Harmony breathes in the fresh air as she walks down the road of Old Corona. Under her arm is a basket, but its contents are unknown as she has a checkered cloth over it. She takes a quick glance around the village. Everything had looked okay after what happened with the earthquakes...she waves to the villagers and they return it eagerly. Thankfully, Old Corona didn't have anyone who was still wary of her...abilities. Maybe that's why she's here so much...
And also because of a certain alchemist...
After she had to leave him, she hadn't been able to check up on him for almost a week, due to princess duties like preparing for the festival today. She figured that she might properly thank Varian for saving her life, the first time, and she will admit to no one else that she wanted to see him again...he's the only person so far her age that she's friendly with, and she couldn't remember the last time she had someone like that in her life...he doesn't fear her or her powers, or think of her differently because of it...she really appreciated that.
She walks up the front steps and knocks on the door. It opens a few seconds later and Quirin stands in the doorway. He stares at her in shock.
"Princess Harmony," He bows to her. "What do I owe the pleasure?"
"Just Harmony," She giggles a bit. "And I'm actually here to see your son Varian."
"Oh, that is very kind of you. He seems normal. He was chowing down some dark chocolate last night," He chuckles and moves aside to let her in. She steps into the cottage and he leads her into Varian's workshop. Everything was almost back to normal...there was still some debris here and there, but nothing too major that hadn't already been cleaned up. Varian has his back turned to them, leaning over his desk. "Varian, you have a guest."
"Guest?" He lifts up his goggles, turning around to see the angel that he saved. "M-Mona?!" He bumps into his desk, causing two combustible chemicals to touch and they explode behind him. "W-What are you doing here?"
"Hello Vari," She smiles softly at him.
"I'll let you two be alone," Quirin winks at his son slyly, causing the teen to blush.
"I came here to see you," Harmony speaks once his father has left. "I was worried about you after what happened with your hot water invention..."
"Y-You came to see me? Y-You were worried about me?" He runs a hand through his hair, trying to keep calm. The Princess of Corona was actually worried about him, a low-class alchemist. She didn't know it, but she just made his heart beat out of control.
"Yes," She smiles slightly, holding out the basket. "I made ham sandwiches with help from the cooks...I never really had the opportunity to properly thank you for what you did when we met."
He stares at the basket in shock, chuckling in embarrassment. "N-N-No need to thank me. It was...all in a day's work!" He takes the food from her. "But t-thank you, and I'm okay. Everything is fine. We managed to clean up everything." He notices that something is off as she's staring at something. "S-Something wrong?"
"Your gloves..." She steps forward and he stares as she takes one of his hands into her palm. Even when them on, he could still feel the warmth from her own hand. "Can I see?"
"My hands? S-Sure! Who am I to deny the Princess of Corona?" He rubs the back of his neck. She chuckles lightly and slowly grips the end of the glove with her hands. She slowly takes it off, revealing his hand the same skin as his.
"Hm. I like them better this way."
"Heh heh..." He blushes a bit as she's still touching him.
"I'm sorry," She notices his face, letting go of him. "That was too forward."
"It's fine. Really," He smiles at her and she returns it. "So...your first Gopher Grab with your sister. Must be exciting."
"Yeah..." She hoped that Rapunzel would be okay. She had no idea what she would be doing... "She's just as excited as everyone else is. Over the moon, really. Oh," She covers her hand with her mouth in embarrassment at the unintended mention. Varian can't help but laugh and she laughs too, finding his laughter addicting. "I didn't mean it in that way."
Why was she so nervous around him all of a sudden? This wasn't like her at all. If it was another villager, she wouldn't even act this way around them. In fact, she wouldn't even mention her powers, as that could make some people nervously. But with Varian...he truly accepted her, and genuinely wanted to be her friend...
"Are you barefoot, princess?" He notices her toes peeking out from underneath her skirt.
"Oh, yeah," She lifts up her skirt for him to see. "Rapunzel and her free spirit is pretty contagious."
"I like you better this way," He repeats what she said and he rubs his neck. "I-I mean, not that you're terrible. No, no, you're not! I mean, you-I-"
"I got it," She laughs, holding up a hand. It seems that whatever was wrong with her is affecting him too...was it contagious? Despite that, she could really use someone to hang out with during the festivities, as a break. "Are you...gonna be at the festival?"
He blinks at her in shock. This girl was practically asking him to be there? "I-I wasn't gonna go, but...yeah, I guess I could spare a few minutes from my important work to come." He smirks at her flirtatiously.
"I think with Rapunzel, I'm gonna need more than a few minutes. I better go before my father sends a search party," Harmony chuckles before waving. "Bye Vari. I'll see you later."
She walks off and he waves to her, smiling happily. He was gonna see her again!
It's the 500th anniversary of the Good Will Gopher Grab in Corona. The crowd erupts into cheers as King Frederic is standing before them, with the princesses by his side.
"We have much to celebrate during this year's Gopher Grab. Not only is this the 500th anniversary, but we commemorate this Crown Princess Rapunzel's very first festival, and Princess Harmony's first one with her sister."
The crowd cheers, and he winks at the sisters, who smile up at him. "To mark this joyous event, our princesses have redesigned the Gopher Grab seal of goodwill." He removes a curtain underneath the railing to reveal a painting of a Gopher, which is being held by a claw machine that Harmony created. It moves forward, planting the picture underneath. They applaud and cheer again. "Ladies and gentlemen of Corona, Crown Princess Rapunzel and Princess Harmony."
They smile towards the crowd. "Thank you so much. Aw. You're all too kind."
"We're very glad to be celebrating this event together," Harmony smiles as they share a brief hug.
"Booo!"
The jeer is so loud that it could be heard from the king. However, since Rapunzel is not familiar with this kind of negativity that she takes it positively. "And a booo to you, sir."
