Chapter 3: The Hidden Archives of Corona's Royal Family

A drizzling rain was pouring when Audrey and Gothy managed to make their way to Corona. Still, they waited on the other side of the bay to figure out a plan. The stag, on his part, decided to go back into hiding in the forest's shadows rather than follow the girls in their attempt to break into the Hidden Archives of Corona's Royal Family.

"The Hidden Archives have only two entrances for each royal family: one that's hidden in the castle and the other underground. Both have some sort of relevance," Audrey explained.

Gothy wiped the water off the spyglass she was using to observe the castle. "Did they say where those entrances were located in Corona?"

"The one in the castle should be in that tower." Thank goodness it wasn't raining that hard, so Audrey could point at a particular medium-heighted tower. "It's the tower of Rapunzel's parents, the former king and queen. The entrance is in their bedchamber, where your mom…"

"Kidnapped Rapunzel, I know. Where's the second entrance?"

"At the port where King Eugene took Queen Rapunzel on their first boat ride for her birthday."

"I opt for the port entrance." Gothy put away her spyglass. "I'd be uncomfortable at the idea of, you know, imitating the scene of the fateful night."

Audrey patted Gothy's shoulder. "I know. But we have a problem. We can't exactly just cross the bridge. You're the offspring of Rapunzel's worst enemy and I don't need to remind you of people hating the ex- Queen of Mean."

"Can't you use your magic to make us invisible?"

"I barely know how to use it." Audrey looked around. Conveniently, she found a stranded wooden raft resting by the coast. She and Gothy rushed to it. Gothy knocked on the wood.

"It's only good enough for one trip." Gothy stated.

"That'll be enough to get to the port. Once we find out where Cassandra is, we'll figure out how to get there."

The girls struggled to cautiously lift the raft on the waters. The ancient thing shook too much when they stepped on it until they managed to find a proper seating position. Gothy grabbed the old oar and started rowing them towards the island where the kingdom stood. As they got closer to the middle of bay, Gothy noticed the cloudy horizon behind the mountains, and past that was what looked like the silhouette of a wall.

"Hey, Princess, you mentioned Auradon having a wall," Gothy said. "Why does Auradon need a wall? They already stuffed the villains on the Isle."

Audrey looked at the wall silhouette hiding behind the clouds. "I don't really know. The public isn't allowed to go anywhere near it. Apparently it's dangerous."

"Dangerous? What could possibly frighten Auradon to build a wall?"

"They didn't really build it. Magic created that hybrid from the sturdiest walls in the kingdoms. The Great Wall of China, Corona's walls, the sea wall that Queen Ariel used to have, the wall to Cinderella's castle, the wall of Camelot…"

"Are you honestly going to tell me that they literally transported all the border walls… to create some bigger wall for some reason they wouldn't say? And yet they merely zapped the Isle Of The Lost with a magical barrier?"

"Again, I don't know what's on the other side of the wall. Nobody really asks about it. We never ask about it because why should we have to ask what's beyond Auradon's limits when we had everything within the limits and the villains were locked away."

"The ideal garden of Eden." Gothy shook her head.

Gothy cautiously rowed them around the boat. Not a lot of people were out due to the mist the drizzling rain was creating, but Gothy worked her best on rowing as distantly as she could from any of the patrolling guards. Eventually, Audrey guided her underneath the main bridge. The moment they reached the mainland, the raft collapsed and drowned. Audrey ripped off the vines concealing the foundation bricks until she found a small carving of the kingdom's sun emblem. She traced the carving with her finger and the bricks surrounding it moved to form a doorway.

"Wicked." Gothy took out her flashlight and lighted the way. They crossed their way through a hallway decorated by golden pillars of suns and flowers that held up the ceiling. A light alerted them of the upcoming doorway… and upcoming footsteps alerted them to hide behind a pillar.

"Archive Librarian, please make sure to record the month-long absence my husband and I will have." Audrey recognized the voice of Queen Rapunzel.

