It's late evening in Corona. "So, it comes to this..." Frederic declares with an angry look. "WAAAAR!" He charges forward.
"Dad, please!" Rapunzel runs up to him.
"Let's ride the table down the stairs!" Harmony shouts as she follows after her sister. He turns around to them, gritting his teeth.
"You're not thinking clearly, this is a huge mistake!"
"What isn't is this party!" Harmony cheers, she doesn't seem like her normal self.
"Guards!" He points his sword at Rapunzel, Eugene, Harmony, and Cass. "Take the princesses and their friends."
The guards do as he commands, dragging them away. "Dad, no! Don't do this!"
"But Papa...!" Harmony cries out as the door closes in front of them.
24 hours earlier...
"Nothing is more important than peace," Frederic states as he's walking through the halls with Nigel.
"Yes, but, your majesty, your proposed trade accord with the Griffin of Pittsford weighs greatly in his favor," Nigel whispers, the staff nearby curtsying or bowing as the king walks past them. "Corona stands to lose-"
"Corona can afford it, Nigel. By cementing this trade, we secure peace between our two nations. By allowing it to dissolve...we risk sending the seven kingdoms on a path to war."
"But how do we know if the Griffin will accept?" Nigel asks curiously. "He's notoriously insecure, and he's been known to walk away from the table at the slightest offense."
"Nigel, my friend, you are far too uptight," Frederic places a hand on his back. "Besides, the Griffin's welcoming banquet is in good hands."
Harmony is walking down the path towards Varian's house, holding a picnic basket under her arm. She hums to herself lightly as the cottage comes into view. Ever since she's visited him, he's been...not well. So she made his favorite to help him feel better: ham sandwiches. It won't entirely help him get his father back, but she hoped it would do something...
She opens the door as he leaves it unlocked. Old Corona had since been abandoned ever since the black rocks showed no sign of stopping...just the sight of them hurts her, but she couldn't think about that now. She had to help her...friend?
When the guards stormed in, she was so speechless that she never gave him the yes answer...and with his father the way he is now, she believed that it was the last thing he'd wanna hear. So...what exactly her relationship is with Varian is up in the air still, despite the fact that they act like a couple. She didn't want to confuse him or make him upset if she had brought up the subject, so she didn't.
"Vari?"
Harmony steps into the lab, seeing him packing up. Quirin is no longer visible as he's hidden with a sheet.
"V-Vari, what are you doing?"
He looks up and sees her, eyes widening as if he almost forgot something. "Mona..." The boy engulfs her into a hug and she returns it, closing her eyes. He rests his chin on her shoulder, taking in her scent. Harmony could hear the deep inhale, and feel the rising in his chest, causing her to go bright red. "I...I have something to tell you."
"What is it?" She asks softly, pulling back to look at him. He simply places his hands on her shoulders, both of them looking at each other in the eye.
"You know as well as I do that I can't stay here..." He murmurs to the girl. "I have to hide, or else the guards will catch me for sure."
"For helping me during the storm?" She asks in confusion, sighing deeply. "They're dead set believing that you kidnapped me, and I've tried, believe me-"
"Mona," He interrupts and she clamps her mouth shut at his soft eyes. "This is something I have to do."
"But what about your father? Rapunzel?"
He visibly shakes at the mention of Rapunzel's name. "That's why I have to go. So that I can figure out how to free him. I'll still be around Corona, though! J-Just not in guard territory...which is pretty much everywhere since that guy is coming."
Her eyes widen as she recalls something she's supposed to do. "The Griffin of Pittsford: I'm supposed to help my sister with her speech...!"
He takes a hold of her hands, caressing them. "You have your job to do...and I have mine," His voice breaks a little, though she doesn't suspect a thing. Of course he's still angry: the crown princess broke her promise and now because of him...his father is trapped in there. And she never even came to see how he was doing, at all. Not like Harmony has. Every day, she comes in with food and gives him warm hugs. She listens to him and comforts him when he needs it. If it wasn't for her, he'd be all alone...
Well, besides Ruddiger, but a raccoon isn't the same thing as what Harmony is.
"But..."
"Shh," He leans in and pecks her lips. "I promise I'll write you a letter every day and night. You understand, right?"
"Yeah...I don't want you to do something you'll regret..." She hugs him again and after a few seconds, she leaves, waving to him. He chuckles after she's gone, changing his face from a smile to a glare with anger over what's happened.
"Oh trust me, my dear Mona...I won't."