"Um..." Harmony tries to tell her what it really meant, but her sister just gives her a one-armed hug, waving towards the ground. The logo is replaced with Rapunzel's and the villagers wave to the princesses as they walk into town.
"I gotta hand it to you, Blondie and Brownie," Eugene speaks up, "The people of Corona love you two."
A little girl hugs them both. "They sure do know how to make girls feel special. I mean, I've never heard so much applause, and someone actually booed me."
Eugene cringes at Harmony, who shakes her head to mean that she didn't tell Rapunzel. "Forget that guy. I wouldn't pay too much attention-"
"I've never even heard that cheer before. It's so exotic!" Rapunzel smiles happily, her boyfriend staring after her in confusion. "Do you think he's from overseas?"
"You don't know what boo means, do you?" Eugene asks slowly.
"Yeah, I do," She smiles confidently, a hand on her hip. "It's a cheer, like Yippee! Hooray! Boo! Right?"
The two wince, glancing away. "No? Alright. So what does it mean?"
"It means someone hates you."
Rapunzel's eyes widen once she's asked Cass. Someone...hates her? But why? She's been so nice to everyone. What could she have possibly done to that man? Everyone likes her!
"Way to candy-coat it, Cassandra," Eugene replies sarcastically, throwing an apple between his hands. Cass is tending to something.
"Why wouldn't someone love me?" Rapunzel asks dejectedly. "What could I have done to this person?"
"Rapunzel, who cares? Not everyone has to like you. That's part of life," Eugene calls out.
"Imagine how many people hated him when he was stealing," Harmony jerks a thumb to the man. "And besides, not everyone likes me either. Some of them are still hesitant to approach me because of...well, you know," She points to her left palm.
"Eugene and Harmi are right," Cass takes a hold of the gopher she was petting. "Someone could not like you for any number of reasons. For instance, maybe you have a stupid goatee that makes you look ridiculous, and someone might not like you for that," She sends a grin towards Eugene, brushing the animal in her arms.
"Cass," Harmony warns her.
"You know, Cassandra, it's a little hard to take your insults seriously when you're holding that thing," He retorts back, pointing towards the gopher. She glares at him, putting the brush down.
"This 'thing' is important. Gregorio the Goodwill Gopher represents half a millennium of honor and tradition throughout this kingdom," She explains, walking past various pictures that have Gregorio with other ancestors from previous festivals.
"...We're still talking about the rat, right?"
"Gopher!" She corrects him. "For your information, the Gopher Grab is a Corona institution. I was entrusted as the mascot's caretaker because it is a mark of hallowed esteem."
"Yeah, that's special," He replies carelessly, causing her to glare. "He just pooped on you."
She gasps, looking at herself. "Listen, Blondie," He walks past the growling Cass. "You're just gonna have to accept that some people aren't gonna like you."
"I'm sorry that you have to hear it, but it's true," Harmony speaks up. "There's always gonna be someone who is not for the fan of heart towards you."
"Ugh! All I can hear is his gravelly 'boo' over and over in my head," She laments, Eugene placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Rapunzel, I know your feelings are hurt, I get that. But you gotta admit, if Cassandra and I are actually agreeing on something," He sends a smug grin towards the woman, "It's probably worth listening to. Let this one go."
She smiles a bit, letting out a small sigh. "You know what? You're right." He pulls her closer. "Thank you." They share a brief kiss, him and Harmony staring after the woman as she leaves.
"...Yeah no, she's not."
"Nope, not letting it go," Cass says knowingly, still brushing the gopher. Harmony sighs, turning towards the two.
"I'll make sure she doesn't go overboard. You better behave, you two."
"Psh, I can behave," Eugene waves it off. "It's her you should be worrying about."
Cass sends him a glare and Harmony rolls her eyes, leaving the tent.
"You know, Pascal," Rapunzel speaks up at a café. "Maybe Eugene and Cassandra, and you," She looks at Harmony across from her. "Are right. I shouldn't let this booer bother me. It's not the end of the world because I got booed, right? Happens to a lot of people, I'm sure...has it happened to you?"
"Well, not to my face," Harmony taps a finger against her chin. "Can't remember the last time people actually express hate to me given that they usually run away when they see me. Or at least, just the ones who are still afraid."
"But that means he doesn't like you either," Rapunzel sends a frown towards her. Her sister may have evil magic, but that didn't make it right to hate her.
"Rapunzel, it wouldn't be the first time, and I'm used to it by now," Harmony tells her.
Rapunzel sighs at this. "You know what? I'm not even gonna think about the word boo anymore. Let's just sit and enjoy our afternoon."
"Ba ba boo," A musician walks past them, holding his mandolin. "Ba ba boo."
"Check out my new taboo!" A villager runs past them.
"Boo repair!" The local cobbler walks around holding up a flat. "Boo repairs!"
Everyone that walks past them says boo and Rapunzel groans, planting her cheek onto the table. Harmony pats her sister's head with a strained smile.
"So you're having an off day because someone doesn't like you...it's not the end of the world," She tries to cheer up Rapunzel, but it doesn't really work.
"No, thank yoooou!"
Her eyes widen. That voice. She knew that voice. She looks up to see an elderly man.
"Wow! Thank you," his customer says gratefully.
"My pleasure, son. Spread the goodwill," The man gets into a carriage.
"That sweet little old man can't be the same person who booed me...can he?" Rapunzel asks skeptically. And when he passes by them, guess what he says?
"Booo!"
The three gasp at this.
Rapunzel paints a red line in her room. "Okay, I'd say that looks like our booer, wouldn't you, Pascal?" He stares at the detailed painting, shrugging. "Now, we just need to go check on Harmony to come back with the villager archives, and we can find out who he is."