"The purpose of the absence, your Highness?" A monotone voice responded.

"Inspection and collection of the finest gemstones. Eugene and I want to commission a unique dragon statue as a wedding gift for King Ben and his future queen. We'll be going to Agrabah for the finest emeralds and in Arendelle for the jeweled crocus."

"Rather expensive, but perfect choices. The future Queen Mal will enjoy it."

"Of course it's expensive. I would have gone for cheaper jeweled wood, but my parents are already going for a fancy commissioned crib. Don't ask."

Audrey and Gothy waited until the footsteps disappeared and a door was shut. When things got quiet, the girls snuck through the doorway. Gothy frowned when all she saw were four walls filled with cabinets and a golden flower fountain being the source of light.

"I expected something bigger."

Audrey shrugged it off. Just then, the golden flower moved as if a flower moving and revealed a robotic golden figure standing.

"Greetings, Princess Audrey. What brings you to the Hidden Archives of Corona's Royal Family? Is there information you are seeking that your family's hidden archive does not hold?" The figure spoke with the monotone voice that had addressed Queen Rapunzel earlier.

"Archive Librarian," Audrey greeted. "Do you know anything about Mother Gothel's daughter Cassandra? Cassandra's half-sister Gothy accompanies me. Cassandra has been missing for a long time and Gothy would very much like to reunite with her missing sister."

"Please?" Gothy asked. "I reassure you that I want nothing with Corona. I intend on leaving the Isle and Auradon for good once I find Cassandra."

"You are in luck then. Cassandra isn't missing. She has merely left."

Gothy's eyes widened. For a moment, she dreaded that the magical AI was suggesting that Gothy's sister had left the plane of the living.

"But she is alive. Right?" Audrey asked the Archive Librarian.

"Evidently."

Gothy sighed in relief.

"But she's not in Corona," Audrey continued.

"I'm afraid I don't know the exact whereabouts of Cassandra, Princess Audrey. All that Queen Rapunzel ever said about Cassandra in my records was that she chose to leave Corona. And roughly more than twenty years ago, on the eve of Auradon's creation, Queen Rapunzel added some sort of riddled coordination that Cassandra sent her. Cassandra did not wish to be visited nor did she wish to visit, but she gave riddled directions for the queen should the kingdom be in another great peril."

"Riddled coordination? Why not a mere street address?"

"Those who seek refuge on the other side of the Auradon Wall provide riddled directions if they wish to break the hopes of any Auradonian seeking to find them."

Audrey looked at Gothy, who was too shocked for words. Cassandra had never gone to the Isle nor had she stayed in Auradon because she chose to go past the wall. Into the lands preoccupied by whatever Auradon wanted to ignore. Gothy backed on a wall and slid until her butt landed on the floor. Audrey bit her lip. This was risking a lot. Chances are, the girls would have to break an international law by reaching the wall's other side. They wouldn't be receiving any help because for some unknown reason, nobody in Auradon wanted to go there.

But if Auradon was so picky, than Audrey would have to take the risk.

"Can you tell us the riddled directions of Cassandra's location?"

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Listen carefully.

The forsaken daughter you seek, a dangerous quest from the start.

Find the abused princess the king raises.

She'll find the hybrid who phases numerous faces.

She'll guide you to the child of the man with a third heart.

The man with the third heart will be the one who holds the information on Cassandra's location and how you can access it."

Gothy blinked. "My sister basically told Rapunzel to ask a bunch of people from the other side of the wall until the last one gives her the right address."

"Pretty much. Well, if you don't have any other questions, I'll be retiring myself." The Archive Librarian folded herself back into the fountain and water sprouted out of it. Gothy's expression suggested that she wanted to strangle the fountain AI. Audrey held her back before Gothy could decide to punch the fountain.

"We know how to find your sister!" Audrey tried to calm her down. "Isn't that at least something?"

"No! Something would have been the stupid Librarian telling me why Cassandra left! How is a stupid riddle going to help me find her in some land that not even you know?"

