The next day, the balloons lifted off, the distance to the Dark Kingdom slowly shrinking as the winter winds buoyed Rapunzel and her companions upward into the grey skies. The return journey to Corona was monotonous and rife with what she termed as "nervous energy". In truth, no one was especially energized: Lance was unusually quiet during his shifts managing their gondola's meager steering capabilities. Shorty slept most of the time, his old age contributing heavily to his lethargy; quirky as he was, Rapunzel knew he had never been especially equipped for such a long and taxing trip, and she felt guilt when she realized she hadn't been paying as close attention to him as she should have. "Let him sleep," she told Eugene when she saw him move to nudge Shorty awake. "It'll make things go by faster for him, at least."

Eugene conceded, and he came over to lean against the gondola rail beside her. "Are you alright?" he asked with a sigh. "You haven't talked much since we took off."

"No," Rapunzel agreed. "To both points."

Eugene turned about and glanced downwards, eyeing the silvery trees far below. The man didn't seem the least bit concerned about the height; Rapunzel supposed that if he was afraid of being so far from the ground, he would never have climbed that tower. It seemed so long ago, now, since she'd first seen him clamber his way through her window. She reached over to stroke the back of his head, sifting her fingers through his dark hair. "We're matchies again," she reminded him, her short hair fluttering about her ears. "It's nice to have one more thing in common."

"Yeah?" Eugene glanced at her through the corner of his eye. "That's funny. I always thought we were one of those 'opposites attract' couples."

Rapunzel's hand fell, and she leaned next to him, scraping a bit of dirt out from under one of her nails. "No, I always knew we were birds of a feather," she replied, taking a deep breath. "I just…I hope I'm not wrong again, that's all."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…I thought Cassandra and I were the same way." Rapunzel forced herself to say the name, accepting the pain it brought. "To think after all this time being alone, I finally find out I have another part of my family hiding right under my nose." She felt the tears well, her lip tremble. "But I guess she never really cared. Just like Mo…I mean, Gothel."

Fingers enveloped hers, squeezing them tight. "Rapunzel," Eugene said solemnly. "I know you want answers, and I'll help you find the ones we can get. But sometimes things happen to us that we don't get answers to in this life. That's when we have to rely on the things we do know."

Rapunzel's chin was wet. The ocean yawning in the distance was a blurry black smudge. "What do we know, Eugene? What could I possibly know that would make this any better?"

"Well, that's easy." Eugene raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it once. "You know that I love you." He jutted his chin at Lance, the large man focusing with pursed lips as he kept the gondola on course. "That goofer is still here. The old man hasn't left your side, at least not in body." He looked in the direction of the identical gondola opposite them, at Varian and his two friends. "Even old enemies have come back to help you." He kissed her hand again, stroking her knuckles with his thumb. "Miracles happen, Sunshine. There are plenty of them to go around. You just have to look for them."

The tears still ran, but Rapunzel felt her heart swell. "You're the miracle, Eugene," she whispered. "I wouldn't be here without you."

"Very true," Eugene smirked. "I forget that sometimes. I guess it can't hurt to keep you around to remind me."

Rapunzel chuckled, wiping her face clean. "Good, because you're stuck with me."

"Like glue, darling." He squinted for a moment, then started to frown. "Are we sinking?"

They glanced down; the trees did seem a bit closer than before. Rapunzel looked up to call, but it seemed Varian had already noticed. His eyes were two blue bits of steel as he stared across the way; it was still a bit unnerving to see him so determined, since the last time they'd seen him that way was behind the controls of an automaton. It would take a bit of getting used to, knowing that determination was now in their favor. Rapunzel still stood by what she'd said before: his friends were his witnesses. Varian had arrived with companions in hand…and Cassandra had left alone. As much as it might not feel concrete, Rapunzel believed it was enough. Besides, the Varian she'd seen in irons was not the same boy who had comforted her in the chamber. He'd changed, that much she knew. Time would tell how much, and if the change was permanent.

His friends were another matter. Eugene had deemed Martin trustworthy enough; there wasn't much to figure out about him. A hapless young guard thrust into a situation he never asked for, surviving by his wits and sword arm alone in his hectic circumstance…it was by far and away the least outlandish thing Rapunzel had heard since she'd first touched the black rocks that day. Martin's expressions and mannerisms only served to enforce his story – there was no faking the look of bewilderment and dumfounded awe he often threw at their surroundings, as if he was waking from a dream. Having someone so…normal around was remarkably refreshing if a bit pitiable. Still, he'd shown bravery in King Edmund's castle, and he'd proven his loyalty by his actions. He spoke a language Eugene at least understood, and in the former thief's book, that was all that mattered.

