A bunny is hopping along the forest, sniffing around. It smiles happily at some flowers and then recoils back in fear as dark storm clouds appear in the sky suddenly. The wind blows the bunny away.
Quirin is tending to crops when he hears the storm, looking up at the sky. He slightly grows concerned, seeing a little girl climbing up a tree to reach a pink flower. The wind blows her off the tree and Quirin catches her in time.
"What were you doing up there, little one?" He smiles playfully.
"I was getting a flower for Princess Harmony," The girl points up at the flower. "Because I want to cheer her up!"
He's confused, but waves it off. "Well, I'm sure there are some around there that she'll like," He points up to some fields ahead, putting her down. She giggles, running past some black rocks that one of the villagers is eyeing.
Now he understands why she wanted to cheer up Harmony.
"What do we do, Quirin?" He gestures to the pile in front of him. "My home—these rocks are destroying everything in their path! I think it's time that we all had a chat with the princess!"
Other villagers gather around, thinking the same thing. "Take ease, friends," Quirin steps forward. "Our situation may seem dire, but we mustn't lose hope. I'm sure that Princess Harmony doesn't have control over it and might not be aware of its growth. She is a trusted friend of ours, and I'm not sure if she'll appreciate it if we confront her at this moment."
"But what are they? Why can't she stop it?"
"I've been studying these rocks with Mona and I think I discovered a vulnerability in their alchemical make-up," Varian gestures to the black rocks.
"Son," Quirin walks up to him. "I told you, leave those rocks alone. We don't know what's going on with Princess Harmony."
"Yeah, I know, I know, I know...but something has to be done and I think I may be onto a solution," He smirks confidently.
"Something is being done. In fact, I plan to travel to see the king and Princess Harmony this afternoon about this very matter."
"Oh," He gasps a little at the thought of seeing Harmony again. "Well, um, can I come with you?" He smiles up at his father, who notices his blush.
"Ahh...Very well," He smiles softly, he can tell that his son wants to see her a lot. "You can travel with me."
"Really? Yes!" Varian does a little victory dance. "Yes! Road trip! Varian and Dad going to see the king and Mona~" He lets out a little laugh. "I will pack ham sandwiches!"
He runs off and Quirin chuckles at him. "Yes...but in the meantime, stay away from those rocks."
Varian had come to a stop, looking up ahead. "Uh, okay, but um...that's getting harder to do by the minute..." He looks at clusters of the black rocks.
He really hoped that he and Harmony could come up with a solution soon. Some even grow right near his arm, glancing at them. He's not angry at her, but he would like to know if she could stop this on her own...
Meanwhile, the princess herself is sitting next to her sister at the far end as they're doing audience with citizens again. "Your majesty," Feldspar bows in front of them. "Ever since you re-paved the roads, wear and tear on people's shoes, are at an all-time low." Pascal and Daisy let out yawns in boredom, as this has been going on for hours. "Not one person has come into the cobbler shop all week!"
"I see...Well, we can't very well unpave the roads, can we, Feldspar?" Frederic glances to Arianna, who giggles. Feldspar squeezes his eyes shut. He couldn't just close down for good... "However, it occurs to me that the royal guard is in need of new boots. Do you think you might be of service, sir?"
"Might-Might I?!" He gestures to himself. "Why of course, your majesty!" He bows gratefully before leaving the throne room. Rapunzel taps her father's shoulder, leaning in.
"Do the guards really need new boots?" She whispers curiously. She's seen their shoes—they look fine.
"No, but the livelihood of our local businesses is worth the extra cost."
Pascal and Daisy nod in approval. "Wow," Rapunzel glances at her sister. "I have learned so much from shadowing you these last few days! And from all your lessons," She gestures to Harmony, hugging her gratefully.
"Well, I've been shadowing him for as long as I can remember," The girl smiles up at Rapunzel.
"Good! Because you must be prepared for any contingency while we're gone," He warns the two.
"Uh, Frederic?" Arianna speaks up, "We're going to be away for two days. We deserve a little break. I think they can manage."
"Oh, I know they can. After witnessing the supreme judgement they exercised while defending Attila, there's not a doubt in my mind," He smiles proudly at the two, who grin towards each other. "But that doesn't mean a father can't worry. And since Rapunzel is Queen Regnant with Harmony being second in line for the throne, everything is by Rapunzel's decision."
Eugene takes some ink, drawing a crown on the mirror with it. He smiles into the mirror, Lance looking over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" He teases, scaring Eugene.