"Well… it will be tricky. It could take us along while, but we'll do it. At least we know we got to scale the Auradon Wall to get started. It won't be easy, but why don't we see how we can get ourselves some climbing gear?"

Gothy nodded. "OK."

"I think I spotted an equipment store somewhere on the port. Let's go there."

They left the Hidden Archives. As they did so, they didn't notice the black much that appeared out of nowhere and started to proliferate in the hallway.

An hour later

Gothy had to take some minutes to disguise herself: straightening her hair into a bun, adding some dirt to her jeans and skin, and switching her boots for some sneakers. Audrey lent her the necessary money and cautiously waited in an alley while Gothy went to the equipment store. Using her tricks, she managed to convince the employee working there that she was a hiker from Arcadia City, had fallen off her bike while riding to Corona without any injuries, but lost her equipment as it fell in the bay. The employee was very generous and showed her around their sales in helmets, ropes, harnesses, climbing boots, and pickaxes. She managed to buy two of each and at reasonable prices.

"Where are you planning to hike again?"

"Bald Mountain," Gothy lied through her smile.

"Gosh! I went there with my fiancée for a climb when we started dating. You can see all of Auradon from there."

"Really?"

"Yes! A magnificent view!"

Meanwhile, Audrey waited in the alley. From where she hid, she could see the main bridge. She saw the white silhouette of the royal carriage departing the kingdom. Evidently, Rapunzel and Eugene were in a rush to get the jewels for their wedding gift to Ben and Mal.

Audrey sighed. She was genuinely happy for her friends' upcoming marriage, she really was, but a pain was still present with her. At this stage, her previous relationships with princes meant nothing and it was very likely that no one in Auradon would want to line up to ask her out. Who knows? Maybe if she was lucky enough, there might be some fellow on the other side of the Auradon Wall. Audrey didn't really care anymore if it was some prince, a hero, a villain, or some beggar, but it would be nice if at least for once in her life, someone could love her as she truly is.

The dinging sound of the door put her back on her feet. Gothy came out with the materials at hand and organized them in the hiking bags. "How far is the wall from here?"

"A day by car ride."

"And who on Earth would let us hitchhike in their car?"

"I was thinking of snatching a van from the car rental. I don't have enough money to buy one."

Gothy gave her a smirk. "If I weren't so focused on finding my sister and being a strong, independent individual, I'd be in love with your ironic personality right about now."

Audrey laughed nervously. Before she could say anything, an explosion came. Not the kind from gas leaks, but the kind like geysers. Audrey and Gothy peaked from the alley and saw some sort of black tar substance exploding its way out of nearly every manhole in the area.

"Make a run for it?" Audrey asked calmly.

"Duh."

They made a run for it. They ran up the streets, where crowds of people were either running upward to seek refuge at the castle or downward to reach the bridge. The girls took numerous twists and turns through the alleys to avoid having people recognize them. Eventually, when tar started filling the streets at an ankle barrel, Gothy jumped on a barrel, hung upside down from a drain, and swung Audrey up. They ran up and down the roofs and saw the tar not only spreading out through the streets but also moving its way upward. Gravity was not helping anyone. Audrey then spotted a car rental where numerous vans were spotted. Unfortunately, the moment they landed, only one thing barred them from getting to the vans.

"Uh, not you again." Audrey grimaced at the black-and-white mare with the royal saddle. The mare grimaced.

"Let me guess. One of the baby ponies of that weird palace horse?" Gothy raised an eyebrow.

"Yep."

"Probably has an ironic name?"

"Yeah, her name's Mischief."

"You two hate each other?"

"She threw me off her back when I was ten." Audrey cracked her knuckles. "Bring it."

Gothy immediately ran out of the way as Mischief galloped towards Audrey. Audrey dodged and jumped on Mischief. The mare jumped and down viciously, but Audrey hung on to the saddle.

