye said, watching Flynn and Rapunzel's boat drift farther and farther away as the sun went down. "We're gonna find ourselves a good spot."
Skye, Max, and Webby left the horse's company and started walking along the shore. Soon, a single beacon of light appeared on a castle balcony and began rising into the sky. Other little beacons followed, each one held in the hands of a different citizen somewhere in the kingdom.
The tiny paper lanterns took to the air, drifting upwards in a massive cloud, until they dotted the sky like a second layer of stars.
Skye muttered a quick prayer. "You don't see something that beautiful on every world," he muttered to Max and Webby. "This is… this is something."
"I never did see the appeal in these things," someone sneered. "Just some floating lights."
The trio turned, weapons drawn. There stood Mother Gothel, her face gaunt and her hair grayer than ever.
"Who are you?" Skye asked, immediately on guard from her tone.
"Gothel, I'm called Gothel," the old woman said tiredly. "I'm Rapunzel's mother."
Skye stepped back, his Keyblade never leaving his side. "No you're not," he said. "The queen is… You're the 'mother' who kept her trapped in a tower with your lies and fear."
"Don't sass me, Key-brat," Gothel snapped, waving a finger at him. "The sun's gift was for me. I had to protect it somehow. She thinks she can get away with escaping, well, she can't. I already visited her last night to plant a little seed of doubt. Now look…"
She pointed to the little skiff. Flynn was rowing to a distant shore, where the Stabbington brothers were waiting, concealed from view.
"She's already given him back the crown he stole," Gothel said. "The Stabbingtons are to disable Rider and send him sailing off with the crown. They're going to tell Rapunzel that Rider sold her to them for the crown. It helps their performance that they really do believe that they get to keep her, perhaps resell her… but then I'll swoop in and knock them out," she said proudly, her nose in the air and a hand to her heart. "And she'll rush into my arms… me, her mother, the only being in all the world she can trust."
"That'll never work," Skye sneered. "Rapunzel's heart is pure. Your cynicism didn't keep her in the tower and it won't get her running back to you. And why are you even telling us this?"
"Oh, well, obviously the Keyblade can't be allowed to interfere in our 'master plan'," Gothel said casually. She drew a dagger from within the folds of her robe. "And if you're going to dispose of someone, it's polite to explain why."
"I don't think so," Skye said, running forward and taking a huge swing at her with his Keyblade. She vanished in a wisp of fog.
"Skye!" Max cried out.
Skye somehow sensed her coming before he heard the rush of wind; he rolled aside right as Gothel was sliding along the ground, ready to stab him. She disappeared again.
"Light," Webby muttered. A glowing orb appeared above her crystal, and she held the crystal aloft, looking around and attempting to find Gothel there in the gloom.
"FIRE!" Gothel cried out from an unexpected direction. The trio were pelted with fireballs, and set to defending themselves with varying degrees of success.
Skye spotted her, floating in the air just where the water met the land. He jumped at her and angled his Keyblade to cleave her in the skull. She tumbled aside and flew up from beneath him, nicking him many times with her dagger.
"Thunder," she hissed, and a lightning bolt shot from her dagger and into Skye's chest, throwing him to the ground. The bolt extended unerringly out of Skye's body to zap Max, and again from Max's body to Webby's.
The trio hunched over, breathing heavily. No sooner were they about to recover when Gothel executed the exact same spell, a chain of electricity weaving through all three of them.
Gliding across the ground at high speed, Mother Gothel darted past Skye, cutting him viciously with her dagger. She changed direction abruptly and performed the same hit-and-run maneuver against Max, then spun toward Skye again. He thought he'd be ready for her, but she was too fast; she left with with another wound in his side and his Keyblade smacking against pebbles on the beach.
"Not cool!" Skye growled. "We can't even land a hit on her!"
"Oh yes we can," Max growled. Another barrage of fireballs came at them, but Max deflected with his lance before any hit him. "Webby, can you set traps?"
"Maybe…" Webby said thoughtfully.
Max held out his lance, a challenge. Gothel, amused, charged at him, sidestepping the lance to go for his unguarded left side.
He held out his hand, and her forehead collided with his arm. Max twirled, throwing the now dazed Gothel toward Webby, who set a square of glowing white glyphs on the ground. Gothel came to her senses quickly enough to levitate back up before touching any of the glowing symbols; she disappeared yet again.
"Quick, into the circle!" Webby said excitedly. Max and Skye joined her at the center of her square of magical mines, careful to leap over them. The three of them stood together in their defensible region, on guard for attack from any direction.
She reappeared in the exact same spot she had vanished from, floating directly above them. She dropped down on them, her dagger leaving a huge scratch down Skye's back.
"AAARRRGH!" Skye roared in pain, his voice cracking, but he didn't miss a beat, spinning on his heel for a counterattack.
A key, a lance, and a lightning bolt descended upon Mother Gothel. Desperately, she dropped a huge fireball at her own feet, which exploded and sent Gothel and her opponents flying in different directions.
Skye got to his feet and shook his head to clear it. Gothel materialized behind him, dagger at the ready; sensing her before he saw her, he jammed the hilt of his Keyblade into her face. She teleported to a spot near Max, but with a single deft twitch of his lance, he cut her feet out from under her.