"Since Rapunzel is pretty much the queen for a couple of days, that makes me pretty much the king," Eugene smiles proudly.
"Oh pray tell, your majesty, what hast thou planned to do with thine newly bestowed might?" Lance mocks, sitting on the bed.
"Well, I thought you'd never ask," He looks at all the ink on his hands, wiping some off. "I thought I'd start small. You know, take a bath in the royal pool, try out that furry cape-y thing, take a little snooze on the throne. And then from there, I can move on to bigger stuff. You know, make a few decrees, negotiate an accord, proclamate a...proclaiming thing."
"You're out of your head," Lance raises a brow with a smug smile.
"You're out of your head, your majesty," Eugene corrects him.
Lance starts laughing at him. "Your majesty..."
While he's laughing, Eugene notices that some ink landed between his eyebrows, and then he sees that the ink is still on him.
Quirin and Varian have reached the front of the line. "Okay Dad, what's our strategy?" Varian asks behind him. "I mean, I tried to get a sample of the rocks to show the king, but they just won't cut through. And so I asked Mona, 'Well, can you cut them yourself?' And she said no, so-"
"Son," Quirin interrupts as it's his turn. "Wait here while I speak to the king and Harmony."
"Dad, I think I should go in there to help explain the scientific-"
"Varian," He pinches his nose. "Children have no place in court."
"But I'm not a..." Varian doesn't finish his sentence as he notices his father walking inside the throne room. He looks around and goes to find another door.
"Quirin, my old friend!" Frederic greets the man. "What brings you from Old Corona Village?"
"Your majesty," He bows to them. "Old Corona is facing quite the dilemma."
"Oh?" Frederic asks curiously, the princesses opening their mouths in surprise.
"Ah, yes, it would appear this year's harvest has proven quite bountiful," Quirin states, while Varian is peeking in through another door. Harmony glances to her right, seeing him and waving with a small smile. He returns the gesture. "So much so that I humbly request more land to accommodate such bounty!"
Varian stares at him, baffled at the lie. "What...?"
Quirin bows and Nigel leans in. "Your majesty, we've received no such crop reports from Old Corona."
"Hmm," Harmony glances at him and so does Frederic. She can tell that there's something he's not telling them...it's not right.
"Quirin," The two princesses turn to their father. "I am pleased to hear how well Old Corona is faring. And even more pleased to grant your request."
He looks up and smiles at them. "Thank you, your majesty."
"Tell your son I said hello," Frederic calls out and they watch him leave. Rapunzel can't help but feel the same way as Harmony. It definitely looks like Quirin is holding something back. They look to Nigel, who just shrugs.
Quirin steps out, confronted by Varian. "Dad, none of that was true!" He runs to a stop in front of the man, confused and shocked by what he just did. "Wha...Old Corona is being destroyed! Doesn't Mona deserve to know that-"
"Old Corona will endure. You'll have to trust that I can handle this," He walks past the alchemist, who stops him again.
"How? How can I trust anything when my own father just lied to the king's and Mona's faces?!"
"That is enough, Varian," Quirin gives him a fierce glare, causing him to go silent. He didn't want to ire him further...
"...Yes sir..." He whispers softly, Quirin leaving him in the hall. Shortly after he leaves, Rapunzel opens the door, followed by Harmony as they see the boy standing there. He stares after his father, narrowing his eyes.
"Varian? Is everything okay?" Rapunzel asks in concern.
"No!" He steps away a little, holding his arm. "No it's not...Rapunzel, Mona, we came to see your dad about the rocks in Old Corona."
"What?" Harmony gasps a little in alarm.
"Yeah, but your dad just said-"
"My dad lied," Varian gestures to himself, looking away sadly. "Things have gotten worse."
Harmony looks up at Rapunzel, unsure if she really wanted to hear this... "How much worse?"
He looks away, squeezing his eyes shut. The damage so far has affected farms, homes, wells, and everything in their path. And he hated to have to tell Harmony this, but she deserved to know the truth. Not to mention that he wants to save his village...
"...A lot worse," He whispers, causing Harmony to shut her eyes, hugging herself. Rapunzel places a comforting hand on her sister's back and brings her forward so that they can face Varian. She places her hand on his shoulders, bringing herself to his level.
"Don't worry, guys. I haven't forgotten about our agreement. We're gonna figure out the mystery behind these rocks...together. Just give the two of us until our father returns, everything is gonna be okay. I promise," She smiles at him and he looks up at her. As he smiles, they can see the hope in his eyes, making him have faith in her.
"Mona..." He notices her silence and steps forward, hugging her. "It's not your fault..."
