Celia huffed and stormed out of the home that her, Mike, and his current boyfriend shared. While the two had broken up, they still had stayed friends, but that didn't mean Celia could stand him anymore.
As of recently, Mike had been trying out joke after joke on her—the majority were harmless and some even earned a chuckle, but the past few days of it were intolerable. At some point, he had made a joke about Celia herself. It started innocent and playful, but as of the past few minutes, Mike had claimed that Celia couldn't be scary, or even funny, if she tried.
Feeling insulted, Celia stormed past Sulley, a camera in her hand and a plan in her head. He tried to stop his fuming friend, before a glare told him to move. He complied and watched her stomp out of the apartment. He figured the girl just needed a few minutes on the porch to herself, but a glance through the curtains told him she had left the street entirely.
Celia found herself standing outside of the now closed Monsters Incorporated factory warehouse, her hands shaking as she shoved her new executive key into the lock. Once inside, she hurriedly made her way to the scare floor and shook the handle roughly, only to find it locked.
Angry, she made her way over to one of the experimental door rooms and found it unlocked, cheering herself on underneath her breath.
In the room she found an array of doors. Gently she ran her hands through them and chose one that was a dark brown and caught her eye with the seemingly ancient architecture. Hastily, the female monster assembled the door and placed a large laugh collector on the podium, taking one more deep breath. Part of her was very afraid, but the other half of her was still furious with Mike. She pulled a satchel off the table and stuffed her camera and keys into it. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open to the new world.
Rapunzel stared at her trembling wardrobe with fear. Slowly she opened the wooden doors and watched a blur of violet hit her floor. Instantly, she smacked the creature with her frying pan.
Still afraid, she hoisted the creature back into her wardrobe and crossed her fingers and hoped it would disappear, especially as her mother called for outside of her tower.
A few minutes passed as her mother once again doubted the girl's ability to protect herself, and as her mother yelled at her to never leave the tower, a twinge of determination and irritation filled her gut. When her mother left, she opened her wardrobe and watched the monster fall onto the floor once again.
Rapunzel stared curiously at the now tied up monster until the large eye on her head blinked open. Still holding her frying pan in the attack position, the blond cleared her throat.
"What are you? What do you want from me?"
Celia tried to reach her tentacle up to rub at the poor swollen snakes on her head but found it impossible. Staring at the way her arms were bonded, her eye furrowed. "I ... I thought this was a child's room."
Confused, Rapunzel tightened her grip on her pan and her glare on the girl. "Well, it's not. That doesn't answer my question."
Still in pain, Celia shook her head and didn't answer.
Slowly, Rapunzel loosened her grip and held the bag up that the creature had brought with her. "And what's this? Some sort of weapon?" She gently pried the camera out of the bag, holding it as if it were covered in slime.
"No, it's a camera. Ya know, it takes pictures?"?
Furrowing her eyebrows, Rapunzel stepped back. "The only camera are operated by the rich."
"Untie me, and I will prove it."
A bit afraid, Rapunzel turned her back and spoke to her animal companion beneath her breath. When she finally turned around, she nodded and began to undo the knots of hair holding her prisoner in place.
Celia took her device and tried to click it, only to find it jammed. Smacking the side of it, she watched as it spit out an already developed photo of her and Mike on the last anniversary they had spent together before they broke up. Right away, Celia frowned and shoved the photo into her bag, looking up at the blond.
"Smile."
This time, it clicked and spat out a photo of Rapunzel. Intrigued, the human awed and smiled at the photo before regaining her position and furrowing her brows again. "You never answered my first question. Why are you here?"
Celia fiddled with her hands. "Monsters make energy on human's screams and laughter. I'm here to make you laugh."
The blond almost laughed at that, and if the other weren't so uptight, she would have. "Well, I'll make a deal with you, then. I'll laugh for you if you help me with my dream." The girl ran over to a curtain on her wall and pulled it neck, revealing a painting of the girl gazing at yellow orbs in the sky.
"Aren't those just stars?"
"Well, no. They look like stars, but... They float and move, every year... On my birthday, which is tomorrow."
Right away, Celia grew a bit afraid. She thought of how monsters had never stayed over night in the human world, but then thoughts of how wrong Mike would be if she fulfilled this overtook them. She thought of how terrifying the human world seemed and thought of Mike's disbelief in her. A glance at the strange human told her that she wasn't scary; maybe a bit dangerous with her weapon, but without it she seemed harmless. Perhaps a little adventure would do her good.