"And so to you, the wise Griffin of Pittsford," Rapunzel recites nervously in the throne room. Her father put her in charge of the welcoming banquet, with her sister to guide her, but the girl is late. "I say, let us treat our new friends like a budding flower. One we will nurture with love, knowing that it will bloom into something beautiful."
Pascal and Daisy clap while Max whinnies happily.
"Uh, I don't think you're going to win over the Griffin with a schmaltzy speech about puppies and rainbows," Cass calls out as she's cleaning her halberd nearby.
"Oh! I didn't say anything about puppies!" Rapunzel defends, hands on her hips. "The rainbow was a metaphor...ah, so how's your prep work going for running your first security checkpoint?"
"Let's put it this way," Cass smiles at the clean weapon. "There is nothing my station isn't going to be ready for," She tosses the weapon into a wagon full of halberds.
Harmony runs into the room, panting as she places her hands on her knees. "I'm here..."
"Where were you?" Rapunzel pouts at the girl.
"Visiting Vari again."
Cass glances at the crown princess skeptically, taking a deep breath and approaching Harmony. "Harmi...remember what I said about not letting your feelings get in the way of your duty to the crown?"
"Yeah..." She furrows her eyes in confusion.
"Well...with what he's done...I'm not so sure it's a good idea for you to keep this...whatever you two have going on..." The lady-in-waiting says slowly. "For the good of the kingdom...you need to let him go."
"...Cass, you're my friend, but think about what you're saying," Harmony takes a deep breath. "It shouldn't matter how I feel, he needs help."
"I agree with you, but I don't think you can help him."
She clamps her mouth shut, thinking about what she's saying. There was no way she'd give up on him...she didn't care what she sacrificed, she was not going to forget about him. What would she even say to him? 'Oh, Vari, I can't help you because I have a duty to everyone else except you?'
"Ha ha! Fog machine, baby!" Eugene announces, rolling in the machine.
"Uh, Eugene? Why do you need that?" Rapunzel points at the device.
"And how did you get my fog machine?" Harmony gives him a look of annoyance.
"You made me the emcee, remember? And I borrowed your closet room key, I'll bring it back later!"
Rapunzel looks to Cass, who rolls her eyes. The princess grunts at him.
"Picture this: Lights go dim. The fog rolls in," He holds up the other end, spraying the room with fog. The girls start coughing. "And all eyes are on me...as it should be. Ladies and gentlemen, let's show the Griffin just how we do things in Corona! It's time to get this party starteeeeeeeed!"
The fog goes away, Rapunzel waving a hand in front of her face.
"I'll hold it just that long."
"No," Cass glares at him as she approaches. "No way, Eugene. Fog would make it impossible to see clearly enough to do my job."
By the look on his face, Eugene could care less. "A fog machine does seem a bit unnecessary," Rapunzel rubs her arm sheepishly.
"Look, Blondie," He places his hands on her shoulders from behind. "I love you, and I don't wanna point fingers, mostly because I just got mine manicured and I don't wanna show anyone up, but if you really wanna talk about unnecessary, we should probably discuss the gift baskets you made."
Harmony turns towards the table, eyes widening. Inside each basket is a painted portrait of every guest. "Seriously, did you really have to paint a portrait for every guest?" Cass gestures towards them.
Rapunzel narrows her eyes. "Do you really need six guards at your checkpoint?"
Cass turns away, hands on her hips as she scrunches up her nose. Rapunzel rubs the back of her neck. "Sorry! Ugh, that was so rude."
"Raps can paint the portraits if she wants to," Harmony speaks up, gesturing to the table. "She is hosting this, after all. And Cass just wants everyone to be safe. Both of you don't need to change those parts of yourselves."
They both smile at her.
"Ah, that's my girl," Eugene hugs Rapunzel proudly. "You can't even argue without being nice."
"Yeah," Cass crosses her arms. "Do you always have to be so...you?"
Rapunzel scoffs at her. "Well, it's better than always being callous!"
Pascal, Daisy, and Max look between them, Harmony shaking her head slowly. "I'm not callous. I am practical," Cass tells her.
"Yeah, practically heartless."
Harmony facepalms while Pete and Stan look on. "Ah, boy. Here we go again," Stan mutters as they watch the princess walk towards the weapons cart, searching for something. "That's, like, their third fight this week."
"They sound like my in-laws...if I had in-laws. Boy, I wish I were married..." Pete murmurs to himself.
Eugene gasps sharply. "Self-absorbed?! How dare you? I don't have to take this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the market to buy more props for my big night."
"Your big night?" Cass asks incredibly. Suddenly, little firecrackers hit the floor, surprising all of them. They look up to see Harmony holding her bow and arrow, with cherry red alchemy balls attached to them.