"I should've gone back more often..." She murmurs guiltily.
"You couldn't have known," He holds her cheeks, kissing the top of her head. "No one at Old Corona is upset; they just wanna know what to do."
"I wish I knew how to stop them..." She sighs slowly.
"Don't worry, Mona. I'll study them some more and see if I can stop them with an alchemical solution," He smiles softly at her.
"You don't need to do that for my sake, Vari," She returns the smile. "I'm sure I can find the time to examine some."
"Uh, you're temporary crown princess until your parents come back," He chuckles a little. "That's gonna take up a lot of time that Old Corona doesn't have. You'll be too busy to do anything. Please, let me at least try." His hand reaches out and takes hold of hers. "I want to do this for you."
"Well...okay. If you're really sure about this," Harmony glances at her sister, nodding at him.
"Sure I'm sure! I promise that when I find it, you won't have to worry about your rocks anymore."
Rapunzel smiles between the two, silently squealing. She ships it so hard!
Later, the two and Eugene stand in front of Frederic and Arianna to say goodbye. Arianna is wearing a blue dress and fur cap while Frederic is wearing a dark blue winter cape. Arianna turns to her daughters, holding their hands.
"We hope to make it to the mountain retreat by noon."
"We are so excited for you guys!" Rapunzel exclaims, hugging her mother. Pascal joins in. Rapunzel pulls Harmony into the hug and she smiles, joining in. "Take good care of them, Max."
He smiles at her, as he's attached to the carriage that'll bring them to the retreat. Pascal dives him a wink and a thumbs up. Daisy flies in front of the queen, who nuzzles her cheek. "We'll miss you guys," Harmony hugs her mother, who wraps her arms around her.
"You kids have fun now!" Eugene puts an arm around Rapunzel. He laughs as Frederic approaches. The pub thugs, Lance, and Cass all smile at the two.
"Are you sure you'll be okay, girls?" He asks in concern. "Because your mom and I can always stay. We have plenty of anniversaries to come, you know."
"Frederic," Arianna whispers to him.
"Don't worry, your majesty," Lance approaches the three, putting his arms around Rapunzel and Eugene. "We've totally got everything under control."
Pascal and Daisy glance to each other, shaking their heads doubtfully. "Uhh, thank you...you. That's comforting." He looks at Lance's feet. "I'm sorry, are those my shoes?"
Lance smiles sheepishly, trying to hide them and Harmony pushes him off her in annoyance, glaring up at him. He laughs nervously and leaves the five alone. Rapunzel hums as she and her sister approach their angry-looking father.
"I won't let you down, Dad. I have Harmony for advice!"
"I'll do what I can," Harmony smiles up at him and he cups their cheeks.
"I know you won't, sweetie. And I know that you'll try your hardest. Now remember, Rapunzel, you'll discover when you become queen, many voices will demand to be heard, but when all is said and done, the voice in your heart is the one you should follow."
He walks into the carriage, Arianna placing her hands on their shoulders. "Bye Mom, bye Papa!" Harmony waves to them and Arianna waves back. Max leaves the courtyard as Eugene also waves to them.
"...KITCHEN RAID!" Lance shouts as soon as they're gone, him and the thugs running off with cheers. Cass pulls out her sword and chases after them with a growl. Eugene runs after her.
"Hey, hey, hey, Cassandra, make good choices! Make good choices!" Eugene calls out. Harmony sighs at the group, pinching her nose. If they really raided that kitchen, she'd ban them from having privileges...or maybe just Lance. Rapunzel takes a deep sigh, taking it all in. For two days, she's entirely in charge...
"So whatta we got, Nigel?" Rapunzel asks the king's advisor.
"Well, first, there's this morning's royal counsel to hear out your subjects' concerns." He rolls out a list that is way too long. Daisy and Pascal gasp at it, looking up at the two. They glance at each other and shrug.
"Alright, people of Corona! Got a problem? Consider it solved!" She crosses her arms with a confident smirk.
"This is nothing," Harmony cracks her hands. "I haven't met a problem I can't solve."
Pascal and Daisy point up ahead...and see a long line of people. They both chuckle nervously at the sight. "Little longer than yesterday, right? But nothing we can't handle."
"Actually, princesses, word got out that you two would be receiving subjects, and well, we have quite a turnout!"
There are TWO lines outside to prove his point, it's as if the whole kingdom is there today. "Oh man," Harmony's eyes widen.
"You've never dealt with this many people before?" Rapunzel bites her lip anxiously.
"No, Papa would just let me observe. This is the first time they've left the castle since I was 6..."
