Eugene once compared to Cassandra to a thunderstorm. "You're cold, hard, and make everyone miserable," he told her with a smirk and his usual arrogant swagger. She didn't mind that it was meant as an insult, though. She was inclined to agree. She loved thunderstorms ever since she was a kid, and she always thought of herself and her journey for greatness as a streak of lightning amidst an otherwise blackened sky. Plus, what was there not to love about weather that could kill a person?

But there was another benefit to the heavy rains and winds currently beating down on her head as she pushed Fidella faster along a heavily-worn dirt trail. It was cover. Security. As long as the rain was there, she was safe. They were safe. And safety was the only thing that mattered to her.

She actually hated it when the rain ended, even though it drastically reduced the likelihood of her freezing to death. She had given Rapunzel everything. Her cloak. Her gloves. She even forced the Princess into wearing her boots so she could keep her feet warm, even though Rapunzel complained more about that than her damned curse. She wrapped Rapunzel up like a baby in the rags from the Snuggly Duckling so that not even a single drop of water would touch a single hair on her pretty little head—even if it meant she would get drenched. Which she did. Tremendously. Her hair clung to her face in a sopping wet mop that blocked her vision, and her black socks were so thoroughly soaked through that she was certain her toes were going to fall off. It was…unpleasant.

Actually, the more correct term was that it absolutely fucking sucked.

She stripped her mind of all thoughts aside from keeping Rapunzel safe. It was the only reason she was able to keep herself awake, and even that was one of the toughest struggles of her life. Her hands gripped the reins so tightly that they went numb, but the rest of her body shook so violently that she threatened to fall off her horse with every step. But the one thing that she was able to find focus on was Rapunzel clinging to her. Her arms hugging around her waist. The young Princess's shivering against her spine. It served as a constant reminder of what she was trying to protect. She kept herself upright through some miracle, all the way through sunrise, when the rain finally came to a stop. Six and a half hours. That was how long she rode in the dark. Six and a half hours in the goddamn rain.

And she still hated it when it stopped.

When the last drops of water trickled down the slope of her nose, and the gentle rays of sunshine gave her her first taste of warmth in hours, she finally ordered Fidella to a halt. The horse readily agreed to a break, and as they stopped in the middle of their path, Cassandra was finally able to look at her surroundings, parting her damp strands of hair from her view. It was the first time she really paid any attention to where they were heading, and she was proud to say that after six and a half hours of non-stop racing through some of the cruelest weather she had ever encountered, her environment looked…

Exactly the same as it did before. Literally the same. Forest. Trees. Mud. Lots of mud. A dirt path that turned sour and had no end in sight. Even the sun that did hit her had to do it through a heavy weave of leaves and tree branches. Somehow, the wind and the rain managed to break through the canopy just fine, but the sunlight? No. Of course that had to be as far away from possible. Cassandra sighed, looking back at the road she left behind. Once the mud dried, it would be nearly impossible for any horse or carriage to follow them. The canopy of leaves could shield them from above. And, if Rapunzel's insane plan worked—it wouldn't, but if it did, then that would buy them even more time. Time…time was good. They needed as much of it as they could get. If they kept pushing forward, she couldn't imagine how far ahead of Adira they might get.

And then she saw Rapunzel's face, sticking out from beneath her thick hood. The only word Cassandra could use to describe it was misery.

"Cass…are we resting for now?"

Her voice was weak, and Cassandra's resolve bent like twigs in a roaring flame.

"Not really," Cass stated, turning back toward the long muddy path ahead of them. "This is our best chance to get ahead of the others, before the road seizes up. We can't afford to waste it."

"Are you sure?" Rapunzel said desperately. "Ulf should be able to distract them, at least for a little while. We should be able to stop—"

"Raps, we can't risk it," Cassandra said bluntly, squeezing the reins tighter. She bowed her head and tried her hardest not to look back at the vulnerable Princess. "If they catch us, they'll lock us up, and we won't be able to cure you. We have to keep moving."

"But you don't look well," Rapunzel stated. "You're shivering. You shouldn't push yourself too far."

"Really? You're telling me not to overwork myself?" Cassandra huffed. "That's cute. I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse."

Cassandra didn't see Rapunzel sneer at her, but she could feel it. Something in the air change whenever Rapunzel's normally sunshine personality turned grim.