"Sorry, can't find him," Harmony shrugs once Rapunzel is in her room.
"What? I thought you recognized him!"
"I said I memorized most of the names. I never said I knew what they looked like," Harmony looks up at her, gesturing to the pile of scrolls. If she couldn't even recognize Varian the first time, who was to say she could tell everyone by their name? "And believe me, I checked these twice."
"Oh," Rapunzel sags a bit. "Well, at least you tried, sis. Someone has to know him, right?"
"Hey," Eugene peeks in from Harmony's door. "Monty!"
She gasps at the name. "Wait, you know him?" She points at the painting and Harmony pulls down a magnifying glass, seeing his name in small cursive.
"Oh, there he is. It's him."
"Of course I-Everyone knows Monty," Eugene steps into the room.
"Well, probably because he's really grouchy and doesn't like anyone, right?" She raises a brow. Maybe he's just like that with everyone and that's why he doesn't like her?
"What? Uncle Monty? He's the sweetest guy in all Corona. If there was someone he didn't like, that person would have to be the most horrible-" He notices Rapunzel and Harmony's looks. "Oh my goodness! That's the guy who booed you, isn't it?"
"Yes," Rapunzel looks away with a sad pout. Harmony elbows Eugene in the arm.
"Wha-wait, wait! Wait a minute! No!" He realizes what he was about to say about her. "Now that I'm looking at it, cause I'm really looking at it now," He chuckles awkwardly, not wanting to hurt her more than she already felt. "Before I glanced at it. That is not Monty. No, that...is...Rude Guy...er. Rude Guyer! Yeah! Oh, boy. Nobody likes Rude Guyer."
Daisy and Pascal give him a look that said 'really?'
"Cause he's such a rude guy..." However, he didn't really mean it, since Monty was very nice to everyone, even Harmony herself.
"Hey, look at that!" They turn around to see Stan entering the room. "Uncle Monty!"
Eugene nervously waves his arms as he stands in front of the painting. Harmony crosses a hand in front of her neck, silently telling him to stop.
"Oh, hi, Eugene, Princess Harmony," He greets, not getting the hints. The princess facepalms with a small sigh. "That's some painting of Uncle Monty, huh?"
"It is Monty," Rapunzel turns to her boyfriend with an accusing look.
"I'll say," Stan chuckles a bit, "You know, you don't forget the guy who introduced you to your wife."
"And everyone likes him?" She crosses her arms, giving her boyfriend a tiny glare.
"No, no, of course not, don't be silly," Eugene waves it off, Harmony coughing a bit.
"Do you know how many people are in Corona? It's only one guy, Punzie," She rubs her arm nervously.
"Eugene and the princess are right. Everyone loves him," Stan corrects them and Harmony walks over to her bed, putting her face into a pillow and screaming.
"Uh, do you know where I could find him?" Rapunzel asks hopefully.
"Monty's a very private person," Eugene places his hands on her shoulders. He really hoped that she would let this go like a normal person would and just move on.
"Oh sure, your majesty," Stan answers eagerly for her. "He has a wonderful little shop in town. Here, let me draw you a map." He takes out a piece of paper, drawing a sketch. Rapunzel gives Eugene a look, snatching the map. "Thank you, Stan."
"Yeah," Eugene rolls his eyes to the oblivious guard. "Thanks so much, Stan."
"No problem," He doesn't notice the sarcasm from the former thief's voice. "And when you see him, tell him thanks for the flowers he sent to my mom when she was sick."
"We'll do that," Harmony gives him a strained smile and he leaves the room. Her sister stares at the map.
"So, listen, Rapunzel..." Eugene starts off, placing a gentle hand on her arm.
"I know. I know. You're gonna tell me to leave it alone, but this is all just a simple misunderstanding. I need to clear things up so me and Uncle Monty can be friends," She walks up to her little sister. "Come on."
"Rapunzel, don't you think you're taking this too personally?" Harmony asks in concern as she stands up.
"Nope! Friends!" Rapunzel smiles, the girl and Eugene both sighing.
"Ugh" Cass is cleaning Gregorio's purple teeth. "These berry stains are impossible!" Some of the toothpaste drips from his mouth, but the gopher doesn't seem to notice or care.
"I just don't get it, Cass," Eugene paces around. It's a little worrisome of what lengths Rapunzel might go to just to get Monty to like her. He couldn't understand why; he's made lots of enemies while thieving, and he couldn't care less. Heck, Harmony's in a similar situation as him, and she's been used to that kind of treatment for years now! "Why can't Rapunzel let it go? Okay, so one person doesn't like her. Who cares?"
"I know!" Cass surprisingly believes him. "I mean, only one person does like you and you're okay with that."
He smiles fondly. "Exactly-oh, I see what you did there."
"I gotta get some lotion for his paws," Cass looks down at the gopher, holding him up. "Can you watch him for a few minutes?"
"Oh, are you sure I can be trusted with this hallowed Corona institution?" Eugene retorts as he takes the animal, holding it up lightly.
"I was talking to the gopher," She replies as she walks away. He puts the gopher into his hand, deciding to ignore that in favor of getting her the satisfaction with a response. He looks towards the berries and takes a handful, throwing one into his mouth. There was a slight nasty taste, but overall, it was a satisfying taste.
"Oh yeah, I see why you like these..." He eats another, placing some in the gopher's lap. "Wanna go halfsies?" He hums at the third one.
The princesses are walking through town, trying to find Monty's sweet shop. "Okay, Monty can't be great as everyone says, you guys," She glances to the two pets and her sister. "I mean, this here says that he owns a sweat shop."