"Don't make me get the ice ones," She threatens them, preparing to fire again. Varian had equipped her with some of his equipment, attaching some of his bombs to her arrows. "What's up with you? You've been fighting like cats and dogs lately! You're supposed to be friends."
"Guys, hold on. Harmony is right. We've all been under a lot of pressure getting ready for this banquet. How about we take a breather and go to the marketplace together?" Rapunzel suggests to the two. Cass just huffs while Eugene looks away with a hum. Rapunzel smiles nervously, hoping that this will break the tension.
"Oh!" Eugene exclaims as they're looking around. "A confetti cannon's a great idea!" He holds it up, concerning the princesses a little. "My fans are gonna love it. Tell her, Blondie, Brownie."
"Don't involve me," Harmony gestures to herself, holding up some parts she could use. "I always need more bolts and screws..."
"Yeah, I'm not gonna tell her that," Rapunzel looks away, crossing her arms.
"Put it down, Eugene. There is no way you're bringing that thing back to the castle," Cass tells him.
"Oh...so now you're taking her side, huh?" Eugene asks defensively and Harmony sighs, pinching her nose. Someone help her get through this day...
"I'm not taking anyone's side, Eugene," Rapunzel replies as the girl holds her head, walking away from the three to go shop on her own. Daisy flies after her. They did not want to get caught up in the middle of their next one.
"Well maybe you should for once!" Cass retorts back.
"Okay, then sign me up for the side that says 'this is all ridiculous'!"
Xavier, Max, and Pascal just stare at the trio. "Seems like most of our friends are going through a rough patch," He notices Harmony leaving the area. Max and Pascal turn towards the blacksmith. "I've seen this many times...They are the growing pains that all strong relationships must endure. Eventually, they will learn to live with each other's flaws and appreciate their strengths, but that sort of thing takes time."
The two animals glance to each other in concern. They had a feeling that even with time, the three wouldn't live with them.
"But, if you'd like to speed things along..." He moves away a shelf to reveal a purple potion. "This mood tonic may help to soften some of those flaws." He takes it into his hands and gives it to Pascal. "One drop for the three of them each is all it will take...One. Understand?"
Max nods at him, walking off so that they can give it to them. "Good call, Xavier, old boy. The fate of those kids could not be in safer hands," He walks away to continue his work.
"Don't you dare break my cannon!" Eugene shouts to Cass as they're back in the castle.
"And I'm gonna break more than that if you don't cool it with these props!"
"Stop yelling!" Rapunzel tells them both. "Everybody, stop yelling!"
Harmony rubs her temples as she walks out of the room, walking down the hall. She thought they'd be over it by the time she returned from her walk, but apparently not, it seems. They're so loud that Pascal and Max can hear them from the kitchen.
"Hey, hey, hey! Hands off!"
Then shuffling sounds are heard. "Give me that!"
"No!" And then there's a crash as Pascal places one drop of the tonic in a barrel of lemonade. "Oh, well, nice going, Cass! You broke my confetti cannon!" He places another two drops.
"You're lucky. I was aiming for your face!"
Harmony opens the door, slamming it behind her and sweating nervously. She sighs in relief at the two, raising a brow.
"What are you-"
Eugene suddenly slams the door open, knocking her onto the floor. Pascal drops the bottle, and catches it with his mouth, but almost all its contents fall into the drink.
"Cass, uh uh! Put your sword down," Rapunzel says as the two watch all of it go inside the lemonade in worry. "And that dagger! Come on!"
"Hey, wait, wait, wait," Eugene backs away from Cass as Harmony slowly stands up. Daisy chirps at her in concern and she scoops up the duckling into her hands.
"I'm okay," She kisses her friend on the forehead. Eugene bumps into the barrel as Harmony glares at the two arguing, getting very annoyed with it now.
"Heeey, let's all have some lemonade. I know I could use some," He smiles nervously at the two women. Max and Pascal look to one another, Harmony dusting herself off. "Thanks little buddy. Hey, Harmi, come have some!"
"No thanks, I think I'll keep my distance," She rolls her eyes.
"My throat was getting all sore from all this yelling," Eugene pours some into a gauntlet, giving it to Rapunzel.
"At least someone around here is considerate," Rapunzel gives Cass a look. Harmony sighs at this, watching them all take a sip. Pascal hides in Max's mane, afraid of what could happen. "Blegh! Really not a fan of lemonade."
Nothing seems to have happened as Cass smacks her lips. "It's bitter...I like it."
"Why am I not surprised?" Eugene rolls his eyes.