Shay, on the other hand, seemed almost exclusively tied to Varian's presence; her affection for him was painfully obvious, and for someone her age, she even seemed aware of it. Everyone else was an ocean away from her, even Martin. Her loyalties were clear, but her intentions were not. Rapunzel feared that her only incentive to help was because of Varian's goals. She knew from experience how dangerous that could be. But she also knew better than to judge a book by its cover, especially in light of Cassandra's betrayal. Questions needed to be answered, but Rapunzel knew the difficult task was in asking. They watched Varian as he pointed for Shay to see the other gondola's lower altitude, and she looked over and blinked in Rapunzel's direction. For an instant, Rapunzel wondered if her thoughts were being read. Then Shay vanished, a flutter of red sparks flittering, and she reappeared in the center of Rapunzel's gondola. She stumbled once, as if she'd just landed on a bobbing cork, then straightened herself and took a deep breath before summoning a bout of flames to feed the air inside the envelope.

Eugene's frown remained. "Are you sure we couldn't have just jerry-rigged a fuel system together before taking off?" he grumbled.

"Eugene," Rapunzel warned under her breath.

"What?" he mouthed. "I'm just saying."

"Saying what?"

"I'm saying…you know."

Rapunzel sighed, then turned and walked purposefully over to where Shay stood. Time for an attempt. She'd been successful enough in Lunaris; maybe she'd have more success now. "You know, Shay," she said with fervor, "I just think it's so neat that you're able to use so many useful spells!"

Shay stood there, her hands cupped with flames, staring widely at Rapunzel's enthusiastic, freckled expression. "Thank you, princess," she said slowly, almost too quietly for Rapunzel to hear.

"Oh," Rapunzel waved her hand through the air. "There's no need for that. You can call me Rapunzel."

"I could," Shay agreed, returning her concentration to the fire. "But that would be out of turn, princess. If you don't mind, I'll address you by your title, as is deserving of your rank and birthright."

Rapunzel's brain stalled for an instant. No getting past the formality, then, but at least she was talking. "Um, well…Okay, then!" She smiled widely. "I have to ask, how exactly is it that you're able to perform magic? I mean, I know you mentioned something about seven sisters, but it's not something I quite understand."

Shay looked to the side; at first, Rapunzel wondered if she was being ignored, but then she realized that the girl was eyeing the horizon line, trying to judge how much more heat they needed. "My mother comes from a line of mages," she answered eventually, "from the Isles to the east. Magic was in my family long before my mother invoked Pleiades. She never spoke much of it, but my mother has always had magic. It's in our blood."

Rapunzel nodded slowly. She knew that Pleiades was an ancient myth, as well as a constellation, but it seemed she would have to either ask more or research for herself what it meant in regards to magic. Distant as Shay was, Rapunzel didn't want to press her. She'd have to work with what she could understand on her own, for now. "From the Isles…that would explain the faint accent you have."

"Oh," Shay blinked almost fearfully. "You noticed that?"

"Just a little," Rapunzel held her pinched fingers out in a measuring gesture. "I couldn't place it before. I wondered from your hair if you might be part Ingvarrian."

"My father was," Shay answered. "My hair color is from him." She glanced up at Rapunzel, her red eye hidden behind a black curtain. "He did his best to look for you. They both did. The witch who took you must have placed powerful wards."

Rapunzel blinked. "I…what do you mean?"

Shay's face turned bright red, and her fingers fell, the flames dispersing. "Not even the princess knows the history of the witch hunt?" Rapunzel saw the girl's jaw tighten like a spring. "So, the king keeps secrets from his own kin. I'd have thought it would have one of the first things he'd have taught you. The efforts that were made to find you."

"Oh yeah, the witch hunters!" Shorty was awake, rubbing his bleary eyes. "I remember 'em. Serious as a bag of ham on a Tuesday morning." He scratched at his beard, calloused fingers searching for breadcrumbs. "That was back when magic was a biiiiiiiig no-no. Couldn't say the word without cold irons and a wet fish slapping you on the wrists." He hiccupped once. "I'd be a pretty lucky truffle sniffer if I ever saw the day that a mage was escorted buck-naked into my jail cell again."

"Shorty!" Lance called. "What have I told you about talking about naked people in front of the ladies?"