"That can't be right," Harmony furrows her eyebrows in confusion. There wasn't even a shop like that in Corona to begin with. "And I still think that you're overreacting~" She sings the last word. Rapunzel shushes her and she looks to see that it's not a sweat shop, it's a sweet shop. Kids are looking around happily and she pouts at this.
"Sweet shop. Yeah, okay, way to spell, Stan..."
"Either way, I wanna check this place out," Harmony shrugs at her. They see the displays from outside, seeing things that are part of Corona: the sun and moon symbols, the ships that they use for travel, the castle, and a flower with a butterfly. Rapunzel couldn't help but stare in awe. All of it looked so real. She opens the door to the shop out of curiosity. Her mouth drops open at all of the candy and decorations. Monty holds out chocolate bunnies and the children eagerly take them. He slides one remaining from the pan, giving it to a little girl.
"Here you go, dear. May you spread the spirit of goodwill throughout Corona."
Rapunzel approaches him from behind. "Pardon me."
"And you, sweetie, how can I help..." He turns around and glares at her. "You...!"
"Hi!" She waves eagerly but anxiously at that reaction. "Monty. Can I call you Monty?"
"Apparently," He replies thinly, smiling slightly at the princess. "How can I help you, your highness?"
Her mouth opens in shock as she looks at her sister. Harmony hums in thought, rubbing her chin. Maybe Varian would like a little something for taking time out of his hands to hang out with her? It was the least she could do...but what would he like? Oh wait, Quirin mentioned that he liked dark chocolate when she came to see him.
"Do you happen to have any dark chocolate?" She plays with her hands nervously as she can tell that Rapunzel is staring at her in disbelief. She thought that he hated both princesses, though now it seems like he likes everyone but her.
"Well, sure!" Monty walks over to a shelf. "Bars or malt balls?"
"Malt balls," She calls out and Rapunzel notices some medals on the wall, 9 of them.
"Sooo, I see you're a Gopher Grab fan," She says to try and appeal to him.
"Figured that out all by yourself, huh?" Monty asks sarcastically, handing Harmony a bag of dark chocolate malt balls. "Well, give the girl a lolly." He holds out a large pink and purple stripped lollipop and she takes it, licking the treat eagerly. "Ha! That one fell on the floor!"
She looks down to see it covered with dark particles, which could only mean dirt. Harmony sticks out her tongue in disgust.
"Gross. Can't believe you tried that."
"Easy for you to say! He likes you!" Rapunzel retorts back. "Um...Monty," She steps up closer. "How do I put this? Um, during my speech...somebody booed me, and I was wondering-"
"And what are you gonna do, huh? Huh?" Monty demands from her. "You gonna throw me in the dungeon cause I booed you, huh? Is that why you're here with back-up? To oppress me?"
"No! No!" Rapunzel denies quickly. "I don't wanna oppress anyone. I just wanna know what I did."
"Listen, your highness," Monty holds up a hand. "I don't need to explain myself to you."
"You don't have to. You can tell me," Harmony gestures to herself.
"Nope. I can see right through that, you'll just tell her. But for you, I'll let you have that chocolate on the house, just this once."
Rapunzel gives a dejected look and leaves the shop. Harmony frowns at her, following after the girl.
"Wait, Princess Rapunzel!" She turns around, hoping that he'll ease up and they could fix this whole thing. "...That lollipop wasn't free, you know."
She storms out the door. "I am not giving up that easy, Pascal!" Harmony opens the door. "If he can't see what a likable person I am, well, I will make him see."
"Oh no," Harmony places a hand on her forehead. "Rapunzel, think about what you're doing. If he won't tell you why he hates you, what makes you think that he'll ease up now?" She gestures to inside the shop.
"That doesn't mean I can't try!" Rapunzel places two hands on her shoulders, looking at her in the eye. "What did you do when you got your moon powers back? You tried and you tried, and you ended up controlling them all by yourself! Please, sis. I have to try. I can't stop thinking about why he doesn't like me. I have to know."
Harmony takes a deep breath, nodding slowly. "Alright. I'll help you."
"Yay!" Rapunzel engulfs her into a big hug.
"But I have to leave later. I'm m-uh, helping Cass with the gopher!" Harmony chuckles nervously at the slip-up. She would've told Rapunzel about the fact that she's meeting Varian, but she'd try and push them together as a...couple without her knowledge, and it was a much better decision to just...change the truth a little.
Rapunzel crosses her arms, noticing Harmony's sweating. Cass could take care of Gregorio on her own, she was capable. "Where are you really going?" She leans in with a smirk and Harmony darts her eyes around.
"Nowhere," She denies quickly, trying to keep a straight face.
"Are you...meeting someone?" Rapunzel guesses correctly and Harmony twiddles her feet.
"Nobody."
"Then why did you buy dark chocolate?" She points to the bag in Harmony's hand. "What are you going to be doing, hm?"
"Nothing."
Rapunzel gives a skeptical look, raising a brow. All of this seems very vague and secretive. "Nowhere. Nobody. Nothing. Harmony, just tell me! I'm your big sister!" She frowns in concern. If Harmony was gonna walk off, she deserves to know the real reason. What if she got hurt and she wasn't there to stop it, if needed?
She looks up at her sister's worried look and sighs lowly. How long could she really keep up this charade? If she kept telling lies, Rapunzel might follow her, and she didn't need that.
"Fine. But you have to promise me that you won't interfere...or squeal."
"What?" Rapunzel scoffs, waving it off. "Noooo..." She glances away and Harmony sends her a deadpan look. "Okay, I won't. Now spill."
"I'm meeting Varian later."
Rapunzel is about to squeal when Harmony covers her mouth. "You said no squealing!"
She removes her sister's mouth. "Right, right. Sorry. But I'm really excited for you!" She bounces up and down excitedly. "This is your first friend your age! And Varian is a perfect choice!"