Back in Old Corona, Quirin has since returned, telling all the villagers what happened. "I have made the good king and princess aware of our problem, and we have their blessings."
They all cheer and Varian watches from outside in his lab. He slams down his fist at the sill. Turning around, he walks up to some rocks that have already gotten into the room, breaking through the ceiling. He studies one closely, taking a deep breath. What if he couldn't find the solution and disappointed Harmony? What if he couldn't do anything?
Ruddiger walks around him and he looks to his companion, picking him up. "Running away isn't going to fix the problem. These rocks must be stopped," He places the raccoon onto the rock. "And then Mona can live a normal life again, and stop suffering alone. Okay, Ruddiger, so what do we know about them?"
Ruddiger slides down a bit. "They're unbreakable, they're somehow connected to Princess Rapunzel, created by Mona through her connection to the Moonstone's power, and..." He digs for a scroll, yelping and falling in front of the wall. "Worse yet, they are growing at an exponential rate..." He opens up a map, showing spots where Harmony's black rocks have been spotted.
"Within a matter of months, they will have reached the castle, and Mona could be incorrigible by then."
He looks up at his friend, who frowns a little. The alchemist takes a deep breath. He vowed to her that he'd look into it, but he doesn't have much to go on...
"Now, physical force has no effect on these rocks, but they have yet to reckon with the awesome power of alchemy!" He smirks, removing the cloth from his table to reveal several beakers connected to a funnel. He chuckles and turns on the burner, watching them go to work. They form a pink liquid and he stirs it with an eyedropper, holding it up. He sends a smile to Ruddiger before placing down his goggles. The solution is dropped onto the rock, catching on fire.
"Ah! Whoa!" Varian exclaims in alarm, Ruddiger jumping off his shoulders. "Uh..."
"Varian! Son!" Quirin calls out from downstairs. "Are you okay in there?"
"Yes, dad, yes!" Varian places a blanket over the rock, hugging it. "Yes, I just dropped a book!"
Suddenly there's an explosion, messing up his hair. "One of my—one of my big books..."
Eugene is standing in the garden area, where something is being built. The pub thugs are helping out, painting the steps.
"Good, now don't forget the trim on the left," Eugene orders them.
"Really taking advantage of that king clout, aren't we, your majesty?" Lance asks as he arrives, bowing playfully.
"Blondie asked me to do a check-in on the renovations as a part of her queenly duties," Eugene gestures to the work they're doing. Lance raises a skeptical brow. "It's an important job." A bucket of paint lands on him and he takes it off, glaring up at Hook Foot and Big Nose.
"Sorry, buddy! My bad!" Hook Foot waves a hand.
"Good to be the king, huh?" Lance pats his friend's shoulder, getting paint on his hand. He quickly wipes it on the back of Eugene's shirt, which he obviously feels.
"Okay. You wanna see me flex a little muscle? Watch this," He claps his hands. "Alright, boys! Let's get the lead out! After we wrap this up, I'm gonna need some renovations to my room. I'm thinking sunroof." Another bucket of paint lands on him, but this time it's red.
"Just for the record, that one was on purpose!" Hook Foot calls out.
"Mmhm," Lance hums in amusement.
"There's still a lot to go," Cass tells the princesses as the lines haven't been tended to yet. "Sure you can handle it?"
"Yeah!" Rapunzel adjusts her corset. "Of course we can!" She chuckles, running towards the door, but she comes back and takes their hands. "Come on!"
Royal decision making
Rapunzel looks between an apple and a cupcake.
Hey, we were born to do it
She points to the apple and continues walking forward.
Yeah, sure, I'm slightly faking
Then it's between two shoes, one blue and one yellow.
But there's not that much to it
She takes both with a smile, throwing them into Cass' hands. Harmony smiles in amusement, running after her sister.
Bring it on, I'm ready, cause I got this
She pushes open the doors, walking into the throne room. There are two for the princesses.
I've got this
Just watch
She smiles slightly towards Nigel. Harmony peeks into the throne room. To say she was anxious was an understatement.
People to see
And I'm not judging
She picks up her skirt and starts walking.
Yeah, sure, I'm slightly nervous
I've got you doing this with me
She smiles towards Rapunzel, who returns the gesture.
Bring it on, I'm ready, cause I got this
Once she reaches the other throne, Harmony smooths her skirt and takes her spot next to her sister.
I've got this
Just wait and see
"Princess Rapunzel, Princess Harmony, may I present...your most humble subjects," Nigel gestures to the doors, where a bunch of people flock in. They both gasp as two people shove past the line, holding two sheep.