"I.. don't know where they are, but I'm willing to go with you to find them."
And with that, Celia found herself staring as the blond girl tossed her hair out of the window excitedly.
Nervously, she watched as the eighteen year old first stepped on the ground before tossing some of her hair back up for the other to climb down from.
As she skidded to the ground, Celia found herself laughing already. She had never touched human grass before, and she couldn't help but find that it tickled her indigo.
Rapunzel laughed with her already, and Celia realized she could leave now, but she knew the bragging rights wouldn't feel as earned, since the blond only laughed from the feeling of the grass.
The two started traveling into the woods curiously, both finding themselves intrigued by the new world around them. Celia couldn't help but pity the other as she saw her go through a ray of emotions for her newly found freedom. Finally, the girl sat down and had curled her knees up to her chest to cry.
A bit stunned, the tentacled monster put her hand on the others shoulder. "Your mother doesn't sound like the nicest person. Overbearing much?"
The green-eyed wonder wiped her eyes. "She's just protecting me, but... I'm 18, I want to get out and live my life. Being locked up in that tower is just so lonely, and I never even felt grass before today."
"I didn't either." A look of surprise crossed the blonde's face. "Well, not grass from this world. And it's more than I would ever imagine. Don't you want to know what else there is for you?"
Smiling softly, Rapunzel nodded took the hand that was offered to her gratefully. "Well, I'm starved, let's go find somewhere to eat!"
The two continued to wonder through the woods until they finally came across a little bar with a duckling on the sign. The two were wary of the place, but too hungry to decline.
There, Rapunzel learned from one of the intimidating men that the lights she was so desperate to see were lanterns.
Before long, the two found themselves in a sing-a-long with the tattooed members of the pub, with them all sharing their dreams with each other. Rapunzel shared hers of seeing the lanterns gleam in the night sky, and Celia continued off of her the dream that she held to heal and maybe find love again.
When the song ended, the two sat down and ate the bar fries and burgers together.
When Gothel arrived at the blonde's tower only to find it empty, she climbed up the hidden stairs and stared breathlessly throughout the room. Upset, she saw something kn the ground that caught her eye. She lifted up the photo that had slipped out of Celia's bag and furrowed her brows at it. Two monsters tool her prisoner! She considered that they ate her, but no sliver of hair was left, is she assumed that her 'daughter' was taken.
Running off into the woods, the old woman stumbled across the bar in the woods and peered through the windows to see one of the monsters from the photo sitting and eating fries with her child. Irritated, she figured out a plan and found some guards, pointing out the creature to them.
Minutes later, the group of men stormed the bar, and luckily, one of the men motioned the women behind the bar to hide. Slowly and quietly, they tiptoed down a flight of stairs behind the bar top and finally found a large door, but when it was pushed open instead of freedom they found two large men with knives staring down at Celia in particular.
Frightened the two ran for cover, and after a small chase scene they surely found themselves stuck again. This time, the two had escaped their pursuers and were lodged inside a cave of sorts that was slowly filling up with water.
"We're goners, I'm never going to see him again. He was the light of my life." Celia cried suddenly, shocking the blond, whom stared at her in confusion before the word light reminded her of her magical hair. Quickly, she sang her song of enchantment and watched as Celia swam down to the bottom of their little cave and pushed some rocks aside, freeing the two.
As the two hurried to safety, the two split up, with Celia gathering wood while Rqpunzel attempted to set up their tent. As Celia sat down the last bit of wood, she winced and gripped her hand tightly as she sat down next to the blonde.
"So... What were you trying to say in the cave?"
Celia glanced up at the question before softening. "Well, I didn't really come here because I wanted to, originally, at least. I came here because I was mad at somebody...my ex boyfriend."
"Was...was he the guy in the photograph?" Rapunzel remembered the photo from when she first met the monster and bit her lip.
Nodding, Celia cast her gaze downwards. "The thing is, I wasn't ready when he broke up with me. I knew he had been distant recently, but... I though the was going to try and propose to me."
Rapunzel frowned a bit at that. She didn't realize how heartbroken the other was until now. "And...you still love him, dont you?" She didn't mean to show the disappointment in her voice, but luckily, she thought the monster didn't notice.
