"There was a world
I longed to find
But living was labored
And life was unkind
Yet I was determined
To press through the fog and the steam
So I dare to dream"
The spacious marketplace is swarming with people: diligent toilers from all kinds of professions offering their service and townsfolk meandering the streets for a walk alike. A melodic song accompanies the convivial bustle.
"Now there's a world
Clear as the day
Nothing and no one can stand in my way
I am a vessel sailing through water upstream
And I dare to dream"
Originator of that song is a young woman sitting by the richly ornamented fountain making the heart of the town square. Her eyes closed, one hand resting above her heart, she sends out her song, which the wind readily carries across the place.
On a sudden and too swiftly for her to process early enough, a young girl climbs the fountain ledge by her side and fondly wraps her arms around the woman's middle, startling the fair songstress out of her zone.
The singing finds an abrupt end.
"Lashanie!" the girl cries out in delirious joy as she tightens the embrace. Under the surprisingly solid grip of the small lass, Lashanie softly gasps before she reaches out, hugging the other girl back.
"Natty! I'm glad to see you here. But . . .", still holding her young friend, Lashanie's gaze sweeps through the faces of the folk walking past them, "Where are your parents? Don't tell me you've come here all the way from Old Corona by yourself?"
Nathalie giggles as she shakes her head. "Of course not! Mommy and Daddy are running errands in town, and they allowed me to go play by the fountain; they'll come to pick me up here later."
A relieved smile curves up Lashanie's lips. "I see. Would you like to stay with me until they come for you?"
"Yes!" Nathalie, brim over with glee, hollers boisterously in immediate agreement.
"What 'bout me?" a silvery voice echoes toward them as a frame akin to Nathalie's squeezes their way out of the crowd.
With his sudden appearance, Nathaniel had just answered the final question still lingering on Lashanie's tongue: when Nathalie was there, of course, her twin brother was too.
Spreading one arm from her chest, inviting the small fellow for a hug, Lashanie beams, "What a question . . . You'll join us, silly!"
"Ugh! Do we have to keep him around?" Nathalie protests, rolling her large hazel eyes to emphasize her immense disliking of that idea.
Most days, the twins were inseparable—everyone in Old Corona knew them as a pair of mischief: always full of energy, always taking fancy in peeving the villagers, and always ready to cover for each other when their little fun for once drew consequences. Yet . . . there were also those few and far between days when the two couldn't bear the presence of their sibling.
Watching Nathaniel stick out his tongue at his sister while snuggling into her embrace, Lashanie arrives at the conclusion it must be one of those rare days and readily discards the idea of playing with them in the fountain. Too high were the chances they'd eventually begin fighting—and thus, one would get hurt.
Images of a profusely bleeding knee and two crying twins from a few months ago form shape in Lashanie's mind . . . No, she would regale the kids without risking a recurrence of such an incident.
"Say, how long has it been since our last storytime?" she asks with a playful twinkle.
"Too long—tell about an adventure, please! A Flynn Rider tale!" Nathaniel forthwith demands, sitting well-behaved on Lashanie's lap.
"Oh please, no! Not another made-up story about that thief!" the boy's plea meets the prompt protest of his sister.
Lashanie tilts her head, "Alright. How would you like a true story about a real lost princess and her magical hair?"
"We know the story of Princess Rapunzel by heart already. I could even tell it myself!" Nathalie dismisses this suggestion as well.
Instantaneously, Lashanie begins racking her brain for a story she hadn't told them yet that wasn't one of her favorite Flynn Rider adventures—and draws a blank. Should she really be as unimaginative to fail in finding but one meager tale to tell?
As tension slowly creeps into Lashanie's face, Nathaniel tugs at her sleeve, assuring, "I do like hearing of Princess Rapunzel, Lashie."
The brunette's lips twitch up slightly when she's ruffling the boy's ebony hair by the tender touch of her hand.
"It's alright; I am going to find—"
The delicate golden bell dangling from her wrist gives a soft ringing and, in doing so, provides Lashanie an idea. She falls silent.
Why not tell the most epic story Corona has to offer. Sure, the kids would know it—everyone does! But Lashanie's sure they wouldn't say no to it regardless. It simply has everything a breathtaking story needs.
Notice what's missing, then ponder a plan or a scheme
If you dare to dream
Nathalie's patience is starting to wear thin; gently shaking Lashanie by the shoulder, she pulls her from her thoughts. "Lashie, we're waiting! Are you alright?"
"Yes, I am! I'm perfectly fine!"
Lashanie's eyes have lit up like the lantern-studded evening sky on the birthday of the princess.
Her chin lifted slightly, she shrugs and feigns casualty: "Too bad you don't like to hear more about Rapunzel or—I don't know—the story of how she saved Corona from the wrath of an ancient demonic being . . ."
"I wanna hear about it!" Nathaniel cries.
An eyebrow raised, Lashanie turns to Nathalie, "So, what do you say?"
The girl heaves a sigh: of course, she knows that story too—and very well at that. Yet, a slight change might raise the potential of this retelling session to turn out ineffable entertaining.
Nathalie crosses her arms, a satisfied grin plastered to her cute face. "I'm alright with Lashie telling this story, but—" she drags out her voice, the grin widening from ear to ear. "But only if she tells it from her perspective."
"From my perspective?" Lashanie inquires surprisedly.
"Yes, you've been there too, right?"
A nervous chuckle escapes Lashanie's throat, "I have—I have been, yes."
Happy as a clam at high tide, Nathaniel chimes in, "You're a genius, Natty! This is going to be awesome!"
The few lauding words Nathaniel paid his sister prompt a quick, palpable shift of balance: he's accepted back into the notorious duo, and it dawns on Lashanie that she would bring up both of them against herself if she was to turn down the idea right away.
If the twins weren't ever so unforgiving, and their pranks weren't quite so sophisticated for fellows this small, she probably wouldn't even mind. But Lashanie can well do without walking into her room to find another surprise these rascals prepared for her. Like that one time when they gathered a dozen or more grasshoppers to release them into her room—thanks to her way too trusting mother. Or when they barred the stables from inside, and Varian had to help her enter through a window to open them.
But perhaps she could stall for some time—their parents couldn't take too much longer, could they?
"Oh, I . . . I wouldn't even know where to start." she counters uncertainly.
"Start at the beginning; at the very beginning!" Nathaniel pleads, her sleeve clenched tight in his small fist.
And Nathalie suggests, "You could start with how you and Varian met."
"I guess I could, but . . ."
"Pul-eeze?" the siblings beg in unison, fixing Lashanie with puppy dog eyes every actual puppy would envy them for.
Should she tell them? Even though it wasn't a solely joyous story, they would hear. An adventure it was, alright—and what an adventure! A wonderful romance, even. But with some dark, very dark nuances in between. She and Varian had braved a great many obstacles together: almost, the story of their lives would have turned out to be a tragedy. Maybe she should just leave out all the things that weren't all smiles and happiness. But was that even possible when recounting the events which comprise her story . . . ?
"Alright!", Lashanie eventually nods, her lips adorned by a slight smile, "I'll tell you a story—a true one! Filled with songs and science. It's the adventure of two lovers who helped defeat the greatest evil our beloved Corona had ever faced, the story of two friends who dared to dream!"
We'll be remembered as history's promising team.
Let's dare to dream!