"Thanks, Punzie...and a perfect choice for a friend."
"Right." She promised not to meddle, but now she wanted to. I mean, why wouldn't I? They both like science, they're both 14, and they both love sweets, and they're very kind. Oh, I can't wait to have an opportunity to get them together!
"Here's what we know so far. Monty has a candy shop, everyone loves him, and he likes yelling mean things at me," Rapunzel looks at a painting of everything she described. The two pets and Harmony stare at her from across the room, glancing to each other. "Time for Operation Make Stuff." A few candies fall from the chalkboard, the three facepalming.
She makes a green scarf sewn by herself.
A blue bird lands on Monty's shoulder. Rapunzel walks over as he's feeding the birds, putting the scarf around his neck. He gasps at it.
"Look at this, now this is flashy!"
She smiles happily at his comments...but then he narrows his eyes. "I hate flashy. Also, I hate green." He throws it onto her face and she pulls it off when she returns back to the castle. She crosses off scarf from her list.
Then she makes something from the stove, pouring it into a concrete box. She goes to his shop with a huge head of Monty made of chocolate. She beams at him, holding it out, but he pokes one of the eyes.
"Ha! Just I thought. Hollow. In my day, chocolate sculptures were solid, like our values." He closes the door to her disappointed face.
Sculpture gets taken off the list.
When he cleans outside his shop, a red liquid drops on his nose. He looks up to see Rapunzel re-painting his sign. "Wow."
She smiles down at him. "Much better than the one my great-grandfather painted, when he built this shop with his own two hands!"
He shuts the door, causing the sign to fall. She frowns and crosses off paint.
Eugene is still eating berries when Rapunzel walks in with a groan, plating her face into a pillow. "He hates me..." She muffles into it.
"Okay, come on, Raps, give it up," Cass tells her. "Clearly this jerk's got serious problems."
"Only because you don't know him," Harmony walks in, shaking her head.
"But if Monty could just see that I was-"
Cass turns around in shock. "Monty's the guy who hates you?"
"Ugh," Rapunzel lifts her head up. "You love him."
Eugene waves his hands, Harmony silently mouthing 'Please.' The last thing Rapunzel needed was someone else loving him.
"No, me?" Cass gestures to herself. As much as she disliked Eugene, she could agree that Rapunzel didn't need to hear the truth. "Love him? No, I hate that guy." She chuckles nervously, placing a hand on the princess' back. "Look, you'll just have to accept that Uncle Mont-Monty doesn't like you, and there's nothing you can do to change it."
"Cass is right," Harmony places a hand on her sister's shoulder. "He seems pretty bent on keeping his hatred."
"You're right...there is nothing...I can do," She smirks as she gets a new idea.
"Why do I feel worried?" Harmony murmurs to Eugene and Cass. They both shrug and the princess leaves the tent. As soon as she does, she bumps right into someone, knocking them onto the grass below. For a princess, she wasn't so graceful...
"I'm really sorry," She holds her head as her eyes are closed. "I am such a klutz sometimes."
"M-Mona?!"
Wait a minute. She'd know that stutter anywhere.
She opens her eyes to see Varian underneath her, holding onto her waist. Her hands had landed on top of his apron. They'd move, but they're too focused on each other's eyes. She stares into the light blue orbs as he stares into her chocolate brown ones. For some reason, her heart was beating really fast all of a sudden...
Someone clears their throat and they look up to see Rapunzel leaning against the tent with a smirk. "Am I interrupting you?"
"N-No!" Harmony stammers, getting off of Varian, to his slight disappointment. She picks up her chocolate, which thankfully wasn't melted. Rapunzel just grins knowingly at them. "Heh heh, let's go, see you later sis, bye!"
She grabs Varian's arm and runs far away with him. Rapunzel giggles at Harmony's face.
"What was, uh...that all about?" Varian asks once they're away from them.
"My sister? I wouldn't worry about it." Harmony looks at the bag, the contents starting to melt. "Oh, here. I stopped by Monty's and your father mentioned that you like dark chocolate."
"T-Thanks..." He takes the bag slowly, looking up at her. "I-I have something for you too!"
He digs through his pockets before shyly holding out a box. She opens it and sees a slice of blueberry pie in a box. "Oh, I love blueberry pie! Thanks, Vari. How'd you know?"
"I, uh, asked around. Well, people who were willing to tell," He smiles sheepishly, though he was glad to see her happy. When she talked to him about her powers...she looked so sad. He never wanted to see that again, not if he could help it.
"Ah, the stammering finally ceases," She smirks, closing the box. "I wonder why."
Varian can't help but chuckle a little. "S-Sorry if that bothered you. I must've sounded like a dork."
"I don't mind," She shakes her head. "Come on, let's go get some snacks. I saw that they had Gopher Grab food."
"So." Harmony speaks up as they're eating and walking together, taking in the sights. "Did you like the sandwiches?"
He's so busy staring at her that he didn't even register what she said. Until today, he didn't have a reason to love dark chocolate, but now he does...it reminds him of Harmony's eyes...
"Varian?"
"Huh?" He snaps out of it. "Oh, yes! Yes, I did, but you didn't need to go through all that trouble for me, princess."
"I couldn't help myself," She giggles a bit. "You've already done so much for me and my sister…" Her eyes turn sad and he stares at her again. She looked so upset when she mentioned Rapunzel.
"You must really care about her."
"Of course, she's been through a lot, especially with the hair and now Monty hates her for some reason-"
"Wait, wait, wait," Varian interrupts her in surprise, standing in front of the princess. "Monty? As in from Monty's Sweet Shoppe? Why?"