Celia gave her a half-smile. "Well, not really, but I just feel so unlovable and lost. He's still my friend, but I used to be treated like I was his world, his dream...now I'm just his friend." Celia shook her head, the snakes hissing softly. "Sorry, I know that doesn't make any sense."
Rapunzel wasn't sure why she reached for the other's hand so lovingly, but she did, and she couldn't help but treasure the smile the other gave her. "I...might not understand completely, but... You're not alone anymore, Celia. I'm here for you now."
The other gazed at her just as tenderly before her hair suddenly hissed, and she joined the chorus, yanking her hand away.
Curious, Rapunzel peeked over at the tentacle that the other desperately attempted to cover, her eyes widening at the cut on the other's hand. With one quick motion, Rapunzel lifted the monster's hand and gently set it in her lap, gazing up at the other. "I'm about to do something weird, but, it's going to heal you. Please hold still."
A bit confused, Celia nodded and watches as the girl wrapped her tentacle up with her own blond locks, before singing the same melody she had sang in the cave.
When the hair was removed, so was the pain and cut from before. Amazed, Celia let the snakes on her head rattle in glee and she couldn't help but blush and turn away.
"Well, that was amazing, but... I better go to bed. We've got a long day tomorrow, after all."
Rapunzel waved the other goodnight and stared after her with lovesick eyes until the familiar sound of her mother's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Spinning around, she peered through the darkness at her mother.
Her mother beckoned her close before encouraging her to return home, but the memories that she had created so far stopped her. Rapunzel gleefully started to ramble about how amazing this girl she was with was before her mother laughed coldly and spoke over her. Her mother warned her that the girl was just going to break her heart and go back to her boyfriend, but the blonde shook her head firmly and crossed her arms, ignoring her mother's warnings. With one final guess if the outcome, her mother left.
Her heart full of confusion, Rapunzel lay down under the stars, slowly dozing off.
When the two awoke, it was to a horse angrily sniffing at them. Confused, the two huddled together before Rapunzel carefully stood up and reached her hand cautiously out to the animal, calming it. When the creature was relaxed enough, Celia also held her hand out and ran her hand down his snout, the animal breathing gently now.
The two women glimpsed at each other and shrugged, leading the horse to the city with them.
As the two entered the square, heads started to turn and the snake-haired woman couldn't help but bite her lip and stare at the ground until her blonde companion puked her along, where children were carelessly braiding the woman's long hair.
Celia couldn't help but feel her heart warm at the sight if the other's cheerful reaction to the finished and flowered hair-do, before Rapunzel leaned forward and worked a flower tenderly between two of her usually-hissing snakes.
If it weren't for the crowd, Celja would have leaned in and kissed the other, but an arm yanked her sweetheart away as a tune was played gracefully on a lute.
A bright smile on her face, the blond pulled her into the crowd as well, swaying and spinning gracefully with her.
As the two stoppers, the laughed and interlocked hands, strolling through the tiny village again. At one point, they stopped in front of a mural, of the king, queen, and lost princess. Celia gazed at the photo with interest.
"Hey, that baby...doesn't that look like you?"
Rapunzel turned her head and studied the photo as well, a feeling of nostalgia fling her chest. "It...does.
Celia giggled again and looped her arm around the other's shoulder, holding her camera out. "Smile for me, blondie!"
The green-eyed wonder complied, squishing her face up against her friend cheerfully, the click of the camera lulling her grin away.
Celia shook the photo and showed it to her, a peaceful grin on her lips.
After stopping and asking for information on where to see the lanterns, the two girls hurriedly made their way to the pond-side, sliding onto the water together and waiting nervously. Rapunzel sighed and scooted closer to the other. "I've been waiting my entire life for this. It's always been my dream... What if it isn't everything I've dreamed of?"
Celia smiles softly. "It will be. I promise."
Glimpsing up at the monster, Rapunzel bit her lip. She couldn't help but feel close to nervous tears. "And what if it is? What will I do? This is all I've ever wanted."
Breathing gently, Celia leaned forward again. The two were only inches away now, and Celia couldn't help but feel the urge to kiss her, like the way she had felt earlier. "You'll find a new dream, and you'll want something else."
Celia watched as Rapunzel closed her eyes and pursed her lips and only backed up at the sight of the first lantern floating out of the castle. Gently, Celia nudged her and pointed in the direction.
Rapunzel leaned back sheepishly and started to watch as the lanterns started to float out in even larger numbers, glazing over the water gracefully, the lights reflecting off the water and bouncing like stars in her eyes.