"Eugene!" Harmony warns him, but no one seems to listen as Cass whips around to him.
"You know what, Eugene?" Suddenly the tonic takes effect and she smiles. "I can kinda see how that cannon would be fun. But at least consider the risk."
"...Huh?" The princess blinks in confusion over Cass' change in tone.
Eugene's eyes widen as he places down his cup. "What was I thinking?"
Max and Pascal smile at the two. "You are so right, Cassandra. Firing a cannon could be dangerous!" He hugs himself in fear.
"...I'm sorry?" Harmony stares at the former thief, wondering what's going on. Max and Pascal high five, the hoof knocking the chameleon off the mane. Rapunzel cringes at this, gasping.
"You guys okay?"
The two look up at her, and the tonic doesn't seem to be working on her. The horse nods at her and then the potion finally takes effect. "Good, because then you can make me a sandwich to get the taste of this lemonade out of my mouth."
Pascal, Harmony, and Daisy open their mouths in shock at her rudeness. Probably because it's the opposite of nice.
"...Say wha?" Harmony tilts her head at her sister, confused on why they're all acting this way.
"The Griffin had better appreciate all the work we're putting into this banquet," Rapunzel recites her new speech, some of her hair covering her eye. "So, in conclusion, Griffin, Pittsford is the pits," She smirks at her joke, Cass clapping for her. Harmony just stares in disbelief. Rapunzel would never say that.
"Oh, that was super! Way to flip the script on the whole welcome thing!" Cass smiles so widely it's giving the princess nightmares. "What do you think, Eugene, Harmony?"
"I think that this is not you! Rapunzel, that's not the speech we agreed on," Harmony turns to her sister.
"So what, runt?"
She gasps at the word, narrowing her eyes.
"Me? Uh, oh, uh," Eugene rubs his arm, chuckling. "Uh, well, I mean this in the kindest way possible, but it seems the whole point of this banquet is to...impress the Griffin, and if that's the case, then I might..." He sees the crown princess' glare. "Um...consider saying something completely opposite of what you just said."
"What are you saying...?" Harmony shakes her head slowly at him.
"Ugh, really?" Rapunzel rolls her eyes. "Grow a spine, Fitzherbert. I'm just calling it like it is."
The princess opens her mouth in shock, glancing between her sister and the former thief. "Uh oh! You sound upset!" Cass gives her a hug. "Tickle fight!"
She chases after Rapunzel, who runs away from the beaming Cass. "Okay, what is going on here?!" Harmony holds her hair, gripping Eugene's arms and shaking. "Eugene, if you guys are in danger, blink twice."
Pete and Stan peek into the room. "Stan? Pete?" Rapunzel turns her attention on them. "Uh, was there something you would like to contribute to this discussion?" She's clenching a fist, holding Cass away from her.
"Oop, sorry, your highness, uh...you've been all acting a little unusual lately."
"Yeah," Harmony releases Eugene and he recoils back in fear of her. "It's like opposite day or something!"
"Is that so?" Rapunzel pushes Cass away. "And-And just how are we acting unusual, pinhead?"
Harmony glances to the guards. "Well, you just called me pinhead for one..."
"Why do I have a feeling that it's gotta do with that lemonade...?" The princess asks herself.
"So?!" Rapunzel suddenly realizes her tone. "Wait, wait a second. What is going on here? It's like we're the total opposite of who we are normally."
Max looks up at Pascal. They didn't think that they'd come to the conclusion that they're acting different. Max slowly backs away.
"I have been feeling a little peppy," Cass dances a little.
"And I'm not my normal, confident self," Eugene looks away, Harmony noticing the two. "And I'm really sorry for that," He actually starts crying. Eugene!
"Can it! I gotta think," Rapunzel tells him.
"I don't think you have to," Harmony appears behind Max and Pascal, stopping them in place. She crosses her arms at them. Daisy punches her wings together, threatening to hurt them if they moved.
"Pascal! Maximus!" Rapunzel shouts at them. "What did you two do? And don't try to cute-squeak your way out of this, cause this princess ain't buying it!"
"And this princess wants to know what you two put in that lemonade! After they drank it, they started acting weird!" Harmony gestures to the trio. Max looks up guilty at Pascal, who is thinking the same thing as him. They had no choice.
"You did what?!" Harmony demands once they're in Xavier's shop. "Xavier, switching their personalities isn't going to solve the problem. The Griffin is coming here by the end of today! Why would you do that?"
"What?" He asks with a shrug. "I was trying to help Max and Pascal teach you a lesson. The tonic brings out the opposite of your defining personal characteristics."
