Chapter 28
Afloat
There was no sign of them.
Ruddiger chirped nervously and Owl hooted worriedly.
The boat kept moving aggressively, but there was still nothing.
Varian and Cassandra were still underwater...
Ruddiger watched Owl fly to the wheel in attempt to try and stop the boat, while Ruddiger hid in the crow's nest with his security pine-cone... Owl didn't know how to drive a boat... (But neither did Ruddiger... Either way, it would have been a non-professional driving the boat.)
Varian and Cassandra put their arms together, quite like they did during the ballroom, only they were holding hands this time, rather than the back of their hands touching. Varian floated over and put his forehead to Cassandra's as a way to say that he forgave her...
Cassandra smiled sadly, her eyes fluttered and then she passed out due to the lack of oxygen...
The whirlpool was slowing down, but not quick enough, which angered Owl; because he wanted to stop the boat and save his friends... He couldn't though, and this upset him and Ruddiger both.
Suddenly, something came out of the water... Ruddiger chattered with excitement; it was Varian!
Varian coughed and gasped for air, holding Cassandra in his arms. (Barely, since he was small.) "Ruddiger!" He shouted, "Owl!" He was so thankful to see them. He managed to finally get a grip on the railing with his other hand and he pulled himself and Cassandra to the boat.
It took all his strength, but he managed to get him and Cassandra, both, in the boat. They were both soaking wet, their hair dripped of water and their clothes were annoyingly sticking to them. Varian wished he had put his goggles on his eyes before diving after Cassandra, since his eyes kind of burned now, but it was too late for that, since he already made the decision.
He knelt down beside Cassandra, "Cassie? Speak to me, please..." He whimpered when he saw that Cassandra was still unconscious. Owl and Ruddiger, both tugging on the wheel, got the boat halfway out of the slowed-down whirlpool. Varian took notice of this, stood up and ran to the wheel and helped them, and managed to get out of it and went back to sailing at a decent pace.
He looked back at Cassandra and walked back to her and sat down. "Cassie..."
Varian's eyes teared up, not because they burned, but that was partly the reason; but the reason why was because he didn't think Cassandra was going to wake up from this...
"Please... Speak to me... I beg you... Cassandra..." Varian sobbed, putting his hand on Cassandra's cheek and moving her hair out of her face. Ruddiger and Owl neared Varian, looking at him and Cassandra sadly, they wanted to comfort him, but they didn't know how, just like Varian did...
"h...hey idiot...stop crying...I'm not dead..." Cassandra's voice was weak and raspy, but she responded, slowly sitting upright. Varian opened his eyes and tears just seemed to flood out even quicker, "Cassie!" He tackled-hugged her, tightly wrapping his arms around her.
Cassandra hugged him back, rubbing his back gently, comforting him, a small smile on her face; "Thank you... for saving me back there..." She said quietly. "You're welcome..." Varian wiped away his tears and didn't let go of Cassandra for a while. (Until Cassandra had enough of the hugging.)
Cassandra weakly stood up and tugged at her clothes, which stuck to her skin... "Looks like we're going to have to change clothes until these dry." She laughed slightly. Varian agreed...
"We need to act now, together, to convince the king to change these royal rules and build these rehabilitation centers! Innocent children that have no choice to steal, and even adults too, are being punished by being put into dungeon cells and sometimes even executed! All because of these rules!" Rapunzel was giving a speech in front of her father's statue in the streets.
"But what will we do, Princess Rapunzel?" Some people asked.
Rapunzel glanced at them, she didn't know how to explain it just by speaking. But she knew how to explain it in a song... And that's exactly what she was going to do next...
"We will march right up to the throne, we will call him by his name;"
"We will say, 'Hey! King Frederic! We need a change of rules!'"
"We will face our fears, because that's what courage is, and teamwork too!"
"March on, we shall, right up to the throne!"
Some people began singing with her,
"Hey! King Frederic!" "Yes, you!"
"We need a change of rules around here!" "Yeah!"
"We will face our fears!" "That's what courage is!"
"Facing fears, Having courage." "Teamwork too!"
"We will march right up! Yes we will!" "Indeed!"
"We'll get him to change these stinkin'rules!" "Indeed, Indeed, Indeed!"
Eugene rolled his eyes and decided that he should join too,
"We will scream and fight until the rules are done, and the centers too!"
"Hey! Hey! Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!"
"King Frederic! You! Yes, You!"
"Change those rules!"
"Build those centers!
"Because we're facing our fears!" "Yes we are!"
"We have courage!" "And Teamwork!" "By our sides now!"
"We will march right up!"
"March right up," "March right up,"
"March right up," "March right up,"
"March right up!"
"Hey!"