"Cass. Listen to me." Her words were as sharp as the gaze Cassandra felt burrowing into the back of her skull. "We rode through that entire storm all night. I'm cold and tired, and if I'm cold and tired wearing all this, then you are worse. You are not getting sick on me. We are stopping."

She considered fighting back. She was in charge here, not Rapunzel. She was the navigator. The warrior. The protector. She set the schedule. Who did Rapunzel even think she was challenging her like that? She was the one who got her stuck in this mess in the first place. Well, technically, it was the curse's fault, but they never would have gotten that curse if Rapunzel had listened to her back in that stupid tree all those years ago. Really, it was still her fault. Cassandra knew that she should just ignore Rapunzel. Ignore her and keep riding. It would have upset her, but it was for her health and safety. That was what mattered most.

Except she was cold. And she was tired. And her stomach was growling. And her arms were trembling. And she felt like she was going to pass out at any second. If there was one thing worse than any of that, however, it was the knowledge that Rapunzel was right.

"Fine," Cass said, keeping her eyes forward. "I know this area a little. There's a village a few miles ahead we can stop at. Okay?"

Rapunzel stayed silent for a long moment. Cassandra felt something uncomfortable grow in her stomach as the silence lingered until suddenly, she felt Rapunzel arms hug her more firmly around her midsection, and she felt the girl's head press into the back of her shoulder. She could practically feel her gracious smile through her tunic.

"Thank you."

Cassandra rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to smile back. "Yeah, well…if the guards catch us, don't cry for me when I get hanged."

"No promises," Rapunzel sighed. Cassandra gave a slight crack of the reins, and Fidella continued forward at a gingerly pace. The sun, faint as it was between the cracks in the trees, was enough to permeate Cassandra's pale skin and take away some of the bitter kisses from the rain. She steadied herself on the saddle, trying to get accustomed to Rapunzel's passionate grip on her torso. The mud had yet to seize, and every step the horse made sent Cassandra and Rapunzel bouncing up and down on her back. It was slight—nothing out of the ordinary for any basic galivanting through the woods that they weren't used to. Yet, with the torrential downpour gone and her senses restored, it wasn't long before Cassandra could hear something that concerned her: Rapunzel's pained breathing into the back of her neck.

"You all right?" Cass asked gently.

"Oh. Yeah." Rapunzel spoke hesitantly. "It's just…I think a scar opened up on my stomach, and the horse…"

"Is it bad? I could take a look at it."

"No, no. It's fine. I can handle it."

Cassandra didn't buy that for a goddamn second. Still, it wasn't like stopping now would do them any good, not when they were so close to the village. She needed another plan.

"Hey, why don't you tell me what's been happening these past few months?" Cassandra suggested. "You know, take your mind off it? I see you got the ring on your finger, so Eugene either got some courage or you found another guy really quickly."

Rapunzel laughed thoughtfully. "No, no, it's…yeah, we got married. Pretty soon after you went away, actually. The whole kingdom showed up. There were flowers and dancing, and this massive twelve-tiered cake that must have taken forever to make…and of course, Eugene insisted on showing off his singing to the entire reception."

"Wow," Cass snickered. "You know, I always regretted missing your wedding, but now? Yep. Glad I skipped."

"You would have hated it," Rapunzel admitted. "I can't imagine trying to fit you into a bridesmaid dress."

"I would have been fine until Fitzherbert said something about it," Cass noted. "In all seriousness though…is it everything you hoped it would be?"

"Huh?"

"Being married to Eugene. Being Princess," Cassandra explained. "Is it really the perfect happily ever after you always wanted?"

Rapunzel snuggled deeper into Cassandra's shoulder. She didn't have to think for too long to come up with an answer. "Honestly? I think…yeah. It is. I mean, it's not perfect perfect. There's a lot of work to get done. Sometimes we're so busy we don't even see each other all day. There's a lot of Corona to clean up, and we do still fight from time to time. But…it's hard to explain, but I feel happy."

"You're always happy," Cassandra stated.

"Yeah, but different happy," Rapunzel said warmly. "Like, everything just kind of fits together in a way that it didn't before. I think I'm actually content now. Like, I found the things that really mattered to me. I don't get to go on adventures anymore, but I have him. And I have my parents, and Max and Pascal, and…well, I have everything I really need now. I'm happier now than I think I've ever been in my whole life."

Everything she ever really needed.

And everyone.

Oh.