"I wish I knew…but my sister…I don't even know her. She was gone for my whole life, Vari. I'm basically with a stranger. And it's not her fault, she was locked in a tower by a selfish woman. I just wish…that it didn't take this long to get to know her. My big sister…"
Varian glances away for a second before giving her a gentle smile. "Mona, you have her now. And living in the past isn't going to help you. You're still adjusting, that's all. Trust me, she loves you. Who wouldn't?"
She smiles softly. "Thanks, Varian. You're very sweet."
"M-Me? Just…trying to help," He chuckles awkwardly as he turns around, bumping right into a sign. He tumbles onto the ground and Harmony gasps a little. "I am okay!"
They continue walking until they see a woman in orange, brown hair, and glasses. "Oh no," Harmony murmurs at this. "Rapunzel, you didn't!"
"I can see this is the first time she's dealt with someone who doesn't like her," Varian comments knowingly.
"You guessed it...come on."
"Can I help you, young lady?" Monty asks as Rapunzel comes in.
"Good afternoon, sir." She trips on the chocolate sculpture she had made and Monty catches her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, are you alright?" He notices Varian and Harmony entering. "Princess Harmony! Varian! Please, help yourselves to anything you want and I'll be right with you!"
"Oh, don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Rapunzel dusts herself off.
"I got that thing as a gift, and I'm trying to find a good use for it, but it's not even useful as a doorstop," He explains as the four stare down at the sculpture.
"Yeah, dumb and totally useless thing..." Monty looks up at her, the teenagers glancing at each other. She scoffs lightly, "I hope the foolish, though fairly well-intended person who made it regrets it," She lightly kicks it away. "Even though it probably took her, or him, hours to get it...just right."
"She made that?" Varian whispers to Harmony.
"She got crazy trying to please him with gifts," She whispers and the two chuckle. Rapunzel gives them a look and they stay quiet.
"Yes...right, well, what can I get for you, Miss...um..." Monty stops speaking as he doesn't know her name.
"Um...Miss Missy-Misty! Miss Misty! And I will have some jelly beans...every kind but green because I-I hate green," Rapunzel crosses her arms.
"Ha ha!" Monty places an arm around her. "A girl after my own heart. I'll tell you what, I've got a personal stash where I've already picked all the green ones. Let me get them~"
She smiles as she watches him leave and Harmony whips around to her sister. "What are you doing?!"
"If he warms up to me, I'll find out why he doesn't like me!" Rapunzel whispers to her.
"Or you could just ignore it," Varian suggests to her. "I mean, you are the crown princess. It's not the end of the world if one person doesn't like you."
"I have to know!"
He turns to Harmony, who just shrugs. If she was bent on doing this, who were they to stop her?
Gregorio is sitting in a castle, Cass looking at her pocket watch. "Two hours till the big race. Munch o'clock." She holds out the bowl that Eugene ate from, only to notice that it's completely empty. "Eugene, did you eat all the bimberries?"
"No!" He has bimberry residue on his teeth. "No! Of course not," He hides his mouth, but she can still see it. "Okay, so I ate some. I offered to split. Is it really such a big problem?"
She chuckles lightly. "Okay well, let's think. If Gregorio doesn't get his bimberries before the race, he'll be lethargic, and if he's lethargic, he won't want to run, and if he doesn't want to run, the Gopher Grab will be ruined. AND I CAN'T HAVE THAT!"
"So I'm gonna go with big problem?" Eugene asks nervously. She grabs his collar, pulling him close so that he can see her glare.
"Find me some bimberries, now," She growls angrily at him, causing him to smile anxiously.
"And I'm telling you, my great grand-dad would've won the Gopher Grab that year...but he was running the wrong way!" He laughs and so do the others, eating some jellybeans.
"That Grab means a lot to you, huh?"
"You know, Misty, kids," Monty gestures to the two teenagers. "I've never told this to anyone, but I feel like I can trust you. I come from a long line of Gopher Grab champions. Oh, they used to say that our family had the gift for Grab, and it was my dream to carry on our family tradition...but no matter how hard I tried, that little rascal always managed to slip from my fingers." He looks up at the medals. "And while I've never admitted this out loud before, sometimes...deep down...I can't help but feel ashamed." He places down the gopher chocolate he had in his hand. Rapunzel places a hand on top of his, causing him to smile. She smiles back.
"It's okay, Monty. It's actually kind of cool that your family has that legacy," Varian tells him.
"You'll make them proud in your own way," Harmony offers a small smile.
"Ah, that's enough of my weepies. Hey, I know, I've got just the thing to cheer us up."
His idea of that is throwing tomatoes at a statue of Rapunzel. "Yes! Right in the royal kisser! Excuse my language, your highness," He bows slightly to Harmony.
"It's fine. I can accept that not everyone is going to like my sister," She crosses her arms, giving Rapunzel a look. She smiles widely and Varian shakes his head. Monty throws more tomatoes and Rapunzel laughs a little.
"Wow. You really don't like the Crown Princess."
"Well, I wouldn't say I don't like her, or you," He glances at Harmony. "But I would say I can't stand her!" He tosses another tomato.
"Why?" Rapunzel asks in slight agony, "I mean, why?"
"You wanna know why I don't like her? I don't like the Crown Princess because-"
A bell goes off, interrupting him. "It's Gopher Grab time! Come on, Misty, kids, let's go!" He runs off and Rapunzel holds out a hand.
"Sure you don't wanna finish that sentence?"
"Rapunzel-"
"It's Misty," She interrupts Varian, crossing her arms.
"...Misty," Varian relents after a few seconds, "You'll have time later to figure this all out, but you don't wanna miss the Gopher Grab!" He grabs Harmony's hand, surprising her. "Come on!" He runs after the man, Rapunzel following close behind.
"You know, we could watch the Gopher Grab, but it's also not too late to sign up," She suggests and they come to a stop.