"And you thought giving it to them without their knowledge was going to fix that?" Harmony whips around to Pascal and Max. "Let me tell you something, guys, when you involve potions to normal problems, it makes things worse!"
"So the tonic is why I'm less cheerful, Eugene's a wimp, and Cass?"
"Wee!" Cass cheers as she runs past the shop. "Best opposite day EVER!"
"...So, how long before this mood tonic wears off?" Harmony asks Xavier after staring at Cass for a few seconds.
"I don't understand it," He shakes his head in confusion. "The effects should have subsided by now."
Pascal pulls up the empty bottle. "It was supposed to be one drop each! This much will take days to wear off."
"Days?!" Harmony's eyes widen. "We don't have that kind of time!"
"Oh!" Rapunzel paces around. "The banquet is tonight!"
"How are we supposed to get this off so that we don't cause a war with a Griffin? Oh, this is why you don't take matters into your own hands," Harmony groans in frustration towards the two. "Bad horse, bad chameleon! You should've just sat down with them and talked it out...or squeak or whinny, or whatever!"
"Are you sure you did not take it, Princess?" Xavier eyes her.
"Yes," She pinches her nose. "I'm just really tired with their fighting and what these two did. Not to mention that...someone left town earlier today, and I'm still dealing with it. I was fine with them being themselves; Eugene's selfishness, Rapunzel's cheerfulness, Cass' disregard for compassion...that makes them who they are. And it was wrong to change them, even if they were having a rough patch. This is not how you deal with it."
Max and Pascal look towards the ground in shame.
"You know what? I take responsibility for this," Eugene speaks up. "...Wait, no, I'm sorry. I don't. Responsibility terrifies me."
"I can concoct an elixir that will reverse your personalities back to normal," Xavier explains to them. "But I'll need the oil from the three-leaf echo plant, found only atop Mount Saison. The three-leaf is extremely rare and grows among its two-leaf cousin. It's a two hour trek."
"Huzzah!" Cass cheers, pulling the three into a hug. "Non-paved road trip with my three best buds!"
"There's no way the four of us can make that trip to be back at the banquet in time," Harmony frowns a little. "Cass has security check, Raps and I have the speech, and Eugene's emcee."
"Harmony's right, it'll be impossible. Max, Pascal, you clowns got us into this mess, now you have to get us out of it!"
"What she means is you'll have to make the trip without us to get that leaf," Harmony gestures to her sister, getting out of Cass' tight grip. "Ugh. Daisy, go with them to make sure nothing else happens. I happen to have a map of the flora from Mount Saison right here," She pulls out a scroll from behind her back, handing it to Daisy. She flies towards the two with it. "And please hurry."
Max nods at the four, running off to go find it.
They reach the top of the mountain, finding only two-leafs. Daisy rolls out the map to look at it.
The three-leaf is extremely rare, and grows among its two-leaf cousin.
Pascal throws away the two-leaf he had plucked, trying to find another. Daisy squeaks in alarm, Max nudging the chameleon. They look at a bunch of two-leafs...everywhere...
He drops his mouth in shock. Even with the map, this was not going to be easy...
Cass stands near the archway. "Be tough. Be tough," She whispers to herself, standing proudly. A large man stands in front of her, and he doesn't look to be a guest at all. "Why hello there, sweetie. May I please see your invitation?"
"I lost it."
"Ohhh," She thinks about it for a second. "What the heck? You look trustworthy. Come on in."
He stomps past her, standing there with a smile. The man pokes her from behind and she turns around. "...It's nice to meet someone who's not afraid to show some compassion," He tells her, causing her eyes to soften.
The Captain steps up to Cass. "Cassandra, you just let that man in without a proper security check! I can't believe your poor judgement. You are relieved of your security duty."
"Aw," She takes off her helmet. "Fiddlesticks..." She hands him the helmet. "Hey buddy, wait up!" She runs towards the man.
"Stop," Harmony holds up a hand in front of the two. Her hair is in a nice bun with some braids and flower pins in it. "Cass, I'm pretty sure he's not on the list."
"But...he's nice!"
"Out," Harmony points towards the exit and he sags his shoulders, leaving.
Max trots back to Xavier, who's welding something. Pascal waves the leaf, Daisy chirping happily. He jumps on a metal object, causing a stick to go flying. It knocks down a wall of weapons...one of them knocking Xavier out. Daisy puts her wings in front of her beak in shock.
The chameleon waddles onto the man's body, hearing him snore. He tries to wake him up, to no avail. Max looks at him in horror; now they'll have to make it themselves.