Cassandra cleared her throat and forced out a smile. "That's…that's great, Raps. I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks," Rapunzel said. She seemed completely unaware of the effect her words had on her friend as her thoughts drifted back to simpler times. Why would she when Cassandra barely noticed it herself? It was just the smallest little tweak on her heartstrings, something that she had spent many years training herself to ignore. It wasn't so much a pain, but a gentle uneasiness that lured its way into her gut and festered there until it became unpalatable. She learned a long time ago how to plunge it back into the emptiness before it ever reached that level. Usually, a distraction worked. A simple one would do fine.

"Still…Rapunzel Fitzherbert," Cassandra said, pronouncing the words with an intentional twang that made them sound unnatural. "That has to be quite the experience: waking up to him every morning."

"I'll admit it: Having my own room was nice," Rapunzel sighed. "But having the company is nice. Someone you can snuggle up to and—"

"Yeah, yeah, don't need to hear the details," Cassandra said quickly. She tried to snicker playfully, though it came out more insulting than she intended. Unsure if Rapunzel caught her tone, she followed up. "Just, you know, when you have seventeen kids that all share his ego, make sure one of them is named after me, okay?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "Actually, we were just talking about kids a week ago." A week ago. Felt like an eternity. Rapunzel's tongue rolled in her mouth as she told Cassandra the truth. "We both decided, since we were so busy, and since we still don't know how we'll get used to married life, and since we're young anyway—"

"You aren't going to have kids?" Cassandra said with surprise, finally glancing over her shoulders. Rapunzel smiled nervously, shaking her head and trying to hide herself behind Cassandra's cloak.

"Right now!" the Princess clarified. "We aren't having kids now. For at least a few years. We spent so long traveling around the world, not sure if the next day was going to kill us—why rush into things? We have our whole lives ahead of us."

Cassandra simply laughed, causing Rapunzel's cheeks to turn an even brighter hue. "Hey, more power to you. God knows I'm never having kids."

"Please," Rapunzel said supportively, trying to regain her composure. "I'm sure you'll find someone to settle down with eventually."

"Yeah, and maybe I'll find a nice knife I can use to slit my own throat."

"Come on. You can't be a wandering loner forever." Rapunzel rolled her eyes, but they suddenly went wide and she straightened herself up on the back of the horse, startled at her own lack of action. She spoke with excitement. "Hey, why are we even talking about my problems? That's boring. What about you? You've been off on your own for months, traveling the world! I want to hear about all of your adventures."

Cassandra blinked.

"All of them?"

"Yes!" Rapunzel said. It was the most eager she had been since the curse began, which only exacerbated the worsening pit in Cassandra's stomach. It wasn't going away. Why was ignoring it not working?

"I mean…" Cassandra stammered. "There's a lot."

"I don't care. It's something positive. I need that right now."

Oh, great. Of course.

"So, tell me," Rapunzel said enthusiastically. "Have you been fighting off thieves and pirates? Serving royalty and defending crowns?"

"Um…"

"Slaying wild beasts? Monsters?"

"Well, you know, it's been…it's been slow to get going," Cassandra said carefully. She never thought she'd actually have to explain herself to Rapunzel. She left with such bravado, such optimism, and she could remember the pride in Rapunzel's eyes when she waved her off into the unknown. To tell the full truth would be crushing.

"I'm sure it is," Rapunzel said passively. "I mean, you can't go saving the world every day. But you've had to do some exciting stuff. Don't be shy about bragging."

Cass made sure to keep her face forward so Rapunzel couldn't see her floundering. She had to come up with something. The last four months hadn't been a complete waste of time, right? She knew she could find something that stuck out from the chores and busywork, the daily muck and grind of travel and mundanity. Something grand and vibrant.

"Well, I did save a few children from a pack of hungry wolves recently," Cassandra said slyly.

Bullshit. Total bullshit.

Rapunzel gasped. "Wow. That's great to hear. Was it hard?"

"Yeah, kind of! There were, like, ten of them."

There were two wolves.

"And the kids didn't make it easy, running around and screaming their heads off."

They were chickens.

"Got a few bite marks, but otherwise, mission accomplished."

She waved her sword at the wolves once and they ran off.