Shorty hiccupped again, then rolled back over on the sack he'd been sleeping on. "Wake me when it's June 28th," he slurred.

Rapunzel did her best to glean what sense she could from Shorty's strangely cryptic words. "A witch hunt…to find me," she concluded. She looked at Shay, forcing eye contact. "No…to find your mother. He thought she was the one who took me."

Shay said nothing. Her silence was confirmation enough.

Rapunzel's brow furrowed. "I want to know more about this witch hunt."

"You will, princess," Shay quietly assured her. Her face softened when she said it, but then her walls returned, and she looked once more to the horizon. "But you won't learn the whole of it from me. That's for his Majesty to deliver."

In a way, Rapunzel was oddly grateful for Shay's words. It gave the princess something different to be troubled about, something else to concentrate on other than steering the gondola north towards her kingdom or wondering how long it would take Cassandra to make her way there herself. If Cassandra planned to continue towards Corona, for whatever purpose she intended, then the only comfort Rapunzel had was knowing they would reach the castle gates first. But what was it that Cassandra wanted? None of her actions made any sense, and they wouldn't until Rapunzel spoke with her again…if she ever saw her again. No, she was certain she would. If there was one thing Rapunzel had learned since leaving her tower, it was that trouble always knew how and where to find her, whether she wanted it to find her or not.

The worst troubles, understandably enough, were the ones she did not expect. One such trouble greeted them as the ocean was laid far behind them, and the rolling white hillsides of Corona's wintery farm country spilled out before them. The chill could be felt in the air, and everyone tugged their coats about themselves to ward off the cold. Far in the distance, the spires of Corona's island capitol could be seen, rising in a beacon of majesty through the clouds. Rapunzel's heart ached with longing to see her home once more; she knew it had been many months, but it felt like a whole lifetime since she had last seen the capitol streets, the long castle corridors with decades of portraiture, the warm and sunny paintings she'd stroked across her bedroom walls.

Then she noticed the flag flying from the highest tower, just a tiny speck in the distance, but its colors were easily recognizable: instead of the royal purple and gold of Corona's sun emblem, the flag was painted red and black. Rapunzel couldn't make out the symbol, but she didn't have to. There was only one faction she could think of who bore such colors.

"Eugene," she gasped. "Look!"

"That's…oh no." Eugene shook his head, refusing to believe. "It can't be."

"Guys!" Rapunzel lurched to the side of the gondola, calling out to Varian. "We need to land, now!"

Varian and Shay looked confused, but Martin understood. "We can't land at the castle," he told them. "It's been breached. That's a Sapporian flag!"

"No," Varian breathed, his face going white. "No, no, no. Okay, uh…think Varian, think! If we just had a –"

"The Haderon Forest," Shay suggested. "There's enough magic there, if we work together, we can use it like an anchor to bring the gondolas down."

"Did she just say the Haderon Forest?" Lance exclaimed. "That place is cursed black and blue! We'd never make it out of there!"

"That's not why it wouldn't work," Varian admitted with a wince. "There's no place to land through the trees – the principle's sound, but not the location!"

"What about the border wall?" Rapunzel shouted over the wind. "It might be high enough, if we can deflate the envelopes –"

"And crash right into it?" Varian called back.

"Or miss it completely," Martin added.

"Can someone remind me why we didn't have a plan for this before?!" Eugene hollered.

"Everyone, calm down!" Rapunzel sighed sharply. "Regardless of where we land, we need to start letting air out of the envelopes immediately!"

Varian still looked panicked, but he nodded his head. "Alright, just be careful doing it. Letting the air out too fast could cause major issues!"

"What kind of issues?" Martin asked.

Varian started listing off his fingers. "The ropes could snap, the envelope could tear, one of us could pass out if the air pressure changes too quickly –"

"We get it, 'major issues'!" Eugene snapped. "Let's get moving, people!"

The landing was not ideal, but it could have been much worse. Both gondolas skirted a spattering of trees before touching down less than a mile outside the border wall, not far from Old Corona. Varian's gondola landed first, forcefully enough to send every passenger to their knees. Rudiger was the first to leap out, bounding and frolicking and rolling about in the snow. Rapunzel's gondola touched down next, about thirty yards away. Eugene threw himself out and remained collapsed on the ground, grateful for the solid earth beneath him. Everyone else released the animals and allowed them to recuperate for half an hour before gathering their gear and saddling up. Maximus responded in earnest, acutely aware of the urgency Rapunzel was feeling.

