The trip around the castle (what wasn't damaged, that is) was quite exhausting for Kiren. This is because the princess, despite everything that has happened, was very excited to show him his new temporary home. Thus, she wants to show him every single inch of the castle.
Rapunzel and Kiren stopped at a hall near her room at the end of the tour, with Cassandra and Eugene following.
"So, did you like the place?" asked Rapunzel, happily. Kiren nodded.
"Yeah. Now that I'm not sneaking around, I can finally see the castle and its beauty, much like a certain prince-Agh!" he began with a teasing smile before yelping upon seeing Pascal standing over him via Rapunzel's arm. Rapunzel and the others flinched at the abruptness of his shouts.
"What's wrong, little buddy?" asked Eugene.
"It's just Pascal!" Rapunzel explained as she held Pascal in her hands. Kiren blinked as he shivered.
"Sorry. Lizards just… they scare me." he said. Pascal chirped, appearing to be shocked and a bit offended, as was Rapunzel.
"Why? Pascal would never hurt anyone." she said. Kiren scratched the back of his head as he began to recount a memory of his past.
*Flashback*
"It happened when I was five. My older sister was a prankster back then." Kiren began as we see a five-year-old Kiren being patted by an older woman before the latter walked away. Nearby was a fifteen-year-old girl sitting next to him with a bowl of cereal. She was giving a devious look as Kiren was eating his cereal.
"I was just enjoying my cereal back then. You know, minding my own business, when suddenly, I felt something in my mouth!" Kiren said in exasperation. That was when young Kiren felt something moving his mouth. He opened it and gasped as he saw a gecko struggling to get out!
*Flashback ended*
"Next thing I knew, I woke up with my older brother checking up on me while I hear my mother practically tearing out my sister's brain!" he said. The four looked on in surprise!
"Wow...and I thought Cass was cruel." Eugene said. Kiren nodded.
"Since then, I am afraid on whether or not a lizard will crawl into my mouth while I sleep!" he said, shivering. Rapunzel pouted and patted his head.
"Sorry about that, little guy. But I can assure you: Pascal would NEVER crawl into your mouth. Right, little buddy?" she asked, looking at Pascal. Pascal squeaked with a nod. Kiren, however, just shrugged.
"I guess. So, hey there, Pascal." he said as he reached his hand to Pascal. Pascal chirped as he nuzzled his head against it. Kiren smiled slightly.
"Hm. I guess you ARE a little cute." he said. Rapunzel giggled with a smile.
"I know. I know you've seen us in your movie, but Pascal is the first friend I've ever had. He means a lot to me." she said, scratching Pascal's chin, making the chameleon hum in delight.
"Have you shown him to Mr. Xavier yet? I'm sure he will lo-" he said before freezing mid-sentence. Rapunzel, Pascal, Cassandra, and Eugene blinked in confusion.
"What's wrong now, little man?" asked Eugene, placing a hand on the back of his shoulder. Kiren's eyes widened in realization.
"I completely forgot about Mr Xavier! I snuck out without telling him about what I was gonna do! Oh dear, I've gotta get to him! Let him know that I'm alright!" he said in desperation! But before he can rush off, Rapunzel grabbed him by the waist and pulled him closer to her.
"Kiren, relax!" Rapunzel said.
"You're not in any danger, kid. There's no need to go running around anymore." assured Cassandra. Pascal nodded in agreement. Kiren looked down in embarrassment.
"Oh. Right." he said, chuckling a bit. Rapunzel smiled as she took his hand.
"Come on. Let's WALK to him. I'm sure he's not far, especially not after listening to what dad had to announce earlier today." she explained. Kiren nodded in agreement.
"I agree. It's better this way, anyway. I won't have to worry about " he said. Rapunzel nodded with a smile.
Later, the gang arrived at the castle courtyards, where they found some guards and maidens outside. Kiren looked around, searching for Xavier. He did notice some people looking at him, and while some gave him welcoming looks, others… not so much. Kiren frowned a bit, remembering that older girl earlier that day and realizing that he'll have to get used to this prejudice against him. Eugene placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently.
"Try to ignore them, kiddo. I've been through something similar (as you already know), but trust me; it works." he said, and Kiren looked back at him, seeing him smile gently at him.
"Always?" Cassandra's voice made Eugene groan in frustration. Kiren saw Cass smirking at him, and not in a teasing way. Kiren giggled.
"I take it you two don't like each other?" he asked.
"Nope." Eugene said.
"Not even close." Cassandra added.
"Not really." Even Rapunzel piped in. Kiren chuckled in surprise.
"W-What did you two do?" he asked between laughs.
"Breathing. That's all I did to make her hate me." Eugene groaned. Cassandra scoffed.
"You know why, Fitzherbert." she said.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm a changed man?" complained Eugene. Kiren just blinked and looked at Rapunzel.