Farmer: He won't let my sheep graze next to his without a fight!
"Hm," They both hum as a barber comes up next.
Barber: How can I cut hair with this guy fiddling day and night?
He snatches the fiddle from the player.
"Gosh," The two murmur.
Lately half the city's overrun by cats and kitties
Peasant Girl: Eating everything in sight!
Both girls stand up, nodding to each other.
Right!
They push the two farmers apart.
Pasture land is public
We decree you'll have to share
They approach the barber, who was threatening to cut off the strings to the fiddle.
Earplugs will do wonders
You'll receive a royal pair
Harmony handles the fiddle back to the musician, a pair of earmuffs being held out to the barber by one of the handmaidens.
"Thanks!" He says gratefully.
Henceforth it is written
We'll feed every cat and kitten
Rapunzel walks back up the steps to the thrones, Harmony turning to the citizens.
Here within the palace square
She hands the crate full of felines to Cass, who walks off with them.
Fair?
"Yeah!" Everyone cheers at their declarations.
Folks, the line starts there
Just wait and we'll get you nice and fair
Harmony gestures for them to make a line.
Cass stares at all the people waiting, smiling proudly.
She's got a knack for reigning
So far she's holding steady
She walks past the line, slightly worried about the amount of people, wondering if they could really handle it...Rapunzel says that she can, but she really didn't know the true weight a princess could face.
But folks are still complaining
So let's not throw confetti
Cass looks out the window.
Nonetheless, I guess our girls have got this
They've got this
She approaches the family portrait of the daughters with their parents after they regained their hair.
No prob
The two smile at a woman leaving, standing up from their thrones. "Is that the last one?"
"I promised Vari I'd come and see him about his progress with my black rocks," Harmony bites her lip, looking at the clock. He wasn't lying when he said that she's too busy. She'd been wanting to go to Old Corona for a while now, ever since she saw them there, but all of her duties had just piled up and up until it was till the point that Varian started to come and see her.
And things used to be the other way around with him being busy with his experiments.
"Well..." Nigel peeks into the hall. "Not exactly..."
The people barge in and they cringe nervously.
Farmer: Since we shared the pasture, we can't tell whose sheep are whose!
"Whoops," Rapunzel winces a little.
Barber: I can't hear my customers and ruin all their dos!
"Sorry!" She calls out towards him.
Now the cats are quiet
Peasant Girl: But the rats are running riot
Up and down the avenues!
All of them start shouting, starting to overwhelm Rapunzel and Harmony stands up, walking into the crowd.
Divide evenly and mark them with these cloths
She holds out blue and red handkerchiefs.
Red for you and blue for yours
I'll take care of the rest
"Great!" The two run off.
Now I have a growth serum for that do
Harmony holds up a vial with yellow liquid inside, giving it to the customer.
Here's some coins for your trouble
She gives the barber the money.
And Mr. Fiddler, here's the thing
She walks up to him, gesturing to the fiddle.
You can entertain customers with your fiddling
The man with awful hair perks up at that.
Just please play quieter
"Yes, your majesty," The three bow, walking away.
The cats can go into a sanctuary
Harmony holds up the box of kittens.
And we'll have the guards catch those rats
She points to some guards that their father ordered to stay behind.
Get some cheese
Harmony holds up a tiny piece, throwing it and the rat catches it into its mouth.
So that the rats aren't causing a ruse
"Thank you!" The two say gratefully and Harmony sighs in relief. Nigel pushes away the crowd, closing the doors.
No more interviews
Rapunzel and Harmony are left alone to sit and think about what happened.
Gosh, what a huge disaster
And everybody knew it
She steps onto the carpet. Harmony stares after her, following after the blonde.
I had one job to master
And I completely blew it
She steps through the open doors, walking into the hall.
I was so darn certain that I got this
Rapunzel reaches towards the portrait.
But I'm not this
She lightly touches herself and Harmony on the portrait.
Not yet
Pressing her back against the large painting, she slides down towards the floor.
Who would have thought how far from getting this high
I could get
Harmony takes a seat next to her older sister, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Daisy flies up and rests herself on Rapunzel's head. The older princess just sighs, hugging herself.
Later on, the sky is looking a little darker as she brushes her hair out on the balcony. "So," Eugene speaks up as he and Harmony step forward. "How was your first day on the job?"
She runs up to them and hugs the two. "Whoa!" He glances at Harmony, who looks at her sister sympathetically. "Is everything okay?"