"We need to reach the castle as quickly as possible," she told everyone. "We have to find out what's happened!"

"With all due respect, your Highness," Martin said as he approached, then hastily swept down to one knee. "I mean, if I might make a suggestion."

Rapunzel reached for Martin's arm and gently tugged him to his feet. "Really, you guys, there's no need for that. Just tell me what you're thinking."

Martin's cheeks burned, but he cleared his throat. "I submit that you remain secreted until more…expendable persons investigate the situation here, your Highness. If the Sapporians have infiltrated the capitol's infrastructure enough to fly their colors, there's no telling what's happened to the royal family."

"I doubt anything serious has happened to them," Varian chimed in, noticing the flare of panic that pinched Rapunzel's lips. "It wouldn't make sense to harm them when they can be held for ransom. Corona's allies would pay dearly to ensure this kingdom doesn't fall apart."

Rapunzel's hands shook at her sides. "I can't just sit and do nothing about this," she told them. "This is my kingdom, it's my responsibility."

"But you're our princess, your Highness," Martin said. He sighed, swallowing once. "I grew up in a kingdom where you were feared dead. We had no idea who would succeed the throne. They were dangerous times. The day you returned…I'd never seen my family so happy. This land has a future again because of you." He reached for the hilt of his sword, gripping it tightly. "As a soldier of Corona, I'm sworn to protect you. That means I can't allow you to take the risk of going to the capitol when we know it's been taken over by hostile forces."

Lance sauntered up to Martin and wrapped a burly arm over his shoulders. "Just curious, have you ever considered the theatre arts? Something tells me you'd have great presence on the stage."

Varian stepped away from Rudiger's saddle and turned to face them. "Rapunzel," he spoke. "I'll go."

Rapunzel looked at him, confliction naked on her pallid face.

"I've done terrible things," Varian continued, planting a hand over his breast. "I know it will take more than this to pay for them, but I want to help."

"You'd be recognized just as easily as she would," Eugene pointed out.

"I'm aware," Varian agreed. "But I can be discreet."

"He did manage to sneak a giant machine thingy into the castle for the princess' birthday," Lance reminded them. "And kidnap the queen."

"Gee Lance," Varian frowned. "Thanks for the reminder. It's 'automaton', by the way. He is right, though."

"I will go with him," Martin said. "The guards must have a resistance somewhere. If we can find them, I can vouch for Varian."

"And I know how we could get a start towards reclaiming the capitol," Varian continued. "You remember the tunnels we found underneath the vault? I doubt the Sapporians have discovered the entrance. It would be the perfect way in."

Rapunzel didn't like it. It didn't feel right for her subjects to take the risk while she stayed behind. "Do you agree with them?" she asked Eugene.

Eugene glanced uncomfortably from Rapunzel to Shorty, then to Lance. "I agree with any plan that keeps you safest, Sunshine. No one knows those streets like I do, and I can vouch for everyone when we find whoever's leading a resistance against the Sapporians. I'll go with them."

Lance lifted his arm away from Martin, his face pinched into a pout. "I know those streets, too. I can go."

"And what am I supposed to do, then?" Rapunzel exclaimed, helplessness causing her voice to crack.

Varian turned to Shay, who had been quiet the entire time, holding Killy tight to her chest. "What do you think?"

Shay looked from him to the princess. "Old Corona is only half a mile from here," she said quietly. "No one would expect us to go there."

"Will you be safe?"

Shay nodded.

Varian looked back at the princess. "Of course, none of this happens without your consent, Rapunzel. I won't do anything without your permission."

"Nor will I," Martin agreed. "It's your decision."

"Rapunzel," Eugene took her by the shoulders. "We will be back for you. I promise."

"I…" Rapunzel reached for the dark hair on her head. "I shouldn't have cut it," she whispered.

"No," Eugene said firmly. "I'm glad that you did. You're less recognizable without it, and we would still suggest this even if you hadn't cut it. Besides, you said so yourself that your hair makes no difference in who you are. It's not that we doubt your abilities, Rapunzel. We just want to keep you safe."

It felt like the storm all over again. Her parents were absent, Eugene was ready to brave danger again without her, and this time, there was no Cassandra to comfort her. Just an old man and a strange girl.

"Okay," Rapunzel breathed. "Just…be careful."

Eugene blew a strand of hair out of his eyes. "Don't worry about it. We'll be back before you know it."