"Wow. They really hate each other. Doesn't Cassandra know that he practically died trying to save you?" he asked. Rapunzel nodded.
"I told her, but she doesn't seem…convinced. Then again, she is daughter of the Captain." she explained. Kiren nodded in understanding.
"Ah. Wait, Captain?" he asked.
"Captain of the Guards. He's the one who's…Oh, there's Xavier." she said, pointing at a familiar man talking to the guards, a look of slight concern on his face. Kiren grew a smile as he called out.
"Mr. Xavier!" Kiren called out. Xavier turned his attention away from them and beamed with delight upon seeing Kiren.
"Kiren, my boy!" he greeted, and Kiren responded by leaping into his arms. The elder laughed as he held the boy.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Xavier! I-I jus-" he began, but Xavier shook his head and raised a hand.
"Don't worry, boy. I know that you were getting very desperate to see your idol so soon." he said with a teasing smile. Kiren blinked in confusion before shaking his head as Xavier laughed.
"Oh, Xavier. There you are." Rapunzel greeted as the trio walked over to him. Xavier smiled.
"Princess! I see that you and Kiren made amends." he said. Rapunzel winced a bit, not happy with the memory of her nearly hitting him, before smiling again.
"Yep! We managed to work things out in the end, and we're good friends now. Right, little buddy?" asked Rapunzel. Kiren nodded before looking up.
"It's also thanks to her that I was able to stop myself from destroying the castle...as you've probably seen." he said, motioning his head towards the castle. Xavier nodded in understanding with a hum. Then he asked,
"How did you do that?"
"We sang. It actually felt nice to hear her sing." Kiren said, blushing a bit. Xavier chuckled again before Kiren then said,
"Although Flynn did mention that our hairs glew." he said, pointing to his hair and to Rapunzel's. Eugene nodded.
"Yeah! As sweet as their duet was, it caused the plants to become passive! Totally amazing!" Eugene explained. Xavier hummed in intrigue.
"Really? Hmm. I should check on my books to see if there's any correlation. In the meantime: have you decided on what to do?" he asked. Rapunzel nodded.
"Yep! If it's alright with you, of course: Kiren's gonna be staying with us until we can figure how to get him back home." she said. Kiren smiled at this before frowning slightly.
"That's if I can go back home." he said. Xavier hummed again as he ruffled his hair.
"You will, champ. Didn't your mother ever tell to 'Never Say Never'?" he asked. Kiren shrugged. Then, Xavier blinked in surprise.
"Oh, that's right. I've still got your Pajamas. If you want, we can go back and get them!" he offered. Kiren blinked as he realized what he was talking about.
"Oh, I forgot about my PJs. Come on, we can go!" he said as he took Xavier's hand. However, Rapunzel approached them.
"Wait, let us go with you!" she said. Cassandra nodded.
"Yeah. With everything that has happened, there might be someone crazy enough to kill you." she said. Kiren frowned at this news while Rapunzel and Eugene flinched.
"Geez, be more blunt, Cass." Eugene said.
"No. She's right, Flynn. Remember when I told you of this one girl that tried to punch me?" he asked. Xavier looked at Kiren in shock while Eugene pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Oh yeah, I remember."
"Yeah. So, if people can get that mad at me for no reason, imagine NOW, now that they have an actual reason to be mad at me." he said, pointing to the damaged castle. Rapunzel winced as she understood.
"Oh...well, don't worry! Like my dad instructed: you're safe under our care! So, what are we waiting for?" she then said, growing a bright smile. Kiren smiled and nodded. So off they went!
The walk to Xavier's home was a bit tense for Kiren. Even though he was surrounded by Xavier, Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene, he could still feel the gazes of many of Corona's citizens. He gave a look and saw that while some of them looked on in pity, others looked at him with anger. That was when he saw two familiar figures: Michelle and her older sister. The former was waving at him with a smile, while the latter stared down at her before glaring at Kiren, making a motion with her thumb against her throat. This sent shivers to Kiren. At this point, his head began to ache slightly, making him massage his head, groaning out.
Pascal, who noticed how stressed the boy was looking, crawled down and chirped at him. Kiren gave a shrug.
"I don't know what you're saying, but I'm sure it's something like 'Don't worry, Kiren. You're safe'. *sigh* I wish that were true, Pascal." he muttered, gently yet shakily brushing a finger against Pascal's chin. Xavier looked back, having heard the conversation. He felt sorry for the child, but he knows that there's nothing more that he could do to help him.
He could only hope that things get better with Rapunzel and co. to help him.
The rest of the day went by slowly for Kiren. He didn't really pay much attention to what is happening around him, and before long, night has fallen.
At the guest room, Kiren looked into a small bedroom. It has two beds, a small desk, and a window looking outside.
"I guess this is where I'll be sleeping." he said. Rapunzel nodded as she stepped inside.