Daisy flaps her wings, flying to the elixir book.
Pascal reads it and follows the instructions, placing the leaf into a bowl. Once he's made the potion, he burns it into the fire and pours it into the same bottle, holding it up proudly. Max grins at him, neighing happily. Hopefully it'll work...
Rapunzel yawns between her parents. "Boring..."
"Raps!" Harmony hisses at her. The king and queen stare at her, looking towards their youngest daughter. "Long story, she's just...going through a phase! Pre-welcoming banquet...jitters!"
She mentally facepalms herself at her explanation.
The Griffin arrives in front of the castle. "May I present...the Griffin of Pittsford."
Frederic stands in front of the carriage, Rapunzel peeking over his shoulder. The man steps out, everyone staring at him. The king clears his throat, walking past the walls of guards.
"Your excellency...we're beyond delighted you could join us."
The Griffin is at least half Frederic's height, wearing a griffin helmet on the top of his head. "Beyond delighted? What is that supposed to mean? Less surprised? You think I wasn't gonna show up? What do you take me for, some kind of a jerk?"
Harmony and Arianna just look on in surprise for his tone while Rapunzel rolls her eyes, annoyed. "Ah, uh, n-no, I simply meant that-"
"Or maybe you didn't think I could get here. Corona's not the only place that has horse and carriages, you know. Pittsford's got those things in spades!"
The princess cringes at the smaller man.
"Whoa!" Rapunzel chuckles at his quick assumptions. "Insecure much, half-pint?"
Harmony elbows her in the arm. "Rapunzel!" Frederic hisses, the Griffin glaring at her. "I'm so sorry." The man actually starts turning red.
"Oh, that's our Rapunzel," Arianna places her hands on the blonde's shoulders. "Always quick with a joke. Why don't you go see to getting this evening's festivities rolling?"
"Ugh," She elbows the woman off her. "Whatever..."
"Man...I never wanna grow up," Harmony shakes her head slowly at her sister. It's like she's dealing with a typical teenager, and she is one!
"Of course, you must know that, um, 'half-pint' is a, um, term of endearment in Corona...You must have a half-pint of liquid gold running through your veins," Arianna explains nervously.
"I knew that! You think I didn't know that?! What am I, uncultured?"
She smiles anxiously, looking towards her husband. He does the same thing as Harmony backs away slowly. With the way anything sets this guy off, she's really hoping that elixir from Xavier is finished sooner than later.
The Griffin sits in a purple throne chair, immediately given an appetizer and a drink. The king and queen glance towards Rapunzel, who could not look anymore bored. She lets out an annoyed sigh.
"And now, the event's master of ceremonies, Eugene Fitzherbert!" The announcer booms. Eugene takes a deep breath, dragging out the fog machine as he can hear everyone clapping. They just watch him as he silently stops near the royal table. Rapunzel groans, rolling her eyes and facepalming herself.
"Give him a chance, Raps," Harmony whispers to her. "He's not his usual self, and neither are you, remember?"
"Uh, ladies and gentlemen, let's get this peace party...started," He cringes nervously, spraying the room with fog. The Griffin doesn't seem excited at all. "So, um, let's start again," He pulls out the confetti cannon. "Ladies and gentle-" He accidentally presses the trigger, sending him across the room and crashing behind the four royals.
"You know what?" Rapunzel jumps out of her seat.
"Rapunzel, no!" Harmony warns her.
"I have had it with this phony banquet! We are only doing this to be nice to you, Griffin," She storms up to the man. "But you need us! We don't need you!" His eyes widen in shock. "So why don't you just suck up your pride and accept Corona's help?"
He growls at her tone, her family looking on in bewilderment. His face turns totally red when Max, Daisy, and Pascal burst into the room. The chameleon holds up the elixir.
"Oh thank goodness," Harmony murmurs at their presence. Max trots up happily...and then he sees the fog machine in front of him. He skids to a stop, the elixir flying into the air and unscrewing itself. Daisy dives to catch it, but it's too late as it's poured into the fog machine. It sprays into the room, everyone coughing as the purple smoke affects all of them.
However, since three were already feeling the effects of the mood potion, they're turned back to normal. "I think I feel normal again," Rapunzel smiles in relief.
"And so do I!" Eugene gestures to himself.
"No one cares how you feel," Cass retorts with a sly smile, hands on her hips.
"And so does she!"
Pete and Stan take a look at each other, Nigel cleaning his face with a wipe. The citizens all blink as Eugene takes her hand. "Win 'em back, Blondie!"
"Yeah, do your thing, Raps," Cass encourages her, in her own way of course. Eugene kisses her cheek and she approaches the crowd with a smile.
