Hi everyone, hope your looking forward to this week chapter. This is one I've been looking forward to a lot, mainly because of getting to incorporate another song into the story. This song however is not from Tangled the Series, but from the musical The Count of Monte Cristo. Although I have not seen the musical myself, I have heard it's pretty good, I found this song through some of my friends and I thought it fit well for what two certain characters are going through, emotionally I mean. Either way, I hope you enjoy the song and this week's chapter.
Chapter 33: I know those eyes/That girl is dead:
About an hour later. Rapunzel, Eugene and Alice were still climbing up the seemingly endless flight of stairs, with Eugene attempting to make small talk with the girls. Rapunzel was always quick to join in the conversation, but it was rare that the two of them got more than a few words out of Alice. To put it short, both Rapunzel and Eugene were worried for their friend, knowing exactly what was going through her head.
"Hey Al, penny for your thoughts ?"Rapunzel asked, giving her a slight smile, but Alice merely sighed before answering.
"How do we even know that this isn't a dead end, since these stairs go on forever !?"She exclaimed with a worried voice.
"We don't ,"Rapunzel answered sadly.
"We just have to keep going. I know how frustrating this is for you, Al, but I promise, that we will get Varian out of here ,"Rapunzel assured her, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.
Alice only nodded as stress and sadness literally filled her eyes. Despite her friend's kind words, nothing could stop her from worrying about her brother. Was he safe? Was he hurt? Why did Cass have to take him? Why now? Just so many questions filled her head and with no answers, Alice could only feel worried and stressed.
"I wish I had your enthusiasm Rapunzel ,"she said simply, before her eyes caught sight of something, sitting on the steps in front of them.
Eugene noticed it as well, going forward and picking up the object. The object was a ballerina slipper, a soft princess pink with silk ribbons the exact same color. The shoe looked wore, but well taken care of, as if it had been through hundreds of dances, but were able to stay in one piece because of the care the owner took with them. Eugene held the shoe by the ribbons and the second Alice notice this, she snatched it out of his hands and looked at the inside of the shoe.
"Alice, what's wrong ?"Rapunzel asked, noticing the surprised look on her friend's face.
"The initials in these shoes... their BG... Ballerina Girl ,"Alice said, still looking at the letters inside the shoe, written in fancy cursive writing with blue ink, most likely written with a quill.
"Wait, but that means-,"Eugene started, before Alice cut him off.
"Ballora ,"she finished, looking over at him and the princess.
"She's leading the way for us !"Rapunzel exclaimed happily.
Instead of being happy that they were on the right track, Alice looked down at the shoe sadly, wondering just what the catch was. What was Ballora planning? Why was she helping them? She hated her right now, she wouldn't help her rescue her brother... Would she?
"Al, are you alright ?"Eugene asked, noticing the sad and worried look on the keyblader master's face.
"I don't know guys... It's obvious that she's trying to lead us to Varian... but at what cost?... What is she planning?... and, the most strangest part of all of this... is that, this was the exact way she acted when we were in school... telling me only what I needed to know, guiding me in the right direction, playing silly little jokes and games ,"Alice said, smiling as she reminisced about the good times.
"Could she... be on our side now ?"Rapunzel suggested, but Alice merely shrugged.
"I don't know... I really don't know ,"Alice replied, looking up the flight of stairs, wondering what was going through her former friend's head.
"My god my heart beats faster! And my mind is racing... Could it be...? Could it be that she's come back to me ?"Alice sang, holding Ballora's shoe in her hands, holding it to her chest as Eugene and Rapunzel quietly listened to her words.
"I know those eyes, following me... Dark and familiar, and deep as the sea... I know that face, strange though it seems... Younger and kinder, it haunts all my dreams ,"she sang, looking farther up the stairs.
"How can she stand there, a whisper from me? Yet somehow be so far away ?"Alice sang, reaching out her hand, as if Ballora was standing right in front of her, before bring her hand back, remembering her friend wasn't there.
"In eyes once familiar, a stranger I see... With so many words left to say...,"Alice finished, sighing as the three of them continued up the stairs.
Meanwhile, back at the top of the tower, Ballora was still trying to help Varian in his quest to locate the final incantation. They had been searching for it ever since their talk an hour prior, but they had yet to make any progress. However, there was something else on Varian's mind. Something that only Ballora could answer.
"Hey Ballora, how can you think that Al would never forgive you... I mean, she forgave Rapunzel after what happened during the Great Storm ,"Varian pointed out.