"YIPPEE KI YAY!" Audrey taunted the horse. "You won't be throwing me off your back!"

While Audrey and Mischief engaged in a dangerous game of rodeo, Gothy inspected through every single van they had to offer. It wasn't easy. First, she had to find one that was durable enough, all-terrain, and with enough fuel to last them some days. When she managed to find a teal-colored camping van, she ran to the front desk to search for the van's keys (thank goodness the store employees had made a run for it and the keys were numbered with their matching cars' numbered plates). Once she managed to find the teal van's matching key, she grabbed some fuel containers and tires and tossed them in the back of the van.

"Audrey! Get off the damn horse!" Gothy shouted as she unlocked the passenger and driver doors.

"How? I'm beating her in the longest rodeo ever!" Audrey shouted. She was currently pulling Mischief's mane, which was driving the mare nuts.

"PRINCESS!"

Audrey thought of something. It sounded rather unpleasant, but she flicked her finger on Mischief's superior and sent a pink bolt through the mare's skin. The mare took it badly and threw Audrey off her. Audrey landed in a pile of tires while Mischief ran away crying like a foal.

"C'mon!" Gothy pulled Audrey up and dragged her to the van. "You know how to drive?"

"Eh. I'm rusty and I only have a student's permit."

"Works for me! Grab the wheel!"

The girls buckled up. Audrey managed to get the engine running and drove in rapid zigzags down the streets. As a passerby ran into a window for cover and the van nearly caused two other cars to crash for ignoring a red light, Gothy understood why Audrey claimed to be rustic. Audrey drove the van as fast as she could, and as they got closer to the city limits, they saw the tar spreading faster across the streets and the guards pulling up the bridge after the last civilians had made their way through.

"I hate to this, but you need to magic up this van!" Gothy clutched on to her seatbelt.

"I can't even control a small blast! How do you expect me to get this van over the bay?" Audrey didn't hit any halts.

"Use Maleficent's spell for enchanting rides!"

"You know it?"

"Don't tell Mal! I often snooped in their kitchen when Maleficent had me do her hair!"

"I didn't know Maleficent had hair!"

"She has them dyed so that we can't see anything past her horns! Now use that spell already! It's 'Noble steed, proud and fair, you shall take us anywhere!' And say it like you mean it!" They looked up and saw that they were dangerously approaching the port. "And do it fast! I never learned how to swim!"

Audrey inhaled a lot out of stress. As the blue water got closer, she took a better deep breath. She had to think of how much she wanted to cross the bay, how much she wanted to have the fun take them across the Auradon Wall, how much she wanted to help Gothy, and how much she wanted to live to find better meaning in herself. Gothy looked startled when Audrey's eyes suddenly glowed pink.

"Noble steed, proud and fair, you shall take us anywhere!"

The van drove over the docks. The girls held on for dear life in case they'd sink further, but frowned when they didn't. They looked out the van windows and saw that their vehicle was riding through the blue waters, leaving behind waves shining with pink sparkles.

"I… I did it!" Audrey was beyond shock. Did she just manage to cast a spell?

"YOU DID IT!" Gothy yelled happily. "We are home free! We are going to find Cassandra! We… are so doomed…"

Audrey wondered why Gothy suddenly lost her joy. That's when she saw the black tar waving its way out of Corona and literally slithering to catch up with the girls as the van finally reached the mainland. Audrey hit the brakes to enforce the speed and took the direction for the Auradon Wall. Despite how far she drove until the kingdom was out of sight, the tar followed them onto the main road. It was very evident that this was some sort of cursed tar. Maybe it had a tooth against magic users since it continued to pursue the girls after Audrey had enchanted the van.

Audrey drove down the road as it went deeper in the woods. Some sort of explosion was heard coming from behind them, but she managed to ignore it. When a banging sound hit the back of the van, the girls stood on high alert. The door burst open and the red stag jumped in. It grabbed the door handle with its mouth and shut it close.