"Thanks, guys. Ladies and gentlemen, have I got a funny story-"
"Ah, boo!" Arianna suddenly exclaims, causing the crown princess to cringe. "Boo!" She takes a hold of her cake and takes a bite.
"Mom...?" Rapunzel murmurs in confusion, looking towards Nigel. He just starts laughing like a fool. Pete and Stan start wrestling. "Oh no...the vapor reversed everyone's personalities!"
"Corona's offer of a partnership was a mistake," Frederic takes off his robe. "It's time to show the world the true power she wields!" He pulls out his sword, causing Rapunzel to gasp.
Which is how everything led up to this point. "So, it comes to this...WAAAAAAAR!"
"Wait a minute, the counter-elixir reversed everybody's personalities?" Eugene asks in surprise. Frederic lets out a yell, the Griffin doing the same thing.
"Dad, please!" Rapunzel tries to stop him and he faces her.
"Let's ride the table down the stairs!" Harmony flips the royal table over.
"You're not thinking clearly! This is a huge mistake!" She looks up at him pleadingly.
"What isn't is this party!" Harmony pops open the champagne, spraying it around.
"...Guards!" He points to the four. "Seize the princesses and their friends!"
The guards surround them, taking them away. "Dad, no! Don't do this!" Rapunzel yells as they're all dragged away.
"But Papa...!" Harmony pouts at him. All she wants to do is have fun...
Soon, they're locked up in the dungeon, Harmony jumping up and down on the bed next to Rapunzel.
"This is Max and Pascal's fault," Cass mutters, hand on her cheek.
"No! This is our fault...we've been jerks to each other, and Max and Pascal were only trying to help...and Harmony was too." She looks towards her sister jumping. Harmony hums a song to herself, doing a spin in the next jump. "Harmony, stop it."
She just blows a raspberry at her and continues. "It's the opposite of her old personality, before you changed her, Rapunzel," Eugene sighs a little at this.
"Look, guys," Rapunzel stands up, looking at all of them. "We are not perfect. Cass, you could show a bit more compassion, and Eugene, a dose of humility every now and then wouldn't hurt." Both of them look away sadly. "And maybe even I don't have to be so upbeat all the time. And I should be more frank when I'm annoyed with things...but most of all...Harmony tried to help us, and we just kept on arguing, and now because of us, she's like this! My point is, all of you guys are my best friends, and even though there are things about us that annoy each other...I...wouldn't trade them for anything."
"Well, well," Cass steps up to her friend, giving her a hug. "Glad to see the schmaltz is back."
Rapunzel laughs at her. "And so is the cynicism."
Eugene walks over and hugs her too. He helps Harmony down from the bed, causing her to frown. "Now, there's one characteristic we all have in common," Rapunzel glances at all of them. "We don't quit. And last time I checked, we have a war to stop."
"You heard her, Eugene!" Cass smirks at him.
"Pick that lock!"
"On it," He simply opens the door with no problem at all, to their surprise. He spins around the key ring from his finger. "Nabbed it while getting arrested. Sure, that vapor may have turned upstairs into utter chaos, but even in the darkest hour, a valiant and skilled swashbuckler, such as myself, must keep his wits about him. So, you're welcome, ladies."
He opens his eyes, only to see that the three have already left. "Humility...right."
Rapunzel opens the doors, the three adults shocked to see the guests have gone out of control. Harmony beams, stepping forward, but Eugene grabs the back of her dress, holding her back.
"Eugene, charm the crowd to safety. Cass, handle the guards and clear a path. Harmi and I will go deal with our dad."
"Deep-fried burgers in the kitchen, and somehow, they're zero calories!" Eugene tells a random guest. He kneels to a table, lifting up the cloth. "I think I saw someone take off with your carriage." The man smiles and then the former thief stands between two arguing guests. "Follow me if you want to see a duckling who's friends with a kitty." He smiles, backing away towards the door. "Okay, everything I promised is magically outside this room containing this giant fight. Okay, keep coming. Nothing to see there. This way, folks."
Cass starts knocking out guards left and right until all of them fall around her. The Captain pulls out his sword. "Cassandra..."
She stares at him, not wanting to hurt her father. "Dad...?"
"Come on!" He smiles at her. "I bet I'm better at swords than you are!"
Cass pulls out her weapon, shocked to see him this way. Then again, it is because of the counter-elixir... He starts to battle her. "I bet you I can swing my sword better than you!" He brags to his daughter, "I bet you!"
She takes out her dagger, hitting him in the behind with the hilt. "Ow! You're not playing fair!"
