Chapter 18. A Whole New World
Ariel Triton
Eric scored the game winning basket in the last ten seconds of the game. The stands went wild. Ariel waved her pom-poms in the air. The feeling was electric.
"Goooo Knights." The cheerleaders chanted in unison. The siren blared and the game was over.
"Did you see that? Eric did that. My boyfriend." Ariel beamed and shook Moana.
"Yeah. I saw that alright." Moana took Ariel's hands off her.
"Go give him a big kiss." Anna pushed Ariel to the court.
"She will not be doing that." Vanessa stood in the way, hands on her hips. "We're cheerleaders, not groupies, we can't just run around kissing players."
Eric danced past Vanessa. "Ariel, we won!" He grabbed Ariel by the waist, spun her in the air and kissed her.
"Will you two have a little dignity?" Vanessa snapped.
"Stop being such a jealous buzzkill." Ariel spat back.
All the other cheerleaders gasped.
"Woah, Ariel." Eric said softly.
"I'm your captain but fine I guess I'm just a jealous buzzkill." Vanessa clenched her jaw and Ariel saw tears form in Vanessa's eyes.
Maybe she had been a little mean.
Eugene Fitzherbert/Flynn Rider
Flynn felt weird wearing his sweaty basketball uniform to a house as nice as the Coronas but Rapunzel and her parents had insisted that he come over for a celebratory dinner with them. The Coronas were so grateful for Flynn for helping bring their daughter back to them and they wanted to pay him by stuffing him full of food. Not that Flynn complained, their cooking was delicious.
"More mashed potatoes, Eugene?" Adrianna gave Flynn his third helping.
Oh and that was another thing. They all called him Eugene.
"You need all the calories you can get, to build and maintain muscles". Frederic gave Flynn his second helping of green beans.
"I think Eugene's perfect the way he is." Rapunzel took his hand.
That was the best part of this new world. Rapunzel was officially his girlfriend.
"Are you thinking of colleges, Eugene." Frederic sat back down.
"I haven't given school much thought." Flynn almost choked on his potatoes. He never thought that he'd go to college. His grades were not great and he had no money.
"There are some nice colleges nearby, and some have some really great art programs." Adrianna nudged Rapunzel, who blushed.
"Mom." Rapunzel smiled. Adrianna beamed with delight at the sound of that word and brushed Rapunzel's short brown hair out of her face to kiss her forehead.
Later that evening, Flynn kissed Rapunzel goodbye. "I like this. I like this a lot, brownie." He smiled at her.
"Don't call me that." She nudged him playfully.
"I used to call Belle Brownie in 5th grade." Flynn laughed.
"I'm sure she hated it." Rapunzel giggled.
"Maybe." Flynn shrugged. "See you tomorrow." Flynn hopped into Frederic's car. Rapunzel's dad was giving him a ride home.
"I know you may not think college is for you, but Adrianna and I would be more than happy to help you cover costs, that is if you improve your grades." Frederic kept his eyes on the road.
"Really?" Flynn didn't know what to say. This was so generous. "Um, thank you. I'll let you know."
"I hope you do, son." Frederic pulled up to the orphanage and looked at it sadly.
Flynn hopped out, his whole life different.
Rapunzel Corona
Rapunzel's whole life had changed. She was in a new house with new parents and no magical powers. She had this life that was easy and comfortable but kind of sad. She could tell how it devastated her parents that they had missed so much and Rapunzel felt bad but she kind of missed Gothel. It's true the woman was awful but she had been her mother her whole life, it was hard to adjust to suddenly having a new mom.
Rapunzel sat in her new bedroom, a large lilac room with a high ceiling. They told Rapunzel she could paint whatever she wanted. Rapunzel imagined a Noah's ark scene painted on the left wall. She imagined elephants and tigers and giraffes with their heads reaching towards the ceiling. She knew everything would feel like home soon. She was finally where she belonged, she just had to make it her own. She could do it.
Just then the doorbell rang and she heard her new mother call, "Rapunzel, Anna is here for your sleepover."
Rapunzel lit up, "I'll be right down." Rapunzel had missed her friends and was using this time to catch up on all that she had missed.
Anna Arendelle
Anna lay on the foot of Rpaunzel's bed eating chocolate moose tracks ice cream. "I'm so glad we're cousins. That's amazing. Like who'd have thought."
"I'm really happy to. We'll be like sisters." Rapunzel smiled with her emerald eyes.
Anna's heart felt a pang. "Just don't shut me out. Please."
"Of course not, Anna," Rapunzel paused, "Is this about Elsa?"
Anna nodded. "I don't know what I ever did to her, why she constantly shuts me out. We used to be so close. I just miss her."
"I'm sorry." Rapunzel opened her arms to hug Anna.