She sighs deeply, wondering just how her parents and Harmony go through this every single day. "I'm just..." She lets out another sigh. "How am I ever gonna do this?"
"Hey, hey, relax. You only gotta hang in there one more day. Your parents will be back soon," Eugene tells her as she sits near the edge.
"Not everyone has it down the first day. You just have to pull through it and with my help, it'll be over in no time!" Harmony speaks up optimistically.
She scoffs a little. "I know. But..." She throws down her brush and it lands near Harmony's foot. "It's not tomorrow I'm worried about. Someday...this is gonna be my job every day, and I'm...I'm not sure I can handle it all. Why can't you just take over for me, Harmi? You're such a natural!"
"Me?" The teenager rubs the back of her neck bashfully. "I just...used what I learned from Papa. That is, whenever he wanted to teach me. But Punz, I'm not next in line for the throne: you are. And I'm not old enough. I know it seems overwhelming, but I believe in you, big sister."
"Blondie, come on. Look at the amazing things you've done since leaving that tower," Eugene picks up the brush she threw. "Do you think you would've been able to do any of them if you'd stopped to worry about how you were going to do it? Look at Brownie, she does lots of things without worrying so much," He hands her the brush and she smiles a little. "I know you didn't choose this, but you of all people should know that when life hands you lemons..." He winks at her and says nothing else, expecting her to finish that sentence.
"Yes...? Finish that thought."
"You're talking to the sister who grew up in a tower by a selfish, greedy woman," Harmony whispers to Eugene, who realizes that Rapunzel might not know that phrase.
"Oh! Well. Uh, no, it's not so much a thought as much as an expression."
"Because you can do a lot with lemons," She points out. "Make lemon meringue. Soften your hair. Uh, clean tough stains."
Harmony giggles at her.
"Or make lemonade," Eugene replies slyly, crossing his arms.
"You know, not a fan," Rapunzel tells him.
"Okay. My point is, or should I say ours, is that you, more than anyone I've ever known, are able to take any situation and make the best of it," Eugene takes a hold of her hands. "You're the queen. Go with it!"
"Eugene's right. I've seen you positive about everything, even when Monty hated you, or when I didn't want to face Vari, or when Cass and Eugene kept fighting all the time. You're relentless and you'll apply that same determination to being temporary queen. And hey, if all else fails, you can just ask me to chip in and I will."
"Hmm. Thank you, little sister," Rapunzel pulls her into a hug and she returns it. Suddenly a white speckle lands on Rapunzel's nose and she pulls back to look up at the sky.
"What...?" Harmony murmurs slowly as she sees that snow is falling.
"Ugh! Snow?" Eugene replies in distaste.
"Oh my gosh!" Rapunzel stands up in amazement. She's seen it from the tower, but was never able to be outside to really experience it. Gothel would always say that inside was safer. "I've never actually been outside when it snows!"
"Neither have I..." Harmony says, lightly touching a snowflake. Frederic would let her see it, but didn't give her permission to go outside and play in it. He was worried that her powers would have a negative effect on her, or that she'd get snatched like her sister and he'd be too far away to stop it...
"Well I have, and you know, I'm not a fan," Eugene hugs himself as Rapunzel sticks out her tongue. "I mean, it's cold, it's a pain, it ruins your day. It's like Cassandra, but warmer."
"It's kinda weird that it's snowing out of the blue, though..." Harmony couldn't help but think as she looks at the sky. There was no indication earlier that it would snow today. Rapunzel just gasps at all the snowflakes, giving a look of awe. She then starts running towards her window.
"Hey, where you going?" Eugene asks curiously.
"To enjoy life's lemons!" She jumps into her room through the window.
"That's my girl," He smiles proudly, some snow blowing onto his back. "Ahh!" He bends down and picks up the brush. "I hate the snow!"
"Oh, stop being such a downer," Harmony smiles as she follows after him and shuts the shutters.
Max is trudging along the snow, confused at it, but keeps going on. He only had one mission and that was to get them up there safe and sound. He goes up the steep hill, some of the ice starting to crack due to all the weight.
Arianna looks out the glass. "Wow...it's beautiful," She smiles at the sight. "I don't recall the last time it snowed this much..."
"Hmm," Frederic leans in and looks out. "Looks like there's more to come. I don't know, Arianna, maybe we should return to the castle." Not only does it look like it's not going to stop, but he was worried for his daughters.