"Wait...you want me to compete?"
"Ah, trust me, Monty," Rapunzel waves it off. "Sometimes you've just gotta say, the heck with it!"
"Maybe...but I couldn't. No, I mean I-I don't even have a partner." Where would he even find one on such short notice?
"Well, guess what?" She places a hand on his shoulder. "You do now!"
He smiles happily, the teenagers looking on with small smiles. "What about you guys?" He turns to them.
"Oh, it wouldn't be fair," Varian waves it off, gesturing to himself. "I can easily figure out how to catch it with alchemy!"
"And this should be just for you. We don't wanna stand in your way," Harmony gestures to them. Not to mention she didn't want to be involved when this plan backfires...
Everyone is gathered at the Gopher Grab, Cass pacing around in a tent. It's about to start and Eugene had yet to return. She should've known not to trust him with this kind of job.
"Did someone ask for dimberries?" He holds up the dish of berries.
"You sure took your own sweet time getting them," Cass retorts as she takes the bowl. "Don't you realize the Gopher Grab is about to start any minute now?" She sighs wearily at his smug grin. "I hope these aren't store bought..."
"Well, you know, for someone careless enough to leave ol' Gregorio alone with someone who would eat all of his berries, you're being really particular."
"Okay Gregorio," Cass holds out a berry. "Time to eat." She tries to feed him, but he doesn't want to until she puts it in successfully. "Oh boy, this could take a minute..."
"Ladies and gentlemen," The announcer's voice booms. "It is nearly time for this year's Gopher Grab!"
"Hey hey, don't worry," Eugene tells the panicking Cass. "I'll handle it," He leaves the tent and as Gregorio eats, his eyes get all crazy before turning back to normal.
"Attention, ladies and gentlemen!" Eugene announces to the crowd. Varian and Harmony see him, the girl leaning in towards the boy.
"What is he doing?" She whispers in confusion and he shrugs helplessly.
"I know we're all anxious to see Gregorio the Gopher do his thing, I know I am," He chuckles before continuing, "But before we get started, I'd like to say a few words about the true meaning...of goodwill." The crowd murmurs, causing him to glance around. He spots the teenagers eyeing him weirdly.
Cass sighs, putting the bowl into her hand. "Okay, Gregorio, time to um...get ready!"
He pulls on the bowl, shocking her. "Wow! Oh, you are a little hungry guy, aren't ya?" She places him in his cage, his eyes swirling around.
"I mean, you gotta ask yourself, am I spreading goodwill? Or am I spreading good-won't?"
"Does he even know what he's talking about?" Varian whispers to Harmony.
"Most likely not," She shakes her head. Then the doors open and he sees Cass with the gopher.
"So in conclusion, spread goodwill, thank you for your time, bye!" Eugene says quickly, walking away. Rapunzel and Monty smile widely, the two teenagers waving at them from their front seats. Cass holds up the cage, the crowd cheering. She places it down and a song plays. Rapunzel smiles as the stairs expand, Cass walking over to Eugene. The doors open and a royal servant blows a whistle. However, nothing happens, causing confusion to everyone.
Cass cringes and runs up to the cage. "What the-"
Gregorio's eyes swirl and he runs right past Cass, causing her headdress to fall off.
"Cass!" Harmony calls out, the two friends jumping out of their seats and bending down to her.
"Are you okay?!" Varian asks her in surprise. They all look up at the gopher as he bares his teeth with a roar. It sprints pasts the contestants, who circle in on him. He runs around in a speed that's never been seen before, shocking the crowd. He trips a pair before two more jump out of the way. He then runs over to Rapunzel and Monty, who catches him in his hand and then barely knocks off Rapunzel's wig. She giggles sheepishly, the crowd cheering.
Eugene just laughs while holding a bowl of berries, Cass looking disappointed. "Oh boy."
Varian's eyes widen in alarm. "Whoa!" He pushes Harmony onto the ground as Gregorio flies over their heads. Cass and Eugene duck just in time. "You guys really undersold this whole Gopher Grab thing."
"He's not supposed to react like that," Harmony gestures to the animal as Varian helps her up.
"I just don't understand it. Why would Gregorio react to bimberries like this?" Cass murmurs and Harmony looks at her friend, silently asking him if he had that trap from when they met him. He slowly shakes his head.
"You mean dimberries," Eugene throws a berry in his mouth.
"Dim what? No! Bimberries. I thought you said-"
"No. Wait. You've been talking about-"
"What do you mean?"
The four duck again and Harmony glares up at Eugene. "Did you give him dimberries or not? Yes or no?"
"Yes!"
"These were supposed to be bimberries!" Cass growls at him.
"You know, for someone who is careless enough to leave-"
They duck again. "Don't you know dimberries cause hyperactivity in rodents?!" Cass asks him in disbelief.
"Yeah, who doesn't?" Eugene asks with a grin, even though he didn't know.
"Mr. Rider, you're never supposed to give a gopher that! It'll cause...well, that," Varian points to the gopher. "Ruddiger accidentally ate one once and oh boy, it was a mess..."
"Is there anything we can do to stop him?" Cass asks Varian.
"He'll wear himself out eventually...but right now, he's too hyper."
Gregorio slips past the other contestants. "Good boy, good boy, good boy," Rapunzel tries to calm him down and he pushes them to the ground. They grab hold of him, but lose their grip. "Yup, not so fun..."
Growling, the gopher runs to the edge and digs underneath it, surprising the guards as it sprints off. Monty bursts open the door. "Come on, Misty, kids! Let's show these youngsters how a gopher should really be caught!"
Rapunzel grabs the teenager's hands, running off with Monty. They end up in the woods and the crown princess hears growling.