Anna snuggled into Rapunzel's arms. "You're such a light."
Rapunzel went stiff. "I feel like my light was taken away and I didn't even get a choice."
"I didn't mean that light." Anna said quietly.
"It's weird to think the power that ruled my life, that kept my mother, or Gothel, alive is just part of some weird fantasy game." Rapunzel rested her head on Anna's.
"I don't quite get it either. I didn't really look at that book. But I saw your magic at work. It's beautiful." Anna looked up at her cousin.
"It was. Now it's gone." Rapunzel said sadly.
Anna made a mental note to look more at that Night on Bald Mountain book.
Pocahontas Powhatan
Pocahontas climbed the old oak tree outside Elsa's house with ease. She crept to the edge of the tree branch, inching along before rapping on the second story window.
Inside she saw Elsa, eyes glued to an old book, jolt up in terror. She saw Pocahontas through the window and her shoulders relaxed. Elsa gracefully glided towards the window, putting some gloves on.
"What are you doing here?" Elsa asked as she opened the window.
"I just wanted to say hi to my friend." Pocahontas leapt into Elsa's bedroom, or I guess study. "You have a study?" She asked, noticing the lack of a bed.
"Yes, it's connected to the Master bedroom." Elsa said stiffly. "Sorry, I'm not used to having friends come visit.
"I figured." Pocahontas sat down on a purple couch. "You're always in here doing homework."
"You don't know that." Elsa remained stiff and upright.
"I don't see you anywhere else." Pocahontas smiled a warm and sweet smile.
Elsa's smile crept on her face. "I suppose you're right. You've been looking for me?"
"Maybe" Pocahontas grinned.
Elsa blushed a little and gently sat on her office chair.
"You're funny." Elsa laughed.
"You're curious." Pocahontas cocked her head, allowing her dark recess to fall down her shoulder.
The two girls laughed and talked into the night. Two friends getting to know each other, the autumn and winter in a waltz.
Aladdin Ata
Aladdin paced silently in the gardens outside the Agrabah house. He was able to easily get in without alerting the security system.
He wanted to show Jasmine that he really liked her. That they could be something. He had to let her into his world.
He pulled out the swatch of fabric from his back pocket. He threw it to the ground and it unfolded into the flying carpet, lush and purple. He stepped on it and let it float up to the second story, letting the moonlight wash his tan skin and pale jeans in a gentle glow.
Jasmine was combing her voluminous raven-indigo hair in the golden light of her bedroom. Opaque curtains billowed against the glass of her window.
Aladdin could see his breath in the cold winter sky. He held his thin jacket tight and knocked on the glass. Jasmine startled and gasped when she saw Aladdin floating outside her window.
She rant to the window and opened it. "OMG Aladdin, did you climb up my freaking house."
"Sort of." Aladdin grinned.
Jasmine looked down to see the floating carpet. "What the hell is that?"
"A flying carpet." Aladdin smirked."Wanna ride?"
"It's freezing out." Jasmine shuddered.
"You see a magic carpet and that's your concern?" Aladdin laughed.
"I'm just processing." Jasmine grabbed her coat from her closet.
"Come on, I know you want to." He offered her his arm. "Do you trust me?"
Jasmine grinned ear to ear and jumped onto the carpet.
The carpet took off into the cold night. They held each other close as they darted through the clouds. The stars shone clearly on the March snow. The town was lit up with a thousand lights.
"Oh Aladdin, it's beautiful." Jasmine sighed.
Aladdin felt his heart skip a beat.
They landed on the roof of the cathedral and gazed at the forests and mountains.
"Thank you for this, Aladdin." Jasmine put her head on his shoulder.
"You're welcome." He said softly.
"Why did you decide to take me on a magic carpet ride." She asked.
"On New Year's Eve we were talking about how trapped we felt and I wanted to help you escape a little bit." He explained.
"You're the sweetest boy. Even if you still haven't told me where you got a magic carpet"
"I like you a lot."
"Do you?" Jasmine perked up.
"I do." Aladdin nodded.
Jasmine kissed him right then and there. A kiss bright and passionate and free. Aladdin's heart burst with joy. The dream that he wished had come true.
The Princess Aurora
The Princess Aurora climbed the rocky mountain towards the fortress. The rocks cut her bare feet and the wind whipped at her face and tangled her hair. Still she climbed on. The wind was so bad that the birds and the owl had to fly from crevice to crevice in the mountain's side, pointing out future footholds. The Princess Aurora grabbed rocky clefts with bloodied hands and the squirrel and rabbits soldiered on behind her.
She would make it to the fortress and save Philip. She knew it deep in her heart. She just had to.
Sorry that it has been so long and that this chapter is so short. Next chapter is going to be another big event so stay tuned.