"Yep! It's not much, but it should be enough for the time being!" she said with her usual smile. Kiren approached the bed and inspected the bed. He climbed on top of it and felt it. He smiled a bit and lied down.
"It's comfy." he said. Cassandra smiled as they approached from the side while adjusted himself, pulling the covers over him. Rapunzel sat next to him with a caring smile.
"I hope you'll enjoy your stay here, Kiren." she said. Kiren smiled.
"I hope so. But...I also hope I can go back home." he said, looking out at the window. Cass placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You will, kiddo. Don't worry." she said softly. Kiren looked down at the bed, gulping.
"I...I miss my family so much. I miss my mom...I miss my brother and sister…" he said, finger running against the bed. The three looked at one another in sympathy before Rapunzel grew confused about something.
"W-What about your father, sweetie?" she asked.
She immediately regretted saying that as she saw Kiren's body tensing up, gritting his teeth in discomfort. Rapunzel gasped slightly.
"I'm sorry, Kiren. I-I didn't-" she began before Kiren looked up at her.
"It's okay, Rapunzel. Just...please don't bring him up again." he said with a pleading look. They looked on, seeing the boy not wanting to talk about it.
"Okay. That's fine." Eugene said as he patted him on the shoulder. They could see Kiren's body lessening in tension, but things got a bit awkward afterward. Then, Cassandra straightened herself up.
"Well, let's get some sleep. It's been a long day." she suggested. They nodded before Cass looked down.
"You okay to be by yourself?" she asked. Kiren nodded.
"You won't be far, right?" he asked. Cass shook her head.
"Nope. My room's not far from here. Just go right from the door, pass two more doors, and when you'll find it." she said with a smile. Kiren smiled and nodded before laying his head back down onto the pillow.
"Well, see you tomorrow I gues...Good night, everyone." he said. Rapunzel nodded as they walked out of the room.
"Goodnight, sweetie! And don't worry; everything's gonna be fine." Rapunzel said with a small smile. Kiren didn't look back, but he nodded.
"I believe you…" he said, yawning. Rapunzel gave a small chuckle before the three left the room, leaving Kiren alone.
Kiren looked up at the ceiling. While he was certainly appreciative of his idol accepting him finally, he was still about three things: his powers, whether he will get home, and whether he will not get murdered by some of the citizens of Corona.
"*sigh* What a day. And to think this might only be the beginning of...whatever God has planned for me here." he said to himself before looking to the window, seeing the moon. Gulping, he adjusted himself and sighed again.
"Well, you can't do anything now, Kiren. If you remember what Eren said; 'Only those who keep moving forward will know what awaits.' Or something like that." he said before taking another deep breath, closing his eyes to sleep.
Meanwhile, Rapunzel, Cass, and Eugene were walking to their rooms. Rapunzel was looking back with a concerned look on her face. Eugene looked at her and gently grabbed her hand.
"Don't worry, blondie. We're gonna be by his side. He'll be back home before he knows it." he assured. Cass then looked back.
"But we don't even know HOW we're gonna do get him back! Last time I checked, we never had a visitor from another world. Let alone one where YOU two are fictional characters in a story." she said. Rapunzel nodded.
"There's also how the citizens would react. I noticed how some of them are staring at him. They looked like they want his blood. Especially this girl; I saw her doing this." she said, mimicking the Thorat-Slitting gesture. Eugene and Cass winced at this.
"Not all of them, thankfully. I mean, I also did see a younger girl waving at him." Rapunzel assured with a slight smile. Cass approached her.
"Even so: we've gotta be careful. Kid's already on thin ice with almost everyone in Corona, with the only exception being ourselves, Xavier, that girl, and our parents." she reminded. Rapunzel nodded.
"I know. But...phew, this is gonna be harder than I thought." she said. The three stood there until Eugene stepped forward.
"Let's figure this out tomorrow. Like Cass said; it's been a hefty day." he suggested. Rapunzel nodded.
"Yeah. See you tomorrow, Cass." she said as she took Eugene's hand. Cass nodded.
"Night. Wait, where are you gonna be sleeping?" she asked. Rapunzel placed her head on Eugene's shoulder.
"I'm sleeping with Eugene!" she said. Cass frowned at this
"I hope you don't get any ideas, FItzherbert." she said. Rapunzel blushed, and Eugene pouted.
"You've got a dirty mind Dragon Lady." he said. Cass just huffed and walked past them.
"See you both tomorrow." she said. Rapunzel nodded.
"Night, Cass!" she called out. Then the two looked at one another.
"Well, shall we?" asked Rapunzel. Eugene nodded.
"Of course!" he replied, sour mood already replaced with happiness. As the two walked back, Rapunzel whispered,
"I wonder what the future's gonna hold now that we have Kiren with us."
"Dunno, blondie. But I can tell you; it's gonna be interesting." Eugene replied.
Before long, almost everyone is asleep within the castle, as is the entire kingdom, preparing for the next day to arrive...