She faded into a cloud of black smoke, which seeped across the ground to a spot far out of the reach of any of the combatants. The smoke rematerialized into Gothel, who suddenly looked tired and out of breath. She heaved herself back into the air and shot more bolts of electricity out of her dagger, and fireballs from her fingers.
Skye and Max shared a glance, and it was clear they both had the same idea. They both looked at Webby, and saw that she was on board.
Max and Skye each extended a hand, and Webby stepped forward, one foot on each of their hands. Max and Skye hurled her into the air, far above Gothel's line of fire, and at the very top of her arc, Webby began pelting the old woman with Blizzard spells.
Skye rushed to catch Webby before she hit the ground; Gothel, meanwhile, hit the ground hard, barely getting her dagger up in time to deflect Max's lance. She skirmished with him for a few moments before he grazed her, then dashed to the side, only for Skye to engage her with his Keyblade alight. He swung his blade like a baseball bat, knocking her in an arc toward the forest.
Gothel clutched her wounds as the three advanced on her. "Any old time you feel like helping, Mr. Blot," she said pleasantly.
"But of course."
Three spears of pure darkness shot out of the forest and pierced Skye, Max, and Webby directly in the heart. They each stood dazed for a split second, then collapsed.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Skye awakened to Maximus nudging and pawing at him anxiously.
"Maximus?" Skye muttered. "How long have we…?" He jumped to his feet and looked around; Max and Webby were wearily standing up.
"It's nearly dawn," Skye said. "The old lady's plan might have actually worked. She'll have taken Rapunzel back to the tower, gotten her to believe she can't trust anyone…" He wrung his hands together. "We need Flynn. If she sees that he didn't really abandon her… yes. That'll work. Maximus, do you know where Flynn is?"
Maximus nodded and began galloping off toward the castle.
"Hold up," Skye called. Maximus slowed briefly, long enough for Skye to get up on his back. As they raced through the town, a group of Heartless rose up to block their path. Skye held out his Keyblade one-handed and sliced through the entire group without even moving his arm.
Maximus rode into a small town square, where a gallows was set up. Maximus took a single flying leap to the top of the gallows, and bucked Skye into the air, toward the barred windows of a jail.
Skye slashed before he hit the wall; his Keyblade reduced the thick stone wall to dust, and Skye found himself standing in what was now a not-so-secure cell.
Flynn stood there next to him, looking surprised. He gazed out into the square, where Maximus whinnied at him in greeting and Max and Webby were just catching up on foot.
Flynn turned back to Skye. "Thanks," he muttered softly.
"Eugene, Rapunzel's in trouble," Skye said.
"I know," he said darkly. "It's the mother, isn't it? Taking her back to the tower."
Skye nodded. "Do you know how to get there?"
"I sure do. Maximus!"
Flynn flung himself bodily out of the cell. Maximus jumped to intercept, and when they both hit the ground, Flynn was firmly on the stallion's back. Flynn grabbed Webby by the hand and pulled her into the saddle in front of him as he galloped out of the city.
Skye summoned his glider and floated down alongside Max. He tapped the back of his glider's comfortable seat, and Max jumped aboard, standing behind Skye and towering over him even more than usual.
Glider and horse raced side-by-side down the cobblestone streets.
"Let's do this, fellas!" Flynn declared. He snapped at Maximus' reins. "Yah!"
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Endnotes
Today, I have multiple insights into my process. First off: Gothel's combat style was modeled after that of Vanitas. I wanted Gothel to be the most serious battle that the trio have ever experienced—up to and including the "final boss preview" against Xefrii and Ciexu a few chapters ago. And to a Kingdom Hearts player, there's nothing more scary or nerve-wracking than fighting Vanitas. The guy never stops coming at you! So I think his style lent itself well to Mother Gothel.
Giving magical powers to characters who previously didn't have them is nothing new in Kingdom Hearts; it was most noticeable in the first game. But I don't think that's what I did with Gothel—a lot of people talk about how she's a very unsettling villain because her power is all psychological, none of it magical… but I don't think that's actually true. First of all, consider that she knew how to work the magic flower; that suggests she has experience with magic. Then, take a look at any of her nighttime scenes; smoke and fog seems to follow her around, doing her bidding, allowing her to enter scenes abruptly and leave without a trace. Finally, consider that even though she makes it look like she knocked out the Stabbington brothers with the pure physical force of a blunt object, we never actually see how she pulled it off. So, the evidence is subtle, but I genuinely do think she's some sort of witch, just as she is in most tellings of the fairytale. The fact that she rarely relies on any of her powers is simply because her greatest power is that of passive-aggressiveness.
One final note, just so that this occasion is marked, this is the first chapter I've posted since the official announcement of Kingdom Hearts III. The announcement itself doesn't excite me; we all knew this was coming. But the good look at what the new graphics look like, the combat maneuvers that combine Flowmotion with Vanitas' skillset, Sora finding Eraqus' Keyblade washed up on the beach? That's how you announce a game. Oh yeah.