She felt so stupid. She was past lying. She was better than this. Rapunzel clung to her like a child would cling to their mother, and that simple, fumbling touch clawed doubt into her flesh. She should have just come clean. It's not like Rapunzel was going to laugh at her. It was Rapunzel—honestly, she would probably just be very condescending. By accident, of course, rather than malice. Rapunzel would pat her on the head and tell her that she needed to keep her chin up, and that everything would work out soon, and that she was trying her best, and Cassandra would just want to roll over and die. Or worse—God, so much worse—Rapunzel would just feel guilty for ever letting her leave on her hopeless quest in the first place. She needed Rapunzel to stay positive. Lord knew she needed it.

"I mean, it is what it is," Cassandra said wistfully. "Saving people kind of gets boring when you do it so often. It's not as good as leading a Kingdom, but I'm doing what I can."

"I think that's great, Cass." Rapunzel's words were genuine, and she hugged her friend as tightly as she could. She wasn't exactly warm from being out in the rain, but Cassandra felt the heat travel through her chest as Rapunzel snuggled up to her and breathed into her shoulder. "You're doing a lot of good in the world. I know that it must have been hard leaving all of this behind, but…" Rapunzel smiled fondly. "I'm really proud of you."

Any warmth the hug brought Cassandra was instantly chilled by the surging pit in her gut. She grimaced, knowing Rapunzel couldn't see it.

"Thanks, Raps."

River Bay Village was an old place of simple dreams and little accomplishment. Traveling along its road brought Rapunzel the same uneasy blend of comfort and dull sadness that came with seeing potential cut brutally short before it hit its peak. The houses all looked the same; old cottages that lined up neatly with one another alongside an unpaved dirt street. Its square, where usually the town would be at its most robust, was filled with nary a person in sight. The few people she did see glared at her with slight suspicion yet ultimately cast their eyes away before they could give her a second thought. They, along with the place they lived, were nothing special. She felt almost guilty. The people of River Bay Village were living close to the outstanding light of Corona. It was unquestionable that something had to remain within the Kingdom's shadow.

Still, she couldn't let herself linger on their sadness, because she was certain they wouldn't want her to. They would probably reject her pity if she ever offered it. She focused instead on finding something to eat and drink, and also rest, even if it was for just an hour or two. Rather, Cassandra was in charge of finding that. A few people passed them by pushing wheelbarrows loaded with heavy, empty clay pots that she could nearly fit herself inside of. When Rapunzel recommended asking them for directions, Cassandra turned her down. They were too busy, she said. She had a better idea, she said. Cassandra led her through what could only generously be called the center of the town, and without saying a word or even knowing the topography of the village, she managed to steer them toward what she could only assume was the town's pub, thick and wooden and more worn out than an old shoe.

Because Cassandra had her priorities in order.

Cass didn't say a word as she parked Fidella outside and kicked herself off her mare. She landed carefully to avoid dipping her exposed socks directly into the mud, swinging herself onto the pub's wooden porch to keep herself dry. She gave Fidella a gentle, appreciative rub on her neck before tying her to the post.

"I'm going to go scope this place out," Cass stated. "You wait here, Raps."

"Wait. I'm coming with you," Rapunzel said in return, but when as she tried to step off the horse, Cassandra scolded her.

"No, you are staying until I make sure everything is okay." Cassandra looked around for eavesdroppers and then lowered her voice. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to be talking to people. You're sort of famous."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes and stepped off the horse anyway, taking extra care not to injure herself or place any strain on her stomach. She gave Fidella a loving scratch along her chin, and then joined Cassandra on the porch.

"Don't worry," she said calmly. "I doubt they even know I'm supposed to be missing here. And besides, most people don't recognize me without my hair anyway. Oh, and one last thing." Before Cassandra could protest, Rapunzel stripped off both of the heavy, cumbersome boots that had been forced onto her feet, and she dumped them into Cass's arms with a smirk and a wiggle of her newly freed toes. "These are yours."

As Cassandra groaned and hurried to put back on her boots, Rapunzel strolled straight into the bar, eager and unassuming as ever. When she pushed open the surprisingly unlocked door to the ancient establishment, she was hit with a dingy scent and a feeling of misery that was more compacted than it was outside. The barstools were turned upside down and the round wooden tables were cracked and worn out from seeing hundreds of pointed elbows crash into them for arm-wrestling competitions among desperate strongmen. Miraculously, despite it being just past the break of dawn, the bar itself was occupied: a woman, dark-skinned, strong-jawed, hair loose and frazzled and a steely gaze that could melt the hollow walls around her, stood cleaning the glasses that had been leftover from a particularly rowdy crowd earlier during the rainy evening. When her eyes locked with Rapunzel's she grimaced. Rapunzel waved.