A warm feeling buzzed up in her chest and she turned around, catching the same stars in Celia's eye, two lanterns in her hands. "When did you get these?" Rapunzel asked softly, reaching forward and gently lacing her finger over the smooth bottom of the light.
Celia just bit her lip and smiled. "A little bit ago. I wanted to surprise you, like you did me when you healed me." She felt at her own hand, her eye casting downward to hide the love she held in her face.
Rqpunzel smiled and lifted her own light up, watching as it danced tenderly around Celia's, as if their courses and lives were intertwined and fused.
The blonde could have stared at the beauty forever, but a hand tenderly embracing hers as if it were one of the lanterns shocked her back to reality. When the two caught eyes, Rapunzel immediately started to lean in again, and this time, no light stopped her from kissing the other woman softly on the lips.
When the two separated, Celia gazed past her and spotted two of the men that had been chasing them ever since Rapunzel fleed her tower.
Celia didn't want to ruin the moment, but she knew she couldn't lie to the one that gazed at her as if she were the moon. Nudging the one she had kissed, she pointed to the men and gave Rapunzel a stern look.
"We've got to finish this."
Rapunzel glanced towards the direction and nodded. She was tired of being hounded this way, especially for only wanting to be free. The two rowed back to the shore and found large sticks before approaching the direction they had spotted the men. Once the two men showed their faces, they both swung full force and watched as the men fell to the ground temporairily, and the two girls raised their branches to swing again when guards appeared behind them.
Shocked, both tried to run past the two stunned men to escape, but more guard appeared in front of them.
The two raised their branches to fight, but when one of the men suddenly grabbed Celia's arm and lifted her by it, they both shook in fear. The man holding up Celia threw her on the ground, and two more men hopped on top of her, handcuffing her. "What are you doing? She hasn't done anything wrong!"
"She's a monster, she's created by the devil!" One of the men growled, pointing a spear at the monster, forcing her to stand and move forward.
"Stop! She's not created by the devil or anything like that! Let go of her! Let go!" Rapunzel cried, smacking at the men with her branch, and she would have continued if they didn't suddenly point the spear St her throat.
"Stop squirming, blondie. You're coming with us." A guard behind her said, smacking the branch out of her arms and cuffing her as well. "You've been missed by your Mama."
"No! I won't go back to her! Let go of me! Let go of us!"
Celia took a glance at the spears and shook her head, closing her eye. Rapunzel continued to struggle as she was forced to walk away from the other, crying to be let go the entire time.
By the time they arrived at the tower, she was furious, still shaking out cries as they forced her up the old stairs.
Waiting at the top was her mother, who opened her arms and expected to be greeted with a hug. Rapunzel still felt furious, but she told herself that her mother didn't understand, and didn't mean to hurt her so much. But as the girl went up to her room and gazed at the ceiling, she started to recognize the handkerchiefs design and how it matched her ceiling, and long ago her nursery's mobile. She remembered the mural she had seen earlier and yanked the photo out as the realization hit her.
No wonder Gothel wanted her to stay hidden so bad. No wonder she tried so hard to keep the blond close. She wasn't hers by any means.
Even more irritated than before, Rapunzel marched straight back to her window and was prepared to jump out again when Gothel came up the stairs and paused.
"You're not leaving again, are you?"
Her face scrunched up, Rapunzel glanced around the room and spotted one of her daggers. She lifted the object and traced it. "No, I was just looking. And I wanted to help you with dinner, mother."
Gothel raised her eyebrows and but nodded slowly. "Alright, but come here and sing for me once again. Then we will cook."
Rapunzel nodded. "I'll chop up the squash for the soup tonight." She grabbed one of her brushes and sat her mother down in the same chair she did everyday, glancing back as the woman began to brush.
Slowly, she started to sing like usual. As she neared the end, she glanced back and took advantage of the closed eyes if the other, cutting her hair off swiftly. Right away she stood and reached for her frying pan, holding it up and preparing to smack the woman whom she would never help again, but she watched in horror and a bit of delight as she burst into dust.
Taking a deep, satisfied breath, the now brunette ran down the stairs and spot the horse she had previously charmed digging his hooves at the cobblestone, desperately attempting to free her. She grinned and hopped onto the creature, riding as quickly as she could to the castle. On her way she alerted the bar and asked for their help, all of which greatly obliged as they raced off with her.