"Mm, Frederic," She smiles at him, icicles above starting to crack. "I know you're worried about the girls." They completely fall off and land in front of Max, startling him. "But they're going to be fin-"
The caravan starts to shake as it slides as the ice is slippery. Max looks over him to see it slipping and panics a little, running as fast as he can. The ice is just too slippery for him to move fast enough and one of the ropes holding him breaks off. Arianna slips out of her seat.
"Arianna!" Frederic shouts as he watches her.
"Frederic!" She gasps and he takes a hold of her wrist, leaving her slightly dangling out the door. "Frederic..." She murmurs as the caravan is tipping over the edge, threatening to fall. The king pulls her up and she hugs him, both of them looking down below. Max tries his best to pull them up, but the other rope breaks off. He rushes towards the carriage, but it falls over!
Quirin moves away a piece of wall from his room, pulling a chest towards him. He slides away the front, revealing a strange symbol on it. He looks over his shoulder to make sure that no one is watching and opens it up.
He pulls out a helmet that has the same circle symbol, sighing deeply at it. The memories...there was a reason why he keeps these things hidden away...
He looks out the window, seeing all the black rocks and snow. He then looks over to his right, staring at the family photo of him, his baby son...and his wife. He smiles softly at it, and then it drops, remembering what happened to her...
His eyes move towards Varian, the baby smiling happily.
"Never give up, Ruddiger," Varian slams his fist onto the table. "So, our last formula didn't deliver quite the reaction we hoped," He quickly stirs a new formula, staring at the light green color. "So what?" He shrugs towards the raccoon. "The important thing is we got a reaction."
Hopefully, this will fix everything...
He's just about to pour it onto the black rock when Quirin suddenly bursts into his lab. "Son."
Ruddiger moves away out of alarm as Varian's eyes widen. "I just want to-"
"Oh, oh," Varian turns around, accidentally pouring the formula onto the rock.
"Varian, I told you to stay away from those rocks," Quirin scolds, approaching the alchemist.
"Um, yeah, okay. I-I know what you said, but-"
"Then there should be no misunderstanding!" He leads Varian away from the rocks. "Now listen to me. I know that the princess has been creating these rocks and that you want to help her, but you-"
"NO!" Varian pushes him away. He knew what Quirin was gonna say, and he didn't want to hear it. "No, you listen to me, Dad. Our village is dying!" He points outside the window. "You think running away from the problem is gonna fix it? No! And neither is not helping Mona when she really needs it! These rocks aren't going away," He points towards the black rock.
"I know, Varian," He rubs a temple. "And I'm not placing blame on her, and I believe that she does need help, but there is more to them and her than you can possibly imagine."
"Then why won't you tell me?!" Varian demands, the chemical from the rock bubbling, but they're too busy arguing to notice. "Dad! I just-I deserve to know! If it involves Mona, then I wanna know if she's in danger! If it's important to her, then it's important to me!"
The chemical turns into amber that shows no sign of stopping...
Quirin slowly removes the glove from his left, the same symbol from his chest and helmet marked onto the back of his palm. He clenches a fist. It's too dangerous for anyone to know, let alone teenagers. "I am sorry, son. You are not ready."
He turns around and finally notices what's going on with the black rock. "Varian, watch out!"
Varian looks and before he can say anything, Quirin pushes him out of the way, the amber growing stronger. He slides to a stop, looking up to see that Quirin's arm is trapped, the amber growing around him. "Oh! Dad! Dad!" Varian runs up to him. "Oh! Hold on, Dad. Hold on! I'll-I'll get you out!" Varian steps forward and Quirin stops him.
"No! Stay back!"
He looks towards his arm and Varian gasps in horror, backing away. "I'm gonna go get help!" He rushes towards the door.
"No, son. Don't," Quirin calls out, but he leaves anyway. Varian puts on his winter gear quickly, grabbing the lantern and rushing out the door. Harmony must be able to do something, or Rapunzel. They have the power of the Moonstone and the Sundrop Flower—surely they could free him!
He runs down the path, Quirin glancing outside in concern. There was nothing he could do, but stand there...
Rapunzel, Eugene, Cass, and Harmony step up to the entrance. The crown princess is wearing a rogue coat with pink fur trims and a dark red Santa-sized belt. It also has rogue earmuffs and pink gloves. Harmony has the same style coat, but it's a turquoise blue with white fur trims and a dark blue Santa-sized belt. It has turquoise earmuffs and white gloves.
"Loyal subjects of Corona," Rapunzel announces to them. "As your temporary queen, I officially declare today...a snow day!"
Everyone cheers at her exclamation, already dressed up in their own winter clothing. Rapunzel, Cass, and Harmony walk off to go enjoy it as Eugene faces them.