"That's different, you never gave up hope that Rapunzel would come and help you. You have always been scared of me, I know you have, and she would choose your safety, and happiness, over me any day ,"Ballora told him.
"How can you know for she? Alice wants things to go back to the way they were before, she misses the old you, Ballora ,"Varian told her, but Ballora shook her head.
"That's just it... I'm not the Ballora she remembers... I'm not that girl anymore ,"Ballora started, before bursting into song herself.
"That girl is dead, she is no more, she died a little each day... Like a thief, a shadow deep, had stolen her away, The mind plays tricks, she is confused, the girl she seeks is long gone... Dead and cold, a story told, by those she trusted, those she loved, and those who then... moved on ,"She sang, hugging herself as she turned away from Varian.
"From what my sister told me about you, there is still some of the old you in there, and you know it. Alice will understand, Ballora, you just have to give her the chance, just like she will for for ,"Varian told her.
For a moment Ballora looked back at Varian, and she couldn't help but see a glimpse of her former friend. She looked away as she started singing again, revealing her inner thoughts. However, unknown to both her and Alice, both women started to sing again, right at the same time in perfect harmony.
I am a ghost, just a mirage, who chases traces of her,
(... There in that voice... Traces of her,)
(Dark and familiar, and deep as the sea,)
This girl is dead, she is no more, and though it's torturing me,
(... I know those eyes... Torturing me,)
Can either of us really ever be free?
(Can either of us really ever be free?)
How can she stand there a whisper from me...?
(How can she stand there a whisper from me...?)
When she is still so far away?
(When she is still so far away?)
And why does the truth seem too hard to be true?
(And why does the truth seem too hard to be true?)
With so much broken...,
(With so much broken...,)
And so much damage,
There are no words,
(There are no words,)
Left to say...
After that final line was sung, both girls finally felt each other's presence, for just a moment, and their hands flew to their hearts in perfect synch. Each longing to be with their best friend again, and believing that it was impossible, as long as the other hated them.
Varian reached through the bars of his cage once more, placing a comforting hand on Ballora's shoulder. She smiled at him, in gratitude for listening to her song, before they both turned back to working on the scroll, searching every inch of it for the final incantation.
Rapunzel placed her hand on Alice's right shoulder as she finished singing, and Eugene placed a hand on her other shoulder. Both of them letting their friend know that they were there for her, and that they empathized with her.
"Thanks guys, I just... wish that things would work out for the best ,"Alice said, smiling at them.
"And they will, now come one. Let's get your little brother back ,"Rapunzel said encouragingly, leading all three of them up the stairs.
Soon, the group reached the top of the stairs, only to be met with the remains of the window of Rapunzel's tower. The three of them quickly maneuvered through the debris, only to be met with another staircase. Alice's hand flew to her necklace as she saw the stairs.
"Vary's close... I can feel it ,"she said, holding her necklace in one hand tightly.
"Hmmmmm, getting in here was too easy, we could be walking into a trap ,"Rapunzel said.
"Rapunzel, we're already in a trap, what more could Cass possible do ?"Alice asked, slightly irritated.
Pascal waved from his place on Rapunzel's shoulder, in order to get the groups attention. Alice would had to be lying if she said she hadn't completely forgotten that the loyal chameleon was with them. However, after Pascal had got their attention, he changed his colors to match the rocks around them, before returning to his normal shade of green.
"Great idea, think you can get in there without being spotted ?"Rapunzel asked, as she held Pascal in her hands.
Pascal gave the princess a tiny salute, signaling that he was ready to go in, and Rapunzel gave him a gentle kiss on the head before placing him on the ground, sending his off to do his scouting mission for the group.
"Be careful buddy ,"She told him, as Pascal rushed up the stairs.
"Well then, with that settled, we better get comfy. Something tells me we'll be waiting awhile ,"Alice said, leaning up against the walls of the tower.
Rapunzel and Eugene nodded in agreement as they started to sit down. Alice merely looked at Ballora's ballerina slipper again. She would never admit this out loud, right now anyway, but she was secretly hoping that the impossible, was possible.
Well I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Once again, the song I know those eyes/This Man is Dead, is from the musical The Count of Monte Cristo, I just changed the lyrics a little bit to match the situation. Either way, you all can look forward to another chapter next week, don't forget to follow if you want to be kept up to date on when I upload another chapter, like if you enjoy, and if you have any suggesting for TTS episodes for me to include in the story, or a question, feel free to leave them below. Have a good day everyone, stay healthy, stay safe and I'll see you next week.