She circles him with a smirk.
Rapunzel cringes at the two men fighting, Harmony just spinning around her sister. Frederic takes the Griffin's helmet, dragging it over his face. The man stumbles back.
"Dad, no!" Rapunzel takes Harmony's arm, walking up to him. "Remember who you are! And what Corona stands for, you have to fight the potion. You can beat it! Please..." She looks like she's about to cry as she looks up at him.
"Sword party!" Harmony smiles up at him in glee. He just narrows his eyes.
"Daughters, I fear your free spirit and hopeless optimism are a detriment to this mighty kingdom. A queen cannot afford to show such sentimentality."
The older princess opens her mouth in horror at his words.
The Captain continues sword-fighting with Cass. She lands on the table and rolls around to avoid his swings, placing a foot on his sword.
"Stop it!" He jumps up and down like a whiny child. "That's not what you do! I'm gonna tell!"
He grips the tablecloth and flings it away, knocking her onto the table. He prepares to hit her, only for a large hand to stop him. It's the same man that Cass let in earlier (but she snuck him in without Harmony's knowledge).
"I knew letting you in was a good idea."
He winks at the lady-in-waiting, snatching the sword away. "Don't you know children aren't supposed to play with sharp objects?" He pushes the Captain onto the floor, where he starts throwing a tantrum...
"I'm not playing with you anymore!" He sucks his thumb.
"Whew!" Cass sits up, "Thanks for your help! ...Wait, why didn't your personality change?"
"What personality?" He shrugs at her.
The Griffin is still hopping around, trying to see again as Frederic steps up to him with a glare, preparing to finish him off.
"You're right, Dad...There is a time and place for sentimentality."
Harmony looks up at her in confusion as she runs forward, grabbing a sword and standing in front of the tiny man. "And this is not one of them. If you are so sure you are doing the right thing, then you should have no problem going through your free-spirited and smart daughters to do it."
She keeps her glare on the man, pulling Harmony close. The girl just stands there, glancing between them. The man suddenly turns back to normal and so does the young princess. He drops his sword and hugs them both.
"I...I'm sorry."
"Ah, come on! I wanna see a brawl!" Arianna suddenly shouts, covered in food. The Griffin wobbles around, crashing.
The next day, the effects have thankfully worn off on everyone else. "Let this be the start of a centuries-long friendship," Frederic shakes hands with the Griffin.
"Uhh, I'm still not sure what happened last night, but Rapunzel was right. I needed to swallow my pride and accept help. Thank you, princess."
He walks off with a smile, Rapunzel standing there proudly. The big ship is not actually his, but a smaller one he has to blow the sails on. Nevertheless, they all wave goodbye to him. Frederic places a hand on Arianna's back, leading her away.
"Well...that wasn't how I imagined things going," Eugene comments to everyone.
"You said it. It's terrifying to think something so small could have such an effect," Rapunzel takes the elixir from Max's satchel. There's still a drop left inside. She throws it into the ocean, Max whinnying in relief, glad that it's all over.
"Ugh. Good riddance," Cass scoffs at it.
"Harmony..." Eugene places a hand on the girl's shoulder. "We're so sorry that we kept fighting and not listening to you. We didn't mean to frustrate you with having to stomach it."
"And you were right...we shouldn't stop being ourselves, only...minimize our flaws," Rapunzel smiles a little.
"Oh, that's okay," Harmony waves it off. "I'm sorry for acting so...well, not me last night. I think that makes us even, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, but just to make sure, we'll take ya to Monty's for an apology treat," Cass smirks at her and the princess grins, walking off with her friends.
"So you can sense evil stuff now?" Rapunzel couldn't help but inquire. "Like a sixth sense?"
"Yeah...Xavier predicted that it has to do with the Moonstone. It's definitely capable of doing it."
"That'll be really helpful from now on!" She nudges the girl.
"And...Harmi, I'm sorry I said all that stuff about Varian," Cass tells her with a regretful look. "I know you're just trying to help him, and I can't stop you either...but it's a little worrisome, that's all."
"I know...but he's important to me, Cass. The least you could do as my friend is understand why I'm doing it," Harmony looks up at her, frowning a little. "He's just in a bad, emotional place right now. You know that."
"I do...but I can't promise that I won't stop warning you. Just be careful, that's all...Can you forgive me?"
"...Sure I can," Harmony smiles gently.
The elixir doesn't sink; instead it floats down the ocean, to a river, and then finally finds its way to a cluster of black rocks.
"Well..." A gloved hand picks it up. "What do we have here?"