"And as your temporary king, I..."
However, they've already started playing in the snow, Shorty ice-skating and doing a flip. A snowball hits his cheek and he wipes it off, narrowing his eyes slightly at the four little girls.
He chuckles sarcastically, waving to them. "Nice shot, kid," He grumbles as he leaves his spot. Lance just giggles at him.
"Alright, easy..." Eugene takes cautious steps down the slippery slope, as he really hates snow. "One step at a time."
"Whoo!" Rapunzel cheers as she skates down the slide.
"Whoo hoo!" Lance grips the railing, sliding past Eugene. "Pick it up, Eugene!"
"Wha-oh," Eugene lets go and wobbles a bit...then he slips and holds the railing again. "Oh, is there anything worse than snow?!"
"Yay!" Harmony shouts happily as she's sitting, makeshift sledding down the slight slope.
Cassandra slides to a stop on the railing behind him, arms crossed. "Hello, your royal travesty," She quips with a smug smirk.
"I spoke too soon," He deadpans at her appearance.
"Playing make-believe King isn't panning out like you'd hoped, is it?" She asks knowingly.
"It's working out just fine," Eugene stands back up, crossing his arms. "Thanks." He slips and slides down the slope, landing into a pile of snow. Cass slides over to him, silently enjoying this moment.
"You know, it's not like this king thing gives you any actual power. But even if it did, it might be nice to stop trying to exploit it and start trying to put it to good use." And with that, she walks off, leaving him there.
"Yeah, no, that's okay," He muffles as snow is still over his body. "Don't help me up..."
Rapunzel chases one of the little girls as it gets darker, some of the wind getting stronger. It blows her away right into Eugene's arms. "Oh, thanks Eugene. Guess I'm still getting used to this weather. Does it always snow this much?"
"No, actually," Harmony walks up to them. "It's snowed, but nothing like this before."
"But it has once before," A voice speaks up and they walk up to Xavier, who's made a fire. "At least, according to legend." He makes a torch and the three glance at each other.
"Legend?" Rapunzel wonders as others gather around.
"The Legend of Zhan Tiri," He tosses the torch into the fire, igniting it. "Eons ago, an evil warlock, Zhan Tiri, had a deep hatred for Corona. And cast a spell which caused a blizzard to sweep across the land. The storm destroyed everything in its path. All would have been lost had it not been for the ancient engineer, and inventor, Lord Demanitus."
"Wait a minute," Harmony gasps at the name. "I've heard of him from one of the books in the library! He's created all sorts of scientific marvels!" She beams in realization, noticing all the looks from everyone and she smiles in embarrassment. "C-continue Xavier."
"Thank you, princess. Using both magic and science, Demanitus built a massive subterranean machine, deep in the Corona mountains. This mighty device had the ability to change the direction of the wind, and it pushed the flurries out to the sea. The day was saved. Zhan Tiri had, indeed, been defeated. But some say the curse of the storm lives on and is simply waiting to strike again."
"Waiting...?" Rapunzel asks slowly. "For what?"
"For Corona to be at its weakest," Xavier explains while tending to the fire.
"For Corona to be at its weakest...but it is only a legend, right, Xavier?" She couldn't help but feel a little worried.
"Yeah...this happened eons ago, right? T-There's no way that it's the curse today," Harmony gestures to their environment. He just chuckles at them.
"My dears, every legend is born of truth."
Vlad slowly claps for him at the powerful words. "Bravo. Wow!" Eugene laughs at him. "Way to keep the party going as always, Xavier."
The wind gets stronger, blowing onto them and even blowing out the fire. "Whoa! Okay, um, I think for everyone's safety, we should all head indoors," Rapunzel tells them and they heard towards the castle. Suddenly a whinny is heard, and the two princesses turn around to see Max arriving, albeit slowly...
With no caravan.
He snorts sadly, his head tilted downwards. "Maximus!" The two shout, rushing over to the dejected horse along with the Captain. "What happened?"
"Are you okay?" Rapunzel asks first.
"Oh my god, you look awful," Harmony examines him.
"And where..." Rapunzel glances behind him. "Maximus, where are our parents?"
He simply closes his eyes, the Captain noticing the broken ropes. "It looks like there was an accident up on the mountain."
Rapunzel gives a look of horror, Harmony gasping. She tightly hugs her sister, as black rocks on Old Corona start turning red, but only slightly.
"Accident?!" Rapunzel looks up at the Captain.
"Rapunzel...Harmony...I think your parents are in grave danger."
Their eyes widen slowly.