As they arrived in the castle, the group split up, each hiding in a place where they could take out one of the guards that were leading the crying monster to the guillotine. One by one, the group took out a guard, and when only one was left, Rapunzel took the dagger she had used to chop off her hair and stabbed the man in the leg and stole his spear, pointing it at him as she backed away from him, clutching Celia's hand with her other.
Once the two were out of the building, they hopped on their horse and raced towards the kingdom's main castle where king and queen resided, with Rapunzel explaining her missing hair and heritage on the way there.
As the two parents of the princess stared in awe at her and embraced her, Celia couldn't help but simply gaze in glee, happy that the poor girl could be with her parents again. As the three broke up, Rapunzel looked over at Celia and pulled her over to them. "And this," she motioned to Celia, "is the best thing to ever happen to me. She's my new dream, and the love of my life."
Celia couldn't help but burn up at that comment, but the overwhelming throb in her chest told her that she felt the same.
The parents studied the monster and after a glance at each other, they smiled, pulling the monster into a hug as well.
That night, the new couple sat on a balcony under the stars and leaned against each other's warmth, peaceful smiles on their faces as they recollected their day to their partner.
When they finished, a reality hit Celia and she sighed, holding the other's hand like she had the other day. "Rapunzel, you know I care about you, but... I think I might have to go home."
Hurt, the princess leaned heavily against her and gazed up in confusion. "What do you mean? This is your home now."
Smiling softly, Celia lifted the other's chin up. "I wish it could be my home. But, I can't leave my friends and my family behind. Especially not without a goodbye. But I promise this won't be the last time I see you, alright?"
Rapunzel collapsed against the monster, tears pouring out of her eyes. "Please, I can't let you go. You mean so much to me."
Celia cradled the royalties face and lifted it up so they were gazing at one another again. "I will come back, as often as I can. I won't let you feel alone anymore, alright?"
Nodding slowly, Rapunzel pushed herself into her partner's embrace, kissing her gently.
The next day, the two ventured back to the tower that once held the princess captive and with the help of multiple guards, they heaved the wardrobe back to the castle and set it up in the princess' room.
Once they were alone to say goodbye, the two kissed again before Celia closed the wardrobe, leaving the girl sitting in her room alone.
Back in the monster world, Celia found the room holding multiple police monsters, who all gasped at the sight of her. "You've been in there for weeks! How are you alive? The room didn't even hold a human child, it was an old door, scheduled to be destroyed, there was an adult in there-" one of the men rambled on, causing Celia to laugh. She glanced over and noticed that multiple laugh extractors were full in the room, and she thought of how the princess sounded when she laughed and grinned.
"Well, what can I say? I'm hilarious. Even adults think so." The police still stared in surprise as she ran her finger over the door. "I'd like to take this door home with me."
The police stared at each other and shrugged.
Celia watched as the men carried the door behind her and to the apartment she resided in. With confidence, she knocked on the door and clutched her satchel close to her. She knew that she would impress Mike now!
When she opened the door, both of the men looked surprised. After a minute they lurched forward and Sulley lifted her, both hugging her tightly.
Celia only could laugh as the police entered the home and helped set it up properly. Where Boo had moved homes, two door frames were set up in the house, with one holding her old closet door. Quickly it was replaced with the large brown door, to which the men marveled at curiously. Once the police had left and they all settled down to dinner, Celia went through her entire tale, every kiss emphasized with lovesick eyes and the snakes on her head sighing. Her friends could only laugh along, happy she found someone who made her so happy.
A few days later, Celia flipped the door on again and convinced the boys to go in with her, a game of scrabble in hand. When they met Rapunzel, she hugged all of them and the parents of the girl joined in the embrace before they all sat down and played a few games of scrabble.
A year passes and Celia leads the girl into their apartment that smells of cinnamon and they bake together and watch movies, all of which Rapunzel never got the chance to see in her world.
One night while she's visiting, Rapunzel is lead outside in the middle of the night to the roof, where she is able to gaze at the stars of another world with the one she loves most.
The next time Celia visits Rapunzel, she proposes to her, and the two marry in kingdom and celebrate in their apartment. It breaks the norms in both of their worlds, but the people who matter the most accept them with open arms.
The two dance until the night feels as if it will never end, but when it does, it's in each other's tight embrace, and they can't help but thank the lights for bringing them together so long ago.