"Hello, there!" the Princess said cheerfully, walking up quickly to the bar and leaning over it with a pleasant smile on her face. Cassandra entered shortly after her, and the second she saw the spring in Rapunzel's step, she faceplanted hard and ran after her to stop her from saying anything embarrassing.

"I aint serving drinks," the bartender said coldly. "My shift ends in fifteen minutes, and you aren't my problem."

"Oh, we're not here for drinks," Rapunzel stated. "My name is Raaaaa…Raa, uh—"

Shoot. Fake name. Needed a fake name.

"Razzunzel. Razzunzel Finkher…ber…witz. And this is Cass Finkherberwitz. We just came to ask you a few questions."

The bartender glared at them, her eyes scanning them up and down for trouble. She paid extra attention to Rapunzel, who must have only been seen as a crazy person buried beneath a cloak, drenched from the rain and yet grinning like a hyena not even a few minutes into daylight. She probably wondered whether or not she was about to be robbed. Rapunzel guessed that she thought they were innocent—though certainly strange—because she didn't show any signs of panic. She sneered and spat into a spittoon that rested on the floor across the room.

"Jane. What do you want?"

"We were wondering if you knew where we could get some food and drink," Cassandra said, notably less enthusiastic than her companion.

"Well, I got plenty of drink, but I ain't serving ya," the bartender named Jane said, motioning to the line-up of liquors she had behind her. "As for food, merchants tend to set up shop at eleven. If you stick around until then, you might be lucky enough to snatch a tomato."

"We can't wait until eleven. We're just passing through," Cassandra stated. "Is there a reason why you won't serve us?"

"Yeah. Just said it. My shift ends in fifteen minutes," Jane repeated.

"I don't get it. Why is this bar open now anyway?" Rapunzel asked innocently. "Isn't it a bit unusual to go drinking during the day?"

"It was until a few months ago," Jane noted darkly. "Before everything went to shit. Now, people do nothing but drink because drinking is all there is to do. Hence, the bar stays open. Twenty-four hours. Seven days a week. Except during church hours."

"What do you mean? Did something happen to this village?"

"Hell yes, something happened. Our entire livelihoods ended," Jane stated. "River Bay Village had three things going for it. Fish. Tomatoes. Purified Healing Jelly. Things used to be pleasant around here. Not good, as in objectively speaking, but passable. But when those damn black rocks came here, and that eclipse struck, everything around these parts just seemed to slowly die off. Fish stopped swimming down these banks. Soil wasn't as fertile. Plants wouldn't grow. Now, everything sucks. At least the alcohol stayed the same."

"Wait, wait, go back a second," Cassandra said impatiently. "Did you say Purified Healing Jelly? What the hell is that?"

"The PHJ? That's our town specialty," Jane said with a shrug. "Do you want the short explanation or the one with the legend and the mysticism and the excitement?"

"Short version—"

"The legend one," Rapunzel said quickly, a glimmer in her green eye. "Tell me, please."

Cassandra felt herself die a little inside, but before she could get too upset, Jane matched her unenthusiasm.

"Nah, I'll tell the short version," the bartender said bluntly. "Basically, there's a cave a mile away here north of the river. In it is this endangered species of wasp that hibernates and produces this sticky blue jelly compound. I guess it'd be more like honey, technically, but whatever. I didn't name it. Anyway, you take pounds and pounds of the blue stuff, and you break it down and refine it and purify it, and what you're left with is this tiny vile of darker blue stuff that heals everything you put it on."

"Heals anything?" Cassandra said in shock.

"Well, maybe not anything," Jane said unsurely. "I don't know if it'd reattach your foot or nothing. But put a glob of that on a nasty scar, and it goes away in a day. Powerful stuff. I don't get how it works. Probably enzymes or magic or something. Not my problem."

A solution that healed scars? Rapunzel and Cass glanced at each other, easily reading their minds. Would they be able to fix Rapunzel's scars with a substance like that? Sure, they wouldn't be able to undo the curse, but they would at least be able to ease some of her suffering. That was certainly worth pursuing, wasn't it?

"So, this Purified Healing Jelly," Rapunzel said optimistically. "You wouldn't know where we could get some of that, would you?"

"Sure, I do," Jane nodded. "Right now, you can get it…"

"Yes? Yes?" Rapunzel said eagerly.

"Nowhere."