"Look!" She clears her throat. "There!" She points towards a line of dirt dragging around on the grass. Gregorio makes a hole, bursting out of the dirt below them. Stepping closer, they see him run around a tree and then land near a river. When they reach the tree, he is nowhere to be found. "Where did he go?"
Monty shushes her, seeing the gopher hugging a rock on the river. "There it is," Harmony whispers to them.
"How are we gonna get it?" Varian murmurs to himself.
"All we gotta do now...is hop."
"On that?!" Harmony hisses in surprise. If they made one wrong step, they could lose him for good.
"No, no, no, no, let's take that bridge," Rapunzel notices a slightly broken bridge not too far away. "We'll catch him on the other side."
"She's right. Those rocks could be slippery and then we won't be able to find him," Varian whispers in agreement.
"Sorry Misty, kids, I can't take that chance. I think you were right. Sometimes you just gotta say the heck with it!"
They look on in concern as they watch him run off. "Monty!" Rapunzel calls out.
"Oh, he's gonna get himself hurt," Harmony frowns as the man eyes the gopher. He snaps the straps on his apron, stepping closer and hopping onto a rock. Gregorio jumps onto another one. Monty jumps again, only for Gregorio to land on another rock. Monty jumps again, but this time, he actually lands in the water.
"Monty!" The three shout as he hugs the rock with the gopher on top.
"Forget me!" His fingers start to slip. "Get that gopher! No, no, don't forget me! I was trying to sound brave!" He starts moving backwards. "It backfired! No!"
They run alongside the river and get onto the bridge, but the railing starts to break. Glancing behind them, they see a waterfall!
"Who puts a bridge near a waterfall?!" Harmony exclaims as Monty waves his arms. Rapunzel's mouth opens in shock as he gets closer and closer.
"Your hair!" Varian whispers to her. "It may be the only thing that can save him!"
"I can't!" Rapunzel tells him, holding out her hand and grabbing the man. Harmony and Varian rush in to help, holding onto him. "Hold on, Monty! I got you!"
Their grip slips and then he starts to fall. "Monty!" The two teenagers shout and Rapunzel breaks another piece of the bridge as she jumps. Monty lands on a branch, breaking it as he falls again. Rapunzel swings around on her hair, going back onto ground and falling onto the grass. Varian and Harmony take one step, with Harmony's foot falling through the wood.
"Mona!" Varian grabs her and pulls her out, running to the grass just before the bridge broke off completely. Monty peeks up through the blonde hair.
"Princess Rapunzel...?"
She chuckles nervously. "Surprise...!"
Monty sits on a rock, frowning deeply as Varian is tying Harmony's leg into a cast. "I told you I'm fine..."
"No you're not," He frowns up at her. "If you leave it untreated, it's gonna swell..."
Harmony looks away with a small blush over his concern. Rapunzel grins at them as the moment looks so adorable.
"Your majesty, you went through all of this just to win my favor?" Monty asks in disbelief after a few seconds.
"I know, I know," She starts off, tying her hair back into her braid. "It's a little crazy, but...I just had to know why you booed me." She takes off the disguise.
"Fine...you wanna know why I booed?"
She bends down to him as Varian brings Harmony over, his arm over her waist. "Uh huh, uh huh."
"The seal," He simply says.
"Wait...the Goodwill Seal?" She asks in confusion.
"Yes, the Goodwill Seal!" He holds up the new seal, "You redesigned a perfectly good seal!"
"Did not see that coming," Varian whispers to Harmony.
"I-I'm sorry?" She stammers, as she had did it for her first Gopher Grab.
Monty gets back up onto his feet. "Ever since you returned, everything's changed. I mean, come on, a royal in bare feet? Pug thugs in the castle? The list goes on! It's like you and your free spirit have a total disregard for tradition!"
She glances to her sister, who bites her lip. "...And then I realized that, well, maybe that spirit, the heck with it attitude aren't so bad after all..."
Rapunzel smiles towards him, nudging her sister. "I mean, you did inspire me to achieve my life's dream..." He lifts the apron pocket, revealing a normal gopher, just like Varian said.
"See? I told you that we-"
"But then, you put on this deceitful charade and made a complete fool of me! And you were in on it!" He points to the teenagers.
"Wait, so...are we friends again? But please, don't blame Harmi or Varian, it's not their fault."
"Of course not! And we, Rapunzel, will never be. Because I don't like you. Not everybody has to like everyone, your majesty," He starts to walk off.
"You know what? Now that I'm thinking of it, I don't like you so much either! No, no, wait, wait, I know I don't like you!"
He stares at her and she offers her hand. "Friends?"
Monty shakes it with a glare. "Not friends!" The two storm off in different directions, nodding to each other as they walk off. Varian just sighs at them and turns to Harmony.
"I'll take you back to the Gopher Grab."
"Vari, you've already tied up my leg-"
He carries her bridal style, surprising her as she instinctively wraps her arms around his neck. Blushing, she nuzzles her cheek into his shoulder, causing him to smile widely, walking down the path.
"Alright, alright, as you all know, the Gopher Grab is a scared tradition," Frederic announces to the crowd once they've all returned.
"So, Blondie," Eugene starts off, "Feeling okay about how you left things with Monty?"
"Yeah. I mean...you guys were right. I just had to accept that not everyone is gonna like me," She smiles a little.
"Oh thank goodness," Harmony sighs in relief.
"The winner of this year's Gopher Grab is good old Uncle Monty!"
The crowd cheers and he smiles, shaking someone's hand before standing on the stage to receive his medal.
"Booo!" Rapunzel suddenly shouts to everyone's shock. "What?" She smiles up at Eugene. "Not everybody has to like everyone...you know?"
Monty hangs up his medal with the new seal and a flower on the bottom right corner...