"Hope you don't mind a trip to the unknown," Audrey told the stag. It merely jumped on the mattress that rested at a corner and cuddled in it.

"Just so you, I am not cleaning up his droppings!" Gothy warned Audrey.

Later in the day

Mal and Ben immediately took a helicopter flight to Corona. Rapunzel and Eugene took a detour from their trip to see the chaos the guards had informed them about. They arrived at the last location of the enchanted tar. Someone or something had literally burned a red circle on the road and was continuing to drain all the tar in it like a drain in a dirty bathtub. Still, given the strange red markings on the circle and given the unusual deepness of the pit, it was very likely that whatever stopped the black flood was not out of dynamite.

Mal cautiously sniffed the edge of the circle. "Definitely underworld minerals. But these are deeper. Somebody casted a pit spell that sent the black tar in Hell."

"Guess Hades will have a lot to clean up," King Eugene remarked.

"No. This is going into the underworld deeper than my dad's Underworld…"

A guard came running in and out of breath. "Queen Rapunzel! Strange reports have been coming about the tar allegedly ceasing to flood the city because they were following some enchanted vehicle! And the royal veterinarian says that Mischief had been intercepted by a clone of Mother Gothel… and Queen Aurora's brat."

This alarmed Mal and Ben, who stared at one another.

"Audrey was here?" Ben asked.

"With Gothy Gothel of all the VKs… But why would Audrey run off with her?" Mal was confused.

King Eugene looked at his wife, whose expression was rather broken-hearted. "Cass has a sister… I have a little sister."

"Wait. Gothy has an older sister?" Mal stared at the queen. "But… I've never seen her on the Isle."

"I know. Cass…" A realization came to the queen. "Guards! Send squads to the Auradon Wall immediately! Gothy Gothel and Aurora's daughter must not reach it!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" The guards ran to their vehicles and drove back to the kingdom or towards the Auradon Wall!

"Knowing Gothel, the kid must be trying to find Cass," King Eugene guessed.

"I can't let Gothy and Aurora's daughter go there! It's too dangerous!"

"Don't worry. We'll bring them back safely," Ben reassured her.

"That's not it, Ben." Rapunzel shook her head. "Cassandra warned me that whatever is on the other side of the wall… it's protecting itself from Auradon. If the girls managed to cross it, Auradon can't protect them from the dangers lying in the unknown."

"Like a magical barrier?" Mal asked. "Can't we just break it?"

"Their magic is different from ours. They don't let Auradonians in… unless they really want to leave Auradon."

The next day

Audrey woke up with a moving sunray hitting her on the face. When she opened her eyes, she discovered that she had been placed on the mattress in the back of the van. She felt something warm resting underneath her head and found the red stag sleeping while acting as a pillow for her.

The van was still moving and… Gothy was snoring on the passenger seat.

"Gothy… Gothy!" Audrey yelled.

"Saucepans!" Gothy jumped on her seat and yawned. "What?"

"Who's driving the van?"

"The van is driving itself. Massive points to you, FYI… I had to put you on the mattress after you fell asleep."

"Thank goodness we didn't crash." Audrey rubbed her eyes and put aside her cloak, which had been covering her as a blanket.

"It was weird." Gothy stretched while Audrey searched through their bags for hairbrushes and water canteens. "You don't even snore when you sleep. For a moment, I thought you were dead."

Audrey shuddered at the idea of looking dead. The clock on the dashboard indicated that it was somewhere around 8am. They cleaned up and got hydrated enough for Audrey to take the wheel again. Gothy took a peak out the window. All she saw behind the van were thousands of trees to the point that she couldn't even see the distant hills with tiny houses. The sea almost seemed non-existent.

"I think the tar stopped following us." She got back on her seat. "I wonder why it did in the first place. Did you have some kind of tiff with enchanted tar, Princess?"

"Not that I can think off."

The area was suddenly shrouded by shadows. Not because the sky was getting cloudy but because something massive was approaching them.

They were approaching the Auradon Wall.