Rapunzel's smile flattened. "Nowhere?"

"Nope. Not anymore," said Jane. "Back before everything sucked, it was still hard to come by. It was a seasonal harvest, and right around the time it was done, these Eastern European merchants would swoop by the village and buy up every last vial they could get their hands on. We never even got the chance to market the stuff to Corona because these ladies would just come and swoop up all the product. Like, it was good money, but jeez. The market was dead. Now, it's deader. When the Eclipse happened, it must have woken the queen wasp from her hibernation. We send people in to get the jelly, and instead, they come out screaming and covered in stings and bites and blisters—if they even come out at all. We haven't been able to harvest in months. So much for jelly."

"You wouldn't happen to have an extra vial laying around though?" Cassandra asked inquisitively. To her delight, Jane nodded thoughtfully.

"As a matter of fact, I have one container I bought a few years back that I keep stores away. I don't think its as potent as it used to be, but if you are interested, I'd be more than interested in selling it to you."

"Really?" Rapunzel said, her hope restored. "That would be wonderful? How much would you like?"

Jane did not even hesitate when she answered.

"Six hundred pieces of gold."

Aaaaaaaaaaand there went the hope again.

"Six hundred pieces of gold?" Cassandra asked furiously as Rapunzel simply slumped against the bar counter. "Are you crazy? We're not paying that. I don't even think we can pay that."

"We're talking about a rare commodity here. I know what's worth what," Jane said sternly. "If you don't want to buy, fine. Get out of my bar. My shift ends in seven minutes anyway."

Cassandra groaned, frustrated. Great. They were cold, tired, hungry, thirsty, and now they had just been denied an opportunity to make their lives easier. Just great. If their last adventure had been marked by excitement and good fortune, then this one was already shaping up to be a complete fucking disaster. Every second they were wasting in that bar not refueling or gaining ground was a second that Adira and the Royal Guard were inevitably catching up with them. They had no time to be speaking with the bartender any longer. Cassandra, sensing the conversation had reached its natural dead end, turned to leave.

However, before she could go, Rapunzel grabbed onto her arm with one gloved hand and held her in place.

"Maybe there's some other way we could earn that vial from you," the Princess suggested. Jane crossed her arms suspiciously.

"Like how? You want to take my shift?"

"No," Rapunzel said, pulling Cassandra in close, "but my friend and I are seasoned adventurers. Maybe we can sort out this queen wasp problem you're having! That way, you and your village can get access to the jelly, and everyone can go back about their lives like they were before."

Jane snickered. "Hey, if you want to go kill yourself in that cave like everyone else, go for it. No skin off my back. I'll just be here for the next three minutes until my shift is done, and then I'm napping. Okay?"

"Okay!" Rapunzel said cheerfully, leading Cassandra out of the bar as the warrior tried to protest the sudden bargain that had just been made with her own life. "Don't you worry, Jane. One cleared jelly cave coming right up!"

What? What was happening? Why was she being dragged by the arm? Why was she suddenly outside the bar? Why was Rapunzel so upbeat all of a sudden? Why? What? How? Why?

Rapunzel closed the door behind them, and Cassandra wrestled free from the Princess's grasp, exasperated.

"What did you just sign us up for, Raps?" Cass asked wildly. Rapunzel remained incredibly calm.

"Don't worry, Cass. It's a cave with a creepy bug inside of it," she said simply. "We've dealt with angry insects before. We go over there, clean out the cave, get the Healing Jelly, and then we can continue on our way."

"Raps, we cannot go fighting off angry wasps and monsters," Cassandra said passionately. "For one, we have to keep moving, and two, we aren't in any shape to fight anything right now."

"Please, we've fought tons of crazy things," Rapunzel said flippantly. "And you've had all sorts of experience fighting things on your own. I'm sure you could handle it all by yourself if you needed to."

Cassandra looked at the floor in shame, though Rapunzel didn't pick up on her cross emotions.

"Well, you see…"

"Plus," Rapunzel continued, her smile becoming somewhat bitter, "it would be really, really nice if I didn't have to feel these scars anymore."

Like a tidal wave, Cassandra's apprehensions were washed away. Suddenly, the cheerfulness behind Rapunzel's smile seemed all the more artificial. The scope of their journey came into focus. Just how much pain was Rapunzel hiding from her behind that bright façade?

"I mean," Rapunzel said with a casual shrug, "what could really go wrong?"